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 past few days had been uneventfully peaceful.
I was still constantly exposed to the terror of the โdoomed heroine,โ as always, but nothing major had happened.
When Ouka and Shinori crossed paths yesterday at lunchtime, my heart skipped a beat for a moment, but that was about it.
If anything, Shinoriโs overly intense advances have actually eased up a bit since then, so in the end, it might have been for the best.
That said, I do feel like the pressure of her gaze has increased by about thirty percent.
And then, amidst all thatโฆ
Behind the scenes, another development regarding that matter had already begun.
โItโs been a while, Kisa Hiiragi.โ
โโฆIโm really sorry about what happened back then.โ
โHehe, I didnโt suffer any direct harm, so you donโt have to apologize, you know?โ
The commotion the other day involving Hayase and Ami and the others.
I was the one who was explicitly attacked, but Yukimi was involved as well.
After all, if the plan was to use me as bait to lure Yukimi out and extort a ransom, then sheโs a victim too.
However, Yukimi just laughed.
โItโs all over now. Besides, rest assured that even if someone like you had joined in, the outcome wouldnโt have changed.โ
โโฆWhoa, thatโs harsh~โ
Kisa gave a wry smile at her usual way of speaking.
As expected, my reliable senior just canโt help but throw in a bit of sarcasm.
That said, this gathering wasnโt arranged just so Yukimi could pick on Kisa.
If anything, itโs the exact opposite.
After all, this is the first strategy meeting for Kisaโs sake.
A weeknight.
After school, Iโd come to a restaurant with Kisa and Yukimi.
It was a Japanese restaurant with completely private rooms; both the menu and the atmosphere exuded a sense of luxury.
Naturally, it was Yukimi who chose the place.
Iโd like to say she has impeccable taste, but honestly, it just made me feel incredibly out of place.
And Kisa probably felt the same way.
After we entered the restaurant, we made eye contact countless times, exchanging a โThis is bad, isnโt it?โ look that only people from ordinary backgrounds would understand.
So many times that I lost count.
โIโm sure youโve already guessed, but the reason I called you here today is regarding that male junior student.โ
At Yukimiโs words, a hint of tension flashed across Kisaโs face.
Heโs usually a goofball, but even he canโt afford to be that way right now.
Iโd better buckle down, too.
But first, though.
โHiiragi, I need to talk to him for a moment. Is that okay?โ
โHuh? Oh, sure. I was feeling a little nervous anyway and needed to use the restroom, so Iโll be right back~โ
I motioned for Kisa to leave the room.
She got up to use the restroom, leaving Yukimi and me alone in the room.
Once her footsteps had completely faded from the hallway, I asked:
โUm, youโre not going to say something like โkill her,โ are you?โ
That was the first thing I needed to confirm.
If that was the kind of solution she had in mind, I had to stop her at all costs.
Just like with the previous incident, Yukimi has the power to make that happen.
And I didnโt think I could let Kisa hear this kind of conversation right now.
It would be way too dangerous to get her thinking that way.
ใ
At that, Yukimi shot me a exasperated, sidelong glance.
โSigh. I was wondering what you were going to sayโand itโs something like that?โ
โItโs not โsomething like that,โ is it?โ
โYouโre the one who lectured me about not getting my hands dirty in the first place, arenโt you? Iโm not going to suggest any direct methods at this point.โ
โThatโs fine by me, but just in case.โ
โI was totally prepared for you to confess your love or something.โ
โYouโre joking.โ
I wish sheโd stop saying ridiculous things with such a straight face.
Now isnโt the time for that.
โI mean, the circumstances are different from last time, arenโt they? The last time, I stopped it strictly because it was revenge for senpai, but since this time it doesnโt involve me personally, I figured it would be different.โ
โWell, thatโs true. Even if Iโm pulling the strings this time, Iโm not getting my hands dirty directly, and Iโm not acting selfishly on a whim. Itโs true that killing them would be the quickest solutionโand you could even say itโs my preferred method. After all, someone who tramples on the rights of others isnโt worth keeping alive.โ
โSee?โ
โBut thatโs not it. This situation is a lot more complicated than you think.โ
โโฆโฆ?โ
I tilted my head, and Yukimi gestured for me to stop.
