In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 13-14

Chapter 13: My Type?

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

This morning’s wake-up was brutal. “Super Bazooka Mega Loud Awakening”… That catchphrase wasn’t a lie. A deafening explosion suddenly roared through my dream, making me jolt awake in a panic. Even after getting up, my heart was still pounding wildly.

Yui was so startled that she came to check on me. When I showed her the alarm clock, as she asked, she found a volume adjustment knob on it. …That was a thing? Haah. I should really read the manual properly. Lesson learned.

“Good morning.”

I entered the classroom and greeted a classmate when our eyes met. I was already two months behind, so I needed to get used to this class quickly.

“G-Good morning. You got a haircut! It really suits you.”

“Thanks.”

A girl complimented me. She said it suited me.

I’m glad to hear that.

Getting praised by a girl really made me happy. It was a little embarrassing, but I couldn’t help but smile out of reflex. 

“Hau… A reward first thing in the morning…”

I thought I heard something from behind, but I wanted to put my bag down first, so I headed straight to my seat. Again this morning, my shoe locker was stuffed with letters. 

Does this happen every day? No way, right? It’s probably just because I’m a transfer student who arrived out of season.

I was too sleepy last night and ended up crashing before reading them. If they kept coming at me in a flurry like this, there was no way I could reply to all of them. I felt sorry to everyone who sent letters to me. 

“Good morning, Takeda.”

“Good morning, Saitou. You’re here early.”

“Pretty much. But Uesugi is even earlier. He’s always at morning practice for his club.”

Morning practice? That means he’s in a sports club?

“A club? What does Uesugi do?”

“Kendo. Figures, right?”

Kendo… I see. Uesugi does have that stoic, traditional Japanese man kind of vibe. That definitely suits him.

“Yeah, that totally fits. A club, huh… Are you in one, Saitou?”

A club. I hadn’t thought about that at all. Actually, I had no knowledge about them in the first place. 

What kind of clubs does this school have?

“Me? I’m technically in the literature club, but I just go home without participating in club activities.”

“Do you have to join a club?”

“Nah, there’s no rule saying you have to. But most guys get into university through recommendation-based entrance exams, so they usually join a club for their school record. If it’s a hassle, you just don’t have to show up.”

School records! I hadn’t even considered that. Thinking back, even if they say I could get into university through preferential admission, it was still a recommendation-based entrance exam. I would be competing with the other guys. I should probably pay attention to that kind of thing more.

“I see. But aren’t most clubs full of girls? That makes it hard to choose.”

“Yeah, pretty much. What about your previous school, Takeda? Were you in a club?”

My past self was in…

“Me? At my old school, I was in the B-Class Gourmet Club.”

“That sounds interesting. But I don’t think we have anything like that here. What will you do now?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Any recommendations?”

“Not really. Houjou is into sketching, so he’s in the art club. Yuuki just goes straight home. All the guys in Class B next door are in the soccer club.”

“Soccer? You mean the boys’ soccer team? Do they even have enough members?”

“Just barely. Why? Are you interested?”

No way. I was a B-Class Gourmet Hunter, remember?

“Nah, I was just wondering. Sports clubs have morning practice, right? I’m bad at waking up early, so if I join a club, it’d have to be something cultural.”

“Well, don’t stress about it. You wouldn’t be joining until September anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, club entry and withdrawal happen on a semester basis. That’s the rule here. Girls usually quit in their second year, but guys can keep going into their third year, so there’s no rush.”

So that was a school rule. In that case, I could wait until I found a club that piqued my interest.

“So, I don’t have to decide right away.”

“Yeah. It’s better to learn more about the school first. And joining a club isn’t mandatory for your school record.”

“Got it. Thanks for the info.”

“No problem.”

Saitou flashed an idol-like smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

Clatter, clatter!

There it was again, that rattling sound. What was that? It couldn’t be poor construction. This school was spotless and polished. Maybe someone clumsy kept bumping into their desk? A little while later, Houjou and Yuuki arrived at school.

“Morning, Yuuki. I pre-registered yesterday.”

“Oh, nice. Now we’ve got a six-man party.”

“Six people?”

“Yeah. We invited Imagawa, who was in this class last month. He’s married and stays home now, but his wife lets him play games as a break.”

A break? Does marriage make life that tough?

“When you get married, does it mean you lose your freedom?”

“Nah. Usually, it’s a visiting marriage, so you’re free to do whatever you want. But Imagawa’s situation is different. His family follows a different marriage style.”

“Huh. He did mention it was a cohabiting marriage.”

“Yeah, that kind of setup seems rough. Visiting marriage is better. You just go when you feel like it. Are you planning to get engaged or married, Takeda?”

“Marriage, huh… I can’t really picture it. There’s no rush, right?”

“Yeah, no one’s telling you to get married. It’s just surprising that you’re not even engaged yet.”

Clatter, clatter!

“By the way, what’s your type, Takeda? Any specific preferences?”

My type? As I am now… I have no clue. I can’t picture anything specific. My past self? …Nope. That guy would probably date pudding. It’s even more confusing.

“I don’t have a strong preference. If I had to say, maybe someone I could go on food adventures with?”

“Huh. So, it’s more about shared hobbies than looks or personality? Any other ‘moe’ points you’re into?”

