That Half-Finished Drink Was Lethal— What Happened When I Left My Bottle Behind in a 1:4 Male-to-Female World - 17

Chapter 17: Those Tears Are Lethal

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Shizuku Kisaragi’s POV

My fingers are not cute. They are knobby, and there is an ugly callus on my middle finger from gripping my pen too hard. My nails are always trimmed short, leaving no room for the adornment of glamorous manicures.

I spent most of my twenties alongside these battered fingertips. I kept flipping through the heavy blunt instruments known as the Compendium of Laws, scribbling characters so relentlessly that the ink stains never had time to fade.

A gender ratio of one to four. In this world where the male species is deified and women merely dress up to be “chosen,” my efforts were always begrudged by those around me.

“Shizuku, what are you going to do with all that studying? A woman just needs to be charming.”

My parents back in my hometown looked at my fingers and laughed as if they pitied me. Even the attorney’s badge I grasped through blood, sweat, and tears was nothing more than a “youngster’s trinket” to those I faced in court. All that entered my field of vision were the bored yawns of men who never doubted their status as a privileged class.

My six years. My worn-down fingertips. The judicial precedents I piled up. In this world, all of it was worthless trash that couldn’t reach a single “man’s whim.”

“Haah, nothing but unprofitable work again today.”

The third floor of an old multi-tenant building. Nights at the Kisaragi Law Office are always filled with a heavy silence and the smell of burnt instant coffee. The Compendium of Laws gathering dust in the corner of my desk is my life itself.

(I wonder if a big job will come my way.)

It has been six years since I obtained my lawyer’s license. I overextended myself to start my own firm this year, but reality was not so sweet. Passions that spun in circles and a dwindling bank balance. The law did not save justice. It was merely rewritten for the convenience of those with power. That sort of resignation accumulated in the depths of my stomach along with the cheap coffee.

It was then… Suddenly, the poorly fitted door rattled.

“…Are you still open?”

The person who entered was a young man with a sincere aura. He was of average height. His face was—well, I’d say it’s on the handsome side. The kind of material that would shine if polished, making one want to expect great potential. He looked around the dilapidated office and opened his mouth anxiously.

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to consult you about…”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I signed a contract recently… It says I have to work forcibly as a butler.”

“A butler!?”

(Is this a manga!?)

“It says I have to work for the rest of my life…”

(Seriously, is this a manga or what?!)

“Your entire life!? What on earth did you do?”

“I broke a vase. A three hundred million yen one.”

(It really is a manga! Is this a certain Host Club!? The one where they break a vase and work at a school?!)

“The opponent is a blonde young lady…”

(Ah, is that it? The story about a certain blonde beautiful girl and a high-spec butler…)

“Uh, Kisaragi-san?”

“Haah… Yuu-kun… was it?”

It was so ridiculous that I even dropped my polite speech. The back of my temples throbbed.

“Well, let me give you the conclusion first. You are one hundred percent being scammed. That’s all.”

“That person is Reika Ootori, the next successor of the Ootori Group…”

“…Huh? Ootori!?”

(Now the story has changed. The Ootori? The ones said to control the Japanese economy from behind the scenes?)

The moment I heard that name, an unpleasant sweat ran down my spine. In this country that was supposed to be ruled by law, the Ootori’s intentions carried more weight than the law itself. However…

“…Shall we hear the details in more depth? …Ah, I’m brewing coffee. You want some too?”

◇◇◇◇

“(Slurping coffee…) I see, I see. You shielded an old woman and took the fall yourself.”

“Yes.”

“You were played. Most likely that secretary, Chihiro Kujo, and the old woman are in cahoots.”

“In cahoots? But why would they do something like that…?”

“Who knows. In the first place, you’re the one at fault for signing such a suspicious contract so readily.”

“I was in a bit of a panic…”

“Well, I suppose that’s how it goes for the people involved.”

『I’ll be fine.』 People who had that kind of mindset were the ones who tumble right off the cliff. I leaned deep into the back of my chair and declared powerfully.

“Listen. Civil Code Article 90, violation of public order and morals. Furthermore, we can aim for a cancellation due to fraud under Article 96. …Rest easy.”

“Really…! That’s a relief, it’s a huge help…!”

“However! I expect my retainer fee and success fee in full, okay? We’re talking about wiping out a three hundred million yen debt, after all.”

The young man who introduced himself as Yuu Yuuki bowed deeply, looking as if a burden had been lifted.

How optimistic of him. Even though he had a face like he was half-dead just a moment ago, his face turned this bright the second I said he had a chance of winning. 

“Listen. No matter how much giant capital the opponent holds, this is Japan. It’s a country ruled by law. A slave contract that violates public order and morals…I’ll turn that into a scrap of wastepaper for you.”

Cutting a fine figure, I thudded the Compendium of Laws onto the desk.

(How’s that for reliable?)

I admit, I was acting a bit cool there. But his reaction wasn’t the “face lighting up” I had expected.

“…………”

Silence. When I looked, he remained looking down, his fists clenched tight on his lap. Soon, round spots began to spread across the faux leather of the desk, drop by drop.

“Wha…!?”

It caught me off guard. The moment he raised his head, I peered into his face. The tip of his nose was bright red, and large tears were falling uncontrollably.

“…Ah, sor—sorry. …I just, since yesterday, I haven’t felt like I was alive at all…”

His words weren’t connecting properly. He wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, but the tears overflowed one after another.

“…Thank goodness. …I’m really… saved…”

It didn’t even form the word “thank you.” It was just relief overflowing from the bottom of his heart. To think a man in this world would shed tears so defenselessly and uncontrollably in front of a woman. My reason, which had been in “work mode” until now, was suddenly thrown into disarray. “Tears” that mixed weakness and purity, the kind a man in this world would never show a woman in a million years. It wasn’t a business smile, nor was it flattery. It was just raw gratitude for being saved from the bottom of his heart.

Thump.

My heart skipped a beat in a strange way.

“…D—don’t be stupid! It’s my job, so it’s only natural. …Come on, go home for today! I’m starting preparations first thing tomorrow!”

“Yes! I look forward to working with you!”

He gave another deep bow and disappeared into the night streets. The office grew quiet. I stared at the folding chair where he had been sitting and cooled my hot cheeks with my palms. My fingertips are still trembling a little.

…Well, that was a bit of a shock. It was the first time I’d seen a man’s crying face. And such a pure one at that.

(…In all my time doing this job, have I ever been thanked so directly?)

My “effort” stopped someone’s tears. That realization made my back, which had been as heavy as mud, feel as light as air.

(…A boy’s crying face is kind of cheating.)

I shook my head to clear away the stray thoughts.

“…Now then. Let’s do this.”

I pulled the dust-covered Compendium of Laws toward me with a firm grip.

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