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 61 & 62

Chapter 61: The Fanservice Heroine Who Abandons Me

The next morning, I dragged myself to school, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

For some reason, I hadn’t been able to fall asleep easily last night.

For the past month, Chloe had constantly been by my side, turning my days into something far busier—and far more fun—than they had any right to be. 

It had been chaotic (in the best way), packed with nonsense, and strangely fulfilling. 

Lately, the moment I got home, I’d collapse straight into bed without even realizing it.

And yet, just one day.

Just one single day without seeing her was enough to throw my sleep rhythm completely out of sync.

Apparently, there are people in this world so bright and overwhelming that even missing them for twenty-four hours can disrupt your entire life.

Chloe Mitsushima…

An idol. Everyone’s favorite. A full-blown celebrity.

My war buddy really was something else.

I clicked my tongue in admiration at her absurd vitality and let out a long yawn.

And that was when it happened.

“Wooooo! Morning, Jeromiya! So? Did you properly jerk off to me before bed last night—!?”

Those were, without question, not the kind of words anyone should be shouting first thing in the morning.

Bofun!

Before I could react, something warm, soft, and suspiciously fragrant—like a dangerously luxurious airbag—pressed firmly against the back of my head.

“Whoa—morning, Chloe. But maybe don’t start the day by asking something that dirty in public—”

I gently peeled her off me, forcing that soft mass away from the back of my skull, and turned around with a wry smile.

And in that instant—

A ripple ran through my entire body.

A faint, unpleasant pressure spread across my skin, like static electricity crawling just beneath the surface.

Every hair stood on end.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Jeromiya?”

—Huh?

Wait. Something feels off.

I knew my war buddy was cute. She was a rom-com heroine, after all. That much was obvious.

But… was she always this cute?

I mean—she looks like she’s actually glowing.

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

“C-Chloe, aren’t you kind of weird today? Wait, huh? What’s going on?”

“What’s with you? You’re making a face like a pigeon just got hit with a pellet gun. Are you feeling sick?”

“N-No, I mean, I’m a bit sleep-deprived, but that’s not the issue—”

Actually… now that I’m really looking at her…

She’s ridiculously good-looking.

Sure, she’s a silver-haired Nordic half, but can a human being really look this close to perfect?

Her arms and legs are so long.

Her hair is insanely glossy.

Her eyes are huge.

And more than anything—her chest is absurdly massive.

There’s no way she can see her own toes.

How does she even walk down stairs every day?

…

Come to think of it, two days ago…

I touched those huge breasts with my bare hands, didn’t I?

No—not just touched.

I grabbed them.

With these two hands.

No—“grabbed” isn’t even accurate.

I squeezed them however I wanted.

They were insanely soft. Warm. Heavy. So big I couldn’t even fully hold them.

W-Wait.

Did I seriously do something that sinful two days ago…?

The moment that thought hit me, blood rushed straight to my head.

Embarrassment and guilt tangled together in a chaotic mess inside my brain.

My face burned so hot it felt like it might melt.

I couldn’t take it.

I turned my head completely away from her—eyes and all.

And immediately, she hurried closer, pressing herself against me again.

“Eh—J-Jeromiya? What’s wrong? Your face is totally red—n-no, it’s like dark red! Are you really okay?”

The next second, Chloe’s massive breasts squished firmly against my chest.

Munyun.

“Wha—!?”

I yelped and instinctively jumped backward.

“Jeromiya, seriously—what’s going on? Are you sure you’re fine?”

“I—I don’t know! I don’t get it myself! F-For now, Chloe… I don’t know why, but… could you maybe not get so close to me?”

“What are you even saying? As long as you’re not sick, it’s fine. Come now, let’s walk to school together!”

Before I could protest again, she grabbed my left arm like always—

—And buried it right between those national-treasure-class breasts.

Just that alone sent a violent shock through my entire body, like I’d been strapped into an electric chair.

Even as I tried to steady my breathing while hiding behind her, my heart kept pounding—thud, thud, thud—like it was trying to break straight through my ribs.

What is wrong with me?

Am I just feeling off because I didn’t sleep enough?

