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 71

71. The New Semester and Summer Cold ①

The summer vacation passed in the blink of an eye.

Even though it had only been a month since I last wore it, slipping into my uniform felt like a long time ago.

Camping, the beach, summer festivals, and fireworks displays. I executed all the plans I had envisioned for my ideal summer vacation and created enough memories with Mashiro to fill both hands. I relished the joyful days, etching a piece of the best youth in my heart alongside my precious friends.

Experiencing the best summer, something that could never have happened in my previous life, I was now about to welcome the opening ceremony. This long yet short summer vacation was truly coming to an end.

Feeling a bit lonely about it was probably because the time I spent with Mashiro during summer vacation was irreplaceable for me.

But starting tomorrow, a new semester begins.

The story we are weaving together is far from over.

So, with the radiant memories of summer in my heart, I was lost in thought about the second semester when—

“—Hatchoo!”

A sneeze erupted beneath my mask.

In my eagerness to create fun memories in the new semester, I was already stumbling at the starting line.

It seemed that the fun I had during summer had led to a sudden wave of fatigue at the end of it, and unfortunately, I was now suffering from a summer cold at the start of the new semester.

Fortunately, I had no fever, just a slight discomfort in my throat and a feeling of sluggishness, so I was able to come to school, but my condition was not great.

I had made many memories with Mashiro during summer vacation, truly enjoying those days… but the moment I welcomed the new semester, this was how I felt. I couldn’t miss classes due to attendance requirements, so I needed to recover my health quickly.

Having brought my mask and cold medicine to school, I sat at my desk, blowing my nose with tissues while observing the familiar classroom scene after a long time.

In the back seat by the window, the dazzling brilliance of youth was radiating once again today, with the close-knit interactions of the protagonist and the heroines unfolding before me.

“We played a lot during summer vacation, didn’t we? Raito-kun, you’re tanned. You used to have such fair skin, but now you’re all bronzed.”

“Ha ha, everyone was running around outside. But Yuna, you’re always so pale. You’re really beautiful, Yuna, with that glossy, plump skin.”

“W-well… Raito-kun…”

“Hehe, it’s cute how you get embarrassed and turn red.”

“Raito-san, I was truly happy to create so many memories this summer.”

“Mifuyu-senpai… Thank you for making up with me. I was really happy that you treated me the same as before, even though I said something unreasonable and made you angry.”

“I was also immature back then. I’m sorry.”

“No, please don’t apologize. I really think it’s great. I believe that because you said you wanted to make up, we have this moment now.”

The protagonist, Fusegawa Yorito, reconciles with the heroines Hanazaki Yuna and Sakuramiya Miyuki, spreading a happy aura as they cling to each other more than usual.

This is a scene from the popular romantic comedy “The Girl in Love is in Love with Fusegawa-kun.”

Along with memories of summer vacation, the protagonist, Fusegawa Yorito, etches a new page of dazzling youth with the heroines.

While just watching makes my heart feel a bit uneasy, I sensed a slight discomfort in that scene.

Normally, Hime no Karen, who sits in front, would turn around and join the conversation, but today, something seemed a little off about her.

“Hey, Karen. Want to compete and see who got more sunburned?”

“Hey, Yorito. I can tell at a glance that I’d lose…”

“Haha, you won’t know until you try, right?”

The protagonist, Fusegawa Yorito, was pushing closer to his childhood friend Hime no Karen.

However, Karen’s reaction was lackluster, and she seemed to keep her distance from Fusegawa Yorito.

Usually, she would roll up her sleeves and respond energetically to physical contact, but today, Hime no Karen wore a somewhat awkward smile.

Despite her reaction, Fusegawa Yorito continued to speak to Karen with a smile, albeit looking a bit flustered.

“Then let’s compete in something else. Um, how about…”

“Sorry, Yorito. I think I’ll pass today. I just don’t feel very energetic.”

With a wry smile, Hime no Karen turned back towards the blackboard.

As I recalled her unusual demeanor and the exchanges I had seen in the original story, I confirmed that the content was different from what I remembered.

The protagonist, Fusegawa Yorito, had quarreled with the student council president, Sakuramiya Miyuki. After that, his relationship with his childhood friend, Hime no Karen, became strained during a beach volleyball tournament.

The relationship between the protagonist and the heroines had suddenly soured, leading to a breakdown in their connections, and it was then that his best friend, Kizaki Reo, rushed to resolve the situation.

