The Villainous Uncle in the Adult Game Gets Unusually High Praise from the Heroines - Chapter 29

“It seems like something is off with Tomoe Hinomoto-chan, so could you go check on her, Sakurako-chan?”

…

…

…

“When asked like that, I really have no choice but to go see her, do I?”

I muttered to myself as I walked down the school corridor, having received the text from Take-san.

Time was still on my side, so I could visit her and ask what happened without any rush. However, it was undeniably a hassle.

Not that I disliked Hinomoto-san. If anything, I liked her and considered her one of my few friends.

But I also found her difficult to deal with. People who were so cheerful yet had something hidden inside them were hard to read and interact with. 

In that sense, Yozuki Kongo-san was easier to handle. Though blunt, she was honest.

“…Hmm.”

Walking down the hallway, I arrived at the classroom where Hinomoto-san was likely to be. 

I peeked inside and spotted her, confirming that something was indeed wrong. 

Even from here, where I could only see her back, I sensed a negative aura emanating from her slumped shoulders, as if gravity was heavier around her.

Being usually bright, those close to her would quickly notice her change. Indeed, I could see other female students looking at her and whispering, as if discussing what had happened.

“…”

Approaching Hinomoto-san and speaking to her in this setting wasn’t easy. I wanted to ignore it and leave, but having been asked by Take-san, I couldn’t do that.

I felt like I’d drawn the short straw. With heavy steps, I entered the classroom and moved toward her.

“Hey, Hinomoto-san.”

“…Huh.”

Hinomoto-san turned slowly—no, gloomily—to look at me. 

As I expected, her expression was grim. Even I, who didn’t particularly care, felt compelled to ask what had happened, but it didn’t seem like the kind of conversation that could happen here.

“Shall we move to a different place?”

“…Okay.”

I was relieved she agreed. Had she refused, it would have been even more troublesome. People in her state tended to be stubborn, and my communication skills weren’t great at persuasion.

We moved to the secluded area behind the school building. There, I finally looked her in the eye. Her eyes, usually unnecessarily bright, were now clouded. What had happened to her?

“Is something wrong?”

“…It doesn’t concern you, Tendo-san.”

“But Take-san from the Tendo household is worried.”

“…”

She bit her lip. After some thought, she slowly replied “I don’t want to tell you, Sakurako-san.”

“Is that so?”

If she said that, no amount of persuasion would make her open up. That was the state Hinomoto-san was in. It was probably something she genuinely didn’t want to discuss with me, and maybe it was better if I didn’t push.

So, what to do? Leave her be? I couldn’t do that, but there was nothing I could do on my own. I was at a complete loss.

“…Hah.”

Still, all hope wasn’t lost. I never thought I’d do this kind of thing. 

I pulled my smartphone from my pocket, selected a number from my contacts, and made a call. Before the call connected, I cleared my throat, preparing my voice.

“Ah, um, Sensei? Cough I’m feeling feverish and my throat hurts. Could I take the day off?”

The response was a given. When I disconnected the call, I looked at Hinomoto-san, who seemed dumbfounded. It felt like a glimmer of light had returned to her eyes.

“T-That was quite convincing.”

“Cough Never mind that.”

I told her, “Let’s skip school today—I’m such a bad influence…”

“Uh, what?”

“So, you see.”

She was slow on the uptake. I gave her a half-narrowed look.

“We’re going to my house to see Take-san.”