There was a petite, black-haired girl hiding under the bridge already. She wore dirty clothes, and looked overall poor, if not for the golden ring in her hand. One might wonder how this girl could get a hold of that obviously expensive jewelry, but now was not the time for idle wondering. When the girl saw Mark, Tusky and Sebille, she hurriedly tucked the ring behind her back.

"Ah!" Mark exclaimed, "I know you!"

Indeed, this was the girl who Mark met earlier in the alleyway. Her name was something like Miyo, or maybe Heyo...?

"Ayo!" Kuyo shouted angrily. "My name is Ayo!"

Yes, yes, that was her name. Mark beamed a smile at his obviously young and beautiful waifu-to-be.

"What are you doing here, Ayo?" Mark asked.

"Hiding, obviously," Sayo said. She wiped off some of the fake-tears from the corner of her eyes. "There are some bad guys out there who want to take my jewelry away."

"Oh no, how horrible!" Mark was horrified. "Don't worry Ayo, I'll protect you from those bad guys!"

Mayo hid her evil grin behind her hands, but didn't hide it well enough from the all-seeing eyes of the narrator.

"Ah, thank you, Mark! You're the best," she gushed. After a bit of pause, she added. "But what are you doing here?"

"Ah, you see... At the moment, my Hero's Journey story arc took a small detour. Currently I'm at the Misunderstood Hero stage."

"It's because of me!" Sebille cried from behind Mark, having the good grace to finally admit her failings instead of blaming the script. "All the guards are after us, because I was a bad girl."

Mark's little brain went on overdrive imagining all kinds of situations where Sebille could use those last two words, so it took him a while to stammer out his next line. "I, uh, I'll take full responsibility! I'm the protagonist here, so I feel I should share your burden, no matter what happens!"

"Even if it means fighting off this whole city?" Sebille asked, very innocently.

"Of course," said Mark. "For you, I'd fight off much worse things!"

"I don't care whose side we're on," Tusky added, "I'll fight anyone who dares to hurt my husbando. Even if I have to take on every city guard, all by myself!"

This time, Hayo had to turn away to hide her huge grin. "Oh, that's so romantic!" she said, fanning herself with one hand. "I'm so jealous of you three, being there to protect each other! And then here is poor me, all alone and chased by evil men all the time!"

"As I said, I'll protect you too," Mark said, "But I have a favor to ask in return."

"I'm not going to give you a kiss," Kiyo said, though secretly she was (probably) disappointed. "The readers are not ready for such a rapid development."

"That's not what I wanted to ask for," Mark answered quickly.

"Hmm? Then what else would a budding harem protagonist ask for?" Gayo asked, then gasped. "Don't tell me you're that type of guy who jump straight into the action!"

"Huh?" Mark's pure and innocent mind couldn't process the question. "What I want to ask for is a place where we could sleep."

"S-S-Sleep?" Teyo stammered. She lost her confidence suddenly, not being sure whether she could sleep with this man this early in the novel. Screw the readers, she wasn't ready either!

"Yeah," Mark nodded, making Tiyo pale in nervousness. "You see, I haven't slept like... I don't even know, since the beginning of this novel, I guess. That's a lot of time without sleep, even for an OP protagonist like me."

"Oh, so that's what you meant!" Gayo said, grinning once again. (It was really strange. She seemed to change emotions quicker than Mark changed his underwear.) "Yes, I know a really good place! That is, if you don't mind to pay a bit of extra for comfort."

"Uhh..." Mark scratched his head in embarrassment, "We can't really afford anything luxurious... That is, umm, we don't have much money."

"Oh," Eyo deflated a little, "How much do you have?"

Mark looked back at Sebille and Tusky, desperation clear on his face.

"I only have my endless love for my husbando," Tusky said.

"I have all the money you wish for," Sebille added, "But we have to restore my kingdom first."

Mark turned back to Fuyo with a sheepish smile. "I guess that means... none?"

Now that Iyo didn't like at all. What was she going to steal— ehrm, that is, what was she going to do, if these adventurers were even poorer than her?

"Alright, fine," Zeyo said. "I'll show you my home, you can sleep there. But promise not to laugh!"

"W-We would never!" Mark reassured her quickly.

"Oh, and one more thing. See those guards at the corner of that house? Beat them up."

"Huh?" Mark was shocked. How could such a lovely and innocent girl say such things?

"Don't worry, they are corrupt guards. Bad guys," Guyo told him. "They deserve a beating, and much more. They tried to take away from me my most precious possession: this ring!"

Mark looked at the ring Gayo had been hiding behind her back, then puffed out his chest.

"You're right, that cannot go unpunished," he said on his cool anime-voice. He disappeared in a flash, charging at the unsuspecting guards.

*bang!* *ding* *pirr* *pew!* *ptaff!*

It was over in a flash. That's how awesome Mark was.

"Alright, this way!" Hiyo called out. "Come on, we have to hurry! The chapter is ending soon!"

Mark grumbled a bit to himself, seeing how unappreciative his audience was, but he hurried after the girls. His girls, he liked to think. The thought filled him with warmth, and as Fiyo led them through the city, he kept dreaming about who his next harem-member would be. A cat girl perhaps? Or a childhood friend?

He was so busy daydreaming, that he didn't even notice where Duyo led them, until she stopped. They were standing under yet another bridge by the river, on a patch of dry land that the water couldn't quite reach.

"We're here," Soyo said, gesturing at the dirty pillow and the single blanket under the bridge.