About the Case of Me Being Reincarnated as a Side Character Who Got Kicked Out Immediately Of The Story, but the Heroine, Who’s My Yandere Fiancée, Won't Leave Me Alone - Chapter 26: Who are you? I am…

Chapter 26: Who are you? I am…

My heart skipped a beat at the question, “Who are you?”

Arisu, sitting next to me, stared at me intently, and before I knew it, she was holding my hand, leaving me unable to escape.

Rather, with her hand holding mine, even the slightest tremble of my hand was conveyed, and I knew my uneasiness had undoubtedly been noticed.

“What… do you mean by that?”

However, caught in Arisu’s gaze, I could only mumble and try to brush it off.

Arisu’s eyes saw right through my usual poker face, but she could also sense the slightest trembling of my body, and yet I tried to deceive her, knowing full well that this ploy wouldn’t work.

“Are you trying to deceive me even now? I’ve only asked a simple question: Who are you, standing here in front of me?”

“…………”

“Who are you, standing here as Izayoi Akito? I must admit, I’m quite surprised… I never thought something like this could happen.”

That phrasing… she knows. She knows.

Arisu was sharp; I didn’t think I could keep this secret from her forever, but now that she had confronted me with the truth, I was at a loss for how to react.

But if I couldn’t continue to dodge the issue, I might as well speak up.

“I… I am…”

My voice trembled.

It seemed that the revelation had shaken me, and I was afraid of how Arisu would react to hearing about someone who wasn’t Izayoi Akito.

But I couldn’t continue; Arisu gently drew my face to her chest.

“Huh?!”

“I’m sorry, Akito-san. Forgive me for being so sudden, but would you please listen to what I have to say first?”

“Ah, ah… yes.”

So this meant that I was to keep my face pressed against Arisu’s chest?

With my face buried in the valley between her breasts, I listened as she whispered in my ear, her hand stroking my head.

“I’ve had my suspicions for a while now. Even if you truly don’t remember the entrance ceremony, the difference between you then and now is too great… didn’t you realize that?”

“……Yes.”

That was true; I had to admit it.

“It’s possible that the shock of losing some memories could change a person. Given that you’ve been separated from Maria-san and her entourage, and you’ve changed the way you interact with me, Amane-san, Minato-kun, and your parents… I suppose that could be explained as a change in personality.”

“…………”

“But here’s the thing: Can a person who has lost their memories suddenly do things they never would have done before? That’s a different question, isn’t it?”

Arisu’s words were filled with certainty.

I was afraid to lift my face; not because I didn’t want to emerge from the soft, marshmallowy embrace, but because I knew what I would find.

“Amane-san, Minato-kun, and your parents all seem to like the change in you, and I agree with them. But the more I watched you, the more I saw beyond the surface. I saw your hidden self.”

“Hidden self…?”

Finally, I raised my face.

We were so close, our breath mingling; it was as if we were about to kiss.

Arisu’s index finger traced my cheek, and she looked like a goddess of mercy… her expression was so gentle.

“You are someone other than Akito-san, but you are also him. When I understood that, I finally understood the meaning behind your words: that the weight of your family name and role was too much for you to bear.”

“I… I…”

“Of course. Looking at you now, it’s easy to imagine that you’re not used to this kind of life… Hey, you who are not Akito-san? Weren’t you suddenly thrust into this situation?”

“…………”

“Your silence is confirmation.”

Who was this girl?

The Arisu I knew loved the protagonist to the point of obsession, accepting and affirming everything about him, and making him dependent on her sweet, toxic charm… she was a yandere, and her exceptional looks and the voice actress’s performance made her an instant top heroine.

As for me… her behavior was becoming increasingly frightening.

“You’ve been working very hard.”

“Huh?”

“Not knowing anything, not having anyone to rely on… you were all alone, weren’t you? You seem to have gotten used to it now, but at first, you must have been very scared.”

That was true.

I had become Izayoi Akito; at first, I tried to avoid the inevitable absurdity that would befall me, so I lied and bluffed my way through, ensuring my safety.

But that only led to new disasters, and even with my knowledge of the original work, actually living in that world was a daunting task.

“I could see that you were trying to understand things from up close, that you were studying hard, and that you were dealing with unfriendly stares and gossip… You took it all in stride, and I saw how hard you were trying.”

Arisu’s words pierced my heart, but it was a warm, comforting feeling, not painful or tense.

“When you first asked if you could rely on me, it was a strange feeling. But then, the more I watched you, the more I enjoyed supporting you.”

“Arisu…”

This girl was too good to be true.

But with her words so clear, I knew I couldn’t deceive her anymore.

So I decided to tell her,I trusted Arisu even if I knew that no one else would believe such an incredible truth.

“I’m on your side. At least, even after this conversation, I should still be on your side… It’s embarrassing for me to say, but could you really push me away now?”

“……No, it might be difficult.”

“Of course. Knowing your truth, I truly want to support you… So you can rely on me more. I will never betray or abandon you… I’ll see you for who you are, not as Izayoi Akito.”

“Huh?!”

I knew that the people in this world were kind, especially Arisu, who was truly gentle. She was only a first-year high school student, yet her capacity for love was astonishing.

“I…”

“Take your time and tell me. I’ll be there for you… hehe, don’t rush, take it slow… slowly, okay?”

And so, I decided to speak.

I didn’t doubt or distrust Arisu, but even if this truth was something no one would ever believe, I couldn’t resist the comfort of sharing it with her.

▼▽

Arisu watched Akito as he slowly wove his words, a smile on her face.

Akito would probably call her kind, but this is what she was thinking:

(You think I’m kind, don’t you? But that’s a mistake—it’s true that I want to help you, that I want to support you. But as for the you before… the old Izayoi Akito, I don’t care about him. I don’t even care what he looked like, what his voice sounded like… it’s all the same to me. So, tell me about yourself.)

Yes, she had already conveyed this much.

The problem was what came next.

“But the previous you… the old Izayoi Akito, I don’t care about him. I don’t even care what he looked like, what his voice sounded like… it’s all the same to me. So, tell me about yourself, the one standing in front of me.”

This was the moment Arisu’s switch flipped completely.

She was even stronger than her usual self, and she seemed to see only the person in front of her… of course, the current him couldn’t sense her true feelings.