Novel Lived
Chapter 148 The Future That Would Never Happened
After that day, Asuka moved into Haruto's house. It wasn't an easy adjustment—Chiyo was openly hostile at first, her sharp words and cold demeanor filling the air with tension.
Haruto had to sit her down and explain everything, recounting the horrors Asuka had endured.
Chiyo's initial anger shifted to shock, and eventually, reluctant acceptance.
Haruka, on the other hand, had grown distant. Her cold shoulder and curt responses spoke volumes, even if she didn't voice her feelings outright.
Haruto could sense the jealousy simmering beneath her icy exterior. He understood her frustration, but what happened to Asuka wasn't something he could ignore.
Leaving her in that house, trapped in a nightmare, simply wasn't an option.
Now, finally free from the chaos of his household, Haruto found a rare moment of peace.
He sat beneath the ginkgo tree in the school's backyard, the autumn leaves drifting lazily to the ground around him.
A gentle breeze carried the earthy scent of the season, mingling with the faint aroma of the bento boxes in his lap.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Two bento boxes, to be precise. One from Chiyo, the other from Asuka. Each had included a note, proudly stating they'd made it themselves.
Haruto sighed, knowing full well the trap he was walking into. Once he got home, the inevitable question would come: "Which one was better?"
He opened the first box, marveling at the neatly arranged food. It was clear they had both poured their efforts into this, each trying to outshine the other.
He chuckled to himself, though he remembered something more important than two of his women bickering.
'Kota's been silent since yesterday. And Red Fang too... What are they planning?'
The stillness makes him uncomfortable.
Kota's absence from school had gone unexplained, and even Ren, who usually had no shortage of insults or complaints, had been unusually quiet.
Haruto's instincts told him this calm was the prelude to something.
'But for now... maybe I deserve this peace,' he thought, popping a sausage into his mouth.
As he chewed, a stray thought crossed his mind. He hadn't checked his system in a while. Activating it, he scanned through the interface.
Most things seemed normal, though his pending quest with Chiyo remained unfinished. He groaned internally—he hadn't found the time to go on a proper date with her yet.
Then he remembered something new: the updated skill, [Navigating The Sweetheart]. Intrigued, he activated it.
The screen shifted, giving him a live feed, as though he were watching a high-quality CCTV recording.
The scene displayed Chiyo and Asuka in the kitchen, locked in a heated argument.
"For dinner, I'll make sukiyaki for Haruto," Chiyo declared, her voice firm. "I know his protein intake better than you."
Your next chapter is on empire
Asuka scoffed, crossing her arms. "If you really knew about his protein intake, you'd realize barbecue is better—nothing beats a meal packed with meat."
Chiyo's eyes narrowed. "And what do you think sukiyaki is? Just a dirty broth? You're hopeless."
Haruto sighed, rubbing his temple. The two of them were relentless, their bickering as exhausting as it was absurd.
The system chimed, flashing a warning:
[This feature can only be used for one hour, with a twelve-hour cooldown!]
[Your ERS will be depleted every 20 points per minute!]
[Use it wisely!]
He quickly turned it off, deciding he'd seen enough. There were better uses for his energy than watching his housemates argue over dinner.
For now, he focused on his meal, taking in the peaceful rustling of the leaves above.
As he ate, his mind wandered to possible ways to ease the tension at home. Balancing these fiery personalities wasn't going to be easy, but he needed to find a way.
Letting them argue endlessly wasn't a solution—not if he wanted any semblance of harmony in his life.
Haruto's phone buzzed suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He instinctively braced himself, expecting yet another message from Asuka or Chiyo, but the name on the screen made him smirk instead.
[Kota Inoue: Meet me on the rooftop now. I know you're eating alone in the backyard.]
Haruto's gaze shifted to the rooftop. Sure enough, Kota stood there, silhouetted against the sky, his posture stiff as he stared down at the platform.
'What does that loser want now?' Haruto wondered, packing up his lunch and rising to his feet.
He scanned the area, suspecting Daiki or the Red Fang might be lurking nearby, but the courtyard was eerily quiet. Shrugging, he made his way to the rooftop.
As he arrived, Haruto placed his bento box on the ground, his eyes narrowing as he approached Kota. The other boy stood with his back to him, his head lowered as if deep in thought.
"What do you want to talk about?" Haruto asked, his tone even.
Kota flinched slightly at the sound of his voice but didn't turn around. "I just want to ask you... why?" His voice was soft, tinged with frustration.
"Why did you do it? Did I do something wrong to deserve this from you? Why are you so cruel to me?"
Haruto stopped a few feet away, his arms crossing as he studied Kota. How could he explain the weight of a past life—the sins Kota had yet to commit, the pain and suffering he'd caused?
He exhaled slowly. "Kota... You say I've been cruel, but have you ever thought about the things you've done to others?"
"The way you've treated people, the way you think the world revolves around you?"
Kota's shoulders stiffened, but he still didn't turn. "I don't understand... I haven't done anything wrong! What are you even talking about?"
"Not yet," Haruto muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening.
"But in the future, if I don't do something to you, you will do something even worse than stalking Mari and making her life miserable."
"I'm here, to make sure that things never happened."
Kota laughed maniacally, the sound echoing across the rooftop like a deranged melody. To him, Haruto's reasoning was absurd, almost laughably cruel.
"The future!? The future I don't even have because of you!?"