Vol 2 Chapter 30.1 – Prologue

The desire to be popular is, I imagine, something everyone has, regardless of gender.

It’s not just limited to heterosexuals, either—it applies to homosexuals, too. Well, I’m straight, for the record.

Even among people of the same sex, unrelated to romance, there’s a desire to get closer, to be friends.

In short, camaraderie.

At the very least, you want to be adored.

More than that, you want people to be kind to you, and in turn, you want to return that affection and exchange that love.

It’s a neighborly love, a desire to love your neighbor “as you love yourself” and form a close bond.

I suppose that’s a feeling everyone has.

Though there are probably exceptions, like extreme misanthropes.

“…”

Now, as for me, that desire had already been more than satisfied.

Because I had joined a club.

Because Club President Takahashi had welcomed me.

Because the members she led had also accepted me as one of their own.

They all shared a close friendship and trusted each other, and I, too—little by little—was being let into their circle.

It called itself the “Modern Culture Research Club”—but in reality, it was just an otaku club.

A place where friends who enjoyed card games, TRPGs, and creative works could hang out.

I had managed to find my place there.

And that was why.

To put it plainly, I no longer had any need for more relationships.

I didn’t need a social life in my classroom.

I’m an otaku, so I only feel like being friends with other otaku.

Therefore, my classroom was now nothing more than a place for academics.

“Kajiwara-kun, you wanna go hang out somewhere this weekend?”

“…”

An invitation for the weekend.

The person standing before my eyes was a top-caste gyaru, one of my so-called classmates.

I wasn’t sure how to answer.

I’m sure someone accustomed to this kind of situation would be able to just brush her off, no problem.

It’s not like I held any particular ill will toward her.

Besides, I didn’t want to show her any hostility in class and make the atmosphere awkward.

She was at the top of the hierarchy, and if I turned her down harshly, my own standing might be at risk.

Well, it’s not like bullying actually happens.

Not even if I reject this invitation in this chastity-reversed world.

A world gone mad due to a skewed male-to-female ratio, where male chastity is treasured, and female chastity is taken lightly.

Basically, women have become the aggressors, while men have come to shun their own libido and even scorn that of women.

In a bizarre world like this, it’s actually pretty common for a guy to harshly reject a girl’s advances.

I wouldn’t be criticized that much for it.

Still…

“—”

She stared intently at my face.

Maybe she worked up her own courage to come and talk to me.

I couldn’t help but feel that’s what was happening.

You’re overthinking it, right?

That’s probably what any other guy in this world would say.

No, it’s important to be considerate of other people’s feelings.

For example, if I were to cruelly reject her, and she got teased by those around her.

If I saw that, it would hurt me.

I don’t like it.

It’s because I’m an otaku.

For me, a nerd who was at the bottom of the caste in my previous life, that scene is painful to watch even from the sidelines.

I hate it precisely because it’s happened to me before.

So, I have to give her the most considerate reply I possibly can.

I was stumped.

“Um…”

The problem here was that I was completely unaccustomed to giving the kind of gentle refusal required for such a situation.

You’re on your second life, so you should be a bit more worldly by now, right?

Don’t be ridiculous. In my past life, I was a virgin despite being nearly thirty.

My final life-result score in terms of happiness was undoubtedly low.

I had a past of being bullied for being an otaku, and I’d never even spoken to an “otaku-friendly gyaru” like the ones that only exist in light novels and manga.

That’s why this was so difficult.

“Umm.”

I wish I could have just chanted it like a spell.

Like the untap, upkeep, and draw phases in a card game.

If I could have just performed a ritual, it would have been fine, but I don’t know the incantation.

My variations for a refusal are far too few.

Should I say I have a girlfriend?

—That’s a lie.

I have someone I’m ‘interested in,’ but she isn’t my girlfriend.

Besides, in this world, “I have a girlfriend” doesn’t work as a reason for rejection.

That’s because polygamy is legal.

“Hrmm.”

I agonized over it.

I was seriously racking my brain.

I couldn’t repay her kindness with malice; I had to turn her down gently and politely.

“…”

I froze.

I stopped moving and just thought.

Since I wasn’t giving her any reply, the gyaru in front of me was starting to look troubled.

Alright, the action I should take to avoid hurting her, and to avoid hurting myself, is—

“Hey, Kajiwara-kun.”

A voice called out to me from the side.

The necktie was the color of a second-year’s.

She was a tall, slender girl, over 170cm, with a flat chest.

And she had a blunt-banged hime cut.

It was Toudou Hatsune-senpai, from my own Modern Culture Research Club.

“If you’re not busy, wanna head to the club together?”

She waved from outside the classroom, signaling to me.

The top-caste gyaru, my classmate, glared at her.

Who the hell do you think you are?

I can’t let her direct her hostility at Toudou-san.

I can’t have her earning any hate.

This was a problem that had arisen because of me, so I had to be the one to solve it.

I took a deep breath and mustered my courage.

“Um, let’s see, your name was—Tachibana-san, correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Relieved by the response from a classmate I had little interest in, I began my refusal.

“I’m sorry, but my schedule is pretty packed lately, so I don’t think I’ll be able to hang out on the weekend.”

I stood up from my chair and bowed deeply at the waist in apology.

“I am sincerely sorry.”

Sincerity.

I had no idea if this was the right way to respond—in fact, it was probably wrong.

I knew this wasn’t how a student should apologize.

It was clearly the wrong way, but no matter how hard I wrung my brain, this kind of sincerity was all I could come up with.

I couldn’t think of anything beyond the apology methods of my past life as a salaryman.

“Oh, uh, no, it’s fine, it’s fine. It was sudden, anyway.”

Tachibana-san, the top-caste gyaru, became strangely flustered.

She waved her hands frantically as if to say, Don’t worry about it.

Oh, she’s actually a nice person.

I felt a sense of relief at the thought.

“My apologies, but I have club activities now. So if you’ll excuse me. Please feel free to ask me again if you have the chance.”

—That last line might have been unnecessary.

It’s not that I dislike you.

I added it as a follow-up to make that clear, then bowed my head once more.

And then, I walked out of the classroom.

“Okay, Toudou-san, shall we go?”

“…Yeah, let’s.”

Toudou-san tilted her head but fell into step beside me.

After we had walked a short distance from the classroom and there was no one else around, she murmured.

“Hey, Kajiwara-kun.”

“What is it, Toudou-san?”

“Do you… always turn down girls like that?”

It was a strange question.

Was my behavior really that weird after all?

Worried that Toudou-san was looking at me like I was an idiot, I answered her honestly.

“Sorry, I’m not used to turning people down. Bowing my head is the only peaceful solution I can think of.”

“Ahh, I’m an otaku too, so I kinda get it, but…”

Toudou-san waved her hand in the air, showing her understanding.

With a troubled expression, she then said.

“You know, if you apologize that politely, people will see you as some kind of sheltered, well-bred young master. Like you’re not used to women.”

So that’s how my salaryman-like response comes across.

Well, it was an undeniable fact that I wasn’t used to women.

“It’s just that I’m an otaku, so I’m bad at socializing.”

“I get it, I get it. But you know, girls tend to romanticize boys.”

From now on in class, I’ll probably be treated as the “sheltered, well-bred young master.”

As Toudou-san cackled beside me, I wondered if that’s how it really worked.

“What are we playing today?”

For my part, I completely forgot about what happened in class, my mind focused only on having fun with everyone at the club.