ã€ŠShimotsuki-san Likes the Mob (WN)ã€‹


 prologue

    Until I was in high school, I didn¡¯t think of myself as a mob character in any way. In fact, I even thought that I was close to the main character.?

    ?

    However, after I became a high school student and met that guy, I realized that I was just a mob character.?

    ?

    When I met Ryoma Ryuzaki, I was reminded that I was a minor character due to my meeting with the ¡­¡­ harem-like protagonist.?

    ?

    And I became a mob character.?

    ?

    I ended up living an boring school life, where I couldn¡¯t tell a story, and I was always absent-minded in the corner of the classroom.?

    ?

    Today, too, I was looking at the girls I used to love from the corner of the classroom.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Ryoma Onii-chan? Let¡¯s go buy a swimsuit together.¡±?

    ?

    A small girl with black hair tied in two pigtails was sitting on Ryuzaki¡¯s lap. She was my younger stepsister.?

    ?

    Our birthdays were only a few months apart, but I was born a few months earlier than she was, so I was her older stepbrother. Since my parents remarried when I was very young, we have been like brother and sister.?

    ?

    My stepsister, Azusa Nakayama, who used to be very fond of me, was completely obsessed with Ryuzaki. It was heartbreaking to see her trying so hard to get his attention.?

    ?

    Come to think of it, a while ago, she used to spoil me like that ¡­¡­, but lately we don¡¯t talk much anymore, and I was a little sad.?

    ?

    ¡± It¡¯s only May. Isn¡¯t it too early for swimsuits?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What? But I want Ryoma to see me in a swimsuit. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Well, I want to see it!¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki is laughing while patting Azusa¡¯s head. Azusa was also smiling happily.?

    ?

    They were making out in the middle of the classroom even though it was break time. Azusa was a shy girl, so she wasn¡¯t really good at drawing attention. But because she loves Ryuzaki, she¡¯s pampering him like that, regardless of whether it¡¯s in public or not.?

    ?

    It was terribly painful to see that.?

    ?

    ¡°But it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it?¡¡It¡¯s a little early, but you can at least look at it.¡±?

    ?

    The one who leaned forward in defiance of Azusa was a beautiful young girl with long black hair. She¡¯s a childhood friend of mine.?

    ?

    Yuzuki Hojo. She¡¯s small in stature, but has a nice body and is popular with all the boys at school.?

    ?

    She is popular with all the boys at school. ¡°Actually, my ¡­¡­ breasts have gotten a little bigger,¡± she said. That¡¯s why the swimsuit I bought last year doesn¡¯t fit ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, really?¡¡Hmmm, the swimsuit is ¡­¡­ that¡¯s a big deal.¡±?

    ?

    Yuzuki must have had a complex about her large breasts. However, in an attempt to be liked by Ryuzaki, even if only a little, she makes comments that emphasize her breasts.?

    ?

    It was a painful experience for me to see her trying to change herself to be loved by the person she loves.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryu-kun¡¯s lewd. You really want to see a girl in a swimsuit, don¡¯t you? If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just tell me honestly that you want to see it? ?¡±?

    ?

    The one poking Ryuzaki¡¯s cheek with excitement was a girl with bright blonde hair that looked good on her. She was my best friend.?

    ?

    Asakura Kirari. She was a gal, or rather, a girl with an overall flamboyant atmosphere. Her breasts weren¡¯t as big as Yuzuki¡¯s, but she wore her school uniform loosely, so you could see a little of her chest. Her skirt was also too short, and for a high school boy in his adolescence, it was a sight for their eyes.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to tell us ~ ? Look, Ryu-kun ¡­ Be honest.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ I want to see it. I want to see a girl in her swimsuit!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Hmm? Do you want to see my breasts? If so, I can show you.¡±?

    ?

    With that said, Kirari deliberately bent forward and showed her chest to Tatsuzaki. I¡¯m sure Tatsuzaki can see even the intimate parts ¡­ I can¡¯t see it from my perspective, but since he had a dirty look on his face, I figured it all out.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Until high school, she was a more mature girl. To be precise, until the day of my high school entrance ceremony, she kept her black hair in a bun. She also wore glasses, and was a normal girl who wore her school uniform properly. She and I were pretty much on the same page, and we chatted a lot. ¡­¡­ When she met Ryuzaki at the entrance ceremony and learned that he liked flashy girls, she completely changed her image.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ When I see Kirari abandoning her old self to become the type of person the person she loves likes, it still makes my heart ache. That girl I once liked was nowhere to be found.?

    ?

    (¡­ Damn it.)?

    ?

    I clench my fists under my desk.?

    ?

    In the past, until I became a high school student, it was me who was in the position of ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I was on good terms with those three people, and I should have been with them all the I thought I was good friends with the three of them and was always with them, but ¡­¡­ now I¡¯m completely out of the loop.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve always thought of myself as a protagonist.?

    ?

    I had a cute stepsister, a beautiful childhood friend, and a good and charming best friend. I thought I was going to have a great time with the three of them in high school.?

    ?

    But reality is cruel.?

    ?

    At the entrance ceremony of my high school, Ryuzaki stole everything from me.?

    ?

    The three guys that I liked have become completely obsessed with Ryoma Ryuzaki. In addition, to add to the annoyance, ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki seems to be a ¡°harem protagonist,¡± and there are many more girls around him.?

    ?

    In addition to the three, there are a number of other girls in class, such as the small girl who looks like a small animal, the senior student council president, and the leader of the kendo club in the same year.?

    ?

    And even now, in addition to the three of them, there is one more member of the Ryuzaki harem.?

    ?

    ¡°This is why I¡¯m going to go look at swimsuits after school. ¡­¡­ Would you like to go too, Shiho??

    ?

    Ryuzaki turned around and looked back. In the seat directly behind him sat a girl named Shiho Shimotsuki, a childhood friend of his who seemed to be the oldest member of the Ryuzaki harem.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    She had probably been sleeping with her head down for a long time, but when Ryuzaki called out to her, she looked up as if she was bored. She seems to have Scandinavian blood and her lightly pigmented hair is very beautiful.?

    ?

    She is a fragile, or rather ¡­¡­ delicate, transparent girl, like glasswork.?

    ?

    It is not an exaggeration to say that she is the bestlooking girl in the school. She is Ryuzaki¡¯s childhood friend. I wonder how lucky he is with women.?

    ?

    ¡°Were you asleep again? You always look sleepy, Shiho.?

    ?

    He seemed to be trying to pet her, but she gave him a slight look of disgust and lightly brushed his hand away.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­what?¡±?

    ?

    Then she asked him what he wanted with a blank expression.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not sure if she doesn¡¯t talk much or not. She is usually very quiet and never speaks until she is spoken to by others.?

    ?

    Even when she is spoken to by her childhood friend, Ryuzaki, she only says the bare minimum like this.?

    ?

    It seems that Ryuzaki really loves her.?

    ?

    Perhaps more than the three girls I love, ¡­¡­ or any of the other girls, Ryuzaki is probably more in love with Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    In fact, he even went out of his way to ask her to go shopping with him now.?

    ?

    Usually, Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t ask girls out on his own. He is always passive, with the exception of Shimotsuki. She was the only one that Ryuzaki always asked out.?

    ?

    But Shimotsuki¡¯s answer is always the same.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ no.¡±?

    ?

    Two sounds were uttered and she dropped her face down again. She buried her face in her arm pillow and went to sleep.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking, but I strongly felt her intention, not to go.?

    ?

    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll ask you out again some other time, okay?¡±?

    ?

    I guess Ryuzaki is used to being rejected. He immediately turned his face back and returned to his conversation the other three.?

    ?

    Watching these scenes from the corner of the classroom was the daily life of ¡­¡­ me, Kotaro Nakayama.?

    ?

    It¡¯s been about a month since I entered high school.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been spending my days like this since I first encountered Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t feel lonely.?

    ?

    The people I loved so much were crazy about someone else. It was too painful to even try to look good.?

    ?

    When I became a high school student, I realized that I was not the main character.¡¡Apparently, I was a ¡°mob character¡±.?

    ?

    A minor role in the story, unable to create any story. Or perhaps I was a tool to make the characters more appealing.?

    ?

    I must have played a supporting role for Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I¡¯ m just a tool to explain that the hero Ryoma is attractive enough to make the three heroines ¡­¡­ Azusa, Yuzuki and Kirari fall in love with him, who were trapped by the false hero called me.?

    ?

    I wanted to have a ¡­¡­ girlfriend.?

    ?

    I wanted to make the person I loved happy and have them make me happy.?

    ?

    But it¡¯s unlikely to be possible again.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not going to be able to do that again, because the girls I loved have already fallen in love with someone other than me.

 CH 1

    The Silent Girl Becomes Talkative Only in Front of Me¡¡?

    ?

    I suddenly realized that school was already over.?

    ?

    As I walked home alone, my mind was filled with thoughts of those girls.?

    ?

    (Azusa and her friends are probably on a date with Ryuzaki right now. ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    It¡¯s not just my stepsister Azusa. My childhood friend, Yuzuki, and my best friend, Kirari, all went shopping with Ryuzaki. In addition, they were going to try on swimsuits. ¡­¡­ The thought of Ryuzaki seeing the three of them in their swimsuits was enough to damage my brain.?

    ?

    Well, I¡¯m not in a position to be jealous anymore.¡¡?

    ?

    This is probably the resentment of an ugly mob character. I really can¡¯t get over the fact that Ryuzaki is able to do things that I couldn¡¯t do. I guess that¡¯s what they call a ¡®harem protagonist¡¯.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±?

    ?

    When I came home, I was alone, of course.?

    ?

    My parents are away on vacation, so I¡¯m living with my stepsister, Azusa. Until a while ago, I was always with Azusa. I¡¯m sure we loved each other as a single family, but after meeting ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki, Azusa became obsessed with him and began to despise me.?

    ?

    You can¡¯t blame her for that.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not unreasonable for high school students in their adolescence to become obsessed with someone they love.?

    ?

    It¡¯s my fault.?

    ?

    If I couldn¡¯t keep Azusa¡¯s heart intact, I shouldn¡¯t be so rude as to wish for something else.?

    ?

    Now that I¡¯m free, what should I do??

    ?

    I had a math assignment to complete, so I headed to my room to get it done.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I used to study together with my best friend Kirari.?

    ?

    The night before the exam, we were both on the verge of passing, so we stayed up all night studying hard. I¡¯ll never forget the feeling of our hands high-fiving after passing the exam.?

    ?

    Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to interact with her again.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, I forgot my textbook.¡±?

    ?

    I wondered if it was because I was thinking about something negative.?

    ?

    The bad things come in waves, and to my surprise, my math textbook was not in my bag. I was in trouble. ¡­¡­ The printouts for the assignment were quite difficult, so I couldn¡¯t do it without the textbook.?

    ?

    In a situation like this, it would usually be easier to borrow it from my neighbor Yuzuki or my stepsister Azusa, but we haven¡¯t been talking much lately, so it was awkward.?

    ?

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a bit far, but I¡¯ll go to the school to pick it up.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I thought and went outside. I walked to the nearest bus stop and was about to take the bus, when I realized that I had left my wallet at home.?

    ?

    (Forget it. Let¡¯s just walk. ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    I was already tired. I know it would be faster to go home to get my wallet, but I was in the mood to walk, so I decided to walk.?

    ?

    My school, Hakuun Daini High School, is about an hour¡¯s walk away. I could have walked there, but by the time I got there, it would be already past 5pm.?

    ?

    (It¡¯ll be past 6:00 p.m. when I get home. ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    What should I eat this evening?¡¡?

    ?

    In the past, my childhood friend Yuzuki would come over to my house to make dinner, but that hasn¡¯t been the case lately. My stepsister, Azusa, seems to be staying at Ryuzaki¡¯s house and treating him to dinner, and I¡¯m eating alone more often than not.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been eating alone more and more. Well, I guess I should just eat something. At worst, I wouldn¡¯t die even if I didn¡¯t eat.?

    ?

    With that in mind, I headed for the classroom. Most of the students were already gone. The only ones who were left were those who were doing club activities.?

    ?

    (I wonder if Azusa and the others are having fun right now. ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    While thinking about this, I opened the door to the classroom.?

    ?

    I thought there would be no one there, but there was a girl inside ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    (Eh? Shimotsuki ¡­?)?

    ?

    The seat right behind Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    There, a white-haired girl was lying face down, breathing in her sleep.?

    ?

    ¡°Nnya¡­¡­ fumuu.¡±?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki is asleep, breathing a cute tune.?

    ?

    I wondered if she was sleeping soundly. She was talking faintly in her sleep.?

    ?

    (What should I do, ¡­¡­?¡¡Should I wake her up?)?

    ?

    For the time being, I will take out the math textbook from my seat.?

    ?

    I was hoping that Shimotsuki would sense my presence and wake up, but she was fast asleep.?

    ?

    I wondered if I should just pretend I hadn¡¯t seen anything and go home.¡¡ From the way Shimotsuki has reacted so far, it seems that she does not like to be woken up. Even when it was her childhood friend Ryuzaki, her reaction to being woken up was not good.?

    ?

    Well, I don¡¯t really know what she is thinking because she is always expressionless.?

    ?

    (Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if people hate me. I¡¯m a mob character anyway.)?

    ?

    Rather than being hated, I felt guilty about leaving her like this and going home.?

    ?

    If Shimotsuki continues to doze off, and returns home late, and is attacked by a suspicious person,¡­¡­, I feel unnecessary worry.?

    ?

    This is how cute this Shiho Shimotsuki girl looks.?

    ?

    She has such good looks that even Ryuzaki, who is not in need of a woman, can¡¯t help but admire her.?

    ?

    Probably, it would be better to go home while there is still daylight as much as possible.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I thought, so I decided to wake up Shimotsuki, ready to be hated.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey. School is over.¡±?

    ?

    I tried to be low-key at first.¡¡?

    ?

    However, Shimotsuki remains asleep.?

    ?

    ¡°Muhehe ¡­¡±?

    ?

    I wonder if she¡¯ s having a very happy dream. She has a lazy smile on her face. I was a little nervous to see her smile, which I don¡¯t usually see.?

    ?

    (Damn, I feel kind of bad for looking at her. ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    I wasn¡¯t trying to look at her, but I felt guilty for seeing her sleeping face. I reached out my hand to wake her up quickly, but then I remembered what happened earlier and stopped.?

    ?

    (Come to think of it, Shimotsuki wasn¡¯t very good at being touched, was she? ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    When Ryuzaki tried to pat her head, she didn¡¯t like it and brushed his hand away.?

    ?

    I think she¡¯s not very good at being touched. Even her childhood friend Ryuzaki was rejected by her, so she must be really bad at it.?

    ?

    Thinking this, I decided to shake the desk lightly.?

    ?

    As I shook it, I called out to her.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey. If you don¡¯t get up soon, the sun will set.¡±?

    ?

    This time, I tried to shout a little harder. That was all I could do, and it seemed that I had finally succeeded in reaching Shimotsuki¡¯s consciousness.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Huh?¡±?

    ?

    At the same time as her distracted voice leaked out, she slowly looked up.¡¡?

    ?

    She was about to drool, but then she must have remembered that she was at school.?

    ?

    ¡°What?¡±?

    ?

    She hurriedly covered her mouth and looked at me.?

    ?

    Her face was a little ¡­¡­ red, unlike her usual expressionless face.?

    ?

    ¡°Did you ¡­¡­ see that?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my ¡­¡­ handkerchief.¡±?

    ?

    I offered her a handkerchief from my pocket, which she hurriedly took and wiped her mouth.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, thank you ¡­¡­ I showed you something embarrassing.¡±?

    ?

    She looked away, perhaps embarrassed.?

    ?

    As I watched her, I was taken aback.?

    ?

    (This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Shimotsuki speak more than a few words. ¡­¡­!)?

    ?

    Apparently, something was wrong with her ¡­¡­, or rather, she seemed different from usual.¡¡?

    ?

    In the past, she was unresponsive and uncommunicative in front of Ryuzaki, but now she seems a little different.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I woke you up so suddenly.¡¡But it¡¯s after school. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What¡­? ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry for having you wake me up.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki bows her head obediently.?

    ?

    The gesture was so unexpected that I was stunned once again.?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t expect to be thanked.?

    ?

    ¡°¡®¡­¡­?¡¡What¡¯s up with you? You look surprised.¡±?

    ?

    No, because ¡­¡­ I always thought of you as a quiet girl, but it turns out you¡¯re not.?

    ?

    ¡°You have a funny face. You look like my dad, who laughs when he¡¯s fed steak in bed. Mom loves him so much that she makes him too much food in the morning, doesn¡¯t she? Can¡¯t you just put yourself in my place and let me get along with you? ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki is much more talkative than I expected.¡¡?

    ?

    That¡¯s what was so strange¨C

 CH 2

    The Harem protagonist¡¯s childhood friend likes to talk.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late. ¡­¡­ Thank you so much for waking me up. I tend to sleep too much at school. ¡­ I mean, it¡¯s boring, isn¡¯t it?¡¡There¡¯s nothing to do but sleep. But at home, I stay up late, you know? I enjoy a lot of TV, anime, online games, and so on.¡±?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki, whom I had thought to be a quiet person, was very talkative and told me many things even though I hadn¡¯t asked her.?

    ?

    ¡°But if I come home late, my mom and dad will be worried. I know I¡±m already in high school, so I don¡±t think a 6 p.m. curfew is a very acceptable time for me. ¡­¡­ I wish they¡±d leave me to my own devices. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, yeah. ¡­¡­ Yeah, maybe.¡±?

    ?

    In the classroom after school, a beautiful white-haired girl is looking at me, smiling and laughing. I felt as if I was dreaming.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, you never told me why. Hey, why are you surprised? Did I do something to surprise you? If so, I would like to apologize, but it would be strange to apologize without knowing the reason.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no need to apologize, but ¡­¡­ you¡¯re always so quiet, I didn¡¯t expect you to talk so much.¡±?

    ?

    I told her how I honestly felt.?

    ?

    But she¡¯s flabbergasted.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Quiet?¡±?

    ?

    Her face looked like she was asking, ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t talk much?¡±. So I continued my explanation?

    ?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your classmate, so I see you every once in a while. ¡­¡­ Most of the time, you¡¯re asleep, and when you do talk, it¡¯s just one word, so I assumed you didn¡¯t talk much. ¡­¡­ I thought you were quiet.¡±?

    ?

    Maybe she doesn¡¯t know me.?

    ?

    She doesn¡¯t recognize me because I¡¯ m a mob character and I¡¯m always in a fog of people. So, I figured that she was confused by the fact that a complete stranger knew who she was, but that seemed to be only my negative thoughts.?

    ?

    ¡± I know you¡¯re my classmate, I know you¡¯re number 25, Kotaro Nakayama, and I know that like me you don¡¯t have any friends and you¡¯re always in a daze.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±?

    ?

    I was surprised.?

    ?

    I was most surprised that such a cute girl knew such a simple guy like me. But she laughed good-naturedly and patted me on the chest.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, are you making fun of me? I¡¯m not that stupid. ¡­¡­  I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve always wanted to try this. I don¡¯t have any friends, so I¡¯ve been longing for this kind of playfulness.¡±?

    ?

    The poke on my chest made me a little nervous.?

    ?

    And more than anything, seeing that quiet, icy beauty smiling with a red face like a tomato made me feel embarrassed.?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki was perhaps a little excited.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s fun to chat with you like this. Today is a wonderful day. ¡­¡­ I was sleeping and Nakayama-kun spoke to me. I¡¯m not very good at talking to people, so I waited for a long time, you know?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Huh?¡­..¡±?

    ?

    ¡°How about ¡­¡­ Naka-chan then? Oh, no. She looks like an idol from a fleet game. Nakayama-kun doesn¡¯t look like an idol, so how about ¡­¡­ Can I call you Happy Taro-kun? Hmm, that sounds like a snack of cabbage.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve never seen a girl think of a nickname with such joy.?

    ?

    I also think I¡¯ve never seen anyone talk so quickly at once.?

    ?

    I also thought it was quite rare for the conversation to go off on a tangent in so many different directions.?

    ?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Shimotsuki ¡­¡­ supposed to be a quiet person?¡±?

    ?

    Back to the topic at hand. She knew me. If that was the case, why was she upset when I said she was quiet??

    ?

    She gave me a better explanation than what I was looking for.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not a quiet person.¡¡I¡¯m not a quiet person. ¡­¡­ Well, I don¡¯t have any friends, so I just don¡¯t get a chance to talk to anyone. I¡¯m also a little shy¡­¡­, but I love chatting with people like this. It¡¯s rude to call me a quiet .¡±?

    ?

    She poked me on my chest again. I think it¡¯s a bit misdirected to call it joking around. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s probably true that she didn¡¯t have any friends.?

    ?

    This girl¡¯s talk was too one-sided.?

    ?

    She said so many things in rapid succession that I didn¡¯t have time to interrupt her.?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case, why was she so quiet in front of ¡­¡­ that guy??

    ?

    ¡°But Ryuzaki talks to you a lot, why haven¡¯t you talked to him so far? I¡¯ve watched you from time to time, but I¡¯ve never seen you talking to Ryuzaki.¡±?

    ?

    I forcefully insert the topic into our conversation. I had to do that, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have been able to end Shimotsuki¡¯s speech.?

    ?

    And that¡¯s what I¡¯ve always wanted to ask her.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ She told me why she was so talkative only in front of me.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Ryuzaki¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    The moment I mentioned that name, the color disappeared from Shimotsuki¡¯s face.?

    ?

    She reverted back to the transparent and cold girl that I always see, and said this in an emotionless voice.?

    ?

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m really not fond of that guy. He talks to me a lot, he¡¯s been next to me since I was little, and he¡¯s creepy.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Eh !?¡±?

    ?

    The reason seemed to be simple.?

    ?

    The main character of the popular and harem protagonist, Ryuuzaki, probably liked his childhood friend, Shiho Shimotsuki, who hated ¡­¡­ him.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of those who cheat on others. I like boys who are straightforward and honest. ¡­¡­ I like boys who are naive, quiet, and kind enough to listen to me.¡±?

    ?

    Furthermore, he was messing up.?

    ?

    I see ¡­ she hates people who unfaithful.?

    ?

    If so, it seems that Ryuzaki¡¯s feelings will never be rewarded.

 CH 3

    Childhood friends do not always become heroines?

    ?

    In the classroom after school, a white-haired girl spun her words.?

    ?

    Glowing in the reflection of the sunset coming through the window, she looked somewhat divine.?

    ?

    Her skin, her hair, and her being were all transparent, and looking at her made me feel somewhat restless.?

    ?

    It¡¯s hard to find a girl who is so out of touch with the world.?

    ?

    I had expected her to be quiet, cool and as cold as ice.?

    ?

    But in reality, she was completely different.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s true that Ryuzaki-kun and I have known each other since childhood.¡¡But that doesn¡¯t mean we were close. ¡­¡­ We only live in the same neighborhood, and I don¡¯t remember us playing together much, nor were our parents close to each other.¡¡I don¡¯t know if you can call this a childhood friendship.¡±?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki is quite a talker.?

    ?

    No, it is not quite that. She is a very vocal girl.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a coincidence that we went to the same high school. I never consciously wanted to go to the same school as him. I don¡¯t know if he had any other options.¡¡It¡¯s creepy, he always asked me where I¡¯m planning to go to high school, it¡¯s like he¡¯s stalking me.¡±?

    ?

    No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a stalker. ¡­¡­ I think Ryuzaki likes Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    I was curious to see how she would react if I told her that, but I thought that was indeed unfortunate.?

    ?

    By the way, it¡¯s not Ryuzaki. It was Shimotsuki who was pitiful.?

    ?

    ¡°Fate is awful. I have the right to choose, but why does it keep trying to get to me like that? ¡­¡­ Ugh, I feel a shiver run down my spine. I don¡¯t like the sound of his voice. ¡­¡­ It sounds like an insensitive, self-centered person who can¡¯t perceive the feelings of others.¡±?

    ?

    I know it sounds harsh, but it seems that she understands the true nature of Ryuzaki because they are literally childhood friends connected by their decaying relationship.?

    ?

    It is true that he is insensitive. Especially when it comes to love, he¡¯s very unaware of it. Even when my stepsister, childhood friend or former best friend like him, he can¡¯t read their feelings. I think he¡¯s dense and dull.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what Shimotsuki doesn¡¯t seem to like about him.?

    ?

    ¡°People who use such a tone hurt a lot of people. But that¡¯s not a problem that can be dismissed as being dull, and I think it also requires a greater effort to understand the feelings of others. ¡­¡­ Ugh, that gives me the chills. If he liked me, I¡¯d have to carry the grief of all the other girls. It¡¯s hard, and I feel like crying when I think of all those girls who won¡¯t get their reward.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki held her arms together and rubbed them as if she was really cold.?

    ?

    Yeah ¡­¡­, after all, Ryuzaki might like you, right? I can¡¯t say that. I felt that if I said it, Shimotsuki would probably have a stroke.?

    ?

    I think that¡¯s how much she dislikes Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°So, although we¡¯re childhood friends, we¡¯re just acquaintances, okay? Pfft. Oh, that was just how I show my anger. My mom says it¡¯s ¡®cute¡¯ when I do it like this, but I wonder if she¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think it works very well.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ She¡¯ s very talkative.?

    ?

    She was so quiet in front of Ryuzaki, still it was surprising.?

    ?

    ¡± You were just being unsociable because you¡¯re not fond of Ryuzaki, but the real Shimotsuki is like this.¡±?

    ?

    I was surprised, but I couldn¡¯t help but understand.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not a fan of Ryuzaki either. It¡¯s a personal grudge, because the people I loved were taken away from me, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strictly the same feeling as Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    But if that¡¯s the case,¡­¡­, then there was still a question.?

    ?

    ¡°Then why did you show your true colors to someone like me?¡¡I don¡¯t think I¡¯m someone who¡¯s attractive enough to be liked by Shimotsuki.¡±?

    ?

    Why did it have to be me??

    ?

    I just happened to be in the classroom after school. It was a shame to show the real Shimotsuki to such a person.?

    ?

    Why did they give me a special look to this loser who was such a mob character and couldn¡¯t even hold together the hearts of the people who he loved ¡­¡­??

    ?

    Seeing me in such a negative mood, Shimotsuki smiled happily.?

    ?

    Apparently, there is a good reason¨C

 CH 4

    The Person, they love, loves the Person, who likes me?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    Why is Shimotsuki so talkative only around me??

    ?

    She told me why.?

    ?

    ¡°You know, I have very good hearing.¡±?

    ?

    I instinctively lean forward.?

    ?

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I mean it literally. I was born with good hearing, so I can usually tell by the sound of a ¡­¡­ person¡¯s voice or heartbeat what kind of feelings they are having. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like Ryuzaki-kun. The sound he makes is dull and harmless, just background noise.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s ears twitched, as if she had a nerve connection. She continued to talk, showing off her impressive skills in a low-key way.?

    ?

    ¡°In this respect, your sound is very delicate. I can hear the sound of sadness, pain and sorrow. At the same time, I also hear a strange sound like strong grudge. Ummm, that¡¯s a strange sound. It¡¯s creepy. It¡¯s interesting how they all work together in harmony to create these sounds.¡±?

    ?

    She shuffled her feet and closed her eyes to listen.?

    ?

    She closed her eyes and listened, as if she was checking my sound.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been looking for an opportunity to talk to you like this for a long time. ¡­¡­ Wow, Nakayama-kun is just what I expected. He participates in a lot of my chatter ¡­.I don¡¯t think we¡¯re a bad match.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ She¡¯ s saying a lot of complicated things.?

    ?

    In short, this girl¡­?

    ?

    ¡°You mean you like me?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s the best way to sum it up.¡¡It would be more pleasant to say that we seemed to have good chemistry.¡±?

    ?

    Apparently, that¡¯s what she meant.?

    ?

    When I heard those words, I ¡­¡­ became aware of a swirling dark emotion in my chest.?

    ?

    (The childhood friend that Ryuzaki likes, likes me¡­¡­!)?

    ?

    It¡¯s as though I succeeded in getting back at him.?

    ?

    A wicked feeling boiled up in my chest. I know I shouldn¡¯t think like that, but I couldn¡¯t help it.?

    ?

    It was as if I had taken away the loved one of the person, who had taken away the people I loved.?

    ?

    I felt such a sensation, and at the same time, I felt pity for myself for thinking such a thing.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure the girls hated me for having such a personality,¡­¡­ and as I was thinking about such strange things, Shimotsuki unexpectedly put her hand on my chest.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah and ¡­¡­ Nakayama, you sound so weird sometimes. I hear a sound that is riddled with self-loathing, or rather ¡­¡­ that makes me want to cry when I hear it. It¡¯s like a kitten purring desperately in a cardboard box on a rainy day.¡±?

    ?

    I wondered if she was checking the sound of my heart.?

    ?

    The touch of her thin, small fingers make me feel a little nervous.?

    ?

    Seeing me like that, she laughed again.?

    ?

    ¡°I have a habit of wanting to cheer up people who are sad. Nakayama-kun looks like you¡¯ re in a lot of pain. ¡­¡­ I¡¯d be happy to cheer you up, even if only a little. It¡¯s not a problem. I grew up with a wonderful mom and dad who loved me a lot, so I¡¯m full of love. If I keep getting so much, God will get angry, so I¡¯ll share some of it with you.¡±?

    ?

    I was taken aback by Shimotsuki¡¯s smiling face as she said this.?

    ?

    I thought she was a girl with a unique view of the world.?

    ?

    But there is also a feeling of joy in being liked by such a girl¡­¡­.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to get back at Ryuzaki, but it¡¯s pure joy.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯d also like to make friends with you, talk to you, play games with you, if you¡¯d like. I¡¯ve been so lonely and I¡¯m starving for friends. Also, sometimes they make you have a partner in class or something. I¡¯m not good at that either, and I need help.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a lot ¡­¡­ going on here.¡±?

    ?

    Rather, I feel that there is more going on here.?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t be happier if such a wonderful girl would be my friend.?

    ?

    ¡°I look forward to working with you from now on, Nakayama-kun.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki innocently reached out her hand to me.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not sure if I should grab her hand or not¡­¡­, but by then Shimotsuki had already grabbed my hand forcefully.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s so rude to hesitate.¡±?

    ?

    When I saw her cheeks puff out, I couldn¡¯t help but relax.?

    ?

    ¡°Sorry. Pleased to be with you.¡±?

    ?

    I said, and shook her hand tightly.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how I made a friend.?

    ?

    The person I was meeting, was the person I grew to love, ¡­. the person I love¨C

 CH 5

    My First Friend?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    And so, I made a friend.?

    ?

    My first friend in high school was a beautiful girl who was so out-of-this-world that I thought I¡¯d never have a relationship with her.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t do it. It¡¯s time like this if you¡¯re crazy about chatting ¡­ It¡¯s almost dark, and it might be very dangerous for a girl to walk alone during this time. By the way, my friend Nakayama. What do you think?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What do you mean, what do you think?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m asking if I should be allowed to go home alone at a time like this. Do you think Nakayama-kun, a reasonable boy who just became my friend, will leave me, a beautiful girl, go home alone?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you home ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t ignore such a blatant demand for a walk home.?

    ?

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you hate it, if someone saw you walking alone with me?¡±?

    ?

    I thought to myself, ¡°If I¡¯m such a mob character, I won¡¯t be able to balance the cute heroine, Shimotsuki.¡± That¡¯s what I thought, but it doesn¡¯t seem to matter to her.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you think I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t understand why you are so negative when all I want to do is go home with my friends. Do you want me to comfort you? Alright, good boy, why don¡¯t you come home with me?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki stands up and pats me on the head.?

    ?

    No, wait a minute ¡­ I don¡¯t want that.?

    ?

    I mean.?

    ?

    This person looked like she didn¡¯t want Ryuzaki to pat her head, but I wonder if it¡¯s okay for her to pat me. ¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t like the act of being patted, it¡¯s simply that she doesn¡¯t want to be touched, because she doesn¡¯t like Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    This girl seems to have a weakness for Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I thought it was kind of rare to have a childhood friend heroine who rejects the popular and harem-oriented hero.?

    ?

    Normally, the heroine would take the initiative to become a member of the harem.?

    ?

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve always wanted to go home with my friends like this. It¡¯s so nice to be a student. ¡­¡­ Hey, what do you want to talk about? I have a lot of hobbies, even though I may look like this.¡¡I like games, anime, TV, anything. Ah, but, you know, no comics and novels, okay? I¡¯m not very good at reading and writing.¡±?

    ?

    As she leads me on her way, she continues to speak in rapid succession.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not sure if this is really a conversation, but it¡¯s interesting to hear what kind of things Shimotsuki is interested in.?

    ?

    Surprisingly, she likes subcultures. No, it¡¯s not surprising. It seems that hobbies that used to be called otaku a long time ago are becoming more common nowadays.?

    ?

    ¡°But first, you know what? It¡¯s a little strange to call you ¡°Nakayama-kun¡± when you¡¯re my friend. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s more convenient to have a nickname. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions, Nakayama-kun?¡±?

    ?

    And it seems that Shimotsuki is obsessed with nicknames.?

    ?

    For her, a friend seems to mean a person who calls someone by a particular nickname.?

    ?

    ¡°Hmmm, what should we do?¡±?

    ?

    We walked out of the school gate and down the street.?

    ?

    Speaking of which, where does Shimotsuki live? I don¡¯t know where she lives, but since I said I¡¯d walk her home, I¡¯ll have to follow her home, wherever she goes.?

    ?

    I¡¯ll be alone when I get home anyway.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t have to worry about the time.?

    ?

    ¡°I think anything is fine.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what. Nakayama-kun is so unaffected. ¡­¡­ He¡¯s just like me when Ryuzaki-kun is next to me. You can¡¯t be that boring, okay? Meh.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ That would mean that Shimotsuki is a boring person, is that okay with you?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m a very boring person in front of Ryuzaki-kun, but I think it¡¯s a little strange that he talks to me like that. What¡¯s so good about a girl like me who¡¯ s unsociable and doesn¡¯t talk? Is it the face? Then why doesn¡¯t he just thank my mom and dad for giving me those genes instead of me?¡±?

    ?

    I think you¡¯re missing the point a little.?

    ?

    Maybe she has a disease that kills her if she doesn¡¯t talk to me all the time. We talked the whole way home. It was strange because she seemed to be enjoying talking even though I was only giving her a few cues in between.?

    ?

    But it seems that Shimotsuki just likes to talk, not that she¡¯ s good at it.?

    ?

    Since then, we¡¯ve been going off on too many off-topic conversations and haven¡¯t been able to talk about the main topic. In the end, we couldn¡¯t even decide on a nickname.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh? It looks like we¡¯ ve already arrived at my house. ¡­¡­ It¡¯ s so much fun to chat with friends. The always boring way home went by so fast and I think I got a little excited. Thank you for keeping me company, Nakayama-kun.¡±?

    ?

    Smiling, she shook my hand one last time.?

    ?

    She said she was shaking hands with me, but this girl seemed to be very close to her friends. It was unexpected and made me nervous.?

    ?

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, yeah. See you tomorrow ¡­¡±?

    ?

    With a final wave, she walked into the house.?

    ?

    The Shimotsuki family was a house like any other. I thought she might have come from a rich family because of her out-of-this-world appearance, but she seemed more normal than I thought.?

    ?

    ¡°I should go back too ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s house was quite close to the school.?

    ?

    It¡¯s only about fifteen minutes away and since it¡¯s in the same direction as my house, I can walk straight home.?

    ?

    I was already used to walking home alone.?

    ?

    Today, thanks to Shimotsuki¡­¡­, my walk was easier than usual.

 CH 6

    The talkative Shiho-chan is very shy?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    When I wake up in the morning, I make sure that my stepsister, Azusa, is not next to me.?

    ?

    It had become a daily routine for me. It¡¯s been a long time since I felt her warmth, although she used to sneak into my futon when I was sleeping until junior high school.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ staying over again today?¡±?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t see her in the other room beside me, so she was probably staying at Ryuzaki¡¯s house. Come to think of it, are the Shimotsuki family neighbors of the Ryuzaki family? Maybe I passed by them yesterday when I was walking Shimotsuki home??

    ?

    Well, so what??

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    I prepare for the morning in silence. I haven¡¯t eaten breakfast lately. It¡¯s a pain in the ass to prepare it myself.?

    ?

    It¡¯s times like this that I realize how much I appreciate my parents. My parents were out of town on a business trip, but I wanted to see them for the first time in a long time.?

    ?

    Maybe I¡¯m starving for the warmth of someone.?

    ?

    In the past, there were girls who were close to me. My stepsister, Azusa, my childhood friend, Yuuki and my best friend, Kirari, ¡­¡­, I thought we had a good relationship, but it seems I was wrong.?

    ?

    My life changed completely when the girls found someone they liked.?

    ?

    They¡¯ re at the age where they fall in love. It¡¯s understandable that they would be obsessed with someone, but the fact that he¡¯s the harem protagonist, Ryuzaki Ryoma, is a little troubling.?

    ?

    This is not even jealousy ¡­¡­, it¡¯s just resentment.?

    ?

    It¡¯s also a grudge, almost like the sad backstabbing of a mob character who can¡¯t even be jealous.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh ¡­¡­ school, let¡¯s go.¡±?

    ?

    There¡¯s no point in being alone and aimless.?

    ?

    I left the house a little early. I took the bus to the school.?

    ?

    But today was not my lucky day.?

    ?

    Just as I arrived at the school, I came across Ryuzaki flirting with his harem members.?

    ?

    I was on my way from the school gate to the school building.?

    ?

    The girls were flirting without regard to the fact that they were being watched by others.?

    ?

    I wish I didn¡¯t have to be the one to see it.?

    ?

    ¡°Get Ryoma¡¯s right hand!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not fair. Then I¡¯ll take his left hand!¡±?

    ?

    ¡± Eh~? Where would I get one? Then, your back!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, this is heavy! I can¡¯ t walk!¡±?

    ?

    I felt like my brain was going to melt just by looking ¡­¡­?

    ?

    I would have loved to have that done to me, but ¡­¡­ that dream never came true. Looking back, the girls were not very outgoing with me. Maybe they were just hanging out with me due to habit, and I didn¡¯t really feel special to them.?

    ?

    I felt like my brain would get messed up if I kept looking at them, so I walked quickly past them.?

    ?

    I got pretty close to them, but they didn¡¯t notice me. ¡­¡­ I was very sad about that.?

    ?

    I guess I¡¯ve become a mob character to them.?

    ?

    I am one of the many others, a part of the background, an existence that doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯m there or not.?

    ?

    When I realize this, I feel a sense of emptiness.?

    ?

    Just when I was about to become negative, I thought, ¡°I¡¯m just a piece of trash who can¡¯t make anything out of my life. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    I arrived at the classroom and took a seat.?

    ?

    As if she had been waiting for that moment, a girl walked up to me.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    The transparent silvery-white hair fluttered. She was so beautiful that I had the illusion that particles were dancing in her path, ¡­¡­ drawing gentle lines.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, good morning, ¡­¡­ good morning!¡±?

    ?

    The only thing is that she seems to be acting a bit suspicious.?

    ?

    She was so talkative yesterday, but her mouth doesn¡¯t seem to be working so well today.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, good morning ¡­¡­, what¡¯s up?¡±?

    ?

    I called out to Shimotsuki as she came up to me, leaving behind her lovely footsteps.?

    ?

    (TLN: ( ?¡ó?)£¿)?

    ?

    She looks around and puts her face close to my ear.?

    ?

    I get a close-up of her beautiful face and I almost backed away.?

    ?

    I was sitting on a chair so I could only lean back, but Shimotsuki moved closer as if to say that it didn¡¯t matter.?

    ?

    Then she said in a quiet voice.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m shy. I¡¯m just too nervous to talk in front of other people. ¡­¡­. I¡¯m just a little cautious. In my previous life, I must have been an animal that was very territorial.¡±?

    ?

    Her moist breath brushed against my ear.?

    ?

    (TLN: ( ? _ ? )?(?o?§¥?o??)?

    ?

    It tickled me and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her remark, because it was funny.?

    ?

    ¡°I see. Shimotsuki is a shy person, huh?¡±?

    ?

    I see. So that¡¯s why she can¡¯t talk loudly and behaves suspiciously.?

    ?

    Well, she¡¯s never going to admit it. She was shaking her head, as if she really didn¡¯t want to be thought of as shy.?

    ?

    ¡°¡±No, no, no, it¡¯s different!¡±?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t persuade her, because I couldn¡¯t properly express myself.¡¡?

    ?

    The talkative Shiho-chan seems to be very shy¨C

 CH 7

    Intrusive Good Intentions are the Privilege of the Protagonist?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    My brain, which had been on the verge of melting since morning, seemed to be regenerating.?

    ?

    My mind was very troubled, but thanks to Shimotsuki talking to me, I was able to feel very calm.?

    ?

    Ah, ¡­¡­ that¡¯s right, yesterday I became friends with this girl.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that I forgot, but ¡­¡­ it slipped my mind because I was thinking about Azusa and the others.?

    ?

    When I¡¯m thinking about bad things, I usually can¡¯t think of anything positive. Maybe that¡¯s what I was doing a short while ago.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ m not shy. I¡¯m not shy. ¡­¡­ You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t get nervous when I¡¯m with my family. It¡¯s also fine when it¡¯s just the two of us alone¡­¡­, but it¡¯s still hard to get used to being watched by strangers.¡±?

    ?

    Maybe she wanted to argue, but Shimotsuki was talking close to my ear. However, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how many excuses she made, she still looked shy.?

    ?

    I think she is a bit of a shy person, or perhaps a introvert.?

    ?

    And from what I heard yesterday, she seems to have very keen hearing. She has a good ear, right?¡¡Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s so concerned about the presence of others.?

    ?

    It was when, I was thinking about that.?

    ?

    At last, the Ryuzaki group, who had been flirting outside the school building, seemed to have arrived at the classroom.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been feeling your breasts for a while now, you know?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re touching, right? You¡¯re touching ~¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Well, Azusa¡¯s breasts are so small that it¡¯s almost impossible to tell.¡¡I have bigger breasts than she does.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Breasts aren¡¯t about size, are they? The shape is also important ~ ?¡±?

    ?

    What in the world are they talking about? ¡­¡­Suddenly, high-pitched voices spread, and everyone in the classroom looked at Ryuzaki and the others. But the girls were oblivious to their surroundings and kept flirting with him.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Ryoma-niichan? Tell me who¡¯s the best?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Who is the best, ¡­ I can¡¯t decide¨C¡°?

    ?

    That¡¯s when it happened.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki¡¯s gaze turned to me. I think he was looking for Shimotsuki. It¡¯s always Shimotsuki that he¡¯s chasing with his eyes.?

    ?

    And Ryuzaki saw it.?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki, his childhood friend, with her face close to my ear.?

    ?

    ¡°What!?¡±?

    ?

    Even though he hadn¡¯t finished his conversation with Azusa and the others, he walked right up to us.?

    ?

    His eyes were intense as he stared at me. The hostility in his eyes was so blatant that it baffled me.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, hey, Shiho? What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s rare to see you awake, since you¡¯re usually asleep all the time. If there¡¯s something wrong, I¡¯ll help you.¡±?

    ?

    He seemed to be in a rush, angry, or upset.?

    ?

    In response to Ryuzaki, who spoke to her with such an attitude, Shimotsuki ¡­¡­ instantly erased the color from her expression.?

    ?

    After all, she seems to be extremely uncomfortable with Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Just by talking to him, the lovely face that she had been showing me until a moment ago suddenly turned cold.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ not really.¡±?

    ?

    Then she said only one word and turned away.?

    ?

    She was back to the quiet, ice-like Shimotsuki I had always seen.?

    ?

    However, the insensitive Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t understand Shimotsuki¡¯s feelings.?

    ?

    With his usual smug attitude, he is trying to impose his one-sided good will.?

    ?

    ¡°How can there not be something? It¡¯s unusual for Shiho to talk to strangers. ¡­¡­ Look, when you¡¯re in trouble, it¡¯s better to turn to someone who knows, right? Don¡¯t be shy.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki tried to touch Shimotsuki¡¯s shoulder in a friendly manner.?

    ?

    However, she stepped back as if rejecting him.?

    ?

    It seemed like she was hiding behind me.?

    ?

    Then, naturally, I would have to face Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡± Uh, ¡­¡­? I¡¯m sorry. My childhood friend Shiho seems to have caused you trouble.¡±?

    ?

    Then Ryuzaki looked at me with his head tilted.?

    ?

    The look on his face was like, ¡°Was there a guy like this in my class?¡±. He looked as if he wanted to say that.?

    ?

    Such an attitude made me feel as if my mind was turning cloudy and black. ¡­¡­ Such an image struck me.

 CH 8

    The moment when the main character first recognizes a mob character?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    Oh, he didn¡¯t even know who I was.?

    ?

    The protagonist didn¡¯t even have mob characters in his field of vision.?

    ?

    (TLN: Bruh he be playin life in 4:3)?

    ?

    I was so frustrated by this that I then became ¡­¡­ annoyed.?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know my name? It¡¯s been over a month since the entrance ceremony, and you don¡¯t even know your fellow classmate¡¯s names?¡±?

    ?

    My voice became agitated.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t control myself. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ m trying to stab Ryuzaki to death with the barbs of my words.?

    ?

    I was about to say something I shouldn¡¯t have, when I couldn¡¯t control my frustration.?

    ?

    ¡°I know you, don¡¯t I? You¡¯re Ryoma Ryuzaki, right? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s good-looking, gets good grades, cooks well, and has lots of friends.¡±?

    ?

    I know the protagonist-sama, because I¡¯ m a mob character.?

    ?

    Or rather, he¡¯s my classmate. I know his name regardless of whether he¡¯s a protagonist or a mob character.?

    ?

    We¡¯re on equal footing, he and I. We¡¯re the same people, freshmen in high school.?

    ?

    ¡°Can you at least remember their names? It¡¯s rude to your classmates,¡± I nearly said something I wouldn¡¯t have said under normal circumstances.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to pick a fight with him.?

    ?

    But I feel like saying something unnecessary to this guy.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how much I dislike Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    But the one who stopped me from doing so was that girl.?

    ?

    ¡°Hai!¡±?

    ?

    As if to step in between us.?

    ?

    Despite her obvious shyness, it was Shimotsuki, who was standing next to me watching the scene, who mustered up the courage to speak up loudly.?

    ?

    She seemed to have noticed that something was wrong with me.?

    ?

    She interrupted me and then squeezed something into my hand.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll give this back, okay?¡±?

    ?

    What she gave me was the handkerchief I had lent her yesterday.?

    ?

    I remembered, that I had lent it to her because she was drooling in her sleep.¡¡ Then she said something to me in my ear.?

    ?

    ¡°Calm down. You¡¯ll get miserable, if you act like that. Here, I¡¯ll share my feelings with you. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll see you later, okay?¡±?

    ?

    With that, she went back to her seat.?

    ?

    Watching her go, I clutched the handkerchief and ¡­¡­ felt the faint warmth of Shimotsuki. The warmth soothed my rough heart.?

    ?

    Through the handkerchief, I felt as if her kind feelings were flowing into my body. ¡­¡­?

    ?

    That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing to be solved by venting my frustration.?

    ?

    It¡±s not like I can get anything by being angry here.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Uh, what do you mean?¡±?

    ?

    I guess he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Ryuzaki was looking at me and Shimotsuki alternately with a puzzled look on his face.?

    ?

    I was about to get annoyed again when I saw his face, but I took a small breath and regained my composure.?

    ?

    Yeah, I¡¯m okay. There¡¯s no point in fighting here.¡¡?

    ?

    I¡¯m just a mob character anyway. It¡¯s not like anything is going to change if I stand up to the protagonist.?

    ?

    So, as usual, I¡¯ll just play it off.?

    ?

    With a fuzzy smile, I¡¯ll become a part of the ¡­¡­ background like a mob character.?

    ?

    And that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all right, because my feelings for the people I loved will never be reciprocated.?

    ?

    ¡°I lent her my handkerchief yesterday. I just got that back, nothing special.¡±?

    ?

    I say something appropriate and shrug my shoulders.¡¡?

    ?

    Then, this time, I spoke a little more firmly.?

    ?

    ¡°My name is Kotaro Nakayama. I¡¯m a part of the same class as Ryuzaki. ¡­¡­ It would be great, if you could remember me.¡±?

    ?

    I proclaimed this and glared at Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    It was at this moment that he finally recognized my existence.?

    ?

    He glared back at me strongly.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I memorized it¡­¡­. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, Nakayama.¡±?

    ?

    With that, Ryuzaki went back to his seat. I looked at his back and took a breath.?

    ?

    It was a close call, and I almost exploded.¡¡?

    ?

    It¡¯s very misplaced to get angry with Ryuzaki in the first place.?

    ?

    I¡¯m just a loser.?

    ?

    I should have been a mob character and kept quiet.?

    ?

    Besides, I almost caused trouble for Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    I¡¯ll have to thank her later for helping me out.

 CH 9

    The silent Girl uses her expressions to speak?

    ?

    Unfortunately for the talkative Shimotsuki, she seemed to be shy and reserved and rarely spoke to me in public.?

    ?

    Even when class started and break time came around, she didn¡¯t come over to me. I guess the reason she came to me in the morning was to return my handkerchief. She doesn¡¯t talk to me unless she has something to say.?

    ?

    My seat was at the back of the class on the hallway side, and Shimotsuki¡¯s seat was at the back by the window. Right in front of her was Ryuzaki, with Azusa and Yuuki sitting around him.?

    ?

    The so-called protagonist¡¯s seat was occupied by Shimotsuki. Well, I think Ryuzaki is more of a protagonist than Shimotsuki, but it seems the rule was not triggered by the seat change.?

    ?

    Anyway, I guess Shimotsuki and Ryuzaki really do have a rotten relationship. It¡¯s strange that their seats are so close to each other.?

    ?

    However, Shimotsuki is not very good at talking to Ryuzaki, so she sleeps face down all the time to prevent him from talking to her too much.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why Shimotsuki didn¡¯t have a chance to talk to me in class this morning.?

    ?

    However, I am concerned about the fact that she keeps glancing at me ¡­¡­ like she wants to say something, but she doesn¡¯t come to me, so I don¡¯t really understand.?

    ?

    As I was tilting my head, I was unexpectedly spoken to by a boy sitting next to me. His name was Souma Hanagishi. He was a classmate and an acquaintance that I only talked to once in a while. With a curious look on his face, he handed me a piece of paper.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama, it came from someone nearby. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s rather refreshing to get a letter in high school, isn¡¯t it?¡±?

    ?

    During math class, Hanagishi speaks to me in a whisper so that the teacher standing at the lectern won¡¯t notice. What is the letter? I had no idea, so I accepted the letter, expressing my gratitude.?

    ?

    I took out the paper contained in a cute letterhead.?

    ?

    On it, ¡°Dear Nakayama-kun¡± was written in cute round characters like an elementary school student.?

    ?

    Or rather, I¡¯m curious about the hiragana. ¡­¡­ Since it is a name that uses only kanji learned in elementary school, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s difficult.?

    ?

    While thinking about this, I read through the words inside.?

    ?

    There was something like this written on it.?

    ?

    ¡°Good Morning, Lunch, let¡¯s eat. From ¡°Your Friend¡±.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I see. The sender is Shimotsuki. She was the only friend I had in this class, so I knew right away.?

    ?

    But it was hmmm ¡­¡­ strange that she was a high school student but her writing was poor or ¡­¡­ strange. She doesn¡¯t use kanji robustly, and her sentence structure is just weird. The round characters are cute, but unfortunately I didn¡¯t feel any intelligence.?

    ?

    But I understood what she was trying to say.?

    ?

    She asked me to have lunch with her.?

    ?

    Of course I agreed. I usually just eat the pastries I bought, at my seat during my lunch break, so it was no problem.?

    ?

    The only problem is how to reply. ¡­¡­ Should I send a letter to her as well??

    ?

    But, as I thought, exchanging letters at this age is embarrassing.?

    ?

    I wondered if there was any way I could tell her. I looked at Shimotsuki. Then I saw her glancing at me.?

    ?

    She had her head on her hands, making it look like she was concentrating on the class, but her eyes were looking at me every few seconds. Because of this, I was also making eye contact with the students seated between me and Shimotsuki, but every time I did, they immediately looked away, which made me very suspicious of their behavior.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki may look perfect, but she¡¯ s pretty clumsy in some ways. I feel that there are a lot of things that are quite wrong with her, in terms of human interaction at least.?

    ?

    Well, it is convenient, if she is looking at me.?

    ?

    (Okay)?

    ?

    I made a sign with my index finger and thumb and gave the ¡°OK¡± sign.?

    ?

    A few seconds later, Shimotsuki looked at me, so I guess she got the message.?

    ?

    As proof, Shimotsuki¡¯s expression clearly brightened, so I was sure she got the message. She usually doesn¡¯t talk much, but I think she easily shows her emotions in her expressions.?

    ?

    She was obviously happy to be eating lunch with me. ¡­¡­ She was cute, after all and I was happy to see her.

 CH 10

    The Silent Girl is bothersome?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    As soon as the lunch break started, Shimotsuki came over to me, leaving behind a trail of carefree footsteps.?

    ?

    ¡°Ch-ch-check this out ¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    However, I¡¯m not sure what she¡¯s trying to say. It seems that she¡¯ s getting shy, and she¡¯s too nervous to speak.?

    ?

    It¡¯s quite unusual to be shy just because of the presence of others.?

    ?

    Perhaps as a countermeasure, Shimotsuki suddenly offered me a note. I reflexively accepted the note, which read, ¡°Follow me.¡±?

    ?

    It seems she had prepared it in advance. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s kind of cute.?

    ?

    ¡°Okay.¡±?

    ?

    I nodded and Shimotsuki snickered a little smugly. She looked like she could easily communicate without talking to me.?

    ?

    I guess she¡¯ s already acquired a taste for the art of writing letters. I am sure I will be receiving many more letters like this in the future.?

    ?

    And so, I followed Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Her footsteps sounded very light, perhaps due to the low coefficient of gravity she was subjected to. Her steps were fast, and if I wasn¡¯t careful, I might lose her, so I followed carefully.?

    ?

    What I found was a place where there was no sign of anyone at all.?

    ?

    A corner behind the school building. It was a blind spot and I was surprised that such a place existed.?

    ?

    ¡°This is my secret place, you know? You see, it¡¯s completely empty. I always eat my lunch here. I¡¯ve always wanted to have lunch here with my friends one day. ¡­¡­ One of my dreams has come true.¡±?

    ?

    When the two of us were alone, Shimotsuki became instantly talkative. I am grateful that she explains things to me before I ask.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s a quiet place, isn¡¯t it?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I know, right? I have been alone since I was born. I¡¯m good at finding places where there are no people. The only place I can eat lunch more quietly than here is in the teachers¡¯ restroom.¡±?

    ?

    However, I was a little afraid that I could sense the darkness of Shimotsuki in every word she said.?

    ?

    She seemed innocent enough, but she might be carrying a lot of dark traits.?

    ?

    ¡°The toilet is not a place to eat food, though.¡±?

    ?

    With a wry smile, I tried to open the bag of buns I had bought that morning.?

    ?

    However, I couldn¡¯t eat it yet due to the fact that Shimotsuki was staring at me like she wanted to say something.?

    ?

    ¡°Hmm? Hey? Huh?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±?

    ?

    She was staring at me so much that I couldn¡¯t help but ask her why.?

    ?

    As if she¡¯d been waiting for that moment, Shimotsuki began to speak vigorously.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Hey, Nakayama-kun, you talk to me when I talk to you, but why did you pretend to be someone else in the classroom?¡¡I was really looking forward to it, you know?¡¡I was expecting you to come up to me every break time and talk to me while wagging your tail like a puppy, but all you do is mope around like a koala. It¡¯s like I¡¯m the only one who likes you. It¡¯s unfair as a friend. I want you to talk to me more in class and I want you to love me as a friend.¡±?

    ?

    It seems that she was dissatisfied with my attitude in the classroom.?

    ?

    I want to apologize for that. But before that, I want to say something.?

    ?

    ¡°Love is ¡­¡­ a heavy word.¡±?

    ?

    It was like a lover. And it is quite a heavy type.?

    ?

    I think Shimotsuki is asking too much of our friendship. I really wanted to be a little more casual with her.?

    ?

    ¡°After I spoke to you this morning, I suddenly realized. I thought, ¡± What?¡±. So, I waited for you, but you didn¡¯t talk to me. I wrote you a note. That¡¯s okay, because it was very fun, but you have to be more active, okay? I¡¯m a very lonely person.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    I was expecting her to be quiet and unemotional like ice, but when I saw her, I realized that she was very human.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at writing, so it was really hard for me. ¡­¡­ Well, the letter was more fun than I expected, so I¡¯ll keep doing it, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°It seems that the cause of that elementary school-like note was Shimotsuki¡¯s language skills. Come to think of it, yesterday she said that she can¡¯t read manga or novels because they have weird sentences in them. ¡­¡­ Hmm?¡¡Could it be that this girl is quite a little silly?¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯ve always assumed that because she looks good, she¡¯s also smart. I sensed that she reeked of clumsiness.?

    ?

    ¡°But it¡¯s great that you can say you¡¯re sorry. I forgive you. From now on, you have to be more patient with me, okay? You¡¯re my friend, so you have to talk to me a lot, okay? Okay, that¡¯s enough. Lecture over.¡±?

    ?

    And it seems I was being lectured.?

    ?

    I see, this is the reason why I felt like, I was being watched in class. I guess she wanted to lecture me the whole time. ¡­¡­ After finishing her various comments, Shimotsuki looked very refreshed.?

    ?

    The quiet girl may be a troublesome and annoying person.?

    ?

    Yet, I found that part of her attractive, which made me wonder¡­

 CH 11

    The Sense of Distance as Friends?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and have lunch, don¡¯t be sad because you¡¯ve been lectured. I¡¯m starving. School is boring and dull, but lunch is the only thing that¡¯s really nice.¡±?

    ?

    No, I¡¯m not feeling sad about it.?

    ?

    It seemed to Shimotsuki that I was. She rubbed my back in a comforting way. I feel like I¡¯m being treated like a child. ¡­¡­ Oh well.?

    ?

    ¡°Shall we sit down? Oh, maybe you¡¯re too germophobic to sit outside? If that¡¯s the case, you can stand, but I¡¯ll have to keep looking up and my neck will get tired.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll sit down.¡±?

    ?

    The back of the school building is deserted. Shimotsuki sits down on a step. I sat down next to her, with a good distance between us.?

    ?

    The distance between us is about one meter. I thought this was the kind of distance between me and Shimotsuki, but ¡­¡­ it seems to be a little too far.?

    ?

    ¡°¡±Hey, hey, look at this. Don¡¯t you think my bento looks delicious?¡±?

    ?

    She approached me at once.?

    ?

    The distance between us was only about 10 centimeters.?

    ?

    (Isn¡¯t this close?)?

    ?

    We are so close that our bodies touch when we move. But that seems to be how Shimotsuki feels about the distance between her and her friends. She was not aware of the closeness at all and continued talking as if it was natural.?

    ?

    ¡°My mom is very good at cooking, and without any favoritism from our family, it¡¯s really delicious. ¡­¡­ Oh, would you like to try some egg rolls? We make it sweet, but even if Nakayama-kun is a picky eater, he will find it delicious. That¡¯s how good my mom is at cooking. Here you go. Don¡¯t be shy, okay? Ahh.¡±?

    ?

    This time, she offered me an egg roll with her chopsticks like a lover.?

    ?

    ¡°What? Hmm?¡±?

    ?

    We¡¯re friends, right??

    ?

    It¡¯s not like we¡¯re dating in Shimotsuki¡¯s mind, is it??

    ?

    I¡¯ve never confessed or been confessed to anyone in my memory, though I¡¯m flattered by that.?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case, then what is this closeness??

    ?

    It seems like Shimotsuki adores me to the point where I can¡¯t really understand her concept of a friend.?

    ?

    It¡¯s only been two days since we became friends, but ¡­¡­ I wonder if this girl was really starving for a friend.?

    ?

    If that was the case, I felt a little self-conscious about turning her down.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat it? It¡¯s so good. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Then, when she gave me a sad look, I couldn¡¯t reject her.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, thank you. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    So I ate the egg roll she offered me.?

    ?

    It tasted ¡­¡­ good, I think. To be honest, I didn¡¯t really understand it. I think I was confused because it was the first time I had ever been approached like this.?

    ?

    ¡°How is it? Is it good? Isn¡¯t my mom amazing?¡±?

    ?

    I just nodded my head as Shimotsuki asked for my opinion.?

    ?

    ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing. It tastes delicious.¡±?

    ?

    ¡± I know, right? There¡¯s nothing my mom can¡¯t cook. She loves my dad so much that she always puts a lot of effort into cooking for him. And I get to reap the benefits of that, too, which makes me very happy.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki seems to be more pleased when her mother is praised than she is when she is praised herself.?

    ?

    She must be a kind girl who loves her family. Knowing this side of her makes her even more attractive to me. That¡¯s why I was embarrassed to have acted like a lover with such a girl.

 CH 12

    Coincidental Encounters are a Characteristic of the Protagonist?

    ?

    Even after finishing her lunch, Shimotsuki still seemed to have more to say.?

    ?

    I just listened and occasionally gave her a nod or two, but her stories had a strange charm that made me listen to them.?

    ?

    She doesn¡¯t have any pretense or punchline like comedians do.?

    ?

    But that doesn¡¯t mean that the contents are random.?

    ?

    What I can say is that Shimotsuki¡¯s stories contain a lot of her emotions. She talks vividly about what she felt and how she feels about trivial things.?

    ?

    Maybe that¡¯s why I never get tired of listening to her.?

    ?

    I was thinking that it would not be a bad idea to continue to listen to Shimotsuki until the very end of the lunch break¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡±?

    ?

    Suddenly, Shimotsuki shut her mouth.¡¡?

    ?

    Her small ears twitched, and then she instantly lost her expression.?

    ?

    With a transparent complexion, Shimotsuki whispered in a low voice.?

    ?

    ¡°There¡¯s a disgusting sound. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s the sound I hate the most in this world.¡±?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about at the time.?

    ?

    A dozen or so seconds later, I saw the person who had come to us and realized the reason for her statement.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryoma Oni-chan. I didn¡¯t mean to call you here. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter though? It¡¯s still in the middle of lunch, so please hurry up, okay? I want to eat the bento that Yuzuki made for me, it¡¯s delicious.¡±?

    ?

    Two people, a guy and a girl, suddenly arrived at the back of the school building. They didn¡¯t seem to have noticed us sitting in the corner yet and they were facing each other, trying to talk about something.?

    ?

    They were people I knew well.?

    ?

    One was my stepsister, Azusa Nakayama.?

    ?

    The other was someone I disliked, someone Shimotsuki had a deep dislike for.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Ryuzaki ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but mutter his name.?

    ?

    He has black hair, black eyes, and a medium build, not much different from me in terms of features. However, he has an overwhelmingly gorgeous appearance and aura. It¡¯s an aura that only a person with absolute confidence in himself can produce.?

    ?

    ¡°Hmm? Why is Nakayama here ¡­¡­, hey!¡±?

    ?

    And then he looked at us and as soon as he knew she was there, his expression changed.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho ¡­¡­, what are you doing with Nakayama? Just the two of you, what¡¯s going on?¡±?

    ?

    It was probably because Shiho Shimotsuki, whom he liked, was sitting side-by-side with a guy.¡¡?

    ?

    The girl liked by Ryuzaki, who has always been liked by women, is alone with a guy who is as insignificant as a mob character. I¡¯m sure a lot of emotions must be bubbling up in him.?

    ?

    ¡°The timing is bad. ¡­¡­ Haha, boring.¡±?

    ?

    As soon as Ryuzaki recognized us, Shimotsuki sighed.?

    ?

    She let out a disgusted sounding voice that they couldn¡¯t hear and quickly began to put her own lunch away.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, shall we go back?¡¡I don¡¯t want to hear the sound of that guy.¡±?

    ?

    Yeah, you¡¯re right.?

    ?

    I want to go back too¡­¡­, but I don¡¯t think Ryuzaki will be satisfied with that.?

    ?

    And perhaps it is Shimotsuki, not me, who will be questioned after returning from this.?

    ?

    As proof of this, Ryuzaki was looking straight at Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    He looked like he wanted to ask something.?

    ?

    That¡¯s just too pathetic.?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki is a girl who doesn¡¯t like Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    She¡¯s very emotional and loves to talk, but she hates him so much that when he¡¯s next to her, she turns into a mute girl as cold as ice.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to burden her too much.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want her to have a hard time just because she became my friend.?

    ?

    So, I shook my head.?

    ?

    ¡°No, Ryuzaki wants to talk to me, so I¡¯ll stay here at ¡­¡­. Go ahead and leave.¡±?

    ?

    When I told her that, Shimotsuki¡¯s eyes widened slightly.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Sometimes, Nakayama, you make me wonder. You seem like a normal boy, but you sound unusual. ¡­¡­ Ummm, that¡¯s nice. I¡¯m going back first. I¡¯ll see you later and we can chat a lot, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Then, after a lot of words spoken in a quiet voice, Shimotsuki stood up.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, hey. Shiho, what are you whispering about? I told you before that if you ever need help, I¡¯m here to help. ¡­¡­ Hey, Shiho?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki passed by Ryuzaki in silence.?

    ?

    She walked away without even looking at him.?

    ?

    And after that, only me, Ryuzaki ¡­¡­ and my stepsister Azusa remained.

 CH 13

    I¡¯d Rather Be a Mob Character Than a Dull Protagonist?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Nakayama! What have you been doing with Shiho!?¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki yelled at me like he was about to grab me by the chest.?

    ?

    I guess he¡¯s upset. His face, which is usually full of composure and a wry smile, is distorted with confusion. Seeing this, I felt a dark emotion rising up in me.?

    ?

    It seems I am not a very friendly person. I found it interesting that Ryuzaki was so upset.?

    ?

    I¡¯m aware of it, but I can¡¯t resist it. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to be able to control myself now that I don¡¯t have Shimotsuki next to me¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho is weak, you know. She¡¯s so sickly that she gets sick if she doesn¡¯t sleep all the time, even at school. ¡­¡­ Maybe you brought her outside!¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ sickly and weak?¡¡?

    ?

    I¡¯ve never heard of that.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been friends with Shimotsuki for two days now and I¡¯ve never seen her show any signs of being sickly.?

    ?

    In fact, she seems to be quite healthy.?

    ?

    She said that the reason she sleeps at school is because she is bored and at home she would rather stay up all night playing games or something. ¡­¡­ What does that mean??

    ?

    (Maybe that¡¯s what this guy thinks?)?

    ?

    Ryuzaki probably doesn¡¯t know Shimotsuki very well.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not surprising if you look at her attitude. She was cold towards Ryuzaki at all times and would not speak to him. ¡­¡­ I feel that Ryuzaki has made up his own mind that she is sickly and weak.?

    ?

    ¡°Eh, let¡¯s see. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    And Azusa was cowering behind Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    A few moments ago, she looked somewhat tense¡­¡­ yet determined, and now she looks confused.?

    ?

    Since I am her stepbrother, I can tell by the expression on her face what kind of feelings my sister is having.?

    ?

    She must have been trying to tell Ryuzaki something important.?

    ?

    She called him out to the back of the school building where there was no one around.?

    ?

    I think she was trying to confess ¡­¡­ or something similarly serious.?

    ?

    No, you don¡¯t need to be a stepbrother to know this.?

    ?

    Being called to the back of the school building is the perfect situation for a confession. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that it¡¯s a common practice.?

    ?

    But Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t notice it.?

    ?

    He¡¯s a bit dull and unaware of love.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Although my sister no longer has any connection with me.?

    ?

    I knew it was a shame that her determination was not rewarded, so I couldn¡¯t help but offer her a helping hand.?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you two all of a sudden?¡¡Why did you come to the back of the school building, where there is no one around? ¡­¡­ Were you planning to talk about something important?¡±?

    ?

    Not to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I looked at Azusa and called out to her.?

    ?

    She looks at me with wide eyes.?

    ?

    But she quickly looks away. It¡¯s as though she¡¯s pretending to be someone else.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was called away by Azusa. ¡­¡­ That can wait. Don¡¯t change the subject, explain to me what you were doing with Shiho.¡±?

    ?

    But Ryuzaki is insensitive in every way.?

    ?

    He didn¡¯t seem to be aware of Azusa¡¯s feelings in the slightest.?

    ?

    I despised the pure thoughts of that girl.?

    ?

    It¡¯s still hard for me as a family member.?

    ?

    As an older brother, it is natural for me to hope that Azusa¡¯s feelings will at least be rewarded.?

    ?

    ¡°Nothing, of course not. Nakayama-san, if you have something to say, why don¡¯t you say it clearly? If I¡¯m in your way, I¡¯ll go away.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ It¡¯s still hard for me to call Azusa, Nakayama-san, though.?

    ?

    But I promised her that before. She doesn¡¯t want people to know that she¡¯s actually my sister. Because the ideal Onii-chan for her is not me, but Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, uh, ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    But Azusa is still a bit shy.?

    ?

    She is a quiet girl at heart, so it must have taken a lot of courage for her to decide to confess.?

    ?

    I think it was really great that she overcame that and called him.?

    ?

    When I thought about Azusa¡¯s feelings, my heart ached.?

    ?

    It¡¯s a feeling that won¡¯t be directed at me anymore, but ¡­¡­ at least, I hope that she will be happy.?

    ?

    In the past, I was the ¡± Onii-chan ¡°.¡¡?

    ?

    However, that thought never seemed to reach Ryuzaki¡­¡­?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re making a scene. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Azusa. Can you give me a moment alone with him? If you have something to say, I will listen to you later.¡±?

    ?

    In this way, Ryuzaki dismisses the thoughts of the girl.?

    ?

    Due to his insensitivity, he has no malicious intent. So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s malicious.?

    ?

    Not realizing it is evil.?

    ?

    It¡¯s just laziness to not realize that there is so much affection coming from them.?

    ?

    This is the reason why I hated Ryuzaki after all.?

    ?

    ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯ll see you later, Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    And even as Azusa quietly retreated as she was told, anger boiled over.?

    ?

    Is that what she wants??

    ?

    Is that the extent of Azusa¡¯s feelings?¡¡?

    ?

    She was so excited to tell me that she had found someone he liked, and then she cut me out of her life for the sake of that person. ¡­¡­ And now she¡¯s retreating??

    ?

    I want to scream.?

    ?

    She should have told him clearly how she felt.?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t say that because I had so many happy memories with Azusa.?

    ?

    I never wanted to see her crying face.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    So all I could do was look at her in silence.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, I see.?

    ?

    I used to think of myself as a protagonist, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t be so selfish as to ignore the feelings of such a pure girl.?

    ?

    No, I don¡¯t want to do it. ¡­¡­ I would rather be a mob character than hurt a nice girl like that with the excuse of being insensitive.

 CH 14

    Do You Have to Be the Protagonist to Feel Good??

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    It is painful to see that Azusa¡¯s determination did not produce any results.?

    ?

    But that¡¯s the path she chose. I¡¯m not in a position to be helpful to her anymore.?

    ?

    Kotaro Nakayama is no more than Azusa Nakayama¡¯s older brother in the family register.?

    ?

    Nothing more, nothing less. I can¡¯t do anything about her love life.?

    ?

    So, for now, let¡¯s concentrate on what¡¯s in front of me.?

    ?

    I had to get rid of Ryuzaki as soon as possible, so as not to bother Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°We can talk in peace when we¡¯re alone. Don¡¯t be shy. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time for you to tell me? Tell me why you were alone with Shiho.¡±?

    ?

    It seems that the protagonist has a strong attachment to his childhood friend.?

    ?

    If this was a story, the main heroine is probably Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Those girls I liked so much are subheroines.?

    ?

    ¡°You want to know? I mean, it¡¯s her private life, remember? Are you sure you want to pry into it?¡±?

    ?

    To be honest, I felt like I was being a little pushy.?

    ?

    I felt reluctant to say too much when he questioned me so persistently.?

    ?

    Why does he want to know so much about Shimotsuki??

    ?

    He was generous enough to tell me that he had no reason whatsoever to be concerned.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m her childhood friend, you know. I have a duty to protect her, because she¡¯s sickly and weak. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m the only one who can help Shiho, because I¡¯m her childhood friend.¡±?

    ?

    It was like he was talking to himself.?

    ?

    I felt a chill when Ryuzaki talked about something so grandiose.?

    ?

    (Do you really have to be such a protagonist to feel good?)?

    ?

    This arrogant, smug, selfish thought made me angry.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is weak? Is Ryuzaki the only one who can help her??

    ?

    It¡¯s so misguided. She¡¯s not that weak of a girl.?

    ?

    She¡¯s a normal girl who can speak her mind and express her feelings clearly.?

    ?

    At the very least, I can say with confidence that she is not the kind of person who can¡¯t live properly without the help of others.?

    ?

    What can I say? ¡­¡­ Honestly, I was afraid of Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    The protagonist may seem normal, but he¡¯s anything but normal.?

    ?

    This guy is insane.?

    ?

    If I were to argue with him and get suspicious, and if Shimotsuki were to follow me around ¡­¡­, I would be horrified.?

    ?

    Now, I felt like I finally understood her feelings.?

    ?

    I really ¡­¡­ did not want to have much to do with Ryuzaki, I thought.?

    ?

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since childhood¡­¡­, and it¡¯s my job to protect her from bad boys. Shiho is too kind and timid to express her opinion, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll do it for her.¡±?

    ?

    And Ryuzaki seems to think I¡¯m a bad boy.?

    ?

    ¡°She likes to be by herself. Don¡¯t make her go out with you for your own reasons. ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t take advantage of her kindness, okay? As a childhood friend of Shiho¡¯s, I¡¯ll give you some advice.¡±?

    ?

    I wonder if protecting her means to attack her.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to make assumptions about Shimotsuki¡¯s personality and ideology without permission and to exclude others just based on assumptions.?

    ?

    How could he do this??

    ?

    No matter how much of a mob character I am, doesn¡¯t he think it¡¯s rude??

    ?

    No, the most rude thing is not towards me.?

    ?

    Doesn¡¯t he feel sorry for Shimotsuki??

    ?

    (¡­¡­ I bet he doesn¡¯t think that way.)?

    ?

    How could Ryuzaki think of such a thing as normal??

    ?

    Because he is the ¡± protagonist ¡°.?

    ?

    Everything can and has been forgiven on that basis alone, because he is an opportunistic and extraterritorial being¨C

 CH 15

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is obsessed with his childhood friend Shiho Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    He seemed to be disturbed by the fact that she had eaten lunch with another boy.?

    ?

    He wondered why Shimotsuki and I were together.?

    ?

    He wants to know what we were doing together.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that Ryuzaki should be concerned about.¡±?

    ?

    I hesitate and let my thoughts wander.?

    ?

    The reason why I am hesitating to give a definite answer is because depending on the answer, I might get in trouble with Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    For example, let¡¯s say I told him the whole truth.?

    ?

    Suppose Shimotsuki explained that she really didn¡¯t like Ryuzaki and was only having lunch with me because we had become friends.?

    ?

    A normal person would back off when they realize that they are disliked.?

    ?

    But Ryuzaki is no ordinary person. He is a ¡± protagonist ¡°.?

    ?

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t like me? No, Shiho just doesn¡¯t know the real me! If she gets to know the real me, she¡¯ll like me! So let¡¯s try to approach her more!¡¯?

    ?

    It¡¯s not surprising that such a thought process was formed.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki is that type of protagonist.?

    ?

    Usually, he¡¯s slow and indecisive.?

    ?

    But when he is determined, he will go straight for it.?

    ?

    The protagonist is a creature that gets more motivated the more he or she is pushed.?

    ?

    Oh, I¡¯m spiteful.?

    ?

    It was one-sided, and the pressure that seemed to be trying to fill in the other person¡¯s thoughts was making it difficult to breathe.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure that Shimotsuki, the target of this pressure, will suffer even more than me.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I can¡¯t tell him the truth. Shimotsuki rejects Ryuzaki like that.?

    ?

    She called me a friend even though I was just a plain, ordinary mob character.?

    ?

    She saw the value in me and admired me.?

    ?

    I¡¯m very happy about that, but on the other hand, I don¡¯t have anything to give back to her, so I actually feel a little guilty.?

    ?

    There was nothing I could do to make her happy.?

    ?

    At least, I wanted to be careful not to cause her any trouble.?

    ?

    ¡°Nothing? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re alone with her in a deserted place like this. ¡­¡­ Are you hiding something about Shiho from me? Is there anything bothering you, that you can¡¯t tell me about?¡±?

    ?

    What do I say??

    ?

    What should I say to the protagonist who is so delusional that he can¡¯t see what¡¯s best for himself??

    ?

    ¡°Maybe Shiho¡¯s asking you for advice so she doesn¡¯t bother me? If so, please tell her. ¡­¡­ We are childhood friends and I don¡¯t care if she bothers me. If you¡¯re not telling me, it¡¯s all right! Just tell me exactly what¡¯s going on and I¡¯ll do the talking!¡±?

    ?

    How can he think of something so convenient??

    ?

    If I say something badly, it might put a heavy burden on Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Perhaps Ryuzaki is in a hurry.?

    ?

    I think he¡¯s also concerned about me in a corner of his mind.?

    ?

    Maybe Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s special someone is me and he¡¯s getting anxious.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why he¡¯s searching hard for a reason.?

    ?

    He is looking for a convenient reason to convince himself.?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case, then I have to erase it.?

    ?

    I need to erase my existence from his mind.?

    ?

    As long as I¡¯m not there, Shimotsuki can go back to her normal life.?

    ?

    For Ryuzaki, as a childhood friend who is sickly and likes to be alone, she can spend her time without much interference.?

    ?

    Yes, that¡¯s right.?

    ?

    All I have to do is erase my presence from Ryuzaki¡¯s mind.?

    ?

    I¡¯m good at that. It¡¯s a simple thing to do, because the only advantage of being a mob character is that you don¡¯t have much of a presence¡­

 CH 16

    Mobs don¡¯t need emotions?

    ?

    ¨CFool them.?

    ?

    ¨CFake it.?

    ?

    ¨CDeceive.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I told myself, and I smiled smugly at Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Nothing really happened, okay? Well, I knew Shimotsuki-san was a girl with a hard side. I wanted to hit on her, but she didn¡¯t even give me a chance.¡±?

    ?

    The character, a dog that plays around with the heroine.?

    ?

    In the end, it¡¯s just a stage set to give the impression that he is no match for the heroine.?

    ?

    ¡°Hit on her? Did you try to seduce Shiho?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, because she¡¯s so cute. ¡­¡­ It was hard to say, but yeah. I somehow managed to ask her to have lunch with me. Shimotsuki-san is kind and ¡­¡­ reluctant, but she ate lunch with me.¡±?

    ?

    As soon as I said that, Ryuzaki relaxed, as if he was at once relieved.?

    ?

    ¡°What, that¡¯s what you mean. ¡­¡­ You were just a challenger.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Heh. Well, I didn¡¯t make any progress in the end! But since there is such a beautiful girl in my class, I wanted to give it a try. ¡­¡­ I called her here and tried to hit on her somehow, but then Ryuzaki came. It made Shimotsuki-san go crazy, so she left.¡±?

    ?

    I put a smile on my face.?

    ?

    The pain that prickles in my heart is probably due to the fact that I still have some pride left from mistakenly thinking that I was once the protagonist.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t need that.?

    ?

    I¡¯ll just be a mob character.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t mind throwing away anything that disturbs Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¨CFlirt.?

    ?

    ¨CHeckle him.?

    ?

    ¨CWag my tail.?

    ?

    Just act like a pathetic high school boy.?

    ?

    Be a nameless character that makes Ryuzaki feel like he¡¯s insignificant.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, maybe that was a rejection. ¡­¡­ There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, Shimotsuki-san has a high standard! But I¡¯m not giving up. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll try again, again and again!¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯ll pretend to be foolish.?

    ?

    I play the part of a pathetic clown who falls in love with an ungrateful woman.?

    ?

    Seeing me like this, Ryuzaki was clearly distracted.?

    ?

    ¡°So ¡­¡­ you called her here and created a situation where the two of you are alone. I misunderstood, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right, there¡¯s no way Shiho would hide anything from me. ¡­¡­ We¡¯re childhood friends, so it¡¯s only natural.¡±?

    ?

    Then, he conveniently complimented the setup.?

    ?

    This is the arrogance and weakness of the protagonist.?

    ?

    I was relieved at first that I was able to deceive him so easily.?

    ?

    Then, I decided to set up a strategy so that I would not be bothered by Shimotsuki in the future.?

    ?

    ¡°Your childhood friend is strong! But I¡¯m not going to lose either. ¡­¡­ Someday, I¡¯m going to get along with Shimotsuki-san somehow!¡±?

    ?

    I played the role of a cheerful and stupid boy.?

    ?

    This should make Ryuzaki think that I¡¯m just a mob character trying hard to get her attention, even if I¡¯m talking to Shimotsuki in the future.?

    ?

    ¡°Watch me! I can do it too if I try!¡±?

    ?

    I must have looked like a hothead. Ryuzaki laughed, clearly dismissive.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh. ¡­¡­ Well, good luck with that. Shiho is a girl with a lot of difficulties, so I think it¡¯s probably impossible. The only person who understands her is me, her childhood friend.¡±?

    ?

    He seemed to be in a good mood.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki smiled refreshingly and held out his hand to me.?

    ?

    ¡°I was wrong about you, Nakayama. You¡¯re a pretty funny guy. ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s be friends from now on.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ What was funny about that??

    ?

    Does he think it¡¯s funny that I am a mob character and I¡¯m messing with the main heroine??

    ?

    He thinks me and him are friends??

    ?

    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.?

    ?

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Huh?¡±?

    ?

    It didn¡¯t work.?

    ?

    No matter how hard I tried to pretend, I couldn¡¯t.?

    ?

    No matter how much I fool myself, no matter how foolish I play myself, ¡­¡­ there is one feeling I can¡¯t lie about, no matter how hard I try.?

    ?

    ¨CI hate you, Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Of course, I¡¯m not going to say that I hate him from the bottom of my heart.?

    ?

    I immediately smiled fondly at him, since saying that much would defeat the purpose of eliminating my presence as a mob character.?

    ?

    ¡°Because you¡¯re my biggest rival! If I take advantage of my position as Ryuzaki¡¯s friend, I¡¯ll never be able to get along with Shimotsuki-san. I know I can¡¯t win, but let me try!¡±?

    ?

    I gave him a good reason.?

    ?

    Then Ryuzaki, who looked puzzled for a moment, seemed to be relieved.?

    ?

    ¡°I was surprised when you suddenly glared at me. ¡­¡­ If that¡¯s the case, I guess I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m not going to be your friend, but I¡¯ll be glad to work with you from now on!¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki said nodding his head. He probably recognized that I was just a small fish.?

    ?

    I think I¡¯ve succeeded in fooling him somehow.?

    ?

    Now Ryuzaki will not get involved with Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°So, I¡¯m going back to class. And Nakayama, make sure you¡¯re not late, okay?¡±?

    ?

    With those words, Ryuzaki finally left.?

    ?

    After making sure that he was gone, I slowly exhaled.?

    ?

    ¡°Phew. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    I sat down and clenched my fists as I collapsed on the spot.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh!¡±?

    ?

    I slammed into the ground and let my anger out.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ That hurt.¡±?

    ?

    I looked at my bloodied fist and regained some composure.?

    ?

    I flattered him. I humbled myself to the main character. It was still frustrating, but ¡­¡­, well, it¡¯s okay.?

    ?

    ¡°I am a mob character. I don¡¯t need to feel emotions.¡±?

    ?

    I muttered sarcastically and forced myself to laugh.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t need to look in the mirror to know, I¡¯m sure the smile I¡¯m wearing right now is so distorted, it¡¯s unbearable to look at.

 CH 17

    He¡¯s a Harem Protagonist, but he only loves his silent Childhood Friend?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    If I were to title a story about Ryoma Ryuzaki, what would it be??

    ?

    I think about this as I stare blankly at the blackboard during my afternoon class. It was just after lunch and I was motivated to sleep, so the string of numbers on the blackboard did not enter my mind at all.?

    ?

    (The title might be ¡­¡­, I guess. ¡°He¡¯s a Harem Protagonist, but he only loves his silent Childhood Friend¡­¡±?)?

    ?

    It¡¯s a terrible title. I can¡¯t help but chuckle at my lack of imagination.?

    ?

    But if I were to summarize the truth, it would be something like that.?

    ?

    The story is about a harem protagonist, Ryuzaki, who is tempted by all kinds of girls, but loves only his ¡­¡­ childhood friend with all his heart.?

    ?

    His childhood friend, who is sickly, quiet, and loves to be alone, doesn¡¯t even open up to Ryuzaki at first, but they gradually become friends. ¡­¡­ Eventually, he confesses, ¡°I love you more than any other girl!¡±. In the end, they confess their love and become a couple.?

    ?

    The other sub-heroines regret this, but congratulate the hero and main heroine, saying to themselves, ¡°If Ryoma is happy, then so be it.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CI felt like I was going to puke when I anticipated such a cold, generic story.?

    ?

    There is only one person who can be happy in this story.?

    ?

    Of course, that¡¯s Ryoma Ryuzaki and the rest of the heroines can¡¯t be happy.?

    ?

    Even the main heroine, Shimotsuki, will have a very hard time in the future.?

    ?

    The story will end when they become a couple, but life goes on.?

    ?

    Can the harem-minded hero lead a normal married life??

    ?

    What if he¡¯s a womanizer by nature and indecisive??

    ?

    Maybe one of the sub-heroines will become his mistress. ¡­¡­ What will Shimotsuki think when that happens??

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.?

    ?

    I¡¯m going to stop thinking about the ending of this story. I¡¯m going to feel sick.?

    ?

    A quiet story.?

    ?

    After all, the only person Ryuzaki is obsessed with is Shimotsuki. She seems to be the main heroine, unfortunately.?

    ?

    Even the other harem members are probably just sub-characters to him.?

    ?

    (¡­¡­ It¡¯s so unrewarding.)?

    ?

    Even those girls that I loved can only stand in the corner of the story? If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m really sad that I was cut off.?

    ?

    They are not even sub-characters, but mob characters, I guess that¡¯s more appropriate.?

    ?

    It¡¯s no wonder, since mobs don¡¯t have any human rights. ¡­¡­ Or maybe they don¡¯t care about me now.?

    ?

    A mob character who thought he was the protagonist is nothing but a pathetic clown. It¡¯s not right to try to reward someone for being so miserable that it¡¯s difficult to even laugh at them.?

    ?

    But I do have a wish, at least for ¡­¡­ one thing.?

    ?

    (Please, ¡­¡­ let just one person be happy.)?

    ?

    The least I could pray for was that their efforts as subheroines would be rewarded, even if only a little.?

    ?

    It is not uncommon for a subheroine to surpass the main heroine in a story.?

    ?

    It doesn¡¯t matter what the reason is, whether it¡¯s because they became popular, the author liked them or the story flowed the way it had to ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    My stepsister Azusa, my childhood friend Yuzuki, and my best friend Kirari ¡­¡­, at least one of them, should be rewarded.?

    ?

    There are not only three harem members, and there are many others, but ¡­¡­ no, the number is constantly increasing and the protagonist is an outrageous womanizer, making every girl he meets fall in love with him, one after another, so the competition will be high.?

    ?

    He is such a ridiculous hero that even within the sub-heroines, there are fierce fights. As a mob character ¡­¡­, no, as a normal human being, I don¡¯t understand why anyone would fall in love with a guy like that.?

    ?

    Isn¡¯t it strange to keep thinking about something when there is little chance of it being rewarded? They can¡¯t be so blinded by love that they can¡¯t help it if they fall in love.?

    ?

    But maybe that¡¯s normal for these girls ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how much they fell in love with someone. Compared to them, I¡¯ve probably only ever had casual love, so maybe I don¡¯t understand it.?

    ?

    Even though they know they will be unhappy, they can¡¯t help but fall in love. If that¡¯s the case, I want them to do their best.?

    ?

    I want them to win happiness with their own hands.?

    ?

    That was the best I can do as a mob character¡­

 CH 18

    The Silent Girl has a Yandere Side?

    ?

    TL/ED: Bogdi

    I was thinking about the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki, and before I knew it, school was over.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t get much of the lessons into my head, but I didn¡¯t think anything of it because it was business as usual. Studying was something I could manage if I crammed all night before the test. Thanks to this, I got a slightly lower than average grade, which is a result that is indescribably mob-like, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t change who I am.?

    ?

    Now, it¡¯s after school.?

    ?

    Yesterday, I became friends with Shimotsuki after school¡­¡­. Just because we¡¯re friends doesn¡¯t mean we have to stay together after school.?

    ?

    Besides, I now have Ryuzaki¡¯s eyes on me.?

    ?

    After lunch, he seemed to be at least relieved by my statement, but he kept his guard up and kept glancing at me to see what I was up to.?

    ?

    Fortunately, the shy Shimotsuki didn¡¯t talk to me, so I think my suspicions were probably confirmed¡­¡­. If I stay too close to her, I might get Shimotsuki in trouble.?

    ?

    I decided to leave as soon as I could.?

    ?

    In fact, I wanted to say a few words to Shimotsuki, but Ryuzaki was flirting with his harem members and wouldn¡¯t leave the classroom, so I had no choice but to leave in silence.?

    ?

    If we were friends, this would be about as good as it gets.?

    ?

    If I¡¯m not careful, Shimotsuki will quickly close the distance between us, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t touch her. I have to be docile like a mob and not get carried away.?

    ?

    I told myself that and headed home.?

    ?

    I boarded a bus at the nearest bus stop and arrived near my house in about 20 minutes. I got off the bus and walked for another few minutes. When I finally reached home, I turned over to get my keys out of my bag¡­¡­. That¡¯s when it happened.?

    ?

    ¡°Who is it? The clue is your friend, a girl. Hmmm, can you guess? You want more clues? I don¡¯t blame you, my favorite food is the food my mom makes. Yeah, if I give you this many hints, you¡¯ll figure it out, right?¡±?

    ?

    From behind me, small hands cover my eyes.?

    ?

    The darkness confused me for a moment, but I was relieved when I heard the voice and immediately knew who it was.?

    ?

    ¡°What is it, Shimotsuki¡­¡­ Shimotsuki!¡±?

    ?

    However, my relief was short-lived.?

    ?

    Immediately I realized that this situation was unusual.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m Shiho Shimotsuki, a 16-year-old girl. I¡¯ve always dreamed of being able to say this. It¡¯s one of the top 100 things on my list of things I want to do when I have a friend. I¡¯m glad my dream came true.¡±?

    ?

    I wondered if the top 100 could really be this special.?

    ?

    Maybe there are quite a few items on the ¡°list of things I want to do when I make friends¡± ¡­¡­ I was also curious about that, but I guess I need to ask something first.?

    ?

    ¡°Why are you here ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    This place, of course, is not at school.?

    ?

    It¡¯s my house, 20 minutes away by bus and almost an hour away by foot.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t understand why Shimotsuki, a character I was supposed to encounter only at school, was in such a place.?

    ?

    Why would she be here??

    ?

    When I asked her the reason, the light suddenly disappeared from her eyes.?

    ?

    Her black eyes, in contrast to her silvery-white hair, were filled with a darkness that seemed to absorb all colors.?

    ?

    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re my friend, but you left without saying goodbye. ¡­¡­ There were many things I wanted to do after school, but you left on your own, so I followed you. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware that you¡¯re my friend or not. I¡¯m going to make myself at home with Nakayama-kun to get back at you. I¡¯m not going to let you turn me down.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Until a few days ago, I thought she was like an emotionless doll.?

    ?

    This girl was quite talkative and emotional.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki: ¡­¡­ Sorry. I¡¯m sorry to feel this way about my friend. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just a little hectic. The silent girl seems to have a bit of a yandere side¡­

 CH 19

    It seems that Shimotsuki has been following me.?

    ?

    It¡¯s quite a stalker that I didn¡¯t notice ¡­¡­. There was no sign of her, which was a little scary.?

    ?

    ¡°So, may I come in? Oh, are your parents here? I¡¯d like to say hello to them. I¡¯m not ¡­¡­ shy when it comes to people around my parent¡¯s age! I¡¯m a little nervous in front of people, but I can talk to people around my mom and dad¡¯s age just fine, you know?¡±?

    ?

    She said she¡¯s shy.?

    ?

    Anyway, she seems to be polite. The way she speaks, her gestures and her attitude all have a certain elegance to them. ¡­¡­ Her parents seem to have taken good care of her and she probably had a good upbringing.?

    ?

    The more I learn about Shiho Shimotsuki, the more attractive she becomes.?

    ?

    It¡¯s rare to find a person with such deep feelings.?

    ?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. My parents are both on a business trip overseas.¡±?

    ?

    Well, they¡¯re not here, so there¡¯s no need to worry about it.?

    ?

    I unlocked the door and invited her in.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­ very disappointing. I would have loved to have seen Nakayama¡¯s mom and dad. I would have liked to have seen your childhood albums and talked with you about the past.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d enjoy looking at my albums, ¡­¡­ and please don¡¯t embarrass me.¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s as strange as ever.?

    ?

    It¡¯s really boring to look at my albums as a mob character.?

    ?

    But Shimotsuki is very curious.?

    ?

    She¡¯s itching to know more about me.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you. Hmm, I see. ¡­¡­ You were born and raised here, weren¡¯t you? It¡¯s a little bit bigger than our house. But it¡¯s nice to have a house this big where you can see your family.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki looked around the house, looking curious.?

    ?

    Really, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to see since it¡¯s just a typical house.?

    ?

    Anyway, I welcomed her to the living room instead of my room. As for me, I thought I¡¯d just serve her some tea and sweets and chat with her over some random food. ¡­¡­ But it looks like that was a failure.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh? Why don¡¯t you take me to your room, Nakayama-kun? I¡¯m your friend. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a common practice to invite friends, who come to visit you to your room. Do you know anything about the world, Nakayama-kun? You¡¯re a strange person.¡±?

    ?

    She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face, like she was speaking common sense.?

    ?

    No, that¡¯s not right. It¡¯s not common sense to force your way into the home of a person of the opposite sex on the second day after becoming friends and moreover, it¡¯s a mystery why she wants to go to my room. I think it¡¯s better to be more ¡­¡­ cautious.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki has a rather defenseless side to her. I don¡¯t know why she trusts me so much, when she is usually so cautious and gets nervous at the mere presence of others.?

    ?

    Yeah, that¡¯s right.?

    ?

    What¡¯s even stranger is the fact that she¡¯s so curious about me.?

    ?

    I wonder if it¡¯s because it¡¯s always been in the corner of my mind.?

    ?

    Since it was a good opportunity, I couldn¡¯t help but ask her.?

    ?

    ¡°My room is really not that interesting, you know. I mean, I¡¯m a boring person myself. ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little weird that you want to know about this mob character?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s mouth widened at my words.?

    ?

    Her face was like that of an annoying person who talks about the universe while inviting people to join a mysterious religion.?

    ?

    ¡°Mob characters? Nakayama-kun? What do you mean? I don¡¯t know what you mean. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a mob character. I¡¯ve never found you boring or dull. It¡¯s a strange thing to say. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve shown so many signs of affection and yet Nakayama still doesn¡¯t get it.¡±?

    ?

    Then she sighed and smiled.?

    ?

    With an adorable smile that seemed to make everyone who saw her happy, Shimotsuki said this.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re special to me. Don¡¯t be sad about being a mob character. It¡¯s not bad to be humble, but you shouldn¡¯t be so humble. Don¡¯t be sad about denying who you are. ¡­¡­ It hurts me, your friend.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CThat was the first time I had heard that.?

    ?

    He acknowledged me as one of the many others and said that I was ¡°special¡±.?

    ?

    Rather than being happy, I think it would be more accurate to say that I was ¡­¡­ surprised.?

    ?

    So, to this girl, I was special.

 CH 20

    Shimotsuki told me that I was ¡°special¡± to her.?

    ?

    I was surprised to hear that, but after thinking about it, I realized that it was only natural.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not natural for me to be special.?

    ?

    She had made a friend out of me. And how can I not be special when I¡¯m her only friend ¡­¡­??

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a while that you¡¯re too insecure about yourself. ¡­¡­ You¡¯re always so scared and reserved with me, aren¡¯t you? You are my friend, so you should be more relaxed. It makes me a little sad.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki looked unusually dissatisfied.?

    ?

    Her eyes are wide and her cheeks are puffed out.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to be cute even in these situations.?

    ?

    ¡°Sorry, sorry ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I can¡¯t argue with her. I can barely manage to apologize.?

    ?

    The reason was that Shimotsuki was so cute that I couldn¡¯t help but admire her.?

    ?

    Oh, I see. ¡­¡­ I understand why the protagonist loves this girl so much that he goes crazy.?

    ?

    She is just too cute.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not just the face. No, of course, I think her face is top-notch.?

    ?

    What¡¯s more, this girl has an attractive personality. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s been loved and raised, or maybe it¡¯s because she has a very soft atmosphere. ¡­¡­ I feel very comfortable being next to her.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve never seen a girl like her before.?

    ?

    I can say with confidence that she is a unique person.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure the main character understands this. He may be cold, but I¡¯m sure Ryuzaki has instinctively smelled Shimotsuki¡¯s charm.?

    ?

    The main character¡¯s eyes must be of good quality.?

    ?

    I thought that because I had been involved with so many girls, I was even more aware of Shimotsuki¡¯s charms.?

    ?

    ¡°I have a little bit of what is commonly referred to as ¡°shyness¡±. Just a little, really. You see, in my previous life, I was a territorial little animal, and I get nervous when other people look at me, you know?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki continues to talk.?

    ?

    The talkative girl continued to sing in her lovely voice until I stopped her.?

    ?

    The words were directed only at me, a special person. ¡­¡­ Now, I just wanted to listen to them.?

    ?

    The main heroine¡¯s consciousness could be monopolized by me, a mob character, for now.?

    ?

    I was very happy about that.?

    ?

    ¡°But the strange thing is that Nakayama-kun is the only one who doesn¡¯t get nervous. ¡­¡­ I wondered that from the first time I saw you. No, not when I saw you, but when I heard you. I have a good hearing. ¡­¡­ The sounds that ooze out of you are so interesting that I get carried away.¡±?

    ?

    As usual, Shimotsuki talks about things with a unique worldview.?

    ?

    It was difficult to understand everything she said. But I tried my best to understand what she said.?

    ?

    ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve become friends, I want to know more and more about you, Nakayama. The more I get to know you, the more the tone changes. ¡­¡­ Every time I talk to you, touch you, or smile at you, the tone echoes. It¡¯s fun, it¡¯s nice, it¡¯s beautiful.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Tone?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, tone. It¡¯s like a musical instrument. You can¡¯t make a sound by yourself, but if you have a player, you can make beautiful music, right? It¡¯s almost like that. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m your musician. Right now, anyway, I¡¯m trying to figure out what you sound like.¡±?

    ?

    Then she pecked me on the cheek.?

    ?

    She smiles innocently, as if she were a child playing a prank.?

    ?

    ¡°I want to touch you more. I want to talk to you more. I want to know more about you and get to know you better. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m your friend. You are the only one who is special to me. You have to understand that, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I see. That¡¯s the reason for her closeness to me.?

    ?

    It¡¯s hard to believe, but ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki seems to have a strong interest in me.?

    ?

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t understand half of what she said. Especially the part about the ¡°tone¡±, there were few parts that I could relate to, and it almost confused me.?

    ?

    But I guess I didn¡¯t need to worry about that.?

    ?

    Anyway, Shimotsuki thinks of me as ¡®special¡¯.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah. I understand. ¡­¡­ Thank you. I feel like I¡¯m being saved.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s what makes me feel so happy¡­

 CH 21

    If one day I am no longer a Mob?

    ?

    Shimotsuki follows me around a bit.?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu, I¡¯ve never been to a friend¡¯s room before. Do you know the rules of etiquette for this kind of situation, Nakayama-kun?¡¡When you go to your boy friend¡¯s house for the first time, there is a certain etiquette that you must follow, you know? I¡¯ve been wanting to try it ever since I saw it in an anime.¡±?

    ?

    She was eager to see my room, so I had no choice but to show her around.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is a strange girl, and she thinks I¡¯m special. So when she asked to see my room, I couldn¡¯t refuse.?

    ?

    She really seemed to be looking forward to seeing my room, and her steps were light and fluffy. She looked as if she was almost dancing.?

    ?

    ¡°Etiquette? I don¡¯t know. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t watch a lot of anime.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Eh? Nakayama-kun, are you insane? I don¡¯t see the point of living if you don¡¯t watch anime. ¡­¡­ Could Nakayama-kun be dead? That¡¯s terrible, you¡¯re my friend, you have to come back to life.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not dead.¡±?

    ?

    When I answered with a chuckle, she let out a happy giggle.?

    ?

    ¡°Of course I know. That was just a joke. If it were possible, I would have liked Nakayama-kun to make a comeback saying, `I¡¯m not dead yet,¡¯ but I¡¯ll give you a pass. I also like comedy shows, so I know a lot about them.¡±?

    ?

    This girl has quite a lot of interests.?

    ?

    And she is the type of person who mistakenly thinks she is an expert in a field just because she has heard about it.?

    ?

    Yeah, ¡­¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t very interesting, whether it was the comedy or the jokes. Shimotsuki is pretty clumsy, so the quality of everything she does is surprisingly low.?

    ?

    And so, we arrive at my room.?

    ?

    The reason why we¡¯ve been talking so idly is because I¡¯ve been slowing down.?

    ?

    I was hoping that maybe Shimotsuki would change her mind, but she was still determined to get into my room.?

    ?

    ¡°So this is it, huh? Okay, I¡¯m coming in! Now, I¡¯ll give you the answer ¡­¡­ The first thing you should do when you first go to a boy¡¯s room is to look for a naughty book! I¡¯ve been wanting to try this since it¡¯s a standard anime rule!¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki enters the room with great enthusiasm.?

    ?

    Perhaps she¡¯s getting excited, but her voice has been loud since a while ago.?

    ?

    Since we were in a situation where it was just the two of us, of course her shyness was not triggered.?

    ?

    Maybe it was because she was so shy, but now she was also loud.?

    ?

    ¡°Now, where could it be! Under the bed? Or in the back of a drawer? Maybe in a closet? I saw a movie about a treasure hunter the other day, so I¡¯m probably pretty good at treasure hunting. There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t find!¡±?

    ?

    With that, Shimotsuki starts rummaging through my room.?

    ?

    I watched her absentmindedly.?

    ?

    Normally, I might be in a panic, but ¡­¡­ unfortunately, no such interesting events happen to me.?

    ?

    Because I don¡¯t have any hobbies.?

    ?

    In the first place, I don¡¯t like anything.?

    ?

    The truth is that I don¡¯t really know much about naughty books either.?

    ?

    Perhaps it is the nature of a sad mob character, but ¡­¡­ I have no personality.?

    ?

    It¡¯s like I don¡¯t have a set of principles or assertions that can be called a personality¡­¡­ It¡¯s a bit meta, but that¡¯s how it is.?

    ?

    So, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint her, but ¡­¡­ no matter how hard she looked, there was nothing interesting in this room.?

    ?

    ¡°Um, Shimotsuki? I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any naughty books, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Sorry, but I¡¯ll make sure to let her know.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any hobbies or preferences, so I don¡¯t ¡­¡­ have any of those tastes or entertainment items.¡±?

    ?

    As I said this, I felt a little ashamed of myself.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t even be normal, I¡¯m just a mob character, I thought.?

    ?

    Looking at this room from a bird¡¯s eye view, I can clearly see that I have no personality.?

    ?

    The only furniture in the room is a bed, a study desk, a closet, and a shelf.?

    ?

    The room was equipped with a set of study tools, a change of clothes, bedding, a few things for later use, and no entertainment items.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t think a plain room is an appropriate place for Shimotsuki to be.?

    ?

    Somehow, I wanted to leave the room. I felt that it was not appropriate for a nice girl like Shimotsuki to be in such a place.?

    ?

    However, Shimotsuki laughed at me for being so sneaky.?

    ?

    ¡°Mmm, I see. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot make any promises. I was looking forward to it, but it can¡¯t be helped. Nakayama-kun is a very strange boy, not having any hobbies. I¡¯m getting more and more curious and excited.¡±?

    ?

    In front of me, Shimotsuki never lets her expression fade.?

    ?

    She affirmed the parts of me that I thought were bad, as if they were part of my charm.?

    ?

    She was like an angel.?

    ?

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach you lots of ¡®fun¡¯. I¡¯ll be your hobby teacher¡­¡­. Wow, that¡¯s great. I¡¯ve been playing by myself for so long that I¡¯m starving for a friend to play with, and I think it¡¯s a win-win for both of us!¡±?

    ?

    Teaching your hobbies ¡­¡­, doesn¡¯t that mean you just want to play together??

    ?

    For a moment, I thought so, but I was very grateful for the offer.?

    ?

    I wondered if even a colorless mob character like me could be colored.?

    ?

    If I, a mob character, could have a personality, ¡­¡­ I thought, that would be a very, very good thing.?

    ?

    If I could establish my own existence and stand on the stage of the story in a position where I am not a mob character.?

    ?

    Maybe then I¡¯ll be able to look at ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki in a much different light.?

    ?

    To be honest, I¡¯m afraid to be in the position of being her friend right now.?

    ?

    I wish I could be brave enough to say ¡°I like you¡± to her more as an equal, for example¡­¡­

 CH 22

    I¡¯m so jealous I¡¯m turning into mochi!?

    ?

    Shimotsuki never stops talking.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, don¡¯t you feel very lonely without your parents at home? If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear living without my mom and dad, but you¡¯re so good at putting up with it all by yourself. I admire you even though we are classmates.¡±?

    ?

    I moved the conversation to the living room and offered her some tea and snacks.?

    ?

    But Shimotsuki, who was sitting on the sofa, didn¡¯t pay attention to the tea and snacks and kept talking to me.?

    ?

    ¡°I think Nakayama-kun is lonely, so it¡¯s okay for me to come over here once in a while. It¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? Hey, can I bring a game or something? Please, Nakayama-kun. Let me play here.¡±?

    ?

    She was saying a lot of things, but it looked like she just wanted to play games with a friend.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m your hobby teacher, Nakayama-kun. It¡¯s nothing personal, you know. It¡¯s just that my gaming time is set at one hour at home, so it¡¯s not too hard to sneak out at night and play games under the covers, you know?¡±?

    ?

    I was surprised that there was a kid in high school who was still doing such elementary school stuff.?

    ?

    From what I¡¯ve heard, Shimotsuki¡¯s parents really love their daughter, but they are a little ¡­¡­ overprotective. The deadline is 6 p.m., and she¡¯s only allowed to play games for an hour.?

    ?

    But it¡¯s not as bad as the abandonment of my family.?

    ?

    My father and mother both do their job as parents, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that they don¡¯t care about their children, but in terms of the level of love they show, I think it¡¯s a little low compared to other parents.?

    ?

    Even now, they travel abroad without their children.?

    ?

    It is still better to be loved than not to be loved. Shimotsuki also seems to love her parents, but even with that ¡­¡­, I think she needs a little change of pace.?

    ?

    I thought it would not be a bad idea to let her use this house for that purpose.?

    ?

    It would be the least I could do to repay Shimotsuki for her kindness.?

    ?

    ¡°Please feel free to use this house. It¡¯s an ordinary house, though.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki nodded, and her expression brightened.?

    ?

    I felt embarrassed when she looked at me with such a happy expression.?

    ?

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here? No, I have Nakayama-kun in this house. I¡¯m very happy with that. You can¡¯t play a console game in the room because you have to connect it to a screen, right? I¡¯ll bring one tomorrow.¡±?

    ?

    There is something about me, or ¡­¡­ something that makes me feel so special, she¡¯s a strange girl after all.?

    ?

    It was during one of these conversations.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­? Hmm? Hmmm?¡±?

    ?

    Suddenly, Shimotsuki¡¯s ears twitched.?

    ?

    Then she suddenly looked unhappy and turned her gaze on me.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun is ¡­¡­ the type of person who can attract girls, isn¡¯t he?¡±?

    ?

    The words, unusually separated by a single line, were nonsensical.?

    ?

    At first, I was confused because I couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying¡­¡­, and then I heard the sound of the front door opening.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±?

    ?

    A quiet voice echoed through the house.?

    ?

    It seems that my stepsister, Azusa, has come home.?

    ?

    That¡¯s unusual. ¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t she go to Ryuzaki¡¯s house today??

    ?

    And hearing her voice, Shimotsuki looked like she was going to cry a little.?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re bringing a girl into your home instead of me, your friend. ¡­¡­ This is what you call cheating, right? Nakayama-kun¡¯s naughty! You¡¯re a fool if you have me in your life and you¡¯re messing around with other girls.¡±?

    ?

    Then, after hearing what she just said, I finally realized why Shimotsuki was in a bad mood.?

    ?

    She has good hearing, so she must have heard Azusa¡¯s footsteps outside. And probably sensed that the girl was coming to the house. Then Shimotsuki, who is a bit possessive, probably means that ¡­¡­ the flame of jealousy was kindled.?

    ?

    In other words, this is ¡­¡­?

    ?

    ¡°Ya, jealous?¡±?

    ?

    I ask, fearfully.?

    ?

    She then puffed up her cheeks in an obvious way.?

    ?

    Her cheeks looked like mochi.?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m jealous. I¡¯m so jealous, I¡¯m turning into a mochi.¡±?

    ?

    Even if you say so, I¡¯m a little confused¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Because the one who just came back to this house is my family.?

    ?

    She¡¯s my stepsister, even though we¡¯re not related by blood, so I wanted to give her a pass for counting her as the opposite sex¡­

 CH 23

    My stepsister is not a love interest!?

    ?

    Thinking back, I remembered that I hadn¡¯t told Shimotsuki that I had a stepsister.?

    ?

    Maybe she misunderstood that I was living alone.?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not unreasonable for her to mistake Azusa, who suddenly came to my house, as a girl I hooked up with¡­¡­ and I can¡¯t convince her of that.?

    ?

    No, I think people usually notice that. Because next to my room on the second floor, there is a room with a name plate hung with the name ¡°Azusa¡±, and the laundry on the balcony that can be seen from the living room window belongs to Azusa. If she wasn¡¯t so clueless, I¡¯m sure she would have realized that there were other family members.?

    ?

    Could it be that Shimotsuki didn¡¯t see anything other than me? Is it possible that she was so infatuated with me that she couldn¡¯t see ¡­¡­? I¡¯m a mob character, but I¡¯m being extremely arrogant.?

    ?

    Well, Shimotsuki is a pretty clumsy person, so it¡¯s not surprising that she didn¡¯t notice.?

    ?

    I¡¯ll be careful not to make too many strange mistakes.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Huh? Is there a visitor here?¡±?

    ?

    On the other hand, when Azusa came back, she seemed to have sensed that there was a visitor when she saw Shimotsuki¡¯s shoes at the entrance. She came straight to the living room and appeared.?

    ?

    A girl with a childish face and twin-tails of black hair appears.?

    ?

    And as soon as Azusa and Shimotsuki recognized each other, their eyes widened.?

    ?

    ¡°Eh? Why are you here, Shimotsuki-san?¡±?

    ?

    Azusa¡¯s question was natural.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not surprising that she would be surprised to find Shimotsuki, who is only supposed to be at school, at her house.?

    ?

    ¡°Na, na, na ¡­¡­ Nakayama-kun, aaah!¡±?

    ?

    Then again, Azusa¡¯s appearance must have been unexpected for Shimotsuki as well.?

    ?

    The unexpected appearance of a person from her own class, a classmate in fact, triggered her shyness to a spectacular degree.?

    ?

    She instantly became nervous and chewed on her words. Still, she seemed to have something to say, so she put her face close to my ear and whispered to me.?

    ?

    ¡°Wow, you cheated on me with a girl whose breasts are only slightly larger than mine? I wish you would have at least cheated on me with a girl with bigger breasts. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s true that I¡¯m smaller than her, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much difference. Besides, it¡¯s not my fault that I¡¯m tiny, it¡¯s my mom and dad¡¯s genes, and that¡¯s terrible.¡±?

    ?

    No, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re upset about. ¡­¡­ If I kept up with Shimotsuki¡¯s pace, I wouldn¡¯t be able to clear up the misunderstanding any time soon, so I forced myself to start the conversation.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you. Azusa is my stepsister. ¡­¡­ See, we have the same last name, right? That¡¯s because we¡¯re actually brother and sister. Well, we¡¯re the same age and I just have an earlier birthday than her¡­¡±?

    ?

    I told this to Shimotsuki first, and then turned my attention to Azusa. She was looking at me and Shimotsuki alternately with a curious look on her face.?

    ?

    ¡°Brother, ¡­¡­ what does this mean?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯m actually friends with Shimotsuki, so I invited her over to ¡­¡­ our house? Yeah, anyway, she came over and we had a chat. I¡¯m sorry for startling you.¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t say that she was not invited, or that she was stalking me, so I¡¯ll be vague.?

    ?

    ¡°Wow¡­¡­, I didn¡¯t know that. It¡¯s kind of surprising.¡±?

    ?

    Azusa was puzzled. Yes, I know how you feel. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s surprising that a person like me has a friendship with Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Well, it¡¯s a little late for that. It was no use thinking about it too much.?

    ?

    Besides, the explanation probably cleared up Shimotsuki¡¯s misunderstanding.?

    ?

    ¡°We¡¯re siblings, so it¡¯s not cheating or anything. Do you understand?¡±?

    ?

    This time, I spoke into Shimotsuki¡¯s ear and told her clearly.?

    ?

    No, there is no such thing as cheating in a friendship, but just to be sure, I told her.?

    ?

    But Shimotsuki looked unconvinced.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair that you¡¯re stepsiblings. ¡­¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s the standard heroine in anime. How can you not fall in love with a girl who¡¯s been under the same roof with you for so long? I¡¯ve been a loser since the beginning. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s so hard. I¡¯d like to kill Nakayama-kun and make him mine.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want you to kill me, please.?

    ?

    No, it¡¯s probably a joke. I really wanted it to be a joke.?

    ?

    ¡°What can I say? ¡­¡­ Maybe you¡¯re wrong, but we¡¯re really just brother and sister, okay? I¡¯m not in love with her, so don¡¯t worry.¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s kind of embarrassing to say something like this.?

    ?

    But if Shimotsuki didn¡¯t seem to cheer up unless I said this, I managed to squeeze out a sound.?

    ?

    ¡°The only friend I have is Shimotsuki, so ¡­¡­ Azusa is just my sister.¡±?

    ?

    Really, Azusa is nothing more than a little sister.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not more or less than that.?

    ?

    To Azusa, I am nothing more than her brother.?

    ?

    Moreover, there is a clear rule that it¡¯s ¡®only inside the house¡¯.?

    ?

    If we step out of the house, we will only be brother and sister in the family register.?

    ?

    Since we made that promise, I don¡¯t think our relationship will progress any further.?

    ?

    There may have been a time when we cared for each other a little more¡­¡­, but we no longer have that kind of relationship.?

    ?

    ¡°Ho, really?¡¡Your stepsister doesn¡¯t like you! This is what reality is all about. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m surprised. I¡¯ve never heard of it before. Yeah, I see. ¡­¡­ If that¡¯s the case, I haven¡¯t lost yet. I¡¯m glad.¡±?

    ?

    And as soon as Shimotsuki realized her mistake, she looked very happy.?

    ?

    I had a little trouble reacting to such a blatant show of favoritism.?

    ?

    Could it be that ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki is looking at me as a romantic interest??

    ?

    Is that why she gets jealous when I get along with other girls??

    ?

    Shimotsuki is so thoughtful that I almost misunderstood something like that.?

    ?

    I wish she¡¯d pay a little more attention to the mobs.

 CH 24

    Poor Subheroine?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, who had been so energetic and talkative just now, instantly became quiet when my stepsister, Azusa, came home. She was restless and fidgety like a borrowed cat.?

    ?

    Her shyness seems to have kicked in.?

    ?

    I guess she became uncomfortable. She seemed to have decided to leave as soon as possible.?

    ?

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. ¡­¡­ Bye-bye, Nakayama-kun. Thank you for today, it was fun. Oh, but you can¡¯t flirt with other girls just because I¡¯m going to be gone, okay? Promise!¡±?

    ?

    With these words in my ear, she leaves the scene.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh!¡±?

    ?

    But she didn¡¯t feel comfortable walking past Azusa in silence. Her face turned red, but she bowed to Azusa.?

    ?

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Thank you. ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    When Azusa also bowed lightly, Shimotsuki smiled awkwardly and then ran to the door.?

    ?

    Only Azusa and I remained behind.?

    ?

    It was a rare occasion when my stepsister came home, and she was gazing towards the doorway as if she was following the back of Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Shimotsuki-san with a face like that.¡±?

    ?

    I think Azusa must have a strong impression that Shimotsuki is quiet.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve always thought of her as an expressionless, icy girl, but when she shows me her blushing, impatient face, it¡¯s understandable that I¡¯m confused.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never really been involved with her because she doesn¡¯t talk to me all the time and Ryoma said that Shiho prefers to be alone. ¡­¡­ Older brother, you are close with her, aren¡¯t you?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡­ I guess so.¡±?

    ?

    I scratched my cheek and said a few words back to my stepsister.?

    ?

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t as comfortable as Shimotsuki, but I was uncomfortable too. Thanks to this, I couldn¡¯t even sit down on the sofa and just stood there.?

    ?

    It was the first time we had talked as brother and sister in several days.?

    ?

    We promised each other before that we would be ¡°strangers¡± outside the house. After the high school entrance ceremony, right after Azusa met Ryuzaki,¡­¡­ she made up her mind to ¡°love Ryuzaki single-mindedly¡± and parted ways with me.?

    ?

    She thought that if she had a relationship with another man, she would never be able to catch up with the distant Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    [¡°The ideal Onii-chan that Azusa was looking for is probably not Onii-chan. I think Ryoma-san is the real Onii-chan for Azusa.¡±]?

    ?

    It¡¯s only been about two months since she said that.?

    ?

    It feels like a lot of time has passed since then.?

    ?

    Since then, we promised to act as brother and sister only inside our house.?

    ?

    The relationship between Azusa and I has become so weak that she asked me to call her ¡°Nakayama-san¡± as if we were strangers outside the house.?

    ?

    But then again, Azusa might have been a little uncomfortable with the idea. ¡­¡­ She started to hate seeing me and started to stay at Ryuzaki¡¯s house.?

    ?

    It seems that she stays over almost every day and is spoiled by her favorite ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan¡±.?

    ?

    So I didn¡¯t expect her to come home today.?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s unusual for you to come home.¡±?

    ?

    Could it be that she¡¯s not feeling well??

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case, I was worried that she should be resting ¡­¡­, but apparently that¡¯s not the reason.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine ¡­¡­, but I just wasn¡¯t in the mood today. That¡¯s why I came home. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, did I disturb you?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ No, this is Azusa¡¯s house too, so don¡¯t hesitate.¡±?

    ?

    You don¡¯t need to worry about it.?

    ?

    I¡¯m just a fake who couldn¡¯t be your ideal ¡°Onii-chan¡±, but I¡¯m still a part of the family¡­?

    ?

    ¡°If you ever have a hard time, please let me know. If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, I¡¯ll lend a hand.¡±?

    ?

    The person I once loved is now far away.?

    ?

    And now she¡¯s falling in love with someone who isn¡¯t me, and she¡¯s going to devote her life to that person.?

    ?

    I¡¯ll never be able to make her happy again.?

    ?

    I can only act as an older brother within the confines of our home¡­¡­, but at least inside the house, I want her to spend her time as a younger sister without being bossy.?

    ?

    But I guess Azusa herself doesn¡¯t want that.?

    ?

    She shook her head slowly.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t deserve to be spoiled by you anymore. ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ve always been so nice to me.¡±?

    ?

    She seems to have made up her mind a long time ago.?

    ?

    It seems that she has made up her mind to cut off all other men except Ryuzaki and give her all to him.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, I can¡¯t look at her.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t even look at her directly because she is my sister.?

    ?

    How painful it is.?

    ?

    It¡¯s really a sad feeling to watch. The subheroines are, if anything, even more ¡­¡­ pitiful than the mobs.

 CH 25

    An existence that only serves to satisfy the protagonist¡¯s need for approval?

    ?

    ¨CIs it really a beautiful story to continue an unrewarding love??

    ?

    When I look at Azusa, I can¡¯t help but think about such things.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not only Azusa, but also my childhood friend Yuzuki and my former best friend Kirari. When I look at them, I feel so painful that it makes my heart ache.?

    ?

    They express their feelings of love in such a straightforward way, but the person in question is completely oblivious to it, using ¡°insensitivity¡± as an excuse, and their feelings are always in vain.?

    ?

    It¡¯s ¡­¡­ really, really pitiful that her love is trampled on, her efforts don¡¯t produce results, and yet she continues to be devoted to him.?

    ?

    It¡¯s as if they only exist to satisfy the protagonist¡¯s need for approval.?

    ?

    I just can¡¯t stop thinking about it.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ By the way, you were about to confess your love today behind the school building. The timing wasn¡¯t right, though.¡±?

    ?

    I have one thing in mind for why Azusa suddenly came home today. When I was eating lunch with Shimotsuki during lunch break, ¡­¡­ Azusa had called Ryuzaki to the back of the school building.?

    ?

    And at that time, Azusa was trying to confess her feelings¡­¡­, I assume.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ I was trying to be brave and tell him how I feel about him¡­¡­, but it didn¡¯t work.¡±?

    ?

    She didn¡¯t seem to have the energy to be brave anymore.?

    ?

    She smiled fondly with a sad expression.?

    ?

    In the end, Azusa was not able to confess her feelings ¡­¡­ because she encountered us at the wrong time.?

    ?

    And unfortunately, it was Shimotsuki, whom Ryuzaki was most obsessed with, that he encountered. So Azusa¡¯s courage was trampled upon and put on the back burner.?

    ?

    She seemed to be severely depressed by it.?

    ?

    ¡°So, is it possible that the person who was with you at that time was Shimotsuki-san? ¡­¡­ I was dying of nervousness, so I didn¡¯t recognize you.¡±?

    ?

    After all this time, she seems to have remembered that Shimotsuki was there.?

    ?

    She was that nervous.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Oni-chan, when it comes to Shimotsuki-san, he can¡¯t see anything else¡­¡­. Haha, I knew I couldn¡¯t win.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Haha, you can¡¯t.¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but curse at her.?

    ?

    I almost shouted at my sister, because she was so painful to me.?

    ?

    There is no value in unrequited love.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not like Azusa¡¯s love is even a lost love. He¡¯s not even aware of her feelings, she¡¯s just being trampled on.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not a beautiful story. It¡¯s just painful.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ What? What did you say? Your voice is too quiet, I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡±?

    ?

    Azusa says she didn¡¯t hear.?

    ?

    But her face looked so sad that I couldn¡¯t ¡­¡­ watch it.?

    ?

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, so don¡¯t say anything.¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t say it out loud, but I think she knows it.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t have to say it, but she knows it. She knows that this is not a problem that can be solved with a friendly smile, and she is still trying to cover it up.?

    ?

    So she pretends not to hear me.?

    ?

    She takes my words and tries her best to hide her pathetic self.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Oh, no.?

    ?

    With that look on her face, I couldn¡¯t say anything.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not in a position to lecture her anymore.?

    ?

    I am not someone who is close enough to Azusa to interfere in her life.?

    ?

    This is the path that Azusa has chosen.?

    ?

    No matter how unhappy she was, no matter how much she was hurt, she wanted it all, so I couldn¡¯t say anything.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±?

    ?

    So I played it off.?

    ?

    As a mob character, I replied nonchalantly as an emotionless doll.?

    ?

    I can only do so much ¡­¡­ as a mob¡­

 CH 26

    The Difference Between Subs and Mobs?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t want to see my stepsister in pain anymore.?

    ?

    Today, I talked a little too much. ¡­¡­ I used to only vocalize a few times most days, but thanks to Shimotsuki, I¡¯ve been talking a lot.?

    ?

    Thanks to this, my throat hurt. My voice was dying due to the fact that I usually don¡¯t talk at all.?

    ?

    I was going to finish the conversation and go to my room to rest.?

    ?

    ¡°But I¡¯m surprised that you and Shimotsuki-san are such good friends. ¡­¡­ I wonder if Ryoma Onii-chan knows about this.¡±?

    ?

    When Azusa suddenly said that, I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes.?

    ?

    Bad ¡­ Yes, it might have been a bad idea for Azusa to know about my involvement with Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Because Azusa likes Ryuzaki. But Ryuzaki likes Shimotsuki. ¡­¡­ In other words, Shimotsuki is a love rival for Azusa.?

    ?

    The fact that the girl is on good terms with everyone except Ryuzaki means that Azusa and the other subheroines will be the ones to benefit.?

    ?

    Although Ryuzaki¡¯s feelings will not be rewarded, there will be a battle for the vacant position of the main heroine.?

    ?

    However, in the current situation where Shimotsuki is not attached to anyone, the truce is such that it is impossible to even start a war.?

    ?

    For the sub-heroines to be rewarded, Shimotsuki is an obstacle in their way.?

    ?

    Therefore, it is not surprising that the girls want to eliminate the absolute main heroine, Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    In fact, it is more natural for them to want her to disappear.?

    ?

    For example, Azusa may be hoping that if she gets together with a guy other than Ryuzaki¡­¡­.?

    ?

    (That was a rather bad move, since that¡¯s not ¡­¡­ the kind of protagonist who becomes more fiery the more adversities he faces.)?

    ?

    However, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t go the way the subheroine wants.?

    ?

    In fact, I think the absolute stronghold of Shimotsuki will become stronger.?

    ?

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is the protagonist.?

    ?

    When he is cornered and has no other choice, that is when he shows his true strength.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll start a fierce attack on Shimotsuki. He will not pay attention to the other sub-heroines, and will become passionate about developing a straightforward romantic comedy.?

    ?

    From a meta point of view, I think that¡¯s probably what will happen.?

    ?

    And when that happens, the person who will be the most unhappy ¡­¡­ is Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    I would never allow someone I hated to follow her around just because she became friends with me.?

    ?

    So I got impatient.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa, wait a minute!¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but grab Azusa¡¯s shoulder. It was the first time in a long time that I had touched my stepsister¡¯s shoulder, and it was so small and slender that I felt like it might break if I put a little pressure on it.?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with ¡­¡­? You suddenly ¡­¡­ startled me.¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m sorry for startling you, but I¡¯ll apologize later.?

    ?

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell Ryuzaki about ¡­¡­ me and Shimotsuki, okay?¡±?

    ?

    I desperately begged her.?

    ?

    I know I look pathetic, but I have to stop this, even if I have to beg.?

    ?

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not convenient for Azusa. ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki is your love rival, and I understand that it¡¯s more beneficial for her to get together with a guy who isn¡¯t Ryuzaki. But please, ¡­¡­ please don¡¯t tell Ryuzaki. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you.¡±?

    ?

    I was so desperate that I thought about getting down on my knees.?

    ?

    Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m in a hurry, but my speech is pretty messed up. It came out of nowhere, and Azusa still seemed surprised, her eyes rounded.?

    ?

    I continued with my words to her.?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki shouldn¡¯t get involved with Ryuzaki. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt that girl, please. I know I¡¯m asking Azusa to take a loss¡­¡­. Still, please, please.¡±?

    ?

    I begged her to let us go.?

    ?

    In the end, I lowered my posture to get down on my knees,¡­¡­but Azusa stopped me from doing so.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you get emotional before. ¡­¡­ I was surprised. You¡¯re a human being too, huh, Oni-chan?¡±?

    ?

    Then she smiled gently at me.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, okay. I won¡¯t tell. ¡­¡­ I promise. I won¡¯t tell anyone, so don¡¯t look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡±?

    ?

    And unexpectedly, she readily agreed.?

    ?

    It would be a loss for her, but she didn¡¯t seem to care about that.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa wants Ryoma Onii-chan to like her, fair and square ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think I want to be loved in return after Shimotsuki-san is a bust, okay? I¡¯m not going to use ¡­¡­ any sneaky tricks because I want to winover Shimotsuki-san fair and square.¡±?

    ?

    She declared in a clear voice.?

    ?

    Even though she knew she was going to lose out, she was going to stick to her principles.?

    ?

    I genuinely thought that was a wonderful thing about her¡­¡­.?

    ?

    This may be the difference between a ¡°sub character¡± and a ¡°mob character¡±.?

    ?

    Unlike the mob characters who can¡¯t be anything, she has a solid character, ¡°Azusa Nakayama¡±.?

    ?

    I found her to be very charming.?

    ?

    ¡°And also, ¡­¡­ you tried to help Azusa in the back of the school building, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m glad you said, ¡°I think you have something to say.¡± ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t make use of that support, but you still tried to be nice to this terrible sister.¡±?

    ?

    Then she clenched her fists.?

    ?

    As if to give herself a boost, she gives a big push.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to bother you. ¡­¡­ Azusa loves Ryoma Onii-chan, after all.¡±?

    ?

    Then Azusa, who had been depressed earlier, smiled as if she had regained her energy.?

    ?

    She had a lovely, friendly smile that was unique to Azusa.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do my best to be as good as Shimotsuki-san! I can not afford to be depressed. ¡­¡­ Azusa is going to visit Ryoma Onii-chan now. I¡¯m going to spoil him a lot and charm him!¡±?

    ?

    She made a strong declaration and walked away from me.?

    ?

    Watching my stepsister¡¯s back, I laughed a little.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, good luck ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    The only thing I can do now is cheer her on.?

    ?

    I still want Azusa to be rewarded for her feelings.?

    ?

    I¡¯m a fake, but I¡¯m still ¡°Onii-chan¡±.

 CH 27

    How to Break the Tainted Relationship of ¡°Childhood Friends¡±?

    ?

    June. It¡¯s the rainy season, and the gloomy heat is uncomfortable.?

    ?

    My friend Shimotsuki was at my house with the fan all to herself.?

    ?

    It¡¯s been about a week since we became friends.?

    ?

    For the past few days, Shimotsuki has been visiting my house after school.?

    ?

    ¡°Listen, listen. I asked my mom and dad for a 7pm curfew!¡¡Now you can have more time to play with Nakayama-kun, okay? Hey, are you happy? By the way, I¡¯m very happy.¡±?

    ?

    It was yesterday when I heard that news.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that my house and Shimotsuki¡¯s house are not close to each other. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s strange that she came all the way on the bus.?

    ?

    It was strange that she wanted to meet me. ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki was a strange girl, as usual.?

    ?

    And today she is at home again. She sat hugging the fan in the living room and gave me a mischievous smile.?

    ?

    ¡°Is it hot? Hey, Nakayama-kun, are you hot by any chance?¡¡Are you troubled because I¡¯m stealing the breeze from the fan?¡¡That¡¯s too bad. If you want me to share the fan¡¯s breeze, I¡¯d like some ice cream from your freezer.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Negotiating ¡­¡­ is more like blackmail.¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s my house, and standing in front of my fan, so wanting ice cream is a strange bargain.?

    ?

    ¡°What do you want, ¡­¡­ chocolate or vanilla?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Chocolate!¡±?

    ?

    Well, I¡¯m giving it to her.?

    ?

    I had bought this ice cream in anticipation of her arrival. But I didn¡¯t expect her to already know what was in the freezer. ¡­¡­ I guess she saw it without permission. No, I¡¯m not mad at her, but I thought she was being very free.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. ¡­¡­ I wonder if in a little while it will be too hot to be fooled by ice cream? That¡¯s what summer is all about¡­¡­. Isn¡¯t summer always about the beach? What do you do then?¡¡I want to see a video game with marine fields, or a movie where sharks eat people in the ocean, or a cartoon where people go to the ocean.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ So you don¡¯t want to go to ocean in person?¡±?

    ?

    I found this out after we became friends.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is a perfect indoor person. She doesn¡¯t really like outdoor hobbies.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s because it burns my skin. ¡­¡­ See, I always wear cardigans, don¡¯t I? It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s summer or not, it¡¯s not for fashion. If I get even the slightest exposure to the sun, I¡¯ll turn red, so I have to take care of myself, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki always wears a gray cardigan. It¡¯s a little large, and only her fingertips are showing where her hands used to be. I had always thought it was a fashion statement, but apparently there was a good reason.?

    ?

    Speaking of which, Shimotsuki wears knee socks every day and keeps her skirt long. That¡¯s why her legs are hardly exposed. She seems to be taking very careful measures to prevent sunburns.?

    ?

    ¡°But I really want to take it off because it¡¯s so hot. ¡­¡­ In the classroom, my seat is by the window, right? I don¡¯t like it when the sun shines in class. There¡¯s that guy right in front of me. ¡­¡­ Nakayama-kun¡¯s seat is a little far away, and I¡¯m sick of it. But that ends today.¡±?

    ?

    Instantly excited, Shimotsuki threw the chocolate ice cream into her mouth at once. I wonder if the coldness doesn¡¯t give her a headache. ¡­¡­ She walked up to me, sniffling.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, this is a secret ¡­¡­, but tomorrow, our class will have a seat change. I was asked by our homeroom teacher, Suzuki-san, to create a lottery ¡­¡­ and he said, ¡®I trust you, Shimotsuki-san will not cheat¡¯.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, ¡­¡­ really?¡±?

    ?

    Our class changes seats once a month. Every time this happens, a lottery is created, and this time it seems that Shimotsuki has been put in charge of it.?

    ?

    ¡°But I have one concern. But I have one concern, and that¡¯s that my childhood friend Ryuzaki-kun always sits near my seat. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t intend to, but he¡¯s always in my sight. It¡¯s in. Is that what they call a rotten friendship? Please don¡¯t do this to me.¡±?

    ?

    It seems that the relationship of childhood friends can twist the concept of probability.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, who spoke in a disgusted tone, must have had quite a hard time so far.?

    ?

    ¡°So, in order to break this bond, ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve decided to go rogue this time. It¡¯s not necessary to always be together just because you are childhood friends with someone. It¡¯s not a special relationship, just an old acquaintance, and it¡¯s time to move on, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Ah, ¡­¡­ injustice.¡±?

    ?

    The way to break the rotten relationship between childhood friends was by force.?

    ?

    ¡°So, Nakayama-kun, please help me, okay? I want you, my friend, to sit near me. ¡­¡­ If I have any trouble in class, I want you to help me, and I want to help you. Ummm, that¡¯s nice. ¡­¡­ Boring school life can finally be fun!¡±?

    ?

    With a sparkle in her eyes, Shimotsuki begins to talk about injustice.?

    ?

    She didn¡¯t want to be seated too close to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡­.. The truth is, we shouldn¡¯t be cheating, but I guess we have no choice.?

    ?

    I suppose that¡¯s why I don¡¯t like that guy.?

    ?

    It¡¯s time for God to separate the fate of the childhood friends who are connected by a rotten fate.

 CH 28

    The Protagonist Speaks Out?

    ?

    The day of the seat change.?

    ?

    After thorough planning and preparation, we were ready for this day.?

    ?

    In the morning, the students are buzzing because of the seat change ¡­¡­. Most of the classmates don¡¯t seem to be interested in it.?

    ?

    It is only in primary schools, or just barely in middle school, that people get excited about changing seats.?

    ?

    If you¡¯re in high school, you don¡¯t care where your seat is. No, actually, they may care about the opposite sex nearby, but they are not old enough to show it.?

    ?

    So the classroom in the morning is quiet as usual¡­¡­, but after they came, it became noisy at once.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan, today is the day for changing seats. It would be nice if we could sit near each other again!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Haha ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep last night because I had a stomachache. I wish I could be closer to you, Ryoma-san.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Ryoma, if I leave you, don¡¯t forget me, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s group arrived in the classroom and immediately made a fuss about changing seats.?

    ?

    My stepsister, Azusa, my childhood friend, Yuzuki, and my former best friend, Kirari, look worried. Currently, the three of them have an advantageous position in the Ryuzaki harem. They want to maintain that advantage.?

    ?

    They are in the same class, sit close to each other, and have a close relationship ¡­¡­, so for now they are one step ahead of the other harem members, but if they lose that advantage even a little and the balance of power is lost, they will quickly fall down the rankings.?

    ?

    If they are not careful, another heroine will take their place. It¡¯s just a matter of changing seats, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not worried.?

    ?

    Well, Ryuzaki is so insensitive that he doesn¡¯t notice such things.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh dear, calm down. Don¡¯t make too much noise over a mere seat change.¡±?

    ?

    As usual, he smiles and says he can¡¯t help it.?

    ?

    He doesn¡¯t care what the girls think. The hero is not concerned about his seat ¡­¡­, and no matter which seat he takes, the heroine is always nearby. No wonder.?

    ?

    In this year¡¯s second grade class, which I belong to, most of the girls are corrupted by Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    All of the girls have some sort of interest in him, and they¡¯re all looking for opportunities to get to know him.?

    ?

    It¡¯s probably because he doesn¡¯t have a problem with women that he can say such annoying lines as, ¡°Oh dear.¡± no matter what the harem members say to him.?

    ?

    But ¡­¡­ there is one girl in particular who is special to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    The girl hadn¡¯t come to school yet. Her seat was right behind Ryuzaki¡¯s, and she was his childhood friend.?

    ?

    Her name is Shiho Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    She is a girl with strikingly transparent silvery-white hair.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, the seats may change, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that ¡­¡­ I¡¯m with Shiho. I¡¯ve known her since she was a little girl, so we have a connection. As long as I can be there for her and protect her, I don¡¯t care where we sit.¡±?

    ?

    The protagonist says boldly.?

    ?

    He is so proud of his position as a childhood friend that he has no doubt that he can get the results he wants without any effort.?

    ?

    He doesn¡¯t think about the feelings of the other girls who have heard him say that, he just says things that make him happy.?

    ?

    He¡¯s still the protagonist, as usual.?

    ?

    ¡°¡±¡±¡­¡­¡­¡±¡±¡±?

    ?

    The three girls have a little bit of a sad expression on their face when they hear those words. It¡¯s not too late for Ryuzaki to be obsessed with Shimotsuki, but I guess he¡¯s damaged.?

    ?

    However, only one ¡­¡­ my stepsister, Azusa, was able to get back on her feet quickly.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmm?¡±?

    ?

    I was looking at them blankly, when suddenly Azusa looked at me and smiled.?

    ?

    A week ago, after encountering Shimotsuki at home, ¡­¡­ Azusa seemed to become a little stronger.?

    ?

    I had the impression that her heroine status had improved.?

    ?

    Even now, she has a sturdy smile on her face.?

    ?

    ¡°Eh~? It¡¯s terrible, Ryuzaki Onii-chan is okay with leaving Azusa? If you say anywhere is fine, it makes me sad ¡­¡­ gusu gusu.¡±?

    ?

    Crying, Azusa hugged Ryuzaki from behind as he sat in his chair.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s too much. ¡­¡­ Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve said such horrible things, but I want to be with Azusa and everyone else.¡±?

    ?

    He even uses this moment to his advantage and indulges himself well.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ As always, though, it¡¯s a sight that almost breaks my mind.?

    ?

    Well, anyway. I cheered her on in my heart.?

    ?

    That¡¯s good, Azusa. You can take advantage of these opportunities to improve your reputation.?

    ?

    After this, there will be a big opportunity ¡­¡­ for you to never miss it??

    ?

    When Ryuzaki is broken off from his childhood friend by the power of injustice, he is sure to be shocked.?

    ?

    If Azusa can take advantage of his heartbreak, she will be one step ahead of the other heroines.

 CH 29

    Sitting on the edge of the ¡°childhood friend¡± position?

    ?

    The seat change in our class is quite normal.?

    ?

    Each seat is assigned a number, and the student who draws the number in the lottery gets that seat.?

    ?

    However, if the lottery is drawn in the normal way, Shimotsuki cannot be separated from Ryuzaki due to a mysterious force of fate. It seems that the rotten connection of childhood friends is holding them together.?

    ?

    In order to break this bond, Shimotsuki seems to have decided to go rogue this time.?

    ?

    She must have decided that she couldn¡¯t let this opportunity to create a lottery pass her by.?

    ?

    Yesterday, she said something like this.?

    ?

    ¡°I stuck the lottery tickets on the top four corners of the lottery box. This should be a perfect solution for Ryuzaki-kun!¡±?

    ?

    The contents of the fraud are as follows.?

    ?

    Let¡¯s say the classroom is divided into four sections and Ryuzaki sits in the back left seat. At that time, I was asked to take the lottery ticket from the upper right front side of the lottery box.?

    ?

    It seems that each of the four corners of the lottery box has two lottery tickets attached to the top. The lottery on the top of the right rear of the box is linked to the lottery on the right rear of the classroom, and so on.?

    ?

    ¡°If you win the lottery, make sure you get rid of all the lottery tickets in the other corners. It¡¯s only lightly glued on, so it¡¯ll come off easily and they probably won¡¯t even notice.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think anyone would think that I would cheat in such a seat change, and I don¡¯t think they would find out.?

    ?

    Even if they found out, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. The homeroom teacher, Suzuki-sensei, would probably be stunned at best.?

    ?

    It¡¯s only Shimotsuki who does so much for a mere seat change.?

    ?

    But it¡¯s a scary thing that she has to do something like this to break the rotten relationship with her childhood friend.?

    ?

    As soon as I was thinking about this, the morning class started.?

    ?

    ¡°Hi, everyone, good morning. ¡­¡­ Oops, Shiho Shimotsuki, you¡¯re just in time! You¡¯re actually out of time, but it¡¯s only for a few seconds, so I¡¯ll let you off the hook~.¡±?

    ?

    Just as the teacher arrived, Shimotsuki arrived at about the same time. In her hand, she is holding a box that seems to contain lottery tickets.?

    ?

    Unusually, she was just in time today.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    She bowed her head apologetically, though she was too shy to raise her voice. Her face is expressionless, so at first glance she looks unconcerned, but I know she¡¯s actually just nervous and her expression is tense.?

    ?

    Now that I¡¯ve gotten to know her better, I can tell a lot more about her.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is neither emotionless nor unsociable, she is simply a clumsy person who is very shy and has difficulty with human relations.?

    ?

    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s switch seats right away. Shimotsuki-san, did you make the lottery?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yes.¡±?

    ?

    When Suzuki-sensei called out to her, Shimotsuki held out the box she was carrying.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, thank you. Then, come and get it in the order of your attendance number~.¡±?

    ?

    Suzuki-sensei started to change the seats without thinking that she was being cheated on. Our attendance numbers are determined by address, not by alphabetical order, so I was supposed to draw my number after Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho, what¡¯s wrong? You were almost late, did something happen?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nothing.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was still engaging with Shimotsuki, but she seemed annoyed. She was staring at the blackboard without even looking at him.?

    ?

    ¡°If you need anything, just let me know. We¡¯re childhood friends, so don¡¯t be shy. We¡¯re changing seats today, but we¡¯re always close to each other anyway. ¡­¡­ I wonder¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Even though he laughed briskly, Shimotsuki made a face of ignorance.?

    ?

    She really doesn¡¯t seem to like it. ¡­¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s holding back because it¡¯s only until today.?

    ?

    And I¡¯m also looking forward to seeing Ryuzaki¡¯s face when he finds out that he can¡¯t be near Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, Ryuzaki-san, please come and draw the lottery.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯m coming, Suzuki-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a teacher, but you can¡¯t call me chan~¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki drew a lottery. As I watched to see where he would be, he wrote his number in the center seat.?

    ?

    The power of fate is unbelievable.?

    ?

    Though they couldn¡¯t sit next to each other due to irregularities, he took a seat as close to Shimotsuki as possible. In the center, it would be the closest place to the four corners.?

    ?

    (I wonder what would happen in that case?)?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, being the creator of the lottery, is supposed to be the last to draw the lottery. This may be an anti-cheating measure ¡­¡­, so it¡¯s okay for me to choose.?

    ?

    I think I¡¯ll take the back right seat anyway.?

    ?

    That¡¯s where my seat is now. It should be good because the sun won¡¯t shine on her here.?

    ?

    ¡°Then ¡­. Nakagawa ¡­¡­. Nakayama ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    Suzuki-sensei called out my name. She¡¯s my homeroom teacher, but she doesn¡¯t remember me because I¡¯m so shadowy. I¡¯m used to teachers not remembering me, so I didn¡¯t think anything of it.?

    ?

    I went to the front and put my hand into the lottery box on the podium.?

    ?

    I took one of the lots on the upper right rear side and then removed the lots from the three remaining corners.?

    ?

    (Not good¡­¡­. took longer than I thought.)?

    ?

    They probably thought I was messing around.?

    ?

    However, Suzuki-sensei was smiling and laughing, so it was fortunate that people didn¡¯t think I was cheating.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh my? Did you really look forward to the seat change?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. You¡¯re mistaken, but that¡¯s okay.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how it is.¡±?

    ?

    I said the words nonchalantly and showed the teacher my lottery ticket.?

    ?

    Of course, the location was shifted to the right back of the classroom, no ¡­¡­, but one next to it. So, if everything goes according to plan, it looks like Shimotsuki will be sitting in my current seat.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmm?¡±?

    ?

    The only thing that stuck out to me was the dubious look on Ryuzaki¡¯s face.?

    ?

    Well, I guess he doesn¡¯t know. Let¡¯s hope so.?

    ?

    ¡°Okay. Lastly, Shimotsuki-san, here you go~¡±?

    ?

    Then Shimotsuki drew the ticket.?

    ?

    Even though it was the last one, there were still three seats available since there were absentees. One of them is next to Ryuzaki, and if something goes wrong, Shimotsuki will again be bound by a rotten relationship. ¡­¡­ This time, it seems that the power of cheating has won.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, right in the back. Then, subtract the absentees and ¡­¡­. that is it?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki came next to me.?

    ?

    ¡°What !?¡±?

    ?

    It was Ryuzaki who was the most surprised at that time.?

    ?

    His eyes widened and he stared at the blackboard as he leaned forward.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, seriously¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    I almost laughed as I watched the astonishment in his eyes.?

    ?

    Oh, no. ¡­¡­ I can feel myself getting uglier and uglier. But a black emotion filled my heart and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.?

    ?

    Don¡¯t think that everything is going to be the way you want it to be, okay??

    ?

    It seems that the main heroine hates you more than you think¡­

 CH 30

    Childhood Friend¡¯s Demonic Charm¡¡?

    ?

    The cheating of the seat change went off without a hitch.?

    ?

    Thanks to this, my seat is now in the back right corner of the classroom. It was one position off from the back of the class on the hallway side. And in the far corner, Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    In other words, she¡¯s sitting in the same seat I was sitting in a while ago.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad¡­¡­ I was afraid I¡¯d end up next to him again.¡±?

    ?

    Muttering in a small voice, Shimotsuki dropped down as if exhausted.?

    ?

    She put her cheek on the desk and stared at me.?

    ?

    ¡°The plan worked. Thank you.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki thanked me in a small voice, and I shook my head, telling her not to worry about it.?

    ?

    I can do anything for her. No matter how much trouble she gives me, no matter how unreasonable she is, I would gladly give my life for her if it would make her happy.?

    ?

    That¡¯s the extent of Shimotsuki¡¯s existence to me.?

    ?

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    But she looks somewhat awkward.?

    ?

    It seems like she has a lot to say, but when she opens her mouth, it¡¯s only faintly audible, and she breaks off her words unusually quickly.?

    ?

    She usually strings together sentences as if she were rambling, so she doesn¡¯t seem to be in the right frame of mind.?

    ?

    I wondered what the reason was.?

    ?

    I was curious, but the class started and the chatter soon ended.?

    ?

    The Japanese class had started, so I opened my textbook and turned my gaze toward the blackboard.?

    ?

    Then, Ryuzaki, who was naturally in the center of the room, came into view and ¡­¡­ to my surprise, our eyes met.?

    ?

    (What¡¯s wrong with him!? Glaring at me so much, are you jealous of ¡­¡­ the mob?)?

    ?

    Inwardly, black emotions were swirling in my mind, but I was careful not to let them show on my face.?

    ?

    I made a show of pouting, as if I were some kind of optimistic mob character.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki clicks his tongue at me. He turned his gaze away and looked forward. You can¡¯t keep looking behind you because you¡¯re in class. ¡­¡­ Thank goodness I was in the back seat, or I would have had to keep an eye on him.?

    ?

    To be honest, I try to avoid talking to Shimotsuki in front of Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    To him, I had to be a good-natured mob character. I want to be just a stage prop, a dog in an unrequited love affair, not even a trigger for the progress of the story. It¡¯s safer for Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    But now that we¡¯re sitting next to each other in the classroom, we¡¯ll naturally have more opportunities to chat. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s a problem if Ryuzaki sees us, I thought.?

    ?

    Suddenly, I was offered a notebook from next to me.?

    ?

    (¡­¡­¡­¡­What¡¯s this?)?

    ?

    I took it reflexively, but I was confused because I couldn¡¯t understand why.?

    ?

    There was nothing to see on the plain brown notebook. There was nothing written on the cover, so I didn¡¯t know what it was about.?

    ?

    I looked at the person who had given it to me, not knowing why she had given it to me.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, who was right next to me, laughed mischievously and gestured for me to open the notebook.?

    ?

    What in the world is this??

    ?

    I open the first page. On the first page, there was written the following.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho and Nakayama-kun¡¯s Diary¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ What? You¡¯re in elementary school????

    ?

    I didn¡¯t expect to have to do an exchange diary when I was in high school, so I was a little suspicious that Shimotsuki wasn¡¯t actually in elementary school.?

    ?

    No, well, I know that¡¯s not possible.?

    ?

    Although her body is thin and small, Shimotsuki is a definite high school student.?

    ?

    In other words, she simply wants to have an exchange diary.?

    ?

    ¡°To Nakayama-kun. In my previous life, I was a small animal with a strong sense of identity, so I can¡¯t talk well in public. That¡¯s why I came up with the idea ¡­¡­. That¡¯s right, if we can¡¯t talk, why don¡¯t we write a diary like this? I thought.¡±?

    ?

    I read through the text.?

    ?

    Perhaps it was because she had decided to start a diary in a serious way, but compared to her last random letter, she seemed to be trying harder to use kanji. However, the number of strokes and the fact that she didn¡¯t seem to know any difficult kanji made it look like an elementary school composition.?

    ?

    However, I could feel her feelings.?

    ?

    She was too nervous to speak well in the presence of others, but she still wanted to communicate with me, so she came up with the idea of an exchange diary.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t believe there are such pure girls out there.¡¡?

    ?

    I thought she was like a elementary school student, but ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not a bad thing.?

    ?

    It¡¯s the innocence that keeps you as innocent as a child even when you¡¯re in high school that makes men¡¯ hearts flutter.?

    ?

    I am sure that Shimotsuki has never been stained with any one particular color.?

    ?

    She is colorless, transparent and ¡­¡­, which makes you desire to dye her with your own colors.?

    ?

    There is a certain charm about her that makes me desire to have her heart all to myself.?

    ?

    I wonder if that is why Ryuzaki is also captivated by Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how much of a demonic charm she seems to have.?

    ?

    If I hadn¡¯t been aware that I was a mob character, I would have been in danger.?

    ?

    I might have misunderstood and become strongly conscious of Shimotsuki as a member of the opposite sex.?

    ?

    That would have been unreasonable.?

    ?

    Just being friends is enough, but a relationship beyond that is ¡­¡­ aspired to, but there was also a sense of resignation that it was still impossible.?

    ?

    At least, I¡¯m afraid to remain a mob character.?

    ?

    So I won¡¯t be misunderstood. I picked up the mechanical pencil, eliminating all feelings except those of a friend.?

    ?

    ¡°All right. Pleasure to work with you.¡±?

    ?

    I wrote a short, single sentence and returned the note to Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    She took it with an excited look on her face, but her lips twitched in frustration, as if she was disappointed.?

    ?

    Maybe she wanted me to write something longer. No, was it too plain??

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, no matter. I can continue to keep the diary while trying to figure out what kind of text would satisfy Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    But this is good.?

    ?

    I thought this was a good idea, because I could communicate with Shimotsuki without worrying about Ryuzaki¡¯s eyes¡­

 CH 31

    The Main Character¡¯s Unnecessary Meddling?

    ?

    After class, I decided to go to the bathroom.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡±?

    ?

    As I was leaving, Shimotsuki looked lonely, but I was just going to the bathroom, so don¡¯t look at me like that¡­¡­. Like a baby bird left behind in the nest.?

    ?

    And since Shimotsuki is shy and doesn¡¯t talk much in class, I don¡¯t think it makes a difference whether I¡¯m there or not.?

    ?

    I think ¡­¡­, but maybe it¡¯s different for Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Apparently, she seems to be at ease just knowing that I am next to her.?

    ?

    She looks at me all the time, and when our eyes meet, she smiles at me. ¡­¡­ An unexpected smile is bad for the heart because it makes me nervous.?

    ?

    I still can¡¯t get used to it because I have no idea why she misses me so much.?

    ?

    She really is a strange girl.?

    ?

    I finished my business while thinking about that.?

    ?

    I wonder if the reason I¡¯m walking so fast is because I¡¯m subconsciously trying not to keep Shimotsuki waiting.?

    ?

    I was thinking of returning to the classroom as soon as possible, but on the way ¡­¡­, I was interrupted.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey. Nakayama, do you have a minute?¡±?

    ?

    The one leaning against the wall in the hallway was Ryoma Ryuzaki, the protagonist.?

    ?

    Do you have a minute? It was a formal question, but he didn¡¯t care about my answer. He didn¡¯t even wait for an answer, he just came at me.?

    ?

    ¡°Did you do something during the seat change? To my eyes, it looked like you were cheating.¡±?

    ?

    I knew he suspected it.?

    ?

    I was expecting to be questioned like this, since I had seen the suspicious look on his face during the lottery.?

    ?

    I was already prepared to fake it.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I laughed in a funny way. I tried to play the role of a good-natured mob, trying to play it off.?

    ?

    ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±?

    ?

    It wasn¡¯t because I was upset that I didn¡¯t hesitate to say something.?

    ?

    It was a trap to mislead Ryuzaki¡¯s perception.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re hiding something, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re chewing on your words a lot.¡±?

    ?

    He clenched his fists and took another step closer to me. He grabbed me by the chest as hard as he could.?

    ?

    He was quick to show his hands. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s how annoyed he was.?

    ?

    The protagonist is obnoxious.?

    ?

    ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll be honest with you, ¡­¡­, so please forgive me~.¡±?

    ?

    Like a dog that has been bitten, I show a slumped posture.?

    ?

    I was worried that I was overacting, but Ryuzaki was not calm and did not seem to notice the difference.?

    ?

    ¡°Tell me quickly. What did you do?¡±?

    ?

    Okay, he¡¯s saying it well.?

    ?

    While laughing inwardly, I made a troubled expression on my face and said the answer I had prepared in advance.?

    ?

    ¡°I was just cheating on the lottery. ¡­¡­ If I didn¡¯t do that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get close to Shimotsuki-san, whom I adore.¡±?

    ?

    Half of it is true, half of it is a lie.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not really my fault, but ¡­¡­ I wanted to make sure that Ryuzaki knew that this cheating was planned by me.?

    ?

    To make Ryuzaki realize that this is ¡®just a miserable mob character¡¯ struggling painfully.?

    ?

    ¡°But, Shimotsuki-san is always so naive that it hasn¡¯t worked out so well¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    At the same time, I casually pretended that it was a failure to make Ryuzaki feel less jealous.?

    ?

    It will make the protagonist feel much better.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I see. You cheated after all, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve done something clever. ¡­.. Shiho is a serious person, she doesn¡¯t like that kind of thing. You can¡¯t get people to like you stupidly for cheating.¡±?

    ?

    This seems to have taken some of the frustration away.?

    ?

    With a sigh, Ryuzaki let me go.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a tip, okay?¡±?

    ?

    He then gave me the advice that a protagonist should appreciate.?

    ?

    ¡°There have been many men who have fallen in love with Shiho like you. ¡­¡­ All of them have been crushed. I¡¯m not sure what to say. She¡¯s not interested in other people. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯s the type who only opens up to the person she¡¯s married to. So don¡¯t be too pushy.¡±?

    ?

    I almost laughed at that statement.?

    ?

    (Shimotsuki is serious? Not interested in others? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    She¡¯s quite the prankster.?

    ?

    She often teases me and laughs at me like a little devil.?

    ?

    And it¡¯s not that she¡¯s not interested in other people.?

    ?

    It¡¯s just that she¡¯s too shy to chat with others.?

    ?

    And yet, Ryuzaki¡¯s misconception of Shimotsuki was a little scary, as he misunderstood her in a way that suited him.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯d better give up on Shiho. This is for your own good. ¡­¡­ Taking on a reckless challenge is not a bad idea, but you¡¯d better step aside before you get too hurt.¡±?

    ?

    With serious good intentions, the protagonist-sama gives me unnecessary fuss.?

    ?

    I wanted to say this out loud to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    It¡¯s none of your business¡­.

 CH 32

    Does the protagonist really love his childhood friend??

    ?

    Early June. I think we need air conditioning by now, but our school seems to be reluctant to pay the electricity bill, so we haven¡¯t turned it on yet.?

    ?

    Instead, the windows are fully open to let the air flow in. However, it didn¡¯t make much of a difference to me as all that came in was a lukewarm breeze.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho had been popular since elementary school. A lot of guys confessed to her, but she turned them all down. ¡­¡­ They didn¡¯t even take her seriously. She¡¯s that kind of girl. ¡­¡­ She¡¯s serious, she¡¯s strong, and she¡¯s determined to only let her heart go out to the person she¡¯s going to marry when she grows up.¡±?

    ?

    I walked up to the open window, listening to the protagonist¡¯s appreciative speech.?

    ?

    Frowning at the lukewarm breeze, I wiped the sweat from my forehead.?

    ?

    I heard that in the past, schools tried to keep the air conditioner off as much as possible, but recently, more and more schools are turning it on to prevent heat stroke. I wish my school would follow their example.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, maybe this is set up so that the protagonist can cause an event.?

    ?

    That¡¯s it. It is a kind of promise that the uniforms of sweaty female students are transparent. The main character has a good time with it, and the girls seen aren¡¯t too happy about it, so it creates a good situation ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    I remember that my best friend Kirari used to read light novels to get along with me because she liked them.?

    ?

    I neither liked nor disliked them, so I¡¯m not passionate enough to call it a hobby, but Kirari seemed to enjoy it when we talked about them¡­.., and that made me happy.?

    ?

    I wonder who Kirari is talking to about it now??

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, she¡¯s not talking to anyone anymore, is she??

    ?

    Ryuzaki told me that he likes girls with flashy colors, so so I dyed my own hair and pretended to be a flashy girl to fit the bill.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m sure she hasn¡¯t even told Ryuzaki that she likes light novels.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, are you listening to me?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, yeah. I¡¯m listening.¡±?

    ?

    Oops, I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I¡¯ve been in a daze, so I haven¡¯t really thought about it. But it didn¡¯t seem to be worth it, so what was the problem??

    ?

    In any case, he was just showing off the information about how much he knew about Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    And it¡¯s a wrong understanding, so I¡¯m just confused when it¡¯s told to me.?

    ?

    ¡°In short, I should give up on Shimotsuki, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Even I, a childhood friend, took a long time to get along with her. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s impossible for a guy who just suddenly became a classmate.¡±?

    ?

    Yeah, I think so too. It¡¯s unheard of for the main heroine to find specialness in a mere mob character, isn¡¯t it??

    ?

    Shimotsuki really is a strange girl. I agree with that, but I think ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki probably doesn¡¯t get along with her, you know??

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been lucky. It¡¯s like we¡¯re childhood friends and we¡¯re specially close to each other. ¡­¡­ Looking at you, it kind of hurts my heart. You should not have a painful love.¡±?

    ?

    The fact that they are childhood friends makes the equation that they are close. ¡­¡­ The relationship of childhood friends seems to be the absolute solution for the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it or leave it. That¡¯s my motto, hit and miss!¡±?

    ?

    Acting like an optimistic person was tiring, but I had to go along with Ryuzaki until he was satisfied. It is not possible for a mob character to not go along with the protagonist¡¯s wishes.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you because you might really break, but are you really that stupid ¡­¡­? Do you know that?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve been saying that since before ¡­¡­, does Ryuzaki like Shimotsuki-san? Oh, by the way, you haven¡¯t made that clear yet!¡¡As your rival, I¡¯m curious about that, so tell me.¡±?

    ?

    Oh, I think I did a good job of acting that one.?

    ?

    It¡¯s the kind of line you¡¯d expect to hear from a mob character who¡¯s merely a dog.?

    ?

    And yet, I can ask him what I¡¯m really interested in.?

    ?

    In the past, I¡¯ve been somewhat aware that Ryuzaki has a liking for Shimotsuki, but he has never mentioned it to me ¡­¡­ clearly.?

    ?

    No matter what happens, it won¡¯t change the outcome, and I wouldn¡¯t mind hearing it.?

    ?

    I already know that he likes Shimotsuki. From what he has said and done so far, he seems to be absolutely aware of it. So, the only difference is whether or not he is expressing those feelings.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I want to know what kind of response he will give.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not like he¡¯s the kind of person who would just say, ¡°I love her¡± ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Because he is the protagonist with a harem attitude.?

