[Third Person's PoV]
Tony looked at Melissa, both confused and worried, unsure of what to do. Inwardly, he was panicking—he wasn't even sure he had ever seen Momo cry before, let alone on the verge of tears.
Then, he did a double take as Melissa started crying too, leaving him completely at a loss for words.
Tony looked back and forth between Momo and Melissa before sighing. He placed a hand on both of their backs, gently caressing them in an attempt to calm them down.
"I'm sorry, Momo!" Melissa sobbed.
"No, don't be… You weren't entirely wrong," Momo replied between sniffles.
Tony rubbed his temple in frustration. "Okay, will someone please fill me in? For the love of God! Did your periods sync up or something? Is that why you're both acting so emotional?"
Melissa froze, staring at Tony with her tear-streaked face. "No, Tony. God, no. That's far from what's going on."
"Well, I wouldn't know, now would I?" Tony shot back, exasperated. "I was just minding my own business when you two barged in here acting all weird."
Despite his frustration, his hands never stopped rubbing their backs in an attempt to comfort them.
Melissa bit her lip. "It's my fault… I stuck my nose where it didn't belong, and things spiraled out of control. And now, I've dragged you into this mess. I'm sorry… I'm also sorry, Momo. I should have minded my own business."
Momo looked up, her red, puffy eyes filled not with resentment but with torment and self-reproach. She shook her head dismissively. "There's no need… If I were in your shoes, I would've done the same thing."
Tony let out a long sigh, pressing his lips into a straight line. "Yeah, I'm still getting nothing out of this…" His voice was monotone, clearly exhausted by the situation.
Melissa studied Momo for a moment before deciding it wasn't her secret to tell. "Don't worry—" she started, but Momo shook her head.
"No… I want to get this off my chest," Momo murmured. Her gaze dropped in shame, but she took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sorry, Melissa. But just this once, I want to be selfish."
Melissa nodded encouragingly. "I won't be mad. Go ahead, Momo."
She was actually relieved. Momo had spent her entire life putting others before herself—it was about time she made a choice for her own sake.
Momo hesitated before grasping Tony's hand—the one that had been supporting her. Her fingers curled gently around his index and pinky fingers.
Tony's eyes flickered with curiosity and uncertainty. His mind raced, trying to piece together the sudden shift in atmosphere.
Momo lowered her gaze, her lips parting as if to speak, but she hesitated. She closed her mouth again and shook her head slightly. 'No… I should look at him directly…'
Taking a steady breath, she exhaled softly and lifted her head.
"Tony… I'm in love with you."
Tony blinked. "I'm sorry?" His voice momentarily slipped into English, carrying his shock. His eyes widened.
Momo tightened her grip on his fingers, drawing courage from the warmth and roughness of his hand. Fear flickered in her gaze, but she stood firm, refusing to back down.
"I've always been in love with you. Ever since we were kids, I've had these feelings—romantic feelings—that I thought I had buried well. I convinced myself I was fine watching from the sidelines, seeing you and Melissa happy together… Or at least, I thought I was."
Her voice trembled slightly, but she pressed on.
"I was prepared to lock these feelings away forever—to never let you know. But then… Melissa found out. And she made me face the truth all over again."
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to be honest.
"I don't even know when it started. It wasn't sudden—it was gradual. And I never intended to act on it. You and Melissa seemed so perfect together… I felt like my feelings were nothing more than a burden. So I kept quiet, convincing myself it was for the best."
A soft, self-deprecating laugh escaped her lips, and her grip on Tony's hand tightened just a fraction more.
"But Melissa showed me how unfair I was being to myself. She made me realize… I never even tried. I never once fought for your affection. And now, looking back, I think that was foolish of me. Because after all…"
A tear glistened in the corner of her eye, but she smiled—a bittersweet, fragile smile.
"I'm in love with you, Tony."
Tony's face flushed slightly, and he quickly placed a hand over his mouth to hide his embarrassment, turning his gaze away.
Melissa, however, grinned at him teasingly. "Are you blushing?"
"Of course I'm blushing!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm both flattered and flustered at this very sudden turn of events. Who wouldn't be in my situation?"
