Is It Wrong to Seek a Harem in Another World? (Part 1)

It was our seventh day in this other world. By now, I was gradually growing accustomed to helping out around the merchant guild. Perhaps laid down by summoned heroes of the past, this world even utilized a modern calendar system; our very first day here had fallen on a Monday, exactly as it had back on Earth.

Since we weren't officially hired employees, our daily chores only amounted to about four hours. Kotori would join us for meals, but aside from that, Eun-ah and I spent every waking moment just the two of us.

"Oppa, you worked hard today. Come into bed quickly."

Lying under the covers, Eun-ah lifted the edge of the blanket and called out to me. Although the room had two single beds, for the past week, she and I had slept curled together in one, drifting off to sleep enveloped in each other's soothing warmth. It felt as though we were a bashful pair of newlyweds.

To protect these humble yet blissful days, I spent my mornings practicing how to control my Hero's power.

"Guide, Heroes usually wield things like holy swords, don't they? Don't you have any weapons for me?"

Deciding there was no need to remain excessively guarded against the system, I adopted a more relaxed tone with it.

I had never done any athletic training aside from lifting weights at the gym.

The system had a point. After testing my strength over the past few days, a simple straight punch seemed more than capable of crushing a knight's iron plate armor into scrap. If anything, holding back my superhuman strength during everyday chores was the real challenge.

Curious, I also asked about some of the more puzzling guidelines among the Hero's Rules.

"What's the intention behind Rules Number Two and Three?"

"Is there a reason I have to choose a lover so quickly?"

A full week had already slipped by since arriving in this realm. That meant I only had one week left.

"How could you not tell me something that crucial?!"

I forced down the rising heat behind my temples.

"Then tell me now—is there anything else I absolutely need to know?"

"I can't even receive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a room in exchange for helping out the merchant guild?"

Life in this other world was turning out to be far more unforgiving than I'd anticipated.

Is confessing to Eun-ah and registering her as my lover really the right move?

I already knew she felt more or less the same way about me, yet I still hesitated—perhaps because I hadn't fully shaken off the common sense of our old world. But I had resolved to take everything I desired here. If I couldn't even muster the courage to confess to the girl I loved, I had no business dreaming of building a harem.

This Friday, once our daily work was done, I would take Eun-ah out on a proper date and confess.

Time passed, and the morning of my planned confession dawned.

Counting today, only four days remained before the Lover Registration deadline. Bound by the Hero's Rules, I had arrived with empty pockets, so from Monday right through Thursday, I had combed the entire capital searching for coins people had dropped. Thanks to my superhuman abilities, scouring the city wasn't exhausting, but retrieving money from filthy places like trash heaps and sewage gutters had been an ordeal in itself.

"Eun-ah."

"Mm?"

Now that the moment had arrived to ask her out, the words caught in my throat.

"Uh... let's go on a date tonight."

"Sure. Why are you hesitating like it's some big deal when we do that all the time anyway? We take walks together every evening after dinner."

"No, not like that. Tonight, after work, let's skip the guild's dinner and head into the commercial district instead."

Eun-ah's eyes went wide as saucers in surprise.

"Really? For real, for real?"

Brimming with excitement, she hopped up and down before throwing her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Wait, Oppa, can we afford that? We don't have any money, do we?"

"Don't worry about it. I saved up some cash."

"Is that why you kept disappearing these past few days? Were you doing part-time work or something?"

Not knowing about the Hero's Rules, she naturally assumed I'd taken on odd jobs. Revealing the truth would only worry her, so I decided to play along with a convenient excuse.

"Yeah. As a Hero, manual labor is right up my alley, so I did a bit of part-time work."

"Thank you... Still, I hope you aren't overworking yourself. It's not much of a reward, but..."

Smooch.

Blushing furiously, Eun-ah planted a soft peck on my lips before immediately turning on her heel and bolting out of the room.

The day couldn't have started on a more wonderful note.

With spare time during the morning, I scoped out our itinerary in advance. The variety store, the restaurant, the dessert bakery, and the scenic walking trail at the end—everything was set up to perfection.

When lunchtime arrived and I headed down to the dining hall, Kotori and Eun-ah both greeted me with bright smiles.

"Yugeon-ssi, I hear you're taking Eun-ah on a date today?"

"Unnie! Why would you blab that to him? Now I sound like a little kid bragging to her mom!"

Working side-by-side every day had clearly turned them into fast friends, already acting like sisters.

Once lunch was over and our afternoon duties began, Eun-ah and I parted ways, promising to meet up afterward.

Knowing what tonight meant spurred me to work with extra vigor, allowing me to finish my chores nearly an hour early. Wondering if I should go wait outside to pick her up, I looked up to find Eun-ah already heading toward me.

"Kotori-unnie said I could leave early today!"

"That's great. Shall we hit the variety store first, then?"

"Anywhere is fine with me, as long as it's with you, Oppa."

As we walked shoulder to shoulder toward the bustling commercial district, I noticed Eun-ah's fingers trembling ever so slightly. Letting my hand drift beside hers, the backs of our hands grazed against each other with every step.

