I am that male friend in the harem story

"....." 

Ishigami knew that he had to say something, but no words came out of his lips. He had expected this from the beginning after their first meeting, but he closed his eyes, pretending that nothing had happened or thinking that they were just acting, hiding their relationship from everything since this is what Shirogane and Kaguya did in the original story.

Yet, the truth? 

"I..." 

Knowing all of this, Ishigami knew that he had to say something, but once again, no words came out from his lips since even if he wanted to turn blind eyes about this, he knew well whose fault it was. 

Why did this happen? 

In the end, while he wanted to say something, the guilt made him lose the ability to talk. 

Should he comfort Shirogane? 

Should he have asked whether Shirogane wanted to fight for Kaguya's heart once again? 

Or... what should he really say at this moment, knowing whose fault everything had happened?! 

As Ishigami was unsure what to do, his eyes clearly showed a devastated look, causing Shirogane to smile and ask, "Why are you the one who is sad?" 

"...I am sorry that I don't know how to give you a proper response, Kaichou." 

"It's fine. I just want to talk about that with you, especially since you have tried to help me in the past." 

Yes, Shirogane knew that Ishigami had tried to help him many times, trying to bring him closer to Kaguya, and he was grateful for that. 

'Don't thank me like that...' 

Ishigami felt that he was riddled with guilt when he heard those words. If Shirogane was something that he didn't know, then he wouldn't feel anything, but as he had said before, Shirogane was the one who had helped the previous Ishigami at his lowest point. 

If Shirogane wasn't there, then Ishigami's starting point would be a shut-in and dropout, which would be even harder, as it would be harder to get close to the heroines. 

Still, if Ishigami wasn't here, then he knew that Shirogane's love with Kaguya would be smooth. 

'If I am not here...' 

"It's not your fault." 

"But..." 

"It is my decision to confess to her, and I might be rejected, but even so, I don't regret it since she is the one who made me who I am." 

If Shirogane hadn't fallen in love with Kaguya, he knew well that he wouldn't be standing where he was, and he would be that inferior himself, who just hid on the corner, disdaining everyone who had a great future due to their family. 

Yet, the truth? 

Even those from the wealthy family had their problems, yet for those who had an easy start in life, Shirogane had to admit that he was envious of them. However, unlike before, he didn't feel inferior and felt that he was better than any of them. 

Though he was rejected, he would be lying if he wasn't sad about it. 

"Kaichou..." 

Watching Shirogane, who shed his tears silently, Ishigami remained in silence and just accompanied him quietly, patting his back softly as he knew well that it was hurt being rejected, but even so, it didn't mean that Shirogane would fall. 

"Thanks for accompanying me." 

"...no, it's fine." 

"Also, I am sorry for wasting your time." 

"No! Don't apologize to me!" 

"But..." 

"Senpai, don't apologize, okay?" 

"And thanks for supporting me again." 

"No, I should be the one who thank you." 

"And..." Shirogane looked at Ishigami with a smile and said, "Don't waste other's feelings, okay?" 

"....." 

What did Shirogane mean by those words? 

Yet, Ishigami didn't say anything and parted away from Shirogane, who decided to go home. 

After this, Shirogane would focus all of his time on his studies, but if there was something fortunate, it was the fact that he got to know many people and had fun with all of his might that made him feel happy. 

Only Ishigami didn't leave; he just sat on the swing alone and leaned while lowering his head, staring at the ground in silence. 

"Are you okay?" 

"...did you know that?" 

"Um." Hayasaka sat on Ishigami's side and said, "I know that he had been rejected." 

"...what was Shinomiya-senpai thinking?" 

"I think that you should answer yourselves, right?" 

"...as I have said before, I am not someone suitable for her." 

"That's what you said, but is that something that you can decide?" 

"....." 

Whether Ishigami was suitable or not, this wasn't something that he could decide. It was something that the other party could decide as the one who held that feeling wasn't him but someone else. 

