Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 282, Section 17: "Huh? Why does it feel like this is coming to an end?"

The stars and moon hanging in the sky illuminated the Venus Bridge, as well as the five beauties standing on it.

At this moment, they were all anxiously awaiting their answer.

It seems I have no choice but to say it here...

Masumi took a deep breath.

"Mio, Chia, Asami, Kaizuki... thank you for telling me your feelings."

Masumi quietly exhaled that breath.

"Therefore, I will also express my feelings properly."

It wasn't a complicated or long sentence, but it got stuck in his throat, making Masumi's mouth dry. He swallowed to moisten his parched throat before speaking.

"Excuse me, Mio, could you please stand a little further back and get closer to the others?"

"Well...I know..."

This time, Mio obediently listened to him, loosened her tightly entwined arms, and then stepped back slightly.

Mio, Chiai, Asami, Kaigetsu, and Rinne lined up horizontally in front of the railing from left to right.

Masumi gently stroked her still-hot right arm, understanding that it was Mio's unease and determination.

Therefore, it was his turn to take the lead this time.

To express his feelings, he walked up to the girls.

Masumi already has the answer.

then--

He concentrated all his strength in his neck and finally managed to say those words.

My neck started to cramp and hurt, and even my back muscles started to hurt.

"Mio, I like you."

He stared intently at the girl with long, honey-gold hair in front of him, and spoke each word with utmost seriousness.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me all this time. However, it's not because of these things that I like you. I think I started to care about you from the first time I saw you perform at a LiveHouse. That's why I invited you to join the band after that."

Masumi's heart was pounding so loudly that she wasn't even sure if she had said all her true feelings properly.

Without thinking, he could only pour out the words in his mind one by one, telling Mio that until now, he had relied on her gentleness and enjoyed her affection.

Finally, Masumi confessed loudly.

"I love you, Mio!"

"...!"

Upon hearing Masumi's honest confession, Mio's cheeks instantly flushed red to an unbelievable degree.

Then she lunged into Masumi's arms with unprecedented speed and force, the soft touch instantly transforming into a shock that numbed Masumi's entire body.

"Whoa~! Hey, isn't this dangerous!? Mio, this is on a bridge."

Masumi barely managed to stop herself from falling backward, and her arm unconsciously went around to Mio's back.

“I always believed that Masumi would choose me.”

Mio lifted her face against his chest, and the messy bangs that covered her eyes were swept away.

Her eyes were moist, swaying like a new moon in the night sky.

Is Mio crying?

"I didn't cry! Why would I cry over something so happy!"

The girl who was saying this was trembling violently in his arms.

"But……"

Masumi gently patted her slender back, the obvious groove of her spine visible even through the fabric.

"Because this moment has finally arrived, Masumi, thank you... I will always stay by your side, I love you the most!"

She smiled from the bottom of her heart, radiant like a goddess of victory, more dazzling than ever before.

Her soft lips uttered a sweet voice that melted deep within the eardrums, making one unable to resist wanting to become infatuated with her gentleness.

"Shin-Sumi-nii..."

"There's nothing we can do about it... right... after all, Ms. Mio tried so hard..."

“Masumi…you said…you wouldn’t abandon me…”

Masumi's childhood friend, who is both a fan of Masumi and a collaborator in the creation of the manga, as well as a mysterious girl she found during the rainy season, all turned somber.

"Is that so? It's over... Masumi-nii, you chose Mio-neechan..."

Qian Ai clenched her fists, forced out a voice, and smiled sadly at the end.

Seeing their expressions, Masumi couldn't help but feel anxious. Would her feelings really hurt them?
That's love; no matter what, it's ultimately tragic, and someone will always get hurt.

A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. Since that's the case, let's finish what we have to say.

"Ma-Masumi..."

Mio was still basking in the ecstasy of her unexpected victory.

Finally, she didn't have to take the initiative. However, faced with this long-awaited situation, she became timid and revealed her honest and cowardly nature.

