"Himari, kiss me." Kaito gestured toward his cheek. Trembling, Himari slowly approached and pressed her lips against his skin. Immediately after, she rushed out of the room, leaning her back against the closed door. She clenched her fists and placed a hand over her heart, trying to steady her breathing.
Left alone in his room, Kaito began to smile.
He was a reincarnated soul playing the role of a villain in the novel Proud Goddess Falls in Love with Me. His mission from the System was simple: act out the part of Kaito Sato, the ruthless president of the Sato Conglomerate. Kaito was the villain who forced the heroine to marry him in exchange for paying her sister's medical bills.
If he could follow the plot through ten different worlds as a random character selected by the System, he would return in his original world with 10 million dollars. After two years his first mission was finally coming to an end.
Kaito took a piece of paper and began to write:
["Himari, I am sorry for these past two years. I loved you too much, and that selfish love is why I forced you into this marriage. For eighteen months, I have been fighting a battle with cancer that I am destined to lose, and this looming silence has finally forced me to see the truth: I cannot keep you prisoner in a life you never chose. I know your heart has never belonged to me, and that every time you close your eyes, it is Yuito you see. I cannot take any more of your life when mine is slipping away. It is time to set you free. With love, Kaito Sato."]
He placed the note on the nightstand. Then, he took a legal inheritance document, signed everything over to Himari Sato, and set it down.
This is perfect, he thought.
After he was gone, she would reunite with Sasaki Yuito. They would get married, and she would live a happy life with him and his harem. All of this villain's wealth would belong to protagonist in the future.
A fitting end for a villain.
Kaito got dressed and headed to a bridge. It was evening. He took off his shoes and with a firm determination, he threw himself into the water. The sensation of the freezing cold and the desperate gasp for air was agonizing, but Kaito didn't care. He was smiling. His first mission was finally complete.
____
Himari collapsed onto her bed, her heart still thumping.
"Kaito..." she whispered, smiling. She thought back to the last two years. Kaito had been the one to take care of her and her sister when they were at their lowest point. At first, she hated him. When he told her the price for her sister's medical bills was marriage, she thought he was a bad person.
She had been in love with her childhood friend Yuito for as long as she could remember. She wanted to say no, but for her sister's sake, she clenched her fists and in final accepted. She expected her life to become a living hell.
But she was wrong.
Kaito never forced her to do anything. On their wedding night, he just gently patted her head and told her.
"Don't worry, Himari,I won't touch you as long as you don't have feelings for me."
In that moment, Himari realized he wasn't the villain she imagined. As time passed, she learned his habits. He was usually expressionless, but she noticed the little things like how his eyebrow would twitch when he was annoyed, or how the corner of his mouth curled just a tiny bit when he was happy.
He was so kind to her. Every morning, he made sure to eat breakfast with her before work. Even if he was running late for a big meeting, he didn't care; he just wanted to be with her.
Slowly, her feelings changed. She had fallen in love with him, but she was way too shy to say it out loud.
Thinking about the kiss from earlier, Himari hugged her pillow tight and smiled like a fool, not knowing it was the last time she would see him.
...
Jiraiya stood by the hot springs, peeping at the women through a small hole, a lecherous grin plastered across his face and Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain shot through his head. He staggered, clutching his temples, and after a few disorienting moments, the world snapped back into focus.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully completed the first world.]
[Overall Performance Rating: 7/10]
[Rewards: -Charm +10; +1 million dollars]
Jiraiya's jaw tightened. "Only a seven?" he muttered inwardly, his voice laced with the cold authority of Kaito Sato. "System, explain. I followed the plot to the letter. Every beat was executed without a single mistake."
[The Host failed to fully embody the character of the villain Kaito Sato. You were deemed 'too expressionless' to capture the nuances of his supposed cruelty.]
Jiraiya sighed, the weight of his previous life still heavy on his shoulders. He was no longer the ruthless CEO of the Sato Conglomerate; he was now the legendary master of the protagonist, Naruto."So, I am Jiraiya now," he mused, trying to reconcile his stoic nature with the flamboyant man he saw reflected in the water.
[Correct, Host. Your role is to follow the established plot and meet your end exactly as written in the original story.]
[Notification: Since the Host performed exceptionally well in the first mission, a special privilege has been granted. The Host is free to act as he pleases in the interim, provided the core plot remains unaltered and the final outcome your death is preserved.]
A small, rare spark of relief flickered in Jiraiya's chest. In both of his previous lives, he had been a man of iron discipline and cold logic. Even if he gave it his absolute best, he knew he could never truly mimic the eccentric, boisterous soul of the real Jiraiya.
Jiraiya looked around, taking in his surroundings. A vein began to throb in his temple. When I watched the anime, Jiraiya's character seemed amusing, but now that I am him, his actions in the past are… problematic. With a seamless Body Flicker, the new Jiraiya vanished from the spot.
He was currently on the mission to find Tsunade so she could become the Fifth Hokage. As he arrived back at the inn, Naruto suddenly lunged at him, aiming a flying kick at his head.
Without even looking, Jiraiya caught the boy's ankle mid-air with a single hand.
"Oi, kid. You should know it's disrespectful to strike your elders," Jiraiya said, his voice dropping into the cold, authoritative baritone of Kaito Sato.
"Ero-Sennin, you baka! Where have you been?!" Naruto yelled, dangling upside down. "You disappeared for two days and you still have the nerve to talk to me like that?!"
Jiraiya stared at him. So, this is the real Naruto. He's even more dim-witted in person than he appeared on screen.
"Ero-Sennin! Why aren't you talking? Answer me or I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Jiraiya released the boy's leg, letting him drop to the floor. "My apologies, Naruto. I was scouting for information regarding Tsunade's location. Let's move. I've found where she is staying."
Kaito had no intention of telling the boy that the previous Jiraiya had been delayed for two days by his "famous research." To Kaito, such behavior was inefficient and beneath the dignity of a man in his position.
As they walked, Naruto narrowed his eyes at his master's back. Something was different. The old pervert was usually loud and obnoxious, but this man moved with a quiet, lethal grace that made Naruto's hair stand on end.