(02/06)
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In the end, Haruno couldn't help but feel that his meetings with these soulmates were more than just coincidences—almost like fate was playing an active hand in guiding them together. Case in point: when he returned to his usual morning route for a light workout, he fully expected to bump into Kazuko again. Same time, same area, same setup. It should've been another "fated" encounter.
But instead, Kazuko ended up jogging in a completely different part of the park—ironically, the exact spot where Haruno had exercised the previous day. This time, she was hauling a heavy tire with her usual determined energy, completely missing Haruno's position. Watching from afar, Haruno let out a long, defeated sigh, his expression blank.
"Hm… that's kind of annoying," he muttered, mildly frustrated that fate had teased him and then bailed last minute. With that, he wrapped up his morning routine and headed home to clean up and eat breakfast before school.
Soon after, he made his way to school alongside Lala and Yui, drawing the usual death stares from their male classmates. Being seen walking with two of the most beautiful girls in school practically painted a target on his back. And today, to make things even worse, was their first physical education class.
The activities were nothing special—just some basic jogging, broad jumps, and general endurance tests. However, some of the guys clearly saw it as an opportunity. A few loudmouths, clearly threatened by Haruno's proximity to Lala, tried turning the class into a competition. They challenged him outright, as if to prove their superiority in front of the girls.
"To think I'd walk into a cliché anime trope like this…" Haruno thought to himself with a sigh. To be honest, Haruno didn't care much for these childish challenges. The whole idea was pointless—beating him in a physical test wasn't going to make Lala suddenly switch sides. It was a delusion straight out of a second-rate rom-com anime. Still, he didn't want to act on his own and decided to check with the person at the center of it all.
"Hm… what do you think about this, Lala?" he asked, casting her a sidelong glance.
Lala, without missing a beat, folded her arms and huffed. "He's annoying. Just destroy him." Her voice was so matter-of-fact that it sent a visible shiver down the spine of the overly confident classmate.
Then, with her usual boldness, she stepped closer and gave Haruno a kiss on the cheek. "There. A little encouragement!" she said brightly.
To Lala, this kind of public affection was no big deal—it was just her way of motivating her beloved. But to the rest of the class, it was like a bomb had gone off. Murmurs of disbelief echoed across the field. Haruno could practically feel their shock vibrating in the air.
Well, there was no point in holding back now.
The so-called challenge quickly turned into a total blowout. Haruno crushed his opponents in every event. It wasn't even close. He didn't boast or flaunt it; he just silently went through each task, leaving behind a trail of stunned classmates. But as he moved, he noticed something odd—his body felt stronger, faster, more responsive than before.
It wasn't the same overwhelming power he drew from love, but… it felt like a faint afterglow of it.
"So, using the power of love… leaves some kind of residue in my body?" Haruno mused, stretching his arm. "Even without activating it, my base stats are increasing as an after effect?"
It was a fascinating thought. Maybe all that strain from pushing his body to the limit was actually creating lasting gains.
Still, he didn't take first place today—Lala did. As expected from a super-strong alien girl. Haruno was second best… but with how things were going, he had a feeling that the gap might not last forever.
In the end, everything wrapped up just like that. Haruno still thought the whole ordeal was a waste of time, but at least there was one silver lining—lunch. It wasn't just any lunch either; today, for the first time, Lala got to experience something very new: a homemade bento. And it wasn't even made by Haruno.
"Yay! Look, look! This is a bento! Thanks, Yui!" Lala beamed as she opened the box, practically glowing with excitement.
"Yeah, thanks, Yui. You even made one for me too." Haruno smiled as he unwrapped his own matching bento. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"Of course not." Yui shook her head softly. "I've been eating dinner at your place, so it's only fair. Besides… I wanted to. So? How is it?"
Haruno glanced down at the bento. It had all the cute staples you'd expect from a high school girl's lunch in an anime—rice decorated with seaweed, a neatly rolled tamagoyaki, octopus-shaped sausages, and little broccoli florets arranged with care.
He picked up the omelet and took a bite. It wasn't quite as polished as his own cooking, but… it tasted warm. Homey. Full of care.
"This is delicious," he said, nodding in appreciation.
"Really? I'm glad…" Yui's face flushed with quiet joy, her eyes glancing away bashfully.
"Yeah, it's good," Lala added, still munching happily, though her words didn't have nearly the same effect on Yui.
But of course, this brief, peaceful moment couldn't last.
Haruno's ears twitched as he caught whispers from across the classroom. Something about a student not returning after P.E. A few names floated in the air. His name was one of them.
He let out a small sigh. "Of course… still following the manga."
In the original story, it was Haruna who ended up getting abducted because the aliens thought she was close to Lala. But this time, Haruna hadn't really bonded with them yet. If anything, Yui would've made more sense.
Yet, somehow, it was still him.
"Looks like fate has a sense of humor," Haruno muttered as he closed his half-eaten bento, knowing full well his lunch break—and probably his peace—was about to come to an end.
"So just like you said… there really are aliens targeting people close to Lala and you?" Yui asked, her voice laced with concern. Haruno had warned her earlier—there was a good chance their lives would be disrupted by extraterrestrials vying for Lala's hand in marriage and the title of Deviluke's royal successor.
"Yeah. Honestly, I feel kind of bad for involving Haruna in all this," Haruno admitted. "But at least this confirms something… and it didn't take long. Ah—here they come."
As if on cue, his phone buzzed—well, technically, Haruna's phone. He picked it up and answered without hesitation.
"Hello, Haruno Aizawa-kun. I have something to discuss with you regarding the princess of Deviluke," the distorted voice on the other end said. "May I see you immediately? Or one of your female classmates will suffer the consequences…"
Haruno didn't recognize the voice, but if things were sticking to the manga's storyline, this alien was probably Ghi Bree—a weak shapeshifter who even Rito could defeat without much trouble. Still, Haruno remained cautious. Beneath his standard Sainan High blazer and slacks, he had secretly worn a reinforced combat suit—just in case.
He rushed to the designated meeting point: the tennis club room. The moment he opened the door, his gaze locked onto Haruna, unconscious and restrained by some kind of robotic alien apparatus.
"Hm… you came quickly. BUWEEE—"
Before the alien could finish its villainous monologue, Haruno struck. A powerful blow sent the creature flying into the wall, the impact cracking it. The disguise shattered, revealing its true form—just a small, pathetic alien with minimal strength and a knack for shapeshifting.
Haruno didn't hesitate. He activated his suit's enhanced strength to tear through the mechanical restraints that bound Haruna, lifting her into his arms with care.
He felt it again—his body reacting better to the suit than before. Maybe his earlier use of the power had allowed his body to adapt, retaining just a sliver of the strength even without activating his full "power of love."
Either way, he didn't plan to leave Haruna in that condition. Without a word, he carried her straight to the infirmary, determined to keep his classmates safe.
Author Note :
100 Heroines: 6 chapters per week, with each chapter ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 words. I may drop to 5 chapters if I'm busy.
You can read 10 chapter at patr*on.com/Iam_HaremLover123