A Guy Who Thinks He’s a Villain in a World Where Gender Ratios Are Broken - Chapter 15: Striking First is Key for a Villain! (Not Really)

Chapter 15: Striking First is Key for a Villain! (Not Really)

“F-For now… should we sit down?”

“…Ah, yeah. You’re right.”

Nako’s perfectly reasonable suggestion made me nod in agreement.

I pulled out a chair and sat down across from her.

But just because we were seated didn’t mean the conversation would start flowing naturally.

“…”

“……”

An awkward silence filled the room.

I wanted to do something to break this uncomfortable atmosphere, but… well, this was Nako I was dealing with.

It wasn’t going to be easy.

And I’m sure she felt the same way.

Just like her older sister Kyoko, Nako probably disliked me—or at the very least, felt uncomfortable around me.

As childhood friends, the bad reputation of Reito Hazumi was probably deeply ingrained in her mind.

On top of that, she’d just found out that the person she’d been assigned to support at school… was none other than the guy she dislikes the most.

To make matters worse, starting tomorrow, she’d be my personal maid.

Whether at school or at the mansion, she’d be stuck seeing my face all the time.

There’s no way she wasn’t dreading it.

Thinking about it like that, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

But no, I shouldn’t get all negative now!

I was reincarnated as the villain.

Being disliked is just a given.

I can’t let my feelings get hurt over every little thing.

Besides, my approval rating can’t possibly go any lower than it already is.

From now on, there’s nowhere to go but up!

I need to work hard to improve Nako’s impression of me too.

Alright—I’ve made up my mind.

I looked at Nako and finally opened my mouth.

“Nako.”

“Y-Yes!”

Hearing me call her name, Nako visibly flinched, her shoulders shaking as she met my gaze.

Even though she wasn’t saying anything, I’d noticed she had been sneaking glances at me for a while now.

But with how tense she looked, it was clear she wasn’t going to start or continue any conversation on her own.

That’s why I decided to speak up first—just like I did with her mom, Maki-san.

Striking first is key!

“Nako… don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“!!”

When I said that, Nako’s eyes widened in surprise.

I’ve only known her for a short time, but I’ve already noticed something about her.

Nako… she pushes herself too hard.

Being chosen as the new student representative means she’s smart.

Kyoko is highly capable too, so maybe Nako was always intelligent, but…

I wouldn’t be surprised if she put in extra effort behind the scenes, studying twice as hard as others.

And if that’s the case, she’ll probably keep up that level of effort even after entering the academy.

On top of that, she’ll be my support at school and work as a full-time maid at the mansion.

With such a packed schedule, she probably won’t have much time to relax or enjoy her personal life.

It’s easy to see how she might end up overworking herself.

“A-Actually, I’m not pushing myself at all! Look, I’m totally fine!”

Nako tried to sound cheerful as she said that, but…

“People who push themselves too hard usually say things like that. They try to reassure others and avoid making them worry. But deep down, they keep pushing themselves even more.”

“…”

“Honestly, the reason you accepted this support role… isn’t it because it helps with tuition fees or benefits your family in some way?”

“Uh…”

Nako lowered her head and muttered in a small voice.

Looks like I hit the mark.

Her older sister, Kyoko, always carries herself in a cool and dignified way, making it hard to read her emotions. But Nako is different—her expressions and gestures give everything away, making her easier to understand.

“…I thought so. I had a feeling back when you first came to the mansion… Nako, you really have a habit of pushing yourself too hard. If you end up collapsing, it would be a big problem. And more than anything, Kyoko would be worried sick. She’d definitely scold me too.”

Yeah, there’s no doubt that I’d get an earful from Kyoko!

Not only that—if something happened to her precious little sister because of me, it wouldn’t just be about losing favor.

If things went south, I might be looking at revenge… Yikes! That’s a straight road to a doom flag!!

“Onee-chan would… yeah, she’d definitely get mad at me…”

Nako nodded quietly.

So, if something happened to Nako, Kyoko would hold me responsible and come after me.

But on the other hand, if Nako stays healthy and fine, Kyoko wouldn’t have any reason to take action against me.

Saying “Don’t push yourself too hard” now is like setting up a safety net to prevent future trouble, right?

“Nako, I’m not saying you shouldn’t work hard. Just don’t overdo it, okay?”

“Y-Yes! I’ll be careful…!”

Yeah, I really want her to take care of herself. I’m worried about Nako’s health, and besides, this ties directly to my doom flags.

“Next, the second thing.”

“T-There’s more…?”

She’s probably thinking, Ugh, this guy still has more to say? But hey, my doom flag is on the line here. I’ve got to lay everything out in advance!

“I think it’s best if we keep our relationship a secret at school.”

“You mean… that I’m your personal maid?”

“Yeah, exactly. If people find out about our connection, it could turn into a huge hassle.”

Yeah, dealing with all that would be a hassle…

As you can see, Nako is a total beauty.

When she talks to Kyoko, she’s always smiling, and her voice sounds so cheerful.

She must usually be a bright and friendly girl.

That means, without a doubt, she’s going to be super popular at school!

Yup, she’s definitely got that heroine vibe.

And that’s exactly why it would be a huge hassle if people found out she’s working as my personal maid.

Even though there are only seven other guys besides me, if they see a girl like Nako up close, some of them are bound to fall for her.

I really don’t want to end up dealing with jealousy or resentment from the other guys over this.

