The Villain Who Got Pinned Down Until He Ran Out Of Stamina ~ This Time I Raised The Protagonist's Affection Too Much And Everyone Fell For Me~

“Haah… I-I’m back. That was nerve-wracking…”

Tajima entered Mahiro and Riina’s room, which had been designated as the meeting place, while letting out a deep sigh as if his tension had been released.

In the room were Yuito, Mahiro, and Riina…

“Welcome back, Tajima-kun! And good work!”

“Welcome back. So how did it go?”

“Kasajima ended up alone with Risa as planned… Is he really going to be okay? If he’s not careful, she might…”

“He wouldn’t have said such things if he hadn’t made up his mind.”

The four people in the room recalled what Yuji had told them.

“First, we’ll lure her with Tajima’s message. Meanwhile, in case she happens to stop by Riina-san’s place, the remaining three should wait in the room.”

“W-what should I do after sending the message?”

“Tajima, after you’ve drawn her to the room, make up some excuse and leave. No, it might be clearer if there’s a signal… I’ll call you. That will be your signal to leave the room.”

“G-got it…!”

“After that, I’ll be alone with her… Leave it to me. I’ll make her understand with my villain act… heh heh heh…”

“Kasajima-kun’s smile at that time… it was kind of scary, like a real villain. Just kidding.”

“That was definitely an act! Yuji-kun is actually a really nice person!”

“Fufu, that’s right. He’s Yuito’s best friend after all.”

“Yeah!”

“Still, I didn’t think Kasajima would be the type to take the initiative to do something like this…”

“That’s because Yuji-kun is a really good person!”

“Ah, um… we’ve heard that plenty already, Saeki…”

Tajima became flustered. While the two were conversing, Mahiro turned her gaze toward Riina, who had been quiet for some time.

“…”

Riina was sitting on the bed, looking down with a complicated expression.

“…”

Mahiro turned away from Riina… and looked toward Yuito and Tajima.

“But Kasajima-kun seems to be doing something a bit different from just trying to help Riina, doesn’t he?”

“You mean Yuji-kun has some other aim?”

“Don’t tell me he’s… giving Risa a lecture in my place…”

“I don’t think it’s that complicated.”

“Huh?”

Yuito and Tajima tilted their heads. Seeing this, Mahiro smiled and said,

“Well… I can’t really explain it well either, but… I don’t think he’s trying to be a good person. I don’t think he’s trying to improve his popularity. Just…”

“Just?”

“…gulp.”

“…”

Not only Yuito and Tajima, but Riina too was waiting for the next words.

Mahiro took a breath, and then,

“—He just wants to give her a piece of his mind… That’s what it feels like. Because he’s experienced firsthand being misunderstood because of his appearance and has gone through various hardships.”

“… Hmm, hmm?”

“Mahiro-san… I don’t really understand.”

“Haha, well, I don’t really understand what I’m saying either.”

“You don’t understand either?!”

The tense atmosphere suddenly lightened. The three of them laughed together.

…However, Riina…

“I’m going to go buy something to drink~”

Riina said in her usual bright and friendly voice as she stood up.

“Huh, wait!? Riina-chan! You’re not supposed to leave the room right now!”

“Then buy me something too while you’re at it. Unsweetened tea, please.”

“…Okay~”

“Huh!? Mahiro-san, is it really okay to let Riina-chan go!?”

Tajima was bewildered. Riina continued to the door and left.

“Mahiro-chan. Could it be that Riina-chan is…”

“That’s right~ She went to check things out~”

“Huh!? Check things out? You mean she went to the room where Kasajima and Risa are!? Isn’t that kind of bad!?”

“I think it’ll be fine. Kasajima-kun probably doesn’t intend to let her leave either.”

“B-but!”

“Let’s wait here, as outsiders. We can’t fully understand all of their struggles anyway.”

