In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 138

Chapter 138: Ambush

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A few days ago, there had been an incident involving an intruder. Since then, security at St. Catherine’s Academy had, of course, been heightened, and during this time before dismissal, the gates were firmly closed.

Because the intruder had entered through a blind spot in the security camera system, the number of cameras and personnel dispatched from the security company had increased. Multiple monitors now lined an entire wall of the security room to display the footage from every camera.

“We’re almost at dismissal time for the early-leaving students. How are things looking?”

The monitor room always operated with a two-person system, and because only a short time had passed since the incident, both the school and the parents were still on edge. For that reason, the security company had sent in temporary reinforcements and was frequently checking on the situation like this.

““All clear!””

“You’ve been sitting for a while now—bet you’re both tired. I’ll make some coffee. Want some?”

“Yes, please! Ugh, my whole body is aching.”

“With more monitors to watch, your neck naturally gets sore. And staring constantly at the screens is murder on the eyes. I’ve been getting massages on my way home more often.”

“Seriously. It gets cold around your feet too. Once we hit a long vacation, I want to go to a hot spring and really relax.”

“Right? …Oh, look. Monitor 3’s light is blinking. Could it be someone here to pick up a student?”

Cameras 1 to 3 showed the main gate and its surroundings. At this academy, where daughters of affluent families attended, it was a common sight at dismissal time to see cars and family members waiting in front of the gate.

However, after the break-in, families had been informed to wait a little distance away so as not to obstruct surveillance. But the sensor didn’t seem to be broken. On Monitor 3, which the three of them were now staring at, a human figure was clearly visible.

“Should I go check it out?”

The figure had approached just short of the main gate and paused, seemingly unsure. Then, after glancing around the academy grounds and its surroundings, they moved closer to a nearby streetlamp.

“That’s a little suspicious for someone just picking up a student.”

“Zoom in so we can get a better look at the face.”

“Roger. Target locked. Zooming in with high resolution.”

The person’s upper body was soon displayed in the center of the large monitor.

“…Huh?”

“Hah!? No way!”

“Oh my god… Seriously? That’s a school uniform. So the rumor that he’s a high schooler was true?”

As the zoomed-in image played, the three female security guards started getting visibly flustered.

“He doesn’t look like an intruder, but it’s a problem if he just stands there. I’ll go out myself and ask why he’s here.”

“I’m on duty for this time slot, so I’ll go! No, please let me go!”

“That’s not fair! Let me go! You were bragging that you won that raffle for the end-of-year filming, remember?”

“No way! It’s not even confirmed that I’ll appear in that filming! Besides, aren’t you the one who sleeps with a life-size body pillow every night? We’re even then!”

“There’s no comparing the real thing to a pillow!”

Just then, the chime signaling the dismissal time for students leaving early rang, and the security guard stationed by the gate began moving to open it.

“Ah! Crap! It’s already time to open the gate!”

“Ugh… The best moment got stolen by the gate guard.”

As if an opportunity had been taken from them, the gate guard was on her way to the front gate. Of course, the gate guard was merely doing her official duty. 

The reason these women had momentarily lost their composure and almost stepped outside the bounds of their duties was simple. Because the person on the monitor was someone completely unexpected, yet someone they all knew well.

Leaning casually against the retro-style streetlamp in the waiting area, with the expression of someone looking for someone, was a ridiculously handsome young man with a sweet face.

Yes. It was Yuusei Takeda, wearing a school uniform.

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Oh! Looks like the gate’s about to open.

I’m here based on the dismissal time information Yui gave to me and it seems like her information is spot on. I don’t know when she expands her network so much, but wow, the accuracy of her information is amazing.

Huh? A security guard? Why is she running toward me? I didn’t do anything wrong…

Just as the gate began to open, someone who looked like a security guard suddenly dashed out from the gap and ran straight toward Yuusei.

“E-Excuse me! Are you here to meet with a student from this school?”

“Uh, I’m not exactly meeting someone, but I am waiting for an acquaintance I need to talk to.”

Wait, is this like a police-style questioning?

“I’m sorry, but the academy has asked that no one wait here at the moment. Could you contact that acquaintance and arrange to meet somewhere else instead?”

I’m not allowed to wait here? No one told me that! Crap, did I mess up already?

“Well, I actually haven’t exchanged contact information with her yet, so I can’t reach her…”

“Even though you’re acquaintances?”

Do I look like a suspicious person? I didn’t think just standing here would get me questioned. Is it really that bad for a guy to wait outside a girls’ school after all?

“Well… She gave me a letter. I came today to give her my reply. There was no contact information in the letter, only her name and the name of the school.”

“Just in case, could you tell me her grade and name?”

What should I do? I came here on my own, so if I say her name, I might cause her trouble… I heard St. Catherine’s is even stricter than our school. Ugh…

As Yuusei hesitated over whether to reveal the letter sender’s name, a stylish-looking girl emerged from the gate and came into view.

“Oh! That’s her!”

It’s that student council president who looks like a Kurazuka star!

“That student is your acquaintance?”

“No, I’m actually looking for her friend. Can I ask her if she can get in touch with her?”

