Teaser

---

57. Shopping

The next morning, I left home to do my daily training.

Today too, Grandma followed me in silent.

I passed through the residential area and continued on the promenade, but Grandma who silently followed me was the same as yesterday, eerie.

STEP!! STEP!! STEP!!

Only the sound of footsteps echoed in the early morning.

When I was doing calisthenics in the usual square, Grandma stared at me.

“Those shoes are rather worn.”

For some reason, Grandma was concerned with my shoes.

“These are the ones I bought quite some time ago.”

The athletic shoes I wore were the same ones I had used in middle school gym class.

I bought new training clothes, but I didn’t care much about the shoes.

They looked like they hadn’t been used much, so I thought they were still usable, but yeah, they were a little faded and looked bad.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Really?”

“Giving my grandson a pair of new shoes, is nothing special.”

“Thank you.”

Favors, after all, should be received honestly.

“Then let’s go shopping today. Can you tell Aki?”

“I understand. But, Sis said she would go to the library in the morning.”

“I see. Well then, let’s go out in the afternoon. For her… right, she should have proper sports clothes.”

“Ah… that’s right.”

Namu Amida….

When buying shoes, you should choose them according to how they should be worn, right?
I didn’t really care whom I was going with, but I felt like I had just done something bad to Sis.
After all, Sis rarely went to the library, but she did. Probably because she knew that she would be forced to do special training at home.

“There is a big sports store ten minutes away by bus, should we go there?”

“Sure, I don’t mind. Is it in a shopping street with a supermarket?”

“That’s right.”

The place wasn’t big, but it was a pretty convenient place because almost anything was available there.

When I returned home after training and told Sis the details, she muttered “Eh!?” and her body trembled in instant.

I don’t think there’s an earthquake though?

……Well, I guess she can guess what would happen.

“Just think this as filial piety.”

“T-T-T-T-That’s right.”

For some reason, Sis seemed to want to go back to the library.

◇

When I told Mom I would go shopping with Grandma, she asked me to buy a few other things.
It was something we would need for tomorrow’s barbecue.

“Firestarter huh……”

It seems that a Firestarter is a solid mixture of charcoal powder and fuel.

It seems that it catches fire easily, and if you put charcoal on it and leave it alone, it will be easier to start the fire.

But… Isn’t it best to start with flammable wood shavings, like twigs and branches, fire them up, and use them to fire the charcoal?

……Well, there’s nothing like that in the garden, so I guess, we’ve no choice.

After eating lunch, the three of us got ready to go shopping.

We were sent off by Mom and left home.

Sis’ complexion is… not good, but it’s probably better not to say anything about it.

“Come to think of it, grandmother, those are safety boots, right?”

“Oh, you know about it?”

“Yeah. Not just for the toes, but it supports the stepping, right?”

“Right, and it has shock absorption.”

“When I tried to hold it yesterday, it was really heavy.”

Did she jog with it? Crazy…

“Because of my work, I sometimes drop my luggage, and I don’t always walk on concrete. Plus, there’s also a toe puff inside. This has saved me many times you know.” 

Normally, the luggage would be transported by a forklift, but Grandma’s destination wasn’t limited to places where such things could fit. 

Mechanization was advancing in the special ward, but that couldn’t be said everywhere in Japan.

Parts were delivered directly to the construction site, and there must be places where the scaffolding was poor. 

“So, it’s not just driving.”

“That’s right. Many places don’t have enough people after all. More than that, you knew about safety boots, huh? I thought you’d never seen one.”

“Well… I have a lot of interests.”

If I had stayed in my original body, maybe I would have worn it to work after graduating……

As we walked, I spotted a group of people arguing a little further ahead. 

“Grandmother, look there.”

“……hm?”

Looking closely, I could see several women surrounding one woman.

Even from afar, it was clear. The women surrounding were furious. 

“What a disturbing atmosphere… ah.” 

Normally, the passersby would pretend not to see it. Maybe because they didn’t have enough courage. 

But, when I was watching, one of the people nearby rushed. 

“I’m going to stop them.”

“I’m going too.” 

The surrounding women were pushed.

Being caught off guard, they were slapped. 

“You guys, what are you doing?!” 

Grandma intervened, so I took the surrounded woman’s arm and pulled her away. 

“Stay away, old hag!”

“Seeing one person bullied by many people. You think I will leave it alone, hah!!?” 

They flinched for a moment at Grandma’s declaration, but maybe they were annoyed at the idea of losing to the old woman’s pressure, they took a step forward. 

But Grandma was standing with her arms crossed, not moving. 

“…………”

“…………” 

The glaring contest continued.

As for the woman I was protecting… She looked ahead without batting an eyelash.

Do you really need our help…?

“…tch, let’s go.”

They glanced once in my direction before leaving the scene.

All that was left behind was the woman and us.

The woman didn’t look like a high school student. A little older than Sis… perhaps, in her early twenties.

“Are you okay?”

When I asked the woman if she was safe, she brushed her long hair down her back…

“Jeez, this is why commoners…… hmm? this is, quite rare for such a place”

“Eh?”

The woman looked at me and muttered something like that.

“The more I look, the more I like your face. You, shall be allowed to serve this I.”

“Eeeh?”

Serve…? What is this person talking about?

“That body, I can’t wait to tast… Ouch!?”

The woman had been hit on the head by Grandma.

“What are you saying in broad daylight…? Seriously.”

Slowly, I took three steps away from the cowering woman.

◇

Why did the woman argue with them?

Without asking in detail, I could already guess the reason. Just by the way she spoke, normal people would surely get upset.

“What a bunch of unrefined people.”

“With that kind of attitude, normal people will get angry you know.”

I may have helped the wrong person.

“It’s just as my dear mother said. In here, there are many people who lack the spirit of service.”

“…..She’s a noble.” (low voice)

 

Grandma sighed and told me quietly.

 

Do nobles look down on people in such a natural way?

When I send a gaze, Grandma told me, “Some are like her.”, as if she knew what I wanted to ask. 

“So, young lady, why are you here?” 

Grandma stood in front of me, as if to hide me. 

“Hmm… I wanted to take a taxi as soon as I came here, but it didn’t move.”

“Did you enter your destination?”

“Course of course.”

“What about the payment?”

“Payment shall be made when I reach the destination.”

Ah…… If I didn’t have this body knowledge, I would have done the same.

“The special ward only operates unmanned taxis, so you’ll need a credit card, a mobile phone linked to your bank account, or a transportation IC card, young lady.”

“I don’t have anything like that….. So, since I couldn’t take the taxi, I got on the bus, and now I am here.”

“…………” 

Grandma held her head.

Don’t you know the basic knowledge for living a life?

Or do you usually live on an uninhabited island?

“What about cash?”

“Of course, I have. My dear mother gave me some.”

“Then let’s do this. You can’t use cash for an unmanned taxi, but I’ll pay for you… But, give me the amount in cash. Of course, one of us will be riding with you in the taxi.”

“I see, what a wonderful idea.”

The woman clapped her hands.

“T-then, I’ll go with you!”

Sis, who had been silent until now, raised her voice. This desperation to run away from shopping was as clear as day.

“Hmm. Then, you there, come.”

The woman seemed to have no objections.

Grandma looked at Sis but said nothing.

For some reason, Sis was excited and called an unmanned taxi from her smartphone.

“This I, isn’t stingy, so don’t worry about money. I’ll pay you double the price, enough for you to go back.”

Even though the woman couldn’t take a taxi by himself, she seemed somehow bossy.

Soon, an unmanned taxi arrived.

“Then I’ll send this person. Grandmother, I’m sorry I couldn’t go shopping with you. Take-chan, take care of the rest.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Then, I’ll go.”

The taxi left with the two of them inside.

I wonder if all nobles are like that…

For some reason, I felt so tired even though nothing in particular happened to me.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

56. Reunion with childhood friend

Satoko Souya walked through a quiet residential area and looked up at a certain apartment.

It was an apartment that seemed to have strict security, as wasn’t often seen in the countryside.

When Satoko typed in a room number into the auto-lock system at the entrance, the speaker responded,

「”Hey, I’ve been waiting for you.”」

Then, the glass door was unlocked, and Satoko walked to the entrance.

