No Wonder I'm Unwanted in This Chastity-Reversed World - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

“You’re just making that decision on your own! Damn it, I was this close to getting them to hand it over!”

“Tch… Acting like some damn prince! You’re that guy, right? The one everyone says is the coolest first-year!”

“You really piss me off. Acting all high and mighty… for a freakin’ giant bitch.”

“…”

Hearing those words come out of the blond guy’s mouth—I felt pure, unfiltered rage.

Every single thing he said was just him taking his frustration out on Rui.

I wanted to yell at him.

I wanted to let out a full-blown “What the hell did you just say!?” from the pit of my stomach.

But if I acted purely on impulse, this would just turn into a full-on fight between me and him.

And that’s not what Rui would want.

More importantly—if I got hurt, it would only hurt Rui even more.

She’d blame herself.

She’d make that sad face again.

Besides, I don’t know everything about Rui—not enough to win an argument about her past.

Hell, up until recently, I had thought she was a guy.

But if there’s one thing I do know, one thing I can say with confidence—

It’s what I’ve seen with my own eyes.

I let out a slow breath.

I cleared my head.

Then, when I was calm and focused—

I spoke.

“And what makes you think you’re so damn important?”

That was my opening line.

I locked eyes with him as I said it.

“Tch… What the hell do you want…?”

The blond guy scowled, clearly irritated that I had stepped in.

His gaze was sharp.

But I wasn’t flustered. I had already cooled down, and I didn’t need to glare back or get emotional.

I could say exactly what I wanted—calmly and clearly.

“I’m Ikuto Ichise. And Rui isn’t just my assigned male bodyguard—she’s also my friend. So yeah, of course I’d step in if someone starts taking their anger out on her.”

“Hah. Aren’t you the considerate one? Good for you, huh, giant bitch? Looks like the guy assigned to you is just another bootlicker who panders to women.”

“Uh-huh, sure. But let’s not go back to harassing Rui, yeah?”

I waved him off dismissively before continuing.

“Rui’s cool, she’s polite, and she treats everyone with respect. It’s obvious she’d be popular. You blaming others just because you’re not getting attention? That’s pathetic. And taking it out on someone else? Even worse. But you know what? Rui’s had to work twice as hard just to get here.”

“…Ha?”

The blond guy looked at me like I was talking nonsense, but I didn’t stop.

“In this world, we men don’t have to change anything about ourselves. We can do whatever we want and still live comfortably. But it’s not the same for them.”

“…Tch.”

Even though he was still acting combative, I didn’t let up.

“They adjust everything—the way they look, how they talk, how close they stand—all depending on the guy they’re dealing with. That’s not easy to do. And yet, when they’re with us, they act like it’s just ‘normal.’ Like it’s nothing.”

“Pft… That’s the grand speech you wanted to make? What a load of crap.”

“…You think so?”

This is just how men in this world think, huh…? 

No. I refuse to let it slide with that excuse.

I took a deep breath—then locked eyes with the blond guy and spoke clearly.

“A load of crap? Don’t give me that! Don’t talk down to people like it’s nothing! Don’t mock the effort you know nothing about! There are people who get hurt by our careless words!”

“…!”

I made sure every single word hit him, my voice ringing with conviction.

“And just so you know—I plan to keep spending time with Rui. Because being around her is fun. But you? No matter what I say here, you’ll just keep finding reasons to complain about Rui, won’t you?”

I took a firm step forward, moving from Rui’s side to stand between them.

To put an end to this nonsense.

Then, I crossed my arms, straightened my back, and declared—

“Rui isn’t alone. I’ll always be right next to her. And I won’t hesitate to throw every complaint you make right back at you.”

I met his gaze head-on.

“So if you’ve still got something to say, go ahead! I’ll come back at you with twice as many reasons why Rui is amazing!”

I finished with a deliberate huff, exhaling through my nose in an exaggerated show of confidence.

The blond guy, who had been staring at me the whole time, surprisingly—

“Tch… Damn it. You’re seriously throwing me off… Oi, we’re leaving.”

“E-Eh? Oh, okay…!”

Muttering under his breath, he turned away and stalked off.

His partner gave us a series of quick bows before scrambling to follow him.

“…They’re gone.”

I let out a slow breath.

Even though I had kept my cool, I couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.

“Man, I’m so not used to saying stuff like that seriously.”

As I turned around—

I saw it.

A single tear rolling down Rui’s cheek.

“R-Rui!?”

I hadn’t expected her to cry—and it completely threw me off.

“Wait, are you hurt? Did something happen? Are you okay!?”

“N-No…! It’s just… I feel relieved, that’s all… I-It’s not like me, huh?”

Rui quickly wiped her tears away with her sleeve—something she usually wouldn’t do.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she was holding back more tears.

“…Rui.”

What could I even say right now?

Surprisingly, the words came to me naturally.

I reached out and gently placed a hand on her head.

“You’ve done your best all this time. From now on, you don’t have to do it alone—it’s us now.”

“—!”

I heard Rui suck in a breath.

After a moment, she lifted her head.

Her eyes were a little red, but the sadness was gone.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah… I’m okay now.”

She took another deep breath, as if to fully steady herself.

Then—her gaze locked directly onto mine.

“I’m glad it was you who stood beside me, Ikuto.”

For the first time since I’d met her—

I saw Rui’s genuine, full-faced smile.

And just like that, the field trip came to an end.

A lot had happened, but…

“I hope we get to go on another field trip someday~.”

“Ikuto, you never change, huh? But… yeah, I’m glad this camp happened too.”

In the end—both Rui and I had a great time.