Shino Shinonome
After Akina went home, I thought I’d continue playing, but all the data had been reset to the beginning. It seems old games don’t have autosave. All that time I spent with Akina was for naught.
I managed to recover by thinking that this emptiness was also part of the charm of retro games… or so I felt.
In the first place, I’m in the hospital. Something like this is trivial. Rather, you could even say that I have more time to kill.
Positive thinking is important. I’ll do my best until I’m discharged.
“Even so, Sano really got hated, huh?”
It’s his own fault, so I don’t feel any sympathy.
Serves him right.
I literally worked myself to death to ensure that he and the heroines would have a happy ending.
If it could be solved with money, it would be really easy. It was more painful than anything to pretend to be Sano and achieve results in his place, or to help the heroines from the shadows and make it look like Sano’s achievement. After all, no matter what I did, it would become Sano’s achievement, and my only reward was the possibility of surviving.
I can’t count how many times I was tormented by a sense of emptiness…
I decided to think of the heroines’ smiles as my reward, but since I got this bad ending, I’ll resent him for the rest of my life.
Well, it was tough. The most troublesome thing was the World’s Compulsion. If I deviated too much from the [LoD] scenario, I would be interfered with, so I couldn’t do anything openly, which was really difficult.
“Seriously, if it weren’t for that, how much easier would it have been…”
“What is ‘that’?”
“Ah, the World’s… Whoa!? When did you get here?”
When I glanced to the side, there was a beautiful girl sitting in a chair.
“Fufu, just a little while ago. I thought you were deep in thought, so I didn’t want to disturb you and came in silently.”
“Don’t do that, it’s bad for my heart… Just call out to me normally.”
“I will. Satoshi-sama.”
“…Please, just call me normally. If I’m called ‘-sama’ by the daughter of the Shinonome conglomerate, it’ll cause all sorts of problems, right?”
“Fufu, that’s right. Then, Satoshi-san it is.”
She covered her mouth and laughed happily. Just like Sakurazuki, Reon, and Akina, why do they call me “Satoshi-sama”? I did save their lives, but there’s no need to be so formal just because I’m their savior.
Besides, this girl is someone I should be adding ‘-sama’ to. It’s not right for me to be called with such an honorific.
“Please call me Shino, too. It’s too formal. Aren’t we close, Satoshi-san?”
“Ah, sorry. Shino.”
What kind of relationship do we have…?
I learned from the previous three not to use family names here. If they tell me to call them by their first names, I should do so. That’s how it is with girls, I’ve learned.
Shino Shinonome. The last heroine of [LoD].
She’s a refined beauty with deep, mysterious black hair that seems to have been cut from the night sky. She’s not only the top student in our school but also a genius with top-class grades nationwide. She’s good at both academics and sports, and can do anything. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the word “Yamato Nadeshiko” exists for this girl.
She’s the daughter of the Shinonome conglomerate, and she was compared to Akina, a poor scholarship student, as a heroine in the opposite position.
I like them both, so I can’t rank them.
“So, what were you thinking about?”
“Ah, well…”
I can’t talk about the World’s Compulsion.
“It’s about money. I think the company I’m currently investing in is about to hit a wall, so I was thinking of investing in another company.”
Yeah. I’m terrible at changing the subject.
This is something that would just end with a “Huh?” At least, it’s not something you’d talk about with a high school girl.
Normally, that is.
You can’t compare Shino to just any girl.
“Is that so? Then, how about Hoshinet? It’s a rapidly growing company with a new business of human resource dispatch services. According to economic analysts, their sales are expected to double, no, triple in a year.”
So, she’s going there…
“No, Hoshinet is no good. I don’t think it will continue to grow like this.”
“Why is that? The new business model of human resource services is novel, and it’s a company that investors find attractive, isn’t it?”
“There are several reasons, but first of all, human resource services are an easy business to imitate. If a major company with capital, like the Shinonome conglomerate, were to just copy this business model, they would quickly stop making profits, wouldn’t they?”
How’s that?
“Fufu, as expected, you have a keen eye. Well done.”
She clapped her hands happily.
Easy for you to say. You were testing me, weren’t you?
It’s a common tactic used by major companies. When a good business model or product comes out, they invest a large amount of capital to create a similar product. I don’t think it’s a cowardly tactic, but it’s not something that small and medium-sized companies can handle.
“As you have correctly guessed, our Shinonome conglomerate is planning to establish a company in the same industry as Hoshinet. We plan to invest many times more capital and personnel than Hoshinet.”
“That’s ruthless… Well, I guess it’s the fault of the one who gets copied.”