    ?

    Indecisiveness is his patent.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I like her, but she¡¯s my ¡­¡­ childhood friend, so it¡¯s only natural that we be together. She¡¯s like my sister, my family¡­¡­, and I have to make her happy. So I¡¯d say I like her, but not exactly like you like her¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    What??

    ?

    When I saw Ryuzaki¡¯s sluggishness, I had a concern.?

    ?

    I thought for sure that Ryuzaki liked Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    (Does this guy ¡­¡­ really like Shimotsuki?)?

    ?

    I felt that it was not a normal feeling of love.?

    ?

    If I were to compare it to that, it would be like having a pet.?

    ?

    It¡¯s natural to take care of her, it¡¯s natural to protect her, and therefore she has the right to have her tail between her legs. I felt a chill down my spine, thinking that this is the kind of twisted love.?

    ?

    (So this is what the ¡­¡­ harem route is like.)?

    ?

    I had thought that Ryuzaki was the protagonist of a story in which he had a harem mentality but loved one girl.?

    ?

    But he¡¯s not. Isn¡¯t this guy trying to go the harem route after loving Shimotsuki with all his heart??

    ?

    I almost got goosebumps at such a horrifying prospect.?

    ?

    A sentence I had seen before flashed through my mind.?

    ?

    The protagonist in the story had said.?

    ?

    ¡°I like all of you! But each one of you has a different form of ¡®love,¡¯ so you¡¯re equal!¡±?

    ?

    One heroine loved as the opposite sex.?

    ?

    Another heroine loved as a friend.?

    ?

    Another heroine loved as a benefactor.?

    ?

    Other heroines loved as family.?

    ?

    So he can love them all equally.?

    ?

    He will make everyone happy.?

    ?

    He wanted everyone to be loved only by him ¨C I remembered such an arrogant story.?

    ?

    Originally, I wondered if Shimotsuki would have been a part of it.?

    ?

    I think she was framed as a childhood friend, and was added to the harem.?

    ?

    But to call it ¡°love¡±, I think the form is too distorted.?

    ?

    That¡¯s not love.?

    ?

    It¡¯s just selfishness.

 CH 33

    The Opposite of ¡°Love¡± is not ¡°Hate¡± but ¡°Indifference¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You can¡¯t help but be desperate for Shiho, but don¡¯t be too shabby, okay? This is the only time I¡¯ll overlook your cheating.¡±?

    ?

    He must have finished what he wanted to say.?

    ?

    It seems that Ryuzaki is finally ready to let me go.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho and I have known each other since childhood, so we were supposed to be next to each other again this time¡­. I¡¯m going to pretend that this time I¡¯ve been beaten. You¡¯re pretty good at this.¡±?

    ?

    How can someone say that from that viewpoint of the top??

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s not unnatural because he¡¯s actually the top.?

    ?

    He¡¯s the protagonist, and I¡¯m a mob character, so the hierarchy of our positions is clear.?

    ?

    The reason why I get annoyed every time is simply because I hate Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I still hate Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I have the same feelings for Ryuzaki as Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, oh. Thank you for letting me off the hook this time. It¡¯s not very promising, but I¡¯m not giving up.¡±?

    ?

    However, if I were to argue or retort, the conversation with Ryuzaki would continue.?

    ?

    So I gave him a bland reply and broke off the conversation.?

    ?

    Thanks to this, Ryuzaki seemed to be satisfied.?

    ?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the classroom.¡±?

    ?

    After saying that, he turned his back on me and walked into the classroom.?

    ?

    He headed towards the center of the room where he had taken his new seat. The protagonist¡¯s opportunism is very frightening because the sub-heroines are surrounding him tightly.?

    ?

    The sub-heroines seem to be relieved to be near Ryuzaki safely.?

    ?

    Even now, I¡¯m even more jealous of him than usual when he comes back. Of course, Azusa, Yuzuki and Kirari were among them.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure that if I hadn¡¯t cheated, Shimotsuki would have been among them. I¡¯m glad that didn¡¯t happen¡­¡­, but yes, her seat was in the corner.?

    ?

    (Maybe she heard us talking¡­¡­.?)?

    ?

    Shimotsuki has a keen sense of hearing.?

    ?

    It is very likely that she heard our conversation because she is sensitive to sound.?

    ?

    (Not good. ¡­¡­ I let my guard down.)?

    ?

    What if she heard our conversation??

    ?

    I have no idea what kind of feelings Shimotsuki will have. Will she be dismayed, angry, sad, or happy? ¡­¡­ Hopefully, not too negative.?

    ?

    With this in mind, I returned to the classroom.?

    ?

    The first thing I did was to check on Shimotsuki. She was in her seat, holding both ears.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ What are you doing?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ugh.¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but call out to her. But Shimotsuki didn¡¯t seem to hear anything, she didn¡¯t even notice me.?

    ?

    I had no choice but to wave my hand in front of her to make my presence known.?

    ?

    Instantly, she looked at me and her expression brightened.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun. You¡¯re late. I was waiting for you ¡­¡­. Here, let¡¯s do the diary.¡±?

    ?

    The fact that she doesn¡¯t talk much and her voice is very low is probably due to the fact that her classmates are around her.?

    ?

    As usual, she¡¯s shy. Her voice is so low that I can only hear her if I¡¯m sitting next to her.?

    ?

    ¡°Okay, but ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki, did you by any chance hear our conversation earlier?¡±?

    ?

    She wanted to do an exchange diary, but I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯ll have to wait.?

    ?

    What I was curious about was whether or not she had heard the conversation between me and Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    When I asked her about it, Shimotsuki made a blatantly disgusted face.?

    ?

    ¡°I know that Nakayama-kun was chatting with that person just now. But I don¡¯t want to hear just the sound of that man, so I basically cover my ears when I hear his voice. So I didn¡¯t hear the conversation.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t listening ¡­¡­, that¡¯s okay.¡±?

    ?

    Anyway, she seems to be uncomfortable with Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Speaking of which, she covered her ears earlier and ¡­¡­ probably isn¡¯t even lying to me. In front of me, Shimotsuki¡¯s emotions show on her face and are easy to understand. I can even tell if she¡¯s lying or not.?

    ?

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. Let¡¯s keep a diary. Here, I¡¯ve been working hard on my writing. Read it, read it.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki pushed the diary to me.?

    ?

    Hmm, what can I say, ¡­¡­ too much, I felt like she was not interested in Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about what Ryuzaki is talking about?¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t like Ryuzaki either, but it¡¯s because I don¡¯t like him that I¡¯m curious about what he¡¯s up to. If Shimotsuki disliked him as well, she could have overheard the conversation.?

    ?

    I was curious, so I asked her frankly.?

    ?

    Then she said with a puzzled look on her face.?

    ?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me at all. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re asking me that. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t really care what he says.¡±?

    ?

    She looked deeply uninterested.?

    ?

    She looked at me as if she was in a physics class, and finally realized something.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki and I don¡¯t hate Ryuzaki in the same way.?

    ?

    In fact, I¡¯m the only one who hates Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is completely ¡°indifferent¡± to that guy.?

    ?

    In a way, that¡¯s even crueler than the feeling of dislike.?

    ?

    There is a saying that the opposite of love is indifference.?

    ?

    Besides, a romantic comedy that starts with a big dislike is a standard story. If Shimotsuki had disliked Ryuzaki, there might have been such a development.?

    ?

    However, Shimotsuki is not interested in Ryuzaki. Probably, she neither likes nor dislikes him, but just concentrates her feelings of ¡°dislike¡±.?

    ?

    If Ryuzaki knew that, what would he think??

    ?

    Wouldn¡¯t he break down and give up? ¡­¡­ No, well, that¡¯s not likely.?

    ?

    Because that guy is the protagonist.?

    ?

    He is the one who will never give up until he is tied to the main heroine.

 CH 34

    The Life of a Mob Character begins to fade?

    ?

    A week has passed since the day we switched seats.?

    ?

    Ever since the lottery, I feel like Ryuzaki¡¯s gaze has increased.?

    ?

    ¡°Hello, Nakayama. Good morning.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Ah, yes. Good morning.¡±?

    ?

    When I came to school in the morning, he started to talk to me.?

    ?

    But that doesn¡¯t mean that Ryuzaki and I have become friends. If anything, Ryuzaki seems to be wary of me.?

    ?

    That¡¯s it. It¡¯s like a security guard who dares to greet a suspicious person.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m always watching you.¡±?

    ?

    I felt as if I was being told that, and I was sick of it.?

    ?

    Well, fortunately, I think he still recognizes me as a ¡®mob character¡¯ for now, so there is no danger.?

    ?

    It¡¯s also unfortunate that Shimotsuki is shy and keeps quiet in the classroom. Our interactions are basically in the diary, and we don¡¯t have any open conversations at all.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure she¡¯d like to talk a lot, but if she does, Ryuzaki will witness it and will probably become very conscious of me.?

    ?

    If he becomes even more hostile than he already is, I won¡¯t be able to remain a mob character. I¡¯ll become a character that opposes the main character, and that guy might try to fight me.?

    ?

    If that happens, the main heroine, Shimotsuki, will be in trouble. It¡¯s not what I want.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I wonder if I should keep my distance a bit.?

    ?

    I think I¡¯ve become too friendly with Shimotsuki. This made Ryuzaki wary of her, and it didn¡¯t seem like a good idea.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want Shimotsuki to feel sad because of me.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s important for me to remove my presence as a mob character. It was a natural thing to do since it was a minor role that did not affect the progress of the story.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking.?

    ?

    But she still would not allow me to do so.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, hey, Nakayama-kun. Do you think studying will be useful in the future?¡¡No, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be useful. There¡¯s no such thing as equations, and thinking about numbers in terms of a, b, x, y, variables? It¡¯s absolutely ridiculous to think of numbers in terms of a, b, x, y, and henceforth.¡±?

    ?

    It was after school.?

    ?

    The midterm exams are coming up soon, and even the study-phobic Shimotsuki seems to have finally gotten in the mood to buckle down. It was already a little late since it was three days before the exam, but she was studying.?

    ?

    The place was my house.?

    ?

    No, ¡­¡­ I know it¡¯s not good. I¡¯ve become too intimate with her and I suggested that we study at my house for the exam. But Shimotsuki didn¡¯t want that.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t study at home. But my mom will scold me if I¡¯m too silly, so I want to study. ¡­¡­ My dad doesn¡¯t scold me, but I still want him to praise me. So, please, ¡­¡­ study with me.¡±?

    ?

    She¡¯s the type of person who can¡¯t concentrate when she¡¯s alone.?

    ?

    She said that there were too many temptations in her room.?

    ?

    ¡°Also, it would be nice if you could ¡­¡­ teach me. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m proud of, but I¡¯m in the bottom half of the class and I¡¯m so dumb that even I¡¯m surprised, so please take care of me!¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m not that smart either, my grades are a little below average.?

    ?

    But compared to me, Shimotsuki¡¯s grades are totally low.?

    ?

    She is quite a clumsy girl.?

    ?

    She looks perfect, and her tone and gestures are elegant, giving off the vibe that she¡¯s intelligent, but what¡¯s inside ¡­¡­ is quite interesting.?

    ?

    She is a heroine in her own right, with her own unique character. When she asked me to do something for her, there was no way I could say no as I was only a mob character.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why Shimotsuki was at my house for the entire exam period.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I still feel like we¡¯re getting too close.?

    ?

    After school, Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t interfere with Shimotsuki, so so far the secret meeting between her and I hasn¡¯t been exposed.?

    ?

    But I was scared that he might find out by chance.?

    ?

    This makes him seem like an interloper.?

    ?

    I think I am a little too obvious for a mob character.?

    ?

    I hope nothing happens ¡­?

    ?

    My life as a mob character is slowly starting to fall apart.?

    ?

    When the midterm exams are over, our school starts an overnight training program.?

    ?

    It is an important event in the school romantic comedy.?

    ?

    This is the time when the protagonist plays the most active role and the story starts to move rapidly.?

    ?

    To be honest, I was worried about whether I would be able to remain a mob character at that time¡­¡­.

 CH 35

    Turning point?

    ?

    I have some concerns about the overnight training, but first let me congratulate Shimotsuki for avoiding red marks.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, look! I got a 32 on my math test. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m so happy I¡¯m going to cry. My mom and dad were so happy, and they praised me so much! Yesterday, they made my favorite hamburger steak. I was so happy. ¡­¡­ This is all thanks to you, Nakayama-kun. Thank you!¡±?

    ?

    After school, Shimotsuki came to my house and smiled with tears in her eyes.?

    ?

    It seems that she was very happy to have avoided a red mark.?

    ?

    She was so happy that she grabbed my hand and started shaking it around. It may have been a handshake, but ¡­¡­ please don¡¯t do skinship unexpectedly. I¡¯m so nervous, it¡¯s bad for my heart.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re a great friend, Nakayama-kun. ¡­¡­ Thank you so much for helping me with my brain, which is not absorbing like a torn up sponge. I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t remember things well, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No ¡­. It¡¯s just that Shimotsuki worked so hard, and your efforts properly showed in the results. Congratulations.¡±?

    ?

    My help was really minimal.?

    ?

    It seems that Shimotsuki is a proper ¡°can do anything¡± girl. You can say that it is natural that the efforts are reflected in the results, since she is the main heroine.?

    ?

    I¡¯m a little jealous of that, because I¡¯m a mob character whose efforts don¡¯t lead to results.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ There was a time when I studied hard to catch up with my smart childhood friend Yuzuki, even if only a little. At that time, I thought I was the protagonist, and if I studied hard, I was sure I could catch up.?

    ?

    But the results were not so good. In hindsight, I can¡¯t blame myself for that since I was a mob character. It is because the value of the character remains the same no matter how you do it that the character is cast as a mob.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that I¡¯m finally free from my studies. That¡¯s very good, but ¡­¡­ we have to have an overnight program this time, don¡¯t we? Ugh, I don¡¯t want to stay in a place other than my home and Nakayama¡¯s home¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, who is an indoor person, seems to be dreading the existence of the overnight program.?

    ?

    For her, it would be one disaster after another.?

    ?

    ¡°Ugh, ¡­¡­, this is going to remind me of something bad. I¡¯ve always been in the same group with him. When I was in junior high school, I had a fever because I hated the school trip so much. If it weren¡¯t for Nakayama-kun, I¡¯m sure I would catch a cold this time too.¡±?

    ?

    I wonder if colds can be manipulated at will.?

    ?

    Well, no. I think she meant that she would take a normal day off.?

    ?

    It seems that she and Ryuzaki have always been connected through their rotten relationship.?

    ?

    But this time, she¡¯s not going to take a day off.?

    ?

    The reason is.?

    ?

    ¡°If Nakayama-kun were present, I might be able to enjoy the overnight learning program a little more. ¡­¡­ But it doesn¡¯t mean that we will definitely be in the same group. ¡­¡­ Oh, I¡¯m still worried. I think I¡¯m going to be very bored without you.¡±?

    ?

    Because I¡¯m there.?

    ?

    It¡¯s still strange that Shimotsuki trusts me so much.?

    ?

    But if she was relying on me, I wanted to help her as much as I could.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to be in the group with you.¡±?

    ?

    Maybe Ryuzaki will try to bring Shimotsuki into the group. And since I¡¯m a hindrance to him, he probably won¡¯t let me join the group.?

    ?

    If that happens, we¡¯ll be separated.?

    ?

    I hoped, along with Shimotsuki, that we could be in the same group ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    But our fears were unfounded.?

    ?

    The next day, during the class period, we had to decide on the groups for the overnight learning program.?

    ?

    At that moment, to my surprise, Ryuzaki approached me.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Nakayama. You haven¡¯t decided on a group, have you? If so, why don¡¯t you join my group?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CI was taken by surprise.?

    ?

    I hadn¡¯t expected him to invite me.?

    ?

    Maybe this was a turning point in the story.?

    ?

    Is it possible that the most important part of the story, the beginning, middle and end, is about to begin??

    ?

    If so, it was ¡­¡­ very scary.

 CH 36

    Done being satisfied with being just a childhood friend?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama, do you have a minute? I¡¯d like to include you in the group, so let¡¯s talk.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki, who was sitting in his seat, beckoned me over.?

    ?

    I was surprised because I didn¡¯t expect to be asked to join the group.?

    ?

    To be honest, I wanted to refuse, but if I did, I would be disbelieved.?

    ?

    A mob character should not be able to defy the will of the main character.?

    ?

    As soon as I rebelled, Ryuzaki would become more aware of me¡­¡­, which was not convenient.?

    ?

    It¡¯s no use, I¡¯ll just do as he says.?

    ?

    ¡°All right.¡±?

    ?

    I stood up from my seat and headed for the center of the classroom where Ryuzaki¡¯s seat was.?

    ?

    ¡°Muu ¡­¡±?

    ?

    I can¡¯t help but notice that Shimotsuki looks at me and puffs out her cheeks in frustration. She and I have recently agreed to be in a group together. I want to make her wish come true as much as possible, but I¡¯m not sure how it will turn out.?

    ?

    For the overnight learning program, we were supposed to form groups of four boys and four girls each, for a total of eight people.?

    ?

    I¡¯m a mob character, so I only have Shimotsuki as a friend. So there was no one else who I could form a group with.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I should have been grateful for Ryuzaki¡¯s invitation.?

    ?

    However, I don¡¯t like this guy.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to be in a group with him, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not in a position to stand up to the protagonist head on, so it¡¯s hard to answer.?

    ?

    Ideally, Shimotsuki and I would be together and Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s group would be somewhere else. ¡­¡­ It seems that Shimotsuki and I didn¡¯t have the human skills to do that.?

    ?

    ¡°It looks like most of the other groups have already decided. You are the only one left, right? Our group needs one more person, so come on.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s what he¡¯s saying on the surface, but I can¡¯t help feeling that there¡¯s more to it.?

    ?

    Otherwise, there is no reason for Ryuzaki to invite me. I¡¯m sure he has some idea of what he¡¯s doing and is trying to get me to join the group.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to do what Ryuzaki wants. ¡­¡­ No, no, no. There is no reason to refuse. It seems that you can¡¯t go against the words of the protagonist. ¡­¡­ I guess this is the fate of mob characters.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sorry, Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    It¡¯s going to be difficult to fulfill your ideal.?

    ?

    But there is still a chance to avoid the worst.?

    ?

    At the very least, Shimotsuki should not be in the same group as Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t care what happens to me as long as that girl doesn¡¯t feel bad. ¡­¡­ Well, what should I do??

    ?

    ¡°What are you confused about?¡¡¡­¡­ Oh, I see. Do you hate it when Shiho isn¡¯t around?¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯ve got Ryuzaki mistakenly thinking that ¡®I favor Shimotsuki¡¯.?

    ?

    I thought about how I could use that to my advantage and get away with it.?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s true. ¡­¡­ But I don¡¯t like the idea of Shimotsuki-san being with you, my rival. Hmm, that¡¯s right! Let¡¯s put Shimotsuki-san in a separate group for equality. This time, why don¡¯t we develop a friendship between men without worrying about the opposite sex?¡±?

    ?

    Acting as the same nimble mob character as ever, I tried to keep Shimotsuki out of Ryuzaki¡¯s clutches somehow.?

    ?

    But it was impossible.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to invite Shiho to join the group this time. I¡¯ve just asked Azusa and the others to invite her.¡±?

    ?

    He grinned and gave me a fearless smile.?

    ?

    I turned around in a huff and before I knew it, Azusa and the others were talking to Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°You can¡¯t blame them for getting along with a guy, right? And since you¡¯re my rival, ¡­¡­ let¡¯s play fair and square, shall we?¡¡You¡¯ve been acting suspiciously for a while now. It¡¯s time for me to stop being satisfied with being just a childhood friend.¡±?

    ?

    That declaration sent a chill down my spine.?

    ?

    No matter what I say, the story won¡¯t stop now. The mob characters don¡¯t have the power to interrupt the story.?

    ?

    So the only hope left was for Shimotsuki to refuse the invitation.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan, I got Shimotsuki-san¡¯s consent too~¡±?

    ?

    I was almost nodding my head when I heard Azusa¡¯s report when she came back.?

    ?

    What a surprise, Shimotsuki seems to have accepted the invitation even though Ryuzaki is there.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t stop it.?

    ?

    The story accelerates.

 CH 37

    Not being with you is more painful than being with someone I don¡¯t like?

    ?

    I wonder why Shimotsuki accepted the invitation.?

    ?

    The members of the overnight learning program are supposed to be made up of four men and four women. Of course, Azusa, Yuzuki, and Kirari, the girls in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s harem, will be with us.?

    ?

    And it seems that Shimotsuki has joined the rest of us.?

    ?

    Why did she join the group when she had said she was not good with Ryuzaki so much??

    ?

    Could it be that she didn¡¯t know that she was going to be in a group with Ryuzaki??

    ?

    I was so worried that I couldn¡¯t help but ask.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, did you like our overnight learning group?¡±?

    ?

    It was after school.?

    ?

    As usual, she came to my house and nodded her head as she ate the cake I offered her as a snack.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes.¡±?

    ?

    She seemed to be busy munching on the cake and was just moving her mouth without saying anything else. I felt a little impatient, since she was usually so chatty that she would explain things to me without even asking.?

    ?

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay? The group that Shimotsuki belonged to also has ¡­¡­ that guy, you know? Do you know that Ryuzaki will also be working as part of the same group?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±?

    ?

    She nodded again, and this time began to gulp down her juice.?

    ?

    I wondered if she didn¡¯t mind being in a group with Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    She is carefree and relaxed enough to enjoy a good snack.?

    ?

    She had always had such a hard time with Ryuzaki, but her ¡­¡­ natural attitude seemed unnatural in contrast.?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you hate it?¡±?

    ?

    You can¡¯t get what you want out of a roundabout question.?

    ?

    So I asked her frankly.?

    ?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it painful to be with Ryuzaki?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, who had finally finished his snack time, smiled and answered my question.?

    ?

    ¡°No? Because it¡¯s more painful not to be with you than to be with someone I¡¯m not fond of.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    It was a surprise.?

    ?

    ¨CThe pure words hit my heart.?

    ?

    The reason was simple.?

    ?

    In Shimotsuki¡¯s mind, I probably have a bigger impact than Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    She¡¯s become so fond of me that she can paint over the feeling of being uncomfortable with him.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t get used to such words of affirmation no matter how many times I hear them.?

    ?

    If there hadn¡¯t been someone to give me such special words, I would have felt much happier.?

    ?

    I feel like it¡¯s not fair.?

    ?

    I feel like a fool for worrying so much about it.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, I¡¯m sure the overnight learning program won¡¯t be fun, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to being with you. I hope I can make at least one memory with you. I¡¯m so nervous that I¡¯m going to have some weird fantasies.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CWhat kind of weird fantasies??

    ?

    If I hear that now, I have a feeling that the relationship between Shimotsuki and I will change dramatically.?

    ?

    If I were the protagonist of the story, I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist asking that question.?

    ?

    But I¡¯m a mob character.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not good enough for her. I have no personality, no character, and am just a symbol.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is too good for such a person.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t step out of my comfort zone.?

    ?

    ¡°Let¡¯s make some memories¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    The words I finally managed to reply were bland and ordinary.?

    ?

    It was probably not the words that Shimotsuki was really looking for.?

    ?

    However, she is still pleased.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes! I hope it will be wonderful ¡­¡­. Ehehehe.¡±?

    ?

    The smile on her face was a little different from her usual smile ¨C it had a hint of color to it.?

    ?

    If I were to use a literary analogy, it would be ¡­¡­ something like this.?

    ?

    It was a lovely smile, like that of a maiden in love.

 CH 38

    Foreshadowing?

    ?

    It seems that the overnight learning program is an annual event called the Orientation Camp.?

    ?

    In June, when the new students are getting used to school, and as a reward for finishing the mid-term exams, the school makes various arrangements for us.?

    ?

    The location was a nature park about two hours away by bus. We were told that we would be able to sleep in the accommodations there.?

    ?

    The main thing to do was to socialize.?

    ?

    Suzuki-sensei, the homeroom teacher, explained that the purpose of the trip was to help the students get to know their classmates better once they had learned their names and faces.?

    ?

    Outdoor cooking, recreational activities, a test of courage, and a campfire were all planned for now.?

    ?

    The school may think that the students will be happy, but for someone like me, who doesn¡¯t have many friends and isn¡¯t very active in socializing, it¡¯s quite a pain.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki, who is an indoor person, seemed to feel the same way as I did, and didn¡¯t look too happy when the day arrived.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m so depressed that I would have caught a cold and fallen asleep if it weren¡¯t for Nakayama-kun.¡±?

    ?

    The students were to meet in the schoolyard, so we were outside.?

    ?

    We were dressed in the school¡¯s designated school uniform. It¡¯s a dark blue jersey, and it¡¯s plain, but when Shimotsuki wears it, it makes any outfit look good.?

    ?

    Moreover, today she was wearing a straw hat, probably to protect herself from the sun. It¡¯s a mystery why she chose to wear a straw hat instead of a regular cap, but it looks good on her, so it¡¯s not a problem.?

    ?

    Compared to the other girls around her, she looked so cute today that she seemed to sparkle and shine.?

    ?

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of staring and ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t speak.¡±?

    ?

    Her speech was lower than usual, probably because she was nervous. Shimotsuki¡¯s inability to speak well is endearing in its own way, though.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­. Oh, by the way, the seats on the bus are in order of attendance, right? Does that mean you¡¯ll be next to that person?¡±?

    ?

    In our school, attendance numbers are not determined by alphabetical order, but by the order of address. So, Shimotsuki and Ryuzaki are neighbors.?

    ?

    I guess she hates that and can¡¯t help it.?

    ?

    She laughed elegantly and said.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh. I have a constitution that makes me prone to bus sickness. ¡­¡­ So I¡¯ll have to move my seat so I don¡¯t vomit on the person next to me. Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to ask Suzuki-sensei to help me.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki runs off with a thud. What¡¯s the setting? ¡­¡­ She just put it on. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how much she hates being next to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I wonder if the lightness of her footsteps is due to her weight. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s as if she has angel wings.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, this is a hallucination.?

    ?

    Lately, Shimotsuki has been looking unusually cute. The more I get to know her, the more I become infatuated with her charms.?

    ?

    I feel like she¡¯s going to become a deity in a little while.?

    ?

    So it seems that Shimotsuki was able to escape from being next to Ryuzaki after asking Suzuki-sensei for help. When she boarded the bus, she sat in the first single seat in the front.?

    ?

    Now, who will be sitting in the empty seat??

    ?

    Recently, looking at the situation of the Ryuzaki harem, it seems that my stepsister Azusa is one step ahead of the rest¡­¡­, and I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t miss such a chance.?

    ?

    Azusa has the same address as me, and our attendance numbers are next to each other, but I think I may be the only one seated there on the ¡­¡­ bus.?

    ?

    I thought that would be good because it would help me relax.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I thought you were ¡­¡­ Nakayama-kun, you¡¯re sitting next to me today. If possible, I¡¯d like to sit by the window.¡±?

    ?

    Unexpectedly, Azusa came next to me.?

    ?

    I was surprised to see that the seat next to Ryuzaki is now available¡­¡­. She was so aggressive that she would be the first to sit down if she had been around recently.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ The seat next to Ryuzaki is empty?¡±?

    ?

    I wondered if maybe she hadn¡¯t noticed, but how could Azusa not know about Ryuzaki??

    ?

    ¡°I know. But not today. I was in the mood to talk to Nakayama-kun. In fact, for Azusa ¡­¡­, I¡¯m making a very serious decision this time.¡±?

    ?

    As Azusa bent down to sit down, I, who was sitting by the window, shifted one position and gave up my seat. Although I said myself that we don¡¯t behave as brother and sister outside the house, ¡­¡­ it seems that it is my sister who unconsciously says that she wants to be near the window at times like this.?

    ?

    And me, who listens to her selfishness without any resistance, must have the habit of being an older brother ingrained in my body.?

    ?

    I was thinking about such unimportant things, so I was very surprised by Azusa¡¯s comment.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to confess to ¡­¡­ Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D !?¡±?

    ?

    I opened my eyes and went rigid.?

    ?

    It seems that the time has finally come for the relationship between the Ryuzaki harem to become complicated.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure that Azusa¡¯s confession will be the catalyst for a fierce battle in the Ryuzaki harem.?

    ?

    This is it. It¡¯s a preliminary preparation to make the story more exciting in the future.?

    ?

    It was an unmistakable ¡°foreshadowing¡±.

 CH 39

    The Jinx?

    ?

    The bus departed. Leaving the residential area, we headed towards the mountains where there was more and more nature. On the bus, Suzuki-sensei was trying her best to keep the students occupied by imitating a guide.?

    ?

    ¡°In fact, Sensei had a blind date the other day! I¡¯m thirty-two years old, and my parents are insisting that I get married soon. But since I want to marry a nice guy who looks like a prince on a white horse, I don¡¯t want to get into trouble with an arranged marriage.~¡±?

    ?

    However, Suzuki-sensei¡¯s talk was not interesting, so the boredom was not overcome. My classmates were chatting among themselves. No one was listening to what Suzuki-sensei was saying.?

    ?

    Suddenly, I looked at the front of the bus and saw Shimotsuki sitting at the very front. There was only one seat, and it was for one person. She was leaning against the window, not moving a muscle. She was probably asleep.?

    ?

    Then again, no one sat next to Ryuzaki after all. Unlike Azusa, the other members of the Ryuzaki harem were still keeping each other in check, which is why they seemed to have fallen into a state of rigidity. If someone sits down, it will be a problem for them, so they decided not to sit.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s sad that I¡¯m all alone. ¡­¡­. But I don¡¯t need friends, because being alone proves how strong a person is.¡±?

    ?

    Even when he is alone, he is always noisy. As usual, the heroines around us giggled when they heard this comment.?

    ?

    Although he says he¡¯s a loner, he still has harem members, so he¡¯s in a luxurious situation. Well, I guess he¡¯s just a little fashionable.?

    ?

    ¨CAnd so the bus ride continued.?

    ?

    In the middle of it, Azusa next to me started talking to me in a quiet voice.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan seems to be having fun. Maybe it¡¯s because Shimotsuki-san is joining us¡­. Ryoma Onii-chan said that Shimotsuki-san was sickly, so she generally didn¡¯t participate in these events, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ That seems to be the way it is in Ryuzaki¡¯s mind.?

    ?

    In fact, I heard that she was only skipping it because she didn¡¯t want to be around Ryuzaki, who she didn¡¯t like, but I¡¯ll keep that to myself.?

    ?

    ¡°This is a secret. ¡­¡­ The truth is, Shimotsuki-san wasn¡¯t even planning on going to this one. When I asked her to join a group, she refused at first. She said, ¡°I¡¯m not really good at this kind of thing.¡±¡±?

    ?

    I remember that Azusa and others persuaded Shimotsuki to join the group.?

    ?

    ¡°But when I told her that she could be in a group with you, she said yes. I¡¯ve never told Ryoma Onii-chan about this, so it¡¯s a secret.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, so that¡¯s how it was.?

    ?

    I was surprised that she accepted the invitation so easily, but I finally understood why.?

    ?

    It seems that Azusa knew that we were on good terms, and that¡¯s why she used my presence as an excuse to persuade Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°I was surprised that I was able to convince her more easily than I thought. ¡­¡­ And Ryoma Onii-chan was happy, so it was kind of complicated.¡±?

    ?

    Azusa smiled dryly.?

    ?

    I was impressed by her friendly smile, but since she became involved with Ryuzaki, that smile has become cloudy more often. I¡¯m sorry to report that.?

    ?

    ¡°So, Azusa also thought that she could not be defeated. ¡­¡­ If things continue as they are, I will always be defeated by Shimotsuki-san, so I decided to confess during this overnight learning program.¡±?

    ?

    Finally, she got right to the point.?

    ?

    The reason why she suddenly decided to confess was because of ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki¡¯s presence.?

    ?

    ¡°And there is a jinx that says if you confess your love to someone at a campfire, you will definitely succeed. So I¡¯m going to try my best to believe in the jinx, even though it¡¯s only a ¡­¡­ comforting thought.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ A jinx, huh.?

    ?

    They are excellent stage sets for moving the story along.?

    ?

    Jinxes are persuasive and often used as a rationale to change a stagnant relationship.?

    ?

    In Ryuzaki¡¯s story, too, the jinx seems to be a major turning point.?

    ?

    I wonder what will happen ¡­¡­. I am very anxious about the future.

 CH 40

    The Crossing of Thoughts and the Complication of the Story?

    ?

    The protagonist, Ryuzaki, said this.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to stop being satisfied with our relationship as childhood friends.¡±?

    ?

    On the other hand, the subheroine Azusa said, ¡°I can¡¯t lose to Shimotsuki-san, so I¡¯m going to confess to Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    And then Shimotsuki, the main heroine, said.?

    ?

    ¡°I wish I could make wonderful memories with Nakayama-kun.¡±?

    ?

    The thoughts of each party intersect.?

    ?

    The story has already begun, which is the ¡°turning point¡± in the four-part structure of ¡°origins, development, and conclusion,¡± or the ¡°breaking point¡± in the three-act structure of ¡°beginning, middle, and end¡±.?

    ?

    I wonder what kind of ending will be created.?

    ?

    If we think of the story as a template, ¡­¡­, I think Ryuzaki¡¯s relationship with Shimotsuki takes a step forward here.?

    ?

    A childhood friend, who has always been quiet and never opened up, realizes her feelings for the protagonist during an overnight trip, and reveals the feelings she has kept hidden in her heart since childhood.?

    ?

    ¡°¡±I¡¯ve always loved you too, Ryuzaki-kun.¡±¡±?

    ?

    With the confession of the girl in love, Ryuzaki is bound to the main heroine.?

    ?

    I think the catalyst for this is the ¡°confession¡± of the subheroine, Azusa.?

    ?

    The protagonist, who has been insensitive until now, realizes that the subheroine likes him through the confession. However, the protagonist has someone else in his heart. So he refuses Azusa¡¯s confession, saying that he can¡¯t have a relationship with her.?

    ?

    Then, finally, the insensitive and perceptive protagonist awakens.?

    ?

    He said it was the end of being satisfied with a normal childhood friend. ¡­¡­ If nothing else, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever confess.?

    ?

    Because the harem protagonist is always three things when it comes to love: insensitive, indecisive, and sloppy. He would not have been able to confess or even express his love for her.?

    ?

    However, Azusa¡¯s confession inspires the protagonist to say, ¡°I can¡¯t be a coward.¡± He must be thinking, ¡°Since I rejected Azusa¡¯s confession, it would be disrespectful to Azusa if I don¡¯t confess to Shiho!¡±?

    ?

    And yet, the rejected Azusa says, ¡°I¡¯ve only been rejected once. I won¡¯t give up on you until you fall in love with me someday.¡±, suggesting that there will be a change in their relationship in the future.?

    ?

    This is how the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki ends.?

    ?

    He is finally united with his childhood friend Shimotsuki, and the story has a happy ending.?

    ?

    However, this is only the end of the first volume.?

    ?

    I assumed that there would be a continuation to Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy.?

    ?

    Because there are still many foreshadowing lines that have yet to be resolved.?

    ?

    There is still the story of that guy¡¯s harem members.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why in the first volume, the protagonist, who is in love with the pure love of his life, is attracted by the charm of the subheroines, who become more present in the second volume. The main heroine who finished her role in the first volume becomes a convenient yes-man for the protagonist and tolerates other girls from the position of ¡°regular wife¡± in the second volume onward.?

    ?

    In this way, Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s story is finally complete.?

    ?

    With the catharsis of a harem ending, the story concludes with thunderous applause.?

    ?

    ¨CI imagined such a disgusting story.?

    ?

    If it were to follow the template, it would be a story like this.?

    ?

    However, the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki had only one ¡­¡­ element of uncertainty.?

    ?

    That is the main heroine, Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    She is in the position of the main heroine, but she is not even slightly interested in the protagonist.?

    ?

    Because of this, the story is getting complicated.?

    ?

    The story is about to deviate from the standard template, and instead, a bizarre development is about to begin.?

    ?

    In addition to the main characters and sub characters, there was another piece on the board.?

    ?

    That was me, the mob character.?

    ?

    Can a mob character stay a mob character forever??

    ?

    Even the narrator, me, didn¡¯t know.

 CH 41

    The Position of a Mob Character Becomes Increasingly Unconvincing?

    ?

    ¨CIt was 11:00 am in the morning when we arrived at the nature park where we were going to have our overnight learning program.?

    ?

    According to the schedule, we were supposed to have an outdoor cooking session as soon as we put our luggage in the large room where we would sleep.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite spacious!¡±?

    ?

    The room was spacious enough for the four of us to lay out futons and sleep together. Ryuzaki was excited as he looked around the interior.?

    ?

    It seems that this guy has a personality that enjoys such events.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    However, the excitement of the male members, except for Ryuzaki, was low.?

    ?

    That¡¯s understandable. The other three guys were quiet because they were mob characters.?

    ?

    After all, Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t have any male friends.?

    ?

    He¡¯s popular with the opposite sex like a harem protagonist, but he¡¯s so popular that he¡¯s shunned by the boys.?

    ?

    Because of this, the members of the group were like a collection of leftovers.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama, ¡­¡­ and the other two, please take care tonight, okay?¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m an exception, but of course Ryuuzaki doesn¡¯t seem to remember the names of the mob characters. The other two are Hanagishi and Ikura. ¡­¡­ Hey, you¡¯re too disinterested in anything but women.?

    ?

    It¡¯s been two and a half months since the entrance ceremony. I think it¡¯s polite to at least remember your classmates¡¯ names.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, there¡¯s no way the protagonist has such a sensible personality. If he was too normal, he wouldn¡¯t have any character, so it was no use.?

    ?

    ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s go to the square! I¡¯m so hungry~!¡±?

    ?

    At any rate, ignoring the protagonist would offend him, so I¡¯ll just go along with the conversation. I said something that was typical of a stupid, looseheaded mob character.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. The girls are waiting¡­¡­. They¡¯re going to be pissed if I¡¯m late.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki grinned and walked out of the room. Hanagishi and Ikura followed behind him with vague expressions.?

    ?

    I made the same vague expression and followed behind Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    In the plaza of the nature park, there is a kitchen and a cooking area. We were going to use them to make curry today.?

    ?

    The ingredients and cooking utensils were already in the kitchen.?

    ?

    After we gathered as a class and took a roll call, we were finally divided into groups and started cooking outdoors.?

    ?

    ¡°So we¡¯re going to start cooking outdoors¡­¡­. If anyone here has any cooking experience, please raise your hand.¡±?

    ?

    The person in charge of the cooking was Yuzuki Hojo, my childhood friend.?

    ?

    Her beautiful long black hair was now tied into a single bun. She seemed to have prepared her own apron and headband, so she was all set.?

    ?

    She is a really good cook. She seemed confident and motivated.?

    ?

    ¡°I wanted to ask someone who was used to working with knives to help me. ¡­¡­ Hmmm¡­ I think the only ones with experience are me and Ryoma-san.¡±?

    ?

    The only one who raised his hand was Ryuzaki. It is a mystery to me why so many protagonists are the type that can cook.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, I get it. Many of them are without parents, and they are given the setting of being good cooks to mean that they are independent.?

    ?

    If you think about it, it¡¯s easy. Well, I¡¯m a mob character, so even if I didn¡¯t have parents, I wouldn¡¯t be able to cook.?

    ?

    ¡°I can cook, too, but not as well as Yuzuki, you know. Don¡¯t rely on me too much, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m pissed off because you¡¯re better than me while saying that.¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t care about the conversational events that only make the protagonist feel good about being affirmed, so I¡¯ll skip them.?

    ?

    ¡°So let¡¯s divide up the work, shall we? Azusa-san, would you please rinse the rice? Kirari-san, please arrange the plates. Ryoma-san, please work with me on cutting and seasoning the food.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Okay, got it. Hmm, what? There¡¯s only one knife. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll borrow one more from Suzuki-chan.¡±?

    ?

    After saying that, Ryuzaki once again left the scene.?

    ?

    It seems that he is motivated.?

    ?

    ¡°Then ¡­¡±?

    ?

    And then, one by one, Yuuzuki gave each of us a role in turn.?

    ?

    When it was my turn, her eyes widened, as if she had noticed my presence for the first time.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh ¡­¡­, Kotaro-san, you were here as well, weren¡¯t you?¡±?

    ?

    Yes, I was here.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure she did¡¯t notice because she was preoccupied with the protagonist, but I was here too.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ We used to be so close that we were together all the time.?

    ?

    I guess that was a long time ago too. Now she and I were complete strangers.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, Kotaro-san, can you be in charge of ¡­¡­ the fire?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, I understand.¡±?

    ?

    Well, I don¡¯t feel anything for Yuzuki now either.?

    ?

    Since I had already made up my mind, I was able to finish the conversation without being particularly conscious of it.?

    ?

    ¡°So, all that¡¯s left is ¡­¡­ Shiho-san. Can I ask Shiho-san to peel the vegetables for me?¡±?

    ?

    As she said this, Yuzuki handed Shimotsuki the peeler.?

    ?

    However, although Shimotsuki is a girl who has the air of being able to do anything, she is surprisingly a clumsy girl who can¡¯t do anything.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Huu?¡±?

    ?

    She looked at me as if she had never heard of a vegetable having a peel. I don¡¯t think she even knew what a peeler did.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, peel them, please. Here you go.¡±?

    ?

    She probably didn¡¯t think that Shimotsuki was clumsy. Yuzuki handed her a carrot.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki took it, but couldn¡¯t seem to figure out how to do it¡­¡­. She held the peeler in her right hand and the carrot in her left and tilted her head.?

    ?

    Then, I don¡¯t know what she was thinking ¡­¡­, but suddenly she started to beat the carrot with the peeler. She¡¯s using it like a blunt instrument, what is she doing??

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Shh, Shiho-san? Um, could it be that you don¡¯t know how to use the ¡­¡­ peeler?¡±?

    ?

    It seems that Yuzuki has indeed noticed. She looked at Shimotsuki with a puzzled look on her face.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Peeler?¡±?

    ?

    Her head tilted back. This gesture seems to have made Yuzuki realize ¡­¡­ that she cannot have a conversation with Shimotsuki about food.?

    ?

    ¡°I was surprised. I thought you seemed to be able to do everything¡­¡­. Well, you¡¯re only human, so you have your weaknesses. Well, then, can I ask you to work with ¡­¡­ Kotaro-san on the fire?¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s why Shimotsuki had to work with me.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yes, I understand. Ufufu ?¡±?

    ?

    And Shimotsuki was instantly in a good mood. She handed the peeler and carrot back to Yuzuki and walked over to me with light steps.?

    ?

    ¡°Thank goodness I can be with ¡­¡­ you, Nakayama-kun! I¡¯m glad I can¡¯t cook. You know, our kitchen is reserved for my mom. I¡¯m an eater when it comes to food.¡±?

    ?

    As she said this, she pinched my jersey.?

    ?

    She was trying to get my attention by tugging on it like a child, like she was playing a prank.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, how do you light a fire? Oh, I get it! You rub a wooden board around with a stick, right? I saw it on a survival show the other day. I¡¯ve always wanted to try that, so I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ ¡­. No. I think they provide us with igniters and lighters.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Hmmm¡­ Pee-rah¡­ and a lot of unfamiliar words in the overnight learning program. I don¡¯t like studying, so I don¡¯t want to use my head too much.¡±?

    ?

    It was a normal conversation as usual.?

    ?

    But Shimotsuki was clearly closer to me.?

    ?

    We¡¯ve been close for a while, but today we¡¯re so close that we¡¯re almost touching.?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t know what to do as she leaned in closer than usual.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t cover it up anymore.?

    ?

    This distance is no longer the distance between the main heroine and a mob character.

 CH 42

    The Main Heroine is Full of ¡°Cute¡±?

    ?

    When the firewood was put in the fireplace, the flames rose.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki was staring at the flickering flames.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    What on earth is she thinking about??

    ?

    I went to get some more firewood and came back just now, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice me.?

    ?

    She was sitting in a gymnastic position, looking at the fire.?

    ?

    I thought, what a great ¡­¡­ sight.?

    ?

    Cute girls are attractive no matter what they are doing.?

    ?

    Even just looking at the flames, I feel an attraction that makes me want to take a picture of her.?

    ?

    The flickering flames reflected off her silvery-white hair, giving off a faint glow.?

    ?

    Her cheeks, which were redder than usual, were also cute.?

    ?

    This must be the person who was chosen.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is the kind of girl who can be admired by the protagonist. How could she not be attractive??

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­ The horse that was mistakenly burned in the fire made a ¡®hihihi¡¯ sound. Fire, only to ¡­¡­ ugh.¡±?

    ?

    But what she was thinking was a bit silly.?

    ?

    I wish she wouldn¡¯t think such silly things with such a sorrowful face. I suddenly felt ashamed of myself for admiring her.?

    ?

    Okay, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ Shimotsuki, I¡¯m back.¡±?

    ?

    I pretended to have just arrived and put down the firewood I was carrying.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki looked at me as I put the extra firewood on the fire.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, can I suddenly tell you a funny story?¡¡You know ¡­¡­¡±The horse that was mistakenly burned in the fire made a ¡®hihihi¡¯ sound. Fire, only to ¡­¡­ ugh.¡± It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m afraid of my comedic talent. ¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    I guess she was pretty confident about her skills.?

    ?

    She looked pretty smug.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Ummm¡­¡±?

    ?

    To be honest, I had trouble responding.?

    ?

    I had heard it before, and if anything, the joke wasn¡¯t even funny, so my cheeks tensed up. I wondered if I should laugh at her, so I ended up with an expression that I couldn¡¯t really understand.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, what? Isn¡¯t it funny? Or did Nakayama-kun not understand this joke? Well, the sound of a horse is ¡®hi-heen,¡¯ right? I combined it with the word ¡°fire¡±. Also, you want to cry because you were burned by fire by mistake, right? I also added the sound of a ¡®squeal¡¯ to it.¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m sorry to say that she¡¯s trying her best to explain, but that¡¯s not the point.?

    ?

    Maybe this is it. ¡­¡­ Maybe I should tell her how I honestly feel.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to contradict Shimotsuki too much, but I think it¡¯s good for friends to tell others what they can¡¯t do.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I said it clearly.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­ it was dull.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ !!!!¡±?

    ?

    Then Shimotsuki instantly puffed up her cheeks and stood up vigorously. She looked like a blowfish.?

    ?

    ¡°Silly, silly, silly. You have no sense of humor if you can¡¯t understand my best comedy. If a professional comedian were to listen to it, he or she would probably burst out laughing. You can¡¯t help it, Nakayama-kun¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    She seemed to be unhappy, but it was strange because Shimotsuki seemed to be enjoying herself somehow.?

    ?

    ¡°What a surprise. I¡¯ve always dreamed of fighting with my friends like this. ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s like number 200 on my list of things I want to do with my friends. And friends can get along better after a fight like this, right? I¡¯m so glad I got to be friends with Nakayama-kun. ? ¡°?

    ?

    It¡¯s not a fight, but more of a joke, but if she called it a fight, then it was a fight.?

    ?

    I let it slide.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, what? Why don¡¯t you say anything? I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re really depressed because you think I¡¯m mad at you? I¡¯m just kidding, Nakayama-kun. ¡­¡­ Okay, okay, I¡¯m not mad at you, so don¡¯t be scared. Come on.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ And yet, the distance between us is as close as ever.?

    ?

    In addition, I suddenly noticed that Shimotsuki has been touching me a lot lately.?

    ?

    I think it¡¯s called skinship¡­¡­, and she¡¯s still trying to act like a big sister and pat my head, but she¡¯s too short to reach for my head, so I¡¯m forced to pat her back.?

    ?

    There were many things I wanted to say to her.?

    ?

    But her gestures were so cute that I was too embarrassed to say anything back.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not depressed¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s all I managed to say. But Shimotsuki smiled mischievously and poked me on the cheek.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh? But your face is red. Is it possible that you¡¯re embarrassed? You¡¯re turning red from being stroked by your sister, aren¡¯t you? Oh my god, Nakayama-kun has a cute side too. ¡­¡­ It makes me want to tease you even more.¡±?

    ?

    Please don¡¯t do that.?

    ?

    Even I¡¯m not used to being teased by a ridiculously cute girl like Shimotsuki. When a girl like that teases me, I get too embarrassed to do anything about it.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, please, take it easy on me.¡±?

    ?

    When I raised my hands in surrender, Shimotsuki smiled softly.?

    ?

    The smile that seems to make everyone who sees it happy makes me admire it again.?

    ?

    ¡°Ehehe ~¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯ve never seen such a cute girl in my life.?

    ?

    She was like a concentrated version of ¡°cute¡±.

 CH 43

    The Protagonist is also dimly aware?

    ?

    My face was hot because of Shimotsuki¡¯s teasing.?

    ?

    I wanted to calm down, so I went to the bathroom and washed my face. Shimotsuki was trying to tease me for some reason, but I managed to get her to stay behind, saying I was scared to leave the fire out of my sight.?

    ?

    Her presence was unsettling in a good way. I left her alone for a bit and repressed my exuberant feelings.?

    ?

    Mob characters don¡¯t need any extra emotions. I have to keep my cool.?

    ?

    And even though Shimotsuki had gotten the better of me earlier, ¡­¡­ there were other people around. They were all working, so they didn¡¯t see us, but it was still dangerous.?

    ?

    If Ryuzaki sees me and Shimotsuki getting along, we¡¯ll be in big trouble. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be careful.?

    ?

    I told myself that, and went back to the kitchen.?

    ?

    There, I saw the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh? Was Shiho in charge of the fire? Oh, it¡¯s burning well. You¡¯re doing great.¡±?

    ?

    I wondered if he had finished preparing the food. He was holding a pot and was about to heat it up.?

    ?

    Before that, it seems that he is trying to have a lovey-dovey time with the main heroine, but he looks very annoyed.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nothing.¡±?

    ?

    She had such a soft smile on her face just a few minutes ago, but now she was a beautiful woman of ice. She turned her head away with a pout and became expressionless.?

    ?

    ¡°Hahaha. Shiho is always so humble. ¡­¡­ But let me praise you once in a while, okay? Thank you for the fire.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was trying to get Shimotsuki¡¯s attention somehow. He is trying to pat her head, as he always does to his harem members. He probably thinks that since the harem members are happy when he does that, Shimotsuki will have the same reaction.?

    ?

    But that¡¯s only because it¡¯s done by someone you like, not by someone you¡¯re not interested in.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s expression tightened, and she dodged Ryuzaki¡¯s hand.?

    ?

    Next, she looked around as if searching for something¡­¡­, and when she spotted me, she immediately ran over to me and got behind me.?

    ?

    It¡¯s as if she was trying to hide from Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­What? Why is Nakayama ¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    This is not good. Ryuzaki is upset.?

    ?

    He was dismayed by Shimotsuki¡¯s blatant attitude and the fact that she hid behind me.?

    ?

    If this is the case, the relationship between Shimotsuki and me might be questioned¡­¡­. I sensed this and immediately followed up.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I was in charge of the fire, too! Hey, Ryuzaki ¡­¡­ is terrible. I worked hard too, so it¡¯s not fair to only praise her.¡±?

    ?

    It was a spur-of-the-moment thing to do, but I played the role of a good-natured mob character.?

    ?

    I think I was a little bitter in my statement, but Ryuzaki still seems to have a lot of pride in himself, and even this much was easily dismissed.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, I see. So you wanted to say that ¡­¡­ Shiho was kind enough to set fire to the fire with Nakayama? So, you didn¡¯t want one person to be praised. ¡­¡­ Hahaha. I¡¯m not sure what to say. But you surprised me. I thought you hated me.¡±?

    ?

    As usual, he interpreted it in his own convenient way.?

    ?

    However, since it was an incoherent statement, Shimotsuki is likely to say something back. I look at her, wishing in my heart that she would not say anything at this point if possible¡­..?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Fortunately for me, Shimotsuki, who is behind me, had covered her ears and turned away.?

    ?

    As usual, she seems to be trying to avoid hearing Ryuzaki¡¯s sounds.?

    ?

    Then she probably didn¡¯t even hear what that guy said. Good ¡­¡­, this way I can still mislead him about the relationship between me and Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    But as Shimotsuki¡¯s attitude toward me became more intimate, I realized that it was slowly starting to be difficult.?

    ?

    And even Ryuzaki would not always be able to interpret things in a convenient way.?

    ?

    ¡°Aha. I was surprised ¡­ I was surprised ¡­¡­ to see you hiding behind Nakayama to get away from me¡­. It¡¯s as if you like Nakayama, isn¡¯t it? No, I don¡¯t think so. Shiho is a strong girl, and she¡¯s not interested in love right now.¡±?

    ?

    Although she is desperately trying to convince herself, Ryuzaki¡¯s anxiety is oozing out in every word he says.?

    ?

    Maybe, just maybe, little by little¡­¡­?

    ?

    Ryuzaki may also be beginning to sense Shimotsuki¡¯s true feelings.

 CH 44

    The Protagonist is getting pushed further and further into a corner?

    ?

    We finished making the curry and had lunch as a group.?

    ?

    At times like this, you can tell what kind of character is being cast by where people sit in their seats.?

    ?

    First of all, the person who sits in the first seat is, surprisingly, not our protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡°¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡±?

    ?

    It was Hanagishi and Ikura, who were smiling vaguely the whole time.?

    ?

    If they have something to do, or if you talk to them, they¡¯ll chat normally, but basically they don¡¯t say anything and just go with the flow.?

    ?

    So, when it was time to eat curry, they would naturally take the first seat at the back of the table.?

    ?

    Incidentally, another pattern is to sit in the last seat left. In other words, the mob characters are either the first or the last to sit down, and they have no will of their own.?

    ?

    Well, the ¡­¡­ tables are not really seats in a restaurant, but just outdoor tables and chairs, so there is no such thing as a superior or inferior seat.?

    ?

    For the sake of convenience, let¡¯s say the one in the back is the superior seat.?

    ?

    Since I¡¯m also a mob character, I try to follow Hanagishi and Ikura.?

    ?

    However, there was a girl who interrupted me and prevented me from doing so.?

    ?

    Of course, it was the main heroine, Shiho Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to wait for a moment ¡­¡­ before you sit down.¡±?

    ?

    She¡¯s picking at my clothes a bit with an impatient look on her face.?

    ?

    I¡¯d like to sit down as soon as possible because I¡¯ve already ¡­¡­ got a bowl of curry and rice in my hand.?

    ?

    ¡°Please, Nakayama-kun. ¡­¡­ At times like this, that person always comes to sit next to me, so let me use Nakayama-kun as a barrier?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, I see.?

    ?

    The main heroine does not like to sit next to the protagonist.?

    ?

    It is true that if the seat is to be decided naturally, it will be as it should be.?

    ?

    However, Shimotsuki was resisting that fate.?

    ?

    ¡°Here, sit down too, Ryoma Onii-chan. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±?

    ?

    In the meantime, the protagonist who had been serving the food finally arrived.?

    ?

    Then, Azusa, who was one step ahead of the other sub-heroines, was the first to try to get a seat next to Ryuzaki?

    ?

    Azusa sits next to Hanagishi and pulls Ryuzaki next to her.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t drag me. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll sit down even if you don¡¯t tell me to.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki chuckled as usual and sat down as he was prompted. Next to him, of course, sat Azusa.?

    ?

    However, there was still a seat next to him on the other side, so Kirari took that seat.?

    ?

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll sit on this side ~¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.When I was putting away the dishes, I couldn¡¯t sit next to Ryoma¡­¡­.It¡¯s not fair.¡±?

    ?

    With Azusa on the right and Kirari on the left, there was only one seat left for Yuuki to sit in, directly across from him. She sighed and sat down facing Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    And well, Shimotsuki was relieved as the subheroine filled the surrounding area like this.?

    ?

    ¡°Phew, that was good¡­¡­. Well, Nakayama-kun, why don¡¯t you sit down?¡±?

    ?

    Prompted, next to Yuzuki.?

    ?

    No, but ¡­¡­ please remember carefully. Now, the seats look like this.?

    ?

    Hanagishi, Azusa, Ryuzaki, Kirari.?

    ?

    Ikura, vacant, Yuuki, vacant.?

    ?

    Yes, the seat next to Ikura is vacant, so if we think in terms of character, I should be able to fit in there.?

    ?

    But Shimotsuki didn¡¯t want to do that.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ Do you really want to eat your meal with the cute face of your stepsister Nakayama in front of you? No, you can¡¯t do that!¡±?

    ?

    By the way, this girl had a yandere temperament.?

    ?

    She doesn¡¯t show any signs of it at all because I never talked to other girls, but it¡¯s a little scary because it comes on unexpectedly.?

    ?

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t say no, so the seating ended up like this.?

    ?

    Hanagishi, Azusa, Ryuzaki, Kirari.?

    ?

    Ikura, vacant, Yuzuki, Shimotsuki, and me.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ The seat next to Ikura¡¯s is empty.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not natural, so the members of the group are glancing at me.?

    ?

    Among them, Ryuzaki¡¯s gaze was particularly striking.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Hey, Nakayama? You must be lonely if you¡¯re at the end of the line. There¡¯s a seat available over here, so come on over.¡±?

    ?

    He¡¯s wary of me.?

    ?

    He finds it annoying that the main heroine is always messing around with the mob character.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Shiho finds it annoying too. It¡¯s rude to forcefully approach a weak-minded girl. ¡­¡­ Come on. If you don¡¯t like it, you have to say so.¡±?

    ?

    In Ryuzaki¡¯s mind, I probably forced myself to sit next to Shimotsuki. That¡¯s why he has been lecturing me, which is the protagonist¡¯s specialty.?

    ?

    The protagonist is usually kind, but sometimes he can be harsh. The heroine¡¯s cheeks blush as she thinks, ¡°He¡¯s really thinking about me, isn¡¯t he?¡±.?

    ?

    But apparently, this time the ¡°promise¡± didn¡¯t flow that way.?

    ?

    Because Shimotsuki seemed to be ¡­¡­ very uncomfortable.?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CFor the first time, I think.?

    ?

    It was the first time I had seen her respond to a serious question.?

    ?

    Usually, she would either cover her ears to avoid hearing Ryuzaki¡¯s sounds, or she would just reply with a few words when he spoke to her.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for him to annoy me.¡±?

    ?

    The second sentence was spoken.?

    ?

    Her normally expressionless face was clearly unhappy. Her lips were tightly pressed together and she was staring at Ryuzaki as if she was glaring at him.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how much Shimotsuki couldn¡¯t forgive him for what he just said.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure she really cares about me.?

    ?

    ¨CAnnoyance is not a joke.?

    ?

    It¡¯s a straightforward attitude, as if to assert that.?

    ?

    In response to this, Ryuuzaki was very upset ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, if you want ¡­¡­ Shiho, that¡¯s fine¡­¡­. Well, I¡¯m sorry? I might have misunderstood you.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki smiles sluggishly, sweating unpleasantly.?

    ?

    Clearly, that guy was being pushed into a corner.?

    ?

    Now, hardship was coming to the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Normally, I might have looked at that and thought, ¡°Suck it up.¡±?

    ?

    It would have been a dark feeling inside me.?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t think of that now.?

    ?

    Because this is just a ¡°valley¡± to create a peak of the story.?

    ?

    It happens all the time.?

    ?

    In order to emphasize the most exciting scene at the end of the story, it is a common practice to put the main character in a tight spot right before it.?

    ?

    The protagonist and the main heroine have a falling out, which raises the reader¡¯s sense of danger by flashing a red light on their relationship.?

    ?

    But that¡¯s just a prelude.?

    ?

    It¡¯s all just a preview for the big comeback that the protagonist will make.?

    ?

    Have we finally reached this point??

    ?

    The story is finally coming to an end.

 CH 45

    Heroine Disqualified?

    ?

    Unfortunately, it was my turn for a while from here.?

    ?

    There¡¯s no way for the protagonist to stop this negative trend.?

    ?

    For the sake of the story, he¡¯s getting pushed further and further into a corner.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Shiho? Is the curry good? I¡¯m pretty confident about it.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki, who was rejected by Shimotsuki earlier, is trying his best to get her attention.?

    ?

    Although they are a little apart, he is trying his best to talk to her.?

    ?

    But she just keeps responding in a casual manner.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yes, it is.¡±?

    ?

    She nodded and took a small mouthful of curry.?

    ?

    It was delicious, but I remembered that her mother was a very good cook.?

    ?

    Whenever we ate ¡­¡­ lunch together, Shimotsuki would share her side dishes with me, and the taste of the food was incredible.?

    ?

    Even an amateur can tell that Shimotsuki¡¯s mother is a very good cook.?

    ?

    Compared to that, Ryuzaki¡¯s and Yuzuki¡¯s cooking is not so good. Of course, this curry is delicious to me, but the reason why Shimotsuki doesn¡¯t move her expression much is because she knows the taste of a better curry.?

    ?

    Her interest is clearly not in cooking.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s interest was, how can I put it, ¡­¡­ quite a bit of it was focused on me.?

    ?

    I¡¯m embarrassed to say it myself, but I have to say it.?

    ?

    Because she¡¯s been messing with me frequently since a while ago.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­!?¡±?

    ?

    I shook my body with a jolt.?

    ?

    I was suddenly poked in the side of my head, and my body almost jumped reflexively.?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu ?¡±?

    ?

    Even though she is a high school student, she can do things like an elementary school student and look so happy about it¡­¡­. She must really want to be noticed.?

    ?

    Fortunately, my voice didn¡¯t come out, so I thought no one would notice,¡­¡­ but Ryuzaki was looking right at me.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah?¡±?

    ?

    Oh, no.?

    ?

    He looked as if his soul had been drained by the shock.?

    ?

    In a state of abandonment, Ryuzaki had dropped the spoon he was holding.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki must be despairing in his heart.?

    ?

    His cute childhood friend, whom he thought was his only, is opening up to another man, and laughing at him.?

    ?

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy has become quite a hard act to follow.?

    ?

    It¡¯s a development that is sure to stir up controversy among readers.?

    ?

    (TLN: Damn right.)?

    ?

    The purity of the heroine is an important factor in gaining popularity. In this respect, Shimotsuki, who cheats on her lover with another man, is disqualified as a heroine.?

    ?

    However, not all heroines of romantic comedies love only the protagonist. In some cases, the protagonist and the main heroine both like different people.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not strange that Ryuzaki would make a comeback from here.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I was worried.?

    ?

    It would be nice if he would simply give up here¡­¡­. No, how could he??

    ?

    There is no way that a person who can be broken down like this can be a protagonist.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure Ryuzaki will struggle from here.?

    ?

    If he takes the high road, he will get Shimotsuki back from me, get another heroine, and later on, Shimotsuki will say, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to be loved by you, but thank you for loving me.¡± to tickle the protagonist¡¯s desire for approval.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure that readers who enjoy Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy also have a lot of hate for Shimotsuki, who once loved another man. As a punishment to get rid of it, she has to accept Ryuzaki¡¯s dating other girls ¨C and if that happens, the harem may become more convincing.?

    ?

    Such a scenario popped into my mind.?

    ?

    My turn is not over yet. ¡­¡­ The longer it goes on, the more I¡¯m afraid that the protagonist will awaken in reaction.?

    ?

    At that time, Ryuzaki will surely become a monster beyond my imagination.?

    ?

    There is no more terrifying existence than a completed harem protagonist.?

    ?

    Everything will be taken care of with expediency, problems will be solved in a way that suits the protagonist, everything will be a favorable wind for the protagonist, and the ending will be one of happiness.?

    ?

    And the one that the protagonist sees as a danger is me, a mob character.¡¡ There¡¯s no way I can stand up to him¡­¡­. What will become of this character, me??

    ?

    I was really afraid of that.

 CH 46

    The Position of the Main Character That Should Have Been There?

    ?

    After the outdoor cooking, the recreational competition began.?

    ?

    It seems that the classes compete in various events such as tug of war and dodgeball.?

    ?

    Well, these events are no different from work for the mob characters.?

    ?

    They just play and leave without making any notable achievements or mistakes, and without affecting the game.?

    ?

    This time, I was supposed to participate in dodgeball.?

    ?

    I¡¯m neither good at sports nor bad at them, but I¡¯m not extremely good at them, so it¡¯s natural that I don¡¯t stand out.?

    ?

    As usual, the competition ended on a low note.?

    ?

    There was nothing to show for it, the athletic club just threw a ball and it hit the ground, and my recreational event came to an end.?

    ?

    It was such a silly dodgeball tale that I stopped reading halfway through because it was too boring to be a story. I don¡¯t think any of my classmates would remember how I played.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I thought.?

    ?

    ¡°I can¡¯t. My stomach hurts. Nakayama-kun, didn¡¯t you say, ¡°Guhe.¡± when you were hit? I was listening to you correctly, you know. I¡¯ve been laughing my ass off about it for a while now.¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki seemed to have been watching it perfectly.?

    ?

    Something seemed to have hit the nail on the head, and she was laughing hysterically.?

    ?

    It seemed to be very funny to her.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know what to say. ¡­¡­ This girl really watches me closely.?

    ?

    I think that¡¯s why she can notice the funny parts and laugh heartily at them.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I laughed¡­¡­. It kind of cheered me up.¡±?

    ?

    In the shade of a tree in the corner of the square, Shimotsuki is leaning against a tree.?

    ?

    It was mid-June, and the rainy season was about to end. The weather was very nice today, so she was trying to avoid getting sunburned. She was wearing a jersey jacket the whole time.?

    ?

    I guess it¡¯s just too hot. Her cheeks were reddening faintly.?

    ?

    ¡°Hmm ¡­ I¡¯m going to try my best to play dodgeball, since Nakayama-kun made me laugh a lot. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see. I¡¯m going to teach Nakayama-kun, who was terrible at it, how to play dodgeball.¡±?

    ?

    When the boys finished, it was the turn of the girls¡¯ team, and Shimotsuki stood up with vigor. I¡¯m not sure where this baseless confidence is coming from¡­¡­, but I¡¯m sure you can guess what she¡¯s capable of.?

    ?

    ¡°Higi!¡±?

    ?

    It was right after the dodgeball game started.?

    ?

    I thought Shimotsuki walked sideways like a crab with a nimble step, but the ball hit her in the face as hard as it could and blew her away.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho!?¡±?

    ?

    It was such a catastrophe that Ryuzaki, who was watching, shouted out.?

    ?

    I was watching from the side, and I was puzzled. It¡¯s not a laughing matter¡­¡­, but I wonder if she¡¯ll be okay.?

    ?

    The shade of the trees in the corner was a little far from the area where the competition was taking place.?

    ?

    As I watched her with narrowed eyes, she came out of the area, half-crying. She seemed to have been knocked out by one ball.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, Shiho? Here, towel ¡­¡­, are you hurt??

    ?

    As expected of the protagonist. He quickly rushes to the main heroine¡¯s rescue and tries to help her.?

    ?

    But she walked straight to me first, of course.?

    ?

    It¡¯s as if she didn¡¯t even see Ryuzaki¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°Wait, Shiho ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki didn¡¯t seem to hear him when he called out to her, crying her eyes out.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not Ryuzaki that she¡¯s looking for now.?

    ?

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­, Nakayama-kun? Where are you? Please answer me. I got hit on the front of my nose, so I can¡¯t see anything through my tears¡­¡­. So, will you comfort me a lot? If you can, will you also stroke my head and say ¡®Pain, pain, go away¡¯ like my dad does to my mom?¡±?

    ?

    I was the one who asked for it.?

    ?

    And it¡¯s a lot more demanding and a little too hard.?

    ?

    Well, ¡­¡­ you are spoiled to your heart¡¯s content.?

    ?

    Originally, this position would have been held by Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Damn.¡±?

    ?

    From a little distance away, he was glaring at me in frustration.?

    ?

    The obvious hostility in his gaze made me feel uncomfortable.

 CH 47

    How it feels when the girl you like is flirting with a mob character?

    ?

    ¡°Are you okay? Um, do I have to do that ¡­¡­ thing~?¡±?

    ?

    Could it be that this girl is really in elementary school??

    ?

    The infantilized Shimotsuki is a handful. I was embarrassed to do that.?

    ?

    ¡°Mmm, Nakayama-kun is such a cheapskate¡­¡­ You could at least give me a pat on the back. So, will you support me? Will you tell me to do my best?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s about it. ¡­.. Um, hang in there. Shimotsuki, don¡¯t let the pain get to you.¡±?

    ?

    What the hell am I being made to do??

    ?

    I doubted that cheering her up would have any effect, but I was surprised when Shimotsuki stopped crying as soon as I cheered her up.?

    ?

    ¡°Whew, ¡­¡­ I feel calmer now. I was in pain earlier and felt like I was going to die, but Nakayama-kun cheered me on and I was able to endure it. Am I getting stronger again? Oh no, I didn¡¯t want to get any stronger.¡±?

    ?

    No, Shimotsuki is weak. She¡¯s probably close to the weakest, so don¡¯t worry.?

    ?

    As usual, she is a clunker. I think she caught the ball in her face because she is not good at sports.?

    ?

    Even so, she was blown away a lot. Thanks to this, her jacket was dirty and her face was covered with dust.?

    ?

    ¡°Your face and clothes are dirty. Do you have a change of clothes?¡±?

    ?

    When I asked her, Shimotsuki smiled and shook her head.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any. So can you lend me a towel and a jersey? I told you before that I¡¯m sensitive to the sun and need to wear long sleeves, didn¡¯t I? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sure my friend Nakayama-kun wouldn¡¯t refuse.¡±?

    ?

    It seems that she decided to rob me.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ What if I told you I was sweating a little and would prefer to decline if possible?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No? It¡¯s a refusal to say no.¡±?

    ?

    It seems she¡¯s already decided to take it from me. She took off her dirty jersey, exposing her pure white arms.?

    ?

    They were really white, probably because they hadn¡¯t been exposed to the sun at all. I couldn¡¯t help but look away from her because she looked so innocent.?

    ?

    Maybe it was because they were usually hidden, but I felt a little nervous.?

    ?

    I felt like it would be a bad idea to leave her exposed.?

    ?

    So, I had no choice but to take off my jersey.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Here you go.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±?

    ?

    I held it out to her, and she snatched it from me.?

    ?

    Then, with a mischievous smile, she pulled it on and zipped it up tightly.?

    ?

    Since she¡¯s small by nature, my jersey was too big for her. It was as long as a dress. The sleeves were so long that they could be folded over.?

    ?

    I think it would be better to get a jersey that fits a little better.?

    ?

    Maybe the teachers have a spare one, shall I check? I was about to ask ¡­¡­?

    ?

    ¡°Hehehe~. Nakayama-kun¡¯s clothes smell like ¡­¡­ Nakayama-kun. I think it¡¯s not bad at all, Kun Kun. No, it¡¯s not bad, it¡¯s even better¡­¡­. My mom also has a smell fetish, and I think I finally understand her feelings.¡±?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t say anything, because Shimotsuki looked so satisfied.?

    ?

    She continues to tickle my fancy.?

    ?

    ¡°Here, can I borrow your towel too? My towel is dirty and needs to be washed¡­¡­. Yes, if I don¡¯t wrap it around my neck, I¡¯ll get sunburned. But when I¡¯m like this, it¡¯s like I¡¯m being hugged by Nakayama-kun, and it makes me kind of nervous?¡±?

    ?

    Now, Shimotsuki¡¯s cheeks are red, is it because of a sunburn??

    ?

    Or maybe she¡¯s ¡­¡­ embarrassed??

    ?

    ¡°¡­!¡±?

    ?

    When I see that side of her, I still get nervous.?

    ?

    I really wonder why this girl is so cute.?

    ?

    And ¡­¡­ what is Ryuuzaki thinking as he stares at this scene??

    ?

    (He¡¯s been staring at me since a while ago¡­¡­. Give me a break!)?

    ?

    Shimotsuki still didn¡¯t notice, but from my angle, I could see Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    He was looking at me and Shimotsuki from a distance with a face that looked like it was about to cry.?

    ?

    Right in front of him, the girl he likes is flirting with another man¡­¡­. I¡¯m sure his heart is torn up inside.?

    ?

    It seems that the story is still getting ready to enter its climax.?

    ?

    It seems that Ryuzaki¡¯s suffering will continue for a little while longer.

 CH 48

    The Limits of Mob Characters?

    ?

    After the recreational event, we also had a bath and a barbecue as scheduled.?

    ?

    During that time, Shimotsuki was messing with me whenever she had a chance. It seems that she really wanted to be entertained.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki kept his eyes on Shimotsuki. He occasionally checked on her, but he never took his eyes off her, not even for a moment.?

    ?

    He must be in a lot of conflict and anguish. Hopefully, he will stay as he is for a long time, but since he is the ¡­¡­ protagonist, that is not possible.?

    ?

    When will he start his big comeback??

    ?

    I¡¯ve been on the lookout for it.?

    ?

    However, the time did not come easily.?

    ?

    It was now nighttime. There were only two things left on the schedule for today.?

    ?

    A test of courage and a campfire.?

    ?

    It was the perfect event to set the story in motion.?

    ?

    ¡± ¡­¡­ Nakayama-kun, I¡¯m a little bit not good with ghosts, so I¡¯m just going to pretend I¡¯m not feeling well and rest. Are the teachers insane to make us walk through the woods at night like this? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of them, you know. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not very good at it.¡±?

    ?

    That said, Shimotsuki cheated on her test of courage.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I wonder if that girl is the main heroine.?

    ?

    A test of courage is a great place for a heroine to be active.?

    ?

    She can hug the protagonist while saying, ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m scared.¡± and close the distance between them both physically and mentally while having a romantic encounter.?

    ?

    But for Shimotsuki, who has already deviated from the main route and is heading for the outer route, such a promise would have no effect. She is tearing up her story as she pleases.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I decided to test my courage without Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Ryoma-san, I¡¯m afraid of ¡­¡­ ghosts, can you stay with me?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, ¡­¡­ okay.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of ghosts either, but don¡¯t ever leave me!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, ¡­¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Ryoma Onii-chan, help me!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Of course, the Ryuzaki harem was trying to flirt with the protagonist as much as they could.?

    ?

    However, it was unlikely to be a meaningful event because Ryuzaki himself was not paying attention.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure his mind was full of thoughts about Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    No matter what Azusa and the others do to him, he doesn¡¯t react well.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan ¡­?¡±?

    ?

    Azusa and the others are also looking at Ryuzaki with a worried look.?

    ?

    As expected, even the harem members seemed to have noticed that something was wrong with Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    So, the test of courage event ended easily without much excitement.?

    ?

    Finally, there was a campfire, but ¡­¡­ before that, the protagonist started talking to me, a mob character.?

    ?

    It¡¯s almost the end of the story. ¡­¡­ Normally, a mob character should have finished his role by now. But the protagonist seemed to have something to say to me.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama ¡­¡­, when did you and Shiho started getting along?¡±?

    ?

    After the test of courage, the executive officers of the overnight learning program were preparing for the campfire.?

    ?

    I was bored, so I was sitting in an inconspicuous position, when Ryuuzaki unexpectedly came to talk to me.?

    ?

    This is the place where I spent noon with Shimotsuki at the recreational event. She seems to be good at finding inconspicuous places, and this is a pretty good place.?

    ?

    In addition, I¡¯m not much of a standout, so it¡¯s unlikely that you¡¯ll just happen to see me and talk to me ¡­¡­. Perhaps Ryuzaki had taken the trouble to look for me.?

    ?

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Shiho look so happy¡­¡­, even though she was not interested in others. She¡¯s always alone, and she doesn¡¯t even get along with me because she likes it that way¡­¡­. What the hell did you do to her?¡±?

    ?

    I wonder if he¡¯s really cornered.?

    ?

    The protagonist is groaning.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    On the other hand, I didn¡¯t know what to say.?

    ?

    As usual, I wanted to say something like a biting dog mob character, but I couldn¡¯t think of any words.?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say, because it was impossible for a mob character to be involved in such an important scene.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, say something¡­¡­ You got to be friends with my childhood friend.¡¡You¡¯re the only one who can see the smile on her face¡­¡­. You should be more proud of yourself. Mock me for being a loser despite being a childhood friend!¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was sneering and spitting out his emotions.?

    ?

    I, on the other hand, could only stare at him blankly.?

    ?

    I wondered if I should agitate him.?

    ?

    Should I make fun of him??

    ?

    Should I deny him??

    ?

    Should I deceive him??

    ?

    Should I affirm it??

    ?

    Various options are whirling around in my mind.?

    ?

    But I can¡¯t see the way forward. I don¡¯t know which answer is the right one.?

    ?

    I guess this is the limit of a mob character.?

    ?

    Up until now, I¡¯ve managed to keep my head down, but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have the power to change the narrative. I just happened to be on the playing board at the whim of Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    As such, I couldn¡¯t think of any way to deal with this protagonist.?

    ?

    If I had to choose something more than this, I would no longer be a mob character.?

    ?

    The clown who had once mistakenly thought he was the protagonist was supposed to have given up everything by pretending that he was a mob character.?

    ?

    When he was betrayed by his childhood friend, his stepsister, his best friend, and all the people he loved, this was the reason why he desperately wanted to convince himself somehow.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m a mob character, so what can I do?¡±?

    ?

    Since then, I¡¯ve been telling myself that I can¡¯t be the protagonist because I¡¯m a mob character.?

    ?

    ¡°Damn¡­¡­, no words for a loser? You don¡¯t even have me in your sights anymore, do you? I feel like a fool for being satisfied with the childhood friend I had ¡­..¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki¡¯s wailing disappeared into the night forest.?

    ?

    He punched a tree trunk in frustration and then walked away.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t say anything.?

    ?

    After all ¡­¡­, Kotaro Nakayama is a mob character.?

    ?

    If I had been able to say something back to Ryuzaki here, I might have been able to intervene in the story.?

    ?

    It is possible that I could have broken out of my shell as a mob character and become something else.?

    ?

    But if I had been able to do that, I probably wouldn¡¯t have become a mob character in the first place.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re a loser¡­¡­, you say that a lot.¡±?

    ?

    As I look out at the forest where Ryuzaki disappeared, I can¡¯t help but remember the past.?

    ?

    ¡°The loser is not you, it¡¯s ¡­¡­ me.¡±?

    ?

    I used to think that I was the protagonist, that I was the one at that time¡­

 CH 49

    Loser?

    ?

    ¨CLooking back, I used to be like a protagonist.?

    ?

    My childhood friend Yuzuki and I lived in the same neighborhood, and we had been together ever since we were little.?

    ?

    In elementary school, I became very close with Kirari, who became my classmate, and we played together as if we were best friends of the same sex.?

    ?

    When I became a junior high school student, my mother, who was a single parent, got married and I got a stepsister. For the next three years, I spent time with Azusa as if we were real siblings.?

    ?

    So the three of them were very special to me.?

    ?

    I had such ¡­¡­ special feelings for them that I was sure that one of them would be my life partner in the future and we would spend the rest of our lives together.?

    ?

    I was close to three such attractive people.?

    ?

    It¡¯s an unusual fortune.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure I could be mistaken for the protagonist¨Cand I think I could be.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that there was anything special about the three of them.?

    ?

    Yuzuki just happened to live in my neighborhood, Kirari just happened to be my classmate, and Azusa just happened to be the child of someone my mother remarried.?

    ?

    There was no fateful encounter, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that the three of them were special. And I thought that the three of them must have seen me as special, too.?

    ?

    But that was my mistake.?

    ?

    (TLN: OMG FINALLY!???)?

    ?

    It wasn¡¯t ¡°fate¡± that brought me together with these girls, it was just a coincidence.?

    ?

    It seems that to them, I was just a stranger.?

    ?

    In other words, I was the only one who had special feelings for them.?

    ?

    At the entrance ceremony of the high school, the moment the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki, the harem protagonist, began, I realized my mistake.?

    ?

    Congratulations, the three of them had been discovered by Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    They met him, and for the first time, they met the ¡°real¡± protagonist.?

    ?

    And at the same time, they realized.?

    ?

    They realized that I was the first ¡°protagonist¡±.?

    ?

    ¡°Onii-chan ¡­ Well, maybe Azusa¡¯s real Onii-chan might be Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s what my stepsister told me, and I lost the significance of being a brother.?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro-san ¡­¡­ I think I may have met my destiny. For the first time, I¡¯ve met someone I want to give my all to.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s what my childhood friend told me, and I was no longer even a good friend of hers. She became obsessed with Ryuzaki and eventually started to forget about me.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ko-kun. There¡¯s someone I¡¯ve fallen in love with. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make him like me¡­¡­. Even if it kills the me I¡¯ve always been, I want to be the person he likes.¡±?

    ?

    My best friend Kirari sacrificed even her own personality to be liked by Ryuzaki. She dyed her hair, put in colored contacts, changed her tone of voice, and twisted her personality.?

    ?

    She was no longer Kirari Asakura, my best friend. She became Asakura-san, a complete stranger.?

    ?

    In other words, I lost the three people who were special to me at the same time.?

    ?

    It was an unbelievable fall for the protagonist.?

    ?

    It¡¯s a cruel ending, even for the sake of the story.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I was not really in love with them.?

    ?

    If I had to say whether I liked them or not, I liked them, but I didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives for them or anything like that.?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t think of them as special because they were girls, because they were cute, or because I wanted to go out with them.?

    ?

    It was just that they were important to me and I felt special.?

    ?

    I wanted to get to know them better if I could.?

    ?

    If I may be so bold as to say that it would be ideal if I could go out with any one of the three ¡­¡­ people.?

    ?

    However, in the worst case scenario, if they marry someone who isn¡¯t ¡­¡­ me, that¡¯s fine, as long as they¡¯re happy.?

    ?

    However, even having such thoughts seemed to be a hindrance to the girls¡­¡­, and my existence has been painted with the color of Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not possible to be the protagonist like this.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I thought of myself like this.?

    ?

    I¡¯m like a mob character.?

    ?

    When I thought about it that way, I felt a lot better.?

    ?

    I was hurt because I had mistakenly thought I was the protagonist, but once I accepted that I was a mob character, I was able to relax.?

    ?

    Even if I was betrayed, disappointed, or had my expectations lowered, it was all inevitable.?

    ?

    Because I¡¯m a mob character, it¡¯s only natural.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how I came to recognize myself as a mob character.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve come to think of everything from a meta perspective, and I¡¯ve forced myself to accept my lack of rewards.?

    ?

    But if I¡¯m being honest, ¡­¡­ I wanted to be a protagonist, too.?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t become a mob character because I wanted to.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki¡­¡­, so you¡¯re not a loser.?

    ?

    The loser is me.?

    ?

    The pathetic mob character who mistook himself for the protagonist, if not a loser?

 CH 50

    The Fate of Subheroines?

    ?

    Ryuzaki disappeared into the forest at night.?

    ?

    A little further away, preparations for the campfire were steadily underway. It had finally ignited, and there was a cheerful roar of excitement.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was not in the place where the light was.?

    ?

    The protagonist is still hiding in the shadows.?

    ?

    The one who will give him a helping hand is probably ¡­¡­ her.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ I guess Ryoma Onii-chan didn¡¯t know, after all.¡±?

    ?

    It was my stepsister, Azusa, who popped up from the shadows.?

    ?

    Apparently, she was listening in on the conversation between me and Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop¡­¡­ But I saw that Ryoma was acting strange, so I kept an eye on him. Then suddenly the two of you started talking¡­¡­. I ended up listening in.¡±?

    ?

    She looked apologetic, but this was an unavoidable consequence of the situation.?

    ?

    And ¡­¡­ in the story, Azusa had to know about Ryuzaki¡¯s agony.?

    ?

    This is because the subheroines are the only ones who can save the protagonist.?

    ?

    They are always willing to draw the short straw.?

    ?

    They are always willing to sacrifice themselves to make the people they love happy.?

    ?

    This is the reason why ¡­¡­ Azusa looked so pained when she thought about Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan looked like he was going to cry.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ I know.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a face like that before.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Yeah.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s not the face of Ryoma Onii-chan, the man Azusa fell in love with.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ I see.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°So, Azusa ¡­¡­ cannot leave it alone.¡±?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case, just go after him.?

    ?

    Just ignore me as usual and do what you want.?

    ?

    And yet, she¡¯s stomping her feet.?

    ?

    She hesitated and looked at me as if she wanted something from me.?

    ?

    ¡°But Onii-chan, ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t muster up the courage.¡±?

    ?

    A trembling voice echoed.?

    ?

    Even though she¡¯s a stepsister, the sound of my precious sister¡¯s tears ¡­¡­ still hurts my heart.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s only at times like this that you go back to being my sister.¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s not fair.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not fair that you cut me off, saying that I¡¯m not the ideal brother, but only when it¡¯s convenient, you ask for help like that.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­, but this is the last time. Onii-chan, please ¡­¡­ push me forward? Even though I¡¯m such a useless sister¡­¡­, please give me the courage to get hurt¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I knew this girl knew what she was talking about.?

    ?

    Now she understands ¡­¡­ that she will be very hurt.?

    ?

    This is because Azusa, of all people, ¡­¡­ is about to confess her feelings to Ryuzaki right now.?

    ?

    Even if she told him her feelings at this time, it would definitely fail.?

    ?

    This is because Ryuzaki is preoccupied with Shimotsuki and is hurting from the loss of his childhood friend, but Azusa can not tolerate Ryuzaki, who is in pain¡­?

    ?

    This is why she is trying to heal Ryuzaki with a drug called ¡°confession¡±.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure Azusa thinks it¡¯s okay if she gets rejected as a result¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ If that is the path Azusa has chosen.¡±?

    ?

    As a brother, I want to stop it.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want my precious little sister to get hurt.?

    ?

    But this is the path that she has chosen.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what it means to fall in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki, the ¡­¡­ harem-minded protagonist.?

    ?

    So there¡¯s only one thing I can do.?

    ?

    ¡°Good luck. Azusa was my cute little sister, so ¡­¡­ it¡¯s okay. If it¡¯s Azusa, maybe Ryuzaki will be okay with it? Because Azusa is cute.¡±?

    ?

    I gave her the best I could, which was only comforting.?

    ?

    But family is a strange thing. ¡­¡­ Even casual words can make your heart feel lighter than you imagined.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes, thank you. You¡¯re right, Azusa is cute. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡±?

    ?

    Then, Azusa smiled.?

    ?

    It had been a long time since I had seen a friendly smile up close, and it was still cute.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, ¡­¡­, well, if you can, please don¡¯t watch Azusa shatter herself, okay? I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t see ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t look at ¡­¡­. Because Onii-chan is kind ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    But the smile instantly clouded over, and a dry smile of empty energy stuck to it.?

    ?

    It¡¯s the kind of look I don¡¯t like from Azusa.?

    ?

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m off.¡±?

    ?

    Then, Azusa followed after Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    The little back was walking slowly, as if it wanted me to follow it, despite the words.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, I get it.?

    ?

    Azusa, Onii-chan is watching you.?

    ?

    So, do your best¨C

 CH 51

    I can no longer hold you in my arms?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was not too far away.?

    ?

    He was leaning against a tree, nodding off.?

    ?

    Azusa was slowly walking up to him.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan ¡­¡­, are you okay? You weren¡¯t looking well, so I chased after you. Did that ¡­¡­ something happen to you?¡±?

    ?

    I had to hide myself from view a little farther away to get a better look.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was still nodding off with a pathetic look on his face, even though Azusa had come to see him.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not nothing, is it?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I said it¡¯s nothing!¡±?

    ?

    I guess he has no room in his heart. Ryuzaki, who is usually kind to the sub-heroines, is yelling at her.?

    ?

    It seems that the sound of a man yelling is more frightening to women and children than we can imagine.?

    ?

    But Azusa was unfazed as she stared at Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ryoma Onii-chan, you look very uncool right now.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What!?¡±?

    ?

    Azusa¡¯s voice was firm and strong.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki glared at her in anger, but Azusa did not flinch at all.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder Shimotsuki-san doesn¡¯t like you when you look like that.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was severely unnerved by these words.?

    ?

    ¡°Why are you talking about Shiho ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I know, I know. I didn¡¯t need to be told that Ryoma Onii-chan was in love with Shimotsuki-san, I was aware of it. Because Azusa had been looking at Ryoma Onii-chan for a long time, you know? You¡¯ve been thinking about her all the time. How can I not understand~!¡±?

    ?

    And finally, it began.?

    ?

    The biggest and saddest scene of the sub-heroines opens now ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°Because Azusa loves Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CAt last, Azusa confessed.?

    ?

    Even the most insensitive of protagonists would not be able to misunderstand something when it is said so clearly.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ What? What did you say?¡±?

    ?

    But then again, ¡­¡­ the protagonist also had the skill of hearing loss.?

    ?

    Thanks to this, he can trample on the affections of the sub-heroines without them noticing his thoughts.?

    ?

    But that skill seems to be useless now.?

    ?

    ¡°I said I love you ¡­¡­, not as a friend, of course. I love you as a boy. I want to spend all my time with you, Ryoma Onii-chan. I want to go on dates with you, I want to touch you, I want you to touch me, and I want to make out with you. I want you to give me everything you have. That¡¯s how much I love you!¡±?

    ?

    Without the slightest room for doubt, Azusa blurted out her feelings of ¡°I love you¡±.?

    ?

    Even the most insensitive of protagonists can¡¯t pretend not to notice when someone says something like that.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, you¡¯re kidding, right? I can¡¯t believe ¡­¡­ Azusa likes me. ¡­¡­ You must be joking, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I love you, Ryoma Onii-chan. ¡­¡­ If you can¡¯t hear me, I¡¯ll tell you as many times as you want. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can give you a hundred reasons why I like you. So, believe me, ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not kidding, listen to me. Accept Azusa¡¯s feelings. ¡­¡­ Let me at least say I love you!¡±?

    ?

    Azusa¡¯s pure feelings echoed in the forest at night.?

    ?

    In the distance, I could faintly hear the voices of my classmates. Maybe the campfire is about to start¡­¡­. Little by little, it¡¯s getting noisier.?

    ?

    On the other hand, things were getting more and more exciting here too.?

    ?

    When the protagonist heard Azusa¡¯s words, he slowly raised his head.?

    ?

    ¡°So, it¡¯s true¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t want to see you now. But I don¡¯t want to see Ryoma Onii-chan¡¯s face right now. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to see his face when he¡¯s whimpering and miserable. Azusa¡¯s favorite Ryoma Onii-chan has a much better face, you know? Even though Azusa tried her best to approach you, you were still trying to look cool by saying, ¡°Oh dear.¡± ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how many times I wanted to punch you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Honestly, I want to cover my ears.?

    ?

    I can see where this is going.?

    ?

    It¡¯s like a farce. It¡¯s a terrible game, and it¡¯s not even funny.?

    ?

    Although she said a lot of things, what Azusa wanted to convey was just one point, ¡°I like Ryuzaki.¡±?

    ?

    And Ryuzaki, thanks to being told over and over again, seems to have finally come to realize this.?

    ?

    ¡°So, don¡¯t be depressed, okay? You can still be Azusa¡¯s favorite Ryoma Onii-chan. ¡­¡­ You love Shimotsuki-san, don¡¯t you? If so, it would be a shame to give up, wouldn¡¯t it? Azusa¡¯s favorite Ryoma Onii-chan is a very weak man, but when he wants to do something ¡­¡­, he does it.¡±?

    ?

    That affirmation becomes a medicine.?

    ?

    This is a great way to energize the protagonist who has lost his confidence.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­. I haven¡¯t done anything yet. I haven¡¯t even told Shiho how I feel about her, and it¡¯s ¡­¡­ disgraceful to give up and slump over.¡±?

    ?

    The voice of the protagonist, who had been sullen until a moment ago, regained its strength.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not like this is me. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m much cooler now that Azusa likes me. ¡­¡­ So, yeah. I¡¯m going to confess properly!¡±?

    ?

    Finally, the time had come.?

    ?

    The harem protagonist¡¯s biggest flaw, has been eliminated by the subheroine¡¯s confession.?

    ?

    This is the unique ¡°awakening¡± of the protagonist.?

    ?

    No one can stop him now.?

    ?

    The story is only going to rise. Every wind that blows from now on will be a tailwind for the protagonist, and he will become the rightful owner of opportunism.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa¡­¡­Thank you for loving me like this. I¡¯ll try my best to be the Ryoma Ryuzaki that you love.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ I love the cool Ryoma Onii-chan the most.¡±?

    ?

    And once awakened, the subheroine is no longer ¡®useful¡¯.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ But I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t accept ¡­¡­ Azusa¡¯s confession because I have someone I like.¡±?

    ?

    And so, Azusa was rejected.?

    ?

    Even though she had tried so hard to confess, her ¡­¡­ feelings were easily trampled upon.?

    ?

    This is a natural result.?

    ?

    There was no way she could confess to Ryuzaki, who was troubled about Shimotsuki, and have him accept her confession.?

    ?

    Even so, Azusa wanted to cheer up Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Even though she knew she would be rejected ¡­¡­ and hurt, she kept her ¡®love¡¯ to herself.?

    ?

    ¡°I see¡­¡­.  but it can¡¯t be helped. The campfire is about to start, you know. If you¡¯ve decided to confess your love, you¡¯d better go now. There¡¯s a jinx that says if you confess your love at the campfire, you¡¯ll succeed.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Really? If that¡¯s true, then ¡­¡­ it¡¯s good timing. Thank you for letting me know. Azusa, you¡¯re the best friend I¡¯ve ever had!¡±?

    ?

    ¨CIt is a sin to be insensitive.?

    ?

    It¡¯s ¡­¡­ very cruel to hurt someone so easily without malice.?

    ?

    I think Azusa had reached her limit.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, yes. Then hurry up and go! Make sure you tell her how you feel¡­¡­ Bye bye, Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    She pushed Ryuzaki¡¯s back and made him go to the square.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, okay, you don¡¯t have to push ¡­¡­, I¡¯ll go. Totally ¡­¡­ Azusa loves to touch me, doesn¡¯t she? I¡¯m glad you did, thank you ¡­¡­ so I¡¯ll see you later.¡±?

    ?

    And then Ryuzaki left the place.?

    ?

    At that moment, Azusa slumped down as if she had lost her mind.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Onii-chan? You¡¯re here anyway, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±?

    ?

    She called out to me, so I showed my face.?

    ?

    But she didn¡¯t look at me, she turned her head down.?

    ?

    The sight was so painful that it ¡­¡­ made my heart ache.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa, you did your best, right? You don¡¯t have to hold back anymore, do you?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes. No need to hold back anymore. Azusa is a strong girl.¡±?

    ?

    I hope it makes her feel better. I know it¡¯s naive of me to think that, but I can¡¯t help but say kind words to her.?

    ?

    My stepsister, who once cut me off, ¡­¡­ is still family to me.?

    ?

    She was in too much pain to look at her now.?

    ?

    ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!¡±?

    ?

    Immediately, Azusa began to cry.?

    ?

    She did not wipe her tears, but continued to cry painfully, shedding large tears.?

    ?

    ¡°I loved you so much. ¡­¡­ This was my first love¡­why won¡¯t you love me back, Ryoma Onii-chan? I loved you so much, so much¡­¡­!!¡±?

    ?

    There was nothing I could do about the sad wailing.?

    ?

    The only thing I could do was to be there for her.?

    ?

    We were no longer close enough for me to hug her.?

    ?

    The truth is, of course I want to comfort her. I want to comfort Azusa, who is in pain.?

    ?

    But I can¡¯t do that.?

    ?

    I could not, and would not, be the ideal Onii-chan that Azusa envisioned, so I have no right to ¡­¡­ hug her.?

    ?

    This is the result of the choices that Azusa has made.?

    ?

    Now, the only person who can comfort Azusa is ¡­¡­ her acknowledged ¡°real Onii-chan¡±.

 CH 52

    The Ideal ¡°Onii-chan¡±?

    ?

    It seemed that Azusa had an older brother who was two years older than her.?

    ?

    He was not a stepbrother like me, but a real brother by blood.?

    ?

    This was before we became step-siblings.?

    ?

    I heard from her father that Azusa loved him very much and was always with him no matter what.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be your wife in the future!¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s all she said, and it seemed to annoy her family.?

    ?

    But those days came to an abrupt end.?

    ?

    When Azusa was in the sixth grade, her brother died in an accident.?

    ?

    Azusa, who lost her beloved brother, was of course sad ¡­¡­, but rather, she was very confused.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not like she could understand that she would never be able to see her beloved brother again.?

    ?

    ¡°Onii-chan is just going somewhere far away, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again someday, if ¡­¡­ Azusa is a good girl.¡±?

    ?

    Somewhere in her heart, she must have understood that her brother was dead.?

    ?

    But she refused to acknowledge it. She stubbornly continued to wait for her brother¡¯s return.?

    ?

    Even as a high school student, she still wore her hair in twin tails, as she did in elementary school, probably to make her brother recognize her.?

    ?

    Then one day, ¡­¡­ Azusa¡¯s father decided to remarry. The other person had a stepson, a boy.?

    ?

    That¡¯s me.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Are you my Onii-chan?¡±?

    ?

    I still vividly remember the first time I met her.?

    ?

    I was in the first year of junior high school at the time, and I too was confused by the sudden arrival of a family member my age.?

    ?

    So, I couldn¡¯t really think about her question.?

    ?

    I asked her when her birthday was, because I thought it would determine if she was my older or younger sibling ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    And she shook her head, because mine was slightly earlier.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, I guess you could say I¡¯m your Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    When I told her that, Azusa instantly started to cry.?

    ?

    ¡°Gusuu ¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting for you all this time. Welcome back, Onii-chan! ¡°?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t know what to do with my stepsister who hugged me while saying that.?

    ?

    It was right after that that I heard everything from her father.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa has been waiting for her brother¡¯s return.¡±?

    ?

    I thought I knew that.?

    ?

    She knew that she would never see him again, but she pretended not to notice and put her brother¡¯s image on mine.?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t stand to see Azusa like that, so ¡­¡­ I pretended to be her brother.?

    ?

    At the time, I didn¡¯t think of myself as a mob character, so I was proud that I could save Azusa.?

    ?

    Thus, even though we were the same age, we started to spend time together as brother and sister.?

    ?

    When we first became brother and sister, Azusa seemed to be very happy every day. She walked behind me all the time and crawled into my bed at night.?

    ?

    To be honest, I was happy.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but think how cute my little sister was, how much she missed me.?

    ?

    If she wanted, I could be her ¡°Onii-chan¡± forever.?

    ?

    I loved Azusa so much that I even thought about it.?

    ?

    But it seems that I was the only one who thought so.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    If I think back, I think Azusa had a puzzled look on her face even then.?

    ?

    She suddenly looked at me and tilted her head, ¡°Huh?¡±?

    ?

    It was as if she had realized that I was not the ¡°Onii-chan¡± who she was waiting for to come home.?

    ?

    The feeling of discomfort must have been getting stronger day by day.?

    ?

    And finally, on the day of the entrance ceremony, ¡­¡­ she met that guy.?

    ?

    Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    At first glance, Azusa seems to have realized that I am a fake.?

    ?

    Because Ryuzaki looks a lot like Azusa¡¯s own brother.?

    ?

    I was surprised when I saw the album. I wondered if there was anyone in the world who looked so much like him.?

    ?

    In other words, she had finally found her ¡°ideal Onii-chan¡±.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki, who resembled her own brother, had instantly stolen her heart.?

    ?

    And I, who was a failure, was cut down.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa¡¯s real Onii-chan might be Ryoma Onii-chan.¡±?

    ?

    The parting words were abrupt.?

    ?

    I lost my precious sister before I had a chance to sort out my feelings.?

    ?

    Because she wanted Ryuzaki to look back at her, she only talked to me inside the house and called me ¡°Nakayama-kun¡± outside. I was only her brother in the family register, and I could only act as her brother in the limited situation of inside the house, and I became distant from Azusa.?

    ?

    Throwing everything away, Azusa single-mindedly pursued Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Eventually, her thoughts turned to love as a member of the opposite sex instead of love for her brother ¡­¡­ and this completed her as a harem member.?

    ?

    She really is the epitome of a subheroine.?

    ?

    As a subheroine, she loved Ryuzaki, as a subheroine, she devoted herself to Ryuzaki, as a subheroine, she encouraged Ryuzaki, and as a subheroine, she fell in vain.?

    ?

    It was an utterly ¡­¡­ disgusting romantic comedy.?

    ?

    In the end, what did she get out of it??

    ?

    Did you get the ¡°ideal Onii-chan¡± you¡¯ve been seeking with all your heart??

    ?

    Azusa¡­¡­ you didn¡¯t get any reward.?

    ?

    You just fell down hurt, crying, and in pain.?

    ?

    It really was painful to watch¡ª?

    ?

    ¡°Higu, Ugu ¡­ Ua¡±?

    ?

    She is still crying after being rejected by Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Azusa¡¯s sobbing voice was echoing in the forest at night.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t hug her like that.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been disqualified from being her big brother, and I¡¯m now just her older brother in the family register.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not even related to her by blood, and I¡¯m almost a stranger to her out there.?

    ?

    It¡¯s impossible for me to comfort her or heal her.?

    ?

    Azusa has gone beyond my reach.?

    ?

    But ¡­¡­, family is still family.?

    ?

    There is an inseparable bond with this girl.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I tend to be lenient with her.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­I know it¡¯s very, very painful right now.¡±?

    ?

    I send words to the sobbing girl.?

    ?

    It was a shout out from me, as much as I could.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa will be able to get over this pain. You¡¯ll be able to think about things from a different perspective when you do¡­¡­. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CYou¡¯re not done yet.?

    ?

    ¨CGet up.?

    ?

    ¨CUse the pain and sorrow as sustenance and take a leap forward.?

    ?

    That is the only way for Azusa to be happy.?

    ?

    The only way for a subheroine who loves a harem protagonist to be rewarded is to overcome a lot of pain, compromise, and accept.?

    ?

    If you don¡¯t like it, give up.?

    ?

    I want you to be a normal girl, fall in love with a normal boy, and be satisfied with normal happiness.?

    ?

    However, Azusa is a girl who is not satisfied with such ¡°normal¡±.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get over this pain.?

    ?

    ¡°Good luck. I¡¯m rooting for you¡­¡­. Onii-chan will always be watching over you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know what Azusa is feeling as she is still crying.?

    ?

    Now there¡¯s nothing more I can do.?

    ?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go now. When you stop crying, come back.¡±?

    ?

    I gave her a final gentle pat on the shoulder and turned my back on Azusa.?

    ?

    This is the end of the story of the subheroine.?

    ?

    Whether or not Azusa will be able to come back to the table in the future is up to ¡­¡­ her.?

    ?

    If she does, she will probably have matured and become a stronger subheroine.?

    ?

    Maybe she¡¯ll become so attractive that she¡¯ll take the main heroine¡¯s place.?

    ?

    Let¡¯s hope so.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Now, what should I do?¡±?

    ?

    Finally, I¡¯m going to have to face it.?

    ?

    What should I do about the awakened protagonist??

    ?

    At last, the story comes to a climax¨C

 CH 53

    Declaration of War?

    ?

    Thus, Ryoma Ryuzaki awakened.?

    ?

    His only flaw is that he¡¯s a slob, but now that that¡¯s gone, he¡¯s almost the strongest of them all.?

    ?

    I wonder if there is anyone who can compete with him.?

    ?

    At least, I can¡¯t do anything about it as a mob character.?

    ?

    I¡¯m a nobody, and I can¡¯t stop the protagonist.?

    ?

    There are very few people who can interfere with him right now.?

    ?

    The main heroine, Shimotsuki, or one of the subheroines¡­¡­, are the only ones with enough influence to change Ryuzaki¡¯s mind.?

    ?

    Now, it begins.?

    ?

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s solo performance has finally begun.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Hey, Nakayama. Where have you been? I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±?

    ?

    When I returned to the plaza, Ryuzaki spoke to me as if he had been waiting for me.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I got a little emotional ¡­¡­ and showed my disgraceful side.¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know if I should apologize. I didn¡¯t have anything to say in response, so I shrugged my shoulders and looked toward the square.?

    ?

    The preparations for the campfire must have been finished.?

    ?

    A large flame rises from the center of the square wooden structure. The wavering smoke drifted in the wind and disappeared.?

    ?

    Everyone was watching the flames.?

    ?

    According to the schedule, a light entertainment was to be held after this.?

    ?

    There was a simple stage set up in the square where they were going to perform comedy, songs, and dances.?

    ?

    Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. It was noisier than usual, and I wanted to cover my ears.?

    ?

    Unfortunately, I¡¯m not in the mood to enjoy it.?

    ?

    In the first place, I don¡¯t know if I would have enjoyed a campfire under normal circumstances¡­¡­, but at least now I wanted to be alone and sleep.?

    ?

    When I think of Azusa, I feel like my heart is going to burst.?

    ?

    But I can¡¯t let that happen, because this is where the real battle begins.?

    ?

    ¡°What do you want?¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t need to play the role of a dog anymore. The relationship between me and Shimotsuki was already known, so I said something emotionless as usual.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s something I want to tell you. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve decided to confess to Shiho. I thought I¡¯d tell you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, no.?

    ?

    I already know, since I was eavesdropping earlier.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m surprised now. So I nodded, expressionless.?

    ?

    ¡°I see.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What¡­¡­? I was expecting more reaction from you¡­¡­. As expected, you can afford it. Do you think you¡¯ve already got Shiho? The game is not over yet.¡±?

    ?

    But the protagonist is perverse.?

    ?

    Without malice, he moves the story in a way that suits him.?

    ?

    ¡°It is true that you and Shiho are good friends. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t jealous. ¡­¡­ But you haven¡¯t confessed to her yet, have you? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re officially dating, is it? If that¡¯s the case, then there must be a chance for me, too.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuuzaki then clenched his fists in an attempt to inspire himself.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯ve made me realize something. I was satisfied with just being childhood friends with Shiho. I¡¯ve been thinking that if we could just be next to each other that would be enough, even if we didn¡¯t become lovers. But that¡¯s not good enough¡­¡­. No other man would leave a girl as wonderful as Shiho aside.¡±?

    ?

    As usual, Ryuzaki¡¯s words were self-indulgent.?

    ?

    He was not thinking about Shimotsuki in the slightest, he was just looking for a result that would make him feel good.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m ¡­¡­ scared to confess. I¡¯m so nervous I think I¡¯m going to throw up¡­¡­. There is someone who likes me like this. If you¡¯re a man who can¡¯t confess your love to someone, it¡¯s disrespectful to that person¡­¡­. I have to be a cool Ryuzaki Ryoma.¡±?

    ?

    The protagonist¡¯s monologue is as incomprehensible as ever, and it makes my head hurt.?

    ?

    However, I have one question.?

    ?

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t get it.?

    ?

    What do you want from this mob character??

    ?

    Do you think I¡¯m going to give you a push??

    ?

    It¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡­. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to support you.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, I¡¯m sure Ryuzaki didn¡¯t mean to say that either.?

    ?

    ¡°Because you¡¯re my rival. This is a declaration of war.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki smiled fearlessly and turned his back on me.?

    ?

    He seemed to be satisfied with his one-sided conversation.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s more anticlimactic than I thought. I thought you would be more emotional, but Nakayama is a guy I don¡¯t understand¡­¡­. It¡¯s boring.¡±?

    ?

    It seems that the fiery protagonist overestimated his rival.?

    ?

    Don¡¯t get your hopes up. Unlike you, I¡¯m a mob character.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not in a position to intervene in the story.?

    ?

    So, if possible, I don¡¯t want you to get involved in anything, but I can¡¯t say that when I think about ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    After this, she will be confessed to.?

    ?

    Moreover, by a person who is very bad at it, she is told that he likes her.?

    ?

    I want to help her somehow.?

    ?

    But I can¡¯t stop Ryuzaki from confessing his love to her¡­¡­. In the end, I didn¡¯t know what to do, and time just slowly passed by¨C

 CH 54

    The Worst Confession Ever?

    ?

    The entertainment begins.?

    ?

    On a simple stage, a pair of high school boys were doing some sort of comedy act.?

    ?

    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was funny or not.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t have any sense of comedy, so I can¡¯t judge what¡¯s funny and what¡¯s not.?

    ?

    It¡¯s the nature of a sad mob character.?

    ?

    Because they have no hobbies or obsessions, they are incapable of having a personality.?

    ?

    They don¡¯t even have principles, they just go with the flow.?

    ?

    Even now, at this very moment, I have been unable to do anything about it.?

    ?

    (Ryuzaki¡¯s confession is unstoppable ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    A few minutes ago, the protagonist declared war on me.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure he¡¯s waiting for the right moment.?

    ?

    ¡°If you confess your love at a campfire, you will succeed.¡±?

    ?

    Such a jinx is said to exist in this overnight learning program.?

    ?

    This is the reason why Ryuzaki is trying to use it to confess his feelings.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    As the entertainment was taking place on stage, I was watching it in a daze.?

    ?

    It is not compulsory to participate in the entertainment, but only those who wish to do so.?

    ?

    Those who don¡¯t want to participate can sleep in their rooms, so there are many people who don¡¯t attend. There were also some people who didn¡¯t observe the entertainment but instead chatted with their friends or flirted with their loved ones.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Indeed, this atmosphere is perfect for a confession.?

    ?

    The main light source was the flames of the campfire, and other lighting was minimal and a bit dim¡­¡­. Because it was hard to see, the distance between people naturally narrowed. The unusual space gives courage to men and women in love. The unrealistic space may also make the confessor more excited than usual.?

    ?

    Analyzing the situation, it seems that the probability of success is higher than confessing on an ordinary day when nothing is going on.?

    ?

    It was a situation that convinced me that a jinx had been created.?

    ?

    (Maybe Ryuzaki will call Shimotsuki when he confesses¡­¡­ But first, I have to find her.)?

    ?

    I want to stay close to Shimotsuki for now.?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t know what to do, but as long as I could be there, I could always help.?

    ?

    If I could do everything in my power to somehow get through Ryuzaki¡¯s confession, that was fine.?

    ?

    However, my biggest concern was that the protagonist¡¯s opportunism would be triggered and Shimotsuki would be driven into a corner.?

    ?

    I have no idea what kind of convenience will come into play, though.?

    ?

    Anyway, I¡¯m afraid that the situation will turn out to be convenient for Ryuzaki. If something happens that twists ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki¡¯s will, which is unlikely, Ryuzaki¡¯s confession might be successful.?

    ?

    This is an unrealistic assumption, but since Ryuzaki is the protagonist, I knew that anything could happen.?

    ?

    So anyway, I hurried to meet up with Shimotsuki, but even after looking around the square, I couldn¡¯t find her¡­.?

    ?

    (There are quite a lot of blind spots that I can¡¯t see¡­¡­.)?

    ?

    The visibility is worse than I thought. It is also awkward because there are couples making out everywhere.?

    ?

    Her silvery-white hair stands out, so if she were here, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be able to spot her right away¡­¡­. Maybe she¡¯s already asleep??

    ?

    If so, that would have been a relief¡­¡­, but it seems I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.?

    ?

    (Oh, there she is!)?

    ?

    I found Shimotsuki just as the entertainment was about to end.?

    ?

    I think it was about an hour or so. When the students had finished their performance, I spotted the silver hair in front of the stage.?

    ?

    Apparently, Shimotsuki had also come. I wondered if it was a bad time, or if she had just arrived¡­¡­. Well, if I could join her, that would be fine.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I thought, and I started walking towards her.?

    ?

    But there were so many people in front of the stage that I couldn¡¯t make my way to the front. It took me a while.?

    ?

    Meanwhile, she was looking around as if she was looking for someone.?

    ?

    And as soon as her eyes met mine, her face lit up and she tried to run over to me¡­¡­. Just then, I saw.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s time for the annual ¡°Confession Time¡±! It seems to have produced many couples so far, so if you are a boy or a girl in love, this is the time to show your courage! Is there anyone out there?¡±?

    ?

    Immediately after the host said that.?

    ?

    The person who suddenly came on stage was the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m Ryoma Ryuzaki, class 1, year 2. There¡¯s someone I¡¯ve been in love with since I was a child. Today, let me confess my love to that person.¡±?

    ?

    With a microphone in his hand, Ryuzaki spoke up proudly, a look of determination on his face.?

    ?

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D¡±?

    ?

    Suddenly, there was silence.?

    ?

    The moment he stepped out onto the stage, I felt the place suddenly quieten down.?

    ?

    Everyone¡¯s attention was on Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    He was quite a celebrity. He is so popular that he is recognized not only by jealous boys, but even by girls who have little to do with him.?

    ?

    However, although he is such a guy, he has never fallen in love with anyone in particular. That¡¯s why the people around him were wondering, ¡°Who is he going to date?¡±. I guess they were wondering what was going on¡­¡­. The mystery was finally being solved now.?

    ?

    It¡¯s no wonder everyone is paying attention.?

    ?

    And that ¡°attention¡± was the ¡­¡­ concept she was least comfortable with.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho! I have something to tell you¡­¡­. Please, will you listen to me?¡±?

    ?

    The one who was called out by name was of course Shiho Shimotsuki, Ryuzaki¡¯s childhood friend.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki is staring at her in front of the stage. The people around her are all looking at her at the same time.?

    ?

    A lot of eyes, and the consciousness of others, were focused on the little girl, Shiho Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D!¡±?

    ?

    Even from a distance, I could tell.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s expression was tense and strained.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t notice the change in Shimotsuki because she is always expressionless in front of Ryuzaki. He is reaching out gently ¡­¡­ and I am sure he does not know what he has done.?

    ?

    As usual, the protagonist only thinks about himself.?

    ?

    They don¡¯t seem to understand that Shimotsuki is now so uncomfortable that she can¡¯t speak.?

    ?

    (No way, this is how you¡¯re going to confess¡­¡­.)?

    ?

    I clenched my fists at the unexpected situation.?

    ?

    See, it happened after all. A convenient scene for the protagonist has arrived.?

    ?

    If you think about it, surely ¡­¡­ this situation is the only option for Shimotsuki¡¯s confession to end in a good outcome. The opportunism is firmly in effect.?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki is not very good with Ryuzaki as she should be, so the chances of a successful confession are close to zero.?

    ?

    But with so many people watching, can Shimotsuki really speak up??

    ?

    No, she can¡¯t. She was shy and sensitive to the presence of others, but there was no way she could express herself in this situation with so many people watching her.?

    ?

    ¡°Damn.¡±?

    ?

    I bite my lip at the worst confession I¡¯ve ever heard.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t meet up with Shimotsuki anymore.?

    ?

    The story is now entering its peak.?

    ?

    There¡¯s no way for a mob character to intervene in this confession.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why all I could do was look at the protagonist as usual¨C

 CH 55

    I Can¡¯t Stay a Mob Character?

    ?

    The worst possible scenario comes to my mind.?

    ?

    Suppose Ryuzaki were to confess his feelings to Shimotsuki in this situation.?

    ?

    Will she be able to give him an answer??

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    No, she can¡¯t.?

    ?

    If she was capable of speaking in a public place like this, she wouldn¡¯t be in this situation in the first place. I¡¯m sure she would have firmly refused to go on stage.?

    ?

    But she couldn¡¯t say anything, so she went up on stage as she was led by the people around her.?

    ?

    Everyone seemed to be excited about Ryuzaki¡¯s confession.?

    ?

    The whole place was already dominated by Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Go for it! ¡°Show us who you are!¡± ¡°Show us your strength! ¡°You can do it, Ryuzaki-kun!¡±?

    ?

    They were cheering him on as he plucked up the courage to confess his feelings.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why everyone is oblivious.?

    ?

    They don¡¯t understand how frightened Shimotsuki is right now¡­¡­, how nervous she is, how she¡¯s shaking herself, how she¡¯s about to cry.?

    ?

    Because she is the girl who was confessed to by Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    There is no way that the heroine, who was given such good fortune, would not like it.?

    ?

    (This is the worst¡­¡­)?

    ?

    I clench my fists. My fingernails dig into my skin and it hurts, but it helps me keep my cool.?

    ?

    Think. What can I do ¡­¡­ to save Shimotsuki??

    ?

    How can I help that nice girl who thinks I¡¯m special¡­¡­??

    ?

    (If Ryuzaki confesses his love to her¡­¡­)?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure Shimotsuki can¡¯t refuse.?

    ?

    No, she should not be able to say anything. The only thing she can do is to keep quiet, kill her emotions, and endure the situation.?

    ?

    If she does, it will eventually be interpreted in a way that is convenient for Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Can¡¯t you give me an answer that quickly? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll confess again sometime. But you have to know that I love you. Maybe you don¡¯t like me yet, but I¡¯ll try my best to make you like ¡­¡­ me someday.¡±?

    ?

    What a way to suggest that the relationship would progress in the sequel.?

    ?

    This is impossible.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t accept this.?

    ?

    Because Shimotsuki is not very good with Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    No matter how hard she tries in the future, she will never be able to like Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how much she doesn¡¯t even care about that guy.?

    ?

    Well, ¡­¡­ it¡¯s the reason why the story chose this stage.?

    ?

    In order to prevent the protagonist from being rejected, the story is trying to extend itself with the most convenient situation.?

    ?

    If this continues, Shimotsuki will remain the main heroine forever.?

    ?

    I¡¯m still not going to allow Ryuzaki to approach her, make her feel bad, and spend her days in pain. ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t allow that to happen.?

    ?

    ¨CI want to help.?

    ?

    ¨CIf I could, I would protect her.?

    ?

    I think strongly in my heart.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is a benefactor to me.?

    ?

    I had no confidence in myself, I was constantly denying myself, and to top it off, I was so self-loathing that I described myself as a ¡°mob character¡±.?

    ?

    Thanks to her, I¡¯ve been really enjoying every day recently.?

    ?

    It was a relief to know that there was someone who would accept me like this ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say sad things about mob characters.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s what she once said to me to cheer me up.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t think I can express in words how much those words encouraged me. ¡­¡­?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure that for Shimotsuki, Kotaro Nakayama is not just a mob character.?

    ?

    As proof of this, ¡­¡­ she is still looking at me with eyes that seem to cling to me.?

    ?

    And then her lips moved as if to appeal for something.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, ¡­¡­ please help me.¡±?

    ?

    I thought I heard a voice.?

    ?

    No, it was an auditory hallucination. Shimotsuki is in a situation where she cannot say a word¡­¡­, but just by the movement of her lips, I knew what she was saying.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been with her for a while now.?

    ?

    I can at least tell what she¡¯s thinking by looking at her face.?

    ?

    ¡°Help me.¡±?

    ?

    The moment I sensed her intentions, I felt something flare up inside me.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±?

    ?

    I nodded, and moved my heavy body forcibly.?

    ?

    I¡¯m done with being a mob character ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    I¡¯ll do anything for Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    I can even stand up to the protagonist.?

    ?

    In order to do that, I can¡¯t stay as a mob character.?

    ?

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! You think you can get away with this kind of confession ¡­¡­!?¡±?

    ?

    I raise my voice loudly and ruin the atmosphere of the place.?

    ?

    Of course, the source of the voice was ¡­¡­ me.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sorry to say that I¡¯m in the middle of a good story, but ¡­¡­, my protagonist, let me interrupt your story.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki Ryoma. I¡¯m not going to allow you to have a happy ending.?

    ?

    Do you know that there is a bad ending to a story??

    ?

    Ryuzaki, I won¡¯t let your wish come true.?

    ?

    For that purpose, I¡¯ll block your romantic comedy not as a ¡°mob character¡± but as a ¡­¡­ ¡°villain¡±¡­

 CH 56

    Don¡¯t Think You Can Be Insensitive Forever??

    ?

    ¨CA silence descends.?

    ?

    The silence hurts my ears. The air in the place was completely chilled by what I had said.?

    ?

    I am aware that I said something out of place.?

    ?

    However, my days of being a casual observer, being carried away by the flow of events, reading the atmosphere, are over.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t protect Shimotsuki if I remain a mob character.?

    ?

    To protect her, ¡­¡­ I can do anything.?

    ?

    It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m a villain or not.?

    ?

    I felt like I could be the heel that destroys the story.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryuzaki. You¡¯re a real coward, you know that? You¡¯re really annoying to watch. You declared war on me, didn¡¯t you? If that¡¯s the case, then give me a fair fight! Confessing under such circumstances really disgusts me.¡±?

    ?

    Slowly, I made my way towards the stage.?

    ?

    A while ago, the crowd was in the way and I couldn¡¯t move forward, but now everyone was making way for me, so it was easy to walk.?

    ?

    Everyone was looking at me.?

    ?

    They looked at me with puzzled, suspicious, curious, and confused faces.?

    ?

    ¡°Who is this?¡±?

    ?

    They probably didn¡¯t even recognize me.?

    ?

    It was only natural, since I was a mob character.?

    ?

    But today, at ¡­¡­ this moment, they will recognize who I am.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how far I¡¯ve come.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama ¡­¡­, don¡¯t interrupt me. I¡¯m about to confess my feelings to Shiho. What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡¡Are you in a hurry? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re in a hurry because you were caught off guard by the fact that you won and then I did something bold like this.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki, on the other hand, is missing the point.?

    ?

    Panicked? In a hurry? Me, for you??

    ?

    I¡¯m long past that stage.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve never thought of you as an enemy.?

    ?

    Because Ryuzaki ¡­¡­ you haven¡¯t even reached the battle stage.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not sure how you can say that when you¡¯ve already lost the battle.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Why would you confess under such circumstances? You love Shimotsuki, didn¡¯t you? You really love her, don¡¯t you? If so, that¡¯s impossible.¡±?

    ?

    I get up on stage and glare straight at Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    It seems that he can¡¯t hide his annoyance with me either. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s annoyed that I¡¯ve interrupted his show.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re talking about. It doesn¡¯t matter when or under what circumstances I confess, does it?  What I did in front of everyone was to show her that I was that serious.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Haha. ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki is always all about himself, isn¡¯t he? You¡¯re so self-absorbed, you don¡¯t even think about the other person, you can only come up with things that make you feel good.¡±?

    ?

    As if to explode the emotion of ¡°I hate you¡± that I had been suppressing in my mind for a long time.?

    ?

    I vented my emotions as much as I could.?

    ?

    ¡°So, you always hurt others. Can¡¯t you see what your beloved person is looking like right now ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    Then I embraced Shimotsuki¡¯s shoulders.?

    ?

    Her face was pale and she was biting her lip tightly, but as soon as ¡­¡­ I hugged her, she started to spill large tears.?

    ?

    ¡°¡ª-Eh?¡±?

    ?

    Seeing the tears, Ryuzaki finally seemed to realize.?

    ?

    How much Shimotsuki had hated this situation.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho? Hey, why are you crying ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s so heartbreaking to see such a lovely girl shedding tears.?

    ?

    Not to mention Ryuzaki, myself, and everyone else in the ¡­¡­ audience were also watching with pain in our eyes.?

    ?

    At this moment, the flow of events changed.?

    ?

    At first, there was an air of bewilderment at the intrusion of a foreigner like me, but ¡­¡­ it soon turned to sympathy for Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    And at the same time, it also leads to the affirmation of my existence.?

    ?

    ¡°Is confession a spectacle for Ryuzaki? For example, don¡¯t you ever assume that the girl you are confessing to is a very timid and shy girl who gets scared just by the ¡­¡­ presence of others?¡±?

    ?

    Attention gathers.?

    ?

    Everyone perceives me, and they are leaning forward to hear what I have to say next.?

    ?

    As if to speak to them as well, I strung my words together.?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki is that kind of girl¡­¡­. So don¡¯t do this to her. How can you be a childhood friend and not know that? How can this girl be serious when you confess to her like a spectacle?¡±?

    ?

    I won¡¯t allow you to be insensitive.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not going to let you get away with opportunism.

 CH 57

    Breakup?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Nakayama-kun. That ¡­ um.¡±?

    ?

    As soon as I hugged her, Shimotsuki suddenly regained her vigor, as if the time that had stopped had begun to move.?

    ?

    As if the thread of tension that had been taut had been cut, ¡­¡­ Shimotsuki became weak, leaned against me, and then began to spill large tears.?

    ?

    In order to reassure her, I gently rubbed her back.?

    ?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. Here, take a deep breath. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take care of everything else. Here, take a handkerchief. You¡¯ve got tears and snot all over your face. You¡¯re going to be okay¡­¡­ Stay behind me, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki was desperately trying to say something, but she was in such an unstable state that she couldn¡¯t get the words out.?

    ?

    In order to calm her down, I handed her a handkerchief and spoke gently to her.?

    ?

    Seeing this, Ryuzaki seemed to reaffirm his failure.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho is shy? Is she timid? No, no, no, no, that¡¯s not ¡­¡­ possible. This is because Shiho is a quiet, solitary person who likes to be alone and has no interest in other people¡­¡­, so she didn¡¯t even look at me, and she hated talking to other people. She¡¯s not that kind of girl, is she ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    He was still trying to hang on to his misconception.?

    ?

    He doesn¡¯t want to believe it.?

    ?

    But that statement is not convincing.?

    ?

    Shimotsuki¡¯s tears and attitude proved that everything Ryuzaki had said was a ¡°misunderstanding¡±.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re always interpreting things to suit yourself like that. I¡¯m not sure what to say. Does she like to be alone?¡¡Not interested in others? It¡¯s not like that¡­¡­. She¡¯s talkative, she¡¯s longed for friends, and she¡¯s always been curious about others. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s too timid and shy to get the courage to take the first step.¡±?

    ?

    At this point, I¡¯d like to correct all the misunderstandings.?

    ?

    I denied all the facts that had been conveniently interpreted by Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Then why were you so cold to me!? If you were interested in other people, if you wanted a friend, if you wanted to have a chat, I was there! Why didn¡¯t Shiho accept me, her childhood friend, the one who knew her better than anyone else!¡±?

    ?

    Still defeated, I felt that he still didn¡¯t understand Shimotsuki when she objected to him.?

    ?

    You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about, do you??

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s a given.¡±?

    ?

    Suddenly, a smile appeared on my face.?

    ?

    I can see it in myself. I¡¯m sure I have a very distorted and ugly smile on my face right now.?

    ?

    But I couldn¡¯t control my emotions.?

    ?

    I was enjoying the sight of Ryuzaki, whom I hated, getting all upset.?

    ?

    This is exactly the kind of villain I want to be.?

    ?

    A villain who destroys the story might be a good fit for me.?

    ?

    I wanted Ryuzaki to get hurt more and more.?

    ?

    I said clearly in a voice that everyone could hear.?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki didn¡¯t like Ryuzaki. ¡­.. Why didn¡¯t you notice? How can you not understand when she¡¯s so cold and unresponsive when you talk to her, and when she looks so depressed just being next to you?¡±?

    ?

    At last, I said it.?

    ?

    Shiho Shimotsuki is not fond of Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    That the protagonist was nothing more than a stranger to the main heroine.?

    ?

    I blurted it out with all my emotions.?

    ?

    In response to that truth, Ryuzaki shook his head as if to say ¡­¡­ it¡¯s impossible, then staggered back and leaned against the stage wall like he was bumping into it.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not possible¡­¡­, because I¡¯m Shiho¡¯s childhood friend.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¨CJust because you¡¯ve known each other since childhood doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s why you¡¯re close. For Shimotsuki, you are just a stranger that she has known since childhood¡­¡­ You need to accept that fact.¡±?

    ?

    If I had to describe it, I would say that it is like a verbal knife that cuts you to shreds.?

    ?

    One-sidedly throwing out emotions and hurting the person named Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Even the protagonist, as expected, was still hurt by those ¡°truths¡±.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie¡­¡­ It¡¯s a lie, it¡¯s a lie, it¡¯s a lie!!¡±?

    ?

    He shouted, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.?

    ?

    But that stare was only for a moment. ¡­¡­ Every time he looked at me, he would be shocked by the reality of what he saw.?

    ?

    Now, behind me is Shimotsuki, who has shrunk down to hide behind my back.?

    ?

    When you see her like that, you¡¯ll understand exactly how much she adores me.?

    ?

    ¡°Damn ¡­¡­ damn! I¡¯m the one who met her first! I was the first one to like her¡­¡­ Don¡¯t take Shiho away from me¡­¡­. Damn it.¡±?

    ?

    The sore loser¡¯s words echoed through the quiet audience.?

    ?

    Such a Ryuzaki was so ¡­¡­ uncool that it was hard to watch.?

    ?

    Now, the Warriors¡¯ time is over. I¡¯m sorry, Ryuzaki ¡­¡­, but I¡¯m going to let your story ¡°fall apart¡± at this point.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sorry to say that right after your awakening, you¡¯ll have to go back to being a bum.

 CH 58

    Doping, Not Therapy?

    ?

    After Azusa¡¯s confession, the protagonist gained confidence in himself, overcame his weakness, and awakened. Originally, the story was supposed to have a happy ending.?

    ?

    Surely, Ryoma Ryuzaki would have been able to make a great leap forward after the turning point of today. Starting with the main heroine, Shimotsuki, he would have been able to capture the sub-heroines in the sequel one after another, whose relationships are still vague at the moment.?

    ?

    However, the one who interfered with this guy was a person who was only a mob character.?

    ?

    Kotaro Nakayama.?

    ?

    In other words, I was the only miscalculation for Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t be anything else, but thanks to Shimotsuki, I got a role. In the name of her, I acted as a villain for the protagonist and blamed him.?

    ?

    And so, the story fell apart.?

    ?

    The harem story of Ryoma Ryuzaki, which had managed to hold its shape until halfway through the story, was destroyed by a different person, ¡­¡­ me.?

    ?

    ¡°Why you? How did you become Shiho¡¯s ¡°special one¡± when you are such a plain and inconspicuous mob? Nakayama, you¡¯re nothing special, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m definitely more deserving of Shiho.¡±?

    ?

    You can deny it, but it won¡¯t change the outcome.?

    ?

    Now it¡¯s me next to Shimotsuki, and it¡¯s Ryuzaki who made her cry.?

    ?

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Shiho look back at me too? ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve always liked Shiho, so I¡¯ve always held back, even when other girls have tempted me. I¡¯ve had a lot of emotional turmoil, but I¡¯ve always had Shiho¡¯s face in my mind, and I¡¯ve held back. Only Shiho was special to me¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t take it any longer and ¡­¡­ couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the words.?

    ?

    ¡°Hahaha, ¡­¡­ what¡¯s that? I knew it. You¡¯re always thinking of yourself, aren¡¯t you? Did you put up with the other girls¡¯ temptations? Shimotsuki was the only one who was special? Yeah, you really are a coward, Ryuzaki. The truth is, you were just scared, right?¡¡You just didn¡¯t have the courage to face the feelings of the other girls, using Shimotsuki as an excuse, right?¡±?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t say these words because I was playing a villain. It was something I¡¯ve always thought about.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. I really feel sorry for the girls who like you. ¡­¡­ I feel sorry for them from the side. They¡¯re trying so hard to tell you that they love you. They¡¯ve been very blatant about how much they love you, but you just keep pretending to ignore it. You betray their feelings, trample on them, kick them to the ground, and make no effort to reciprocate. You¡¯re so naive? That¡¯s bullshit.¡±?

    ?

    My stepsister¡¯s face appeared in my mind.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not going to forgive this guy for hurting my precious family.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what other girls say. Even though other girls have confessed to me, I still love Shiho! So I have to make this confession successful, but if I don¡¯t ¡­¡­, I won¡¯t be able to face that girl who confessed to me.¡±?

    ?

    What an arrogant person you are!?

    ?

    The pathetic clown who was fumbling around in his position as the protagonist was hilarious.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t make me laugh any more¡­¡­. If you want to repay her confession, all you had to do was accept the girl, right? Don¡¯t talk about turning her down as if it¡¯s a beautiful thing. Don¡¯t talk about how you hurt her as if it¡¯s a good thing. You can¡¯t face her? You can¡¯t face the girl you¡¯ve been talking about!¡±?

    ?

    I wished he would stop using Azusa as an excuse to say stupid things.?

    ?

    ¡°Stop using her as an excuse. Don¡¯t burden her any more. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s the only ¡®atonement¡¯ you can make.¡±?

    ?

    Azusa¡¯s confession was the medicine that healed Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    But it was not a medicine to cure, but a ¡°doping¡± that only increased ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s illness has not been cured.?

    ?

    He is a ¡°loser¡± from the bottom of his heart.?

    ?

    He only thinks about himself, but he always looks to others for the reason. This time, he didn¡¯t do it voluntarily because he wanted to confess his feelings to Shimotsuki. He just used it as an excuse for rejecting Azusa¡¯s confession.?

    ?

    He¡¯s really a stupid person.?

    ?

    ¡°You have to realize that. What did she look like when you rejected her confession? Did she smile? Did she really look like that? ¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t she look like she was about to cry, like Shimotsuki just now?¡±?

    ?

    I still have Azusa¡¯s crying face stuck in my mind.?

    ?

    I will never be able to forget that painful image again.?

    ?

    ¡°Stop looking away from what you don¡¯t want to see. Don¡¯t forget, Ryuzaki, that there is a girl who was hurt because of you. If you are really, truly happy with her confession, please don¡¯t ¡­¡­ smear her with more mud.¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t hurt Azusa any more.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure my heartfelt words ¡­¡­ did not reach Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    No matter what I say, there is no way the protagonist-sama will twist his thoughts with my words.?

    ?

    But for the sake of the subheroine who adores that guy¡­¡­, the protagonist will be able to accept his mistakes.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure he knows that too.?

    ?

    He remembered that Azusa had looked like she was about to cry.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why Ryuzaki could only nod, unable to say anything.?

    ?

    This is the end of the protagonist¡¯s awakening.?

    ?

    The doping effect of Azusa¡¯s confession has worn off, and he¡¯s just the same old loser.?

    ?

    Now, it¡¯s time to end it.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki Ryoma¡­¡­, I¡¯m sick of your stupid story¡­

 CH 59

    The End of the Road for the Harem Protagonist?

    ?

    ¨CI thought this exchange would go on forever.?

    ?

    As my classmates looked on, the mudslinging between me and Ryuzaki continued.?

    ?

    The battle is only a one-sided attack on my part, but for those who are watching ¡­¡­, it would not have been very interesting.?

    ?

    They don¡¯t know the details of the situation.?

    ?

    They can probably only understand half of the conversation between me and Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    However, there is one thing that even they can understand.?

    ?

    It was that a girl named Shiho Shimotsuki was crying.?

    ?

    They probably understood that I was trying my best to protect her from being hurt.?

    ?

    Maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re watching over us without saying anything.?

    ?

    I¡¯m grateful. I hope they¡¯ll continue to watch me until the end.?

    ?

    And I hope they understand Ryuzaki¡¯s abnormality.?

    ?

    Hopefully, his harem members will please wake up.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki is not worth sacrificing everything for.?

    ?

    Please don¡¯t devote your life to a trivial person who is only popular with women.?

    ?

    Hoping for such a thing, I finally decided to make a decision.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryuzaki, your feelings will not be rewarded. Let¡¯s end this now¡­¡­. Hey, Shimotsuki. Have you calmed down by now?¡¡Have you stopped crying? Did you wipe the runny nose properly?¡±?

    ?

    Then, I turn my attention to Shimotsuki, who has probably calmed down over time.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I really don¡¯t want to take advantage of her, though.?

    ?

    However, I really need Shimotsuki¡¯s help to settle this situation.?

    ?

    I have to make a clean break with the protagonist who refuses to give up.?

    ?

    I have to end his story by confessing my feelings and ending up with Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    So I faced Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hmm.¡±?

    ?

    Perhaps it was because she had carefully rubbed her nose and eyes, but Shimotsuki¡¯s face was even more swollen than usual. However, she wasn¡¯t as distraught as before. She seems to have calmed down somehow, so she¡¯s probably fine now.?

    ?

    All that was left was for me to confess.?

    ?

    With this, I can finally save Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    With that thought, I tried to finish everything.?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki. Listen, ¡­¡­ I think you¡¯re¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. But the girl Shimotsuki Shiho, unlike Ryoma Ryuzaki, is a fine main heroine.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not just a weak girl who can be saved.?

    ?

    As soon as she realized what I was going to say, she suddenly changed her color.?

    ?

    ¡°No!¡±?

    ?

    She shook her head and stared at me with swollen eyes, as if in anger.?

    ?

    She is a shy girl, sensitive to the presence of others, and basically a clumsy girl, but she is also a shy person who is strong only in front of those who ¡­¡­ she has forgiven.?

    ?

    So the girl next to me was ¡­¡­ very strong.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, ¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine now. So don¡¯t push yourself any further, okay? You don¡¯t have to get hurt anymore¡­¡­. Thank you for helping me. I have more courage. So let¡¯s talk about it later, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CI won¡¯t forgive you.?

    ?

    ¨CI don¡¯t want you to confess now.?

    ?

    I felt as if I was being told that, and I choked up.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, is that so? Then yeah. Okay, but ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Are you sure you¡¯re okay??

    ?

    I was worried about Shimotsuki, but she seemed to be fine, just like she said she would be.?

    ?

    ¡°Ryuzaki-kun. I understand how you feel. I¡¯m sorry that I misled you¡­¡­. So, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll apologize to you first. After that, please listen to me?¡±?

    ?

    Shimotsuki is facing Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    For the first time in this story, perhaps, the main heroine¡¯s true feelings were about to be told to the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡°Sh, Shiho, ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was scared.?

    ?

    However, he is looking at Shimotsuki with somewhat expectant eyes.?

    ?

    She has yet to say anything to him.?

    ?

    So, there is a slight possibility of a major upset, as if to say so.?

    ?

    However, there is no way that the outcast heroine, Shimotsuki, would approve of such a development in the story.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been very good at you. I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t told you before¡­¡­. I haven¡¯t liked you much for a long time. Yeah, so ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki-kun. I can¡¯t reciprocate your feelings.¡±?

    ?

    She puts an end to it with her own hands.?

    ?

    It was a slightly different ending than the one I had envisioned.?

    ?

    What I had envisioned was that I would confess and go out with Shimotsuki to end Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s love, but ¡­¡­ she cut off Ryuzaki¡¯s feelings with her own words.?

    ?

    ¡°¡ª-!¡±?

    ?

    If he were told, Ryuzaki would have no choice but to accept it.?

    ?

    His love ended without any reward.?

    ?

    The story of Ryoma Ryuzaki came to an end without producing anything.?

    ?

    That it ended not with a happy ending, but with a bad ending.?

    ?

    It seems that all Ryuzaki could do was accept it.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Without saying a word, he got off the stage.?

    ?

    He wandered off in the direction of nowhere.?

    ?

    There was no one left to chase after Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Although Azusa chased after him earlier and encouraged him.?

    ?

    Even the other subheroines seemed to think that it would be difficult to save Ryoma Ryuzaki now.?

    ?

    This is the end of the road for harem protagonists. As a result of betraying his feelings, trampling on them, and pretending not to notice them, ¡­¡­ he lost all affection for him.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ And so the romantic comedy of Ryoma Ryuzaki ended.?

    ?

    The harem romantic comedy closes with the result that it is a waste of time, with no catharsis at all.

 CH 60

    My protagonist?

    ?

    The entire entertainment program ended amidst an indescribable atmosphere.?

    ?

    In the end, after Ryuzaki¡¯s confession, the atmosphere was so awkward that no one came out to the stage and ¡­¡­ it was free time.?

    ?

    The time is 9:00 p.m.; there is a roll call in each room at 10:00 p.m., so I must be back by then.?

    ?

    The thought of seeing Ryuzaki when I get back to my room depresses me, but anyway, I¡¯ll try not to think about him just now.?

    ?

    The story of Ryoma Ryuzaki is already over.?

    ?

    The days of being pushed around by the harem protagonist have come to an end.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of it all.¡±?

    ?

    I was now next to Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    As usual, she was good at finding places where there was no sign of people. She asked me to follow her, so I did so, and before I knew it, we were alone.?

    ?

    Perhaps it is a storeroom. There are several prefabricated buildings that look like warehouses set up around it. In such a place, Shimotsuki was quietly breathing.?

    ?

    ¡°I never thought it would come to this. ¡­¡­ I just wanted to chat with Nakayama-kun over the campfire, but how did I get caught up in something so strange?¡±?

    ?

    In the moonlight, she was covering her face with her hands to hide her reddened face.?

    ?

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ hey, now I¡¯m ugly, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ve been crying so much that my eyes and nose feel funny. I am so embarrassed that Nakayama-kun can see my face like this. If possible, I would like you to close your eyes.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s not weird. Shimotsuki is always so cute.¡±?

    ?

    Perhaps because I am distracted, my mouth is quicker than usual.?

    ?

    I end up saying the word ¡®cute,¡¯ which I usually try not to say too often.?

    ?

    ¡°Nyu¡­¡­, no, no, don¡¯t say that. Now my cheeks will turn bright red¡­¡­. I¡¯m going to be as red as a boiled octopus. Nakayama, are you really so mean?¡±?

    ?

    She said that, but she didn¡¯t seem to be completely full of it. Her cheeks were loosening happily.?

    ?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not true. Nakayama-kun is very kind¡­¡­. It¡¯s impossible for him to be mean. I mean, you saved me. Thank you so much.¡±?

    ?

    Saying this, Shimotsuki rubs up against me.?

    ?

    She rubbed her body against me as if to pamper me, and I felt closer to her than usual. Our skin is touching, and her slightly hot body heat stimulates my heart. My heart is beating hard, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because of her charm.?

    ?

    ¡°My mind was blank at that moment¡­¡­ and I didn¡¯t know what to do, my body couldn¡¯t move as fast as I wanted it to. I¡¯m not very good at public appearances¡­¡­ so I was afraid of the way people were looking at me. I had so many different sounds echoing in my head that I felt like I was going to freeze in a panic.¡±?

    ?

    So Shimotsuki could not say anything.?

    ?

    Even when Ryuzaki confessed his feelings to her, she was unable to convey her intentions clearly.?

    ?

    That is probably how much she was suffering from that situation.?

    ?

    She is much more sensitive to sound than usual, and perhaps she picks up on other people¡¯s sounds easily. That may be why she senses the presence of ¡°others¡± more strongly than an ordinary person like me.?

    ?

    If so, then at that time when she was in the state of being a freak show, Shimotsuki must have been really suffering.?

    ?

    ¡°But when I heard Nakayama-kun¡¯s voice, I was no longer afraid at all. Because you were next to me ¡­¡­, the things I was afraid of became less scary. That¡¯s why I owe you, Nakayama-kun. Thank you for helping me.¡±?

    ?

    A sincere smile is directed at me.?

    ?

    For such a person who was only a mob character, Shimotsuki gives me a special look.?

    ?

    No, this girl does not think of me as a mob character.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun is my own personal hero.¡±?

    ?

    ¨COnce upon a time, there was a boy who was loved by no one and betrayed by everyone.?

    ?

    He lost everything, thought of himself as a mob character, and was a boring person who just went with the flow¡­¡­. He met a girl and his life changed.?

    ?

    (Is this ¡­¡­ happiness?)?

    ?

    Warm, tender feelings fill my heart.?

    ?

    I was so happy to hear Shimotsuki¡¯s words that I almost cried my eyes out¡­?

    ?

    Thank you is my line.?

    ?

    Thank you for accepting me.?

    ?

    Thank you for choosing me.?

    ?

    Thank you ¡­¡­ for making me the protagonist ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Thank you very much¡­.

 CH 61

    Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s Love Comedy?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki ¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    It was the first time I had ever felt that way.?

    ?

    Filled with happiness, I was so moved that I unintentionally hugged Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    ¡°Kya. Hey, you can¡¯t do that out of the blue. ¡­¡­ What if I get too nervous and collapse? Nakayama-kun is a person who can¡¯t help it anymore. ¡­.. uhehe¡±?

    ?

    Although she denies it in words, Shimotsuki seems happy.?

    ?

    She said no, but on the contrary, she was holding on to me, so I couldn¡¯t get away even if I tried.?

    ?

    ¡°¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡±?

    ?

    For a while, we embraced each other in silence.?

    ?

    Then, she was the first to break the silence.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun? You know, ¡­¡­ I do like you, Nakayama, after all.¡±?

    ?

    The words came out of nowhere, and what a ¡°confession¡± it was.?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki, me too¡­¡±?

    ?

    Immediately I tried to respond too.?

    ?

    I tried to tell her how I felt.?

    ?

    But she wouldn¡¯t let me.?

    ?

    ¡°Really? Nakayama-kun, is your answer what you really sincerely think? Hey, Nakayama-kun, ¡­¡­ do you understand what it means to like another person?¡±?

    ?

    ¡ª I was at a loss for words at that statement.?

    ?

    In response to Shimotsuki¡¯s question, I ¡­¡­ thought carefully about myself again.?

    ?

    I like her. That is a feeling that is not false.?

    ?

    But I wonder if what Shimotsuki means by ¡°like¡± and what I think of as ¡°like¡± are really the same thing.?

    ?

    ¡°Nakayama-kun, you hate yourself, don¡¯t you? You don¡¯t seem very sure of yourself. So you don¡¯t love yourself. How can you love another person in such a state? Do you ¡­¡­ really, really like me?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Oh, yes.?

    ?

    I certainly hate myself.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t love myself like that.?

    ?

    I wonder if the words ¡°I like you¡± are really worth it when you say them in such a state.?

    ?

    Do my words have any weight??

    ?

    ¡°I like you more than you know, okay? I will never be satisfied with a mere ¡®I like you¡¯.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CI see.?

    ?

    Finally, I realized what Shimotsuki was trying to say.?

    ?

    Her thoughts far exceed my imagination.?

    ?

    So, it sounded like Shimotsuki was asking me to be more mindful of ¡®my feelings¡¯ and that¡¯s what she was saying.?

    ?

    ¡°I like you because you like me ¨C that¡¯s not enough, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve been compromised. I want you to know me better. I want you to understand my feelings more. And, you know, I want you to like me more ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Not a passive ¡®like¡¯.?

    ?

    I am looking for a girl named Shiho Shimotsuki for active ¡®liking¡¯.?

    ?

    ¡°So I¡¯ll wait for you. Nakayama-kun, I will watch by your side until you come to like yourself ¡­¡­ and learn to like me even more. So, I don¡¯t need your confession yet.¡±?

    ?

    Then, Shimotsuki stood up tall.?

    ?

    She put her hand around my neck and lightly touched her lips to my cheek this time.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been so in love with someone before. So, if you can, ¡­¡­ Nakayama-kun, I hope you love me as much as I love you.¡±?

    ?

    ¨COh, I see.?

    ?

    Finally, I get it.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been a mob character until now, and now I¡¯m the protagonist only for¡­¡­ Shiho Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    In other words, the story had not yet begun.?

    ?

    The story so far was just a prequel.?

    ?

    From here, the romantic comedy between me and Shiho Shimotsuki would finally begin.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, I do¡­¡­. I¡¯ll love you more and more. I promise¡­¡­.  Shimotsuki.¡±?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the case.?

    ?

    I¡¯m done calling her a stranger.?

    ?

    ¡°¨CShiho. I¡¯m going to take care of you from now on.¡±?

    ?

    For the first time, I call her name and hug her again.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that this is radical behavior. If you think about it in a normal way, it¡¯s just a light expression of affection¡­¡­ but even just this made her so happy that she jumped up and down.?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu ¡­ I¡¯m so glad you finally called me ¡­¡­.. I was so stubborn, you know. I was so determined to have you call me by my name someday that I kept calling you ¡®Nakayama-kun¡¯ in a lonely way, you know? But you don¡¯t have to put up with me anymore.¡±?

    ?

    She smiled happily and hugged me again.?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro! Please take care of me, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CThus ended the story of a mob character named Kotaro Nakayama.?

    ?

    And now the ¡°romantic comedy¡± begins.?

    ?

    The story of Shiho Shimotsuki alone as the main character has begun.

 CH 62

    The cute, silent childhood friend of the irresistible harem protagonist, the one you love so much, becomes talkative only in front of the mob character (like me).?

    ?

    ¨CA week has passed since the overnight learning program.?

    ?

    The relationship has changed a lot, however, there was no visible change in my and Shiho¡¯s daily life.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    She is at school and is as silent as ever.?

    ?

    She is shy and withdrawn, so outside she is quiet like a borrowed cat.?

    ?

    She looks like she can do anything, but surprisingly she can¡¯t do anything, which is a strange part of her.?

    ?

    She gets a 3 on her math quizzes, cheats in gym class because she doesn¡¯t want to run the marathon, and falls asleep during physics class.?

    ?

    Watching over her is one of my recent pleasures.?

    ?

    Her every gesture is so cute that I can¡¯t help but fall in love with her.?

    ?

    When she realizes I¡¯m watching her, she smiles and waves at me, which is also the cutest thing.?

    ?

    Come to think of it, this kind of thing could be called ¡®change¡¯.?

    ?

    Shiho laughs a lot more at school.?

    ?

    Before, because of Ryuzaki¡¯s following her around, she used to have an expressionless, no-nonsense look on her face, ¡­¡­ but perhaps it¡¯s thanks to the fact that she no longer has that look on her face.?

    ?

    Oh yeah, Ryuzaki has been acting a little strange since then.?

    ?

    It might be more appropriate to say that he is getting more ¡­¡­ lazy.?

    ?

    Conversations with harem members are somewhat awkward, and a dark cloud hangs over that guy¡¯s romantic comedy.?

    ?

    Maybe that guy has disqualified himself from being the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, to be honest, I¡¯m not interested in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s sequel¡­¡­?

    ?

    Whatever kind of romantic comedy he wants to do is his business. I¡¯m not sure how much I would have liked it if Shiho hadn¡¯t been involved in it.?

    ?

    But, well, ¡­¡­ Ryoma Ryuzaki, the protagonist, ¡­¡­ may have fallen down.?

    ?

    However, the love of the sub-heroines is genuine. The girls who are trying to support Ryoma Ryuzaki are starting to make their mark.?

    ?

    Among them, my former childhood friend Yuzuki and my former best friend Kirari are trying their best to cheer Ryuzaki up. Or maybe it¡¯s one of them who will be the next true heroine, I wonder.?

    ?

    But Azusa is no longer there.?

    ?

    She has been out of the harem ever since Ryuzaki rejected her.?

    ?

    She is now absent from school and dawdling around the house.?

    ?

    As a brother, I am worried about her, but she is getting a little better these days and her appetite is returning. Perhaps she will be able to return to school soon.?

    ?

    It may be hard for her now, but she will be able to laugh again someday. Until then, I wanted to take my time and wait for her.?

    ?

    ¨Csuch is the way it is, though there are a few changes.?

    ?

    But my days are very full.?

    ?

    Because that girl who is quiet in front of everyone becomes very talkative only in front of ¡­¡­ me, and she expresses her love to me in an explicit way.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Kotaro-kun. Let me make you an ¡®ahhh¡¯? Oh, you¡¯re embarrassed? No. Do you think it¡¯s okay if I sulk? If I sulk, I get angry with my cheeks flattened like a squirrel, you know? I wonder if it¡¯s okay to be a little ugly. Don¡¯t you want me to be a very ¡®cute¡¯ Shiho-chan at all times?¡±?

    ?

    At lunchtime, while eating lunch together, she talks one way or the other.?

    ?

    I felt that she talked more often than before, probably due to her increased love for me.?

    ?

    But of course, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it.?

    ?

    In fact, I wanted to talk more and more.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho is always cute, it¡¯s okay.¡±?

    ?

    And I, too, have been all about listening, but lately I¡¯ve been trying to get the words out myself.?

    ?

    I try to express what I am thinking and feeling.?

    ?

    When I do this, Shiho is very happy.?

    ?

    ¡°Cute? Oh my gosh, ughhhh ¡­¡­ What, Kotaro-kun, you are becoming very good at talking. Do you think that praising me like that is going to improve my mood?¡¡It¡¯s totally ¡­¡­ right, so you¡¯re not wrong, but it¡¯s kind of annoying because it¡¯s like you think I¡¯m a bit of a snob..¡±?

    ?

    Shiho is the type of person who gets embarrassed when you compliment her.?

    ?

    She is an easy girl to understand because her attitude is obvious that she is pleased, although her words give off an air of slight reluctance.?

    ?

    (What fun¡­¡­.)?

    ?

    Looking at her, my cheeks naturally relax.?

    ?

    Thanks to Shiho, my once gray days have turned colorful.?

    ?

    Shiho is very talkative, which is a big plus for me, since I used to be a mob character.?

    ?

    That really made me happy.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Now, the romantic comedy between me and Shiho starts here.?

    ?

    It will probably be a bad one, not very good as a finished product.?

    ?

    There are no peaks and valleys in this story, only parallel lines of ¡°happiness¡±.?

    ?

    But I think that¡¯s fine.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to see Shiho crying anymore.?

    ?

    Because Shiho is the cutest when she is smiling.?

    ?

    (Part 1, Complete)

 CH 63

    (Prologue) Monologue of the fallen harem protagonist?

    ?

    ¨CWhere in the world did I go wrong?

    What did I do wrong??

    ?

    ¡°Damn ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I still can¡¯t forget the scene from that night.?

    ?

    After confessing my feelings to my childhood friend Shiho, getting interrupted by Nakayama, and finally getting dumped, I headed to an empty place to be alone.?

    ?

    Perhaps that place was a storeroom. In the shadow of a prefab shed that looked like a warehouse, I was nodding off, hiding myself.?

    ?

    I was shocked that my childhood friend, my first love, had rejected me.?

    ?

    I was also frustrated that the person I loved had been taken away from me by Nakayama, an ordinary man with no special qualities.?

    ?

    I felt miserable.?

    ?

    I wanted to heal myself as much as possible and I was left alone¡­.. Fate is cruel.?

    ?

    That¡¯s when those guys came.?

    ?

    The ones who came to avoid being seen were Shiho and Nakayama.?

    ?

    They didn¡¯t notice me.?

    ?

    They probably only saw each other.?

    ?

    The scene at that time was very shocking.?

    ?

    Shiho was staring at Nakayama with a bright red face.?

    ?

    She had always been expressionless, but now she looked like a maiden in love and was hugging Nakayama.?

    ?

    Shiho could only see Nakayama.?

    ?

    She used to be sensitive to the presence of others, she used to notice me wherever I was and look at me, but ¡­¡­ now, she was so absorbed in Nakayama that she could not perceive me hiding.?

    ?

    And they were whispering their love to each other.?

    ?

    Since there was a little distance between us, I could not hear what they were saying to each other. However, the word ¡°love¡± was interspersed throughout their words, so they must have become lovers.?

    ?

    As proof, Shiho kissed Nakayama on the cheek.?

    ?

    I could not forget that scene even after hours had passed¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°Why ¡­ why ¡­¡­ is it Nakayama?¡±?

    ?

    A moaning voice leaks out. I am alone in my room, so I am not talking to anyone. This is just me talking to myself.?

    ?

    The truth is, I wanted to scream.?

    ?

    If I opened the window and raised my voice, I am sure it would be heard in Shiho¡¯s room right in front of me.?

    ?

    Her room is very close. It is only about a meter away from my window. So, if I wanted to see her, I could see her anytime I wanted to.?

    ?

    I was closer to Shiho than anyone else.?

    ?

    She was my childhood friend and the first person I fell in love with. I wanted to remain the person she loved for a long time to come¡­¡­.!?

    ?

    ¡®I¡¯m not good with you.¡¯?

    ?

    When Shiho said that to me, I didn¡¯t know what was going on anymore.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t say it myself, but there are a lot of girls around me. So I guess I¡¯m not the uncool one by any means.?

    ?

    At least compared to Nakayama, there is no reason to lose.?

    ?

    Nakayama is more ordinary and boring than me. There is nothing that Nakayama has that I don¡¯t.?

    ?

    So why ¡­¡­??

    ?

    ¡°If Nakayama is good enough for you, why not me? Am I really that much of a loser? Shiho ¡­¡­ tell me, what am I missing ¡­¡­ damn it.¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know what Nakayama has that I don¡¯t.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know why Nakayama is good and I am bad.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­I always thought I was just an average person.?

    ?

    I have no special qualities, but there is nothing wrong with me, and I am proud that I am not someone to be disliked.?

    ?

    As proof of this, there were many girls who became friends with me.?

    ?

    Moreover, some of them even confessed their feelings to me. I thought I was not a bad person¡­¡­!?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it anymore¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Nodding, I close my eyes.?

    ?

    My confidence is gone.?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t know how to treat the girls who talked to me.?

    ?

    I was afraid that no matter what I said, they would hate me like Shiho does.?

    ?

    Oh dear, ¡­¡­ what a despicable person I am.?

    ?

    Because of Shiho, I will never be able to be confident in myself again.?

    ?

    Huh, that¡¯s boring.?

    ?

    This is just like a mob character.?

    ?

    It¡¯s so stupid.?

    ?

    I¡¯m just me. I don¡¯t want to be a mob character even if it kills me.?

    ?

    I want to make him pay back.?

    ?

    I want to show Nakayama, the guy who ridiculed me, that I can win.?

    ?

    I want to show him how superior I am.?

    ?

    I want to show him that people like me are not people to be made fun of by people like him.?

    ?

    Someday, I want to somehow show him ¡­¡­ how it¡¯s done.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I strongly thought.

 CH 64

    Temporary Restoration?

    ?

    ¨CThe second semester has begun.?

    ?

    The first semester of my freshman year of high school was long and yet short, and in retrospect, it seems like a lot happened.?

    ?

    At the entrance ceremony, I lost my stepsister, a childhood friend, and a best friend that I thought were special.?

    ?

    But a month later, I became friends with the main heroine named Shiho Shimotsuki.?

    ?

    Then another month passed, and Shiho rejected Ryuzaki¡¯s confession.?

    ?

    Soon after, Shiho and I were able to get to know each other better.?

    ?

    In fact, I would have been happy if we could have become lovers¡­¡­, but it may take a little more time for our relationship to progress that far.?

    ?

    I am not sure why, because the love I have for Shiho is too strong. It seems that she is no longer satisfied with ordinary ¡°like¡± so she made a request of me.?

    ?

    ¡°Will you love me more and more?¡±?

    ?

    Until then, Shiho is willing to wait, apparently.?

    ?

    If I love myself, and then I love Shiho more, ¡­¡­ then I¡¯m sure we can have the kind of relationship we want.?

    ?

    I ¡­¡­ honestly appreciated the suggestion.?

    ?

    After all, as a former self-proclaimed mob character, my self-esteem is inexplicably low. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m going to be able to get into a relationship with her.?

    ?

    I wonder if it¡¯s okay for me to love her.?

    ?

    I wonder if we are not in harmony with each other.?

    ?

    Will I not be able to make Shiho happy??

    ?

    If I¡¯m not careful, I can easily become anxious.?

    ?

    I knew Shiho would not be amused by that.?

    ?

    Therefore, I want to love her with pride and dignity.?

    ?

    In order to do so, I have to gain a firm confidence in myself.?

    ?

    Therefore, I needed time.?

    ?

    Fortunately, Shiho said she would wait patiently for me, so I decided to allow her to enjoy her feelings for now.?

    ?

    During the summer vacation, in a normal romantic comedy, we would have gone to the beach or mountains, camped, stayed at each other¡¯s houses, and many other events, but since Shiho ¡­¡­ is an excessive indoor person and has a curfew of 19:00 in her family circumstances, such big events did not happen.?

    ?

    Basically, she would come to my house around noon, hang out, and leave in the evening. She continued this kind of life for the rest of the summer vacation.?

    ?

    I was happy that we could be together all the time, but since things were going on like that, there was no progress in our relationship.?

    ?

    As I thought, a romantic comedy with me as the main character is a bad idea.?

    ?

    If it were normal, readers would not allow such a dull development.?

    ?

    Well, that¡¯s just how I am, so I don¡¯t have anything to think about now.?

    ?

    ¨CAnd so, the second semester began.?

    ?

    September. When I arrived at the classroom, I suddenly saw Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s back.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Since the overnight learning program, that guy has become very quiet.?

    ?

    He has been silent all the time, lost in thought, as if pondering something.?

    ?

    He is not so much flirting with the members of his harem, which he prides himself on, and he is no longer ¡­¡­ like a protagonist.?

    ?

    Perhaps that guy has really fallen apart??

    ?

    Has being dumped by Shiho made him apathetic, ignoring the goodwill of other girls??

    ?

    If so, ¡­¡­ well, that¡¯s one result.?

    ?

    If he is apathetic by stepping on the goodwill of others and pretending to be a miserable protagonist, then he should just keep on doing so.?

    ?

    If Ryuzaki has fallen from his harem protagonist status,¡­¡­ that¡¯s fine and dandy.?

    ?

    But still, that¡¯s not going to happen.?

    ?

    Because sometimes that guy glares at me. The strong hatred seems to be getting stronger day by day.?

    ?

    If there is a trigger, ¡­¡­ or something will happen again.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what it looks like.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­I don¡¯t want anything to happen if possible.?

    ?

    It¡¯s a pain in the ass and I don¡¯t want Shiho to get hurt again.?

    ?

    Hopefully, I don¡¯t want another event to happen.?

    ?

    I want Ryoma Ryuzaki to end his school life lonely as a fallen former protagonist.?

    ?

    That¡¯s what I thought, but it seems that Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s story is not over yet.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Is everyone out of the summer vacation mood? If you haven¡¯t, please do so! Now, without further ado, let me introduce you to a new student ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    At the same time as Suzuki sensei¡¯s words, which had been high-spirited since this morning, a strange girl student entered the classroom.?

    ?

    ¡°Hello? I¡¯m Mary! I¡¯m from United States but I speak Japanese, so please be friends with me!¡±?

    ?

    A flashy, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl enters the classroom.?

    ?

    At the same time, everyone in the classroom must have thought:?

    ?

    Cute ¨C and.?

    ?

