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 34

The next day… May 3rd.

Today was the day for my temporary return to my family home in Hokkaido. The ever-capable Michiyo-san had flawlessly prepared everything for my trip.

“Here are your plane ticket and the ticket for the train to the station nearest the airport,” said Michiyo-san, showing me the ticket inside an envelope before carefully putting it away. “I’ll put it in here.”

“It’s fine. I’m not a child. If anything happens, I can contact my family home, and they should arrange things from there.”

“…Is that so…? Still, one never knows what might happen, so please be careful.”

“Yes, thank you for handling all the preparations. Well then, I’m off.”

“Have a safe trip.”

I left the apartment before noon, wheeling my trunk case towards the nearest station…

Being the first day of the Golden Week holidays, the train was packed… Combined with the dread of returning to my family home, I was already exhausted by the time I arrived at the airport.

In the airport lobby, I checked the departure gate numbers displayed on the hanging signs against the number on my ticket and headed for the designated counter.

“Ticket confirmed. Boarding will begin in 15 minutes,” said the woman at the counter.

After checking my luggage, I waited near my assigned boarding gate…

…The plane ticket I’d asked Michiyo-san to book was for a budget airline.

Part of it was about saving money, but the main reason was I wanted to avoid running into Takashi.

He’d probably be flying back business class on a ticket arranged by our family.

That was actually why I’d refused to let the family arrange my ticket… Well, in my past life, I only ever flew budget anyway, so I was used to it.

“Thank you for waiting. Boarding is now open.”

The gate to the plane opened, and passengers began boarding one after another.

I followed the crowd onto the plane…

“Oh, a window seat? Nice job getting this seat, Michiyo-san.”

I sat in the innermost seat of the three-row section and looked out the window… The roar of the engines was so loud I couldn’t even hear my own muttering.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for choosing XX Airlines Flight 35 today. This aircraft is…”

Shortly after the announcement, boarding closed, the seatbelt sign lit up, and soon the plane began to move… I watched the runway glide slowly past the window as the engine noise grew even more piercing, assaulting my eardrums.

The cityscape receded into the distance… It takes less than two hours to fly from Tokyo to Hokkaido.

Major airlines show movies and dramas during the flight, but expecting that from a budget airline would be asking too much.

I took out a notebook from my bag where I’d jotted things down.

《Memorandum: Demon Capital Tokyo 1999》

This contained everything I could remember or recall about this world – character settings, hidden events, etc., all categorized by topic…

Luckily, the elderly man sitting next to me fell fast asleep the moment he fastened his seatbelt and was now snoring loudly.

Without hesitation, I flipped to the character settings page in my notebook…

◇

Kitano Fumiya (45 years old)
The current head of the prestigious Kitano family in Hokkaido.
A shrewd businessman who manages vast real estate holdings and multiple companies in Hokkaido, generating enormous wealth.
Like Jōji, he has bright red hair slicked back in an all-back style. His sharp eyes, also reminiscent of Jōji’s, are intimidating.
He sports a short beard, often making him appear older than his age.
Regarding divine sight and his abilities: While not explicitly stated in the game, the setting implies he has a contract with the Inugami (Dog God), a guardian deity long associated with the Kitano family, and is considered a highly skilled practitioner.

Kitano Makiko (42 years old)
Married into the Kitano family at age 20 from the Otaru branch family, a cadet branch of the Kitanos.
At the time, Fumiya, the eldest son of the Kitano family, frequently clashed with his grandfather, the then-head, who prioritized local development, while Fumiya prioritized the family’s expansion into Tokyo.
To consolidate power, he married Makiko from the powerful Otaru branch, winning over roughly 80% of the cadet branch families.
He then ousted his own father as head and ascended as the ruler of the Kitano family.
The one who supported his shrewd maneuvers from the shadows was his wife, Makiko – Jōji’s mother.
Makiko is a Japanese-style beauty with long black hair that suits her kimono perfectly. Her large, dark eyes hold a sense of strong will…
In the story, her only scene is when Fumiya disowns Jōji after his humiliating defeat and excuses in a duel against Takashi. She cries out, “You!!”
(There was also a conceived but scrapped backstory scene where, after Jōji was disowned, she secretly handed him an envelope stuffed with money, crying as she saw him off. But it was cut due to overwhelming feedback like “Scum don’t deserve to be saved in the end!“).

◇

“This aircraft will be arriving at Sapporo Airport shortly. Passengers are kindly requested to return their seats and seatbacks to the upright position and fasten their seatbelts once again. Furthermore…”

The in-flight announcement began. I closed my notebook and carefully put it back in my bag.

