“Fine, I’ll take you on!”

Now that Nanaka had fallen for my trap, it would be easier to make contact with the main characters to prevent the netori from happening.

So, I needed to formulate a plan. For someone like me who had already completed this eroge, all of Nanaka’s behavior patterns were predictable.

…Even just remembering it made my blood boil.

However, I couldn’t just focus on Nanaka. I’d also need to slightly change how Isamu and Haruka viewed their relationship, or it would be difficult to destroy the netori route.

If I clumsily sided with Haruka, there was a possibility she might fall for me… No, that couldn’t happen.

It would be safer to first deepen my connection with Isamu, the protagonist. Right, from tomorrow I’d approach him and—

“Big brother, are you even listening?!”

“Huh? Ah… I’m listening! Of course I’m listening!”

Come to think of it, I was having dinner with my sister right now.

The dinner menu was Mina’s special fried chicken. The golden-brown fried chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, restaurant quality. I remembered the rice going down well, and I was on my third helping.

“So what do you think about what I just said?”

What were we talking about earlier? I couldn’t remember at all. I’d just wing it…

“Oh, of course it’s fine. Anything for my cute little sister.”

“Really?! Great! I’ve got your word now! I-it’s not like I want to ask you, I have to! It’s a last resort, okay? I have no choice!”

Wait a minute, what were we actually talking about? Ask me? What did you ask me to do, dear sister?

Mina was in her third year of middle school, right in the midst of puberty and preparing for entrance exams. These moments of her seeking my attention might not last much longer, so I wanted to grant her wishes as much as possible… 

Well, if she was asking her big brother for something, she probably wanted me to buy her something. Yeah, that was totally fine! Actually, spoiling my cute little sister felt… kinda nice.

“You can rely on your big brother anytime! Once you start high school, you’ll get a cool boyfriend, and your big brother will become Mr. Garbage who dies from neglect. Ha ha ha!”

“No, no, dying is… I don’t plan on getting a boyfriend in high school, and you’re family, so of course I’ll still pay attention to you. B-besides… I don’t hate you, you know…”

“…”

My sister… Was she an angel?

Chapter 6: That Mob Character Is A Loner, Aiming For A Promotion To Friend Character ①

“Hmm… I see now.”

After eating my sister’s delicious breakfast, I headed to school in high spirits. Just as I was getting psyched up to execute my plan to prevent the netori, I started thinking about my actual position in this world.

From my corner seat in the classroom, I looked around and confirmed that no one was approaching me.

Even within the category of “eroge mob character”, there were two types:

The outgoing type who made a lot of noise and jeers, sometimes directly heckling the protagonist.

The loner type who stayed in the shadows. No one talked to them, and they didn’t even appear in the game’s text captions.

Apparently, I, Shotaro, was the loner type.

It was not like my face was particularly ugly, but I had no male friends in class, and I wasn’t even a topic of conversation among the girls.

To execute my netori prevention plan, I’d need to actively interact with those three highly noticeable people at school. In my previous life, having limitations and watching through a screen was one thing, but here, this was the reality inside a netori eroge. To have a functioning life, I needed to interact with people besides just the main characters.

I needed to change myself somehow… which meant… image upgrade time!

~1st Period: Japanese Language~

“Now, what was the author trying to convey in this passage… Anyone?”

“Me! Me!”

“Oh, Mitarai, that’s unusual… go ahead and answer.”

“If you’re going with your girlfriend, it’s Saizeriya! Their Milan-style doria is super delicious!!!”

“Your passion came through, but that’s incorrect.”

~2nd Period: After Class~

“Oh, you’re taking those notes to the chemistry lab, right? I’ll go for you, they look heavy.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Hey, you two talking over there. Would you mind helping carry these too?”

“Uh, sure…” 

“I guess it’s fine…”

~3rd Period: Physical Education~

“HYAH!!”

“Whoa, Mitarai just scored a slam dunk…” 

“And that elegant ball handling. What’s with that guy? Wasn’t he a gloomy loner until yesterday?”

~4th Period: Japanese History~

“Murmer murmer… Gah! Hamburger!”

“Hey, Mitarai! What are you doing sleeping?! Come to the faculty office later!”

“…”

After finishing four whirlwind periods, it was lunch break. After getting scolded in the faculty office, I returned to my seat, and two male students approached me.

“Hey.”

“Hm? What is it? Are you mad about me asking for help with the chemistry room stuff?”

“No, we don’t mind that at all… Mitarai, you’re actually a pretty cheerful guy, huh?” 

“You were always huddled in the corner of the classroom, so it was hard to approach you.” 

“So… we’re heading to the school store now. Wanna come along?”

There it was. Friend candidates #1 and #2.

What was important in making friends was to initiate conversation yourself. And to make them recognize that you were someone worth talking to.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Thanks. On the way to the store, tell us about how you got rejected.”

“There’s not much to tell, I just confessed and got rejected.”

Firmly flanked on both sides, they probed me with questions.

Sorry, Mina. Your big brother will take responsibility and eat your delicious lunch box after school.

In the hallway leading to the school store, I saw a familiar back. That person turned around. 

Chestnut-colored hair flowing down to about mid-back, tied in a ponytail. Big, bright eyes with long eyelashes. Wearing just lip balm, giving her lips a glossy peach color. Even through her uniform, you could tell she had large breasts.

It was the main heroine, Asatsuki Haruka. She should have been on the rooftop having a lovey-dovey lunch with Isamu, feeding each other lovingly… but…

“…Ah.”

“Hi there.”

Since our eyes met, I couldn’t ignore her, so I gave a quick bow. I thought she’d just walk past, but…

“Um, wait a minute!”

She called out to stop me.