Bell Cranel was a thirteen years old boy. However, he was not an average thirteen years old boy.

Bell Cranel was a thirteen years old boy who had been rejected by nine different girls/women.

"I'm sorry, Little Bell. You're cute, but I don't like you that way."

"What is a girlfriend?"

"You're ten years too early to woo me, boy."

"Let me have a word with your grandfather."

Those were a few rejections he had gotten from the women and girls around the village. Still, Bell did not give up. His grandfather was always behind him, encouraging with both actions and words.

"I'm sorry, Bell. Mother told me to stay away from womanizers," A little girl said to him after he confessed one more time. She was his neighbor, and Bell always visited her when he had free time. Suffice to say, Bell had grown fond of her.

Unfortunately, Bell had just been rejected for the tenth time in his life. This time by a girl he was close to. With a dejected look, he walked back home.

His grandfather was waiting for the result of his latest attempt on the front door. "How is it, Bell. Got a girlfriend yet?"

"I got rejected again."

"Don't worry, Bell. Tomorrow you'll get one for sure!"

Bell looked up at his grandfather with a deadpan look. "At this point, I'm very sure I'm in the village's gossip mill."

"That just means more exposure! Now everyone will know you're looking for a girlfriend! I'm sure those who are interested in you will accept you!"

That words managed to lift up Bell's spirit. "You're right, Grandpa! Thank you! I won't give up!"

"That's right, Bell! Never give up chasing women! One at a time! Soon you'll get a harem!"

"Grandpa! I said I don't want a harem!" Bell shouted with an embarrassed face. True, he followed his grandfather's advice to get a girl, but even he knew getting more than one was trouble. He still didn't understand why his grandfather always insisted on him having a harem.

"But Bell, Harem is a man's romance!"

To him, having just one person to love for his entire life is enough.

His obsession with getting a girlfriend/love stemmed from a single conversation back when he was eight. He asked his grandfather about his parents. Usually, his grandfather always avoided talking about them, but that one time, for some reason, he spoke up about them to Bell.

Starry-eyed, Bell listened to his grandfather's tale about how his parents met, how they loved each other, and how happy they were to have him. It evoked something inside him.

"Grandpa, will I get to meet my love one day?"

"Of course, Bell. However, your love wouldn't fall on your lap without any effort. You have to try to get them and never give up."

Since that day, Bell had spent so much effort to get close to the girls/women in his village. His intention was to get the love of his life as soon as possible. The sooner he had it, the sooner he would feel happy with the girl he loved. But all was for naught, as none considered him seriously because of his age. Ten different girls/women in five years, and nobody took his confession seriously, even though he spent so much time getting close to each girl/woman.

"Bell, how about you pray to the shrine near the mountain? I heard it's a shrine of a Goddess of Love."

Bell frowned upon hearing his grandfather's words.

"Come on, Grandpa. Even I know that abandoned shrine has no deities watching over it."

His grandfather had a sly smile. "Who knows, Bell?"


The next day, out of curiosity, Bell approached the old and rundown shrine. He had no expectations, but he had already been rejected ten times, so anything to let him escape the feeling of a broken heart was welcomed.

He arrived at the abandoned shrine. As its name implied, the place had been abandoned for a long time. The wooden construct was so fragile Bell didn't dare take a step on the stairs. It truly was abandoned. He couldn't see how deities would watch over such a rundown place.

His attention was grabbed by a small stone near his feet. Crouching down, Bell examined it, twirling it around, before concluding that it was a stone carving of the love symbol.

"Huh, this was really a Goddess of Love shrine..." He pocketed the stone carving. Maybe with them, he'd have better luck meeting the love of his life.

Before he left, though, he circled around the shrine one more time. His eyes landed on a small stone altar being strewn aside. Taking a closer look, Bell approached it.

"Hmm? A hole?"

It was suspiciously shaped like the stone carving he had pocketed just before. That could just be a coincidence, but this was just too suspicious.

"Eh, what will happen will happen."

Bell took out the heart-shaped stone and put it in the hole.

One second... two seconds...

Nothing happened at all.

Bell shrugged. "Let's just leave."

However, when he turned his back on the altar, a bright light suddenly came from it, prompting Bell to turn back after the light died down.

