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~

She seemed willing to go along with the gift exchange. After nodding vigorously at Hibari’s words, I walked off in the opposite direction to look at other sections. Besides, it would be hard for Hibari to choose with me right there.

A few minutes later, having chosen an accessory first and completed the transaction, I sat down on the provided sofa.

In my line of sight was Hibari, seriously selecting an accessory.

“She’s choosing so seriously. Do women also take time when giving accessories to others?”

Well, in Hibari’s case, I understood the reason for her careful selection given our earlier conversation.

As for me, I had quickly narrowed down the candidates and bought from among them. Though I had spent less time deliberating than Hibari, I hadn’t chosen carelessly either.

I had chosen something I thought would suit Hibari.

“I hope Hibari… will be happy with it.”

The box inside the bag next to me. I was about to pick it up when—

“Ah… Kasajima.”

“Hm? Ah.”

When I heard footsteps and turned around instinctively— Riina was there. Which meant Yuito was also…

“Yui-kun isn’t with me.”

Perhaps noticing my eyes searching around, Riina gave me a pointed look and said this.

“Is that so? That’s unexpected.”

“What, do you think I don’t act without Yui-kun around?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

At school, she was practically always next to Yuito, never leaving his side. She was terrifyingly protective if something happened to Yuito. In the game’s bad ending routes, she was one of the beautiful sisters who would mount Kasajima Yuji and beat him to a pulp.

Though I didn’t say it aloud, my expression probably conveyed similar thoughts. Riina sighed and looked at me with exasperation.

“I’m not that dependent on Yui-kun…”

I wanted to comment on that statement too, but somehow managed to restrain myself.

Originally, my role as Yuji was supposed to draw out the sisters’ yandere elements, but since I hadn’t taken any action, things were currently calm…

Deep down, she probably harbored heavy emotions. Being unaware of it was terrifying too.

“…That look is kind of irritating.”

Eventually, Riina’s expression became sulky, so I averted my gaze… and my eyes fell on Riina’s casual outfit.

Unlike the mini-skirt coordinate she’d worn when going to the pool with Yuito and the others, today she wore a long skirt that flowed softly. It was quite different from what I expected. I thought Riina would wear something more bold and sexy… This was also unexpected. Moreover, her hair wasn’t in its usual twin tails but down…

“Wh-what…”

I must have stared for quite a while, as Riina took a pose as if hiding her body while looking at me.

“S-sorry… I was just thinking that today’s casual outfit looks unexpectedly refreshing. Not that it’s strange or anything, it suits you.”

When I answered frantically, Riina lowered the hands that had been hiding her body…

“I usually dress boldly because Yui-kun is around. Normally, I like this kind of simple, loose style, so that’s why I dress like this.”

“Huh. Is that so?”

Come to think of it, when she had cooked for me at home as a way to repay me, she had also worn a baggy hoodie. Well, either way, since Riina was a beautiful girl, anything would look good on her.

“…Hmm.”

“…Hm?”

Now I noticed that Riina was staring intently at my face.

“Kasajima’s the one who’s all dressed up today. You even cut your hair.”

“Oh, you noticed I cut my hair. Am I like 20% more handsome than usual today?”

I deliberately made a sharp expression.

“Well, no… it’s not bad though.”

“Eh, ah, thanks for being considerate, Riina-san!”

I had expected a cold response, but was unexpectedly shown consideration. Since I had brought it up myself, I tried to conclude this topic myself.

Now, thinking I should change to another topic to avoid awkwardness… Riina was the one who spoke first.

“Actually, that way of calling me Riina-‘san’…”

“Calling you?”

“Yeah, the way you call me. Somehow… I don’t like it.”

“…Do I finally need to add ‘-sama’?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Riina immediately corrected me.

“Then what should I do? Call you by your family name? But that would be confusing with your sister Mahiro-san.”

“No, that’s not it either… um, so…”

Though Riina had brought up the topic herself, she seemed to find it hard to say and looked down. After moving her mouth wordlessly for a few seconds… She looked up at me with determination and slowly opened her mouth.

“It’s fine to… call me without honorifics.”

“Huh?”

An absent-minded sound escaped me.

“S-so! Instead of calling me with ‘-san’, you could just call me… Riina!”

Perhaps my blank expression annoyed her, because the second time her words became choppy midway through, and she finished with a rough tone.

Call Riina without honorifics…? And this instruction came from her directly? What was going on? This was an impossible development in the game…

“…What’s with that look?”

“This is way too unexpected…”

“I-I didn’t think I’d say something like this either!”

“You didn’t think so, but…?”

“I don’t really understand the reason myself. But…”

Riina looked away from me once…

“Is it that… strange for me to say you can call me without honorifics?”

“…”

This time she looked at me with lowered eyebrows somewhat anxiously.

Being looked at with such eyes, I’d feel bad if I refused here. Well, it was just how to address someone…

I exhaled slightly…

“Then, well… Riina.”

When I looked at her and said that… she turned her face away.

“What? Don’t you like being called that?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it… w-well, until I get used to it… get used to it…”

She trailed off and moved her mouth wordlessly.

Apparently, being called Riina by me wasn’t unpleasant, but she wasn’t used to it.

For me, I had been calling her Riina in my mind every time, so there was hardly any discomfort.

But there was a problem.

“Then what will you call me, Riina?”

“Eh?”

Now it was Riina’s turn to let out a sound. I decided to be clear with her.

“It’s too late now, but my face is scary. Just this yakuza or playboy-like face alone makes the worst first impression and causes so many misunderstandings…”

“That’s true. You have my sympathy.”

“Thanks. If someone like me calls you by your first name, but you call me by my family name, then…”

“Then…?”

“Wouldn’t I look like some pathetic guy who calls you by your first name without permission?! Eventually, I’d surely get cursed at with things like ‘stay away’ or ‘don’t threaten me’ or ‘stop clinging to me’! I hate that!”

‘What! He’s a better guy than I thought!’

‘Still a bit scary, but… he seems like a good person!’

‘Hey, hey. You’re close with Mahiro-san and Riina-chan, right? Tell us about it~’

‘Please tell us about Yuito-kun too…!’

The reaction on that school day during summer break. My classmates were finally starting to overcome their impressions and misunderstandings about my appearance. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Much less could I let them get a bad impression.

Would one way of addressing someone change things? I thought so, but… when your appearance was different, everything affected people’s impressions!!

“You’re troublesome too. Well, I understand the feeling though.”

Saying this, Riina – perhaps predicting my story would get long – perched herself on the back of the sofa.

“So couldn’t you change how you address me too? Preferably something other than Kasajima.”

“Well then… Another way to call Kasajima. Yui-kun and Yu-kun are off-limits.”

“That’s Yuito’s privilege, huh?”

That was understandable.

“Kasajima Yuji… Yuji… Ji?”

“Am I a grandpa?! I want a more normal way of addressing me!”

“You’re picky. Then there’s only Yuji left…”

“What do you mean ‘only left’? That’s my name. Isn’t calling me Yuji fine?”

“…”