“Moe points?”

Hmm. ‘Moe’ points? What even are those?

“Well, there are all kinds of girls at this school. You’ll probably figure it out eventually.”

Maybe. Hopefully.

“Are most students engaged or married to someone from school?”

“No. So far, Uesugi is the only one engaged to another student, and that’s to someone from a different school. The rest… It’s complicated.”

Complicated? That wording was suspicious. I wanted to ask more, but this wasn’t the place for it.

“I see. I’ll take my time figuring things out. First, I need to get used to school.”

So I said, but once I got home, I should probably research this world’s marriage customs a bit more. I was only a second-year, yet aside from Yuuki, everyone else was either engaged or married—and they didn’t even meet their partners at school. 

Isn’t that kinda weird?

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Chapter 14: SNS 04 Could It Be, He’s a Natural Airhead?

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

《2-A Group Chat》

Mika: The prince is actually single—no wife, no fiancée.

Yuuko: Yes!! That means 12 open marriage slots! I’m getting in. I’ll do whatever it takes to secure a spot!

Shizu: Yuuko, you’re scary.

Hina: I was just thinking… Could it be that the prince is actually a natural airhead? He’s not acting like that on purpose, right?

Yuuko: Definitely a natural airhead. My battle-hardened instincts are telling me.. He’s a natural prince by birth. Absolutely amazing!

Mika: Yuuko, it’s too early for you to lose it. But honestly, the guys did some great survey work today.

Ran: You mean the “moe points”? Or the pre-registration?

Mika: Both. I already signed up. Battle Flag pre-registration. Even Imagawa-kun is joining.

Hina: I signed up too. But Imagawa-kun is just for decoration, right?

Chika: Yeah, but who cares? Decoration is great. Beautiful people are justice.

Shizu: Yuuko, you’re totally back to normal now. Have you finally gotten over Imagawa-kun?

Yuuko: Yep. The prince’s smile-destroyer beam flipped my switch in an instant.

Ran: I get it. Best scene of the day. The prince and Saitou-kun’s smile showdown.

Shizu: That hit hard. It was like a boys’ magazine photoshoot. No, maybe even better.

Mika: Saitou-kun really delivered today. Turns out, the prince naturally smiles when the other person does.

Hina: I thought so too. A full-on, zero-guard smile giveaway. Unconscious charmer type.

Saki: Man, I’m so glad we’re in Class A.

Ran: Agreed. And we’re staying in Class A. All these ikemen in one place? I’m seriously giving it my all.

Yuuko: Now that the prince is here, there’s no way I’m dropping from Class A. From now on, I’ll be laser-focused in every class, seriously listening to every lecture.

Mika: I feel you. I’m honestly impressed with this school considering the level of the male power.

Hina: Right? At first, I thought he was a coward for not showing up on his first day, but turns out he’s just a natural airhead.

Shizu: Maybe the prince was actually sick on his first day.

Chika: The season’s changing, after all. And transferring schools is stressful too.

Kyoko: Yeah, yeah. Let’s all take care of him. That way, we’ll get to see him at school every day.

Yuuko: Agreed. But man, it’s a sham. We still don’t know what type of girl the prince likes.

Hina: He said, “someone who can go food touring with him,” right? You think that was for real?

Mika: Food touring… Sounds fun, but we’d definitely gain weight.

Yuuko: Bad for the skin too. And B-class gourmet? That’s probably all greasy food.

Mika: But that doesn’t mean he likes chubby girls, right?

Ran: Obviously not. So, his ideal girl = someone who eats a lot but doesn’t gain weight?

Hina: That’s impossible—!

Shizu: Seriously?!

Hina: But sometimes, there are girls like that. They eat tons but stay super slim.

Saki: Those girls are usually tall, aren’t they?

Yuuko: Yeah, I think so too. Wish I was like that. There’s no way I can eat without gaining weight.

Hina: It’s just not possible. You know how actresses always say their diet secret is “I eat a lot, but I stay active”? That’s a total lie.

Ran: Right? Those are the same people who clearly look like they only eat leaves.

Saki: Not an ounce of fat, or even muscle.

Ran: So in the end, it’s just hardcore food restriction. Brutal.

Saki: Seriously. Wish our metabolism would just speed up.

Yuuko: Is there some kind of miracle pill that lets you eat and still lose weight?

Mika: Yuuko, that’s dangerous. That’s the kind of pill that makes you stop being human. There’s no such thing as a safe version of that.

Shizu: Instead of trying to change our bodies, we should change our thinking. If he likes food touring, then his stomach has a huge say in choosing a partner, right?

Ran: Makes sense. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” as they say.

Yuuko: Alright! As a member of the Cooking Club, I have a head start!

Mika: Yuuko, you need to do something about that hunter’s gaze of yours first. If you scare him off, the prince will run.

Hina: Exactly. Lucky for you, he’s a natural airhead, so he hasn’t noticed yet. Fix it now while you can.

Yuuko: Thanks for the warning, guys. I’m really lucky to have such great friends. I’ll be careful.

Ran: Yep. You definitely don’t want to scare the prince.

Mika: Yeah. No behaviors that would make him lose faith in women. That includes your stares. Be gentle.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー