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

39. Summer Plans

—☆Foreword☆—

Continuing from the first chapter, the second chapter will also undergo significant revisions with the GA Bunko editorial team, resulting in substantial differences between the web and book versions. Thank you for your understanding.

—☆　　　　☆—

The sound of cicadas echoed through the window, and brilliant sunlight streamed in through the curtains.

Several days had passed since the announcement of the final exam results, and it was already mid-July. Summer vacation was just around the corner.

The classroom was filled with the heat of summer during the lunch break.

—

The air conditioning is running, but the student sitting by the window must be unbearably hot.

In fact, the boy sitting at the very back by the window had looked listless since this morning.

“It’s hot… too hot. At this rate, I’m going to turn into dried fish… Someone lower the air conditioning to 18°C for me…”

With a face that looked like he was about to die, he complained. His name is Fusegawa Raito, the protagonist of this story.

Hearing his voice, two beautiful girls sitting next to him and in front of him turned around.

“It is certainly hot today. But if you set it to 18°C, you might catch a cold instead, you know?”

The one who said this with a gentle smile is Hanasaki Yuna. She is a neat and elegant beauty with long red hair, known for her sharp intellect and excellent grades, widely recognized as the school’s idol.

“Raito, it’s just a bit of heat. Let’s buy ice cream together on our way home. The longer we endure, the tastier it will be.”

Then, the girl sitting in front of Fusegawa Raito, who was shaking her lively blue twin-tails, is Himeno Karen. She is a sporty beauty with outstanding athletic ability, someone who leads the class with her natural brightness.

“Raito-san, why don’t you come cool off in the student council room? We can set the air conditioning to whatever temperature you want there.”

The one who spoke next to Raito was Sakuramiyama Miyuki. She is known as the student council president of this school, her elegantly curled long blonde hair flowing gracefully.

Raito looked up at Miyuki’s words. His expression sparkled as if he had found an oasis in the desert.

“Miyuki-senpai, that’s a great idea! I was planning to stay in the classroom because it’s hot, but if we can rest in the student council room, let’s all go!”

“Oh my, Raito-san has perked up!”

“As expected of the student council president, Miyuki-senpai. You’re so reliable!”

“Then let’s head there right away.”

Thus, surrounded by three heroines, the protagonist Fusegawa Raito made his way to the student council room.

This scene is reminiscent of “The Lovestruck Maiden is in Love with Fusegawa-kun.” The protagonist, fed up with the sweltering classroom, enjoys a delightful time with the heroines in the student council room.

Recalling such a harem rom-com scene, I watched from the front row as the protagonist and the heroines left the classroom.

――This is a world of romantic comedy.

The lovestruck maiden is in love with Fusegawa-kun, commonly known as Fusekoi.

I have reincarnated into this world as the “villainous delinquent character.”

When I first reincarnated, I was treated poorly by the entire school, but my life changed dramatically when I scored first in the final exams.

Even classmates who had directed hostility towards me and the teachers began to change their attitudes.

By behaving like an exemplary honor student, adopting the appearance of a refreshing high school boy, and directly defeating the protagonist Fusegawa Raito, my evaluation shifted significantly.

To escape the villain role and seize the best youth, I can say that everything is going well so far.

However, I still won’t let my guard down.

It is precisely because things are going well that I need to tighten my focus even more.

There are still many people in this school who view me as an enemy, and this world has a high possibility of trying to bring about my downfall again, just like in the original story.

I did indeed defeat the protagonist Fusegawa Raito head-on in the final exams. However, I am still far from shedding the villain character and stepping into the protagonist’s shoes. It is essential to continue striving without showing any weaknesses.

With that resolve hidden in my heart, I reached for the bento box in my bag—just then.

“Ryusuke, let’s eat together!”

The moment the classroom door swung open with vigor, all eyes turned to the girl who entered with boundless energy. Everyone was captivated by her beauty.

Her glossy black hair flowed down to her waist, and her clear blue eyes sparkled like jewels. Long eyelashes framed her large, round eyes, and her moist lips were a beautiful cherry blossom pink, glistening softly.

Her perfectly sculpted features resembled a meticulously crafted doll, her skin as translucent as porcelain, and her limbs long and graceful.

With every step she took, her ample chest swayed, drawing envious glances not just from the boys but from the girls as well.

The girl, possessing a beauty that could only be described as flawless, gathered the attention of the entire classroom while beaming a radiant smile in my direction.

Her name was Mashiro Amanatsu.

My precious childhood friend, and the strongest beauty in this academy—no, in the world.

When Mashiro’s eyes met mine, she skipped joyfully and rushed straight over to me.

“Ryusuke, I’m coming over again today!”

“Yeah, Mashiro. I made your bento as well.”

“Wow, thank you, Ryusuke! I’m already so hungry… I can’t wait to eat!”

As I handed her the other bento box while she pulled out a chair to sit next to me, she cradled it carefully in both hands.

Hugging the bento box like a stuffed animal, Mashiro wore an innocent, pure smile. Watching her, I had to suppress the urge to let my lips curl up in a grin as I began to open my bento box.

“In response to yesterday’s request, I made hamburgers and tamagoyaki today. And some cherry tomatoes too.”

“Yay! Hehe. I love you, Ryusuke!”

“What a straightforward girl…”

Even as I said that, a not-so-unpleasant expression crept onto my face. Mashiro, sitting beside me, opened her bento box, her clear blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

Then, she held up her cute chopsticks adorned with a drawing of a cat and put her hands together.

“(Itadakimasu)!”

With a cheerful voice, Mashiro took a big bite of the tamagoyaki first. Her expression brightened even more, and she placed her hand on her cheek, smiling blissfully.

