Chapter 8 - Jealous

Kazuma remained seated in his chair, his gaze fixed on Shira Mizuhara who had just entered the classroom.

He watched every movement of the girl intently, as if time had slowed down just for the two of them. However, shortly after, Shira walked toward the seat next to him. Right beside a guy Kazuma recognized from his memory.

Yamashita Hiroshi—the boyfriend of Shira in that manga.

This guy had a very ordinary appearance, even one could say he was average. His body was slender, nothing particular stood out from his looks. His height was just slightly above the average of other students. His face didn't have distinctive features; if seen from a glance, he could easily blend into the crowd. Yet, in the story Kazuma remembered, this guy was Shira's lover. A guy too cowardly to protect his girlfriend from any form of humiliation she faced.

"Yamashita-kun~," Shira called out with a sweet voice that sounded gentle to the ears.

She walked towards him with light and charming steps, her lips forming a sweet smile that made several other students watching harbor instant envy. "You've been waiting for me, right?"

Yamashita smiled awkwardly, appearing pleased when Shira approached him. "Ah, Shira-chan… of course. I'm always waiting for you."

Kazuma heard the conversation clearly from his seat, even though they weren't speaking very loudly.

Shira's gentle voice mixed with Yamashita's slight laughter created an atmosphere that invited envy from anyone who heard.

Shira then leaned closer, standing beside Yamashita. Her small, gentle hand affectionately patted her boyfriend's shoulder, then slowly moved to hold Yamashita's hand. "Let's have lunch together later, okay? I've prepared a special bento just for you," she said with a smile that made many other students bite their fingers with bubbling envy.

Yamashita beamed, looking at Shira with a soft gaze. "Ah, Shira-chan… You're always so thoughtful of me. Thank you so much."

The scene caused the entire class to fall silent. Some of the male students looked down, trying to suppress the jealousy burning inside them, while some of the female students whispered among themselves, seemingly envious of the attention Shira was giving to Yamashita. The atmosphere between the two was so sweet and intimate, as if the world belonged solely to them.

However, in the corner of the room, there was one person who could not stop himself from feeling more than just jealousy.

Kazuma watched the couple intensely. A chilling feeling crept from his chest to his fingertips. His heart felt like it was being slowly pierced. Jealousy? But why? Kazuma couldn't fathom why his body was reacting so strongly to this sight.

His mind screamed that this wasn't his feeling, this was residual from the body he now inhabited. This feeling belonged to the owner of this body, not him. Yet, even so, the jealousy he felt was so real.

His heart raced again, almost as fiercely as when he first saw Shira enter the class. This racing wasn't from his own feelings, but from this body.

The intense anger and jealousy made his hands clench tightly without him realizing it. He could even feel the muscles in his jaw tightening.

Why... do I feel this way? Kazuma thought. Why am I so angry seeing them together? I don't care about this girl, do I?

However, the feeling refused to leave. Kazuma had to accept that the body he now inhabited—this man's body—harbored emotions far deeper toward Shira than he could manage. The owner of this body was clearly obsessed with Shira. Whether it was because of her natural beauty, her captivating personality, or just the desire to possess what Yamashita had. Kazuma felt the compulsion growing stronger.

He tried to take a deep breath, attempting to control the fiery emotions. But his gaze couldn't break away from the two of them—Shira and Yamashita. Every smile Shira gave to her boyfriend, every laugh they shared, dragged Kazuma deeper into a swelling sea of jealousy.

I have to stay calm... Kazuma thought. But, deep down, he knew that this jealousy would be hard to ignore.