Chastity Reversed: Part-Time Life by the All-Girls High School

****

{Heroine’s First-Person Pronoun: Cuteness Power Ranking (My Research)}

『Using Their Own Name (e.g., “Kouta, Kouta likes you~”)』

– This one can come across as ridiculously cutesy.

– However, if the person using it is adorable, it’s completely forgivable!

– That said, it might make them unpopular with other boys.

『”Boku” (ぼく)』

– Only those who are genuinely cute can get away with using this.

– Pronunciation note: Stress it as “Bo↑ku↓”.

– Honestly, if an adorable boy used this, it was practically a cheat code—it was enough to make people fall for them instantly.

『”Boku” (僕)』

– This is the classic pronoun of a proper “Yamato Nadeshiko” kind of guy!

– Statistically, over half of boys use this.

– Reliable and comforting, just like coming back to your childhood home.

(T/N: “Yamato Nadeshiko” refers to the traditional archetype of Japanese beauty and grace, here applied humorously to boys.)

『”Watashi” (私)』

– Beautiful. While normally a girl’s pronoun, when used by a cool and elegant boy, it’s absolutely acceptable.

『”Ore” (俺)』

– Has a masculine vibe, but barely used.

– Zero trace of cuteness.

『”Ore” (オレ)』

– Gives off “gyaru boy”² energy.

– It feels super casual, like they’re trying too hard to be flashy.

– You’ll usually see this paired with brightly dyed hair.

– Rarely used. Honestly, it’s kind of intimidating.

『”Wai” or “Washi”』

– These belong to grandpas.

– In 2D media, though, they’re often used by “noja-loli” characters³.

– If done right, niche fans love this quirk!

– But if the character isn’t unique enough, it just comes off as painful. Use with extreme caution!

(T/N: A “noja-loli” is a trope describing a childlike character who speaks using archaic or noble-sounding language.)

****

“…What even is this?”

“I put it together! I’m using it for character setups in my manga. Tell me your thoughts, Takahashi.”

“Hmm… Kids often use their own names when talking about themselves, right?”

“The heroine is a high schooler, though!”

“Ah, in that case, it mostly checks out… Wait a second. Where’s ‘Jibun’ or ‘Sessha’? Or even ‘Chin’?!”

“…C-Chin…?”

Our class had two… rather curious boys.

One of them was the adorably famous Kanata Azuma.

The other—

“A heated debate about this first thing in the morning, huh? You two have way too much energy.”

“WAH!?”

“Good morning, Tanaka. Takahashi.”

The boy who smiled and casually joined the conversation was none other than—

Sora Sato.

If there was one word that didn’t describe him, it was “masculine”.

“I watched ‘Renhiko Ultimate Warlord’ yesterday. It was great! The fight scenes were so good!”

“Right?!”

“The mix of intense action and just the right amount of heat—it’s perfect!”

This kind of conversation was nothing new, but from the average male classmates’ perspective, it was pretty unthinkable.

But Sato? He was different.

He had an obvious love for anime and manga aimed at girls. Stuff that most guys would cringe at? He took it in stride like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Turns out the original ‘Renhiko’ was based on a game. I actually bought it on my way home yesterday.”

“WHAT?!”

“Oh, you two don’t own it? I can lend it to you if you want.”

He said it so nonchalantly, like it was no big deal.

But that game’s packaging was ‘extremely suggestive’! Just carrying it to the register would take massive courage!

…Seriously.

Sora always seemed more “girly” than us.

Whether that was a good thing or not, I couldn’t say.

“Hey, Sato, is there anything you’re afraid of?”

“Hm? What’s with the sudden question?”

“You just seem so bold all the time…”

“Yeah, like when you scared off those guys flirting with us the other day…”

They were pretty intimidating—college guys, the kind who looked like they spent way too much time at the gym.

Takahashi and I, as the girls in this scenario, were absolutely terrified.

But Sato just fended them off effortlessly.

[Sorry, I’m hanging out with them right now. Please leave.]

…Honestly, I felt kind of pathetic afterward.

“I’m scared of tons of things.”

“L-like what?”

“Typhoons.”

“That’s a natural disaster!”

“I meant like a thing!”

“Celery.”

“That’s just food you don’t like!”

“…You’re missing the point!”

“Haha, what do you want me to say, then?”

He laughed helplessly, like he didn’t know how to answer. That was probably enough questioning for now.

“Sato, you’re honestly so different,” Takahashi said.

“Right?!”

“You’re the only guy we can talk to like this.”

“I guess that’s true,” he replied with a shrug.

When the second year started, I thought I’d spend the rest of high school quietly avoiding the other boys. I’d resigned myself to sitting in the corner, flying under the radar.

But then—

[Hey, are you two watching ‘E×E’, too?!]

Sato had joined our little circle.

“You know, we’re kind of broke…”

“Geez, what kind of person do you take me for?!”

His sharp glare made us both flinch.

“Look at me.”

“—!”

“Don’t ever say anything like that again. Got it?”

At this close range, his presence felt overwhelming.

There was something adult about him—the faint scent he carried, so different from the other boys.

“Good. Now let’s grab some juice,” he said with a relaxed smile, standing up and walking away.