I Want to Completely Avoid Troubled Girls, but It Seems I’ve Reincarnated as a Background Character in the Most Dangerous Yandere Academy - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Ruriko Kazuki Wants to Talk Alone

After finishing lunch, I ended up parting ways with Haruka and Kana.

“I have something I want to talk about.”

With just that one sentence, Kazuki-san dragged me along.

There was still a bit of time left during the lunch break. She led me away from our classroom to an empty one.

Had it been wrong of me to show such an embarrassing side of myself? I braced myself for the possibility of being scolded or grilled.

Kazuki-san closed the door completely and slowly opened her mouth.

“Issei-kun… you’re really Issei-kun, right?”

“I’m me. Shimizu Issei.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Her tone dropped slightly.

“You caught a cold and were absent for a while, then came back today. I’ve been observing you, but something seems strange.”

“Do I seem off?”

“In some ways, yes. It feels like you’re slightly different from the Issei-kun I’ve known.”

The “me” here and the “Shimizu Issei” of this world are extremely similar, but unfortunately, they’re not the same.

I’m just a guy who’s lived an ordinary high school life.

Shimizu Issei is a background character (?) in the world of Yami Byou Academy.

If the person inside changes, it’s no surprise that people might feel something’s off.

“Are you really Issei-kun?”

As we faced each other, she took one, then two steps closer. Now standing right in front of me, she stared intently into my face.

I felt like my heart would go haywire if I looked directly at her, so I turned my gaze away.

“I-I am—”

After a moment, Kazuki-san stopped staring.

“…Oh, never mind. I’m probably just overthinking things. Even if something’s a little different, Issei-kun is still Issei-kun.”

“You really caught me off guard with that sudden question.”

“Right? Sorry about that.”

Kazuki-san let out a big breath and continued.

“We’re classmates, after all. The only time we’ve really interacted was during your cold.”

Apparently, Kazuki-san and I haven’t had much interaction. Unless this is some sort of bluff.

“That’s it! The problem is that I didn’t know much about you, Issei-kun.”

“No, you don’t have to think about it that much. It’s normal to feel doubtful about someone at times.”

She seemed to think for a moment, putting on a slightly troubled expression.

“But still… as a classmate, the desire to know more about you, to become closer friends—is that feeling a lie?”

She had been late for my sake when I was weakened by my cold, and she’d eaten the curry I couldn’t finish.

Today didn’t seem to have any particular events that would boost her favorability toward me.

So hearing her say she wanted to be friends was a bit of a surprise.

“It’s probably a genuine feeling.”

“Right? From now on, let’s get along better, Issei-kun.”

“Likewise, Kazuki-san.”

“Doesn’t ‘Kazuki-san’ sound a little formal? You can call me Ruriko, you know.”

Using her first name felt strange, but then I remembered I already referred to the other two “Big Three Beauties” by their first names in my head.

“Ruriko-san, huh. It feels like you’re a completely different person.”

“Doesn’t it? I think we’ll get much closer this way.”

Watching Ruriko-san speak so cheerfully, I couldn’t help but feel uplifted myself.

I should’ve had enough of yandere types by now.

Being with Satsuki had come at the cost of my life.

If this followed the game’s storyline, Ruriko-san would undoubtedly be a yandere. So would Haruka, Kana—and really, every girl in our class.

And yet.

I found myself wanting to get closer to the current Ruriko-san, who wasn’t showing any yandere tendencies.

Right now, Ruriko-san was like Schrödinger’s Cat.

Whether she was truly a yandere or not wouldn’t be clear until it was confirmed. My presence as an anomaly might have altered even the characters’ personalities.

If that were the case, I might as well bet on “no yandere.” That’s how I was trying to rationalize it.

“From now on, we’re friends.”

“For now, at least.”

She smirked at me.

Realizing the hidden meaning in her words, my face heated up.

“Stop teasing me!”

“Is it really so impossible for us to be more than friends?”

“Not entirely.”

“Since you seem to have a masochistic side, I just couldn’t help myself.”

“That’s because of what happened earlier!”

One of the “Big Three Beauties,” Haruka, had teased me and, for some reason, declared me a masochist.

“That was such an unexpected side of you.”

“I’m not like that!”

“Well, we’ll have to keep an eye on that, won’t we?”

With that, the conversation came to a close.

“Starting today, we’re friends.”

“Friends.”

“Why don’t you come to my house?”

“Aren’t you a little too trusting?”

“If you try anything weird, my bodyguards will be here in no time.”

She was right.

Ruriko-san came from a wealthy family. Her house was enormous, with top-notch security. At the push of a button, bodyguards would come running.

In the original story, the protagonist had fended off a dangerous intruder who bypassed all that security.

“Even so, is it really okay to just agree so easily…?”

“I’ve already been to your house, Issei-kun. This isn’t a big deal anymore.”

“Fair point.”

With her convincing argument, my plans for after school were set.

In the original story, there would’ve been an outing before this stage. It felt like things were progressing too quickly.

Somewhere in my mind, a yellow warning light flickered.

But.

“It’s okay, right, Issei-kun?”

Hearing her soft, sweet voice and seeing her pleading gaze, the option to say “no” flew out of my mind.

“If you’re okay with it, Ruriko-san, I’ll go.”

“Yay!”

She pumped her fist in a small victory pose.

Seeing how well she could make people happy, I couldn’t help but admire Ruriko-san.

“There’s something at my house I really want to show you.”

“Oh?”

“Something I absolutely have to show you. Don’t forget, okay?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Her words, “absolutely have to show you,” gave me a bad feeling.

Would the yellow signal turn red?

Something told me it might.

However, faced with such sweet temptation, my weak-willed self ignored those instincts.