Chapter 77 [Irrelevant with Main Story] A World with a Gender Ratio of 1 to 99 in Parallel Worlds… That is the Pretext
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
One day, the male-to-female ratio in the world became drastically skewed.
With men becoming a rare commodity, the Japanese government came up with a policy.
”Men are hereby banned from working!”
In other words, men weren’t allowed to work anymore.
At first glance, some might think, “Lucky them, not having to work!”
But that also means they lose the opportunity to earn an income.
So, how are men supposed to live without any income?
Here’s the answer.
[Hello from the Japanese government! Congratulations on graduating middle school, Ugaki Shirona-kun!! How’s life in the temporary housing we prepared for you? It’s cramped, old, inconvenient, and you can’t even go outside, right? Well, we’ve got great news for you! Find a partner right now through the government’s official website and get married! Come on, a free and fun s*x life──no, a *lifestyle*──awaits you!! Click here for the government’s official matchmaking site→…]
This is way too ridiculous…
My hand trembles as I hold the paper.
”Sigh…”
I glance around the shabby 4-and-a-half-tatami (6.8m2 / 9 feet by 12 feet) room that’s now my new home.
Men who were forced to graduate early from middle school at the end of the year were taken from their parents and confined to these secure temporary housing units prepared by the government.
Here, we’re provided with the bare minimum of daily necessities and 3 meals a day, but we have no spending money and can’t go outside.
What’s more, we’re only allowed to stay here until April after turning 18──basically, until we graduate high school.
After that, all support from the government stops completely.
In other words, men who pass that deadline are thrown out of this apartment with nothing to their name.
On top of that, since men can’t get jobs, the only way to earn money is by selling their bodies.
Of course, there’s a risk of getting involved in crime, so most men think it’s better to marry a specific woman and become a sex slave.
”But still…”
I opened the matching site and skimmed through the profiles of the women lined up.
Even if I’m suddenly told to choose a marriage partner, it’s not that easy…
Luckily, I’m someone with a healthy sex drive, and I do like being with girls.
But that doesn’t mean I’d marry just anyone.
I’ve heard about guys who get treated badly after marriage, so I want to really know the person before tying the knot.
”Ugh, this is no good. Looking at these profiles, I can’t tell anything at all!”
I could meet them in person, but it’d be under government supervision as a formal arranged meeting.
In that case, the other person would probably keep up an act the whole time, so meeting wouldn’t help much.
”Anyway, I’m hungry. Maybe I’ll cook something…”
Yesterday was my first day moving in, so they provided me with a boxed lunch, but starting with breakfast today, I’ll have to cook with the ingredients they give me.
Three meals a day are guaranteed here, but you have to cook them yourself.
Of course, most guys here were pampered by their families growing up, so almost none of them have ever cooked before.
Naturally, I’m one of them.
I guess this inconvenience is part of the government’s plan to speed up marriages.
At least I’ve realized that much──I’d like to think I’m better off than some.
I’ve heard there are guys here who’ve never even been to school.
”Hmm, standing in the kitchen like this, I have no idea what to do.”
I look at the ingredients I’ve been given and think about what to make.
I’ll save the meat for dinner… I want to eat a thick omelet for breakfast.
Yeah, even a cooking beginner like me should be able to handle that.
”I want to punch myself from a few minutes ago for being so carefree…!”
What the heck does “a pinch” mean?!
And how much is “a dash”?
People’s finger sizes are different, right?
Is this enough?
Is it not?!
Damn, are recipe sites really this useless?
”Sigh… I feel like giving up on myself for not being able to do something so simple.”
I sit in the corner of the room, hugging my knees, and look up at the ceiling.
It’d be nice if I could ask someone, but even though I have internet and a phone, I can’t make calls.
Wait… hold on.
I have internet, right?
That’s it.
There’s social media!
My family always said, “Boys shouldn’t use social media because it’s dangerous!” But they’re not here, and it’s not against the rules for a guy to make a social media account.
I quickly created an account and posted a question.
….
…….
……….
Now that I think about it, no one’s connected to me, so why would anyone answer?
And if I suddenly comment on a stranger’s post to ask, they’d probably just go, “Huh?”
”Damn it. I thought it was a good idea.”
I sighed and scrolled through the screen.
”Huh?”
I stopped scrolling when I saw an ad on the timeline.
[Start Your Vtuber Debut Today! Chat with Everyone on Stream!!]
…What’s a Vtuber?
Is it different from anime?
I searched for Vtuber.
Hmm, hmm… I see. It’s about becoming a different version of yourself in a virtual world.
I kept researching about streaming.
At that moment, a puzzle piece clicked in my head.
”This… this is it!”
If I stream and ask about cooking, it won’t bother anyone, and maybe someone will answer!
I immediately created an account and started choosing my avatar.
”Let’s see, male appearance, black hair…”
Wait, no.
Since it’s an avatar, I should go for something other than black.
I chose a 2-tone color, black and silver.
”Cover one eye, and the eyes…”
I looked in the mirror to check my own eyes.
Yeah, mine are droopy, so I’ll make the avatar’s eyes sharp.
I’ll add a beauty mark too.
I kept adjusting the face shape, nose, ears, lips, forehead, and so on.
”Last is the outfit.”
The options are just a plain T-shirt or pajama-like loungewear.
Considering the season, I chose the thicker loungewear.
”Yeah, this should be good, right?”
I felt satisfied looking at the finished version of my other self.
After a final check, I pressed the confirm button.
”Ah!”
I made a mistake.
I have a weird hair on my head!!
Well, I’ll only use it this once, so it’s okay.
”Name or…”
Ugaki Shirona…ugaki shirona…Ah!
I take up my notepad and break down my alphabet into new letters.
hisagi kurona…Let’s go with Hisagi Kurona!
I typed in the title and pressed the start streaming button.
[Hisaki Kurona/Haller Hetter and thick egg]
Okay, now all I have to do is wait for people to come!!
….
…….
……….
Yeah, right!
Just like social media, people won’t come if there’s no capital to back it up!
As I was lying on the tatami mat with my hands and knees hanging down, I heard a beeping sound from my smartphone.
[Muiro: Nice to meet you. You’re a great male avatar. Can I hear your voice?]
Oh, ohhhh!
First comment!
I wave at the screen.
”I’m glad to meet you. Muiro-san, thank you for watching the stream”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.