After My Girlfriend Dumped Me, I Got Reincarnated As A High School Student. That Part’s Fine—But Why Are All My Ex-Girlfriends Here Too? - Chapter 32 – Misumi Marriage Consultation Office

“Hey, best bro! You know, Yuri-tan’s birthday is coming up soon!”

“I’m in deep trouble here, man.”

“Haaah.”

We’re in the school courtyard.

For some reason, my so-called best friend, Shota Nakamori, has trapped me in a full-on love consultation session.

Ah—Hinami’s bento is omurice today.

Did she actually take my request?

Oh, there’s even simmered hijiki on the side — frozen food, but still.

And she wrote ‘Big Brother, You Can Do It!’ on the omurice with ketchup.

So that’s why she told me not to shake the lunchbox this morning.

Damn… that makes me really happy.

“Hey, best bro, you listening?”

Wow… I kinda wanna preserve this forever.

It’s too beautiful to eat…

But no, if I let it go bad, Hinami would feel bad about it…

“Best bro?”

Alright then — I’ll take a photo first and burn the image into my brain forever.

“Heeey, best bro!”

“Ah, my bad, my bad. By the way, can you take a photo for me?”

“You’re definitely not listening and not even sorry about it!?”

Busted.

Still, he takes the photo for me without complaining — as expected of my so-called best friend.

Actually, maybe I should promote him to temporary best friend for now.

“Wait, that’s an upgrade!?”

“Could you angle it a bit more so the message is easier to see?”

“And now you’re giving me notes!?”

Ahh, and the taste — it’s amazing.

The egg’s so fluffy and creamy… that’s Hinami for you.

“Hey! I’m begging you, listen to me!?”

“Phew, thanks for the meal.

So, what were you saying?”

“You’re giving me the ‘after-lunch small talk’ treatment!?”

Well, yeah.

Oh — even the hijiki tastes great.

“Please… just listen already…”

“Eh, are you crying!?”

Oh wow, the handsome guy actually started crying from being ignored.

“Alright, alright, I’ll listen now. Promise.”

“Thanks, man… best bro…”

Yeah… I kinda feel bad now.

“So, what was it again?

Something about what the ‘omu’ in omurice means?”

“You weren’t listening at all…”

Wait—wasn’t it?

“By the way, the name ‘omurice’ comes from combining the French word omelette and the English word rice.

‘Omelette’ originally comes from a French word meaning ‘quick man,’ which itself came from the Latin word lamella, meaning ‘thin metal plate.’

It was named that way because the cooked egg resembled a thin, flat sheet — kind of like a sponge cake.

An omelette is basically seasoned beaten eggs cooked into a round or half-moon shape.

When it came to Japan, the word got distorted a bit, becoming omuretsu — which later became omurice.”

“…Why do you know all that…?”

Why do you sound creeped out!?

Now I’m about to cry!

“Anyway! Yuri-tan’s birthday!”

“Love should just go extinct.”

“Wha—!?”

“Haha, kidding, obviously.”

“There was so much bitterness in that joke!?”

Oops… I accidentally said what I really felt.

“I’ve never done this kind of thing before, y’know!

I don’t know what to do!”

“Try laughing about it.”

“You can’t just smile like that and drop some parody line like it’s advice!?”

Guess that didn’t work either.

“Please be serious, man… You’re the only one I can rely on for stuff like this…”

“How did that happen…?

Since when did I become a love counselor?”

Maybe I should start a Mitsuzumi Marriage Consulting Agency.

‘Buy this magic crystal and your marriage will last forever!’

Only one per household!

“Oh, no, not that… It’s just—”

Ah, so it’s not that after all. Mitsuzumi Marriage Consulting Agency: permanently closed.

Guess those crystals were a bad idea anyway, haha.

“It’s just… well, I kinda… had my high school debut.”

“Huh?”

High school debut, huh.

So, like, one of those guys who were gloomy nobodies in middle school but start over fresh in high school with a new look and vibe.

“What a coincidence.

I did that too.”

“Eh!? You too, best bro!?

Then before that…”

“Yeah. I didn’t have any friends, and for a while, the only person I could talk to was a teacher.”

“O-oh…”

“Plus, I got bullied and discriminated against a lot.

I used to hide out in the library or the back hallway during breaks.”

“Eh… Eh…?”

“Oh, and during outdoor activities like camp cooking, I couldn’t fit in with my group, so I didn’t help — and they made me skip dinner.

Ahh, good times.”

“Best bro!? I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!?”

He’s apologizing now.

Eh… I thought he’d relate, not pity me…

Am I the only one who went through that?

“Well, I am known for unlocking trauma at record speed, so if you need advice on that front, I’m your guy.”

“What kind of reputation is that!?

And how is that supposed to help my situation!?”

“Hmm, maybe advice on how to deal with heartbreak?”

“That’s the opposite of what I need!

And it totally sounds like you’re bitter about something!?”

“Haha, joke, joke.”

“Where does the joke end!? Tell me, where!?”

Whoops — he’s too easy to mess with. I overdid it again.

“Anyway, why not just ask her directly?”

I mean, seriously — even when I try to sound serious, that’s honestly the only answer there is.

“Well, I thought about that, but… I kinda want it to be a surprise, you know!?”

There it is.

Why do people who can’t think of an idea themselves always insist on doing surprises…?

“But you can’t know what she wants unless you ask her.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Then you should ask.

You’ll learn as you go — that’s how it works.”

After I said that, Nakamori’s eyes lit up.

“You’re right! Her feelings come first!

Man, that really helped! Thanks, best bro!”

Apparently, that was the right answer.

Well, if it works, it works.

“Yuu—ta—san?”

And then—

A chill runs down my spine from a voice behind me.

“…Geh.”

I turn around slowly — and there she is.

Rio, radiating an absolute zero aura.

“What’s with the ‘geh’? And stop butchering people’s names just to make a lame pun sound clever!”

Eh, what? Chororio sounds cute, doesn’t it?

Kinda like something from Sa〇rio.

“There’s nothing cute about that!”

Oh my, such foul language from an angel.

“Is it okay if I finally lose my temper now?”

Whoa, she’s smiling… but I can see the anger marks.

So this really happens in real life, huh?

“LISTEN WHEN I’M TALKING!”

“I’m so sorry!!”

I drop to my knees — a full dogeza.

A high school boy bowing to a loli.

Yeah, this is definitely a crime scene.

“Best bro… I have no idea what’s happening right now…”

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.

“Whose fault do you think this is!?”

Yeah… that’d be me ←