In my past life, I’d suffered from a serious heart condition. The thought that my heart might be acting up again—refusing to obey me—sent a chill down my spine.

With no other choice, I twisted my neck as far as humanly possible to keep Chloe out of my line of sight.

At the same time, I did my absolute best to ignore the softness and warmth pressing against my elbow.

And like someone marching toward their execution, I started walking—my steps unsteady, my heartbeat still completely out of control.

“Jeromiya, what’s now? Did you mess up your neck or something? It’s dangerous if you don’t look where you’re walking, you know?”

“N-No… s-sorry. It’s just… I kind of don’t want you in my line of sight right now…”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? That’s rude. Are you saying I’m in the way?”

“N-No, it’s not that. I mean—uh—sorry. It’s just… I can’t really look at you directly right now…”

As I muttered that awkwardly, she let out a confused little, “Huh?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me today… I’m acting weird. It’s just… I can’t handle it. When you’re in my vision, my heart suddenly starts freaking out. Sorry, I know that sounds rude. But I’ve got that trauma from my past life, so…”

Even while I stumbled through that ridiculous excuse, I could feel her staring at me in surprise.

What kind of dramatic confession was that supposed to be…?

I was already cringing at my own words when, all of a sudden, Chloe let go of my left arm and stepped around to stand right in front of me.

“Huh—?”

I instinctively tried to lift my gaze—

But her hands gently cupped both of my cheeks and tilted my face upward.

My eyes flew wide in shock.

At the same time, her serious expression filled my entire view, so close I could feel her breath—

And my heart slammed against my chest like it was trying to break straight through my ribs.

“C-Chloe…!?”

“Jeromiya. LOOK AT ME.”

“I told you—! W-Whoa, you’re too close, way too close! B-Back up—!”

“I’m not backing up. …Well, Jeromiya? When you look at my face, does it really get that hard to breathe? Does your chest tighten? Does your body heat up?”

“Ugh…! Y-Yeah, it’s tight and hot! My heart feels like it’s going to explode! P-Please, cut me some slack…!”

After I practically begged, she stared straight into my face for a long moment.

Then she gave a small snort and let go of me.

The instant she did, all the strength drained from my knees, and I collapsed into a crouch right there on the sidewalk.

I pressed my right hand over my heart, anxiously checking on my “brand-new” replacement model, while Chloe looked down at me with a face like she had just figured something out.

“Ohhh, I get it… You had a serious heart condition in your past life, right? So that’s what this is.”

“I-I told you, that part isn’t a lie! My heart really is my weak point! It finally got replaced with a new one, so I want to take good care of it, okay? Please…”

“Hmmm, is that so? Well, after getting this close to me for this long, it feels a little late to start worrying now.”

She said that in a surprisingly brisk tone—

And then simply walked off, leaving me behind.

“Eh?”

I blinked in confusion.

She glanced back at me over her shoulder.

“What are you doing? If you don’t get up and start walking, you’re going to be late.”

She tossed that at me in a strangely cold tone.

And then continued ahead without waiting.

In that instant, an icy wind blasted straight through my chest.

The heart that had been pounding like crazy just moments ago cooled in seconds.

Huh?

Did… did Chloe just abandon me?

The thought struck, and it felt like the ground beneath me suddenly cracked open.

Like I was falling headfirst into a bottomless abyss, swallowed by an overwhelming sense of despair.

I tried to stand.

But the hopelessness was so intense my knees wouldn’t cooperate.

The bright, cheerful school road around me warped in my mind.

It transformed into a jungle battlefield—littered with fallen comrades, scattered limbs, and smoke rising from the wreckage.

The enemy’s direct hit had wiped out our entire unit.

Shrapnel had torn into my leg, leaving me unable to stand and retreat.

And yet—

Even so—

The war buddy who had stood shoulder to shoulder with me…

Who had shared our last drops of water and scraps of food…

Who had encouraged me, saying we’d make it back alive together…

Was now turning her back on me and walking away.

W-Wait.

Don’t leave me behind.

If you abandon me, I’ll go right back to being a lonely loser again.

N-No… that’s not it. That’s not what I mean.

It’s not about being alone.

I just… I don’t want you to abandon me.

Please, war buddy.

