521 I refuse to become your harem manager! (1/2)

”Mmm~~~”

Chiaki lazily stretched and murmured comfortably.

She then took out her cell phone and started poking at it while grinning foolishly.

Seiji knew that she was playing the cell phone game named ”Anna” again upon seeing how she was.

Natsuya already sent someone to investigate this cell phone game. She hadn't received a report yet, but she said one should be coming soon.

Seiji hadn't heard of anyone coming to any harm yet due to playing this game… he hoped that he was just overthinking things.

”Chiaki, about how many people in our class are playing this 'Anna' game?” Seiji inquired.

The tomboy thought it over for a few seconds before replying, ”I think roughly half. There's also several of our classmates that downloaded the game but failed to obtain an account.”

The game could only be downloaded with a recommendation code, and applying for an account seemingly relied on luck. This type of atypical game signup method still caused more than half of his classmates to want to play. That was just how charismatic ”Anna” was.

Seiji wanted to download the game to see for himself just what was so appealing about it. However, he changed his mind and decided to wait for the investigation results instead.

He really hoped that he was just overthinking things. However, he kept having a premonition that something mystical was behind this game.

The night gradually darkened.

Seiji went to his study after Chiaki and the others left.

The moment he turned on his computer and logged on to his chatting application, Hana sent him a message.

”Your story barely counts as passable, I suppose. I guess I could give it my approval.”

”Thank you for purchasing it and supporting me,” Seiji responded, adding a widely grinning emoticon.

Hana responded with an emoticon that had a look of condescension.

Seiji automatically interpreted it as a tsundere expression instead. He smiled and told Hana that he would like to have a video chat with her.

She immediately accepted.

”I would like to talk again about you becoming my vice-commander—”

”I refuse to become your harem manager,” the cat-eared hat girl stated coldly.

Seiji was rendered speechless.

”Huh?” He was only able to utter a sound of foolishness.

Vice-commander equaled harem manager in her mind?

Hey hey, something seemed wrong here!

”I'm not trying to create a harem here!” Seiji didn't know whether he should laugh or cry after he finally regained his senses.

”That's exactly what you're trying to do. Stop denying it.”

”I have to deny it! It's not what you think…”

”This is exactly what I think. At any rate, I refuse to become your harem manager. Hmph!” Hana turned her head away.

Seiji truly didn't know what to say. He was left speechless for quite a while.

”I won't be anything. I'll help you out, but I won't become anyone for you…” Hana then realized that her words could apparently be misinterpreted. ”Anyways, stop giving me any sort of title at all! I may be your ally, but that's all, nothing more.”

”…Alright then, as you wish.” Seiji instantly decided to skip this topic. ”I would like to hear your advice on what I should specifically do in creating a Spirit-branded Retainer team, my great and wonderful ally.”

------

The next morning.

Seiji mentioned that he wanted to created a Spirit-branded Retainer team to Mika and the others as they headed to school together.

”A Spirit-branded Retainer team?”

”Yes. My goal is to duel against my older sister, Yui Haruta, and her own Spirit-branded Retainer team,” Seiji explained. ”This will be quite difficult to do. Not only that, there's also a certain degree of risk involved. After my team is established, everyone, including myself, will probably have to spend a long time training and growing together in order to reach a level at which I can challenge her.”

”Mika, Juumonji-sensei, I would like to invite the two of you to join me. Later tonight, I'll formally discuss the details with you and explain everything involved. I hope that you'll consider—”

”I agree to join,” Kaede interrupted before he even finished. ”There's no need to consider anything. Please allow me to become your Spirit-branded Retainer, Seiji Haruta-sama.”