I Was Reincarnated As the Hated Scummy Best Friend in a Gal Game and the Protagonist Is Useless

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3. The Girl Who Appeared in the Park

It’s possible that I might have killed my uncle, but having recalled the memories of my past life, there’s no way I could commit murder.

Even if my appearance has become that of Hideyoshi, my heart remains that of my former self.

Being the coward I was, I don’t have the guts to do whatever I please like Hideyoshi in the main game.

“I must come up with a plan…”

I took out a notebook and pen, frantically writing down everything I could remember about “Breaking the Chains of Sorrow.”

For now, to avoid following the game’s script…

“If I don’t meet the characters from the game, there should be no problem!”

I remember the names of the game’s protagonist, Takeru Jumonji, and the heroines.

It’s okay, I’ll live comfortably without following the main storyline of the game, while making use of the Gift’s power!

Thus, I was torn between the excitement of being in the world of the game and the fear that my fate as Hideyoshi might lead to my death, and I couldn’t sleep well at all.

—

“Good morning, Hideyoshi.”

The next morning, my aunt greeted me as I woke up.

My uncle, who always looked at me with a scowl, was nowhere to be seen.

“Something’s been off with him since yesterday… He started talking about going to work and left early in the morning to look for a job.”

“He’s had a change of heart. I persuaded him.”

“Really? Is that so?”

“Yeah. [Let’s end this conversation here.]”

I used “Command Domination” to cut off the conversation.

If I slip up and it becomes known that I’ve received a Gift, it’ll be troublesome.

In this world, the treatment of Gifts is seen with either eyes of respect or eyes of fear.

Indeed, there were routes where heroines suffering from the abilities of the Gift would fall prey to Hideyoshi’s venom and meet with misfortune.

Aside from the presence or absence of a “Gift,” the world felt much the same as my previous life.

“By the way, our neighbor is finally moving in today.”

“Oh?”

Our neighbor, huh.

If this were a dating sim game, it would be the cliché plot where the heroine moves in next door.

Unfortunately, I’m cast as the scumbag, the despicable best friend.

It’s more likely for the heroine to despise me than to harbor any fondness.

Remembering my past life, where my age equaled the years I’ve been single, I took the hit all alone.

—

I had left my aunt’s place and was now at the nearby park.

I hadn’t attended nursery or kindergarten either.

Naturally, it was all because of my uncle.

And next year, I’ll be starting elementary school.

“To bestow a ‘Gift’ on such a child, this world is really…”

The ability to “manipulate people at will” is not something that should be entrusted to a child. It’s not good for their education.

To manipulate people means to easily control the world.

A dangerous power where simply saying “Give me your throne” to the nation’s leader could make it happen.

Wait? Maybe the game’s protagonist, Hideyoshi, who only brought misfortune to those around him, was actually the sensible one…

Swinging on the swing, I gazed up at the sky.

Staring at the same blue as the sky of my past life, I prayed to lead an ordinary life from now on.

“Ah… hello…”

“Hm?”

I turned towards the direction of the sudden greeting and saw a little girl standing there.

She had a small mole under her left eye and her hair was tied into twin tails on both sides.

Well, I’m just as young as she is now…

“Hello.”

Ah, girls are so cute.

I remember when I was a kid, talking to girls was embarrassing, and I’d always play soccer or dodgeball with the boys.

I’ve come to realize that as a child, I should have thought about how to win over a girl sooner.

“Are you here for the swing?”

“Swings are just a name for playground equipment, and I’m certainly not a swing.”

“But you’re playing on the swing.”

“Whatever.”

The child doesn’t seem to understand well, but whatever.

A girl started sitting on the swing next to me.

“Swings are so fun!”

“No, you just sat down; it can’t be that interesting yet!”

I can’t quite grasp the sensibilities of children and retorted.

Out of caution, I took a good look at the face of the girl sitting on this swing.

A beauty mark under her eye gives her a heroine-like charm, doesn’t it?

I love characters with beauty marks under their eyes.

When a guy has one, it makes me sigh, “You don’t get it…”

Beauty marks shine on female characters, that’s my firm belief.

A conviction from my past life.

However, in the “Breaking the Chains of Sorrow” series, there were no heroines with beauty marks.

Meaning, she must be someone unrelated to my fate.

It’s only been a day since yesterday, and there are still ten years until the main story begins.

There’s no way I’d encounter a game character the day after awakening my gift.

What a surprise.

“The word ‘swing’ kind of sounds like ‘siscon,’ doesn’t it?”

“Siscon…? Sis?”

“Guess that doesn’t translate…”

I wish she wouldn’t stop at ‘sis.’

“You have to pump to make the swing fun.”

“Pump?”

“Like this, see?”

I demonstrated how to swing by giving it a push and gaining momentum.

I haven’t been on a swing in years, but trying it again, it’s quite enjoyable.

The sensation of the wind hitting you directly is pleasant!

“Wow! This is fun!”

“Ah, so you don’t think it’s fun, huh?… Try it yourself. Move your feet and paddle the swing.”

“Uh, yeah. And, and, oh!”

The swing is gently swaying about 10 centimeters.

“It’s fun!”

“Everything is fun, isn’t it…”

I’m starting to lose my sense of childhood.

I’m beginning to think that everything is fun, and I might as well be taking my first step into being an old man.

“Next, next!”

The girl pointed to the slide.

It seems that next time, she’s interested in the slide.