“W-well… why don’t we sit down?”

“…Oh, right.”

I nodded in agreement with Naoko’s sensible suggestion.

I pulled out a chair and sat opposite her.

Even though we were seated… the conversation didn't exactly flow.

“…”

“…”

A slightly awkward atmosphere settled between us.

I wanted to do something about it, but… it was Naoko, so it felt difficult.

It was probably the same for her.

Like her older sister Kyoko, Naoko probably disliked me or at least felt uncomfortable around me.

Being childhood friends probably made the bad impression of Hazumi Reito even stronger.

Furthermore, she'd been chosen as my support, and it turned out to be the very person she disliked. On top of that, she would become my personal maid starting tomorrow.

Being forced to face the guy she disliked all the time, both at school and at the mansion…

She must be thinking something along those lines.

Thinking about that made me feel a bit guilty…

No, no, I couldn’t be negative!

I was reincarnated as a villain. Being disliked came with the territory. I couldn’t afford to let it affect me.

Besides, my likeability couldn’t possibly go any lower. From now on, it could only go up!

I had to work hard to raise Naoko’s likability, too!

Now that I was determined to face Naoko head-on, I opened my mouth.

“Naoko.”

“Y-yes!”

Naoko’s shoulders jumped as she met my gaze.

She hadn’t spoken, but she’d been glancing at me with concern.

But at this rate, she wouldn’t initiate or continue the conversation.

So, I decided to tell her what I wanted to say.

Just like with her mother, Maki… I’d strike first!

“Naoko… don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“!!”

Naoko’s eyes widened at my words.

I’d only known Naoko for a short time… but even so, I’d noticed something.

I thought she was trying a little too hard.

Being chosen as the new student representative meant she was intelligent.

Kyoko was also excellent, and perhaps Naoko was naturally smart…

But she might have been studying exceptionally hard in secret. If so, she would likely continue those efforts after entering the academy.

In addition, she would be a support at school and a personal maid at the mansion.

Even though it hadn't started yet, she probably wouldn’t have much free time or personal space, and I was worried she’d overwork herself to the point of exhaustion.

“Um… I’m not pushing myself at all! See? I’m perfectly fine!”

Naoko said in a bright tone…

“People who are pushing themselves usually say that. They say it to avoid worrying others. They’re not being honest with themselves, and they keep pushing themselves.”

“…”

“In the first place, you accepted this support role because there's some benefit, like a tuition waiver or something that would help your family, right?”

“Ugh…”

Naoko looked down and mumbled softly.

It seemed I’d hit a nerve.

Her older sister Kyoko was cool and composed, making it difficult to read her emotions… but Naoko’s feelings were more apparent in her expressions and gestures.

“…I see. I suspected as much from our conversation the day I visited your house… Naoko, you really do have a habit of overdoing things. I'd be troubled if you collapsed or something. And Kyoko would be the most worried. She’d scold me.”

Yeah, Kyoko would definitely scold me!

It wouldn’t be a matter of likability; it would be far worse if her precious little sister collapsed from overwork.

She might even seek revenge… Yikes! Straight to a downfall flag!!

“Onee-chan… would definitely get angry…”

Naoko nodded slightly.

So, if something happened to Naoko, Kyoko would be angry at me. She would come after me.

Conversely, if nothing happened to Naoko, Kyoko wouldn't do anything.

Saying “Don’t push yourself” preemptively would act as a safety net against those flags!

“Naoko. I’m not telling you not to work hard. Just please don’t overdo it, okay?”

“Y-yes! I’ll be careful…!”

Yes, please be careful. I was worried about her health, and it was also connected to my downfall flags.

“Next, the second thing.”

“T-the second thing…?”

She was probably thinking, He still has more to say… But I had downfall flags to worry about, so bear with me!

“I think we should keep our relationship a secret at school.”

“What do you mean… that I’m Reito-sama’s personal maid?”

“Yes, that’s right. If our relationship becomes public… it could become troublesome.”

Yes, troublesome…

As you could see, Naoko was a beautiful girl. And when she was talking to Kyoko, she had a lot of smiles and a cheerful voice.

She was probably a bright and friendly girl.

She was bound to be popular at school!

Very heroine-like.

That's why if it became known that she was the personal maid of a villain like me… it could cause a commotion and become troublesome.

Even though there were only seven other boys, some of them would surely be attracted to a beautiful girl like Naoko.

I didn’t want to be envied or resented by the few other boys just because of my personal maid.

“Y-yes, you’re right! If they find out I’m Reito-sama’s personal maid, it would be difficult for everyone, especially for Reito-sama… I understand!”

Naoko was quick to understand. That was a relief.

“The third thing. This is the last one.”

“Th-the third thing…”

“It’s about how you address me at school. Not with ‘-sama’… but with ‘-kun,’ ‘-san,’ or just my name.”

