I Was Reincarnated as a Stepping-Stone Character in an Eroge, and by Breaking the Heroines’ NTR Flags in Place of the Protagonist, They Ended Up Falling for Me - Chapter 35 - Reika’s House

Chapter 35 – Reika’s House

The closest station to Reika’s house.

I was watching a video of a bonfire while wearing earphones.

They say that people feel reassured when they see fire. And the sound of sparks flying has a healing effect.

In other words, this bonfire video was healing for me, who was tired after persuading Hinano.

Suddenly, I felt someone clasp my left hand tightly.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Tsuyoshi-kun.”

Surprised, I looked next to me and saw Mayu, wearing casual clothes, holding my hand.

W-when was she next to me? More importantly…

“What’s with this hand…”

I took off my headphones and protested, looking at my hand. Mayu puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

“It was Tsuyoshi-kun who didn’t respond no matter how much I called out to him.”

…Seriously? I was so engrossed in the bonfire video that I didn’t even notice Mayu. Sensing my realization, Mayu gave me a silent, pointed stare.

“It’s my fault. So please, cheer up, Kohi… Mayu.”

I was embarrassed and called her name hesitantly, and Mayu nodded with a satisfied chuckle.

“You said it well. Come on, Reika-chan is waiting, so let’s go.”

And with that, she started walking in high spirits.

I don’t really know why she’s in a good mood now, but I’m glad it’s solved for now.

But how long does she intend to hold my hand for?

“Let go of my hand now.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Why? …It’s weird to hold hands when we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“We’re friends, so isn’t this much normal?”

“No, it’s not.”

“It’s normal.”

“……”

Mayu silently pressured me.

The pressure is intense, but I’m a man too. Just because she’s putting a little pressure on me doesn’t mean I should just keep quiet and give in.

I need to make some things clear.

“It’s normal, isn’t it?”

“Y-yeah.”

However, I also think that in order to smoothly build friendly relationships, it’s important to give in sometimes. (T/N: Dem you…)

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

Looking at it again, the bag Mayu is carrying seems a little big… Isn’t it heavy?

“…Your bag looks heavy. Give it to me.”

“Eh… Ah, thank you.”

I took the slightly larger bag from Mayu and started walking.

“How do you spend your days off, Mayu?”

“Hmm. Basically, I do housework, and…study? Oh, I make elaborate meals that take a lot of time sometimes. I also prepare side dishes for my bentos.”

“Huh, so the bentos you always have are handmade by you.”

“Yeah. I live in a single-parent household, and my mom is busy with work, so I make them.”

…Hmm? Wait a second. This conversation feels familiar somehow.

“My mom rarely comes home, but sometimes she returns at night… When she does, I get excited to eat dinner together, so I end up putting a lot of effort into making something fancy.”

Mayu spoke as she swayed our clasped hands back and forth.

“…I see. Your mom is pretty amazing.”

“…Eh?”

“If she hardly comes home, she must be working tirelessly without rest, right? For your sake.”

As I said that, Mayu stared blankly at me, mouth open.

What’s with this atmosphere…

“Did I say something weird?”

“Huh? No, sorry! Not at all. It’s just… When I tell people about this, they usually say things like, ‘You’re amazing,’ or ‘That must be tough,’ or ‘You’re so admirable,’ but…”

Oh, come to think of it, I think there was a similar conversation game.

I’m sure in “Good Communication” event, Yuuma said something like, “Kohinata-san is amazing. You’re supporting your mother who is having such a hard time.”

Wait a second… Was my response bad? Was it neutral? Which one is it?

“…How can I put it…Mom…works way harder than I do. So, when people only say that I’m ‘amazing’ or ‘admirable,’ it doesn’t really make me happy. But you… you said my mom is ‘amazing,’ right? That really surprised me, but it made me so happy.”

“…You really love your mother, don’t you, Mayu?”

“…Yeah! I love her!”

Seeing Mayu nod with a smile, I feel a little warm inside.

“…Tsuyoshi-kun really isn’t like other boys.”

Is that in a good way? Or in a bad way?

As I was about to ask Mayu for her true meaning, the hand that had been holding mine suddenly let go.

I felt relieved for a brief moment, but it didn’t last long. Instead, she intertwined her fingers with mine, linking them like lovers.

“This is your fault, Tsuyoshi-kun. You have to take responsibility.”

I wanted to say, “What responsibility?”, but I felt her grip get stronger than before, so I gave up and clasped her hand in return.

“Ah, we’re here at Reika-chan’s house.”

Mayu said, coming to a stop and letting go of my hand.

Oh, so this is Reika’s house.

“…Amazing.”

That was my first impression of Reika’s house.

It was the size of a villa, and there were three cars in the parking lot, one of which was a foreign car.

“Come in.”

The doorbell had barely rung before Reika came to greet us. She gestured for us to come in.

“”Excuse us.””

The hallway at the entrance was really wide…

Huh? Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve been invited to a girl’s house like this.

…Oh, this is bad. I’m starting to get nervous.

“Ishibashi? What’s wrong?”

Seeing my reaction, Reika asked curiously.

No, it’s just my first time coming to a girl’s house and I’m a bit nervous… And Tsukishima’s house is big too.

Yeah, there’s no way I’m saying something that embarrassing.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

“Oh, I see. Ishibashi, you’re excited because you’ve never been to a girl’s house before, aren’t you? Seriously, can you not get too excited about something like this? It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“……”

Reika looked at me with a smug, older-sister-like expression. And of course, I had no comeback.

“Well, anyway, I’ve got snacks, games, and other stuff ready to entertain you guys.”

“…Thanks.”

The moment the door to the living room opened, I froze.

Hanging flag garlands strung across the entire room, countless balloons, twinkling lights that must have taken at least half a day to set up—all decorated the space extravagantly.

And on the large table there was pizza, roast chicken, a mountain of fried chicken, and lots of sweets.

In one corner of the room, piles of gaming consoles, board games like Life, and card games like UNO and playing cards were stacked like a mountain.

What’s with this crazy living room… It’s not just for three people to play. This is more like a party for a whole crowd.

“……”

Mayu was also frozen at the sight of the room.

“I’ve also signed up for a variety of subscriptions, so you can watch any movie you want, and if they’re not eligible, you can just use points to rent whatever you like.”

Um… There’s 10,000 points here.

“Also, since I didn’t know what you two liked to drink, I prepared sodas, fruit juices, coffee, tea, water, sports drinks, and all others. I also prepared the standard food, but… if there’s anything you want to eat, just let me know.”

What a great hospitality…

As Mayu and I stood dumbfounded, Reika began casually donning a pair of glowing pink heart-shaped sunglasses and a party hat.

What’s with that outfit…

“Here, this is for Ishibashi.”

Reika, dressed like a party girl, handed me a pair of glowing yellow star-shaped sunglasses and a party hat

“And this, too.”

And then, as if to deliver the final blow, she handed me a party cracker.

…You’re the one having the most fun here, aren’t you?

◇　◇　◇

T/N: Stop! She’s an ojou-sama who never had a close friend before! She’s too pure!!

Also, what’s with Mayu and her huge back, is what Hinano saying coming true? N-night visit during a sleepover?!!

If you enjoy this series, you might enjoy this novel: I Reincarnated as the Overpowered Male Lead in an Erotic Game and Had Already Slept with One of the Heroines~