Welcome, to the Bad End Route - V4C5

Thanks to Rain Missakara for donating! Sponsored chapter 3/5.

 

Volume 4, Chapter 5: Welcome, to the Bad End Route

 

 

"Please, come back...stay by my side..."

 

Tendou Susumu, looking rather pathetic, uttered in a trembling voice, as if trying to gain sympathy.

The two girls who reacted to this were the same two who had just been by his side a few days ago.

 

"Even if you say that...I can't do that anymore..."

"I like Ikuto. I want to stay next to him all the time."

 

One responded in a faint voice while looking away, while the other had a clear conviction in her tone and eyes.

But the thing they had in common was that they both showed rejection in one way or another.

 

"E-everyone is just being manipulated! You'll regret if you stay by Jimichi's side! If it were me instead, I will definitely make have a good time!"

 

Perhaps realizing that it was useless to place his own feelings on the line, Tendou changed his tactic to degrading the other person.

All the girls contorted their faces at this method. The former two didn't even seem like they wanted to respond, and the other two, after a slight change in their emotions, spoke out.

 

"...That's too awful. I am creating good memories with Ikuto-senpai, so I don't want any from Tendou-senpai."

"You're the worst. Manipulating other's thoughts...I wouldn't ever think he was that kind of person."

 

After that, Tendou said many other things, but the expressions of the four never improved.

The more he talked, the worse their impressions became. But Tendou, not wanting to back down, raised his voice in half-desperation.

 

"Why can't you understand?! I keep telling you, Jimichi is deceiving you all!"

"..."

"You'll see! If you remain there, you're all going to regret it! So, just shut up now and come to me!"

 

He looked frustrated and had finally taken a commanding tone. Ultimately, the girls stopped talking to him and started to turn back.

But Tendou didn't want to stand idly by and just watch, so he finally took a more forceful approach.

 

"H-hey! Wait! Wait...didn't I say wait?!"

 

As if wanting to hold them back against their will, Tendou attempted to grab them.

At that moment, Jimichi Ikuto, who had been quietly listening to the conversation on the side, got in between Tendou and the girls.

 

"Move!"

"I can't just let you get past."

"If only...if only you didn't exist!"

"..."

 

Tendou Susumu's target shifted from the girls to Jimichi Ikuto.

The expression on his face, as if he was looking at the enemy of his parents, wasn't the kind you'd expect to see on a high school student.

Seeing this, the girls behind Jimichi hid behind and kept close to him while keeping their distance from Tendou.

The girls didn't look at the rampaging Tendou, but instead at Jimichi, sending him over looks of concern.

 

"Are you saying this was all my fault? That if it weren't for me, they'd be with you?"

"Hanae stopped coming over all of a sudden, and Reika stopped seeing me as well! You instigated Shigure to stop being a manager, and now you're even Senpai's favorite!"

"...So?"

"You were involved in everything! It's not a coincidence, you were obviously targeting the girls close to me!"

 

His doubts that piled up had him convinced it was the anything but the truth now. The reality he was seeing was distorted, driving Tendou's thoughts crazy.

What was in front of him was a lie. Suspicions grew based on that reality, and Tendou had arrived at one conclusion.

 

"Even if they like you, what about you, huh?! You only got close to them so you could torment me!"

"..."

"You think you can make them happy?! There is no way you can! You don't even care about them!"

 

Didn't matter how much the girls of Jimichi, the reverse wasn't true, was what Tendou was saying.

If that was the case, then surely these girls weren't on track to a happy ending.

In fact, Jimichi Ikuto was a guy who hadn't even made his choice yet.

 

"...Then, are you saying they'd be happy with you?"

"O-of course! At least compared to you!"

"The guy who kept on making mistakes up to this point, you think you can say that?"

"M-mistakes...that..."

"You were at fault. That's why they left. It's just that I was there when they did."

"...Are you trying to tell me that you just happened to be there?"

 

It was a fact that Tendou had made mistakes. That was something recognized by the person himself, and his own decisions had nothing to do with Jimichi.

However, he couldn't recognize the consequences of those choices. No matter what, he wasn't the one at fault.

Not only had his route with these girls been closed off, but the other path they went to was even flaunted in front of him.

 

"By chance. Maybe someone else could have even been there instead of me."

"S-such a thing..."

"But either way, they were going to move away from you ―― because you chose to go down this route."

"This route...?"

 

Jimichi, looking somewhat tensioned, stared into Tendou's eyes and slowly spoke.

Tendou was also being Tendou, and he couldn't peel his eyes off from Jimichi. The mood felt like a death row inmate awaiting their death sentence.

He didn't know what he was about to say. He still didn't understand either what he was saying.

However, he really didn't want to hear whatever it was, either.

 

"Your path is set. You can no longer go the other way."

"Stop, I don't want to hear it..."

"―― Welcome, to the bad end route."

 

The announcement of his confirmed route was made.

What kind of path was it?

The end was reached, but it wouldn’t end here.

The bad route was just about to begin.

 

"Bad end route...?"

"What will you do from now on?"

"What, you say...I..."

"Give up already."

"Are you even their boyfriend or anything?! You don't have a right to say that!"

"But you heard what they said, didn't you?"

"I'll make the girls come to their senses! I'm not giving up!"

"...Well, I knew you'd say that, but it's still amazing to see."

""""Eh...""""

 

I won't give up... Tendou Susumu, oblivious to the expressions on the faces of the four, was determined to keep going down this path.

He arrived at a bad end, but he kept pushing. It was the only he had left.

In other words, Tendou's battle...continued?

---

Probably too late to mention this, but 'Susumu' can mean 'to go forward/advance', while 'Ikuto' (through some wordplay) can mean 'the other way'.

Choose which novel you would like me to translate here!

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