    The atmosphere may be similar to Shiho.?

    ?

    Most of the boys are gawking at the girl who has an out-of-the-ordinary appearance.?

    ?

    A girl so cute that even girls are fawning over her has transferred to the school.?

    ?

    And what a girl she is ¨C she fell for that guy as soon as she transferred to the school.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡±?

    ?

    Mary suddenly stares at a certain point.?

    ?

    At the tip of her gaze was ¡­¡­ Ryoma Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°I met you this morning! You¡¯re the one who saved me, aren¡¯t you!?¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t see any other human being anymore.?

    ?

    When I saw her running up to Ryoma Ryuzaki, ¡­¡­ I had a bad feeling.?

    ?

    (Is this supposed to be a ¡­¡­ leverage?)?

    ?

    Adding a heroine in a sequel to keep the story from getting stuck is a common method of ¡°leveraging¡±.?

    ?

    It seems that Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s story is also going to be ¡°leveraged¡±.?

    ?

    What this suggests is that Ryoma Ryuzaki will be back on the stage again.?

    ?

    His story is not over yet.?

    ?

    (Haha ¡­¡­ please don¡¯t get me involved in this again.)?

    ?

    I pray in my heart, but that will not be the case.?

    ?

    Because I am the ¡°villain¡± in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s story.

 CH 65

    Story Crusher?

    ?

    Mary Parker.?

    ?

    She told us her name was Mary Parker, and she had come from the U.S. to study abroad.?

    ?

    She seemed to like Japanese culture and explained that she had often traveled to Japan since she was a child.?

    ?

    Therefore, she is fluent in Japanese. She seems to have mastered it perfectly by watching anime when she was a child.?

    ?

    Her blonde hair, blue eyes, and slightly curly hair make her a Western-style beauty, and her cheerful personality is also unique and not found in Japanese people.?

    ?

    The girl who clearly radiates an unusual atmosphere would not fit into the framework of a mob character or sub-character, no matter how you look at her.?

    ?

    She may be a leveraged main character.?

    ?

    My prediction was right on target.?

    ?

    ¡°Hmmm, your name is Ryoma, isn¡¯t it? Thank you for this morning¡­you saved me from losing my family?. Well, he¡¯s a dog, but he¡¯s with me all the time, so he¡¯s like family!¡±?

    ?

    This was shortly after she had finished introducing herself in the morning.?

    ?

    Mary¡¯s seat would normally have been the last one available, but to my surprise she eagerly requested to be next to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki¡¯s seat is in the center of the classroom, surrounded by harem members.?

    ?

    Suzuki sensei gave priority to Mary, who had just transferred to the school, and asked her to occupy the seat of one of the harem members.?

    ?

    Of course, none of the harem members were willing to move out of the way, ¡­¡­ but the one who got the short end of the stick was that girl with the same hair color as Mary.?

    ?

    ¡°What shall we do? Oh, yeah! Hey, blonde girl, give me your seat, will you? I think you might be a bit of a distraction because of your personality.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±?

    ?

    Dyeing her hair blonde is Kirari Asakura. A former best friend of mine, she looked dissatisfied with Mary¡¯s words.?

    ?

    ¡°Why me?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Because Ryoma¡¯s eyes would glaze over! Besides, dark hair is the best for a Japanese person, but you are forced to dye your hair, so blonde hair doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Huh!? Why should I be told such a thing by you, whom I have never met before?¡±?

    ?

    Kirari¡¯s words are also correct.?

    ?

    However, Mary probably had no bad intentions at all. She was laughing and berating Kiraly with a cheerful smile.?

    ?

    ¡°Nihihihi. Did I make you angry? Well, well, calm down, that you should~.¡±?

    ?

    Perhaps because it is just after the appearance ¡­¡­, the tone is not stable. Although her character is somewhat unstable, she has a role as a new heroine and tends to be favored by the protagonist.?

    ?

    ¡°Kirari, calm down. She just transferred to a new school and I¡¯m sure Mary is anxious about it. ¡­¡­ Sorry, but can you give it up here, please?¡±?

    ?

    He demonstrates the ¡°kindness¡± that is unique to the protagonist and that does not separate anyone.?

    ?

    But that is also a cruel thought, not giving preferential treatment to the girl who has been by his side all this time.?

    ?

    Kirari looked shocked.?

    ?

    ¡°That ¡­¡­ is okay with you, Ryu-kun? You mean you don¡¯t want me, you want this woman? Well, okay then¡­¡­.I don¡¯t even know Ryu-kun anymore.¡±?

    ?

    Kirari turns away in a huff and gets up from her seat. With a rough gesture, she took her bags and headed for the seat where Mary was originally supposed to sit.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Apparently, the pecking order of the harem heroines had changed a bit.?

    ?

    ¡°Thank you, pouty girl ?, but if you¡¯re too angry, you¡¯ll ruin your pretty face!¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t know who they think they offended.?

    ?

    What a ¡­¡­ girl with a strong character, I thought.?

    ?

    I feel a free and radical thought that she is willing to do anything to get closer to Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    New characters like this are always disruptive to the story.?

    ?

    If it were a classic story, she would show her ability as a villain without regret.?

    ?

    However, Ryuzaki¡¯s current romantic comedy is moving in an outside-the-box direction.?

    ?

    That is why I felt that the tricky Mary was given such a role that she dared to ¡­¡­ return the path back to the classic.?

    ?

    As proof, Ryuzaki¡¯s expression, which had been dark all along, brightened a bit.?

    ?

    ¡°Mary, sorry. Kirari looks kind like that, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get to know her a little better in a little while.¡±?

    ?

    He despises the sub heroine and is crazy about the new heroine.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch with you, okay? If you need any help, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. I¡¯m here to help Mary.¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki smiles briskly and holds out his hand.?

    ?

    Mary gave him a big smile and then ¡­¡­ unexpectedly hugged him with all her might.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Mary!?¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki was surprised, but as if to say it doesn¡¯t matter, she kisses that guy on the cheek this time!?

    ?

    Then, a little red-faced, she giggled again.?

    ?

    ¡°Nihihihi~. This is the Western way of greeting. The Japanese style is good, but I like this one!¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. Wow, this is strong.?

    ?

    I almost can¡¯t stop thinking about her.?

    ?

    That new character is swinging in a very strong direction.?

    ?

    Or, I felt such a strong personality that she could take the main heroine¡¯s place ¡­¡­ in an instant.?

    ?

    Because of Mary, the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki is about to be set in motion once again.?

    ?

    Huh, I wish ¡­¡­ I had a break.

 CH 66

    Perfect Heroine?

    ?

    Meanwhile, that girl who used to be the main heroine seems to have skipped school early in the new semester.?

    ?

    (Shiho ¡­¡­ I knew you couldn¡¯t get up¡­¡­.)?

    ?

    I knew what to expect.?

    ?

    She had completely lost her rhythm during the summer vacation, and it seems that she repeatedly went to bed in the morning and woke up at noon. I guess that¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t sleep well last night¡­¡­, but when I thought that she was sleeping with an adorable face, I felt relaxed.?

    ?

    I think that her parents usually educate her well at times like this ¡­¡­. She seems to be doted on so much that they don¡¯t seem to get angry at her at all. That¡¯s probably why she can skip school with confidence.?

    ?

    Even though a new heroine has appeared at school and is showing signs of turmoil, she is still going at her own pace as usual. She has retired from being the main heroine and is taking it easy on the outside of the story.?

    ?

    That is not, by any means, a bad thing.?

    ?

    That girl has a life now where she is no longer pushed around by Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Hopefully, she will stay that way forever.?

    ?

    Then, after the summer break, there was one more empty seat left in the classroom. The seat right next to Ryoma Ryuzaki, where Azusa would normally be sitting, has been covered with dust for a long time.?

    ?

    Azusa had been gradually recovering after the overnight learning program, but it seems that ¡­¡­ she couldn¡¯t get over Ryuzaki after all. She really doesn¡¯t want to go to school, so she tends to stay at home these days.?

    ?

    I hope one day she will get better, but ¡­¡­ there is not much I can do for her. So I¡¯m going to be patient and watch over her.?

    ?

    After all, as for Azusa¡¯s problem, it is something she has to overcome on her own. I understand that she was shocked when she was dumped by Ryuzaki. But it was Azusa¡¯s decision to fall in love with him, so it is not a matter for me, a bystander, to interfere.?

    ?

    (¡­¡­ What will she do now when she finds out that a new heroine has appeared?)?

    ?

    Will Azusa return to the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki??

    ?

    Or will she get off the stage already and return to being an ordinary girl??

    ?

    Whichever she chooses, I am sure it will be difficult for her to find true happiness.?

    ?

    Well, as an older brother, I can at least support her as much as I can. Until then, I will wait and see.?

    ?

    ¨CAnd so the new semester has begun.?

    ?

    The new heroine, who was introduced to Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy, had a character so broken that it twisted the story.?

    ?

    ¡°Ni-hi-hihi. Ryoma, come to my house sometime. It¡¯s a big place, so we can play a lot!¡±?

    ?

    I analyzed Mary¡¯s characterization based on the information scattered throughout the conversation.?

    ?

    First of all, it seems that her parents are quite rich. Her house seems to be a mansion.?

    ?

    Then, she showed ¡­¡­ extraordinary athletic ability during physical education class.?

    ?

    ¡°In America, you can¡¯t run away from bullets unless you run this fast. ¡î¡±?

    ?

    She easily defeated the men¡¯s track team in the short-distance race, despite making a joke that I am not sure if it was an American joke or not, and she is the fastest out of the bunch.?

    ?

    Then, at the end of the summer vacation, she easily got a perfect score in a Japanese quiz.?

    ?

    ¡°HAHAHA! I mastered the Japanese language by watching Japanese anime!¡±?

    ?

    No, no, no, no, no, no¡­¡­. Can you learn classical grammar or something like that from anime? ¡­¡­?

    ?

    I was a bit nervous, but after observing her for a day, I found out what type of heroine she is.?

    ?

    £¨She is a perfect heroine.)?

    ?

    She is the type of heroine who is set up to be perfect in every way and would normally have no interest in boys. However, the protagonist-sama is the only one who is special, and she falls in love only with him ¨C and that¡¯s the way it goes.?

    ?

    The protagonist must feel great to be loved by such an amazing heroine.?

    ?

    She is the complete opposite of the clumsy heroine Shiho.?

    ?

    So, how do we move on from here??

    ?

    As of now, I¡¯m not even on the fringes of the story. As before, I was just one of the many others, like a mob character.?

    ?

    If I could, I would like to stay in this position.?

    ?

    But that would never happen.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be involved in the story as well, just not yet as a villain.?

    ?

    I¡¯m very anxious for that time to come, but ¡­¡­ well, let¡¯s just forget about it for now.?

    ?

    The story is still unfolding slowly.?

    ?

    If that were the case, I would have enjoyed ¡­¡­ this peace and tranquility a little ¡­¡­ longer.

 CH 67

    Call Me ¡°Onee-chan¡±??

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±?

    ?

    I come home and take off my shoes.?

    ?

    ¡°Welcome home.¡±?

    ?

    Then Shiho greeted me smiling.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Eh? Maybe I came to a wrong house????

    ?

    ¡°Ummm¡­. Surprise! I¡¯m a sleepyhead at school, but when I play with Kotaro-kun, I always act five minutes early, which is very healthy. See, Kotaro-kun? You can like me even more.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°She came ¡­¡­ not five minutes ago, but two hours ago. Onii-chan, she¡¯s in my way. She ate Azusa¡¯s snack without permission.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, I think about it calmly, this is still my house.?

    ?

    The proof was Azusa. She seems to have a grudge against Shiho and is patting her on the back.?

    ?

    Ah, I see. So that¡¯s how it is.?

    ?

    Shiho gave up going to school because she overslept, but it seems she made it to my house.?

    ?

    And since she arrived early, it seems that Azusa, who had no choice but to stay at home, was taking care of her.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa-nyan, I, you know, ¡­¡­ thought of you, and I gave you a snack, didn¡¯t I? Because if you eat sweets all the time, you¡¯ll get fat. I had no choice, so I took in the calories for you, but can¡¯t you even say thank you?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I get fat. I can¡¯t do without sweets¡­¡­, stop calling Azusa ¡®Azusa-nyan¡¯!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Because it¡¯s the same name as my favorite anime character. That girl was called Azusa too, so why not just call you Azusa-nyan? Why does it make you mad when it¡¯s an honor?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ Onii-chan, do something about her. She¡¯ s your friend, isn¡¯t she!? Take good care of her.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. And yet, the two of them have become good friends.?

    ?

    Shiho was in my house all summer vacation. And since Azusa was also home all the time after the incident with Ryuzaki, they naturally had more opportunities to see each other. As a result, Shiho became less shy and more friendly with Azusa.?

    ?

    Well, Azusa seems to be a little annoying, but it seems that two people of the same age somehow get along quite well. Shiho also seems to be very happy to have her first same-sex friend and is persistently involved with her.?

    ?

    ¡°I think you should learn to be a little more reserved, Shimotsuki-san. This is not only Onii-chan¡¯s house, but also Azusa¡¯s house, you know. So, show more respect to the homeowner! Pay more attention to Azusa!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa-nyan? I already told you not to call me that. I feel so lonely¡­¡­. Why don¡¯t you feel free to call me ¡®Onee-chan¡¯? You might become my sister-in-law, so you need to start practicing now, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I can¡¯t call you ¡°Onee-chan¡± casually. In the first place, we are classmates and Azusa¡¯s birthday is earlier than yours, so if anything, I¡¯m the one who should be called ¡®Onee-chan¡¯!¡±?

    ?

    Sorry to interrupt your friendly chatting, but I think it¡¯s time for me to take off my shoes.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t even go inside the house because of the two of them blocking the entrance.?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu. But Azusa-nyan is your sister role, isn¡¯t she?¡¡Then I think I should be the Onee-chan¡­¡­ Oh, and be careful not to spoil Kotaro-kun too much, okay? He is mine and mine alone, so I forbid even my sister to treat him casually.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s a pain in the ass. Onii-chan, she¡¯s very annoying! There¡¯s a hint of yandere, and I feel like I shouldn¡¯t get too friendly with this person!¡±?

    ?

    ¡­..Sorry, Azusa. It¡¯s too late.?

    ?

    Maybe I can¡¯t stay away from Shiho anymore. Or rather, I feel like Shiho won¡¯t let me go.?

    ?

    Not that we¡¯re dating yet, and so far we¡¯ve settled on being good friends. ¡­¡­ Still, Shiho¡¯s restraint is amazing. I was in such a bad mood just because I accepted some coins from a female clerk at a convenience store.?

    ?

    ¡°Mmmm. It¡¯s not fair of you to immediately rely on Kotaro-kun like that. It¡¯s not fair of you to make the most of your position as a younger sister¡­¡­, but, well, you¡¯re my younger sister too,¡­¡­¡­.. Well, I guess I can forgive you for that much, can¡¯ t I?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa is not relying on Onii-chan. Even now, I¡¯m just complaining a little, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re close or anything.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Tsundere!? Kotaro-kun, I wonder if your sister has the tsundere attribute as well. This is not cute incarnate¡­¡­. Okay, I get it. I lose. I¡¯ll allow you to spoil Kotaro-kun for a little bit¡­¡­. How open-minded am I, indeed? Does this make Kotaro-kun more likable again?¡±?

    ?

    No, it¡¯s too narrow.?

    ?

    Shiho ¡­¡­ your heart is probably narrower than a teacup.?

    ?

    Because even though Azusa and I are siblings, we are reluctant to even have a normal conversation.?

    ?

    This girl is still heavy with love.?

    ?

    But, well, ¡­¡­ I may not be ready for that either, as I find that kind of thing cute¡­

 CH 68

    Shiho-chan Wants to be a Younger Sister?

    ?

    ¡°Umm¡­¡­, can I go ahead ¡­¡­ now?¡±?

    ?

    I had a feeling that their fight would never end, so I forcefully broke off the conversation.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho, you can continue in the living room.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu. I know, my little sister Azusa-nyan is so cute that I teased her¡­ She had a pouty look on her face and her reaction was very weak until a while ago. But I¡¯m glad to see that she seems to be in better spirits since Kotaro-kun¡¯s arrival.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, no ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not like that. Azusa is always like this with Shimotsuki-san.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Call me ¡®Onee-chan¡¯ instead of ¡®Shimotsuki-san¡¯?¡±?

    ?

    Since the incident with Ryuzaki, Azusa had been very depressed.?

    ?

    Since the incident with Ryuzaki, Azusa had been very depressed. She had no energy and was always in a daze every day, but since Shiho started talking to her, her expression seemed to be getting brighter.?

    ?

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ that¡¯s enough.¡±?

    ?

    In the end, Azusa couldn¡¯t say anything back and headed for the living room to escape. Phew ¡­¡­ I can finally take off my shoes.?

    ?

    I and Shiho also head to the living room to chase after Azusa.?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, thank you for your hard work. I¡¯m so impressed that you could go to school even though it¡¯s the end of the summer vacation?¡­¡­. Yeah, great job! I even forgot that we had school, but Kotaro-kun is so determined.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ I think if anything, Shiho is the one being lazy.¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m not really normal, but please don¡¯t give me credit for this.?

    ?

    The clumsy girl is always and everywhere clumsy. She says and does things that are elegant and exudes an air of intelligence, so why is she so ¡­¡­ stupid, not? A little bit, right??

    ?

    But that¡¯s part of the charm of Shiho.?

    ?

    The clumsy part is also a charm ¨C let¡¯s call it that.?

    ?

    ¡°So? Onii-chan, where¡¯s my snack? Did you get it?¡±?

    ?

    As soon as we arrived at the living room, Azusa, sitting on the sofa, held out one hand and demanded snacks. She has been craving a lot of sweet things lately. I guess it¡¯s a stress reliever, but I think it¡¯s not so good for her umm¡­¡­ body, so I wanted her to moderate it.?

    ?

    ¡°I did buy some, in case you¡¯re interested ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Wow¡­ ? thanks ¡­¡­¡­ wow¡­ Why is it like surume (dried squid) or vinegared kelp? I don¡¯t drink alcohol, so I don¡¯t need these snacks.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten too many sweets, as expected ¡­¡­. If you¡¯re hungry, eat your food properly.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Mmm ¡­¡­ can¡¯t argue with that.¡±?

    ?

    Despite what she was saying, Azusa was chomping down on a small piece of surume. She looked like a small animal nibbling on a nut.?

    ?

    ¨CAnd, watching the series of exchanges as a brother and sister like that, Shiho suddenly squeezed my hand.?

    ?

    Her cheeks were swollen like a balloon.?

    ?

    ¡°No cheating!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ This is out too?¡±?

    ?

    We just went shopping and the conversation was normal for siblings, but in Shiho¡¯s perception, it was classified as cheating.?

    ?

    ¡°I mean, I wonder if Azusa-nyan is trying to show me how much of a sister she is by pretending to have the privilege of being a little sister to poke and prod Onii-chan ¡­¡­. Wow, I could make Kotaro-kun lick my feet if I wanted too!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Why are you competing with me? Onii-chan, she¡¯s kind of competing with Azusa!?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Look! There, there, there, there! I¡¯ll turn to you again in a minute! That¡¯s not fair¡­¡­. Well, I can¡¯t lose. Decided, Kotaro-kun? I¡¯m your sister today, too. I¡¯m going to show Azusa-nyan how different we are.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Why!? Hey, why is she making an enemy of Azusa!? Onii-chan doesn¡¯t belong to Azusa, nor is he exclusive to her.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. Sorry, Azusa.¡¡?

    ?

    Shiho is just a bit, affectionate, so yeah¡­¡­ probably sees Azusa as a rival.?

    ?

    Well, as you can imagine, even I didn¡¯t expect her to compete with my real sister for sisterhood.?

    ?

    Sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to hang out with me for a bit.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure Shiho will be satisfied with a little bit of sisterly fun¨C

 CH 69

    A Heroine who connects to a Collar and is confined in the Basement?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa is not spoiled by Onii-chan. You misunderstand me a little, Shimotsuki-san!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Why are you getting so worked up about it? It doesn¡¯t matter. A sister lives to be spoiled by her brother, so there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. Oh, I envy you¡­¡­ And by the way, Kotaro-kun? I¡¯m going to be your little sister now, so take care of me, okay?¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to be flattered.?

    ?

    Well, Shiho is a bit of a weakling, but she¡¯s the type of person who gets a little carried away with people she lets her mind wander, so even if I told her I didn¡¯t want to, she wouldn¡¯t be convinced.?

    ?

    Yeah, so I guess I don¡¯t have a choice.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa, I¡¯ll accompany you for a bit. Shiho, no offense, either.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re too soft on her! Look at that smug look on her face! Stop making that face, it¡¯s disgusting!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Kotaro-kun is on my side no matter what. I¡¯m going to be your little sister like that, okay? Azusa-nyan, is your position ¡­¡­? Well, what do you say in a situation like this?¡±?

    ?

    Maybe ¡®threatened¡¯??

    ?

    It seems like she¡¯s trying to force herself to use difficult words and is not quite sure what she wants to say.?

    ?

    ¡°Anyway! That¡¯s why, from now on, I am Kotaro-kun¡¯s younger sister?. I want you to call me by my nickname like my family. Shi-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, nice meeting you¡­¡­. Shi-chan?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. I¡¯m kind of embarrassed.?

    ?

    But Shiho is very pleased with herself.?

    ?

    She sat down next to Azusa, laughing happily.?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro Onii-chan, please clean my ears.¡±?

    ?

    And the demands are too hard from the very first move.?

    ?

    ¡°Wait a minute! My sister wouldn¡¯t do that! I don¡¯t want people to get the wrong idea that my sister is this kind of creature.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Well, is that so? I always thought we would be doing this all the time¡­¡­. What a pity. I imagined a life of snuggling at night, waking up together in the morning, sitting on your lap during the day, and being spoiled all the time.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s not true, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Hey, Onii-chan!?¡±?

    ?

    Hmmm.?

    ?

    Azusa, looking a little impatient, asked me to agree.?

    ?

    It¡¯s true that such things don¡¯t happen these days, though.?

    ?

    Thinking back to my junior high school days, I felt that Shiho¡¯s fantasy was not far off the mark.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­You know, a few years ago, we slept together.¡±?

    ?

    I am not good at lying, so I told the truth.?

    ?

    When I did so, Azusa¡¯s face turned bright red, and then Shiho looked pale.?

    ?

    ¡°No, no, no. At that time, I was young, or rather, I was just a child, but I had no other intention.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I had never been cuddled before either, but I guess she was taking advantage of her position as a younger sister to get all the spoils! No, he¡¯s my personal treasure, and you can¡¯t touch him anytime in the past, present, or future.¡±?

    ?

    Jealous of past deeds too? ¡­¡­ Well, I can¡¯t help it. Shiho is just being affectionate, so let¡¯s give up.?

    ?

    ¡°I want to be your only sister. I will be your sister, Kotaro-kun, so you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m sure I can make the most of my sisterhood better than she can.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­. Onii-chan, she¡¯s absolutely crazy! As a family member, let me tell you, you probably shouldn¡¯t get married or anything¡­¡­ Onii-chan, one day you¡¯ll be locked up in a basement with a collar!¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s not true ¨C and the fact that I can¡¯t say that is also a charm of Shiho.?

    ?

    If that happens, well, ¡­¡­ yeah. It¡¯s just that it can¡¯t be helped.?

    ?

    ¡°Then it will happen.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I knew you were too soft on her! Azusa doesn¡¯t like it!  I don¡¯t want to see Onii-chan killed because he was loved so much that he turned into a skeleton!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu. I¡¯m so happy to hear that. I think I can love you to the bone, Kotaro-kun.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Look! You heard that, right! She¡¯s definitely going to make a mistake someday. Azusa warned you, right? I don¡¯t know you two anymore, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CAnd so it has been since the summer break.?

    ?

    Shiho and Azusa are somehow able to communicate with each other, or ¡­¡­ they are so open to each other that they can complain without hesitation to each other.?

    ?

    Thanks to this, Azusa has recovered enough to be able to speak out loud like she does now.?

    ?

    To be honest¡­¡­, right after the overnight learning program ¡­¡­, it was so painful that I couldn¡¯t even look at her, so compared to that time, Azusa is so much brighter now.?

    ?

    After all, as her older brother, I want this girl to be happy.?

    ?

    Although I was once cut off, I couldn¡¯t hate her enough to cut her off as a brother and sister.?

    ?

    Whether that is right or wrong, I still can¡¯t give an answer to that question.?

    ?

    But one thing I could say was that I was glad to see Azusa back on her feet again¡­

 CH 70

    The Bottom Line?

    ?

    ¡°Then, Kotaro Onii-chan, good bye. See you tomorrow?¡¡Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go to school tomorrow. And Azusa-chan, see you tomorrow, okay? Today was fun. Thanks for chatting with me.¡±?

    ?

    Shiho looked more satisfied than usual as she left, perhaps satisfied with her typhoon-like rampage.?

    ?

    I waved her off and saw Azusa slumped on the sofa looking tired.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡­ tired.¡±?

    ?

    She seemed to be exhausted from accompanying Shiho and doing a lot of tugging and pulling.?

    ?

    ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡±?

    ?

    To show my appreciation, I take a can of juice out of the refrigerator and hand it to her.?

    ?

    After accepting it, Azusa¡¯s eyes widened as if she suddenly realized something.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, maybe ¡­¡­ this kind of thing is called being ¡®spoiled¡¯?¡±?

    ?

    Apparently, she was not aware of it. Maybe she noticed it because she was conscious of it when Shiho pointed it out to her.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, she has been a sister since birth ¡­¡­.  Being kind to her brother was probably a normal part of her daily life.?

    ?

    She probably took it for granted that her brother would be kind to her.?

    ?

    Or when he bought her sweets.?

    ?

    Or when he would listen to her requests.?

    ?

    Comforting her when she felt down.?

    ?

    For Azusa, perhaps it was just a normal routine.?

    ?

    And Shiho was jealous of those things.?

    ?

    Azusa seems to have finally realized that.?

    ?

    ¡°I see ¡­¡­ Azusa¡¯s ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ has always been Onii-chan¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Looking somewhere far away, she mumbles a few words.?

    ?

    Then she put her canned juice on the table and looked straight at me this time.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±?

    ?

    Abruptly, Azusa bows her head.?

    ?

    Her words were tinged with regret.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said that you might not be my Onii-chan¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CNo, no, no.?

    ?

    There¡¯s no need to apologize, Azusa ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not your ideal ¡°Onii-chan¡±.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you for a while now, but your ideal ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ is nobody else. Of course it¡¯s not me, and it¡¯s not Ryuzaki either¡­¡­.The ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ Azusa is looking for is no longer available anywhere. You know that, right?¡±?

    ?

    In the past, Azusa lost her own brother.?

    ?

    Because she was unable to accept this and continued to search for ¡°Onii-chan,¡± various distortions were created.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Yeah, I know. Onii-chan is not ¡®Onii-chan¡¯. Of course, it¡¯s not Ryoma Onii-chan ¡­¡­. Ryoma-kun? And no. Azusa¡¯s ideal Onii-chan is nowhere to be found.¡±?

    ?

    She looks sad, but she is not downcast, she is looking forward and facing reality.?

    ?

    Perhaps it is thanks to the fact that she has been alone for so long these days.?

    ?

    She seems a little more mature or ¡­¡­ calm and able to think things through than before.?

    ?

    ¡°But you see, it¡¯s different. Azusa is, you know, I¡¯m not apologizing in the sense that I want you to forgive me or anything like that¡­¡­. Just let me apologize for betraying your feelings, Onii-chan? You don¡¯t have to forgive. This is a clean slate¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    ¨COh, I see.?

    ?

    I was worried about her, but it seems Azusa has already sorted out a lot of her thoughts.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said such terrible things.¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that she wants me to forgive her.?

    ?

    Merely apologizing because she has done something wrong.?

    ?

    ¡°Also, thank you for being the ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ to this awful little sister of yours.¡±?

    ?

    Once again, Azusa bows profoundly.?

    ?

    Her sincere attitude made my cheeks loose.?

    ?

    ¡°There is no such thing as a person who doesn¡¯t make mistakes. And since Azusa and I are still immature teenagers, we make a lot of mistakes¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    So the important thing is obviously not to apologize for your failures.?

    ?

    I think the most important thing is to properly take the next step forward, using this failure as a source of inspiration.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa, you also need to properly think about where your ¡°happiness¡± lies, okay? Don¡¯t be tied down by ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ and do your best ¡­¡­ to make sure you get what you really want.¡±?

    ?

    It means growing up.?

    ?

    And to be grateful.?

    ?

    Maybe that¡¯s what it means to be an adult¡­¡­. So, as an older brother, I was genuinely happy to see my sister grow up.?

    ?

    ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll be watching over you the whole time.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    When I told her this, Azusa¡¯s eyes suddenly became moist.?

    ?

    But she rubbed her eyes and looked at me stoutly, trying not to cry.?

    ?

    She doesn¡¯t break down and cry like she did when she was once dumped by Ryuzaki¡­.?

    ?

    Azusa is stronger now, and she¡¯s okay.?

    ?

    ¡°Onii-chan, ¡­¡­ Azusa, I¡¯m going to cut my hair. Do I have scissors?¡±?

    ?

    Then she ¨C untied the hair string that she had tied into twin-tails.?

    ?

    Her hair had always been the same since she was a little girl, but that seems to be the case until today.?

    ?

    ¡°Eeeeee!¡±?

    ?

    With a buzz, she snips off a long strand of hair.?

    ?

    Because she cut it herself, it is unbalanced. However, Azusa looked very refreshed.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go try to get some sleep. I¡¯ll be fine now. ¡­¡­ Azusa will go to school tomorrow, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Then you might want to adjust your hair a little more, okay? You look like a child sitting on a throne.¡±?

    ?

    The slicked-back bangs and slicked-back hair remind one of a childish girl.?

    ?

    It looks good on her, but, well¡­¡­, it¡¯s a little unbalanced, but since she cut it herself, it can¡¯t be helped.?

    ?

    ¡°Then, Onii-chan do something about it?¡±?

    ?

    With that said, she now tries to throw all the responsibility to me.?

    ?

    She seems to have made up her mind, but she won¡¯t stop indulging herself in the house.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll try ¡­¡­, but don¡¯t get your hopes up, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Well, it can¡¯t be helped. No matter what they do to us, no matter how badly they treat us, the bond of brother and sister is not easily broken.?

    ?

    Me and Azusa will always be brother and sister. That¡¯s why she will always continue to do ¡­¡­ this way and rely on me for anything.?

    ?

    I accepted it as I always do. I have to say, when Azusa gets spoiled by me, I can¡¯t help but accept it.?

    ?

    Because there is no Onii-chan who can refuse a request from his sister.

 CH 71

    Leaving the Harem?

    ?

    ¨CThe next day, Azusa unusually went to school with me.?

    ?

    ¡°Onii-chan, what should I do? ¡­¡­ I¡¯m kind of nervous. I wonder if something is wrong with Azusa.¡¡Isn¡¯t there something wrong with my hair?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­It looks like a Kokeshi doll, but that¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it?¡±?

    ?

    In the end, I could not get rid of the image of being a zashiki child. I did my best to balance her hair, but I was no more skilled than that.?

    ?

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ you¡¯re so bad at this!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you go to a hairdresser? It¡¯s your fault for leaving it up to me.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I mean, it was a hassle to go out ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    It must have been a little over two months.?

    ?

    It seems that Azusa has become a perfect indoor person due to the adverse effects of being a shut-in.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®Nakayama-kun¡¯ when I¡¯m out here? I thought I was disqualified from being an Onii-chan?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. I¡¯m really sorry about that. Onii-chan ¡­¡­ whew!¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯m just kidding.¡±?

    ?

    I guess she really regrets it.?

    ?

    Well, at that time, she was forced to play the character of a subheroine that only the protagonist-sama could see. I feel like she¡¯s going crazy, but I don¡¯t blame her.?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that Azusa has suddenly changed. She has always been this kind of sister.?

    ?

    However, I will interpret it in a good way as ¡­¡­ that she had become cold to the people around her ¡­¡­ because of the narrowing of her vision under the influence of the protagonist-sama ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    In fact, after she stopped being involved with Ryuzaki, Azusa¡¯s horizons have broadened as if the poison had been drained out of her.?

    ?

    The fact that she has become friends with Shiho without disrespecting me is also a good thing.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Okay. Onii-chan, thanks for coming to school with me. You gave me the courage to do it! Well, Azusa¡¯s going ahead of you, okay?¡±?

    ?

    But we walked together only as far as the school gate.?

    ?

    From there, she waved at me and started running.?

    ?

    That part of her seemed to be another growth.?

    ?

    I¡¯m sure she would have really wanted to be with me, and it would have been upsetting not to have a presence by her side to help her if something happened to her.?

    ?

    But instead of relying on me, she started going on her own.?

    ?

    That seems to be a statement of intent, in other words, ¡®I can handle my own problems at school¡¯.?

    ?

    As such, what I¡¯m trying to say is that ¡­¡­ we don¡¯t seem to have to worry too much about Ryuzaki¡¯s case.?

    ?

    However, the most important thing to remember is that I should watch over Azusa as I always do.?

    ?

    With this in mind, I headed to the classroom late for Azusa.?

    ?

    And when I entered the classroom ¨C at that time, Azusa was already in the middle of being involved in Ryuzaki¡¯s story.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa!? I¡¯m so glad you finally came to school¡­¡­. I¡¯ve been worried about you because you haven¡¯t responded to my calls, okay? And by the way, you suddenly have a different haircut ¡­¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±?

    ?

    Ryuzaki welcomed Azusa as soon as she arrived.?

    ?

    Next to him, Mary, a new character, is also there.?

    ?

    ¡°OH! KOKESHI! Cute! Nihihihi, this girl might be good.¡±?

    ?

    She seemed to like Azusa very much, who now looks just like a kokeshi doll. She hugs her lovingly.?

    ?

    On the other hand, Azusa, who was hugged by a stranger, was a little confused.?

    ?

    ¡°Hi, it¡¯s been a while. I was just resting because I wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I¡¯m fine ¡­¡­ now. Who is it? Huh?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m Mary?, a new student who transferred yesterday.¡¡Feel free to call me Mary Onee-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, I don¡¯t want a Onee-chan.¡±?

    ?

    Apparently Shiho has made Azusa allergic to Onee-chan. She blatantly dislikes Mary¡¯s offer.?

    ?

    ¡°Iyan~. Even when she¡¯s tsun-tsun, she¡¯s so cute.¡±?

    ?

    Such Azusa must have been attractive. Mary-san was melting.?

    ?

    Then, Mary-san¡¯s voluptuous breasts were crushed against Azusa. Seeing this, Ryuzaki¡¯s nose was stretched out.?

    ?

    It seems that Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy has already started.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki had been in low spirits lately, but perhaps due to Mary¡¯s influence, he was returning to his usual self.?

    ?

    The protagonist, who has become a little more active, is also very active with Azusa.?

    ?

    ¡°Are you feeling all right now? Damn, you had me worried there¡­¡­. Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better! Come over to my house again and let¡¯s have dinner together!¡±?

    ?

    Soon, Azusa is about to get involved in Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy again.?

    ?

    Although she has been rejected before, ¡­¡­ however, Azusa is in a more advantageous position than the other harem members in that she has confessed her feelings.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki must also like Azusa for confessing to him. As proof of this, Azusa¡¯s seat, which has been dormant for a long time, is still right next to Ryuzaki¡¯s.?

    ?

    Just the other day, when Mary asked to sit next to Ryuzaki, he asked Kirari, not Azusa, to move out of the way. He must have such strong feelings for Azusa.?

    ?

    But ¡­¡­ Azusa is no longer the same Azusa that Ryuzaki knows and loves.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Mary-chan is in this seat. ¡­¡­ Azusa is over here, right? If so, what about Kirari-chan?¡±?

    ?

    She had a broader perspective on things, after all.?

    ?

    She is firmly aware that Kirari¡¯s seat is not there.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, about that. Mary just transferred to a new school, so she¡¯s going to need a lot of help, right? I¡¯m supposed to take that role, so I¡¯m sorry Kirari had to switch seats for a bit.¡±?

    ?

    Of course, Ryuzaki, who sees nothing wrong with that, explains it matter-of-factly.?

    ?

    But for Azusa, who was a subheroine, she must have realized how cruel that was.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Kirari-chan, you look sad.¡±?

    ?

    Muttering.?

    ?

    Azusa looked at Kirari with a pained expression as she pretended not to hear her from a seat away.?

    ?

    ¡°Eh? Excuse me?¡±?

    ?

    Well, the deaf and insensitive protagonist did not hear such words.?

    ?

    ¡°Kirari-chan!¡±?

    ?

    Azusa also seemed to understand that talking to Ryuzaki was not going to get her anywhere.?

    ?

    She ended the conversation early and headed toward Kirari, who was at a distance.?

    ?

    Then she said something like this?

    ?

    ¡°Let¡¯s trade seats. Azusa is more comfortable in the back, may we?¡±?

    ?

    The proposal was clearly not in Azusa¡¯s favor.?

    ?

    If the seats are moved away from each other here, the advantage of being in an advantageous position in the Ryuzaki harem will not be demonstrated. Even though the protagonist-sama had gone to the trouble of caring for her, Azusa was about to give up that weapon herself.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Eh?¡±?

    ?

    Kirari is also taken aback, as if bewildered.?

    ?

    That is understandable. Because what she just said was ¡­¡­ like Azusa was trying to get out of the harem.?

    ?

    (I see. Azusa has already made up her mind¡­¡­)?

    ?

    I¡¯ve always wondered what she would do, though.?

    ?

    After her failed confession, Azusa seems to have decided ¡­¡­ to stop being a convenient heroine for Ryuzaki.

 CH 72

    Out of the Story?

    ?

    Azusa is about to give up her seat to Kirari, who has lost her seat to Mary.?

    ?

    A mere seat, you might think ¨C an exaggeration.?

    ?

    But in romantic comedy, a seat is very important. Especially for heroines in harem romantic comedies, it is more advantageous to be as close to the protagonist as possible, so it is only natural that they should be seated next to each other.?

    ?

    After all, the more heroines there are, the fewer appearances they make. In order to make your presence felt, the difference between winning and losing depends on how well you can interact with the protagonist in casual, everyday situations.?

    ?

    So, in a sense, the ¡°seat change¡± is a battle for the girls.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa. Did you feel sorry for me? Then don¡¯t do it¡­¡­. It will make me more miserable than I already am.¡±?

    ?

    Kirari seems to be so frustrated at being so far from her seat that she can¡¯t honestly accept the suggestion. Clearly, she rejects it.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ah.¡±?

    ?

    Azusa, timid at heart, was put off by these strong emotions.?

    ?

    She looks at me as if asking for help.?

    ?

    I can¡¯t help her blatantly at school, though.?

    ?

    But, well¡­¡­ it would be nice if I could just move around a bit and approach Azusa.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t ¡­¡­ do anything, but I can just be there for her.?

    ?

    With that excuse, I casually approached Azusa and Kirari. Since I was originally a mob character, my presence was quite small. Kirari, Ryuzaki, and Mary didn¡¯t seem to mind my moving around.?

    ?

    That is very convenient.?

    ?

    (Keep up the good work!)?

    ?

    I give a shout out in my heart.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Phew.¡±?

    ?

    Perhaps she got the message, Azusa glanced at me and relaxed her tense expression.?

    ?

    One deep breath in between. Then she looked at Kirari again and continued her words, defeated.?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s not pity. You know that ¡­¡­ Azusa confessed her feelings, right?¡±?

    ?

    Azusa¡¯s voice is so quiet that only Kirari can hear her.?

    ?

    Thanks to her proximity, I can hear her, but Mary and Ryuzaki, who are a little further away, probably can¡¯t.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­.. I know, in case you¡¯re wondering.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Then you know I was dumped, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Ummm, yeah¡­¡­ what the hell? What¡¯s your point?¡±?

    ?

    Azusa is no longer timid.?

    ?

    Rather, Kirari looked more puzzled and strong-willed.?

    ?

    ¡°So it¡¯s a little awkward for me to be in that seat, ¡­¡­ Azusa no longer bothers you ¡­¡­? We promised to fight fair and square, but ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do my best anymore.¡±?

    ?

    Azusa laughs with a powerless smile.?

    ?

    With those words, Kirari finally understood what she was trying to say.?

    ?

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s ¡­¡­ really okay!? It would be a waste to give up just because of one failed attempt after working so hard until now! Azu-chan, ¡­¡­ can you be satisfied with such an outcome?¡±?

    ?

    The subheroines have a bond with each other because they have been warriors who have fought each other all their lives.?

    ?

    That is why Kirari looked more frustrated than before. No, she looked angry.?

    ?

    Kirari¡¯s emotional voice, unlike Azusa¡¯s, echoed loudly in the classroom.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on!? Hey, Kirari ¡­¡­ Azusa is sick, so don¡¯t be too hard on her.¡±?

    ?

    The words sounded as if they were fighting, and Ryuzaki immediately interrupted to intercede.?

    ?

    But even so, Kirari seems to be unable to stop.?

    ?

    ¡°Shut up! Ryu-kun, shut up.¡±?

    ?

    Kirari is so sad for Azusa that she yells at her beloved Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    ¡°Azu-chan, ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to ask you one more time, are you sure you want to do this? Does this mean you¡¯re satisfied?¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s as if ¡­¡­ Azusa has a future self to lament over.?

    ?

    Kirari looked sad.?

    ?

    But Azusa¡¯s answer did not change.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay ¡­¡­ Kirari-chan, hang in there. I can¡¯t share your feelings anymore, but I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m¨C!¡±?

    ?

    Kirari suddenly looks like she is about to cry at the healthy yell.?

    ?

    But it was only for a moment.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Right. Then, I¡¯ll be grateful and ask you to give up your seat. Thank you, Azu-chan, ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯m not going to end up like you.¡±?

    ?

    This time, in a quiet voice.?

    ?

    After replying in a volume that was just loud enough to reach Ryuzaki, Kirari took her luggage and headed for Azusa¡¯s seat.?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­ sorry.¡±?

    ?

    At her back, Azusa was laughing and apologizing with a sad face, but Kirari did not look back anymore.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, hey! Kirari, what were you talking about? Your voice was so low, I couldn¡¯t really hear you¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    And the hard-of-hearing protagonist apparently couldn¡¯t hear what was being said, as he should have.?

    ?

    I had to strain my ears ¡­¡­ No, I just had to concentrate a little and I could have heard him, even though his voice was loud enough to be audible.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why you¡¯re no good.?

    ?

    (Damn ¡­¡­ you¡¯re getting on my nerves.)?

    ?

    In my mind, my language spills out.?

    ?

    The arrogant way of easily stepping on the feelings of the girls who so plainly tell you how much they love you is terribly offensive.?

    ?

    Now, the heroine who loved you just got off the stage, you know??

    ?

    They¡¯ve already given up on being happy in your romantic comedy and walked out of the story.?

    ?

    And yet, to be able to say that he doesn¡¯t notice because he is insensitive is ¡­¡­ really arrogant of you, protagonist-sama¡­¡­.?

    ?

    I really think so.?

    ?

    I hate this guy after all.

 CH 73

    What¡¯s Serious? I like cereal, don¡¯t you??

    ?

    Thus, one girl left the harem members.?

    ?

    Will this be the first retiree in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy??

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    Azusa is sitting at the very back by the window ¨C the so-called protagonist¡¯s seat ¨C and looks downcast and depressed.?

    ?

    She was trying her best to talk back to Kirari earlier, but she must be tired now.?

    ?

    Good job ¡­¡­ Azusa did a great job.?

    ?

    I agree wholeheartedly. If I could, I would call out to him and help him. But if I talk to Azusa here, she will be conscious of Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    Since the incident at the overnight learning program, he never speaks to me, but he has become blatantly conscious of me. When I suddenly notice him, he is staring at me, and to be honest, it is uncomfortable.?

    ?

    Right now, the person Azusa most does not want to be seen by me is probably Ryuzaki himself.?

    ?

    So all I could do was watch from a little distance.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Kirari ¡­¡­, what were you talking with Azusa about¡­?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s none of Ryu-kun¡¯s business.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh my, ¡­¡­ I would have loved to play more with Kokeshi-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not satisfied with me?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Well, Ryuzaki¡¯s group is a little rough around the edges, so Azusa will probably be fine.?

    ?

    With that in mind, I returned to my seat.?

    ?

    But I still couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about the depressed Azusa.?

    ?

    Just then, it was time.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, good morning.¡±?

    ?

    Suddenly, I received a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and there was Shiho, who had arrived at school just in time to be late.?

    ?

    She was probably worried about the way her classmates were looking at her, since it had been a long time since she had been to school¡­¡­. She is acting suspiciously and is not speaking properly.?

    ?

    She was still the same shy, pompous girl.?

    ?

    She was in such a good mood at my house, but it is a huge gap.?

    ?

    ¡°Sleepy, sleepy, quiet.¡±?

    ?

    Hmmm¡­I see.?

    ?

    [¡°I didn¡¯t oversleep, isn¡¯t that great?¡±]?

    ?

    Translated, it would probably be something like this.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ How did you manage to get up? Shiho is so awesome.¡±?

    ?

    She seemed to want praise, so I sent her a word of praise, and immediately she was in a good mood.?

    ?

    ¡°Ufufu ?¡±?

    ?

    Putting her hand over her mouth and smiling elegantly, she sat down.?

    ?

    The corner on the corridor side is already becoming her permanent position.?

    ?

    It seems that Suzuki-sensei had appreciated Shiho¡¯s work in creating the raffle for the seat change, and she continues to do so now. Since then, she has been cheating all around. The fact that we have been in the same seat since June, next to each other, and separated from Ryuzaki is the result of Shiho¡¯s deviousness, not luck.?

    ?

    This deviousness is also her charm. Shiho is as cute as ever.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±?

    ?

    She talked to me for a bit and ¡­¡­ no, I didn¡¯t talk to her, but apparently Shiho¡¯s awkwardness has eased somewhat because of the communication. She was able to speak properly in my ear.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m a Onee-chan, I¡¯m going to go say hi to my sister.¡±?

    ?

    After uttering the words with a damp breath, Shiho gets up from her seat and goes to Azusa.?

    ?

    ¡°Hugu.¡±?

    ?

    Oh, she fell down. Now she looks at me with tears in her eyes. No, I can¡¯t help it if they see me. ¡­¡­ I wonder if I should do something. I made a clenched fist to encourage her to do her best for now, and Shiho gave a small nod and stood up again. I felt like I was cheering for a toddler walking for the first time.?

    ?

    ¨CShiho is a special child after all.?

    ?

    I really feel that way when I look at her.?

    ?

    Because, although a serious air was prevailing until a while ago, a comical wind was flowing in after her arrival.?

    ?

    It was as if the dark sky had somehow become brighter.?

    ?

    I feel such a dazzling morning glow from Shiho.?

    ?

    And it seemed to warm even Azusa¡¯s cold heart.?

    ?

    ¡°Wait, what? What a sudden earful. ¡­¡­ What? Good morning? That¡¯s it? Not that there is anything else I want to talk about. ¡­¡­ No, I don¡¯t. It¡¯s not like I want to spoil you or anything! I mean, you¡¯re not a Onee-chan, Shimotsuki-san!¡±?

    ?

    Azusa, who had been depressed, cheerfully raises her voice.?

    ?

    Her face looked somewhat disgusted, but ¡­¡­ it was so much brighter than the depressed expression she had earlier.?

    ?

    I get it. Azusa must feel very saved by Shiho now.?

    ?

    I used to be depressed all the time. I hated myself as a mob character and kept looking down.?

    ?

    Shiho was there for me at that time. She talked to me a lot and shared her energy with me.?

    ?

    It was a few months ago, but I haven¡¯t forgotten the feelings I had at that time.?

    ?

    Shiho breaks the serious mood. Whenever I talk to her, my mind becomes more positive.?

    ?

    So I am sure Azusa will be fine too.?

    ?

    (Thank you, Shiho ¡­¡­)?

    ?

    In my heart, I send my thanks.?

    ?

    You cheered up Azusa and made me feel better.?

    ?

    How could she be such a good girl??

    ?

    There is no way a sane upbringing could have led to such a lovely human being.?

    ?

    Where did Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s charm come from??

    ?

    I was a little curious about that, too.

 CH 74

    The Shimotsuki Family?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Apparently, the villain is still to appear on the scene¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy is going on without my knowledge.?

    ?

    Perhaps this is Mary¡¯s introduction part now. Maybe the episode is about who she is and how she loves Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    How the story will turn out this time, though, is still hard to predict.?

    ?

    For now, if I¡¯m not going to be in the show, I should take a good rest and not think about that guy.?

    ?

    Maybe now is the time for Shiho and I to move forward with our romantic comedy.?

    ?

    If there is someone reading my story ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Please forgive me for the slow pace of progress and the flat story with no peaks and valleys¡­.?

    ?

    (TLN: -___- )?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro-kun. Will you come over to my house today?¡±?

    ?

    It was after school.?

    ?

    As usual, I was walking home with Shiho to the bus stop when she suddenly made such a suggestion.?

    ?

    ¡°Actually, my dad won a judo tournament, so my mom is cooking a feast for him. The three of us can¡¯t eat all of it, so I¡¯d love it if you could help, too, Kotaro-kun. How about it? You always let me play at your house, so can I return the favor once in a while?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. That¡¯s not a fair way to ask.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t say no to that innocent smile.?

    ?

    Azusa often tells me that ¡­¡­ I¡¯m basically lenient when it comes to ¡­¡­ Shiho.?

    ?

    I tended to allow this girl to do whatever she wanted.?

    ?

    The ¡­¡­ truth is, it¡¯s a little scary. Shiho is definitely doting on me, and I could be seen in a bad light as a man who messed with their daughter.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want her family to reject me. If possible, I need a little more time.?

    ?

    But I feel it would be a shame to let this opportunity pass me by. I was curious to know what kind of parents Shiho was raised by.?

    ?

    What kind of parents would the parents of such a wonderful girl be like??

    ?

    I was also curious about that ¨C so I ended up accepting her offer.?

    ?

    ¡°Really!? I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re coming?! I really wanted to invite you earlier, but Kotaro-kun is such a self-denying jerk, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be willing to come. So I¡¯m glad I was finally able to invite you!¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­Well, well, aside from the fact that I¡¯m a jerk¡­¡­¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the evening or so. And, you must invite Azu-chan, too, okay? She seems to want to be spoiled by her Onee-chan, so I have no choice but to bother her.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll invite Azusa, too.¡±?

    ?

    After exchanging such conversation, I returned home at once.?

    ?

    When I got home, Azusa was already in the living room eating sweets, so I immediately told her that we had been invited to Shiho¡¯s house.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I don¡¯t want a onee-chan! To Shimotsuki-san, ¡°Poo!¡± I¡¯ll tell them that, okay?¡±?

    ?

    She had a tremendous rejection of Shiho.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ You¡¯re not in ¡­¡­ elementary school, you know.?

    ?

    Hmmm, oh well.?

    ?

    Azusa has become a recluse lately and probably doesn¡¯t want to go outside.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I decided to leave her behind this time.?

    ?

    I had no choice but to go to Shiho¡¯s house alone. I know her house because I have been there once. I walked her home when I met her for the first time. Of course, I didn¡¯t go inside.?

    ?

    Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen her house since then.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ Fu.¡±?

    ?

    The time was just after 18:00. As I arrive, I take a deep breath and then ring the intercom.?

    ?

    The front door opened immediately.?

    ?

    ¡°Hi there, good evening.¡±?

    ?

    And then, the one who appeared ¨C a beautiful woman with silver hair.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡±?

    ?

    I gasp.?

    ?

    At first glance, I knew.?

    ?

    This is Shiho¡¯s mother, ¡­¡­ and like her, her looks are out of the ordinary.?

    ?

    ¡°Are you the Kotaro-kun that Shi-chan was talking about?¡±?

    ?

    Shiho¡¯s mother speaks kindly to me as I am nervous.?

    ?

    Then she gives me a small smile.?

    ?

    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Satsuki Shimotsuki. I¡¯m Shi-chan¡¯s mother¡­¡­. Come on in, why don¡¯t you come on up? Shi-chan is waiting for you inside, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    That being said, I couldn¡¯t say anything for a while.?

    ?

    As a man, you can¡¯t help but be transfixed.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but surrender to her presence, as if she were so different from me.?

    ?

    I know this because I am a born mob character.?

    ?

    This person used to be a main heroine.

 CH 75

    Why Clumsy Shiho-chan Became the Main Heroine?

    ?

    Silver hair swayed softly. The hair that bounced as she walked was so beautiful.?

    ?

    Compared to Shiho¡¯s hair, the silver was a little darker??

    ?

    Her long hair was lightly wavy, and the hairstyle suited her well. She looked like a model, ¡­¡­ but she was wearing a Bear Mark apron ¡­¡­, which made her look less flashy.?

    ?

    But still, ¡­¡­ she looks very young. It would not be out of place if someone said she was a high school student.?

    ?

    I think the person in front of me now is really attractive as a woman.?

    ?

    For a few seconds, when she invites me into her house and leads me into the living room.?

    ?

    Just by looking at her back for that long, she was so beautiful that a normal human being would not be able to have normal feelings about her.?

    ?

    That much charm would send chills down your spine.?

    ?

    Shiho¡¯s mother was so inhuman that I wondered if she was really a human being.?

    ?

    Her name, it seems, is Satsuki. It is strange that her name is Japanese, even though she looks so un-Japanese.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­Hmm? Staring so hard, what¡¯s wrong?¡±?

    ?

    Perhaps it was because I was staring too hard.?

    ?

    She seemed bothered by my gaze and stopped to look back.?

    ?

    Her blue eyes stared at me, and my body tensed up.?

    ?

    The beauty, which reminded me of a Western doll, made me want to run away from her.?

    ?

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I look away and take a step back.?

    ?

    I unconsciously tried to keep my distance.?

    ?

    Seeing me like that, Shiho¡¯s mother ¨C Satsuki-san rounded her eyes as if she was a little surprised.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, dear? Hmmm¡­I see¡­¡­¡­ That¡¯s my daughter indeed. Looks like you¡¯ve brought an interesting person with you.¡±?

    ?

    I wonder how I appeared in her eyes.?

    ?

    Satsuki-san gave me a curious look and gently tapped my shoulder.?

    ?

    ¡°I wonder if Kotaro is not good with me? It would be sad if you were so wary of me.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not the case¡­.¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not good with her.?

    ?

    Of course it¡¯s impossible for me to dislike her.?

    ?

    But I¡¯m kind of ¡­¡­ in awe. I doubt if it¡¯s really allowed for me to talk to this person.?

    ?

    ¡°I see. Kotaro doesn¡¯t hate me, he hates himself, doesn¡¯t he?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡±?

    ?

    The unexpected words made my heart jump.?

    ?

    It was right on the mark. I was at a loss for words because I had clearly been hit by a certainty.?

    ?

    It is true that I have low self-esteem.?

    ?

    I always put in the phrase, ¡°I¡¯m nothing, but¡­¡± and it makes me feel downhearted.?

    ?

    Satsuki recognized this in our first meeting.?

    ?

    ¡°How did you ¡­¡­ know?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Smell, maybe? I am naturally sensitive to smell. So, I¡¯m kind of sensitive to the other person¡¯s emotions? I¡¯m sorry, that was a weird thing to say.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, I understand.?

    ?

    Somehow, I understood what Satsuki meant.?

    ?

    Shiho also often says, ¡®I have a good hearing¡¯.?

    ?

    Perhaps that unusual sense is inherited from her mother.?

    ?

    She even once described Ryuzaki as ¡®not good at it because it sounds disgusting¡¯. In the same way, Satsuki may be able to get an impression of someone by their smell.?

    ?

    ¡°Most people, when they see me, smell a little funny, ¡­¡­ and you don¡¯t, so I was surprised.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­.. Oh, that¡¯s what you mean.?

    ?

    You looked surprised earlier, so I wondered what was going on, but I was relieved to see that it wasn¡¯t for any ¡­¡­ significant reason.?

    ?

    In other words, Satsuki is too beautiful.?

    ?

    This is only a prediction, but ¡­¡­ probably, if a normal person sees Satsuki, he/she will be first and foremost stimulated emotionally.?

    ?

    If you are a man, your ulterior motive will be stimulated.?

    ?

    If you are a woman, you may feel jealousy.?

    ?

    That¡¯s how out of the ordinary she is.?

    ?

    However, due to my own lowly nature and my former mob character, I did not have the sexual disposition to have an ulterior motive.?

    ?

    So I was not lustful, nor jealous and disgusted, but simply overwhelmed by her presence.?

    ?

    Well, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m an amazing person because I just have no personality.?

    ?

    ¡°From Kotaro, I can smell the scent of a modest person, ¡­¡­ a nice person, so he should have more confidence in himself.¡±?

    ?

    But Satsuki-san appreciated me for that.?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of boy Shi-chan likes. ¡­¡­ My husband smells wonderful, too, but he may have a different charm.¡±?

    ?

    Then she smiled, this time with an innocent smile.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±?

    ?

    Not good. I felt out of place and broke out in a cold sweat.?

    ?

    I knew that someone like me would be too intimidated to talk to Satsuki-san.¡¡ And to have her smile at me ¨C I felt like that shouldn¡¯t be the case.?

    ?

    If such a person was at school with me, I would be horrified just thinking about it. I¡¯m sure many boys have fallen in love and been crushed.?

    ?

    £¨I wonder if Shiho¡¯s out-of-this-world charm is inherited from her.)?

    ?

    I finally understand how the beauty and magical charm that drove that harem-minded protagonist crazy came about ¨C and why.?

    ?

    Satsuki-san¡¯s blood makes the clunker of a woman, Shiho, the main heroine.?

    ?

    If you think about it, Shiho is a little ¡­¡­, no, a lot too clumsy to be the main heroine.?

    ?

    Study, exercise, housework, conversation, etc. ¡­¡­ Shiho has too many genres she is not good at for a main heroine.?

    ?

    Under normal circumstances, Shiho would be a sub heroine in the ¡± attractive ¡± category at best. But Satsuki¡¯s blood pushes her to be a main heroine.?

    ?

    But ¨C then a question came to my mind.?

    ?

    (Then why is Shiho so approachable?)?

    ?

    I¡¯m sorry Satsuki-san, but ¡­¡­ she is so beautiful that just standing in front of me, I feel as if my dirtiness is highlighted.?

    ?

    So she is not an easy person to relate to.?

    ?

    Of course, that is not to say that she is unfriendly. She has a soft atmosphere and does not give off a cold impression at all. But I feel a bit intimidated.?

    ?

    Yet, Shiho didn¡¯t make me nervous from the first meeting.?

    ?

    How can I say ¡­¡­ Shiho is a little strange even as a normal heroine.?

    ?

    She is ¡°special¡±.?

    ?

    I thought about it and couldn¡¯t figure out why, but shortly after ¡­¡­, I showed up in the living room and it all worked out.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, come in. It¡¯s our living room¡­¡­. And that¡¯s my husband. ?¡±?

    ?

    Immediately, Satsuki-san¡¯s voice rises. She had been calm earlier, but as soon as she opened the door to the living room, her intensity rose.?

    ?

    Perhaps it was ¨C the bulky man sitting on the sofa was the reason.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Oh? You¡¯re here already? Welcome ¡­¡­ Kotaro, right? My daughter is always indebted to you.¡±?

    ?

    I was taken aback by the sight of that colossal, well-rounded person.?

    ?

    (This is the person ¡­¡­ who made Shiho ¡®special¡¯!)?

    ?

    ¨CGentle.?

    ?

    ¨CWarm.?

    ?

    ¨CSoft.?

    ?

    ¨CReassuring.?

    ?

    ¨CCalm.?

    ?

    The expression, the voice, the gaze, the gestures, the body shape, the atmosphere ¡­¡­ everything was just gentle.?

    ?

    Absolutely, it was this person.?

    ?

    The reason why Shiho is so friendly is because of him.?

    ?

    I have never seen such a person.?

    ?

    Just by being around him, I felt such warmth that I naturally relaxed ¡­¡­..

 CH 76

    It¡¯s a Love Comedy in a Different World?

    ?

    ¡°My name is Itsuki and I am Shi¡¯s father. Kotaro-kun, I hope you will not be too nervous today and take it easy.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CI think it is wrong using this kind of expression for an older man.?

    ?

    Somehow, I thought he was a cute uncle.?

    ?

    He was an ordinary-looking man with dark hair and dark eyes. If I had been a child, I would have definitely poked his tummy.?

    ?

    If I were to use a metaphor, it would be a balloon.?

    ?

    It is round, fluffy, and very soothing to look at.?

    ?

    Such a person seems to be Shiho¡¯s father.?

    ?

    I wonder how old he is.?

    ?

    He looks young or middle-aged, but I think it could be taken either way.?

    ?

    Satsuki is quite youthful, so he looks older relatively speaking. It seems like they are pretty far apart in age ¡­¡­ Hmmm, I wasn¡¯t sure.?

    ?

    Well, I don¡¯t really care about age.?

    ?

    They love each other and are married. The age difference and such things would be a trivial matter, ¡­¡­ because they seem so happy right now that it seemed tactless for outsiders to think about anything strange.?

    ?

    ¡°Shi is still working in the kitchen, so why don¡¯t you come over here first, Kotaro? Let¡¯s have a little chat, man to man. Oh, I don¡¯t mean that in a weird way, okay? I¡¯m not so hot-blooded that I would say that you can¡¯t touch my daughter.¡±?

    ?

    Shaking his plump belly, Itsuki-san laughs.?

    ?

    ¡°I see. Kotaro, do you hear that? He is not a very hot-blooded man. But he is not cold-blooded either, okay Don¡¯t get that part wrong, okay?¡±?

    ?

    Seeing him like this, Satsuki was entranced.?

    ?

    The calm atmosphere she had earlier had blown away somewhere, and she looked like a little girl who had met the prince of her dreams.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh ¡­¡­, maybe. Whenever I ask you, you must be happy that Kotaro is here, right?¡¡You know, we wanted to have a son, too~.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Of course. Well, we don¡¯t know yet whether Kotaro-kun will be our son or not, so let¡¯s not say anything that will put pressure on him. ¡­¡­ Sorry, Kotaro-kun. I hope you don¡¯t have to worry about anything today.¡±?

    ?

    His beaming smile almost relaxed my body.?

    ?

    Perhaps because I was quite nervous in front of Satsuki, I almost collapsed at the gap. As it was, I sat down on the sofa opposite of Itsuki-san.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Shi-chan, so you two can chat, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I understand. Phew, now we can finally have a man-to-man conversation.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Well¡­. I¡¯m disturbing you, aren¡¯t I? Hmmm ¡­¡­ remember me later.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­They get along so well. You can tell from every word they speak that they both care about each other.?

    ?

    It was the ideal way to be a married couple.?

    ?

    To be honest, I am also quite concerned about them.?

    ?

    Satsuki-san and Itsuki-san¡­¡­ come to think of it, they have similar names, but I wonder if there is a reason for that. I¡¯m sure they would tell me if I asked them, but we¡¯ve never met before and I don¡¯t want to go into it too much.?

    ?

    Itsuki-san seems kind, though, so I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be a jerk about it.?

    ?

    It seems a little different to take advantage of that kindness.?

    ?

    This is only our first meeting¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a chance to have a deeper conversation at a later date.?

    ?

    There is more to do today than that.?

    ?

    That is to let them know about me.?

    ?

    It¡¯s only natural, since I¡¯m friends with their daughter Shiho.?

    ?

    As a parent, you must be wondering what kind of person your daughter¡¯s friend is.?

    ?

    ¡°So, Kotaro-kun¡­¡±?

    ?

    Immediately, Itsuki-san is trying to ask about me.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t want to give a bad impression as much as possible, but there is no point in lying, so I will answer truthfully¨Cthat¡¯s what I thought and braced myself for it.?

    ?

    However, Itsuki-san was ¡­¡­ kind, after all.?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, what kind of food do you like?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Eh ¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    When he asked me, I was out of the loop.?

    ?

    I had expected to be asked about hobbies, grades, future dreams, ¡­¡­ and other such status information, but what Itsuki-san wanted to know was something trivial.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t like food? Sorry, Uncle loves to eat, so we tend to talk about food all the time.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t dislike it. Let¡¯s see, ¡­¡­ I think egg rolls are delicious.¡±?

    ?

    What I was remembering was the egg rolls from the bento that Shiho and I would share at lunchtime. All of Satsuki¡¯s homemade dishes are delicious, but I think the egg rolls that are always included are somehow the best.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, we are on the same page. Uncle likes egg rolls, too. Then there is fried chicken, curry, meat, fish, vegetables, carbohydrates, and noodles.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that all of it?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, yes, I do. I don¡¯t have likes and dislikes, that¡¯s what¡¯s good about being an uncle.¡±?

    ?

    I guess it¡¯s ¡­¡­.?

    ?

    It¡¯s a very relaxing conversation.?

    ?

    The good-natured smile, the gentle tone of his voice, and the rounded visuals make me feel naturally relaxed.?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, do you like to study? My daughter seems to hate it, but you don¡¯t have to work too hard, right It¡¯s worse for your health if you push yourself too hard.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I wonder if you like playing games or not? My daughter seems to love it, and I can get her to play with me, but I can¡¯t keep up with the youngsters¡¯ sensibilities ¡­¡­, so lately you¡¯ve been playing with her, and it¡¯s been a big help.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Kotaro, do you like the heat? Uncle hates it because he has this look. I¡¯m always in my fat, so it¡¯s too hot for me in the summer. It¡¯s almost fall, so it¡¯s finally time for uncle.¡±?

    ?

    ¨CEvery conversation I had with Itsuki-san was like this.?

    ?

    This person, it seems, is not really interested in my status, position, or standing.?

    ?

    What he wanted to know was the ¡®humanity¡¯ of ¡­¡­ me.?

    ?

    He is especially interested in ¡®what I like¡¯. Thanks to this, I was forced to think only about what I like, which naturally made me feel more cheerful.?

    ?

    He is a strange person, ¡­¡­ really.?

    ?

    I feel comfortable and pleasant to be with him. It goes beyond the level of friendliness and so on.?

    ?

    He is just so kind.?

    ?

    Anyway, warm.?

    ?

    He was inclusive enough to convince me that it was because he was that kind of person that he was loved by the main heroine, ¡­¡­ Satsuki-san.?

    ?

    Surely, the romantic comedy could not have been framed as ordinary.?

    ?

    Satsuki is such a demanding main heroine. She is so complete as a character that even Ryuzaki, let alone me, could not intervene in her romantic comedy.?

    ?

    The man who loved her and made her happy was Itsuki-san.?

    ?

    What kind of a person is he??

    ?

    I think there is more to him than just being kind.?

    ?

    I wanted to know that, too.?

    ?

    Someday, when I¡¯m able to ¡°love¡± that girl, the main heroine, with my ¡­¡­ heart in my ¡­¡­ chest, I¡¯d like to use her as a reference¡­¡­.

 CH 77

    Why She Doesn¡¯t Know She¡¯s the Main Heroine?

    ?

    -Finally, I learned the reason why Shiho Shimotsuki is ¡°special¡±.?

    ?

    Her parents were special, and Shiho was greatly influenced by them.?

    ?

    ¡­.That reminds me of something Shiho said to me a long time ago.?

    ?

    [¡°I¡¯m a very boring person in front of Ryuzaki-kun, but I think it¡¯s a little funny of him to talk to me like that. What¡¯s so good about this girl who is so unsociable and doesn¡¯t talk much? Is it her face? Then why didn¡¯t he thank my mom and dad for giving me the genes, instead of me?¡±]?

    ?

    Looking back, I guess this was the solution.?

    ?

    Shiho¡¯s attractiveness is strongly influenced by her father and mother.?

    ?

    I had always wondered.?

    ?

    Shiho is so cute, but she doesn¡¯t boast about it. No, she understands that she is cute, but I get the feeling that she doesn¡¯t consider it her strong point.?

    ?

    Likewise, she didn¡¯t care about that at all, even though she is a special main heroine.?

    ?

    Perhaps it¡¯s because it¡¯s a ¡®given¡¯.?

    ?

    She didn¡¯t get it through hard work. She was just born with it, so she probably wouldn¡¯t be very happy if someone complimented her on it.?

    ?

    No matter how ¡®cute¡¯ Ryuzaki thinks she is, it¡¯s because of her father and mother, so it¡¯s not like she¡¯s getting recognition for it.?

    ?

    She doesn¡¯t feel as if she is loved by the protagonist, because she didn¡¯t want to be the main heroine.?

    ?

    If that¡¯s the way I¡¯m thinking ¨C it kind of makes sense that Shiho chose me.?

    ?

    The friend, Kotaro Nakayama, is a ¡®friend¡¯ she has acquired with her own hands.?

    ?

    Regardless of factors such as facial attractiveness or the fact that she is the main heroine, I became her friend.?

    ?

    I think that made me ¡°special¡± to Shiho.?

    ?

    (Shiho must have grown up to be such a nice girl because her wonderful parents gave her lots of love and affection.)?

    ?

    I felt I understood one more thing about Shiho.?

    ?

    Her charm attracted me even more.?

    ?

    [¡°Do you want to know more about me? You¡¯re going to love me more and more, okay?¡±]?

    ?

    Once, when I tried to confess my feelings, she told me that she didn¡¯t want to be lighthearted.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been with Shiho ever since, but as ¡­¡­ she wanted me to, I¡¯ve been loving her more and more.?

    ?

    The story is still monotonous, though.?

    ?

    In a normal romantic comedy, there would have been a clash between Shiho¡¯s parents and me, but Shimotsuki¡¯s parents accepted me kindly.?

    ?

    Thanks to that, my conflicted moments never came at all.?

    ?

    The romantic comedy with Shiho continued to be a happy affair.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, Kotaro-kun! Sorry I¡¯m late, okay? You know what, I helped with the dishes today, too, right? I asked my mom to help me and I did my best, so eat a lot, okay? Or do you want me to feed you? I¡¯m going to ¡®Ahhh¡¯ you just like Mom does to Dad, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ See, this is how she still does it now, giving me a nice smile¡­¡­.?

    ?

    While I was talking with Itsuki-san in the living room, Shiho finally came to me after all the preparations.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh? Were you talking to my dad? Ummm, isn¡¯t my dad wonderful? Oh, did you talk to Mom, too? My mom is a little shy, so she gets nervous when she meets new people. So, please tolerate her, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ No, she wasn¡¯t any clunkier than Shiho, though¡­¡­?

    ?

    I did get the impression that she was fearful when I first met her, but her expression softened a lot after she joined with Itsuki-san. Satsuki is a genuine main heroine, so she will inevitably not be able to be her usual self except in front of her main character, and I don¡¯t blame her.?

    ?

    ¡°Shiho is right that you two are very nice people.¡±?

    ?

    When I honestly told them this, Shiho¡¯s cheeks immediately relaxed.?

    ?

    With a big smile on her face, she jumped up and down happily.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes! Ehehe~!¡±?

    ?

    Shiho is as pleased as if it were her own to receive compliments about her parents.?

    ?

    She was still cute, after all¨Cshe was such a sweetheart.

 CH 78

    A Disturbing Shadow?

    ?

    In no time at all, mealtime was over.?

    ?

    Time at the Shimotsuki household was very warm and kind.?

    ?

    I felt as if I had not felt a ¡°family gathering¡± in a long time.?

    ?

    My parents are workaholics, so they are not as interested in raising children as the Shimotsukis are. They are currently on a business trip overseas, leaving me and Azusa behind.?

    ?

    They do the bare minimum for us, and we have never had any financial difficulties, so I am grateful to them. But I would be lying if I said I don¡¯t feel lonely sometimes.?

    ?

    (Maybe I should bring Azusa with me next time.)?

    ?

    I would love for her to come. I am sure Itsuki and Satsuki would accept Azusa kindly.?

    ?

    ¨CI was thinking about that as I headed back home.?

    ?

    After saying goodbye to Shiho and her parents, I was walking alone in the night.?

    ?

    The time was 8:30 p.m. Since it was a little late, Satsuki offered to drive me home, but I declined.?

    ?

    I felt like walking.?

    ?

    ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    I take a breath and inhale the slightly cooler air. I cooled my burning body and caught my breath.?

    ?

    September. It is almost the time for autumn to arrive. It used to be hot even at this time of the day not long ago, but recently it has become more comfortable.?

    ?

    The temperature is just right for relaxing without thinking about anything.?

    ?

    So I walked around in a daze. Well, it¡¯s not a big distance since I only have to walk to the bus stop. I soon arrived at the nearest bus stop and sat down on a bench to wait.?

    ?

    ¨CAnd just then, I saw something.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmm?¡±?

    ?

    A black limousine, looking very expensive, slowly passed in front of me.?

    ?

    The car looked out of place in the quiet residential area. I had only seen them on TV, so I was looking at it, thinking how amazing it was. ¡­¡­About ten meters ahead, the limousine stopped.?

    ?

    Then a man in a suit comes out of the driver¡¯s seat. He was a classy-looking old man who opened the back passenger door with a relaxed gesture.?

    ?

    And out of it came a beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl.?

    ?

    ¡°Seriously?¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    I was struck by the Western-style beauty, with her well-built body and striking aura of cleverness.?

    ?

    There is no doubt about it. She was Mary, the new heroine.?

    ?

    I never expected to meet her.?

    ?

    ¡°Hello?¡­ What a coincidence on a night like this, right?¡±?

    ?

    And she was talking to me.?

    ?

    ¡°Eh? Ummm¡­..¡±?

    ?

    The unexpected event makes me falter in my response.?

    ?

    Because I have no contact with her. We have never exchanged a single word at school, but she suddenly spoke to me¡­.. It is natural to be surprised.?

    ?

    Seeing me like that, Mary laughed.¡¯?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, no? Is it that surprising that I spoke to you? Or are you surprised because you didn¡¯t think ¡­¡­ I recognized your existence? But we¡¯re classmates, so isn¡¯t it obvious that I should at least remember your name and face?¡±?

    ?

    Mary, who shrugged her shoulders, looked a little different than she did when she was in front of ¡­¡­ Ryuzaki.?

    ?

    She looks a lot more innocent when she¡¯s in contact with that guy. She exudes a ¡°foreign girl¡¯s¡± air of generosity and innocence, but she didn¡¯t look so much like that now.?

    ?

    ¡°And ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve been wondering about you. ¡­¡­. Hey, Kotaro?¡±?

    ?

    Name, called.?

    ?

    The new heroine, who had quickly appeared as the new heroine and is currently the closest to the protagonist, recognizes my presence.?

    ?

    That was very eerie.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t I give you a ride? I¡¯ll drop you off?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CI knew that Ryuzaki¡¯s story would not leave me alone.?

    ?

    The new heroine¡¯s forceful appearance and her implied lines made me sigh.?

    ?

    I really don¡¯t want to be with her, but I¡¯m sure ¡­¡­the story won¡¯t let me.?

    ?

    I¡¯ve been the villain for Ryoma Ryuzaki ever since the overnight learning program incident.

 CH 79

    The True Nature of the New Heroine?

    ?

    It was the first time I had ridden in a limousine, and I felt uncomfortable that this space, with its L-shaped seats and tables, was the interior of the car.?

    ?

    I feel ¡­¡­ kind of uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable for a commoner by nature.?

    ?

    ¡°Why was Kotaro in such a place? Your house isn¡¯t around here, is it?¡±?

    ?

    The car drives off slowly.?

    ?

    Mary huddled close to me and spoke to me.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t think I should bother sitting next to her since it¡¯s such a big car, ¡­¡­ and if I got too friendly with other girls, that cute little girl would get jealous, so I kept a good distance from her.?

    ?

    About two seats apart, then I answer her question.?

    ?

    ¡°I was visiting my friend Shiho ¡­¡­ Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s house. My house is indeed a bit far from here, ¡­¡­ but how do you know that?¡±?

    ?

    Now it¡¯s my turn to return a question.?

    ?

    It is inexplicable. Mary, who had been acting as if she didn¡¯t know anything about me, had identified not only my name but also my address. That was eerie.?

    ?

    ¡°What if I told you that I have a thirst for knowledge?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I would reply, [¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡±].¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re not very perceptive, are you? I mean, it¡¯s uncomfortable to not know something, so I make an effort to know everything¡­¡­. See, my parents are the only people who have money, which means their daughter, me, can use it to do a lot of things.¡±?

    ?

    She gives a twisted answer, yet roundabout way.?

    ?

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that ¡­¡­ you know the personal information of someone as humble as me? I take it that you¡¯re interpreting that to mean that you¡¯ve looked into ¡­¡­ in a dirty, paid-for way that¡¯s hard to talk about¡­¡­.?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Well? I didn¡¯t say that much, but if you want to think so, I won¡¯t deny it. Anyway, the process may be different, but the result is the same. Maybe I know more about Kotaro than you think I do?¡±?

    ?

    With that, Mary crossed her legs.?

    ?

    Her school uniform was unchanged, but her short skirt revealed her firm thighs. If I were Ryuzaki, I would have turned up my nose at this sight, but for me, with my low sexual appetite, it was of no importance.?

    ?

    I immediately removed my eyes from her thighs.?

    ?

    Seeing this, Mary was somehow nodding her head.?

    ?

    ¡°Heh, ¡­¡­ Kotaro is not interested in a girl¡¯s body? I think a normal boy would be a little more delirious now that he can be alone with me.¡±?

    ?

    (TLN: Hoes mad.)?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t you know that? You know more about me than I think you do, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, maybe so, maybe not. So I¡¯ll just pretend that I just found out that Kotaro can¡¯t get through to me in a colorful way, okay?¡±?

    ?

    What a ¡­¡­ choice of words you¡¯ve been making since a while ago, all you do is make smoke screens.?

    ?

    She was a much brighter and more innocent character at school, very jolly and foreign, but I didn¡¯t quite recognize her now.?

    ?

    Is this the real Mary??

    ?

    Is that overly bright, noisy, high-strung character that she plays in front of Ryuzaki a lie??

    ?

    ¡°Hihi. You¡¯re surprised, aren¡¯t you ¡­¡­ No, you¡¯re confused, aren¡¯t you? Was Kotaro mistaken about me? What kind of person did you think I was? Well, I won¡¯t tell you the correct answer yet, but I will give you a hint. I am not what you think I am.¡±?

    ?

    Does that mean that Mary I have in mind isn¡¯t really Mary or is she?

 CH 80

    Hedonist?

    ?

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good. Kotaro is not so bad. Maybe he¡¯s one of those people on our side who can look at things from a bird¡¯s eye view.¡±?

    ?

    We just had a little conversation.?

    ?

    Just like that, Mary was acting like she knew everything about me.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about that, you know?¡¡After all, you are the person that Ryoma hates so much ¡­¡­ that he can dislike someone, when he is so pitifully indifferent to the feelings of ¡­¡­ others.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Nah ¡­¡­!¡±?

    ?

    Moreover, Mary knew Ryuzaki¡¯s true nature.?

    ?

    She never showed any such signs of it at school, and yet ¡­¡­!?

    ?

    Like Yuzuki, Kirari, and other harem members, Mary was also fond of Ryuzaki at school.?

    ?

    She was classified in the category of one heroine who was attracted to the hero named Ryoma Ryuzaki, and she was acting according to that role.?

    ?

    But now it is different.?

    ?

    She was laughing at Ryuzaki with a foolish smile on her face, as if she were a different person from the one she was at school¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know more about Kotaro, since it¡¯s a great opportunity. Tell me all your principles, thoughts, ideas, philosophies, theories, everything? And will you satisfy my thirst for knowledge? Otherwise, I can¡¯t stand it. I might be tempted to do something that would tickle Ryoma¡¯s jealousy.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Does that mean you¡¯re going to talk to me at school and have Ryuzaki see that you¡¯re doing it?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yes? For example, I wonder if I could hug or something in front of ¡­¡­ Ryoma? I¡¯m sure Ryoma would be uncomfortable if I did that. He might say, ¡°You took away my love again,¡± right?¡±?

    ?

    ¨COh, s**t.?

    ?

    This person seems to know more about me than I know about her.?

    ?

    ¡°Human ¡­¡­ everyone has a background. There are origins. There are relationships that accompany them. The more we know about them, the more we can understand the causes and effects of actions. You can see the process of the results of the process of the creation¡­¡­. A little literary way to describe it would be ¡®the story.¡¯?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°The Story ¡­¡­¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a story. When I transferred to a new school, I looked up my classmates. I didn¡¯t want to live a boring school life, so I looked for elements that would make it interesting. As a result, I found ¡­¡­ Ryoma and Kotaro.¡±?

    ?

    Then Mary laughed.?

    ?

    Her smile was the opposite of Shiho¡¯s innocent and adorable smile, cunning and twisted.?

    ?

    ¡°I want to twist the story of you two.¡±?

    ?

    Then she approaches me, leaning forward.?

    ?

    She leans her weight on me, and when I felt the softness of Mary¡¯s body, I ¡­¡­ unexpectedly felt a sense of disgust.?

    ?

    ¡°Pssst!¡±?

    ?

    Pushing away, I distance myself from Mary again.?

    ?

    But I¡¯m already backed into the corner, and I can¡¯t back away any further.?

    ?

    So I couldn¡¯t escape Mary¡¯s nasty smile.?

    ?

    ¡°That¡¯s why ¡­¡­ we need to talk more, okay? Tell me about Kotaro? I need to know more and more about your story so I can enjoy myself.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I see.?

    ?

    Now I get it. Mary is not just a new character.?

    ?

    She is still in the position of a tricky story crasher. That was to be expected. ¡­¡­ But she was more twisted than I expected.?

    ?

    I would classify people like this as ¡®hedonists¡¯.?

    ?

    As long as they enjoy themselves, they don¡¯t care about others¡­¡­ Such twisted character sent chills down my spine¡­¡­..

 CH 81

    Still a ¡°Mob Character¡± from a Third-Person Perspective?

    ?

    ¡°I never expected to meet Kotaro on my way back from hanging out at Ryoma¡¯s house. ¡­¡­ I picked up a good thing. I¡¯ve been looking for a chance to talk to you like this for a long time. Well, it¡¯s my second day at a new school, so the expression ¡®all the time¡¯ is a little discomforting.¡±?

    ?

    Mary is talkative in a different way than ¡­¡­ Shiho.?

    ?

    They are the same in that they ramble on about things I haven¡¯t heard, but they are two very different types of people.?

    ?

    Shiho is emotional. Shiho is not very good at getting to the point, and sometimes I don¡¯t understand what she is trying to say, but I have never felt that I don¡¯t enjoy talking with her.?

    ?

    Mary, however, speaks logic. I don¡¯t enjoy talking to her because of her tone of explaining what is going on, how things are going on, and why things are the way they are ¡­¡­. I understand what she is trying to say, but I don¡¯t feel good listening to her.?

    ?

    She is the complete opposite of a talkative, soft-spoken person, but that¡¯s why I felt that her ugly side stood out.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­.. Well, well, well, you don¡¯t have to be so cautious. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t really care whether Kotaro is comfortable or uncomfortable, you know? I just want to know everything I need to know.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t care what I want?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then maybe you¡¯re right. Well, look, ¡­¡­ where do you think this limo is headed?¡¡I wonder if it really is Kotaro¡¯s house?¡¡Let¡¯s say, for example, that I am offended and have you dismissed from the car. Would Kotaro really know where he would be at that time?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Threats?¡±?

    ?

    I huffed and looked out the window to see what was going on.?

    ?

    However, I don¡¯t know what principles were at work, but I couldn¡¯t see the scenery outside at all.?

    ?

    This means I don¡¯t know where I am.?

    ?

    For example, ¡­¡­ if I was dropped off deep in the mountains where I don¡¯t know where, ¡­¡­ I was scared in general. No, that¡¯s not going to happen, but Mary would do something like that without a care in the world.?

    ?

    ¡°This car is specially made, you know? You see, sometimes I am in a mood where I don¡¯t want to look at the scenery outside, so I turn the switch off. Then I can¡¯t see out the window. It¡¯s called dimming film, have you heard of it?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CNo.?

    ?

    Don¡¯t resist, your instincts tell you.?

    ?

    This person is not good. She is dangerous. She¡¯s a hedonist who is happy as long as she¡¯s enjoying things, so there¡¯s no point in resisting her. After all, she is the type of person who gets what she wants by any means necessary.?

    ?

    But if you think about it the other way around, she must also be the type who gets bored quickly once she gets to know what she wants to know. She¡¯ll let it go soon enough then.?

    ?

    Refusing in vain will only prolong the time. If that was the case, I decided to be mature about it.?

    ?

    ¡°I get it. What do you want to know? If possible, I¡¯d like you to hurry up and let me go home.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re very understanding. Yes, you have a bird¡¯s eye view of the situation, after all. Well, I like this kind of conversation because it¡¯s enjoyable, so I don¡¯t mind if we keep it up forever.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Mature up, so don¡¯t torment me too much.¡±?

    ?

    She raises her hands in surrender.?

    ?

    As she did so, Mary took a satisfied breath and this time put her feet on the counter table.?

    ?

    ¡°Ni-hi-hihi. Yes, that¡¯s the kind of attitude you need to have. ¡­¡­ As long as you¡¯re mature and do what I say, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±?

    ?

    Then she asked me a lot of questions.?

    ?

    ¡°Do you have any family?¡± Siblings?¡± ¡°What are your grades?¡± ¡°What are your dreams for the future?¡± ¡°When was your first love?¡± ¡°What is your type?¡± ¡°Who are your friends?¡± ¡°Who is your closest friend?¡± ¡°Conversely, who do you dislike?¡±?

    ?

    ¨CAnd so on.?

    ?

    She asked questions to confirm even information that she probably would have known beforehand.?

    ?

    By doing so, she is probing my background ¨C my backbone.?

    ?

    She is trying to accurately construct the story of a person named Kotaro Nakayama down to the smallest detail.?

    ?

    And after listening to all the information, the following is what she had to say.?

    ?

    ¡°You are a complete ¡®mob character¡¯. Kotaro¡¯s past is boring. It¡¯s mundane and boring.¡±?

    ?

    I am ¡­¡­ aware of this, so it wasn¡¯t a shock to me.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why the line Shiho said to me, ¡°Kotaro-kun is special.¡± comes to my mind.?

    ?

    It was strange because thinking about that adorable little girl somehow made my cheeks loosen up and I was surprised.

 CH 82

    Sickening Romantic Comedy?

    ?

    Mary described me as a ¡°mob character¡±.?

    ?

    That impression was natural, so I didn¡¯t think anything of it now that she said that.?

    ?

    ¡°Mob character. ¡­¡­ Yeah, I agree.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Could have been a more interesting story if it had been a little more emotional. You were a mob character because you were emotionless like that, weren¡¯t you?¡±?

    ?

    Absolutely right. I had nothing to say in reply, so I just shrugged my shoulders without refuting her.?

    ?

    ¡°I see. Kotaro is a mob character after all. ¡­¡­ but that¡¯s why it¡¯s interesting. Is it because of Shiho, after all?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak that name.¡±?

    ?

    Her name came out unexpectedly, and my emotions were unintentionally riled up.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you treat me. I don¡¯t care how much you abuse me. I don¡¯t care how you toy with me, Mary. But not Shiho. If you¡¯re thinking of involving her in way ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to act in a way that Mary-san won¡¯t enjoy, okay?¡±?

    ?

    She glares at me and spits out her words in a strong tone of voice.?

    ?

    But I guess it is not intimidating to Mary. She continued to laugh with an aloof look on her face.?

    ?

    ¡°Yiyan~n, don¡¯t get mad at me! I¡¯m scared ¡­¡­ but don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t want to make an enemy of you, and maybe ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t even make Shiho do what I want, so it¡¯s okay. I have no intention of involving her. Because it¡¯s boring.¡±?

    ?

    Maybe the tricky thing about ¡­¡­ Mary is that she¡¯s not just a hedonist.?

    ?

    She is a perfect human being, hungry for knowledge. And she is someone who can use that information for her own pleasure.?

    ?

    So I guess she knew that Shiho was not the person she wanted to be. When she is involved, the story twists and turns. Shiho was the main heroine because she is such a powerful character.?

    ?

    ¡°I like people who dance in my hands. If I can play with mediocre mob characters, or a protagonist who thinks nothing of the world like an animal, or other such pawns, I¡¯ll be happy enough.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You have a bad personality.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°You know what? How many years do you think I¡¯ve been doing this? I¡¯ve been doing this for 17 years now, so I know my way around.¡±?

    ?

    Mary knows her ¡°share¡±.?

    ?

    She plays only within her means and avoids making mistakes.?

    ?

    She is cunning in that way, and that is why it was hard to do.?

    ?

    ¡°The protagonist and the mob character ¡­¡­ are in a situation where two people who would normally have little to do with each other are at odds with each other, which is interesting. Let¡¯s make the most of it. It would be more fun to have more conflict. I¡¯d like to see ¡­¡­ a mob character ridiculing the main character.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s fun?¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t understand.?

    ?

    Is it fun to tell a story where the mob characters just ridicule the main character??

    ?

    Who would want to see such a backward-looking work that produces nothing??

    ?

    Mary Parker is distorted, after all.?

    ?

    She is distorted.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, yes. There are many types of stories. Cinderella stories in which the lower class rise to power, good and evil in which justice defeats great evil, harem romantic comedies in which the characters are simply loved by the heros ¡­¡­. There are too many to explain, but what do you think is the genre that I like best?¡±?

    ?

    Mary speaks.?

    ?

    ¡°I like stories like this, where a privileged person falls and is trampled by someone he ¡­¡­ looked down on. I guess the general framework is a revenge type of story. After watching it, I always think to myself, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before¡±. I always end my stories with this one phrase, in the best lingering, cathartic way possible.¡±?

    ?

    With her feverishly raised cheeks, her eyes glowing like a dreaming maiden, she said in a woozy tone.?

    ?

    ¡°Suck it up.¡±?

    ?

    Those words signaled the opening of the show.?

    ?

    ¡°I want to make a story like that. I¡¯m sure Kotaro and Ryoma will make a great story. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯m really excited.¡±?

    ?

    Now, it begins.?

    ?

    A twisted romantic comedy in which I was the villain and Ryoma Ryuzaki was the protagonist was about to ¡­¡­ start up again¡­

 CH 83

    The Creator?

    ?

    Mary tells me.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a scenario in mind. Let¡¯s make this one about the protagonist being defeated and beaten by a mob character that he looked down upon.¡±?

    ?

    She is a hedonist who will do anything for fun.?

    ?

    I have to say that the story requested is a bit skewed.?

    ?

    ¡°The protagonist, who is blessed with everything, is favored by numerous girls. It¡¯s a so-called harem-type romantic comedy. One day, he finally decides to love a heroine.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think that this story is going to be very interesting because it has a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­¡­.?

    ?

    Well, let¡¯s listen to the end of the story at first.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, you think I¡¯m a temptress? You prefer something more unconventional? But it¡¯s hard to play with such a typical protagonist. At least allow me to start off in a conventional way.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ No, I have no complaints.¡±?

    ?

    She still talks in a very indirect way.?

    ?

    Her tone of explanation, as if she were making fun of the other person, was a bit annoying, but I guess that is Mary¡¯s way of speaking. I was careful not to let my mind wander too much and urged her to continue.?

    ?

    ¡°In the process of loving one heroine, he might dump other subheroines. But I don¡¯t like such a story where even the thoughts of such girls are used and the protagonist-kun is united with the heroine he loves ¨C that kind of story.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right.?

    ?

    Mary, who is a twisted woman, would never enjoy a romantic comedy that fits into a typical framework.?

    ?

    ¡°But the heroine who made the protagonist fall in love with her actually had another boy she liked. The other person is, to his surprise, a mob character. The story ends with the protagonist grieving because the mob character he looked down upon has stolen the person he loves¡­and it¡¯s too early to tell.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­.. Early?¡±?

    ?

    I can¡¯t help but interject with those words.?

    ?

    She had been telling a story that felt like d¨¦j¨¤ vu all along, but I didn¡¯t know the rest of the story.?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s early. If we end here, it will be the same as before, right? It¡¯s not a good idea to repeat the same thing over and over again.¡±?

    ?

    I thought the story was very familiar, but it seems that she knew what she was talking about.?

    ?

    She knows everything. I¡¯m sure she knows what happened at the overnight learning program.?

    ?

    ¡°This is not enough of the ¡°Suck it up¡± that I want.  The main character should be unhappy and the mob characters should be happy.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°In what way?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I think it would make the contrast between the two stand out even more if you switched their positions.¡¡For example, not only the heroine, but also the subheroine who was rejected by the protagonist, who also falls in love with the protagonist? No, it¡¯s not enough. Maybe it would be nice to have a mob character become the harem protagonist.¡±?

    ?

    Mary really seems to love that kind of story.?

    ?

    She had chosen her words in a somewhat staged manner, but only now did I feel she was speaking her honest thoughts.?

    ?

    ¡®When everything he should have had is taken away from him, the boy who was the harem protagonist finally realizes. He realizes how badly he had treated the heroines, how much they loved him, and how blessed he was. ¡­¡­ Yeah, okay! So he lives the rest of his life alone and lonely, regretting his actions. I¡¯d like to see the protagonist beaten down like that. ¡­¡­ Oh, I can¡¯t resist! This is good. I¡¯m a pretty good ¡°creator¡±, aren¡¯t I?¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­ Or maybe that would be interesting if it were a fictional story, though.?

    ?

    But the fact that she is trying to do it in reality is still eerie.?

    ?

    ¡°The cast is already set, you know?¡¡The main protagonist is, of course, Ryoma. The mob character is Kotaro. The heroine will be ¡­¡­ bold, but I¡¯ll do it. As for the subheroine who gets dumped, Yuzuki ¡­¡­ would be too weak-willed, so Kirari would be good.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Casting, huh? The story is quite memorable, but will I have to do the same thing again?¡±?

    ?

    Apparently, Mary is going to follow the plot from just the other time and repeat it.?

    ?

    ¡°Yes. But since romantic comedies are all about love and not being loved, it¡¯s inevitable that the stories will be of the same type. ¡­¡­ Well, I¡¯m not really interested in the process. The main part of my ¡®originality¡¯ will be how the main character falls.¡±?

    ?

    After all, it seems that Mary just wants to see Ryuzaki fall.?

    ?

    ¡°Are you worried? Don¡¯t worry, I am a good creator and I can move perfectly well as an actor. There is nothing I can¡¯t do.¡±?

    ?

    There is nothing that she has not been able to do.?

    ?

    The reason why these arrogant words are so persuasive is because she is a ¡°perfect heroine¡±.?

    ?

    ¡± ¡­¡­ Creator, huh?¡±?

    ?

    I almost laughed when Mary called herself that.?

    ?

    She doesn¡¯t seem to be aware of it¡­¡­, but I still don¡¯t see her as a creator.?

    ?

    She is also a ¡°subheroine¡±.?

    ?

    Since she calls herself such a creator, I think it¡¯s no wonder she thought it was hilarious¨C

 CH 84

    Do you think it will go as you wish??

    ?

    After listening to Mary¡¯s fantasy for a while.?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.?

    ?

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡­ Oh, sorry. I¡¯m not making fun of you. It¡¯s just that it was a little funny.¡±?

    ?

    I hurriedly tried to make things right, but Mary¡¯s face instantly turned sour.?

    ?

    She seemed to be annoyed that I was making fun of her plot.?

    ?

    ¡°What? If you have something to complain about, why don¡¯t you just say so? I¡¯m a forgiving person, so I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, no, I have nothing to complain about. You can do whatever you want ¡­¡­, but I¡¯ll give you some advice.¡±?

    ?

    I¡¯m a ¡®mob character¡¯ at heart, so no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t stop the actions of the primary characters, the Mary¡¯s. I can¡¯t stop them from doing what they do.?

    ?

    The only story I can touch is the story of that girl who made me her main character.?

    ?

    But that girl doesn¡¯t appear in this story. So I will probably be moved as Mary wants me to be.?

    ?

    Exactly like dancing in the palm of her hand.?

    ?

    But there is something that Mary is mistaken about.?

    ?

    That is that ¡­¡­ Ryoma Ryuzaki is more of a ¡°protagonist¡± than she thinks.?

    ?

    And one more thing. This time, apparently, Kirari is going to play the role that Azusa did, but I wondered if it would really work the way she wanted it to.?

    ?

    That girl has a strong core. Even if she was rejected by Ryuzaki, I don¡¯t think she would lose heart. And it¡¯s impossible for her to like me¡­¡­.?

    ?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should underestimate the characters. I think Ryuzaki and Kirari are tougher than you think, Mary.¡±?

    ?

    I advised her, just in case.?

    ?

    But Mary laughed it off with a snicker.?

    ?

    ¡°HAHAHA! I¡¯m not that incompetent that I can¡¯t manipulate someone of that caliber, you know? I have already investigated the past of those two, and I know what kind of thoughts they had and what kind of stories they had. So there¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t do what I want.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I see. Well, if you think so, Mary, that¡¯s fine. But what can I say ¡­¡­ sorry, but I think Mary¡¯s scenario is going to fall apart soon, you know?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­. Why?¡±?

    ?

    Oh, she got angry.?

    ?

    She always looked down on me, but what she said just now really irked me. Her expression was grim.?

    ?

    I guess she¡¯s that confident in herself, but ¡­¡­ unfortunately, I¡¯m certain ¡­..?

    ?

    She is, apparently, following the romantic comedy that unfolded between me and Ryuzaki last time.?

    ?

    She¡¯s not interested in the process and probably doesn¡¯t have enough passion to put in the time and effort there. She decided to follow the precedent and use a template, but ¡­¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like it would work.?

    ?

    Because there is a big difference between then and now.?

    ?

    It¡¯s the casting of the main heroine.?

    ?

    ¡°Can a character like Mary be the main heroine?¡±?

    ?

    Last time, Shiho was in that position.?

    ?

    She was an outsider, but she had enough character to be the main heroine.?

    ?

    But Mary, unfortunately, does not seem to be in that class.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re just a subheroine who came out for the sake of power, so why not be as happy as you can be?¡±?

    ?

    It¡¯s kind of hilarious.?

    ?

    It¡¯s like I used to be, thinking I was the main character even though I was a mob character.?

    ?

    That¡¯s why I laughed earlier.?

    ?

    I felt sorry for Mary, who was trying to play a role that was not appropriate for herself.?

    ?

    ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t know¡­well, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯d know it when you see it, and there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯ll be watching you all the time, dancing in your palm.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Kotaro, you don¡¯t resist, do you? Aren¡¯t you dissatisfied with being moved as I want you to be moved?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll say you¡¯re going to get Shiho involved this time if I resist, right? I¡¯m not going to be able to do that. I¡¯ll be Mary¡¯s toy.¡±?

    ?

    Well, ¡­¡­ yeah.?

    ?

    I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point in me messing around with it, and I¡¯m not going to resist.?

    ?

    Because I¡¯m sure Mary will go down on her own, and I¡¯ll just have to watch her do it.?

    ?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get what you want, okay? At best, just go for it.¡±?

    ?

    The words, which were rough for me, came out of my mouth on their own.?

    ?

    I was surprised at myself.?

    ?

    ¡­¡­Oh, I see. Maybe I¡¯m angry.?

    ?

    Because Mary said she was the main heroine.?

    ?

    In other words, she thinks she is the same level as Shiho.?

    ?

    That¡¯s impossible.?

    ?

    Because Shiho is so much more charming than Mary.

 CH 85

    Flimsy?

    ?

    My taunting made Mary very unhappy.?

    ?

    ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ they say the weaker the dog, the more it barks, right?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Woof woof.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Oh, sweet puppy, is it time for you to shut up? I¡¯m in a bit of a bad mood.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Then I think it¡¯s time for me to go home.¡±?

    ?

    I don¡¯t like to chat with her.?

    ?

    ¡°Do you want to get out of the car? Even if I told you we¡¯re deep in the mountains with no streetlights and no houses around?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just do my puppy dog thing and lick your feet to get you in a good mood. Then I¡¯ll ask you to take me home.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Boring. Can¡¯t you react better, like Ryoma?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not the main character. Mob characters can only do what the main characters want them to do.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not the main character. You called me a subheroine earlier.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Subheroines are main characters too, right? Sub-characters have different significances, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything odd about that.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­..Huh. Mob characters who understand the story like that are kind of a nuisance.¡±?

    ?

    Mary sighs exaggeratedly.?

    ?

    Then she hit the switch on her hand and lifted the filter on the window that was blocking the view outside.?

    ?

    ¡°Ah, my house.¡±?

    ?

    And what I saw was my familiar home.?

    ?

    It seems that the car had stopped before I knew it. ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell because the shaking was so small. It¡¯s a rich people¡¯s car indeed.?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you dropped me off. Thank goodness it wasn¡¯t in the mountains.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I wanted to leave you somewhere, you know? Kotaro is good at making me unpleasant.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Thanks for that.¡±?

    ?

    I wonder. This feeling that I am conversing with a superior person is very creepy.?

    ?

    I decided to get out of the car as quickly as possible, because continuing this conversation would only make both of us feel bad.?

    ?

    ¡°Thank you very much for the ride.¡±?

    ?

    The elderly man who was probably driving opened the door for me, and I bowed lightly to him and thanked him. He smiled gently and slowly bowed to me as he saw me off.?

    ?

    ¡°Hurry home, Grandpa. I¡¯m tired, okay?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Understood.¡±?

    ?

    Mary said something very ladylike.?

    ?

    When I looked back as I was leaving, she was no longer looking at me. The man called she ¡°Grandpa¡± closes the door to the back seat and walks back to the driver¡¯s seat. Then the limo starts moving again.?

    ?

    After making sure they were left, I opened the front door.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m home.¡±?

    ?

    My voice was tinged with fatigue.?

    ?

    I was tired from the conversation with Mary.?

    ?

    I was feeling a little thirsty, probably because I had lost some of my nervousness. I went to the kitchen to get something to drink, but on the way, Azusa, who was in the living room, called out to me.?

    ?

    ¡°Onii-chan, welcome back.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Ah, un¡­¡­ I¡¯m home.¡±?

    ?

    That¡¯s unusual. She usually doesn¡¯t welcome me back when I come home.?

    ?

    Although I was fiddling with my phone, my consciousness was fully focused on this.?

    ?

    ¡°How was it at Shimotsuki-san¡¯s house?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­ Do you care?¡±?

    ?

    She didn¡¯t want to go, but to ask questions as soon as I got home, I wonder if ¡­¡­ Azusa really wanted to go too??

    ?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like that. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just that the food looked so good.¡±?

    ?

    Saying that, she shows me the screen of her phone she was holding.?

    ?

    What is it? I looked at it and there was a picture of the food I had just eaten at Shiho¡¯s house.?

    ?

    ¡°Shimotsuki-san bragged to me ¡­¡­ ugh, if she showed me something like this, of course I¡¯d regret it. I should have ignored the self-proclaimed Onee-chan and just gone to eat dinner ¡­¡­.¡±?

    ?

    Oh, that reminds me, Azusa and Shiho have each other¡¯s contact information.?

    ?

    The two must be pretty much on the same page. They seemed to message each other frequently, and their message conversation seemed to have a large amount of history lined up.?

    ?

    Whatever the case may be, they are good friends.?

    ?

    Their touching, humorous relationship was comforting to me.?

    ?

    I feel like their interactions are filled with tender emotions.?

    ?

    It was not a frivolous conversation like the one Mary and I had.?

    ?

    (I knew it. So cute.)?

    ?

    Maybe it was because I was talking to a twisted person with a twisted personality earlier.?

    ?

    Thinking about the two of them, I felt as if my tainted mind was being purified¡­

 CH 86

    What Main Heroines Have That Sub-Heroines Don¡¯t?

    ?

    ¡°The food was really good. Next time, let¡¯s go with Azusa, too, shall we? Shiho¡¯s parents are nice people, so you don¡¯t have to be too shy.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°I¡¯m not shy. I¡¯m not Shimotsuki-san!¡±?

    ?

    She is trying to fight back, but this girl has a tendency to act like a shy cat outside of the house.?

    ?

    Of course, not as shy as Shiho, but I think it would be classified as shy.?

    ?

    ¨CKasha.?

    ?

    What was that??

    ?

    I think I heard some kind of shutter clicking sound.?

    ?

    ¡°Azusa, what did you do?¡±?

    ?

    When I asked her out of curiosity, she answered while fiddling with her phone.?

    ?

    ¡°She requested a picture of Onii-chan in return for a picture of her cooking, so I was taking one.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­.Have you got my permission?¡±?

    ?

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want it?¡±?

    ?

    No, I wouldn¡¯t have refused if you¡¯d told me, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m kind of baffled.?

    ?

    ¡°Huh. Onii-chan¡¯s pictures keep piling up in my folder. ¡­¡­Shimotsuki-san, why do you love Onii-chan so much? She begs me every day, and it¡¯s a little annoying.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°Well, you took pictures of me every day ¡­¡­?¡±?

    ?

    And I was surprised there, too, that they exchanged messages every day.?

    ?

    I knew they were good friends.?

    ?

    ¡°She¡¯s so sulky. If Azusa ignored her messages, she would send me long messages, you know? And she¡¯d say things like, ¡®I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re the first person other than my parents to register my contact information, so don¡¯t ignore me.¡¯ ¡­¡­ Her love is too heavy for Azusa to bear.¡±?

    ?

    I couldn¡¯t help but loosen my cheeks at their interactions.?

    ?

    The filthy exchange I had just had with Mary-san is being purged away.?

    ?

    Shiho makes me smile even when she is not here.?

    ?

    Maybe that¡¯s what the main heroine has and the subheroine doesn¡¯t.?

    ?

    Whether she is present or not, she has an overwhelming presence.?

    ?

    Even if she does nothing, she influences the hearts of others.?

    ?

    Like Mary, you can¡¯t change others with flimsy words.?

    ?

    But Shiho can.?

    ?

    Because she is ¡®special¡¯.?

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­ Onii-chan, why don¡¯t you get a smartphone soon?¡¡You¡¯re her friend, so she should take good care of you.¡±?

    ?

    ¡°A smartphone, huh? ¡­¡­ Hmmm, what should I do?¡±?

    ?

    I didn¡¯t have one because I didn¡¯t have anyone I could contact before.?

    ?

    Shiho also told me to ¡®buy it soon,¡¯ so I might as well get it ready.?

    ?

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be using it a lot in the future anyway, so you might as well get it as soon as possible. ¡­¡­ haha. Azusa wonders if Shimotsuki-san will be bothering you for a long time to come.¡±?

    ?

    And you¡¯re not honest, even though you¡¯re somehow feeling satisfied.?

    ?

    But, well, yeah. I was convinced that I will use it a lot in the future.?

    ?

    Because I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to know Shiho better and better in the future.?

    ?

    ¡°Hey, Onii-chan? Is Shimotsuki-san really going to be an Onee-chan? If possible, I¡¯d like a more mature Onee-chan.¡±?

    ?

    ¡­¡­I¡¯m not sure about that.?

    ?

    I¡¯m not mature enough to think that far into the future yet.?

    ?

    If ¡­¡­ I and Shiho were to be together forever.?

    ?

    Maybe then, she will be the real ¡°Onee-chan¡± for Azusa¡­

 CH 87

    And so Mary Parker goes into the dark. Calling herself a creator, she had a lot of things in place to create the story she wanted.

    A week has passed since she spoke with me in the limousine.

    By this time, she had already firmly earned her position as the heroine closest to Ryuzaki.

    ¡°G¡¯morning, Ryoma! I¡¯ll give you a good morning hug!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, ¡­¡­, I guessed ¡­¡­ right.¡±

    ¡°You guessed right!¡±

    In the morning, as soon as she arrived at school, she started flirting with Ryuzaki. She was taking advantage of her own blessed body to sprinkle a bit of romantic appeal on him.

    ¡°Uhehe ¡­¡­ well, that¡¯s fine. Oh dear, this is a Western greeting, so I had no choice. Yeah, I¡¯m irresistible, aren¡¯t I!¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ryoma¡¯s ecchi~!¡±

    She calls herself a great actor, and she¡¯s quite a good one.

    She was blatantly pushing her b*****s against the protagonist-sama, making him delirious. It is a common service scene, but when she does it with her fleshy body, it also has a strong effect.

    Perhaps, in terms of b****t size, she may be even bigger than Yuzuki. Such is Mary¡¯s s*x appeal, and Ryuzaki was stretching his nose.

    What¡¯s so good about that ¡­¡­?

    I don¡¯t really understand it for mob characters. To begin with, I have never lusted after another person, so perhaps I am missing something as a living being?

    It makes me somewhat uneasy. In the morning, while idly watching Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy from my seat, I thought about my nature.

    I know whether a woman is cute or not, but whether she is ¡­¡­ erotic or not is another matter.

    I let my thoughts run through my head.

    I¡¯m not excited about Mary¡¯s or Yuzuki¡¯s b*****s. On the other hand, I don¡¯t think much of Azusa¡¯s b*****s, which are relatively small. Then, when I think of Kirari¡¯s b*****s, which are somewhere in the middle, I still don¡¯t think anything of them.

    Is it not a matter of size?

    For example, how about ¡­¡­ Shiho¡¯s b*****s, then?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Huh~!?¡±

    I try to imagine. But suddenly my head got hot and I couldn¡¯t think of anything else.

    Oh, no. I felt like my brain would probably explode if I imagined any more.

    Well, I guess this is what it means.

    Shiho may be really special to me.

    (I see. Ryuzaki can have the same feelings for all girls that I have for Shiho.)

    The protagonist seems to be quite greedy.

    Well, there is a saying, ¡®I prefer a hero¡¯s color¡¯ and in a sense, it may be similar to the fate of the protagonist.

    Nevertheless, I would still have to say that Mary is still a masterful actor, having made a rapid approach to Ryuzaki in only a short period of time, just one week.

    Because she has surpassed Yuzuki and Kirari, who are in a relatively dominant position among the harem members.

    In just one week, she has surpassed the two who met at the entrance ceremony and have been standing next to Ryuzaki ever since. She is now a strong candidate to be a regular heroine.

    She is in a position similar to that of Shiho in the previous installment.

    I guess we can say that she is right in line with the plot.

    ¡°HAHAHA! Ryoma, shall I give you a kiss? It¡¯s just another greeting, so don¡¯t be shy, okay?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a little ¡­¡­, but thank you. I¡¯m very happy that we¡¯re such good friends.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not really in love with Ryoma, you know!¡±

    ¨CI was surprised that Ryuzaki is doing so well.

    He had been so depressed since the overnight learning program.

    No matter how much Yuzuki, Kirari, and the rest of the harem members encouraged him, he remained depressed.

    But thanks to Mary, he is now completely back to normal.

    (Perhaps Ryuzaki is comparing Shiho to Mary?)

    Their personalities and appearances are completely different, though.

    In terms of presence alone, they are in close proximity. Shiho is much more dominant in terms of magnitude, but Mary also has her own unique atmosphere.

    I felt that Ryuzaki was overlapping Shiho¡¯s aspects with Mary¡¯s inhuman charm.

    That is probably why Ryuzaki is happy to be acknowledged by her. In truth, Mary-san is doing what he wanted Shiho to say or do.

    (¡­¡­ Ewww¡­)

    That said, I wonder what kind of face Ryuzaki will make when he finds out it was an act?

    Maybe he will experience a sense of despair that he can¡¯t bear.

    ¡­¡­ Well, I don¡¯t like that guy, so I don¡¯t feel sorry for him.

    If he were a normal protagonist, he would probably just break down and never get up again.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m interested.

    Is Ryuzaki¡¯s character as a protagonist really normal, ¡­¡­ or abnormal?

    And can he break up Mary¡¯s fantasy of a rogue romantic comedy?

    I was a little concerned about that part ¡ª a little bit.

 CH 88

    And so, the daily routine part continues.

    Even in Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy, Mary¡¯s introduction seems to be over to some extent. If we think in terms of origins and endings, we are now about at the beginning of the ¡°succeeding¡± clause, right?

    It¡¯s about time to start the preliminary preparations for the ¡°turning¡± clause.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes. Well then, everyone, it¡¯s time to start preparing for the festival~!¡±

    Today, the entire afternoon class was LHR.

    The first discussion for the festival to be held in mid-October is said to be taking place.

    ¡°You can do whatever you want as long as you keep moderation in mind, so think what you want, okay? Then, I think I¡¯ll leave the rest of the proceedings to the class president~? Niou-san, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you~.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I understand.¡±

    At Suzuki-sensei¡¯s words, the class president, Futako Niou, stands at the lectern.

    The class president, whose trademark is her glasses and pigtails, began without hesitation.

    ¡°Then, those who have any ideas, please raise your hands.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡±

    And the first to raise her hand was Mary.

    ¡°I think a maid cafe is a good idea! If we entertain our customers with several maids, I¡¯m sure they will pay us well. In return, if we charge extra for drinks as part of the entertainment fee, we can make a lot of money!¡±

    ¡°No, I reject that idea. The most important thing to remember is that it¡¯s not a maid cafe, but a bar. Please maintain moderation as a high school student.¡±

    ¡°OH¡­¡­I understand!!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t use that language, either. Also, isn¡¯t it a little strange for you, a woman, to mention that?¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­?

    Part of the exchange was unclear, but anyway, the maid cafe seemed to be rejected.

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡±

    ¡°¡­. Are you the only one in this class? I appreciate all your suggestions, but ¡­¡­ you should learn to be a little more reserved.¡±

    Mary is very energetic.

    She is always cheerful at school, but she seems especially energetic now.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m looking forward to the festival! You see, I love it~!¡±

    ¡­.. Is that really true?

    Knowing that she has a dark side, I could not honestly accept her words.

    But Niou-san, the president, who has no idea what her other side is, seems to have believed her words.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡­¡­ I see. Well then, I stand corrected. Shall we work hard to make the festival a wonderful memory for Mary Parker?¡±

    ¡ª With these words, the classmates who seemed to have been less than enthusiastic all at once looked at each other. The majority of them, who had thought it was none of their business, were probably inspired by Mary¡¯s cheerfulness.

    Ah, so that¡¯s what she¡¯s trying to do. ¡­¡­ She may be trying to make the festival an ¡®event¡¯ of the story.

    So, because she inevitably needs the cooperation of her classmates to do so, she dared to choose words that would inspire.

    She calls herself a creator, so she is quite a schemer.

    ¡°Then again, do you have any suggestions¡­¡­?¡±

    Niou¡¯s question brought up a number of hands, not only Mary¡¯s this time. The members of the class, their morale raised, were ready to work as one for the festival.

    Then, a number of ideas were raised.

    Restaurant, cinema, haunted house, maze, fortune-telling, etc¡­¡­. The ideas were narrowed down by majority vote.

    Finally, the final choice was¡­

    ¡°Well, then, it¡¯s decided. The second class of the first year will be doing a ¡°play¡± this time. I ask for everyone¡¯s cooperation.¡±

    With Niou-san¡¯s words, the big event of the year was decided.

    (Theater, or ¡­¡­)

    I don¡¯t know. I have a bad feeling about this.

    No, calm down. I¡¯m just a mob character. ¡­¡­ If I think about it normally, I should be assigned to a behind-the-scenes job.

    I¡¯m not optimistic enough to think that I¡¯ll be okay because I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be pushed into a low-profile position.

    £¨Mary¡¯s going to try something, isn¡¯t she?)

    Though we have never spoken since our conversation in the limousine.

    I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll bring me into the picture soon.

    I am the villain and the antagonist in Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy.

    Using this conflict structure, Mary is trying to create a romantic comedy of sorts.

    How could she not take advantage of the big event that is the cultural festival¡­..

 CH 89

    The second class of the year, to which I belong, is going to put on a ¡°play¡± at the school festival.

    ¡°I like the play ~ ? We still have time to decide on the program, the main characters, and the script, right~?¡±

    Suzuki-sensei was in high spirits. At her words, Niou-san, the class president who was running the event, nodded his head expressionlessly.

    ¡°I see. Then, what shall we do? The famous ones are ¡°Romeo and Juliet¡±, ¡°The Little Mermaid¡±, ¡°The Three Little Pigs¡±, ¡°Little Red Riding Hood¡± and so on. We could make a tragedy into a comedy, and vice versa, and it might even be funny.¡±

    ¡­.. Hmm?

    Niou-san, perhaps she likes fairy tales?

    The tone of her speech was smooth and she was very talkative.

    ¡°But I especially recommend ¡®Cinderella¡¯. I think it¡¯s the most beautiful story in the world. ¡­¡­ Oh, it¡¯s just my personal opinion.¡±

    Perhaps after she finished saying it, she realized she was talking too fast. Niou-san¡¯s face was red.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got a little excited. Now, please think about it a little ¡­¡­ and you may consult with the people around you ¡­¡­. I¡¯m going to go wash my face for a bit.¡±

    Seemingly feeling somewhat embarrassed, Niou-san walked out of the classroom like she was trying to escape. After seeing her off with a smiling face, our classmates began discussing what to perform.

    ¡°Suyaa ¡­¡­ Muuu? Huh? Mom ¡­¡­ what do I do now ¡­¡­?¡±

    And if you thought Shiho was quiet earlier, she seemed to be sleeping soundly. I wondered if she woke up because of the noise around her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your mom, though.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, hey, different ¡­¡­!¡±

    Recently, Shiho has been able to talk a little more in the classroom. She is still whispering, but she is able to be loud enough that I can hear her well when she is seated next to me.

    The exchange diary is going on because we¡¯re doing it in class, but thanks to ¡­¡­ my grades are going down too, so I¡¯d rather not do that one if possible.

    ¡°Kohon. Kotaro-kun, what are you doing now? We had lunch and I was just relaxing and before I knew it, I fell asleep. So I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡­.¡±

    She fell asleep because she got sleepy after eating lunch, just like a toddler.

    I thought she was a girl who was always on her guard, but lately she¡¯s been especially clumsy. Maybe she feels safe because I¡¯m next to her at school.

    I¡¯m glad to see that, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for her to doze off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just play games at night, you need to get some sleep, okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like my mother. Instead, why don¡¯t you tell me what you are doing? Why are there fairy tales on the blackboard? I like the Three Little Pigs the best. It¡¯s funny because the little piggy gets eaten.¡±

    This girl is very dark to find the fun in that.

    ¡°You know, we have a school festival in a month, right? We¡¯ve decided to put on a play in our class. We¡¯re in the process of deciding on the theme for the play.¡±

    ¡°A play! That¡¯s wonderful?! I¡¯d like to see Kotaro-kun play the role of the eldest pig and be the first one to get eaten. I can¡¯t wait to see Kotaro-kun in a panic when his straw house gets blown down.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be the one to perform¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­.? I wanted to watch.¡±

    While I was dodging such conversation, Niou-san came back.

    Her face, which had been slightly red earlier, was now back to its original expressionless state.

    ¡°Thank you for your patience. I think the consultation should be over by now, so please be quiet. So, first of all, are there any other plays you would like to try?¡±

    At that time, again, the first to raise her hand was ¡­¡­ Mary, after all.

    ¡°Yes! I want to do ¡®Beauty and the Beast¡¯.¡±

    I almost gasped when I heard the title.

    The story seemed to be the kind of story that ¡­¡­ Mary would like.

    All I know is the famous Disney version, so maybe it¡¯s a different story in the original. ¡­¡­ No, I think it¡¯s probably the famous one that Mary wants to do.

    ¡°It¡¯s also hmm ¡­¡­ good. It¡¯s a story that originated in France and has been made into an animated children¡¯s movie, so I¡¯m sure you all know the plot.¡±

    Niou-san was also enthusiastic.

    And Mary¡¯s comments had a strong influence. So everyone¡¯s reaction was positive.

    (I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a battle for one beautiful girl between a former prince who turned into a beast and a handsome egotistical bastard¡­¡­.)

    Well, I¡¯m supposed to be behind the scenes, so I¡¯m not complaining about anything.

    But I had a bad feeling about it somehow, and I didn¡¯t feel comfortable.

    If possible, I¡¯d be happy if this premonition was unfounded, but ¡­¡­.

    ¡°I would now like to take a majority vote. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to read it out, and you can raise your hand to the one you think is good.¡±

    Then, the list was narrowed down.

    In the end, the majority vote went to ¡­¡­ ¡°Beauty and the Beast¡±.

 CH 90

    Class 1 and 2 are going to do ¡°Beauty and the Beast¡± at the festival.

    ¡°Ko, I wanted to see the little piggy, but I was too nervous to raise my hand¡­¡­.! Ugh, I wanted to see the little piggy cry.¡±

    ¡°No, Shiho was the only one who wanted to do that, so we couldn¡¯t have done it anyway.¡±

    Even though her shyness is gradually improving, she still becomes quiet when I¡¯m not around.

    I gave her a hearty encouragement, hoping that someday she would be able to behave openly in front of others.

    Shiho, hang in there. You can do it ¨C and this makes me sound like a parent.

    ¡­¡­ Well, that¡¯s beside the point.

    ¡°Now then, about the casting, ¡­¡­ the only things that can be decided in time are the main actors and the person in charge of the script. First, let¡¯s decide who will be in charge of the script, which will take the most time. Does anyone have a preference?¡±

    Niou-san asked, but no one¡¯s hand went up. My guess was that Mary would do it, but she was not interested in scriptwriting.

    She seems to want to enjoy the real world and is not interested in the fictional world.

    ¡°Is anyone out there? If not, I¡¯ll ¡­¡­. Maybe I can write it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, great!¡±

    One of our classmates exclaimed in admiration.

    It seems that Niou-san likes stories after all. Of course, not in a warped sense like Mary, but in a pure sense.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be a great script, but I¡¯ll give it all I can. I¡¯m applying to study literature and art at university, so it will be a good opportunity for me to get a good record.¡±

    Her tone was calm, but her red face made it obvious that she was just trying to be tactful.

    ¡°Then does anyone want to play the main heroine, the Beauty, and the Beast and ¡­¡­ the handsome hunter¡­..¡±

    At the same time she said these words, Mary raised her hand in high spirits.

    She was so enthusiastic that I could tell she had been waiting for it.

    ¡°Yes, yes! I want to play the Beauty!¡±

    Everyone laughed at her cheerful remark. I am sure that they see a cheerful beautiful woman in their eyes. ¡­¡­ I know that it is a calculated act, and it is only creepy to me, because I see the other side of her.

    ¡°The Beauty, ¡­¡­ who else would like to act?¡±

    But it was not an instant decision.

    The Niou-san is turning her somewhat meaningful gaze in our direction.

    No, not exactly to me, but to Shiho next to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Wakame s-seeweed¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t notice my gaze, though she was muttering something unintelligible to me.

    Well, I understand what Niou-san is trying to say.

    Because when it comes to beautiful women in this class, the first name that comes to mind is ¡°Shiho Shimotsuki¡±. Mary is also a beautiful woman, but she doesn¡¯t get along with ¡­¡­ anyone, and Shiho has the image of being a ¡°high peak¡±.

    So, she is the most suitable for the role of the Beauty. ¡­¡­ However, her classmates probably know that it is impossible.

    People would have seen Shiho crying on stage during the overnight program.

    So they would understand that she can¡¯t be an actor in a play.

    ¡°No? Then, Mary, please play the Beauty.¡±

    Soon the main heroine was decided.

    Two more roles remained to be cast. The two remaining roles are that of the beast and the handsome hunter. ¡­¡­ If you think about it in that order, the role of the beast is likely to be played by Ryuzaki.

    Since he is the main character, it was obvious that he would be the main character in the play as well.

    ¨CI was expecting that.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Can I recommend someone?¡±

    A disturbing hand went up.

    That hand, of course, belonged to Mary.

    ¡°I nominate ¡­¡­ Kotaro for the role of the Beast!¡±

    ¡­.. Really?

    The class was in a stir at this unexpected statement.

    ¡°Kotaro, you mean ¡­¡­ Nakayama? What, indeed, that¡¯s ¡­¡­ quite different, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Everyone was puzzled. No, I understand how they feel. I am sure I am more bewildered than everyone else.

    ¡°Huh!? Mary, why¡­¡­ that guy?¡±

    No, let me correct you.

    It was Ryuzaki who was the most puzzled, not me.

    His favorite heroine had mentioned the name of a man he hated. I am sure he is not at peace with himself.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t like this kind of thing, do you Ryoma? Oh, maybe you wanted to play a role in a play? Then Ryoma should be the main character!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it, but I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re recommending him over ¡­¡­ anyone else.¡±

    You are absolutely right.

    Ryuzaki¡¯s statement is absolutely correct. However, ¡­¡­ Mary smiled a weird smile in response to his words.

    Forgetting to act, she said.

    ¡°Because ¡­¡­ that¡¯s more ¡®interesting¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¨COh, I see.

    This was, after all, the scenario that Mary had drawn up.

    We would put on a play at the school festival.

    And she wants me to be the main character and Ryuzaki to be the villain.

    As if to ¡°foreshadow¡± a relationship that would later come into existence¡­

 CH 91

    ¡°¡­¡­ Anyone want to play the Beast? If there is anyone who wants to, please raise your hand.¡±

    When Niou-san, the class president, asked this, none of the other classmates raised their hands. It is likely that they are not comfortable going up on the stage.

    If things had gone the way they were supposed to, the main character would have reacted, ¡°Oh dear, I didn¡¯t want to do it, but I had no choice.¡±. but that didn¡¯t happen because of Mary¡¯s comment.

    ¡°If Ryoma would have played the main character, I would have been fine with that. But it¡¯s not right for Kotaro to play the role of the hunter who is good-looking, right? Because Kotaro is not handsome! Then I think the handsome Ryoma would be better!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you say so, ¡­¡­ but¡­¡±

    Mary said something like that and tried not to break the heroine¡¯s position, but it was obvious that she was trying to make me the main character.

    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t look good in the lead role.¡±

    Ryuzaki looks reluctant. That¡¯s understandable, ¡­¡­ because for once, Ryuzaki¡¯s words are right.

    Because it doesn¡¯t suit me to be the main character¡­¡­.Now, what about Mary?

    In the scenario she envisions, I should be the main character.

    But my classmates, including Ryuzaki, refuse to accept that. The impact of the story is not strong enough to make me the main character.

    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡­. haha.¡±

    Mary seems to have noticed the atmosphere.

    Was it a failure? I sigh.

    ¡­.. I still think she¡¯s a little underwhelmed.

    I don¡¯t feel that Mary has the power to change the story.

    After all, she is a subheroine with leverage. If she can¡¯t make me the main character here, it means that there was already a breakdown in her plot.

    If that was the case, there would be no more incidents to worry about in the future.

    After all, this was the extent of it. Mary, I¡¯m sorry to say that your story seems to be ending without even an opening chapter.

    ¡°Hmm, as far as I¡¯m concerned, I don¡¯t really care who does it, but ¡­¡­ there doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone else who wants to do it, so can we have a majority vote? If you don¡¯t mind the two people who have been recommended.¡±

    ¡­..I really don¡¯t want to go on stage, though.

    But since I had decided not to resist Mary, all I could do was nod.

    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±

    ¡°Tch ¡­¡­ say no. Then I can play the main role.¡±

    Even Ryuzaki, who sees me as an enemy, accepted the recommendation without denial.

    ¡°I want to know the consensus. Who do you think should play the leading role? Raise your hands, please.¡±

    This time, the names of me and Ryuzaki were written on the blackboard.

    Well, objectively speaking, I think Ryuzaki is the best choice. I was looking at the scene with a complacent and optimistic ¡­¡­ feeling that I wouldn¡¯t get any votes.

    ¡°So, first of all ¡­¡­, what do you think of ¡­¡­ Nakayama-san?¡±

    No one responded to that question.

    Everyone looked around, but no one wanted to raise their hand.

    ¡°Muuu¡­..¡±

    Mary also raised her eyebrows unwillingly. Even if she raised her hand in this air, no one would follow suit. That is the limit of a subheroine.

    ¡°Kuku ¡­ That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ryuzaki was also snickering at me. I was uncomfortable with the look of triumph on his face, but there was no point in getting angry at every little thing, so I looked away and ignored him.

    Well, I¡¯m just like that, or so I thought.

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±

    A small, timid, but beautiful voice echoed through the classroom.

    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..Eh?¡±¡±¡±

    Everyone was stunned to hear her voice.

    Of course, she was looking at me and her expression was tense like she was nervous ¡­¡­ but she didn¡¯t retreat.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    This time, she mustered up the courage to raise her hand.

    Thanks to the quietness of the classroom, her voice was clearly audible.

    (¡­¡­ I wonder about that courage¡­¡­.)

    Of course, the one who raised her hand ¨C our main heroine.

    ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­.¡±

    Shiho voted for me.

    Earlier she said she wanted ¡°The Three Little Pigs,¡± but she couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to raise her hand. But now she raises her hand to support me.

    I¡¯m glad she¡¯s doing her best for me, but ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her unexpected support.

    (I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t think anything of it ¡­¡­ but it¡¯s kind of bad timing.)

    Shiho¡¯s declaration is a bit bad for the process.

    Because she is the main heroine.

    Unlike Mary, she is a girl whose existence is valuable. Her influence was not comparable to Mary¡¯s.

    ¡°¡±¡±¡­Yes.¡±¡±¡±

    Several people raised their hands as if following Shiho¡¯s lead.

    And this created a chain of events, as classmates began to raise their hands one after another.

    (Mary, good for you ¡­¡­, you were apparently lucky.)

    I thought for sure that the story was going to fall apart in the beginning.

    But it seems that the main heroine¡¯s one comment seems to have somehow restored the plot¡­.

 CH 92

    ¨CShiho is also growing up little by little.

    In the past, she would never have been able to express herself in front of everyone.

    Even raising her hand in a majority vote would have been a daunting task for Shiho.

    This time, however, she mustered up the courage to do it.

    Even though she had to endure the attention for my sake, ¡­¡­ she continued to raise her hand stubbornly.

    I wonder what these classmates think about the efforts of the girl who is so determined to do her best.

    I am sure they would think something like this.

    < I want to cheer her on! >

    Human beings are not good at everything. Everyone has a weakness in a certain category. It is very difficult to face them, and it requires a very strong will.

    It is human nature to want to unconditionally cheer on people who are trying their best, no matter what their personalities are.

    And Shiho is the main heroine. There was no way that everyone would not cheer her on.

    Therefore, hands went up one after another.

    Perhaps some of the votes came from neutrals who were happy with either one. There may have been people who succumbed to peer pressure, raising their hands because everyone else raised theirs.

    But it was unmistakably ¡°Shiho¡± who created the trigger.

    ¡°Eh¡­!¡±

    Ryuzaki looks frustrated. He¡¯s glaring at me, but I can¡¯t say anything, probably because of the action Shiho took.

    I didn¡¯t do anything. She just did her best.

    But that may have been uncomfortable for Ryuzaki. Because he is the one who wanted to be chosen by Shiho, but was not chosen.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Mary, on the other hand, also had a complicated expression on her face.

    She was smart enough to realize that she would have failed if the situation had gone the way it was supposed to. That is why she must be acutely aware of the significance of the main heroine¡¯s move to overturn the board.

    She can change the flow of the situation, but she cannot create it.

    That is the limitation of the sub-heroine.

    (Glad it went in the right direction this time, Mary ¡­¡­, but that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t happen next time, okay?)

    As for me, though, I wanted her plot to fall apart.

    But it¡¯s inevitable. Shiho wanted me to play the leading role.

    Then there was no way I could refuse.

    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t even need to count¡­¡­. Nakayama-san, please play the Beast.¡±

    And Niou-san, the sole remaining neutral person in the classroom, proceeded with the meeting in an unobtrusive manner.

    As the referee, she only verbalizes the facts. But that is also a merciless sentence against Ryuzaki.

    ¡°I would like you to play the role of the hunter, Ryuzaki-san.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Damn.¡±

    In the end, it seems that I was cast as per Mary¡¯s intentions.

    I wasn¡¯t supposed to be the star of the show.

    (It¡¯s a gory story¡­¡­.)

    This is something of brute force.

    Even if Mary-san had tried all kinds of tricks, it was going to be impossible, but Shiho¡¯s influence is still amazing.

    And once again I feel ¡­¡­ glad that a girl like that has the courage to do this for me.

    Such a charming girl is trying to support me with her devotion.

    How could any man not be happy about that?

    (Well, I¡¯m not confident ¡­.)

    To be honest, I¡¯m not sure I could play the lead role.

    It¡¯s a fictional story, so it¡¯s still better, but that didn¡¯t mean I thought I could perform admirably.

    But I¡¯ll do my best.

    Shiho did her best. ¡­¡­ Now it¡¯s my turn¡­

 CH 93

    But why did she try so hard?

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop shaking. My heart is pounding and my head is dizzy¡­¡­, maybe I¡¯m a little too nervous? Look, look, Kotaro-kun. Puru-puru-puru~!¡±

    On the way home. It was nice to get out of the school, but Shiho, who was still slow on her feet, asked for a break, so we stopped at a nearby park. I asked her to sit on a bench and catch her breath.

    ¡°You did something unusual and unfamiliar¡­¡­. How could you raise your hand in a situation like that when you¡¯re so shy?¡±

    In the silence of the classroom, the voice she put out to gather her courage was trembling, but it had the power to make everyone¡¯s hearts tremble as well.

    Thanks to that, I became the central character.

    ¡°I¡¯m not shy. I was a rabbit in a previous life, so I have a strong sense of territoriality. See, my ears are floppy, aren¡¯t they? It¡¯s a remnant of being a rabbit, you know.¡±

    She said and wiggled her ears.

    She is cute, but why does she stubbornly refuse to admit her shyness?

    I think Shiho¡¯s cute point is that she is stubborn in a strange way.

    ¡°Rabbit ¡­¡­ I wonder what it would taste like if I ate one of those ¡­¡­?¡±

    I felt somewhat distracted. I felt silly for worrying about so many things, so I sat down next to Shiho. Then she started patting me on the shoulder.

    ¡°No, no. Rabbit is not food. ¡­¡­ I wonder if Kotaro-kun doesn¡¯t have a human heart?¡¡Oh, but rabbits are counted as ¡®animals,¡¯ and maybe they taste like birds¡­¡­.!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re drooling¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡±

    The change of heart is too quick.

    And while it¡¯s cute to see her fidgeting in embarrassment, please don¡¯t try to wipe your mouth with my uniform.

    ¡°Here¡¯s a handkerchief.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Come to think of it, I¡¯ve lent her a handkerchief before. Thinking back to that time, the relationship between me and Shiho has come a long way.

    ¡°I really appreciate your hard work, ¡­¡­. But you didn¡¯t have to try so hard, okay?¡±

    Looking closer, I see that her body is still trembling.

    She must have pushed herself very hard. Shiho is that sensitive to people¡¯s consciousness.

    So why did Shiho try so hard?

    She told me the reason.

    ¡°Because I wanted to see Kotaro-kun¡¯s big day¡­¡­, and I was kind of nervous when I thought that you, the wonderful Kotaro-kun, would show me something cool. So I did my best to help you in any way I could.¡±

    After all, this girl wasn¡¯t thinking too deeply about things.

    She just showed her tender affection for me with her actions.

    I guess Mary and Ryuzaki are not important to Shiho.

    She is thinking about me anyway.

    She has special feelings only for me.

    That really ¡­¡­ made me happy.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I genuinely think so.

    Thank you for loving me like this.

    That thought moved my body.

    I gently held her trembling hand. I held it tightly so as not to break it, yet not to let it go.

    ¡°Eh? Um, hmm??? Kotaro-kun? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Shiho was also puzzled by the sudden grip on her hand.

    It¡¯s not surprising. The reason is that I¡¯ve never touched her before.

    Whenever we had skinship, Shiho always took the lead.

    I was always passive and couldn¡¯t do anything, but today ¡­¡­ I was finally able to touch her myself.

    Because I was always in self-denial, I was convinced that Shiho was ¡®not the right person for me to touch,¡¯ so I was reluctant to do so.

    But finally¡­¡­ I, too, have grown up, it seems.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair of ¡­¡­ you to do that all of a sudden. I¡¯m so nervous, my hands are going to shake even more.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Then, um¡­¡­.¡±

    But she was still embarrassed and shy.

    As expected, I thought it was too sudden and tried to let go, but Shiho didn¡¯t want to do that¡­¡­.

    ¡°No. You made me tremble so much, so¡­. will you take responsibility and hold my hand until I stop trembling?¡±

    She smiles charmingly and at the same time squeezes my hand even tighter.

    That smile always saves my life.

    Really, this girl is so cute¡­

 CH 94

    After holding hands with Shiho at the park.

    Shiho unusually decided not to come to my house today because she was tired and wanted to sleep at home. Since the timing was so opportune, I decided to sign up for a smart phone contract and came to a nearby shopping mall where there was a specialized store.

    However, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to sign the contract since my parents were not there, but I thought I would talk to the clerk beforehand.

    My and Azusa¡¯s parents are very busy people. I think they would be present if I asked them to, but I can¡¯t hold them up for a long time. Therefore, I wanted to prepare in advance so that the contract could be signed in as little time as possible.

    ¡°¡­ I see. I don¡¯t know.¡±

    But I don¡¯t know. No, I could understand the details of the contract, but I really didn¡¯t know which model would be good for me.

    In the end, I spent a meaningless time just listening to the explanation from the clerk.

    Maybe I should not have come here alone.

    Should I ask Shiho and Azusa to come over this time?¡¡Those two are often poking around on their phones and probably know a lot about them.

    That¡¯s why I was going to leave right away, but ¡­¡­ I suddenly remembered that I was going to play the main character ¡­¡­, and I stopped in my tracks.

    (Should I at least know the story?)

    I saw the movie when I was a little kid, so I kind of know what it¡¯s about. But come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen that story in written form.

    Since I was supposed to play the main role, I should at least know the details of the story.

    I thought better of it and headed for the bookstore as soon as possible.

    At times like this, shopping malls with a variety of stores are convenient. You can get various things done at the same time. ¡­¡­ Oh, I also remembered that Azusa had said, ¡®Get me something sweet to eat¡¯. Maybe buy some doughnuts or something.

    I searched for the book with a lot of thoughts in my head.

    Beauty and the Beast is a famous story, but all I could find were picture books adapted for children.

    I had no choice, but it was okay. It would be better to have a picture book than not to have a book at all. ¡­¡­ And Shiho might be able to understand the story better if she had a picture book.

    And I was in the middle of it, picking up a picture book and heading for the cash register.

    ¡°¡±¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah.¡±¡±

    I bumped into a familiar face.

    The encounter may have been convenient in a way.

    She has been a little bit absent from the story because of my lack of involvement with her, but she has an important position in the story.

    So, by digging deeper into her character here, I can make it easier to use her in future developments.

    ¡°That¡¯s very unusual of you, isn¡¯t it, Ko-kun?¡±

    I was a little surprised when she spoke to me in a friendly manner.

    She had been my friend in the past, and her attitude was friendly, as if we were still friends.

    But I couldn¡¯t talk to her like I used to.

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡­, it¡¯s been a long time, Kirari.¡±

    ¨CHow many months it has been since we have spoken to each other?

    Perhaps it¡¯s no wonder that I felt awkward talking to her for the first time since the entrance ceremony.

    Kirari was laughing at me.

    ¡°Huh? We see each other every day at school. What are you talking about? Nyahaha!¡±

    Kirari is a gal-like girl with dyed blond hair and blue colored contacts. Her school uniform is also loosely worn, and I noticed that it shows a little of her cleavage.

    When I see her like that, I can¡¯t help but remember the past.

    Until junior high school, she had black hair. And she tied it in a bun on top of her head and wore glasses. She was a neat and tidy girl who wore her school uniform properly, but now ¡­¡­ there is no more trace of her.

    I saw the girl in front of me, the girl I once thought was my best friend.

    But for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t believe that the girl of the past and the girl of the present were the same person¡­

 CH 95

    ¨CIn junior high school, she had no one she could call a friend.

    She always kept to herself, rejecting the existence of others.

    She liked to be alone in the world.

    Even at school, she only read light novels and other books, and never tried to talk to anyone.

    But one day, in a Japanese class at ¡­¡­, I happened to become Kirari¡¯s partner in an assignment to ¡°read a book¡± recommended by your assigned partner.

    That¡¯s how we became friends.

    ¡°This is interesting, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a story about a simple boy like you who gets a lot of girls.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to read this one, too? Another story about an unassuming boy who goes to another world and becomes very powerful.¡±

    ¡°Read that one, too. It¡¯s a romantic comedy about a plain boy and a plain girl who flirt freely with each other.¡±

    I don¡¯t think she really wanted a friend.

    Maybe she just wanted to talk about her favorite works.

    From that time on, I had no initiative and just did what I was told to do, but that seemed to be convenient for her. I was forced to read, learn, and understand various works. I would listen to Kirari¡¯s thoughts and impressions, and sometimes I would even discuss them with her.

    Thanks to her, I became more knowledgeable about the structure of stories. Perhaps because of this, I have come to perceive the real world in this way.

    Kirari had a great influence on my thinking, which led me to this kind of ¡®grounded¡¯ thinking.

    She was such a ¡°special¡± person for me in junior high school.

    She once said to me.

    I will never forget it. It was the winter of my junior high school graduation ceremony.

    ¡°Thanks for being a good friend to me, Ko-kun. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve come to think that talking to other people isn¡¯t so bad. You are my closest friend, my best friend.¡±

    ¨CI was so happy.

    I was uncharacteristically excited that she thought of me not only as a friend, but as her best friend.

    Perhaps my feelings at the time were as close to ¡°love¡± as I could get.

    I liked the way she talked.

    Her voice was quiet and calm, but not distinctive, and I could listen to it forever.

    I also liked her hairstyle.

    She wore her black hair tied up in a bun, and I appreciated it because I could recognize her from a distance just by her silhouette.

    I also liked her glasses.

    They were a little too big for her, and they shifted easily, so she would often adjust them with a single nudge. I remember how adorable that gesture was.

    I also liked her personality.

    I liked the way she was not concerned about being part of a crowd, but was very confident on her own and did not flatter others.

    I also liked the way she enjoyed her hobbies.

    When she was reading, Kirari was more emotional than usual. When she read each sentence, she would express her happiness or sadness, and when she finished reading all of the sentences, she would cry or laugh hysterically.

    Of course, the people around her looked at her strangely, but Kirari was always herself, no matter what they thought.

    I also liked her innocent atmosphere, which was in contrast to her sparkling name, Kirari, because of the gap between the two.

    But she is no longer the girl I liked.

    At the entrance ceremony of high school, she met Ryoma Ryuzaki and ¡­¡­ she killed herself.

    ¡°Ko-kun, I¡¯m sorry, okay? I have someone I like. I¡¯ll do anything to make him like me ¡­¡­ because I want to be the person he likes, even if it kills the person I¡¯ve been.¡±

    Perhaps this was the first time Kirari had sought out another person.

    Thinking back, I was not the one she wanted.

    I just happened to start talking to her, but I didn¡¯t have any feelings of liking or disliking her, I guessed at that time.

    And so Kirari changed herself.

    She took Ryuzaki¡¯s comment that he liked girls with flashy hair color seriously and dyed her beautiful black hair blonde. She changed her tone of voice to match her hair color, twisted her personality, and simply changed herself into the kind of girl that Ryuzaki would like.

    Because of this, my former friend ¡°Kirari Asakura¡± died.

    (Kirari ¡­¡­ is that really that¡¯s the way it should have been?)

    Even if Ryuzaki liked the Kirari of today.

    Would that really mean that Kirari is loved?

    If you¡¯re going to change yourself so much, why ¡­¡­ not just be Kirari? If Kirari is no longer Kirari, who in the world will you be ¡­¡­?

    That¡¯s what ¡­¡­ I think.

    Seeing Kirari who has lost herself makes me feel very sad.

    For example, who will Kirari become after this romance ends without Ryuzaki loving her¡­¡­?

    Maybe she doesn¡¯t even know the answer to that question¡­

 CH 96

    At a bookstore, I ran into Kirari by chance.

    It had been a long time since she had called out to me, and I involuntarily recalled the past, but now we were no longer even friends.

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    Nothing to talk about even if the two of us stayed together.

    So I got in line at the cash register to buy the picture book.

    ¡°Eh¡­? Isn¡¯t it too soon to say goodbye? You¡¯re my friend, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re feeling lonely~.¡±

    She clasped my shoulders in a friendly manner.

    ¡­¡­ I was surprised. Apparently, I¡¯m still in the ¡®friend¡¯ category in Kirari¡¯s mind.

    ¡°¡­.. Lonely?¡±

    We hadn¡¯t exchanged a single conversation since the entrance ceremony, but she didn¡¯t seem to care too much.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Because we¡¯ve known each other since middle school~¡±

    But Kirari smiles without malice.

    She really seems to think of me as a friend.

    (Really, I doubt she thinks anything of me.)

    Maybe Kirari can¡¯t predict my emotions.

    As someone who has always lived on her own, I always thought she was the type of person who didn¡¯t have much empathy for others, but ¡­¡­ I guess it went as far as this ¡­¡­.

    I guess I am nothing more than a friend to Kirari.

    I was just a convenient person to talk to when we were in junior high school.

    ¡°Well, yeah. We¡¯ve known each other since middle school.¡±

    However, I had no feelings for Kirari to get angry at her now either.

    I didn¡¯t even feel bad enough to be stubborn and refuse, so I decided to make light conversation and brush it off.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right?¡­ I have fond memories¡­. We talked a lot in junior high school, didn¡¯t we? I was reading a lot of romance novels and stuff. When I think about it now, I was a little embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything to be ashamed of. Don¡¯t you read anymore?¡±

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. I¡¯m a gal now, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m a novelist, is there? I mean, I don¡¯t even read books at all~?¡±

    ¡°Then why are you in a bookstore?¡±

    At the same time as I asked that question, Kirari¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°I wonder why ¡­¡­.¡±

    Probably something happened. Well, I¡¯m not interested enough to ask, so let¡¯s pay the bill first.

    Just as it was my turn, I bought the picture book.

    And when I left the bookstore, Kirari followed behind me.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, it¡¯s ¡°Beauty and the Beast¡± ¡­¡­. Oh, I see, I remember Ko-kun starring in the play. So that¡¯s why you¡¯re studying? Hmm, that¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s normal. You aren¡¯t buying anything, Kirari? I¡¯m going home.¡±

    A little persistent.

    I want her to let me go, but she continues to follow me.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­ sorry, I lied. Actually, I was going to buy one. Today, Ryu-kun was so preoccupied with Mary that he didn¡¯t give me much time to do anything. ¡­¡­ I was so upset that I was remembering the old days too. I was thinking of reading a novel for the first time in a long time, but then I changed my mind because Ko-kun was there.¡±

    ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t ask her about it.

    But since she explained it to me, I understood most of what was going on.

    As per Mary¡¯s plot, Kirari seems to be steadily being forced out of her position. I¡¯m sure that she has become lonely because she is no longer in Ryuzaki¡¯s favor.

    So now she is trying to cling to the past.

    Like when she was in junior high school, she is trying to tell herself that she is fine on her own.

    But Kirari is no longer the Kirari of that time.

    She is no longer okay being alone.

    That¡¯s why she is trying to rely on me this time.

    She is trying to fill the loneliness that Ryuzaki can¡¯t fill with me.

    Seeing her like that made me sad.

    When we were in middle school, she was so cool to be so firm on her own.

    ¡°Well, ¡­¡­ novels, you loved them so much ¡­¡­, but you don¡¯t read them anymore. Kirari has ¡­¡­ changed a lot.¡±

    It¡¯s not just her hobbies and tastes that have changed, though.

    I didn¡¯t have any special feelings for her that I wanted to tell her about, so I dared to blur it out.

    Then Kirari laughed again.

    It was as if we were in middle school, using ¡­¡­ me to chat.

    ¡°Nyahaha. Well, I¡¯m aware that I¡¯ve changed, but if you ¡­¡­ say that, Ko-kun is pretty changed too, no?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ Me?¡±

    I tilt my head back at those words.

    I wonder if Kirari knows me well enough to talk about my changes.

    That made me wonder.

    What kind of person was I from Kirari¡¯s point of view?

 CH 97

    In junior high school, she described me in one word.

    ¡°Ko-kun, I don¡¯t know what you were thinking.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So like¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Like a robot? Like, if you talk to it, it will answer you, but if you don¡¯t do anything, it won¡¯t budge?¡±

    ¡­. Like a robot, huh?

    Come to think of it, I think Azusa said something similar to me before.

    As I recall, that was when Ryuzaki had not yet found out about the relationship between me and Shiho.

    When I asked Azusa to keep our relationship a secret, she said to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Onii-chan so emotional before¡­¡­ I was surprised. Onii-chan was a human being, too.¡±

    Until that moment, Azusa had also thought that I was inhuman.

    And Kirari seemed to feel the same way.

    ¡°I thought we were pretty good friends, you know?¡¡But when we became high school students, you ignored me like I was a stranger. ¡­¡­I wondered if I was someone who had a relationship with you that wasn¡¯t that big of a deal to you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so ¡­¡­¡±

    I see. It certainly makes sense now that it is said.

    Until I met Shiho, I was a person without initiative. I was just like a robot, unable to move spontaneously.

    I think I hardly ever spoke to her, let alone showed any emotion.

    Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I had no feelings.

    ¡°But recently you have become very lively and ¡­¡­ easy to understand. You looked like such a jerk when you saw me just now, remember?¡±

    What, she noticed?

    Kirari seemed to know that I didn¡¯t seem to want to talk much. But she still wanted to talk to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling it ever since the overnight learning program, but Ko-kun has changed so much. So, you are the same as me. ¡­¡­ You fell in love and changed as a human being. Right? You changed for Shiho Shimotsuki, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    There was no denying her words.

    As I silently walk through the mall, I consider her words.

    Maybe I am just like Kirari.

    I changed myself for Shiho, too.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Ko-kun, who was unsociable, uncommunicative, and emotionless, would ¡­¡­ become such a wonderful person.¡±

    -Why is she saying that now?

    What is she trying to say now by making such a statement that hints at something?

    ¡°I¡¯m so frustrated because I couldn¡¯t make a difference. Once again, I think Shiho Shimotsuki is amazing. ¡­¡­ Ryu-kun, Ko-kun, and everyone else loves that girl.¡±

    Saying this, she unexpectedly grabbed my arm.

    As if to catch me trying to escape, she gripped it tightly ¡­¡­ with such force that it hurt.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t good enough?¡±

    ¡­¡­ Or maybe those words weren¡¯t just said to me.

    She let out her emotions as if she were saying them to Ryuzaki as well.

    ¡°Am I and Shiho Shimotsuki really that different?¡±

    What was the right answer to that question?

    ¡°So I can¡¯t even be a substitute? Hey, Ko-kun¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t have to be the best. If I am loved, I can change myself as much as I want. If he doesn¡¯t love me, I¡¯ll try to be more like Shiho Shimotsuki. But why didn¡¯t ¡­¡­ Ryu-kun and Ko-kun turn their heads towards me?¡±

    The wailing unintentionally overflowed with emotion.

    I shake off Kirari¡¯s hand and glare at her.

    I hated Kirari for denying herself so much.

    It was like looking at the old me, ¡­¡­ awful and uncomfortable.

    ¡°That¡¯s just the way it is.¡±

    Why can¡¯t I understand?

    Why does Kirari always, always have a biased point of view on things?

    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me. ¡­¡­ Hey, Kirari, what the hell do you want? Is being loved all you want? Looking at you now, it makes me really sad. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve changed, and so have you. But the way Kirari has changed is not right. Growth is not the only kind of change. ¡­¡­ Degeneration is also a change.¡±

    I¡¯m sorry to Kirari.

    But I can say this clearly.

    ¡°You were cooler before. Now you¡¯re just a slacker who just wants attention and doesn¡¯t want to get it for herself. ¡­¡­ Where is the you, that I used to like?¡±

    Sad.

    I just can¡¯t stand to see my former best friend who has become nothing more than a flatterer.

    Me and Kirari are the same?

    No, no. My change is ¡®growth¡¯, but Kirari¡¯s change is ¡®degeneration¡¯.

    I don¡¯t want us to be the same.

    ¡°Just because Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t look at you, now you want to depend on me?¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not your guardian. I am not your blood relative, nor am I your family. Of course, I am not a saint who can love people unconditionally.

    For example, if Kirari were my family ¡­¡­, if she were my sister.

    I would have loved that part of her as well. No matter how bad she might have been, no matter what she might have done or said to me, I would have accepted it, and I would have made a firm decision to accept it.

    But Kirari is a stranger.

    My back is not wide enough to carry the weight of someone else¡¯s life.

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not the same guy I was in middle school anymore. ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t give, even if you ask me to.¡±

    Because I have someone to whom I want to give my all.

    I can¡¯t save Kirari by betraying her.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me ¡­¡­ more disappointed.¡±

    It was just the best I could do.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    What did Kirari think of those words?

    I didn¡¯t really know what Kirari was thinking as she stared at me in silence.

    Just like I used to be.

 CH 98

    When I left the shopping mall and breathed in the air outside, I tasted ¡­¡­ something unpleasant. It tasted fishy, and it tasted like blood.

    Apparently, I had unconsciously bitten my lip.

    So that¡¯s how strong the anger toward Kirari was.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s as if there is mud in my heart.

    I felt a sick feeling all over my body, like when you step on a snake¡¯s nest, and suddenly stopped.

    I turned around somehow, but Kirari was no longer there.

    After all, she had said whatever she wanted to me, but in the end, she didn¡¯t argue with me.

    Kirari in junior high school would have said things more clearly.

    I feel even worse when it¡¯s ¡­¡­ that one-sided.

    It¡¯s not that I wanted to hurt her.

    We are former best friends, but now we are strangers. It would have been fine if we could live separate lives from each other.

    But Kirari tried to interfere in a strange way, so I said what I wanted to say.

    I regret that very much.

    I wonder if there wasn¡¯t another option.

    I could have muddled the waters, let the situation pass, or even made it go away peacefully¡­ Regret is running around in my head.

    Just then, I saw her face this time, and I was already in a bad mood.

    ¡°Hee-hee. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re in a good mood.¡±

    ¡°Albeit a bit distorted.¡±

    There was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

    She was not an impostor like Kirari.

    She was a real, Western-style beauty.

    ¡°Why are you here? Are you stalking me?¡±

    Mary was leaning against a lamppost, looking at me like she was waiting for me.

    ¡°Yes. Because Kirari was acting independently today, wasn¡¯t she? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen how lonely she looked because I monopolized Ryoma¡¯s feelings, right? At times like that, it¡¯s easy to show weakness. ¡­¡­ For example, she might try to get back together with her ex-best friend ¡­.I thought so.¡±

    I see¡­¡­.

    It seems that both Kirari and I were dancing in Mary¡¯s palms.

    ¡°The lighter the frame, the better it spins. It spins and spins so much that it is pleasant ¡­¡­, isn¡¯t it? But because it is light, it doesn¡¯t last long. It soon runs out of power and falls over. And then I will crush it.¡±

    Mary squeezed my hand.

    It was as if she was squeezing me like Kirari.

    ¡°See? It¡¯s just like my scenario. The subheroine, the hero, and the antagonist have all been mangled into a nice mess.¡±

    Mary looked like a true creator as she said this with a proud expression on her face. It is the nature of creators to become talkative when it comes to their work.

    ¡°Kirari is already doing what I want, isn¡¯t she?¡¡Ryoma turned his back on her, leaving Kotaro as the only person to hang on to. You¡¯re not the kind of person who can hold your own, so you¡¯ll probably end up accepting her, won¡¯t you? I wonder what Kotaro will do when that happens?¡±

    It¡¯s ¡­¡­ frustrating, but Mary is seeing right through me.

    I wonder if I, with my weak initiative due to my lack of self-confidence, ¡­¡­ can really continue to reject Kirari.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get what you want¡± look? After all, the story is going the way I want it to go.¡±

    Mary was sneering at me with a triumphant look on her face.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything in response to her words.

    (Damn it!)

    I poisoned my heart.

    After all, were Ryuzaki and Kirari not as great characters as I thought they were?

    Will the story go on like this, being made good by the likes of Mary-san?

 CH 99

    Time moves forward. Slowly, but with a steady rhythm.

    Late September. The remnants of the summer vacation had worn off and the script for the play ¡­¡­ was finally completed.

    In LHR, the preparation time for the festival, Niou-san, who was in charge of the script, gathered the actors and handed out the scripts.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a little late. The assumption was that we wanted to do the reading and so on in the last week, but reading ¡­¡­ and writing are quite different. Quite a bit, it took up a lot of my time.¡±

    The apologetic voice was tinged with exhaustion.

    ¡°There are only three weeks left until the festival. It¡¯s going to be a busy schedule, but I¡¯m sure all the actors will do their best. I apologize for the inconvenience, especially to the three main characters.¡±

    Niou-san lowers her head as she fixes the position of her glasses.

    Of course, I don¡¯t blame her. After all, she has made it into this product, so of course I have no complaints.

    ¡°No, no~! I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience!¡±

    ¡°Mary, you can¡¯t say that, okay? It¡¯s outrageous and disturbing.¡±

    Mary-san is still being a doofus at school as usual.

    Ryuzaki gave her a sharp look, and then this time she spoke kindly to Niou-san.

    ¡°Thank you so much for your help this time. I can count on you, Futako. You are indeed the class president¡­. Once again, I have a lot of respect for you. Don¡¯t worry about being late.¡±

    Ryuzaki is still calling out to girls.

    It must be the habit of the harem protagonist to hit on girls without regard.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be forgiven for not being on time. I don¡¯t like that kind of compromise, so please be careful what you say. Also, I don¡¯t think you should call me by my first name. It¡¯s too casual for someone of the opposite gender.¡±

    However, Niou-san is unusually the type of character who is not influenced by Ryuzaki. Perhaps the only one, she is in a neutral position.

    Perhaps that is why the harem protagonist-sama¡¯s charm was not working. Ryuzaki chuckles and shrugs.

    ¡°Good grief, Futako is always cold to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Enough¡­ Um, so could you please check the story? And if there are any misspellings or omissions, please point them out to me. Also, if there is anything wrong with the dialogue or the story, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡±

    With that being said, I turned the page.

    The synopsis of the story was almost the same as that of the movie I was familiar with.

    A man is turned into a beast by an evil witch. He must find his ¡°true love¡± or the spell cast on him will not be broken. Since then, the Beast has been searching for true love.

    Ten years have passed since then.

    Meanwhile, a beautiful woman with a good reputation in town is being courted by a handsome, popular, but vulgar and egotistical hunter. She is a quiet girl who likes to read and fantasize. She is not fond of people like the hunter and is fed up with his advances.

    One day, the beautiful girl wandered into the forest and was captured by the beast. The beast forcefully presses her to ¡®love him¡¯ but she firmly rejects him.

    Since then, the beautiful woman has been confined to an old castle deep in the forest. At first, Beauty cries all the time, but it is a mysterious place with talking furniture. They comforted her, and she gradually got better.

    However, the beast¡¯s courtship continued. Regardless of Beauty¡¯s refusal, the Beast was pressing her daily to love him.

    Seeing Beauty not giving in to his threats, the Beast became attracted to her strong heart. Beauty also comes to know and love the Beast¡¯s gentle nature. The two are drawn to each other¡­ One day, the hunter, who was looking for Beauty, rides into the castle.

    The hunter and the Beast fight, and the Beast is victorious. The Beast, though mortally wounded, drove the hunter off a cliff. But the life of the Beast was about to disappear.

    At that moment, Beauty conveyed her love to the Beast. She cried out not to disappear and kissed him ¡­ and lo and behold, the Beast returned to his human form. He was cured of his injuries and became a healthy young man, and he and Beauty were finally united.

    He has finally found his true love and the spell is broken.

    From then on, the two lead a peaceful life together. Surrounded by talking furniture, they love each other forever¡­

    ¨CAnd then I read that.

    I tilted my head a little.

    ¡°What? I thought the Beast was a prince¡­¡±

    I understand that some details are different from the original story due to time constraints.

    But there was a big discrepancy.

    The Beast was originally supposed to be a handsome prince. After the Beast¡¯s spell was broken, I think they became a beautiful and well-matched couple.

    ¡°¡­¡­I like the Cinderella story.¡±

    However, it seems that Niou-san intentionally intended to add that kind of setting to the story.

    ¡°The young man who is bewitched as the Beast is a poor boy who just wandered into an old castle where a wicked witch used to live ¨C that¡¯s how it¡¯s set up. He becomes a beast by accident, but thanks to the magic, he meets a beautiful woman and becomes happy¡­ Isn¡¯t that so wonderful? At the very least, I think it¡¯s much more romantic than a story about a well-endowed prince who just takes a beautiful woman as his wife.¡±

    Come to think of it, I think Niou-san once said that ¡®Cinderella is the most beautiful story in the world¡¯. So she was influenced by it to the fullest.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry, but I thought ¡­¡­ Nakayama-san being a handsome prince was a bit much to ask.¡±

    ¡­She has a point.

    I see, so she took my image into consideration too.

    ¡°Nihihihi. I think it¡¯s good, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s as if he really is Kotaro!¡±

    Mary was pleased when she read the synopsis.

    So the main character is like me ¡­¡­? Well, when you put it that way, you might be right.

    I, too, am a person who was originally discovered by Shiho, who has a different status.

    The opposite gender, but ¡­¡­ maybe the same as Cinderella, who discovered¡­.. Prince Charming.

 CH 100

    I was quite worried about my acting, but when I tried it, I was surprised that I could do it.

