In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 166

Chapter 166: Exam Results Announcement

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Raitei University of Medical Sciences. The most difficult national university in Japan—an elite institution where those with noble aspirations gather, tasked with bearing the future of Earth.

At the center of the campus, there was a large amphitheater-like stairwell shaped in concentric circles. Normally a place where students relaxed, today it was filled with the faces of many young girls, a mix of anticipation and anxiety on each of them.

All eyes were fixed on the panoramic windows of the east-facing school building. Not a word was spoken—only silent, burning gazes were directed at it. Among them was Shizu Takahashi.

Please let me pass. Please let me pass. Please let me pass.

She knew it was too late now, but she couldn’t stop herself from wishing. She glanced down again and again at the examination slip in her hand, confirming her test number.

1539. 1539. It’s right around the middle, so it’ll probably be posted somewhere near the center.

Exactly at noon. The windows opened all at once, and a bulletin board was lowered from the window frames. The silence that had filled the space was quickly replaced by a storm of noise and excitement.

1200… further right… 1400… 1492… 1531… 39! 1539! It’s there! 1-5-3-9. No mistake. I passed! I really passed!

She blinked several times, trying to make sure it wasn’t a hallucination. Her hand clenched the exam slip tightly. She stood there, staring at the board, and before she knew it, her eyes welled up with tears. As she subconsciously reached up to wipe them—

“Oh my. Isn’t that Takahashi-san? ‘Congratulations’—is that the right thing to say?”

A familiar voice made her turn around. Just as she thought, it was Itou. As usual, she wasn’t alone—two other girls flanked her.

“Itou-san! Thank you. Did you pass too?”

“Of course I did. Regrettably, it looks like we’ll be classmates. But I’m already worried.”

“Worried? About what?”

“Well, you’re planning to find a husband, right? I mean, you chose that high school, didn’t you? Even after getting into university, you’ll be desperately hunting for a guy, without a care for the trouble it causes others.”

“I heard Eika Shuuei only had stingy, tightfisted guys who could be lured with money.”

“Ugh. So you’re okay with any man? How desperate are you? That’s just gross.”

“But you know, medical research isn’t easy enough to do on the side while man-hunting. I can already picture you dropping out. Maybe you should just give up on enrolling now?”

Their usual barrage of insults was as harsh as ever. This time, Shizu couldn’t stay silent. She opened her mouth to respond.

“I’m not going to college to find a husband. Because—”

“Shizu! I finally found you.”

In that moment, the voice she most wanted to hear rang out. A sweet, alluring tenor that stirred her heart. She looked up and saw him standing at the top of the steps. The most handsome, gentle person in the world. Kinder than anyone. The boy who always treated Shizu with affection was staring straight at her.

“Shizu, it’s time. Come on!”

At his words, she found herself leaping up the stairs. Arms spread wide just for her. The warm chest of Yuusei—who always caught her in his gentle embrace. Without hesitation, Shizu threw herself into it.

He came. Just knowing that pushed her past her limit, and the tears she had barely held back began to spill over.

“I passed. I really passed. I got in.”

“Congratulations, Shizu. One of your dreams has come true.”

“Yeah. It came true. My dream came true. Thank you for coming, Yuusei-kun.”

“Of course I came. Even if Shizu is a crybaby, there’s no way I’d leave you alone.”

“I missed you so much. Ever since the end of the year, I’ve been on a Yuusei-kun fast. I missed you so much I even saw you in my dreams.”

“Same here. I wanted to see your face too, Shizu. I missed you like crazy.”

The couple’s dramatic reunion threw the onlookers into a stunned silence, quickly followed by panic. Girls who had spent their youth solely on academics couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.

“Wait, what was that!? Was that a diving catch by a hot guy!?”

“Did he just say ‘Come on!’? Was that a hallucination? A fantasy? That was totally a ‘come-to-me’ pose, wasn’t it?”

Everyone around was completely confused. Some began to scream under the weight of the emotional overload.

