In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 38

Chapter 38: Catherine’s White Rose

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Actually, aside from the issue of population decline, there was another problem that this society faced.

This world, which was tolerant and incredibly kind to us men, was also, at the same time, a society where the entire system had been structured in an extremely female-oriented way—a world ruled by women, built for women.

Before, someone had told me that the “Granny Dumping” problem had been solved, so there was nothing to worry about. But in reality, there were still people in this world who firmly believed that “Men were unnecessary.” There was a certain school that the girls raised in households that fully embraced such radical female supremacist ideologies longed to attend. That school was St. Catherine Academy.

It was an ultra-elite, all-girls’ school that spanned from kindergarten to university, known as the pinnacle of female education. It had produced generations upon generations of elite women who went on to lead this society.

If the school we attended, Eika Shuuei High School, was a brutal-training institution designed to help commoners rise to the upper echelons, then St. Catherine Academy was an exclusive school that molded born elites into the elite figures they were destined to be.

I had always thought that such a high-society girls’ school would have nothing to do with me for the rest of my life. …But as fate would have it, it ended up having everything to do with me.

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A clean, white-themed café terrace bathed in the gentle winter sunlight. There, girls ranging from first-year middle school students to high schoolers gathered, exchanging hushed yet endless conversations that sounded like the chirping of little birds.

“It’s Onee-sama.”

“She looks so gorgeous again today.”

“She’s so wonderful. I could gaze at her forever.”

“That wistful expression… Ah, I just can’t take it! I’m so worried about what could be troubling her.”

“It must be something so profound that we can’t even begin to imagine it. After all, she is Onee-sama.”

“I’m so curious. If there’s anything I could do for her, I would gladly do it.”

A scene so overflowing with yuri energy that one could almost see pink ribbons and hearts fluttering through the air. Even after more than a year since enrolling, there was one person who still couldn’t get used to this atmosphere and found herself bewildered by the intense gazes of admiration she received daily. She was none other than Karen Kousaka, the current student council president, who was always in the running for the top spot in the “Beloved Onee-sama Popularity Poll.”

“Haah…”

“Karen, what’s with the sighing again? I was wondering why the underclassmen were gathering and making a fuss, and of course, it turns out you’re the cause.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I know that. But it’s about time you realized that everyone around you thinks differently.”

“Realized what?”

“What, you ask… I explained this to you the other day, didn’t I? There’s only a little over a month left until the White Rose Festival. And during that festival, the general election to select Catherine’s White Rose will take place.”

“Of course, I know that. I’m literally in the middle of preparing for it.”

“No, you don’t understand. Karen, you’re the frontrunner to be Catherine’s White Rose. You’re the most watched person right now, so you need to be more mindful of your words and actions.”

“Even if you say that… I’m already overwhelmed with just the festival preparations. I don’t have the capacity to think about anything else.”

“Ugh! You’re as indifferent to yourself as ever!”

Catherine’s White Rose. This was a title given to only one newly promoted third-year student at St. Catherine Academy, a prestigious all-girls’ school. The White Rose was considered the face of the entire student body. The selection process was through the White Rose General Election—a vote cast by all students and faculty members.

The title was awarded to someone who was not only a model student but also possessed immense popularity, striking beauty, and excellence in academics and sports. It was a highly prestigious honor, and those chosen were always individuals who received overwhelming support from their peers.

As always, the voting was scheduled for early March, near the end of the school year.

Karen Kousaka was an iketeru bishoujo—an effortlessly cool and stunningly beautiful girl. Yes, iketeru. She stood at 178 cm, with a tall, model-like figure, a small head that perfectly suited her smooth, slightly tousled short hair, and a natural charm that made people unable to look away.

Her mannerisms were somewhat rough, a rarity in this academy, which only served to emphasize her striking figure. She took long strides, her gait confident and commanding, causing every underclassman she passed to swoon. In this school, where most students were refined young ladies who had been enrolled since kindergarten or elementary school, Karen was the perfect candidate for pseudo-romantic admiration.

And indeed, she was overwhelmingly popular. At the same time, in this academy filled with students who were born into elite families with promising futures, Karen was a special kind of outlier.

“A commoner scholarship student.”

“A social climber.”

During her early days at the academy, such whispers were not uncommon.

But over time, the girls—who had been raised in sheltered environments—began to sense something different in Karen. Her easygoing personality, down-to-earth speech, and bold, animated mannerisms, though far from graceful, held a charm that set her apart from her peers.

“That’s Karen-sama… Kyaa! She looked this way!”

“Karen-sama is so tall. How dignified!”

“Karen-sama is wonderful!”

“Karen-sama!”

“Karen-sama!”

Before anyone knew it, the entire academy was swept up in “Karen-sama Fever.” In fact, the enthusiasm surrounding her candidacy even overturned the expected results of the student council election, leading to an all-out fan-driven campaign.

“The preparations are way too much. Why is the student council so damn busy?”

“Karen, your speech is slipping into casual mode again.”

“With all this work piling up, I stopped caring ages ago. Mentally, I’m completely drained already.”

“Well, that’s true. This time of year is hectic. The biggest task is preparing for the White Rose Festival in March, but there’s also Valentine’s Day planning, the graduation farewell party, and the exchange meeting.”

“…The exchange meeting? Hey, are guys really coming to this school?”

Being a student at St. Catherine Academy meant that, until graduation, encounters with boys were almost nonexistent. It was even rarer to see a boy their age. To address this, the school held an annual Inter-School Exchange Meeting, officially organized by the student council. The event was framed as an effort to prevent the development of biases or aversions toward men and to promote emotional education—at least, that was the explanation provided by the Education Bureau.

Personally, I don’t see how briefly meeting a few guys at the end of second year is going to change anything.

“Not here, of course. We can’t have men setting foot on campus. It’ll be at the convention hall outside the school.”

“A convention hall? Ugh, that’s going to be such a hassle.”

“Don’t worry. While the student council is hosting the event, the school is heavily involved with the process. So, there won’t be too much extra work for us.  Our main role will be hosting and moderating. All you really need to do is give a speech at the start, Karen. We’ll handle the rest.”

“Really? That would be a huge help.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re benefiting from you in plenty of ways, too. Usually, students get restless before and after the exchange meeting, but thanks to your charisma, that should be kept to a minimum this year.”

“Wait, what? You mean everyone just gets antsy because they’re curious about boys?”

“No, it’s just that an unfamiliar creature is being brought in, that’s all. Men are nothing more than inferior beings. We don’t need them.”

“You’re as harsh on men as ever. By the way, where are these boys coming from?”

“Normally, it’s Azuchi Momoyama High School, but for some reason, the school changed it this year. It’s a place called Eika Shuuei High School.”

“Never heard of it.”

Azuchi Momoyama Academy was one of the rare all-boys’ schools in this world. However, they were never very enthusiastic about the exchange meetings, and in past years, only a few students attended to keep up appearances. Securing male students for the event was dictated by inter-school agreements, and there weren’t many schools with enough boys to hold a proper exchange. That was what piqued Karen’s curiosity.

“Huh. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it. Apparently, it’s a co-ed private school rumored to buy male students.”

“Buying male students? So that means a lot of them will be coming?”

“Yes. Over ten boys are expected to attend this year. Disgusting.”

“Wait, even after ‘buying’ them, it’s still only ten? Wow. This world really doesn’t have many men, huh?”

“Karen, don’t start acting like this is news to you. And remember. You are going to be White Rose. So pull yourself together.”

“Haah… White Rose, huh? Not like I need to be one, though.”

“It’s very advantageous for your university admissions!”

“…Alright. In that case, I’ll give it my best shot.”

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