According to Reo, they had managed to mend things, but… I got the impression that the relationship between Hime no Karen and Fusegawa Yorito remained unresolved.

In the original story, there had been no developments that caused a rift in the relationships with the heroines during their first year; it simply charged forward through the stage of their first summer vacation as high school students.

Due to the irregular developments caused by me, the villain, the story of “Fusekoi” had indeed changed.

And even now, I feel that change in the story strongly.

“Ryusuke, I came to visit you. Are you okay…?”

As I turned around, feeling a light tap on my shoulder, I was met with an overwhelmingly perfect and stunningly beautiful girl.

With skin as pure and beautiful as freshly fallen snow, hair that shimmered black in the morning sun, and blue eyes as clear as jewels, her gentle smile was enough to heal anyone just by looking at her.

In the presence of this beautiful girl, who seemed to blow away any cold or sickness, my heart fluttered in an instant.

She was my childhood friend, Amanatsu Mashiro. The appearance of this transcendent beauty caused a stir throughout the classroom.

The protagonist, Fusegawa Yorito, was also completely captivated by Mashiro, forgetting about the heroines.

“Mashiro, you came! It’s just a cold, so you don’t need to worry.”

“But are you really okay…? Shouldn’t you rest more?”

—

“It’s not that I need to rest. My fever and sore throat aren’t that bad. Just a little runny nose and some sneezing.”

“Hmm… I’m worried about you, Ryusuke. Pushing yourself to come to school… it could get worse.”

Mashiro’s face clouded with concern. Since we walked to school together, she had been deeply worried about my health, and even though homeroom was about to start, she came to check on me.

My precious childhood friend always treats me with such kindness.

To reassure Mashiro, I gave a thumbs up. But she frowned, her small white hand reaching to touch my forehead.

A soft sensation accompanied by a pleasantly cool touch spread across my brow. Just that alone made my heart tighten, and I felt warmth coursing through my body.

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“…Your temperature is definitely higher than this morning. You’re overdoing it.”

“I’m really fine. I went to the doctor on the last day of summer break, and he said it was just a cold. I’m wearing a mask so I don’t spread it to anyone. Plus, my attendance is already in a bad spot…”

“Even if you’re okay now, it could get serious if it worsens. And you mentioned before that you still have a few days of leeway with your attendance. I remember that.”

“I’m telling you, it’s nothing to worry about…”

“Idiot. You don’t look like it’s nothing. It’s good to try hard, but… if you really start feeling worse, tell me right away. Got it?”

“Sorry for worrying you. Thank you.”

“…Okay. If you understand, I’ll forgive you. There, there.”

As Mashiro gently patted my head, she looked straight into my eyes with her blue gaze.

I was really happy to know she cared about me so much, but the stares from our classmates felt painfully sharp, piercing my heart. Perhaps noticing the attention around us, Mashiro quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks slightly flushed as she averted her gaze.

Clearing her throat, Mashiro looked at me again. The worry was still evident in her expression, but she smiled, trying not to let me see her concern.

“Well then, I’ll come check on you again during the next break. Take care, Ryusuke.”

“Yeah, really, thank you, Mashiro.”

Her earnest demeanor stirred my heart, but I decided to act tough. I was suffering from a cold, but I couldn’t let Mashiro worry.

After that, Mashiro waved her small hand as she left the classroom. Even in her departure, she was adorable—truly my childhood friend.

Such a scene, reminiscent of a romantic comedy, was a development that never existed in the original story woven by the bond between Mashiro and me.

—

I was reborn into the world of the popular romantic comedy I was obsessed with in my previous life, “The Lovestruck Maiden is in Love with Fusegawa-kun.”

However, the path I was reborn into was as the strongest villain known as “Shindo Ryusuke,” who in the original story faced a disastrous end after being exposed for numerous misdeeds.

Yet, I, who had only been serious in my past life, began to make efforts to reject that future, determined to fight against fate alongside my precious childhood friend, Mashiro.

As I deepened my bond with Mashiro and we moved forward hand in hand, the story of this world began to drift further and further from the original content I knew.

Surely, a future unimaginable from the original awaited us. So I won’t give up; together with Mashiro, I will overturn the disastrous future that existed in the original. I will strive to have a happier youth than the protagonist.

So, I can’t afford to be defeated by a cold. I steeled myself and straightened my back for the opening ceremony.