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As a woman, she naturally couldn't help but doubt her own charm. Fortunately, several other girls helped prove that Haruno's physical strength was too strong and had little to do with personal charm, which made Miyazawa Maki feel a little relieved.

However, it would be unreasonable for a married couple to be unable to satisfy each other. Miyazawa Maki naturally wanted Haruno to be comfortable, which is why she used to bring Ezaki Suguha along with her.

However, even with the two of them together, they still couldn't satisfy Haruno Sawayama, which really discouraged Maki Miyazawa. She thought about it and realized that even if she added another person, the effect might not be significant.

It could easily disrupt the delicate balance we have at home.

Since that's the case, why don't we all participate together? Let's treat it as a special New Year's Eve surprise. That way, no one will have any objections, and Sawayama Haruno will definitely be satisfied.

Although this might seem like a sacrifice for herself, after all, she was Haruno's legal wife.

However, after thinking about it for a long time, Miyazawa Maki realized that she chose to be with Haruno because she liked him, not because she wanted to be with him. Therefore, she would do anything for him simply because she liked him.

"That should make you happy, right?"

Inside the room, Maki Miyazawa's voice sounded slightly trembling.

The other girls almost unanimously chose to remain silent, their gazes sweeping back and forth between Miyazawa Maki and Sawayama Haruno.

Although no one said it outright, everyone actually knew who was the real person behind tonight's plan, and who was the reason they were allowed to stay in this house.

Although everyone's experience is different, the explanations given to Maki Miyazawa are all similar: it's because everyone likes Haruno Sawayama that they chose to accept each other's existence.

Now that things have progressed to the point where everyone is opening their hearts to each other, they feel that during such an important time, it is indeed necessary to leave the opportunity to speak to Miyazawa Maki, after all, she is the rightful heiress.

"Maki."

Sawayama Haruno opened his mouth. He seemed to have been lost in thought for a moment, and by the time he came to his senses, he had already walked up to Miyazawa Maki without even realizing it.

The short-haired girl was less than fifty centimeters away from him, almost touching him. Sawayama Haruno sat on the edge of the bed and began to carefully observe her appearance.

The slightly trembling eyelashes of Maki Miyazawa, and her stubborn gaze that refused to admit defeat and chose not to look away, made him unable to help but chuckle.

Seriously, this guy.

"Maki, I like... no, I've always loved you, and others too."

Sawayama Haruno's gaze swept over Miyazawa Maki's profile, then looked at Miyazawa Mana, who was sitting closest to her, before glancing at Ayano Yui standing behind her, and Mine Shiori and Ezaki Naoha sitting in chairs.

Sawayama Haruno looked everyone over very carefully, as if he wanted to remember this historically significant moment. However, just as he was about to say something cheesy and sentimental, Miyazawa Maki couldn't stand it anymore.

"They keep saying such flowery and embarrassing things, it's disgusting!"

Maki Miyazawa reached out and grabbed Haruno Sawayama by the collar. She forcefully pushed him down onto the bed, her movements so violent that she seemed to have been unable to restrain herself for a long time.

As she uncontrollably fell onto the bed, her vision was completely turned upside down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw four other girls approaching her.

bad

Sawayama Haruno suddenly sensed something was wrong. Ah, was he really going to become the "vulnerable character" tonight?

Judging from their expressions, they seem to be planning to devour me alive. No, if possible, I hope you can be a little gentler.

A smile spread across his face, but in the end, Haruno Zeshan did not put up any resistance. He simply watched as the five girls filled the "gaps" around him.

Until that warm current called "happiness" gradually flowed into their bodies, making their relationship completely inseparable.

Inside the room, the ambiguous atmosphere gradually intensified, and the story of the five equal parts continued to unfold.

After going through a long and winding road since the Golden Week incident, Haruno Sawayama finally began to live the happy life she had been hoping for. The five beautiful girls who had been entangled with each other finally formed a new family in this slightly strange yet heartwarming way.

(End of the book)

Chapter 398 Extra: Riho Morikawa's Troubles

(The following stories all take place two months after the original timeline, that is, some time after Sawayama Haruno and his girlfriends have completed their wedding photo shoot.)

Inside Kodansha, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.

Riho Morikawa sat in her office, staring blankly at the tablet in her hand, looking as if she were working diligently.

However, the mature female editor's demeanor caused her assistant editor, Mikoto Nagashima, to feel a sense of unease.

Yes, I am worried.

Because no normal person would stare at a tablet for a full half hour, let alone Ms. Morikawa holding it upside down.

If I remember correctly, this tablet is an old model that the company provided a long time ago. It doesn't support flipping up and down. I really don't know what Ms. Morikawa is looking at.

Mikoto Nagashima was very worried about the other woman's mental state, because for several days in a row, Ms. Morikawa had been acting listless but forcing herself to pretend that she was very busy. As her assistant, it would be strange if she wasn't worried.

