Striving to Become the Ideal Man in a World of Reversed Chastity - Chapter 6: Sports-loving Junior Akari-chan ③

“A-ah… um, w-well… th-that… ah, um, ah…!”

Hikasa showed incomparably more agitation than before. Watching her flustered state somehow became entertaining, so I decided to ride the momentum and pretend not to understand.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Hikasa? Why are you so flustered?”

When I said this to Hikasa with a puzzled expression, she became even more flustered.

“Eh!? Ah, n-no, I’m not flustered at all! Um, w-well, that…”

“Hmm, whatever. So, do you want this after all?”

I showed Hikasa the cola-flavored candy I was holding.

“Ah! Um, w-well, that…! But, but that candy… s-senpai… y-you licked it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I licked it once, but… Ah!? Could it be that you don’t want it because I licked it…?”

“N-no, um, th-that’s…!”

“Oh, I see… That makes sense. Sorry… I didn’t realize…”

“Eh? Eh?”

I continued speaking to Hikasa with a dejected expression. Of course, inside I was laughing hard.

“Sorry, I guess you wouldn’t want to lick a candy that I’ve already licked… it must gross you out…”

“No, th-that’s wrong! I don’t mind at all! In fact, it’s the opposite—”

“Huh? The opposite?”

“Eh!?… Ah! N-no! Th-that’s not it, senpai! I-I’m not some kind of pervert…! Ah… u-ugh…”

“…Oh…”

D-damn, I shouldn’t have gotten carried away. My original goal was to help Hikasa develop into a proper adolescent girl with sexual awareness…

But because I got carried away, Hikasa instantly self-destructed and her face turned bright red. And then…

“…S-sniff... ugh… uuu…”

“H-hey, Hikasa, you don’t have to cry…”

As a result, Hikasa started crying. It seemed she was the type who didn’t want others to see her perverted side. (Also known as: the secretly perverted type.)

I never expected her to cry, so I was freaking out inside. I mean, making a first-year high school girl cry was the worst, and the guilt was overwhelming…!

“S-sniff… b-but… but I’m… not a pervert… uuu…”

“Hikasa…”

It seemed Hikasa was crying because she thought I considered her a perverted girl.

But even if I were to say “No, I don’t think that at all! I don’t think Hikasa is a perverted girl, so please stop crying!” it would sound like a lie… Well, it would be a lie anyway. I definitely sensed that Hikasa had the potential to become an adolescent perverted girl like Kashima-san.

(Hmm, but how can I break through this situation…?)

I thought about various ways to apologize while “reversing the concept” in my head… but then I came up with a certain strategy and decided to implement it.

“Hey, Hikasa. It’s okay, so could you open your mouth a little?”

“Sniff… hic… eh…? Y-yes… mmph!?”

I had Hikasa open her mouth and tossed in the cola-flavored candy I was holding.

“!? Wha, what are you doing!?”

“How is it? Tasty?”

“Eh? …Ah”

Hikasa seemed surprised as she realized what flavor the candy in her mouth was. After confirming her expression, I took out a different flavored candy from my bag and put it in my own mouth.

“Hey, Hikasa”

“Y-yes, senpai…”

“I prefer girls who are a bit naughty, you know?”

“Y-yes… eh…? Ehhh!?”

“So I’m actually happy to know that Hikasa is secretly a perverted girl.”

“!? Wh-what!? What are you saying, senpai!?”

“Haha, I’m just telling the truth. So it’s okay, Hikasa. I would never, ever dislike you, so don’t worry.”

“Eh!? Ah… um… w-well…”

So after thinking it all through, I decided not to deny that Hikasa was a perverted girl, but instead to move in the direction of showing solidarity by telling her that I actually liked perverted girls.

I mean, if I were in the same position, I’d definitely prefer a “perverted senpai” who supported me by saying “Oh, so you’re a perverted girl… but I really like perverted girls, hehe” and told me they liked me, rather than a senpai who looked at me with a lukewarm gaze while forcing a smile and saying, “D-don’t worry, you’re not a perverted girl, a-haha” (from personal experience). I mean, the latter response would just kill my spirit.

“Besides… I actually love talking about perverted stuff too.”

“Eh? Eh? Ehhh!?”

So for the sake of my precious kouhai, I decided to go all out in playing the role of the affirming perverted senpai.

Aren’t you lucky, Hikasa? I would’ve wanted a senpai like this too!

“S-senpai saying such things… w-what’s gotten into you!?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“W-well, b-because senpai is always kind and super serious during club activities… y-you’re not the type to say such things, even as a joke!”

“Ah, right, that was my setting, wasn’t it?”

“Eh? S-setting?”

“Ah, sorry, just talking to myself. Don’t mind me.”

Come to think of it, I had a “serious guy” setting in this world. I completely forgot about that.

“Well, I guess… I’m not the type of guy who would talk about these things with just anyone.”

“Eh? W-what does that mean exactly?”

“Haha, it means… that Hikasa is special.”

“Eh…? Ah, eh!? Ah… um, d-does that mean…!?”

“Hmm, or… do you dislike perverted senpais like me?”

“Eh!? N-no, that’s not…! Th-that… ah… um…”

I looked at Hikasa with a mischievous grin. Her face was redder than ever… but the tears had already stopped.

“Ah, um… w-well… I… l-like… you…”

“Hm, that’s good then.”

When Hikasa said this with a bright red face, I gave her a gentle smile. At least Hikasa seemed okay now, so I could relax and start enjoying my candy.

“Alright, I don’t want to be late, so let’s get back to shopping.”

“Ah, y-yes! …And, um… th-thank you for the candy.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome… Is it tasty?”

When Hikasa thanked me again for the candy, I asked if it was good. She answered with a beaming smile.

“Ah, y-yes…! It’s, um, very delicious… hehe, hehehe…”

“Haha, you look really happy, Hikasa.”

“Eh!? N-no? I’m j-just normal as always!? Normal, normal! Totally normal! …Hehehe.”

Hikasa rolled the cola-flavored candy around in her mouth with an extremely happy expression. And to me, Hikasa’s face looked incredibly cute, giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.