Volume 1
Prologue
A World Where "Reverse" Pickup is Just Pickup
Isn't it natural for any guy to have, at some point, wished to be popular?
I won’t deny that I’ve thought about it myself.
In fact, I’ve even entertained the shameless fantasy of having girls approach me first.
But…
But still….
"Oh my, what a cute face you have. Why don’t you join me for some tea, sweetie?"
Never—not even once—had I wished to be hit on by a heavily made-up "older sister" (self-proclaimed) whose forehead was glistening with nervous sweat.
"Uh… um…"
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
Someone used to these situations might have simply ignored her and kept walking toward their destination—school, in my case.
Or maybe they would’ve given her a cold stare that could freeze the summer heat.
If only I had such powerful cards in my deck.
"Sorry, but I’m in a bit of a hurry…"
I chose the safest response I could think of and attempted to slip past her.
"Then at least give me your contact info! We can set up another time for tea!"
Of course, with such a weak escape plan, it was only natural for her to counter it.
She effortlessly blocked my way, smartphone already in hand, fully intent on exchanging SNS details.
Well, if trading contact info was all it took to get out of this, maybe I should just—
"MA-SA-TO—!"
Before I even had time to groan, a sudden impact struck my back.
At the same time, a familiar, sweet-sounding voice rang in my ears.
"Come on, let’s go! Class is about to start!"
"Huh? Wait, hey—!"
A girl wearing a black cap over her short, ash-brown bob—Igarashi Koumi—had slammed into me at full speed.
Then, without missing a beat, she grabbed my arm and dragged me away.
Even if that "older sister" had been way too pushy, I still felt a little guilty about how abruptly I left things.
So I stole a quick glance back.
"Tch…"
Uh…
Did she just click her tongue?
Scary…
We ran for a while.
Only after passing through the university gates did Koumi and I finally stop.
"Hah… hah… I told you, didn’t I? You can just ignore people like that!"
"Haha… It’s easier said than done, you know?"
I braced my hands on my knees, catching my breath.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Koumi’s legs—stretched out healthily from her shorts—and quickly looked away.
"Masato, you’re too nice! It’s dangerous, seriously…!"
Hearing my classmate Koumi say that, I realized something.
At least in this world, my way of thinking was probably wrong.
Because, you see—last month, I transferred to this world.
It was so similar to my previous one that I didn’t even notice at first.
But there was one clear, undeniable difference.
The gender ratio was skewed.
For every one man, there were five women.
1:5.
I had no idea why things ended up like this, but because of it, situations like earlier happened a lot.
In other words, women hitting on men wasn’t "reverse pickup" anymore.
It was just… normal pickup.
In recent years, calls for polygamy had been growing louder, and societal views on romance had begun shifting dramatically.
At first, I was confused—maybe even a little scared.
But in the end, my fears were mostly unfounded.
Sure, the gender balance was off, but that didn’t mean I had any restrictions on my freedom.
No one suddenly attacked me or anything.
If anything—
"Hm? What’s wrong, Masato?"
I turned to find an absolute beauty tilting her head at me.
Her skin was smooth and flawless.
Her bright crimson eyes shimmered with energy, reflecting her lively personality.
A girl this stunning actually cared about me?
Yeah, I’d say that was a huge plus.
Thank you, broken gender ratio…
With that thought, I reached out and gave Koumi a light pat on the head.
"Hm? What was that?"
"Nothing. Just—thanks for the save, Koumi."
"…That’s cheating."
"Huh?"
"N-Nothing! Let’s go!"
Koumi muttered something under her breath, but I didn’t quite catch it.
She quickly turned on her heel, and I followed her to class.
At the time, I still didn’t understand.
Just how hard it would be… to live a normal life in this distorted world.
★
My Prince is Too kind
Lately, university life hasn’t been so bad.
When I first enrolled, the mere thought of coming here made my feet feel heavy with dread.
But now, I walk to campus with a light step.
It’s amazing how just one person can change everything.
I guess I’m more of a simple girl than I thought.
But really, this can’t be helped.
After all, just a week ago, a prince suddenly appeared before me—one so dazzling that I had no choice but to fall for him.
Tall and lean.
Soft, wavy black hair.
If anyone in the world could embody the word "refreshing," it would be him.
Not that I’d let anyone deny it, of course.
Oh, speaking of which—There’s someone standing in the middle of that hill over there, about the same height and build as him…
Wait.
"Huh? Isn’t that Masato?"
Katari Masato. That’s the name of my prince.
And there he was, standing still on the sidewalk.
Why had he stopped?
I followed his gaze—
A woman stood in front of him.
I have… a bad feeling about this.
"Then at least give me your contact info! We can set up another time for tea!"
H-He’s getting hit on!
The moment I realized what was happening, I broke into a sprint.
I refuse to hand him over to anyone.
It wasn’t too far from where I had started running, so I reached him in no time.
"MA-SA-TO—!"
"Whoa—!"
Before I knew it, my body had already moved on its own.
I grabbed Masato’s arm without hesitation and took off toward the university.
"Hah… hah… I told you! You can just ignore people like that!"
"Haha… Easier said than done, you know?"
We finally passed through the university gates.
After confirming that the woman wasn’t following us, both Masato and I let out a breath of relief.
Masato’s charm lies in his kindness.
Most guys would’ve shown some kind of disgust if they were approached by a woman like that.
But not Masato.
That’s exactly why he worries me sometimes—he’s just too kind.
"Masato, you’re way too nice! It’s dangerous, seriously…!"
I’ve Already Decided
No matter how many times I warn him, Masato’s personality doesn’t seem like it’ll change anytime soon.
That kindness of his is part of what makes him him, though, so it’s not an easy thing to deal with.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my ragged breathing, and looked up at the sky.
It’s beautiful.
The weather is still mild since it’s early spring, but if this had happened in the middle of summer, I’d be drenched in sweat by now.
I glanced over at Masato.
He was staring at me, lost in thought.
"Hm? What’s wrong, Masato?"
I always want to look my cutest in front of him, so I took a small step back—just enough to keep my sweat from being too obvious—and tilted my head slightly.
And then—
I felt a light pat on my head.
"Mm, it’s nothing. Thanks for saving me, Koumi."
The warmth of his hand seeped into my skin.
That carefree smile of his shot straight through my heart.
…He does this kind of thing so easily.
My body temperature spiked—not just from all the running, but from something else entirely.
Not wanting him to see my face, I pulled my cap down low over my eyes.
"…That’s not fair."
"Hm?"
"N-Nothing! Let’s go!"
I somehow managed to play it off and started walking toward the school building.
He’s really unfair.
Every time I want him to do something, he does it without hesitation.
And then, in moments like this, he catches me off guard with things that make my heart skip a beat.
Masato is my ideal prince.
A warmth spread through my chest—gentle, comforting, and undeniable.
I’ve been aware of this feeling since the day we met.
Stretching my arms up, I looked at the vast, brilliant blue sky above me.
It might not be possible yet, but…
One day, for sure, I’ll be the one by his side.
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