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…
“Um… sports drinks and jelly, throat lozenges, udon noodles, rice porridge too, maybe?”
That morning, I was waiting for someone in the park while typing Hiyori’s get-well gift list into my phone’s memo app.
Suddenly, I saw Misuzu running toward me.
“Morning. Sorry I kept you waiting, Bungaku.”
“It’s fine. I just got here myself.”
“Oh… Somehow, this feels like we’re lovers.”
Misuzu looked deeply moved.
“Well, we are lovers. Sort of… Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
We started walking side by side toward school.
“…I never thought Bungaku would be the one to suggest walking to school together.”
“Ah… well, I figured it’d be better to do something couple-like.”
Though it was Kirifuji-san who came up with the idea…
“Hehe, I see.”
Misuzu bumped her shoulder against mmine, looking rather pleased.
Just as Kirifuji-san said, Misuzu’s mood had improved. Kirifuji-san really is something…
“Speaking of which, we had a family meeting at the Serizawa house yesterday.”
“…W-what happened? Did they get suspicious?”
“Nope. Dad and Mom… they believed me, just like normal.”
Misuzu puffed out her chest proudly and gave a peace sign. Seems it went well.
“Well, they were suspicious at first… but when I talked about Bungaku, they believed me.”
“Huh… By the way, what did you tell them?”
“Um… Dad asked me about Bungaku… I told him I like how Bungaku is a loner, stands out in class, is timid, insensitive, unprincipled, good-for-nothing, and a charmer.”
“Wait, that’s just insults!”
“It’s fine. I made sure to follow up by saying he does look cool sometimes.”
“You think that half-hearted follow-up was enough?”
“Yeah. They both got that I really like Bungaku.”
Mizuki’s Dad, Mizuki’s Mom. Are you really okay with that?
…Alright, time to get to the main point.
“Oh, by the way, Nanase-san asked me to tell you she’s skipping school today with a cold.”
“Huh? Really?”
Now, here comes the real deal.
“Yeah. Apparently she has a fever of 39 degrees. She’s going to the hospital with her mom this morning, though.”
“…………Come to think of it, it was raining that day.”
“Misuzu?”
“…………I should go visit her. Maybe I should talk properly with Hiyori too.”
“About that… I told Nanase-san it’d be fine if I came to visit, since catching cold would be bad. But—”
“Did she maybe say it was okay if it was just for Bungaku?”
Though surprised by Misuzu’s words, I nodded.
“So, um… is it okay if I go visit?”
“Sure.”
“Huh? Oh, really?”
Seeing me double-check, she nodded as if amused.
“Even if I said no, you’d go anyway, wouldn’t you, Bungaku?”
“Yeah! You’re the best fake girlfriend ever. You get me.”
As I said this while doing a thumbs-up, Misuzu, with her eyes narrowed, jabbed my side with her elbow.
Sorry… I just gave up…
“…You can tell Hiyori about our situation.”
“Eh, it’s… okay?”
I never expected Misuzu to suggest it herself… The second hurdle was cleared just as easily.
“Yeah… I guess I didn’t really understand how Hiyori felt…”
What did that mean?
Just as I tried to figure out the true meaning behind her words, Misuzu cut me off.
“So, Bungaku, please take care of Hiyori.”
◇
“Ah, Class President~ Do you know what happened to Hiyori-chan today?”
“I heard she got a fever from a cold.”
Today, I was having this exchange with a female classmate, Takanashi-san—I’d lost count of how many times it happened.
Incidentally, I’d never spoken to Takanashi-san before.
“Oh, really? That’s worrisome. Thanks for telling me… Huh? What’s wrong? Why that look?”
“Ah, no… I was just wondering why you’d ask me about Nanase-san.”
“Eh, well… When you think of Hiyori-chan, you think of the class president, right? We’re always together. Anyway, tell her I hope she gets better soon!”
Saying that, she waved her hand fluttery-fluttery~ and returned to her seat.
I’m sure she called me the class president not because she didn’t remember my name, but because that title had become so ingrained.
Probably. Definitely. Most likely.
“…Phew.”
I was exhausted, no wonder. After all, Tsukimi-san, Tenma, Ichika, even the boys in class and the teachers had been asking about Hiyori.
…Could this exchange possibly go on all day?
“What’s up? You look unusually tired.”
Tsukimi-san spoke to me as I slumped over my desk.
“Yeah. Everyone keeps asking me about Nanase-san…”
“I see. I thought it was weird how Bungaku kept getting approached by so many people today.”
Misuzu was as merciless as ever when it came to my relationships.
Or rather, why were both of them at my desk… Oh, right. It’s already lunch break.
I realized it when I saw the lunch boxes they were holding.
“…I’m going to the school store.”
Perfect timing… I’ll go buy lunch while I change my mood.
“If Bungaku’s going, maybe I’ll come too.”
“You can’t leave Tsukimi-san all alone.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah indeed, Hoshino would get lonely all by herself.”
“Huh?”
Mizuki patted her head and hugged Tsukimi-san.
Hmm, looks like I’m the third wheel here. Best to get out of here quickly.
Feeling Tsukimi-san’s gaze fixed on me, I left the classroom.
Walking down the hallway, I recalled what she had said earlier.
[When you think of Hiyori-chan, you think of the class president, right? You’re always together.]
…Is that really how people see me and Hiyori?
Lost in thought, I reached the school store to find Ichika standing there, looking as if she were waiting for someone.
“Ah, Bungaku-kun.”
“Huh? Hana-san. Why are you here?”
I thought I told her and Tenma that Hiyori was out sick with a cold, so we’d eat lunch in the classroom…
“I was buying something for Hiyori-chan at the store. Here, Bungaku-kun. Please take care of it.”
What Ichika handed me was fruit throat lozenges.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Got it… Wait, why me?”
“Why? Well… Bungaku-kun, you’re going to visit Hiyori-chan, right?”
Huh? True, I stopped them from going to visit via message, but I hadn’t told anyone I was going to visit Hiyori myself.
Ichika tilted her head in puzzlement at my silence.
“Huh? Was I wrong?”
“No, you’re right… but I don’t think I told you I was going to visit Hiyori… how did you know?”
Ichika chuckled softly at my question.
“Just a feeling.”
Oh, just a feeling… Women’s intuition is terrifying.
“Besides, I did say it, right? That Hiyori-chan relies on Bungaku-kun more than anyone else.”
“…Come to think of it, you were right.”
“…When I first came to this school, I caught a cold and had to miss a few days. Back then, Tenma-kun came to visit me…”
Whoops, is this lovey-dovey time? Just as I thought that, Ichika’s expression turned serious.
“When you have a fever, your mind gets unstable and you end up saying what you’re really thinking. Things you wouldn’t tell anyone… So, Bungaku-kun. If Hiyori-chan ever spills her feelings, I want you to listen to everything. And please, take it all in properly.”
“……………….”
“At least I was saved because Tenma-kun did that for me.”
Then, at the end, she smiled awkwardly.
Could such a big responsibility really fall to someone like me?
Thinking that, I stared out the window at the clear blue sky.