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 35 & 36 & 37 & 38

Chapter 34: A World Given Color

I’d been spacing out for a while on the rooftop, both hands on the ground, when the door behind me burst open with a loud clack.

“What are you doing?”

Without even looking back, it was easy to tell who had opened the door just from her voice.

As always, her voice carried no emotion, so I answered with my back still turned.

“Getting some fresh air.”

“I see…”

As she said that, she sat down beside me.

“Why did you come up here? Don’t tell me… again?”

I asked, wondering if she’d come to finish what had ended as an “attempt” last time.

She shook her head.

“No. Today it’s a different reason.”

“I see.”

I echoed her, almost reflexively.

Honestly, the reason didn’t matter. As long as she didn’t die.

“Yeah. Today I came to see you.”

She continued.

“Did you do something again?”

She didn’t actually say “about the bullying,” but I interpreted it that way on my own.

And after I did, I played dumb.

“Do something?”

“So you’re pretending again.”

“……”

Because I didn’t answer, silence settled over the rooftop.

To break the air, I forced myself to speak first.

“Anyway—if you’re with me, your boyfriend will get mad.”

“You changed the subject again. Well, if you’re fine with that, then I guess it’s fine—also, as for my boyfriend, I broke up with him, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“You broke up?”

I repeated the part that caught.

“Yeah. I don’t know why, but the bullying suddenly stopped. So naturally, there was no reason to have a boyfriend anymore.”

For some reason, Mochizuki-san emphasized the word “suddenly,” so I asked her:

“When you started dating Jinguuji, I think you said ‘I didn’t have a reason to refuse.’ Did a reason to break up come up?”

“No. It wasn’t like that. There wasn’t really a reason to break up, either.”

“Then why?”

“This made me realize something. Having a boyfriend is more troublesome than I imagined.”

I see. For her, “troublesome” counted as a disadvantage.

“But this also made me realize something else. If you run away from troublesome things, you end up alone. Unless you act, you can’t escape loneliness.”

“That’s true.”

“……”

After I agreed, silence came again.

But it didn’t feel awkward.

Maybe she felt the same, because she put the bento she’d brought on her lap and started eating.

The only things that filled the space were the sound of chopsticks tapping a lunchbox from beside me, and the faint white breath leaking from my mouth.

Winter was about to begin.

◇◇◇

Mochizuki POV

I ended up alone again.

That thought came to me suddenly.

But I couldn’t say it to him, up here on the rooftop. If I said it, I felt like I’d just cause him trouble again.

I’m fine alone. I’m used to it.

That’s what I told myself—so why have I been coming to the rooftop every day since then?

Before I know it, I’m searching for him.

But I don’t even need to search.

Because he’s here every day, like it’s normal.

He always says, “I’m getting fresh air,” but I can tell it’s a lie.

We don’t force conversation. We just sit side by side, and sometimes we exchange small, trivial words.

And for some reason, it feels comfortable to me.

It’s like my lunch—food that used to taste like nothing—is slowly starting to gain flavor.

“Did I put in too much sugar…?”

I muttered, and he reacted.

“This omelet?”

“Yeah. It tastes better than usual.”

“I’ve been wondering—do you make it yourself?”

“Yeah. I basically do all the housework myself.”

“I see.”

He answered like he’d known it from the start.

“Can I have one?”

“Sure. Here—”

I picked up a piece of omelet with my chopsticks and held it out to him.

“Isn’t this maybe—”

Even though I was offering it, he wouldn’t eat, muttering under his breath, so I forcibly pushed the omelet toward him.

After chewing for a bit, he said:

“I-it’s good.”

A reaction that could’ve meant either “good” or “not good.”

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

“Y-yeah.”

“What do you really think?”

“……Honestly, sorry. You’re right—maybe you did put in too much sugar.”

Seeing his reaction made me realize: maybe I’ve been eating something pretty terrible this whole time.

It annoyed me a little.

“Next time, expect better. I’ll make you say it’s delicious.”

“Yeah. I’ll look forward to it.”

We made that promise, and I went back to my overly strong-flavored bento.

