In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 146

Chapter 146: 24,000 Eyes

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“…What a weird way for a dream to end. Wait, no. Not ‘end.’ ‘End’ is bad luck. Forget I said that.”

I muttered to myself groggily as I opened my eyes.

“Did I fall asleep halfway through?”

When I woke from the dream, I wasn’t in the driver’s seat—I was sitting at the kotatsu in the living room. In front of me was an open book of past questions from the National University Entrance Central Exam, commonly known as the Central Exam.

That was because Soukei University, which I had been accepted to, required even students admitted through school recommendation to take the Central Exam and submit their results. Not for all subjects, of course.

Even if the scores were low, the admission offer wouldn’t be rescinded.

The idea was probably to prevent students from letting their guard down after early acceptance, to help with class placement after enrollment, or maybe to evaluate the effectiveness of the recommendation system.

I figured it might be best to just show my actual academic level, but I also didn’t want to trouble the juniors coming in behind me. Most of all, the thought of burning out and going blank in front of the answer sheet was just too depressing.

So, starting last year, I had been casually working through past exams here and there.

“…Didn’t expect to fall asleep, though. The kotatsu’s power is unreal. Wait—I said no talk of ‘falling’!”

“Oh? Onii-chan, you’re awake? I was just about to say, ‘You’ll catch a cold if you sleep in the kotatsu!’”

Apparently, I had slept longer than just a nap.

“Huh? It’s just you, Yui? Where’s Mom and Dad?”

The house was unusually quiet, and I couldn’t see my parents anywhere.

“They went out. Said they were going on a New Year’s shrine date.”

“I see. A rare date time for them, huh?”

Dad had come back home for the first time since summer break, and Mom was on cloud nine. The generous New Year’s gift money that made me blurt out “Whoa!” when I opened the envelope was probably thanks to that too.

“Mom and Dad were super giddy. So I told them to take it easy and enjoy themselves. They said they’d be back by dinner.”

Yup, yup. Domestic bliss is a beautiful thing. “To be harmonious is beautiful”… Wait, who said that? Was it Mushanokōji Saneatsu?

As I nodded to myself, I noticed Yui putting on her coat for some reason.

“You heading out too, Yui?”

Where would she go in this cold? Her clothes and coat were just her usual casual ones—not like she was dressed up for anything special.

“Yeah. I’m going to, um, EXA…”

“EXA? What for?”

Going to a convenience store on New Year’s Day? Out of toilet paper? Or maybe she ran out of New Year’s postcards?

“…It’s a secret from Onii-chan.”

Yui, you’re making it more suspicious with that embarrassed face.

“Nope. A secret is a secret!”

Under my gaze, Yui shrank back but stood firm.

So it’s related to the toilet after all? Pushing too much might just make her hate me.

“Okay then. Be careful.”

“Yup. I’m off!”

These days, I was starting to think that little Yui had grown a bit more mature since starting high school.

“Well, everyone’s out. Guess I’ll work on those past exams. But no more kotatsu. I’m going back to my room.”

＊＊＊

“Sanae-chan, Haruka-chan, sorry to keep you waiting! And Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, Yui!”

“Happy New Year! Let’s make it a good one!”

Yui, Sanae, and Haruka—three school girls—had met up in front of the ticket gate at Yoyogi Park Station. Their destination: the New Year’s event hosted by the major convenience store chain, EXA.

Around them were many other women, eyes gleaming with excitement, also likely heading to the same event. Every time a train arrived, more and more spilled out of the ticket gates, swelling the crowd.

“As expected, it’s packed. Did you bring your event ticket?”

“Of course! I’d cry if we came all this way and couldn’t get in.”

“I’ve got mine safely tucked in a ticket holder around my neck.”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Their destination was Yoyogi National Gymnasium. A human river flowed from the station, and by simply going with the flow, they easily reached the venue. 4,000 seats in the arena, 8,000 in the stands. A total of 12,000 participants—a massive event.

“Hey, look. There’s that chick costume character.”

As they waited in line for admission, several yellow mascot suits could be seen past the entrance gate.

“There’s more of them than before. How many are there in total?”

“Wait, you don’t mean…”

“Onii-chan’s not inside one of those today.”

“Right. It’d be wild if senpai was here. He’s a test-taker now, remember?”

