Chapter 5 - Encounter
In the corner of the cafeteria, I was slurping udon alone
The world I reincarnated into was a rom-com called Fusekoi.
The main stage of this story is Kio Academy High School.
This school has a large number of students and a spacious campus. The cafeteria is no exception—it's vast and heavily used by many students. Blending in with the background as a side character, I silently continued to eat my udon.
Right now, I didn't want to meet any of the main characters from "Fusekoi."
Most of the main characters are fond of the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, while they openly show hostility toward the antagonist, Shindo Ryusuke.
If I were to encounter any of the main characters now, it would likely trigger some event, setting me on the path to ruin, just like the original story of Shindo Ryusuke.
For example, if I accidentally bumped into one of the heroines walking through the cafeteria and she got hurt, the protagonist would surely step in, and I'd be forced to play the villain's role.
Even if I had no intention of opposing the protagonist or the heroines, the atmosphere made it inevitable.
This was due to the cold stares I received from those around me.
As long as I remained in the villain's role, the side characters around me would ensure I fulfilled that role by claiming I had intentionally bumped into someone or something similar.
I realized this during the morning classes: the people in this world follow the original story and impose the villain's role on me. The reactions of the teachers and students, who showed a clear attitude of rejecting my attendance, indicated that they wouldn't tolerate me acting out of character as a villain.
So, for now, I must do my best to avoid triggering any events. Until I can shift from the absolute villain Shindo Ryusuke to at least a general background character, it's best to stay quiet and unnoticed.
I kept my eyes away from the people in the cafeteria and focused on my meal, but—
"Whoa! Seriously!? Ryusuke is at school!?"
Suddenly, my name was called, and I flinched.
When I looked toward the voice, I saw a girl who seemed like a gyaru.
Unlike the blonde, blue-eyed, beautiful student council president Sakuramiya Miyuki from “Fusekoi”, this girl had artificially dyed blonde hair and heavy makeup.
Her uniform was worn somewhat messily, her skirt short, and her top buttons undone, emphasizing her ample chest. Her nails were adorned with elaborate nail art, and she had earrings. Her side-tail hairstyle further accentuated her gyaru look.
Most notably, she was incredibly cute. Her well-defined features, rosy lips, smooth white skin, and mesmerizing blue eyes with long lashes—she was a girl who epitomized gyaru cuteness.
(Ugh… I didn't want to interact with anyone in the cafeteria, but she's approaching me.)
Her shine was different from the background girls around here. It was clear she wasn't just any side character. There was a possibility she was one of the heroines adorning the protagonist Fusegawa Raito's harem. This was bad.
"Ryusuke, can I sit next to you? It's such a surprise you're at school."
"…"
"Don't ignore me; I know you can hear me!"
"Go ahead…"
"You sound weird, Ryusuke. Well, it's weird enough that you're at school in the first place, haha."
Hearing my response, she laughed heartily and sat down next to me.
I tried to match this gyaru-like girl with someone from my knowledge of Fusekoi.
This distinctive appearance… could it be?
This gyaru isn't a heroine on the protagonist's side. She was created to highlight the heroines—a "bad gyaru" antagonist named Amanatsu Mashiro.
She starts appearing more prominently after the protagonist and others advance to their second year.
She's set up as Shindo Ryusuke's childhood friend, and after the protagonist and others expel Ryusuke from school, she begins to act out of revenge. However, her revenge is never fulfilled, and she, too, is sentenced to social death, just like Ryusuke, and exits the story.
Although Amanatsu Mashiro is undeniably a villain, she was a popular character among fans. Many were moved by her resolve to avenge her lost childhood friend and her conflict with the protagonist.
While I, the enemy in the first year arc, was a straightforward villain without any sympathetic qualities, Amanatsu Mashiro in the second year arc confronts the protagonist with complex emotions. This development was meant to prevent the story from becoming monotonous by exploring the antagonism with the protagonist.
As I recalled Amanatsu Mashiro's actions in the story, blurry memories of hanging out with her as Shindo Ryusuke started to surface. Apparently, just like in Fusekoi, Amanatsu Mashiro was very close to Ryusuke Shindo.
As I slurped my udon and pondered this, Mashiro, sitting next to me, peered intently at my face.
"Ryusuke, I was worried because you didn't reply to my messages on RINE or pick up my calls. Kogane and Obayashi were worried too, and then we found out you were at school, which was a big surprise. And now you're eating alone in the cafeteria—it's hilarious. I've never seen you eat in the cafeteria before."
This girl talks so cheerfully…
The Amanatsu Mashiro in Fusekoi had a sharper look and would glare at the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito. But the Amanatsu Mashiro in front of me seemed like a cheerful and affectionate gyaru.
Even in my faint memories, Amanatsu Mashiro would always smile and talk energetically while we played.
Now, she's bombarding me with questions. If I were the original Shindo Ryusuke, I might have gotten along well with her… but that's impossible now.
Looking back at my high school days in my previous life, I never had any interaction with gyarus like her. I didn't know how to talk to her, and if I wasn't careful, she might realize that the current Shindo Ryusuke is very different from the original.
Moreover, I wanted to avoid the fate of ruin by escaping my villain role. If I continued my close relationship with the villainous Amanatsu Mashiro, I'd be on a direct path to the same downfall as Shindo Ryusuke.
So, I thought it best to avoid Amanatsu Mashiro as much as possible.
"Sorry, Mashiro. I'm not feeling well today. I don't have the energy to talk to you, so could you leave me alone?"
"What, Ryusuke? You're feeling sick? And you came to school anyway? That's crazy. Normally, you'd skip and go to karaoke or something to feel better, even if you had a fever."
"I'm just not in the mood for that now. Please, don't worry about me and go somewhere else. I'm begging you."
"Are you really okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
"Oh, I get it. You must be up to something! Otherwise, Ryusuke coming to school is impossible."
"It's not like that. Really."
"Hmm. Okay, got it."
After I desperately pleaded, Mashiro seemed to understand and stood up, walking away somewhere.
Phew, good… Now she probably won't talk to me again. I felt relieved, but after a while—
"Sorry for leaving in the middle of our conversation. Seeing you eat udon made me want to have some too, so I ordered one!"
With a chuckle, Mashiro placed a tray with a bowl of udon next to me. After clasping her hands together, she broke her chopsticks and started eating the noodles.
"We've always eaten at family restaurants or ramen shops, but eating together at school like this isn't bad. What do you think, Ryusuke? Is it good?"
"…"
"Don't ignore me. I know you can hear me! You're always so cold to me, Ryusuke—ignoring me all the time!"
"Uh…?"
"What's with that 'uh'? We've been friends since elementary school, you know. Can't you be a little nicer to me?"
Despite voicing her dissatisfaction, Mashiro continued to talk cheerfully. No matter how coldly I treated her, she kept talking with a bright smile.
Watching her, I wondered. Did the original Shindo Ryusuke also treat Mashiro coldly? I vaguely recall the original Shindo Ryusuke brushing her off… If that's the case, no matter how much I try to push her away, she won't leave my side.
"I see… as I thought."
This world insists on making me fulfill the role of a villain.
The teachers and classmates who reject my attendance.
The bad gyaru Mashiro Amanatsu, who won't leave me.
And the heroines destined to be with the protagonist.
Even if I try to escape the villain role and reinvent myself, this world keeps pushing me toward a doomed future.
Therefore, there's only one thing I can do. I must not only change myself but also drastically alter the environment surrounding me.
It seems that my second life, reincarnated as a villain, won't be easy.