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 149

The next afternoon.

I was at the supermarket near the station, running errands for my mom to get groceries for dinner.

“Phew, that’s everything done.”

With all the shopping completed, I grabbed the bags and started to leave the supermarket. But just as I stepped out…

“Huh? Saeki?”

“Hm? Oh, Hiro. Hey, good job today.”

“Yeah, good job.”

The moment I exited the supermarket, I bumped into Hiro.

As usual, I greeted Hiro casually, and he responded in his usual friendly way.

“So, Saeki, were you shopping at the supermarket?”

“Yes, I was. My mom asked me to buy ingredients for dinner. See?”

I lifted the grocery bag in my hand to show him.

“Oh, I see. Haha, but running errands on a Sunday must be tough.”

“It’s not that bad. I didn’t have cram school today, so I was free anyway. What about you, Hiro? You’re not carrying anything. Did you come to the shop, too?”

“Hm? Oh, no. I was just out hanging with friends, and now I’m on my way home. Oh, if you’re heading home now, want to walk together?”

“Sure, I don’t mind. Let’s go home together.”

And so, Hiro and I decided to walk home together. We chatted about random things as we strolled through the residential area.

“Haha, that’s so true… But wow, there are a lot of cars today. There have been so many passing through this neighborhood. Is it because it’s a day off?”

“Yeah, probably. Plus, it’s getting colder lately, so maybe more people are using cars to go shopping.”

“Oh, right. It’s been getting really cold lately…”

We continued talking about nothing in particular as we walked. Then, a thought crossed my mind.

(Hmm, as I thought… Walking with Hiro alone like this doesn’t make me feel the way I did yesterday.)

Yesterday, walking with Kuzuhara-kun made my heart race so much. But now, standing here with Hiro, I didn’t feel that same excitement.

Well, yesterday was a special situation since it was a date, but if Kuzuhara-kun were here right now, I know I’d be nervous again… Hmm, what exactly is this difference?

“Huh? What’s wrong, Saeki? You’ve got a weird look on your face.”

“Huh… huh? No, it’s nothing.”

Hiro must have noticed something odd about me because he looked at me with a puzzled expression. I hurriedly tried to brush it off.

“Really? You looked kind of spaced out, though.”

“No, really, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Oh, right. So, where were you hanging out today?”

“Huh? Oh, I was just at the arcade with some friends.”

“Is that so? …Wait, but if you were hanging out with friends, isn’t it a bit early to be heading home? It’s only 3 p.m.”

“Ah… well, remember I told you one of my friends got a girlfriend recently? I was hanging out with him today, but he’s having dinner with his girlfriend tonight, so we had to call it early. Ugh, that traitor…”

Hiro pouted and looked a bit sulky as he explained.

“Is that so? But it sounds like you knew in advance that you’d finish early, right? Then it can’t be helped. Besides, it’s sweet that he’s prioritizing his girlfriend. You should be happy for him, Hiro, instead of calling him a traitor.”

“Yeah, I want to be happy for him, but it feels unfair, you know? Like he’s pulling ahead by getting a girlfriend first…”

“Hmm… Well, if you’re feeling that way, why don’t you get a girlfriend too, Hiro?”

“What…? Wh-what!? N-no, it’s not like I actually want a girlfriend or anything. I mean, hanging out with friends is way more fun… And I’m not sulking at all!”

“Is that so? Hmm, really…?”

Hiro spoke quickly, trying to deny it. Since he seemed sulky, I assumed he wanted a girlfriend, so his response was a bit surprising.

“W-what’s with that attitude? You’re just like me, Saeki, aren’t you? You said not long ago that you didn’t need a boyfriend, right? So, like me, you probably think it’s more fun to hang out with friends than to be all lovey-dovey with a significant other.”

“Huh? No, I don’t think that far… I mean, I do want to be in a relationship with someone who really cares about me…”

“…Huh?”

Blushing, I said those words. And at that moment, a certain boy’s face flashed in my mind… But that’s a secret.

“Wh-what!? So, Saeki, you actually want to be in a relationship!?”

“N-no, I mean… most people have that desire to some extent, don’t they? I think it’s rarer for someone to be like you, Hiro, and prefer friends over romance 100% of the time.”

“W-what!? No, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“What do you mean?”

“I-I mean…”

When I asked, Hiro started to stammer. Hmm, I didn’t think I asked anything weird… So why is he hesitating?

“A-anyway… Oh, right! So, what kind of guy do you want to date, Saeki? What are your requirements for a boyfriend?”

“Wh-what!? W-well, that is…”

His sudden question caught me off guard, and I found myself blushing and stammering, just like him.

— I like you.

“…!”

And at that moment, his face popped into my head again.

But, but that’s just a thought that crossed my mind, okay? Whether I want to date him or not is a different matter entirely!!

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing! Umm, well… I guess someone who treats me kindly as a girl. And someone I know well and… I’d like to date someone I really like…”

“Huh, someone who treats you like a girl… Haha! Then maybe you should start by becoming more girly yourself, Saeki. Like, for starters, you should work on that habit of getting angry so quickly.”

“S-shut up. If you keep saying things like that, I’ll hit you.”

I raised my grocery bag, pretending to hit Hiro with it.

“Haha, sorry, sorry. But you really should work on that habit of resorting to violence. Girls who do stuff like that won’t be popular at all! Haha!”

“…”

Hiro laughed and made his usual light-hearted remarks.

Not too long ago, comments like that used to hurt me, but lately, I’ve found myself not caring even if someone made fun of me.

That’s probably because I listened to Ayako-san and decided to live more for myself.

So, even though Hiro’s light teasing didn’t bother me today… But still…

(What should I do… The last thing I want is for Kuzuhara-kun to think I’m not feminine or cute…)

For the first time in a while, Hiro’s words deeply pierced my heart. The grocery bags I was carrying started to feel much heavier than usual…

Feeling a little down, I continued to chat lightly with Hiro as we walked home together.