My New Life as a Mob Chapter 3

"So, regarding today's homeroom..."

The homeroom teacher set two boxes down on the podium with a heavy thud.

"I believe I've mentioned a few times that the field trip is the week after next. We'll be deciding the groups for that today. Since you've all just enrolled and probably haven't interacted with everyone in the class yet, I'd like to have the boys and girls draw lots separately."

Apparently, the boxes were for drawing lots.

Honestly, that saved me. If we were allowed to choose freely, I would have been forced to group up with Saita. Narita was enthusiastic about it, and I wouldn't have had a reason to refuse him. In the first place, Saita's actions and personality are nothing but suspicious to me.

"Please pass these boxes around, and everyone takes one piece of paper from inside. The papers are numbered one through ten; that will be your group number. Once everyone has one, please gather by group and plan your field trip. For this trip, each group will have free rein over their itinerary."

At the teacher's words, the classroom erupted in excitement. Usually, high school field trips involve being dragged around museums or temples. It's rare to let students decide their own schedule.

When the box came around to me, I stuck my hand in and pulled out a slip of paper... Group 5.

"Nishikikoji, which group did you get?" 

Narita turned around and asked.

"I got Group 5."

"Ah, then we're different. I got Group 1."

Getting a different group from Narita was a serious blow. If I had at least been with Narita, I could have just spent the field trip talking to him.

...Well, more than that, the biggest problem is Saita. Whatever is going on, Saita currently knows a lot of people in the class. Even if I group up with students who didn't appear in Seka-Ai, there's a possibility they already know Saita, which could connect back to him.

"Okay. Since everyone has drawn a number, let's split up into groups. Let's see... Group 1 will be on the hallway side. Group 10 will be on the window side. Please move accordingly."

As my classmates started moving, I stood up from my seat as well.

For some reason, really just for some reason, I feel like I can sense gazes on my every move. Everyone probably didn't want to be in the same group as Nishikikoji for the field trip. I understand the feeling well. Nishikikoji wasn't just short-tempered and violent; he also had authority and money. No matter how you looked at it, getting involved with him meant trouble.

That's why it's all the more strange that Saita keeps approaching me.

Once I sat down in a seat near the middle, the teacher began the explanation.

According to her, only the location was decided for this trip, and the itinerary within that area was up to us. While letting the details about meeting times flow in one ear and out the other, I checked the members of my group.

First, one boy and one girl I had never seen in the game. Both of them had their eyes cast down and looked gloomy. They were clearly depressed.

And then, in stark contrast to those two, one girl was looking straight ahead, listening intently to the explanation.

It was Sasaki Kanna.

Honestly, she was the person I wanted to be in a group with the least, right after Saita. This field trip event is quite significant in Seka-Ai. It's an opportunity for Saita and Kanna to deepen their relationship, and at the same time, it's a scene in the Kanna Route where Saita and Nishikikoji come into conflict.

In other words, depending on how I interact with Kanna, there is a non-zero possibility that I will be forcibly integrated into the Kanna Route. To put it simply: this is very bad.

"Okay, please start working on your plans. Just submit the printout when you're done."

While I was agonizing over this, the explanation ended before I knew it.

The other groups were chatting harmoniously. On the other hand, my group had an atmosphere as heavy and sunken as a funeral.

"Wh-Where should we go?"

Only Kanna showed no sign of trouble on her face, smiling refreshingly. Though, judging by her tone, there was a hint of awkwardness.

The other two remained silent. Moreover, they looked a little frightened. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that.

"W-Where do you want to go, Sasaki-san...?"

About a minute passed before the male student finally opened his mouth. If I recall correctly, his surname is Miki. He should be from the group that entered in high school. I think he stands out in class, but I rarely see him talking to Saita.

Or rather, even though he doesn't know Nishikikoji directly from middle school, that tone of voice... just what kind of legends about me have been passed down?

"Hmm? I heard there are lots of delicious cafes, so I'd like to go there. Oh, also! Apparently, there's something like a small aquarium nearby?"

"A-An aquarium, huh. I did hear that place is famous."

Although everyone's interaction was still awkward, I could feel the completely frozen atmosphere thawing little by little thanks to Kanna. As expected of the girl called the school idol; her attitude felt composed and normal, and above all, she was cute. Not just her appearance, but the way she spoke too.

After nodding, Kanna looked straight into my eyes. Eh, seriously...?

"Is there anywhere you want to go, Nishikikoji-kun?"

"I'm... uh, I'm fine with wherever everyone else wants to go."

I didn't think she would ask me too. When I answered while flustered, Kanna said "Okay" and smiled at me as well. It was such a gentle smile that I found myself thinking, Is she an angel...?

Kanna also asked the female student named Yamada and received a similar opinion to mine. Yamada also gave off a small animal vibe, but in contrast to Kanna, she seemed shy and didn't seem like the type to talk very actively. In fact, she seemed quite scared right now.

"I see! Then, since I want to think about various things too, let's list what we don't like, what sounds good, or what kind of things we want to do. Is that okay with everyone?"

"That sounds right. Let's brainstorm together."

Miki nodded, and finally, the conversation started moving in earnest. Perhaps out of reserve toward me, Yamada, who hadn't opened her mouth at all earlier, started talking more and more. I also made moderate suggestions and gave moderate nods of agreement.

—So this is Sasaki Kanna.