If the other assistant, Shiori Mine, were still here, she might have been able to "persuade" Ms. Morikawa, but unfortunately, she recently went to Nagoya to attend an internal company training seminar and won't be back for a while.

With the few people who could comfort Riho Morikawa gone, Mikoto Nagashima, left behind, naturally didn't think she had the ability to cheer Ms. Morikawa up. However, her absent-minded work was clearly not a good thing, and she had to think of a solution.

With this in mind, Mikoto Nagashima tentatively spoke up.

"Ms. Morikawa, it seems like a new cake shop has recently opened across from Seven Eleven. How about we order our afternoon tea from them?"

"Ok?"

Riho Morikawa finally took her eyes off the tablet, but after a brief moment of thought, she said listlessly, "Can't the department just handle such a small matter themselves? I can manage."

"Is anything...okay?"

Mikoto Nagashima's smile suddenly became forced. She felt somewhat frustrated, realizing that she had failed to play her role. Only another assistant could effectively "communicate" with Ms. Morikawa at this time, since they had a better relationship.

"Never mind, you don't need to look so gloomy with me."

Seemingly noticing Mikoto Nagashima's somewhat downcast mood, Riho Morikawa sighed and said, "Mikoto has only been out of university for less than two years, right? You don't understand the troubles of an old woman like me. Family factors, oh family factors."

"No, I do know a little bit," Mikoto Nagashima couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"Is your family pressuring you to get married again? I heard from Ms. Morikawa that your family even came to Tokyo to try and force you to go on blind dates, right?"

"That's true, it only happened last month," Riho Morikawa said, feeling extremely frustrated. "If I hadn't stayed at the company for two days straight, they might have dragged me to a blind date with some incredibly greasy middle-aged rich guy."

"Greasy? It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Who knows? To be honest, I personally really resist this kind of behavior. No matter how outstanding the person I'm being set up with is, I'll probably still have a preconceived notion that it's not a good match," Riho Morikawa said casually.

With such outstanding examples before her, it became difficult for her to find anyone else appealing.

Although she has never been in a relationship, it is because Morikawa Riho has seen people like Sawayama Haruno and was deeply amazed by their talent that she can't help but compare them with other people she has met on blind dates.

Riho Morikawa knew, of course, that her mindset was bad, but she found it difficult to correct.

At this point, she has given up on dating and marriage and might as well live the rest of her life as a bachelor, even if it means being constantly bothered by her family.

If only there were a way to shut my family up!

Yes, there are.

When Mikoto Nagashima overheard Riho Morikawa's unintentional complaint, her eyes lit up and she offered a suggestion: "Aren't things like renting girlfriends and boyfriends all the rage these days?"

"Are you talking about the kind of setting found in web novels or similar genres?"

Riho Morikawa frowned, clearly not taking Mikoto Nagashima's words seriously.

Before becoming his assistant, the other person had interned in the online editorial department, so naturally he would be more sensitive to this kind of thing, since the "rental" theme has been a long-standing theme in online light novels.

But how can you compare a novel to reality? She didn't even want to give her blind date a warm welcome, let alone find someone to play the role of her boyfriend.

Besides, her family members aren't stupid, and it wouldn't be easy to fool them. The thought of being taken advantage of by someone like a "rent-a-boyfriend" made Morikawa Riho feel indescribably disgusted.

No, not even if it means death.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone I don’t know. What I mean is, does Ms. Morikawa have any male friends who could help with this?” Mikoto Nagashima asked seriously.

Yes, there really is.

Riho Morikawa quickly thought of someone, or rather, it was this person who had prevented her from going on normal blind dates.

Given my relationship with him, asking him to pretend to be my "boyfriend" shouldn't be a problem. It's just that I might get taken advantage of because of my family. But it's still better than being taken advantage of by those online people who specialize in being "boyfriends," right?

It's better to let that guy benefit than to let someone else benefit. Besides, you might end up being the one who benefits.

Thinking of this, Riho Morikawa couldn't help but reveal a strange smile, but then she frowned again. However, in less than five minutes, her frown relaxed again.

Mikoto Nagashima was already used to her boss's unpredictable expressions. Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, she knew that her plan was already more than half successful.

As expected, after a long silence, Riho Morikawa casually picked up her phone and sent a long text message. After waiting a few minutes and hearing the reply notification, she quickly broke into a bright smile again.

"Let's order afternoon tea from the place you just mentioned. Go tell Manager Arai that it's my idea."

Riho Morikawa suddenly stood up, grabbed a coat from the side and draped it over her shoulders, while adding with a smile, "Order some cakes, milk tea, or coffee, and just put it on my credit limit later."

"I have to go out for a bit later. You can handle any problems yourself. If you really can't, just leave it and wait for me to come back and deal with it," she added.

"I understand, Ms. Morikawa."

