I Was Helping Out With The Harem Plan Of The Romcom Protagonist I Admired, But Now That I’ve Realized He’s A Scumbag, Next Time I’m Going To Stop It And Make The Girls Happy Myself - Chapter 3: Theft

Chapter 3: Theft

Life as the only person not in the class LINE group was simple.

I didn’t talk to anyone. I just listened to lectures, ate lunch, and sat through more classes—day after day.

I was living a life so quiet it would’ve been unthinkable in my previous run.

But this was fine. That day would come eventually.

And then it came—our field trip.

“The field trip money—time to collect it. Takasaka, can you bring it?”

Our homeroom teacher spoke to Yuzuki Takasaka, the class representative.

“Yes.”

Takasaka answered seriously, without the slightest shadow of doubt.

The moment she reached into her desk, the first incident happened.

“What is it, Takasaka?”

Forgetting even to hide her panic, Takasaka slowly raised her hand.

“The money… it’s gone.”

“………………”

The classroom froze all at once, like an ice age had descended, and everyone forgot how to breathe.

Huh?

That confusion must’ve hit everyone.

But inside the classroom, there were only two people who stayed calm.

Me—because I knew the future—and the other was Kouki Jinguuji.

“Hey, what do you mean it’s gone?” “Wait—then we can’t go on the field trip?” “What the hell happens now…?”

After a long silence, students who were finally starting to grasp what had happened began shouting one after another.

The teacher tried to settle everyone down with a “Calm down,” forcing the room into a temporary lull.

Even so, he couldn’t hide how shaken he was.

“U-um… are you sure it’s not in your desk? Did you check everywhere else? Like in your bag—”

In response to the teacher’s questions, Takasaka could only keep saying, “I’m sorry.”

And with that, the classroom—finally quiet—started boiling again.

“Seriously, what happens now?” “If we end up not being able to go…”

Up to here, it was still manageable.

But little by little, the heat rose—especially among the girls, who started slipping into something that sounded like trash talk.

“Like, honestly? That Takasaka girl—she’s not fit to be class rep. I don’t care if she’s smart. She acts all serious and righteous.”

It probably included jealousy toward a girl that pretty.

The boys who’d been drawn to Takasaka’s looks up until now were holding their breath, trying not to become targets themselves.

Of course. No matter how pretty Takasaka was, nobody wanted to throw themselves into the fire for her. They didn’t owe her that.

Or at least, that’s what it should’ve been. In my first life, I thought the same way.

But then the prince appeared.

The romantic-comedy “protagonist,” gently offering his hand to a troubled heroine—Kouki Jinguuji.

“Um…”

Jinguuji stood up quietly and spoke.

And then, all at once, everyone’s eyes gathered in the same direction.

Not toward Jinguuji.

Toward my seat—where I’d stood up with a loud bang of my chair.

“What is it, Sugita? Did you figure something out?”

At the teacher’s question, I lowered my head.

“I’m sorry. I stole it…”

In this situation, those words could only lead to one conclusion.

“Um… Sugita. Is that true?”

Instead of answering, I walked quietly toward the lockers in the back, pulled my wallet from my bag—

And from that wallet, swollen to the point of looking ridiculous, I took out an unbelievable amount of bills. Then I apologized again.

“I’m sorry.”

“………………”

The ice age returned to the classroom.

“Wha—”

Someone’s tiny, mosquito-like voice echoed for just a moment.

But the next instant—

“Wait, seriously?” “Isn’t he the guy who skipped the get-together because of work?” “If he’s carrying that much cash, does that mean he really stole it?”

Voices flew everywhere.

Even so, my heart was calm.

Because I’d planned this from the beginning.

Why had I been working part-time so desperately since the first day of school?

It was all for this moment.

From the start, I knew Jinguuji would steal the field trip money.

Jinguuji planned to frame Takasaka on purpose, then “save” her and make her fall for him—just like some romantic-comedy hero.

In other words, this entire incident was Kouki Jinguuji’s self-staged act.

To break that script, I had no choice but to gather the field trip money myself and set myself up as the culprit.

But a student’s part-time wages weren’t anywhere near enough. After agonizing over it, I decided to use the savings I’d built up.

A life that already ended once. This much was nothing.

“Sugita. I understand you stole the money. Thank you for coming forward honestly. But why would you do something like this?”

To make everyone accept it, the teacher had to say it like that.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I just… I really wanted money…”

I said it in a way meant to stir pity, but it was pointless.

Only now—only at this point—boys started raising their voices to “protect” Takasaka.

“Apologize to Takasaka-san!” “Why didn’t you admit it sooner?” “Takasaka-san didn’t deserve this!”

Simple-minded guys, flipping sides at lightning speed.

And Takasaka herself—half relieved that the missing money had been found, half furious that she’d almost been labeled the culprit—

She directed that anger at me, silently furrowing her brow like she was pressing it into her expression.

And honestly, I couldn’t blame her. Takasaka didn’t know anything. She was the victim.

She’d almost lost her place at school. Of course she’d be angry.

“He’s seriously disgusting.” “Stealing money even if it means we can’t go on the field trip—lowest of the low.” “And swapping it from the envelope into his wallet like that? He was totally planning to use it.”

Even our homeroom teacher couldn’t stop the students from getting more worked up than before.

“C-come on, everyone, don’t say it like that. He must’ve just been in trouble and needed money…”

At that moment, the prince—way too late—spoke up, flustered.

From Jinguuji’s point of view, money he’d stolen showing up in someone else’s pocket had to be incomprehensible.

Still, this time, Jinguuji “helped” me. The insults toward me started to die down.

Or so I thought, but—

“I mean, if Takasaka had been more careful so it wouldn’t get stolen, this wouldn’t have happened.” “Yeah, that.”

The girls who wanted to tear Takasaka down no matter what desperately searched for something—anything—to twist into her fault.

“Why are you badmouthing her? She didn’t do anything this time! She’s the one who got dragged into it. The culprit here is—Sugita!”

Trying hard to look good, Jinguuji delivered that corny line and once again pinned the crime on me.

I’d chosen to become the culprit, so I wasn’t going to complain—but hearing it from the real culprit was infuriating.

Still, this time, things “settled” with me as the thief.

I felt relieved for only a moment.

After that, inside the school, I ended up getting branded with the label: “thief.”