No Wonder I'm Unwanted in This Chastity-Reversed World - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

“Man—, I wonder what’s going to happen at the field trip.”

On the way home, I was walking back with Rui, my male bodyguard.

Naturally, the conversation turned to the upcoming field trip. 

That said, it had been mostly me doing the talking.

“You know, Kanoya-san, the one Rui selected, seems cool at first glance, but I get this vibe that she’d actually be open to conversation. Oh! Speaking of which, earlier, I had a chat with the male bodyguards from Tanaka and Takahashi – Akarizaki-kun and Kamijo-kun. Both of them were super easy to talk to!”

“Those two, huh…? Hmm. That’s good to hear.”

“Ah! If it continues like this, it looks like the field trip is going to be fun!”

This field trip was a golden opportunity. 

Even if things didn’t go as far as being wooed by the girls, I had to make the most of it to befriend more people.

As for the guys, Tanaka and Takahashi still seemed to find me irritating, so I’d have to keep my distance and observe.

But I definitely want to get along with them!

“…I see. Ikuto, you’re really looking forward to the field trip, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely!”

“What are you most excited about?”

“I haven’t checked the field trip schedule yet, so I don’t know what events are planned. But I want to enjoy it with everyone in the class.”

Although… 

“”…””

“…”

Considering my current situation, where even the girls in my group respond with silence, it might be a tough ask. 

But I’m not giving up! 

I have a gut feeling that things will turn out fine.

“Do you want to get along with other girls, Ikuto?”

“Of course! …Ah.”

I realized what I had just said.

“Everyone” would naturally include the girls.

Even in this world where gender roles were reversed, the fact remained that Rui confessed to me, and I had yet to give her an answer. 

It wouldn’t look good if I appeared to be daydreaming about other girls at a time like this.

“Um… Rui…?”

“Do you want to be friends with other girls, Ikuto?”

She questioned me again before I could respond.

“…”

Rui stared intently, waiting for my next words. 

Her eyes conveyed that she wasn’t looking for any evasions or half-truths. 

Should I… tell her the truth?

“Well… I do want to make more friends. Having many friends would surely make school life more enjoyable…”

“…”

While I couldn’t outright say “I want to be popular! I want a harem!”, the genuine sentiment was that I wanted more friends. 

After saying it, I glanced at Rui.

“I see… that makes sense.”

“…Rui?”

Rui’s steps came to a halt.

“Ikuto.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you slap my cheek?”

“?! Why?”

Her seriousness made me even more confused. 

“Wait a minute, I’m not into violence or anything like that!”

The idea of striking a girl’s cheek was utterly abhorrent to me!

“Then I’ll do it myself…”

“Stop!”

I reached out to grasp Rui’s moving right hand. 

“Even if it’s you doing it, violence is not the answer! What’s suddenly gotten into you?”

“That’s…”

Rui mumbled, struggling to find her words.

“Ah… w-wait…!”

“Hm?”

“It’s just…”

Unlike before, it wasn’t that she was holding back, but that she found it difficult to say. 

If that was the case, I’d wait for Rui to speak in her own time. 

Everyone has things they find difficult to say.

“Let’s enjoy the field trip together, Rui.”

That was about all I could say. 

With that, I showed her a smile.

“…Yeah, right.”

Rui nodded slightly, but her expression remained somewhat gloomy.

◆◆

“Sigh…”

In my apartment in a high-rise building, I walked into my room and without bothering to take off my uniform, I buried my face into my bed’s pillow.

“Sigh…” I sighed again.

“What’s the matter? Not looking forward to the field trip?”

“Well, yeah… I just feel like it’s going to be a hassle…”

Minutes later, I was reminded of that day when I had gone to Ikuto’s house during a heavy rain. 

The field trip, a big event, was always in the back of my mind. 

Honestly, I was undecided about the whole thing. 

The main goal of this event is to deepen relationships within the class, particularly helping the boys get more accustomed to the girls. Meaning, boys would interact more with the girls than usual. Hence, it’s deemed a ‘big event’ for girls.

Most male bodyguards, like me, would probably be on high alert, watching the behavior of the boys they were responsible for. 

After all, the boys could be attacked.

I had every intention to be more vigilant. 

Especially since Ikuto is probably the most targeted boy in the school.

However…

“Well… I do want to make more friends. Having many friends would surely make school life more enjoyable…”

To anyone else, these words might seem trivial. 

But they struck a chord with me.

Having many friends makes school life more enjoyable. 

The joy of spending time laughing with someone is pure happiness. 

Now that I’ve experienced that, I don’t want to go back to the old days.

Moreover, I know all too well the pain of having no friends, or worse, being avoided. 

Yet, when it comes to Ikuto…

“I get so fixated on him that I fail to see the bigger picture… and sometimes even his own feelings…”

Protecting Ikuto and ensuring his safety is my duty as his bodyguard. 

After hearing about Ikuto’s past from Kuno-chan, I felt an even stronger conviction. 

I wanted to protect him from all sides.

And now, beyond my duty, personal emotions have also intertwined.

But I shouldn’t deprive Ikuto of his joys. 

I shouldn’t take away his freedom. 

After all, what I truly want to protect is his smile.

“…I’ll ease up on my vigilance during the field trip.”

By doing so, there’s no doubt Ikuto would become incredibly popular. 

Everyone would try to get close to him. 

They’d flash their best smiles his way. 

He’d become completely absorbed with the other girls, and perhaps… 

He might forget about me.

“Ikuto… do you like ‘these’ big?”

“I do, but…”

— No, that wasn’t it.

“I mean… it was a surprise to find out Rui was a girl, and I feel guilty for not noticing it sooner… But when you said you loved me, it made me incredibly happy.”

He had admitted it shyly but with clarity. 

He accepted me for who I was. 

I decided to trust the person I dearly loved. 

And then, a daring thought crossed my mind.

“Maybe… I should try to tempt him?”

After all, I’m a girl too. 

And if Ikuto’s attention was drawn to other girls…

“…”

I rose from the bed and stood in front of the mirror, unbuttoning my blazer and proceeding to unfasten my shirt down to the second button.

This revealed a hint of the binding cloth I wore, which struggled to contain the ample curves beneath.

If I removed it all, the view would be even more enticing. 

While men in this world typically show limited interest in a woman’s body, I believed it might have an effect on Ikuto. 

My past insecurities could become my assets.

If Ikuto’s attention were to wander to other females, 

“I’ll make sure to fill his thoughts with nothing but me, so much that I won’t lose…”

The reflection in the mirror displayed my most daring expression yet.