(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 16: An Unexpected Encounter

“Whoa, this place is huge.”

Kazari-san and I arrived at my new school.  

The school had a four-story building, with pristine walls and well-maintained facilities.  

The courtyard was beautifully landscaped, and there was even an artificial turf field—which I’d never seen before.  

“It’s definitely much bigger than your former school, huh?” Kazari-san commented.  

My old high school was pretty run-down, with creaky floors and walls. And even in my previous life, my high school was just an average institution—this gleaming, modern school was a first for me.  

Fortunately—or maybe unfortunately—it was spring break, so the school was practically empty.  

“Hey, now that we’re here, I just realized…”  

“Yes? What is it?”  

A sudden worry crept into my mind.  

“What happens if I lose the Fiancée Vote and my engagement gets annulled? Do I return to my old school?”  

Being rejected and having to transfer back—it could happen, right? After all, the results came out at the end of March. What if I ended up transferring here without even attending a single day?  

“Ah, don’t worry about that. Even in the one-in-a-million chance that happens, you won’t need to transfer back. Though we might need to reassign your class or something along those lines.”  

“Oh, so coming here today won’t be a waste, after all.”  

“That’s right. No need to worry.”  

“Well, that’s a relief.”  

“…Although, if you transferred back right away, that would be quite the comedic story, wouldn’t it?” she teased.  

“No way. Moving houses is such a hassle.”  

“Fair point. It really is,” she replied with a chuckle.  

Sure, we didn’t actually have much stuff to move, so it wouldn’t take long, but it was still a pain to deal with.  

“…Alright, we’ve made it to the entrance for visitors. What do we do now?”  

“If I remember correctly, someone was supposed to greet us. Let me check with the office.”  

With that, Kazari-san walked over to the administration office adjacent to the visitors’ entrance. After exchanging a few words at the counter, she returned.  

“The teacher will be here shortly. Let’s wait a bit.”  

We passed the time chatting for a few minutes until a teacher finally arrived.  

A woman in a white lab coat appeared at the end of the corridor.  

Her long hair swayed gently as she carried herself with poise, walking toward us.  

“Kazari-san,” I whispered.  

“Yes, Kyo-sama?”  

I had a feeling we were both thinking the exact same thing.  

Her face held a slightly stunned expression that mirrored my own.  

“…She looks familiar.”  

I’d only seen the side of her face before, but I was sure I recognized her.  

“It’s a coincidence, isn’t it? I feel like I saw her too—maybe two days ago?” Kazari-san replied.  

“…Yeah, exactly.”  

As we spoke, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor grew closer.  

Her long floral skirt matched perfectly with her white lab coat, giving her an elegant, yet casual look.  

She was tall, with a figure that could rival a model’s.  

“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Kazari-san remarked.  

“Totally,” I muttered absentmindedly.  

Suddenly, Kazari-san pinched me.  

It hurt.  

Apparently, I’d given the wrong answer.  

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the woman greeted us with a warm smile.  

Her demeanor radiated the calm maturity of an adult.  

Though to be fair, Akitsuki-san has that same kind of vibe. 

“Oh, not at all. We just got here a little early—sorry about that,” I replied.  

“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Ayaka Shiraishi, the school nurse here.”  

“And I’m Sato Kazari, Kyo-sama’s personal maid. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

“…I’m Takeda Kyoya. I’ll be transferring here. It’s nice to meet you,” I added, following Kazari-san’s lead.  

“So, you’re the one…”  

I was glad I had Kazari-san with me.  

If I’d come alone, I would’ve definitely been too flustered to handle this.  

“You’re the student transferring here, right? Changing schools as a high schooler must be tough. Are you okay? Do you wish you could go back to your old school?”

“Hmm…?”

What’s this?  

Was she testing me?  

But then again, as a school nurse, her question could be completely genuine…  

Yeah, I should probably just play it safe and answer neutrally.  

“Well, since school hasn’t started yet, I can’t really say. I guess I do feel a bit vaguely anxious, though—like, wondering if I’ll be able to blend in at a new school.”  

“Is that so? Well, if anything comes up, feel free to talk to me, okay? It’s part of my job as a school nurse to listen to those kinds of worries, too.”  

Shiraishi-sensei smiled warmly, the kind of smile that immediately put you at ease.  

…If it weren’t for what I saw with Akitsuki-san the other day, I might’ve been swayed by it.  

But because of that incident, I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.  

The relationship between Shiraishi-sensei and Akitsuki-san… it seemed pretty intimate.  

