Mob Character Reincarnation Loner: As a Result of Supporting the Heroine Who Had Been Rejected, I Ended up Being the Recipient of Her Heavy Emotions…
Lunchtime.
Some head to the school store with friends, others push desks together to eat lunch with everyone. As everyone starts moving, I couldn’t get up from my seat.
Yesterday, I ate lunch with Nanase, Tsukimi-san, and Serizawa-sanโฆ but there’s no guarantee they’ll eat with me again today.
What if I go over to Nanase’s group and they don’t welcome me?
What if they gave me that โHuh, you came again today?โ vibe? I’d never recover.
Damn it, Earth’s gravity is holding me down. It’s gravity’s fault.
โIrie, why are you sitting all alone?โ
โS-Serizawa-sanโฆโ
The one who spoke to me as I sat slumped was Serizawa-san, looking at me curiously.
โAren’t you going to eat lunch with us?โ
โHuh, ahโฆ Is it okay if I eat with you?โ
โHuh? Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?โ
โAh, yeahโฆ No, I’ll eat with you.โ
Phewโฆ Looks like it’s okay to eat with them again today.
โโฆDo you go through this exchange every single time?โ
โOf course. After all, the process of confirming intentions is important.โ
โโฆI think you lack a certain heartfelt friendliness, Irie.โ
Serizawa-san said this with an exasperated look.
Hah, friendlinessโฆ
Feeling truly grateful to her for extending a helping hand, I headed towards Nanase and Tsukimi-san.
But only Tsukimi-san was there.
โHuh? Where’s Hiyori?โ
โHmm? She got called away for something. Said it might take a while, so she told us to eat firstโฆ Wait, why are you here too, Irie?โ
โHey, hey, Tsukki~ Don’t be so cold.โ
โHuh? What’s with this guyโฆ He’s creepyโฆโ
โEh, ahโฆ Sorry.โ
S-suchโฆ I tried so hard to be friendlyโฆ
โOnly Hoshino, not fairโฆ I want you to call me by my nickname too.โ
โIs that really where you’re going with your comment?โ
Tsukimi-san rolled her eyes at the pouting Serizawa-san.
โThis is gonna take a whileโฆ What could Nanase possibly need?โ
โIt’s probably a confession.โ
โOh, a confessionโฆ A confession!?โ
โWhy are you so surprised?โ
Huh, butโฆ It’s a confession!? A confession!!
It seemed like I was the only one surprised; both Tsukimi-san and Serizawa-san seemed used to it.
Noโฆ they probably really are used to it. These three are among the top beauties in our grade. Confessions must be an everyday occurrence for them.
Well, in my past life, confessions were an everyday occurrence for me too.
I was the one getting rejected, though.
โโฆI’m gonna step away for a bit too. You guys go ahead and eat.โ
โHuh? No wayโฆ you’re going to the confession scene? Ohโ
โNo, I’m just going to the store!!โ
I firmly denied it to Tsukimi-san, who was clearly backing away, and headed for the store.
A confession, huhโฆ I wonder what kind of answer Nanase would give now.
Is she still okay with that sort of thing, or would she respond, seeking a new love?
ใ
Maybe my role here won’t last much longer either.
โWould youโฆ go out with me?โ
A collective โWhoa!โ echoed as the confession line rang out.
I spun around toward the sound to see the handsome basketball captain confessing to Nanase.
Wh-whatโฆ A confession in the courtyardโฆ?
So bold in front of all these spectatorsโฆ Is he invincible?
โGetting confessed to by that Sasahara-senpaiโฆ Normally, you wouldn’t turn him down, rightโฆ?โ
โYeahโฆ Not so much โwouldn’t turn him downโ as โcouldn’t turn him downโ.โ
โLately, Nanase’s beenโฆ well, like that. They’re probably going to date, huh?โใ
The crowd watching began to buzz with excitement.
It felt like they were already certain the confession would succeedโฆ that kind of atmosphere.
Could it be he deliberately chose the courtyard to create this vibe?
He’sโฆ a strategistโฆ Truly a master of romance. Sasahara-senpaiโฆ Could he be the seasoned veteran here?
โI’m sorry. I don’t want to date anyone right now.โ
Nanase bowed her head and politely declined. The scene only made the surrounding crowd murmur louder.
