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 4

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

Aru’s declaration toward me left everyone around us gasping, their eyes turning in my direction. Caught up in the moment, Aru’s face was flushed, her breathing ragged as she glared at me.

And standing beside her was the protagonist of this story—my stepbrother, Kitano Takeru—watching the scene unfold with a serious expression.

Takeru had neatly trimmed black hair, piercingly sharp yet gentle eyes, a well-defined nose, and handsome features. His disciplined training since joining the Kitano family had forged a lean, muscular physique—what you’d call a “slim but toned” build. He was also slightly taller than me (for reference, I’m 180 cm, while Takeru is 186 cm).

With his kind, sweet face, he was the epitome of a “classic protagonist”—a textbook pretty boy. Right now, he was looking at Aru with concern.

And the words I responded with were…

“I see… Understood. I accept the annulment of our engagement. I’ve caused you a lot of trouble until now… I’m sorry.”

With that, I bowed deeply to both Aru and Takeru, then quickly turned to leave.

“W-Wait!! That’s it?! You’re just going to accept it like that?!”

Aru grabbed my arm, stopping me, her voice laced with disbelief. I turned back to face her, bowed lightly again, and said:

“My actions and words have caused trouble for many people until now. A woman as wonderful as you, Miyashita-san… surely deserves someone far better.”

Then, after briefly glancing at Takeru—who was just as stunned as Aru—I returned my gaze to her.

“Huh? ‘Miyashita-san’…? Wait, Joji-kun?”

Unable to comprehend the situation—or perhaps because my reaction wasn’t what she expected—Aru was visibly confused.

“From now on, I won’t interfere in your life anymore. You and my brother… Takeru can get along without worrying about me. He’s a far better match for you than I could ever be.”

“Well then… goodbye, both of you.”

With those final words, I walked away without looking back.

“Huhhh~? That was kinda anticlimactic.”
“Seriously. Looking at it now, Joji-kun seems kinda pitiful.”
“Wait, so Miyashita-san was engaged to Joji-kun but was secretly getting close to Takeru-kun? That kinda changes how I see her—”

“!? …”

Aru finally noticed the murmurs around her and the judgmental stares directed her way. She took a moment to calmly reassess the situation.

‘…Takeru-kun and I talked it over. We planned to publicly announce the annulment in front of everyone during the morning commute, corner Joji-kun so he couldn’t make excuses, then formally explain the situation to both families to dissolve the engagement…’

‘But from an outsider’s perspective, it looks like I forced him into accepting a one-sided breakup… And now people think I was cheating with Takeru-kun…’

‘I did discuss Joji-kun’s relentless harassment with Takeru-kun, but… I wasn’t cheating…’

Aru turned back to Takeru.

“Hey… Takeru-kun, was this really the right way to do this…?”

“Yeah, Aru, you’ve endured enough. It might feel a little anticlimactic, but now you’re finally free from that scumbag stepbrother… From now on—”

“Yeah… thanks. But I need some time to think things over… Sorry, I need to be alone for a bit.”

With that, Aru left Takeru behind and headed to the classroom.

“H-Hey… Aru?”

………………………………

……………………

Unaware of their exchange, I—Joji—walked alone toward my classroom, thinking about the future.

(For now, I’ve avoided the immediate duel event. But in the future, Takeru or Auru might bring it up again… Keeping my distance is still the best option.)

That was the conclusion I’d reached.

Staying away from the protagonist and the main heroine.

Since Aru was the one who proposed the annulment, cutting ties with her should be easy. The real problem is Takeru—the protagonist. As my stepbrother, there will inevitably be times when we cross paths.

The only saving grace is that, thanks to our parents’ arrangements, Takeru lives in the school dormitory while I rent an apartment in Tokyo, so we don’t have to worry about running into each other in daily life.

…And by disrupting this engagement annulment event, I’ve also inadvertently ruined Michiyo’s heroine route.

In the original game’s route, during this event, I would’ve punched Takeru, causing him to fall and get injured in just the wrong way.

Then, when Michiyo—notified by the school—comes to pick him up on behalf of the Kitano family, they stop by a certain place in town where Michiyo gets harassed by some thugs.

Takeru, despite his injury, protects her, triggering Michiyo’s heroine flag.

Later, after defeating me in a duel, Takeru takes over my position in the Kitano family, moves into a Tokyo apartment with Michiyo, and enters her romance route by following up on the earlier event.

But this time, since I didn’t punch him, Michiyo’s event never happened.

I want Takeru to follow the main route with Aru and stay out of my story.

Recalling the many times I played through Michiyo’s route in the game, I shook my head—it doesn’t matter anymore—and moved on to planning my next steps.

(From now on, I need to focus on gradually restoring my parents’ shattered opinion of me…)

Lost in thought, I entered my classroom and took my seat.

A few of my classmates glanced at me, whispering with awkward smiles.

‘Hey, didn’t Joji-kun just get dumped by Miyashita-san this morning?’
‘Lmao, how pathetic.’
‘But Miyashita-san’s kinda sly too, switching to Takeru-kun like that.’
‘Oh, totally. I’d pick the other Kitano too.’
‘Same. Joji-kun’s just not it.’

The speed at which rumors spread was annoying, but facts were facts—I just had to accept it.

Besides, this gossip would help keep Aru at a distance.

As someone who rooted for her, I genuinely wanted Aru—the main heroine—to enjoy her romance with Takeru, the protagonist, and find happiness.

With that in mind, I pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper from my desk and flattened it on the surface.

[First Term Practical Exam – 28.5/13-14]
Day 1: Academic Test
Day 2: Dungeon Practical Test

(I can probably handle the written exam, but…)

[Dungeon Test Notes:]
– A Divine Vision test will be conducted immediately before the exam to confirm eligibility.
– The dungeon test will be conducted in parties of 2-3 members.

*(…This is gonna be tough.)