Reborn as the Man Who Takes Away the Protagonist’s Beloved Childhood Friend

Stained in Black

“Why do you continue playing soccer, Towa-kun?”

Out of curiosity, I asked him this question. Even after graduating from elementary school and becoming a middle schooler, Towa-kun continued playing soccer. While it was clear he simply loved it because he looked so happy, I wanted to know what he was thinking when playing soccer. I just wanted to know more about him.

“Why do I continue… playing? Because I like it?”

“…I see.”

Too simple!

I could agree with that in my own mind. However, Towa-kun, glancing around, made sure no one else was there before revealing the hidden reason.

“You’ve met my mom, right?”

“You mean Akemi-san? Yes, we talk a lot.”

I knew Towa-kun’s mother, Akemi-san. I often saw her cheering from the stands when Towa-kun played in matches. Despite looking so young that it was hard to believe she had a middle school son, and appearing flashy at first, I found out she was just a doting mother when I talked to her.

“Towa! Over there! Use a heel lift to get past them!!”

“You’re not some captain, things don’t always go smoothly during a match, you know!?”

She was really lively, and I enjoyed talking with Akemi-san. It might sound disrespectful to say this, but I couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to have a mother like her. I knew Akemi-san was a wonderful mother, but… what was it?

“Um… could you please keep this between yourself and me? I don’t want my mom to know under any circumstances. It’s embarrassing.”

As Towa-kun said this while scratching his cheek, I promised to keep it to myself. Seeing me nod, Towa-kun explained. Besides liking soccer, he had another reason for why he kept going.

“You probably know that my dad isn’t around… he died in an accident.”

“Ah…”

I didn’t know much about Towa-kun’s family situation, so I didn’t know about his father’s passing… I felt bad for bringing it up, but Towa-kun reassured me, patting my head, telling me not to worry.

“My mom loved my dad so much. She was really down after he passed. But once she realized I was there, she quickly pulled herself together. I thought she was a really strong mother. But, sometimes she’d think of my dad and shed tears.”

Perhaps Towa-kun was recalling those days, as he seemed a bit pained.

“Although she recovered, it’s a fact that her smile decreased. It was tough for me to see my mom like that. That’s when it happened. When I joined the soccer club and started playing in matches, my mom started coming to support me. And that’s when her smile started to return.”

I see. Maybe that’s… the reason why Towa-kun continues playing soccer.

“If my playing soccer makes her smile, as her son, I feel like I have to keep going, you know? And as I continued, I started to love soccer even more, so it’s a win-win.”

“…I see.”

…I’ve never thought about working hard for my family, and I don’t think such a time will ever come for me. But Towa-kun’s determination to work hard for his mother was so noble, and I truly thought he was cool for it. As embarrassed as I was at first, watching Towa-kun speak shyly was quite endearing. But… watching him like that made my heart race a lot.

Towa-kun, who brought light into my narrow world at that time. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know him better, and today I learned something new again.

“…I’m kind of like that… your face is red, you know?”

“hahahaha, you’re right. Because I’ve learned that Towa-kun is even more wonderful than I thought.”

Oh, how embarrassing. Embarrassing, but… there’s no need to hide my feelings anymore.

I… I like Towa-kun.

Maybe I’ve liked him since that time. But for now, I’ll keep this feeling hidden in my heart. It’s a very important time, and I want Towa-kun to focus on soccer.

“Ayana, come see me play in the tournament.”

“Of course. I’ll definitely come to cheer you on!”

I’ll definitely go cheer at the tournament. It’s pretty much confirmed because I made a promise with Akemi-san. I wonder about Osamu-kun. He might come along since it’s Towa-kun’s match, but he seemed bored last time, so who knows.

Osamu-kun… I wonder if it’s bad that I’m starting to not care. I don’t know what the mothers would say if they found out, but in my heart, Towa-kun is there. There’s no room for Osamu-kun.

…Oh, come to think of it, maybe it was around this time that Towa-kun asked me. About my way of speaking.

“If I remember correctly, I’ve been using polite language a lot lately… What’s up with that?”

“…Ah. Well,”

Recently, my way of speaking has become mainly polite. The reason is simple; it’s like a protective wall towards my family. Even though they are my family, speaking to them in polite language makes me seem like a stranger. It seems like I’ve gotten used to this way of speaking, like a habit that has become fixed, although I could remove it if I were conscious of it.

As I struggled to respond, not being able to say that I wanted to keep my distance from my family out of sheer honesty, Towa suddenly raised his thumb.

“There might be various reasons, but I think a polite girl is nice.”

Towa said this in a cool and unnecessary way, making me laugh. Truly, in front of Towa, even small worries seem foolish.

