Volume 1 - CH 2.3

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About halfway through the lunch break, Shimotsuki-san had finished eating her meal.

“Gochisousama.”

[Tl Notes: Gochisousama = Thank you for the meal]

Even though Shimotsuki-san had put away her lunch box in her pouch, she still refused to get up. The meal was over, but she still wanted to continue talking.

I don’t think it’s interesting to talk to me, but if that’s what Shimotsuki-san wants, I guess I’ll have to try my best.

“Thanks to Nakayama-kun, I had a very nice lunch today.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“No, that’s not the case. After all, without Nakayama-kun, I would have been eating my lunch alone today. But today, I didn’t feel lonely because you were there. Thank you, Nakayama-kun.”

“──”

Straightforward words that warmed the heart.

Those words of appreciation and affirmation were perhaps what I was really looking for.

“Nakayama-kun, you make a very nice sound when you’re happy. You’re a very easy person to understand…that’s what I like about you.”

Seeing my embarrassment, Shimotsuki-san started laughing.

The fact that she could understand my thoughts and feelings without me saying a word means a lot to me.

But I’m sure Shimotsuki-san would be more pleased if I put it into words and left it in a tangible form…I’ll try to say thank you to her too.

But then, at the worst possible timing, that guy finally appeared.

“──There’s an unpleasant sound.”

It was as if he had been monitoring the exchange between Shimotsuki-san and me.

If I had been able to put my feelings into words, our relationship might have been able to progress further.

But I was prevented from doing so.

“It’s just like tearing off a piece of food……It’s a sound that hurts the people around you just by listening to it.”

At that moment, all colour drained from Shimotsuki-san’s face.

No, it wasn’t just the colour. Even her warmth was gone, and all that remained was the usual, cold, expressionless Shimotsuki-san.

At the same time, I could hear it in my ears.

At first, it was the sound of gravel moving about on the ground, but then the sounds of men and women talking drew closer.

“Damn, calling me out all the way here……what’s up with you all of a sudden, Azusa?”

“S-Sorry. Ryouma-onii chan…I have something I want to talk to you about.”

It was an unnaturally well-timed appearance.

The two people who came to the back of the school building──were two people I knew well.

(Ryuuzaki and…..Azusa? Why are they here ……?)

One of them was a female student with strikingly black hair tied into twin tails. She was my sister in law, Azusa Nakayama.

The other was a boy of medium build with black hair and black eyes. His name was Ryuuzaki Ryouma.

“Normally, no one comes here…”

Shimotsuki-san, with her keen sense of hearing, seemed to have sensed their arrival before I did. She looked at Ryuuzaki and Azusa, her lips tightly pursed together. Her face was stiff with tension.

“I have to hide…I have to get away from that person…..!”

With that said, Shimotsuki-san suddenly stood up.

However, when she moved about, the gravel under her feet made a loud noise.

“Hmm? There’s some kind of sound….eh, Shiho? Why are you here──？”

Ryuuzaki glanced at me at the same time he saw Shimotsuki-san.

And then his facial expression changed completely.

“You, who are you…and what have you done with Shiho? What were you trying to do by bringing her into an empty place like this!?”

Ryuuzaki usually gets swayed by girls, but never before had he gotten so emotional.

He was clearly agitated.

“What were you doing with my precious childhood friend?”

It was as if I had done something wrong.

As if Shimotsuki-san was the victim and I was the perpetrator.

（What do you mean？ It was just the two of us alone……was he somehow under the impression that I did something to Shimotsuki-san?？）

That isn’t normal at all.

His perception was far too one-sided.

Ryuuzaki ignored all of our circumstances, viewing reality only through the lens of his assumptions.

It was very bizarre.

“Eh? Um….ah.”

Azusa was clearly confused by the sudden turn of events.

Even her twin-tails, tied up with a more fancy hair clip than usual, seemed to be hanging down without a care in the world.

(Azusa was the one who brought Ryuuzaki to the back of the empty school building…was it perhaps── to confess?)

Looking at Azusa’s face, I somehow had that feeling.

My sister-in-law was not content to settle for being a part of his harem.

Instead, she worked hard to fulfil her feelings for the person she loved.

But this….was just heartbreaking to see.

Azusa was giving it her best, yet all Ryuuzaki could see was Shimotsuki-san.

