Chapter 59: Pervert Development Plan

I think a guy’s perception of women is shaped by how they react when he returns something they dropped during school days.

If a guy picks up an eraser a girl dropped, only to be met with a disgusted look or harsh words like, “Don’t touch it,” he’s bound to develop a bitter streak that’ll last a long time.

“Just take it! I don’t need it back!”

I’m seriously going to end up bitter at this rate! Why the hell is she looking at me like that when I kindly picked up her handkerchief? What kind of upbringing causes this kind of full-on disgust?

“No, seriously, this is awkward…”

“Stop it! Don’t come near me! Ew, gross!”

What’s going on here? I’m literally just handing her back the handkerchief she dropped, but she’s acting like I’m shoving a stick with dog poop in her face.

“Hey! Cut it out!”

“Yeah! I’ll go get a teacher!”

Do I really look like I’m up to no good here? Now random girls are ganging up on me, accusing me of being a creep. What is this situation? What did I even do? Why am I being treated like some kind of pervert by these strangers? And even if they call a teacher, what are they expecting them to do?

“…If you don’t want to take it, I’ll just throw it away. This handkerchief…”

“There’s no hair on me for you to shave, got it?!”

This conversation is going nowhere. It feels like I’m using a broken translation app to talk to them.

“And for the record, I don’t want you shaving my body hair either!”

“Relax, I’m not into that kind of thing.”

Not that I have much body hair left to begin with. They ganged up on me, smeared hair removal cream all over, and now my body’s like a barren wasteland. At least they didn’t go after my eyelashes or eyebrows.

“Just stay away from me! And stop enjoying educational candy in my mouth!”

What even is that phrase? That’s some next-level insanity, making me question my life choices.

“I don’t want you pulling down my panties, kissing me, or changing my diapers either!”

I guess I get why she’d feel that way, but it’s frustrating to be treated like I wanted to do any of that.

…There’s no point in dragging this out. I’ll just shut up and walk away.

“Ahhh! He’s going to strip me! He’s going to take my panties off!”

So even just walking away gets me accused of that? Could you at least step aside and stop running away while falsely accusing me?

“That way leads to the restroom.”

“He’s probably planning something gross in there.”

“Those poor boys who have to share a restroom with him.”

“Who says he’s using the boys’ restroom?”

“Eww! That’s so gross! He’s the worst!”

I can’t hear anything. Nope, not listening.

No matter what anyone says, I’m not giving up! Even if I’m scorned by everyone, pointed at, or flipped off—I’ll keep coming to school! I’ll aim for perfect attendance, even if it means trampling on your right to happiness!

“Hey, Saka-chan! Long time no see. So, how about trying something dangerous with me?”

…Okay, maybe I am starting to crack. I really want to quit school now.

I remember her. We only met once, but she’s hard to forget. She’s the president of the so-called “Board Game Club,” which is basically a gambling club.

“…Are you talking about the kind of life-or-death gambling you see in manga?”

“Huh? I’m talking about a guy and a girl. You know, something a bit… riskier, right?”

I don’t get why she’s hesitating, but I’m just going to assume she’s also under the curse’s influence. This is strange; we’ve only interacted once, and even then, we barely talked.

“Please, give me a break, Senpai. I don’t have any weird fetishes or anything.”

“…?”

What’s with that look? What’s so surprising about what I just said?

It feels pointless, but I’ll explain myself anyway.

“I might’ve mentioned this before, Senpai, but they forced me into it. All those so-called abnormal activities—they made me do it against my will.”

“…Ah.”

“Senpai?”

What was that half-hearted response? It sounded like the kind of noise someone makes when they solve a personal mystery, rather than agreeing with anything I just said.

“Sorry, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

Seriously? You start a conversation with someone and then zone out? Normally, I’d be annoyed, but honestly, I don’t mind. Everyone around me tends to ignore what I’m saying, so the fact that she even apologized makes her practically a saint.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, like I said, I’m normal.”

“You mean the guy who made candy in a girl’s mouth?”

The play was so outlandish, I can’t even argue. No matter the circumstances, it screams “abnormal.” Even if I’d saved the world, I’d still be labeled a pervert.

“That’s because I was threatened…”

“Threatened? By that tiny girl?”

Can we stop judging based solely on gender and size already?

Let’s not act like men can’t be victims too. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of unreported cases of men being sexually assaulted or experiencing domestic violence.

“Even small, she’s crazy strong. Way stronger than most guys.”

It’s probably the result of her training. I doubt it improves her skills as an exorcist, but it’s definitely boosted her physical strength. Honestly, I’m still nursing the damage. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, but the mental toll was far worse.

“Even if she’s strong, there’s no way she had the power to force you into those kinds of perverted acts.”

“No, seriously. She’s not just strong—she’s stubborn, comes from a powerful family, and…”

Thinking about it, White is probably the scariest without the curse. Kaede and the others, at least, don’t completely lose control unless the curse unhinges them.

“Still, you could’ve refused. Which means, deep down, you’re just afraid of pissing them off or making things awkward, right?”

Despite her rough, delinquent tone, this senpai might actually be sharp. Not only did she figure out I’m reluctantly going along with their antics, but she also nailed the reason. The girls earlier? Totally unwilling to engage.