Mikoto Nagashima nodded obediently, but even though she was the one who came up with the idea, she was still a little curious—which male friend did Ms. Morikawa intend to ask for help?

Chapter 399 Extra: Riho Morikawa's Request

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Haruno Sawayama pushed open the door of the coffee shop, and the wind chimes hanging on the eaves immediately made a crisp and melodious sound.

The waiter at the front desk who helped him take his order greeted him very politely with "Welcome."

As a regular customer, Haruno Sawayama didn't need to look at the menu anymore. He casually told her what he wanted to drink, paid the bill and got the receipt. His eyes scanned the store and quickly landed on a woman in a thin coat in the corner.

Today, she was wearing a light brown coat over a white striped sweater. These sweaters are usually quite fitted, which can nicely accentuate a woman's graceful figure.

Riho Morikawa, who possesses enviable assets, looks incredibly slender in her tight-fitting sweater.

When sitting on the sofa, the pair of majestic snow-capped peaks naturally "sit" on the wooden dining table, and the abundant fruits make one's mouth water.

Her figure was comparable to that of a succubus. Even someone who was used to seeing stunning beauties like Sawayama Haruno would find it hard to deny that Morikawa Riho might be the most outstanding woman he had ever seen in terms of figure. She was like a ripe peach that had never been picked.

Among the five girls he is currently dating, the one with the best figure is Suguha Ezaki, but she is still quite a bit shorter than Riho Morikawa.

On the one hand, it's because Riho Morikawa is indeed "exceptionally talented," and on the other hand, it's because Suguha Ezaki hasn't reached the age of being a "mature woman" yet, so she certainly can't compare to Riho Morikawa in terms of maturity and sexiness.

However, it cannot be said that Suguha Ezaki is completely inferior to her; it can only be said that they each have their own characteristics. Riho Morikawa's mature and sophisticated style may also be wildly popular among other people with unique tastes.

If you let Haruno Sawayama pick it out, he definitely wouldn't find anything wrong with it.

"They've finally arrived!"

Lost in thought, Riho Morikawa noticed Haruno Sawayama and beckoned him over. The mature woman couldn't help but start complaining.

"Why did it take you so long to get here? Didn't you buy a car? Why are you taking the tram?"

“I wanted to drive here too,” said Sawayama Haruno, sitting down opposite her. “But since you’ve asked me to come out, how can we not eat out tonight?”

"If I eat out, won't that mean I'll be caught in the evening rush hour? The traffic will be terrible then, so I might as well just take the tram."

“You bastard.” Riho Morikawa glared at him.

All he ever thinks about is how to freeload off me. Even when I got promoted recently, he actually asked me to take him to a fancy restaurant in Ginza.

That meal cost Riho Morikawa a lot of money, which made her feel quite distressed for a while. However, this time she finally had the opportunity to get back the favor she had been given.

"Eating is a small matter. As long as you agree to one request, I'll take care of your meals for the next few days. How about it?"

"Not very good."

Sawayama Haruno said very honestly, "It must be very difficult for you to say something like that. I just finished writing 'Kafka on the Shore' not long ago, and I was planning to take a break for a while before finding an opportunity to travel with my family."

"It's not like I'm asking you to write your third book right now!"

Riho Morikawa's eyes widened, and she said with dissatisfaction, "And about the trip? Didn't you say you could only go during Golden Week? How many people are in your family, including yourself, who also have to go to school?"

"Sometimes I get a sudden urge to go, and I just decide to go," said Haruno Sawayama, shrugging with an innocent look on her face.

"Just tell me if you'll help or not!" Morikawa Riho was furious. She rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "It has to do with my family. You've heard about how they've been pressuring me to go on blind dates, haven't you?"

Over the next five minutes, Riho Morikawa revealed her entire plan to Haruno Sawayama.

However, after listening, Haruno Sawayama unexpectedly did not rush to agree, but instead showed a thoughtful expression.

"What's wrong? You're not going to refuse to help with this little thing, are you?"

Riho Morikawa's tone gradually became dissatisfied. She had been running around and busy for quite a while, helping Haruno Sawayama buy a house and take wedding photos.

Moreover, Haruno Sawayama had just won the Akutagawa Prize, and her new work was released recently. During this period, Haruno Sawayama could be said to be extremely free, and she didn't even have to go to school.

If the other party dares to refuse her now, she will immediately punch him to teach him that he should never owe a favor to an "older woman"!

"It's not that I don't want to help, I'm just thinking about how to help."

Noticing Riho Morikawa's displeased expression, Haruno Sawayama shook his head before explaining, "It's not that easy. What if your family really pushes us too far and makes us pick a date to get our marriage certificate?"

"Besides that, how do you plan to explain our situation to your family? It won't work to just talk about it over the phone, will it? We might have to go home or have your family come over. In short, we need to think about this carefully."