I, Who Was Reincarnated as an Evil Character With Cheat-Level Stats in an Eroge, Will Live Freely in This Life
With that settled, I was walking home with Miku.
“Hey…”
“What is it?”
“What will happen to the previous victims and the children…”
Miku was standing next to me, watching the police examine the video.
She hadn’t seen the video herself, but she understood what kind of video it was.
“I don’t know… but at least the children will be able to live their lives without knowing anything about it, right? The perpetrators probably don’t even remember the children’s faces, so I think it’s better for the children that way.”
I don’t know what will happen to the victims and the perpetrators, but at least the video won’t be spread anymore.
There are more than just one or two victims, and the police will take this seriously.
Even if they manage to hide backups, if the videos spread after their release, the perpetrators will be exposed in an instant, and they’ll probably behave themselves.
Well, to be honest, there’s nothing more I can do about it.
“Yeah… It’s better for the children… But what about the victims…”
The usual Miku is cool and stylish, but right now, she’s really angry.
“All I can say is that I hope they can recover little by little.”
“Yeah… but still, men are just…”
Miku’s hands were trembling as she said that.
It’s probably anger, but maybe…
When she was in elementary school, Miku didn’t hate men, but she was uncomfortable around her male classmates.
The trigger was the lewd stares and men who approached her with obvious ulterior motives.
What made her hate men was an incident in her first year of middle school. At the time, she was called out by her vice-principal and almost assaulted.
Fortunately, she was saved by a female teacher from the health room who happened to pass by, but the incident was handled in such a way that no information about the victim was disclosed, as per Miku’s request.
Only her family, the parties involved, and a few teachers knew about the incident.
Even the next day, Miku was able to go about her day as usual, so it was a secret she didn’t even tell Kana or Saki.
And to make matters worse, Miku had trusted that vice-principal more than any other teacher.
Being betrayed in the worst possible way by someone she had relied on not only made her dislike men but also caused her to stop relying on others.
Her heart is truly strong… or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she was trying her best to act as if nothing had happened.
I couldn’t find the words to say to her.
After all, Miku probably hated me too. I knew she wasn’t the type to believe rumors, but…
Then we walked in silence.
◇
A while later.
“Hey, Kisaragi… Do you have a minute?”
Miku’s voice was much calmer than before.
I didn’t feel any anger, so maybe she had sorted things out in her mind?
“I do…”
“Okay. Then let’s talk on that bench over there.”
“Yeah…”
I didn’t know what was going on, but I decided to talk to her anyway.
“So what do you want to talk about?”
I sat down on the bench and asked her right away.
“First of all, thank you… Even though it was just a coincidence, you saved me and Kana.”
“It really was just a coincidence, so there’s no need to thank me.”
“I know… But please at least accept my gratitude.”
“Oh, well, I guess I’ll take it then.”
“And then…”
I was responding calmly, but to be honest, I was surprised.
I had never seen her thank a man in the game before.
Well, strictly speaking, it was only Nanashima…
I thought so, but Miku is a sensible girl.
It’s natural to be grateful when someone helps you, and since Nanashima was the only man involved in the game, it was inevitable.
“Are you okay now?”
“Nothing happened to me, so I’m fine…”
With her strong sense of justice, she will continue to try to help children in need, even if it means putting herself in danger. And that goes for things outside of the game as well.
She doesn’t rely on others to solve dangerous situations or problems, but does everything on her own… Based on her past experiences, that’s the kind of personality Miku has. She wouldn’t rely on Nanashima, Kana, or Saki.
Rather, Miku believes that she will protect the two of them!
I want Miku to learn to rely on others somehow.
I know she’s talented, but there’s no way she can solve everything on her own.
In the game, her personality has caused her suffering in the past.
And above all, just like my past life…
“Speaking of which, you said you came back because something seemed off, but what did you think was happening?”
“I didn’t really know what was happening. But if you think about it normally, if such a small child said something like that, it’s easy to imagine that they’re being used… And I’ll apologize in advance. I’m sorry. I thought that Kisaragi appeared at a good time and might be up to something. Maybe they’re connected to the person who used that child? I thought that too.”
I see… That’s certainly a possibility.
Especially for Miku, who is more cautious than anyone else when it comes to boys.
“So you turned back after that…”
“Yes… I thought I had to stop them if they were planning something bad… And also because Kana became friends with you.”
That’s probably true.
If Kana said she became friends with me, then Miku, who cares about Kana, would immediately end the friendship if I did something bad.
She probably left that girl with Kana to confirm that.
“But that’s a little careless… Maybe you should think more before acting?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
When I said that, Miku raised her eyebrows and replied.
It may be insensitive, but I can’t say anything clever, so I’ll just say it clearly in situations like this.
Even if it makes Miku angry, it’s more important to make her aware of it.
“Suzukaze has good grades, but she’s pretty stupid, isn’t she…”
“Stupid!?”
“Yeah, if you don’t understand what I’m saying, then you’re stupid. If you came back because you were worried about what you said, then you shouldn’t have come alone. If I were one of their friends, you would definitely have been in danger, right?”
“Well, that’s… right.”
“So, if there was a child in danger, what would you do?”
“Of course I would help them.”
“Alone, like this time? Even though you could ask someone else for help?”
“… ”
Miku remained silent in response to my question.
It must be difficult for her to answer this question, as she never relies on anyone but herself.
The answer is obviously yes, but I guess she can’t say it because of the context of the conversation.
No matter how mature Miku is, she’s still a first-year high school student.
Miku is still the most fragile of the heroines.
“…”
Then Miku said something, but her voice was too soft for me to hear.
“Did you say something?”
“What do you know about it?!”
Miku shouted, looking angry, but at the same time, she looked distressed.
“I don’t understand anything. There’s no way I could understand you.”
“Then just shut up!!!”
Miku gets even angrier, so I say to her.
“Can I tell you something…”
“…”
When I say that, Miku falls silent, so I take that as a good sign and start talking.
“First of all, I don’t have parents…”
“Eh…”
“They died in an accident when I was still little. And what do you think happened? Normally, someone would have taken me in, right? But I was alone the whole time… I didn’t have any relatives, but even so, my parents had helped a lot of people, so they talked about who would take me in in front of me. But everyone who said they owed my parents a debt of gratitude started treating me like a nuisance as soon as they heard my parents had died. Even though I was still young, I realized then that I had to live my life without trusting anyone… So by the time I was old enough to understand, I had no one I could rely on.”
I’ve thought this before, but whenever I try to recall these memories, it feels strange.
They’re my own memories, but they don’t feel like something I experienced. Yet they feel as though I did experience them.
I continue thinking such things.
“But you know, I’ve been thinking lately. Maybe it’s not so bad to get along with people… to trust them… And I think I could confide in that person if I had any worries…”
That person is Kana, and I really mean it.
Part of it is because I already knew her personality, but Kana has the ability to warm people’s hearts.
Even though I’ve only known her for a short time, I now trust her completely.
“Wait, I’m not saying I don’t trust anyone else!”
“Of course I know that. But you can’t confide in them, can you?”
“Why… why do you know that…”
“It’s not that I know, it’s just that she reminds me of my past self…”
Even though I said that, maybe we’re not really similar.
Seito, who had no parents and no one to rely on.
I had parents, but I couldn’t trust them or rely on them.
Miku, who has parents and friends, trusts them, but is afraid to rely on them.
Whether or not these three are similar is a matter of personal opinion, but they all share the same inability to confide in anyone about their troubles.
“You… How did you…”
Miku’s words trailed off, but it was easy to imagine what she was going to say next.
“Suzukaze… You’re afraid to rely on anyone, aren’t you?”
“!!!”
When I said that, Miku’s eyes widened.
“Even though I trust them, I’m afraid of being betrayed. If that’s the case, I’d rather solve everything on my own. Is that how it is?”
Even though she says she trusts them, isn’t it true that she doesn’t trust them if she’s afraid of being betrayed? That’s how it seems, but Miku truly trusts Kana, Saki, and her parents.
It’s just that her past trauma is making her think that way. It’s a trauma, and it’s like a curse that keeps her thinking that way.
At the time, Miku was in her first year of middle school, so it’s no wonder that it left such a deep impression on her…
“Yeah… I guess so. It’s not just that, but it’s pretty much like that… You see right through me, don’t you…”
Miku said that with a resigned tone.
Maiban