“Shiho, are you okay? You have a weak constitution. You shouldn’t force yourself to go out……Couldn’t you refuse this man’s invitation? I can’t blame Shiho for being kind, but you need to take better care of yourself. As a childhood friend, I’d worry about you, right?”

I don’t agree with Ryuuzaki’s argument that I’m the perpetrator, but I feel too sorry for Azusa to argue here.

『I’m not sure if Onii-chan is the ideal Onee-chan. The ideal Onii-chan Azusa might be looking for would be…Ryouma Onii-chan.』

The entrance ceremony at the high school.

Ever since Azusa told me so when I got home, we’ve barely talked.

Up until junior high school, I thought we had a close relationship as brother and sister, even from an objective point of view. But that was just my own selfish assumption, and Azusa seemed to have some dissatisfaction with me.

As a result, she and I became completely estranged.

I couldn’t be her “ideal Onii-chan”.

But Azusa is still an important part of my family.

At the very least, I don’t want to interfere with her love life.

So I tried to go back to the classroom with Shimotsuki-san.

Hoping that if I could just leave her alone with him, she could try to get it back somehow.

“I didn’t do anything to her. Don’t worry about it…….I’m going back to class.”

I said that to Ryuuzaki and started walking away.

“Let’s go, Shimotsuki-san.”

Of course, she tried to go back with me……but it was then that I finally realized that something was wrong with her, too.

“… Uu”

I heard a faint moaning voice.

It was such a small voice that even Ryuuzaki, who was a few meters away, couldn’t hear.

At the same time──Shimotsuki-san wavered.

“Shiho!?”

Ryuuzaki hurriedly tried to walk over to her.

But first, I supported her body.

“Shimotsuki-san, are you okay?”

“……No. Not that guy, not ever.”

As if buoyed by fever……as if muttering a croak, Shimotsuki-san whispered in a small voice. Hearing this, I understood what kind of feelings she was having.

（Shimotsuki-san……at present, she’s very bad at dealing with Ryuuzaki──！）

Moreover, this wasn’t your ordinary 『bad』.

It’s the kind of emotion that makes you go crazy just by being near it or being aware of it.

Her face was pale, all colour had drained from her lips, her eyes were shaking from fear, and her body was trembling slightly.

These small changes that you can’t see from a distance are only visible to me because I’m in close proximity.

This isn’t normal at all.

Maybe Shimotsuki-san shouldn’t get involved with Ryuuzaki.

They may be childhood friends, but the chemistry between them seemed so bad.

No, it’s different. Because they are childhood friends, Shimotsuki-san may have had a difficult time in the past because of Ryuuzaki. Could this be too traumatic for her, and that’s what’s causing her to change?

“I’ll take her to the infirmary. Step aside.”

Ryuuzaki came closer and tried to touch Shimotsuki-san, who was restrained.

On the contrary, however, Ryuuzaki glared at me as if to say that I was in the way.

“You think you’re a hero while making Shiho’s health worse? You’re the one who should get out of the way. Don’t take advantage of her weakness and touch her.”

As if trying to grab me, Ryuuzaki bared his hostility and intimidated me.

“……”

And the closer Ryuuzaki got, the more Shimotsuki-san gasped in pain. Holding her ears, she desperately seemed to be trying to block out Ryuuzaki’s presence.

I need to get Ryuuzaki away from her as soon as possible.

“Also, I’ve got a few questions for you…so don’t run away.”

“Now’s not the time for that!”

Even in such a situation, Ryuuzaki was still prioritizing his emotions.

If you’re worried about Shimotsuki-san, you should be moving away from her first, no matter how irritated you are with me…and yet, you still seem to be more interested in taking out your anger on me.

“Nakayama-kun……don’t worry. I’ll go home by myself.”

Perhaps not wanting me to worry, Shimotsuki-san staggered to her feet and started walking on her own.

Of course, I wanted to tag along, but I couldn’t move because Ryuuzaki was staring at me.

But I guess that guy is also worried about leaving Shimotsuki-san alone.

“Azusa, could you take Shiho to the infirmary.?”

And Ryuuzaki made a choice to trample on Azusa’s feelings.

（Even though……she went through great pains to call Ryuuzaki out and confess to him……！）

I don’t know how much trouble Azusa had to go through to get that courage….thinking about it, I couldn’t help but want to say something.