She took the elevator to the fifth floor and was welcomed with open arms by Rio Okae, the person whom she came to see.

“It’s been a while, Rio-chan.”

“Sato-chan, you’re just the same as always.”

After hugging each other, they clapped hands and rejoiced in their reunion.

The two grew up together in a rural town in Nagano.

Satoko remained in her hometown and became a truck driver.

Rio, on the other hand, worked as a lecturer there after graduating from a graduate course at a local university.

She then left her hometown to teach at the Souran University, which was located in the special ward.

“Let’s go inside first. Are you okay to stay late today?”

“Well, yeah. But, please no drink. Since I got this job, I haven’t drunk at all.”

“Can’t force you then. In that case, I’ll have coffee, too.”

Rio laughed and invited Satoko into the room.

◇

“…… So, the local area is the same as always. Minimal infrastructure and, minimal number of people. Neither increase nor decrease.”

“Is the scenery still the same?”

“Yeah, I can say that at least, not much has changed.”

Rio looked up at the sky. She must have longed for the past.

Running through the mountains together… The two of them must be thinking of this same scenery now.

“I haven’t been there for over ten years. It’s not that far away, but feels like it’s getting farther and farther away.”

Satoko nodded slowly at Rio’s words.

“Well, you don’t need to come. The place hasn’t changed at all after all.”

“At least, I don’t think there will be anyone aiming for my life now.”

When Rio was young, her research focused on revitalizing the local economy.

In business transactions, the Kazoku’s wills were considered most important, and it was a problem that old customs and unique rules continued to interfere with people’s business.

The paper she published drew the ire of a certain noble, but the young Rio took the criticism head-on and stood up.

Then a fight broke out between the ignorant noble and Rio, a university lecturer. It was only natural that Rio would be the winner.

Unfortunately, the noble had a method of deciding the situation for himself.

Once the noble mobilized all the power in the family, it would be easy to swap white and black.

But that wasn’t the case. The noble had another way to put pressure on the university.

As a result, it became difficult for Rio to stay at the university, and around the same time, suspicious people began to appear frequently near the apartment where she was living at the time.

A small fire around the garbage dumb.

Tampered car’s brake.

A stone the size of a man’s fist was thrown through the window glass.

Feeling threatened for her life, Rio relied on a friend from her school days and came to the Special Ward Tokyo.

She then became an associate professor at a women’s university in the special ward, and after a while, she rose to become a professor.

At that time, Satoko, who was traveling all over Japan for work, learned about Rio’s situation late.
Satoko only found out after Rio decided to go to the Special Ward Tokyo.

“If it had not been for that, would you still be in there?”

“That’s right. But it’s not so bad here either. Come to think of it, the students are happy when I talk bad about men in class. I wonder if that’s what they call the “sour grapes”.”

“Oi, oi… is it okay for you to say that in a special ward?”

Satoko opened her eyes big as if she had heard something unexpected.

“I say it in moderation, so don’t worry about it. Sometimes it’s quite convenient if you can keep some distance. Even if it causes some students to frown.”

“Fine then, just don’t go over the line.”

“I know. But, you know, I’m still continuing “that research”. So, it’s a perfect disguise, isn’t it?”

When Satoko heard those words, she was really surprised this time.

“Even if you’re in the special ward, if you stand out too much, you’ll get caught by those people.”

“Maybe? But well, relax, I won’t announce it.”

Said Rio with a wink.

“Well, that’s fine I guess, but…”

“In the end, the more I researched, the more I realized that it’s impossible to change the status quo.”

Rio changed her expression and looked down.

“Is the power of the Kazoku still that strong?”

“That’s part of it, but people don’t have enough energy to revitalize rural areas. Even if someone walks at the front, they won’t follow. Even if someone pushes their backs, they’re still slow. Living in rural areas, I’ve learned that unless someone with a certain charisma, enough to make women rush to the front, come to lead, it’s just an empty theory.”

“Someone with a charisma that makes women rush forward, huh…? In the rural areas, only those from the Kazoku can do that.”

“Right. Even if the Kazoku’s power is scraped away, normalizing the economy after that just… in the first place, those who are under their rule and believed in them aren’t aware of the fragile system. And that, made me realize again how unreasonable my hope was.”

“Having such a dream is okay. But, you don’t have to worry about it alone, you know?”

“Well… I wonder if there’s someone out there who has the charisma to pull the women…. no, to get them rush to the front willingly.”

Rio looked out the window.

A beautiful sunset was visible.

◇

“Ara, mother, welcome home.”

“I’m back.”

When Satoko arrived home, she was greeted by Satomi.
It was already after 10:00 pm.

“I thought you were going to stay over?”

“We’ve talked enough. What about the kids?”

“Aki-chan has been studying until a while ago. And Take-chan, he must have gone to bed already, I guess?…… That reminds me, I’ve got Minayo’s schedule. I’m planning to have a BBQ the day after tomorrow, is that okay?”

“I see. I’ll look forward to it then.”

“Also, Take-chan seems to be interested in where you live.”

“Hmm… Wait, Taketo has never been there?”

“Take-chan is a boy, so I don’t think it’ll be as easy as Aki-chan……”

“I guess it can’t be helped. But, he’s interested in the countryside huh?”

“……? What’s the matter?”

“Compared to when I first came here five years ago, he’s changed a lot.”

“For a while he distrusted women, but the people in the group he was in his third year of middle school were really nice. Maybe that’s why.”

“Is that so? It seems like he’s been working out his body lately, maybe his way of thinking has changed too?”

“Come to think of it, he started running early in the morning after he entered high school. Maybe he found a goal he wants to pursue?”

“On the other hand, Aki has become a weakling. She needs more “lessons”.”

“Well, she’ll have an exam soon.”

“All the more. If that’s all she does, her personality will change. And not for the better. It would be nice if she could experience a little more various things.”

“Come to think of it, I remember when mother told me that, it caused me to start a part-time job.”

“Was it useful?”

“In a way, yes. After all, I did it while studying for the exam. I was so busy back then.”

“Wasn’t it good? Tell Aki not to focus just on one thing, but to broaden her horizons.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“But… what kind of future will Taketo choose…”

“Well, I think a job as a civil servant is safe.”

“I wonder if that’s case. I don’t think such a small place can hold him down…”

 

At Satoko’s prophetic words, Satomi closed her eyes for a while and thought of Taketo.

Remembering how Takeko was today, Satomi felt that Satoko’s words were not wrong.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

55. Story of the countryside

When I got home, Sis was like a corpse on the sofa in the living room.

From the fact that she was wearing a jersey and her hair was wet with sweat, I could roughly imagine what had happened.

“……Ah, Take-kun. Welcome back.”

“I’m home, Sis. Did grandmother train you?”

“Yeah. “If you’re going to survive the exam, get the minimum physical strength”, was what she said…”

When Grandma came here five years ago, she didn’t pay much attention to Sis.

Since Mom also has an educational policy, perhaps she tried to respect that.

On the contrary, she showed no mercy towards me.

Perhaps she thought that she had to do what she had to do even if her grandson ended up hating her.

In the end, a lot was beaten up to this body in a short period of time.

“At that time, I was spoiled all the time, I guess she thought that she couldn’t keep it like this after seeing you.”

“Hmm? Take-kun, did you say something?”

Rather than complaining about my educational policy to Mom, Grandma directly trained me. And this time too. Well, it was so like her.

“No, it’s nothing. Sis, you should rest there.”

“You’re right. I feel like I’ve already done a year’s worth of exercise. I want to become one with the sofa, just like this…”

No matter how hard a person tried, no one could become one with a sofa, but looking from the side, Sis was like melted butter on top of the bread.

Five years ago, I was traumatized by Grandma.

This time, Sis was the target.

“Namu amida……”

I placed my hands together before heading to my room.

◇

At night, Mom was on the phone in the living room. The person she called was Minayo-san.

“Is that so…… I see. It must be hard.”

From what I heard, it seemed that Minayo-san’s place of work had changed.

She used to work in the Public Relations Bureau, but recently started working in the Central Office.

