Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [13]

The next day began like any other for Izumi Yuu.

After wrestling down a very stubborn AK-47 at dawn, he headed straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and bento for both himself and Izumi Sagiri.

Ever since Sagiri formally withdrew from school and became a full-time shut-in, she no longer needed to attend classes—but she still had to eat. And bentos were the perfect all-purpose solution. So every day, Yuu prepared two: one for himself to bring to the academy, and one for Sagiri’s lunch.

Feeling unusually cheerful, Yuu hummed Good Luck Comes to Me as he busied himself in the kitchen.

Before long, breakfast and lunch were both neatly finished under the hands of this top-tier home chef.

Knock knock.

Yuu gently tapped on Sagiri’s door.

But perhaps still mortified from yesterday’s incident, the girl didn’t answer.

[The girl, overcome with shame, is pretending she can’t hear you. Enraged, you decide to blow the door off its hinges and storm inside to discipline the disobedient girl, forcing her to cry and submit beneath your overpowering authority…]

Already well-acquainted with this garbage-tier narrator, Yuu tuned out the voice’s filthy nonsense.

He knew perfectly well Sagiri was awake. So instead of knocking again, he simply placed her breakfast and bento outside the door and called out with genuine concern, “Sagiri-chan, I’ve left your breakfast and lunch by the door. Make sure to eat it while it’s still warm, okay~!”

With that, Yuu turned and headed downstairs.

“I’m heading out!”

After scarfing down his own breakfast, Yuu tucked his bento into his bag, called out one last time to Sagiri upstairs, then left for school.

Click.

Only then did Sagiri’s door quietly creak open. She stepped out, picked up the meals from the floor, glanced once at the now-closed front door, and returned to her darkened room.

The curtains were drawn tight, leaving the space cloaked in near-total darkness. Only the faint glow of her computer lit the gloom.

Sagiri carefully peeled back a sliver of curtain. Peering down at the street below, she caught sight of Yuu’s back as he walked away.

She bit her lip.

“Something’s… off. Nii-san… feels really off.”

Her voice trembled as she murmured the words.

Like some kind of cloistered sage from a web novel, Sagiri had unknowingly developed some extremely bizarre abilities during her shut-in lifestyle. Aside from her signature floor-tapping communication method, she could pick up on the tiniest shifts in the household.

And her instincts were screaming at her: Yuu had been different since yesterday. Like he’d suddenly discovered life’s purpose—brimming with focus, energy, and direction.

In simpler terms, it was as if a salted fish had finally flipped over.

“Don’t tell me… Nii-san’s fallen in love?!”

Watching Yuu’s unusually light steps, a chilling realization seized her chest.

It made sense. Yuu was handsome. He must be popular at school.

Even before Sagiri withdrew from the world, she’d been drawn to his face the moment she met him.

But after retreating into her shell, she’d sealed her heart away along with her feelings. That’s why their relationship hadn’t progressed at all.

Now the thought of her onii-chan being claimed by someone else, reshaped by someone else… filled Sagiri with instinctive dread and discomfort.

Her gaze fell to the illustrations she’d painstakingly drawn—the white thigh-highs and cat-eared bell accessories she’d prepared as reference materials (read: to please him). Her doll-like face went completely pale.

No! Anything but that! Nii-san, please don’t fall for another girl!

---

Same time, same place.

At the foot of the slope, Yuu once again saw her—that radiant figure standing like a painting.

The girl stood at the crest of the hill, gazing down with wind-tousled hair.

Her face, delicate and fair, was unreadable.

But the moment she spotted Yuu, a fleeting glimmer of joy sparkled in her eyes.

She wore the standard school uniform. Beneath her skirt, white lace over-the-knee socks hugged her flawless legs—long, pale, and enticing, like two sticks of milky gelato on display. Utterly irresistible.

Yuu quickened his pace and headed up the slope.

“You’re here, Izumi-kun,” Kato Megumi said softly as he approached.

“Yeah. Have you been waiting for me this whole time?” Yuu looked into her clear, obsidian eyes.

“Probably less than a minute.” Megumi answered calmly, without denying it.

Because yes—she had waited for him. She wanted them to walk to school together.

“Phew, that’s a relief.” Yuu smiled. “I’d feel terrible if I’d kept you waiting too long.”

“…Want to exchange contact info?” Megumi asked after a pause, voice quiet. “That way it’ll be easier to reach each other if something comes up.”

“Of course.” Yuu nodded.

They pulled out their phones and swapped LINE and numbers.

Then, side by side, they followed the same route as yesterday toward the school.

“You seem distracted, Kato-san,” Yuu said lightly. “Want to talk about it? Maybe I can help.”

Megumi hesitated. Then, after looking at his flawless side profile, she suddenly stepped in front of him, bowed slightly, and said, “I’m sorry, Izumi-kun!”

From that angle, he caught a glimpse of the white valley between her chest.

While not huge, Megumi’s figure was definitely better than the flat-chested types.

[When apologizing, it’s only proper for a 2D heroine to use her body as compensation. Her perfect proportions dazzle your senses. You decide to take her here and now—and if she resists, you’re not above breaking through her last barrier with force…]

You’re the one whose senses are broken, not me!

Yuu sighed inwardly at the narrator’s trash-tier commentary.

He wasn’t some irredeemable creep living out coercive fantasies.

Ignoring the nonsense, he raised a brow and asked, “What’s with the sudden apology, Kato-san?”

“It’s because of me that Tomoya-kun treats you with such hostility,” Megumi said seriously. “I’m sorry for that.”

“Oh, that?” Yuu smiled, unbothered. “No worries. I kind of get where Aki-kun’s coming from. He probably saw the person he likes talking to another guy, and his instincts kicked in. It’s not strange.”

“Eh?! Izumi-kun… are you being serious?” Megumi’s body stiffened slightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Tomoya-kun was that intense… because he likes me? And I’m really… as good as you say?”

“Of course. Don’t underestimate your charm.” Yuu nodded. “Why else would Aki-kun insist on casting you as the heroine of his project?”

“His behavior yesterday… it probably wasn’t just about club activities. I think it came from how he feels about you.”

He held Megumi’s gaze as he spoke.

Because after what happened yesterday, she could no longer avoid the truth.

Aki Tomoya’s actions had been obvious. He just didn’t want to admit it to himself—and Megumi had been trying to pretend it didn’t matter.

But he, Izumi Yuu, was the divine savior of pure-hearted girls. There was no way he’d let her keep lying to herself!

And besides—if there was a reward tied to Megumi, he absolutely couldn’t let her fall into a pit like this!

“But… yesterday, during the club meeting, Tomoya-kun still showed strong hostility toward you,” Megumi said, troubled. “And he emphasized again that it wasn’t about feelings—that he just didn’t want the game to be affected because of me.”

“That so?” Yuu narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Well, then it’s usually one of two things. Either Aki-kun really is the super ambitious type who’ll shove emotions aside to prioritize his dream project… or he’s tangled in a complicated love triangle and doesn’t know how to choose. Maybe he just wants to keep things ambiguous.”

He paused, then added, “Though I doubt Aki-kun’s the second type. He seems too honest for that.”

“Huh?!” Megumi’s face wavered. She staggered back a step in shock.

“What’s wrong, Kato-san?” Yuu quickly reached out to steady her by the hand.

“I… I think you might be right,” Megumi murmured after a moment. “There are two other girls in our club, and both of them clearly like Tomoya-kun. One’s his childhood friend, the other’s been close to him for years. There’s history there.”

“That would explain a lot,” Yuu said gravely. “If he confesses to either one, the balance shatters. The club breaks down. His project fails.”

“In that case, maybe he is just stringing everyone along,” Megumi whispered, almost to herself. “He’s using our feelings to keep things afloat.”

“I don’t like speaking ill of others or speculating with malice,” Yuu said solemnly. “But if you lay it out like that, there really seems to be only one possibility.”

“I guess… I already knew deep down. I just didn’t want to believe he’d do that.” Megumi looked away, her voice flat. “Go on, Izumi-kun. Say what you’re thinking. I won’t take it the wrong way.”

Yuu gave a reluctant smile. “Well… sounds like Aki-kun’s well aware his project is crap. Like a startup boss pitching empty promises, he’s dangling just enough hope to keep you all working for free. The moment he confesses to anyone, the whole house of cards comes down. So in the end, it’s not about love. It’s about control.”

Of course, Yuu was secretly very proud of his Oscar-worthy acting and verbal tea artistry.

Maybe I don’t even need the system rewards. I could go straight into acting with this level of skill!

“You really don’t need to make excuses for Tomoya-kun,” Megumi said quietly. “After everything he’s said about you… and you’re still being kind. You’re a good person, Izumi-kun.”

She didn’t even notice that, for the first time, she’d stopped calling Tomoya by his first name so intimately.

“Well, nothing’s set in stone,” Yuu said gently. “Life keeps moving forward. Tomorrow’s always a new day, right?”

“Yeah… Thank you, Izumi-kun.” Megumi’s voice softened. “Um… could you close your eyes for a second?”

“Huh? Sure.” Yuu blinked in confusion, then slowly shut his eyes.

Seconds ticked by.

And then—

Something warm and soft pressed against him.

A slender body pulled him into a gentle embrace. Her scent filled his lungs.

The girl was in his arms. Close. So close.

And as if on cue, that suppressed AK from earlier began twitching again, alive and kicking.

[Seeing the downcast girl before you, you decide to use your alluring body to comfort her. She’s vulnerable now—open. One firm push, and she’s yours…]

Shut up! I’m a pure-love war god. I’m here to save girls, not take advantage of them!

Yuu forcibly muted the narrator's voice.

And quietly savored the embrace.

Tomoya Aki? I’m taking your heroine.

---

T/N: damn aki is that bad huh...

This is a fan translation of 加藤惠别回头，我是伦也君 by 故人归 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!