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

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Chapter 12: Like a Shoujo Manga Protagonist

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“An Electronics Store? If that’s what you’re looking for, there are plenty near Natsuhabara Station.”

I had plans to buy an alarm clock after school, but I had no idea where the stores were. When I mentioned it, Yuuki recommended a shop. You really mustn’t judge people by appearances. It turned out Yuuki was quite the gamer and knew a lot about the electronics district.

Games, huh.

Did I used to play games before? I mean, it was hard to believe I never did. But all the games I found in my room had titles I didn’t recognize. So, I wasn’t sure if they were actually the ones I used to play. My old diary was mostly filled with stories about food trips, and for some reason, my memories of what else I liked were all in fragmented pieces.

What about now though?

Thinking about it made me suddenly want to try playing a game.

“I don’t know much about games, but is there one you’d recommend right now?”

“What genre?”

“MMORPG… I guess?”

“Hmm… In that case, there’s a new one coming out soon. It’s being marketed as a beginner-friendly RPG. If you pre-register now, you can still get the bonus rewards. How about that one?”

“What’s it called?”

“Sengoku Emaki Kafuuden:Battle Flower Gale.”

“A Sengoku-themed game? I’ve never played one before. Think I’ll be able to play it just fine?”

“Yeah, you should be fine. The company that made this game also developed Sengoku Emaki Kafuuden: Bloody Rain, a hardcore strategy game. But this new one is designed for casual players.”

“Hmm. So it’s not difficult?”

“Nope. They deliberately avoided complex strategy mechanics to prevent overlap with Reppuden players. It’s a pretty standard RPG, so even beginners can keep up.”

A casual RPG… That might be something I can handle. Maybe I should give it a try?

“Sounds good. Thanks, I’ll pre-register.”

“Want to play together?”

“Are you sure? Like I said, I don’t know much about games.”

“It’s fine. This game is easy to get into. Besides, it’s less awkward to party up with other guys. I’ve already invited three more people, so don’t worry about being inexperienced.”

“Everyone else is playing too? In that case, I’d love to join!”

“Great! Let’s keep it casual and have fun.”

Yuuki seemed like a tough guy to approach at first, but he turned out to be a really good person.

◇◇◇

On my way home, I took a detour to the electronics district and bought an alarm clock. It was a good thing Yuuki recommended a store. Since it was an electronics district, there were tons of shops—big buildings with names like XX Electronics and XX Camera everywhere.

If I had come here without a plan, I wouldn’t have known where to start. Something about the place felt familiar, like I used to come here before. But the Natsuhabara Station area was nothing like the electronics district I had pictured in my mind. How should I describe it? It was more chic and fancy?

The people walking around were almost all women. …And they weren’t just glancing at me—they were full-on staring. Some were even straight-up gawking, which made me feel uncomfortable.

I guess having so many women around affects things like this too.

The store I was recommended was known for its strong selection of home appliances, and the clock section was impressively stocked. I picked out a powerful-looking alarm clock suggested by a store clerk. This should help me wake up in the morning.

After that, I left the electronics district and took a train to another station.

…Urasandou Station. This is the place.

Next stop: the hair salon. My hair was a bit long in both the front and back. When I shook my head, it fluffed around, and the length at my nape was just bothering me. I didn’t mind if my bangs were a little long, but I preferred a clean-cut look at the back—especially with summer approaching.

When I mentioned it, Yui made a salon appointment for me. Apparently, it was a really popular place, and normally, you couldn’t get a booking on such short notice. But there was one thing. The so-called “Male Privilege System” was in effect. It wasn’t just salons—any business that involved direct physical contact had these “Male Privilege” policies in place. Otherwise, the risk of sexual harassment—women harassing men—was apparently quite high.

A salon couldn’t just call itself a “Male Privilege Salon” on their own. It had to apply for registration, pass an official review, and meet strict criteria before getting government approval. Any violations resulted in fines or administrative penalties, so places like this were generally well-regulated.

