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

90

46, The Girl in the Birdcage Questions

“Miyamura’s worth isn’t just in studying!”

“Mr. Jumonji…”

I told Mr. Jumonji about my past that I had sealed away.

How my father stabbed my mother to death with a knife right before my eyes.

How my mother hung herself right before my eyes.

The tragedy that occurred because I said I hated a life dedicated only to studying.

That’s why I always had to study, always had to keep my pencil moving.

On hot days, I wrote in my notebook without sparing time to wipe my sweat.

On cold days, I wrote equations in my notebook while shivering, not sparing time to dress warmly.

Mr. Jumonji outright denied such a life.

“You told me that life isn’t just about studying.”

“I will definitely save you, Miyamura!”

“Mr. Jumonji… Thank you.”

Lately, my heart feels warm.

It’s as if the time that had stopped is now being filled with light from flames.

Me, of all people, me.

I used to be troubled by the thought of why I wasn’t taken along when my father was killed and my mother took her own life. But now, I can feel grateful to be alive.

Mr. Jumonji, he’s such a wonderful person.

Maybe, just maybe, he’s my destiny? I even get a little carried away thinking about it.

The person of my first love.

“You’ve started to smile a lot more happily.”

“…Mr. Akechi?”

There stood Mr. Akechi, who’s in the same class and often spoken of as Mr. Jumonji’s best friend.

But his aura was darker than usual, almost unrecognizable compared to when I see him in the classroom.

“So, ‘I will definitely save Miyamura,’ huh… Heh heh…”

Where did he hear that?

What’s so funny?

And to laugh at his best friend’s serious words… Is there something wrong with him…?

“What’s so funny!? Please don’t make fun of Mr. Jumonji like that!”

“No, I’m not making fun of my best friend Takeru, but rather you, Miyamura.”

“Me…? What…?”

“Yeah, it’s just pitiful and sad to think you mistook the first man who said he’d ‘save’ you for Takeru… Laughable, really.”

“What…?”

“Well, well, enjoy your happiness with Takeru. It’s also a freedom to have a happy ending without knowing the truth.”

Mr. Akechi patted my shoulder familiarly and walked away.

“…”

What a creepy person…

Why does he claim to be Mr. Jumonji’s best friend?

It irritates me that he calls Mr. Jumonji by his first name before I do.

“What a piece of trash…”

Words I’d never utter in my usual self,

Yet, facing him, I feel no guilt,

For my contempt and hatred run so deep.

“Hideyori?”

The next day, I inquired about Mr. Akechi to Mr. Jumonji.

“He’s a bit rough around the edges but a good guy. Sure, he hangs out with some shady folks, but he’s cool and fun.”

“Is that so…?”

“He’s my best friend.”

Mr. Takeru was full of praise for Mr. Akechi.

But the Mr. Akechi that Mr. Takeru sees and the one I see feel worlds apart.

I consult another friend close to Mr. Jumonji about Mr. Akechi.

“Akechi?”

“Yes. You’re close with Mr. Jumonji, aren’t you, Yoru?”

“Well, Takeru and I go way back.”

“That’s why I want to hear your opinion.”

Yoru, my classmate, peered into my face with her red eyes, pondering.

Then, with a sigh, she began to speak.

“Frankly, don’t trust Takeru when it comes to Akechi. Your instincts are probably right.”

“Eh…?”

“I can’t trust or rely on him. Assume his true nature is vile and despicable, and act accordingly.”

Yoru said this with a serious face.

To be recognized by such a person,

It filled me with an indescribable sense of unease.

I rushed to Mr. Takeru.

“…That guy, he’s the worst of the worst, a vile and despicable Gift-holder.”

—

“Are you scared of Hideyori?”

Indeed, frightened, I went straight to the Jumonji residence to consult with Mr. Takeru.

I also shared the warning I got from Yoru.

“Yoru said that…?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But I want to believe in Takumi more than Yoru”

“Tenma-san…”

“But if Miyamura says so, I’ll believe you”

Tenma-san’s big hand wraps around mine, making me feel incredibly reassured.

From noble mtl dot come

I’ve been saved by this hand.

“I love you… Takumi-san”

” Eh…?”

“So soon… is it?… We’ve only been talking for a few days, and it’s already like this… Maybe I’m just easily infatuated…”

“I am too…”

Takumi-san’s face turns red.

I feel a surge of self-consciousness at his reaction.

“I like Miyamura”

Takumi-san answers clearly.

We kiss.

We continue to touch each other, staying in the same bed.

“Forever”

“Take-chan…”

There was nothing like that before, but just being together made me satisfied.

Takumi-san is a wonderful person who is liked by many people, including Risa-chan and Yoru-chan.

I start to wonder if someone like me could be chosen by such a person.

What will my daily life be like from now on as her?

I think about it as we hug each other to sleep.

“No… no… Ahhh!!!!?! Uh, so…!? Uh, that’s not me… no… Ahhh!!”

“What’s wrong, Eternal?”

I screamed in the dead of night.

Risa-chan, who lives with me, even jumped out of bed because of the loud voice.

“What’s wrong, what happened to you, Eternal?”

“K-killed…”

“What…?”

“It was… my father… who was killed… me?”

Memories I don’t recognize keep unfolding before me.

“No way, the first man who said he’d ‘save’ me, I pity him for mistaking himself for Takeru… It’s laughable to think he’s just a second choice.”

I understood the scorn in Mr. Akechi’s laughter.

“From today, it’ll be Emi and me who will save you, Mr. Miyamura.”

To think, the same words were said by that scum…

†

I’m at a loss for what kind of mood to write Takeru and Eien’s eternal lovey-dovey scene.

And just like that, a new character named “Yoru” makes his appearance.