I Reincarnated as the Villain in a Rom-Com but I’m Enjoying Youth with My Favorite Heroine

26. An Unexpected Encounter

“We bought a lot, didn’t we, Ryusuke?”

“Yeah… I never expected to buy this much.”

We were in the food court of the shopping mall.

Sitting at the table, Mashiro and I were taking a break.

At my feet was a bag filled with clothes I had just bought.

After enjoying Mashiro’s fashion show, I had her pick out clothes that suited me from another store.

It felt like I was a male dress-up doll, and I went along with it. I was truly impressed by Mashiro’s sense in selecting clothes.

To shed my villainous image, I requested a refreshing and clean outfit, and she provided precise advice, creating one stunning coordinate after another that made me gasp.

My outfit, with a design that suits even my rugged face, has suddenly become stylish. As long as I have the clothes that Mashiro picked out for me, I won’t have to worry about anything when going out from now on.

And today, to my surprise, Mom gave me 30,000 yen as pocket money.

She must have sensed that I needed clothes for my new life. Thanks to her, I was able to buy more than enough clothes. When I get home, I want to show her what I bought and express my gratitude.

As I happily held a glass filled with cola and sipped through a straw, Mashiro placed an orange juice on the table and flashed an innocent smile.

“By the way, isn’t it great that there’s a CU at the shopping mall? It’s so cheap and the selection is amazing!”

“It’s a blessing for high school students. I wanted to gather various clothes at a low price rather than focusing on brands.”

“Right, right! Ryuusuke, you stopped wearing those yankee-like clothes, but you were having a hard time finding other things to wear, weren’t you? I’m in the same boat, but if I’m aiming for a neat and clean look, I might have to go shopping a lot again!”

“I’ll go with you then. I had fun at your fashion show.”

“I had fun too! While looking in the mirror in the fitting room, I kept wondering how Ryuusuke would react. And every time the curtain opened, Ryuusuke had a different reaction! Your face would turn bright red, or you’d look like you were about to grin, or you’d cover your mouth and look away. That’s what made it so interesting!”

“W-Was it that different?”

“Super different! But the words that came out were all the same. ‘Not bad, just this.’ That was so funny it made me laugh!”

“Hah… So that’s why the ‘not bad’ ban was put in place…”

“Ahaha, exactly!”

Mashiro leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands, and gazed at me with her blue eyes. Her delighted smile made my heart skip a beat, and I looked away again.

But I guess Mashiro could see right through what I was thinking. She was teasing me in a cheerful way, and I could tell she was having fun; that made me happy too, and I genuinely wanted to see her even happier.

Still, feeling embarrassed is just that—embarrassing. I wanted to cool down my heated body, so I took another sip of cola and let it flow down my throat. The carbonation seemed to ease the heat in my body a little, but my heart continued to race.

Just as our glasses were empty, I thought it was about time to start shopping for dinner.

Suddenly, someone called out to me, and I turned around instinctively.

“Hey, Ryuusuke. What a coincidence to run into you here!”

With a refreshing smile and a wave, my protagonist’s best friend character, Reo Kizaki, approached.

I guess he came straight to the shopping mall after club activities. He was in his uniform, carrying a sports bag over his shoulder.

Next to him stood another boy in the same uniform. Who could that be?

“Reo, just coming back from club? Wait… didn’t you tell Fusegawa you couldn’t hang out this weekend?”

“The practice on the weekend ends in the morning. The beach trip that Raito invited me to is all day, right? So it doesn’t match up, but I can hang out in the afternoon.”

“Oh, I see. Given what I heard about Fusegawa, I guess it wouldn’t work out if it was just the afternoon.”

“Exactly. So I have free time in the afternoon, and I came straight here after club. I didn’t want to waste time going home, so I came in my uniform.”

“I see. By the way, who’s this next to you?”

“Yeah, let me introduce you. This is Kyoya Nishikawa from the same basketball club. He’s in the same year as us.”

Reo pointed to introduce him, revealing a high school student with chestnut short hair styled with wax and sharp eyes.

He had a solid build and was probably over 180 cm tall, exuding an intimidating presence with his sharp gaze, resembling a delinquent like me—a rough type of athlete. Unlike Reo’s refreshing handsome vibe, his well-defined features certainly placed him in the handsome category.

When introduced by Reo, Nishikawa gave a curt nod.

“…Thanks.”