"Aah, it's been so long since I've been out of the altar. Ohohohoho~"

A disembodied voice came from it and took Bell's attention. In front of his eyes was a floating light in the shape of a big ball.

"Tell me, human. Are you the one freeing me?"

Bell gaped. Was this the start of his adventure!? Releasing an ancient spirit who granted him power!? Or, or, the ancient spirit is evil, and he had to make up for releasing it by sealing the evil spirit himself lest the world turns to ash!

Bell's eyes shone up in delight.

"Yes!"

Either way, he'd have an exciting adventure!

"I, the Spirit of Love, thank you for your great effort."

Bell wanted to say it was no effort, but he just nodded.

"As a gratitude, I shall grant you my blessing. Ohohohoho~"

The ball of light shone a little, forcing Bell to close his eyes before he opened them again after a while.

"You shall know whether someone is your soulmate or not simply by meeting their eyes."

"Soulmate... meeting their eyes..."

"Indeed, ohohoho~. But that is not all! It has been ten years since I last see the wider world. Therefore, you shall have ten soulmates!"

Bell raised his hand. "Umm, can I have just one?"

Silence.

"W-W-What are you saying, you fool! Who in their right mind would reject more than one soulmate!? Are you stupid!?"

The spirit stammered, caught off-guard by Bell's request.

"I mean, I'm still immature," Bell scratched his cheek. "Of course, if I have a soulmate, I'd make her happy. But I'm not greedy. Having just one is enough, I think? As long as we have each other... right?"

Bell smiled at the light.

"Gah! Why is it so bright!?"

Bell looked around. The only source of light was the spirit. He did not see anything else shining brightly.

"Very well. You have shown me such a strong character in you. Because of that, I will still give you ten soulmates because you deserve it, damn it! Your smile is too precious! If I just limit it to one, who knows how many girls will have their hearts broken by you and die of loneliness!"

Bell blinked.

"Wait, what?"

The spirit also blinked. It was interesting as the ball of light turned transparent before suddenly shining again.

"Oh, I didn't tell you? I've woven your red strings of fate. Now you're connected to ten other girls. If you reject them, they won't ever meet anyone else."

Bell gasped. "That's too cruel!"

"Well, sorry for not having the power to unbless someone!"

"...you're a lame spirit. And I thought I could start my adventure by accidentally releasing an ancient spirit of evil and have a great adventure to seal it back or something."

"Sorry for not being an ancient evil spirit!"

It didn't sound sorry at all.

"Whatever. You can do anything you want. Leave your soulmates to die of loneliness or love them all or whatever. It's out of my hand now."

"You don't have a hand."

"My metaphorical hand!"

Bell wanted to retort, but a glare from the spirit shut him up.

"So yeah, you can scram. Shoo."

The spirit floated away.

He hoped it wasn't lying when it said it wasn't an ancient evil spirit. So Bell put aside the weird conversation and returned to the village. While at first, he took the ball of light's words seriously. After it shooed him away, he decided not to take it seriously.

After all, what kind of spirit would be angry after he was trying to lighten up its blessing?


Time passed, and his grandfather passed away. Couldn't handle the loneliness, Bell decided to head to Orario to become an Adventurer and find himself a girlfriend. His parents met there, after all. So it felt correct to follow in their footsteps.


Bell was thrilled. He had just gotten a Falna! Now he could properly register at the Guild and enter the Dungeon!

He did not expect his Goddess to be so poor they lived inside an abandoned church, though. Oh well, everything else can take slow steps. The most important thing was that he joined a Familia!

Humming a happy tune, Bell entered the Pantheon, where the Guild conducted its business. He patiently waited in line. It wasn't long until it was his turn.

"Excuse me. I'd like to register to be an Adventurer."

Bell looked towards the Guild worker waiting for him. She was actually quite beauti-

ZING

It was really unexpected.

At first, Bell was just looking at her to pay respect. It wouldn't be polite to talk without looking at the person, after all. But then it was suddenly like his body was struck by a lightning spell.

At that moment, Bell knew that the woman in front of him was his soulmate.

That 'spirit' really did bless him!

It was just that he had not met his soulmates for the past year!


A/N: In the hype of 100 Kano's official anime announcement, I present you, 10 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love Bell Cranel! Enjoy