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 43 & 44

Volume 02

Chapter 43: The Childhood Friend That Comes Along

My name is Reiji Jeromiya. Seventeen years old.

I’m a gloomy background mob character who doesn’t even appear in the story of the wildly popular rom-com manga Schrödinger’s Love.

I have zero friends. Zero presence. Zero relevance.

No real hobbies to speak of.

I go straight home after school.

My grades and athletic ability are painfully average.

If I had to brag about anything, it’d just be that I have an insanely cute little sister.

In other words, I’m your standard, boring, completely unremarkable high school guy.

But lately, something changed.

For the first time in my life, I gained someone I could truly call a friend.

That person is the third heroine of the hit rom-com manga Schrödinger’s Love—

The dazzling new-generation gravure queen, the proud owner of the nickname “National-Treasure-Class Ultra Bust,”

The fanservice heroine with absurdly huge boobs—

Chloe Mitsushima.

We met by pure chance.

One thing led to another, and before I knew it, we just kept getting closer and closer.

And eventually—somehow—we even ended up promising to get married someday.

Sure, it was half like playing house… but still.

That’s how ridiculously fast things progressed between us.

And right now—

I was staring at a LINE message from that beloved friend of mine…

Grinning to myself like a complete idiot.

『I finally made omurice today, so look forward to it, war buddy ♥』

Omurice, huh…

The legendary treasure my previous-life self had wanted so badly he could cry.

And now—finally—I was about to taste it.

Since I had exactly zero friends in class—or anywhere in school—other than Chloe Mitsushima, the moment my elective class (the one we didn’t share) ended, I neatly packed up my desk and slowly stood.

Then, hunched over like the lonely introvert I was, I shuffled out the classroom door—

“Omurice♪ Omurice♪ Omurice♪”

—And the second I stepped into the hallway, the expectations I’d been desperately holding back burst free.

I started doing a tiny dance as I walked.

“Omurice♪ Omurice♪ Omurice~♪”

I bounced my shoulders up and down like some weird mustache dance, humming off-key while scuttling down the hallway at high speed like an overexcited cockroach.

Two girls saw me coming and squeaked as they twisted their bodies out of the way.

But in that moment, I felt zero embarrassment.

Zero shame.

In my previous life, I’d suffered from a severe heart condition and had known nothing but hospital food from birth until death.

To the “me” who had lived like that, the thought of finally eating that glossy, golden-yellow omurice was overwhelming.

My heart pounded.

My expectations soared.

Half-floating, half-dancing, I made my way down the hallway, completely drunk on the promise of omurice.

“Omurice♪ Omurice♪ Omurice~♪”

Still humming my strange little song, I changed out of my indoor shoes into my beat-up Converse and stepped outside.

From there, I headed toward the back of the school building—our usual lunch spot, where Chloe and I always ate together.

“Omurice♪ Omurice♪ Omurice~♪”

Man… having a friend really is amazing.

As I sang under my breath, I trembled with a fresh, almost cleansing emotion I’d never felt before in my lonely introverted life.

Just three weeks ago, I’d been getting 500 yen a day from my little sister Eru—who controls the entire household budget—and surviving on convenience-store sweet bread and coffee milk for lunch.

And now?

Now my beloved war buddy was making me a homemade bento every single day.

Apparently, before “I” regained the memories of my previous life, Reiji Jeromiya had treated food as nothing more than fuel—something to fill his stomach and move on.

But now it was different.

In my past life, I’d eaten nothing but hospital meals three times a day.

Now, I ate fried chicken and nearly cried.

I ate hamburger steak and groaned in bliss.

I ate a boiled egg and trembled with emotion.

Eating is living.

Living is eating.

Ever since I awakened to that oddly philosophical truth, this daily lunch break had become the highlight of my entire day.

No—more than that. Even more than the food.

The fact that my very first friend…

The person who now lived right in the center of my heart all day long…

Was none other than Chloe Mitsushima—the very girl I used to “stan” in my previous life—

That was what made me endlessly, ridiculously happy.

Her explosive 95-centimeter H-cup—no, upgraded-to-I-cup—bust that drove guys all across Japan crazy.

Her bright, lively smile that popped just as much as those boobs did.

And that slightly-not-normal level of heavy affection that only a fanservice heroine could pull off.

This ultimate female life-form, fully equipped with all of that… was now my war buddy.

And, in a way, my future fiancée—the girl who had promised to marry me someday.

Just imagining what would happen if the other guys at school found out—they’d probably cough up blood and die from pure jealousy.

And every time I thought about that, my mind transformed into full-on spring paradise.

A golden Pure Land where enlightened beings sat peacefully, heavenly music filled the air, and everything was bathed in eternal love.

Practically heaven.

Still half-skipping with excitement, I turned the final corner that led to the stairs behind the school building—

And there she was.

She had apparently arrived first, and she was already waving at me with both arms.

