Chapter 13: So This Is What NTR Feels Like…

"Man, dealing with Araida-sensei’s sleep routine was such a pain."

"It wasn’t that much of a struggle, was it? If anything, you should’ve held out a little longer before— Wait! Why am I even allowing slacking off like this…?!"

—Scene change—Break time before lunch after fourth period.

"Phew… I hope that was the right move."

"Eh, it’s fiiine. Pretty sure she figured out we’re from the same hometown anyway."

Well, if Towa said so, then it must be true.

"Guess we’ll just have to wait till lunch, huh? She probably needs time to think things over. Besides, curry’s always tastier after sitting overnight."

"Yeah, giving someone space to think is important. Oh, and no more candy—I already gave you some earlier."

"Tch."

As they were talking, Yuuki passed by in front of them.

"Hm? Oh—Yuuki! Let’s have lunch together today~!"

"Huh? Ah, sorry, Towa. I already promised to eat with Tanaka, Hatakeyama, and Ito today."

As Yuuki listed off the names of three female classmates, Towa just…

"…………………………"

…froze. So completely that you could almost hear the crack of her shattering.

"Ah… ah…"

"Yeah, so… later."

With that, Yuuki picked up his lunch and walked off toward the trio. Towa could only watch his retreating back with a look of quiet despair.

Dear Mom and Dad from my past life, I hope you're doing well. As for me, right now...

"Uuughhh…"

"You seem fine to me…"

"What’re you even talkin’ about, Yui? I’m totally normal here."

"Good grief, I can practically hear the gloomy sound effects around you. You look like a kid who just found out they can’t have their favorite snack."

"Dammit, I got nothin’ to say to that."

For some reason, I’d been dragged into an empty classroom by Edogawa-san and Yui-chan, who were currently slumped over their desks in despair.

"Aah… So this is what NTR feels like…"

"You weren’t even dating him to begin with. If anything, it’s more like BSS—'Before* I Liked Him'—or WSS—'While I Was (etc.)'—right?"*

"There’s no romantic feelings between me and Yuuki…"

Hmm. A character who shouldn’t even exist in the main story is hung up over Yuuki-kun. Wait, who is this girl? From her earlier remarks, I can tell she’s involved in this whole "default romance" thing, but…

"Sigh… Sorry. Ah, don’t worry about it. This girl’s just got a thing for guys like Yuuki-kun."

"Ahaha…"

Yeah, ngl, this is kinda terrifying…

"Alright, since our ‘strategist’ here is useless right now, I’ll do the explaining."

"O-Oh, okay."

After a brief glance at Edogawa-san—no, Towa-chan—who was still face-down on the desk, Yui-san began filling me in.

And then, I learned about this world… and Edogawa-san’s role in it.

Why had I forgotten? That romance was my reason for living.

Why had I been made to forget? That romance was everything to me.

Why couldn’t I remember? Edogawa-san… no, Towa-chan… was the hope of my life.

The moment I realized that, tears welled up at my own helplessness.

"H-Hey!? You okay!?"

"Ghk! Y-Yeah! Ohhh, so it’s like a galge!?"

"Huh? You’ve played one?"

"Yeah, yeah! It’s all coming back to me. The only heroines available from the start were Yui, Manami, and Towa, so Yuuki-san couldn’t interact with other girls beyond that, right?"

"That’s how it was, yeah. So I guess new hints unlock as more heroines get added?"

"Seems like it, yep."

"Oh, you’re back?"

With a fwump, Towa-chan lifted her face from the desk. Yep, still a beauty. How was this girl not in the manga?

"From now on, heroines will start approaching us three. That means we gotta keep in close contact. So, lemme ask—either of you got feelings for Yuuki right now?"

""Nope (Not at all).""

"Me neither. Which means we’re not even in the main story yet."

"The main story starts in middle school, after all."

"Once we’re in middle school, we might finally be free of your suffocating hoodie obsession."

For some reason, Towa-chan was bundled up in a hoodie despite it being late spring. Sure, chilly days still happened, but just looking at her made me sweat.

"Seriously, do something about that hoodie addiction. I nearly lost it when you wore it in August."

"Ohhh, so you’re the idiot who wears a hoodie in peak summer?"

"Can’t help it. My skin’s weak to sunburn."

"Such is the struggle of having Eastern European blood."

"Your grandma was Russian, right?"

Silky blonde hair, striking blue eyes—she was easily top-tier among the heroines, maybe even surpassing the student council president in looks.

Even I, a girl, couldn’t help but gulp at her bewitching charm. And she was like this in third grade. The future was scary.

"Anyway, the only problem left is Towa-chan thinking Yuuki-kun hates her now."

THUD. A painfully loud noise as Towa-chan face-planted into the desk again.

"Geez!? Your nose! You’re bleeding!?"

"Ahhh! Tissue, tissue!?"

As I scrambled to help Yui-chan calm her down, one thought nagged at me:

"Are you sure you don’t have feelings for him?"