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

16

9. The First Love Story

After returning home, I met up with Emi and we walked to the park together.

Lately, I’ve been talking and hanging out with Emi so much, I wonder if people think we’re dating?

…Probably not, we’re still in elementary school.

I can tell she’s got her sights set on Takeru.

“So, we’re at the park, what shall we do? The slide?”

“Oh! That reminds me, Hideyoshi-kun!”

“Huh?”

“The slide! The slide!”

“Huh?”

Is there something about the slide?

“Ha…!?”

Don’t tell me she’s going to confront me about that day I accidentally saw under her skirt!?

I realized it then but forgot to scold myself, maybe she’s going to be mad about that.

I’ll admit it like a man.

“It was beyond my control… It was really just an accident… Don’t be so mad.”

“That’s terrible! The slide is meant to be sat on and slid down, right? I ran down it that time!”

“Ah, right…”

I remember the day we met, Emi running down the slope of the slide, playing the game wrong.

That’s better than her knowing I saw under her skirt by a hundred times.

“That day, you ran down too, right? You knew how to play on the slide, didn’t you!?”

“I knew… I just ran confidently because I wanted to protect Emi’s pride…”

“That’s way too meddlesome!”

Emi has grown to be quite straightforward lately.

The innocent excitement of shouting “This is fun!” when we first met seems to have faded.

I wonder whose influence that is…?

“Enough with the lovey-dovey quarrel,” she chided.

“Huh?”

I was being scolded by Emi when an unexpected person appeared nearby.

“Takeru’s sister…?”

Risa seemed to have some business with Emi and me.

“Yes! I was called over by Mr. Jumonji.”

“It’s confusing with ‘Mr. Jumonji,’ so just Risa is fine. And please stop calling me Takeru’s sister.”

I couldn’t quite grasp the connection between Emi and Risa.

When did they start meeting privately? There were too many things I didn’t understand.

Realizing this, she hurriedly explained.

“I had a talk with Ms. Sasaki today.”

“Call me by my name too!”

“So, the thing I discussed with Emi-san was about your brother.”

Risa came to me for advice about her brother, Takeru.

“I just love my real brother Takeru too much. Isn’t it strange for real siblings to feel this way? Shouldn’t I fall for someone normal? If possible, I want to know how to fall for someone else.”

In summary, that was the gist of it.

“I see…”

If Takeru ends up on Risa’s route, these two here are doomed.

There’s no guarantee that my future self will use “Command Dominance”…

“Better ask Hideyori-kun, who knows more about Mr. Jumonji than I do.”

“Did you just involve him for no reason?”

Emi looked away.

Hit the nail on the head, didn’t I…

“Hmm…” I pondered, thinking about advice for my first love consultation since being reincarnated.

“It’s way harder to suppress your feelings of love.”

Honestly, she’s still in elementary school, so there’s no need to overthink it.

So, I went on with a story mixed with my own experiences.

“Everyone worries about being hated, or if they’re already hated, or if they’ll lose the relationship they have. But if you don’t act, you’ll only have regrets.”

I died with nothing but regrets…

“So maybe there’s no need to force yourself to suppress your feelings for Takeru? Maybe someday, you’ll find someone else you like?”

In the original work, Risa was portrayed as a brocon in the first generation, but she seemed to have calmed down since the second, and I think she’s changed (though it feels like she was just demoted from the heroine role and had her appearances reduced by the production team…)

“Just make sure you don’t leave any regrets… I couldn’t convey my feelings of love… Life’s such a pain, isn’t it?”

It’s unthinkable that I’d end up playing the role of such a scumbag, villainous best friend…

“Eh? …Hi, Hideyori-kun, do you have someone you like…?”

“…”

I’ve spoken too much about my past life…

Emi looks a bit sad.

“It’s not like I have someone I like… It’s just, I saw something like that in a game.”

“A game, huh!”

It’s strange for someone under ten to have such experiences.

Risa gave me a sharp retort.

“Maybe there’s no need to suppress feelings of love. That’s good. Thanks.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve come to like you somewhat.”

“Eh? Is there a chance?”

Seriously!?

Even if it’s just somewhat, being told ‘I like you’ by the heroine!

That makes me happy!

“Ri, Risa-chan!?”

“Hahaha, Emi-san’s reaction is cute. Well, you’re about second in line after my brother.”

Seems I can’t compete with the gal game protagonist.

“Don’t suppress your feelings of love, Emi-san.”

“Muu…”

Teasing Risa and pouting Emi.

Girls really do get along quickly.

“Hug!”

Saying that, Emi hugged me.

“Haha, hahaha!”

Risa was laughing uproariously at the sight.

“Emi, what’s this…?”

“I’m not holding back my feelings, that’s what it means!”

“Huh…?”

I didn’t understand, but I let Emi do as she pleased.

It was a love advice session that reminded me a bit of the past.