Chapter 1 – Well, Hello There, I’m the Lowest Kind of Heroine-Stealing Bastard

“The case of waking up one morning to find I’d become the guy who steals the heroine from the protagonist…”

I muttered something utterly absurd right after waking up. It wasn’t like I was reading out some long light novel title. I was just describing my current situation, plain and simple. Reflected in the bathroom mirror wasn’t me, but a stranger… No, wait, it was a man I recognized quite well. Akio Gouda. A character from a manga I’d been reading recently.

“Seeing myself like this, I really do have the face of a villain, huh?” (Akio)

A menacing face, with dyed red hair standing on end. His muscular, large frame must give off an incredibly intimidating aura. You couldn’t complain if people pegged you as a delinquent based on looks alone. If someone like this were caught helping a stray dog, it would definitely create some serious cognitive dissonance. Just to be sure, as a man, I checked downstairs. The sheer majesty almost made my knees buckle. Wouldn’t most guys lose their will to fight just seeing something like this? You might think I’ve suddenly started acting strangely, but there’s a profound reason for this.

“As expected of the male lead in an eromanga. You’re packing some seriously impressive equipment, aren’t you?” (Akio)

Yes, the owner of this body, Akio Gouda, is the stud in an adult manga. Moreover, he’s the lowest, most despicable kind of man—one who steals the heroine from the protagonist. Normally, this would be the scene where you’d pinch your cheek, thinking it’s all a dream. But I found myself readily accepting it as reality. In fact, the idea that this world was inside a manga felt more unnatural. Although the memories and personality of my previous life surfaced, the common sense strongly remaining was that of Akio Gouda.

“Still, that doesn’t mean you should go around stealing people’s girlfriends.” (Akio)

In the manga, Akio Gouda’s sense of ethics was completely off the rails. My woman is mine. Your woman is also mine. He seemed to live by that motto, hitting on women indiscriminately. I was convinced that this is what happens when you truly live by the dictates of your lower body. But if this was reality, I couldn’t just quietly accept it. It was enjoyable because it was fiction; I have no hobby of becoming a heroine-stealing bastard in real life. I mean, if I did something like that, I wouldn’t be able to walk under the sun anymore. NTR? Absolutely not. In the manga, thanks to blatant plot convenience, the heroines approached by Akio Gouda quickly succumbed to pleasure. As a reader, I certainly appreciated that reliable service, but becoming the person involved changes things entirely. Even if I could unleash the full potential of the ‘stud,’ I couldn’t possibly bring myself to ruin someone’s life for a moment’s pleasure.

“Well, sorry, Akio-kun, but you’ll have to give up on the whole NTR plotline.” (Akio)

Since I’ve become the villainous NTR bastard, the best course of action for a happy ending is probably to “do nothing.” If I do nothing, the heroine won’t be stolen. The protagonist and heroine won’t suffer mental breakdowns. I can’t take responsibility if something like that happens in reality.

“Can’t help what’s already happened, but from now on, let’s try living decently. Your specs seem pretty high, anyway. As long as I don’t do anything bad, things should work out somehow, right?” (Akio)

According to my memories, Akio Gouda is currently a second-year high school student. As the male lead, he already boasted quite the track record. But fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, there was no memory yet of stealing someone else’s girl. If I recall correctly, he got a taste for it after stealing the protagonist’s girlfriend. If that’s the case, then my past life’s memories resurfacing now is good timing. Keep my distance from the heroine. That’s all the countermeasure needed.

“Thinking of it as just getting a young, strong body, isn’t this the best? The original owner was a bad guy, so my conscience doesn’t hurt either, which is nice.” (Akio)

There’s no sign of the original personality emerging. If I ended up erasing him by possessing his body, my conscience would ache. But, if the other party was a villain, then it feels like I actually did a good deed. Akio Gouda, true to his appearance, possesses high physical abilities. That body is now mine. Considering how frail I was in my past life, isn’t this like a reincarnation bonus?

“Whoa! At first, I wondered what I’d do reincarnated as this character, but if I play my cards right, I can reclaim the youth I lost!” (Akio)

The more I thought about it, the more excited I got! From now on, I’ll live as the clean Akio Gouda. If I do that, surely a happy ending awaits me too. My high school life in my previous world was dull, but with this cheat body, it seems like I could have a lot of fun. Nice, a bright future awaits me! The bewilderment of reincarnation was gone, and I was simply gazing towards a bright future.

◇ ◇ ◇

──There was a time when I, too, thought such things.

“G-Gouda-kun…” (Himari)

In front of me stood a beautiful girl with pink hair. Being a manga world, even pink hair didn’t feel out of place. In fact, it suited her incredibly well. That pink long hair was damply clinging to her. Incidentally, she was wearing nothing but a single bathrobe. There was no way that could conceal her voluptuous figure; it was an outfit that only served to stimulate a man’s desires. The location was a love hotel. Just me and the pink-haired beauty, alone. That beautiful girl swept her hair back, sending a sidelong glance my way.

“U-um, Gouda-kun… Right away, but… sh-shall we?” (Himari)

The words she spun, blushing and bashful. Considering the situation, there was no mistaking the meaning. I, who had decided not to steal her, was being seduced by the main heroine, Himari Shiratori.