Even though the atmosphere had been the absolute worst, everyone had warmed up to each other before I knew it. Both Yamada and Miki were even directing conversation at me.

Top of the caste hierarchy, the central figure of the class. She's azatoi (calculatingly cute), yet for some reason, she isn't annoying..

"Hey, Nishikikoji-kun, is this itinerary okay?"

Kanna looked at me and smiled sweetly. It was an innocent expression that seemed completely free of any hidden side.

"Yeah. I think that's good."

"That's a relief... Ah, the chime just rang. Then, let's go with this. I'm really looking forward to the field trip!"

Within the homeroom time, we managed to compile all the places everyone wanted to go. All of this was thanks to Kanna.

Anyway, I'm glad things went well at least for this time. If Kanna hadn't been here, who knows what would have happened. The other students might have remained intimidated and decided nothing, and I don't have enough communication skills to have a smooth conversation with classmates in that state.

I'm really glad Kanna was here... that is, if only I didn't have a death flag.

◇

—That was the story from last week.

"...It's over."

As soon as I woke up, I held my head in my hands. Forgetting even to stop my smartphone alarm, I checked the date on the calendar.

"Monday, April 26th. No mistake, huh..."

Muttering that in half-despair, I slumped back down onto the bed weakly. I finally stopped the alarm that was still ringing loudly.

I searched for today's weather just in case, but it was clear skies the likes of which we hadn't seen recently. There didn't seem to be any chance of location changes or postponement due to heavy rain.

I held my head in my hands once more. It seems there's no escape.

—Today is undeniably the day of the field trip.

◇

"Well, although I could skip by claiming I'm sick."

I thought about it while putting my arms through the sleeves of my uniform.

It had been in the back of my mind since last week. If I skip the field trip, I won't have any further involvement with Kanna. In other words, I remain unrelated to the game world.

Considering Nishikikoji's family background, forging a medical certificate seems easy... no, for a high school absence, just contacting the homeroom teacher was enough.

I've made it this far without absences, so taking one day off might be okay.

"But..."

I sighed and opened the chat app on my smartphone. Thirty-five messages had accumulated from last night to this morning. Ten of them were from women I apparently met at a group date.

The remaining twenty-five were from the group chat for this field trip's members. It had been quite lively since last night.

I had sent just a sticker just in case, and Kanna had teased me about it in a good-natured way. The other two followed suit. It felt like a lie that they had been so scared of me.

"The problem is this... or rather, the problem is me to begin with."

I looked once more at the group chat where the conversation was still ongoing.

Because of me, the atmosphere of the group was the worst at first. The one who changed that was none other than Kanna.

Since Kanna is an internal student, she must have known how rough Nishikikoji was, yet she actively spoke to me and was considerate—so that Yamada and Miki wouldn't have to be scared, and so that I wouldn't feel out of place in the group.

If I skip today, all of Kanna's efforts will go down the drain.

"If it's just going... if it's just going, it should be fine, right...?"

I sighed once more and resumed my preparations.

My motto since coming to this world is: Pure, Righteous, and Mob-like.

Even if I go on the field trip, as long as I don't interfere with the world the protagonist is playing in, then it’s fine.

Besides, Kanna in the game... isn’t just cheerful.

Recalling up to that point, I left the house.

◇

"Ah, Nishikikoji-kun is here!"

"So that's everyone in the group."

"We're starting with the aquarium first, right? Right, Kanna-chan!"

I should have arrived ten minutes before the meeting time, but everyone else was already gathered.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

When I apologized, Miki shook his head saying, "No."

"I just got here too."

"Yeah, yeah, I just got here too. So we haven't been waiting at all."

Kanna also took a step forward next to Miki and said that. Yamada, who was clinging tightly to Kanna's arm, nodded as well.

Although the possibility of getting involved in the original story has increased, I'm glad the group is full of kind people. I don't know exactly what Nishikikoji did up until now, so depending on the classmates I got stuck with, there was a possibility of retaliation.

Kanna said, "Well then," and started speaking.

"Let's see, since we've all finished confirming our attendance with the homeroom teacher, let's get going... Hmm? Was the direction of the aquarium this way?"

"No, Sasaki, that's the opposite way. The aquarium is this way."

"Miki-kun... wasn't it in this direction...?"

While bewildered by the three of them insisting on different directions, I also pointed in a direction that didn't overlap with anyone else's.

"...No, it's this way, isn't it?"

"Seriously...? We split perfectly," 

Miki muttered in a dumbfounded manner.

I checked the map I had researched beforehand yesterday one more time. I haven't been here before so I don't have proof, but judging from the positions of the buildings, I feel like I'm right.

Kanna also took out her smartphone and this time launched the map's voice guidance. Left, in two hundred meters. Isn't that the direction I said after all?

"Hmm. Huh, Nishikikoji-kun might be right."

While everyone was deliberating, Kanna said while tilting her head.

"Left is this way, right...? Probably."

"Ah, true. That's the direction Nishikikoji said."

At Kanna's words, Miki, who peered into the smartphone, nodded.

"Sorry, I have no sense of direction."

"Ah, actually, me neither."

"M-Me too..."

Following Kanna's self-report, the other two followed suit.

If that's the case, am I the only one here who knows the way?

I wasn't directionally challenged in my previous life either, but I feel like I've become better at reading maps since reincarnating into Nishikikoji. The description that the owner of this body was naturally smart was mentioned repeatedly in the original work, so it might be because of that.

