A Guy Who Thinks He’s a Villain in a World Where Gender Ratios Are Broken - Chapter 22: I'm Supposed to Be the Villain, but We Get Along Too Well (◎)

Chapter 22: I’m Supposed to Be the Villain, but We Get Along Too Well (◎)

“…”

The blond-haired guy standing in front of me had his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide in shock, completely frozen in place.

…Huh? Wait a second.

Did I… get the wrong person?

Is he not the protagonist?

Wait, now that I think about it—

“It’s you, isn’t it? I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

I suddenly replayed my own words in my head.

And at the same time… I felt the blood drain from my face.

…Uh oh.

Did I just completely mess up?

Saying “I’ve been wanting to meet you” to someone I’m meeting for the first time…?

That’s terrifying.

I sound like a full-blown creep!

If I’m not careful, I might as well be mistaken for a stalker!!

B-But I had a reason for saying it!

I barely understand anything about this world, and the moment I finally got solid info about the protagonist, of course, I’d want to meet him!

At this point, there was no way to take back what I said.

Still, I had to do something to fix this.

“Sorry for suddenly talking to you. I, uh… kinda got carried away, you know?”

I forced a slightly awkward smile and carefully tested the waters.

“I feel…!”

“Huh?”

Oh? He was about to say something.

“I feel the same way…! I’ve been wanting to talk to you too, Reito Hazumi!”

In that instant, his face lit up with a dazzling smile, and he enthusiastically held out both hands.

On reflex, I grabbed his hands and shook them.

The two of us exchanged a firm handshake.

…Wait. So this is okay?

Does this mean I actually got it right?

So he really is the protagonist of this world?!

“Ehehe~! Thanks for shaking hands with me!”

He flashed another bright smile.

Alright, that settles it.

You are 100% the protagonist!!

“Wait, so you already knew my name?”

“Of course I did! After all, Hazumi is the person I wanted to talk to the most!”

The protagonist declared with an almost blinding smile.

…Huh. So I was actually his target all along?

“I’ve been curious about you since the first time I saw you! Plus, just like me, you’re the only guy in your class! And also—”

“Hold it! Time out!”

“Eh?”

If I let him keep going, I was going to get completely swept up in his energy.

Time to reset the conversation.

“Let’s do proper introductions first. I’m Reito Hazumi from Class 1-E. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Minato Amakasa from Class 1-A! Nice to meet you too!”

—Minato Amakasa.

“That boy’s name is—Minato Amakasa.”

That’s exactly the name Ms. Oniki told me earlier.

So, Minato it is… Yeah, that’s a very protagonist-like name.

Actually, now that I think about it, it kinda sounds like the name of a main character in a “guy disguises himself as a girl to sneak into an all-girls school” type of eroge.

Well, either way—he’s definitely the protagonist.

As a villain, I should work on building a good relationship with him.

Just like how I decided to be kind to the girls, I should also take the initiative when dealing with the protagonist.

“Can I call you Minato? Feel free to call me however you like too.”

“!! T-Then… can I call you Reito?”

“Of course.”

“T-Then… Reito!”

“Yeah, Minato. Looking forward to getting along.”

After wrapping up our introductions, Minato and I moved to sit against the wall of the gym.

“Hey, hey, Reito!”

“What is it, Minato?”

Before I knew it, he had completely taken control of the conversation.

That protagonist energy was terrifying.

Wait… are protagonists always this forward?

In a fantasy setting, sure, but when I think about modern rom-com protagonists… aren’t they usually introverted loners?

Well, maybe this world’s protagonist just happens to be the extroverted type.

“Just like I thought, there really aren’t many guys at Sotei Academy.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

I mean, it was originally an all-girls school.

“There are only eight boys in the whole school, and today three of them are absent… so that leaves just five of us. Do you think… maybe the other guys are afraid of girls? Reito, are you scared of girls?”

“Huh? Scared?”

I tilted my head at Minato’s unexpected question.

Afraid of girls?

What kind of question was that?

At the very least, from what I’d seen, the girls at Sotei Academy were all really cute.

Maybe he meant something else—like being overwhelmed by being surrounded by so many girls or feeling uncomfortable under their stares?

“Hmm… I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of girls, but being the center of attention all the time does feel a bit much. What about you, Minato?”

