It's a Chastity-Reversed World, But It's Different From What I Imagined? - 69

Chapter 69: Love Advice

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How long had I been crying…? The ice in the juice I had been given had melted, and the glass looked as though it would overflow. When I cried, my head went hazy.

“Do you feel a little calmer now?”

Yui-san handed me a wet towel to wipe my face. She had asked the sommelier to bring me some warm tea.

“I think it’ll help you relax.”

By the time the warm tea had cooled to lukewarm, I took my first sip. I let out a sigh of relief. My face felt hot.

“You might not be completely calm yet, but… Will you listen to me?”

If it was Yui-san speaking, I wanted to listen. I nodded, and Yui-san downed her glass of wine in one gulp.

“From here on, just think of me as ranting to myself. Yes. I’m ranting as a pathetic mother, and as a woman.”

Yui-san flashed a playful smile. Normally I would have given a wry smile back, but now all I could do was stare at her expressionlessly, without strength.

“Yuuna, you see… She’s been acting strange. At first, I thought she was just feeling down, but during our last girls’ gathering, when Tsuki-chan said something, I realized it too. Yoru-kun… Did you reject Yuuna?”

In my dazed head, Yuuna’s face came to mind. When asked if I had rejected her, I couldn’t think of an answer that fit, so I shook my head.

“I see. So, if you didn’t reject her, then why? That girl has always loved you, Yoru-kun. Ever since she was little, she had always thought you two were promised to each other. Even when she was about to graduate middle school, she said she would absolutely marry Yoru. I believe she still feels that way now.”

I couldn’t process Yui-san’s words, and my mind went blank for a while. Then Yuuna’s voice came back to me.

『I think you’re so gross you shouldn’t even bother going to high school. Your eyes look scary, your face looks old, you’re bad at talking—overall, you’re gross, so isn’t it better if you don’t leave the house? 』

Those were words you’d say to someone you liked? Unbelievable. I couldn’t understand why she would do such a thing. In the reversed chastity world I had once longed for, the childhood friend was supposed to love the protagonist most of all. But instead, she was the one who hurt me the most.

How could that be…

“I can’t believe it.”

“Huh?”

“Yui-san, I’m sorry. I can’t believe that Yuuna likes me.”

“What do you mean?”

I told her about how I had been isolated during middle school, and how only Yui-san and Yuuna had treated me normally, becoming my support. And then, the usual message before graduation, the truth Yuuna had told me and the despair of losing that emotional support was something I could never forget.

“I see… So that’s… And then…”

It seemed Yui-san hadn’t realized how deep my wound had gone. She fell silent, lost in thought.

“Yoru-kun… I might not have understood how serious this was.”

A lot of time passed, and I began to feel calmer. Rather, my mind cleared, and I could think clearly again.

“Yui-san, it’s all right now. Since starting high school, I’ve made friends. And… I also found someone I like.”

Yui-san, who had been looking solemn, now looked troubled at my words.

“…I see. So you overcame it. And? What kind of girl is it? Tell your mother.”

After a short pause and exhale, Yui-san lightened the mood with a teasing tone. Really, I couldn’t win against this woman.

“Um… There’s one who is three years older than me and she is a hard worker. She always gives her all in everything she does. There’s another one who is two years older than me and seems easygoing, but she’s extremely capable. Yet I feel she carries some kind of responsibility, some pressure—there’s a shadow about her. There’s one who is a year older than me. She is the serious and capable type,  but when I tease her, she gives really cute reactions.”

“Eh~ Yoru-kun, at your age you’re already making three girls cry?”

“I’m not making them cry. But… I do care about them.”

“Ah, youth~ So then? Men are allowed polygamy, but Yoru-kun, what do you want? Will you love just one woman as your true partner? Or do you want to be surrounded by many wives?”

When I realized this was a reversed chastity world, I felt like a reader who had been dropped into a story or game. But if this was reality, then what should I do? Before summer break, I had thought about forming a harem. But… Wouldn’t that be dishonest of me?

“I’m conflicted. Right now, I know who I like best. But… I can’t help but be interested in the others, too.”

“I see~ Ah~ I’m jealous~ I wish I could be chosen by you too, Yoru-kun!”

Leaning back against the sofa, Yui-san teased cutely, and I felt my heart skip for a moment.

“Yes, yes.”

“Muu~ my son’s being cold. Fufu, but it’s fun, being able to talk about love with you like this.

So this is what it feels like for a mother to have her son stolen away? It’s a strange feeling. Part of me doesn’t want to hear it, but part of me wants to send you off.”

Maybe this is how a father feels while listening to his daughter’s love troubles.

“Well, let’s see~ If I were to give you advice, I’d say you should just do what you want, Yoru-kun.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. Men are allowed polygamy, right? But some choose just one woman, while others marry many. Of course, there are women who dislike marriage and stay single, or men who marry each other. Everyone thinks for themselves and lives the way they want. So, if you truly like all three, tell them you want to be with them. If they agree to it even at the same time, then just date all of them. Whether they accept or not isn’t something you can control by worrying. You do what you want. They do what they want. Besides, it’s not like all of them will necessarily choose you, right?”

Yui-san’s words made me realize how arrogant I had been. Because this was a reversed chastity world, I had thought if a man confessed, he’d be accepted right away. But the right to choose belonged to them as well.

Truly, this world was nothing like what I had imagined. My thinking had been far too naive.

“Looks like your worries have cleared up. You’ve got a good face now. Well, since you’re such a wonderful boy, maybe they’ll all say yes. And even if it leads to multiple marriages, I’ll always be on your side.”

Yui-san patted my head. After pouring out all my worries, the bad feelings had vanished. Since Yui-san said she would stay and keep drinking, I left the bar behind.

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