I’ve Been Reincarnated as the Childhood Friend of a Doomed Heroine. Since I Don’t Want to Get Caught up in Her Bad Ending, I’ll Make Sure She Ends up Happy
“It’s Golden Week—wanna go hang out together?”
Thursday, May 1st.
That’s what Akito blurted out in the classroom.
The usual crew was around—me, Akito, Ujiya, Shinori, and Kisa.
Getting together to shoot the breeze had become a regular thing.
“Oh! I’m totally up for it since I’m free! Everyone else is either busy with club tournaments or too tired from them to hang out during their off-time~, so schedules just didn’t work out~”
Ujiya reacted with more excitement than anyone else.
While us non-club members are free year-round, it seems athletes don’t have that luxury.
Anyway, putting that aside.
I was lost in my own world, deep in thought.
I fit in here perfectly fine, but I don’t recall any characters like ‘Toyono’ or ‘Shinori’s childhood friend’ being part of the main group in the original story.
Other members besides me did have scenes hanging out in the classroom in the original, but that’s about it.
I definitely don’t belong here.
We’ve just sort of drifted into this relationship, but is it really okay for me to be here as a background character?
Personally, it’s convenient because I can monitor Akito and Shinori’s relationship in real time, but if that means I become an obstacle between them, it defeats the purpose.
Considering what happened just the other day, maybe I should stop getting involved too much.
…But wait, hold on?
Here, I remember.
In the original work, there was a mob character who frequently had lines and appearances, yet was never described in detail.
His name? ‘Male Student A’.
He’s the kind of mob character common in eroge, placed in groups just to make up the numbers when the protagonists hang out.
Maybe that’s what I am right now.
Since he wasn’t given a character name, it wouldn’t be strange if Shinori’s childhood friend = Boy Student A.
Thinking that, does that mean my being here now was already predestined?
…Hmm, I don’t know.
This is getting complicated and giving me a headache.
Anyway, there aren’t any other guys besides me who frequently interact with this group, and deliberately avoiding them probably isn’t the best idea.
Even now, I still can’t figure out the right way to handle myself.
As I pondered alone, Ujiya’s troubled voice reached my ears.
“But seriously, three guys is kinda gross, right? I mean, we should try to even out the numbers with girls too—”
“Ugh, Ujiya, gross. This isn’t a mixer, you know?”
“Hey, Hiiragi, every guy thinks that, right? Hey, Toyono?”
“Huh? Ah, well…! No, that’s not it!”
“……”
Brushed off casually, I almost nodded in agreement but stopped myself just in time.
Because I caught my childhood friend’s prickly gaze at the edge of my vision.
That was close.
As Ujiya and Kisa were arguing, Akito chimed in.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m inviting Aoiko.”
“…Ah.”
The moment her name was mentioned, my voice slipped out.
Aoiko, Kijima Aoiko.
Needless to say, she’s Akito’s childhood friend and one of the heroines to pursue in ‘Sakuchiru’.
I’d been distracted by Yukimi’s event and neglected her, but it seems things are going well with her.
Stopping the Akito x Aoiko pairing is a given, but regardless, it’s a relief he’s handling it well.
After the Shinori event was such a mess, I want him to at least conquer his own childhood friend on his own.
Then, before I knew it, everyone’s gaze was fixed on me.
“Hey, Toyono, are you after Kijima?”
“Huh? —Wait, no, no! That’s not it!”
This is bad.
My weird reaction made them misunderstand.
I shook my head violently, but it didn’t work on these kids in the thick of puberty.
“Well, yeah. What do you think, Hiiragi?”
“Hmm, this is suspicious, huh? After all, it’s Toyono-san, who slobbered all over that Shichikajo-senpai and shamelessly made himself her conversation partner. Man, his flattery skills are legendary.”
“Don’t mess with me! That was that woman forcing—”
“…You called her ‘that woman’ again.”
My heart jumped at Shinori’s muttered remark, catching me on my choice of words.
The situation was dire.
Dammit!
Times like this call for a dependable protagonist.
I look to Akito for help.
But.
“Huh? Does Kyota like Aoiko…?”
“I told you it’s a misunderstanding! These guys made it up!”
“Hmm. Well, it’s not really my place to say anything, but—”
Looking into Akito’s glowering eyes, I realized.
Apparently, there wasn’t a single ally here.
His expression was dissatisfied, tinged with a hint of jealousy.
Seeing that, I felt complex emotions myself.
Was he happy for me as a friend, seeing his childhood friend progressing smoothly? Or was he resentful as a friend, upset about the strange misunderstanding?
I couldn’t even understand my own feelings anymore.
But no, caution.
This reaction meant there was a possibility Akito had already set his sights on Aoiko in his mind.
That was something I absolutely had to prevent.
Because if Akito ended up with another heroine, it meant a guaranteed bad ending for Shinori.
Honestly, this crisis was on a whole different level from anything before.
Me, secretly panicking; Akito, looking slightly dissatisfied; and Ujiya and Kisa watching us suspiciously.
Amidst this, Shinori alone kept fixing me with an icy stare.
…Though I didn’t realize it at the time.
Maiban