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…
“Irie, let’s go out.”
On the way home from our fake date.
Serizawa-san had just made her second sudden confession to me.
But this one felt different from the one during lunch break… somehow.
Her eyes, fixed on me, seemed uneasy, almost like she was praying for something.
Seeing that expression on Serizawa-san’s face, my breath caught.
Maybe that’s why.
“Um, so… does that mean you… like me?”
I ended up asking something that stupid.
“…Yeah. I like you, Irie… right? Probably, most likely, definitely.”
Things took a sudden turn for the worse…
“Um, are you okay? Serizawa-san, do you really understand what it means to like someone?”
“Huh? Wait, am I being lectured about love by Irie?”
Yes, you are being lectured.
“Because, honestly, it feels super ambiguous whether you really like me or not.”
“I don’t think that’s… true?”
“I want you to be confident about that.”
“I don’t have any confidence… I’ve never liked anyone before. But I am interested in you, Irie. That much is certain.”
A serious gaze.
There was no hesitation whatsoever in Serizawa-san’s declaration.
However, she still didn’t know if this feeling was affection or love.
It would probably take a little more time for her feelings to be named.
“…I sort of understand how you feel, Serizawa-san. But why did you suddenly say we should date?”
It made even less sense that she confessed to me now, when she didn’t even understand it herself.
“…That’s…”
“Is there some urgent reason you need a boyfriend right now…?”
“…No, if I tell you, it’ll definitely cause trouble for Irie.”
“You can take as long as you need. It’s okay. If you just tell me the reason, I’ll stick with you until the end.”
A friend in trouble was right in front of me, asking for my help. If there was something I could do, I wanted to respond.
“…………Actually, my dad has been pushing me to go on an arranged meeting.”
“An arranged meeting…?”
An arranged marriage… like that kind of arranged marriage, right? Where men and women hoping to marry meet through introductions to see if they’re suitable marriage partners?
“Eh, Serizawa-san, you’re a student, right?”
“Yeah, but… my family is well-connected, so that kind of thing happens.”
Oh, I see. It’s like something out of a drama or anime…
“Apparently the other party is pushing pretty hard… I think the matchmaking might just be a formality, and the talks will probably progress to an engagement.”
“I-I see…”
The sheer scale of it left me speechless, able only to utter such a cliché.
“I don’t really understand what it means to truly love someone yet. But if I just go through with this arranged marriage, I feel like I’ll lose something important and regret it for the rest of my life.”
What Serizawa-san wants to protect is something vague, something she can’t even put into words herself.
But it’s incredibly important to her.
…I see. Serizawa-san’s feelings came through loud and clear.
At this point, the only option is for Serizawa-san’s father to understand her feelings.
Then, what I should do is make sure the two of them can talk properly—
“Well, now that I’ve explained the situation, please play my boyfriend.”
Huh?
“Oh, the photo taken at the cafe. I sent it in a family message.”
Eh, eh, eh.
On the smartphone screen Serizawa showed me was a photo of the two of them making a heart, taken by the shop staff, along with a message saying ‘Date with my boyfriend♡’.
Oh, it’s already been read. That was fast.
Dad: ‘Irie-kun, was it? Bring him home next time. It seems I need to have a serious talk with him.’
It’s over.
“Ah, Irie. Mom wants to meet you too. Hmm, looks like there might be a Serizawa family meeting tonight.”
“H-hold on!? Wh-what does that mean!? Am I… becoming Serizawa’s boyfriend!? And we’re going to meet your parents!? Th-that’s a bit much…!!”
“Eh, but you said it was fine to cause as much trouble as needed, right? You said you’d stick with me till the end as long as I explained the situation?”
“I never…”
I did say that. Just a moment ago.
Sweat beaded on my forehead.
“But… but would Dad really cancel the arranged marriage because of that!?”
“Yeah. He did.”
“No way…”
“Papa’s super lenient with me.”
“Super lenient… Then maybe you should’ve just lied from the start and said you had a boyfriend…”
“No way, Dad would totally catch me lying. But this time, it’s true I’m interested in Irie, so he’ll definitely believe me.”
For some reason, Serizawa-san looked smug.
“So, my fake boyfriend, nice to meet you. Bungaku.”
Serizawa-san chuckled, looking somehow pleased.
…There’s no turning back now. I have no choice but to go through with this…
“…I never thought this fake series would continue. Nice to meet you… Misuzu-san.”
“That forced smile… I like it.”
We laughed together and high-fived.
“Anyway, this arrangement needs to last until the end of summer break.”
…Well, breaking up right away would be suspicious.
“And one last thing.”
Serizawa-san reached for my tie, tightened it a bit more firmly, and looked me in the face as she said,
“If you cheat, I’ll absolutely kill you.”
“…Haha, um… That’s a metaphor, right? Like, a figure of speech?”
“…Well?”