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 29: A Close Call

“As I mentioned before, when it comes to economics—”

The lecture is, as usual, completely incomprehensible, but perhaps because my mindset has changed compared to before, I’m able to focus and try to understand the content.

“…”

And that’s largely due to the presence of Arisu, sitting next to me.

If you asked me whether I’ve been completely captivated by her, I’d have to nod. But honestly, how could I not end up like this after spending time with her?

After opening up about myself, Arisu became my one and only true confidante in the deepest sense.

The fact that there’s someone who understands my circumstances… I can’t even begin to express how much that helps me.

“Izayoi-kun.”

“!?”

“Is my class that boring to you?”

“…No, sir.”

Whoops. I got called out because I was staring at Arisu and zoning out.

By the way, it seems the current me—Akito, that is—is disliked not only by other students but also by some teachers without exception. So, I basically handed that teacher an excuse to come after me.

“Your behavior like this could tarnish Saijo-sama’s dignity. You should keep that in mind.”

And, of course, he blatantly brings Arisu into it.

…Sigh. Just when I was ready to start fresh and put in some effort, the road ahead seems as tough as ever.

With people like him, it’s best not to argue and just nod along.

That’s what I was thinking, but it wasn’t me who spoke up—it was Arisu.

“Excuse me, sensei, may I say something?”

“Hm…? Ah, yes…”

The teacher, startled but nodding, responded to Arisu, who had calmly raised her hand.

“It’s true that him zoning out during class isn’t good. As his fiancée, I’ll make sure to reprimand him properly. However, is it really necessary to treat him like he’s your personal enemy?”

“B-But—”

“If it were purely a matter of discipline, I wouldn’t say this much. But if there’s even a hint of intent to belittle him, as his fiancée, I feel compelled to speak up.”

When Arisu said that much, the teacher let out a frustrated groan.

I wasn’t that bothered by it myself, but I felt a bit guilty for making Arisu feel like she had to say all that… or so I thought, until her next words wiped that feeling away.

“And one more thing. I care deeply for my fiancé. So, I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from making private invitations when we pass in the hallways.”

…Huh, so this teacher was doing stuff like that?

Sure, in the manga, there were scenes where Arisu got hit on by teachers as well as students, but those were when Akito—her fiancé—wasn’t around.

Just then, the class ended, and the teacher quickly left the classroom.

His frustrated expression as he left, combined with his face turning red from the humiliation, made me think, Serves you right, just a little.

“Sorry about that, Arisu.”

“It’s fine. In fact, it was the perfect opportunity to put him in his place.”

“…Still, it’s my fault for zoning out in the first place.”

“True. As I told the teacher, I’ll have to make sure you’re properly reprimanded for that.”

Arisu raised her hand, and instead of slapping my cheek, she gently touched it.

“You’ll be more careful from now on, right?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Hehe, did you really think I’d hit you? I’d never do something like that.”

“I know that!”

By the way, since this exchange happened in the classroom, we were, as usual, getting a ton of stares. But Arisu didn’t seem to care at all, just giggling with a smile.

(…Arisu is too kind… almost scarily kind.)

Scary… well, “scary” is just a figure of speech, a kind of exaggeration.

To hide my flushed cheeks, I stood up, said a quick word to Arisu, and headed to the bathroom.

(Man… it’s so peaceful.)

Maybe it’s because Arisu calmed me down, but I genuinely feel that way.

The original story’s knowledge is no longer reliable… but because it’s unreliable, maybe I don’t have to overthink things.

Aside from the pre-story crisis that threatened Sofia and Filia, there shouldn’t be anything else major, so I don’t have to feel uneasy about doing nothing.

“Phew…”

After finishing in the bathroom and heading back to the classroom, it happened.

“Akito-kun.”

“Hm?”

I turned around at the sound of a familiar voice.

Standing there was Filia… or so it should be, but the aura she exuded reminded me unmistakably of Sofia.

…No, it’s Filia.

