A Guy Who Thinks He’s a Villain in a World Where Gender Ratios Are Broken - Chapter 05: Does Being a Villain Reincarnate Mean Losing Favorability?! (Nope)

Chapter 05: Does Being a Villain Reincarnate Mean Losing Favorability?! (Nope)

When it comes to villain reincarnation, building up your body is a classic move.

Why? Because to crush every doom flag in your path, self-improvement is a must.

“Muscles are justice!” might sound like a joke, but there’s definitely some truth to it.

In a fantasy world, physical training forms the foundation for mastering swordsmanship or magic.

Typically, the reincarnated villain protagonist showcases newfound talents, impressing everyone around them. Their reputation skyrockets as they turn doubters into believers—classic storyline material.

But… that’s in a fantasy world.

This is a modern romantic comedy setting.

There’s no sword or magic here, nor are there dragons destined to be defeated early in the protagonist’s journey to gain favor points.

By the way, isn’t it kind of sad how dragons in fantasy worlds always get taken down early? Dragons are so cool, though.

Ah, I’m getting off track.

Anyway… I’m the despised villain in this world.

Which means my approach to physical training needs to be…

…

……

………

“I’ve decided to start training my body! And as part of that… I’m going to start scrubbing the floors of this mansion!”

The next morning.

I declared my plan to Kyoko, who had just brought me my breakfast.

After thinking it over thoroughly last night and getting a good night’s sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed.

Both my mind and body felt more in sync, and my plan was finally coming together.

First off, I realized that just building up my body wouldn’t be enough.

The original Reito caused a lot of trouble for everyone with his harassment and unpleasant behavior.

Jumping straight into physical training without addressing those issues… well, it didn’t feel right.

From now on, I won’t just avoid causing trouble—I want to make up for the trouble I’ve already caused.

So, my plan is simple:

-Build my body.

-Be helpful to others.

When I thought about what I could do to achieve both, one idea came to mind: cleaning.

I remembered a news story from my previous life about a group of former delinquents picking up trash, which received a lot of positive attention. That inspired me.

Since I’d be staying in the mansion, I decided to focus on something I could do here—scrubbing the floors.

“…Scrubbing the floors?”

Kyoko repeated my words slowly, as if trying to process them.

“Yeah, scrubbing the floors. It’s a surprisingly effective full-body workout, you know? Plus, it keeps the mansion clean, so it’s a win-win!”

It would also lighten the maids’ workload, which seemed like a great idea to me.

I said this with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, but Kyoko furrowed her brows in response.

“Young master… scrubbing the floors? Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

“…What brought this on? Did you hit your head or something? Oh, wait, you did hit your head.”

Kyoko’s cool demeanor made me think she was always composed, but does she secretly have a knack for witty comebacks?

Still, if I let sharp remarks like that stop me, I’ll never get anything done.

I’ve made up my mind, and I’ll see it through, no matter what!

“Anyway, I’ve decided to do this. I just wanted to let you know, Kyoko. Also, pass the word on to the other maids, alright?”

“Understood.”

◆◆

After finishing breakfast, I grabbed a rag and stepped into the hallway.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

I got down on all fours, ready to start.

…Just reading that out of context sounds kind of weird, huh?

From one end of the hallway to the other, I began scrubbing with the rag.

I made sure to press down hard, determined to make everything shine.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done something like this.

Back in middle school, we used to do it during cleaning time, but in high school, our homeroom teacher brought in Swiffer-like mops, so cleaning became way easier.

Thinking back, I had a pretty good time in my previous life.

Hanging out with friends, laughing over silly boyish topics, stopping by fast-food joints or arcades after school, and then relaxing at home with my family while watching TV.

But those days are gone.

Now, I have to live in this world.

Even though I’ve been reincarnated as a villain, this is still my life.

I want to enjoy it.

And to do that, I have to break every single doom flag in my way!

With those thoughts in mind, I finished scrubbing one full lap of the hallway.

“Alright, let’s keep going!”

I rolled up my sleeves and pushed myself harder.

But by the fifth lap… fatigue started to creep in.

“Man, this is tougher than I thought…”

My arms, back, and legs were starting to ache as the strain built up across my whole body.

I stood up to take a breather, feeling the warmth spreading through me from the exertion.

“Oh, the young master is really scrubbing the floors…”

“It’s true. This isn’t a dream, right? Hey, let me pinch your cheek to check.”

“Shouldn’t you pinch your own—ow, ow, ow!”

I suddenly felt a presence behind me.

When I glanced back, I saw three maids peeking at me from around a corner.

As soon as they noticed me looking, their eyes widened, and they quickly ducked out of sight.

Kyoko must’ve told the other maids about my plan.

I mean, if the young master who usually caused trouble with his harassment suddenly started scrubbing floors, it’s bound to catch their attention.

Even as I felt their curious gazes, I continued silently wiping down the floors.

By the time I’d conquered the first-floor hallways, sweat was dripping down my face.

I pulled up the hem of my long-sleeved T-shirt to wipe my face.

“Kya!”

“The young master is bare-chested!”

I turned toward the voices and saw the maids from earlier.

They were either covering their eyes with their hands or turning their entire bodies away.

Wait… does that mean they’re deliberately avoiding looking at me?

H-Huh? Could this mean… my favorability just dropped?!

Why, though? All I’ve been doing is scrubbing the floors!

Is this their way of saying that just doing chores isn’t enough to make up for everything?

“—Young Master, you just woke up yesterday, so you really shouldn’t overdo it.”

A voice called out from behind me.

When I turned, I saw Kyoko standing there, holding a towel in her hand.

“And also, Young Master, when wiping your sweat, please use a towel.”

“O-Oh, yeah. Thanks, Kyoko.”

“You’re welcome.”

I took the towel from her and wiped the sweat off my face. Though, honestly, it felt more like cold sweat at that moment.

“You’re right… If I wipe my face with my shirt, I’ll just get it dirty and end up making more work for everyone…”

“? Well, that’s true, but more importantly—”

“You’re right! Sorry about that! I’ll be more careful next time!”

For a moment, I felt myself slipping into negative thoughts, but no, I can’t let that happen!

I’m the type of person who always follows through on what I decide to do.

Even if my favorability drops because I’m a “villain,” I’m not giving up!

I’ll absolutely raise Kyoko’s opinion of me, no matter what!

With renewed determination, I slung the towel around my neck and got back to scrubbing the floors.

“I was trying to tell him that it’s not appropriate for men to expose their skin so casually…”

But Kyoko’s quiet and rather important comment went unheard by Reito.