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 6

The place I headed to during lunch break was the school rooftop.

(There…)

Behind the rooftop water tank was the person I was looking for—there she was!

“Eating alone in a place like this, Amamiya-san?”

Sitting on a concrete block in the corner of the rooftop, a girl with a small bento box in front of her turned toward me, chopsticks still between her lips, staring intently.

🔶

Amamiya Mashiro

Amamiya had long, sky-blue hair that reached her knees and eyes that sparkled like scattered stars—

Her azure eyes, known as “Meteor Eyes,” belonged to a stunning beauty.

Though slightly short, her slender frame contrasted with her surprisingly ample chest and tightly cinched waist, enhancing her mystical allure.

In Demon Capital Tokyo, 1999, she ranked second in popularity polls as a beloved sub-heroine.

And, in truth—she was also my personal favorite heroine.

Just being this close to her, feeling her breath, filled me with excitement.

Mashiro was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Amamiya family, known for their divine sight. The Amamiya bloodline allowed them to communicate with gods through telepathy, bypassing spoken words.

Among her lineage, Mashiro’s talent was exceptional—she was hailed as the greatest prodigy in Amamiya history, with skills surpassing all before her.

With her ethereal beauty and unmatched abilities, people held immense expectations for her—some even whispered that she might one day become a living god.

Yet, in reality, she was just a chatty, friendly girl.

Her rare gifts and the rumors of her divine future made others treat her as untouchable, keeping their distance out of reverence—or fear.

Because of this, she had no friends at school, always eating lunch alone on the rooftop.

Some students mockingly called her “Ariel of the Rooftop”, comparing her to the voiceless fairy-tale princess.

Well, I’d been called “The (Wild) Trash from the North” as a jab at an old human drama title, so…

🔶

“If I’m not bothering you, mind if I eat here too?”

As I spoke, I pulled a melon bread from my pocket and showed it to Amamiya. Silently, she scooted over, making space for me.

(Guess that’s a yes?)

I sat beside her, tore open the bag, and took a bite. Mashiro kept staring at me.

“Hm? What’s up? Oh, you want some?”

I broke off a piece (from the untouched side) and offered it to her, but she shook her head vigorously—no thanks.

“Ah, got it. This melon bread’s really good though—great flavor and filling. One of my favorites.”

Trying to ignore her intense gaze, I kept eating.

Even after I finished, Mashiro’s eyes stayed fixed on me. I turned to her and spoke up.

“Hey, Amamiya… You know those parody comics of Blade of the Immortal?”

This was a dirty trick on my part—Mashiro loved comedy manga, especially parodies of Blade of the Immortal.

She immediately leaned in, her meteor-like eyes sparkling as she nodded repeatedly.

“Oh, you know them?! I saw the latest four-panel one recently—the part where Nezumiko uses her secret technique, ‘Explosive Kick!’, but they parodied it as ‘Bucket Drop!’, where she just throws a bucket at the enemy. Had me laughing so hard!”

What I was describing was actually from next week’s Shonen Shampoo spread—I felt a little guilty spoiling her future fun, but this was a matter of life and death.

“Pfft… Hehe… Explosive Kick… Bucket… Pfft… Hehe…”

This was the first time I’d heard Mashiro’s voice.

I was so moved I could’ve cried, but I held it in—now wasn’t the time.

“Ahahaha! Amamiya, your voice is adorable!”

“!?”

The moment I said that, she froze, then looked down in silence.

“You’ve heard the rumors about me, right? The Trash from the North… Honestly, looking back, I really was hopeless… I get it.”

“And to top it off, this morning, my fiancée dumped me. Now I’m all alone in the world. Boo-hoo, right?”

“But… even someone as worthless as me has the right to change, don’t you think?”

“I know I’ve been nothing but trouble, that everyone hates me—but I want to start over. For real this time.”

“So… if you’re okay with it, could you keep listening to me like this, Amamiya?”

Mashiro, who had been looking down, loosened her clenched hands slightly.

“Is… Is it really okay… with someone like me?”

Her voice trembled as she spoke, still avoiding my gaze.

“Yeah. With you, I feel like I can talk without holding back.”

At my words, she slowly lifted her face, her meteor eyes filled with hope.

“Will… Will you listen to me too?”

“Ahahaha, obviously! Otherwise, it’d just be me monologuing. That’d be way too sad.”

“Hehe… Yeah, you’re right… Um… then… Kitano-kun… No, since you’re the same as my little brother… Can I call you Jōji-kun?”

I grinned at her.

“Sure, go ahead! I’ll call you Mashiro too. That means we’re friends now!”

I held out my right hand to her.

“F-Friends… My first friend… Hehe…“

Timidly, Mashiro reached out—but I grabbed her hand and shook it firmly.

“!?”

“A handshake to seal our friendship!”

“O-Okay… Nice to meet you… Jōji-kun.”

And so, in this world—I made my first friend.