I Reincarnated as the Counselor NPC in a Dating Sim, and Now Every Heroine I Treat Becomes Obsessed with Me - Chapter 23: “Before Summer Vacation—Five Girls and One Promise”

Chapter 23: “Before Summer Vacation—Five Girls and One Promise”

July 20th. 

The last day of the first semester.

Morning assembly.

All the students stood in rows inside the gym.

I stood at the far end of the teachers’ line—basically the gym equivalent of my usual spot next to the copier.

The most invisible place possible.

The principal was talking on stage.

Long speech. Very long speech.

As the students’ attention slowly drained away before my eyes, I found myself unconsciously searching for five familiar figures.

Midori was there.

Her back was perfectly straight.

As student council president, she was giving the principal her full, flawless attention.

But—

Ever since her last visit to the counseling room, there was now a tiny bit of breathing space inside Midori’s “perfection.”

This morning in the staff room, she had given me a small nod of greeting.

Not the usual formal one.

Just slightly—

More relaxed.

Akane was there too.

Near the back of the line.

Arms crossed. Clearly bored.

As usual, she kept about one person’s worth of space between herself and the student next to her.

But the old “don’t come near me” aura wasn’t there anymore.

Now it was simply… a large personal space bubble.

Rin was there.

Around the middle of the line.

She was whispering something to the girl next to her and quietly giggling.

Her usual sun-like smile.

But recently, Rin’s smile had changed.

Now it included a new option: “If I’m tired, I’ll rest.”

The quality of the smile had changed.

From running at one hundred percent—to about eighty.

Mio was there.

At the edge of the line.

She stood perfectly straight, like a prince.

But her eyes weren’t looking at the stage.

Her gaze was fixed somewhere far away.

I had no idea what she was thinking.

Mio was always thinking about something in places I couldn’t read.

In the first-year line, Shizuku was there.

Half of her face was hidden behind her bangs.

She probably wanted to bring a book, but since that wasn’t allowed, she was holding the strap of her bag tightly with both hands.

She looked restless.

Looking over the five of them—

I found myself thinking about something.

When I first arrived at this academy in April, these five girls had all been characters on the other side of a screen.

Two-dimensional beings made of text and standing illustrations.

Now it was different.

Akane’s taste in lunchboxes.
The change in Shizuku’s pen pressure.
The rhythm of Midori’s knocks.
The quality of Rin’s smile.
The way Mio drinks her tea.

Details of real life that I could never have known through a screen had quietly piled up in my memory.

These girls—

They were no longer characters from a game.

They were five real girls who came to my counseling room.

The principal’s speech finally ended.

Students began to disperse.

Summer vacation was beginning.

—

After the closing ceremony—

While each class was having homeroom, I was in the counseling room preparing things for summer vacation.

The counseling room would stay open during the break.

However, even though this was a boarding school, many students would return home. Others would leave the academy for club training camps or family trips.

The number of visitors would probably drop quite a bit.

The real concern was—

Whether my connection with the five girls would fade.

In counseling, long vacations were one of the most dangerous times.

Students who had become stable through regular visits could become unstable once their environment changed during the break.

Or their visits might become less frequent, and by the time the second term started, everything might be “reset.”

The one I worried about the most was Akane.

Akane’s grandmother lived in a care facility.

She didn’t really have a home to return to.

She would probably stay in the dorm during summer vacation, but with the whole academy becoming quiet and empty, there was a chance her loneliness would grow even deeper.

Midori also worried me.

She would most likely return to the Hojouin family during the break, but in that household environment, would she be able to maintain her “seventy-point self”?

The moment she returned home, she might put her hundred-point armor back on.

Rin had her club’s training camp.

Her body still wasn’t in perfect condition.

Could she handle intense practice?

Even though she had learned to say “I’m tired,” saying that inside a team was a completely different matter.

Mio was impossible to read.

The drama club should have performance preparations during summer vacation.