    ¡°Nakayama-san, you are very good at it¡­ It¡¯s kind of unexpected. Oh, excuse me. I had a strong image of you as a quiet person, so I was surprised that you could say your lines so smoothly in front of people.¡±

    Even Niou-san, who is supervising me, praised me for it. As a neutral actor, she only speaks the truth. That is why I was honestly happy to receive the compliment.

    Perhaps it was because I had been a nobody until now. Maybe because I had no character, I could get into the role more easily than other people. Besides, since I was a mob character, I am good at playing the roles I am given.

    And so the acting practice began.

    Naturally, I interacted with Mary more and more. Thanks to that, Ryuzaki¡¯s attitude was much worse during the practice.

    I guess he was not happy that the girl he was interested in was talking to me.

    It is the nature of harem heroes that they are usually insensitive to girls, but once they are about to lose them to another man, they become possessive.

    That is exactly what Ryuzaki is doing right now.

    And Mary-san is talking to me with an understanding of Ryuzaki¡¯s jealousy. This must be making him very impatient.

    He is already in Mary¡¯s trap. He¡¯s also neglecting the other subheroines and tends to leave Yuzuki and Kirari out of it.

    I¡¯m sure Yuzuki, who is devoted and rarely expresses her feelings, doesn¡¯t seem to mind being left alone¡­.

    Kirari, however, seems blatantly dissatisfied. She hasn¡¯t talked to me since we met at the bookstore before, and ¡­ she seems to be alone more often these days.

    What on earth is she thinking?

    I don¡¯t know the answer to that question¡­ but so far, Kirari has also been doing what Mary wants her to do. That makes me a little uneasy, but since I have no control over that, so I guess I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.

    Meanwhile, outside of the story, Azusa was having a very peaceful time.

    She has been assigned the role of the chatty teapot in the play and is very motivated. She is so excited that the wardrobe staff gave her a costume to wear as a teapot.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so cute. Was this handmade? That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Lately, she¡¯s become much brighter and has been getting along well with the other girls in our class. When she was in Ryuzaki harem, she only talked to harem members, but I think it¡¯s a good sign. I guess she has broadened her horizons and can see many things now. Her relationships were also expanding.

    As an older brother, I would be happy if she continues to be a normal girl¡­, but who knows what the future holds.

    ¡­And with only two weeks left until the cultural festival, I¡¯m spending my days in a bit of a hurry.

    ¡°Muuu¡­¡­!¡±

    Recently, I have been spending all my time after school practicing for the play.

    This made it hard for me to have fun with Shiho.

    But she stayed in the classroom while I was practicing.

    And from the corner of the classroom, she was staring at me with a dissatisfied look on her face.

    £¨What? Did I do something???)

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t know why.

    During practice, she was always sulking, but when it came time to leave, I called out to her, and she instantly got excited. So I still couldn¡¯t ask her what she was unhappy about.

    Well, I was thinking that if the problem was not a big deal, I could go through with it ¡­¡­, but today, her frustration finally seemed to ¡®explode¡¯.

    It was after school. Practice went long today, and it was past 6pm.

    Shiho has a curfew of 19:00, so unfortunately we didn¡¯t have much time to chat, and we soon parted ways.

    ¡°Shiho, see you tomorrow, okay? Don¡¯t just watch anime, do your homework, okay?¡±

    I walked her home and waved to her.

    I turned away, intending to go straight home.

    ¡°Gnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!¡±

    Shiho grabbed my belt forcefully and pulled me back.

    ¡°Gghh!¡±

    Thanks to this, my stomach is compressed and I let out a strange sound.

    Why? Why are you so, so angry?

    I¡¯m confused, not understanding the significance, and Shiho finally tells me the reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! You keep talking to Mary ¡­¡­ and telling her you love her and that she¡¯s important to you!¡±

    ¨CShe was jealous.

    She was jealous of Mary, who played the main heroine.

    No, no, no, no, no, no. Isn¡¯t that strange?

    ¡°Oh, even though she supported me? Even though it was Shiho who made me the main character???¡±

    Because you¡¯re the one who made me the star of the show with your pushy attitude.

    No, I have always been aware that her love was a bit heavy. But I thought she understood that and supported me. I was thinking that if it was an act, I could talk to other girls.

    And Shiho is quite a jerk.

    Apparently, she hadn¡¯t thought anything through.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Kotaro would make out with another girl like that! Ugh, this is cheating¡­. You haven¡¯t been talking to me much lately, could this be a ¡®plateau¡¯? No, I¡¯m still passionate about it, you know? I still smile just being next to Kotaro-kun, you know? Since I¡¯m thinking about Kotaro-kun so cutely, why don¡¯t you give me more and more attention? I have a curfew, but why don¡¯t you come over to my house? Come on, let¡¯s go, shall we? I¡¯m going to lecture you a lot today, okay? Kotaro-kun, you don¡¯t know enough about being my friend.¡±

    I feel like it¡¯s been a long time since she¡¯s done something like this.

    I half smile and slyly drag myself along with Shiho.

    ¡­¡­ Well, okay.

    I didn¡¯t think we talked enough, I¡¯m with you.

    Being lectured by Shiho would be a reward in a way.

    Because no matter what this girl does, she¡¯s cute¡­

 CH 101

    I¡¯m home, Mom.

    I¡¯m going to give Kotaro-kun a little lecture now, so don¡¯t come into my room, okay?

    Hee!? Hamburgers for dinner tonight!?

    Yay, I did it~? I really have to give Kotaro-kun a lecture before dinner. Will he get into a good mood when his stomach is full? I¡¯m not a child forever, you know.

    Come on, Kotaro-kun, let¡¯s go, okay? Don¡¯t get all flirty just because Mom is beautiful, okay? You¡¯re so out of control¡­, don¡¯t look so full of yourself, too. I¡¯ll give you Dad, but don¡¯t rob me Kotaro-kun!

    You know, mom is trying to play a trick on Kotaro-kun,¡­. and you¡¯re you, too? Why are you smiling? Do you think it¡¯s cute that my cheeks are puffed up like a blowfish? I¡¯m not happy with your compliments like that!

    But you can compliment me a little more, can¡¯t you?

    Then I can lecture you a little less.

    ¡­. Well, that¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration.

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that pretty and beautiful like an angel, shining so brightly that just looking at me makes people happy. I think I¡¯m, at best, just as pretty and beautiful as an angel that makes you happy just by looking at me.

    Eh? I didn¡¯t say that, and I¡¯m not a ¡°kenson¡± at all?

    I wonder what a kenson is ¡­¡­ Oh, maybe you¡¯re trying to confuse me with a difficult word. I won¡¯t let you! I¡¯m still in a bad mood like a monkey who¡¯s been deprived of his banana!

    Come on, sit up straight!

    Oh, but on the floor it hurts your knees, so on the bed is fine. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t hurt your knees either, since Mom and Dad insisted on buying me this very expensive bed. They love me so much, they will spoil me if I beg them a little.

    But Kotaro-kun is mean, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m the type of person who thrives on being spoiled, you know? If I am neglected, scolded, or treated coldly, I will die of loneliness like a rabbit, right? Would you be okay if I died? Ah I shouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m going to die, even if it¡¯s in a joking manner. It¡¯s my body that everyone takes care of, so I should take care of it too¡­ It¡¯s not the same thing!

    Don¡¯t try to change the subject again!

    ¡­¡­Eh ? Kotaro didn¡¯t say anything? Am I going off on my own? Yes, I¡¯m a very bad girl right now. So, Kotaro-kun, you have to be a good boy until I become a good girl.

    I¡¯m a very easy girl, if I may say so myself. I¡¯m just a simple girl who is satisfied if you don¡¯t talk to any other girl but me, look only at me, and love only me. ¡­¡­ Eh?¡¡Not too easy? A little annoying? But that part is cute too!

    ¡­¡­ Hmm, hmm?

    Kotaro-kun, you¡¯re getting pretty good at giving compliments.

    You do it quite well. What you just said surprised me a little¡­ I¡¯m aware of it myself, you know? I¡¯m a bit of a hefty girl like my mom, aren¡¯t I? You know, my mom sulks when my dad is with other women, and we¡¯re alike, aren¡¯t we?

    I don¡¯t want to be a troublesome girl, but since Kotaro-kun became my friend, I can¡¯t stop my feelings.

    I want you to be more affectionate with me.

    It¡¯s not enough. No, I¡¯m never satisfied. I can¡¯t tell you how many times I¡¯ve thought, ¡°I wish Kotaro-kun lived in the same house with me.¡±

    I can¡¯t stand to see you flirting with another girl, even if it¡¯s just an act. ¡­ Hey, Kotaro-kun? I don¡¯t know what I should do.

    I¡¯m not trying to cause you any trouble.

    I understand that you have special feelings for me, Kotaro-kun.

    I also understand that you are not interested in other girls. But I still can¡¯t get enough of you.

    So, please do me a favor.

    Kotaro-kun¡­¡­ would you please stroke my head?

 CH 102

    ¡ª No, it¡¯s a long one.

    It¡¯s as if I filled an entire chapter with lines.

    Shiho gave me a long lecture like that. But its contents were so cute that it was strange because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reflect on what I was hearing.

    My cheeks inevitably relax and I cannot make a serious face. It is true that Shiho¡¯s love may be a little heavy, but that love is always directly connected to the desire to ¡®love her¡¯.

    For example, she doesn¡¯t strike out at others like a yandere in a novel. They don¡¯t blame the protagonist. They don¡¯t hurt others or themselves.

    It is probably because she grew up being loved a lot that she knows the importance of her own existence. Perhaps she also understands the sinfulness of hurting others more than most people do.

    Although it is undeniable that she is a little possessive¡­.

    It¡¯s strange that I want to listen to this girl¡¯s selfishness.

    ¨CI want to satisfy her.

    I want to give my all to Shiho.

    If she wants, I can enter a world where only she exists.

    Shiho had that much charm that made people love her.

    After all, she talked for a long time this time, but in short, she just ¡®wants to be treated better¡¯.

    The proof of this is that Shiho is demanding skinship.

    She wants me to turn to her, she wants to monopolize my feelings, she wants me to look only at her, and she is demanding something special.

    And it¡¯s also very cute.

    ¡°Would you please stroke my head?¡±

    She was saying such a thing.

    Clearly, she is being spoiled.

    She is asking me to touch her.

    This is the kind of thing that ¡­¡­ tickles a man¡¯s fancy to the point of abnormality.

    I feel that Shiho¡¯s charms, which once drove Ryuzaki crazy, are growing stronger and stronger. She is so cautious and shy that she can¡¯t even speak to strangers, but she is so open to me.

    How can I not be happy?

    It¡¯s just Shiho. She is the only person who is so happy to see me just for being alive, just for breathing, and just for being by my side.

    I have yet to do enough to repay her kindness.

    At the very least, I wanted to do what I could for her.

    So, I did as she asked and touched her head.

    On the bed, I placed my hand on Shiho¡¯s head as she leaned forward to offer it to me. Her hair felt so nice against my skin that I wanted to touch it forever. Her head was a little warm, almost like a hot water bottle. It was getting a little colder and I wanted to soak in its warmth forever.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Hmmm.¡±

    Shiho, on the other hand, was still not satisfied.

    As if the touch wasn¡¯t enough, she pushed her head down on it. As requested, this time I moved it from side to side.

    Her hair was a mess, but Shiho didn¡¯t mind at all. She was stroked and squinted her eyes as if she was very comfortable.

    Like a kitten being spoiled by its owner.

    She was smiling with a very pleasant and happy expression.

    ¡°Ehehe ~¡±

    ¨CI wonder how many people can see this smile?

    I think her parents and then ¡­¡­ probably only me.

    That also made me very happy.

    She loves me so much.

    I still haven¡¯t been able to respond to her feelings.

    I am sorry for that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shiho. I haven¡¯t been able to take care of you lately¡­¡±

    Subconsciously, I was saying words of forgiveness.

    I would never have said such a line before.

    Who was I to say that I couldn¡¯t take care of her?

    I would have thought that someone of my stature shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant.

    But I don¡¯t think that way anymore.

    Shiho loves me so much.

    So I need to have more confidence in myself.

    I have to love myself enough to be able to love Shiho without feeling sorry for her.

    I want to be able to respond to her feelings.

    That¡¯s why I have to do my best¡­

 CH 103

    I pat Shiho¡¯s head and whisper the words to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you feel lonely, okay?¡±

    Then she smiles with a small, beaming smile.

    ¡°Ehe¡­ I was lonely, but since you patted me, I¡¯ll forgive you. I feel so happy. My heart is hot and my body is warm.¡±

    Although it was already the end of September, Shiho was still slightly sweating. The cheeks are bright red and her breath is somewhat hot.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to open the window, okay? Otherwise, I¡¯m going to melt away like this.¡±

    Saying this, she slightly shifted the curtains and opened the window.

    A cool breeze comes into the room. However, Shiho¡¯s face remained red.

    That¡¯s how excited she must be.

    Will there ever be another girl in the future who will be so happy just to be touched by me?

    No, I don¡¯t think so.

    I can assure you of that. That¡¯s how much Shiho cares about me.

    ¡°But it pains me to think that¡¯s why you¡¯re leaving again today¡­. Hey, Kotaro-kun? Would you like to be my pet? It comes with three delicious meals. And I¡¯ll take good care of you and walk you every day.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a little ¡­¡±

    You¡¯re kidding, right?

    Well, let¡¯s just call it a joke. Shiho is a very affectionate person, so she might be thinking about such things.

    ¡°But yeah, I¡¯m sad that I only get to see you until curfew every time. I want to talk with Shiho more, too.¡±

    ¡°Really!? Then, then¡­, Kotaro-kun, will you buy a smart phone too? I¡¯ve been looking forward to it for a long time, you know. I want to have a lot of communication with Kotaro-kun. I want to keep in touch with Kotaro-kun.¡±

    When I think back, Shiho seems to be enjoying herself in the ¡°exchange diary¡± that is going on in class. I am sure she has many things she wants to convey via smartphone as well.

    ¡°But I ¡­ see? It¡¯s a bit of a hassle, isn¡¯t it? So I couldn¡¯t say much about it because I thought that if Kotaro-kun bought a smartphone, I might constrain him.¡±

    Shiho certainly didn¡¯t say much about such things. She did say something along the lines of, ¡®Why don¡¯t you get a smartphone?¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect her to be so eager.

    She seemed to be concerned about me in her own way.

    ¡°I understand that you may be busy at the moment, but will you buy ¡­¡­  one after the festival is over? Will you call and text me a lot?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. I was thinking of buying one soon too. After the festival is over, we can go shopping together.¡±

    I nodded, and instantly Shiho stood up.

    ¡°Yay! Ufufu, thanks. Now I can finally get some attention from Kotaro-kun in the evening?¡±

    She jumped up and down as if excited, and now she jumped on me.

    ¡°Oops.¡±

    I hurried to catch her and fell straight onto the bed.

    She clung to me tightly, rubbing her cheek against my chest.

    Her face was still bright red.

    She looked like a boiled octopus.

    ¡°¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡±

    We embraced each other silently for a little while.

    Shiho¡¯s body is small and looks like it will shatter as easily as glass, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s hot, soft, and smells good.

    She buried her face in my chest and said in a muffled voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m so nervous I think I¡¯m going to get a nosebleed¡­. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to sleep today.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re going to have to get some sleep, okay? If you are late or miss class any more, you might not be able to advance to the next grade with us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good. I want to be in the same class as Kotaro-kun. ¡­¡­ But it would be nice to be Kotaro-kun¡¯s junior. I think it would be great if I could call you Senpai ?.¡±

    That would certainly be cute, but¡­

    ¡°But I¡¯m going to miss our time together.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then I¡¯ll have to study hard. I¡¯ll call you at night and you can teach me a lot, okay?¡±

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s something I understand, I¡¯m happy to help.¡±

    ¡°Eh? I¡¯ll call you even if you don¡¯t understand. Let¡¯s talk a lot.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like fun, too. Well, I don¡¯t think I can study.¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, that¡¯s also a great way to learn, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what you call it.¡±

    ¡°The best part, yeah.¡±

    ¨CThe conversation is very simple and soothing.

    Shiho is fine, although she looks a little sad.

    She is no longer having a hard time like she did during the overnight learning program.

    Shiho is happy that she was able to break off her relationship with Ryuzaki without incident.

    Really, I¡¯m glad¡­¡­Shiho is not in Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy right now. She is outside the story, taking it easy.

    I¡¯m in the annoying position and involved in a lot of things, but I¡¯m more than happy that ¡­¡­ she¡¯s happy.

    Well, the story without her tends to be all valleys or ¡­¡­ heavier overall than I imagined.

    But that¡¯s fine. That¡¯s good. Shiho¡¯s happiness is my only wish.

 CH 104

    ¨CDamn it.

    I saw it. I saw it. I didn¡¯t want to see it, but I saw it.

    (Shiho¡­ should at least close the curtains properly.)

    It¡¯s usually closed properly. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t see her face, but only today ¡­ it was open just a little bit.

    Through the thinly opened gap, I could slightly see Shiho¡¯s room.

    There was this guy there who I hated. And he was patting ¡­ Shiho¡¯s head.

    (Why you ¡­¡­! You don¡¯t have anything, you¡¯re inferior to me ¡­¡­ why are you the one chosen by Shiho? Nakayama!)

    I can¡¯t see Nakayama¡¯s face. But I could see Shiho¡¯s happy face.

    She never made a face like that at me. I didn¡¯t know she could smile like that.

    (Why am I not there ¡­¡­? Why is Nakayama there? I don¡¯t know ¡­¡­ am I that much of a lesser human being???)

    No. I can¡¯t stop being annoyed. I can¡¯t stop being frustrated. But I can¡¯t take my eyes off Shiho¡¯s room.

    What are you two talking about? Hey, Nakayama¡­¡­, what are you saying to Shiho to trick her?

    I¡¯m curious. I don¡¯t want to care, but I can¡¯t help but care.

    That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but look at it. Because of that, I¡­ I witnessed the moment when Shiho pushed Nakayama down.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I was speechless.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything and almost collapsed unexpectedly.

    (My childhood friend is mine, and yet ¡­¡­)

    Even though we live so close to each other, so close that we can go back and forth to ¡­ our rooms whenever we want to!

    We were born in the same hospital, grew up in the same kindergarten, attended the same preschool, studied in the same elementary school, went to the same middle school, and entered the same high school!

    (Why wasn¡¯t it me? ¡­)

    I still haven¡¯t healed from the wounds of my first love.

    I¡¯ve been chasing Shiho for a long time.

    I want to be recognized by her.

    I want to repay Nakayama for taking Shiho away from me.

    Otherwise¡­, I was not going to be able to recover myself.

    Shall I just collapse? As a loser who was robbed of a childhood friend, will I never be able to fall in love again in the future? ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t think it would drag on this long even though I was only dumped by one girl¡­

    It¡¯s regrettable. Just so frustrating.

    But I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I ¡­¡­ was about to give up on everything right then and there ¡­¡­. that moment.

    ¡°Hey, Ryoma?! Dinnertime pizza and a coke! Even if I can¡¯t cook, I can do anything if I have enough money!¡±

    Mary came to my room.

    I remember she said something like, ¡®Wait in your room while I prepare dinner for you tonight.¡¯ I had forgotten all about that because I was looking at Shiho¡¯s room¡­

    ¡°Ryoma? What¡¯s wrong? You look so gloomy!¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then, it¡¯s nothing!¡±

    Mary laughed.

    She tapped me on the shoulder with a bright smile on her face, just as she always does.

    ¡°Ryoma? I¡¯m on your side no matter what, okay? I will be there for you when you have a hard time. I¡¯ll be there for you until you get better. So ¡­¡­ don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, okay?¡±

    ¡­Maybe Mary is aware of my change of heart.

    Yet, she is there for me without saying a word. Without doing anything unnecessary, she just stood by me.

    Thanks to her, I somehow managed not to fall apart.

    I no longer have a childhood friend, but instead I have Mary. A girl who is just as pretty as Shiho, can do everything better than Shiho, and comes from a better family, but she cares about me so much.

    I am happy to know that, perhaps even more than Nakayama.

    ¡°I¡¯m so grateful to Mary. Mary has really lifted my spirits.¡±

    I¡¯m not very sensitive about love.

    But I know how Mary feels about ¡­¡­ me.

    I understand that she likes me somehow.

    Then that¡¯s all right.

    If not Shiho, then if Mary is next to me, that¡¯s fine.

    If that¡¯s the case,¡­ it¡¯s time for me to make up my mind.

    (Okay¡­, I¡¯ll confess my feelings after the school festival.)

    I¡¯m going to make Mary my girlfriend.

    Then I will finally ¡­ be able to stop feeling inferior to Nakayama.

    I couldn¡¯t wait for that day to come.

 CH 105

    Mary is always complimenting me.

    ¡°Ryoma, it¡¯s great that you can eat so much pizza! I¡¯d be full after just one slice!¡±

    Mary is always looking out for me.

    ¡°Ryoma loves soda. He always, always drinks it!¡±

    Mary always puts me first.

    ¡°The truth is, my dad had a party or a dinner planned for this evening, but I skipped it because I wanted to be with Ryoma.¡±

    Mary loves me more than anyone else.

    ¡°I feel so happy when I¡¯m next to Ryoma! I wish we could spend more time like this all the time!¡±

    Mary was always affirming me.

    ¡°Yes, I agree. Really, I think so¡­¡±

    Over pizza for dinner, Mary and I exchanged a few laughs.

    I don¡¯t know how many times her cheerful smile has saved my life.

    After Shiho dumped me, I didn¡¯t know how to smile.

    Since my defeat at the hands of Nakayama, I had lost sight of the value of my existence.

    But Mary was the one who healed me.

    Unlike Shiho, she likes me.

    She smiles in front of me. She fulfills all of my needs.

    Mary is an amazing girl objectively speaking, but she likes me¡­ I really appreciated that feeling.

    Mary is as pretty as Shiho, has bigger b*****s than Shiho, can study better than Shiho, is more sociable than Shiho, is brighter than Shiho, has a better family background than Shiho, and is a more perfect girl than Shiho.

    How could I not be cheered up by the affirmation of such a girl?

    The sense of inferiority I had felt toward Nakayama gradually faded away.

    I don¡¯t know what means Kotaro Nakayama used, but even that guy who got ¡­ Shiho surely can¡¯t make Mary fall in love with him.

    I made Mary fall in love with me because I¡¯m me.

    I¡¯m the one who got Mary.

    In other words, I was not a worthless ¡°mob character¡±.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that neither Yuzuki nor Kirari have been around lately, huh? Are they busy~?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe they are?¡±

    I¡¯m a very special person. The proof of this is that Mary, such a perfect girl, loves me.

    But if I keep resting on my laurels, I might end up in the same situation as before¡­ I can¡¯t shake this feeling of insecurity.

    So I decided to be more serious this time.

    I asked Yuzuki and Kirari not to come to my house.

    I had been playing with many other girls, but I stopped doing that too.

    Even if I have to cut off the other girls, I want to be with Mary. If I don¡¯t get results here, I feel like ¡­ Nakayama will look down on me for the rest of my life.

    I will not let my guard down anymore.

    I will use this advantage of standing closer to Mary than anyone else to have a special relationship with her.

    Mary is in love with me and I¡¯m sure she will continue to love me. Maybe we¡¯ll even get married ¡­ and if that happens, I¡¯m already a winner.

    Mary¡¯s family is rich, and I will be able to enjoy the benefits of that.

    I¡¯ll be able to lead a more victorious life than Nakayama¡­, and that thought finally made me feel better.

    If things continue to go well, I¡¯m sure they will.

    After Shiho dumped me, I wondered what was going to happen for a while, but ¡­ somehow managed to get myself back up to this point.

    It is not smooth sailing, but it is generally going well.

    However, I do have some concerns¡­

    £¨Why did Mary recommend Nakayama for the lead role in the play?)

    That¡¯s what I can¡¯t help but wonder.

    Since then, Mary has been acting as if Nakayama didn¡¯t exist, so it¡¯s highly possible that I¡¯m overly concerned about it, but ¡­ I still can¡¯t forget about it.

    Because of this insecurity, I couldn¡¯t confess right away.

    I decided to wait until after the festival was over because I wanted to be reassured.

    In the play, Nakayama and Mary become lovers, but not in real life. I, the hunter, will take the Beauty. I decided to wait for that kind of ending.

    In a way, I may have felt like I was getting back at Nakayama. That¡¯s how much I dislike him.

    ¡°Mary¡­ will always be with me, won¡¯t you?¡±

    I don¡¯t want to lose her to someone like Nakayama, perhaps that feeling was so strong that I unintentionally said something out of context.

    But Mary smiled at me innocently.

    ¡°Yes! Of course!¡±

    Every time I saw that smile, my heart calmed down.

    How could such a beautiful smile be a lie?

    So watch me ¡­ this time, okay, Nakayama?

    I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m better than you¡­

 CH 106

    ¨CSo finally, the day before the festival arrived.

    The past week in particular was hectic and busy, but everyone worked together and somehow managed to get the festival ready in time.

    Thanks to everyone¡¯s help, we will be able to open the festival tomorrow without any problems.

    (I haven¡¯t had much time to talk with Shiho, though¡­)

    That is my only concern.

    However, Shiho has become very quiet thanks to my patting her on the head the other day. She used to pout and twitch her lips, but recently her expression has been calm. When our eyes meet, she gives me a small wave and seems to be more patient than before.

    Thanks to this, it looks like we will be able to celebrate the festival without any trouble, which is good.

    The only relief is that Shiho is at peace.

    On the other hand, the Ryuzaki camp seems to be in a rough spot.

    After all, the harem members seem to have broken up. Recently, Ryuzaki has been sticking to Mary-san all the time.

    Yuzuki and Kirari, who had managed to keep up with him in the past, are now completely out of the picture. The situation is probably worse than the last time when Ryuzaki confessed his feelings to Shiho.

    Kirari, in particular, was completely out of it.

    If I thought she was not in high spirits since she ran into me at the bookstore,¡­ she must have lost sight of herself after being cut off by Ryuzaki this time.

    This is the end of a girl with no identity.

    She is a shell, unable to become anything, existing only as a ghost.

    At this point, it is more than sad, it is painful.

    But I can¡¯t bring myself to reach out to her. I could be kind to Azusa because she is my sister, but she is a stranger. It may sound cold, but I can¡¯t bear her feelings.

    Besides, if I comfort her here¡­, it is more and more likely that she will do what Mary wants.

    In her scenario, it seems that ¡®Ryuzaki¡¯s harem members will fall in love with me¡¯. I was afraid that if I approached Kirari, who apparently has a tendency to be dependent, she would become attached to me as it were.

    If that happened, Shiho would surely be sad.

    If I befriended another girl, I would hurt her.

    I didn¡¯t want to do that, so I made sure to keep my distance from Kirari.

    Huh¡­ If this continues, it¡¯s just like Mary¡¯s plot.

    There was a hint of a collapse in the beginning, but thanks to Shiho¡¯s flair, her story picked up. Since then, it has remained as stable as an airplane that has taken off.

    If the weather gets rough, or she might lose her position. If there is trouble, she could crash-land. But so far, there was no sign of anything happening, and the story goes on.

    ¡°Nihihihi. I can¡¯t stop laughing¡­ Everything is exactly as I want it to be, right? Hey, Kotaro? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Mary is in a completely good mood.

    She was smiling with satisfaction in the limousine. She was leaning back in her seat with her legs crossed and hands folded, like she was slumped over.

    ¡°Yes, yes. I guess I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry¡­ Are you satisfied now? If so, I¡¯d like you to let me go home.¡±

    Today, again, I was taken in forcefully.

    Since it was the day before the school festival, the school would silently allow us to stay in overtime even after school dismissal time. So, I stayed until 8:00 p.m.

    Shiho had a curfew and had already gone home.

    I was going to go home alone right away, but Mary caught me on the way.

    ¡°Tomorrow, I will finally finish my big project, you know? I can¡¯t help but get excited. You know, the work that is about to be completed is the most exciting to finish, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s just like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not a creator, so I don¡¯t know how that feels.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, well, don¡¯t get so frustrated, will you? Now, you just have to go along with my conversation. Even you, Mr. Mob Character, can do that, can¡¯t you?¡±

    As usual, Mary is a bad character. Just conversing with her is kind of tiring.

    Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t wait to get home¡­

 CH 107

    She speaks eloquently.

    ¡°I am a really good actor. I won Ryoma¡¯s heart beautifully ¡­ and hihi, it was easier than I thought. Poor boy, ruled by his need for approval, can easily fall in love with just a little affirmation.¡±

    She seemed to be amused by the fact that the story was progressing as she had planned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why Ryoma is so unmotivated. He always moves according to his feelings¡­ He¡¯s like an animal. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be such a fool.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not that ¡­ he doesn¡¯t think about anything. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s insensitive. He¡¯s so insensitive to other people¡¯s feelings that he only follows his own.¡±

    ¡°Kotaro, I told you before that I don¡¯t care about the process, right? As a result, it¡¯s the same as not thinking about it¡­. If he was a normal boy, he wouldn¡¯t have betrayed Yuzuki and Kirari to flirt with other girls, would he? He really is an easy person to deal with, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Even from Mary¡¯s point of view, Ryuzaki seemed to be an anomaly.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t understand how anyone could like someone like that. I¡¯ve been with Ryoma ever since I transferred to the school, but I¡¯ve never understood his appeal. I don¡¯t understand what Yuzuki and Kirari are talking about.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ I don¡¯t get it either¡­¡±

    If you are looking for a reason, you won¡¯t find a satisfactory answer.

    The reason is simply because he is the main character. There are plenty of reasons that can be given after the fact, but they are all convoluted.

    In the end, I believe that Ryuzaki is only loved by various girls thanks to his opportunism.

    That¡¯s why Mary¡¯s statement was right on target.

    As one would expect from a self-proclaimed creator. She seems to be good at analyzing characters.

    ¡°Ryoma is really blessed. He has no charms that he himself has acquired through his own efforts, yet he is so conceited. That¡¯s the big difference between him and Kotaro.¡±

    ¡°Differences are ¡­ not just there. Me and Ryuzaki are totally different.¡±

    ¡°No? You are rather similar, just in different positions, you know? It¡¯s just that Kotaro is a sneaky bastard who goes beyond humble ¡­, and Ryoma is overconfident and conceited, so you seem to be opposites.¡±

    ¡­ That point of view was kind of new to me.

    I don¡¯t agree with it, but I understand it. I see, it is true that Ryuzaki and I may be similar in that we do not create anything on our own.

    The only difference is whether we are sneaky or arrogant ¨C that¡¯s all, Mary said.

    ¡°If something were different, Kotaro could have been Ryoma. If something had changed, Ryoma could have become Kotaro. Such a reversal of the two positions, and the blessed egotist going through hell¡­ oh, it¡¯s a very nice story!¡±

    I see. So that¡¯s why Mary chose me and Ryuzaki.

    ¡°The story is progressing just as the plot suggests. The foreshadowing has already been laid out. I¡¯ve already done the preliminaries. The parts are already in place. All that¡¯s left is to put them together.¡±

    It seems that Mary¡¯s desired ¡°Suck-up romantic comedy¡± is finally reaching its culmination.

    ¡°Ryoma, determined to love only me, has foolishly abandoned the other subheroines. The conceited man, who has no doubt that his feelings will be fulfilled, decides to confess his love to me at the cultural festival. But to his surprise, the main heroine falls for another boy ¨C Kotaro. The boy is just a mob character, but he is someone Ryoma hates. Devastated by his defeat, Ryoma hangs on to the subheroines, but they don¡¯t take to him at all and discard him. In fact, the subheroines are all girls who have close ties to Kotaro in the past. A sister-in-law, a childhood friend, and a former best friend all find themselves attracted to Kotaro again over time. The girls join the harem of the boy who was once a mob character, crying and apologizing for having once betrayed him. Kotaro thus acquires not only the main heroines but also the sub-heroines, and lives a happy life. Ryoma, on the other hand, is overwhelmed with regret, finally realizing how blessed he was and living miserably on his own, clinging to the past. Life doesn¡¯t go well, and he spends his lonely life regretting what he should have done then, what he should have done now¡­and after watching this story, I say this with a refreshed feeling in my heart.¡±

    ¡­ It¡¯s long.

    And unlike Shiho¡¯s story, it wasn¡¯t cute at all, which made me feel bad anyway when I heard it.

    But I listened to her maturely without interrupting her, because she was about to be satisfied.

    ¡­Suck it up! I said, right?¡±

    Okay, the decisive line is perfect.

    Phew, it¡¯s finally over¡­ I¡¯m really tired already.

 CH 108

    Mary-san was smiling with a satisfied smile after she had made the definitive statement.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll be counting on you tomorrow, okay? When I give you instructions, just do what I tell you to do¡­ If you don¡¯t do what I tell you to do, that girl you love might get involved, so be careful, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. As long as it doesn¡¯t involve Shiho, anything goes.¡±

    When I nodded, Mary smiled wickedly.

    Unlike ¡­ Shiho, it was not a cute smile.

    I don¡¯t know what Ryuzaki thinks is so good about this kind of smile.

    Well¡­ it can¡¯t be helped that he doesn¡¯t know the ¡®real thing¡¯.

    I don¡¯t believe that a person who has never really loved someone, who has always been swept along with the flow, and who is loved simply for existing, can love someone. So I am sure that Ryuzaki does not know the wonderful smile that a loved girl would have.

    It is something he could have had anytime if he wanted it.

    Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki, or whoever. If he really faced her and really fell in love with her, he could have found his ¡°happiness¡±.

    (So much for Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedies.)

    I¡¯ve given up.

    He is just a harem protagonist, nothing more, nothing less.

    He will probably end up being played around with a lot by Mary and left to her own devices.

    Let the reader think, ¡®Suck it up!¡¯ and the story ends without that guy ever creating anything.

    What a sad human being, isn¡¯t he?

    ¡­ Well, I don¡¯t feel sorry for him.

    This is the story he spelled out. I would like to say that it has nothing to do with me,¡­ but regrettably, I am in the position of an antagonist, so I guess I have to stay with him until the end.

    Then, at least, I will see it through to the end.

    As an antagonist, I will thoroughly hunt down the main character, Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    That is the only thing I can do for him.

    (But, hmmm, ¡­ Ryuzaki aside, after that¡­ does she think I¡¯d make a harem?)

    However, I must say that what happens after Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy is over is, to be honest, sweet in its perfection.

    Because Mary-san is ignoring the existence of that girl.

    She is deliberately trying not to think about that girl who is not tied to the story.

    Because she has more presence than Mary-san can handle.

    Or, if she hadn¡¯t been there, perhaps that could have been the way it would have played out.

    (Shiho is a cute little Yandere-chan.)

    Shiho Shimotsuki is a bit heavier in love than most people.

    So as long as she is around, she will never allow a harem.

    (I heard that characters who move on their own by themselves are the most annoying¡­ Mary probably knows that, but she dares to ignore it?)

    I once saw this in the afterword of a novel recommended to me by Kirari. The author wrote, ¡°I didn¡¯t really intend to end the story like this, but the characters moved on their own and ran amok.¡±

    Indeed, the story was a bit distorted.

    The sub-heroine, who was more popular than the main heroine, was married to the hero. This ruined the foreshadowing that had been laid out, but the author agreed that it was inevitable.

    Thanks to this, the reviews of the work were divided into two halves, one for and one against. But that is proof that it is a masterpiece.

    Whether in a positive or negative direction, if it moves an emotion, it is an ¡°impression¡±. If it can move readers¡¯ hearts that much, it may be a success as a work of art.

    However, I don¡¯t think Mary would want that.

    She doesn¡¯t care about the process, she just wants to say, ¡°Suck it up.¡± She would probably be bothered by Shiho¡¯s freedom of movement.

    But she can¡¯t do anything about it. She is just a leveraged subheroine ¡­, a so-called ¡®fake¡¯. The main heroine, the ¡®real¡¯ heroine, can never be moved as she wishes.

    So I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be able to say ¡®Suck it up¡¯ as much as Mary would like. Because I¡¯m not building a harem.

    That means my position won¡¯t change and Shiho and I will always ¡®remain good friends¡¯.

    (See, things don¡¯t go your way after all, do they?)

    Mary doesn¡¯t seem to have any doubt that things will go the way she wants them to.

    There is always something that goes beyond what you have calculated. Keep that in mind, I told her in my mind only.

    Well, I don¡¯t have the right to tell her.

    If I were to tell her now and she were to take precautions¡­, that would be a pain.

    I honestly don¡¯t feel bad about Ryuzaki going through hell, though.

    I also don¡¯t want everything to go Mary¡¯s way.

    I hope the two of them suffer just fine.

    Well, we¡¯ll see what happens¡­

 CH 109

    It is mid-October. Autumn is over, and it is now completely wintery.

    The cultural festival has begun.

    The school is completely filled with the atmosphere of the festival.

    The festival lasts for two days. On the first day, students alone enjoy themselves, and on the second day, parents and other members of the public visit the school.

    The play will be held only on the second day.

    It was good that it only required one day, but even so, there was a lot of preparation.

    The performers only have to perform, but the props and costume staff in particular had a hard time.

    Thanks to this, I heard that there was an evening party yesterday, but I was not able to attend it. We had to stay behind and work on the preparations.

    We were just amateurs, so it was natural that we were not very good at what we were doing. But we all worked together to get things done, and I think that¡¯s what the festival is all about.

    ¡°Shimotsuki-san, you have to do it better! Look, it¡¯s only like this, why can¡¯t you do it?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Azu-nyan, be nicer to me. I¡¯m the type that grows with praise. No, maybe I don¡¯t grow even with praise. I can only really get going when I¡¯m spoiled, but I can¡¯t do anything if I¡¯m scolded.¡±

    ¡°Azusa is not spoiled like you. You know, if you have time to complain, you should do something with your hands, right?¡±

    ¡°Gununu. I miss Kotaro-kun¡­ He would spoil me more. I don¡¯t want to work hard anymore. I want to be lazy!¡±

    ¡°¡­ So what if I told you that if you did your best, I¡¯d send you a picture of Onii-chan¡¯s sleeping face?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. Are you a demon? The devil incarnate?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I want it, please, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡­ Though there are a lot of things to be picky about.

    Shiho, the props attendant, was also working hard. She is currently making origami ribbons for decorations. However, Azusa, a performer, was helping her ¡­probably because she is clumsy.

    It is really nice that the two of them have become friends. I am of a different gender from Shiho, so there are times when I can¡¯t be with her. But now that Azusa is with us, I feel more at ease in such situations.

    Their smiling exchanges are heartwarming to watch.

    I really wanted to watch them all the time, but it was the day before the show started, so I had something to do as well.

    ¡°Come on, Nakayama-san. We need to do a little makeup.¡±

    Niou-san called me out of the classroom.

    I was led to an empty classroom next door. This classroom was also allowed to be used for the preparation of the festival, and tools to be used tomorrow were stored there.

    That corner seems to be where she does her makeup. Right now Mary is doing something on her own.

    Since I¡¯m going to be playing the Beast, I¡¯m a particular hassle to do my makeup. When I¡¯m the beast, I have to look rough and rugged, and when the magic is broken, I have to go back to being a young man there.

    Well, isn¡¯t there any need for makeup? Some said, ¡°Well, isn¡¯t there any need to put on makeup?¡± In fact, Ryuzaki¡¯s face is quite good-looking, so he is ready to go just by dressing up in an outfit.

    I also tried to cover up with a wig and some secret boots, but I came to the conclusion that makeup was still necessary. I apologize for my featureless face.

    ¡°Then ¡­ Asakura-san, please.¡±

    And to my surprise, Kirari is supposed to be my makeup artist. I heard that she is the best makeup artist in the class. I wonder if it¡¯s because she became a gyaru in her high school debut.

    ¡°Yes, I got it. Niou-chan, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But please stop calling me that.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be more careful next time~¡±

    After a distant exchange of words, Niou-san left the empty classroom. She is the supervisor of the whole group, so she seems to be the busiest.

    Even so, she looks somewhat happy, probably because she really loves stories.

    However, she looks very bored, as if she must have loved stories in the past.

    ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±

    Since the incident at the bookstore, we had not exchanged a single word, so it was somewhat very awkward.

    Kirari was strong only in front of Niou-san, but once she was gone, he instantly became expressionless. I guess she still doesn¡¯t know what kind of character she is and what kind of expression she should put on her face.

    ¡°Mmmmmm¡­done! I¡¯m going to show it to Ryoma.¡±

    Meanwhile, Mary, who was doing her makeup alone, deliberately said so and walked out of the classroom. Perhaps she intentionally left us alone.

    Her plot was to ¡®make Kirari fall in love with me¡¯. Maybe she decided that the event for that was now.

    ¡°¡­ Something might be hard to do.¡±

    Kirari also spoke to Mary as soon as she was gone.

    ¡°But I was hoping to talk to you, so I guess it was just as well?¡±

    But I felt that her attitude was¡­ somewhat flirtatious.

    That was the last thing I wanted to see in her¡­

 CH 110

    I am now in an empty classroom, alone with Kirari.

    She picked up a makeup kit that I, as a guy, don¡¯t really understand and started messing with my face and hair style in various ways.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about before. I was acting a little weird, wasn¡¯t I?¡±

    She moved her mouth while moving her hands.

    Kirari tried to make conversation with me, even though I didn¡¯t want her to.

    I was saddened by her attitude, as if she disliked silence.

    In junior high school, on the contrary, she had such a solid view of the world of her own that she preferred to be silent¡­

    Even after so much from me, she still tries to glamorize me.

    If it had been her before, she would have stood up to me head-on. She would have confronted me with her thoughts and beliefs with all her might.

    She was so cool like that.

    But now, there was no trace of it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, Ko-kun. I was just a little crazy at the time¡­, so I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to talk casually¡­ like we did in junior high school.¡±

    Is she also no good?

    Is Kirari, for Ryuzaki, just another subheroine?

    Like Azusa, there is no glimpse of her trying to take a bite out of the main heroine. No matter how far she goes, she is just a poor girl who is treated conveniently by the protagonist-sama.

    If Ryuzaki¡¯s story were a normal harem romantic comedy, Kirari might have been just a number-cruncher. That is how miserable a character she has become.

    It would be pitiful to put such strong words on her now.

    I¡¯m sorry¡­, but I was feeling sorry for Kirari. I didn¡¯t want her to be like this either. I was hoping that maybe she would get over it, and that¡¯s why I gave her the harsh words I did.

    But Kirari didn¡¯t get over it.

    So I felt sorry to blame her anymore¡­ and all I could do was to keep my mouth shut.

    ¡°¡­Oh, you know¡­¡±

    But Kirari still continued to speak.

    She¡¯s trying so hard to get my attention. She is a¡­ pathetic heroine, flattering me, who used to be a mob character.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is, but if Ko-kun doesn¡¯t like it, he doesn¡¯t have to do it, okay? I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, that¡¯s all¡­¡±

    I know.

    I¡¯m not trying to be mean either.

    So I can¡¯t say anything else.

    I don¡¯t want to hurt you.

    So ¡­ please. Please shut up.

    I¡¯m going to cry if I have to see you in such a pitiful state any longer.

    That¡¯s how painful Kirari was right now.

    ¡°Well, ¡­ it¡¯s done! Look, see? I¡¯m pretty good at makeup, aren¡¯t I? Ko-kun, you¡¯ve become so handsome!¡±

    Her mouth was moving, but her hands never stopped as well, so her makeup was properly done. She showed me a hand mirror and I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re good at this ¡­¡±

    It¡¯s as if it wasn¡¯t me.

    The mirror showed a man with a rather handsome face.

    I¡¯m not as good as Ryuzaki, but I look at least a step ahead.

    At the very least, I¡¯m a lot cooler than I usually am.

    ¡°Right? I¡¯ve been working hard on my makeup since I became a high school student. I might be happy if Ko-kun praised me, right?¡±

    Kirari looked so happy when I unintentionally said that.

    That expression also caused my heart to ache.

    It was as if she was a kitten abandoned on the side of the road once.

    It was like a kitten calling out to me, like a kitten that has been put back in the box after thinking about many things and realizing that I can¡¯t keep it¡­ Such an image overlapped with the Kirari of today.

    Stop it.

    Don¡¯t get so happy over a single comment of this magnitude.

    You know, Kirari,¡­ you weren¡¯t that kind of person, were you?

    Why did you become so weak¡­?

 CH 111

    My face, with makeup on, looked like I wasn¡¯t myself.

    But I was surprised because I thought I was going to do the makeup when I play the role of the um¡­ beast. Do I have to do the post-magic beast part first?

    ¡­ No, probably not.

    I think Kirari just wanted to show off her skills.

    Maybe she just wanted to show off her skills and be recognized.

    ¡°Ko-kun, you may not have a bad face after all.¡±

    Normally, I would deny it, but seeing her like this, I couldn¡¯t help but touch my head to the side. That¡¯s how amazing Kirari¡¯s skill was.

    My lips are blood-colored, my cheeks are pure white, and my eyes are clear. Even my usually flat hair was set with a hairdressing product.

    I had a feeling that I was a good-looking, neutral man.

    ¡°Well, Koi-kun has a thin face to begin with, so I thought he was the type of person who looks good in makeup~. Isn¡¯t he nice? Makeup is a magic item that can transform a person~?¡±

    Perhaps because of my praise, Kirari instantly became more talkative.

    She seemed to be very happy.

    ¡°For example, if you are a woman and you want to be beautiful, you should make an effort to be beautiful every day. When I get praised for it, I might be really happy¡­Thanks, Ko-kun?¡±

    Why is she thanking me?

    Why did she go out of her way to thank me when all I did was compliment her?

    It seemed as if she wanted more praise.

    How can she be so happy about something as trivial as my recognition?

    It¡¯s a very sad thing.

    ¡°¡­Do I look like me now, Kirari?¡±

    Suddenly, I ask a question.

    How do I really look to Kirari with makeup on?

    The answer, of course, would be one thing.

    ¡°Huh? Umm, yes,¡­ Ko-kun is Ko-kun, right?¡±

    Kirari was puzzled by the sudden question, but she answered without comment.

    It was still hard for me to watch her trying so hard not to offend me.

    ¡°I¡¯m me, and no amount of makeup is going to change that. I am who I am, and no amount of makeup will change that. This is not something great. It¡¯s just the norm, and it¡¯s no good if this part changes.¡±

    There is one thing that must not change.

    That is ¡°the way I am. After all, I am always living as me. I am a boring person like a mob character, but I am not trying to be a protagonist like Ryuzaki. I don¡¯t even think of myself as a ¡°protagonist¡± because that would be a lie.

    But Kirari believes that this temporary appearance is the ¡°real¡± one.

    It is as if the appearance after applying makeup is the real thing.

    Along with the cosmetics, she is painting a lie on herself.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m me, right? Then how about Kirari? Let me ask you just once. Who are you?¡±

    Can she really say clearly that she is ¡°herself¡± now?

    ¡°¡­ I am me? Huh? That¡¯s not true, it¡¯s me, I¡¯m ¡­!¡±

    Kirari was confused by the question.

    Kirari as a junior high school student and Kirari as a high school student. She was not sure which one was her true self.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with wanting to change who you are. But if you change yourself so much that you forget who you are, there is no reason for you to be ¡®Kirari Asakura¡¯ anymore¡­That¡¯s how you changed yourself for Ryuzaki, and that¡¯s what Kirari is now¡­ You look like a poor girl who doesn¡¯t even know who she is.¡±

    That¡¯s right, she¡¯s good at makeup.

    It is no wonder that she is so good at making her false self believe that she is her real self.

    But perhaps because of this, Kirari has lost sight of herself.

    This is the cause of Kirari¡¯s ¡°weakness¡±.

    It was the end of a poor girl who learned makeup, changed herself, and then lost herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I liked the Kirari in junior high school.¡±

    I can¡¯t say for sure if I was in love with her or not.

    But if I had to choose whether I liked her or not, I would definitely classify myself as liking her.

    That is how much I liked Kirari Asakura.

    But that was in the past.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t like Kirari now.¡±

    With these words, I left my seat.

    I can¡¯t talk to her anymore. I couldn¡¯t look at the wounded Kirari.

    It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to hurt her.

    I didn¡¯t want to see her face like this.

    No matter how much she betrayed me or cut me off, she was my friend to begin with.

    ¡°Thanks for the makeup. And I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡­ I know it¡¯s awkward after saying this. Let¡¯s do what we have to do, with each other.¡±

    I told her that in a clerical manner and was about to leave the empty classroom.

    But Kirari ¡­ was still trying to hang on to me.

    ¡°Wait, wait! Um, are you mad at me? I¡¯m sorry, okay? What did I do wrong? I¡¯m not very smart, so I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­, but if I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll fix it. So, Ko-kun¡­, don¡¯t give up on me.¡±

    The voice is so faint that it almost makes me want to cry.

    It hurts my heart to see such a Kirari.

    Let¡¯s not¡­ do this kind of thing anymore.

    ¡°Oh, look! You haven¡¯t put on your makeup for the part of the Beast yet, have you? I¡¯m going to do it now, so sit down. I¡¯m going to do my best¡­ Ko-kun praised me too, didn¡¯t he? I¡¯m good at makeup.¡±

    I shook my head at Kirari, who still tried to get my attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯re good at it, so I¡¯ll ask you to do that tomorrow¡­ Something, I¡¯m just tired.¡±

    Saying this one-sidedly, I left the empty classroom at a quick pace.

    When I think of Kirari, my heart aches.

    But if I indulge her here¡­, this time I will betray Shiho¡¯s feelings.

    ¡­I am sure that without Shiho, I would have accepted Kirari. I might have tried to take on her weakness just because we are former friends.

    But I am glad I did.

    Thanks to Shiho, I was able to reject Kirari clearly.

    Otherwise, both Kirari and I would have gone down an unfortunate path.

    Because it wasn¡¯t because she liked me and was trying to impress me.

    I would have had no choice but to try to ¡®depend¡¯ on each other because I had nothing to hang on to.

    Eventually it would have turned into ¡®co-dependence¡¯ and we would have been tearing each other to shreds.

    Really, thank goodness.

    Thanks to Shiho, we were able to avoid that future.

 CH 112

    When I left the empty classroom, it was like I was in a different space.

    The school was bustling with activity, and the whole place was filled with the atmosphere of a cultural festival. There were students advertising their classes¡¯ performances and others enjoying the event and making a lot of noise, to the point of being noisy.

    Come to think of it, we are in the middle of the festival right now.

    I¡¯m not in the mood to make too much noise, but it¡¯s not appropriate to look gloomy.

    Chuckling, I lightly slapped my own cheek.

    ¡°¡­ Ok.¡±

    If I make a face like this, I¡¯ll make that cute little girl sad.

    So I changed my mood and looked up again.

    Then I saw Mary in front of me, as I should have, and I sighed involuntarily.

    ¡°I just changed my mood¡­ Haa?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well? It¡¯s not good to sigh when you see a beautiful woman¡¯s face. I wonder if it¡¯s because you¡¯ve become a man of color that you¡¯ve become overconfident~?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    I can¡¯t afford to go with Mary right now. I tried to shake off the clutter, but it was uncomfortable because she persisted in following me around.

    ¡°I wonder why you are so irritated~? Oh, maybe you¡¯re so bitter that you rejected a girl~?¡±

    ¡­ I knew she was eavesdropping.

    As usual, this person is rotten to the core.

    ¡°If it¡¯s so painful, why don¡¯t you just accept it? That would be better! Then everyone will be happy. Don¡¯t you think that would be closer to a happy ending?¡±

    ¡°¡­That cannot be true.¡±

    There is no way that Shiho¡¯s sad ending is a happy ending.

    It¡¯s utter nonsense. I don¡¯t have enough time to deal with nonsense that isn¡¯t worth listening to. I ignored her and quickly tried to return to the classroom.

    Mary doesn¡¯t stop talking to me.

    She began to talk again, one-sidedly.

    ¡°Well, you did your best to reject me this time, but I can¡¯t wait to see what happens next time. This time, Kirari will finally get dumped, you know? I¡¯m looking forward to ¡­ seeing if Kotaro will be able to be so heartless in the face of her brokenness. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suddenly, I almost stopped breathing.

    So, in her scenario, Kirari would finally be dumped.

    That could probably become a reality.

    After being rejected by me, she will probably get desperate and finally confess her feelings to Ryuzaki. And then, when she is rejected and in a bad way, Mary will throw me in the ring again.

    I did not want to imagine what would really happen then.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then, I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you again later~¡±

    As soon as she said that, we arrived at the classroom and I had nothing to say.

    Moreover, Mary-san dared to disturb the place ¡­ deliberately and raised her voice.

    ¡°Wow! Kotaro, you are so handsome!¡±

    With those words, all my classmates in the classroom looked at me at once.

    They were all surprised to see me with makeup on.

    ¡°Hm. You look quite different. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯ve got the look of a star.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­ you¡¯re not my Onii-chan!!!!¡±

    Especially Niou-san and Azusa, who interacted with me, called out to me.

    Kirari¡¯s makeup skills must be quite good. I was a little uncomfortable with all the other classmates gawking at me.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    And Ryuzaki was also in a bad mood. Mary made a fuss, and I guess he didn¡¯t find that amusing¡­ This guy just won¡¯t shut up. I¡¯m in trouble too, so don¡¯t stare at me so much.

    ¡°¡­ Mmmmmm.¡±

    Then, surprisingly¡­ there was another girl in the classroom who seemed unhappy.

    And it was Shiho.

    ¡°Come with me for a minute.¡±

    Shiho rushed toward me in an unusual panic and unexpectedly grabbed my arm. As I watched to see what she would do, she was about to drag me straight out of the classroom.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Just come along.¡±

    Shiho dragged me out of the classroom without a second thought.

    We arrived at the back of the school building, where we have been before.

    In this quiet place, which has nothing to do with the school festival, she finally stoped.

    Then Shiho suddenly took out a handkerchief and began to scrub ¡­ my face.

    ¡°Wait, why? Shiho, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Confused by the sudden turn of events, Shiho puffed out her cheeks. Her lips were also pouting, so she was clearly in a foul mood.

    ¡°I like you just the way you are, Kotaro-kun, and it kind of pisses me off to see you like this!¡±

    Apparently, Shiho didn¡¯t like my face with makeup on it.

 CH 113

    Scrub, scrub, scrub.

    Shiho scrubbed me with a handkerchief as if she was washing dishes.

    ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t come off very well¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s like my Kotaro-kun is getting d***y, and it¡¯s very irritating.¡±

    ¡­After all, Shiho¡¯s sensibilities are unique.

    She has a worldview that is different from the rest of us.

    It¡¯s as if to say, she doesn¡¯t like me in all my finery.

    Denying me now means affirming me in the past.

    I was honestly happy to hear that.

    ¡°Shiho is a bit of a strange girl after all.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t call my name with that face. You look like a TV idol. Are you on a mission? And you look like you¡¯re not too upset about being catcalled in class, which is very offensive.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re just saying that?¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean to look like I wasn¡¯t full of it.

    But it seemed that the jealous Shiho-chan saw it that way.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. Kotaro-kun is just a guy who is nice, a good listener, cares about me, smiles only in front of me, and loves me very much!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting at.¡±

    And I¡¯m embarrassed because it¡¯s a huge compliment.

    No, I was thrilled by the unexpected words because I did not expect her to be so favorable to me.

    Why is this girl so good at tickling men¡¯s hearts?

    Perhaps this is already a natural talent. One of the charms she inherited from her mother, Satsuki.

    ¡°So, what I¡¯m trying to say is that I think ¡­ you are the most beautiful just the way you are. Seeing you with makeup on makes me feel like such a waste.¡±

    ¨CSee?

    After all, Shiho is completely different from other girls.

    She hates falsehoods. She looks inward, not outward. That¡¯s why she is not misled and has a strong sense of self. She doesn¡¯t lose sight of herself like Kirari does.

    ¡°Shiho, don¡¯t you wear makeup?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because I don¡¯t have to? You see, I got this nice skin from my mom and dad, and it would be disrespectful to them if I messed it up.¡±

    Skin ¡­ No, it¡¯s not wrong.

    In short, her parents¡¯ genes gave her a nice face, and she doesn¡¯t want more.

    Shiho somehow also knows she is pretty. But that¡¯s just something she got, so she doesn¡¯t seem to brag about it much.

    ¡°Besides, I hope you love me without makeup more than you love me after I put makeup on¡­ or else I¡¯ll be sad¡­¡±

    She doesn¡¯t try to twist herself to be loved like Kirari does.

    She only wants someone who accepts her for who she is.

    That is why Shiho Shimotsuki will always remain ¡°Shiho Shimotsuki¡±.

    This is probably the difference between a subheroine and a main heroine.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t blame you for wanting to be prettier. I don¡¯t mean to deny makeup, and I¡¯m a little interested in it myself, you know? But, Kotaro-kun, it is forbidden. It¡¯s my property, so I don¡¯t want you to pollute it without my permission.¡±

    ¡°But you will forgive me tomorrow, right? I¡¯m the star of the show, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, it¡¯s only tomorrow, right? From now on, you must always be just as you are, okay? Just you, Kotaro-kun, for me.¡±

    ¡°That, of course.¡±

    ¡°Promise? Come on, let¡¯s do it.¡±

    A cute little finger is held out to me. I connect my pinky finger, and Shiho grips it strongly.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Ehehe?¡±

    I¡¯ve been in a bad mood for a while now.

    When I held her hand, Shiho instantly smiled.

    She can be a bit of a hassle, though.

    On the contrary, she is also an easy girl. She must have been in a good mood as soon as I held her hand.

    She was cute, after all.

 CH 114

    ¨CThe play is about to begin.

    Today, the second day of the festival, which was open to the general public, the first and last play was about to be performed by the second class of the first year.

    The play was ¡°Beauty and the Beast. It is the story of a young man who becomes a beast because of an evil witch, but finds true love.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    I take a breath. My hands are shaking, as if I am uncharacteristically nervous.

    Thinking back, I wonder if this is the first time I¡¯ve been the center of attention like this.

    I remember the time I went up on stage for Shiho during the overnight learning program.

    Compared to that time, I might have been better off acting.

    (Shiho is probably somewhere around here.)

    I wanted to see her face, but I couldn¡¯t find her offstage. She is a props attendant, so I am sure she is watching over us from a place out of the way right now.

    But there is a lingering scent of her.

    In a part of the stage, in one of the decorated corners, there was an origami ribbon with an uneven ¡­ shape. I felt at home when I looked at it, which she must have folded clumsily but with great effort.

    This was also the stage the girl wanted to be on.

    She said she wanted to see me look cool.

    I was able to win this spot because she raised her hand for me.

    So now it was my turn to do my best.

    Let¡¯s forget about Mary-san¡¯s intentions, Ryuzaki¡¯s recriminations, Kirari¡¯s broken heart, and so on.

    For now, it¡¯s just for her.

    This performance is not even for the audience to see.

    Let¡¯s play the leading role just for Shiho¡¯s sake.

    In reality, I¡¯m just a simple, unremarkable person who is nothing more than a mob character.

    But I am the ¡°main character¡± for her alone.

    ¨CThe bell rings to end the show.

    The performers line up on stage and bow to the audience.

    At that moment, the audience burst into loud applause.

    The performance was uninteresting, so I¡¯ll spare you the details.

    This was just a prelude. If you consider my role in the story, it was just a small event that I wanted to make it sound like I pushed Ryuzaki aside and became the star of the show, a relationship that I would have later on.¡¯

    The performance was not bad.

    If you consider it at the student level, it must have been good.

    As proof, the auditorium was crowded after the play was over.

    All of the performers, except one, seemed satisfied.

    Well, one of them, Ryuzaki, had a pouty face even though he was practicing for the play, so in a sense, it was business as usual.

    Yeah, I guess this is how it is.

    In the story without Shiho, I was not able to play an outstanding role, nor did I make any memorable mistakes. It was a perfection of being just average.

    Well, that play was over.

    But it was also the bell signaling the end of the play.

    All that was left was the after-party and final event¡­ This is surely where it all really began.

    The story that Mary-san loves with all her heart ¨C ¡°Suck-up romantic comedy¡± ¨C has reached its climax.

    From this point on, Ryuzaki¡¯s downfall is only going to get worse and worse.

    Betrayed, abandoned, losing everything, and despairing.

    Oh, what nonsense.

    Defeated by a villain of my caliber¡­, no, this time he perished even without my touch.

    After all, Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy is silly

    Hey, Ryuzaki¡­, you want to look back at me, don¡¯t you?

    If that¡¯s the case, then try harder.

    Please, please, please, at least make the girls I cared about happy.

    Even if I prayed ¡­, well, it¡¯s impossible.

    Ryuzaki is just a harem protagonist. He is neither more nor less than that.

 CH 115

    Ever since then, Kirari Asakura has been thinking.

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯

    The boy she thought was her friend asked her this question, but she could not find the answer.

    Who am I?)

    Kirari Asakura was unsure of herself.

    She had never cared much about it until he asked her.

    She had just been living her life as she wished, but before she knew it, she had lost sight of herself.

    (After meeting Ryu-kun, I became ¡­)

    She remembered well how it all started.

    It was the entrance ceremony. She met a boy named Ryoma Ryuzaki and made a decision to change herself.

    (I just wanted to be the person Ryu-kun liked¡­)

    At that time, Kirari was still ¡®Kirari¡¯.

    Whether she changed her hairstyle to blonde, started wearing colored contacts, changed her tone of voice, or changed her clothes, she was able to keep herself.

    But one day ¡­ she lost sight of her existence.

    (Yes, that¡¯s right. I lost my ¡­ sense of being when I was at the overnight learning program.)

    It was an unforgettable event.

    The boy she had a crush on had a crush on someone else.

    It was an unforgettable incident.

    (If I became the person that Ryu-kun said I should be and he doesn¡¯t like me ¡­, then what reason do I have to be me?)

    He told her. Right after they met, she asked him what his favorite type was.

    ¡°I like people with flashy hair color. I don¡¯t dislike dark hair either¡­ but I think I prefer the Western look.¡±

    Kiraly took the words to heart. The next day she changed herself, twisted her personality, and tried to get Ryoma Ryuzaki to like her anyway.

    Thanks to this, they became friends, but in the end, those feelings did not come to fruition.

    When she found out during the overnight learning program that he liked his childhood friend Shiho Shimotsuki, Kirari was not so sure about herself anymore.

    (I see. That time¡­ that time, when she found out about Ryu-kun¡¯s feelings for her¡­ No, it¡¯s not only that. When I saw ¡­ Ko-kun, I didn¡¯t know myself well.)

    The person she liked was not the only reason.

    When she saw the boy she thought was her friend, she strongly thought

    ¨CWhat am I doing?

    Ah, yes, that was it.

    Kirari clenched her teeth at the thought she finally realized.

    (Ko-kun has changed. He had become much more attractive than he was in middle school¡­, but what about me? Am I really a better person now than I was in middle school?)

    During the overnight learning program, he was so nice that he was protecting one girl even though she was the center of everyone¡¯s attention.

    Unlike Kirari, he was lively.

    He was cool, to say the least.

    Surely it was because of that person.

    The girl Shiho Shimotsuki, whom Kotaro Nakayama was desperately trying to protect, must have been the catalyst.

    (Ko-kun met someone who accepted him for who he was.)

    Thanks to her, he had changed.

    He had grown a lot as a human being.

    She envied them both for having such a relationship.

    Kotaro Nakayama and Shiho Shimotsuki always seemed happy.

    In the corner of the classroom, they always seemed to be close.

    They chatted in quiet voices, laughed at each other, and thought of each other.

    Kirari, who could not build such a relationship with Ryoma Ryuzaki, was dazzled by these scenes.

    So, even more so, she felt miserable.

    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this, ¡­ and she began to wonder¡­.

    She no longer wanted to think of herself as the person Ryoma Ryuzaki liked, but she couldn¡¯t be the person she was.

    Because of this, Kirari no longer knew who she was and who she was not.

 CH 116

    Seeing Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s change, Kirari honestly yearned for him.

    (I wanted to be like Ko-kun, too¡­)

    She wanted to be rewarded. She wanted to be rewarded, not to have only a one-sided love.

    She wanted to be recognized. She wanted to be praised for this love that she gave her all for him.

    She wanted him to love her. Because she has fallen in love with him.

    But the boy that Kirari fell in love with has never looked back.

    No matter how hard she tries, Ryoma Ryuzaki does not respond to her.

    Because of this, Kirari has become¡­ unsure of herself.

    (I wasn¡¯t like this when I was in middle school.)

    Lately, she had been reminiscing a lot about her middle school days.

    At first, she was fine without friends. There was nothing to be afraid of as long as she was surrounded by her favorite stories.

    But one day, after meeting ¡­ him, she began to think that it wasn¡¯t so bad to be involved with other people.

    (After meeting Ko-kun, ¡­ I became weak.)

    Kotaro Nakayama was her first friend.

    Because of him, she became interested in others.

    Because of him, she began to feel lonely and alone.

    It was then that she saw Ryoma Ryuzaki and fell madly in love with him.

    She thought he was her destiny and started dreaming of being with this person all the time.

    Thanks to that, she can¡¯t go back now.

    She cannot go back to that time when she was lonely but not in pain.

    (I can¡¯t go back to my middle school days anymore¡­)

    She tried to go back.

    She thought that if she could be friends with Kotaro Nakayama like she had been in junior high school, it would fill her loneliness.

    But he wouldn¡¯t allow her.

    She hung on to him, but he didn¡¯t support her.

    In other words, this was the price to pay.

    (When I abandoned myself, ¡­ Ko-kun disappeared along with me.)

    Then there was only one way to go.

    (In order for me to be me, I have no choice but to be loved by Ryu-kun.)

    She was being pushed into a corner.

    If she failed here, Kirari would finally deny herself.

    If that happened, Kirari would finally become a being who could never become anything.

    (That¡¯s a ¡°mob character.¡± ¡­)

    What Kirari wanted to be was a nice main heroine.

    She was never a mob character who had no name.

    She would never, ever admit to such a thing.

    So she made up her mind.

    (I¡¯m going to confess ¡­ and Ryu-kun will love me for it!)

    As soon as the festival is over.

    She wants to express her feelings and be united with him. She wants him to love her. She wants him to praise her.

    She wants him to accept her like this.

    That¡¯s what she thought.

    ¡°Mary. I like you¡­ Will you go out with me?¡±

    She had seen it.

    She saw the moment when the person she liked made a confession.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t her.

    (Oh no¡­)

    She was not even allowed to confess.

    After the play was over, she had been chasing after Ryuzaki, looking for a chance to be alone with him, and at the back of the school building, where no one was around, she saw him make a confession.

    And that other person was a girl who was not her.

    (Oh no, that¡¯s terrible.)

    Despair. Hiding in the shadows, she crumpled to the ground and bit her lip.

    She didn¡¯t understand anymore.

    (Who am I? Hey, if Ryu-kun doesn¡¯t love me, what¡¯s the point of me being me?)

    Even at times like this, Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s question comes to her mind.

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯

    The answer to this question was unknown even to her.

 CH 117

    How long has it been?

    It seemed like a long time, but at the same time it seemed like a short time. Such a blank period of time had passed.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Silently, she sat down at a spot behind the school building.

    It was the place where the person she loved had confessed his love earlier. That other person, of course, was not herself. Nor, for that matter, any other rival girl. It was a beautiful transfer student girl who had suddenly appeared and interrupted from the side.

    (After all, it didn¡¯t mean anything¡­)

    As for the whereabouts of the confession, she didn¡¯t know. No, she didn¡¯t try to know. She didn¡¯t care. She was just shocked.

    The person she loved made a decision to love another person ¨C it was still a painful thing.

    (I could pretend I didn¡¯t see it at the time of Shiho Shimotsuki, but ¡­ I might not be able to anymore.)

    She felt like she was being denied everything she had ever done.

    She did everything she could to get him to like her, but it was pointless.

    Her feelings never reached him and the person she loved was far away.

    She doesn¡¯t know anything anymore. She doesn¡¯t want to understand. She doesn¡¯t want to know.

    Who is she? She doesn¡¯t know what she should do. She doesn¡¯t know what she should do, what she should look like, what choices she should make, for what purpose.

    (Tell me, ¡­ someone, tell me about me¡­)

    She wanted someone else to carry everything on their shoulders.

    In exchange, she was willing to devote all of herself to it.

    She wanted to be acknowledged. She wanted someone to save her. She wanted someone to make all the decisions for her. She wanted someone to support her. She wanted someone to cling to her.

    Kirari Asakura wanted to depend upon someone.

    It was at that time.

    He appeared¡­

    ¡°¡­Hey, hey, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    She heard a voice.

    She looked up with a start, and there he was, ¡­ her former ¡°best friend¡±.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, so depressed?¡±

    He walked up to her with a worried look on his face.

    ¡°Are you alright? Cheer up, Kirari¡­ Tell me anything. I¡¯ll do my best for you.¡±

    It¡¯s as if he¡¯s offering me his ¡­ hand, as if to say it¡¯s okay to depend on him.

    (Ko-kun ¡­!)

    In front of her was an unassuming boy.

    But now he looked so dazzling.

    He is like a prince on a white horse.

    Kirari almost cried for the boy who came to her at the most difficult time.

    She felt like she had been saved.

    There were times when their paths crossed a little bit.

    After all, the person who understood Kirari the best was Kotaro Nakayama.

    £¨I see. The person I should have cherished was ¡­Ko-kun.)

    She had made a mistake. Ryoma Ryuzaki had tricked her into falling in love with him.

    But the character Kirari should have been was Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s ¡°Favorite Person¡±.

    (I see. I was just fine being ¡°me¡± ¡­!)

    She found herself.

    She finally found the figure she had lost sight of, and she was relieved.

    (From now on, I will live for Ko-kun¡­ I will give my all for this person.)

    Once again, she made up her mind.

    She loves the boy who saved her more than anything else.

    ¡°Kirari. I¡¯ll be right here by your side.¡±

    He smiled kindly and reached out his hand to her.

    Kirari also reached out her hand and tried to hold on to it. She tried to get him to support her. She reached out her hand, trying to depend on him.

    But ¡­ that hand gripped an empty space.

    ¡°What did you think I was going to say?¡±

    The hand disappeared.

    No, it was dodged just as Kirari was about to grab it.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    She was stunned. Confused, not quite sure what happened.

    She thought he was going to save her. He was supposed to save her. She thought he would be her guiding light for the rest of her life.

    But the boy in front of her trampled on all those thoughts¡­

 CH 118

    ¡°You¡¯re miserable, Kirari¡­ pretending to be a tragic heroine? You¡¯re hurt, completely lost in your sadness, and you don¡¯t even try to get up. Instead, you keep waiting for help¡­ pathetic. You¡¯re in high school now, remember? Stop dreaming for God¡¯s sake.¡±

    Wrong.

    Kirari shook her head at his statement.

    She was in no mood to hear those words right now.

    (I want you to spoil me more, to be nice to me, to comfort me. I want you to tell me it¡¯s okay, to soothe me¡­!)

    ¡°Still trying to depend on me after all? Don¡¯t give away your stupid¡­ life, your story, into someone else¡¯s hands. You know, Kirari is Kirari, right? Why try to reason with someone else when it¡¯s all about you?¡±

    Ouch.

    Her heart was in pain.

    She wished he hadn¡¯t said something so heinous.

    (Ko-kun, it¡¯s different now¡­ isn¡¯t it? I¡­ I¡¯m so hurt, that I shouldn¡¯t do anything that will cause you even more pain.)

    She felt out of place.

    Kirari couldn¡¯t help but say,

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh¡­¡±

    Her voice was so shaky that even she was surprised.

    The boy in front of her, however, showed no mercy, even though she was on the verge of tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be naive. I¡¯m not your hero. Listen to me carefully¡­ For Kotaro Nakayama, Kirari Asakura is not a heroine. Don¡¯t think that he can save her. Don¡¯t try to hold on to him. Don¡¯t depend on him.¡±

    Denied.

    He rejected all of her thoughts and feelings.

    As if to show her how weak she is.

    As if to slap Kirari in the face with a reality she had been denying.

    ¡°But if you still want to exploit me, if you still want to¡­ cling on to me, if you still need to rely on me, then crawl. Bow your head. Bow down to my existence. Is that what you want? You want to live for the sake of other people? That¡¯s what that means, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    She was looked down upon.

    She was ridiculed.

    She was mocked.

    She was made fun of.

    In other words, Kotaro Nakayama thought of Kirari Asakura like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to grace you with my presence, my poor sub heroine. You want the affection of a mob character, don¡¯t you? I can¡¯t give you everything, but I can give you a portion of it. We share an old connection, and I¡¯m willing to talk to you once in a while, alright? So, do me a favor. Beg for it. Show me the utmost sincerity you can muster. If you do that, I¡¯ll give you a reason to live.¡±

    He describes it as pitiful.

    Pitiful, miserable, pathetic, he says clearly.

    He would not have said this otherwise. It was as if he didn¡¯t think Kirari was human.

    ¡°You are such a weak human being that you don¡¯t even know who you are. You don¡¯t have any pride, do you? Then bow down to me. And I will save you. You are, after all, a poor human being who cannot live alone. What is it that makes you want to give your all to Ryoma Ryuzaki¡­? Kirari, your feelings are not those of ¡®love¡¯. The only thing you were looking for was a ¡®dependent partner¡¯.¡±

    !

    At that moment, something exploded.

    Emotions that had been tucked away in the back of her mind overflowed and rushed through her.

    ¨D¨DNo!

    That wasn¡¯t the case. This was not how she had hoped it would end.

    ¨CDon¡¯t make fun of me!

    Don¡¯t insult Kirari Asakura.

    Her heart was filled with an emotion known as ¡°anger.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    A trembling voice naturally leaked out.

    That voice, however, was quiet and did not reach Kotaro Nakayama.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    Even though she was still acting like a fool, Kirari exploded even more.

    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    Her body, which had been drenched in sweat, was filled with vitality.

    Her entire body was on fire. Her stomach was boiling. She could no longer contain herself.

    ¡°Bow down to you? Who do you think you are? Don¡¯t be conceited¡­! Don¡¯t belittle me. Don¡¯t pity me! Don¡¯t act like you feel sorry for me!¡±

    She yelled. She rose to her feet. With all her might, she slapped the boy in front of her on the cheek.

    Snap!

    A dry sound echoes. But Kirari¡¯s emotions didn¡¯t subside. Giving in to her impulse, she grabbed the boy by the collar on his chest and screamed once more into his na?ve face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me!!¡±

    Indeed, Kirari was miserable. She was a heartbroken loser. She might even be regarded as a pitiful clown.

    But that didn¡¯t stop him from making fun of her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t deny me of my romantic comedy story¡­¡±

    Yes, she has a story. She, too, has a story to tell.

    She may have made many mistakes, and it may be an excruciating piece of nonsense to watch. However, that is no reason to deny it.

    Because she was trying her best.

    It is a story that she has written out of desperation because she wants to be happy.

    She couldn¡¯t help but be resentful at having been denied that.

 CH 119

    Screaming.

    Wailing.

    She threw all of her emotions at the boy in front of her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? I want to be loved, even if it means sacrificing everything I have!¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter what form it took.

    She wanted to be loved by him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have to change myself as long as they loved me¡­ Have you ever loved someone that much!?¡±

    She remembered what happened on that day as if it were only yesterday.

    It was the high school entrance ceremony, and she fell in love at first sight with Ryoma Ryuzaki, a boy she met for the first time.

    She had a gut feeling that he was the one. She didn¡¯t know why. But it was the first time she had ever fallen in love with someone in particular, and she definitely wanted to be in a relationship with him.

    She¡¯d always had a habit of being passionate about the things she liked.

    When she was in middle school, she loved ¡®stories¡¯ and immersed herself in them all the time.

    That was all she ever wanted to do.

    When she became a high school student, ¡°Ryoma Ryuzaki¡± became her object of interest.

    Regardless, she became obsessed with him. To have fun with someone you like, you must first make him like you. As a result, she made the effort.

    Her feelings for Ryoma Ryuzaki were not false.

    She didn¡¯t want to be labeled as ¡°dependent¡± on him.

    She didn¡¯t want to be ridiculed solely for this thought.

    Just looking for a dependent partner? That can¡¯t be true. It can¡¯t be.

    ¡°Is it really such a bad thing to want to be tied to someone you love? Is it wrong to try to be the person he loves, even if you have to twist yourself to be that person?¡±

    Falling in love, hoping that her feelings would be realized, as well as making an effort to do so ¨C that was all Kirari did.

    And yet, the boy standing in front of her denied it.

    He spat on Kirari¡¯s efforts and thoughts and trampled on them.

    That was unforgivable.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not wrong. I just wanted him to like me. That¡¯s all there is to it, so why are you making fun of me¡­? Why are you denying it? Are you looking down on me?¡±

    She didn¡¯t ask him to support her.

    She didn¡¯t say that she wanted him to watch over her.

    She simply assumed that if she wanted to see it, she could.

    ¡°Hey, Ko-kun, tell me¡­ Why do you make fun of me? Tell me. Hey, answer me properly ¡­Kotaro Nakayama!!¡±

    She yelled at him. She wanted to slap him on the cheek again, allowing her emotions get the better of her.

    But she wouldn¡¯t do that. She had just learned that hitting someone hurts her as well.

    The hand that struck him was throbbing with pain. She had no strength in her wrist and fingers. Of course, Kirari is not accustomed to hurting people. Conversely, she was not accustomed to being hurt.

    She had no remorse about hitting him.

    But hurting him any further was a different story.

    ¡°Say something¡­¡±

    The one-sided violence almost made her feel self-conscious.

    Even though she¡¯s the one who hurt him, it¡¯s tempting to play the victim.

    But she didn¡¯t allow it. She won¡¯t even allow him to look away.

    The boy who had been grabbed by the collar, on the other hand, stared back at Kirari without looking away.

    In his black-colored eyes was a girl with a terrible expression on her face. Controlled by rage, she looked as if she wanted to kill the boy.

    Nonetheless, he confronted Kirari¡¯s thoughts head on.

    ¡°Show me the results.¡±

    Those words pierced into Kirari¡¯s chest.

    ¡°What difference does it make if you just yell and scream? Don¡¯t be satisfied with haphazard efforts. That¡¯s all you are now, and all you will ever be.¡±

    ¡­That¡¯s right. Kirari has yet to benefit from it.

    Even though she loves him so much, she hasn¡¯t even been able to turn her attention to the person she loves.

    Kotaro Nakayama stated that anything she said would be meaningless in such a situation.

 CH 120

    ¡°Show me the results.¡±, Kotaro Nakayama uttered.

    His sharp words pierced Kirari¡¯s heart.

    She felt that he was right.

    She felt unworthy of herself for being satisfied with her efforts.

    ¡°At the end of the day, did you think a ¡®romantic comedy¡¯ that tries to compromise with someone like me wouldn¡¯t make you look like a fool? That is what makes you weak. You should be scraping your feet more and more¡­ If you continue on like this, you¡¯ll remain a pathetic and miserable sub heroine, you know? Are you willing to end up like that?¡±

    ¨CShe didn¡¯t want to.

    She can¡¯t end up as a sub heroine, that was unforgivable.

    Kirari even changed herself to be the best.

    ¡°If that¡¯s where you want to end up, I¡¯ll make an exception for you. Unfortunately, I considered you a friend in middle school. And in that goodwill, I¡¯m giving you a reason to live. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice? A fitting end for a sub heroine, right? So, rejoice. Smile at me, like you always do. Smile and flirt with me so as to not spoil my good mood.¡±

    The boy continued to sneer at her.

    Kirari¡¯s thoughts would not be conveyed, no matter how loud she yelled.

    Because the results weren¡¯t there.

    ¡°Watch me.¡±

    Her anger had reached its peak.

    She was about to burst into tears with emotion, but she desperately held back and squeezed her voice out.

    ¡°Kotaro Nakayama¡­ look at me, take a good look!¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to lose, she thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to prove to you¡­ that I¡¯m not a sub heroine!!!¡±

    She swore she would not do what this boy demanded of her.

    This was Kirari Asakura¡¯s resolution.

    ¡°I finally understand. I am ¡®me¡¯¡­ the same as I was, the same as I am now. I will always be ¡®me¡¯!¡±

    She is who she is.

    No matter how much her appearance changes, how much her personality twists, or how much her thoughts shifts, Kirari Asakura is still Kirari Asakura.

    She had always lived her life exactly as she desired.

    She had always been serious about what she loves.

    That was it. Regardless of what happens, Kirari will always be Kirari. When she realized this, she declared it loudly and proudly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make him say ¡®I love you¡¯¡­ I¡¯ll make you fall in love with me, Ryu-kun! I¡¯ll make you look back at me! I¡¯ll make it impossible for you to ever again deny my feelings for you!¡±

    She shakes the boy off as she says this. He stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

    Kirari shouts again, this time looking down at him.

    ¡°Keep your eyes on me¡­ and watch me¡­!¡±

    She¡¯ll never again be a fool.

    She wasn¡¯t about to let him deny her of her story.

    She put that determination into words and glared at the boy.

    This was a battle. She had said what she wanted to say. She even slapped him. She hurt him. So now it was his turn, Kirari braced herself.

    She was prepared to take the beating.

    She was the one who extended her hand out first.

    She was convinced that she had no choice but to be violent.

    She was aware that she had gone too far.

    It was clearly excessive, and it wasn¡¯t his fault in the first place.

    Kotaro Nakayama simply rejected Kirari¡¯s thoughts.

    Kirari was upset simply because he shook her off when she had tried to cling on to him.

    But that didn¡¯t matter.

    She felt great, having released the emotions she had been bottling up for so long.

    From here on out, he¡¯d begin his counterattack.

    He would bring up how unreasonable Kirari had been, then retort with violence and inflict pain onto her.

    But that was okay. This was a ¡°battle¡± that Kirari had blown up at him.

    As a result, she was prepared to endure the pain.

    But the boy¡­

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    He didn¡¯t do anything.

    He one-sidedly accepted Kirari¡¯s violence without retaliation.

    ¡°If you want to get back at me, then go ahead.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t mad, that much was clear.

    No, on the contrary¡­ His demeanor appeared to be somewhat happy.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±

    She had prepared for what was to come, but it was a letdown.

    This is why he was so difficult to work with. Kirari sighed and moved her gaze away from the boy.

    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stand her own ugliness.

    Compared to her, he was much more composed and rational, rather than howling and lashing out like an animal.

    Kirari felt so ashamed of herself after seeing him like that¡­ she couldn¡¯t be there any longer.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    As it stands, she turned on her heels.

    She walked away from the back of the school building without saying anything.

    ¨D¨DI¡¯ll make you happy, I promise.

    With a flame of passion burning in her heart, she kept moving forward.

    There was no longer any hesitation in her steps.

 CH 121

    My cheeks were burning. The slap from earlier had left a stinging sensation.

    The collar that had been grabbed was in tatters. When I checked, I found out that the button was about to come off. It must¡¯ve been grabbed with great force.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m tired.¡±

    With a wry smile on my face, I slumped to the ground.

    I was trembling, probably because I¡¯d done something out of character.

    But I was glad.

    I was relieved to see that Kirari was looking ahead once more.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    As I breathed a sigh of relief, Mary, who must¡¯ve been watching us the entire time, spoke to me with a sour expression on her face.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just accept her?¡±

    She appeared to be dissatisfied with the outcome.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to go above and beyond¡­ This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to end.¡±

    Yes, it was.

    In your scenario, Kirari was supposed to like me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ryoma to confess to me so soon, so my plans went a little awry¡­ However, that didn¡¯t matter. Kirari¡¯s rejection could have been a foregone conclusion. But if she had continued to fall in love with Kotaro, everything would¡¯ve gone exactly as I predicted.¡±

    As a matter of fact, it was about to happen.

    After the play was over, Mary was called over by Ryuzaki and received a confession from him with the understanding that Kirari was following them.

    She then withheld her answer and all the while brought me to the back of the school building. I comforted Kirari, who was devastated at the scene, and told her to accept the situation. If I had done as I was told, Kirari would have became dependent on me.

    But she didn¡¯t.

    Because Kirari did not pick me.

    ¡­No, let me rephrase that.

    I didn¡¯t dare to let her choose me.

    ¡°Why did you go with those words? You made fun of Kirari¡­ as if you were deliberately trying to offend her.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    I brushed it off.

    Mary¡¯s face contorted in displeasure.

    ¡°I instructed you to ¡®accept Kirari,¡¯ remember?¡±

    ¡°I tried to accept her, just as you¡¯ve said. Although Kirari on the other hand, refused to do so.¡±

    I did exactly as I was told.

    I followed Mary¡¯s instructions, albeit in a slightly different manner.

    ¡°If she had simply flirted with me in that way, I would have accepted it¡­ Well, I¡¯m very sorry to hear that. It seems like Kirari didn¡¯t think someone of my caliber was good enough?¡±

    ¡°¡­I expected you to accept her the same way you did with Azusa.¡±

    Hmm, it seems that Mary had miscalculated.

    She had been mistaken in thinking that I was dancing in the palm of her hand the entire time.

    ¡°I assumed Kotaro was one of those people.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not¡­ the same. Azusa and Kirari are completely different.¡±

    Please don¡¯t think of me as the type of person who would accept anyone as long as they were a girl.

    I am not Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¡°Azusa is my younger sister. Although we are not related by blood, we¡¯re family who are connected by our hearts. As a result, I can forgive her when she hurts me, and comfort her when she is hurt, because she is the person who is the closest to me, so it¡¯s only natural. right?¡±

    I¡¯ve said it before, but I want to make this clear.

    Kirari is a stranger.

    ¡°There is no reason for me to interfere in Kirari¡¯s life. We¡¯re not family, and we¡¯re no longer even friends. And yet, you¡¯re telling me that I should accept her unconditionally¡­ I¡¯m not a saint, okay?¡±

    I¡¯m not so naive as to believe I can save people at random.

    Because I am a despicable person.

    ¡°So, I tried. I gave her a reason and a few conditions. But Kirari rejected it, that¡¯s all there is to it. Mary may be reluctant to accept the end result, but¡­ unfortunately, people in real life do not always do what you want them to.¡±

    I told her in a flat tone.

    Nonetheless, I gave up on trying to accept the situation from the start and instead tried to antagonize Kirari, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to admit it.

    I¡¯m sure Mary understands what I¡¯m trying to accomplish. I¡¯m trying to get her to admit her mistake and take back the reins. I didn¡¯t let her plans go as smoothly as she had hoped.

    ¡°Tch¡­¡±

    I chuckled inwardly at Mary, who unusually didn¡¯t hide her irritation.

    I wanted to see that look on her face.

    Don¡¯t expect everything to go your way, okay?

 CH 122

    It was true that Kirari was not powerful enough to change the story on her own. She was merely a sub heroine. Nothing more, nothing less.

    But she was filled with strong emotions.

    With just a little agitation on my part, the flames of her passion were lit, and that fire eventually reached a temperature that changed the direction of the story.

    Because of her anger, the girl who was thought to be nothing had gained self-awareness.

    Kirari Asakura¡¯s romantic comedy was about to begin¡­ It felt great to think so.

    Although I¡¯m just a stranger to her now.

    I¡¯m sure we once used to be ¡®friends¡¯. No¡­ I thought of Kirari as my ¡®best friend¡¯.

    I still don¡¯t want her to be miserable¡­ I truly do.

    Please, please, please, let her efforts be rewarded.

    For that, I would do anything out of character.

    Of course, everything I had said earlier was all a ruse. If I¡¯m being honest, someone of my caliber wouldn¡¯t be able to use such strong words in such a way.

    I wanted her to get fired up somehow.

    I didn¡¯t want her to continue getting played by Mary for the sake of her story.

    As a result, Kirari went beyond expectations.

    She was willing to compromise with someone like me.

    I am sure that she will continue to face difficulties in the future. Even now, her story is still filled with tragedy. I couldn¡¯t bear to look and was about to fall apart.

    But in spite of all this, please continue to bear with the pain.

    When you can no longer endure it, I want you to remember your ¡°anger¡± towards me and hang on.

    Kirari, I will always be watching you.

    I had never taken my eyes off of you, not even for a second. Because you were once my former best friend.

    Please return my gaze.

    Show me defeat in the form of results, not words.

    I¡¯ll get down on my knees or whatever. I¡¯ll praise you for your victory and apologize for everything I¡¯ve said and done in the past.

    But Kirari has yet to receive anything.

    That is meaningless. It may sound harsh, but as it stands, Kirari will remain a girl with unrequited love, unable to find happiness and decay as time passes.

    You wouldn¡¯t want that type of ending, do you?

    Well, I wouldn¡¯t want that either. As her former best friend who had been cut off by no one other than herself, I felt so desolated.

    She had fallen in love with Ryuzaki to the point where she thought I was unneeded.

    I want her to be so happy that it makes me jealous.

    That was my wish as her former best friend.

    ¡°Damn¡­ well, no matter. Top-class creators can always deal with the unexpected. It¡¯s the same as always, the process is irrelevant.¡±

    Despite her efforts to appear strong, Mary was becoming increasingly frustrated as her plan began to unravel. Biting the nail on her thumb, she muttered something.

    ¡°After all, if Ryoma gets rejected, then so be it. That role is going to be played by me, not some third-rate mob character actor¡­ There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to fail. Yes, it¡¯ll be okay. My scenario won¡¯t fail¡­!¡±

    It¡¯s kind of funny how she says things like that to herself.

    Well, she¡¯s right. Mary will take over the role from now on, not me.

    She rejects Ryuzaki and declares her affection for me. Ryuzaki would then fall into despair after being deprived of the main heroine once more, to someone no other than me¡­ That¡¯s the scenario.

    Subsequently, failure is not an option.

    It shouldn¡¯t be possible, but Mary couldn¡¯t seem to hide her anxiety.

    Anyhow, let¡¯s see what will happen.

    Finally, the second part of the story is nearing completion¡­

 CH 123

    ¨CShe had it all.

    Born to a wealthy father and a beautiful mother, she inherited their talents and had a good memory for things. There was nothing she couldn¡¯t achieve if she put her mind to it. Mary Parker was an absolute genius.

    For her, she saw ¡°reality¡± as a series of tasks.

    Of course, she was capable of doing anything. She was able to master whatever task she was given, and she never forgot what she had learned. In a video game analogy, she had reached the maximum level at a younge age and is now playing life in easy mode.

    But in spite of that, there was only one thing she could enjoy.

    That was ¡°storytelling¡±.

    (It¡¯s amazing¡­!)

    Unlike the boring reality she had been living in, she found stories to be fascinating.

    The girl who despised the real world became enthralled by the fictitious world.

    (More¡­ More!!!)

    With a thirst for knowledge, she was very eager to learn about all kinds of stories. Animes, movies, dramas, novels, mangas, and so on. No matter the medium, she continued to fish for stories from one end to the other.

    The days then lasted a year.

    She was only 7 years old at the time, but she was already familiar with all kinds of stories, and there was almost nothing she didn¡¯t know.

    That was around the time that Mary had a favorite ¡°genre.¡±

    (Suck it up!)

    She had read a certain book.

    It was a revenge-type story, in which the protagonist becomes overjoyed after defeating the antagonist.

    After being defeated by the protagonist, the antagonist¡¯s character had fallen into despair and was crestfallen. The ending made her feel inexpressibly happy.

    (More, more, more!)

    Wanting nothing more than to have fun, she began to read only the sagas. But there weren¡¯t enough works in that genre to keep her entertained forever.

    Stories are finite.

    They were insufficient for her, who seeked endless pleasure.

    (More! Even though I want to enjoy it¡­!)

    She was dissatisfied with the real world because things do not turn out the way she wanted it to.

    She wanted to say, ¡°Suck it up!¡± but she couldn¡¯t find a story that would allow her to.

    She could not tolerate that.

    She couldn¡¯t stand the fact that there were things she couldn¡¯t have.

    And so, she kept looking.

    She scoured through every medium possible, desperate to find the genre she had liked.

    Then one day.

    (¡­Huh? I wonder if stories are something that can only be found in fictional worlds?)

    Suddenly, she realized.

    She thought the real world was a dull, depressing place, but¡­ she was too starved¡­ and finally turned her attention to the real world.

    (I suppose ¡°stories¡± do exist here¡­ After all, reality is essentially just an enormous setting with a messed-up plot and complicated character relationships, right?)

    With this, she had finally found it.

    Mary had been exposed to an infinite number of stories.

    (Perhaps I could simplify the setting, alter the narrative, and carefully select the characters so that I could see the¡­ story.)

    Her hypothesis had made her heart skip a beat.

    Of course, that would be something difficult for an ordinary person to accomplish.

    But she was a genius. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had gotten everything she desired. She could do anything if she wanted to.

    That¡¯s why Mary was able to do it.

    (¡­And it¡¯s done!)

    Her first story was a love-hate drama about her parents.

    It was a common occurrence in wealthy families. The father was involved in an unwanted marriage for political reasons. He had someone he really loved, but could not be with them.

    Her mother, on the other hand, was an awful person with a rotten personaltiy who was only interested in money. She was a horrible person with an excellent family background and good looks. She saw her father only as a means to an end, and she abandoned childcare and housework to spend her time with young men.

    Mary had made her mother such an antagonist. She searched for her father¡¯s love interest, staged a fateful encounter, reignited their former love, and exposed her mother¡¯s infidelity.

    She was, of course, the mastermind. She manipulated her parents and their relations at will behind the scenes, never revealing herself.

    As a result, the story was complete.

    (Suck it up!!!)

    She was thrilled by her birth mother¡¯s demise.

    She relished the pleasure of seeing her father happy and in love.

    Her first story was¡­ a masterpiece.

 CH 124

    It is a natural progression, in a sense, that a girl who has enjoyed stories so much will eventually become a creator ¨C or something like that.

    But what was distorted was that Mary was a genius.

    Surely, if she had been creating fictional stories, she would have been able to produce many masterpieces that would live on for generations to come. That is how far Mary¡¯s parameters have swung.

    But because she could do anything, she turned reality into a story.

    Mary¡¯s ability to express fiction in reality makes her a¡­ very distorted creator.

    (This way, this way, ¡­ I can continue to enjoy it for the rest of my life!)

    After working on her first work, she began to create works of art.

    Of course, the works produced are not for anyone. They are only for her own enjoyment and, in a sense, are nothing more than a form of self-satisfaction.

    But that was fine. There is no need to make others understand. She is the only reader.

    The world revolves around Mary.

    She is God. From her bird¡¯s eye view position as a creator, she can manipulate reality as she pleases.

    All her life, that¡¯s how she has played with reality.

    As a child, she continued to use adults to create a sleazy development centered on love-hate drama.

    When she reached puberty, she started playing with her classmates and got into school romantic comedies. Unlike adults, children are simple and easy to manipulate, which was also convenient for her.

    This is how she lived her life as she wished.

    She was going to continue to do only fun things like this for a long time to come.

    Even though she came to Japan for her father¡¯s work, that life was not going to change.

    But today, finally ¡­ for the first time, the story became distorted.

    (Kotaro¡­ don¡¯t do unnecessary things.)

    She was frustrated because things didn¡¯t go the way she wanted.

    The fact that a mob character interfered with the story was terribly annoying.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki confessed to her at an unusual timing that was not calculated, well, it was inevitable. Such timing discrepancies are common. So she doesn¡¯t care about the process. She cares about the result¡­ Even so, the mob character went the extra mile this time.

    (Kotaro¡¯s refusal to accept Kirari has reduced the degree of sadness¡­ haha, good grief.)

    She treasures ¡®contrasts¡¯.

    The antagonist is unhappy. The protagonist is happy. The gap between the two makes the ¡°Suck it up!¡± stand out.

    If Kotaro had done as she said, he could have been surrounded by many girls and could have had a harem, a man¡¯s dream¡­ Mary couldn¡¯t understand him giving up his own pleasures.

    There was something wrong with that boy.

    He¡¯s just a mob character for all intents and purposes, but he doesn¡¯t act like one.

    He has a will. There is conviction. He has unwavering strength. He is a mob character who should be a nobody, but he has a strong ¡°self¡±.

    She had never seen such a person before.

    That is why she reached out. She thought that with this boy, she could create a wonderful story. But it seems she was wrong.

    (Damn ¡­ Well, that¡¯s okay. This is a ¡°process¡± after all. As long as the result is what I want, that¡¯s all that matters.)

    She told herself. In the end, Kirari is just a process.

    What is important is that Ryoma Ryuzaki will be unhappy.

    If she could witness that, she would feel a little better.

    With this in mind, she headed for her classroom.

    When he confessed to her in the back of the school building, she put her answer on hold, saying, ¡®I¡¯d like you to wait a little bit.¡¯ An hour later, in an empty classroom, she decides to tell him her answer to his confession.

    The reason why she specified the time was to show the scene to Kotaro Nakayama. Of course, his appearance would be hidden. She had already given him instructions to hide somewhere in the empty classroom.

    As expected, there was a possibility that Ryoma Ryuzaki would make a move if he was in the same place at the moment of the confession. Ryoma Ryuzaki must simply be unhappy. No violence is necessary for that. She doesn¡¯t want him to feel better by punching someone.

    (I know I¡¯m a little off schedule, but ¡­ it¡¯s fine. There is no such thing as a bad story in my works.)

    Finally, the moment arrived.

    This is the moment she has been waiting for the longest.

    ¡°Suck it up.¡±

    She is hungry for those words.

    She craved that pleasure so much¡­

 CH 125

    It¡¯s finally here.

    Soon, the moment she has been waiting for will arrive.

    ¡°Mary, it¡¯s time for our appointment¡­ Let me hear your answer.¡±

    It¡¯s just the two of them in an empty classroom at dusk. It¡¯s an unquestionable situation. Well, there is probably a mob character lurking somewhere in the classroom, but Ryoma Ryuzaki is unaware of it, so it is practically just the two of them.

    ¡°I like you, Mary.¡±

    The voice of the determined protagonist-sama echoed.

    His eyes were directed straight at Mary.

    ¡°I will always love Mary, won¡¯t you let me?¡±

    She wondered how much effort she had put in to hear that sentence.

    (Phew¡­ finally.)

    To be honest, even Mary, who prides herself on being a great actor, had difficulty with Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    It would take no ordinary effort to make someone fall in love with someone who is so insensitive, whose favors are not conveyed, and who so easily tramples on one¡¯s feelings.

    That is why she was so excited to hear this one word.

    Mary¡¯s body shook at this moment that had finally arrived.

    She was excited.

    She was fidgeting.

    She was itching.

    She was nervous.

    She wanted to explode with emotion as soon as possible.

    But not yet. If she peed her pants here, the catharsis would wear off.

    She must be rushed a little bit more. If she doesn¡¯t take advantage of this perfect timing, she won¡¯t be able to recover the degree of ¡°Suck it up.¡± that she missed because of the mob character.

    That¡¯s why she is so excited.

    ¡°¡­ I am so glad you feel that way, Ryoma!¡±

    First, a light jab. Ryuzaki¡¯s cheeks relaxed as if he was somewhat relieved at the words of affirmation.

    With that one word, he was convinced that he had won.

    It¡¯s not a bad idea to push off here, but ¡­ not yet, Mary said, getting even more impatient.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a dream come true, to be with Ryoma for the rest of my life¡­!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a dream. I¡¯ll make Mary happy. So, please ¡­take care of me.¡±

    Ryuzaki was already in the mood.

    He stepped up to hold Mary¡¯s shoulder.

    (It¡¯s here.)

    She smiled.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki was feeling very conceited after all the patience, impatience, and pretension.

    Now was the right time, she thought.

    It was now or never to ¡°betray¡± him.

    So she finally said¡­

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Ryoma Ryuzaki did not react to that answer.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    He tilted his head as if to say that he did not understand what was said.

    He probably didn¡¯t expect to be rejected.

    She repeated it once more to him who was so conceited like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryoma? I love Ryoma, but¡­. I have found someone I love even more!¡±

    Explain firmly.

    Choose words that leave no room for interpretation.

    Immediately, Ryoma Ryuzaki lost his expression.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What is ¡­ that?¡±

    The twisted words were tinged with a single emotion.

    That despair was exactly what Mary wanted.

    (More, more, more ¡­!)

    She was starving. She wanted more of Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s misery.

    It wasn¡¯t enough. She wanted more, more, more!

    As if to pluck Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s despair.

    More words were added.

    ¡°Ryoma, you¡¯re a little late¡­ I really liked Ryoma. But after today¡¯s play, I found someone I like even more. So, I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait. That¡¯s a lie¡­ Are you kidding!? Is there someone you like more? Ah, it¡¯s impossible¡­ Who is that? No, because there is no one who is closer to Mary than I am¡­¡±

    He was about to say something.

    He looked at me with wide eyes, as if remembering.

    ¡°No way, are you kidding me ¡­¡­? You like someone from today¡¯s play? Hey, that can¡¯t be true, right?¡¡How could it be him, of all people? Hey, Mary, ¡­ who is it? Who the hell is it?¡±

    Ryoma Ryuzaki came in closer to her, yelling at her.

    She looked at him distraught and said clearly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve fallen in love with Kotaro.¡±

    ¨CWith that one statement, it was over.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!!!!!¡±

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s face was filled with anger.

    He was breathing hard like an animal and clenching his fists tightly.

    ¡°Him, of all people¡­! That guy again! Don¡¯t be a fool, ¡­ don¡¯t be a fool. Don¡¯t interfere with me, Nakayama!¡±

    If Kotaro Nakayama had been there, he would have punched him.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki, who showed that much anger, didn¡¯t see Mary anymore.

    ¡°S**t¡­ S**t, s**t! Damn it!¡±

    He shouted, kicking a nearby desk.

    He continued to reap several desks, messing up the empty classroom, and then fled the scene.

    Mary stared at the scene.

    Finally, the moment had arrived.

    It was the ¡°bad ending¡± she had been waiting for.

    She laughed at the fall of the harem protagonist who had been blessed with everything.

    ¡°This is the end of Ryoma¡¯s story, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    She muttered and tried to close with her usual one-liner.

    She spat out the decisive line and tried to bask in the afterglow of having finished making up the story.

    ¡°Suck it up¡­¡±

    But she couldn¡¯t finish that one sentence until the end.

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    She suddenly realized.

    The usual feeling of clarity was not there.

    No, on the contrary, there was a small pain in the area of her ¡­ chest.

    (What is this?)

    The unexpected event was puzzling.

    The unexpected event was bewildering.

    As she was perplexed in this way¡­ a mob character, who had been hiding, came out.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, you¡¯re kidding, right?¡±

    He looked at Mary and rolled his eyes.

    But his expression immediately relaxed, and immediately he laughed.

    ¡°Aha¡­ ahaha¡­ ahahahahaha!!!¡±

    He was truly having a good time.

    The mockery that should have been Mary¡¯s is now being done by a mob character.

    The reason, she couldn¡¯t figure out.

    She glared at him, wondering what was so funny.

    ¡°Kotaro? What are you trying to say?¡±

    Ask. She strongly urged him to give a short answer.

    Finally, he told her.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurting, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s painful, isn¡¯t it? You must be in ¡­ shock, hurting that guy, rejecting his confession.¡±

    That was the worst possible outcome for Mary.

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯ll tell you. Mary¡­ you¡¯ve unconsciously fallen in love with Ryuzaki.¡±

    It¡¯s like a mummy-taker becoming a mummy.

    ¡°What creator are you ¡­ just a subcharacter for leverage. In the end, you were fascinated by the main character, Ryoma Ryuzaki.¡±

    So there was no catharsis.

    She fell in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki, so seeing him unhappy and hurt didn¡¯t refresh her.

    She couldn¡¯t say, ¡°Suck it up¡± ¡­

    Because she had fallen in love with him.

    ¡°You fell in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki, just like all the other subheroines.¡±

    Mary was stunned by that statement.

    All her life, she had thought of herself as a creator. She had thought she was close to God.

    But no.

    She was, after all, a character.

    When Mary was reminded of this, she could only be stunned.

 CH 126

    ¨CI couldn¡¯t stop laughing at the unexpected turn of events.

    ¡°Ahahaha! Hey, how in the world are you feeling right now? Are you feeling refreshed? Are you feeling good? Are you feeling like, ¡°Suck it up!¡±

    I looked at her face and instantly realized.

    It was sad, but I had seen that face three times before. It was impossible not to notice.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Mary, who is usually so talkative, seemed to be unable to say anything just now.

    It¡¯s not hard to see why.

    She realized for the first time that she was ¡°in love¡±.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say anything, can you? Your head is full of Ryuzaki, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re in pain because the person you love is hurt, aren¡¯t you???¡±

    It¡¯s just like that time.

    She looked exactly the same as the three girls who fell in love with Ryuzaki at the high school entrance ceremony.

    That was very, very amusing.

    ¡°You may have thought you were manipulating the story as you wished under the pretense of being a creator, but ¡­ You are, after all, just another subheroine.¡±

    Mary Parker was certainly a tricky character.

    But in the end she was just a factor in moving the story along.

    ¡°No. I am the creator. I¡¯m a creator¡­! Ryoma, Kotaro, Kirari, everything was supposed to be my idea.¡±

    ¡°But it didn¡¯t. It¡¯s shoddy for a creator¡­ It didn¡¯t go the way you wanted it to¡­ at all, the catharsis was thin, and the aftermath after reading it was bad. Isn¡¯t it embarrassing to call yourself a creator at this level?¡±

    Really, it¡¯s ludicrous.

    It¡¯s just like me.

    I used to think I was the protagonist, and now Mary is the same. She thought she was the creator, but she was just a subheroine. She must be very shocked.

    As evidence, she was still unable to accept the reality.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Because there¡¯s no reason ¡­ why did ¡­ I fall in love with Ryoma? No, no, no way. How could I like a person like that? It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Sorry to be so desperate to deny it, but there is no point in looking for a reason to do so.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is a ¡°protagonist¡±.

    ¡°Of course there is no reason. Ryuzaki is a poison that ravages the hearts and minds of those who get involved with him and makes them crazy.¡±

    Even the main heroine, Shiho, was very wary of Ryuzaki. She avoided Ryuzaki by not making eye contact, not talking to him, and not paying attention to him.

    She probably smelled him with her intuition as the main heroine¡­, or in Shiho¡¯s case, it would be more accurate to say that she ¡°heard¡± him.

    That is how dangerous and unusual Ryuzaki is.

    The proof of this is that the girls I once cherished went crazy at every turn.

    Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki were all distorted in some way. Azusa¡¯s distortion has recently been cured, and Kirari seems to have gotten off the bottom, but Ryuzaki¡¯s aftereffects will remain forever.

    That is how abnormal that man is.

    Rather, Mary would be the better one because she was only aware that she was still in love with him after being next to Ryuzaki for such a long time.

    A normal subheroine would succumb to the poison after the first meeting. They depend on it and it destroys their hearts. I think she is the one who has endured.

    ¡°Convenience doesn¡¯t need a reason. See, you always said it yourself. It didn¡¯t matter what the ¡®process¡¯ was.¡±

    I have heard that you don¡¯t need a reason to love someone.

    It¡¯s true, Ryuzaki doesn¡¯t need a reason to be loved by others. That¡¯s what he is. A protagonist is generally an unreasonable being who is loved unconditionally.

    As one would expect from Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    (He¡¯s not just a protagonist after all. He is the protagonist-¡°sama¡± ¡­ who arrogantly tramples on the thoughts of girls all the time.)

    Ironically, Mary must have fallen victim to his venom this time.

    Pity¡­ but, well, I don¡¯t feel sorry for her.

    Because this is what she deserves.

    I guess this is the punishment for trying to play with others to satisfy one¡¯s own needs.

    Unfortunately, Mary¡¯s scenario was a perfect ¡°collapse¡±.

    She is, after all, not a creator.

    She was just a subheroine, one of the pathetic harem members.

    That fact was irresistibly hilarious¡­

 CH 127

    Thus, Mary¡¯s ¡°Suck it up¡± type romantic comedy went bust.

    ¡°¡­ I failed? Me? That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Even if she desperately denies it, the fact remains.

    The end she wanted had not come.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a question. How do you feel right now? As you wanted, the harem protagonist has fallen to the bottom of the pile, right? Are you refreshed?¡¡Are you refreshed? Can you say the line you want?¡±

    An empty classroom after school. It was getting dark outside before I knew it, and the afterschool festival had probably already started. If we go out to the corridor, we will surely find it crowded with students who have been carried away by the fever of the festival.

    But in this classroom, the air was as cold as if it were a different space.

    ¡°I thought it was supposed to be fun¡­ I thought the ¡®story¡¯ I created was supposed to be a masterpiece.¡±

    The story, well, it would have worked.

    If you think about it in terms of her favorite ¡®result,¡¯ Ryuzaki was in despair after being dumped by the heroine. I, on the other hand, was not loved by the sub-heroine, but I was able to maintain a reasonably happy position.

    But she seemed to be in pain.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say, ¡°Suck it up¡±. Because the person you love has been hurt, so it must be hard for you, too.¡±

    I was watching.

    Even when Ryuzaki was confessing, I was hiding and watching the whole time.

    I could even see Mary¡¯s expression through the gaps in the cleaning equipment locker.

    I know she may not be aware of it, but ¡­ Mary¡¯s expression changes when she is in front of Ryuzaki. As for me, I didn¡¯t notice it because I thought it was an act.

    But her emotions were not made up.

    Her behavior may indeed have been an act. Mary herself must not have been aware that she had fallen for him.

    But I realized it just now.

    Only in front of Ryuzaki, she had a very soft expression on her face. Her eyes sparkled as if she was a maiden in love.

    Seeing her like that, it was impossible for Ryuzaki not to think that Mary loved him. So he must have been quite surprised that he was rejected.

    ¡°After all, you are just a subheroine. You were just a part to decorate Ryuzaki¡¯s surroundings. In this volume, well, you moved the story along nicely and misled the audience in many ways with your tricky words and actions, but ¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be appearing less and less in the future. Because you¡¯re just one of the harem members, so there¡¯s no way around it.¡±

    That¡¯s how subheroines are treated.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you, who can look at things from a bird¡¯s eye view, can understand that, right? You can see the pain and suffering of unrequited love in the future¡­ Oh, what an ending. It really does make me laugh.¡±

    Oh no. I can¡¯t control my emotions.

    The black feelings that had been pushed inside me were swelling.

    It was so nice to see Mary now.

    Oh, I see. I finally understood how Mary felt.

    Indeed, this pleasure is addictive.

    No wonder Mary, who is a hedonist, is so crazy about it.

    Because I felt so refreshed now.

    ¡°Mary-san, come on, let me hear you tell me what it feels like to be laughed at by the very people you¡¯ve been toying with ¡­. Blurt out your regrets, your sore losers, your throwaway lines, as much as you want!¡¡You couldn¡¯t say this if you weren¡¯t ¡­, could you?¡±

    Those were the words she was hungry for.

    But this time, I will say it.

    ¡°Suck it up¡­ right?¡±

    At that moment, Mary staggered.

    She turned over, hands on her head leaning against a desk, and she was ¡­ devastated, in despair.

    ¡°¡­I see. I was just a subheroine.¡±

    She is indeed a genius.

    She understands quickly and rationally.

    Without getting emotional¡­, no, because she couldn¡¯t get emotional¡­, she understood her position quickly.

    But it is also a double-edged sword.

    Like Azusa, she can¡¯t be remorseful.

    Like Kirari, she can¡¯t be inspired.

    She can only accept reality and despair¡­ I knew she was a pathetic character.

    ¡°Yes. You are a subheroine, not a creator. From now on, you¡¯d better never be mistaken again¡­ If you do something undeserving, you¡¯ll be hurt.¡±

    This is a piece of advice from a mob character who mistakenly thought he was the protagonist. This is advice from a senior.

    ¡°The subheroine should be like a subheroine and take care of the protagonist-sama¡¯s good mood. If you do that, you¡¯ll get some of his favor.¡±

    I said this as if I was going to spit it out, and I looked away from her.

    This was the end of Mary Parker¡¯s run.

    I¡¯ve been pushed around a lot, but ¡­ anyway, the story has somehow come to an end.

    Both the protagonist and the subheroine are heartbroken, and the real mastermind is a mummy¡­ What a terrible romantic comedy, at all!

 CH 128

    ¡°¡­ Hey, wait.¡±

    As I was about to leave the classroom, Mary called out to me as if to say she wasn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s nothing more to talk about, okay?¡±

    I stop and turn around. I wonder if she has anything more to say ¡­ even though her scenario has already been ruined.

    ¡°Ah Kotaro and I have no role to play anymore. Because the story is over ¡­ with the unimaginable ¡®bad¡¯ ending.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re aware of that¡­¡±

    Then what?

    I didn¡¯t understand what Mary wanted to say to me.

    I had never seen her like this before. Usually, she uses a roundabout way, but what she wanted to say was clear and easy to understand¡­ Now I really don¡¯t understand what she means.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so baffled, ¡­ I know what I¡¯m talking about too, okay?¡¡This is just a ¡®meander¡¯ that has nothing to do with the story. If I had to give it a title, I¡¯d say, let¡¯s see, ¡­ ¡®The Reverse Resentment of a Subheroine Who Mistook Herself for a Creator¡¯.¡±

    Mary looks up.

    Stuck on her face was a lurid cold smile.

    It was not the usual smile, not a fearless smile, not a cunning fake smile.

    It was the desperate smile of someone who has run out of options.

    ¡°My bad play ended with all the characters being unhappy, though, didn¡¯t it? But there is one happy person.¡±

    I was surprised to hear her say that¡­

    I knew what she was going to do.

    ¡°Oh come on, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­ Just leave the scene like a grown up. You¡¯ve already done your part, so just go away and be an honest to yourself¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no. This is the last time I¡¯m going to show you my work¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way I¡¯m going to be more active than I am now in the story after this. Then let me leave my mark here.¡±

    Saying this, Mary instantly pressed closer to me.

    She came so close that our skin was almost touching, and I, of course, retreated to run away. But she didn¡¯t stop. She was coming closer and closer to me and wouldn¡¯t let me go.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you go, okay? Kotaro¡­ can¡¯t forgive you. I want Kotaro, who is the only happy person in my bad work, to be unhappy, too.¡±

    My back was already attached to the wall.

    Mary-san restrained me with her hands on the wall. It¡¯s a so-called kabedon situation, but ¡­ I wanted her to stop because it was not at all thrilling.

    It was bad ¡­ I might have overdone it.

    I may have pushed Mary too hard because of my outburst of dark emotions.

    She was getting desperate.

    She probably didn¡¯t care about herself anymore. Her pride is broken, her position is gone, and her future is bleak.

    She is like an ¡®invincible person¡¯.

    She has nothing to fear now. She can do whatever she wants.

    ¡°Kotaro, let¡¯s be unhappy together, shall we? If everyone is unhappy, it will become normal. I, Ryoma, and Kirari are all equal, right? So, I¡¯m going to make you unhappy ¡­ and I¡¯m going to bring Kotaro down to earth!¡±

    I break out in cold sweat.

    The dusky black vindictiveness sent chills down my spine.

    (Not good¡­ Not good. Not good.)

    I can¡¯t stop. After all, I am only a mob character.

    I¡¯m a lesser person than the subheroine, so I can¡¯t intervene in her will.

    No matter what I said to Mary, she would not stop.

    So there was nothing I could do.

    ¡°Kotaro¡­I told you, didn¡¯t I? If you don¡¯t do what I want, I¡¯ll do what you don¡¯t want most.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Stop it. Please, stop it.¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t stop, okay? I want Kotaro to be unhappy with me, you know? I guess so¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m going to interrupt Kotaro and Shiho¡¯s romantic comedy. I¡¯m going to leave my mark on your story!¡±

    That was what I had feared the most.

    That was the only thing I really wanted her to stop doing.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to give Kotaro a kiss ¡­ hihihi, aren¡¯t you happy? You must be so happy, aren¡¯t you? I bet it¡¯ll be a memory that won¡¯t fade away, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ your first time, too, you know?¡±

    ¡°So what? I don¡¯t care anymore, as long as ¡­ I can hurt Kotaro, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    She takes another step forward.

    Our noses were already touching each other. Every time she spoke, her breath hit my cheek and I felt sick.

    But I couldn¡¯t move. I was like a frog staring at a snake,¡­ my legs cowering in fear.

    I almost screamed out at the thought of what was to come.

    After all, if Mary becomes my first partner here¡­ I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t disappear from my mind in the future.

    ¡°Nihihihi. It¡¯s nice¡­ From now on, every time you kiss Shiho, every time you touch each other, Kotaro will remember me. You will suffer from the guilt of having betrayed Shiho. From the bottom of the heart, you won¡¯t be able to love Shiho! Unable to forgive yourself for betraying her, you become a pathetic mob character who denies yourself again!¡±

    That¡¯s right. Even if I wasn¡¯t responsible ¡­ no, even if Shiho forgave me for it, my heart would never forgive me.

    I would be so overcome with regret that I would not be able to accept Shiho¡¯s love.

    I will be tormented by the scars left by the girl Mary Parker for a long time to come.

    ¡°¡­Suck it up.¡±

    Mary smiles.

    No, she laughs.

    She was smiling with the same smile I was smiling a moment ago.

    ¡°Kotaro is just like me, isn¡¯t he? Let¡¯s live our lives as pathetic and miserable characters, filled with regret¡­ If Shiho dumps you, come to me? It wouldn¡¯t be bad for the two of us to lick each other¡¯s wounds and live our lives together, would it? Let¡¯s continue to seek unfulfilled love together, while we scratch our chests with unfulfilled thoughts and resent each other for the rest of our lives¡­ That¡¯s my revenge¡­¡±

    Is ¡­ this a punishment?

    Is it the cause and effect of my ridicule of others?

    After all, I am a person who is useless without her.

    (Is this as far as my romantic comedy goes¡­?)

    After all, Mary-san played with me and that¡¯s the end of it.

    Shiho¡­ I¡¯m sorry.

    I may not be able to make you happy anymore¡­

    ¨D¨DUsually, this would have been the way it was supposed to be broken up.

    But there was no way she ¡­ would have wanted that development.

    ¡°Ufufu ¡­ hey, what makes you think I¡¯d allow that?¡±

    The clear voice echoes.

    The cold air is blown in by a warm breeze.

    It is as if the world, which had been dyed in gray, suddenly turns colorful.

    Her appearance was so dramatic that it created such an illusion.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Will you please not defile my lovely hero?¡±

    I huffed and looked up.

    I shifted my face to dodge Mary¡¯s lips and looked at the entrance to the empty classroom.

    There she was, after all.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, you¡¯re going to be okay. Let me help you, alright?¡±

    Her gentle smile makes me almost cry.

    That¡¯s right¡­ this girl is always like this.

    She¡¯s always there for me when I¡¯m having a hard time, when I¡¯m in pain, when I can¡¯t help myself¡­

    And she always helps me out¡­

 CH 129

    When did she get there?

    At the entrance of the empty classroom, a silvery-white girl was standing there leisurely.

    It was as if I was seeing her for the first time, even though she should have been familiar to me.

    The atmosphere of the girl was so different from the one I had seen before.

    If she were the girl I knew, I don¡¯t think she would have been able to maintain her sanity in such a situation.

    I was alone with a girl, and the distance between us was almost zero. She, being a bit of a yandere, would have puffed up her cheeks and gotten angry.

    But now she ¡­ Shiho Shimotsuki had a look on her face that exceeded my expectations.

    ¡°Ufufu?¡±

    Smiling wanly, she gazed at me with her hands folded behind her back.

    Her expression of dignity almost gave me goosebumps.

    Recently, though, perhaps because I¡¯ve become more familiar with her, I¡¯ve become paralyzed by the ¡­ sensation.

    This girl is really spectacular. Her overwhelming presence almost made me shrink back.

    ¡°Mary-chan, ¡­ he¡¯s my sweet dear mistletoe ¡­, you know? You mustn¡¯t touch him casually. I can¡¯t allow you to.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Mary was overwhelmed, too.

    She was supposed to be desperate and trying to ruin me with her, but she was dazzled by Shiho¡¯s dazzle.

    I know that feeling.

    Standing in front of Shiho, my own filthiness is highlighted.

    I am sure Mary is also put off. She must be keenly aware of her own ugliness.

    So she could not say anything, but could only stare in amazement.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice? My pretty young sapling is very attractive, isn¡¯t he? I can see why you¡¯d want to get your hands on it. Because it¡¯s so lovely.¡±

    The words were spun in a rhythm as if she was singing.

    ¡°The more I polish him, the more beautiful and shiny he becomes. When he is carefully tuned, like a beautiful sounding instrument, he becomes a ¡­ tasteful and attractive human being. That makes me very happy, but that light attracts a lot of bad bugs.¡±

    Shiho takes one step forward.

    The air trembled as she took each step forward, and naturally the attention turned to her. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her every move.

    Was this girl really Shiho?

    That clumsy, adorable girl was nowhere to be found.

    Indeed, she was the main heroine.

    She has a different air about her, just like her mother, Satsuki.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t, okay? I raised him, remember? I lovingly tuned him just for me. So I have a duty to protect him, and a responsibility to get rid of bad bugs.¡±

    Another step forward.

    Each time the distance gets closer, I feel an oppressive feeling that makes it hard to breathe.

    I kind of felt like running away.

    Well, that feeling is probably stronger in Mary-san than in ¡­ me.

    She was shaking as Shiho hit her with the words.

    She looked uncomfortable, as if she were a child whose parents had caught her playing a mischievous prank.

    She was hiding from the main heroine and acting like the main heroine, so it was understandable.

    ¡°I gave Azu-nyan special permission. Because she will be my future sister, of course. I have the right to receive his favor and I want him to be happy. He can¡¯t be happy unless Azu-nyan is happy, so I gave him special permission to accept her.

    ¡°Does that mean that¡­ I¡¯m not good enough?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Not you, right? No, you¡¯re not the only one special. I would never allow any other girl, any other girl, to touch him. Because, after all the time I¡¯ve spent making him sound the way I love him, it would dull the sound if he were to get sullied.¡±

    Shiho has no intention of making the other person understand.

    Shiho speaks with a unique sensibility.

    ¡°The truth is, I didn¡¯t like it. I knew he was messing around with you and other girls. There was a nasty noise, ¡­ a noise I couldn¡¯t bear to hear. It was like he was snapping my little twig.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Did you know?¡±

    The words just came out of my mouth.

    I had assumed that this story had nothing to do with Shiho.

    I had assumed that she had no idea what was going on and was just going through a peaceful romantic comedy.

    But that perception was a little different.

    ¡°Yes, of course¡­ Kotaro-kun? There¡¯s very little I don¡¯t know about you. I would especially notice if you were in pain or hurting. Because I love you.¡±

    So in other words, Shiho was going along with¡­ my selfishness.

    ¡°I knew that¡¯s the reason why you were trying to protect me. Ummm¡­it was so wonderful. My little Kotaro was doing his best to protect me, and I couldn¡¯t help but watch over you. Without reaching out to you, I was giving you my protection.¡±

    Oh, well ¡­ maybe I was mistaken.

    I thought Shiho was the one who needed to be protected.

    I had mistakenly thought that because she was so fragile, I had to shield her.

    But Shiho is growing up.

    She is getting stronger little by little.

    She is not a weak girl who is satisfied with just being protected.

    ¡°Thank you, Kotaro-kun. I¡¯m glad you feel that way¡­ But know this, okay? When you hurt, there are people who get hurt. Self-sacrifice solves everything only in a convenient fiction, right? This time it didn¡¯t get worse because I happened to be looking out for you, but you better watch out, okay?¡±

    Then she arrived right next to me.

    Shiho tugs on my hand to pull me away from Mary, who remains rigid and motionless. I did as she asked, and she hugged me.

    ¡°But it was cool. Another thing I like about you¡­That¡¯s the best part this time, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shiho laughs as she says that.

    That was all it took for my body to feel the heat of the fire.

    I was not at all upset with Mary, no matter what she did to me.

    Shiho makes me so passionate just by smiling.

    That was the difference between a main heroine and a subheroine.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The subheroine was made to see this and her expression was distorted like she was hurt.

    I¡¯m sure Mary is aware of it. She must be strongly aware of the difference between Shiho and herself because she looks at things from a bird¡¯s eye view.

    This is the difference in her ¡®status¡¯ as a heroine.

    The main heroine always twists the story.

    It seems that Mary¡¯s revenge story has been easily put to an end.

    ¡°Huh¡­ I can¡¯t win¡­ I give up.¡±

    Saying this, Mary¡¯s shoulders slumped. She walked away from the classroom without looking back.

    The loser subheroine, who had produced nothing, disappeared from the stage very miserably.

    With this, the second part would come to a close.

    With one move by the main heroine, Mary-san¡¯s story was finally ¡­ over.

    TLN: Ok, two more chapters, hopefully tmrw for this arc. Then there are gonna be 4 sidestories in the next 1~2 weeks. Can¡¯t put a date on that one, I have War Thunder addiction, send help.

 CH 130

    ¨CThe sun was already setting when I realized that it was late.

    We had to leave soon, or Shiho would be late for her curfew. But she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving and kept hugging me.

    ¡°Nyufufu. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯ve had Kotaro-kun all to myself. I feel like I¡¯m monopolizing Kotaro-kun for the first time in a long time¡­ I want to hold you like this all the time¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. How about using Kotaro-kun as a bed pillow? I want to wrap you up in a cloth and put you on my bed.¡±

    ¡­The idea is scary, as usual.

    Shiho is completely back to normal. Perhaps it was thanks to Mary¡¯s exit.

    ¡°Come to think of it, how long have you been watching¡­?¡±

    She was talking earlier as if she had been watching all along, however.

    I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s actually true. At least, she wasn¡¯t at the back of the school building. If she had been there, Shiho would have jumped out when I was slapped.

    My guess that she might have seen us as early as Ryuzaki¡¯s confession, or as late as when he left, was about right.

    ¡°Just about the time Kotaro-kun got kabedoned, I think. I was in the classroom waiting for you to come home when I heard a loud noise coming from an empty classroom. I came to check on you and found Kotaro-kun and Mary-chan.¡±

    A loud noise, I guess when Ryuzaki kicked the desk.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, and I don¡¯t ask tactless questions like, ¡°What happened?¡± I just know that you were trying to protect ¡­ me. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    With that said, she now reached for my cheek.

    Just where Kirari had slapped me.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t have to work so hard to get hurt¡­ Look, it¡¯s swollen, okay? I won¡¯t ask you what happened, but do you understand that it hurts me to know that you¡¯re hurting?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I sincerely apologized. Then she smiled and nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s great that you can apologize properly. Yes, of course I forgive you¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. Kotaro-kun, do you want to bend down a bit?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah, yeah.¡±

    What happened all of a sudden?

    I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going to do to me, but I did as I was told and bent down.

    I try to lower my eyes a little lower than Shiho.

    Then she suddenly crunched my head.

    ¡°All right? ¡­ You did a great job this time. I¡¯m going to reward you for your efforts.¡±

    ¡­ Apparently, Shiho is willing to work hard for me.

    I thought she was just going to lean in closer to me, but then she put her lips on mine.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The unexpected event made my mind go blank.

    On the contrary, Shiho¡¯s face was as red as a ripe apple.

    ¡°This is ¡­ your reward, okay? I¡¯m not in a hurry because Mary-chan is going to take away Kotaro-kun¡¯s first time, alright? I kissed you because I love you, don¡¯t get me wrong!¡±

    I don¡¯t know where the tsun tsun is coming from, but ¡­ I bit down hard on that reward.

    ¨D¨DI¡¯m glad I did my best.

    I felt that way from the bottom of my heart.

    I was inexperienced and pathetic, so there were probably many things that I did not deserve.

    But Shiho watched over me. She recognized my effort. She praised me afterwards.

    That alone made me feel rewarded.

    I felt from the bottom of my heart that I had done my best.

    (I will definitely make this girl happy¡­!)

    I firmly vowed in my heart.

    I will never do anything to make Shiho unhappy.

    I will always try to protect ¡­ her from now on.

    And I want to be happy with her.

    I prayed to the night sky for such a wish.

    The second part of the story comes to a close¡­

 CH 131

    The end of October. It was the weekend, and Shiho and I visited a cell phone store in a shopping mall. The purpose, of course, was to buy a smartphone.

    I had promised to buy it as soon as the festival was over, but the timing with my parents did not work out, so I was not able to buy it. Today, the timing was finally right and I was able to buy it successfully.

    My aunt left quickly after signing the contract, but this is usual. She was so used to it that she basically did the bare minimum as a guardian.

    Shiho was accompanying us, but she didn¡¯t say anything after all, and she was still the same person.

    Well, that¡¯s beside the point.

    Shiho, who was shy around my aunt and quiet until a while ago, suddenly became energetic.

    ¡°Ufufu? I¡¯m so happy that Kotaro-kun finally got a smartphone¡­, and it¡¯s the same model and color as mine, isn¡¯t it wonderful? It¡¯s like a dream¡­ I finally accomplished number 63 on my list of things I want to do with my friends.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you even keeping track of that list of accomplishments?¡±

    I have a feeling that the number is so huge that she probably doesn¡¯t even keep track of it.

    However, I don¡¯t care if it makes her happy or not. I¡¯ll stay with her until all the items on her to-do list are filled up.

    ¡°Oh, Kotaro-kun. Can I borrow your phone? I want to be the first to register my contact information.¡±

    ¡°Ah, here you go.¡±

    I offered it to her honestly, since I still didn¡¯t know how to use it well. Then she stood still and started playing around with it.

    ¡°Thanks. All right, I¡¯ll need an address, GPS, a logging app, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Just the ¡­ address, okay?¡±

    I¡¯m afraid something extra is being done to me.

    Well, I don¡¯t care if Shiho does anything to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m going to be silent for a while and wait until Shiho is satisfied.

    The shopping mall where the cell phone store is located is crowded with people because it is a holiday. I think I¡¯ll pull Shiho to the end of the aisle so she doesn¡¯t get in the way of people passing by.

    ¡°Shiho, come here?¡±

    I grab her hand lightly and pull her along.

    As I do so, she leans her body against me, so I gently take her in. Both of her hands are blocked by the phone, so she would have fallen if I hadn¡¯t supported her¡­ This girl seems to trust me quite a bit.

    As it was, I supported her as if I was hugging her from behind.

    I was still thrilled to be in contact with her warm, soft, and nice smell ¡­ I still couldn¡¯t believe that I could be intimate with such an alluring girl.

    I guess I must really love Shiho.

    If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be so thrilled¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m growing up a little bit, too. I¡¯m not an emotionless mob character.

    So I suppose it¡¯s time to let it go.

    ¡°Shiho¡­ it¡¯s about time you heard me say ¡®I love you¡¯?¡±

    We are such close friends, but our relationship is still ¡°friends¡±.

    In the past, Shiho did not accept my confession of love, saying that it was not enough. It seems that my feelings of ¡°I love you¡± at that time were too weak for Shiho.

    But I have grown up a little.

    I am not just a despicable person like I was then.

    I¡¯m not sure if I love myself or not, but ¡­ at least the feeling of loving Shiho is real.

    To be honest, I am embarrassed.

    My desire to officially date Shiho was growing.

    ¡°Can you let me say, ¡®I want to go out with you¡¯?¡±

    So I gathered my courage and asked for her opinion.

    But Shiho seems¡­ to have a love far beyond my expectations, after all.

    ¡°¡­I want to mess up Kotaro-kun, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    I was taken aback by this unexpected comment.

    What does it mean? ¡­ When I tilted my head, Shiho smiled and squeezed my hand.

    ¡°I want to mess you up. I want to be so ¡­ loved by you, Kotaro-kun, so much ¡­ that you¡¯ll break with just one word I say.¡±

    -In a way, it could be described as decadent.

    Because, you don¡¯t usually have the desire to destroy someone you love.

    But she does. That¡¯s how much she loves me.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, you care about me, don¡¯t you? So you don¡¯t want to destroy me, right?¡¡That makes me happy, though, doesn¡¯t it? If you love me that much, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll break. My love is very heavy.¡±

    The desire to break it is there, but we don¡¯t wish it to be broken.

    So Shiho shook her head.

    ¡°We¡¯ve reached a point where it¡¯s not so bad, but we shouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry to ¡­ get there, okay? Our life is long. Let¡¯s hold out a little longer, okay? At least until Kotaro-kun likes me enough to endure my affection¡­ right?¡±

    Shiho is not fooled by temporary desires.

    Shiho was looking far ahead.

    ¡°That¡¯s how much I love you, Kotaro-kun. So, I¡¯ll hold out until you¡¯re strong enough not to break down ¡­ a little more.¡±

    Even Shiho is patient.

    I¡¯m still immature, so she¡¯s waiting for me to grow into that.

    If that¡¯s the case, I guess it¡¯s not the right¡­ time yet.

    ¡°I see. Then wait a little longer. I am still making you wait.¡±

    ¡°No? I don¡¯t dislike this frustrating relationship. Sometimes my desire gets out of control and I almost attack Kotaro-kun, but I¡¯m not going to let that happen.¡¡But I have to hold back because it would destroy the fragile Kotaro-kun.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey, isn¡¯t that a line from the guy¡¯s side of the argument? Shiho, you treat me like a little princess.¡±

    ¡°Is it similar? Because you are my precious treasure?.¡±

    We walked slowly, exchanging such words.

    Our hands have been linked, all along.

    ¡­As I said, the romantic comedy between me and Shiho is a bad one.

    It¡¯s hard to find a story that progresses so slowly.

    (TLN: Yeah¡­ yours is still only about 130 chapters¡­ so no, it¡¯s not that hard to find one that is longer smh)

    But that¡¯s okay.

    We don¡¯t need dramatic drama in our romantic comedy.

    We will be in a state of happiness for a long, long time.

    [End of Part 2]

 CH 132

    <¡°¡­Watch me now.¡±>

    With that one word, she was finally able to blow it out of the water.

    £¨I¡¯ll definitely make you look back at me!)

    She swore firmly to herself.

    She promised herself that she would show Kotaro Nakayama, who had denied her everything, that she could be happy again.

    It was the end of October. The festival was over and she was back to her normal life¡­ she changed her hairstyle.

    (I¡¯ve had enough of blonde hair¡­ but if I go back to black, I¡¯ll look like I¡¯m in middle school, so maybe I¡¯ll go brown?)

    At the hairdresser¡¯s, she changed her impression of herself completely.

    She wanted to forget Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s words, ¡°Who are you?¡± She wanted to shape her new self firmly in order to forget the one phrase.

    She changed her hair color from blonde to brown. She also stopped wearing colored contacts and started wearing red-framed glasses. In her mind, it was a fusion of her middle school and high school years.

    ¡°I am me!¡±

    As she told Kotaro Nakayama, Kirari Asakura is Kirari Asakura.

    Both her middle school self and her high school self are Kirari Asakura. That is why she dared to mix the two. She liked her appearance.

    (I¡¯m not a gal, not serious, not halfway there, but ¡­ not bad, right?)

    And there was one more thing that had changed.

    She started reading books again. Not that she wanted to go back to her middle school days, of course, but simply remembered that she liked stories.

    (It¡¯s been a while since I read one, but ¡­ it¡¯s still interesting.)

    The works she was once passionate about still greeted Kirari warmly over time. Chewing the fun of it, she immersed herself in the catharsis after reading it.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki has not been coming to school since the cultural festival, which gave her time to do so, and it was just the right hobby for her.

    She would be lying if she said that she doesn¡¯t care about him.

    But she decided to stop living her life just to be tied to Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    So she started by getting her feet on the ground. Once Ryoma Ryuzaki returned to school, the competition would begin again. Until then, she decided to consider it a break.

    (Hmmm ¡­ like this?)

    Lunch break. I used to eat with Ryoma Ryuzaki before, but today I ate alone. I read a book while silently eating a pastry, enjoying my time alone.

    It is the same life as when she was in middle school.

    But something is missing, and she tilted her head.

    She felt like she was enjoying herself a little more back then. As she ponders, looking for the reason, ¡­ she is unexpectedly tapped on the shoulder.

    ¡°Surprisingly, Asakura-san, you¡¯re reading a book, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    When she turned around, there was a girl with black-framed glasses.

    It was Niou Futako, the class president with her trademark braided pigtails.

    ¡°It¡¯s Niko-chan, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s unusual for you to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°No, it is you who is unusual. I was surprised to see you reading a novel for the first time in spite of your flashy appearance.¡±

    Niou Futako is smiling slightly.

    The friendly attitude was so much more puzzling to Kirari.

    Until a short time ago, Niou had been cold toward Kirari. When she called out ¡°Niko-chan¡±, she looked absolutely disgusted¡­, but today she seems to be in a better mood.

    ¡°What are you reading? Please tell me if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Apparently, she seemed to be interested in books.

    (Come to think of it, Niko-chan likes stories too?)

    She reminded herself that she liked stories so much that she even wrote scripts for plays.

    She knew the feeling, so Kirari returned the smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s a light novel, you know? Maybe not quite the genre you like, Niko-chan.¡±

    ¡°Light novels¡­ light novels. I usually read only pure literature and original fairy tales, but I have been thinking about trying my hand at it for a while. But I was hesitant because I didn¡¯t know where to start.¡±

    ¡°Heh, ¡­ do you want me to lend it to you? I have a lot of them. I have a lot of recommendations.¡±

    As for her, she didn¡¯t think much of it.

    She was just casually suggesting the idea, but Niko looked very happy, loosened her cheeks, and grabbed Kirari¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m so happy! Actually, the reason was that I don¡¯t have much money in allowance and I can¡¯t afford to spend much on books. You see, light novels can easily exceed ten books when they become a series, so I thought it would be tough¡­Thank you very much!¡±

    Niou Futako was seriously pleased.

    Seeing her happy attitude, Kirari suddenly realized that she too was happy.

    (¡­ Huh? This feeling ¡­ might be the same as when I was in middle school.)

    It was not enough just to read the work.

    But thanks to Niou Futako talking to her, she remembered how much fun she had at that time.

    The reason was obvious.

    (I see¡­ I remember that time I had Ko-kun next to me.)

    She recalls the time when she was in middle school.

    At that time, he was next to her.

    Kirari had always thought that she had lived alone, but the truth is that she was not alone¡­

    (Ah, so that¡¯s how it is¡­, I lost something important when I became a high school student.)

    She remembered it after all this time.

    Remembering that time, she unexpectedly burst into tears¡­

 CH 133

    She had not thought of crying.

    But tears naturally welled up and she couldn¡¯t stop them.

    ¡°Huh? Asakura-san? What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something hurtful?¡±

    Niou Futako was also perplexed. She was horrified to see Kirari who suddenly started crying.

    But the most perplexed person is probably Kirari herself.

    ¡°N-No¡­ Niko-chan isn¡¯t bad at all, you know. It¡¯s me who is to blame.¡±

    Suddenly, the memories of the past flashed through her mind like a running light.

    He read whatever books she recommended. He would tell her what he thought of them when she asked him, and sometimes they even had discussions. He always listened to Kirari¡¯s opinions, and no matter what she said to him, he never looked down on her.

    Ko-kun always accepted her feelings of affection for him.

    It was only after losing it ¡­ that she finally remembered how happy it had made her¡­

    She couldn¡¯t help but suppress her chest as she realized that the thing that had always been by her side was her most treasured possession.

    (I see¡­ For me, Ko-kun was my best friend after all.)

    The entrance ceremony of the high school. The first time she fell in love at first sight with Ryoma Ryuzaki and didn¡¯t pay any attention to him.

    No, no. Since she took it for granted that he was right there by her side, she never thought of valuing him.

    Because of that, by the time she realized it, he had already gone far away.

    A precious treasure was gone.

    Crying over it now would not bring him back.

    She knew that, and she would not do such a pathetic thing as clinging to him anymore.

    She wiped away her tears with a rough gesture as if shaking off her unresolved feelings for Ko-kun.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a speck in my eye.¡±

    She lifted her chin stoutly and smiled.

    Then the fidgeting Niou Futako patted her shoulder as if in relief.

    ¡°I was puzzled because I thought I had hurt you¡­, whom I want to be friends with from now on. I am sorry for showing you how disgraceful I am.¡±

    ¡°You want to be friends with ¡­ me? I¡¯m not sure what to do. You used to be so reluctant to talk to me before?¡±

    It was strange.

    Niou Futako is basically unapproachable to others. Not that she is shy, but she is a solitary girl who does not try to befriend anyone in particular.

    And Kirari was also on the side of those who disliked her because of her familiarity¡­ Niou Futako shook her head and shrugged.

    ¡°No, what can I say¡­ you changed your hair, didn¡¯t you? Maybe that¡¯s why you look so much like you now¡­ or maybe it¡¯s because before, Asakura-san looked ¡®fake¡¯ and I didn¡¯t like you. But now you look ¡®real¡¯ and I found you very fascinating, so I couldn¡¯t help but talk to you.¡±

    Apparently, there was a reason why she spoke to her out of the blue.

    (Not a fake, but real¡­? She sounds just like him.)

    She put Kotaro Nakayama on top of Niou¡¯s statement.

    She didn¡¯t want to be recognized by her, but she was honestly happy that she was praised ¡­

    ¡°Thanks. Well, if it¡¯s okay with you, will you be my friend I¡¯ll lend you a lot of my novels, so let me know what you like about them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. By the way, what kind of story are you reading now?¡±

    ¡°This? This is the one that I love the most¡­ It¡¯s a romantic comedy about a simple boy who gets married to a beautiful heroine.¡±

    The light novel in her hand was presented to Niou Futako.

    She politely accepted it with both hands and bowed.

    ¡°I see. Is it that ¡­interesting? From what I¡¯ve heard, it sounds like a run-of-the-mill story.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s interesting, or, umm, it¡¯s just that I like ¡­ me, I guess. i would describe it as ¡®beautiful¡¯ rather than fun or hilarious.¡±

    Kiraly said it is a very beautiful work.

    The main character was just like him, ¡­ and Kirari remembered that it was this light novel that first made her talk to him.

    (The main character in this work really resembles Ko-kun.)

    In middle school, she had no interest in other people.

    He was the only one who interested her.

    She had forgotten such an important thing until now, and she almost cried again at her own shallowness.

    (¡­ If only I had cared more about him¡­)

    Suddenly, she thought about it.

    She didn¡¯t want to think about it, but even though she didn¡¯t want to, she envisioned it in her brain.

    If she had not treated him with disdain like she does now, if she had cared for him in high school.

    She could have taken a different path from the relationship where all she could do was resent him like she does now.

    Thinking about that filled her heart with a sense of pride.

    She shifted her gaze toward him, trying not to be obvious.

    Lunch break. He was having lunch with Shiho Shimotsuki, who was sitting next to him.

    Imagining herself sitting in Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s seat, she let out a small giggle.

    (Already, it¡¯s all too late.)

    Still, she fantasized.

    If only Kotaro Nakayama and her ¡­ had been best friends for a long, long time.

    (It might have been me who was standing next to Ko-kun right now¡­)

    [Asakura Kirari¡¯s Epilogue End]

 CH 134

    ¨CEh? I am the narrator?

    How can that be? I don¡¯t think there is any demand for me since I am a sub-character who has nothing to do with the story.

    However, I would do it if I was asked to do so.

    In the meantime, let me introduce myself. Perhaps many of you do not know me.

    My name is Niou Futako.

    What has always bothered me since birth is that my last name is strong, but my name is weak. My hobby is reading. I am a bookworm, so I read a lot.

    For financial reasons, I read only books from the library. So naturally I read only literary works, but it is not that I dislike entertaining novels. Recently, I borrowed a light novel from Asakura-san and started reading it. It was very interesting and I got hooked. I also want a little sister who calls me ¡°Onii-chan¡±. Well, I am a woman, so I can¡¯t be an elder brother.

    The month is December. I am sitting right across from the podium, taking a class right now.

    I am good at studying there. Or rather, my family is poor, so there is nothing else I can do but study and read.

    So, before I knew it, I was good at studying.

    With my grades, it seems that I can aim for a special scholarship at university, so I¡¯m going to do my best. I want to make it as easy as possible for my mother, who is raising me as a single parent.

    Eh? Are you not interested?

    I don¡¯t care about you?

    No, no, no, please calm down. This is an interlude anyway. It doesn¡¯t seem to have much to do with the story, so let me take it easy.

    This is usually a very meta story, but this time I¡¯m going to make it even more meta. Because I am a sub-character. I¡¯m a minor character who won¡¯t appear in the story from now on, so I¡¯m going to go wild and do whatever I want.

    I am the only neutral character in the story.

    I am not in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s camp or Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s camp. I am just an ordinary character. So let me inform you of the current situation from an unfiltered perspective.

    First, let¡¯s talk about Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s perception.

    Perhaps you are all wondering about this. What kind of impression do his classmates have of his harem-like nature?

    The short answer is that he is quite popular among his classmates.

    No, he is not bullied or ignored or anything like that, but ¡­ most of the boys look at him from a distance. And the girls who don¡¯t like him also try not to get too involved.

    I am one of them. Because Ryuzaki-san is surrounded by many cute girls, there is no place for a mediocre girl like me. That¡¯s why I stand out. I guess everyone is careful because if I touch him, I might get burned. Well, as far as girls are concerned, most of the girls in my class like him, so I am in the minority.

    That is why, when you look at his story, you may feel as if there are no other people involved.

    On the other hand, what is my impression of Nakayama-san? He is quiet and reserved, and although he is not as buoyant as Ryuzaki-san, he does seem to be somewhat avoiding his surroundings.

    However, he is good friends with Shimotsuki-san, and the two of them are always flirting with each other. I often see them chatting in the corner of the classroom. Their voices are quiet, so it is hard to tell what they are talking about, but they both look happy and it makes me smile to see them.

    I think that many of the members of the Class 2 of Year 1 are cheering for the relationship between Nakayama and Shimotsuki, although they don¡¯t say it out loud¡­

    The reason why is because of the strong impression they left on us at the time of the overnight learning program.

    Until that moment, I am ashamed to admit that I did not know what kind of person Nakayama-san was either.

    But when I saw him protecting the crying Shimotsuki-san on stage, I was struck with emotion.

    It was not that I fell in love with him.

    I simply respected him as a human being.

    Because he was trying his best to protect her.

    After seeing him like that, it was understandable that I wanted to support him.

 CH 135

    Regarding Shimotsuki-san, I had the impression that she was quite unapproachable.

    When I first entered the school, she was a quiet person who never said a word, so I had the impression that she was somewhat cold.

    She was also unusually beautiful and looked like a person from another world.

    But recently, thanks to Nakayama-san, that impression has completely faded away.

    She really laughs a lot only in front of Nakayama-san.

    They are like a princess and a knight. They are like a fairy tale, so I admire them both.

    I am also rooting for them from behind the scenes.

    I hope they will be happy.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I think it¡¯s a good idea to cheat on the seat change.

    After all, they have been sitting next to each other for a long time. And since the lottery was prepared by Shimotsuki-san, the injustice is obvious, isn¡¯t it?

    I am the class president, so I pointed this out. I strongly appealed to Suzuki-sensei to rectify the situation, but she replied, ¡°Eh? There is no such thing as injustice~¡± Her mind was full of flowers.

    She is a person with a loose head and a loose way of speaking, so that is not an option.

    Well, I did what I could do as class president. I don¡¯t know the rest, so I guess you can go ahead ¡­

    I don¡¯t hear any complaints from other people either, so I guess the situation is half-accepted by them.

    I would also like to mention a little more about Ryuzaki-san¡­

    He stopped coming to school after the festival.

    I don¡¯t know what happened to him, but thanks to that, the female students are not very energetic and the atmosphere of the class is also gloomy.

    Since Ryuzaki-san is somehow very popular, the girls in the class get excited just by his presence. I don¡¯t understand it, but I guess that¡¯s the way it is. Thanks to this, when he is not around, the atmosphere among the girls is blatantly cool, which makes me feel uncomfortable.

    I didn¡¯t like him very much during the overnight learning program, though, because his self-important behavior was conspicuous.

    However, as if to say that was not the case, the second semester started with him being irresistible, so it is strange, isn¡¯t it?

    The reason for this is not certain, but ¡­ I am a neutral character, so maybe I am not poisoned by him.

    Thanks to this, I can see things from a flat perspective like a third party, and I like this position.

    What kind of drama will unfold between them in the future?

    I don¡¯t think I will be involved in their story anymore, but I will keep an eye on their future as a classmate of ¡­ and as a new friend of Asakura-san¡¯s.

    My favorite stories are the ¡®happy endings¡¯ where everyone is happy.

    Hopefully, this one will be like that as well¡­ Shall we get back to the main topic now?

    So, how will the fallen harem protagonist move on?

    What role will the childhood friend of the mob character play in the next story?

    From what angle will the new heroine move the story?

    And we can also look forward to the activities of the mob character who won a great victory over the harem protagonist.

    Well, that concludes our sub-character perspectives.

    We look forward to your continued support.

 CH 136

    ¨CNakayama Kotaro.

    Once again, I lost to that person.

    When I confessed my feelings to Mary, she dumped me, saying she liked Nakayama.

    If it had been Mary¡­ I assumed she would accept me.

    Because she had a very kind smile that was only directed at me. I was supposed to be the only person special to Mary.

    Our first encounter was dramatic.

    On a rare morning when I awoke early, I had the sudden feeling to go out for a walk. Mary was out walking her dog when we happened to pass each other¡­ At that moment, the dog¡¯s leash snapped it nearly got run over by a car. I saved it, and that¡¯s how we met.

    Since then, Mary has adored me.

    But she chose the person I despised the most, him.

    Kotaro Nakayama

    I¡¯m curious to how it all began.

    I don¡¯t know because I no longer can see Mary.

    I can only speculate, but I think¡­ it was the because of the play.

    In the festival¡¯s play, the lead role was played by Nakayama while the main heroine was Mary. I¡¯m sure she was dissatisfied with with the performance on stage and fell in love with Nakayama.

    I¡¯m not sure what it is about him that makes him so appealing.

    He is unquestionably a lesser man than I, and I am proud to say that I possess everything that he possesses.

    But I guess it was nothing more than a passing thought.

    (Shiho was one thing, but Mary too¡­)

    If it had happened only once, I could¡¯ve assumed it was a coincidence.

    But there was no excuse the second time.

    I honestly don¡¯t know what his charm is.

    In any case, it was a fact that Kotaro Nakayama was a better person than me.

    If I had to use a metaphor, I¡¯d say that¡­ he is the so-called ¡°protagonist¡±.

    It would be strange if he wasn¡¯t.

    Because he has nothing. He lacks human charm, the ability to attract others, the beauty to make the opposite gender fall in love with him, and everything else.

    And yet, the girls always seem to like him.

    Furthermore, they were are all stunning and far beyond the norm.

    This can only be described as ¡°opportunism¡±.

    Shiho and Mary don¡¯t like him because he is an attractive person.

    Because he was the protagonist, the two heroines adored Kotaro Nakayama. In other words, that guy was just lucky. He is just an ordinary person who was selected by the audience because he is easy to empathize with.

    ¡­Well, not that I¡¯m complaining. I was simply unlucky enough not to be chosen. I am not in any way inferior.

    But there are some things I have to admit.

    It¡¯s that¡­ I am not as good as Nakayama.

    No one can beat Nakayama, the main character, regardless of ability.

    Basically what I am trying to say is.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is an insignificant ¡°mob character¡±.

    I¡¯ve always imagined myself to be the main character.

    But I was wrong. I wasn¡¯t the main character. Shiho and Mary would both be drawn to me if I were.

    Why didn¡¯t they like me?

    The reason for this was because I was a ¡°mob character¡±.

    I finally understood that.

    The festival had to have ended about a month and a half ago. During that time, I stayed at home and thought about a lot of things, but eventually I came up with an answer that made sense to me.

    So I won¡¯t get carried away any longer.

    I¡¯m going to live my life as a mob character, living up to my full potential.

    (PR/N: About time)

    I¡¯m sure that if I do that, I won¡¯t get hurt any more¡­

 CH 137

    It was December.

    This was the time of year when my breath turns white. The wind blowing through me causes my body to tremble, rubbing my arms involuntarily. It was pretty much pointless because I was wearing gloves and a coat, but I suppose it¡¯s human nature to do so reflexively.

    ¡°Cold¡­¡±

    I mumbled and placed my hands inside my pockets.

    Walking quickly, I hurried to the school.

    I looked around and saw many other students in my situation. There appears to be a large cold wave, and everyone is suffering from it.

    It wasn¡¯t as cold to the point of it snowing, but it was still cold. The cold would have been more bearable if it had snowed, but with a light rain falling as an alternative, there was nothing emotional about it.

    Because of the slight dampness, the temperature was most likely even lower. What¡¯s worse is that even if we endured this cold, we wouldn¡¯t gain anything out of it. I was bad with the winter season because it¡¯s a season that you were forced to endure.

    (Whew¡­ finally here.)

    I took a deep breath as I approached the school.

    The entrance was far from warm, but the lack of wind and rain was more than enough.

    I walked into my classroom, sighing with relief. It was ten minutes before the start of the school day, and roughly 70% of my classmates had already arrived.

    As a result, the classroom was very warm. It¡¯s also probably due to the fact that the heating had been turned on for quite sometime. It¡¯s a good thing the temperature was nice, because it would¡¯ve been miserable otherwise.

    I removed my coat and placed it in my locker.

    I finally took a seat and¡­ The girl next to me smiled and waved as if she had been expecting me.

    ¡°Good morning, Kotaro.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Good morning, Shiho.¡±

    When I greeted her back, she smiled softly. She used to be a shy girl, but she seems to be becoming less self-conscious in class lately. She still gets stiff in front of other people, but in casual situations like this, she can maintain a relatively normal state.

    This girl has grown a lot stronger.

    I was delighted to see Shiho¡¯s growth.

    ¡°Oh my? Kotaro-kun, were you that happy to see me? Ummm, I am a cute girl after all¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll pat your head, so come over here, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll save that for later.¡±

    I guess you could say she¡¯s a little easier to get along with.

    That wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing, because that part was also adorable.

    But yeah, but flirting in public draws attention, so I avoided doing it.

    ¡°Maybe later, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll spoil you rotten later. Oh, Kotaro-kun is such a spoiled boy.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wonder.¡±

    I don¡¯t intend to be a spoiled child.

    ¡­On second thought, maybe that aspect is true.

    Because my parents didn¡¯t love me much as a child, I couldn¡¯t deny that I was starved for affection.

    (PR/N: TrollDespair)

    But nowadays, thanks to Shiho, I am full of affection. Rather, she tries to feed me so much to the point where I would vomit, so I wish she would cut back a little.

    ¡°Ah, Sensei¡¯s coming, so let¡¯s do an exchange diary afterwards, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The exchange diary was still a thing. Mostly in class, but it was a very fun thing to do.

    She simply enjoys talking. She isn¡¯t a great talker, but I enjoy listening to her, so I believe we¡¯re having a productive conversation.

    The festival has been over for over a month.

    Since then, Shiho and I have grown closer and are having a good time.

    However, I had the impression that the atmosphere in the classroom was a little¡­ different.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Everyone. I¡¯m sad that work has resumed today, but I¡¯d like to be your homeroom teacher for the sake of my paycheck, so I¡¯ll take attendance for the time being.¡±

    Suzuki-sensei entered the class and began homeroom.

    She would always take attendance during this time¡­ But, as well as today, that guy hasn¡¯t shown up to school.

    ¡°Ryuzaki-kun¡­ today is another day off for you, isn¡¯t it~?¡±

    Yes. Ryoma Ryuzaki was not present in the class.

    To be more specific, he stopped coming to school after the school festival.

    The absence of the harem protagonist has drastically altered the atmosphere of the room.

    The girls, in particular, appear to be discouraged. Mary, who was once a very active student, has taken a leave of absence and returned to her home country, which may have affected the class.

    As a result, the current first-year class was depressed.

    To be honest, I¡¯m not particularly concerned with what happens to Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    But yeah¡­ I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t a little concerned about Azusa, Kirari and Yuzuki¡¯s lack of energy after all.

    Ryuzaki¡­ what are you doing?

    Don¡¯t put off developing your signature romantic comedy for too long.

    Hurting the girls as always¡­ He really is the worst kind of protagonist¡­

 CH 138

    First let me say that I hate Ryuuzaki.

    So I''m not worried about him. I don''t care what happens to him. I don''t care if he is unhappy or in pain.

    But as for the girls who loved that guy, that''s another matter.

    We don''t have much of a relationship anymore, and it''s not like I''m going to do anything for them.

    Still, I still don''t want to see these women unhappy.

    If possible, I wish them happiness.

    For that to happen, Ryuzaki has to work harder, but I still didn''t see any signs of that because ...... that guy is an asshole.

    It''s the same now.

    He knows the girls are worried about him, but he ignores them and keeps to himself. A word to the girls would have made them feel a little better, but I''m sure Ryuzaki didn''t do that.

    He''s a self-serving person.

    He can never learn to care for others.

    That''s why he can only see things with dogmatic prejudices all the time.

    If he could have a bird''s eye view like Mary, or he could develop a better romantic comedy, ...... Ryoma Ryuzaki''s awakening is hard to come by.

    That guy is really slow to make decisions. Probably because the heroines around him helped him without doing anything, he is not strong enough to think for himself.

    That''s why the protagonist''s peculiar "awakening" is slow.

    He''s such a pathetic person that he can''t do anything without a girls help.

    I know he''s probably been in a huff and refusing to go to school ever since he lost to me at the festival, but ...... I hope he''s had enough.

    What''s the need to be depressed about losing to someone like me?

    You lost to me, so get excited and work harder.

    Kirari did, remember? You could have taken a new step to look back at me, you know?

    Hey, Ryuzaki ...... what about you?

    When in the world are you going to step forward?

    It''s already December.

    More than a month has passed since the festival.

    I felt the period of time was too long, even if it was to be indulged in.

    That''s when that guy finally came back.

    ["......, Nakayama"]

    Moreover, he appeared in front of me after school.

    [ "Ryuzaki......"¡¹

    The location was outside the school gate. I was returning home with Shiho, when I saw Ryuzaki was waiting for me.

    ¡¸~Tsu¡­¡¹

    It seems that Shiho is still not good with Ryuzaki. The moment she saw him, she stepped back to keep her distance.

    ¡¸Kuku... Shiho, I''m sorry for showing up. But I have something to talk to Nakayama, so can I have a minute?¡¹

    Seeing Shiho like that, Ryuzaki laughed.

    The look on his face made me uncomfortable.

    £¨Hmm? "Why are you being so servile?")

    Ryuzaki was a confident man, for better or worse.

    Conceited and arrogant, that''s why his smile was always fearless...but now it doesn''t look like that at all.

    It was the kind of smile that someone like me before I met Shiho, who had no confidence in himself at all, would smile.

    Something is not quite right.

    ¡¸......Nakayama, I''m going home first. Don''t be too reckless, okay?¡¹

    Shiho must have sensed something too. She left the place with such words of concern. I guess she''s really not good with Ryuzaki. ...... She''s running away without hesitation.

    ¡¸"Shiho is as cute as ever. ...... I envy you Nakayama. I wish I could have been adored like that. You''re such a great guy to be liked by such a nice girl".]

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    I don''t understand the meaning of being praised all of a sudden.

    I am not at all happy to be praised by the person hate.

    ¡¸"You, what''s wrong with you?¡¡You''re disgusting. ...... If you have something to say, say it fast".]

    I was frustrated.

    I was angry at Ryuzaki''s uncharacteristic behavior.

    In general, why did he show up in front of me?

    There would have been other people he should have met.

    There are plenty of harem members waiting for your return, you know?

    How can you ignore all of these thoughts ...... it still didn''t make sense to me.

    ¡¸"Yeah, that''s right. I''m the only one who can take up Nakayama''s time, which is something that shouldn''t happen".]

    Ryuzaki remained sneering.

    He said this to me with a self-mocking, distorted smile on his face.

    ¡¸"Until now, I''m sorry... A mob character like me shouldn''t have come up against Nakayama. I''m really sorry"]

    Ryuzaki was livid.

    He was trying to put me in a good mood by bowing to me.

    ¡¸huh~¡¹

    The way he did it, I almost punched him in the face.

    I don''t think ...... He''s lying, do I?

    I know you were in shock when Mary dumped you.

    I understand that he is depressed because he was rejected by two people in a row after Shiho.

    But, just because of that, Ryuzaki had lost all his confidence.

    What a fragile human being... This guy suddenly became servile and thought of himself as a shabby existence.

    In other words, the man who was the harem hero-sama was now ...... making himself a ''mob character''.

    It was very unpleasant¨C

    TL/ED: Okay so i pick this up because i wanted to read this series and the previous translater was hella slow ( no offense) plus there a total of 541 chaps of this iirc so i will work my ass off hopefully to catch up with the raws see you in the next chap :) .......

 CH 139

    What does this guy want?

    I thought he had stopped coming to school, and then suddenly he shows up in front of me, moreover he''s heckling me for no reason.

    It was very frustrating to see that he thought he was a ''mob character'' and for some reason was trying to put me in a good mood.

    ¡¸What''s your point? "Why did you talk to me?" "Hey, Ryuzaki... I don''t understand what you''re doing right now."¡¹

    I don''t see a story in his current actions.

    It doesn''t seem like something he would say or do to foreshadow the future. ...... What do you want to do?

    ¡¸No? "It''s not a big reason." However, I''m thinking of coming to school tomorrow, but... I have had a lot going on with Nakayama, haven''t I? "For once, I thought I''d draw a line."¡¹

    ¡¸A punishment? You gave it to me?¡¹

    ( TL/ED:WTF does this mean,someone please let me know)

    What is this guy talking about?

    You have nothing to apologize to me for, you know?

    I haven''t done anything wrong.

    I think the people you should be apologizing to are the girls who are always trampling over your feelings.