“Yes. Society is a jungle. It’s the fault of those who show their weaknesses and strengths.”
The fact that she can say that shows that her common sense is far removed from that of ordinary people. She knows that if Hoshinet collapses, many people will be left in the streets, and yet she says it.
“Even so, I’m impressed by Satoshi-san’s insight. I didn’t think there would be someone with more intelligence and wisdom than me in the same grade.”
“You’re overestimating me. I’ve never won against Shino in tests. In that sense, Sano is amazing.”
“Fufu, please don’t mention that name. It makes me want to kill him.”
“Ah, okay.”
It seems Sano-kun has become hated by all the heroines.
It seems that as a result of chasing not two, but four rabbits, he gained nothing. How unfortunate.
The reason Shino entered our ordinary high school was to find friends. It seems that there are no people who can match her in the upper class. She’s a regular at the top of the national mock exams without even studying.
That’s why she deliberately enrolled in an ordinary high school. She was hoping that if she changed her environment, she might find some interesting people.
And then, she found Sano-kun. Good for you?
Shino has a habit of testing people. The story about the company was also one of those. It seems that her hobby is to determine whether a person is worth talking to by doing so.
And it seems that I passed Shino’s filter. Thanks to that, I can enjoy talking with Shino.
“I don’t know your motive, but you must have been holding back on the tests. It’s said that a wise hawk hides its talons, and I think it’s wise to stay out of the spotlight to live a long and quiet life.”
She smiles meaningfully, as if to say, “I know.”
No, I was seriously trying to get first place in school…
Because of the World’s Compulsion, my grades were always kept at an average level.
I should explain the “World’s Compulsion” around here.
This world is the world of a galge called [LoD]. In other words, there is a scenario. If you make a move that changes this, the world will start making corrections to make things fit.
For example, I knew that Shino was looking for someone with as much intelligence as her. So, even though I was a mob, I wanted to get involved with the heroines, so I got perfect scores in all subjects.
…Or so it should have been.
The scores that came back were terrible. What’s more, even though my answers were correct, they were marked with an X, and I was given a huge deduction. No matter how many times I protested, they just said no. No matter who I asked, they said my answers were wrong. When I thought I was wrong, the guy next to me had the same answer marked as correct.
At first, I didn’t understand what was going on, but it didn’t take me long to realize that this was a correction from [LoD]. Shino had the setting of being a genius who continued to be the top student in her grade until she fell in love with Sano. Because I broke that, the world corrected it.
It’s like Nobita’s answer where 1+1=2 is marked with an X and given 0 points.
Actually, it’s quite frustrating when it happens to you. I tried to interfere with the scenario by seriously trying to get results in sports and mock exams, but I was constantly interfered with by the World’s Compulsion.
When I tried to get first place in the 50-meter dash, I fell, and when I tried to get a good score on the mock exam, I got 0 points because my name wasn’t written on it.
Around this time, I realized my place. No matter how hard I tried, a mob was a mob. The scenario was absolute, and I had no choice but to follow it.
In the first place, if I could change the scenario, there’s no way I would sacrifice my life to save the heroines.
“I would love for you to use your intellect for the Shinonome conglomerate, Satoshi-san.”
“Please stop…”
Even the thing about Hoshinet was actually using knowledge from my previous life.
I knew how Hoshinet ended in my previous world. I just combined that with the logic I learned in this world to make a plausible deduction.
By the way, the reason I’m familiar with stocks and FX is because of my previous life. As a NEET and a failure, I felt sorry for my family, so I thought of a way to turn things around. That was stocks and FX.
I borrowed money from my parents’ account, planning to inflate that capital all at once. As a result, I lost all my money, and all that was left was guilt.
Well, that’s how it is. Once I surpass the age I lived to in my previous life, I’ll suddenly become useless, so I thought I’d better earn as much as I could while I still could. But thanks to that bastard, I’ve almost run out of money…
It’s getting to the point where I can’t rely on tricks anymore, so I’m in real trouble.
“I’m so glad you didn’t die, Satoshi-san…!”
“Huh?”
As I was worrying about my future, Shino jumped into my chest. Then, I heard a voice choked with sobs.
“The thought of you dying there for my sake is so terrifying… I couldn’t sleep a wink every day that Satoshi-sama didn’t wake up. If the worst had happened, I was going to follow you…”
Eeeeh!? That’s way too heavy!?
I was relieved from the bottom of my heart that we didn’t end up meeting again in hell after I went through all the trouble to save her.
“Shino, I’m alive, so there’s no need for you to think about such things.”
“But, it’s because of me…”
When Shino pulled away from my chest, she glanced at my right arm.