“Wait a minute. Ryuuzuaki, weren’t you supposed to talk to her about something? I’ll take Shimotsuki-san to the infirmary, and you can at least listen to her.”

“Don’t try to run away. I’m saying there’s something I want to ask you……Azusa, can you do me a favour?”

“──Yeah, okay”

Azusa, on the other hand, was entirely at Ryuuzaki’s mercy.

I don’t think being a good listener is the right answer.

But she does what Ryuuzaki tells her to do. She continued to follow Shimotsuki-san’s back without looking at us and disappeared from behind the school building.

（Is this really okay, Azusa……）

Though I am worried about my sister-in-law, this is the path she has chosen. It would just be considered needless meddling if I tried to do anything.

So there’s no point in thinking about Azusa anymore.

For now, my priority is to protect Shimotsuki-san──

◆

What could I do for Shimotsuki-san?

I pushed down my emotions and just kept thinking about it.

“Now that it’s just the two of us, why don’t you talk calmly. Don’t put on airs; now tell me. Tell me why you were alone with Shiho……tell me how you got her out and what you were going to do!”

That attitude as if to say『I am justice』was troubling.

Looking at Ryuuzaki justifying himself, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was in the wrong.

“I haven’t done anything that Ryuuzaki should be worried about, and why would you want to know in the first place? Ryuuzaki is not Shimotsuki-san’s boyfriend or anything, right?”

First, I tried to probe Ryuuzaki’s mindset.

“While it’s true that I’m not dating Shiho…I’m still her childhood friend. And that means I have a role in protecting her. She’s weak, loves to be alone, and is a poor girl no one understands…but I understand her. I’m the only one who understands her.”

Ryuuzaki spoke.

Biased claims and an assumed sense of responsibility, as if they were facts.

“So I’m the only one who can help that weak girl.”

Ryuuzaki recognized his own assumption as fact and wielded it as selfish justice.

Shimotsuki-san is weak?

Ryuuzaki’s the only one who can help her?

….It’s all so misguided. She’s not that pitiful. At least, I can say with confidence that she’s not the kind of person who cannot live properly without the help of others.

It’s just that she’s shy and stands out because she looks too good to be true, and she’s usually nervous all the time……but even so, Shimotsuki-san is just an ordinary girl.

What can I say……honestly, I was afraid of Ryuuzaki.

His self-absorbed nature, which allows him to see things only through the filter of the first person, makes him the master of harem romantic comedies.

He was the protaganist himself.

If I were even to make a rebuttal, I would garner even more strange suspicion, and Shimotsuki-san would be followed around even more…just thinking about it made me shiver.

This guy must think he’s a hero.

Because the world revolves around him, he twists perceptions to suit his own convenience.

It felt as if I finally understood her feelings.

Ryuuzaki is not someone I want to get involved with…those were my true feelings.

“We’ve known each other since childhood….so it’s my job to protect her from bad guys. Shiho is too kind and timid to speak her mind, so……I’ll do it for her instead.”

And Ryuuzaki seems to think that I’m the kind of person who messes with his childhood friends.

“In any case, you forced her to come here, didn’t you? I’m sure she hated it. But she was too kind to say no, so she had no choice but to follow you. And that’s why she got sick. Well, she’s been weak, to begin with, but I guess being with you made her more stressed out.”

That’s not true.

That smile on her face was not a lie.

But even if I explained this to Ryuuzaki, he wouldn’t understand.

“In the first place, she likes to be alone. So don’t take her out with you for your own convenience……don’t take advantage of her kindness, Okay? 　As Shiho’s childhood friend, I’ll give you some advice. Just because she happened to accept your invitation, don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re the only one.”

Is his defence a means of attack?

I don’t think it’s right to make assumptions about Shimotsuki-san’s personality and thoughts without her permission and exclude others based on assumptions.

How could you do such a thing?

Don’t you think that’s a little too rude……no matter how much I look like a mob character?

No, the rudest thing is not to me.

Don’t you feel sorry for Shimotsuki-san?

（……I’m sure you don’t think so.）

Now, I was finally convinced.

I knew that Ryouma Ryuuzaki was a born “hero”.

Otherwise, there was no way he could be such a person.

He was popular for no reason at all, he was never accused of his self-righteous point of view, and the way he took it for granted that he was a hero was the hero of the story itself.