    His brow furrowed at the incomprehensible statement.

    I decided to ask him about it first.

    ¡¸Yeah, I had a lot of misunderstandings about you... I''m sorry.Honestly, I looked down on Nakayama. I underestimated him, thinking he was someone of a lower rank than me.That¡¯s why Shiho and Mary said they liked you, and it really pissed me off but that was a ...... mistake.¡¹

    Misunderstanding? No, not really. I¡¯m a lower-ranked person, just as you¡¯ve recognized.

    There''s almost nothing I have that Ryuzaki doesn''t have.It''s just that, on the inside, there might be some parts of me that are a little better than Ryuzaki, but considering my status, I''m clearly lower than him.

    But Ryuzaki denies it.

    ¡¸Nakayama was a higher-ranked person than me.That''s when I finally realized... I''m sorry for always underestimating you... Starting tomorrow, I''ll be quiet, so I hope you don''t bully me too much.¡¹

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    Once again, I let out a hysterical cry.

    I really don''t get it. I never was bullied by you, remember?

    Sure, I''ve been licked a lot of times, but I''m not proud enough to get angry over every little thing.

    So why?

    Is he misunderstanding something?

    ¡¸Ryuzaki, are you making fun of me? I''m not angry, I''ve never been bullied, and I haven''t been apologized to.I don''t get it... Who the hell do you think I am?¡¹

    I asked him why.

    I don''t know why he''s so hung up on me... but Ryuzaki finally gives me the answer.

    ¡¸I mean, Nakayama¡¯s the protagonist, isn¡¯t he? He''s someone who¡¯s promised victory, right? So please don¡¯t show too much hostility toward me as a Mob character... Because of that, I¡¯ve been failing all the time.I mean, I''m just asking you to treat me like a mob character at ...... school. Because if you get involved with me, all I''ll do is lose¡¹

    ¨D¨DDammit.

    So that''s what happened... You really are hopeless, Ryuzaki.

    ¡¸Me, the protagonist?¡¹

    The only one who let me stay in that position was the girl I cared about.

    There was a huge misunderstanding. If I were the main character, I could have lived a different life.

    I don''t really regret it.

    But let¡¯s say I was the main character... I wouldn¡¯t have been close to Shiho, and I should have been able to make sure the three girls you made unhappy were happy.

    In other words, I''ve lost a lot of things that have piled up deep inside me, overcoming my setbacks, and coming to the present. Even someone of my caliber can shake off the past and move forward.

    But Ryuzaki couldn''t do that.

    I know he was shocked to be rejected by Shiho and Mary. I can understand why his heart would break and he would be discouraged.

    But Ryuzaki couldn''t get over it.

    He has been holed up in his own shell for the past month and a half, and the conclusion he came to... must have been this.

    ¡ªSo Nakayama Koutarou is the ¡°main character¡±?

    Because of that, he lost... Or so Ryuzaki thinks.

    It''s not my fault. The story is bad. The casting is bad. I just happened not to be chosen.I just lost to Nakayama because I was unlucky. It''s not like he''s superior as a human. He just happened to be lucky.

    I finally understood the words between the lines and sighed.

    £¨The hero, formed by opportunism, is ...... really fragile. Without the heroine''s help, he can''t really do anything.£©

    Weak. As a human being, he is really immature.

    Making excuses all the time, trampling on other people¡¯s feelings, and then sulking in the end... he¡¯s the worst kind of person¡ª¨D

    TL/ED: There you go chapter 139,i was hoping to release this yesterday but because of some "particular" reason i didn''t (absolutely not becuz of some funky spy anime) There might be a few grammatical mistakes here and there pls lmk and I''ll fix it.....One more thing if you have some spare money it would be very cash money of you to donate some of it link to my ko-fi below (if you want those chaps pumping)....

 CH 140

    To begin with.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡­ your setbacks aren¡¯t really that big of a deal, you know?

    Because only twice have you failed to have a meaningful relationship with the person you love.

    And you were only dumped with very little accumulated with the two of them.

    Shiho and you were childhood friends, but you ended up acting all self-important, and you couldn¡¯t give Shiho anything. What you accumulated there is nothing but a flimsy fake.

    Mary had not been with us for three months. Moreover, she moved around quite a bit on her own, so it wasn¡¯t as if they spent all hours of the day together.

    Whether I can call Ryuzaki¡¯s feelings ¡°love¡± or not is also looking doubtful to me.

    No, I understand the logic that love is not about time. Even if it¡¯s only for a few days, the feelings you accumulate can become stronger.

    However, what I can say for sure is that such a thing is impossible for Ryuzaki.

    He has always been a person who has been loved by girls opportunistically, without having to do anything. He lacks the ability to love people.

    So I am sure that his feelings for Shiho and Mary are not as strong as they could be.

    At least, they are not as strong as the love I have for Shiho.

    That is why I cannot understand Ryuzaki¡¯s feelings.

    It¡¯s impossible for him to be so depressed over something like this that he becomes despondent and makes excuses for it.

    It¡¯s too fragile.

    Too, too fragile.

    The flimsyness of the protagonist, formed by opportunism, was unpleasant.

    After all, he is a child who can¡¯t do anything without a girl to protect him.

    He is loved unconditionally, and when he is in trouble, he is allowed to cry and be pampered¡­ He has lived such a life that when he hits a wall, all he can do is sit down in front of it and raise both hands. Forever, he will be waiting for someone to hold him and carry him to the top of the wall.

    There are no words to say to such a person.

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t like Ryuzaki, so I don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good feeling. I don¡¯t like Nakayama either. I never want to see that face again.¡±

    Oh, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.

    You must hate me too.

    For Ryuzaki, who had only ever won thanks to opportunism, defeat must have been more humiliating than anything else.

    And unlike Ryuzaki, I am someone who has overcome setbacks.

    I think I¡¯ve really grown up, if I do say so myself. It was partly thanks to Shiho, but when asked if she spoiled me from one to ten, she shook her head that she did not.

    To begin with, I had already settled down in terms of my feelings before I met Shiho.

    At that time, I was very shocked to be cut off from the three people I cared about all at once, but after about two months ¡­ I was able to face the reality of my setback. With Shiho¡¯s help, I managed to overcome that wall as well.

    I¡¯m not sure if this is much of a comparison.

    My accumulation of time, even for Kirari, the shortest one, was nearly three years. Azusa has been with me for four years, and my childhood friend Yuzuki has been with me for 15 years.

    There was a long, long accumulation of memories.

    Perhaps each piece of memory may be a flimsy memory. But if they are accumulated over the years, they will eventually bundle up and become deep memories.

    I lost all of them, accepted the reality, and overcame the pain.

    Of course, Shiho was a benefactor who gave me many opportunities. But it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t work hard either. Thanks to her, I became stronger.

    During the overnight learning program, I voluntarily went up on stage and blocked Ryuzaki¡¯s confession.

    At the school festival, I was able to inspire Kirari against Mary¡¯s will and expose her weaknesses through a narrative in which Shiho intentionally stayed out of.

    I am no longer a person who can do nothing. I may be a former mob character, but I don¡¯t see myself as just another mob character now.

    I think I¡¯ve become strong enough to handle anything that comes my way.

    On the other hand, Ryuzaki had gone through a setback and was unable to do anything about it.

    His too fragile heart would probably shatter before he could endure the oppression.

    If that¡¯s the case,¡­ it¡¯s useless to say anything else.

    (Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki¡­¡­ sorry, but I still can¡¯t do anything for you guys.)

    I apologize to the three of you in my heart.

    That¡¯s about all I can do.

    In fact, I think you should inspire Ryuzaki more.

    If they could do something like giving a lecture, making Ryuzaki angry, or motivating him, they would be able to push him more.

    However, the current Ryuzaki would not even let them push him.

    He just lies on the ground, looks up at the wall, and starts sleeping there lazily.

    There is nothing such a person can do, after all.

    ¡°It¡¯s so trivial. Don¡¯t talk to me like that.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to see his face anymore, so I spat out those words and left.

    ¡°Thank you. Don¡¯t ever bully me again, okay? Please, Protagonist-sama, go ahead and do your own romantic comedy on your own.¡±

    Ryuzaki didn¡¯t even get angry at my words.

    In the end, he will just keep smiling sneeringly until the end.

    The harem protagonist who has fallen to the ground can no longer fly. With a person like him, the ¡°opportunists¡± who had been watching over him would probably run out of love for him.

    Since then, Ryuzaki has lost his qualification as a ¡­ protagonist, and began to unfold a messy romantic comedy.

 CH 141

    ¨CKinoka Komiya. A second-year female student in high school, she is a member of the Public Discipline Committee.

    The Public Discipline Committee holds a greeting campaign in front of the school gate every morning. Of course, Kinoka wakes up a little early every morning to participate in the activity.

    She has something she secretly looks forward to every morning.

    That is to exchange words with Ryoma Ryuzaki, a first-year student.

    (Ryuzaki-kun¡­ I wonder if he will come today?)

    Kinoka missed him because he didn¡¯t seem to be coming to school lately.

    Not knowing the details of the situation since they are in different grades, she just stood in front of the school gate every morning, praying that Ryuzaki would come.

    (If he comes, will he notice that my hairstyle has changed?)

    Just the other day, she changed her hairstyle.

    She had been wearing her hair in braids for a long time, but she gathered up her courage and decided to cut it short. She did it all so that Ryoma Ryuzaki would think she was ¡°cute¡±.

    And so the days went on, just waiting and waiting.

    After the festival, Ryoma Ryuzaki did not show up at all¡­ However, a few days into December, he showed up.

    (Ah, there he is!)

    Finally, the boy she had longed for had arrived at school.

    Immediately, Kinoka straightened up her back and styled her hair to look as cute as possible. Then, when Ryuzaki approached, she was the first to speak to him.

    ¡°Good morning, Ryuzaki-kun.¡±

    She greeted him cheerfully.

    Usually, Ryoma Ryuzaki would smile and greet her back. He would say, ¡®Kinoka is a great girl.¡¯ She was very happy when he patted her on the head and said, ¡°Kinoka is great, thank you for always working hard.¡± She is his senior, but he is somewhat like an older brother, and Kinoka adores him very much.

    However,¡­ today Ryoma Ryuzaki was different from usual.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    He walked past Kinoka as though he didn¡¯t hear her greeting. His vacant eyes were unfocused and eerie.

    ¡°Ryu¡­ Ryuzaki-kun?¡±

    She called out to him again. He finally noticed her and turned his lightless eyes on her.

    His eyes didn¡¯t reflect ¡­ anything at all.

    ¡°¡­ Kinoka, huh?¡±

    At least, he recognized her. But without saying anything more, Ryoma Ryuzaki walked into the school.

    He didn¡¯t even seem to notice that she had changed her hairstyle. He did not even exert himself in the greeting activity. On the contrary, he didn¡¯t even return a proper greeting. Kinoka felt uncomfortable with Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    (Huh? Was the person I was interested in ¡­ that kind of person?)

    ¨C No, he wasn¡¯t.

    The person Kinoka fell in love with was supposed to be more sparkling.

    He was always confident, very dependable, and so inclusive that he would make her happy if she ever got to go out with him.

    But the Ryoma Ryuzaki of today is different.

    There is no color in his expression. There is no light in his eyes. There is absolutely no high spirits.

    He even looked like an emotionless robot.

    He was like a puppet.

    Kinoka did not fall in love with this kind of person.

    (¡­ I think I¡¯ve had enough of this.)

    Suddenly, she realized that she was losing strength.

    Somehow, she seemed disappointed¡­ No, not somehow. Kinoka was definitely disappointed.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki was not as great a man as she had thought.

    That is why she felt that falling in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki was a hassle.

    (Well, we didn¡¯t have much of a connection anyway, so why did I fall in love with Ryuzaki-kun? I was just greeting him in the morning, but it¡¯s kind of weird.)

    If she were to use a metaphor, it would be like waking up from a dream.

    Kinoka came to herself with a start and lost her love for Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    From then on, she forgot about Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    In other words, Kinoka Komiya has left Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s ¡°harem¡±.

    And it is not only her.

    ¨CWrong.

    The student council president and third-year senior also lost interest in Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¨CWrong.

    A classmate, a girl who secretly admired him, also lost her admiration for Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¨CWrong.

    The ace second-year girl on the track team has also lost hope in Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¨CWrong.

    The school nurse, who is known for her beauty, also lost interest in Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    (TLN: W-what?)

    All at once, the harem collapses.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki, who thought of himself as a mob character, had been abandoned by the gods of romantic comedies.

    Without triggering opportunism, the girls had escaped Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s poison.

    (¡­ Kuku. As expected of me as a mob character¡­ the girls keep moving away.)

    Still, Ryuzaki remained sneering.

    He understood that the girls¡¯ hearts were leaving him, yet he accepted it.

    The harem protagonist-sama, who can no longer fly in the sky, can¡¯t even crawl on the ground. On the contrary, he did not even struggle on the spot, but looked up at the sky in a daze.

    Truly, he had become a trivial person.

    Since he was such a protagonist, it was only natural that the members of the harem would abandon him.

 CH 142

    ¨D-The harem is broken.

    Like waking up from a dream, the love of the heroine cools down.

    This is the road Ryoma Ryuzaki chose.

    He thinks he is a mob character, and as a result of letting go of the character himself, he has been abandoned by the heroines.

    This is the fate of the inexperienced harem protagonist.

    The protagonist of the story grows up as a matter of course.Even if the intention is weak at first, it gradually becomes stronger through the trial of the story.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki also drew an ideal growth curve in that way at first.

    With the help of his convenienceism, he was on the verge of becoming a splendid harem protagonist.

    However, he is unable to hatch.

    The reason for that-- after all, he would be the cause.

    Kotaro NAKAYAMA.

    One foreign object was mixed into Ryoma Ryuzaki''s story.

    The noise grew louder through the story...and eventually became a strange sound that bothered Ryoma Ryuzaki entirely

    Because of Kotaro Nakayama Ryoma Ryuzaki''s awakening was not fulfilled.

    Kotaro Nakayama was always there when Ryoma Ryuzaki made up his mind, both during the overnight session and during the cultural festival. He¡¯d messed up, twisted, and broken Ryuzaki¡¯s story.

    Thanks to that, Ryoma Ryuzaki was still inexperienced, and the story progressed... As a result, he lost his confidence. He could no longer expect anything from himself.He didn¡¯t know how to act anymore. Because of that, he¡¯d been abandoned by the concept of ¡°convenientism¡±¡ªthe god of romcoms

    If that happens, the rest will just fall.

    The Harem protagonist who fell to the ground loses all,even his title.

    The Harem collapses, and even the main character is gone.

    However, there was still a girl around him.

    The girls are classified as so-called "sub-heroines" and have a particularly strong character in Ryuzaki Harem.

    They are the "stronghold" of Ryuzaki''s Harem.

    As long as he is loved by the sub-heroines, Ryoma Ryuzaki can still maintain being the main character.

    But now he has nothing.

    He has become a "mob character" that has lost its appeal as a character.

    Seeing Ryoma Ryuzaki like that... Even the sub-heroines were shocked.

    ¨D- No.

    The first thing that made me feel uncomfortable was Kirari Asakura.

    When she saw Ryoma Ryuzaki, who had come to school for the first time in a long time, she immediately called out.Having regained her "self" after an incident at the cultural festival, she needs to be connected with Ryoma Ryuzaki in order to look back on Kotaro Nakayama.

    That¡¯s why she tried to take an aggressive approach.

    ¡¸Ryuu-kun, it''s been a while! You know, I¡­¡¹

    But while talking to him, she immediately noticed.

    (No. The person I fell in love with wasn''t like this.)

    That''s what my gut tells me.

    It was also a gut feeling that she¡¯d fallen in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki to begin with

    She fell in love at first sight to the present, but ......That is why she could not accept the present Ryoma Ryuzaki sensuously.

    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹

    Even when he was spoken to, he sat silently in his seat.

    I¡¯m sure he can see what¡¯s going on with Kirari Asakura, but he¡¯s ignoring her as if to say there¡¯s no need to talk about it.

    But Kirari Asakura didn''t like it.

    (Hah... I don''t like this.)

    She sighed and averted her eyes from Ryoma Ryuzaki

    When I looked at the corner of the classroom, I saw Azusa Nakayama.She used to be a part of Ryuzaki Harem, too.She has left the Harem a while ago, but she still does not forget Ryoma Ryuzaki.She cared enough to chase after him with her eyes.

    That''s why she seems to be shocked to see Ryoma Ryuzaki now.

    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­what?¡¹

    She was dumbfounded in her seat. Her eyes widened as she checked Ryoma Ryuzaki over and over.

    It was like she was seeing an illusion... but this was reality.

    That was just how much Ryoma Ryuzaki had changed right now

    (It''s a little different to love this Ryukun ......)

    It would be easy to love him in this state, to be honest.

    All she had to do was accept it.All she had to do was close her eyes to the wrong spot, pretend not to see it, and act like she always did.

    But she couldn''t do that.

    (That would just make her more dependent.)

    Love and dependence are two different things.

    She¡¯d stopped clinging to Ryoma Ryuzaki and started living her life

    So she decided to ignore him.

    (Ryuu-kun... Why did that happen?)

    It was a shock.

    But the thought does not give up, trying to think about how to save him somehow.

    (...I''m not very smart, so I don''t know.)

    But this was the limit for a sub-heroine.

    Right now, Ryoma Ryuzaki couldn¡¯t even lay a finger on a average character.

    Will it continue to fall apart? ......, thought every subheroine.

    However, there was one person... who accepted Ryoma Ryuzaki, even if he was like this.

    ¡¸Ryoma? Good morning!So you came to school today... I''m so happy.I''ve contacted you many times, but you haven''t replied, so I was worried.Oh, I don''t mind that you didn''t reply, of course. That doesn''t matter!£¡¡¹

    That human''s name is Yuzuki Houjou.

    Nakayama Koutarou''s childhood friend¡­

    TL/ED: I know ello mtl team is still updating this series,i just want to see how frequently they upload until then i will continue to upload chaps.....also support me on Ko-fi to help me reach my goal.....

 CH 143

    Yuzuki Hojo.

    If she had to be described in one phrase, it would be ¡°Yamato Nadeshiko¡±.

    (TLN: personification of an idealized Japanese woman)

    She is a beautiful girl with long, lustrous black hair. She is small in stature, but has a well-developed physique and a large bust. She does not have the looks to be popular with girls, but she is very popular among boys.

    Inside, she is just as profound and reserved as she looks.

    At best, she is obedient, at worst, she is blindly trusting.

    In any case, she never asserts herself. She always lives in accordance with others and never rejects others at all.

    She has rejected only once, including in the past.

    It was the time she parted ways with her childhood friend, Kotaro Nakayama, at her high school entrance ceremony.

    Since then, she has always followed Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    She has always followed Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s back from a distance.

    Mary once commented on Yuzuki Hojo.

    ¡°Yuzuki has a weak will.¡±

    Mary¡¯s nature was distorted, but she had a real eye for people.

    Therefore, her analysis of Yuzuki Hojo was also accurate.

    She has a weak will.

    She is the kind of person who is easily swept along by the current and accepts it when she is pushed.

    She is incapable of denial.

    She thinks that even if she doesn¡¯t like something, she can ¡®just put up with it¡¯.

    That¡¯s why she was able to accept even the pathetic harem protagonists who had lost all sense.

    This is not the ¡®total affirmation¡¯ that Mary did for a time. That was a kind of pep talk, a therapy to build self-confidence by satisfying the need for approval.

    Well, she dared to do it excessively, so it is doping, not therapy.

    As a result, the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki, whose self-confidence became bloated and conceited, has already been told.

    Anyway, Yuzuki Hojo has accepted the weak-willed and no-good Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¡°Ryoma-san? Um, I actually made a bento for you, would you like it for lunch?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    There was no reply from Ryoma Ryuzaki. However, without worrying about that, Yuzuki Hojo continued to talk to him.

    The content was also terrible.

    Why does she have a bento for Ryoma Ryuzaki, who has been absent for so long?

    The answer is obvious.

    While Ryoma Ryuzaki was absent, she had been making a bento for him every day. If he didn¡¯t show up, she would throw it away at home, get up early again, and make another one¡­ a cycle that continued for a month and a half.

    (TLN: The definition of insanity¡­)

    No normal person would do such a thing.

    Because there is no result for the effort. There is no meaning in unrewarded effort. However, Yuzuki Hojo does not care about such things because she does not want to be rewarded in the first place.

    She is devoted, to the point of blind devotion.

    No, the expression would be a little different.

    Yuzuki Hojo is not devoted. She is ¡°subservient¡±.

    Her service is ¡­ like that of a servant who is charmed by her master.

    ¡°What a menu, Ryoma-san¡¯s favorite fried chicken, a hamburger steak, and then¡­¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡±

    However, Ryoma Ryuzaki stomped on the girl¡¯s devotion and love.

    ¡°I have no appetite.¡±

    A single sentence. With that single statement, all of her efforts for the past month and a half were negated.

    She had worked so hard to please Ryoma Ryuzaki. The fried chicken and hamburger were not frozen foods. They were made from scratch. She woke up at four in the morning every morning and took the time to make the bento, but ¡­ all that effort was destroyed with a single statement.

    A normal human being would dislike the other person.

    One would feel disgusted by Ryoma Ryuzaki, who trampled on their compassion.

    However, Yuzuki Hojo cannot do that.

    She is not strong-willed enough to deny others.

    That is why Yuzuki Houjou accepts.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. If you have no appetite, it can¡¯t be helped. It seems I was a little arrogant¡­ Ryoma-san, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Yuzuki Hojo bowed her head.

    Kirari Asakura, who was watching her nearby, had a sad expression on her face as she held her chest.

    (Yuzu-chan, you can¡¯t do this¡­)

    She already knows.

    (Only acceptance and ¡­ pampering is not the only way to ¡®love¡¯, you know.)

    If you do something wrong, tell them you did something wrong.

    If they do something wrong, scold them and tell them not to do it again.

    That is very, very important.

    Kirari Asakura knew from experience that simply accepting and pampering ¡­ is not love.

    Once, when Kotaro Nakayama had harsh words for her, she had become enraged.

    But looking back over time, Kirari realized that it was his way of giving her a pep talk.

    It was because of that that she was able to look forward again.

    So, the current behavior of Yuzuki Hojo did not seem to be the right one.

    (Hah¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.)

    She is suffering.

    The person she loves who has been ruined and the rival who has accepted him as such¡­ If things continue as they are, Kirari Asakura¡¯s feelings will not be rewarded.

    She didn¡¯t like that either¡­ but above all, she was most worried that such two people were going to continue on this path of destruction.

    (Is this the story I chose to tell ¡­?)

    Kirari Asakura could only sigh at the difficult romantic comedy that lay ahead¡­

 CH 144

    Ryuzaki is back.

    He had been absent for a month and a half since the festival, and when he came to school, he was still the same mob character.

    He was expressionless and stared blankly at the empty sky as if he had lost all emotion.

    The heroines around him are puzzled by such a Ryuzaki. Kirari, in particular, was holding her head and groaning in distress.

    Azusa also looked at Ryuzaki, albeit from a distance, and was stunned. The only one who remained the same was Yuzuki.

    Always devoted, she would probably accept Ryuzaki no matter how much he changed. But that does not seem like a good thing.

    If she accepted a ruined person, there would be no room for rehabilitation.

    If Ryuzaki is content with the status quo, there is no point. It didn¡¯t seem possible that he, in his current state, could make the heroines happy.

    (Is Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy really over¡­?)

    I had felt that way somehow after the incident with Mary-san.

    Once again, I realized it.

    No, but ¡­ there must be something more.

    Because if it ends here, no one¡¯s feelings will be rewarded.

    If there is even the slightest possibility, it is Yuzuki, but even if ¡­ that girl and Ryuzaki in his current state were to get together, I wonder if they would really be happy.

    Even that was doubtful, Ryuzaki was finished.

    (Also, if there is some leverage, maybe Ryuzaki will come back from the dead¡­)

    Mary-san, who took on that role last time, has gone the other way, though, and has driven Ryuzaki into a corner.

    It¡¯s about time for a new heroine to appear on Ryuzaki¡¯s side¡­ just when I was thinking that, she appeared after all.

    ¡°Good morning~ ¡­ Oh, Ryuzaki-kun has come to school too! That¡¯s very good, but I have one more piece of good news~.¡±

    Just as I thought Suzuki-sensei had arrived, a female student came from behind her.

    ¡°¡±¡±¡­¡±¡±¡±

    At that moment, the classroom suddenly became quiet.

    My first thought was, ¡°Pink?¡± I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the same for everyone.

    Her hair was pink. Her eyes were red and her hair styled in twin-tails. She was small and slender. Her style was probably similar to Shiho¡¯s.

    There was no doubt that she was cute. Although not as outstanding as Shiho or Mary-san, she was at least on par with Kirari and Azusa in terms of appearance.

    However, her eccentric hair color overshadowed the impression that she is cute.

    However, she herself does not seem to be bothered by her hair color and is unconcerned about it.

    Her mousy expression is somewhat grumpy. The corners of her eyes were also turned up and it looked as if she was glaring at someone.

    ¡°Ah, you can¡¯t come in yet. I thought I¡¯d introduce you as a surprise~¡±

    The teacher angrily replied in a pacing voice, but the pink girl inscribed her name on the blackboard without paying any attention to that.

    ¡°¡­Kururi Kurumizawa.¡±

    Having said that much, she bowed her head.

    Perhaps she meant to introduce herself? Even if she was being unsociable, she seemed to be short on words¡­ and classmates were giving her puzzled glances.

    But after all, she is still standing tall, paying no attention to the stares of her fellow classmates. Now she was glaring at the teacher. It was as if she was saying, ¡®Hurry up and make me sit down¡¯.

    ¡°Eh, erm¡­ Let¡¯s see, ¡­ that¡¯s right, this is Kururi Kurumizawa-chan¡­ It¡¯s sudden, but due to her parents¡¯ work, she transferred to this school. Please make friends with her, everyone~!¡±

    Suzuki-sensei started to speak on behalf of Kururi Kurumizawa-san. However, she bent her lips into a smile almost reluctant to do so.

    ¡°You don¡¯t really want them to get along with you, do you?¡±

    Suzuki-sensei shrugged her shoulders as she muttered something like that in a grumpy tone.

    ¡°¡­Yes, yes, I¡¯m sorry~. That¡¯s how it is, so please don¡¯t befriend me~.¡±

    Ah, she is being a hassle.

    The type of teacher who doesn¡¯t really put a lot of enthusiasm into her duties was quick to be spoon-fed.

    Well, I understand how she feels. I thought she seemed like a pretty difficult girl.

    But I feel that her appearance at this time is ¡­ some kind of intention. She is surely not an ordinary character.

    (After all, isn¡¯t Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy over yet?)

    I¡¯m not sure yet, but ¡­ maybe Kurumizawa-san is a character for leverage, just like Mary-san.

    I thought it was about time we had a heroine of the type that would bring Ryuzaki back to life. I am sure she is the one.

    Otherwise, his romantic comedy wouldn¡¯t work.

    I really hate Ryuzaki, though.

    Still, for the sake of the heroines, who still say it has to be him, I wanted¡­ to somehow bring him back¡­ I just wish he could get some kind of a revival.

 CH 145

    A transfer student has arrived.

    This is the second transfer student for the second class of year one. Normally, they would be sent to another class, but the fact that they came to ¡­ our class, can it be concluded that Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s ¡°opportunism¡± is still functioning after all?

    Or is there some other reason why she is in this class?

    The exact reason is not known at this point. To begin with, what kind of character she has, and what kind of position she is in, is also unknown.

    I would like to wait and see for a while.

    However, I somehow feel that ¡­ she is not an ordinary person.

    I feel that she has appeared here with some kind of role.

    The reason is that Shiho, who normally shows no interest in anyone, had her eyes glued as she looked at Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°¡­ Sounds beautiful.¡±

    She muttered.

    I¡¯d never seen her so upfront before, not even Mary-san was interesting to her.

    ¡°It sounds soooo much like my mom and dad¡­¡±

    Hearing Shiho¡¯s thoughts on Kurumizawa-san, I was surprised, too.

    The fact that she resembles Shiho¡¯s parents, Itsuki-san and Satsuki-san, means that ¡­ she is a person just like them, the genuine protagonist and heroine of the story.

    If that is the case, then she may be a leverage character after all. She may have been introduced as resuscitation to bring back Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy.

    If that is the case, then thank goodness.

    If Ryuzaki could only be revived¡­, there is a possibility that the feelings of those three could be fulfilled. No, even if those feelings don¡¯t come to fruition, they should be able to make a break and go their separate ways.

    It would be really wonderful if that happened.

    ¡°Well then, maybe Kurumizawa-san¡¯s seat should be, let¡¯s see~¡­ Mary-san¡¯s seat? She¡¯s taking a leave of absence from school, and it would be fine~.¡±

    There is an empty seat where Suzuki-sensei is gazing.

    That is the place that is supposed to be Mary-san¡¯s seat, but no one has been sitting there for a long time now.

    In case you are wondering, she is just taking a leave of absence, not quitting school. So when we changed seats, we didn¡¯t exclude her, but instead decided her seat by lottery.

    The location is at the front, on the corridor side. By the way, Ryuzaki¡¯s entourage is currently stationed in the back by the window. Azusa has moved to the center of the room, and Shiho and I are still at the back by the corridor. Shiho, who has become the lottery organizer, has stopped cheating against Ryuzaki, but she continues to cheat to be next to me.

    I know my classmates must have suspected it, but since they didn¡¯t say anything, I decided to ignore it until then. Suzuki-sensei didn¡¯t seem to care much about it either, so I guess it¡¯s all right. Well, since he doesn¡¯t like lectures, guidance, and other bothersome things, it¡¯s possible that she¡¯s intentionally not paying attention to it.

    Anyway, it looks like her seat will be in a place that has nothing to do with Ryuzaki.

    If so, I wondered if Kurumizawa-san was someone who had nothing to do with the narrative, and that¡¯s when I thought to myself.

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to be in the back, not the front.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san, looking as grumpy as ever, voiced her dissatisfaction.

    At her words, Suzuki-sensei stuck out her tongue in a very annoyed manner.

    ¡°Ehhh~? You want to be in the back~?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. I don¡¯t want to be in the front.¡±

    Suzuki-sensei smiled vaguely at Kurumizawa-san who clearly expressed her intention. It seems that she is clearly annoyed and is too lazy to resist.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes. So I¡¯m going to switch with someone in the back seat. By the way, where would you like to sit? Please decide quickly, I¡¯m tired already!¡±

    Emotions are running rampant. It¡¯s like she¡¯s already decided to do everything at Kurumizawa-san¡¯s beck and call. I think that¡¯s why you can¡¯t get married, Sensei¡­

    But, well, this trend is not bad.

    Perhaps Kurumizawa-san will go to a seat in the back by the window¡­ that is, close to where Ryuzaki is. That¡¯s how she will get involved with Ryuzaki, get caught up in the story, and encourage that guy¡¯s resurrection from her position as the new heroine.

    That¡¯s what I had expected.

    ¡°¡­Then, over there.¡±

    The one that Kurumizawa-san pointed to was not the seat in the back by the window.

    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    To my surprise, it was a seat in the back on the corridor side.

    In other words, Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s seat.

 CH 146

    ¡°Huh? Huh? Me???¡±

    Shiho, who was suddenly pointed at, was puzzled. She looked at me and pointed a finger at herself as if to confirm.

    Her blank expression is cute, but now is not the time to be smiling at her loveliness.

    £¨Why Shiho?)

    I was puzzled, too.

    I thought for sure she was going to be a part of the Ryuzaki-related leverage, but ¡­, of all places, she¡¯s coming here?

    I¡¯m also curious about the fact that she went to the trouble of nominating Shiho¡¯s seat.

    That¡­ is next to me.

    I had a bad feeling about this.

    I hope it¡¯s just a whim, but ¡­ no, wait.

    It¡¯s not good if I get swept away here. Because Shiho and I would be separated from our seats.

    I was very sad about that, but it would be hard to reject ¡­ Suzuki-sensei is looking at Shiho as if to say ¡°hurry up and change your seat¡± and she probably won¡¯t listen.

    Then, I have no choice here.

    ¡°Sensei, would you like me to go to the front?¡±

    I raised my hand in defense of Shiho and volunteered to go in the front.

    Although we will be separated from each other, Shiho seems to like her current seat, so at the very least, I thought I would protect it.

    But Kurumizawa-san was blatantly vexed.

    When I raised my hand, her lips were tightly sealed and she glared at me.

    Suzuki-sensei, who was watching me, gave me a reply, not wanting to prolong the conversation any longer.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d prefer Shimotsuki-san instead of Nakayama-kun, right? Lately, there seems to be a lot of napping, and there have been complaints from other teachers~. I think it would be better for her rehabilitation to come to the front~.¡±

    It¡¯s a very good reason.

    Indeed, Shiho¡¯s classroom attitude is bad ¡­ about half of the time she is definitely sleeping, and the other half of the time she is either keeping an exchange diary or doodling in her notebooks.

    It¡¯s adorable, like a free-spirited little girl, but I don¡¯t know if the teachers would allow that.

    I can¡¯t help it if they say so.

    ¡°Shiho, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I apologized in a quiet tone of voice, and she shook her head sadly.

    ¡°Ugh, if I¡¯m going to leave Kotaro-kun anyway, both of us should be together¡­¡±

    Looking at her sad face, I couldn¡¯t help but want to keep her around.

    But, well, it¡¯s only a seat change. Since we will be together all the way to curfew after school anyway, our relationship will not change much.

    So Shiho reluctantly switched seats.

    She moved to the front seat on the corridor side and was looking at the blackboard with a bored expression on her face. Her back figure was also cute, but I was still sad because of the distance between us.

    On the other hand, Kurumizawa-san, who newly arrived next to me,¡­ was still looking grumpy.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    When she came up next to me, she didn¡¯t say anything, of course.

    However, I was a little concerned that she glanced at me as she crossed next to me.

    Clearly she recognized me.

    She was looking at me quite distinctly, even though I tend to be overshadowed by the nature of my former mob personality.

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    I felt a sense of unease with Kurumizawa-san, who has moved the main heroine Shiho.

    Besides, she seems to have no interest in Ryuzaki either.

    Even when classes started and lunch time came, she was all alone all the time. On the contrary, she did not even look at Ryuzaki, but just sat quietly in her seat.

    Her lips were tightly pressed into a grim line, and when spoken to, she only gave a blunt response, maintaining her sullenness.

    And yet, ¡­ every once in a while, she would look in my direction.

    I suddenly felt her gaze on me, and when I turned my eyes, my eyes met with those of Kurumizawa-san every time.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Each time she averted her gaze without saying anything, but it was still eerie.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of position Kururi Kurumizawa-san is in.

    I had no idea what she wanted to do and why she appeared at this time¡­ I had no idea why.

 CH 147

    It was already too late when I suddenly realized.

    (Huh? Did I forget my phone?)

    After returning home, I finally realized that my phone was missing.

    It was neither in my bag nor in my pocket, so I probably left it at school.

    I¡¯m not used to it at all, and if anything, since I never use it except when communicating with Shiho, it seems I forgot the phone itself existed.

    I forget to bring it to school ¡­ quite often, and if I¡¯m not careful, I don¡¯t touch it at all when I¡¯m at home. I¡¯m afraid that when I do that, I get an unbelievable amount of messages from her.

    Well, she is quite a funny girl.

    She seems to be aware of the fact that her love is heavy, and sometimes she makes fun of it.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking ¡­, when I don¡¯t reply to her, for example, she purposely calls me about 30 times to scare me ¡­. No way she¡¯s seriously doing that, right?¡¡Shiho, please, please, please let this be a joke, okay?

    I think there¡¯s a 95% chance that it¡¯s okay, but the possibility of the other 5% is a bit tricky, as I just can¡¯t ignore it. Well, this little Yandere element is one of the reasons why she is so cute.

    (Don¡¯t think about it, don¡¯t be silly, let¡¯s go get it soon¡­)

    Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to return her messages at night, and she¡¯ll turn into a yandere.

    And so I boarded the bus again and headed off to school.

    Probably Shiho is heading my home too, so we¡¯ll be swapping places¡­ Azusa is at home.

    I firmly asked her to leave a message saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up something I forgot at school.¡± so it should be fine. In addition, I also asked her to give Shiho some attention.

    Azusa explicitly didn¡¯t like it, but the two of them are pretty good together, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get along somehow. I think my grades have been slipping thanks to the fact that we¡¯ve been playing games together when she comes over to my house lately¡­, but I can¡¯t say anything about that. I¡¯m not sure what to expect from the newest addition to the family.

    The midterms after the festival were really bad¡­ No, one reason is that I was busy, but that¡¯s probably just an excuse. I will do my best in the final exam which will be held in about two weeks.

    With these thoughts in mind, I was on the bus for 30 minutes.

    After arriving at the bus stop near the school, I walked for a few minutes.

    By the time I arrived at the school, the sky was already tinted with red.

    It is winter and the sun goes down early these days.

    Entering the school, illuminated by the sunset, I suddenly felt nostalgic.

    (Come to think of it, it was like this when I first talked with Shiho.)

    I still remember it well.

    May. It was just before the rainy season. That time, I forgot my textbooks at school and came back after school to get them.

    I remember that I called out to Shiho, who was dozing off in the classroom lit by the setting sun, and that was the beginning of our friendship ¡­my cheeks relaxed as I recalled that¡­

    Looking back, that was a turning point in my life.

    Thanks to her, my life was colored.

    Shiho is my benefactor and a very important person.

    Just thinking about her in this way warms my heart.

    ¡°Fufu¡­¡±

    With a small laugh, I entered the classroom.

    Since there were only a few club members left, I thought no one was there anymore. So I entered the classroom without hiding my grinning face,¡­ and it was right after that.

    ¡°Ah, here at last.¡±

    I was suddenly approached by a voice.

    The unexpected event froze my expression.

    With a grinning smile on my face, I looked up and saw a girl sitting by the window.

    ¡°¡­? Why are you grinning? Did something good happen?¡±

    Her hair, which reflects the blazing sunset, shines red as if on fire, but ¡­ closer inspection revealed that her hair color was pink.

    Looking at it, I finally realized who she was.

    ¡°Ku-Kurumizawa-san¡­?¡±

    I could not hide my bewilderment at her unexpected appearance.

    When I reflexively called out her name, Kurumizawa-san gave me a small smile.

    ¡°Hmmm? You remembered my name¡­ Thanks. I¡¯m glad.¡±

    I feel uncomfortable with the friendly expression on her face.

    Why is she giving me that look?

    I don¡¯t understand why she only smiles at me when she has been so unsociable at school¡­

    Why is she in the classroom after school in the first place?

    And it looked as if she was waiting for me.

    ¡°Why are you still here¡­?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    She told me the reason for this in a nutshell.

    ¡°I was waiting for you. I really wanted to talk to you alone, didn¡¯t I? So, you see¡­, I secretly stole your phone and made you come to me to get it.¡±

    In her hand was my phone.

    It seems she had gone to the trouble of stealing my phone in order to talk to me.

    I have a bad feeling about such words and actions.

    (Isn¡¯t Kurumizawa-san ¡­ Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy leverage?)

    At the moment, Ryuzaki and Kurumizawa-san are unconnected.

    But if you look at it from a different perspective,¡­ I and Kurumizawa-san¡¯s were firmly connected.

    In short, is this what it means?

    (Could it be that she is a leverage for ¡­ my romantic comedy!?)

    Right. This is the story of a boy who used to be a mob character, but grew up and became the protagonist.

    The protagonist of Part III is not Ryuzaki. The protagonist, who was brought down to earth by Mary-san¡¯s plan, became a mob character and was abandoned by the god of romantic comedies.

    Instead, the one who was favored by the god of romantic comedies was ¡°Kotaro Nakayama¡± who was formerly a mob character.

    In other words, this is my story.

    And the new heroine ¡°Kururi Kurumizawa¡± was a leveraged character to change the stagnant romantic comedy of ¡­ Kotaro Nakayama.

 CH 148

    In a classroom lit by the setting sun, I was alone with a female student.

    In the past, I became friends with Shiho in a similar situation.

    But this time, the girl with me was not Shiho.

    It was a pink-haired girl named Kururi Kurumizawa.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you, okay? I just want to talk to you for a little bit.¡±

    She said while holding my phone in one hand, her cheeks flushed red.

    No, no way, right? They¡¯re just red from the reflection of the sunset, right?

    You can¡¯t possibly be¡­ that thrilled to be with me, can you?

    ¡°¡­Can I have my phone back? I¡¯m sure there are plenty of incoming calls.¡±

    To be honest, I was freaked out.

    I was content with my stagnant romantic comedy. I¡¯d love to relax with Shiho forever.

    Change was unnecessary.

    Because we were already good friends.

    And as time passes, we would become even better friends, and eventually, when we reach a certain age, we will consider marriage.

    That¡¯s the kind of romantic comedy I want.

    We don¡¯t want our story to have any peaks and valleys. We don¡¯t want to experience any ups and downs. We don¡¯t want incidents, events, conflicts, setbacks, or even catharsis.

    And yet, the God of romantic comedies is merciless.

    Just when I thought he had easily discarded Ryoma Ryuzaki, he began to love me on his own.

    I really wanted a break.

    ¡°Incoming calls? Yeah, there were a lot of them, but I turned them off because they were too noisy. Nakayama, don¡¯t you have a password on your phone? You¡¯re pretty careless¡­ Isn¡¯t that how you got your phone stolen?¡±

    Seeing her mischievous smile, I broke out in a cold sweat.

    Why would she only smile like that at me? I don¡¯t understand.

    Why can¡¯t she be as sarcastic with me as she was earlier?

    There was no need to show any emotion.

    It would be better for both of us to live as strangers.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t look at what was in there, okay? I don¡¯t cross the line¡­ Well, usually. Sorry about this. Was it upsetting to have your phone stolen? I apologize for that.¡±

    As she says this, she hands me the phone.

    We were a few meters apart. But she didn¡¯t appear to be getting any closer. She was leaning against the window, waiting for me to come.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not mad at you, but¡­ I¡¯ll have it back anyway.¡±

    I approached her with caution, saying something bland so as not to provoke her.

    Slowly, step by step, I stopped just within reach and tried to take the phone from her hand.

    But the god of romantic comedies didn¡¯t allow me to just take it, he had other plans.

    ¡°-!?¡±

    Suddenly, something was caught at my feet. Somebody¡¯s bag was on the floor. I fall forward, my foot caught on it as it rolls unnaturally.

    ¡°Look out!¡±

    At that moment, she shifted her stance and moved forward to catch me.

    Kurumizawa-san was light. She caught me but was unable to support me, so we both fell.

    As a result, my face collided with her chest.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ Nakayama, are you alright? Did you hit your head?¡±

    Kurumizawa-san had fallen, but she appeared to be okay. She was worried about me.

    I had just hit my face so hard that I couldn¡¯t say anything right away. My nose especially hurt¡­ I felt like I was going to get a nosebleed. If I did, the blood would get on Kurumizawa-san¡¯s clothes, so I rushed to put my hand on my face.

    But instead, my hand was on¡­ her b*****s.

    Because I was in a hurry, I couldn¡¯t confirm it.

    ¡°Uh~~~!?¡±

    Kurumizawa-san¡¯s face turned bright red in an instant.

    After her chest was suddenly touched, it was no surprise that she would be angry.

    However¡­

    ¡°¡­Uhm, can you let me go? It¡¯s a little embarrasing¡­¡±

    She simply fidgeted shyly.

    I could definitely feel her heart beating.

    I felt like my blood had stopped flowing so much to the point where the nosebleed had subsided.

    Why was she so nervous just because I touched her?

    Rather, why wasn¡¯t she mad at me?

    I think it is normal for someone to get angry or disgusted when a stranger suddenly touches their body.

    This was like a scene out of a rom-com.

    No, the word ¡°like¡± is probably an understatement.

    I am now favored by the god of romantic comedies.

    I¡¯m sure that even this was planned out from the start.

 CH 149

    (ED/N: Did we upload the wrong series?)

    Compared to Shiho, Kurumizawa-san¡¯s body temperature was slightly lower than hers.

    Shiho was a warm and comfortable girl who is so pleasant that I want to touch her all the time.

    Kurumizawa-san, on the other hand, was the type of girl who made you want to cling to her and never let go.

    I wanted to warm her up because she was cold, and that tickled a man¡¯s heart.

    (TLN: Man with raised eyebrow emoji)

    At the thought of it, I almost felt self-loathing.

    I felt sorry for Shiho.

    Why do I feel this way about Kurumizawa-san, despite the fact that my feelings for that girl haven¡¯t changed¡­?

    Just moments before, I had never been attracted to any other girl other than Shiho.

    She was all I cared about.

    But now that I¡¯ve become the main character, I wonder if I¡¯ve changed.

    I wondered if I¡¯d turned into Ryuzaki and developed feelings of favoritism toward girls without regard.

    I was afraid of such a notion.

    I wanted to run away from this place if I could.

    I wanted to pretend that what happened after school never happened and play with Shiho.

    But there was no way the god of romantic comedies would allow such a dull narrative.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry? If I was bigger, it would have been a cushion for Nakayama, but¡­ it was so small, it felt like a board, didn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sorry I caused you pain.¡±

    The scene continued.

    The chance meeting was what one might call a lucky break.

    The story seems to develop further from there.

    ¡°My chest¡­ I have an inferiority complex about them¡­ I¡¯m not saying that I want you to understand me or anything.¡±

    The words spliced in to mend the situation were conversely simple to understand¡­, and I realized she was doing her best to make herself known.

    Why would she apologize?

    And what she was saying was so adorable, it gave me goosebumps.

    It was just so cute.

    The things she said and did were not the kind of things a normal girl could do.

    Yes, she had become a ¡°heroine¡± herself, befuddled by the¡­ Good fortune.

    Her face was bright red, probably because from the combination of embarrassment at having her body touched and joy at being able to touch the boy she likes so much.

    Such an expression of happiness tinged with embarrassment¡­ is what tickles a man¡¯s heart the most.

    (I knew she was¡­ my other heroine.)

    I hate to admit it, but she was cute.

    This was a girl who usually hides herself behind an eccentric pink hair color and an unfriendly attitude¡­ but when the veil is removed, the face peeking out from the inside is a lovely girl, filled with indescribable cuteness.

    ¡°Incidentally, Nakayama, do you prefer girls who are big or small? I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re a fan of the small ones or the big ones. And if possible, I¡¯d be happy if you went with the small ones¡­ But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. I¡¯m not saying that I want you to care about me or anything, you know?¡±

    Oh, I see.

    I¡¯ve been wondering about this for a while¡­ but I now know what Kururi Kurumizawa is like based on what she says and does.

    Kururi Kurumizawa is a ¡°Tsundere¡±.

    It¡¯s a fairly standard definition of a tsundere, but it¡¯s a tsundere that has evolved with the times, as long as it doesn¡¯t get¡­ violent.

    Along with Yanderes that don¡¯t go overboard, Tsunderes who don¡¯t get violent are also adorable in their own right.

    This was a bit of a problem.

    ¡°Maybe Nakayama prefers someone who is mature? In our class, I¡¯d say¡­ that neat-looking girl with dark hair, you know? What about that girl, Hojo, I think it was? If you like that type, then, ugh,¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I can win.¡±

    ¡­Even so, Kurumizawa-san talks a lot.

    She is normally unsociable, but only becomes talkative in front of me¡­ This was exactly the same thing that happened with Shiho.

    ¡°The cute transfer student who¡¯s always grumpy becomes talkative only to me.¡±

    Part III appears to be heading in that direction, it seems.

 CH 150

    Right in front of me, Kurumizawa-san was looking at me with concern.

    ¡°Nakayama? Is your nose okay?¡±

    A slender hand reached out to touch me.

    I bent down in a slight panic and she tilted her head in a puzzled manner.

    ¡°Hmm? Why are you being so cautious? Even though I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, but¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t good. I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    There was no way I could know how to treat a girl who liked me.

    Most of the girls were indifferent to me. Shiho was the only one who liked me¡­ meaning I could return the favor to her. It was only natural for me to do so because Shiho was someone special to me.

    But not Kurumizawa-san.

    Despite the fact that we only met today and haven¡¯t even had a proper conversation,¡­ she clearly thinks of me in a very special way.

    That was kinda unsettling.

    Being fond of someone without any reason was a mystery to me.

    Nevertheless.

    Humans have a tendency to reciprocate the feelings we¡¯re given¡­ If someone¡­ hates us, we¡¯re more likely to hate them¡­ and if they like us, we¡¯re more likely to like them.

    But I can¡¯t like Kurumizawa-san.

    Because I have Shiho. I can¡¯t return her sentiment while I¡¯m by her side.

    And for that reason, I didn¡¯t know how to treat her.

    ¡°Does that mean I can touch you? Then¡­ feel free to touch me as well, okay? I¡¯m not suggesting anything in particular, you know? It¡¯s just kind of¡­ anyway, let me hold your hand?¡±

    Once again, she tried to touch me.

    But I wasn¡¯t that insensitive to Shiho¡¯s feelings that I could let that happen.

    (I¡¯m sure Shiho would be upset if I laid my hands on another girl.)

    I know that.

    I can¡¯t be like Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    If I were that insensitive guy, I¡¯m sure I could flirt with her without a problem in this situation.

    However, I was not him.

    Instead, I was a rather sensitive person.

    So I still couldn¡¯t accept her feelings¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Once more, I backed away.

    Kurumizawa-san¡¯s hand reached out to the empty air, missing me by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    ¡°¡­ Do you dislike it that much? If possible, could you tell me why?¡±

    But Kurumizawa-san didn¡¯t get angry.

    I got the impression that she was more preoccupied than shocked at what was going on.

    She was calmly trying to figure out why I wouldn¡¯t like it. She wanted to know my feelings as much as she was interested in my current position.

    It would have been way easier if she had been more emotional.

    The way she calmly analyzed me showed how serious she was.

    It didn¡¯t matter how long the battle lasted, she just didn¡¯t care.

    No matter how much time it would take to reach my heart, she¡¯d say it was worth it.

    ¡°Are you by any chance dating someone¡­? Meaning you can¡¯t interact with other girls?¡±

    She spoke up without hesitation.

    I was put off by her courage.

    The gravity of her feelings frightened me.

    But there was no point in going with the flow here.

    Rather than making Shiho sad¡­ I made the decision that I was willing to hurt the girl in front of me.

    So I answered honestly.

    ¡°I have someone I care about. If I interact with you, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be sad¡­ I can¡¯t respond to your feelings.¡±

    If I said that it wasn¡¯t heartbreaking, I¡¯d be lying.

    But there was someone I want to prioritize more than anyone else.

    And I would do anything in my heart to avoid making that person sad.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I reject her clearly and unequivocally.

    But she nodded firmly, as though she knew exactly what I was going to say.

    ¡°As I suspected.¡±

    It seemed that she was prepared for this after our previous exchange.

    After which, Kurumizawa-san, who was not dejected even in the slightest,¡­ took one more step toward me.

    Her eyes shone with a fierce fighting spirit.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the answer I wanted to hear. Tell me, are you dating someone? Is that person Nakayama¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°¡­She isn¡¯t my girlfriend, but she¡¯s as close as it gets.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t lie.

    We were not dating yet.

    Shiho was in no hurry to develop the relationship, so I¡¯m going along with her.

    But it seemed to have backfired against me.

    ¡°¡­ Why? If you care about someone so much, it¡¯s normal to go out with them, right?¡¡Nakayama cares for that girl so much that he can¡¯t interact with other girls, so¡­ why aren¡¯t you dating her?¡±

    She dug in even deeper, gnawing at me even more.

    She picks at the slightest crack in my relationship with Shiho.

    You¡¯ve got it all wrong, Kurumizawa-san,¡­ it¡¯s because I genuinely care about her that I want our relationship to gradually build up.¡±

    And then, I told her why.

    I had to.

    I didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand me¡­ I explained that the feelings I have for Shiho were by no means light.

    But it appeared that even that was only a tailwind for her.

    ¡°Impossible.¡±

    She refused to believe it.

    ¡°If Nakayama cares so much for her and loves her so¡­ much, why doesn¡¯t she just accept it? Is it because the love between you two is too heavy and it could break you? Do you want to be loved even more? That¡¯s just selfish, isn¡¯t it? If that¡¯s the case, then why isn¡¯t she trying to fulfill your feelings for her?¡±

    Shiho¡¯s feelings were denied.

    At that moment, I felt very disgusted.

    You can say whatever you want about me.

    But I can¡¯t forgive her for that.

    ¡°Even she¡¯s dead serious¡­ about me, and she¡¯s making sure she doesn¡¯t screw up because she truly cares about me!¡±

    My words became sharper.

    Any normal girl would be scared of the rough attitude.

    But Kurumizawa-san stubbornly looked at me straight in the eyes.

    She faced me without fear, and without being intimidated.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because Nakayama spoils her like that, she¡¯s in the relationship she¡¯s in now, isn¡¯t it? Hey, don¡¯t you really know that too¡­? She¡¯s just taking advantage of your kindness. That¡¯s just not right.¡±

    Up until now, my relationship with Shiho had been unbreakable.

    It was supposed to be a sacred realm, protected for all eternity.

    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive that girl for refusing you, who you love so much. Because that¡¯s simply¡­ Isn¡¯t that a stretch? ¡°

    But then she cuts in.

    She confronted me head-on with the blade of righteousness.

 CH 151

    ¨CA Stretch.

    That¡¯s how Kurumizawa-san described the relationship between Shiho and I.

    ¡°Perhaps that girl is just scared? She¡¯s afraid that if she becomes your girlfriend, her relationship with you will change, right? She¡¯s a coward, so she¡¯s stretching out your current relationship with her. Keeping it lazy, keeping it the way it is, stepping on Nakayama¡¯s feelings. Sounds about right?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ she¡¯s not that much of a self-centered person¡­ She cares about me too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think. At least, that¡¯s how I feel as a third party. Your relationship with her is a little strange.¡±

    Her pink hair glowed a fiery red in the light of the setting sun.

    I averted my gaze due to the seriousness in her eyes.

    I didn¡¯t understand.

    I was used to the feelings of disgust, rivalry, and indifference.

    I¡¯m at a loss on how to deal with a girl who hits me with all her might, feigning affection.

    Even now, she¡¯s saying things like that for my sake.

    Because I was aware of this¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but weaken my rebuttal.

    No. Maybe¡­ deep down, I had those feelings for Shiho as well.

    Why won¡¯t she accept me?

    Even though I love and care for her so much¡­ are my feelings for her still not enough?

    I want to love and be loved by Shiho even more.

    ¨CI would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have those feelings.

    So I couldn¡¯t argue any further.

    ¡°I would never do that.¡±

    And then, all of a sudden, Kurumizawa-san spoke up.

    ¡°If I could be the one next to you¡­ I would cherish you more. I would accept Nakayama¡¯s thoughts, and offer mine in return. We would both make every effort to be happier. I will make your happiness my happiness.¡±

    There was no way around it.

    She looked me in the eyes and put her feelings into words.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying this because I love¡­ Nakayama, alright? Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking I don¡¯t like you or anything.¡±

    My retreat had been successfully cut off by the tsundere yet straightforward confession.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? I know you¡¯re confused by all of this, aren¡¯t you? Oh, I know. I don¡¯t think you can accept my feelings right now anyway, right? That¡¯s fine. I understand that I¡¯m going to be rejected, but I wanted you to know how I feel anyway.¡±

    Everywhere I look, she¡¯s been very accommodating towards me.

    To spare me from guilt and heartache, she pretended that she had been rejected herself¡­ and then expressed her intention not to give up just yet.

    I was struck by her dedication.

    I tried to avoid making a connection with her at all costs.

    But there was something bothering me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but¡­ ask her this.

    It was-

    ¡°Why¡­ did you fall in love with me?¡±

    Yes. This was what I¡¯ve been wondering all along.

    It was only the first day of school. We had only just recently met, and if anything, we had never even spoken to each other before.

    And yet, from the very beginning, her fondness for me had been over 100 percent. I almost felt dizzy with her love that rivaled Shiho¡¯s.

    For what reason could she fall in love with someone in such a short time?

    The reason was very simple.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know myself? I was just thinking how nice of a person you were, and before I knew it, I was filled with feelings of ¡®I love you¡¯. So, I don¡¯t have any particular reason, but¡­ that doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that I fell in love with you.¡±

    Blushing, Kurumizawa-san explained why. Her cheeks were red probably from embarrasment.

    But I couldn¡¯t smile as genuinely as she did.

    (No reason, huh¡­ that¡­ that¡¯s just not right!)

    Maybe her love for me was distorted after all.

    Because you need a reason to love someone.

    The absence of a reason meant that¡­

    (Distorted Opportunism¡­and Kurumizawa-san¡¯s feelings¡­)

    The concept that once tormented Azusa and Kirari had invaded Kurumizawa-san.

    As for myself, I had just become the protagonist¡­ and Kururi Kurumizawa had been caught in the middle of Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s romantic comedy.

 CH 152

    When I left the school, the sun had already set.

    Frowning at the cold wind, I walked out the school gate. I had a feeling that Kurumizawa-san was following me from behind, but I didn¡¯t look back.

    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m going this way ¡­, so bye-bye. Nakayama, I¡¯m sorry for saying so many things so suddenly, okay? But I really mean what I say, so ¡­ I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    She only said her words and moved away noisily. She¡¯s running ¡­ and she didn¡¯t seem to want a reply.

    Well, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything even if she had waited.

    That¡¯s how confused I was right now.

    (What should I do¡­)

    After some time had passed, I looked back fearfully and saw that Kurumizawa-san was already gone. I breathed a big sigh of relief at that.

    (It¡¯s ¡­ kind of weird to be loved by someone who¡¯s so opportunistic.)

    I¡¯m not happy about it. But I can¡¯t say I feel bad.

    I was feeling confused, or complicated, or ¡­ I don¡¯t know, I was feeling excited. It was also halfway, and I hated it.

    If I could have disliked it more, I could have firmly rejected it.

    I couldn¡¯t dislike her if she liked me.

    (Ryuzaki must have qualified as a harem protagonist after all¡­ Ordinary people can¡¯t bear this love.)

    I understand once again why that guy was seen by the god of romantic comedies. There is no one more qualified to be the main character than that guy.

    Before he met me, Ryuzaki was a genuine protagonist with the triple perfect combination of insensitivity, self-righteousness, and arrogance. If I could have been like him, I would have accepted Kurumizawa-san¡¯s love.

    Well, I don¡¯t think I would want to do that.

    (¡­ I wish I could hear Shiho¡¯s voice.)

    Suddenly I missed her.

    My head was all messed up from all the things that had happened, but I felt like I would be at ease if I heard her voice.

    (Come to think of it, I should turn on my ¡­ phone.)

    I hurriedly took out the phone I had just received back from her.

    I wondered how many calls I had received from other people. I was afraid to turn it on and check, but ¡­ the god of romantic comedies was really mean.

    Not giving me a moment¡¯s peace of mind.

    Before I could turn on my phone, the next event hit me.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, how much longer are you going to make me wait?¡±

    The unexpected voice made me look up.

    A little ahead of me, a woman in a suit was looking at me with a cigarette in her hand.

    Across from the school gate. She was on the sidewalk on the other side of the street, putting her cigarette away in a portable ashtray as she walked up to me.

    ¡°I thought you stayed at school until late at night, but you came out with a female student and ¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing, and I¡¯m not going to ask, but let¡¯s just say you¡¯re a big man.¡±

    Her harsh tone was as usual.

    She is usually not interested in me, but I wonder what she wants.

    ¡°Moreover, when you bring other women into your home,¡­ you¡¯re a little bit too excited, aren¡¯t you? Hey, Kotaro,¡­ you are a student, right? Do you know that the main thing for a student is not to get carried away with love and romance? There are more things you should be doing.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. Aunt.¡±

    There is no escape.

    I¡¯m going to take a contemplation and listen to the small talk.

    She is always like this.

    ¡°Indeed, I asked Azusa where you were and went out of my way to pick you up at school, but I didn¡¯t expect you to make me wait this long¡­ I¡¯m busy, you know? I wish you would be more aware of that.¡±

    Her hair was pulled back in a bun. From behind a pair of thin-framed glasses, I saw a sharp look in her eyes.

    She was my aunt.

    She is my mother¡¯s younger sister, and she was my guardian in place of my parents, who are currently working overseas.

    Her name is Chisato Ichijo.

    She is 32 years old. She is a talented career woman and a member of the board of directors of a travel agency owned by my parents.

    Normally, she is too busy to see me very often, so why on earth did she come to pick me up?

    ¡°I need to talk to you for a minute. Get in the car¡­ I have a message from my sister about your grades.¡±

    ¡­Oh, I see.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at my aunt¡¯s words.

    At last, here we are.

    It seems that someone I¡¯ve never mentioned ¡­ or didn¡¯t want to mention is finally going to intervene in the story¡­

 CH 153

    The car was filled with the smell of cigarettes.

    My aunt is a very heavy smoker. The smell must have seeped into the seat.

    I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the smell, but she smoked her e-cigarette without a care in the world. She doesn¡¯t seem to smoke paper cigarettes in the car, taking into account that she is driving.

    Well, what I want her to be most concerned about is her passengers.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll open the window.¡±

    I said, and without waiting for permission, I pressed the switch. I opened the window and felt somewhat better.

    Finally, my aunt realized that I hated smoking.

    ¡°Oh, I see. You don¡¯t like the smell of cigarettes.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You know, it¡¯s hard to find someone who¡¯s good with it¡­¡±

    ¡°I bet. Well, be patient¡­, I haven¡¯t been sleeping much. I feel like I¡¯m going to black out if I don¡¯t take my nicotine.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that even if you are joking.¡±

    I breathed. But my aunt just shrugged her shoulders and didn¡¯t say anything more, it¡¯s hard to tell if she¡¯s joking or serious.

    ¡°¡­ You know, if you smoke that much, it¡¯s not good for your health, is it?¡±

    ¡°I know. I know the risks without being lectured by a little boy. In the meantime, I¡¯ll make an effort to quit when the business is stable.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please do so.¡±

    My aunt is quite a workaholic.

    She only cares about her business and her career, and her health is secondary to that¡­ I didn¡¯t really like that about her.

    She is not the only one.

    My aunt¡¯s sister, my mother, is a similar person.

    She too is a person who puts work above all else.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love her, but I didn¡¯t like that part of her.

    ¡°Yeah, the business isn¡¯t stable right now,¡­ and our company, the one your parents run, is in shambles. Your mother is a real devil, forcing me to babysit for her when I¡¯m so busy that it¡¯s making me dizzy.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t realize that.¡±

    I know that my parents own a travel-related company. I also know that they have been traveling abroad to stabilize their business.

    But I had never heard that it wasn¡¯t going well.

    ¡°I know that my sister must be frustrated because of that. She yelled at me the other day when I told her you bought a phone.¡±

    Laughing bitterly, my aunt puffed smoke.

    Then she put down her e-cigarette and, operating the steering wheel, told me something like this.

    ¡°Stop playing around and get serious about your studies. You know it costs a lot to raise you, don¡¯t you? Then work hard so that you can pay back the money as soon as possible.¡±

    Perhaps, word for word, that is what my mother said.

    My aunt seemed to realize that her words were unreasonable.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. I think it¡¯s wrong to begin with to think of risk and reward in parenting¡­ That¡¯s still your mother though. You¡¯ll just have to give up thinking it was bad luck.¡±

    I smiled as my aunt muttered this to me as if she were talking about something else.

    ¡°¡­ She¡¯s still the same as ever.¡±

    Really, she never changes.

    The first time in a long time, I thought she cared about me, but this is it.

    My mother doesn¡¯t care about how the child she gave birth to is feeling and growing¡­

    She only cares about my status.

    She is a person who can only look at things from that perspective.

    How will I repay the cost of raising me in the future?

    How will she recover the money she invested in me?

    What kind of return can she expect for the risk she took in bringing me up?

    That¡¯s all she was interested in.

    My mother was always like that.

    No, I understand that this was ¡°love¡± for her.

    She tried to love me in some way, even if it was distorted. That¡¯s why I also care about her.

    At least, when I was a little kid, my mother was almost like a deity to me.

    I wanted to be recognized by her, so I worked very hard. I did my best in my studies and athletics, just like she told me to do.

    But I had no talent of any kind, and my grades were always in the lower ranks. My mother was disappointed in me.

    ¡®I don¡¯t expect anything more from you, so ¡­ well, good luck. At least, I hope you can be as good a human being.¡¯

    I still remember it well.

    My mother¡¯s eyes were heartbreakingly cold as she gave up all hope.

    Looking back, I think that was the beginning of it all.

    <I¡¯m a person who can¡¯t do anything.>

    That was the first time I denied myself.

    Since then, I have become a despicable person, unable to have confidence in myself.

    I couldn¡¯t affirm myself anymore¡­ and as a result, I started to think of myself as a ¡°mob character¡±.

    In other words, my mother was the cause of my mob character.

    Now that I became less involved in high school, and thanks to Shiho, I can affirm myself again,¡­ I felt scared to be involved with her.

    I don¡¯t hate my mother.

    But if you ask me if I am good with her or not, I can definitely say that I am not good with her.

    That¡¯s how distorted that person is.

 CH 154

    We finally arrived home.

    The smell of cigarettes was making me feel bad, so thank God¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t just the cigarettes that were making me feel bad.

    I thought I hadn¡¯t heard from my mother in a long time, and she made me feel bad.

    How could I not feel sick?

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why you should at least study. I checked your grades too, and they were terrible¡­ After all, if you could get results, there would be nothing to complain about¡­ Maybe if you were a little more competent, your mother might love you.¡±

    With a tiresome attitude, my aunt said something like that to me as she left. This time she was smoking a regular cigarette, not an electronic one.

    I knew this one smelled worse.

    I held my nose and tried to walk away. But suddenly I stopped and turned my attention back to my aunt.

    ¡°Hmm? What happened?¡±

    I looked back at her again, and she was tilting her head.

    I asked her something like this.

    ¡°Why do I consider that person to be my mother?¡±

    ¡°¡­Because you are her child, right? Just as a flower can¡¯t choose where it blooms, a child can¡¯t choose the parents who give birth to it. Well, you were unlucky.¡±

    ¡°Unlucky¡­ huh? But even if they are parents on the family register, I wouldn¡¯t normally consider someone like that to be a parent.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If it were me, it would have been so. That¡¯s why I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so obedient. I don¡¯t understand you who adore a person like that as your mother.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Don¡¯t act like a mother now. What have you ever done for me? What right do you have to ask me? I¡¯m not your toy, your tool, your property. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m going to do what you want me to do.¡±

    My aunt grinned at the emotion that spilled out unexpectedly.

    For better or worse, she is a stranger to our family.

    She is indeed my mother¡¯s sister. Cold-blooded, unsympathetic, and always looking at things objectively.

    I was never good at that. My mother is a similar person, so when I look at my aunt, I can¡¯t help but see my mother¡¯s image in her.

    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but express my true feelings to her.

    But that is something I would not have said if she were the person I envisioned.

    So, I held back and retracted my bad feelings.

    In my head, I could see Shiho¡¯s face.

    Surely, if I used such bad words, ¡­ she would be worried.

    I don¡¯t have to be like my mother and aunt.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say that.¡±

    So I denied it.

    I promised myself that even if I thought it, I would never say it.

    ¡°Even though she is such a person, she is the mother who gave birth to me. I don¡¯t care how she treats me or if she doesn¡¯t love me. I will do what makes sense to me as a child. I will love her, even though she is a mother like that.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of person she is.

    Because that person is family.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®family¡¯¡­ To deny my ¡­ mother is to deny half the blood that flows through me. I don¡¯t want to hate myself any more than I already do. So even if that person doesn¡¯t fulfill her parental duties, I will still go through my duty as a child. So don¡¯t worry ¡­ I¡¯ll do my best, just like you said.¡±

    I felt a little better after saying it out loud.

    It is more comfortable to have positive feelings than to be dominated by bad feelings.

    Shiho taught me that.

    I am able to be positive because of her.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­, you also say some pretty nice things?¡±

    My aunt smiled at my words, as if implying something.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll give you one piece of advice. There is nothing more shallow than the bond of family¡­ If everyone were like you, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy. There are more people in the world who aren¡¯t.¡±

    Uncharacteristically, my aunt extinguished her cigarette and dismissed me with a wave of her hand.

    ¡°Your mother is the best of them. I know it¡¯s one thing to reject her, but ¡­ well, even that¡¯s my sister, and she¡¯s my employer. There is nothing more I can say to you. Go on, go home¡­ I¡¯m busy. I don¡¯t have time to deal with the little boy¡¯s flowery theories.¡±

    As if smelling something.

    My aunt laughed and put her seatbelt back on. I guess she doesn¡¯t want to talk any more.

    I closed the door and the car drove away.

 CH 155

    ¡°¡­Tired.¡±

    Too much has happened today.

    I got out of my aunt¡¯s car and my home was already in front of me, but my steps were heavy and I couldn¡¯t move forward. Suddenly I felt the need to take a break, so I leaned against the wall.

    The wind blowing through the air was freezing cold to the core, but I somehow didn¡¯t want to go inside the house, so I just stood there.

    I looked up at the sky and saw nothing but a cloudless sky, no stars, no moon, nothing.

    ¡°What a day¡­¡±

    I sighed in disgust and reflected on the day.

    First, Ryoma Ryuzaki has turned into a mob character when he came to school for the first time in a while.

    Second, Kururi Kurumizawa, who had transferred to our school, was trying to leverage the romantic comedy between Shiho and me.

    Finally, my mother, who had never intervened in the story before, suddenly made her presence felt.

    I am sure that this is a foreshadowing of what is to come.

    They were probably a prelude to moving my romantic comedy out of the stagnant state it was in.

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but feel heavy-hearted.

    (¡­ I wish I could hear Shiho¡¯s voice.)

    Her face came to mind.

    Then I finally realized that I had not turned on my phone.

    I hurriedly turned it on and¡­ to my surprise, I had received 42 incoming calls and 102 unread messages.

    ¡°¡­Give me a break.¡±

    My cheeks relaxed. My heart was warmed by the behavior of that adorable girl.

    It was already past 8 pm. Shiho would be home¡­ I wanted to hear her voice a little, so I called her.

    Without even waiting for one ring, Shiho picked up the phone.

    ¡°Moshi moshu¡­ ahhh, I bit my tongue.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I imagined her apparently physically biting herself.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ Shiho, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not okay. You forgot to turn it on again, didn¡¯t you? If you do that, the little girl inside me will go berserk and play Yandere-chan with you, you know? You could be more careful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    Ah, that calms me down.

    Talking to her puts my mind at ease.

    She is a really nice girl. Just by talking to her, I feel warmed up. She is such a wondrous person.

    I had been going through a rough time, but thanks to Shiho, I felt healed.

    ¡°I missed you today¡­ I got moved to a different seat at school and I couldn¡¯t get enough of you, Kotaro-kun. I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯m going to be able to do with this. So, please spoil me a lot¡­ next time, okay?¡±

    She is, by her own admission, the type of girl who grows better when she is pampered than when she is praised. She is a cunning girl who makes me believe that tomorrow I definitely need to spoil her.

    ¡°Yeah, I promise.¡±

    I nodded and searched for the next topic of conversation.

    I was in the mood to talk with her some more.

    But Shiho seemed to have sensed that I was acting strangely.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun¡­? You seem a little down, is something wrong?¡±

    Even though she can¡¯t see my facial expressions, she can tell how I¡¯m doing just by my voice.

    Shiho must really care about me. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t be worrying about me like this if she didn¡¯t.

    Kurumizawa-san, ¡­ you are absolutely mistaken.

    Shiho thinks so much of me. So there is absolutely no way that she is stalling or ignoring my feelings.

    ¡°If there is anything I can do, I will do it, so just tell me, okay? I¡¯ll do anything I can do for you, Kotaro-kun, even conquer the world. Because you are my precious treasure¡­, so don¡¯t hesitate, okay?¡±

    Even now, she is trying to take good care of me with all her heart.

    The love of this girl is genuine.

    I realized that once again.

 CH 156

    Even over the phone, I can feel it.

    The loveliness of a girl named Shiho Shimotsuki blew my worries away.

    It was December and freezing cold outside, but just hearing her voice made me feel warm and fuzzy.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun? You shouldn¡¯t carry that on your back by yourself so much, okay? If you need anything, you can count on me. I can do anything, can¡¯t I? My mom often tells me that. ¡®Shi-chan, you¡¯re a can-do girl, aren¡¯t you?''¡±

    As usual, Satsuki-san seems to be spoiling her daughter.

    Thanks to that, she has become a clumsy girl who can¡¯t do anything, but that is also her charm.

    A girl who has grown up being loved has a very nice smile on her face.

    How many times have I been saved by that dazzling smile that a neglected child like me would never be able to bring to the surface?

    When I see that smile, all my worries seem silly.

    Just a few minutes ago, I was worried about my mother, but ¡­ that too disappeared in an instant.

    ¡°Shiho¡­, my mother is not a very good mother.¡±

    So I told her casually.

    I wanted Shiho to know about my family situation.

    If I had been truly distressed, I would not have been able to tell her. But when Shiho encouraged me not to carry the burden alone, my heart became lighter and I was able to speak up.

    ¡°Like Shiho¡¯s parents, I wasn¡¯t loved very much ¡­, but even as someone like that, I want to be loved. I try my best to cherish them. Why do you think that is?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ because you¡¯re family, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right ¡­, but maybe not exactly right.¡±

    I think she¡¯s right. In fact, that¡¯s what I told my aunt.

    But the truth is that there is more to it than that.

    It was for me.

    ¡°If I ¡­ have children in the future, I want them to love me a lot.¡±

    Think about the future.

    If this is how I¡¯m going to be with the person I love ¡­ and a treasure will be created between the two of us¡­

    I want that child to love me and I want to love it.

    ¡°But if I didn¡¯t love my parents as such, I don¡¯t think ¡­ I have the right to wish for my child to ¡®love me¡¯.¡±

    I¡¯m not emotionally detached enough to be selfish enough to want my kids to love me when I don¡¯t love my parents.

    I¡¯ve always had a low self-esteem, ¡­ and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll drag that out for the rest of my life. I will deny myself again that I had no right to be loved, even though I didn¡¯t love my parents.

    So I¡¯m going to be reasonable.

    I am determined to love my family no matter what.

    It is not for anyone else.

    I do it for me.

    ¡°No matter how they treat me, I¡¯ll always cherish my parents as a child¡­ Sorry for saying this so abruptly. I know you don¡¯t understand what I mean, but thank you for listening.¡±

    I dared to tell Shiho so in order to strengthen my resolve.

    It was probably a meaningless statement to her.

    But she accepted it.

    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m rather glad you told me. ¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened, and I¡¯m not going to ask you if you don¡¯t want to tell me, but let me tell you this. If Kotaro-kun¡¯s parents don¡¯t love you, ¡­ I¡¯ll love you a lot instead, so don¡¯t worry, okay?¡±

    ¡°Shiho¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Moreover, I almost cried a little because she said such nice things to me.

    I want to talk to her more and more.

    I want to hear what she has to say.

    I have a strong desire to chat about other things and be healed, but unfortunately, the god of romantic comedies did not allow me to do so.

    ¡°Koho, Koho¡­¡±

    Suddenly, I heard the sound of a dry cough.

    It seems that Shiho¡¯s health is not at its best, perhaps because of the cold weather.

    ¡°Shiho, are you okay?¡±

    Just like she cares about me.

    I also feel for her.

    Of course, I was worried.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry? I¡¯m feeling a little out of sorts since I don¡¯t get to see you, Kotaro-kun.¡±

    Although jokingly, I have noticed that she is a little less talkative than usual.

    So today, I decided to end the call already so as not to burden her too much.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d better hang up now. Don¡¯t stay up too late today, and go to bed, okay?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­, you¡¯re acting like my mom again. I¡¯ll do that even if you don¡¯t tell me to. So long, Kotaro-kun¡­, good night.¡±

    She hung up the phone after saying that.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    I took a breath, looked up at the sky again, and caught a glimpse of the perfectly round moon through a break in the clouds.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡±

    I muttered to myself as I looked at the silvery white light of the moon.

 CH 157

    Maybe it was the first time in her life that she had ever felt that way.

    (Oh, maybe I like it.)

    It was the first day at her new school.

    When she stood in front of the class and introduced herself, her eyes happened to meet his.

    At that moment, Kururi Kurumizawa got nervous for no reason.

    (Nice eyes¡­)

    At first, she was only somewhat curious about him.

    She thought he was a beautiful boy, with eyes clearer and more translucent than the rest of them.

    Of course, that is a figurative expression, not that he is actually a beautiful boy. In fact, if one were to speak of the level of his looks, he would be in the middle of the range. He is not handsome, but he looks in a way that she would be reluctant to describe as uncool.

    However, he was by far clearer than the other boys.

    Kururi Kurumizawa was instantly captivated by the boy¡¯s unique atmosphere.

    So, she requested to sit next to him. It was a forceful measure, but Kururi was very happy to be able to get close to him without incident.

    (Somehow, I wish I could talk to him¡­)

    Thinking this, she boldly carried out her plan to steal the boy¡¯s phone.

    If she was her usual self, she would never do such a thing. She is a sensible person who would refrain from behavior that would bother others, but ¡­ she wanted to talk to him so badly that she took his phone away from him without a second thought.

    That¡¯s how much the girl was crazy about him¡­ Kotaro Nakayama.

    (I¡­ something is wrong¡­)

    She knew she was being strange, but it was a pleasant sensation.

    But it was a pleasant sensation. For the first time in her life, she felt ¡®alive¡¯. That was how much she liked him.

    That feeling swelled up after speaking with him after school.

    (It didn¡¯t matter if I liked him or not.)

    After talking to him, she learned that he had someone he liked.

    But even so, Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s love for him did not wilt. In fact, it burned like a flame.

    £¨I don¡¯t want to lose.)

    Although she did not know who it was, she had a rivalry with the girl who was favored by Kotaro Nakayama. She was confident that she could make him happier than she could.

    (I want Nakayama to love me ¡­)

    She would love to receive his love with all her heart.

    How happy she would be if that happened, she had fallen in love with Kotaro Nakayama to the point that she could grin just by fantasizing about him.

    Other boys were not good enough.

    For example, she felt that even her classmate Ryuzaki something, who had a reasonably good face, was not as good as Nakayama Kotaro.

    (I can¡¯t even compare him to that guy¡­)

    She even thought it was wrong to compare them.

    Because Ryuzaki something is so cloudy in his eyes. His eyes are muddy, he has no emotion, and he looks like a mob character, which is creepy.

    Kururi Kurumizawa likes people with clean hearts.

    She likes people who are sparklingly clear and transparent.

    If you want to use an analogy, she loves people who are like the ¡°protagonist¡± without any ¡­ evilness at all.

    That is why she fell in love with Kotaro Nakayama.

    She cannot stop this love anymore.

    £¨I want to get along with Nakayama, no matter what it takes!)

    In the morning, after finishing her preparations, she made up her mind to do so and headed for school.

    As usual, she tied her pink hair into twin-tails and braced herself.

    (It¡¯s my first love¡­ I¡¯m going to win it!)

    And so she heads off to school.

    In order to charm the hero¡¯s heart and make herself a true heroine¡­ she threw herself into the arena of the romantic comedy.

 CH 158

    Looking back on what has happened up to now, it would seem that somehow her position has always been steadfast.

    Shiho Shimotsuki has always been by my side. She always looked after me and stood by my side.

    Whenever I needed help, Shiho was there for me in times of pain and suffering.

    She has always maintained her position next to Kotaro Nakayama.

    It was because of her solid position as the main heroine that I, a former mob character, was able to stand firmly on my feet.

    But when I was able to stand on my own, that bastion suddenly began to crumble.

    It was as if it foreshadowed some disturbing sign.

    First there was a change of seats, and we were separated in the classroom.

    And now ¡­ she was sick and missed school.

    ¡°It seems that Shimotsuki-san has caught the flu¡­ Everyone should take care. Especially those who have been close to her, please make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. If you feel even the slightest bit unwell, I would ask you to be sure to speak to your doctor.¡±

    Even the teachers, who usually speak up only in passing, looked serious on this occasion. The flu can infect many people if one is not careful, so it is only natural for teachers to be on their guard.

    (Shiho ¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s okay.)

    I was worried about her because she was coughing over the phone yesterday, but ¡­ it seems that she was sick after all.

    (I¡¯ll call her later¡­ No, I¡¯ll leave a message before that.)

    I hope she is resting now.

    I hope she is sleeping soundly at home.

    I¡¯m sure her parents are taking good care of her. I am sure she will feel better after a good rest.

    Well, I would be lying if I said that I don¡¯t feel lonely.

    Anyway, there is nothing I can do about her poor health. It¡¯s frustrating that all I can do is hope and wait for her to recover, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    So today, for the first time in a long time, I went to school alone.

    Before I met Shiho, I was alone every day, so I thought I was used to it, but ¡­ I knew it was just a matter of strength ¡­ and it was very disconcerting.

    I had left her a message during break time, just in case. But I never heard back from her, as if she was still taking it easy and resting. I am extraordinarily worried because she usually replies to my messages within seconds.

    I think it¡¯s an unnecessary worry,¡­ but I still didn¡¯t feel comfortable.

    Perhaps that¡¯s why I felt more emotional than usual.

    ¡°Oh, hey¡­ Nakayama?¡±

    I think that Kurumizawa-san spoke to me a few times at school, but I didn¡¯t have time to respond to her.

    I¡¯m sorry for her, but I ignored her. I couldn¡¯t afford it right now ¡­ Shiho was suffering from the flu and there was no way I would be in the mood to talk to another girl.

    I couldn¡¯t afford it.

    I even felt sorry for myself, thinking how fragile I was without Shiho.

    (I can¡¯t make fun of Ryuzaki in such a situation¡­)

    The other day, I described him as unable to do anything without the aid of the heroines¡­ I feel that before I knew it, I¡¯ve become that kind of person too.

    I used to not be like that.

    When I was a mob character, I was fine being alone. It was natural because I was the only one who could help myself.

    But now, I can no longer say that I am fine being alone.

    (Is this the price to pay for being the protagonist¡­?)

    The protagonist of a romantic comedy should not be perfect.

    The protagonist of a romantic comedy should not be perfect, because without weaknesses, the reader would not be able to empathize with them, and the heroine would be of little value.

    A person who can do everything on their own does not need others. If the protagonist were perfect, there would be no story to tell.

    Therefore, the protagonist is designed to rely on the heroine.

    I can¡¯t give you a clear answer as to whether this is the right answer or not.

    (I should be a person with a little more leeway.)

    I have too little leeway right now.

    That may have become a gap, a weakness, a weakness to ¡­ take advantage of.

    I had been avoiding her for a long time, but she finally caught.

    ¡°Nakayama¡­do you really like Shimotsuki?¡±

    It was after school.

    I was alone outside of the school when she spoke to me.

    ¡°Kurumizawa-san huh?¡±

    Unintentionally, I sighed.

    It was such a pity that she still talked to me without feeling bad about it, even though I had ignored her so much¡­ I felt that kind of thing was a chore to do.

    I was very bothered by her earnestness to try to get my attention, no matter how she was treated¡­

 CH 159

    Her pink hair was an eyesore.

    I had never felt so annoyed at being liked before.

    ¡°Sorry? I just spoke to you out of the blue¡­, but I just wanted to make sure you got this.¡±

    Even though she spoke to me, I continued walking without stopping.

    However, Kurumizawa-san followed behind me soundly.

    ¡°My feelings are as I told you yesterday¡­ Well, I wanted to clarify who my rival is.¡±

    Rival?

    No, I¡¯m sorry but ¡­ this is a romantic comedy that isn¡¯t even a competition to begin with.

    For me, it is absolute that Shiho is the best.

    There is no way that that ranking will ever change.

    ¡°Yes. Shiho is my special someone that I love¡­ We are not dating, but she is also a girl who is as close to that relationship as possible. So I can¡¯t accept¡­ Kurumizawa-san¡¯s feelings.¡±

    I tell her that clearly.

    I refuse to say any more nonsense.

    A normal girl ¡­ or even a normal human being would be depressed and give up if the opposite gender she has feelings for said something like that¡­ Any further bumping into me will only hurt her. To protect yourself, it is natural to back off at this point.

    But, Kurumizawa-san is stubborn.

    ¡°Now, maybe so ¡­, but you don¡¯t know what the future holds, do you? I didn¡¯t fall for you with such casual feelings.¡±

    Hurt and battered, she still says she will rise to the occasion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to be your special ¡­ person. I won¡¯t give up, I won¡¯t give up!¡±

    I was dizzy with her blind, single-minded love.

    (You don¡¯t have a reason¡­)

    She couldn¡¯t give me a clear reason why she fell in love with me.

    She is abnormally in love with someone she somehow fell in love with¡­ I still feel that way when the concept of ¡®opportunism¡¯ is involved in it.

    I wonder if her love is really ¡®real¡¯¡­ Well, I can¡¯t accept that feeling anyway.

    Either way, the result is the same.

    I love Shiho and that will never change.

    ¡°I see. So Shimotsuki is my rival. ¡­a tough one. Nakayama is amazing to be liked by such a cute and charming girl.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m great. Shiho is just special.¡±

    ¡°Then you must have been special too, to be loved by someone so special, right?¡±

    ¡­ No matter how humble I was, Kurumizawa-san would affirm it.

    No matter how much I tried to get rid of her with plain words, she would still come at me without a care in the world.

    That part was depressing.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m going to go now.¡±

    Forcefully, I quickened my steps. I was now so eager to get away from her.

    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry I forced you to go with me. But I¡¯ve enjoyed having this conversation with you.¡±

    After saying that much, she finally stopped.

    ¡°See you tomorrow?¡±

    Then she turned on her heels and headed back the way she had come.

    Maybe her house is in the opposite direction ¡­ and she followed me, even though it was a long way.

    I suddenly realized that I was really irritated at that kind of thing.

    ¡°What ¡­¡­ kind of person am I?¡±

    I came back to myself.

    Looking back with a cool head, I realize ¡­ why I had been so rude to Kurumizawa-san?

    I had rarely been irritated by girls who talked to me before.

    At the very least, I shouldn¡¯t feel irritated with Kurumizawa-san, but ¡­ I was horrified to feel as if my personality had changed before I knew it.

    It¡¯s depressing.

    Annoying.

    Troublesome.

    I was thinking about all of those things, and suddenly I began to feel sick.

    Even taking into account the factor that Shiho had the flu and couldn¡¯t spare the time, it was still an inexplicable thing to say and do.

    ¡°Damn ¡­¡±

    I felt like Ryuzaki in this situation.

    I felt like an arrogant jerk to a girl who liked me, and it made me feel disgraceful.

    I¡¯m weird after all.

    I was going crazy by the love of the god of romantic comedies.

 CH 160

    Suddenly, I wanted to see Shiho¡¯s face.

    (No, but it¡¯s the ¡­ flu, so I can¡¯t see her.)

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to see her face even if I went there.

    But I wondered if I could at least ask Satsuki-san how she was doing.

    I was looking for a way to get involved with Shiho in some small way, such as buying something at a convenience store and delivering it to her¡­

    Suddenly, a white car stopped next to me.

    The familiar car belonged to my aunt.

    It seems that the god of romantic comedies is trying to interfere with my relationship with Shiho in earnest.

    ¡°Kotaro, get in ¡­, annoyingly, I¡¯m going to be forced to pick you up and drop you off for a while. What on earth is your mother thinking when she¡¯s so busy? If she cares so much about her kids, why doesn¡¯t she just take care of them herself?¡±

    I sigh as my aunt rolled down the passenger window and complained from the get-go.

    Oh well¡­, the surveillance has begun again¡­

    I remember being watched like this when I was a little kid, when my mother didn¡¯t realize I was incompetent.

    After she was disappointed, she left me completely alone, but apparently my recent behavior is unacceptable.

    I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that business has not been going well lately.

    I felt like I was taking it out on her, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to resist. I quietly got into my aunt¡¯s car.

    From now on, she would be taking me to and from school every day after school to keep me from playing around.

    This doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll be able to go visit Shiho¡­ Well, I won¡¯t be able to see her if I go¡­ I¡¯ll call her later and we¡¯ll just have to live with that.

    ¡°What¡¯s with your mother? I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Since you¡¯re also my mother¡¯s sister ¡­, why don¡¯t you just complain to her directly?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. That¡¯s still my employer, you know? I can put up with it because I get special benefits¡­, otherwise I would have quit the company long ago.¡±

    My aunt is basically a person who thinks in terms of money.

    She is taking care of me not because she has a kindred spirit, but because my mother is paying her for her services.

    Therefore, she has never scolded me in earnest, although she has made some small complaints. It is a business-like relationship. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

    Anyway, I now know that my mother is not in a normal state of mind.

    ¡°Good grief, I really don¡¯t want to take care of¡­ a little boy at all. Speaking of which, what¡¯s with the girl? Pink hair is a rarity. Is she your girlfriend?¡±

    My aunt, who was driving the car with a cigarette in her mouth, had apparently seen me and Kurumizawa-san.

    To avoid any misunderstanding, I clearly denied it.

    ¡°No¡­ Just a classmate I happened to meet.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a high school student in those colors. By the way, what¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Apparently her name is ¡®Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯ ¡­¡±

    What is the point of knowing that?

    When I was tilting my head, my aunt said something that caught my attention.

    ¡°Kurumizawa? I think we have a business partner with a name like that¡­¡±

    Is it the nature of businessmen to try to know people¡¯s names?

    As soon as she heard the name, my aunt closed her mouth as if she was pondering something.

    It was kind of eerie.

    It may be time for the various foreshadowing lines to come together.

    The romantic comedy that has been stagnant may be about to start moving forward.

    Truly, the god of romantic comedies does unnecessary things¡­

 CH 161

    After she dropped me off at home, she left without saying a word.

    She stopped smoking, which was unusual for her, and was deep in thought¡­ I wonder what on earth she was thinking about.

    It was just eerie how nothing was said from the topic of Kurumizawa.

    Something unpredictable is about to happen again¡­ and the thought of it makes me feel depressed.

    But I can¡¯t stay depressed forever.

    What I was still concerned about was Shiho¡¯s physical condition.

    So I called her as soon as I got home.

    She still hasn¡¯t responded to my message, so there is a possibility that she is still sleeping.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    For a while, only the sound of the call rang out.

    That girl who usually doesn¡¯t let go of her phone even for a moment seems to be so unwell that she doesn¡¯t even notice the phone call.

    Maybe I should just leave her alone for now. ¡­At that moment when I was about to give up, the phone unexpectedly connected.

    ¡°Moshi moshi¡­ Who is it?? I¡¯m Shi-chan, I¡¯m 3 years old.¡±

    And she was half asleep.

    Oh no, I must have woken her up¡­ but I was so happy to hear her voice that I couldn¡¯t hang up the phone right away.

    ¡°Hello, umm¡­ it¡¯s Nakayama.¡±

    ¡°Nakayama? Who? Shi-chan doesn¡¯t know you.¡±

    Well, the combination of a cold and waking up from sleep seems to have caused Shiho to regress into childhood.

    ¡°This is Kotaro Nakayama ¡­ sorry, were you sleeping or waking up? Do you want me to hang up the phone?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Kotaro? ¡­ Kotaro-kun? Oh, Kotaro-kun.¡±

    Finally, she seems to be waking up. She seems to remember me, but her words are still inarticulate.

    She seems to be in poor health, so perhaps her consciousness is still a bit fuzzy. But it was good to hear her voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was worried if you were okay¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about me~? I¡¯m so glad to hear your voice. Shi-chan is so happy.¡±

    ¡°How old are you¡­, Shi-chan?¡±

    ¡°Three years old.¡±

    Huh? Are you just joking around?

    I don¡¯t know, but perhaps she is not feeling well and the tone is not right.

    I felt that a very long phone call was not a good idea.

    Well, I felt better now that I could hear Shiho¡¯s voice.

    It was as if I was lying to myself when I was talking to Kurumizawa-san, and now my mind is at ease.

    But can¡¯t I just be like this and rely on Shiho forever?

    I don¡¯t want to become someone who can¡¯t do anything without her.

    I feel like I¡¯ve been relying on Shiho a lot lately, and suddenly I feel ashamed of myself.

    (Shiho seems to be sick, too, so I should be a little more self-conscious.)

    I think about that, but even so, I still miss hearing her voice.

    That¡¯s how important Shiho had become to me.

    Once again, I think.

    I really love Shiho, I thought, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

    That¡¯s probably why I unintentionally¡­

    ¡°Shiho, I love you.¡±

    It was a confession without any context.

    It was an unprovoked confession, an unconscious overflow of words, but strangely enough, I was not upset.

    It was only a statement of my true feelings, so it was natural for me not to be upset.

    It is not that I wanted an answer to this confession.

    I just wondered what Shiho would say.

    ¡°¡­ Ba-¡­Baka.¡±

    Then she was instantly flustered.

    Over the phone, she suddenly breathes heavily¡­ her emotions are easy to understand.

    ¡°I was going to make Kotaro-kun nervous by playing child¡­ But on the contrary,¡­ I am nervous!¡±

    ¡­ I see. Apparently, she was just joking around earlier.

    ¡°If I get any more nervous, I¡¯m going to die. Kehoho, kehoho¡­¡­ see, my head is getting dizzy again from nervousness! Kotaro-kun¡¯s mean.¡±

    Despite the adorable things she says, Shiho¡¯s dry cough makes my chest ache.

    If I let her push me too hard, she¡¯ll probably get sicker,¡­ so I thought I¡¯d leave it at that for today.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? I suddenly said something strange and ¡­ well, I¡¯m going to hang up now. Shiho, take a good rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I will. I really wanted to talk to you more, but ¡­ sorry, okay? But it was nice to talk to you. Thanks. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a lot of lovely conversations when I get well again, okay? Bye bye¡­¡±

    Saying this, Shiho quickly hung up the phone. I heard her coughing again just before she hung up, so she probably hung up so I wouldn¡¯t hear her cough.

    She¡¯s trying not to worry me¡­ That¡¯s how Shiho feels about me, too¡­

    So, even if I don¡¯t get the word ¡®love¡¯ back, I don¡¯t doubt her thoughts.

    Yes, I know that, but ¡­ I still find myself wanting the word ¡®love¡¯ somewhere in the back of my mind, and I sigh.

    (Why did I become so weak? ¡­)

    I was almost disgusted with myself for being so dependent on Shiho¡­

 CH 162

    ¨CHojo Yuzuki was satisfied with the current situation.

    ¡°Ryoma-san, I made a delicious meal for you¡­ Would you like something to eat?¡±

    After school, she stood in the kitchen of the Ryuzaki household and cooked dinner.

    The portions are only for two people. Before, there used to be at least three or more girls in the house at any given time, but only Yuzuki Hojo visited the house now.

    The reason for this is that Ryoma Ryuzaki has become a mob character.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­ you, I mean, Yuzuki doesn¡¯t need to come either. I can prepare dinner myself, if it¡¯s needed.¡±

    He was in the living room and his voice was emotionless as he watched the TV screen with the news. It is already well past dusk, and not even the lights are on.

    In the dark room, Ryoma Ryuzaki is spending his time apathetically.

    It was a familiar sight these days.

    Yuzuki Hojo, however, continued to speak kindly to him.

    ¡°No, if you don¡¯t have an appetite, there is no problem. But if you are hungry, please go ahead and eat ¡­ and if there is any left by tomorrow, I will throw it out and remake it, okay?¡±

    She doesn¡¯t ask for anything in return for her actions either.

    No matter how cold or uninterested he was, no matter how unrewarded her devotion was¡­, Yuzuki Hojo was content with that.

    (Someday, I hope Ryoma-san will go back to being like before, but¡­)

    Not a little, but the thought was there. She had hoped that if she was devoted and devoted all the time, her thoughts might one day be heard and Ryoma Ryuzaki might wake up, she had such hopes.

    But worst ¡­ she thought, it didn¡¯t have to be that way.

    Because.

    (For now, he is my own personal Ryoma-san.)

    The only one who could love him now was her and Yuzuki Hojo was filled with that feeling. Having been unable to be anything special for so long, she had finally become the only one¡­ and that really, really felt good.

    She felt rewarded.

    She felt like her devotion and dedication had paid off until now.

    If things continue to go on like this until the end, the winner will be Yuzuki Hojo. She is the only one who can love Ryoma Ryuzaki now.

    (I can be ¡­ Ryoma-san¡¯s number one!)

    Yuzuki Hojo¡¯s heart was excited at the ray of light that she had finally seen.

    Honestly speaking, she had almost given up¡­, but the irresistible Ryoma Ryuzaki gathered a lot of attractive girls around him. They were all girls that she couldn¡¯t even come close to, and she didn¡¯t think there was any way she could win.

    So all she could do was devote herself to him. She managed to hang on and tried desperately to win Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s affection as much as she could.

    It was impossible for Yuzuki Hojo not to jump at the glimpse of winning at such a time.

    If she could be special, she would love any Ryoma Ryuzaki, a girl who was determined to do so, and she was unwavering.

    ¡°Thank you ¡­, for everything.¡±

    Yuzuki Hojo¡¯s thoughts showed some signs of being rewarded.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki, who had been so indifferent for a long time, said something pleasant for the first time in a long while.

    Hojo Yuzuki loosened her cheeks, thinking that she was being thanked for accepting a useless person.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it¡­ Whatever happens, I¡¯ll always be with you, okay?¡±

    It¡¯s okay if he remains useless.

    But she doesn¡¯t care as long as she can make herself feel special.

    That ¡°pampering¡± became poison and prevented Ryoma Ryuzaki from recovering.

    He remained the same mob character as ever, no matter how much time passed. He had been spoiled by Yuzuki Hojo, and he had become so spoiled by the status quo that he was fine with himself as he was¡­

    If this continued, Ryoma Ryuzaki would decay.

    There was no one there to encourage him.

    The only one who was there for him was Yuzuki Hojo, who ¡­ made the boy believe that he could ¡®remain a mob character¡¯.

    Ryuzaki Ryoma was already done¡­

 CH 163

    I heard that when you have the flu, you have to stay out of school for about a week.

    This means that I won¡¯t see Shiho for a while.

    I have been taking it for granted that I would be with her recently, so I feel sad as though a part of me has been ripped away.

    But maybe this was just the right opportunity.

    I am now almost dependent on Shiho. I was on the verge of becoming someone who couldn¡¯t do anything without her¡­ Let¡¯s use this opportunity to look at ourselves again.

    The first thing I wanted to do was to regain the ¡®strength¡¯ to be okay with being alone like I used to be.

    Well, since there is no one to talk to in class other than Shiho, I am basically alone even if I don¡¯t try to be careful.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Spending the day in silence.

    The only time I opened my mouth was during attendance, and the rest of the time I didn¡¯t really talk to anyone.

    That was also somewhat eerie.

    (Somewhere, though, I had a feeling that Kurumizawa-san was going to talk to me¡­)

    It bothered me that she was sitting next to me and was silent the whole time.

    I guess she¡¯s not ignoring me because she¡¯s disillusioned or disappointed with me and dislikes me, that¡¯s too convenient a reason to ignore me.

    The evidence was that she was looking at me all the time.

    I felt her gaze on me during class, during breaks, and even when I went to the bathroom.

    It was annoying because sometimes when our gazes met, she would give me a small smile and wave her hand, and even when I looked uncomfortable, she would stare at me without a care in the world.

    The expression on her face looked like she was planning something ¡­, so I thoroughly avoided contact with her.

    When school was over, I ran out of the school to escape. My aunt was probably waiting for me, so I thought I would get into my car and head home as quickly as possible.

    But today, things were a little different.

    ¡°Huh? Aunt, your car looks different from usual¡­¡±

    First of all, the car she was driving was not the usual one.

    It was not a cigarette-smelling white car, but a luxurious-looking black car.

    ¡°I was out with a client just a few minutes ago. I¡¯m on my way home.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    That¡¯s, well, understandable.

    This is the way it happens sometimes.

    But this was not the only unusual thing.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s unusual. You aren¡¯t smoking.¡±

    My aunt, who was a heavy smoker, was not smoking anything. No, in fact, she didn¡¯t even smell like cigarettes. She probably hadn¡¯t smoked in the last few hours.

    ¡°Yeah, so it¡¯s driving me crazy, but I can¡¯t afford to offend the¡­ partners I¡¯m dealing with, can I? So I¡¯m holding back.¡±

    Does that mean she still has a business meeting after she picks me up and drops me off?

    That makes sense when I think about it, but I thought it was indeed strange that we didn¡¯t leave anytime after¡­ my arrival.

    Furthermore, the fact that she was standing outside instead of getting into the car also didn¡¯t make sense to me. It was cold and I wanted to at least get inside the car, but my aunt was looking toward the school gate as if she was waiting for someone.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go? You¡¯re busy, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I asked, and Aunt shook her head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go. Because I¡¯m meeting with an important business partner right now¡­ Look, they¡¯re here.¡±

    It was right after she said that.

    ¡°It¡¯s our business partner, the lifeblood of our company.¡±

    Prompted, I looked toward the school gate.

    There she was, the ¡­ pink girl.

    ¡°Nah, what?¡±

    I almost stopped breathing.

    My head was dizzy from the unexpected appearance. I leaned against the car and my aunt explained the situation to me.

    ¡°This is the daughter of a major conglomerate, Kururi Kurumizawa-sama, of the ¡®Kurumizawa Zaibatsu¡¯ ¡­ Kotaro, you don¡¯t have to be so rude, do you?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stay out of it.

    She was not afraid to step into the sanctuary of after-school hours.

 CH 164

    Kurumizawa-san walked briskly from the school gate.

    She must have known this was coming, as she looked straight at my aunt, who bowed her head, and at me, who stood next to her.

    This was a set-up encounter.

    Kururi Kurumizawa had finally made her move.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you, young lady.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to ask to be called a lady? I¡¯m just a normal girl.¡±

    ¡°Humble yourself, ¡­ at least, because you are nothing compared to an ordinary person like me.¡±

    It seems that, unbeknownst to me, Kurumizawa-san¡¯s family is quite well-known in the industry.

    ¡°I have just spoken with your father. He said he will leave the rest up to the young lady.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? I¡¯m sure he still listens to me as usual. Even though we hardly see each other on a daily basis,¡­ I guess if I listen to him sometimes, he feels like he¡¯s doing his job as a father.¡±

    ¡°It is difficult for me to agree with that statement from my point of view.¡±

    My aunt, who is usually coarse in speech and behavior, is exchanging words with Kurumizawa-san, keeping her head down. The smile on her face was stuck, but she was quintessential in the way she bowed to the younger girl, even though it was her job to do so.

    ¡°Shall we go then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, okay. Will you drive?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of it¡­ Kotaro, get in. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I thought the two of them were going on alone, but this time I found out that we were going somewhere without my consent.

    Of course, I¡¯m not such an easy person that I would obediently listen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going, what you want, or what connection you two are talking about, but ¡­ I don¡¯t feel the need for me to go.¡±

    I resisted, but my will was stomped out with the next words.

    ¡°This is not my will, Kotaro, but your ¡®mother¡¯s¡¯.¡±

    ¨CWith that statement, my mother¡¯s words came to mind in my mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect anything more from you.¡±

    The words of disappointment are still etched in my mind.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    My body slumped.

    My throat choked, my thoughts dulled, and I felt unexpectedly sick.

    Perhaps my body is rejecting the trauma of my childhood.

    As if to push me into a corner, Kurumizawa-san explained the current situation to me.

    ¡°Nakayama, I¡¯m sorry? It may not be a very good sentiment, but¡­ my father is quite a famous person. I¡¯ve been allowed to use that power this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I heard that the company your parents run is in a bit of a pinch. Chisato Ichijo here asked for help from the company my father runs. So this time, I used that to¡­ create a forceful ¡®connection¡¯ between you and me.¡±

    The content was somewhat abstract.

    I don¡¯t even know exactly how Kurumizawa-san and my aunt got to know each other¡­ Anyway, all I know is that she was planning something to make a connection with me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really like using my father¡¯s power ¡­ but I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I want to be your ¡®special¡¯ by any means necessary.¡±

    A single word of determination is hurled at me.

    ¡°If my feelings for you are to bear fruit, ¡­ I¡¯ll use any trick I can to achieve it.¡±

    Without any pretense, she is facing love with a lot of effort.

    Against such strong feelings, I, who was now shaken, was unable to fight back.

    In the end, I got into my aunt¡¯s car without being able to argue any further.

    It was at this point that the romantic comedy finally changed.

    Finally, the story of Shiho and I was set in motion.

 CH 165

    The destination was a building near the train station.

    It was the building where my aunt worked.

    ¡°Kotaro, get out.¡±

    There was no explanation on the way. My aunt didn¡¯t say anything, I didn¡¯t ask her what was going on, and Kurumizawa-san didn¡¯t say anything either.

    Thanks to this, I did not know what was going on.

    But I kept my lips tightly knit and did as my aunt told me.

    In my brain, my mother¡¯s words were repeated over and over again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect anything from you anymore.¡±

    I guess I was still in shock.

    Even now that I¡¯ve grown up, I still can¡¯t forget those words.

    It seems that my mother was involved in the Kurumizawa-san case.

    I don¡¯t want to disappoint her any more than I already have.

    Even now, I was still bound by the chains of my mother.

    ¡°Your mother would be delighted.¡±

    I got out of the car and followed my aunt as she walked. When we arrived at what looked like a conference room, she finally explained the situation.

    ¡°I hear that business negotiations are going smoothly with other companies as long as the Kurumizawa Zaibatsu is willing to invest. This is all thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to ¡­me?¡±

    I was puzzled to hear such a thing out of the blue.

    I know that my father and mother run a travel company. My aunt told me about the difficulties they are facing.

    I just don¡¯t understand why I am mentioned in the conversation.

    I have never helped my parents with their business.

    ¡°But thanks to your acquaintance with the Kurumizawa family¡¯s daughter, I was able to get things through to them. Thank you very much.¡±

    I see¡­ It looks like I¡¯ve been ¡®used¡¯.

    ¡°My father told me that they were a small company that he wouldn¡¯t have been interested in doing business with ¡­, but then Ichijo-san mentioned my name and that seemed to get his attention. He contacted them.¡±

    Sitting in the corner of the conference room, Kurumizawa-san joined the conversation in a quiet manner.

    ¡°I got a message saying, ¡°¡®Do you have a classmate named Kotaro Nakayama?¡± The message came to me saying, ¡®A relative sends their regards.¡¯ ¡­ I was happy to take advantage of that ¡­ and asked my father to make our relationship as cordial as possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What is your goal? What benefit did you do that for, Kurumizawa-san?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s obvious¡­, it¡¯s to make my love come true.¡±

    A straight gaze shot through me.

    Her ruby-red eyes shone with an eerie light.

    ¡°I thought it was my chance for a thousand and one years. I was so happy to finally have the means to bring you down from your impregnable position. At last, I was able to get a hold of you.¡±

    She narrated.

    She spoke quietly, but her words were tinged with passion.

    ¡°I offered to be taken advantage of. In exchange, I demanded you ¡­ ¡®I want Kotaro Nakayama to be my tutor¡¯ right? That¡¯s a very unbelievable condition for a business deal, isn¡¯t it? Ichijo-san and your mother were ¡­ delighted. Ignoring your wishes, though.¡±

    ¨CI suddenly remembered Kurumizawa-san¡¯s words.

    Earlier she said:

    ¡°I want to be your ¡®special¡¯ by any means necessary.¡±

    True to her words, Kurumizawa-san was willing to use any means necessary to get to me.

    ¡°Ichijo-san told me. Knowing that there is a feud between you and your mother, and that you are at her beck and call because you are bound by the chains of the past¡­ I took advantage of that.¡±

    I cannot be reached by normal means.

    Kurumizawa-san understood that she couldn¡¯t twist my will.

    Still, she was straightforward.

    I felt her determination. She knew that even if I had negative feelings for her, she would not be able to reach me without forcing herself into my life.

    ¡°This is the only way. To win over Shimotsuki,¡­ this is how it had to be done.¡±

    All in order to overcome the main heroine.

    The heroine who was leveraged was more ¡­ straight in love than any heroine before.

 CH 166

    Let me summarize the story.

    First, there is the premise that the company run by my parents is in a difficult situation.

    Next, in order to break out of this situation, my aunt, who was entrusted by my mother to negotiate with the Kurumizawa Zaibatsu, made an offer to invest in the company, but the negotiations almost broke down due to the lack of benefits for the other party.

    However, when my aunt mentioned the name of the daughter Kurumizawa family, the other party¡¯s intention changed. It seems that the owner of the conglomerate has a soft spot for his daughter. He left the conclusion of the business meeting to his daughter, Kururi Kurumizawa.

    She took advantage of the business meeting to get close to me. She instructed my father to take over the business meeting, and in return, she asked me to ¡°tutor¡± her.

    My mother agreed to this negotiation with a quick affirmative answer.

    I was used for business without any regard to my will.

    ¡°Now, Kotaro? I don¡¯t want to hear what you¡¯re going to do¡­ and so on. You can¡¯t say no anyway.¡±

    After explaining the situation to me, my aunt slowly stood up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you can love someone like that as your mother. But I will use those feelings to my advantage.¡±

    Without looking at me, she left the conference room.

    I wish I could reject her clearly here ¡­, but I can¡¯t do it.

    The presence of my mother is driving a wedge in my will.

    The chains that bound me in the past have restrained me and prevented me from moving.

    Perhaps my aunt felt sorry for me.

    In a way, it could be taken as a sign that she couldn¡¯t bear to look at me.

    Because my aunt¡­ was originally in the same situation as I was.

    Maybe she doesn¡¯t understand my feelings, but I wonder if she feels sorry for me.

    ¡°It¡¯s a real struggle when a person to whom you owe so much is more selfish than you are¡­ You and then me, we¡¯ll just have to resign ourselves to the misfortune.¡±

    My aunt is my mother¡¯s younger sister.

    And she is someone who was once saved by my mother and owes her a great debt of gratitude, just as I do.

    Once, she lost her family.

    It was ten years ago. In her time of despair and pain, it was my mother who helped her get back on her feet.

    She was ruthless, for better or worse.

    No matter the death of her sister¡¯s family, that person does not like senseless actions.

    My mother forced my aunt, who was forever depressed and blocked up, to stand up.

    So she blasted her own sister and forced her to work. She put her in an important position at the company she had started and created a situation where the company would have gone out of business without her efforts.

    Thanks to this, she was so busy that she didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else. But she also told me that this period of time helped her to look forward again.

    I think it was when I was in middle school. I don¡¯t remember how it all started, but she told me anyway.

    It was an unusually humane story, and I still remember it vividly.

    And because of that story, ¡­ I can¡¯t hate my mother, and I can¡¯t hate my aunt.

    I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s also connected as a ¡°chain of the past¡±.

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡­ I just remembered one more thing your mother instructed me to do.¡±

    It was just before my aunt left.

    Suddenly, she turned around and held out her hand to me.

    What was it?

    ¡°She wants me to take your phone away from you. Apparently, she wants me to keep it until Kurumizawa-san¡¯s tutoring is finished.¡±

    ¡­This is an important thread that connects me and Shiho.

    Even that, it seems, my mother is trying to cut off.

    No, not my mother¡­ The mastermind is a much different concept.

    (The god of romantic comedies really doesn¡¯t like the relationship between me and Shiho¡­)

    I¡¯ve turned into the main character, and therefore, I¡¯ve been noticed.

    The god of romantic comedies is working in the dark behind the scenes to prevent ¡­ a peaceful romantic comedy between me and Shiho.

    I imagine the story that lies ahead and it sends chills down my spine.

    Maybe the god of romantic comedies is depicting something like this.

    (Are you going to make me the protagonist of a harem¡­?)

    Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

    I was so uncomfortable that I was going to be the one I loathed the most¡­

 CH 167

    Let me try to paint the worst possible scenario that I can envision.

    For example, suppose my ideology is twisted and¡­ I fall in love with Kururi Kurumizawa.

    What would Shiho do then?

    I can¡¯t say it myself, but that girl is very fond of me. Moreover, the weight of her love is unusual.

    Thankfully, she is very protective of me.

    At the very least, I am aware that she thinks of me as special, to the point that she is obsessed with me and doesn¡¯t want to lose me.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t feel like Shiho could ever cut me off.

    I think that if Kotaro Nakayama fell in love with another girl ¡®too¡¯, she would accept even me as such¡­

    That, in essence, is an acceptance of a harem.

    If she, the main heroine, approves of it, then there is no turning back in my romantic comedy. I am sure that I will become a harem protagonist and develop a distorted story as it is.

    And when I finish capturing Kurumizawa-san, another heroine will appear next¡­ that heroine and add more and more members to my harem.

    Just like Ryoma Ryuzaki, who was once a harem protagonist.

    But that¡¯s a scenario built on an absolutely impossible possibility.

    Because I have no intention of falling in love with anyone other than Shiho.

    I am not a person with the capacity to love other girls.

    Only Shiho is special.

    I don¡¯t want anyone else.

    I don¡¯t want to fall in love with anyone else.

    But I was worried that my beliefs might be twisted.

    Now, my story is distorted in its trajectory.

    Happy and calm as a sea, Shiho¡¯s story¡­ but in the opposite view, it is a boring, flat waste of time with no ups and downs.

    What is required of a story is emotion.

    The conflict, or the joy, the rage, the disappointment, the despair, the frustration, the awakening¡­, the catharsis comes as an extension of those great emotions.

    That is why the person chosen to be the protagonist will undergo many hardships. It is only when they overcome these hardships, awaken, sometimes get hurt, and at the end of it all, attain happiness, that the story becomes emotional. Only then does a bad story become a masterpiece.

    In order to do so, the god of romantic comedies holds up the unreasonable weapon of opportunism and hunts down the characters. Forcing reasons into impossible stories, making up past settings as if they were foreshadowing, and acting as if impossible plot points were the norm, they weave their tales.

    Such was the case this time, too.

    They made the element of Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s ¡°parents¡± into a foreshadowing, emphasized the past conflict of a mother, deprived me of my free will, and tried to accommodate a new heroine.

    I can honestly think of any number of ways to resist such unreasonableness.

    The easiest way is to ignore my mother¡¯s words. All I have to do is deny Kurumizawa-san¡¯s tutoring and the taking away of my phone.

    My aunt would easily back off if I told her I didn¡¯t want to do it. She is just being righteous to my mother and has no interest in my existence. She doesn¡¯t care whether I¡¯m unhappy or happy.

    So, I don¡¯t have to give it to her.

    Ignore my aunt who is waiting for me with her hand out.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    But I wasn¡¯t given free will enough to do that.

    The more I tried to resist,¡­ the more I tried to reject it, the more my body became even more immobile. My throat was choking, my breath was choking, and my head and heart were filled with scenes from the past and the emptiness I felt at that moment.

    <I don¡¯t want my mother to be disappointed in me any more than she already is.>

    I think this because I still cherish her as a parent.

    I¡¯m stuck in a stupid obsession, and as a result, I¡¯m strangling myself and ¡­ what in the world do I want to do?

    ¡°¡­ Give it to me.¡±

    I don¡¯t know.

    A fog hangs over my intentions.

    Suddenly, I felt dizzy. I stumbled forward and my aunt caught me.

    ¡°Oops¡­ I sure got it.¡±

    Then I realized that my phone was in my aunt¡¯s hand.

    Had I unconsciously reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone? Because I stumbled forward at the same time as I was dizzy, I held it out to my aunt ¡­, and she took it.

    ¨CTake it back.

    Someone interrupted me as I was trying to shout this.

    There was no way to resist the presence of someone or something pulling strings behind the scenes, clouding my thoughts, blunting my will, and preventing me from saying anything.

    It didn¡¯t matter what position I was in.

    Whether I¡¯m a mob or the main character, ¡­ I¡¯m always a puppet.

    Because I am nothing more than a character.

    Quietly, the story begins to move forward.

    The romantic comedy from this point on is the worst-case scenario for me.

    It was a romantic comedy route called ¡°harem¡± which I detested more than anything else.

 CH 168

    In the conference room of the company where my aunt works.

    Me and Kurumizawa-san were alone.

    My aunt was there earlier, but she left as soon as she finished her business.

    In the end, she took my phone too ¡­ which means I lost the means to contact Shiho.

    That made me sad, but it also made me feel ashamed and unworthy of myself for not resisting my aunt.

    ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±¡±

    An awkward period of silence ensued.

    I, of course, and Kurumizawa-san, said nothing, just the two of us in silence.

    Well, in her case, unlike me, she seems to want to say something.

    No, to be precise, I guess she wants to chat with me¡­, and she was behaving so suspiciously that I could see it clearly even from the sideline¡­

    ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡±

    It just looks like she can¡¯t say anything because I¡¯m in a very bad mood.

    She started to say something, but when she saw my expressionless face, she shut down and closed her mouth. This has been repeating since a while ago.

    It makes me even more miserable.

    It¡¯s not that Kurumizawa-san is a bad person. I think she¡¯s a good girl at heart, just straight-forward in love.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s so hard to do.

    ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    See, she apologizes like this.

    Although there is nothing wrong with Kurumizawa-san, she is trying to get into my good mood by keeping her head down.

    I don¡¯t think she is trying to flatter me.

    But that kind of attitude makes my self-esteem grow. If I treat her like this for a long time, the day will come when she will mistakenly believe that I am superior to her in any situation.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki was like that.

    Because he was treated well, was kind, was made to feel special, and all of these things were taken for granted, he became desensitized to the girls¡¯ affection. Without realizing it, he had become the kind of person who would trample on their feelings.

    I used to hate it, but when I put myself in that position¡­, no, I was still sickened.

    I hate myself like this.

    ¡°I understand why Nakayama feels so bad. But I can¡¯t give up, so I¡¯m going to make up for¡­ that, a lot. I¡¯m going to do my best to make you happier than you¡¯re hurting right now. So, just give me a ¡­ chance, please.¡±

    ¨DHow could this girl like me so much?

    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t really want tutoring, but it¡¯s only for a week, ¡­ and after that, I promise I won¡¯t hurt you anymore. But for one week, will you let me monopolize Nakayama? It¡¯s my first and last chance¡­ I won¡¯t let you get away with it.¡±

    Her single-minded and pure feelings made my heart ache.

    I clenched my teeth at the profound statement.

    That¡¯s why I hate it.

    I¡¯m not going to say anything bad about her. No, more to the point, neither my aunt nor my mother are the root of all evil.

    They all had their own agendas and circumstances, and the result of their actions is the present.

    But that is why I cannot hold a grudge against anyone.

    I can only hurt myself because I cannot direct my anger at others.

    That¡¯s really, really bad.

    (If only for a week, then ¡­)

    There was no way out.

    So I have to tell myself that I have no choice but to accept it.

    I suppose this is also a kind of opportunism.

    Suddenly I found myself searching for an excuse in the back of my brain to accept Kurumizawa-san¡¯s proposal.

    (I¡¯ve tended to depend on Shiho lately, and ¡­ that girl has the flu, and we won¡¯t see each other for exactly a week, so maybe this is just the right opportunity.)

    I¡¯ve come to a conclusion.

    If I stubbornly reject the story, it would be a good enough story, but if I ¡­ do that, the story won¡¯t be interesting.

    Kotaro Nakayama is put to the test.

    Will I be able to maintain my ¡°pure love¡± for only Shiho and continue to love her even while hurting others?

    (TLN: YES PLEASE)

    Or, will it be a ¡°harem¡± in which I accept the feelings of others and love a large number of girls?

    At the moment, I think the story is moving in the latter direction. If I do nothing and go with the flow, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that eventually happens.

    But, well, if ¡­ somewhere along the way ¡­ the story will awaken and change its course to a pure love romantic comedy, then that will be interesting.

    But in any case, there was no doubt that I was going to suffer¡­

 CH 169

    Thus, I was assigned to tutor Kurumizawa-san.

    The duration was only one week. It is not a very long period of time. Shiho is also taking a break due to the flu, so the timing is not bad.

    If Shiho had been in good health, I would have refused to tutor her, of course.

    No matter how much my mother had ordered me to do so, if Shiho had been by my side,¡­ I am sure I would have been able to shake off the chains of the past.

    But now that Shiho is not next to me, I am unable to move as much as I would like.

    Because I have become a protagonist from a mob character, I have the characteristic that I can¡¯t do anything without the heroine.

    I am ashamed of myself, ¡­ however, I could not resist my fate.

    Even though that girl who always took my hand when I was in pain, suffering, or lost is gone¡­ even in a situation like this, I may still be waiting for the hand of salvation.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lunch break. I was not in the mood to eat, so I walked aimlessly down the corridor. I had no purpose. I was just taking a walk as a distraction.

    My thoughts were still a jumbled mess. My head has been awfully heavy since yesterday,¡­ and it¡¯s obvious that my mind is slow, it¡¯s as if I¡¯m not even myself.

    In times like this, I feel that time goes by so slowly.

    (I still feel like I was like this all the time when I was in middle school, before I became friends with Shiho, I think¡­)

    Suddenly, I remembered.

    I felt nostalgic for a feeling I hadn¡¯t had in a long time.

    It was a time when I still didn¡¯t recognize myself as a mob character.

    Back then, when I mistakenly thought I was the main character, I didn¡¯t think too much about things.

    The past me, described by my sister-in-law Azusa and my former best friend Kirari as ¡°like a robot¡±, was always in a daze, just like now.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, I stopped and slowly turned my gaze toward the window.

    My face, reflected in it, was lifeless, or ¡­ I would say that I had a face that could best be described as ¡®expressionless¡¯.

    I took a breath at the sight of myself, which I hadn¡¯t seen since I met Shiho.

    I dropped my shoulders and looked away from the window,¡­ just then.

    ¡°Fun-fun-fun?¡±

    A female student, in a very good mood, walked by me.

    As I casually followed her fluttering black hair with my eyes, I wondered what she felt.

    Then she turned around and turned her attention to me.

    ¡°Oh? Um, ¡­ Kotaro-san?¡±

    She smiled at me calmly.

    My body relaxed in the relaxed atmosphere that seemed to loosen up just by looking at her. I suddenly felt as if I was going to collapse, and I put a lot of strength into my legs.

    What a ¡­ timing for us to meet again.

    It¡¯s a bit of an artificiality to talk to me at a time like this when you¡¯ve been acting as if I didn¡¯t exist for so long. ¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel that it reeks of artificiality on the part of someone else.

    That is surely the concept called ¡®opportunism¡¯.

    ¡°Yuzuki, huh?¡±

    I called out the name of a childhood friend who used to be a good friend of mine.

    Then, as if in response, Yuzuki nodded.

    ¡°Yes, this is Yuzuki. Well, I have a nostalgic feeling¡­ Huh? Kotaro-san, you are in the same class as me, right?¡¡Why didn¡¯t I notice Kotaro-san until now?¡±

    Yuzuki, tilting her head slightly with a strange look on her face, doesn¡¯t seem to have any bad intentions.

    Truly, she must be wondering from the bottom of her heart.

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since childhood, but how could we have grown apart? It¡¯s as if we haven¡¯t seen each other in ages.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, I guess we¡¯ve both grown up and a lot has changed.¡±

    I replied curtly and tried to walk away without further ado.

    The conversation would make me think of the old days.

    So I tried to run away ¡­ but that didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Have things changed? Well, ¡­ you have the same eyes now as you did in the past, Kotaro-san, don¡¯t you?¡¡You don¡¯t seem to have changed much.¡±

    ¡°¨C¡°

    When she pointed this out to me, I stopped breathing.

    I knew it was not my imagination.

    The man I am today is very much like the man I was when I was in middle school.

    Instead of resisting my destiny, I have been swept away by the current and have become like a puppet without a will.

    There is a difference between being a mob character and being the main character.

    Either way, I am still a puppet of a puppet.

    That¡¯s why Yuzuki recognized me.

    For her, ¡°Kotaro Nakayama¡± is recognized as an emotionless, robotic human being.

    So, after meeting Shiho, I guess I didn¡¯t seem to be me. Therefore, she did not even recognize my existence, but recognized me as a stranger.

    (After my mother, my childhood friend? ¡­)

    The past connections are still unbroken.

    They are connected like a chain and bind me like a wild goose.

 CH 170

    Slowly, she brushed her hair back over her ears.

    I had admired her smiling profile as she looked out the window many times before.

    Come to think of it, there was a time when I thought I was good friends with this girl.

    She had a gentle personality, a beautiful face like a Yamato Nadeshiko, and a good physique that would be popular with men.

    ¡­ All of them are first class, and I¡¯m not even close, but this girl was there for me nonetheless.

    I have known her for more than 15 years, from when she was a baby to the start of our first year of high school.

    I am ashamed of myself for having mistakenly thought that she was fond of me¡­

    I know now that there was no reason for us to have been together for 15 years.

    I can understand now that we were together only because of inertia.

    Because, after meeting Ryoma Ryuzaki at the entrance ceremony and falling in love with him, she immediately left my side.

    I was reminded that I was nothing more than an ornament, and that she had no feelings for me at all¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Even though it¡¯s been a while since we last spoke, Yuzuki started chatting about unimportant things as if we¡¯d seen each other every day.

    ¡°On days like this, you might want to do your laundry,¡­ and airing out your futon might not be a bad idea. But the weather is changeable in the winter, so you¡¯d better check the forecast properly.¡±

    Stop.

    ¡°Kotaro-san, we have a final exam coming up in about two weeks. I haven¡¯t made much progress, so I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±

    Don¡¯t talk to me.

    ¡°I think it is the day before ¡­ Christmas, isn¡¯t it? After that, we¡¯ll be on winter break, so I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Noisy!

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    How good it would have been if I could have shouted the voice inside my heart.

    But when I realized it, it was too late.

    ¡°Well, studying is not something that will help you in the future, so it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t do it¡­¡±

    It¡¯s always the same.

    I have a strange feeling when I am conversing with Yuzuki Hojo.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if your grades are bad. What¡¯s important is what¡¯s inside a person. In that respect, Kotaro-san is very nice, so you will be fine.¡±

    She is always sweet.

    She won¡¯t let me face the problem.

    When I talk to Yuzuki, I mistakenly think, ¡®It¡¯s fine as it is.¡®

    My fighting spirit and ambition fade away. The feelings of frustration and wanting to do my best fade away.

    It was the same now. Her words and voice had uprooted my energy enough to shout out my words.

    That was the nature of the character Yuzuki Hojo.

    ¡°You remember? When we were in elementary school, Kotaro-san always got bad test scores, didn¡¯t you? Yet, you are a fine high school student now. Studying doesn¡¯t matter to any of us.¡±

    Without meaning, without any basis, Yuzuki unconditionally ¡®affirms¡¯ others.

    But don¡¯t misunderstand.

    Yuzuki is only affirming, not ¡®loving¡¯.

    In other words, she does not take responsibility for her words.

    She says, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± but she never reaches out.

    She affirms me that it¡¯s okay to be just the way I am, but she doesn¡¯t accept me as I am.

    She praises me for being nice, but she doesn¡¯t like me.

    Yuzuki Hojo is that kind of person.

    Now I know that, so I don¡¯t have to be mistaken¡­ But once, however, I was deceived.

    I believed Yuzuki¡¯s words, accepted them, encouraged her, and I was genuinely happy.

    Thanks to that, Kotaro Nakayama never grew up.

    Because Yuzuki was so affirming, I could not find the meaning of growth.

    ¡°After all, life is a matter of chance. In other words, everything depends on luck and timing. Whether you work hard or not, the result is the same.¡±

    It¡¯s like a paralyzing poison.

    It invades your nerves, clouds your thinking, and robs you of your freedom.

    Yuzuki Hojo¡¯s love is so lukewarm that it makes you believe that.

    Thanks to this, I had accepted myself in the past.

    I had mistakenly believed that I was complete as I was, even though I was a mob character.

    (¡­ I¡¯m sure Ryuzaki is the same way.)

    He is probably also affected by this paralyzing poison.

    He is probably immersing himself in lukewarm affection, thinking that it is okay to be miserable.

    If that happens, he is finished.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki will never be able to rise again.

    (Me, you ¡­ really pathetic.)

    Well, I¡¯m not in a good enough position to be complaining about other people.

    Anyway, because of Yuzuki Hojo, I once again remembered the past.

    I¡¯m now on the verge of returning to the person I was then.

    Thanks to Shiho, I was able to grow up, but it was about to all become meaningless.

    Will I ever be able to shake off this past?

 CH 171

    Maybe I¡¯ve been so weary from all the heavy situations I¡¯ve been in all my life.

    During math class, I gazed absentmindedly at the blackboard, but the content never entered my mind. I¡¯m not very smart to begin with, and lately I¡¯ve been so worried that it¡¯s no wonder I¡¯m not putting any effort into my studies.

    School life without Shiho is very grim and serious.

    If I kept on pondering about her, my mood was going to get darker.

    So I think about her.

    I was looking back on that tender time in my memory, retrieving memories of that precious girl¡­

    A girl named Shiho Shimotsuki was just cute and quite a clunker.

    She is especially bad at studying, so when there was a quiz or something, it was routine for us to have a study session the day before.

    It was the same on that day.

    It had been about a week since the festival had ended.

    We were told that we would have a math quiz the next day, so we decided to have a study session at my house.

    ¡°Ugh~! I don¡¯t want to study, Kotaro-kun. Why are they using English letters like ¡°x¡± and ¡°y¡± for math? It¡¯s a fraud. If it¡¯s math, why don¡¯t you just use numbers?¡±

    Well, there was no way that Shiho, who hated studying, would do her best.

    As usual, she was in a huff and threw away her pencil prematurely.

    ¡°I understand how you feel, but you can¡¯t complain all the time, can you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me justified. It¡¯s a hassle. ¡­ Uh, Rocazil, was it? It¡¯s called locazil harassment!¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean ¡­ logical harassment?¡±

    I also think you shouldn¡¯t force yourself to use difficult words. There was a little bit of silliness that I couldn¡¯t hide.

    ¡°Hah ¡­ Kotaro-kun, can I sit on your lap? Hey, hey, can we flirt? It¡¯s okay, Azusa is upstairs in her room, but I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t come down out of concern for you.¡±

    ¡°I heard Azusa is not good with Shiho, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll come down¡­ Well, yeah. I¡¯m sure if we flirt, we¡¯d get a failing grade. Probably, I can¡¯t concentrate on anything because I¡¯m so worried about Shiho.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my. Are you so shy to touch me? You are such a cute boy¡­ Is skin-to-skin contact too stimulating? If so, it¡¯s only kindness to go easy on me.¡±

    I smiled and chatted with her.

    Even during study sessions, we always found ourselves chatting like this.

    This day was no different, and we kept looking at each other while opening our math textbooks.

    ¡°What about you, Shiho? You seem to hate studying, so what are you going to pursue?¡±

    Shiho doesn¡¯t study at all, to say the least.

    She was a strange girl who seemed to have no sense of crisis and was rather proud of her poor grades.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it cuter to be a glorified fool than to be a half-achiever?¡±

    I was surprised when she said this mysterious logic.

    What kind of future blueprint does Shiho have in mind?

    When I asked her, she answered instantly and without hesitation.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s already decided ? Ufufu¡­ I¡¯m not going to study because I¡¯m going to be a wife in the future, and I¡¯m going to be taken care of by the person I love.¡±

    Shiho¡¯s beautiful eyes were pointed straight at me.

    You don¡¯t have to tell me whose bride you want to be, do you?

    I felt like I was being told that, and my face got hot.

    Shiho is really a sly girl.

    Why is she so adorable?

    She always makes me laugh.

    Just having Shiho next to me warmed my heart.

    Even the Shiho of my memories cheered me up so much.

    (The situation is not so good, but¡­)

    One week. If I can endure for just one week, I can get back to my normal life again.

    So, I will not be defeated by opportunism or the god of romantic comedies.

    (¡­ Okay.)

    It¡¯s as if a flame that had been extinguished is rekindled.

    I raised my head, remembering that sensation.

    But I must not forget.

    The flame of a candle burns most vigorously when it is on the verge of dying out.

 CH 172

    Being the daughter of a wealthy family seemed as if she were a princess living in a different world.

    ¡°What an amazing home¡­¡±

    After school, I was invited to Kurumizawa-san¡¯s house.

    Yesterday we had a discussion at my aunt¡¯s office, and today I came to her house to start tutoring her in earnest.

    Everything as far as the eye could see was the property, and the distance from the gate to the residence was rather long. When I got out of the car and looked up at the residence, it was a mansion like I had only seen on TV.

    ¡°Exactly. I wonder what kind of evil things my father does to earn money?¡±

    Perhaps hearing my muttering, Kurumizawa-san, who was standing next to me, chuckled.

    We didn¡¯t have any conversation in the car, as I was pressed into silence throughout the ride, but I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the world that was so ¡­ different by so many orders of magnitude.

    Perhaps she was happy that I had said the words, but Kurumizawa-san¡¯s expression was bright. My mood was complicated because I could see that.

    It¡¯s a strange thing to have your feelings affected by a single phrase from a person like me¡­

    ¡°Come on, shall we go?¡±

    As if leading the way, Kurumizawa-san started to walk.

    I looked behind me and saw the woman who had been driving the car for us earlier, bowing her head. Is she a servant?

    Come to think of it, I remembered that Mary-san had a servant like her. That person might have been born into a family as wealthy as the Kurumizawa family in terms of size.

    Well, I heard that she is out of the country now, so it doesn¡¯t matter to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m nervous because this is the first time I¡¯ve invited a boy to my room ¡­ However, it is not a very girly room, so there is no need to be shy.¡±

    The room I was shown to was more modest and neat than I had expected.

    The room is spacious enough, but it doesn¡¯t have a lived-in feel. At least, it does not have a fancy atmosphere like Shiho¡¯s room.

    There was a desk, a closet, a bookshelf, a bed, etc¡­ There was the bare minimum of furniture necessary for living, but there were no items that really made an impression on me.

    If anything, it might resemble my room.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see erm¡­ Let¡¯s study for now, shall we? You¡¯re hired as a tutor, after all, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing very well, am I?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. After all, I just want to be with you, and ¡®tutoring¡¯ is just an excuse¡­ You don¡¯t have to teach me how to study, so why don¡¯t we work together?¡±

    After saying this, Kurumizawa-san smiled shyly. Slightly red in the cheeks, she said something like this.

    ¡°Also, it¡¯s been my dream to have a study session with someone I like, so I¡¯ll be happy if you can make it ¡­ come true.¡±

    When she says that to me, I¡¯m vulnerable.

    It makes me aware that she really likes me.

    I can¡¯t be so insensitive that I can show rejection to a favor.

    So in the end, I accept it.

    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ I understand.¡±

    But the reason I feel guilty subconsciously is probably because I am remembering Shiho.

    I¡¯m sure she would be jealous if I was in a study group with another girl¡­ When it¡¯s all over, I¡¯ll have to apologize properly.

    I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll forgive me easily.

    But, well¡­ yeah. I can¡¯t deny the fact that my grades have been getting worse lately.

    In order to support Shiho in the future, I should study.

    So this study session may be divided up as a way to get along with Kurumizawa-san, or rather, for my own sake.

    I suddenly felt heavy as I found myself once again thinking of excuses.

    No matter what the reason may be, there is no way I can overturn the truth that I am cheating on Shiho.

    Once I realize that, the last thing I want to do after ¡­ is to fall into a loop of self-loathing.

    Denying myself makes no sense, even though I¡­

 CH 173

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Silently, I let my pen run.

    Doing nothing would block my mood with thoughts of bad things, so I just focused my attention on other things.

    I opened my math textbook and turned my head to solve the problem.

    Using the formula, I should be able to solve the problem, but the ¡­ solution never came, and my moving pen suddenly lost its momentum.

    I knew I wasn¡¯t smart enough.

    I can¡¯t even solve the practice problems in my textbooks, and I¡¯m at a standstill.

    My mother may be right to be angry¡­, but I can¡¯t even do what everyone else can do normally.

    I am really a person who can¡¯t do anything.

    I was in self-denial again.

    ¡°¡­Nakayama, are you bad at math?¡±

    Suddenly, Kurumizawa-san, who was studying next to me, spoke.

    The room was large, so even with a long desk, there was still plenty of space. This allowed us to study side by side, so Kurumizawa-san and I were standing next to each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m not good at studying, not just math. I told you before, right? My grades aren¡¯t very good.¡±

    When I frankly told her the truth, she nodded lightly and then suddenly leaned closer to me.

    Wary of the sudden approach, I almost stood up, but it was not for the purpose of skinship, and she reached for my notebook.

    ¡°Let me see a little?¡±

    There was a question mark at the end of the sentence, but half-heartedly, Kurumizawa-san took the notebook from me.

    She looked at the problem I had just started to solve, checked the past answers, ¡­ went through them all, and finally handed the notebook back to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s beyond what I expected.¡±

    I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not meant in a positive way.

    ¡°Nakayama may look sophisticated, but compared to other people, you¡¯d be surprised at how much of a clunker you are. You seem to be very alert, and you have a lot of openings¡­ I¡¯m kind of tempted by your mischievousness.¡±

    Suddenly, I noticed that Kurumizawa-san was snuggled up to me.

    She pecked me lightly on the cheek and smiled happily.

    ¡°No, no, not at all¡­¡±

    Of course, I stood up and kept my distance from her, but I guess she knew that I would do that.

    She didn¡¯t seem too bothered by it and beckoned me over again.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding¡­ Come here, okay? I¡¯m not going to hurt you anymore, so don¡¯t be scared.¡±

    It is as if she is addressing a small animal.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    I felt ashamed of myself for being so, and it seemed very uncool to be so stubborn.

    It is not good to be too sensitive. Fearfully, I returned to my seat. I¡¯m not sure what to expect, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find a way to get back to my original location.

    ¡°Well, well, ¡­ Nakayama seems to be even dumber than I imagined, so I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Kurumizawa-san?¡±

    The unexpected offer left me bewildered.

    I didn¡¯t intend to be too friendly, and of course I wanted to refuse.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like it? If that¡¯s the case, well ¡­ I will have nothing to do but to aggressively approach and seduce Nakayama, is that okay? I don¡¯t mind if I use this time alone with you for something other than studying.¡±

    Once I heard the half-threatening words, I could not refuse the proposal.

    I would certainly rather be studying than being tempted.

    ¡°Hah¡­ if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d rather study.¡±

    When I told her that with a sigh, Kurumizawa-san¡¯s cheeks relaxed happily.

    ¡°Yes, I think that would be better¡­ You know, I don¡¯t really want Nakayama to have a bad time. If at all possible, if we can spend some meaningful time with each other, that would be great.¡±

    Her pink twintails were swaying, probably because her body was fidgeting.

    Clearly, Kurumizawa-san was pleased.

    It¡¯s only a matter of time before she decides to teach me how to study.

    That kind of unconcealed favoritism was really hard to do.

    ¡°Then this problem¡­¡±

    And so I ended up being tutored by Kurumizawa-san.

    Although I was formally the tutor, before I knew it, the positions were reversed, but ¡­ I¡¯m not very smart, so it can¡¯t be helped.

    On the other hand, I heard that Kurumizawa-san is quite smart.

    She taught me well and explained things carefully, so I was able to solve the problems that were taking me so long with ease.

    I found myself concentrating.

    I didn¡¯t feel any disgust at the time, and I was spending my time as usual.

    I was having a study session with Shiho, though it wasn¡¯t the same as that time¡­

    But it felt like a similar amount of time had passed, and it was kind of creepy.

    It was as if my memories of the study session with Shiho had been overwritten.

 CH 174

    Shiho Shimotsuki is surprisingly picky about food.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, you shouldn¡¯t eat only convenience store lunches. I think you need to eat more nutritious and tasty food. You have an obligation to live a long life.¡±

    On her days off, she would have lunch at my house.

    Well, neither Azusa nor I can cook, so our meals are usually bento boxes, side dishes, or instant foods from convenience stores or supermarkets.

    So, Shiho complained a lot about the lunch we had at the Nakayama house.

    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you if you eat such unhealthy food and die before I do. If that happens, I will have no choice but to die with you, go to the grave with you, and live happily ever after.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so heavy.¡±

    Love is heavy.

    I want her to be happy for a long time after I am gone, but I am sure Shiho cannot stand the loneliness.

    So I can¡¯t die first, and of course I don¡¯t want Shiho to be gone first either, so we came to the strange conclusion that we have no choice but to die together in the end.

    ¡°I think it would be good for us to taste more of this life, though we will be together forever. So, let¡¯s eat a nutritious meal, shall we? For example, you know, ¡­ chocolate!¡±

    Well, yes.

    I knew that, but somehow I guess she just wants to eat sweets.

    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s not healthy for you to eat all sweets when you come over to our house just because¡­ Satsuki-san is so strict.¡±

    Shiho¡¯s mother, Satsuki-san, is basically soft on her daughter.

    However, she is strict about food, and will not allow her daughter to eat a full meal of sweets, juice, or junk food.

    Shiho, who is generally lenient on herself and loves sweets, is not happy about it.

    ¡°Mmmm. Kotaro-kun, you¡¯re trying to embarrass me again by saying the right things. That¡¯s unacceptable. Because human beings have feelings, right? I don¡¯t care how right you are, if your heart says you don¡¯t like it, you can¡¯t accept it.¡±

    ¡°Is it troublesome if I say the right thing¡­ Human beings are troublesome.¡±

    ¡°I know. Good grief¡­, they really are a nuisance.¡±

    No, I think Shiho is just bothersome, to be precise.

    Shiho is a cunning girl because she is adorable in all of these ways.

    ¡°I bought lunch for Shiho, too, but you¡¯re not going to eat it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Because it doesn¡¯t taste good. I¡¯d rather have chocolate than eat this.¡±

    When I offered her the lunch box, she turned her head away and would not accept it.

    ¡°Ugh,¡­ why doesn¡¯t Mom make lunch for me on her days off? I love the dishes that Mom makes the most,¡­ but she says ¡­ she¡¯s too busy spoiling Dad that she doesn¡¯t have time to make lunch, you know? He¡¯s a grown man now, but he¡¯s so childish.¡±

    ¡°You say that, Shiho?¡±

    I think you are more childish than anyone else.

    Well, if I point that out to you, you will get pissed and deny it, so I won¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Then what about the future? You can¡¯t have Satsuki-san cook for you forever, can you?¡±

    It was not something I intended to say.

    It was just a line that I casually uttered¡­, but when I thought about it, it was a statement that envisioned the future.

    It was as if it was a given that Shiho and I would get married.

    I usually don¡¯t talk about such uncertain things, so Shiho seemed to be caught by surprise.

    ¡°He¡­¡­¡­¡­ nyo?¡±

    Shiho¡¯s face instantly turned bright red and her lips wrinkled.

    Even her ears were reddening and her eyes were darting around like in a manga.

    ¡°Henyo?¡±

    I tilted my head at the strange cry.

    Shiho is not very good at improvisation or ¡­ sudden events.

    Maybe that¡¯s why she was behaving so suspiciously.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re pounding me like that again ¡­! You¡¯re such a womanizer. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking about your future with me ?, Kotaro¡­, don¡¯t say such cute things. I can¡¯t stop grinning with joy.¡±

    Usually, I¡¯m just being played with, or rather teased and confused,¡­ but sometimes I¡¯d do this back and she¡¯d react in an amusing way, so it was fun.

    I was not aiming for that, but as a result, I was satisfied to see Shiho¡¯s cute side.

    ¡°Ufufu? In the future¡­ I can¡¯t keep asking my mom to cook for me, so I have to learn how to cook too. But I don¡¯t want to cook alone.¡¡Let¡¯s cook together, Kotaro! I¡¯m sure we can make a wonderful dish together.¡±

    And so, while discussing the future, the two of us continued to eat together.

    I¡¯m tired of eating bento from convenience stores¡­, but today¡¯s lunch tasted unusually good.

    It must be because Shiho was by my side.

    With her around, any meal tastes better.

 CH 175

    ¨CI suddenly remembered eating with Shiho because I was supposed to have dinner with Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting a little late today, so why don¡¯t you have dinner with me tonight?¡±

    Three days had passed since I started tutoring.

    I was a bit nervous right after we started, but after the first day, Kurumizawa-san had been teaching me without making any aggressive approach.

    That is why I cannot be indifferent. Besides, I was concentrating on my studies, so I was late getting home that day.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Of course, I refused, as I had no intention of getting too comfortable with her.

    But Kurumizawa-san laughed mischievously and put her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°What if I told you that if you don¡¯t do what I want, I¡¯ll kiss you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ¡­ resist, though.¡±

    ¡°I may look like this, but I¡¯ve mastered the art of self-defense, so I¡¯m probably stronger than Nakayama. Will you be able to resist?¡±

    Although jokingly, it was somewhat eerie, as I felt that if I didn¡¯t say anything, she would really kiss me.

    So I couldn¡¯t say no.

    ¡°Well, ¡­ if you¡¯ll let me go home right after.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, I won¡¯t keep you long. We already have food ready.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ready?¡±

    I was surprised. I didn¡¯t realize it had already been prepared, as if it were¡­

    ¡°¡­ Perhaps that was your plan all along?¡±

    Suddenly, I realized.

    The fact that the meal is prepared means that she was intending for this.

    In other words, she had planned to stall me from the beginning.

    ¡°Oh, did you find out? Of course, I was going to have dinner with you from the beginning¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t want to force you to stay¡­ I was concentrating a lot today, so I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t want to go through the trouble.¡±

    I knew it.

    I was taken for a fool¡­ or maybe I was too careless today.

    I didn¡¯t like it so much at first, but now I find myself easily accepting the study session.

    I had resisted having Kurumizawa-san teach me, but before I knew it, that too had gone away.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Once again, I braced myself.

    I was alarmed and moved away from Kurumizawa-san, and she looked at me and pouted.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad. I¡¯m too cautious and he doesn¡¯t like me too much¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a little animal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like that. Well, okay, but ¡­ see, come on? I have prepared a delicious meal for you. I spent a lot of my father¡¯s money on it. I think it will be a good experience, so don¡¯t get too worked up.¡±

    Saying that, Kurumizawa-san left the room.

    There was no point in staying here forever, so I followed her a little later.

    Then we came to a spacious dining room.

    There was a long table like I have only seen in movies and TV dramas. It was large enough to seat a total of 20 people, but it was supposed to be used only by me and Kurumizawa-san.

    A number of servant-like people were lined up against the wall. They were lined up with their eyes downcast, not making a single sound.

    Everything was happening like in a fantasy world.

    It was a different dimension of life for me, a man who knows only the life of ordinary people.

    ¡°Please sit down. Food will be here soon.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san, who is supposed to be the head of such a grand house, pulled out a chair as if she were escorting me. I sat down as I was told, and soon a servant brought me food. It was as if I was a king.

    ¡°¡­ What is this?¡±

    I looked at the food on the table, but tilted my head at a dish I didn¡¯t know the name of.

    No, I could tell by looking at it that it looked expensive and delicious, but I didn¡¯t know the name. As a commoner, there was no way I could understand what rich people eat.

    I think this is meat ¡­, but there was no further way to explain it¡­

    ¡°Just try it. It¡¯s very delicious.¡±

    ¡°Ummm, yeah ¡­¡±

    I had a knife and fork on hand, but I didn¡¯t know how to use them, so I just cut it into pieces and put them in my mouth.

    It was so delicious that I couldn¡¯t help but clamp my mouth shut.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, it¡¯s delicious?¡±

    ¡°Why is it in question form?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of a better word than ¡­ delicious.¡±

    The expression seems correct but is not correct.

    But there is no doubt that it is delicious, so I told her so frankly.

    Then Kurumizawa-san smiled happily.

    ¡°You have a good reaction. Your expression is also very nice.¡±

    Then she put her hand on my shoulder. Then she put her hand on my shoulder.

    Normally, I would have brushed her hand off immediately, but perhaps the shock of eating something so delicious had dulled my reaction.

    Compared to Shiho, her fingers are probably a little longer.

    A slender hand gripped my shoulder ¡­ and I realized I was being held from behind.

    ¡°I knew you were a little animal.¡±

    A quiet voice whispered in my ear, accompanied by a moist exhale.

    ¡°When you feed them, they go crazy, and they let their guard down¡­ That¡¯s what¡¯s so endearing about them.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t react well to that embrace.

    Kurumizawa-san is like a snake.

    The poison invades your nerves and then slowly swallows you whole.

    I was so caught up in this fantasy that in the end I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

 CH 176

    ¡°What in the¡­?¡±

    Kurumizawa-san released me sooner than I expected.

    The embrace must have lasted only a few seconds. It was nice that she pulled away so quickly, but I didn¡¯t feel so good with her fresh touch stuck to my back.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, ¡­ don¡¯t get too mad at me, okay?¡±

    I think it¡¯s unfair because I feel like I¡¯m poor at being angry when people talk to me like they¡¯re trying to stir me up.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not good at¡­ this kind of thing.¡±

    It was a weak statement on my part.

    I couldn¡¯t control it now. If I put more emotion into it, I would have said things that I didn¡¯t need to say.

    For example, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me so casually.¡±

    I don¡¯t like to use such strong words because I would definitely regret it.

    It was the same just the other day. I was excessively cold to Kurumizawa-san and was tormented by regret and self-loathing afterward.

    When I start to deny myself, it¡¯s not a good thing.

    I know this, so I suppress my emotions. To grip my frustration and anger, I put the meat in front of me in my mouth.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s delicious¡­¡±

    Food is a stress reliever.

    The tastier the food, the more fulfillment I felt.

    Each time I chewed, my disgust and frustration were squashed.

    Perhaps Kurumoizawa-san had calculated that much.

    I wonder if it was my pride in my ability to control my emotions that made me more daring than usual.

    ¡°¡­Human beings are a mystery, aren¡¯t they? No matter how hard things are for us, we feel refreshed after eating a good meal. Well, if we become dependent on food, we may end up overeating or even rejecting it, which is not a good thing.¡±

    Smiling elegantly, Kurumizawa-san sat down next to me.

    There are plenty of seats available, but the fact that she went out of her way to sit next to me was a bit of a surprise.

    ¡°By the way, this is a dish made with ¡°foie gras¡±. The name is ¡­ I wonder¡­ I can¡¯t remember the name of French cuisine because it sounds like an incantation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard of it¡­, but I¡¯ve never had it before.¡±

    ¡°It was a good experience, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Sure, it might be a good experience.

    I¡¯m not that particular about food, and I don¡¯t go out of my way to pay a lot of money to eat this kind of food.

    Therefore, I probably wouldn¡¯t have encountered this kind of taste if I had lived a normal life.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact amount either, but it sounds pretty pricey¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think it hurts or bothers my father, and there¡¯s no need for me to be reserved or concerned about it¡­ I just want you to understand that it is my presence that is giving it to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re saying you want me to forgive you for a little hug?¡±

    I think I understand what she is trying to say.

    Looking into her eyes, reading her facial expressions, and unraveling the emotions in her words, I naturally understood Kurumizawa-san¡¯s thoughts as well¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. Nakayama¡­ I¡¯m not that greedy?¡±

    Is it because my intentions were conveyed to her?

    Kurumizawa-san was in a very good mood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to monopolize your love. I just want you to share some of that feeling ¡­ and in return, I will make you happy a lot. I¡¯ll feed you as many delicious meals as you want, give you anything you want, and serve you in any way I can.¡±

    The pure, clear, and straightforward feelings were ¡­ conversely, scary.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Is this really a spontaneous and ¡®genuine¡¯ feeling?

    No, no.

    The real thing is murkier. Various emotions are jostled, mixed, and stirred up, and that is why it is imbued with a unique color that cannot be imitated.

    Like Shiho Shimotsuki, for example.

    If the love was so violent that it wanted to destroy me, that it was not satisfied with mere affection, I would say it was very human.

    But Kurumizawa-san¡¯s affection was ¡­ too artificial.

    Not a greedy person?

    That is absurd. There is no such thing as a person who is not greedy.

    Kurumizawa-san¡­ your love is too convenient¡­

 CH 177

    Five days have passed since I started studying with Kurumizawa-san.

    Today is Wednesday. I have been studying with Kurumizawa-san for about four hours a day.

    I can¡¯t say that I spent much time with her, but as she taught me ¡­ things, I think I got the ¡®knack¡¯ of learning.

    ¡°You just have to interpret it in your own words. There is no point in memorizing words from a textbook, because you will never understand them.¡±

    After all, smart people think differently.

    I used to study somehow, but thanks to Kurumizawa-san, I have changed my mindset. I put more emphasis on thinking, not just reading the words in the textbooks.

    ¡°After all, repetitive practice is the best way to learn. For physics and mathematics, I just solved problems using formulas. For other subjects, memorization is important. Look, read, write, and repeat. As long as you put in the effort, your score will go up as much as you want.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san generously gave me guidance on how to study.

    Thanks to her, I was able to solve more problems. Compared to the time when I was just looking at textbooks and pretending to study at random, I felt that I had become much smarter.

    ¡°Nakayama¡¯s grades are bad, but you¡¯re not that stupid. Nakayama¡¯s concentration is good, and above all, when it comes to the ability to keep going, you¡¯re better than most people. I wonder how you can study without feeling so bad about it¡­ You have guts.¡±

    When she says that, what can I say ¡­ yeah.

    I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t happy.

    Kurumizawa-san was looking out for me.

    Even though initially I was unfaithful and had a bad attitude, she was patient with me and kept confronting me.

    Because of this, by the time five days had passed, I was no longer able to develop hostility toward her.

    She was too devoted to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad it turned out to be a meaningful time for Nakayama.¡±

    Today, after another study session, we had dinner together.

    I was in the car with Kurumizawa-san.

    It was while I was being dropped off at my house.

    We were sitting side by side in the back seat when she spoke to me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to harass you. Of course, I¡¯m not pretending that I wanted you to like me, but I also wanted the time to be meaningful to Nakayama, regardless of that.¡±

    ¡°Meaningful time for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Regardless of whether my feelings were rewarded or not, I wanted to give ¡­ you something. It could be knowledge. Anyway, I was also very aware that spending this time with you would be a positive experience for Nakayama, okay?¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±

    Certainly, I feel that my awareness has changed after this study session.

    This experience will help me in the future. In that sense, I thought that Kurumizawa-san¡¯s words certainly had a great impact on me.

    ¡°You know, ¡­ regardless of who I am, I want you to cherish that experience, okay? I¡¯m sure it will be a great help to you in the future, Nakayama.¡±

    She smiled happily.

    She was so happy that she had done something for me and that alone made her eyes water.

    If I wasn¡¯t careful, she looked like she was about to cry.

    Of course, those tears were not flowing from sadness. They were drops of emotion, overflowing with joy.

    ¡°Two more days, but I¡¯m counting on you, okay?¡±

    I looked out the window and saw a familiar sight.

    We would be arriving home soon. Just as I was getting ready to get out of the car with my bag in my arms, the car stopped.

    ¡°Okay, bye-bye.¡±

    She waved, and I raised my hand lightly.

    ¡°Yeah. See you tomorrow.¡±

    With that, I closed the door. I looked through the window and saw that Kurumizawa-san¡¯s face was still smiling.

    It was a smile so relaxed that I felt as if her cheeks were about to fall off. I made sure the car drove away and headed for home.

    Then I stopped.

    ¡°I¡­ why did I say ¡®See you tomorrow¡¯?¡±

    I realized that my statement was not right.

    I had hated the study session with Kurumizawa-san, but ¡­ before I knew it, I had lost those feelings.

    Clearly, my heart had relaxed.

    The threads of tension that had been tense for so long had snapped without me noticing.

    In other words, I had given my heart to Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Immediately, a sense of guilt began to rise in me.

    The guilt towards Shiho made my heart ache.

    I didn¡¯t mean to do this.

    Shiho should have been my everything.

    I was never interested in any other girl.

    What in the world was going on with me?

    (TLN: I¡¯m having a brain aneurysm)

 CH 178

    Before I knew it, I no longer felt uncomfortable with the presence of Kururi Kurumizawa.

    Did I no longer think it unnatural that she was next to me, and instead, I naturally began to think about the fact that ¡­ Shiho was not there.

    ¨CNo, no, no.

    No, I never accepted that Shiho was not there.

    That¡¯s too much skepticism.

    (This is why it¡¯s not good to be in constant self-doubt¡­)

    I exhaled heavily to calm my thoughts.

    Frowning at the white exhale, I forced my heavy feet forward.

    There is no point in worrying about it.

    There is no answer no matter how hard I search for it, so I have no choice but to let it go.

    Otherwise, my thoughts would be skewed in the wrong direction again. I will doubt my own feelings for Shiho and lose confidence in myself.

    There is no point in being despicable.

    So, I shook off my thoughts and tried not to think too deeply about Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    I opened the front door and took off my shoes.

    When I headed into the living room, I found my stepsister, Azusa, there.

    ¡°Welcome home.¡±

    She called out to me while operating her phone in the living room.

    ¡°You¡¯re late again today, aren¡¯t you? Azusa already ate her dinner, did you eat, Onii-chan?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. I ate.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡­ To be honest, Azusa and I are not the most talkative siblings.

    It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t get along well, and I care about her a lot. However, we rarely talk more than necessary.

    We usually maintain a reasonable distance from each other and recognize each other as ¡°family¡± for better or worse.

    However, the past few days, Azusa has been very vocal¡­ or maybe that¡¯s not the right word.

    Azusa seemed to be worried about me in some way.

    ¡°Hey, were you helping our aunt with her business today?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, something like that.¡±

    I give a blurry answer to Azusa¡¯s words.

    Actually, I had not told her about Kurumizawa-san.

    Currently, I only explained that ¡®my phone was taken away from me because of my poor grades¡¯ and that ¡®as punishment for that, I am being forced to help my aunt with her work¡¯.

    So Azusa does not know that I was at Kurumizawa-san¡¯s house. This girl perceived that I was with our aunt.

    ¡°Are you okay? Has she said anything strange to you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, but¡­ it¡¯s rare. Azusa worrying about me.¡±

    I¡¯m surprised that this girl is concerned about me.

    After all, Azusa probably thinks of me as family, too. She seems to have been sensitive to my changes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Onii-chan seem depressed lately¡­, so I guess it must be hard for you to have your phone taken away from you. You can¡¯t even reach Shimotsuki-san anymore.¡±

    Depressed?

    I don¡¯t think so, but I can¡¯t deny that I¡¯ve lost my energy because I can¡¯t see Shiho anymore.

    So it¡¯s not surprising that I might look that way.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about it¡­ They took my phone away, but Shiho¡¯s on sick leave, too, and I couldn¡¯t reach her if I had my phone.¡±

    Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry, I make up an air of cheerfulness.

    I forced a smile and tried to pass Azusa off.

    ¡°¡­I hope you¡¯re doing well.¡±

    Azusa still wanted to say something, but she didn¡¯t say anything more.

    As a stepsister, she seemed to sense something was wrong, but maybe she also understood that I didn¡¯t want to say anything about it.

    I¡¯m sorry for making her feel uncomfortable, but I let her take advantage of that for now.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a little tired¡­ I¡¯m going to take a rest now.¡±

    ¡°Umm, yes. Good night.¡±

    I cut the conversation short early and was about to head for my room.

    It was then.

    ¡°Oh! Onii-chan, I got a message.¡±

    I stopped in my tracks.

    ¡°Message?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s from Shimotsuki-san!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The words somehow choked me up.

    Although the fragrance of Shiho, which I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, was very faint, partly because it was through electronic media¡­, I was still happy.

 CH 179

    Azusa¡¯s phone seemed to have received a message from Shiho.

    It had been a long time since I had heard from her. I hadn¡¯t heard from her since she got the flu.

    I had contacted her right after she got sick, but my phone was immediately taken away from me, so I don¡¯t know whether or not I received a reply in the end.

    Azusa explained to her on the message app that my phone was taken away, so I think she understood what was going on.

    Anyway, I wonder what kind of condition she is in now.

    I was curious about that, so I walked up to Azusa.

    ¡°What is Shiho saying?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    However, Azusa had stiffened up looking at the screen and didn¡¯t reply right away.

    ¡°Eh¡­ Onii-chan, I think this person is strange.¡±

    Somehow, I was holding back.

    I rolled my eyes and checked the message over and over again.

    Apparently, there were some very strange things written in the messages.

    ¡°Funny thing¡­ Oh, it¡¯s true.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t wait and looked at the screen of the phone.

    The words on the screen made my eyes widen as well.

    <¡°Kotaro-kun, I¡­I¡¯m pregnant!¡±>

    It¡¯s¡­ insane?

    I checked the unrelated one-liner over and over again.

    But I knew that sentence was real.

    ¡°Onii-chan, could it be that¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I don¡¯t remember anything like¡­¡±

    I shrugged at Azusa¡¯s skeptical look and breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°W-What should I do? ¡­ Azusa is going to become an aunt! It¡¯s too early.¡±

    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s probably just a misunderstanding on Shiho¡¯s part.¡±

    It¡¯s kind of strange to get pregnant by mistake.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not ready for this¡­ Ugh, is it finally here? Is she going to be my Onee-chan now? That person is too much for Azusa to take on¡­¡±

    Strangely enough, Azusa was more distraught than I was.

    It was a spontaneous statement with no signs, foreshadowing, omens, or context, and it may have been too sudden and unexpected for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s probably just Shiho talking in her sleep.¡±

    I rubbed my stepsister¡¯s back as if to soothe her.

    Azusa was so confused because she was acting as a substitute for me and I was able to keep my composure.

