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 52.5: The Capable Manager Doesn't Repeat Mistakes

This was when I was still a scout at one of the bars.

“Thank you for the champagne from table 3!”

“””Thank you!”””

The bustling atmosphere of the bar. I had scouted several boys, and with their exceptional skills, I was able to make a decent earning.

The middle-aged woman who was the manager glanced at the boys I had scouted, who were spreading smiles in the back, then turned to me.

“He’s really something, isn’t he? Quite exceptional.”

“Isn’t he? My judgment is never wrong.”

“Although the boys you’ve brought in before have earned well enough… this time is exceptional, isn’t it?”

Indeed, that boy was quite unique.

Normally, no matter how good a boy was, when faced with clients invading their personal space or exhibiting arrogance, they would make displeased faces or deliberately adopt attitudes to be disliked. That was the norm.

Most of the women who come here are looking forward to interacting with men, and to some extent, their ulterior motives are transparent. That’s why they put on a front and freely speak ill of others behind their backs.

That’s what a typical boy is like.

And I’m fine with that.

It was the same as with idols. They were just showing dreams to those girls in exchange for money.

But he was different.

He interacted with customers openly, laughing and enjoying himself.

Because he could do such a dream-like thing, he reigned as number one in our bar.

“Take good care of him. If you do, both he and you will be secure for a while.”

“I understand.”

His sales directly affected my salary.

That’s how scouting works.

As I glanced at the back where he was still smiling at customers, throwing away my cigarette butt into the ashtray.

—

“Oh, welcome back!”

“…Good work today, Yuyu.”

The one who approached me while I was messing with my smartphone in the backyard was Yu, that excellent boy.

He had already changed from his casual suit during work hours to his own clothes and was getting ready to leave.

“You’ve become quite the top-class boy.”

“Oh no, not at all!”

His hair wasn’t too bright, and his earrings weren’t too flashy.

Combined with his not-so-tall stature, he was popular among female customers for his unassuming customer service.

“But, I do think I might be suited for it!”

“Oh, you’re saying quite a lot now, huh?.”

“Hehe… I’m just genuinely happy when the customers smile.”

Scratching the back of his head bashfully, Yu said.

It was something innate to him. I felt it from the first time we met, but he seemed to lack the aversion towards women that was so common.

“…Surprisingly, you don’t get hit on by women often with that attitude.”

“Well, I do make it clear where the boundaries are! When I do, everyone seems to appreciate it for some reason.”

Perhaps it’s because he’s already recognized as an idol… If he can’t be mine, at least he doesn’t want to be anyone else’s, such is the nature of women.

Of course, it’s probably because he has such a handsome face that he can do such things.

“Sigh, well, whatever. Want to grab something to eat? I’ll treat you to ramen.”

“Yay! Let’s go for ramen, ramen!”

It was already late at night, so the only options available at this hour were izakayas or ramen shops. Taking Yu, who had tagged along with me with some hesitation, we headed towards a nearby ramen shop.

—

The incident occurred on a winter day.

“”Cheers!””

That day was the year-end party for the bar I also frequent. We had reserved a room in a moderately large izakaya and were enjoying our drinks.

“Yu, you’re amazing! Number one for four months in a row!”

“Oh, it’s just a coincidence, really.”

“With that cute face of yours, how many women have you seduced!”

As time passed, more people began to change seats.

In the midst of it, Yu was pouring drinks for each staff member while exchanging greetings. It wasn’t uncomfortable to be served by that good-looking guy as a woman.

As I watched Yuu’s behavior, I downed my highball. It wasn’t bad at all for that talented child to be praised by other staff members.

…It shouldn’t bother me, but for some reason, my heart felt unsettled.

He was supposed to be the one I brought here, and I should be proud of him. But I felt repulsed by the people who were getting too familiar with Yu.

“Senpai? You’re making a really awful face.”

“Right… I see. I’ll go smoke a cigarette.”

Worriedly approached by my junior sitting next to me, I realized I had been wearing an inappropriate expression for this situation. I decided to go smoke a cigarette to calm down.

—

In recent times, smokers have been finding it increasingly difficult to live. It’s a given that you can’t smoke in cafes. Recently, even in places like izakayas, pachinko parlors, and mahjong parlors, where smoking used to be allowed, it’s prohibited.

There seem to be fewer smokers among the staff members as well. Nowadays, it feels like I’m always alone when I smoke.

I entered the smoking room and took out a cigarette and lighter from my pocket. After lighting the cigarette, I took a deep drag and exhaled slowly.

…That’s better. The uneasy feeling that had been bothering me faded away like ripples on the water.

—

“Ah, there you are!”

Just then, a voice came from outside the smoking room.

The door swung open without any hesitation, and standing there was the boy I seemed to run into every day lately.

“If you keep smoking so much, you’ll die young!”

“Well, that wouldn’t be so bad.”

“No, no, that’s not okay! Please live!”

“More importantly, aren’t you in the wrong place being the guest of honor, Yu?”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Yuu was the star of the day.

Just moments ago, he was brushing away the smoke from cigarettes with a displeased expression, but suddenly, he smiled.

“I’ve come to thank you!”

