NOVEL NEXT chapter 13
13. A Good Guy
Rei Kizaki’s skills were overwhelming.
While the other students desperately passed the ball around, he alone was doing the work of more than three people. The moment he got the ball, he moved swiftly, dodging defenders to cut in for a layup.
Every time he made a shot, cheers erupted from the crowd. If there had been girls here, there would have been shrill cries of support as well.
Rei Kizaki’s play was that dazzling, and undeniably cool.
“Shindo-kun!”
“Y-yeah!!”
Receiving a pass from Rei Kizaki, I dribbled towards the goal.
However, I found my path blocked by the opposing team, and in a moment of panic, I stepped sideways.
The opposing player missed spectacularly, and taking advantage of that opening, Rei Kizaki zipped past me from behind. As I passed him the ball, he smoothly launched a shot towards the hoop.
The ball arced beautifully, slipping through the net, and the cheers of my classmates echoed through the gym once more.
Rei Kizaki continued to shine, and our team won the match decisively.
Breathless and drenched in sweat, I stepped off the court and sat down against the wall of the gym.
Rei Kizaki, who had been entrusted with a regular spot on the basketball team since his first year, truly deserved my admiration for his performance. Even the students from the opposing team seemed to acknowledge his talent, showering him with praise after the game.
Still… the body of Ryusuke Shindo, the persona I had reincarnated into, was quite impressive. In my previous life, I had no athletic ability whatsoever, yet I was able to make precise passes in sync with Rei Kizaki’s movements and even score shots. I shouldn’t have had any experience in basketball.
Before I reincarnated, Ryusuke Shindo had been diligently working out.
Thanks to that, he could play with power and had the leg strength to maintain speed. Most importantly, his body moved exactly as he intended; when he aimed for a spot, the passes and shots flowed smoothly, the ball going through the net just as he imagined.
This body might possess the talent of a sportsman. However, the downside was that smoking had left me breathless too quickly. If I could regain my health and focus on practice, I thought I could grow to a pretty good level.
As I pondered this, Rei Kizaki ran over. He sat down next to me, wearing a bright smile.
“Good job, Shindo-kun. How was the match just now?”
“I worked up a good sweat for the first time in a while. And you were amazing, Kizaki-kun. I’d heard the rumors, but I never expected you to be this good…”
“Enough about me; what about you? Are you really a beginner? I was surprised at how accurate your passes were, even from my perspective as someone who has played basketball for a long time. Plus, your shooting form was beautiful, and you hardly missed. You definitely contributed to the team’s victory.”
“It’s a bit embarrassing to be praised by a regular like you, Kizaki-kun.”
“It’s the truth. More than anything, you have a great view of the entire court. You grasp the movements of all the players and can accurately judge the necessary plays at the right moments. Because you could do that, I felt secure moving around. I owe you my thanks. Thank you.”
“…N-no, thank you. Because in that match, you were always where you needed to be at the right time. Without you, we could never have played like that.”
“That goes both ways. You were always in positions that made it easy for me to attack. Thanks to you, I was able to move even more than usual. I’m glad to have you on the same team.”
“Haha… hearing that makes me feel a bit shy.”
—
Feeling a bit shy, Rei Kizaki scratched his cheek and chuckled softly.
“You know, when I talked to you, you were completely different from my first impression. To be honest, when you approached me earlier, I was a bit taken aback. I mean, Ryuusei Shindou, you hardly ever come to school, and you’re quite famous. I thought you’d be more of a rough-around-the-edges type.”
I can see why. No matter how high-spec my friend Rei Kizaki is, he’s just an ordinary high school student at heart. His reaction is understandable.
Ryuusei Shindou’s appearance is that of a tough delinquent, and before I reincarnated, I had been living a life deeply immersed in that delinquent image.
Moreover, until now, there had been no friendship between Rei Kizaki and me. It’s only natural that he would be on guard if someone with such a scary appearance suddenly spoke to him.
“But once we started talking, it was completely different. You’re very gentlemanly and polite. So, I want to apologize for misunderstanding you.”
“No, no, you don’t need to apologize, Kizaki. In fact, I’m grateful that you were honest about your feelings. I didn’t expect someone like you to talk to me without hesitation, so I was genuinely happy to have this conversation.”
