I’ve been reincarnated as the villainess of this game.

When I was ten years old, I met my favorite character. As it’s my preference, I’ll train him to become a Yandere.

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“Suzune, let me introduce you. This is Genbuin Tamaki-kun. Please get along with each other.”

It was my tenth birthday. The moment I laid eyes on the disappointed boy that my father brought before me, a conviction rose up. Long held suspicions were confirmed and everything changed.

I had been reincarnated as Suzakumiya Suzune, the rival character and villainess from「Prisoner of the Birdcage」an otome game that I had been hooked on in my past life.

「Prisoner of the Birdcage」unfolded inside a prestigious school for the children of the wealthy. The headmaster took in the heroine, who had no relatives, and asked her to reform the school where family power dictated social standing. Those at the top did whatever they pleased with impunity.

The tomboy protagonist, who had grown up among commoners, entered the school despite being terribly out of place in order to repay the headmaster’s kindness. That bright girl with a straightforward character had a commoner’s gaze and didn’t evaluate others by their social standing. This included the powerful capture targets.

One of them, the main capture target – Genbuin Tamaki – stood before me. The second son of the second largest corporation among those enrolled at the academy. [1] He was the ore-sama president of the student council, the school’s top power. Though confident and arrogant, he has the requisite skills to back it up: capable at his work while good at both sports and academics.

Nicknamed the “Emperor”, he became interested in the heroine because she didn’t try to flatter him. He eventually fell in love with her after she discovered the darkness inside his heart.

However, he had an opponent that he couldn’t go against no matter what.

“――Tamaki.”

A slender man standing next to father pushed the young Tamaki’s shoulder. As his beauty was similar to the boy, this was probably his father.

“Suzune-san is the daughter of a very important client of the Genbuin family…do you understand?

The attractive boy – with features similar to a lovely young girl – distorted his face in displeasure at his father’s words.

That person he can’t defeat is me, Suzakumiya Suzune, the key to capturing him in the game.

Suzakumiya Suzune.

The sole daughter of the Suzakumiya – owners of the largest corporation among those affiliated with the academy – who have ties to royalty. They are an old and venerable family of honorable origins and high social standing. Simply, she was the most powerful person at the academy and the one who established it’s caste system.

More arrogant than even Tamaki and merciless towards those that opposed her; she thoroughly harassed the protagonist, who came to change the academy, and attempted to get rid of her at every turn. No matter what route one chooses or how high the favorability is with the chosen target, the game cannot be won unless the school is reformed and Suzune is driven out.

Her character design truly gives off the feeling of a powerful villainess: beautiful loosely curled golden hair, a severe but beautiful countenance and a fearless smile.

Because the cooperation of the Suzakumiya was indispensable to the Genbuin, the revered “Emperor” Tamaki became Suzune’s dog. To secure the relationship between the families, the mistress’ illegitimate son was given to Suzune as a ‘toy’ on her tenth birthday by his own father.

The exact situation unfolding now.

Though on equal standing on the outside, behind everyone’s back Tamaki is made to wear a collar and behave like a dog in front of Suzune. Due to his position, he can’t oppose her. The prideful Tamaki is psychologically driven into a corner. In order to cope with his resentment, he goes through life with an arrogant attitude.

Well, I seem to have been reincarnated as such a character.

What is the best way to proceed from here on?

Unless the protagonist fails to capture a target, the ending that awaits Suzune is a sad one: expelled from the academy each time. In order to avoid this, it might be best to treat Tamaki well. Besides, he was the character that I liked most in my previous life so I don’t want to be hated.

However…

“Oji-sama, otou-sama. I want to speak with Tamaki alone, is that alright?”

I asked the two adults in a cute and innocent voice.

They departed, leaving us alone in the room.

I smiled at Tamaki, who glared at me warily.

“――Poor thing.”

“…Eh?”

“You’ve been thrown away.”

At my words, Tamaki’s eyes widened and his face burned red in anger.

“I haven’t been thrown away…”

“I see, you weren’t thrown away. You were sold.”

 Head tilted back and face distorted with mockery, I laughed at Tamaki.

“You were sold to my parents as a toy for me. If I feel like it, I can throw you out. Poor thing.”

“You’re wrong! You’re wrong!! I…I was…”

“――I’m not wrong.”

As he covered his ears, disheveling his hair, I approached him and whispered:

“You were sold off by your parents for the sake of the house. You aren’t loved by them.”

