Help! I changed the gender of the male protagonist in the yandere game

The eastern settlement area beneath Kasumi City is the largest commercial district in the area, lined with shops.

During holidays, small vendors from the surrounding areas gather here, and it's also a place where the townspeople spend their time.

The shops on both sides of the road include rice stores, soy sauce shops, vegetable shops, bookstores, barbershops, public bathhouses, clothing stores, izakayas, and general stores, as well as open-air stalls of small vendors.

"There are so many people."

Wearing a striped, narrow-sleeved kimono, Hyakusuke looked at the surging crowd on the road and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, realizing that this world was not just a "game" stage; here, everyone had their own life to live.

"I'm sorry, Hyakusuke-san, for keeping you waiting."

A breathless voice came from the side.

Hyakusuke turned his head and saw a petite girl wearing a blue hydrangea-patterned kimono, with a shawl draped over her shoulders.

She must have rushed over, her kanzashi's wisteria flowers swaying with her fluctuating breath.

"It's alright, I haven't been waiting too long."

Hyakusuke offered a handkerchief.

"Would you like to wipe off your sweat first?"

"Th-Thank you."

Yae wiped the sweat from her forehead, shyly revealing an embarrassed smile.

"However, this handkerchief is clearly Hyakusuke-sama's, yet you're letting me use it..."

"Ah~~ It's fine."

Hyakusuke shook his head.

"It's just a handkerchief, Yae-san, you don't need to worry about it too much."

"Th-That... I'll wash it and return it to you."

She replied with a serious expression.

"You can."

Hyakusuke nodded.

It was just a handkerchief; he didn't care too much.

"It's not something precious, Yae-san, you don't need to take it so seriously. If you think it's dirty, just throw it away."

"N-No, I can't do that."

Yae looked very serious.

"This should be Hyakusuke-san's personal item, right? I will treat it with care..."

"There's really no need to be so careful."

Hyakusuke felt that this girl was a bit stubborn, and he said with a wry smile, "Then I'll give it to Yae-san."

"Eh eh... R-Really?"

"It's really not something valuable."

"Th-Thank you."

Yae was both annoyed and felt very lucky.

She thought that she shouldn't have spent so much time choosing clothes (and was teased by the maids from the merchant association who knew she was going on a date), which caused her to be so late.

However, if she hadn't been late, she wouldn't have received this "gift".

'Th-This is great!'

The girl clenched her fists in front of her chest, and a sweet feeling instantly flew back and forth in her heart.

Yae took a small deep breath, suppressing her chaotic emotions. She licked her lips, which were dry from nervousness.

--Don't panic, and don't show any openings.

--That's right, what did those maids who love romance gossip at the merchant association say~~The first step is not to be too hasty, start by slowly closing the distance.

She put on a smile again and said, "By the way, Hyakusuke-san, please just call me Yae. To be honest, I'm just from a rural village... If you always call me Yae-san, people will laugh at me."

"No, it's a matter of etiquette."

"Then, can you not call me that in private?"

She looked up at him with puppy-like expectant eyes.

"Hmm...?"

Hyakusuke frowned, as if in distress.

"You can... in private, please do as you like, Yae-san."

"It's Yae."

She puffed out her cheeks.

"Okay, Yae."

"Hehehe~~"

Yae's mouth curved like a crescent moon, and she smiled triumphantly.

"Hyakusuke-san, you don't need to be so polite with me. Aren't you also not used to that self-reference?"

She showed a cat-like expression.

"Is that so?"

Hyakusuke didn't expect her to be so perceptive.

--That's right, he would deliberately use different self-references in front of different people. With close acquaintances like Taizou, he would use "I";

In front of the Second Young Lady Kazura, and unfamiliar outsiders, he had always used "I".

"Alright."

He suddenly had a feeling of wanting to tease Yae, and he smiled slightly and said, "I won't use that self-reference in private anymore, but... Yae, don't always call me Hyakusuke-san, change the way you address me."

"Change the way I address you?"

Hearing this, Yae tilted her head with a serious expression.

"Ugh... this is really a difficult problem."

She then realized that she had been outmaneuvered.

"Oh, that's right..."

Yae clapped her hands together forcefully.

"Hehe, then how about calling Hyakusuke-san... 'Brother'?"

"...Ah?"

After a few dozen seconds of silence, Hyakusuke made a dull sound.

"Yae, I've always wanted an older brother."

The girl's delicate voice rang out.

"If Hyakusuke-san doesn't mind, please let me call you 'Brother'."

She not only easily defused Hyakusuke's offensive, but instead turned defense into offense.

"Hyakusuke-nii-san, can you spend the whole day with me today?!"

Yae reached out her hand to him.

The corners of her mouth curled into a lovely smile, like a small flower blooming.

This time, Hyakusuke showed a troubled expression.

...

"B-Brother, what are you doing?"

"Going out!"

Ayaka discovered early in the morning that her brother had changed into casual clothes and was about to go out aggressively.

"Where are you going?"

"To the market in the town below the castle."

Yoake held a piece of paper in his right hand, his brows deeply furrowed.

"This morning... a piece of paper fell on the table from somewhere, saying something very important?"

"What is it?"

Ayaka tensed up.

"The note said, 'Hyakusuke-sama may be deceived by a bad woman and is now being secretly dragged to the market for a date'..."

Yoake put on his cotton socks, put on his clogs, and hurried out.

"I feel like I can't ignore it. After all, Hyakusuke-sama is already considered my friend. A friend's business is my business. I must not let Hyakusuke be deceived by a bad woman."

--No, no, no, this has nothing to do with you, brother, right?

"What do you mean it has nothing to do with me? Hyakusuke-sama is my benefactor. I can't just abandon my life-saving benefactor. If word gets out, wouldn't even the reputation of the clan be affected?"

