On a sunny day, Rito, Lala and Haruna walk together down the sidewalk alley.
"Woo, I'm so excited. Run and Kyouko's concert's gonna be so much fun," says Lala.
"I agree. Especially with these VIP passes she was so kind to give us," says Haruna.
"Yeah. We'll have to think of someway to repay her," says Rito.
"Maybe we could bake her a cake," says Haruna.
"Ooh, great idea, Haruna. I remember how much Run loved sweets when we were little," says Lala.
"I'm afraid I'm not as good at baking as you two or Mikan, so I'll think of something else to get her, hehe," says Rito.
"Speaking of Mikan, didn't she get a pass from Run too?" asks Haruna.
"She sure did. My sisters too. But some reason, they all went on ahead without us," says Lala.
"They did? Wonder why," says Haruna.
"Actually, it's because I asked them to," confesses Rito.
"Huh?" asks Lala and Haruna at the same time.
"Don't get the wrong idea," panics Rito. "We'll meet up with them at the concert, but I wanted to be alone with you two for a moment first," he says
"Alone with Lala and me?" said Haruna.
"Why's that, Rito?" asked Lala. Rito stops walking. Lala and Haruna stop as well, confused.
"We're here," says Rito. Lala and Haruna look around; they've stopped at an intersection in the alley. And not just any intersection, but the very one where Rito first tried to confess to Haruna only for Lala to literally drop in on them and foul it up.
"Wow! This place brings back memories," beams Lala.
"It certainly does. But Rito, why'd you wanna stop here?" asks Haruna.
"Yeah, Rito. This is all very nostalgic, but shouldn't we hurry to the concert before it starts?" asks Lala.
"Please, you guys. This'll only take a moment," says Rito. Lala and Haruna trade looks, then both decide to hear him out. Rito takes a deep breath. "Haruna, this is where you and I first met Lala. It's also where…well...it's also the first time where I tried to tell you I love you," he says.
Haruna gasps, then blushes; the memory of that day filling her with joy.
"This is where it all started for us. So I figured it'd be the best place to talk about the future," says Rito.
"The future?" asks Haruna.
"Is this what you wanted to discuss on the school roof yesterday?" asks Lala.
"Yeah. But I realized I wanted to tell you both. So now I will," says Rito, taking another deep breath and clenching his fists. His face turns beet red. "Lala, Haruna, I want…I want…I want to become king of Deviluke! And then I want you to marry me! Both of you!" he yells.
Lala and Haruna gasp, and their faces flush.
"I-I-I don't mean right now, that is," says Rito, frantically waving his arms. "We're still young, and there's still a lot I want to do before making that kind of commitment. But someday in the future, when I take over for King Gid, I want you both to become my brides. Because the truth is I don't want to choose between you two. I love you both too much for that. I gave it a lot of thought, and I figured by marrying Lala, it'd be within my rights to marry Haruna as well," he says.
"Rito…" says Lala.
"Lala, please understand, I'm not trying to use you just so I can get to Haruna. I really do love you, and I want us to be together. For the rest of our lives," says Rito.
Lala clasps her hands over her mouth, holding back tears of joy.
"And Haruna, I'm sorry," says Rito. "All I wanted was for you and I to have a normal life together. But ever since we met Lala, our lives have been anything but normal. However, despite all the mishaps and dangers we've encountered, it's actually been a lot of fun, more than I ever dreamed. And I want us to keep having fun. All of us. I know it sounds strange and wrong to share a husband, but I really hope you'll accept my proposal. I can't promise you a normal life, but I can promise you that no matter what, I will always love you the most," he says.
"Rito…" says Haruna as tears stream down her face. Before Rito realizes it, he's made both her and Lala cry, though he's too much of a doofus to realize why. Without warning, both girls tackle Rito to the ground, hugging and crying.
"I'm so happy! Of course, I'll marry you, Rito," says Lala.
"Same here, Rito. I'd be honored to be your bride," says Haruna.
"Really? You both mean it?" says Rito. They don't need to answer. It's clear as the sunny day how they feel. Rito pets Lala's head with one hand, and Haruna's with the other. "Thanks, you guys," he says. They all stand up and dust themselves off.
The sun begins to set, casting a majestic orange glow over the intersection.
"So, what do we do now?" asks Lala.
"Well, I was thinking, I don't mind taking turns going out on dates, if that's alright with the two of you," says Rito.
"Sure," says Lala.
"Yes, I'm okay with that," nods Haruna.
"Good," says Rito. "Then I'd like us to just keep things the way they are. Also, I'm gonna start training to become king of Deviluke, since it's the only way this polygamy will be accepted. It may take a few years before I'm ready, but I swear, my feelings for both of you won't change during that time. And if you still feel the same way about me by then, I'll marry both of you. Though I'll have to marry Lala first, and then Haruna. Again, if that's alright," he says.
"I could wait a thousand years, and my feelings will never change either. I'll always love you, Rito," says Rito.
"Me too. I'll wait as long as I have to. And I'll always love you too, Rito, more than anyone else," says Haruna.
"Lala, Haruna," says Rito. Then his smile drops into a frown.
"Rito?" says Lala.
"What is it?" says Haruna.
"There's just one more problem," says Rito. He turns around, too ashamed to show his face to them. "The two of you…aren't…the only girls who love me," he confesses.
A gentle breeze blows as they all stand in silence.
"And the truth is…I think I'm starting to feel the same way about them. So I, uh, I want to speak to them about this as well," says Rito. Manning up, he turns around and faces the two girls. "If they still love me by the time I become king like you two do, and if I myself have developed feelings for them by then…then I wanna make them my brides too. I'm gonna fulfill the harem plan," he says.