“Y-You’re right! If people find out I’m your personal maid, it would cause trouble for both of us… I understand!”

Wow, Nako really gets it quickly. That helps a lot.

“And lastly, the third thing.”

“T-There’s a third one…?”

“It’s about how you should address me at school. Instead of calling me with ‘sama,’ just use ‘kun,’ ‘san,’ or even just my name without any honorifics.”

“T-There’s no way I could call you without an honorific…!”

“Oh? Is that so?”

She shot back with such intensity!

“T-Then… is it okay if I call you Reito-san?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just call me ‘Reito-san’ at school. Like I said earlier, it’ll help avoid any suspicion about our relationship.”

“Understood.”

“And when we’re at the mansion or alone like this, you can go back to how you normally address me.”

Nako nodded firmly at my words.

I managed to say everything I wanted to.

All of this is to make sure my school life stays peaceful.

Honestly, there were a couple more things I wanted to bring up, but if I say too much now, I might come off as annoying.

I’ll bring those up when the time is right.

“Those were the three things I wanted to tell you. Sorry for making you go along with my selfish requests.”

“N-No! It’s totally fine…! Besides, what you said makes sense considering you’re one of the few male students, Reito-sama.”

Hearing Nako say that made me feel relieved—glad I got it all out now.

“Anyway, I’ve been talking this whole time. Is there anything you want to say to me, Nako?”

I should at least listen to what she has to say.

Nako stayed quiet for a few seconds, probably trying to gather her thoughts, and then…

“Ah, um… Reito-sama.”

“Yeah?”

“Um… I heard that my mom visited you in person before.”

Oh, she must be talking about that conversation with her mom.

Well, of course, she’d be curious about what we talked about.

“At that time, I heard you told my mom—”

Just as Nako was about to say something, a knock came from the door, followed by it swinging open.

“Hazumi-kun, I’m sorry! The call took longer than I expected!”

It was Ms. Sato, slightly out of breath as she entered the room.

“Oh, no problem.”

“I see… Nijou-san, were you able to introduce yourself to Hazumi-kun?”

“Y-Yes. I introduced myself to R-Rei… uh, Reito-san!”

Oh? Did she almost say “Reito-sama” just now?

Well, that little slip shouldn’t be a problem.

“…Oh my, is it okay to call him by his first name?”

Ms. Sato looked surprised, glancing between the two of us.

At first, I didn’t get why, but then it hit me.

Right—I’d been so focused on the “sama” part that I forgot something.

To Ms. Sato, this is supposed to be our first meeting.

Of course, she’d find it strange that Nako was already calling me by my first name.

But switching between last and first names—depending on whether we’re at school or alone—could get confusing for Nako.

So, in times like this…

“Nako will be my support from now on. We thought it’d be better to get along quickly, so we decided to call each other by our first names. Right, Nako?”

“Y-Yes! That’s exactly it, Sensei.”

Thank you, Nako, for going along with it!

This explanation shouldn’t sound too strange… or so I thought.

“…”

Ms. Sato was standing there, staring at us in surprise.

“Sensei?”

“Oh! S-Sorry! It’s just… a male student like Hazumi-kun wanting to get along with a girl… that’s quite rare.”

“Is it really that unusual?”

“Yes, very.”

Huh… that’s interesting.

“Alright then, with introductions done, this concludes Nijou-san’s support role introduction. Nijou-san, please head to your classroom now.”

“Y-Yes! Reito-san, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“Yeah, same here.”

Nako gave a slight bow to the teacher and then left the room.

“Now, Hazumi-kun, you’ll head to your classroom, 1-E. It’s currently break time, so there’s no rush.”

Finally, it’s time to go to class.

I glanced at the paper in my hand again.

Everything I needed to know was written on it.

My classroom was on the second floor.

There was even a seating chart with a single star marking one of the seats.

That must be my seat.

“The seat at the very back by the window… Nice spot!”

I climbed up the stairs and reached the first-year floor.

Taking a deep breath in front of the classroom with a sign that read “1-E,” I braced myself.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Sliding the door open, I stepped inside.

“!!!”

All eyes in the room instantly turned to me. 

From flashy, outgoing girls to quiet ones engrossed in their books—there was quite a variety.

But… wow, they’re all really cute!

Most of the girls were already seated, which was a bit surprising for break time. Normally, you’d expect them to be walking around or visiting other classrooms.

“Hey, that’s him…”

“There’s really a pretty boy in our class…”

With so many girls and only one guy, of course, I was getting all the attention.

Trying to stay cool, I walked over to my seat—right at the back by the window.

I did my best to ignore the stares, but their whispers still reached my ears.

“So he’s the guy in our class, huh?”

“He’s kinda my type~”

“Please, you’d say that about any guy!”

“Hmm, not bad, I guess.”

“But doesn’t he seem a bit cold?”

“Well, he is a boy, after all.”

…What is this vibe? Are they sizing me up or something?

Do girls always act like this when they gather in groups?

I reached my seat, pulled out the chair, and sat down… and the buzzing around me seemed to grow even louder.

I could feel their gazes piercing into me.

With a deep breath in my heart, I shifted my eyes to the window.

With so many girls in the class, it’s obvious that being one of the few guys here is going to feel pretty awkward.

Still… I’d like to get along with them, right?

And besides…

“Mom, if you want people to be kind to you, you should start by being kind to them.”

I told that to Mom, so… maybe I should try being kind to them first!