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?)

At the end of December with the New Year’s approaching, university classes had also ended…

Today was December 25th, Christmas.

“Well then… Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!”

Our glasses overlapped with a soft clink.

Today I had been invited by Koumi and Mizuho for a dinner date. It seemed they had made the reservation in advance, at a stylish restaurant with a beautiful night view.

“Delicious~! Alcohol after classes are over really hits the spot~!”

“That’s non-alcoholic, you know.”

“How rude, Koumi-dono, this is a matter of feeling~!”

Koumi retorted in exasperation to Mizuho’s innocent remark. This dynamic had become quite familiar to me.

Though it hadn’t even been a year since I met these two, the time we spent together was so long and intense that it felt like we’d known each other for much longer.

…Of course, I planned to give them an answer, but right now, I was just happy to see the two of them smiling together.

“By the way, Masato, was the store okay? Christmas seems busy.”

“You mean the bar? That’s fine. We do have Christmas events, but they run for about a week.”

Though we had Christmas-themed events, they weren’t just for one day, so it didn’t get particularly busy.

“You’re having events?! Wait, does that mean Masato, you might wear something…?”

“Hmm, I don’t know… maybe?”

I think my senior mentioned something about wearing a Santa hat last year…?

“I’m going.”

“Mizuho, at least try to hide your ulterior motives.”

“How rude! I purely want to see Masato’s cosplay, that’s all!”

“That’s already impure!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as Mizuho got chopped on the head. Even conversations that seemed backward like this had become normal to me in this world.

“If Koumi-chan is going to say that, I won’t take pictures for you~”

“T-That’s a separate issue!”

“I really don’t think I’ll be wearing anything that flashy…”

I was not even sure if I needed to wear anything since I didn’t usually work on the floor. …But Sera-san will probably tell me to wear something…

“And so,” Koumi said, clapping her hands once as we finished our dessert.

“Since it’s Christmas, I’ve prepared a present!”

“Of course I have one too!”

They handed me beautifully decorated presents.

“Thank you. I have something for both of you too.”

“Really?! That’s okay?!”

“Of course.”

I had prepared presents knowing we’d meet on Christmas. They’ve been taking care of me all this time, so this much was a given.

“Can I open it?!”

“Of course, I’ll open mine too.”

I carefully opened the presents from the two of them. I wonder if there was a secret to opening this type of wrapping neatly.

When I opened the small package from Mizuho, there was a leather key case inside.

“Wow, it’s cool! Thank you, Mizuho.”

“Hehe. Mizuho-chan is very happy that you liked it!”

Mizuho beamed with a radiant smile. She really was a girl who suited that carefree smile.

“Open mine too! Mizuho and I chose them together.”

As prompted by Koumi, I opened the slightly larger present I received from her. Inside was… a scarf with dark red embroidery on a navy blue base.

“Wow, I’m really happy. I didn’t have a scarf.”

“I’m glad! It’s already late winter, but please use it if you’d like.”

I didn’t have a scarf, and since it wasn’t too thick, I could probably use it even when it wasn’t the dead of winter, which was appreciated.

The key case was also helpful since I’d been struggling with storing keys for my home and work locker, so I’d gratefully use it.

“Then I’ll open mine too!”

“I don’t know if you’ll like it…”

The two of them opened the presents I gave them.

I felt nervous…

“Wow, it’s so cute!”

“Hey, Koumi, look, this one is super cute too!”

For their presents, I chose bags.

For Mizuho, who always brought a small bag to university and found herself unable to fit all her materials, I selected a slightly larger tote bag.

Conversely, for Koumi, who I’d seen with several larger bags like backpacks, I chose a smaller shoulder bag.

I tried to choose something reasonable, thinking that too expensive gifts wouldn’t be appropriate.

Even if the bags didn’t match their tastes, they could at least be used for storage…?

“Thank you! I’ll treasure it!”

“I’ll take very good care of mine too.”

…Maybe I was being too negative.

Looking at the two of them happily holding their bags, I reconsidered my feelings. If they were happy, I should simply accept that and be glad.

We left the restaurant and headed to the station.

The cold air of winter was in full force. I gratefully wrapped the scarf from Koumi around my neck.

“Hehe, it really suits you.”

“Thank you.”

Koumi smiled as if embarrassed.

…It was quite moving to think that this girl was the same one I used to play with long ago.

“While we’re all having fun… well then, you two, farewell! Don’t get too carried away!”

“Eh, Mizuho?!”

“Have a good new year, Masato! And Koumi, remember what I told you and handle it well!”

Mizuho, who had been walking slightly ahead, dashed away gallantly.

“Geez, she could have stayed until the end…”

I actually had something I wanted to tell both of them… Koumi, who let out a small sigh, turned around with a troubled expression.

“Um, so there’s something I want to show you, Masato.”

Koumi gently took my hand.

“So… would you mind coming with me for a bit?”

*****

After moving a bit by train and walking for a few minutes.

“Excuse me for intruding…”

“Please, come in! Sorry it’s so small.”

I had been invited to Koumi’s home.

A single apartment room. Though not spacious, it was sufficient for someone living alone.

While not filled with furniture and rather simple, several feminine beauty products were visible, creating an undeniable tension of being in a girl’s room.

…Well, you know? I understand that I shouldn’t have just casually come along, right?

