Chapter 215: Negotiations Concluded
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 215: Negotiations Concluded
To create a harem because she couldn't handle her lover's sexual appetite—it was a statement that Sasha, with her strong possessiveness, simply couldn't comprehend.
But on second thought, it wasn't entirely nonsensical.
After all, Kim Yoo-Sung was the possessor of an Extreme Yang Body.
According to legends passed down since ancient times, it was a unique constitution primarily found in heroes who had left their mark on an era, like Heracles or Oda Nobunaga.
Of course, even among those with the same constitution, individual differences existed. But given the sheer amount of Yang energy Yoo-Sung possessed, it wouldn't be strange for his stamina to be immense as well.
There were even tales of Heracles, who also had an Extreme Yang Body, sleeping with fifty women in a single night.
"J-Just how incredible is he for you to make a proposal like this?"
At the innocent Karen's question, Kumiko let out a soft chuckle and said, "On the night we spent our first night together, I seriously thought I might die. I might manage it once in a while, but if I had to accept that libido every day, my body probably wouldn't be able to take it."
As she spoke, Kumiko caressed her own abdomen.
Contrary to her grim explanation, her wistful gesture dripped with an affection for Kim Yoo-Sung as sweet as honey.
And that image of Kumiko clearly engraved at least one fact into the minds of the three people gathered here.
'Ah, this woman is truly in love with Kim Yoo-Sung.'
But that was a separate issue from the harem.
Sasha, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as Rika, opened her mouth.
"I understand what you're saying. But that's no reason for me to approve of your plan, Student Council President. Why should I bend the knee and serve under you? I could just take him from you."
Several months ago, when Rika had formed an alliance with Karen and reached out to her, Sasha had coldly rejected the offer.
She had declared that she would win his love with her own strength rather than flocking together like a coward.
It had been such a display of fortitude that Rika, the one who made the offer, had been the one to feel intimidated.
But the person here now wasn't Rika; it was Kumiko.
Unlike the ordinary Rika, this was a woman who had become a master of rhetoric through over a decade of family feuds.
To Sasha, who had boldly declared her intention to steal Yoo-Sung away, Kumiko revealed a single truth.
"My, what an interesting thing to say, Miss Sasha. You don't think a man with such a strong sense of responsibility like Yoo-Sung would ever abandon me, do you?"
With a gentle smile in her eyes, Kumiko shared a piece of information only she possessed.
"When I received Yoo-Sung's virginity, and he took mine, a deep bond was formed between us. That connection is something that, among everyone gathered here, I believe only I possess."
Stating it as if it were the most obvious fact in the world, Kumiko narrowed her eyes and spoke to Sasha.
"If you were thinking for even a moment that Yoo-Sung would betray me and go to you, you are gravely mistaken. In fact, I'd advise you to wake up from that dream. I want you to understand that my current proposal is an act of pure goodwill, made in consideration of the fact that we all love the same man. To put it bluntly, I could just pay women to satisfy Yoo-Sung's desires. From my perspective, that might even be a cleaner solution. I wouldn't have to compete with you all, who hold affection for him. But the reason I'm shouldering that burden and making this proposal is because I believe that having several capable women support Yoo-Sung is a better choice for him than me doing it all alone."
"..."
She was merely stating her position calmly, but it carried more persuasive power than any threat could.
The thoroughly objective information was helpful for making a cool-headed judgment at the negotiating table.
And Kumiko's bluff had clearly worked on Sasha.
"Indeed... the Kim Yoo-Sung I know would likely act just as you say."
Her hostile gaze softened. Sasha muttered as much, then let out a small sigh and asked, "So, what do you need me to do?"
Her unexpectedly swift surrender surprised the bystander watching the situation unfold.
"Sasha-chan, you're convinced by just that?!"
Hearing Rika's astonishment, Sasha raised an eyebrow and retorted, "The nerve of you. What else can I do in this situation? In chess terms, I've already been checkmated. Now that she's made the first move and secured the position of Kim Yoo-Sung's girlfriend, we're left with only two choices: give up and find someone new, or submit and cooperate."
"Surely, there's a better way!"
But Sasha's gaze toward Rika was as cold as ice.
"You already know the truth, don't you? The man named Kim Yoo-Sung is not someone who would betray a person who trusts him. And it is because he is that kind of man that we fell for him."
"Ugh..."
At a loss for words, Rika fell silent, her expression downcast.
Sasha watched her quietly for a moment before letting out a small sigh.
"Well, anyone with normal sensibilities wouldn't accept such an insane proposal. If anything, your reaction is more normal than mine, Rika. But I can't give up on Kim Yoo-Sung."
As she spoke, Sasha tightly gripped the locket pendant hanging around her neck.
"Because he is the man who defeated my father."