The girl in front of me is definitely Filia… and yet, it feels like Filia is acting as Sofia.

“When I’m alone, you can’t tell? It’s me, Sofia.”

“…Oh, right, Sofia-san. Thanks for letting me know.”

No way… this is definitely Filia.

I still don’t know why I can tell them apart, but the fact that Filia is pretending to be Sofia means she’s trying to trick me… Phew, good thing I didn’t let it show on my face.

“So, how’s it been? Has Filia said anything to you?”

“Said anything?”

“You know, about the ‘destined person’ stuff? Filia seems to like you quite a bit, so I was wondering if she’s been, like, making moves on you or something.”

This… is starting to mess with my head.

For now, the person in front of me is Filia pretending to be Sofia… so I need to be careful and answer without slipping up.

“She wouldn’t go that far. I mean, I’ve got a fiancée, and if weird rumors started, it’d be trouble for both of us, right?”

“That’s… true. No one would dare pick a fight with our family or Arisu-san’s, but yeah, that’d be a hassle.”

“Right?”

“Yeah.”

Then, I tilted my head slightly.

The way she phrased that… doesn’t it sound like I’m the one worried about Filia’s “destined person” talk?

Maybe I’m overthinking it. Being liked isn’t a bad thing, so… yeah, probably overthinking.

“Break time’s not over yet, but are you okay on time?”

“I’m fine.”

“Thanks. Filia’s not around, so it’s perfect timing.”

One step, then two—Filia got closer.

“That day… it was the first time you and I talked.”

“…Yeah.”

“If you hadn’t been there, our family—the Laurents—might not have made it. I still think that. So, thank you, Akito-kun.”

…Okay, I get it now.

I understand Filia’s intent—she’s searching for her “destined person,” and I’m a candidate. By pretending to be Sofia, she’s probing me about our conversation from that day.

Filia, flawlessly acting as Sofia with a beaming smile and heartfelt thanks, gets a dumbfounded look from me as I respond.

“Uh… you’re saying that silly conversation we had saved the Laurent family? You okay, Sofia-san?”

“…I’m fine. I mean… uh… well…”

…Yup, she didn’t think about what to say if I denied it.

Seeing her flustered in a way neither Filia nor Sofia would typically act, I barely held back a laugh.

“That incident was a big deal for the Laurent family, right? I’m glad nothing happened to your family, but I didn’t do anything worth thanking me for… so, sorry.”

And for the finishing touch, I lowered my gaze.

“U-Um… sorry.”

And finally, Filia gave in.

I mentally patted myself on the back—maybe I’ve got some acting talent—while throwing in a wide-eyed expression for good measure.

“I’m Filia, actually… I was just, like, messing with you to see how you’d react. Really sorry.”

“Oh… it was you, Filia-san? I was surprised, but man, it’s really hard to tell you two apart.”

“Sorry…”

“Nah, it’s not a big deal.”

For now, I can assume nothing happened.

The moment I saw through Filia is when her switch would’ve flipped… Sofia’s the same, but since our first meeting was what it was, it didn’t seem to trigger anything with her.

“Ugh… I thought I was onto something.”

“Onto what?”

“Just talking to myself. Really sorry, okay? But even if it was short, I had fun talking.”

With that, Filia headed back to the classroom.

But from Filia’s perspective, she must’ve thought I was suspicious, so she went out of her way to impersonate Sofia to expose me… If I’d been honest and spilled everything, what would’ve happened?

“I knew it was you… Oh, I love you. I love you so, so much. Your fiancée… isn’t irrelevant, but isn’t a little love theft beautiful? In the end, it’s about who’s loved more—whoever’s loved less loses. So, let’s go to our birdcage. Until your heart belongs to us, my sister and I will love you forever and ever.”

The all-too-vivid image of Filia’s words flashed in my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.

“A close call… let’s call it that.”

By the way, in the manga, there’s a part where they actually lock someone up… those sisters are seriously terrifying.