“Ah, Jeromiya’s here! Yoo-hoo~!!”

Maybe it was the Nordic blood in her veins, but Chloe waved those ridiculously long, slender arms in big, exaggerated arcs. Her natural silver hair shimmered beautifully in the sunlight as she sat there waiting.

Ahh… my war buddy was cute again today.

No—she wasn’t just the cutest in the world. She was the cutest in the entire universe…!

After taking a full second to stretch my grin as wide as it would go and soak in the view, I waved back and hurried over.

“Yoo-hoo, Chloe! Alright, time for another fun, amazing lunch break—”

Just as I ran up to her, smiling like an idiot—

From beside her, who was sitting on the stairs, another figure suddenly came into view.

I froze mid-step.

“Ah, Chloe-chan. Jeromiya-kun’s here.”

For a split second, my eyes widened as I took in who it was.

Soft, chestnut-brown hair flowing in rich waves, like a young deer running across a meadow.

Gentle eyes with slightly drooping corners, radiating warmth and motherly affection.

She didn’t have the overwhelming, weaponized curves of Chloe Mitsushima—but paired with her naturally nurturing aura, her chest was still more than generous for someone our age.

For some reason, she gave off such comforting vibes that I almost felt like yelling “Mom!” and diving straight into her arms.

Huh!?

W-Why is she here…!?

I stood there in stunned silence, staring at the girl sitting right next to Chloe—smiling sweetly and waving her small hand at me.

Yes.

She was—

The second heroine of the wildly popular rom-com manga Schrödinger’s Love.

The childhood friend heroine.

Kanade Nikaido.

The childhood friend of the protagonist, Nayuta Yaohara.

And for some reason—no, seriously, why—she was sitting right beside Chloe, looking at me with that gentle, motherly smile.

Chapter 44: The Childhood Friend Who Touches the Mysteries

“Eh!? N-Nikaido… Kanade Nikaido!? Why are you here!?”

The moment I blurted out her full name in shock, Nikaido tilted her head.

“Hm? Chloe-chan, have I ever introduced myself to Jeromiya-kun before? I don’t think we’ve even talked once.”

She made her usual thoughtful pose—resting her index finger against her chin and glancing slightly upward.

As I awkwardly walked over and sat down on the stairs, Chloe spoke up.

“See? I told you, Nikaido-san. For some reason, Jeromiya knows everything about us and Yaohara. I was shocked at first too, but it’s actually kind of amazing.”

“Ehhh? He knows everything about us? Why? I mean, you and him are close, Chloe-chan, but Jeromiya-kun and I are meeting for the first time, right?”

“Right, right, that’s how it looks—but it’s not that simple. For example, Nikaido-san… remember when we went to that seaside training camp a year ago? You got lost in the forest at night, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah, I did.”

“And that night, when Yaohara came looking for you, you two ended up alone in the forest watching fireworks together, right?”

The moment Chloe said that—

Nikaido’s eyes widened.

“Eh—what!? How does Chloe-chan know about that!? The only people who should know are Naa-kun and me!”

“Jeromiya told me. I didn’t even know until I heard it from him myself. Right? That’s true, isn’t it, Jeromiya?”

Suddenly the spotlight was on me.

After hesitating for a moment about how to answer… I decided to just nod.

“Y-Yeah… I know. Back then, Nikaido, you tripped in the forest and twisted your ankle, so you couldn’t walk, right? And the moment Yaohara carried you on his back—that’s when the fireworks started.”

As I explained, Nikaido’s already wide eyes grew even wider.

“And at that moment, you remembered the fireworks festival you went to with Yaohara when you were little. Back then, he promised that someday he’d make you his bride. You were about to ask him if he still remembered that promise… But the sound of the fireworks drowned out your voice, and you never got to ask. Wasn’t that how it happened?”

“Wha—no way!? How!? How do you even know something like that, Jeromiya-kun!? Even Naa-kun shouldn’t know that I was about to ask him!!”

The normally gentle, easygoing girl gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

“By the way… Yaohara actually remembers that promise, you know. He remembered the promise itself—and he also heard you ask if he still remembered it. He just pretended not to hear because he was embarrassed.”

I added that little bonus detail—something only a reader would normally know—as a small act of service.

Nikaido’s cheeks turned a soft cherry pink, and she lowered her gaze.

“S-So he did… Naa-kun really remembered that promise from back then… Ehehe… ehehe…”

She smiled shyly.

That smile—it was exactly the smile of Kanade Nikaido, the childhood friend heroine of Schrödinger’s Love. Seeing it in real life honestly moved me.

She was easygoing and gentle, always moving at her own pace.

But at the same time, her girl power was off the charts, and she was unbelievably kind.

More than anything, she had that incredible motherly aura—so strong that just standing near her almost made you sleepy.

For a moment, I had to seriously fight the urge to yell “Mom!” and dive into her arms.

But after smiling—

She suddenly seemed to remember something.

