*Note: sorry for upload so late. This was AI's fault because it wasn't translated me the whole chapter, only a half and I don't know why. However I finally solved the problem, son thanks for the wait.
One thing more, the other day a reader give me an amazing idea. It's true that the harem in this fic is very fast, I recognize this, so for that reason and started for the chapter 149 ahead, because I already write it, I'll stop adding girls to the harem for a while and I'll make chapters improving Akira's relationship. Learning about each other's taste, hobbies, etc. All of this to make the harem not so like collect Pokémon, but a harem where the girls and Akira share a deep bond and not a superficial one. What do you think? Sincerly I would like it to do from this chapter on, but I already write 151, adding like 2 girls in the process, or 3, I don't remember crearly, so I'll stop from that chapter to add girls for a while and doing that kinds of chapters. I think it was a good idea.
Have a good day :)
...
Following that illuminating confession from Haruka, Akira realized he had lost a significant amount of time, so much so that he hadn't even had the opportunity to tell the girls about his activities during the day he spent with Kari. Since he was severely pressed for time, he quickly washed up, got dressed, and rushed out of the house after giving each of the girls a brief, hurried kiss goodbye.
Akira glanced at his Omnitrix, which was cleverly camouflaged as a normal wristwatch that also happened to tell the time, and discovered he only had a few minutes remaining before his appointment. The unfortunate reality was that the distance from his house to the designated café where he was meeting Mikado was a twenty-minute walk, and even running at his maximum speed, it would still take him about thirteen minutes, more or less, meaning he would inevitably be late regardless of his efforts.
"And this is all entirely Haruka's fault," Akira sighed under his breath as he sprinted at top speed, his frustration palpable.
Nevertheless, he would be lying if he claimed that he wasn't slightly saddened after hearing Haruka's confession, but... what exactly was he expected to do? Suggest to Lala that she should accept the confession and agree to be the girlfriend of both him and the girl who pursued her? Ha, what a ridiculous joke!
"Although, I do vaguely remember reading a Japanese novel once where the author actually went through with that," Akira muttered, recalling those older stories.
The novel's core story wasn't terrible; it was simply about a guy who was reincarnated into someone else's body and proceeded to save the world. Since this character couldn't return to his original world, the King rewarded him with extensive lands and an enormous mansion. The King also offered to formally marry him to his daughter, the princess, but he declined because his tastes were, as he put it, quite special.
In summary, the protagonist eventually ended up gathering girls like that and converted all of them into bisexuals, even going so far as to have some of his girls accept confessions from other women. The novel ultimately devolved into a bizarre yuri harem with a man thrown into the mix, a total narrative disaster.
{Note: this is for all of you that says that I'm doing yuri. That novel is yuri, this one doesn't have any.}
But returning to the present matter, Haruka would simply have to forget about Lala one way or another; there was no other path. Furthermore, he dismissed Lala's words from his mind, as he had no intention of adding a lesbian to his harem, even if she were to become bisexual thanks to his influence. Did anyone truly understand the inherent danger of a bisexual woman in a harem? Akira vehemently hated yuri and felt no need to introduce a bisexual into his group, just in case.
"Thank goodness all the main heroines of To Love Ru are originally heterosexual with zero interest in women," Akira sighed in relief.
The only relationship that was slightly... abnormal, so to speak, was Mikan's with Yami, but they had never taken a step beyond simple friendship. Aside from that, none of the girls had shown any sign of interest in other women, and in this particular reality, it was even more noticeable. Mikan was very close friends with Yami, but they did not share the same level of intimacy or interaction that either of them had with him. When Yami and Mikan interacted with him, they did so in a flirtatious manner (each in her own distinctive style), but when they interacted with each other, it was strictly as best friends, with absolutely no sexual tension involved.
But putting the yuri issue aside, it was time to focus on the important matter at hand.
After fifteen minutes of sprinting at top speed, without feeling any actual exhaustion, Akira finally reached the designated location where Mikado was waiting for him right outside the café entrance.
"I apologize for my lateness, Mikado-sensei. I was detained on the way and had no choice but to speak with that person," I offered my apology.
Technically, this was the truth.
Mikado saw him and simply smiled warmly.
"Don't worry, Akira-kun. I only just arrived myself, barely a minute ago. I was also delayed due to different circumstances," Mikado said soothingly.
Mikado smiled, and it was the very moment I looked at that smile that I finally took in her beautiful figure. She was not wearing her usual doctor's coat, but an ensemble that left me momentarily speechless: a pair of snug, dark-toned trousers that subtly enhanced her figure without being exaggerated, combined with a simple yet elegant light-colored, long-sleeved blouse. Over this, she wore a light, beige jacket that draped softly over her shoulders, giving her a more approachable, almost youthful air. Her perfectly straight, black hair shone under the streetlights, framing her serene and attractive face.
