Translator: Haruto.

Volume 3:
The Villain is Pushed Around.

A week has come and gone since the school camp ended, and June is right around the corner…

“Thanks for the food! Phew. It was as delicious as always.”

I pat my belly a few times after eating the meal Hibari prepared for me this evening. She places a cup of coffee in front of me and begins washing the dishes.

“I’m glad you liked it, Yuuji-sama. I enjoy seeing you clean up your plate like that. It makes cooking all the more rewarding.”

“That just goes to show how tasty your food is, Hibari. I even ate three whole rice bowls today!”

Today’s main dish was ginger-grilled pork.

Even though it’s easy for pork to get kind of tough when you grill it, Hibari’s was exceptionally soft, and the sauce she paired it with was also full of flavor. Everything from the pork to the rice was so incredibly well done that I couldn’t help smiling every time I put a bite in my mouth. It was the kind of food you’d expect from a professional chef.

“It makes me happy that you like my cooking, however, you exercise far too little considering the amount of food you eat, so I’m afraid you’ll end up gaining weight.”

“Yeah, I know…”

I’ve been starting to get worried about my weight lately. I’m scared I’ll turn this well-built body the old Kasashima Yuuji left behind into a mass of chubbiness. I guess I should increase the number of reps I do each day. Anything to avoid a greasy bad ending.

“Ah, by the way, Mahiro-san… wait, you don’t know her. Um, a girl from my class took a picture of us.”

“A picture? Is she a stalker or something?”

“No, it’s not like that… It seems I gave you the wrong idea. You see, the day the school camp ended, she noticed how much fun you and I were having and couldn’t help taking a picture of us. She printed it and said we could have it.”

Well, she still took it without permission, which is the kind of thing a stalker does.

“She gave me two copies. Do you want one?”

“I don’t really enjoy looking at pictures of me all that much. I always appear expressionless in them.”

“Ah, I see…”

This is a touchy subject for her so I probably shouldn’t insist too much. Hibari has mentioned how harsh her school life was because of her inability to express her emotions well, and back at the amusement park, she also told me about how much it still bothers her.

As soon as I got home today, I took a look at the picture that Mahiro gave me; its quality was amazing, as expected of such an expensive camera, and while Hibari’s expression remained as bland as always… you could somehow tell she was enjoying herself.

“Well, it’s okay if you don’t want it… but, as my teacher said, the school camp didn’t end until we arrived home, so technically, that picture counts as a memento of our time together during the school camp, Hibari, so… I don’t know… Haha…”

What the heck am I even saying? Hibari didn’t actually go to the school camp and she already said she doesn’t like pictures. She’s not going to change her mind—

“Very well, please let me have a copy.”

“Oh, really? Alright, I’ll give it to you later.”

“Thank you very much… You certainly are quite the smooth-talker, Yuuji-sama.”

“Huh? Thanks…?”

“But the fact that you do it without thinking is just… Haa…”

“Huh?! What’s with that huge sigh?! Is being a smooth-talker bad or something?!”

I’m now able to read Hibari’s expressions, or lack thereof, a bit better… but I still can’t tell what she’s thinking from time to time.

Hold on. What if I’m just dense…? Nah, there’s no way I’m like those dense protagonists. No freaking way.

***

The next day.

As soon as first period ends, a group of people begin chatting excitedly among themselves.

“Listen to this, Mahiro-san…!”

“No, I come first!”

“It’s my turn!”

“Calm down, guys. We still have six more classes left today, and a break between each of them that we can use to discuss all of your problems.”

“Mahiro-saaaan!” all the girls around her exclaim at the same time.

They go crazy every time Mahiro smiles. She really is as popular as in the game, but well, what would you expect from the school’s “Prince” as people like to call her?

A fair amount of time has passed since the entrance ceremony took place, so the girls that had kept their distance until now, and only dared to look at Mahiro from afar, have now finally begun to approach her. Mahiro seems to have no issue dealing with them, always knowing exactly what to say.

As for Rina, she gets to hog Yuito while her sister is busy.

“Ah, the bell is about to ring!”

“Let’s talk again later, Mahiro-san!”

“You got it.”

I stand up from my seat immediately after the girls return to their own seats, and walk towards Mahiro. Sitting near her, Yuito looks at me with excitement in his eyes, but sorry, buddy… it’s not you I need right now.

I arrive at Mahiro’s desk… Rina’s staring at me for some reason, though…

“Mahiro-san, do you have a moment?”

“Oh, Kasashima-kun. What do you need?”

“I wanted to thank you again for the picture.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m sorry for taking it without asking.”

“It’s fine… I know that’s just the kind of girl you are.”

She’s the one who asked me to take sneaky pics of Yuito after all.

“Hehe, yeah, I guess you’re the only one who knows that side of me, huh.”

“And it doesn’t make me happy one bit. But anyway, I was honestly amazed at how clear that picture was.”

“Well, I did take it with a pretty expensive camera. I’m glad you liked it. Did your maid take the other copy?”

“Yeah, she even framed it. I just put it in a photo album.”  

“Oh, that’s nice.”

Having finished our conversation, I start walking back to my seat, but then—

“Alright, guys, sit down. The quiz I mentioned yesterday will begin now.”

Our math teacher, Mr. Ishitsuru, a man of around thirty years old with straight black hair and glasses, enters the room in his usual suit.

But wait… A quiz…? Did he say there’ll be a quiz?

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Reincarnated as the Older Brother of a Romcom Protagonist ~For Some Reason, the Heroines Seem to Like Me More~

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