I Want to Completely Avoid Troubled Girls, but It Seems I’ve Reincarnated as a Background Character in the Most Dangerous Yandere Academy - Chapter 34-35

Chapter 34: Rukawa Sets the Bait

There was a time when I wondered what kind of person Rukawa was.

I had faint hopes that this time she might have turned into a gentle type.

But those hopes crumbled as easily as a sandcastle.

Let’s recount the series of events.

On her first day, Rukawa was the picture of propriety.

She didn’t show even a trace of arrogance, which caught me off guard.

The problem came in the days that followed.

To show her my textbook, I had to pull my desk and shoulder close to hers. I guided her around parts of the school she wasn’t familiar with.

You could call it thorough support. Others helped out as well, but my share of the burden was significant.

Within a few days of transferring, Rukawa had already made Yami Byo Academy feel like home.

And she had quickly grown accustomed to the special treatment she initially received.

The phrase “putting on a mask” might as well have been invented for her.

“Textbook.”
“Here you go.”
“Reference book.”
“Take it.”
“Workbook.”
“Right away.”

At first, Rukawa would humbly ask, “Can I borrow your textbook?”

But that quickly disappeared. Now she just issued curt one-word commands.

I picked up on her unspoken instructions and carried them out like clockwork.

It dawned on me—I was turning into Rukawa’s errand boy, no, her servant.

…That’s right.

She’d probably been trained to show respect to strangers and those of high status.

On the flip side, with people she grew comfortable around, she’d let her guard down and slip into a queenly attitude.

Whether or not my assumption was accurate, Rukawa’s treatment of me became noticeably harsher in just a few days.

But it’s worth noting that her behavior only changed when it was just the two of us.

Around the Three Great Beauties or other classmates, she remained as polite as ever.

For better or worse, she trusted me—or maybe she just underestimated me. But then again, perhaps…

Either way, trying to figure her out after only a few days was a hopeless task.

When I was stewing in frustration, Rukawa herself cleared up the mystery.

It happened during a break between classes. She spoke to me.

“What’s up? Do you need a textbook again?”

“No. What I need now isn’t something material—it’s information.”

“That’s a vague way to put it.”

“I want to know more about you, Shimizu-kun. I’d like to invite you to my house first.”

“Whoa, that escalated quickly.”

I was well aware that common sense didn’t apply at Yami Byo Academy.

But to be invited to someone’s house without any prior warning?

“Hold on. We’ve only known each other for, what, three days? Don’t you have any sense of caution or distrust?”

“I trust you. Is there a reason you need to justify trust?”

“Maybe I’m overthinking this.”

“You are. Anyway, my car will pick us up after school.”

Rukawa commuted by car.

Though she had moved away from her parents, her driver and attendant had followed her to Yami Island.

“Isn’t that a bit conspicuous?”

“Does it have to be subtle?”

“It might lead to rumors or unnecessary trouble…”

“If trouble comes, I’ll deal with it then. Anyway, it’s decided.”

Unable to argue, I reluctantly accepted Rukawa’s invitation.

Naturally, this news reached Ruriko’s ears.

When Rukawa stepped away for a moment, Ruriko approached me.

“Seems like things are moving along.”

“Eavesdropper.”

“I’ve been through hell, so I’ve got an ear for it—genuine hell-trained ears.”

Ruriko had overheard about my visit to Rukawa’s house.

Luckily, neither Yu nor Kurokawa was around when we talked. So the only people in the loop were Ruriko and me.

“I’ll follow you secretly. If anything happens…”

Ruriko rummaged through her locker, pulled something out, and dropped it into my hand.

“A switch?”

“It’s paired with mine. Press it, and I’ll know something’s up. Think of it like those buzzers you get in food courts.”

She’s a cautious person.

After looping through countless situations, I suppose you get this prepared for the unexpected.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything reckless. I’m not eager to die again.”

“Sounds like you’re tempting fate.”

“Don’t jinx it. The Three Great Beauties are already trouble enough.”

With that, I ended the conversation with Ruriko.

It’ll be fine. Nothing will go wrong.

I kept telling myself that. The words “it’ll be fine” spun endlessly in my mind.

Deep down, though, I didn’t want to visit Rukawa’s house.

When weighing curiosity against fear, fear tipped the scale.

But there was no backing out now, so I had to ignore my gut instincts.

“Well, here goes nothing…”

Clinging to unfounded confidence, I prepared myself for the visit to Rukawa’s home.

—

Chapter 35: The Hidden Wish of the Rukawa Family

As per Rukawa’s instructions, it seemed I would head to her house by car.

A luxurious car was parked perfectly by the school gate.

Naturally, it stood out. It drew attention from everyone, regardless of grade or class.

I wasn’t bold enough to walk through the crowd and ride in the car.

Instead, I chose a less populated spot on Yami Island, where I arranged to be picked up. I had already left the school earlier.

How do I know about the car’s details, you ask?