Her expression shifted in an instant, turning faintly sad.

“Hm?”

I blinked at the sudden change.

Chloe gently rubbed Nikaido’s back and leaned in to look at her face.

“It’s fine, really. You saw just now, didn’t you? No matter what Nikaido-san’s worried about, Jeromiya can solve it. He knows everything. After all, Jeromiya’s an Akashic Records user!”

A completely outrageous term flew out of Chloe’s mouth, and I stared at her.

“Wait—what? What did you just say? A-Akashic Records…?”

“Yeah, the Akashic Records. Jeromiya, you’re someone who can access them, right?”

“Ehh!? I-I am!?”

“Oh? You don’t even know about your own ability? It’s an insane power, you know!!”

Suddenly Chloe’s eyes began sparkling like crazy, and she leaned in close to my face.

And when she leaned in—

The buttons on the front of her uniform let out a faint ~michii~ sound, like they were crying for mercy.

“Whoa—!”

I reflexively leaned backward with a groan.

Meanwhile, her eyes only shone brighter.

“The Akashic Records is an incredible ability, okay!? Basically, it’s this massive collection of knowledge somewhere in the universe that contains all history, all knowledge, all truth from the entire cosmos! And you, Jeromiya, can freely access that collection! Not just information about us, but everything—every piece of history, every hidden truth in this world! That’s your superpower!!”

She launched into her explanation at full speed.

Not just me—even Nikaido looked completely overwhelmed.

“This is seriously amazing! It’s the ultimate superpower! If you wanted to, you could become anything! After all, you’d have access to every truth in the universe! That’s why you know everything Yaohara and we’ve ever done, right!? Because you can observe it all through the Akashic Records!!”

Her blue eyes sparkled intensely as she leaned in even closer, speaking with heated excitement.

And as I listened—

Something tickled the back of my memory.

Oh.

Right.

I’d completely forgotten.

Chloe Mitsushima had that whole “paranormal fanatic” setting.

Yeah—because of her occult-loving Nordic mother, she was really into UFOs, cryptids, psychic powers, and all that supernatural stuff.

Of course she’d jump straight to something like the Akashic Records.

I see…

So even though she’d never directly asked me about it, this was how she’d interpreted my “knowing everything.”

No wonder she never acted suspicious.

Finally understanding that, I gave a vague nod.

“Ah… so that’s what you mean. Akashic Records, huh… Well, you’re not completely wrong, I guess?”

“Woooah!! So that is what’s going on!? That’s amazing, Jeromiya!!”

“But mine isn’t anything that grand, okay? At most, I can only tell things about you guys and Yaohara—and only about the past. I can’t see the future. And even then, it’s basically just stuff from the past year or so.”

“Ehh…? What kind of Akashic Records is that? That sounds super limited. Only about us? Is that even a thing?”

“How would I know? I just know what I know. That’s all I can say.”

“But you know about the promise Nikaido-san and Yaohara made years ago, right?”

“Ugh…! L-Look, the point is—What I know, I know. What I don’t know, I don’t know. That’s just how it works, so please accept it.”

There was no way I could explain, “Actually, you’re all characters in a rom-com manga, and I just happened to be one of the readers.”

Not to mention, I’d already reincarnated into that very story myself.

Still… the fact that Chloe had interpreted my “original knowledge” as some kind of supernatural ability and was satisfied with that explanation worked perfectly for me.

“Well, it’s a bit more limited than I expected, but… anyway, you get it now, right, Nikaido-san? So don’t hold back—just talk to him. I told you Jeromiya would definitely be useful.”

“Y-Yeah…! I get it now, Chloe-chan. Jeromiya-kun is some kind of dependable psychic, huh…!”

A consultation?

At Chloe’s words, I tilted my head.

It sounded like Nikaido had gone to her—since they were friends through Yaohara—with some kind of problem. And Chloe had decided to bring me into it.

But… this was Kanade Nikaido we were talking about.

One of the main heroines of a massively popular rom-com.

What kind of issue could someone like her possibly need advice from a background mob like me?

As I stood there confused, Nikaido looked straight at me.

“Um… Jeromiya-kun. I actually have something I want to ask you about. When I talked to Chloe-chan, she said you have some incredible ability and would definitely be reliable… so I was hoping you’d listen. Will you?”

“Y-Yeah… I can at least listen.”

When I nodded, she let out a heavy sigh and began speaking.

“You know that Naa-kun and I are childhood friends, right? You know that through your… um… Acoustic Records ability?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s Akashic Records.”

“Right, right, the Acrobatic Records thing. Then you probably also know… that I’ve liked Naa-kun for a really long time, don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m sorry, but I do know.”

“In that case, this will be easier to explain…”

She clasped both hands tightly in her lap, as if gathering her courage.

“Actually… I’ve been thinking about giving up on Naa-kun. About giving up on the fact that I like him… And, well… stepping aside.”