I Was Reincarnated as a Mob in a Completed School Rom-Com Manga, and When I Tried My Best to Cheer Up the Broken Losing Heroines, I Realized I Had Surpassed the Original Story - 3

Chapter 3: Life Advice With My Little Sister

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After regaining the memories of my previous life and having my first conversation with Konno-san on the rooftop that same day, I went home, lay down on my bed, and sank into deep thought about what I should do next. Konno-san had started to show me a tiny bit of a smile. I once again felt that I wanted to do everything I could to support her, so that one day she could face forward again and start walking on her own.

But in this world, there were still two more losing heroines remaining. The third heroine to appear in the original story after Momoi-san and Konno-san was Nazuna Akaboshi, a cheerful, innocent, energetic big-breasted beauty. She acted relentlessly upbeat in front of others, but the truth was that she tended to fall into a deep, destructive depression whenever she was alone. In the original, there was even a scene implying that she had resorted to self-harm—cutting her wrists—in the past. I couldn’t help but worry about whether something like that might happen again.

And the fourth heroine to appear—who was the only one who didn’t even get the chance to confess her feelings to the protagonist before being rejected—was the bespectacled class committee girl, Suzu Chadani. Chadani-san was serious and equally strict with others and herself. Even if she didn’t show it on the surface, she must have been completely heartbroken.

But Akaboshi-san was in a different class, and while Chadani-san was in the same class as me, she had this atmosphere around her that made her hard to approach. I agonized over how I should approach the two of them.

At that moment, my door opened just a crack.

“Onii-chan, do you have a minute?”

From behind the slightly and apologetically opened door, a small shadow peeked inside.

“What’s up, Moe?”

“Actually… I have a request?”

The girl who entered the room had sleek, smooth, straight black hair that reached down to her lower back. In this world, she was my little sister—Moe Kurosaki. Until yesterday, I had never even thought about it, but with her wide double-lidded eyes and gentle aura, she was so cute that it was hard to believe she was the sister of a mob character. Even as her brother, I had to admit she was just as adorable as any of the heroines. Moe, one year younger than me, was a first-year at the same high school—my junior.

“So, what’s with the sudden formality?”

When I sat up on the bed, Moe knelt politely in front of me.

“Onii-chan, you’re free every day, right?”

She flashed me an innocent smile. What a rude sister, saying that to her only brother. Well… She was cute, so I forgave her.

“I’m free, but…”

“So, um, my friend wants to start a manga research club, but you need five members to start a new club. So even just your name is fine, but would you join the club…?”

A manga research club? That was amazing. I never got the chance to join any clubs in my previous life, so it almost felt like I could reclaim the youth I’d lost.

“That sounds fun. I’ll join.”

“Really!? Thanks, Onii-chan! I’m boya happy!”

“Huh? Boya? What’s that…?”

While I was confused by the unfamiliar word, Moe proudly raised her index finger.

“That’s Moe-speak! ‘Boya’(ボヤ) means ‘a little,’ and ‘bubu’(ブブ) is ‘so-so,’ and for ‘really a lot’ you add ‘zen’!”

I see… Probably terms taken from describing fire severity levels. But still… “a little,” huh. Onii-chan is boya hurt.

“Anyway, Moe, actually you came at a good time. I have something I want to talk about too, is that okay?”

“It’s rare for Onii-chan to ask for advice. In that case, I’ll go get juice and snacks, so wait here!”

When she returned with her arms full of snacks, Moe opened a bag of chips and asked me.

“So, what’s wrong?”

“Moe… Have you ever experienced heartbreak?”

BANG!

The snack bag burst open, sending greasy chips flying everywhere. Ignoring the state of the room, my little sister raised her voice.

“Onii-chan, you scared me! And why heartbreak all of a sudden!? Normally it’d be like, ‘Have you ever fallen in love?’ right!? Don’t tell me you’ve already gotten that far without Moe knowing!?”

“No, before that, pick those up first. The carpet’s getting oily…”

I reluctantly started gathering the scattered snacks myself, when Moe suddenly knelt down, grabbed both my shoulders, and frowned.

“Hey, Onii-chan… Moe is mad, you know? Moe is on fire! I demand a proper explanation.”

I had no idea why my little sister was angry, but in that moment, my priorities instantly shifted. 

I’m sorry, carpet. My sister’s smile is my top priority.

“The truth is… I know a few people who recently went through heartbreak, and I’m struggling with how I should cheer them up…”

“Oh, so it’s not Onii-chan? That’s fine then.”

Looking relieved, Moe began picking up the chips scattered around.

“What would you do if your friend got their heart broken?”

“I wouldn’t do anything.”

Still on all fours, she replied without looking at me.

“Eh… Isn’t that kind of cold…?”

“I mean… Onii-chan, you’re doing that just for your own self-satisfaction, right? If that person asks you for something, then you should help them. Until then, I think it’s best to just leave them alone.”

Her words had an oddly strong sense of conviction. Sure enough… Maybe she was right. Thinking I should cheer them up just because they were heartbroken might have been nothing more than my own arrogance.

“I see… That’s helpful.”

“But it’s not like Moe has any actual dating experience, so who knows? Ah, right, want me to ask a friend who seems more experienced?”

Before I could answer, Moe pulled out her phone and began making a call.

“Moe… Who are you calling?”

“The friend I said wants to start the manga research club! When she picks up, I’ll hand the phone to you!”

Talking to an unfamiliar girl out of the blue? That made me nervous. I found myself silently praying her friend wouldn’t pick up.

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