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

“Oh, by the way, Saeki-chan, do you have any plans after this? I still have a bit of work to do, but after I’m done, would you like to grab dinner together? It’s on me, so you can choose whatever you want!”

Ayako suggested with a smile. Yukimura, looking a bit embarrassed, replied shyly.

“I’m happy to get your invitation, Ayako-san, but my mom said she’s looking forward to seeing how my hair turns out… So, I think I’ll head straight home today.”

“Oh, I see! It makes sense that you’d want to show your family your beautiful new hairstyle as soon as possible! You have such a great mom for being excited about your hair!”

“Yes! She’s really a wonderful mother!”

When Ayako said that, Yukimura responded with a delighted expression, revealing how close she was to her family.

“Well then, you should head home early today!”

“Yes, I will! Thank you so much for today! Thanks to you, Ayako-san, I feel so much more confident. I realized that I can be more like a girl… or something like that…”

“I’m glad to hear that! I’m really happy too!”

When Yukimura said this, Ayako gave her a gentle smile. Watching the two interact filled me with a warm feeling.

(Ah, I’m really glad.)

Thanks to Ayako, Yukimura seemed to have gained some self-confidence. Seeing this, I felt a sense of relief in my heart.

—

A few minutes later.

After paying the bill, Yukimura gave Ayako a deep bow.

“Thank you so much for today. I’m going home now to show my mom!”

“I hope she loves it as much as we do!”

Ayako smiled as she said this, and then continued.

“Thank you too, Saeki-chan! It was fun doing a high school girl’s hair after a long time. Most of my clients are working women, so I really enjoyed styling a high schooler’s hair!”

“I’m glad to hear that… Thank you!”

Ayako smiled brightly, and Yukimura smiled along with her.

“Oh, and, um… thank you too, Kuzuhara-kun.”

“Hm? Oh, it’s no big deal.”

Suddenly, Yukimura expressed her gratitude to me as well. She really is a considerate person.

Since she was being sincere, I decided to compliment her hairstyle again as I gazed at her.

“Seriously though, Yukimura, that hairstyle suits you perfectly. You should consider keeping it after you graduate. I think it looks amazing on you.”

“Oh, uh, thank you… But being told it suits me so much is a little embarrassing…”

“Well, I genuinely think so, so I can’t help it. I’d love to see you with this hairstyle more often because it really looks great on you.”

“Really? I… I’m glad to hear that…”

When I said that honestly, Yukimura touched her wavy hair, smiling happily.

(Yeah, that’s a really nice smile.)

I thought that smile was the best one I’d ever seen on Yukimura. Her smile is definitely better than when she looks sad.

“Oh, by the way, when I graduate and if I decide to dye my hair for real… could I come back to you, Ayako-san? Next time, I’ll pay the proper price.”

“Of course you can! But this salon might be a bit pricey, so I’ll give you the referral discount from my son again.”

“No, it’ll be fine! I plan to get a part-time job in college and save up so I can come back on my own. I’ve decided I want to do things on my own!”

“That’s great! I’m looking forward to styling your hair again, Saeki-chan!”

“Yes! I’m counting on you from now on!”

Saying that, Ayako and Yukimura laughed together.

Soon after, Yukimura opened the door and stepped out of the salon. Ayako and I followed her outside to see her off.

“Thanks for coming today, Saeki-chan. Don’t hesitate to consult me if you ever need anything.”

“Yes, thank you. And thank you too, Kuzuhara-kun.”

“Sure. If you ever need help, just let me know.”

“Okay, I’ll remember that. Oh, by the way, are you heading home now, Kuzuhara-kun? If you are, we could walk to the station together.”

“Hmm? Oh, no, I have some errands to run after this. Let’s part ways here today.”

“Alright then. Let’s part here. See you at school!”

“Yeah, see you.”

Yukimura started walking toward the station. Ayako and I stood outside the salon, watching her leave.

After she was gone, Ayako turned to me and said,

“Saeki-chan is such a good kid, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she really is.”

“Huh?”

When I agreed with Ayako, she looked at me with a surprised expression.

“It’s rare for you to admit that so easily, isn’t it? Haha, what’s up with you? Oh, could it be that you’ve fallen for her?”

“Don’t tease me. Well, it’s just that…”

“And just what?”

As I thought about everything that had happened since I met Yukimura over the past few months, I continued.

“Well… it feels like I’m watching the old Ayako.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Yukimura had been through some tough times and was feeling down, even crying sometimes… But now, she’s trying new things, moving forward with determination. It reminds me of you from back then…”

I had seen Ayako cry many times when we were kids. But she always picked herself up and kept going, doing her best every day for my sake.

And Yukimura is the same. She worked hard to overcome her cooking struggles, helped girls in trouble, tried to reform a delinquent like me, and now she’s working on breaking through her insecurities.

Even though her efforts sometimes led to tears, Yukimura never gave up.

“Yeah, both Yukimura and you are really amazing.”

“Haha, well, that’s just how it is. Maybe you don’t realize it, but girls are… the most amazing, strong, and cool creatures in the world!”

— Bang! Bang!

“Ouch… Hey, that hurts!”

Ayako laughed as she patted my back several times. It hurt a bit, but seeing Ayako having fun made it okay.