“If you don’t mind me accompanying you.”

Luckily, the girl who had come out seemed to notice their gaze and approached them with a curious expression, wondering what was going on.

“Is something wrong?”

“This young man says he knows your friend and wants to get in touch with her. Do you recognize him?”

“Well, I did meet him before at a school event… So, who exactly are you trying to see?”

“I’m looking for Maya Yamagata. I want to talk to her, but I don’t have any way to contact her.”

“Hmm. I could tell Maya about you, but she’ll be passing by here any second… Oh wait, there she is.”

Following the gaze of the Kurazuka star student council president as she looked back toward the gate, Yuusei saw her—his intended person—walking toward them.

However, she seemed lost in thought and hadn’t noticed the scene unfolding at the gate yet.

“Maya! You’ve got a visitor!”

At Kurazuka-san’s call, Yamagata-san looked up, and when she saw me, her face lit up in surprise and she rushed over to their side.

“This young man said he was waiting for you. Do you know him?”

“Yes, I do! He’s an acquaintance of mine!”

The students trickling out through the front gate noticed their beloved White Rose-sama, the elegant former vice president, and the young man standing with a security guard. They stopped in their tracks and began forming a semicircle at a slight distance, like an audience gathering for a street performance.

“It must be a confession.”

“Is it for White Rose-sama? Or for Yamagata-sama? Which one will accept the confession, I wonder?”

“Another confession? It’s the Love Stream Phenomenon all over again!”

After the dramatic events the other day, the female students were abuzz once more, excited at the prospect of another love confession.

While Takeda felt a sense of relief at seeing Maya, he still couldn’t hide his nervousness. Maya stared intently at him. The security guard and Kousaka took a step or two back, sensing the mood between the two.

“It’s for Yamagata-sama~!”

A space formed around them, as if time had stopped. This was the moment their love story would restart.

The boy she had always, always, always loved deep in her heart was standing right in front of her now. It wasn’t a coincidence. He had come to see her. Maya’s heart was filled with that realization.

As for Takeda…

“Thanks for the letter. Since there wasn’t an address on it, I just came straight to your school. I hope I’m not being a bother?”

“You read my letter?”

“Yeah. I read it carefully. So I understand how you feel. Is it true you’re applying to the same university?”

“Y-Yes, that’s what I’m planning. Is… Am I bothering you…? By applying to the same university?”

What if he came just to tell her not to apply? That thought made Maya uneasy. But it only lasted a moment.

“No, not at all. But… How did you find out which university I’m going to?”

“Um, Soukei University… right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m impressed you figured that out. I thought I’d kept it a secret.”

“I’m sorry for digging into your private life. I wanted to go to the same university, so I asked around and heard it from a friend of a friend of a junior’s friend’s cousin’s friend’s little sister’s friend.”

“Haha! That’s like a game of telephone!”

“Y-Yeah, it really is.”

Even with so many people in the chain, the information had turned out accurate. Yuusei was strangely impressed by that and couldn’t help but laugh. Maya was captivated by that natural smile on Yuusei’s face, but his next words made her anxious again.

“So yeah. I read it, but I didn’t write a reply on purpose.”

“Does that mean… I don’t have a chance?”

A happy ending with someone this cool, this prince-like—maybe that really had been a fantasy. He must have come just to turn her down. Maya’s emotions had been riding a rollercoaster since earlier, and now she felt like she was about to plummet from the peak.

“No, that’s not it. Getting a letter like that… I didn’t think I could properly express how I felt through just words. That’s why I’m here to say it directly. Can I say it now?”

“Y-Yes, please!”

Her heartbeat leapt, pounding like a drum. Unconsciously, Maya pressed both hands to her chest.

“It sounds like you’ve been watching me for a long time, but… I’m sorry. I don’t really know you at all. So…”

So? 

Hope and fear swirled together. Which way would it go?

“…I’ll be waiting. At Soukei University. I hope that becomes our starting point. So do your best on the entrance exam! I’m cheering for you.”

“Th-Thank you!”

“And this is a little gift. I got it from someone, but since it’s a charm for a successful exam, I figured it was perfect for you.”

What Yuusei handed her was a strap wrapped in the familiar EXA packaging. But the item inside was different. Maya had never seen this design before.

“A chick… And an octopus?”

It was one of the chick series—a good-luck charm for a successful exam. Yuusei had managed to get his hands on it ahead of the general release.

“It’s a new product, so I heard it’s not available in stores yet. Well, I’ll be going now. Let’s meet on campus next spring!”

With that, Yuusei raised a hand and walked off with a bright smile. Maya kept watching his back with eyes brimming with tears, ready to spill at any moment.

After he disappeared from view, Maya finally rebooted and looked again at the item in her hand. At the end of the strap was a red octopus wearing a “Pass Exam” headband, and perched on top of it was a lovely chick looking back at her.

“What is this? …It’s so cute. But… I get that the chick is EXA’s new character, but why is it riding an octopus?”

She tilted her head in puzzlement, and warm tears began to spill from the corners of her eyes. It wouldn’t be long before the ever-watchful Love Watch Squad members rushed over to share in the moment.

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