Throw me over your shoulder and run.

If you leave me here…

I’ll die.

Even if I screamed with everything I had—

My war buddy never once looked back.

My desperate cry echoed uselessly through the imaginary jungle, swallowed by the battlefield of my own delusions.

Chapter 62: The Fanservice Heroine Who Makes Her Move

“…And finally, in two weeks, the long-awaited Seiran Academy Summer Seaside Camp is coming up. Don’t get so excited that you break a bone before then. Got it?”

Our homeroom teacher, Touko Ozeki-sensei, who was in charge of Class 2-C—the class Chloe and I belonged to—was exactly the kind of character you’d expect in a rom-com like this. 

If I had to sum her up in one phrase?

“Generic Shizuka Hiratsuka.” [Oregairu*]

Looks and personality included.

She was twenty-eight, unmarried, a little rough around the edges, and spoke in a slightly androgynous tone. A beautiful woman with zero elegance and maximum blunt-force energy.

That “Generic Shizuka Hiratsuka” then continued, in her usual loud and confident voice, explaining the details of Seiran Private Academy’s summer seaside program—an event befitting one of Japan’s most prestigious schools.

“I’m sure you heard this back in your first year, but this seaside camp isn’t just some fun little trip. The idea is that you heirs and heiresses of distinguished families—future politicians, business leaders, scholars, pro athletes, celebrities, and whatever else—will someday be steering the country together. This event is meant to strengthen your bonds now, so you can maintain unity even after graduation and help guide the nation’s future. …By the way, that explanation was just something the head of academics told me to repeat, so don’t take it too seriously.”

The moment Ozeki-sensei added that last part, the entire class burst into laughter.

Well—almost the entire class.

There were two people who didn’t laugh.

Me—still depressed after being “abandoned” by my beloved war buddy.

And Chloe Mitsushima—resting her cheek on her hand, staring coolly out the window with a faintly annoyed expression.

“And one more thing. Especially you boys should already understand this, but—It’s the sea. In summer. Which means…”

She paused dramatically.

“…a swimsuit event.”

The way Ozeki-sensei stretched that out made the entire class of boys visibly react at once.

You could practically hear the collective brain cells short-circuit.

“For the record, everyone attends the seaside camp in casual clothes. Which means your swimsuits are personal items. …Rejoice. I, too, shall grace you adorable students with my presence—in a bikini.”

Now, this outrageous female teacher had shown up a few times in the original manga. And yes, I was well aware she had an impressively glamorous body.

As expected, the boys’ eyes went bloodshot.

Breathing grew heavier.

A few especially imaginative ones even pulled their chairs closer and leaned forward in anticipation.

A twenty-eight-year-old unmarried teacher probably shouldn’t be saying things like that.

But this was a rom-com world.

Stuff like this was standard procedure.

And given her terrible drinking habits and the fact that she’d been dumped by more men than I could count on both hands, her bikini appearance would probably just be treated as another fanservice scene.

Maybe it was because I was still feeling down, but I found myself thinking about all that in a strangely detached way.

“Furthermore,” Ozeki-sensei added, raising her voice again.

“You brats who are busy enjoying your youth have probably heard of it, haven’t you? …The Seiran Academy Summer Seaside Camp’s Legend of Love.”

That phrase—Legend of Love—rang a bell.

Even in the middle of my lingering depression, I looked up.

Ozeki-sensei’s lips curled into a slow, knowing grin.

“The seaside camp lasts three days and two nights. On the second night, there will be a summer fireworks festival. And the legend says—if a boy and girl can watch those fireworks together, alone, without anyone interrupting them, their love will last forever. …In fact, among the famous graduates of this academy who later married and are now known as model couples, some have publicly claimed they carried out this legend back in their student days.”

Ohhh… right.

That was a thing.

I dug up the original-story knowledge I had tucked away in the corner of my brain.

Yeah, in this rom-com manga, Schrödinger’s Love, that exact setup existed.

During their first summer, Chloe Mitsushima had boldly pushed Nayuta Yaohara and secured a promise to watch the fireworks together—just the two of them.

But during the daytime orienteering event, Kanade Nikaido got separated from the group, lost her way, tripped, and sprained her ankle.