“Ahaha, Kyoya. You don’t have to be so stiff. This is Ryusuke. He’s a friend from my class. Remember? I told you about him, how he stood out in gym class during basketball.”

“Oh… you’re that Shindo Ryusuke.”

After that introduction, I introduced myself as well. Feeling a bit nervous, I took a slow breath and spoke.

“I’m Shindo Ryusuke from Class 2. I just recently became friends with Reo, but he’s been helping me out a lot. Nice to meet you, Nishikawa-kun.”

“…No need for an introduction. I know all about you. The rumors never stopped. I just didn’t recognize you for a moment because your casual clothes look completely different.”

“Ah, well, I guess that makes sense.”

The name Shindo Ryusuke is infamously known for the wrong reasons at our school, Kio Academy High School.

He’s known for skipping school freely, committing misdeeds both day and night, and is recognized as the biggest delinquent in the school. Even in the original story, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know his name. So, it’s only natural that Nishikawa Kyoya would know me.

And I also know Nishikawa Kyoya through the original story.

He’s always with Reo and often meets with Fusegawa Raito. Although he doesn’t have any standout moments, he left an impression with his lively personality. He likes basketball, but I also remember seeing him portrayed as someone who enjoys anime and games, particularly competitive FPS games.

Nishikawa continued to glare at me with sharp eyes.

“There’s been quite a buzz about how you suddenly started coming to school recently and how you suddenly began taking classes seriously. Then Reo said you became friends, which surprised me… but seeing you like this, it seems legit. You definitely don’t look like a delinquent.”

“Kyoya, I’ve told you many times. Ryusuke is a good person. I’ve heard he’s a huge delinquent at school, but that’s not true at all. He’s serious, sincere, and a gentleman.”

“It’s rare to hear Reo praise someone like that. Still, I’m not convinced.”

Nishikawa crossed his arms and looked at me with suspicion. Given my past actions, it’s not surprising he’d react this way. And if a delinquent suddenly became friends with someone from the basketball club, it’s only natural for him to be cautious.

“…Look, I’m not trying to oppose Reo or anything. I think of him as a valuable friend, and no matter what happens in the future, that won’t change. I’m just… worried.”

“Worried? Why’s that?”

“Reo is a kind guy. I’m thinking there might be those who would take advantage of his kindness. Like this Shindo Ryusuke here.”

“Kyoya, that’s something I can’t just let slide. It’s true that my relationship with Ryusuke might still be shallow. But I trust Ryusuke, and I’m convinced he’s not the kind of person everyone says he is.”

“Is that so? I can’t see it that way. I’m worried that Reo might be getting fooled. There was an incident with Fusegawa in Reo’s class, right? It became a hot topic at school when he suddenly yelled and grabbed him by the collar.”

Nishikawa’s gaze held the ‘clear hostility’ I had felt many times at school.

I see. So, Nishikawa Kyoya is on the side of the protagonist.

Even without standout moments in the story, he participated in karaoke outings with Fusegawa through Reo and had scenes where he hung out as one of the few male friends of the protagonist. In other words, he is in opposition to me, the villain.

He is acting according to the original content to ensure I fulfill my role as the villain. He’s unconsciously trying to oppose me by severing my relationship with Reo and keeping me as the villain.

Now, what should I do?

Given the current situation, it would be difficult to convince him just by talking. The longer the persuasion takes, the more Nishikawa will continue to act against Reo’s relationship with “Shindo Ryusuke.” He’s a friend who’s been with the club far longer than I have, so it’s needless to say who Reo would ultimately side with.

How should I navigate this situation? I was desperately trying to think of the best approach when—

“Okay! Stop, stop! You’re leaving me behind and moving on without me!”

A bright voice rang out from the side.

Mashiro, who had stood up from her chair, interjected between me and Nishikawa.

“Geez! You guys were talking away without me, just the two of you! I was feeling a bit lonely, you know? So, I’m going to join in now!”

After saying that, Mashiro looked at me and gave a cute little wink.

Could it be that Mashiro intends to somehow change the atmosphere here?

As I pondered what she might do, she turned to Nishikawa and cheerfully introduced herself.

“Hey there! Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but it felt a bit tense, and I couldn’t just stay quiet.”

“Y-you are…?”

“Um, I’m Amanatsu Mashiro from Class 1-1 at Kizakura High School, just like Nishikawa-kun. I’m friends with Ryusuke!”

