Volume 1 - Prologue

For example, if this world was a “story.”

Just who would the protagonist be?

Unfortunately, the answer for that — was not me, Nakayama Koutarou.

The protagonist of this story would be, without further doubt, my classmate, “Ryuuzaki Ryouma.”

His daily life looked so much like a “romantic comedy” that it made me think so.

“Hey, Ryuuma-onii-chan? Let’s go shopping for swimsuit next time”

First, Ryuuzaki Ryuuma’s school life began with conversation with girls.

“Whoa there, Azusa. It’s still May, you know? Don’t you think it’s a bit early to start getting swimsuits?”

“Eeeh? But Azusa wanna show you herself in swimsuit soon, Ryuuma-onii-chan~”

Black haired, twin tailed girl, Nakayama Azusa, innocently grinned at Ryuuzaki.

She, who was small even for a first year high school student, looked truly like Ryuuzaki’s little sister.

“You don’t wanna see, Ryuuma-onii-chan?”

She was currently sitting on Ryuuzaki’s lap, snuggling herself against him.

That girl’s pampered child demeanor made me want to look away.

However, I couldn’t move my head, as if it was being held down by some invisible force.

“I-I also agree. The season is certainly a little early, but… I think it’s best to prepare early”

Furthermore another one. This time, a different girl cut into the conversation.

She was Houjou Yuzuki. She was on the small side but well fleshed, and was popular with all the guys at school.

She was casually grabbing his hand, maybe trying to make Ryuuzaki like her even a little bit.

“Actually, I’ve… Grown up a bit in size. So, the swimsuit I bought last year no longer fits…”

“Y-you’re still growing bigger…!?”

Her face was bright red, which would definitely be because she was embarrassed.

Even though she should’ve had a complex about the size of her breasts… She seemed to want to attract Ryuuzaki’s attention even if she had to use it as a weapon.

“Ah! Geez, Ryuu-kun, you’re looking at Yuzu-chan with lewd eyes again~”

And then, a third girl suddenly leaned on Ryuuzaki from the back. She was hugging him strongly, pressing her breasts against him.

“Let’s go shopping for swimsuits~. Ryuu-kun, I’ll wear any swimsuit you like… Kay?”

“He-hey, it’s touching me! It’s touching me…!”

“Nyahaha♪ Ryuu-kun, you’re all red, soo cute☆”

The name of the girl smiling mischievously was Asakura Kirari.

She was a strikingly gyaru-like female student with flashy blonde hair and uniform worn very revealingly.

She had been a literary girl with black hair and glasses until middle school, but… She had changed so drastically in just several months. Girls really were incredible.

Maybe it was her strong feelings of wanting to be Ryuuzaki’s special existence that prompted her transformation.

“……Haaahh”

When looking at them, I couldn’t help but sigh.

Back of the classroom by the window. The exchange that was unfolding in that sunny place was sparkling like a “romantic comedy” with Ryuuzaki Ryuuma as the protagonist.

Well then, what about me?

Could I lead a cheerful and bright daily life like them?

Well… I already knew without thinking about it.

On the seat in the back near the corridor, sitting alone looking bored resting my cheek on my hand, I, watching them, was too far apart from them.

Until I entered high school… I never thought this would happen.

My heart ached when I looked at the three girls beyond my gaze.

After all, the girls over there were the ones I had close connections with.

Azusa, I’m a step with her, though… But we should’ve been doing fine as normal siblings.

After having met with Ryuuzaki at the high school’s entrance ceremony, Azusa immediately adored him, calling him “Ryuuma-onii-chan.” On the other hand, she hardly ever talked to me anymore.

Kirari, we should’ve been able to get along great as friends.

The girl who had gotten close to me in middle school because of our shared interest in reading books, now lost her interest in books due to her being madly in love.

Yuzuki, we should’ve been together all the time as childhood friends.

She had always been next to me. But, my childhood friend who had fallen in love with Ryuuzaki at first sight, showed little reaction when I talked to her, as if she had already forgotten about my existence.

… It wasn’t like, I got an ulterior motive of wanting to go out with them or anything.

However, since we had connections and our relationships were continuing one way or another, there might have been no small amounts of positive feelings. Even if it didn’t reach into “romantic feelings,” I also never treated them as complete strangers.

But, it seemed that it was only me who thought so.

… Well, it wasn’t something unusual.

The girls whom I had been close with fell in love with someone else, not me. Humans, as long as they were living, would probably have one or two stories like this.

So no need to be depressed. No need to mind it. I already knew that.

But… Maybe it really was my arrogance that made me think this way.

Maybe… It could’ve been me over there — as if, eh

It was an impossible thing, and a harem situation like Ryuuzaki was having now would also be troublesome, though.

For instance… In the past, there must’ve been some turning points in my conversations with these girls.

Depending on the choice, it might’ve been possible for me to be in Ryuuzaki’s position.

But, that was nothing but a delusion.

I wasn’t Ryuuzaki. I couldn’t become something like a “protagonist” in the first place.

There was another term more appropriate for me.

I am a “mob.”

A meaningless existence in Ryuuzaki Ryouma’s romantic comedy.

That was precisely what Nakayama Koutarou was.

“And, so… Let us then go shopping for swimsuits next week!”

“““Okaaay!”””

Meanwhile, the protagonist Ryuuma, unfolded his sparkling school romantic comedy.

Moreover, since there were multiple heroines, we should be able to call it, “harem romantic comedy.”

“Heey, Shiho. Do you wanna come, too?”

And then, Ryuuzaki’s harem crew was not only three of them.

There was always that girl next to Ryuuzaki.

Her name was Shimotsuki Shiho.

She, whose presence easily surpassed others with her exceptionally beautiful sky blue eyes and silver hair which was unusual in Japan, was sleeping on the seat next to Ryuuzaki’s.

According to rumor, she was a girl who had always been with him since they were children.

She was the so-called “childhood friend” of Ryuuzaki.

“……What?”

“Ah, my bad. I woke you up? Actually, we’re all talking about going shopping for swimsuits right now, so… How about you join us, Shiho?”

Being called out, Shimotsuki-san raised up, looking annoyed.

At first glance, she looked nothing but grumpy, or rather, unfriendly, but she had always been like that and I had never seen her smile even once.

She didn’t speak much, her expression was also static, and her voice had little intonation.

But still, Shimotsuki-san wasn’t hated by anyone.

I guess you could describe a girl like that as “special.”

A princess who jumped out of a picture book into the real world — Shimotsuki-san was shining so brightly that I would be convinced if I were told so.

Perhaps because of that, Ryuuzaki also seemed to hold a special feeling towards Shimotsuki-san, so I often saw him talking to her.

She was exactly an existence worthy of the protagonist’s affection — the main heroine.

Different world. Just looking was overwhelming. Longed, and admired.

Compared to them, I… Oops, I ended up comparing myself unintentionally, and a sigh leaked out from me spontaneously.

“… Hmm?”

At that moment, I suddenly had the feeling my eyes met with Shimotsuki-san’s.

Wh-what…?

Her clear eyes were looking this way.

But, she probably wasn’t looking at me. Something that happened to catch her attention was near the corridor, and she was just paying attention to it.

Convincing myself, I looked away.

I looked at the clock above the blackboard, and wished that time would just keep moving forward.

Such a day was constantly repeated.

This was such a story.

The kind of common romantic comedy plot, where a dull background character was assigned as the narrator to just solely describe how amazing the harem protagonist named Ryuuzaki Ryouma was.

Indeed, I thought so.

Until that day, the day when I had a conversation with Shimotsuki-san, that is──.