In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 73

Chapter 73: What Should I Do for the First Meeting?

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“When are you planning that dinner meeting, Yuuko?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Do you think I need to hurry?”

“Yes. I think the sooner the better. It looks like the Inrou Trial went well, so while that good momentum is still going, you need to solidify your relationship with the man.”

The first meeting between the boyfriend and the woman’s family—this was an important event that followed the decision to date and the Inrou Trial and marked the beginning of the transition toward engagement. So it was only natural that Yuuko’s mother was concerned about it.

“Good momentum, huh? I see. Then I’ll try to plan it soon. But where should we hold it?”

“Let’s see… If it were just the woman alone, we might invite them over to the house, but this time we’re talking about three families, right? A private home might be too cramped.”

“Uh, so is it better to do it with all three families together?”

“Of course. It’s said that meeting together like that makes it easier to maintain the connection with the man, compared to meeting each individual personally.”

That remark was based on research into the male psyche related to first-time family meetings. According to the findings, when several friendly families gathered for the first family meeting, the risk of one being singled out and having the marriage prospects fall through became easier to avoid.

“Alright, then let’s do that. Would a restaurant work?”

“Yeah… Maybe we can reserve a private room at a restaurant. Or perhaps a small banquet room at a hotel? I’ll check in with the other two families too.”

“Okay. Sorry to trouble you with that, Mom. I really appreciate it.”

“My, you’re being unusually well-behaved today.”

“Well… It’s because I really, really want this to work out.”

“You like him that much?”

When her mother asked her that question so directly like that, Yuuko blushed and smiled shyly.

“Yeah. I love him. I love him so much. He’s just like someone out of a dream… He’s a very wonderful man.”

“Oh my. To be honest, as your mother, I was actually pretty worried about how much of a sucker you are for looks. I was afraid you might never find anyone because you wouldn’t stop chasing after unattainable dreams.”

“–I thought the same thing too, deep down.”

“That’s a surprise. So you were aware of it? But for you to be so smitten, he must be quite the looker. Now I’m really looking forward to meeting him.”

“You’ll be shocked. He looks cool in pictures, but in person he’s even more dazzling. His presence is overwhelming, in a good way.”

“But… it’s not just his appearance that’s wonderful, right?”

“Of course not. His personality is like… Yeah, he’s like sunlight filtering through trees in spring—so gentle and warm. There’s also something a little airheaded about him, like you just can’t leave him alone, and that makes him even more endearing. He’s like the best reward ever. And on top of that, when he smiles… It’s like the early summer sun breaking through cloudy skies, lighting up everything around him—”

“Alright, alright, I get it. You’re so lucky to have found someone like that. All that hard studying to get into that high school really paid off, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ll keep doing my best—cooking, studying for exams… I’ll get into a good university and aim to become a public servant! I’ll give it everything I’ve got to make it happen.”

“A public servant, huh? So you’ve finally decided on a career path. That determination is wonderful, and I support you, but don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“But… I can’t afford not to. If I don’t give it my all, I won’t be a good match for Takeda-kun…”

As if reflecting her lack of confidence, Yuuko’s eyebrows drooped, and so did her energy.

“Yuuko, don’t you think your beloved Takeda-kun wouldn’t see it that way? He chose you from among all those other girls, didn’t he? Being too humble isn’t good either. You need to have more confidence in yourself.”

“Confidence, huh. I had a little bit of it at first, but as things started going well, I got more and more anxious. I’m scared this happiness might fall apart. I don’t want to lose it. That fear’s gotten too big to handle…”

“–Maybe you’re just getting a bit of the engagement blues. But even if you can’t fully trust yourself, you should at least trust him. Just imagine it. If the girl he asked to be his girlfriend is always anxious and worried, he’ll get anxious too, right?”

“Trust him… Yeah, you’re right. I might’ve been being too negative. Thank you, Mom.”

“You’re welcome. When it comes to marriage, I am your experienced senior, after all. Make sure you keep talking to me whenever you’re feeling anxious about it, okay?”

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“Onii-chan, your phone’s light is blinking.”

“Oh, you’re right. Thanks, Yui.”

I was lounging around in the living room, waiting for dinner, when I immediately picked up my phone. A notification icon was showing on the chat app. When I opened the app, I saw a new message in the private chat room I shared with my girlfriends (—though I still felt a bit embarrassed calling them that).

What is it, I wonder?

〈We’d like to plan the first meeting between Takeda-kun and our families, so please let us know any dates that work for you starting the week after next.〉

I see. So now it’s my turn to go.

Because, while I was out, the three of them had already come over to my house to greet my family. Apparently, it was Mom who invited them. I only found out afterward, and when I did, I told her not to move forward with something so important without letting me know first.

But she just said, “That’s the custom,” and pulled out one of this world’s unique rules. I didn’t have the confidence to argue back properly. I thought I had come to understand this world pretty well. But moments like this exposed just how ignorant I still was.

How pathetic. I’ve got to take more initiative myself.

Thankfully, the girls had already accepted that custom, and the meeting had gone well. Yui told me they had fun making dinner together that day. Mom also said, “They’re such well-mannered, lovely young ladies,” and seemed genuinely pleased with them.

It was good that everything worked out in the end, but I felt like I was always late to this kind of stuff. That wouldn’t be good. I had to pull myself together. 

“Onii-chan, I’m making hot chocolate. Want some?”

“Yes, please!”

I needed to greet their families properly too. What should I have done for that? I didn’t want their families to dislike me. If anything, I really wanted them to like me. After all, this was a family meeting with the prospect of marriage in mind. I wanted things to go smoothly with their families as well. Getting their family’s approval was incredibly important.

To make that happen, I needed to understand exactly what that first meeting was supposed to mean. This time, I needed to do my research properly.

Alright! Research! That’s where I’ll start!

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