I, Who Was Reincarnated as an Evil Character With Cheat-Level Stats in an Eroge, Will Live Freely in This Life
“Whoa… It’s been ages since I slept in this late.”
It was 10:30 AM. A time I’d normally be up long ago.
Usually, whether I had school or not, I’d go for a run early in the morning. So this felt incredibly long overdue… No, more than long overdue—since I was reborn into this world, I think this is the first time I’ve slept in this late.
There wasn’t any special reason for it. Sure, I went to bed late, but maybe it was also because I’d been dealing with a lot lately and fatigue had built up.
Fatigue just piles up without you even noticing… It was the same in my past life. My body feels incredibly refreshed now, though.
Even so, I still planned to go running, so after washing my face and such, I headed out for my run.
◇
――After finishing my run, I took a shower at home and then headed out to grab lunch.
I said I was heading out for lunch, but I didn’t have anything specific in mind or a particular place to go.
Lately, except for when I ate with Kana on holidays, I’d just been grabbing light stuff like veggies and chicken from the convenience store, maybe an onigiri or sandwich. What to do?
I try to avoid junk food when I’m alone, to maintain my physique or rather, to keep my body from weakening… I need to be somewhat mindful of that so I can help Kana and the others if something happens. That said, it’s nothing too strenuous, so it’s not a hardship at all.
Actually, about when I go on dates with Kana… I’ve told her I make pretty good money. Or rather, it’s kind of common knowledge that my family is well-off, so Kana knew that. Anyway, even though I tell her I earn my own money since I don’t have parents, she still refuses to let me pay for things one-sidedly.
Personally, I want to treat her, but Kana insists she hates it when it’s one-sided! Even when we go out, she says things like, “Let’s take turns paying!”
Kana’s still in middle school, so she can’t even get a part-time job. Honestly, I get that, so we compromised that once she starts high school, I’ll treat her.
Even if she saved up her New Year’s money or something, it’d probably run out quickly anyway.
But that’s just for meals. She insisted she’d pay for anything else we spent money on for fun. Since Kana hates me paying for everything, I decided to back down easily.
We can have fun without spending money anyway. High school and middle school kids don’t need to spend that much. Besides, if it makes Kana feel pressured, this is probably best.
Anyway, that aside, I’m kinda in the mood for ramen today… I’ve been pretty tired lately with all sorts of stuff, so maybe I’ll treat myself today.
――Thinking that, I headed to a popular ramen shop around here…
“Ah…”
The two people coming from the opposite direction met each other’s gaze a little way from the entrance (somewhere out of the way of passersby and people).
Good timing or bad? Seriously, why does this kind of thing happen to me so often…
They were probably here for ramen too, but standing there were Miku and a woman who looked like her mother.
She resembled Miku, a stylishly beautiful type of woman. Just like Harumi-san, all the heroines’ mothers are way too pretty. I’ve seen it in games too, so I’m sure of it.
Then, seeing me, Miku murmured.
“K-Kisaragi…”
“What a coincidence, Suzukaze…”
“Y-Yeah. Kisaragi, what are you doing here?”
“I came here to eat.”
I pointed to the yakiniku restaurant I’d been planning to mention.
“Y-yeah. What a coincidence. We are too.”
Our conversation was a bit awkward, partly because Miku’s mother was there. I could feel Miku’s tension, and it made things a little uncomfortable.
Then, Miku’s mother listened to our conversation with a puzzled look, her eyes darting back and forth between my face and Mikku’s several times. After watching us for a moment, she spoke up, sounding hesitant.
“Um… are you an acquaintance of Miku’s?”
“Y-yes… Mom.”
“An acquaintance? What kind?”
“A… friend…”
When Miku’s mother asked that, Miku answered shyly.
“Friends!?”
“Y-yeah…”
Hearing that, Miku’s mother looked incredibly surprised, but well, that reaction was only natural.
If Miku had told her parents about me, things might have been different, but it seemed she hadn’t. And honestly, if I were in her position, I’m pretty sure I’d have reacted exactly the same way.
After all, it goes without saying that she never dreamed Miku had a male friend. It’s not that she couldn’t talk about it like Saki, but Miku also keeps her distance from boys. Besides, there’s no way her mother wouldn’t know about the past. It’d be impossible for her not to be surprised.
“I-I see…”
Saying that, Miku’s mother fixed her gaze on me.
It wasn’t like she was glaring, but she seemed deep in thought.
The situation was that I’d locked eyes with Miku’s mother, and it felt incredibly hard to look away. Feeling the awkwardness intensely, I just kept staring back.
“Um, may I ask your name?”
“Uh, yes. My name is Kisaragi Seito. I’m friends with Miku-san.”
“Seito-kun, huh? I’m Miku’s mother, Suzukaze Yuki.”
“Yuki-san… Nice to meet you.”
I’d just come to eat, so why was this happening? I thought vaguely as I greeted Yuki-san.
“Nice to meet you. Seito-kun came to this restaurant too, right?”
“Yes. That was my intention.”
“Well then, since you’re here, why don’t we eat together? Of course, I’ll cover the bill.”
I was completely taken aback by the sudden suggestion to eat together. I hadn’t expected anything like that at all.
“Together?”
“M-Mom, what’s gotten into you all of a sudden!?”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one shocked.
Miku was unusually wide-eyed and flustered too.
“Do you two dislike it? If so, we can eat separately…”
“I-It’s not that I dislike it, but…”
When Yuki-san said that, Miku murmured softly.
I don’t fully understand Yuki-san’s intentions, but I suspect it’s similar to what happened with Harumi-san.
She probably isn’t mistakenly thinking I am her boyfriend, but hearing a male friend made her curious.
The old Miku would never call a guy a friend, so it’s understandable she’s curious…
It was so sudden, I was nervous, or rather, a bit flustered… but I also felt it would be wrong to refuse, so I said
“I’m fine with it, but I’ll cover the bill.”
When I said that, Yuki-san shook her head slightly and replied.
“You’re just a kid, you don’t need to worry about it. Leave it to us adults.”
“That’s right, Kisaragi. Mom says it’s fine, so it’s okay.”
Both of them told me that.
Well, after being told that, I guess I’ll take them up on their offer.
“Um. Then I’ll take you up on your offer. Thank you.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
And so, I came to eat yakiniku, treating myself to a luxury I hadn’t indulged in for a while, and somehow ended up having a meal with Miku and her mother, Yuki.
Maiban