While he might say that he wasn't suitable, if the other party could accept him as he was, then what could he say? 

Yet, at this moment, he really wondered what he should do. 

If possible, he wished for the original relationship between Shirogane and Kaguya to happen, but Shirogane told him not to waste the other's party feelings instead of telling him that Shirogane wouldn't give up. 

"So, what will you do?" 

"....." 

Instead of Ishigami, it was Hayasaka who wondered what he would do. 

"Kaichou has been rejected, and you should understand why, right?" 

Ishigami closed his eyes, wishing Hayasaka would not press him further and that instead of him, it wasn't better for her to think about her problem.

"...you okay with it?" 

"Why not? You have been wagging your front-tail to many girls, so why not go after Kaguya-sama? You have given Shirogane a chance and helped him with many things, so you don't owe him anymore, especially when you have suppressed your own feelings to do all of this, right?" 

If Shirogane didn't exist, then Hayasaka knew that Ishigami, who was a scumbag, wouldn't exist, and Ishigami would only be loyal to a single girl. 

"No." 

"Why not?!" 

Hayasaka somehow became agitated and angry when she saw Ishigami hesitate after all of this. 

However, Ishigami ignored her and said, "I will go to meet Shinomiya-senpai." Stood up, he went toward Kaguya's house, ready to talk face-to-face with Kaguya. 

"Huh, now? You are kidding, right? It's the middle of the night! Kaguya-sama is resting! Also, why do you want to meet her now? If it was about Kaichou, then you shouldn't say anything! Or, rather, can you just wait for tomorrow to talk about school? That way, none of the family members will notice you! Oi! Listen to me! You will be in big trouble if you go to Kaguya-sama's house now!" 

Hayasaka never thought that Ishigami would be so crazy, ready to charge forward directly to Kaguya's house immediately after he knew that Shirogane was rejected. 

Was Shirogane really that important to him? 

If Ishigami had not had so many girlfriends, then Hayasaka would think that he had a different feeling toward Shirogane, but as they had been together, and Ishigami had always gone after many beautiful girls, she knew that he was straight! 

Yet, even so, Hayasaka wouldn't let him go to Kaguya's house since if he went there, then he would be targeted by Kaguya's family! 

Yes, she might be a spy sent by her family to monitor Kaguya, but even so, after she got to know Ishigami, she started her rebellion slightly, lying to the one who employed her to do all of this. After all, she didn't want his identity to be known, but if he went to Kaguya's house, then he would be targeted by Kaguya's family, and everything that she had hidden would be exposed! 

However, her strength was lower than his, and even if she tried to pull him, she couldn't stop him! 

"If you stop, I will wear a maid uniform for you!" 

"...." 

Ishigami stopped for a moment, but he continued his steps. 

"Are you kidding me?! Do you want to die so much?! Do you know what it means to catch the eyes of the Shinomiya family, Yuu?!" 

Still, Ishigami didn't stop and kept walking until he arrived at Kaguya's house, the grand western mansion that was built on the most premium land in Tokyo.

"Yuu, I beg you... don't do this, okay? Don't be so hasty. You don't understand the power of the Shinomiya family. I don't want to lose you, please..."

Ishigami, who wanted to shout, in the end, suppressed his outburst and changed his decision to shout after Hayasaka kept begging him, clinging to him tightly, so he sent Kaguya a text, telling her that he was in front of her house to meet her, but even so, as he stood in front of the mansion, it was impossible not to attract the guards that protected the mansion, but they stopped when they noticed Hayasaka. 

'Is he her boyfriend?' 

The guards and the other staff, who sat in Hayasaka, kept clinging to Ishigami's thought inwardly, but when they wanted to get more information from their observation—

"Ishigami?" 

As they turned, their mistress, Shinomiya Kaguya, was there, holding her phone and staring at the young man, Ishigami Yuu. 

"Can we talk, Senpai?"

---

Grrr!