For a brief instant, I completely forgot that this was just an improvised date... because seeing her dressed in such common, casual clothing made me realize that even standing in the middle of a massive crowd, Mikado would still inevitably stand out and draw all eyes.
The impression she made on me was so profound that, without intending to, I stared at her for a few seconds, completely mesmerized, without realizing that this could be construed as highly disrespectful and could potentially make her uncomfortable.
"Do you like what you see, Akira-kun?" Mikado asked with a sly smile.
"Ah, I am so sorry! That was completely rude and disrespectful of me!" I stammered, feeling immediately embarrassed.
Damn, she is so beautiful that I nearly lost my breath just by seeing her in casual clothes!
"Hehehe, your reaction doesn't bother me at all. What interests me more is that you give me a sincere answer to my question," Mikado said, maintaining her smile.
"You are simply breathtakingly beautiful," I stated immediately, without any thought or filter.
Mikado's smile widened, and without giving me time to process what was happening, she leaned in and gave me a small kiss directly on the cheek.
"Thank you very much for the compliment, Akira-kun. You also look quite incredible yourself," Mikado said with a playful, yet knowing smile.
I remained stunned for a few seconds, completely reeling, but quickly recovered my wits. Damn it, Mikado's power of seduction clearly exceeds 9000 units!
"Shall we go inside now?" Mikado asked, still smiling brightly.
It seemed that the specific look she had carefully prepared for this date had proven highly effective.
"Yes, let's go in," I assented, eager to escape the street.
Even someone with my experience in dealing with seductive women was clearly falling for her subtle traps.
"I have to calm down! I absolutely cannot act like a complete fool, or she'll think I'm just a perverted idiot!" I thought, desperately trying to regain my composure.
As we entered the café, I immediately took in its distinct atmosphere. The café was unlike any other place I had ever seen. The moment we stepped inside, the contrast was striking: humans and aliens were sharing the space in perfect harmony, as if the extraordinary presence of non-humans was the most natural thing in the world.
The light wooden tables were packed with customers. At one table, a pair of human students chatted casually while sipping cappuccinos, and immediately behind them, an elegantly dressed man laughed heartily, discreetly showing off small fangs that were far too sharp to be considered normal human teeth. At the bar, a bartender with a perfectly human appearance attended to the customers with a cheerful smile, yet tiny horns clearly protruded from his neatly styled hair; nobody seemed to pay them any mind, likely dismissing them as a quirky fashion accessory.
The décor was warmly inviting, featuring soft, glowing lights strung from the ceiling, walls adorned with books and posters, and display cases filled with desserts that initially seemed normal... until one looked closely and discovered pastries in impossible, vibrant colors, or effervescent drinks that emitted a soft, internal glow, as if they originated from another planet entirely.
Overall, the atmosphere was not tense at all; quite the contrary. It was an environment of peculiar cohabitation, a place where differences simply did not matter very much.
"Wait a minute... isn't it true that aliens aren't supposed to reveal themselves to humans?" I asked, surprised by the blatant displays, as we both settled down at a newly available table.
"That is correct, officially. To the public, this is merely a 'themed café.' The human customers who frequent this place genuinely believe that all these features are just elaborate costumes and disguises. That's why they are not at all surprised to see a person with prominent fangs or a waiter with horns—they just assume it's part of the elaborate theme," Mikado confirmed with a nod.
I see. So, the King simply camouflages this as a thematic establishment, which successfully prevents any human from being surprised, even if they were to see someone with a tail or other distinctive alien features. They would simply dismiss it as a fashionable accessory, much like in the case of Lala and the others. In almost any other country, seeing Lala and her sisters with tails would seem incredibly strange, almost ridiculous, but here in Japan, where many people actively engage in cosplay and unique fashion, they simply glance out of initial curiosity and then quickly look away.
"Excuse me. What can I get for you two?" the waiter inquired politely, approaching our table.
It was the same waiter I had noticed upon entering, the one with the small horns subtly protruding from his head.
"A latte, please," Mikado requested simply.
"Perfect. And for you, sir?" the waiter asked me directly.
"I will have the same as her, please," I replied, deciding to stick to her choice.
In my previous life, I was a devoted coffee lover. In fact, I'm not even sure why I don't have a coffee maker at home; I suppose I must have completely forgotten about it due to everything that has happened recently... I'll be sure to buy one later.
