In a World of Reversed Chastity, I’m Surrounded by a Clingy Older Woman, a Walking Red Flag, and an Exhausted Office Lady - 36-37

Chapter 36: Wait, Am I the Only One Left Out!?

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“Huh? Alicia, what on earth are you talking about?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? I mean exactly what I said. Shizuku, have you gotten worse at Japanese than me or something?”

“That’s because you’re saying something completely ridiculous.”

I nodded along with Shizuku’s words.

“Alicia. Is that really true?”

“Yes! Of course it is. I’ve already finished the required classes at my university over there, and I decided to go to Aoi’s university with the goal of studying Japanese literature!”

Seeing Alicia’s pure white, innocent smile, it was hard to feel angry or exasperated. Instead, it felt like dealing with a large, lovable dog, like a golden retriever.

“Did your mother allow it, Alicia?”

Alicia’s family was just as high status as Shizuku’s, if not more so. Tracing her lineage back, they were apparently fairly high-ranking nobility. I had only met Alicia’s mother once, but unlike Alicia, who radiated pure cuteness, her mother had elegance, composure, and charisma. In appearance, she looked like a more mature version of Alicia.

“My mother said it’s fine as long as it’s a university where Aoi is, so there’s no problem. She actually told me to go!”

“I see.”

And for some reason, I had earned a mysterious level of trust from Alicia’s mother. As I said, I had only met her once, and all we did was exchange greetings and make small talk.

“…That’s not fair.”

“Shizuku?”

Shizuku muttered quietly.

“It’s unfair that only Alicia gets to be with you. Or rather, isn’t it just me who’s being treated unfairly!? I understand, you know. My family governs this entire area, and I understand that the university I attend is for my future with you, Aoi. And we’ve made considerable investments into that university to begin with. I understand there are various circumstances.”

Her voice gradually grew louder, and she slowly moved closer to me in her shrine maiden outfit, overwhelming me.

“But!! I’m lonely. It hurts. I want to be with you, Aoi. Even Alicia gets to be with you, and yet I can’t. I can’t accept that.”

The distance between us was practically zero, her face so close it felt like we might kiss at any moment.

“Saiin-san. You’re getting too close to my brother. I’ll hit you.”

Saying that, Hina pulled Shizuku away from me. Shizuku had a well-proportioned, beautiful face, so having her get that close had honestly made my heart race. I was grateful for the help.

“But I still can’t accept it! Not just Alicia, but lately various women have been getting close to you, Aoi, while I can only see you maybe once a month. At this rate, I feel like I might throw everything away.”

Shizuku’s eyes were not joking. At this rate, she might really go through with it. I didn’t want Shizuku to end up like that because of me, but there were also the circumstances of the Saiin family. As I was thinking about what to do…

“Then I’ll provide a house where everyone can live together. The Saiin family and the Sinclair family will cover the costs.”

At some point, Akane-san, who had been watching with interest, parted the crowd of onlookers like Moses and made that proposal.

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Chapter 37: Intense Tremor

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The single message I received that day was one that made my surprise, tension, and a whole mix of other emotions feel like they were about to explode, ranking among the most intense moments in my life so far.

『Yua-san. Sorry this is sudden, and I don’t mean right this instant, but… would you like to live together?』

It was New Year’s, and Aoi-kun had gone back to his family home. I had been feeling incredibly lonely and emotionally drained, to the point where I was about to start sending him spam messages. For me, that LEIN hit with such force that it felt like my heart might stop.

For a moment, I couldn’t even understand what was written. I just stood there, absentmindedly holding my phone for over ten minutes, completely stunned. Gradually, after rereading that LEIN over and over and following each word with my eyes, reality finally caught up to me, and now here I was, writhing on top of my bed.

I had left it on read for quite a while, but somehow managed to send a reply back to Aoi-kun with trembling hands and asked for details. Apparently, it was a proposal for six of us, including me and Aoi-kun, to live together in one house. When I asked how something like that even came about, it turned out that two classmates I had heard about a few times, Shizuku Saiin and Alicia, came from very wealthy families. They were planning to buy a fairly large house and have everyone live there together.

It seemed that the Saiin family and the parents of that girl Alicia had already approved it, and now it came down to Aoi-kun’s decision, as well as mine, Renka-san’s, and Kaoruko-san’s. Since around Christmas, the three of us had been talking about how we wanted the four of us, including Aoi-kun, to live together in Kaoruko-san’s apartment, under the pretense of improving the level of security around his livelihood.

So, upon hearing this proposal, my answer was, of course…

『If Aoi-kun doesn’t mind, I’d like to live together.』

That was the only response that felt right.

…It wasn’t like I didn’t have the desire to monopolize Aoi-kun. Even my current situation was more than ideal. No, far beyond ideal. Aoi-kun lived next door, worried about me, and even cooked meals for me.

From a typical woman’s perspective, that kind of environment would be something they’d desperately want. And to give that up and live together with other women as well… for an ordinary girl, it wouldn’t be strange at all to let possessiveness take over and end up going down a confinement route. I had those feelings too.

But if I hurt Aoi-kun’s feelings because of that, if I bound him with nothing but my own emotions and he came to dislike me… I could easily imagine myself choosing death. Aoi-kun always worried about me and stayed by my side. To bind him with only my own feelings, no matter how strong my possessiveness was, was something I must never do. This country still hadn’t established any harem laws, and generally speaking, polygamy wasn’t officially recognized. But the country was, in a way, turning a blind eye to it, and in reality, there were far fewer people who even managed to be in a relationship with a man.

Well, there were some people who viewed harems negatively. But their words didn’t reach me at all. Had they spent even a little time with Aoi-kun, those foolish women would change their minds in an instant. Because Aoi-kun was like an angel born into this world. No matter what anyone else said, to me, he was the prince who changed my life, my angel. If someone like him asked me to live together like this, even if there were other women involved, all I could do was nod. There was not even the slightest trace of any other choice.

“…Living together. Marriage.”

Before I knew it, my mind was filled with visions of living together with Aoi-kun, getting married, and in our old age, smiling together side by side. My heart was overflowing with happiness.

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