A Guy Who Thinks He’s a Villain in a World Where Gender Ratios Are Broken - Chapter 27: Side Story – Nako Nijou ①

Chapter 27.5: Side Story – Nako Nijou ①

I, Nako Nijou, live with my mother and Onee-chan.

But a few years ago, there was one more person in our house.

Our father.

Though, not once did I ever feel glad that he was my father.

Not once did I ever trust him.

Ever since I was old enough to understand, I kept wondering—

Why is my father so insensitive?

“Are you… going out again? It’s dangerous outside. There have been more reports of women attacking men on the news… And besides, you’ve been spending way too much money lately. Kyoko and Nako are both in school—we need money for their future too. Please, at least try to—”

“Shut up! I can do whatever the hell I want!”

Through the gap in the door, Onee-chan and I often watched as Mom and that man argued.

“Nako, it’s okay…”

“Y-Yeah… Onee-chan…”

I still clearly remember how Onee-chan held my hand tightly when I was trembling in fear.

Even though she must have been scared too…

She always protected me because I was her little sister.

Her name is Kyoko Nijou.

She has long silver hair, a stunning beauty with a cool and composed demeanor.

The phrase “cool beauty” fits her perfectly.

At school, Onee-chan was popular even among the girls.

There were even rumors that she had a fan club that admired her and called her “Onee-sama.”

But… Onee-chan belongs to me and me alone, okay?

She may seem cool and distant, but she’s not cold at all.

She notices everything around her and, most of all, she adores me as her little sister—I can tell.

Mom is also gentle and kind, always praising even the smallest things I do.

I love her and respect her deeply as a person.

To me, both Onee-chan and Mom are irreplaceable.

On the other hand… that man was the complete opposite. 

Lazy, never holding a proper job, never helping around the house…

He’d go out alone, cause trouble, and leave us to clean up his mess.

Gambling, drinking, smoking, chasing after women…

It even escalated to fights, where we had to apologize to the victims and the police on his behalf.

Even when he was home, he barely spoke to us.

He just drank, made a mess, and ignored us.

And when he was in a bad mood, he lashed out at Mom without a second thought.

Because of his behavior, our family’s situation became well known in the neighborhood…

And not in a good way.

“Men are just like that, you see.”

“Honestly, just having a man in the house makes you a winner in life~.”

“Men are rare and valuable. It’s only natural for women to take care of everything for them.”

Words of sympathy or concern… were almost nonexistent.

Among my friends, only two of them genuinely worried about me.

In this world, the gender ratio is heavily skewed, with men being extremely rare.

Even in my school, there are only three boys in my entire class.

That said… they hardly ever show up.

Most of them have switched to the remote learning system, which, by the way, is a privilege exclusive to male students.

Because men are so rare, society tends to turn a blind eye to their actions.

People excuse their behavior, no matter how selfish or inconsiderate it may be.

But… there was no way I could forgive the way he acted.

“You should be grateful just for having a man like me in your lives.”

He actually said that. Out loud. Without shame.

How could I ever see him as a father?

Is this what a family is supposed to be?

No. This isn’t a family.

He acted like a king, while we were nothing but convenient slaves.

But then… something happened.

Something that finally put an end to that twisted reality.

Mom decided to divorce him.

“…I’ve had enough. I’m divorcing you. Kyoko and Nako will be staying with me.”

Mom’s serious words… he only scoffed at them.

After the divorce, the three of us started a new life in an old house that had belonged to Grandma on Mom’s side.

With him gone, the financial burden was lighter… But that didn’t mean life suddenly became easy.

We were barely getting by, but… without him around, the air in the house felt so much lighter.

Even before, when he wasn’t home, there was always this heavy atmosphere hanging over us.

Conversations never flowed naturally.

But now…

No matter what happened,

Mom, Onee-chan, and I could laugh together.

“From now on, the three of us will live happily together.”

“Yeah, Mom.”

“Mhm! Me too, Mom!”

When Mom said that, Onee-chan and I nodded firmly.

One week later.

Mom was suddenly fired from her job. 

When we asked why…

It turned out that one of his mistresses was an executive at a major client company that Mom’s company did business with.

That woman had stormed into the office one day and demanded that they cut ties, saying, “It’s all Nijou’s fault!”

The company didn’t protect Mom.

Instead, they sacrificed her to save face and maintain their reputation.

I wasn’t just angry at the company or at him.

At that moment, I just felt completely hopeless.

I started to wonder… “Are all men like this…?”

And that thought crushed me.