I paused for a moment, then replied, “…Did I do something worth thanking for?”

“Of course you did! If you hadn’t scouted me, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Well, that’s true.”

But as I looked at Yu, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was here.

Given his personality, there must be plenty of companies that would want him. He could even just work as a receptionist.

But for some reason, normal companies didn’t suit him.

He happened to be wandering the nightlife district without a destination, and that’s when I called out to him.

“So, thank you. Thanks to you, I’m having quite a good time.”

Genuine, without any pretense. Just a good guy with a slightly messy personal life.

Seeing his carefree smile… 

I realized a feeling of unease was welling up inside me. 

“Then, Yu, take care of your bad Senpai!”

“Yes! Got it!”

—-

As time passed, and with the considerable amount of alcohol I had consumed earlier, I found it difficult to walk, feeling quite drunk.

With the help of Yu, who had kindly offered to assist me, I leaned on his shoulder as we made our way outside the shop.

My home wasn’t far from here.

Living in an apartment just a few minutes’ walk from the station had its advantages.

“How much did you drink? I’ll take you home for now.”

“Sorry…”

Despite my complaints, Yu lent me his shoulder.

Feeling the warmth of his skin, I couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of superiority inside me.

Yu, who was always adored by many customers, was now offering me his shoulder and seeing me home.

To Yu, I was a special presence.

But… it still wasn’t enough.

In the future, for Yu to feel an even stronger sense of superiority when interacting with other customers…

I realized my heart was slowly being filled with a dark emotion.

—-

Before long, we arrived at my house.

“We’re here! Make sure to drink some water and get some rest!”

“Thanks… Yu, how will you get home?”

“I’ll take a taxi. They come quickly when you call nowadays!”

Proudly standing at the entrance, Yu. I lightly pulled his hand, the same hand that had just supported me, urging him inside.

“I’ll make some tea for you, so come on in.”

“Huh… no, it’s okay. I’m not that drunk…”

“Just come in.”

I somewhat forcibly guided Yu into my room and had him sit on the sofa. Suppressing my racing thoughts, I poured cold barley tea into a glass.

Though I was drunk, I was still conscious. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

“Here you go.”

“Uh, thank you… but I really should be going now. I think you’re just drunk.”

Yu, who still hadn’t made any move to take off his duffle coat, irritated me slightly. He was already inside my room, after all. Setting the glass down, I sat next to him so closely that our bodies almost touched.

Yu looked surprised, his eyes widening. That only spurred on my sadistic desires.

“Yeah, maybe I am drunk. Drunk enough to make a mistake.”

“I… really, I should go. Because you’re drunk, I think.”

As Yu tried to brush my hand away from his cheek…

Oh, how annoying.

I forcefully…

Stole his lips.

A sudden jolt shot through my body.

My body was forcefully pushed away by Yu’s hands.

My heated body rapidly cooled down.

Yu stood before me, eyes filled with profound disappointment.

“…I believed in you.”

Without once meeting my gaze, Yu left the room, leaving me to simply watch him go.

—-

The cold electronic beep jolted me awake, and I reached over to the bedside table to give the source, my alarm clock, a gentle tap.

“…A dream, huh?”

Fully awake now, I realized that what I had been experiencing was just a dream. It was an event from the past, one that often resurfaced in my dreams.

After that incident, Yu quit the bar. I explained what had happened, and the manager scolded me severely.

My junior, who had offered to escort me home, apologized to me, and some of my colleagues even said, “Yu was in the wrong.”

They thought that if he entered a woman’s room, he should have been prepared for what might happen.

Well, I understand that. But Yu wasn’t that kind of guy.

He definitely wasn’t suited for this kind of shady world. That’s all there was to it.

Nowadays, I’ve switched from paper cigarettes to e-cigarettes to keep up with the times.

After getting ready to go out, I took a smoke break to calm my nerves. The sight of the midday sky and my exhaled smoke felt oddly mismatched.

“…I wonder how he’s doing now.”

It’s been several years since then.

I have no idea what Yu is up to these days.

I left my apartment and headed towards a nearby building. Since that incident, many things have happened.

After years of working in the industry, I eventually opened my own bar.

However, since that incident, I have made one decision.

I will never again get involved with a boy, regardless of whether it’s my own bar or not.

I don’t impose a ban on pursuing relationships on boys. They can do as they please.

But for me, it’s about avoiding making the same mistake again.

I’ve also gone through with a formal marriage, as a formality.

Each of them has their own reasons for having to live in such a dim society.

I just want to create a place for those kids.

That’s my only wish now.

I arrived at my destination and stopped in front of the door.

I knocked twice. The kid I’ve been looking after recently lives here.

I think it’s about time he let his guard down a bit more.

It’s past 10 o’clock. For those of us in the nightlife, it’s still morning.

So, the greeting should be…

“Good morning! Masato~! Rise and shine~!”

After a while, the door creaked open.

His bed head was quite prominent, but even in his sleepy state, his smile was adorable, much like Yu’s.

“Good morning, Ai..ka-san…”

“Mornin’.”

If I had any privileges, being able to see him like this when he wakes up would be just right.