I’ve Been Reincarnated as the Childhood Friend of a Doomed Heroine. Since I Don’t Want to Get Caught up in Her Bad Ending, I’ll Make Sure She Ends up Happy
“It seems like Hanesaki-san’s pencil case is missing.”
“…So?”
“I’m lending her mine today, but I kinda want to help her find it somehow.”
During lunch break, I was eating lunch with Akito and Ujiya.
Shinori seemed to be eating alone on a bench outside.
Well, she probably doesn’t want to be in a classroom like this.
Especially today.
I asked Akito, who was grumbling.
“What are we gonna do?”
“I already told the teacher. I also asked the student council, who handle lost items, to let us know right away if it gets turned in.”
“What about the possibility that Hanesaki san just left it at home? I think that’s a real possibility, you know?”
“True, I guess.”
Akito seemed convinced by Ujiya’s leisurely response.
But unfortunately, this was just plain theft.
I knew who the culprit was, and I knew what they’d do next.
“Don’t you think it might have been stolen?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Nah, man, that’s a bit much—not that I’d say it definitely wasn’t…”
“I don’t think so. For starters, there’s no reason Hanesaki san would be targeted for harassment like this.”
Akito’s words were just pretty talk.
Reasons are things made up arbitrarily based on the other person’s convenience.
There’s no legitimacy to them.
“Well, let’s just go out and have fun today. Invite Hanesaki san too.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll ask her.”
I was the only one sensing the gravity of the situation.
And I had played no small part in creating this mess.
“…Guess I’ll have to make a move.”
I clenched the wrapper from my finished sandwich.
Well, I did have a plan ready.
◇
In the game ‘In the Season When Cherry Blossoms Fall’, I absolutely hated the heroine named Hanesaki Shinori
The first time I played it, during my freshman winter in college, my eyes widened.
A troublesome woman who throws a tantrum and commits suicide if the guy she likes doesn’t become hers.
She doesn’t give a damn about the other heroines or the protagonists left behind.
She didn’t wish for anyone’s happiness; if she wasn’t chosen, she’d sabotage the other heroines.
In fact, shewas the only one depicted interfering during another heroine’s individual route, and seeing her character sprite made me sick every time.
‘What the hell is this self-centered heroine?! Are the writer who made her and the entire production team who greenlit this project all fucking insane?!’
That night, I roared in frustration, my lower half limp.
Eventually, I calmed down, thinking, “What the hell am I doing…?” and pulled my pants back on. But that’s beside the point.
I clearly hated her
Because it’s just wrong, isn’t it?
For her, every other girl’s individual happy ending is a bad ending?
Sure, it was labeled a depressing game, but this was just too hopeless.
There wasn’t even anything to cry about.
Die-hard Shinori otaku were spouting nonsense like, “It’s precisely because there are other routes that her route feels more moving!” but I couldn’t understand it.
Compared to the other heroines, her character was thin, and why the hell she was on the package cover was beyond me.
What kind of eroge has an annoying package heroine?
Her standing illustrations are kinda meh compared to the package art too.
Keep the panel magic for adult services.
This is outright fraud.
It was borderline worthy of a one-star review.
But then it changed.
My image of this girl, Shinori, shifted completely.
Because… she’s cute.
“What did you think of my outfit the other day?”
“The dress and jacket combo?”
During the break before the end-of-day assembly.
With nothing better to do, Shinori had come over to talk to me.
As I recalled the impromptu fashion critique we’d had in chat just the other day, she pressed on.
“I was wondering if it was actually something guys would like…”
“Ask Suga…”
Even though the date should’ve gone well, Shinori looked dissatisfied for some reason. I gave her a glare.
Asking me won’t help, and there’s no benefit in answering.
I won’t let you forget how you completely ignored my preferences last time.
Seeing my sour expression, she chuckled happily.
“Because if I ask him, he’ll just say ‘cute’.”
“If you’re gonna gush, you can leave.”
“But Toyono-kun seems like the type who’d just diss me normally, right?”
“I do have some sense of tact, you know?”
Was she still holding a grudge over our last exchange? She casually dismissed me as tactless.
That stung.
But regardless, she seemed surprisingly cheerful.
I’d thought she’d be down after the pencil case incident, but she was interacting with me with a natural expression.
She must have been depressed until noon, but maybe she’d calmed down somewhat.
Akito seemed to have been looking after her too, so perhaps the power of love had stabilized her emotions.
As I pondered this, she grinned.
“So, I’ll ask you this: why didn’t you pick the dress?”
“Hmm. I guess I prioritized subtle, hidden eroticism over cuteness.”
The denim jacket on top was mature and nice, but the skirt she paired it with was the best part.
The tight fabric hugging her body lines was a feast for the eyes.
It had a magnetic pull that would make you follow her with your eyes if you saw her on the street.
Shinori responded to my words with one sentence.
“That’s gross.”
“…Tight skirts are nice, though.”
“How did you manage to deny non-delicacywith that level of response?”
Her words left me speechless.
It stung.
Am I really less than a cute bot, lured in by eroticism?
Satisfied with her taunt, Shinori walked away in high spirits. I watched her retreating back.
“…I really don’t want to see that girl get upset.”
Muttering under my breath, I scanned every corner of the classroom.
I don’t know how genuinely depressed Shinori is right now, but if I don’t stop the bullying today, who knows what’ll happen.
A drawn-out battle puts me at a disadvantage.
It wouldn’t be surprising if she snapped any day now.
And if that day comes, if she jumps and drags me down with her…
I’m willing to take some risk too.
In the original story, Akito doesn’t directly punish the bullies.
The flow is that the bullying naturally subsides as Shinori, who developed feelings for Akito, becomes more positive.
But I refuse to settle for such a half-hearted, unsatisfying conclusion.
If anything, my dissatisfaction with the scenario concerning the heroine Shinori might have started right here, with this common event.
If it were up to me, I’d wrap it up cleanly with no lingering resentment.
From here on, let’s change our perspective.
We’ll overlook any minor deviations from the scenario.
Since Akito isn’t going to act anyway, this is a crazy alternate timeline.
If any action I take leads down a path diverging from the original story, I’ll just conveniently steer things so the main plot stays intact.
—Well, everything that happens from now on will be credited to Akito’s achievements.
My ultimate wish is still for Akito and Shinori to end up together.
If Shinori found out I was involved, it’d be a pain if my approval rating with her shot up for no reason.
Once things are settled, I’ll just retrieve the pencil case as in the original story and give it to Akito, who’ll pass it on to Shinori.
That way, the overall flow will closely match the original scenario.
If any discrepancies arise later, I’ll just have to work behind the scenes again to cover them up each time.
After the closing ceremony.
I confirm Akito leaving together with Ujiya, and separately, Shinori stepping out into the hallway with a blank expression.
It seems Akito and Shinori are going their separate ways.
It was a situation both expected and welcome.
This way, I could sweep it under the rug.
After killing time casually for a while, I confirmed the classroom was empty.
The time was past 5:30 PM.
My resolve was already set.
From here on, it was time for the mob’s clever little scenario alteration.
Maiban