I Reincarnated as the Villain of an NTR Game, But I Don't Want to Make the Main Heroine Unhappy so I'll Live Earnestly - Chapter 102

After running into Hiro, I greeted him with a smile.

But Hiro only gave me a half-hearted response and then started staring at me in silence with a strange expression on his face.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you making such a weird face?”

“Huh? Oh, um…”

I asked him, puzzled by his reaction, but Hiro just mumbled, not giving me a clear answer.

His behavior was becoming more and more awkward, and his face was starting to turn slightly red.

(What’s going on with him?)

“Hey, what’s the matter with you? And your face is getting redder and redder.”

“Wha… What!? M-My face… is turning red!?”

“Yes, it’s getting redder. Oh, could it be that you’re coming down with a cold? If so, should I go get you something warm to drink?”

“Huh? N-No! You don’t have to worry about that! I’m totally fine, really!”

“Are you sure? Well, if you say so.”

I expressed my concern, but Hiro shook his head vigorously and insisted he was fine.

It was obviously strange behavior, but since it didn’t seem like he was sick, I felt a little relieved.

“Anyway, about your appearance, Saeki…”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Did you notice?”

“Of course, I noticed. What happened to your hair color? Did you dye it?”

Hiro pointed at me and asked about my hair. Even Hiro noticed that I had changed my hairstyle.

“Hehe, of course, you’d notice. Well, it’s not actually dyed. I got it set with some tinted wax. So, this brown hair is just for today.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know they had such convenient stuff these days.”

“Yeah, there are lots of handy things in the world. So, what do you think? How does this hairstyle look?”

“Huh? W-What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. I’m asking if it suits me or not.”

“Wha… Well, um…”

I asked Hiro with a smile, wanting to know his opinion, but he started stammering again, looking uncomfortable.

But then, after a moment, still looking awkward, Hiro finally said something as he stared at me.

“Uh, well… I-I don’t know how to say this, but… doesn’t brown hair seem a bit old lady-like?”

“…Huh?”

Hiro, his face still red, said that to me. But I couldn’t quite grasp what he meant and ended up responding in a dazed tone.

Seeing my blank expression, Hiro laughed and continued.

“Haha, well, you know, young people these days usually go for brighter hair colors, right? But brown hair… that’s kind of the color older ladies use to cover their gray hair, isn’t it? I mean, my mom uses brown dye to hide her gray hair. So, I think brown hair doesn’t really suit someone as young as you. To be honest, it makes you look like an old lady, so maybe you should stop with that color.”

“…”

Hiro said that while laughing. I thought it was quite rude, even to his own mother. But…

(Why… why do I feel nothing?)

But despite his words, which should have upset me, my heart didn’t waver at all.

A while ago, something like that would have definitely shaken me, but now, even after Hiro’s harsh words, I didn’t feel affected.

_Do what you want to do._

(Ah, I see…)

I understood. I was finally doing what I wanted to do.

And that’s why I could feel confident in how I looked now. I was confident that I looked stylish and great.

(Ah, that’s why even after Hiro said something so harsh, I didn’t feel shaken.)

Realizing this, I found myself smiling with satisfaction again. I decided to just treat Hiro like I always do—as my close “childhood friend.”

“Hehe, what’s that? Are you trying to say that I look like an old lady?”

“Wha… N-No! That’s not what I meant! I-I just think that brown hair doesn’t suit you, that’s all…”

“Well, I guess everyone has their own opinions. Thanks. I’ll take your opinion into consideration.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah, I’m glad it was helpful…”

With that, I thanked Hiro for giving me this new perspective.

Who would have thought there’d be a high school boy who’d call brown hair an old lady’s color without thinking twice?

But learning new perspectives that are different from mine helps me grow, so I appreciate it.

Still…

“Thanks. But, you know, even if you really think that… you should never say such things to a girl you like, okay?”

“Haha… W-Wait, what? What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“I’m just giving you some general advice. Well, since you’re just my childhood friend, I can forgive you for saying such things without any understanding of a girl’s feelings. But if you say something like that to a girl you like, she’ll definitely hate you, so be careful, okay?”

“Wha… W-Wait a minute! I-I didn’t mean to say anything that harsh—”

“Hehe, well, we’re almost like family or siblings, so you can say whatever you want to me, even if it’s harsh. But make sure to be kind to the girl you like, okay?”

“Wha… W-Wait, I mean…”

And so, I made sure to give Hiro a bit of a warning.

After all, if I didn’t, Hiro might end up saying the same tactless things to the girl he likes, just like he does with me. Hehe, and besides…

You look stylish, and it really suits you, Saeki…

Hehe, after all, being complimented is really nice. I remembered my conversation with Kuzuhara-kun and couldn’t help but smile again.