Masumi wanted to hold her hand and offer her support, but asked Mio to wait a little longer.

Because he hadn't finished speaking properly.

Masumi released Mio and then approached the childhood friend girl, whose expression was gloomy, and spoke.

"Qian'ai, I like you!"

"Huh?" "Eh?" "What's going on?!" "Hmm?"

Mio, Chia, Mami, and Kaigetsu were all stunned and asked questions in a daze, while only Rinne remained calm and composed.

"Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? — Masumi-nii!? What's going on? What are you saying so seriously!?"

Qian Ai looked quite confused, her mind completely lost the ability to process the situation, and she opened her lips trembling as she asked.

"Indeed, it might sound strange to you to say that."

Masumi nodded in understanding and then let out a soft murmur.

"Then let me explain to you in detail: I met Qian'ai the first, I like your cheerful personality, and I am also touched by your enthusiasm and kindness. I like Qian'ai like this."

"Masumi-san..."

Chiai's body trembled violently as she stared in surprise at Masumi's face, her eyes brimming with tears.

The falling tears sparkled and flew away in the wind.

"This isn't the place to explain; there are plenty of other strange things here," Mami couldn't help but complain.

The next moment, Masumi's gaze fell on her.

"Mami, I like you!"

"Guuuuu!"

“I admire your attitude in pursuing your dreams, so I want to stand with you and continue to support your dreams from now on.”

"Um, um, thank you?"

Mami's gaze darted around nervously, struggling to find the right words.

Masumi continued:
"Haiyue, I love you!"

"Ugh... I like... Masumi too..."

call--

Masumi let out a long sigh of relief.

Finally, after saying all the truths properly, the clouds that had been obscuring the moon finally drifted away—that's how Masumi felt.

"So what's next—"

"I'll give it a miss."

Rinne interrupted him casually, her face as indifferent as ever.

"Instead of using this time, I think you should explain your answer to them in detail."

Masumi turned her head and saw the girls burning with anger.

"Masumi-kun, what kind of boring joke are you telling?! Are you planning to change your surname to Ito?!"

Asami raised her eyebrows.

"Exactly! That's way too blunt!"

Qian Ai blushed and seconded the agreement.

"We're seriously worried about this, so Masumi-nii isn't just making this up to brush us off, is he?!"

"No, I'm serious."

Masumi's tone was firm.

"Really?" Asami asked suspiciously. "Isn't Masumi-kun saying this on purpose because he thinks 'choosing one of them would hurt others and ruin our current relationship,' and he's just content with the status quo?"

"Although your analysis makes a lot of sense, and I have indeed thought about it that way, but... after careful consideration, this is my choice: I want to be with all of you!"

"Eh? How can this be? By the way, is it even possible to do something like that in real life?"

"Don't say things like that, Masumi!"

Mio frowned, looking dissatisfied.

"Make a choice quickly! This isn't the answer I want to hear."

"Mio! I love you..."

Upon hearing Masumi's words, Mio immediately felt as if she had been struck on the forehead by Cupid's arrow of love, falling into a dazed state with blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Eh, even if Masumi says that…”

"...I like each and every one of you, so I want to accept everything about you, and I hope you can accept me as I am."

"What a cowardly answer!"

With sharp eyes, Mami stared at him.

"If Masumi-kun is still asleep, stick your butt out, and I might give you a couple of kicks!"

"Huh? How can I be considered spineless?"

The only Japanese person who can be compared to me is probably the male protagonist of a light novel who is reincarnated into another world and starts a harem.

"It's a different kind of cowardice! I originally planned to support you all silently no matter who Masumi-kun chose, since I like Masumi-kun, but I'm also friends with everyone."

"So I didn't make a choice; I decided to achieve happiness with each and every one of you."

"Huh? What kind of happiness is this! It's just wishful thinking from watching too many harem romantic comedies, isn't it?"