Time passes.

Towa works hard towards the soccer tournament, and I support him to the best of my ability. Towa had been working hard since elementary school. He said he did it for Akemi-san and for me. I always believed that his efforts should be rewarded without fail.

However…

“Oi, Osamu!!”

“…Huh?”

Fate is cruel.

“…Towa…kun…?”

In an instant, his years of effort and feelings were taken away from him.

Why are people so ugly? Today, I learned that many times.

“You know, you’re not needed. There’s Ayana-chan for Osamu, and Osamu for Ayana-chan. Because an outsider like you interfered, you must have received punishment.”

The filth is saying something.

“Only my big brother and Ayana-neechan are enough. I don’t like having someone like you around.”

Shut up, trash.

“Towa can’t participate in the tournament… hah.”

Why are you laughing? Towa got injured because of you!

“I’ve always thought that child was unpleasant since then. With a mother like that, of course, there’s no proper education.”

…It’s disgusting to think that we share the same blood.

As I pressed my hand against my nauseous chest, which was slightly damp, it was a sign that Towa had shed tears on my chest.

He loved soccer. He worked hard for Akemi-san’s smile… My feelings changed with the words that trampled on his efforts and feelings so easily. Since then… I could no longer see them as the same people.

My heart aches every time I see Towa struggling in rehabilitation. He should be busy with his own matters, yet he notices my state and cares for me. I found joy in Towa’s feelings, but I also felt despicable for being pleased about it.

And then, I heard it.

“I… like Ayana. So, I want Towa to support me in that. You’re my best friend, so I wanted to tell you first.”

My indifferent heart turned to disgust and hatred.

“…How awful. Ayana is in trouble.”

A man who had finished playing the fan disc muttered. A story of revenge against those who mocked Ayana’s life path and Towa’s dreams, which were not told in the main story.

Ayana, driven by hatred, was shocking, but she was always the same in front of Towa. Of course, there were intense scenes with Ayana, but all of them were only with Towa. She only unraveled in front of Towa. However, despite the intense scenes, the story was too heavy, and the focus shifted there.

“…Uh, an interview with the developers?”

What the man saw was the developer’s comments posted on the official website.

“Perhaps, everyone who played, including Osamu’s family, might have directed hate towards them. There are a few scenes that I honestly thought were too much, but expressing Ayana’s madness in detail led to that form. The staff felt sorry for the seniors and juniors (laughs). Now, have you all played the second round? The production changes a bit in the ending of the second round.”

“What!?”

It was a shock to the man. Leaving that comment page behind, the man played again, although there were no changes in the conversations, so he skipped to the ending.

Showing Towa and Ayana holding hands with smiles, the staff credits rolled against that background… But at the very end, these words appeared on the screen.

“In my arms, Ayana is there. Always smiling. Seeing that smile makes me happy too. But… was this really the right thing to do?”

The picture of the two looking happy together changed, and Ayana’s figure disappeared, leaving only Towa.

She acted upon her feelings for me. But what truly shattered her heart was… my own inability to notice anything. It might have been me who took away that kind girl from myself.

With those words, it truly marked the ending and returned to the title.

The man who had been watching all along was dumbfounded, but soon turned his attention back to the comment page.

“I actually didn’t know what Ayana did in the main story. So this is more like if I could realize it later, a feature the staff added for fun. In other words, what I’m trying to say is, Ayana was already broken, unable to restrain herself from taking action. This game ends here, but… yeah. If there was someone with a more unique perspective, not Toa in the game, not Ayana, but someone else, I think it could have led to a happier ending for both of them. Revenge may give a momentary sense of achievement, but what follows is just emptiness. Well, no matter how it turns out, it seems like a bitter ending for Shu (laughs).”

“…A third party with a unique perspective.”

The man muttered to himself, lost in thought.

What could he do if it were him? It was about the game, so thinking about it was pointless, but if… if it were the case. If Toa knew that it would end like this, would Ayana approve of bearing Toa’s hatred?

Playing the fan disc had changed his impression of the character Toa. He simply loved Ayana and wanted to be by her side all along. But he couldn’t realize that Ayana’s actions were driven by her past and hatred.

If there was just one trigger, if there was just one event where Ayana and Toa truly shared their feelings, and then overcame the past… surely, Toa and Ayana’s future would have been filled with light.

“…Phew, should I write a review?”

Writing a review after finishing playing was part of his routine.

The man opened the internet to write his review.

“Well… let’s see.”

While pondering what kind of review to write, something flashed before him, distracting him from his thoughts.

It was the game file he had kept in window mode, something he hadn’t noticed until the end.