Harem Origins: Cringe

What do you get when you cross a guy who thinks he's funny with an audience that doesn't? Such is the life of this individual. He tries hard, boy, that he does. However, the punchline always falls flat when it comes to Cringe-kun.

This changes for the better one evening, as he was cleaning a classroom afterschool as punishment for a joke gone horribly corny. His future partner in...justice was having a study hall by himself. Cringe-kun calls out "Hey, it's getting late. It's just us at this point". This boy adjusts his glasses, looks up from his book, and says towards Cringe-kun. "As the president of the school council, I shall study as long as I need to!", then returns to his book. "(What's up his ass? Sheesh.)", he thinks to himself. He then casually walks up to Prez-kun, and says "Hey, Grump-kun." Prez-kun did a near 180° in his chair, completely surprised that someone would address him in such a way."W-Wha-!?" he started. The next words shaped history: "Instead of hitting the books, you should be hitting the hay at this time".

Prez-kun felt something that he knew was common in other people, but never felt himself. A feeling of warmth, a feeling of comfort, a feeling of frivolity. Suddenly, this feeling was overcome with the urge to laugh, and for the first time in his life, he did. HARD. He had always been so serious, even when others told jokes that made everyone else bust a seam, that he never even so much as cracked a smile at them. His laughter bellowed through the classroom and nearby hallway for a solid minute until his face turned red and tears formed in his eyes.

He quickly regained composure as he was able to calm himself down, cleared his throat, and promptly hit the unsuspecting Cringe-kun on the head. "Jeez!", Cringe-kun yelped as he recoiled in slight pain. "A role model student must be proper, studious and diligent while on school grounds at all times. If you have time to make jokes, then you have time to continue cleaning this classroom" "I got it, Grump-kun, or should I say Grum-pa?" "Repeat what you just said, please" Prez-kun said with an intimidating glare as he adjusted his glasses to shine menacingly from the sunset"s glow. "It was nothing! Really!" Cringe-kun assured. "Very well, then. Don't let it happen again" "Yes, sir" Prez-kun went back to his book, as Cringe-kun went back to cleaning.

Cringe-kun finished first and was about to leave. As he waved goodbye, Prez blushed and coughed, "A-although, if it were off campus however, I may be willing to make an exception to your jokes. If you don't mind, is it acceptable with you to exchange contact info?" For the first time in each of their lives, they had found a mutuality among individuals. With this day, marked the start of a friendship most long-lasting.

Some time pass, and Cringe-kun was reading the school news on his tablet. As he saw a certain article, he said "So they suspended Grump-kun, huh? Now this is something I wouldn't even laugh at" "Oh, look at that, lil bro. You could probably apply for secretary" His older sister was hovering over the sofa,l he was sitting on, reading it with him. He looked up, and asked "Onee-san, may I ask you for a favor?" "Sup, Lil bro?" "I want to borrow your old school uniform and your wig" "Oh, I see what you're trying to do!" Before he could kowtow to show how serious he was, she piped up "Sure!". He was taken aback by this, as he wasn't expecting that kind of an answer. She then says "You have the build and looks for it, anyway". He pouted at this realization, and says "You're cruel, you know that? Too cruel for school, even" "Classic Cringe-kun", she sighs at his pun. She says "But you're still my beloved otouto, so I'm willing to be an accomplice...on one condition" "What may that be?" "I get to dress you up as my imouto four times a we-" "No", he interjected. "Did I say four? I meant three times a we-" "No..." "......Twice a we-" "No" "...Three" she began, with his eyes squinting daggers at her "...times........aaaaaa m-month?" "Deal". Cringe-kun switched into a carbon copy of his sister, whom had attended that same school 5 years earlier, and headed off that morning.

This was the day before Prez-kun's return, but it was not in vain, as it was symbolism for the ride-or-die attitude he had forcthose he cared about. As he entered the school gates, the principal eyeballed him and pulled him aside as he was walking in. The principal knew that they were friends, and why Cringe-kun dressed up in a blonde wig and makeup, so he said "You know he's coming back tomorrow, right?" "I know, Principal-San. I just wanted to show that I support him, is all" Looking at him, the principal says "Clearly, you do. Anyways, I will overlook your case, as you're not taken sseriously and this could be chalked up to one of your...jokes" Cringe-kun was hurt that no one except Prez-kun had a good opinion of him, but he took it in stride "Thank you, Principal-San" "Yeah, yeah. Don't let this unpunished transgression go to your head" As the two walked down the hall toward Cringe-kun's homeroom class, Cringe-kun asked "Say Principal-chan?" "Don't push it! Anyways, what is it?" "Why if mikan are oranges in English, ringo wouldn't be called reds?" "..............three days suspension"