I’ve Been Reincarnated as the Strongest Villain in an NTR Eroge, so I’m Going to Break the Heroines’ Doom Flags on Behalf of the Main Character! - Chapter 20 - There’s More Than What Meets the Eye

Chapter 20 – There’s More Than What Meets the Eye

Sunday, July 14th.

I arrived at the nearest station to the event venue early and sat on a nearby bench to wait for Nanami and Shiori.

The event was being held at the dome and its surrounding area, and by the time I arrived, the area around the station was already overflowing with people.

Even so, the atmosphere was somehow nostalgic. I had only been to a voice actor concert once before, but the unique heat and excitement felt great. There were a lot of cosplays of characters I’d never seen before, but that made it even more fun.

But…

Whisper, whisper. Stare, stare…

It feels like… I’m being stared at a lot and people are avoiding me. I guess this isn’t the kind of place for a guy like Ibuse Reo. Well, I’d avoid someone who looked like me too. I must look like a dangerous guy targeting cosplayers.

“Sigh…”

As I was sighing, thinking that I probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy this event purely, a tall woman approached me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. It was really helpful that you stand out here.”

“…Well, that’s good.”

Shiori looks more mature than usual today. Her hair is down, and she’s probably wearing makeup. She’s wearing a green checked blouse and navy blue jeans… She’s not wearing what a high school student would wear casually.

Shiori is also drawing everyone’s attention. I felt sorry for Nanami being thrown into this situation… huh?

“Where’s Kinoshita? Isn’t she with you?”

“She’s here. Right here.”

“W-wait!! I’m not ready yet!!!”

It seems Nanami was hiding behind Shiori and is still clinging desperately to Shiori’s back, trying not to be seen by me.

“You should get used to this with Ibuse-kun, it’ll be tough otherwise. Come on, out you come.”

Shiori turned around smoothly and held out Nanami, who was hiding, in front of me.

“No… Huh!?”

Nanami wobbled and almost fell due to being pushed forward, but before I could worry about her, the worst possible words slipped out of my mouth.

“WHAT…!!!?”

I was starkly reminded that uniforms were nothing more than restraints. The outfit itself is standard, but the destructive impact of certain parts is completely different. Thanks to the stumble, Nanami’s voluptuous breasts jiggled right in front of me, and I couldn’t help but react. I immediately averted my gaze to try to hide my reaction.

“…What’s with that reaction, Ibuse-kun?”

“Uh, no!!? It’s nothing!!??”

I could feel a cold gaze from Shiori. They say girls notice when guys stare at them, but it’s hard not to see something like this. Please forgive me.

“……”

Nanami quickly retreated behind Shiori, hiding from me. Stop looking at me like that, you two… I beg you…

“Let’s go, Nanami. There are lots of things you want to do, right?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Wait… I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

I apologized to the two of them as they ran away from me, chasing after them.

……

…

“Um, excuse me, can I take a photo?”

“Sure thing! Do you have a specific pose in mind?”

“Ah, if you don’t mind——”

Nanami was happily taking photos of the cosplayers. I was curious whether Nanami, who’s shy, would be approached by others, but it seems my worry was unfounded. Female otakus are really impressive.

As I watched Nanami from a little distance away, my arms folded, Shiori, looking exhausted, came and sat on my right.

“This place is tough…”

“Hmm? Did something happen?”

“No… I’ve been approached by many people since earlier. How should I put it… to put it bluntly… I’m very tired.”

“Ah… I see. Thank you for your hard work.”

Well, Shiori is pretty, after all. She’s tall and has an amazing figure. People with all sorts of purposes will talk to her.

“…You don’t get approached, huh?”

“…Well, no one’s interested in talking to someone like me.”

Even though I look tough, Ibuse Reo is pretty good-looking. And yet, the only reaction from those around me is fearful looks. I’m getting used to it, but it still hurts a little.

“In that case, I’ll rest next to you for a while.”

“Do as you like.”

As we continued to watch Nanami having fun, Shiori started to fidget for some reason. I noticed this, but I decided to ignore it for the time being because I was embarrassed that I might’ve misunderstood.