‘Honesty’… This must be it. The salon had floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a sleek, stylish black-and-white theme. Just standing in front of it made me hesitate. It looked way too high-end for me. But I had a reservation, so I should be fine, right?

As I carefully pushed the door open—

Clang! Clang!

The doorbell rang out way louder than I expected.

“Welcome.”

“I’m Takeda. I have a reservation.”

“Takeda-sama. We’ve been expecting you. Your stylist will be with you shortly, so please have a seat and wait here.”

As I filled out the intake card and waited for a while, a stylist—male? Probably?—approached me. Their gender was slightly ambiguous.

“Thank you for waiting. This is your first time at our salon, correct? My name is Toudou, and I’ll be your stylist today.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Let’s get started. Could you tell me what kind of style you’re looking for today?”

“The back of my hair feels too stuffy, so I’d like it cut short. Just trim the bangs a little to neaten them up.”

“In that case, how about something like this?”

They showed me several hairstyle options on a tablet. ‘

Hmm, which one is the closest to what I have in mind?

“I think this one, number six.”

“Number six, understood. A simple cut should be enough to achieve this style. Will you be doing any coloring?”

“No coloring.”

“Got it. Then, I’ll take you to the shampoo station.”

Not quite an “okama” vibe, but something about their tone and mannerisms felt a little feminine. Maybe that was just how hairstylists were. In my past life… I was probably the type to go to a barbershop. Everything about a salon felt new to me, and it made me strangely restless. I lay back at the shampoo station as they washed my hair. Having someone else washed your hair felt incredibly relaxing. I almost dozed off.

“Did I rinse everything out properly?”

“Yes.”

The gauze covering my face felt a little weird. What was the point of this thing? After finishing the shampoo, I was guided to the haircut chair and draped in a poncho-like cape. The mirror in front of me stretched up to the ceiling, reflecting my image.

And when I took another good look at my reflection…

Wait, seriously? This guy… Isn’t he ridiculously good-looking? I mean, really. He looks like something straight out of a shoujo manga.

It still didn’t feel like my own face, no matter how many times I saw it. I had no idea who decided on these features, but wasn’t this face a bit over the top?

“Alright then, I’ll begin the cut.”

Snip, snip, snip, snip.

Freshly cut hair drifted down to the floor.

“You have a nicely shaped head. Very symmetrical. There’s not much that needs correcting with the cut. Your hair does have a slight natural wave, so it might curl a bit when cut shorter.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. If you want a more controlled look, I’d recommend keeping your bangs a little on the heavier side.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

The finished style was exactly what you’d expect from a high-end salon. My naturally light hair curved softly around my face, the back was neatly trimmed, and the top had a light, airy volume. The longer bangs framed my face just right, creating a perfectly natural look.

“With today’s first-visit service, your reservation bonus coupon, and the student discount, the total comes to 2,800 yen.”

I had no idea whether that was expensive or cheap, but it was probably on the cheaper side. It seemed like I got a lot of discounts this time, so it would likely be pricier from my next visit onward. Coming here once a month would add up. Maybe I should start a part-time job?

When I got home, dinner was already prepared. I changed into some comfortable clothes and dug in.

“That haircut was the right choice. It looks really good on you, Onii-chan.”

“You think so? Thanks for making the reservation. The salon had a great atmosphere.”

“Right? It’s expensive, but the stylists are all top-notch. Who was your stylist?”

“A male stylist with a slightly feminine way of speaking.”

“What?! Seriously? That might be the top stylist!”

Top stylist? What’s that? There are different ranks for hairstylists?

“Is that a big deal?”

“Probably. Their schedule is usually booked three months in advance.”

“There’s no way it was them.”

“You sure? Are there even any other male stylists at that place? Did you get a business card or something?”

“A business card? Oh yeah, I think they gave me one. I’ll check later.”