It's 7am, and we have gathered in the dining room for breakfast. It is here where I announce today's activity.

“As you know, last night, I not only told you my biggest secret, I revealed my greatest fear. Today's activity is that each of you will reveal to me in a one-on-one encounter what your greatest secret and greatest fear is. Then, when we meet back later this evening, you will reveal those secrets to the rest of the team. This will enhance our bond of trust and bring us closer together as a team. You will draw numbers to see who will go with me in order.”

“So.....Basically, we're going on a date with you.” Jesi mocks.

“No, this is not a date. But I will feed you a meal.”

“That's a date.” Shizumi says.

“Not a date.” I argue back.

“Date, date, date, date, date, date.” the other girls childishly tease.

“Fine. Whatever. Call it what you want. Now just draw the damned numbers.”

Each of the girls reach into the basket that I'm holding and pull out a number. Aaboli blushes, and reveals that she has number 1.

“Guess I'm first.”

“Okay, then. Go get ready. I'll wait downstairs.” I tell her.

I get up off of the bench on the quad as Aaboli exits the penthouse building. She is wearing a simple brown robe with matching head scarf. The smell of her almond butter lotion with a hint of vanilla is intoxicating.

“You look nice, Aaboli. Where would you like to go?”

“There is a Muslim temple nearby. Would you escort me? Can a vampire even go into a holy place?”

“Don't believe everything you see in movies. The sword I carry is holy. It's what seals my power. I would be honored to escort you.”

I take Aaboli's arm in the crook of mine and we walk to the temple. It is the first time that I have ever worshiped inside such a place. Men on one side, women on the other. I couldn't understand the language, but out of respect, I bowed my head in prayer when asked to do so.

After service, I take her to eat. As we dine, I ask her the question that I proposed to everyone else earlier.

“My biggest secret? I have feelings for a man who is not Muslim. My biggest fear? Not telling him that I love him in the off-chance that I might die.”

“Are you sure that you want to reveal such a closely guarded secret with your teammates?” I ask.

“You told us not to harbor secrets. That we should be honest with each other to strengthen our bond of trust. Yes. I will not only reveal my secret, but I will confess my love.”

We finish our meal and return to the penthouse entrance. Shizumi is patiently waiting dressed in a pink kimono with yellow, white, and blue flowering on it.

“I'm ready.”

“As am I. Where would you like to go?

We stroll through the Japanese gardens, taking in all of it's beauty. We find a bench to sit down on. Shizumi presents a large bento box for the two of us to share. Two sets of chopsticks are inside, as is a fork. I opt for the chopsticks and pick them up, much to Shizumi's surprise.

“I had no idea you knew how to use chopsticks.”

“Yes, I'm actually quite adept at them.”

I take a clump of rice from the bento and expertly place it in my mouth. Savoring the flavor, I look at Shizumi and smile. I swallow the rice and pick up a piece of egg and eat that as well.

“Shizumi-san, you are a wonderful cook. You may rival even Jeni.”

Shizumi bows her head and blushes. “Arigato, Chris-San. You honor me with kind words.”

“Shizumi-san, please tell me your biggest secret and greatest fear.”

“My biggest secret is that I admire your strength and resolve. My biggest fear is that I might dishonor you, and in doing so, myself.”

“How would you dishonor me?”

“I don't know. And that's what scares me.”

“Do you truly wish to reveal this to your teammates?”

“To not do so would mean dishonor not only to the team, but to myself.”

We finish the bento and head back to the penthouse building. Jesi is waiting for me dressed in a white blouse and red mini skirt. I can almost see her pink frilly bra underneath, cupping her C-size breasts.

“Ready for our date, playboy?” she teases. She gives me a peck on the cheek.

“Like I said before, this is not a date.” I scowl.

“Yes. It. Is.”

“Whatever. Where do you want to go?”

We end up going to a pizza parlor to eat. We grab the largest pitcher of pop and a couple slices of pepperoni each.

As we're eating, I ask Jesi about her secret and fear.

“Come on, you already know that. My secret is how jealous I can get. And my fear is that I might lose you. You know Jeni is the same way, so why put on this farce? You secretly just wanted an excuse to take us all out on a date. Don't deny it. You're just marking flags.”

