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 - 7

Chapter 7: Not Really…

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

When she heard the words that spilled from my mouth in a moment of emotion, Akaboshi-san let a single tear fall from her clouded eyes.

“I’m sorry……”

Her apology snapped me back to myself.

“Ah, s-sorry, for suddenly saying something like that……”

“No, it’s exactly as you said……”

As I tried to think of something encouraging to say, Kirari’s face floated into my mind.

“Y-you might not know this, but there’s someone nearby who thinks more highly of you than anyone else. I said it harshly earlier, but… If you were gone, I think that person really wouldn’t be able to bear it……”

After all, she was the one Kirari had once called a literal god.

“Eh……!? Th-then…… Does that mean……That this person has romantic feelings for me……!?”

Akaboshi-san’s face flushed red.

“Well, about that… Honestly, even I can’t tell for sure. But I think it might be a feeling that goes beyond things like romance…… Something like that……”

Judging from the fact that Kirari prioritized her above even herself after being reincarnated into another world, Kirari’s feelings for her were clearly immense.

“I-I see… But we only just met, so… May I get to know you a little better before giving an answer……? I’ll think about it positively……”

She averted her eyes from me, fidgeting as she spoke, and in her gaze I could see a faint light that hadn’t been there moments ago. An “answer,” huh. It didn’t feel like something that needed to be addressed so formally, but if she had reconsidered and chosen to live positively from now on, then maybe this plan was an overwhelming success. I didn’t even need to rely on Kirari.

“Just to be safe, I’ll walk you home. I’m worried about you.”

“Th-thank you very much……”

After giving brief self-introductions and safely escorting Akaboshi-san home, I put my earphones back in, and suddenly a blast of loud sound crashed into my ears.

『Hey, Kazuto! Why did you suddenly confess to Princess!?』

“Huh……?”

『So you were actually embarrassed before, but actually you’ve always been a Princess Nazuna stan!?』

“How does that make any sense? I was just speaking on Kirari’s behalf.”

Kirari responded with a sigh, as if exasperated.

『Then try remembering what you said, but from Princess’s perspective…』

When I calmed down and replayed it in my head like she said, cold sweat started pouring from my whole body.

“Wh-what do I do……? I might have just set off a ridiculous flag……”

『Let me warn you this. If you make Princess cry, I don’t care if you’re Kazuto, I’ll kill you without hesitation.』

“Wait?! Weren’t you and I supposed to share the same fate!?”

『Well…… We’ll figure out what to do from here together, but anyway, good work today. Thanks for saving Princess Nazuna……』

Kirari’s tone sounded lower than usual. The next morning, after arriving at school and taking my seat, the classroom suddenly burst into restless murmurs.

“Kurosaki!? You’ve got a visitor!”

I nervously turned toward the door at the back of the classroom, where the voice came from—a classmate I had never spoken to—and saw Akaboshi-san standing there, looking embarrassed.

Akaboshi-san was the idol-like figure of the school, so the boys were stunned that she had come all the way to another class just to see a male student. I could even hear a few girls whispering to each other.

And that male student was me—a background character, practically air. No wonder. I had never been the center of attention in my life, so the sudden rush of pressure nearly crushed me, but I couldn’t ignore her. I timidly walked over.

“Um, Kurosaki-kun… I baked some cookies as thanks for yesterday. I hope they suit your taste…”

When I accepted the small, cutely wrapped bag she handed me, I felt the sharp gazes of the boys in the classroom stabbing into my back.

“Th-thanks…”

Was there any way to clear up yesterday’s misunderstanding? I tried thinking of something, but if I ran my mouth again and made things worse, it’d be a disaster. I decided to keep things peaceful and wait to consult Kirari before saying anything else.

“They’re handmade, so if they don’t suit your taste, you can throw them away… Sorry for the suddenness.”

She still didn’t try to meet my eyes, but her expression was so earnest that I experienced a strange, never-before-felt sense of being emotionally fulfilled.

“It’s my first time getting homemade sweets from a girl, so I’m really happy. I’ll eat them carefully… Treasure them, I mean.”

“H-hii! Then I’ll be going now—!”

She turned on her heel, trying to hide her flushed face, and hurried back to her classroom with loud, flustered footsteps. While dodging the barrage of painful stares coming my way, I headed back toward my seat—right when Konno-san muttered as if timing it for the moment I walked past her.

“Kurosaki-kun actually has a female friend.”

There was a prickly thorn hidden in those words.

“It’s not like we’re friends. She just happened to be in danger yesterday and this is her way of thanking me…”

“Heh… I didn’t ask for that much detail though?”

Konno-san murmured while staring out the window with her usual languid expression, but her voice lacked its usual pleasant softness.

“Are you mad..?”

“Not really……”

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー