Iโve Been Reincarnated as the Childhood Friend of a Doomed Heroine. Since I Donโt Want to Get Caught up in Her Bad Ending, Iโll Make Sure She Ends up Happy
The observation cafeteria had a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Located on the fourth floor of the school building, this spaceโwhich students were free to enter for meals and drinksโwas filled with a distinctly ominous vibe.
The students around me stared wide-eyed, wondering what was going on.
And so, I found myself stepping foot for the first time into this mysterious facility at a private academyโthe kind you often see in fiction.
But honestly, I wasnโt in the mood to enjoy it right now.
After all, this atmosphere was emanating right from the person sitting next to me.
โYou two seem pretty close. Whatโs your relationship?โ
No sooner had I sat down than Shinori fixed me with a suspicious gaze.
โWeโre just friends.โ
โHmm. You go to the trouble of making such an elaborate bento for โjust a friend.โ Youโre pretty unusual, Shiraki-san.โ
When I played dumb, her attention shifted to Ouka.
On the table sat the bento box Ouka had handed me just a moment ago.
It would be impossible to brush this off without mentioning it.
Naturally, Oukaโwho had come alongโfound herself in the crosshairs and straightened her posture.
That said, she didnโt actually sit up straight.
She hunched her back, deftly hid her face by fiddling with her bangs, and glanced around nervously.
Apparently, she was determined to keep up her act in front of Shinori.
In other words, sheโd deliberately reverted to her usual โcamouflage mode.โ
โW-well, โelaborateโโฆ itโs nothing like that! U-um, if youโd like, please have some too, Hanesaki-san.โ
Saying that, she opened the lid of her lunchbox.
Thenโanother surpriseโinside was a colorful sandwich lunchbox.
It was a stylish lunch with plenty of fillings: the classic egg sandwich, two kinds of chicken sandwiches, a BLT, and even fruit jelly for dessert.
The weight must have come from the ice pack and the jelly.
As I looked at the lunch box, I felt a sense of relief deep down.
I mean, just think about it.
If, hypothetically, the contents had been heart-shaped rice topped with cherry blossom-flavored fish flakes, or omelet rice with โLOVEโ written in ketchupโฆ
Iโm sure I wouldโve been tossed onto the ground right then and there as kitchen trash.
And as I fell, ketchup wouldโve splattered all over my body.
The result would be a truly gruesome, pitiful corpse.
Plus, this spot is actually on the top floor of the school.
In fact, since itโs at the very edge of the cafeteria, itโs a prime seat with a panoramic view through the glass windows.
When I looked out, I could see the concrete ground belowโat a height where falling would definitely kill me.
Hmm.
Since theyโre probably using layers of reinforced glass, it probably wonโt shatter, but considering thereโs a doomed heroine right in front of me whoโs about to jump to her deathโฆ Oh, Iโd better stop thinking like that.
Iโm seriously getting chills.
Still, itโs a strangely unsettling situation.
Even within Sakuchiru, Ouka was the one character who, due to her character design, had absolutely no interactions with the other heroines.
And yet, because of meโa mere extraโIโve ended up triggering this bizarre interaction event with Shinori.
I expected her to put on a show, but she let out a click of her tongue earlierโI wonder how long she can keep up the act.
โW-wowโฆ that looks delicious.โ
โโฆHmph.โ
While Shinori was honestly surprised, Ouka snorted in her natural manner.
It looks like her true colors are about to show.
Iโm worried.
I looked once more at Ouka, sitting next to me.
She looks unusually paleโor maybe itโs just the dark circles under her eyesโand I tilt my head in confusion at her profile, which looks like she hasnโt been getting enough sleep.
Sheโs even wearing a light layer of makeup, which is extremely rare for her.
Actually, whatโs on my mind the most right now is her favorability rating toward me.
Between her coming out as a model yesterday, the invitation to the photo shoot, and todayโs hand-delivered homemade bentoโฆ
Iโm starting to feel like I have no choice but to take this in that sense.
By โthat sense,โ I mean that thingโlike โlikingโ or โloveโโthat Iโve been strangely drawn to lately.
Well, even if it doesnโt go that far, she probably thinks of me as at least a pretty close friend.
That said, I have to admit that Iโm still interacting with her in a way that goes beyond just being a background character.
But, wait.
Come to think of it, Iโm the only person who knows the other side of Ouka.
Even though it was a chance encounter, she knows that Iโve figured out sheโs an otaku.
So it might be natural for her to open up to meโฆ maybe.
Besides, having played the original game myself, I know full well that sheโs socially awkward and has a strange sense of personal space.
Itโs entirely possible to interpret her behavior as someone trying to make friends but running wild because she doesnโt understand normal social boundaries.
โNo, that must be it.
I forced myself to draw a line under it and took a deep breath.
I still have questionsโlike what that click of the tongue meant earlierโbut oh well.
I wonโt misinterpret things.
ใ
The reason is, I might die because of it.
Itโs scary.
As I sat there trembling to myself, the atmosphere at the table started to feel a bit off.
Shinoriโs sour expression and Oukaโs smug look gave me a bad feeling.
Huh?