The difference between Mio on stage and Mio backstage—

How would that gap shift during the break?

And Shizuku—

Just as I was thinking about Shizuku—someone knocked on the door.

A quiet knock.

Twice.

“Come in.”

Shizuku entered the room.

She wasn’t wearing her school uniform.

Instead, she wore casual clothes—a white blouse and a light blue skirt.

She had probably changed after the closing ceremony.

It was the first time I had seen Shizuku in casual clothes.

She looked a little younger than when she wore her uniform.

Shizuku held out a memo.

『Ren-sensei. Thank you for the first term.』

“You’re welcome. Shizuku-chan, you worked really hard this term.”

She shook her head.

『The one who worked hard was Ren-sensei. You made tea every day, drew pictures with me, and read all my notes.』

“The only thing I really did was make tea. You were the one who drew the pictures, and you were the one who wrote the notes.”

She thought for a moment, then wrote another memo.

『Can I still come here during summer vacation?』

“Of course. I’ll give you a calendar with the days the room is open, so check it.”

Shizuku nodded.

Her expression looked relieved.

Then she handed me another memo.

『I gave Hanasaki-san a list of books to read during summer vacation. Five books.』

“Five books? That’s impressive.”

『Hanasaki-san said, “I’ll read all of them!” But I don’t think he’ll actually read all of them.』

I couldn’t help laughing.

Shizuku’s calm and accurate observation.

And Haruto’s well-meaning but overly optimistic promise.

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Hanasaki-kun means well, but five books might be a bit too ambitious.”

The corner of Shizuku’s mouth—moved slightly.

It formed the shape of a smile.

No sound came out, but her expression clearly showed that she found it funny.

Shizuku showed that she thought something was amusing.

Not with her voice.

Not with writing—

But with her face.

This was a new way for her to express herself.

Notes, drawings, nodding—

And now, expressions.

Another channel had been added to Shizuku’s communication.

“Shizuku-chan, make sure to read lots of books during summer vacation too.”

She nodded, then took something out of her bag.

A small paper bag.

Inside was—

A handmade bookmark.

On the thick paper was a drawing of an apple tree colored with colored pencils.

The same motif as the very first drawing we did together.

The string attached to the bookmark was green.

『Sensei, please use it when you read books.』

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

She gave a small bow and left the counseling room.

I placed the handmade bookmark on my palm.

The colored-pencil apple tree shone softly in the light from the window.

It was carefully made.

The colors didn’t go outside the lines, and the knot of the string was neat and clean.

She must have spent quite a bit of time making it.

(…I’ve received too much.)

Baby’s breath flowers.

The drawings.

And now this bookmark.

All of them came from Shizuku.

—What have I given back to her?

The answer was simple.

Tea.

And silence.

That was probably—

More than enough for Shizuku.

—

Lunch break.

The final rooftop bento.

Today was special.

I had woken up early and made the bento myself.

Fried chicken.
Rolled omelet.
Grilled salmon.
Kinpira burdock.
Sausages.

Basically a full collection of every dish Akane had ever rated as “not bad.”

“…What the hell is this?”

“A celebration bento. It’s the last day of the first term.”

“A celebration? …You’re putting way too much effort into a bento.”

Akane opened the lid.

When she saw how much food was inside, her eyes widened.

“Isn’t this a lot?”

“If you can’t finish it, you can leave some.”

“…Like hell I will.”

Akane tossed a piece of fried chicken into her mouth.

She chewed.

“…………”

“Well?”

“…You could probably open a bento shop.”

“Thank you.”

“I wasn’t complimenting you.”

The usual exchange.

But her voice sounded a little softer than usual.

While eating, she looked up at the sky.

The summer sky.

Towering clouds floated in the distance.

“…You gonna be here during summer vacation?”

“Yeah. The counseling room will stay open.”

“…Huh.”

“Akane, you’re staying in the dorm, right?”

“…Yeah. Not like I’ve got anywhere else to go.”

