That Half-Finished Drink Was Lethal— What Happened When I Left My Bottle Behind in a 1:4 Male-to-Female World - 3

Chapter 3: That Man Is a Cat Lover — What Happened When He Took a Shower

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—Yuu Yuuki’s POV—

On the way back from my part-time job, my eyes caught on a poster stuck to a utility pole.

『Sexual assaults by women are on the rise. Enforcement is being strengthened. Men should be cautious when walking alone.』

In this world, men were always the hunted, the vulnerable side, and walking alone late at night was considered as reckless as openly inviting an attack.

“Wow, even here the gender roles are reversed…”

This is a dangerous world. Well, a plain guy like me should be fine.

As I was idly thinking that, I heard a faint, pitiful “meow” from near my feet. Inside a cardboard box was a very young ragdoll kitten. Its soft white fur was stained with mud, and it was trembling.

…Oh, a kitten. A ragdoll… if I remember right, that’s a high-end breed that can cost hundreds of thousands of yen at a pet shop. How could someone abandon such a cute kitten?

“Hey there, you poor thing. Hang on a second.”

I ran into a nearby convenience store and opened a pouch of cat food for it. When I petted the cat, my hand naturally softened. I had always had a weakness for cats and dogs. My current apartment didn’t allow pets, but at the very least, I could move it somewhere it might find a good owner.

…Alright, the park in front of the station has plenty of foot traffic. Someone will probably pick it up.

“…Sorry I can’t keep you. I hope you find a good owner.”

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Praying that the kitten would find someone, I headed home. But when I got back and checked the weather app, it showed heavy rain in a few hours.

…Will that cat be okay? Someone will probably pick it up by now… no, but what if it’s still there… Ah, damn it, I can’t stop thinking about it!

Before I knew it, I had grabbed an umbrella and was running back to the spot. The rain had already turned into a torrential downpour. I fixed my umbrella over the cardboard box and, getting completely soaked myself, desperately tried to make a cover.

Come on, I knew it was the right call to come back! Its fur is soaked and it’s shivering from the cold!

“It’s dangerous to leave the kitten here… What should I do? Should I take it home even if it breaks the rules?”

As I hesitated, a voice came from behind me. When I turned around, a woman was standing there.

Her name was Rin Asami. The woman who introduced herself that way had a lively-looking short brown bob and strong, determined eyes. Her crisp white shirt was soaked, and she frowned slightly as she looked at the kitten.

“There’s no way we can leave it here like this… My place is really close. Just for today, I’ll take it in!”

I walked the kitten over to the entrance of her upscale apartment.

“Thank you. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Wait a second! You’re not seriously planning to go home like that, are you!?”

…Well, going into a stranger’s house on the first meeting is a bit much… or is that actually normal in this world?

Looking agitated, she invited both me and the kitten inside. Using the warm towel she handed me, I wiped the mud off the kitten.

It’s still shaking! It must be chilled to the core.

“Sorry, you were cold, weren’t you? You’ll be okay now.”

After that, I carefully wiped down the entrance floor I had dirtied with kitchen paper.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

She disappeared into the bathroom. Was it really okay to leave a guy she had just met alone in her room? I really didn’t understand this world’s standards. Before long, she came out of the bathroom. Her skin was flushed, and her thin shirt clung to her body.

…No, no. Where am I supposed to look? More importantly, she’s done so much for me. Is there anything I can give in return? The only thing I have is this half-finished bottle of water in my pocket…

“Ah, I’m thirsty. Oh, right. I ran out of water.”

I held out the half-finished plastic bottle from my pocket.

Well, compared to strong-tasting tap water, natural water is probably better even if I’ve drunk half of it… if she doesn’t like it, she can just refuse.

“Um, Rin-san… Would you like some water? It’s half-finished, but if you don’t mind…. Though, it might be kind of gross… Sorry—”

“…No. I was just getting thirsty… I’ll take it.”

For some reason, she averted her gaze and held the bottle like it was something precious, not moving.

《In this world, when a woman accepts a man’s “half-finished drink,” it is essentially equivalent to exchanging an engagement ring, or a strong invitation meaning “don’t let me go home tonight.”》

…Huh? Oh, okay…? What’s with that expression? She’s way too red. Is she coming down with something because of the rain?

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Next, I borrowed the shower, then changed into the brand-new underwear and clothes she had prepared.

She even has new underwear… Are these maybe her boyfriend’s?

“Rin-san, thank you very much. You really helped me. I’ll wash the clothes I borrowed myself and return them later.”

“…Idiot. It’s fine. I’ll take care of everything.”

Without meeting my eyes, she said that in a slightly moist voice. I thanked her and hurried back home.

…Rin-san is a nice person. She took in the cat, and she’s beautiful too. There’s no way a beautiful person could be bad.

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However, Yuu still hadn’t realized.After returning to his apartment, when he tried to toss the plastic bag with his wet clothes into the washing machine… His shirt, pants, socks… For some reason, the boxer briefs he had been wearing earlier, which was his favorite pair, were nowhere to be found no matter how hard he looked.

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