Chastity Reversed: Part-Time Life by the All-Girls High School - Chapter 2: Final Answer

8:00 PM.

Moonlight and a flickering street lamp in disrepair illuminated a familiar silhouette. Koharu stood there, her gaze darting between her smartphone and the night sky, clearly restless.

“Yo!”

“…!”

I called out to her as I finished my shift.

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?”

“I just got here!!”

“…I see. That’s good then.”

I already knew she’d been there since around 7:30, her fidgeting outside the store had made it obvious.

“By the way… are you feeling okay?”

“? Yes!”

“Okay.”

She answered energetically, though her expression showed confusion about why I’d asked.

I’d been through this kind of situation many times before. Often, people didn’t show up at the promised time for various reasons.

“Well, shall we go?”

“Y-y-yes!”

Some talked big, but got scared and stood me up. Others were stopped by concerned friends or became so excited they ended up feeling sick. Once, someone told me, “I got so excited I became anemic and collapsed!” 

I didn’t know whether to feel happy or apologize.

With these experiences, I’d learned that those who actually showed up as promised were a minority.

“This way, this way,” I said, leading her.

“Wh-where are we…?”

“My place.”

“Eh?!”

“I live alone.”

“I-is that so…!”

“Yeah.” I didn’t have the courage to do this where my family lived. No, that would be wrong anyway.

“O-of course!”

Her voice was still trembling. Was she scared of the unknown experience, or was it me she feared?

“Want to hold hands?”

“U-um, um, is 5000 yen okay?”

Rip rip rip

“Calm down!”

She pulled out her wallet with trembling hands, its velcro making a loud ripping sound. So noisy! And 5000 yen? That was quite a bit of money…

“B-but…”

“At this rate, you won’t make it to my place.”

“!”

“Don’t worry about someone cheap like me,” I said.

In this world, there were plenty of men besides me, and I was close to rock bottom. If value were measured in price tags, I’d probably be worth as much as a convenience store drink—maybe a cup noodle, and not even the regular size, but the mini ones nobody ever bought!

“Here.”

“Ah…”

On a quiet street with few passersby, I took her hand.

“Your hands are rough.”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“No, no, I meant it as a compliment. Were you in a club?”

“…A little, in the past…”

“I see. Going straight home after school now?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then we’re home-going buddies.”

“Eh, ehehe…”

Her trembling gradually subsided as we talked.

Getting to know each other before the “act”—I believed that was important (speaking from experience).

“It’s late to say this, but if you have a boyfriend, someone you like, or anyone you’re interested in, you absolutely shouldn’t do this.”

“! I-it’s fine!”

“I see. You seem like you’d be popular though, Koharu.”

She was taller than average, and from touching her hand, I could tell she was athletic. She had good posture, a clear voice, and a pretty face. By all accounts, she should have been popular with the men of this world. And yet—

“…Someone like me couldn’t possibly be…”

A shadow crossed her face. It wasn’t modesty but something darker. Something that strongly enveloped her.

“…Did I make you uncomfortable? Sorry.”

“No, no, I should be the one apologizing!”

She quickly composed herself, which was a relief. I didn’t know what made Tsubaki Koharu this way, but—

“And while we were talking, we’ve arrived.”

“!!”

We reached my place, a three-story apartment building. Room 205.

The malfunctioning streetlight cast an eerie glow… No, it had completely gone out. It was dark.
Landlord~!

“One final confirmation…”

At the top of the stairs, in front of the door, I turned the key in the lock.

“—Are you really sure about this?” I asked her in a somewhat intimidating tone.

This was something I always did—a genuine final confirmation. About half chose to go home at this point. When faced with a “final answer”, people couldn’t help but think carefully.

“—Yes!”

But there was no hesitation in her voice. That was why I invited her in.

“Then, come in.”