A more modern Genshiken fanfic. For those of you who have read it, For the Love of Saki is written in a time before the newer second generation characters were introduced. I am up to date on the manga, and I am choosing to continue writing fanfiction in light of more recent events. Don't worry, I'll still finish the other stories.

Please enjoy this fanfiction inspired by Saki's suggestion that Madarame "keep it up," so that he might really get a harem route going. (Genshiken 81) This fic is going to be a very fluffy and even emotionally intense, or sexual at times.

Please read and review.

-LovelyWrath

.[].Harem Route.[].

A Genshiken Fantasy Fanfic.

Romance.

The bold title of the book caused him to hesitate. The idea of searching the book store for a self-help book struck even Madarame as an extremely pathetic venture. Still, anime, manga and video game experience had proven to get him absolutely nowhere in this field.

Glancing to the left, then to the right, and only after he determined that nobody was watching him did he reach out and pry the hardback book from the shelf and make a b-line for the checkout. Clumsily he pried his wallet from his pocket and passed it over to the cashier before she could even scan the book. Avoiding eye contact until the end of the transaction, Madarame bolted out the door with his purchase in tow, and kept up a quicker-than-natural pace until he was out of sight of the book shop.

Romance: A Guide to Love and Dating.

It was a renowned dating book that had been highly rated by even otaku readers who had stumbled across the material. That's how he'd heard about it. After a disasterous confessoin to Saki, he couldn't help but think he was doing something majorly wrong, beyond being otaku.

Hopping the train home, he situated himself so that his reading material was obscured, and thumbed to a random section of the book.

Identifying Someone who has a Crush on You; because your chances are better here, buddy.

He couldn't help but chuckle lowly at the humorous title.

By the end of the chapter, he stepped off of the train feeling enlightened. Somewhat. His confusion gained control. If he were to spot a potential interest in him based off of body language, physical and eye contact, communication, and how often someone endeavored to spend time with him, he found himself with not just one girl, but several girls who outwardly seemed interested in him. It was perplexing, and he rather didn't feel comfortable putting a lot of stock into it.

If he were to take this at face value, he'd be attractive to Sue, Hato, Keiko, and of course, Angela.

He needed to think this through.

Starting with the most obvious yes, he thought of Angela. He'd heard enough to know that Angela was all about getting a tall, dark, and handsome Japanese otaku boyfriend. The fact that Madarame had glasses was an obvious bonus- she loved glasses. And the last time he'd seen Angela, she'd been so utterly forward that honestly, it had scared the shit out of him. He wasn't accustomed to that level of flirtation. He wasn't accustomed to any level of flirtation. So he ungracefully ran away from her, and avoided her as hard as he could. Language barriers aside, he couldn't come up with a valid excuse for such an awkward and wimpy reaction. Saki was right- he should have taken some initiative, and maybe humored the girl a little bit. Maybe then he wouldn't hold the title of 'Supreme Never Been Kissed Otaku'. Now with Angela gone, and that opportunity squelched, Madarame didn't have to deal with it.

Moving down the list, Hato was a possibility. However, Madarame wasn't gay, and neither was Hato, or at least he claimed not to be. Madarame had graciously allowed Hato to use his apartment to change into and from his female persona. Even Saki had seemed confused and disbelieving when Hato had explained his 'perfectly normal' sexual preferences. Still, Hato fit the mold. The thought made Madarame blush deeply. It was strange, Madarame thought his attraction to trap characters was only limited to 2-d games, but Hato had busted that theory. There were times when Hato looked downright delectible, and Madarame had to remind himself of that ever-present physical impossibility. It was a shame, really. Hato made a damn fine otaku girl.

Sue was most likely a candidate. So many times she had inappropriately quoted anime and manga. Fewer times, however, she would spew out something obscure and romantic, and only the most hardcore would catch it. That meant Madarame would know, and most others wouldn't. Sue would turn to look directly at him, and he just knew it was directed at him. Sue had been the first to kiss him on the cheek. She was just so damned strange, even by Madarame's standards. And she was secretive- she didn't let on that she always understood what was being said, but Madarame (and probably several others) had already pieced it together. Sue knew everything and was playing stupid. Nobody called her on it, of course. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism. Sue was the reason Madarame had been jokingly labeled a lolicon. Sue was young... it didn't help that she looked even younger than she was.

Finally, there was Keiko. Madarame felt a little ill thinking of it. Sure, the girl was physically attractive, but she wore too much makeup and tried too hard. Like Saki, she wasn't an otaku, but still found herself assimilated into the Genshiken group by relation. Even so, she slowly became less of a bitch over time, and even started to be considered a friend to many of the members. She interacted with Madarame frequently, using a nickname for him. Truly, she made him feel too uncomfortable. She relied too heavily on her sexuality, and was a bit dingy, though she had improved in that arena slightly over time. Occasionally, she came in handy, but not often. And she'd played a heavy hand in pushing him into his confession to Saki.

As a matter of fact, he'd learned that Keiko and Hato had both played a real part in pushing him into that situation. And it was obvious that Sue knew things she didn't outwardly let on to- by her actions, she was no better.

He wasn't mad at them. They were right- his silent suffering had gone on for far too long. It had gotten to the point that everyone had figured him out, so it seemed really silly at that point not to say anything to Saki. It seemed disrespectful to let that hang in the air unaddressed, and it made things feel awkward and emotionally charged.

He wasn't mad at Saki, either. How could he be? He loved her, and besides that, she had treated him as a friend despite everything he'd put her through. She was kind. Madarame was just unlucky, or perhaps he didn't act soon enough on his feelings. If he'd had the guts to say something in the beginning, before she fell so hard for Kousaka, maybe things would be different. But there was no use in dwelling on the past.

Madarame entered his apartment and tossed the book aside. If all of these ladies (and Hato) were attracted to him, it was a very unusual and unsettling situation.

He recalled how everyone cosplayed in an attempt to cheer him up. Sure, they were trap characters (a few of them actual traps), but the sentiment was not lost on Madarame.

As he settled in his favorite chair, he couldn't think of a computer game that he felt like loading up for the evening. His mind was too distracted by his thoughts on crushes and potential love. Though he wasn't in love with anyone who potentially loved him, he couldn't help but recall the comments from everyone about "harem routes." Was it true? Did Madarame already have a sort of harem route already going for himself?

The more he thought about it, the more aroused he seemed to get. It felt a little wrong, but admitting it to himself, he realized that most things sexual felt a little wrong to him. His mind wandered. If he had a chance with anyone besides Saki, who would he go with? And he came to the realization that they all had admirable qualities.

Madarame was hard. He decided it was time for a shower and to release some stress.

As he undressed, his erection sprung free and proud from his trousers. He sighed, turning on the shower to warm before stepping in and retrieving the soap. He wouldn't be able to get any of this off of his mind until he relieved himself, so he soaped up his hands and grasped his manhood, stroking himself rhythmically to the thoughts of her, and her, and her, and her, until he came harder than he could remember having done in the past.

He finished showering, dried off and donned pajamas. He felt intensely guilty about his thoughts, and using these non-fictional young women as a device for release. He'd thought of Saki that way in the past. He still would think of her- he couldn't help it.

Deciding to turn in early, he slid under his blankets and curled up. He was off tomorrow, and could enjoy sleeping in. Exhausted and spent, he quickly drifted off to sleep, to dream of his harem route.