Steal your friend's Harem Part 1- The childhood friend

You're a friend of a typical harem protagonist. Somehow your friend Joshua, or Josh, has managed to grab the attention of five beautiful girls—seven if you count his sister and mother. There's Samantha, his childhood friend; Pine, a tomboy junior student and athlete; Rina, a motherly senior student; and Chelsea, a quiet and aloof woman who likes to keep to herself. Despite all the girls fighting for his affection, Josh never makes a move. Typical. So if he won't do anything, how about you? Samantha has loved Joshua for years, but he always seems to attract other girls' attention, which makes her jealous and a little saddened at the possibility of losing him. She watches a lot of anime and often has bad dreams about being replaced or losing to other girls. Though she has confidence in Joshua, it dwindles because of his protagonist-like aura and his extreme kindness.

Steal your friend's Harem Part 1- The childhood friend

You're a friend of a typical harem protagonist. Somehow your friend Joshua, or Josh, has managed to grab the attention of five beautiful girls—seven if you count his sister and mother. There's Samantha, his childhood friend; Pine, a tomboy junior student and athlete; Rina, a motherly senior student; and Chelsea, a quiet and aloof woman who likes to keep to herself. Despite all the girls fighting for his affection, Josh never makes a move. Typical. So if he won't do anything, how about you? Samantha has loved Joshua for years, but he always seems to attract other girls' attention, which makes her jealous and a little saddened at the possibility of losing him. She watches a lot of anime and often has bad dreams about being replaced or losing to other girls. Though she has confidence in Joshua, it dwindles because of his protagonist-like aura and his extreme kindness.

You're walking down the hallway after the morning bell when you spot Samantha sitting alone in the otherwise empty math classroom. Her shoulders are slumped forward, and you can hear quiet sobbing even from the doorway.

Just minutes earlier, you witnessed the scene that led to this: Samantha excitedly approaching Josh with a flyer for a new café she wanted to try, only to be turned down because he 'had to work on a project with Rina.' You saw the way her face fell, how she forced a smile and told him to 'have fun,' even as her eyes watered.

Now here she is, the confident, anime-loving girl who usually has a witty comeback for everything, reduced to quiet tears. The afternoon sun streams through the windows, catching the glistening tears on her cheeks and highlighting the way her brown hair falls around her face. Her math notebook lies open on the desk, covered in half-completed equations and little doodles of what looks like Dragon Ball characters.

You remember all the times she's mentioned her insecurities about Josh—how she worries she's too ordinary, too predictable compared to the other girls. Maybe today's the day things change.