Melissa chuckled while Tony took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain composure. He turned to Momo and gave her a small, sincere smile.
"First of all… I'm really flattered."
Momo and Melissa exchanged wary smiles. 'Here comes the 'but'…'
"But… I'm sorry, Momo." Tony's voice was gentle but firm. "I can't reciprocate your feelings."
His heart felt heavy. He knew how much courage it must have taken for Momo to confess. But he also knew where his heart truly lay.
He slowly withdrew his hand as he said, "As you know, I'm already in a committed relationship with Melissa."
Momo looked down with a remorseful grin, mostly directed at herself. She had known this was how it would turn out, yet she still let herself hope. And now, she had no one to blame but herself for giving up too quickly.
"I don't mind," Melissa said, raising a hand.
"What?" Both Momo and Tony asked simultaneously, turning to look at her in confusion.
"Like I said, I don't mind. I mean, I really like Momo—she's someone very special to me. So I wouldn't honestly mind if our relationship became… well, a throuple. If you dated both of us at the same time."
Tony blinked, stunned by Melissa's words.
"Think about it," she continued. "All three of us come from distinguished, high-class families. And, whether we like it or not, multiple partners, mistresses, and even arranged marriages are common in those circles. So I don't see why we can't at least try."
"Because I have values and moral integrity?" Tony said, raising an eyebrow.
Melissa sighed. "Tony, I'm not saying you don't. I know you do. And I'm not asking you to compromise your morals or to go out and start building a harem just for the sake of it. Momo isn't just anybody, after all."
"I never said she was," Tony countered, his tone firm. "But I made a commitment. A commitment to you, and you alone. If I got with Momo now, I'd be breaking that commitment."
Melissa had to suppress the growing smile and fluttering feeling in her stomach at Tony's words. But before she could say anything else, Tony added,
"Not to mention, you're making a decision for Momo. She hasn't even said if she wants anything to do with this mess—"
"I wouldn't mind…"
Both Tony and Melissa slowly turned their heads toward Momo.
She was glowing bright pink, looking down and gripping the hem of her sleeping wear. 'I already failed to take my chance once, and I regretted it dearly. I don't want to have any more regrets.'
Melissa smirked and crossed her arms. "Checkmate."
However, her confidence quickly faded when she noticed Tony's serious expression. There was no humor in his eyes, no amusement in his voice.
"This isn't a game, Melissa," he said. "Or at least, I don't want to think about it as one. This is a serious discussion."
"Sorry…" Melissa muttered, suddenly feeling dejected.
Tony closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, but this is just too complicated for me to say yes to."
Melissa let out an exasperated breath. "Tony, I seriously don't understand. Two extremely beautiful girls are giving you the okay to date them at the same time. Any other guy would have jumped at the opportunity."
"Because that's not how I was raised, alright?" Tony snapped. "All my life, I've been surrounded by couples—happily married couples. That's the kind of relationship I always pictured for myself. Anything else just feels… wrong. It's not how I imagined my life would turn out. So I'm sorry for not immediately jumping at the opportunity."
"I'm sorry…" Momo muttered, ashamed. She had been so focused on her own feelings that she hadn't considered how Tony might feel about such a sudden change in their dynamic.
"Don't be," Tony said, shaking his head. "It's not you. It's me who's complicating everything. I know the decision should be easy. After all, I do care about you, Momo. But this isn't something I can decide on a whim. If I'm too careless, I'll only end up hurting you both in the end. And that's the last thing I want."
He reached out and gently patted Momo's head, offering a small bit of comfort. Then, pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed heavily.
"Give me a few days… I'll give you an answer by then. Right now, I just need time to think."
Momo and Melissa exchanged a glance before nodding in understanding. Without another word, they got up from his bed and headed toward the door.
"Good night, Tony."
"Night, Tony."
Tony returned the gesture before flopping back onto his bed with a groan, his arms and legs stretched out.
"What am I, some freaking harem protagonist? Yuck."
He buried his face in his pillow, grumbling to himself.
"I always hated the harem tag…"
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Happy 200th chapter guys :)