Reincarnated as the Sidekick in a Harem Game ～Chaos Unfolded When I Helped the Losing Heroines After the Protagonist Found His Happy Ending～ - Chapter 37: Another One

Chapter 37: Another One

The time had passed 9 PM.

I, Mai, Aane, Najimi, and Fuuki were at Aane’s apartment, waiting for Mamako to return.

Today was Mamako’s birthday, and we had planned a surprise party for her.

“Mom’s late, isn’t she?”

Mai kept checking the clock repeatedly. Indeed, she was late.

Mamako usually returned home by 8 PM at the latest.

Mai’s anxiety had spread to the other girls and to me as well.

Maybe something had happened…

Just then,

“I’m home~♡”

“Mom!”

Mai rushed to the entrance. We all went to greet Mamako.

There stood a tall woman with a gentle face…

“…”

Mai hugged “her”.

“You’re so late, Mom!”

She smiled, her eyes narrowing.

“Sorry, Mai.”

“You said you’d come home early.”

“Oh my, did I say that…?”

She said that.

I… didn’t say anything. Just watched her as she returned.

“…Mom, you’re late.”

“Sorry, Aane.”

The woman interacting with her daughters was Mamako Shibuya.

Yes… It had to be her.

“Come on, Mom. This way.”

“Oh my, what is it?”

As Mamako was led away by Mai…

I grabbed her arm.

“Onii-sama?” “Cha-chan?”

I tell everyone,

“Sorry, I need to do a bit of persuasion.”

“”Wha…!?””

Everyone’s faces turn red in an instant.

“H-hey, Charao! Read the room a little, will you?”

“Sorry, Najimi. It’s urgent.”

“If you’re that desperate… I could too… mumble mumble…”

I pull her hand and head to the bedroom.

“Sorry, I need to borrow her.”

I open the bedroom door and lock it.

“Oh my, Cha-chan, what’s wrong?”

She looks at me and smiles.

“…What’s wrong should be my line.”

I say.

“Where is Mamako?”

…A moment of silence. Mamako, still smiling quietly, tilts her head.

“Oh my, I’m right here, aren’t I?”

“Ah, right. You’re definitely Mamako… but only in appearance.”

I approach the woman pretending to be Mamako.

And then… I was certain.

“You’re not Mamako.”

“…On what basis?”

The atmosphere seemed to shift entirely. But she continued to smile, not revealing her true identity.

Determined to play dumb, huh?

Alright, I’ll show you the evidence as you wish.

“Three things. First, you didn’t know about the birthday party today.”

Mamako had sensed the party’s existence when she left the house.

But this one seemed completely unaware.

“Isn’t that evidence a bit flimsy? Could it just be that I forgot?”

“It’s possible. Then the second point. Mamako never breaks a promise. I promised Mamako to come back early. But… you were late.”

“Isn’t it normal for unexpected work to delay someone’s return home?”

Still pretending to be ignorant, huh?

Then…

“The third point. The scent.”

“Scent…?”

“Yes. …Mamako didn’t take a bath this morning. It’s because we were busy with persuasion since morning.”

Mamako always takes a bath twice a day, morning and evening.

But today, due to our persuasion, she didn’t have time for her morning bath.

“To others, it might be unnoticeable. But… I can’t smell Mamako’s melting scent on you. It’s more like an inorganic, plastic smell.”

Conclusion: this person… is not Mamako.

“Who are you…? What have you done with Mamako?”

She looks like Mamako, but the inside is different. Who could pull off such a feat?

Needless to say, someone who could cause supernatural phenomena like a skill system… someone from the management side.

It’s clear that she’s one of them.

“Shocking. To think you’d deduce my identity from the scent.”

That way of speaking… that voice… could it be.

“Supporter?”

“Correct.”

Suddenly, cat ears appear on Mamako’s head and a cat tail on her back.

…What is this adorable creature? A cute housewife in a cat costume is just too cute.

“Question. Why does the individual Charao Shibuya have an increase in adrenaline?”

“That’s obvious, because I’m aroused by a mature woman in cat ears cosplay! Stop joking around!”

“Question. Aren’t you the one joking?”

Maybe I am. But that’s not the issue here.

“Where did you take Mamako? What’s your objective?”

Cat-eared Mamako, or rather, the supporter sighs.

She pulls out a smartphone from her pocket and throws it at me.

It was in the middle of a call.

Seems like I’m supposed to answer. I pick up the phone.

“It’s me.”

…A man’s voice comes through the phone.

“Who are you?”

“It’s me, Charao Shibuya.”

…What is this guy talking about?

“Don’t joke. I’m Charao Shibuya.”

“Calm down… calmy————————————-calminggg!”

“Yeah, you’re definitely Charao.”

Such abrupt Charao-speak. It could only be Charao.

Then naturally, the question arises…

“Why is there another Charao?”

“Simple. I am a clone.”

“A clone…?”

“Yes. I am a restoration of one of the save data files taken back when I was still sane.”

Save… I see. Indeed, on the day the skill system was introduced, I remember using the save-load feature.

So the save data from that time… was still around.

But creating a person from data… it’s unbelievable.

But this is a game world. A world of data, where duplication from data might be possible.

No, that’s not important right now.

“Where is Mamako? What are you aiming for?”

The fact that there’s another me is irrelevant.

Mamako’s absence. It was brought about by another version of myself.

None other than… Charao Shibuya, who wouldn’t be involved in something akin to kidnapping.

“Let’s cut to the chase. If you want to save Mamako, come to the location I specify.”

“And if I come… what then?”

The other me on the phone responds emotionlessly, sounding to me like a judge pronouncing a death sentence.

“You will die.”