For a while, Mom was in a daze, completely shaken.

But soon, she pulled herself together.

“I’ll work hard for the both of you.”

She found another job and started working from morning until night.

Onee-chan would finish her studies at school and then head straight to her part-time job, helping to support our family.

As for me…

I was still just a middle schooler.

I had no way to earn money, so the only thing I could do was take care of the house.

That feeling of helplessness… it ate away at me.

“Why am I the only one who can’t do anything…?”

Even though Mom and Onee-chan were working so hard, exhausted from their long days, they always smiled whenever they were with me.

“Nako, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“That’s right. Just focus on enjoying your life.”

Even when they spoke kindly, telling me not to worry…

My chest tightened, and I felt like crying.

◆◆

“Nako, I have an early morning tomorrow, so I’m heading to bed. Don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

“Thanks, Onee-chan. Goodnight.”

With high school entrance exams coming up, I spent my days buried in studying.

At the same time, I kept wondering… “What can I do for my family?”

I couldn’t earn money, so at the very least, I wanted to reduce the financial burden.

That’s why I started looking for affordable high schools.

But then…

I suddenly remembered my one-on-one career counseling session at school.

“Nijou-san, your grades are excellent! You could aim for a technical school or even a school outside the prefecture. If you’re staying in this area, how about applying to Sotei Academy? Oh, and starting this year, Sotei Academy is becoming co-ed~!“

The teacher smiled at the end, but…

I froze on the spot.

Co-ed.

In other words… there would be boys.

Because of him, I had completely developed an aversion to men.

Even though Onee-chan always acted cool, I knew.

As her little sister, I could tell.

She’s uncomfortable around men too.

Whenever she faced one, she’d instinctively avert her eyes, tense up, or speak with a slight tremble in her voice.

She might not even realize it herself, but… it was obvious.

If possible, I wanted to avoid interacting with men altogether.

But reality wasn’t that simple.

For some reason, men often approached me.

Maybe it was because of the silky hair I inherited from Mom…

Or because of my looks.

While most girls my age flocked to the few boys in school, I was one of the rare ones who didn’t try to flirt with them.

Maybe that’s why, instead of chasing after them… they ended up approaching me instead.

I was hit on by a popular upperclassman, confessed to by a boy from the class next door who was known for being gentle… Even one of the male teachers tried making a move on me.

Of course, I politely turned them all down, making sure to handle it carefully so it wouldn’t cause problems later.

Still… Some of my friends said I was wasting an opportunity, other girls in different classes resented me, and sometimes, a senior would call me out and sneer, “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

But… There was no way I could get close to a guy. I couldn’t even imagine having a casual conversation with one.

I just wasn’t comfortable around men.

More than that…

I didn’t have the time for it.

Because more than anything,
I wanted to support my mom and Onee-chan.

Then came my second career counseling session with my homeroom teacher.

This time, I gathered my courage and told her the truth.

I wanted to attend a school with the lowest possible tuition fees because of our financial situation.

The teacher looked a little surprised at first.

But after a brief pause, she nodded quietly and said—

“…I understand how you feel, Nijou-san. But if that’s the case, I still think Sotei Academy would be the best choice for you.”

Sotei Academy.

I knew the name well.

Several of my classmates were considering applying too.

It was the most prestigious high school in the area, boasting high university acceptance rates and strong job prospects.

The facilities were state-of-the-art, and the support system for students was excellent.

It wasn’t exactly an elite all-girls school, but because of the top-tier education and environment, the tuition fees were even higher than most private schools.

A school that expensive… was completely out of my reach.

There was no way I could afford to go.

But then—

The teacher continued speaking.

Starting this year, Sotei Academy was becoming co-ed. And because of that, they were adding new admission slots.

Apparently, it was called the “Support Role” program—a special recommendation-based admission for students who would assist male students.

I didn’t know all the details yet…

But if I got accepted, tuition and transportation fees would be completely covered.

However… Being in a Support Role meant I would be directly involved with male students.

It was obvious that interacting with them would be a requirement.

I wasn’t comfortable around men.

Even if I got accepted, I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.

But still—

“Teacher, I… I want to apply for the Support Role program at Sotei Academy.”

Because if I did—
I could help my family.

I made my decision on the spot.

◆◆

One week before the entrance exam.

I was heading to Sotei Academy.

Getting lost on exam day and missing the test would be the worst possible scenario.

Mom planned to drive me there on the actual day, but I couldn’t relax until I checked the route myself.

After walking up a gentle slope, I stopped at a traffic light, waiting for it to change.