Her voice didn’t waver.

She was simply stating a fact.

But I knew the weight behind that “fact.”

“Want to keep doing rooftop bentos during summer vacation too?”

She looked at me.

“…You serious? Even on days off?”

“I get lonely eating alone too. It helps if there’s someone to eat with.”

That wasn’t a lie.

At least half of it was true.

Akane lowered her gaze back to the bento.

She picked up a slice of rolled omelet with her chopsticks—stared at it for a moment—then put it in her mouth.

“…Sweet omelet.”

“Would you rather have the salty kind?”

“It’s fine. This is fine.”

She murmured quietly.

Whether she said it to the bento, to me, or—to the idea of summer vacation itself,

I didn’t know.

“This is fine.”

Akane’s own small way of accepting it.

And that was more than enough.

—

After school.

In the counseling room, something unusual happened—three visitors overlapped.

The first one to arrive was Rin.

“Sensei! Thanks for everything this term!”

Her voice was lively.

Her smile was lively too.

But it was the kind of liveliness that had room to breathe.

“Rin-san, you’ve got a training camp during summer vacation, right?”

“Yes! Five days during the first week of August. —Oh, Sensei, can I stop by once before the camp? There’s something I want to talk about.”

“Of course. Anytime.”

I didn’t ask what Rin wanted to talk about.

I would wait until she told me herself.

While Rin was drinking her tea, someone knocked on the door.

Three knocks.

Evenly spaced.

It was Midori.

“Excuse me. —Oh, Kagurazaka-san.”

“Ah, President! Hello!”

Rin greeted her cheerfully.

Midori returned the greeting with her usual smile and a small bow.

—However, it wasn’t her old one-hundred-percent smile.

It was a slightly more relaxed one.

“Asagiri-sensei, may I have a moment of your time?”

“Of course. Please, have a seat.”

Midori sat down in her usual chair.

Her back was straight.

But not like last time, when it was “three centimeters lower.”

She looked closer to her usual self.

Maybe she had recovered a little before going back home.

I poured the tea.

Midori wrapped both hands around the cup.

“One term. Thank you for everything.”

“You too. Midori-san, you did great this term.”

“…Asagiri-sensei.”

“Hm?”

Midori looked down at the cup in her hands.

“During summer vacation… may I write letters? From my home.”

“Of course. Just send them to the academy address.”

“Yes. —Well… it’s not like there’s any particular reason.”

Midori searched for the right words.

Now that she had started coming without excuses, she couldn’t even come up with a “reason” for writing letters.

“You can write even without a reason. On seventy-two-point days, or sixty-five-point days.”

Midori’s eyes wavered slightly.

“…Yes.”

Her voice was quiet.

A little softer than her usual clear tone.

She drank about half of her tea, then stood up.

“Well then, have a good summer vacation.”

“You too, Midori-san. —And don’t push yourself too hard.”

Midori looked at me—

And smiled.

“I will do my best.”

Her usual answer.

But the sound of those words—felt a little different than before.

As Midori walked toward the door, Rin called out to her.

“President, do your best during summer vacation too!”

Midori turned around.

“…Thank you, Kagurazaka-san. You as well.”

After Midori left, Rin muttered quietly.

“The president feels softer than before, doesn’t she?”

“…Maybe she does.”

Rin was sipping her tea when the door suddenly opened.

No knock.

It was Mio.

Rin and Mio met each other’s eyes.

“Ah, Kujou-san. Hello!”

“…Kagurazaka, huh.”

Mio glanced at Rin once, then sat down in her usual chair across the room.

It looked like she didn’t care that Rin was there.

But the seat she chose was slightly farther away from Rin than usual.

The kind of distance people keep from someone they’re not emotionally close to.

I started preparing a third cup of tea.

“Kujou-san, are you preparing for the drama club performance during summer vacation?”

“…Yeah. There’s a performance at the cultural festival in October. We’ll be practicing almost every day during the break.”