“Th-thank you for that…”

Nishikawa showed a hint of confusion at the sudden appearance of this girl.

Despite the situation, Mashiro maintained her usual bright demeanor. I was impressed by her effort to ease the tension.

Then, Mashiro turned to Reo, bowed her head slightly, and smiled as she greeted him again.

“Um, Kizaki-kun? I’m Amanatsu Mashiro, Ryusuke’s friend. I heard your conversation. Thank you for saying that Ryusuke is your friend!”

“Oh, so you’re the Amanatsu-san who is Ryusuke’s childhood friend. Nice to meet you, I’m Kizaki Reo. I’m in the same class as Ryusuke, and we’re good friends. Feel free to call me Reo.”

“Then please call me Mashiro too, Reo-kun!”

“Thanks! Then I’ll call you Mashiro-san. Looking forward to it.”

“Yes, likewise! Thank you for praising Ryusuke as a serious, honest, and gentlemanly person. Hearing that made me happy too.”

“That’s the truth. I’ve been watching Ryusuke for the past week, and he really is a serious and honest person.”

“Yeah, I can tell! Ryusuke is a good person. When I got hurt at school after bumping into someone, he was really worried and took me to the nurse’s office.”

“I see, so that’s how it is. I wasn’t there at the time, so I only heard about it, but seeing your face, I understand. Ryusuke must have… at that time…”

“Hehe… it’s a bit embarrassing, but yes, Ryusuke got angry for my sake. Thanks to that, my leg injury was okay, and I was able to get better and go out to play like this.”

Reo nodded at Mashiro’s words and then turned to the still-confused Nishikawa.

“So that’s what happened, Kyouya. The incident you heard about with Ryusuke and Raito. Ryusuke yelled at Raito because he was worried about Mashiro-san. It’s not what you think. He didn’t yell at Raito just because he was annoyed or angry.”

“B-but… Reo. You say that, but… everyone around us…”

“Everyone is misunderstanding. They’ve put on tinted glasses and decided Ryusuke is a delinquent. What Mashiro-san said is the truth, and everything the people around us are saying is nonsense. I’ll say it as many times as it takes: Ryusuke is honest, serious, and a gentleman.”

Reo’s words seemed to echo my own feelings, as if he were voicing what was in my heart. He understood me more than I had expected.

“Reo, I just… I don’t want you to be friends with someone strange…”

“Don’t worry. Ryusuke isn’t the kind of person you think he is. Right, Mashiro-san?”

“Yes! Ryusuke is very kind, reliable, and always protects me. He’s a wonderful person!”

Masaki smiled brightly and turned to Nishikawa.

The clear blue eyes directed at Nishikawa made it obvious that she was not lying.

And Nishikawa, turning red in the face, averted his gaze from Masaki. The hostility he had shown just moments ago seemed to have vanished, and he scratched his head as if embarrassed about something.

“Oh, right. Nishikawa-kun, if you don’t mind, would you like to hang out with us at the shopping mall? I want you to see that Ryusuke is a good person too!”

“Eh…!?”

Nishikawa was surprised by the unexpected proposal. Next to him, Reo chuckled and nodded.

“That sounds great. Can I join too? Since we’re at it, I want to become friends with Masaki-san, and more than anything, I want to know more about Ryusuke.”

“Of course! I want to be friends with Reo-kun too!”

“Thank you for saying that. Come on, Kyouya. You should join us too.”

Encouraged by Masaki and Reo, Nishikawa hesitantly nodded.

“W-Well, if Reo says so…”

“Yay! Then Nishikawa-kun, let’s become friends, and if we clear up any misunderstandings while playing together, I’d appreciate it if you could take care of Ryusuke too!”

“Y-Yeah, nice to meet you…”

With Masaki laughing innocently and Nishikawa blushing for some reason, unable to look directly at her, Reo watched the two with a cheerful smile.

I hadn’t expected the situation to turn out like this, but thanks to Masaki, not only was the atmosphere smoothed over, but she also created an opportunity for me to become friends with Nishikawa and clear up his misunderstandings.

As expected of the strongest beautiful girl.

Masaki’s cuteness and brightness even surpassed the narrative’s compelling force.

“Well then, Ryusuke, let’s all hang out!”

“Ah, thanks, Masaki. Let’s have fun together.”

As I said this, Masaki winked again and smiled.

Grateful for her, I left the food court with the four of us to have fun together.