Chapter 3 - Lala and Haruna

On a bright, sunny day, Rito, Lala and Haruna walk together down the sidewalk alley.

"Woo, I'm so excited!" says Lala. "This concert's gonna be so much fun."

"I know," says Haruna, holding her ticket. "Especially with these VIP passes Run was so kind to give us."

"We should probably think of someway to repay her," says Rito.

"You're right. Hmm, maybe we could bake her a cake," suggests Haruna.

"Great idea, Haruna!" says Lala. "I remember how much Run loved sweets when we were little. Can I help you bake?"

"Of course," replies Haruna.

"I'm, uh," says Rito, sheepish. "I'm afraid I'm not the baker Mikan or you two are. I'll just get Run something else, hehe."

"That's fine, Rito. I'm sure she'll love whatever you get her," says Lala.

"She sure will," says Haruna. "Hey, speaking of Mikan, didn't Run give her a VIP pass too?"

"Come to think of it, she did," says Lala. "And she gave some to Momo and Nana too. I think Yami got one as well."

"Really? Hmm," says Haruna.

"Something wrong, Haruna?" asks Rito.

"Oh, it's nothing," replies Haruna. "I just thought that since we're all going to the concert, we'd all be going together as a group. But I didn't see Mikan or the others at your house when I came by."

"That's because they all went on ahead without us before you arrived," says Lala.

"They did? Wonder why," says Haruna.

"You got me. I've no clue why they left without us," says Lala.

"Well, actually...it's because I asked them to," confesses Rito.

"What?" asks Lala.

"Rito," says Haruna.

"Naturally, Mikan and Nana were skeptical," says Rito. "But thanks to Momo, I convinced them to leave early and meet us there."

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Flashback

In Rito's bedroom, Rito and Momo speak privately.

"You want us to leave without you?" asks Momo.

"Yeah-huh," replies Rito.

"But why?" she asks.

"Well, I, uh," he says, blushing. "I just need a chance to speak to Lala and Haruna alone. It's important."

"Important, huh?" she asks.

Then she leans in close, examining his face, which only reddens his cheeks.

"Uh, Momo?" asks Rito.

Momo gasps, and her eyes sparkle with delight. "Wait, Rito! Don't tell me..."

...

Rito sighs before smiling. "Is it that obvious?"

"YAY!" cheers Momo, embracing Rito tightly. "Don't you worry! I'll take care of Mikan and Nana. You just do what you gotta do."

Rito pats her back. "Thanks."

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Rito, Lala and Haruna continue walking down the sidewalk.

"But Rito, how come?" asks Haruna.

"Yeah. Didn't you want all of us to go together as a group?" asks Lala.

"O-of course, I did," panics Rito. "Don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted a moment to be alone with you two, that's all."

"Alone with Lala and me?" asks Haruna.

"Why's that?" asks 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 takes me back," beams Lala.

"It certainly does," says Haruna. "But Rito, what's this about?"

"Yeah, Rito," says Lala. "This is all nice and nostalgic, but shouldn't we hurry to the concert?"

"Please, girls," says Rito. "This'll only take a moment."

Lala and Haruna trade looks, and 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 place where I tried to tell you...that I love you."

Haruna gasps and blushes; the memory of that day fills her with great joy.

"This is where it all started for us," continues Rito. "So I figured it'd be the best place to talk about the future."

"The future?" asks Haruna.

"Wait. Is this what you wanted to discuss on the roof yesterday?" asks Lala.

"Yeah," replies Rito. "But I realized I wanted to tell you both. So now I will."

He takes another deep breath and clenches his fists. His face turns beet red.

...

"Lala, Haruna," he says. "I want…I want…I want to become king of Deviluke! And I want you to marry me! Both of you!"

...

Lala and Haruna gasp, and their faces flush.

"I-I-I don't mean right now," says Rito, frantically waving his arms. "Ahem. 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. So I gave it a lot of thought, and I figured by marrying Lala, it'd be within my rights to marry Haruna as well."

"Rito…" says Lala.

"Lala, please understand, I'm not trying to use you just so I can get with Haruna," says Rito. "I really do love you, and I want us to be together. For the rest of our lives."

Lala clasps her hands over her mouth, holding back tears of joy.

"And Haruna, I'm sorry," says Rito.

"Huh?" asks Haruna.

"All I wanted was for you and I to have a normal life together," says Rito. "But ever since we met Lala, our lives have been anything but normal. And yet, 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."

Tears stream down Haruna's face. "Oh, Rito."

Before Rito realizes it, he's made both girls cry, though he's too much of a doofus to understand why. Without warning, both girls tackle him to the ground, hugging and crying.

"Uh, girls?" asks Rito.

"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 mean it? Both of you?" asks Rito in joyous disbelief.

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.

"Thank you. Both of you," 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 we could just leave things as they are, and let our feelings grow," replies Rito. "And if it's alright with you two, I'd like to take turns going out on dates with you both."

"Sure," says Lala.