This was the only way it could be interpreted and allowed to be convenient for Ryuuzaki, an opportunistic and extraterrestrial existence.

（Now then, what should I do？）

What kind of answer would satisfy Ryuuzaki?

What kind of choice do I have to make to disarm the hostility he has towards me?

（……Can I erase it. Can I just erase my existence from Ryuuzaki’s mind?）

What I’m looking for is for Shimotsuki-san to be at peace.

For that reason, I thought, he could just pretend that this day never happened.

The reason why Ryuuzaki is so distraught this time is all because of me.

When Koutarou Nakayama approached Shimotsuki Shiho, Ryoma Ryuuzaki, who had been sitting on the superiority of being a childhood friend, got impatient.

『What if Shiho had fallen in love with someone who wasn’t me?』

What Ryuuzaki needs to do in order to resolve his anxiety is to erase my existence.

As long as I’m not around, Ryuuzaki can return to his everyday life.

I don’t think Shimotsuki-san will be interfered with much either, as she will remain in the position of ‘sickly childhood friend who loves to be alone’ for Ryuuzaki.

Then it’s easy.

It’s not something I’m proud of, but unlike Ryuuzaki, I’m a genuine

“mob character.”

The only advantage I have is that I don’t have much of a presence.

It would be easy to disappear from Ryuuzaki’s awareness by using it.

“What did you try to do to Shiho? What did Shiho say? Tell me…….I’m her childhood friend; I have to know. I have to protect her. So tell me!”

──Click.

A sound rang out in my head. It felt as if some kind of switch was turned on.

(From now on, I’m a mob character, a meddling dog who messes with the heroine.)

Decide on the setting. In the end, I imagined myself playing a minor role just to give the impression that I was no match for the hero.

『I’m someone who’s insignificant.』

If I could make Ryuuzaki recognize that…..naturally, the hostile factor of “Koutarou Nakayama” that was born within him will disappear.

In other words, this is just an event.

It’s like the scene where the hero shows off his coolness by defeating the meddling dog that messes with the main heroine, as is often the case at the story’s beginning.

I thought it would be a good idea to fabricate it up now.

“Well, when you put it like that…..there really wasn’t anything there, you know? I was just trying to confess to her because she was cute. Well, her guard was up, so I couldn’t do anything about it.”

He smiles wryly.

I was conscious of the frivolous, empty, silly look.

“Confession? Do you like Shiho?”

“I mean……she’s cute, right? That’s why I wanted to go out with her if there was a chance! But it didn’t work out in the end.”

When I said that, Ryuuzaki’s expression relaxed as if he was relieved.

“Why, so that’s what you meant…you were just a challenger.”

As expected.

This guy wasn’t worried about Shimotsuki-san.

“Well, we were eating lunch alone, and we were whispering and talking intimately…….so I thought she might have been hitting on me.”

After all, this guy was just afraid that someone would take Shimotsuki-san away from him.

“Damn, I didn’t want Ryuuzaki to be the only one to know…….Enough said. Yeah, that’s right. I tried to confess my feelings to Shimotsuki-san, and she gave me a pulseless attitude.”

[Tl Notes: Pulseless attitude = let’s just be friends attitude]

──Deceive him.

──Fake it.

──Delude him.

Eliminate the ego of Koutaro Nakayama and only leave behind the recognition of Ryuuzaki Ryouma.

“So, as I suspected, you’re the one who summoned Shiho here?”

“Yes. I somehow managed to ask her to have lunch with me. Shimotsuki-san is so kind……she was reluctant, yet she still ate her lunch with me.”

I put a smile on my face.

My heart ached, perhaps because I still had some pride left in me that I was a human being just like Ryuuzaki.

I don’t need such a thing.

I’ll just be a mob character.

I’d rather throw away such a distraction than bother Shimotsuki-san with it.

“I wanted to get close to her because she’s such a beautiful girl in my class…….I was trying to close the distance between us somehow and get to know her, but then Ryuuzaki came. Was that perhaps why Shimotsuki-san looked out of sorts? She suddenly said she wasn’t feeling well and left.”

A meddling dog mob character who falls in love with someone out of his league.

I made an effort to be like that.

──Flatter him.

──Suck up to him.

──Wag your tail.