But Koumi had things she wanted to talk about properly, just the two of us…

“Here you go, I’m sorry this is all I have.”

“No, no, I appreciate the consideration.”

Koumi brought me some warm tea and gently placed the cup on the table. A pleasant citrus aroma rose from the steam. With the cold outside, the warm tea tasted better than usual.

“Hey, look at this.”

“Wow, it’s true. You still had it.”

“That goes both ways for you too, Masato!”

What Koumi brought out was a baseball glove. An extremely old glove, with the manufacturer no longer identifiable. Yet it was in better condition than the one I owned…

I could immediately tell that Koumi had been continuously maintaining it.

“Do you remember the day we first met at university?”

“When you helped me with course registration, right?”

“Yes, at that time… when I spotted you sitting on the bench… I naturally felt like calling out to you. Honestly, even though I’d been wary of many men until then, for some reason I naturally approached you. Almost like instinct.”

She laughed as if to brush it off, saying it was a bit strange. Rather, I was the one who should apologize for not noticing at all. Despite playing together so much and being incredibly grateful to her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you…”

“Mm-mm, that goes for me too. I’m just happy that we can talk like this now.”

Koumi closed her eyes and placed her hand on the teacup.

…Whether it was because I now knew she was my childhood friend, or because she had confessed to me, I didn’t know, but even Koumi’s casual movements seemed incredibly cute to me, which was troubling.

“Oh, right! Look at this too! There are also some from Mizuho’s high school days.”

“Oh, that’s something I might be interested in.”

“Let’s see…”

Koumi pulled out a high school album from the shelf. Inside were photos of the two of them engaging in club activities.

“So Koumi played softball until high school.”

“That’s right! Somehow, I couldn’t forget about you… so I just kept playing. I think I was being incredibly clingy!”

“No, I’m actually happy about that. I also continued playing baseball until high school.”

Like Koumi, I had continued baseball until my first year of high school.

Though I couldn’t continue after seriously injuring my elbow from throwing too much.

I decided not to mention that, thinking it wasn’t necessary.

“Hey, Masato.”

“?”

After we finished looking through the album, Koumi returned it to its original place. She straightened her posture and looked directly at me.

“Back then, you stopped coming to the park because you overheard the adults talking, right?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

A conversation I accidentally heard when I was about to go to the park. Being told that she was playing with a dirty boy from the facility.

Thinking that my presence was causing trouble for Koumi.

“I… didn’t care about any of that. As long as I could play with you, that was…”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Well, but we’re meeting like this now, so it’s okay!”

When I raised my eyes which had been lowered, the smiling Koumi was there, unchanged as always.

“I loved Maa-kun, the boy I used to play with. I couldn’t forget that, and finally, my next love that I found. I fell in love again with Masato-kun whom I met this year.”

I was still not used to having feelings expressed so directly. I could feel my body temperature rising with each word.

“I realized that Koumi Igarashi could only love Masato Katasato, no matter what. I think I would love you even if I were reborn.”

I couldn’t help but be captivated by Koumi who declared this with slightly flushed cheeks. That’s how attractive Koumi was right now.

–That’s precisely why I thought I needed to talk properly too.

“Koumi, thank you. I never thought I would receive such affection from someone, so I’m truly sorry that I can’t give you an answer right away. I’m grateful to have so many valuable connections that I can’t immediately decide what to do. But I think it’s wrong to keep putting everything on hold. So I decided to give my own answer by March next year. I was planning to tell Mizuho today too.”

Koumi’s eyes widened in surprise after hearing that.

“March… that’s pretty soon.”

“No, I still think I’m making you wait too long.”

“But until then, is it okay if I continue to interact with you as before?”

“Of course. Actually, I’d be alone at university again if you didn’t.”

“That’s true!”

Koumi looked at the calendar on the table, murmuring, “March, March, huh.”

“…To be honest, it’s scary, but I understand. I’ll wait. I’ve waited for over 10 years. Three months is nothing. I can definitely wait.”

Looking at Koumi smiling bravely, I thought about what Aika-san had said: “Why don’t you try trusting them?”

Indeed, she was right.

I’ll try trusting instead of making assumptions on my own. For that, I’ll come up with an answer that I’m satisfied with.

Later.

After talking about old memories for a while, as it was getting late, I stood up thinking it was time to leave, when Koumi called out.

“W-wait. …Um, actually, I heard from Mizuho.”

“?”

Somehow fidgeting.

“Um~ it seems you and Mizuho, in the Ferris wheel at the amusement park, various things… happened?”

“Ah~ …Yes?”

I could immediately recall that various things indeed happened. Mizuho with her hair down, similar to the situation when she dropped her contact. Mizuho licking her lips seductively with the night view as a backdrop.

After that–

Let’s stop, this isn’t good for my mental health.

There was a brief silence.

“I-isn’t it unfair that I’m the only one who hasn’t?”

“That’s–“

It wasn’t like I initiated it, or At that time, the situation was such that I couldn’t refuse, or

Whatever I said would just sound like an excuse, so I found myself at a loss for words.

Koumi grabbed my sleeve. T-this is bad. I already know this pattern.

“T-today is, Christmas, right?”

“Y-yes, it is.”

Koumi took a deep breath.

“I-if I said, I don’t want you to go home today, would you be angry?”