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 20-21

Chapter 20: It’s Not a Date

I’ve never once in my entire life visited a girl from class’s house.

So when she suddenly invited me, my brain completely froze. But I answered right away.

Because I could see fear in her eyes, the fear of being turned down.

That’s why I answered as gently as I could so she wouldn’t worry.

“I’ll take you up on that offer and come over.”

And that’s how it was decided I’d visit Yukimi’s house. Of course, there was no way Big Sis would let that slide.

“Tatsuya-kun, where are you going?”

Saturday. I was putting on my shoes to leave the house and meet Yukimi at Senbonhama Park at one o’clock when Big Sis called out to me.

“Just hanging out.”

“Not club stuff?”

She came from the living room to the front door and gave me a suspicious look.

“You’re dressed nicer than usual. Super suspicious.”

“I’m not doing anything worth being suspicious about.”

“Are you maybe going on a date with a girl?”

“It’s… probably not a date.”

I don’t know the exact definition of “date,” but going to a classmate’s house doesn’t count as one, right?

There is something called a “home date,” but that’s a term couples use.

It wouldn’t fit a boy and girl who are just classmates. So it’s not a date… I think. Probably.

Plus, this visit has another purpose.

The purpose of inviting Yukimi to the shogi club.

In that sense too, it really doesn’t feel like a date.

“Suspicious… Hey, can Big Sis come along?”

“No.”

“Come on, just a little.”

In what world does someone bring their big sister when visiting a classmate’s house?

If I did that, she’d be totally creeped out.

“Anyway, I’m heading out.”

“You’ll be back by dinner, right? If you’re not, Big Sis is gonna lose it.”

“I’ll be back, so let go of me.”

“Okaaaay.”

I shook off Big Sis, who was puffing out her cheeks like a sulking kid, and bolted out the door.

“Crap, because she held me up I’m almost late.”

Pretty much every time I’m late, it’s Big Sis’s fault.

Whether she grabs me or not—that’s literally everything.

※

I hurried to Senbonhama Park, out of breath.

When I reached the meeting spot,

“—!”

There stood Yukimi in a pure white dress.

Her long hair swayed in the breeze and shone beautifully in the sunlight.

The impression was completely different from her uniform. I couldn’t help staring, and when she noticed me she happily ran over.

“I’ve been waiting.”

“Sorry, I barely made it.”

“No, I actually like it when the other person is just a tiny bit late. It makes me feel properly waited for.”

“Oh… okay.”

I had no idea what she meant, but I decided not to dig deeper. The faint smile on her face definitely meant it was the bad kind of reason.

“Well then, shall we go?”

I followed her lead.

We passed the coastline, entered a quiet residential area, and soon it came into view.

“Whoa…”

It was, in a word, a luxurious Japanese-style mansion.

A single-story building with a tiled roof. The garden was huge—big enough for kids to run around in.

A beautifully trimmed pine tree stood in front of the entrance, giving off a heavy, historic vibes of history.

“It’s got an amazing atmosphere.”

“Fufu, actually my grandfather built this house. We renovated the inside, but the outside is exactly the same.”

Yukimi smiled softly.

“Of course, there are tatami rooms too. We can play as many games as we want.”

“By ‘games you mean shogi, right?

It’s not the reversed-chastity-meaning, right?

It’s really okay to go inside, right?

Feeling all those worries, I still stepped over the threshold.

—

Chapter 21: Being Alone in a Girl’s Room Is Awkward

I slid open the wooden door and stepped inside. A cool breeze brushed against my skin.

The entrance hall radiated refined elegance.

On top of the shoe cabinet stood a neat row of wooden carvings, each one so finely detailed that you could tell at a glance they weren’t cheap.

Overwhelmed by the solemn atmosphere, I swallowed hard and looked around.

“…Hm?”

That’s when I noticed a line of picture frames deeper inside.

There were photos of a very young Yukimi playing the piano or arranging flowers.

Little Yukimi looked more cute than beautiful, and the gap between then and now made me stare without thinking.

“Tatsuya-san, please stop looking. It’s embarrassing.”

Yukimi’s cheeks flushed as she hurried to stop me.

I kept staring anyway, so she stepped in front of the photos to block them.

“There’s nothing there! Nothing at all, Tatsuya-san!”

“They’re not embarrassing at all…”

“This isn’t about logic! It’s a matter of pride!”

“Right…”

While we were having that exchange, footsteps echoed from deeper in the hallway.

“Welcome home.”

A woman in a kimono appeared.

Her posture was perfect, her presence every bit as elegant as Yukimi’s—if not more so.