"Man, I'm glad Nishikikoji is here. It's pretty crowded today. It would be bad if we got separated."

"Yeah, yeah. Really, what would have happened if it was just us?"

Even now, I was still regretting coming here just a little bit.

But, if Miki and Kanna say that, maybe it was good. Behind Kanna, Yamada is nodding repeatedly too.

◇

Pulling ourselves together, we set off, and after walking for a while, a building with the aquarium logo came into view.

We bought tickets at the reception and entered. Once we took a step inside from the entrance, a fantastical space spread out before us.

"Wow, it's beautiful..." 

someone muttered quietly.

The beginning was an arch-shaped gate, with a water tank crossing overhead and surrounding us completely. It was appropriately dim, and although it was crowded, it was somewhat calming.

"Really. It might be my first time at an aquarium since elementary school."

"I haven't gone recently either."

Thinking back, I haven't been to an aquarium in a long time either. In my previous life, my high school field trip destination was Okinawa, so I feel like that was the last time.

"Hey, isn't that fish kinda cute?"

"True. It has a face like an old man, it's cute!"

While I was looking at the water tank out of the corner of my eye as the two girls were getting excited, Miki was standing next to me before I knew it.

The gaze he directed at me seemed to want to say something.

I braced myself, wondering if I had messed something up without realizing it. Thinking about it, the two girls are excited like this, maybe I should have talked to Miki more...

As my thoughts spun in circles, Miki finally opened his mouth.

"Um, Nishikikoji...?"

"Wh-What?"

"No, well, this is gonna sound weird, but you're easier to talk to than I thought, Nishikikoji."

"Eh, really?"

At the unexpected words, my voice almost cracked.

"You know, uh... I entered from high school so I don't really know people from middle school. So, I thought you were, how do I put it... a cool person? But surprisingly, you know..."

"I... see. Thanks."

Perhaps in his own way, he was being considerate of me being in the center of rumors. Seeing how scared my classmates are, I don't think "cool" is the right word to describe it.

I see... but if I looked that way to him, then that's good.

Quite a bit of time has passed since I reincarnated, but if the fear is fading even a little—that's the greatest honor for a mob.

"Hey, Miki-kun, Nishikikoji-kun. Let's go to the next booth!"

Kanna and Yamada called out to us. Apparently, they had finished looking before we knew it.

Miki and I followed them and proceeded along the route.

◇

"Ah~, that was fun!"

"It was seriously beautiful. Especially, you know, the Arctic Circle exhibit."

"The clione were cute..."

We spent about two hours touring the aquarium.

Talking to Miki occasionally, buying just a few souvenirs. All in all, I might be enjoying this more than when I was a high school student in my previous life.

"Let's go grab lunch... um, it's a shop near here, right? The place that said the pasta is delicious."

"Ah, that place. Go straight ahead here, turn right... left? No, maybe it's better to leave it to Nishikikoji."

As Miki said, I stood at the head of the line. Relying on the map Kanna had prepared, I guided them.

While vaguely listening to the three's conversation, I checked my smartphone for confirmation, when I felt a presence standing next to me. Height-wise... Kanna?

"Are you having fun, Nishikikoji-kun?"

Asked with a mischievous smile, I was a little bewildered.

"Y-Yeah. It's fun, but..."

"Then I'm glad! I've never been in the same class as you, Nishikikoji-kun, right? So, I'm sorry, I didn't know much about you... but I'm happy if you're enjoying it! Since I put out a lot of ideas, I was a little anxious. But hearing you say it's fun relieves me!"

I see, so Nishikikoji and Kanna had no contact until now... That's a relief. She surely knew about the things Nishikikoji messed up through rumors, but just knowing there was nothing between the two of them is huge. Both are standout types, so it wouldn't have been strange if they had a connection somewhere.

If Nishikikoji had persistently hit on her in the past, this field trip would have been the worst. I would be certified as a villain, and as a result, plunge into the Kanna Route—that was a totally plausible scenario.

"The reason we can move smoothly today, and the fact that everyone got along, is all thanks to you, Sasaki-san... Thank you."

When I expressed my gratitude honestly, Kanna waved her hands in front of her face as if embarrassed.

"No way, no way. I didn't do anything big."

"But look, the one who ultimately looked up the shops and summarized everything was you, right, Sasaki-san?"

"Hmm. It's kind of like a habit of mine... but having you say that makes me really happy. You're good at praising people, Nishikikoji-kun."

Kanna smiled brightly.

As expected, she lives up to her reputation of being azatoi both in the original work and reality. Since she acts like this not just with boys but also with girls, she must have had many female fans too.

In fact, Kanna wearing a smile without a single cloud is incredibly cute.

Truth be told, Kanna is ridiculously cute when she flashes that pure, unclouded smile.

"I wonder. Thanks... Oh, looks like we're almost there."

"Really? Yay. I'm starving."

Calling out to the two walking behind us, we entered the shop.

Things are going so well so far that it feels like a lie that I was worrying so much this morning. There's no sign of getting involved with the protagonist, so maybe I can avoid plunging into the Kanna Route? Man, maybe I was overthinking it. In the first place, Seka-Ai is just an eroge that happens to have a villain, right? It's not like the worldview is particularly violent aside from Nishikikoji being the problem.

As long as I survive this field trip without incident, I'm safe. The death flags are steadily being avoided... surely!

◇

"...I resent my past self for thinking that."

