CH 59

The End of the Road for the Harem Protagonist



–I thought this exchange would go on forever.



As my classmates looked on, the mudslinging between me and Ryuzaki continued.



The battle is only a one-sided attack on my part, but for those who are watching ……, it would not have been very interesting.



They don’t know the details of the situation.



They can probably only understand half of the conversation between me and Ryuzaki.



However, there is one thing that even they can understand.



It was that a girl named Shiho Shimotsuki was crying.



They probably understood that I was trying my best to protect her from being hurt.



Maybe that’s why they’re watching over us without saying anything.



I’m grateful. I hope they’ll continue to watch me until the end.



And I hope they understand Ryuzaki’s abnormality.



Hopefully, his harem members will please wake up.



Ryuzaki is not worth sacrificing everything for.



Please don’t devote your life to a trivial person who is only popular with women.



Hoping for such a thing, I finally decided to make a decision.



“Ryuzaki, your feelings will not be rewarded. Let’s end this now……. Hey, Shimotsuki. Have you calmed down by now?　Have you stopped crying? Did you wipe the runny nose properly?”



Then, I turn my attention to Shimotsuki, who has probably calmed down over time.



…… I really don’t want to take advantage of her, though.



However, I really need Shimotsuki’s help to settle this situation.



I have to make a clean break with the protagonist who refuses to give up.



I have to end his story by confessing my feelings and ending up with Shimotsuki.



So I faced Shimotsuki.



“………… Hmm.”



Perhaps it was because she had carefully rubbed her nose and eyes, but Shimotsuki’s face was even more swollen than usual. However, she wasn’t as distraught as before. She seems to have calmed down somehow, so she’s probably fine now.



All that was left was for me to confess.



With this, I can finally save Shimotsuki.



With that thought, I tried to finish everything.



“Shimotsuki. Listen, …… I think you’re…”



….. But the girl Shimotsuki Shiho, unlike Ryoma Ryuzaki, is a fine main heroine.



It’s not just a weak girl who can be saved.



As soon as she realized what I was going to say, she suddenly changed her color.



“No!”



She shook her head and stared at me with swollen eyes, as if in anger.



She is a shy girl, sensitive to the presence of others, and basically a clumsy girl, but she is also a shy person who is strong only in front of those who …… she has forgiven.



So the girl next to me was …… very strong.



“Nakayama-kun, …… I’m fine now. So don’t push yourself any further, okay? You don’t have to get hurt anymore……. Thank you for helping me. I have more courage. So let’s talk about it later, okay?”



–I won’t forgive you.



–I don’t want you to confess now.



I felt as if I was being told that, and I choked up.



“…… Oh, is that so? Then yeah. Okay, but ……”



Are you sure you’re okay?



I was worried about Shimotsuki, but she seemed to be fine, just like she said she would be.



“Ryuzaki-kun. I understand how you feel. I’m sorry that I misled you……. So, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize to you first. After that, please listen to me?”



Shimotsuki is facing Ryuzaki.



For the first time in this story, perhaps, the main heroine’s true feelings were about to be told to the protagonist.



“Sh, Shiho, ……?”



Ryuzaki was scared.



However, he is looking at Shimotsuki with somewhat expectant eyes.



She has yet to say anything to him.



So, there is a slight possibility of a major upset, as if to say so.



However, there is no way that the outcast heroine, Shimotsuki, would approve of such a development in the story.



“I’ve never been very good at you. I’m sorry I haven’t told you before……. I haven’t liked you much for a long time. Yeah, so …… Ryuzaki-kun. I can’t reciprocate your feelings.”



She puts an end to it with her own hands.



It was a slightly different ending than the one I had envisioned.



What I had envisioned was that I would confess and go out with Shimotsuki to end Ryoma Ryuzaki’s love, but …… she cut off Ryuzaki’s feelings with her own words.



“—-!”



If he were told, Ryuzaki would have no choice but to accept it.



His love ended without any reward.



The story of Ryoma Ryuzaki came to an end without producing anything.



That it ended not with a happy ending, but with a bad ending.



It seems that all Ryuzaki could do was accept it.



“…………”



Without saying a word, he got off the stage.



He wandered off in the direction of nowhere.



There was no one left to chase after Ryuzaki.



Although Azusa chased after him earlier and encouraged him.



Even the other subheroines seemed to think that it would be difficult to save Ryoma Ryuzaki now.



This is the end of the road for harem protagonists. As a result of betraying his feelings, trampling on them, and pretending not to notice them, …… he lost all affection for him.



…… And so the romantic comedy of Ryoma Ryuzaki ended.



The harem romantic comedy closes with the result that it is a waste of time, with no catharsis at all.