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 54: Meeting Up with Kana

Episode 54: Meeting Up with Kana

Kana was waiting for me at the nearest station to my house.

That’s what her message on LIME said. When I asked her what she wanted for dinner, her reply was simple: omurice.

“Omurice, huh?” It’s tricky to get the eggs just right. I’ve tried making it a few times before, but it’s either been too runny or overcooked.

As the train rocked gently, I thought about the ingredients I’d need to make omurice. I already had eggs and rice at home, so…

I mentally listed the steps while passing the time reading a manga. Before I knew it, the train reached the station.

“Nishikikouji-kun!” The moment I got off the train, I spotted Kana waving energetically at me. When I approached her, she smiled sheepishly.

“Here I am!” “You say that like it’s nothing…”

“Sorry for showing up out of the blue. It just got hard to stay at home for a bit.” “I see… Well, let’s hit the supermarket. I don’t have much in the way of ingredients.”

“Thanks.” If she has her reasons, then so be it. Knowing Kanna, it’s likely something genuinely difficult.

“Is today’s lunch omurice, by any chance?” “Yeah. Just like you asked.”

“Yay! Wait, are you the one making it, Nishikikouji-kun?” “Well, I’ll give it a shot, though I can’t promise it’ll turn out perfect.”

“Still, I get to eat something someone else cooked for me. That makes me happy.” “Got it. I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks! I’ll cook dinner tonight, okay?” …Wait. Dinner?

“Hold on. Kana, are you planning to stay until the evening?” “Evening? No, I was planning to stay overnight.”

“…Seriously?” “Yup. My parents have been yelling at me every day lately. There’s no way I can tell them the real reason for anything, and honestly, they don’t even pay attention to me most of the time. 

But when it comes to something like this, they suddenly feel the need to criticize me—it’s so unfair, don’t you think?”

My place isn’t exactly in the best shape to host anyone right now. And this is so sudden—I didn’t have time to mentally prepare for this.

Sure, I told her she could come over whenever she needed to, but I wasn’t expecting her to take me up on it today. Still, since that day, Kana hadn’t come by even once until now.

“Oh, sorry for rambling. And for not giving you a heads-up. I just suddenly felt like I couldn’t go home today.”

Somewhere deep inside, I felt a pang of empathy. It was probably Nishikikoji’s feelings surfacing.

Everyone has moments when their fear becomes overwhelming, moments when they just can’t. Even if someone else says it’s fine, there’s a point where your own heart refuses to move forward, leaving you frozen in place.

“Got it. In that case, I’ll give you a spare key.” “Wait, are you sure that’s safe from a security standpoint?”

“Well, we’re in the same class, so if anything happens, it won’t be hard to figure out who’s responsible. Besides, it’ll make things more convenient for you, right?”

“Hmm, are you saying you don’t trust me?” “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I wouldn’t give you the key if I didn’t.”

“Hmm… fine, I’ll take it then.” Kana’s expression was somewhere between satisfied and unconvinced. Sorry, Kana.

If I were the protagonist of a romantic comedy, this would probably be the moment to say something cool, like, “I trust you because you’re special to me!” or something equally dramatic. 

But I couldn’t come up with anything, and honestly, it felt a bit embarrassing.

As we strolled along, chatting casually, the supermarket came into view. Unlike last time, Kana wasn’t looking downcast, and this shopping trip felt like it was going to be a bit different.

Feeling a little hopeful, I walked through the automatic doors by her side.