I Was Reincarnated as a Mob, and After I Kept Listening to the Losing Childhood-Friend Heroine’s Complaints, I Somehow Maxed Out Her Affection Rating - 14-15

Chapter 14: The End of the Date

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We were standing in front of the train station. The evening breeze had begun to feel a little cold. Kaede stopped in front of the automatic ticket gate and turned toward me. Her expression was—her usual smile. But it looked softer than normal, like it came from the heart.

“Thanks for hanging out with me today.”

The way she bowed her head was so polite it made me feel embarrassed.

“No, I should be the one thanking you. I’m glad you invited me.”

“And also… Sorry for making you go along with my selfishness.”

“It wasn’t selfish. It was normal, actually.”

“Eh, normal? In what way?”

“Well, starting with the sweets tour at noon, then that random game center showdown, and then ending with two crepes.”

“…When you say it like that, it does sound like a super-sweet date.”

Kaede held her mouth and giggled. Even when her laugh was swallowed by the noise of the city, it still lingered in my ears.

“But it was fun.”

“Really? I’m glad~”

“Yeah. …Well, my wallet got lighter though.”

“That’s what we call an investment in youth!”

“Is there any return?”

“Umm… Like I invite you out again next weekend?”

She said it so casually that my face froze on reflex.

“…Wait, every week?”

“Yep, every week!”

“…No, that’s kinda tough schedule-wise.”

“Schedule? You’re obviously free, right?”

“Guh… I can’t deny that!”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Eh, seriously?”

“I’m joking, obviously.”

Kaede raised a finger proudly with a “mission accomplished” look. This little devil act of hers… She seemed to be getting really good at it lately. I scratched my head and let out a sigh. But that “lightness” felt strangely pleasant.

“…Well then, see you.”

Kaede gave a small wave.

“Yeah. See you.”

It was just that simple exchange, yet it left a feeling like a “chapter break” in my chest. The setting sun lit the edge of the platform and dyed her hair gold. That moment, for some reason, stuck with me. Only after she went through the gate and disappeared from view did I finally let out a breath.

“…It’s overrr…”

A wave of exhaustion hit me. But it wasn’t the bad kind. It was more like relief, that something had “wrapped up” neatly. Still…. If being with me helped ease Kaede’s stress, then maybe that was fine.

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Kaede’s POV

When I got home and slipped off my sneakers at the entrance, a flood of exhaustion washed over me. I let out a long breath as I pulled my shoes off. A pleasant kind of fatigue, but my mind felt just slightly restless.

“Haaahhh… I’m so tired…”

I flopped onto my bed. The white ceiling spread across my vision. Both my body and heart felt heavy.

“I mean seriously… Who could’ve predicted Shouma would show up…?”

With my face buried in the pillow, I complained into the fabric. Running into him at a shopping mall on a weekend? What kind of TV drama coincidence was that? And of all times, right when I was with Yuuta-kun. The timing was too terrible.

“And then he tried to pull my hand like, ‘let’s go home’? What was that? Acting like my boyfriend?”

The moment I remembered it, I sat up and hit my pillow.

Thwump.

“Seriously, who does he think he is…? He’s the one who dumped me, so what kind of nerve does it take to start acting worried now?”

My voice echoed in my room. But even as I got angry, another face flickered in my mind.

“…Yuuta-kun.”

The way he stepped between us… The way he stared straight at Shouma, didn’t back down, and stayed calm. I used to think of him as a dull “mob” character, but…

…He honestly looked kind of like a hero.

“He was kinda cool, wasn’t he… That ‘Look around you, you’re causing a scene’ line? That’s cheating.”

My lips tugged upward without me noticing. It was just… So cool. Plain and simple. I never thought Yuuta-kun would ever be the “one who helps” type.

“No no no, what am I even thinking?”

I tapped both cheeks lightly. But the warmth on my face didn’t go away.

“…But, you know.”

I whispered and looked up at the ceiling. Lately, I found myself thinking of Yuuta-kun’s face more often than Shouma’s. What was that supposed to mean?

“Yeah. I think… I want to know.”

What music he listened to… How he spent his time at home… What he thought when he talked to me… Each little thing made me curious. That was probably a sign of “more than friends,” I thought, but I still refused to admit it.

“Maybe… I should take a step forward…”

My voice sounded a little shy even to myself. I pulled the blanket over my head. Under it, I listened to the sound of my own heartbeat.

Thump… Thump…

“…I’m being weird.”

Every time I thought about Yuuta-kun, something stirred deep in my chest. I still didn’t know exactly what it was. But—

“I think… Things are different now.”

The words slipped out softly and dissolved into the quiet night. The streetlight shining faintly through the curtains looked just a little warmer to me somehow.

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Chapter 15: You’re the One Who’s Going to Regret This and Mio’s Deduction

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Kaede’s POV

The morning classroom felt unusually quiet. I was wondering how much everyone had heard about Shouma.. When it happened.

“Morning, Kaede-chan.”

The one who spoke to me was Mio-chan. She had her usual bright smile. But the edge of that smile somehow looked like she was searching for something.

