(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 13: Apology and a Date with Kazari

[Make haste], or so they said as we ventured out into the city.  

The streets were, as expected, overwhelmingly filled with women.  

“You’re still drawing quite a lot of attention, as always,” Kazari-san commented.  

“Yeah, seems like it,” I replied.  

Kazari-san was dressed in casual clothes today, a refreshing change from the usual maid uniform.  

“Have you gotten used to this atmosphere yet?” she asked.  

“…Hmm, not really,” I admitted.  

“Thought so,” she said with a knowing smile.  

It’d been nearly 15 years since I was reborn into this world.  

I’d gotten used to much of it, but as someone who remembered how the world used to be, it was hard not to feel out of place.  

In my previous life, it was normal to see couples, children with their parents, and families in the streets.  

Now, having been reincarnated into this world, men had become a rarity. It was uncommon to see them out and about.  

Young men, in particular, were incredibly scarce. The chances of encountering one were slim.  

If you did see a man, it was usually part of an older couple.  

Though I supposed it made sense—after all, we were at the Takashima Department Store in Shinjuku, where the average customer age tended to be on the higher side.  

“Well then, Kyo-sama, if I may ask,” Kazari-san began.  

“Hmm?”  

“You mentioned buying an apology gift earlier. What exactly do you plan to get?”  

“…Hmm, well, I could just tell you now, but that’d be boring. How about I make it a little quiz?”  

“…Sure, I guess?” Kazari-san replied, her voice laced with obvious discontent.  

Don’t worry. Surely, I hadn’t been found out. Everything was fine… right?  

“Well, for starters, you’re obviously not thinking of getting an accessory, right?”  

“…Yeah, right,” I said, trying to sound confident.  

Oh. Accessories were a no-go?  

I’d never properly apologized to someone before, so I really had no idea.  

I’d never been in this kind of situation. It was my first time.  

“By the way, why not an accessory?” I asked.  

“Well… giving accessories to someone of the opposite sex is usually reserved for close relationships or as a romantic gesture. I’ve never heard of them being used for apologies,” she explained.  

She gave me a look that said, Isn’t that obvious?

“But don’t people sometimes give gifts like watches in dramas or something? Rich folks and all?”  

“Well, that’s because they’re rich. We are not… well, who knows about your future, Kyo-sama. Neither I nor Tachibana-san come from particularly wealthy backgrounds, so receiving something extravagant would honestly leave us bewildered. You thought of that, didn’t you?”  

“O-of course.”  

Yes, I totally knew that. Absolutely.  

“And for the same reasons, clothing is also out of the question. So, the safest bet would probably be sweets, wouldn’t it?”  

“Of course!”  

“Right? The question then becomes, which type of sweets to get?”  

“Ahem, well…”  

The safest option would be Tokyo Banana, right…?  

“Should it be savory or sweet? Usually, in situations like this, you’d avoid savory snacks, right? If it’s sweet, though, would it be Western-style or Japanese-style? Well, which do you think?”  

She rattled off her thoughts like a spell, and I started to panic. Wait, was there really that much to consider?!  

“So, Kyo-sama. Is there something you’d like to ask me?”  

…It seemed like she’d figured it out.  

“What kind of sweets should I buy?” I asked.  

“Got it. You could’ve just asked that from the start. By the way, what were you planning to get originally?”  

“…”  

I couldn’t really bring myself to say it.  

“Kyo-sama? If you don’t tell me, I can’t give you proper advice for the future,” she pressed.  

“…Tokyo Banana.”  

“…”  

“…See? That’s why I didn’t want to say it!”  

“Well, you weren’t entirely off. The idea of going with Western-style sweets is good! Though… is Tokyo Banana considered Western-style?”  

“Think of it as a banana cake, and I guess it could be?”  

“Well, whatever. There’s just one thing you were missing, Kyo-sama.”  

Oh? Only one? That was a relief.  

“And what would that be?”  

“The price.”  

“Aah…”  

True, Tokyo Banana was delicious, but it was relatively cheap for its quality.  

“Exactly. Adults express sincerity through the cost of a gift. Though it might be too early for you, Kyo-sama, I’d say something in the 3,000–5,000 yen range would be more appropriate. A bit on the high side, but better to go higher than lower.”  

“Got it.”  

This was surprisingly educational.  

“If it had been a gift for Hosho-sama, it would’ve been much trickier. She’s genuinely from the upper class, so you’d want to avoid making any missteps there.”  

