I Reincarnated as the Villain in a Rom-Com but I’m Enjoying Youth with My Favorite Heroine - I Reincarnated as the Villain in a Rom-Com but I’m Enjoying Youth with My Favorite Heroine chapter 60

60. Showdown at the Sea③

From there, we were forced into a tough battle.

Fusegawa Raito awakened as the protagonist, displaying reactions that seemed impossible under normal circumstances, repeatedly thwarting our attacks.

He made fine plays, picking up balls that barely grazed the court’s edge, and executed spikes that seemed to thread a needle; his movements were fitting for a protagonist. Seeing this, the heroines’ morale soared.

Thus, we were tossed around by the well-coordinated combination of the protagonist and the heroines, continuously conceding points.

No matter how skilled Mashiro is, it’s difficult to keep defending against the opponent’s attacks over and over, and my own attacks were repeatedly blocked by the protagonist’s awakening, making it hard to score. Mai, as the setter, was doing well, but still, our team was being pushed further into a corner.

Still, I struggled to hold on and regain the flow, but gradually the point gap widened. I wanted it to be a back-and-forth battle, but before I knew it, it had become 8 to 12.

On the other side of the court, Fusegawa Raito was showing me a relaxed expression. He seemed to be laughing through his nose, confident of his victory.

Meanwhile, my expression was dark. I couldn’t help but think, would we really lose like this?

(As expected… the protagonist really is strong.)

I was reminded once again of the incredible power of protagonist privilege.

I had won the midterm exams thanks to the knowledge from my previous life, but facing beach volleyball without any prior preparation was proving to be quite tough.

I thought about how to devise a secret plan for a comeback—just as I was about to call out to Mashiro next to me.

“Ryusuke’s classmates are super strong! It’s been a while since I’ve had such a serious match, and I’m starting to have fun!”

“Mashiro-san, I’m fired up just like during the track and field competition!”

“Ahaha. Mai-chan too? I’m really fired up! Sports are just the best!”

Under the midsummer sun, Mashiro and Mai were chatting cheerfully, their refreshing sweat glistening.

Then, Mashiro elegantly returned the serve from Fusegawa Raito with a graceful step. Each time she did, even the grains of sand dancing around her seemed to be mere accents, as she chased the ball with a truly lively spirit.

Her figure was like an angel dancing on the sandy beach, and the sight of her playing beach volleyball with a radiant smile was incredibly beautiful, shining brighter than anything else.

Mashiro must have wanted to win just as much. But more than that, she was enjoying this moment. Watching her, I felt the anxiety swirling in my chest begin to dissipate.

“Have lots of fun, okay?”

Those were the words of promise made in this sea. I recalled the moment I vowed to make today the best it could be.

That’s right, I mustn’t forget.

What mattered most was making Mashiro smile.

I was here today to have the best time with Mashiro.

In my thoughts of defeating the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, I had completely overlooked the most important thing.

“Mashiro, nice receive!”

I raised my voice and smiled at Mashiro. She returned my smile with a dazzling grin.

“Ryusuke, I’m counting on you!”

“Yeah, leave it to me!”

I responded strongly and took my run-up.

The ball that Mashiro set up for me was gently floated by Mai, connecting it to me.

I firmly caught that ball and leaped into the air. With all my might, I struck with a powerful blow.

The loudest sound of the day echoed as I slammed the ball straight into the opponent’s court.

However, there was already Fusegawa Raito standing there.

He accurately judged the ball I hit and returned it. The reflexes of the awakened protagonist were indeed extraordinary.

The ball flew to the edge of our court.

But Mashiro didn’t give up. She dashed across the sandy beach and reached out—just barely missing it.

Mashiro rolled onto the court, covered in sand. Yet, there wasn’t a trace of regret on her face. On the contrary, she was smiling happily.

“Ugh! I was so close to reaching it!”

“Nice guts, Mashiro.”

“Ahaha, hey, Ryuusuke. Look at me, I got all sandy from sliding!”

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“Yeah, it’s quite the sight. But that just shows how hard you were trying, right? You did well.”

As I reached out my hand to Mashiro, who was sitting on the sand, she blushed slightly and took my hand to stand up.

“Hehe, thank you, Ryuusuke. I’ll try even harder next time!”

“Yeah, I’m counting on you. But first, we need to get the sand off your body.”

“Okay! So, will you clean me up?”

“Got it. Now, don’t move.”

As I brushed the sand off her hair and back, she squirmed a bit, feeling ticklish, but remained obedient.

Mashiro squinted her eyes and smiled gently. Watching her made me feel happy too.

While I was taking care of her, I noticed a sharp gaze directed at us from the opposing court.

Fusegawa Raito glared at me with gritted teeth, his voice raised.

“It’s 13 to 8! We’re about to hit match point… How can you guys still be laughing?!”

“Sure, we’re losing, but the game isn’t over yet, right? Besides, I think there’s something more important than winning or losing.”

“What is that…?”

Fusegawa Raito frowned and asked. I paused for a moment before answering.

“It’s about whether we’re having fun or not. I decided to make a lot of memories with Mashiro today, so I want to be able to say I had fun even if we lose. Winning would be great, but more than that, I want to enjoy today to the fullest. That’s why I’m really having fun right now.”

“…!?”

I conveyed my feelings honestly. Fusegawa Raito looked like he wanted to say something, his lips trembling, but in the end, he said nothing and closed his mouth.

Then he took the ball and positioned himself to serve from the back of the court.