“Wow… I love the tamagoyaki you make, Ryusuke. It’s so fluffy and sweet-salty, it’s the best…”

“You’re as dramatic as ever. Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

“Hehe, it’s just really delicious. Thank you for making it every day!”

With that, Mashiro smiled up at me.

Ah, that smile is so cute, and she’s got egg on her cheek, looking so defenseless—she’s still such an angel, my childhood friend.

As I felt my heart racing inside, Mashiro next brought the hamburger to her mouth. It seemed to be just as exquisite, and she wore a very satisfied expression.

“Phew. As always, your bento is the best, Ryusuke.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re satisfied. Don’t hold back—eat as much as you want.”

“Mm!”

With that, Mashiro poked at the bento I made with her chopsticks. Just seeing her puppy-like reaction made all the effort of preparing the bento worthwhile.

Since the start of the final exams, I had been preparing Mashiro’s bento like this, and my cooking skills had improved even more than before.

Thanks to the cooking experience I gained in my previous life, I already had a decent level of skill, but recently, with more opportunities to cook for my family and for Mashiro’s bento, I felt like I had further honed my abilities.

As I brought the food I made to my mouth, savoring how well it turned out today, I noticed Mashiro had stopped eating and was staring at me intently.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Mashiro? Did I put something you don’t like in there?”

“No, no! I like everything you make, Ryusuke! It’s just that… oh, summer vacation is coming up soon, huh?”

“Yeah, the final exams are over now. There’s not much left of the first semester.”

“Hey, hey! Do you have any plans for summer vacation, Ryusuke? Are you already full of ideas?”

“My plans? Now that you mention it… Hmm.”

Honestly, I had only been focused on getting through the end-of-term ceremony safely and hadn’t thought about how to spend my summer vacation. My smartphone calendar app was completely blank, with no plans at all.

Then it hit me.

Maybe I could use this summer vacation to break free from my role as the villain.

In a romantic comedy, summer vacation is the season when high school students experience their sweet youth. There are plenty of fun events to enjoy.

The protagonist of a romantic comedy spends that summer vacation reveling with the heroines, living out those bittersweet days of youth, and the story unfolds. New romances begin, existing relationships deepen, and various encounters happen—summer vacation is truly a treasure trove of events.

If I, like them, could spend a summer vacation befitting a protagonist rather than a villain, I might be able to bring about a new change in this world.

But what should I do?

I couldn’t think of anything specific.

In my previous life, summer vacation meant either playing games all night or staying in to watch anime. While I had seen and read about summer vacation-like activities in light novels and games, putting them into practice was another story.

Shindo Ryusuke had always prioritized goofing around with his friends over summer-themed youth events, whether it was summer vacation or a regular weekday…

As I pondered how to spend this summer vacation in a romantic comedy style, Mashiro was looking at me with an expectant gaze.

Her eyes sparkled like a child’s.

“Could it be that you’re free this summer, Ryusuke? Do you have any plans to go anywhere?”

“Uh, well… not at the moment…”

“Really!? Then—”

At that point, Mashiro’s face suddenly turned red for some reason, and she glanced at me before quickly looking away.

Then, in a small voice, she murmured.

“I-I want to play a lot with you, Ryusuke. I want to go to the beach. I want to go camping, and maybe I want to check out a summer festival too…”

Mashiro brought her fingertips together, fidgeting as she said that.

Her gesture was incredibly cute, but something about her demeanor felt different from usual.

—

If it were the usual Mashiro, she would probably say something like, “Then it’s settled! Let’s play together!” But why is she being so demure?

As I ponder this, Mashiro looks up at me with her eyes sparkling.

“Is that a no?”

With those glistening eyes, she asks, and I momentarily freeze.

I truly think it’s unfair how Mashiro can be so coy when she asks for something. And the fact that it’s so natural for her makes it even more unfair.

The gap between her usual carefree personality and this behavior makes her incredibly cute, and I can’t help but want to grant her every wish.

Moreover, her proposal is something I’ve been eagerly anticipating.

Spending summer vacation with the world’s most beautiful girl, Mashiro.

Camping together, going to the beach, heading out to summer festivals――.

Just thinking about those dazzling days of youth makes my heart race.

“If Mashiro wants to go, I’ll go anywhere with you. But why are you acting so shy? It’s completely different from usual.”

“Um, well… it’s just that… hee hee.”

Mashiro gazes at me with a bashful smile.

The blush on her cheeks is not just my imagination.

Her face is radiating shyness, and she wears a very happy expression. Then, Mashiro slowly opens her mouth.

“See, I’ve never done anything summery with Ryuusuke, so I was worried you might turn me down. But I’m so glad… This year, I really want to make summer memories with you, Ryuusuke.”

With that, Mashiro shows a bright smile, like a flower blooming. It seems she genuinely looks forward to spending summer vacation with me.

And indeed, in Shindou Ryuusuke’s memories, there are no recollections of doing summery things with Mashiro.

I had spent summer vacations just like any other day, and I had never invited her to do anything special. But this girl had always wished to create summer memories with me, her important friend.

I couldn’t dismiss that feeling, and more than anything, I was happy that she felt that way about me.

I turned to her again, smiling softly as I said,

“Alright, I got it. The beach, camping, summer festivals. We’ll do it all. It’s a promise.”

“Yay! Thank you, Ryuusuke! I’m so happy!”

Hearing that response, Mashiro grabbed my hand and jumped for joy.

Just seeing her puppy-like excitement makes me look forward to the upcoming summer vacation even more.

Let’s enjoy a summer vacation that isn’t villainous, together with Mashiro――.