Chapter 16: Happy and Fun Times
"Can I sit next to you? It's fine, right? There's no one else here."
Mashiro sat beside me, holding a bread roll she bought from the school store.
I forced my still-tense body to move, trying to act normally as I opened my mouth to speak.
"Y-Yeah. Let's eat together."
“Haha, Ryusuke, don’t be so nervous. You were talking normally with me yesterday.”
Mashiro laughed cheerfully. I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at her.
I was still bewildered by the way Mashiro, who seemed like a completely different person from yesterday, looked now. The transformation from a gyaru to a classic black-haired beauty was so shocking that it still felt like a dream.
As I spaced out, lost in these thoughts, Mashiro peered into my face and smiled softly.
Even that small gesture was incredibly cute. For a villain like me to become close to the world’s most beautiful girl, surpassing the protagonist, Fusekawa Yorito, seemed impossible, yet it was now a reality.
“Huh? Ryusuke, you brought a bento today? Wow, it’s so cute! Who made it? Your mom?”
“N-No… I made it myself…”
I answered, scratching my cheek in embarrassment.
Mashiro looked at my bento with admiration.
“I didn’t know you had such a skill, Ryusuke. That’s quite unexpected!”
“Really? Actually, I’ve always liked cooking… Well, I used to skip school a lot, so I never had a chance to show you.”
“True. When we hung out, it was always outside. Even when we went to my apartment, you’d just play games and leave.”
Mashiro was right.
My memories of Shindo Ryusuke from before my reincarnation were similar.
We spent most of our time together playing outside. During the day, I would hang out with my bad friends Kogane and Obayashi, and once Mashiro returned from school, we’d go out again. We’d hang out at her apartment, where she lived alone, and play games late into the night. That was our routine.
“Well... that’s why I’ve never cooked for you. It’s not like I was hiding it.”
“I see. Then, next time, I want to watch you cook. Is that okay?”
“Uh, sure, but it’s really not that interesting.”
“It’s fine. I just want to see a different side of you.”
Mashiro said this with an innocent smile.
I, trying to hide my embarrassment, stuffed a piece of tamagoyaki into my mouth.
Mashiro watched me eat the tamagoyaki, looking satisfied. She then unwrapped her bread and began eating it in small bites.
“Mashiro, I don’t mind showing you, but where should we do it?”
“We can do it at my place like always. My kitchen’s available.”
“Got it. Look forward to it. I’ll make something that will impress you.”
“Yeah. I’m really looking forward to it, Ryusuke.”
Mashiro smiled happily, and my heart skipped a beat.
Ah, she's too cute. Is she an angel? She's just too perfect.
I thought this to myself as I savored the feeling of happiness along with my octopus-shaped sausage.
“So, when’s good for you, Mashiro?”
“Well, today, tomorrow, or the day after, I’m free whenever. But since you study hard after school, as Mai-chan said, how about the weekend?”
My little sister Mai and Mashiro are friends and often text each other. Mai mentioned talking to Mashiro on the phone yesterday. So, Mashiro probably knows about my routine at home through Mai.
Indeed, I spend my evenings doing homework, working out, and spending time with my family. I’m pretty busy. Since Mashiro is fine with the weekend, it works for me too.
“How about Saturday around noon?”
“Okay! Saturday it is. Oh, but I have one request. Is that alright?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Since we’re hanging out, how about we cook in the evening and spend the day shopping together? Is that okay?”
“No problem at all. We can pick out ingredients together while discussing what to cook.”
“Yay. Thanks, Ryusuke.”
Her sparkling blue eyes looked at me, and just that made my heart race.
As we ate our lunch and chatted about trivial things, we smiled constantly, and the happy and fun time passed quickly.
But I didn’t know at the time.
That malice was creeping up, ready to snatch away this happy and fun time and plunge me into despair.
