In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 102

Chapter 102: The Watch Squad

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“Karen. Here, I brought you a treat.”

“Thanks, Maya. But pudding again? I mean, it is delicious, so I’m happy, but why is it always pudding?”

“Um… Because it’s really, really good. I mean, this pudding is super popular right now. It keeps selling out everywhere.”

There was no way Maya could eat all the hexagonal puddings she’d bought by herself. Hence why she sometimes handed them out to her friends like this. It was true that the pudding kept selling out, but of course, Maya hadn’t told Karen that she was hoarding them in hopes of winning the prizes.

“This really doesn’t taste like your typical convenience store dessert. Even Kougyoku-san said it was delicious, so it’s gotta be top-tier.”

“Looks like things are going well between you and Kougyoku-san. I see you together all the time lately, and even from a distance, you two seem really close.”

“Well, we are in the same class after all. Plus, she’s actually super approachable, not at all like the impression I used to have. Rumors really can’t be trusted.”

“That’s probably just how you see it, Karen.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing. Forget it.”

Everyone at the academy—except for Karen herself—already knew that Seiko Kougyoku, nicknamed the Empress, was completely infatuated with Karen Kousaka, also known as Catherine’s White Rose. They were clearly building a good relationship, so if someone tried to interfere…

It wouldn’t just be Maya who’d get caught up in the mess. Karen and many others around them would be dragged into it too. And truth to be told, the Kougyoku family did have the power to make that happen easily. Hence why Maya intended to support their budding friendship, as long as Karen herself didn’t oppose it. 

“You’ve been hanging out with Yuki a lot lately, Maya. Were you always that close?”

“Just recently, I guess? Ever since I quit the student council, it’s been easier to talk about stuff.”

“Ah, I get that. Once the handover was done, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

“Right? We really did our best back then.”

Beep!

“Hm? Something is ringing?”

“My phone, maybe? I probably forgot to mute it. Anyway, I’ll bring more treats to you later.”

“Okay. Thanks again.”

After leaving Karen’s classroom, Maya checked her phone in the hallway and saw a new message in the Watch Squad chat room.

[Emergency Report! We’ve located the Rule Breaker who went missing recently.]

[Please report.]

[The Rule Breaker’s ID name is “Long Twintails.”]

Long Twintails was the high-risk individual who had tried to approach Takeda rather persistently. But just the other day, there had been a report that she had left Eika Shuuei Academy and transferred somewhere else.

So where had she shown up now?

[New location: St. Catherine Academy. She appeared today as a second-year transfer student.]

Here?

Maya was shocked by the unexpected report. She had never imagined that she would transfer here. After all, St. Catherine Academy was known for rarely accepting transfer students unless there were extremely compelling reasons.

[Thanks for the report. Please continue to monitor the target’s behavior, but only if it doesn’t interfere with your life.]

[Got it!]

[All members, assemble! Emergency executive meeting after school. Location to be announced shortly.]

As soon as Maya posted the call to assemble, messages were marked as read and stamp emojis poured in. The solidarity was impressive. It made sense though. Maya, the captain of the Watch Squad, wasn’t as popular as Karen, but she was still one of the most admired girls at St. Catherine.

The squad had originally formed around Takeda, but in truth… It had become more like a fan club where members could interact with their beloved upperclasswoman through extracurricular activities.

“What can we do for the senpai we adore?”

The Watch Squad members thought about and discussed that question every day.

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“…And that’s the current situation. Long Twintails is keeping a low profile for now.”

“Still, how did she even get permission to transfer here?”

“Transferring at this time of year? She must have some really powerful connections.”

“Yeah. There’s no other explanation except for that.”

“If that’s the case, approaching her carelessly would be risky. Let’s just observe her from a safe distance for now.”

With their immediate policy for dealing with the Rule Breaker decided, the conversation naturally drifted into casual chat. The meeting was being held in Multipurpose Small Room A—a space where, with permission, students could bring snacks and drinks. Sharing sweets tended to get conversations going.

…But today, things were heading in a different direction.

“Maya-senpai. Since you actually know Takeda, isn’t it time to stop just watching him from afar?”

The one stirring things up was Yuki, the squad’s vice-captain.

“I’m not going to make a selfish move like that… Besides, what about you, Yuki? You know him about as well as I do, right?”

“Well, to be honest, I joined the Watch Squad as some sort of a club activity. I thought it’d be fun to support you, Maya-senpai.”

“Support me?”

“Yes! Back then, you used to say things like ‘Men are an inferior species’ all the time. But I always thought that kind of thinking was such a waste. I mean, senpai, you actually have such a pure maiden heart after all.”

The other executives of the Watch Squad all nodded in agreement with Yuki.

“I… Have the heart of a pure maiden?”

“Yes! I think you’ve set your ideal for men so impossibly high that you ended up completely disillusioned with real guys who couldn’t live up to it and you ended up rejecting them altogether.”

That’s not true! 

Maya wanted to protest, but hearing it spelled out like that made it hard to argue. After all, she’d spent years scorning and hating men and yet the moment she met Takeda, her entire perspective flipped 180 degrees. It really did feel like the world had turned upside down.

“Maybe… You’re right?”

“Exactly. You’ve got what’s called ‘Prince Charming Doesn’t Exist Syndrome.’ It’s when someone can’t accept that their perfect prince isn’t real—because admitting it would shatter something precious inside them. That’s how maiden-like you really are, senpai.”

A psychological state where you become so distraught over not finding your ideal that you lose your sense of self—that was known as “Ideal Mate Deficiency Syndrome,” or by its nickname: “Prince Charming Doesn’t Exist Syndrome.”

Ever since the male population began to drastically decline, the lack of idealized male figures had caused many pure-hearted, romantic girls to suffer emotional turmoil, even becoming a societal issue at times.

“But then, out of nowhere, someone like Takeda—who embodies your ideal—shows up. Don’t you feel it? The pull of destiny? The red string of fate??”

The red string of fate. That old-fashioned legend may have become obsolete, but when Maya met Takeda, she had felt it. Even if it was one-sided.

“This isn’t some 2D character we’re talking about. He’s a real guy you can actually talk to and get to know! Isn’t that basically a miracle come true? Come on, let’s just go for it already!”

“‘Go for it’?! No way. No no no no, that’s totally impossible!”

“Nothing is impossible! Maya-san, you’re one of the most admired girls in all of  St. Catherine. You’re cool and elegant and have the heart of a maiden! What more could anyone want?!”

“Senpai. Just take a leap of faith. How many of those rare Takeda straps have you collected now?”

Maya hesitated a moment—because she knew the number was embarrassingly high.

“Maybe…Sixteen?”

“Whoa. That’s more than I expected. You could start your own soccer team! Keep going and you’ll have enough for a match. But honestly—would just collecting those ever be enough for you?”

“…I don’t know.”

“If you can be satisfied with that, it’s fan behavior. If you can’t, then it’s already love! Just admit it! Free the romantic feelings inside you, senpai!”

“But… But Takeda-kun already has several girlfriends, doesn’t he? I don’t think there’s room for someone like me…”

“It’s fine! According to our sources, Takeda currently has three girlfriends: one who’s a great cook, one who’s super smart, and one with big boobs. That still leaves plenty of room for you!”

“We’ll all support you!”

From that day on, the Watch Squad leveled up into the Takeda x Maya Romance Support Squad.

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