โI seeโฆ I know about your situation, Hiyori-chan. That’s exactly why I want to be your support. Soโโ
โIt’s okay. I already have more than enough support.โ
Seeing Nanase state that so clearly made me feel strangely happy.
It made me feel like I could finally be confident that I had been properly supporting Nanase all along.
Suddenly, my eyes met Sasahara-senpai’s.
Sasahara-senpai’s gaze toward me was clearly filled with hostility.
โI believeโฆ it’s Irino-kunโฆ right? There’s been some talk about you. My guess is, he is definitely preying on Hiyori-chan’s weaknesses.โ
I wanted to scream from the bottom of my heart, โYou’re the last one who should be saying that,โ but I have nerves of steel, so I managed to hold it in.
Also, my name is Irie. Remember that, you jerk.
โBesides, as someone standing beside you, he’s not suitableโโ
โUm, could you please stop saying bad things about the person I love?โ
โโฆHuh?โ
I couldn’t see her expression.
But the voice Nanase used was clearly dripping with disgust.
โBun-kun isn’t the kind of person you think he is. He’s much nicer than you are. Stop saying things about him without even knowing him properly.โ
โW-wellโฆ thatโฆโ
โฆShe’s pissed. Nanase is clearly pissed.
Even kind and cheerful Nanase is still just a girl. She gets angry when her friend is spoken ill of, and her tone naturally hardens.
But alongside that anger, a hint of rejection was also visible.
โExcuse me.โ
Nanase turned away without looking back at the senior once and headed back to the classroom.
As the air around them froze, the senior could only lower his head.
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
Browsing the school store merchandise, I recalled Nanase from earlier.
I never seen Nanase Hiyori this angry at โTenichiโ. In situations like that, she’d usuallyโฆ cry while angrily denying things. That was the image I hadโฆ
โHeyyy, Bun-kun~โ
โWhoa!โ
Nanase bumped into my shoulder.
Huh? Didn’t she go back to classโฆ?
โWh-what’s wrong?โ
โHmm? Just nowโฆ I had something unpleasant happen, so I thought I’d eat something sweet.โ
โOhโฆ I seeโฆโ
Something unpleasantโฆ The scene of the confession earlier replayed in my mind.
Today’s confession would definitely spark all kinds of rumors about my relationship with Nanase.
โListenโฆ Buni-kun.โ
โHm?โ
โI don’t care at all about rumors people spreadโฆ Soโโ
Nanase’s gaze fixed on me as she gripped my sleeve tightly.
โDon’t disappear, okay?โ
โHuh? Yeahโฆ I mean, I promised I’d stay by your side, right?โ
I made a promise to Nanase.
No matter what choices she makes from now onโฆ I’d stay by her side.
If I were to distance myself, it would mean breaking that promise. That was the one thing that absolutely couldn’t happen.
โโฆThat’s right.โ
Saying that, Nanase smiled happily.
But when Tenma and Ichika find out about todayโฆ I’ll have to face them properly.
Thinking of that inevitable โtimeโ, I left the school store.
โExcuse me. Is Irie Bungaku here?โ
After school. Just as I was about to leave, the classroom began to stir.
My gaze drifted toward the doorway, where the main heroine, Ayabe Ichika, stood.
Nanase and the others had already left the classroom and weren’t here.
โAh, Irie-kun!โ
The moment she noticed me, the main heroine, Ichika-san, waved her hands vigorously. Ignoring the reactions around me, I headed toward Ichika.
โUmโฆ Ayabe-san, right? Did you need something?โ
Somehow, I ended up using polite speech at the end.
โUgh, why are you being so formal? We’re close, aren’t we?โ
Ichika smiled amusedly, giggling softly.
Huh? Whatโฆ? Wait, this is kinda creepyโฆ What do you mean โcloseโ?
โUm, we’re meeting for the first time!! Right? Nice to meet you! Right?โ
I emphasized to my classmates that this was our first meeting more than necessary.
โโฆI should have been clearer. Let me rephrase.โ
Ichika stood on tiptoe and whispered in my ear.
โFumika-chan. How about we talk for the first time in a while?โ
SHE KNEWW~!!!!!
ABORT MISSION~!