In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 93

Chapter 93: Today Is an Auspicious Day, But First…

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“Okay then, Yuusei-kun. Will you try calling my name?”

It was lunchtime. The four of them were gathered once again in the greenhouse—the memorable stage of the White Day confession.

“Um… Yuko, Yuu-chan, Yuukorin, Yuu. Which one do you like?”

“O-One more time. Slowly, and all of them, please.”

What they were doing, in short, was discussing how to call each other. Since the White Day confession, only Shizu had directly asked to be called by her given name. The other two girls were still being called by their family names with “-san” added, just like before.

Soon, they would be meeting each other’s families. There would be several Kobayakawa-sans and Arima-sans present, so continuing to use family names could lead to some confusion.

…Though that was just the pretext. In truth, it had already been three months since White Day, and still using “-san” made things feel too distant. Plus, some complaints had come up like, “It’s not fair that only Shizu gets called by her first name~,” so the decision was made to switch to more affectionate nicknames for the other two girls as well.

But deciding on nicknames was surprisingly difficult.

Unlike “Shizu,” which is two syllables, names ending in “-ko” like “Yuuko” or “Kyoko” felt a little sharp when spoken without honorifics. That’s why they decided to try out different options and settle on something that felt just right.

“Yuuko… Yuu-chan… Yuukorin… Yuu… Which one do you like?”

“In terms of how it sounds… maybe Yuu? What do you two think?”

“I think it’s good. It’s cute, and more than anything, it has a soft ring to it.”

“I think it’s good too.”

“Then maybe I’ll go with Yuu.”

“Yuu, huh. I think it’s a good choice too.”

“Yuu… It kind of feels like I have a matching name with Yuusei-kun. Just a little.”

“Maybe that’s why it feels easy for me to say, too. Alright, next is Arima-san. Here we go.”

This time, he started off slowly, listing the candidate nicknames.

“Kyoko. Kyo. Kyon. Kyonkyon. Kiki. Coco. Kei. What do you think?”

“Could you say Kyo, Coco, and Kei again?”

“Kyo. Coco. Kei.”

By the way, Coco and Kei were nicknames Arima-san used to go by when she lived overseas with her family.

“They all sound natural, so it’s hard to choose. What does everyone think?”

“Personally, I think Coco is cute. My second choice would be Kei. Both are two syllables, so they match with ours too.”

“I think Coco is good too. It’s easy to say and cute.”

“But isn’t it weird if I’m called Coco?”

“You used to be called that when you were little, right?”

“I did, but back then I was slender and petite, so the image sort of fit. But since then, I’ve, well… Developed quite a bit.”

Saying that, Arima-san glanced down at her own chest. 

I see. So that’s what has developed.

“Slender? Seriously? What on earth did you do to grow that much?”

“If there’s a secret to it, I want to know too. Something that would still work starting now.”

Arima-san was tall for a woman, and her figure really embodied feminine curves. The fact that she used to be petite came as a surprise. If she had some old photos, I’d love to see them.

Old photos, huh. Wait a second. I’ve never seen any of my own childhood photos or albums, have I? Since I suddenly showed up in this world as a high schooler, I guess it’s not surprising… But somehow, that feels kind of lonely.

《Would you like to use 【Memories Maker☆Transfers】?》

Whoa, another new feature? So, what is it about?

《This is an app that consumes divine protection energy to fabricate keepsakes from your past. It uses data from the world you previously lived in as reference. By setting the Nonfiction Index to MAX, it’s possible to create highly realistic items.》

It uses my previous world as reference? That’s super intriguing. Alright, let’s try making one album with the Nonfiction Index set to MAX.

《Understood. One standard album will be created via 【Memories Maker☆Transfers】.》

While I was doing that, it seemed their discussion had wrapped up.

“Yuusei-kun. I think I’m going to go with Coco. What do you think?”

“I think it’s great. Coco is easy for me to say too, and more than anything, it’s cute. It really suits you.”

“Really? If you’re saying that, Yuusei-kun, then Coco it is! And the other two recommended it too!”

“Alright, then it’s settled. Yuu, Coco, Shizu. You can just call me Yuusei without honorifics too. From now on, let’s use nicknames and be more casual with each other.”

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Today was the day Yuusei would meet the families of the three girls he was dating for the first time. After he left the Takeda household, his mother and little sister remained in the living room, chatting warmly together.

“I wonder if Onii-chan is doing okay right now?”

“Knowing Yuusei, he’s probably doing fine. He’s got that lovable personality, and as long as he remembers to show his gratitude, people will naturally support him. Plus, this is the families of those young ladies we’re talking about.  I doubt there’ll be much to worry about.”

“All the senpai are really good people too.”

“Yuusei may seem a bit spacey, but he actually has a good eye for people. Or maybe he’s just lucky?”

“Let’s say it’s fate! That sounds nicer!”

They deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that, thanks to the power of the diary, they had been quietly steering any shady individuals away from Yuusei.

“I hope you find a nice connection too, Yui.”

“Me? Hmm. I am kind of curious about love and stuff like that, but I haven’t really met anyone I feel that kind of connection with.”

“What about that boy you said you were interested in before?”

“That’s a no-go. Once I saw how hopeless he really was, I lost all interest.”

“That’s the hard part about this world. So many of the men here have been pampered. So, I guess romance is up to fate. Have you decided what to do about your future?”

“That’s the thing. I haven’t quite decided. Life right now is way more fun than I expected, but lately, with how smoothly I’ve been collecting energy, Dia-chan says there’s a good chance I could return to my original position. That kind of lights a fire in my sense of duty, and makes it hard to let go of that path.”

“That’s understandable, but there’s no need to rush. Just take your time and think it through.”

“Didn’t you ever hesitate, Mom?”

“Of course I did. But in the end, I chose romance. I’d always longed for the idea of a family, so I’ve never regretted that choice. I’m thoroughly enjoying my life now.”

“I can tell just by watching you. A family, huh. My future family… I still can’t picture that yet. But if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I’m glad I got to be your daughter in this world.”

“And I feel the same. I’m so lucky to have such a cute daughter and son. Being a host mother has truly been a blessing. Your future in this life is still uncertain, but what matters most is to always enjoy the present. If you do that, you’ll eventually be able to make the right choice.”

“Spoken like a true senpai. Your words truly carry weight.”

“Naturally. Our circumstances may have been different, but I also once transitioned from a spirit to a human. So if you ever find yourself feeling troubled, make sure you come talk to me.”

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