Speaking of the Central Office, it was like the ideal job in the Special Ward.

Even though her affiliation hadn’t changed, she could work there, in a way, it could be said that she had made it.

Instead, the workplace was far from home.

So, Minayo-san started leaving home earlier than usual.

In addition, it seemed that the people working on the same floor stayed until late at night. It was hard for her to be the only one going home early.

In other words, the time for work had increased more than before.

“Fine. See you the day after tomorrow. I’ll prepare the stuff.”

After finishing the call, Mom wrote down a new schedule on her smartphone.

“Mom, just now, was it Minayo-san?”

“Ara, Take-chan. That’s right, it looks like she’ll be able to go home early the day after tomorrow. That’s why I decided to have a BBQ in the garden.”

Said Mom happily.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a BBQ in the garden, she must be that happy.

“I see, that aside… Minayo-san, she’s working even in GW holidays?”

“It seems like she’s that busy with her new job. It must be hard.”

I thought she would be able to rest according to the calendar since she’s working at a government office, but it seems that this world is different.

Well, there are a lot of people who work at GW, so it’s not particularly strange, but still, I’ve never thought it was the same for government officials.

“What about you Mom?”

“Well. I can take it easy for the next couple of days… Ah, that’s right, I have to talk to Moe-chan and Saki-chan about the BBQ.”

Saying so, Mom left the living room.

◇

I had dinner with Mom and Sis.

Apparently, after Grandma trained Sis, she went to meet an acquaintance.

“Hmm, Mom. So, grandmother has an acquaintance in the special ward?”

“It seems that her childhood friend is here.”

“I see…”

She’s soon to be 60 years old. If it’s her childhood friend, probably the same age?

“I wonder if that person will return outside after retirement.”

“Maybe so?”

Hearing Sis and Mom talking, I thought,

…I see, the taxes are high to continue living here, and the qualifications are tough.

After having success in the special ward, it may be possible to live a leisurely life in the countryside, right?

Suddenly, I remembered the story of the Goddess.

You shouldn’t go to outside, because it’s not good to get involved with the Kazoku huh…

“That’s right, Mom. What kind of place is Grandmother living in?”

“Ara, are you interested?”

“Sis has been there before, right? But I’ve never left the special ward, so yeah, I’d like to know.”

Then Mom looked a little confused.

“Well… even if I say it’s typical countryside, Take-chan can’t imagine it, hmm…”

“I’ve seen on TV about the outside of the special ward, but that’s it.”

“In my opinion, it’s a little more desolate than that. It’s a small town, and there’s a main street, but it’s a few hundred meters away. Around there, there’s a concentration area of shops selling various things.”

“What about the supermarket?”

“There’s a small one over there. All the shops are densely packed in one area after all, and the rest, scattering around, are houses. When I lived there, houses were hundreds of meters away from the main street on both sides. And at night, it was always pitch black.”

Mom also said that buses run around town, and public transportation was kind of normal. But, to reach the neighboring town, one must cross a mountain.

“If that’s the case, it must be a pretty rural area.”

“I don’t know. I heard that the population is about 7,000, so I think it’s a town that could be found anywhere?”

Well, as long as there are companies and factories, you can live until the end of your life there…

“Are there no people from the Kazoku there?”

“You mean, Toki-sama? No way such a person could live in such a small town. But there are towns where people from the nobility live.”

Even among the peerage, there was a rank, and the Toki family, which had influence over the two prefectures, seemed to be in the upper ranks among the peerage.

There were also branch families of the Toki family and descendants of the warlords who once ruled the castle. Those people were scattered across the prefectures.

“Isn’t it scary to live with people from the nobility?”

“Why? It’s an honor you know.”

Apparently, Mom really thought so.

The Goddess said that the noble is acting like a king outside.

But, it seems that they’re able to maintain their power even now because they are loved and respected by the residents, not by fear or power…?

For some reason, I had a strange feeling hearing the fact that Mom thought it would be an honor.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

54. Goddess’ Story 3

Soon after going back to my room, I headed for the Goddess’ place.

A promise to the Goddess. As a result of worrying about what to do with offerings, I decided to bring the souvenir that Grandma brought, the Onsen Manju. The “hot spring mark” was branded on it, but I didn’t know where it was purchased. Perhaps she brought it on the way. [TN: Onsen Manju is a steamed bun stuffed with red bean paste]

“Ding-dong”

“Huh? What is that?! Did you mean to press the doorbell? There is no doorbell in a big shrine of mine, you know?”

“Sure it’s a shrine, but I don’t think it’s that big…”

No matter where you look in Japan, there would be no place with a custom of summoning Gods with doorbells.

I put the steamed buns in front of the angry Goddess and a bottle of tea I had bought before coming here.

“Oh, today is Manju? And the drink is the perfect strong green tea? Aren’t you good at this?”

As I put my hands together to pray at the shrine, the Goddess’s mood immediately improved.

Never did I think world that the Goddess would be happy with the strong green tea.

The Goddess opened the individually-wrapped Manju and quickly bit into it.

Occasionally, She drank tea and said something like a middle-aged beer lover after having a cup of beer, saying, “I can’t get enough of this astringent.”

I brought two Onsen-Manjus. And now the Goddess was unwrapping the second one already.

“Hey, Goddess. I know that You’re still eating, but could you listen to my story?”

“What is it?… CHEW CHEW, please say anything… CHEW CHEW“

With a steamed bun in her right hand and a plastic bottle in her left hand, the Goddess said so.

“When You want to say something, please speak when there’s nothing in Your mouth.”

“Don’t worry… CHEW CHEW. I’m listening properly… CHEW CHEW“

“……Well, anyway, I want to ask, the nobility, I mean the Kazoku is acting like a king outside the special ward. That’s too different from the world I was in.”

In the original world, the nobility system no longer existed.

Except for the imperial family, all Japanese people were commoners.

“I see, so it’s about that. To explain that, I have to ex〜plain the history, or rather, the history that happened in this world so far.”

“Please make it simple.”

“Then….. that’s right. During the Warring States period, there were Kuge (court noble) and Daimyo (feudal lord), you know that too, right? In this world, the Yamashina Family (one of the court nobles) ruled over a war-torn world and unified Japan, but at that time, the rank held by the Kuges and Daimyos… I mean the court rank, and that’s continued until now.”

“In other words, there are people in the Kazoku who used to be Kuge or Daimyo.”

“Yes. Many families who came from a Kuge lineage still live around Kyoto. There is no doubt that the noble families in each prefecture think their ancestors were Daimyos. Yamashina Family moved the capital to Edo and the one who started the Edo Shogunate.”

“That part hasn’t changed that much.”

“Yes. In the Edo period, the “Province” was changed into “Domain”. Same as you know. And during this long period of peace, the Kuges devoted themselves to gaining influence and Daimyos devoted themselves to gaining power. Then, in the Meiji Era, when Western culture entered Japan, at that time, the names of Kuges and Daimyos were unified into Kazoku.”

“So, they tried to imitate the western aristocracy, I guess?”

“That’s right. At that time, “Domain” changed its name to “Prefecture”. Actually, in the era of “Domain”, each domain was treated like an independent country.”

“Ah, I heard that. Some were at war with another foreign country, right?”

If I remember correctly, the Satsuma Domain went to war with England.

The Choushuu Domain was even crazier, they started a war with England and France, and another two more.

“In this world, things weren’t that bad.  Since there wasn’t that much big event, such as overthrowing the shogunate. The shogunate normally returned power to the imperial court through modernization.”

“Hmmm, it’s quite different from the history I know.”

I guess, because… lack of men?

“That’s the history, but about your question of why the Kazoku can act like a king outside. Well, in the first place, it’s quite a big deal that the old custom has remained in there. The Kazoku has a large land, and there are many who have subordinates that still continue since that time. Well, The Kazoku has an obligation to feed them.”

“Feeding subordinates… is that an old custom?”

“Yes. In the modern world, they’re helped to work on various things with great people who have the authority to authorize them. But, they are pawns of the Kazoku, so if someone tries to reduce their power badly, there is no doubt that a painful counterattack will follow.”

Moving around your relatives to work around.