“You’re absolutely right. They’re a little unhinged right now, but at their core, they’re good people…”

That’s the truth. White is hard to defend without the curse as an excuse, but Kaede and the others? They used to be normal. Sure, there were hints of abnormality, but they kept it to themselves. They tried not to show me their darker sides. Now, thanks to the curse, they’re quite literally showing me everything.

“Huh… I guess that fits your personality, Saka-chan.”

What does she even know about me? Is she basing her judgment off that one time we gambled? We didn’t even go head-to-head.

“Well, I get that you didn’t have a choice…”

“But…?”

“Let’s be real—did you enjoy it?”

That’s… a loaded question. I don’t even know the right answer here, let alone how I really feel. Maybe I should just answer honestly, without overthinking it.

“It was a mix of excitement and disgust.”

“Hm? So, what you’re saying is that kissing a beautiful girl was exciting, but the public setting and the intensity of it made you uncomfortable?”

Wow. She filled in the blanks perfectly. Is this her gambling-honed analytical ability?

“Exactly. Like, the idea of being naked in private with her might sound appealing, but when it turns into shaving each other’s hair, it gets terrifying.”

“Ah, I see. So you’re fine with wholesome stuff, but even if she’s a beauty, you can’t handle the perverted stuff.”

Exactly! Being half-naked in a suggestive position might make me happy as a guy, but that happiness doesn’t stand a chance against a scenario where five people cram into a multipurpose bathroom, and then someone decides to… use it.

Too weird to picture? Fine, let me give you a real-world example. Imagine a stunning woman in revealing clothing on a train or in the city—your eyes and heart would be drawn to her, right? But what if she suddenly starts throwing up like a fountain? Your attraction would vanish instantly, wouldn’t it? That’s exactly what it’s like. I’m exposed to more temptation than a revealing outfit and subjected to horrors worse than vomit.

“Wow, I’m disappointed. So that’s how Saka-chan is, huh…”

Wait, why the disappointment? After understanding me so well, why does my evaluation suddenly drop? Did she expect me to be excited by literally anything? It’s rare enough for someone to project their ideals onto others, but her ideal is wild.

“Let’s say there’s a girl who wouldn’t report you no matter what you did to her.”

“…I suppose someone like that could exist, somewhere.”

“You could drag her into a room, strip her down, and not face any consequences.”

“…Uh, sure.”

Where is this conversation even going? Am I just too inexperienced with gambling to follow?

“You could kiss her, undress her, do whatever you wanted, and you wouldn’t get arrested or earn a bad reputation.”

“…Okay.”

Why is she avoiding explicit terms? The vague phrasing makes it even more uncomfortable.

“If she’s a beautiful girl, and she’s not seriously resisting, you’d go for it, right?”

“…You’re saying she’s not consenting, but not refusing either?”

“Exactly. Wouldn’t you go for it?”

“…Well, I’m a guy, so yeah.”

What’s the point of this? It feels like the setup for some outrageous conclusion.

“Now, what if she tries to grab you at every opportunity?”

“…Then I’d back off.”

“Even if it’s just to test your resolve?”

“Still no.”

“Why? She’s a beautiful girl, weaker than you. If you’re careful, you could have a good time.”

“The risk is too high if things go wrong.”

This conversation is absurd. One thing I know for sure is that I’m giving disappointing answers.

“What if her grip strength is only fifteen kilograms? Even if something went wrong, it wouldn’t be that painful.”

“Still no.”

“What if she lets go after you hurt her a little?”

“No. If she’s grabbing me at all, I’m out.”

What kind of depraved psychological test is this? It’s probably meant to gauge my gambling instincts and… libido?

“Man, you’re such a letdown, you know that?”

There it is. The disappointment. Don’t get your hopes up in the first place.

“I think anyone would answer the same way.”

“That’s why it’s disappointing. I thought you’d be crazier, Saka-chan.”

“…I see. Well, the bell’s about to ring, so…”

And no, this isn’t an excuse to get away. It’s a ten-minute break, and I already attract enough attention as it is. If I’m late, people will just assume I was doing something shady. Like, “He must’ve been shaving someone’s body hair again.”

“Forget it. Let’s ditch together.”

She tugs at my sleeve, making the worst kind of suggestion a senior could.

“No way. I’m already on the teachers’ radar.”

Skipping class would be nothing compared to the time I helped the school nurse with hair removal, but that doesn’t make it okay. It’s like having a million-yen debt and thinking an extra hundred thousand doesn’t matter. Sure, some people think that way, but it’s not sane.

“Stop whining. You need to learn to embrace it. Be the kind of guy who voluntarily shaves women’s body hair.”

What kind of motivational speech is this? Is she trying to raise an army of perverts to overthrow society?

Oh, there’s the bell.

“Let’s hurry to the roof.”

“I said no…”

“Would you rather I grab your sleeve, or your, uh, other parts? I can use just my fingertips, you know. It’s more painful that way.”

…This is breaking me. There’s the girl who forces perverted acts, the girl who insults me for them, and now a new one trying to awaken me as a full-fledged deviant. The fact that I’m not a full-on misogynist by now might actually make me a saint.