This made me a little angry. Maybe she was right. But I wanted to justify my actions.

“This isn't some goddamn dating sim. I sincerely care for this team. I'm doing it for the team.”

“Then why make us reveal these secrets privately to you? Why not do it openly in front of everybody?”

“Because I had a feeling some people may not feel comfortable doing it openly. By confiding in me first, it gives them the confidence and trust to be vulnerable in front of their teammates. I want them to know that it's okay to feel vulnerable. It's not a weakness to acknowledge vulnerability, but rather it takes immense courage. By acknowledging your vulnerability, you can draw strength from your teammates. Grow the trust that binds you together, and the chains that bind you forge stronger.”

“You speak so wisely. I guess that's why you're team leader.”

“Not really. It's something your dad told me years ago. It just now finally makes sense.”

We finish our meal and head back to the penthouse building. Hanneke is standing outside wearing a red blouse and long paisley skirt.

“Ready to go?” I ask.

“Uh huh.” she timidly says.

We walk across the quad to the dining hall. As we sit down, I can see she is visibly shaking. Is she still scared because of what happened last night?

“Talk to me, Hanneke, do I still scare you?”

“Yes. Not only did I feel such power emanate from you, but when you bit me, I thought I was going to die.”

I take Hanneke in my arms. “You don't need to be scared of me. You asked me for proof and I gave it. I admit that biting you crossed a line. But I felt that simply raising my power would not have been enough proof for you. I want you to know that as your leader, I would never intentionally allow harm to come to you. I care for everyone on my team, no matter what.”

The tenderness of my speech and boldness of my embrace calm the tremors of Hanneke's body. She looks up at me with a renewed confidence. “Thank you. It means so much to me that you say that.”

I release Hanneke from my embrace. “You are most welcome. Now come, tell me your secret and your fear.”

“I heard Rebecca kissed you on the cheek last night. And I remember the day when she proposed to you on the day of the duel. The last few months of being classmates and seeing you with Jeni and Jesi made me realize something. My secret? I think I'm in love with you. No. I know I'm in love with you. But I'm terrified you may not love me. I'm afraid that you will not reciprocate.”

Her confession takes me aback, but at the same time it warms my heart. I cannot help but to reach for her and bring her back into my arms. Our lips touch together and our tongues entwine. Our hearts race with excitement. I pull back from the kiss and look deep into her eyes.

“Does this quell your fear?” I ask tenderly.

She blushes, then tilts her head down. “Yes. Yes it does.”

“And how do you feel about being involved with a man who has other women?”

“It's all so new for me. Jealous. Happy. Nervous. Warm. Scared.” She smiles deviantly. “I guess you're on your way to getting your harem after all.”

“Please don't call it that, it sounds degrading. In polygamy, all women are equal in the relationship. We are a family. A cohesive unit, much like our team.”

We finish eating in the dining hall and return to the penthouse building. I see a figure in the distance identically matching Jesi's outfit, but judging from the flow of energy, I can clearly sense that it's in fact, Jeni.

“Ready to take me again, playboy?”

“I know it's you, Jeni.”

“Damn. Thought I could pull one over on ya.”

“Never in a million fucking years.”

Jeni grabs my arm and kisses my cheek. “It was at least worth a shot, lover. So, where are you taking me?”

“It's a surprise.”

We end up going to the roller skating rink. Jeni lets out an excited shrill. “Oooooh, Chris, we haven't done this in forever!”

Jeni zips around the rink. She passes right past me and spins around to skate backwards. She missteps and falls down on her butt. As I reach out to grab her hand, my eyes drift down to catch a panty shot of her purple thong underwear.

“Like what you see, pervert?” she teases.

Realizing that her “fall” was a setup, I boyishly blush. “Well....actually......yes. They're very nice.” I help her to her feet.

We go sit down in the lobby to grab a bite to eat and drink. As we eat, I ask her about her secret and fear.

“Jesi already told you. She and I have the same feelings. We're twins, after all. We have different personalities, but our feelings for you are the same. I hope you realize that.”

“I do. And right now as part of this trust exercise, I need to be honest with you. I shouldn't be telling you this until this evening, but it's regarding our relationship.”

