Chapter 42: Men Who Talk In Titles Are Lame


TL: Akabane


***


Ririse Igarashi, the self-proclaimed "Cinderella," is holding a peace with both hands while smiling a slow-drinking smile. She's cute, but what's with this exquisite annoyance?


"What was that fuss earlier?"


What on earth was that foolish fuss? Of course it wasn't an event put on by the circle. It was something they were doing on their own.


"Hmm? What is it? They asked me what kind of boy I liked, and I said I didn't like guys who couldn't handle alcohol! Then he started saying, "I drink TUEEEE!" I thought, if you're that strong of a drinker, I'd like you to show me, but then I wanted to drink too! He's weak even at the demo! I'm disappointed! Why the sparkling wine? Only my father who's drinks that bad in my house! Young people shouldn't drink beer! If you drink like that, you'll turn into a weak man who tells his daughter to wash his pants! But don't worry! I don't mind if I have to wash my father's pants! I'll wash my future husband's pants too! By the way, Tokiwa, are you wearing briefs or trunks? Hmm?"


"I'm a boxer guy. I mean, what you're saying seriously makes too much sense. Oh, this is finished..."


What happens when a guy who is usually a natural and the ultimate clunker drinks alcohol? I answer. It makes even more sense.


"Boxer? What's that! Hahaha! You're trying to get women's attention! You're going for it! No! You're a shy boy! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"


"Haa... too late..."


Even in my previous world, I had to deal with this woman's drinking problem. At the beginning of our relationship, she was a cat. After she started to be a clunker, it was like this. It's just terrible. What she says makes no sense, she is very excited, and she has many other bad habits. The main victims were me or Mashiba. And the most frightening thing is that this woman is really a bottomless drunkard. I have never once seen her drunk. She's drinking right in front of me right now, but I don't see any sign of her body wobbling at all. She is an alcohol monster that cannot be described in such words as "uwabami" or "saru."


"Hey you! We were just talking to Igarashi! I hope you don't embarrass Igarashi!"


I heard a voice from the side. It was a bespectacled, studious, conscious-looking man.


"It's rather me who's in trouble. Damn."


"I mean, aren't you being too familiar with Igarashi? We're from the same high school!"


So this guy is also Hagiri's acquaintance. Huh? Ugh. I'm annoyed that he's an acquaintance of Hagiri's!


"That's right! You're so familiar with me! You always treat me like crap! Only at times like this do you get used to me! You stupid, stupid, stupid man! Threesome! Three! Go pick up your glass slipper! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"


And Igarashi is kind of annoying too!


"Huh! I don't know who you are, but if you want to be with Igarashi, you need to be of a certain status."


The bespectacled man began to speak gruffly.


"Status? What is that? What kind of status?"


"Huh! I'm in the medical department of Hayao University's Faculty of Medicine..."


In terms of deviation score, it's about the same as the engineering department of the Imperial Capital. The name of the top medical school at a private university came up and I was super deflated. I hate medical school boys. Because Hagiri is also in medical school, so if I want to hate the other guy, then I'll obviously hate the medical school.


"Oh, that's fine. If it's that kind of status, I'm ready for it."


"What?"


"When a man first identifies himself by his title, it shows his character."


The man with glasses and the people around him stare at me. Igarashi was staring at me too with a grin on her face.


"You little oaf! Are you making fun of us? A guy like you who looks like a barbarian wouldn't get into medical school anyway! Oh, yeah! You're cynical! Haha!"


The medical students laugh at me contemptuously. Igarashi also laughs, as if she's having a laugh too.


"It's true, sometimes he walks around with a beard and he's so wild! It's like that! It's like a bad detective in a foreign TV drama who is more violent than the criminals!"


What kind of atmosphere is that? It's the first time I've been likened to someone other than an anti-corporate, but if anything, I look like a bad guy. I mean, come on! It's not tight! It's not tight at all!


"Don't measure people by deviation. You pathetic men. You're just a bunch of misguided guys who thought that going to medical school would make you popular and get you out of your virginity, aren't you? Am I wrong?"


The men's faces twitched. And the girls around them start giggling.


"Oh, I know, that. So that's how it is."


