The Man Whose Beloved Girlfriend Was Stolen Destroys Everything ~After Being Forced to Witness the NTR Scene, What Awaited Him Was a Dungeon.

Episode 8: Best Friend I (Little Sister’s POV)

The gentle warmth of spring sunlight had begun to carry real strength. Three months had nearly passed since Haru-nii was caught in a D Disaster.

***

Even after what happened to Haru-nii, school didn’t stop. There was no endless leave of absence. So I dragged myself to class each day, weighed down by the same heavy gloom.

Before he disappeared, the three of us—Haru-nii, Rii-chan, and me—usually walked to school together, laughing the whole way. Now, when I glanced to my side, the space beside me was empty. According to some seniors from the club, Rii-chan had been skipping school a lot lately. It must have hit her hard—losing her childhood friend and boyfriend all at once.

“…Already at school, huh.”

Lost in the lonely feeling of walking alone, I arrived at the gate without really noticing.

“…Haah.”

I swapped my loafers for indoor shoes and headed toward the classroom. A deep, weary sigh escaped me on the way. The mood was already suffocating enough without stepping into that room—where it would only get worse.

Because of—

“Ah, good morning, Shinomiya-san! Feeling okay today?”

—him. Harino Kyouya, approaching with that annoyingly refreshing smile. Ever since the first day he returned to school after Haru-nii vanished, he’d been like this.

Sure, he was handsome. Tall—180 cm at least. Excellent grades, outstanding athletic ability, captain of the soccer team. And on top of that, his father was the president of a global corporation. By any objective measure, he was perfect.

But I hated him.

That flawless exterior felt somehow repulsive. And beneath that bright greeting, I could sense the slimy, transparent lust he tried to hide. It made my skin crawl.

“…Morning.”

I gave the shortest reply possible and sat at my desk. I already knew exactly why he was so fixated on me.

He wanted my body.

To be blunt—everyone in the Shinomiya family, without exception, was good-looking. All of us. In our class, no girl could even come close. Across the whole school, maybe only Rii-chan could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me as a “best friend” in terms of appearance.

“Hey, hey, Shinomiya-san! Let’s talk a little more!”

Harino came right up to my desk again, running his fingers through his hair in that irritatingly affected way. The girls around us started squealing.

“Those two look so good together〜!!”

“Seriously, Harino-kun and Shinomiya-san are perfect for each other!!”

“Shinomiya-san used to only care about her brother, but now that he’s gone… isn’t this her ‘chance’!!”

“Hah?”

The word came from somewhere in the cluster of onlookers—something so utterly unhinged it made my stomach turn. My voice dropped low, cold enough to silence the entire classroom in an instant.

“What do you mean, ‘chance’? …Hey. Say it again.”

Too many girls to pinpoint who spoke. I walked straight toward the direction the voice had come from, heels clicking sharply against the floor, and repeated myself.

“What. Do you mean. By ‘chance’?”

“Hii…!!”

The girl at the front began to tear up, legs giving out as she sank to the floor. She stared up at me in complete terror, but I didn’t let up.

“I’m asking—what do you mean by ‘chance’…!!”

“Calm down, Shinomiya-san!”

Harino grabbed my shoulders in a panic, trying to pull me back. I immediately shook off his disgusting hand and seized the front of his uniform instead.

“You. You’re seriously creeping me out. Stop talking to me already!!”

“H-Hii…!!”

I spat out everything I’d been holding back. Harino’s knees buckled; he dropped like a puppet with cut strings. The pathetic sight almost made me laugh.

“Out of my way.”

One word was enough to scatter the gawkers. I left the classroom.

The homeroom bell was only minutes away, but right now I couldn’t stand being in that room for another second.

———Keen, kohn, kaan, kohn.

The final bell rang through the school. From every classroom came the mingled voices of teachers and students greeting the start of homeroom. I wondered what kind of atmosphere was left behind in mine. At the very least, the teacher would definitely notice something was wrong.

The hallway was deserted. I headed straight for the rooftop.

Summer was almost here; the sunlight no longer carried that soft, comforting spring warmth. I moved into the shade, drew my knees up to my chest, and curled in on myself.

“…What’s going to happen from now on?”

Now that I’d calmed down a little, I tried to picture the rest of my school life. Things would never go back to the way they were. At the very least, most of the class would probably start avoiding me.

“…Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”

Thinking about it was exhausting. I closed my eyes. I hadn’t been sleeping properly lately—always tired, always short on rest—so drowsiness claimed me almost immediately.

If only, when I woke up… Haru-nii would be back.

Knowing how impossible that was, I still clung to the thought as I slipped into sleep.