The Gal Game Heroines Who Were Supposed to Die Somehow Learned My Secret ～By the Way, Where Did My [Diary] Go?～ - Chapter 12: The Neighbor

Chapter 12: The Neighbor

“Finally, it’s tomorrow.”

The cherry trees lining the street near the station bloomed with soft pink flowers, as if celebrating the students beginning their new school year. My own university entrance ceremony was tomorrow, and I couldn’t help but feel as though I was being celebrated too.

The university I was entering was an ordinary one located close to home. It was called Kyoyo University, just three train stops away from the station, with only a short walk from its nearest station to campus.

By the way, I did manage to get accepted into the university I kept failing to get into in my previous life. Its entrance difficulty was higher than Kyoyo University’s, but unfortunately, it was much farther from home.

…At least, that’s the polished excuse I tell people.

The truth is, I was hospitalized and didn’t notice the acceptance letter when it arrived. As a result, I missed the deadline to pay the enrollment fee.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. Even with the advantage of having knowledge from my previous life, ending up with this result probably means I wasn’t destined to attend that university. At least I got my revenge by passing, and I’ve atoned for the regrets of my previous life. I’m supposed to have no regrets now… supposedly.

If anything, I was impressed that Kyoyo University bothered to send my acceptance letter to the hospital where I was staying. If they hadn’t, I might not have become a university student at all. This feels like a true divine blessing. Because of this, I already felt fond of the university, even before stepping foot on campus.

That said━

“I thought starting the new year fresh by cleaning would feel good, but this is way more exhausting than I expected…”

I live in the suburbs, just outside the city. Technically, it’s in the prefecture rather than the city itself, so the rent isn’t too high. Still, my one-room apartment with a loft costs 50,000 yen a month. Considering it comes with a bath and appliances, it’s an incredible find. Normally, a place like this would cost at least 80,000 yen, maybe more.

I stuffed the items from the loft into garbage bags, tied magazines with plastic cords in a cross pattern, and placed them in front of my door.

Using only my left hand to tie those cords was more exhausting than I’d imagined. Climbing the loft stairs with an uneven balance didn’t help either—I kept worrying I might fall.

It would’ve been better if my dominant hand was in good condition…

For now, I finished organizing the trash.

But━

“I didn’t really think this through. What am I supposed to do from here…?”

While my right hand is the most injured, my entire body hasn’t healed yet. My legs still aren’t fully functional, so I have to limp while walking. Making multiple trips up and down the stairs to the garbage area feels way too exhausting.

“After all that effort, I can’t even throw it all away. Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll just split it into smaller loads and get rid of it little by little…”

I wanted to finish everything by today, but with the handicap I’m dealing with, I decided to give up. Getting frustrated over things I can’t do would only build unnecessary stress. It’s about time I accept my current reality.

I sank into the sofa, the only piece of furniture in my apartment.

My thoughts drifted back to the gathering with the Love or Dead heroines that we held the other day. Ever since entering high school, all I had thought about was dying. That night, for the first time, I actually had fun.

Though, it wasn’t without its share of mental exhaustion…

“Buying a smartphone, the yakiniku dinner… There’s a lot I’d rather not remember…”

The day I was discharged from the hospital, before the gathering, I decided I needed a new smartphone. Coincidentally, Shuna also wanted one, so we agreed to go shopping together. But then, the other three girls smashed their old phones to pieces on the ground in unison—with smiles on their faces.

“I don’t want to touch a phone contaminated by a scumbag. Besides, I was thinking of upgrading anyway. I’ll just get the same model as Satoshi’s.”

…Reine Kitagawa’s words.

Afterward, we all went shopping for smartphones. Conveniently, there was a “couple discount” promotion at the store… No, I don’t want to recall any more of that.

After getting our smartphones, we went to a yakiniku restaurant. That’s when the next ordeal began—a fight over who would sit next to me. Choosing one of them meant someone else would fall into darkness, and it turned into a serious problem.

I reluctantly accepted their “Ah~n” antics during dinner, but I absolutely drew the line when they tried to turn the yakiniku into a nyotaimori (body sushi) situation. This isn’t some no-panties hotpot restaurant…

For the record, the meat was absolutely delicious.

