Chapter 18 - The Infirmary
After bringing Mashiro to the infirmary, I explained the situation to the school nurse.
As I suspected, Mashiro had slightly twisted her ankle when she fell earlier, so the nurse treated her with a cold compress and some taping.
If I hadn't acted when I did, the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, would likely have taken on the role of bringing her to the infirmary. From there, a new relationship with this heroine would have begun, eventually blossoming into a love story between the two of them.
I managed to prevent that. But the price was steep. By playing the role of the antagonist against the protagonist, my existence in the story of Fusekoi has now been fully recognized as that of a villain.
However, this is just the beginning. From here, after going through several events, it will eventually lead to an event where I am condemned.
And if the original story is anything to go by, that event will come in the third term of the first year.
It's still only the first term now. In other words, I still have time. During that time, I must somehow maneuver to avoid ruin. That is the only option left to me now.
As I pondered how to achieve that, I spoke to Mashiro, who was now sitting on the bed after receiving first aid.
"Your next class is P.E., right? Don’t push yourself. Just stay here and rest."
"Yeah. I’ll relax in the infirmary until the next class."
"I'm heading back to class soon. It’s still okay to be late, but an absence might be a bit of a problem."
"Ryusuke, your attendance is already on the edge. But, um, before you go, can I just say one thing?"
"What is it?"
Mashiro, who had called out to stop me, had a slight blush on her cheeks, and her gaze was somewhat restless, flitting around.
She opened her mouth as if mustering all her courage and spoke to me in a trembling voice.
"Ryusuke, who helped me... you were really, really cool. Thank you, Ryusuke."
Mashiro then smiled like a blooming flower, before shyly hiding her face in the white blanket.
The moment I saw Mashiro's flushed face, my heart skipped a beat. I could feel my own face turning red to the point where I instinctively turned my back on her.
Both of us, Mashiro and I, with our faces bright red, looked down.
A sweet, tingling atmosphere flowed between us.
Unable to handle the overwhelming awkwardness, I decided to head back to the classroom.
"I-I’ll check on your ankle again after school. So, wait for me in the classroom and don’t go home."
"Okay, I’ll wait. See you after school, Ryusuke."
I waved to Mashiro and left the infirmary.
Although I've clearly been marked as an enemy of the protagonist in this world, that felt like a small matter compared to how deeply Mashiro's words had moved me.
I was able to protect Mashiro from the protagonist. That fact warmed my heart.
I don’t know what these feelings are, but for now, I'm just relieved that Mashiro is safe.
However, Fusegawa Raito will likely continue to approach Mashiro in the future. I can’t let my guard down; I must keep protecting her from him.
And I have no intention of letting things end like this.
With these thoughts in mind, I hurried back to the classroom, where class had already started.