Is It Tough Being A Friend? Volume 2 Prologue

There's a group of peculiarities that are trying to bring “death and destruction” to this world, the “Apostles of h.e.l.l.”

In order to protect this world from their invasion, a second year high school boy, Hinomori Ryuuga, continues to secretly fight them using unusual abilities.

As the battles intensified, the “Apostles of h.e.l.l” had finally resurrected their fallen ruler, the “Evil Spirit.” The town had fallen into a large panic. Furthermore, the vessel for the “Evil Spirit” was the sister, Hinomori Kyouka…Hinomori Ryuuga had encountered the largest crisis ever.

However, not yielding in face of the dilemma, Ryuuga joined forces with some companions and crushed the “Evil Spirit” Hundun. Having left behind the vessel, Kyouka then regained herself.

Peace seemed to have finally arrived. However, the battle was not yet over.

The defeated “Evil Spirit” was only one of the supposed four fiends.

There were still three more domineering rulers of the “Apostle of h.e.l.l” remaining──

…That's a rough “summary” of the the first part.

Ryuuga's actually a girl who's secretly made a semi-boyfriend, and has a hobby of wearing nurse, maid, and other kinds of cosplay, but I'm gonna leave that part out. If you're interested, then please check out “Part One: Evil Spirit Hundun Volume.”

Now then.

Though this is reality, it's quite like a work of fiction. This is “the story of Hinomori Ryuuga's supernatural battles,” but…there's one character in trouble.

That guy is Kobayashi Ichirou, a boy that formerly held the “friend position” for the protagonist, Hinomori Ryuuga.

He's mainly a imbecile that makes a fool of himself during the daily life part, a minor character to balance out the seriousness of the main storyline with comic relief.

However, as the story progressed, Kobayashi Ichirou gradually deviated from his position.

He was arbitrarily watching the battles of Ryuuga and the others, arbitrarily flirting with Ryuuga who turned out to be a girl, and on top of that, arbitrarily partic.i.p.ating during the final battle in a wild manner…it's not like he wasn't supporting people still, but the situation for him went beyond even his expectations.

Just who is Kobayashi Ichirou?

Part one finished with that large mystery still remaining.

This is the pressing issue that I, Kobayashi Ichirou, was worrying about. That's how it was but,

“Boss, how were finals?”

I had finally realized something.

I was wondering who I was, what kind of role I had.

“You've done better than I thought for Oumei High School. You pa.s.s as a good boss.”

That's right. Kobayashi Ichirou is the final boss of part two.

Just like Kyouka, Ryuuga's sister, a terrifying “Evil Spirit” dwells within my body.

“Boss. Please converse with me properly. I may be an “Evil Spirit,” but even I can get  hurt, okay?”

In other words, the strange circ.u.mstances surrounding me in part one were leading up to part two.

This time, it's my turn to be a vessel for an “Evil Spirit,” to stand in the way of Ryuuga and the others, and──

“Hey, Boss. Boss, c'mon.”

“Zip it! I'm monologuing right now, so be quiet!”

…I had to scold the “Evil Spirit” just now since he was being obtrusive.

It's been roughly a week since he's revived here in the modern age. He's the final boss and yet, I think he's quite talkative. I also think he's too friendly.

“What is monologuing?”

“It doesn't concern you. Also, don't just pop up as you please. Get back inside me.”

“Even though I took great pains to revive? Please let me just relax when we're at home. We can watch an evening program on TV.”

“An ‘Evil Spirit' does not watch baseball!”

I scolded the “Evil Spirit” again while in the living room of my house.

Furthermore, what's frustrating is that this guy always roots for the Hanshin Tigers, despite the fact that I'm more of a Yomiuri Giants fan.

“It seems you're angry again, Boss.”

While scratching his head and saying that, the “Evil Spirit” takes a seat on a cushion. His name is Taotie.

──There are actually four “Evil Spirits” that rule over the “Apostles of h.e.l.l.”

──And Kobayashi Ichirou is the vessel for one of them.

The “Evil Spirit” that was defeated was only one of the big four. He was also the weakest among them, which would probably make someone say “Of course things would unfold that way,” in regards to the battle developments.

However, personally, this is not something I'm very grateful about.

The position I hoped for was being Ryuuga's “friend character.” I want to break free of being “the female protagonist's semi-boyfriend” at some point and go back to my former position.

Since I was a child, I've found that my raison d'etre is to make someone prominent, make them shine, and promote them. My talent for support…is something that I still believe is the only ability my bland self has.

Each person has their own forte, and I'm a youth that makes people around me shine.

(A person like me isn't suited for an important task like being the final boss. I want to immediately resign from this role if I can. I want to return to being a frivolous pervert…)

In the beginning, the final boss for part one was “the protagonist's sister.” I think it's a bit too simple to have the next one be “the protagonist's semi-boyfriend.” I feel that the impact is quite lacking.

“It's once again going to be someone close to the protagonist.”

“Furthermore, it would be you, Kobayashi.”

“Zip it.”

…He couldn't voice a complaint against my reprimands. After all, I know how to do flaming on the internet.

(I've even raised some slight flags with the other heroines…I've also gotten acquainted with a female apostle who's part of the upper echelons…)

Furthermore, the resurrected “Evil Spirit” is acting like this.

The fact that I don't sense even a shred of grandeur in him is a problem, but there's an even bigger issue with Taotie.

“Boss. Which way ahead is it to the bath? Oh right, we're running out of shampoo, so let's head to the supermarket tomorrow.”

While the “Evil Spirit” Taotie was saying that, he was taking the form of a boy.

It was of a medium build, with a hairstyle that had no characteristics to it, and had a face that was hardly that of an ikemen's. To make matters worse he's wearing a uniform. Isn't it quite unheard of to have a final boss be this unimpressive?

(No. That's not what I should be focusing my worries on.)

I know this appearance better than anyone else.

I've seen it enough times in the mirror each morning. When I take a picture of myself, this guy is what's photographed.

“Darn, what an awful face this is.”

“That's one thing we can both agree on.”

…What appeared as him, was me.

No matter where you viewed it from, he looked exactly like Kobayashi Ichirou.

He was one of the four fiends that have been resurrected, the “Evil Spirit” Taotie.

For some reason, his character design was the spitting image of me.