Her gaze held not a single opening; the word “strict” fit her perfectly.

“I’m Yukina’s mother.”

“Thank you for having me! I’m in the same class as Yukimi—Baba Tatsuya!”

I greeted her stiffly, nerves making my voice crack.

“I’ve heard about you from my daughter.”

She nodded calmly, then glanced at Yukimi beside her.

“You look awfully happy, Yukina.”

“M-Mother!?”

Yukimi’s voice jumped an octave.

So she calls her “Mother” at home. Somehow that’s adorable.

As I was thinking that, the mother turned her sharp gaze back on me.

“Our daughter can be a bit impulsive at times, but please take good care of her.”

“N-No, not at all! She’s very serious and really helps me out!”

In reality she drags me around more than she helps, but there’s no way I could say that in front of her parent.

“To think you’d say she helps you…”

Yukimi’s cheeks turned even redder as she got full of herself.

Nothing I could do about it—I had to keep complimenting her.

“Oh, this is just a small thing, but…”

I picked the right moment and handed over the paper bag I’d brought from home.

I figured you’re supposed to bring a gift when visiting someone’s house, so I bought it ahead of time.

Inside were hororin, a famous treat from Suruga—round cookie snacks. They’re my favorite.

“How polite of you.”

“To think you’d say she helps you…”

Yukimi was still basking in it, hand on her cheek, frozen in place.

Her mother gave a slightly exasperated look at her daughter. Watching the heartwarming parent-child moment, a question suddenly popped into my head.

Come to think of it, where’s her dad?

I’d even imagined him yelling “You’re not having my daughter!” Maybe he’s at work?

“This way, please.”

Still wondering, I took off my shoes and followed Yukimi, who had regained her composure.

We walked down a long hallway and stopped in front of a sliding fusuma door. Yukimi spoke in a trembling, embarrassed voice.

“T-This is my room.”

“O-Okay.”

“We’d be overheard in the living room, so…”

“…Yeah.”

An extremely awkward mood hung in the air as she slowly opened the door.

“Excuse me.”

The moment I stepped inside, a soft, gentle fragrance wrapped around me.

Light pink curtains, a neatly organized desk and bed. On the wall were a calendar and her middle-school class schedule—perfectly blending girlish charm with seriousness.

“P-Please, make yourself at home.”

“Th-Thanks for having me…”

Two cushions were already laid out in the center of the room. I sat down, nerves on edge.

“…Hm?”

Something on the wall instantly caught my eye.

“…First Move Wins!?”

Those bold characters were written on a hanging scroll.

The brush strokes were full of spirit—I felt like I’d seen that handwriting somewhere before.

“Did you write this, Yukimi?”

“…Yes, embarrassingly. I took calligraphy lessons when I was little.”

“…I see.”

I’d always thought her handwriting was unusually beautiful even on scraps of notebook paper, but she actually studied calligraphy. Makes sense.

“You took piano too, right?”

“Yes. The piano is in Mother’s room.”

“…Got it.”

“…Yes.”

“…”

Before I knew it, conversation had died, and an awkward silence settled between us.

Yukimi fidgeted with her hands in her lap, eyes darting everywhere.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at anything except the scroll.

…This is awkward. Really awkward.

We’ve been alone together plenty of times before, so why is it this bad now?

“Um…”

“Yeah?”

“T-Thank you so much for coming today. Really…”

Her voice got smaller and smaller.

“N-No, I’m the one who’s happy you invited me.”

I ended up answering in the same tiny voice.

I couldn’t help it.

It’s my first time ever being in a girl’s room—I have no idea how to act.

Our eyes wandered, then suddenly met.

In that instant, her cheeks flushed bright red.

“There’s nothing… nothing there.”

She muttered her catchphrase in a voice so quiet I could barely hear it.

This is bad. Way too awkward.

I was so nervous I couldn’t look her in the eye, and my heart was pounding like crazy.

This never happens in the shogi club room.

“Yukimi.”

“Yes?”

“Can I play some online shogi for a bit?”

“…P-Please do.”

I wanted to play shogi to calm down, and apparently that was fine.

As I took out my phone, Yukimi spoke again.

“Tatsuya-san.”

“Hm?”

“May I go ask Mother something?”

“Ask her what?”

“Something!”

“…S-Sure, go ahead.”

The moment I gave permission, she dashed out of the room, footsteps thundering.

Left alone, I opened the shogi app and hit the “Start Match” button.

“—Match beginning.”

The old man’s voice announcing the start of the game echoed through the quiet room.