My Friend the Harem Protagonist

Chapter 7: Judo needs Discipline

My life is a dark tunnel lined with attendance forms. Every day I walk down it on aching legs to search for dress code violations and whatever Juri is up to. Each day is harder than the last, and soon I will be buried under a relentless death march of indifferent and ungrateful highschooler shoes.

But there is a light among all that bleakness. A smiling angel with yellow hair. He's come down to help me walk through the nine circles, and someday I knew he'd pull me up to heaven with him in his warm strong arms.

But then he got a girlfriend. And I wasn't about to spend my entire time in Highschool moping about it in a cramped student council office. And she nearly has my name! It's infuriating!

The sound of footsteps made me look up from Juri's file. The door swung open and a tall girl strode into the office. It didn't take long to remember that her name was Karin. She stuck out like a sore thumb, and was well known for her prowess on the school Judo team.

With some difficulty I closed Juri's enormous folder and put it back in its crate. "You're Karin, right? What can I help you with." Be polite, be direct, help them out. Then they leave. Clean and simple.

"Yeah, I'm Karin. I was told," she paused as she looked at a globe on my desk, "that you might know a bit about the girls who are interested in Shin."

Ah. Here was another vulture coming to pick at the morsels. Little did they know that the real prize had been carried off by a rogue vixen.

"What's your interest in Shin?" I asked.

"Ayami, is it? I just get the feeling that he might be at risk. And I was told that you might know where I could start looking." She managed to crack the knuckles on her hand just by tightening her fist. 

I swallowed. "Who told you that, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Shin's friend Haru."

Oh, Shin's full of himself best friend. Always in the way. I'd heard a rumor recently that he and Juri were now a couple. Together they could buy a steamroller and ride it over my dreams of a happy high school life.

"Yes, I know him. He said I could help you?"

"Yeah he seemed a little thick headed about the whole love thing. He said you'd know more about it."

Even though it was a lie it was still nice to hear. Mother and Father always tell me I'm too serious, but focus is the key to success. Maybe an athlete like her would understand that.

"I'm going to be completely straight with you. I have a crush on Shin." Karin had the guts to come here for love and I respected her for that.

Karin gasped, loud and dramatic. "I knew I couldn't trust a girl in braids!"

What a meathead. "I'm guessing by your reaction that you might be into him as well?" Karin didn't reply but she was red enough that she didn't have to. "You should know that I'm not the only one interested. Miyu from class 2-3, and Masaki from 2-1 are also vying for his attention. But that doesn't matter because he's already dating someone."

"That's a lot of girls. Only the man I respect could attract that much attention."

I get it. I understand you. He's a highschool adonis, born to be just out of reach. All the new pairings: Shin and Aya, Haru and Juri, it gave me a wicked idea. "You and I might be love rivals, but that doesn't mean we can't be allies for a time."

Karin walked over to the desk. God she was tall. "What do you mean?"

This was a girl who spent her afternoons pummeling other girls for sport. I'd have to be careful, or there would be an absence on the Disciplinary Committee. "I mean that right now there's too much competition. The girl friend is one thing, but there's two other girls, plus the best friend, plus Haru's new squeeze."

"Haru got a girlfriend?"

"Yes, he's going out with Juri."

"Oh, good for them!"

"Focus! You and I don't stand a chance on our own."

"Yeah, considering all that we'd each only have a 14% chance of getting to him. Together it goes up to 28."

I frowned. This ditz could do percentages in her head? Whatever, it didn't matter. "Exactly. Together we can clear out the competition. A sort of tag team. Once the rest are beaten Shin is open and the best woman between us wins. How does that sound?"

I could see that 'tag team' had gotten through to her. "Sounds like Haru was right to send me here." We grabbed hands and grinned at each other. I felt like this was a girl I wouldn't mind battling it out with in the end. 

Author's note:

This chapter is the beginning of the alliances. The Judo team powerhouse and the rule following disciplinarian are now at an unlikely truce in order to win Shin's heart. What does this mean for the other two members of the harem? Next chapter is the beginning of the double date arc. Can you call it an arc if it's only three chapters? I don't know, but be on the lookout for that. 

-DieSleepEasy