Chapter 31.1
『Are you trying to hand over the role of an otome game heroine to me?』
Chako’s sudden words resound within me .
Golden eyes look at me motionlessly…
I’m unable to turn away from those eyes and continue to look up in surprise .
“… Yui-chan, you want to attach me to one of them, right?”
Chako’s brows knit as though she’s slightly troubled .
Then, she slowly continues to speak .
“I don’t know when Yui-chan found out about Tomotaksama and I . I also don’t know when you found out that I’m here with slightly different feelings than everyone… But, thinking back you’ve been trying to have me get along with everyone since the entrance ceremony, right?”
Perhaps Chako is trying to recall the old days, her head tilts a little and her gaze is raised diagonally upwards .
“You had Yuusei-chan meet me, we went to Director’s house… You let Yuusei-chan and I be alone . ”
That was around the entrance ceremony .
She probably meant the time when I went to the kitchen where Tomoyuki-san was to take the tea snacks .
It was their first meeting but, their conversation got lively and they looked like they were having fun .
“You invited Kousuke-chan and I to the Photography Club, letting us meet Sensei… Yui-chan left in the middle, letting Kousuke-chan, Sensei and I be alone . ”
Because Chako doesn’t have parents, and was worried about getting a camera .
To consult Sensei about the camera, I had Chako and Kousuke-kun go together but, I didn’t follow .
“The whole time Yui-chan was at the Student Council in summer vacation, I was at Director’s house, wasn’t I?”
When I went to the Student Council in summer vacation, there were times Chako tried to come with me .
It was probably because Tomotaksenpai told her to protect me .
Chako always accompanied me to and from school .
That’s why, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if Chako spends the time waiting in school at Tomoyuki-san’s house?
“Even when the four of us including Kousuke-chan and Yuusei-kun went to the pool, Yui-chan alone left first, didn’t you? At the Cultural Festival too, Yui-chan disappeared, and I went around with Kousuke-chan and Yuusei-chan . ”
Chako always said she wanted to stay with me but, I always exited in the middle .
Saying I was busy and so on, I left Chako and everyone .
“Now too, you’re desperately sticking up for Tomotaksama… No, maybe it’s not sticking up . Yeah… are you asking me to look at Tomotaksama properly? Un . It kind of feels like that . ”
The gaze Chako had been looking diagonally upwards with returns to me .
I receive that gaze, biting my lips strongly .
Ah .
That’s right .
It’s just like Chako said .
I made it so that Chako would be with everyone .
Nonchalantly, I made sure to excuse myself .
Sponsored Content
And right now, I thought about wanting Chako to look at Tomotaksenpai properly .
About not wanting her to turn it into a joke, laughing and playing dumb .
Because .
If Chako gets to know everyone… surely…
“… Trying to hand over the role of a heroine, I’m not trying to do something like that . ”
I understood that this world is a game .
Chako also told me that I’m the protagonist .
However, that hasn’t sunk in .
So, I wasn’t trying to hand the heroine role to Chako .
But .
However .
I remove my weak gaze from the Chako staring at me, lowering my eyes to the ground .
“… Chako… Chako, I thought that it’d be good if you like one of them . ”
Golden eyes are looking at me but, I’m unable to look back at those eyes .
“If Chako has someone you like… and your feelings become mutual…”
You date .
Sponsored Content
Whisper “I love you” to each other .
And then…
Surely, with that…
“… I thought it was good if it became your reason to live . ”
――You would think about wanting to live in this world .
My heart chills from the words I muttered myself .
That’s right .
I’m trying to attach Chako to everyone .
Kousuke-kun’s pure feelings too .
Tomotaksenpai’s attachment and feelings of seeking a family too .
Sensei’s guardian-like feelings too, Yuusei-kun’s feelings of happiness from making a friend too, Tomoyuki-san’s kind feelings too .
All, I’m using them all .
I raise the eyes I lowered .
When I do so, I look at Chako’s eyes firmly .
“――I hope that Chako will choose . Everyone who’s in this world . ”
Sponsored Content
Not me, I hope that Chako will choose .
If this feeling is to be called handing over the heroine role, then it is undoubtedly that .
Not averting my eyes, I look directly at Chako, she’s knitting her brows as usual .
Then, “Ha” after sighing, she quietly mutters .
“I thought it was weird, you know… Because this, is becoming like a reverse harem route for me . ”
The softly muttered words are strange words…
Sensing that that voice contains exasperation, I bite my lips tightly again .
“Sorry… I was selfish . ”
“Ahh, no, well… Aa by no means, would I have thought the protagonist would vacate her position for the villain…”
Chako’s troubled voice pricks my heart painfully .
… I decided that I’ll work hard, to do it over no matter how many times .
That it’s fine even if I’m the worst, awful woman .
However, my heart hurts this much having Chako discover it .
The me using the feelings of others, to grant my own wish .
I end up thinking that I don’t want such a me to be discovered after all .
… However .
This is a road I chose .