The view outside the window showed the Tsugaru Strait and the northern land, Hokkaido… Even seeing Hokkaido from this height didn’t evoke any nostalgia – I’d never been here before, after all. But the thought of getting closer to my family home made my spirits sink.

The plane banked steeply as it entered its landing approach…

…And arrived at Sapporo Airport.

After exiting via the jet bridge, I waited by the baggage claim carousel for my luggage…

“Jōji-sama… It’s been too long. We’ve been expecting you.”

Hearing my name called, I looked… (Who is this man…?)

An elderly gentleman I had absolutely no memory of, impeccably dressed in a suit, stood there.

“My apologies, who might you be? Are you affiliated with the Kitano family?”

At my reply, the elderly man looked shocked, then quickly adopted a sorrowful expression…

“Jōji-sama… You don’t remember me? I am Tachibana.”

No, I had no recollection whatsoever. Or rather, Jōji’s lack of memories was becoming a real problem here…
(Hmm?? Tachibana? Could it be…?)

“Ah, ah~… Could you be… Michiyo-san’s grandfather?”

“Yes. My granddaughter is always in your care. It has been over a year since Jōji-sama entered high school in Tokyo. I may have age a bit in that time.”

As he spoke, my luggage appeared on the carousel. I checked the tag and retrieved my trunk.

“Allow me to take your luggage.”

“Ah, no need. It’s not that heavy.”

I politely declined Mr. Tachibana’s kind offer to carry my luggage, holding out both hands to show I could manage.

“I… I see…” He looked disappointed.

Seeing his expression, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. His overprotectiveness was just like Michiyo-san’s.

“? Is something the matter, Jōji-sama?”

“N-no… chuckle… I just feel like I’ve discovered the origin of Michiyo-san’s tendencies. Ah, sorry if I offended you.”

Mr. Tachibana frantically shook his head, denying any offense. Teasing him further seemed cruel, so I decided to drop it.

“Ah, you were picking me up, right? By car?”

“Yes… However… Takashi-sama is scheduled to arrive on a slightly later flight. My deepest apologies, Jōji-sama, but we must ask you to wait a little while…”

I looked up at the airport’s flight information display. The next flight from Tokyo was JAW, arriving in an hour and a half.

Seeing my gaze, Mr. Tachibana bowed apologetically.

“Jōji-sama, it would be rude to have you wait here. Please allow me to arrange a lounge seat for you at the airport’s adjoining hotel where you can relax.”

The Kitano family was a prominent, wealthy house in Hokkaido with no equal… It wouldn’t be strange for them to own a hotel among their vast real estate holdings… Right?

But… “Ah, no, that won’t be necessary. Mr. Tachibana, please do me the favor of waiting for Takashi and taking him to the family home.”

“Eh? Then what will you do, Jōji-sama?”

“I will return to the family home by train, bus, and on foot.”

“?! N-no! We cannot allow you to do such a thing, Jōji-sama!! Ah, I will arrange a hired car immediately! Please wait!” Panicking, he pulled out his smartphone and started dialing somewhere.

Waving my hand with a smile, I said, “It’s really fine. Please tell Mom and Dad I might be a little late.”

After saying just that, I gave a slight bow and wheeled my trunk away, leaving the airport behind…

Standing at the bus terminal just outside the airport, checking the schedule, my phone buzzed with a message.

Mashiro: Jōji, Hokkaido is dekkai dō! (Hokkaido is huge!)

Mashiro’s corny old gag almost made me burst out laughing.

Jōji: How old are you? That’s ancient.

Mashiro: Don’t forget the good old comedy.

Jōji: Yeah, yeah. Speaking of, Mashiro, you free?

Mashiro: Maybe. Rewatching the Immortal Sword anime.

Jōji: Come to think of it, they have those regional exclusive Immortal Sword character keychains, right?

Mashiro: Seriously?

Jōji: Yeah. Like Nezumiko in Ainu traditional clothes.

Mashiro: Want.

Jōji: Alrighty. I’ll buy it along with some melon macarons to bring back.

Mashiro: Splendid.

After exchanging a few more messages, my bus arrived. I told Mashiro I had to go.

Mashiro: Mm. Jōji, come back soon. I’m waiting.

Reading that reply, I felt a burning, intense heat welling up in my chest…

(Being here, in Hokkaido, I’ve realized it for certain… This place (Hokkaido)… is not my place to return to.)