The breeze stops. Lala and Haruna stand frozen, processing Rito's words.
"I'm sorry," says Rito, bowing to his two lovers. "I was vehemently against the idea of a harem, because I thought it was obscene and misogynistic. And besides, I doubted that I'd ever be able to care for someone else's life, let alone a dozen of them. But I realized I don't want to dismiss their feelings as if they mean nothing. I'd never forgive myself for that. So I at least want to give them a chance to express those feelings. They deserve that much. I'm sorry, but I believe this is the best thing I can do. I understand if you're angry and never wanna see me again," he says.
A few moments pass by. Rito keeps his head down, shaking like a leaf, terrified of how they'll respond.
"Raise your head, Rito," says Lala.
Rito does as he's told. To his surprise, Lala and Haruna are smiling.
"Weren't you listening? We just said we love you, and we always will. Besides, Momo already told me about the harem plan, and about it being her idea," says Lala.
"She did?" asks Rito.
"Yep. So if there are any other girls who love you, even if they're my sisters, I'd be okay with sharing you. Because all I want is for all of us to be happy. And I know you have it in you to make that happen," says Lala.
"Lala..." says Rito.
"Rito," says Haruna. "To be honest, I wanted a normal life with you too. I wanted to have you all to myself. But if doing so means hurting Lala or anyone else, I could never forgive myself either. Besides…I knew there were other girls who loved you too," she says.
"Wait, you did? Seriously?" says Rito.
"Of course," says Haruna. "For instance, there's Run. It's obvious she's head over heels for you. And when I think about it, our roles could've been reversed. She could've been the one you loved most while all I could do was love you from afar. I can't imagine how sad that must make her. So if she truly cares for you as much as Lala and I do, then I'm willing to share you with her and anyone else who feels the same. I'll support the harem plan," she says.
"Haruna..." says Rito.
"Just as long as I remain your best girl, I'll support whatever path you take," says Haruna.
"That goes for me too. Rito, marry as many wives as you want. Just be sure to make enough time for all of us individually, okay," says Lala. Rito beams with joy, feeling like a great Atlas-sized weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
"Lala, Haruna, thank you. I promise I'll do everything I can to make you both happy," declares Rito with a bow.
"Oh, Rito," says Haruna.
"Yay! Now that that's decided, why don't we seal this promise with a kiss?" suggests Lala.
"A k-k-k-k-kiss?" says Rito and Haruna at the same time, both blushing wildly.
"Rito...you don't want to?" asks Lala with sad puppy dog eyes.
"No, I…" says Rito. Then he turns to Haruna, and surprisingly, her face is telling him she wants a kiss too. Steam erupts from Rito's head. He gulps, and musters his courage. "Okay," he says. Lala and Haruna smile brightly and their eyes start to sparkle.
"Alright, then. You first, Haruna," says Lala.
"Huh? Me?" says Haruna.
"Of course, I don't mind," says Lala as she pushes Haruna closer to Rito. "Go on, Rito. Kiss her," she says, standing off to the side.
"R-Right," says Rito, approaching Haruna.
Her heart throbs uncontrollably as he closes the gap, standing inches apart from her. For a moment, neither of them move nor speak. They just stare into each others' eyes, hearts racing, faces reddening. Rito lifts his arms, and gently wraps them around Haruna's waist. She slowly raises her arms, and wraps them around Rito's shoulders.
"Haruna," says Rito.
"Rito," says Haruna.
She closes her eyes, and tilts her chin up, waiting for him. Rito closes his eyes, and gently presses his lips against hers. For a split second, the entire world around them just stops. While this isn't the first time they've kissed, it sure feels like it. After several eternal seconds, Rito and Haruna break away. She smiles and rests her head against Rito's chest.
"I love you, Rito Yuki," says Haruna.
"I love you too, Haruna Sairenji," says Rito as he strokes her hair.
The two of them break away as Lala approaches. She and Rito simply smile at one another. Then she touches his face with both hands.
"I've waited so long for this," says Lala.
"Sorry about that," says Rito as he wraps Lala into a warm embrace.
Their faces draw closer until their lips overlap. The sunset basks them in an angelic glow. Overwhelmed with happiness, a single tear cascades down Lala's face as she shares her first kiss with the man she loves.
000000
In outer space, the Dark Rover flies past the moon, heading for Earth.
Inside the cockpit, Stem stares at the blue planet through the cabin window. He taps a few buttons on the control panel.
"Find him, my pets," he says, clicking one last button.
Outside, the exterior hull door slides open, and a hundred objects launch out of the ship. They're all black, mechanical, and roughly the size of golfballs: scouting probes. Within seconds, the probes fly to Earth and scatter across the planet.
000000
Rito walks down the sidewalk, Lala linked in one arm, Haruna linked in the other. Although Rito's happy, he feels a bit embarrassed.
"I sure hope we make it time," says Haruna.
"I could always run really fast and carry you both," says Lala.
"Please don't," says Rito.
"By the way, Rito, wouldn't this be the perfect chance to talk to Run? You can tell her about the harem plan at the concert," says Lala.
"What a great idea, Lala," says Haruna.
"Well, uh, I mean, I was gonna tell her about it eventually," says Rito. Then he sighs. "Oh, who am I kidding? Alright, alright, I'll talk to her," he says.
"Yay!" yells Lala.
Author's Note: This was a difficult chapter to write. Of course, Lala would be happy with the harem plan since she wants everyone to be happy period. But Rito and Haruna? I kept remembering the chapter where they both said a harem was impossible. So for me to retcon that without it feeling forced was a challenge. Though I'm happy to say I like how it turned out. Now it's Run's turn.