Jeni looks at me confused, then asks, “Which girl?”

I feel ashamed when I answer, “Hanneke.”

“Did you kiss her?”

“Yeah.”

Jeni looks at me, a smile of satisfaction on her face. “You always knew when to turn on the charm. I'm surprised Shizumi and Aaboli haven't confessed as well.”

I breathe a heavy sigh of relief. “In all honesty, I think Aaboli is going to confess her love for me this evening. She didn't outright say she loves me, but my gut tells me that this is true. As for Shizumi, I think she loves me, too, but right now, she's too scared to admit it.”

Jeni leans across the table and kisses me reassuringly. “You're a great guy. Give her time. You know Japanese girls are extremely timid when confessing their love for someone. Now, Rebecca, she's a completely different piece of work.”

I let out a hearty chuckle. “That she is.”

We leave the skating rink and return to the penthouse building so that I can end the day with Rebecca. She is wearing an eye-catching red dress with a plunging neckline that subtly exposes her D-cup cleavage. The slit of the skirt extends all the way up to her mid thigh.

“Is this your way of seducing me?” I ask.

“Maybe.” she smirks.

We end up going to a dance hall. I tell her that I'm in no way dancer, but she tells me that she'll lead. To my surprise, she's actually quite elegant on the dance floor. We glide across the dance floor in time to the music.

After dancing, we go out to eat. As we dine, I ask Rebecca about her secret and fear.

“I've told you that I want to marry you, but I'm afraid that I haven't been completely honest with you. You see, I come from a very prestigious family in England.”

“I'm very familiar with the Cornwallis family. One of the richest in England.” I tell her.

“So, then, you know, that whatever the Cornwallis' want, we get it, right?” she asks.

“Yes. So where are you going with this?”

“I've been sent here to marry the strongest man in my class, and it just so happens to be you. But these past three months have been truly amazing for me. Marrying you now isn't just about a power grab, but I have fallen madly in love with you. Truthfully I have. And now I'm afraid that you know the truth, you might feel like I've betrayed you.”

“To be honest with you, Rebecca, I am a little disappointed. But I don't feel betrayed.” I tilt my head down and kiss her, then pull back. “I love you, too, and I will do everything to protect you.”

Tears stream from Rebecca's eyes. “Thank you. You have no idea how that makes me feel.” She presses her head into my chest, sobbing incessantly.

“You're welcome.” I hand her some tissues to dry her eyes and blow her nose. I pat her head to reassure her.

We return to the penthouse and everyone gathers in the living room. The girls all confess their secrets and fears openly to each other. Despite all this, my gut tells me that Shizumi and Aaboli are still holding back.

“Okay, everybody, it's been a long day. I want to say that you all did a good job in conducting today's exercise. Hopefully this taught you all that it's okay to acknowledge your vulnerabilities. We draw strength from each other when we are at our most vulnerable. We rely on each other in our moments of vulnerability. That's not weak, that's how the chains of trust are forged stronger. Acknowledge your vulnerabilities and draw strength from your teammates. You are individual links, and together, we forge a chain. Remember that. Now, if you need anything, I'll be in my room.”

As I'm sitting at my desk in my bedroom, I hear a knock on my door. I get up to go open it and am surprised to see both Aaboli and Shizumi standing there. Shizumi is wearing a white yukata and Aaboli is wearing a white nightgown. The sheer material of their garments make it almost impossible not to notice the size of their B-cup breasts.

“May we come in?” they ask.

“Oh, of course. Come in.”

Both girls enter my bedroom and proceed immediately to sit on my bed. “We've been thinking about what you said earlier. We had a discussion with each other. Do you remember the lunch room discussion we had three months ago?” Aaboli inquired.

“Do you mean when you asked me about polygamy?”

“Yes.” Shizumi quietly said.“Well, Aaboli and I have come to the same conclusion. We want you to take us as your wives.”

A smile broadens my face. “I would be honored to take you as wives.”

Both girls embrace me and kiss my cheeks, then softly push me down on the bed. Their kisses cover my face as I softly caress them.

As we drift off to sleep, I think to myself; Jeni and Jesi will be so happy that our family is finally complete.