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 110-111

Chapter 110: Yukimura Was Listening to My Conversation

“Oh, that’s right. By the way, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

After sending a friend request on LIME, Kuroki asked me something.

“It’s a bit late to ask this now, but… why did you stop being a delinquent and decide to turn over a new leaf? Was there something that triggered it?”

“Huh? A trigger?”

Kuroki asked me this.

There were many reasons why I decided to become a serious high school student, but the biggest reason was definitely…

“Well, I guess… Yukimura had the biggest influence on me.”

“Huh? Yukimura? What do you mean by that?”

When I said this, Kuroki asked me back with a puzzled look.

“Like I said before, Yukimura was the only one who ever talked to me, even when I was a delinquent. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know. But from what I remember, you and Yukimura didn’t seem to get along. It felt like you two were always arguing, especially in our first year. Didn’t you two just keep fighting back then?”

“Yeah, that’s right. We were in the same class last year too, and we were always having those petty arguments.”

As Kuroki said, Yukimura and I were in the same class from our first year, and we constantly had those verbal spats from the beginning of school.

(And back then, I used to call Yukimura ‘die, ugly’ all the time…)

So, I understand why Kuroki would be surprised that Yukimura and I have grown closer. I also feel guilty about a lot of things from back then…

“But, you know, after all those fights, I realized something. Yukimura treated me as an equal, even though I was a hopeless delinquent. When I noticed that, I started to think she was a really good person… and I thought it was wrong to keep bothering someone so decent. That’s one of the reasons I decided to stop being a delinquent.”

“…I see. Yeah, that’s a pretty good reason. So, you owe Yukimura a lot, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Yukimura is a really kind and thoughtful girl. To me, she’s the one who helped me turn my life around, so I owe her for the rest of my life. I need to keep thanking her from now on.”

“Haha, I see… Oh, wait…”

“Hmm?”

As we were talking about Yukimura, Kuroki suddenly looked shocked. It seemed like someone was behind me.

So, while puzzled by Kuroki’s expression, I turned around to look behind me. And there was…

“…”

It was Yukimura herself, standing there with her arms crossed.

“Oh, Yukimura. Good morning.”

“Uh, um… Y-Yukimura… G-good morning.”

“…Yeah, good morning…”

It seemed that Yukimura had overheard our conversation. But since I hadn’t said anything that would hurt her feelings, I greeted her as usual, confidently.

Kuroki, on the other hand, looked a bit flustered. I get it, though. It’s awkward when the person you’re talking about suddenly shows up.

“Oh, w-well, homeroom is about to start, so I’ll head back to my seat! See you later!”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, see you.”

“Yeah, see you.”

With that, Kuroki said goodbye and hurried back to his seat. After watching him go, Yukimura also went to her seat. And then…

“…What kind of conversation was that…”

Still facing away, Yukimura said this to me, clearly referring to my earlier conversation with Kuroki.

“Hmm? But I was just telling the truth. I didn’t lie about anything.”

“Sigh, you’re impossible… Wait, what?”

“I mean, it’s true that you were the reason I decided to straighten out. I’m really grateful to you for that. So, thanks a lot, Yukimura.”

“Uh… w-why can you say something like that so confidently…”

“Well, because it’s all true. It’s true that I stopped being a delinquent thanks to you, and it’s true that I’m really grateful to you… And it’s also true that you’re a kind and thoughtful girl…”

“O-okay, I get it! I get it, so stop saying embarrassing things like that!”

As I explained my earlier conversation with Kuroki, Yukimura turned to me, her face flushed red all the way to her ears.

“Ah, okay, I get it.”

“Hmph… as long as you understand.”

Yukimura said this and then turned her face back forward. It’s been a while since Yukimura glared at me with such exasperation.

(Haha, it’s kind of nostalgic. This kind of atmosphere with Yukimura…)

Ding, dong, ding, dong…

As I was thinking about this, the bell signaling the start of morning homeroom rang.

I wanted to ask Yukimura why she was almost late, but I’ll save that for later when I have the chance.

—

Chapter 111: Why Were You Late Coming to School Today?

A few hours later, after school.

Today, after school, I was studying with Yukimura in the library. Even though the midterm exams were over, we still studied together whenever we had time.

“Phew, should we take a break? I’m starting to get a bit tired.”

“Yeah, I think we’ve been studying for quite a while. Let’s take a break.”

