The Kansai Villain’s Rebirth: I Accidentally Ended Up With a Harem. - Chapter 47: A Kansai Boy Presses Him For Answers.

A Kansai Boy Presses Him For Answers.

I called out Imamiya.

His name had come up in yesterday’s conversation with those idiots.

If he’s involved in any way, he’ll be subject to punishment as well.

That said, I can’t see any connection between Imamiya and those guys… I wonder what the deal is.

“What is it, all of a sudden…?”

“Yeah, it is sudden, isn’t it? I need to talk about yesterday’s signboard incident. Come with me for a bit.” He seemed really startled.

I hope it’s not what I think, but maybe it is.

Imamiya stood up with such force that he nearly knocked over his chair. Then he followed me quietly.

“Sorry, even though you’re busy from now on,” I said, making small talk… well, I was the only one talking.

First, I figured I’d treat him to something from the vending machine.

“Sorry for dragging you along. Want something to drink? This talk might take a while.”

“…Cola.”

Pretty straightforward.

During the study session, he stubbornly refused. His face looks totally panicked. There are people around here. So I led him to a bench in the less crowded courtyard.

He sat down obediently.

What’s with him?

I’m his natural enemy, Tennouji, you know?

“So, what’s this talk about?”

“Yeah, I’ll get straight to the point. I know who messed with the signboard.”

“Huh!? H-how!?”

“Well, just take a look at this.”

I had copied yesterday’s video onto my phone.

When I showed it to him… his face went pale.

“Hey. Too bad Imamiya didn’t come, huh? He could’ve seen something fun!”

“Idiot! Toshiya, that guy’s too scared to show! Gyahaha! He’s got the heart of a mosquito larva!”

The end of the video. His eyes widened like saucers when his name came up.

Ah, he’s sweating.

Even though it’s cool today.

“Imamiya, why’s your name coming up? What’s your connection to these third-years?”

“I-I didn’t say anything! N-no! Uh, that… ah! This! This guy!!! This guy’s a senior in the basketball club named Taishou! Meiji, Taishou, Meiji Taishou!”

No need to panic so much.

And don’t try to throw my phone. It’s mine, you know.

Oh, Taishou, huh.

If he’s hanging with Tsuruhashi, he’s probably not the best sort.

“These guys seem like a delinquent group, but were they really in the basketball club?”

“Yeah! They hit me or hurt me with the ball… j-just happened to be with this Tsuruhashi guy… and he asked about you!”

“Me? Why me?”

“Said you were getting cocky… wanted to make you eat humble pie or something…”

What do they mean, getting cocky?

Well… I was a bit wild in the first semester… but still, this delinquent group doesn’t appear in the original story… who are they?

Tsuruhashi? Sounds like someone who digs for ore or something—I don’t know the name…

Is this an original element of this world? This world is different in so many ways… No way, since there’s no sleazy guy like Tennouji, are these the ones who do the stealing!?

No, if that’s the case, I’d have to beat them up… no, Rinko-san would get mad at me.

“Me… huh. They could’ve just targeted me directly…”

I quietly felt anger rising toward these bastards.

Using me as bait and causing trouble for the whole class… well, they’re done for now anyway.

And then…

“H-hey! You suspecting me!? I didn’t do anything, and I wouldn’t give orders like that!? I don’t know anything!”

“Then, Imamiya. You didn’t hear anything about them messing with posters or signboards? Like, ‘We’re doing the signboard tomorrow’ or something?”

“………!?”

Bingo.

His eyes are darting all over. He’s been freaking out this whole time. Honestly, I didn’t want to get involved with the protagonist over something so trivial…

I just wanted to watch you and the heroines be happy…

He definitely knew.

This Tsuruhashi guy isn’t in my pre-possession Tennouji memories… who is he?

I don’t know why he thinks I’m cocky, but he’s someone to watch out for. He might make a move on Shina-chan and the others eventually.

Better be cautious.

That aside, this panic… he must’ve been invited to join in on the signboard thing.

If Imamiya had told a teacher or someone beforehand, Fushimi-kun, Kusunoha-san, and the whole class wouldn’t have had to go through that hassle or feel sad.

Right, Imamiya?

“I-I wasn’t… told anything like that.”

“………Really?”

“I don’t know! They just asked if I’d join, and I said no!”

“You weren’t threatened or something? Like, ‘If you tell anyone, we’ll kill you’?”

That would make sense for hiding it. Can’t be helped.

These idiots who say weird stuff like ‘mosquito larva heart’ probably think threats will keep people quiet.

Threats are the best for sealing lips.

Like, ‘We’ll beat you up if you talk.’

Taishou seems like he hit Imamiya before. Well, whether he was threatened or not, I won’t turn him in.

He’s a classmate, and the protagonist I know. But it affects trust going forward.

Come on, as the protagonist, with plot armor, he could’ve stood up to the delinquents and turned things around.

“Nothing… was said…”

“…Is that so. Then I’ll submit the video with the part about you cut out to the teacher.”

“Ah, yeah… that’d… help.”

“Sorry for dragging you out here. And if you’d been involved, you’d be suspended or… expelled, huh.”

“…! Y-yeah… thanks… so, we good?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Imamiya hurried back. I took a sip of my now-lukewarm cafe au lait and let out a huge sigh.

Then I made up my mind.

Imamiya, you’re done. If you fold to the strong like that in a pinch, you’d probably hand over Shina-chan and the others too.

I can’t trust you that much.

So I…

“Shina-chan… Mio-san, Rinko-san. I’ll protect them.”

I don’t know how those girls will find happiness.

But it won’t be with you. You’ll make them unhappy. I can’t leave it to you anymore. It might be too late, but still.

So, if I can, I want to make them happy.

I won’t spare any effort for that.

With that resolve, first things first: eliminate the “enemies.”

***

I went to the staff room and consulted with our homeroom teacher, Ashiharabashi-sensei, about finding the culprits. He jumped out of his chair, and the talk went to Kaminari-sensei too.

Then to the grade director. I showed the video in the student guidance room.

“Tennouji… isn’t this basically hidden camera footage?”

“I’d prefer you call it security camera footage.”

“No… but this… this is definitive. Well done, Daiki!”

“Kannari-sensei, let’s hold an emergency staff meeting right away. They need appropriate punishment.”

“Daiki, I’ll overlook it this time. But don’t ever do something like this again. If a female student voyeurism incident happens, you’d be the first suspect.”

“Understood. Then this is sealed away.”

“Yes. But leave the punishment of those who trampled on your efforts to us. Daiki, don’t get hot-headed and resort to violence.”

“Kaminari-sensei, I’ve turned over a new leaf. My friends tell me violence is no good too.”

“It’s Kannari, you idiot. Fine. This is teachers’ work from here. Go back to cultural festival prep.”

“Yes. Please handle it.”

The teachers rushed back to the staff room, and an announcement called all faculty to gather.

The next day, the four who vandalized the signboard were called to the student guidance room.

According to what Ashiharabashi-sensei secretly told me, the three who actually sprayed it, including that Taishou guy, were expelled.

Tsuruhashi was the ringleader but didn’t touch it, so he got indefinite suspension somehow. Doing something like this in third year at this time—man, that’s rough, I thought indifferently.