Episode 14 – Beyond tsundere territory: a hate tank


Iโ€™ve Been Reincarnated as the Childhood Friend of a Doomed Heroine. Since I Donโ€™t Want to Get Caught up in Her Bad Ending, Iโ€™ll Make Sure She Ends up Happy


โ€œYou were the one who ignored me first, right?โ€

She seemed desperate to talk to me, so I reluctantly agreed.
Though her motivation seemed purely hostile.

โ€œTrue. But so what? Ignoring someone older who’s trying to talk to you is rude.โ€
โ€œโ€ฆWho’s being rude here?โ€

โ€œWhat?โ€

She pressed me with an unyielding pressure that brooked no argument.

Was she planning to crush me with the same high-handedness she used on other students?

But I didn’t want to be lumped in with the rest of them.

I hoped she wouldn’t underestimate someone who’d constantly faced the threat of death.

I let out a loud sigh.

If that’s how you feel, I’ll take you on.

โ€œHaaโ€ฆ You might not understand, being born into a good family, but greetings don’t involve age or seniority. Also, I respond with an attitude that matches the other person’s actions.โ€

โ€œHmph! โ€ฆWhat do you mean? Are you saying ignoring me is appropriate?โ€

โ€œFor a senior who ignores greetings? Well, yes. Frankly, I don’t want anything to do with someone who starts complaining about how unpleasant my face is right from our first meeting.โ€

โ€œBut you were the one who glared at me first!โ€

โ€œEven if that were true, you ignored me first, right?โ€

โ€œโ€•โ€•! Ughโ€ฆ Ughโ€ฆ Fuโ€ฆ fuโ€ฆ fuffufuโ€ฆโ€

Stressed from being cornered, Yukimi’s forehead bulged with veins as she wore an eerie smile.

Too scary.

But this is fine.

As you can see, Yukimi is a rational woman who’s incredibly weak in arguments.

Her boiling point is abnormally low, so she’s the type who loses her head when she snaps.

Add to that this temperament.

It’s better to go in strong and fight back than approach timidly.

Naturally, this is a character strategy I learned while playing โ€˜Sakuchiruโ€™, but I’ll put it to use here.

Since I know her personality inside out, I should have the upper hand in this argument.

Then, Yukimi suddenly went expressionless.

โ€œWhat do you possibly know about me?โ€

Her voice sounded almost self-destructive, and I found myself at a loss for words.

Of course, I know everything about her.

Her family situation, and the unfortunate incident that befell her after entering this academy.

Beyond that, I know her birthdate, blood type, even her measurementsโ€”among the most impressive in the story.

โ€ฆJoking aside, I snapped back to reality.

Knowing her circumstances, I felt it was cruel to push her too hard.

I shrugged my shoulders, deciding to hold my fire for now, and askedโ€”but.

โ€œWhat exactly about me do you dislike so much?โ€

โ€œEverything. It’s only natural to feel sick when I see someone aimlessly wallowing at the bottom, isn’t it? I heard through the grapevine you have good grades, yet you show no sign of trying to make use of them.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€

The moment I gave her an opening, she lashed out like a fish in water.

Ughโ€ฆ

Even I shut my mouth.

Give me back that fleeting moment of conscience.

Still, I kinda respect the content of her rant.

Come to think of it, Akito and the others said something like that before too.

About going abroad to study, that sort of thing.

I don’t know how they know about me, and I’m too scared to ask for details, but regardless, it seems they think pretty highly of me.

Ah, that kinda makes me happyโ€”

โ€œBesides, it’s negligence for someone with ability to lack ambition. To justify such laziness and then talk back to meโ€ฆ I’ve never seen such a shameless person.โ€

Take that back.

That’s too harsh.

For a moment, I thought I was being praised, but maybe it was just my imagination.

My tolerance isn’t broad enough to call this tsundere behavior.

She looked at me like I was trash, and I grimaced.

Yukimi is clearly disliked within the academy.

The reason is her personality, and honestly, I can’t help but agree.

Acting like that, it’s no wonder she attracts so much hate.

She might seem cute as an eroge heroine, but facing her in real life just makes you genuinely annoyed.

Is this the fate of the mob?

For someone without protagonist traits, a tsundere heroine is nothing but a nuisance.

Just as I was thinking that, Yukimi spoke, her expression still sulky.

โ€œHowever, I understand your point.โ€

โ€œHuh?โ€

โ€œIt’s true my attitude the other day may have lacked decorum.โ€

โ€œY-yes.โ€

I nodded, and she stopped speaking there.

An awkward silence fell.

โ€ฆHuh? What is this?

As I blinked in confusion, Yukimi snorted and turned her face away.

Looking closely, her cheeks were slightly red.

So what’s this about?

Was that just now an apology?

And now she’s embarrassed and can’t look me in the eye?

โ€”No, no, that’s a bit too condescending towards commoners, don’t you think?

Ignoring my shock, she seemed satisfied and began speaking animatedly.

โ€œWell, biologically speaking, someone lacking ambition like you is still my equal. I suppose I should treat you with appropriate respect.โ€

โ€œHuhโ€ฆ W-what?โ€

โ€œSo you swear too? That you’ll greet me every time we meet from now on. And that you won’t ignore me at all.โ€

Somehow, rules had been imposed on me without my knowing.

Plus, she’d snatched control of the conversation.

But I couldn’t agree to this.

โ€œYou say that, but you’re just going to ignore me, right?โ€

It was unfair that only I was obligated to greet her.

Besides, this whole pointless quarrel was fundamentally started by this woman in the first place.

But then, Yukimi smiled for the first time.

โ€œNo. In the name of Shichikajo, I swear I will never ignore Toyono Kyota again.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆFine then.โ€

What sudden change of heart is this?

Honestly, I was sick of her spreading that sour aura every time, so I’m grateful, but this is still too abrupt.

She really is an unfathomable woman.

She’s creepy always using my full name.

And seriously, I still don’t know how she even knows my name. It’s creepy.

Just as I was thinking that, the bell signaling the end of cleaning time rang.

Hearing it, Yukimi stuck out her tongue.

โ€œHeh heh, cleaning time ended ages ago. Care to head home already?โ€

โ€œ! โ€ฆYou’ve got some nerve.โ€

โ€œWhat do you mean? I’m just responding appropriately to your behavior.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆIs that so?โ€

This damnable young lady, mirroring the exact words I just spat out at the most infuriating possible moment.

Judging by her smirking expression, she probably thinks she’s caught me tripping over my own words.

Sighโ€ฆ

Sorry.

Turns out I’m not big enough to call this playful banter.

โ€œWell then, see you next school day.โ€

โ€œYes. I look forward to it.โ€

Gripping my broom so tightly I could almost snap it in half, I forced a smile.

โ€•โ—‡โ€•

ใ€Shichikajo Yukimi ใ€‘

Affection for Akito: โ€•โ€•

Affection for Kyota: 30% (โ†‘)

Maiban


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Homieyoshi
Homieyoshi
7 months ago

Why does it feel like a whole character arc happened in the span of a few minutes?

Diana Kurosawa
Diana Kurosawa
7 months ago

She’s secretly a M~?
Welp, abuse her more~