In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 144-145

Chapter 144: Present

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At the end-of-term ceremony for the second semester, I gave the three of them a certain gift.

From now until early March, school would be on a flexible attendance schedule. Students taking the general university entrance exams had the Common Test in January, and right after that, they’d dive straight into the entrance exams for each university, so we wouldn’t be able to see each other for a while.

And so, I came up with the idea for a gift: a “voice clock” — an alarm clock with a voice recording and playback function. By setting the timer, it would play the recorded message instead of a typical alarm sound. Of course, a regular timer sound was also available, and users could freely switch between them.

The design also seemed like it would appeal to girls.

Sitting atop the clock was a soft, round, stylized animal made of silicone. The animal part had an LED light installed, and it would light up in various colors at the set timer time. For regular use, it could also be pressed to light up, making it a good substitute for a bedside lamp.

I found it while browsing online shops. There were exactly three types of animal designs, so I thought they’d be perfect as gifts for the three of them. I bought them on impulse, but when it came time to record the messages, I was at a loss. Of the three channels, two could record up to 20 seconds, and the remaining one could record up to 60 seconds.

One of the short channels was definitely for a wake-up message. I figured the other short one could be for a bedtime message. The real issue was the 60-second message.

“Yui, what kind of content do you think would be good?”

“I think the senpai would be happy with anything, but since it’s exam season… I think it’d be best to convey a sweet feeling that gives them comfort, moe, and reassurance—something really heartwarming.”

“A sweet feeling?”

“Um, like… Something couples say to each other? But, like, the ultra-super-sweet version!”

“Even though it’s a recording?”

“Because it’s a recording! And Onii-chan, your voice is good, so it’ll totally work. I recommend a cheesy line that really tugs at a maiden’s heart!”

“Cheesy lines, huh… I’m not great at that kind of thing… But if Yui’s that confident about it, I’ll give it some thought.”

So it’s like a 60-second confession-style line? Saying that alone to a cute animal clock? What even is that? That’s seriously embarrassing.

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“How cute! There’s a little polar bear on top of the clock. Onee-chan, did you buy an alarm clock?”

“Nope. I got it from Yuusei-kun. He said it was so I’d be able to wake up properly even while studying from home.”

“Wow, what a thoughtful gift. Huh? There’s a message card with it.”

“You’re right. ‘Three voice messages are pre-recorded. Channel 1 is a morning call. Channel 2 is a goodnight call. Channel 3…Make sure you listen to it alone.’ That’s what it says.”

“Voice? From Prince Yuusei? Whoa! I totally want to hear it!”

“Then let’s try the morning call first. Here goes!”

“Yay!”

When Yuuko pressed the play button for Channel 1, Yuusei’s soft voice immediately filled the room.

《Morning, wake up. Yuu, it’s time to get up—are you still sleeping? You leave me no choice—do you love me? Then wake up.》

“I-I love you! So I’m never sleeping again!”

“Onee-chan, you’ve got a nosebleed. Here, tissue!”

“Th-thank you…”

Holding the tissue her little sister handed her to her nose, Yuuko’s heartbeat wouldn’t stop racing. Applauding the playback function that so vividly recreated the voice of the Yuusei she adored, she was already on the verge of a knockout from the sudden critical hit.

“I thought you didn’t get like this much anymore. I thought you had built up some immunity after you two started dating.”

Her younger sister spoke with a bit of exasperation, but for some reason, her face was red too.

“Th-this is impossible. Just… impossible!”

“Well, yeah, that was pretty impactful. But this is supposed to be your morning call, right? If you bleed every morning, won’t that be a problem? Like, your pillow’s gonna turn into a slasher scene.”

“I-I’ll do my best not to bleed! With this, I can definitely wake up! I’ll try really hard!”

“I recommend stacking a box of tissues by your pillow.”

“I’m on it!”

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Kyoko set the alarm clock she received from Yuusei by her bedside and eagerly began changing clothes. She stripped off everything to switch into her sleepwear and checked her figure in front of the full-length mirror.

“Looks like I’ve finally stopped growing? If they got any bigger, it’d be a hassle to maintain, so I kind of hope they stay this size.”

Having overly large breasts wasn’t always a good thing—running hurt, standing still made her shoulders stiff, and lying face-down made it hard to breathe. Her underwear was custom-made, but she had no trouble getting it since she was a product tester for her mother’s apparel company.

For her, a night bra was essential to prevent her overly ample chest from sagging. Without it, gravity would wreak havoc on her body.

It maintained the shape beautifully, supported comfortably, and kept things in the right position. Once she put on the bra and matching sleep shorts, all that was left was to throw on an oversized T-shirt that doubled as roomwear and pajamas.

“Maybe I’ll sleep just like this tonight? Listening to the white cat’s goodnight call on repeat.”

《Coco, goodnight.》

“Goodnight, Yuusei-kun.》

《You worked hard today, didn’t you?》

“I want to see Yuusei-kun.”

《Are you wearing your pajamas? Be careful so you don’t catch a cold..》

“I am. I’m gonna hug my Yuusei-kun body pillow while I sleep.”

《Then goodnight. Let’s have fun dreams together.》

“Goodnight! I hope I really do dream of Yuusei-kun ♪ Okay, one more time for good luck!”

