THREE days later, I found myself trudging through school classes and reading during breaks, as was my usual routine. On a whim, I stole a glance at Nonoka. There she was, solitary, a sight that struck me as poignantly unusual, especially given her otome game heroine personality. If I were just a normal student, I would have certainly liked to befriend her. The mere thought of the fun we could have together brought a smile to my face, but I quickly suppressed it. After all, I was cast as the villainess. My role was to bully and harass her today. But not now. I refocused on my book, only to sense someone’s presence before me.
“You always seem to be reading, Ms. Mio. Do you enjoy it?” It was Rikka.
“Yes, indeed, I rather find reading offers boundless knowledge and perspectives, wouldn’t you agree?” Not a lie, but not the full story either. Truthfully, I enjoyed reading, but my current selections weren’t exactly my preference. My tastes leaned to more casual reads, particularly light novels targeting a broader audience. Though, I’d probably stay away from the villainess stories for now…
“I’m sorry, but did you need something?” I asked, turning my attention back to Rikka.
“No, I was just noting that you seem rather unburdened,” she replied.
“If it’s our arrangement you’re concerned about, rest assured, I intend to fulfill it,” I imparted confidently.
Shizuki had given me permission to interact with Rikka. As she wasn’t a character from the game, our interactions didn’t have clear right or wrong outcomes. Nevertheless, I proceeded with caution, aiming to avoid making waves.
Speaking of making waves, I spied my two alleged underlings staring daggers at me from a distance. If they have the time to glare, surely, they have the time to study? I kept that thought to myself, not wanting to instigate further trouble today.
“If they have time to glare at you, shouldn’t they be studying instead?” Rikka said.
Surprised, I blinked and then let out a burst of refined laughter. “That’s amusing. I was thinking exactly the same thing.”
“Well, as they say, great minds think alike.”
“Why, you flatter me.”
Despite everything, Rikka was undeniably kind-hearted. She had the courage to call balls and strikes, yet her sincerity and loyalty were unwavering. I knew someone like her would never approve of me bullying Nonoka. It saddened me to think that her perception of me would soon be tarnished, but I hoped she would simply attribute it to a misjudgment and move on.
For the remainder of the break, our conversation remained pleasantly mundane. After several more classes and breaks, it was time for gym class. Sosei Academy had separate changing rooms for boys, girls, and Corporate Legacy students. In this secluded space, I changed into an athletic shirt and safety shorts, over which I donned the school’s tracksuit. Designed with the assistance of a renowned fashion designer and emblazoned with the school’s emblem, the tracksuit was elegant in its simplicity, not to mention extraordinarily comfortable.
Once dressed, I made my way to the gymnasium. Typically, gym classes were two or more classes combined and segregated by gender, but today was an exception. The expansive room was bustling with students. As I, a Corporate Legacy student, stepped into the room, the atmosphere seemed to notably shift. Ignoring the gazes directed at me, I noticed Riku conversing with a classmate. He briefly glanced at me, then smoothly resumed his conversation. Clearly, my previous actions had alienated him. That was good. Then he wouldn’t object to being further distanced from me today.
Muttering a silent apology to those I inevitably had to harm, I was caught off guard when I suddenly bumped into Ruki. “Mr. Ruki. How can I assist you?”
“Mio. Why do you…” he began.
“Why do I what?” I prompted.
He shook his head, seemingly searching for the right words, his gaze drifting aimlessly before finally focusing on me. “Mio. Why, is there any outfit that doesn’t suit you?”
I nearly choked on my own surprise. Steadying myself, I reminded myself that his comment was likely just a diversion, a stray thought blurted out to mask his real intentions. He didn’t truly mean it. And after all, as the designated villainess, I was accustomed to such flattery.
“Well, this tracksuit is a creation of a renowned young fashion designer who has even been featured in Tokyo Girls Collection. It would be rather surprising if it didn’t look good on me, don’t you think?” I attempted to sweep a lock of hair off my shoulder, forgetting for a moment that I had tied it up for gym class. Quickly adapting, I smoothly transitioned to holding my ponytail, bringing it over my shoulder to rest in front of my chest. Wrapping my other arm in front of my waist, I shifted my weight and smiled provocatively.
He chuckled. “You know, I never considered that pompous attitude alluring until I heard it from you. You really shouldn’t play such games when you can actually pull it off. Tell me, you weren’t like this in middle school, were you? Is this your idea of reinventing yourself for high school?”
I almost choked on my own spit. A high school fresh start? Was that how he saw my transformation. But then again, he’d done his research, just like Shizuki. Sure, I’d changed my personality a whole lot, but to have that interpreted as trying to reinvent myself…
Well, it didn’t matter how he interpreted it, as long as he recognized the current me as the villainess. Probably.
“Mr. Ruki,” I said with a feigned, flirtatious surprise, “to have delved so deeply into my past… Do I truly hold such a special place in your heart?” This line, perfectly in sync with the role of a flirtatious villainess, was bound to repel him. Any moment now, Ruki would break out into a look of disgust and leave.
“And what if I said you did?”
He whaaaaaat?!
Why isn’t this working?! Ruki may have taken a liking to me because I looked out for his sister, but surely, by now, my repeated questionable actions should have disillusioned him completely.
“Mio,” he purred softly, reaching out to casually brush a stray lock of hair from my cheek with his thumb. If it’d been the beach at sunset, this would’ve made for a scene from a movie, but this was the gym in broad daylight. And I was supposed to be the villainess, destined to have my one-sided affections for Ruki rebuffed and face my downfall. My role was to flirt, not to be flirted with.
Suddenly, the bell rang. “Saved by the bell,” Ruki murmured, stepping back. “Well, no matter, you’ll find out the answer to that question soon enough.”
As he walked away to rejoin the boys, I headed to the girls’ area with heavy steps as my mind still reeled from the interaction.
This was not good. I completely lost my cool. I needed to hurry up and shake it off. I’d completely lost my composure and needed to regain it swiftly. Closing my eyes, I focused, tuning into the surrounding chatter. Conversations about so-and-so’s cute among the boys; conversations about so-and-so’s tone among the girls—and then a conversation about Nonoka and why she was standing all alone. “You best stay away from her,” one girl advised. “She’s connected to the Corporate students.”
It seemed poor Nonoka really was ostracized. Knowing this, my hesitation vanished.
It was time to get to work.