I sighed with my smartphone in one hand.

"To think I myself would get lost..."

After that, we all had a delicious lunch... up to that point, it was fine.

Our next destination was apparently a famous tourist spot, and there was some kind of festival or event going on, so it was packed with people. Before I knew it, I was swallowed by the wave of people, and when I realized it, I was separated from my group members and alone.

We hadn't decided on a detailed itinerary here, and if I moved poorly, it would probably make things more complicated. After all, there are too many people, so I can't even search for Kanna and the others properly. In the first place, I don't know their contact info. Just as I sighed again, my smartphone vibrated. A call.

"Kanna...?"

Kanna shouldn't know my contact information. While wondering where she got it, I picked up the phone.

"Hello, Sasaki-san?"

"Ah, hello, Nishikikoji-kun? Sorry for calling so suddenly."

I pressed the call button immediately, and Kanna's voice sounded more depressed than I expected. Moreover, even though it should be crowded with people, I couldn't hear any background noise at all.

"No... what's wrong?"

"Um, I got lost... where are you right now, Nishikikoji-kun?"

I was a little surprised by the unexpected words. So that's it.

"Ah~, sorry, I'm actually separated from everyone right now too."

"Eh, really?"

"Yeah."

I guess Kanna also got separated at that last point. The general gist is probably that she tried to find the group members on her own, and in the process, lost track of where she was.

"What should we do? If possible, I want to go where you are, Nishikikoji-kun, but..."

"Hmm. I can't really explain specifically where I am right now either."

I looked around for a moment. It was full of food stalls, and there were no landmarks. More than anything, there were too many people, so meeting up seemed difficult.

"I'm really sorry."

"No need to apologize. I got lost too."

"But..."

From the other side of the phone, I could tell Kanna seemed quite down.

She had prepared carefully for this field trip, so maybe she feels extra responsible... Well, true, getting lost causes trouble for the group members, and I felt like I was going to die from guilt just a moment ago too.

Actually I don't want to be alone here with Kanna right now. If I ran into Saita in such a situation, it would be the worst. The Kanna Route would almost certainly begin. Incidentally, Nishikikoji's cause of death in the Kanna Route involves a telephone pole snapping and falling on him while he's chasing Kanna into a corner and stalking her at a criminal level. If it gets to that point, there's no way for me to prevent it.

However, I'm curious about how the other two are doing, and if possible, I want to meet up with Kanna since we're both lost.

"For now, try sending your location info on your smartphone. Then I'll probably know where you are, Sasaki."

"O-Okay."

After a while, a screenshot of a map was sent to the chat. The location is... about a fifteen-minute walk from where I am.

"Anyway, I'll go there. There are a lot of people here... there aren't many people over there, right?"

"Yeah. There aren't that many people... but are you sure? I think it's pretty far."

"It's fine. Okay, don't hang up for now."

"Th-Thank you."

Keeping the call connected, I opened the map app on my smartphone.

If I follow the map, it should work out somehow. I'll look for the other two while I'm at it, and if I can find them, that would be perfect.

With that enthusiasm, I started walking. In the crowd, I saw our high school uniform here and there. But it wasn't Yamada or Miki. If it were at least a classmate, I could call out to them and ask if they've seen the two...

After walking for about five minutes, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder.

"Miki...!? Ah, no, Saita."

Thinking maybe they had noticed me, I turned around, but the one standing there was Saita. Saita wasn't alone, so he probably just cared about me since I looked separated.

"Nishikikoji-kun, finally found you...!"

"Did you happen to meet Yamada and Miki...?"

"Yeah, yeah. I met Yamada-san and Miki-kun just a moment ago, but they asked me to tell you that if I saw Nishikikoji-kun, they'd be waiting over that way. They said it's some kind of emergency and they absolutely need your help, Nishikikoji-kun. It worked out perfectly. It looked like they were searching for you really hard."

"Emergency...?"

"I don't know the details. Anyway, they said they want you to come."

An emergency where they absolutely need my help...? I can't grasp the situation at all, but it's certain that I should head over there for now.

Besides, if I go pick up Kanna after meeting up with those two, I won't have to be alone with Kanna.

Thanking Saita, I started searching for Yamada and Miki. From Saita's tone, they should be right nearby. Contacting Kanna... can wait until I meet the two of them.

Pushing through people, I walked around the likely areas anyway. But let alone the two of them, I couldn't even find students from our school.

"Did they change the waiting spot after talking to Saita...?"

I've been searching for ten minutes already. I even peeked into alleys off the sightseeing path, but there was no sign of them anywhere.

I can't think of any other places that could be used for meeting up.

"Ah jeez, for now, I'll contact..."

Trying to turn on my smartphone, I realized. The battery is dead.

"Seriously..."

I have a vague idea of where Kanna is. If I don't hurry, I'll worry her. It might be better to join Kanna first. Just in case, while looking for Yamada and Miki nearby, I started walking briskly.

◇

"So, turn right on this road, was it...?"

Quite a bit of time had passed since I started looking for Kanna. I'm heading in the likely direction, but I'm not arriving at all. Dammit, why didn't I notice the battery was about to die?

"And on top of that..."

I brushed off the water droplets on my arm. It had started raining a while ago.

The weather forecast said it would be sunny.

My uniform is also getting quite damp. At this rate, it will likely turn into a downpour soon. I didn't bring an umbrella, so as soon as I find Kanna, I have to find a place where we can take shelter from the rain.

