I'm a Kept Man for the Three Most Beautiful Girls in School - Chapter 01: Recollection - Chikage Karasuma

Chapter 01: Recollection – Chikage Karasuma

Our family is poor.

My parents are busy with work and don’t have much money. So, I have to earn my own money for food and clothes by working part-time jobs.

But I know they love me, so I don’t complain.

Yes, we are poor. 

When my little sister, who’s still in middle school, says with a smile, “I’ll start working after I graduate high school,” it makes me feel proud of her maturity but also makes my chest ache.

I want to send my sister to college. 

For that, we need money.

In this country, there’s a strange policy: “If a child’s income exceeds 1,030,000 yen, they are no longer eligible for dependent deductions.”

This policy makes my goal incredibly difficult to achieve.

On top of that, there’s the rising cost of living squeezing our household budget. 

Politicians probably don’t care about us ordinary people, but shouldn’t they discuss more important things in the parliament before debating about smartphone usage?

Sigh. If only we could move abroad… mumble.

But we don’t have that kind of money!

I want to protest against this country’s way of crushing high school students with despair during their sensitive years, but unfortunately, I don’t have time to wallow in defeat.

As long as my family is happy, that’s enough for me. I don’t ask for more.

I believe that such a small wish isn’t selfish.

Looking up at the clear sky, my blue tie, a symbol of being a second-year student, fluttering, I walked through the school gate, glancing at the new students.

※

The opening ceremony and long homeroom ended, and it was time for short homeroom. Since school ended at noon today, my classmates seemed a bit excited.

I was also happy because I had a part-time job scheduled in the afternoon, so I could go home early. 

After the homeroom teacher finished speaking, it was time to leave.

As my classmates were getting ready to leave, I stood up, slung my bag over my shoulder, and was about to exit the classroom when someone called out from behind, “Kyosaka-kun, want to go to karaoke after school?”

It was Adachi-san, who was in the same class last year.

“Oh, sorry… I have work today.”

“Man, he’s so boring.”

“I heard he’s poor and lives in a prefab house.”

The classroom filled with the voices of boys mocking me. 

In Class 2-3, even though it was still early in the school year, I was already an outsider. Not that I was ever part of the group.

“That’s hilarious. Maybe he doesn’t even take baths.”

“Actually, Kyosaka-kun is cleaner than you guys.”

“Shut up, idiot. What do you mean clean? Kyosaka doesn’t have a shred of masculinity.”

“Yeah, he’s so wimpy and creepy.”

Many boys dislike me, Kei Kyosaka.

Some even call me a “womanizer,” though I never make the first move. It’s a bit unfair to be labeled like that. The girls are kind to me, which probably fuels the boys’ resentment even more.

(It feels like there’s an automatic system for being hated…)

Well, this is normal for me. I’m used to it and don’t let it bother me.

Alright, time to work hard at my part-time job again today. 

I need to earn money quickly—

※

Uber Eats.

It’s a delivery job. A food delivery service, to be exact. The job is to deliver ordered items to specified locations. Simply put, it connects “restaurants” and “delivery people,” creating a new business model. This system, which lets you enjoy delicious food without leaving your home, is loved by many people of all ages.

I applied for this job and got hired.

The pay isn’t hourly but commission-based, earning about 500 yen per delivery. So, the more deliveries I make, the more I earn.

It’s 6 PM.

I arrived at the specified location, an apartment complex in the Rokujizo area.

I rang the intercom, and the resident quickly came out. When I saw the girl taking out her wallet, I was surprised.

She was a famous beauty at school.

Slender eyes. Long eyelashes.

A girl with long, straight black hair and a black mask covering her mouth—Karasuma Chikage.

Karasuma-san was wearing a navy jacket draped over her shoulders, a plain white tank top, and hot pants.

“Kyosaka, right? So, you’re working for Uber Eats.”

“Yeah. Hello, Karasuma-san. Here’s your delivery. Can you please check the contents?”

I took out the packed Chinese food from my delivery backpack. 

Fried rice, dumplings, quite a heavy meal.

“Don’t you think working part-time is a waste of time? What are high school students supposed to do with money?”

Karasuma-san didn’t take the package and instead asked me this.

“Whether it’s a waste of time or not is for me to decide.”

“True, it’s none of my business. But it’s surprising. I thought you weren’t interested in money. So, you’ve been turning down everyone’s advances because you needed money?”

It felt like she misunderstood me completely.

“It’s not that I want money. But without it, I can’t send my sister to college.”

I didn’t expect her to understand this nuance.

“Really? There are still people like you nowadays. Doing something for someone else, huh. Feels like you’re a rare species.”

Karasuma-san paused for a moment before laughing. 

I couldn’t see her mouth because of the mask, but her eyes turned into crescent shapes, so I guessed she was smiling.

“Rare, huh? I think a lot of people work for their families.”

“You’re pretty mature, Kyosaka.”

“No, I think you’re a hundred times more mature, Karasuma-san.”

“Fufu, what’s that? Do I look that old?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Was she teasing me? We hadn’t talked much before, but I never knew the usually cool Karasuma-san had such a playful side.

“Good luck with your job.”

“Ah, thanks.”

She’s one of the three most beautiful girls in school. Even though we’re classmates, it feels like she lives in a different world.

After taking the payment and handing over the package, she went back inside.

Delivery complete.