The hospital I’m admitted to is one of the largest in the prefecture. Whether it’s facilities, personnel, or the quality of doctors, everything is top-class in the prefecture. The reason I know this in such detail is because there’s an episode where Sano gets injured and is brought to this hospital.
The scale of the hospital’s courtyard is quite large. There’s even a McDonald’s and convenience store, so patients with time to kill gather here.
I’m not very good with crowds, so I went to see the flower beds in the back garden. The flowers in the beds were gradually beginning to bloom, as if announcing the arrival of spring. They seemed relieved to finally be able to show their faces after enduring the cold of winter.
While being pushed in a wheelchair, I looked at the scenery outside. I’d finally been given permission to go outside, so I was taking in the outdoors for the first time in a while.
And the one pushing my wheelchair is Kitagawa Reine. She’s one of the [Four Beauties] and one of the heroines of [LoD].
“It’s a nice view… Spring came before we knew it.”
“Yeah… Until recently I was too busy with exams to even have time to look at the scenery.”
“Yes.”
The exam thing is half a lie. I only studied for about an hour a day. I had knowledge from my previous life, after all.
Still, it’s true that I had no peace of mind. With the day of my death decided, I was anxious no matter what I did.
It’s just ordinary scenery, but for me right now, even normal things seem to move me. Maybe nearly dying has made me more appreciative of life itself.
I glanced back at Reine behind me.
“What is it?”
“No, nothing…”
She’s still an incredible beauty…
With deep azure eyes like she’s trapped in permafrost, and beautiful silver hair like silk done up in two-side-up style. From Reine, who gives off an overall sense of [coldness], I felt a strange sensation, like she’d been left behind by the changing season moving into spring.
Well, that image isn’t wrong. Everything about her is sharp like an icicle, she mostly acts alone, and students who saw her reading books by the window seat called her the solitary young lady.
The one who melted this ice princess was the [prodigy] Sano Yuuto. Protagonists really are amazing—
Then Reine gave me a triumphant smile.
“I know. You were captivated by me, weren’t you?”
“N-no, that’s not it.”
I was too proud to honestly admit I was captivated, so I reflexively argued back.
“I was just looking at the dogwood behind you, Reine, thinking how beautiful it was, okay?”
“Satoshi, you’re terrible at lying. I prefer honest men, you know?”
“…I was captivated to death.”
I got hooked by the word “prefer.”
This is the nature of guys. Guys are so easy…
“That’s right. I am beautiful, after all.”
She began proudly praising her own appearance. I won’t say anything since it’s a fact.
And this is where the insults begin.
“For livestock gender, it can’t be helped…”
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes!
Reine’s signature insults are starting.
Reine has long been called the solitary young lady, but she’s just bad at communication. This personality has caused her to have no friends. She especially put up clear walls against boys.
When I first played through, I thought “what an unlikeable woman,” but the reason lies in her environment.
Reine’s insults are a reversal of her fear of people, but as the protagonist raises her affection, Reine gradually becomes more honest. That process is what’s great about it.
That’s why, knowing Reine’s deep psychology, her insults are almost a reward for me.
I was secretly moved, remembering Reine from when her affection wasn’t raised yet.
But the continuation of her words isn’t coming.
“Reine?”
When I turned around, water droplets caressed my face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
Apologies from Reine are rare even in [LoD]. It’s one of those rare events that happens only after maxing out affection. No, that doesn’t matter right now.
Something’s wrong with Reine.
“Wh-what’s wrong?”
Then the expressionless Reine opened her mouth.
“I’m a terrible woman…”
And she began speaking bit by bit.
“To say ‘livestock gender’ to Satoshi, my benefactor—it’s the worst insult, isn’t it? I’m sorry.”
“Um, Reine?”
“I have a bad personality. That’s why I end up insulting even you, my benefactor. It’s disgusting. Garbage like me shouldn’t be near Satoshi-sama, who’s kinder than anyone…”
“Hey—”
“So I’ll disappear from before you. If possible, I wanted you to kill me, but I can’t trouble you with that… I’ll die quietly somewhere no one knows. Maybe Aokigahara would be good. A miserable death suits a terrible woman like me…”
Saying that, Reine covered her face with her hands and began crying.
More importantly, what’s this about killing!? Please don’t think about such heavy things!?
Both Satsuki and Reine, please don’t fall into darkness so easily. At this rate, she might really die, so I decided to follow up with everything I had.
