The Ferocious Rabbit Devours Flesh ~Survival of the Fittest at a School in a Chastity-Reversed World~ - 1

Chapter 1: The Rabbit Enters the Cage 1

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Survival of the fittest. It is the providence of nature that the weak are preyed upon by the strong. Even in human society, it is often argued that those with power exist upon the sacrifices of those without it.

Several decades ago, a disease that swept the globe caused male libido to wane, and furthermore, the birth rate of male children plummeted. As time progressed toward the modern era, the number of men decreased year by year, and the number of newborns dropped along with it. The seat of power tumbled from men to women, and women took action for the sake of the continued existence of the human species. As a result, that four-character idiom came to be used as a metaphor for the relationship between men and women.

The car I was riding in stopped in a dim indoor parking lot. The female driver got out of the driver’s seat and opened the door on my side of the rear seat.

“Ex… Ahem, excuse me. Usami-sama, we have arrived at the school. Please, step out.”

Prompted by the woman sitting next to me in the back seat, I got out obediently. After stepping out, I extended my arms and stretched. Not much time had passed since I got into the car, but perhaps I was nervous because today was the high school entrance ceremony.

“Usami-sama, today’s schedule only goes until noon for the entrance orientation. We will be on standby here, so when it is time to go home, I believe the academy will provide guidance, but please make your way to this parking lot.”

“I understand. Thank you for everything up to this point, Shiraishi-san, Kuroki-san. Well, I’m off then.”

Shiraishi-san, who had been sitting in the back seat, explained everything with great courtesy. Kuroki-san, who had been driving, bowed deeply along with Shiraishi-san, appearing to see me off.

I turned away from the women who had escorted me and faced forward. In the center of the gloomy indoor parking lot surrounded by concrete, there was a glass-walled section where white light leaked out. Since I could faintly see an elevator floor indicator inside, that was likely the school entrance.

A female student was standing next to the elevator, looking this way. Thinking I might be keeping her waiting, I walked toward her at a quick pace. As I drew closer, the female student’s figure came into clear view. She had glossy black hair reaching down to her waist, a rich bust, and curvaceous hips, yet her abdomen was toned. She possessed what would be considered an ideal physique for a woman. Her appearance also combined an innocent, girl-like loveliness with an adult-like elegance, which enhanced her beauty.

We gazed at each other through the glass as I walked. She was smiling gently, but I wondered what kind of expression I was making right now. I reached the transparent automatic doors, and when they opened, there was nothing left to obstruct the space between her and me. I stepped through the automatic doors and stood before her.

What should one say at a time like this? For now, when in doubt, go with a greeting.

“Good morning.”

“Yes, good morning.”

The greeting was returned without a moment’s delay. I hadn’t thought about what to do after this. As I was wondering what to talk about…

“Congratulations on your enrollment. You are Yuuto Usami-san, right? I was getting cold feet wondering if you wouldn’t show up since it’s so close to the deadline.”

Apparently, I was just barely on time. She must have been waiting for quite a while.

“A few things happened and I ended up being late. I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“No, no, please don’t let it bother you. Let me introduce myself again. I am Mirei Mikado, a third-year student, and I will be acting as your guide to the classroom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She extended her right hand along with her self-introduction. Did I really need a guide to the classroom? I thought they could just put up a sign or something, but well, I suppose there must be various reasons for it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

Saying so, I returned the handshake with my right hand. Her hand was soft and warm. The moment I squeezed her hand back, her expression stiffened for an instant, but she immediately put on the same smile she had when we first met.

“Well then, shall we go?”

I thought it was just a simple handshake, but she pulled me along by the hand and led me to the elevator. Perhaps because this was a school that recruited female students with the advertisement that they could meet men, the physical contact felt proactive. 

There were no buttons for floors or opening/closing inside the elevator; instead, a terminal was attached next to the door. With her free hand, Mikado-san took a smartphone out of her skirt pocket and held it over the elevator terminal, causing the doors to open.