From his sharply pointed expression, it seemed like I could hear him saying, ‘Isn’t winning more important than having fun?’

Still, I wanted to keep having fun. So, I smiled gently at Mashiro, who was standing next to me.

We exchanged a moment of eye contact. She nodded slightly in agreement.

“Here we go! This is match point!”

Fusegawa Raito shouted as he served. The serve was the fastest and strongest yet, heading straight for me.

But I didn’t panic. I skillfully adjusted my strength, bouncing it in the air and connecting it to both Mashiro and Mai.

“Both of you, I’ve got this!”

“Nice job, big brother! I’m passing it to Mashiro!”

“Ryusuke, Mai-chan, thank you! Here we go!”

Receiving Mai’s cheers, Mashiro leaps high and delivers a powerful strike aimed at the ball she has raised high.

It connects perfectly with the center of the ball and flies straight into the opponent’s court, and then――.

“――!?”

The feet of Fusegawa Yoshito, who had repeatedly blocked my spikes, trip up. Even Hime no Karen, the team’s cornerstone, is unable to react, and Mashiro’s spike pierces through the sandy court.

The score on the board reads 9 to 13.

Having snatched a precious point, we exchanged high-fives with smiles on our faces.

“We did it, Mashiro! That was amazing!”

“Hehe, it’s thanks to Ryusuke’s great defense!”

“Nice job, Mashiro-san!”

“Wow. Mai-chan, it surprised me when you hugged me all of a sudden…”

Mai, overwhelmed with joy, leaps onto Mashiro. Despite losing her balance, Mashiro hugs her back, and the two of them playfully laugh together.

Seeing such a heartwarming scene, I can’t help but smile. Mashiro is laughing. Just that alone makes me feel incredibly happy in this moment.

At the same time, I notice a strange change around us.

After Mashiro scored, applause and cheers erupted from the people watching our match.

“Are they all cheering for us?”

“Yeah, Ryusuke. It looks that way. Everyone is saying ‘Go for it!’”

“Maybe they’re interested in our team because we’re having fun in the match? They were cheering for the other team just a moment ago.”

“I see… I’m really surprised.”

That cheer was something that shouldn’t have happened.

The people here had been supporting Fusegawa Yoshito’s team all along.

It was the story’s coercive force, unconsciously directing them to cheer for the protagonist. So, for us, who were opposing the protagonist, we were supposed to be the away team, and no matter how well we performed, we shouldn’t have received any applause or cheers.

Yet now, that common sense was being overturned.

They were shouting for us to make a comeback.

In confusion, I looked over at Fusegawa Yoshito.

He was clenching his fists in frustration, raising his voice at Hime no Karen.

“What are you doing, Karen! If you had blocked that, we could have gone straight to match point!”

“S-Sorry, Yoshito. That girl’s spike was way stronger than I expected…”

“I don’t want to hear any excuses! From now on, get your act together!”

“Y-yes… I understand…”

Fusagawa Raito did not hide his irritation. As he berated her in a shouting tone, Hime no Karen’s expression grew darker and darker. Even if they won, it certainly wouldn’t be enjoyable at all.

In his eagerness to prioritize winning over enjoying the game, Fusagawa Raito was ruining the team’s atmosphere.

That was not how a protagonist should behave. Overbearing and selfish, it was as if he were—an antagonist.

Such behavior would be absolutely unthinkable for the original Fusagawa Raito… What on earth was happening?

(Hold on? Is that why this is happening?)

I had always wanted to be the protagonist, striving to embody the ideal image of the hero I envisioned.

So when Mashiro or Mai made mistakes, I would encourage them with a smile and try to cheer them on. I believed that was the behavior expected of a protagonist, and more than anything, I wanted Mashiro and Mai to smile, so I acted that way.

And surely, the audience watching the match and the readers enjoying this story were witnessing that too. When they looked at me and Fusagawa Raito, it was clear whom they would want to support.

In other words, at this very moment—wasn’t the surrounding audience and the readers of this story cheering for me as the protagonist?

That prediction was not wrong.

The next serve was from Mashiro, who had just scored a spike.

With match point approaching, she prioritized accuracy over strength as she served. The ball was gently released, tracing a beautiful arc as it flew towards Fusagawa Raito.

Until just now, he had been handling serves effortlessly, yet he misjudged the softly flying ball and failed to receive it. The deflected ball soared out of bounds and fell straight onto the sandy beach.

That made it 10 to 13.

“…Damn it, I messed up.”

“Calm down, Raito-kun. There’s still plenty of time to catch up.”

“I know…”

Hanazaki Yuna gently soothed the increasingly anxious Fusagawa Raito.

However, he refused to listen to her words and glared at the ball that had rolled out of the court.

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(He was so awakened just a moment ago, yet the protagonist’s power is suddenly weakening…)

The more he fixated on winning, the weaker his power as a protagonist became. Ignoring the most important heroine was something a protagonist should never do.

Still, he was unaware of this fact. And at the same time, it presented us with our greatest opportunity.

“Mashiro, Mai, let’s keep having fun just like this. Whether we win or lose, let’s end with smiles.”

“Yeah! I feel the same way as Ryusuke. Let’s make lots of fun memories!”

“Me too! If we win, it’s a feast, and if we lose, it’s shaved ice! I’m so excited!”

The three of us nodded at each other with smiles.

No matter what kind of ending awaited us, we would enjoy this match to the fullest. And we would create the best memories.