I was Reincarnated as the Scum Older Brother of the Protagonist in a Romance Battle Game, But I don't want to Die, so I'll do my Best - Episode 11

“I’m home.”

As I opened the door and took off my shoes, I heard the patter of slippers from the living room.

“Welcome home, Joji-sama.”

Michiyo-san bowed her head and extended both hands towards me.

“Ah, I can put my own bag away.”

“Eh?! B-But you need to put away your textbooks and notebooks…” Michiyo-san looked at me worriedly.

“No, no, I can do something like that myself.”

“No, no, I’ve always taken care of you!”

“No, no…”

“No, no…”

…

…

Somehow, I managed to convince Michiyo-san, and after changing in my room, I went to the living room and had the dinner she prepared for me.

“Wow, it’s cream stew today! It looks delicious, I’ll dig in!”

“…”

I scooped up a piece of potato and chicken with my spoon and brought it to my mouth.

“Mmmm! Delicious!”

“…”

Michiyo-san watched me eat the stew with a doubtful look.

“Phew, I had three servings. That was a feast!”

As I put my hands together and was about to take my dishes to the kitchen, Michiyo-san grabbed my hand holding the dishes.

“? Is something wrong?”

I turned to Michiyo-san, who was looking down and trembling.

“…de…ka…”

Her voice was so small I couldn’t hear what she was saying.

“Huh? I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you.”

“Am I in the way?!”

“Whoa!” “Kyaa!”

Michiyo-san suddenly shouted, startling me and causing me to fall backward.

“Ouch, ouch, I’m so sorry, Michiyo-san… Are you safe…?! Whoa!”

I had accidentally grabbed Michiyo-san’s left br3ast and fallen on top of her. I tried to get up in a hurry, but Michiyo-san put me in a headlock.

“Joji-sama… I’ll fix any shortcomings I have… As for… what I refused… at night… also…”

“Michiyo-san!?”

“Do you… do you not need me anymore!?”

“Joji-kun… Do you not need me anymore?”

“Am I not a support to you, Joji-kun?”

“I’m sorry, I’ve decided to go back to my hometown and have an arranged marriage.”

“Thank you for everything, goodbye.”

Memories of her leaving flooded back… I had been working hard to make her happy.

At first, she would brightly encourage me when I complained about work, and every day was happy and my heart was saved.

But before I knew it, working hard became the sole purpose, and my conversations and consultations with her decreased. She lost her place in my life and left me.

Michiyo… That was my ex-girlfriend’s name. We were fools together since university, we fought, we loved, we dated, we lived together, and then we broke up… my ex-girlfriend.

“Michiyo (Michiyo)…”

I smiled gently at Michiyo-san, projecting my ex-girlfriend’s image onto her.

“Joji-sama…”

“Michiyo-san, you are an important woman to me. That hasn’t changed, not now, not ever. Please don’t say sad things like you’re not needed.”

“B-But… then why won’t you let me take care of you like before?”

“Th-That’s…”

“That’s?”

I slowly stood up and extended my hand to Michiyo-san. Michiyo-san hesitantly took my hand and, led by me, stood up, and we found ourselves gazing at each other.

“If things continue as they are, I’ll be kicked out of the Kitano family, and only a future of ruin awaits me.”

“!? W-Why would you say such a thing…?”

I gently placed both hands on Michiyo-san’s shoulders and smiled.

“Michiyo-san, who has seen the man named Kitano Joji for the past year, understands, don’t you?”

Michiyo-san grabbed my left elbow and looked down, averting her gaze from me.

“It’s alright, I understand… that Michiyo-san dislikes me.”

“Th-That’s not true at all!”

Hearing my words, she desperately denied it, but realizing she couldn’t deceive me after looking into my eyes, she lowered her gaze and spoke her true feelings honestly.

“The Tachibana family has received immense support from the Kitano family for generations, and I was raised hearing about it countless times from my parents and grandparents. And when Joji-sama was born into the Kitano family… though I was only three, my parents told me that one day I would be taking care of Joji-sama.”

(This is largely consistent with the game’s setting.)

“And when Joji-sama decided to attend high school in Tokyo, I happened to have been accepted into a university in Tokyo, which gave me the opportunity to take care of Joji-sama.”

“However…”

Michiyo-san looked down, struggling, and her words caught in her throat.

“It must be difficult to say the rest, so I’ll just speak, and you can just nod.” She nodded.

“The Joji you took care of was rough and unreasonable, taking advantage of Michiyo-san’s weaker position and harassing her sexually. Yet, you continued to patiently take care of him, believing that if you stayed by his side, attending the same high school as his fiancée, he would eventually understand the pain of others.”

She nodded.

“Thank you for staying with such a person, and I am truly sorry.”

When I bowed my head to Michiyo-san, she hurriedly placed her hand on my shoulder, trying to lift my bowed head.

“That stupid, despicable, and foolish me has finally realized and decided to re-examine my past actions…”

“…Actually, I haven’t been able to tell you until today, but I’ve broken off my engagement with Miyashita-san.”

“Eh!? EEEEEH!?”

Michiyo-san’s mouth hung open in surprise, and she nearly lost her balance.

“I think it was for the best. She’s a woman who has suffered so much because of me. I think it’s a natural decision.”

“So… what will Joji-sama do from now on?”

Michiyo-san looked anxious, seeing the possibility of being expelled from the house that I had mentioned earlier.

“From now on, I intend to put all my effort into fighting and surviving.”

Hearing my positive words, Michiyo-san sighed in relief, and her anxious expression disappeared, replaced by a bright smile.

“Hehe, it’s like Joji-sama has become a completely different person… Hehehe.”

“Ahahaha, it’s like I’ve been reborn~ (Though I really am a different person.)”

“But… Michiyo-sama, I don’t dislike the way you are now… What is it? I can’t quite put it into words, but it’s like I’ve known you before…?”

(Michiyo…)

“Ahahaha, don’t worry, I’m saying strange things, aren’t I? But! Joji-sama! Don’t take away my job of taking care of you! Understand?”

I was overwhelmed by Michiyo-san’s intensity and nodded repeatedly.

“But from now on, I have to tell my parents about the broken engagement… It’s possible I could be disinherited at that point.”

Michiyo-san, with a composed look, patted her ample chest.

“Even if you’re kicked out of the Kitano family, I’ll support you!”

“A-Ahaha…ha… Please don’t say such inauspicious things… But, that’s reassuring. Thank you.”

When I conveyed my resolve to Michiyo-san, her anxious expression disappeared, replaced by a bright smile.

“W-Well then, can I ask you to clean up the dishes?”

“Yes, of course!”

I told Michiyo-san, who was happily humming as she headed towards the kitchen, that I was going to take a bath, and then I left the living room.

…

…

“Now then… This is a turning point… This is a development that wasn’t even in the game… Alright!”

I recalled the resolve I had just conveyed to Michiyo-san, and with trembling fingers, I tapped the call button on my smartphone from the phonebook.