Also, if you try to take away acquired right, a backlash is inevitable huh…

“But, isn’t wealth eroding over generations?”

“The Kazoku is protected by law, and there are many ways to get around it, such as establishing a new branch family.”

I know that there’s a law that prevents them from having too much power, but it seems, they can avoid that by distributing their power huh…

“It’s terrible”

Even though ordinary people scream in front of taxes, they’re up there accumulating more wealth…

“But the Zaibatsu (Conglomerates) are similar. It is because they are protected by law that they are still powerful. Well, if that’s not the case, they would have been eaten by foreign countries by now.”

If countries focused on reducing their domestic power, they would lose their competitiveness against foreign competitors.

The Goddess said that foreigners put their own interests and their own country’s interests first, so Japan, which wasn’t accustomed to international affairs, would be like a sucker.

“In other words, it’s precisely because the Kazoku and Zaibatsu continued to hold power that Japan exists today.”

“I can’t completely deny that.”

“I see… I’d like to go outside and look around.”

If I just stay in the special ward, there are many things that I won’t understand.

“Hmm… About that. I think it’s better to stop.”

“Why?”

“There are troublesome people among the Kazoku, so it’s best not to get involved with them.”

Well, they can act like a king there. So, in short, they’re born and raised as a king. I guess, they may not be that social…

“…But there are many things you don’t know unless you go and see yourself, right?”

“…In that case, I would recommend going to nearby prefectures first. Especially around Tokyo, there shouldn’t be any problems there.”

“I see…… I’ve quite a few high school classmates who come from outside the special ward. And I plan to ask them to give me a tour outside.”

“Hmm, you can go outside for the volunteer that’ll come soon. It should be safer that way.”

“I see, the volunteer huh… That’s a good idea.”

My birthday is May 20th. So, it’s soon.

Right, it might be good to think about volunteering outside the special ward.

“If I’m not mistaken, there is a Volunteer Bureau outside, right?”

“Yes. If a problem arises during the service, the person there will take responsibility, so I think they will be prepared to take all possible measures.”

“I see. Thank you, I’ll look more into it.”

I thanked the Goddess and left the shrine.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

TN: Well, been a while since I update this.
So, for those who know, I’ve been busy these past two months. Planned to continue this around the middle of February, but RL didn’t allow me.
For now, I plan to release this every 1-2 days for a while. (I’ve been stocking up some chs just need some edits)

And one more thing. This series has been confirmed to get an LN adaptation (4/26).
Here is the cover

Cover

From left to right : Yuuko, Makoto, Rie

Although, most likely only 1 volume. So if you like this and want to support, in hope that the publisher will make more than 1 volume, and even into manga, please buy the LN (Only in Japanese) when it’s available.

Anyway, here it is.

---

53. Story of outside the special ward

When I came back after taking a shower, Mom was making breakfast. And Sis, was nowhere to be seen.

As for Grandma, she was quietly reading the newspaper in the living room.

“Take-chan, good morning. You must be hungry after finishing a long morning run, right? Wait for a while, soon it’ll be ready.”

“Okay. Mom, good morning.”

I looked in the kitchen, but Sis, was nowhere to be seen.

In the end, I sat in front of Grandma in the living room.

“Grandmother, I’ve something to ask.”

“…what is it?”

With legs crossed on the sofa and weight resting on the armrest, Grandma looked at me curiously.

“Tell me about things outside the special ward.”

That was the first thing that came to my mind when I found out Grandma was coming home.

Perhaps, “Taketo Souya” wasn’t interested in that, I couldn’t find much knowledge about it in the memories.

So, I thought that if it was Grandma, who must have gone to various places for work, would know a lot.

“Hmmm… you could’ve just watched the TV. Not enough?”

“What I want to hear are not things that have been filtered. I want to hear more from the actual person who lives there.”

“……I see. I guess, everyone is interested in the outside at least once.”

With a satisfied expression on her face, Grandma began to think.

For a while, she had a pondering look.

As I waited patiently for Grandma’s words, Mom said that breakfast was ready.

“Let’s talk after eating.”

“Yes.”

When I sat down at the kitchen table, Mom asked, “What were you talking about?”

“Just about how you’ve raised him well.”

“Oh my…”

Mom looked happy.

After finishing breakfast in silence and waiting for Grandma, she told me to wait in the living room.

When I went to the living room as I was told, there were two newspapers on the table.

Why two?

When I looked closely, one of them wasn’t the one our family subscribed to.

As I was tilting my head, Grandma appeared with a cup of tea.

“So, what do you want to know about the outside?”

“Various things… I guess?”

“Hmm…… Even though it’s outside the special ward, it varies. For example, from the highway, you can see splendid houses. But, if you walk to the inner of the place, you would find buildings as old as the old days.”

“Why is it only the nice house that can be seen from the highway?”

“It’s the same with the special ward, it’s all thanks to the land acquisition. It’s not just the site of houses. If the forests, fields, and rice fields get in the way, the country will buy them at a high price. Thanks to that, many can live a good life.”

“I see…… so if you want to know about an area well, you have to go deeper.”

“That’s right. Every well-organized place is neat and clean, but there are many places that aren’t. The road that isn’t paved, it’s fine if it’s covered with gravel, but if it’s bare soil, and raining here and there, cars will get stuck.”

In the original world, there were no unpaved roads….. at least as far as I know.

“Will the tires slip in the rain?”

“Right. Also, do you know this? The bare soil road, the area that isn’t passed by tires, will have grass growing.”

It’s a sight I’ve never seen before. But… Why not pave it in the first place?

“Is it the country that maintains the roads? Or the prefecture? Does the country not have enough money?”

“National highways are under the jurisdiction of the country, but the rest are prefectures, cities, and villages. And most places, lack of budget.”

“Lack of budget…”

Probably because the population is simply too small.

There’s also money to spend on maintaining the special ward. Special wards are made up of money poured in from all over Japan after all.

“Well, in the end, the budget of each prefecture, hangs on the decision of the Lord.”

“Lord?”

A word that didn’t fit modern times was mentioned.

“Oh, you don’t know?”

“Hmm… we’re talking about each prefecture, right?… But, isn’t the top one called the prefectural governor?”

From the memory, “Taketo” desperately tried to memorize the prefectural capital. So, it can’t be wrong…

“The Lord of the “Kazoku”. After all, the people who rule this country are the nobility.”

“Umm…”

I dig up the memory, but nothing like that came up.

I knew about the Kazoku. In short, something like the aristocrat in western countries.

In this world, modern history turned different because World War II never happened.

That was why the nobility system had not been completely lost.

“So, they’re led by a Lord of those in the “Kazoku”?”

“Well, that’s what they’ve decided. But, there are various families in the Kazoku. For example, Nagano Prefecture and Ishikawa Prefecture have been led by the Toki clan, you’ve learned about that in history class, right?”

“Yes…”

“Right now, it’s called the Toki family, and they still rule over those two prefectures. It’s true that each has a governor, but if they ignore the intentions of the nobility, “this” will be their end.”

Saying so, Grandma imitated beheading.

In Nagano, the Toki family seemed to have power.

Asking more, like Western aristocrats, it seemed that there were high and low ranks among Japanese nobility too.

There were nobles who had power on a prefecture-by-prefecture basis, and there were others who only had power on a city-by-city basis.

What they had in common was that they live in the area and could only exercise power there.

But, within their area, they could act like a king of that said area.

“Because the nobility owns the land. They can always fill their stomach with no problem. What an enviable story, right?”

There used to be a castle and a castle town. Now it was just a town with a mansion of the nobility.

However, since the land in the town was still owned by the nobility, it was said that a huge amount of money came in every month just from the rent of houses, shops, buildings, factories, parking lots, etc.

“That’s why, Lord…… but, isn’t it the same as before?”

There was a time when Japan was divided into provinces like Suruga, Sagami, and Musashi. And in this world, the influence of that time continued to this day.

“It is what it is. So, back to the story outside the special ward, such a city is developing. After all, it’s a home of a Lord.”

“I understand. The more developed the place, the more profit they get, right?”