“Was it a dream? I thought I passed, but was all this just a dream?”

“This is Raitei’s results announcement venue, right? Why does it look like a drama shoot? Is this some kind of prank?”

“The Bubble Bath Prince is wearing clothes.”

Amid the swelling confusion and excitement, several girls stood frozen in shock.

“…H-Half-Naked-kun? No way—is that really him? Why? Why is Takahashi-san with Half-Naked-kun!?”

Itou and her entourage had climbed the steps without realizing it. Like everyone else, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They doubted their own eyes. Something wasn’t right. This couldn’t be right. Just a moment ago, they had been certain they were superior than Shizu.

They attended the prestigious Raitei Girls’ School, passed the ultra-competitive Raitei University of Medical Sciences, and were among the chosen elite. They thought no one could touch them. That was the basis of their arrogance.

“Why am I with him? That’s obvious—we’re dating.” 

Shizu answered, still clinging to Yuusei.

“Liar! That’s a lie! That can’t be true!”

“The Pudding Prince is her boyfriend!? You’d need billions to make that happen!”

“Ow! I pinched my cheek and it hurts. So this isn’t a dream?! This is real?”

Pressed by Itou and the others, Shizu twined both arms around Yuusei’s and faced them.

“As you can see, I already have a boyfriend, so I don’t plan on or need to go husband-hunting in college. I’m going to focus on research. So, nice to meet you, classmates.”

“Shizu, are these your friends?”

“Yeah. We went to the same middle school. I guess fate brought us together again at university.”

“I see. You all seem very capable. Please take good care of my Shizu.”

“““Y-Yes, sir!”””

Yuusei had come looking for Shizu and saw the unsettling scene by the results board, so he called out on impulse. To assert his presence, he focused his gaze and spoke cooler than usual.

《Hero’s Trait 【Killer Eye-Beam】 Acquired and Activated Immediately》

《Urban Legend 【My Girl】 Manifested. Unleashed indiscriminate attack in all directions》

“W-Well, shall we go? Shizu, aren’t you hungry?”

“I am! I want to get my enrollment paperwork first, so can we eat after that?”

“Of course. Where do we go for that?”

“Probably over there. Oh, but first, I want to take a commemorative photo together.”

“Let’s do it. Let’s move over there so we don’t get in anyone’s way.”

The girls who had just been shaken to their core still couldn’t process what they had witnessed. The couple posed for a selfie, arms linked tightly, smiling sweetly. For some reason, the air was filled with the sweet scent of vanilla. The handsome young man took off his striking blue scarf and gently wrapped it around the girl next to him. As he brushed her hair aside, he kissed the corner of her eye.

“Crying Shizu was adorable, but you don’t need those tears anymore.”

For the girls still emotionally hollowed out by the exam, that sight was too much stimulation.

“S-Somehow I—I can’t breathe…”

“Hey, now’s not the time to be hyperventilating! Burn this into your eyes and ears. Once we start studying at Raitei Medical University, we’ll probably never see anything like this again.”

“I feel like puking sugar. What is this smell? It’s so sweet it’s choking me.”

“I think I’m over it. Maybe I’ll focus on becoming a clinician—more chances to meet guys there.”

“Romance? It actually exists. For real?”

“I-I wonder if I could do something like that too, if I really tried…”

They were beginning to rediscover dreams and hopes in all kinds of new ways. At the same time, Itou and her group—who had looked down on Shizu—were crushed by the weight of her complete and utter victory.

“No way… The Pudding Prince. Seriously? That means he was at Eika Shuuei, right?”

“She got a scholarship and is dating a guy that handsome? For real?”

“Itou-chan, are you okay? Your eyes are tearing up.”

“But… But, but, but… Mama said any guy at a co-ed school was trash. That there were no good ones. She lied—everything was a lie!”

Leaving behind chaos, joy, and despair, Shizu and Yuusei walked away hand-in-hand from the testing venue like a true pair of lovers.

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