No Wonder I'm Unwanted in This Chastity-Reversed World - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“Hum hum hum hum~♪”

“You seem to be in a good mood lately, Nii-san.”

“Yeah! Hehehehe.”

Another smile slipped out.

Recently, I had been spoken to by girls at school! 

Yes, by girls!

I was insanely happy!!!

I had somehow thought that only I wasn’t being spoken to by girls, but it seemed it was only a matter of time. 

Right, the field trip was a big event for girls to get closer to guys! 

I wasn’t an exception either!

Although being “spoken to” wasn’t like it happened every break time or lunchtime. It mostly happened during brief moments after school and when discussing the field trip

So, it’s not like I was super popular or anything, but there was enough momentum now to possibly become friends!

“It’s good that you’re happy, Nii-san, but don’t forget you’re out with me right now. You invited me, after all.”

“Of course, I haven’t forgotten!”

It was a holiday, and Kuno and I were out together.

“Kuno! I’m bored of lounging around at home, let’s go out!”

“Sure.”

That’s how it went when I invited Kuno. 

Even though I invited him out of the blue, he agreed without a single grimace. Kuno was really kind.

Well, Kuno was cool and not the type to show his emotions easily. But sometimes he did react in an incredibly easy-to-understand manner.

“Nii-san… you idiot…”

Until a little while ago, there had been signs of him being in a bad mood, but now everything seemed normal.

Ah, what a relief. I hope the rebellious phase never comes!

The day he says, “I hate you, Nii-san!” would be the day I’d break down in tears!

As for going out, simply heading to a nearby convenience store would be boring. So, we decided to go to a shopping mall a short walk away.

◇◇

“Whoa, there are really a lot of people here since it’s a holiday.”

“Yes, indeed.”

Once inside the shopping mall, we were surrounded by people—just people everywhere. 

Given that it was a holiday, there were some men around, but women were still overwhelmingly the majority.

I definitely felt gazes on us—or rather, on Kuno. 

I glanced at Kuno next to me.

He wore a seemingly ordinary outfit consisting of a vest and pants. However, when someone as attractive as Kuno wore it, it took on a special aura.

“Hey, that guy is so cool!”

“Pretty boys are also nice.”

“Pretty boy x fine young man is a thing, too.”

See? If you listen carefully, you can hear such comments. 

Although one of them seemed a bit different. 

Kuno was, as usual, popular with the women, but this time I felt slightly different. 

I mean, I was being spoken to by girls at school as well!

That alone made a difference in how I felt. 

Wait, am I that easy to please?

I glanced at the clock; it was past 11 am.

“So Kuno, what do you want to do? Should we have lunch before the restaurants get crowded?”

“Yes, let’s do that. It’s better for you to eat early to stay safe, Nii-san. I want to avoid any issues for you.”

“O-Oh, thanks…”

In middle school, perhaps because he served as a male bodyguard, he had an exceptionally high level of caution when it came to women. He was overprotective even with myself.

“But isn’t it dangerous for you too, Kuno? Even if you’re a male bodyguard, from an outsider’s perspective, we’re just two guys hanging out together.”

“…That’s true.”

Kuno’s cheeks seemed to puff out slightly. 

Huh, did something I said just now bother him?

“It’s nothing. Just make sure you don’t stray far from me.” 

Kuno said, in what sounded like a tone slightly lower than before.

“Understood. Should we hold hands to make sure we don’t get separated?”

“Huh?”

I tried saying that. But on second thought, holding hands between two guys might not be that exciting. 

Or rather, Kuno might coldly ignore the idea.

“Just kidding, ha-ha―wha—?!”

Suddenly, there was a tight grip on my left hand. 

Lowering my gaze, I found that Kuno was firmly holding it.

“Um… Kuno?”

“You did suggest it, didn’t you, Nii-san?”

“Huh?”

“You said we should hold hands, didn’t you? Right?”

“Well, that was a jo―”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Nii-san?”

Kuno’s expression turned into a cold smile.

“O-Okay, Onii-chan doesn’t lie!”

I gripped Kuno’s hand tightly in return.

“…”

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s take our time.”

“R-Right.”

As we started walking hand in hand, I felt even more eyes on us than before.

But being close as brothers and holding hands like this wasn’t so bad.

Although Kuno was my cousin, he was like a cute younger brother to me.

“…Heh. This is… nice.”

Glancing at Kuno, I saw the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.

◇◇

“Whew. That was delicious…”

I rubbed my bloated stomach.

A hamburger set with an extra-large serving of rice, salad, and a mountain of potatoes—I had certainly eaten a lot.

“Nii-san, sorry for the wait. You wanted iced coffee, right?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I received iced coffee from Kuno. 

I had told him that I could go get my own drink, but Kuno insisted on getting it for me, worried about leaving me alone. 

Personally, I thought having a pretty boy like Kuno wandering around would make him a target for the women in the place. 

Indeed, some of the women inside the restaurant seemed to be eyeing him.

“Nii-san? Is there something on my face?”

“Nope. Just thinking about how good you look today.”

“Thank you. You look cool as well, Nii-san.”

“A-ah, thanks.”

Being casually called ‘coole’ in return does make one’s heart skip a beat, even if it’s from family. 

Kuno is indeed handsome, but he also has his cute aspects.

“Mmm, delicious…”

I may not be fond of bitter drinks like coffee, but I love Kuno’s love for melon soda and how he always orders simple vanilla ice cream for dessert. It’s cute. 

A handsome guy with a “gap moe”… That’s strong. Too strong.

“So, what are we going to do next?”

“Good question.”

Truth be told, I hadn’t really thought about what to do after coming to the shopping mall. 

In my past life, I’d often go to a mall when I was bored and just look for something to do. 

But if I don’t say something, Kuno is likely to head home quickly.

“For the field trip, I need new pants—”

“We’ve already prepared that for you.”

“Thanks. Then, a portable shampoo set for the field trip—”

“We’ve prepared that too.”

“Ah, thank you. Then, how about playing cards—”

“We have those as well. Actually, you can probably borrow them at the entrance.”

“I see…”

It seemed like everything I might need for the field trip was already prepared.

If I were to ask for anything more, I’d like to go to the game center since we’re already at the mall. But they’d probably say it’s too crowded, especially with women.

“If there’s nothing else, we should head back. Nii-san, you are a valuable man, so spending a lot of time outdoors increases the risk of being attacked.”

Kuno stood up gracefully, picking up the bill casually. 

I would have missed that cool move if it hadn’t been for him. 

But I didn’t want to go home just yet. 

I wanted to spend more time outside!

So I asked,

“Would it be… bad if I said I just wanted to hang out with Kuno?”

“…”

I waited for a response, but I knew what it was before he said anything. 

Kuno, who had been standing, sat back down.

“Ahem. Very well. If Nii-san wishes it, let’s do so. But we return home by 4 PM, alright? After 5 PM, it’s likely to be the rush hour.”

“Understood. Thanks.”

“It’s alright… Fufu.”

Great. Now we can enjoy the whole day!

“So, from here on, it’s not just an outing, it’s a da—”

“Hey, you! What are you doing to a guy like me!”

Kuno’s words were interrupted by someone else’s voice.

“What’s going on?”

“I wonder what it is.”

I glanced around. 

I felt like I’d just heard a man’s shout.