Volume 1 Chapter 17 Shirogane Aqua, Encounters a Boy Classmate
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hm?”
When I arrived at school in the morning, there was a person I didn’t recognize sitting in the seat two rows ahead of me. The person had a neat and slender figure, and the stylish glasses suited them well, giving off an intellectual impression. The person was quietly reading a book alone and unmistakably a guy.
Finally… I’m free from being the only guy in the class!
With anticipation in my heart, I approached the seat where he was sitting.
”Good morning!”
”…Good morning.”
When my male classmate noticed me, he returned the greeting properly. I was worried about what to do if he didn’t respond to my greeting, but it seems that worry was unnecessary, which put my mind at ease.
”Nice to meet you. My name is Shirogane Aqua. Pleased to meet you!”
The male classmate closed the book he was reading and stood up. When he stood up, his height was about the same as mine, maybe a little taller.
”Shirogane-kun, nice to meet you too. My name is Mayuzumi Shintaro.”
My classmate Mayuzumi was much better than the guys I had imagined in this world… Or rather, he seemed like a genuinely good guy. Even now, when I smiled, he returned a friendly smile, and I couldn’t sense any hint of sarcasm.
”We’ll be in the same class for the next three years. You can just call me Shirogane.”
”Understood. In that case, you can call me Mayuzumi. Let’s get along for the next three years.”
To be honest, I didn’t have a very good impression of the guys in this world. I had a preconceived notion that they would be more domineering or have significant communication issues. Even when I asked my family about the guys in this world, they mostly had negative stories to share. So, I was on guard, expecting someone like that to appear. However, Mayuzumi standing before me exceeded my expectations in a positive way.
”Isn’t our class amazing?”
”I thought so too. Shirogane-kun is exceptional, but Mayuzumi-kun is cool too.”
”I’m so glad I came to this school.”
”Am I the only one? Just seeing handsome guys talking to each other makes my heart race.”
”I know, right?”
”I want to be squeezed in between them at least once.”
”If it means getting killed by other girls, go ahead.”
Observing the noisy girls, Mayuzumi calmly took his seat.
”Shirogane, would you like to have lunch together later?”
”Of course!”
Just as the bell rang, I returned to my seat and sat down. The girls were still making a commotion even though the bell had rung, and they were scolded by Sugita-sensei, who entered the class at School Homeroom.
…
…
When the lunch bell rang, Mayuzumi and I left the classroom together. In addition to the classrooms, this school allows students to have their meals freely in places like the cafeteria and the courtyard, where there are chairs and tables. We sat on a bench in a relatively empty corner of the courtyard. As our eyes met with the girls sitting on the opposite bench, I smiled and waved. With just that simple gesture, one of the three girls in the group started crying. The two girls sitting next to her comforted her, saying, “There, there, it’s alright.” Yes, this is the norm in this world. Just by a guy smiling and waving, girls start crying. In other words, the attitude of guys in this world is generally bad. However, Mayuzumi, who was sitting next to me, was perfectly normal. I had been observing him from behind for the past few hours, and he hadn’t shown any malicious behavior towards women.
”Does Shirogane… have no problem doing those things?”
”Huh?”
I froze, unsure of how to respond. Did I unintentionally do something to provoke Mayuzumi’s anger?
”Ah, I’m sorry, Shirogane. I didn’t mean anything by it. If it made you uncomfortable and you felt like I was criticizing you, I apologize. It’s just that, personally, I’m not very comfortable interacting with women…”
Mayuzumi raised his glasses slightly. Even though we had only had a brief conversation, it felt like Mayuzumi was choosing his words carefully, considering others’ feelings.
”Why is Shirogane able to behave that way towards women?”
With Mayuzumi’s serious gaze, I knew I couldn’t give a casual answer. So, I straightened up and composed myself.
”Mayuzumi, the truth is, I have amnesia.”
”Amnesia…?”
I confessed that I had amnesia. I poured out to Mayuzumi what I had been thinking and questioning about myself, such as why I didn’t have a aversion towards women and whether this level of closeness was appropriate. I didn’t mention anything about being reincarnated because I knew it wouldn’t be believable, but I had longed to discuss this with someone, preferably another man. However, all my family and the people I had met in this world were women, and I didn’t have any male acquaintances I could confide in.
”I see, Shirogane, you’ve been through a lot. I’m glad you told me.”
”No, I’m the one who’s grateful that you listened to me. Sorry for burdening you with this even though we just met today.”
After listening to my story, Mayuzumi explained the standards of men in this world once again. It seemed that I was indeed quite different from the other men in this world. It aligned with the stories I had heard from my family and the women around me.
”Personally, I find Shirogane’s attitude of treating women without reservation commendable. In reality, we men are in a privileged situation, and we should treat women with more kindness, just like you do.”
Hearing Mayuzumi’s words, I became convinced. Mayuzumi was indeed a decent guy, even compared to the other men I had heard about. Mayuzumi stumbled over his words at times, but he carefully chose them while slightly bowing his head.
”You see… I just can’t help but get nervous in front of women, and my attitude becomes distant. I don’t even know what to talk about…”
I see… Now that he mentions it, even when girls in our class tried to talk to him in the classroom, he exchanged a brief nod and then returned his gaze to the book he was reading. Perhaps, not knowing what to do, he’s maintaining his personal space by doing that. I also tend to keep a bit of distance when women approach me too strongly, but it seems like Mayuzumi is confused about what to do at the first contact stage.
”Shirogane… if it’s okay with you, could you tell me more about your experiences? I feel like by doing that, I might also become better with women, even if just a little. That’s how I feel.”
”Of course, Mayuzumi. I’m the one who lacks common sense and might inconvenience you, but nice to meet you again.”
”Yeah!”
We shook hands with smiles on our faces.
”Shirogane, sorry for getting caught up in the conversation. Let’s go have lunch soon.”
”Don’t worry about it, Mayuzumi. Oh, you have a packed lunch too!”
By the way, I also have a packed lunch. My overly cautious mother wakes up early in the morning to make it for me, so I won’t end up eating something weird at school. I’m truly grateful. I always say “thank you” in my mind as I open the lid of my lunchbox. As expected of my mother, it’s filled with all my favorite things. I’ll be sure to thank her when I get home today.
”Oh, Mayuzumi’s lunch looks delicious!”
I shift my gaze to Mayuzumi’s lunch in front of me. It has onigiri, rolled omelet, simmered dishes, fried food, and a well-balanced combination of vegetables and meat, all presented in an appealing way.
”Is that so…”
Mayuzumi scratches his head and blushes a little.
”Actually, I made this.”
”No way! That’s amazing!”
While I can cook to some extent, I understand the difficulty of making a bento since I can cook. So whenever I have a meal, I always try to express my gratitude by saying “Itadakimasu” and “It was delicious.” However, there was a time when someone who served me at a restaurant cried when I said that, so it was quite a difficult situation.
”I see, it feels really great to be genuinely praised. I think I understand now why Shirogane is popular with girls. Shirogane… would you like to try mine?”
”Is that okay? Then let’s exchange it with my mother’s rolled omelet!”
We exchange our rolled omelets.
”Mmm… Mayuzumi, this is really good. You made sure to use good broth, right?”
”Shirogane, your mother’s rolled omelet was fluffy and delicious.”
Although I didn’t make it myself, being praised for my mother’s rolled omelet makes me inexplicably happy. I’ll make sure to tell my mother that Mayuzumi said it was delicious when I get home. We exchanged contact information that day and became friends.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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