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 3

There’s no such thing as “the first day of reincarnation,” but today is the late night of April 21st.

“Seriously… the engagement breakup event… it’s tomorrow, huh?”

That’s right—tomorrow morning, when I arrive at school, in the hallway next to the shoe lockers, in front of a crowd of students, Jōji will be publicly dumped by his fiancée, Miyashita Aru.

“I, Miyashita Aru, hereby annul my engagement to Kitano Jōji!!”

Back when I was playing the game, I laughed at Jōji’s furious, red-faced reaction while standing right next to Aru, thinking, “Serves you right.”

After that, Jōji would assume the protagonist had put Aru up to it, slap them hard enough to knock them down, and then—as Aru helped the protagonist up—he’d challenge them to a duel with a demonic glare…

“Should I skip school? …No, that won’t work. If I skip, I’ll miss the crucial event flag, and that’s a dead end no matter what.”

“Think, me. I know this world better than anyone. There’s gotta be a way out of this.”

That night, I sat at my desk, desperately racking my brain for a way to avoid the death flag awaiting me tomorrow.

………………………………

……………………

The next morning…

“Jōji-sama, it’s time to wake—…Eh?! Jōji-sama is already awake?! No way!”

The person who entered my room was Michiyo Tachibana, one of our household helpers. Michiyo-san is the eldest daughter of the Tachibana family, who serve the Kitano household, and is currently a university student in Tokyo.

She has short black hair and a boyish charm, with two red hairpins holding back her bangs. Her large black eyes and slightly protruding canines give her a cute, distinctive look. She’s slender, with neither her chest nor her hips being particularly pronounced.

…Not to hide anything, but she’s actually based on my ex-girlfriend from university. We broke up because our busy schedules kept us apart. Of course, she’s a sub-heroine in this world.

“Good morning, Michiyo-san. I’ll be ready soon, so please go ahead and have breakfast.”

As I buttoned my shirt, I met her eyes through the mirror on the dresser and spoke calmly.

“Huh… Michiyo… san? W-Wait, Jōji-sama, what’s wrong with you?!”

Even through the mirror, I could see how flustered she was. I turned around, tilting my head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, well… You always just call me ‘Michiyo’ without honorifics… and, um… you usually order me to… handle your morning ‘needs’…”

“Wha—?!”

Apparently, Kitano Jōji—this guy—had been tormenting Michiyo-san in ways I didn’t even know about. He’d been abusing his family’s authority to make her do horrible things regularly. The fact that someone who looked just like my ex was treated like this… If it weren’t me in his place, I’d want to kill him.

“A-Ahem… You don’t have to do any of that anymore… Anyway, Michiyo-san, you’ll be late for university.”

Michiyo seemed stunned. Her eyes widened as she quietly closed my door, and I heard the soft sound of her slippers shuffling toward the living room.

At one point, I caught a faint “Ouch!” but decided not to bring it up.

After washing my face and fixing my hair, I headed to the living room, where breakfast was already laid out—bread, soup, ham and eggs, and a tomato-based salad.

Michiyo-san had already finished eating and was washing dishes in the kitchen.

“Thank you for the meal.”

I clasped my hands together and picked up my chopsticks. Just then, there was a clatter from the kitchen. When I looked over, Michiyo-san was frozen, staring at me.

“Are you okay?”

“…Thank you for the meal… Thank you for the meal… Thank you for the meal…”

She was muttering under her breath, so I decided to leave her be.

Once I finished eating, I stacked my dishes and carried them to the kitchen.

“That was delicious. Thank you.”

“Wha—?! N-No, I’ll take care of the dishes! Jōji-sama, please relax!”

She hurriedly took the plates from me and started washing them in a fluster.

“Well then, I’ll get ready for school.”

Every word I said made Michiyo-san flinch slightly.

(Just what the hell has Jōji been doing to her…?)

I deliberately avoided the topic and quietly returned to my room. After putting on my blazer and grabbing my bag, I slipped on my shoes at the entrance.

“H-Have a good day… Jōji-sama…”

“I’m off, Michiyo-san.”

As soon as I closed the apartment door, I heard something fall inside, but I chose not to dwell on it and headed to school.

While walking, I mentally rehearsed how to handle today’s engagement breakup event.

As I neared the school, more and more students in Tōkō High uniforms began appearing.

“Good morning.”

“?!”

When I greeted a student who made eye contact with me, they immediately panicked and ran away.

From then on, other students deliberately kept their distance, as if avoiding me.

(Being this hated is practically a talent at this point…)

I passed through the school gate, changed my shoes at the lockers, and steadied my nerves.

“Alright!”

I walked straight down the hallway toward my classroom, but then—

“Jōji-kun… I need to talk to you.”

(Here it comes… This is it.)

The one who called out to me was, of course, Miyashita Aru. Her expression was tense but carried a strong, resolute determination.

Aru is the second daughter of the prestigious Miyashita family. Originally, the Kitano family of Hokkaido and the Miyashita family of Tokyo had been feuding for generations.

The Miyashita family, being urban elites, looked down on the rural Kitanos. However, Hokkaido’s vast land was home to many native deities and hidden spiritual sites, and over time, the Kitano family—who controlled these lands—grew in influence, earning respect (and wariness) from other powerful families across Japan.

Meanwhile, the Miyashita family, despite their noble lineage, lacked ancestral lands and gradually declined in power.

Needing connections to maintain their status, the Miyashitas accepted a marriage proposal from the Kitanos, who wanted to expand their influence in Tokyo.

Thus, Jōji was suddenly introduced to Aru as her fiancé.

But the more time Aru spent with Jōji, the more she grew to despise his vile nature. Eventually, she began confiding in Jōji’s stepbrother, Kitano Takashi, and developed feelings for him instead…

And now, standing before me, was the beautiful main heroine—Miyashita Aru.

“What is it?”

My blunt reply surprised her slightly, but she took a deep breath, pointed at me, and declared loudly enough for the gathered onlookers to hear:

“I, Miyashita Aru, hereby annul my engagement to Kitano Jōji!!”