I Reincarnated as a Mob Character in a Romcom Manga—After I Kept Comforting the Third “Fanservice” Heroine When She Got Dumped and Cried, I Feel Like She’s Started Directing Some Seriously Heavy Feelings at Me - Chapter 09: The Fanservice Heroine Who’s Good with Kids

Chapter 09: The Fanservice Heroine Who’s Good with Kids

Even after I said that, Chloe only stared silently at my face.

I panicked a little and hurried to continue.

“Like—remember that time you were on a date with Nayuta Yaohara, and you found a little girl who’d gotten lost at the park? You crouched down properly so you were at her eye level, asked her name, gave her the ice cream you were supposed to eat yourself, and then held her hand while you went to look for her mom.”

Yeah.

That had been a scene from the middle of the long-running series, but I remembered it clearly.

It had shown an unexpected side of Chloe Mitsushima—someone who usually came across as reckless and rough—and it was definitely one of those scenes that stuck with readers.

“After a while, you found her mom. You said ‘I’m glad,’ patted the girl on the head, and stood there watching until the girl and her mom walked away together, holding hands. That’s what happened, right?”

I paused and took a breath.

“If it were Miyuki Hitotsuba or Kanade Nikaido, it wouldn’t have gone like that. Hitotsuba isn’t good with kids who act unpredictably, and Nikaido is too laid-back to move that quickly and smoothly. When I saw that scene, I honestly thought, ‘She’ll probably make a really good mom someday.’ Isn’t that a solid kind of charm as a person—something the other two don’t have?”

When I finished saying it all in one breath, the muddy, lifeless look on Chloe’s face slowly—over the span of a few seconds—melted into a broad, gentle smile.

“Perfect score. Jeromiya, you really are a genius at comforting people.”

“R-Really? That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me…”

“More importantly, how do you even remember something like that? Even I’d almost forgotten about it. You’re not some CIA agent secretly watching us or anything, right?”

“You’re gonna let me keep that a secret, yeah?”

“Ahaha… wow. I really did end up meeting someone incredible. So—Jeromiya, do you really think I’d make a good mom?”

“Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.”

When I nodded so hard it was almost ridiculous, Chloe let out a shy little “ehehe,” smiled bashfully, and scratched the tip of her nose with her index finger.

Seeing the sexy heroine—who usually made other people flustered but almost never got embarrassed herself—smile like that…

Honestly, seeing it in person hit way harder than I expected.

So she can smile like that too…

Just as my heart skipped a beat, Chloe pulled out a large plastic container and held it out toward me.

“Alright. That was more than enough to comfort me, so I’m satisfied. I shall bestow upon you this bento.”

“Ooh—yes! Did you put karaage in it!? You did, right!?”

“Obviously. I even seasoned it properly from scratch, so it’s the real deal.”

“Uoooh! From-scratch seasoning!? That’s a concept that doesn’t even exist in hospital food! This is amazing!!”

Making a huge fuss, I took the container from her and opened the lid. Inside was a colorful bento that made it obvious at a glance how much care and effort she’d put into it.

For a moment, I was so moved I couldn’t find any words. Seeing my face like that, Chloe leaned closer and peered at me, looking slightly worried.

“…Huh? Did you not like it or something?”

“No, that’s not it. I was just so moved I couldn’t say anything right away. This is… my own bento. Made just for me…!”

“G-Geez, you’re getting way too emotional over one bento. Here—chopsticks.”

“Ooh, thanks! T-Then I’ll start with the karaage…!”

Barely managing a proper thank-you, I snapped the disposable chopsticks apart and, with hands shaking just a little, brought a piece of karaage to my mouth—

And the moment I bit into it, a powerful “impact” shot through me, so intense it felt like something had gone wrong inside my mouth.

“S-So? How is it? I mean, I’m pretty confident in it, but…”

At the exact moment Chloe asked that timidly—

My nose suddenly stung, and tears began pouring out of my eyes without warning.

“W-Wha—!? Jeromiya!? What’s wrong!? A-Are you crying!?”

“…Yeah. I guess I am. When I realized, ‘So this is karaage… this is what a bento is,’ it just kind of made me cry…”

“Huh!? Don’t tell me you cried because the karaage tasted that good!? Seriously!?”

“It’s not just the taste. It’s because this was made just for me… that’s what really got to me…”

Reiji Jeromiya had more than enough memories of eating karaage in his life.

But memories, and the sensation of actually eating it, were never the same.

I blinked rapidly, then wiped the corners of my eyes with my fingertips.

“I’ve never eaten food that was made just for me before. Everything I ate until now came from hospital kitchens—basically mass-produced stuff. But this is different. You woke up early, worked hard, and made this just for me. Something only I get to eat. Something only I have the right to eat. Just thinking that makes me… really happy.”

Eating a bento—something completely ordinary for a healthy person—was, for me, an unbelievably huge step.

There were plenty of memories of eating bento in Reiji Jeromiya’s past.

But now that I had regained memories of my previous life, even something this small became a treasure.

As I sniffled and carefully chewed the karaage, trying not to waste even a single bite—Chloe gently reached out and patted my head.

“Huh?”

I looked up in surprise, and Chloe was smiling down at me with a face full of sympathy as she continued to softly stroke my head.

“Jeromiya, you really did live a pretty miserable life, huh…? Now I’m starting to feel bad about being the one getting comforted by you…”

“Fgh—! N-No, but, I mean, I’m perfectly healthy now, so it’s not like I’m that pitiful anymore…”

“Even so, crying just from eating one piece of karaage is way too extreme. Meanwhile, I get dumped once and I’m completely wrecked.”

“…You shouldn’t talk like that either. Whether you get dumped by a guy or by the goddess of health, it’s basically the same thing, right? We’re pretty similar, you and me.”

When I said that, Chloe let out a small “oh,” then broke into a wide grin.

“Jeromiya.”

“Yeah?”

“I really like the way you say things like that. The kind that makes it sound like you’d pick me up if I fell.”

Like.

That single word made my heart tighten with a sharp thump.

Satisfied with my reaction, Chloe looked at me with a sly, teasing grin—exactly the kind of smile you’d expect from a fanservice heroine.

“Oh? You’re blushing, you’re blushing. I like that about you, Jeromiya—so pure and cute.”

“H-Hey…! D-Don’t tease me like that! Save that kind of stuff for Nayuta Yaohara…!”

“Well, I got dumped, so I don’t have anyone left to tease now. Man—if Yaohara were even half as sensitive as you, I wouldn’t have had to go all-out with those slutty moves to reel him in so easily.”

Laughing it off, Chloe finally pulled out her own bento and started eating with clear enjoyment.

Good grief…

Looks like she’d recovered enough mentally to eat, at least. Feeling relieved, we finally began eating our lunches properly.

After that, every time I made a fuss over the springy bite of the shrimp chili or got impressed by how salty the pickled plum was, Chloe kept watching me with an oddly relieved, almost saved-looking expression on her face.