Episode 11 – Oshi’s jealousy?

Mob Character Reincarnation Loner: As a Result of Supporting the Heroine Who Had Been Rejected, I Ended up Being the Recipient of Her Heavy Emotions…

After parting ways with Serizawa at the nearest station, I was replying to a message from Nanase.

““…Ah.””

I unexpectedly ran into Nanase herself.

“Ah, B… Bun kun. Did your date with Mi-chan end already?”

Nanase approached me, idly fiddling with the smartphone in her hand and letting her gaze wander all over the place.

“Uh, yeah. I was just about to reply… Did you… wait around for me to finish?”

“Eh, ah, no, well… it was just… a coincidence? I was shopping alone nearby… and I noticed you and Mii-chan… so I just… tried contacting you!”

Is that really true? I desperately wondered inside, but decided not to show it outwardly.

She was shopping, yet she wasn’t carrying anything in her hands… She must have put her purchases in her bag. Yeah.

“So, how was it? Your date with Mii-chan?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah… the date was—”

Wait, hold on. Come to think of it, Serizawa-san said she lied about it being a date because she wanted to keep the present a secret. If that’s the case…

“Yeah. It was fun. My date with Serizawa-san.”

That’s the best answer.

“…Oh, I-I see.”

Huh? Wait. Why is she looking gloomy?

“…W-What did you do? On the date?”

“Huh? Oh, well. We… ate ice cream. And… did some shopping…?”

“…Oh? What did you buy?”

Huh? Why is she digging so deep, of all things?　

“Uh, well… um…”

“Bun-kun… are you hiding something from me?”

“Huh…”

As I stumbled over my words, a fireball-straight question flew at me.

Seeing my flustered state, her gaze—which had been wandering all over the place just moments ago—locked onto mine and wouldn’t let go.

“Did something happen with Mi-chan?”

“Eh… no.”

“…It did.”

…Help me.

Her voice hadn’t changed. She wasn’t angry. But why? The air felt heavy.

But I couldn’t hint at the existence of the birthday present here.

“…Huh? What’s that? A showdown?”

“He’s totally getting grilled by his girlfriend.”

Voices from somewhere around us.

A showdown… In a way, maybe it is a showdown.

“We’re best friends, right? So, I kinda want to keep tabs on your love life too~…”

Huh? We were best friends? When did our relationship level up like that? N-no… More importantly, I feel like she’s got me completely wrong.

“…So? What are you hiding?”

The relentless questioning. And that gaze showing no sign of wavering.

I’ve never seen Nanase Hiyori like this before.

“…I bought this.”

I pulled the gift bag containing the aromatherapy stone I’d just bought out of my bag and handed it to Nanase.

Sorry, Serizawa-san. I feel like trying to cover it up with Nanase right now would be a bad move.

“…This?”

Nanase blinked, staring at the gift bag. The pressure from earlier had completely vanished.

“…It’s your birthday present. I bought it with Serizawa-san earlier.”

“Huh… Oh! Right, that’s what it was…”

She nodded, seeming to understand.

Good. The misunderstanding seemed completely cleared up.

“I couldn’t let you find out about the present, so I made it a date.”

“I-I see…”

Saying that, Nanase let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest as if truly relieved.

At that moment, Nanase’s stomach growled loudly.

“Ah, no, this is… um… not what you think… I’ve been waiting here the whole time, so I haven’t eaten anything, you see… Look! It’s getting late anyway!”

Her face flushed bright red as she denied it, clearly embarrassed. Well, it wasn’t surprising she was hungry at this hour.

“Want to grab dinner somewhere before heading home?”

“!! Yeah… Ehehe.”

Her sparkling smile made me smile involuntarily. My favorite heroine’s smile was nourishment for the soul.

As we wandered around casually deciding what to eat, Nanase suddenly grabbed my sleeve tightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing… You’re just holding onto my sleeve.”

“…Huh? Oh, right.”

Apparently, she hadn’t even realized she was doing it. Even she seemed confused. But she showed no sign of letting go.

“…Well, I mean, I’m really happy that you’re getting along with Mii-chan and Hoshino-san… but when I think about you going on a date with Mii-chan, it bothers me so much, and I get kind of anxious… Ahaha, it’s weird, right… Even though I was the one who introduced you to everyone.”

I see. She was worried that if I got close to Serizawa-san, Serizawa-san would be taken away from her.

Honestly, if a friend you introduced suddenly becomes closer to someone else than they were to you, it feels both happy and kind of unpleasant.

“Ah, um… bun-kun. Next time, like, would you… go with me? Shopping… just the two of us?”

“Huh? Uh, sure.”

“!! Yes! Absolutely, absolutely, okay?”

“Y-yes…”

You didn’t have to emphasize it so much… Why would she want to go with someone like me?

“…Mm.”

Nanase smoothly extended her pinky finger.

“…Finger promise, okay?”

“…Huh? Ah, yeah.”

After making the finger promise with Nanase, though a bit hesitant, she stared intently into my eyes.

“…It’s a promise, right?”