I Was Reincarnated as a Creepy Fat Guy, Then Trained Myself Without Sleep. And Then, for Some Reason, the Heroines Start Approaching Me - Chapter 46: What Do Their Conversations Mean?

The unusual quartet, having arrived at a café a little away from the station, settled down. Since high school students usually don’t frequent this place, it was an ideal spot for discussing rumors.

After placing their orders, each with a drink in hand, they sat at the table. When everyone had settled in, Yumi (Tatsuzaki) opened the conversation.

“It’s definitely a love triangle.”

Seeing Yumi, Arisa (Mikami) nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, there’s no other explanation!”

Upon this agreement, both Manabu  and Keisuke also nodded.

“That guy Itsuki always manages to get in the middle…”

Manabu, for a moment, clenched his fist as if feeling frustrated, but all three were aware that it was said in jest.

“This is just my personal opinion, but isn’t the relationship between Hayama-kun’s sister and Itsuki quite problematic? Kanna’s reaction also seems a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, I thought the same! It’s a woman’s intuition, you know?”

Both of them nodded in agreement while looking at Manabu and Keisuke.

“Itsuki was different today. It felt like something was off.”

“Kanna felt the same. If so, the incident must have happened recently.”

“Yeah… right.”

“By the way Hosokawa-kun, didn’t you call her ‘Maririn’ when you mentioned that girl?”

“Oh, yeah. She works at the maid café we often visit, me and Itsuki. I was surprised when I heard she’s Hayama’s sister, though.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case, it’s possible that Itsuki knows that she’s Hayama’s sister and is close with her.”

“Well, if that’s the case, Itsuki might have come to know about her identity only recently. Considering Itsuki’s attitude and behavior towards Maririn so far, it makes more sense to assume he found out fairly recently.”

The conversation, driven by the intellectual minds of the first and second rank students, had an intense atmosphere. Arisa, taken aback, gave her impressions after catching her breath.

“You guys are amazing…”

Yumi, looking apologetic, said, “I’m sorry. We’ve been talking a lot, and…”

“Well, it’s mostly me and Tatsuzaki… Huh? Did I speak too much!?” Manabu exclaimed in surprise.

Manabu widened his eyes, surprised by his own speaking skills.

And rightly so.

Manabu had never really talked to girls. Even during the recent meal with the six of them at the cafeteria, he was nervous and couldn’t find many words.

Yet, his current way of speaking was like a fish to water.

Feeling a strange sensation, Manabu looked at the three of them. As he did, Keisuke, who had been pondering the whole time with a contemplative expression, gave him a thumbs-up.

Unable to comprehend the reactions, Arisa and Yumi tilted their heads cutely. Manabu tried to speak again to deflect the situation, but Keisuke stopped him.

“That girl is dangerous.”

“Keisuke? What do you mean?”

“To take revenge on that guy, he’s seducing his sister, NTR.”

“””What!!!!”””

The unexpected revelation from Keisuke left the three of them in shock, their mouths slightly agape.

“No, Keisuke, that’s a bit much…”

“Yeah, if that’s the case, isn’t Kondo-kun more dangerous?”

Manabu and Arisa waved their hands in protest, but Keisuke’s expression remained firm.

“No… that girl’s personality, way of thinking, and actions will bring about destruction. And Itsuki is not dangerous.”

Listening to this unusual conversation from a distance, it would seem like an absurd story. However, the bright blue eyes peeking out from under Keisuke’s long hair exuded an inexplicable aura of sincerity. Therefore, Keisuke’s words carried an oddly convincing weight.

Responding to his words was Yumi.

“Well… if what Shizukawa-san is saying is true, how do you feel about it, Hosokawa-san?”

“Hmm… that’s a difficult question.”

“If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to. I’m sorry for asking such a strange question.”

“No, it’s okay.”

After calming down Yumi, Manabu closed his eyes and pondered. Reflecting on the life he had lived so far, an indescribable emotion welled up within him.

Although he hesitated for a moment, he decided to speak about it.

“If what Keisuke is saying is true, then what Itsuki is doing should indeed be criticized, but I believe it’s extremely refreshing”

“Wha…?”

The two girls looked a bit surprised, prompting Manabu to continue.

“Um, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but back in middle school, I was severely bullied. Especially for no apparent reason, similar to what Hayama is doing to Itsuki… Even now, thinking about those guys makes my blood boil.”

“…You had such a past.”

Looking at Manabu, who bit his lip with a frustrated expression, Arisa and Yumi showed sympathetic looks.

“That guy Hayama has been doing terrible things to Itsuki for a long time. Teachers and people around us turned a blind eye… and we got caught up in the crossfire too. Well, in short, I’ve seen that guy up close.”

“……”

Of course, the girls were well aware of what Shota had done to Itsuki.

“There’s a saying, ‘an eye for an eye,’ right? If you’re treated badly, you reciprocate. In middle school, I didn’t have the courage or strength, so I endured it all, kept silent, and cried myself to sleep. If Itsuki does something like getting involved in a crime, I’ll do my best to stop him. But if it’s just retaliation, isn’t it okay? I feel like I’ve become a bit of a scumbag. Sorry. Forget what I said.”

Manabu smiled awkwardly, and across from him, Yumi, emotionally moved, spoke up.

“I finally understand what Papa was saying.”

“Papa?”

“Yes. He always said that the words and actions we use have a significant impact on others. If you want to protect your family and friends, be kind to everyone. Papa, being a lawyer, always said complicated things, and I always ignored him. But listening to your story, I agree. Thank you. It feels refreshing.”

“N-no, it was a dark story, and I appreciate you listening.”

“If you can share such a story, Hosokawa-san, you’ve become quite a courageous person. Fufu.”

“…If I’m a courageous guy, it’s probably thanks to Itsuki.”

“Um… when you mentioned wanting to be first earlier, I, um… I said something mean. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine! It’s fine! Don’t worry about it!”

As the two of them continued their friendly conversation, suddenly, Arisa gave them a sharp look.

“Hey, the two of you, your conversation assumes that what Shizukawa-kun said is true! Shizukawa-kun, do you have any evidence or did you secretly exchange information with Kondo-kun behind our backs?”

“Yumi, you’re drooling, it’s sloppy.”

“Uh… Drip… Sorry!”

As Yumi wiped her saliva with a tissue, she directed her gaze towards Keisuke. He seemed embarrassed and spoke up.

“In novels, there are quite a few stories like this one,…….”

“””…..”””