Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Dating.

At least initially, the purpose of this operation was to arrange a date.

It was a date involving one man and two women, a three-person trip.

Hey, hey, hey, why did it turn out like this?

Am I really going to become a male protagonist in a light novel?

This way of unfolding is too pandering to otaku in every sense of the word, isn't it?

At this moment, Gao Hai felt that he couldn't calm down.

The reason it turned out this way is because Fujiwara Chika initially expressed her wish that Takami would accompany her to buy strategy games.

Yes, that's right. The pink-haired girl wants to buy a newly released collectible chess piece. Gao Hai knows from reading the original manga that Chika's upbringing is very strict and she's not allowed to play video games, so she developed this interest in board games. But the fact that she likes this kind of strategy game is something he's never heard of before.

Speaking of which, Chika once proudly claimed that she had memorized the rulebooks of D&D and COC, which are supposedly thousands of pages long, right? Are all anime girls this unreasonable? Can you really memorize something like that so easily?!

Although he really wanted to complain about these things, after Chika leaned against his arm and he felt the soft touch of the girl, Takami stopped paying attention to these issues.

"Of course."

Gao Hai agreed without the slightest hesitation at that moment.

So Maki, who hadn't left yet, immediately got angry. Oh no, actually, she got angry as soon as Chika finished speaking, but Takami agreed too quickly, so Maki didn't have time to say anything, and as a result, she got even angrier.

"What are you trying to do? Haijun, you're not allowed to go. I need to talk to you later!"

Maki immediately stopped and grabbed Takami's left hand with gritted teeth, showing a fierce, protective posture towards Chika.

"Let's go together then, it'll be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other and become good friends."

Then, Chika said without any hesitation, and so the three of them ended up walking together on the street.

To be honest, when Kaguya left, she seemed a little dazed.

And the stares from passersby on the street were really piercing.

But there's nothing we can do about it, because now both Chika and Maki are holding Takahashi's hand.

The difference was that Chika openly put her arm around Takahashi, while Maki kept a slight distance but still grabbed Takahashi's arm. In short, the three of them walked side-by-side, so much so that anyone passing by had to go around them.

Such a combination is undoubtedly very eye-catching, so passersby are frequently drawn to it, and some older passersby have already begun to lament about the decline of morality.

"Hey, weren't we supposed to keep a low profile? Didn't we agree to keep a low profile for a while? Isn't this a bit too high-profile? I feel like I'll be getting a lot of flak on the 2ch forum tomorrow."

Gao Hai finally couldn't help but complain.

Almost simultaneously, the two girls withdrew their hands, as if they had a tacit understanding, and continued walking beside Gao Hai.

"Hehe, because it feels very comfortable and relaxed this way."

Chika, with her hands behind her back, chuckled softly.

"..."

Realizing what she was doing, Zhenfei silently withdrew her hand, turning her face away so that Gao Hai wouldn't see the expression on her face, though the corners of her lips were already slightly pursed.

"Where is that shop located? By the way, Maki, are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink?"

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Gao Hai tried to start a conversation.

"We'll be there soon."

Chika answered in a very relaxed tone.

"I'm not thirsty..."

Princess Zhenfei answered stiffly.

I hate this feeling.

Shijo Maki's lowered gaze appeared dim and lifeless.

I clearly felt very happy and joyful when I was with Haijun before.

But that feeling has now been completely destroyed; this suddenly appearing Fujiwara Chika has ruined everything.

"Oh, hello boss!"

As Qianhua walked to the shop entrance, she greeted the owner with great enthusiasm.

"It's really quite luxurious. I'm even thinking of buying one to try it out."

Gao Hai stood at the entrance, looking at the various exquisite models inside the store and couldn't help but sigh.

Princess Zhenfei had already stopped moving forward.

Why does it become like this?

She couldn't understand.

Did I do something wrong?

She saved Hai Jun's life, a fact Hai Jun acknowledged; he wouldn't lie about something like that.

It's perfectly normal for Haijun to fall in love with someone who risked their life to save her from danger. And the fact that she could express her affection so openly and without any pretense is such a stark contrast to her own dishonesty and inability to do anything about it…

Empress Zhen lowered her head even further.

She could hear Chika talking to the boss beside her, as well as Gao Hai occasionally chiming in.

