Eating lunch with my two faves-Todoroki Rekka and Liesha-was a one-way ticket to cloud nine. To see them in the flesh, actually chewing food and having a real conversation instead of just sprites on a screen... It was a legendary experience. How much do I have to pay for this? Honestly, I was ready to max out my credit cards right then and there!
Maybe I was staring too hard, because Liesha's face flushed a deep crimson. Even Rekka looked a little red. I guess it's a bit awkward having someone gawk at you while you're eating. I'll have to reflect on that. (Not that I'll stop, though.)
During the meal, the conversation turned to what happened this morning. Liesha seemed to have made up her mind to give Rekka the full story.
"Todoroki-kun¹, you are a friend Sakaki Reo trusts, aren't you? If so, I felt it was all right to tell you," Liesha said.
"Yeah, I'm a vault. Besides, I'm not the kind of guy who'd betray a buddy's trust," Rekka replied.
The two of them locked eyes and shared a smile.
Aaaahhhh! Where's my camera?! A smartphone would do! I can't believe I'm forced to save this god-tier scene only in my internal memory!
"W-What's wrong, Reo?" Rekka asked.
"Sakaki...?" Liesha added.
It took me a moment to snap back to reality while the two of them stared at me holding my head in my hands. But thanks to that, we finally got the conversation back on track.
Todoroki Rekka and Liesha.
The two of them would break Todo-sensei's curse².
The route was returning to how it should be.
Yeah, I felt a little lonely, but I suppose my role ends her-
"The split is 4-3-3, right?" Rekka asked.
"Yes. 4-3-3," Liesha agreed.
"Wait, just so I'm clear... who gets the four?" I asked.
"Reo, obviously," Rekka said.
"Sakaki, of course," Liesha added.
"Why!?" I yelled.
No, no, no! There was no way I, a total mob character, was getting the biggest share while the two main characters take less! What kind of joke was this?
"Look, Reo. You can't divide ten by three evenly," Rekka explained.
Yeah, I knew that.
"In that case, isn't it only right for our leader to take the most?" Liesha asked.
"What she said," Rekka added.
Wait, there was everything wrong with that. Who exactly was the "leader" here?
"No way! In that case, let's go 4-4-2!" I countered.
""Rejected!"" they both shouted.
"Why!?"
Damn, they were perfectly in sync! It was so precious, but they didn't need to be in sync about this!
"Listen, Reo. I'm just here to help you two out. Honestly, I'd be fine with nothing at all. But you wouldn't stand for that, right?" Rekka asked.
"Of course not! I wouldn't let you walk away with zero, Rekka!"
"Heh, exactly. That's why I'll take three. But I'm not taking four," Rekka said.
"Then it's my turn. I'm the one who asked for your help, Sakaki. And you have given me your absolute best. The fact that we even have Todoroki-kun's assistance now is undeniably thanks to you. I couldn't possibly take four after that. In fact, I would be fine with no share at all. But you wouldn't be satisfied with that, would you?" Liesha asked.
"Of course not! I wouldn't let you have zero either, Liesha!"
"Fufu, exactly. So I will take three. But I won't take four," Liesha said.
""Any objections?"" they asked together.
"Uguu... none..." I muttered.
"Haha!" Rekka laughed.
"Fufu," Liesha giggled.
Letting out a groan worthy of a certain taiyaki-loving heroine, I was forced to cave to their logic. I was taking the four. I'd just have to work like a dog to pay back the debt!
After finishing lunch, we immediately moved to a new area.
"Whoa! My body feels light as a feather! I feel like I could go all day! Hah!" Rekka shouted.
Squeaaak! A monster let out a high-pitched death rattle.
"Impressive, Todoroki-kun. I can't let myself fall behind. Ya!" Liesha cried.
Shred! Another monster fell to her blade.
The two of them began hunting at a terrifying pace. Points racked up at lightning speed, and materials piled up by the second. To be honest, they were so strong it felt like I was playing on Easy Mode.
"Alright, that's the bulk of them. Liesha is amazing, but man, Reo, you're the real deal!" Rekka said.
"Yes. Todoroki-kun is quite something, but... you really are incredible, Sakaki," Liesha added.
"Eh?"
In the middle of this beautiful scene where the two of them were acknowledging each other's growth, why was I the one getting praised? I hadn't really done anything worth mentioning. I thought the two of them were just naturally gifte-
"The timing on your buffs is perfect, Reo. Down to the millisecond. We saw it in training, too... with other guys, the timing is always hit-or-miss. It's honestly exhausting," Rekka said.
"Exactly. The windows where the buffs drop off feel like pure exhaustion. Then a new one hits you out of nowhere... it's a bit like catching a cold, for lack of a better word," Liesha added.
"Hahaha! That's it! But you're different, Reo. You extend the buffs without a single error so our rhythm never breaks. Plus, you're landing those debuffs on the enemies exactly when they attack, right?" Rekka asked.
"Yes, that too. The enemies suddenly slow down, so I can handle them with total composure. That's been a huge help," Liesha said.
"Totally. And another thing-"
"Argh! Okay, I get it! Stop it! Being praised anymore is starting to itch!" I yelled.