“Ahaha, Shindou. I’ll return that compliment right back at you. I’m also glad to be talking with you. And just call me Rei; I’m not really used to being called by my last name.”
“Then you can call me Ryuusei too. Just feel free to call me that.”
“Got it, Ryuusei. I look forward to our friendship from now on.”
With that, Rei flashed a refreshing smile and extended his right hand. I hesitated for just a moment, but then I steeled myself and shook his hand.
“Likewise, Rei. I’d be happy if we could be friends.”
“Of course, let’s be friends. Oh, by the way, since we’ve gotten close like this, can I introduce you to one of my friends?”
“Eh…?”
A bad feeling washed over me. The friend Rei wanted to introduce was, as expected… that guy.
Rei shifted his gaze to the court where the match was taking place. The person he was looking at was Raito Fusegawa, the protagonist of this world.
“Look, that’s Raito Fusegawa, who’s playing in the match right now. The one wearing the number 8 jersey. Raito is my best friend. Well, we’ve been friends since high school, but we really get along and have fun together.”
“Oh, I see…”
“He’s usually surrounded by girls in the classroom, so it might be a bit hard to approach him, but I think you’ll get along with him right away.”
“Is that so…?”
If this conversation continues, it could lead to a bit of a problem.
If the protagonist, Raito Fusegawa, and I, the villain, get too close, this moment in time will no longer be an unnecessary skip in the narrative but will instead become significant.
In no time, Raito Fusegawa will be in the spotlight, fully embodying his role as the protagonist.
An event involving the protagonist and the villain—there’s no doubt it would lead to a scenario where I get crushed to highlight Raito Fusegawa.
Even if it doesn’t happen immediately, the possibility of it being foreshadowed in the story is high. If that happens, my downfall will be inevitable. I, who have not yet shed my role as the villain, will have no way to survive.
For now, I have no choice but to decline Rei’s introduction. I must avoid getting close to the protagonist at all costs.
“Sorry, Rei, but actually, I… um…”
How should I escape this situation…? As I pondered that, Rei peered into my face and smiled gently.
“I could tell just by looking at you. You’re not comfortable with Raito, are you?”
“…!?”
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes. It seemed he had sensed what I was thinking before I even said it.
“Actually, it’s not that unusual. I have a few friends like that too, so I can really understand how uncomfortable Ryuusuke feels when I see his reaction.”
“Is that so? Are there others who find Fusegawa difficult?”
“Well, yeah. He’s always with that girl, Raiton, and he never tries to talk to other boys. Plus, he has this unique aura, right? So a lot of people think he’s a bit hard to approach.”
Maybe that was the kind of aura that Fusegawa Raiton exuded as a protagonist.
In a rom-com, the main character rarely has conversations with background characters. The ones surrounding the protagonist are usually beautiful heroines or handsome friends like Reo, while the supporting characters generally don’t try to engage with the protagonist.
A world filled with background characters in a rom-com doesn’t exist, and the students assigned the role of background characters must unconsciously understand that. That’s why they all answer in unison that they find Fusegawa Raiton difficult and try to keep their distance.
As a result, this creates a rom-com world around Fusegawa Raiton. It amplifies the presence of the protagonist.
In any case, if Fusegawa Raiton has an aura that keeps background characters at bay, I should go along with that narrative. If I, like the other background characters, also claim to find Fusegawa Raiton difficult and try to distance myself from him, Reo, as my friend character, would surely understand.
“You’re right, Reo. I don’t really feel comfortable around Fusegawa either, so I guess I don’t want to get too involved with him…”
“I knew you felt that way too. Yeah, if you don’t like him, I won’t force you to interact, so don’t worry. I want to get closer to you, Ryuusuke.”
I let out a sigh of relief at those words. I could say that I had temporarily avoided the route to destruction. If Reo kept me from getting too close to Fusegawa Raiton, I could continue to get along with Reo without worry.
“Oh, it seems Raiton’s match is over, so I’m going to go see him.”
“Okay. See you later.”
“Thanks. Talk to you later.”
With that, Reo walked away from me.
As I watched Reo chatting with the sweat-soaked Fusegawa Raiton, I let out a small breath.
Thanks to becoming friends with Reo, I was smoothly stepping away from the role of the villain without straying too far from the story’s gears.
But I couldn’t let my guard down just yet.
I began to watch the next match while thinking of my next move.