The atmosphere seems quite nice.

However, this is to be expected. According to Aunt Kaguya, Fujiwara is the type who loves games, just like Kai. Therefore, they have a lot in common and get along better with each other, unlike when she went on dates with Kai, where he often had to give in to her.

It's as if the two of them are a better match.

Princess Zhenfei couldn't help but have this thought.

My chest feels a little tight.

My nose also feels a little sore.

The girl stood still, motionless.

Very aggrieved.

I feel really wronged.

If she didn't have a high tolerance for pain, she probably would have already cried.

Why should this kind of thing happen to me?

Why did I follow them all the way?

He's acting like a complete idiot...

……

"Okay, all bought. Well then, Hai-kun, I'll be going now."

After stepping back a few paces to confirm that Maki was oblivious to her situation due to severe emotional distress, Fujiwara Chika reached out and pulled Takami closer, then whispered something to him.

Are you leaving now?

Gao Hai was stunned for a moment, not expecting that Qian Hua would leave directly after asking him to accompany her to buy the chess pieces.

"Hmm, if we stay here any longer, it won't be good for team unity."

As she spoke, Chika glanced at Maki not far away and chuckled, her tone seemingly tinged with a hint of helplessness.

The effect was stronger than expected, even excessive. So she has such a fragile personality. It seems I have no choice but to back down.

The girl sighed helplessly in her heart, but that helplessness quickly turned into determination. Qianhua stepped forward, almost pressing her entire body against Gao Hai's chest, and looked up at him earnestly, meeting his gaze.

"Ah Hai, you must cherish the people who are truly for you."

Chika gazed into Gao Hai's eyes and spoke each word clearly.

"For girls, this kind of situation where everyone is together can actually be very sad and uncomfortable."

"Everyone has their own selfish desires, and not many people would willingly accept this kind of thing."

"So, you should treat those girls who are willing to make sacrifices for you even more gently. I'll be going now. I'll leave Xiao Zhenfei to Ahai to comfort from now on."

After saying this, Chika took two steps back, made a cute gesture of sticking out her tongue and making a peace sign at Gao Hai, then turned around, picked up her bag, and skipped away into the end of the street.

The faint scent of the girl's hair seemed to linger on her chest.

Gao Hai's feelings were somewhat complicated. He understood what Chika was saying, and realized that his once-wished wish to "build a harem" was now actually becoming a possibility. However, he was happy, yet unable to fully embrace it. That awkward, uneasy feeling had been quite intense since the three of them started traveling together, and after hearing Chika's words, especially after realizing the underlying resentment in her earlier remarks, his guilt became incredibly strong.

"I never imagined that one day I would become such a sinful person."

Gao Hai, who was sighing softly, turned around and walked to Zhenfei's side, grabbed her hand and put it in his pocket.

"Hey? You...aren't you going to stay with Fujiwara-san?"

Caught off guard, Maki was startled, then looked at Takahashi who had walked up to her with some surprise. A fleeting expression of instinctive joy crossed her face, but she quickly concealed it and began to look around for Chika.

It's as if the abandoned kitten has found its owner again.

Gao Hai's feelings became even more complicated.

"Qianhua has already gone back. Now it's just the two of us here. Let's go. Where do you want to go next?"

So he grinned and simply took Maki's hand, heading in the opposite direction from where Chika had left.

"What? Acting like nothing happened? You were clearly head over heels for that woman just now. Let me go, I don't need you to keep me company."

The stubborn girl struggled and mumbled, her words revealing no trace of her grievance.

However, there was no way to break free.

After all, Gao Hai received more and stronger blessings and support, so as long as he was unwilling to let go, she naturally had no way to break free.

Maki couldn't help but recall what Chika had said in that private room before.

As a team, Haijun is the absolute center of the team. Everyone must revolve around him and cannot be separated from him.

So that's how it is? It seems I really... can't let go...

"Letting go is impossible. You always have to interpret things the opposite way. I remember this rule very clearly."

Gao Hai continued to hold Zhenfei's hand tightly, speaking in a slightly teasing tone.

"You...you bastard...ugh...whatever, I really can't do anything with you. I don't have anywhere I want to go, it's up to you...anyway, I've already done nothing (very quietly)..."