In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 85-86

Chapter 85: Enshrined Deity

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“We’re having a festival at my place next month. There’ll be a fair too, so if you guys are free, come by and check it out.”

A festival at Yuuki’s family shrine and a fair, too. That sounded kind of interesting.

“A festival? Nice. I haven’t been to one of those in ages.”

“When is it?”

“The first weekend of June.”

“Hey, who’s the deity enshrined at your family’s shrine again?”

“Oh, it’s a super major one. God of the Hidden Realms or Kakurigoto Shiroshimesu Ookami.”

Huh? Who’s that? I’d never heard of that god before.

“Yeah, I’ve never heard of that. Are they really that famous?”

“It’s a deity with tons of different names. Like Ōnamuchi no Kami, Yachihoko no Kami, Ashihara no Shikoo no Mikoto, and Utsushikunitama no Kami.”

“I don’t know any of those.”

“In the Kojiki, he’s called Ōkuninushi no Kami. You know, the one they usually refer to as Ōkuninushi no Mikoto.”

That one… I might’ve heard of it before?

“Isn’t that the god from Izumo Taisha?”

Wait, seriously? Isn’t that kind of a bigshot then?

“You mean the one from The White Hare of Inaba?”

That does sound pretty well-known.

“He’s Daikokuten, right?”

Daikokuten? Like the one from the Seven Lucky Gods?

“Yep, that’s the one. You guys are pretty well-informed. All correct.”

Why is everyone so knowledgeable about this stuff?

This world had some fantasy elements, so I just assumed there were only gods like the Pudding God and stuff like that. Could it have been that even the major deities of the yaoyorozu no kami (Eight Million Gods) actually existed here?

“So, what kind of blessings does this god offer?”

“Oh, a whole lot. Pretty much everything.”

“Like what?”

“Well, first off, he’s famous as the god of nation-building and he’s the kind of god who overcame all sorts of trials for the sake of love, so his blessings include agriculture, commerce, medicine, exorcisms, matchmaking… Oh, and he’s even referred to as the ‘Supreme Ruler of the Invisible World.'”

Wow. That god’s got a lot on his resume. Facing trials for the sake of love? Sounds like a total heartthrob.

“What’s this ‘invisible world’ thing at the end?”

“That covers the world of the gods, the afterlife, the world of darkness, fate, dreams, and stuff like that. Basically, all the things you can’t see.”

“I kinda get it, but also kinda don’t at the same time.”

“Well, setting that aside. The most commonly known blessings include matchmaking, fertility, marital harmony, good fortune, medicine, recovery from illness, business prosperity, and a good harvest. Basically, whatever you’re looking for, he’s got it.”

“Matchmaking, huh. Girls are probably into that.”

“Yeah, we actually get a lot of female visitors specifically for matchmaking prayers. We’ve got all kinds of matchmaking charms too—from traditional styles to more modern ones—so make sure you buy one for everyone, okay?”

“Aren’t you just trying to sell us your merchandise then?!”

“I mean~ If you actually come, it’d really help a ton. When a bunch of guys show up at the shrine with girls in tow, it makes people think, ‘Hey, maybe this shrine really does have matchmaking power.’ Honestly, just having you guys come is a great advertisement already.”

“Hold on. Is it okay for a god to use a sneaky plan like that?”

“Hey, it’s not like I’m lying. It’s just classmates walking around with their friends during the fair. Right? This time it’s the Daikoku Festival, so besides the food stalls, there’ll be tons of street vendors too. It’s perfect for a date.”

“You’re really business-minded, huh. What kind of stuff do the street vendors sell?”

“All kinds. Produce, household goods, arts and crafts, that sort of thing.”

Wow. If there are that many booths, just walking around sounds fun already.

“So it’s kind of like a flea market?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Oh, and this festival has a unique way of praying so you can receive blessings from Ōkuninushi—a.k.a. Daikokuten. Right in front of the offering box, there’s a big Uchide no Kozuchi—a ‘Lucky Mallet.’ You’re supposed to shake it and pray. Something good’s bound to happen.”

A Lucky Mallet, huh. That seems like the kind of thing girls would love. Definitely sounds like a fun date spot.

“So, what are you doing at the festival, Yuuki?”

“Me? I’ll be working the stalls, obviously. It’s our peak season, so the shop’s going to be super busy.”

“Working, huh. Sounds hectic.”

“Yeah, they told me to stay out front as much as possible to help bring in customers. But this time, Katagiri, Hirano, and Wakisaka are helping out too, so we’ll be able to take breaks in shifts.”

“Huh? Why are they working part-time?”

“I mentioned we have a bunch of girls working part-time in miko outfits, and they were immediately down to help.”

