I'm a villainous in a Otome Game?!

Chapter 20

I eventually came to my senses after that embarrassing fainting spell, forcing myself to take a slow, steady breath before I ended up splitting in two from sheer mortification. The dizziness ebbed, but the memory of what had just happened still clung to me like a stubborn cobweb. Women in this world were… strange. Or maybe it was just me and my circle of equally strange friends? Either way, I decided to shrug it off. Better to keep my sanity intact than overthink it.

Like always, we approached the school gates at an easy walking pace. The morning air was crisp, brushing lightly against my cheeks, and the rhythmic shuffle of shoes on the stone path filled the silence between us. But something felt… different. My arm felt heavier than usual.

“Asuka… what are you doing?” I asked, craning my head to look at her. The sight that met me was almost too much, Asuka was latched onto my arm like a koala clinging to a tree, her face pressed close, and her lips pushed forward in a tiny, adorable pout.

“I-I just want to enter the school with you! Is it wrong?” she muttered, almost sulking, but with a sweetness that could make a statue blush. Her voice was soft, almost fragile, and her eyes refused to meet mine.

I squinted at her suspiciously. There was definitely another reason behind this sudden clinginess, but for the life of me, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Still… she was warm.

…

As we walked, I kept Lady Martina close at my side, casting sidelong glances toward Shikari and Horika. The two of them were still locked in a silent but intense glaring contest, the kind where you could practically see sparks flying between their eyes. I could feel the tension radiating from them like heat from a forge.

They’ve had Lady Martina’s attention for far too long. Now it’s my turn. And besides, Lady Martina doesn’t seem to mind me staying near her. In fact, she’s perfectly fine with it. Therefore, by my reasoning, everything was just fine. Perfect, even.

…

We moved through the school’s long, echoing hallway, our footsteps amplified by the polished stone floor. Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, casting golden patterns on the ground. That’s when I spotted a familiar face among the trickle of passing students, a boy with ash-brown hair that I knew all too well.

“Eh! Takashi!” I called out, unable to keep the grin from spreading across my face.

Takashi stopped mid-step, his body giving a small start before he turned toward me. His charming grin appeared instantly, and without hesitation, he strode toward us. In one swift motion, he reached out and lightly whacked Shikari on the head.

“OW! Hey!” Shikari recoiled, glaring at him in outrage before darting forward to deliver what looked like a serious punch to his stomach.

Takashi, unfazed, simply extended his palm to her forehead, keeping her at arm’s length with the ease of someone used to fending her off. He let out a long-suffering sigh.

“Why didn’t you come visit Father yesterday?” he asked casually, his hand now ruffling her hair in a teasing way.

“I already met them many times!” Shikari protested, trying desperately to smooth her hair back into place.

“You only met them through that crystal,” Takashi countered, his tone carrying a mix of mild annoyance and brotherly teasing. “Not in person.”

Meanwhile, Asuka was still glued to my arm like a stubborn piece of velcro, and I found myself quietly watching their sibling quarrel. Then, a completely unrelated, and admittedly alarming, thought popped into my head.