"Masumi...you're so greedy..."

"Does Masumi-nii think we're easy to fool and coax?"

"Hehehe! Masumi said he likes me...hehehehe!"

Rinne silently snapped Mio out of her reverie with a chop to the neck, and Mio, who was arguing with Chiai’s words.

The beautiful woman with long, honey-gold hair wiped her lips, as if waking from a dream.

"Masumi, what are you thinking?"

"I like you, Mio!" "Eek!"

Mio was like a weak monster of level one, easily defeated by Masumi's confession.

Qian Ai sighed and rubbed her forehead: "Mio-neechan's fighting power is too weak. Please leave the stage first."

The remaining four all looked like they were not easy to deal with.

“Masumi-kun, you don’t understand at all.”

Asami let out a sweet sigh from her rosy lips, which were coated with lip gloss.

"Girls just want to be the only special one in their crush's eyes, but you want everyone to do it. Are there any girls in this world who are so easy to please?"

"All I want is... to be with Masumi... that's enough..."

"Alright! Haiyue will also leave now."

Version fix: The remaining three all look like they're not easy to deal with.

"Masumi-kun, right now you look like the worst piece of trash crawling on the Venus Bridge, not even as good as a water flea!"

A cold, disdainful gaze pierced upwards.

"Huh? But don't you all like me? After all, we love each other, so why don't we just get together? That way, no one will get hurt, right?"

Masumi looked puzzled.

He likes everyone here, so he can't choose any other option in order to make everyone happy.

"Masumi-nii, you're such an idiot! You're a complete idiot! I'm not taking care of you anymore!"

After saying that, Qian Ai turned around angrily and prepared to go down the bridge.

“That’s right, let Masumi-kun… no! Let Mizuha-kun calm his head down here.”

"Masumi, I hope you'll seriously exclude all girls except me—"

"—Let's go quickly, Mio-neechan!"

Without a word, Chiai pulled away Mio, who hadn't finished speaking.

"Then I'll take my leave."

Rinne, who had been speaking very little since earlier, nodded calmly and led Haizuki away.

In the blink of an eye, the five girls who had been staring at Masumi with enthusiastic eyes just moments before had all vanished without a trace.

The cold wind of the empty winter night swept by, howling and hitting Masumi hard on her face, and she couldn't help but shiver.

He had initially thought that at least one of the girls would gently comfort him.

Ugh, it feels so cold standing up here.

However, it wouldn't be good to offend the girls who were in a bad mood right now, so Masumi waited a little while before using her phone as a flashlight and going down the mountain via another route.

The cawing of crows echoed through the woods from time to time, and a sign reading "Beware of Wild Boars" stood on the path down the mountain, but the protagonist was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be that they are also spending Valentine's Day night in their own way?

After descending the mountain, there is a park called Venus Terrace.

There was no one in the park except for the streetlights and the lights in the public restrooms. Come to think of it, who would come to such a remote place with their lover on Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day night.

"Ugh."

Masumi sighed, suddenly feeling very lonely.

Why do you look so devastated?

The sudden sound startled Masumi; surely a wild boar's voice wouldn't be this pleasant?

"...Was it really necessary to be this scared?"

Rinne asked expressionlessly.

Masumi, who thought she had encountered a paranormal event, almost had her legs go weak.

"Why is Rinne here? Where are the others?"

"Oh my, it seems you really are keeping your promise to bring happiness to everyone."

Rinne smiled slightly and said meaningfully.

Masumi decided not to react to those words. He wasn't the oblivious type of male protagonist; he had that much emotional intelligence.

"...They were drinking at an izakaya not far from here to vent their frustrations."

"So, did they say anything?"

“Even so, I won’t give up,” “This isn’t something external to me, I’ll keep trying,” and things like “I’ll take advantage of him completely…”

"That last one sounds terrifying."

Rinne smiled slightly: "Shall we go find them now?"