"Leaving aside why this matter would involve the reputation of the clan."

Ayaka retorted, "When did Hyakusuke-sama become so close to you, brother? Although he is your life-saving benefactor, isn't he also a member of the Kurohimesan family?"

"This is friendship between men. Hyakusuke-sama and I are kindred spirits. Ayaka, you don't understand this kind of manly communication."

Yoake said without blushing or panting, and the firmness of his attitude stunned her.

"Okay... I say, brother, who sent that note anyway?"

Ayaka quickly asked, "Is it possible that this is just a prank? Besides, Hyakusuke-sama is not the kind of person who is easily deceived by women."

"I-I don't know?"

Although Yoake was puzzled by this, he still insisted on his own opinion.

"However, I can't just sit idly by because of suspicion~~ I'm going to meet Hyakusuke-sama and persuade him not to be deceived by women. A real man can't wallow in a gentle land~~"

Ayaka showed a puzzled expression. It was the first time she had seen her brother so emotional.

'Clearly just an outsider.'

Also, what if that unidentified note is a "trap"?

Brother is still the same as before, usually careless, and never in a hurry about anything, but when he encounters something, his mind gets overwhelmed.

She sighed in her heart.

'But, indeed... involving that man, somewhat...'

That's right, although she felt that her brother might just be deceived, when it came to herself, she was also a little curious in her heart.

"...Forget it."

Ayaka wanted to say something... but in the end, she could only utter these two words.

"I understand, brother, I'll go with you."

"Eh? Ayaka, are you coming too?"

"What are you talking about~~ Brother, you clearly can't do anything without me, right?"

...

Although it wasn't time for lunch, the aroma of heated food wafted through the streets. The open-air stalls in the town below the castle were filled with various foods, including grilled dumplings, pastries, fish, udon, soba, and so on.

There were also several tea shops on the street that also sold Japanese sweets to customers.

"'Nerikiri' with bean paste filling?"

Hyakusuke looked at the tea and sweets that were brought over.

He picked one up and tasted it. This "Nerikiri" is a wagashi that looks like a small bean paste bun. The skin is made of white bean paste and glutinous rice, and the white skin faintly reveals the red bean paste inside, as if it melts in your mouth.

He heard that this dessert was a very popular product in this local tea house.

It is supplied at regular times every day and is also limited to customers.

Of course, it may also be a gimmick by the merchant.

'It's too sweet.'

He wasn't used to eating sweets.

However, since Ayaka was treating, Hyakusuke didn't want to complain too much...

"~~I'm really sorry."

Yae said with a very apologetic expression, turning her fingers while saying this, "Because I have to go out to purchase goods today, I had to ask Hyakusuke-nii-san to come to the market with me. Although Kazura-san's words were a bit exaggerated, I actually just need you to help me carry some luggage."

...Luggage.

His gaze swept to the boxes placed aside.

--That's right, Hyakusuke was also informed by Yae after arriving that today he was mainly accompanying her to go out for purchasing work for the merchant association.

Renjo Merchant Association does a lot of business, however, with the expansion of the commercial sector, it has also made many enemies.

There are many clerks, servants, and maids in the merchant association, but for safety reasons, they are generally not allowed to go out casually.

Girls like her also need to have a guard or male companion when going out to buy daily necessities.

"Because Lord Renjo was attacked, the defense measures on the merchant association side have been strengthened, and the guard brothers can't spare the time."

Yae put her hands together in front of Hyakusuke and pleaded.

"So, I can only ask Kazura-san, whom I know well, to do me a favor and send someone over, but I didn't expect that I would end up troubling Brother."

I knew it.

Hyakusuke felt amused in his heart, ha, what careful seduction~~ Isn't this completely nonsense from that Kazura guy?

Hehe, she must be very unhappy because of what Renjo Senjuro said, something about letting himself be adopted into Inakusa Village as the son-in-law of the village head.

Kazura would deliberately remind himself, also out of a bad taste, deliberately looking for an opportunity to beat himself up.

Besides, a little girl like Yae, where did she get so many crooked and strange schemes, it's simply judging a gentleman's heart with a villain's mind.

"Hoo~~"

At this time, Hyakusuke's originally slightly nervous mood was completely relaxed, and he calmly drank a sip of tea.

'Wow~~ It seems to be working pretty well?'

Yae pretended to drink tea while secretly looking at the expression on Hyakusuke's face. Because it was work, he only wore a bamboo hat and didn't wear a mask.

He also took off his bamboo hat when he entered the store. After hearing her explanation, the somewhat nervous expression on his face relaxed.

'What they said really has some effect?'

This is naturally a little trick of love passed down by the maids who love gossip.

'Never push a man too hard... Just like taming a dog, you have to give the dog some leeway. If you are too clingy to a man and put too much pressure on him, and the goal is too clear, it will make the dog hate its owner.'

'To put it bluntly, it's good to express your feelings directly, but being too direct will only scare them... but you can't give people too many careful thoughts, that will make them feel too scheming.'

'That's right, you haven't even talked a few times, right? To put it bluntly, your friendship is also very shallow. If that man knows that someone who hasn't talked a few times makes such a heavy act of love, he will retreat three feet.'

'How to grasp the measure and maintain a good and comfortable sense of distance is the key to maintaining the relationship between the two parties. You must remember this, little Yae.'

That's right, maintaining this comfortable sense of distance and increasing the distance little by little is the key.

Yae clenched her fists in her heart.

'Kazura-san, although I don't know what your intention is in doing this, I also have my own countermeasures~~ I won't lose my future husband to you.'

At the same time, just as the two were enjoying tea and snacks... a pair of eyes was secretly watching Yae and Hyakusuke from the shadows.