Kitagawa Reine
The hospital I’m staying at is one of the largest in the prefecture. In terms of facilities, personnel, and the quality of doctors, it’s where the best in the prefecture gather. The reason I know so much about it is because there’s an episode where Sano gets injured and is brought to this hospital.
The hospital’s courtyard is quite large. There’s a McDonald’s and a convenience store, so it’s a gathering place for patients with too much time on their hands.
I’m not a big fan of crowds, so I went to see the flowerbeds in the backyard. The flowers in the flowerbeds were starting to bloom little by little, as if to herald the arrival of spring. They seemed relieved to have finally emerged after enduring the winter cold.
I was looking at the scenery outside while being pushed in a wheelchair. I had finally been granted permission to go outside, so I was savoring the long-awaited feeling of being outdoors.
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 has come before we knew it,” Reine said.
“Yeah… I was so caught up with the entrance exams until recently that I didn’t have time to look at the scenery,” I replied.
“Indeed.”
The entrance exam part was 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 didn’t have any leeway. I was always anxious because I knew the day I was going to die.
It’s an ordinary scene, but even ordinary things seem to move me now. Maybe it’s because I almost died that I can appreciate the wonder of life more.
I glanced at Reine behind me.
“Is something the matter?” she asked.
“No, it’s nothing…”
She’s still an unbelievably beautiful woman…
Her long, silky, beautiful silver hair is styled in twin tails. Her deep blue eyes were like being trapped in permafrost. Reine, who gives off an overall feeling of ‘coldness,’ seemed strangely out of place in the season that was transitioning to spring.
Well, that image isn’t wrong. Everything about her is sharp like an icicle, and she generally acts alone. The students who see her reading a book by the window call her the solitary noble lady.
And the one who melted that ice princess was the ‘prodigy,’ Yuto Sano. The protagonist is amazing after all (sarcasm).
Then, Reine gave me a triumphant smile.
“I know. You were captivated by me, weren’t you?”
“N-no. That’s not it.”
I couldn’t help but retort because I was frustrated that I was so obviously captivated.
“I was just looking at the dogwood behind you and thinking how beautiful it was, okay?”
“Satoshi, you’re a terrible liar. I prefer honest men, you know?”
“…I was captivated to the point of death.”
I was baited by the word ‘like’.
That’s just how men are. Men are so easy…
“That’s right. Because I am beautiful,” she said, proudly praising her own appearance. It’s true, so I won’t say anything.
And from here, the insults begin.
“It can’t be helped with the gender of a livestock…”
Here it comes!
Reine’s signature insults are about to begin.
Reine has long been called a solitary noble lady, but she’s just socially awkward. This personality has been her downfall, and she doesn’t have any friends. She especially puts up a clear wall against men.
When I first played the game, I thought, “What an unlikeable woman,” but the reason for that lies in her environment.
Reine’s insults are a reflection of her fear of men, but as the protagonist raises her affection level, Reine gradually becomes more honest. That process is what makes it so good.
So, knowing Reine’s inner thoughts, her insults are almost like a reward to me. It reminds me of Reine when her affection level wasn’t high, and I was secretly moved.
However, the next words are not coming out.
“Reine?”
When I turned around, a drop of water brushed my face.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Huh?”
An apology from Reine is rare even in LoD. It’s one of the rare events that occurs after raising her affection level to the max. No, that doesn’t matter right now.
Something is wrong with Reine.
“W-what’s wrong?”
Then, the expressionless Reine opened her mouth.
“I’m a terrible woman…”
And she began to speak in a halting voice.
“To say such a terrible thing like ‘the gender of a livestock’ to Satoshi, who saved my life, is the worst thing I could do. I’m sorry.”
“Um, Reine?”
“My personality is awful. That’s why I end up saying bad things even to you, who saved my life. It’s disgusting. Someone like me shouldn’t be near someone as kind as you.”
“Hey now…”
“That’s why I’m going to disappear from your sight. If possible, I wanted you to kill me, but I can’t cause you that much trouble… I’ll die quietly somewhere where no one will find me. Maybe the Aokigahara forest would be good. A miserable death is fitting for a terrible woman like me…”
As she said that, Reine covered her face with her hands and began to cry.
More importantly, what’s with the killing part!? Don’t think about such heavy things!?
I don’t want Sakurazuki or Reine to fall into darkness so easily. I thought that if things continued like this, she might really die, so I decided to do my best to support her.
I somehow managed to move my left hand and turned the wheelchair around.
“Don’t worry about it, I know Reine is kind.”
“…There’s no way someone who says such things so easily is a good person… Spare me the platitudes.”
Yeah… this is serious.
Saying the wrong thing won’t make Reine believe me. On the contrary, there’s a chance I might end up hurting her.
I have no choice. I’ll have to brace myself. I’ll use a cheat.
“It’s not a platitude. Isn’t it because of trauma in your relationships, especially your fear of men, that you say such harsh things?”
“Eh, ah, well, yes.”
She was clearly flustered. Well, no one would ever say something like that to her.
That’s how much she’s been harsh to others.
Actually, Reine’s mother is a single mother who is a scumbag who keeps changing men. And Reine was routinely abused at home. On top of that, Reine is beautiful. She was also propositioned by the men her mother brought home. Because of that, she developed a fear of men.
That’s why she’s bad at socializing and strongly rejects others. No one would have thought that her actions were due to trauma.
“Then, you don’t have to worry about anything. I understand how you feel.”
“B-but, I’m really bad at heart. That’s why—”
“Reine,” I interrupted, forcing my words over hers.
“Don’t make me say it again. I understand how you feel.”
Reine uses harsh words because she’s wary of her surroundings. The other reason is that she’s embarrassed.
In the process of becoming friends with the protagonist, Sano, Reine uses harsh words when she’s praised. I used to watch that with a grin while playing the game.
In this case, it’s probably because I was captivated by Reine. Even though she’s always been popular, no one should feel bad about being praised. Even if it’s praise from a mob character.
Then, Reine knelt down and took my right hand. And she looked up at me with teary eyes, like a stray cat looking up at me.
“I’m sorry. I’ll gradually fix this personality, so please don’t abandon me. Don’t hate me.”
“That’s why I won’t hate you. Besides, even the Reine who uses harsh words is charming, so there’s no need to fix it.”
After hearing my words, Reine was stunned for a moment, then buried her face in my lap.
“You’re the only one who would say such a thing, Satoshi-sama. Thank you.”
“I see…”
My leg still hurts, but if I show that I’m in pain now, she might fall into darkness again. I endured it with all my might. And the Satoshi-sama call too.
Then, people gradually began to gather. The vitality of the flowers is a source of encouragement for us who are injured. For the patients, it must be a mental oasis for fighting the daily struggles of treatment and illness.
However, everyone who saw us gave us warm looks.
This gaze is uncomfortable. I was about to wake Reine up, but she showed no sign of getting up.
“Hey, I have a favor to ask,” she said.
“What is it?”
Where is that voice coming from…?
She said that while snuggling in my lap.
I want to get out of here soon…
“I want you to stroke my head. Is that okay…?”
Is it okay for me to do such a protagonist move…?
As I hesitated, Reine looked up anxiously.
Her face is so small!?
“Is it… no good?”
“I understand… Just for a little bit, okay?”
“Yes, please.”
So cute!
I feel like the purity of the warmth from the surrounding people has increased. Reine didn’t seem to notice at all. I threw away my shame and stroked Reine’s hair, which felt like a high-quality fabric. It wasn’t just smooth, it was also soft and pleasant to the touch.
“I-it tickles,” she said.
“Ah, sorry.”
It felt so good that I got carried away. When I came back to reality, there were a lot of spectators. Now that I’m aware of it, I can’t stand this environment any longer.
“Reine, let’s go back to the room soon.”
“Ah, y-yes, let’s.”
I was embarrassed knowing the situation surrounding me. How cute.
And, as if fleeing, we looked at the ground so our faces couldn’t be seen and left the scene. Once we returned inside the hospital, we were finally able to escape people’s gazes.
Let’s just go back to the hospital room and be quiet.
“Hey, Satoshi-sama, or rather, Satoshi, how did you know that there were problems (・・・・・・・・) in my family?”
Reon asked while pushing the wheelchair.
“Huh? Did I say there were problems in Reon’s family?”
“Yes, you said it clearly.”
Seriously… I messed up.
Reon is hiding things about her family. Only a very few people know about it. In other words, it’s strange that I know.
“I found out that Sano was talking about Reon.”
That’s a perfect way to escape, even for me. I don’t care what happens to Sano.
“I see…”
I could see my hospital room, but the fluorescent light in the hallway was flickering, turning on and off repeatedly. Feeling somewhat eerie, I wanted to break the silence.
“Sano was saying he would definitely solve it. He’s a good guy. I can’t do anything for anyone, so I think guys like Sano are amazing.”
“Is that so.”
Huh… what’s going on?
Sakurazuki is an exception, but the other heroines should still like Sano. But why is their reaction so weak?
Then, the wheelchair stopped. It seems Reon stopped pushing it.
“What’s wrong, Reon, gyubyu!?”
When I raised my head to look at Reon behind me, my cheeks were grabbed by both of her hands. Reon, with her pupils wide open, brought her face close to mine.
“Hey, Satoshi. You, who saved our lives, are a wonderful person who can act for others more than anyone else. So, don’t belittle yourself.”
Her gaze was so direct, and my face was fixed, so I couldn’t look away.
“Thank you. I’m happy…”
“Good boy. I find the honest Satoshi-sama very pleasing.”
She smiled and peered at me.
More importantly, our faces are too close!?
“But, you see━━━”
The flickering of the fluorescent light stopped, and it seemed to have run out of battery. It was like night only around us. My back felt a chill.
“Don’t ever mention that scum, Yuto Sano, again. Especially from your mouth, I never want to hear it again.”
“Eh…?”
“He’s a cancer to this world. He’s an existence that makes you think it’s better to be covered in filth. It’s even presumptuous to compare him to Satoshi-sama.”
“I-is that so. But, you liked him, right… ah.”
This is the worst. I want to put a lid on my careless words.
“Yes, I liked him. No, ━━━I was made to like him (・・・・・・・・・・).”
Made to like him…?
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, I was released from Reon. And when I looked forward, Reon hugged me from behind, her arms around my neck.
“But, I’ve woken up now. Thanks to my savior. From now on, I will support Satoshi-sama, no, Satoshi. ‘For life’.”
“Ah, yeah. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
It’s too heavy!?
Even though I’m being hugged, instead of happiness, fear and anxiety are building up.
I sincerely vowed to get out of the hospital as soon as possible so as not to be a burden to the heroines.
━━━
Thank you for reading this far!
Please [Follow]!
If possible, I would be happy if you could return to the [Work Page] and press the [⊕] three times in the [Praise with ★] section of the [Review]!