[No Title Provided]
Shooooaaaah—
To cool my boiling head full of all sorts of worries, I decided to take a cold shower, letting the water drench my entire body. My skin chilled under the icy cascade from above, but my mind was still a tangled mess tormenting me.
Why? Since when? Those girls?
I'd never tried to feel that way about them. The protagonist of this world was set in stone, and I was just an extra meant to be used up for that ending. Once I'd changed the world's conclusion, I was the kind of guy prepared to quietly slip backstage.
The fact that a broken mess like me—who couldn't even notice rational affection, let alone experience passionate love—had received confessions from the protagonist's heroines left a heavy guilt in my heart. As someone who utterly despised disgusting genres like NTR, I deeply regretted how much I'd betrayed Polo with my actions.
I couldn't shake the nagging thought that this outcome, born from the butterfly effect of my choices, might feel like betrayal to him.
I can't just leave it like this.
I finished showering without even drying my hair properly and headed somewhere. It was late at night, so the hallways were empty, and I strode forward purposefully.
My destination was Polo Helios's dorm room. I'd never visited since enrollment, so I worried if barging in unannounced was really the right call.
For a few minutes, I raised my hand to knock on his door, then lowered it repeatedly. Finally—
Knock knock knock.
I hesitated but ended up rapping on the door. I sensed movement inside, and soon it cracked open slightly.
Polo was in pajamas, apparently about to sleep. Seeing me show up at his room, he looked pretty surprised. I'd never come to his dorm like this before, so he seemed a bit flustered.
"Mars? What's up at this hour?"
Awkwardly avoiding his gaze, I replied, "Uh... mind talking for a bit? Somewhere without people."
"...Sure."
Sensing my off vibe, Polo quickly changed into casual clothes and came out.
Polo and I walked along a small path near the dorms. The darkened trail hadn't been properly maintained yet, with weeds sprouting up, and colorful flowers barely peeking through them.
"......"
"......"
I had no idea what to say to Polo, so I just kept my mouth shut tight. Polo, who'd followed me on impulse, quietly trailed behind.
Eventually, we sat on a suitable bench, and I racked my brain over how to start with the guy next to me.
What do I even say? Sorry? Thanks? Your girlfriends (real ones) were delicious? No, fuck, what's with that last one?
Polo stared blankly at me as I propped my chin on my hand, lost in serious thought.
"If you're agonizing over it, Mars, it's probably not that big a deal."
"Huh?"
Polo's opener was hard to swallow. My worries weren't serious? I'd always fretted over him or the women meant for him, not myself—yet here he was dismissing all my efforts, and it stung.
"It's gotta be about someone else again, right? Probably worrying about me this time? And leaving your own feelings out of it completely."
"......"
But his follow-up nailed me right on the head, leaving me speechless. I wanted to say something, but my mind was blank.
"You've always been like that, Mars. Seeming indifferent but caring about others. Even when you get hurt, you just act like it's normal and keep going."
"If you think it'll make someone sad or hurt them, you can't even speak up. You're so scared your words might wound them that you swallow it all and suffer alone."
"The Mars I see has always been that kind of idiot. Right?"
His clear eyes delivered those piercing truths, and I hung my head like a scolded kid. Feeling utterly exposed, I couldn't lift it easily and scratched my head instead.
I was a coward, and I'd lived that way until now. Probably why I couldn't properly respond to the heroines' sincerity too—I'm just that spineless around love kindled by my own actions.
After finally overcoming my past life's trauma, it was frustrating how I was still broken in weird places.
"Actually... I kinda got confessions—or something like that—from the club girls."
"Ahh... finally clued in?"
"You knew?"
"Anyone who didn't notice would be the idiot, no?"
Yeah... you're right. I'm the idiot.
I casually brought up what the young lady had let slip yesterday, but Polo took it in stride without surprise. He even teased me for only now catching on.
"Still weird, though, right? Just saving them once and they catch feelings? What even is love... shouldn't it be calmer, more... from ongoing meetings or something?"
"Sounds like something your great-grandpa or grandma would say..."
"But... I didn't save them out of worry. It was all for me!"
"For you?"
"They're fated for you anyway, so saving them might net me some benefit...?"
Polo shot me a pitiful look, and feeling his sincerity made my chest ache more.
"Why'd you assume they'd end up with me in the first place?"
"They asked me to help them become your lovers when we first met."
I told him straight what happened on enrollment day. But Polo brushed off their request and pressed on calmly.
"So you wouldn't have saved them if it wasn't for me?"
"No, that's... even humanely, how could I ignore people dying...?"
This was true. Even without their plea to pair them with Polo, I'd have saved them in crisis. Heaven God Cult or whatever—no skin off my back. Once tangled with them, I'd help anyway. For some reason, I'd want to.
"And you think they wouldn't fall for that?"
"But... I'm sorry to you..."
"I've wondered this before—why feel guilty about me not ending up with them?"
"Well, that's..."
'Cause you're this world's protagonist, and them with you is the true happy ending.'
I couldn't say it outright and swallowed the truth.
"Sigh... I never had romantic interest in those girls to begin with."
"Huh?"
"You heard. No interest from the start."
Wait, what? No interest at all? So even if they chased him aggressively, it wouldn't have happened?
"You saved them, and their feelings for you are their choice. Me butting in would just be weird, right?"
"That's..."
"So, Mars, no need for that weird guilt toward me. You're the coolest, best guy I know. Of course a cool, good guy gets popular."
Polo smiled brightly, no trace of doubt or jealousy. I could only chuckle wryly.
I'd agonized over guilt toward him, but his reaction made all my worries feel foolish, drawing out an involuntary laugh.
"You're so laid-back. Makes me feel like an idiot for fidgeting over apologies."
"You are an idiot."
"Fair enough."
We burst out laughing, then remembered the late hour and clamped our mouths shut. But our eyes met, and the absurdity had us stifling giggles, shoulders shaking.
"Sometimes you act like you don't deserve love, Mars. It's not weird, but..."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. I used to be like that too."
"Well, if you were..."
My casual segue jammed in my throat like a stone. My brain parsed his words, reached a conclusion, and my jaw dropped.
I could imagine how dumb I looked even without a mirror. Polo smirked at my stunned face.
"I liked you too."
And for a moment, the universe went dark.