“Shotaro-senpai, you shouldn’t forget about me. I’m your junior, the one you confessed to, after all.”

Nanaka got the words out before I could make up an excuse.

Naturally, both Mina and I fell silent. Nanaka folded her arms triumphantly.

What’s with this girl, suddenly appearing and interfering… Wait, I did the same thing.

I see, it really was annoying. Being interrupted by someone who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere was frustrating. I knew Nanaka from my previous life, even if only through a screen. But to Nanaka, I was a complete stranger.

Still, I wanted to avoid that worst ending at all costs. The other routes too, of course.

“How cruel…”

“Huh?”

Mina muttered.

“That’s so cruel… isn’t it?”

“Mina…”

She clutched my shirt tightly with an indescribable expression.

“My, my, Senpai… how unfortunate ♪.”

Nanaka’s smug giggling increased my anxiety.

So I’m the one heading for a bad ending first? Ha ha ha, this is troubl—

“That’s why you shouldn’t confess so recklessly! Even if it’s a fake confession, girls will remember it forever!!”

“Huh?” Nanaka and I said in unison.

How did Mina know it was a fake confession…

~The night of Shotaro’s confession~

“B-big brother, is it true you confessed to someone!?”

“Eh, where did you hear that…”

“I was passing by the school and heard others gossiping about it… I-I wasn’t waiting to walk home with you or anything!”

“Ah, that? That was… (I can’t just say I was preventing a relationship-stealing scenario!)”

“You can’t say it… so it’s true…”

“Um, I can’t explain in detail right now, but it was part of a strategy. Actually, an acquaintance of mine is really shy with his girlfriend…”

“Th-that has nothing to do with you confessing to someone! Stupid! Big brother, you idiot!!”

“Wait, wait, calm ddow, Mina! The person I confessed to was someone who was interfering with their relationship… because of her, the couple couldn’t be lovey-dovey. Anyway, by confessing to her, I wanted those two to rediscover that they’re a couple…”

“Even after hearing that, I still don’t understand why you needed to confess, but in the end, you don’t… like the girl you confessed to?”

“Y-yeah. Of course not!”

“…Then it’s fine. I-it’s not like it matters to me whether you confessed to someone or not!! …Thank goodness, I thought I’d lost my chance before I could say that thing…”

“…Ah, that’s what it was.”

I’d explained so quickly that I’d forgotten what I’d said, but the memory gradually came back to me.

Getting involved with those three prominent characters seemed to have paid off.

Maybe today’s date was because she was jealous about that… or was I overthinking?

“Mmmm~!”

Once again, her plan had failed, and Nanaka bit her lower lip in frustration. Now she was also labeled as a victim of my fake confession. Meanwhile, I sighed in relief.

The advantage was on our side, but it was safer to leave for now.

“See you, junior. I’m busy with my date.”

I took Mina’s hand and hastily left the scene.

“This is what happens when big brother makes fake confessions—you get pestered by troublesome people!”

“Y-yeah, you’re right. Man, I’m really glad you were here, seriously.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’m truly grateful. Hey, how about I buy you whatever you want right now?”

“Okay, I’ll take you up on that… What I want is a confession, though.”

“…?”

Mina stopped walking. She seemed to want to say something, opening and closing her mouth.

W-wait, even the most expensive thing at an amusement park wouldn’t cost more than 30,000 yen, right? If she asked for something that costly, big brother’s wallet power level would instantly drop to zero.

“Big brother, actually…”

“Wh-what is it?”

What on earth was she going to ask for…?

“Actually, we—… no, never mind.”

“Are you sure?”

It seemed it wasn’t about what she wanted, after all.

Actually… What was it? I was really curious. I hoped it was not something impulsive again. I prayed it was nothing serious.

If only I had heard the rest of Mina’s words sooner… Later, I would come to regret this.

.

.

“This won’t be so easy… But I still have a secret plan!”

Watching Shotaro and Mina’s backs as they walked away, Nanaka licked her lips.

Chapter 16: Crushing A New Route

“Thank you so much for today~!”

We returned to the station where we had gathered in the morning, and our double date came to an end.

Shiori-chan waved cheerfully, her other hand firmly holding Shu-kun’s in a lovers’ grip.

“Haah…”

After the two disappeared from sight, Mina and I both let out a huge sigh together.

“Somehow we didn’t get found out…”

“Yeah, that’s true… By the way, Shiori’s boyfriend started smiling more halfway through, like he became a different person. Did you do something, big brother?”

“Nothing special, but I guess I did give him a little push to be more honest.”

“Hmm… so you weren’t jealous of the handsome guy and pushed him off a cliff?”

“I wouldn’t do that! That’s murder!”

“Yes, yes, I know. I know big brother isn’t that kind of person. Let’s head home too.”

Mina walked a step ahead, hugging the stuffed animal I’d bought for her.

Oh, by the way, we didn’t kiss… yes. Well, we were fake lovers, and we’re blood-related siblings, so this was expected.

Fortunately, Shiori-chan was too absorbed with the newly cheerful Shu-kun to ask “Did you kiss?” or pressure us about it. Judging from how they were acting, they’d probably kissed.

Suddenly, I had a thought today. If I successfully prevent this boyfriend-stealing game, there was a possibility I might return to my original world. If that happened, I would disappear from this world, and the original Shotaro would come back. That would mean saying goodbye to my current connections and to Mina.

…No, my own situation could wait. Right now, I needed to properly prevent the boyfriend-stealing and ensure everyone got a happy ending.

…Yes, even the heroine who was trying to steal boyfriends—

“Big brother, what are you doing?! Let’s go!”

“Yes, yes, wait up!”

I hurried to catch up with Mina.

It was a mystery why Nanaka was at the amusement park, but since she didn’t do anything afterward, it was probably just a coincidence.

Well, tomorrow Monday would come again, and I’d be busy watching over Isamu and Haruka.

And—the scenario had progressed from the point where I’d prevented Nanaka’s kiss. That meant a new route had been unlocked.

This route was my least favorite in the original game. The development most hated by people who despised netorare… no, the cause that made people hate cheating.

“Heh heh… My dick is thicker and lasts longer than your boyfriend’s. Hey, cry a little more nicely, would you?” 

“…Stop it. I have… I have a boyfriend…” 

“Huh? Your boyfriend is totally into my sister, isn’t he? Let’s get along over here too, shall we…?”

Nanaka’s—scumbag older brother’s heroine-stealing route.

I’d stop this at all costs, even if it killed me.

Here’s the accurate translation using past tense: