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 23: The Resolve to Take Charge of Three Years

Chapter 23: The Resolve to Take Charge of Three Years

Yukimi-san never came back.

When I checked the clock, more than thirty minutes had already passed.
I figured I should probably go check on her, so I stood up.

It’s still inside the house, so finding her shouldn’t take long.

But the moment I stepped out of the room, I instantly regretted it.

“Huh? Which way was which again?”

The house was a maze of sliding doors.

The hallway stretched on forever with identical doors on both sides. No matter where I looked, everything looked the same.

After wandering for a while, I completely lost track of where I was.

“…Hm?”

That’s when I heard a noise coming from behind one of the doors.

A rattling metallic creak.

It was a sound I’d never heard before, and it felt a little off, but it could still be Yukimi-san.

I knocked lightly on the door.

In response came a soft tapping on the floor, like someone knocking back.

—Is that the signal to come in?

I knocked once more.

Again, three soft taps in return.

“I’m coming in.”

Deciding it was safe, I cautiously slid the door open.

And what I saw left me speechless.

“…Huh?”

It was a six-mat tatami room.

In the center, a futon was laid out, and a man in his forties was lying on it.

But that wasn’t what shocked me.

Both of his ankles were wrapped in thick iron chains.

It looked exactly like he was being restrained.

I couldn’t process what I was seeing.

If that man was Yukimi-san’s father, I should greet him immediately.

But the shock was so great I couldn’t make a sound.

Our eyes met perfectly, yet I couldn’t move a single finger.

“…E-excuse me.”

After a long silence, I barely managed to squeeze out those words and slammed the door shut.

“Who… was that guy…?”

Cold sweat ran down my forehead as I clutched my chest.

“Are you all right?”

A voice suddenly came from behind me.

I turned around and there stood Yukimi-san’s mother, poised and elegant.

She was beautiful, but her eyes held a sharp, intense light that made me step back without thinking.

“What were you doing?”

“Y-Yukimi-san hasn’t come back, so… I was looking for her.”

“I see.”

Her brows furrowed slightly in concern before she answered calmly.

“When Yukina has something on her mind, she often sits out by the garden.”

“Really? Then I’ll go check there!”

“Go left at the end of the hall.”

“Thank you! Excuse me!”

I half-ran away from the spot.

As I hurried down the corridor, I wiped the sweat pouring from my forehead.

—That was terrifying.

I have no idea what that was about.

But one thing’s for sure—this family’s sense of chastity is completely reversed.

Either way, getting any more involved feels dangerous.

Being locked up like that? No thank you.

※

I turned left at the end of the hall and came out onto the veranda. There was Yukimi-san.

She was gazing at the flowers blooming in the garden, swinging her legs like a little kid. The childish gesture felt oddly charming.

“Tatsuya-san!?”

She jumped when she heard my footsteps.

“I told you not to come looking for me.”

“I got worried, okay?”

I sat down beside her.

A pleasant breeze blew through, and just looking at the view made my heart feel calmer.

“About earlier…”

I kept my eyes on the garden as I started speaking.

“If I made you misunderstand… I’m sorry. I’m not good at saying what I really mean.”

“Tatsuya-san?”

“I’ve never really told anyone how I truly feel before. I don’t think I’m good at talking unless it’s through shogi.”

Looking back, I’ve always run away.

I kept my distance from people and avoided putting things into words.

That’s probably why nothing ever gets through when it matters.

“What I really wanted to say was… I want to talk with you openly and honestly.”

“…Openly and honestly? That’s what you meant?”

“Well, yeah—literally. No, wait, that sounds confusing. What I mean is, I want to spend time together. I want to spend time together in the shogi club.”

That was my honest wish.

To sit across the shogi board from her and walk through all three years of high school together.

I know it won’t be easy. I know half-hearted resolve won’t be enough.

But if I truly want it to happen, I have to take the first step.

A big step that changes everything between us.

“Yukimi-san!”

I gently reached out my hand, took a deep breath, and poured everything I had into my next words.

“Please—let me have your three high school years.”

It was a club recruitment pitch, and it was my resolve.

As shogi club captain, I was declaring I was ready to take responsibility for her three years.

So that three years from now, she could say, “I’m glad I joined.”

So she would have no regrets.

I had to show her I was ready to carry that weight.

Yukimi-san blinked in surprise, then slowly smiled.

“Understood.”

She shifted into proper seiza right there on the veranda, turning to face me fully.

Every movement was refined, her good upbringing showing through as always.

But her cheeks were faintly pink, and she couldn’t quite hide how happy she looked.

Then, with a formal air, she bowed deeply.

“I look forward to being in your care for a long time!”

“Same here—please take care of me too!”

We both bowed to each other.

I wonder what this scene looks like from the outside.

I don’t know. I really don’t—but I’m sure this is how we close the distance between us.