“Knew it. Of course there’s a catch.”

They really love shrine maiden outfits, huh? I mean, I get it. Japanese girls in traditional wear or miko outfits have that charming, out-of-the-ordinary appeal. A June date… Wandering around food stalls… That actually sounds like a lot of fun. I should ask the three of them about their schedules!

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Chapter 86: A Curious Gaze

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“I feel like someone’s been watching me lately.”

In this world, just being a guy was enough to draw attention, but I had gotten used to that. Still, what had been bothering me lately felt different from before.

“Maybe it’s the commercial effect, Onii-chan?”

“…Well, yeah, that’s part of it, of course. But it’s not quite the same as those looks that are just out of curiosity.”

“How is it different?”

“It feels like someone’s staring at me… Like they’re watching my every move. That kind of feeling.”

“Like you’re being watched? Could it be the paparazzi? But I thought there are strict regulations on interviewing underage males.”

Then I guess it wasn’t the media.

“Hmm. Then what could it be?”

Lately, I had been feeling so many eyes on me. Whether during my commute or when I was out on the weekends, I’d suddenly get the feeling that someone was watching me more and more often.

Even though I’d started appearing in commercials, I was still just one of many rookie models, and all my work was related to Hexagon Pudding. My name shouldn’t have been that well-known yet.

In this world, even though men were rare, polygamy was allowed. That was why I heard even male idols didn’t stay single forever and fans were generally okay with them getting married. So, there was really no reason for the paparazzi to be chasing me.

“Then, what about the possibility of being followed? You know, like by a stalker.”

“A stalker, huh… I usually don’t move around alone and if someone like that were around, I think someone nearby would notice.”

“But you mostly feel it when you’re going to or from school, right? If the stalker’s a student, it might actually be hard to spot. I mean, everyone’s around the same age and in uniform.”

“But still, if a student were following me to and from school, unless they go to the same school, wouldn’t they be late to their own school?”

“Good point. Hmm. But if the feeling isn’t just your imagination, I think you should try to find out what’s causing it. It’d be too late if something happened. I’ll keep an eye out too, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks. If it turns out to be nothing, that’d be great.”

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“—So that’s the situation. Dia-chan, what do you think? Is it just Onii-chan’s imagination?”

《If stalker countermeasures are needed, I recommend installing the 【Gaze Checker EX】 for Master.》

“【Gaze Checker EX】? That kind of thing exist? What happens if you install it?”

《The standard version of 【Gaze Checker】 provides a list of people who have been looking at you, a brief profile for each, and the duration of their gaze.》

“Hmm, I see. So what about the EX version?”

《EX, or the Extra Enhanced version, comes with a “Gaze Reception Gauge” that quantifies and aggregates the amount of gaze and emotional intensity received over time, and visualizes it with graphs and charts. It also includes an alert system that triggers when a registered person enters a designated range near Master—useful for stalker countermeasures.》

“Wow, that’s actually pretty handy. But Onii-chan’s probably getting tons of looks from all kinds of people right now, right? If that all gets tracked, the list is gonna be huge. Won’t it be hard to sort through?”

《It includes a sorting feature, so you can filter the display.》

“That’s smart. Okay then, Dia-chan, can you go recommend that feature to Onii-chan?”

《There is a related skill called 【Emotion Sensor G】 included with 【Gaze Checker EX】. Simultaneous installation is recommended. Shall I proceed?》

“What kind of skill is that?”

《It visualizes the emotions of people gazing at you through color images and graphics.》

“Wait! So you can read people’s emotions? Isn’t that kind of a double-edged sword then? I feel like that could be a bit much. Onii-chan might not like that.”

《Why do you think he would dislike it?》

“Because people’s emotions are really fluid and constantly changing, right? If you’re always aware of what someone’s feeling, you’d end up constantly trying to read the mood. That kind of thing is just too stressful to have.”

《I see. That would explain the existence of the Limited version of 【Emotion Sensor G】.》

“There’s a limited version?”

《【Emotion Sensor GL】. It applies restrictions during visualization and softens the expression.》

“How does it do that, exactly?”

《Friendly emotions toward Master are manifested as things Master finds pleasant. Hostile emotions are shown as things Master finds unpleasant. Compared to direct emotional expressions, this reduces emotional damage significantly—according to the manual.》

“That actually sounds kind of fun, but whether to install it or not is up to Onii-chan. If he doesn’t like it, can he uninstall it?”

《Yes, it’s possible.》

“Then Dia-chan, could you try talking to him about it? As far as I’m concerned, if it helps keep Onii-chan safe, I’m all for it.”

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