Even Though the Gender Ratio Has Changed, My Attempts at Flirting With Women Are Unsuccessful

Chapter 29: People Getting Cozy During the Pair Exam

A little while back, at the Class A training grounds.

“Handcuffs!? Wait, nobody told me about this!”

“How are we supposed to move like this…?”

“It’s all about teamwork with your partner!”

The sudden announcement that pairs would be handcuffed together sent a wave of commotion through the group.

“Tiana-chan…! The handcuffs!”

“Hm, Crora, no need to panic. It doesn’t feel like our magic is being restricted or anything… I think these are just regular handcuffs, more or less.”

Crora’s voice trembled with anxiety, but Tiana responded calmly.

“O-Oh, right… Sorry, I’m the only one freaking out…”

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t see this coming either, so it’s natural to be surprised.”

“But you’re so calm, Tiana-chan.”

“…Well, I’m not *that* calm.”

“Huh, really?”

Even Tiana must feel nervous about an exam that could lead to expulsion, Crora thought.

But that wasn’t quite it…

“I mean, how can I stay calm? Handcuffed together with your partner… that means Ark and Sheffy are linked up like this right now, too, right?”

“Uh, yeah? I guess so. The exam conditions are probably the same, so the two in Class B are likely in the same situation.”

“So Sheffy… she gets to legally, efficiently, get all cozy with Ark.”

“…What?”

It took Crora a moment to process Tiana’s words.

She blinked rapidly.

“Tiana-chan…?”

“When you’re handcuffed together, you’re naturally closer. Ark’s so oblivious, and Sheffy’s definitely going to do things she wouldn’t normally do… It’s not fair. I want to get cozy with Ark, too. This is so unfair…”

“Tiana-chan…!?”

Tiana clenched her fists, her face deadly serious.

The sight threw Crora into an even greater panic than when the handcuffs were first put on.

◆◆

“Ugh…”

As I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar stone-walled space.

So this is the academy’s custom-made dungeon, huh.

“Still, I have no idea where we are!”

Since we weren’t given a map, I had no clue about our current location or where the goal was.

Aiming for the goal felt like chasing something in the dark…

*“No questions allowed! All the hints you need are inside the dungeon. I’ll be waiting at the goal.”*

I recalled Ms. Louise’s words.

Guess we’re supposed to find the hints ourselves.

And, if I had to guess…

*“A normal dungeon would have monsters lurking around. But this is a test dungeon built by the academy, so there are no monsters. That said… something else is waiting for you.”*

Those words from Ms. Louise… Whatever this “something else” is, it’s probably the key to clearing this.

“Still, in a dungeon this big… maybe the handcuffs are the instructors’ way of being considerate.”

Without the handcuffs, it’d be easy to get lost in the maze or separated from your partner due to traps or unexpected situations.

“These handcuffs… might be best to keep them on until the end.”

“Indeed. And it seems there’s some consideration for the boys as well.”

“Oh?”

Consideration for the boys… to keep us from getting separated from our attendants, maybe?

I mean, getting separated from your attendant would definitely be unsettling.

“Anyway, we can’t just stand around chatting. The exam’s already started.”

The time limit is 5 p.m. today.

Staying in here too long might mess with our sense of time.

“Ark-sama.”

“Right, first we should—”

“First… shall we hold hands?”

“Sounds good—wait, what?”

I thought she’d suggest scouting the area or something, but… that’s not what I heard.

“Sheffy?”

“Making me say it again… Ark-sama, you’re so mean.”

Sheffy averted her gaze.

Tugging on the handcuffs could hurt her wrist, and I don’t want Sheffy to feel any pain!

“Got it. Let’s hold hands!”

“!”

I grabbed Sheffy’s hand.

This way, the handcuffs won’t hurt her wrist, and we won’t get separated!

“Your hand, Ark-sama… it’s so big.”

“Yeah, I’m a guy, after all.”

“And… it’s firm.”

“Guy thing.”

“…It feels reassuring.”

“Guy thing!”

I answered confidently, but Sheffy’s voice grew softer, almost a whisper.

Her face was tilted downward—what’s up with her?

I glanced at our joined hands and suddenly realized something.

“Oh, right. Now that I think about it, my hands might be sweaty.”

“No, a little sweat is no problem at all.”

“You sure? You’re not forcing yourself?”

“I’m not. If I were, I wouldn’t happily wash your training clothes.”

“Oh, right. Thanks for always… wait, what?”

I was about to thank her for doing my laundry, but… did she say “happily”?

Is that her way of saying she’s not doing it grudgingly?

“…I’m holding hands with Ark-sama. I’m happy. So happy. I could stay like this forever…”

I glanced at Sheffy, who was muttering something under her breath.

I couldn’t catch the words, but her cheeks were definitely turning red.

Could it be…?

“Sheffy, sorry, let me check something.”

“Huh…?”

I looked at her face and touched her forehead.

Then I touched my own to compare our temperatures.

“Hmm… doesn’t seem like you have a fever.”

I was worried she might be overworking herself and getting sick.

Back at the mansion, she’s my dedicated maid, and at the academy, she’s my attendant, always by my side.

Sheffy’s the type who’d probably hide it if she wasn’t feeling well.

“Wait a sec… is it just me, or is it getting warmer?”

“~~~!”

*“Ahem, ahem, mic test, mic test.”*

Ms. Louise’s voice echoed from somewhere.

*“It’s been almost ten minutes since the exam started. From now on, I’ll only announce the remaining time. Also, we’re monitoring all the pairs on screens here! We can see everything, including whichever pair is getting all cozy!”*

There aren’t any other guys in Class B besides me…

Wait, yuri? Is it yuri?

I *need* to see that footage later.

“I’m a bit worried about Sheffy’s temperature, but the faster we clear this dungeon, the more time we’ll have to rest. Let’s aim for the fastest pass!”

“I’d be fine using the full time…”

“Hm? Well, sure, we’d still pass if we took the whole time.”

But clearing it quickly would be way cooler, right?