That’s when—A blond-haired man suddenly called out to me.

“Hey, you. You’re really cute—even among girls. Why don’t you come hang out with me?”

“…”

I froze on the spot.

My whole body stiffened.

I wanted to get away as fast as possible, but I also knew that if I handled this poorly, it could turn into an even bigger problem.

So, I did my best to stay polite.

“N-No… I’m fine. I’m in a hurry.”

“Oh, come on. Getting invited by a guy—especially one of the few around—is lucky, you know? Right, ladies?”

The blond man wasn’t alone.

There were three women standing nearby.

And… they nodded awkwardly, forcing a smile at his words.

Even though this was a common sight, I still felt disgusted.

The man kept pushing.

No matter how politely I refused, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

In the first place, he wasn’t even listening.

“I-I told you, I’m not interested in you!”

I gathered all my courage and said it out loud. 

But—

The blond man didn’t budge at all.

“No, no, you’d be better off becoming mine now. I mean, look at me—among the few men out there, I’ve got the looks, I’m rich, and I’m kind. Any girl who marries me is guaranteed to be a winner in life, don’t you think?”

“Even if you are a man, I still have the right to refuse. So, I’m rejecting your offer.”

“No, no, see—that’s the problem. The fact that you even think you have the option to refuse is ridiculous. A guy like me, one of the rare few, is telling you that I like you. You should be grateful and say yes immediately. Hell, you should be crying tears of joy and thanking me.”

“…! You men are always like this…!”

His words made my blood boil.

He was just like that man.

Always so self-centered.

Never considering how others feel.

Never bothering to see the expressions on their faces.

Never even trying to understand them.

Why can’t they be more considerate?

Why? Why…?

Why did my family—why did I—have to suffer so much?

My mind started spiraling downward…

That’s when—

“Um, excuse me. Can I have a moment?”

“Huh? Who the hell are you?”

A low yet polite voice cut through the tension.

The blond man’s gaze shifted away from me, and at the same time, I turned to look as well.

Standing there was a boy around my age, with black hair.

But—I wasn’t looking at him. It was the person standing beside him that made me gasp in shock.

“O-Onee-chan!”

Onee-chan was there.

Before I could even question why, my feet were already rushing toward her.

Standing beside Onee-chan, I watched as the blond man and the black-haired boy faced off.

The blond man was clearly irritated, his expression darkening as the tension in the air grew.

But—The black-haired boy remained completely calm.

“You already have plenty of cute girls around you. Instead of flirting with strangers, shouldn’t you focus on appreciating the ones by your side?”

He said it so naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“…Wait. Did he just say… cute?”

“No way.”

“That’s the first time a guy has ever said something like that to me…”

“A man who actually says things like that…?”

The women around us started whispering in shock.

I, too, stared in disbelief.

He was different from the guys I had seen before.

No—He was completely different from any man I had ever met.

“I-I can do whatever I want! Even if you’re a guy too, this has nothing to do with you!”

“If you have the freedom to do what you want, then doesn’t she have that same right? She said no—so you should back off. Being pushy will only make her hate you more.”

“I told you, this has nothing to do with you! We’re both men, aren’t we?! Why are you even defending a woman?!”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman—forcing yourself on someone is wrong, no matter what! And just because you’re a man, that doesn’t mean you get a free pass!”

“…!”

“If you plan on harassing her any further… then I’ll deal with you myself. But if you walk away now, no one gets hurt. The choice is yours—what will it be?”

“Tch… Let’s go, ladies.”

The blond man clicked his tongue in frustration, then stormed off, dragging the women along with him.

I had just stood there, frozen, but as soon as they were gone—I snapped back to reality.

“Ah… Thank you, Onee-chan! And also…”

I glanced toward the black-haired boy.

For the first time—I actually got a good look at him.

He had smooth, jet-black hair and sharp, focused eyes.

His body was lean but toned—he probably exercised regularly and maintained a disciplined lifestyle.

As those thoughts ran through my mind, my eyes suddenly met Onee-chan’s.

Her expression was serious.

“Make sure to thank him properly.”

“Ah—t-thank you very much!”

“Young Master, I would also like to thank you on behalf of my sister. Thank you for helping her this time.”

“Ah, no problem… Wait, your sister?!”

The boy looked shocked.

And—So was I.

“W-Wait, this is that young master…?”

My eyes widened.

I had heard that title before—’Young Master.’

And as soon as I realized it, a heavy feeling settled in my chest.

Because after that man, he was the second person I least wanted to deal with.