Chapter 22 - The Meeting
The meeting spot with Mashiro was in the plaza in front of the station.
Originally, we had planned to hang out in the afternoon, but Mashiro said she wanted to have lunch with me, so we decided to meet at 11 a.m.
Once I met up with Mashiro, we planned to wander around town until we found a nice place to eat.
After our meal, we’d go shopping to buy ingredients for dinner. I’d cook for her at her apartment, and then head home before it got too late.
Before I was reincarnated, the old Shindo Ryusuke would have just lazed around in Mashiro’s room until the day changed. But now, determined to escape the fate of the villain and avoid the destruction route, I had a lot to take care of back home.
As I went over the plans for the day in my head, I finally arrived at the meeting spot—and that’s when I saw her. No, perhaps it’s more accurate to say she completely captivated me.
By the fountain in front of the station.
Sitting on a bench was a beautiful girl, Mashiro.
Her long, glossy black hair flowed smoothly, and her downcast blue eyes gave off a slightly melancholic aura.
She wore a white knee-length dress, which complemented her smooth, unblemished milky-white skin, enhancing her pure and delicate femininity. Her flawlessly beautiful features were mesmerizing.
That quiet girl looked up at the sky with a wistful expression—she was like a painting, so beautiful it took my breath away.
Seeing her in her school uniform, she was already the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. But in casual clothes, she was even cuter—almost unfairly so. She was so stunning that no other heroine in "Fusekoi" could hope to compare. I could understand why the god of this world hurried to make her the protagonist's love interest—she was overwhelmingly perfect.
I hurried over to where Mashiro was.
Just as I was about to call out to her, two men approached her at the same time.
(Wait a minute…)
They were a pair of guys, probably college students. Both were leering at Mashiro as she sat on the bench. The word “pick-up” flashed through my mind.
Mashiro was currently the most overwhelmingly beautiful girl in the world, and naturally, she caught the attention of every man around her. Of course, some lowlifes had to think of messing with her.
If I left things as they were, Mashiro might be dragged away by force. I had to rescue her before that happened.
To stop the pick-up attempt, I approached the two men talking to Mashiro from behind.
I made sure to look intimidating, lowering my voice and narrowing my eyes. My hands were shoved into my pockets, and I leaned forward in a menacing posture—perfect.
I was sure a dark aura was emanating from me, accompanied by the sound effect of "Gogogogogo!!". With everything set, I called out to the two men trying to pick up Mashiro.
"Hey. Do you have some business with my companion…?"
Even I was surprised at how menacing my voice sounded.
Startled by the sudden voice from behind, the two men turned to look at me. The moment they saw me—terror painted their faces.
“Eek!?”
“Gah!?”
They let out short, frightened cries, their faces turning pale. Then, with forced, nervous smiles, they quickly bowed and scurried away.
Watching them retreat, I couldn’t help but think:
Those guys must have been the lowest of the low among villains. The fact that they tucked their tails and ran at the sight of me, the ultimate villain, was proof of that.
I was destined to cause a major incident with the protagonist and become the strongest enemy standing in his way. These pathetic pick-up artists were nothing compared to me.
In a fantasy world, it would be like the strongest demon king intimidating a bunch of weak monsters, who would then flee in terror of his dark aura.
Once those guys had completely disappeared from sight, I stepped in front of Mashiro. Her face immediately brightened, and she beamed at me, like a flower blooming.
“Ryusuke! Thank you! You saved me!”
“Sorry. I thought arriving ten minutes early would be enough… I should have come even earlier.”
“I just got here myself, so don’t worry about it. I was really annoyed at getting hit on, but thanks to you showing up, I’m safe!”
“Is that so? How’s your leg? Does it still hurt?”
“No, it’s fine! As you can see, I’m perfectly okay. Look, I’m full of energy!”
Mashiro stood up from the bench and hopped lightly. Her knee-length dress fluttered, revealing a glimpse of her soft thighs, and I quickly averted my eyes.
“Hey, cut it out. Don’t overdo it.”
“Haha, sorry, sorry. But I’m really okay now.”
“But no more jumping around, got it? Be a good girl, okay?”
“Okay! I’ll be careful!”
With a playful grin, Mashiro gave me an innocent smile. Paired with her cute outfit, it was a smile so bright it was almost blinding.
“Alright, let’s get lunch first. What do you feel like eating?”
“Hmm, how about ramen? There’s a place near the station that serves delicious miso ramen, and I’ve been wanting to try it.”
“Ramen? Won’t that white dress get dirty?”
“Oh… you’re right. I just suggested it out of habit…”
“Well, you know, when we used to go out at night, you’d wear your room-wear hoodie.”
It was the first time Mashiro had shown off such a pure, lovely dress.
She had dyed her hair back to black, switched from heavy makeup to a more natural look, and dressed in a style I once mentioned I liked. She had gone to great lengths to match my preferences. That’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“How about we go to a café and take it easy? They have good pasta and pancakes there. What would you like?”
“Hmm… I think I want a cold café au lait. A sweet one.”
“Got it. Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
We started walking side by side.
Just watching Mashiro smile innocently at me made me smile in return.
Today, I had to make sure Mashiro had as much fun as possible to thank her for everything.