The Kansai Villain’s Rebirth: I Accidentally Ended Up With a Harem.

Fuyuki Rinko Is Not Interested… Probably.

Fuyuki Rinko’s POV.

Ever since the second semester began, my life has changed—just a little. The reason? I’ve started interacting more often with Tennouji Daiki, a boy whose name is practically synonymous with bad rumors both inside and outside the school.

When I was in elementary school, I was a frail child—always sick, in and out of hospitals. Because of that, I didn’t have many friends, and I spent most of my time buried in books. Maybe that’s why boys often called me gloomy or weird, and sometimes even bullied me. They’d snatch my books, flip up my skirt… I grew to fear boys.

The worst came when a college student who was supposed to be my tutor tried to assault me. Since then, I’ve been terrified of men—no, of people in general—and I’ve retreated even deeper into the safe, quiet world of books.

That didn’t really change when I entered middle school. But for some reason, there was this one girl who started talking to me—Shina. Then Mio joined us, and for the first time, I felt like my life had a bit of color in it.

It would’ve been perfect if it had just stayed the three of us.
But then, Imamiya showed up. He was loud, intrusive, and had no concept of personal space. He’d barge into my world uninvited, chattering endlessly while I just wanted to read.

“Hey, Rinko, what’re you reading? Lemme see!”

He’d say that—and snatch the book right out of my hands. I didn’t want to cause tension with Shina and Mio, so I only ever gave him mild scoldings. But honestly? I wanted to yell at him.

And then there were his eyes—the way they lingered on Mio’s well-developed figure, or on Shina’s now flashy chest, stomach, and legs after she entered high school. It disgusted me. I hated it, but I kept quiet. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. Still, I wished it could just be me, Mio, and Shina. Maybe that’s why my dislike for boys grew even stronger.

When I entered high school, I switched from glasses to contacts—and strangely, that’s when boys started confessing to me. Seniors, classmates, didn’t matter. Of course, I turned them all down. “No, thank you.”

Honestly, what a joke. Their eyes were always so indecent.
Did they think if they were lucky, they could sleep with me or something? Pathetic.
Maybe I should’ve gone to an all-girls school.
But that would’ve meant leaving Shina and Mio behind… and I didn’t want that. So I enrolled in the same school as them.

Imamiya was as noisy as ever, but—back to Tennouji.
He was different. For some reason, I didn’t feel that sense of disgust around him.
He had the reputation of a delinquent, so I expected someone rough or crude—but he wasn’t.

They said he once drove off a creep who tried to mess with Shina during summer vacation, even got violent, but… was that really true? He always seemed calm, almost quiet.
Even when Shina clung to him—and she often did—he didn’t react. And though she wore skirts so short and tops that barely hid her chest, he never stared like the others. That alone made me feel safe around him.

I wasn’t interested in romance. I didn’t care who was “cool” or “cute.” The only reason I talked with Tennouji was because of books.
Despite his delinquent image, he was a voracious reader—especially of mystery novels, the same genre I loved.

“You like reading novels, Tennouji-kun?”

“Yeah. Whenever I get free time at home, I’m usually readin’ somethin’.”

“The Kindaichi series?”

“That’s one of ’em. But really, I’ll read anything if it’s good—romance, light novels, whatever.”

That’s how it started—our little “book presentations.”
We’d recommend novels to each other, share impressions, and debate them.
It was… fun.

Tennouji had a remarkable vocabulary for a high schooler, and when he talked about a story, he’d delve into the characters’ emotions, layering them with his own. Listening to him was mesmerizing. When it was my turn to talk, I’d get nervous instead.

I couldn’t help but think—I wish I’d met him sooner. There were so many books I wanted him to read, and everything he recommended, I wanted to try.
He never hesitated to say when something wasn’t good, either.

“Ah, this one? It starts out fine, but turns into some cheap love drama later on. The main guy’s so wishy-washy it drove me nuts. I was like, is this dude a flirt or what?”

His honesty was refreshing. I borrowed the book just to see, and ended up laughing at how right he was.

“You were right, Tennouji-kun. That was awful. I’m glad I didn’t buy it.”

“Hah, that’s good then. Don’t need any more victims.”

Before I knew it, we were meeting once or twice a week in the library, no plans, no promises—just… naturally. Not because I liked him, of course. It was purely a shared hobby. That’s all.

(Imamiya’s book reviews, by the way, were just “so good” or “kinda meh.” Useless.)

And so, as usual, I found myself in the library with Tennouji again today.

“…So, in conclusion, I’d say this novel is worth reading. Its absurdity actually works in its favor.”

“Heh, the setup sounds all over the place, and the story’s rough as hell, but now I’m curious. I’ll borrow it. I wanna see how bad it gets.”

“All right. Then please sign the library card.”

“Got it. Man, being able to borrow all this for free’s a lifesaver. Saves a lotta money.”

“True. Plus, this library has plenty of unexpected gems. It’s worth using.”

“Yeah. And it’s fun talkin’ with you, Fuyuki-san. You always recommend stuff I’d never find on my own.”

“That’s flattering to hear.”

Sometimes, I wonder how he manages to talk to someone like me— someone expressionless, with no small talk, no charm.
Most people, boys and girls alike, find conversations with me dull and leave soon after. But that’s fine. I’m not interested in shallow, surface-level friendships… or boys whose intentions are obvious.

“This girl on the cover—the hairstyle’s called a wolf cut, right? I think it’s cute. Glasses too, they suit her.”

Tennouji said that while looking at the illustration of a light novel heroine I’d recommended.

“Don’t you think she kinda looks like you, Fuyuki-san?”

“Do I?”

“Yeah. Cool, but still cute. Sorta like you.”

“Cute”…? Me? The girl everyone calls cold and unapproachable?

My heart skipped a beat—just a little. Really, just a little.

“I don’t think so. ‘Cute’ doesn’t suit me in the slightest.”

“You sure? I think you’d look good with that hairstyle.”

“…Maybe.”

For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off that illustrated girl with the wolf cut.
And before I knew it, a thought began to swirl in my mind— What would Tennouji-kun think if I tried this hairstyle?

The thought spun in circles, like a whirlwind.

***

“Mom, can I ask you something?”

I finally brought it up.
Well, I mean, it’s normal for a high school girl to want a bit of a change, right?
It’s not because of what Tennouji-kun said. Of course not.
I just… wanted to try something new. That’s all.

So I went to the salon.

“Wow, that looks amazing on you!”

The stylist’s delighted voice echoed as she admired her work. And when I looked in the mirror— I almost didn’t recognize myself.

It felt strange… but nice. My heart felt light.

I wonder what Tennouji-kun will say…

Wait—no, why am I even thinking about him? It’s not like I’m going to ask him or anything!