“Right. On the other hand, there are small towns and villages that aren’t under the influence of the nobility. Such places are, miserable. Even if they’ve worked hard and built their own infrastructure, it’s the nobility who have the authority to approve it. With the tip of their little finger, they can easily raise or lower your water bill.”

After that, Grandma told me many stories about things outside the special ward.

What I found out after hearing her stories was that, only the special ward and its surroundings, were quite blessed.

In rural areas, the areas around the nobility had developed considerably, but the areas between towns and places where the nobility didn’t take a breath in, were miserable.

In addition, the local rules, or in short, the intentions of the noble family were strongly reflected in the region.

Well, in the end, there were many things that you can’t understand unless you actually go there, but…

“…The scenery outside the special ward that you see on TV is the home of a noble family. I’m sure there are many special ward residents who think that’s the norm outside.”

I’m glad that I asked.

When I went to the second floor to return to my room, Sis looked so exhausted in the middle of the corridor.

And for some reason, “Gugigigigi”, such a weird noise came from her.

So I stepped over Sis and returned to my room, without looking back.

◇

While Taketo was taking a shower……

“Buy me a newspaper, in five minutes! No “late” in my dictionary, understand?!” (Satoko, the Grandmother)

“Yes!!” (Aki, the Sister)

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

52. Sudden Invasion

The grandmother of Souya Family, was in short, a broadminded person

A little different from insensitive. She was curious about small things. She had an unpredictable personality, and was like a natural enemy to the original owner of my body.

Therefore, when I thought of her, my body trembled.

Retaining old memories vividly, wasn’t always a good thing.

Anyway, in this world, women normally did physical labor.

Of course, there were many types of women.

Even in the original world, there were women like that once in a while. But here, it was normal.

I still got a shock when I saw a young woman wearing only a tank top carrying ready-mixed concrete on my way to and from school.

Grandma’s occupation was a truck driver. With a rice ball in one hand and a steering wheel in the other hand, she would bring supplies from town to town.

In the land transportation business, it seemed that physical strength was important, so, even that slender body of hers was filled with overflowing energy.

“I’ll be here for a while.”

On the morning of the first day of the Golden Week, when I showed my face in the living room, she was already there.

“I-it’s been a while…”

My voice trembled. The body apparently remembered the trauma of meeting her.

“At times like this, say good morning first, Taketo.”

“G-good morning, grandmother.”

“Yes, good morning. Well, aren’t you getting slightly tougher than before?”

“I-I wonder… ah, hahaha”

My body wanted to turn right, to run away.

My body? What are you doing?

“What’s about Aki?”

“Sis hasn’t woken up… she seems to be working hard every night studying for her exams.”

“Humm. Weakling.”

Grandma poured another cup of tea from the teapot and drank it up with a small slurping sound.

The time is just 6 am in the morning.

Let alone Sis, even Mom is still sleeping. Since it’s a day off, there’s no need to get up early, right?

But… why is she here already?

It’s possible that she came last night…or rather, late at night.

She must have contacted Mom by phone and entered the house without ringing the doorbell.

“Grandmother, aren’t you going to rest?”

“Older people sleep less. More than that, you’re wearing jerseys. Training, is it?”

“Tha-that’s right, but….. ah, no way.”

“Well, I’ve been sitting all the time and my body is getting tired of staying still. Let’s run around town.”

Just five minutes after we met, we decided to run side by side.

◇

The grandmother of the Souya Family, Satoko Souya, seemed to be in her late fifties, but she looks ten years younger.

Of course, her hair was white and wrinkles were conspicuous.

But her tanned skin looked healthy and her toned body looked like an active athlete.

“You woke up at this kind of time. Seems you have a route you usually run, right?”

“Well… yes”

“Then, I’ll follow you, so run as you please.”

When I was doing warm-up exercises, Grandma said something like that.

It was almost a month since I started training with the new body.

One thing I realized was that this new body had a high spec, and I was able to run fast and for a long time like me in the original world even after just a month of training.

Well, in the original world, I was short-footed and slow-footed, so it might be not a fair comparison.

The outer edge of the residential area of the house was just 4 kilometers. Leaving the house, making two laps around the outer edge, and coming back, should make it about ten kilometers. That was my usual route.

When I run, Grandma followed me without losing pace.

It bothered me at first, but as I ran, it got easier to not mind her.

After finishing the usual course, we took a break in the garden of the house.

“You didn’t slow down your pace until the end, eh? Not bad.”

Ah, right, she’s here…

Grandma was only slightly out of breath, and there was no sign of fatigue. After all, she was a monster in terms of physical fitness.

“Grandmother too, you still have a lot of energy.”

“All long-distance truck drivers are like this. So, what are you going to do next?”

“Ah…… umm, it’s calisthenics.”

“What kind? Let me assist you.”

With the help of Grandma, I bent my body deeper than usual.

She was silent and did what I say. To be honest, it freaked me out.

“Even though it’s hard for teens to gain muscle, you seem to have a little. Did you start training recently?”

“That’s right. Before I entered high school.”

“If that’s the case, you’re excellent. Your core is still nah, but your limbs are starting to get stiff. If you don’t put a certain amount of stress on it, it won’t be able to look like this.”

“Thank you”

For a month, I did a training set up by a professional advisor that I arranged to suit this body.

The knowledge I got in the original world was very useful for training as efficiently as possible and not damaging the body.

“So, what’s next?”

Normally, I would do karate training, but this time I decided not to. After all, I couldn’t imagine what Grandma might say and do.

“No next, this is the end. So, next is time to take a shower and have breakfast.”

“……Is that so?”

Grandma said nothing else and went back inside the house.

I dissolved protein in a glass of milk and drank it, then headed to the bathroom for a hot shower.

“But, why suddenly?”

Normally, when the grandmother of the family came to visit from the countryside, she would give the grandchildren some pocket money, and souvenirs, and take them somewhere.

“Well, I wonder what comes next…”

But, the grandmother of Souya family is completely different from the norm.

She even accompanied the grandson, me, to training together. So, should I expect something beyond a normal exchange between a grandmother and her grandchild…?

As I was thinking about that, I heard voices from the second floor.

“Till when do you plan to sleep?”

“Gyaaaaa!!!”

After I made a short prayer, I took a shower.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

51. Talk with the other groups 4

When I asked about how far had Atsushi thought of the future, the girls began to go panicked. Their face became pale.

“Souya-Kun, what’s with the sudden question? Well, I haven’t thought about anything yet.”

“Is that so? I’m sure, you’ve thought about it even a little, right?”

When I was talking like that, the girls started leaning forward.

Atsushi tried not to look at them and while looking at me, he said clearly,

“It’s about the future, isn’t it? I think it’s still early to think about it.”

“T-that’s right. W-well, it’s still too early, isn’t it?”

One of the girls said so while glancing at Atsushi.

Even though they were all interested, they pretended as if they were not.

Then, I asked the girl again.

“That aside, what kind of high school life do you all want to have?”

I asked so because I was interested in the “youth” envisioned by the girls of this world.

“Of course, to be help of Kunou…”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, what do you want to do?”

I knew that in front of a boy the girls would be hesitant, but I still wanted to hear about their ‘greed’, so I tried to ask.

“What do I want to do…?”

“Like, studying hard to become a doctor in the future, or getting good grades in club activities, or chasing after your favorite idol…… is there something you want to do in your three years of high school?”

When I asked them, they began to seriously think, and then, one muttered,

“To prepare for getting a job that allows me to stay in the special ward…”

“Do you want to use your three years of high school for that?”

The girl nodded.

“Now that I’m in the same group as Kunou-kun, I want to do my best for him this year. But if, if that’s not the case, I think I’ll hone myself so that I can get a decent job here.”

It was too solid of an answer, but other girls had a similar opinion as they nodded.

Apparently, it was their “desire”. Or rather, they seemed to be afraid of the outside of the Special Ward.

“I see…… By the way Atsushi, what kind of person is your type?”

PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!!

Atsushi and the girls made shocked faces at the same time.

As expected of being in the same group, they really get along very well.

“So-Souya-kun…. What’s with the question just now…?”

“I’m just curious. By the way, I prefer those who aren’t too fragile. It’s better if they look healthy. I mean, if she looks like someone that might break just by my touch, I’ll be too nervous just by getting close to her.”

