Ordinary lives often lack twists and turns, or so Kanade Natsukawa had always believed. But as his story drew to a close, he realized that he wasn't so ordinary after all. After all, he was a reincarnator—how "ordinary" could that be? Compared to his predecessors, however, his "golden finger" had been remarkably late to awaken.
It wasn't until just before his college entrance exams that he began regaining memories of his past lives—all of them. These weren't monumental revelations but rather a collection of vivid, intimate memories.
They were the fragmented recollections of how he had met and fallen in love with each of his "heroines."
These memories depicted different what-if timelines, where he had successfully courted them, entered relationships, married them, and eventually grown old together. Each memory painted a tender picture of lives shared until death, lives filled with joy, laughter, and enduring love.
And now, all these fragmented memories were suddenly flooding back to him, every version, every life, every woman he had loved.
For a while, Kanade was overwhelmed. On one hand, the memories brought with them the deep, unshakable emotions he had once felt. On the other, they raised an impossible question: What should he do about the feelings he now had for each of them?
The more he remembered, the more these feelings resurfaced and rooted themselves deeply within him. He couldn't bring himself to let go of anyone. Yet, choosing one would mean abandoning the rest, something he could never bring himself to do.
Eventually, after wrestling with this dilemma for what felt like an eternity, Kanade arrived at an unorthodox conclusion—one that was utterly true to his heart:
"I want them all."
If he couldn't let go of anyone, then he wouldn't. He would aim for the one choice that satisfied all his desires.
And so began an arduous journey of unrelenting effort, though it seemed fruitless at first. His intentions were soon noticed, and some of the girls distanced themselves, leaving him in cold isolation.
What ultimately saved him was his long-delayed "golden finger." Not only had it restored his memories, but it had also allowed the girls to recall those past timelines—the lives they had shared with him. Slowly but surely, the dynamic began to shift.
Their love for him, like his for them, ran far too deep. Each of them realized they could never truly let go of him. And with the shared memories of their past lives, a strange camaraderie—perhaps even a sense of "shared suffering"—developed among them.
Over time, their relationships evolved into a precarious balance: while none of them officially acknowledged the others' presence, all quietly accepted it.
Kanade understood this precarious arrangement was the result of their profound love for him. Similarly, the camaraderie among the girls gradually deepened, shaped by the shared memories of their intertwined fates.
It hadn't been an easy road. Kanade had endured countless days as their "punching bag," a scapegoat for their frustrations. At times, he felt he'd lost all semblance of "human rights." But in hindsight, he felt it had been worth it. After all, he had staked everything on the declaration: "I want them all!" Sacrificing a little pride was a small price to pay.
Things had finally begun to stabilize, allowing him to move forward. The next chapter of their shared story began after Kanade's college entrance exams. During the long summer vacation that followed, he managed to organize a trip for all of them—a fully private beach outing.
Bringing everyone together had been no small feat. Coordinating schedules, earning their agreements—it had taken countless promises and negotiations, some of which had involved "overly excessive" concessions on his part.
But the reward was worth the struggle.
There they were: Mahiru, dressed in a classic school swimsuit, building sandcastles on the shore while Kanade helped her; Kaguya and Yukino, sitting close to each other on beach chairs under parasols. Despite their proximity, their silent rivalry was palpable, with both wearing identical swimsuits as if vying for superiority.
Off to the side, Utaha lounged alone, sipping a cold drink and ignoring the antics of the others. Not far from her, Megumi was helping the ever-childish Eriri catch crabs. True to form, Eriri got pinched and ended up teary-eyed.
Kanade quickly intervened, avenging Eriri by boiling the offending crab. The tears vanished as Eriri gleefully munched on the crab, dipping it in sweet-and-sour sauce.
Meanwhile, the more adventurous trio of Chika, Miko, and Ai were snorkeling in the ocean. They stayed in the water for hours, only returning when hunger finally drove them ashore.
For Kanade, the day passed in blissful contentment. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. When it came time to apply sunscreen, a particular incident nearly derailed the harmony.
Everyone had paired up to help each other apply sunscreen—except for Utaha, who refused to ask anyone else. Instead, she directly requested Kanade's help.
Kanade could feel the piercing stares of every other girl boring into him as he dutifully applied the lotion. He was careful to keep his hands respectful, avoiding any inappropriate areas.
But Utaha, being Utaha, couldn't resist mischief. She let out faint, ambiguous noises, covering her mouth with her hand as if embarrassed. To the other girls, it was a deliberately provocative act.
"..."
Kanade broke into a cold sweat, certain he could hear countless mental alarms going off around him. Still, he soldiered on, completing the task with painstaking care.
As evening approached, the group gathered around a bonfire on the beach. Kanade had taken it upon himself to handle all the preparations, driven by a possessive instinct that wouldn't let him accept anyone else's help.
While he worked, the girls busied themselves with their own activities—collecting seashells, playing games, or simply relaxing. At one point, Kanade noticed them huddled together, whispering about something. Though curious, he decided it was best not to pry.