I awkwardly operated my smartphone with my left hand and opened the LINE app. There, I saw the four heroines’ names registered. Even counting my previous life, it was the first time I had ever exchanged contact information with girls.

But not a single message had been exchanged…

Honestly, I was expecting a little something.

I mean, I was their lifesaver, and they were the ones who insisted we exchange contact information. Naturally, I thought they’d message me first. That was naïve. Nothing had happened since.

Sure, people might say, “Why not just message them yourself?” But I had no idea what to say. In other words, I was stuck.

“Well, I guess it makes sense… They’ve repaid their debt to me, and they’re starting their new lives now.”

To them, exchanging contact information was probably just a polite gesture, like saying hello. The thought made me feel a little sad.

“No point dwelling on it. As long as they can live happily, that’s all that matters.”

Originally, I was supposed to die. I never intended to get involved with the heroines at all. The fact that they cared for me while I was recovering was already more than enough.

“Alright! Time to take out the trash!”

I couldn’t stand the thought of starting the entrance ceremony with my room in this state. Resolving myself to make multiple trips up and down the stairs, I grabbed a trash bag with my left hand and got ready to go.

Ding-dong.

“Hm?”

I was just about to grab the doorknob. Maybe it was a package I ordered. Without even checking the peephole, I opened the door.

“Yah-hoo, Satoshi-kun! It’s been a few days!”

“Eh, ah, huh?”

Standing at my door was none other than Satsuki.

Wait… What? Seriously, why is she here?

“Ahh! No, no, Satoshi-kun. You’re still recovering, so you need to stay at rest!”

“S-Sorry.”

She placed her hands on her hips and scolded me in an exaggeratedly cutesy manner. Reflexively, I apologized, but that wasn’t the issue here.

Then, Satsuki craned her neck to peek into my room.

“Wow, so much trash. You want all this gone, right? Leave it to me!”

“Ah, hey, wait—!”

Ignoring my attempt to stop her, she barged into my room without hesitation. She grabbed the trash bags with both hands and headed out.

“Satoshi-kun, you stay in your room and rest! I’ll finish this in no time!”

“Ah, um…”

Before I could even thank her, she was already on the move. The sound of her cheerful steps echoed as she descended the stairs.

If she’s going to do this for me, I might as well brew some coffee while I wait.

◇

With all those trash bags suddenly gone, the room felt much larger.

“Thanks. That really helped.”

“Don’t worry about it! Feel free to work me like a slave anytime, okay?”

“Uh, no thanks…”

It would feel like I’m taking advantage of her, and there’s no way I’d want that.

“More importantly, why are you here?”

As the host, I sat on the sofa, while Satsuki sat on a cushion across the table in my one-room apartment. This was about as fancy as it got. When I slept, I climbed up to the loft.

But more pressing than my living arrangements was Satsuki herself. I never told her my address. I wanted to ask how she even knew where I lived, but she was fixated on the cup in her hands, drinking in tiny sips.

“Mm… mm.”

Her glossy lips traced the rim of the cup, and a soft, sensual sigh escaped her lips with every swallow.

To put it bluntly, it was incredibly seductive.

Since I hadn’t been expecting any visitors, I served her with my usual cup, but now I couldn’t help but notice how provocative the sight was.

“Ahh, so good…”

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her expression was downright enchanting.

“It’s just instant coffee, but I’m glad you liked it.”

“Is that so? Maybe it’s because you made it, Satoshi-kun. It’s the best coffee I’ve ever had.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

Better than her saying it tasted bad, at least. Still━

“I don’t remember telling you where I live. How do you know my address?”

“━Does that really matter?”

There was a slight pause before Satsuki replied with her usual smile. But I noticed a faint shadow behind it.

“No, it does mat—”

“More importantly, I have something I want to ask you, Satoshi-kun.”

Satsuki interrupted me with a sharp tone.

Chills.

“What have you been doing since the day after our gathering?”

She tilted her head slightly, her pupils dilating as she stared directly at me. Her voice was fast, monotone, and unsettlingly calm—like the stillness of a tranquil sea. It sent shivers down my spine.

