I Reincarnated as the Villain Who Bullies the Protagonist in an Erotic Game, but I Just Want to Stay a Nobody, Yet Somehow the Heroines Keep Obsessing Over Me - Episode 46: Hearing the Truth

Episode 46: Hearing the Truth

“So… what happened?” When I asked, Kana looked away with an awkward expression, as if she’d just realized something.

“Well… I mean…” “Take your time.” “Um, you see, I… I’ve never done anything like compensated dating or anything like that.”

“I see…” I let out a small sigh of relief. “I was walking through that area purely by coincidence. Or maybe not coincidence… more like an inevitability that felt accidental?”

“Uh, okay…” I couldn’t make sense of her explanation. Inevitability but accidental? What does that even mean?

“It wasn’t that I was meeting anyone for those kinds of reasons. The person I was supposed to meet was supposed to be a high school boy—not some older man.”

“Got it.” “And, um… my family has always been really strict. Not just strict, but…”

“Yeah?” “They’ve… probably never really been interested in me.” Her voice was faint, like the buzz of a mosquito. It trembled with a depth of emotion that words alone couldn’t capture.

“They only cared about my grades. At first, I worked hard, but no matter how much effort I put in, they never praised me. Eventually, I just got tired of it.”

“Must’ve been tough.” I nodded, listening as she slowly unraveled her story. At the same time, an unexplainable ache stirred deep within me—something hidden even from myself.

“I just wanted someone to talk to. Not a classmate, not anyone who knew me. I wanted a place where I could bare my soul. So, I started using social media. There was someone I’d been talking to for a while, someone who understood my situation. Yesterday, we decided to meet.”

“And that turned out to be the older man?” “He was supposed to be a high school boy. At least, that’s how he portrayed himself online.”

“Ah, I get it.” “So, I thought he’d be like he seemed online, but when I went to meet him, he was this older guy. But he’d been listening to me for so long, and I thought I could trust him.

 He said he’d take me somewhere to rest and talk more. That’s how I ended up in that situation.”

“I see now…” Finally, it made sense—the reason she was walking through that area with the older man, and the words she had let slip earlier. That older man masquerading as a high school boy had likely been her lifeline, and she couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.

“But I realized midway that it was wrong and said no. Nothing happened, and I explained the situation to my teacher, so there’s no punishment.”

“Glad to hear that.” “But now, I can’t keep talking to him on social media, right? And thinking about why he talked to me all this time… Was it just to meet me and do something like that? If so, it’s just…”

Her words resonated deeply with me. For some reason, they struck a chord that felt painfully familiar.

Why? I didn’t have a past where my parents treated me coldly. Her pain was something I shouldn’t be able to fully understand.

Why, then, did it feel so familiar?“I don’t even know what to believe anymore. Everything I’ve trusted since I was a kid feels meaningless. 

There are probably rumors spreading around school now, so I have no place there either. That’s why I was at the park.”

“Yeah…”I couldn’t think of anything to say. I had never been in her shoes, and no one can fully understand another’s pain. That helplessness made me clench my teeth.

“That’s when you found me. That version of me, who had no idea what to do. You were kind to me, and that saved me. I wanted to return the favor somehow, and… I guess I just wanted an excuse to be around you. Does that make you hate me?”

“No, I don’t hate you,”I answered immediately. I couldn’t let her think otherwise, not even for a moment.

To be honest, her sudden kiss earlier had startled me, but it wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, I…

“Not even a little?” “Not at all.” “Thanks…”

Still, she looked unconvinced. Perhaps she wasn’t used to being liked or appreciated in any way. Her friendships at school seemed shallow, after all.

“Oh, but… what about tomorrow? What should I do about school or home? My parents found out, so I couldn’t go home last night.”

“Yeah…” “Guess I’ll try going home tomorrow. School… well, things will probably work out eventually, right?”

School is a small community. People lose interest quickly. One day, everyone will forget, and she’ll find her footing again.

“Hey, you know… if things get rough at home, you can come over here sometimes.”

…Ah. I said it.I was startled by my own words. I’d just pushed myself even further away from the background, from being just another face in the crowd.

But I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. “Huh?” “I mean, if home is tough to be in, you can stay here instead. But, uh… yeah, it’s probably weird to stay in the same room as a guy, right?”

“No, it’s not weird! I mean, I don’t mind, but…” “But?”

“Why would you go that far for me?” “…I don’t know. I just thought I should.”

“You’re really kind, aren’t you?” “I wouldn’t say that.”

“You are.” “Am I…?” “Oh, and one more thing.” I remembered something I’d been meaning to say.

“What is it?” “I know it might be hard to cry, but you don’t have to hold it in.”

Her eyes widened. “I’ve noticed. You look like you’re about to cry but never do. It’s okay to cry if you want to.”

“But crying makes me look… inhuman, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all.” “My parents used to scold me every time I cried. I guess that’s why I’ve grown to think crying is bad. Even now, I feel like crying would make things easier, but I just… can’t. It hurts so much.”

She sniffled. “But somehow, hearing you say it’s okay makes me feel like I can cry after all.”

A single tear slid down her cheek. Under the moonlight streaming through the window, it shimmered beautifully.

She quickly wiped it away and smiled. “But I still think crying is hard.”

“Yeah.” “It’ll take time, I guess. But if it’s okay, could you…”

She looked up at me with an almost mischievous glance. “Could you tell me it’s okay to cry when it feels like the right time?”

It felt like she was slowly regaining her rhythm, her confidence.

“Sure.” “Yay! It still hurts, but I feel a bit better. I’ll head back to my room now. Sorry for the trouble. Oh, and one more thing…”

She leaned in close, whispering near my ear. “By the way, what I tried to do earlier? I wasn’t forcing myself.”

With a sly grin, she left the room. My heart thudded loudly in my chest.

But in stark contrast— “…Why am I crying?” I felt warm tears sliding down my own cheeks.

Why? Sure, her story was heartbreaking, but…“Oh, right…”

I remembered the body’s original owner. Of course. This must be—

“His tears.” That invitation I’d extended to her… it must have come from him, too.

He must’ve seen himself in her and couldn’t abandon her. “Guess you had your own struggles, huh?” …Though, yeah, he was still a scumbag overall.