“Hey.”

After I finished eating, I called to him while looking out over the sports field.

“Do you remember when you asked me, ‘If I confessed before Kouki, would you have dated me?’”

“Yeah. I remember.”

“That answer… I can say it clearly now.”

“Huh—wait, you mean…?”

At his confusion, I smiled.

“Well… it’s still a secret. For now.”

Chapter 35: An Unchanging Daily Life

Jinguuji POV

Why did it turn out like this? Why did the bullying stop? Why is Anna gone?

I couldn’t understand any of it now.

But there was one thing I did understand.

It was this—

I failed again.

Now that the bullying was gone and there was no longer a reason to date, I got rejected by Kanon.

Again—again—that man got in my way.

How did he find the bully? How did he stop the bullying?

I couldn’t even begin to guess.

Lately, that man has been leaving somewhere more often during lunch break.

Until now, he either ate alone in the classroom like a sad loner, or he spent time—disgustingly—with my former heroines.

During lunch break, I followed him.

On the rooftop… he was eating lunch with Kanon, looking so close with her.

Ah. So that’s what it was… so that’s what this was.

The words flashed through my mind.

This is cheating. Those two were cheating, laughing at me behind my back.

I bet even back in middle school three years ago, they laughed at me together.

Don’t mess with me. Don’t screw with me.

I felt like the anger was going to snap me in half. I clenched my fist so hard I felt like I could smash the wall in front of me. My nails dug into my skin, and the blood that dripped down said everything my emotions couldn’t.

But there was… nothing I could do.

There was no way forward anymore.

My emotions were boiling, yet I couldn’t find any drive at all.

Whatever…

I ditched afternoon classes and decided to go home.

Today, I walked alone down the road I used to walk every day with Kanon—just to make Anna jealous.

There was nothing to think about. The only thing that floated up was that man’s face, but strangely, no feelings came with it.

What am I supposed to do now…?

Still thinking, I was about to turn a corner when a figure appeared from the front like some fated encounter—

Thud.

“Kyaa!!”

A girl’s high-pitched scream, and I fell onto my butt.

“Ow…”

What the hell is this, now…

Annoyed, I stood up.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay!?”

As I brushed dirt off where I’d hit the ground, the girl—who had also fallen—shouted.

That weirdly ear-catching voice irritated me even more.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m leaving, so—”

“Wait!!”

The moment I turned my back to leave, the girl grabbed my arm.

And again, that unpleasant voice hit my ears.

“What is it… let go.”

I forced polite speech just to keep my temper under control.

“Your hand is injured. Don’t move.”

“Hey—what are you doing!?”

She yanked my arm and forced me to face her.

So annoying. I couldn’t stand it.

And yet, as she put disinfectant on my injured hand, I couldn’t say anything.

“Okay. All done.”

Only then did she finally let go.

“……”

With me staying silent, she spoke again.

“Do you have time after this?”

“I have time, but…”

I don’t have time to waste on you—before I could say it, she grabbed my hand again, just as forcefully as before.

“Then let me make it up to you. There’s a pancake I want to eat.”

You just want to eat it yourself…

Thinking that, I still let her drag me along.

Maybe something like this isn’t so bad once in a while.

◇◇◇

MC POV

After school.

For some reason, Jinguuji left early because he “wasn’t feeling well.”

Well, the teacher said it was a health issue, so it should be exactly that… but I couldn’t stop myself from overthinking it.

Worried, I passed through the school gate—and my eyes were pulled to a girl waiting out front.

“Kaede? What are you doing here?”

For some reason, my little sister Kaede was waiting at the school gate.

Don’t tell me—

“Were you waiting for me?”

“…Yeah, so what?”

Kaede looked away, embarrassed, and I felt a surge of affection—then confusion.

“Huh? But didn’t you say today was a half day?”

“Yeah.”

“Then were you waiting the whole time?”

“No. I was with my friends until halfway through. I just happened to pass by, so I figured we could go home together. If you don’t want to, I’ll just go home alone.”

I grabbed Kaede’s hand and started walking forward.

“Let’s go home.”