"Very well, I will bring those right out for you," the waiter said courteously before departing.
"Good. Now, let's talk about the important things," I stated, bringing the conversation back to its central purpose.
The whole point of today's date was to clarify the words Mikado had spoken in front of Sufurtia, where she had dramatically declared her intention to become my fiancée.
"Before we delve into the details, I must tell you that everything I said in that moment is fundamentally true, but it is also equally true that I had certain ulterior motives at the time," Mikado confessed upfront.
Setting aside the first part of her statement for a moment, I preferred to first understand the full extent of her reasoning; perhaps her motivations were not as superficial as I initially thought.
"I am listening," I encouraged her.
"You see... sometimes, being exceptionally gifted or unique attracts the unnecessary attention of many undesirable people—people who couldn't care less about the method they use, as long as they ultimately get what they desire," Mikado sighed, her smile fading into a look of genuine weariness.
"Is this about those nobles who are pursuing you?" I asked, now intensely curious.
"I will be completely honest with you... I am quite tired of constantly hiding. It's not that I miss my old life or anything—I had no family and only one friend back home—but I absolutely don't want to continue living in hiding out of fear. Due to my unique condition, even on this extremely protected planet, I am unable to leave this city, much less this country. I have been confined within the limits of this single city for twenty-five years now, unable to leave its borders," Mikado sighed, the weight of decades of isolation settling heavily on her shoulders.
"I thought absolutely no one knew you were even here," I said, genuinely confused.
I mean, that was precisely the reason why no one should know she was on this planet.
"That is precisely the point. We cannot be sure if anyone might establish contact with one of those nobles who are relentlessly pursuing me. Therefore, to meticulously avoid any potential problems, the King strictly instructed me not to leave this city, and even more severely, not to venture out of my laboratory too often... Twenty-five long years have passed since then. I only need to tell you that when I first arrived here, your current school director was a young man and not at all a pervert... that should give you a very clear idea of the time frame involved," Mikado explained, a slight, bittersweet smile returning.
In the original manga, it is never explicitly stated when Mikado first came to planet Earth, and truthfully, I don't recall if the reason for her presence on Earth is ever definitively explained, but even if it was, it is entirely irrelevant now, as the Mikado sitting across from me has already provided her own, personal explanation for why she is on this planet.
"Haven't you tried asking the King for help, perhaps to permanently remove those nobles who are harassing and pursuing you?" I asked, genuinely curious about the political constraints.
I already knew the likely answer, but I still wanted to hear the justification directly from her own lips.
"The King was the one who personally helped me go into hiding on this planet. He provided me with this new identity and even recommended this specific job. He said that being a simple school nurse wouldn't raise any suspicion because normally only those who are legal adults and who meet very stringent requirements are permitted to live on planet Earth, so we shouldn't even begin to talk about teenagers... the princesses and Yami-san are, as you know, special and exceptional cases," Mikado explained, outlining the limitations of the King's intervention.
I suppose she didn't want to take any more advantage of the King's extraordinary kindness and generosity than she already had.
"Therefore, to finally address your real question, when Sufurtia suddenly appeared, I immediately entered a state of sheer panic," Mikado stated, her expression turning serious once more.
"What? But why would you react that way?" I asked, visibly surprised by the depth of her anxiety.
"Because despite being on this technologically underdeveloped planet, which is supposedly extremely protected by the King himself... someone was still capable of locating me. If a simple person like Sufurtia was capable of doing so, who can possibly assure me that those powerful nobles who covet me won't one day discover my exact whereabouts, exactly as he did?" Mikado sighed, the inherent fragility of her sanctuary clearly haunting her.
I see... I suppose if Sufurtia, even without any malicious intentions, was able to successfully find her... it is highly plausible that others might also succeed, and that underlying fear was completely understandable and terrifying for Mikado.
"I understand now…" I nodded slowly.
"That is why I immediately suggested getting engaged to you. If I am officially your fiancée, those nobles who are pursuing me will undoubtedly hesitate greatly before attempting any action against me. As the formal fiancée of the future King of the Universe, very few would probably have the sheer audacity to act against me. That is the true reason I said what I said, and I deeply regret the panic that led to the timing," Mikado concluded.
I see... I suppose that, caught in a moment of sheer emotional panic, she simply wanted to secure a solution to her situation, and that is why she made the impulsive proposal.
"Actually, the entire fault for that lies squarely with me," I sighed, accepting the blame for the chain of events.
"Why do you say that, Akira-kun?" Mikado asked, slightly surprised by my unexpected self-reproach.
"Because I was the one who inadvertently brought him here," I stated, revealing the source of her recent distress.