Someone Who Believes They Can Live Normally in a World Where Chastity Is Reversed (Did You Think You Could Live Normally in a World With a Male-To-Female Ratio of 1:5?) - Chapter 3: Tsundere Office Ladies Are Kind People

After playing basketball, it was just before 6 p.m. As the surroundings were starting to darken, it became a bit cooler. 

After Yuka woke up after that and apologized to me frantically, I pushed the towel I was making her use as a pillow, saying “You can use this,” and then went home.

After returning home and showering to wash away the sweat, I headed to work. My workplace was about a 10-minute walk from home.

The temperature had become more comfortable, so the walk felt rather pleasant.

“Alright… time to work.”

Arriving at my workplace, I saw the neon sign displaying ‘Festa.’ The overly flashy decorations of the store were still something I wasn’t quite used to.

“Good work today~…”

Entering through the back door, I made my way to the break room.

“Oh, Masato, good to see you!”

“Hey, Masachin, how’s it going?”

In this world, it’s considered rare for men to casually strike up conversations. Although I do interact with them occasionally (I mean, I am at university), communication with peers of the same gender is somewhat limited.

Looking around, there were guys with blonde, brown, and silver hair, adorned with dazzling necklaces and accessories.

I felt like asking, ‘How many rings are you wearing?’ but I resisted the urge

It was all too flashy. It felt like they were overdressed.

But there was a reason for that.

Each of these guys had what looks like a nameplate pinned to their chests.

Written on them are ‘fake names’ like ‘Yusae,’ ‘Kazuto,’ ‘Shogo.’

“Ahaha… well, I’m hanging in there.”

Yes, this is where I work…

It’s not a girls’ bar, but a boys’ bar called ‘Festa.’

How did I end up here? Well, it’s simple. This bar was managed by Aika-san.

As part of the deal for her taking care of my living arrangements, she offered me a job here. I used to work in customer service before, so I figured it was fine. But it’s been quite tough.

The atmosphere here was completely different from what I was used to. Plus, I was underage, so I couldn’t drink alcohol. I could serve it, but I had to pretend to be tipsy to fit in.

(…I really can’t keep up with this atmosphere…)

I don’t think these people are bad. They were actually nice guys who treated me well, which was rare in this world. But the atmosphere was just too much for me.

And watching them act all flirty with the customers… It was tough.

Well, it’s work, so I guess it can’t be helped… So, I started working here, but I don’t get many requests. It’s understandable. I can only do so much, like smiling and chatting.

And compared to others, I was quite plain. The seniors here were much better at providing service, so weirdos who’d request me were, well, rare.

Which was honestly fine by me.

“Alright, let’s get started! Masato, you’ll handle reception and the hall first!”

Yusae-san, who’s about four years older than me (probably a fake name), gave out instructions.

Following suit, I changed into my work uniform and headed to the reception.

It was past 8:00 PM.

The customers were increasing, and the shop was bustling. Especially on a Friday night like this, the customers seemed to be in a better mood than usual.

From the lively atmosphere of the shop, various conversations could be heard.

“Eh~! Onee-san, you’re amazing!”

“As expected of you, Onee-san! You’re so cool!!”

…

Well, what can I do? It’s just how things are, right?

But still, isn’t it tough sometimes?

Sure, there are guys here who maintain a cool and manly (??) stance, but…

People who clearly try to curry favor, it’s kind of… tough to watch. Their overt body language… Is that really okay?

As I was thinking about such things while crushing ice at the back, Yusei-san came up to me.

“Hey, Masato, you got a request at table 3.”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. It’s the usual. You’ve got a regular customer. Good for you to have a regular like that. Do your best~”

“Ah, I got it.”

The usual person. Hearing that, I could only think of one person who regularly requested me.

Or rather, isn’t it every week? Since the first time I served them…

Putting some crushed ice in a few glasses, I grabbed my own glass and headed towards table 3.

At table 3, a few people were already talking to other customers, and one person was sitting alone, waiting for me with an unnecessarily good posture. This person always seemed so nervous…

“Good evening. You’re back again.”

I placed the glass on the table and poured whiskey into her glass.

She tied her black hair into a ponytail. With shiny hair and wearing a suit, she exuded a capable woman vibe.

In this world, the phrase “a capable woman vibe” might be out of place, but from my perspective, that’s the only way to express it.

She was relatively tall and gave off an impression of being slim yet well-proportioned, exuding a mature charm.

I couldn’t help but feel like she’s become more alluring since we first met.

“Y-You see… it just happened that I had some free time…”

Yeah right~. Her eyes were wandering.

Actually, how can she have free time every Friday during this busy hour?

Her colleagues, or so I assumed, were grinning and looking over at us.

“Masato-ku~n! Seira is totally head over heels for you, so you better take care of her lolol”

“Hey, Miki-san…!”

The person called Miki-san, who seemed to be her coworker, was already flushed red, perhaps from being drunk.

“Cough… Uhm, well, you see, it just happened. Seniors invited me, and I had no choice. So, I called for you. Understood?”

“Haha… Thank you. I’m just someone who can only listen, but I actually enjoy listening to your stories, Seira-san.”

“….!”

Seira-san’s hand, holding the glass, momentarily stopped, and her face flushed red. Huh? Did I say something wrong??

