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 24: Side Yukimi Yukina

Chapter 24: Side Yukimi Yukina

This was the first time I had ever invited a man to my house.

No. I had never even invited a friend from school over, let alone a man.

In other words, this was the first time. Tatsuya-san was the first.

As for why I ended up inviting him, it started when I consulted Mom.

“I recently made a female friend. But I’m almost certain that friend likes Tatsuya-san. In other words, she’s a rival. What should I do?”

To my question, Mom answered like this.

“Create a fait accompli.”

To be honest, I thought Mom was far too aggressive.

Because a fait accompli is improper. It’s impure. And no matter how you look at it, it’s way too soon.

We hadn’t even known each other for a full month yet.

If I did something that sudden, Tatsuya-san would be shocked.

So I told her that was impossible.

Then Mom replied like this.

“Then at least invite him to the house.”

And that’s how inviting Tatsuya-san over was decided.

But even though I invited him, I didn’t have any particular plan for what to do.

I was just happy he came over, and right now I didn’t want anything more than that.

Because of that lack of preparation, an awkward atmosphere ended up hanging in the air while we were alone in my room.

I did think about trying to start a conversation, but I was so nervous that nothing came out.

Having the man I like in the space where I usually live turned out to be far more nerve-racking than I had imagined.

Unable to stand it any longer, I consulted Mom again.

Then, looking exasperated, she said this.

“Create a fait accompli.”

Mom was far too carnivorous. No matter how many times I said it was impossible, she just kept repeating that line.

A fait accompli… just imagining a fait accompli made my head feel like it was boiling.

When I couldn’t take it anymore and clutched my head, Mom took pity on me and said this.

“If you can’t show it through action, then at the very least tell him how you feel. Unlike at school, no one will interrupt you, so pour out everything in your heart.”

Those words deeply moved me.

That’s right. I would tell him how I feel.

My life had changed since meeting Tatsuya-san. I would tell him my gratitude, my feelings, right now.

After finishing my consultation with Mom, I returned to my room with the resolve of someone heading into battle.

Tatsuya-san had apparently just finished a game of shogi, and his face looked somehow refreshed. He seemed relaxed.

To that Tatsuya-san, I told him my feelings.

That thanks to him, I could speak my true thoughts. That I could be my real self. That I was truly grateful from the bottom of my heart.

After I finished speaking, he wore a solemn expression.

Was it a bit too heavy?

But before I could dwell on that thought, Tatsuya-san suddenly put on a serious face and said this.

“Won’t you—play a game with me?”

It was the equivalent of a confession.

“Ever since we first met, I’ve kinda been interested in you.”

Tatsuya-san began to speak as though recalling the past.

Was this about how we first got to know each other?

“At first I thought you seemed really stiff, but the more I got to know you, the more surprisingly frank you turned out to be. Surprisingly easy to get along with, I guess? Our wavelengths match, and I like the vibe—”

“W-w-w-wait a moment, please. That’s too sudden!”

“Sudden?”

“It’s sudden!”

I was shocked by how sudden it was.

This really was a confession, wasn’t it.

At first I thought it was a joke, but it seemed Tatsuya-san was serious.

“I’m the type who gets hooked pretty easily. Before I knew it, that was all I could think about, and I couldn’t concentrate in class at all. The center of my life shifted.”

“T-to that extent, me⁉︎”

But my excitement lasted only a moment.

“At first I wasn’t interested at all. I mean, these days you can do anything with a smartphone, so there’s no need to bother with reality, right?”

“Tatsuya-san⁉︎ That’s awful!”

Now he started saying something cruel.

Anything with a smartphone? Was I someone who could be replaced by a smartphone?

“But before I knew it, I was hooked. Why do I like it this much, I wonder?”

“Th-that’s something you should answer yourself!”

Just when I was feeling down, Tatsuya-san shook my heart again with another bold statement.

“I guess the biggest thing is how it stirs my emotions. Winning feels great, losing stings. That might seem obvious, but it’s actually pretty rare. The older you get, the fewer chances there are to feel that emotional. My chest pounds uncontrollably, my emotions get shaken uncontrollably. That’s the biggest charm, I think.”

The one stirring my emotions was none other than Tatsuya-san himself.

All this overflowing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness was his fault. Please take responsibility.

“So, Yukimi-san.”

“Play a game—with me.”

Tatsuya-san said that and held out his hand.

This was completely a confession. No mistake about it.

I almost took his hand on reflex, but then a thought struck me.

Maybe this meant the same as playing one game.

If so, I needed to be ready. But it was so sudden that I wasn’t mentally prepared.

What should I do. What was the right thing to do.

Once I became aware of it, I was done for.

I couldn’t stay in the same room any longer.

My heart pounded so fiercely that I felt like I might fall apart.

“I’m going to get some fresh air outside for a bit. Please don’t come looking for meeeeeeeeeeeee!”

So I fled the room as if running away.

I knew it was wrong, and I was aware it was rude.

Still, I needed time to prepare my heart.

Before I knew it, I was sitting blankly on the veranda. While gazing at the scenery outside, I kept imagining Tatsuya-san and pressing both hands to my flushed face in an embarrassing display.

No one should see me like this.

Not Mom, not Dad, and certainly not Tatsuya-san.

Yet Tatsuya-san came after me anyway.

And to me in my flustered state, he made this confession.

“Won’t you—entrust your three high school years to me?”

At first I didn’t understand what he meant.

Did three years mean club activities? Or as friends?

Just as I wondered that, I realized.

Three years might seem short, but it’s actually long.

The entire period of high school life, that precious time for a young maiden. Asking to take charge of all of it was the same as dating.

No—it was dating!

While feeling as if my whole body was boiling, I sat formally on my knees to show my sincerity.

And I accepted Tatsuya-san’s confession.

“I look forward to a long relationship!”

Not just three years, but from now on as well.

I look forward to a long relationship. I will serve you with all my heart.

But in return…

No running away midway, okay? I’ll expect a serious match, after all.

※

After Tatsuya-san went home.

Finally free from the tension, I was cooling my overheated body with a fan when I heard the sound of Dad knocking on the floor.

He knocked three times. That probably meant he wanted to use the bathroom.

This is completely unrelated, but on weekends Dad is always confined.

I don’t know the reason.

If I had to guess, maybe it’s because Mom is a gambler?

It seems my parents have some unusual preferences.

Of course, I have no such interests.

Just because we’re parent and child doesn’t mean tastes are inherited, and there’s no way I would enjoy such improper behavior.

Yet for a moment, I imagined it.

Me confining Tatsuya-san.

Him handcuffed, unable to resist at all, while I take care of him one-sidedly.

Unable to do anything without me.

Me being his entire world.

Keeping Tatsuya-san locked in that kind of environment.

“N-no! Absolutely not!”

I know it’s wrong.

And yet…

“Why is my chest pounding so much?”

It was strange.

Is this what they mean by blood will tell?

“No. Absolutely not.”

Either way, it’s no good. It’s improper.

It’s a line that must not be crossed.

“Absoluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutely nooooooot!”

And so my tumultuous day came to an end.

That night.

Needless to say, I was too excited to fall asleep. Improper.