For Rika, who knew nothing of the underworld, it was an utterly incomprehensible statement.
But she could certainly feel the conviction behind it.
Unlike herself, who felt a revulsion to the foreign concept of a harem and couldn't easily make a decision, Sasha had determined her stance with a refreshingly swift resolve.
It made her feel like someone who lived in a completely different world.
Perhaps that sense of otherness was why she had never been able to open up and become truly close with Sasha, unlike Karen, with whom she'd quickly bonded thanks to her natural friendliness.
When Rika clamped her mouth shut, Sasha snorted as if losing interest and shifted her gaze to Karen beside her.
"So, Karen, what are you going to do?"
"I..."
Startled by the sudden shift of focus to her, Karen looked flustered.
But she, too, soon squeezed her eyes shut and answered.
"I will also cooperate with your plan."
Rika stared at Karen with a shocked expression at the unexpected reply, but there was no trace of hesitation in the eyes of Karen, who had already made up her mind.
Hearing the answers from Sasha and Karen, Kumiko's lips twisted into a sharp smile as she nodded.
"Then that's a majority in favor of my opinion. We can now proceed with the plan."
At her words, Sasha crossed her arms and asked, "I've been hearing you talk about this harem plan for a while now, but what exactly is your method? Are you planning for us all to immigrate to the Middle East?"
Kumiko shook her head.
"No, there's no need to go to a foreign land thousands of miles away when Japan is practically my family's home ground. You can think of it simply. I intend to amend the laws of this country."
"...The laws?"
Even for Sasha, the daughter of Ivan, the head of the Red Mafia that controlled Russia's underworld, the idea was surreal.
To overhaul a nation's laws just to create a legal harem.
It was truly the idea of a madman.
But precisely because it was so insane, it stoked the rebellious spirit Sasha had inherited from her father.
"An interesting story. Explain in more detail."
A smirk played on Kumiko's lips.
"I'm glad we're on the same page. The plan is simple. I intend to become the head of my family, the Saionji. Then, using the connections of a family that has been nobility since before democracy was established in this country, I will establish a foothold in the political world. Countless people in Japan's political and financial circles are indebted to my family, so changing a few laws should be simple enough."
"But you're talking about changing a perfectly established law. There's bound to be some opposition, isn't there?"
"I've already thought of an excuse for that. As it is, Japan is facing a low birth rate due to its aging population and the younger generation's reluctance to marry. I plan to use that."
Fasting men, who had gone a step beyond herbivore men.
It was one of the social phenomena the media was constantly harping on about.
For the narrow-minded people who blamed the low birth rate on today's youth instead of the absurd social structure, it would sound like a rather plausible excuse.
In that case, she would simply use it to her advantage.
"To preserve the superior genes of the Japanese people, one superior man (an alpha male) will take multiple women and impregnate them. If I use that as a reason, there will be an incredible number of people who will welcome it with open arms. After all, you can count on one hand the number of bigwigs in this country who don't have a mistress besides their main wife."
"I see, a rather plausible story. Though it is an act of open rebellion against an era where monogamy has become common sense, unlike in ancient times when the capable took everything."
Karen, who had been listening quietly to their exchange, spoke up.
"So, to summarize our conversation so far, Sasha and I just need to help you become the head of your family, Student Council President?"
"That's right. You're smarter than you look, Miss Karen."
"...Should I bury her?"
"Calm down, Karen. Saying something like that in this situation doesn't sound like a joke."
For once, Sasha was the one holding Karen back, but Kumiko, oblivious to the circumstances, just beamed and asked, "So, will you help me?"
"...If that's the condition for sharing Kim Yoo-Sung."
"Same here."
After Sasha and Karen answered in turn, Kumiko turned her head to Rika, who had yet to give a definitive answer.
"Miss Rika?"
"M-Me?!"
Was it true that when a normal person is surrounded by abnormal ones, the normal person becomes the weird one?
Rika, an ordinary girl with a very normal way of thinking, began to stammer as three pairs of eyes focused on her. Finally, with an all-or-nothing mindset, she said, "I'll cooperate, too."
Rika didn't want to give up yet.
When it came to her feelings for 'him,' she was confident she wouldn't lose to anyone else here.
"Then it's settled."
Hearing Rika's answer, Kumiko nodded with a satisfied expression and snapped open the fan she always carried.
Then, she pointed the fan at each of the three people sitting before her and declared, "From this moment on, you are all members of the secret society, the Yoo-Sung Corps."
And since Yoo-Sung might object if we just force a harem on him, let's do it this way.
"The decisive moment will be at the 78th Fujiwara Festival, which will be held in two weeks."
As Saionji Kumiko plotted the wicked scheme to drag her husband-to-be, Kim Yoo-Sung, into the swamp of a harem, her eyes shone brighter than ever before.