"I was approached by those guys just now. But he told me he was in medical school before he told his name!"


"Kuhuhu! I don't get it. You should brag about it after you become a doctor!"


"That's right! It's really creepy how desperate they are to show off by talking about how there are certain things about medical school."


To be honest, I think what girls want to meet at these parties is not a guy with a stable future, but a guy who makes them cringe without any logic. As a guy, I can't say for sure what makes a girl crushed on a guy. But I do have something to say to the guys who think they can catch a girl with a title.


"You guys have put in a lot of effort, I'll give you that. That's admirable. But you're going in the wrong direction. If you are a man, don't talk with your title, talk with your eyes and your back. Express yourself with something that can't be converted into money or social status or anything like that. Let me ask you this. What's left for you when you erase your titles?"


Well, to put it bluntly, what I'm saying is just a boomerang, and it's the kind of delusion I want it to be. In the previous world, my wife was cuckolded by a super flirt with the wonderful title of a billionaire, Ikeike venture president, and a medical graduate. It's painful. Haha! Self-deprecating!


"I know! I totally get it!"


"Yes... I admire boys who have their own world!"


"That's right! Boys who live by their own skills!"


"Creative guys are great!"


""""Nee?!!""""


"""""Guhahaha!!!"""""


The girls seem to agree with me. That seems to have done a lot of damage to the medical school boys.


"I-Igarashi-san, do you also think what this guy says is right...? Your childhood friend Hagiri is also in medical school, and you think medical school is great, don't you?"


"...? ...Eh? How do you guys know my name? And you know about Chusho too? Did we go to the same university?"


"Huh? No...we were in the same high school...we were in the same class once, right?"


Igarashi tilted her head. That was all I could guess.


"Um...and I also confessed my feelings to you before..."


"?? ...? ...? ...? ...Eh...I'm sorry. I was always getting confessions, so I don't know who's who."


"Gahaha!"


I knew it, this woman doesn't remember them. Ririse Igarashi is a woman who is completely indifferent to things that are out of her interest. As a man, I felt a little sympathy for the man in front of me who was kneeling down and shaking.


"You've already figured it out, haven't you? This woman is too much for you. I won't say anything bad. Back off before you pile on the misery."


"Damn! I went to medical school to confess my feelings one more time! Igarashi said dhe wanted to go out with a great guy! I tried so hard!"


Men of the brooding type tend to take women's words to heart after a failed confession. All I know is that Igarashi probably said something random. Well, in my previous world, I took Igarashi's playful words of praise to heart and did my best. I don't doubt the feeling. But I don't want to be obsessed with this woman. I've been hurt too many times in my previous world. Hagiri was just the most asshole, but there were many men who continued to be obsessed with Ririse Igarashi. I've fought them and sometimes I've crushed them. So I have to crush this guy too.


"You said you need a status. Then, you're going to have to crush me first."


I stare down at him as he kneels down. Then my eyes meet those of the guy with the glasses.


"What...uh..."


"What's wrong? Are you scared? Then don't do it. The guy you have to fight to get this woman is even scarier than me. Hahaha!"


Some of her ex-boyfriends in my previous world were some bad ass guys. They were the ones who wanted to get Igarashi even if it meant destroying their own lives. I managed to get rid of them and even got married. Well, it didn't work out in the end.


"Damn! Damn!"


The guy with the glasses and his friends disappeared from my sight. It's no good if they're so scared of me that they run away. I can't go out with Igarashi like this.


"Yes, yes! That's the end of the fuss! Okay, everyone, break it up! There are still other events to come, so enjoy them!"


I clapped my hands and the crowd naturally dispersed. The only ones left behind were me and Igarashi.


"Wow...amazing..."


Igarashi was looking at me with an impressed expression. She's a bit of a dope, even though it's her fault that the guys had to fight.


"Is Tokiwa actually a pretty amazing person? You got rid of them with just one glare, didn't you? That's amazing. Those guys were trying so hard to talk to me that I was a little scared, so thank you."


"You're welcome."


I let out a puff of air to refresh myself. Igarashi was staring at me with a vaguely gentle smile on her face. When I stared back at her, she looked embarrassed and shifted her gaze. Then, perhaps to cover up her nervousness, she took a glass of blue liquor from a table nearby and brought it to her lips.


