NOVEL NEXT chapter 6
6. The Bond of Evil
While I continue to eat udon, listening to Mashiro’s lively chatter.
It seems she has many gal friends, as my surroundings quickly filled with them during our meal.
Apparently, I’m quite the celebrity among the gals, even beyond Mashiro, and I’m reminded of my solidified position as a villain.
Seeing me at school, they say things like it feels like it’s about to snow even though summer is just around the corner, or that a meteor might fall from the sky—such outrageous comments.
Yet, only Mashiro speaks kindly to me. No matter how coldly I treat her, she doesn’t leave, likely due to our long-standing childhood friendship. The bond we nurtured since we were kids is strong, and it won’t crack easily.
If this were a romantic comedy from the protagonist’s perspective, Mashiro and I could enjoy a sweet and sour youth together, but in our case, as the villains, the situation is a bit different.
“Ryusuke, listen! The student council president, Sakuramiya-senpai, keeps scolding us about our outfits because they disrupt the school’s decorum. Isn’t that ridiculous? The school rules say we can dress and style our hair freely!”
“Mashiro-chan, you got told too? I was just scolded in the hallway about my skirt length and hair color. Our student council president is seriously annoying, right? She just complains and then heads up to the rooftop.”
“Mashiro and Nana too? Isn’t that crazy? We’re just following the school rules, and we have to put her in her place someday!”
From what I gather from the gals’ complaints, they seem to be in opposition to one of the heroines, the student council president, ‘Miyuki Sakuramiya.’
The typical antics of a delinquent gal assigned the role of a villain involve envying the capable and kind-hearted heroine, confronting her with “Don’t get cocky!” or mentally tormenting her for not being to their liking—those are the usual patterns of mischief.
However, such misdeeds are generally thwarted or condemned by the protagonist, serving as events that bring the protagonist and heroine closer together. In fact, there were similar developments in “Fusekoi.”
In short.
We here are all just mere stepping stones, and the relationships that arise among us are not sweet and sour like romance. It’s more like a bond of evil, united to fight against the protagonist.
And what lies ahead is absolute defeat; no matter how cleverly we scheme to drag the protagonists down, the outcome will inevitably converge into a bad ending.
That’s the future scene depicted in the original work, and we will always be mere obstacles to the events that deepen the bond between the protagonist and the heroine.
If my relationship with them continues, I will never escape my role as a villain. I must somehow break free from this bond of evil, avoid the future of ruin, and live a youth that everyone admires.
Starting tomorrow, I’ll need to prepare a lunch to avoid getting entangled with them. Dining in the cafeteria is dangerous; that much is clear.
Resolutely, I stand up with my empty dishes in hand.
“Mashiro, I’m heading back. See you.”
“Ryusuke? There’s still about 30 minutes left in lunch break! You’re going back already?”
“Yeah. I want to sleep until class starts.”
“Class… You’re not just at school, but actually attending classes? No way, what really happened? Did you eat something bad?”
“I’m perfectly healthy. It’s just that I stayed up quite late last night, and now I’m really sleepy.”
—
“Got it. Ryusuke is a habitual night owl, after all. Living a life turned upside down is just his norm.”
Mashiro looked at me with a face of disbelief, but upon seeing me rub my sleepy eyes, she nodded in understanding.
Well, I could understand why Mashiro was surprised. The Ryusuke Shindo from before my reincarnation would have skipped classes without a second thought. But now, things are different.
Having been reincarnated, I’m not a villain; I’m living a different life. My attendance is barely scraping by, and my grades are the worst they could be. To somehow turn that around, I need to put in the effort to attend classes seriously, as it’s essential for my own happiness.
Leaving the group of girls gathered in the cafeteria behind, I returned my dishes to the return station and began walking towards the classroom alone.
As I walked down the hallway, the surrounding students either looked scared or whispered among themselves. But for now, patience is key. Acting violently as a villain will never lead to anything good. First, I’ll aim to be an honor student.
Once I reached the classroom, I slumped over my desk and began to take a nap.
By now, on the rooftop, the protagonist, Yorito Fusegawa, along with the heroine, Yuna Hanazaki, and the others—Kakeru Himeno and Miyuki Sakuramiya—should be having a conversation typical of a romantic comedy.
As I wished to experience such youth in this world, I let my consciousness drift into dreams.