Chapter 6 - The Bond of Evil
I continued eating my udon while listening to Mashiro's lively talk.
It seems this girl has many gyaru-style friends, as by the time we were halfway through our meal, I found myself surrounded by them.
From what I could gather from the other gals, it appears that Shindo Ryusuke is quite a famous figure, and my reputation as the villain is firmly established.
Seeing me at school was apparently so shocking that people joked about it snowing in the middle of summer or meteors falling from the sky. I got plenty of those kinds of remarks.
But Mashiro alone spoke kindly to me. No matter how coldly I treated her, she wouldn’t leave my side, likely because we’ve been childhood friends since elementary school. The bond we’ve built since we were kids is strong, and it won’t be easily broken.
If this were the story of the main characters in a romantic comedy, Mashiro and I would probably be having a sweet and sour adolescence together. But since we’re on the villain's side, things are a little different.
"Ryusuke, listen to this! Sakuramiya-senpai, the student council president, says our outfits are disruptive and keeps nagging us about it. Isn’t that ridiculous? The school rules clearly say we can dress and do our hair however we want."
"Mashiro-chan, you got called out too? I was just warned in the hallway about my skirt length and hair color. Our student council president is seriously annoying. She says her piece and then runs off to the rooftop."
"Mashirocchi and Nanacchi too? That’s bad news. We’re just following the rules, so at some point, we’re going to have to teach her a lesson!"
Listening to the gyaru’s complaints, it became clear that they were in a position opposed to one of the heroines, the student council president, Sakuramiya Miyuki.
When I think of delinquent gyarus who play the role of villains, it usually involves envying a talented and kind-hearted heroine, cornering her with a "Don’t get cocky!" attitude, or tormenting her out of sheer dislike, which ultimately leads to the heroine's emotional distress. That kind of villainy is pretty standard.
But such misdeeds are always thwarted or punished by the protagonist, serving as events that bring the protagonist and heroine closer together. In fact, there was even a scenario like that in Fusekoi.
In short, all of us here are nothing more than cannon fodder, and the relationships that arise among us are far from sweet or romantic. It's more like an alliance of evil to fight against the protagonist.
And what lies ahead is inevitable defeat. No matter how cunningly we plot to drag the protagonists down, the conclusion will always be a bad ending.
That’s the future scene described in the original work, and no matter what, we’re only destined to become obstacles that strengthen the bond between the protagonist and the heroine.
As long as I stay in this group, I’ll never escape the role of the villain. I have to find a way to break free from this bond of evil, avoid the ruinous future, and live the kind of youth everyone dreams of.
Starting tomorrow, I’ll need to bring my lunch to avoid getting entangled with them. Eating in the cafeteria is too dangerous; that much is clear now.
Resolving myself once more, I stood up, carrying my empty dish.
"Mashiro, I’m heading back now. See you."
"Ryusuke? We still have like 30 minutes of lunch left! Are you really going back already?"
"Yeah. I want to nap before class."
"Class? It’s hard to believe you’re not only coming to school but also attending classes. What happened? Did you eat something bad?"
"I’m perfectly healthy. It’s just that I stayed up really late last night, so I’m super sleepy now."
"I see. Well, you are a habitual night owl. After all, flipping between night and day is kind of your thing."
Mashiro gave me an incredulous look, but when she saw me rubbing my sleepy eyes, she nodded in understanding.
Well, I understand why Mashiro is so surprised. The old Shindo Ryusuke before I reincarnated would have skipped classes without a second thought. But I’m different now.
Having reincarnated, I’m pursuing a different life, not as a villain. My attendance is barely scraping by, and my grades are abysmal. To turn things around, I need to attend classes and make an effort to find happiness for myself.
Leaving the group of gyaru in the cafeteria, I returned my dishes and started walking back to the classroom alone.
As I walked down the hallway, other students looked at me with fear or whispered amongst themselves, but for now, I need to endure it. No good will come from acting out as a villain. My goal is to become an exemplary student.
Reaching the classroom, I collapsed onto my desk and began to nap.
Right about now, the protagonist Fusegawa Raito, the heroines Hanasaki Yuna, Himeno Karen, and Sakuramiya Miyuki are probably having a conversation typical of a rom-com on the rooftop.
Hoping that one day I too could experience such a youth in this world, I let my consciousness slip away into sleep.