"Blue wine...?! Igarashi!"


I grabbed her right hand holding the glass.


"What...Kya!"


With that spur of the moment, she dropped the glass. With a clinking sound, the glass broke, spreading blue liquid on the floor. And it must have been because she was wearing heels. Igarashi loses her footing and almost falls over. I put my hands around her waist and pull her to my chest so she doesn't fall. Our faces are so close together. We were almost ready to kiss. Igarashi's eyes seem a little wet. I almost mistook it for something else. I think I know what it means when those eyes get wet. I've seen it many times in the world before. I tell myself that I'm mistaken. I'm sure she just cried a little because she was so surprised.


"I'm sorry!"


I remove my hand from around her waist and let go of her body.


"I...umm...yeah...I was a little surprised..."


Igarashi is fidgeting.


"Ah. That's a waste of alcohol. Blue liquor is rare, so I wanted to try it."


"...No."


"Eh? What? What's wrong?"


"Don't drink blue liquor. Especially not in a place like this."


Maybe it was because I said that with a serious face. Igarashi looked at me suspiciously.


"What's wrong? Tokiwa?"


"Come here for a minute. There's a rest area for the organizer. Milan is there too."


I took Igarashi's hand and pulled her to the rest area.


"Eh? What is it? Kanata is taking her home? That's so cool!"


"Huh? Igarashi? Hee? Are you drinking that much? Oh, no!"


"Ah! It's Milan! Hey there! I saw your performance earlier! You were so cute! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"


Igarashi sits right beside Milan and starts rubbing her cheeks against her neck and touching her boobs. One of Igarashi's bad drinking habits. Sexual harassment of an old man in Showa era.


"Well, Milan, they're always so smooth and surprisingly big and chewy. The boys... they were all looking at this...."


"Ugh! No, no, no! I will never give in! Ah... ah...! Oh, my God!"


She's really giving in, isn't she? Well, I don't care about Milan's virginity right now.


"Kekai-senpai, can I talk to you for a minute?"


"...You're in a serious mode, aren't you? What's going on?"


Kekai-senpai, sensing my seriousness, also went into serious mode. We talked in whispers.


"There was a blue liquor on the table near Igarashi."


"Hey, hey! Seriously...damn it! Where are you idiots!"


Kekai-senpai is stumped and angry. Blue liquor. That's one of the most alarming threats at a party like this.


"Excuse me. I'm not sure who did it. But only Igarashi was drinking the liquor on that table, and the culprit must have been aiming at Igarashi for sure."


When you see blue liquor, you have to be alert. Because the powerful sleep aid is supposed to turn blue when it melts into liquid. This is what is known as date rape drugs. It can easily render a person unconscious by mixing it with alcohol and giving it to them. It is a despicable and spiteful practice.


"I see. Well, if you're dealing with a pretty girl like that, you're going to want to do something bad like that. Damn. We're not the police, so we can't search their luggage. Damn it! We're letting the culprit get away without a second thought! Damn!"


"Kekai-senpai. You're taking a list of attendees for today's event, aren't you?


"Yes, I did. No way. You?"


"I'll find the culprit. Can I borrow it?"


"...... Okay, I'll leave it to you. I'll leave it to you. Let me know if there's anything you need. I'll be happy to help."


Kekai-senpai seemed a little troubled, but he seemed to be willing to let me take care of this case.


"Thank you very much. I'll be sure to bring the culprit to a close. Yes, I will. I'll make sure he'll regret it."


This event is not in the knowledge of the future, of course. So I don't know who the culprit is. But I will surely find out and take care of it.










***Author's musings***



A romantic comedy...? Love Comedy!


If this work is a little different from other romantic comedies, it is probably because of the main character, Kanata.


I hope that Season 2 will give you a chance to get to know the kind of man Kanata is!


Up until Season 1, he was a bit of a slacker and indecisive!


In Season 2, he will fight the darkness of the college circle like a man!


Please watch out for Circle Crush (physics)!


Please keep up the good work!


Next time, I'm going on a date in Shinjuku.



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