By the time I finally reached the area I thought was close, it had turned into a torrential downpour. I was soaked to the bone. This is the absolute worst.

I had left the bustling area and come out onto a road with absolutely no foot traffic. In the midst of that, I spotted an exceptionally beautiful girl. I was practically running, so I was breathing hard.

"Sasaki-san!"

At the timing when I called out to her, she seemed to notice me immediately too. Her expression brightened instantly.

"Nishikikoji-kun...!"

"Man, I'm really glad I found you... sorry I'm late..."

"Sorry, I probably went to a confusing place..."

"Wait, a lot happened, and I couldn't contact you, sorry. Or rather, Sasaki-san, were you perhaps here the whole time...?"

In the pouring rain, Kanna was waiting right in the middle of a road with no roof or anything. Her hair and uniform were completely soaked.

"Y-Yeah. I thought if I moved from here, I wouldn't know the location anymore. Um, what should we do..."

"For now, let's look for a place to take shelter."

"Ah, maybe we can go there!"

With Kanna holding my hand, we ran into a bus stop. It had walls and a roof, and luckily, there was even a bench installed.

"What am I going to do about the trip back..."

Kanna murmured quietly. Her uniform was soaked beyond recovery. I don't think it will dry in this short amount of time.

"Yeah. That's a problem..."

I looked toward Kanna, then averted my eyes.

What Kanna is wearing as a top today is just her uniform shirt. Moreover, she had been standing in the heavy rain until just now.

In short.

It's see-through. Her light blue underwear.

◇

—Now then, what’s my move here?

Setting aside whether it was the right move or not, I did bring my cardigan. And since it was stuffed inside my backpack, it shouldn't be that wet.

In short, if I just hand Kanna the cardigan, the problem is solved... Yes, just hand it over.

Looking back on my life so far, let alone facing a situation like this, I’ve barely even spoken to girls properly, so I have no idea what the "correct" answer is. Based on the manga I read in my past life, the guy usually drapes it over the girl's shoulders in silence... but isn't that a bit too advanced for me?

That said, I can't just do nothing. If she realizes later that her underwear was visible, she'll definitely hate me for not saying anything.

"Umm, well..."

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, no, aren't you cold?"

After racking my brain, the strategy I squeezed out was way too forceful. Sure enough, Kanna looked blankly at me.

"I mean, I'm wet, so yeah, it's cold, but... are you cold, Nishikikoji-kun? I have a handkerchief."

"No, I'm fine. I'm not cold. Totally, really, I'm good."

I politely declined Kanna's offer as she reached for her handkerchief.

"I see... but why do you ask?"

"Well, if you're cold, do you want a jacket? I brought one today."

"Hmm. It's not unbearable or anything. You should wear it, Nishikikoji-kun. I'd feel bad if I got it wet."

"I guess so..."

She talked me down. Maybe my approach was bad.

"But I'm really not cold. Getting a cold is bad news, seriously. Look, this isn't wet."

"I'm not that cold, so I'm okay, really."

"No, uh, well..."

"Hmm?"

Finally, Kanna went beyond looking blank and tilted her head in genuine puzzlement.

Maybe I should stop beating around the bush and just say it directly. If I say it casually, it should be fine. Yes, casually.

Just as I silently steeled my resolve—

Kanna happened to look down at her own uniform, and her face flushed red.

"Ah~, so that's it. Sorry. Thanks for telling me. I'll borrow the cardigan. I'll return it next time."

"No, you don't really have to return it."

"No way. You're lending it to me like this. At least let me thank you properly. I won't feel right otherwise."

"...Okay."

When I nodded, Kanna stared at me, keeping a smile on her face.

"You're really kind, Nishikikoji-kun."

"No, I wouldn't say I'm particularly kind."

"You are kind. You were looking out for me just now."

"That wasn't really looking out for you, more like common sense... or rather..."

"...I see. But I think you're kind. Thank you."

She said it with an oddly serious face.

Maybe she's worried about me because I'm in the middle of all those rumors.

"Y-Yeah. Same to you..."

"The rain isn't stopping, is it~?"

"Yeah. Even though the weather forecast didn't say anything about rain."

"Maybe it's a passing shower?"

"Probably."

"Aren't you cold, Nishikikoji-kun?"

"Not really... what about you, Sasaki-san?"

"Thanks to you, Nishikikoji-kun, I'm not cold."

"I see. That's good."

Kanna, still looking somewhat downward, gripped the sleeve of my jacket tightly.

It was still pouring, and I couldn't hear much other than the sound of the rain. In the midst of that, Kanna's voice rang out clearly.

"Hey, Nishikikoji-kun."

"What?"

"Actually, I have a secret I'm keeping from everyone."

Kanna's secret...?

Having played the original game, there are a few things that come to mind.

However, that's something that should be told to Saita; it's definitely not something she should be telling me.

"Yeah."

While bewildered, I gave a noncommittal nod, and Kanna took a breath before speaking.

"I work at a maid cafe. Our school bans part-time jobs, right...? So it's a secret."

"...Is that so?"

"Yeah. I wanted to try telling someone. I thought you might not be surprised—in a good way—by that kind of thing, Nishikikoji-kun."

"I... guess so. It was unexpected, but I'm not that surprised."

I agreed, trying not to let my agitation show. On the inside, my heart was pounding like crazy.

The maid cafe topic was definitely in the Kanna Route in the game.

