"……"
The blond boy standing in front of me had his mouth slightly open, eyes wide in surprise, frozen in place.
...Huh? Wait, did I get the wrong person?
Is he not the protagonist?
I mean, come to think of it...
"It’s you. I’ve been wanting to meet you."
I suddenly recalled what I had just said.
And at the same time... I felt the blood drain from my face.
Ah... I really messed up, didn’t I?
I mean, saying “I’ve been wanting to meet you” to someone I’m meeting for the first time—sounds super creepy, doesn’t it!?
That’s totally something a weirdo would say!
I might as well be mistaken for a stalker!!
B-But I have my reasons too, okay!?
In a world where I hardly know anything… when I got my first solid lead on who the protagonist might be, of course I’d want to meet him right away!
But even if I panic now, I can’t take back what I said.
Still, I tried to patch things up somehow…
“S-Sorry for talking to you out of the blue. I just... got carried away, you know?”
I forced a strained smile and spoke up nervously.
“I… too…”
“Hm?”
Oh? He’s trying to say something?
“I… I wanted to talk to you too! Hazumi Reito-kun!”
In an instant, his face lit up brightly and he eagerly held out both hands.
I reflexively reached out and shook them.
We shared a firm handshake.
...Oh? So, did I get it right?
Is he actually the protagonist of this world?
“Ehehe! Thanks for shaking hands with me!”
He gave me a dazzling smile.
Alright then, that settles it—you’re definitely the protagonist!!
“By the way, you know my name, huh?”
“Of course! After all, you’re the person I most wanted to talk to, Hazumi-kun!”
The supposed protagonist said with a radiant grin.
Wait a sec, I was the one being pursued here?
“I’ve been interested in you ever since I first saw you! Plus, you’re the only other guy in your class, just like me! And also—”
“Hold up!”
“Fweh?”
If I let this continue, I’ll get swept away by his pace, so I decided to reset the conversation.
“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Hazumi Reito, from Class 1-E. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Amagasa Minato, from Class 1-A! Nice to meet you too!”
Amagasa Minato.
“That male student’s name is—Amagasa Minato.”
It matched the name I heard from Oniki-sensei.
Minato, huh… yeah, that’s a very protagonist-y name.
Actually, it kind of sounds like the name of a protagonist from a dating sim where the guy cross-dresses and infiltrates an all-girls school.
Well, either way, he’s definitely the protagonist.
As the villain, I want to build a good relationship with him.
Just like I decided to treat girls kindly… I should also be proactive in dealing with the protagonist.
“Mind if I call you Minato? Feel free to call me whatever you like too.”
“!! Can I… call you Reito-kun?”
“Of course.”
“T-Then… Reito-kun!”
“Yeah, Minato. Looking forward to getting along.”
After some small talk, Minato and I moved to sit along the wall of the gym.
“Hey, Reito-kun.”
“What is it, Minato?”
He immediately took the lead in the conversation.
What fearsome protagonist energy.
I mean, are protagonists usually this assertive?
In fantasy settings maybe, but in modern-day romcoms, aren’t they usually shy loner types?
Maybe the protagonist of this world is just naturally outgoing.
“There really aren’t many guys at Soutei Academy, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
It was originally an all-girls school, after all.
“There are only eight guys total, but today three didn’t show up, so only five of us are here… I guess the others are scared of girls…? Reito-kun, are you scared of girls?”
“Huh? Scared?”
I tilted my head in confusion at his question.
Being scared of girls… what kind of question is that?
At the very least, all the new female students at Soutei Academy are cute.
Maybe he means being surrounded by a lot of girls and getting too much attention is scary?
“I guess I’m not afraid of girls themselves, but I’m not a big fan of being overly stared at. What about you, Minato?”
“The other male student was deemed calm and gentle enough to handle being around girls, so we allowed him to be the only guy in his class.”
That’s what Oniki-sensei said. I’m sure his homeroom teacher thinks the same.
That’s why Minato is the only boy in his class, in a good way… but I wonder how he actually feels about that?
“I’m okay with talking to girls, but… just like you, I don’t like being the center of attention or getting openly stared at. I mean, girls really look at your face and body… especially down there…”
Minato shrank into himself a bit as he said that.
I guess it’s the male equivalent of guys staring at boobs or butts.
Now that he says it… I have caught myself staring before.
I took another look at Minato.
Soft blond hair in a neatly cropped mash cut, gentle light-blue eyes.
A delicate build, and overall, he’s a total pretty boy.
His expressions change constantly, his tone and mood are always bright.
Even though I approached him out of nowhere, he’s been so kind…
Wait a second. Isn’t he more like a heroine than a protagonist?
“…Reito-kun? Are you staring at me?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking how cute you look.”
“R-Really?”
Minato blushed at the word “cute.”
As the protagonist, you’re a guy, right?
Normally, a guy would say something like, “Hey, I’m a guy! Call me cool, not cute!”
But Minato accepted the compliment with a blush.
Wait… is there a “trap route” in this world or something?
“You’re the only guy in your class, so you naturally draw attention… but knowing in advance that you’ve got someone reliable as your support partner must be comforting, right?”
“Yeah, totally!”
I agree with that sentiment too.
But the fact that the support girl assigned to him works as a personal maid at my estate…
And she’s also the main heroine.
Yeah. There’s no way I can let Minato find out about that.
If he did, I feel like things would get seriously complicated.
“Have you already talked to your support girl, Reito-kun?”
“Yeah, we exchanged greetings.”
In reality, we’ve been deeply involved since before school even started… but I kept it vague.
“I said hi too! Like, ‘Let’s do our best from now on~!’ She seemed a little surprised, but she looked like a nice girl. Oh, and her big sister is the student council president!”
“Is that so?”
So she’s the student council president’s younger sister.
Very heroine-like, again.
“What kind of person is your support partner, Reito-kun?”
“She seems like a nice girl.”
Since Minato’s here, I kept it vague, but Nako-chan is a kind, hardworking girl who really cares about her sister.
“Do you remember the girl who gave the speech at the entrance ceremony yesterday?”
“Oh yeah, I do! She was super cute!”
“She’s my support partner.”
And at my estate, she’s my exclusive maid.
“I see~ I’m glad your support partner seems like a nice person, Reito-kun.”
Minato gave me a gentle smile.
What a sweet kid! He’s definitely the protagonist!!
Our conversation continued for a while...
“What are you doing for lunch today, Reito-kun?”
Despite it still being second period, Minato suddenly brought up lunch.
Maybe he’s already hungry?
Well, he asked, so I should answer.
“I was planning to go to the cafeteria.”
I’d already been told by Kyoko-san that Soutei Academy has a cafeteria.
Back in my original world, I went to an all-boys school that only had a tiny snack shop.
And since the athletic guys would buy everything out, all I ever managed to get was a drink.
So, I’d always admired the idea of a proper school cafeteria.
Last night, I’d already told Kyoko-san I was planning to go.
And this morning, I didn’t receive a bento…
"...Nako, make sure you don’t take your eyes off the young master in the cafeteria."
"I-I know, Sis!"
The Nijo sisters were having a strangely serious conversation this morning, but…
Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine.
“You’re amazing, Reito-kun. Going to the cafeteria right away like that… If you’re going, maybe I’ll give it a try too!”
“Give it a try,” huh… Minato really says the cutest things.
…Wait, I am talking to the protagonist, right?
“Wanna go together then, Minato?”
“Yeah! Reito-kun!”
And just like that, I made plans to have lunch in the cafeteria with the protagonist.
Somehow… I think I’m doing pretty well on the whole “raise the protagonist’s affection” front?