Mio accepted the tea.

She took a sip—then quietly said,

“…This time, I chose the play myself.”

My hands paused.

“You chose it yourself?”

“Until now, the advisor always chose. This time—I made the suggestion.”

“What did you choose?”

Mio paused for a moment.

“I wrote an original monologue play. It’s called ‘The Girl with the Mask.’”

Hearing that, I understood what Mio was trying to do.

A story about a mask.

Mio was trying to express her own problem—

On stage—

Through theater, the language she understood best.

“I think that’s a good choice.”

“…I see.”

Mio didn’t say anything more.

She quietly drank her tea and looked out the window.

Rin read the atmosphere and stayed silent for a while.

Eventually she stood up.

“Well then, Sensei, see you during summer vacation!”

She waved and left.

Mio stayed for about fifteen more minutes, finishing her tea.

Then—

“I’ll come again.”

That was all she said before leaving.

—

Evening.

The counseling room after everyone had gone home.

The baby’s breath flowers by the window were starting to wilt a little.

It had been over a month since Shizuku brought them.

They had lasted quite well.

Six drawings were hanging on the wall.

The alternating drawings Shizuku and I had made together.

An apple tree.
The sea.
A night sky.
The library.
The counseling room.
A rainbow.

On the desk was the bookmark I received today.

I opened my notebook and wrote a summary of the first term.

『First Term Summary.

Shizuku Yukimura: Started with only a few characters in her notes, now writing over one hundred. Established nonverbal expression through alternating drawings. One spontaneous vocal sound (“Aa”). Successfully communicated with Haruto Hanasaki in the library through written notes. Her world is beginning to expand beyond the counseling room.

Issue: Watch how the relationship changes after the shift in how she addresses me (“Ren-sensei”).

Akane Hinomiya: Moved from rooftop lunch diplomacy to visiting the counseling room. Shared parts of her past (family situation). Tears. Said, “I’m not crying.”

Issue: Loneliness during summer vacation. No place to return to. Continue rooftop bento.

Midori Hojouin: “I don’t know.” “My hands are shaking.” “I was afraid.” “Sixty-five points.” Emotional recognition gradually recovering. One tear. First visit without an excuse.

Issue: Whether she will return to “one hundred points” when she goes back to the Hojouin household.

Rin Kagurazaka: First time verbally saying “I’m tired.” Visiting the room for her own sake. Change in the quality of her smile.

Issue: Physical management during training camp. Rebuilding what “I’m okay” really means.

Mio Kujou: Six visits to the counseling room. Gradual acceptance of tea. Personal disclosure (her history with theater, the creation of the “prince” persona). A “Thank you.” Chose her own play this time (The Girl with the Mask).

Issue: Bringing together her self-expression on stage with her real self in everyday life.

Haruto Hanasaki: Visited the counseling room on his own. Asked for advice on how to approach Hinomiya and Yukimura. Discovered written-note communication by himself. Kind and honest. Strong potential for growth. Starting to move away from the original game scenario.

Ren Asagiri (self-evaluation): The relationships with the five girls have moved past the initial trust-building stage and are gradually entering a deeper phase. Continue to stay careful about repeating the mistake from my previous life (trying to carry everything alone). Do not neglect self-care during summer vacation. I’ve finally gotten used to my position next to the copy machine. The vice principal still can’t remember my name right away.』

I put down the pen.

Outside the window, the summer evening was settling in.

The sky slowly shifted from orange to purple.

The first term was ending.

It had been about three and a half months since I arrived here in April.

I had started this life as a background NPC in a game.

And little by little—

Very little by little—

I had begun leaving footprints in the lives of five girls.

I still didn’t know where those footprints would lead in the future.

But—

Tomorrow, I would open this room again.

Whether it was summer vacation or the Obon holidays.

As long as someone came here—

I would be here.

Making tea.

Reading notes.

Laying out bentos.

The summer vacation of a nameless background counselor—

Was beginning.