    At that time, a message arrived from Shiho again.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, here it is again.¡±

    ¡°What about this time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®It was all in my head¡¯!¡±

    I see. I don¡¯t know what happened, what I misunderstood, or what bothered her so much that she thought she was pregnant, but anyway, I¡¯m glad that Azusa was relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad¡­ Onii-chan, please. You know, I just need you to wait a little longer for me¡­ Azusa, you know, she¡¯s not ready to make that person her Onee-chan yet.¡±

    ¡°I guess you need to be ready too.¡±

    Laughing, I patted Azusa on the head.

    Of course, I don¡¯t intend to be hasty. I¡¯m not an assertive person to begin with, so even if I did want to have a child, it would probably not be in the near future.

    It¡¯s better to take it slower.

    Yes, there is no need to rush.

    Shiho¡¯s message was very unique and strange, but her ¡­ words reassured me.

    She is ¡°special¡± after all.

    £¨I can¡¯t wait to see her again.)

    Then I felt strong.

    I wanted to meet her face to face and talk to her.

    I was in a bad shape right now, but I felt that if I could meet, talk, and touch Shiho ¡­, I would be able to get back on track.

    I only have two days left to finish my agreement with Kurumizawa-san.

    Once I get through that, I will be able to return to my normal routine.

    By then, Shiho would probably be back to normal.

    So, I thought, I¡¯ll hang in there until then, I¡¯ll do my best.

 CH 180

    But still, I wonder what kind of state Shiho is in.

    I think there is something wrong with her when she suddenly sends strange messages.

    ¡°What should I send her? Shimotsuki-san, wouldn¡¯t she be happy if she got a message from Onii-chan?¡±

    ¡°Well, ¡­ for now, ¡®How are you?¡¯ She¡¯ll be happy to hear from me¡­¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    With a familiar technique, Azusa operated her phone and sent a message on my behalf.

    Then the reply came back a few seconds later.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Which one? Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®Fever finally gone¡¯?¡±

    It seems that she is not yet well.

    After all, Shiho, the boisterous and charming Shiho, had been silent for several days. Perhaps she was so sick that she didn¡¯t even have the energy to touch her phone.

    However, she seems to be recovering.

    As proof, she contacted us. I was honestly happy to see that.

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s called ¡®Neoki,¡¯ Onii-chan.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wonder if she was dreaming about what¡­ you said earlier about being pregnant.¡±

    As we continued our exchange, I began to understand more and more.

    ¡°Oh, here it comes again¡­, this time it¡¯s ¡®sleepy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I see. I guess she¡¯s not in perfect shape after all.¡±

    Although she was on the verge of recovery, she still needed a lot of rest.

    There were many things I really wanted to say and ask her, but I decided to hold off on them.

    ¡°Can you send a ¡®take care¡¯ message?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Sent it ¡­¡±

    Then I waited for about ten seconds.

    I was looking at the screen thinking the notification would come soon anyway, and as expected, the notification arrived instantly.

    On the screen. The words were written as follows.

    ¡°¡®I can¡¯t wait to see you¡¯ ¡­, what¡¯s that? Azusa is so embarrassed to be involved in your love life, okay?¡±

    The message was directed to me, but Azusa looked awkward when she saw it.

    ¡°Send her ¡®I miss you too, so make sure you get some rest, good night.''¡±

    ¡°Ugh ¡­ at least be shy too, Onii-chan. It¡¯s weird that only Azusa seems to be conscious of it.¡±

    Azusa did as I asked her to do, despite what I said.

    She was honest and cute in that way.

    ¡°Hah¡­ ¡®Good night.¡¯ This is the end, right? Oh, don¡¯t get Azusa involved in this too much, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But thank you.¡±

    I was happy to be able to communicate with Shiho for the first time in a while.

    I guess that emotion was showing on my face. Azusa stared at me and then breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Well¡­ Onii-chan, you seem to be feeling a little better, so you shouldn¡¯t get ¡­ depressed, okay? I¡¯m worried about you.¡±

    Her cheeks relax at those words as well.

    I was so happy to see Azusa¡¯s gentle concern that I unconsciously stroked her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡±

    It was right after I said that.

    Azusa¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my words and actions.

    ¡°Huh? Onii-chan is ¡­ that much of a skinship person?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    I noticed it after she told me.

    Come to think of it, I¡¯ve been rather tactile with Azusa today.

    I rubbed her back, patted her head, and stroked her.

    We rarely did such things until now¡­

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t like it. But I just thought it was kind of ¡­ strange.¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, yeah. That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡±

    I hurriedly pulled my hand away and stared at it.

    I was upset. I was even terrified that I had come to touch another girl so casually.

    I¡¯m the type of person who keeps a distance from other people, if I do say so myself.

    At the very least, I would not have been the type of person who would casually engage in skin contact¡­, but I guess this is another aspect that has changed since I became a main character.

    (I only have two more days to be this way¡­)

    I am sure that as long as things go back to normal, I will be able to return to my old self again.

    Believing this, I tried not to think about it too much anymore.

    Otherwise, I would be crushed by the guilt I felt toward Shiho.

    She doesn¡¯t want me to touch other girls. I would have to be more careful in the future.

 CH 181

    Six days have passed since I made the deal with Kurumizawa-san.

    Tomorrow it will all be over. Shiho should be recovering and coming to school soon, and since my phone will be back, I will be able to communicate with her more often.

    In return, I should have little to do with Kurumizawa-san.

    I¡¯ve been put in the position of being the main character, and a lot has happened ¡­, but nothing has changed to the point of being critical.

    One more day to go and it will all be over.

    There were times when I was in a lot of doubt, but that¡¯s why I was able to confirm my love for the girl named Shiho.

    And that was okay.

    There were no peaks and valleys, and the romantic comedy may have been as calm and boring as the sea, but some hardship would have been a nice spice.

    Even the romantic comedy god would have been satisfied.

    So I don¡¯t think there is anything more to say.

    Believing this, I was spending my sixth day as a tutor.

    Well, to be precise, I am not a tutor, but merely a student of Kurumizawa-san¡¯s.

    ¡°The test is about to start, and you shouldn¡¯t skip it. Nakayama¡¯s grades aren¡¯t very good, and you have to work hard to get back in your mother¡¯s good graces.¡±

    But what is eerie is that there is no change in her attitude, either.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t let your guard down, I think you¡¯ll be fine now. You should be confident in your hopes, okay? Because I¡¯m the one who taught you, so you should get at least an average score.¡±

    The sun had set.

    It was almost time to go home.

    No, I might be treated to dinner again today.

    Still, the deal would be over by the end of tomorrow. With the end in sight, I was confident that I could endure whatever might happen.

    ¡°Oh, I am grateful to you for teaching me everything you have taught me about studying. I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t want you to praise me. Well¡­ It¡¯s probably not too much to expect you to say so.¡±

    In spite of the fact that she was saying something not honest, she was not able to hide her emotions because of the grin on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go home now.¡±

    I stood up and picked up my bag.

    But Kurumizawa-san snatched it away from me.

    ¡°No. Why don¡¯t you have dinner again today? It will be our last dinner, and I have prepared a lot of delicious food for you. It will take a little time to prepare, but I would be happy if you would eat.¡±

    ¡­I knew it was going to be like that.

    I had expected it, for once, and had no choice but to nod with a wry smile.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s the last time¡­ yeah, I¡¯ll be grateful for the treat.¡±

    I followed her lead and left Kurumizawa-san¡¯s room. Since I had already memorized the location of the dining room, I was able to arrive there without her leading the way.

    However, the food was usually already cooked, but today it seemed to be carefully prepared, so the food was not yet ready.

    ¡°Well, I guess we are running a little late after all. Nakayama, will it be okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    In any case, a servant of the Kurumizawa family will take me home, so it doesn¡¯t matter what time I get home.

    With that in mind, I decided to wait patiently.

    I had a light chat with Kurumizawa-san, and it must have been about 30 minutes.

    When I was getting hungry, the meal was finally ready.

    ¡°I heard that they got some really tasty crabs today. Oh, are you allergic to crustaceans?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. But I haven¡¯t eaten crab in a long time.¡±

    When I lived with my parents as a child, we sometimes went out to eat.

    I think I had eaten it a few times then, but I didn¡¯t have that taste in my memory.

    They had also prepared a crab casserole, which I gratefully accepted. Since it was winter, warm food tastes really good.

    However, crab takes a long time to eat, so by the time we finished our meal, it was just before 11:00 p.m. It was about an hour later than usual.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks for your patience. Well, it¡¯s time to get ready for the ride home¡­¡±

    I was completely caught off guard by the fact that Kurumiawa-san was so normal.

    I thought the day would end without incident.

    But there was only tomorrow left in the term of the agreement.

    At a time like this, there was no way that Kurumizawa-san would not do something about it.

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Oh my, I didn¡¯t know that was going to happen.¡±

    I came to the front door, thinking I was going home.

    The servant who always drove me around was whispering something in Kurumizawa-san¡¯s ear.

    It seemed unnatural to me¡­, and I raised an eyebrow at his somewhat theatrical behavior.

    However, it was already too late to be alarmed.

    ¡°Nakayama, I¡¯m sorry. The car seems to have suddenly broken down and won¡¯t start.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    At the last minute, Kurumizawa-san made her move.

    I fell right into it, and all I could do was gawk.

 CH 182

    Kurumizawa-san¡¯s house is quite large. Naturally, a large plot of land was needed to accommodate it.

    Perhaps that is why it is located in a slightly suburban area.

    Therefore, it would be quite a challenge to return home on my own.

    Since I don¡¯t know the area and I don¡¯t have a smart phone, I might get quite lost.

    So until now, I have been spoiled by Kurumizawa-san. I had taken it for granted that I would be picked up and dropped off by car, and I depended on my ride home.

    She had exploited that gap beautifully.

    ¡°Is it ¡­ true that the car broke down?¡±

    Could it suddenly break down at such a time?

    It was working fine when I got here, it seemed too timely.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s already late, and it¡¯s going to be difficult to get a replacement car.¡±

    She said that matter-of-factly, but it didn¡¯t feel right in many ways.

    In the first place, how is it possible for such a rich family to have only one car?

    The fact that it took so much time to prepare the meal and the food took so long to eat is also unnatural now that I think about it.

    Six days had passed since the agreement had been made.

    I was wondering why nothing had been done at this point in time when the end of the agreement was approaching, but here it was.

    I felt as if everything was a setup.

    ¡°From the very beginning, she had no intention of letting me leave¡­?¡±

    I was stunned to learn of Kurumizawa-san¡¯s intentions.

    Since there had been no blatant approach in the past few days, I had been caught off guard, and I was stunned at my own stupidity by being caught completely off guard.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to admit it, but ¡­ tomorrow this good time will be over, so I had no choice.¡±

    Although I had reached the front gate, that gate would not open.

    ¡°Hey, Nakayama¡­, why don¡¯t you like it? If you really dislike me from the bottom of your heart, then I¡¯ll give up.¡±

    She put her straight thoughts into her words.

    She confronted me head on.

    ¡°But, if you don¡¯t mind if I do a little¡­, please forgive me for trying to be a bad influence on you. This is my first and last chance. Because after this is over, there will be no more time for me to win over Shimotsuki.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san was pleading.

    Her eyes were shaking with anxiety, her expression was tense, and her body was trembling with fear. Her tightly clenched fists and tightly sealed lips were filled with strength to motivate herself.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s rude, but I¡¯m asking. Would you stay¡­ today?¡±

    That figure was the same as that girl.

    I will never forget the time when ¡­ Shiho refused Ryuzaki¡¯s confession on stage during the overnight learning program, and the current Kurumizawa-san looked just like her.

    Shiho at that time also looked similar.

    She was suffering from anxiety and fear, but she was courageous enough to face the difficulties, that¡¯s what I liked about her.

    So, denying the current Kurumizawa-san was like denying the Shiho I once loved as well, and it made my heart ache.

    (TLN: My brain and heart are hurting guys¡­)

    It¡¯s really not fair of her to make such a face.

    If I were an insensitive person, I could have pretended not to notice and refused.

    But I am not Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    I can see how much courage Kurumizawa-san is now mustering up.

    The single-mindedness of the girl in love was too pure and ¡­ too pure, so it was a frustratingly compelling force.

    ¡°Last, so¡­¡±

    See, once again I make excuses like this.

    ¡°After tomorrow, I won¡¯t have to do this anymore.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry, it will be over anyway.

    Nothing has happened so far.

    Nothing happened today either.

    That¡¯s what I told myself.

    Immediately afterwards, I unconsciously shook my head.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Thus, I had given her one last chance¡­

 CH 183

    A Too Defenseless Girl

    For example, if my phone had not been taken away from me, I would have been able to return home without any problem, even if I did not know where I was.

    In the first place, it was also unnatural that Kurumizawa-san initiated the move at the timing when Shiho had the flu.

    More to the point, the situation at my mother¡¯s company was going bad at such a time, she was in a bad mood, and her parents happened to be wealthy¡­ there was no end to the possibilities.

    It¡¯s just too ¡®inconvenient¡¯.

    No, that¡¯s not it.

    The current situation is probably ¡®convenient¡¯.

    In order to make the story interesting, the current situation is very convenient.

    How will I face Kurumizawa-san, who has broken the stronghold of the main heroine, who has always been the strongest, and who is treated just as well as the main heroine, despite her position as a sub-heroine for leverage?

    If I decided to love Shiho single-mindedly, even if it hurt her, that would be fine.

    Or, if I break down and accept Kurumizawa-san¡¯s feelings and accept her love, then a new development will be created there.

    (TLN: Please, no.)

    The latter, in particular, is the ¡°harem route¡± that I detest the most, so I want to avoid it somehow.

    However, it would be very difficult for me to reject Kurumizawa-san¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°Nakayama, can I have a word?¡±

    At night, she invited me to stay at her house and showed me to the guest room where I was to sleep.

    Later, when I had showered and regained my composure, Kurumizawa-san visited my room.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, if it¡¯s just a little bit.¡±

    The change of clothes provided was a brand-new jersey.

    The size is just right, so they probably bought it for me.

    The room was also cleaned up nicely, and the bed sheets were as clean and wrinkle-free like new

    Observing these things, I could tell that Kurumizawa-san had been trying to get me to stay over from the beginning.

    ¡°Um¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­, have you taken a bath yet?¡±

    As if looking for a conversation starter, she asked me something bland.

    She seemed to be frightened in some way.

    She looks apologetic, maybe because she feels more or less guilty for setting me up.

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    I answered shortly and sat down on the bed.

    I wanted to lie down, but as expected, I couldn¡¯t be that defenseless in front of Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°I see, me too. I¡­ will come in.¡±

    Saying this, she slowly entered the room fearfully.

    As she said, she seemed to have just finished her bath, and her pink hair was slightly damp. It looks like she came to me before she dried it off with the hair dryer.

    Her pink pajamas also looked good on her, matching the color of her hair. Since it was winter, she wore warm and fuzzy looking clothing.

    I don¡¯t know if the pajamas fit her perfectly or if they were originally designed that way, but they showed the lines of her body at a glance, which made me feel a little uncomfortable.

    I was having trouble keeping my eyes on her, so I lowered my gaze.

    It was then that I suddenly realized.

    (No good¡­ not as usual.)

    I am upset.

    I am confused.

    My emotions ran so wild that I couldn¡¯t look directly at the unusual appearance of Kurumizawa-san.

    I don¡¯t know what to do.

    Because Kurumizawa-san is too ¡­ defenseless.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sit next to you.¡±

    See, this is how she approaches me.

    Perhaps it was because she had just finished her bath, but there was a sweet smell wafting from Kurumizawa-san. Her hair, which is usually tied in twin tails, was straightened before she went to bed.

    She was showing me her special side.

    Generally speaking, visiting a man¡¯s room late at night is also out of the question.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    She then lies down on my bed.

    She deliberately lies on her back. The distance between me and her was only about ten centimeters, and I could reach out and touch her with my hand.

    If I were a normal human being, would I have left Kurumizawa-san untouched in this state?

    <I don¡¯t care what you do to me.>

    I felt such a message.

    Is it because she trusts me?

    Or is she trying to tempt me?

    I don¡¯t know the truth.

    But what I do know is that¡­ Kurumizawa-san is about to make her final approach.

    What in the world is she going to do?

    I wonder if I will be able to handle it.

    I was extremely anxious about that.

 CH 184

    Kurumizawa-san was lying on the bed where I was supposed to sleep.

    The bed was sinking under her weight, and my body was slightly tilted toward her. I was afraid that at any moment I might fall over too.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I dared to exert myself excessively and be conscious not to lose my posture.

    Otherwise, I thought I was going to lay on top of her.

    Under the current circumstances, it would not be surprising if that happened. It¡¯s what¡¯s called a ¡®lucky play¡¯.

    Now that the god of romantic comedies is misbehaving, I must be on my utmost alert.

    ¡°Nakayama, you know¡­, this past week has been fun.¡±

    Unlike me, who had no time to spare, Kurumizawa-san was calm.

    It¡¯s not normalcy or calm ¡­ no, it¡¯s not. This feeling could be described as ¡®preparedness¡¯.

    It felt like she was prepared.

    It seemed to me that Kurumizawa-san was approaching this situation thinking that now was the last chance.

    ¡°Nakayama is not very good at getting to the point, but you study hard, and I admired that about you. I was so happy just watching you work so hard.¡±

    As she laid there, she leaned over and looked at me.

    ¡°It was like a dream.¡±

    One by one, she weaves her thoughts, punctuating each sentence.

    It¡¯s a monotonous line, as if she were reading straight from a book report. But the heat of the emotions that reside in those words is so great that they cannot be described as mechanical words, which is strange.

    ¡°So, thank you ¡­ first of all, can I say thank you? You made me so happy, you gave me so much joy.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to be thanked.

    I didn¡¯t do it for Kurumizawa-san¡¯s sake.

    I did it because it was the only thing I could do, because things had gone wrong and I had no choice but to do it.

    But I guess she didn¡¯t care about that.

    Anyway, she was able to spend time with me ¨C that alone made her happy.

    It¡¯s hard to believe, but apparently, she was ¡°happy¡±.

    ¡°It breaks my heart to think that this time will never come again.¡±

    Isn¡¯t it ¡­ praying?

    Kurumizawa-san said this in an attitude as if praying for something.

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯d be happy to share a little ¡­ Nakayama love with me.¡±

    At the last moment, she puts her heart and soul into it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m not the best. Second, third, it¡¯s okay. Just a little piece of ¡­ Nakayama¡¯s heart and let me be there.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t respond immediately to her words.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I shut my mouth and gritted my teeth.

    Oh, I knew it was true.

    The affection that I had felt thinly, Kurumizawa-san¡¯s love was distorted after all¡­

    It is a pure, unadulterated, untainted feeling, but the direction of the thought is unusual.

    Can she be second?

    Is third okay?

    That¡¯s not right.

    If you are not the first to be loved, then what is the point?

    At least, in my favorite form of love, there is only one object of love.

    But if there is only one form of love that ¡­ I detest, love can be ordered.

    It¡¯s what is called a ¡®harem¡¯.

    Kururi Kurumizawa is trying to become a harem heroine herself.

    That seems to be what love looks like to her.

    It doesn¡¯t matter what number you are. It doesn¡¯t matter if the return on your love is not worth it. It doesn¡¯t matter if your feelings are not reciprocated.

    If she can be loved even a little bit, she will give her all.

    I felt her determination and unconsciously held my chest.

    Just like Azusa and Kirari in the past, I couldn¡¯t watch the current Kurumizawa-san ¨C I just couldn¡¯t.

 CH 185

    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    I said so clearly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m second or third, I want you to love me.¡±

    She confessed that to me, but of course I couldn¡¯t accept it. If I accepted such a thing, I would become a harem protagonist, which I hate.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Again, I apologize.

    I couldn¡¯t look directly at Kurumizawa-san, so I averted my gaze.

    I felt sorry, but I still can¡¯t tolerate this much.

    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡±

    In contrast, Kurumizawa-san was very casual about it.

    When she finally sat up, she slowly smiled at me.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    It was like she had done what she had to do, and she was smiling brightly to imply it.

    ¡°Thank you for listening to my feelings.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m kind of sorry.¡±

    I apologized, but inwardly, I nodded my head.

    If it had been so painful earlier, now there was no sign of it.

    I thought she would hang on to me.

    I thought she would cry, get angry, or be sad.

    But she laughed.

    And it wasn¡¯t an absentminded smile. It was not a forced smile.

    It was an expression that said, ¡°I guess it didn¡¯t work after all.¡± as if she had just lost the lottery.

    I was really caught up in it.

    This was not the way to switch from the girl who had such a sad expression on her face just a few minutes ago.

    But there was no point in doubting her. It would have been better for me if she had just given up like this.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I wanted to tell you. I feel better now. ¡­ Well then, good night.¡±

    She left the room without any further ado.

    I followed her until I couldn¡¯t see her anymore, but her steps were light until the end, and she did not look like she was straining at all.

    ¡°¡­¡­Good night.¡±

    I muttered to myself and collapsed into bed.

    The faint warmth of Kurumizawa-san¡¯s body remained, and I shifted my body position so as not to touch that part of the bed.

    (Is this the end of it¡­?)

    I felt a strong sense of discomfort. I felt an inexpressible unease.

    I would have thought she was too quick to give up or too understanding of things for that strong confession.

    (¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter how much I think about it.)

    After all, there are no answers.

    There is no point in asking ourselves endless questions.

    (It¡¯s a little early, but I think I¡¯ll go to bed¡­)

    It was 11:00 p.m. Normally I would stay up a little longer, but since there is nothing to do now, I quickly turn off the light in the room.

    I put on the futon and closed my eyes.

    The bedding must be luxurious, after all, because it seemed very comfortable and my consciousness soon faded away.

    Almost there.

    I would wake up in the morning, be treated to breakfast, go to school, and then tutor again, and the term of my agreement would be over.

    I feared what would happen when I decided to stay the night, but things didn¡¯t happen any stranger than I expected.

    There will be no more occurrences.

    So, I would be fine. Believing that, I slowly went to sleep.

    ¨CBut Kururi Kurumizawa was reluctant to give up after all.

    She wasn¡¯t that understanding.

    She was the kind of determined girl who would do anything to make her love come true.

    I was a fool to think that she would back down after confessing and being rejected.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Mmm?¡±

    It was while I was sleeping.

    I suddenly felt a sense of discomfort and opened my eyes. At first it was pitch black and I could not see anything, but little by little my eyes became accustomed and I could see my surroundings.

    Yes, I was in Kurumozawa-san¡¯s home. I was sleeping on a soft bed, and ¡­!?

    Suddenly, I realized.

    I was not the only one in bed.

    Someone was standing very close to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ¡­ Nakayama.¡±

    That girl was unmistakably Kururi Kurumizawa.

    She was lying down next to me as if she had been sleeping with me.

    Then, I wondered what she was going to do, but she suddenly leaned in close to me and ¡­ put her lips on my cheek.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a kiss.

    I held my breath as the action came out of the blue.

    What I felt was a sense of guilt.

    I was filled with a sense of guilt toward Shiho.

    Oh, I was beaten.

    I had been so careful about this, but I had fallen right into the trap.

    This is what I have to think when someone does something like this to me.

    (Shiho ¡­¡­ sorry.)

    I¡¯m trapped in a guilty conscience.

    The scars left by Kurumizawa-san were deeply gouging my heart.

    Now, the story takes a turn here.

    The long, long preamble had finally come to an end¡ª

 CH 186

    ¡°I can¡¯t kiss you on the mouth, as expected.¡±

    The lips that touched my cheek left it.

    As I was stunned, she smiled and took my hand in hers.

    Just a few moments earlier, I had been sleeping soundly.

    Of course, no one must have been there at the moment I fell asleep. Perhaps it was while I was sleeping that Kurumizawa-san entered my room and snuck into my bed.

    Moreover, she did not just sleep with me, but kissed me on the cheek.

    Moreover, as she leaned in close to me, it was as if we were hugging each other.

    He was holding my hand like a lover, and my body stiffened.

    Kurumizawa-san¡¯s thick, almost intoxicating scent emphasized her presence even more.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure even Nakayama would be angry if I took away his first kiss, right? I don¡¯t want to be hated, so I won¡¯t go that far, but I don¡¯t want to be forgotten, so I¡¯ll leave a little scar.¡±

    The whispered words were clearly directed at me.

    She probably knows I¡¯m awake.

    ¡°If you want to pretend to be asleep, so be it. You can pretend you didn¡¯t notice tomorrow if you want. I¡¯ll never mention it.¡±

    With a mischievous laugh, she now reversed her grip and touched my lips. Her fingers tracing my lips were crawling like a snake.

    ¡°Now I¡¯ve done all I can do. All that¡¯s left is to pray and hope ¡­ that Nakayama will accept me, okay?¡±

    The final onslaught was too intense.

    She knows I¡¯m awake. But I don¡¯t want to open my eyes. I had to pretend to be asleep to get through this.

    Because I didn¡¯t know how to react.

    Should I be angry? Should I be sad? Should I reject it?

    ¨CI couldn¡¯t.

    I¡¯ve said it many times, but I¡¯m not an insensitive person.

    I understand painfully Kurumizawa-san¡¯s feelings of ¡°I love you¡±.

    It is difficult to return disgust to affection.

    This is where my human nature comes out.

    I¡¯ve always been passive and let things happen as they come. I am unable to clearly express my intentions.

    Because of this, when the time comes, I am unable to do anything.

    I am truly a pathetic person.

    (Shiho¡­ really, I¡¯m sorry.)

    No matter how many times I apologized in my mind, I could not clear my mind.

    The guilt I felt had become a ¡°scar,¡± as Kurumizawa-san said, and was etched in my mind.

    Come to think of it, once ¨C Mary-san almost did something similar to me.

    It was after the festival was over. When I said the discarded words ¡®Suck it up¡¯ in an empty classroom, she tried to kiss me in desperation.

    If she had really kissed me then ¨C I probably would not have been able to make proper eye contact with Shiho.

    At that time, Shiho saved me in the nick of time.

    But this time, that worst-case scenario became a reality.

    ¡°Nakayama ¡­ I don¡¯t want to be the first. I¡¯ve said it many times, but second is fine. If you share a little love with me, I will give you a lot of pleasure for it. My father, you know, has money¡­ so I¡¯ll take full advantage of it. If you want, you can think of me as your wallet. I¡¯m just a convenient woman for Nakayama. I am not a very greedy person. I just want the right to be next to Nakayama. Other than that, I don¡¯t want anything else.¡±

    At once, Kurumizawa-san whispered sweet words like she was rambling on.

    Then she got up and finally left the room.

    In the end, I had nothing to say.

    But my heart was hurting so much.

    (Really¡­ really, I¡¯m sorry.)

    The wound in my heart was bleeding and wouldn¡¯t stop.

    The scars of the guilt carved by Kurumizawa-san have remained unfaded¡­

 CH 187

    I don¡¯t remember much after Kurumizawa-san kissed me.

    It was morning before I realized it, and after getting ready early in the morning, I left her house without eating breakfast.

    I was going to walk home. It would take a long time, but I wanted to get away from the Kurumizawa mansion anyway.

    But, perhaps Kurumizawa-san had anticipated even that, because as I was walking around the grounds, a car was chasing me from behind.

    According to the servant who was driving, he had been instructed by Kurumizawa-san to keep an eye on me. He had also been told to give me a ride home, so he urged me to get in the car.

    I was a little lost, but it would have taken much longer if I had walked, so I decided to ask him to give me a ride home and finally arrived home.

    I was completely manipulated and moved by Kurumizawa-san¡¯s hand.

    To top it all off, she kissed me and I was suffering from guilt.

    Anyway, I didn¡¯t dare to show my face to Shiho.

    Friday. Perhaps Shiho will take the rest of the day off until today and come back to school at the end of the week. Or, my phone will be back tomorrow, so maybe she will contact me then.

    I need to calm down somehow.

    I want to tell Shiho about the events of the past week and apologize.

    I am sure she will be angry. She will sulk, and I am sure she will be jealous. But I don¡¯t think that would be painful. Rather, I want her to scold me and punish me properly.

    Otherwise, I cannot forgive myself.

    ¨CNo, even if I am punished that much, will I still be able to forgive myself?

    The question I asked myself could not be answered because my hazy thoughts were in the way.

    The fog would not clear no matter how long it took.

    The fog has been hanging over my thoughts for a long time now.

    But it¡¯s okay.

    I¡¯ve been in this state for a long time, so I¡¯ve come to know the proper countermeasures.

    At times like this, I just need to remember Shiho.

    Memories of that girl make my thoughts clear.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Phew.¡±

    I take a breath and look up.

    The memories of Shiho helped me again.

    What was floating in my mind was the lunch break on a certain day.

    It was not a very special scene, as we just had lunch together.

    But even in an ordinary day, the time I spent with her would be a treasure.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I steeled myself. Finally, I was able to look forward.

    I arrived home just in time, so I got out of the car. It was only 6:00 in the morning, and it seemed that Azusa had not woken up yet.

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±

    When I entered the house, of course no one was there.

    However, I found a letter on the living room table that said, ¡°Let me know if you¡¯re going to be late¡±, which made my cheeks relax a little.

    I guess as a family, she was worried that I was coming home late.

    I wrote ¡®Sorry, I¡¯m going to school first.¡¯ Then I quietly went to my room.

    I took off the jersey I had been wearing since yesterday and changed into a spare uniform. Come to think of it, I had left my uniform at Kurumizawa-san¡¯s house. I¡¯ll have to get it later.

    Thinking about this, I finished getting ready for school. It was only 6:30 at that point, but I left the house feeling somewhat restless.

    I got on a bus that came just in time to take me to school. It was a little after 7:00 when I arrived at the classroom, and of course no one was there.

    I was all alone in the classroom. I sat down in my seat and relaxed.

    Even though I thought I was going to be in a daze for a while and try to get my thoughts together¡­

    As usual, the god of romantic comedies was cruel.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Kotaro-kun?¡±

    The voice that I suddenly heard was the voice that I had been waiting for more than anything else¡­ and at the same time, the voice that I did not want to hear the most at the moment.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I gasped and turned my gaze to the classroom door.

    The one who was there was a beautiful silvery-white girl who looked like a fairy.

    ¡°Nya, nya, nya, nya, what? I finally felt better, so I got nervous and came to school early, and to my surprise ¡­ Kotaro-kun was there! I wonder if it¡¯s fate¡­¡±

    She seemed to be in a very good mood when she found me.

    She was humming a tune and approaching me.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Kotaro-kun, were you surprised too? I was supposed to go to school on Monday, but I wanted to see you as soon as possible, so I did my best to recover!¡¡So you can praise me, right? Look, look, my head is itching to be patted, why don¡¯t you notice?¡±

    Her always abundant talk became even more frequent, a sign of delight, I suppose.

    Of course, I have no reason to deny her begging.

    So, I was willing to stroke her head.

    But I couldn¡¯t do that.

    ¡°¨C¡°

    Suddenly, I choked.

    My breathing became labored and my chest hurt.

    Her heart ached.

    In front of the pure and untainted Shiho, I was feeling¡­ worst of all, I was feeling my own filthiness.

    All I could think of in my mind was the time when Kurumizawa-san kissed me.

    That truth was eating away at me.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun?¡±

    Shiho tilted her head curiously.

    I looked away from her.

    I could no longer even look directly at her.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Oh, no.

    The guilt was inhibiting me.

    Furthermore, my head was full of fog and my thoughts were hazy.

    Until now, remembering Shiho would have cleared my mind.

    It seems that my heart is so wounded that I can no longer handle the sight of her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t return the words.

    I was unable to say anything.

    The cage of guilt was trapping me.

    Maybe the transgression I had committed was too heavy for me to break out of that prison.

 CH 188

    Suppose, for example, there is an evil person who pretends to be a ¡®good person¡¯.

    If he is by nature a worse person than anyone else, but he continues to play the good guy until his death without letting it be known, ¡­ you might say that ¡­ he was a ¡®good guy¡¯ as a result.

    In other words, a lie can become the truth if you carry it through to the end.

    At least, it is natural, because he is unmistakably recognized as a ¡°good person¡± by other people¡¯s evaluation.

    If I follow that logic, too¡­, if I hide my involvement with Kurumizawa-san until I die, the result will be the same as if nothing had ever happened.

    The only people who know about my involvement with her would be me and her. And if Kurumizawa-san herself does not talk about it, then it would be up to me to make the rest of it go away.

    If not, it would have been nice if I could have relaxed my shoulders at least a little more. I didn¡¯t want to kiss her or sleep with her. I think Shiho would understand if I explained the situation properly.

    Shiho is a possessive and jealous girl.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean she is selfish and stubborn. I am sure that if we had faced each other properly, we would have been able to repair our relationship.

    I¡¯m sure Shiho would forgive me.

    But¡­ I couldn¡¯t forgive myself.

    I had betrayed Shiho.

    Compared to her pure feelings, I felt as if my feelings were sullied.

    I was bound by the chains of the past, carved with the scars of sin, and trapped in a cage of guilt.

    I could no longer move.

    I am overflowing with feelings of remorse for Shiho, and I can¡¯t stop.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    So, I¡¯m at a loss for words. I don¡¯t know what to say, so I just shut down.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Of course, Shiho had noticed something wrong with me.

    ¡°Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    She was worried about me even though she was sicker than I was.

    That made me feel even more guilty.

    ¡°No¡­ but, um¡­¡±

    I tried desperately to say something.

    However, I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.

    I was so hideous that I was afraid to say anything to her.

    It¡¯s no good.

    I have no confidence in myself at all.

    As a result of my self-loathing and excessive self-denial, I had become self-conscious of Shiho.

    I am no longer qualified.

    I am no longer qualified to be next to her ¨C that¡¯s what I am thinking.

    Still, I desperately tried to tell her something.

    Whether it was an apology, an excuse, or my feelings for Shiho,¡­ I tried desperately to find the words to say something anyway, but in the end I was left with nothing to say.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Without thinking, I almost ran away.

    I was about to walk right past Shiho and out of the classroom.

    But she was still kind.

    ¡°No.¡±

    That kindness was not just ¡®sweet¡¯.

    ¡°Could you please explain what happened? Look into my eyes?¡±

    She grabbed me by the hem of my shirt as I walked by.

    Don¡¯t run away, she told me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to be anxious.¡±

    She spoke softly to me as if she was soothing a crying child.

    ¡°I¡¯m always on your side, Kotaro-kun. No matter what happens, no matter what you do¡­ I will be there to help you.¡±

    You don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°Shiho¡­¡±

    Why does she always say the words I want her to say?

    That one phrase calmed my panicked thoughts.

    ¡°Come ¡­, I don¡¯t feel comfortable here, so why don¡¯t we go somewhere less crowded?¡¡Why don¡¯t you tell me your story?¡±

    Shiho pulled my hand and started to walk away.

    The hand held tightly was very warm, just as it always was.

 CH 189

    I was brought to the back of the school building, a place I was always familiar with.

    This area, which was always empty, was comfortable for me and Shiho, and we came here every time something happened.

    It¡¯s been about a week, and as usual, nobody is here.

    Especially now that it was early in the morning, we didn¡¯t have to worry about someone else arriving.

    ¡°Are you all right? Kotaro-kun, are you cold?¡±

    However, since we were outside, the temperature was low, and I would be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t cold.

    Thanks to this, there is almost no chance of people being here, but it is so freezing that I don¡¯t think I want to stay long.

    Come to think of it, I forgot to bring my jacket today.

    No, I had left it at Kurumizawa-san¡¯s home along with my school uniform. That made me even colder.

    ¡°Mmmm, are you shivering a little? You look very cold¡­¡±

    Unlike me, Shiho was dressed properly.

    She was thoroughly protected from the cold by wearing a coat over her school uniform, as well as a scarf and gloves. Since she was sick, it seemed like her mother, Satsuki-san, had made sure she was wearing something under her coat as well.

    Perhaps because of this, Shiho was rather overdressed and her movements were somewhat awkward. Her comical movements would normally have made me laugh, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood for that now.

    ¡°Hey, do you still want to go back inside the school?¡±

    ¡°No¡­, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I slowly shook my head.

    I looked up and saw Shiho¡¯s face peering at me with concern.

    Our eyes met for a moment.

    Her eyes were very clear. I couldn¡¯t look at them, so I immediately looked away.

    No, I can¡¯t look directly at her.

    Every time I looked into her eyes, every time she spoke to me, every time she worried about me, my heart ached.

    The guilt makes me feel so guilty that I can¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Mmmmm¡­ something is worrying you, so why don¡¯t you give me your hand? I¡¯ll warm you up with my hands. You may not know this, Kotaro-kun, but I have a pretty high body temperature, you know?¡±

    ¡­No, I know.

    I know that your body is warm and fluffy.

    We have touched each other many times. We have held hands; we have hugged each other.

    I know that your body temperature is as high as a young baby¡¯s. I¡¯ve experienced it.

    So, remembering that fresh feeling¡­, unconsciously, I took a step back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    Shiho widened her eyes in surprise.

    The hand that was held out to grab mine was shaking desolately.

    ¡°As expected¡­, Kotaro-kun, you seem a little stranger than usual. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re¡­ avoiding me. It¡¯s like, uh, ¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, and I¡¯m not doubting anything, but it¡¯s like you¡¯re ¡­ shying away from me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The words that struck me at the heart of the matter were suffocating.

    Silence is synonymous with affirmation. Shiho looked a little sad to see me like that.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Hey, Kotaro-kun,¡­ something must be wrong, right? You don¡¯t have to say anything, I know. Because I¡¯ve been watching you for a long time. I think about you more than anyone else. How could I not know?¡±

    She has been watching me for a long time.

    So maybe she knows me better than I do.

    ¡°¡­ The sound is strange.¡±

    Also, Shiho has unusually keen senses.

    Her sense of hearing is particularly well developed, and she has a unique sense of hearing that ordinary people do not have.

    ¡°The tune I tuned ¡­ that I just love so much is being distorted. The gentle, warm, tasteful, lovely sound is being defiled.¡±

    As usual, I, an ordinary person, could not understand the phrases spoken based on a unique worldview.

    But somehow, I understood that Shiho was angry.

    ¡°Who in the world has touched my precious treasure?¡¡Some rude person is trying to break my pretty little mistletoe¡­ Oh, my poor little twig. You¡¯re suffering bitterly, aren¡¯t you? you don¡¯t have to strain yourself anymore. Kotaro-kun,¡­ please let me hear all about it?¡±

    ¡°Shiho¡­¡±

    Suddenly, I feel like crying.

    I was about to burst into tears at her kind words.

    Shiho helps me, after all.

    Shiho is always there for me, closer to me than anyone else.

    I was so happy and glad for that.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun ¡­ will you let me bear half of your suffering?¡±

    With those words, I broke down.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The fog that had been dominating my thoughts cleared at once.

    When I realized, I had exploded.

    I couldn¡¯t stop.

    I had told Shiho everything that had happened to me over the past week.

 CH 190

    Looking back, it was an awfully strange week.

    I had encountered Kururi Kurumizawa, but then Shiho disappeared instead ¡­ and from there the peaceful routine was disrupted.

    I never dreamed that a romantic comedy that had been so peaceful would be so turbulent.

    There was no way I could have predicted that I myself would change so much.

    I loved Shiho so much.

    I was going to devote myself only to her.

    But I betrayed her.

    I am ashamed of myself. I¡¯m ashamed of my weak will and I disgust¡­ myself.

    Now I hate me.

    That¡¯s why I hesitate to touch Shiho.

    This is who I am ¨C and I have come to deny myself, as I used to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    By the time I had finished my story, I could no longer look at Shiho¡¯s face. I was afraid to look at her face, let alone make eye contact, so I turned my head down.

    I was scared.

    I didn¡¯t dare to know what she was feeling.

    Was she hurt?

    Was she sad?

    Was she disappointed?

    Was she dismayed?

    Either way, I didn¡¯t want to admit to myself that I had made her feel that way.

    I could not accept this reality.

    So, I wanted to remain unaware and hesitated.

    Even that is the same as ¡®running away¡¯ and I still feel ashamed of myself.

    Ah¡­ as expected, it¡¯s no good.

    I¡¯m in a loop of self-denial, and no matter what I do, think, or say, I will never forgive me.

    ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry ¡­ for betraying you, Shiho.¡±

    I confided everything to her.

    I told them honestly about studying together, sleeping together, the kiss¡­, and everything else.

    I couldn¡¯t hide it.

    Even if this hurt her¡­, it would hurt me more to hide it from her.

    Shiho wanted to know everything about me.

    Then, explaining everything was the only way I could redeem myself.

    ¡°If I had been able to reject her more firmly¡­, if I had abandoned my weird obsessions and rebelled against my mother,¡­ if I had been able to care for Shiho more and more,¡­ if I had been able to care for myself more¡­!¡±

    Absolutely, this would not have happened.

    I can¡¯t stop feeling. I know that saying ¡°what if¡± is meaningless, but I couldn¡¯t help but say it.

    I don¡¯t know what I want myself to do.

    Do I want forgiveness?

    Or do I want punishment?

    Or do I want encouragement?

    Or do I want her to tell me that she hates ¡­ me?

    Because if Shiho said that to me, I would give up.

    Because if she rejects me, I¡¯ll just throw it all away and not try to do anything.

    So, do I want ¡­ her to deny me, just like I deny myself?

    ¨CThese thoughts go through my brain.

    Then I felt somewhat relaxed.

    Yes, if she hates me, everything is over.

    Even the god of romantic comedies would be disgusted with me if the main heroine hates me.

    Nothing would change anyway.

    I¡¯ll just be another mob character like before.

    If that¡¯s the case, well, ¡­ whatever.

    A feeling of desperation makes me abandon my thoughts.

    For a moment, I looked up, desperate to get away from it all.

    Shiho confirmed ¡­ what kind of feelings she had for me.

    But ¨C unlike me ¨C she was always straightforward.

    ¡°I forgive you.¡±

    The emotion Shiho was expressing was not what I expected.

    She was smiling gently.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun, you can¡¯t forgive yourself¡­ so I¡¯ll forgive you instead.¡±

    ¨CI forgive you.

    The moment she told me that, my knees suddenly collapsed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t find my voice.

    Instead, what came out was ¡­ tears.

 CH 191

    The act of crying over wrongdoing seems a bit unfair.

    If you are definitely at fault, tears become a cowardly tool.

    <¡°The perpetrator is also suffering so much. So please lighten the load.¡±>

    What a thing to say.

    If you have done something wrong, the thing to do is not to cry.

    All you have to do is to apologize sincerely.

    But I was crying cowardly.

    I couldn¡¯t stand Shiho¡¯s kindness when I realized that I couldn¡¯t stand it.

    ¡°Eh? Ah, ja? Ko-Kotaro-kun,¡­ are you crying? I¡¯m not going to let you cry like that. I¡¯m going to cry too. It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right now, okay? I¡¯m right next to you, okay?¡±

    I guess she didn¡¯t expect me to cry.

    Shiho came close to me and rubbed my back soothingly.

    ¡°No¡­ this is, you know¡­¡±

    In a panic, I wiped away my tears.

    I try desperately to pretend I¡¯m not crying, because I didn¡¯t mean to.

    But the tears just wouldn¡¯t stop. No matter how many times I wiped them away, they kept flowing out one after another.

    ¡°If you rub so hard, you¡¯ll get red and swollen ¡­I¡¯ll wipe it with my handkerchief, okay? Don¡¯t take away my expertise, I¡¯m the one who has to cry.¡±

    Jokingly, she wiped my tears with the handkerchief she had taken out.

    A gentle hand, like stroking.

    It was like a puppy being groomed by its parent dog, and it was somewhat embarrassing.

    I was definitely being treated like a child.

    But I can¡¯t complain about that. I¡¯m sure anyone would have reacted this way if I had suddenly started crying.

    ¡°Do you feel any pain? Is there something wrong with you? Or did I say something bad? Can you tell me why you are crying? I¡¯ll make it go away, okay?¡±

    ¨CNo.

    It¡¯s not Shiho¡¯s fault, it¡¯s not that something hurts, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not feeling well.

    These tears did not flow out due to suffering.

    ¡°It¡¯s because Shiho is ¡­ kind.¡±

    Because of that, the tears overflowed.

    This girl¡¯s kindness was so warm that I lost my strength, or rather, the emotional strings that had bound me so tightly were loosened.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to forgive me.¡±

    I thought I had hurt her.

    I thought I would make Shiho feel bad because of me.

    Because this girl loves me with all her heart.

    She would be jealous, she would be sulking, she would be angry ¨C that¡¯s what I assumed.

    But she didn¡¯t seem to have any of those feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising, you know. I don¡¯t think Kotaro-kun would do something to hurt me on his own. Usually, I¡¯m a little jealous of him. But that¡¯s only half in fun,¡­ and I mean I¡¯m not very smart,¡­ but I¡¯m not so stupid that I can¡¯t understand how you feel.¡±

    It¡¯s at times like this¡­ that I feel strongly.

    Shiho really is a pure girl.

    She is so clear.

    Her skin color is the same as the color of her hair, so clear and beautiful.

    Therefore, she can believe in me.

    I don¡¯t doubt it one bit, so even though I¡¯m in a situation like now, I still don¡¯t feel a shred of bad about it.

    ¡°There is no way that Kotaro-kun would fall in love with anyone but me.¡±

    And her words are full of confidence.

    Shiho doesn¡¯t do the pathetic thing that I do, which is to be humble and self-deprecating.

    ¡°t¡¯s a given that I¡¯m the one you love ¡­¡­ as you are the one I love¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter what you do with other girls. I love you, Kotaro-kun, and I know that you love me.¡±

    For the charge of repentance, Shiho, with a merciful and kind heart, offered forgiveness.

    That did not make my sin any lighter.

    But it was true that my ¡­ heart became easier to bear.

    Shiho is still a benefactor to me.

    Whenever I¡¯m going through a hard time or suffering, she always comes to my rescue.

 CH 192

    Kururi Kurumizawa gave the following assessment of Shiho and I¡¯s romantic comedy:

    ¡°It¡¯s almost stretching it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t argue with that statement.

    Deep down inside, I thought that might be true.

    But Shiho is different.

    Unlike me, she has a strong will. She has absolute confidence.

    She would never doubt herself like I do.

    And she trusts me more than I trust her.

    ¡°You know, Kotaro-kun, you love me, don¡¯t you? Maybe you don¡¯t realize it? I¡¯m so lucky to be loved like this¡­ It¡¯s so wonderful that you look so pained just because another girl touched you. Really, I can¡¯t help but love you.¡±

    Shiho is good at detecting things I¡¯m not aware of.

    Like now, she can read my mind from my simple actions.

    I wonder if she is smart even though her grades are bad. Sometimes, she makes a pointed remark that makes my heart skip a beat.

    ¡°But, Kotaro-kun, you are not kind to yourself because you always want¡­ to be perfect, and even now you are not satisfied with yourself, right? So, like this, you can¡¯t forgive yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I guess so.¡±

    Shiho explained my mental situation, which I had not been able to verbalize, to me instead.

    When she said it, I recognized a side of myself that I did not know was there, that I might indeed be like that.

    Maybe I¡¯m quite a perfectionist.

    No, technically speaking, I am too much in pursuit of my ideal self.

    That¡¯s why I get frustrated with myself when I fall short of the ideal.

    I deny that I am such a fool.

    Shiho saw that part of myself as dangerous.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t learn to love yourself a little more, it won¡¯t work out even if you become my lover. Because you make it so hard on you, it will surely fall apart at some point. Kotaro-kun will get angry at his unworthy self and won¡¯t be able to stand being around me.¡±

    ¨CI imagined.

    Let¡¯s say I was dating Shiho in this state.

    My great girlfriend and me standing side by side ¡­ Oh, so that¡¯s what it¡¯s all about.

    I mean, one day I¡¯m going to think like this.

    <¡°Kotaro Nakayama is not the right person for Shiho Shimotsuki.¡±>

    Once we start dating, those feelings will be more apparent.

    Shiho thought that far¡­ and may have sensed that it would happen, rather than just saying it¡­

    So I didn¡¯t rush.

    Slowly, she was going to wait until I matured and learned to love myself.

    (She wasn¡¯t stretching it out¡­, after all.)

    Understanding this, I was ashamed of myself for doubting it.

    Shiho Shimotsuki sees much further into the future than I do.

    I live in the present with the goal of being happy at that moment.

    It seems like she is living momentarily, but she is not.

    Shiho was very serious about love.

    ¡°But I¡¯m sorry, okay? I was supposed to be there to watch over you until then¡­ I got sick. They took advantage of my absence and hurt you.¡±

    Then Shiho showed a rare display of anger.

    ¡°I will never, ever, ever allow anyone to tarnish my treasures¡­¡±

    She bit her lower lip in frustration.

    In her eyes, a fire of fighting spirit, which did not suit Shiho, was burning.

 CH 193

    Shiho¡¯s words lightened my heart.

    But the scars are deep and it will take some time for them to heal.

    ¡°After all, you can¡¯t look me in the eyes?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Are you hesitant to hold my hand?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°If I hug you now¡­ will it hurt?¡±

    ¡°¡­Probably.¡±

    I answer honestly.

    If she did that to me now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to be honestly happy about it.

    ¡°No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t shake the guilt I feel for having betrayed you.¡±

    My heart is filled with a sense of guilt.

    The more Shiho loves me, the more I am trapped in negative thoughts about myself.

    Kurumizawa-san must be quite smart.

    If she hadn¡¯t kissed me and slept with me, I would have easily recovered, but ¡­ I had fallen into her tricks.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Shiho looked at me and smiled a little sadly.

    Then, she took a step away from me and let go of my hand.

    ¡°Then I can¡¯t force you to do this.

    ¡­ She said less than usual, probably because he¡¯s concerned about me.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Even that makes me feel sorry.

    I get frustrated with myself for making Shiho feel lonely.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to apologize¡­ Rather, don¡¯t blame yourself, okay? I won¡¯t forgive you if you hurt my beloved Kotaro-kun, okay? Even if it¡¯s you yourself, I¡¯m going to get angry.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you angry?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Pumph!¡±

    She doesn¡¯t look angry at all as she utters the gibberish herself. She was smiling as usual, and it soothed me a little.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t want to get mad at you, so I think I¡¯ll just ¡­ stop.¡±

    I nodded and then smiled a little.

    Seeing me like that, Shiho relaxed her cheeks in satisfaction.

    ¡°Finally, you smiled¡­that¡¯s good. But I¡¯ll make you smile more, okay?¡±

    This time, her lips are tightly knotted like she¡¯s biting her innermost teeth, and she stares straight at me.

    In her eyes, the flames of the fighting spirit that I had seen earlier were blazing.

    I knew I was not mistaken.

    ¡°Absolutely. You should really be thankful. I¡¯m a very spoiled child by nature, you know?¡­ Well, it¡¯s not ¡°easy¡± for me to be spoiled by you, Kotaro-kun, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Also, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Really, thank you. I¡¯m really a spoiled child, you know? ¡­ Well, it¡¯s not ¡®Yasabuka¡¯ to be spoiled by Kotaro-kun.¡±

    ¡°No¡­, it¡¯s not ¡°that¡±, either, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? Was that so? Well, it¡¯s hard for me to study¡­ Oh, the test is coming soon, so Kotaro-kun, you¡¯d better study properly, you know. Otherwise, you¡¯ll end up being an idiot like me.¡±

    ¡°I study, but Shiho doesn¡¯t?¡±

    I think Shiho needs to study more than I do.

    But she shook her head vigorously.

    ¡°I have things to do.¡±

    She then turned on her heel.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the classroom now¡­ Kotaro-kun, please come back after your body stops shaking, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    I looked at my hands when she pointed it out to me.

    As Shiho had said, I was trembling slightly.

    Perhaps I was still timid toward Shiho. I wonder if the fear that I might be disliked had not disappeared, and my body had been trembling for a long time.

    Shiho seemed to have noticed my condition.

    ¡°Then, bye-bye!¡±

    I walked quickly away from the place.

    For me, the best remedy right now is to keep my distance and time apart.

    She knew that, and that¡¯s why she did it.

    ¡°Yeah, bye-bye¡­¡±

    Watching her back as she left, I felt sad, though.

    At the same time, I sighed as I felt somewhat relieved.

    I guess it will take more time to get out of the cage of guilt.

    All I could do now was to ¡­ take it easy and rest.

    ¨CThis is the end of my role in the third part of the story.

    How long have I been under the impression that I was the main character?

    After all, no matter how much I grow, I am still a servant of the story.

    Unfortunately, I am not the protagonist in this work.

    It is always only that one girl who drives the story.

    Now, the preliminaries are finally over.

    Next, the main story will finally begin.

    What will be spun from here is the story of Shiho Shimotsuki.

    It is a romantic comedy in which the main heroine saves the frail protagonist.

 CH 194

    ¨CShe heard a disgusting sound.

    Seeing the person she loved making distorted and strange sounds, she became angry.

    (Why do they make someone so pure suffer?)

    She frowned at the noise she heard.

    His tone, twisted forcefully and forcibly, was so tainted that it was unbearable to listen to.

    (Who hurt him?)

    She asked in her heart.

    During class, while listening to the teacher¡¯s talk, she thought of him, the one she loved so much.

    She could not forget the painful face of him ¨C Kotaro Nakayama ¨C that she saw in the morning.

    The strange sound that was leaking from him kept ringing in Shiho¡¯s head.

    (I¡¯ve never heard that sound like that before¡­)

    Shiho Shimotsuki has good hearing.

    Her hearing is acute and she is sensitive to sound.

    However, this is not limited to the physical sense.

    Perhaps because of her innate good hearing, she has a habit of describing various feelings in terms of ¡®sound¡¯.

    According to her, the sounds humans make differ according to the emotions they are feeling at the time.

    She claimed that human beings always play sounds that express their personalities.

    This unique technique of expression, which is difficult to imagine, is a result of her innate nature.

    It was a feeling that others could not possibly understand, but that did not mean it was wrong. In fact, her sense was usually correct.

    For example, it was because of this sense that she quickly noticed the unusual nature of Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    It was also thanks to her good hearing and ability to read other people¡¯s emotions that she was able to recognize Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s charm.

    That is why Shiho Shimotsuki also sensed that Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s unusual behavior contained an artificial intention.

    (Kotaro-kun was hurt because someone was mean to him.)

    It was as if an instrument that had been perfectly tuned had been mangled by someone else.

    Shiho was angry because the tone she had tuned to her liking had been ruined.

    (If ¡­ Kotaro-kun didn¡¯t hate his current situation, I would have been happy to accept him.)

    She is a jealous girl.

    But she loves Kotaro Nakayama so much that her feelings of jealousy are greatly surpassed.

    If he fell in love with a girl other than herself.

    If he were to ask her to let him love both of them, including that girl.

    Shiho would probably accept it at that time.

    (Of course, if I wanted, I¡¯d want him to love only me¡­, but I¡¯d rather he love both of us together than not love me at all.)

    She would have understood that it would be a compromise, but it would also be a form of love.

    And Kotaro Nakayama knew that would happen.

    But he resisted.

    He was suffering, trying to love only Shiho.

    When she saw that, she felt ashamed of herself for trying to compromise.

    (Then I have to help him¡­ my precious treasure, I have to protect it.)

    She also felt sorry for Kotaro Nakayama regarding this matter.

    (I should never have caught the flu that got me away from his side¡­)

    She was careless.

    She was caught off guard and fell ill.

    Shiho was frustrated with herself.

    (I am the one who made Kotaro-kun unable to live without me.)

    And one more thing.

    Shiho felt a great sense of responsibility.

    She had intentionally made Kotaro Nakayama dependent on her.

    She had made his body unable to be without her.

    Although he himself recognizes that ¡®I have become weak¡¯.

    But that is, in a way, what Shiho intended.

    (Who in the world ¡­ would have thought that she would make a move on him at this point in time?)

    Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s lips twitched slightly.

    Her face had a cunning expression on it that she would never show to Kotaro Nakayama.

    (I was beaten as a woman, but ¡­ be prepared for it. I¡¯ll never, ever forgive you.)

    ¨CKotaro Nakayama may think of Shiho as a naive and innocent girl.

    But she is not an ignorant, innocent, angelic person.

    (I will make her pay for the sin of hurting Kotaro-kun.)

    Shiho Shimotsuki was quite a cunning person when it came to love.

    And so began a revenge drama.

    This is a romantic comedy of love and hate, full of drama and sorrow¡­

 CH 195

    In retrospect, the story from her point of view has not been told much until now.

    In other words, the character ¡°Shiho Shimotsuki¡± in this story was created through the filter of Kotaro Nakayama.

    Shiho Shimotsuki, as he sees her, is a very pure and innocent girl.

    A little possessive, a little clumsy, and a little soft and gentle for a high school student, that is the ¡°Shiho Shimotsuki¡± for Kotaro Nakayama.

    That, of course, is not a mistake.

    His perception is mostly accurate.

    But it is not enough.

    It is difficult to describe Shiho Shimotsuki with only that level of description.

    If you look deeper into her mind, you will understand that Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s perception is shallow.

    (Can he really love me like this?)

    Shiho Shimotsuki understands her abnormality well.

    Unlike Kotaro Nakayama, she was well aware of herself.

    She is neither too self-affirming to be conceited nor too self-denying to be despicable.

    She knew her cuteness, her clumsiness, her talent, and everything else.

    And of course, Shiho even knew her own ¡°distortion¡±.

    £¨I¡¯m not a coward anymore.)

    The girl who was once afraid of the stares of others has grown up to be a strong woman.

    Of course, she is still not very good at it, but she is now able to be comfortable in public.

    (For you, I¡¯m not afraid of the stares of others¡­)

    She can no longer be the one who is always hiding behind Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s back.

    In order to repay the boy who protected her so much, and to fulfill her love for him.

    First of all, she has to make a clean break.

    (Who was the person who hurt Kotaro-kun?)

    She must break the chains that bind Kotaro Nakayama.

    In order to do so, Shiho Shimotsuki was trying to find out the fate that was entangled in his life.

    (Is that Kururi Kurumizawa?)

    It was lunchtime. On that day, she was unusually eating her lunch in the classroom. Normally, she would share her meal with Kotaro Nakayama, but she had to restrain herself because she knew she would cause him pain if she stayed with him.

    (Kotaro-kun has gone somewhere¡­ hah. I miss him, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.)

    Sighing inwardly, she closed the lid of her lunch box.

    She had no appetite, probably because she was still recovering from her sickness.

    She felt bad about leaving her favorite mother¡¯s home-cooked food, but she couldn¡¯t help it if she couldn¡¯t eat it. Putting the lunch box away in her bag, she slowly stood up.

    (Well ¡­ I wonder what she¡¯s up to?)

    With a sideways glance, she checked the back of the classroom.

    The far corner of the hallway is where Shiho used to sit.

    However, the one sitting there now was Kururi Kurumizawa.

    (I see. So she is having lunch alone, too.)

    The pink colored girl was alone and lonely, eating a sweet bun.

    Her gaze was frequently drawn to the seat next to her.

    (I know, I know. Even though I know he¡¯s not there, I¡¯m still anxious to see him.)

    Next to Kururi Kuruizawa is the seat of Shiho¡¯s beloved Kotaro Nakayama.

    And it is also the seat of the person Kururi loves.

    Shiho was also concerned about the seat of the person she loves.

    That was why she understood Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s feelings.

    (Ara? That sweet bun¡­ that Kotaro-kun often eats.)

    In addition, Shiho rounded her eyes as she realized again the strength of her love rival¡¯s feelings.

    (Hmmm. I wonder if it¡¯s a fact ¡­ that she likes him?)

    She tried to make an assumption based on her behavior.

    But it felt kind of strange to do so.

    (I can¡¯t explain how she could like him so much in such a short period of time, unless ¡­ something really happened.)

    For example, maybe he saved her life.

    If there had been a fateful encounter of that kind, it would make sense why she had such strong feelings.

    But Shiho never heard such a story.

    (If there was such a memorable event, there is no way Kotaro-kun would not have told me about it.)

    So she is suspicious.

    (I wonder if Kurumizawa-san really ¡­ likes Kotaro-kun?)

    Is that feeling genuine?

    She wanted to know.

 CH 196

    As a matter of fact, Shiho Shimotsuki did not dislike Kururi Kurumizawa.

    (I¡¯ve never seen anyone make such beautiful sounds.)

    Lunch break. While pretending to be reading the bulletin board in a corner of the classroom, Shiho asks Kururi Kurumozawa how she was doing. The girl with pink hair tied in twin-tails was lying face down.

    (¡­I still don¡¯t think she¡¯s a bad person.)

    No matter how much she observed, there was no sign of malice from Kururi Kurumizawa.

    Even with her unusually developed hearing, Shiho was unable to detect Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s abnormality and was at a loss.

    (If she had been a more obvious villain, I would have been able to properly dislike her.)

    ¨CWas it really Kururi Kurumizawa who hurt Kotaro Nakayama?

    The more she observed, the stronger her suspicions became.

    Speaking from her senses, Kururi Kurumizawa was not a bad person.

    At least, she did not seem to be the kind of person who would hurt Kotaro Nakayama with impunity.

    (And ¡­ somehow, it¡¯s too beautiful or ¡­ somehow, it¡¯s too artificial.)

    Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s ¡®sound¡¯ was apparently unnatural.

    As for the type, she resembled her mother. Satsuki Shimotsuki, a legitimate heroine, was a very clear-sounding person, much like Kururi Kurumizawa.

    However, because she knows the real thing, she is aware of a faint artificial presence.

    (I wonder if she really, of her own volition, fell in love with Kotaro-kun?)

    If not.

    (Someone was pulling her strings behind her back and forcing her to have those feelings ¡­ or something like that. If that¡¯s the case, I feel a little sorry for her.)

    Shiho can¡¯t seem to get her anger directed at Kururi Kurumizawa.

    She had caught the hint of someone who was behind it.

    That someone is what Kotaro Nakayama calls ¡°opportunism¡±.

    Shiho does not have a meta-perspective, so she is unaware of the concept, but her unusually keen senses had detected this sign.

    (¡­What should I do?)

    She will try to figure out what she should do in the future.

    There would be no great point in accusing Kururi Kurumizawa with direct words.

    It would rather make Shiho wary of her presence and make it impossible to uncover her true nature.

    What Shiho wanted to know was Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s true feelings.

    (If she truly loved Kotaro-kun with all her heart ¡­ though I can¡¯t interfere with that love¡­)

    If that were the case, she would have no choice but to give Kotaro Nakayama an answer.

    At that time, Shiho believes that she will accept the answer he reaches after all the agony he went through.

    But what if Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s love for him was artificially created?

    (Then I will never accept it.)

    She must reject it clearly.

    Not Kururi Kurumizawa.

    She had to show the mastermind behind it that ¡®as long as I¡¯m around, I won¡¯t let Kotaro-kun get away.¡¯

    Shiho did not want to be pushed around by opportunism.

    (If you interfere with my story and his, I will fight you.)

    She cannot be just a lovely girl.

    She would even turn into a demon at times to protect the one she loves.

    This is the strength of Shiho Shimotsuki.

    She is not bound by the role of a character.

    Despite her position as the main heroine, she always moves outside of the story.

    This was the nature of the character Shiho Shimotsuki.

    All in order to make Kotaro Nakayama happy.

    (¡­ Yes, there was him.)

    She is willing to use even the taboo in this story.

    (I wonder where Ryuzaki-kun is?)

    Finally, she and he make contact.

    Shiho remembered her childhood friend, the former harem protagonist, who had long since disappeared into thin air in this story.

    He had been indifferent, bitter, and someone she would not want to be associated with if at all possible.

    (For Kotaro-kun¡¯s sake, it can¡¯t be helped.)

    It¡¯s not a situation she could be bothered with¡­

 CH 197

    ¨CSo much, life was so boring.

    Mob characters have no value in life.

    He was fed up with the boring days in which nothing happens.

    (Every day is the same thing over and over again, isn¡¯t it?)

    In Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s life, there had never been such a time when nothing happened.

    He woke up in the morning, went to school, went home, ate dinner, and went to bed.

    That¡¯s what he had been doing recently.

    ¡°Well, I guess this is normal.¡±

    Today was no different.

    After school, he went home and passed the time in a daze.

    No hobbies. There was nothing much that he liked to do. Up until now, the girls who followed him around had been so involved in his life that he rarely noticed his lack of interest in anything, but now that he was away from them, he realized that he had nothing.

    ¡°Mob characters don¡¯t make much difference whether they¡¯re living or dead.¡±

    He whispered and chuckled.

    The smile of self-mockery had become a habit.

    Even if he is not looking in the mirror, he can tell.

    He had a sneer on his face.

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m such a boring person.¡±

    He muttered to himself and sank deeply into the sofa.

    He was about to close his eyes and go to sleep, but he couldn¡¯t do that anymore because her hand was holding his hand.

    ¡°So don¡¯t hang around me too much¡­, Yuzuki.¡±

    Despite the fact that he was such a nobody.

    There¡¯s nothing attractive about him, he¡¯s a mob character.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re boring or a mob character. I like you like that.¡±

    Yuzuki Hojo affirmed him.

    She doesn¡¯t encourage him; she doesn¡¯t lecture him about his self-denial.

    She simply accepted him as he is now.

    When she said that¡­, he didn¡¯t even have the energy to get angry.

    ¡°You like these things. Do you like me like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is very important that you are Ryoma Ryuzaki. That is all that matters to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t care about what¡¯s inside, do you?¡±

    In other words, as long as he remains himself, Yuzuki probably wouldn¡¯t care.

    Whether he was the main character, a mob character, a good guy, a bad guy, or whatever.

    Anyway, as long as he is Ryoma Ryuzaki, Yuzuki would accept him.

    Then he doesn¡¯t have to try hard at anything¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for myself, my future is really boring, okay? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be happy. Yuzuki, are you sure that¡¯s what you want? There is another kind of happiness out there, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ There is no such thing. I am happy to be with you. Happiness with you is the best happiness.¡±

    See, Yuzuki affirmed it.

    For a while now, she¡¯s been affirming his despicable self.

    That¡¯s why he¡¯s so rotten.

    No matter what kind of person he becomes, Yuzuki will accept him.

    If that¡¯s the case, then that¡¯s fine.

    Even if something happens, Yuzuki will take care of it.

    This woman must really love him. She has a feeling of sensitivity that is difficult to understand, but hey, let¡¯s just make use of that feeling.

    He is a mob character anyway.

    No matter what life comes his way, it will be the same.

    If that¡¯s the case, it would be easier to live a life where he¡¯s dependent on Yuzuki.

    In any case, it would still be boring.

    ¡°I see. Then, do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Yes indeed.¡±

    He has been spending his days like this ¡­ for a long, long time.

    Even after realizing that he was not the protagonist, Yuzuki was the only one who stayed by his side.

    At school, Kirari still lectures him as loudly as ever, but no matter what she says to him, he won¡¯t change.

    He sometimes feels Azusa¡¯s eyes on him, but he has not talked to her for a while now, so it doesn¡¯t matter to him either.

    If Mary had been around, he might have been a little more cool about it, but that woman has gone away, too.

    The only person next to him is Yuzuki.

    So, through a process of elimination, he decided to choose Yuzuki.

    Probably he will lead a similar life for the rest of his life.

    Living as a parasite on Yuzuki, being supported by her, living a life of degradation, and rotting away.

    He was prepared for that kind of life.

    He thought that was the only life he could lead.

    But,

    ¡°¡­Hey, how much longer do you have to keep sulking?¡±

    That day, something incredible happened.

    For him, it was nothing short of a miracle.

    ¡°¡­ Shiho?¡±

    It was after Yuzuki left.

    He was going to go shopping at a convenience store when he ran into her on the street at night.

    ¡°Yes. I am, reluctantly, your childhood friend, Shiho Shimotsuki.¡±

    In front of him was a beautiful, silver-haired girl.

    Once, a first love that suddenly spoke to him, and his breath stopped.

    He had thought such a thing was absolutely impossible.

    He thought that no matter how he reached out to her, he would never be able to have anything to do with her ever again.

    ¡°I have a little favor to ask you. Can I talk to you?¡±

    What the ¡­?

    She spoke to him.

    He couldn¡¯t believe it.

 CH 198

    It¡¯s not that he still likes her.

    He gave up on Shiho properly, and shook off his feelings.

    That time ¨C during the overnight learning program, he realized that he was mistaken.

    He had accepted that all his actions toward Shiho were empty and to what extent they were nothing but self-indulgent actions, and that was why she didn¡¯t like him.

    It was inevitable in a way that Shiho was lost to Kotaro Nakayama. He had no right to even be liked by a beautiful girl like Shiho because he was a mob character who mistakenly thought he was the protagonist.

    So ¡­ why is she talking to him now?

    ¡°Shiho, what¡¯s going on out of the blue? It¡¯s not safe to go out at night like this, is it?¡±

    Even though he was in this position, he was still worried about Shiho.

    He used to care for her so much that he felt obligated to make her absolutely happy as a childhood friend.

    Perhaps it had already become a habit.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to worry about me.¡±

    But Shiho firmly rejected.

    She drew a line between the two of them, and wouldn¡¯t let him get any closer than a certain distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an easy girl to be flirted with like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not trying to ¡­ flirt with you in any way.¡±

    He laughs.

    It was funny that she was so wary, so hostile, and yet so pleased.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How long has it been since we¡¯ve had a conversation like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­? You¡¯ve never had a conversation with me before, have we?¡±

    ¡°No. You may not have thought we were having a conversation, but to me we were.¡±

    Well, maybe it was all in hindsight. For Shiho, the interaction may not even be considered a conversation, but for him, it is a cherished memory.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if she denies it.

    Those days are the reason he is who he is today.

    ¡°I was a lucky guy back then. Because I was able to be with such a cute girl all the time.¡±

    ¡°¡­ This kind of thing, stop it.¡±

    It was not something he had intended to say.

    But she stepped back with a look of disgust on her face.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter.

    He had nothing to lose now.

    So there was no need to care about Shiho, or even to be liked.

    Hearing that she doesn¡¯t like him is fine. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens.

    ¡°Hey, hey, it doesn¡¯t matter, does it? I just want to have some fun with my first love.¡±

    With a self-mocking smile, he took a step toward her.

    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re the one who talked to me, remember?¡¡What are you doing looking like a victim? I¡¯ve been keeping my distance, just like you wanted¡­ If you keep acting like that, I might get the wrong idea again, you know?¡±

    The words just wouldn¡¯t stop.

    Was it desperation that made him say things he wouldn¡¯t normally say?

    ¡°Aww. It¡¯s too bad you and Nakayama were getting along so well¡­ I¡¯m going to fall in love with you again, aren¡¯t I? Do you want me to interfere with your love for each other? If you don¡¯t want that to happen, get out of here and go away.¡±

    Come on, get away.

    Stay away like before.

    You don¡¯t like him, do you?

    It¡¯s humiliating to be wooed by a mob character like him, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me again!¡±

    Unstable emotions pushed him forward.

    Unconsciously, he was yelling at her.

    He did not want to see her face anymore.

    Shiho is, for what it¡¯s worth, a timid girl.

    She is such a timid girl that she can¡¯t do anything without Nakayama protecting her.

    He didn¡¯t know what she intended to talk to him about, but he was sure she would run away now ¨C or so he thought.

    ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±

    Shiho stoutly replied.

    ¡°Your face, it¡¯s irritating.¡±

    He had never seen this side of her before, and he looked at her with a blank stare.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to play the tragic protagonist, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t really like that kind of thing.¡±

    The person in front of him was not the timid, shy, and reserved Shiho Shimotsuki of the past.

 CH 199

    ¡°You were always like that. It was natural for you to get your own way, and when you didn¡¯t, you would get grumpy and annoy the children around you. You haven¡¯t changed since you were a little child.¡±

    A beautiful silvery-white girl lit by moonlight spun her words with a straight face and without hesitation.

    She smiled so much when she was next to Nakayama, but in front of him, she didn¡¯t move her face at all.

    ¡°I remember how I was so bitter about that, because I was so self-centered, thinking only of myself, and taking it for granted that those around me would give me preferential¡­ treatment.¡±

    Come to think of it, it seemed to him that a similar line had been said to him in the past.

    ¡°Nakayama said the same thing to me.¡±

    So he understood himself without being told by Shiho.

    He had thought so.

    ¡°If you were told, why don¡¯t you fix that? Kotaro-kun went out of his way to point this out to you¡­ Well, you are probably just ignoring it anyway. You are a small person, and I guess your pride gets in the way and you don¡¯t listen to Kotaro-kun¡¯s words.¡±

    Apparently, Shiho had a lot to say.

    Shiho did not stop speaking. She continued rather wildly.

    ¡°Really, you are miserable. ¡­ I am ashamed to even be in the position of being your childhood friend. I don¡¯t know why you and I had such a deep connection¡­, but it would have been nice if I had been Kotaro-kun¡¯s childhood friend anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a rather scattered way of putting it.¡±

    Shiho¡¯s words, which did not hide her frustration to the point of being clearer, were strangely free of discomfort.

    Why is that?

    He was being told such a screwed-up thing, and yet he didn¡¯t feel bad about it.

    He had been irritated for a long time now, but maybe it was because the stress was relieved after he had yelled at her just now.

    ¡°Even so, you talk a lot. I didn¡¯t realize you were such a talker when you didn¡¯t talk at all before.¡±

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t feel the need to talk before, because you were always so selfish and I didn¡¯t like to listen to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ Oh, I remember hearing this from Nakayama too. He¡¯s really watching me closely, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s watching you. You must be a special person to him, in a way.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. He got someone I liked, so I must be special in the sense of being an object to look down on.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­ Well, okay. I don¡¯t have any reason to tell you.¡±

    Shiho sighed thoughtfully.

    It¡¯s just that, if she¡¯s not careful, she¡¯ll end up fawning over it.

    Special¡­ Ah, special.

    After all, Shiho is special to him.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really, really cute.¡±

    Unconsciously, he muttered to himself.

    He was not making a move on her.

    He wasn¡¯t trying to convey his feelings for her, nor was he trying to let her know how he felt about her.

    It¡¯s like when you see a beautiful painting.

    Like when you see a spectacular view that you wouldn¡¯t normally see.

    He was simply taken aback by Shiho¡¯s beauty.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Shiho, on the other hand, was really plain.

    Most women who were praised by him would blush and get embarrassed¡­, but her emotions didn¡¯t seem to budge a bit.

    He liked that about her.

    She used to be quiet and didn¡¯t talk to him, but she was just as cold to him as to anyone else, and he was comfortable with the fact that she didn¡¯t treat him any differently.

    He is now realizing that.

    He used to feel so close to Shiho that it was natural for him to be around her and he could not explain why he liked her so much.

    He was probably able to notice Shiho¡¯s charms more because of his separation from her.

    And he also understood his own feelings ¡­ again.

    (Well, ¡­ I still love this girl.)

    During the overnight learning program.

    He was rejected by Shiho.

    That should have been the end of his first love.

    But somewhere in his heart, he still hadn¡¯t given up on it.

    That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t fall in love with any other girl from the bottom of his heart.

    He had only been trying to convince himself that he liked Mary because he was desperate.

    He finally realized that.

    (I guess the reason I¡¯m having fun right now is because I like ¡­ Shiho and I¡¯m happy we¡¯re having this conversation.)

    Perhaps, this is close to the first time he has had a proper conversation with her.

    But still enjoyable.

    Even though what is being said is negative, he was pleased by the fact that they were exchanging words.

    Ah, it¡¯s been a long time.

    For a long time now, he has been living in a state of frustration about something.

    But now that he knows the cause of that frustration, he felt better.

    He still loves Shiho.

    He was frustrated because he couldn¡¯t move on to the next stage of his life because that love was not over.

    That¡¯s why he was depressed.

    He was forcing and convincing himself with all sorts of reasons, but he was mistaken.

    What¡¯s the matter is that he¡¯s a mob character¡­

    It doesn¡¯t matter where one stands.

    It was simpler to answer¡­

 CH 200

    Winter nights are cold.

    Shiho would surely get sick if she was exposed to such cold air.

    Come to think of it, she also missed school because of the flu,¡­ and when he reminded me of that, he instantly started to worry about Shiho.

    ¡°For now, I think you should go somewhere warm, don¡¯t you? You want to come over to my place?

    It wasn¡¯t that he had any other intention.

    He was genuinely concerned about her, but Shiho frowned uncomfortably.

    ¡°Are you trying to hit on me even at a time like this? I¡¯m not very fond of that kind of tactless behavior either.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not the case, it¡¯s not.¡±

    No good. Even though he was in denial, his cheeks almost relaxed.

    Why is that?

    He is comfortable with being rejected.

    He even feels happy that she clearly refutes him.

    Shiho¡¯s words are strange.

    There is no discomfort, so he is able to accept them without resistance.

    ¡°But yes¡­, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s cold, so I¡¯d like to keep the conversation short and simple.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not in a hurry¡­ I¡¯m just trying to make this time with my childhood friend last as long as possible.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how many girls have been made unhappy by those words.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Did I just say something funny?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A pure girl would be mistaken if she were to receive such an overt favor from you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    All of this was unconscious.

    But somewhere in his mind, he felt uncomfortable with what he was saying.

    He knew he wasn¡¯t being normal.

    It seems that even though he didn¡¯t mean anything by what he said, it makes a lot of sense every time he says it. That¡¯s why all the girls he associates with me turn strange.

    It would be as if they fell in love with him.

    They followed him around, they kept affirming everything he says about me, and they tried so hard to get him to like them.

    He thought that was normal.

    But he knew something was wrong.

    Shiho finally told him what was wrong.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair to use words that imply favoritism when you have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. You should take more responsibility for your words and actions.¡±

    ¡°Responsibility¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If you get along with someone and you¡¯ve stolen their heart, you should ¡­ make a good choice whether to accept it or not. And yet you keep putting it off, and it drives these girls crazy.¡±

    For Shiho, he would be unwilling to do that.

    She¡¯s been with him longer than anyone else.

    So Shiho knew him well.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t like that about you, Ryuzaki-kun. I only hear disgusting sounds around you,¡­ and they are very, very creepy and eerie. I hated that very much.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sounds? What do you mean?¡±

    What was Shiho talking about?

    Creepy sounds ¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure what she was talking about.

    He tilted his head.

    Shiho looked at him as if she was taken aback by this.

    ¡°After all,¡­ I can only think of myself, so I don¡¯t know anything about the people around me,¡­ huh?¡±

    After a heavy sigh, Shiho continued her speech.

    ¡°I have very good ears¡­ How could you not know? I used to hold my ears next to you, didn¡¯t I? That¡¯s because I wanted to block out the sounds around me.¡±

    When she told him, he suddenly remembered.

    Certainly, Shiho often covered her ears.

    He had never thought about the meaning of that action.

    But, well, ¡­ Shiho had a keen sense of hearing?

    So, does that mean that she was expressing her feelings through sound?

    He realized that now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me. Even though we were childhood friends who were closer than anyone else. ¡­ That¡¯s why you don¡¯t understand other people. I think you should fix that kind of insensitivity.¡±

    ¡°Insensitive¡­ huh?¡±

    That¡¯s another line he had heard from Nakayama.

    He was subconsciously repulsed by that guy¡¯s words, but when Shiho said them to him, he naturally accepted them.

    Nakayama must have known me well, somehow.

    Or if he had been honest enough to listen to me, the situation would not have turned out the way it did now.

    He regretted such a thing even after all this time.

 CH 201

    ¨CI¡¯m having fun.

    Talking with the person he likes is a lot of fun.

    The content of the conversation isn¡¯t very good, and she doesn¡¯t have very nice things to say about him, either.

    But even so, his mood was uplifted.

    In the past, he had rarely talked with Shiho for such a long period of time.

    How could he not be happy?

    However, such a pleasant time was not going to last forever.

    ¡°Cush!¡±

    Suddenly, Shiho shivered coldly.

    He heard a cute sneezing sound, and remembered that she had been sick.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, of course.¡±

    She was acting stoutly, but her condition was still not perfect. He felt that her face was paler than it had been when they first met.

    In fact, it would be better to talk to her in a warmer place.

    For example, his house.

    But Shiho would never accept that suggestion.

    If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t they just have the conversation as it is now¡­?

    He is enjoying the conversation with her and having fun.

    If it were possible, he would like to stretch it out forever.

    But considering her condition, he still couldn¡¯t do that.

    If Shiho would be in pain, the fun time would be over.

    Shiho¡¯s health is more important than his enjoyment.

    (¡­I guess I really like Shiho after all.)

    He wondered if he had ever been so considerate of others before.

    He chuckled at his own uncharacteristic self.

    Why had he not been able to show¡­ this kindness to other girls before?

    If heI had been able to do that, maybe ¡­ I could have walked a different story.

    Maybe his romantic comedy wouldn¡¯t have become so rotten.

    ¡°¡­? Why are you laughing?¡±

    Oops. It seems his emotions were showing on his face.

    ¡°Nothing. What¡¯s more, what are you doing here at this time of night?¡±

    It¡¯s about time.

    The time for fun is over.

    He decided to get down to business so that he could get Shiho home quickly since she was recovering.

    He really wanted to talk longer, but he gave up on that.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t come all the way over here to give me a lecture, did you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    The joking words were met with a cold response.

    Shiho did not try to hide her feelings. She was expressing her honest feelings of disliking him with her attitude.

    (After all, Shiho is a cool girl for me.)

    Perhaps Nakayama would have a different impression of Shiho.

    But to him, she has always been cold like this.

    She never explicitly expressed her dislike like she does now, but she was silent the whole time, and looking back, he can understand now that she must have disliked him quite a bit¡­

    Nakayama must be quite an appealing person to have caused such passion in such a cold girl.

    ¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he hated that guy.

    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±

    He asked her straightforwardly.

    Shiho then responded with these words.

    ¡°¡­ I need to borrow your power.¡±

    ¡°Huh? My power?¡±

    What on earth did she mean by that?

    When he urged her to elaborate, she explained with a difficult expression on her face.

    ¡°There is a girl who is messing with Nakayama-kun.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh.¡±

    It seems, of all things, to be about Nakayama, whom he disliked.

    ¡°I want to know what she¡¯s really thinking. So I was hoping you could help me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is that a case that ¡­ I can help you with?¡±

    He is not sure what he is being asked to do.

    What is he asking me to do with a woman who messes around with Nakayama?

    ¡°Ryuzaki-kun, you¡¯re a womanizer, aren¡¯t you? So I was wondering if you could pull that girl over, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    He paused at those words.

    Because what she just said is not the language of ¡­ Shiho, it¡¯s a mushy statement.

    (Are you jealous, perhaps?)

    His eyes widen at that fact.

    The truth that this transparent girl was harboring bad feelings was confusing to him¡­

 CH 202

    As long as I can remember, I think I have loved her.

    Even when I was a little kid, I was always looking for the Shiho.

    Because our houses were near each other, we were in the same kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school, and for some reason we had always been in the same class ¡­ and had that kind of relationship, it was natural that we would be together someday.

    She may not like me anymore.

    However, I take pride in the fact that I am the one who has spent more time with Shiho than anyone else.

    That is why I could not believe that Shiho was jealous.

    Moreover, this feeling is not a cute jealousy, but a clear hostile jealousy.

    It was a clear hostile jealousy.

    The emotion was mixed with a stagnant feeling of ¡°exclusion¡±.

    (I didn¡¯t know she was such an emotionally transparent girl¡­)

    I was surprised, but was fascinated by the side of her that I saw for the first time.

    I just couldn¡¯t help but admire it.

    Of course, Shiho is jealous now, and I must say, she is ruled by uglier emotions than usual.

    But it is this human side of her that attracts me.

    I was attracted to the gap between the innocent and the clean on the outside.

    I think that a person who is a little muddled is more attractive than a person who is just beautiful.

    (I now know why I¡¯ve always loved Shiho even after she dumped me¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never been able to shake off my love for her.)

    I had never seen this side of her before, but maybe deep down inside, I sensed that side of Shiho.

    She was not just a beautiful, transparent girl.

    Perhaps it was her true nature hidden deep inside that gave depth to her humanity.

    Therefore, I do not feel any disgust toward Shiho for being jealous over him.

    On the contrary, I had positive feelings.

    ¡°In other words¡­, you mean to tell me that I should the woman who messes with ¡­ Nakayama fall in love with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    Without moving her expression at all, she shook her head.

    She doesn¡¯t even try to hide her ugly side¡­ Well, that¡¯s not surprising.

    To Shiho, I am a person who doesn¡¯t matter.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if she hates me or not, so she seems to be revealing her true nature.

    ¡°Even if you say that¡­I¡¯m not the kind of person that a woman would like.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯ve never seen you being disliked by anyone other than me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Is it so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re aware of that, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡­ Really, I wonder if I am.

    Well, when I think about it, I certainly have never had anyone express blatant dislike for me.

    I remember that if I talked to them, I could usually get along with whatever girl they were.

    Come to think of it, the only ¡­ exception was Shiho. She was the only one who didn¡¯t like me, but I certainly don¡¯t think any other girl ever disliked me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand it, but you are really well-liked. But that fondness is usually only ¡®superficial¡¯ ¡­, which is convenient for you.¡±

    ¡°Convenient?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Suppose she is enticed by you and falls in love with you, right? In that case ¡­ her feelings for Kotaro-kun would be ¡®fake¡¯. Since she would fall in love with someone of your caliber, they can¡¯t be ¡®real,¡¯ can they?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a pretty messed up way of putting it.¡±

    Unconsciously, I chuckle.

    What does Shiho think I am?

    But ¡­ well, I¡¯m not angry.

    In fact, I even feel comfortable being clearly denied.

    ¡°Because no one is as ¡®on top¡¯ as you are.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know. I¡¯ve been living on the up side.¡±

    It was like an eye-opener to have the bad parts clearly pointed out to me.

    Perhaps, Shiho¡¯s words are straight forward.

    Yuzuki, though, gave me a full affirmation of who I am now.

    However, I knew that I was not a person who should be affirmed.

    That is why I felt uncomfortable.

    Even when Yuzuki comforted me, I couldn¡¯t wake up.

    But thanks to Shiho¡¯s words,¡­ I finally felt like I could face my ugliness.

    No one else¡¯s words could have helped me to be so honest.

    In other words, Shiho is special after all.

    No matter how much time passes, she is still my ¡°favorite person¡±.

    So ¡­ no matter how unreasonable the request is, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Oh, I understand. I will cooperate.¡±

    If my power is useful to Shiho.

    That¡¯s all I need to get up on my feet.

 CH 203

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re more honest than I thought.¡±

    When I gave my approval to the request for cooperation, Shiho looked reluctant.

    I told her that I would help her, but I didn¡¯t expect her to look at me like this. ¡­I guess she¡¯s not very comfortable with me after all¡­

    ¡°I wonder if you have something unpleasant on your mind ¡­ I haven¡¯t even explained the details yet, but you¡¯re being too cooperative, which is counter-intuitively suspicious.

    She looked uneasy, but of course I wasn¡¯t playing any tricks on her.

    I just wanted to get closure on my feelings.

    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous¡­, I¡¯m not as bad a person as you think, okay?¡±

    Shiho may only think of me as an enemy, and she may perceive me as a brute and a jerk.

    But I¡¯m not as evil as she thinks I am.

    I can say that with confidence.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m less self-absorbed and less aware of other people¡¯s feelings than most people. I may choose to say or do bad things as a result, but I¡¯m not doing bad things because I want to.¡±

    ¡°¡­You surprise me. You¡¯re aware that you¡¯re that kind of person, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No? It¡¯s just that Shiho told me, so I guess I am.¡±

    I¡¯m not aware of my abnormality.

    If Shiho had not told me so, I would have recognized myself as a normal person.

    Even when Nakayama told me something similar, I did not believe it at all. I had always thought of myself as an ordinary person.

    But because Shiho says so,¡­ I can accept it when someone I like says that to me.

    Her evaluation is ¡®absolute¡¯ for me.

    ¡°You accept it because it was said by me? I don¡¯t understand that ¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t have to understand ¡­ Shiho. These are just stupid feelings.¡±

    It¡¯s not that I want to be understood.

    I don¡¯t want to tell Shiho how I feel now.

    Of course, to date her¡­, and so on. Or to want to be lovers. I don¡¯t have any such thoughts at the moment.

    Strangely enough, I had no ulterior motives now.

    I just love Shiho and have decided that it is time to put an end to those feelings.

    In other words, this was a parting gift.

    No, or perhaps it would be better to describe it as atonement.

    Or perhaps it could be expressed as ¡°penance¡±.

    (This is the first and the last time¡­ Let¡¯s put an end to this feeling by inscribing the proof and the memory of having fallen in love with Shiho.)

    I wanted to be a ¡°good person¡± for Shiho at least for the last time.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if it is a ¡®convenient person¡¯.

    I didn¡¯t want to end up as ¡°someone she didn¡¯t like¡±.

    After all, it was my first love. If it is going to end anyway, I want to make it as good as possible.

    Ideally, I would be very happy if ¡­ Shiho thought, ¡°Ryuzaki-kun has some good qualities, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    I know it¡¯s late, but I would be ¡­ very happy if she regretted even refusing my confession.

    Well, I know.

    That¡¯s not going to happen.

    Because Shiho is not very fond of me.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you for a while now,¡­ would you please stop calling me that?¡±

    ¡­See. I knew it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very comfortable being so familiar with you just because we¡¯ve known each other since childhood. There is only one person besides my family¡­ who can call me by that name.¡±

    The clear rejection shattered even the faintest of my dreams.

    I could only chuckle at the unrelenting disgust.

    (I guess this is my punishment for all the ¡°sins¡± I¡¯ve committed.)

    I had always trampled on other people¡¯s feelings, so it was only natural that the person I loved the most would hate me.

    I can¡¯t do anything about it now.

    So, let¡¯s at least ¡­ make up for it a little and lighten the sin.

    ¡°I understand. I will no longer call you Shiho ¡­¡±

    Once again, I told myself.

    This is the last time I¡¯m going to be involved with Shiho.

    ¡°¡­ What should I do, ¡­. Shimotsuki?¡±

    I call her so in a stranger¡¯s manner.

    I say it, but I don¡¯t feel any different.

    Because that is the appropriate distance between me and her.

    There is no loneliness. No regret.

    It just became clear to me.

    If I were to put it another way, it could be called ¡®it feels right¡¯.

    It was probably the same for Shiho.

    ¡°Yes, well done¡­ Then, I¡¯ll tell you what I want you to do.¡±

    For the first time, Shiho softened her expression toward me.

    It was a slight smile, but it was so slight that it couldn¡¯t even be described as a smile.

    (¡­After all, a smile suits Shiho.)

    But that alone made me very happy.

    I¡¯m going to be her puppet¡­

    The pawn named Ryoma Ryuzaki is once again intervening in the romantic comedy between Kotaro Nakayama and Shiho Shimotsuki.

 CH 204

    Early in the morning, when the light was still dim, she was walking aimlessly.

    Perhaps because it was in the suburbs, there were few people walking down the street. Only the occasional car passed by, and at this time of the day, there was not much human life to be seen.

    Thanks to this, Kururi Kurumizawa was able to lose herself in her thoughts.

    (After all, he didn¡¯t show up yesterday¡­)

    In the back of her mind, her beloved¡¯s face flashed.

    The tutoring agreement was for one week. The deadline was yesterday, but he had gone away like he was escaping.

    It was supposed to be a violation of the agreement, but Kururi Kurumizawa sighed, as if that didn¡¯t matter either.

    (I¡¯m sure I hurt you¡­)

    Unconsciously, she put her hand on one of her twin-tails and twirled them around with her fingers. It was a habit that she tends to do when she is distressed.

    (He¡¯s a purist, of course he would never want an affair.)

    It was just the other day.

    When she forced Kotaro Nakayama to stay over for the night, she set him up.

    She got into bed with him, held his hand, put her body close to his, and even kissed him on the cheek.

    (¡­ Well, it¡¯s probably not a significant skinship for some people¡­)

    For example, if two people are adults.

    This level of touching might not have caused any emotional turmoil. If they were in a close relationship, or some men and women might be fine with this level of touching.

    (No ¡­ I knew he wasn¡¯t that flirty.)

    She realized that she was about to make an excuse and lightly pinched her arm as a reminder.

    This is what happens as soon as you let your guard down.

    She was well aware that she was in the wrong on this matter.

    (I have to accept that I hurt ¡­ him, because it¡¯s true that I took advantage of his pure side and left scars on him.)

    Because of those things she did, he didn¡¯t come over to her house the other day.

    He wouldn¡¯t make eye contact with her at school, and every time it was recess, he ran off somewhere.

    She sighed, he was obviously avoiding her, but she didn¡¯t blame him for doing so.

    (I don¡¯t want him to hate me, if possible, but ¡­ I doubt it.)

    She was so worried about it all last night that she couldn¡¯t sleep.

    She was lucky that today was a holiday. She could take a leisurely walk early in the morning without worrying about school.

    Thanks to that, her thoughts were becoming calm.

    (But I had to do that much to leave him with a part of ¡°me¡±.)

    She has no regrets for what she did.

    She feels guilty and sorry, but she doesn¡¯t want to undo what she did.

    (I don¡¯t want Shiho Shimotsuki to counteract it¡­)

    Kururi Kurumizawa has some concerns.

    Up until now, things have been going so well that she was afraid to go too far as she wanted, ¡­ however, the other day, Shiho Shimotsuki returned earlier than expected.

    (I thought she was scheduled to be out for the rest of the week, though.)

    Yesterday, her arrival at school brought some changes to Kotaro Nakayama.

    Perhaps they talked about something. It made him more pained, visibly hurt and depressed than the day before.

    (I¡¯m pretty sure it cracked the relationship¡­ Proof of this is that Nakayama didn¡¯t talk much to Shimotsuki.)

    They were distant at school.

    This is a sign that her plan is going well¡­, but still, she can¡¯t help but be concerned about Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s presence.

    (She was probably observing ¡­ me, and I¡¯m sure she smelled me too.)

    The other day, Shiho Shimotsuki was staring at Kururi Kurumozawa. She was on her guard because she had noticed that gaze.

    (Something, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she makes a move ¡­ before that, I need to carve more of my presence into Nakayama¡­)

    Find the next move.

    She schemed to create a situation where Kotaro Nakayama would have no choice but to accept Kururi Kurumozawa.

    So she was not paying attention.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    By the time she realized it, it was too late.

    (¨D¨DDangerous.)

    Because she was strolling in a daze, she was not paying attention to her surroundings and did not notice the car approaching.

    Trying to cross the road, she noticed a car approaching.

    Moreover, the car showed no sign of slowing down. She did not know what the driver was doing, but if she continued on her way, she would be run over.

    In a panic, she tried to start running.

    But perhaps because of the sudden exertion, her body doesn¡¯t move properly, and she tripped.

    (¡­¡­ Might not work)

    The occurrence was so unexpected that it took her breath away.

    She can¡¯t do anything else.

    Reflexively, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact of the car.

    (Is this¡­ punishment?)

    In her heart, regret was swirling, after all.

    Groaning at the sin of hurting Kotaro Nakayama, she waits for the moment.

    That was the moment.

    ¡°Look out!!¡±

    Suddenly, someone pulled her.

    At that moment, her body was lifted up and flung to the sidewalk.

    (¡­I¡¯m alive?)

    The shock of death that she had expected never came.

    Fearfully, she opened her eyes and looked at the person who had saved her.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Then her eyes widened at the face she found.

    It was a face she knew.

    A classmate, a boy she had never spoken to before.

    But she knew his name.

    ¡°¡­ Ryoma Ryuzaki?¡±

    Yes, his name was Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    Kururi Kurumizawa was stunned by this unexpected encounter.

 CH 205

    The encounter was so ¡°unnatural¡±.

    ¡°Oi oi, don¡¯t walk aimlessly¡­it¡¯s dangerous, okay?¡±

    Looking up at Ryoma Ryuzaki, who was holding her protectively, Kururi Kurumizawa was taken aback.

    £¨How is this possible?)

    This reality, the result of a series of coincidences, was so dramatic that it was difficult to come to one¡¯s senses.

    It was understandable.

    First of all, it was early morning. It was also a holiday, the time of day when the streets are the least crowded.

    And this place was located in the suburbs, outside of the residential area, so there were hardly any people walking along the street.

    And to put it another way, there were not many cars to be seen either.

    Because of this location, Kururi Kurumizawa was careless and absentminded¡­ Unfortunately, a car passed by.

    The driver of the car was also distracted and did not notice Kururi on the road, and if he had been even a little late in helping her, she would have undoubtedly been seriously injured.

    Or, had she not been sleep-deprived, she would have been able to move a little more calmly. At the very least, she could have at least checked her surroundings before crossing the road.

    But all kinds of bad luck conspired to nearly get her into a car accident.

    How much bad luck does it take to get into a pinch like this?

    And now, she had tremendous luck, which doubled her surprise.

    (Why is he in a place like this?)

    The biggest doubt of all must be this.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s house should definitely not be in this vicinity. Kururi Kurumizawa had never seen him even once. And yet, she ran into him just as she was about to get into a car accident, and was also saved by him.

    (Come to think of it, ¡­ Ryuzaki is so agile, isn¡¯t he?)

    Thinking back to what just happened, he reacted awfully fast.

    Just before she was about to be hit by a car. The moment her body was frozen with fear, Ryoma Ryuzaki ran up to her and grabbed her arm without hesitation.

    Next, he pulled her to him forcefully, and then threw himself to the sidewalk so that they would fall down together.

    Thanks to this, Kururi Kurumizawa was unhurt. Thanks to Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s embrace, she was unharmed when they fell.

    As for saving her life, she was very grateful.

    However, when she thought back on it, ¡­ too, it¡¯s just not natural.

    (How can I say this? Is it familiar to him?)

    Can an ordinary person move like this on the spur of the moment?

    Can he help a stranger, even though he knows it is dangerous?

    These doubts are in the back of her mind.

    All kinds of bad luck and good luck came at the same time, only because they were of equal totality, they were canceled out and ¡­ resulted in an uneventful outcome.

    However, there is one thing that is different before and after the incident.

    It was ¨C Kururi Kurumozawa had a fateful encounter with Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, you look a little dazed, are you all right? Did you maybe hit your head or something?¡±

    It was probably because she was thinking about various things.

    After being unresponsive for a while to Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s words, she shook her body anxiously.

    ¡°Huh? No¡­¡±

    She tried to tell him that she was fine.

    But before I could say that, Ryoma Ryuzaki moved.

    ¡°You¡¯re not bleeding somewhere, are you ¡­?

    He looked at Kururi Kurumizawa with a worried look on his face.

    Kururi Kurumozawa blushed involuntarily as he checked all over her head and face, looking for wounds.

    ¡°C-close ¡­¡±

    While looking away, she managed to mutter in a trembling voice.

    Then, Ryuzaki apologetically moved away from her a little bit.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, my bad. I¡¯m sorry for touching you so closely ¡­ but I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re not hurt. So, are you fully conscious? If you¡¯ve hit your head or something, just say so. I¡¯ll call an ambulance just in case.¡±

    Ryoma Ryuzaki didn¡¯t seem to have any malicious or other intentions.

    Kururi Kurumizawa gasped at his sincere concern for her.

    Up close, his face was so well-defined ¡­ that also made her heart beat wildly.

    (Is such an encounter ¡­ possible?)

    The incident was so fateful and dramatic.

    It made her heart race-

    ¡­ Fate is a drug.

    It is a poison that deceives reality and encourages dreaming and delusion.

    In the story, the poison is called ¡°opportunism¡±.

    At last, she, too, has fallen prey to the poison.

    Can the sub-heroine, who tried to consume even the main heroine, really resist the ¡°harem protagonist¡± who is as the absolute protagonist?

 CH 206

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re going to be okay for now.¡±

    After being rescued from a car accident.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki breathed a sigh of relief and released his embrace.

    He had been hugging Kururi Kurumizawa all this time to support her.

    (I was being hugged¡­)

    After his warmth disappeared, she finally realized that fact.

    She had not been aware that they had been touching each other until now. She was surprised at that.

    Kururi Kurumizawa was a rather cautious person.

    Especially when dealing with the opposite gender, she is conscious of not getting too close to them.

    Although her pink hair may be eccentric, her facial features are very well-defined. Therefore, in order not to cause unnecessary male-female trouble, she refrains from skinship¡­ However, Ryoma Ryuzaki easily slipped past that caution.

    Even though it was a spur-of-the-moment event, the distance between them was quite close in this instant. Kururi Kurumizawa can only remain dumbfounded in the face of him.

    (Is this guy ¡­ such a human being?)

    The Ryoma Ryuzaki she saw at school and the man he is now are two different people.

    The listless man stumbling down the corridor was gone.

    Now, in front of her eyes was a young man full of vigor and good looks.

    ¡°Tch ¡­, that car got away. They almost hit someone, what bad manners.¡±

    First, he looked around for the driver of the car, who had already disappeared.

    However, when he realized that the other person was not there, he let his tongue slip.

    He then turned his attention to Kururi Kurumizawa.

    ¡°You have to be careful, too. If I hadn¡¯t saved you, you might have died, you know?¡±

    In strong words, like he was lecturing her.

    It was truly a ¡°sermon¡±.

    (Huh? Am I being scolded?)

    Although they knew each other, it was almost the first time they had met and even talked.

    And yet, this was the first time she had seen someone who could lecture her in a natural way.

    Or, thinking back, it was the first time in her life that she had even been scolded¡­

    (She had never even been scolded by her father¡­)

    For her, born as a genuine young lady, it was a very new experience.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­?¡±

    She didn¡¯t know how to react when she was scolded.

    So she apologized for the time being, but Ryoma Ryuzaki did not forgive her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to apologize. I¡¯m just asking you to be more careful in the future. ¡­I can¡¯t always help you. Next time, you have to be able to take care of yourself.¡±

    However, his words are not a ¡®self-satisfied lecture¡¯ that he just wants to feel good about mounting others.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is daring to speak harsh words, sincerely thinking of Kururi Kurumizawa.

    She rolled her eyes when she realized this.

    She was just amazed earlier.

    (I can¡¯t believe ¡­ that people like this actually exist.)

    Self-sacrificing acts of helping others without regard for themselves.

    Unselfish love that asks for nothing in return for helping others.

    A deep kindness that truly cares about the other person.

    Kururi Kurumizawa could not help but think¡­

    ¡°Like a hero¡­¡±

    A hero.

    Or a savior.

    Or¡­ it could be described as a ¡®main character¡¯.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s expression slightly intensified at these words.

    But it was only for a moment, and after he blinked, his face was already back to its normal, fearless appearance.

    ¡°Hero is a bit of an overstatement. I¡¯m ¡­ just an ordinary human being.¡±

    Hearing these words of humility, Kururi Kurumizawa squeezed her chest.

    It was an unconscious act.

    (This is not good¡­, this is a bit of a no-no.)

    She couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.

    The feelings that had been kept under wraps with astonishment are about to explode all at once.

    Let¡¯s be honest.

    Kururi Kurumizawa was¡­ excited.

    The fateful encounter, happening, and conversation¡­ grabbed her heart.

    £¨I love Nakayama.)

    She couldn¡¯t hold back her feelings any longer.

    In just one moment,¡­ just a few minutes, Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s love for him had been eroded.

    (I don¡¯t understand anymore¡­)

    Kururi Kurumizawa was distressed by the mess that had been stirred up in her heart.

    She, too, had been poisoned by the poison of the¡­  protagonist.

    This is the characteristic of a genuine ¡°protagonist¡±.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is a womanizer.

    As Shiho Shimotsuki said, there is no one better than him.

    If you¡¯re a normal girl¡­well, even if you¡¯re a non-normal girl, he¡¯ll make you fall in love with him.

    Until just the other day, it was rotten.

    However, the main hero, who has been revived by the main heroine, has become a very troublesome existence.

    He is a born hero.

    He is a man who pushes forward on the path of harem.

    Such a character has been revived¡­ Of course, there¡¯s no way the god of romantic comedies wouldn¡¯t love him¡­

 CH 207

    ¨COh, she likes me.

    ¡°Just like a hero¡­¡±

    The words said to me by Kurumizawa, I almost lost my expression.

    It was early in the morning. I just happened to run into Kurumizawa, who happened to be about to get into a car accident, and I happened to save her¡­, and as a result of that, she seems to have fallen in love with me.

    (That¡¯s a lie, right? Do women have such ¡­, obvious expression on their faces?)

    The girl in front of me is looking at me passionately.

    Seeing her expression, I realized how she felt.

    No, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it with a face like this.

    (Didn¡¯t you like Nakayama?)

    Wrong story.

    Shiho¡­ Shimotsuki said that Kurumizawa likes Nakayama.

    In other words, for Shimotsuki, Kurumizawa is an obstacle ¡­, so she asked me to ¡®expose Kurumizawa¡¯s true nature¡¯ ¡­

    ¡®A specific method? There is no such thing. ¡­ You can uncover her true feelings just by talking to her, can¡¯t you? Do your best.¡¯

    After being reckless like that and wondering what to do, I was taking a walk in the morning and ¡­ I got lost.

    I walked quite a distance because I had my mind made up, and I was wondering what to do after this, and then I ¡®accidentally¡¯ ran into Kurumizawa, and here we are.

    How many times have I saved a girl standing on the road?

    Probably about the fifth time. Thanks to this, I was able to help her out smoothly without panicking.

    And just like that, Kurumizawa fell in love with me.

    (Was Shimotsuki right? ¡­)

    I didn¡¯t do anything.

    I didn¡¯t do anything, but I won Kurumizawa¡¯s heart.

    (I guess I¡¯m an anomaly after all.)

    I finally became aware of it when Shimotsuki told me.

    Until now, I would have ignored Kurumizawa¡¯s feelings, thinking that there was no way she would like me just because I talked to her lightly¡­, but I can¡¯t do that anymore.

    Because I¡¯ve realized my abnormality.

    I used to be insensitive, but now that I¡¯m able to be aware of that, maybe I¡¯m able to properly consider their expressions and emotions.

    Thanks to that, I was able to sense Kurumizawa¡¯s ¡®favoritism¡¯.

    ¡°Hero is an overstatement. I¡¯m a ¡­ normal human being.¡±

    I said this in a blank way, but in the back of my mind I was shaking my head.

    Yes, I am a hero.

    Even if I do nothing, the heroines like me like this.

    (Nakayama is not the protagonist ¡­ I, I was the protagonist all along¡­)

    I doubted myself, misunderstood, and was unfaithful.

    But I was wrong.

    (Damn. I should have taken more responsibility for my position¡­)

    I finally realized it when Shimotsuki gave me a lecture.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is popular with heroines by nature.

    Then he had to face their feelings.

    He was obligated to do so, but he used his insensitivity as an excuse and neglected to face them.

    (I had done terrible things to Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki, and Mary ¡­ I was stepping on everyone¡¯s feelings.)

    I scratched my chest, too late to ¡®understand¡¯.

    Looking back, I realize that everyone was clearly expressing their feelings for me.

    Why didn¡¯t I realize it then?

    Why did I think only of myself so much?

    (¡­ Is it too late for regrets?)

    I cannot forgive myself.

    I am driven by feelings of rage and want to beat myself up.

    But there is no point in doing so.

    No one can be saved by self-harm.

    Then there is only one thing I can do.

    (I have to face everyone¡¯s feelings properly¡­!)

    I know it¡¯s late, but first of all, I want to accept them properly.

    That¡¯s when my ¡°romantic comedy¡± will finally begin.

    ¡°Eh, uh, uh, ¡­ oh, your knee is bleeding! ¡­ Oh my God. Do you want to come to my house? We need to treat it.¡±

    ¡­For starters, I should face her first, right?

    I chuckle at the girl who is panicking when she sees the scrape on my knee.

    It¡¯s not a serious injury.

    Why is she so panicked?

    I¡¯m not so insensitive that I don¡¯t know the answer to that question.

    I am no longer a self-important fool.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki, the main character, has finally ¡°awakened¡±.

    (I¡¯m sure she likes me.)

    The time for pretending not to know and procrastinating when I know is over.

    It is ¡®manners¡¯ in romantic comedy to face it properly, accept it, give an answer¡­ do so.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to have to intrude on your home.¡±

    So I accepted her proposal.

    Now, what should I do?

    Shiho¡­ no, Shimotsuki.

    Hey, Shimotsuki. What do you want me to do from here?

    What do I have to do to fulfill my purpose?

    ¡­ No, I don¡¯t have to ask.

    £¨All I have to do is take away Kurumizawa¡¯s love interest, right?)

    Then you and Nakayama can get back together.

    I¡¯m a little unconvinced that I¡¯m going to help that mob character guy, but ¡­ well, for once, I¡¯ll let him use me.

    That¡¯s my way of making amends.

    It¡¯s my parting gift to my childhood friend who has been suffering for so long.

 CH 208

    It was after I saved Kurumizawa from a car accident.

    When I hit the ground, I suffered an abrasion on my knee.

    Of course, that was just a minor injury.

    I thought it would heal on its own if I washed the wound and put a bandage on it, but when Kurumizawa saw it, she turned quite pale.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I caused you to get injured, okay?¡±

    Apologizing, she tended to me.

    She went out of her way to take me to her home and treated me excessively.

    That was so, so unnatural.

    I could clearly see that her romantic feelings were shaken.

    I would have ignored it as ¡®just my imagination¡¯ when I was insensitive, but now that I¡¯ve ¡­ awakened and am somewhat better, I can see it clearly.

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s okay like this¡­ Hey, are you okay?¡±

    I smile back at Kurumizawa, who looks at me anxiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    What¡¯s the point of this?

    If I smile, it makes you happy, too, doesn¡¯t it?

    This is too arrogant a thought.

    This is not normal.

    It¡¯s as if I¡¯m popular with the ladies, that they¡¯re happy just because I smile.

    ¨CI had been mistaken before because I thought so.

    In fact, I am apparently popular.

    Shimotsuki told me so.

    No one is as much of a ¡®womanizer¡¯ as I am ¨C she said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s good.¡±

    When I smiled at her, Kurumizawa turned away, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

    Easy. It¡¯s too easy.

    Even though I didn¡¯t do anything special, Kurumizawa has already become a total addict for me.

    It¡¯s so easy now.

    ¡°Instead of me, is your body all right too? Since we fell down together, you might be hurt somewhere, right?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m probably fine¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. Let me see. Are you sure you didn¡¯t hit your elbow or knee or something?¡±

    I held Kurumizawa¡¯s hand, pretending to be worried about her.

    I tried skinship with her under the guise of checking her arm for any injuries.

    If she didn¡¯t like me, she would clearly reject me here.

    She should shake off my hand and give me a disgusted look.

    But ¡­ after all, Kurumizawa is still favorable toward me.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, wait¡­!¡±

    She looked embarrassed by the sudden touch, but did not resist at all.

    This is now certain.

    (Shimotsuki¡­ Kurumizawa is definitely in love with me.)

    I don¡¯t know if she is aware of it or not.

    However, it is certain that I, as a person, have taken control of a part of her heart.

    (I¡¯ve exposed this woman¡¯s true nature, just as you planned.)

    ¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a position to say anything about it.

    Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s feelings for Nakayama are as fake as they can possibly be.

    Because a person of my caliber was able to steal her heart.

    (To fall in love with someone who is only superficial¡­ Kururi Kurumizawa must be a normal girl.)

    Nevertheless.

    It¡¯s not that I hate her.

    Rather, her weakness is human and even favorable.

    (You¡¯re so brave to try to compete with Shimotsuki.)

    That girl is extraordinary ¡­ No, let me put it this way.

    Shiho Shimotsuki is an anomaly.

    Perhaps not a ¡®normal¡¯ person like Nakayama or Kurumizawa.

    Perhaps she is an ¡°abnormal¡± person like me.

    That¡¯s how strong and unreasonable she is.

    I could be proud of the fact that she opposed her and that she tried to resist.

    I wanted to praise her will to stand up.

    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t seem to be hurt. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    I checked Kurumizawa¡¯s body and smiled at her again.

    Her face was already bright red and she was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t look at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of ¡­ thanking you or anything, you know!¡±

    The tsundere words, spun in a shy manner, make my cheeks loose, not in an act this time, but from the bottom of my heart.

    £¨I wonder if that is Kurumizawa¡¯s true self.)

    I wonder if she ever showed her innocent side in front of Nakayama.

    Probably, she never showed such a side.

    Because her love for him was ¡°fake¡±.

    Perhaps it was a ¡°counterfeit¡± made by someone else¡­

 CH 209

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going home now.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ bye-bye, Ryuzaki.¡±

    This was after I was treated at Kurumizawa¡¯s home.

    After checking on her, I decided to go home.

    ¡°Hey, are you sure you don¡¯t need a ride home? Isn¡¯t Ryuzaki¡¯s house far away?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯s a little far.¡±

    However, it¡¯s not a problem, because I can get a taxi if I walk a little bit.

    I¡¯m not at all short of money because my parents, who died when I was very young, left a lot of their wealth for me.

    More importantly, I wanted to get away from Kurumizawa as soon as possible now.

    Her heart is in turmoil right now. I want to maintain this because I am in a precarious situation.

    If I were to make a blunder, for example, and lower her favorability, and if her heart were to lean toward Nakayama again, then that would be the end of the line.

    ¡°But it¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s not like I¡¯m worried about you.¡±

    She was still not able to be honest in front of me, and her face was bright red and she was tense.

    That part of her looked lovely.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you at school¡­ Bye-bye, Kururi.¡±

    Finally, I called her by her name.

    I did not intend to do that. I called her that unconsciously.

    It has always been a habit of mine to address someone I¡¯ve gotten to know well.

    I¡¯m sure this is one of the reasons why I¡¯ve become a ¡°womanizer¡±.

    ¡°Huh? Ah, yeah¡­¡±

    Can I call Kururi Kurumizawa ¡­ by her first name now?

    Kururi was surprised by the sudden designation, but her face seemed unconcerned.

    I waved to her and went out the front door.

    It¡¯s quite a distance to the outside of the property, but oh well. I wanted to do some thinking, so I decided to walk at a leisurely pace.

    ¨CI¡¯m a little bit of a wimp.

    I can¡¯t help but chuckle at my own ability to easily make one girl fall in love with me.

    I¡¯m afraid of my talent ¡­ which will be quite popular once I¡¯m the host.

    Well, it¡¯s not something I¡¯m proud of.

    This is not something I worked hard to achieve.

    It is a ¡°gift¡± given to me by God from birth.

    It is nothing to be proud of.

    In fact, I was even bewildered to know that I was different from others.

    What kind of person am I?

    I am so unreasonable that I can¡¯t just say I didn¡¯t know about it until now.

    It is so easy to fall in love with someone after just a short conversation.

    I should have taken more responsibility for my words and actions. I should have faced up to the girls who fell in love with me because of me.

    (¡­ It¡¯s too late for that, though.)

    However, there is no point in having regrets now.

    The girl who liked me left me at once when¡­ I thought I was a mob character.

    I think I was in the position of a so-called ¡°harem protagonist¡±.

    It¡¯s presumptuous, and I think it¡¯s too arrogant of me to say so, but objectively speaking, it is true.

    I didn¡¯t take on that responsibility, and as a result of pretending I didn¡¯t know, I let down a lot of girls.

    In other words, I hurt the members of my harem.

    I can¡¯t let that happen again.

    (I need to take care of the girls who still like me¡­)

    I only have a few of those partners anymore.

    So I have to answer responsibly to the feelings of these few.

    I need to take care of them more and more and¡­ one day, I will love them properly.

    hen, this time.

    £¨I might be able to deliver a proper ¡°romantic comedy¡± this time around.)

    To do that, I have to face the past and make peace with it.

    But in order to do so¡­, there was one thing that I couldn¡¯t avoid.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of coincidences.¡±

    Just as I was leaving the grounds of the Kurumizawa house, a car pulled up in front of the gate.

    A car arrived in front of the gate.

    Out of that came the most ¡­ abominable and fateful opponent.

    ¡°Yo, Nakayama. What a coincidence.¡±

    I called out to my classmate, who was of medium height and had no distinguishing features.

    When I did so, he looked at me and his eyes widened.

    ¡°¡­ Ryuzaki? Why are you here?¡±

    He probably can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in this place.

    Don¡¯t worry, I feel the same way.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of coincidence it was that I ended up at Kururi¡¯s house and even ran into you.

    This is not normal.

    So it¡¯s probably the work of some romantic comedy god who loves me.

 CH 210

    It feels like it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve met face-to-face like this.

    Well, it hasn¡¯t been that long since I met him on the street a while ago and asked him not to bully me too much because I¡¯m a mob character.

    Anyway,¡­ you look terrible.

    Nakayama used to be an expressionless guy who never showed any kind of facial expression no matter what happened.

    He is a person with little emotion for joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, and he is strongly perceived as a very boring person.

    He only laughs in front of Shimotsuki. In front of other people, he is as smooth as a robot.

    However, Nakayama is a bit worn out now, and his face is paler than his usual expressionless face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you look so energetic?¡±

    I said to him with a grin, and he breathed a sigh of exasperation.

    ¡°Sarcasm?¡±

    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any other meaning?¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re feeling better.¡±

    Nakayama looked at me and took another deep breath.

    He was completely oblivious to my attempts to provoke him.

    No, I guessed he was thinking about something, but I couldn¡¯t read his feelings at all.

    He is still the same old jerk.

    The only time he gets emotional is when it comes to Shiho.

    He is emotionless in other matters, which again made me snicker.

    ¡°Tch, this is boring. You should get angry when you¡¯re provoked, ¡­ but you¡¯re not worth the trouble.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    Shaking his head silently, Nakayama breaks his gaze from me.

    That is also uncomfortable.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you want to know why I¡¯m here? You also want to know more about me getting better, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I sow the bait.

    I spread information that Nakayama might be interested in, and I cast a fishing line, hoping to get him to bite at any cost.

    But this guy was unfazed.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in asking. You won¡¯t tell me, and I have no idea what ¡­ happened, but there¡¯s no way that a revitalized Ryuzaki will help me, is there?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You know perfectly well, don¡¯t you?¡±

    That kind of mechanical thinking is irritating

    ¡°I hate you after all.¡±

    I tell him clearly.

    When I spewed out my feelings, which I confirmed once again, Nakayama gave me a wry smile.

    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t like you either, so I guess it¡¯s mutual.¡±

    With that, Nakayama walked away.

    His back was curled up as he headed toward Kururi¡¯s home.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t care¡­¡±

    I let out a click of my tongue and then turned my back to Nakayama.

    Then I finally remembered that there was still someone else there.

    ¡°Hey, kid. What¡¯s your relationship with the Kurumizawa family¡¯s daughter? It might be useful in the future, so let me hear what you have to say.¡±

    The woman looking at me while smoking a cigarette is the one who brought Nakayama by car.

    She has a slender body but her chest is plump, which is a little s**y. Her hair is pulled back in a bun, which is a little unfortunate. ¡­ If she let her hair down, she would be even more beautiful.

    Her long slit eyes and well-shaped lips are great. However, the dark circles around her eyes and her pale skin are a negative. Maybe she is a workaholic as she looks. ¡­ Maybe she doesn¡¯t get enough sleep.

    Now, who is this beautiful lady?

    What kind of relationship does she have with Nakayama?

    ¡°I¡¯m Kururi¡¯s ¡­ well, friend? No, no.¡±

    I try to talk about a common relationship, but I deny myself that it is not true.

    My relationship with Kururi is not that of a friend.

    ¡°I am Kururi¡¯s ¡®hero¡¯.¡±

    Strictly speaking, this is the most suitable answer.

    I¡¯m not lying. I told the truth about our relationship, but the beautiful woman snickered.

    ¡°You kid. Don¡¯t make fun of adults.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie.¡±

    Oh man, she doesn¡¯t seem to believe me.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a friend then. Yeah, I¡¯m Kururi¡¯s friend. So, what about you? I¡¯d like to know your name, beautiful lady, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±

    I asked her, and she told me her name with a cigarette in her mouth.

    ¡°My name is Chisato Ichijo. Despite my appearance, I¡¯m 32 years old and a pretty gal. Nice to meet you, you brat.¡±

    ¡°You look ¡­ like you¡¯re only 18, but that¡¯s surprising.¡±

    ¡± That¡¯s flattering, but it¡¯s not even heartwarming. You make me laugh.¡±

    The fact that she didn¡¯t even smile as she said that was, on the contrary, interesting.

    She is quite a nice woman. I feel comfortable with such an orderly woman, so I think I can get along with her.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your relationship with Nakayama?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m related to that kid. My sister¡¯s son is Kotaro, I would be his ¡­ commonly known ¡®aunt¡¯.¡±

    Chisato muttered this as if it was someone else¡¯s business, despite the fact that it was her own.

    I see, so you are related to Nakayama.

    (Why did his aunt pick him up and drop him off at Kururi¡¯s house? ¡­I smell something.)

    Feeling the artificial traces of someone, I think about it a little.

    Is this another guidance from the god of romantic comedies?

    (It¡¯s not a bad idea to pretend not to know here and go home¡­)

    But that may not be enough to say that I have fulfilled my promise to Shimotsuki.

    (Although I don¡¯t feel comfortable helping Nakayama.)

    Anyway.

    That¡¯s the frustrating thing about honestly doing what that guy wants, ¡®I won¡¯t help Nakayama¡¯.

    (I¡¯ll lend you a hand, Nakayama¡­ this is the first and last time I¡¯ll help you.)

    Then, I decided, on a whim, to lend a hand for once¡­

 CH 211

    Come to think of it, I seem to be quite excellent at getting into women¡¯s hearts.

    Thinking back, I always got along with the opposite gender I met for the first time very quickly.

    The only exception might have been ¡­ Shiho Shimotsuki.

    This time, too, I followed that example and immediately became friendly with Chisato, Nakayama¡¯s aunt.

    ¡°Chisato-san, if you¡¯re going home, give me a lift.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know we¡¯ve never met before, but you act like a very familiar little boy.¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders in exasperation, but did not shake her head.

    ¡°Well, I prefer it when they¡¯re a little naive, because being a little bit naive is like being a kid¡­ It¡¯s boring when they¡¯re too good at listening. A kid who grew up that way is a pain to watch.¡±

    In her mind, she probably has an image of her nephew, Kotaro Nakayama.

    But still, it seems that she is not so friendly with¡­ Nakayama, who is a stranger even though it is a family member of hers.

    ¡°Anyway, if you want to get in, get in. I¡¯m too busy to have time to chat with the kid.¡±

    She must have finished the cigarette she was smoking. She put the cigarette butt in the portable ashtray and got into the car.

    A little later, I opened the passenger side door too.

    ¡°Wow¡­, it smells like cigarettes.¡±

    I frowned at the smell that was instantly in the air, but put myself inside the car.

    Seeing me like that, Chisato breathed.

    ¡°Good grief, kids these days are so picky about cigarettes. Enough with the petty nagging. Are you going to tell me to ¡®quit¡¯ too, out of concern for my body?¡±

    ¡­ Oh, I see.

    I guess Nakayama doesn¡¯t like smoking either.

    Well, it must be hard for those who are not used to it, and it¡¯s true that it¡¯s bad for you. She¡¯s not wrong, but I was thinking a little differently.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stop, do you?¡±

    As I fasten my seatbelt, I think of my parents.

    They were both smokers, too. I don¡¯t dislike the smell of cigarettes, and I don¡¯t feel as much opposition to them as Nakayama does.

    ¡°If you can do what you want to do and die with no regrets, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Chisato-san, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, slowly turned her gaze toward me as I muttered.

    The woman who had been looking in the direction of the day after tomorrow all this time, and had never tried to look directly at me properly, is now looking straight at me.

    It was as if she had just recognized me for the first time.

    At that moment, her face, which had been so dull, relaxed just a little.

    ¡°You say some interesting things. Yeah, well, ¡­ sure, if you die without regrets, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¨CClick.

    Suddenly, I thought I heard a sound.

    It was the sound of Chisato¡¯s heart being opened.

    (As usual, good at getting into women¡¯s hearts¡­ I really am a womanizer.)

    I hate myself.

    Having become friends in this way, I¡¯m sure Chisato-san will slip up.

    It¡¯s not that I was aiming for this, but ¡­ as a result, I¡¯ve ended up preparing to achieve my goal.

    I guess that¡¯s why I¡¯m the protagonist.

    I feel uncomfortable abusing this trait,¡­ but for now, I¡¯ll gratefully take advantage of it.

    ¡°Actually, I work for a company owned by my sister ¡­ Kotaro¡¯s mother.¡±

    Then, Chisato-san told me many things.

    She told me a lot of information I wanted to know, even though I didn¡¯t ask her.

    She told me about Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s family.

    The company owned by his parents was going under.

    Chisato-san is working for the company without sleep.

    That Nakayama was used to negotiate with the Kurumizawa family.

    Nakayama ran away with one day left on his tutoring contract.

    Today, Chisato-san grabbed Nakayama by the scruff of the neck and brought him to the Kurumizawa family.

    Chisato-san is not a person who seems to talk a lot, but she was really talkative in the car.

    Thanks to her, I was able to know everything.

    ¡°Thank you, Chisato-san.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, be careful on your way home¡­ Ryoma.¡±

    Moreover, she went out of her way to take me home and was really nice to me.

    At the end she even forgave me enough to address me.

    ¡°Well¡­ I see.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but grin when I learned about the situation Nakayama was in.

    It seems that he is in a rather interesting situation.

    All kinds of causalities are entangled together like a circle of wisdom, and Nakayama seems to be stuck in the middle of it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. First and last time I¡¯m going to help you.¡±

    At home, I laughingly pull my mobile device out of my pocket.

    I decided to break one of the chains holding him.

    Hey, Nakayama¡­, do you know the easiest way to break the circle of wisdom?

    You know, you don¡¯t even have to use your head to break the circle of wisdom?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I called the number from the phone book and placed a call to her.

    A few seconds later, I hear a voice on the phone that I haven¡¯t ¡­ heard in months.

    ¡°Moshi moshi¡­ Ryoma?¡±

    Her cheeks relaxed as she spoke in a slightly one-sided accent.

    I hadn¡¯t heard her voice in a few months, but I knew that hearing her voice would cheer me up.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Sorry for the suddenness¡­Mary.¡±

    It was Mary Parker who I contacted.

    She is the best way to break the circle of wisdom that binds Nakayama.

    ¡°Hey, I need you to do me a favor.¡±

    ¡°A ¡­ favor?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Actually¡­, it¡¯s something to do with money.¡±

    Yes.

    One of the reasons for Nakayama¡¯s difficulties this time was the fact that the company run by his parents was going downhill.

    As a solution, I decided to use Mary.

    ¡°Money? Sure, I¡¯ll do anything you want?¡±

    She instantly nods at my request.

    Yes, this girl, ¡­ ¡­¡­ Mary, was probably born into a richer family than the Kurumizawa family.

    This time, I decided to use the ¡°power¡± of Mary to untangle Nakayama¡¯s chain.

    (No¡­, it¡¯s not ¡°untangle¡± but ¡°break¡± is more correct.)

    The easiest way to break the circle of wisdom is simple.

    Break it by force.

    To do this, I decided to use the ¡°violence¡± of Mary.

 CH 212

    When I returned home, the sun was already setting.

    (Talking with Mary took longer than I thought it would¡­)

    It had been a long time since I had seen her. I didn¡¯t know she had come to Japan, but ¡­ anyway, it was nice to talk to her.

    Thanks to her, I think we had a fulfilling time.

    Of course, as I had originally intended, I solved the problem that Nakayama was facing with her help.

    I guess we will see the results of that work around the end of the week.

    I shall look forward to that time.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    I took a breath and turned on the light switch.

    Then I noticed a delicious-looking dinner and a letter on the kitchen table.

    ¡°Yuzuki?¡±

    There was only a note that said, ¡®I made dinner, please eat it¡¯, and she was not there.

    (Message ¡­, I don¡¯t see it. Yuzuki, what¡¯s wrong?)

    A note, that¡¯s unusual. Why didn¡¯t she just call me on my phone?

    (I thought she was waiting for me.)

    We¡¯ve been together for a while now, as if we were living together. Naturally, I thought she was waiting for me at home.

    I felt uncomfortable with Yuzuki¡¯s behavior, however, there was nothing strange about it when I thought carefully.

    She must have had something to do today. I decided to think so and headed upstairs to my room to change my clothes first.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ¨CKnock, knock, knock.

    Suddenly, there was a knocking sound.

    However, the source of the sound was not the door.

    ¡°¡­ No way.¡±

    The knock seemed to come from outside the window.

    I rushed to the window and opened the curtains with a mighty movement.

    What I saw was the figure of Shimotsuki leaning out of the window opposite me.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    I hastily open the window and yell out a warning.

    ¡°Hands, you have short arms, don¡¯t push yourself! You¡¯re going to fall off!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wouldn¡¯t fall through a gap like this, it¡¯s only about 30 centimeters, but I guess you worry too much.¡±

    Perhaps she was offended by the comment ¡°short arms¡±.

    Shimotsuki¡¯s lips pouted a little grimly.

    Every gesture like that is so cute that I¡¯m getting fed up with them.

    I wanted to break off the thought, but I didn¡¯t want her to see me like this because I was nervous.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you all of a sudden¡­ you don¡¯t want to talk to me, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course. But I wanted to hear your report today, so I had no choice but to use this method.¡±

    I regain my composure as she explains her purpose to me in an indifferent manner.

    Unlike me, Shimotsuki is really nonchalant. I wondered if I was the only one who was nervous, and my excitement finally calmed down.

    No matter how much I like her, my feelings for her will never bear fruit. Then, let¡¯s not act nonsensical.

    If I don¡¯t have expectations, my heart will calm down. My heart stopped pounding immediately, so I decided to give my report of the day, as requested.

    ¡°Everything is going well. I think everything is going just the way you want it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®you¡¯ me. It¡¯s too familiar.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be difficult ¡­¡±

    Apparently, it wasn¡¯t enough to just stop calling her that.

    Well, it¡¯s okay, but ¡­ Shimotsuki might be a bit of a troublesome girl after all¡­

    No, it¡¯s more than a bit.

    She¡¯s this obsessed with the guy she likes, so it must be pretty heavy and bothersome.

    Thinking about it, I felt somewhat sorry for Nakayama.

    It would take a lot of nerve to be able to accept this love.

    Well, ¡­ if that love had been directed at me, I would have had the confidence to accept it.

    Since that would never happen, let¡¯s get back to the subject.

    ¡°I did what I could for now. I think I¡¯ve made a good relationship with Kururi.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kururi?¡±

    ¡°Kururi Kurumizawa. Your love rival.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so¡­ a relationship¡­ already. As usual, you¡¯re quick to exploit.¡±

    With just a few words of my explanation, Shimotsuki seemed to have figured it all out.

    I sighed, both impressed and dismayed.

    ¡°Huh¡­ I was surprised to see that she was just another ¡®girl¡¯ after all.¡±

    And yet, somewhat disappointed.

    With such eyes, she stared off into the distance somewhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a shame.¡±

    What in the world did Shimotsuki expect from Kururi?

    I don¡¯t know that, but¡­. all I know is that Shimotsuki is ¡®scary¡¯ anyway.

    (I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s so cute in front of Nakayama, but has such two sides to her.)

    Every time I see the ¡®depth¡¯ of Shiho Shimotsuki as a person, I get scared of a new part of her.

    She is, after all, special.

    She was not just a cute heroine¡­

 CH 213

    My aunt caught me skipping tutoring and forcibly took me to the Kurumizawa family.

    Today was Saturday. It¡¯s the weekend, but I couldn¡¯t sleep well and was at home, when my aunt unexpectedly came.

    ¡°You have to keep your contract. If you have any complaints, I¡¯ll hear them later. Let¡¯s go for now.¡±

    I was taken away by force and taken to the Kurumizawa family.

    I never thought I would meet Ryoma Ryuzaki at the Kurumizawa house.

    (What was he doing here?)

    We passed each other, exchanged a few words, and turned our backs.

    After only a few exchanges, I already knew.

    (He¡¯s back to his old self¡­ What happened?)

    The scruffy, uninspiring jerk from a few weeks ago is no more.

    I felt a strong will from the current Ryuzaki.

    It¡¯s not the same as before. His aura was more awe-inspiring than before.  I was intimidated by such a ¡°specialness¡± that made me feel how small I was just by facing him.

    I was even awe-struck by his appearance as an imposing ¡°protagonist-sama¡± ¡­, perhaps because of my nature as a mob character to begin with¡­

    (I feel something is different between yesterday and today¡­)

    There is a sense of discrepancy.

    I feel a huge gap between yesterday and before and after.

    I can¡¯t put it well, but ¡­ there was a change.

    The trigger for this ¨C I guess it was her after all.

    (Did it all start to happen after you met Shiho again?)

    I feel like the story accelerated quickly when that girl came back to the scene.

    I felt as if various foreshadowing lines were beginning to be recovered, even though they had been goofy up to this point.

    It was as if my eyes were being drawn into the text that had been slipping my mind before I knew it.

    It was as if, when I thought the story was boring, I immediately became focused on it and lost track of time.

    I can¡¯t help but feel that there is such a change.

    (What about Kurumizawa-san?)

    I wonder if she, too, has changed in some way.

    Like Ryuzaki, I wonder if something is happening in a place I don¡¯t know about that is causing her to change.

    To confirm this, I hurried to her house.

    ¡°Good morning, I¡¯m Kururi¡¯s friend.¡±

    I call out over the intercom at the door.

    Come to think of it, I should have called her even at the gate, but the gate was open just in time for Ryuzaki, so I was just entering the premises.

    So it seems that my visit was sudden for the Kurumizawa family.

    ¡°Please wait a moment, I¡¯ll check with the young lady.¡±

    But since I was acquainted with the servants, they were polite to me.

    Perhaps she had informed Kurumizawa-san of my visit. As I waited, the door suddenly opened.

    ¡°Nakayama! What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±

    That face¡­ it seems to be impatient.

    ¡°No, I missed yesterday¡¯s tutoring session, so I ¡­ came here today instead.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡±

    ¡­Hey?

    After all, she¡¯s acting strangely.

    She is clearly in a hurry.

    Her eyes were shaking violently, just like a child¡¯s when caught in a lie.

    (I think this may be the first time I¡¯ve ever seen Kurumizawa-san so distraught.)

    Whenever she exchanged words with me, she was always calm.

    She was always calm, checking my every move, choosing the most appropriate words and actions for each word and deed, and cunningly hunting me down.

    I even thought she was like a snake.

    But now she didn¡¯t look like that at all.

    ¡°Hey, hey ¡­, um, did you, by any chance, pass someone else?¡±

    Why was she so perturbed?

    I immediately sensed the reason why she was.

    ¡°Yeah. I passed by Ryuzaki.¡±

    I called out his name.

    Then Kuruizawa-san staggered as if dizzy and leaned against the door.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything with him. I just happened to meet him on the road, and he saved me when I was almost run over by a car, and he was injured at that time, so I treated him for that, and then¡­¡±

    Without even asking, Kurumizawa-san suddenly explains what happened with Ryuzaki.

    Seeing her like that,¡­ I knew it was strange.

    (Just like Ryuzaki¡­, Kurumizawa-san is also strange.)

    The expectation turns into a certainty.

    Something is definitely going on.

    A story I didn¡¯t understand was being spun somewhere after all¡­

 CH 214

    It appears that Kurumizawa-san has some sort of relationship with Ryuzaki.

    I don¡¯t know the details, but that could be a ray of light for me.

    (If I can poke around here ¡­, maybe I can talk some sense into her?)

    For example.

    <¡°You said you liked me, but maybe you really don¡¯t. Maybe you like Ryuzaki more?>

    It seems like the quickest way to find out.

    Because it is so unnatural for Ryuzaki to be here right now.

    (What is the god of romantic comedies thinking¡­?)

    Not so long ago, you were all over me.

    Now it seems as if she¡¯s obsessed with someone other than me.

    Because nothing has happened to me since yesterday.

    To be precise, I might be able to describe it as since I met ¡­ Shiho again.

    Anyway, there is no doubt that Kurumizawa-san¡¯s heart is changing now, at least somewhat.

    (Did Ryuzaki save her from an accident? ¡­Then it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯s involved in that guy¡¯s next event.)

    If that¡¯s the case, then blame her there.

    If I can get her to admit that she doesn¡¯t like me, then this whole thing will go away.

    I still feel guilty about Shiho, and I still have a history with my mother, but if I don¡¯t have to face Kurumizawa-san¡¯s love for me, I feel much better about it.

    (I only love ¡­ Shiho, after all.)

    I¡¯m sorry to Kurumizawa-san, but I want to love only her.

    Of course, I think Kurumizawa-san is attractive too. I would be lying if I said that my heart has not been swayed by her many times before.

    But I¡¯m just too clumsy.

    If I felt sorry for her, even a little, I would not be able to truly love her.

    So,

    ¡°Kurumizawa-san, did something happen between you and Ryuzaki?¡±

    I ask frankly.

    I¡¯m sure this is probably the last thing that Kurumizawa-san would want me to mention right now.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As evidence of this is that she has turned completely pale.

    I did not even take off my shoes at the entrance, but faced Kurumizawa-san and exchanged words with her.

    ¡°Tell me. What were you ¡®doing¡¯?¡±

    It was as if her boyfriend was questioning her about her affair.

    When I asked in such an atmosphere, she immediately became dismayed.

    ¡°Nah, there¡¯s nothing ¡­ going on with Ryuzaki.¡±

    It is obvious that she is lying and her eyes are constantly darting about.

    I took advantage of this opportunity to further accuse her.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing going on, why are you so agitated?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to hide so much when there¡¯s¡­ something going on.¡±

    Then I decide to cut more into it this time.

    I tried to cut to the sharp edge of her heart to end the romantic comedy between me and her.

    ¡°Me and Kurumizawa-san aren¡¯t dating, so it doesn¡¯t matter what she¡¯s doing with other boys.¡±

    But ¡­ that one word was probably the worst thing I could have said.

    ¡°¡­Stop.¡±

    Abruptly, she shook her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    Her eyes were filled with large tears.

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know.¡±

    She let me know that her mind is very unstable at the moment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡­ know why I¡¯m feeling this way all of a sudden.¡±

    I guess it is Kurumizawa-san who is more confused than anyone else about the current situation.

    ¡°I should like Nakayama.¡±

    However,

    ¡°Why? I¡¯m not such a light person¡­ Why am I like this? I don¡¯t know¡­ This is not right¡­¡±

    Now she probably feels as if someone has taken over her heart.

    Maybe she has developed a liking for Ryuzaki.

    (Quite the protagonist, isn¡¯t he? ¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened to him, but he¡¯s easily capturing Kurumizawa-san.)

    If I hit that spot, she will have no more excuses.

    Her current statement is as good as a confession that her feelings for me are fading.

    If that¡¯s the case, blame her.

    Make her admit that she doesn¡¯t like me.

    If I could do that, this story would be over.

    The heroine, Kurumizawa-san, will drop out of the story and the curtain will close.

    I know that.

    I know that, but¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¨CI couldn¡¯t do it.

    Because now Kurumizawa-san has the same face as ¡­ those girls.

    (Azusa ¡­ Kirari ¡­ Mary-san ¡­ and everyone else, the same.)

    The girls who were once captivated by the main character Ryoma Ryuzaki, and the current Kurumizawa-san has the same face as those girls.

    Her feelings are not reciprocated, they are trampled on, and she is still suffering from the fact that she likes him.

    So I couldn¡¯t say anything.

    (This is impossible¡­!)

    I can¡¯t do it.

    I can¡¯t make a girl who is already hurting suffer even more.

    But I wonder if he can do that.

    (If Ryuzaki is ¡­ the real ¡°protagonist-sama¡±, he would be able to give another answer here.)

    In the end, though, I chose to keep my mouth shut because all I could do was torment her.

    Ryuzaki might have been able to give a different answer.

    For example¡­, he could have loved even Kurumiawa-san¡­

    It would not be surprising if Ryuzaki could do it.

    In other words, this boundary is the ¡°threshold¡± that separates me and him.

    (I guess ordinary people and protagonists are different after all.)

    No matter how much I try, I can¡¯t surpass the real protagonist.

    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have the power to move the story.

    In other words, this romantic comedy will only progress ¡­ out of my hands now.

    (I wonder if something will change by the end of the week)

    And I can only watch from the sidelines, it seems¡­

 CH 215

    ¨CIt had been three days since she had missed school.

    (Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about this.)

    Shiho Shimotsuki was fed up with the stagnant situation.

    She wanted to get the problem out of the way and get back to the romantic comedy that she was used to, ¡­ but that hasn¡¯t happened yet.

    (Well, it¡¯s okay, though, isn¡¯t it? Kotaro doesn¡¯t seem to have his feelings sorted out either.)

    However, this period of stagnation is not all bad.

    Especially for Kotaro Nakayama, it seemed to be a good pause period, and he looked much better than last week.

    He is still awkward when talking to her face to face, but he is gradually recovering, so a little more patience is needed.

    (It¡¯s frustrating¡­ frustrating? Ah, I don¡¯t know, so it doesn¡¯t matter.)

    I guess I wanted to say ¡°frustrating¡±, but I was spoon-fed the thought without knowing the words.

    The reason I thought of difficult words was probably because I was in Japanese class.

    ¡°Be careful about this area on tomorrow¡¯s test~¡±

    The mild-mannered, glasses-wearing Japanese teacher is gently telling them the scope of the test.

    But Shiho hates studying, so she lightly ignored him.

    (I¡¯m going to be a wife in the future anyway, right? Studying is pointless.)

    She is kind of a pompous girl, so her thinking is also optimistic.

    She only gets serious when it comes to the people she loves, so she always deals with everything else as it comes.

    (And anyway, ¡­ tomorrow is the mid-term test, right?)

    The Japanese teacher¡¯s words reminded Shiho of the test and she frowned.

    She was not obsessed with the score, but she did not want to get a bad score because Kotaro Nakayama, who she loved, would not praise her for it.

    Her parents pamper her even when she gets bad marks by saying, ¡®Shi-chan is a good learner, she can do it if she tries¡¯, but he is a bit harsh on her. No, to put it accurately, her parents are just a bit lenient, while Kotaro Nakayama is just a normal student.

    (If it¡¯s just a little bit, maybe I¡¯ll study ¡­)

    With that in mind, she tries to concentrate on her class, which is a rare occurrence for her.

    She managed to put herself into the class, but by the time it was over, smoke was coming out of her head.

    Shiho¡¯s eyes whirled around like a broken robot.

    £¨Studying is not something a human being should be doing.)

    Her head was hot. It was as hot like a game console that had been running for a long time. Incidentally, this is a side note, but every time a game console goes into thermal overload and turns off, Shiho has a habit of going crazy and hitting her cushions.

    Anyway, she decided to cool her head down because it would be very difficult if her consciousness turned off like a game console.

    (Let¡¯s take a break outside.)

    It was only the second period and there was only a 10-minute break before the third period, but Shiho didn¡¯t care about that and went down to the entrance.

    She was going to head to the back of the school building, her usual resting place, when an event occurred.

    ¡°¡­¡­Oh?

    She had just arrived at the shoebox.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±

    By chance, she ran into her.

    She was a girl with trademark pink hair, and her name was¡­

    ¡°Kururi Kurumizawa-san?¡±

    She let out the words that she had been reciting over and over in her mind for the past few days.

    Then, she was instantly dismayed.

    ¡°Shi¡­Shimotsuki Shiho.¡±

    Shiho nodded her head lightly as she was called by name.

    Now, at the same time she was thinking about what to do, she noticed that ¡­ Kururi Kurumizawa was holding a letter.

    Then she also instantly senses that she is in front of someone¡¯s shoebox.

    ¡°Why are you in front of Kotaro-kun¡¯s shoebox?¡±

    So the dots are connected.

    The question became a line, a connection, and she understood what she was trying to do.

    She was usually a soft and bubbly girl who didn¡¯t think much about things.

    But when it comes to Kotaro Nakayama, she is unusually perceptive.

    Perhaps that is also the nature of the main heroine.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s a love letter in your hand ¡­ and now you¡¯re trying to put a love letter in Kotaro-kun¡¯s shoebox?¡±

    She told her and asked her what was going on.

    But Kururi Kurumizawa was in such an impatient state that she didn¡¯t even need to ask.

    Doubt turns into certainty.

    Shiho Shimotsuki despised her¡­. with all her heart.

    ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of his kindness again?¡±

    Shiho was the only one who absolutely could not forgive Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s actions.

    ¡°No matter how unsettled your feelings are, don¡¯t take advantage of Kotaro-kun. Don¡¯t ¡­ do the worst thing you can do, confessing your feelings and intentionally trying to get dumped.¡±

    Currently, Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s love is wavering.

    She is torn between Kotaro Nakayama and Ryoma Ryuzaki, not knowing what to do.

    So she was trying to sort things out.

    She was trying to shake off her feelings for Kotaro Nakayama by getting dumped on purpose.

    However, Shiho Shimotsuki would not allow her to do so.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ do such a thing, taking advantage of his kindness, knowing that he will get hurt.¡±

    She was more afraid than anything else that Kotaro Nakayama would get hurt¡­

 CH 216

    Thinking back on it, it was a very strange coincidence.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny how sometimes you meet someone just as they¡¯re about to put a love letter in there.¡±

    The location is behind the school building. Kururi Kurumizawa was standing uncomfortably next to her.

    Shiho Shimotsuki spoke to her in a friendly manner.

    ¡°Maybe it was meant to be? I don¡¯t mind the word ¡®fate¡¯. It¡¯s romantic, it¡¯s kind of, you know, ¡­ nice.¡±

    Before, Shiho was too shy to talk much with others.

    But now Shiho has become a different person and talks a lot more.

    Just as Kotaro Nakayama matured after meeting Shiho, she is also growing day by day.

    She is now able to talk so much with strangers.

    However, Shiho was not sure if it was the right thing to do or not.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet for a while now, but I wonder if I¡¯ve chosen the wrong topic. Maybe I should have chosen a more serious topic instead of a light-hearted one?¡±

    Shiho tilted her head as Kururi Kurumizawa remained too silent. She felt that her words didn¡¯t fit the occasion.

    ¡°You see, you and I are sort of love rivals, and if we were ¡­, we should be more adamant about it, shouldn¡¯t we? Oh, that reminds me, I¡¯m angry with you too!¡±

    Then, as if she remembered, she raised her fist and began to show off that she was ¡®angry¡¯.

    ¡°Oh, my, you can¡¯t do that. You can¡¯t hurt my sweet Kotaro-kun, okay? It¡¯s so terrible to make him suffer so much that he cries, no matter how cute he is. Hehehe, I was just kidding~. It¡¯s a lie that I¡¯m angry. So it¡¯s okay to laugh, okay? Here ¡­ is a good place to laugh if you want to.¡±

    For being angry, though, her attitude is too playful.

    Normally, one would laugh at such behavior, which could be described as typical of the clumsy Shiho Shimotsuki.

    However, Kururi Kurumizawa did not even twitch.

    ¡°¡­There is no way you can laugh at that.¡±

    Her red eyes shook slightly.

    The expression on her face was one of ¡®fear¡¯.

    ¡°Because your eyes aren¡¯t smiling.¡±

    Shiho laughed again at those words.

    But Kururi Kurumizawa was right, the back of her eyes were as cold as ice.

    ¡°Ufufu. Well, well, ¡­ it¡¯s not a ¡®laughing matter¡¯ either.¡±

    The black eyes emitted a ceramic-cold light.

    And then she removed all color from her expression.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t found your cowardly behavior ¡­ and hadn¡¯t encountered the moment you offered the love letter, I¡¯m sure he would have been hurt again. And this is the second time you¡¯ve done it, remember? You broke my pretty little twig once, remember? I won¡¯t let you get away with it a second time.¡±

    Shiho was more talkative than usual.

    It was not only because she had developed and overcome her shyness, of course.

    The reason why Shiho Shimotsuki is more talkative than usual.

    It was because she was ¡®angry¡¯.

    ¡°If there is a God who decides my fate, I¡¯m really glad that I was able to prevent this incident ¡­ from your selfish act.¡±

    The god of romantic comedies, who always does nothing but go the extra mile,¡­ however, it seems that he can¡¯t play tricks on the main heroine.

    She is the most unreasonable, intense, and overwhelming presence of the ¡°main heroine-sama¡± in this story.

    If anything, she has a more distinct ¡°individuality¡± than Ryoma Ryuzaki, the protagonist.

    In other words, this chance encounter is not fate.

    It is the result of the god of romantic comedies who favored her personally, in other words, it is ¡°opportunism¡±.

    ¡°Finally, I can talk to you like this.¡±

    Finally, she was able to track down the thieving cat who had been sneaking around in the shadows and messing with her beloved main character.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to settle this, isn¡¯t it? Let me hear your feelings.¡±

    A clear voice sounded as if it were singing.

    However, the sound was very distorted.

    (It¡¯s a terrible sound.)

    Shiho can¡¯t help but laugh at her own voice.

    £¨I can¡¯t let him hear this sound.)

    A side of herself that she usually hides, but if she could, she would have kept it hidden forever.

    But that¡¯s not possible.

    (To protect you, ¡­ I¡¯m willing to get messy¡­)

    She doesn¡¯t care about herself.

    She is always living for only one person.

    She always has, she always is, and then, of course, she always will.

    Shiho is determined to love him for ever and ever¡­

 CH 217

    ¡°¡­ I hear a beautiful sound.¡±

    The words Kururi Kurumizawa suddenly heard were confusing to her.

    ¡°Wh-What are you talking about? I don¡¯t hear any sound.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t hear anything. You wouldn¡¯t hear it, because I have very good hearing.¡±

    She had an innate sense of hearing and often used ¡°sound¡± to describe all of her perceptions.

    The rhythm of breathing, heartbeats, the sound of clothes being rubbed, the intonation of words, and so on.

    Starting with such physical sounds, she would also use sound to express feelings, atmosphere, affinity, etc.; In other words, her sixth sense.

    ¡°Beautiful is your sound,¡­ I hear a clear, transparent, cool tone.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa was confused.

    She was about to put a love letter in Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s shoebox when she ran into Shiho Shimotsuki on the scene, or so she thought, but she was invited to the back of the school building, and now she was being told a weird story.

    Shiho was in control of the conversation the whole time, and she was pushed around.

    Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s conversation just jumped all over the place.

    It was hard to keep up with her.

    It would be rare for a person to be able to chat happily with such a person for a long period of time ¨C so much so that it would be natural for her to think that Shiho Shimotsuki has a strange way of conversing.

    ¡°I mean, I, you know, it¡¯s not that I hate you.¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t hate me, you wouldn¡¯t be so hostile, would you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Peeled off? Am I being peeled like an onion?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Once again, she gets sussed out. No, actually Shiho was just being silly and did not intentionally change the flow of the conversation, but anyway Kururi Kurumizawa was having a hard time.

    Although she wanted to engage in a grueling encounter, the conversation did not click at all.

    Kururi Kurumizawa frowned at the peculiar pause.

    ¡°Umm¡­ you don¡¯t hate me, do you? Then I wanted to tell you not to stare at me so much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you meant. I understand. Anyway, I wanted to say that I don¡¯t hate you, but I am angry with you.¡±

    ¡°Angry? Why?¡±

    This time, on the contrary, Kururi Kurumizawa tried to play dumb.

    She somehow tried to take the reins of the conversation. ¡­ Shiho Shimotsuki was a silly girl, but she was no fool.

    ¡°You tried to hurt Kotaro-kun.¡±

    This time, she was straight to the point, and she was telling the truth.

    She dismisses Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s words, refusing to allow herself to be fooled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to use him as a reason to give up. That¡¯s cowardly.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Cowardly? What do you mean? I was just trying to confess my feelings to Nakayama, and you have no right to complain about that.¡±

    The words of complaint are the same as selling words.

    Kururi Kurumizawa still tries to dodge Shiho¡¯s words.

    But Shiho, who knows everything, would never allow such an act.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be offended if you just confessed to him. But you don¡¯t want to confess and have a relationship with him. You¡¯re just trying to put your feelings for him to rest by deliberately getting rejected, and I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s not cowardly.¡±

    She spun her words like she was trying to make a scene.

    Then, just to stay, ¡­ Shiho Shimotsuki mentioned that person¡¯s name.

    ¡°You want to cut off Kotaro-kun because you¡¯ve fallen in love with Ryuzaki-kun, correct?¡±

    ¡°¡­!?¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s eyes widened at the fact that this was known.

    She couldn¡¯t fool around anymore.

    ¡°Why, why do you¡­!¡±

    No one else knew about it.

    Even if it had been detected, it would only be by Ryoma Ryuzaki, the object of her love, and no one else would have known about it.

    Yet, Shiho Shimotsuki, who is only a third party, knew about it.

    It is no wonder Kururi Kurumizawa is astonished.

    ¡°I know, because I have good ears.¡±

    Shiho replied with a frightening smile.

    ¡°I can see right through you.¡±

    Her ears twitched cutely and she smiled, ¡­but the depths of her eyes were not smiling at all¡­

 CH 218

    ¨CWhen a person lies, the sound is out of tune.

    This is a sense that only she, with her keen sense of hearing, can understand.

    It is only a sensation, so if asked for details, she cannot explain it well, but anyway, she can tell if a person is lying or not.

    In other words, she is sensitive.

    Even if she doesn¡¯t want to know, she can sense the emotions of others.

    It was the same now.

    From Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s words and attitude, she has been able to see through her emotions.

    ¡°You want to cut off Kotaro-kun because you have fallen in love with Ryuzaki-kun, correct?¡±

    Until she asked this question, she was still in the ¡®doubt¡¯ stage.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki had told her about the events of the weekend, but she had not met Kururi Kurumizawa herself, so she could not be sure of her suspicions.

    But now she knew.

    From her reactions, words, and breathing, it was clear to see that the answer to the question was ¡°yes¡±.

    ¡°What do you mean, you have good hearing¡­? I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa was confused.

    She was apparently confused by the fact that Shiho has information that only she should know.

    (She doesn¡¯t know that Ryuzaki-kun and I were working together behind the scenes.)

    Well, Shiho has superhuman senses, but this time, her groundwork worked in large part.

    (Should I tell her that I had coerced Ryuzaki-kun?)

    It was Shiho Shimotsuki who brought Kururi Kurumizawa and Ryoma Ryuzaki together.

    Although she did not give detailed instructions, and their meeting was opportunistic in the name of fate, however, it was an event that occurred because of Shiho¡¯s instruction. If she had not said that, the two wouldn¡¯t have met.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki would still be rotting away, and Kururi Kurumizawa would still be in love with Kotaro Nakayama.

    (¡­ Hmmm, I probably shouldn¡¯t tell her ¡­ It would be more convenient for her to think the encounter was fate, rather than having strange suspicions about it.)

    But she decided to keep it a secret that she was working in the dark behind the scenes.

    It would be troublesome if things got complicated and she resented her.

    (I need this girl to back off like a grown woman.)

    She doesn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

    For example, if Shiho got upset and became aggressive ¨C then Kotaro Nakayama would surely feel responsible for that.

    So she proceeded calmly.

    ¡°In short, I can see right through you. I know that you¡¯ve been messing around with Kotaro-kun, that you had a one-sided love for him, and that you¡¯ve been annoying him in various ways.¡±

    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong with that? Shimotsuki isn¡¯t dating Nakayama, so I don¡¯t have anything to say about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not going to complain about that.¡±

    You don¡¯t need permission to fall in love with someone.

    Even if they are married, have a girlfriend, or have good friends of the opposite gender, no one should be able to stop them if they just love someone.

    ¡°But did you really ¡®love¡¯ Kotaro-kun?¡±

    However, such affection is allowed only when it is ¡®genuine.

    ¡°If you really liked Kotaro-kun, then you couldn¡¯t possibly like ¡­ Ryuzaki-kun, no matter what.¡±

    In other words, Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s love,

    ¡°I will never allow you to hurt him because of your false ¡®love¡¯.¡±

    It was false.

    If so, she will stop.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get Kotaro-kun involved in your self-serving games of ¡®house¡¯.¡±

    In the end, Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s romantic comedy was nothing but a farce¡­

 CH 219

    After all, this is the reason why Shiho is angry.

    ¡°You ran away from facing your feelings, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa must have been confused, having fallen for someone different than the person she was supposed to like.

    She was confused and lost in her feelings and didn¡¯t know what to do ¡­ and finally ran away from them.

    ¡°I tried to process my feelings for Kotaro-kun as quickly as I could.¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa couldn¡¯t bear the thought of liking two people.

    After all, she is just an ordinary person. ¡­For example, an ordinary person cannot do the irreverent act of loving more than one person, like some harem protagonist¡­

    This is not to say that Kururi Kurumizawa is strange.

    It is just that she is too ordinary to be on the stage of this romantic comedy.

    ¡°In order to shake off your feelings for Kotaro-kun, you decided to confess to him and deliberately try to get rejected by him. And you tried to fall in love only with Ryuzaki-kun.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa bit her lip at Shiho¡¯s words.

    Her red eyes were shaking widely.

    She is obviously upset.

    ¡°B-I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­!¡±

    She tried to argue, but her will was weak.

    She stammered, faltered, and the words faded away before they were fully formed.

    Kururi Kurumizawa was so distraught that it was almost pitiful to watch.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel sympathy for you.¡±

    But the main heroine would not let her escape.

    She will not commit the folly of showing mercy with half-hearted kindness, as Kotaro Nakayama did.

    Because there is no point in pity.

    As long as she is in love with him, it is synonymous with hurting him.

    The kindness extended to a love rival is nothing short of an insult.

    ¡°What is it that you think is so selfish that you can fall in love with Kotaro-kun on your own and then fall in love with someone else after having pushed him around for so long? Do you think such selfish love is acceptable?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Noisy.¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa, however, did not take kindly to being ignored.

    ¡°- Noisy! Don¡¯t assume my feelings on your own,¡­ You talk like you know what I am feeling, but how could you possibly know!?¡±

    Kururi¡¯s rebuttal is, of course, accurate.

    Everything Shiho has said so far is just her ¡®guess¡¯.

    However, Shiho did not doubt her own words at all.

    ¡°I understand. I don¡¯t feel sorry for you, but I can sympathize with ¡­ you.¡±

    Then her expression clouded a little.

    ¡°If I had met someone like you before I met Kotaro-kun,¡­ I might have ended up like you.¡±

    So far, she has said a lot of things.

    However, Shiho doesn¡¯t really dislike the girl Kururi Kurumizawa.

    Although they are now adversaries in their position, ¡­ Kururi¡¯s choices and actions themselves were often things she could relate to.

    ¡°My destiny is Kotaro-kun, so I shudder to think what ¡­ would have been like if I had been in a situation similar to yours.¡±

    If, before meeting Kotaro Nakayama, she had met a man similar to her.

    If it was someone other than Kotaro who woke up Shiho sleeping soundly in the classroom that time in April.

    What if that person had a character similar to Kotaro?

    Shiho might have become friends with that person at that time.

    Shiho can sympathize with Kururi Kurumizawa because she believes so.

    ¡°I understand that you have been unlucky. I am also aware that I cannot deny your love for Kotaro-kun. Because you don¡¯t need ¡®permission¡¯ to fall in love with someone.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then, why are you angry with me? If you don¡¯t have the right to stop me from falling in love, then leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­No. And that is a different matter.¡±

    You don¡¯t need permission to love someone.

    But you need a ¡®reason¡¯.

    ¡°Your ¡®love¡¯ is very flimsy. You messed with Kotaro-kun with such a frivolous feeling. Moreover, you hurt him.¡±

    If Kururi¡¯s love is real, it is no wonder that Kotaro is hurt.

    Of course, Shiho cannot allow him to be hurt, but she cannot blame Kururi either. Because love is an act of hurting and being hurt.

    However, this is all based on the assumption that Kururi¡¯s love is ¡°real¡±.

    ¡°Do you know what the act of hurting someone for no reason is called?¡±

    It is the worst kind of behavior that should never be tolerated in society.

    ¡°It¡¯s called¡­ ¡®violence¡¯.¡±

    The reason Shiho Shimotsuki was angry can be summed up in one word. She was angry at Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s one-sided violence.

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s not an accusation! I didn¡¯t do anything violent!!¡±

    ¡°Then explain.¡±

    Shiho was able to counter Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s objection by putting words over her head.

    ¡°Tell me why you fell in love with Kotaro-kun.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, of course. That¡¯s easy!¡±

    In response, Kururi Kurumizawa immediately opened her mouth.

    But¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No words were uttered.

    ¡°¡­See, that¡¯s all there is to it. You don¡¯t even know why you love someone, it¡¯s all just a charade.¡±

    Shiho Shimotsuki snickered at Kururi Kurumizawa¡­

 CH 220

    ¨CWhy did I fall in love with him?

    Kururi Kurumizawa pondered.

    ¡±   ¡°

    However, what was created was a ¡®blank¡¯.

    When Shiho Shimotsuki asked her why, she immediately tried to answer, but nothing came out in the end.

    ¡°¡­ See, that¡¯s just the extent of it. You don¡¯t even know why, yet you love someone, you¡¯re only playing along.¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa, however, could not say anything back to those words that were hurled at her with a mocking sneer.

    £¨Why did I fall in love with Nakayama?)

    Desperately, she scrambled through her memories.

    Searching through her past emotions, she sought answers to her questions.

    But nothing came up.

    (What was the reason I fell in love with Nakayama?)

    Kururi Kurumizawa had lost sight of her feelings for Kotaro Nakayama.

    ¡­ No, perhaps that expression is not accurate.

    She did not lose sight of them. She had never had those feelings from the very beginning.

    (As I recall, I saw Nakayama right after I transferred to a new school, and then ¡­ somehow, I got interested in him¡­)

    Looking back, the feelings were always vague from the beginning.

