The Limits of Mob Characters
After the recreational event, we also had a bath and a barbecue as scheduled.
During that time, Shimotsuki was messing with me whenever she had a chance. It seems that she really wanted to be entertained.
Ryuzaki kept his eyes on Shimotsuki. He occasionally checked on her, but he never took his eyes off her, not even for a moment.
He must be in a lot of conflict and anguish. Hopefully, he will stay as he is for a long time, but since he is the …… protagonist, that is not possible.
When will he start his big comeback?
I’ve been on the lookout for it.
However, the time did not come easily.
It was now nighttime. There were only two things left on the schedule for today.
A test of courage and a campfire.
It was the perfect event to set the story in motion.
” …… Nakayama-kun, I’m a little bit not good with ghosts, so I’m just going to pretend I’m not feeling well and rest. Are the teachers insane to make us walk through the woods at night like this? It’s not that I’m afraid of them, you know. It’s just that I’m not very good at it.”
That said, Shimotsuki cheated on her test of courage.
…… I wonder if that girl is the main heroine.
A test of courage is a great place for a heroine to be active.
She can hug the protagonist while saying, “Ooh, I’m scared.” and close the distance between them both physically and mentally while having a romantic encounter.
But for Shimotsuki, who has already deviated from the main route and is heading for the outer route, such a promise would have no effect. She is tearing up her story as she pleases.
That’s why I decided to test my courage without Shimotsuki.
“Hey, Ryoma-san, I’m afraid of …… ghosts, can you stay with me?”
“Yeah, …… okay.”
“I’m not afraid of ghosts either, but don’t ever leave me!”
“Yeah, …… that’s right.”
“…… Ryoma Onii-chan, help me!”
“…………”
Of course, the Ryuzaki harem was trying to flirt with the protagonist as much as they could.
However, it was unlikely to be a meaningful event because Ryuzaki himself was not paying attention.
I’m sure his mind was full of thoughts about Shimotsuki.
No matter what Azusa and the others do to him, he doesn’t react well.
“Ryoma Onii-chan …?”
Azusa and the others are also looking at Ryuzaki with a worried look.
As expected, even the harem members seemed to have noticed that something was wrong with Ryuzaki.
So, the test of courage event ended easily without much excitement.
Finally, there was a campfire, but …… before that, the protagonist started talking to me, a mob character.
It’s almost the end of the story. …… Normally, a mob character should have finished his role by now. But the protagonist seemed to have something to say to me.
“Nakayama ……, when did you and Shiho started getting along?”
After the test of courage, the executive officers of the overnight learning program were preparing for the campfire.
I was bored, so I was sitting in an inconspicuous position, when Ryuuzaki unexpectedly came to talk to me.
This is the place where I spent noon with Shimotsuki at the recreational event. She seems to be good at finding inconspicuous places, and this is a pretty good place.
In addition, I’m not much of a standout, so it’s unlikely that you’ll just happen to see me and talk to me ……. Perhaps Ryuzaki had taken the trouble to look for me.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Shiho look so happy……, even though she was not interested in others. She’s always alone, and she doesn’t even get along with me because she likes it that way……. What the hell did you do to her?”
I wonder if he’s really cornered.
The protagonist is groaning.
“…………”
On the other hand, I didn’t know what to say.
As usual, I wanted to say something like a biting dog mob character, but I couldn’t think of any words.
But I couldn’t think of anything to say, because it was impossible for a mob character to be involved in such an important scene.
“Hey, say something…… You got to be friends with my childhood friend. You’re the only one who can see the smile on her face……. You should be more proud of yourself. Mock me for being a loser despite being a childhood friend!”
Ryuzaki was sneering and spitting out his emotions.
I, on the other hand, could only stare at him blankly.
I wondered if I should agitate him.
Should I make fun of him?
Should I deny him?
Should I deceive him?
Should I affirm it?
Various options are whirling around in my mind.
But I can’t see the way forward. I don’t know which answer is the right one.
I guess this is the limit of a mob character.
Up until now, I’ve managed to keep my head down, but …… I don’t have the power to change the narrative. I just happened to be on the playing board at the whim of Shimotsuki.