《Coco, goodnight.》

“Goodnight, Yuusei-kun♡…”

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Shizu had imposed a strict reward system on herself.

To listen to Channel 1: two hours of focused English vocab drills.

To listen to Channel 2: two hours of chemistry problem practice.

To listen to Channel 3: four heavy-duty past math problems.

She had just finished checking the answers.

“Finally, Channel 3. Ahh, my heart’s pounding!”

Channel 1 made her squeal. Channel 2 almost whisked her off to dreamland. And Channel 3 had that stern warning: Listen to this one alone. She had focused so hard today just to earn this.

Petting the white seal on top, she rewarded herself for her effort by pressing play.

《You know—Shizu, I love your smile. Your crying face is cute too, and even your troubled face is really adorable, but your smiling face is so cute I can’t take my eyes off you. So, can I be selfish? When you’re hurting or having a hard time, it’s okay to complain. I just hope you will smile at least once a day. Even if I can’t see you, I want to imagine your smile. Please smile while thinking of me. Shizu, I love you.》

“Fweh… I-I want to smile, but now I feel like crying. Oh, but he said it’s okay to cry. Then right now… Fweh… I’m gonna cry!”

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Chapter 145: RE: First Dream

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Munya munya… Haaafu… So sleepy.

《It’s your turn. Please spin the roulette.》

A mechanical voice abruptly cut through my drowsiness, as if to shatter my slumber. Almost like it was a signal, my darkened vision suddenly lit up.

Whoa, bright! Uh, what just happened?

Lifting the head I’d had resting down, the first thing I saw was a large white ring. Apparently, I’d been sleeping while leaning against it. Raising my gaze further, I saw a large, transparent panel right in front of me, like a divider.

Is this… a windshield?

Looking down again, the white ring looked like it was meant to resemble a car’s steering wheel. I instinctively glanced toward my feet.

“An accelerator and a brake.”

And on the left side, there was even an automatic gear shifter. For some reason, I seemed to be sitting in the driver’s seat of a car.

But I don’t even have a driver’s license, you know? 

That perfectly reasonable doubt popped into my head.

《It’s not a public road, so there’s no issue.》

Well, that’s fine then… Wait, no. Who’s been talking to me this whole time? Why am I in the driver’s seat right now? Or more importantly, where am I?

This whole incomprehensible situation felt like a dream. Still, I wanted to get a grasp on things, even if it was just a dream. Hmm. The car I was in had a yellow body and was a convertible. Through the windshield, I could see the hood, elegantly curved in smooth lines.

The dashboard and seats were a glossy caramel brown. The whole color scheme felt overly sweet. Like a car made of candy instead of a gingerbread house.There was nothing realistic about it. The appearance and texture seemed like a toy, and there was even an oddly sweet smell in the air.

So, am I the only one here? Isn’t it kind of lonely if I’m the only one here even if it’s just a dream? 

I turned to look behind me and saw a deep, spacious back seat. One, two, three… four rows of seats. This car was really long. In the very front row, I saw something that looked like cute, pastel-colored chick plushies—but on closer inspection, they were made of sugar. The kind that looks like they’d be perched on a decorated cake.

They were just comically huge. Giant versions of those. And there were three of them. Why chicks though?

They were round and dumpy like little daruma dolls, and had a certain charm. Each one was about the size of a basketball, maybe slightly bigger. They each had a differently colored ribbon on their head—red, blue, and green. Were those food-coloring shades? The tones looked kind of pastel, too.

《It’s your turn. Please spin the roulette.》

Again with the prompting? You really want me to spin that roulette, huh? 

The way it was emphasized made it obvious this was the roulette in question. I didn’t see anything else that looked the part anyway. The white steering wheel I’d been absentmindedly squeezing was starting to feel a little sticky. Along the rim were colorful numbers from 1 to 10.

Yup, total déjà vu.

It reminded me of the popular board game Real Life Drive I used to play as a kid. You spin the roulette and move your car-shaped piece forward based on the number that comes up—a kind of sugoroku-style game. The roulette that came with it made a clattering noise when you spun it hard. This one looked just like it.

Looking more closely at the direction the car was facing, I saw a yellow cobblestone path stretching out ahead. A single-lane road that gently twisted through a lush, undulating landscape.

The scenery looked like something from an old fantasy movie set or an amusement park attraction—definitely not real.

If this is a theme park, it’s gotta be “Candy Land” or something.

Even the road signs weren’t normal. They had the shape of regular signs, but on closer inspection, they were spiral lollipops. The clouds floating in the sky were pop-colored, like cotton candy. They looked like they’d melt if you touched them.

They say dreams hide your subconscious. So what does it say about mine that I’m dreaming up this sugary, high-calorie world? Am I just hungry in my sleep?

《It’s your turn. Please spin the roulette.》

The third prompt. I didn’t really get it, but I decided to go along and spin it like I was told. 

It’s just a dream, after all. 

I grabbed the cylindrical axis in the center and gave it a hard twist. It spun with that familiar light clattering sound. The number that came up was “7.”

One, two, three, four… Even though it was a car, it moved step by step—or more like frame by frame—forward.

“Seven! Here we are. If this really is that game, there should be some kind of instruction to follow next…”

《Due to the National University Entrance Central Exam, skip one turn.》

“…What?”

That oddly realistic announcement snapped me awake.

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