The moment Nayuta Yaohara realized she was missing, he immediately ran off to search for her.

Because of that sudden decision, his promise with Chloe fell apart.

And in the end—

It wasn’t Chloe who watched the fireworks with him.

It was Nayuta Yaohara, carrying Kanade Nikaido on his back, who stood beneath the exploding summer sky with her instead.

“So for the next two weeks until the seaside camp starts, all you popular boys and girls are going to be flooded with invitations. The more attractive you are, the rougher your summer’s about to get. This school is annoyingly packed with beautiful people, after all. …But let me tell you this. Even if you’re ready to crash and burn, confess to the person you like! Take the gamble! Otherwise you’ll end up like me—left unsold in the brutal marriage market!”

Ozeki-sensei delivered that with the energy of someone charging into battle.

The whole class exploded with laughter.

“And by the way, boys—you’re free to invite me to the fireworks too. I won’t lie, my drinking habits are a little questionable, but fundamentally I’m the devoted type. My strike zone is wide—fifteen to forty-five. I’m beautiful, I’ve got a great figure, and as for my night techniques… well, they’re decent enough. If any of you are prepared to face me seriously, I’ll show you a level of adult charm you will never, ever get from some spoiled, still-smelling-like-milk high school girl drunk on her own ‘premium youth’ status. Got that!? I mean it! If you want to woo me, not even Japanese law will stand in your way—I hereby declare it!”

She slammed her fist on the podium and raised it high like a revolutionary leader.

The boys roared and applauded like they’d just witnessed history.

As expected of a rom-com homeroom teacher.

If it meant fulfilling her own desires, she might genuinely drag her cute students into the underworld without hesitation.

While I was thinking that in my still slightly bitter mood—

The bell rang, signaling the end of morning homeroom.

“Alright, that’s it for homeroom! I’m officially accepting fireworks-date reservations starting now! Line up and apply! Got it!?”

With that, “Generic Shizuka Hiratsuka,” a.k.a. Touko Ozeki-sensei, swept out of the classroom, her pure white coat fluttering dramatically behind her.

The hype she’d stirred up worked instantly.

“Hell yeah, I’m doing it!”

“I’m in!”

A few of the boys clenched their fists and shouted with fiery determination.

With looks like hers—and after a speech like that—at least ten guys would seriously try to invite her.

Honestly, I felt a strange kind of admiration for my overly bold teacher.

Her declaration had basically sounded like a crime notice, yet somehow it came off as refreshingly straightforward.

…The Legend of Love and the Fireworks, huh.

Well, it didn’t matter to me anymore.

I’d already been abandoned by my beloved war buddy.

Back when I was just reading the original story, this event had been exciting.

Now?

All I could think was, What are they even getting so worked up about?

There’s a saying that even a love that lasts a hundred years can suddenly go cold.

One mistake is enough.

Someone who was saying “Love, love, love you” yesterday can suddenly drift far away.

And just because a boy and girl watch fireworks together once doesn’t mean they’ll peacefully walk hand in hand all the way to the finish line after that.

Fireworks are just gunpowder exploding in a slightly prettier way.

Swearing eternal love over something that vanishes in seconds?

Isn’t that kind of ridiculous?

…Not that I’ve ever actually seen fireworks up close in my life.

I spent most of it in a hospital, after all.

Just when I was spiraling into full “Nothing matters, rom-com clichés are stupid, everything is dumb” mode—

“Jeromiya.”

—There was only one person in this class weird enough to willingly talk to a gloomy background mob like me.

I jerked my head up.

And of course—

It was Chloe Mitsushima.

She stood there, looking down at me with a completely unreadable expression.

I blinked in shock.

“O-Oh… what is it?”

W-Why is she talking to me all of a sudden?

Didn’t she just abandon me this morning after I started spouting nonsense?

While I was still blinking like a malfunctioning robot, Chloe took a slow, steady breath.

Then, with firm resolve—like she was making a declaration to the entire class—she said:

“Two weeks from now, at the seaside camp fireworks… you and me. We’re watching them alone.”

Her voice rang out like a thunderclap.

Like a stage actor delivering the final, decisive line of a play.