“…Ah, it looks like the photo session is over.”

Nanami had finished filming and was looking around as if searching for Shiori.

“Ah…”

As I started to move to join Nanami, my right hand collided with Shiori’s left hand.

“Ah, sorry——”

The moment I tried to apologize for bumping into her, Shiori panicked.

“Oh, I’m sorry!! No, that’s not it!! It’s just… Yes! There was some dirt on your clothes, and I was trying to get it off!”

“Huh, really?”

“Yeah! Just stay still! I’ll get it off for you!”

“It’s fine, you know. I can just brush it off.”

“Oh… I see… Yes, that makes sense…”

I lightly brushed off my clothes and asked Shiori for confirmation.

“How’s that? Did it come off?”

“Perfectly! As expected of Ibuse-kun!”

“I’m not sure I should be praised for something like this…”

Shiori must be going crazy from this unique atmosphere. She’s more worked up than usual. Well, I suppose it’s appropriate for her age.

“……”

As Shiori and I were talking, I noticed Nanami staring blankly at something.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Ah… No, it’s nothing!!”

Both of them seemed tired. It’s particularly hot today. Maybe it’s time for a break…

“Ah… That person…!”

Before I could suggest a break, Nanami noticed a cosplayer. The man she was staring at clearly stood out from the other cosplayers and had just finished his shoot.

“Is that man your target?”

“Y-yes! That’s right!”

I thought so. He does look quite popular, and since it’s less crowded now, it’s a good opportunity.

“Then hurry up. He might be taken by someone else.”

“Yes! I’m off!”

Nanami was so excited that she didn’t even realize that I was the one she was talking to. If she’s that happy to be dating a guy she likes, then I have nothing to say.

But there’s something about it that’s bothering me… Like… I don’t know, I can’t really put it into words…

“…Still, the people here are amazing. They manage to create such impressive costumes despite their busy work schedules.”

As I observed Nanami successfully starting her shoot with her idol, Shiori murmured while looking around.

“It seems some people have their costumes made by professionals. And you can also buy costumes online.”

“Heh~… you seem to know a lot.”

“I did some research, of course.”

Of course it’s a lie. It’s just a misuse of knowledge from a previous life.

That said, I really respect people who make costumes while working. I was struggling with just university and part-time work. Perhaps our motivation was just different. They’re putting in extra effort to earn money for cosplay outfits…

Earn money…

…No, wait.

“Hey, President. How old does that guy look?”

I pointed to the man Nanami was taking a photo with and asked Shiori.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“…He doesn’t look like a student, does he?”

“Well… that’s true. Even if he’s young, he’s probably in his late 20s. Why do you ask?”

“Well…”

That’s right, I had completely forgotten. My brain had processed it as if that’s just how things are.

Could this be why there were no disgusting scenes in Nanami’s route? Well, if the developers wanted to be so considerate about such things, I think they would’ve made the game more player-friendly…

“…What’s wrong, Ibuse-kun?”

Of course, there’s a possibility he hasn’t done anything. But at its core, the main theme of the game is NTR, so that possibility is less likely.

Then the question is how much the man knew about Nanami’s background. After talking with Nanami, I learned that she’s not that easy to fool. Otaku girls are surprisingly guarded.

In other words, it’s possible that the man used some kind of method. If that’s the case… Ah, seriously! There are just too many factors to consider when thinking about Nanami’s route!

So otakus who like Nanami like this kind of stuff!? Well, we do!!! But it’s even more irritating that the game developers can see right through that!!!

“Ibuse-kun? Your face looks scary.”

“That’s nothing new. More importantly…”

Should I stop that man? There’s still too little information to make a decision.

But this is the world of that game. Even if it causes major damage to otaku like us, I don’t believe only Nanami can escape a doomed future. After all, that event was clearly written as a bad ending!

“…I might need your help again, President.”

“…I understand. I’ll be prepared.”

With Shiori quickly switching to work mode at my call, I decided to move closer to the happy-looking Nanami.

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T/N: Dem, brain working hard to translate that last part. Maybe it’ll be clearer with more context in the coming chapters…