Why did I feel like this?

For some reason, I really wanted to lean on Kaede right now.

I don’t know when this time could end. Just for today, she’ll forgive it—probably.

“Hey, Onii-chan. This is embarrassing.”

“Please. Just today.”

“…Fine, I guess.”

Her hand had been a little cold, but it warmed up right away from Kaede’s warmth.

No—warm isn’t the right word.

“Isn’t it kind of hot?”

“I was thinking that too.”

Even so, we didn’t let go, and we went all the way home holding hands.

◇◇◇

Side note.

“Hey, you two—why are you holding hands?”

The moment Mom said it, we let go instantly.

“Because! Onii-chan said he ‘really, really wanted to’!”

“Kaede! Wait—were you doing it unwillingly…?”

“Obviously!”

“Kaede. Pick me up tomorrow too.”

“No way.”

Watching us, Mom smiled.

I wished time like this could go on forever.

But I also thought… it probably won’t.

Chapter 36: New Semester

Surprisingly, time passed without anything happening. Winter ended, and spring arrived.

Cherry blossoms bloomed in full, and that spring-specific floral scent tickled my nose.

“Hey, Kaede.”

On the road where I always walk to school alone, Kaede was with me today.

“Are you really enrolling in our high school? If you rethink it—”

“What are you even saying now? Today’s the entrance ceremony, you know? It’s way too late to rethink anything. Nothing can be changed now.”

For the past few months, I’d been telling Kaede to go to a different high school, but she stubbornly refused to change her path.

I knew I was asking the impossible. I knew she couldn’t. But at our school… he is there.

“And besides, Riri-chan is going too.”

Kaede, who didn’t know any of that, casually brought up her friend.

Riri-chan is Kaede’s friend from middle school. They’ve always been close, and she’s come over to our house a few times.

She has a unique vibe, and to be honest, I’m a little uncomfortable around her.

So she’s coming to our high school too…

But if she’s there, maybe she can protect Kaede from Jinguuji.

Thinking that, I felt a little lighter.

“Kaede—if a guy ever catches your interest, tell me immediately.”

“What’s with you all of a sudden? I’m not trying to get a boyfriend or anything.”

Watching Kaede laugh as she said it, I made my decision.

In this life, I’m absolutely not letting Kaede get anywhere near Jinguuji.

◇◇◇

The entrance ceremony and opening ceremony ended without issue, and I officially became a second-year—while Kaede successfully enrolled as a first-year underclassman.

And in my second-year class…

Jinguuji was there. That guy.

I also ended up in the same class as Mizuki again, but Yuzuki and Hina got separated into different classes.

School ended at noon, and by the flow of things, I ended up walking home with Mizuki.

At first I planned to go home with Kaede, but she messaged me on LINE saying, “There’s a get-to-know-you meetup,” so I had no choice but to give up on going home with her.

After homeroom, Jinguuji quickly left on his own, so there was probably nothing to worry about.

It felt like it’d been a while since I’d actually talked with Mizuki.

She’s always surrounded by students at school, so there hadn’t been any chance.

“More importantly… are you sure this is okay?”

I asked Mizuki beside me, feeling uneasy.

“About what?”

“You know, like… before, you got photographed walking with Jinguuji—”

Because you got flamed for it.

Even without me saying it, Mizuki understood what I meant.

“It’s fine now. Besides, I already clearly said on stream that I ‘have someone I like.’”

Right—she did.

At this point, even if photos got leaked again, it wouldn’t really do any damage.

“Are you streaming today?”

“Yeah. That’s the plan.”

Since then, Mizuki has been putting even more effort into streaming, and thanks to that, her loyal fanbase has grown to several times what it used to be.

It’s genuinely impressive—respect comes from the bottom of my heart.

“Don’t watch my streams.”

Right as I was looking at her with that respect, she cut me off bluntly.

“Why not?”

“Well… it’s kind of embarrassing.”

Hearing Mizuki say “embarrassing” caught me completely off guard.

She always seems so mature, like she doesn’t even have embarrassment—but apparently I was wrong.