“I-I see…”

Said one of them while looking at me as if she had found something unexpected.

Atsushi, on the other hand, had a troubled face.

“Are you okay with saying that so openly?”

“Yeah, I want to be open.”

“I’m sorry, Souya-kun. I can’t do it. For this question, let me say no comment.”

“I see……”

It’s Atsushi, I guess I shouldn’t force it too much. Then, it’s better to ask other things… Ah, right…

“Come to think of it, the girls in class seem pressing you about something, but are you okay?… If you don’t like it, tell me. I’ll try to help.”

“Thank you, but it’s okay. I guess. It’s not really a big problem.”

“Is that so? Please consult me ​​before it becomes too troublesome. I may be able to help.”

“That’s, thanks. Well then, can you listen to my story? It’s about my family.”

“Yeah, of course. We’re friends, right?”

You’re the only boy close to me. If you’re in trouble, I can’t leave it alone.

“Friends… I’m happy to hear that.”

Said Atsushu shyly. Then, he slowly told me about the circumstances of his house.

Atsushi’s mother seemed to work for a certain company that was affiliated with a huge conglomerate.

And the conglomerate’s business was various and numerous.

“The company had its own bank, so I think there’s almost no field that the company hasn’t entered.”

“Amazing, as expected of a Zaibatsu.”

In this world, there was no World War II, so there was no dissolution of the Zaibatsu (conglomerate).

It stayed to the present age while still having power.

“My mother works for a huge portal site management company that mainly sells online, and right, the girls here have parents who are working for one of the affiliated companies.”

“I see, that’s why you decided on them right away.”

They probably have a connection through their work through their mothers.

“Because the company has guaranteed their identities. And if something happens, their mother will be contacted immediately.”

Atsushi said that it was much safer to be around them than with girls he didn’t know at all.

“So, what about the girls who were approaching Atsushi yesterday?”

“Even though there are many affiliated companies, there are factions in such a big business, also there are business partners too, right?”

“I see… I can understand somehow.”

The girls outside the faction and the girls whose parents are working in the company of business partners must have wanted to get closer to Atsushi.

In short, all of this is related to the work of his parent, their parents.

Thinking that far, Atsushi decided to keep his group members away at that time. To avoid direct confrontation.

“You’ve it hard too huh.”\

Precisely because they are an existence that can’t be treated badly, he’s in a dilemma.

But, that means, the cause isn’t exactly the girls, but the parent behind the girls.\

“……But well, I guess you can say, this is the fate of men.”\

What a philosophical statement, but yeah, I understand your feelings.

Men in this world are easily influenced by women in authority. And numbers are power, one mess can easily become a violent storm.

Of course, if you want to walk the thorny path, you can stand on your own feet.

Don’t just be behind those in authority, and carve out your own destiny.

However, how many men in this world have the will, and can do that?

If possible, I would like to help Atsushi, but it’s difficult since it’s involving others parents’ work and I’m just a child, but…\

“Hey, Atsushi. When you’re really in trouble, tell me, I’ll try my best to help.”

“Thank you. Just hearing those words made me happy.”\

He’s the only male classmate…

Should I stock up on information so that I can be of help when Atsushi asks?

“Ah, what kind of company do your parent works for?”

“My mother works in the game sales department of Jura company.”

“I see. Well, I like games too… But, if I’m not wrong, I haven’t played that many titles.”

Since I rarely went out with friends, I often had too much free time in the original world.

Like everyone else, I played games, just in a more moderate manner. But the real “Taketo Souya” hadn’t played a game in this world yet, so I didn’t have much knowledge.

“That’s an interesting way of saying it… So, Jura is under the company called Nanahoshi, and among the girls who approached me, there was one whose parent works as the executive of Shintendo, a company which is a business partner.”

“Aaah… I see. In the game industry, it’s a big company.”

Luckily, there’s a memory about Shintendo. But I see, no wonder he’s in dilemma.

Atsushi chose the girls that he considered as safe as group members, but the scale of the parent company is too large and there are many factions. And with the addition of business partners, the situation has become even more troublesome.

Alright, I understand the situation. For the time being, let’s ask Yuuko about this.

Having more knowledge will come in handy in times of need after all.

After that, we continued to talk, but since they were members of Atsushi’s group, I could only ask general questions. They seemed to be hesitant in other questions.

Well, since they all probably wanted to be liked by Atsushi more than me. It couldn’t be helped, there were only two boys in class after all, so as expected, they must have thought that it was better to get liked by one than none at all.

Thus, the talk with the third group came to an end.

Tomorrow would be the start of Golden Week, so the next one would be after that.

And in Golden Week, my grandmother, who lived in the countryside of Nagano, would come to visit.

My heart was restless, but I couldn’t avoid meeting her, so I had no choice but to prepare myself.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

50. Talk with the other groups 3

I never thought that Rie would come to my house with Mom.

But that was a good experience.

I further learned that women in this world begin to seriously think about their future around middle school or high school.

Men were slower. Perhaps they were procrastinating it, since it was an important decision.

As for me in, I seriously thought about it since I was in elementary school in the original world.

I seriously thought about the future and moved to action. It didn’t work. I failed.

When I reached middle school, I gradually understood the world better.

I came to think that my best future would be to get a job that would make use of my physique, and so I could go to a high-class bar where a well-dressed woman would sit next to me about twice a month.

However, that Goddess appeared, when I started to get uneasy thinking, “What if even a girl in a bar won’t get attracted to me?”. That was my last option after all.

◇

When I go to school, Atsushi looked troubled as he was surrounded by women.

“Good morning, Atsushi. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, Souya-kun, good morning. It’s nothing. Just… it’s about my family.”

“…? Is it better not to ask?”

“Perhaps?”

“I understand. Anyway, it’s almost Golden Week. Are you going to go out somewhere?”

When Atsushi and I started talking, the women dispersed.

There was a saying “Interrupt a conversation between men, and you’ll be unpopular”. That must be the reason.

When the two of us were talking about the holidays, the chime rang and the homeroom teacher came.

The girls went to their seats.

Ah, the girls who surrounded him. No one was a member of his group…

But, what about his group members?

…I guess Atsushi kept them away from this matter because it’s useless to talk about it to them.

Well, I also understand the feeling that he doesn’t want me or the members to hear about the internal affairs of his house.

Now, I’m curious as to what they are usually talking about…

In the end, I decided not to think much and took the classes as usual.

◇

“Alright, school is over. Today is group two.”

It was the second day of the extracurricular exchange. I was really looking forward to hearing what kind of story the girl would tell me this time.

……Hmm? Isn’t this like going to a “hostess club” that I saw in my dream?

I went to the common room.

“… Hoo, a group with students from inside and outside the special ward? Interesting.”

“That’s right. At first, I was worried about whether we could get along well, but we quickly became close.”

The girl named, “Minori Yoda”, cheerfully answered so.

She was a student in the Special Ward who was the leader of the group two.

“The three of us have never been outside the special ward.”

“It’s troublesome to get the certificate of residence……”

“And renewal for it is every year, also, it costs money.”

” ” “Rightー” ” “

The three girls living in the Special Ward said in unison. What a good relationship.

Anyway, the government office would issue a certificate of residence proving that you were living in a Special Ward.

The certificate would be valid until the end of the following fiscal year and must be renewed annually.

Also, since the issuance fee costs about 5,000 yen, it seemed that about half of the students didn’t apply.

When people who lived inside the Special Ward went outside the Special Ward, they needed the certificate, but it seemed that there was a lot of dissatisfaction from the people living in the Special Ward as to why they had to go through the trouble and money to get such a thing.

In short, it was like a tax.

Like it or not, people must enjoy it as one of the expenses of continuing to live in the Special Ward.

“That’s why, we’re thinking of going outside together next time.”

It was hard to believe that girls looked at the girls from outside the Special Ward with prejudiced eyes, becoming closer as a member of the same group in quite a short time, and I couldn’t see these prejudiced eyes anymore.

“That’s good.”

Really, it’s good.

“On the other hand, we always thought that all the girls who’s living in the special ward are arrogant, so we were quite terrified the first time we came here.”

