549 - I Was Genderswapped and Reincarnated as a Villainess, but I’m Making this My Personal Yuri Game

Yesterday brought quite a commotion. Even though I still feel a lingering weariness, there's no time to laze around. It's Friday today, and if I can endure just today... well, Saturday and Sunday are packed with training and the Tsubomi Moe Club activities... Do I ever really get a break? "Good day!" "Kyaa! Lord Kujou! Good day!" "Good morning, Lord Kujou!" With just a single greeting, the response comes back multiplied many times over. They're just excited kids influenced by the concert, so in a few days, things will settle down. Considering the weekend is coming up tomorrow, everyone might be calmer by next week. I pass through the busier-than-usual front entrance and head into the classroom. "Good day!" "Good morning, Lord Kujou." "Good day, Lord Kujou." Inside the classroom, although the tone is more subdued, my classmates who have already arrived return my greetings. Before the concert, I felt somewhat distant, but this is quite the change. "Good day, Satsuki-chan, Seri-chan." "Good day, Sakuya-chan." "Good morning, Sakuya-chan." Finally at my seat. It appears that nothing special happened today; only the two who are always early are here. With the absence of the whole group, I can sit down quietly and take it easy. "……Sakuya-chan." "Is something the matter?" "……Huh?" As I take my seat, Seri and Satsuki look at me seriously and ask. Well, if there's something, it must be the fatigue from the changing reactions since the concert. "Since the concert, everyone at the academy has been returning my greetings, which is nice, but the reactions are overwhelmingly big, causing me some exhaustion, perhaps." I explain to them my reason for being tired. But Seri and Satsuki, after exchanging a look, nod seriously and shake their heads. I can't quite grasp what they're thinking, but maybe they understand each other somehow? "Sakuya-chan… surely that's not it, right? It can't just be something like that bothering you." "Precisely. If it were merely increased greetings, Sakuya-chan wouldn't look so troubled." "……Huh?" Is that so...? It's true, being suddenly greeted more often does concern me and tire me somewhat. But if there's any other reason, there's probably only one. Well, maybe two, but both stem from the same source. "Perhaps it has something to do with what happened yesterday…" "See! I knew it! There's something, isn't there?" "Sakuya-chan, I may not be much help, but if you have any worries, please talk to us." Their sincere offer to listen touched me deeply. It's so heartwarming. Yet, telling these two doesn't seem like it would solve anything. Maybe venting a little would be okay, but it might be better to do it when everyone is gathered, to avoid going through it multiple times. "Then perhaps once everyone is together... since mornings are brief, and it's not a conversation for the cafeteria... how about during the study session, although that's a bit problematic too... Less time for the study session means less study, even more so if spent on chatting..." I ponder over discussing it with everyone but struggle to find a suitable time and place. With the concert finished and no more practice sessions, we've scheduled study sessions after school starting this week. Yesterday was postponed because of me, but... There's little time before homeroom in the morning once everyone is gathered. It isn't an atmosphere suited to conversations like this, and moving after everyone arrives doesn't allow enough time. The cafeteria during lunch is crowded, and it's not the place for such talk. We gather for study sessions after school, but with even limited time, wasting it on conversations defeats the purpose of having a session. It's tough to find the right moment to talk with everyone... "So, after lunch, let's move somewhere to discuss this." "Indeed! Since Sakuya-chan isn’t in a rush, it might mean it’s not urgent, but it’s better to address it sooner rather than later." "Yes... indeed... So sorry for the trouble, but could we find a place to talk after lunch?" Though I didn't think they needed to go to such lengths, both Satsuki and Seri insisted with great determination, so it was decided to talk somewhere after lunch. Later, every member that arrived asked, "Sakuya-chan, what's wrong?!" as usual. They always say that when something seems up—could they really tell so easily? I thought I was known for a pretty good poker face... --- After eating in the cafeteria, our group decided to move. Our chosen destination: the Gokita-kai Salon. During the lunch break, the members are usually not there, and the walls and doors are thick enough to ensure privacy. Everyone seemed slightly hesitant about using the Gokita-kai Salon, but it's the perfect spot for a discreet discussion. "So, what troubles you, Lady Sakuya?" "First, let me show you this." Once we entered the salon, Azami immediately inquired, so I took out my smartphone to show them yesterday’s footage. It's the incident where Shindo Iikiri was confronting An. "What!?" "This is..." Once everyone saw the footage, they were stunned into silence. It's only natural, knowing An—a close friend in our group—experienced something like this. "This Shindou Iikiri! The nerve to pick a fight with Lady Sakuya’s faction! Lady Sakuya, let me handle this guy!" "Calm down, Azami-chan. I understand you're worried about An after seeing this, but nothing came of it..." I stop Azami, who looks ready to charge in. Azami might always talk big, but thinking she wouldn’t follow through is a mistake. In the game, when Lady Sakuya failed to restrain Azami—or worse, encouraged her—it caused a major incident. When Azami decides to act, she follows through thoroughly... Thanks to our presence, Azami-chan remains restrained, but if we weren't here, she likely would have caused countless disturbances by now. "What should we do about this fool? By targeting Sakuya-chan's group, it's like a declaration of war against all of us, isn't it? Fufu... Ufu..." Satsuki-chan is frightening... Usually, she's the one restraining Azami-chan with me, but now she might spiral out of control. This isn't good. Is there no one here who's reasonable...? "This