She probably doesn’t want me seeing her in cosplay.

That said… every now and then, I’ve already opened Mizurin’s streams anyway…

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh… it’s sort of… too late for that.”

“Huh—wait, does that mean… you’ve even seen the part where I answer listeners asking about my ‘someone I like’…?”

“Huh? That’s news to me.”

The moment I replied, Mizuki averted her eyes like she’d just realized she messed up.

After a while, once she calmed down, Mizuki spoke again.

“Anyway. Don’t watch my streams.”

“Fine.”

“If it’s cosplay, I’ll show you anytime.”

Even as she said it, Mizurin glanced at me, and I found myself thinking:

Wait—what is that? That’s… ridiculously sexy.

But obviously, I didn’t say it out loud.

Maybe she read my thoughts, because I felt a sharp glare from beside me.

“On second thought, I’m not showing you. Cosplay is a privilege for viewers only.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

Yeah. That one was on me.

“……”

A short silence fell.

The one who broke it first was Mizuki.

“Anyway, Yuuya-kun—about tomorrow…”

Mizuki was saying something, but it didn’t reach my ears.

My hearing cut out completely, and only my vision took over my body.

Straight ahead—

In my field of view, Jinguuji was walking along, looking like he was on a fun date with a first-year underclassman.

The girl he was with…

It wasn’t Kaede—the one I’d been worried about.

It was Kaede’s friend.

Riri-chan.

Chapter 37: A Girl Full of Mysteries

After I parted ways with Mizuki, I was so confused that I ran all the way home just to calm my head down.

What is going on…? That never happened in my previous life.

Riri-chan… her full name, if I remember right, is Tachibana Ririka.

I’d never seen that expression on Jinguuji before… he looked like a guy getting tossed around by the girl he’d fallen for.

No—are they already dating? Or did Jinguuji finally find someone he can truly love from the bottom of his heart? What happens to his harem plan?

Questions raced through my mind.

The two of them going out together in completely private time—there’s nothing that could be besides a date.

And didn’t the first-years have a welcome social? Did Tachibana Ririka skip it just to choose being with Jinguuji instead?

That’s when I finally reached a conclusion.

Ah… I get it now.

Those two are already mutually in love.

For Jinguuji, it’s his first real, serious romance.

I had no right to stomp into that with dirty shoes.

But that doesn’t erase what Jinguuji has done up to now.

When I remember what he’s done in the past… there’s no way I can forgive it.

This isn’t “justice” or anything lofty like that.

It’s something uglier—yeah, it’s just revenge.

What can I even do now…? Until now, I could manage because I had memories of my previous life, but the moment something unexpected happens, this is what it comes to.

It doesn’t feel like I can stop anything.

No—forget stopping it. They’re already in love.

Do I even have the power to interfere…? For now, I just have to do what I can.

So I thought about what I can do right now—and decided to ask Kaede about Tachibana-san when she got home.

“Hey, Kaede. That friend of yours, Riri-chan… what kind of girl is she?”

“Riri-chan? What’s with you all of a sudden? This morning you acted like you didn’t care at all.”

“I just got curious.”

“Hmm. ‘What kind of girl’ is hard… maybe… she’s energetic?”

“Isn’t there anything else? Like who she likes, or if she has a boyfriend or something.”

“Huh? What? Onii—don’t tell me you like Riri-chan?”

“No. It’s not like that…”

Crap. If I ask that directly, of course she’d misunderstand.

“Well, whatever… I think she probably doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

So Tachibana-san hasn’t even told Kaede, her best friend…? Or maybe I’m worrying for nothing and she really isn’t dating Jinguuji yet.

Still not enough information.

“Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Riri-chan talking to boys at school. I never hear any romance talk either. I kind of just assumed she’s bad with guys.”

This is getting worse. I understand her even less. What is she thinking?

“Honestly… she’s kind of mysterious. We’re close, but she never really wants to talk about herself. She skipped today’s welcome social too.”

A mysterious girl… even Kaede doesn’t fully understand.

“Got it. Thanks.”

I thanked her and rushed straight into my room.

