Chastity Reversed: Part-Time Life by the All-Girls High School - Chapter 53: Falling

Occasionally, I could hear the distant shrieks of Akari’s clubmates, their voices echoing faintly.  

What were they even doing? Gossiping about crushes?  

Either way, I was bored.  

I casually sipped on a cola I had bought while waiting for Akari, passing the time—  

“Huh?”  

And then, once again, someone called out to me.  

Give me a break already!!  

This time, it wasn’t her clubmates. It was an unfamiliar voice.  

Who could it possibly be?  

First it was one of my classmates → then Akari’s club friends → and now…  

I’ve got it! Mom’s (Fake Mom, of course) coworker!  

“Hey, are you alone? Want to hang out with us?”  

“…Is this a pickup attempt?”  

“Haha, that’s right!”  

When I turned around, I saw a brunette woman.  

Phew, I got all worked up for nothing!  

“I’m not alone, sorry.”  

“Aw, dang. Waiting for your girlfriend, huh?”  

“Not quite. I mean, I don’t even have one.”  

She looked a little confused.  

…It was true, after all. I didn’t think I’d be getting one anytime soon.  

Because I was a ‘slut’, after all!  

“Wait, so—”  

“They’re family. But you can meet her if you want. Just a heads-up, though—she’s pretty scary when she’s mad. Are you sure about this? Bold move!”  

“Eek—sorry!!”  

“Haha, no worries.”  

I wasn’t lying. Akari could be scary when upset!  

“Hehhh…Who are you calling scary?”

“…”  

And, just like that, Akari was behind me.  

The number of sneak attacks today was getting ridiculous!  

If I were Golgo 13, I’d have flipped out, declared the mission a failure, and probably done away with myself already.  (T/N: Golgo 13 is a manga where Golgo 13 is a highly skilled, professional assassin for hire. His real name is unknown, and he is referred to only as Golgo 13, which is his code name. He is a mysterious and enigmatic figure, always calm, calculating, and efficient, no matter the situation.)

…Wait, was Golgo a woman in this world too? The title was probably even different.  

That was something to look up when I got home—assuming I didn’t pass out right away.  

I had homework to do, but drowsiness would surely claim me!  

“Welcome back. Sorry for making you wait.”  

“Welcome back, Akari. Nah, it’s fine.”  

I wasn’t about to ask what they had been talking about.  

I’d rather not know, frankly.  

If they were saying things like, “Akari’s brother’s swimsuit is terrible”, I’d want to die on the spot.  

It’s not like they actually said that, right?  

It was Schrödinger’s swimsuit—better not to open that box.  

“…♪”  

“Hm?”  

But Akari seemed to be in a good mood.  

Something nice must’ve happened.  

“Sora-nii, you don’t have a girlfriend ♪.”  

“Oh, were you eavesdropping? Yeah, no girlfriend here.”  

“Got it~ ♪ But my clubmates were saying it seems like you’d have one, Sora-nii!”  

What the heck, Akari’s friends?!  

…Not gonna lie, that made me a little happy. They thought I seemed like I’d have a girlfriend?  

“Haha, no chance. I’m not exactly boyfriend material.”  

I laughed as I told Akari that.  

Because I had a “secret” I was keeping from her.  

With how things had turned out, there was no way I could have a normal relationship anymore.  

“Really?”  

“Like I said earlier, I’m not into ‘cool’ girls. I’m just not normal, y’know?”  

I definitely couldn’t tell Akari that I was a slut! So instead, I went with another reason.  

Saying it out loud made me sound like a pretentious teenager. It was still true, though!  

“Then what if, say, one of your classmates confessed to you?”  

“Huh? Well… I’d probably turn them down.”  

“Really?”  

“Really. What if someone confessed to you, Akari?”

“I’d turn them down. Playing with you, Sora-nii, is more important!”  

“You’re such a sweetheart. When you do get a boyfriend someday, I’ll vet him for you.”  

“But I’m not planning on getting one~!”  

Ah, she was such a good kid.  

But let’s be real: in a few years, she’d totally show up with a boyfriend anyway!  

“What do you want to do after lunch?”  

“I’d like to relax at the heated pool.”  

“Great idea. I’m starting to get a little tired.”  