I managed to move my left hand and turned the wheelchair around.
“I’m not bothered by anything, so please relax. I know Reine is kind.”
“…There’s no way someone who says such things as naturally as breathing is a good person… You don’t need to humor me.”
Wow… this is serious.
If I say the wrong thing, Reine won’t believe me. Worse, I might end up hurting her.
Can’t be helped. I’ll steel myself. I’m going to cheat.
“It’s not humoring you. Reine says strong things because of trauma from human relationships, especially from fear of men, right?”
“Huh? Ah, um, that’s right.”
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She was obviously flustered. Well, there probably isn’t anyone who would say something like this to her.
That’s how much she’s kept lashing out at others.
Actually, Reine’s mother is a single mother, but she’s trash who goes through men one after another. And Reine was regularly subjected to violence at home. On top of that, Reine is beautiful. She was also hit on by the men her mother brought home. Because of that, she developed androphobia.
Furthermore, her mother would snap at Reine for trying to steal away her love interest and would regularly beat her.
That’s why she’s bad at relationships with people and strongly rejects others. No one thought her behavior came from trauma.
“So you don’t need to worry about anything. I understand your feelings, Reine.”
“But I really am rotten at the core. So…!”
“Reine.”
I forcefully spoke over her, cutting off her words.
“Don’t make me say it again. I understand your feelings, Reine.”
Reine uses strong words because of her wariness toward others. The other reason is to hide embarrassment.
In the process of becoming close with the protagonist Sano, Reine would use strong words when praised. I played through that while grinning from ear to ear.
In this case, it would be that I was captivated by Reine. Even though she’s constantly popular, there’s no one who would feel bad being praised. Even if it’s praise from a mob character.
Then Reine knelt down and took my right hand. And like an abandoned kitten, she looked up at me with tears welling up.
“I’m sorry. I’ll gradually fix this personality, so please don’t abandon me. Don’t come to hate me.”
“That’s why I won’t hate you. Besides, Reine using strong words is also attractive, so there’s no need to fix it.”
After hearing my words, Reine looked dazed for a moment, then buried her face in my lap.
“Only Satoshi-sama says such things to me. Thank you.”
“I see…”
There’s still pain in my legs, but if I show pain now, she’ll fall into darkness again. I endured with all my might. Same with the “Satoshi-sama” thing.
Then people gradually started gathering. The vitality of the flowers seems to be an encouragement to our wounded hearts.
For the patients too, this must be an oasis for their hearts as they fight daily painful treatments and illnesses.
However, everyone who looked at us turned lukewarm gazes our way.
These stares are uncomfortable. I thought I should wake Reine up soon, but she showed no signs of getting up.
“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”
“What?”
Where is that voice even coming from…?
She said that while curled up on my lap.
I want to leave here soon though…
“I want you to pet my head. May I…?”
“Huh?”
Am I allowed to make such a protagonist move…?
As I hesitated, Reine looked up anxiously.
Her face is so small!?
“Is it… no good?”
“I got it… Just for a bit, okay?”
“Yes, please.”
So cute!
The lukewarm gazes from the surroundings seemed to get even more intense. Reine didn’t seem to notice at all. Throwing shame aside, I stroked Reine’s hair, and it was like high-quality fabric. Not only was it smooth, it clung to my hand and felt pleasant.
“I-it tickles.”
“Ah, sorry.”
The sensation was so good I got absorbed in it. When I returned to reality, there was quite an audience. Once I became conscious of it, I couldn’t endure this environment any longer.
“Reine, let’s head back to the room.”
“Ah, y-yes.”
Understanding the situation surrounding her, Reine was embarrassed. This girl is cute.
And we left that place as if escaping. Once we got back inside the hospital, we finally escaped from people’s gazes.
Let’s just quietly go back to the hospital room.
“──Hey.”
“Hm?”
Reine called out from behind.
“Satoshi-sama—no, Satoshi, how did you know there were problems with my family?”
While pushing the wheelchair, Reine asked.
“Huh? Did I say there were problems with Reine’s family?”
“Yes, clearly.”
Seriously…? I messed up.
Reine is hiding things about her family. Only a very few know about it. In other words, it’s strange for me to know.
“I heard Sano talking about Reine.”
Even I think that’s a perfect escape. I don’t care what happens to Sano anyway.
“I see…”
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