“My mother is worried that I would be treated like a slave …”

Saying so, the two students from outside the Special Ward looked at each other.

“So, how do you think now?”

“I think there are people like that, but now I know that’s not all are like that.”

“I’m glad I came to this school.”

The faces of the two students outside the Special Ward were cheerful.

I guess they really thinks so…

“That’s good. But I wonder why you have such a prejudice. Why such a misunderstanding is widespread?”

“Well, you can say, it’s the influence of TV? They often broadcast something like how amazing a special ward is.”

“And said that just being able to live there means that you’re chosen.”

“The residents like us who lives outside, are quite timid after all. Such words would of course overwhelm us.”

In the media, the so-called “Special Ward Promotion”, such as “the Special Ward is amazing” or “this store in the Special Ward is wonderful”, seemed to be normal. Probably because it was necessary to maintain society.

It seems that another reason why they don’t mind shouldering the burden of living in a special ward is, because they’ve been told that “the special ward is amazing”, and by appealing the goodness of the special ward, it’s also fueling the competitiveness of people who live outside.

But, surely, the way they’re brought up has a big impact too.

In this way, the second exchange was successful.

◇

The next day.

It was the turn of group three, the group where Atsushi was a member.

When I asked Atsushi in the morning, he said that he would, of course, participate.

So once again, I went to the common room after school.

“Umm… is it really okay, to not give him a present?”

One of the group members timidly said so.

“As I’ve told, I don’t accept that sort of thing.”

“……Y-yes”

The fact that she’s a group member chosen by Atsushi, means that she must be from a good family, and the other girls must be too…

There seemed to be something like a family lesson that a girl should give a proper reward to a man when he troubled himself to do something for her.

I was asked in advance, and told the girl that I wouldn’t receive it. Not this time, not in the future as well.

“Well, Souya-kun is an unusual type. Personally, I think it’s more convenient to just receive it.”

I know it’ll make both of us feel better, but I can’t just accept it, otherwise, if a rumor spread, others will start doing the same…

“I understand that it’s normal, but well, just think of this as my stubbornness. I said it already, and it was my real thought about this.”

“If that’s the case…”

“We, we’ll follow Souya-kun’s word.”

There was a kind of unwritten rule in this world, where men could say or request something a little strange or out of the norm.

“There are many things I want to hear, but what did everyone think of this?”

“It’s peculiar… COUGH!! I mean, it’s a very wonderful way of thinking……”

I wanted to know what the students who are raised in a good family inside the Special Ward thought of this interaction.

And when one girl answered, the others nodded. Their expressions were in sync.

“Personally, it’s a lot of help. It seems that I can spend a year peacefully.”

After all, the topic of the class seemed to be focused on me.

“But, well, I guess other classes have already started to move, so you may need to be vigilant.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“In every class, many girls couldn’t be in the same group as the boys. They seem to envy those like us, and especially our class.”

“Oh, I see… jealousy, is it?”

I didn’t think my action was already being talked about in other classes. But I figured sooner or later this information would go viral, so yeah, as expected…

“It has never been to this extent, so I don’t know what they will do, but I think that you can expect some kind of action in the near future.”

As expected of someone from a special ward. She understands the situation very well.

Probably, but there’ll be a certain number of girls who think it’s “unfair”.

I don’t know whether the target will be directed at me, the members of my group, or all the girls in the class.

“If something happens, I’ll stand in front. I’ve already factored in a certain number of things, so can you let me know right away if something happens?”

When I said that, there were voices of admiration saying “Oh my” or “Ara”.

I don’t intend to be hostile to other classes, I want to be familiar with everyone if I could, but I would prioritize the girls in my class regardless of whether you’re from inside or outside…

“By the way.. Atsushi.”

“What is it?”

“How far have you thought about the future?”

PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!! PFFT!!

When I asked, all the girls here immediately had nervous faces.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

49. Mother’s true intentions

Fountain… date… Yes, it was a fountain date…

Of course, in a Mama’s Association, such information is leaked out.

My eyes met Rie’s.

“Yes. It’s been a while since I went there. It was so much fun.”

Rie and Mom nodded to my words.

Then Mom said,

“I see. But, for giving such a thing called a “Free Hug Ticket”, aren’t my Take-chan getting bold.”

“Guhh!”

“Gahh!”

Rie and I held our chests at the same time.

“W-why do you know…”

“Because I heard that.”

“…………”

It’s an emergency. My life point is approaching zero. I’ve never thought “that” will be known by Mom… more so this fast…

“I was a little surprised you know? When I asked Aki-chan, she said she knew it already. How to say, I feel like I’m being left out.”

“No, that’s not my intention…”

What is this flow? Is it bullying?

“But, boys sure grow up so fast. Well, I thought that you were reaching that age, but before I knew it, you had already picked up someone’s daughter. Seeing that you grow up well, made me a little happy.”

Rie was uttering something that couldn’t be understood, “Uhauhauha”.

I know how you feel. I can’t stand it too.

“So, what did you say when you gave it?”

Mom’s eyes twinkle.

This is bad, I’m sure I can’t escape this.

I’m sorry, Rie. Really, I’m so sorry.

After that, Mom kept adding fuel, and Rie kept pumping steam. It felt like I was in a steam locomotive.

◇

After dinner, Rie left.

It was late, so I suggested that I would send her off, only to get a strange gaze from Mom and Rie.

Yeah, I forgot that in this world, walking alone at night was more dangerous for men.

As expected, although I had the knowledge, I still couldn’t get used to the common way of thinking of the people of this world.

“Today was fun”

When Mom said so, something came to my mind so I asked her.

“Maybe, the reason Mom invited Rie to come here……”

“She’s a girl that Take-chan chose, right? And I happened to see her, I thought that it would be nice to get to know her better.”

I don’t know where Rie’s house is, but since we went to the same middle school, it shouldn’t be too far from here.

Seeing her by chance isn’t something impossible. But, if I didn’t give the Free Hug Ticket, Mom might not have called out to Rie.

“Rie was troubled, you know.”

“Well, I guess I did something mean. But I wanted to meet her because she’s the girl Take-chan chose.”

Mom spoke without hesitation. Perhaps this was the general state of mind of a mother with a son.

Even in the original world, it was normal for fathers to intervene in their daughter’s relationships.

“I’m sure one day you’re going to “connect” with her. So, I thought it would be better in getting to know her sooner so it can proceed sooner.”

“Pfft!”

“Ara ara, Take-chan. What’s wrong?”

“M-mom…?”

“But you gave “that” to her, right?”

“Th, that’s… that’s right… but…”

I never thought that parents would speak like that so casually. I mean, I’m only 15, you know? Isn’t it too early?

In this world, both men and women could get married from the age of 16.

In the original world, people used the convenient expression “marriage”, but in this world, it wasn’t a very common expression.

Perhaps because “Marriage” meant that a man and a woman became a husband and wife, it had a strong meaning of having one partner.

But, this world’s normal thing was to be polygamous. Well, considering the male-to-female ratio, it wasn’t strange.

The problem would be the form. In the case of Japan, “Living Together (LT)” and “Living Apart Together (LAT)”, both had become mainstream.

During the Heian period (794-1185), LAT was common, but as times progressed, the number of LT increased.

However, in this world, LAT had not disappeared from Japanese culture, and both have a history of successfully coexisting.

In other words, Mom guessed that I would be marrying Makoto, Yuuko, and Rie, and so she wanted to have contact with them as soon as possible.

Personally, I had no intention of leaving the three, and so, it was kind of true, but when your own parents told me, you would feel embarrassed, right? At least, I was.

“I’m not in a hurry for that. Besides, I don’t plan on leaving this house that soon.”

Based on the memory, of when I was in middle school, I learned a lot about marriage in class.

It was an important matter in this world, surely, it would be taught again in high school.

But, anyway, in the class, it was said that after a man had a de-facto partner, or under the circumstance of common-law marriage, they should proceed in the direction of “Getting connected properly”.

It wasn’t directed at boys, but the meaning was the same.

Since that was how society should be, men were expected to get connected with women properly.

