No Wonder I'm Unwanted in This Chastity-Reversed World - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“…”

“…”

After stroking Rui’s head, a silence fell upon both of them. 

It wasn’t awkward. 

In fact, it was a comfortable silence, tinged with a bit of shyness.

“Ikuto, you’re really kind, you know?”

“Ah, thanks…”

“Are you kind to me because I’m a ‘girl’?”

“…”

Caught off guard by her words, I reacted visibly.

“Ikuto is always so kind.”

“Hm? Well, I aim to be the kindest and coolest guy in the world, all to eventually become popular with girls!”

“Even so, you’re kind to me?”

“Of course. Rui, you’re my bodyguard and a dear friend.”

Though the conversation resembled one we had just minutes ago, I found myself unexpectedly nervous. I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at Rui’s face.

“Sorry for teasing of you. Are you still not used to me being a girl?”

“W-well…”

Of course, the surprise still outweighed everything else. I was trying to interact with her as normally as possible, but…

Rui, who had been by my side as a male bodyguard and friend, was actually a girl.

It wasn’t easy for me to just accept that and move on. And moreover…

“That’s right. I’m a girl who loves you.”

It was the first time a girl had told me she liked me. That made me all the more conscious of her.

“If it confuses you… you can think of me as a guy, you know?”

Rui suggested.

I couldn’t miss the tinge of sadness as I averted my eyes.

“I don’t want that.”

“Huh?”

“As much as it’s ironic coming from me who never noticed… Rui is a girl. So from now on, I’ll treat you as such.”

“Ikuto…”

“But then again, whether Rui is a male or female, my impression or thoughts about Rui Tohsaka won’t change. So I don’t think our interactions will be much different from before.”

Right now, I’m acting pretty suspiciously, aren’t I?

But once we get used to it… we can poke fun at each other, laugh about silly things… I think it’ll be like it always was. 

The last thing I want is for my friendship with Rui to be ruined just because we’re of different genders.

“Yeah… thank you, Ikuto. Fufu.”

Rui chuckled softly, looking somewhat relieved. 

I’m sure Rui struggled with the timing of revealing that she’s a girl, and recounting her past must have been difficult too. 

While I was surprised to hear about Rui being a girl and her past experiences, I also felt that this meant she trusted me a great deal.

“It feels good to have been able to talk about various things today.”

“That’s good to hear.”

I had one more thing on my mind that was bothering me, aside from the surprises. 

It seemed like Rui was done talking for now, so maybe it was my turn to bring something up.

“Hey, Rui. This is going to be super embarrassing if I’m just being overly self-conscious, but…”

“Hm?”

“…Were you trying to make a move on me earlier?”

“Ikuto—see me for who I truly am.”

“So, what do you think? Is it what you’ve always wanted? Ikuto, you’ve said you always wanted to be popular, haven’t you?”

“Anyhow, this can’t continue. Go warm up quickly. And make sure to dry your hair properly, okay? Go on, hurry.”

I remembered what happened in the changing room and asked.

“Ah…”

“…?”

Rui closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, closed them again, and opened them once more.

“…Nothing like that happened, okay?”

“Hey, why are you avoiding eye contact?”

Rui diverted her gaze, clearly avoiding looking at my face.

“Rui? Rui-san?”

“…”

Finally, she turned her entire body away from me. It seemed like she had no intention of facing me anymore.

Should I even ask this question at this point?

“…Why didn’t you make a move, if that’s the case?”

“…”

For a moment, I thought I wouldn’t mind being approached like that. 

But then again, I have no idea how I would have really felt, as I’ve never been forcibly approached before. 

I didn’t think Rui would do something like that; somewhere deep inside, I felt that way. 

There was still so much I didn’t know. 

As I stared intently at Rui’s back…

“…If I had made a move on you then, I would be no different from those other women.”

“Other women?”

Slowly, Rui turned back around and began to talk.

“Many women in this world are aggressive. News about women losing control and attacking men isn’t that uncommon these days. Because of a subset of such women, most men find it difficult to trust women. But Ikuto, you’re different.”

“I guess… I don’t find women difficult to deal with or anything…”

In fact, I’ve been constantly saying that I want to be popular.

“I think you’re special, Ikuto. You’re kind to everyone, treat people fairly, and you seem forgiving in most situations. That said, if I had forcibly approached you then, I’d be the same as those women who put their own desires first.”

“Rui…”

“There was also the risk that you might dislike me for it. Nobody would be happy about being attacked unilaterally. That’s why… I didn’t do it.”

“I see.”

Hearing her reasoning, I nodded slightly.

“You really are kind, Rui.”

That was the conclusion I came to.

“Don’t say that. I’m not kind. I mean, I did think about making a move on you, you know?”

“But you stopped because you thought about me, right? That’s kind, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Rui, you are kind.”

I gave a thumbs-up as I repeated my words.

“Geez… I can’t argue with that. Fine, I’ll gratefully accept your compliment.”

“Great, accept it. You can even give specific examples if you want!”

“That would be embarrassing, so no thanks…”

Ah, she averted her gaze again.

“…Specific examples?” 

Rui’s lips moved slightly, and then she turned to face me.

“If there’s another reason I didn’t make a move on you, it’s because…”

“Hmm?”

“I want to be the one who’s approached by you, Ikuto.”

Rui looked at me with earnest eyes.

“You see… ever since I became your male bodyguard, I’ve liked you. Of course, it’s partly because you’re a kind guy. But beyond that, you have a lot of qualities that I find appealing.”

She paused for a beat before continuing.

“Like how you’re somewhat—well, quite—absentminded and how I can’t take my eyes off you. How your expressions change quickly—you shout, get sad, get happy. Being with you is just really fun.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Rui.

“Everything about you is to my liking.”

My eyes widened at her words.

“That’s why I want to be the one who’s approached by you.”

A gentle smile floated in my eyes; Rui stood before me, her cheeks flushed red.

“Ah…” My heart warmed.

Rui felt this way about me…

“Do you think it’s okay for a girl to be as tall as I am?” 

“Yeah… I think it’s fine.”

“And… do you like my… large chest?”

“I do, but…”

“Then that’s enough for now. Your answer to my feelings can wait.”

“Yes, I am a girl who is madly in love with you.”

For the first time hearing those words, I was overjoyed. At the same time, I was unsure of how to respond.

I was busy trying to organize my thoughts.

But it seemed like she had already seen right through me.

“But if I may make a request…” 

Saying that, Rui closed the small gap between us.

“Please be aware of me as a girl who really loves you from now on, okay?”

“… O-of course!”

More than worrying about our shoulders lightly brushing against each other, I responded immediately. 

Men are weak when looked at directly and earnestly asked for something.

“Fufu. Looking forward to being with you, Ikuto.”

“Yeah, same here, Rui.”

“Fufu. Well, now you probably won’t be able to be oblivious towards other girls, right? After all, the girl next to you is head over heels in love with you.”

“W-well…”

Rui skillfully tried to make me more conscious of the situation.

I was surprised to realize I had attracted Rui’s interest.

For tonight, at least, it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to sleep anytime soon, as I needed to sort through the events that had just transpired.