"Let them calm down first before we talk about it."

"I think so too."

Rinne said softly, taking a step closer to Masumi.

She raised her chin, her small nose very close to Masumi's.

It felt like she would just come and take her hand, so Masumi did just that.

Interlock your fingers and hold her palm.

Body heat was transferred between the two through their skin.

Rinne's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Thank you."

These words floated before Masumi's eyes with the white breath, then were quickly swept up by the howling wind and dissipated into the air.

"Ok?"

Masumi looked confused.

"Thank you. I'm so happy that I can be with everyone in the coffee shop from now on."

The gentle voice gradually melted into the cold winter night air, and silence enveloped the two of them.

The sound of flat shoes on the ground is especially loud on a dark road.

Rinne lowered her eyelashes quietly, maintaining the hand-holding posture, and left the park with Masumi, heading towards the shopping street.

"I have something to tell you."

Rinne spoke softly.

"what?"

"Just now, everyone except me confessed to you, right?"

As she said this, she abruptly stopped and cleared her throat.

Masumi also stopped walking.

A building naturally comes into view behind Rinne, a building with a distinctly Western style that has stood there for over a hundred years.

People would feel at ease if there were always unchanging things around them.

Rinne tidied up her hair, the front of her coat, and the hem of her coat in order, and finally she gave a cute fake cough.

It's quite rare to see the heiress showing such a teenage girlish side.

After doing all this, her beautiful, amethyst-like eyes stared straight at Masumi, and Rinne slowly opened her tightly closed lips.

Every word she uttered was clearly audible, slowly sinking into the cold air.

"Masumi, I like you."

To hide her embarrassment, Rinne turned her head away and started walking forward again.

This is absolutely adorable.

Masumi quickly followed, taking her hand and walking alongside her.

...Silence suddenly arrived.

Seemingly unable to bear the silence, Rinne raised her eyes to look over, observing Masumi's reaction, and spoke at the same time.

"Aren't you going to say something to me like you did to them?"

"..."

The night breeze stirred, like a soft sigh expressing "I can't do anything with you," causing the long black hair to ripple.

Then, Masumi spoke up as well.

He looked up at the bright moon that still hung high in the night sky, illuminating the whole world with such happiness and peace.

"...The moonlight is beautiful."

It seemed a wagtail flew by, emitting a clear call.

Can you encounter wagtails in Mount Rokko in February? These are the birds that bestow love affairs upon the gods.

Rinne tilted her head slightly and let out a long sigh.

"What was that like? Was it a way of confessing love in the Showa era?"

"I sometimes want to be romantic too."

Masumi instinctively tried to scratch his head with his right hand to cover his embarrassment, but he couldn't because he was holding hands with another slender, soft hand. So he could only rub the tips of his left thumb and forefinger.

"Rinne, I like you."

"Ah."

The heiress responded to him in the gentlest of voices.

"As for that stupid and cheesy confession I just made, just pretend I didn't say it."

Like a kitten seeking warmth, the heiress moved even closer.

"...No, even so, I don't dislike that confession."

Her murmur was so soft that it was almost drowned out by the sound of a wagtail taking flight.

Masumi Asa exhaled a breath of warm white mist on a cold winter night.

"It's already spring, but the temperature keeps dropping suddenly."

The scenery on the side of Mount Rokko still retains a wintery feel, as if only the seasons on the calendar are about to change.

"Yeah."

Rinne responded to these words with a gentle smile that she had never seen before.

"I do feel like I can sense the arrival of spring."

Men and women stroll along the streets as the chill of Valentine's Day fades.

It gives one the feeling that the long winter is about to end.

And the changing of the seasons seems to be reflected in the lighting as well.

The streetlights, neon lights, and the faint glow emanating from the interiors of buildings looked particularly dazzling.

Or rather, this is the kind of everyday life that awaits us from now on.
-
[Volume 9: The Revolution of Love: The End]

(End of this chapter)