Even for an average person, the bar was around 5,000 yen.  

If it were her, it’d easily exceed tens of thousands of yen.  

“It could even go into the hundreds of thousands.”  

Apparently, I’d underestimated by an entire tier.  

“A whole digit higher?! Seriously?”  

“Absolutely.”  

Her face showed no trace of humor.  

“…I think I’m better off not thinking about it anymore.”  

“Agreed. For now, let’s focus on picking something for Tachibana-sama. But remember, you need to choose it yourself. After all, it’s your sincerity that matters here, Kyo-sama.”  

“I know, I wasn’t planning to leave all of it up to you anyway.”  

“That’s good to hear. That puts my mind at ease.”  

Afterward, we wandered around the department store, browsing through various options.  

It turned out there was an overwhelming variety even within the category of sweets.  

Ultimately, I chose a gift set of Western-style sweets that had a longer shelf life—based mostly on a gut feeling.  

It was amazing how many options there were.  

After that, Kazari-san and I continued meandering through the store, enjoying what felt like a lighthearted window-shopping session.  

Even though the trip was intended for an apology, it felt like it had been a while since the two of us had relaxed together like this.  

“Life’s been pretty hectic lately, hasn’t it?”  

Kazari-san remarked as we started heading toward the exit.  

“Yeah, this past week has been like a storm.”  

“You never know. This might just be the calm before the storm.”  

“The fact that I can’t deny that is what makes it frustrating.”  

“…But even so, you’ll handle it somehow, won’t you? Just like you did for your sister, even if it means sacrificing yourself.”  

“…I wouldn’t go that far. I’m just doing what I can.”  

Even with my sister, I’d only managed because the circumstances had happened to work out in my favor.  

“But still…”  

I could tell what Kazari-san was trying to say.  

“I’ve already made up my mind.”  

“…I see. I apologize if I was overstepping. But please, if anything comes up, don’t hesitate to talk to me. At the very least, I’ll always be on your side, Kyo-sama.”  

Kazari-san’s eyes were filled with nothing but compassion and care.  

Did I really look like I was pushing myself that hard?  

Did I make her worry?  

“Thanks, Kazari-san. Here, take this—consider it my way of saying sorry for making you worry.”  

“Eh… what’s this?”  

“It’s nothing special. Just something I picked up earlier. Since you’re always taking care of the housework, you don’t seem to use hand cream much, so I thought you might like it.”  

“…Kyo-sama, I’m just doing my job…”  

“Even so, I appreciate it. That’s all.”  

Kazari-san held the gift in her hands, staring at it as if she couldn’t believe it was hers.  

“Uh… did I mess up? You don’t like it?”  

Giving gifts was harder than I thought.  

“N-no! Not at all! I’m really happy! I’m just… a bit overwhelmed…”  

“…Overwhelmed?”  

“Yes. I’m wondering if someone like me deserves to feel this happy…”  

“No one doesn’t deserve happiness, Kazari-san. Besides, it’s just a small gift.”  

“Even so. Because of my past…”  

Her voice faltered, and she trailed off.  

“I don’t know much about your past, but I’m sure there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the present.”  

“…Do you think so?”  

Her usual confident presence seemed to waver.  

“Would it help if I gave you an order as your employer?”  

“…”  

“Let’s see… how about this? Think of it as a tip, like they do in the West. It has nothing to do with happiness—just an extension of what you deserve for all your hard work. Does that make it easier for you to accept?”  

“A tip for my work…”  

“Yeah. And if nothing else, think of it as saving my pride. I’d be really happy if you could take it.”  

If she refused, I’d have no choice but to use the hand cream myself, no matter how ridiculous it looked.  

“Hehe, I see. In that case, I suppose I have no choice but to use it. Thank you so much, Kyo-sama.”  

She smiled warmly as she spoke, her expression brimming with sincerity.  

“You’re welcome.”  

“…Shall we head back now?”  

Just as we were about to leave, Kazari-san suddenly tugged at my sleeve.  

“What’s wrong?”  

“Um…”  

“Hm?”  

“Shall we… do it now?”  

Do it? As in…  

“Doing it at the house feels a little… unsettling. So, how about fulfilling our… duty here instead?”  

Duty.

At first, it was just a government-mandated obligation in exchange for financial support.  

But as we lived together, that duty began to take on more literal and personal meanings.  

“You’re right. Let’s get it over with.”  

With that, the two of us headed to a rest area and boarded a train going in the opposite direction to fulfill our duties.