Rukawa had been showing the scene through a video call. We had exchanged contact details on the first day.

As for what Ruriko, my accomplice, was up to:

She had decided to tail me, taking a taxi to follow Rukawa’s car. It was her way of preparing for any unexpected moves.

“That household is unique, so we have to be ready for anything,” she had reminded me. I was well aware.

The meeting point was the parking lot of a run-down store.

When I arrived, I spotted the car immediately—a foreign luxury vehicle that didn’t belong on this island.

The door opened automatically, and Rukawa was sitting in the second-row seat.

“You’re here.”

“I’m not the kind of guy to break a promise.”

Not that I could ever admit I had considered bailing several times.

“This time, my servant, Shigeo, will be driving us,” she informed me.

The man in the driver’s seat turned just enough to show his face.

“I am Shigeo. Shimizu Issei, thank you for always taking care of the young lady.”

He was a slim, bespectacled handsome man. His sharp, refined gaze was enough to make even a guy like me nervous.

His black butler-style attire screamed professionalism, and it made me straighten up.

“Well, I’m just doing what any classmate should,” I replied.

“Regardless of how you perceive it, your presence is very significant to the young lady.”

“Hey, Shigeo, don’t go overboard.”

“My apologies.”

From a meta-perspective, Shigeo and Rukawa would make a popular pair.

Rukawa had her selfish yet adorable sides, and Shigeo had been serving her loyally for a long time.

It was a pairing that sparked imagination.

However, in the original story, Rukawa falls for the protagonist. Shigeo becomes the “loser hero.”

“Shimizu, you’re kind, obedient to every command.”

“Um… Is that a compliment?”

“The young lady is awkward. It may sound misleading, but it’s the highest praise she can give.”

“I-I wasn’t praising him! Shigeo, you’re overstepping!”

Huh.

In the original story, Rukawa leaned more toward being cool and aloof, but now she seemed undeniably tsundere.

“I didn’t know you had such a cute side, Rukawa.”

“Idiot! We’ve only known each other for three days! You don’t get to say that!”

“And yet you invited someone like me to your house? That’s quite the contradiction.”

“T-that’s because…”

Shigeo let out a sly laugh.

“Let us discuss the details after we start driving,” he suggested.

I had nearly forgotten the main purpose of this visit: to go to Rukawa’s house.

Shigeo’s driving matched his composed appearance—fast, yet smooth and comfortable.

“The young lady is quite sloppy at home, you know,” Shigeo teased.

“Shigeo, be quiet.”

“Her casual home attire is unbecoming, and the way she lazes around is so adorably ridiculous.”

“Hey, Sh-Shigeo?”

Ignoring Rukawa’s increasing fury, Shigeo continued to reveal her less dignified sides.

Rukawa’s face turned beet red as her anger hit its peak.

I couldn’t help but listen intently, even as I felt sorry for her.

Sorry, Rukawa.

Information is invaluable. I’ll take what I can get.

Still, I understood how humiliating it must be to have your private life laid bare without permission.

By the time we arrived at her house, I still hadn’t learned the true reason for my visit.

There hadn’t been much conversation between me and Rukawa. It felt like everything had been settled within the Rukawa-Shigeo dynamic.

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

As I stepped out of the car, I was greeted by the sight of the Rukawa residence.

It was enormous, with what seemed like countless floors and sprawling grounds.

There was even a fountain in the garden. Calling it a “house” felt wrong—it was a “mansion” in every sense.

“So, did the young lady tell you why you were invited here today?” Shigeo asked.

“Not at all. She brought it up suddenly, and I came here without knowing anything.”

“Then allow me to explain the true reason.”

Shigeo’s tone became more serious. This was going to be a significant conversation.

“Wait, are you really going to tell him?”

“You know this was part of the conditions for coming to this island, young lady.”

“But I’m not ready for this… Maybe today he could just explore the house instead…”

“No. We cannot ignore our obligations.”

“Ugh…”

What was he about to reveal?

I braced myself.

“Allow me to explain the true reason you were invited here.”

When I nodded, Shigeo continued:

“We would like you, Shimizu, to become the young lady’s fiancé.”

“…What?”

“I’ll say it again. We want you to marry the young lady.”

“Wait, what? We’ve known each other for three days! Are you serious?”

Rukawa’s fiancé route?

That wasn’t part of the original story. Rukawa was supposed to seek time with the protagonist to escape her strict family life.

She might have grown attached, but marriage? This was news to me.

“I am entirely serious. I cannot let a man capable of handling the young lady slip away.”

Whoa.

This was an unexpected turn of events, and it came way too soon.

I needed to contact Ruriko…

But when I checked my phone, there was no signal.

“Are you thinking of something suspicious? Unfortunately, we’ve disabled the signal. We cannot have you contacting the outside.”

If that’s the case, there’s only one option left.

The switch.

I pressed it firmly in my pocket, hoping Ruriko was within range and would pick up on the trouble I was in.