“Then after that, let’s go down the water slide one more time!”  

“Alright, I’m in.”  

“Ah… Sora-nii, are you worn out?”  

She looked at me with a worried expression.  

To be honest, I was pretty drained—both mentally and physically.  

But… as Akari grew older, she’d naturally drift away from me.  

That was just how siblings were, I suppose.  

Not that I fully felt it yet, but it’d happen eventually.  

Once I was in college or working, I’d likely live on my own. We’d grow apart physically too.  

“Haha, not at all! I’ll join you as much as you want.”  

“Yay!”  

“Yep, yep.”  

So, for now, I’d focus on being here for her.  

For Akari, who gave me a place to belong.  

Even if it meant turning a blind eye to certain things.  

“Then let’s float around the lazy river for three more laps!” 

“Alright, I’m in (fully committed).”  

Tomorrow, I’d probably spend the entire day in bed!  

☆

“Today was so much fun!”  

“Yeah!!”  

“You’re still so energetic…” 

“Yep!”  

On the bus ride home.  

The sky was painted orange, carrying with it the faint scent of summer’s end.  

The other passengers had the same feel—tired and satisfied from a full day of fun.  

Sora-nii probably felt the same way.  

“…”  

“Huh?”  

When I turned to look, I saw him with his eyes closed.  

His body swayed slightly as if nodding off.  

And then, leaning fully against the seat, he began to softly snore.  

“Goodnight, Sora-nii.”  

He must’ve been exhausted.  

Now that I thought about it, I had dragged him around a lot today.  

It was so much fun.  

Spending time with Sora-nii is always so enjoyable.  

I hope he felt the same way…  

“…”  

[Just two more sets of push-ups… ]

He wasn’t trying to lose weight—he was exercising to build his body.  

Even though he wasn’t in any clubs.  

[I can’t let a girl worry about me. Go ahead and have fun.]  

Even as a guy, he could say things like that to reassure me.  

It was usually girls who said those kinds of lines.  

“I figured getting back by six would be alright.]  

But sometimes, watching him felt precarious.  

It was almost like he carried himself as if he were “reversed”. 

[I’m not into ‘cool’ girls. But there’s nothing wrong with them.]  

Most guys liked cool, strong-willed girls.  

Everything about him felt reversed. Really, he was so peculiar.  

But—because of that, the girls around him were drawn to him.  

Someone like Natsuki wasn’t acting like she’d treat him as just another male friend.  

Sora-nii was kind to girls.  

He connected with them easily.  

And he let his guard down around them.  

[Oh, is this a pickup attempt?]  

Just earlier, he’d drawn someone the moment I turned my back.  

I thought about stepping in to stop it, but—  

[Nah, I’m not waiting on anyone. I don’t have a girlfriend.]  

He gave the pickup woman that response.  

Even though Akari’s clubmates said otherwise, it was clear: he didn’t have a girlfriend.  

That brought me so much relief.  

But… I felt like it was only a matter of time.  

[Haha, no way. I could never get one.]  

That was what he’d said.  

[Huh? Well… I’d probably turn them down.]  

That was what he’d said, but—  

“You wouldn’t be able to turn them down, Sora-nii.”  

He was too kind.  

Even if someone wasn’t his type, he wouldn’t outright reject them.  

It’d probably happen gradually.  

Whether as a trial or something else, they’d end up dating.

And then, before long, they might end up doing “those things” too.  

Girls… at the end of the day, they all wanted that kind of thing.  

They were drawn to taking a guy’s “first time”.

“…You’re still asleep, right?”  

If that was the case…  

If he was going to give himself to someone he didn’t even like—  

It should be someone who knew him best.  

Who was closest to him.  

Who got along with him the most.  

Someone like me.  

“I love you, Sora-nii.”  

I whispered it for only his sleeping self to hear.  

Then, I held his hand, rested my head on his shoulder, and pressed my thigh closer to his.  

Even so, he didn’t move.  

Nothing I did woke him up.  

“…”  

That’s right. No matter what I did.  

Ah, I was such a terrible person.  

“Wait for me, Sora-nii.”  

―I couldn’t wait for the “goodnight”.

Tired, he slept—the ‘tonight’ him―