“Yeah. He should be at home working on past exams.”

“I wanna take a photo, but you can’t once you’re inside the gate. Oh! They’re waving! They look huge up close. And their movements are so cute!”

As the line steadily moved forward, it was finally Yui and her friends’ turn to pass through the gate.

“For those who have their tickets stamped, we’ll be handing out novelty lucky bags and raffle tickets.”

The raffle ticket she received had a striking design—an arrow piercing a pink heart.

“It says ‘Guaranteed Win Ticket.’ I think it means you’re guaranteed to get something?”

“Probably! I can’t wait to see what I get.”

“Let’s see… Stand Section E. Found it. The entrance is that way.”

“Hope the seats have a good view.”

＊＊＊＊

“Ladies & Girls! Happy New Year, everyone! Wow, this place is burning up with your passionate energy—oops, not that kind of burning up though, haha! You all are heating up the place so much, it’s like the cold just vanished!”

Right on schedule, the event kicked off to rhythmic background music.

“I was so excited I woke up super early this morning! I bet you’re all dying to watch, right? But before that, here’s a message from our editorial staff—please enjoy!”

“With boiling desires and fiery passion, we edited this with all our soul, aiming to cleanse your very pores and leave you feeling refreshed!”

The screen suddenly changed, and that message from the production team flashed across the massive screen at the front. The crowd of women erupted in cheers.

“There you have it. Rumor has it that the secret pre-screening had people achieving enlightenment left and right. This might cleanse you better than EXA’s own silky-smooth body soap! Now then, there’s one more important announcement…”

The screen changed again, now showing the novelty goods and raffle tickets attendees had just received.

“At the entrance, we handed out commemorative goods along with these guaranteed-win tickets—the ones with the heart and arrow design. If you open them, you’ll see a number written inside.”

All around, people began rustling through their bags and opening the tickets.

“After the film screening, we’ll announce the prizes corresponding to each number and guide you to the prize exchange booth. No blanks—everyone gets something, so be sure not to lose it!”

As the film’s title appeared on the screen, the crowd’s excitement swelled.

“Thank you for waiting. The screening will now begin. There will be a brief explanation of viewing guidelines at the beginning, so please pay attention and cooperate.”

The lights gradually dimmed, and the buzzing crowd slowly quieted.

“To everyone attending the EXA New Year Event: Welcome to the screening of the making-of film, ‘A Prince Drenched in Water.’”

The making-of footage for the commercial began.

The first image projected on the giant screen was a side profile of Yuusei as he received an explanation of the commercial’s procedure from the production staff. Everyone in the venue was glued to the screen, captivated by the unfiltered version of Yuusei that couldn’t be seen in the actual commercial.

As shot after shot of Yuusei’s serious expression filled the giant screen, countless sighs escaped the audience. The ladies and girls squealed in delight at the sight of him bewildered by makeup, something he was unfamiliar with.

“Replay! Replay that last part again! Whoa, it’s really back—REPLAY! That back is perfection!”

“He had to strip down so many times! Ah, his shirt’s stuck—he can’t get it off. Hang in there!”

“If you looked at that from the front, his ‘beep!’ would be totally exposed—”

“Oh no, the shoulder blades! The trapezius muscles! Too sacred!”

“No, no, it’s the latissimus dorsi! That’s really divine!”

Every time the retake showed the full-back undressing scene, high-pitched screams echoed, and a storm of excitement surged through the audience like a whirlwind.

“Ahh… We’re so close to seeing the good part—but not quite!”

“Ugh, so close! Just a little lower!”

“That’s where we use our imagination!”

“I can see it! No—see it with your mind’s eye! The paradise beyond the foam!”

“The foam’s in the way! Go away—pop—melt!”

The generously long bath scene began with gasps at the sight of Yuusei in a bathrobe. When he removed it, a strange silence filled the venue. Then, as he relaxed in the bubble bath, a chorus of “Too precious!” and “What a shame!” rang out.

“That was a blessing for the eyes. I’ve got enough energy to get through the whole year now.”

“My boiling worldly desires have been sublimated. But… New ones are already forming…”

“He was so cool. Too cool—I forgot to breathe.”

“This is so sad. I’m devastated it’s over. Ughhh.”

