Are Men Really a Rare Species? - Chapter 12: First Encounter

While we were going around doing various things, it became lunchtime.

So, I decided to have a meal at the food court with Mama.

Of course, there are also restaurants inside Gion Mall.

From famous chains like “Sarigenaiya” and “Fish Cake Sushi” to unique places like “Neck Pasta” and “Maru Kichi,” there is a wide variety of options available.

They all look delicious.

…But we didn’t fit into any of those.

The reason is that Azuma-san and the others requested it.

Apparently, it’s difficult for bodyguards to operate inside restaurants.

Well, if it’s a clothing store, they can pretend to be a customer window shopping, but they can’t do that in a restaurant.

It’s unnatural to enter a restaurant and not order anything, and it’s even more unnatural to order and not eat.

If they eat, they easily become distracted, and more importantly, forcing themselves to eat can impair their quick judgment and actions.

Just so you know, there are male-only safe private rooms in some restaurants, but once they enter one, they’re confirmed as male, so they can’t use them right now.

So, we’ll pass on the restaurant.

Instead, we ended up eating at an open-air food court.

What I ordered was a kids’ meal.

The main dish is omelette rice and hamburger steak, the sides are spaghetti and sausages, the accompaniments are glazed carrots and sweet corn, and the dessert is pudding.

Of course, the omurice has a small flag stuck in it.

It’s a straightforward kids’ meal that will make any child very happy.

Am I being influenced by this young body? I’m feeling a bit more energetic too.

“Is it delicious, Yuu-chan?”

“Yeah… but it’s not quite as good as Mom’s cooking.”

“Oh my, is that so~, Hehehee~~.”

Mama with a beaming smile.

Seriously, I’m not just saying this to flatter her or anything.

Because my mom has a cooking license.

It seems that she took it for me right after I was born.

It seems that she wants me to eat delicious and nutritious meals.

What should I do? Mama’s love is so deep and heavy…

However, because of that, or maybe due to that, I can’t find eating out as delicious as I used to.

Sometimes, we also eat ready-made foods like frozen meals or supermarket side dishes at home, and occasionally we order takeout as well.

But none of them can compare to Mama’s cooking.

Whether it’s frozen fried rice from a famous brand, a convenience store bento, delivery pizza, or takeout Chinese, nothing tastes better than what Mama makes.

Is this truly the result of a parent-child buff, or is it simply that my Mama is too amazing?

Anyway, the compliment I gave earlier was my true feelings.

If Mama is this happy, then I’m just as happy.

Mama is staring at me with a smile on her face.

Without touching her own pasta, she keeps watching me devour the children’s meal.

It’s something I’m used to, but… today, a different scene caught my eye.

That is behind Mama.

A family sitting on the opposite side of the same food court.

The mother has a stern demeanor, but her face is breaking into a grin.

It’s like the face my Mama makes when she gives me a goodbye hug.

And the mother’s eyes are completely melted while gazing at her child.

It’s almost the same as when Mama watches me exercise in the gym at home.

The child in question is a bit older than me, around 10 to 12 years old.

They are dressed in unisex clothing, but their body shape is clearly not that of a girl.

The shoulders are not rounded, and the waist is positioned low. The eyebrows seem a bit thick, and the jawline is also angular.

The most notable characteristic might be that they are always fidgeting as if they are afraid of something.

They are wearing their hat pulled down low to hide their presence and sitting hunched over.

That is definitely a boy.

It’s not just his physique, but his attitude and mannerisms match the “characteristics of boys” I saw online.

I saw a real boy for the first time.

On TV and the internet, it seems that they can’t show underage boys much because of strict regulations and the need for permission from the individuals.

“Hey, Azuma-san.”

I call Azuma-san in a low voice over the radio.

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“That kid at the other table, he’s a boy, right?”

“Yes. Another unit is providing protection for the boy who lives in the neighboring district.”

“Is it okay if I talk to that kid?”

When I asked that, Azuma-san’s voice momentarily faltered.

“…If possible, please refrain.”

Azuma-san continues, looking like it’s hard to say.

“The boy in question is already attracting attention from those around him. If you, Yuuta-sama, were to make contact here, you too would surely draw attention.”

“…But you know, the reason why that kid and I came here on the same day like this is because Azuma-san and the others thought it would be nice for us boys to become friends, right?”

This is more of my analysis, or rather, a guess.

The country probably wants men to interact with each other as much as possible, don’t you think?

Men are valuable and tend to be surrounded by women.

Since they are taught from a young age that “women are wolves” and “it’s dangerous to go outside,” men are quite wary.

…It’s sad that those teachings are often quite correct, but that’s beside the point.

In addition to that teaching, men tend to be delicate both physically and mentally.

Therefore, men, regardless of age, do not actively try to engage with others.

Mostly, I stay at home and indulge in indoor, self-directed hobbies like reading and knitting.

It’s the same online.

As soon as it’s found out that it’s a male account, people swarm to it, so I can’t even reveal that I’m a man on social media.

On any platform, men are just lurkers on private accounts.

In that case, inevitably, men cannot form connections with each other and cannot interact.

I’m a perfect example of that.

I, who am not allowed to step out of the house even for a moment, have hardly ever met anyone, let alone other men.

Even if I try to look for “male friends” online, there are almost no men who don’t have private accounts.

With this, it would be strange for men to be able to interact with each other.

Maybe, as a country, the current situation isn’t good either.

That’s why I orchestrated today’s “meeting” like this.

When I think about it, it’s a simple thing.

In the first place, it is completely unusual for boys to go outside.

Two boys like that are coming to the same shopping mall on the same day and at the same time.

This can’t possibly be a coincidence.

That’s precisely why I confirmed with Azuma-san, “Is that what you mean?”

“…Yuuta-sama, you are truly wise.”

After quite a long pause, Azuma-san responded affirmatively to my words.

“Please take care. He is already being suspected of being gay by those around him because of his attitude and gestures. If things go wrong, it could escalate into a major incident, so please be very careful with your words and actions.”

“Got it. Thank you, Azuma-san.”

“…It is our duty to protect Yuuta-sama.”

Azuma-san’s voice felt somewhat softer than usual as she said that.

Well then.

“Shall I go make my first friends?”

I told my worried Mama that, and then I stood up from my seat.