Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: “Charm? Isn’t that kind of creepy?” ②

“Just to clarify, by Noa-chan, you mean… Miyahara-kun’s girlfriend, right?”

“You’re mad about that, aren’t you? That’s why I was upfront and didn’t hide when we started dating. Yet… it’s not very manly of you!”

“I keep saying you’re misunderstanding, but talking to you is really tiring. It’s like we’re not even having a proper conversation.”

Natsuki desperately tries to remember the girl named Noa.

She was a somewhat familiar girl from the next class.

(Indeed, I said she caught my attention. But it wasn’t out of affection or curiosity, rather discomfort and unease.)

It was a mistake to let that slip in front of Yuto. Natsuki never imagined that his words would be misinterpreted as romantic interest, leading Yuto to quickly make Noa his girlfriend.

For Natsuki, whether Yuto and Noa dated was irrelevant and not something he’d oppose.

He was willing to let the misunderstanding slide, but being treated coldly as if he had lost a loved one to Yuto and deemed unmanly was regrettable.

Though bothersome, he decided to set things straight.

“Listen, I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention.”

“What?”

“I’ve never liked your girlfriend Noa in that way, nor have I ever been interested in her as the opposite sex.”

“Eh?”

“Rather, it’s the opposite.”

“Eh, you mean…”

“I was indeed curious. But curious because I found it creepy. Absolutely not because I liked her or anything of the sort!”

(Now I understand. This Noa girl, she’s not human. Whether she’s a monster or a demi-human, she’s definitely part of a race referred to as demons in the other world. I haven’t met her properly, so I can’t be sure of her species, but I think it’s one of the less favorable kinds.)

Natsuki seemed to have sensed this even before he awakened his powers.

However, it’s unclear whether Noa has done anything harmful to humans.

With the existence of families like the Minazuki and organizations like the Institute, they would likely intervene if non-humans were causing trouble.

Therefore, Natsuki sees no need to get involved or to reveal Noa’s true nature to anyone. Nothing good would come from it.

But he did want to make it clear that Noa was not his love interest, as this misconception was causing real problems.

“Wait, wait a minute!”

“What?”

“Just because I stole Noa-chan from you, you don’t have to lie like that.”

“It’s not a lie.”

Yuto trembles as if he can’t believe it, prompting a puzzled look from Natsuki.

Natsuki struggles to understand why Yuto is so disturbed by the clarification of the misunderstanding about his feelings for Noa.

But Yuto’s next words make everything click for Natsuki.

“So, what was the point of me…”

(This bastard… I’ve suspected it for a while, but he’s deliberately going after people’s crushes or childhood friends! If he really considers himself a close friend, he wouldn’t do something like that! It’s not just about having charm-like powers; his way of thinking is just creepy!)

If he enjoys taking things and people dear to others, then he’s quite a twisted individual, especially for a third-year student.

(No wonder he indiscriminately flirts with girls without choosing anyone specific, creating a harem. He doesn’t like the girls themselves, but rather someone important to someone else or their crush. That’s just disgusting!)

Natsuki loses the will to engage further with Yuto, whose face turns pale in disbelief.

Regarding charm, it’s merely a minor thing that only serves as a trigger when touched, so it’s a problem between Yuto and the girls.

As for his former stepsister, even if the charm was the trigger for her feelings for Yuto, it doesn’t erase the fact that she liked him of her own will. Moreover, her hurtful words towards Natsuki and his mother, her tantrums, and driving their kind stepfather to the brink of divorce cannot be forgotten. An apology might have been redeeming, but there was none, only self-justification, which made it even more repulsive. However, an apology wouldn’t mean forgiveness, as she was a stranger to him now and he had no interest in her.

Natsuki turns his back to Yuto without a word.

Having lost the desire to attend class, he decides to head home.

He had finally returned to his beloved hometown. Skipping school to indulge in some snacks wouldn’t be so bad.

Yuto, as expected, didn’t try to stop Natsuki.

“I feel like having something sweet. Maybe I should guzzle down some soda.”

When tired, a sugar rush is what you need. Thinking this, he puts on his sneakers at the shoe locker.

“Ah, there you are! Natsuki-kun!”

Hearing a familiar, nostalgic voice of a boy, Natsuki turned around.

Then,

“Reply to my messages! I’ve sent so many!”

A boy with a trendy two-block haircut and brown hair approached with a smile. 

His name was Kazuto Miyahara, Yuto Miyahara’s younger brother.

To Natsuki, Kazuto was more of a childhood friend than Yuto, having shared more of their early years together in a positive sense.