In my past life, I loved the character Genbuin Tamaki. However, that was the “Genbuin Tamaki” corrupted by Suzune. He hid a hopeless darkness behind arrogance. Sold off by his parents and forced to humiliate himself for years, the darkness grew. He became attached to the protagonist that saved him, who poured her love into him and turned him from dog to human. He was obsessed with her.

――If you made the wrong choices, you’d head towards the Bad End: the protagonist would be imprisoned and bound together with him in madness.

I liked that distorted and insane Tamaki.

I liked it precisely because he was distorted and insane.

If I treat Tamaki gently, he might come to like himself but that distortion won’t exist. However, if I play the role according to the script, the heroine will eventually come along and steal him.

If that’s the case…

“Your father only loves your older brother. Your mother pushed you on the Genbuin family, took her consolation money and left. Your father’s wife treats you like an nuisance. You don’t have a place in that house.”

I speak smoothly about his current circumstances. The background that anyone who played the game would know. But Tamaki, who doesn’t know that he’s a character, widens his eyes in surprise.

“How…do you know that?”

“I know. I know that Tamaki is really lonely, that you’re pretending to be alright even though you’re hurting inside.”

It’s been decided that I know. After all, it was all told to me in the game. But, I won’t tell him such an unromantic reality.

“Pitiful, lonely and unloved by anyone. I also know what it is that Tamaki wishes for. If it’s me, I can give it to you.”

“I-I don’t wish for anything!!”

“nee, Tamaki…don’t you want to be loved by someone?”

He maintains the bravado, hardening himself against my words.

“Don’t you want to be loved and cherished? Don’t you want to believe that you’re the most special? Don’t you want to be someone’s most important person?”

“I…”

“I can love Tamaki.”

Like a devil enticing a human, I speak to him sweetly and gently.

“If you become mine, I’ll give you everything you wish for. I’ll love you more deeply, more strongly than anyone else…So, Tamaki, become mine.”

――If that’s the case, then I’ll never heal Tamaki’s wounds. Let’s torment Tamaki so that the wound deepens and spreads. While it spreads lets insert my existence into it so that it doesn’t disappear.

I’ll train him using the ‘carrot and stick’ method. To see only me. To love only me. Let’s train him so that the heroine won’t be able to steal him away.

Let’s create a birdcage. A cage for only two people. A sturdy cage that not even the heroine can break or enter.

Seeing Tamaki nod, I think of the future filled with「happiness」that I want to hurry towards.

—

“――I don’t care what kind of school life you lead, just don’t make trouble for me. That’s it.”

For some reason, the student council president’s arrogant congratulatory address is still met with excitement. I smile a little, looking down at the students from my specially prepared seat.

“Suzune!!”

Tamaki rushes over to me as soon as the entrance ceremony ends. My smile deepens.

“Tamaki. Thank you for your hard work. That was an excellent speech.”

His entire face breaks out into an adorable, wide smile at my praise.

“However, this was only the second year students’ entrance ceremony…the transfer students won’t arrive until May.”

The smile immediately drops and a ferocious, severe look replaces it.

“Like that dream you saw, about that woman who I might come to like, right? It’s entirely a delusion…in the first place, how could I fall in love with anyone but you?”

I had spoken to him about my previous life on multiple occasions, but unfortunately it had been dismissed as a delusion each time.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Tamaki. I know you hate this conversation.”

“It’s regrettable that I’m thought of as a fool who can so easily switch the person I love.”

I see my favorite「insanity」flickering through his eyes and it gives me goosebumps. I can’t help the joy.

“I belong to you and you belong to me. It doesn’t matter who they are, I’ll kill anyone that gets in our way!!”

Aah, Tamaki grew into my ideal. Like I’d wished, his attachment is directed solely at me.

I’m intoxicated by the sweet madness aimed my way. I’m delighted at the existence of the invisible birdcage.

The transfer students will arrive at the beginning of next month. The game is already being distorted. The obsession Tamaki has with me wasn’t present in the game. What changes will she bring to our relationship?

Will she open the birdcage? Break it? Or…will she simply strengthen it?

Though I’m uneasy and don’t want my happiness destroyed, I can’t help but look forward to it as well.

I embrace Tamaki with nearly enough force to break his spine, all the while stroking his back gently. An absent minded smile graces my lips.

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[1] When they say the first and second largest company at the academy, I figure that they’re implying in the country itself but I went with the direct translation instead.

Notes: A story with a super unusual (and dark) heroine! This was really interesting to me so I’m glad to get a chance to share it with you. There might me inaccuracies at certain points, so I apologize for that, but the plot is generally as is. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors please feel free to point them out. For those curious about what happens next, fear not! There is a sequel~ o(*≧□≦)o

Sequel>