◆

As soon as she saw me, Risa, Tajima’s girlfriend, had a strained look on her face. But it was only for a moment, and then—

“Y-You’re the one peeking into someone else’s room without permission!”

“Me? I had business with Tajima, and then coincidentally the door wasn’t locked, so I opened it and just happened to see. And to get straight to the point…”

I stepped into the room… and closed the door. The woman glared at me warily. When I saw her face, rather than being scared…

—I smiled a sinister smile.

“You’re the culprit who stole the envelope containing the money for the gift, aren’t you?”

“W-what? What are you talking about!? Stop making false accusations! And hurry up and get out!! I have something to talk about with, with that person!”

“That person… Could you mean Sumino Riina-san?”

“!”

She bit her lip. Bull’s eye… huh.

“I don’t know what grudge you have against Riina-san, but… give it up. Judging by appearances and hurting someone is wrong.”

“W-what? What are you saying… Don’t tell me you trapped me because you got asked by them!”

“By the way, I was the one who suggested it. Don’t misunderstand~”

Wanting to talk a bit more calmly, I sat down on a nearby chair.

“…Did you come to lecture me? Like, ‘Don’t bully Sumino Riina’?”

“…Hmm, probably not.”

“What do you mean ‘probably’? Then stop getting in my way! She! She flirted with my boyfriend and stole him from me!! It’s only natural to get back at her!!”

Still with the one-sided anger.

“…Did Riina-san really do that? Did Riina-san say with her own mouth that she flirted with your boyfriend and stole him? Did you actually confirm it?”

“That’s… O-of course she did! That damn bitch is thought of that way by everyone!”

The woman was angry. She spoke as if everyone thought something that only a few people believed. How much we’d suffered from such unconscious words…

When I remained silent for a while, the woman began walking toward the door.

“Anyway, can you seriously leave soon? Or… should I go out of the room now and maybe scream? Then you’d be finished. Bye-bye, life~ lol.”

I glared at her.

Although the woman flinched for a moment, she quickly regained her composure and said,

“Y-you people who are easily misunderstood by others because of your looks are so pitiful~ I’m glad I’m not like that~”

The woman let out a triumphant laugh. A triumphant laugh… huh.

“Hahaha…”

“Huh?”

“Ha ha ha ha! Ha-ha ha ha!!!!”

I joined in and laughed out loud. The woman looked confused.

“W-what… Have you lost your mind… Gross.”

“Yeah~ I’ve been rumored to be crazy from the beginning~”

“W-what?”

Seeing the woman looking even more confused, I stood up and closed the distance.

“There’s a mountain of things I want to say… but I can’t solve this by saying something profound. After all, I’m the villain.”

I quickened my pace. Sensing danger, the woman quickly reached for the doorknob.

Not letting her, I grabbed the woman’s arm… and with my other hand, I pushed her shoulder against the door with a thud!!

“Ah! Y-you finally showing your true colors—”

“…You’re too noisy with all your babbling. Shut up.”

“…!”

What I was about to do wasn’t something that would be praised by others, nor was it to improve my reputation. It might be self-satisfaction, but… I couldn’t help but say something.

Because it pissed me off when people talked trash about us without even trying to understand.

I took a light breath, and then—

“I have one thing to say to you.”

“…What—”

“Stop getting in our way when we’re desperately trying to interact with everyone on equal terms!!!”

I shouted with all my might from the bottom of my stomach. I unleashed the emotions that had been pent up deep inside.

After saying it, I somehow felt exhausted. Even though I had just said one thing, I felt the strength leaving my body.

“Ah, aah… ah…”

Apparently, it was quite intimidating, as the woman collapsed to her knees… and fainted.

“Ah… I overdid it.”

Regret after the fact. Well, I didn’t care about what happened next. If she regained consciousness and spread what had just happened, and I became hated by the whole school, I didn’t care anymore.

As long as there were people who understood me, even if they were few… that alone was reassuring.

“Ah, I’m getting hungry. I wonder if Yuito has anything to eat.”

“…”