“The other boy, on the other hand, was seen as mild-mannered and gentle toward girls, so it was decided that he would be fine on his own.”

That’s how Ms. Oniki described him.

His homeroom teacher probably thought the same way.

That’s why Minato was placed in a class as the only boy—but how did he feel about it?

“I don’t mind talking to girls, but… like you, I don’t really like being stared at or getting too much attention. I mean, girls tend to… you know, look at my face, my body… especially my lower half…”

Minato shrank into himself a little.

…So it’s basically the same thing as how guys instinctively glance at certain “features” when looking at girls.

Now that he mentioned it… I could kind of understand.

I took another look at Minato’s appearance.

His soft, silky blond hair was styled in an undercut mash cut, and his light blue eyes had a gentle glow.

His frame was delicate, and overall, he had the looks of a classic pretty boy.

His expressions were lively, and his voice and overall presence had a bright, cheerful feel to them.

Even though I randomly approached him out of nowhere, he was so welcoming and friendly…

Wait.

Now that I really think about it…

Doesn’t he seem more like a heroine than a protagonist?!

“H-Hey, Reito? Were you just staring at me?”

“Ah, my bad. I was just thinking that you have a really cute appearance.”

“R-Really?”

Minato blushed slightly at the compliment.

…Hold on a second.

You’re the protagonist, right? That means you’re a guy with all the proper equipment down there, yeah?

Normally, this would be the part where you go, “Come on, I’m a guy! You should say I look cool, not cute!” and push back a little, right?

…Or does this world have a “trap route” hidden somewhere?

“Since I’m the only guy in my class, I get a lot of attention… but having a designated support assistant really helps, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that.”

I agreed with him on that.

That said… my support assistant was also working as a personal maid at my mansion.

Oh, and she just so happened to be one of the main heroines.

…Yeah, Minato definitely couldn’t find out about that.

If he did, something told me it would turn into a massive headache.

“Have you talked to your support assistant yet, Reito?”

“Yeah, we had a brief conversation.”

In reality, I had been closely involved with her even before entering the academy, but I figured it was best to keep things simple.

“I greeted mine too. Just a simple ‘Nice to meet you, let’s get along!’ She seemed a little surprised at first, but she looked like a really nice girl. Also, her older sister is the student council president!”

“Oh, really?”

So that meant…

She was the student council president’s younger sister.

Yep. That definitely screamed “main heroine material.”

“What’s your support assistant like, Reito?”

“She seems like a good person.”

That’s the simple answer I gave in front of Minato—but in reality, Nako was kind, hardworking, and deeply cared about her older sister. She was a really good girl.

“Do you remember the girl who gave the freshman speech at yesterday’s entrance ceremony?”

“Ah, yeah, I do! She was super cute, wasn’t she?”

“She’s my support assistant.”

Oh, and back at the mansion—she was also my personal maid.

“I see~ I’m glad your support assistant is such a kind-looking girl, Reito”

Minato smiled softly.

…Yep. This guy is definitely the protagonist!!

We kept chatting for a while until—

“What are you doing for lunch today, Reito?”

Even though it was only second period, Minato was already bringing up lunch.

Was he hungry?

Well, since he asked, I should answer.

“I’m planning to eat at the cafeteria.”

I had already heard from Kyoko beforehand that Sotei Academy had a cafeteria.

Back in my old world, I went to an all-boys school, and the only food option was a tiny school store.

And to make things worse, the big, muscular athletes would always buy out all the food, so the only thing left for me to get was drinks.

That’s why I had always kind of admired cafeterias.

I had already told Kyoko last night that I was planning to eat there.

And then this morning—

I noticed that I didn’t have a bento waiting for me.

“…Nako. Make sure you don’t take your eyes off Young Master while he’s in the cafeteria.”

“I-I know, Onee-chan!”

I noticed the Nijou sisters having a serious conversation earlier… but well, I’m sure it’ll be fine.

“Reito, you’re amazing. Just going straight to the cafeteria like that… If you’re going, then… maybe I should try eating there too!”

“Try”…?

Seriously, Minato, everything you say just makes you sound even cuter.

…Hold on a second.

I am talking to the protagonist, right?

“Then let’s go together, Minato.”

“Yeah, Reito!”

And just like that, I ended up making lunch plans with the protagonist.

…Wait.

Does this mean I’m successfully raising his favorability, right?