The protagonist happens to stop by the maid cafe where Kanna works, and from there, they gradually form a connection. If I recall correctly... it was an event where, in exchange for keeping her job a secret, she would listen to any request the protagonist had. Coupled with him saving her during this field trip, the two of them would become rapidly intimate from there.

...In that case, all the more reason—why me?

Ignoring my confusion, Kanna stretched her arms out wide.

"That was good. Ah~, I feel refreshed somehow... Oh, right. If you have time, come visit sometime. I'll give you special service."

"Eh."

"Really, only if you feel like it. Don't worry about it at all."

"No, well, I'm happy you invited me, but..."

Yes, the invitation itself makes me truly happy. I can't honestly rejoice because of the death flags clinging to me, but originally, she's the heroine of the game I was obsessed with.

—However.

Why is this conversation coming to me, the villain? Where is this world heading right now?

◇

"The teachers are here. Looks like we arrived."

We arrived quite easily at the meeting place where the attendance was taken.

"Now we can finally contact the other two."

"Yeah. I'm glad we managed somehow, even though we caused trouble."

"Totally. For a moment there, I really wondered what would happen."

Yamada and Miki supposedly had some sort of "emergency," and it started pouring rain while I was on my way to Kanna. I felt like I was shrinking from the stress.

We explained the situation to the homeroom teacher and had them call Yamada and Miki. They connected after a while, but apparently, they were quite far away. The teacher lightly asked about the "emergency" Saita mentioned, but it seems there wasn't any actual trouble.

"What do you want to do?"

The teacher asked, and Kanna and I looked at each other. There was less than an hour left until the field trip ended.

"Um, well, I'm sorry, but could you tell them that the two of us will just go around as a pair?"

"Is that so? Okay, I'll let them know."

We thanked the teacher and started walking together.

Since there wasn't enough time to head to our original destination, we decided to just wander around the food stalls as we were.

Circling the tourist area, the lineup was very festival-like, with food stalls, shooting galleries, and lotteries.

"Hey-hey, Nishikikoji-kun! Can I eat that soft-serve ice cream?"

After walking for about five minutes, Kanna asked, unable to hide her excitement. Following her gaze, there was a banner for "Ripe! Strawberry Soft-Serve Ice Cream."

True, lunch today wasn't that much, and I was getting a bit hungry too.

"I think I'll have some too."

"Really!? Yay!"

Kanna pumped her fist. It was an innocent smile she rarely showed in the original work. Honestly, it was a little surprising.

In the original story, the focus was often on parts of Kanna she didn't show to others.

The main plot was about her becoming dependent on Saita, and while that was part of the charm of the Kanna Route, seeing her smile in reality was infinitely better.

As I followed behind Kanna, who was humming happily, I recalled the game scenarios. As they became intimate, Kanna would expose her negative sides. The ending itself was wrapped up beautifully as a Happy End, but the sight of her clinging to Saita midway through was pretty tough to watch. Saita, for his part, couldn't do anything, and the two of them just spiraled downward together.

If it weren't Saita, but me... I thought about that many times while playing the game.

...Well, in reality, the current me can't do anything either.

◇

In the end, I ordered a crepe, and Kanna ordered the strawberry soft serve.

"Mmm, delicious!"

Kanna said with her cheeks full of ice cream. The strawberry soft serve had toppings on it, and my crepe was packed with whipped cream, too.

"This is good."

When I nodded, Kanna stared at my face. Did I say something weird just now?

After fidgeting for a while, Kanna opened her mouth as if taking the plunge.

"Um, Nishikikoji-kun, you don't have to if you don't want to... but, can I have a bite?"

My brain couldn't process the shocking statement fast enough.

If I didn't mishear, doesn't that mean an indirect kiss—the kind of "Say ahh" thing couples do?

I stared back at Kanna's face, but she just tilted her head slightly. It was incredibly azatoi. It was calculated, sure, but Kanna has an atmosphere that somehow makes it forgivable.

"Uhh, I don't mind, but..."

"You don't mind, but?"

After all, Kanna is the heroine of Seka-Ai. She's cute to a degree that makes random celebrities and idols look average.

With Kanna, honestly, it's not something to "mind"—it's a reward. Of course, I couldn't say that, so while trying my best to feign composure, I held out the crepe.

"No, go ahead."

High schoolers these days are pretty advanced, huh. I thought sharing drinks and stuff was only for couples, or at least close guy-girl friends.

As I was reflecting on my empty high school life, Kanna stood on her tiptoes and put her mouth to my crepe.

...Eh, seriously?

"Nishikikoji-kun's crepe is super yummy~! Thank you!"

I didn't think she would eat directly from my hand. In contrast to me, frozen in place, Kanna was smiling.

Not only that, but she looked at her own soft serve as if to say, "Oh, right!"

"Do you want to eat some of mine too, Nishikikoji-kun?"

Judging from the vibe just now and Kanna's expression... do I have to do the same thing?

Isn't the difficulty level spiking way too high?

While bewildered, I bent down a little and took a bite of the strawberry soft serve Kanna was holding. I tried to gauge her reaction lightly, but there was no sign of her being creeped out.

I stroked my chest in relief for a moment.

My relief was short-lived; Kanna stared at my face, looked blank for a second, and then started giggling. Was I panicking too much? Just as I felt like I had suddenly plummeted to the ground, she pointed at my mouth.

