I am that male friend in the harem story 9 Is it a new beginning? (Patreon)

"What do you think?" 

"Oh...." 

Onodera blinked her eyes and looked at Ishigami's new appearance. 

His long hair was no longer there. It was cut and became short with bangs and slightly messy. It was a bit similar to his haircut during middle school, but as the hairdresser was the one who took care of it, his appearance had risen to several levels, leaving Onodera in awe. 

'I wonder why he keeps that gloomy hairstyle...' 

Fortunately, he had changed, Onedera thought, and somehow, she felt happy, as if she had found a treasure. 

If he was that gloomy guy before, then at this moment, he would be someone who wouldn't it be weird to have several girlfriends at the same time. 

While Ishigami didn't have a girlfriend, the hairdresser smiled and teased him. "Look, Boyfriend-san, your girlfriend is all stiff when she looks at you." 

Onedera blushed, looking at the hairdresser with resentment. Then, feeling complex, she looked at Ishigami, wondering what he would say. 

"Don't tease her, Lucy-san." 

While the name was "Lucy," Ishigami knew that this hairdresser was a male. "Moreover, she isn't my girlfriend." 

"Oh? Then, what's your relationship?" 

"She is a girl who tries to hit on me." 

"...." Hairdresser. 

"Ishigami!" If this wasn't public, Onedera would strangle him with a chokehold! 

Or rather, she would do DDT on him if there was a mattress! 

"I was joking, but she is my classmate. My friend." 

"I see..." Lucy nodded. "You two must be great friends to go out together like this." 

"Yup." 

Only Onodera felt strange when Ishigami said that they were friends. She should be happy since he trusted her, but then it felt like she was being treated as a "good person" by him. However, this was a good improvement from their previous relationship. 

Frankly, if she were in Ishigami's place, he would doubt her, who gave him unnecessary kindness all of a sudden, so she knew she should be content with their current relationship, and like his previous words, anything that was done in a hurry wouldn't result in something good. 

"Do you want me to put gel on your hair?" Lucy asked. 

"I will sleep later, so there is no need to." 

"Okay." 

Still, Lucy explained to him how to arrange his hair, and he also told him about his YouTube channel and social media, as he often gave tips and tricks on how to arrange a hairstyle. As he explained, he also told some of the hair products that were necessary for him. 

Ishigami rolled his eyes and knew that Lucy had tried to sell those hair products to him, but he knew that everyone needed money, and he didn't feel unhappy with his advertisement as Lucy hadn't come to him forcefully. 

However, his pocket money was about 50,000 yen, and while it was a lot, he didn't really want to waste it on hair products, and more importantly, going to the salon wasn't cheap. 

If he really bought all of those hair products, it wouldn't be weird of him to spend at least several thousand yen. 

While he didn't mind, his money was in the limit as the previous Ishigami had bought many games previously, which made him helpless. 

"I will buy them!" 

However, Onodera, the wealthy girl, said generously. 

"..." Ishigami and Lucy. 

"Thank you very much!"

Lucy also thanked Onodera generously. 

"...." 

Ishigami glanced at Lucy silently, thinking that those who could open their own shops in Tokyo definitely weren't simple. His advertisement didn't only work for him but also for Onodera. However, as she was the one who spent money, he didn't say much. 

"...is it okay?" 

"Yeah." Onodera nodded. "They aren't that expensive anyway. Moreover, it is also good for hair, right? It won't be good if you go bald early." 

"....." 

Was this girl cursing him? 

Still, watching Onodera's mischievous smile, Ishigami could only smile wrily and thanked her once again. "Thanks." 

"No problem~!" 

Nevertheless, with all of that, Ishigami finished cutting his hair and appeared fresh. He no longer appeared gloomy, and his handsome face was enhanced with his new hairstyle. 

"Please come again, Ishigami-kun~!" 

"I will." 

The service and skills were good. Even if it was a little pricey, he didn't mind coming again. 

"What's your plan after this? How about clothes? Or rather, let's get you new clothes!" 

"...you want to buy it for me?" 

"Sure." Onodera nodded. 

As the eldest daughter of the jewelry company owner, the only thing that she didn't lack was money. 

"No, I have troubled you so much." 

Even if Ishigami had to admit that it felt great being treated by a girl, more than this was wrong, he was afraid that he would walk into the path that he couldn't return. At this moment, not only could he become a NEET, but he could also become a soft-rice man, a man who was supported by a woman. 

"It's fine." Onodera shook her head and said, "You don't have to worry about this." 

"..." 

Ishigami fell in silence and could see the excitement in her eyes hadn't subdued, and she clearly wished to buy something more for him. If he made a comparison, he might become her dressing doll. However, he didn't mind since he could get brand new clothes for free when he looked at the time—

"It's already late. Won't your parents worry?" 

