Sitting on a bench, a boy in his late teens gazed up at the bright sky, a faint trace of astonishment flickering in his eyes.
He was only eighteen this year, yet his posture and expression carried a quiet maturity rarely seen in others his age. His name was Reiji Kurosawa—a first-year college student who had spent his early life as an orphan before being adopted by a family five years ago.
Reincarnation was not a foreign concept to him; he had been an avid reader of web novels in his past life. But what unsettled him was not the fact that he had been reborn—rather, it was where and into whom he had been reborn.
His current identity belonged to a boy whose family was fated to become part of the harem of an eroge protagonist—a character from a game Reiji himself had played in his previous life, one that even had an adult anime adaptation.
In the game's original story, this body's former personality had been hopelessly in love with his sister. That obsessive affection only pushed her into the arms of the male lead. From there, events spiraled out of control—until all six of his sisters, and even his mother, ended up in that man's embrace.
And the boy whose body Reiji now inhabited? His fate after that… was left unknown.
The night before, however, everything had changed. Reiji's memories from his past life had fully resurfaced. With them came a shift in his character. He could still feel his blood stir when he thought about his sisters and his aunt, but now he had the self-control his previous self lacked.
He didn't think of himself as two separate people—the Reiji from before and the Reiji from now—but as one complete person, past and present merged into a single will.
If those memories hadn't returned, he might have been planning to confess to his sister right now, here on this very bench. But that thought had vanished entirely. He knew this was the moment his life would begin to diverge from the game's script.
Even if he couldn't deny his feelings entirely, he was certain of one thing—he would not allow his sister or his aunt to fall into the hands of that scumbag protagonist and his cursed ability.
That ability was known as "Feeling Meter"—a power that could twist negative emotions like disgust or resentment into romantic attraction toward the user. It only worked if the target's disgust was aimed at a close relative, friend, or acquaintance.
Reiji's aunt was particularly vulnerable. Her marriage was in shambles, her disgust toward her husband running dangerously high.
In the original story, this weakness became the male lead's opening—he preyed on her emotional state, twisted her resentment into a haze of lust, and before long, she was spending night after night with him.
Reiji clenched his fists.
This time, things would be different.
He already had a plan.
For his plan, Reiji had already decided on one thing—he would become a reliable pillar for his aunt.
Even after reincarnation, his mental age was closer to a man in his forties. He understood that being alone for years could be deeply exhausting—not just in the exaggerated sexual way depicted in hanime, but in the quiet, everyday sense of lacking someone to lean on. Humans weren't meant to carry everything alone; we needed bonds, support, and someone to share our burdens.
And his aunt… she was no exception.
She was a capable woman, a director in a mid-sized company. Her work often pulled her into delicate situations, especially since she dealt with celebrities. In such a world, trust and relationships could change overnight depending on who you were and how much people valued you.
Reiji wanted her to know she could depend on him too. He wasn't just a passive family member—this was a two-way bond. In the past, the boy whose body he now inhabited had leaned on her without thought, taking her constant support for granted, never realizing how his reckless choices might place her in difficult situations.
He didn't blame that boy completely—after all, he'd only been a teenager, lacking experience in life.
"Ahh… Just remembering it is so embarrassing…" Reiji muttered under his breath, covering his face for a moment. The warmth of shame prickled through him, but he exhaled slowly, sorting his emotions before they could spiral.
"Rei-chan…"
A soft, warm embrace enveloped him from behind, carrying with it a sweet, familiar scent.
"Haruna-nee…"
He tapped her hand lightly in greeting and offered a faint smile, the red on his cheeks fading just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Welcome back."
"Thank you… So, I heard you've been sitting here for quite a while. Something on your mind?" Her chin rested gently on his shoulder, her voice full of sisterly concern.
"Nothing… just thinking about a few things." He smoothly diverted the topic. Telling her that he'd regained memories of a past life where their entire family existed in an eroge plotline—and a later hanime adaptation—was out of the question. "How was your day?"
"Hmm… it was fine, I guess. But the studio was so hot today. I'm seriously thinking about taking a cold bath to cool off."
Haruna Kurosawa—actress, rising star, and undeniably talented.
When Reiji turned to face her, he was momentarily struck dumb. Even in casual clothes, she was stunning—a beauty that felt too flawless to belong to reality, as if a 2D heroine had stepped straight into the real world. His past self would have stood no chance of speaking to her without stuttering.
"Oh, I brought some pastries. Let's go eat." She stood, silver-blue hair catching the sunlight as she pulled him up by the hand.
"I want choco…" he said without thinking.
She chuckled softly and started walking. Neither of them noticed the faint flicker of a screen in the corner of Reiji's vision—a system notification blinking for attention. His eyes, however, were far too busy following Haruna's graceful figure ahead of him.
It was moments like this that made him understand why his previous self had fallen into such feelings. With Haruna-nee's warmth, her casual closeness… what boy their age wouldn't feel that way?
"Oh, by the way, the other three will be late. So, it's just us for now. Mom's also busy with work, so let's pick a restaurant for dinner later."
Reiji grimaced slightly at the thought. Going out to eat with Haruna could be a hassle—her fame drew attention even with a disguise.
"Sis, book somewhere private. I don't want to deal with your fans while eating."
Haruna pouted, her lips curling in mock offense.
"…Or I can just cook," he added. "It won't be perfect, but you like my food anyway."
Her mood instantly lifted. "Ohh, do that! I'll be counting on you, Rei-chan."
[Haruna Image]