"Pfft-hahaha!!" Rekka roared.
"Fufu!!" Liesha laughed.
I was pretty sure my face-even my ears-was bright red. Seeing me like that, the two of them just laughed harder.
"Haha. Now do you get how embarrassing it is to be praised by a buddy?" Rekka asked.
"That's right, Sakaki. You are always so sincere when you praise us, you probably didn't realize how it felt. This is our revenge," Liesha added.
"What!?"
To think I let the Protagonist and the star sidekick act like mobs for my sake! No, that wasn't it. My friends were praising me. And honestly, nothing could make me happier.
"Ahaha. Thanks, you guys. But really, you're the amazing ones. You're reacting to my buffs perfectly. With Rekka's strength, he could easily just pulverize them, but he's holding back just enough so they drop right where it's easiest for me to collect the loot. And Liesha is hitting vital points in a single strike. Those aimed shots are just... incredible. Even without my buffs, you two are genuinely strong."
"O-Oh... man, I really can't win against you, Reo," Rekka muttered.
"...Yes, you praise people so naturally, Sakaki. It's almost unfair," Liesha said.
Seeing the two of them looking away sheepishly, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Anyway, we've gathered more than enough materials. Let's take them to the senior. Rekka, you should meet him too."
"Me too? Well, if you say so, Reo," Rekka agreed.
"Fufu. Let's head out then," Liesha said.
We wrapped up the gathering and headed toward the senior who gave us the list. As we walked, Rekka and Liesha were definitely turning heads.
"Seriously though, Liesha's swordplay is nuts. I couldn't even track it at first," Rekka noted.
"That is normal. Most people, even those with significant training, say the same. Well, Sakaki is the exception," Liesha replied.
"Ah, well, Reo's just like that," Rekka said.
Wait, what happened to the previous conversation where they acknowledge each other? Why was I back in the mix?
"I think the problem is his own lack of self-awareness, Todoroki-kun," Liesha said.
"Nah, he's doing it on purpose. You know what they say: 'The clever hawk hides its talons³,'" Rekka added.
"!! I see, I hadn't considered that. I still have much to learn," Liesha said.
No, that wasn't it at all! I've never hidden any "talons," and I'm pretty sure I'm baring my entire soul here! Didn't you guys see my Ability Measurement results?!
While listening to their conversation-and chiming in every now and then-we finally reached the senior.
"Oh? Your numbers have increased by one?" the senior asked.
"Hey. I'm a first-year, Todoroki Rekka-ssu," Rekka said.
"Well, how very polite. I'm the second-year sub-leader of the Alchemy Club, Abern Schwartz. Come to think of it, I never did get your names, did I?" Schwartz asked.
""Ah.""
"Seriously..." Rekka sighed.
He gave me an exasperated look. Yeah, this one was definitely on me.
Summary:
Reo has lunch with Rekka and Liesha, reveling in the fact that his game 'faves' are now his real-life companions. After a humorous negotiation regarding the distribution of loot, where they appoint Reo as the leader, they head out to hunt monsters. The group is incredibly efficient thanks to Reo's precise buff management, and the chapter ends with them meeting Abern Schwartz to hand in their materials.
Trivia:
- Reo's internal monologue uses heavy gaming/gacha terminology (microtransactions, whales).
- Liesha and Rekka are both aware of how exceptional Reo's support skills are, despite Reo's 'Mob' complexes.
- The '4-3-3' loot split effectively cements Reo as the leader of the group, which he tries to reject.
- Abern Schwartz is the sub-leader of the Alchemy Club and hadn't actually learned their names yet
Character Insight:
Reo continues to struggle with his identity as a 'Mob' character while being forced into a leadership role by the very 'Main Characters' he admires. Rekka and Liesha show deep trust and appreciation for Reo's technical skill, suggesting they see him as far more than an extra.
Behind the Scenes:
The 'Uguu' groan is a specific reference to the 2000s anime 'Kanon', commonly used in light novels to signal a clumsy/frustrated cute trait.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ -kun: Honorific for young men or peers, used here between Rekka and Reo to show familiarity.
2 ↩ Todo-sensei's curse: A specific plot point/debuff from the game the characters are currently trying to resolve.
3 ↩ The clever hawk hides its talons: Japanese idiom (No aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu) meaning a truly skilled person doesn't boast about their abilities.
Notes:
• Todoroki Rekka - Red-haired 'Brave Fantasy' true protag—hot-blooded, friendly Class A golden boy with sky-high phys/magic stats, 'Child Prodigy of East Middle.' Big Four member, body reinforcement magic ace, calls Reo 'buddy,' zero chill on personal space, popular frank dude with bottomless optimism.
• Reo - Reincarnated HS dude who grinded 'Brave Fantasy' 100+ times, now a bland mob in the game world—black hair, Class E #6 by the back door, F-rank stats but plot meta-knowledge + magic flow reading to sideline-support heroes. Lil' bro to Saki & Taku, survives as background bro.
• Abern - Abern Schwartz, second-year Alchemy Club vice-leader & ace—genius w/ fast brain, high alchemy skills & connections, but no combat chops. Hangs in dim rooms, senior sub-boss type grinding potions over fights.