03 The Heroines Drift Apart
“My Girlfriend Next Door is Super Sweet”
A dating sim that wasn’t particularly famous or a big seller.
My reason for trying it was almost entirely coincidental.
It goes back to the time before I was reborn, when I was a human called Yukitsuki Mashiro.
“Oh, this person started out as a game illustrator.”
At the time, I had found an interesting manga and was researching the author.
I made it a habit to check out all the works by manga artists I liked.
Thinking about it now, perhaps it was a mistake to diligently follow such a self-imposed rule, even though no one asked me to.
“…Why is this protagonist so self-centered? And what’s with these heroines who fall for him?”
I enjoyed reading manga and novels, but this was the first time I’d tried this genre of game.
It was a typical harem game, where the heroines unconditionally fell in love with the protagonist, Shindo Minato.
While the girls had their quirks, they were generally good and cute.
And yet, it was this convenient story where they all fell for the same boy…
Is this a man’s dream?
The strange phenomena unfolding on the screen only made sense when viewed in that light.
Even so, I completed all the scenarios just to see all the illustrated CGs with my own eyes…
◇◇◇
“To think I’d actually become one of those heroines…”
The morning after my reincarnation.
I squinted at the morning sun as I walked to school alone.
The April wind was cold.
Why did I have to become a heroine in such an awkward position, and relive a life in a world so similar to actual Japan?
There’s no change at all.
If I was going to be reborn, I wanted to be a duchess or something.
I wanted to experience something more… like medieval townscapes, magic, that kind of fantasy.
“Yo, Suzuna! Did you come to pick me up again today?!”
“Eh…”
Just as I was stewing in these gloomy feelings, Shindo-kun appeared.
Right…
I was unconsciously following the usual route to school, but apparently this path passes in front of Shindo-kun’s house.
It was a mistake to follow the routine that felt so natural.
Is this the fate of a heroine?
“Hey, hey, why the long face so early in the morning? Come on, cheer up—”
Then, Shindo-kun reached out his hand.
This was the act of patting her head, something he did to cheer up his childhood friend, Amatsuki Suzuna…
“St-Stop it!”
I instinctively raised my voice and jumped back.
“Eh, w-what… What’s wrong, Suzuna? You usually happily offer up the top of your head.”
What kind of line is that?
I didn’t say it out loud, but I had no intention of allowing such a strange act.
“I… I don’t like that kind of thing…”
“What… What’s wrong with you, Suzuna? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday, I’m trying to cheer you up…”
“Being patted by Shindo-kun doesn’t cheer me up.”
“Wha…?!”
Shindo-kun’s jaw dropped.
His expression was comical, but he might actually be hurt.
“Ah, and also, Shindo-kun.”
“Hey, Suzuna. By the way, why have you been calling me “Shindo-kun” since yesterday?! You always called me “Minato-kun”?! I can’t help but feel a distance between us!”
Of course there’s a distance.
That’s Amatsuki Suzuna’s distance, not mine.
I’m sorry, but I have no intention of shortening it any further.
“Anyway, I didn’t come to pick you up, Shindo-kun. I’m going to school now.”
“Hey, wait…!”
As Shindo-kun reached out, still trying to follow me—
“Good morning! Amatsuki-san!”
—A bottomlessly cheerful voice rang out, interrupting him.
It was Hinase Riri, a girl as bright and sparkling as the morning sun.
“Uh, um…”
I was bewildered, not understanding why Hinase-san was suddenly here.
“We’re going to school together today, right?”
Hinase-san approached me with a bright, beaming smile.
But I didn’t remember making such a promise.
“I didn’t make any promi…”
“It’s that thing where our hearts are connected!”
Hinase-san uttered those incomprehensible words as she linked her arm with mine.
Contrary to her cheerful demeanor, her grip felt undeniably firm.
“W-wait, Suzuna…? Why are you with Hinase-san…?”