By the way, in the case of a LAT, no matter how many women a man married, most of them kept their wallets separated.

Even in the case of LTs, there were cases where the wallets were separated.

About the Family Register Certificate, well, it was a little bit complicated here.

When a man married someone, he would be the head of a new family, automatically removed from the mother’s family register.

In the case of the woman, she would be included in the man’s family register. However, there would be a problem, such as what about the woman’s mother, sister, aunt, etc?

Well, if they couldn’t meet the other conditions to live in the Special Ward, they would have to move out.

Luckily in my case, Mom and Aunt met those other conditions, but that didn’t mean I could feel at ease.

The possibility of not meeting the conditions wasn’t zero, and they might have to move to a house with lower taxes.

In short, this house was a temporary residence until I married someone.

“You don’t have to worry about us.”

“No, it’s not about that. Just that I have things to do first.”

“Things to do?”

Mom gave me a puzzled look.

“Anyway, I’m not in a hurry.”

“Is that so?… Take-chan, you should do as you please.”

“…You’ve met Rie today, but what about Makoto and Yuuko?”

By now, the three of them would probably be having a lively chat.

“Right…… I hope to meet them at least once before the end of this year. And I guess, meeting them one by one will be the best.”

Saying so, Mom started cleaning up in a good mood.

If it’s Makoto and Yuuko.. yep, they’ll be fine.

Well anyway, good luck. Just that, please don’t suddenly send a bullet in my direction. Spare me from the battleground.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.

---

48. Dark history

I never thought that Mom would hold a meeting with Rie’s mother.

Moreover, they seemed to be quite friendly.

Well, I knew that were no secrets between girls. At least based on my experience in the original world.

How many times had I heard during school breaks, “Let me tell you a story, keep it a secret, okay?”

That said, their voice always could be heard all around!

Even if I didn’t want to hear it, I would hear it. Something like, “I’m dating ○○-kun. It’s a secret between us.”

Once I turned around and kindly warned the girls, “If you’re going to talk about secrets, do it elsewhere,” but they escaped without a word.

All the girls there ran away from me. And every time I remembered it, tears came to my eyes.

Well, there aren’t any secrets between women on good terms.

After all, sharing with others is just human nature.

But, from now on, if I don’t pay attention to my words and actions, everything will be spilled.

No, wait, is it already too late?

When I looked at Mom timidly, she slowly nodded as if to say that she understood.

“Let me tell you something about, Rie-chan?”

“……?”

“Don’t worry it’s not a bad thing. You see, everything about Take-kun has been cherished by her.”

“What do you mean?”

“The silver mechanical pencil that was supposed to be thrown away seems to have been carefully stored by her.”

“AAAAAAAA……”

Rie stretched out her hand, but of course it was too late.

“A silver mechanical pencil? Ah, the one that can’t hold the lead properly anymore? The one that I wanted to throw away but…“

Right, Rie told me that she would throw it away for me, so I handed it to her.

But, did you bring it back without throwing it away? It’s broken and can’t be used, you know?

“The handwritten note when you asked her to buy something was put in a handmade frame and is still displayed in her room.”

“GAAAAAHHH…”

Rie held her head.

“When she needed a detailed specification, I would write it on a paper and give it to her, but….. handmade frame?”

“Ah, uh, ah…”

Rie’s mouth was like opened and closed like fish.

“And…… if I remember correctly, I saw a number…”

“Nuooo…… that one, it’s the first day I was allowed to call you by name so…”

“Rie, you said it yourself.”

“AAAAHHHH!!”

Rie dropped to her knees.

“That’s how much Take-chan is cherished.”

“My life….. ugh”

You look like a slug after being sprinkled with salt, you know? Want me to sprinkle some water? It might refresh you…

“Your mother was worried, you know. She told me that, you didn’t want to let others know about the swimming tournament date.”

“T-that’s……”

“Come to think of it, at the last tournament in the middle and third years, you got a good time, right?”

I heard later that the time was close to some kind of record.

“If she were 0.1 seconds faster, she would’ve got a co-ed high school recommendation. That’s amazing.”

The co-ed high school would be Wakamiya High School, another coed school in the Special Ward.

“If you’re at that level, wouldn’t it be possible to get into Wakamiya, even if it isn’t by recommendation?”

They can get a top-level swimmer without using the recommendation ticket, after all. So, won’t they welcome you?

“No, I’m not interested in going there…”

“Besides, why didn’t you let me know the schedule of the tournament? Makoto and Yuuko were also frustrated because they couldn’t go to support.”

“I-it’s embarrassing…… if I knew that an acquaintance came to see me, I would be so nervous and couldn’t be able to show my ability… or rather… that was what I thought.”

Rie held out her head while mimicking a seppuku. [TN: “Seppuku” (切腹, ‘cutting [the] belly’), sometimes referred to as ‘the only way to commit ritual suicide is a form of Japanese ritual suicide.]

At the same time, Mom took out her smartphone.

“It looks like the food I ordered on the way home has arrived in the box. Rie-chan, I told your mother that you would have dinner here, so don’t worry. Well then, let me take it.”

In a hurry, Mom left.

After deciding to bring Rie here, she must have ordered delivery right away.

Even after Mom disappeared from the front door, Rie was still in a dangerous condition, saying, “Abababa.”

Could she even recover?

I mean, her “dark history” was made clear by a male friend’s mother?

I wonder how would I feel if that happens to me…

No, looking at Rie, is enough to know it more or less.

The food Mom ordered was pizza. With a topping of ham and sausage.

“I’ll make a salad. Sit there for a while.”

Sis came down from the second floor and froze when she saw Rie. After looking at Mom and Rie a few times, she let out a small sigh.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Aki, Taketo’s older sister.”

“Nice to meet you, my name is Rie Etou.”

Rie suddenly stood up and lowered her head.

“You see, Rie-chan was in the same class as Take-chan in middle school.”

Mom, who arranged the salad on the table, explained.

As for Sis, she had a face saying, “as expected”, and wasn’t surprised by that fact.

“Thanks for always taking care of Taketo.”

“No, that’s not true. I’m sorry I can’t be more useful.”

“Well, she cherishes Take-chan very much.”

“GUUUHHHHHH……”

Rie held her head again.

Not long after, a peaceful dinner started.

Mom relieved Rie’s tension with small talk.

When I was enjoying dinner in such a situation, Mom suddenly said,

“Looking at the pizza, it reminds me of something. Take-chan. You, tried the food made by Rie-chan and other girls in the home economics class, right?

All of a sudden, the conversation was turned to me.

Home economics class… ah that’s right…

“I think it wasn’t pizza, it was pasta.”

In middle school, every class had three girls for each boy. This was a measure to prevent boys from getting pressured more than necessary, and this was the same for all co-ed elementary and middle schools.

However, physical education and home economics were separate classes for boys and girls.

Two classes were combined for the art and home economics classes.

During the cooking practice, all the boys would have a chance to taste the food prepared by the girls in their group.

“I know. Take-chan, when I asked about what you ate at that time, you said spaghetti with ketchup. Later, I asked the other parents about it.”

“Ah……”

The owner of this body didn’t seem interested in such things. But you’re right.

Hmm, but this memory is… hm?

“But it was actually Bolognese. Mom was surprised when I heard it.”

“Ughhh…”

Right, it was a tomato-based sauce, but it doesn’t use ketchup in the first place.

What the hell are you doing? How could I, I mean him, make such a mistake…

“I heard she practiced a lot. Seriously, it will make the girls lose their motivation to cook for you, you know?”

“T-that’s right, ahaha…”

I want to erase this memory.

When I glanced at Rie, she had a strange expression on her face.

They probably practiced a lot in order to get me to eat Bolognese.

And now, she learned that I only recognized it as ketchup spaghetti.

I don’t want this, but I can understand Rie’s feelings of agony after her dark history is shown, very well.

By the way, Mom. Your word is so sharp, I bet you can kill a bear with just words…

“By the way, how was it before?”

“What do you mean before?”

“You went on a date at the fountain park, didn’t you?”

Mom’s words made my heart jump.

As for Rie, she jumped from her chair like a rabbit.

---

TN: Join my discord channel if you want.