Chapter 16 – The Role Given to Her
"Mind if I sit here? No one else is around, so it should be fine, right?"
Mashiro sits next to me, holding a sandwich she bought from the cafeteria.
I force myself to move my body, still tense and rigid with nervousness, and try to act as usual while opening my mouth to speak.
"Oh, um, yeah. Let's eat together."
"Haha, Ryusuke, you don’t have to be so nervous! We were talking just fine yesterday, weren’t we?"
Mashiro laughs happily as she says this, but I can’t bring myself to look directly at her.
I’m still bewildered by how different she seems from yesterday. The transformation from a gyaru to a classic black-haired beauty is so shocking that, honestly, it still feels like I’m dreaming.
As I sit there, lost in thought, Mashiro tilts her head quizzically.
Even that small gesture is unbearably cute. The idea that someone like me, a mere villain, could become close to the world’s most beautiful girl, leaving the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, in the dust, should be impossible. But somehow, it’s happening.
"Wait, Ryusuke, did you switch to homemade lunch today? Wow, that’s such a cute bento! Who made it for you? Your mom?"
"N-no… I made it myself…"
Feeling embarrassed, I scratch my cheek as I answer.
Mashiro gazes at the bento I made, exhaling in admiration.
"I didn’t know you had that kind of talent, Ryusuke. That’s really surprising!"
"R-really? I’ve liked it for a long time… I just never had the chance to show you since I used to skip school a lot."
"True. We usually hang out outside, and when we’re at my apartment, we just play games and laze around until you head home."
She’s right.
The old Shindo Ryusuke, before I reincarnated into this world, used to spend more time playing outside with her.
In the past, I would play with my delinquent friends, Kogane and Obayashi, during the day, and once Mashiro came back from school, we’d meet up and go out again. We’d hang out until we were tired, then I’d crash at her place, where we’d play video games until late at night. That was our routine.
"Well… that’s why I never cooked for you before. It wasn’t like I was trying to keep it a secret."
"I see. In that case, I’d love to see you cook sometime! Is that okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I don’t mind, but… it’s really not that interesting."
"That’s fine. I just want to see a side of you I’ve never seen before."
Mashiro says this with a carefree smile. I glance at her from the corner of my eye, trying to hide my embarrassment by stuffing a piece of tamagoyaki into my mouth.
Watching me eat, Mashiro smiles contentedly. Then, she unwraps her sandwich and begins eating it in small, dainty bites.
"Mashiro, I don’t mind showing you, but… where do you think we should do it?"
"How about my place, like we usually do? The kitchen’s free."
"Like usual, huh…"
Oh man, I’m getting nervous.
Cooking isn’t a problem; I got plenty of practice working part-time at a café in my previous life. But going to Mashiro’s place… that’s a different story.
If I were the old Shindo Ryusuke, I’d be totally used to hanging out at her apartment. But for the me from my past life, this would be my first time visiting Mashiro’s home.
In my previous life, I’d never even been inside a woman’s home, let alone the home of the world’s most beautiful girl. For a villain like me, it’s almost too much to handle.
But turning her down here would be weird. It’s something Shindo Ryusuke should be completely comfortable with.
Besides, I’ve already resolved to enjoy my youth with Mashiro. I can’t back down from something this trivial.
Steeling myself, I shove a large bite of hamburger into my mouth, swallow, and speak up.
"Okay, I get it. Look forward to it—I’ll make you something delicious."
"Yay! I’m really looking forward to it, Ryusuke."
Mashiro beams at me, and I can feel my heart race just from her smile.
Oh man, she’s too cute. Is she an angel? She’s way too strong, invincible even.
As I quietly whisper these thoughts to myself, I savor the feeling of happiness welling up inside me, along with a bite of octopus-shaped sausages.
"So, Mashiro, when would be good for you?"
"Hmm, I’m free today, tomorrow, or the day after that. But I know you usually lock yourself in your room to study after you get home, right? Mai-chan said you’re really dedicated. I don’t want to mess that up, so how about Saturday?"
That’s right, my sister Mai and Mashiro know each other, and they keep in touch via smartphone. Mai mentioned talking to Mashiro yesterday, so it makes sense that she knows about my study habits through her.
And as Mashiro said, I usually spend my evenings doing homework and working out in my room. I also devote time to my family, so I’m pretty busy. If Mashiro is okay with Saturday, that works best for me too.
"Okay, how about I come over around noon on Saturday?"
"Perfect! It’s a date then. Oh, but I have one more request. Is that okay?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Since we’re hanging out anyway, can we go shopping or something before we cook? Is that okay?"
"Sure, no problem. We could pick out ingredients together while you tell me what you want to eat."
"Yay, thanks, Ryusuke!"
Her sparkling blue eyes lock onto mine, and just that alone makes my heart skip a beat.
As we continue to eat our lunch and chat about nothing in particular, time flies by in a blur of smiles and happiness.
As lunch break draws to a close, Mashiro stands up.
"I’ll head back to class now. Work hard in the afternoon, Ryusuke."
"Yeah, you too, Mashiro."
"Will do!"
I wave goodbye as she leaves, and she responds with a cheerful, innocent smile.
That smile is so dazzling that I return it with one just as bright.
Just as she’s about to exit the classroom—
"Whoa!?"
Mashiro bumps into someone at the doorway with a thud.
A male student, walking while looking at his smartphone, had stepped right in front of her.
Seeing Mashiro fall on her rear, I instinctively start to run over to her—but what? Why can’t I move? It’s like I’m paralyzed, unable to even move a finger. What’s going on…?
As I watch the scene unfold, I freeze in shock.
The person Mashiro bumped into—he’s the protagonist of this world, Fusegawa Raito.
It’s only now that I realize—no, that I’m forced to realize—what’s happening.
Mashiro transformed herself into the world’s most beautiful girl through her own efforts. This was something never depicted in the original story, an irregularity caused by the actions of us, the villains.
Now, at this very moment, I’m starting to understand the consequences this might have on the world.
A girl who far surpasses all the heroines in this story can’t simply be a disposable villain in a rom-com.
"Fusekoi" is a harem rom-com where the protagonist is irresistibly popular. Even with one more heroine added to the mix, it’s structured in a way that can easily accommodate her.
In other words, this world is trying to assign Mashiro, who has been reborn as the most beautiful girl, a new role that befits her.
And that new role in this world… is one of the heroines surrounding the protagonist.