A 30 Year Old Virgin (One Who Haven’t Even Interacted with Women) Took an Exam to Become a Wizard.

Volume 3- Chapter 02: Shigamoto Makoto 2

Shigamoto Makoto was 28 years old, two years younger than me.

She was my junior from high school and had been incredibly popular even back then. There were many cute girls, but she stood out and was scouted to become an idol, so her idol power was genuine.

In my first life—or rather, the first time I time-leaped, which felt like multiple lives—she was my idol. Just looking at her through the classroom window made my heart race. We didn’t have any direct interactions, but just seeing her was enough to satisfy me.

Now, I’m 30 years old. I’m an adult who has experienced the bitterness of life. I was 30 years old when I time-leaped back to my senior year of high school. From an adult’s perspective, I gave her some life advice, and she was one of the weirdos who admired me.

Makoto continued her idol activities while attending the same university as me. As a popular university student idol, she excelled in singing, dancing, and acting, and she also worked as an economics commentator, building a solid foundation for her popularity.

At the peak of her popularity, she retired from the entertainment industry after graduating from university and got a job at a regular company with no connection to the industry. She joined Magical Standard Project, or ‘MajiStaP’ for short, the company I work for.

The company gained media attention for hiring a famous idol, and its name recognition rivaled that of some listed companies.

Why did Makoto join this seemingly ordinary company? She could have joined any company she wanted, whether it was a major corporation or not. Did she follow me here? I couldn’t help but wonder, but I was too scared to ask. There must be another reason, and I didn’t want to know.

I was having lunch with that Makoto at a burger shop.

The other customers were whispering and staring, as usual. The guy with sunglasses was taking pictures with a notebook, probably intending to ask for her autograph. It would be a nuisance to ask for an autograph from a retired idol, and he was hesitating. I felt conflicted between his desire and the potential trouble it could cause.

My company was just around the corner. It wouldn’t be strange if Makoto, who was on a break—or rather, having breakfast—came here. She was an important junior and a colleague. It would be fine for her to sit next to me on the bench seat.

But why was she so close, with her body pressed against mine? There, that guy was taking pictures with his phone. She was an idol, even if she had retired. It wouldn’t be good if people misunderstood.

“Move away a little. You’ll get in trouble.”

“I don’t mind.”

Makoto smiled at me with an icy smile.

“Senpai, you didn’t meet me when I was in my third year of high school. I still haven’t forgotten about that.”

“Eh…?”

I was so scared that my eyes almost popped out. Her expression was scarier than when Mari saw me covered in my own bodily juice.

I was flustered and knocked over the paper cup I had been drinking from. The tray was soaked with melted ice water. “You’re acting like a child,” Makoto said as she wiped it up with a napkin, but I was too flustered to care.

Makoto was referring to the second time I time-leaped. I vaguely remembered it. The purpose of the time-leap was to put panties on the target, Mika, but I had no control over the time or location, and I had to leave it to the goddess’s arrangement. Before I could fulfill my promise to Makoto, I returned to the present.

But, even if the current me wasn’t there, I should still exist there. So she didn’t meet that me?

There were such discrepancies in the time-leap. The original past and the past I left behind were bound to be different. It was unavoidable.

I acknowledged that I was a fool. If the changes had been more obvious, I would have noticed the differences in the environment, but I overlooked the small differences because they didn’t affect my life. I ignored them because they didn’t cause any problems to me.

I needed some aftercare for the goddess’s trial.

I retraced my memories of Makoto and the events that followed after I returned to the present.

I had been so focused on my newborn sister, Sugumi, that I had neglected everything else, including Makoto. I hadn’t even replied to her emails properly.

It’s natural that she’s going to be angry.

“I’m sorry.”

“If it weren’t for Sougou-san, I would have…”

“What?”

Sougou?

“Never mind. The time I lost will never come back. I’ll make sure to always force you to make that troubled face of yours. So look forward to it, Senpai~”

It sounded like a threat of revenge for the time she had lost. I was scared to ask what she meant, but I didn’t want to know about something that happened 10 years ago. I had no right to ask about it.

Makoto’s expression turned stern, and she held up a sheer panty with her fingertips.

“We’re in public, so let’s wrap this up. Let’s go back to work, Senpai.”

***

I scratched my head.

How was I supposed to put panties on “Saitou Mutsumi” in the Kochi prefecture?

There were three people with the same name, and the target was one of them. The Kochi prefecture was far away. The only option was to send them by mail. What would happen if I just sent them? ‘If you wear these, you’ll be happy. Only for the recipient. If it doesn’t fit, please return it.’ Would I need to include such a message?

“Who exactly is the person herself though? I doubt anyone would return it anyway.”

The panties didn’t have to be put on by me. One of the conditions for clearing the trial was that “it is not necessary for the wizard candidate to put them on to the girls himself; it is enough that they are worn.”. The target could put them on themselves.

The odds were one in three. Even if sending them was the right choice, there was only one panty that I can actually send.

Another Mutsumi might wear them and like them. Or she might find them creepy and throw them away. In fact, the latter was more likely. Either way, it was a concern of whether the panties would have reached the right person.

If I lost the panties, the trial would not only end, but my life would be over.

I could also confirm the recipient’s identity in person. Sending them was a slightly better option, but I wouldn’t know for sure unless they tried putting them on. Should I visit each of them and say, “Hey, put these panties on”? I would probably be reported to the police if I did so.

