Chapter 3: Kurosawa Rina

‘I still have time until tomorrow.’

I began my investigation into “myself,” taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. In a corner of my room, I found a graduation album. Embossed on the cover in gold lettering were the words: “Hinamizuka Middle School Graduation Album.”

Hinamizuka Middle School… The name sounded impressive but didn’t ring any bells from the novel. It wasn’t a school of any significance.

Hoping to jog my memory, I flipped through the album, studying the photos. Unfortunately, my hopes were quickly dashed.

‘Nothing’s coming back to me.’

I did find one clue, however. In a group photo, I spotted myself standing in the corner, almost as if I were trying to erase my presence. And none of the novel’s characters were anywhere to be seen. I was probably the only one from Hinamizuka Middle School who’d made it to Takamari.

‘A true background character… An ordinary middle school girl living a quiet life.’

I was the prettiest girl in the photo, admittedly, but that was it. Looking at myself in the mirror and then recalling the stunning beauty of Mizuki and Aya, I felt like a squid in comparison. I closed the album with a sigh.

“There’s probably nothing more to find. I just want to live quietly,” I mumbled.

But a lingering unease remained. Tomorrow… although it seemed almost impossible, I needed to try to keep my distance from those two. As I pondered this, organizing the jumbled thoughts brought on by the album, I remembered something crucial.

“Oh, right! I need to write down the novel’s plot.”

Human memory wasn’t infinite. It had limits. Jotting down notes before forgetting was a common and vital practice for those transported into fictional worlds. I’d almost forgotten to do it on my first day. How foolish.

I headed to my desk, searching for something to write on. Putting aside my diary for the moment, I pulled out a fresh notebook from a drawer and started recalling key plot points from the novel.

‘Aya and Hiro’s first date… The scene where the protagonist saves Aya… When was the incident during the club activities for the cultural festival…?’

As I wrote, a troubling thought crossed my mind.

‘If the protagonist isn’t here, what happens to all these events?’

A sense of foreboding washed over me, but I also felt a strange sense of… inevitability? While some incidents involved Aya and Mizuki facing danger, they were both highly capable individuals. The threats probably wouldn’t pose a significant problem. And I, a mere background character, could hardly step in and perform extraordinary feats like Yamahashi Hiro, the “protagonist.”

I couldn’t fight off a wolf during the summer camp’s haunted mountain event, like he did. I tested my grip strength, just in case. I could barely fold ten sheets of paper with one hand.

‘Yeah, no way.’

Kurosawa Rina was destined to be a background character! Having firmly established that, I finished jotting down the plot points and opened my diary. Inside, I found entries about Kurosawa Rina’s middle school life.

Records of being a class representative, notes about participating in school events… On one page, she’d written:

‘Sports day next week… Practicing cheers by myself is so embarrassing. 😊’

A strange mix of nostalgia and guilt washed over me as I turned the pages. The diary documented Rina’s struggles to build a strong academic record for admission to Takamari Academy.

‘Rina worked hard too…’

She’d put in so much effort. Did I have the right to steal her life like this? And on the last page, she’d written:

‘When I get to Takamari Academy, I’ll definitely join the drama club. I’ll create my own stage.’

I paused, my eyes lingering on those words. The drama club…? That club never appeared in the novel. Maybe a brief mention during the cultural festival? Even if Rina had followed her dreams, she was still fated to remain a background character.

“Maybe… joining no clubs is the best option?” I muttered, closing the diary with a heavy heart.

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t achieve the spotlight in this academy the way the original Rina had hoped. She’d worked hard, but this place was a gathering of the most exceptional individuals. Even if I were the original Rina, escaping the fate of a background character would have been difficult.

As I closed the diary and placed it back on the shelf, a small note slipped out. Written on it were the words:

‘When I go to Takamari Academy, will I be able to get along with everyone?’

I stared at the sentence, momentarily stunned. What had Rina’s true goal been? To connect with people, to belong? But I, in her place, was doing the exact opposite, striving for anonymity.

‘I want to live quietly…’

Yet, things were already unfolding in the way the middle school Rina had desired. Aya and Mizuki, two key figures, were approaching me. And it wasn’t just them. They would join the student council, and as long as they maintained their interest in me, I would inevitably become entangled with other important characters.

‘…It’ll turn out just like Rina wanted.’

A strange feeling washed over me as I tucked the note back into the diary. Should I embrace Rina’s desires and fully usurp the protagonist’s role? The thought crossed my mind, but I couldn’t possibly act like the protagonist, who was “secretly from a branch of a noble family and could even pilot a yacht.” Rina’s family, from what I gathered from her diary, was comfortably upper-middle-class, but nothing more.

“Tomorrow, I’ll try to keep my distance from Aya and Mizuki… That’s the best I can do.”

Making friends with other background characters, as Rina had wished, seemed doable. But those two were a definite no. Having reached this conclusion, I flopped onto my bed.

****

The next morning.

Despite some tossing and turning, I’d fallen asleep early and woke up feeling refreshed. I was in the body of a high school girl, after all. Not a worn-out repeat student. I felt healthy and energized.

I hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom, only to freeze in my tracks.

‘Wait, how do girls… wash?’

Standing there undressed, a wave of embarrassment washed over me, my face burning. Logically, I knew we were all Homo sapiens, with similar anatomy. Why was I so flustered? It just felt so unfamiliar. And to add to my embarrassment, Kurosawa Rina, despite being a background character, was excessively pretty, even by my standards.

And as for what lay below… ugh…

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned on the shower.

‘It’s nothing, it’s nothing!’

…I told myself, but I knew it would take some time to get used to this.

****

Stepping out of the shower, I felt much lighter. Even though my hair was short, it dripped relentlessly despite my best efforts with the towel, forcing me to resort to the hairdryer. As I dried my hair, I caught my reflection in the mirror.

‘I really am a high school girl…’

I looked at myself in the school uniform. It still felt strange, but at least I was presentable for school. I chuckled softly and grabbed my bag. The morning sun streamed through the window.

Should I go early or late to avoid Aya and Mizuki? If I truly was taking the protagonist’s place, I’d likely run into them regardless. It was better to focus on not being late. If I was late, I’d probably meet the characters who were supposed to be late.

“Nah, that won’t happen…”

“Rina! Are you awake? If you get up now, you’ll be right on time. Come on, wake up!”

My mumbling was interrupted by Rina’s mother’s voice. She was knocking on the door. Moms were the same in every world, it seemed. In most East Asian cultures, they’d probably wake you up in the morning.

“Yes, I’m coming!”

As soon as I opened the door, my mother’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, you’re up early today?”

“Yes, it’s my first class!”

“Right… Don’t push yourself too hard. Take it easy at school.”

She hugged me, her voice laced with concern. Judging by the diary entries, the middle school Rina had exhausted herself trying to get into Takamari. It made sense that her mother was worried.

“Okay, I will,” I replied softly.

I ate the breakfast she’d prepared, tied my shoes, and headed out, determined to avoid any unwanted encounters.