Just then, Kisaโs footsteps were approaching, so I picked up on the hint and fell silent.
Itโs probably better if everyone hears this important conversation.
The door swung open, and Kisa returned.
She stared at me with a puzzled look, sat down next to me, and asked,
โโฆโฆDid you two have enough time alone? Should I have stayed out a little longer?โ
โArenโt you misunderstanding something?โ
โWerenโt you two groping each other?โ
โโฆโฆItโs not like that, so donโt worry.โ
โHmm.โ
Perhaps the fresh air had calmed her down; Kisa was back to her usual self.
It throws me off.
Now that the atmosphere had settled down completely, Yukimi opened her mouth to get back to the main topic.
โHiiragi-san. Itโs definitely Kayaya Chagiri who attacked you last year, isnโt it?โ
โYes.โ
โThen let me tell you something important.โ
After that preamble, Yukimi took a deep breath.
Then, with a rare, slightly troubled smile, she began to speak.
โIโve known about him for some time due to certain circumstances. So Iโm aware of his family background and suchโฆ but heโKayaya Chagiriโis from a family of politicians.โ
โโฆHuh?โ
Faced with a truth coming from an unexpected angle, I couldnโt help but ask her to repeat herself.
Kisa also seemed completely bewildered, blinking her eyes in confusion.
โHis motherโs maiden name is Sayama. Itโs that Sayama familyโeveryone in this area knows them. Itโs a prestigious family that has produced current members of the prefectural governors, and even a former prime minister.โ
โSayamaโฆ that guy?โ
โHehe, I canโt blame you for thinking that. But since his mother left her family to marry into another family, Kayaya Chagiri himself isnโt actually a member of the Sayama family.โ
Heโs merely a relative; thereโs no relationship beyond that.
Yukimiโs phrasing seemed rather complicated.
And I had one more thing on my mind.
The Sayama familyโa dynasty of hereditary politiciansโฆ Thatโs a name Iโd heard just recently.
In fact, that was the very name Yukimi had mentioned when she told me about her arranged marriage meeting earlier.
And wait a minuteโฆ
That day, Yukimi had said the person she was meeting for the arranged marriage was the grandson of Hiroyoshi Sayama, a current member of the Diet.
And it seems that Kayaya Chagiriโs mother is part of the Sayama family.
In short, thereโs a high probability heโs the grandson of that Hiroyoshi Sayama.
So that meansโฆ?
I hesitated in front of Kisa, but I couldnโt help but ask, so I spoke up.
โShichikajo senpai mentioned the other guy the other dayโhe said that person was also Hiroyoshi Sayamaโs grandsonโฆโ
โAh, no, thatโs a different person. Kayaya Chagiri is also a grandson, but the guy from that incident is someone else entirely.โ
โOh, I see.โ
I was surprised.
Iโd almost mistakenly assumed that Kayaya Chagiri was Yukimiโs arranged marriage partner.
Hearing that wasnโt the case, I felt deeply relieved for the time being.
In that case, the matchmaking candidate himself is probably someone from the main branch of the familyโperhaps the son of the current prefectural governor, for example.
In any case, as long as itโs not that guy, Iโm glad.
With that, Iโd gone ahead with the conversation, leaving Kisa a little behind.
I cleared my throat and straightened my posture.
โI mean, the grandson of such a distinguished family is like that?โ
Kisa voiced the exact thought Iโd been about to point out.
The phrase was so crass that a wry smile slipped out among us.