“Alright, let’s head outside and grab something to drink from the vending machine.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

When I suggested a break, Yukimura quickly agreed. So, we left the library and bought some juice from the vending machine outside.

We then sat on a nearby bench, drinking our juice and taking a break.

“Ah, this really hits the spot. Oh, by the way…”

“Hm? What is it?”

While sipping my juice, I suddenly remembered something and asked Yukimura about it.

“Oh yeah, why were you almost late today? You said on LIME that you overslept, but were you up late doing something last night?”

“Huh? Oh, um… about that…”

When I casually asked, Yukimura seemed a bit flustered.

(…Huh? I didn’t think I asked anything strange, though.)

I was puzzled by Yukimura’s reaction, so I continued.

“Why are you acting so weird? Wait, don’t tell me… were you doing something you can’t talk about last night? Like sneaking out, the way I used to?”

“Sn-sneaking out!? N-no, of course not! I was just up late in my room. That’s all. Isn’t that something everyone does sometimes?”

When I joked around, Yukimura’s face turned a little red, but she quickly denied it.

“Haha, I was just kidding. Everyone stays up late once in a while. But what were you doing that kept you up so late? Watching some interesting late-night TV?”

“No? I wasn’t watching TV. I was… reading a novel I bought yesterday. It was really interesting, and before I knew it, I couldn’t stop until I finished it… It was three in the morning…”

Yukimura answered, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, I see. But staying up all night reading a book and then oversleeping… Haha, that’s exactly what I used to do!”

“Ugh… That’s why I didn’t want to tell you…”

Seeing Yukimura doing the same thing I used to do made me chuckle.

Not long ago, Yukimura recommended a light novel to me. I ended up buying the whole series and stayed up late reading them, which led to me being sleep-deprived every day.

“Haha, well, it’s very Yukimura-like to lose track of time because of a book. But for it to be that interesting, what kind of novel was it?”

“…Huh?”

When I asked, Yukimura froze for a moment.

“Huh? Did I ask something strange again?”

“No… it’s nothing. Um, the book I was reading last night was called ‘Evening Calm.’ It’s, well… a romance novel.”

“Oh, a romance novel? You really read all kinds of genres, Yukimura.”

I remember that in the main game, Yukimura was often depicted reading mystery novels. But it seems she actually reads a wide range of genres.

“Y-yeah, I really love all kinds of novels… Wh-what? Is it weird for me to be reading a romance novel?”

“Haha, not at all. So? Was the novel any good?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, of course! The story is about a boy who tries to make his girlfriend, who lost her memory, fall in love with him all over again. The last scene was so moving… Oh, but…”

Yukimura caught herself mid-sentence, calming down a bit.

“Sorry… I got a little carried away.”

“No, it’s fine. But it must have been really interesting if you’re that enthusiastic about it.”

“Yeah, it was amazing. I had been curious about it because it had great reviews online. Plus, the movie adaptation is coming out next month, so I bought the novel on impulse. It was even better than I expected!”

“Really? Now I’m curious. Oh, I think I’ve heard the name ‘Evening Calm’ on TV recently.”

“Yeah, they’ve been promoting the movie a lot lately, so maybe you’ve seen a commercial or something.”

I think I’ve seen ads for the movie “Evening Calm” on TV recently. It seems to be generating buzz because it features a cast of up-and-coming young actors.

But I haven’t looked into it, so I don’t know much about the movie’s plot.

“Hmm, I see. But if you say it’s that good, now I’m curious about the story.”

“Huh? R-really? Well, if you’re interested, I could… lend you the book?”

“Huh? You’re okay with lending me the book you just bought yesterday?”

“Y-yeah, of course. I’d actually love to have someone to talk about it with…”

Yukimura’s face turned red as she said that. Oh, that’s right—she mentioned wanting to do a book discussion sometime.

But with everything that’s been going on lately, like studying for exams and talking about Yukimura’s hairstyle, we haven’t had the chance to do that yet. So I decided…

“…Sure, let’s do that. I’d love to have a book discussion with you, Yukimura. So, if you’re willing to lend it to me, I’d definitely like to borrow it! And after I finish, we can have our discussion.”

“Y-yes! Okay, I’ll bring it tomorrow!”

“Great, thanks!”

So, I ended up borrowing the romance novel that Yukimura recommended.

(Oh, come to think of it… This is the first time I’m borrowing a book from Yukimura.)

It feels kind of special to borrow a book recommended by someone who loves reading as much as Yukimura. Looking forward to reading it, I anticipated the next day.