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 - 6

Chapter 6: Operation: Rescue Princess Nazuna

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The morning after Kirari came over to hang out at my house, a shrill sound rang out from the smartphone I had left on the bedside table next to my bed. Since it was Sunday today, it wasn’t my alarm. That meant it had to be a phone call. I almost never got calls at home except from family, so even while wondering who it could be, I reached out from under the blankets.

『』

On the screen, it said 『Incoming call from kirari☆』. She had probably taken my contact info from the manga club group chat Moe had invited me into yesterday and added it on her own. Honestly, I hesitated a little about whether I should pick up. She wasn’t a bad person at all, but dealing with her morning energy level felt like it would give me heartburn, and I had a vague, lingering bad feeling about this. 

Even so, she was my sister’s best friend, and right now she was also my only ally—the only person who understood my situation. I decided I couldn’t ignore her. The ringing hadn’t stopped even after I hesitated for a while, so I reluctantly pressed the call button.

“Hello…”

『Hellooo, goood morniiiing! It’s Kirari-chan, your partner in crime, Kazuto!』

Her volume was so loud I almost suspected she had turned on the speakerphone. It was a good thing I had held the phone a little away from my ear. Still… When exactly had we become partners?

“G-good morning… Did you need something…?”

『So actually, I’ve been up all night planning the Operation: Rescue Princess Nazuna! You’ll help me, right!?』

“D-depending on what it is… If it’s something I can do…”

『As expected of Kazuto~, you’re so quick on the uptake! Okay, I’ll explain it right now!?』

The plan Kirari had come up with was for me to make contact with Akaboshi-san in her place, since Kirari couldn’t talk to her face-to-face. While I talked to Akaboshi-san, I would keep a wireless earphone in one ear, connected to Kirari, and respond according to her instructions. We would slowly get closer that way, and encourage Akaboshi-san bit by bit.

『So with that decided, Kazuto, are you ready to go out!?』

“No, how could I be ready when I’ve been on the phone with you this whole time? And anyway, where are you trying to send me…?”

『Where else!? To the Princess’s workplace, obviously! Knowing how responsible she is, even if she’s heartbroken she’d still show up for her job!』

“Don’t tell me you want me to just show up at her job and talk to her out of nowhere…? That’s way too high of a hurdle for me, and honestly it sounds kinda stalker-ish, doesn’t it?”

『Hey Kazuto… We’re bound together by our past-life memories, so we have to rely on each other from now on, right? I’m seriously, seriously worried about the Princess… And I made sure to come up with a plan so you won’t get disliked, so everything’s fine. So please, trust me…?』

Her desperate tone told me she truly meant it. Just like me, Kirari really loved Amakoi, and really loved the heroine, Akaboshi-san.

“…Got it. I’ll get ready now…”

And so, I came to the family restaurant where Akaboshi-san worked, but she was nowhere to be found. Following Kirari’s instructions, I asked one of the employees, and they said she had just left early due to not feeling well. The moment I heard that, Kirari spoke into my ear in a panicked voice.

『For Princess Nazuna to be sick… That’s really serious. She might still be nearby, so go look for her right now!』

I rushed out of the restaurant and scanned the area, and soon spotted Akaboshi-san crossing the street with her head down, looking dazed. I felt relieved for a moment, only for my blood to run cold the next. The pedestrian signal she was crossing under was completely red.

Her long, slightly wavy, wine-red hair stood out even from a distance. Even through her loose long-sleeve shirt and skinny jeans, her stunning, glamorous figure—one of the most striking in the series—was unmistakable. And heading straight toward her was a large truck approaching at full speed.

『Kazuto, what’s happening over there!? Did you find Princess Nazuna!?』

I didn’t even have the freedom to answer Kirari. In a moment like this, my body moved before my mind. She didn’t seem to notice the truck hurtling toward her. Without thinking, I sprinted forward, grabbed Akaboshi-san’s arm, and yanked her hard toward the sidewalk. We barely avoided being hit, and both fell backward onto the pavement, landing on our backsides. Looking startled, Akaboshi-san turned her head toward me and spoke apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I was spacing out…”

“N-no, it’s good that you’re safe, Akaboshi-san…”

“Thank you… But how do you know my name…?”

“Ah, um, I—I’m a classmate. I happened to see you by chance…Do you think you can stand?”

After standing up first, I offered her my hand. As she took it, she asked me, puzzled.

“Why did you help me…?”

There was almost no life at all in her eyes, and her expression made it feel like she thought my actions were more troublesome than helpful. With Kirari hissing into my right ear to explain the situation already, I took out the earphone just for now.

“If someone’s about to get hit by a car, of course you help them. Or… Was I getting in the way…?”

“I do feel grateful. But at the same time… Somewhere in my heart, I’m surprised to find myself feeling a little disappointed that I survived…”

She seemed completely detached from reality. Even if getting hit with a truck wasn’t her real intention, I couldn’t accept that.

“It feels weird for me to say this the first time we’re talking, but… Belittling your own life is an insult to the dead, and to everyone who’s desperately trying to live. Watching you say that pisses me off.”

—And just like that, I had gone and done it.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー