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

Merry Christmas from Kansai, y’all! ♡

The school had finally entered winter break.

Momodani-kun, who’d promised me that W-date, had been absolutely buzzing ever since the Winter Cup started—he and Tenma-kun were on fire together. Man, the basketball team is seriously strong. I always thought the “Momoten Combo” of those two aces was unbeatable, but the depth of the regulars is insane. Even the kids from Class A and Takii-kun were ridiculously good.

Ding-dong.

“Coming~”

Shi-chan had come over to hang out. I’d given her a spare key and told her she could drop by anytime; that way neither of us would feel lonely, right? Plus, she often helps with the dishes and laundry without being asked. From the outside, people probably think she looks exactly like a wife. Right now, she was heading toward the front door.

“Dai-chan! Package from your mom!”

“Got it, coming~”

So the care package from Mom had arrived. Delivery guy, much appreciated… There was a gigantic cardboard box and an absurd number of styrofoam coolers… Shi-chan and I carried them to the kitchen together and opened them up.

“Whoa!? What is all this!? They’re huge!?”

“These are king crab… and over here… more king crab.”

Mom went way overboard! There’s far too much! And then… whoa… snow crab, one, two, three… five whole crabs…? There were already a stupid amount of king crab legs—how are we supposed to eat all this? When we opened the other boxes, there was a mountain of giant napa cabbage, green onions, carrots, onions, potatoes… and enough snacks to bury someone. I don’t even eat that many snacks…

“Th-that’s… insane…”

Shi-chan looked completely stunned. There was a single letter inside that only said, “Merry Christmas ♡”. For a Christmas present, this was downright brutal in volume. Well, I’d sort through the best parts later… This much crab—maybe I should invite Momodani-kun and Makino-san over when they come for the date and we can all feast.

“For now, let’s cram it all in the freezer… Will it even fit…?”

“Dai-chan, should I put the vegetables out in the hallway?”

“Yeah, good call. It’s way colder out there.”

“Okie-dokie!”

Shi-chan gleefully snatched up a box of Hokkaido butter cookies while she was at it. Cheeky as ever. We still needed to buy shungiku, Shitake mushrooms, and some other things for hot pot. I’ve got a big pot, so we’re set. Alright—time to go shopping for tomorrow.

“Shi-chan, let’s go to the supermarket.”

“Yay! Coming, coming~!”

Hand in hand, arms linked, sweet as newlyweds, the two of us headed to the store. Shitake, enoki, tofu… Oh, it’d be nice to grab some malony noodles too.

“I’ve never done hot pot before, so I’m super excited! So many firsts since I started dating Dai-chan ♪”

“Hot pot with everyone is the best. And the zousui you make at the end with the crazy-rich broth… it’s to die for.”

“Ahh, I can’t wait for tomorrow!”

Yep, preparations complete. We’re ready to start anytime tomorrow!

***

The next day, Shi-chan and I headed to the station together. And waiting there was…

“Waa! Mio-chan!? You’re adorable!!”

“Morning, Shi-chan, Daiki-kun! Ehehe, it’s the big reveal ♪”

“Whoa… Mio-chan… you look stunning…”

Standing there was Mio-chan—her bob still the same length, but now styled in soft, loose waves. She wore a black knit top, a long white skirt, and a deep navy coat. She looked so mature…!

“R-really? I’m not weird, am I?”

“Did you style the waves to match the outfit? You look so grown-up. Gorgeous… I’m mesmerized. Falling for you all over again.”

“Ehehe ♪ Fall as many times as you want ♡ Nfufu~ ♡”

“That’s the thing with Mio—she’s adorable in moments like these.”

“Mio-chan is just the best~”

Seeing me stroke her head, both Rinko and Shi-chan burst out laughing. Yeah, that’s what I love about Mio-chan—even when she looks this sophisticated, her charm and sweetness shine through. But seriously, seeing her dressed like this just raised the bar for everyone else impossibly high. Mio-chan is too perfect…

“Oh, right—Daddy reserved a cake for us. Let’s pick it up first, then head to Dai-chan’s place.”

