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 81

81. A Smile Like the Sun

Two sighes that we ordered are brought to the table.

The sound of ice clinking resonates, and we reach for the cold glasses with tense expressions.

After taking a sip, I slowly opened my mouth.

“You’re saying Raito Fusegawa is acting strange. Specifically, how is he strange? I’m not really friends with him, so I don’t quite get what you mean by his behavior changing.”

“Well, that’s true. Even Yuuna, who is always with him, and Sakuramiya-senpai haven’t noticed anything. But I can tell, because I’ve been his childhood friend since elementary school and have always been by his side.”

Himeno Karen quietly stirs her sighe with a straw, listening intently to the sound of ice clinking in her cup.

From her demeanor, it’s clear she has a strong conviction about Raito Fusegawa’s change. And I thought this was not just someone else’s problem for me.

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“The timing when Raito started acting strange… was after you started coming to school. Until then, he was still Raito, but something changed since that day.”

“What specifically has changed?”

“Hmm… It’s not just something specific. I can’t say for sure, but I’ve felt it intuitively. It’s like Raito has transformed into a completely different person.”

“So, it’s a sense of discomfort that only you can perceive. It makes sense that I wouldn’t understand it since I don’t have any connection with him.”

I shrugged and raised both hands.

I have almost no connection with Raito Fusegawa.

It would be strange for me to empathize with an intuitive sense of discomfort that only a childhood friend could notice.

But in reality, I have noticed too.

The difference between the Raito Fusegawa from the ‘Fusekoi’ I know and the Raito Fusegawa I’ve seen in this world.

At first, I thought it was a result of the irregular developments I had triggered that weren’t in the original story. However, as the developments continued to diverge from the original, Raito Fusegawa’s discomfort gradually became more apparent. I felt it strongly during the beach volleyball tournament when we competed against each other.

“Shindo-kun, you saw Raito back then too, right? During the beach volleyball tournament when we faced off.”

“Yeah, I remember. Who would have thought we’d end up on opposite sides in a beach volleyball event at the same seaside resort on the same day?”

“We were surprised too. It was too coincidental to be a mere accident. But that’s not the issue… The problem is Raito’s behavior during the match. He was like a different person, completely unlike the Raito I know.”

Himeno Karen clenched her hands tightly and looked down.

Then she continued speaking in a small voice, as if squeezing the words out.

“I know Raito is competitive. But he would never say something cruel to us, who were trying our best together, just because he was about to lose, nor would he act so rudely towards the opposing team.”

“It was indeed terrible… I felt sorry for you and Hanazaki-san, honestly.”

Raito Fusegawa, in his obsession with winning, had neglected the important heroines.

That behavior is something that would never be forgiven by the protagonist, and it’s something the Raito Fusegawa I know from the original would never say or do.

I felt a strong sense of discomfort there too. And Himeno Karen, being Raito Fusegawa’s childhood friend, must have felt that discomfort even more strongly than I did.

“And you know, through beach volleyball, I realized something else too. That is, Shindo-kun, your change.”

“Me changing? But at that time, I was just enjoying beach volleyball like everyone else, I wasn’t really…”

“Is that so? You looked so radiant back then, Shindo-kun. It’s hard to believe you were a delinquent; you seemed so serious and sincere, and your feelings for those around you were clearly reflected in your smile. I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious at that moment.”

Himeno Karen stared intently at the glass that clinked with ice. With a pensive expression, she twisted her mouth as she spoke.

“Back then, Shindo-kun reminded me of my close friend, Raito. He loved the smiles of everyone around him, and whenever someone was feeling down, he was the first to notice and encourage them. He was incredibly thoughtful and a kind person who cared deeply for his friends.”

“…At that time, I just wanted my childhood friends, Mashiro and my sister, Mai, to smile. I wanted to enjoy the match more than worrying about winning or losing, and I worked hard to create wonderful summer memories. Of course, at first, I was just eager to win. But then I realized there was something more important than that.”

“That’s true. You all seemed really close. When you scored, you celebrated with high-fives and smiles, and even when you were scored against, you encouraged each other while staying bright. That’s something more important than winning or losing. It reminded me of what Raito and I always did, and that’s why I felt envious.”