As such, I couldn’t think of any way to deal with this protagonist.
If I had to choose something more than this, I would no longer be a mob character.
The clown who had once mistakenly thought he was the protagonist was supposed to have given up everything by pretending that he was a mob character.
When he was betrayed by his childhood friend, his stepsister, his best friend, and all the people he loved, this was the reason why he desperately wanted to convince himself somehow.
“I’m a mob character, so what can I do?”
Since then, I’ve been telling myself that I can’t be the protagonist because I’m a mob character.
“Damn……, no words for a loser? You don’t even have me in your sights anymore, do you? I feel like a fool for being satisfied with the childhood friend I had …..”
Ryuzaki’s wailing disappeared into the night forest.
He punched a tree trunk in frustration and then walked away.
“…………”
In the end, I couldn’t say anything.
After all ……, Kotaro Nakayama is a mob character.
If I had been able to say something back to Ryuzaki here, I might have been able to intervene in the story.
It is possible that I could have broken out of my shell as a mob character and become something else.
But if I had been able to do that, I probably wouldn’t have become a mob character in the first place.
“You’re a loser……, you say that a lot.”
As I look out at the forest where Ryuzaki disappeared, I can’t help but remember the past.
“The loser is not you, it’s …… me.”
I used to think that I was the protagonist, that I was the one at that time…
Thank you for the chapter
Im only hate reading this now, because i want to see how much of a whiny little b***h the author will make Nakayama.
Nakayama is in love with being the tragic hero, when he doesnt even deserve the tag, this constant repetition of “Mob Character” has gone beyond annoyance.
Nakayama you need to realize that those girls never liked you in the romantic sense, Ryuzaki didn’t steal them from you, they simply started to compete for Ryuzaki’s affection when he appeared.
You should be feeling shameful that you misunderstood your relationships with them but you are not a loser, i mean, they were never yours to begin with.
I think i finally understand why this story feels like someone ended up in some romcom as a mob but the MC came and NTR’d him and as a result he is suffering, in reality the supposed mob realize that the girls he thought they liked him never did and he is taking this approach to save his own self…….no wonder, i always thought it was strange……….I mean, Ryuzaki is not worthy to be a jap. romcom MC and the reasons the girls gave Nakayama were too stupid.
In any case, Nakayama-kun you need to stop looking this like some sort of romcom. You will see your life will became brighter, though how much will depend on you.
I mean, Shimotsuki-chan wants to be with you and she probably won’t take a no for an answer.
It’s pretty clear neither side liked each other romantically before. He just doesn’t like the fact all the people he was close to just started to ignore him completely the moment someone else (who is kind of a POS) came around.
He is actually self aware enough (unlike Ryuzaki) to immediately realise that they are not at fault and in a way neither is Ryuzaki. He has nowhere to place the blame and ends up self-loathing instead, he is not sure what to do since the people he was closest to just up and left him for a reason he could hardly control (and are kind of just objectively bad), this manifests in the “mob character” obsession.
I think the best example is with his Step-Sister, since he is forced to stay in contact with her, we know for sure he still cares for her but she keeps a distance from him.
He never says they were his or even implies it, in fact his actions actively goes against that and show he is completely aware of the fact and allows them to do what they want.
People are acting as if this is NTR but I just don’t feel like it is.
When Shimotsuki comes we get to see past that self-loathing but we know he is still careful and detaches himself, until now at least where he seems a lot more invested.
You’re correct, but I think people also overlook how there’s just something surreal about the setting itself. As evidenced by the seating lottery, reality itself bends to favor Ryuzaki, and Nakayama is the only person who properly recognizes this fact, and he and Shimotsuki are the only characters that behave in somewhat realistic ways rather than plot devices for the “Ryuzaki harem romcom”.
The reason why Nakayama’s loved ones leave him aren’t because they didn’t love Nakayama back or because they are bad people, but rather because the setting bends their will to its needs. It demands that all female characters love Ryuzaki, and prioritize their love for Ryuzaki over all else, so that’s what they are made to do.
And for reason, Nakayama and Shimotsuki are the only ones who are immune to this effect.