Anyway, I played a pathetic high schoolboy.

Strangely enough, when I tried it, I felt that this role suited me.

It’s not that I don’t feel comfortable with it; it’s just that it……feels awfully fitting.

“But maybe she hated that…well, it can’t be helped. Shimotsuki-san is an unattainable flower, a prize beyond one’s reach. One failure is to be expected.”

I wanted to create a nameless character, one where Ryuuzaki would think of me as 『Not even an enemy』.

Ryuuzaki didn’t seem to feel any differently about me, and he was clearly distracted.

“Well……you’re right. There’s no way Shiho would choose you. I had a bad feeling about this, but I guess it was just a misunderstanding. I don’t think Shiho would ignore me, her childhood friend, and choose someone else.”

Good. Ryuuzaki was conveniently complementing the setting.

He was making assumptions and arranging the situation in a way that he could understand.

The first thing that came to mind was relief at how easy it was to fool him.

Thanks to my acting, Ryuuzaki was clearly snickering in a condescending manner.

“Hmm…well, you did your best. Good luck with that. Shiho is a girl with a lot on her plate, so it’s probably not going to happen. Like you before, there have been many challengers, but they all failed. You, too, should pull out before you get too hurt.”

He seemed to be in a good mood and was very talkative.

“The only person who can understand her is me, her childhood friend……. Well, unrequited love is not a sin. It’s also adolescence.”

It seems that I am already a lower rank.

Ryuuzaki gave me words of encouragement as if he felt sorry for me.

“But I don’t hate idiots like you.”

Then Ryuuzaki held out his hand to me.

“Since we’re here, why don’t we just be friends?”

──I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t resist holding this hand.

Because this friendship is a lie.

I don’t want to form a bond through pity and ridicule.

But…the only thing that appealed to me was the tiny pride that was left inside me.

The reason being 『Shaking hands』.

Logic dictates that this handshake is an act of showing that you are a lower rank.

So, with my emotions suppressed, I grabbed Ryuuzaki’s hand tightly.

“That’s right….from the very start; this is how I live my life!”

I tried my best to hide the feelings of humiliation swirling around in my heart.

I pushed down my frustration and continued to make a forced smile.

Thanks to my efforts……Ryuuzaki was completely fooled by me.

“Yeah, nice to meet you. Well, I’m curious to see how Shiho is doing, so…I guess I should get back to class. Make sure you’re not late for your next class, okay?”

Then Ryuuzaki turned away. But it was only for a moment, and then he looked back at me again as if he suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, by the way…who are you? I know you’re a classmate, but I don’t remember your name.”

──I don’t remember your name.

It seems that I am in the perfect position to be a mob character.

“Hey, pull yourself together. I’m Nakayama. I’m Nakayama Kotaro.”

I said my name with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Ryuuzaki nodded lightly, laughing without ill will.

“Oh, I see. It’s 『Nakagawa』. Got it.”

He probably had no intention of memorizing it.

If he knew he had made a mistake, he would have noticed it immediately before disappearing behind the school building.

When I was sure that I could no longer see his back, I finally relaxed.

“Haa……”

I slowly let out my breath.

Then, unexpectedly, my knees relaxed, and I collapsed on the spot.

“────”

I wonder if it was because I was alone.

As soon as the tension in my heart relaxed, I felt an inexplicable sense of frustration and impulsively punched the ground.

──Krgh.

[Tl notes: I can’t think of another way to describe a fist coming in contact with the ground, sound wise]

Perhaps the gravelly ground was a little too sharp for my emotions.

“……Ouch.”

I frowned at the pain, but it finally allowed me to regain my composure.

（I flattered him. I was mocked and laughed at by Ryuuzaki……!）

When I look back at what I just said and did, I feel like punching the ground again.

I couldn’t forgive myself. I felt miserable for being so humble towards Ryuuzaki.

I know it’s a silly pride, but I can’t shake the frustration.

……But that’s fine.

“It can’t be helped if it’s to protect Shimotsuki-san.”

I don’t have to put my feelings first for that.

It’s wrong for me to feel frustrated in the first place.

“I’m a mob character. I don’t have to feel anything.”

I muttered sarcasm and forced myself to laugh.

Haa..I don’t need to look in the mirror to know that.

I’m sure that the smile on my face right now is so distorted that it’s unbearable to look at.