The Kansai Villain’s Rebirth: I Accidentally Ended Up With a Harem. - Chapter 38: A Kansai Man, Working Together.

A Kansai Man, Working Together.

It was Saturday.

Today was our little “Exam’s Over!” get-together — just me and the three heroines. The plan was simple: Akitani and I would each make a few dishes, and then we’d all sit down — Shina, Rinko, and the rest of us — to eat together.

To be honest, I was way too excited about one particular thing: getting to eat Akitani’s homemade karaage again.

***

“Alright, let’s head out.”

Just like our study sessions, we’d all agreed to meet at school.
Last time, I showed up thirty minutes early, only to find all three of them already there. That was wild.

So this time, I decided to outdo myself — I left home early enough to arrive a full hour before the meetup time. No way they’d be there already, right?

…Right?

Why. Why are they all here already?! Seriously, what time did they even agree to meet?

***

“Oh, Tennouji-kun. You’re early.”

“Early!? Rinko-san, what time did you all actually decide to meet up?”

“When the three of us get together, there’s just so much to talk about! Oh, good morning, Tennouji-kun.”

“Dai-chan, yo! You know, girls have lots of things to chat about!”

“G-good morning… yeah, I see that…”

“Fufufu, the time’s a secret.”

“Come on, Mio-san… that’s not fair…”

“Fweh!? M-Mio-san!?”

“Well, Shina-san and Rinko-san, I call you both by your first names, right? So it felt weird to still call you Akitani-san. Is that okay?”

“Ah… n-no! I mean… I like that better! Please, call me Mio… okay?”

…Yeah, she’s adorable.
Like, I can almost hear steam hissing out of her ears.
Honestly, I’d been thinking about it since Rinko asked me to call her by name.
If I kept calling Mio by her last name, it’d feel like I was putting up some invisible wall between us.
So I figured, screw it — might as well call her Mio. Glad she didn’t get mad about it.

***

“Alright then, let’s grab our groceries and head to my place.”

“Sure. Looks like we’ll be buying quite a lot today.”

“Yeah, we’ve got karaage, hamburg steak, fried shrimp… potato salad. How about this, Mio — I’ll handle the hamburg and the salad?”

“Then I’ll do the frying! Leave the karaage and shrimp to me.”

“I’m counting on ya.”

“Can’t wait! Let’s gooo~!”

“Looking forward to it, Tennouji-kun, Mio.”

And with that, the four of us headed to our usual supermarket.

***

“Hmm… this one looks good. It’s big and fresh. Oh! Cucumbers are on sale! Such a bargain! We’ll need them for the potato salad, right?”

“Yeah, definitely.”

Mio’s got that Osaka auntie energy going on — sharp eyes, quick judgment, completely in her element.

Her usual soft-spoken demeanor was gone; now she was dead serious, scrutinizing vegetables and meat before tossing them into the basket with precision. Shina and Rinko just stared, speechless. They’d never seen this side of her before.

“Tennouji-kun, the ground beef’s on sale today! This is a steal! Let’s see… four people, so we’ll need… this one, and this one… oh, this looks even better—perfect! Next, we need ham for the salad…!”

“Mio-chan’s amazing…”

“She’s got bargain-hunting instincts sharper than a pro housewife’s…”

“Let’s see… ham… ah, this brand’s delicious! Got it!”

“…It’s almost hard to interrupt her.”

For a while, all we could do was stand there and watch her work. Even the veteran shoppers in the store would’ve been impressed.

***

“Mio-san would make a great wife someday.”

“Fweh!? A… a wife!?”

“Yeah. Finding the best quality stuff for the best price — that’s top-tier housewife material. Whoever marries you is gonna be one lucky guy.”

“Totally! She’d be a great mom, too!”

“M-Mom!? You mean, like… I’d marry Tennouji-kun and we’d have kids and I’d be a mom!?”

What kind of mental image is she running with right now… I mean, if she did want to marry me, I’d probably get down on my knees and beg her to, but still.

“Mio, calm down.”

“Ha—huh!? Uuuu… Rinko…”

“There, there. You’re blushing all the way to your neck.”

And just like that, Mio clung to Rinko in embarrassment. Honestly… what a sight.

“Shina! Put that Choco Pie back!”

Yep. Totally mom material.

“Wow, we bought a lot. That bag looks heavy — you okay, Mio?”

“Yeah, I’m fine!”

After shopping for four people, the bags were loaded.
Two big shopping totes, both pretty hefty.
When I offered to carry everything myself, they all protested immediately.

“It wouldn’t feel right to let you carry everything for us.”

“She’s right. I’ll help too.”

So Mio took one, and I grabbed the heavier one. As soon as we stepped out of the store, Shina walked up beside me.

“Hey hey, Dai-chan! Let me carry half, okay? Lemme grab one handle!”

“Sure, why not. Let’s carry it together.”

“Yay!”

So there we were, walking side by side, sharing the weight of the bag. Shina looked genuinely happy.

“Shina, you look like you’re having fun.”

“Yeah! You know, the other day I saw this couple walking home together, sharing their bags like this. They looked so happy. I thought… I want that kind of happiness someday.”

…Yeah. Shina’s home life is complicated. Both her parents have lovers outside their marriage.
They hardly ever come home, leaving her alone most nights.

No one cooks for her. She basically lives alone — just like me, but for totally different reasons. Compared to her, I’ve got it easy.

When Mio once offered to make her lunch in the game, Shina refused, saying she didn’t want to be a burden. I still remember tearing up a little reading that scene.

***

“Shina…”

Rinko’s expression softened. She must’ve felt the same — frustrated by how powerless she was to change anything.

“Ehehe. You know, when you carry something heavy together, it feels half as heavy, right? So the happiness doubles, and the sad stuff… gets cut in half. That’s what family does, I think. So, Dai-chan… can I borrow that warmth, just for a little while?”

She really is… just craving love and warmth. Damn it. I can feel my chest tightening.

“If you get tired, just say so, Shina. Alright, let’s head home.”

“…!!! Okay!!”

She beamed, humming a tune as we walked. In the original game, Shina always longed for family warmth — she clung so tightly to Imamiyakun, desperate for affection.

When she was later broken, reduced to nothing but pleasure by the drugs, I remember… losing my mind.

***

“Dai-chan~♪”

“What is it, Shina-chan?”

“Ehehe, nothing~”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Shina-chan?”

“What?”

“Just felt like saying your name.”

“Ahaha⭐︎ geez, Dai-chan~♪”

***

Never thought I’d end up playing house with someone this cute. A high schooler, no less. And yet, here we are — carrying groceries together, like newlyweds.

She keeps calling me “Dai-chan,” all bright and cheerful, just like she did in the original story. From “Tennouji-kun” to “Daiki-kun,” and now “Dai-chan.”

That’s her way of showing love, I think.

I’ve started calling her “Shina-chan” too. Feels right. Feels warm.

The way I address each of them has changed — become more intimate. Shina-chan. Mio-san. Rinko-san.

Maybe one day, I’ll call them “Mio-chan” and “Rinko-chan,” too.

We’re getting closer. Step by step. And honestly, I don’t want to go back to the old me anymore.

For now, all I can do is protect this moment — protect Shina-chan’s smile — as we walk home together.