“C-calling you by your name is presumptuous…!”

“Oh, is it?”

She said it with surprising force.

“Th-then… is Reito-san okay?”

“That’s fine. Please call me ‘Reito-san’ at school. It’s related to the second point, as it’s less likely to raise suspicions about our relationship.”

“Understood.”

“Also, you can go back to the usual way of addressing me when we’re at the mansion or when it’s just the two of us.”

Naoko nodded firmly at my words.

I'd said all three things I wanted to say first. This was also to ensure a peaceful school life for me.

Actually, there were a couple more things I wanted to say… but saying any more would make me seem overly demanding.

I’d say them when the time was right.

“Those are the three things I wanted to tell you, Naoko. I’m sorry. I’m making you put up with my selfishness.”

“N-no! It’s okay…! Besides, I think what Reito-sama just said makes sense, considering you're one of the few male students here.”

Since Naoko agreed, it was a good thing I said it upfront.

“Now, I’m sorry for doing all the talking. Is there anything you want to say to me, Naoko?”

I needed to listen to her thoughts and requests as well.

After a few seconds of silence as Naoko seemed to gather her thoughts…

“Um… Reito-sama.”

“Yes?”

“I… heard that Mother visited you directly the other day.”

Ah, about the conversation with her mother. Of course, she’d be curious.

“What you said to Mother at that time, was it really—”

Just as Naoko was about to say something…

The break room door was knocked on a few times, then swung open with a bang.

“Hazumi-kun, I’m so sorry! The phone call took longer than I expected!”

Teacher Sato entered, slightly out of breath.

“Oh, no problem.”

“Good… Nijo-san, have you greeted Hazumi-kun?”

“Y-yes. I’ve greeted Rei… um. I’ve greeted Reito-san!”

Oops, Naoko almost said “Reito-sama” just now. But it was probably fine since it was just a slip-up.

“…Oh? It's okay to call him by his first name?”

Teacher Sato looked back and forth between Naoko and me with surprise.

I was puzzled by her reaction, but then I realized…

Ah, I see. I was so focused on the “-sama” address that I’d forgotten Teacher Sato thought this was our first meeting. Well, anyone would think that.

It was natural for her to find it strange that we were using first names so casually.

But it would be confusing for Naoko to use my last name at school and my first name plus “-sama” at the mansion or when we were alone.

So, here…

“Naoko will be my support from now on, so we decided to call each other by our first names to get closer faster. Right, Naoko?”

“Y-yes. That’s exactly right, Sensei.”

Thanks for going along with it, Naoko!

The explanation wasn't strange at all. Yet…

“…”

Teacher Sato looked dumbfounded.

“Sensei?”

“Oh, um… I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s unusual for a male student like Hazumi-kun to be so friendly with a girl…”

“Is it that unusual?”

“Yes, very.”

Huh, so that’s how it was.

“Now that the greetings are done, the introduction of the support, Nijo-san, is concluded. Nijo-san, please return to your classroom.”

“Y-yes. Then, Reito-san, I look forward to working with you as your support.”

“Likewise.”

Naoko bowed slightly to the teacher and left the break room.

“Hazumi-kun, you should now head to your class, Class 1-E. It’s break time now, so take your time.”

Oh, I was finally going to my classroom.

I looked at the paper again. All the information I needed was there.

The classroom was on the second floor.

There was a seating chart, and a single star marked my seat.

“A window seat at the very back… nice.”

I went up the stairs and arrived at the first-year floor.

I paused for a moment in front of the classroom marked “Class 1-E” and took a breath.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I slid the door open and entered the classroom.

“““!!!”””

All the girls’ gazes turned towards me at once.

There were flashy, sociable-looking girls and quiet ones reading books.

But… they were all cute!

And almost all of them were already at their desks.

It was natural that it was mostly girls, but… it was unusual for no one to be out of their seats or visiting other classrooms during break time.

“Hey, is that…?”

“There really is a boy in our class…”

Being one of the few boys in a predominantly female class, I was attracting a lot of attention.

I tried to appear calm as I made my way to my seat at the back by the window.

I tried to ignore the girls’ stares, but… their voices still reached my ears.

“He’s the boy in our class~”

“I think he’s pretty cute~”

“You’d say that about any boy.”

“Yeah, he’s not bad.”

“But he looks kind of cold…”

“Well, he’s a boy~”

…What was this, an appraisal? Did this happen whenever a lot of girls got together?

When I reached my seat, pulled out the chair, and sat down, the murmurs around me seemed to grow louder. I could also feel a lot of stares.

Phew, I sighed inwardly and looked out the window.

With so many girls, it seemed like it would be tough being a boy…

But I still wanted to get along with the girls in my class!

And besides…

“Mom, I believe that if I want others to be kind to me, I should be kind to them first.”

Since I’d said that to my mother… maybe I should try being kind to them first!