It wouldn’t be strange for her to hold some kind of grudge against me.  

“Oh, I’m sorry. Standing out here like this must be cold. Please, come in, Takeda-kun.”  

“…Thank you.”  

“For now, let’s head to the staff room. I assume there are some documents you’ll need to submit?”  

Documents?  

Most of that stuff was handled by Kazari-san, so I wouldn’t know.  

“Ha… ha…”  

I could only offer a weak, fake laugh to cover my uncertainty.  

“Yes, we’ve brought everything with us,” Kazari-san said confidently.  

“In that case, once we’ve submitted the documents, we’ll head to the principal’s office. This school has more male students than most others, so I’ll need to explain a few precautions specific to our institution.”  

Just as she’d claimed, our business in the staff room ended quickly, and we moved to the adjacent principal’s office.  

Inside was a neatly dressed woman who appeared to be in her late 30s.  

“You must be Takeda-san. We’ve been expecting you. Welcome to our school.”  

She went on to explain the school’s rules and other routine information.  

The gist of it was:  

1. 1. Follow the school rules and maintain proper conduct.  

1. 1. This school operates on an integrated system from high school to university.  

1. 1. While we’re aware of the Harem System, there will be no special treatment here.  

“Alright, then. I look forward to seeing you when the new term starts.”  

With that, we wrapped up the meeting with the principal and stepped outside, where Shiraishi-sensei was waiting for us.  

“Alright, let me give you a tour of the school~!”  

Following Shiraishi-sensei, we were shown around the school’s facilities.  

The library, science lab, art room, and classrooms all looked brand new—likely rebuilt recently.  

“Pretty nice, huh? This school was completely renovated about five years ago. Of course, I wasn’t a teacher back then.”  

“Ah, that’s why everything looks so modern… Oh, what about that building next door?”  

“Oh, that’s the university. This is an integrated school system, so it includes middle school, high school, and university. I actually attended here myself, you know.”  

“You’re a graduate of this school?”  

“Yup. That’s why I remember what it was like before it was rebuilt. Believe me, it was old. I hated it so much. The renovation finally happened during my last year of university, but by then, I wasn’t even coming to campus that much. It was practically useless at that point.”  

So that’s how it was. By your senior year in university, you didn’t end up on campus much.  

I wouldn’t know—I’d studied for university entrance exams in my previous life but had never made it.  

I always wondered what campus life might’ve been like.  

“…So that’s where Hosho-san attends, right?”  

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you know her through that system, don’t you?”  

Shiraishi-sensei smiled knowingly as she said this.  

Of course, as a staff member, she’d know I was participating in the Harem System. That was normal.  

But… considering she was also the woman Akitsuki-san returned with the other night, I couldn’t help but wonder what she really thought.  

What was behind that smile?  

The image of their kiss flashed through my mind.  

I couldn’t figure out what Shiraishi-sensei’s expression meant.  

If I were in her position and my partner had done something like that, I’d definitely be holding a grudge.  

Was she going to mention it? Was she going to confront me about it?  

As I braced myself for the worst, preparing for some kind of accusation, she said,  

“…Hosho-san is quite active at the university. She’s even part of the student council. Of course, that means she’s subject to some envy and spiteful remarks, but I’ve known her since high school, and I can assure you she’s a wonderful person.  

…This might sound like unwarranted meddling, but I hope you’ll try to see her for who she truly is.”  

See her for who she truly is.

So far, all I’d experienced was her cold and demanding side.  

“Why do you care so much?”  

“Well… she’s a bit awkward, you know? The kind of person who’s often misunderstood. I wasn’t her teacher per se, but I did interact with her, and I want her to be happy. She’s had a rough past, and I feel like that’s made things harder for her.”  

A rough past… did she mean the engagement cancellations?  

“I’m counting on you, Takeda-kun.”  

“…Counting on me?”  

“Yes. Both as a student and for the Harem System.”  

“What exactly do you—”  

“Oh, look! Hosho-chan just arrived. Let’s go meet her, shall we?”  

Shiraishi-sensei’s words cut off my question.  

It was clear she didn’t intend to elaborate further.  

But… expectations?

What kind of expectations?  

Did she expect me to fail?  

No, she didn’t seem that malicious.  

I glanced at Kazari-san, but she just shook her head.  

She didn’t seem to know either.  

For now, I guessed it was time to face Hosho-san 

Still… this woman was Akitsuki-san’s lover.  

A coworker and a partner.  

A workplace romance, huh?  

…What was I supposed to do about this?