Chapter 5: Encounter
I was slurping udon alone in the corner of the cafeteria.
I had been reincarnated into a romantic comedy world, "Fusekoi."
The main setting of the story was Kiosakura High School. (T/N: Change Kio to Kiosakura high school)
This school had a large student body and a spacious campus. The cafeteria was no exception; it was vast and filled with many students. Blending in with the background characters, I quietly continued eating my udon.
Right now, I didn't want to meet any of the main characters from "Fusekoi."
Most of the main characters liked the protagonist, Fusekawa Yorito, while they openly displayed hostility towards the antagonist, Shindo Ryusuke. (T/N: Change Rito to Yorito)
If I encountered any main characters now, it would likely trigger some event that could lead to the same ruinous route as in the original story, where Shindo Ryusuke meets his downfall.
For example, if I bumped into one of the heroines in the cafeteria and she got hurt, the protagonist would show up, and I would have to play the role of the villain.
Even if I had no intention of opposing the protagonist or the heroines, the atmosphere suggested otherwise.
The reason lay in the cold stares directed at me from those around me.
As long as I remained in the villain's position, the side characters would make sure I fulfilled my role as the antagonist by claiming I deliberately bumped into someone.
From the morning classes, it was clear that people in this world adhered to the original storyline, pushing the role of the villain onto me. The reactions from the teachers and students, who showed an attitude of refusing to let me attend school, indicated that they didn't approve of me acting against my villainous nature.
Therefore, I needed to avoid causing any events for now. Until I could at least downgrade from the absolute villain Shindo Ryusuke to a general background character, it was best to live quietly and unobtrusively.
I kept eating without looking at anyone in the cafeteria, but then—
"Whoa! Seriously!? Ryusuke is at school!"
Suddenly, I was startled by someone calling my name.
Looking toward the voice, I saw a girl with a gyaru style.
She wasn't the blonde, blue-eyed, beautiful student council president Sakuramiya Miyuki, one of the heroines in "Fusekoi." This girl had artificially dyed blonde hair and heavy makeup.
Her uniform was slightly disheveled, her skirt was short, and the buttons on her chest were undone, emphasizing her ample bosom. Her nails had elaborate art, and her ears sparkled with earrings. Her side-tied hair accentuated her gyaru look.
More than anything, she was incredibly cute. With well-defined features, moist pink lips, fine white skin, mesmerizing blue eyes, and long eyelashes.
She was a girl who embodied gyaru-style cuteness to the max.
(Ugh... I didn't want to interact with anyone during lunch, but here she comes.)
It was clear she wasn't just any background character. She might be one of the heroines who adorned the protagonist, Fusekawa Yorito's, harem. This was bad.
"Ryusuke, can I sit next to you? It's so surprising to see you at school."
"..."
"Don't ignore me. I know you can hear me!"
"Go ahead..."
"What's with you? Ryusuke, you seem different. Well, you being at school is already weird. Haha."
She laughed cheerfully and sat next to me.
I tried to recall who this gyaru girl could be from my knowledge of "Fusekoi."
This distinctive appearance... could it be?
This gyaru girl wasn't one of the protagonist's heroines. She was the "villainous delinquent gyaru" prepared to highlight the heroines—Amanatsu Mashiro.
She was a character who started to appear prominently in the story after the protagonists moved to the second year.
She had a backstory of being Shindo Ryusuke's childhood friend, and after the protagonists expelled Shindo Ryusuke, she started moving for revenge. However, her revenge was never achieved, and she eventually met the same social demise as Shindo Ryusuke.
Amanatsu Mashiro was undoubtedly a villain, but unlike me, she was a popular character among fans. Many were moved by her opposing the protagonists out of love for her lost childhood friend.
While I, the antagonist of the first-year arc, was a straightforward villain, Amanatsu Mashiro, the antagonist of the second-year arc, confronted the protagonists with a mix of complex emotions. This prevented the story from becoming monotonous, as it delved into her conflicts with the protagonists.
As I remembered Amanatsu Mashiro's trajectory in the story, vague memories of playing around with her as Ryusuke Shindo began to surface. It seemed that, just like in "Fusekoi," Amanatsu Mashiro and Shindo Ryusuke were quite close.
While thinking about this and slurping my udon, Mashiro peered closely at my face.
"Ryusuke, I sent you messages on RINE, but you didn't reply. I called you, but you didn't answer. I was worried. Kogane and Obayashi were also worried. Then we found out you were at school, which was surprising. Plus, it's funny seeing you eating alone. I've never seen you eat in the cafeteria before."
This girl sure talks a lot and seems to enjoy it.
In "Fusekoi," Amanatsu Mashiro had a sharper demeanor and often glared at the protagonist, Yorito Fusekawa Yorito. However, the Amanatsu Mashiro in front of me was a bright and charming gyaru.
Even in my hazy memories, Amanatsu Mashiro always had a smile while we hung out, chatting energetically.
Now, she kept bombarding me with questions. If I were the original Shindo Ryusuke, I might have gotten along with her, but now it was impossible.
Reflecting on my previous life's youth, I had never interacted with a gyaru like her. I didn't know how to talk to her, and if I made a mistake, she might realize that the current Shindo Ryusuke was very different from before due to my reincarnation.
Moreover, I wanted to escape the villain's role and avoid a ruinous future. Maintaining a close relationship with the villainous gyaru Amanatsu Mashiro would likely lead me straight to Shindo Ryusuke's tragic end.
So, I thought it best to avoid interacting with Amanatsu Ryusuke as much as possible.
"Sorry, Mashiro. I'm not feeling well today. I don't have the energy to talk. Could you leave me alone?"
"Huh? Are you feeling sick, Ryusuke? It's so unlike you to come to school despite that. Normally, you'd skip and go to karaoke or something, even if you had a fever."
"I'm just not in the mood. Please, leave me alone."
"Really? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"I see. Got it. You're planning something, right? Otherwise, Ryusuke coming to school is impossible."
"It's not like that. Really."
"Hmm. Okay, I get it."
As I desperately pleaded, Mashiro seemed to understand, got up, and walked away somewhere.
Phew, good... she probably won't talk to me again. I felt relieved, but after a while—
"Sorry for leaving in the middle of our conversation. Seeing you eat udon made me want some too, so I ordered some!"
With a mischievous smile, Mashiro placed a tray with a bowl of udon next to me. After clapping her hands together, she broke her chopsticks and started slurping the noodles.
"We usually eat together at family restaurants or ramen shops, but eating together at school isn't bad either. How about you, Ryusuke? Is it good?"
"..."
"Don't ignore me. I know you can hear me! You're always so cold to me, Ryusuke. Ignoring me all the time!"
"Huh...?"
"'Huh' what? We've known each other since elementary school, so you could be a bit nicer!"
Despite expressing dissatisfaction, Mashiro continued to talk cheerfully. No matter how cold I acted, she kept smiling and chatting.
Seeing this, I wondered. Did the original Shindo Ryusuke also keep treating Mashiro coldly? In the original story, he did seem to brush her off... If that's the case, no matter how much I push her away, she won't leave my side.
"I see... as I thought."
This world is trying to make me fulfill my role as a villain, no matter what.
Teachers and classmates who refused to let me attend school.
The delinquent gyaru Mashiro, who wouldn't leave my side.
And the heroines destined to be with the protagonist.
Even if I try to escape my villain role and change myself, this world is set on pushing me towards a ruinous future.
So, there was only one thing I could do. Not only change myself but also significantly alter the environment around me.
Indeed, it seems my second life as a reincarnated villain won't be easy.
