To avoid interfering with the protagonist and heroine, the supporting characters should remain subdued.
Anyway, having come to that conclusion, I decided to refrain from interfering with the heroines as much as possible for now.
Currently, the heroines I’ve encountered are Suzuna and Wakana. I must keep my interactions with these two to a minimum.
“…Good morning.”
“G-Good morning.”
With that, it had already been two weeks since Suzuna came to this house as my sister. Since we live in the same house, it’s natural for us to see each other, but the awkward feeling between us hasn’t changed since the day she arrived.
I know that she is suffering, burdened by darkness right now. At least, if it’s the same as depicted in the game.
Honestly, pretending not to see it is quite painful for me. However, if she is to meet the protagonist and be saved one day… I cannot do anything unnecessary that would rob her of that future.
Of course, if I were to act faithfully to the game, I would have to be overly affectionate towards her, bombarding her with embarrassing compliments like “angel” and the like. But knowing her internal struggles and ultimate fate makes it difficult for me to engage in actions that would only push her further into despair.
Should I follow the game, or should I rebel against it? Ultimately, it’s undeniable that I’ve ended up in a half-hearted position, leaning toward what is easier for me…
In any case, this is the best course of action. It should be for both Suzuna and me, surely.
My parents seem to be concerned about the delicate relationship between Suzuna and me, but they haven’t said anything specific. They probably consider that both Suzuna and I are at a difficult age, approaching adolescence, and they’re being considerate.
It’s convenient not to have to think of excuses, but internally, I feel a sense of guilt… I have no words to offer.
Thinking about how this feeling will continue for almost three more years until the protagonist appears is quite tough, but this is a responsibility that comes from knowing the future.
Compared to what Suzuna is dealing with, this is nothing.
As I reminded myself of this for what felt like the hundredth time, I was about to head home after school when…
“Hey.”
Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm from behind.
“Huh?”
“Come here for a second.”
“Wha—? Huh!?”
The one who suddenly pulled my hand was Amamiya Wakana.
When I recalled my past life, we had already had a falling out, and recently, I had been keeping my distance from her as well… so why is she suddenly talking to me!?
Wakana pulled me along, leading me straight to the deserted rooftop entrance landing.
“Wak… Amamiya-san?”
“…”
For a moment, Wakana’s face twisted in apparent pain.
That expression of hers overlapped with the slightly younger version of Amamiya Wakana that I once saw.
(I remember that was just before entering middle school…)
We had tried on our new uniforms and had showcased them to our parents.
We were about to enter middle school. Taking a step closer to adulthood.
Perhaps we had been feeling a bit giddy about it. I pointed out something that had been bothering me about Wakana…
“…You idiot.”
“Eh?”
Lost in my memories, Wakana spat that insult at me.
“I heard from my mom. You… took in Suzuna-chan at Kanazaki house.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Being our next-door neighbors, it wasn’t strange that our uncles and aunts had met, and the Amamiya family also attended the funeral.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the conversation between our mothers had conveyed the fact that Suzuna-chan was taken in.
However, regardless of that, I couldn’t help but notice the accusatory look in Wakana’s eyes.
As my childhood friend, I had always seen her as someone who rarely expressed such overt hostility.
Her personality is extremely gentle. She isn’t the type to actively oppose someone.
When she is with me, she might become a bit headstrong, and we sometimes argued, but she would start crying, and I would back down… That’s the kind of relationship we had, so I can’t help but wonder why there is a wall between us now.
Furthermore, the heroine “Amamiya Wakana” that my past self knew had a similar demeanor.
From the protagonist’s perspective, she was a year older, caring, and sweet… sort of like a babysitter character.
Even if she became antagonistic with someone, she would blame herself first, a clumsily kind character.
While I had only seen her expressions in standing illustrations or event scenes, she had never looked at me like this, glaring so sharply.
“Hey, are you really paying attention to Suzuna-chan?”
“Eh?”
“She seems like she can’t fit in with the class. I’ve never seen her talking with anyone, and it looks like she’s doing the cleaning duty all by herself.”
“I-Is that so? But how do you know all this?”
“Because… I’m worried about her.”
Wakana averted her gaze for a moment, as if realizing she had said something she shouldn’t have.
But she quickly returned her expression to normal.
“Don’t change the subject, answer my question.”
“Well, um… it might not be going so well.”
“…Not going well?”
“Maybe it’s because we’re siblings. But it seems like Suzuna-chan isn’t really interested in getting close either, so for now, it can’t be helped.”
“Ugh!”
“U…”
Feeling as if I had touched a nerve, I sensed Wakana’s anger swelling up.
But it’s not like I’m doing this for no reason. Even if I mention the game or knowledge from my past life, it would only confuse her…
“It’ll be okay. Someday, I believe a hero will appear who can help solve Suzuna’s worries, someone who is important to her. So—”
“Are you serious about that?”
Wakana’s cold voice, filled with sharpness, cut off my “excuse.”
