In a World of Reversed Chastity, I’m Rumored to Be an Easy Bitch (♂) Among Lustful Girls - 58

Chapter 58: Excuse Me, I’d Like a Whole Basque Cheesecake with Rum Raisins, Please

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“So-So-Somehow, it feels kind of weird to be taking the train to get home from school…“

“Well yeah. Nishimeya-san, your house is close to school, so you don’t need to take the train, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right. I didn’t realize how crowded the trains get after school.”

“The crowd after school is actually not too bad, since people leave at different times. Mornings are the real nightmare.”

That day after school, the two of us rode the train together to have a study session at my place.

Hinayo usually walked to school and rode her bike for her part-time job, so she apparently didn’t use the train much. The kind of life where you could “sleep until the last minute because school is nearby” made me deeply, deeply envious.

If only people could swap houses like hermit crabs…

I seriously wished for that to happen.

“I-It’s kind of strange, going home together like this.”

“That’s probably especially true for you, Nishimeya-san. I sometimes go home with Haruto, so I’m used to it.”

“You and Fujisaki-kun get along really well, huh?”

“Yeah. Nishimeya-san, you’ve started talking to Haruto more too, right?”

“W-Well yeah. Either it’s because Fujisaki-san likes to look after people or maybe he’s just really pure-hearted…”

“Haruto can be kind of a busybody, yeah. But I think it’s one of his good traits. He thinks about others sincerely, without any ill intent.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Apparently, Haruto had been cheering on Nishimeya-san’s love life. At first, I thought maybe Haruto liked Nishimeya-san himself, but it turned out I was completely off the mark. Nishimeya-san had feelings for someone else, and Haruto, knowing that, was supporting her love life. The way he earnestly cheered on someone like Nishimeya-san, who clearly wasn’t good at expressing herself, felt very much like Haruto.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder: who exactly was this “someone”? Since I was just  Nishimeya-san’s “practice dummy,” I was clearly not a candidate to be her boyfriend. Then maybe an old classmate from middle school? An older upperclassman? Or could it be… A teacher? The more I thought about it, the more lost I got.

A quadratic equation always has two solutions. 🫵

-Detective Asahi

Well, I was totally fine with it, so I figured I’d stick with her for as much practice as she needed.

The train stopped one station before the one nearest my house. That was when Hinayo suddenly said.

“W-Would you mind making a quick stop with me? T-There’s a confectionery shop I recommend. I thought we could pick something up for studying.”

“Oh, sounds great! Let’s go then.”

We got off at the station next to the one I normally use. I hardly ever stopped at this station. We then headed for the shop Hinayo recommended. The shop was fairly close to the station. It was a Western-style confectionery with cakes and baked goods. Apparently, this shop was a long-established business that had been there for years.

“Whoa, I didn’t know there was a shop like this here.”

“Y-Yes. When I was little, I used to get my birthday cakes here…”

“So it’s a place full of memories, huh? By the way, what’s your recommendation, Nishimeya-san?”

“Let’s see… The cakes are all good, but personally, I like the cream puffs.”

I spotted the cream puffs in the display case. They looked exactly like what you’d expect—classic, textbook cream puffs.

This is it. This is exactly what you want in a cream puff.

“They’re reasonably priced, and more importantly, they’re packed full of cream.”

“You’re right. Cheaper than I expected. Oh, and they’re freshly made? We should get some.”

Without hesitation, Hinayo bought a few cream puffs. She said the extras were a gift for my family. This consideration really showed her good upbringing. We left the shop and headed toward my house. The distance wasn’t far enough to bother getting back on the train, so we decided to walk the rest of the way together.

As we passed through a shopping street near the station, someone called out to us.

“Hey… Hinayo? What’re you doing here?”

I turned toward the voice and saw a guy standing there. At first glance, he looked short and kind of childlike, but his tone had a condescending edge, and his flashy appearance gave off a sleazy vibe. He was wearing a uniform from another school, so he was probably around our age. Even though he called her by name, Hinayo didn’t turn around. It was like she was deliberately avoiding him.

“Whoa, come on, Hinayo. Are you seriously ignoring me? No way you didn’t hear me at this distance.”

“W-Who are you…?! I don’t know anyone like you!”

“Huh? Don’t tell me you forgot about me? That’s cold, Hinayo. I was your only friend, and now you’re pretending I never existed? That’s pretty messed up.”

He walked toward her with a provocative air. I thought he was bad news, so I stepped between him and Hinayo.

“Who’s this? Your friend, Hinayo? …Nah, that can’t be. There’s no way someone like Hinayo could make friends.”

“Don’t say stuff like that. I am Nishimeya-san’s friend.”

Though I doubt most friends have done the kind of stuff we’ve done, but well, technically speaking, I’m not lying.

But more than that, I was genuinely irritated by how this guy insulted her so easily like that.

“Wow, so you finally made a friend. Good for you, Hinayo. Hope it all works out.

Oh? That box… Hey, that’s from that pastry shop, right? Figures you’d be buying Basque cheesecake again, so predictable.”

“…Basque cheesecake? This box just has cream puffs in it though.”

“Ah, you don’t know? People like Hinayo—super gloomy, no redeeming qualities, glasses-wearing otaku types—we call them ‘baschi.’ Like, they seem like the kind of losers who always go buy Basque cheesecake or whatever.”

So even in this world, there’s a slang equivalent to “chigyu”… Basque cheesecake still has the “cheese” part, so I guess that tracks. Personally, I think Basque cheesecake sounds kind of stylish. Well, Basque cheesecake is not the trend anymore though.

“…Hirakawa-kun, let’s go.”

With her head down, Hinayo tugged on the hem of my uniform. We couldn’t waste time engaging with someone like him.

“Y-Yeah, no point talking to him.”

“Ohhh, running away again? That’s so like you, Hinayo. The moment something doesn’t go your way, you bail.”

“…Nishimeya-san, let’s go. Now.”

I took Hinayo’s hand and hurried away. The cream puffs might had gotten a little squished, but better that than letting Hinayo’s heart get crushed. The moment we reached my house and locked the door behind us, Hinayo collapsed to her knees and started to cry.

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T/N: チー牛 (chigyu) is shorts for チーズ牛丼 (cheese gyudon) it’s a derogatory slang for (mostly male) otaku. Baschi (バスチー) shorts for Basque Cheesecake (バスクチーズケーキ) is this author’s female version of chigyu.