Himeno Karen smiled softly, but there was a hint of sadness in her expression, as if she were gazing through me at distant memories.

It might be natural for Himeno Karen to feel envious watching the interactions between me and Mashiro.

I was trying to cope with my circumstances as a reincarnated villain by acting like the protagonist from a romantic comedy I had seen in my past life.

I would stay close to my important people and strive to make the girl who meant the most to me smile. To overturn the fate of destruction and seize a happy future.

The sight of me trying hard must have appeared to Himeno Karen, the heroine of “Fusekoi,” as that of an ideal protagonist.

The radiance of the protagonist that should have been emanating from Fusegawa Raito was now inexplicably shining brightly from me, the villain.

This was an abnormal situation for Himeno Karen, who had been close to the true protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, and she appeared before me to uncover the reason behind it.

There must be some causal relationship between the dimmed radiance of Fusegawa Raito and my newfound brilliance as a protagonist. That’s why Himeno Karen likely approached me.

I believe the moment when all the gears began to go awry was the day I started coming to school. That’s why she is trying to ascertain the reason for “why Shindo Ryusuke started coming to school.”

However, should I really reveal the truth behind it?

On that day, I was reborn as the villain known as Shindo Ryusuke. From that day forward, the two of us—my former self and Shindo Ryusuke—became one, literally being reborn.

I wasn’t sure if anyone would believe me if I shared this, and if I wasn’t careful, it might lead to some strange misunderstandings.

While I was lost in thought, Himeno Karen seemed to be patiently waiting for my answer. Should I speak honestly to make her believe me, or should I keep it hidden?

After a brief silence, Himeno Karen let out a deep sigh. Then she stretched her body and said with a laugh, “…Ahaha. I’m such an idiot, aren’t I? Just because the timing of your reformation and Raito’s strange behavior coincided, I thought there must be some connection. But there’s no way that could be true.”

“Himeno-san…?”

She suddenly burst into laughter, then sighed self-deprecatingly before showing a cheerful smile again. I couldn’t find the words to respond to her somewhat unstable demeanor.

“I’m still at odds with Raito. Our classmate, Reo-kun, tried really hard to help us make up. I thought we had reconciled at that moment… but the next day when I hung out with Raito, it felt off again. Yuna and Sakuramiya-senpai were laughing like usual, but I… just couldn’t manage to smile properly.”

Himeno Karen brought both hands to her mouth, forcing a smile.

It was a clumsy, forced smile that the Himeno Karen I knew from “Fusekoi” never displayed in the original.

“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shared such things with you, someone unrelated. I guess it’s because you and Raito reminded me of my time with Mashiro-san…”

Himeno Karen quietly murmured while tightly gripping her chest. Seeing her expression left me at a loss for words.

She must have been suffering alone for a long time. Silently troubled, unsure of what to do, and finding it painful to remain at odds with her precious childhood friend.

Yet, she didn’t know how to interact with the seemingly different Fusegawa Raito, and clung to the slightest possibility by coming to see me.

I wanted to know the reason why Fushikawa Yoritomo had changed, to bring back the old him, and I just couldn’t give up.

“…I’m going home now. I’m really sorry. I made you waste your time. As an apology, I’ll cover the bill here.”

Himeno Kairi downed the remaining coffee in one go. Then, she hurriedly grabbed her bag and stood up from her seat.

But I instinctively reached out.

Leaning forward over the table, I grabbed her wrist as she tried to leave.

Surprised by my sudden grasp, Himeno Kairi turned back with wide eyes.

This might be a significant choice for me. If I was wrong, an unfavorable outcome would surely await.

Still, I thought it would be wrong to leave a girl who was troubled and in pain. So, I held her back.

“I’ll help you. I want to find out why Fushikawa Yoritomo has changed. And I want to help you two reconcile.”

“Are you… serious? There’s no benefit for you in helping me, you know?”

“There is. You’ll gain a friend.”

“…You’re such a fool.”

Himeno Kairi shrugged and laughed.

It was a smile like the sun, characteristic of her, which she often showed in the original work.