I Thought It Was a World Where Chastity Norms Were Reversed, But It Turns Out I Was Just Surrounded by the Overly Intense Girls in My Class

Chapter 17.1: A Girl’s Home Cooking and Chastity

Even after class started, my head was still full of the necktie thing.
It was so full that I ended up passing Yukimi a scrap of notebook paper without thinking.

—Can I have my necktie back?

I sent her that note, and she fired one right back with no delay.

—Have you already played a game with Wakabayashi-san?

It was written on loose-leaf paper this time. She must have switched from notebook scraps. I actually prefer loose-leaf myself.

The problem was the question itself. I couldn’t quite figure out what she was worried about.

The one thing I was sure of was that we definitely hadn’t played shogi, so I immediately sent back a note denying it.

When she read it, Yukimi pressed both hands to her chest and let out a long breath, her shoulders relaxing with clear relief.

What on earth was she so worried about?

I gave a wry smile at that, and just then Wakabayashi caught the corner of my eye. It looked like the teacher had called on him.

Getting called on in math of all classes—talk about bad luck. Not only did he have to answer, he had to walk up to the blackboard and write out the whole equation. Mess it up and it’d be humiliating.

Yet Wakabayashi showed no trace of nerves as he stepped up to the board. He wrote the formula with steady, confident strokes, his chalk never hesitating.

“Correct.”

The math teacher sounded satisfied as Wakabayashi headed back to his seat.

…He’s surprisingly serious and put-together. I couldn’t solve that problem at all.

Well, someone passing notes during class isn’t exactly in a position to solve anything smoothly.

Still, it was unexpected.

Bright personality, good at studying, athletic-looking build—yet he’s got a little sister who keeps him locked up at home. The guy’s full of contradictions.

I wonder if he’s in any clubs?

If he’s in the going-home club, I’d love to invite him to the shogi club.

I’m not sure what Yukimi would say, but having Wakabayashi around would definitely make things more fun.

And most importantly, with him there as a deterrent, the two of them might finally stop trying to take their clothes off.

We could run a perfectly wholesome club without being ruled by chastity concerns.

—Maybe I’ll ask him.

I decided to invite him next time we talk.

“………………………………”

That aside—can I please have my necktie back, Yukimi?

I turned toward the seat next to me and passed her another scrap.

—Can I have my necktie back? (Second try)

She gave a faint smile and sent back a sheet of loose-leaf.
Just one line.

—Would you like to eat lunch in the clubroom today?

Um, did she seriously not read my note? Is my handwriting that bad?
Should I write more neatly?
Or maybe my pen pressure’s too light?

Her handwriting is insanely bold, though. Thinking that, I grabbed a marker.

—Can I have my necktie back? (Third try)

She kept the same smile and instantly slid another sheet over.

—I made a lunch for Tatsuya-san too, so there’s no need to bring anything. Eating bread from the school store every day isn’t good for your health.

Yeah. Before worrying about my health, how about listening to what I’m saying?

※

—Lunch break.

I walked with a sweetly smiling, silent Yukimi to the shogi clubroom.

I’m pretty sure we’re not allowed in the clubroom during lunch, but… is this really okay?

When I asked, she answered, “I’m on the public morals committee, so it’s fine.”
Being on the morals committee is amazing. Total respect.

We got to the clubroom, but eating alone with Yukimi for the first time felt incredibly awkward.

We’ve never really chatted much. We write notes all the time, though.

After an uncomfortable silence,

Yukimi opened her bento box and suddenly spoke.

“Yesterday I talked to my mother.”

“Oh?”

Talking to a parent about something personal isn’t easy. It means they have a really good relationship—that’s great.
The issue is what she talked about.

“I asked her something.”

“What?”

“Why Tatsuya-san won’t play a game with me.”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

“That’s kind of a question you shouldn’t ask your mom, right?”

“Mother said, ‘It’s because you haven’t grabbed his stomach yet.’”

“We are talking about shogi, right? You do know it’s shogi?”

“That’s when it hit me. She was absolutely right. I had to grab your stomach first.”

As she spoke, she handed me a pair of cherry-blossom-patterned chopsticks that matched her own.

“That’s why I made lunch. I thought about nutrition balance and made sure there’s plenty of protein. Mother said protein is important for playing a game.”

“That’s… thank you.”

I didn’t know how else to respond, but I figured I should at least thank her.
You need stamina to play shogi, after all.

“So… here!”

Her face bright red, Yukimi held out the bento box.
She looked embarrassed—probably because this was her first time cooking for someone else.

It made me nervous too. So nervous I couldn’t look her straight in the eyes.

I glanced down at the bento instead.

White rice with a single small pickled plum on top. Off to the side, tamagoyaki and salted grilled salmon.
Next to them, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and little octopus-shaped sausages added color.

“I’m… not very good at cooking, but I did my best thinking of it as bridal training.”

Yukimi looked down a little as she said that.
Her cheeks were faintly pink, and she was so fidgety that I didn’t have the heart to tease her.

“…Itadakimasu.”

“Please enjoy!”

I put my hands together and took a bite of tamagoyaki first.
Soft and fluffy, with the gentle flavor of dashi spreading in my mouth. Simple, but warm.

“…It’s good.”

“—⁉︎”

The moment I muttered that, Yukimi’s shoulders jumped.