“Once it started, it was over in a flash. Gotta burn this into my memory so I don’t forget.”

As the lights came up in the venue, the attendees began exchanging their impressions aloud. Still, no one stood up yet.

“Everyone! How was the screening event? If you enjoyed it, then the entire staff is overjoyed. As announced before the screening, we will now reveal the prizes from the guaranteed lottery. Please take a look at each prize before the announcements begin!”

Images of the prizes appeared one after another on the screen, accompanied by brief introductions.

“The prize with the highest quantity is a three-piece set of limited-edition can badges with different designs. Here, let’s take a quick look. …Did you catch that? Star pattern, chick pattern, and Prince-sama. Every set includes this combo. There are several different Prince-sama badges, each showing a wonderful expression—you’ll want to collect them all. Okay, next. The original tumbler. If you turn it around like this, behold—his sacred, foam-covered figure! I want this, don’t you?! Next up is the big prize: a life-size body pillow, featuring the ‘sportswear version’ from the commercial! Light clothing! Life-size—so that means it’s 180 centimeters tall. You can cuddle it as much as you want. We’ve also prepared other great items like a desktop calendar, coasters, and a schedule book. No matter what you win, it’s bound to make you happy!”

With each number announcement, a mix of joyous cheers and bitter screams erupted. It continued all the way until the crowd was guided to the prize exchange booth outside and the event’s closing announcement played.

“Thank you very much for attending the Happy New Year Customer Appreciation Festival, sponsored by the convenience store chain ‘EXA.’ When leaving, we expect significant congestion, so please follow the staff’s—”

＊＊＊＊

“I’m home~”

“Welcome back. You’re late. Didn’t you just go to the convenience store?”

It had been four hours since Yui had left. Where had she gone?

“I met up with a friend. Here—souvenir. Let’s eat it together.”

“Oh? What’s this? ‘Full Moon Chick’?”

“It’s a new product from EXA. Fluffy, round sponge cake with custard inside. I thought you’d like this kind of thing, Onii-chan.”

“Yeah, I do. But it’s a new product? You went out just to get this?”

“Um, it was in a lucky bag. The New Year’s limited edition lucky bag from EXA.”

“A lucky bag? Oh right, I remember choosing design ideas for the lucky bag items around summer.”

There were several item candidates for the lucky bag, and they had asked for his preferences. They’d said not everything would be included, but what did it turn out to be in the end?

“What was in the lucky bag?”

“Let’s see… Your acrylic charm, a star-themed scrunchie, a chick mini towel, a star-patterned mini pouch, and a chick eco-bag—those five items. Plus snacks and cosmetics, I think. This is the scrunchie.”

As she said that, Yui held out her wrist, showing off a cute scrunchie adorned with a star charm.

“Whoa! The real thing is pretty cute.”

“Everyone was saying that this scrunchie is great for everyday use since it has a star motif.”

“That’s good to hear. By the way, Yui, what’s that big bundle you’re trying to hide behind your back?”

The large package she was attempting—and failing—to hide behind her back was easily the size of a throw pillow. What could it be? A cushion, maybe?

“Oh, this? Um, it’s… A new pillow, I guess?”

“You bought that too?”

“Well, I won it in a lottery…”

“Huh, what kind of pillow is it? Can I see?”

A pillow as a lottery prize? That’s unusual. Now I’m curious.

“Uh, no! Y-you can’t. It’s compressed, and if I open it, it’ll puff up really big, so I can’t!”

“It’s bad if it gets big?”

“My friend said she wanted it, so I might end up giving it to her… Though I’m not sure yet.”

“I see. In that case, it’s better not to open it. Okay, then—let’s have the souvenir snacks together.”

“Yeah! I’ll make us some tea. Do you want black tea or green tea?”

I could make it myself, but it’s always better when Yui does it. I’ll leave it to her.

“Hmm, tough choice, but I’ll go with black tea.”

“Got it! I’ll go put my stuff in my room first.”

“No rush. I’ll get the water boiling in the meantime.”

‘Full Moon Chick’, huh. I’ve been craving something sweet, so this is perfect. I’m really looking forward to it.

—————————————————————————————————

※Side note: Regarding the New Year’s event, Yuusei did receive a proper explanation about it. However, with everything going on—especially college entrance exam preparation—he completely forgot about it.