“Eh? You didn’t tell me anything about that…”

“Of course not. It’s a surprise. Consider it our small thank-you.”

“Th-thank you… So, which shop…?”

“It’s a bit of a walk, but it’s Luce.”

“Eh!?”

As expected of the Fuyuki family… Luce is the kind of place where Christmas cake reservations sell out in seconds, and the cheapest ones start at five thousand yen…

“Since there are four of us, he ordered a big one—the nice kind. Everyone eat as much as you want. And Dai-chan, seriously don’t worry about it. Those crab pictures Shi sent yesterday… I’m actually scared to ask how much they cost.”

They definitely ran tens of thousands of yen. And she told me to eat it all… I bet when she gets back she’ll send even more stuff our way. I vaguely remember her mentioning some absurdly expensive osechi being delivered here too…

“Hey, hey! I feel like this is the first time I’ve ever walked through the Christmas streets this happily!”

“Fufu, we always had parties every year, but this year Shi is here, Mio is here… and we have our boyfriend Dai-chan with us.”

“Yeah! It’s going to be even more fun than usual! Oh, Daiki-kun—leave the vegetable cutting to me!”

“Thanks as always…”

“Crab, crab ♪”

“Cake first, Shi.”

On the way to Luce, I caught sight of a familiar figure. She ducked into an alley, but it was definitely Imamiya. I’m not doing anything to feel guilty about, so whatever…

“Hey Da-chan, wasn’t that… that jerk just now?”

She’s already calling her “that jerk”… Once Shi-chan decides someone’s an enemy, she really doesn’t hold back her hostility.

“Eh… ah…”

“It’s okay, Mio. We’re here, and Dai-chan is here.”

“Y-yeah…”

Mio-chan still carried the trauma of whatever words had been thrown at her before. Because of that, she shrank back a little, as if trying to hide from the alley Shi-chan was glaring into. So I slid my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“Mio-chan, there’s nothing to be scared of. I won’t ask what she used to say to you back then. But the Mio-chan standing here right now is beautiful. These soft waves in your hair. This mature outfit—it’s elegant and adorable. Mio, you’re adorable. So walk with confidence.”

“Daiki-kun…!”

“Exactly! Anyone who says the current Mio-chan isn’t cute or looks lame is the lame one! Mio-chan, you’re super cute!”

“That’s right. I’d love to learn from Mio’s fashion sense. Thanks to you, I really love this pink knit I’m wearing.”

“Everyone… yeah! Thank you! Daiki-kun, can I link arms with you?”

“Of course. Let’s hold hands too.”

“Yeah…! Ehehe… ♪”

“Then I’m taking this side!”

“Hey, Shi?”

“Rin-chan, you already had a date the other day! I’m seriously lacking Da-chan nutrients right now!”

“Didn’t you two go bowling?”

“Guh!”

“And didn’t you stay over yesterday and take a bath together?”

“G-guh guh! Daa-chaaan! Everyone’s bullying me!”

“C-come on now. I’ve got to carry the cake, remember?”

“Behave yourself. Today is Mio’s day, after all.”

“Okaaay. I wonder what kind of cake it is!”

“I only know that I reserved it, so I’m excited too…”

Mio-chan looked up at my face and smiled as we passed the alley where Imamiya was hiding. I caught a glimpse—she was making a terrifying face. Wait… is she crying…? Eh, whatever.

“If I hadn’t started dating Daiki-kun, I think I would have spent my whole life hating my body.”

Mio-chan might be a little plump if you wanted to be harsh about it—but even plump girls can be cute. Calling someone “fat” only hurts them.

“You’re attractive, Mio-chan. I… I’ve seen you naked, so I know… you were truly beautiful. It… it makes me feel that way again…”

“Mou! Daiki-kun, you pervert!”

“Nyaha! Da-chan’s such a pervert ♪”

“Dai-chan no ecchi.”

“Total attack!?”

“Fufufu… but… I’m happy ♪ Daiki-kun, I love you so much ♡”

Saying that, Mio-chan pressed herself tightly against me. Our fun Christmas had only just begun.