I Was Reincarnated as the Villain in an NTR Eroge, but Since I Don’t Actually Want to Be a Villain, I’m Just Going to Live Normally - 37-38

Chapter 37: Sakagami Asks Me for a Favor

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“Well, I’m not  that knowledgeable about fashion, but I think clothes like these will look good on you too, Sakagami.”

“Eh? R-Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

I said that to Sakagami, who looked a little dejected. Because in the main game, it was true that Sakagami preferred loose and fluffy casual clothes, but after she was NTR’d, her style changed drastically and she started liking sukajan jackets and riders jackets. And that style also suited her extremely well.

But I had thought that the reason the post-NTR Sakagami wore sukajan and riders jackets in the main game was because she started dressing to match Kuze’s preferences… But maybe that wasn’t the case at all, and that style had actually been her own taste from the beginning. Huh, I never knew there was that kind of hidden backstory. This was a pretty interesting discovery.

“Hm, I see.”

“‘You see’? What’s on your mind, Kuze-kun?”

“No, it was nothing. It’s just… I was a little curious if there was some reason you were interested in these more masculine vibe clothes.”

“Oh, that? Well, it wasn’t exactly a big reason, but… I had this childhood friend, a boy I grew up with and spent a lot of time with. I played with that boy a lot when we were little.”

“A childhood friend who’s a boy? Huh, so you had someone like that?”

Of course, the “childhood friend” she mentioned was the protagonist, Kakeru. But I pretended not to know and answered like that.

“Yeah. And you know, when I was a kid, I didn’t really play with girls much. I just have him, my childhood friend who was a boy. So back then, I was a little boyish myself.”

“Huh, the idea of you being boyish is a little surprising.”

“Mm-hm. My hair was short when I was little, and I always played outside full of energy. And because I was like that, I often bought clothes or things that boys would like. Of course, now I try to buy more girly things, but with those childhood memories, sometimes I still think clothes with a cool, mens-like style are nice after all.”

“I see. So that’s why.”

It seemed that the reason Sakagami was interested in mens-like clothes was because of the memories of playing every day with the protagonist when they were kids.

“I get it! So that’s why you were curious about clothes like these, Moeka. But honestly, having memories like that with a boy sounds nice. It feels kind of youthful and I’m a little jealous!”

“Ahaha, it’s not like it was anything worthy of being jealous of. It’s just the kind of stuff all kids do. We simply played with balls in the park or played in the sand every day.”

“No, no, that’s totally a great childhood. And if you’ve got such nice memories and want to wear mens-like clothes, then you should try buying some. I think those clothes would suit you really well.”

“R-Really? Mm… Well, maybe I’d like to try buying clothes like this once in a while… Oh! Actually, Kuze-kun, I have a favor to ask! Would you listen to it?”

“A favor? Sure, I don’t mind. What is it?”

“Well, if you’re free on our next day off… I was hoping that you could come with me when I go shopping for clothes.”

“Eh? You want me to come with you?”

“Yeah. I really want to ask you… Is that not okay?”

Suddenly, Sakagami asked me to go with her to buy clothes.

“Uh, well… Why would you ask me that? Wouldn’t it be better to go with your female friends if you’re going clothes shopping?”

“I-I know what you mean, but it’s just… I want someone of the opposite sex to see whether mens-like clothes actually suit me or not.”

“Well, that makes sense if we’re talking about mens-like fashion. But in that case, why not ask that childhood friend of yours? He’d probably give better advice than me.”

“Ah, th-that’s because… I want to wear the clothes when I go out with him next time. So I want to keep them a secret until then.”

“Eh? Oh… I see. That’s what this is about.”

Apparently, Sakagami had plans to hang out with the protagonist, Kakeru, sometime soon. Now that I thought about it, she mentioned watching a movie recently. That must have been with her childhood friend.

Whether it was a date or not, if she was going out with her childhood friend, it would basically be similar to a date. And if she wanted me to help her pick clothes for that date—or outing—then of course…

“Got it. If that’s the case, I’ll gladly help. I’ll help you find some good clothes.”

“R-Really!? Thank you so much, Kuze-kun! That helps a lot!”

And so, I happily accepted Sakagami’s request. As someone who had played the game, it was natural for me to support the romance between Sakagami and the protagonist. If it led to the happiness of the main heroine, Sakagami, I would help her pick clothes as much as she liked. And I would fully support her so she could enjoy her date—or outing—with the protagonist to the fullest.

So go for it, Sakagami!

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Chapter 38: Going to a Clothing Store with Sakagami on Our Day Off

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A few days later, on Saturday.

“Ah, Kuze-kun! Good morning!”

