I am that male friend in the harem story

It might seem strange as to why their relationship appeared so close, but while it was quite weird, especially with how shy and plain Erika Kose thought she was to be, Ishigami bought her family's company. 

Yes, while Ishigami was busy with many things, he didn't forget his intention to create a food conglomerate, and it just happened that he bought Erika's family's miso company. 

Miso. 

This might sound unfamiliar to some, but it was the staple seasoning for the people of this country. 

"I want to eat your miso soup every day." 

A confession by using such a sentence was created to show how the people in this country couldn't live without this seasoning. 

Then, why did he buy Erika's company?

It was because her family's company was good, so he thought of buying one. After all, under a normal situation, it was impossible to get her family's company, but as he could get it, he wouldn't hesitate. 

So, why did all of this happen?

If Ishigami had to say, it was all due to her family's bad decision, which led to a lot of debt to the bank, so their only option was either to sell their company or get a loan from someone to pay the debt and interest on the bank. 

Still, a business was a business, after all, so even if he knew about Erika's family's problem, instead of lending her family money, he directly bought the company as it was a good company.

Even if Erika was Karen's best friend, the money that he used for this acquisition wasn't low, and for a business, while it was cold, he had to put his interest first, then his feelings. 

Regardless, even if he had acquired her family's company, she didn't blame him. Instead, she was glad that her family's company was okay. More importantly, her family also didn't lack money as they gained a profit from selling the company to him, which was why she thought that her family had done something bad to him despite him winning a lot. 

"Where are you going, Ishigami-kun?" 

While Erika tried to hide it well, Ishigami felt like he watched a cute puppy that wagged its tail as it saw its master, which made him speechless. "I am going to see Karen-senpai." 

"Your relationship is so close." Erika sighed, feeling a bit jealous of her best friend's relationship with Ishigami. "But is your girlfriend okay? Won't she be jealous that you visit another girl's house?" 

"...." Ishigami. 

How does he explain this? 

Such a question emerged in his mind, but at the same time, Ishigami was surprised that Karen didn't say anything about their relationship. Still, this also showed how trustworthy Erika was since even Erika, her best friend, knew nothing about their relationship. 

Unfortunately, Maki knew about the reality of their relationship. 

However, fortunately, Maki was also his woman. 

Nevertheless, among the four best friends, only Erika and Nagisa weren't his women, but Masa felt that it was okay. 

Nagisa aside as she had a boyfriend, Erika was a pure and gentle girl, so it was better to leave such a girl to a good boy as Ishigami knew well that many good boys fell in love with her. 

However, what he didn't know was that Erika's parents knew that she knew him well. They thought of matching them together, but she quickly refused them since she knew that he had a girlfriend and his girlfriend had a good status. 

More importantly, if she came to him after what had happened between them, wouldn't it make their relationship impure? 

After all that, her family might have a chance to enter the company once again, but considering they might have a child if they were together... it wasn't bad at all, she thought. 

'No, no! He has a girlfriend, and...' 

Watching her reflection as they passed the window of the car, Erika showed a helpless smile since compared to him, who was bright, she was so plain, so... Was it even possible for him to show an interest toward her? 

Yet, there was no doubt that it was fun to be by his side. 

Whether it was Ishigami or Erika, the two had an interest in foods, and Erika even thought of entering a culinary school after she graduated, which showed her serious attitude and love toward this sector of industry. 

Or rather, when she was stressed about something, she would make her own miso with her own mortar and pestle inside her room. 

So, having someone who could talk freely about food, including her hobby of miso, Erika... couldn't help but have her own fantasy despite knowing that it was impossible. 

'What is it again?' 

Yes, pretending, by pretending that she just cared about him as a senior, she could get close to him, having fun casually despite knowing how deep her feelings were toward him. It was painful, but as long as she could be by his side, she was fine, she thought. 

"Should we buy something before we visit her?" 

"Sure." Erika nodded, then asked, "But what should we buy?" 

"Let's get fruits. Eating something healthy might be good." 

"That's a great idea!" 

"Okay." 

'Ah...' 

Erika wished for time to stop, or the road would be endless, so that way, she could be with him for a little longer, yet she knew that their time was limited, and this time couldn't continue. 

It was just—

"Eh? Did you seduce Erika too, Yuu?" 

When the two visited, Karen couldn't help but say that she was more than happy if Ishigami could seduce Erika, too. 

"....." 

Under Erika's blank gaze, Ishigami could only remain silent. 

Nevertheless, Erika wasn't the only one who was pretending since Ishigami knew well that he also pretended. To become a good junior and repay Shirogane for what Shirogane had done to the previous Ishigami, he had been pretending to be a good junior who would support Shirogane's love toward that certain someone who he thought was precious. 

Even if Ishigami knew his feelings and he also knew her feelings, the two of them shouldn't be together. 

Yes, someone might say that love could conquer everything, but if the price of that love was to hurt someone who they cared about the most, was such love worth it? 

While it might be something that Ishigami kept repeating again and again, he knew well that he wasn't worthy of her as he was simply the worst type of a man, so until now, he had been pretending, trying to support the two, yet closed his eyes to the fact before him. 

However, he thought that time would do something about this problem, yet it couldn't. Instead, it worsened like how one didn't drink medicine and continued to work until, in the end, they were sent to the hospital, fired, and then died from overwork.

So when the first term ended, and everyone was about to welcome the summer break, Ishigami, who was prepared to go on a trip with his girlfriend, thought to help his mother at her flower shop first, but as the shop was about to close, he never expected that—

"Sorry, is the store still open?" 

Kaguya was there, smiling mischievously as she looked at him.