“This injury on my right arm is a badge of honor. An empty shell like me was able to become the savior of a cute girl like Shino. I can be proud of that for the rest of my life. So, please don’t say anything more that belittles yourself.”
Even in my previous life, I had never been able to be of use to anyone. I was able to sacrifice myself to save someone. And if that someone is a Heroine from LoD, then all the better.
“…That’s a cheap thing to say.”
Then, she buried her face between my knees again and said, sounding a little sulky.
Shino is sharp as ever, I see.
Blaming herself any further would be an insult to me, who saved her life. There’s no way Shino, who values righteousness, would do that. Shino, who understood my intentions, is a great woman once again.
…That’s all well and good, but she’s been at it for quite a while now.
“Shino?”
“I’m sorry. Just ten more minutes like this, huff huff.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. My tears won’t stop. Huff huff.”
Liar!?
I can’t hear any sobbing at all, and she actually sounds aroused.
I can’t say it to her face, but if I were to add a little more about Shino, she’s the most erotic of the Four Beauties. They say that a woman with a strong curiosity is erotic, and that’s especially true for Shino.
Still, it’s a shock.
I thought Shino only got erotic with people she liked, but it seems she can get turned on by someone like me. I’m worried she might join a hookup club when she gets to college.
While I was worrying about that, Shino raised her face as if nothing had happened.
“I indulged myself a little… I got carried away.”
“It’s fine as long as you’re feeling better.”
I decided to pretend to be oblivious, but when I observed her, Shino’s complexion was better than when she had arrived. I’m still worried, though.
“Well… the fun times are over. I have a dinner party to attend soon…”
“As expected of a president’s daughter. That’s tough.”
“Yes. It’s a pain, but it can’t be helped for the sake of my family. I’ll come again.”
“Yeah, take care.”
Shino stood up from the chair and reached for the door of the hospital room, but then her hand stopped.
“Satoshi-san…”
She asked me, her back still turned to me.
“Hmm? Did you forget something?”
“No, there’s just one last thing I wanted to ask.”
“Something you wanted to ask?”
“Yes. Is there anyone that Satoshi-sama truly hates from the bottom of your heart…?”
“Huh?”
She let go of the door handle and turned to face me. Then, her straight gaze was fixed on me.
“For example, what do you think about the person who hit you with a car?”
Ah, I see. The cause of me ending up like this, from Shino’s perspective, would be the truck driver.
“No, not at all. I wouldn’t hate them. I even feel sorry for them.”
“Eh…?”
Actually, I talked to the guy who hit me, and there was no logical consistency in what he was saying. This feeling was very similar to the people who had been driven mad by the World’s Compulsion. When I thought about it that way, I felt sorry for him, a slave to this world’s scenario. That’s why I didn’t even ask for medical expenses.
“Satoshi-san, you’re too kind…”
Shino looked at me with a troubled smile.
“No, no, that’s not true. There are people I hate too. Like the god who tried to kill you guys.”
“━━━Eh?”
Silence fell between me and Shino.
Crap… I got carried away with a profound line trying to be cool…
Even so, it’s true that I hate the production team. And then there’s Sano. I hope they spend their days in hell.
“Satoshi-sama… No, it’s nothing. More importantly, Satoshi-san, could you please extend your right hand?”
“I’d like to, but sorry. It still doesn’t move at all.”
Even if I try to move it, I can barely make my hand tremble.
“I see. Then…”
Shino turned around and came to my right side, then gently lifted my palm with both hands. And then, she kissed the back of my hand like a knight would.
“W-What are you doing!?”
As I was flustered by the sudden action, Shino looked up at me, her cheeks flushed red.
“Satoshi-sama. I will not forget the favor you did for me.”
“Ah, okay.”
“I will eliminate all the sparks that fall on you━━━just like you did for me.”
“Huh?”
Even as I tried to ask Shino what she meant, she had already stood up and was walking briskly towards the exit of the hospital room.
“…Well then, farewell. I sincerely pray for your speedy recovery.”
“Ah, okay.”
The door was closed without a sound. So that’s why she came in silently earlier. Even opening and closing a door requires skill.
More than that, what’s on my mind is a sense of unease. It’s not just Shino. I’ve felt it from the other three as well. But I can’t put it into words.
“Well, whatever… My doubts are probably just my imagination.”
I’ll be discharged soon. Once that happens, I probably won’t have anything to do with the Heroines of LoD anymore. Thinking about it, I feel a little sad.
But when April comes, it’ll be my first campus life, including my previous life. Thinking about that, the future seems bright.
Being positive is important after all. Yeah.
━━━
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