“This whole exam is too sloppy. Why is the information limited to just the prefecture name? Why aren’t there any photos? Is that goddess prioritizing personal information protection?”

In the previous two trials, the targets were obvious, and I time-leaped to their locations without problem.

But this time, Mutsumi was a complete stranger with no connection to me, and even if I time-leaped somewhere in the Kochi prefecture, I still wouldn’t be able to identify her. I would wander around, wasting time. That’s what I envisioned for the future.

The most important thing was that there was only one pair of panty that I have for her to wear. Even if I bought identical panties, they wouldn’t be the real thing, and it wouldn’t count as clearing the trial.

“If I had three real ones… Maybe I could split the panty into three and sew them together with a new cloth…”

It was actually not a bad idea. If I ignored the quality of the finished product, I could do it, but would women like patched-up panties? Men might like patched-up pants, but…

“It’s a dead end. I have no choice.”

I clicked on the status screen. There wasn’t much useful information, but I scrolled through it anyway, hoping to find something. Then, I touched the panty photo of Saitou Mutsumi and wished for two more copies.

For a moment, my vision flickered. A window popped up on the status screen.

・――――――――――――――――――・

[Events and Divine Words]

Panties Replication: For every 10 days of trial time offered as a sacrifice, one pair of panties can be replicated. The number of panties is displayed in the panty photo.

・――――――――――――――――――・

“C-Can I really replicate panties?”

In exchange for 10 days of trial time, I got an extra pair of panties. Twenty days for two pairs. Twenty days… It was painful to lose that much time, but… Maybe the vague address was part of the goddess’s scheme.

She wanted to put me in a difficult situation, forcing me to waste trial time and struggle. What a nasty trick.

‘As a goddess, I would never do such a thing. Nyahaha.’

She had a mischievous smile, but I had no choice but to go along with it.

Whether it was a scheme or just a feature, I had to make use of it.

How was I supposed to replicate the panties? There were no specific instructions, but I was used to working with insufficient information. I touched the panty photo of Mutsumi and wished for two more copies.

For a moment, my vision flickered. A window popped up on the status screen.

・――――――――――――――――――――・

[Date and time have advanced by 20 days]

I checked the clock in my room and my phone, and indeed, the date had advanced by 20 days. Exactly 20 days. The time on the status screen had decreased, and I now only had 298 days left.

“That was a truly terrifying experience back there.”

In just a moment, time had passed, and there was no going back. Time is money, literally.

Anyway, what about the panties? Yes, they had increased!

・――――――――――――――――――――・

Morishita Mari

Sakuragi Mika

[Panties Photo] x3 Mutsumi Saito

[Panties Photo]

I materialized all three pairs to confirm.

Of course, they were exactly the same. I couldn’t find any differences in the position of the crotch or the texture, at least to my touch. They were identical, and I believed that was good enough. After all, the trial wouldn’t work if they weren’t.

I did it, goddess. It functions decently enough. Even if it’s a scheme, it might still be useful in the future.

“And I’ve also thought of a good way to send them.”

Makoto had given me a good hint.

She had said, “If you want to send them, I’ll do it for you.” She meant she would send them from the company. I could send them as some kind of a corporate giveaway, not from me personally.

A very erotic pair of panties would be sent. It wouldn’t matter who sent them. Whether it was a stranger or a colleague, they would still find them suspicious.

But if it was a company, it might be different. If it was a new fashion brand or an underwear company, the suspicion would be reduced. I could include a polite pamphlet explaining that it was a monitoring product, and it would reduce the sense of discomfort.

I would create a fake company name. Mutsumi would definitely wear them. I would also include a registered mail envelope to increase credibility. I couldn’t expect her to send them back, but it would be more believable. Absolutely.

I would send the three real panties to the three addresses Makoto had given me tomorrow.

“Phew. I’ve figured out a plan.”

With that, the trial could be cleared.

I was so happy that I started juggling the panties in the air. I felt like a jester celebrating the New Year.

“Jiiii.”

I heard the door open, and when I looked, there was another girl I didn’t recognize peeping in. Who was she?

“That’s not good, Sugu-chan. Peeping is… Are those panties?”

“Yeah, they’re the real deal, Honoka-chan, the ultimate prize for adult men.”

This is exactly why I want to put a lock on it. But all the women in the house unanimously reject the idea. Mari firmly says, “No secrets allowed within the family.” And Sugumi, looking sad, says, “I won’t be able to come in and wake you up if that’s the case, Onii-chan.”

“Uhm, t-this is… practice for the performance at the year-end party.”

“Heeeeh? But it’s only June though?”

“L-l-leveling up takes time, you know. But more importantly, Sugumi, who’s that girl?”

“Eh? Are you really being serious, Onii-chan? I just introduced her earlier, she’s Honoka-chan.”

“Eh? Oh..? Ah…”

I see. The 20th has already passed. So many things have happened and gone by that I didn’t know about. I updated my memory.

Honoka-chan was Sugumi’s classmate and a neighbor. Her mother was a 28-year-old single mother who worked at night. Honoka-chan-chan was staying over tonight. Okay.

“Yeah, Honoka-chan, are you having fun?”

“Yeah, it’s fun at Sugu-chan’s house.”

“Onii-chan, let’s take a bath together.”

Sugu took off her clothes and stood there in her underwear. Her friend was surprised, but she didn’t seem to care.

“You… Don’t tell me you also just undress so casually even outside?”

“No way, I only show them to you Onii-chan. Come on.”

Sugumi pulled my hand, and I had no choice but to follow.