"Oh, right." Onodera realized that it was quite late. While she had told her parents that she might go home late, what about Ishigami?

If she took him quite late, then wouldn't they be worried about him? 

"Sorry, I don't expect that we have spent so much time together." 

"It's fine. I enjoy it." 

"Right?" 

"...don't get carried away." 

"Then, how about this weekend? Are you free?" 

"...you want to go out on a weekend with me?" 

"Um." Onodera nodded. "Do you have a plan for the weekend?" 

"....." 

Ishigami blinked his eyes, then shook his head. "I don't have one." 

"Then, let's go!" 

"Okay, okay." Ishigami appeared helpless against her excitement. "Do you have a place that you want to visit?" 

After a moment of thought, Onodera said, "Let's go to Shibuya to get clothes for you!" 

"Okay, let's talk about the details later." 

"Sure." Onodera nodded and said reluctantly, "Then I will go back."

"I will send you off. It's quite late." 

Onodera smiled sweetly and said, "Thanks." 

"No problem." 

As the two walked to the taxi stand, she kept talking. He mostly listened while giving her input from time to time, as if telling her that he listened to every one of her stories. While her stories were mostly about the gossip that happened at the school, he didn't mind as it helped him to understand the situation of the school and the influence that was generated by those students. 

After all, those who were talked to by Onodera definitely had a certain popularity or position in the school; they were definitely not nobody. 

Frankly, if he hadn't been chosen as a member of the student council, he would have been a nobody, a loner, an unknown, and only spent his high school alone, yet it was probably fine since everyone had their own way of life, and it wasn't like being popular would equal to happiness.

Yet, there was no doubt that having someone to talk to, accompany, and share your interest was a happiness. 

While Onodera might not have had money, her parents mostly worked, so they hardly met each other. She might have siblings, but there was something that she couldn't talk about with siblings, so having Ishigami listen to her talk and listen to her made her smile, and she became even more reluctant to leave him. 

"When you go back, tell me, okay?" 

"I will." Ishigami nodded. "Tell me when you arrive at your home too." 

"I will~!" 

Onodera smiled from the warmth of his care. 

"Then, see you tomorrow." 

"See you tomorrow~!" 

As the door closed, Ishigami stood and watched until the taxi disappeared before stretching his hands high. It felt strange somehow. It was just a day he became Ishigami, yet many things happened to him. 

"Let's visit a nearby gym first." 

While he planned to go home, he decided to visit the nearby gym as he wished to train his body. After he entered, he asked for the price, system, and many others, then left, ready to go home, but suddenly, his smartphone vibrated. As he saw an unfamiliar number, he hesitated, but in the end, he accepted the call. "Hello?" 

"Ishigami, it's me, Shinomiya Kaguya."

"Oh? Senpai? What's wrong?" 

Ishigami wasn't so stupid as to ask how Kaguya could get his number, but even so, he felt helpless and powerless against Shinomiya Kaguya's power. 

If he made a comparison, he would be Krillin, then Kaguya would be Frieza. 

Fortunately, unlike Freiza, Krillin had a beautiful wife. 

"If I am not wrong, you got a detective to get evidence of that guy's infidelity during your middle school, right?" 

"...I have it." 

"Then, can you give it to my people? I will have sent them to your house." 

"Okay." Ishigami nodded. "I haven't gone back, though, so they might need to wait for a while." 

"It's fine." Kaguya didn't mind, but then she asked, "But it's rare of you not to go home as soon as school ends. You don't go out and play around, right? I need to remind you that you can't waste my effort on you. If you can't get the 1st rank, I will work you harder!" 

"...I just cut my hair." 

"Oh? Did you cut your hair? Can I see it? Send me your photo!" 

"...you will see me tomorrow anyway." 

"But I am curious." 

"Don't be impatient, but what about you, Senpai? What are you doing now?" 

"Me, well..." 

Somehow, their conversation continued, and they kept talking until he reached the station. 

"When you arrive home, just give it to my people, okay?" 

"Thank you, Senpai. I will book your date plan now." 

"Cough! Cough!" Kaguya was startled and lost her calm. "Ishigami-kun, do you have a short memory loss? Isn't that all about your date? You just asked me to help you, right?" While she said so, her voice was slightly heavy and cold. 

"...oh, right, it seems I said it wrongly." While Ishigami was speechless, he decided to go along. 

"It's good that you remember now." 

"...if not?" 

"You don't want to know, okay?" 

"......." Ishigami. 

Nevertheless, as their call finished, Ishigami stretched his hands again, leaning on the chair lazily, watching the scenery of Tokyo at night through the window, thinking that his new life was about to start. 

Still, before that, he made all the reservations for Kaguya's date with Shirogane, or else, he was afraid that his life might not be saved. 

Yet, what he didn't realize was that many things happened tonight, and his LINE was bombarded by a certain someone.