person, is the upperclassman Shindou Iikiri, right? I've met him at parties before. Yes, a part of the Konoe family's vassals... I see... To treat our friends this way..." "Eek!?" Tsubaki-chan is terrifying... Tsubaki-chan, who rarely gets angry, is genuinely upset. When someone known for their calm disposition gets angry, it’s remarkably scary. Tsubaki-chan fits that bill, making this quite dire... "Alright! Let's bury him!" "This is the consensus of the Konoe family, isn't it? Finally, Sakuya-chan is going to take down the entire Konoe clan!" "Hold on, hold on! Yuzuriha-chan, Renge-chan, please calm down!?" Everyone's terrifying! They’re talking about burying and declaring war—what are they saying? And they're not joking; their eyes are dead serious. It might be a highly sophisticated joke, but to me, it seems they mean it. "Everyone, please calm down. This was Shindou Iikiri's independent action. I have already asked Lady Konoe, no, the Konoe family matron, to handle the situation regarding the Shindou household." "Oh, boo. That's no fun!" "With Lady Sakuya's capabilities, you could crush them together with the Konoe family, so why not just go for it while you're at it?" No, no… What on earth are you all saying? It's downright terrifying... And I certainly don’t have the ability to go against the Konoe family. If the Kujou and Konoe families were to clash, it would result in heavy losses for both, with the Konoe family likely emerging victorious. Even if everyone supports me, it’s the head of the household who decides the actions, and they wouldn’t side with me purely out of emotion. Even if we, as children, claim to be friends and promise cooperation, that camaraderie is only child’s play in the eyes of the family heads, who act upon calculations rather than emotions. They wouldn't support me out of pure sentiment. "But then, why did Sakuya-chan look so troubled?" "W-well... When I went to ask for the Konoe’s aid, I had nothing to offer in exchange... So I agreed to become Yamabuki-sama’s tutor in exchange for the protection of the Imaoji family and action against the Shindou family." "What!" "That's just too cruel!" "The terms aren't fair at all!" "Sakuya-chan offered too much. Taking on the role of Yamabuki-sama’s tutor is like offering a thousand favors!" If there’s something troubling me, it’s probably this. I impulsively agreed to become Yamabuki's tutor. Though it doesn’t mean I'll be tied down from morning till night, it does involve some regular appearances at the Konoe household or having them come to me. Given that, my unease was likely apparent to everyone. "Well, I’ve already promised... Plus, it's to protect An. But if we let An know about this, she might feel burdened, so please keep it a secret from her." "......" Everyone exchanged glances, but their faces seemed tinged with dissatisfaction. "If Sakuya-chan says so, we'll keep quiet to An..." "Lady Sakuya, going so far as to offer herself to save An!" "Is An leading the race in Sakuya-chan's heart?" "That might be..." "Sakuya-chan seems to like people who are a bit peculiar, huh?" They were whispering among themselves. Though they agreed to keep it silent, their murmurs piqued my curiosity, yet they divulged nothing to me. --- This afternoon, we had a brief study session together. Usually, I’d head to the Gokita-kai Salon, but not today. After parting with Azami-chan and Satsuki-chan, I headed alone to the senior high-school building. Given yesterday's events, it seems unlikely anything will happen immediately, but I came to check on An. "Good day, An-san." "Oh! Sakuya-tan! Sakuya-taaan!" I found An in the club room, and she immediately embraced me. Being two years my senior, An is slightly taller than I am, and her figure is well-developed. She hugged me while pressing me to her chest and stroking my head. "Has anything happened since then?" "Thanks to Sakuya-tan, everything’s been fine!" Not wanting to be nestled in An’s embrace forever, I asked seriously. But An, despite her relaxed demeanor, continued to gently stroke my hair. Considering the fear she felt yesterday, I should let this go a little longer. "I see. It’s good nothing’s happened. Please stay vigilant nonetheless. If anything occurs, inform me immediately. Knowing something could happen to you, An-san, I can’t sleep well at night." "Sakuya-tan... you care about me that much... Oh, Sakuya-tan! You’re such a charmer! Making me feel this way! You'd better take responsibility! I love Sakuya-tan! Love you so much it’s overwhelming!" An hasn’t fully recovered from yesterday's shock. She's hugging me, patting me, and muttering erratically. Though seemingly alright at a glance, she’s still reeling, as evident from her shaken behavior. Pushing away a distressed An is not something I can do. I swear, it’s not just because I find being embraced by a real high school girl enticing. Definitely not. No, really. "Anyway... please take care of yourself, alright?" "Got it!" Well, An is under the protection of the Kujou household. If Shindou attempts anything within the next few days, our house's protection should suffice. Moreover, Lady Konoe has assured the protection of the Imaoji family, so their surveillance and protection should be in effect as well. I backed down that day—I haven’t retaliated further... But if Shindou tries to reach for An again... I will crush not only Iikiri but the entire Shindou household. To write a review, please log in. +Note+ Unless otherwise specified, all works listed are purely fictional and bear no relation to real persons or organizations. Unless otherwise specified, the copyright of the works is owned by the author (except for some works). Unauthorized copying beyond citations by anyone other than the author is prohibited and constitutes a violation of copyright law if done. This work is open for linking. Feel free to link (introduce) it. This work is smartphone-compatible. It automatically distinguishes whether you're using a smartphone or a computer and displays the appropriate page. The estimated reading time assumes a reading speed of 500 characters per minute. Please use this as a guideline. Author's Page Typo Reporting Information Provision Shousetsuka ni Narou Read Novels!