"Fufu, Nishikikoji-kun, you have some cream on your face."

"Eh, seriously?"

I tried touching the likely spot, but apparently, I hadn't gotten it off yet. I don't have a mirror... no, I can use my smartphone screen as a mirror.

The moment I shoved my hand into my pocket wondering where it was, Kanna stretched up on her tiptoes. She wiped my mouth directly with her finger.

"Yup. It's okay. It's off now."

"Th-Thank you."

Kanna smiling like a little devil is seriously azatoi after all. As expected of an eroge heroine.

◇

"Hey, hey, Nishikikoji-kun. Look at that cotton candy! It's shaped like a rabbit! So cute~"

After eating the soft serve, we went around looking at other stalls.

"Hmm~, but I ate something sweet just now. I might want something salty next. But sweets are hard to give up too..."

Kanna looked at the stalls one by one, put her hand on her chin, and hummed. Apparently, she fully intended to keep eating.

"Let's see. What do you want to eat?"

When I asked, Kanna tilted her head in thought.

"Is there anything you want to eat, Nishikikoji-kun?"

"Let's see. Ah."

"What, what?"

"No, I just thought the yakisoba looked good."

The nice smell of sauce had been drifting over for a while now. Even in my previous life, it was a favorite food that ranked in my top five, and yakisoba from these kinds of stalls feels strangely delicious.

Looking at the roof with "Yakisoba / Takoyaki" written on it ahead of my gaze, Kanna nodded.

"True. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten it recently either."

I haven't eaten it once since coming to this world either. I've been cooking for myself somewhat, but I never thought to go out of my way to make it.

"Okay. Let's eat."

Kanna, who had been looking at the stall with interest, clapped her hands together.

"Eh, are you sure?"

"Sure or not, I want to eat it too. You went along with what I wanted to eat earlier. That yakisoba looks delicious, doesn't it~"

It was written in the character book that she had a weakness for sweets, but surprisingly, Kanna was on board.

We bought yakisoba together and sat down on a nearby bench where we could eat.

"Mmm. This is delicious!"

"It really is. It's good. Stall yakisoba is weirdly tasty, isn't it?"

"Right. It's been since the summer festival in elementary school for me."

"About the same for me too."

Maybe because I lived in the countryside in my previous life, festivals with stalls nearby were rare. The last time should have been when my parents took me in elementary school.

"Things like this taste even better because you only eat them occasionally, right?"

"Yeah. Yup. Seriously good."

Also, eating it on an outside bench like this makes it better.

While eating the yakisoba, Kanna made a scrunched-up face and spoke.

"I'm scared of myself for eating yakisoba again even though I just ate pasta and soft-serve earlier..."

"Haha. The calorie intake for today looks dangerous."

I'm really glad I have a high schooler's body. Since I'm a high schooler, my metabolism is high, so I can probably burn off the calories somehow. Even now that I've reincarnated, I'm envious of being able to eat as much as I want without getting heartburn.

We finished eating at the same time, threw the containers in a nearby trash can, and pushed through the crowd again. Walking next to me, Kanna was very close, perhaps to avoid getting separated, which was very bad for my heart.

"Hey, where to next?"

"Let's see. Just wandering around as-is... seems like the only option given the vibe."

Checking the time, it didn't look like we had much to spare. Even if we went around the stalls, we could probably only manage one more at most.

Even though it was a vague reply, but Kanna looked happy.

"Sounds good. There are quite a few stalls out, and there are still lots of delicious things too."

"True. Even so, is today a festival or something?"

"Hmm, I don't know, but you know the temple that was originally in our itinerary? It seems like they have some small periodic festival? Or something like that. It came up when I was researching various tourist spots around here."

"I see."

Even though it's based on Japan, it's an eroge world tourist spot, so I hadn't heard of it, but apparently, it was a pretty famous temple. I heard from a friend in college that a temple nearby held some kind of festival about once a month, so it's probably something similar.

"Our field trip ended up on quite a day, huh."

"It's crazy. No wonder there are so many people."

"There might be other kids who got lost besides us."

"The crowd earlier was intense, after all."

The food stalls disappeared before we knew it, and now we were in an area with game-type stalls, like goldfish scooping. The number of children had increased compared to earlier.

"Look, shooting gallery! Can I try?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'll try too."

"Okay. Let's do it together. I'm gonna aim for that stuffed animal."

What Kanna pointed at was a panda plushie. True, Kanna always has a panda mascot attached to her school bag, and many of her belongings have panda motifs.

I feel like the character book also said she liked pandas the best among animals.

Kanna aimed the toy gun at the plushie... but missed all three shots.

She made a slightly frustrated face.

"It's hard after all."

"Can I try next?"

"Yeah. Good luck!"

I aimed the gun at the plushie Kanna said she wanted.

...Those round eyes were a bit like Kanna's.

I concentrated, took aim, and fired, knocking the plushie down in one shot.

It's just my feeling, but my concentration has been on a different level since becoming Nishikikoji. Annoyingly enough, Nishikikoji seems to have been quite high-spec. Even in daily life, I feel the difference in athletic ability and stamina compared to my previous life.

"Eh, in one shot! Isn't that too amazing, Nishikikoji-kun!?"

"I guess so. Thanks."

"It is! Didn't you have the top grades in P.E. for the whole year in middle school too?"

"Ah, no, well, maybe because I work out."

I was flustered by the sudden new information, but Kanna didn't seem to mind at all.