“I believe there will be a detailed explanation during the entrance orientation, but you will be given a dedicated smartphone. Holding that over the terminal will allow you to enter.”

I received the explanation as we entered the elevator while still holding hands. When I let go of her hand and turned around to face the door side, her right hand intertwined with my left. This time, instead of just pressing our palms together, she laced her fingers with mine and gripped with even more strength than before. I looked at her in slight surprise. She must have noticed my gaze, but she only looked straight ahead and made no attempt to meet my eyes.

“There are buttons inside the elevator, so the smartphone is only necessary when entering. The male classrooms are on Basement Level 2, so please keep that in mind.”

She gave the explanation as if nothing had happened, smoothly pressing the B2 and “Close” buttons. The doors shut, and we were alone together in the narrow, private space. We had been alone since a while ago, but perhaps because we were in a narrow, closed room, I felt her presence beside me even more strongly.

I could sense her slightly rapid breathing—perhaps she was nervous—and the scent of some kind of perfume. She repeatedly squeezed and released my intertwined hand. Thinking I should probably grip back firmly, I applied a bit of strength, and at that moment, she also gave my hand a tight squeeze. Her hand felt hotter than before.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. It seemed we had reached the intended floor. The time spent with her in that private space was only about a dozen seconds, but it felt much longer than that.

Through the open doors, signs were lined up for each room along the hallway, starting with 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D. On the opposite side of the hallway were several rooms with signs for things like the restroom, the nurse’s office, and the cafeteria.

Class D must be the boys-only class, and this floor was likely dedicated to male students. Seeing that there were no Classes A through C here, I could infer that the girls’ classes were on a different floor.

Several dozen seconds passed after the doors opened, but she did not let go of my hand. My hand was open, but hers remained gripped, causing a slightly awkward moment to pass. Thinking I might be late if she kept holding onto me like this, I was wondering how to speak up when she slowly let go of my hand as if reluctant to part.

“My guidance ends here. The room you see closest to the elevator, Class 1-D, will be your classroom, Usami-kun.”

She apparently wasn’t going to mention the fact that we were holding hands. I stepped out of the elevator and turned back toward her.

“Thank you for guiding me this far. If you’ll excuse me.”

Even though “this far” only meant riding the elevator together, she was my senior, so I expressed my gratitude. Just as I turned around to head for the classroom, she grabbed my shoulders, and her lips overlapped with mine.

It was only for an instant, and she immediately pulled her lips away and stepped back into the elevator. With her cheeks dyed red, she affectionately stroked her own lips with her hand and the elevator doors closed while she was still smiling at me. Her lips were soft and hot.

Regaining my composure, I headed for the classroom. Though I say “headed,” Class 1-D, the first-year male student classroom, was the one right next to the elevator. Peeking inside the classroom from the outside, I saw that the other male students were already in their seats, and since one seat remained empty, I could tell I was the last person.

Nervous about how to interact with the comrades I would be studying with for the next three years, I opened the door. The moment I opened it, the gazes inside the classroom gathered on me all at once. I felt an atmosphere that demanded I say something.

“Good morning.”

I tried giving a greeting. No response came back. If anything, they looked at me with faces that said, “Is this guy for real?” It was true that the penalty for being late to the entrance ceremony was written in the orientation pamphlet, but since I had made it in time, being looked at like that made me feel a bit hurt inside.

“…G-Good morning.”

Since a few people returned the greeting in small voices, I took my seat. I might have been branded as a dangerous guy who almost showed up late to the entrance ceremony. Regretting that I should have left home earlier, I reached for the school orientation booklet placed on the desk, and at that moment, the door opened again.

“Ah, good, everyone is here.”

A woman wearing glasses stood before the teacher’s podium.

“Congratulations on your enrollment, everyone. Welcome to the National Breeding Management High School.”

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