“Y-You… You say that to everyone, right?”

“Huh?… No… You’re the only one who requests me, Seira-san…?”

“R-Right. If that’s the case, then it’s fine. That’s right. I want you to stay that way forever.”

“…?”

Seira-san glanced over to the day after tomorrow and sipped her highball little by little.

(Her impression has changed…)

When we first met, her cheeks were sunken, and she had dark circles under her eyes. I was worried about her health, but it seems like she’s gotten a lot better recently.

I want beautiful women like her to stay healthy.

“Seriously, that damn boss deserves to perish! What does she mean by saying ‘that’s why you get rejected’!? Idiot!!! I’ll kill her!!!”

“Haha…”

Seira-san gets heated up when she drinks. Really. She’s already at full throttle. Her face had become quite red, and she was quite drunk.

“Even though it’s not a case I’m in charge of, why does that old hag keep complaining to me?? That bitch!!!”

“Seira-san, you haven’t done anything wrong…”

While I was mainly just listening, from what I heard, her boss did seem like a real piece of work.

I guess even in this world, there were plenty of terrible bosses…

It’s been about two hours, I think. Quite some time had passed since I started attending to Seira-san. Other customers usually changed their companions after about 30 minutes, but Seira-san kept me around, wasting her money, for two hours. Why???

Well, it’s not like I was getting requests from elsewhere, and I was sure the shop was happy about it.

And also, Seira-san was beautiful, and when she drank and her face turned red, she looked sexy, which was a feast for the eyes, so I didn’t mind at all.

“Seira~~! Let’s go home~~!! How long are you going to flirt with Masato-kun!! Look!!”

“H-Huh?! We’re not flirting! It’s not like that at all! You, lanky… lanky…”

“Yeah yeah. I’m lanky. Please come again.”

It seems like she couldn’t find any other insults besides “lanky”.

Even though she was hurling abuse at her boss just now, she was a weird one. I take Seira-san’s unsteady hand and guide her to the entrance.

It seems her friends have paid the bill together. Since Seira-san’s steps are quite unsteady, I hold onto her arm to support her.

Suddenly, Seira-san leaned her weight onto me.

Her face was looking down, so I couldn’t see her expression.

“Seira-san?”

“…”

I feel like her hand grabbing my sleeve was gripping it tighter.

“…It’s not allowed.”

“…Huh?”

“You can’t accept requests from anyone else… except me…”

That’s an incredibly selfish request. But despite Seira-san making such an unreasonable request, I couldn’t help but find her cute.

“It’s okay. I only work on Fridays.”

“Yeah.”

“And on those Fridays, Seira-san always requests me like this.”

“Yeah.”

Her expression remained unchanged. However, I felt like Seira-san was smiling a little.

After that, Seira-san, who was completely drunk, left with the help of her friends, who supported her shoulder.

…Can she really make it home like that? I’m worried.

But then again, isn’t it the same as when a salaryman gets drunk at a drinking party and collapses near the station in my original world?

What a crazy world…

“Masato…”

“Huh? Oh, Aika-san, welcome back.”

When I returned to the shop after seeing her off, Aika-san was there with a solemn expression.

“I told you to stop with the honorifics… Hey, Masato, be careful, okay?”

“Huh?”

Her face looked more serious than usual, which somewhat intimidated me.

“People like her might… they might become stalkers or, in severe cases… commit rape.”

“Huh, huh? Isn’t that a bit too much to say? I’m probably just the bar’s favorite or something…”

Certainly, I felt like I was being favored. After all, the only person who requested me was Seira-san. She came every week. It’s for two hours.

But I didn’t feel like I was being overly involved in such behavior.

“You’re an idiot. You’re too lenient about this. It’s better to be cautious. If something weird happens, tell me immediately. Promise?”

“Y-Yeah…”

Is that really necessary? I’ve heard that Seira-san had a boyfriend before, so she doesn’t seem like that type.

(Aika-san is too overprotective…)

I have nothing but gratitude towards Aika-san, and I feel a sense of affection for her. But isn’t she a bit too overprotective?

Around 1 a.m…

“Phew…”

After finishing my work at the boys’ bar, I decided to head home. Outside, I could see several people who were drunk and passed out.

(This really feels like a Friday…)

Slipping through the gaps between those people, I made my way home.

My house was quite close, just beyond the park near the station where the bar was. Aika-san arranged it for me since it’s close to the shop.

“Tomorrow… I have a day off. I’ll sleep until the afternoon…”

Today has been quite eventful. I was quite tired, and I felt like I’d sleep well.

I checked my smartphone to confirm that I didn’t have any plans for tomorrow, then gently closed the screen. Before long, I arrived at my apartment.

I take out my key case and try to take out the house key…

(…?)

At that moment, I felt like I was being watched. I quickly turned around, but there was no one there.

“Must be my imagination…”

Maybe I’m just tired. I should go to bed soon.

I opened the door and locked it.

As a precaution, I also latched the chain lock. After taking a shower and diving into bed…

During the shower, I felt like I was being watched, which was unsettling, but once I got into bed, I was able to forget about it quickly.

I went to sleep without realizing that I should have been more cautious about the discomfort I felt at that moment.