    She became interested in him somehow, wanted to get to know him somehow, and somehow ¡°liked¡± him somehow.

    It was a love that all started ¡°somehow,¡± and she couldn¡¯t find a clear reason for it.

    (I know Nakayama is a wonderful person¡­)

    She understands his charm.

    He was calm, friendly, and not at all nervous when he was next to her, just like when one is with a close family member.

    But he also had a shadowy expression on his face sometimes, and that was the part that stuck in her mind. ¡­ He was a boy with such a mysterious charm.

    But all of this is just an afterthought.

    The one thing Shiho Shimotsuki wants to know is the ¡°reason¡± she fell in love with him.

    Since there is no such thing, Kururi Kurumizawa could only keep her mouth shut.

    ¡°Some people might say, ¡®You don¡¯t need a reason to love someone¡¯. But I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Shiho Shimotsuki knows that there are real and fake feelings of love.

    Because she has seen a girl poisoned by her childhood friend, the protagonist, embracing and suffering from false love.

    Well, there are occasional exceptions to the pattern where the fake replaces the real. ¡­ But this time, Kururi Kurumizawa did not fit that pattern.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair that you just sort of fall in love with him, and then sort of end that love ¡­ and you don¡¯t get hurt much in the end.¡±

    ¡°But even if ¡­ I confess my feelings to him and he rejects me, I¡¯m the only one who will be hurt, right? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, it isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    Only those who confess and are rejected are hurt ¨C those who are lightly affected by such feelings do not face the feelings of ¡°love¡±.

    ¡°Kotaro-kun is a kind boy, so he took your feelings seriously. He was troubled, he suffered, and he still faced his feelings. So even if he only rejects you, how can he think nothing of it?¡±

    Kotaro Nakayama is not a lighthearted person.

    Shiho Shimotsuki knows this well.

    Shiho has fallen in love with him because of that.

    ¡°Even refusing your confession hurts Kotaro-kun, you know? It can¡¯t be helped, but he feels ¡®sorry¡¯ for you.¡±

    ¡°Love¡± is an act of hurting and being hurt.

    Therefore, Shiho believes that this is an area that should not be touched half-heartedly.

    At the very least, she does not want her to make a careless confession based on false feelings.

    Because while Kururi, who would be rejected, would not be hurt much, Kotaro Nakayama, who rejected her, would be hurt more.

    There was no way she could allow that to happen¡­

 CH 221

    ¡°Kehoho, kehoho.¡±

    Under the cold winter sky, the sound of Shiho¡¯s dry cough echoed in the deserted back of the school building.

    She was having a hard time breathing because she had let out everything she wanted to say all at once.

    It had been several days since she had recovered from her illness, but she still wasn¡¯t in perfect physical condition. If nothing else, perhaps she would have missed school today.

    But Shiho went to school because she was concerned about Kotaro Nakayama.

    Her own physical condition was a trivial matter compared to Kotaro.

    (Is that what real love is ¡­?)

    Kururi Kurumizawa saw Shiho¡¯s pale face and questioned her own way of being.

    ¡°Playing house¡­¡±

    She was dismayed at herself for being told that, but unable to refute it.

    She could not refute anything. Because Kururi Kurumuzawa is now witnessing the ¡®real thing¡¯ from Shiho Shimotsuki.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Kotaro-kun any more.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She was trying her best for the person she loved, and while she was an ¡­¡­ love rival¡­, she was beautiful.

    (I kind of ¡­ feel like an idiot.)

    It was as if cold water had been poured over her head.

    A cold sensation flowed from head to toe, calming her thoughts at once.

    She had been agitated a moment ago, but now she was calm.

    (If I look closely, I can see she¡¯s trembling. ¡­ You¡¯re so timid, you confronted me?)

    Shiho was clenching her fists threateningly against her chest, but upon closer inspection, her hands were shaking slightly and her expression was also intensified.

    She was like a small animal trying to make herself look big and intimidating.

    She was acting tough, but in fact she was overflowing ¨C and Kururi Kurumizawa realized the depth of her love for him.

    At the same time, she realized how shallow her own love was.

    Because Kururi didn¡¯t have the courage to do so.

    Even though Shiho Shimotsuki had hit her head-on, she was unable to accept it and kept fumbling around.

    That was the difference in their love.

    There is a big gap between Shiho, who tried to keep her love alive even when they clashed, and her own love, which was always frustrated and trying in vain to get around it.

    Watching Shiho Shimotsuki, she became more and more aware of this.

    ¡°After all, you chose¡­ Ryuzaki-kun over Kotaro-kun, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    She doesn¡¯t have the energy to talk back anymore.

    Kururi let out a breath of contemplation and relaxed her cheeks a little.

    With a wry smile, she lets out her honest feelings for the first time.

    ¡°¡­ Maybe so, maybe so.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡­ that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Kururi has done nothing wrong.

    Shiho did not blame her for the fact that her feelings of love for him had simply shifted.

    She just could not forgive the way she went about it.

    ¡°There is no point in going to the trouble of confessing your feelings to Kotaro-kun when all you have to do is tell him honestly how you feel.¡±

    She had assumed that being rejected was the only way to end her love.

    But that¡¯s not true, Shiho complained.

    ¡°Don¡¯t choose a method that involves him¡­, and don¡¯t run away, but face Kotaro-kun properly.¡±

    Being rejected in order to end love ¨C she shouldn¡¯t take such a shortcut.

    She should admit her weakness and honestly tell Kotaro, ¡®I¡¯ve fallen in love with someone else¡¯.

    After all, Shiho was just saying that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you like someone you don¡¯t like.¡±

    That act is an ¡®insult¡¯ to Kotaro Nakayama.

    It was disrespectful to him, who earnestly strives to like other people.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s true, too.¡±

    Kururi Kurumizawa nodded at that.

    She smiled in resignation, admitting that she had been trying to take the easy way out.

    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt him anymore.¡±

    She recognized that this was the only ¡°atonement¡± she could make.

    She has hurt him a lot in the past. She forcefully signed him up as her tutor, spent a lot of time with him even though he didn¡¯t want to be there, and ended up with excessive skinship with him.

    As a result, she left a scar on Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s heart and made him suffer from a sense of guilt.

    Then, there was no need to add more sins to the list.

    ¡°I will tell him the truth.¡±

    That¡¯s what makes ¡®sense¡¯.

    She¡¯ll admit her weakness and feel miserable, but it¡¯s also a fitting end to a half-hearted love.

    ¡°Promise.¡±

    She nodded, and Shiho smiled, ¡­ happily.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    That smile of joy at being able to protect someone you love,

    £¨It¡¯s so beautiful¡­)

    It was so dazzling that it made her eyes narrow¡­

 CH 222

    After a strange weekend, Monday arrives.

    Three days later, it was Wednesday.

    Tomorrow was the mid-term exam, and all the students were busy with their studies.

    The students seemed to be more serious than usual in their attitude toward class.

    However, in such a situation ¡­ she was not facing the blackboard, after all.

    (I guess Shiho really doesn¡¯t want to study.)

    She was next to me a while ago, but now she has moved to the front row. Although I missed it, it was quite fun to observe her from the back.

    She tends to be basically absentminded during class.

    Today, she tried a little harder to concentrate on the class, but it seemed to be impossible, and now she is looking at the clock and waiting for the time to pass.

    (Staring at the clock doesn¡¯t make the time go faster, though¡­)

    Such a gesture is so adorable that I can¡¯t help but relax my cheeks.

    Shiho is cute as always. I¡¯d like to be next to her if I could, but ¡­ it¡¯s going to take a little more time.

    (Kurumizawa-san, are you off today?)

    I can¡¯t help but have her stuck in the corner of my mind.

    I would be lying if I said that I am not concerned about her, who has been absent all week.

    t¡¯s not that I like her or am interested in her or anything.

    But I can¡¯t be indifferent to Kurumizawa-san.

    She told me she likes me, hugged me, and even kissed me. If that is the case, I have to give an answer.

    Otherwise, I can¡¯t break it off.

    I feel bad about thinking about the opposite gender in front of Shiho, a girl so attractive that she is too good for me.

    So, until the relationship between¡­ and me and Kurumizawa-san is settled, things will never be the same.

    Although my heart is a little better than last week thanks to the new week, my heart is still heavy.

    I was feeling sorry that I hadn¡¯t been able to talk to Shiho, too¡­, and it was just at that time.

    (Huh? Shiho is not here¡­)

    The third period class started, but she was not there.

    She was nowhere to be found in the classroom. This somehow made me worry.

    (Maybe she felt unwell and went to the infirmary?)

    If so, ¡­ what should I do, I¡¯m getting restless.

    Although she has finally recovered, she may not be in perfect physical condition yet. I couldn¡¯t stay still thinking about what would happen if she got sick again and her symptoms worsened, so I raised my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯m going to the infirmary.¡±

    The teacher in charge immediately agreed, so I left the classroom and headed for the infirmary.

    I thought for sure she would be there too.

    (Huh? She¡¯s not here¡­)

    When I looked into the infirmary, no one was there.

    I wondered if she might have left urgently because she wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I decided to ask the nurse about it.

    ¡°Suddenly sick female student? I know no such girl, but ¡­ are you skipping school? There¡¯s no bed for a healthy person, so get back to it.¡±

    Shiho was not there.

    After a short lecture from the infirmary teacher, I headed for the entrance.

    I was first relieved that she wasn¡¯t sick.

    I also had an idea where she might be.

    (Probably behind the school building.)

    She hates studying, so she skipped class because she was sick of it.

    The back of the school building is a perfect place for skipping class. But it¡¯s the middle of winter, so I think it¡¯s cold. ¡­ Maybe she hated studying so much that she didn¡¯t care.

    (I could go back to my classroom and let her borrow my jacket.)

    I just want to make sure she¡¯s there and feel at ease.

    So I was on my way to the back of the school building.

    ¡°Oops. You¡¯re off-limits from here, okay? Kotaro¡¯s turn will come a little later.¡±

    On the way to the back of the school building.

    The one who was crouching in the shadows was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, beautiful girl.

    I gasped when I saw her face.

    I was surprised by the unexpected reunion.

    ¡°Mary-san?¡±

    Yes, there she was, the girl who was supposed to be on leave.

    ¡°Hey there. The defeated heroine, who was supposed to have left the stage, has come back. I¡¯m sorry, I feel like my heart is about to burst with apology for showing you an unsightly heroine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hee.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp at the same old roundabout line delivery.

    I made a disgusted face, but Mary was still aloof.

    ¡°Huh? You think it is because my b*****s are too big that they get torn? HAHAHA! I¡¯m also an amorous person, so leave it to me in that area.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡±

    I ask directly.

    When you are having a conversation with this person, it is important not to let the pace drift.

    Otherwise, the conversation will be unnecessarily long.

    ¡°As usual, Kotaro is so unselfish. A high school boy of your age should be more willing to look down his nose at me.¡±

    ¡°Enough. Move aside.¡±

    ¡°Oh, will you take it easy? I want you to calm down,¡­ because right now there is an event happening between the main heroine-chan and the subheroine-chan.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    With that statement, I guessed.

    ¡°Shiho and Kurumizawa-san are there?¡±

    The two of them are in the back of the school building.

    The moment I caught wind of it, I couldn¡¯t stay put and walked past her.

    ¡°Kotaro, please don¡¯t let them find out, okay? If Kotaro gets found out now, it¡¯s going to hinder the story.¡±

    I was alerted by the story-addicted weirdo and, for the moment, I held my breath.

    I sneak a peek behind the school building from the corner of the corridor ¡­ and there they are, after all.

    (Shiho and Kurumizawa-san¡­ Why are you here!?)

    I cannot tell what they are talking about. There is a bit of distance between them, and they both have muffled voices, so I can¡¯t hear them clearly.

    But I could tell from a distance that it wasn¡¯t a very good atmosphere¡­

 CH 223

    ¨CWho is that girl over there?

    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±¡±

    I feel uncomfortable. Or, perhaps that expression is not quite accurate.

    It¡¯s more like a feeling of discomfort, or inconsistency, or unnaturalness,¡­ like when you¡¯re looking for a mistake, like you know something¡¯s wrong but you don¡¯t know exactly what it is.

    ¡°Shiho, right?¡±

    As far as I can see, Shiho Shimotsuki is in the back part of the school building. Facing her was Kurumizawa-san, and the two were speaking to each other.

    As usual, Shiho is cute.

    Her silvery white hair, shiny black eyes, snow-white skin, and small body all tickle a man¡¯s fancy and makes me happy just by looking at her.

    She is also soft and fluffy inside, and although she has some imperfections, she is pure white and beautiful. So transparent that it gives the illusion of bringing out one¡¯s own uncleanness.

    But now Shiho ¡­ something, something different?

    ¡°¡­Oops. It¡¯s time to go back, Kotaro. ¡­ It¡¯s only a short time before she conveniently notices us, even if she has good hearing. Even the God of romantic comedies has a hard time fooling her.¡±

    I want to observe her more closely.

    I can¡¯t help but feel like there¡¯s a Shiho there that I don¡¯t know about.

    But Mary prevented me from doing so.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the right time yet. Kotaro is too weak right now to face her.¡±

    She pulled my hand away, smirking at me. I wondered what was so funny.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, by the way, it¡¯s not Kotaro who¡¯s in distress. I¡¯ll say it¡¯s Shiho who¡¯s in trouble. ¡­ I know a lot of stories. About characters like that who, if they take a few steps down the wrong path, can end up in a lot of misery.¡±

    ¨CThe one who is in trouble is Shiho.

    Hearing those words, I quickly backed away.

    I want to know more about Shiho.

    But it was too early for that, I was told by the girl who was a self-proclaimed creator.

    Mary was not a very likable person for me.

    But when it comes to her knowledge, experience, and abilities, she is a character on a scale many times larger than mine.

    So I did as she asked.

    Mary gave me a sarcastic smile.

    ¡°¡­ I think it¡¯s the nature of mob characters not to be selfish at times like this. If you don¡¯t care about a character as wacky as me and stick to yourself, even if it¡¯s at your own will, there might be a different path ahead.¡±

    ¡°Which is it, ¡­ you want me to stop? Do you not want me to stop?¡±

    I don¡¯t understand.

    As I walk back down the corridor, I sigh at Mary, who keeps going around in circles.

    This person was as annoying as ever.

    And it¡¯s not a cute annoyance like Shiho, it¡¯s simply annoying, and it¡¯s a chore to be involved with her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a will. I don¡¯t care which one it is, but I just stopped Kotaro as I was supposed to do. I¡¯m on your side this time, apparently.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Mary is on my side, I¡¯m more worried than reassured.

    I was a little uncomfortable because I had been pushed around a lot by this person.

    ¡°Well, well, well, I don¡¯t really dislike Kotaro, so it¡¯s all right. Nahihi? There¡¯s a really interesting story being told around Kotaro. ¡­ Well, I never thought I¡¯d be able to see the whole story of that main heroine-chan.¡±

    ¡°¡­Shiho¡¯s, the whole story?¡±

    It was very interesting to hear Mary, who, like me, ¡­¡­ or, if anything, sees the story in reality from a more bird¡¯s-eye viewpoint than I do¡­

    ¡°I had never seen Shiho expose herself before,¡± he said. All this time she¡¯s been a good girl, playing the cat in front of her beloved Kotaro, never showing her true nature. But that¡¯s unnatural,¡­ because how can there be a heroine who just stays beautiful?¡±

    ¡°What if ¡­ beautiful is her true nature?¡±

    ¡°If you want to believe that, then believe it. But I look at it differently. Because it¡¯s more interesting that way.¡±

    The hedonistic nature remains the same as ever.

    ¡°The main heroine, whom even I couldn¡¯t quite see the full extent of, is starting to show some signs of falling apart as the story progresses¡­ That¡¯s why Kotaro has matured so much, and that means the lukewarm relationship has reached its limits. I guess.¡±

    Mary said something amusing and she was trying to rouse me.

    ¡°I wonder if Kotaro will still be able to love Shiho when he finds out ¡®everything¡¯ about her¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to seeing where this romantic comedy between the two of you will lead.¡±

    She said something that made me uneasy, like she knew something I didn¡¯t know, which made me shut down.

    Is this the end of the road for me and Shiho¡¯s romantic comedy? ¡­ What on earth is going to happen?

    I thought it would be a flat, peaceful romantic comedy with no mountains and no valleys.

    But perhaps that¡¯s unacceptable¡­

 CH 224

    But still, what on earth does this person want?

    ¡°Oops, I wish you¡¯d calm down~! HAHAHA! Kotaro, don¡¯t look so unhappy with me. Kotaro and I don¡¯t have such a shallow relationship, so it¡¯s okay to have a little chat!¡±

    Was it my face that showed my annoyance?

    Mary-san dared to make a cheerful persona and squared her shoulders with me.

    That¡¯s the one. ¡­ It¡¯s a harassment. ¡­It¡¯s in the nature of the Mary Parker character to be more of an annoyance because I made her seem like one.

    ¡°Let go.¡±

    When I brushed it off lightly, she shrugged in exasperation.

    ¡°Even though I was touching my chest, what¡¯s with that attitude? If it was Ryoma, he would be laughing and rejoicing like ¡®Ghee¡¯, but I think Kotaro should be more infatuated!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Give me a break!¡±

    What¡¯s the point of having your chest bump me?

    Sure, Mary may have an attractive body to men, but even I have the right to choose.

    ¡°Eh, why? I think I and Kotaro are quite compatible with each other.¡±

    ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want to be with Mary.¡±

    ¡°¨D¨DThat¡¯s why, right? I think it¡¯s going to work out surprisingly well since we¡¯re both leading lives that aren¡¯t full of each other. ¡­ If Koutarou and Shiho¡¯s romantic comedy falls apart, come to me, will you? It¡¯s not a bad idea to live together with the same characters and lick each other¡¯s wounds.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s the future. ¡­ So why are you here, Mary? I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re here at school when you¡¯re on leave.¡±

    To begin with.

    I don¡¯t understand the point of her being here at all.

    It doesn¡¯t make sense that she knew about our situation, nor that she was checking on Shiho and Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°I thought you just came out of nowhere and said all these things that made sense¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do.¡±

    When I honestly told her I was confused, Mary smiled cheerfully.

    Of course, the smile was fake, as usual.

    ¡°Oh, come on, please forgive me at least this much. I am just a minor player in this event, so I want to be allowed to be a part of it at least when I appear.¡±

    ¡°¡­A minor player?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a minor player. It¡¯s a simple role of collecting the foreshadowing that was laid out in the beginning. ¡­I don¡¯t mean to say it myself, but I¡¯m pretty ¡®useable¡¯¡­ I can see the story from a bird¡¯s eye view and can do more than Kotaro. The only drawback is that I am arrogant, but in terms of ability, I am close to perfect, you know.¡±

    I almost frown at her meta dialogue.

    It is true that this person is more capable than I am.

    If this is the case, then what role does she play in the story?

    ¡°I have many attributes. I am a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty, a hottie, a bright and cheerful character, a perfect superhuman who excels in both literary and martial arts, a black-hearted two-faced person, and a story-addicted lunatic. Among the many strong attributes, ¡­. but this time it seems the character ¡®rich¡¯ was used, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Rich.¡±

    Speaking of which, Mary¡¯s parents are apparently quite wealthy.

    So she is the perfect ¡°lady character¡± to solve financial problems.

    ¡°NIHIHI ? I can solve any problem related to money, okay? For example, yes, it¡¯s very easy for me to help¡­ Kotaro¡¯s parents manage their company.¡±

    It seemed that she was going to solve the problem that had been tying me down for so long.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to depend on Kurumizawa, it¡¯s okay?¡­ I¡¯ll solve everything for you, Kotaro, in a way that suits you.¡±

    ¡­ Oh, yes.

    Mary was truly a difficult and troubling character.

    She was so difficult to deal with that I hated her when she was my enemy.

    ¡°I¡¯m a cheat character, that¡¯s useful in a situation like this.¡±

    However, just as many enemy characters are reliable when they become allies, ¡­ Mary seems to have become a reassuring presence.

 CH 225

    According to Mary¡¯s explanation, her parents¡¯ company seems to be in a stable financial position.

    ¡°I¡¯ve intervened, so you can rest assured, okay? Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t done anything bad.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    I honestly couldn¡¯t believe it.

    This hedonist was helping me on a whim?

    ¡°Oh, of course. Because Ryoma asked me to do it. You see, I have fallen in love with him, haven¡¯t I? If he asks me to do something, I can¡¯t say no.¡±

    ¡°Ryuzaki!?¡±

    He helped me?

    Impossible. This is more surprising than Mary helping me.

    ¡°Why did he help me? ¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little too early to tell, don¡¯t you think? But I can tell you one thing: ¡­ Ryoma is no longer a lame protagonist. He¡¯s finally awakened.¡±

    ¨CAwakened?

    What kind of event could have awakened someone who had been so rotten?

    He is a man who until recently thought of himself as a ¡®mob character¡¯ ¡­ There is no way he could have awakened unless something very serious happened to him¡­

    So, in other words, there must have been a very significant event.

    ¡°As for Ryoma¡¯s romantic comedy, it¡¯s frustrating, but I can¡¯t say anything about it. I can¡¯t say anything to Kotaro right now, but there¡¯s no way I can do anything about it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°It means exactly what I say. Bound by the fate of your mother, unable to reject the subheroine¡¯s affection, and finally allowing contact and suffering from guilt,¡­ what can such a pathetic Kotaro do?¡±

    (TLN: Mary is now my self-insert.)

    ¡­As usual, well-informed.

    What kind of connections did she use to learn so much about me?

    ¡°I¡¯m a cheat character. I know everything¡­ That¡¯s how I¡¯m ¡®set up¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an explanation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not trying to explain anything.¡±

    Anyway, what she wants to argue is that I¡¯m ¡®pathetic¡¯ now.

    ¡°After being swept away by the story, Kotaro tried to be elevated to the role of hero ¡­, but in the end was disqualified as a ¡°hero¡± ¡­ Kotaro is just a ¡®mob character¡¯ and he cannot possibly have multiple heroines love him.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe so, huh.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a ¡®maybe¡¯. Kotaro is a mob character. Even if the god of romantic comedies loves you, even if opportunism pushes you back, you can¡¯t hold a candle to the real protagonist,¡­ Ryoma Ryuzaki.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    Even without being told now, I knew ¡­

    ¡°If you knew that, you shouldn¡¯t have been so half-heartedly kind. If you could only love Shiho, you shouldn¡¯t have accepted Kururi, right? If she tells you she loves you, you should have told her you hate her. Even if it¡¯s a terrible thing to do, if you ultimately can¡¯t accept it, then you have to reject it from the get-go.¡±

    But did I really ¡®get it¡¯?

    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was thinking that thanks to Shiho, I had matured and was no longer a ¡°mob character¡± ¡­, but was I really that confident?

    Such a doubt crossed my mind.

    ¡°¨CYou shouldn¡¯t think that a mere mob character mistakenly thinks of himself as the main character. The Kotaro of today is just like me of the past,¡­ when I was just a sub heroine, but I mistakenly thought I was the main heroine.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    When she said that, I couldn¡¯t deny it.

    I was convinced that she was right.

    ¡°Kotaro has no power to move the story. Kotaro is always just an onlooker, a pawn on the board to be manipulated as desired. If you understand that once again, you will be able to spell out a much more wonderful romantic comedy in the future.¡±

    As usual, Mary is very talkative when it comes to stories.

    She has finished everything she wanted to say, and her face looks somewhat satisfied.

    ¡°So, in order to help Kotaro, the mob character¡­, I will let you use my power to the fullest this time.¡±

    She then held out a smartphone to me.

    That phone belonged to me.

    ¡°You can call her. Kotaro¡¯s aunt gave it back to me properly. ¡­ That means a lot of things have been discussed. So the rest is up to Kotaro. You should call her and show your intentions.¡±

    ¡°Call? Who?¡±

    ¡°Kotaro¡¯s mother, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    The proposal came at me from an unexpected angle, and my thoughts went blank.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t speak up, they will take advantage of you again. The incident with Kururi was partly due to the conflict between Kotaro and his mother, you know. Let¡¯s resolve it properly while we still can.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°Why should I hesitate? If I don¡¯t get this matter out of the way now, I won¡¯t be able to hope for the climactic ¡­ scene with Kururi without worrying about it, you know? So we should get it over with.¡±

    Apparently, Mary-san is trying to tell me to break the karma with my mother here¡­

 CH 226

    I¡¯m probably about halfway through my third period class.

    I ended up skipping it, but I wasn¡¯t in class right now.

    The place was in the corner of the schoolyard, just in a blind spot.

    There I was, facing Mary.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Why can¡¯t you just say, ¡®Don¡¯t use me in the future¡¯?¡±

    Mary-san forcefully pushes a smartphone at me.

    When I take it, the phone book screen is already open there, showing my mother¡¯s name.

    Touch it and the call starts.

    The thought of talking to that mother ¨C just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

    I hate that mother who is my blood relative, even though I am her son, even though she gave birth to me, but she has a strangerly and mechanical voice.

    I cry in my memory of my childhood, when I was dismayed, disappointed, and abandoned for not being able to do anything.

    After my mother¡¯s disappointment, I too lost the ability to expect anything from myself.

    I began to question my own worthiness, and eventually I thought of myself as a ¡°mob character¡± and lost all motivation for everything.

    Thanks to Shiho, I became a better person. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to hear her voice anymore.

    I don¡¯t want to go back to my past self anymore.

    My cowardly self is shaking my head desperately.

    Don¡¯t call her, it¡¯s screaming at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you just want to stick your chest out in front of Shiho?¡±

    But Mary-san could do anything after all.

    I guess it was easy for her to push my timid back.

    ¡°Nihihi? know you want me to say so. Good thing I¡¯m on your side this time ¡­ or I wouldn¡¯t be doing the annoying thing of encouraging a pathetic mob character.¡±

    ¡­Yeah, I knew that.

    I am still a pawn dancing in Mary¡¯s hands.

    I mean, I don¡¯t have the right to ¡­ make the decision in the first place.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have to make a decision. Kotaro has no freedom of action. He can only do his part for the sake of the story.¡±

    ..It has always been that way.

    Then it will be the same now.

    I¡¯m here to break the karma with my mother.

    That¡¯s the plot of the story.

    Then there is no need to hesitate.

    ¡°¡­Hello?¡±

    The phone connected.

    I pressed the call button, heard a single ring, and immediately the call was connected.

    ¡°Kotaro, you did a good job.¡±

    Of course, we didn¡¯t start chatting.

    It was the first conversation I had had with her in several years, but her first words were inorganic.

    ¡°Thanks to you, we were able to receive a large amount of support from the Mary Corporation. We also received help from the Kurumizawa Conglomerate, and thanks to you, we have a good prospect for the future. This time, it was thanks to Kotaro.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I haven¡¯t said anything yet.

    However, my mother continued to talk on her own, perhaps not wanting to spend even a moment talking on the phone.

    ¡°For the first time, I was glad to have you. I thought you were an outcast, not good in studies or sports, mediocre in looks, and without a shred of talent, but ¡­ I never thought you had talent here.¡±

    Talent?

    What is this person talking about?

    I¡¯ve been told I¡¯m not talented, that I¡¯m lucky to have been born, that I¡¯m out of shape, and other horrible things, but that was a long time ago when I was hurt by those things. Now I don¡¯t feel anything when people say such things.

    However, for the first time, my mother appreciated my ¡°value¡± and I was concerned about that.

    What was it about me that made my mother so happy?

    ¡°I never would have guessed you had a talent for getting ladies to contribute. I can¡¯t believe that the Kurumizawa Conglomerate and the daughter of the Mary Company are willing to help you. ¡­ This is really, really useful. It will be a great advantage for our company. Thank you, Kotaro.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¨CWith those words of gratitude, a switch was flipped.

    Up until now, I had been afraid of my cowardice, but now the line was unforgivable.

    ¡°To ladies, to make them contribute?¡±

    I¡¯m not getting involved with Kurumizawa-san and Mary-san for such a purpose.

    I don¡¯t build relationships with such corrupt motives.

    I am not like you.

    And yet¡­ Don¡¯t get me wrong.

    ¡°Cherish these relationships. And with you as a catalyst, our company will take an even bigger leap forward. Finally, you¡¯ve made yourself useful to me. Kotaro, why don¡¯t you become a host? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be more successful that way.¡±

    I was taken aback by the vulgar suggestion.

    I didn¡¯t want to believe that my mother was this kind of person.

    This was impossible.

    No, it wasn¡¯t.

    I was simply turning my back on reality.

    Somewhere inside of me, I knew it from the beginning.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a ¡­ child to you, am I?¡±

    I muttered. That¡¯s all I could say.

    Then, as if choking back emotion, all I could do was grunt.

    ¡°I am a ¡®tool¡¯ to you, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Not for the first time.

    I had recognized that on several occasions.

    I guess I was just a tool to my mother,¡­ I thought so, but once again, that fact made me angry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me.¡±

    Am I useful to my mother?

    Or useless?

    I guess it is very important to that person.

    But when I think about it, ¡­ it¡¯s none of my business.

    ¡°You are the one who gave birth to me without my permission.¡±

    I know that saying this would be a waste of time and energy, but I had to say it.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t born because I wanted to be born.¡±

    So, don¡¯t ask me for anything of value.

    Don¡¯t force your selfish ideas on me¡­

 CH 227

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    The words I had intended to say were lost in the heat of my mother¡¯s sigh.

    ¡°Kotaro, I don¡¯t have time for your emotionalism.¡±

    There was no reason for me to be distraught.

    My words are nothing but a sound to her.

    No matter what I said, appealed, or wished, she would trample it all down.

    She thinks of me as nothing more than a tool, and rightly so.

    ¡°I almost doubt that you are my child.¡±

    The inorganic voice almost chokes me.

    It is only then that I realize I have been holding my breath.

    That¡¯s how out of it I am right now.

    ¡°Kotaro, how much are your feelings worth? I don¡¯t care what you think. If you don¡¯t like it, go ahead. If you¡¯re angry, suppress your emotions.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why? What right do you have to say that?¡±

    My voice was as if I was trying to squeeze it out of me.

    It was the best I could do to fight back, but even that was easily brushed aside by my mother.

    ¡°I do. Because I am your parent.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an explanation.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll explain it to you in a way that even you can understand, Kotaro. Kotaro, do you know how much money it cost me to get you this far? How much money do you think I would have made if I had never had you?¡±

    See, this is what it comes down to.

    My mother¡¯s only value is money.

    She doesn¡¯t care if it is her child or not.

    ¡°In short, you may consider that you owe me a debt. So I¡¯m asking you to make enough profit to pay it off. Your feelings have nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡­ No.

    I can¡¯t think of enough words to make this person understand me.

    I feel like I¡¯m talking to an alien.

    We fundamentally do not share the same values, so even though we speak the same language, we can¡¯t have a conversation.

    ¡°All you can do now is to flatter the Kurumizawa faction and the daughter of the Mary Company. When I determine that I have made a satisfactory profit, then I will sever the ties between parent and child. Until then, do your part. ¡­ That¡¯s what ¡®grown-ups¡¯ do.¡±

    I am sick and tired of this self-serving logic.

    I felt foolish for trying to care about such a person.

    ¡°So, get along well with Kurumizawa¡¯s daughter. The tutoring contract is over, but continue the good relationship. I¡¯ve also told my sister Chisato to support you in this regard. ¡­ Do well, okay? If possible, get into their pockets. If you can get married, it¡¯s a win-win. That¡¯s what makes it worth my while.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Involuntarily, I fall silent.

    I was wondering what was the point of having a conversation with her.

    ¡°Hmmm, I see.¡±

    Mary-san, who was listening next to me, was nodding her head.

    After that, she walked up to me on the other side of the phone, and in a small whisper, she said something like this in my ear.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach Kotaro the magic words.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    The statement was what is known as ¡®advice¡¯.

    ¡°Say, ¡®Stay out of my business, or I¡¯ll make the Kurumizawa Conglomerate and the Mary Corporation stop supporting you.¡¯ That would probably end the conversation.¡±

    ¡­ Just like that?

    This inorganic, impersonal mother would break down at this level of language?

    I can¡¯t say it myself, but my mother probably sees value in using me. I am sure that she will continue to intervene in my life at every turn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can trust me. Because there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do. ¡­ It¡¯s a cheat character¡¯s golden rule. You can say it exactly like that.¡±

    But it¡¯s also true that there¡¯s nothing I can do.

    There is no way my mother will listen to me no matter what I say.

    I decided to take Mary¡¯s advice and ¡­ give it a try.

    ¡°Stay out of my business, or I¡¯ll make the Kurumizawa Conglomerate and the Mary Corporation stop supporting you.¡±

    I said this to her and waited for her reaction.

    I thought she would say something like, ¡°If you can do it, do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to let that happen.¡±

    Without a second thought, my mother relented.

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    I was puzzled.

    She had told me so many things, but with a single statement, she had changed everything.

    ¡°You¡¯re out to negotiate. I guess I¡¯m the one who¡¯s in trouble if you do that¡­ All right. Kotaro, I promise not to get involved with you from now on. In return, you will continue to keep in good contact with them. Then I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    With that, my mother ended the call unilaterally.

    Even after the call ended, I was still stunned by how easily she had ended it.

    ¡°Such a simple¡­ withdrawal of one¡¯s own words?¡±

    I thought she was stubborn, but it seems her words were lighter than I had imagined.

    ¡°HAHAHA! Kotaro is still a child.¡±

    Seeing my astonishment, Mary-san puts on an infuriating smile.

    ¡°For people like that, ¡¯emotion¡¯ is of little value. So if you offer them a value or a risk that outweighs their feelings, they will easily fold. ¡­ That¡¯s how it is with genuine businessmen.¡±

    Smiling cheerfully, but her smile was very fake.

    ¡°People who are driven by money, let them be driven by money. That is why people like that should not be trusted. After all, they are motivated by money, and one day they will betray you.¡±

    It was anticlimactic¡­

    No, my current feelings might be a little different.

    (A person like that is my mother¡­)

    I was disappointed in that person.

    I felt ridiculous for trying to be loyal to that person.

 CH 228

    ¨CSuddenly, strength drained from my body.

    ¡°What in the world ¡­, you¡¯ve been tormenting me as a trauma from the past!¡±

    It was an exchange that lasted only a few minutes.

    But in that one scene, I lost all feelings for my mother.

    I used to think of her as my parent, even though she was such a human being.

    I used to think that she was my parent, that I had to listen to her, and I was convinced of that.

    But now I don¡¯t even care about my mother.

    ¡°There was no point in prioritizing such a person over Shiho.¡±

    Regrets keep pouring in.

    In the first place, the feud between my mother and me was one of the reasons why I was in this situation.

    I once said,

    ¡°I want my children to love me. But if I don¡¯t love my parents, I can¡¯t proudly say to my children, ¡°I want you to love me¡±. So no matter how I am treated, I will cherish my parents.¡±

    Because of those words, I could not reject my mother¡¯s commands.

    I had to connect with Kurumizawa ¨C I couldn¡¯t deny it, and I couldn¡¯t reject it, and now I¡¯m the result of being used so much, hurting Shiho, and bothering Kurumizawa-san.

    I was trying to cherish my mother so much.

    I should have had more stubborn beliefs, but in a single moment, those beliefs were shattered.

    The chains that bound me to my past were, upon closer inspection, riddled with rust.

    In other words, that¡¯s what it was all about.

    ¡°What are you wondering? Kotaro is nothing more than that, you know? He¡¯s just a ¡®sub-character¡¯ just like me.¡±

    On the other hand, Mary-san was smiling wickedly at me when she saw me behaving badly.

    ¡°Kotaro is just a stage set for the story. So, beliefs can be shattered at any time, and thoughts can be rewritten to suit the story. There was nothing unusual about that. It was just the same this time.¡±

    With a disgustingly metaphysical look, she was giving me a high-minded lecture.

    ¡°However, this time Kotaro was mistaken and thought he could be the main character¨Cof course, I¡¯ll deny that¡¯s true. Because the only two main characters in this story are Ryoma and Shiho.¡±

    ¡°¡­I know that.¡±

    Even without being told, I was made to realize to the point of disgust.

    I was just a ¡°mob character¡±.

    This story made me understand that.

    ¡°If you know what I mean, then I have nothing more to say. Phew¡­ Is this the end of my role? Oh dear, it¡¯s not worth it for a handyman like a cheat character to be used in a good way and then become invisible again when her turn is over.¡±

    With a smirk, Mary-san suddenly hunched my shoulders.

    I tried to pull away, but I couldn¡¯t move because of the effort she was putting into it.

    Her physical ability must be much better than mine.

    She gave me a friendly look, as if she thought I was her best friend.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll be watching Kotaro¡¯s story for a long time. I¡¯m interested in how it ends. ¡­ Hopefully, there will be a proper ending.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hope there¡¯s an ending? That¡¯s a given.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a given. Think about it. In this world, the majority of stories are not finished. There are as many stories as there are stars, but only a fraction of them are completed. Of course, those stories are huge, but the world is filled with more unfinished stories than that.¡±

    ¡­ Somehow, I get it.

    Mary-san¡¯s words now were not superficial, as usual.

    It was from the heart.

    ¡°Injury, illness, or accident happened to the author. Sales of commercial works were poor. The author lost motivation. The author can no longer come up with ideas for the rest of the story, and so on. A story that has stopped forever in that state is called cancelled, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re saying my story is going to be cancelled?¡±

    ¡°I hope not.¡±

    Again, like that, she irresponsibly implies.

    I really wish people would stop saying disturbing things and making me anxious.

    And the worst part is that she really means what she just said.

    The words are a little too heavy for me to just laugh at the impossibility of such a thing.

    ¡°Mobchara-kun, who is the same sub-character as me, a mob character who has been discovered by the main heroine, and what kind of story will you go through to complete your romantic comedy?¡±

    After saying that much, she finally left.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that, so I¡¯ll see you at ¡­ the next time I have a role. Bye-bye.¡±

    I guess she didn¡¯t want my comments.

    She said what she wanted to say and walked away.

    I let out a sigh and closed my eyes before I saw her leave.

    ¡°¡­ Really, I wonder what will happen.¡±

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m anxious about it, though.

    But I myself am concerned about the outcome of my love with Shiho.

    Of course, I believe it will be happy.

    But I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be happy now¡­ My confidence may be a bit lacking¡­

 CH 229

    ¨CThe mid-term exams are over.

    It was very unnatural that this day had come and gone without incident since that incident with Mary.

    (When will the climactic moment come?)

    I have not been able to talk to Kurumizawa-san yet.

    She had been absent for a few days, but started coming to school on the day midterm exams started.

    As for me, I was expecting some kind of event with Kurumizawa-san to happen soon.

    However, the ¡°climax¡± that Mary-san was talking about, there was no sign of it even coming.

    She¡¯s saying too many random things just because she¡¯s on a leave of absence¡­, and thanks to that, I¡¯m kind of tired of waiting.

    (There is no progress in the relationship with Shiho either¡­, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.)

    Also, I had stopped talking to Shiho.

    I feel sorry because I am responsible for this, but I think she is probably concerned about me.

    (If I could, I¡¯d just get it over with¡­)

    Then surely we can get back together again.

    I can once again enjoy the happy days with Shiho.

    But there is still not enough story to do that.

    (I¡¯ve dragged you this far, remember? You messed with me like that, so why don¡¯t you just end it?)

    I didn¡¯t ask for it, but she forcefully intervened in the romantic comedy between me and Shiho ¡­ and swept me off my feet a lot, but by the end of the day, nothing was happening rapidly.

    My main event didn¡¯t happen until I cried when I met Shiho again.

    After that day, it was obvious that my participation in the event decreased, or rather, the meddling by the god of romantic comedies seemed to have ceased.

    It¡¯s as if I¡¯m not good enough, as if I¡¯ve been branded as a failure, living my days as a mob character like in the old days.

    That¡¯s all right.

    But I don¡¯t want to be a mob character just because of my relationship with Shiho.

    So, for goodness sake, I hope the story will move forward ¡­ and when I prayed so, the mid-term exams were over in the blink of an eye.

    The date was December 22.

    The world is already in a Christmas mood and I¡¯m looking forward to this day too.

    If I could, I would give Shiho a present.

    If I could make her smile, what a wonderful day it would be.

    (After all, should I be the one to take action?)

    Rather than staying in a half-hearted state like I am now, should I forcefully create a ¡°flow¡±?

    Of course, I have thought about this many times during the past few days.

    But the answer is always the same.

    (No, ¡­ I am just a servant of the ¡°story¡±. I can¡¯t change anything by myself.)

    Mary¡¯s words were good medicine.

    Thanks to that, I don¡¯t get it wrong. Instead, I spend my days frustratingly ¡­ but the god of romantic comedies will adjust things on their own anyway.

    I know that, but I was worried.

    (Since it¡¯s been dragged out so much, could it possibly be a big event?)

    The calm before the storm, if you will.

    There is a possibility of a turbulent climax at the end of a story that has become awfully monotonous.

    That would be troublesome¡­ and it was at such a time when I was feeling uneasy.

    After the mid-term exams were over, it was after school.

    School ended in the morning during the test period, so I went home early.

    When I got home, I took a little nap, probably because I was tired from studying for the exams.

    Then, at around 5:00 in the evening. I woke up and tried to take out my smartphone from my bag.

    ¡°Huh? Is this¡­ a letter?¡±

    I opened my bag and found a single sheet of letter paper in there.

    And the person who wrote it was¡­

    ¡°¡­ Kururi Kurumizawa.¡±

    When I saw the small letter, I felt my blood boil.

    The letter simply said, ¡®Come to the rooftop after school.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, hey!¡±

    I panicked. It had already been after school for quite some time.

    For goodness sake, Kurumizawa-san would have gone home ¡­ and I was not so optimistic.

    (If she¡¯s not there, it¡¯s okay. But just in case¡­!)

    I rushed out of the house and headed for the school.

    It takes roughly an hour one way, so when I arrived at the school, it was already past six in the evening.

    But¡­ there she was.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re late. How long have you been keeping me waiting?¡±

    When I opened the door to the rooftop, there was a girl, looking cold and shrunken.

    She was leaning against the edge of the fence, staring at me, her pink hair swaying.

    ¡°W-what a, huh? I¡¯m sorry for calling you out of the blue. I thought you might not be coming today, so I thought it was time for me to leave. ¡­ But you came after all.¡±

    Delighted with my arrival, Kurumizawa-san smiled.

    And then the climax came¡­

 CH 230

    The sun was already setting.

    It was late December, the sun was setting early, and it was already dark.

    The temperature had dropped so low that even with a coat on, the coldness of the outside air made one shiver.

    In such a state, she had been waiting for me for nearly six hours.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to apologize. I put the letter in your bag so that you wouldn¡¯t notice it. If anything, if I have made you to feel sorry, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m apologizing for.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san smiled softly.

    It was as though something had blown over, and she had a kind expression on her face.

    (It¡¯s different from that time¡­!)

    It was totally different from that time a few days ago when she was talking with Shiho behind the school building.

    The Kurumizawa-san, who had a pale face and an expression of no composure on her face, was no longer there.

    ¡°Thank you for coming.¡±

    The same ¡­ as before, no, more than ever, Kurumizawa-san¡¯s expression is gentle.

    I kind of felt like she was relaxed. She was talking to me in a natural way, without any tension on her shoulders.

    I was still a little puzzled because I had never seen such a situation before.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­ isn¡¯t it cold?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cold, but it¡¯s better than warm. I¡¯m more comfortable being cold right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Uh, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Nakayama doesn¡¯t need to know. This is the punishment I have imposed on myself, so please remain ignorant of it.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san had clearly changed.

    Before, she never had such a relaxed expression on her face.

    I think Kurumizawa-san had a more passionate or innocent and enthusiastic expression on her face.

    But now, it seemed somewhat more mature.

    I feel that she has the presence of mind to deal with any event in a calm manner.

    It¡¯s been about a week since I finished my contract as a tutor. In such a short period of time, her mindset has changed drastically.

    In the event with me, nothing happened.

    Nothing happened to change her.

    (After all, something must have happened with Ryuzaki¡­)

    That guy did something.

    By the power of the protagonist-sama, something twisted her.

    I know.

    I know because I¡¯m a mob character.

    I¡¯ve seen many girls like this before.

    (Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki, Mary, followed by Kurumizawa-san¡­)

    She became Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s little torch.

    I have felt it firsthand. Even if I don¡¯t say it, I am aware of it.

    If that is the case, what is the purpose of this meeting?

    I don¡¯t think she has anything to confess at this point.

    No, but can I deny the possibility of a ¡­ confession?

    There is a possibility that she will try to keep her feelings for Ryuzaki bottled up and continue to like me after meeting him.

    If Kurumizawa-san is a stout-hearted person, it would not be surprising if she did so.

    In that case ¨C it would be very troublesome.

    I can¡¯t respond to her confession lightly either.

    I would have to reject it clearly and with a determination to hurt her.

    Otherwise, no one will be saved.

    A half-hearted relationship should make both of us unhappy, so ¡­ it¡¯s no use if that happens, but for Kurumizawa-san¡¯s sake, I will have to shake off her feelings.

    I don¡¯t want to do that if I can help it.

    But I have to.

    (In order not to hurt Shiho any more than I already have¡­)

    I put a lot of pressure in my fist.

    Then I finally decided to put an end to the romantic comedy between me and Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°So, why did you call me?¡±

    I cut straight to the chase.

    Any further chit-chat was just an afterthought. The warm-up for me and Kurumizawa-san was over.

    Now it¡¯s time to get down to business.

    I will receive her thoughts and feelings.

    With that in mind, I asked her the question.

    Finally, she told me her true feelings¡­

    ¡°I fell in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki.¡±

    ¨D¨DConfession?

    No, no.

    This is not a confession.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I set you up like that and caused you so much pain, I¡¯m sorry. I think I fell in love with someone who isn¡¯t ¡­ you.¡±

    This was a ¡®penance¡¯ for one¡¯s sins¡­

 CH 231

    ¡°It¡¯s like I no longer like Nakayama.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san¡¯s expression was very calm as she said this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ever said that, okay? I don¡¯t know if it bothers you that I¡¯m apologizing for it¡­ But please accept this as my ¡®clean slate¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    What am I supposed to say to that?

    It¡¯s not right to say thank you, and it¡¯s even stranger to say sorry.

    In the first place, I was puzzled by Kurumizawa-san¡¯s confession, and if that¡¯s the case, what she just said should be convenient for me.

    But it¡¯s a little tricky.

    ¡°I could finally tell you¡­ Finally, I could convey it to you. Nakayama, I thought I liked you so much, but it seems I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I ¡­ don¡¯t seem to like Nakayama anymore, you know?¡±

    Kurumizawa-san repeats the same words over and over again, as if she is talking to herself.

    Then I suddenly realized the nature of the uncomfortable feeling that had been stuck in me.

    (Why ¡­ is it someone else¡¯s problem when it¡¯s about me?)

    It¡¯s like ¡®it seems¡¯ that she doesn¡¯t like me anymore.

    It seems that she doesn¡¯t ¡®like me¡¯ anymore.

    It was as if she was insisting that she had not done so of her own volition.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t find Nakayama attractive, you know? Rather, as we spent time together, I thought Nakayama was a very nice person,¡­ but I don¡¯t like you anymore, and it¡¯s kind of strange.¡±

    ¡°Are you ¡­ okay?¡±

    Suddenly, the words jumped out at me.

    I know it¡¯s a strange thing to reply to.

    ¡°Kurumizawa-san. You don¡¯t have to worry about it¡­ So just answer honestly.¡±

    But I couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡°Really, are you all right?¡±

    Something was obviously wrong.

    She is smiling like she is blowing off steam, but there is something wrong with her.

    This was like a blank stare.

    ¡°I¡¯m so ashamed of myself for not being able to say¨CI¡¯m fine.¡±

    Kurumizawa-san shrugged her shoulders with a wry smile.

    With a resigned expression, she let out a heavy breath.

    ¡°Huh,¡­ I wonder why. I didn¡¯t think that I would fall in love with someone else so easily, even though I thought I liked you so much.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s strange. ¡­ There are a lot of people out there who are more awesome than I am, so isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Besides, I don¡¯t fall in love with people easily¨CI always thought so myself.¡±

    She now seemed disappointed in herself.

    She looked bored, just as she does when a story she was looking forward to reading suddenly loses momentum.

    ¡°I was much more lighthearted than I thought I was. I thought I really liked Nakayama, but when I opened the lid, it turns out that I didn¡¯t.¡±

    A lie.

    I couldn¡¯t accept those words.

    ¡°I know I can¡¯t tell you that¡¯s not true,¡­ but I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re really thinking about, Kurumizawa-san¡­ But at least when you were spending time with me, you seemed to be serious. That¡¯s why I was having a hard time.¡±

    She had approached me many times, and each time I was dismayed.

    If it had been more lighthearted, I wouldn¡¯t have been so troubled.

    At least it didn¡¯t seem fake to me.

    But she shook her head.

    ¡°Nakayama is too kind. You overestimate me.¡±

    Too kind is a word that doesn¡¯t suit me.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m too nice. I¡¯m just weak-willed.

    I think she is the one who is over-optimistic.

    But I couldn¡¯t insist on it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    There is no argument that exists that can negate Kurumizawa-san¡¯s words.

    In the end, all I could do was listen to her words as I always do.

    She continues to tell her story, leaving me in the dark.

    ¡°One day, a fateful encounter occurred. And I fell in love with that person more than I had ever loved anyone before ¨C my romantic comedy is just that kind of story. I¡¯m so light, so insecure, so pathetic, ¡­ I¡¯m so disgusted with myself for being this way.¡±

    Then she bowed her head again.

    ¡°So I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for involving you in this frivolous love affair, for hurting you, for making you suffer.¡±

    She bowed her head deeply.

    Her pink hair was swaying in the wind.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say to her.

    I was silent, and Kurumizawa-san continued to speak to me.

    ¡°But let me tell you this. I didn¡¯t mean to fall in love with you lightly. At the time, I really thought I liked you.¡±

    But those feelings, which were supposed to be sincere, were an elaborate ¡®fake¡¯, she said.

    ¡°Really, I thought I liked you ¡­, but maybe I was wrong Did I really not like Nakayama, but I just assumed I did? Or maybe it was true that I did like you, and those feelings had somehow faded?¡±

    The truth of the matter is that even she herself does not know.

    It was as if ¨C regardless of Kurumizawa-san¡¯s intentions ¨C the feeling of ¡°liking¡± had been implanted and overwritten on its own.

    £¨I knew it¡­)

    Then I finally came to a conclusion.

    (Was Kurumizawa-san just being made to fit in with the story?)

    I don¡¯t even like her, but I am made to like her.

    In order to move the story along, the emotions of the characters are forcibly rewritten.

    What if I was just caught up in that kind of ¡°opportunism¡±?

    (That would be ¡­terrible, wouldn¡¯t it?)

    It was so cruel.

    After all, this girl is just like me.

    I can¡¯t move the story with my own will.

    Merely a stage set to color the beginning and end of the story.

    In other words, Kururi Kurumizawa was a ¡°servant to the story¡±.

    In this romantic comedy, she was certain to lose.

    After all, Kurumizawa-san was only involved in it.

    In other words, she was not a ¡®perpetrator¡¯ but a ¡®victim¡¯.

    That¡¯s right¡­ Looking back, the turning point was there, too.

    (After the encounter with Ryuzaki, Kurumizawa-san started to become strange.)

    The story went on without my knowledge and she was rewritten.

    Kururi Kurumizawa has been used in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s story.

    I wonder if that is why she was hurt so much.

    If so, ¡­ it was truly cruel¡­

 CH 232

    I suddenly feel helpless.

    No matter how hard I try, no matter how hard I try, I can only look at her, who exists in a place that is never within my reach.

    The outcome had been fixed from the beginning.

    The character Kururi Kurumizawa cannot escape defeat.

    There was nothing I could do for her.

    ¡°Hahaha ¡­ I, you know, wanted to be ¡®special¡¯ more than anyone else.¡±

    With a resigned, powerless smile on her face, she looks up at the sky.

    The darkened night sky was covered with thick clouds, and the moon could not be seen.

    It was somewhat unnatural for her to stare at the night sky, which was not very beautiful¡­, as if she was holding back tears.

    ¡°And this hair color, isn¡¯t it odd? I know pink is bizarre and I know it stands out. But you know, this color made me more ¡®special¡¯ than the people around me. I wanted people around me to think that Kurumizawa Kururi was anything but ordinary.¡±

    What was said was the full story of Kururi Kurumizawa¡¯s character.

    The reason for her existence was finally explained.

    ¡°I was a privileged person, if I do say so myself. I was born into a wealthy family, had good looks above average, and was gifted with outstanding talents ¡­, but despite being so blessed, I¡¯m just one of the ¡®others¡¯.¡±

    Her stats are excellent.

    But she still referred to herself as ¡®mediocre¡¯.

    ¡°Because nothing happened in my life. I entered my first year of high school without any exciting incidents, exciting encounters, or incredible events ¡­ I hated being that way.¡±

    So she made an effort to be special, apparently.

    ¡°I changed schools because I had the desire to ¡®change something¡¯¡­ I changed my hair style, I changed schools at the middle of the year, I did things that were out of the ordinary, and I made myself special¡­¡±

    That¡¯s when she and I met.

    ¡°Nakayama¡­ I can¡¯t ¡­ explain it well, but you seem to have something mysterious about you, and I was attracted to you. I was kind of curious about you, kind of attracted to you, and kind of liked you. I thought that if I could connect with you, with that special something, I could proudly say that I was ¡®special¡¯.¡±

    I don¡¯t think so.

    I am not special.

    But it seemed to her that I was.

    I think that¡¯s why Kurumizawa-san fell in love with me.

    ¡°But someone once told me. The feeling of ¡®liking¡¯ without a reason is just a ¡®fake¡¯ ¨C that¡¯s what they said. When I was told that, I thought about the reason why I liked Nakayama. But that didn¡¯t come to mind.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. After all, I was just longing for ¡®special¡¯, and I didn¡¯t really like Nakayama much. So right after that, I had a fateful encounter with Ryuzaki and fell in love with him. Because he was more ¡®special¡¯.¡±

    When it is said, it certainly seems to make sense.

    But Kurumizawa-san herself didn¡¯t look convinced.

    Do you really think that was the case?¡±

    Maybe she is not so sure of herself now.

    So she spoke at length, checked her logic, and uttered rationalizations.

    But on an emotional level, she didn¡¯t seem convinced.

    ¡°I guess I really didn¡¯t like Nakayama¡­ I really liked you then. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t understand. I met Ryuzaki and suddenly I went haywire, like I wasn¡¯t myself anymore.¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s probably true.

    I know what caused it.

    But I can¡¯t talk about it.

    Because even if I said it, there is nothing Kurumizawa-san can do about it.

    Because she is just a subheroine.

    She is simply a servant to the story.

    Therefore, she does not need to know why.

    If she knew, she would only be hurt¡­ I think she would be happier if she didn¡¯t know.

    The only thing I could do was whisper it in my mind.

    (Kurumizawa-san was ¡°chosen¡± for Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy.)

    Unfortunately for you, you¡¯re caught up in his harem romantic comedy.

    Because of that you are changing your mind to suit his story.

    It¡¯s so sad¡­, but I felt a sense of emptiness at not being able to do anything about it.

    (No matter how much I try, I can¡¯t clear Kurumizawa-san¡¯s mind)

    Because she has been poisoned by Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    Because of the protagonist-sama¡¯s abnormal nature, her love for him is twisted.

    In other words, I can¡¯t do anything.

    Nevertheless, it¡¯s the same thing, because even if I could do something, ¡­ there is nothing I could do as a result.

    (I can only love Shiho anyway, so I couldn¡¯t help her anyway¡­)

    I am aware of that.

    But the girl suffering in front of me was so painful that I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.

    I have seen girls like this many times before, but I still can¡¯t get used to it.

    Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki, and Mary were all suffering.

    And now Kurumizawa-san has become one of them.

    I guess that was the story this time.

    The role of the subheroine, Kururi Kurumizawa, was fulfilled and she was twisted into the plot.

    (The only person who can make Kururi happy now is Ryuzaki.)

    That is an area that is untouchable by mob characters.

    If that guy¡¯s romantic comedy is not completed, the subheroine Kururi Kurumizawa will not be rewarded.

    With this, the character Kururi Kurumizawa has been exhausted.

    Having completed her role, she is off the stage.

    This time I did not get to see the whole of her story.

    So I¡¯ll fill in the blanks here and there, but here¡¯s a synopsis of the story.

    First off, Ryuzaki was rotten. He thought of himself as a mob character and fell apart.

    Spoiled by Yuzuki and never recovering, Ryoma Ryuzaki was kicked to the bottom of the earth.

    But something happened, and that guy came back to life.

    No, not just revived, Ryuzaki was awakened.

    And the awakened protagonist-sama stole the love of the sub-heroine who loved the mob character.

    In short, Kurumizawa-san was probably placed there to measure Ryuzaki¡¯s greatness.

    The protagonist-sama became so awesome that the sub-heroine who loved the mob character changed her mind ¨C she was twisted all around just to create that convincing effect.

    What an unrewarding character.

    When I think about it, ¡­ I still felt so sorry for her¡­

 CH 233

    ¡ôKotaro Nakayama¡¯s Romantic Comedy

    ?Theme of Part III: ¡°The Story of Kotaro Nakayama, a Mob Character, Becoming a Harem Protagonist.¡±

    ?Overview:

    Through an encounter with Shiho Shimotsuki, Kotaro Nakayama gained a character of his own. The inorganic boy who used to be a mob character finally began to write his own romantic comedy. Ryoma Ryuzaki, the former protagonist, fell down to earth to become a mob character, and in his place, Kotaro Nakayama achieved an awakening. As the protagonist, he would become loved by many heroines. In this third part of the story, Kotaro Nakayama would get his second beloved girl.

    ?New character:

    ¡°Kurumizawa Kururi¡±

    Pink hair. Twin tails. Red eyes. First name means ¡°myself¡±. She is small and thin. She aims to create a similarity between Shiho Shimotsuki and herself by using a body similar to hers and using her first name. Since Shiho Shimotsuki was a ¡°little bit kuudere¡± in her early days, Kururi Kurumozawa was given the symbolic character of ¡°a little bit tsundere¡± as well, for ease of understanding.

    Her personality is passionate and strong to the core. She is cunning and will choose any means to achieve her goals, and she is ruthless enough to go ahead with her actions even if it hurts others. However, she is not very assertive. She aims to be a ¡°convenient heroine¡± for Kotaro Nakayama. Toward the end of the story, she successfully wins the heart of Kotaro Nakayama and obtains the position of ¡°second heroine¡±.

    ?Story:

    ¡°Awakening¡±

    Kotaro Nakayama awakened to become the protagonist after the second part. He was having a peaceful love comedy with the heroine Shiho Shimotsuki, but now that he was the main character, he could not stay in a slow romantic comedy forever. Finally, his romantic comedy with him and Shiho Shimotsuki is put to the test.

    ¡°Sequel¡±

    One day, Shiho Shimotsuki got the flu and was absent from school for a week. During that time, Kururi Kurumizawa, a new heroine who transferred to the school, makes an approach toward Kotaro Nakayama. She makes good use of Kotaro Nakayama¡¯s family and past to generate a ¡°tutoring event¡± that he cannot avoid. By doing so, the connection between Kotaro Nakayama and Kururi Kurumizawa is deepened.

    ¡°Turnaround¡±

    After one week, Kotaro Nakayama can no longer dislike Kururi Kurumizawa. He falls right into Kururi¡¯s trap, but he decides, ¡°I¡¯ll make the girl who likes me happy!¡±

    ¡°Conclusion¡±

    Shiho Shimotsuki, who is very possessive, initially shows some difficulty, but he somehow manages to persuade her to get a second lover. He then evolves from a mere ¡°romantic comedy protagonist¡± to a ¡°harem protagonist¡±.

    ¡°Hereafter¡±

    He further increases the number of harem members. In addition to his stepsister Azusa, his best friend Kirari, and his childhood friend Yuzuki, who he had a relationship with in the past, he also adds Mary to his harem. In this way, he creates a contrasting relationship with Ryoma Ryuzaki, the fallen former protagonist. The happy Kotaro Nakayama ridicules the unhappy Ryoma Tatsuzaki, and the reader is made to feel a sense of ¡°pleasure¡±. ¨C(End)

    ¡ô Impressions on the plot

    The ups and downs of the story are still weak. Kotaro Nakayama, the protagonist of the story, does not have much of a character, so the story seems to be flat. In the first place, Kotaro Nakayama has no ¡°independence¡±. He is always passive and does not seem to be able to move the story forward on his own. He tends to become an incompetent character that readers are not ¡®comfortable¡¯ to read, which makes the plot a little difficult to follow this time.

    ¡ôReceiving impressions

    Kotaro Nakayama may be unqualified to be the main character. I thought it might be good to make him evolve into a ¡°harem protagonist¡± in the third part of the story, but if that is also difficult, it might be good to make him ¡°misunderstand that he is the protagonist, but then understand again that he is a mob character¡± ¡ª perhaps such an exchange could take place.

    ¨CMaybe there was such an exchange?

    The plot created with me as the main axis may have been branded as ¡®bad work¡¯ and scrapped ¡­, and I fantasize about such things, like any other person.

    Biting my own helplessness, I imagined the author and the editor exchanging plots in my brain.

    In this way, it seemed that Kurumizawa-san was suffering for the convenience of the creator.

    But her suffering had nothing to do with the story. Therefore, I am sure there will be no redemption.

    Frankly, I don¡¯t care about me.

    I don¡¯t have the luxury of ¡®wanting to be the protagonist¡¯ now. I don¡¯t even feel bitter that I¡¯ve been labeled a ¡°mob character¡±.

    But when I think of Kurumizawa-san, my heart aches.

    This is the end of her story.

    But even though the story is over, her life is not.

    What kind of life will Kurumizawa-san lead in the future?

    What should she do to become happy?

    ¡­ Well, I can¡¯t do anything about it, so there¡¯s no point in thinking about it.

    But I still feel frustrated.

    My inability to change the narrative was truly disingenuous¡­ I was not worthy of it.

    (TLN: Don¡¯t ask me what this chapter is supposed to be¡­ cuz idk)

 CH 234

    ¡°Well then, that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Saying that, Kurumizawa-san smiled gently.

    I guess she had finished telling me everything she wanted to say. The smile is full of contentment and yet sadness.

    ¡°It would have been nice to have a little more excitement, such a development, but it¡¯s too bad.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t like it when people say things like this. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not complaining about Nakayama. I just wish that ¡­ that time when I loved you had lasted just a little longer.¡±

    She starts walking slowly.

    The distance that was a few meters gradually narrows.

    And then she ¨C she walked past me.

    As if to give the impression that she no longer had any regrets.

    But at the position where I could no longer see her face, Kurumizawa-san suddenly stopped.

    ¡°¡­ But let me tell you this.¡±

    Without looking at me, she told me this.

    ¡°I had a lot of fun while I was in love with Nakayama. Even if the feeling of ¡®I love you¡¯ was fake, I think the feeling of ¡®fun¡¯ I felt at that time was real.¡±

    Not everything that had happened up to that point was fake.

    She was appealing to the fact that there was also something ¡®real¡¯ about it.

    ¡°So, thank you.¡±

    After saying a few last words of thanks, Kurumizawa-san walked on her way again.

    I could only say this to her.

    ¡°¡­ I wish you happiness.¡±

    Although I can¡¯t make Kurumizawa-san happy.

    But I still wanted her to be able to smile.

    Even if this was just a beautiful thing to say.

    I really wanted to tell her that.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    What did she think of those words?

    I can¡¯t see her face, so I don¡¯t know. Even her voice has become so low that I can barely hear it because she is already a few meters away.

    But if I¡¯m not mistaken¡­, her voice seemed to be trembling slightly.

    Could it be that she is crying?

    That¡¯s what I was wondering, but before I could check ¨C she walks away from the rooftop.

    It was as if she didn¡¯t want me to feel guilty.

    Come to think of it, her expression remained calm and unchanged until the end.

    It looked like she was straining again, and it looked painful.

    At any rate ¨C thus ended the romantic comedy between me and Kurumizawa-san.

    ¡°¡­ Is this the end of it?¡±

    I was perplexed by this so anticlimactic end.

    I thought there would be something more dramatic. I had expected a more dramatic development since the first half of the story had been so drawn out.

    However, the stage took a dark turn in an easy manner.

    It was truly a ¡°Dragon¡¯s head and Snake¡¯s tail¡±.

    I couldn¡¯t help but nod my head at the development of the story, which could be called a symbol of a bad production.

    ¡°After all, we were just pushed around again this time, weren¡¯t we?¡±

    I bit my lip and clenched my fist.

    I was so frustrated with myself that I couldn¡¯t do anything about it that I felt anger welling up inside me.

    But it was only for a moment.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I let out a deep breath.

    ¡°If I had been a character who could get angry and inspired here, I could have been a ¡­ protagonist.¡±

    It¡¯s no use getting angry now.

    So I, too, decided to slowly walk away from the rooftop.

    From the results ¨C this restored the relationship between me and Shiho.

    The only one who was unhappy in Part III was Kurumizawa-san. The other characters didn¡¯t change much, and the story moved along easily.

    In the end, I guess this time the story was just ¡°Ryoma Ryuzaki awakened¡±.

    ¡­ No, I wonder if that is really the case.

    I can¡¯t deny the possibility that something has changed on the pages, without my knowledge.

    I know that, but my character is too weak to understand the changes.

    I¡¯m a mob character, so the story will move along on its own without my knowledge.

    So I did nothing ¡­ as usual and went with the flow.

    (If you¡¯ve awakened, do something about it¡­)

    I don¡¯t want to think like this.

    But I still had to wish for this.

    ¡°Ryuzaki ¡­, there are many heroines that only you can make happy.¡±

    If you are the real ¡°protagonist-sama¡±.

    Do something about it. Give them the happiness I couldn¡¯t.

    If you don¡¯t, you won¡¯t be rewarded.

    Azusa, Kirari, Yuzuki, Mary, and Kurumizawa-san ¡­ can¡¯t end the romantic comedy without anyone being happy.

    It¡¯s just too much of an unpleasant aftertaste¡­

 CH 235

    Midnight, December 25th.

    Christmas has just now arrived.

    ¡°Merry Christmas¡­ hey, it arrived before I could send it¡­¡±

    Of course, I tried to send a message to Shiho, but I was having trouble operating this and her message arrived first.

    ¡°Merry Christmas! Sleep properly and stay warm so you don¡¯t catch a cold, okay? Santa Claus doesn¡¯t come to bad children. Don¡¯t wait for Santa to come, no matter how much you are looking forward to receiving presents. Santa Claus only comes to good children who sleep soundly.¡±

    ¡­ Shiho is still amazing that she can type such a long text in an instant.

    Reading her smiling text, I send her a message as well.

    She would sulk if I didn¡¯t reply right away, so I typed the message a little hastily.

    ¡°Merry Christmas. Shiho, don¡¯t stay up late and be a good girl, okay? Otherwise, Santa won¡¯t come.¡±

    I hit the ¡°send¡± button and put my phone down on the bedside table.

    It¡¯s a very simple message, but just chatting with her like this makes me happy, which is a strange thing.

    In the pitch-dark room, I wait for her reply.

    I was somewhat tired, and if I¡¯m not careful, I might fall asleep. ¡­I was afraid that if I closed my eyes, I would be lured into a dream world in the blink of an eye, so I dared to keep my eyes open and wait.

    ¡­¡­Hey?

    For Shiho, the reply is late.

    Perhaps she fell asleep? I was a little puzzled because usually I get a reply within a few seconds.

    (Waiting for Santa to come¡­)

    As expected of a high school student, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, but come to think of it, I¡¯ve never asked Shiho if she ¡®believes in Santa Claus¡¯.

    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she still believes.

    (It would be cute if she was excited and sleeping or something)

    I wonder if she stayed up late and went to bed because Santa wouldn¡¯t come if she didn¡¯t behave well.

    My cheeks relaxed at the adorable thought of her like that.

    (Finally, we are back to our normal routine.)

    Then, I should reflect on how happy I am to be back to my normal relationship with Shiho.

    Just today, we have finished the second semester and are now on winter break. I finally got a break from the midterm exams, which I also finished without incident.

    Since the beginning of December, my relationship with Shiho has been a little awkward, but just the other day we finally started to communicate as usual.

    A lot really happened during the second semester.

    I was especially troubled by the incident with Kurumiawa-san, and although that incident has not been cleared up, I am still glad that my relationship with Shiho has returned to normal.

    (It¡¯s as if nothing ever happened.)

    Just until last week, I couldn¡¯t even look at Shiho¡¯s face properly because of my guilt.

    Even though we had crossed paths so much, after a short time, our relationship returned to normal. While I¡¯m happy about that ¨C I¡¯m still stuck somewhere in the back of my mind about how it ended.

    As a result ¨C there was no change at all in the relationship between me and Shiho.

    When Kurumizawa-san first appeared on the scene, I thought that Shiho and I had put some leverage into our romantic comedy, but when I opened the ¡­ lid, I found that was not the case at all.

    There was a little bit of misunderstanding, but that¡¯s all there was.

    After that event, in a normal story, it would be natural for there to be a change in the relationship. However, there was no change between me and her.

    It may be the same as the saying, ¡°When it rains, the ground hardens¡±.

    The same is true of stories, where it is standard practice for the hero and heroine to become closer after the case is solved.

    Or, they get to be even worse off.

    There are ¡°changes¡±, both good and bad, which become the ¡°mountains¡± and ¡°valleys¡± of the story. The ups and downs are what move the reader¡¯s emotions and lead to a pleasant after-reading feeling, or what is called ¡°catharsis¡±.

    Therefore, a story with small ups and downs is considered a ¡°bad story¡± by the public.

    In other words, the story in which I was the main character closed as a bad story, so it may be natural that there is no change in my relationship with Shiho.

    (¡­ Really, is that so?)

    However, I can¡¯t help but get caught up.

    Before the mid-term test started, I saw ¡°Shiho¡¯s unknown side that i don¡¯t know¡± at the back of the school building, and it really bothers me.

    (Though nothing changed for me.)

    Mob characters, as usual, were ¡®mob characters¡¯ and were tossed around in the story.

    On the other hand, what happened to ¡­ her?

    (I just don¡¯t know¡­ has there been a change in Shiho?)

    At first glance, there appears to be no change in the relationship.

    But that is only a superficial difference, and if you look at the content of the relationship, ¡­ it may actually be quite, quite different.

    Because, unlike me, she is the ¡®main heroine¡¯.

    She has the power to move the story, which means ¨C her change is the starting point to encourage the story and lead to a result.

    If that is the case, it is not surprising that there is a change in Shiho.

    (There is a ¡°Shiho¡± I don¡¯t know.)

    For me, Shiho Shimotsuki is a girl whom I ¡°love¡±, ¡°adorable¡±, and ¡°cute¡±. She may be a bit ¡°clumsy¡± and ¡°love-heavy¡± in some aspects, but she is a ¡°lovely¡± girl all the same.

    But maybe that¡¯s not all there is to her.

    If there is a ¡°Shiho¡± that I still don¡¯t know, I want to know it.

    ¨D¨DThus, Part 3 ended as a waste.

    What kind of romantic comedy will be created in the future between me, who is just a mob character, and Shiho, the main heroine?

    Only the god of romantic comedies knows the answer to that question.

    ¡°I hope Kotaro and Shiho¡¯s romantic comedy won¡¯t be cancelled.¡±

    Mary¡¯s words are still etched in my mind.

    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, but ¡­ I just couldn¡¯t forget those words.

 CH 236

    Go out on a date with someone you like on Christmas Day.

    That¡¯s very nice.

    Even though it¡¯s not much of a date, just a lazy walk in the park,¡­ I still feel really happy at this moment.

    But I think it would have been better if the weather ¡­ had been a little worse anyway.

    ¡°It would have been a much nicer Christmas if it had snowed.¡±

    I muttered to myself, and he, who was walking next to me, also looked up at the sky.

    Looking up at the cloudless sky, he squinted dazzlingly.

    ¡°Really? I prefer sunny days.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear¡­ Kotaro-kun, are you being silly? It¡¯s supposed to snow on our date, and we¡¯re supposed to hold hands while saying, ¡°It¡¯s cold, isn¡¯t it?¡± Or even in the rain. I¡¯d be so happy if we could share an umbrella. It¡¯s impossible to go on a date with someone who doesn¡¯t know how to ¡­ understand this much.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so difficult ¡­¡±

    At my words, he loosens his cheeks.

    I loved the way he shrugged as if to say, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped ¡­¡±, and yet he had a happy expression on his face.

    I like his expression so much that I always end up saying annoying things to him.

    It may sound out of line, but Kotaro-kun always listens to me kindly, and I think that¡¯s what makes him so wonderful.

    ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to snow or rain, but at least it could have been cloudy. Then I would have shivered and hugged Kotaro-kun, saying I was cold. I wonder if the sun can¡¯t read the atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You think it is colder on a cloudy day than on a sunny day, Shiho?¡±

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not a matter of course. The sun is hidden, you know? Kotaro-kun, are you really so silly¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, well, ¡­ there is a phenomenon called ¡®radiative cooling¡¯, so I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s all that simple.¡±

    ¡°¡­Rad-iat¡­ive Co-oling?¡±

    I wonder what that is.

    It sounds cool, like a technique an ice character might use in a manga or something, but I wonder if that¡¯s what we¡¯re talking about.

    Kotaro-kun is so smart sometimes.

    Usually he lets me take the lead.

    ¡­. Well, it¡¯s nice that he knows so much about things, but¡­

    ¡°Anyway. I mean, I¡¯d like to hug you, hold your hand, that kind of thing.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.

    After all, what I want to do is not to talk about the weather, but skinship.

    ¡°Look, don¡¯t my hands look cold? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s suspicious that I¡¯m not wearing gloves in the middle of winter? Kotaro-kun, I wonder if you are that uninterested in me.¡±

    When I said this and mimicked crying, he instantly became flustered and began to wince.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I see, that¡¯s what you meant ¡­, isn¡¯t it a bit much to ask me to feel comfortable not wearing gloves?¡±

    I think that¡¯s true.

    I find myself feeling like such a nuisance as a girl who sulks over such a small thing.

    But I want to see Kotaro-kun¡¯s troubled face, and I want to be bothered by him a lot, so I end up saying things like this.

    ¡°Just come on, ¡­ let¡¯s hold hands, okay?¡±

    I grabbed his hand, while he was still hesitating.

    I squeezed it as it was, and Kotaro-kun¡¯s eyes widened, as though he was a little startled.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re really cold.¡±

    I was joking, but it was no lie that I was weak and sickly.

    My hands were also cold, so Kotaro-kun squeezed them to warm them.

    That alone makes me so happy.

    ¡°Heheheh~. Is this exactly what they mean by ¡®let them cut your flesh and cut your bones¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Not quite, but ¡­, well, it¡¯s about right.¡±

    As usual, Kotaro-kun is very sweet to me.

    I think the meaning of the proverb was probably completely wrong, but he answered my question correctly.

    I can¡¯t help but find this kind of thing endearing.

    I really love the way he treats me, and me alone.

    ¡°But if you¡¯re cold, you should probably go home? Satsuki-san and Itsuki-san are probably waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°No. I want to flirt with Kotaro-kun a little more.¡±

    I didn¡¯t care about my body.

    I didn¡¯t want to lose his love.

    Of course, I miss home, though.

    It¡¯s Christmas, my mom is cooking a delicious meal, and my dad is taking off work and having a party, so I¡¯m looking forward to it, you know?

    But it¡¯s Christmas, and I wanted to be alone with the person I love a little more.

    ¡°¡­ Then, just a little more.¡±

    Kotaro-kun was always willing to go along with my selfishness.

    We had a lot of fun just walking around the park together, holding hands.

    ¨CI could never have done such a thing until just a little while ago.

    Not to mention holding hands, Kotaro-kun was suffering from the fact that he couldn¡¯t even talk to me properly.

    He was so distressed about Kururi Kurumizawa that he ¡­ got a handful.

    Thanks to that, my relationship with him is back to the same as before.

    That makes me really happy and ¡­ but I wonder if this was really the right thing to do? I wonder why I think about that sometimes?

    Maybe, without my help, Kotaro-kun could have resolved his feelings toward Kurumizawa-san on his own.

    And if that had happened, ¡­ my relationship with him might have been deeper¡­ I still don¡¯t know the right answer, I have been thinking that.

    I was going to live my whole life loving Kotaro-kun as I do.

    But to do that, I love him too much¡­ and end up being overprotective.

    Because of this I exposed my deepest roots to Kurumizawa-san and Ryuzaki-kun.

    (I think it may be a long way ¡­ before I can move on to the next step in our relationship.)

    What is it that I¡¯m saying?

    In the end, I am more of a coward than Kotaro-kun.

    I¡¯m not ready, I¡¯m not confident that he will love the real me, and that¡¯s why I only show him one side of ¡°Shiho Shimotsuki¡±.

    I know I can¡¯t stay like this forever.

    But ¡­ I love him too much to break this relationship now.

    ¡°¡±¡­¡­¡±¡±

    Even now, we just walk around the park in silence.

    It¡¯s not a romantic scene, but it¡¯s enough to make my heart beat wildly.

    I¡¯m so carried away that if I¡¯m not careful, I could start dancing in a heartbeat.

    That¡¯s why ¡­ I can¡¯t get out of this relationship.

    I am too happy to dare to change the status quo¡­

 CH 237

    His Christmas present was a necklace.

    ¡°Ufufu? Kotaro-kun, it¡¯s very nice of you to give me an accessory as a present. ¡®Wear it all the time so you don¡¯t forget about me, okay?¡¯ Oh my, don¡¯t say such embarrassing things.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t say that.¡±

    He is sitting on a park bench, smiling wryly and scratching his cheek.

    I wish I had been embarrassed, but unfortunately, the line I just said was a fabrication of mine, and he was genuinely troubled.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said you wanted the necklace¡­¡±

    ¡°Because I wanted to feel Kotaro-kun all the time?. Isn¡¯t it wonderful that I can always think, ¡®Oh, Kotaro-kun gave me this present!¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just a little heavy.¡±

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to lighten it up, even if you say it¡¯s too heavy.

    Because my love is still well under control, so it¡¯s impossible for me to make it any lighter.

    ¡°But is this what you wanted? A necklace with just a chain seems a little plain to me.¡±

    Saying this, he was gazing at the necklace around my neck.

    Usually, necklaces also come with accessories called ¡®charms¡¯. There are a lot of common accessories like ¡®hearts¡¯ or ¡®crosses¡¯ or something like that.

    But the one I begged for this time was a necklace without charms, just a chain.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this. It was reasonably priced, wasn¡¯t it?¡¡I¡¯m the kind of person who is heavy on love, but considerate, so I¡¯m not too selfish. What do you think? I think I¡¯m a nice girl, yes, but am I cute?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I know you¡¯re cute.¡±

    I want compliments whenever I get a chance, so I never fail to urge him to do so.

    I was honestly happy to hear Kotaro-kun¡¯s compliments.

    ¡°Ehehe~. I¡¯d be embarrassed if someone calls me cute?¡±

    ¡°You made me say it yourself, and now you¡¯re embarrassed ¡­¡±

    I think I¡¯m an easy girl, but I can¡¯t hide my feelings.

    I grinned and clutched the necklace tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, this makes me happy. Besides, you see, ¡­ I can beg for some cute charms next year, can¡¯t I?¡±

    Of course, there were many other things I wanted.

    By the way, what I wanted most were Kotaro-kun¡¯s personal belongings such as chopsticks, cups, and shirts, but I thought he would be disappointed if I begged him for these things first, so I restrained myself.

    Kotaro said, ¡°It¡¯s a little heavy.¡± but I hope he will forgive me for putting up with this.

    ¡°If I could get a charm for my next birthday, or anniversary, or Christmas, or whatever, the charms would grow in variety along with the memories, wouldn¡¯t they? Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?¡±

    My strategy is to beg for charms every year.

    I think this is wonderful because it allows me to change accessories depending on my mood.

    I also fantasized about eventually putting an engagement ring on ¡­, although I can¡¯t talk about that.

    I would wear my wedding ring on my finger and my engagement ring around my neck and live as a housewife¡­ That¡¯s my dream.

    ¡°So please give me a present for my next birthday as well?¡±

    For starters, I begged him for a necklace without any ornaments.

    I don¡¯t think Kotaro-kun noticed my intention, of course.

    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me.¡±

    He lightly agreed to do so.

    Ufufu? Now I¡¯ve got his word¡­ After that, I hope I can do my best to get a wedding ring, as promised.

    I dream of a future where that happens.

    For that reason, I want to get to know him better, so I gave him a Christmas present as well.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you ¡­ this.¡±

    What I offered was a notebook-sized photo album.

    It was filled with photos of my childhood and my growth up to the present.

    ¡°What do you think? Do you think I was cute when I was little?¡±

    I ask him as he sits down next to me.

    I leaned in close and asked him, and Kotaro-kun chuckled and patted my head.

    ¡°Shiho¡­¡±

    Then he laughed, as if he had no choice.

    With my most favorite expression on his face, he said something like this.

    ¡°Love is heavy.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe~?¡±

    Please accept this too heavy love.

    I hope you won¡¯t be crushed by my love for you.

    I believe that one day I will be able to give you everything I have.

    I¡¯ll be waiting for that time to come¡­

 CH 238

    For Christmas, we had a party at Shiho¡¯s house.

    Mr. and Mrs. Shimotsuki celebrated with us, the food was delicious, I enjoyed spending time with Shiho, and I think it was a wonderful day.

    I kind of ¡­ thought, ¡®I guess things are finally back to normal¡¯.

    With my relationship with Shiho restored, our romantic comedy was once again at peace.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    It was already around 9:00 p.m. when I arrived home after the Christmas party.

    When I showed up in the living room, I found her rumbling as I knew she would.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, welcome home.¡±

    A childish woman with a big head is watching TV in a disheveled outfit.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh when I saw my stepsister stretched out on the couch like a loose cat.

    ¡°You¡¯re showing your belly button.¡±

    The bottom of her shirt was rolled up, revealing her adorable belly button. I pointed it out to her, but she didn¡¯t even try to fix it and continued watching TV.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you look. I don¡¯t think anything of it when Onii-chan looks at me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, though.¡±

    It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re just letting me look at you because we¡¯re family.

    ¡°Hey, how was the party? I know Shimotsuki-kun¡¯s mother is a good cook, right? Was it still delicious?¡±

    Azusa said and showed me the screen of her smartphone.

    There was a picture of the food I just ate. Shiho must have taken it and sent it to Azusa.

    ¡°Yeah, it was delicious.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Nice¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, it would have been nice for Azusa to come too, right? Satsuki-san said she wanted to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Gnu¡­ but you know, if I go, I feel like I have to admit that Shimotsuki-san is my Onee-chan, and I kind of don¡¯t like that.¡±

    At one point, Azusa had also been invited to the Christmas party.

    But she refused, so I couldn¡¯t go with her.

    Shiho¡¯s mother, Satsuki-san, wanted to meet Azusa, but it would be a little while before they met face-to-face.

    ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did. I ate some snacks a while ago.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call that a meal, though.¡±

    ¡°Noisy Onii-chan idiot.¡±

    I think Azusa has been talking to me more and more lately, perhaps because she¡¯s in her rebellious phase.

    I guess I¡¯m being played down or ¡­ no, I¡¯m being recognized as a full-fledged family member, so I¡¯m going to make light of it. Yeah, I decided to think of it in a good way.

    ¡°Onii-chan, I want my Christmas present to be a giftcard, I want to use SSR characters on Shimotsuki-san!¡±

    ¡°¡­ By the way, what¡¯s your present for me, Azusa?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Are you going to give me Azusa too? That¡¯s too much trouble¡­ Then can I give you a ¡®Katatataki Ticket¡¯?¡±

    (TLN: Ticket for a Massage Machine, idk)

    Lately, I feel like my stepsister is becoming more and more of a useless person.

    She started withdrawing after becoming estranged from Ryuzaki, and just about that time she became friends with Shiho, and since then she has been on a downward spiral.

    Perhaps she was badly influenced by Shiho, who is a no-good person.

    Because of her influence, Azusa also started playing games all the time. ¡­ It¡¯s not a bad thing, but I wanted her to do a little more, like study harder.

    ¡°Onii-chan, please heat the bath. Ah, the laundry has also piled up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of it. Azusa, prepare to take a bath too, okay?¡±

    ¡°Prepare? Do you want me to take off my clothes and wait?¡±

    ¡°Change clothes, towels¡­ No, no, I¡¯ll do it all.¡±

    Azusa, who is becoming a completely useless person because of Shiho, of course, does not do her chores. I know I should give her a firm lecture, but I couldn¡¯t take a strong attitude because I somehow think such a stepsister is cute.

    ¡°Jeez¡­¡­¡±

    With a wry smile, I returned to my room to put my luggage down for the moment.

    ¨CI was already completely back to my usual routine.

    No mountains, no valleys, a flat romantic comedy ticking along at a steady rhythm.

    As if nothing had happened¡­

    The daily routine goes on as if nothing had happened with Kurumizawa-san.

    So, if I¡¯m not careful, I might forget about her.

    I feel a little afraid of that.

    I wonder if the time I spent with her was really meaningless.

    I don¡¯t want to think that it was so worthless that there is no point in remembering it.

    Is there any ¡­ meaning to the happiness that was seized by using a girl who was so troubled, suffering, and hurt as a stepping stone, and then forgetting about her?

    I know it¡¯s a beautiful thing.

    But I don¡¯t want to forget.

    Because I am the same ¡°existence¡±, just like her.

    I want to remember the girl who was disposable as a good servant of the story.

    If possible, I want to witness her happiness.

    That¡¯s why I was scared because I wanted to remember her but if I wasn¡¯t careful ¡­ I would forget her.

    The effect she had on me was completely gone.

    The wounds in my heart had healed, the cage of guilt had been broken, and she was completely out of my mosquito net.

    I wonder if this is how I will forget about Kurumizawa-san.

    I don¡¯t like that a bit¡­ and I feel a tug in my heart.

    (What is it that Kurumizawa-san left me?)

    So I searched desperately.

    Thinking about the ¡®traces¡¯ she left on me, I suddenly had an idea.

    ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯s a test.¡±

    I thought of it and opened my bag.

    At the end of the day, I checked the results of the tests returned to me once again.

    Since it was a mid-term test, only five basic subjects were tested.

    And all of them were above 85 points.

    Previously, my average score had been around 60. ¡­ I had grown a lot in a short period of time.

    That is definitely her influence.

    (I got such a good score because of what Kurumizawa-san taught me¡­)

    Once again, I remember her in my mind once again.

    (Someday ¡­ I will be grateful to her, I¡¯m sure.)

    I am sure that what she taught me will be useful in the future.

    If I remember it properly, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t forget ¡­ her, either.

    Kurumizawa-san certainly ¡®existed¡¯.

    I¡¯ll never forget that¡­

 CH 239

    Where was the turning point?

    (If I could have been the protagonist¡­)

    Imagine.

    As I look at the test paper, my consciousness flies into a world of fantasy.

    What if I had made the right choice to be the protagonist?

    What kind of story would that hypothetical story be?

    (Maybe ¡­ it would have been a much different story.)

    I don¡¯t know if that would be better or worse.

    It¡¯s not like I can compare my happiness or unhappiness with the present.

    It¡¯s just a fantasy. There is no answer.

    But I do know one thing.

    If I could be the protagonist.

    I¡¯m sure Kurumizawa-san would be laughing at that time.

    It might be a ¡°romantic comedy¡± in the style of ¡°harem¡±.

    There is no doubt that it would have had its share of hardships.

    But I am sure she would have been ¡®happier¡¯ than she is now.

    To pick someone is also not to pick another one.

    I chose Shiho and did not choose Kurumizawa-san.

    As a result, she got off the stage without being chosen.

    Her feelings were not rewarded, her role was done, and she was gone.

    It felt so empty.

    (I can¡¯t spin a story that can make everyone happy.)

    I understood again.

    Despite being pushed by the unreasonable power of opportunism, the god of romantic comedies has branded me as an unqualified character.

    I didn¡¯t have what it takes to be a ¡°harem protagonist¡±.

    (I¡¯m sure that only a select few ¡­ characters can make everyone happy.)

    I want to see an epilogue where everyone ends up happy.

    But I can¡¯t do that.

    I guess only one person has the power to get the ¡°happy ending¡± where everyone can smile.

    (Ryuzaki¡­ only you have been given that right.)

    As a harem protagonist, only Ryoma Ryuzaki, who has the gift of being loved by others, is allowed to speak of an ideal epilogue.

    If only I had that power.

    If only Kotaro Nakayama could have been Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    I might have chosen that path without hesitation.

    I might have walked toward the ¡°harem end¡± where everyone would be happy.

    If I had chosen that path, I am sure I would have made Kurumizawa-san happy as well.

    Of course, I hate harems.

    However, I have no hesitation in choosing¡­ that path if it makes everyone happy.

    That¡¯s why I hated Ryoma Ryuzaki, an unjust man who didn¡¯t choose everyone.

    There is another way for him.

    (There is another way for you to ¡°choose¡± everyone, you know?)

    There are heroines that only Ryoma Ryuzaki can make happy.

    The only way for their feelings to be rewarded is for Ryoma Ryuzaki to do his best.

    (If the protagonist were not you, but me¡­)

    In the first place, the story I was weaving would have followed a different course.

    I might not have been abandoned by Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki.

    But then, I suddenly realized that Shiho Shimotsuki did not exist in the story

    (No, ¡­ I wasn¡¯t the protagonist, which is why Shiho chose me.)

    She probably had no interest in me as a protagonist.

    In other words, the current path was the only ¡°possibility¡± to be with Shiho.

    Then there is no point in having this kind of fantasy.

    Since I am not dissatisfied with the current story, there is no need to think about ¡°what if¡± possibilities.

    So, don¡¯t regret it.

    Don¡¯t reflect on the choices I made regarding Kurumizawa-san.

    Don¡¯t worry about her forever!

    (There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.)

    I put the test paper I had been staring at back into my bag again.

    I don¡¯t want to forget that there was a girl named Kururi Kurumizawa.

    But there is no point in dragging it out forever.

    £¨I prayed that she would be happy.)

    And I prayed.

    (Ryuzaki ¡­ do something about it.)

    I wish for the success of the protagonist-sama, anyway.

    That¡¯s all I can do¡­

 CH 240

    ¨CIs this all right, Shimotsuki?

    Everything is over.

    I finished my role ¡­ by deceiving and derailing the girl Kururi Kurumizawa, messing up that girl¡¯s love, and even shaking off fate with Nakayama.

    Since then, I haven¡¯t talked to Shiho ¡­, rather Shimotsuki.

    I don¡¯t know if the case with Kururi has been resolved, or if Shimotsuki¡¯s anger has subsided.

    However, the fact that nothing has been reported must mean that all is well.

    Shortly before the midterm test, I had not even been able to make eye contact with her since our conversation through the window from our rooms.

    Since that day, the window of her room has been closed.

    The curtains are also tightly closed. Somehow, it seemed like a rejection by Shimotsuki.

    (Well, such is the end of a first love, isn¡¯t it?)

    I smile bitterly.

    The girl I¡¯ve had a one-sided love for for so many years coldly and clumsily shook off my feelings for her.

    But I no longer have any lingering feelings for her.

    I¡¯ve come to terms with the fact that I¡¯ve made my ¡®peace¡¯ with her this time around.

    (Be happy from now on¡­)

    I wish my dear childhood friend happiness in my heart.

    Then, as if to shake off my feelings for her, I clutched my smartphone tightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time, time for me to grow up.¡±

    I can¡¯t be an insensitive person forever.

    I¡¯m done pretending not to notice and making the girls that like me unhappy.

    Today is Christmas.

    It¡¯s just a convenient day for a romantic event.

    ¡°As of today¡­ Ryoma Ryuzaki will graduate from being a harem protagonist.¡±

    I¡¯m already prepared.

    I could end my unrequited love for Shimotsuki with a clean slate.

    Thanks to Shimotsuki, I was able to realize my sins and understand the bad parts.

    Up until now, I have made many girls unhappy like a ¡®harem protagonist¡¯, but I am done with that.

    But that¡¯s over now.

    Thanks to Shimotsuki, I have regained my normal way of thinking.

    The time for me to be an immature person is up to the present moment.

    It is time for me to repay the feelings of the girl who has been in love with me.

    ¡°Yuzuki, I need to talk to you. Can you come over to my house?¡±

    Yuzuki has supported me all this time.

    She accepted me like this.

    That¡¯s why I wanted to make her happy.

    (Everyone already hates me¡­ I¡¯ll cherish Yuzuki who still likes me.)

    Not so long ago, there were more girls who liked me.

    Especially, Azusa, Kirari and Mary are still in my heart.

    However, they must have lost their feelings for me by now, so I can¡¯t choose them.

    I am also concerned about Kururi, but ¡­ well, she has blatantly started to avoid me, so I feel that she is not a little resistant.

    There is only one girl who still likes me.

    And I was about to confess my feelings to that girl ¨C Yuzuki Hojo.

    (Like Shimotsuki¡­ let¡¯s have a single-minded love.)

    I love only Yuzuki.

    I don¡¯t want to show my affection for other girls anymore.

    I don¡¯t want a harem anymore.

    I should be more normal, ¡­ because Shimotsuki seemed to hate me so much.

    With that in mind, I decided to graduate from being a harem protagonist.

    ¡°I was just on my way over there. I will arrive soon.¡±

    It was right after I sent the message to Yuzuki.

    It seems that she was also on her way here at the right time.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    I got up from the sofa and lifted a small box placed on the table.

    When I opened the lid, there it was¡­ a ring.

    (If I gave this to Yuzuki, she would be very happy.)

    It is one of the few mementos of my mother, who passed away when I was very young.

    It is also a treasure that I had hoped to give to the girl I loved someday.

    If I give this to Yuzuki, she will know how I feel about her.

    She will know that I truly love her.

    ¡°¡­Here she comes.¡±

    And then the doorbell rang.

    I ran out of the living room and opened the front door and ¡­ there was Yuzuki, holding a paper bag with cake in it.

    ¡°Ryoma-san, Merry Christmas¡­ cake, I made it. Would you like to eat it with me?¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s only natural that we eat together.

    But first, there is something I want to get done quickly.

    So I kneeled down right there and held out the small box to her.

    As if I was proposing to her.

    ¡°I love you, Yuzuki.¡±

    I ¡°confessed¡± to Yuzuki.

    ¡°Sorry for the abruptness. But I¡¯ve made up my mind¡­ Thank you for liking me all this time. I will definitely make you happy. So will you go out with me?¡±

    I conveyed my feelings firmly.

    By doing so, my harem romantic comedy will end.

    From now on, my ¡­ single-minded romantic comedy in which I love only Yuzuki will begin ¨C it was supposed to.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    With that one word, everything fell apart.

    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    At first, I did not understand what was being said.

    But when I saw Yuzuki bowing politely, I was reminded that my confession had been rejected, even if I didn¡¯t like it.

    This was the end of Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy.

    I could only be stunned by this sudden epilogue¡­

 CH 241

    ogdi4796-8 minutes 11.06.2023

    ¨CWhere will the story end up?

    ¡°Young lady, I have the material for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you?¡±

    I received the materials brought by the servant and looked through them lightly.

    After understanding what was written on them, I threw the documents on the desk.

    ¡°I read it, so please put it away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Another servant moves in response to my instruction.

    He picked up the papers that I had thrown away at random and filed them carefully.

    The compiled documents are stored on a shelf by the wall.

    The number of files stored in the bookshelves on the wall was so huge that I could no longer count them.

    But they are also treasures to me.

    Because this information is a collection of settings that make up the ¡°story¡± I love so much.

    Finding a story in the world of reality requires a vast amount of information.

    And since there is a lot of unnecessary noise in that information, I have to make a selection and discard it, which is a big challenge.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I see.¡±

    Then, I began to consider the information.

    I incorporate the information I have acquired from the data and further deepen my thinking.

    If I were to use an analogy, it would be like a puzzle?

    As I fit the complicated pieces together, I can gradually see the finished picture, can¡¯t I?

    Connecting information to information, considering what is between the lines, and completing the background of the information.

    Then, eventually, a ¡°story¡± will come into view.

    I think it is just like a puzzle.

    ¡°Finally, I can see it now.¡±

    If you hire a detective, use last-minute means that violate the law, and spend money sparingly, you can get any information you want.

    And, moreover, anything was possible to obtain information about Kotaro, Ryoma, and Shiho, who are ordinary people.

    The information available, however, was nothing more than a ¡°bullet-point description¡±.

    By reading the background, or the connections between the information ¡­, one can finally find the ¡°story¡± in the world of reality.

    But just because you see a story doesn¡¯t mean there is any value in it.

    In fact, I would have to say that the cost-effectiveness for the effort and cost is infinitely low.

    It is just a hobby, in other words.

    But it is the only thing that I, Mary Parker, enjoy.

    I am willing to go to any lengths to enjoy the stories.

    I used to be a main character, but I¡¯m not anymore, so I¡¯m enjoying their stories to the fullest.

    I guess the story I¡¯m most looking forward to is ¡­ Kotaro and Shiho¡¯s romantic comedy?

    Hmmm¡­ but maybe I¡¯m more interested in this one right now than that one?

    ¡°It¡¯s about time for Ryoma to find some answers.¡±

    The information about Ryoma was written in the document I had just received.

    He confessed his feelings to Yuzuki and¡­ unfortunately, he was rejected by her.

    But that¡¯s not really surprising.

    From the standpoint of knowing the background up to now, I think it is even a natural result.

    ¡°Ryoma comes before Kotaro¡¯s romantic comedy.¡±

    Currently, the protagonist-sama, who has charmed even me, is in a difficult situation.

    Ryoma has undergone an awakening with Shiho¡¯s help, but ¡­ perhaps that blossoming came too late.

    ¡°Your love was not accepted by Yuzuki.¡±

    Ryoma is trying to shake off his feelings for Shiho and obtain pure love this time.

    But Yuzuki is not so carefree as to allow that to happen.

    ¡°Heroines are always so troublesome.¡±

    She wants to be loved.

    She wants him to love her.

    But she wants that love to be real.

    I understand that feeling because I am the same gender as her.

    ¡°Yuzuki, ¡­ you don¡¯t want to go through the process of elimination, do you?¡±

    From the perspective of the heroine who is in the position of being chosen, Ryoma¡¯s love now is only a ¡®process of elimination¡¯.

    Yuzuki was only chosen because he had no choice because there were no more options left to choose from.

    Maybe she thought that was fine at first.

    But hey¡­, maybe now she is not satisfied with that.

    ¡°It¡¯s because Shiho changed Ryoma.¡±

    I know.

    I know that Yuzuki was watching the scene where Shiho and Ryoma were talking.

    Yuzuki must have been shocked at that moment.

    ¡°Ryoma couldn¡¯t be changed no matter what Yuzuki did,¡­ so Yuzuki decided to accept such a Ryoma.¡±

    But Ryoma has changed.

    ¡°The Ryoma that changed so easily just by talking to Shiho, he is no longer the Ryoma that Yuzuki tried to love, you know.¡±

    Well, ¡­ it¡¯s a complicated thing to say, but I guess that¡¯s what it all boils down to?

    ¡°It¡¯s physiologically unreasonable to love a man who has the handprints of a woman other than yourself.¡±

    That¡¯s why Ryoma was rejected.

    Ryoma was awakened thanks to Shiho, but he was rejected thanks to Shiho. ¡­ I wonder what will happen now?

    ¡°Nihihi ? I wonder if you¡¯ll ever forgive a romantic comedy in which you love one person and are happy now?¡±

    You¡¯ve hurt the heroines so many times in the past.

    The god of romantic comedies would never allow you to be happy with just one person.

    ¡°There are only two choices for Ryoma. Either he will be ¡®dumped¡¯ by everyone or he will ¡®choose¡¯ ¡­ everyone.¡±

    The former would be a bad ending.

    That is exactly the kind of ¡°Suck it up¡± ending that excites me.

    But if it¡¯s the latter, it¡¯s a happy ending.

    It could be the most boring ending in the world.

    I¡¯m hoping for a bad ending, of course.

    But ¡­ he doesn¡¯t.

    ¡°Kotaro can¡¯t accept that the heroines he cherished are unhappy.¡±

    That¡¯s why that mob character wishes for you.

    He believes in the power of the harem protagonist, whom he hates.

    Well, what will happen now?

    I don¡¯t know how Ryoma¡¯s story will end, so I¡¯m really looking forward to it.

    ¡°What will Ryoma really do?¡±

    I¡¯m curious to see what the greenhouse-raised protagonist will do.

    And what will he think?

    ¡°What will Ryoma think when he finds out that the heroines who love him ¡­ Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki, were heroines who originally loved Kotaro?¡±

    This may be the best foreshadowing of all.

    In fact, Ryoma does not know the relationship between Kotaro and the three heroines.

    That¡¯s probably going to be the heart of the fourth part, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°It¡¯s about time to collect the foreshadowing of the subheroines that have been tossed aside until now.¡±

    What kind of ¡°romantic comedy¡± will Ryouma be following?

    I¡¯m looking forward to the epilogue at the end¡­

    [Part 3 End]

 CH 242

    Why didn¡¯t I realize it?

    I had never even thought about what kind of feelings Yuzuki had for me ¡­ until now.

    Yuzuki was crying big tears of frustration.

    It has already been a month since I confessed my feelings to her¡­, but I still remember that scene as if it happened yesterday.

    I remembered everything vividly, not only her facial expressions, but also her dialogue, her breathing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    It was right after I confessed to her asking her to go out with me.

    She bowed her head deeply and rejected my feelings.

    Of course, I was confused at first.

    I was overconfident that Yuzuki would accept my feelings.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    I immediately tried to ask her why ¡­ but when I looked up and saw tears in her eyes, I was at a loss for words.

    It was the first time.

    It was the first time I had ever seen Yuzuki ¡­ no, it was the first time I had ever seen a girl cry in front of me.

    So I didn¡¯t know what to say to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do it. For me¡­ it was impossible after all.¡±

    Yuzuki, with her eyes downcast and nodding, said in a listless voice.

    ¡°I loved you as you were, Ryoma. I loved you, always smiling, insensitive, but kind. Even if you lost your confidence, even if you became despicable, I could still love you ¡­ because you were still Ryoma-san.¡±

    Yuzuki loved me the way I used to be, the way I used to be, the way I used to deny myself.

    But now I am no longer what I used to be.

    ¡°The Ryoma-san of today is different. The Ryoma-san I loved is no longer here¡­, and if you were the one I loved, you wouldn¡¯t have confessed to me.¡±

    I¡¯ve changed, and Yuzuki was denying it.

    It seems that she can¡¯t accept it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see you changed. I finally came to love you as you are, which I couldn¡¯t change no matter what I did¡­ Why have you changed now?¡±

    Perhaps that was a thought that was split at the end, ¡®resignation¡¯.

    Even Yuzuki must have realized that I used to be distorted.

    But no matter what she did, I didn¡¯t change.

    So Yuzuki decided to love me as I was, and she can¡¯t forgive me because I changed so easily even though I was ¡­

    ¡°I have been devoted to you for a long, long time. I have given all of my heart and soul. No matter how unreasonably I was treated, no matter how much my feelings were trampled upon, I endured. And yet,¡­ to be changed by a single comment from a girl you fell in love with just because she was your ¡®childhood friend¡¯ is such a terrible thing.¡±

    ¨CChildhood friend.

    The words spun from Yuzuki¡¯s lips pierced my heart.

    How did Yuzuki know about my interaction with that girl?

    (Come to think of it, right after the exchange with Shimotsuki, Yuzuki stopped coming to my house.)

    Suddenly, I recall the strange feeling I had at that time.

    I was so preoccupied with Shimotsuki that I quickly forgot about Yuzuki, but when I think about it ¡­, she had been showing a change since that time.

    That was, in essence, what it was all about.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see that scene. I didn¡¯t want to know Ryoma-san when he was talking with Shiho Shimotsuki¡­ No matter how much I talked to you, you didn¡¯t laugh like that. No matter how much I did for you, you were not at all pleased.¡±

    I was being watched.

    Yuzuki happened to see the conversation between me and Shimotsuki.

    ¡°At the end of the day, Ryoma-san twisted himself with a single comment from a mere childhood friend. No matter how much I tried, you didn¡¯t change, but you easily accepted Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯s comment. ¡­ I really wanted Ryoma to change, too, but I had to put up with it, endure it, and force myself to accept it. That¡¯s why ¡­ it¡¯s not easy to accept it.¡±

    ¡°No, n¡­¡±

    I tried to say no, but I couldn¡¯t.

    Because Yuzuki was right.

    I was twisted by the words of my childhood friend, Shiho Shimotsuki.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be second. It doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t be the best. If I could be next to Ryoma-san, that¡¯s all I need to be happy, but I can¡¯t do it anymore. The you I love is no longer here.¡±

    ¡­ Maybe I was being naive.

    Perhaps I was resting on the kindness and affection of Yuzuki.

    Therefore, thinking that she would accept me, I ended up belittling ¡­the girl named Yuzuki Hojo.

    And finally, she had run out of patience.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to be chosen by process of elimination. I know that you liked your childhood friend Shiho Shimotsuki. That love didn¡¯t come true, so you had no choice but to choose an appropriate girl, didn¡¯t you? You thought that I would accept you unconditionally, Ryoma-san, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    She was right on the money.

    Yuzuki was right, word for word.

    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t argue with her.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t underestimate me. I¡¯m a girl, too¡­, and I wish you would have taken me more seriously.¡±

    After telling me this, Yuzuki bowed her head again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Then, without looking back at me, she walked quickly away.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    After that, all that was left was me standing there, and the paper bag on the ground.

    Inside the paper bag that Yuzuki had brought was a handmade Christmas cake.

    When did it fall?

    I collapsed in the doorway, looking at the cake, which was messed up from the impact of the fall.

    ¡°It was already ¡­ too late.¡±

    That¡¯s when I realized.

    I realized that my romantic comedy had been irretrievable.

    Thanks to Shiho, I was able to awaken and see many things that I couldn¡¯t see before ¡­, which made me more acutely aware of the distortion of the current situation.

    ¡°I have twisted Yuzuki.¡±

    It was my unworthiness that twisted the love of a pure girl.

    Because I was insensitive, Yuzuki tried to love me even by distorting herself.

    This is the result of that.

    This is the sin of a harem protagonist.

    And I must now atone for that sin.

    From now on, I have to make the girl I distorted happy, even if it means giving everything I have.

    I know that.

    But I don¡¯t know how to do that.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡±

    One month has already passed since I confessed my feelings to Yuzuki.

    Yet I still couldn¡¯t move on.

    Is there nothing more I can do to ¡­ make my romantic comedy?

    What can I really do to make Yuzuki happy?

    I had no idea what to do¡­

 CH 243

    February. In about a month, the third-year students will graduate.

    At this time of year, there was a bit of sadness in the air among the first-year and second-year students.

    In one month, they will change classes.

    No one wants to be separated from their friends, lovers, or even people they like.

    Especially for high school students, being in different classes is so far apart that it is not an overstatement to say that it is like being on different sides of the border.

    In the second year, there will be a school trip, so not being in the same class as someone you are close to or like will have a considerable impact.

    ¨CMaybe ¡­ in another month, we won¡¯t be in the same class.

    That time limit makes me feel impatient.

    It is no exception for me.

    (If I¡¯m separated from Yuzuki next year¡­, my feelings will no longer be fruitful.)

    Somehow, I feel that way.

    I confessed my feelings to her on Christmas Day and was rejected. ¡­ Since then, I haven¡¯t talked to Yuzuki.

    That made me very impatient.

    Of course I took steps. I tried to talk to her actively and tried hard to get involved with her.

    But Yuzuki remained cold all the time,¡­ and more than a month passed without any progress in our relationship.

    (Damn. I don¡¯t understand Yuzuki¡¯s feelings¡­)

    I arrived at school in the morning and immediately looked for her.

    If Yuzuki had come to school early, I was planning to have a conversation with her at this time, but in the end she didn¡¯t come until the last minute.

    ¡°She came.¡±

    Three minutes before the start of class, Yuzuki finally arrives in the classroom.

    We were seated close to each other, so there was plenty of time to talk.

    ¡°Good morning, Yuzuki.¡±

    I quickly called out to her as she was arranging her belongings at her seat.

    These days, I¡¯ve been throwing out greetings like this every day.

    ¡°¡­Yes, good morning.¡±

    But the reply is, as usual, blunt.

    Without making eye contact or seeming embarrassed, she simply returned the greeting as if she were a million miles away.

    ¡°Ah, yes. Um¡­¡±

    Her cluttered demeanor made my legs shuffle.

    I had been thinking of connecting to a conversation, but Yuzuki immediately took her mind off of me, so the conversation ended here.

    (I guess it¡¯s not working after all.)

    It¡¯s been like this for a while now.

    There are times when we talk, but it never progresses to a conversation.

    It would have been better if she had ignored me.

    Then there is more to it. If she is rejecting me with such strong feelings that she doesn¡¯t want to talk to me, then by reversing those feelings, I should be able to draw her into my favor at once.

    But Yuzuki is not interested in me right now.

    Just like Shiho Shimotsuki in the past.

    (How can I make a girl who has no feelings for me like me?)

    Once, she liked me even though I didn¡¯t ask her to.

    Why has Yuzuki become so rejecting towards me?

    (She said she didn¡¯t like the changed me, but ¡­ no matter how you think about it, I¡¯m better now than I was before the change.)

    I just don¡¯t get it.

    I can¡¯t believe that I used to be good at all.

    So I didn¡¯t know what I had to do to get Yuzuki to forgive me or even like me.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    I took a breath and sat deep in my chair.

    It would be much easier if I just gave up on Yuzuki.

    But that would be the same me.

    I am no longer the same person who trampled on their feelings and lived a frivolous life.

    Now I am not the protagonist of a harem romantic comedy.

    I want to be a devoted and pure protagonist.

    I want to tell Yuzuki how I feel, no matter how much she rejects me.

    And to bring this love to fruition is the story that I have to walk¡­

 CH 244

    Suddenly, looking back to the past, ¡­ it seemed that whenever I was troubled, there was always a girl who would help me out.

    During the overnight learning program, Azusa had my back.

    She was the one who encouraged me when I was worried about confessing my feelings to Shimotsuki.

    When I was in the theater, Mary supported me.

    In the end, my feelings at that time did not come true, but it is true that she helped me.

    And this time, too, it seems that I can be helped.

    ¡°Ryu-kun, wait a minute!¡±

    As usual, my relationship with Yuzuki was still strained, and when I couldn¡¯t do anything about it, one of the girls was trying to reach out to me, as if it was¡­ normal.

    After school. On my way home, I was walking down the street in a daze.

    ¡°¡­ Kirari, huh?¡±

    There was a girl with brown hair.

    She used to have blonde hair and looked more flashy than she does now, but the atmosphere has changed so much before this that I still feel uncomfortable.

    With her red-framed glasses, lighter makeup, longer skirt, and tight-fitting school uniform, she looked very unlike a gyaru.

    However, her appearance was awfully fitting.

    Unlike the Kirari of the past, the Kirari of today looks ¡­ somewhat radiant.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Kirari Asakura. Did you forget about me? That would be so lonely!¡±

    She smiled brightly and lightly poked me with her elbow.

    I was grateful for her friendly attitude.

    It was as if she was saying, ¡°Cheer up¡±.

    Kirari was always like this. Thanks to her cheerful behavior ¡­ next to me, I can treat her like a male friend, which makes me feel at ease.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been quite a while since we¡¯ve had a good conversation like this, hasn¡¯t it? Ryu-kun wasn¡¯t in good spirits. You didn¡¯t respond well when I tried to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    It is true that Kirari seems to be talking to me a lot.

    However, I didn¡¯t have the time to give her any attention recently, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been able to respond very well.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, no need to worry? Well, I¡¯m a girl who can wait, so it¡¯s okay.¡±

    I apologized, and Kirari forgave me without showing any sign of being offended.

    ¡°You heard what I said, didn¡¯t you? Lately Ryu-kun, although not in good spirits, seems to have improved a lot. ¡­So, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    But Kirari seems to have convinced herself of something.

    She seems to have sensed the change in me and is happy about it.

    ¡°Finally, you are back to your cool Ryu-kun¡­ no, maybe not? You¡¯ve become much nicer than before. I¡¯m glad I tried so hard to talk to you over and over again¡­, I¡¯m so happy!¡±

    ¨COh, I see.

    I¡¯m sure this girl has been trying to appeal to me for the past few months.

    The results of her efforts have borne fruit, and she seems to be under the mistaken impression that I have changed drastically.

    It¡¯s true that not too long ago, I was a slacker and perceived myself as a ¡°mob character¡±. I had become despondent and retreated into my shell.

    During that time, I even remember Kirari talking to me a few times¡­ Unfortunately, I do not remember anything she said to me at all¡­

    I am sorry, but Kirari¡¯s words never reached me.

    For me before, Kirari was just a ¡°girl friend¡± and ¡­that¡¯s why I had abandoned confronting her.

    (I¡¯m still a total and utter jerk, as usual.)

    Once again, I am aware.

    I felt like I was reminded of how much of a worst man I was in the past.

    I¡¯m sorry, Kirari¡­ you had nothing to do with it.

    I only realized what was wrong with me thanks to my childhood friend. ¡­ Kirari¡¯s words meant nothing to me.

    So I¡¯m sorry.

    Maybe Kirari is trying to offer a helping hand to me when I¡¯m in trouble.

    Whenever I was in trouble, a girl always helped me out, so I think Kirari is playing the same role this time¡­

    But I couldn¡¯t take that help.

    Using her feelings here is exactly what I would have done in the past.

    I don¡¯t want to do something that doesn¡¯t make sense anymore.

    No more twisted romantic comedies like harems.

    I¡¯ve decided to live my life straight.

    I decided to make amends to Yuzuki, who never gave up on me until the very end, by giving my all.

    In other words, I cannot take Kirari¡¯s hand.

    In order to show my single-mindedness, I must shake off her hand.

    ¡°Hey, Ryu-kun? Can I come over to your house now? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been there, and I want to get all kinds of fancy ¡­¡±

    So, I couldn¡¯t accept that suggestion.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can¡¯t.¡±

    I feel like it¡¯s a mistake to even try to act friendly here.

    If you have decided to be single-minded, it is only natural to exclude other members of the opposite gender.

    Like my childhood friend Shiho, I too want to write a happy romantic comedy.

    So, I¡¯m sorry for Kirari, but ¡­ I decided to shake her off¡­

 CH 245

    Against the act of rejection, I found myself more calm than I had expected.

    Up until now I had been pretending that Kirari¡¯s fondness for me was invisible, and I had been afraid that she would hate me¡­ When I finally faced her and rejected her, I felt that it wasn¡¯t such a big deal.

    (Maybe I¡¯m even worse than I think I am.)

    I thought it would be a much more painful choice.

    A normal human being would have needed to be very prepared for that decision.

    But I¡¯m apparently a self-centered person, so I¡¯m not sensitive to other people¡¯s feelings.

    Therefore, it¡¯s no surprise that no matter how much Kirari is hurt,¡­ I don¡¯t think anything of it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Kirari¡­, don¡¯t follow me anymore.¡±

    Don¡¯t be pushed around by me like this.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is a person who is not worth loving.

    Thanks to my childhood friend Shimotsuki, I am now able to look at myself objectively,¡­ and I even have a feeling of disgust toward myself.

    It¡¯s wrong to be influenced by such a person and to have a hard time with their emotions.

    It is precisely because I think this way that I was able to shake off Kirari¡¯s thoughts in a messy way.

    ¡°Huh? But, but ¡­ you let me in until now. What happened all of a sudden? Isn¡¯t it strange, Ryu-kun?¡±

    To Kirari, it may have looked like I had changed.

    It is natural for her to feel uncomfortable with me in the present because she had seen me in the past.

    Looking back, I have never said anything strongly enough to the girls.

    They may have described it as ¡°kindness¡±, ¡­ but it just ¡°didn¡¯t matter¡±.

    I¡¯m not kind.

    If I had to say, I can only be kind to ¡­ myself.

    In other words, Ryoma Ryuzaki is a person who is soft on himself.

    It would be wrong to be attached to such a person.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange. ¡­ Rather, it¡¯s been strange up until now. Kirari, I don¡¯t want to make mistakes anymore. I don¡¯t want to hurt you anymore,¡­ so don¡¯t try so hard for me. Forget about me.¡±

    With that, I turn to walk away.

    I try to shake off her thoughts and pretend that our previous association never happened.

    There¡¯s only one person I can make happy.

    I have already chosen that person. Yuzuki Hojo.

    The time when I was allowed to be indecisive is long gone.

    In order to walk the high road of a romantic comedy¡­, I cut Kirari off.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    I said that last and turned my back on her.

    I was going to walk away as it was,¡­ but my hand was unexpectedly grabbed.

    ¡°Wait. I¡¯m not done talking.¡±

    Of course, the person on the other end of the line was Kirari.

    She¡¯s still trying to hold on to me,¡­ how many times do I have to tell her that¡¯s a mistake?

    It makes me kind of sad to see a girl who is trying to make herself unhappy.

    I wondered if I would have to use stronger words to get her to leave me¡­ and it was then that I was thinking about that.

    ¡°Ryu-kun is ¡­ trying to become ¡®who¡¯ right now?¡±

    Those words pierced my heart.

    Who am I trying to be, you ask?

    There is no one. I¡¯m me¡­ I could have said that, but I choked up.

    ¡°Do you know that your words are very light? Do you really mean what you say? It¡¯s like you¡¯re taking ¡­ someone else¡¯s words at face value, and it¡¯s really weird.¡±

    The image of that girl suddenly flashed in my mind when she pointed out the lightness of my words.

    (No way, I¡¯m taking ¡­ Shimotsuki¡¯s words as my opinion?)

    I was made aware.

    I am now projecting other people¡¯s evaluations directly onto my own.

    Without thinking about the true nature of the matter, I am simply taking it for granted because ¡°Shimotsuki said so¡±.

    Because of this, my words are not convincing, apparently.

    Kirari said that my words were ¡®light,¡¯ and she dismissed them as such.

    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s too late for that kind of thing to be said now,¡­ because I can¡¯t go back.¡±

    Her tone of voice is calm. Although she is calm and her demeanor is quite natural, the eyes that peered at me through the frames of her ¡­ glasses were glowing with a bewitching light.

    The light of determination.

    A strong will resides in it.

    ¡°I will not allow you to run away from me after you stole my heart. Don¡¯t think you can shake me off with a casual feeling.¡±

    ¡­Maybe for the first time.

    ¡°Both me and Ryu-kun ¡­ are already taking too many wicked paths to take the high road.¡±

    I¡¯ve never seen Kirari show such a strong determination towards me before¡­

 CH 246

    What is the driving force behind love?

    The answer to this question may not be known to even the smartest of people.

    There is no right answer. Moreover, it takes different forms for different people. Therefore, there is no answer that I, a mere high school student, can give.

    But I can say this.

    The driving force of love may not be ¡°right¡± or ¡°wrong¡± at least.

    ¡°Did you start to dislike me, Ryu-kun?¡±

    I did not shake my head at that question, of course.

    I could not lie, because I did not dislike Kirari.

    ¡°Hmm? Then, I won¡¯t give up, right? No matter how much Ryu-kun rejects me, if he doesn¡¯t hate me, I¡¯ve decided to do my best.¡±

    The words were heavy, symmetrically to mine.

    She was down-to-earth, and yet I could see a glimpse of her unshakable core strength.

    That¡¯s why I felt sorry for her.

    I think it¡¯s wrong for her to be so attached to me.

    ¡°Kirari, I have someone else I like. I can¡¯t accept your feelings.¡±

    I tried to reject her somehow.

    What I just said was not a lie.

    I like Yuzuki.

    Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t want to make her happy.

    ¡­Damn.

    It¡¯s frustrating that I doubt that even this thought is correct.

    Do I really like Yuzuki?

    I¡¯m just trying to atone for my sins with a stupid sense of responsibility and duty?

    Such doubts are going through my mind.

    But I deliberately pretended not to notice these thoughts.

    I could not persuade Kirari with such doubts in my mind.

    I felt as if I had to face her now.

    That¡¯s how serious she was looking at me.

    ¡°Someone you like? I already know that.¡±

    Kirari was still unmoved by my words.

    Her spirit was so strong that it almost made me back away from her.

    ¡°I chose ¡­ Ryu-kun, knowing that you are that kind of person. I don¡¯t care if you like someone else. Someday you will like me too, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    I wonder if such a convenient thought is possible.

    I¡¯m not sure if this girl is also a victim of my ¡°protagonism¡± that has made her crazy.

    So, I make a statement that is convenient for me.

    I was wrong because she said it that way.

    ¡°Kirari¡­ I know it¡¯s not right for me to say this ¡­ but let me say it. Your thoughts are wrong. Don¡¯t say things like that, like you¡¯re fine with being a mistress¡­ You should be with someone who loves Kirari first and foremost. You¡¯ll be happier that way.¡±

    You and I are both wrong.

    That¡¯s why distorted romantic comedies like harems are born.

    It¡¯s time for us to be right.

    If not, we can¡¯t be happy ¨C that¡¯s what I told her.

    But Kirari snickered at my words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s right or wrong. I fell in love with Ryu-kun. That¡¯s all that matters, so why do you keep making excuses? There is only one person who can make me happy, right? Only ¡­Ryu-kun is the one I love.¡±

    It will not break.

    Strong will easily dismisses my light words.

    ¡­This is impossible.

    No matter what words I spin, Kirari will never change.

    She has her ¡°self¡±. She will not change herself by the words of others.

    She won¡¯t be like me, who was drastically changed by my childhood friend¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t underestimate my romantic comedy.¡±

    And with this one comment, I was the one who broke down.

    ¡°I will not let my past experiences go to waste. Even if my love doesn¡¯t come true in the end, I will say ¡®I had a good romance¡¯. That¡¯s the kind of romantic comedy I¡¯ve decided to make, you know.¡±

    Laughing, Kirari patted me on the shoulder.

    As usual, she smiled at me in a friendly and ¡­ cheerful way, like friends.

    ¡°So, are you ready for this?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t shake her off.

    Unlike Kirari, I¡¯m too frivolous.

    There was no way I could twist Kirari¡¯s hard, heavy, strong will¡­

 CH 247

    Well, what should I do?

    For example, if I were to be inserted here, it would surely be a good idea to take some kind of action.

    Normally, it would be a good place to switch to the mob character¡¯s point of view here, but ¡­ his turn may not have come yet.

    ¡°Kotaro is supposed to be the narrator.¡±

    Well, there¡¯s no use blabbing about it.

    I am a perfect, flawless, versatile, and useful character. I am an excellent Onee-san who can play not only an antagonist, but also a tricky position, a subheroine in love, or even a funny clown.

    The only characters I can¡¯t play are the main heroine, the protagonist, and other such ¡°real¡± characters.

    As a small person, I pride myself on being a dexterous character who can do anything but the big stuff.

    Since that¡¯s the case, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to participate in their story as a ¡­ narrator.

    ¡°Fumufumu, I wonder what I should do.¡±

    I look at the filed report and ponder.

    While adjusting the position of my misaligned glasses, I was scrutinizing the information I had received from the detective ¡®regarding Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯.

    The place was my private room, a familiar place to me.

    In one of the many rooms in the Mary mansion, I sat on an unintentionally expensive chair that cost more than one million yen, and threw my glasses in the trash.

    ¡°My eyes still hurt.¡±

    ¡°Please take care of yourself, Miss.¡±

    The maid who takes care of me chided me.

    I tried on a pair of glasses thinking that an intellectual character is not so bad once in a while, but they were not the right size for me. I have unusually good eyesight to begin with, so wearing glasses might have been bad for my health.

    ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯d rather be a s*xy character than a narrator. You see, there are subheroines who have lucky sketches with the main character in a bathing scene or a changing clothes scene, right? It¡¯s not bad to be handled like that.¡±

    ¡°How do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m unintentionally stylish, so I think I¡¯ll look good on the screen.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Boring.¡±

    Even when I made jokes, the servants here gave only inorganic answers like robots.

    As usual, this mansion was boring for me.

    I guess that¡¯s why I¡¯ve become so devoted to the story.

    My mother, who had an affair and suffered a painful experience, and I don¡¯t even know where she lives now. My father, who was betrayed by his beloved and got his revenge, but still puts his unfulfilled feelings into his work. There are only boring people.

    When I was born, he even loved me so much that he named his company ¡°Mary¡± for his daughter, but you never know how people can change.

    Kotaro, I understand so well how you feel when you are having a hard time with strange parents.

    ¡­Oops, did I go on too much of a tangent?

    I may have wasted too much time talking about my character.

    No, but I am an old-fashioned person along with Shiho, and it is not an exaggeration to say that noisy background text is in a sense a beauty of style.

    Kotaro¡¯s and Ryoma¡¯s monologues are not playful, and my eyes seem to slip when I read them, so it¡¯s not bad to have an accent like mine every once in a while.

    I¡¯ll leave it at that.

    Well, take a break.

    In other words, I am the narrator of the story, which means that they want me to stir up the story in a good way.

    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­ To make it more interesting, we need to revive some of those connections over there.¡±

    I ponder

    Lightly shaking my useless chest, I build up the flow of the plot.

    I¡¯ll let the mob character make an appearance at this point.

    ¡°Shall I bring Yuzuki and Kotaro together?¡±

    Consciously or unconsciously, Kotaro is avoiding Yuzuki.

    I don¡¯t know if he is aware of it or not, but I have some idea that Kotaro is the reason why the two of them don¡¯t see each other extremely much.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to make a mess of it.

    Manipulating Kotaro, who tends to stagnate as soon as he is caught off guard, is one of my specialties.

    Fortunately, Shiho is not trying to intervene too much with Kotaro at the moment, and if there is any time to initiate ¡­, it is now.

    With that, I got up from my chair.

    ¡°Where are you going, young lady?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going onstage. I¡¯m a very busy character.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The servant nodded in disinterest to the appropriate answer.

    A character with no story at all¡­ If you say he¡¯s like a mob character, that¡¯s what I¡¯d call him.

    That¡¯s why I like him a lot, because he has risen from being just a mob character.

    ¡°Kotaro, you¡¯re going to entertain me again, okay?¡±

    Let¡¯s drag him up on stage.

    Let¡¯s bring Kotaro into Ryoma¡¯s disintegrating harem story.

    What kind of story will be told after that?

    I still don¡¯t know the answer to that question.

    But the fact that I don¡¯t know is what makes the story so interesting¡­

 CH 248

    Ding-Dong.

    Even though it is nighttime, I rang the chime without hesitation.

    A little later, I hear panicked footsteps from inside, and the door immediately opens.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    A familiar mob face peeks out through the open door.

    Remembering that I haven¡¯t played the role of the jolly blonde beauty recently, I greet him like that.

    ¡°Kichatta¡î¡±

    With a wink, I stick out my tongue and give him a cute, cheeky look.

    Most boys would fall head over heels for me if I did this.

    I knew that most guys have their brains attached to their lower body, so they are weak against a s*xy character like me.

    That is why Kotaro, who blatantly frowned at me, never ceased to interest me.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t come here.¡±

    Neither being strong nor bashful, Kotaro was not interested or concerned from the depths of his heart and was not deceived by s*xy characters, but simply disliked my mere existence, and I could not help but laugh.

    ¡°Nihihihi. Don¡¯t say that, can you let me in? I think you should be a little more careful with a girl out so late at night, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only 8:00 p.m. and Mary seems stronger than the guys, so there¡¯s no point in worrying.¡±

    You are right. I would probably not get hurt even if I was attacked by any thugs. After all, I am perfect, I am seamless, and I have mastered the martial arts.

    But men are usually attracted to you if you tickle their desire for protection.

    So, I know that I wat to be happy when they give me shelter.

    ¡­ Well, it still didn¡¯t work for Kotaro.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°What if I told you I just came to see Kotaro?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just ignore you. You¡¯re a pain.¡±

    ¡°OH¡­, what if I told you that I came to visit Kutaro¡¯s stepsister?¡±

    ¡°Azusa? Mary-san, do you know that girl?¡±

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re such good friends that sometimes we see each other in the classroom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not very close, is it?¡±

    Hmmm.

    My favorite vague way of talking was not working.

    I knew that Kotaro was not interested in me at all.

    That¡¯s why Kururi¡¯s guts in trying to lure such a man was quite interesting to see in retrospect.

    And perhaps it is because Kotarouis a mob character that he has such a lack of ¡®individuality¡¯ and can remain ¡®nothing¡¯ in response to any heroine¡¯s approach.

    As usual, this character is interesting.

    That is why it is a shame that he is a bit of a mosquito in Ryoma¡¯s story.

    I need him to dance more.

    Because that would be more ¡®interesting¡¯.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯m going to tell you straight to the point, okay? ¨CRyoma was rejected by Yuzuki.¡±

    When he tried to tangle with Yuzuki, he lost.

    If he tries to join forces with her, she pushes him away.

    So, I had no choice but to be honest.

    It¡¯s not a very typical choice for me, but to make the story more interesting, it¡¯s good to be honest once in a while.

    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    As expected, Kotaro showed agitation.

    He was completely unfazed when it came to himself, but when it came to those closest to him, he became instantly fragile.

    I¡¯m not gentle enough not to attack that gap.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he interested in your childhood friend?¡±

    When I whispered this to him in an inciting manner, Kotaro¡¯s expression instantly became tense.

    ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    But he was still trying to refuse me with his apparent strength.

    However, it looked like I could break him if I pushed a little harder, so I relentlessly tried to break him¡­, but¡­

    Unfortunately, I was interrupted before I could do so.

    ¡°Azusa would like to hear that story, too?¡±

    ¡­ Hmm, I see.

    Apparently, the homes of the common people were smaller than I thought.

    ¡°Did you hear me?¡±

    The one who suddenly appeared from the living room was a childish woman who looked like a child sitting on a throne.

    It seemed that she could hear me talking from the living room. It seems that the average home is much smaller than my mansion.

    ¡°What do you mean Ryoma Onii-chan got rejected¡­?¡±

    The one who interrupted me was the once defeated sub heroine.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the appearance of the defeated heroine, whom I thought had already decayed completely.

    (It¡¯s funny when this happens, isn¡¯t it?)

    There may be more developments awaiting Ryoma¡¯s story.

    I felt that Azusa¡¯s appearance was such a major turning point in the plot of the story¡­

 CH 249

    If Kotaro and Shiho¡¯s story were to be divided into parts, would we now be in Part IV?

    Part I is the overnight study program where everyone makes their first appearance.

    Part II is the cultural festival in which I played a big role and was defeated in a catastrophic way.

    Part III is Christmas when Ryoma awakened.

    And the part IV could be the closing ceremony, where the end of Ryoma¡¯s harem romantic comedy will be decided.

    In the midst of all this, the defeated heroine of Part I is finally about to return to the main plot of the story.

    <¡°Azusa Nakayama.¡±>

    Formerly a twin-tailed sister character, she is now a younger sister character with a bobbed hair.

    Although she is the same age as Kotaro, she is a distorted younger sister who calls him ¡°Onii-chan¡±.

    She is also a pathetic subheroine who grew up in a complicated family environment and was in search of her real ¡°Onii-chan¡± due to the shock of her beloved brother¡¯s death.

    The end of her romantic comedy was so terrible that even I felt pain in my heart.

    She fell in love with Ryoma because of his resemblance to the real ¡°Onii-chan,¡± but he didn¡¯t get Azusa¡¯s feelings at all and eventually rejected her¡­ Her romantic comedy came to an end without her feelings being reciprocated.

    Azusa has long ago become a ¡°finished character¡±.

    Despite this, she is still going strong.

    As I said, the sister character is very strong.

    Even if they can¡¯t be lovers, the connection of ¡°brother and sister¡± is unbreakable.

    The bond of family is probably thicker than the bond of lovers.

    Lovers are strangers when they break up.

    But a sister can remain a sister forever, even if they have differences.

    With the privilege of being special from birth, she seems to be trying to get on the stage.

    Compared to Kururi, who is unlikely to go on stage again, Azusa is in a very unique position.

    As long as she lives with Kotaro, the narrator, she can definitely appear at every turn.

    As if to say ¡®don¡¯t forget¡¯, Azusa was asserting herself.

    If you want to think of it in terms of our favorite, meta way, ¡­ it would be what we call ¡®foreshadowing¡¯.

    The foreshadowing of Azusa, which has been left unattended for a long time, is finally about to be collected.

    Well, ¡­ could it be possible that a single word from me could get Azusa on the stage?

    If so, that¡¯s a lot of responsibility.

    Let¡¯s make sure to get this girl involved as well.

    If the story gets more interesting in this way, I will enjoy it very much.

    Well, I think that¡¯s enough explanation of the characters who haven¡¯t appeared in a while.

    Let¡¯s get on with the main story now.

    ¡°Mary-chan, why don¡¯t you come in for now? Let¡¯s talk and take our time, shall we?¡±

    As if beckoning a small animal, Azusa is saying ¡°Come on in¡± to me.

    I was almost drooling at her little sisterly gesture.

    ¡°Hehe. Kotaro¡¯s stepsister is really cute, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t do anything weird, okay?¡±

    I don¡¯t do anything weird.

    However, I am quite fond of this kind of convenient heroine that is filled with male ideals.

    She is cute and looks like a Japanese Zashikiwarashi, and I highly appreciated her from the very beginning.

    Well, if she is so adorable, it is understandable that the main heroine, who has no interest in other people, is so passionate towards her.

    Azusa may be a person with a natural talent to be loved.

    She is different in comparison among the sub-heroines. I felt that she stood out in a good way, not distorted like me.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna come in, all right? After all, an occupant of this house gave me permission, so don¡¯t stop me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Azusa, she¡¯s dangerous, okay? I don¡¯t think you should let her in the house very often.¡±

    ¡°Onii-chan shut up.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Oops. The selfish stepsister is playing with Onii-chan.

    As long as you are born an older brother, it is your destiny to listen to your younger sister¡¯s selfishness. It was fun to watch Kotaro bear this responsibility.

    He is not usually so agitated, but when it comes to people close to him, he is instantly vulnerable.

    It¡¯s really no wonder that he is so humane, even though he is only a mob character.

    ¡°Then, excuse me.¡±

    Following Japanese etiquette, I took off my shoes, saying something disrespectful like, ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Now, it was time to branch out.

    If I make the wrong choice, Azusa will unfortunately no longer be able to appear in the story.

    That would be too boring, so I¡¯ll do my best to bring her back ¡­

 CH 250

    I was led to a cozy living room.

    I sat on the hard, uncomfortable sofa as I was urged to do.

    I usually sit on a meaningless luxury sofa with money to spare, so I feel like I haven¡¯t touched a cheap one in a long time.

    Hmmm¡­ this kind of thing is not so bad.

    I have a constitution that likes to be stressed out, so I also love shoddy products like this.

    I¡¯ve recently come to enjoy situations where things don¡¯t go the way I want them to, even though they are so perfect.

    Maybe I¡¯m just a dominant person.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Onii-chan, I want to drink orange juice.¡±

    Right after I sat down, Azusa sat down right next to me.

    Compared to her older brother, who is as alert as a small wild animal, this Zashikiwarashi-chan seems to have no sense of caution.

    Although it was almost our first meeting, I was surprised at the closeness of the distance between us.

    Azusa¡¯s older brother would never get this close.

    He is like a domesticated pet.

    ¡°Do you want something to drink, Mary?¡±

    ¡°I prefer the tea that the common people drink. You know, the cheap kind sold at convenience stores and supermarkets.¡±

    ¡°I sense malice in the way you say it¡­ Azusa, you shouldn¡¯t talk to her too much. If you are influenced by her, your personality will deteriorate.¡±

    ¡°Onii-chan, don¡¯t be rude. Here, bring it to me quickly?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡­ Hmmm?

    It seems that these two have settled into a true ¡°brother-sister¡± relationship.

    There are many stories of stepsisters falling in love with their older brothers, but the relationship between Kotaro and Azusa is nothing more than that of family, for better or worse.

    That¡¯s why they are moderately indifferent to each other, and that¡¯s why they are overly caring?

    ¡°Hey, Onii-chan, stop complaining and bring it, Yo!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t call me Onii-chan.¡±

    When I jokingly tease him, he frowns in disgust.

    As I was grinning while looking at it, I suddenly felt a look from the side.

    ¡°¡­The only sister he has is Azusa¡­¡±

    A voice so quiet that normal people can¡¯t hear it.

    I heard her muttering, which I could barely hear because I was inadvertently born a genius, and I knew the significance of Azusa¡¯s existence.

    (I see. Is she finding her own value in being a younger sister?)

    To the extent that she is the only one who can indulge in her brother;s spoiling ¨C by being in that position, Azusa may be supporting herself.

    Is that why Azusa cannot be honest with Shiho?

    According to the information gatherer sniffing around Kotaro, Shiho and Azusa seem to be gaming friends. They often play shadow games and stir things up with each other.

    They seem to get along well, but I have a feeling that Azusa is still having a hard time accepting Shiho.

    That¡¯s probably because her pride as a younger sister is getting in the way of her accepting a second person who can be spoiled by Kotaro.

    But she is making an effort to accept that Shiho for the sake of her brother¡¯s happiness¡­ and when I think about it, she was healthy, cute, and truly a hundred points as a sister character.

    (If it¡¯s Azusa, there¡¯s a chance she could have a happy path even if she¡¯s not with ¡­ Ryoma.)

    While Kotaro was pouring me a drink, I was running through my thoughts in my brain, which often spin around in vain.

    According to the doctor, I had been thinking too much and the left side of my brain, which controls logic, had become a little enlarged.

    If I were a normal person, the stress would make me crazy, but because I am an amazing person, I am somehow able to withstand it.

    The conclusion that my quick-witted self came up with was that Azusa can be happy enough as it is.

    (Other harem heroines can only be happy if they are with Ryoma, but not ¡­ Azusa.)

    Including me, Kirari, Yuzuki, Kururi, and others are so poisoned by the protagonist that we are in a state of dependence.

    But Azusa, thanks to her brother who loves her as a family member, was on the verge of shedding that poison.

    If the defeated subheroine-chan can continue to live her life, ¡­ she will eventually forget about the protagonist, return to being a common girl, and have a very normal happiness.

    If I really want her to be happy, maybe the right thing to do is to let her take that path.

    But ¨C that¡¯s no fun, right?

    (That¡¯s why I¡¯ll bring her back.)

    I find it boring that Azusa is being normal.

    At the same time, ¡­ there is a possibility that Azusa may not like being normal either, right?

    That¡¯s why ¡­ Kotaro, I¡¯m sorry, okay?

    Ordinary happiness is a waste for your stepsister¡­

 CH 251

    I sipped the oolong tea poured into a cheap cup.

    The coarse taste irritated my tongue, lashed my throat, and made my stomach cramp.

    Is this really tea?

    It tastes so horrible that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it were called rag squeezed juice.

    But it¡¯s not bad.

    Sometimes it¡¯s good to douse your pointlessly bloated tongue with cold water.

    Otherwise, I¡¯m going to get fat and bloated, even my tongue. It¡¯s enough to get plump only around the b*tt, b***sts, and so on.

    ¡°Nggggg, nggggg.¡±

    On the other hand, Azusa next to me was gulping down her orange juice like she was enjoying it.

    The cute way she slurps her drink makes her look like a kitten drinking water.

    The charm that makes you want to pet her unconditionally is a natural talent.

    She can be seen as a counterpart of me, who is whip-smart and specializes in arousing passionate desire. Her meager body, her sheltering gestures, her friendly smile, everything about her is perfect as a sister character.

    ¡°If Ryoma had a sister like Azusa,¡­ he might have been able to choose a different path.¡±

    When I muttered this, Azusa stopped moving with a snap.

    She stopped drinking her orange juice and turned her gaze toward me.

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan¡­ wasn¡¯t it? Ryoma-kun, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Azusa is no longer idealistic about the person she once admired who overlapped her real brother.

    Ryoma is ¡®Ryoma¡¯ and not Azusa¡¯s brother who has passed away. She understands this thanks to Kotaro and is growing up a lot.

    She still has the habit of calling him ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ when she is not careful, but¡­ now she was trying her best to distinguish Ryoma as a person.

    That is, in other words, ¡®the distortion is gone¡¯.

    The more I looked at her, the more she was back to being a normal girl.

    Kotaro must have spent a long time healing Azusa¡¯s wounds.

    To smear such mud on her again ¨C just the thought of it sends a shiver down my spine.

    Prying open old wounds, rubbing salt into them, and smearing them with mud.

    I loved the human nature that oozes out through this process.

    I will carefully go through the process to achieve this.

    ¡°Ryoma confessed his feelings to Yuzuki, but was rejected.¡±

    First, I¡¯ll open up an old wound.

    ¡°¡­ Confess.¡±

    She seemed to remember the pain of her lost love, and her expression turned a little bitter.

    That¡¯s when.

    ¡°Do you know the difference between what is right and wrong?¡±

    The mob character who had been at my and his stepsister¡¯s mercy until now, suddenly bared his fangs at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring my family into this for your own pleasure, okay?¡±

    Sharp. After all, he is not just a mob character.

    Perhaps it¡¯s because of Shiho, but his keen senses become unusually acute at just the right moment.

    But I am a trickster with a reputation for disrupting the story.

    I had it in my head that you would do the same, you know?

    I had this situation in mind when I came up with the idea of involving Azusa.

    I was not calling myself a creator just for the sake of it.

    In terms of the bird¡¯s-eye view of the story, Kotaro¡­ you must not forget that I am better than you.

    ¡°¡­Are you always going to be overprotective. Azusa is Koutarou¡¯s stepsister, but at the same time, she is also a classmate. ¡­I don¡¯t think she will be able to be independent in the future if she keeps being protected by a family member her own age.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­that¡¯s¡­¡±

    I¡¯ll give you the sore point.

    He may have been dimly aware of it.

    He choked on his words in response to my point.

    Kotaro¡¯s love is only overprotective when viewed from a different perspective.

    Even blood-related family members are strangers in the extreme.

    Azusa¡¯s life should be decided by Azusa.

    She is no longer a child that Kotaro can protect forever.

    ¡°Of course, this is my hobby, but it is something that Azusa would want to know, wouldn¡¯t she? The person you once loved is in pain, waiting for help. At that time, it is Azusa who has the right to decide whether or not to extend a helping hand.¡±

    And this is not a story that benefits only me.

    It is an important turning point in Azusa¡¯s life as well.

    ¡°This may be a hard story for the rejected Azusa. But think about it. ¡­ This is a ¡®possibility¡¯ too, right?¡¡Azusa¡¯s unfulfilled feelings may come true now. You can even rekindle the passion you gave up on. I just want to present that option to you.¡±

    I pried open the old wounds of a broken heart, rubbed in the salt of past failures, and poured the mud of new possibilities on top of it.

    The result ¨C Azusa¡¯s expression instantly lost its color.

    ¡°Possibility¡­¡±

    It was as if she suddenly remembered the pleasures of a drug she was addicted to.

    ¡­How could I, myself, have such a quick tongue?

    In just a few minutes of conversation, the subheroine-chan who had been stabilized over a long period of time became unstable all at once.

    Will she use the rebound to her advantage and become happy?

    Or will she break down, unable to bear the rebound?

    I guess it¡¯s up to Azusa from here on out.

    If she does nothing, she might have been a normal girl and had a normal happiness.

    But I think ¡­ that would not reward Azusa¡¯s romantic comedy, you know.

    Kotaro, you are too overprotective.

    Azusa is not looking for a normal happiness.

    So, I have presented the possibility of an unusual happiness, right?

    ¡­ Well, that¡¯s all just a front.

    (Nihihi? I¡¯m not sure what to expect, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be interesting.)

    Of course, my pleasure is the only reason for all of this.

    I really think I have a very bad personality¡­

 CH 252

    According to some creation theory, a story needs characters with several roles.

    The ¡°protagonist¡± is the core of the story.

    An ¡°enemy¡± who opposes the protagonist.

    The ¡°sage¡± who helps the protagonist, gives him power, guides him, and so on.

    The story also needs a ¡°gatekeeper,¡± ¡°messenger,¡± ¡°moody person,¡± or some such nuanced role, to put it crudely.

    And I am categorized in the role of a ¡°prankster¡±.

    If I were to use a slightly less common word, I would be called a ¡°trickster¡±.

    My role is to mislead the protagonist, to change him, to encourage his growth, and sometimes to push him into a corner.

    When the protagonist is pitted against the antagonist, or when the antagonist has yet to develop, the Trickster is the one to bring the story to a successful conclusion.

    It¡¯s exactly the kind of character Mary Parker deserves.

    Well, sometimes I have guided the protagonist as a ¡°sage¡±, sometimes I have stood in his way as an enemy, and sometimes I have lent a hand as a moody person.

    So I can manipulate the story at will by getting involved with the characters a lot in that way.

    ¡­ Oh, one thing I should mention so as not to misunderstand.

    This is what is said in the theory of creation, but you should be careful because if you try to put the fun into logic, you will lose sight of what makes it appealing.

    In short, I would like to say that there is absolutely no such thing as a ¡°must-do¡± method.

    Because fun is not logic. Interest is an emotion.

    To begin with, if fun could be logical, the world would be full of fun stories, wouldn¡¯t it?

    At the very least, works by publishers and other companies that generate money would never bomb.

    Since fun cannot be logically defined, let me just say that it is better not to rely on the roles of characters or the creative theories that are talked about in high circles.

    It¡¯s fine to use them as references, but everything should be taken with a grain of salt, right?

    ¨COops, I¡¯m getting too far off topic.

    Let¡¯s take a break.

    Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about, so and so ¡­ I am acting in the dark as the ¡°Trickster¡±, right?

    As a result of acting in that role ¨C now the subheroine, who should have been defeated, is about to return to the stage again.

    ¡°Azusa¡¯s unpayed feelings might now be fulfilled.¡±

    After hearing those words, there was no response from Azusa.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her natural charm is gone, and now she just stares blankly at the void.

    She is probably thinking about Ryoma all the time.

    ¡°Well, since that¡¯s the case, I think I¡¯ll go home.¡±

    Having finished my role, I gently pat Azusa¡¯s head and then slowly stand up.

    With my back to her, I left the living room, and he immediately followed behind me.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    He¡¯s usually so soft-spoken, but when he¡¯s angry, he instantly becomes overbearing, it¡¯s scary stuff, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°You said unnecessary things.¡±

    He¡¯s a mob character, but he¡¯s quite formidable.

    ¡°No, no, no, hehe¡­. uhehe. That¡¯s nice, I like your face ¡­¡±

    Witnessing Kotaro¡¯s anger, I could not help but feel the corners of my mouth begin to curl up.

    ¡°For example, let¡¯s say that Kotaro had given in to his impulse and punched me. If you can take on the passion of that unfeeling mob character with your own body, it¡¯s ¡­ not a bad idea. I like pain a lot, it gives me the creeps.¡±

    It is wrong to expect a sane reaction from a mischievous clown.

    You think you¡¯re going to frighten your opponent when you get mad at him? I¡¯m not a trickster who can reflect and make amends for my mistakes.

    I can only enjoy myself.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    When I provoked him, Kotaro took a step toward me.

    However, I already knew that he would not be violent.

    There was no way this mob character would be outraged by a character of my caliber.

    So, instead, I would make this suggestion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside for now. If you yell at me right now, the little animal in the living room will get scared. You don¡¯t want to look so bad in front of your sister, do you?¡±

    Push and pull, pull and push.

    Like a curtain, it flutters and flutters to confuse your partner¡¯s emotions, and by the time you realize it, you are already in their hands.

    £¨Now, let¡¯s move on to the next scene.)

    I looked at the plot I had constructed in my mind and adjusted the flow of the story.

    First, I made a move on Azusa.

    And now ¡­ Kotaro, it¡¯s finally your turn¡­

 CH 253

    As soon as I got outside.

    ¡°I was wrong after all.¡±

    Kotaro, who had followed me, spat out the words as if grumbling.

    He stared at me, gritting his teeth in frustration.

    ¡°There was a part of me that forgave Mary-san for a little bit. I subconsciously assumed that your past behavior was just a mistake, and that you, having reflected on it, were no longer capable of harm.¡±

    But I guess Kotaro had misjudged the person called me.

    ¡°After all, Mary-san is not a person who can be trusted.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sad to hear you say that.¡±

    ¡°I should have gone to ¡­ for the whitewash! I should have refused it from the beginning. All this time, Azusa was getting back on her feet, and now because of Mary-san¡¯s toying with her,¡­ she has to suffer again.¡±

    Yes, that would be true.

    After all, Azusa has once again remembered her feelings for Ryoma.

    It was an old wound that had opened up, and there was no way she wouldn¡¯t suffer.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault ¡­ damn!¡±

    Kotaro is gritting his teeth, probably due to his regret at not being able to protect his stepsister.

    I was not too happy to see him grimacing, but it was time to go, so I slowly started to walk away.

    ¡°Kotaro, if you just want to complain, let¡¯s have you do it while we¡¯re walking.¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­ wait, I¡¯m not done talking.¡±

    He chased after me with a panicked look on his face.

    ¡°What is your goal? What do you want with Azusa? I won¡¯t allow you to hurt Azusa any more than you already have, okay?¡±

    Kotaro wants to know.

    He knows what I am trying to do, what I intend to do, and he is trying to protect my adorable little stepsister just like a small animal.

    But why can¡¯t you understand that this is ¡°overprotection¡±?

    ¡°Although she may be happy to be locked in a little cage, fed, and watched like a chirping little bird, it is not a bad thing.¡±

    But let¡¯s put it in perspective.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say that little bird would be happier flying around in the ¡­ skies than protected and chirping?¡±

    Even if there is danger from outside enemies.

    Even if it is difficult to obtain food.

    It is more beautiful to live on your own than to be kept in captivity.

    I think so.

    ¡°If a girl of that caliber is satisfied with the modest happiness she finds in her boxed garden,¡­ she would never have fallen in love with Ryoma in the first place.¡±

    And at the same time, I thought to myself.

    ¡°Stories that make people happy with ordinary happiness are boring to me.¡±

    This is already my pretext, but it¡¯s my real intention.

    I involved a girl named Azusa for my own pleasure and also for her¡­ sake.

    ¡°Let it be black and white whether you like it or not, or Azusa will regret it for the rest of her life, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t know that. How can you understand her feelings, Mary? Do you really understand that girl, who is so far from normal, who has common feelings?¡±

    ¡°I do understand¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, I can understand Azusa¡¯s feelings.

    Because,

    ¡°Because I, too, am a defeated subheroine.¡±

    I¡¯m suffering, so there¡¯s no way Azusa doesn¡¯t regret it.

    And I have already given up on ¡­ decent happiness because I am too twisted to be honest.

    But honest Azusa can still get it back.

    ¡°Even if she¡¯s one of the harem members, it¡¯s okay to have a romantic comedy where ¡­ the subheroine is happy, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s evil to struggle for that.

    Therefore, I could not approve of Kotaro being overprotective.

    ¡°Maybe it will end up hurting her more as a result. There is even a possibility that Azusa will hate and loathe Ryoma to the point of wanting to kill him. But that is the end of heartbreak and that is the end of love ¡­, so I will tell you that it is not good for Azusa to continue in the current stagnation.¡±

    ¨CAnd that¡¯s how I¡¯m going to close on Azusa¡¯s case.

    That said, Kotaro ¡­ why are you still pretending to be an outsider?

    ¡°No, but, that¡¯s¡­!¡±

    I¡¯m sorry to be arguing with you about something.

    It¡¯s time.

    ¡°¡­I know you have a lot to say, but I¡¯ll ask you to keep it to yourself for now.¡±

    I interrupted him forcefully and stopped him from speaking.

    ¡°She¡¯s here.¡±

    I told him this and urged him to look at the road ahead.

    ¡°Huh? What are you trying to say¡­?¡±

    Kotaro did as he was urged and looked in the direction I indicated.

    And the sight of her he saw left him speechless.

    ¡°¡­ Here, Yuzuki.¡±

    He grunted in disgust at the presence of this important character.

    Now, Kotaro¡¯s time out of the mosquito net is over.

    ¡°The girl you once loved is suffering. Can Kotaro really ignore her?¡±

    It¡¯s time for Kotaro and the subheroines¡¯ to put their pasts behind them.

 CH 254

    Recently, Yuzuki has been going out to the neighborhood convenience store at 9:00 p.m..

    She has stopped cooking, probably because she is feeling depressed, so she goes out to buy dinner.

    I know this.

    So of course I knew that if I left Kotaro¡¯s house at this time, there was a possibility that we would run into each other.

    Because he and she are ¡®childhood friends¡¯.

    Just as Shiho and Ryoma are, Yuzuki and Kotaro are neighbors.

    This way, they can meet each other even if they don¡¯t intend to.

    (If Kotaro were the main character, opportunism would have worked on its own, and they would have encountered each other in a good way without my intervention.)

    But he is a genuine mob character.

    If I hadn¡¯t arranged it, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to encounter Yuzuki like this.

    ¡°Yuzuki¡­¡±

    Kotaro looked at her and widened his eyes.

    It¡¯s no wonder. The woman he sees is a far cry from the ¡°Yuzuki Hojo¡± he knew.

    ¡± I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s come to this.¡±

    Suddenly, Kotaro¡¯s face twisted in pain.

    The painful sight of a girl that he had grown up with as brother and sister, seems to have made his heart ache.

    (It¡¯s a cruel sight, isn¡¯t it?)

    Even I can¡¯t smile when I look at Yuzuki now.

    She stood there with shaggy hair, red bloodshot eyes, a half-open mouth, and pale cheeks ¡­ that was a far cry from the Yuzuki of a short while ago.

    Perhaps she didn¡¯t have the energy to care about her appearance, and she was dressed in a flimsy, dirty jersey that wasn¡¯t typical of Yuzuki.

    Probably she only goes to school and the convenience store, but I think she has fallen many times because of her daze. Because of this, her beloved jersey is in tatters.

    At school, she¡¯s still conscious of other people¡¯s eyes, or maybe it¡¯s not this bad. ¡­After going home, it seems like she¡¯s been this way for a while now.

    ¡°¡­What is it, Kotaro-san?¡±

    After a dozen seconds or so, Yuzuki seems to have finally noticed us.

    Looking at Kotaro, she gave a crooked smile.

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, yeah. Well, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡± I¡¯m glad to hear that. I am also full of energy. Today, I had so much energy that I bought a lot of rice balls.¡±

    In the plastic bag she held out to us, there were more than ten onigiri rice balls stuffed inside.

    ¡°Are you going to eat all of this?¡±

    ¡± Yes, I feel better when I eat them.¡±

    ¡°No, this is truly¡­¡±

    Kotaro is upset.

    Yuzuki is definitely on the verge of ¡°overeating¡±.

    She may be using food as an outlet for the stress she is unable to dissipate.

    She was never the type to eat a lot to begin with, so it is understandable that Kotaro is worried.

    ¡°I think you might get sick if you keep going like this.¡±

    whispered softly, so that Kotaro could hear me clearly.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t give her a hand now, it might be too late.¡±

    The fact that she was talking as if she was talking about someone else must have gotten on Kotaro¡¯s nerves.

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    I heard a beastly snarl.

    He really ¡­ is a mob character who shows his emotions properly when it comes to those who are close to him.

    And the fact that he is so irritated is proof that he still perceives Yuzuki as a ¡®close¡¯ presence.

    This mob character is too kind after being treated so badly.

    Or perhaps it would be closer to expressing it as ¡®weak-willed¡¯, though.

    Well, that¡¯s not important.

    At any rate, I succeeded in bringing Kotaro and Yuzuki together.

    This was the end of my role.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why you should help¡­ your ¡®former¡¯ childhood¡¯ friend. I¡¯m going home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hey! I¡¯m not finished talking with you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Can you afford to talk to a me? If Kotaro doesn¡¯t do something about it now, it might be too late, right?¡±

    Kotaro would understand, even if nobody would say who.

    Having saved Azusa and Kirari in the past, he must know how in danger Yuzuki is right now.

    That¡¯s why he can¡¯t seem to return a word against me.

    ¡°¡­ Damn it.¡±

    Cursing, he looked away from me.

    Then he walked slowly toward Yuzuki.

    I couldn¡¯t suppress a smile, watching Kotaro¡¯s back like that.

    £¨I wonder what ¡°position¡± he¡¯ll be involved in the story from now on?)

    The first part was as a ¡®mob character¡±.

    The second part was as an ¡± antagonist character¡±.

    The third part was an attempt to be a ¡®protagonist¡¯ ¡­ but did it fail? In the end, he couldn¡¯t become anything, and Part III ended in the middle of the road.

    So what position would Part IV put his character in?

    Seriously¡­, I can¡¯t stop being intrigued by Kotaro¡¯s spin on this story¡­

 CH 255

    ¨CI¡¯ve been hit by it all.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s going to get sick if she keeps this up.¡±

    Mary left the place after saying that.

    She came out of nowhere and stirred up the place, and then, after all that, she left behind the worst possible souvenir and quickly departed.

    Just when Azusa was finally settling down, ¡­ Mary¡¯s behavior is going to make her unstable once again.

    I guess I should be there for her as soon as possible. Otherwise, Azusa may suffer as she once did.

    But I felt too sorry for the girl in front of me to do that.

    ¡°Yuzuki ¡­¡±

    Yuzuki Hojo.

    She ¡°was¡± a beautiful girl with beautiful long black hair that suited her well.

    But now, her condition is too bad to be described as a beautiful girl.

    The reason why I met her like this is probably Mary-san¡¯s scheme.

    If I could have, I would not have wanted to meet her.

    She is a stranger to me now.

    We were childhood friends, but we have nothing to do with each other.

    And yet, ¡­ I can¡¯t leave her alone, is it because I¡¯ve known her for so long after all?

    ¡°I am Yuzuki Hojo, and I will be turning 17 years old this year.¡±

    Yuzuki suddenly begins her self-introduction.

    I had a feeling earlier that¡­ we were not having a good conversation.

    ¡°Kotaro-san, have you eaten dinner?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I was bitten by a mosquito, and it itches.¡±

    (TLN: Oblivion NPC)

    The ¡­ topic is also jumped and the reaction to my response is not very strong.

    Upon closer inspection, I noticed that her eyes were vacant, her hair was shaggy, and her skin was pale. Her body was fidgeting and she was biting her fingernails, perhaps unconsciously.

    I suddenly remembered that Yuzuki had a habit of sucking her fingers when she was a child.

    This was when she and I were very young¡­, and we¡¯ve grown up since then and I¡¯ve forgotten that she even had that habit, so why did it come back?

    This is not the Yuzuki I know.

    The Yuzuki Hojo I knew was a cleaner, calmer, ¡­ more relaxed girl.

    And yet, she has changed drastically.

    ¡°Oh? Come to think of it, I feel like someone was here earlier.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t you notice?¡±

    ¡°Huh? After all, who was there?¡±

    She didn¡¯t even see Mary, apparently.

    That¡¯s how cornered she is, and her vision is narrowing. ¡­ Now Yuzuki can only see what she wants to see.

    And that subject is me.

    Mary-san didn¡¯t seem to see it, but ¡­ Yuzuki Hojo has a clear view of Kotaro Nakayama.

    (Why can you see me ¡­?)

    On the day of the entrance ceremony, Yuzuki, who fell in love with Ryoma Ryuzaki, cut off our relation as if she couldn¡¯t see me from that day.

    Since then, we have often passed each other, but we still did not talk much.

    But since a little while ago, ¡­ Yuzuki has been able to see me.

    I guess it started about the time Ryuzaki thought he was a mob character.

    We had a little conversation then, too.

    And even now, I am face to face with Yuzuki.

    No doubt, something must have happened.

    Does perceiving me mean that she is nostalgic for the ¡­ past?

    If so, it means that the present is not going well.

    And what it means is that there is a rift between Ryoma Ryuzaki and her.

    So far, I have a vague understanding of what is going on.

    But from there on, I had no idea what was going on.

    ¡°Kotaro-san, your complexion is somehow better.¡±

    ¡°Is it so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You used to be a little more, I don¡¯t know, transparent or ¡­ how should I say it? I remember very well that you were expressionless, yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    What is the right way to reply?

    I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t read what kind of words Yuzuki is looking for right now.

    I was confident in playing myself as others wanted me to be.

    Because I had no personality like a mob character, I could be any color I wanted, and that is why I was sensitive to other people¡¯s feelings.

    Yuzuki and I were always together when we were very young. We were like brother and sister.

    So I should know her well, but ¡­ the current Yuzuki is just too harsh.

    I felt that no matter what words I said to her, it would be meaningless.

    No matter what he said, Yuzuki would feel that all it could do was hurt her.

    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s late in the evening, so ¡­ goodbye, Kotaro-san.¡±

    Suddenly, Yutsuki walked past me.

    But, perhaps her legs had become entangled, and unexpectedly Yuzuki lost her balance.

    ¡°Dangerous¡­¡±

    I reached out to her in a panic, but my reaction was too fast for her.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­, I did it again.¡±

    Yuzuki fell to the ground, adding another stain to her lightly soiled jersey.

    She may have been hit in the face, and her scraped cheek was smeared with blood,¡­ and it made my heart ache to see her like that.

    After all, no.

    We¡¯ve known each other since childhood, but we¡¯re strangers, and even our relationship is thin.

    But the rotten childhood friend is too painful.