“Morning. …Are you alone?”

“Yeah, I kind of wanted to talk to you.”

Saying that, she naturally took my hand and pulled me along. The classmates’ gazes shifted slightly. Like the air was saying, “What are those two going to talk about?”

We moved to the far end of the empty hallway. The morning sun coming through the window reflected off her hair, making it sparkle. But her eyes were much sharper than that light.

“Um… About the other day, on our day off… Sorry.”

“Huh?”

“Since Shouma-kun ended up acting like that.”

“Ah, yeah. I’m not bothered. It’s Shouma, after all.”

“Really?”

“Really. That’s already over.”

When I smiled lightly, Mio let out a small breath, as if relieved. But right after that, she paused for just a moment…

“So what were you doing with Fujiwara-kun yesterday?”

“…Huh?”

“I just thought it was rare for you to be with a boy.”

“We were just… Out shopping. He came along as a friend.”

“So he’s not blackmailing you or anything.”

“……What?”

“Shouma-kun said it yesterday. ‘Kaede’s probably got something on Fujiwara holding her hostage or something.’”

“…What the hell is that?”

Inside, the word “huh?” kept flashing in my head. Shouma really said something like that??

“Well, I didn’t believe it either. But I was a little curious.”

“You don’t need to be. Fujiwara-kun is just—”

That was where my words got stuck. For some reason, the phrase “just a…” caught in my throat. Just a classmate? Just a friend?

…Just a “mob”?

None of them fit.

“—Yeah. Just a friend.”

“I see. That’s good.”

Mio smiled. This time, it actually looked genuine. But something else in me was left hazy and unsettled.

“Well, see you later then. …Kaede-chan, you’ve changed a little lately.”

“Huh?”

“Your expression looks softer than before. Like… Something good happened to you?”

“Who knows… Maybe.”

I smiled vaguely to dodge the question. She giggled, then turned on her heel. After parting with Mio-chan, I was left alone in the hallway.

The air had gotten a bit colder. Fall really had arrived, I thought. But inside me was far colder than that.

“…Blackmail, huh.”

Saying it out loud made me laugh a little. It was the kind of thing Shouma would say. Whenever he felt insecure, he immediately suspected people. He’d always been like that. Kind but timid at the same time.

“Seriously, he hasn’t changed at all.”

Murmuring that, I looked out the window. Shouma’s face floated into my mind. That panicked look of his, like he’d seen the end of the world.

“The one being blackmailed is him, not me.”

My lips curved up without thinking. Indecisive, always watching other people’s moods, and in the end retreating to protect himself.

…Because he was like that, he could never hold on to anything. If he had been even a little more honest with his feelings… If he had been willing to risk being disliked by someone/// Maybe I would have still been by his side.

“If he understood that much, he should’ve chosen me.”

When I murmured that, the chime rang from the classroom. It felt like it was saying, “Time’s up,” and I let out a small laugh.

“Well… He can regret it all he wants.”

I let out a small breath and lightly tapped my cheek. I fixed my expression, returning to the usual “Kaede Hiiragi.” I wasn’t going to be chained to the past anymore. I wanted to properly look at the person who had protected me.

Yuuta-kun.

The moment I said his name in my heart, something warm stirred in my chest.

“I’m going to do things my way.”

I whispered it to no one in particular, then headed back to the classroom.

Clatter

I slid the door open. Blending into the class’s chatter, I walked to my seat as if nothing had happened. But deep in my heart, I wore a small, triumphant smile.

“I’m doing just fine with Yuuta-kun, you know.”

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Mio’s POV

After parting with Kaede-chan, my mind was buzzing for an entirely different reason.

“…See? She’s not being blackmailed at all.”

The words slipped out. Shouma-kun’s “absolute certainty” replayed in my mind, making me sigh.

“Seriously, why does he turn into that whenever it’s about Kaede-chan?”

That serious, calm Shouma-kun completely short-circuited whenever it involved Kaede. It was honestly painful to watch.

“…Does he still have feelings for her?”

That thought suddenly surfaced. I shook my head quickly, so hard it felt like there should’ve been cartoonish sound effects.

“No, no. No way.”

…But what if he did?

No, no, that’s bad.

He was the one who called Kaede-chan just a “friend” back then. But then he blew up just because Kaede talked to another boy… How was that not contradictory?

“…Well, maybe that’s just how guys are.”

I muttered to no one in particular. A passing classmate glanced at me, but I ignored it. Walking on, another name came to mind.

“…Fujiwara-kun, huh.”

The boy who stood next to Kaede yesterday during the whole incident. He protected her, stopped Shouma-kun… He’d been strangely calm, and his eyes were sharp. He didn’t look like just a classmate. It was more like… He had that “I’m protecting this girl” kind of look.

“What is he to Kaede-chan…?”

A friend? No, that distance had felt different than just a friend. But they didn’t seem close enough to be lovers either.

“…No. Mio, stop going into detective mode.”

I smacked my own head lightly and forced myself to clear my mind.

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