The information still wasn’t enough, but it was valuable all the same.

I pulled out the notebook from my school bag—the one I’d been using to organize everything.

It was packed tight with notes about everyone from my previous life.

On the next blank page after the section about Mochizuki-san, I wrote down what I’d just learned from Kaede.

Filling that stark white page with Tachibana-san’s details, I immediately started thinking about what I could do next.

◇◇◇

A few days later.

I thought and thought and thought—but no matter what, I couldn’t come up with a method.

Even if I tried to make contact with Tachibana-san directly, we basically had no connection. The only link was that she’s Kaede’s friend, but there was no guarantee she even remembered me.

If she hit me with a “Who are you?” then it’d be game over.

“Yuuya, I haven’t seen you during lunch lately. Where do you go?”

During a short break, Hina—leaning on the window like always—asked me.

Lunch break… I’ve been meeting Mochizuki-san, saying “I’m getting some fresh air.”

“I go to the rooftop.”

There was no point lying, so I told the truth.

“Huh. Well, whatever. Anyway—”

At that exact moment, an underclassman’s high-pitched voice shook the classroom, cutting Hina off.

“Senpaai!!”

Like something straight out of a romcom, an energetic heroine called out to the protagonist.

Tachibana Ririka—behind that bright expression, it felt like there was one more emotion hiding.

As she beamed smiles across the classroom, Jinguuji hurried over to her.

“Ririka. What’s up? That was sudden.”

“Nothing. I just felt like seeing you, Senpai, so I came.”

“I-I see.”

Jinguuji nodded, not exactly displeased.

“More importantly, Senpai! Let’s go on a date next time!”

“A date, huh…”

“Do you not want to?”

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to… I’m happy, but…”

For some reason, Jinguuji didn’t accept it right away. Maybe he was just embarrassed.

Thinking that, Hina and I watched the two of them—sneaking glances.

Then, suddenly, Tachibana-san and I made eye contact.

“Hmm. In that case—”

Tachibana-san looked like she’d thought of something, then casually turned and started walking toward us.

No way she’s coming to us… right?

Before I could finish that thought, Tachibana-san reached us—and said something unbelievable.

“Let’s do a double date!”

Chapter 38: Double Date (1)

Why did it come to this?

After that, I protested to Tachibana-san—“Why us?”

And she immediately shot back: “Because you two are dating, right?”

It’s true that we used to date, but that was only a fake relationship meant to make Jinguuji jealous.

Hina and I protested again and again, completely confused, but Tachibana-san didn’t seriously listen to a word of it.

Just like Kaede said—she really is a strange girl.

Even Jinguuji was against Tachibana-san’s idea at first, but Tachibana-san was so pushy that he reluctantly accepted.

He was completely whipped.

Honestly, stopping Tachibana-san right there was probably impossible no matter what any of us said.

So, today—Sunday morning.

I was waiting at the meeting spot for this double date, together with Hina.

The stage for today’s date was this huge amusement park.

Sure, it’s a perfect place for a double date, but still—

“How did it come to this?”

Hina, waiting beside me for Jinguuji and the others, voiced the exact same thought I’d just had.

From Hina’s perspective, she already didn’t want to face Jinguuji in the first place—so ending up coming out to play with him was the last thing she wanted.

But… sorry, Hina. For me, this is the perfect chance to learn about Tachibana-san.

I can’t afford to let this opportunity slip.

“Sorryyy! We’re a little late!”

The girl I’m investigating appeared together with Jinguuji.

Tachibana-san—dressed casually—greeted us brightly, and we greeted her back with “Good morning.”

“Yes! Good morning!”

After Tachibana-san returned the greeting, Jinguuji—standing beside her—also greeted us, awkwardly.

“Sup…”

Looks like Jinguuji is thinking the same thing we are.

“So, where do we start? I think first—”

Tachibana-san was already at max energy right from the start.

Hina, seeing that, looked fired up like, “Fine, then I’ll enjoy myself too.”

And Jinguuji just kept staring at Tachibana-san’s face.

Watching the three of them—each wearing a different expression—I made my own decision.