"Yes, I'm okay with that," says Haruna.

"Great," says Rito. "Also, I'm gonna start training to become king of Deviluke. It's the only way this polygamy will ever be accepted. It may take a few years before I'm ready to wear the crown, but I swear, my feelings for you two 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."

"I could wait a thousand years, and my feelings would never change either. I'll always love you, Rito," says Lala.

"Me too," says Haruna. "I'll wait as long as I have to. And I'll always love you too, Rito, more than anyone else."

Rito's so happy, he could die. "Lala...Haruna..."

But then his smile drops into a frown.

"Rito?" asks Lala.

"What is it?" asks 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 ones who are in love with me," he confesses.

A gentle breeze blows by as they all stand in silence.

...

...

...

"And the truth is…I think I'm starting to feel the same way about them," says Rito. "So I, uh, I want to speak to them about this as well."

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…well then, I...I wanna make them my brides too," he says. "I'm gonna fulfill the harem plan."

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 like 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 to do. And I understand if you're angry and never wanna see me again."

...

He keeps his head down, shaking like a leaf, terrified of how they'll respond.

"Rito, look at us," says Lala.

He does as he's told. To his surprise, both Lala and Haruna are smiling.

"Weren't you listening?" asks Lala. "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."

"She did?" asks Rito.

"Yep," replies Lala. "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."

"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."

"You did?" asks Rito.

"Of course," replies 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."

"You mean...?" asks Rito.

"Yes," says Haruna. "I'll support the harem plan."

"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," says Lala. "You can marry as many girls as you want, Rito. Just be sure to make enough time for all of us individually, okay."

Rito beams with joy, feeling like a great Atlas-sized weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

"Lala, Haruna, thank you," he says with another bow. "I promise I'll do everything I can to make you both happy. I won't make either of you regret choosing me."

"Oh, Rito," says Haruna.

"Yay!" cheers Lala. "Alright. Now that that's settled, why don't we seal this promise with a kiss?"

...

"A k-k-k-k-kiss?" asks Rito and Haruna at the same time, both blushing wildly.

Lala stares at Rito with sad, puppy dog eyes. "You don't want to?"

"No, no, I…" says Rito.

Then he turns to Haruna, and surprisingly, her rosy 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 with sparkling eyes.

"Okay. You first, Haruna," says Lala.

"Me?" asks Haruna.

Lala gently pushes her closer to Rito, and stands off to the side. "Of course, I don't mind. Go on, Rito. Kiss her."

"R-right," says Rito.

Her heart throbs uncontrollably as he approaches, standing inches away from her.

For a moment, neither of them move nor speak. They just gaze into each others' eyes, hearts racing, faces reddening. He gently wraps his arms around her waist, and she slowly wraps her arms around his neck.

"Haruna," says Rito.

"Rito," says Haruna.

...

She closes her eyes, and tilts her chin up, waiting for him. He 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 his chest.

"I love you, Rito Yuki," says Haruna.

"I love you too, Haruna Sairenji," says Rito, stroking her hair.

...

The two of them exchange smiles. Then Haruna holds out her hand to Lala.

The pink-haired beauty takes her best friend's hand. Haruna guides her closer to Rito, and gives them some space.

Lala and Rito just 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, pulling her into a warm embrace.

...

Their faces inch closer until their lips overlap.

The sunset basks them in a heavenly glow.

Overwhelmed with happiness, a single tear cascades down Lala's face as she shares her long-awaited, first kiss with the man she loves.

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Meanwhile 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. Then 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 black, mechanical, and roughly the size of golf balls: scouting probes.

Within seconds, the probes fly down to Earth and scatter across the planet.

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Back in Sainan.

Rito strolls down the sidewalk with Lala clung to one arm, and Haruna clung to the other. Although he's happy, he feels a bit embarrassed.

"I sure hope we make it in time," says Haruna.

"I could always run really fast and carry you both," suggests Lala.

"No, no! Please don't," pleads Rito.

"Oh, okay," says Lala. "By the way, Rito, wouldn't this be the perfect chance to talk to Run?"

"About what?" asks Rito.

"About the harem plan, silly," replies Lala. "Why don't you tell her once we get to the concert?"

"Huh?" asks Rito.

"That's a wonderful idea," says Haruna. "You should tell her, Rito."

"Well, uh," says Rito. "I mean, yeah, I was gonna tell her about it eventually, but..."

Lala and Haruna smile at him for a moment.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" he sighs. "Alright, alright, I'll talk to her after the show."

"Yay!" cheers Lala.

"Good for you," says Haruna.

"Uh, yeah. Uh, alright, let's get a move on," says Rito.

"Okay," says Lala.

"The show's gonna be great," says Haruna.

As the three of them walk off into the sunset, Rito thinks to himself.

Man, this harem stuff ain't easy.

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, and that love should be monopolized. So to retcon that without it feeling forced was a challenge for me. Though I'm happy and satisfied with how it turned out. Hope you are too. Now it's Run's turn.

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