Isnโt something wrong here?
โCould it be that you canโt cook, Hanesaki-san?โ
โHuh!? โฆWhat do you mean by that?โ
Before I knew it, the two of them had started sparring.
At Oukaโs clearly insinuating remark, the warmth drained from Shinoriโs expression.
At that moment, I distinctly heard a โsnapโ sound in my ears.
It was the sound of something inside Shinori snapping.
However, Ouka maintained her composed facade while delivering words that were clearly laced with barbs.
โI mean exactly what I said. Since you were so surprised by a dish this simple, I just wondered if maybe thatโs the case.โ
โEven if that were true, whatโs it to you?โ
โIโm just asking. If youโd like, I could explain it to you.โ
โโฆโฆIโll pass.โ
There was no doubt about itโShinori was the one who struck first.
Sheโd carelessly spread too much hostility.
And joining us for lunch was a bad move, too.
It doesnโt matter what kind of relationship Ouka and I haveโif someone barges into a lunch like that, in such a forceful way, anyone would find it annoying.
Shinori might have intended it as a warning against me getting involved with another girl, but that has nothing to do with Ouka.
That said, I didnโt expect Ouka to react this strongly either.
Even in the original story, their relationship wasnโt this hostile, so this is unexpected.
Also, Oukaโs reaction really does seem off.
I understand whyShinori dislikes me interacting with other girls.
After all, sheโs already voiced her feelings for me.
Given how possessive she is, itโs an unhealthy but understandable psychological reaction.
There were reasons why she ended up liking me too, so I can still get that.
But whatโs with Oukaโs reaction?
If I think about it simply, I could assume she also has feelings for me and is reacting against Shinoriโs attempts to keep me all to herselfโbut as far as sheโs concerned, I donโt recall having enough interaction with her to make her like me.
After all, no events have triggered yet.
The fact that I resolved Shinori and Yukimiโs events led to their affection levels rising.
That being the case, itโs physically impossible for Ouka to have feelings for me.
To be honestโand Iโm not braggingโIโm not even considered interesting enough to be popular with girls just by acting normally.
In fact, even now, aside from Shinori and Yukimi, no one else has even a mosquitoโs worth of interest in me.
Iโm pretty sure half my classmates donโt even know my name.
Thatโs exactly why her reaction hasnโt made sense to me this whole time.
I was thinking about all this whenโ
Suddenly, the cafeteria got noisy, and we stopped arguing to look toward the entrance.
There, we saw a lively group of people laughing loudly and hysterically.
โThe soccer team, huh?โ
โโฆโฆโ
Ouka muttered, and I nodded silently.
There were seven of them.
Six guys and one girl who looked like she was the manager.
Aoiko wasnโt there.
But I did spot someone I really didnโt want to run into.
As soon as he saw me, he clicked his tongue loudly enough for me to hear.
โUgh, what a pain. For someone whoโs always lecturing others, youโre just having a girl wait on you and having fun yourself. Thatโs seriously gross.โ
He must have been really bothered by our exchange at the aquarium the other day to spew such insults.
As far as Iโm concerned, I donโt intend to have her wait on meโsheโs just tagging along on her ownโbut thereโs no point in explaining that.
After glaring at me, Kayaya Chagiri headed straight for a table in the back with his friends.
After hearing the insults.
Shinori was staring at the group with a cold expression.
โThat person has a bad reputation, doesnโt she?โ
โYou mean Chagiri?โ
โYeah, him. Iโve heard all sorts of things since what happened the other day.โ
โโฆโฆโ
Perhaps because she was involved in the aquarium incident, Shinori had apparently gathered some information for me as well.
Personally, I was a little moved that Shinori had managed to mend her relationships enough to have a normal conversation with othersโbut letโs set that aside for now.
Hearing our conversation, Ouka chimed in.
โWell, the soccer club itself has a weird vibe, anyway.โ
โHuh?โ
Since her comment wasnโt directed solely at Chagiri, I couldnโt help but tilt my head in confusion.
I knew about the Chagiri situation from what Kisa and Aoiko had told me, but I didnโt know anything else.
Then, Ouka pointed at the female manager and said,
โThereโs just something off about that managerโs personal space. Do girls usually laugh with guys at that close a distance? Itโs kind of creepy.โ
โOh, I think I kind of get what you mean. Like, she lets her guard down too much.โ
โYeah, thatโs it, exactly.โ
Skillfully switching between putting on a facade and speaking her mind, Ouka agreed with Shinori.
For some reason, they seemed to get along even better than before.
And to be honest, now that she mentioned it, I did feel like there was a lot of physical contact.
But still, itโs a tricky situation.
I donโt really understand the nuances of how women act, and it seems like that kind of thing could happen among close friends who know each other well.
Besides, I donโt know what exactly Ouka meant by that โweird vibe.โ
Still, I couldnโt shake the feeling that this was an intuition I shouldnโt ignore.
Because.
โSo what about Aoiko, exactly?
Assuming the dynamic between the manager and the team members was off.
Aoiko, who is also a female manager for the soccer club, how does she usually interact with the team members?
I found myself secretly feeling uneasy.
Maiban