Shindo-kun stared in disbelief, just as confused as I was.
He probably never imagined such an odd pairing.
“Ah, this girl has something to do with me. Sorry, ‘kay?”
Hinase-san waved her hand gracefully.
“Come on, Amatsuki-san. We’ll be late if we don’t hurry.”
“Eh, uhm…?”
In the end, still unable to comprehend the situation, I started walking, being pulled along by Hinase-san.
◇◇◇
“Ahaha, I didn’t think I’d actually run into you.”
Hinase-san said cheerfully.
I didn’t have enough information to understand what she was talking about.
“Run into me…?”
“Well, yesterday, you ran off in this direction, right, Amatsuki-san? So I thought I might see you if I waited around here, and bingo!”
“You were waiting for me…?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
She replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world…
“Why…?”
I simply didn’t understand.
“Because you helped me yesterday.”
“I don’t think that’s a good enough reason…”
“Well, well, it’s fine. This way, I was able to help you too, Amatsuki-san.”
“Help me…?”
Was she referring to the incident with Shindo-kun just now?
“Was I wrong? You looked like you were really annoyed, Amatsuki-san, so I thought it was my time to shine and jumped in.”
Ah, I see…
She saw me being bothered by Shindo-kun and helped me.
Our roles had reversed from yesterday.
“No, well… I was in a bit of a bind.”
“Right? I know, I know. It’s so annoying when guys you’re not interested in keep pestering you.”
Well, I don’t want you to think we’re on the same wavelength…
And what do you mean, “guys you’re not interested in”?
“But Hinase-san, you like Shindo-kun, right?”
“…Shindo-kun?”
Hinase-san blinked and tilted her head as if she didn’t know who I was talking about.
“…The boy from earlier.”
“Sorry, I don’t remember. Ah, is he a classmate?”
Well… he is…
Apparently, she hadn’t even noticed him.
Well, I’ve had a personality change, so that’s one thing.
But you’re supposed to be the heroine who falls in love with Shindo Minato.
…This is giving me a headache.
This is my fault… isn’t it?
What do I do? I wonder if she’ll properly fall for Shindo-kun…
I’m determined to keep rejecting him because I don’t want to be a heroine candidate, but it would be troublesome if the other heroines did the same.
I don’t want to imagine a situation where everyone deviates from their routes.
“…Shindo-kun. He’s a boy I recommend, so I was hoping you’d get along.”
“But, Amatsuki-san, you were totally rejecting him, weren’t you?”
Ah…
That’s certainly how it looked.
“I wasn’t rejecting him.”
“But you ran away?”
Ugh… Hinase-san doesn’t believe me because she saw my behavior.
In that case, I’ll tell her the truth.
“…The me before I was reborn, we got along.”
Hearing that, Hinase-san burst out laughing, as if I’d said something funny.
“Did I say something that amusing?”
“No, I just didn’t think you’d tell jokes, Amatsuki-san. You seem so calm and collected, but you’re pretty bold.”
“It’s not a joke, I’m serious.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course. I got it, I’ll check out this ‘Shindo-kun’ next time. He might be my type.”
She totally doesn’t believe me…
Honestly, what’s with this heroine who’s oblivious to the protagonist?
I want her to be more aware of her role as a heroine.
I’ll ignore the fact that this is a self-deprecating statement.
“Um, hey…”
There was one more thing I wanted to say to Hinase-san.
“What?”
“When are you going to let go of my arm?”
Hinase-san had been walking with her arm linked in mine the whole time.
In this chilly season, another person’s warmth was comforting, but…
Now that we were nearing the school, it was just too strange for Amatsuki Suzuna and Hinase Riri to be walking arm in arm.
I wanted her to let go quickly.
“Why? It’s fine, I have things I want to talk about with you, Amatsuki-san.”
I don’t think wanting to talk and linking arms are the same thing…
Looking into Hinase-san’s eyes, I got the feeling she wouldn’t listen to reason.
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