Even so, was Nishikikoji's athletic ability that good...? No, conversely, because he was that high-spec, he was able to reign at the top in a bad way.

While convincing myself, I handed the plushie I received to Kanna.

"Eh...?"

"I won it for you, after all."

"Ehh. Seriously? Thank you. I'm happy but... I can't accept this."

"But I'd be in trouble if I kept it."

When I said "Here" and handed it over somewhat forcefully, Kanna reluctantly accepted it.

"Are you really sure?"

"Yeah. Go ahead."

"Thank you... I'll treasure it."

Saying that, Kanna hugged the plushie tightly.

"You really know how to treat girls, Nishikikoji-kun... or rather, you're used to women, aren't you?"

"You think?"

"You know exactly how to make a girl happy, and besides, you used to date college girls and stuff since middle school, right? I saw one coming to the school gate."

True, the Nishikikoji in the original work was a playboy piece of trash.

It wouldn't be strange for him to be dating college girls despite being a middle schooler.

I quietly gauged Kanna's reaction next to me. There didn't seem to be any implication in her statement just now.

Kanna doesn't seem to believe those rumors specifically, and I thought she had absolutely no involvement with him, but surprisingly that's not the case... No, if he called college girls to the school gate, it would stand out whether you liked it or not.

However, that's strictly Nishikikoji's story. I can't possibly think that I, myself, am used to women as Kanna says. Although I had a few guy friends in college, I barely ever spoke to girls. Even dragging out memories as thin as tea brewed three times over, it was just pair work in class.

What happened just now felt like my body moved naturally, close to a conditioned reflex. Nishikikoji's memories... No. More like habits ingrained in the body.

I haven't been able to recall anything about Nishikikoji's past memories other than what I learned from the game. However, like the concentration and reflexes earlier, I seem to remember things related to physical functions. While I feel like I'm being saved by it in some aspects, it pisses me off to think he played around with girls enough for it to remain as a habit.

After setting up a hypothesis, I steeled myself to reply as if it were nothing.

"Well, I did date some."

"Right~? Ah, wait a minute. It might be about time."

"You're right. Is it over already?"

It seemed the meeting time had come before we knew it. It went so fast I didn't notice.

When we arrived at the designated place, Yamada and Miki were already there.

"Come to think of it, what happened with the emergency?"

"Hmm? Emergency?"

When I asked about the thing that had been bothering me the whole time, both of them made troubled faces.

"No, Saita told me that Miki and Yamada fell into an emergency and wanted me to rush over immediately."

The two looked at each other. Miki opened his mouth with a suspicious look on his face.

"We haven't talked to anyone, though. We were together the whole time until the teacher contacted us."

It's just a hunch, but neither Miki nor Yamada are the type to lie.

...In that case, what was that story from Saita?

"...Well, I'm glad nothing happened!"

In the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Kanna clapped her hands.

"Sorry we really got separated. And for contacting you late too."

At Kanna's words, both of them shook their heads saying "No."

"It was that crowd, after all. We just happened to be together, so we don't know who got separated from whom."

"Yeah, yeah," Yamada nodded beside Miki so hard her head looked like it might fall off.

After I apologized too, we all told the homeroom teacher we were going home and disbanded. Since Yamada and Miki were taking the train in the opposite direction, inevitably, I was left alone with Kanna.

"Today was fun~. Although it was a little rough."

"Yeah. The moment we got separated, I wondered what to do."

"Ahaha. Me too. Besides, the rain was amazing at that time."

While the two of us were talking about the field trip, we arrived at Kanna's nearest station in no time.

"Bye, see you at school tomorrow."

Just as she was getting off the train, Kanna waved the hand of the panda plushie she was holding. When I waved back, she smiled brightly.

◇

"That said, what should I do..."

After returning home and spacing out for a while, I muttered.

Today's field trip ended peacefully and was fun, but aside from that, I'm tired. Running in the heavy rain, panicking over Saita's lie.

—Yes, the problem is that lie from Saita.

"Even so, would he tell a lie that would be exposed so immediately?"

I understand because I played the game from Saita's perspective. He's a pacifist character who prefers a life without waves. There's no way he would tell a lie that would definitely be exposed just to trouble Nishikikoji.

"In that case, there must be some kind of intention..."

A lie told for a reason in that situation.

He probably guessed that I, being alone, was definitely separated from my group, but telling a lie that Yamada and Miki were in an emergency wouldn't benefit me at all. Or rather, it only creates a disadvantage.

"...I can't think of anything. Actually asking Saita would be the surest way, but..."

Assuming Saita told that lie with some intention. The only reasons conceivable right now are negative ones.

In that case, the emotions directed at me from Saita must also be negative.

"Well, thinking safely, it's better not to ask anything..."

In the first place, contact with Saita is taboo for me. When playing the game, the protagonist's perspective is essential.

If I become an important person from the protagonist's perspective, it's over.

Saita probably already recognizes me as "Nishikikoji Kaede," but... there's a difference between clashing directly and not.

"Wait and see for now, I guess..."

I sighed. I don't feel like I can do anything from here.

It's not a story that's interfering with my school life. If I pretend this didn't happen and leave it alone for now, it should settle peacefully.

Yes, I am currently a mob. My motto is "Pure, Righteous, and Mob-like," and essentially, my past life was like a pro mob. If I behave as I did in my past life, I will naturally be removed from the story.

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