Today, I’m going to figure out Tachibana-san’s mystery.

The first ride we got on was a roller coaster.

From the very first move, Tachibana-san had the pedal slammed to the floor, and we got dragged along.

Next came the coffee cups, then the swing ride—one high-calorie ride after another.

After that, we kept chasing Tachibana-san wherever she went, and time disappeared in an instant.

◇◇◇

A few hours later.

We were finally granted a break.

“Haa… haa…”

The guys—including me—collapsed onto a bench.

“Senpai, don’t you two have like… zero stamina?”

“No… if you ride that many in a row, anyone would get tired…”

Jinguuji said, out of breath.

Then Hina spoke.

“Are you two okay? Especially you—head down, not saying a word.”

There was only one person who wasn’t talking.

Me, obviously.

“I seriously can’t. I’m done. I’m at my limit.”

“Yuuya, you’re bad with loud rides?”

“No. What I can’t handle is riding them back-to-back.”

“Haha. Yeah, fair.”

Even though she said that, Hina looked totally fine.

Right when Hina was about to gently put her hand on my back, Tachibana-san cut in.

“Hina-senpai! Let’s go buy drinks for them—out of pity for these miserable senpais!”

“Hey. What do you mean by ‘miserable’!?”

Jinguuji snapped back instantly at Tachibana-san’s joking tone.

“I’m kidding! Okay, please wait right here, you two.”

Waving lightly with a polite bow, Tachibana-san and the girls went to buy drinks.

Leaving just Jinguuji and me behind.

“……”

What is this… this is way too awkward.

Maybe Jinguuji felt the same, because all that existed between us was pure silence.

There was nothing I wanted to say to him. No—honestly, I didn’t even want to make eye contact.

And Jinguuji probably hated me the same way.

Sure enough, my guess was right.

The silence lasted several minutes.

We didn’t look like friends who came out to have fun together at all—well, it goes without saying our relationship is the worst.

But more importantly than that—

They’re late. Way too late.

It had already been five minutes, and there was still no sign the two girls were coming back.

That’s when Jinguuji broke the silence for the first time.

“They’re seriously taking a while, huh? I’m gonna go check on them.”

Jinguuji stood up from the bench—like some protagonist worrying about the girls.

I also stood up slowly so I wouldn’t feel sick, and followed after him.

After tracking Jinguuji for a bit, I could see a vending machine behind his back.

We spotted the two girls in front of it, but… honestly, it was exactly what you’d expect in a romcom.

A ridiculously convenient development—

They were being hit on by two guys we didn’t know.

“Hey, you girls are cute.” “Wanna go into the haunted house with us?”

The moment Jinguuji saw that, he broke into a run.

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

He cut between the four of them and stood in front of the girls like he was shielding them.

“What’s your problem? Don’t get in our way.” “Who the hell are you, asshole?”

“I’m with them. If you start trouble any further, I won’t hold back.”

“Tch. Damn it.” “You’ll regret this.”

Spitting out parting threats, the two guys ran off like they were fleeing.

“Are you two okay? You were taking so long—I got worried.”

“Yeah. I’m okay.” “I’m okay too.”

“More importantly, Senpai, you were amazing! I’ve changed my opinion of you!”

“‘Changed your opinion’? What, were your expectations for me that low!?”

Watching their exchange, I realized for the first time just how ridiculously far apart Jinguuji—the protagonist—and me—a mob—really were.

A normal person like me can’t instantly judge a situation and act like that.

Only Jinguuji can.

Even if the way he makes girls fall for him is the worst, he’s still—without question—a true romcom protagonist with blessed, natural talent.

But Hina, who knows what Jinguuji is really like, ran over to us with a suspicious expression.

Like she didn’t know what she could believe anymore.

Don’t worry. I’m confused too.

“For now, we bought drinks, so let’s go back to the bench.”

After finishing whatever she wanted to say with Jinguuji, Tachibana-san took charge.

Everyone agreed, and Tachibana-san started walking in front—

And in that instant, she turned toward me and flashed a strange smile.

It felt like she was calling me “spineless.”