“Uh, just preparing for the new school term.”

“With that body of yours?”

“Yeah, but…”

As long as I stayed indoors, it wasn’t a problem. Sure, I went out for short walks, but nothing far or strenuous. Staying cooped up in my room felt stifling, so I’d step out briefly to clear my head, but that was it.

“Hey… am I not needed anymore?”

Tears began to stream down Satsuki’s cheeks.

“You’re struggling with that body of yours, aren’t you? So why won’t you rely on me? Why didn’t you tell me where you live? I waited, you know? I was ready to do anything if you just told me to. But no matter how long I waited, you never contacted me. So I mustered the courage to come here, only to find you overexerting yourself trying to clean up alone. Why, Satoshi-kun? Answer me!”

This is way too heavy—and terrifying!

At this moment, Satsuki was scarier than any horror movie.

A careless excuse or lie could easily end up hurting her further. I took a deep breath to steady myself and made up my mind.

“At first, I thought about contacting you, Satsuki, but I figured you’d be busy… with university prep and all that. I didn’t want to bother you unnecessarily…”

It wasn’t entirely false, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. For something I came up with on the spot, it wasn’t bad.

“…Really? It’s not that you don’t need me anymore?”

The light started returning to Satsuki’s dull eyes.

“Honestly, I wanted to handle everything on my own, but… I’m not there yet. To tell you the truth, you showing up today really helped. Thanks.”

“Ahh…! I’m so glad!”

“Whoa!?”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Satsuki flung herself into my chest. Reflexively, I caught her, but the scent of her fabric softener and the sensation of her gravure idol-level figure pressing against me were wreaking havoc on my self-control.

“S-Satsuki, uh, I’d really appreciate it if you could… step back a little.”

“Oh, sorry! I got so relieved since I thought you’d abandoned me.”

“Abandoned you? There’s no way I’d do that…”

Not that I ever picked her up in the first place. Honestly, I’d been thinking the opposite—that I was the one being left behind.

“Thank goodness… If you hated me, I would’ve been stuck with a miserable campus life in darkness.”

Satsuki let out a sigh of relief, visibly calming down. Seeing her like that filled me with a sense of responsibility. I couldn’t let this continue—I had to say it. I couldn’t let Satsuki carry unnecessary guilt forever.

“…Hey, Satsuki. Can we talk for a moment?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Forget about me and enjoy your university life. It’s your last chance to take it easy before entering the workforce.”

Satsuki already had a job, so I wasn’t sure what career path she’d take, but for most people, university is their final sanctuary before stepping into society. I didn’t want her wasting those precious years feeling guilty about me.

“…So, you really don’t need me?”

“No, that’s not it. What you did today really helped, and I appreciate it. But we’re at different universities, and you have your own life, right?”

“My life exists for you, Satoshi-kun.”

“Uh…”

She said it with a completely straight face.

Her seriousness caught me off guard, and I hesitated.

Satsuki smiled softly.

“Besides, you’re saying something strange, Satoshi-kun. We’re going to the same university, you know?”

“Huh?”

“Oh? Didn’t I mention it? We’re in different departments, though.”

“That’s news to me.”

Even when I played LoD, the heroines talked about going to university, but I don’t remember them ever saying which one.

“So, there’s nothing to worry about! I’ll be by your side to take care of you at university, too!”

“Uh, yeah…”

With her innocent smile, there was no way I could refuse. Honestly, it felt like saying no might have dire consequences. I’d already resolved to let her do as she pleased until her guilt about me subsided. This was a battle I had to compromise on.

However━

“Well, uh… I might need your help at college, but there’s no need for you to come to my place, alright? I can’t impose that much—”

Ding-dong.

The intercom rang, cutting me off mid-sentence.

“I’ll get it!”

Ignoring the fact that this was my home, Satsuki headed straight for the door. She was probably answering a delivery for something I’d ordered. My nerves were still taut, so I sank into the sofa, trying to relax.

“Guess who~?”

“Whoa!?”

Suddenly, my vision was completely blacked out. But more importantly, that familiar voice…

“Shuna…?”

“Correct~!”