โThatโs probably because his motherโs husband was a commoner with a bad reputation to begin with. I hear he was unemployed until the Sayama family used their connections to get him a job.โ
โWhoa, so heโs a kept man?โ
โHe was drowning in alcohol day after day, gambling nonstop, had a terrible reputation with womenโapparently, he was completely out of control.โ
The more I heard, the worse it sounded.
Kayaya Chagiri himself is the scum of the earth, but apparently, it runs in the family.
Or rather, you could say he turned out that way because of his family environment.
No wonder he has such a bad reputation.
โStill, I canโt believe the Sayama family allowed her to marry a guy like that.โ
โApparently, they eloped, so there was probably nothing they could do to stop it. Well, in the end, it seems she soon had to turn to the Sayama family for help with his debt problems. Given that kind of relationship, it seems the Sayama family wants to keep Chagiriโs existence under wraps as much as possible.โ
โThatโs why nobody was gossiping about it at schoolโฆโ
As Kisa spoke, looking convinced, I found myself agreeing.
If he had ties to such a prominent family, youโd normally expect the school to be buzzing with rumorsโbut come to think of it, Iโd never heard a thing.
heโs the one, after all.
heโs the kind of person who acts however he pleases.
he seems like the type to blab, and since itโs something he could brag about, youโd think heโd be the first to spread the word.
The fact that he hasnโt means heโs either under a lot of pressure or has been silenced.
Either way, his family situation seems complicated.
Setting me aside, the key point is that even Kisaโwho has such a wide circle of friendsโis hearing this for the first time.
For something to slip through her gossip network, theyโd have to be hiding all the information completely.
โSo, if you want to get back at Kayaya Chagiri, youโll have to be prepared for some serious trouble,โ
Yukimi concluded with those words.
I see.
So thatโs why she didnโt explicitly say sheโd delete it right away like she usually does.
But thatโs a problem.
I immediately looked at Kisa, who was sitting next to me.
She let out a dry laugh and muttered,
โI seeโฆ Well, I guess that makes sense. So that means Iโll just have to swallow my pride about the video after allโahaha, well, itโs too late for that now anyway. I mean, how could I even have the nerve to ask the two of you for help? Iโm already being pushy enough as it is.โ
Those were words of resignation.
Faced with an atmosphere that seemed to say, โI picked the wrong opponent,โ Kisa had no choice but to laugh.
It was the same expression sheโd had the other day when she confided her past to me.
Ugh, why is that?
Seeing that kind of face just gets on my nerves.
I felt a pang of guilt toward my past selfโthe one whoโd ever thought, even for a moment, โSure, sheโs a victim, but sheโs the one who betrayed me and set things up to get me arrested.โ
But thereโs nothing I can do about it.
When dealing with someone like this, my clever little schemes are obviously no match for her.
Even if I wanted to help her, what could I possibly do?
After all, a background character is nothing more than a powerless, insignificant being.
Thatโs what I was thinking whenโ
Yukimi, standing right in front of me, twisted the corner of her mouth in a mischievous grin.
โThatโs not necessarily true.โ
โโโHuh?โโ
Kisa and I spoke in perfect unison, then exchanged glances.
โThink about it. If the other party is that big of a deal, it means the public is paying close attention. In short, they donโt want to make a big fuss and stir things up. Cases that get swept under the rug only happen among people who have to cover them upโeven if it means taking risks. Right?โ
โโฆโฆSo, in other words, if we use the Hiiragi case as leverage, we might be able to get them to agree to our terms surprisingly quickly, right?โ
โHehe, as expected of you. Itโs a relief that you catch on so quickly.โ
Itโs simple.
This is the kind of family that goes so far as to sever ties with and conceal the very existence of their adopted son, Chagiri, and his family from the main branch.
And weโre fully aware of both that connection and his misdeeds.
โHuh? Whatโs this? Could this be one of those โweโve got a shotโ situations?โ
Kisaโs wordsโsounding, if only in her mind, a bit giddyโechoed quietly through the private room.
Maiban