    ¡°Yuzuki ¡­ can I come in the house?¡±

    I knew I couldn¡¯t leave her alone¡­

 CH 256

    Yuzuki Hojo is a very gentle and calm girl.

    As a child, I never saw her angry. I have never seen her sad or lonely, and she never shows her ¡°negative¡± side at all.

    I have never met a girl who is so comfortable to be next to.

    I felt as if I could stop thinking when I was next to her.

    I feel so peaceful when I am next to Yuzuki that I am freed from worries, suffering, patience, etc., or rather, I can think ¡°Oh well¡± about various things.

    This girl will do anything for you.

    Perhaps it is because she is kind, but she is very caring, and she did a lot of things around me, and if I had any problems, she took the initiative to help me out.

    Besides, when I was next to Yuzuki, I could feel ¡®I¡¯m loved¡¯.

    Maybe, but the person who can be described as a girlfriend who ruins boyfriends is Yuzuki Hojo.

    Because of that, I once mistakenly thought that Yuzuki was in love with me and would love me as I was.

    Well, as it turned out, Yuzuki was just ¡°that kind of a person¡± to begin with, and I later realized that I was not a special kind of person.

    That was a long time ago.

    The Yuzuki of today has found the love of her life, Ryoma Ryuzaki, and she has devoted herself to him even more than she did to me. ¡­ But it seems that her devotion has not borne fruit and has not been rewarded.

    ¡°Ryoma-san? Oh, we had a bit of a fight,¡­ and I feel like so many things have suddenly become ridiculous.¡±

    I asked her about it, and she told me about her and Ryuzaki more easily than I had expected.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore about cooking dinner, cleaning, doing laundry, all the things I used to love so much.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s why it¡¯s like this.¡±

    Yuzuki¡¯s home, which I entered for the first time in almost a year, has been transformed into a different look.

    Of course, it is not a good change.

    Except for one corner, scattered laundry and garbage covered the floor, and used dishes were left in the kitchen as if they had been thrown away. A slight stench was beginning to waft through the air, and I couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    The living room and kitchen were in a terrible state.

    However, thanks to the short period of desperation Yuzuki has been in, it seems that the second floor has not been invaded yet. I¡¯m sure that after a day of cleaning up, the place will be clean in no time.

    ¡°Yuzuki, your face is bleeding. Are you all right?¡±

    Rather than the home, we must first solve the problem with Yuzuki herself.

    The heroine, who has begun to rot, however, is still barely in her original condition.

    The disagreement with Ryuzaki must not have happened that long ago.

    If that is the case, she should still be able to recover from it.

    Although we are no longer involved with each other, and we are leading separate lives now.

    It still hurts me to abandon my childhood friend.

    I felt like I had to do something to help her as much as I could.

    I¡¯ll have to apologize to ¡­ Shiho later, though.

    Anyway, I¡¯ll do what I can.

    ¡°I think you should get some medical attention.¡±

    ¡°¡­No one will see ¡­ my face, so I think it¡¯s okay to leave the wound alone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. There¡¯s quite a bit of blood and ¡­ your mother would be worried, okay?¡±

    I know it¡¯s not fair.

    But I dared to use the word mother.

    Then, Yuzuki¡¯s eyes widened as if she was huffing and ¡­ gently touched her own wound.

    ¡°¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. Mother would be so sad.¡±

    Saying that, she turned her gaze to her mother¡¯s altar.

    This is the only corner in the garbage-filled living room that is still kept clean.

    Yuzuki¡¯s mother passed away three years ago.

    However, perhaps it was the memory of her beloved mother that brought Yuzuki back to her senses.

    ¡°If she saw me like this, I¡¯m sure I would make her sad, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    Then, finally, Yuzuki tended to the wound on her face.

    Even though they are scattered, she seems to know where things are and is taking disinfectant, garnishes, etc. out of a first aid kit.

    Seeing that was a bit of a relief.

    (Thank goodness¡­ it¡¯s not all rotten yet.)

    Yuzuki is indeed on the verge of rotting, though.

    But still, they were within striking distance of getting back.

 CH 257

    I have known the girl Yuzuki Hojo since we were babies.

    We have been together for so long that even in my earliest memories, I always see Yuzuki.

    Even though we were just neighbors, Yuzuki and I had a close relationship.

    We were like brother and sister.

    The reason why we had such a relationship was because of Yuzuki¡¯s mother, Yoko Hojo.

    She was, in any case, a very caring person.

    She knew that my mother was not interested in childcare, and whenever something happened, she would actively babysit me.

    Thanks to her, my mother left me in Yoko-san¡¯s care and worked all the time.

    Well, I don¡¯t really care about my mother¡¯s neglect.

    Anyway, Yoko-san was very caring and loved me as if I was her own child.

    Perhaps it was because she grew up watching Yoko-san¡¯s back.

    From an early age, Yuzuki was kind to others.

    Perhaps ¡°kind¡± is too lukewarm an epithet.

    Anyway, Yuzuki was a ¡°sweet¡± person toward others.

    No matter what she did, she never got angry. No matter what was said, she accepted it. No matter what happened, she would not be upset. When asked to do something, she never refuses, and rarely asks for a favor herself.

    She is always smiling and laughing, and is very calm.

    She is a gentle girl.

    The best word to describe her would be ¡°devoted¡±.

    Yuzuki is devoted to his partner anyway. Without any hesitation at all, she chooses the option that will cause her to lose out. Without regard for himself, as long as the other person is happy, that¡¯s all that matters¨CYuzuki had always had this mindset.

    And it was only after Yoko-san¡¯s death that this act of devotion became more pronounced.

    Until then, her devotion was to the extent that she considered herself to be a kind person.

    Suddenly I realized that she had become overprotective of those closest to her.

    At that time, the person closest to Yuzuki was also me,¡­ which means that she became blatantly lenient towards me.

    Three years ago, when we were in middle school, my mother had already given up on me, so I spent a lot of time at home with just me and Azusa.

    On those occasions, it was Yuzuki who did the housework such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking.

    I am a little hesitant to describe it in such words, but to put it simply, Yuzuki was like a ¡°lover¡±.

    Because of this, I thought that I was ¡®someone special¡¯ to her.

    But I was mistaken, of course.

    It was the entrance ceremony of the high school. Yuzuki, who fell in love with Ryuzaki, suddenly became distant from me.

    I felt lonely at the time, but now I can understand why she left me.

    She is the kind of person who confirms the meaning of her existence by being needed by others.

    I think she is similar to ¡­ me in this way.

    I wonder if it is because we have known each other since childhood. She and I are a bit similar.

    We lack self-confidence and take pleasure in having others recognize us.

    In other words, we are the same type of person, which is why we can¡¯t be together. Yuzuki was more comfortable with Ryuzaki than with me.

    Compared to me, Ryuzaki does not care about others.

    He is unreserved in his pampering of Yuzuki, relying on her and clinging to her. This is the part of him that satisfies Yuzuki¡¯s need for approval.

    But that¡¯s just like ¡°dependence¡± in other words.

    She is like me, after all. Just like me, who is almost dependent on Shiho,¡­ or even more than me, Yuzuki was giving her all to Ryuzaki.

    If such a relationship could work, there would have been no problem.

    However, when the relationship fell apart at some point¡­, Yuzuki broke down, in one fell swoop.

    Even if it means sacrificing yourself, the desire to serve the other person seems wonderful.

    However, when that other person betrays you,¡­ you will not be able to stand on your own.

    Yuzuki is in the middle of such a situation right now.

    If she had only been devoted, she could have protected herself better.

    The result of self-sacrificing devotion to the other person, and the result of becoming defenseless, must be the current Yuzuki.

    I saw the future ¡°Kotaro Nakayama¡± in this image.

    (If I were abandoned by Shiho ¡­)

    I might end up like this.

    Thinking about it, it didn¡¯t seem like someone else¡¯s problem¡­

 CH 258

    ¨CIs there any way to save her?

    She had a fight with Ryuzaki. There was something unforgivable. Because of that, Yuzuki was hurt to the point of not being able to be normal.

    I want to know how to save her from that.

    As a childhood friend, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s only¡­

    Both Yuzuki and I have low self-esteem and can only confirm our own value by being recognized by others. As a kindred spirit, I see myself in her.

    I wanted to see her saved.

    Otherwise, I am afraid that I will become rotten like her.

    This is not for Yuzuki¡¯s sake.

    I want to save Yuzuki for my sake.

    But what can I do to save her?

    ¡°Yuzuki¡­ this is not right.¡±

    There is no clear answer.

    I¡¯m not sure how to play this kind of ¡®role¡¯.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s strange that Yuzuki would go so crazy over something as trivial as ¡®love¡¯.¡±

    I chose to play the role of a ¡°hateful person¡±.

    The same way, I scoffed at Kirari and urged her to get up the courage.

    This time, too, I tried to regenerate Yuzuki¡¯s heart in the same way.

    In the furnace of her heart, which was on the verge of dying out, she kindled the fire of anger. By doing so, Kirari stood up once again.

    I decided on this option in the hope that Yuzuki would do the same.

    ¡°You and Ryuzaki had a bit of a fight, didn¡¯t you? Disagreements are nothing unusual. It¡¯s normal, so why are you being so desperate? Your dirty clothes, your filthy living environment, ¡­ this kind of thing is not normal.¡±

    I wonder if this kind of thing could possibly be described as ¡®rough treatment¡¯?

    I know this is a terrible thing to say. I¡¯m sure Yuzuki understands that I don¡¯t need to tell her every little thing.

    But I dared to put it into words because I wanted to shake Yuzuki¡¯s heart.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    But she said nothing.

    She seemed to have heard me and was looking straight at me, but her ¡­ expression didn¡¯t move the slightest bit.

    I can¡¯t tell if she is angry or sad.

    Are the words still weak? If so,¡­ I¡¯m disheartened, but I¡¯ll have to say something a little stronger.

    ¡°You keep falling down, and your body is covered in scars, but ¡­ that¡¯s like self-injury. Are you trying to say that your mind is hurting so much that you physically hurt yourself? Please don¡¯t do that kind of¡­ act. It makes me sick to look at you.¡±

    After saying that, I again looked for Yuzuki¡¯s reaction.

    I wanted her to be angry.

    I wanted her to slap me on the cheek like Kirari did.

    ¡°What do you know about me!?¡±

    I was waiting for those words.

    I wanted her to show me that much passion.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ Certainly, yes.¡±

    But Yuzuki just smiled bitterly, as if she had given up¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s really strange to get so hurt over something as trivial as love. Moreover, it¡¯s not that we had a fight, ¡­ it¡¯s just that I was disappointed. Ryoma-san didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­¡±

    ¨CNot true.

    Such ¡®affirmation¡¯ was not what I was looking for.

    But Yuzuki was still a very good listening girl.

    For better or worse, she really is a ¡°convenient¡± girl for men.

    She easily gives in, humbles herself, and reflects vehemently that she was wrong to be so lowly.

    She expresses my superiority with her attitude, tickles my self-esteem, and encourages my pride.

    Those are the things that are wrong.

    Yuzuki¡­ We fail because we are always passive like that.

    Why can¡¯t you see that?

    Why can¡¯t I make you ¡­ aware of that?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you feel uncomfortable. When I saw Kotaro-san¡¯s face, I felt nostalgic ¡­ and remembered memories of when my mother was alive a long time ago. That¡¯s why I called out to you.¡±

    ¨CI couldn¡¯t reach her.

    My words and thoughts still don¡¯t resonate with Yuzuki.

    It¡¯s not that I wanted words of apology.

    I didn¡¯t want her to care about me.

    I wanted her to think more about herself since she was hurting so much.

    But I guess Yuzuki can¡¯t do that.

    I know this because I am a coward just like her. The most difficult thing for people like us to do is to ¡°protect¡± ourselves.

    Yuzuki is again despising herself.

    And I can¡¯t change her, can I?

    After all, I can¡¯t save Yuzuki.

    Because I am not the protagonist.

    For Yuzuki, Kotaro Nakayama is a childhood friend, but I¡¯m is just a ¡­ ¡°mob character.

    There is only one person who can change her¡­ and save her.

    The name of that person is Ryoma Ryuzaki¡­

 CH 259

    Staying with Yuzuki any longer would only hurt her.

    Feeling this way, I immediately left the home.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you feel weird.¡±

    I felt sad when I saw Yuzuki apologizing to me.

    Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen Yuzuki smile innocently for a long time.

    I am sure that since her mother Yoko-san passed away¡­, Yuzuki¡¯s way of smiling has changed.

    I used to see her smiling and happy, but after Yoko-san¡¯s death, she stopped smiling like a child.

    Perhaps she stopped being a child because she had no one to spoil her.

    Yuzuki¡¯s father also seems to have become distant from his daughter after Yoko-san¡¯s death.

    Given this background, it is somewhat understandable why Yuzuki spoils others.

    She wants to be needed by someone.

    She wants her self-worth to be recognized.

    Yuzuki, who is alone, has such a strong need for approval.

    That is why it is hard to believe that she had a fight with Ryuzaki.

    I know there was a very good reason.

    But that is an episode told in the ¡®main story¡¯ that has nothing to do with mob characters.

    Even if I could interfere, I don¡¯t think I could influence her in any way.

    That¡¯s why I gave up on the idea that I could save Yuzuki.

    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m going home.¡±

    I turned my back on Yuzuki, who bowed her head and apologized, and left.

    I went back to my house in the neighborhood to escape.

    I couldn¡¯t bear to look at the face of my childhood friend who had transformed.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±

    I shut the door to the house and winced.

    I felt like cowering and holding my head, but then I remembered she was there, so I didn¡¯t have time to worry.

    ¡°¡­Azusa.¡±

    I looked up and saw Azusa looking at me from the living room.

    I hurriedly took off my shoes and ran over to her to check on her.

    ¡°Is everything all right?¡±

    Azusa¡¯s eyes had gone blank earlier because of Mary-san.

    She was lost in thought, as if she was brooding over something.

    But now, her expression was brighter than expected.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    She must have understood that I was worried about her.

    She loosened her tight cheeks and smiled at me.

    Immediately after Mary-san messed with her, she was upset, but now that a little time has passed, she seems to have regained her composure.

    However, she probably wasn¡¯t in the mood to smile yet. Her smile was awkward. But I think it¡¯s because she has a little bit of leeway in her mind that she is able to act so composed.

    (Better off than Yuzuki.)

    Compared to my childhood friend who is almost too far gone, Azusa is still salvageable.

    If I do something, I might be able to save Azusa.

    It is possible to escape from Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s clutches, I am sure.

    That¡¯s why I need to be careful about what I say and do from here on out.

    ¡°Hey, Onii-chan,¡­ when someone you like doesn¡¯t like you, is it wrong to like that person?¡±

    Voila.

    Without any context, Azusa asked me for advice.

    If I had no leverage, there would have been no questions like this.

    Azusa is family. I am not a stranger, but a relative. To Azusa, I am not a mob character, but her older brother. In other words, there is still room for me to play a hand.

    ¡°Onii-chan, can you tell me?¡±

    Azusa is waiting for an answer.

    She is waiting for my words.

    ¡°When someone you love doesn¡¯t love you back¡­ can you give up on that person and still be happy?¡±

    And that was the question I was most comfortable answering.

    (When the person you love doesn¡¯t love you back¡­ huh?)

    Oddly enough, that¡¯s the same situation I was in before.

    There was a time when I had special feelings for Azusa, Kirari and Yuzuki. Not to the point of love ¡­, but it was definitely not normal.

    But on the day of the high school entrance ceremony, I was no longer special to them.

    So I gave up.

    But I am still happy now.

    If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need to hesitate.

    I will let Azusa lead a normal life.

    Not as a subheroine in a harem.

    As a normal girl, falling in love and knowing normal love.

    That¡¯s how I wanted her to have normal happiness¡­

 CH 260

    ¡®You should forget about Ryoma Ryuzaki.¡¯

    If I tell her that, I feel Azusa¡¯s future will change.

    She adores me.

    We were estranged for a while, but recently me and Azusa have finally come to be able to treat each other normally as brother and sister,

    So my words will reach her.

    (If Azusa gave up on Ryuzaki¡­)

    I imagined about Azusa¡¯s ¡°future¡± beyond the hypothetical.

    Let¡¯s say that Azusa forgets about Ryuzaki because of my one comment.

    That would mean that she would no longer be a subheroine.

    In other words, Azusa would disappear from the story of Ryoma Ryuzaki and lead a normal life.

    (I bet she¡¯ll be dating a normal boy by the time she¡¯s a college student.)

    Azusa is very cute.

    Even without considering that we are siblings, Azusa is objectively adorable.

    She is attractive not only on the outside, but also on the inside.

    She is friendly, lonely, and has a habit of getting carried away with people she allows herself to be with, but that is the kind of girl that attracts people to her.

    (How can Azusa not be popular? If only she could forget about Ryuzaki, she would surely be approached by all kinds of guys.)

    Perhaps she could even meet a much nicer man than Ryuzaki.

    She would probably go out with a cool guy who would think of Azusa first.

    After graduating from college, working at a normal company, and living a normal life, if she could find a compatible man after a few relationships, she would probably be able to ¡®marry¡¯ him.

    Getting married, having children, creating a happy family, raising children, and growing old ¨C such happiness awaits in the future.

    (What a wonderful life.)

    I think so from the bottom of my heart.

    Some people may think it is a ¡°natural¡± happiness.

    Some may even think it is strange to yearn for a happiness that has nothing special about it.

    However, it is surprisingly difficult to be normal.

    I think it is okay to be satisfied with normalcy.

    I think it is even more so because I was a mob character who could not even be normal.

    Therefore, I want Azusa to lead a normal life and have normal happiness.

    I sincerely want that.

    But why am I so lost?

    ¡®I think you should forget about Ryoma Ryuzaki.¡¯

    It is not a long sentence.

    It is a phrase that can be said in a single breath.

    And in less than a second.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    But I¡¯m the one who can¡¯t say that line.

    ¡°¡­Onii-chan?¡±

    Azusa was looking at me anxiously as I was unable to say it.

    She is waiting for me. Lost, frightened, and scared, Azusa is leaving it up to me to decide which path to take.

    My pride as an older brother would not allow me to run away without telling her.

    I don¡¯t want to say irresponsible words like, ¡°Think for yourself.¡±

    I am her ¡°older brother¡±.

    I didn¡¯t want to abandon my sister who is suffering.

    So I told her clearly.

    ¡°You should forget about Ryoma Ryuzaki, ¡­ I, for one, think so. It would make Azusa happier.¡±

    I still have my doubts.

    But I chose it because I know this is the best path.

    To those words, Azusa¡ª

    ¡°¡­After all, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    ¨CShe nodded her head.

    As if in resignation, as if in dismay, and yet somewhat relieved,¡­. she loosened her cheeks and nodded in a small way.

    It was at that moment.

    (Different.)

    My intuition screamed.

    It sensed that Azusa did not want things to stay as they were.

    Because, Azusa¡¯s eyes were saying so.

    (These are not the words Azusa is looking for.)

    The flame was still lit in the clear depths.

    Azusa¡¯s flame had not yet been extinguished.

    (What this girl wants me to do is ¡­!)

    As an older brother, I understand.

    I understand what my sister wants.

    At that moment, my mouth moved by reflex.

    ¡°¡­But, Azusa ¡­ the happiest thing is to be with the person you love the most.¡±

    The path I have shown you is the ¡®ideal¡¯.

    But it¡¯s not the ¡®very best¡¯.

    ¡°Azusa wants the ¡®best¡¯ happiness more than the ¡®ordinary¡¯ happiness.¡±

    So, the line I should say is this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡±

    Even if the path is full of pain.

    Even if it means that you will end up leading a life that does not even allow you to have a normal happiness.

    ¡°Azusa, do your best.¡±

    I can only push her back.

    As an older brother, I wanted to show my sister the path she should take, but Azusa would not be satisfied with the ordinary happiness that lies at the ¡­ end of that path.

    Because she is no ordinary girl.

    She is a special girl heroine who is looked up to by the protagonist¡­

 CH 261

    I can¡¯t deny that I was very conflicted about pushing her back.

    Because it would be tantamount to sending her down a path where she could fall off a cliff if she took a wrong step.

    If she could keep her foot on the path, there would be great happiness waiting for her.

    But if she falls off the cliff, she may suffer the consequences of her misfortune.

    If that is the case, it would be better to take the path that is safe and has some happiness waiting for her, instead of taking the dangerous path.

    Sure, the ideal happiness may not be there, but the possibility of unhappiness is infinitesimally small.

    As an older brother, I think it is natural that I wish Azusa would choose this safe path.

    But what Azusa wanted to choose was the high-risk path.

    ¡°Onii-chan¡­ Can Azusa, can I try my best?¡±

    Voila. Azusa does not reject the word to do her best.

    The answer had been decided in her mind from the beginning.

    However, the hesitation was probably because she was thinking about ¡­ me.

    ¡°I might cry a lot again. I might get hurt so badly that I can¡¯t recover this time, and I might make ¡­ you worry a lot, okay?¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    I¡¯ve been worrying about you for a long time, even if you don¡¯t tell me.

    I¡¯m not your ideal ¡°big brother¡±, but I¡¯m the only ¡°big brother¡± you¡¯ve got right now.

    ¡°I really want to say no. I want you to be a normal girl and lead a normal life¡­ I can¡¯t watch Azusa suffer because of Ryuzaki.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it then ¡­ If Onii-chan is going to suffer, then it¡¯s fine for Azusa to be normal.¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s right.

    I¡¯m sure Azusa would say that now.

    The Azusa that used to be blind, seeing only Ryuzaki, is no longer there.

    This girl has grown up a lot after one heartbreak.

    ¡°I know how much you care about me, Onii-chan. I¡¯m really grateful to you for forgiving me even though I said a lot of terrible things to you. When I was in pain, you were always there for me, so Azusa could get well again.¡±

    When you get hurt, there are others who get hurt.

    Now that Azusa understands this, she will no longer act irresponsibly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to worry you any more. ¡­ I¡¯m done bothering you. Azusa will continue to be a normal girl, right?¡±

    But you know, Azusa,¡­ that¡¯s not what I mean.

    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s okay to worry. I¡¯m Azusa¡¯s ¡°Onii-chan¡± and family. Because I am Azusa¡¯s ¡°Onii-chan¡± and ¡­family.¡±

    I don¡¯t need to worry about my family.

    She¡¯s always blunt with me, a little bit naive, and a little bit over the top, but I love her in that way, too.

    I love Azusa as a family member.

    So I don¡¯t care how much trouble she causes me or how much she worries me.

    A sister who is good at listening is not a sister.

    She likes Onii-chan, serves Onii-chan, and makes Onii-chan feel comfortable ¡­ Such a sister who is only convenient for her brother is enough only for a sister in the world of romantic comedies.

    The only thing I am looking for is Azusa¡¯s ¡°happiness¡±.

    I¡¯m not going to be able to do that,

    ¡°Don¡¯t let that stop you from having ¡®regrets¡¯.¡±

    Azusa¡¯s life belongs to Azusa alone.

    Please live selfishly. Please think only of yourself, without being bound by stories, roles, or anything like that.

    If it is a distorted love held at the end of opportunism, I won¡¯t accept it.

    Azusa¡¯s feelings now ¡­ are surely the ¡®real thing¡¯ that she herself has chosen and embraced.

    ¡°Do you still love Ryuzaki?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­. I still love him very much.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Then, I want you to cherish that feeling.

    Don¡¯t worry about me, just live your life the way you want to live it.

    ¡°If you like him, go for it. ¡­ I told you that before, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll always be there for you.¡±

    As your brother, I will always be there for you.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re unhappy later, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    Even if it turns out to be something you don¡¯t want, I won¡¯t make you unhappy.

    I¡¯ll just have to do my best again at that time.

    ¡°Azusa¡­ I¡¯m rooting for you.¡±

    I told her and touched Azusa¡¯s head.

    I used to stroke her head like this.

    I didn¡¯t touch her much in high school, but ¡­ I suddenly felt like touching her for the first time in a long time.

    ¡°¡­Onii-chan.¡±

    The moment she was stroked, Azusa had big tears in her round eyes.

    But those tears were not cold but ¡­ warm and gentle.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Saying that, Azusa leaned toward me.

    I catch the small body firmly and move my hand once more.

    The hair I hadn¡¯t touched in a long time was just as comfortable as it had been a few years ago¡­

 CH 262

    Hugging you, little one, reminds me of the past.

    It was when Azusa still pictured me as her ¡°ideal older brother¡±.

    She always attached herself to me whenever she found me.

    She would say, ¡°Onii-chan, pet me!¡±

    I was surprised when we first met.

    At the time, she and I were in the first year of middle school.

    She was a little too grown up to be a child.

    And yet Azusa was so young, as if time had stopped in the middle of elementary school.

    The same is true of her body and appearance, ¡­ but above all, her personality was that of a child.

    ¡°Azusa-ne, I love you clinging to Onii-chan.¡±

    It might be pleasant to describe her as friendly and adorable.

    However, it is synonymous with abandonment of growing up, and you can understand how much the death of her own brother had an impact on Azusa.

    Azusa stopped growing up when she was in elementary school. Of course, this is not a physical matter, but a mental one.

    She continued to stay young so that her brother, who was no longer with her, could find her.

    But now it is different.

    After her heartbreak with Ryuzaki, her time has begun to move forward again.

    Azusa Nakayama has stopped being a little girl.

    She is still not even appropriate for her age, but one day she will grow up and change into a mature woman.

    In the process, Azusa has come to keep a moderate distance from me.

    Thanks to that, we rarely had skinship like this,¡­ but the existence of ¡°Ryoma Ryuzaki¡± is very big for this girl.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I can get him to like ¡­ Azusa¡­ I¡¯m not very sure, and I¡¯m scared.¡±

    Azusa was letting out a weak voice while burying her face in my chest.

    Such an image overlapped with that of Yuzuki.

    (¨CAgain, you¡¯re just going to give up and say you can¡¯t do anything?)

    I stopped trying to save my childhood friend, and now all I can do is abandon even my family?

    Am I going to be a bystander again this time, excusing myself as a mob character?

    ¡°Ryoma-san, he likes Yuzuki Onee-chan, doesn¡¯t he? If that¡¯s the case, would it be okay for Azusa to do her best at a time like this?¡±

    Even though she is prepared to do so, she is still unsure about her actions.

    Azusa probably senses that her path ahead is crumbling.

    (Surely ¡­ Azusa¡¯s words can reach Ryuzaki now?)

    According to Mary-san, he is in a very unstable state after being rejected by Yuzuki.

    If so, there is a possibility that whatever Azusa says is meaningless.

    (For example, if Ryuzaki is stubborn towards Yuzuki, then¡­)

    Even if she rejects him, he won¡¯t give up.

    He will make an effort until she likes him.

    Become the guy that Yuzuki likes.

    It is totally his duty to make Yuzuki happy.

    If I had such determination, Azusa¡¯s goodwill would be trampled once again.

    I don¡¯t want her to be unhappy any more.

    Then, what should I do?

    (What I can do for you¡­)

    There is only one answer.

    £¨Leave it to Ryoma Ryuzaki.)

    I want the girls I cared about to be happy.

    I can¡¯t do it, but he can.

    Because Ryuzaki is the protagonist.

    And yet, he never seems to make up his mind to do so.

    Without fulfilling his duty as a protagonist, he is always lost.

    Normally, I could only hold a grudge against him.

    Because I am a mob character. There was only so much I could do.

    But if I gave up forever because I was a ¡°mob character¡±, I would never get the results I wanted.

    Then, I¡¯m done making excuses.

    (¨CI will change Ryoma Ryuzaki ¡­!)

    Don¡¯t put yourself in the role of a character ¡­ It¡¯s time to show my intent to do so.

    And I thought it was now¡­

 CH 263

    Thinking back, the only time I ever directly clashed with Ryuzaki was during the overnight learning program.

    Since I became a high school student, many things have happened.

    But somehow, there were few occasions when Ryuzaki and I crossed paths.

    Because I was a mob character and a mere narrator ¨C or so I thought.

    But that was just an excuse, and maybe I just didn¡¯t have the courage to confront him.

    Well, there was no need to confront him in the first place, so I could just pretend that I didn¡¯t see him and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much about it.

    Ryuzaki and Shiho have already gone their separate ways.

    Having escaped the curse of being childhood friends, she is spinning a tale of serenity.

    So, I really don¡¯t want to get involved.

    But I felt that if I pretended not to see it here,¡­ I would never grow up.

    The reason why the relationship with Shiho is not progressing at the moment is because of me.

    I am the result of using the excuse that I am a mob character as a cover and neglecting the past, which I should have cleared up.

    I think one of the reasons why Shiho feels my affection is not enough is because of my ¡°past¡±.

    (Even now, I still care about those girls¡­)

    It¡¯s time to forget about them.

    No, I think it is natural to be indifferent.

    ¡®

    However, I still care about ¡­ the three people even now.

    (I can¡¯t help but worry about Azusa, Yuzuki, and Kirari because ¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to shake off my feelings for those girls)

    They are my childhood friend, my stepsister, and my former best friend.

    And the three of them love someone who is not me.

    There was a time in the past when I had special feelings for them.

    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d go so far as to call the feeling ¡®love¡¯, but I¡¯m sure I thought ¡­ it was ¡®important¡¯.

    However, I still think it¡¯s unusual to drag a feeling of that level down to this level.

    If I had to use a stronger word, I would call it an ¡®obsession¡¯.

    (Okay, I have to get this straightened out.)

    Shiho is a loving girl.

    She is not content with the level of love for other girls.

    £¨I love Shiho.)

    I want to be a man she can accept.

    To do this, I need to break away from the thoughts of the past.

    (Enough already, let¡¯s stop being despicable¡­!)

    Decide to be prepared.

    I set guidelines for my actions and clenched my fists.

    (¨D¨DStand up.)

    Don¡¯t turn away from the problem.

    Don¡¯t keep chasing after the shadows of the past.

    Let go of your regrets.

    (I can¡¯t make those girls happy anymore¡­!)

    I¡¯m done regretting that I ¡®failed to be¡¯ the protagonist and that I couldn¡¯t save ¡­ the three of them.

    The romantic comedy of those girls is being spun out of my reach.

    That¡¯s why I want to see it through.

    And hopefully¡­ be rewarded.

    I want them to be happy. For that reason, I had to entrust it to him.

    Or maybe that¡¯s not the right way to put it.

    I need to make him understand.

    £¨There are girls that only you can make happy.)

    It¡¯s not just one.

    Your karma is not so shallow that you can make only one person happy and have a happy ending.

    You need to tell them that.

    ¡°Hey, Ryuzaki.¡±

    That¡¯s why I called out to him.

    After school, I called out to Ryuzaki, who was on his way home alone.

    He slowly ¡­ turned around and looked at me.

    ¡°¡­What is it.¡±

    Then the time finally comes.

    The second ¡°clash¡± since the overnight learning program.

 CH 264

    Compared to the past few days, today was relatively warm.

    However, since it is almost February, the outside air is cold and the wind is strong, so I don¡¯t think the temperature felt is much different.

    On top of that, it suddenly started raining, which made the cold more intense.

    Snow would have been better. The rain was so wet and the wind was blowing on top of it, so much so that it felt more like a ¡®pain¡¯ than cold.

    ¡°¡­The weather forecast was for clear skies. I didn¡¯t bring an umbrella¡­¡±

    Ryuzaki also frowned as the rain began to fall unexpectedly.

    ¡°Sorry about the bad weather. I¡¯ll just go home.¡±

    Ignoring me, Ryuzaki started to walk away.

    Well, I wasn¡¯t prepared to overlook this level of disturbance, and I wasn¡¯t ready to make a relative decision.

    ¡°Wait a minute. There¡¯s a park nearby where we can take shelter from the rain, why don¡¯t we go there and talk?¡±

    I stopped him.

    As he was walking away, I reached out to Ryuzaki¡¯s and grabbed him by the shoulder.

    ¡°¡­ Let go of me. Even if it wasn¡¯t raining, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk to you.¡±

    Of course, Ryuzaki was trying to refuse me.

    I understand that feeling. Because you probably don¡¯t have a lot of time to spare right now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ You¡¯re worried about Yuzuki, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    So, I dared to touch on the issue that he might be having.

    I know from Mary-san¡¯s information that Ryuzaki was rejected by Yuzuki.

    I knew from his appearance that Ryuzaki was distressed about it.

    ¡°¡­Hey, why is Yuzuki¡¯s name coming out of nowhere?¡±

    As expected, he couldn¡¯t make out what I just said.

    ¡°No, wait a minute ¡­ why is Nakayama calling out Yuzuki¡¯s name?¡±

    Then Ryuzaki finally seemed to notice something ¡®strange¡¯.

    Yeah, it bothers you, doesn¡¯t it?

    Because you don¡¯t know anything.

    You still don¡¯t know that I and Yuzuki are childhood friends.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve been hiding it from you. But I didn¡¯t have to tell you, and it was unnecessary information for Yuzuki, so she didn¡¯t tell you.

    But the situation has changed.

    That¡¯s why I wanted to tell him.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll tell you all about it ¡­¡±

    All right, my wet skin was uncomfortable.

    I¡¯m not comfortable getting hit by the rain, so I started walking quickly as if I was leading the way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk. I don¡¯t want to talk to you either. But there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Damn.¡±

    For what it¡¯s worth, Ryuzaki is probably curious about me too.

    His expression was distorted with bitterness, but he was following me from behind.

    Well, it seems that we have succeeded in communicating with each other for the time being.

    A corner of the park. The trees there provided just the right amount of shelter from the rain and wind.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we took shelter from the rain. It must be tough to go home in such a downpour.¡±

    On the way here, the rain accelerated further.

    If we had gone home, the water would have soaked through our thick coats and we would have been frozen to the core.

    ¡°Weather forecast¡­ useless.¡±

    Ryuzaki swore and mumbled.

    He was staring at the sky in abhorrence, while I, on the other hand, was wiping the droplets of water from my face with my handkerchief without much irritation.

    ¡°Well, you know, it happens.¡±

    It¡¯s not the first time the heavens have been capricious.

    Rather, I even think that this bad weather is ¡­ staging a scene between me and Ryuzaki.

    In a brain poisoned by stories, this also feels like opportunism.

    That is why I use it.

    Let me take advantage of this opportunity to say what I want to say to Ryuzaki¡­

 CH 265

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to talk to you.¡±

    Ryuzaki did not even make eye contact with me.

    He stared at the pouring rain and muttered something like.

    ¡°Nakayama¡­I hate you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±

    I know this without being told.

    I¡¯ve been interrupting Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy for a long time.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you ¡­ I often think that way these days.¡±

    If not for me, what would have happened to Ryuzaki¡¯s romantic comedy?

    There is a possibility that the relationship between Shiho and this guy would have been different from what it is now.

    I shudder to think of that.

    But that is a feeling from Shiho¡¯s point of view.

    From Ryuzaki¡¯s point of view, he would have been happier without me.

    ¡°You know what I mean, don¡¯t you? I loved Shiho. ¡­ I mean, I lost my first love. That love rival is you. That¡¯s why I hate Nakayama.¡±

    Very politely, Ryuzaki tells me why he doesn¡¯t like me.

    Of course, I know this without being told, but he seems to have something to say, so I decide to hear him out first.

    ¡°Well, ¡­ I¡¯m just a sore loser, and I realize it¡¯s jealousy. I¡¯m a loser. So don¡¯t talk to me too ¡­ much or I¡¯ll make myself miserable.¡±

    The smile of self-mockery was on Ryuzaki¡¯s face as he said this.

    ¡°This is ¡­ quite despicable again.¡±

    I was still dumbfounded when I saw Ryuzaki like this.

    At the same time, I felt again that I ¡°hate¡± this guy.

    Because he is just like me.

    (He¡¯s just like ¡®me¡¯. It¡¯s really irritating to watch.)

    Yes. Ryoma Ryuzaki is just like Kotaro Nakayama.

    I¡¯ve been aware of it for a while, but ¡­ I and Ryuzaki are actually not that different.

    (It may come as no surprise, since we are the protagonists of ¡°Failed to become¡± and ¡°Becoming¡±.)

    Ryoma Ryuzaki now appears to have no authority as a protagonist.

    His arrogance and omnipotence as a harem protagonist have completely disappeared, and instead, his sneering side has come to the fore.

    This is precisely what we can call the ¡°end of the line¡± for the protagonist.

    On the other hand, I was originally in a position like the protagonist, but I was not qualified to be the protagonist, so I became a mob character.

    Both of us have different backgrounds, but the result is the same.

    In the end, neither of us is the protagonist anymore.

    That¡¯s why we are similar.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m disgusted.

    (Because of our similarities, ¡­ I guess I really don¡¯t like Ryuzaki, for me, with my strong feelings of self-loathing.)

    I don¡¯t like myself much.

    In other words, even Ryuzaki, who resembles me, can¡¯t possibly like me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you either.¡±

    I tell him frankly.

    We properly confided in each other that we both felt the same way.

    Well, I think he knew even without saying it.

    Nevertheless, the reason I dared to put it into words was to say the following words.

    ¡°Also¡­I¡¯m jealous of you too.¡±

    Just as you envy me.

    I envy you, too.

    In other words, I and Ryuzaki are the same in that respect.

    But I and Ryuzaki are not the same.

    There is a definite difference between us.

    That is ¨C the ¡°position¡± we are given.

    I am a mob.

    Ryuzaki is the protagonist.

    Because of that difference, I can sympathize with Ryuzaki¡¯s pain.

    But you, on the other hand, cannot feel my pain.

    I, whose world revolves around others, and you, whose world revolves around you.

    We need to bridge that critical gap.

    Therefore, I must speak.

    I need to tell you about my failures so that you can understand my pain.

    ¡°There are heroines that ¡­ I couldn¡¯t make happy.¡±

    And so I spun a story about the sad fate of a mob character.

    It is a story of a failure, a failure of a person who mistakenly thought he was the protagonist, stretched himself beyond his stature to make people happy, and failed without producing any results.

 CH 266

    ¡°What is it ¡­ I¡¯m not interested in you?¡±

    In contrast to me, who was ready to tell all, Ryuzaki¡¯s feelings still seem to be not positive.

    Even here, he still refuses to pay attention to others.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Ryuzaki.

    ¡°Ignorance is not an excuse, is it?¡±

    It is true that there are many things in the world that we do not need to know.

    But there are also things you can¡¯t know unless you know them.

    And. Without the premise of my ¡°past¡±, my thoughts would never reach him.¡¡ ¡¡Therefore, I need to force him to pay attention to me.

    To do so, I didn¡¯t have time to choose a method.

    ¡°You want to know about Yuzuki, don¡¯t you? You don¡¯t know why she¡¯s rejecting you ¡­ or why she suddenly changed her attitude after liking you so much, do you?¡±

    I dare to touch the crux of the matter from the very beginning.

    Ryuzaki¡¯s mind is probably not ready yet. But if I don¡¯t say it clearly like this, he won¡¯t get it.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki has been an ¡°insensitive protagonist¡± for many years.

    His dullness is hardcore.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is so frighteningly unaware of anything that even leaves room for a misunderstanding that the message was ¡®supposed¡¯ to have been conveyed.

    It is precisely because he knows only what is convenient for the story that he clearly stated in this way.

    ¡°I know Yuzuki very well.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is that? I¡¯ve never seen you and Yuzuki talking.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a given. There¡¯s no way Yuzuki would talk to me in front of you.¡±

    Because she liked you.

    There is no way that Yuzuki, whose mind is occupied with Ryuzaki, can see me.

    But I know her.

    Because,

    ¡°Me and Yuzuki¡­ we¡¯re childhood friends.¡±

    I said it.

    I finally said it.

    It¡¯s a relationship I wanted to keep hidden as long as possible.

    In fact, considering Yuzuki¡¯s love life, I had never mentioned it.

    I had hidden it as much as possible in front of Ryuzaki.

    But if I don¡¯t do something about it now, Yuzuki¡¯s love will end without reward.

    I¡¯m here to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? What did you just say?¡±

    In response to my words, however, Ryuzaki was still trying to remain ignorant.

    No, I felt an invisible compulsion to remain ignorant.

    ¡°The wind¡­suddenly got stronger.¡±

    Yes, it did. The strong wind suddenly blew and blocked my statement.

    The words did not reach Ryuzaki.

    But I was done being a bystander to the story.

    I decided to tell the story once more without hesitation.

    ¡°Yuzuki and I have known each other since we were children, we are childhood friends. That¡¯s why I know her so well.¡±

    I took another step closer to Ryuzaki.

    I was more vocal than before so as not to give him any chance to miss what I was saying.

    And it seems that the ¡­ opportunism was indeed unable to function after being made this far.

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    Ryuzaki was very upset.

    His eyes widened, his mouth dropped open, and he shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°W-What are you talking about? You and Yuzuki are ¡­ childhood friends? That¡¯s impossible. Because Yuzuki is not ¡­ close to you.¡±

    It¡¯s a laughable joke.

    I shook my head at Ryuzaki, who shrugged, as if to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±.

    ¡°Sure, me and Yuzuki may not necessarily be that close, but just because we¡¯re ¡­ childhood friends doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we have to be, does it?¡±

    You should know that better than anyone else.

    You should stop pretending you don¡¯t know that.

    ¡°Even Ryuzaki and Shiho don¡¯t necessarily get along, even though they¡¯ve known each other since childhood.¡±

    When I told him that, Ryuzaki¡¯s expression immediately hardened.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±

    It was as if he was once again confronted with a truth he had tried to forget.

    He was staring at me with a bitter expression.

    I met Ryuzaki¡¯s gaze squarely in the eyes.

    This would be a fitting scene for a ¡°clash¡±.

    Ryuzaki¡­ you are no longer in a phase where you can remain ignorant.

    The story has progressed and we have moved to a scene where the harem protagonist, who was imperfect, is no longer enough.

    So Ryuzaki has to grow up more.

    His awakening is not yet complete¡­

 CH 267

    Childhood friend.

    Ryuzaki was clearly upset at those words.

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Childhood friends? You and Yuzuki? There was no sign of that¡­Yuzuki was right next to me the whole time.¡±

    Ryuzaki was desperately trying to deny it, and it was very pathetic to watch.

    ¡°Nakayama, you¡¯re lying, right? If you were childhood friends, you must have had more special feelings for each other.¡±

    ¡°Like you?¡±

    The only point of view this guy still has is his own.

    I guess he was insensitive to other people¡¯s feelings because he could only talk about things subjectively.

    Recently, he seems to have relaxed a little, but he is still a bit self-absorbed.

    ¡°Even childhood friends have various kinds of relationships. They can like each other like Ryuzaki, or they can be bitter like Shiho.¡±

    And,

    ¡°Like me and Yuzuki¡­, even if we used to be good friends, we can go our separate ways.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t always like this.

    We used to have a closer relationship.

    The only thing is that now it is not.

    That¡¯s all there is to it, so why is Ryuzaki so upset?

    ¡°You mean¡­ you know more about Yuzuki than I do?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, I do. At least, I think I know more than you do.¡±

    However, it would be strange to say that you don¡¯t know anything about her.

    The part of you that doesn¡¯t try to know people this close to you is proof that you still only think of yourself.

    ¡°¡­ I see. I didn¡¯t know that¡­!¡±

    And Ryuzaki clenched his fists in frustration.

    He gritted his teeth and looked at me aggressively.

    Then this guy uttered some unbelievable words.

    ¡°In other words, Yuzuki is a ¡®hand-me-down¡¯ of yours?¡±

    For a moment, I did not understand what was being said.

    I couldn¡¯t understand how Ryuzaki could think this way about a human being.

    ¡°Hand-me-down¡­why¡­¡±

    How could he have such a perception?

    Because Yuzuki is no one¡¯s property.

    Just because we were childhood friends doesn¡¯t mean that she and I have a special relationship.

    We just happened to be together when we were young.

    Just as you and Shiho were, so were I and Yuzuki.

    Even though it was only that, ¡­ apparently Ryuzaki had an incredibly ¡®inferior¡¯ feeling.

    ¡°I thought Yuzuki only liked me? That¡¯s why I tried to take responsibility for her, but ¡­ I made her like me, so I was just trying to do my duty.¡±

    ¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right.

    Once again, I understand.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki is distorted.

    He was born to be the protagonist of a story, and he¡¯s too hung up on roles and relationships.

    In this respect, he may resemble me.

    He thinks he is a mob character and tries to act only according to that role, just like me.

    Showing an unusual attachment to the relationship of being childhood friends.

    He makes abnormal assumptions to justify his actions.

    In these ways, he is just like me.

    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like him.

    It¡¯s as if I am looking at myself in the mirror, and it disgusts me.

    But the degree of distortion is stronger than mine.

    Ryuzaki¡¯s distortion is not only on the surface, but also at the root.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve known each other since childhood, you¡¯d normally like each other, wouldn¡¯t you? You and Yuzuki originally had that kind of relationship,¡­ and even if you didn¡¯t, you must have been as close to being in love as possible, right?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Me and Yuzuki weren¡¯t very close.¡±

    We just knew each other.

    We were childhood friends and shared a lot of time together, so we just have a lot of information about each other.

    It¡¯s true that I had special feelings for her for a time, but if you ask me if I ¡®loved¡¯ her just because¡­, I¡¯d say not.

    That¡¯s just because we were childhood friends and I just cared about her.

    That was the only relationship I had with her, and she was not interested in me at all.

    There was no way she could have called me a ¡°hand-me-down¡± in that situation.

    No, even if we had been in a relationship, that expression is ridiculous.

    (How can I change a guy like this¡­?)

    I understood again after meeting him head-on.

    Something is still wrong with Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    But the mistake has been made right by opportunism, and the distortion is unrecognizable.

    I thought it was ¡­ impossible to change such a person¡­

 CH 268

    ¨CIt is impossible to change Ryuzaki.

    Just after I thought that, I suddenly opened my eyes.

    (I¡¯m about to give up again¡­!)

    This is what happens to me as soon as I let my guard down.

    Whenever I¡¯m faced with a challenge, a fog always hangs over my thoughts.

    My thinking becomes sluggish, and I always come to conclusions that make me give up thinking.

    Don¡¯t forget that as a result of continually giving up in this way, I became despicable and began to think of myself as a mob character.

    I¡¯m tired of that development.

    If I keep making excuses for being a mob character and repeating the process of taking three steps forward and two steps back, I¡¯m just the same as I¡¯ve always been.

    (Think¡­ how can I change Ryuzaki?)

    This distorted human nature.

    What kind of process can transform the worldview of the protagonist, whose world has become twisted because he was born with the gift of being loved and has been loved without doing anything about it?

    (The protagonist¡¯s awakening¡­ it is beyond hardship.)

    After thinking about it with my signature meta-thoughts, I finally came to a conclusion.

    Good. My thinking has not yet stopped.

    here is still a fog blocking my thoughts, but it seems that I managed to find a path thanks to my forceful pushing forward.

    All that remains is to continue on this path.

    I can¡¯t see what lies ahead, but I just have to trust myself and take the first step.

    In the past, I could not take that first step.

    I was unable to fully believe in myself and kept cowering in place.

    But if I keep doing that, I won¡¯t be able to advance my relationship with ¡­ Shiho.

    To break the past and the ties that bind.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki had to have an awakening after all.

    (Still ¡­ short.)

    To awaken this guy, hardship is still not enough.

    Ryoma Ryuzaki will show his true potential only when he is thoroughly pushed, inflicted with pain until he is on the verge of breaking, and pushed to the bottom of a cliff.

    Because he is the protagonist.

    That is my role this time.

    I needed to stand in front of him as a ¡°hardship¡± that would promote his awakening.

    So, I continued to say more.

    ¡°Hand-me-down¡­ huh. Yuzuki has never been my property.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t want to hear another word from you. ¡­ After all, you just want to feel superior, don¡¯t you?¡¡Not only did you take my childhood friend, but you gave me your own childhood friend as a hand-me-down¡­ and by far, I¡¯m ¡®lower¡¯ than you, is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I guess nothing I say is going to work.¡±

    Oh, it¡¯s disgusting.

    People suffering from a sense of inferiority complex and being sneaky are still irritating to watch.

    I suddenly feel ashamed to think that I was once like that.

    I don¡¯t want to see Ryuzaki like this.

    I¡¯m sure Yuzuki and the others feel the same way.

    (There is no point in leaving it as it is¡­)

    Not enough suffering.

    We need to drive Ryuzaki to the brink of extinction even more.

    That¡¯s why I dared to tell him.

    ¡°Well, you know what, if you¡¯re shocked just by ¡­ Yuzuki, wouldn¡¯t you be even more surprised to find out that Azusa is my stepsister and Kirari was my friend from middle school?¡±

    And the relationships with Azusa and Kirari.

    I tell him the fact that I have been keeping it a secret until now.

    Then Ryuzaki bit his lip in frustration.

    ¡°So, then¡­ you mean I¡¯ve always been handed down from you? Do you mean to say that I¡¯ve been enjoying the company of the girls that you¡¯ve been messing around with?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch them. I spent time with them as a family and shared time with them as friends, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°¡­That means you¡¯ve got your hands on them, right?¡±

    It seems that Ryuzaki no longer has enough time to accept my words.

    He twisted the facts based only on his assumptions.

    I have often interpreted the facts in a way that suited me.

    This time, that assumption seems to be working against me and interpreted in a bad way.

    guess Ryuzaki is a coward after all.

    If he knew more about our relationships, he would realize that his interpretation is a misunderstanding, but since he doesn¡¯t want to know more about ¡­, he can¡¯t understand that.

    I¡¯ve tried to explain it to him, but I can¡¯t reach him now.

    If so, that¡¯s enough.

    Until his awakening is accomplished, let him think whatever he wants.

    The only thing I can do right now is to push Ryuzaki as hard as I can¡­

 CH 269

    Ryuzaki was nodding his head.

    The information I gave him may have been a shock to him, and he was staring at the ground with a stunned look on his face.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Nakayama, let me ask you one thing.¡±

    Emotionless, empty words echoed through the sound of the rain.

    n Shiho¡¯s words¡­, it was a really ¡®disgusting¡¯ sound.

    ¡°What do I do when the person I try to love likes someone else?¡±

    He asked me, of all people, that question, and I must say that Ryuzaki is still a work in progress.

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t ask me. Think for yourself.¡±

    Of course I know.

    I¡¯ve been in the same situation as Ryuzaki in the past.

    But there¡¯s no point in telling this guy the answer I¡¯ve come up with.

    For Ryuzaki, who was born to be the protagonist, the conclusion I arrived at after resignation and disappointment in myself is of no use to him.

    In the end, Ryuzaki must find out for himself.

    Otherwise, I don¡¯t think he will understand. So, without replying, I pushed Ryuzaki away.

    ¡°Damn ¡­ I guess I¡¯m lower than you after all. I can¡¯t believe that after being deprived of my first love, the person I tried to fall in love with in return was your hand-me-down ¡­!¡±

    That¡¯s a terrible thing to say, but I¡¯m not going to deny it, I¡¯m going to listen.

    You can be depressed. Despair. It is only when you are hurt, in pain, and falling apart that you will finally be able to change.

    For that, I will show no mercy.

    It was because I was determined to do so that I continued to stand beside Ryuzaki.

    ¡°¡­ What is that? Don¡¯t be silly.¡±

    And as I have said many times, Ryoma Ryuzaki is still an ¡°imperfect¡± protagonist.

    One might even say that he is immature, taking actions that a normal protagonist would not take.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot!!¡±

    I guess he couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions any longer.

    As if the stress of things not going well had exploded, Ryuzaki suddenly yelled at me.

    He shouted like an animal, walked up to me and grabbed me by the collar.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me.¡±

    As it was, a fist was raised.

    It was unmistakably the harbinger of ¡°violence¡±.

    (¡­Well, it¡¯s okay to let people behave as they like at the edge of the narrative, where no one is watching.)

    I have no fear.

    I¡¯m probably less resistant to being punched than other people.

    Because I¡¯m not the kind of person who is kind to myself.

    I¡¯ve always been disdainful, mean, and disappointed in myself, and that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t taken good care of myself.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t care if he hit me.

    (If beating me would bring you a little closer to ¡± completion¡±.)

    That¡¯s all right, I thought, and closed my eyes.

    I was preparing for the shock that was to come, but it never came.

    ¡°Hang on.¡±

    Suddenly, I heard a voice that should not have been there.

    The voice sounded so warm and out of place amongst the cold wind and rain.

    Perhaps that¡¯s why it stood out so much.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I heard Ryuzaki gasp.

    Around the same time I opened my eyes and saw Ryuzaki looking behind me and his eyes widening.

    In his eyes, I saw a silvery-white girl.

    I turned around after a delay and¡­ there she was, after all, that girl.

    ¡°¡­ I wasn¡¯t planning on coming¡­¡±

    She walked closer, fiddling with the ends of her hair as if uncomfortable.

    How long had she been there?

    I don¡¯t know about that, but she had an apologetic expression on her face, as if she had a general grasp of our situation.

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t allow Kotaro-kun to get hurt.¡±

    Even in her small voice, her voice sounded unusually clear.

    The clear voice seemed to reach even Ryuzaki¡¯s anger filled heart.

    ¡°¡­ Were you here?¡±

    With an air of embarrassment, Ryuzaki withdrew his fist.

    He quickly averted his gaze, removing his hand from my collar as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡±

    Sadly.

    And yet, with regret, Ryuzaki muttered,

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this.¡±

    He knows he is pathetic.

    Ryuzaki is ashamed that his miserable self is seen by his first love, Shiho.

    ¡°¡­ Awful.¡±

    The last thing he did was to say that, and then he turned away.

    The rain was pouring down, but that guy still didn¡¯t stop walking.

    Thus, the harem protagonist is driven into hardship.

    I did everything I could do. What will happen from here?

    It is only when he awakens from this point that he can be said to be a protagonist¡­ Will Ryuzaki really be able to continue to be a protagonist in the future?

    The answer to that question is known only to the god of romantic comedies.

 CH 270

    Thus ended my confrontation with Ryuzaki, but it seemed necessary to ¡­ ask her properly why she was here.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ Hmmm, what should I do?¡±

    After confirming that Ryuzaki had disappeared, Shiho put her hand on her chin as if contemplating something.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I want to pretend that I was just a passerby and didn¡¯t hear anything about it, is that OK with you, Kotaro-kun?¡±

    I wondered what she was going to say, but she seemed to be trying to make this situation go away by forceful techniques.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­, won¡¯t you be angry that I was eavesdropping on you? Kotaro-kun, don¡¯t you hate it? If there is even the slightest chance that you might not like me, then beating Kotaro-kun to erase his memory is an option.¡±

    Saying so, Shiho is trying to snap the bones of her fist. But the joints were squishy, or perhaps the sound of popping was not heard at all.

    ¡°Shiho doesn¡¯t want people to know she was eavesdropping?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If they knew that, they would know that I was stalking Kotaro-kun. I don¡¯t want you to know that I followed you because I was lonely because you didn¡¯t give me much attention at school.¡±

    ¡­That says it all.

    Is it intentional or is she just being goofy?

    Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°I won¡¯t get mad at you for that.¡±

    Shiho shook her head with a wry smile and shrugged in relief.

    ¡°Ho, really! I¡¯m so glad¡­ I was wondering what I would do if you thought I was a heavy woman.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve already thought about that, so I guess it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Huh!?!?!?!?¡±

    You don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t think that?

    Looking back at her behavior up to this point, Shiho is more than a little heavy-handed.

    But I like her including that part, so I don¡¯t dislike it.

    ¡°Anyway, come here. It¡¯s hard to hear your voice from this distance.¡±

    Maybe she has good hearing, but a few meters away is a bit far for conversation.

    I beckoned her to come a little closer to me because of the sound of the rain and wind.

    Then she walked up to me excessively slowly, like an alarmed cat.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not heavy at all. I¡¯m just a little passionate in my expression of love. If you don¡¯t understand me, can I run away and cry?¡±

    ¡°Wow, I understand¡­, so for now, let¡¯s talk calmly.¡±

    I talked to her as gently as possible so as not to alarm her.

    After I had done that much, she finally came within arm¡¯s reach.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you, then. I haven¡¯t been able to get dressed up much lately¡­, and I¡¯m going to go crazy if I don¡¯t get my spoiling gauge up around here. But I also feel like I need to get away for a while, so you know what?¡±

    Still, she¡¯s saying something.

    Perhaps it is because she feels guilty, but her expression is more tense than usual.

    It¡¯s a nervous look that doesn¡¯t suit Shiho.

    ¡°¡­I got you.¡±

    That¡¯s why I dared to grab Shiho¡¯s hand.

    I held her hand and smiled at her and told her it was all right.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away from me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to ever hate you.¡±

    When I said this to reassure her, Shiho¡¯s big eyes widened.

    Then, this time, she squinted her eyes happily.

    ¡°I-I got caught¡­ Ehehe.¡±

    A slight reddish color appears on her pure white cheeks.

    Is she embarrassed? The expression on her face was so adorable that it made my cheeks relax as well.

    It was a feeling I hadn¡¯t had in a long time¡­

 CH 271

    ¡°Why am I here? It¡¯s obvious. I¡¯ve been stalking you.¡±

    She confessed honestly.

    ¡°You see, I have very good hearing, right? I can hear sounds even when there is quite a distance between us, and I can recognize Kotaro-kun¡¯s footsteps, so I followed you without being noticed.¡±

    A little apologetically, Shiho explains how she came here.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been having some trouble lately, so I¡¯ve been curious. Also, you haven¡¯t been giving me much attention, so I¡¯ve been lonely.¡±

    You were lonely?

    No, but it¡¯s true that we probably don¡¯t spend as much time together these days as we used to.

    The year started off a little awkwardly, partly because of the incident with Kurumizawa-san.

    We managed to repair our relationship, but I think the influence of the incident still remains and we are beginning to have some differences, albeit only a little.

    Shiho didn¡¯t like this delicate gap.

    ¡°But I thought that if I questioned you too much, you wouldn¡¯t like it¡­ I know it¡¯s better not to know too much, okay? I know that Kotaro has his own privacy and I want to make sure that I respect that. But I still wanted to know, so I couldn¡¯t help eavesdropping.¡±

    ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t intend to get caught?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was going to leave quietly after I got a sneak peek of what was going on, but ¡­ Kotaro-kun was about to get hit, so I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.¡±

    Shiho appeared just as Ryuzaki raised his hand.

    If Shiho had not jumped out of the way, I think I would have been hit.

    I had accepted the fact that I was going to be hit.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t care how much it hurt me.¡¯

    I still didn¡¯t take care of myself ¨C I guess that¡¯s what it means.

    But Shiho wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    She was the one who prevented me from getting hurt.

    (I guess this is the part of me that is immature¡­)

    I reflect on myself from earlier.

    I¡¯ve been more considerate of myself than before, but it wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry? Um, I still care about Kotaro-kun, so ¡­ it seems I tend to do weird things.¡±

    Shiho may not be able to stop herself.

    She seemed to be aware that she was over-involved and apologetic.

    ¡­Oh, wrong.

    I strongly felt again that since I was giving Shiho such a look, all my actions were wrong.

    ¡°There is no need to apologize. Rather, I¡¯m sorry too.¡±

    Shiho cares about me so deeply.

    There was no way I was going to deny her that.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re concerned about me and I¡¯m grateful that you care about me. So please don¡¯t apologize.¡±

    I told her and took Shiho¡¯s hand in mine.

    Covering her small hand with both of mine, I gently conveyed my feelings.

    ¡°Thank you for protecting me.¡±

    Then, I also expressed my gratitude to her.

    Shiho¡¯s thoughts were conveyed to me, and when I told her so, her face changed from a sullen expression to a happy smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me! But if you don¡¯t hate that¡­, that¡¯s all that matters.

    ¡°I will never hate you.¡±

    I can¡¯t do that.

    There is no way I could ever hate a girl who hates to hurt me more than I hate to hurt myself¡­

 CH 272

    ¡°So, why did it have to come to that?¡±

    Hearing the exchange between Ryuzaki and I, however, she did not seem to grasp the whole situation.

    That¡¯s understandable. I don¡¯t think she could have grasped the whole situation just by listening to what we just talked about.

    ¡°Oh, Kotaro-kun, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not that I want to force you to tell me or anything, I¡¯m not trying to ¡­ pry, okay? But, um,¡­ if you¡¯re troubled, I¡¯d like to be troubled with you.¡±

    She said this as we sat in the park together sheltering from the rain.

    ¡°Well,¡­ hey, is this kind of thing too heavy? I heard on TV that it is not good for a woman to want to know everything about her partner. Am I a bother to you, Kotaro-kun? If so, I want to fix it, so please be honest with me.¡±

    Shiho is a bother?

    No, no. Is there such a thing ¨C or is there not such a thing?

    Well, maybe some men, in general, don¡¯t like being stalked or anything.

    But I never once thought anything bad about Shiho¡¯s behavior.

    So I shook my head firmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can tell you really care about me, and I think you¡¯re cute, even when you¡¯re a ¡­ bother.¡±

    This is my honest opinion.

    I understand that Shiho has an act for me.

    That¡¯s why I know that Shiho does things that are often thought of as bothersome.

    This is one of Shiho¡¯s charms.

    ¡°¡­How cool! Kotaro-kun, when did you become such a great-looking guy? I¡¯m so nervous, please don¡¯t do that. I want a normal, reassuring Kotaro-kun!¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯ll do.¡±

    Did I look cool myself? I thought.

    Shiho prefers me as I usually am rather than the heightened version of me.

    ¡°If you suddenly said that to me, my heart would beat too fast and I¡¯d get exhausted, okay? I wonder if Kotaro-kun likes to make me suffer in agony.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to.¡±

    Was she caught by surprise? Shiho, her face redder than usual, was scolding me as if she were giving me a lecture.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be careful next time, so calm down.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine if you apologize. I forgive you.¡±

    Shiho easily forgave me when I broke down.

    The part where she gets angry in embarrassment and loses her retreat because of it is ¡­ well, generally speaking, it is quite troublesome.

    But when I apologize, she easily forgives me, and I don¡¯t feel uncomfortable.

    I have become completely accustomed to that kind of personality.

    So-called, this part might be Shiho¡¯s ¡°bad side¡±.

    However, I have come to find even this side of Shiho attractive, which is a strange thing.

    I think my relationship with Shiho has grown that much deeper.

    So, I think it¡¯s time to ¡­ tell her about my past, too.

    Come to think of it, I have never been very proactive about talking to Shiho about it.

    I think I had a strong feeling that I didn¡¯t want her to know.

    No, no.

    Rather than not wanting her to know, I didn¡¯t want her to hate me.

    I didn¡¯t want to talk about my past with Shiho, who was single-minded and possessive.

    But I felt sorry to Shiho to keep it hidden ¡­ forever.

    This time, Ryuzaki¡¯s case and my past are closely related, and it is just the right opportunity.

    ¡°So, can you tell me about your story with Ryuzaki-kun¡­?¡±

    Shiho also wants to know.

    ¡°Yeah, okay. I want you to hear it, too.¡±

    So I decided to tell her.

    My past.

    I told the story of those foolish days when I thought I could make other girls ¡­ happy, before I fell in love with Shiho.

    I told the story of my middle school days, when I thought I was the protagonist¡­

 CH 273

    When would I be able to tell the story of myself more clearly?

    In kindergarten, I hadn¡¯t met Azusa yet, and in elementary school, I hadn¡¯t met Kirari, so perhaps the best way to tell the story would be about middle school.

    Well,¡­ it is around middle school that my ¡­ ego started to grow and I started to think about who I am and what kind of person I am, so that would be an appropriate time to start.

    I thought I was the protagonist back then.

    ¡­ No, that information is not appropriate.

    When I was in elementary school I lost confidence in myself after my mother gave up on me.

    At that time, I still thought of myself as something close to a ¡°mob character¡±.

    Of course, I was still a child at the time and didn¡¯t think too deeply about things, but I remember well how suffocating it was¡­

    It was my childhood friend Yuzuki, my stepsister Azusa, and Kirari, my friend, who helped heal me.

    Thanks to these three people, I was finally able to look forward.

    They made me think that maybe I could be the protagonist, too.

    That¡¯s why I wanted to tell Shiho the story of what happened after I met the three of them.

    In light of this, I felt that the most appropriate time was in the third year of middle school.

    Before I met Ryuzaki.

    It was around March, when I was in my third year of middle school and on the verge of entering high school.

    It was roughly a year ago now, I guess.

    At that time¡­ I was trying to make the three of them happy¡­

    ¨CIt was the middle of March. The middle school graduation ceremony was over, and it was the day of the high school acceptance announcements.

    ¡°Onii-chan, I wonder if Azusa and her friends¡­ have passed the exam properly?¡±

    I remember how anxious Azusa was in the morning.

    Azusa was so nervous that even her favorite fried egg, which I made her for breakfast, did not go down her throat.

    ¡°Well, is that so? ¡­ we studied a lot together, so if Azusa¡¯s going to fail, I¡¯m going to fail with her.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so? If so, it¡¯s a good thing that I won¡¯t be alone¡­ That¡¯s not good. We¡¯re going to pass the exam together and enter high school together.¡±

    Neither Azusa nor I had good grades.

    However, we both studied hard because our mothers insisted that I enter a high school with a slightly higher level of education.

    Basically, our mother never tried to get involved with Azusa, who is not related to her by blood.

    She was the one who was always trying to talk to me, but she tended to be a little gentler with her than with me, perhaps because she was not her own daughter, or perhaps because she was the child of a husband who loved her.

    Azusa¡¯s only strong advice was to enroll in a proper high school.

    Perhaps because of this pressure, Azusa was even more nervous.

    ¡°Ugh ¡­ I wonder what mom will say if I¡¯m not accepted. Onii-chan, I really wonder if you¡¯ll be okay. Wouldn¡¯t they throw Azusa out of the house?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s a person who cares about public appearance, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll do anything that would cause such a bad publicity.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very comfortable with that reason.¡±

    To cheer up Azusa, whose face had gone pale, I was more playful than usual at that time. I thought that by doing so, I could ease Azusa¡¯s anxiety.

    It was a bit presumptuous for a mob character.

    I was so conceited that I was taking a lot of actions that ¡­ would be unthinkable for the me of today.

    ¡°Onii-chan¡­Could you cheer me up just a little bit?¡±

    Then again, Azusa also missed me at that time, so we were closer than we are now.

    She rubbed up against me as though she were in contact with Ryuzaki.

    Moreover, she offered me her head to press against me and her ¡­ gesture was like she was saying ¡®pat my head¡¯, so I was patting her head as a matter of course.

    And then, of course, I was doing that.

    ¡°Okay, okay. Calm down¡­ you¡¯re a good girl.¡±

    When I did that, Azusa always laughed at me.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. Thank you, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    She looked a little embarrassed.

    But it would be a lie to say that I didn¡¯t think that my happy and friendly smiling stepsister was cute.

    I truly cherished Azusa.

    Of course, since Azusa also spoiled me so much, it was not unreasonable for me to misunderstand that she was thinking about me in the same way.

    At that time, I was like that all the time.

    Looking back on it now, I am truly ashamed.

    I was really just a mistaken jerk.

 CH 274

    It was raining in the park, and of course there was no one there but me and Shiho.

    We were alone under a tree, taking shelter from the rain and exchanging words.

    It was a casual moment, but it had been a long time since I¡¯d had that kind of fun.

    ¡°Azu-nyan is so sweet. I can¡¯t believe she got to be Kotaro-kun¡¯s little sister¡­ I wish I could have been your little sister, too.¡±

    I was talking about my middle school days when Shiho unexpectedly interrupted me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think being my little sister would be that great.¡±

    I was interrupted in my reminiscing, but I think I¡¯ll call it a short break.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Azu-nyan sometimes takes a sisterly stance toward you, you know? She sends me messages on the messaging app with pictures like, ¡®Onii-chan made omelette today¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was doing that.¡±

    I¡¯m surprised they got along better than I thought they would.

    On the surface, Azusa says she¡¯s not very good with Shiho, but the chemistry doesn¡¯t seem to be that bad after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed that she did that even though she knew I was jealous of her¡­ Well, Azu-nyan is almost like a little sister to me, so I¡¯ll forgive her as a cute joke from one of my relatives, won¡¯t I? You see, I¡¯m very generous.¡±

    I don¡¯t think you are generous.

    Shiho is a very tiny vessel.

    Even now, she was a little bit upset even though it was in the past.

    I didn¡¯t talk about it because I was afraid of what would happen, ¡­ but now I¡¯m talking about the past because I think it¡¯s okay if this happens.

    Even if I am upset, jealous, or sulking, Shiho will accept me ¨C I believe that.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the rest of the story?¡±

    See, I knew Shiho wanted to know.

    She is listening to my words with great interest.

    I guess she is trying to get to know me.

    I want to respond to that desire.

    That is why I continued to reminisce¡­

    ¨D¨DHigh school exam, the morning of the announcement of results.

    After finishing breakfast, Azusa and I changed into our school uniforms and left the house.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Yuzuki Onee-chan.¡±

    When we went outside, we found my childhood friend, Yuzuki, standing idly in front of our house.

    Apparently, she was waiting for me.

    At that time, before we met Ryuzaki, Yuzuki was often next to me. She often went to school with me in the mornings.

    ¡°Azusa-san, good morning. I¡¯m sorry for ambushing you in the morning, Kotaro-san.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡­ From what standpoint am I saying that ¡­ it¡¯s fine?

    At the time, I took it for granted that Yuzuki would be waiting for me.

    I am truly ashamed of myself. If I had been more self-aware, I would have thanked her for waiting for me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the courage to go see the result announcement alone¡­would you let me join you?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Yuzuki Onee-chan passed the exam with ease, didn¡¯t you? If Yuzuki Onee-chan failed, Azusa and Onii-chan would definitely fail too!¡±

    Azusa was trying to cheer up Yuzuki, even though she was anxious herself.

    She is a girl who has always had a kind heart.

    ¡± I was so nervous that I couldn¡¯t think straight at all ¡­ I didn¡¯t remember much of the day, and I was worried about whether I had answered the questions correctly¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I think you¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    The two of them started walking while exchanging such chit-chat.

    Although we were classmates, Yuzuki, who took good care of me, and Azusa, who wanted to be spoiled, had a great compatibility. They were like real sisters up until middle school.

    After entering high school, they became rivals who liked the same person, and their relationship grew a bit cold.

    In retrospect, that¡¯s also a shame¡­

 CH 275

    ¡°Uenohara High School Acceptance Announcement¡±

    Yuzuki and Azusa seemed to be nervous when they saw the letters posted at the intended location.

    ¡°I wonder if it will be alright? Onii-chan, I¡¯m too scared to look.¡±

    ¡°Ah, umm, I can¡¯t do it either¡­¡±

    The successful applicants have already been announced.

    As far as I could see, there were basically no students with gloomy faces, and most of the people were smiling happily.

    Probably, those who were not accepted went home early.

    A calm mind would normally think so, but Azusa and Yuzuki didn¡¯t seem to be able to keep a normal mind and were thinking such negative things.

    ¡°Everyone seems to have passed¡­ which means we are the first rejects?¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s Azusa¡­ Azusa is the first one to be rejected.¡±

    There are only people who have passed the test, so there is a good chance that I will be rejected ¨C she seemed to think so.

    ¡°Well, yeah. Shall we take a look now?¡±

    As for me, I¡¯m ready to see who passed.

    But the reason I¡¯ve been stomping around in the distance for a while now is because the two of them wouldn¡¯t make a move.

    ¡°Could you give me a little more time? I¡¯m not ready to fail yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kotaro-san is very calm. Are you that confident?¡±

    I¡¯m not that confident.

    To begin with, Yuzuki had much better grades then and now.

    But I was able to stay calm, probably because I wasn¡¯t obsessed with passing or failing.

    ¡°My confidence is normal¡­ Well, if I pass or fail, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to die. I think I can manage.¡±

    ¨CI guess this kind of thing was not sympathetic to both of them.

    Now that I think about it, I understand.

    Come to think of it, Azusa and Yuzuki were puzzled by my words at that time.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t really understand you, Onii-chan.¡±

    ¡°Rather than being optimistic, I¡¯d say you¡¯re apathetic,¡­ I¡¯ve known you for a long time, but sometimes I don¡¯t understand you, Kotaro-san.¡±

    The two of them then smiled in an attempt to mend the situation.

    It might be normal for a normal student to get nervous at the announcement of his or her acceptance.

    But I was the same as usual, nonchalant,¡­ and I now reflect on the fact that I was not human in that way.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be sad if I can¡¯t go to the same high school as Azusa, so I hope we¡¯re both accepted together.¡±

    ¡°I wish you could be my childhood friend, Yuzuki, in high school too.¡±

    If I had been able to properly express my wishes in words like that, perhaps our relationships would not be what they are today.

    In short, I was unusually short of words at that time.

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry for being so difficult to understand.¡±

    At that time, too, I immediately apologized and ended the conversation.

    I should have insisted more and explained my feelings to them¡­ but this kind of thing was inorganic and not good.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not angry, so it¡¯s fine, right?¡±

    ¡°Me too, I didn¡¯t want to make you feel sorry¡­¡±

    Thanks to that, there was a delicate atmosphere.

    Azusa and Yuzuki were puzzled, and I, smiling vaguely, didn¡¯t try to do anything.

    But then, at such an opportune moment, she showed up.

    ¡°Yo-ho. Ko-kun and others, have you seen the acceptance announcement yet?¡±

    It was Kirari, who at the time still had dark hair and wore glasses, who called out to us.

    She had taken the entrance exam for the same high school and came a little later than us.

    ¡°Huh? Azu-chan and Yuzu-chan are so nervous that they¡¯re making strange faces, are you okay?¡±

    Kirari, who was less gyaru-like than she is now, was also witty and got along well with Azusa and Yuzuki. Kirari was not the type to make many friends, but she often talked with them through me.

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re still too scared to look at the acceptance announcement? Well, I¡¯ll go first~.¡±

    Kirari plunged into the crowd with light steps.

    At that time, she was still smiling, but when she came back a few tens of seconds after ¡­, Kirari had a very pale face.

 CH 276

    ¡°Kirari Onee-chan¡­ too, could it be?¡±

    ¡°Kirari-san, is that true? Eh, what is that reaction¡­!¡±

    As soon as Kirari came back to us, she crumpled and cowered.

    ¡°Do you guys ¡­ think we¡¯ll still be friends even if we have separate high schools?¡±

    Azusa and Yuzuki¡¯s faces were even scrunched up at the statement, which reeked of the worst possible outcome.

    ¡°But, Kirari Onee-chan, you got really good grades!? You¡¯re wearing glasses, there¡¯s no way you could fail.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! She also wears braids, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll pass the exam.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Glasses and braids have anything to do with intelligence?¡±

    In fact, up until middle school, Kirari was basically an honor student.

    She was in the top 10 in the grade, though not as high as Yuzuki, and could have gone to a higher-level high school.

    However, she decided to take the entrance examination for a high school that was a little lower level for her.

    Unfortunately, I do not know the true reason for this. I have never heard of it.

    But maybe it was because ¡­ I, Azusa, and Yuzuki took that entrance exam?

    I will never know the answer to that question.

    Back on topic.

    ¡°So there must be some mistake if Kirari Onee-chan didn¡¯t pass the exam. Here, hand me your examination form. Azusa will make sure it¡¯s correct!¡±

    ¡°It is true that Kirari-san is a bit of a goofball, isn¡¯t she? Oh, by the way, I¡¯m going to check Kotaro-san¡¯s, so may I have your examination form?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a goofball¡­ Are you two making fun of me a little?¡±

    When Kirari tilted her head and handed Azusa the examination form, the two immediately went to the bulletin board.

    As I watched them, Kirari, who had been cowering, stood up with a nonchalant expression on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just lying. The two of you are really funny¡­ I never once told them that they failed, but they were so upset.¡±

    Apparently, she had been acting earlier.

    Did she want to surprise them? If so, judging from the expressions on Azusa and Yuzuki¡¯s faces, I think it was a great success.

    ¡°You passed the exam. Congratulations.¡±

    At any rate, we sent them our congratulations.

    But Kirari looked at me with a slightly unsatisfied face.

    ¡°¡­Ko-kun didn¡¯t seem too upset when I told you that I didn¡¯t pass. Are you not that interested in me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    That was totally your misunderstanding. It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t interested ¡­, it¡¯s just that my reactions were weaker¡­

    I was much less expressive back then than I am now. Because of that, I didn¡¯t act the way Kirari wanted me to.

    ¡°Hmm? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter ¡­Ko-kun was below my expectations, but the two of them were above my expectations.¡±

    Kirari smiled softly as she said that.

    She had been alone all her life until she met me, but thanks to meeting Azusa and Yuzuki, her expression softened.

    ¡°I wonder if Azu-chan and Yuzu-chan consider me a friend.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­, of course.¡±

    For two people who are gentle at heart, but a bit quiet, the aggressive Kirari was a good match. That¡¯s why they seem to get along so well and their relationship can definitely be described as ¡®friends¡¯.

    I liked seeing the three of them like that.

    Even though I was not at the center of it, I was happy just to be around the three of them, who seemed to be enjoying themselves.

    That is why I made no effort to overcome my own shortcomings.

    I had abandoned the idea of confronting them, and was content to leave things as they were.

    It was a shameful thing to do.

    Now I realize that I was just being ¡®arrogant¡¯¡­

 CH 277

    Eventually, we had all been accepted to high school.

    Afterwards, we decided to have a sort of light party at my place, and we were walking together.

    On the way there, Azusa and Yuzuki realized that Kirari¡¯s expression was surprising, and they were genuinely happy without getting angry about it, so I remember well that Kirari was conversely puzzled by it.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two too nice? If it were me, I would have cut ties with you.¡±

    ¡°Azusa¡¯s heart isn¡¯t that narrow.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Did you perhaps make that joke on purpose to relieve our tension? That¡¯s very clever of you, Kirari-san¡­ You¡¯re very thoughtful.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re interpreting it too much in a good way¡­ Ko-kun, you should do something about these kids! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll fall for the wrong guy in the future.¡±

    On the way home from the acceptance announcement, I watched from a few meters behind as the three girls engaged in lively conversation.

    On the way home from the acceptance announcement, I watched from a few meters behind as the three girls engaged in lively conversation.

    ¡°Falling for the wrong guy? Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No good, Ko-kun is a bit too pure¡­¡±

    Kirari was laughing with her head in her hands.

    I smiled vaguely at her.

    In my mind, I thought, ¡®I will help them in such a case¡¯, so I didn¡¯t feel much of a sense of crisis.

    Perhaps it was this conceit that made me react in such a way that both Azusa and Yuzuki would ask for my help if they were in trouble.

    ¡°Anyway! I¡¯m glad we can all go to the same school again!¡±

    When Azusa suddenly said that, Kirari nodded her head in agreement.

    ¡°Yes. It is very reassuring to be here with you all.¡±

    Following the two, Kirari laughed and joined in with her words, saying that it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Well, ¡­ it would be nice if we could get along with eachother in high school as well.¡±

    I nodded to Kirari as she said this, taking it for granted.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t understand on what basis I was able to utter such a delusional statement.

    But at the time, I was thinking, ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I should be with the three of them¡±.

    I thought that I would still be able to get along with the three of them as well in high school.

    I stubbornly believed that if I maintained the status quo, I would have a happy future.

    And so, in the corner of my mind, I thought that ¡­ I might eventually become even closer to one of the three of them.

    I am ashamed to say.

    It was nothing more than a fantasy.

    I was reminded of this on the day of the high school entrance ceremony.

    It was early April, I will never forget.

    After a peaceful spring break, we safely entered high school.

    Coincidentally, I was in the same class as the three of them.

    I remember thinking to myself, ¡®I guess things don¡¯t change even after high school¡¯ when I learned this fact.

    I thought I could get along with Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki, but then I encountered a certain person who tore our relationship apart.

    His name was ¡®Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯.

    My first contact with him was right before the entrance ceremony.

    At that time, I was on my way to the gymnasium with Azusa, and we were walking around the school grounds when we got a little lost¡­

    Thinking back on it, it seems strange to get lost in a school that is not very big. Perhaps ¡°opportunism¡± was at work from then on.

    We were lost and eventually arrived at the back of the school building, where I often have lunch with Shiho now.

    ¡°Onii-chan, we¡¯re really lost, so I think you should ask someone for directions.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. I will.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ there¡¯s a person over there, so ask him¡­ huh?¡±

    Azusa suddenly stopped breathing when she saw the male student who happened to be there ¨C Ryuzaki.

    At that moment, she looked at that guy and clearly said this.

    ¡°¡­ ¡®Onii-chan¡¯?¡±

    That, of course, was not me.

    She was referring to her own brother, who had long since passed away.

    As I mentioned before, Ryuzaki looked just like Azusa¡¯s late brother, which is why Azusa looked so surprised when she met him for the first time.

    ¡°You finally came back ¡­?¡±

    Then I remembered that her face looked so much happier than I¡¯ve ever seen it ¡­

 CH 278

    The first time I met Ryuzaki.

    He seemed to be in the process of getting lost, so we decided to search for the gymnasium together.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it hard to find the way to this school? I thought I could get there on foot, but it¡¯s not easy at all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡±

    When we first met, I was able to interact with Ryuzaki without much awareness at the time.

    At that time, I had not yet seen Ryuzaki¡¯s abnormality, so I only recognized him as a classmate I met by chance.

    ¡°You¡¯re in class 2, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m in the same class as you, too, so we¡¯ll be working together.¡±

    It turned out we were in the same class when he introduced himself just now.

    The one who was happier than anyone else about that was Azusa.

    ¡°Yeah. Nice to meet you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice to meet you¡­ Azusa, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­O-of course!! I would be very happy if you call me that¡­ Ehehehe.¡±

    He was indeed a womanizer, calling her by her first name from the very beginning.

    Nevertheless, at that time I had no desire for exclusivity, so I didn¡¯t think anything of it at all when Ryuzaki and Azusa were being very friendly with each other.

    Or maybe I was just acting complacent because I thought that no matter what happened, the relationship between Azusa and me would remain unchanged.

    Anyway, at that time I was listening to their conversation without any sense of crisis.

    I was walking leisurely from behind them, following them as they walked side by side.

    ¡°Is Azusa really my classmate? You look too small for that.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. Azusa is also a fine high school student!¡±

    ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t be so angry, I¡¯m just saying you¡¯re tiny and cute.¡±

    ¡°Ha-nya!? I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I¡¯m cute¡­ Such a thing, eh ¡­?¡±

    Ryuzaki was trying to capture Azusa, showing his skills as a protagonist in unknowingly making the other person fall in love with him.

    And Azusa was also trying to be taken advantage of¡­ Anyway, she was crazy about Ryuzaki to an unusual degree.

    ¡°You know, Azusa is like my little sister. Good, good.¡±

    While walking, Ryuzaki patted Azusa¡¯s head.

    At that moment, Azusa¡¯s face turned bright red and she was so happy that she almost cried.

    ¡°¡­ You think I¡¯m like your little sister?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kind of hard to believe we¡¯ve never met before. Maybe in my previous life I was Azusa¡¯s brother.¡±

    It was a joking remark, but Azusa took it seriously.

    No, ¡­ she saw in Ryuzaki the image of her own brother who had passed away.

    That is why she asked Ryuzaki to do something like this.

    ¡°Well, can I call you ¡­ ¡®Ryoma Onii-chan¡¯ then? Somehow, Azusa also ¡­ doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve met.¡±

    Of course, there was no way that Ryuzaki would refuse a cute girl¡¯s request.

    ¡°Oh, okay? From now on, I¡¯ll be Azusa¡¯s older brother.¡±

    Smiling briskly, he accepted Azusa¡¯s proposal.

    At this moment, Ryoma Onii-chan was born.

    ¡°¡­ Finally, you¡¯ve come back.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Did you say something? I couldn¡¯t hear you because your voice was so quiet.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Ryoma Onii-chan, you have to pet me a lot from now on! You know that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can afford that.¡±

    ¨CAnd so, Azusa fell in love with him.

    Seeing the two of them walking side by side in a friendly manner, I finally felt a sense of discomfort at this time.

    (Huh? Azusa¡¯s Onii-chan is¡­ it¡¯s me, isn¡¯t it? Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ I have to be happy that she¡¯s got a close friend.)

    I was still under the impression that it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    I didn¡¯t know it was already too late, and I still thought I was the protagonist¡­

 CH 279

    Somehow we made it to the gymnasium where the entrance ceremony was to take place.

    By that time, I was still too absorbed in my thoughts to know that Azusa¡¯s heart had been completely stolen by Ryuzaki.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m glad I wasn¡¯t late. Well then, Azusa¡­ um, you boy, see you later!¡±

    Ryuzaki¡¯s seat was a bit far from ours, so we parted ways with him there.

    I couldn¡¯t even remember his name, but I was used to that, and I don¡¯t think he minded that much.

    ¡°Yeah! See you later, okay? Onii-chan Ryoma!¡±

    Although I was more caught up in the happy-looking Azusa than in myself¡­, I couldn¡¯t think too deeply about that either, and I just went with the flow.

    The next thing I knew, after the entrance ceremony was over, I went to my new classroom.

    I was heading to my newly enrolled classroom, where I met up with Yuzuki.

    ¡°Ah, Kotaro-san¡­! Thank goodness, I didn¡¯t know anyone there, I was so nervous.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Azusa and Kirari?¡±

    ¡°They both went to the bathroom¡­¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The homeroom teacher hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so we were having a light chat.

    ¡°I¡¯m really glad to be in class with you all. Kotaro-san, I look forward to seeing you in high school as well, okay?¡±

    I thought Yuzuki, who has a bit of a timid side due to her quiet nature, had opened up to me.

    Thanks to our relationship as childhood friends, I was able to get along well with her.

    But I guess we were just ¡°childhood friends¡± after all.

    Like Shiho and Ryuzaki, Yuzuki and I may have had a shallow relationship.

    So, our connection was severed by the slightest chance.

    It was at this time. This was the moment when Yuzuki and I became estranged.

    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry¡­ ah!¡±

    It was while the two of us were chatting together.

    By chance, when Ryuzaki was passing by our seats, that guy bumped into Yuzuki.

    ¡°Kya.a¡±

    In doing so, Ryuzaki¡¯s hand touched Yuzuki, although it was an unavoidable event.

    Moreover, his hand was touching her chest area.

    Now I understand.

    It must have been what is called a ¡°lucky break¡±.

    That event occurred between Ryuzaki and Yuzuki.

    ¡°Huh!? I¡¯m sorryyy!!!¡±

    Of course, even Ryuzaki did not do it intentionally.

    But perhaps he felt guilty, and this time he apologized with a force unmatched by his earlier words.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to touch you! It¡¯s true, please believe me. Please don¡¯t sue me. ¡­ In this day and age, I would lose in court! I still have a childhood friend I have to protect, please, please forgive me!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yes, I know ¡­. You don¡¯t have to apologize so much, okay?¡±

    Yuzuki was a very understanding person.

    Of course, she knew that Ryuzaki did not have any ill feelings toward her, and she was surprised at how agitated he was.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    I remember well how I looked at Yuzuki, who smiled softly to a stranger and seemed so peaceful¡­

    If I had a proper ego, I would have felt differently about the situation.

    It was a girl I had known since childhood who had been touched by another man. If I had any special feelings for her, my heart should have been moved in some way, but I didn¡¯t think anything of it.

    I was not aware of any change in Yuzuki¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°Oh, thank you ¡­, you have a very good personality!¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m not the kind of person who deserves that kind of praise.¡±

    ¡°No no! I think you¡¯re a very nice girl, okay? You should be more confident. You¡¯re popular, right?¡¡You¡¯re definitely the type of girl that boys like.¡±

    ¡°Ah, erm¡­ no, umm¡­ ah, thank you very much¡­¡±

    The praise attack, which is Ryuzaki¡¯s specialty, must have stuck in Yuzuki¡¯s mind, who had a low self-esteem.

    She was instantly captivated, much like Azusa.

    ¡°I¡¯m so, so happy.¡±

    She smiled, albeit reservedly.

    Although not as shy as Shiho, Yuzuki is not the type of girl who is very good at expressing her emotions. While she is ladylike, she is also the type of girl who suppresses her own feelings.

    Yet, even though it was their first meeting, she opened her heart to Ryuzaki.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to being your classmate from now on!¡±

    To Yuzuki, Ryuzaki was as cheerful as ever.

    Smiling briskly, he went to his seat. Yuzuki watched his back figure for a long time.

    ¡°That person ¡­, what¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s Ryoma Ryuzaki. He said so earlier.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­Ryoma-san, is it?¡±

    When I told her that guy¡¯s name, Yuzuki recited it again.

    I had a feeling that there was already some hot emotion in those words, different from the way she called out to me.

    Yes, Yuzuki¡­ had also fallen in love with Ryuzaki¡­

 CH 280

    ¨CAfter the entrance ceremony and meeting my classmates.

    It was after school.

    ¡°Ko-kun, can I have a minute?¡±

    As I was getting ready to go home, Kirari called out to me.

    She ran up to me, her braided hair swinging, and she had a difficult look on her face, as if something wasn¡¯t quite right.

    ¡°Um¡­well, it¡¯s kind of hard to talk here, so do you want to go to the rooftop?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Okay ¡­, but I have to tell Azusa and Yuzuki I¡¯m going to be late.¡±

    At the time, I thought it was only natural that we should go home together. So, although I was going to say just one word to them, Kirari shook her head and refused that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s necessary. Just let¡¯s go, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Really? Then, I understand.¡±

    I was curious about Kirari, who was acting differently from usual, so I decided to go along with her as she told me.

    ¡°Huh? Come to think of it, is the rooftop unlocked? When I was in middle school, it was locked because it was dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Well, it looks like it¡¯s open to the public. I think it¡¯s unusual nowadays.¡±

    When we went up the stairs, the door to the rooftop was open.

    When we went outside, there was still a bit of a cold wind blowing¡­, and perhaps because of that, there were no students in the building.

    Kirari, perhaps taking advantage of the situation, quickly gets down to business.

    ¡°Azu-chan and Yuzu-chan, what¡¯s going on with them?¡±

    The first thing she asked me was about the two of them.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s something wrong with them, but it¡¯s like they weren¡¯t the same two people from¡­ middle school.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Because neither of them was the type to be that interested in romance, right? Well, I know they are cute and have probably been favored by the opposite gender on more than one occasion, but ¡­ up until now, it all seemed like they were just ignoring it. But today, it was different.¡±

    In middle school, Kirari, who preferred to be alone, recognized three people, including me, as her few friends.

    Maybe because of this, she was the one person who knew us better than anyone else.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because they¡¯re ¡°colorblind¡±, or ¡­ they¡¯re not the aggressive type, but why are they so open to someone named Ryoma Ryuzaki? Isn¡¯t it strange? Those two have hearts in their eyes, don¡¯t they?¡±

    Kirari had noticed.

    From that moment on, she had already sensed that something was wrong with them.

    Maybe she was trying to warn me.

    But at the time, I couldn¡¯t notice any change in them.

    ¡°Nothing, they looked the same as usual¡­¡±

    It was when I told her frankly how I felt.

    I remember well how Kirari looked blatantly disgusted at that moment.

    ¡°Ko-kun¡­ are you serious about that? It can¡¯t be, because we¡¯ve been together for so long, you can at least tell that the two of them are acting strange, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry. No, I¡¯m not aware of any changes, or even if they were changing, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the two of them are still very important to me¡­, so¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­So you can choose to do nothing? Do you really think that those two people are attracted to another person of the opposite gender and you still ¡­ think that you can have the same relationship with them as you did before? Don¡¯t you think that you want to cherish your relationship with them even more?¡±

    Kirari looked a little sad.

    No, that expression was not quite right.

    ¡°To Ko-kun, those two are ¡­, that¡¯s all we are to you?¡±

    ¨CI was disappointed.

    Kirari was disgusted with me.

    ¡°Hmm, I see. ¡­Ko-kun is going to live like that after all, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She said.

    She told me the thoughts she must have had about me all this time.

    ¡°I really ¡­ don¡¯t know what it is about you, Ko-kun. You don¡¯t laugh much, you don¡¯t get angry, and you don¡¯t cry. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re enjoying yourself or if you¡¯re having a hard time. You are all passive and don¡¯t try to do anything on your own. And yet, no matter what we do, you¡¯re the kind of person who accepts ¡­ them, even now, right?¡±

    She was right on the mark.

    No matter what was said or done, Kirari was still an important person to me.

    But she didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Sometimes I wish you would have shown me your feelings,¡­ and since we are friends, I wish you would have been more selfish or told me your desires. If you had done that, we could have had a more ¡­ different relationship.¡±

    This is the result of abandoning the idea that one¡¯s feelings are unimportant.

    ¡°I guess me and Ko-kun will only be friends forever.¡±

    With that, Kirari turned her back on me.

    Of course, I immediately tried to follow her back, but I was more shocked than I thought ¡­ that Kirari had been disappointed in me, so I couldn¡¯t move right away.

    I was also disappointed.

    I was tormented by the trauma I had been carrying since my mother branded me as a failure as a child.

    I always acted too slowly at that time, using ¡­ various things as excuses.

    Because of that, I lost an important ¡°connection¡±¡­

 CH 281

    ¡°¡ª¡°

    The blankness of my thoughts was momentary.

    I couldn¡¯t move right away due to the shock of being disappointed, but after a few seconds my body was back to normal.

    ¡°Kirari¡­¡±

    Then, finally, I followed.

    I walked faster, trying to catch up with Kirari, who was walking out of the rooftop with rough steps.

    I reached within arm¡¯s reach as she was approaching the stairs, but it was quickly rejected.

    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±

    Her cold voice echoed.

    It was at that moment.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Why did I¡­ reject Ko-kun?¡±

    She turned to me with a huff.

    It was as if she had not meant what she had just said.

    Then she had a puzzled look on her face, as thought she had suddenly regained her composure.

    ¡°Hey, Ko-kun¡­ why am I so angry?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not worthy of ¡­ you.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve known that for a long time, and I¡¯ve accepted even that kind Ko-kun, so ¡­ why do I feel so bad about it now?¡±

    Something was wrong, she told me.

    But not knowing what it was, Kirari was puzzled.

    ¡°Something is wrong, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Strange¡­¡±

    What?

    She was about to continue, but before she could, Kirari¡¯s body shook.

    ¡°¡­Ahh.¡±

    Without any context or warning.

    Her body lost her balance and¡­ fell down the stairs.

    If there was a strong reason, it might be that she was so upset that she lost her footing.

    But that¡¯s not how I saw it.

    It was as if she was being pulled by some invisible thread.

    With such an unnatural movement, Kirari fell down the stairs.

    ¡°Kirari!?¡±

    I reach out my hand. She and I were in close proximity, and if she and I had extended our hands to each other, I think I could have somehow reached her.

    I tried to help her.

    But Kirari didn¡¯t ¡­ reach out her hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    Or maybe she couldn¡¯t.

    Kirari was looking at me. It looked like she was trying to grab my hand.

    But her hand didn¡¯t reach me, as if it had hit a transparent wall.

    If I didn¡¯t do something, Kirari would get seriously hurt ¨C that¡¯s how I felt, and my back went cold.

    That¡¯s when it happened.

    ¡°Hey, hey!¡±

    Too abruptly.

    With unnaturally convenient timing, Ryuzaki came out onto the staircase.

    It was as if he had timed it perfectly.

    ¡°Look out!¡±

    Ryuzaki jumped out at the spot where Kirari would fall.

    He caught Kirari¡¯s body and fell to the floor with her.

    But thanks to that, Kirari didn¡¯t hit ¡­ her head or back hard.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ h-hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Uh, no. Thank you.¡±

    Thanks to Ryuzaki¡¯s role as a buffer material, serious injury was averted.

    Kirari was also overcome by the sudden situation, but she seemed to have escaped unscathed.

    But there was one thing that was different from usual.

    Her face was bright red.

    ¡°Hey, are you sure you¡¯re okay!? Your face, it¡¯s so red. ¡­ I think you hit something hard. If you want to go to the infirmary, I¡¯ll take you there myself, okay?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m so embarrassed to do that¡­, I don¡¯t want to be carried in someone¡¯s arms at this age.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re saying! It¡¯s impossible for your face to be this red!?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not¡­ rather, don¡¯t bring your face too close. My heart is pounding too much and I¡¯m going to get even more red.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Did you just say something? Your voice was so quiet I couldn¡¯t quite hear you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I-t¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ¡­I could only stare blankly at Kirari, who was having a conversation like one of those romantic comedy clich¨¦s.

    A very unnatural fall.

    The too unnatural appearance and rescue of Ryuzaki.

    The convenience of the situation was too unnatural.

    t was as if everything had been planned from the beginning.

    A convenient development for Ryoma Ryuzaki unfolded before my eyes.

    As a result, Kirari¡¯s heart was also stolen.

    ¡°U-ugh ¡­ what is this? How is this possible? Having a boy save you from a life-threatening situation? ¡­ I¡¯m like a heroine in a romantic comedy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hey, you¡¯ve been whispering something to me for a while now, but you need to say it a little louder. My ears aren¡¯t so good, I can¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    ¡°Nothing, nothing. I just said thank you for helping.¡±

    I was taken aback by a scene that could have started a romantic comedy at any moment.

    Kirari turned to Ryuzaki with a face she¡¯d never shown me before.

    And she wasn¡¯t even looking at ¡­ me anymore¡­

 CH 282

    ¨CPerhaps that moment was the turning point.

    At that moment when Kirari was disappointed with me on the rooftop, if I had been inspired rather than relegated¡­, if I had made a move or even said something that met Kirari¡¯s expectations, there might have been a different route to take.

    For example,¡­ Azusa, Kirari and Yuzuki, there is no way to say that there was no possibility of having a school life without estrangement from each other.

    But I didn¡¯t have the willpower to twist my fate as a mob character at that moment.

    So at that time, as a servant of the story, I was like a ¡®mob character¡¯, saying nothing, not moving, like air, and watching the scene in a static manner.

    Because of this, in the end, I could not avoid the opportunism that arose with Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¡°Um, were you Kirari from our class?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s Kirari Asakura¡­ Ryuzaki-kun, you remember me?

    ¡°Well, the name Kirari was easy to remember.¡±

    ¡°You know I care about your sparkling name, too!¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m just kidding¡­ I try to remember the names of pretty girls, so don¡¯t get too upset.¡±

    ¡°Oh, pretty¡­ Ehehe.¡±

    Ryuzaki was flirting with Kirari with a line that made my stomach clench.

    The hearts in Kirari¡¯s eyes were completely filled with love.

    ¡°I was lucky ¡­ to come to the rooftop to look for someone, and I didn¡¯t expect a girl to fall down on me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I was ¡­ so surprised, too. I¡¯m not hurt thanks to you, but ¡­ are you hurt or anything?¡±

    ¡°Me. I¡¯m fine. My right hand is a little sore from being pinned down, but it doesn¡¯t look broken.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m sorry you got hurt because of me¡­¡±\

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This much will heal in little time.¡±

    On the staircase landing, Kirari was conversing with Ryuzaki as he held her.

    The two of them were alone in their own world.

    ¡°Oops, it¡¯s getting late¡­, we should get home soon, the streets at night are dangerous for a girl.¡±

    Kirari still seemed to have a lot to say, but at this point Ryuzaki took out his phone to check the time, breaking off the conversation.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already? I¡¯d like to buy you something to thank you for saving me.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Thanks, then I¡¯ll ask you tomorrow¡­ So by the way, did you see a girl with white hair on the rooftop?¡±

    Then Ryuzaki asked about a certain girl.

    ¡°The girl with white hair, Shiho Shimotsuki¡­, you know, she was in the same class as us, right?¡±

    ¡­ Come to think of it, this may be the first time Shiho appeared in a scene.

    She didn¡¯t really appear, but it was the first time I heard her name.

    ¡°Do you mean that very cute girl with the white hair?¡¡Hmmm, that girl is called Shiho Shimotsuki¡­ I didn¡¯t hear her name at all during the self-introduction because her voice was so quiet, so I think this is the first time I have heard of her.¡±

    ¡°Shiho is a girl who isn¡¯t interested in other people. She likes to be alone, or she doesn¡¯t like other people,¡­ so she¡¯s reluctant to introduce herself or attend events like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ryuzaki-kun, are you close with that girl? It seems like you are.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you could say we¡¯re on good terms, but ¡­ we¡¯re just childhood friends.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s just a childhood friend. I¡¯m glad, I¡¯d be shocked if she was your girlfriend¡­, but that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m interested in Ryuzaki-kun, okay.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. I¡¯m not mindful of it, I know, but ¡­ so, wasn¡¯t Shiho on the roof? I looked all over the school and she wasn¡¯t there, so the only other place I can think of is the roof.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think she was there.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, maybe she¡¯s out of school already¡­ It¡¯s almost dark, and she¡¯s would be in danger, really. I¡¯ll have to catch up with her! Well, I¡¯m off now. See you tomorrow, Kirari!¡±

    Finally, the part of the encounter between Kirari and Ryuzaki came to an end.

    Kirari had been following Ryuzaki, who had left at a brisk pace, with her eyes.

    Just like Azusa and Yuzuki, ¡­ she was also completely captivated¡­

 CH 283

    ¡­So, where was Shiho then?

    I was in the middle of reminiscing, but I suddenly got curious, so I cut the story short and then asked her.

    ¡°Huh? What was I doing there? I didn¡¯t do anything important, let¡¯s see, ¡­, I forgot. Pewww.¡±

    Then she whistled softly. Well, there was no whistling sound, so she was practically just slurping a slightly offbeat sound with her mouth

    ¡°Shi-chan is the kind of girl who never looks back on the past. I¡¯ve forgotten all about the entrance ceremony.¡±

    ¡°But you still want to know about my past, don¡¯t you? Well, I guess you¡¯re not interested in my recollections either, so let¡¯s just get this over with, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Mwu¡­ you tease me. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m the type of person who looks back on the past with great fondness. I remember my memories of Kotaro-kun in particular, and I smile every once in a while when I recall them. Mom is a bit taken aback when she sees me like that.¡±

    I guess she grew up too good to be a liar.

    She honestly admitted what I had said and was open and honest about it.

    ¡°Umm? Hmm¡­ aren¡¯t you angry?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did you do something that would make me angry?¡±

    It was still raining. But its intensity was weaker than before.

    Maybe it will stop by now¡­, I thought about that in between the conversation.

    That¡¯s about all the small talk I intended.

    The recollection is about to come to a close, and things are going to get a little more serious, so I thought I¡¯d give the story a light break before that.

    ¡°Actually¡­, I was on the roof at that time.¡±

    The truth, revealed to me after almost nine months, was more surprising than I had expected.

    ¡°So, then, did you see us coming?¡±

    ¡°I was watching, or rather, I just happened to hear¡­ that you might be in the middle of a fight. I was listening to the conversation.¡±

    I had no idea that she had witnessed that scene as well.

    ¡°And, of course, I didn¡¯t mean to listen, you know? It just happened¡­ yeah, I guess it really was a coincidence. So, yeah,¡­ that time, I was sad anyway.¡±

    ¡°You were sad?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Kotaro-kun¡¯s sound was so sad that ¡­ I almost cried on the rooftop. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d run into a situation when I stalked someone I was interested in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Huh? No, wait a minute. Are you telling me that you were stalking me then too???¡±

    You said you were there by chance.

    If you were following me, I don¡¯t think you can call it a coincidence.

    ¡­Come to think of it, maybe Shiho hasn¡¯t told me when she first identified me.

    Perhaps she had found me from the very beginning of the school year?

    I¡¯d be happy if that were the case, but ¡­ it seems that now is not the time to hear her recollections yet.

    It seems that it will be told a little later.

    ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t care about me. Hey, can you continue? Can you tell me everything about Kotaro-kun?¡±

    Blatantly dodging, she urged me to continue with my recollection.

    For me, it was something I was really curious about, but if ¡­ Shiho doesn¡¯t want to talk about it yet, there¡¯s no need to force her.

    I think I¡¯ll save that for later.

    ¡°Yeah. So, after Kirari fell in love with Ryuzaki¡­¡±

    And so the conversation resumed.

    The recollection was finally reaching its climax. Shiho also quietly closed her eyes and listened to my story.

    ¡­The rain was getting weaker and weaker as time went by.

    By the time we finish our conversation, maybe it will be sunny¡­

 CH 284

    Well, I guess the time for chopstick rest is over.

    It¡¯s been a long time, but I think it¡¯s time to end the past and move on.

    Where was I with the story?

    Oh, yes, I finished the part where Kirari fell in love with Ryuzaki.

    And finally, the scene called ¡°Entrance Ceremony Day¡± was coming to a close.

    Well, even at that time, I still thought I could go about my daily life as usual,¡­ Even after Kirari fell in love with Ryuzaki on the rooftop, I was still trying to treat her as usual.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it out okay, Kirari, even though it was a close call. Well, it¡¯s getting dark soon, so let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As for Ryuzaki, I lightly let it slide and asked Kirari to go home together.

    But she did not reply.

    ¡°Hmm¡­I guess it¡¯s different after all?¡±

    She looked at me with a curious face, and then she suddenly took my hand in hers.

    Caught in the slender fingers and unable to read the intention, tilting her head this way and that, Kirari dropped her shoulders and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Even if I touch Ko-kun, I don¡¯t get a thrill¡­ I am sure that¡¯s only natural. I¡¯m just a friend to you, nothing more, nothing less.¡±

    And then she said her parting words.

    ¡°In other words¡­, Ko-kun is not my destined man.¡±

    ¡­What was I supposed to say back to her words?

    ¡°Huh? No, that¡¯s¡­well, yeah. Maybe so, but.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®maybe¡¯. There is no possibility that you might be the one¡­ I just realized that the one I¡¯m meant for¡­ was him.¡±

    She laughed.

    That smile was the sweetest smile I had ever seen.

    It was too sweet, if you will.

    It was a melting, twisted, scary smile.

    ¡°Nyahaha¡î Ryuzaki-kun, who saved me ¡­, Ryu-kun is the one I¡¯m meant to be with!¡¡I have to become the person he likes¡­ I can do anything to make Ryu-kun like me!¡±

    She shook off my hand messily and squinted her eyes enraptured.

    Then, as if she were dreaming, she began to walk with dazed steps.

    ¡°I have to ask ¡­ what type of person does Ryu-kun likes?¡¡The neat and tidy type? Or does he like someone flashy? Nyahahaha, I can be any kind of girl he wants¡­ if I have to give everything I have, I¡¯ll be destined to be with Ryu-kun.¡±

    It was the first time I had ever seen Kirari so animated.

    It¡¯s as if she¡¯s changed her character, she¡¯s lost her composure.

    Until middle school, she was a more mature girl. She was a solitary person who never had any trouble living on her own, never trying to keep pace with others.

    ¡°Ryu-kun, Ryu-kun, Ryu-kun!¡±

    Kirari, dominated by love, even tried to devote her personality to the person she loved.

    ¡°Nyahahahahaha¡î¡±

    She walked away, laughing happily.

    She didn¡¯t see me anymore. She walked away from me without a goodbye or a word ¡­ or even looking at me.

    And with this, Kirari and I became estranged.

    ¡®I don¡¯t get a thrill.¡¯

    That means I didn¡¯t live up to Kirari¡¯s expectations,¡­ and I think that fact came as a shock to me in no small way.

    But at the time I wasn¡¯t thinking about my feelings.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t realize it.

    I didn¡¯t know that I was feeling bitter and painful¡­ at all¡­

 CH 285

    It was after my separation from Kirari.

    When I came home with mixed feelings, I found no one at home, which was unusual for those days.

    Normally, Azusa or even Yuzuki would be home every day.

    My childhood friend Yuzuki had been cooking for us since our parents went abroad. So on this day, too, I assumed that she was home as a matter of course.

    ¡°I¡¯m home¡­ anyone home?¡±

    It was late in the evening, and the house was dark. I called out to see if anyone was home just to be sure, but no one was there.

    ¡°¡­ Where did they go?¡±

    I muttered to myself and turned on the living room light.

    Then I found what looked like a letter on the table. Next to it was my house key, and when I realized¡­ that it was the duplicate key I had given to Yuzuki, I hurriedly picked up the letter.

    I was surprised to see the letter in my hand.

    I was so nervous because I had never seen a letter like this before.

    ¡°To Kotaro-san. I have decided to stop cooking for you from today. Please accept my apology and I will pay you back for the food and other expenses you have given me later.¡±

    But the letter didn¡¯t say why.

    I couldn¡¯t stand still, so I decided to visit her house.

    It¡¯s not that I was worried that she wouldn¡¯t cook for me¡­

    I was simply surprised by Yuzuki¡¯s sudden behavior.

    It seemed to me like she was making a decision as if she was bothered by my relationship with her, and I was a little scared of it.

    This was probably influenced by the Kirari incident.

    I was in a strange hurry at the time.

    That¡¯s probably why I went to Yuzuki¡¯s house without thinking.

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Kotaro-san, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I rang the doorbell and she came immediately. Her expression was nonchalant, as if nothing had happened.

    Her attitude was so normal that I was more puzzled than she was.

    ¡°N-no¡­ I was a little freaked out because I read ¡­ the letter, so what¡¯s up ¡­ with you all of a sudden? I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve done anything wrong, but I¡¯d like to apologize.¡±

    When I told her that, Yuzuki gave a small smile and shook her head.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, okay? There is no need to apologize.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why did you suddenly say you wouldn¡¯t come to my house? If you don¡¯t want to come, that¡¯s fine¡­, but if I¡¯ve put a burden on you or something, I want you to let me apologize to you properly. Please tell me how you honestly feel.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand.

    I did not understand Yuzuki¡¯s change of heart.

    I wanted to know.

    I wanted to find out what made her uncomfortable.

    I was hurt because of it.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the thing.¡±

    At my words, Yuzuki¡¯s smile instantly disappeared.

    The smile she had just given me might have been an insincere smile.

    My words had triggered a slightly annoyed expression on her face, and then she revealed her true feelings to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it because you don¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    I was not expecting those words, but they pierced my heart.

    Seeing me like that, Yuzuki sighed in disgust.

    ¡°Hah,¡­ you never do anything that you have to apologize for, Kotaro,¡­ so I don¡¯t think it matters whether I¡¯m there or not. We¡¯ve been together since we were little, but we¡¯ve only ever had the kind of relationship where we¡¯ve never fought or argued.¡±

    It was, after all, the same feeling of ¡°disappointment¡± as Kirari.

    ¡°I wanted you to give me a lot of trouble. I wanted you to think that I would accept you even if you were selfish. ¡­Kotaro-san, you are a person who doesn¡¯t move much emotionally no matter what I do for you. That¡¯s what I didn¡¯t like about you. ¡­I like someone who needs me more.¡±

    The words of her intention were so clear that they cut deeply into my heart.

    But let me say this.

    It¡¯s not that I was emotionally detached.

    I was happy and grateful.

    But I didn¡¯t know how to express it.

    Maybe that¡¯s why Yuzuki thought I looked bored no matter what I did¡­

 CH 286

    It was when Yuzuki¡¯s words shocked me into silence.

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    Yuzuki, who was in front of the doorway, not even opening the door but only showing her face to deal with me, suddenly opened her eyes wide as if she had come to herself.

    ¡°Why¡­ am I saying this?¡±

    Looking flustered, she put on her shoes and walked out the front door.

    Closing the door and facing me properly once again, she shook her eyes in confusion.

    ¡°No¡­ No, it¡¯s not that it isn¡¯t different, but these thoughts¡­ For a long time, I wasn¡¯t going to tell you.¡±

    Yuzuki¡¯s lips trembled apologetically, seemingly unable to control herself.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±

    ¡­ When you think about it calmly, Yuzuki is certainly not a person who has the strength to hurt others.

    She is a gentle and timid girl who would rather accept being hurt than hurt, and that kind of ¡°weakness¡± would come forward.

    The fact that she was so relentless in wielding the blade of her words against me¡­, even she herself was confused by it.

    The attitude was somewhat bizarre.

    It was like someone was manipulating her.

    ¡°This is not right.¡±

    Yuzuki took a step closer to me. The hand she extended unexpectedly looked like she was asking for help,¡­ and I reflexively put out my hand to grab it, but I wasn¡¯t sure if grabbing that hand was the right thing to do, so I stopped moving.

    I made a mistake, not knowing that that momentary hesitation would determine the fate of me and Yuzuki¡­

    ¡°¡­But it doesn¡¯t make any difference what my true feelings are.¡±

    Is it with the understanding that I would not take her hand?

    Or has someone taken over her personality once again?

    I was not sure, but at this moment, Yuzuki¡¯s turmoil disappeared.

    And from this point on, she would never be the kind and timid girl she used to be.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been frustrated with Kotaro-san for a long time, and I didn¡¯t intend to ¡­ tell you, but it¡¯s my true feelings, so I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    Pulling her hand back, she smiled quietly.

    But this smile was different from the usual and contained a tinge of mockery.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had any special feelings for Kotaro-san, even though we¡¯ve been together for such a long time.¡±

    And what was spun was a merciless declaration.

    ¡°But he was different¡­ From the first time I met him, he was completely different from Kotaro-san. I can¡¯t believe I got that nervous just by talking to him.¡±

    Like Kirari, she began to tell her story like she was floating in the heat of the moment.

    The protagonist of this story was, of course, Ryoma Ryuzaki.

    ¡°In other words, time doesn¡¯t matter when it comes to love. ¡­ That¡¯s right, I fell in love with Ryoma! So it is inevitable that I would be cold to a man who is not Ryoma-san. Because I am in ¡®love¡¯.¡±

    Yuzuki was somewhat eerie as she justified her actions in this way and spoke as if she was showing her loyalty to Ryuzaki even though he was not looking.

    It was as if she was trying to show someone that she, too, was qualified to be a heroine who was not allowed to have any experience with men.

    These were not Yuzuki¡¯s words.

    But she had already chosen Ryuzaki, and the ¡­ original Yuzuki Hojo had disappeared, and she was given the characterization of a subheroine.

    And so she became a servant of the story.

    ¡°That is why I don¡¯t think I will ever be close to Kotaro-san again. Please understand¡­ then, I have to make lunch tomorrow in order to get Ryoma-san¡¯s stomach, so I don¡¯t want to waste my time talking to ¡­ Kotaro-san. So, good-bye.¡±

    Our relationship that had lasted more than a decade fell apart in a mere moment.

    With those last words, Yuzuki turned her back on me and closed the door.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I could not say anything to her.

    Thus, I became estranged from my childhood friend Yuzuki.

 CH 287

    ¨CNight. It was much later than usual when Azusa finally came home.

    ¡°Fufu~u?¡±

    She took off her shoes without saying hello and was about to go upstairs to her room when I hurriedly called out to her.

    ¡°Azusa, wait a minute¡­ what have you been up until now? If you¡¯re going to be late, call me. I was worried about you.¡±

    I was worried that she had been involved in some kind of accident, so I¡¯m glad she made it home safe and sound. But that didn¡¯t mean I could overlook it.

    I am obligated to protect Azusa on behalf of our parents and aunt.

    I promised to lead a decent life, and that¡¯s why we are living alone together like this.

    ¡°Come over here for a minute. Let¡¯s talk a little.¡±

    When I beckoned her from the living room, Azusa was breathing in a blatantly annoyed manner.

    ¡°Haa¡­ I felt good after all this time.¡±

    If it was the usual Azusa, she could have said ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ when she did something wrong.

    As long as she was properly sorry and would not make the same mistake the next time, there was no need to even talk to her.

    ¡°But we are still kids, you know? Both our parents and aunt told us to lead a regular life¡­ It¡¯s not a good idea to go out at night too much, you know. So what have you been up to?¡±

    But she was listening to my words like she was bored.

    ¡°¡­It has nothing to do with Onii-chan.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s related. We¡¯re family.¡±

    Family. The word ¡°family¡± made Azusa tilt her head in puzzlement.

    Then, a little later, ¡­ she started giggling, what was so funny?

    ¡°Family (laugh) Azusa and Onii-chan are family ¡­ I wonder if that¡¯s really true?¡±

    ¨CI was creeped out.

    It was creepy because it seemed like someone other than Azusa was in front of me¡­

    This was not like Azusa.

    Her smile was more friendly and endearing.

    But she no longer smiled like that.

    Like Kirari and Yuzuki, ¡­ Azusa also scoffed at me with a silly smile.

    ¡°Azusa, too, has been trying to think of you as ¡®Onii-chan¡¯ for a long time, you know? But today, I realized it. Onii-chan is still a stranger to me, not connected by blood¡­ I¡¯ve always felt uncomfortable as my ¡®Onii-chan¡¯.¡±

    And so she, too, said her farewell to me.

    ¡°Azusa¡¯s real Onii-chan is not Kotaro¡¯s Onii-chan. My real Onii-chan is ¡­ ¡®Ryoma Onii-chan¡¯!¡±

    Azusa told me that and spun around on the spot like she was dancing.

    Just thinking about Ryuzaki put her in such a good mood, it seemed.

    ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to say ¡®I¡¯m coming home late¡¯ like to an Onii-chan. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to be ¡®Onii-chan.¡¯ ¡­ Azusa has decided to be very spoiled by Ryoma Onii-chan, so no more Onii-chan.¡±

    Those words weren¡¯t exactly a shock to me.

    But no matter what she said, our parents and aunt left me in charge of Azusa, so I couldn¡¯t give in so easily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ Father and mother will be worried, right? Even our aunt would be upset if Azusa went out at night. So you¡¯d better keep your promise¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of making promises to people who are abandoning their children?¡±

    ¨CWith that one word, I lost even my mannerisms.

    ¡°You like to live by someone else¡¯s rules, don¡¯t you, Onii-chan? I think it¡¯s creepy how you try to follow the rules even when you know it¡¯s wrong. Azusa is definitely not like that.¡±

    She continued to pile on words.

    Her words, full of thorns, stabbed at me one after another.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a will of your own? Onii-chan, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. ¡­ Are you satisfied with just doing what you¡¯re told without hesitation? Is that the way you want to live your life? It¡¯s so boring, like being a robot.¡±

    I¡¯m not so stupid that I can¡¯t see that it¡¯s a smile of sympathy, even though she is smiling at me.

    I finally realized that Azusa¡¯s heart has moved away from me.

    ¡°Azusa will continue to play at Ryoma Onii-chan¡¯s house at night, okay? We watch TV together, go shopping, and eat dinner. We¡¯re going to do things we haven¡¯t been able to do for a long time¡­ Ehehe~, I¡¯m looking forward to it?¡±

    After saying that, Azusa turned her back to me.

    She left the living room and went back to her room.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I could only watch her go.

    Thus, I became estranged from the girls I thought were special.

    On the day of the entrance ceremony, I lost everything I had built up to that point¡­

 CH 288

    ¨CIn just one day, Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki gave up on me.

    But it was only after a whopping one week had passed that I was able to react in any way to that.

    Until then, I was still thinking things like.

    ¡®If they say so, then so be it. I hope we can be friends again someday when they turn around.¡¯

    I was thinking like it was someone else¡¯s problem, even though I was the one who had to deal with it.

    That¡¯s how emotionless I was.

    But when a week passed and I saw the romantic comedy of the Ryuzaki harem that was becoming all too familiar in the classroom, ¡­ I realized a lot of things.

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan, what are you making for dinner tonight? Azusa wants hamburgers.¡±

    ¡°Hamburgers¡­ Hmmm, I¡¯m not in the mood for meat today. I¡¯m in the mood for some kind of fish-based dish, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡±

    The main character Ryoma Ryuzaki, sitting in the back seat by the window, and the harem of people gathered around him, exchanged words.

    For some reason, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off that scene.

    ¡°Huh? Do you want fish?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh-huh. ¡­ Ryoma Onii-chan¡¯s cooking is always delicious. There is no such thing as a problem!¡±

    I was stunned to see Azusa smiling at him.

    Azusa had a lot of likes and dislikes, and basically refused to eat fish and seafood¡­ She would put up with it at school lunches, but at home she hated it so much that she wouldn¡¯t even touch her chopsticks.

    Especially, she never tried to eat in front of me. She said, ¡°Why should I have to put up with it when I¡¯m with Onii-chan?¡± She was the kind of girl who would only do what she liked.

    Azusa was the type that would show her true self in front of her brother, or ¡­ ¡®act selfish¡¯.

    But now it was different.

    ¡°Ryoma Onii-chan, it¡¯s really amazing that you can cook too!¡±

    She had become the kind of sister who ¡°flattered¡± Ryuzaki.

    It seemed as if she could no longer be selfish with Ryuzaki.

    No matter what she did, she always affirmed Ryuzaki.

    Seeing Azusa as she put Ryuzaki on a pedestal, whom she adored as an older brother at all times, it was like she was a different person.

    And it is not only Azusa who had changed.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll help you cook¡­, let¡¯s make a meal together, okay?¡±

    Yuzuki took this opportunity to get close to Ryuzaki.

    Ryuzaki was blushing and embarrassed when Yuzuki leaned on him from behind pressing her chest against him.

    ¡°Oh, hey, wait a minute¡­it¡¯s touching!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, you guessed it. Yesterday, you kept your promise to me and took the liberty of cooking for me, so ¡­ you¡¯ll have to wait for me today, too, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°All right, all right! Don¡¯t do it in a public place like this¡­ Good grief!¡±

    It was still an unbelievable sight for me.

    Having large b*****s had always been Yuzuki¡¯s biggest complex. In middle school, her body was the subject of rumors among the boys, and Yuzuki was very uncomfortable when she heard about it.

    But now she was using even that as a weapon to get Ryuzaki to like her.

    This attitude of not caring about anything is so unlike Yuzuki that ¡­ it seemed as if she was a different person.

    And speaking of a different person¡­, that girl had already changed completely from the outside.

    ¡°¨CRyu-kun is really happy, isn¡¯t he¡î Nyahahahaha, you should be more honest~!¡±

    Kirari, once a dark-haired, glasses-wearing girl, had drastically changed into a blonde-haired, flamboyant, gyaru-like girl.

    It seemed that she changed her appearance after hearing what Ryuzaki liked. I had no idea what she interpreted, even now, but ¡­ that drastic change in character could be said to be the strangest of all.

    Yes, all three of them had changed their characters from their middle school days.

    Seeing that, I finally realized.

    I realized that I could never go back to the past.

    I realized, ¡­ belatedly, that the girls I once thought were so special to me had now become something else.

    The girls I was close to were nowhere to be found.

    They have changed their characters and were acting according to the role given to them as Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s subheroines.

    After understanding that, I finally realized that I had lost something important.

    Thus, I was alone.

    The loss of my stepsister, my best friend, and my childhood friend made me ¡­ very sad and lonely¡­

 CH 289

    It was impossible for a human being to change so rapidly.

    To the extent that one would think so, Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki had become completely different people than they were a day before.

    They twisted themselves as if they were following the attributes of the characters they had been given.

    Azusa was the quiet, shy type, but after meeting Ryuzaki, she only admired him, saying, ¡®Ryoma Onii-chan is amazing!¡¯ and she has become a sister character who only admired him.

    Yuzuki was a quiet and passive type, but in front of Ryuzaki, she has become an aggressive and amorous character who takes advantage of her body almost like a lascivious woman.

    Kirari was a solitary loner, but after meeting Ryuzaki, she became a flirtatious gal-type character.

    This was too strange.

    The girls, whose characters had been twisted, had become nothing more than a means to make Ryuzaki feel good about himself, as per their assigned roles.

    It was impossible not to be heartbroken when I saw that.

    ¡­ I don¡¯t think I was in love with them.

    Of course, they were still special to me.

    But ¡­ I couldn¡¯t see them anymore.

    As a result of getting caught up in Ryoma Ryuzaki¡¯s harem romantic comedy and losing their original personalities, the girls who were close to me disappeared.

    That was why it was so difficult for me to accept it.

    For about a month after the entrance ceremony, I had been dragging my feet about the girls.

    There were times when I was jealous of Ryuzaki. ¡°I¡¯m no good,¡± I thought to myself and I was always self-denying and despicable.

    But¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s when ¡­ Shimotsuki helped me.¡±

    Suddenly, I mentioned the name by which I called her when we met.

    As I did so, the girl right next to me pouted in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°I feel lonely when you call me like a stranger¡­ Can you call me Shi-chan in a sweet voice like you always do?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s still too early to call you that.¡±

    With a small laugh, she shrugged.

    My voice was a little sore, probably because I had talked about my past all at once. But thanks to Shiho, who listened quietly to me, I managed to finish my story somehow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not embarrassed to call you ¡®Shiho¡¯ now, even though a lot of things have happened since then¡­¡±

    ¡°I know ¡­ that the innocent Kotaro-kun was cute, but isn¡¯t it not so bad to see him calling my name with pride like today?¡±

    She patted me on the back like she was trying to do something nice for me.

    Then, what did she think?

    ¡°Gyu.¡±

    She jumped on me from behind with all her might.

    It was more like a clinging than a hug.

    ¡°Hey, Shiho? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    I stumbled forward and barely held on. However, she was still tightening her grip on me.

    Thanks to that, I was in a bit of pain.

    What kind of mission is driving her to do that?

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not going anywhere, okay?¡±

    ¨CShiho was apparently embracing me in order to reassure me.

    ¡°I will stay the same and stay by Kotaro-kun¡¯s side. No matter what happens, no matter what ¡­ you say, even if I get caught up in a ¡®story¡¯ ¨C I will remain ¡®Shiho Shimotsuki¡¯ and love Kotaro-kun.¡±

    ¡­Her words were as warm as ever, enough to save me.

    ¡°I will never be disappointed in you, Kotaro-kun¡­, and I will always watch over you.¡±

    That affection healed my heart.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you¡­¡±

    I told her that and then touched her hand that tightened around my neck.

    Honestly, those words made me so happy that I almost cried.

    But it was time to say this in an emotional scene¡­ indeed, so I would have to say it.

    ¡°Shiho¡­ I can¡¯t breathe.¡±

    It was a little too much to take when she put her arms around my neck and wrapped me in a hug like she was hanging on to me.

    ¡°¡­Ah! I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Shiho, who let me go in a hurry, looked at me with a flustered look on her face.

    The fact that she broke the atmosphere of seriousness in an instant may be one of the best things about Shiho in a way¡­

 CH 290

    I looked up at the sky and saw the sun peeking out.

    It seemed that the rain had stopped after we had talked for so long.

    ¡°Shiho, it¡¯s time for us to go home.¡±

    I¡¯m done talking about the past.

    I didn¡¯t want to keep her company any longer with my silly stories of the past.

    Because ¡­ Shiho looks so bitter when I talk about my hurtful story.

    But I still respect her positive attitude for facing me and listening to my story.

    However, her attitude seems ¡­ like she is protecting me and hurting me instead, and I wanted her to stop doing that.

    Like when I get hurt, she gets hurt.

    When she gets hurt, I get hurt too.

    So I decided that it would be better to end the conversation early.

    But that may just be ¡°running away¡± after all.

    Turning away from pain is not necessarily a good thing.

    I believe that if it¡¯s painful, you should run away from it. But there are times when you have to face it.

    Shiho told me that this is the time.

    ¡°Wait. There is one last thing I want to tell you.¡±

    Saying this, Shiho clutched her chest tightly.

    Her expression seems to be slightly tense, probably because she is ¡­ nervous.

    But she won¡¯t run away.

    She stared at me, determined to understand me.

    Her eyes were glowing with a strong will that was ¡­ dazzling and blinding.

    ¡°If those girls who were so important to Kotaro-kun had remained the same in high school, if they were still next to you as they were in ¡­ middle school¡­ I wonder if I could have been something for Kotaro-kun. Would I have been special?¡±

    ¨CThat¡¯s a ¡®what if¡¯ story.

    To put it simply,¡­ suppose that Ryoma Ryuzaki was the only one who was not at this school, and Azusa and the others were still close to me, unchanged.

    Beyond that possibility, would Shiho and I have had the relationship that we have now?

    ¡°Answer me honestly. Do you think you and I could have been alone like this?¡±

    ¡­Again, I thought about it.

    If Azusa had remained the same as she once was, still seeing me as an alternative to the ¡®real Onii-chan¡¯.

    If Kirari had remained the same as before, remaining a ¡®friend¡¯ without being disappointed in me.

    If Yuzuki had remained the same as before, still being a ¡®childhood friend¡¯ who depended on me.

    Beyond that story ¨C there was no Shiho.

    ¡°¡­We probably wouldn¡¯t have even talked.¡±

    I tell her how I honestly feel.

    Lies don¡¯t mean anything in front of Shiho.

    Because she has a keen sense of hearing,¡­ and she is a sensitive girl who can read my emotions from my every move.

    So, I said what I was thinking exactly.

    Would I hurt her?

    Would she feel pain?

    Would I have said something that was not what she expected?

    I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have such fears.

    I was so afraid of seeing Shiho¡¯s reaction that I almost turned my head down¡­

    But she smiled happily, as if to relieve me of my timidity.

    ¡°Ufufu? Yes, that¡¯s exactly right¡­ Maybe if it weren¡¯t for Ryuzaki-kun, you and I wouldn¡¯t be able to have such a special relationship.¡±

    That was not a bad statement for Shiho, apparently.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a miracle that we have this. Kotaro-kun has been hurt a lot, but ¡­ I can give you much more happiness than that.¡±

    Not fate, but a miracle.

    That was a very¡­ lovely way to put it¡­

 CH 291

    [Mary Point of View]

    ¨CIf Kotaro had been good friends with Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki.

    There would be no story beyond that.

    There would be no future where Kotaro would be a ¡°real Onii-chan¡± for Azusa.

    There was no possibility for Kotaro to become Kirari¡¯s ¡°best friend¡±.

    There was no way that Kotaro could become Yuzuki¡¯s ¡°beloved childhood friend¡±.

    These were not just coincidences.

    Even you know this, Kotaro, but why do you believe Shiho¡¯s words?

    We are just puppets.

    Servants of a story, nothing more, nothing less.

    It¡¯s really ridiculous. If there is a person who would decorate this coincidence with the word ¡°miracle¡±, I am sure I will never be able to get along with such a person.

    That is just opportunism. There is no way that the characters can do anything more than what the plot has already prescribed.

    ¡°Now, for heaven¡¯s sake, things are getting a little too stagnant.¡±

    I sighed to myself as I looked over the materials I had received from the detective.

    I went to the trouble of breaking up the stalled story and encouraging him to move forward, but ¡­ it was still too slow in progressing.

    If I were a reader, I would have been pissed off. Hurry up and move on with the story.

    However,¡­ well, the work of reality is really boring and dull. There is no such thing as a pleasant story progression for readers.

    Therefore, someone like me, who has a bird¡¯s eye view, has to take a hand and make the story move along.

    ¡°Hmmm, where was I?¡±

    I file away the materials and look at the story¡¯s progress chart on the wall. It¡¯s a really creepy sight, even in my own room, but I have to check it visually to make sure I¡¯m not making any mistakes.

    Let¡¯s see, I started with ¡­

    First, I reminded Azusa of the love she had for Ryoma and pulled her back into the harem.

    Then, I reunited Yuzuki with Kotaro after the relationship between Yuzuki and Ryoma had become strained, and ¡­ her heart was pushed into a corner.

    Seeing them both in such pain, Kotaro finally decided that he couldn¡¯t leave Ryoma alone. He finally revealed to Ryoma that Azusa, Kirari, and Yuzuki were girls who were closely associated with him.

    As a result, Ryoma said something amusing like ¡°I was forced to get hand-me-downs¡± and was about to hit Kotaro, whereupon she interrupted ¨C by accident. Shiho intervened.

    As I who likes ¡°Suck it up¡± romantic comedies, I would have enjoyed it if Ryoma had suffered in a good way ¡­ If he had hit Kotaro like that, I would have felt more disgusted and expected further ¡°Suck it ups¡±.

    Had that happened, I might have felt intense catharsis when Ryoma was unhappy in the future. But I really dislike Shiho because she always gets in my way.

    She always ruins my plans.

    If only Shiho hadn¡¯t been there, I, the mastermind, might have been able to play an even darker role. But it¡¯s hard because that heroine ruins the plot that I have in mind.

    And this time, the pacing got even worse because of the silly story about reminiscing the past¡­ I¡¯m afraid the story will stop before I see the ending I want.

    That¡¯s not good.

    It¡¯s time to change the course.

    I need to sort out the messed up elements, understand the feelings of each character, and progress the story along with the events.

    That is my role now.

    Since I am set up as a cheat character who can do anything, I have to do a lot of different things.

    If I had just been a blonde with big b*****s, I would have been able to live a more carefree life. ¡­ Good grief, it¡¯s not easy being a creator. Well, I am self-proclaimed.

    Well, I don¡¯t know what to do¡­

 CH 292

    A story can quickly become a mess if one is not careful.

    The reason why works that are written as the author wants to write them usually end up unfinished is because the author is unable to properly organize the information.

    Therefore, before writing a story, the author should prepare a ¡°plot¡±, a blueprint of the story.

    Some people write down the flow of the story from beginning to end, while others do not write it at all. However, those who don¡¯t write are not without a plot, because they have it all built up in their heads.

    Of course, I had a plot in mind.

    But there are too many uncertainties to make a story out of reality, and there is no end to what I can do if I write it down on paper, so I have to build it all up in my head.

    Initially, this fourth part was supposed to be about the conflict between Kotaro and Ryoma.

    For this reason, I forcefully brought Azusa back to the stage, who had nothing to do with the story.

    Yuzuki, an opportunist who had no initiative and had always been swept along with the flow, was also forced to mentally corner Ryoma and confront him.

    Thanks to that, Ryoma became lonely and realized the importance of the harem members,¡­ but when he learned that they had actually had a connection with Kotaro in the past, he despaired.

    ¡°Damn¡­ I guess I¡¯m beneath you after all. I can¡¯t believe that after being deprived of my first love, the person I tried to fall in love with instead was your hand-me-down¡­!¡±

    When Ryoma said that, it was painful.

    It was so much so that I thought I was watching a drama, partly because I was watching it through a spy monitor.

    Things had been going well up to that point.

    But thanks to Shiho¡¯s interruption, the tempo and the story shifted.

    That¡¯s why the story needed a course correction.

    ¡°First of all, the problem that needs to be solved is that of ¡­ Ryoma.¡±

    The conclusion of the 4th part, or the ¡°Punchline¡±, is the downfall of Ryoma.

    I think it¡¯s time for Ryoma¡¯s role to end. I assumed that it was time for that unpleasant character to leave the stage.

    Because he is no longer the ¡°protagonist¡±.

    Even his natural protagonism is slowly fading away.

    Because, he has fallen to the point where even that unconditional positive character, Yuzuki, hates him, you know?

    If he had retained his protagonism, that would not be possible.

    Being popular for no reason was the only skill and the only reason why Ryoma was able to fit into the ¡°protagonist¡± category, and without it, he would no longer be anything but an obnoxious character.

    Therefore, I hope that he will meet a miserable end so that his heart will be refreshed.

    What can I do to woefully achieve that ¡®Punchline¡¯?

    ¡°Hmmm ¡­ is there not enough ¡®misfortune¡¯?¡±

    I want him to suffer more.

    Then, I want him to take responsibility for me.

    As a result of being swept away and affected by Ryoma¡¯s nature, and finally made to fall in love with him, I was classified as a subheroine, not a creator.

    To be honest, I still have a grudge against him.

    In other words, this was almost like ¡°revenge¡± for me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to see how Kotaro and Shiho end up together after I¡¯ve dissipated my own desires, right?¡±

    I have no more interest in getting involved in their romantic comedy.

    I don¡¯t like Shiho, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m so obtuse and stupid that I can¡¯t see the difference in power between me and her.

    I can¡¯t win against her even if I stood on my head, and instead I hope she¡¯ll let me vent my frustration as much as I want with Ryoma.

    ¡°¡­So much for rationalizing, I guess.¡±

    Well, I¡¯ve made up a lot of logic to explain my obsession with Ryoma.

    So from now on, I¡¯m going to get a little more involved in the story.

    So, next time, I think I¡¯ll get ¡­ that subheroine involved too.

    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s still upset that I messed her up?¡±

    I wonder what that girl ¡­ Kirari Asakura is doing now¡­?

 CH 293

    Oh, no.

    No good¡­ I¡¯m getting mushy.

    I¡¯m getting excited thinking about what¡¯s ahead in the story.

    At least, I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m just a ¡®subheroine¡¯. But, perhaps because I used to call myself a ¡®creator¡¯, I still haven¡¯t gotten rid of my bad habits.

    ¨CI wish I could say, ¡°Suck it up¡±!

    Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve said that sentence in a long time.

    Since the second part, in which I failed to intervene in Ryoma¡¯s story, I¡¯ve only been conveniently used in the story and haven¡¯t done much.

    So, is it time to act ¡­?

    Ryoma is already decaying, rotting away, and is just a helpless, useless protagonist.

    In other words, Ryoma¡¯s harem romantic comedy has been ¡®cancelled¡¯, hasn¡¯t it?

    I thought the stagnant Kotaro and Shiho¡¯s romantic comedy would be cancelled first. ¡­ No, I guess not. Maybe their romantic comedy will just cease to be renewed permanently, but it will not be the end. Cancellation is a different matter.

    But Ryoma¡¯s story is different.

    Depending on how you look at it, it¡¯s already all ruined and over. ¡­ Yeah, this one is ¡®cancelled¡¯.

    If that¡¯s the case, then I can play with Ryoma and Ryoma¡¯s harem members, can¡¯t I?

    ¡°Nihihihihi.¡±

    For the first time in a long time, a me-like smile broke out.

    When I first appeared on the scene, I used to say I was smiling confidently like this, but ¡­ I¡¯ve fallen off the path too, you know.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll let Kirari give you a lecture, shall I?¡±

    Suddenly, an idea occurs to me.

    It might be fun to let Kirari quarrel with Ryoma, who has suffered a lot because of Ryoma, and shred Ryoma¡¯s heart to shreds.

    ¡­ Well, to be precise, Kirari had to suffer because of all the things I set up.

    I¡¯ll let readers refer to the Part II for more details.

    Anyway, ¡­ I wanted to see Ryoma being abused by a subheroine who had not been rewarded for a long time, so I immediately went to spurn her.

    The destination was a bookstore with a caf¨¦ space attached. I knew from the detective¡¯s research data that Kirari had been frequenting this place recently.

    She seems to have started reading books, perhaps as a substitute for not being as dependent on Ryoma as she used to be. It was late in the evening. But she is still here today.

    Kirari, who is sitting by the window and concentrating on her book, doesn¡¯t seem to notice me. No, even if she did notice me, it would be unnatural for me to go near her since we are not very close.

    All right, then, let¡¯s do this.

    ¡°Hello, old man? I need someone, give me ten minutes.¡±

    Summon servants by phone. Fill the seats in the caf¨¦ space and create a situation of crowding.

    Oh dear, this will make me say, ¡°Oh? This is a coincidence! It¡¯s my classmate Kirari! Can I sit next to you because it¡¯s crowded?¡± I could have made the same kind of tentative call to her.

    If I were the main character, the seats would have filled up on their own without using such a match-pumping method, but ¡­¡­ well, she¡¯s just a sub character after all, so it can¡¯t be helped. She was too small in character or vessel to be a main heroine. She has big b*****s. ¡­ It¡¯s a pity that she couldn¡¯t grow up in the most important part.

    That¡¯s why I decided to play outside the story, like a small villainous character.

    ¡­ Okay, I bought the appropriate books, ordered coffee at the cafe, and I¡¯m ready to go. With the tray in my arms, I headed straight for Kirari.

    ¡°Oh? Such a coincidence! It¡¯s my classmate Kirari! It¡¯s crowded, so can I sit next to you?¡±

    As I called out to her as I had planned, Kirari finally noticed me and looked up.

    ¡°Nnya? Oh, it¡¯s Mary.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? When did it get so crowded?¡±

    ¡°Well, it rained a while ago, so I guess all the customers came at once. Can I sit next to you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Please feel free~.¡±

    Kirari had been played by me in the past, but since I was the mastermind behind the scene at the time, she didn¡¯t seem to have a bad image of me.

    She was less cautious and I could easily get into her heart.

    Really, she is a poor sub-heroine, isn¡¯t she?

    She¡¯s too good a girl to be able to love that crooked protagonist.

    Really, she¡¯s easy to handle¡­

 CH 294

    A corner of a cafe. Kirari, sipping sweet coffee and opening a book, was concentrating as if she couldn¡¯t see me.

    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll finish reading this in about 10 minutes.¡±

    Ten minutes had passed since she said that. I was staring at her reading a book with an illustration of a beautiful blonde woman with big b*****s, a so-called light novel.

    Come to think of it, when I played with her (Part II), she had blonde hair and wore azure-colored contacts. She looked like a degraded version of me, which I found endearing, but now she has brown hair and no contacts.

    Now that she wears glasses, I can no longer say that she is a degraded version of me. That¡¯s a shame.

    ¨CI was thinking about something unimportant, when Kirari closed the book.

    ¡°Phew, that was funny! Sorry, Mary ¡­ No, Mea-chan? Or do you prefer Ali-chan? It¡¯s kinda, kinda cold to call you that.¡±

    Oops. I wonder if it¡¯s okay to be so friendly with me?

    I can¡¯t imagine being defenseless in front of such a black-hearted character.

    Well, it¡¯s good that you are easy to handle.

    ¡°Have it your way?¡­ my mom used to call me ¡®Allie¡¯!¡±

    This was before she had an affair and my father left her.

    Looking back, she was a bad wife, but a good mother. She loved me and took good care of me.

    When I think about it, I regret a little bit that I had urged my father to take revenge on her by exposing the affair. Well, that was a lie.

    ¡°Eh? Doesn¡¯t Allie-chan sound subtle enough? I guess so¡­ Then how about Parker-chan?¡±

    ¡°No, can you stop calling me that?¡±

    The unexpected designation unintentionally brings out the bare bones of my mind.

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    For a moment, Kirari¡¯s eyes shook in confusion.

    It must be because of the change in my attitude.

    ¡­ Oops. I should not have done that.

    I wanted to stop using the last name ¨C the part that is my last name ¨C because it only gives me a bad image of myself.

    My father has a soft spot for me, but at the same time he hates me because of my resemblance to my mother.

    Yes, in other words, there are quite a few memories that I can¡¯t talk about, so I wish she would be more careful.

    ¡°Nihihihi. Parker is a first name in Japan, right? That¡¯s stranger behavior, you know¡î.¡±

    However, it was not convenient for me to show my true self.

    I immediately returned to my original character of ¡°the sunny blonde big-b*****ed Onee-san¡±, and smiled.

    Then Kirari¡¯s cheeks relaxed in relief.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll call you Mea-chan then. It¡¯s not very funny, but it¡¯s the way I feel most comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Okay? The way Kirari likes it is the way I like it the most!¡±

    ¡°Nyahaha. You say the nicest things, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Okay, communication was good.

    It was smooth sailing, except for the fact that I suddenly felt like dying when I objectively looked at myself having a stupid conversation like this. If I were to talk about it in an American way, would I say it was all green? No, maybe I¡¯ve seen too many movies.

    ¡°I wonder what Kirari was reading?¡±

    I made her a little nervous earlier. I want to loosen her guard a bit more, so I try to chat with her further.

    I asked her about the light novels she has, thinking it would be a good conversation starter, and she responded more than I expected.

    ¡°This? It¡¯s a lovey-dovey love comedy in which a transfer student, a beautiful blonde girl, loves the main character just as the title says, and it is very interesting!¡±

    She told me with a nice smile.

    I guess she really likes light novels, but the contents¡­ overlap a little too much with my own, and it hurts my heart.

    ¡°Hmm-hmm? By the way, is that book successful?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Unfortunately, I heard it was discontinued after two volumes.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wasn¡¯t she good enough to be a heroine?¡±

    The heroine of that work is just like me.

    The blonde, big-b*****ed heroine who was a transfer student is nothing more than a colorful character.

    I guess she was too insignificant to be a main heroine.

    For example, she could be a childhood friend of the protagonist.

    Or the protagonist and his bride-to-be.

    Or someone the protagonist longs to be with.

    Without that kind of added value, a character of color may not be the main focus.

    ¡­No, that¡¯s enough.

    I¡¯ve given up on being a heroine.

    I can¡¯t be part of the story, I¡¯m just a losing character.

    So I decided to stay out of the story and work in the shadows as a creator.

    Now that we¡¯ve had this conversation, Kirari¡¯s guard should be down.

    I think it¡¯s time to get down to business.

 CH 295

    The human mind is surprisingly easy to understand.

    Just as Shiho has excellent hearing, I have excellent ¡°sensitivity¡±. Perhaps that is why I can understand the thoughts and actions of others so easily.

    I don¡¯t know about logic. I just have an innate sense of what is going on, so perhaps, like Shiho, I do have an abnormally developed sense of any one of the five senses.

    I can¡¯t speak with common sense. Perhaps such an ability is called a ¡°sixth sense¡±.

    Now, I apologize if I have irritated anyone with my long explanation.

    I mean, I can feel Kirari¡¯s emotions as if I could feel them myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never talked to Mea-chan alone like this before. I¡¯ve been thinking about you for a while now, Mea-chan, you know?¡±

    ¡°HAHAHA! Ask me anything! I have questions for Kirari, too, so we¡¯re both in the same boat!¡±

    ¡°Then feel free to ask ¡­ what cup are you, ¡­ Mea-chan?¡±

    ¡°Maybe melons or watermelons? HAHAHA! It¡¯s normal in foreign countries.¡±

    ¡°How can it be normal!? Wow, they¡¯re so big! ¡­¡±

    She is trying to get along with me.

    Deep down, she really wanted to know about me.

    Truly, she is unsuspecting.

    It¡¯s like a piglet on a pig farm that misses you, it makes me smile.

    It was heartwarming to see such a ¡­ pathetic creature opening up, not knowing that one day it would be butchered and shipped away.

    I wish all humans were such easy to handle animals like this.

    If that had been the case, I could have enjoyed the pleasure of being a real creator, not a fake one.

    ¨COops, off topic again.

    I¡¯m going to stop talking now. I guess Kirari¡¯s questions are over for now, so let me take my turn next.

    ¡°My b*****s¡­ Won¡¯t they get any bigger¡­?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have to be big, do they? Because Ryoma said it!¡±

    I pretend to get into the conversation so that it doesn¡¯t flow unnaturally.

    And yet, I casually applied the word ¡®Ryoma¡¯.

    At that moment, a slight shadow appeared on Kirari¡¯s calm expression.

    ¡°¡­ Ryu-kun, isn¡¯t that irrelevant?¡±

    Her guard that had been loosened instantly tightens.

    The attitude shows that she is still trailing him¡­, and that is very pathetic.

    What an obvious girl, isn¡¯t she?

    Everything is as it should be.

    ¡°Because both I and Kirari love Ryoma!¡±

    Since the reaction was as expected, I continued to play the ¡®innocent, no-nonsense girl¡¯ role as planned.

    ¡°¡­ I-I was surprised at the suddenness of that. Haha.¡±

    When Kirari realized that I had no ill intentions, she relaxed her guard, albeit slightly.

    Her sharp gaze was gone, and now she was shaking her body uncomfortably.

    And next, she will probably say, ¡°But I don¡¯t like him.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t like him.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Then, only I like him, I¡¯m lucky?¡±

    And Kirari, who overheard my innocent statement, would say, ¡®Well, I¡¯m not saying so, but¡­¡¯

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean to say that, but¡­¡±

    The conversation proceeds as plotted.

    This would probably work, right?

    ¡®I hate Ryu-kun.¡¯

    I¡¯m here now to finally make her say that.

    Now, poor subheroine-chan? It¡¯s time to wake up and see the reality.

    And show me your determination.

    You may be a subheroine, but you¡¯re still a girl, so at least take revenge on the guy who¡¯s been pushing you around so much until now¡­

    And I will say this as I watch the sweet spectacle.

    Suck it up ¨Cright?

 CH 296

    [Mary Point of View]

    ¡°I hate Ryu-kun.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t too difficult to get Kirari to say that.

    ¡°I just happened to hear that ¡­ Ryoma seems to know that Kirari and the others were good friends with Kotaro before!¡±

    ¡°You know, Ryoma lost his beloved Shiho to Kotaro, right? That¡¯s why he has this weird rivalry with him, right?¡±

    ¡°When he found out that Kirari, Azusa, and Yuzuki were connected to Kotaro, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want hand-me-downs!¡±¡±

    ¡°I think that kind of stupidity is cute, but what about Kirari? Can you love that kind of bad part, too?¡±

    Dare to speak quickly.

    I spoke so fast that Kirari had no room for words.

    As I was speaking one-sidedly, Kirari¡¯s face grew paler and paler.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    As if in despair.

    Or disappointed.

    She looked sad and she was downcast, holding her eyes down.

    Probably trying to hold back the tears from overflowing.

    Oh, it¡¯s so painful.

    When I think of her feelings, my heart aches too ¨C well, that¡¯s a lie.

    ¡°Oh my? Kirari doesn¡¯t like Ryoma¡¯s no-good parts?¡±

    I followed the plot and typed out the sentences in my head.

    I output the line directly from my mouth, and this time, without doing anything, Kirari uttered the line as I had envisioned it.

    ¡°I really hate Ryu-kun¡­!¡±

    All right.

    The scenario was now underway without any problems.

    Kirari would do her own thing and hunt Ryoma down.

    The words of the sub-heroine who once loved him would surely hurt him.

    There is no heroine left to heal that wound.

    The wounded part will eventually fester, the flesh will rot, and the body will fall apart.

    When I fantasized about this, I almost felt my cheeks relax.

    ¡°Why are you like this, Ryu-kun? I¡¯m¡­¡±

    Kirari utters a shaky voice and clenches her fists in frustration.

    I can¡¯t see her face because she¡¯s looking down, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s crying.

    Yeah, troublesome.

    Crying won¡¯t solve the problem, I don¡¯t see the point in the action.

    Crying just to vent your feelings of sadness is beyond foolish.

    But characters have to express their emotions in a way that is easy to understand, so in that sense, I guess it is right to cry according to one¡¯s emotions.

    Well, I guess that¡¯s the end of my role, then.

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mean to make you cry¡­ Sorry? I have to go home. See you at school.¡±

    I got up from my seat, acting puzzled.

    I took the slip and paid the bill without saying a word, not that I was trying to atone for my sins.

    It was just a hassle to split the bill since I had so much money to waste.

    ¨CI think that I am a qualified creator.

    It would be hard to find someone like me who can act based on logic rather than emotion.

    Being a creator is fun.

    When I move people to do what I want, my desire for control is satisfied.

    After graduating from high school, I will be away from Ryoma ¡­ and the story will continue in the real world where I will be alone and powerless.

    Then again, it might not be a bad idea to manipulate people and create stories as a creator like in the past¡­

    [Third-person Point of View]

    ¨CMary was thinking about that.

    But she is still just a ¡°self-proclaimed¡± creator.

    Everything is going well ¨C she just thinks so, but in reality, it is not so.

    ¡°¡­Ha, you¡¯re finally leaving.¡±

    Kirari exhaled in relief.

    Then, as soon as Mary arrived, she took out her phone, which she had hidden in her pocket, and held it straight to her ear.

    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s how it is, what do you think I should do?¡¯

    She whispers in a small voice so that the people around her can¡¯t hear her.

    Yes. The phone in Kirari¡¯s hand was connected to a certain person.

    That other person was, of course ¡­, a former mob character who knew exactly what Mary was up to.

    ¡°Tell me, Ko-kun.¡±

    Mouthing his name, Kirari waits for a reply.

    Then, after a few seconds, she hears the words that come back to her and laughs.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ even I won¡¯t be a ¡®subheroine in love¡¯ forever, will I?¡±

    The expression on her face was not the flirtatious smile she used to show when she was a gyaru a little while ago.

    It was the same calm smile she used to show in middle school¡­

 CH 297

    [Third-Person Point of View]

    ¨CLet¡¯s rewind time a little.

    It was still about two hours before Mary and Kirari paid a visit to the bookstore.

    She came to the caf¨¦ space after buying a book and also took a break to sit by the window. She takes a sip of the coffee she ordered, then looks out the window.

    ¡°It¡¯s raining¡­¡±

    Combing her hand through her chestnut-colored hair, which had recently been cut short, she caught it in the process and a strand of hair fell out. Frowning in slight pain, she looked at the broken hair and saw that it was curved in an undulating manner.

    The high humidity had caused the hair to become crooked, and Kirari didn¡¯t like that. Until recently, her hair had been long and not curly, but now it was getting worse, these were the effects of having it cut short.

    (It was true that short hair is more annoying than long hair.)

    Since the haircut, she has been going to the hairdresser more often. She is considering growing it out again because it is so bothersome.

    However, hair is a trivial matter.

    Taking the book she had just bought at the bookstore out of her bag, her thoughts quickly switched to the next topic.

    ¡®The Beautiful Blonde Transfer Student Loves Me Too Much¡¯

    As the title says, she is looking at a light novel with a beautiful blonde heroine on the cover. She knew that this work had been cancelled after two volumes. Basically, the discontinuation of a work was not publicly announced, but she happened to see the author lamenting about it on SNS.

    It was a pity for the fans, but it was not the only reason. As a fan, she was disappointed, but that didn¡¯t mean she could do much as a mere reader, so she bought the book, hoping that reading it would at least help her a little.

    (Does she have big melons in her b*****s? I guess they have to be this big to qualify as a heroine, right?)

    When she was staring at the part of her b*****s that were emphasized as much as possible, she suddenly remembered her classmate, a beautiful blonde girl.

    (I think ¡­ this heroine might resemble Mary-chan.)

    Similar, rather.

    She looked like Mary Parker, who is a blonde with big b*****s, so she felt that they inevitably resembled each other.

    (She sometimes comes to school and sometimes doesn¡¯t, and when she seems to be getting along well with Ryu-kun, she doesn¡¯t talk much, or when she looks ¡­ cheerful, she suddenly shuts down and is very cryptic.)

    Mary thinks she is a perfect person.

    She is proud of her perfect behavior at school, but in fact, there are many holes in her usual correct responses. She has an egotistical side, so her self-analysis tends to be naive.

    There was something ¡®uncomfortable¡¯ about Mary, and Kirari didn¡¯t like that very much.

    (Come to think of it, I sometimes see her talking with Ko-kun¡­ Those two seem to be incompatible, what kind of relationship do they have?)

    Then thoughts turned to her former ¡°friend¡±, whom she remembered even if she did not want to remember.

    Speaking of Kotaro Nakayama, ¡°Cultural Festival¡±.

    ¡°¡­ Guh.¡±

    Suddenly, remembering the festival, Kirari plopped down on her table.

    She was crazy back then. Maybe it was because she was blind in love, or maybe it was because her actions didn¡¯t make sense¡­, and when Kotaro pointed this out to her, her blood boiled over and she slapped him.

    The time that has passed is still too short for the memory of that scene to fade away.

    ¡°I want to die¡­¡±

    It is too shameful a past.

    Now that the time was too short to forget, but long enough to reflect, Kirari was aware that everything had been wrong at that time.

    And yet, she turned the tables and raised her hand to Kotaro, and then, as if resenting him, she said, ¡®Don¡¯t make fun of my love! I¡¯ll definitely be happy!¡¯ What a thing to say.

    Now that was too embarrassing.

    If she had a pillow, she would want to bury her face in it and scream her heart out.

    (Well, it¡¯s about time I apologize to Ko-kun¡­)

    Since then, she hasn¡¯t spoken to him.

    It¡¯s not that she wants to get back on good terms with him, but ¡­ she felt the need to make a clean break or clear the past for the sake of the future.

    (If I don¡¯t apologize properly ¡­Haaa, why did I slap him?¡¡I¡¯m not sure how much longer I¡¯m going to be able to keep it up if I don¡¯t get Ko-kun to slap me as hard as he can.)

    Recently, she has been a little estranged from Ryoma Ryuzaki, whom she loved so much,¡­ and perhaps because of that, Kirari was regaining her old calmness.

    That¡¯s why she decided to properly ¡®end¡¯ the past in order to make her future self happy.

    (Okay. First, let¡¯s contact him and ask if he would be willing to meet with me¡­ Oh, but I don¡¯t know his contact information. Hmm, I¡¯ll ask Azu-chan.)

    With her hesitation gone, Kirari was quick to act. She asked Azusa, Kotaro¡¯s stepsister, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden notice. I need Ko-kun¡¯s contact information.¡±, she sent the message.

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if the rain will stop.¡±

    Still not in the mood for reading.

    Kirari looked out the window and waited for a reply¡­

 CH 298

    The rain cleared earlier than expected.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s sunny ¡­¡±

    Drinking coffee. Is it still bitter? She frowned and threw in a large amount of sugar cubes and milk, which had been prepared on the table.

    Bitter is enough in reality. Kirari basically likes sweet things. Not only food, but also stories, she thinks that a romantic comedy that is so sweet that it gives her a heartburn is just right.

    Some people on the Internet have derided it as ¡°just a boring lovey-dovey story¡±, ¡°no plot¡±, or ¡°a typical romantic comedy¡±, but since it is the opinion of others, it doesn¡¯t matter to Kirari.

    She wants to dream, at least in her creativity.

    Kirari seeks happiness in fiction because she knows it does not exist in reality.

    Not long ago, the boundary between reality and fiction blurred, and she sometimes perceived herself as a tragic heroine,¡­ but after going through it, she is finally able to keep her feet on the ground.

    So she understands that suddenly contacting Kotaro is unlikely to be appreciated.

    If Kirari were a heroine of her own creation, he might be pleased to the extreme, but ¡­ she was no longer immature enough to dream about reality.

    (Well, what do I do?)

    The answer didn¡¯t come immediately, so Kirari, tired of waiting as expected, decided to read the light novel.

    While reading, she felt restless and the sentences slid by.

    It was when she had been reading for a while without being able to get the contents of the book into her head.

    It must have been about an hour after sending the message to Azusa.

    After about an hour had passed, I finally received a message with Kotaro¡¯s contact information attached to it.

    ¡°What do you want from Onii-chan?¡±

    However, it also came with a question from Azusa, and Kirari did not know how to reply to it.

    (It¡¯s rare that Azu-chan is concerned about Ko-kun¡­ It¡¯s the first time since middle school.)

    Since entering high school, both Azusa and Kirari had been so preoccupied with Ryoma for a while that they hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Kotaro.

    So they probably felt uncomfortable in the situation where both of them are interested in Kotaro now.

    (¡°Because I want to apologize for slapping him¡± ¨C I can¡¯t say that.)

    It is awkward to send the facts as they are.

    But it was not like she had anything significant to say, so she thought about it for a while, but eventually she decided to keep the matter ¡®a secret¡¯ and brushed it off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too mean to him.¡±

    Kirari¡¯s eyes widened when Azusa replied.

    (Azu-chan, you¡¯ve always been selfish and egotistical only towards Ko-kun, but ¡­ you¡¯ve grown up.)

    A sister who cares for her brother is cute after all.

    It¡¯s a common theme in novels, but Kirari loves such a promised character.

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry, okay? You don¡¯t have to be wary of Kirari Onee-chan.¡±

    On a whim, she spoke lightly like she did when they were in middle school.

    After entering high school, they didn¡¯t get along with each other much like this, probably because they thought of each other as rivals instead of friends.

    She sent her message with a sense of nostalgia, and this time she received an unusually quick reply.

    ¡°Azusa doesn¡¯t need a Onee-chan.¡±

    ¡°Oops¡­¡­¡±

    Kirari couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the coldness of the message for Azusa.

    (Did I just step on a landmine? Something troublesome has been happening lately with Onee-chan.)

    If she teases her any more, she was sure she¡¯d put Azusa in a bad mood.

    For now, she replies with a bland sticker and ends the exchange with Azusa.

    Kirari then decided to stop escaping reality and face his contact information.

    (I¡¯m glad she gave me his contact information, but what am I supposed to write ¡­?)

    From the beginning, ¡®Sorry for the suddenness. This is Kirari. I want to apologize, so I asked Azu-chan to give me your contact information¡¯ seemed too heavy.

    On the other hand, ¡®Yo-ho¡î, it¡¯s Kirari!¡¡Can I talk to you for a minute?¡¯ is too casual and he would be taken aback by the lack of remorse.

    Not too heavy, not too light.

    Trial and error, trying to find just the right balance.

    After about 20 minutes, she finally finished the following sentence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the suddenness. This is Kirari. Can we talk a little?¡±

    It was a bit heavy, but it matched the current sentiment, so Kirari decided to use it. Along with the message, she requests to be registered as a friend. While thinking that it was typical of Kotaro that he did not allow this automatically, she was slightly nervous.

    (I-I¡¯m nervous¡­!)

    I was nervous because of the strange tension.

    She wishes this were a sweet feeling of love, but her mood is that of a job hunter waiting for a reply from the company she has interviewed with. No, Kirari has only done short-term part-time jobs, but she thought it was kind of the same thing.

    (He may or may not get back to me by the end of the day¡­)

    It¡¯s only been a minute, but she can¡¯t stand the pressure of looking at her unresponsive phone, and almost turns it off without a second thought.

    Maybe she would check to see if there was a reply after she took the time to properly prepare herself ¨C and that¡¯s when she almost fled.

    ¡°?¡±

    A notification appeared on the screen, informing her of a message¡¯s arrival.

    There it read, ¡®Kotaro Nakayama has registered ¡îKirari¡î¡¯, and Kirari¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

    ¡°This is Nakayama. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Seeing his typical simple sentence, Kirari almost dropped her phone.

    (What should I d-do!?)

    The reply came so much sooner than she expected, and she wasn¡¯t yet ready for it¡­