“Ah, Sakagami. Morning.”

I had been waiting under the clock tower in front of the station, our meeting spot, when Sakagami arrived and called out to me. And so, today was the day I went out with Sakagami. Just like we promised in the library a little while ago, I was supposed to accompany her on her shopping trip.

“Yeah, good morning. Did I make you wait long?”

“No, you’re fine. I just got here myself.”

“I see, I see. Glad I didn’t keep you waiting then!”

She said that while letting out a relieved sigh. And I looked at her outfit again. At the moment, she had on a short-sleeved shirt, a skirt, and a spring parka layered over it. It was a cute style. She also wore a pair of trendy sneakers. It was an outfit I had seen her wear several times in the main game.

Seeing her show up in an outfit I recognized from the game made me feel sort of like I was the protagonist going on a date with her… 

Wait, hold on a second. Now that I think about it, is it really okay for me—the villain—to be going out alone with Sakagami?

Honestly, it didn’t feel all that appropriate… But well, it probably didn’t matter. It wasn’t like I had any intention of harming her the way the original Akira Kuze did in the game. As someone harmless, there shouldn’t be any issue with me going out with her. Probably. I didn’t actually know.

“Well, now that we’ve met up safely, let’s go look at some clothes!”

“Yeah, got it.”

And with that, we headed into the shopping mall near the station, and entered one of the large, affordable apparel stores inside.

“Alright, let’s see… I wonder what kind of style would look good on me… Oh, and I’d really appreciate it if you gave me lots of opinions today, Kuze-kun!”

“Yeah. I feel like everything would suit you, but maybe we should start simple and build a look around these relaxed-fit slacks?”

I said that while picking up a pair of black slacks displayed in the pants section.

“These could work for everyday wear, and if you paired them with a loose spring sweater, I think it’d give you a totally different atmosphere from your usual cute style.”

“I see, I see! Then I’ll try that outfit first! I’ll grab a few pieces and head to the fitting room, okay? And once I try them on, can you give me your honest thoughts?”

“Yeah, sure.”

And so, Sakagami’s fitting-time finally began. She grabbed several pieces of clothing and headed to the fitting room. She tried on many different outfits, and each time she stepped out, I gave her my honest, straightforward opinion. And honestly, it was really fun seeing all kinds of different looks on her. I ended up having a genuinely great time.

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Not long after that. Inside a nearby café.

“Wow, thank you, Kuze-kun! Thanks to you, I was able to buy something really nice!”

“Is that so? Well, I’m glad I could help.”

After finishing our shopping, we stopped by a café nearby to relax for a while.

“Yeah, your opinions were super helpful when picking clothes! So really, thanks for today! Hehe, I can’t wait to go out wearing these!”

She said that happily, picking up the shopping bag beside her with a smile. Inside were the slacks and the spring sweater she bought earlier. From everything she tried on, the first outfit I suggested suited her the best, so she bought that combination of clothing. It created a charm that contrasted nicely with her usual cute style, and it really suited her. I was sure the protagonist would fall for her all over again if he saw her dressed like that.

“Yeah. Have fun going out with your childhood friend in those clothes. By the way, when are you hanging out with him?”

“I’m going out with that childhood friend tomorrow!”

“Oh, tomorrow? That soon, huh. Well, if you’re hanging out tomorrow, then of course you’d be all excited from today.”

“Yeah, exactly! I’m so excited I can’t even stop smiling!”

She said that happily. It seemed she was really looking forward to hanging out tomorrow.

“Hehe, still… You really are amazing, Kuze-kun! You gave me so many accurate suggestions for my outfits. I’m super grateful! I’ll definitely repay you someday!”

“Nah, you don’t need to repay me. Actually, I feel like I’m the one who’s always receiving a lot from you, so I’m glad I could return the favor today.”

“Eh? Return the favor? Did I ever do something for you?”

“Well, you always recommend interesting books to me, right? In the library pop-ups and stuff. Oh, right. Remember that novel you recommended before? I read it recently and it was really good.”

“Eh!? You read another novel from one of my pop-ups!? Hardly anyone ever tells me what they thought about the books I recommend, so that makes me really happy! So? So? How was it? Did you enjoy the one I picked this time??”

“Yeah, it was so good I finished it in one day. So really, thanks. You always pick such interesting books. And I’m looking forward to the novels you’ll recommend next.”

“Kuze-kun… Okay! In that case, I’ll make sure to introduce lots of good books from now on! Ah, speaking of that, there’s another novel I read recently that I really want to recommend…”

And so, from there, we went right back to our usual pattern of getting excited talking about novels. I ended up having a truly wonderful time today.

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