Finally, as Kanade sat down to rest, a pair of hands suddenly covered his eyes from behind.
"..."
The person behind him remained silent, but Kanade immediately understood their intent.
"Guess who?"
It was a classic game, and from the conspiratorial glances earlier, it was clear they had planned this. With a resigned smile, Kanade prepared to face the challenge.
In the classic game of "Guess Who?", the first clue often lies in height. Among the girls, some were so petite that they would need to stretch or stand on tiptoes to cover Kanade's eyes from behind. However, with Kanade sitting down, height was no longer a reliable indicator.
Next, Kanade considered scent. He prided himself on being intimately familiar with the distinct fragrances of their favorite shampoos and body washes—each girl had a unique signature. But with the open beach air swirling around them, mingling with the savory aroma of freshly grilled food, the telltale hints of fragrance were effectively muted.
That left him with the final clue: the feel of their hands.
The hands now covering his eyes were slim and soft, ruling out certain individuals. Utaha-senpai, for example, had a warmer, slightly larger hand, while Mahiru's delicate hands had a texture he could distinguish from the others. With this realization, Kanade narrowed the possibilities down to three candidates: Yukino, Kaguya, or Megumi.
"Is there a reward if I guess correctly?" he asked, partly to buy himself more time.
The mysterious figure behind him remained silent, heightening the tension.
Kanade mulled over his options carefully. Yukino and Kaguya were logical guesses, but the risks were high. If he guessed wrong, the fallout from their egos could be catastrophic. Opting for Megumi felt like the safest choice—her reaction would likely be mild even if he got it wrong.
Taking a deep breath, Kanade declared, "Is it Megumi?"
A brief silence followed, causing his heart to skip a beat. Had he guessed incorrectly?
Finally, the figure behind him released their hands and spoke in a soft, familiar voice:
"Not bad, Kanade-kun. You guessed right."
Kanade turned to see Megumi Kato standing there, her usual calm demeanor tinged with a hint of amusement.
He exhaled deeply, relieved. "So, what's my reward?"
"Your reward…" Megumi trailed off, her fingers playing with a strand of her hair, as if stalling for time. Then, she changed the subject: "But before that, I'm curious. How did you know it was me? Do you think I'm the type to pull off something so… trivial?"
Kanade chuckled. "Not at all. In fact, I thought you were the least likely to do something like this. That's exactly why I guessed you—it seemed like the kind of reverse psychology move the others would plan. Besides," he added with a sly grin, "I saw you all huddling together earlier. I figured there was some sort of bet involved, right?"
Megumi tilted her head, giving him a bemused look. "They bet you wouldn't guess it was me."
Kanade raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And you? What was your bet?"
Megumi hesitated for a moment before quickly shaking her head. "There was no bet for me."
"Really?"
"Really."
Kanade smirked, unconvinced by her overly casual tone. "How disappointing…"
Caught off guard, Megumi seemed to blush faintly before abruptly excusing herself. "Well, I'm a little hungry. I'll go check on the food."
As Megumi left, Kanade watched her retreating figure, feeling a mixture of curiosity and amusement. He barely had time to process what had happened before Utaha approached, holding two skewers of freshly grilled potatoes.
"Enjoying the guessing game, Kanade-kun?" she teased, her smile brimming with mischief.
"What did you all bet on?" Kanade asked directly.
Utaha's smile deepened. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Then lick my hand." She extended her hand dramatically, as if daring him.
Kanade's face fell. Lowering his voice to avoid drawing attention, he muttered, "Can it wait until we're alone later?"
Utaha chuckled, clearly pleased with his reaction. "Ah, men."
Just as Kanade was about to give up on getting an answer, Utaha leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Go to Megumi's room tonight," she said, her eyes glinting with something indecipherable.
Kanade blinked in confusion. "What?"
"She deserves it," Utaha said with a faint sigh, twirling the skewer in her hand. "Even when the rest of us were ready to leave you behind, she was the one who pulled us all back together, acting like she didn't care about herself at all. Typical Megumi, right?"
Kanade stared at her, momentarily speechless.
Utaha's eyes gleamed with mischief as she added, "But of course, she shouldn't get to hog you all to herself. Sharing is caring, after all."
"Wait, are you saying—"
Utaha's smirk widened, cutting him off. "What's the matter, Kanade-kun? Feeling overwhelmed? You'd better save your strength for tonight."
Before he could respond, she waved him off, sauntering back toward the other girls, leaving Kanade alone with his spiraling thoughts.
Epilogue
As the bonfire crackled into the night, the group enjoyed their final hours on the beach. Despite the lighthearted teasing and underlying tensions, one thing was clear: this chaotic, unconventional family of relationships had found a fragile yet beautiful equilibrium.
And for Kanade Natsukawa, navigating the complexities of love in all its forms, this was his happily ever after.
(The End)