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

Ayana-san is a heroine… right?

Arriving at the classroom, I followed behind Osamu and Ayana.

As I made my way to my seat, I glanced around and saw that the two were already seated. Osamu, with his face down, it was unclear if he was asleep or awake.

Upon further reflection, the protagonist of this world, Osamu, is… well, how should I put it, I don’t particularly like saying this, but he’s the type who lurks in the shadows.

Ayana, beautiful, cheerful, and friendly with everyone, is the exact opposite of Osamu. Unlike Osamu, who has few friends, Ayana has many friends regardless of gender. Moreover, with her good looks, she’s bound to be popular.

The scene of Aya and Osamu getting along well was not well-received by others, and it was true that Osamu had faced no small amount of harassment.

Although Aya put an end to that harassment, the fact that she was making lunches for Osamu was still unsettling for many, who continued to cast jealous glances.

(…No, it was Towa who reprimanded as well.)

I recalled that Towa was also there alongside Aya. Judging from Osamu’s past, Towa presented a truly good image as a friend.

Helping Osamu, listening to his concerns, and even assisting in his relationship with Aya. Towa, the dependable friend, had actually been involved in a physical relationship with Aya… This fact truly surprised me at the time.

“I need Towa-kun ♡ I don’t need a childhood friend who’s so wishy-washy and pathetic ♡”

Those were Aya’s words when Osamu witnessed the moment. Upon hearing them, Osamu was further plunged into despair, and he left the scene dumbfounded, marking the end. How Osamu, who was told by his first love and childhood friend that he was not needed, fared afterward, I didn’t want to dwell on, but it probably wasn’t a happy ending.

As Aya put it, Osamu really was an indecisive and wishy-washy person. I wondered why someone like him was liked by so many girls, but it was probably just one of the perks of such games, so there was no point in pondering.

On my way to my seat, I caught Aya chatting amicably with her friends. Aya noticed me, and as others around also noticed and waved, I waved back subtly and took my seat. Aya, upon seeing me seated, looked astonished, then said something to her friends and walked over to me.

I didn’t think I did anything particularly strange, and I couldn’t fathom why Aya was so surprised… But her words soon clarified the reason.

“Towa-kun, what’s wrong? You haven’t come here lately… I thought maybe there are days like this, but I didn’t expect it to continue like this.”

“Ah…”

Ah, I see, Towa was always with that group.

In the game, Towa’s circle of friends hadn’t been discussed much, and there was no mention of him stepping out of the group to talk to Osamu, so I hadn’t noticed.

Since I had taken this form, I hadn’t approached that group myself. Aya probably wouldn’t mind for a few days, but it was indeed strange not to be involved for so long.

Sure, our insides were different, so it couldn’t be helped, but Aya didn’t know that, making things complicated.

“I want to keep the mornings a bit quiet. Aya, you don’t need to worry about me, okay?”

Would this reply suffice? I didn’t have any particular intentions towards Aya… Well, as a man, I did think about wanting to make such a top-notch woman mine, but as someone who knew the scenario, I didn’t feel that way.

So she could just get along with Osamu without worrying about me; that was the implication… But Aya’s reaction was beyond what I had anticipated.

“Why? Why don’t I need to worry?!”

“H-Hey!”

Aya suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

She held me so firmly that I couldn’t move away, and I ended up facing her at close range. The classmates around us were now looking over at us.

“I don’t want… Towa-kun to say such things… No… I don’t want it, my lord…”

“Y-Your lord…?”

What’s with the “my lord”?

I was puzzled by Aya’s sudden words, but to avoid the attention, I tried to calm her down by gently patting her head.

“Sorry. I was just not in the mood. If you want, come over here. We can talk or do whatever.”

Looking a bit flustered, Aya, with tears in her eyes, nodded. Relieved, I smiled at her, but I found myself mesmerized by her appearance, frozen in place. She truly had the charm befitting a game’s heroine.

“…Even though you say not to worry… Why? Why do you say that?!”

“W-Well, relationships are important. Towa-kun, please come over here as much as you can. If you can’t stand it… Can I come to your house since it’s inconvenient at school?”

“S-Sure…”

“Ah…!”

Aya’s body trembled slightly, making me feel that something was indeed off. Yes, I did feel that Aya’s behavior was extremely strange. Yet, my body seemed to be excited by her in some way. I couldn’t quite understand this perplexing feeling, so I shook my head to dismiss those thoughts.

As Aya listened to my response and prepared to return to her friends, I faintly heard what seemed like words from Aya.

“If Towa-kun isn’t here, there’s no reason to get involved. Those annoying guys who make such nice faces are such a pain.”

While I thought I heard my name in the first half, the latter part was unclear, but I understood that she seemed displeased. Aya, moving away from me, glanced back once more, waved slightly, then returned to her friends.

I let out a deep sigh, feeling as if a storm had passed. And then, there was a presence patting my shoulder.

“Hey! It’s rare to see you alone.”

“…Aisaka, huh?”

The one patting my shoulder was Takashi Aisaka, a classmate and a good friend I often talked to. He was a muscular guy with a shaven head, who happened to be a standout in the baseball club. His solid build was undoubtedly a result of his regular practice.

Aisaka murmured “Hmm” as he looked at me, then continued speaking.

“…You’ve changed a bit, haven’t you? I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

He was known to make sharp comments.

I shrugged my shoulders with a wry smile at his words and replied.

“Maybe I’ve turned into a completely different person inside?”

“hahahahaha! You’re even saying those manga-like things. Did you get hooked on some manga?”

He clearly didn’t believe it at all. Well, I understood that too. In this reality—though it’s a world of eroge—magic doesn’t exist. Even if you say someone’s inner self has changed, no one would believe it, nor would they even consider believing it. Well, I’m experiencing that unbelievable thing myself.

As I chatted with Aisaka about trivial matters, he suddenly looked away from me and glanced at another place. I followed his gaze and saw Ayana trying to talk to Shuu, who had his face down.

“Oh, looks like Onmuna-san is involved with Sasaki again.”

“It’s a common sight. Nothing unusual at this point.”

“True, but still. Even though they’ve been childhood friends, why does she care so much?”

“Who knows.”

Isn’t it because Ayana has feelings for Shuu?

We couldn’t hear their conversation from here, but Ayana seemed annoyed while Shuu, who seemed bothered but had a smirk on his face, listened. A nearby female student who was looking at Shuu commented, “He’s gross.” Hang in there, Shuu.

“There’s no need for the peanut gallery to chime in.”

“Well, yeah. But unlike Sasaki, you don’t get any comments, so being handsome has its perks, right?”

“Handsome?”

“…Are you serious?”

Oh, right. Looking at it objectively, Towa was indeed handsome. I never cared about whether I looked cool or not, so I never paid attention to it. Well, rejoice, me, it seems I’m considered handsome.

A puzzled Aisaka looked at me as I nodded to myself, then quickly shifted his gaze back to the two of them. Since there wasn’t much else to do, I thought I’d join in and when I turned my gaze back, I suddenly realized.

“…Huh.”

Did Ayana have such lifeless eyes before?

I had been tilting my head for a while at the clearly different look in her eyes from when we were talking earlier.