Each fleeting brush made her flinch adorably. As much as I wanted to keep watching her bashful reaction, I knew this wasn't the time to tease; instead, I gently closed my fingers around her hand.

Her face instantly flushed crimson, completely at a loss for what to do.

The moment our hands intertwined, my heart pounded at double its normal rhythm—thumping so violently against my ribs I half-feared it might burst. Both of us were so terribly nervous that neither could manage a single word. Worries swirled through my head in an endless spiral: Are my palms sweaty? Is my arm swinging too fast? Am I walking too briskly for her? I was so overwhelmed by every tiny sensation that I could barely tell if we were even heading in the right direction.

Fortunately, we arrived at the variety store without incident. The shop was stocked with all manner of knick-knacks and sundries, but I already had a specific item picked out.

"Eun-ah, let me buy you a new hair ribbon. Your old one is pretty worn out, so you can keep it somewhere safe and wear a fresh one."

Eun-ah turned me down without a second thought.

"No, it's fine. Instead of that, how about these?"

She pointed toward a pair of iron rings resting on the counter. Being cheap goods sold in a general variety shop, they were crude and rather heavy.

"I mean... it doesn't mean anything weird or anything... I just wanted to have matching rings with you, Oppa..."

Her flustered shyness was utterly endearing.

"Are you really sure you want those?"

"Yeah! I like these best."

After paying for the pair, we stepped out onto the street, where Eun-ah promptly swept both rings into her custody.

"I'm going to get our names engraved on them and slip it on your finger myself next time. So just wait a little, okay?"

We spent a bit more time browsing the lively streets until our reservation arrived, enjoying a peaceful, pleasant dinner together before stepping back out.

"It felt so amazing having a wonderful meal like that after so long. Thank you, Oppa."

From there, we headed to what was meant to be the main event of the night: the dessert bakery. I picked up the small cake I had ordered ahead of time and carried it over to our table.

"It's a little late, but... happy birthday, Eun-ah."

At those words, Eun-ah suddenly broke down into sorrowful, gasping sobs.

"Sniffle... waaaah..."

Today wasn't actually Eun-ah's birthday.

Her real birthday had been the very first day of classes during her freshman year of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠college at twenty years old. Because we'd both been too busy to celebrate her university admission, we had planned to hold a joint celebration and birthday date that evening.

That day had been the exact day we were dragged into this other world.

Seeing Eun-ah weep with an anguish I had never witnessed before, my heart tore into pieces with overwhelming guilt. She had grown up as the pampered youngest daughter of a chaebol family, a girl who could have had anything she ever wanted to eat, do, or own just by asking. Yet here she was, enduring hardship in a strange foreign realm all because of me. What a pathetic excuse for an older brother I was.

"*Sob...* Thank you... Thank you so much for not forgetting my birthday..."

She was truly pure and kind to her core.

Eun-ah, I swear I'll make you happy no matter what.

Her eyes swollen and red from crying, Eun-ah savored every bite of the cake with an innocent, grateful smile.

After finishing the dessert, we walked back outside into the cool evening air.

"Eun-ah, close your eyes for a second."

Slightly nervous, she squeezed her eyes shut. Scooping her up into my arms in a bridal carry, I bent my knees and leaped into the night sky.

We soared toward the highest rooftop overlooking the merchant guild's district. Frightened by the sudden rush of altitude, Eun-ah clung tightly to my neck with both arms.

"It's okay, we're here. You can open your eyes now."

"Whoa...! It's gorgeous!"

Illuminated by thousands of warm, flickering lanterns, the kingdom's nightscape possessed an ethereal charm distinctly different from the harsh electric glow of the modern cityscapes back home. Gazing entranced at the sea of lights, Eun-ah turned back to me.

"Oppa, I have a present for you, too."

It was the exact moment she reached into her bag to draw out a small box.

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!

Loud warning bells clanged through the night air from somewhere across the city, and soldiers below began scrambling in a frenzied commotion.

"The pasture is under attack!"

The moment those words echoed upward, a translucent quest window materialized before my eyes.

While having a quest appear was usually welcome, the content of this one filled me with dread.

First, I need to get Eun-ah to a safe place.

I leaped down from the roof with Eun-ah and rushed back to our room in the guild quarters.

"Something must have happened to Kotori-ssi. As the Hero, I should go check it out."

Just as I turned to leave her safely in the room, Eun-ah grabbed my wrist.

"Oppa... do you really have to go...? Kotori-unnie might already be safe somewhere in the lodging..."

"No, she's definitely in danger. A quest just popped up."

I quickly explained the Guide's quest system to her.

"Even so... isn't it too dangerous? Can't the kingdom's soldiers rescue her...?"

"Eun-ah, your brother is the Hero. I'll be fine. I won't get hurt."

"No... that's not what I mean... No, it's okay. Go ahead. But you have to come back quickly, okay?!"

Leaving Eun-ah behind in the safety of our lodging, I dashed out through the city gates.

Eun-ah had always been the kind of girl who put me before herself.

Looking back on it now, perhaps she had sensed something in that fateful moment.

Should I have taken her with me?

Or should I have stayed by her side?

It's far too late for regrets now.