NOVEL NEXT chapter 19
19. Friends
During the afternoon classes, the gazes of my classmates were painful.
Most of the students had witnessed the scene where I yelled at Fusegawa Raito.
The mob characters must unconsciously recognize the protagonist as the embodiment of justice. If I, as the villain, rebelled against such a figure of justice for any reason, then their openly hostile reactions were to be expected.
The protagonist and the heroines continued their love-comedy scene unchanged in the afternoon, but I could hear many concerned remarks from the heroines like, “Is your arm okay?” and “If anything happens, feel free to talk to me, okay?” directed towards Fusegawa Raito.
—
—
Thus, the events that transpired between me and the protagonist have become widely known.
This development was not present in the original story, and it was an irregular situation where my knowledge from my previous life did not apply.
Having diligently attended classes and made friends with my best friend character, Reo, I was steadily progressing with my plans, but now I find myself dragged back to square one… or perhaps even to a negative point.
Amidst such anxieties, the school day came to an end, and it was now after school.
The protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, had joined the heroine, Hanazaki Yuna, and Himenon Kakeru, and together they met with the student council president, Sakuramiya Miyuki, who had been waiting for him in the hallway. The four of them left together, looking quite close and friendly.
I had been on guard, anticipating that Fusegawa Raito might take some action against Mashiro, whom he had injured, but perhaps my clear hostility when I glared at him and said, “Don’t lay a hand on Mashiro,” had an effect.
When he glanced my way, he hurriedly turned to leave, which was proof of that. Given that reaction, it seemed unlikely that Fusegawa Raito would approach Mashiro for a while.
I intended to check on Mashiro’s leg and, if necessary, escort her home before heading back myself. Just as I stood up, slinging my school bag over my shoulder, I heard a gentle voice.
“Ryusuke, can I have a word?”
I turned around to see him.
He greeted me with a casual wave and a refreshing smile.
“Reo, what about your club activities?”
“My club starts later. Though, there’s still some time before it begins.”
Kizaki Reo, the best friend character of the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito. He was the person I had managed to befriend during today’s physical education class.
Reo slowly walked over to me.
He was the best friend of the protagonist I was in conflict with. That meant he had undoubtedly heard about today’s incident. Just like the other mob characters who had shown open hostility towards me, he probably didn’t have a good impression of me either. More than that, as Raito’s best friend, he might harbor even stronger feelings against me than the other mob characters.
That thought made me avert my gaze from him.
“By the way, I heard about what happened today. It seems like you had quite a tough time during lunch break.”
“…Yeah, I guess. If Reo is close with Fusegawa, it’s only natural he would have heard.”
“Well, yeah. In fact, friends from other classes were saying in unison that you were rough with Raito.”
“…”
I silently listened to Reo’s words.
Surely, I would be reprimanded by Reo for this. As the villain who had harmed his best friend, Raito.
However, contrary to my expectations, Reo continued to wear a gentle smile.
“As for this incident, I wasn’t there to see it directly since I was in another class. But after hearing my friends’ accounts, I thought that Ryusuke isn’t at fault.”
“Reo… but why do you think that? It’s true that I yelled at Fusegawa.”
“That may be, but it was a result of your concern for your childhood friend. Raito was focused on his smartphone and not paying attention, which led to him colliding with your childhood friend and injuring her. I think it’s only natural for you to be angry about that.”
“Mashiro is my childhood friend… how do you know that much…?”
“I have a wide network. I have friends in other classes too. One of those friends knew about your relationship with Mashiro.”
As expected of a high-spec, handsome best friend character. It seemed that many friends surrounded Reo, aside from the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito. That must be how he had heard about our relationship.
—
“Though my relationship with Ryusuke is still shallow, I can somehow tell that you’re not the kind of person who acts recklessly or unleashes unreasonable anger. I believe you have a straightforward and sincere character.”
“Can you really tell that just from playing basketball together?”
“No. I’ve been observing Ryusuke’s behavior during class and breaks. I just reaffirmed during basketball that you are indeed a sincere and gentlemanly person. Until that class started, I hadn’t reached a conclusion, and it’s true I was on guard.”
“I see. But that’s an overestimation. I haven’t been coming to school and have only done delinquent things until now.”
“Even so, you’re trying to change, aren’t you? At least, that’s how I felt. I could see you were making an effort to change who you were and live seriously.”
There was no cloudiness in Leo’s eyes, and I felt no hostility from him. He gave my shoulder a light pat and opened his mouth with a refreshing smile.
“What I wanted to say is this: no matter what others say about Ryusuke, I’m your friend. If anything happens, feel free to consult me anytime, and if there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Leo…”
I was at a loss for words. I never expected to hear such words.
Leo was different from the protagonists and the heroines surrounding him. He treated me, the villain, without discrimination. That made me happy, and I was genuinely glad to be called a friend by someone like Leo.
“Also, regarding this incident, I think the one at fault is Raito. I believe Ryusuke mentioned it, but walking while using your phone in school is dangerous. There are many people around, and the chance of bumping into someone is quite high. It’s fortunate this time it was just a minor sprain, but there’s no guarantee that it couldn’t have resulted in a serious injury, like hitting your head. I’ll talk to Raito about it. So, Ryusuke, you don’t need to worry.”
Leo’s kind words made me tremble with emotion as I looked at him.
I thought everything I had built up from today’s events had crumbled in an instant. I thought my relationship with Leo was over.
But that wasn’t the case. My efforts to break away from being a villain were not in vain. Leo standing by my side was proof of that.
He embodied the ideal friend that many people desire. He can discern what is right and what is wrong, never swayed by those around him, and he can clearly and sincerely express his intentions.
Leo’s strong spirit, which strives to uphold pure and straightforward justice for his friends, cannot be twisted, no matter how much the world tries to impose its will.
If it could be easily twisted, he could never fulfill the role of the protagonist’s supportive best friend. Only someone with true inner strength can be the emotional support for the protagonist facing numerous challenges.
And here was Leo, telling me I was right. This meant that the path to the best youth I sought was still open. I would continue this effort from tomorrow onward, building toward a happy ending.
“Oops, it’s almost time for practice. Well then, see you next time.”
“Leo. Good luck with your club activities.”
“Thanks. Ryusuke, be careful on your way home.”
“Got it.”
Leo waved goodbye and left the classroom.
I grabbed my bag and followed him out of the classroom.
A breeze blew through the window, as if pushing me forward. With that wind at my back, I made my way to the classroom where Mashiro was waiting.