As the hands blocking my vision moved away, I leaned my head back on the sofa—and bumped into something soft.

Shuna was standing behind me, smiling down at me.

“It’s been a while~.”

“Y-Yeah, it’s been a whi—wait, no! Why are you here at my place!?”

And seriously, coming at me from behind like that—her melons are pressing against me!

“It’s not just Shuna-san—”

“I missed you so much!”

“Ah—wait, hold on!?”

Before I could finish, Shino, with teary eyes like we were having some kind of emotional reunion, lunged at me with enthusiasm.

“It’s been only a few days, Satoshi-sama… But even though it was due to preparation, the time I couldn’t take care of you felt endlessly long. How are your injuries? If they’ve worsened in any way—”

“Ah, no, I’m fine. They’re healing nicely.”

“That’s a relief…”

Shino was sitting on my lap, talking to me, her face so close to mine that there was almost no distance between us. Despite being this close, her skin was flawless, like a precious gem.

But wait—this isn’t the time to be making weird observations like that!

“Sorry, Shuna, Shino—could you both get off me…?”

“She’s right. Get off him! Can’t you see you’re bothering Satoshi?”

“”Yeees…””

Both Shuna and Shino reluctantly pulled away from me. As much as I appreciated them being removed, why was Reine here too?

“Long time no see, Satoshi.”

“It hasn’t been that long. But more importantly—”

“Hey, Satoshi.”

Before I could voice my question, Reine interrupted me again. What’s more, she moved in far too smoothly.

My sofa, though technically a two-seater that could allow someone to lie down, was suddenly half-occupied by Reine, who had taken the spot beside me in the blink of an eye. She gently held my right hand between both of hers, wrapping it warmly.

“I missed you so much. I’ve been worried this whole time. I kept thinking you might be scared and crying all alone…”

“I’m not a kid… But more importantly, mmmph!?”

“But you don’t have to worry anymore. I’ll stay by your side and take care of you. If you get scared, you can cry into my chest, okay?”

Before I even realized it, Reine had pulled my face into her embrace. It wasn’t until I was surrounded by a pleasant softness that I became fully aware of the situation. Strangely enough, the one overcome with emotion and crying was Reine herself.

Just how worried was she about me? Did I really come off as that childish? It stung a little, honestly.

More importantly, these girls really weren’t letting me get a word in edgewise, were they!?

I appreciated the concern and all, but I’d like my wishes to be respected too! I tried to wriggle free from Reine’s dangerously comforting hug.

And then━

“Sigh… So, why are you all here? I don’t remember giving out my address…”

“What do you mean? Didn’t Satsuki tell you?”

“No, she didn’t say a thing…”

“That girl… Of course Satoshi would be confused. Honestly, what is she thinking?”

Reine pressed her fingers to her temple, looking exasperated. Meanwhile, I felt like doing the same—tenfold.

“Alright, everyone’s here!”

Satsuki’s cheerful voice came from the entrance as she returned. My unanswered questions had only piled up since this began, but now that things had settled down, it was finally time to get some real answers.

“At this point, I don’t even care how you all know my address. But why are all of you gathered in my apartment…?”

“What do you mean? It’s because of the move! Starting today, we all moved into the rooms next to yours. We’re neighbors now! Oh, and we’re all attending the same university too!”

“…What?”

“Although, our departments are all completely different.”

“Yeah~. I should’ve just picked the Economics Department like you, Satoshi-kun~.”

“Right? I’d love to go back in time and strangle my past self during exam season.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

At this point, I was seriously beginning to question whether world enforcement mechanics were still in play. But the game itself had already ended the moment the “BAD END” screen appeared. There was no university arc, and no sequel was ever released. Which meant this had to be a coincidence… just an unbelievable coincidence where I ended up attending the same university as the heroines.

“You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

“Good.”

Satsuki’s voice pulled me back to reality. When I looked up, the four heroines of Love or Dead were standing before me, smiling down at me.

“Let’s enjoy our university life together, Satoshi-kun!”

Their smiles seemed carefree, yet there was something faintly unsettling about them.

“Go easy on me, okay?”

That was all I could manage to say.

━━━

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