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 - 3

Chapter 3: Morning Brings the Sights I’d Rather Not See

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Kaede’s POV

Morning. The autumn wind was a little cold… Or well, that was the kind of relaxed comment I would’ve made if I were calm right now. But I wasn’t. Because, well…

When I looked ahead, Shouma and Mio-chan were walking side by side. …Seriously, it was poison to my eyes. Way too stimulating for the first thing in the morning.

“Good morning, Shouma-kun♡”

“Morning, Mio.”

Wasn’t that tone a little too sweet? The Shouma I knew used to be way more dense.

Hey, when did you unlock that “boyfriend voice” feature, huh?

I walked a little behind them, staring at their backs. Even though I shouldn’t look, my eyes chased them on their own.

Ah geez… If only she weren’t here…

I clenched my fist lightly. It wasn’t like she was at fault. But, still… The look on Shouma’s face when he told me “sorry” that day still lingered in my mind. I never thought I’d actually hear the classic “I value you as a friend” line in real life. And now that same Shouma was having a youth romance moment with “the girl he’d fallen for” first thing in the morning.

Ahh…The way the two of them looked from behind, it was like an illustration of “the protagonist and the main heroine.” So this was what they called the losing heroine.

“Huh? Kaede?”

Shouma, walking ahead, turned around. His face showed the kind of light surprise you’d have upon “accidentally seeing a classmate.”

“You don’t seem energetic.”

“Eh? O-oh. …It’s nothing, really.”

A smile. For now, a smile. If I looked gloomy here, I’d be officially promoted to the “clingy ex-girlfriend” position.

“I see.”

That was all Shouma said before returning to Mio’s side. And just like nothing had happened, the two resumed their conversation. What was that. Shouma had always been a natural-born genius at slicing open people’s hearts without noticing. Walking a bit behind them, I let out a sigh.

Ugh, my stomach felt heavy even though this was still early in the morning. My luck in love, motivation, and HP were all at zero. But strangely enough, I didn’t cry. Instead, deep in my heart, I murmured quietly.

Hey Shouma. Are you really sure about Mio-chan?

My clenched hand trembled just a little. Then, as if chasing their backs, I slowly started walking again.

Lunch break. I headed once more to the landing of the emergency stairs. And there—just like always—that boy was there. His name was Yuuta Fujiwara. In class he had zero presence. But to me, he had become my only emotional safe haven. Still, it felt wrong to keep making him listen to my complaints all the time. I wondered if I should make some side dishes for his lunch next time.

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Yuuta’s POV

Lunch break. As usual, I slipped out of the noisy classroom and headed to the emergency stairs. I climbed up the stairs to my usual spot…

“Yoo-hoo, Yuuta-kun.”

Kaede was waiting.

“Eh, you were waiting for me?”

“Yeah. Today, since you always listen to me complain… Here!”

Saying that, Kaede held out a small container. Inside were colorful side dishes. Tamagoyaki, teriyaki chicken, spinach with sesame dressing—all of them looked seriously delicious.

“…Wait, did you…?”

“Yep, I made it.”

“For real?”

“For real. It’s a thank-you for always listening to me.”

…No, but isn’t this the kind of thing girls usually make for the guy they like?

A background male character like me being handed homemade food… This was a first-time-in-my-life event.

“Uh… Is it really okay for me to eat this?”

“Yep, go ahead.”

“…Then, I’ll dig in.”

I took a bite of the tamagoyaki with my chopsticks. A soft, sweet aroma exploded in my mouth. The moment it entered my mouth,I could feel how tender it was, and the flavor of the dashi spread gently.

“…It’s good.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah, this is restaurant-level.”

“Yay~! Ah, but actually, this was a recipe I practiced before… You know, for Shouma.”

…Don’t say that name.

I almost choked.

“…I see.”

“Yep. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I saw him getting fed ‘a~hn’ by Mio-chan and my stomach hit its limit.”

“I-I see.”

Kaede gave me a bitter laugh. But her expression looked a little lonely. After a short silence…

“…Hey, Yuuta-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe I should make more for tomorrow too.”

“Eh, seriously? I mean, that’d be great but—”

“Okay, then I’ll take that as a request. It’s decided then~”

…That felt like verbal entrapment somehow.

“And in exchange…. Okay?”

“For what?”

“Today, tomorrow, and forever… You will listen to my complaints, right?”

“…Forever?”

“Forever.”

I couldn’t help but to laugh.

“That’s all you want?”

“That’s not ‘all.’ It’s just… It’s a lot better than watching Shouma and Mio flirt.”

“Well… Can’t argue with that.”

Kaede laughed softly. Her laugh sounded a little sad, but also a little hopeful. And honestly—cuter than I expected.

“…Then, I’m counting on you tomorrow too, Yuuta-kun.”

“Yeah. Complaints or cooking, either one’s welcome.”

“Wow, someone’s getting cocky.”

“No no, this is just my way of showing my appreciation to you.”

“Fufu… Thanks.”

While we talked like that, lunch break ended, and we returned to the classroom.

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