I decided to take the time out of my day to look check out my neighborhood before I was fully a student.
When I got to the school gate, my walk around the town ended and I decided to head back home. At the school gate, I could see that the name of the high school was "Kita Prefectural High School."
Since I had not yet enrolled, I was not able to go inside the school, but it looked just like a typical high school. And since it was spring break, many sports clubs seemed to be active on the grounds outside.
However, since this is a co-ed school in this world, there is a solid chain link fence. I thought that peering beyond it would make me look suspicious, so as usual, I only took a quick peek.
When I looked, I was greeted to the sight of the track team. Bare legs that looked soft with the right amount of muscle. On the way home my mind was occupied with those legs.
After eating croquettes from a butcher shop in the shopping district, we headed towards a residential area. It seems that many of the mothers in the houses around here have children. Based on the blazer with red and blue highlights, it was safe to assume that they were attending the same school as me.
However, it seems that many boys go on to boys' schools in other areas, and that was the case with my friend I mentioned earlier. Come to think of it, the information I was looking up did include information about high schools. For boys, the choice is between attending an all-boys school in another prefecture or a nearby coeducational school, but in the case of an all-boys school, a certain level of academic ability and financial resources are required.
On the other hand, co-ed schools are something that girls aspire to, and the entrance exams for girls to enter such schools are apparently much more difficult than those for boys.
And above all, for girls, it's not just academic ability that's important, but also how well they can present themselves in the interview. There are rumors that, although not made public, there are also standards for appearance.
If I were in that position, in a situation where my appearance was also examined during the interview, I would probably have a hard time mentally. But maybe that's why the girls in the sports clubs are all so cute. And I was able to confirm that the idea of beauty and ugliness is not particularly reversed.
But on the other hand, there's no way I'd be popular with such a cute girl. Considering the gender ratio, about 20% of the class are boys, and I'm sure the majority of them, or rather all of them, are more handsome than me.
When that happens, it's unlikely that there'll be a cute girl who would dare approach me, unless it's a coincidence. If it's a dream, I'd like it to be opportunistic, but that's not something I can decide.
As we began to head home, my mother saw a girl walking towards her. At that moment, she spoke to her happily.
"Oh, isn't it Maki-chan! It's been a while, how have you been?"
The girl she called Maki-chan looked to be about 16 years old, about the same age as me. She had medium-long black hair, double-lidded eyes, but a slightly sleepy look, and some freckles on her cheeks. Anyway, she looked like she was a cute and quiet girl at the same time.
She was wearing a hoodie over her T-shirt, so her underwear wasn't visible, but I was still focused on the sharp curves of her body.
The two spheres that pushed up the chest area of her hoodie were very noticeable even through the fabric. She had a slightly hunched back, and her protruding breasts were probably around 90cm, I guessed, as I got hard again.
Whelp, that was embarrassing. First interaction with a woman outside of my home and I already couldn't handle it well.
Her lower body was also wrapped in tracksuit-like pants, encasing her thighs which looked very stable. However, she wasn't overweight, just a little on the voluptuous side, which was the impression I got.
She also recognized my mother and was about to reply when she saw me and her face changed color.
How should I put it, she gave off an air of wondering why I was there, and I was overcome with anxiety, thinking that something awkward might have happened between her and me.
"H-hello. It's been a long time, um..."
Maki replied, but her face was only directed at the other two, and the only glances she received were the occasional glance directed at me.
"If I remember correctly, Maki-chan will also be going to North High School from the day after tomorrow, right? Look, my son Shun-kun will be going too, so if you two end up in the same class, I hope you get along well, okay?"
When my mother added that she wanted to avoid any bad bugs, Maki nodded with a serious look on her face for some reason. When she said that bad bugs would come to me, that wasn't a metaphor; it was only when stink bugs got on my clothes.
At the end, Maki-san bowed to me as well. I wasn't sure how to respond, but I replied, "N-nice to meet you..." and cautiously bowed my head.
I don't know what our relationship was like in the past, but if she dislikes me for saying hello, then there's nothing I can do about it. Maki-san, blushing, said the mysterious words, "Ah, thank you very much!" and ran off. I couldn't help but feel anxious, wondering what I might have done in the past.
When I got home and asked my mother, I found out that Maki and I went to the same school and class in elementary and junior high school. That's why Maki's mother and mine get along well. However, Maki herself is a bit shy, so it seems that neither her mother nor I talk to her that much.
With her vibe, I don't think I'd be so nervous when I interacted with her, and I think she's the type of person I'd want in the same class. I'm not used to being around women, so it's easy to see why I couldn't say anything to gal or popular girls, and I thought they were laughing at me behind my back.
On the other hand, I was able to hold a basic conversation with quiet girls, so I hoped that there would be more people like that in my new class. However, in my original world, I had become the target of bullying from my second year of high school, which caused me to withdraw and cut off all contact with others. Would the same thing happen in this world? My anxiety never ended.
When we got home, it was already dark, and my mother immediately started preparing dinner. It seemed that the housekeeper was only there in the mornings when there was no school.
I thought about helping my mother and Yuki prepare. I was rather good at cooking in my past life. Although in my later years I lost all energy and resorted to mostly takeout and boxed foods, I was a solid cook beforehand due to my experience working as a chef in resturaunts.
I decided against helping them cook though, since I was still unfamiliar with the traditional roles and values of this world. I would hold off on asking to help cook for now.
Once the two of them were ready, it was time for my first dinner in this world. A variety of dishes were laid out in front of me. It was an elaborate lineup that included chicken steak, minestrone soup with lots of ingredients, and a huge platter of Caesar salad, and it seemed such a lavish meal that I wondered why they'd even hired a housekeeper.
"I have work during the week, so I leave it to Yukari. Today is my day off, so I decided to put in a bit more effort."
Saying this, her mother happily arranged the dishes. Now that she had unexpectedly learned the name of the housekeeper, family time began again.
Since we were family at the dinner table this time, I had thought I would try and communicate with them a little as well. Given the atmosphere up until now, I hoped that if I asked a few questions, they wouldn't suspect me.
"Um, do you, um, have any plans for tomorrow...?"
I asked, staying strong. Just as her mother was about to reply, Yuki suddenly spoke in a puzzled tone.
"...Shun-nii, you've been talking to me a lot today. What's wrong? Also, it's different from usual, you're talking to me like you're an equal, instead of a superior."
Yuki's mother agreed with her opinion.
"You're right. Usually he'd make a displeased face when I talked to him, and would always say to me in a tone like, 'Do that for me.' But he seems like a different person since this morning. I wonder if something has happened?"
Her mother joined in, peering in my direction. When two beautiful faces look into my eyes at the same time, I don't know where to direct my gaze, and to be honest, it's quite embarrassing. To be honest, I wonder how arrogant I have been. Even though our faces are the same, it's hard to believe it's me.
"I'm really happy that you're being kind to me, Shun-nii, but I don't think you need to be so considerate! I'd be even happier if you were a little more casual in talking to me... it might be a bit much, though."
Yuki's mother nodded at what she said. There was no sense of hostility or aversion from her. "I understand. Then I'll try and be a bit more careful. Thank you both, um..."
But in the end, I ended up using honorific language. At that moment, Yuki-san said to me in a slightly amused tone, "Brother Shun, you don't need to use honorific language, okay?"
Even in my past life, communication was very difficult. Now I was somehow expected to communicate with full efficacy in this life?
"Also, I'd like you to call me by my name. You've always just said 'you' or 'hey' but... well, if you don't mind, I'd like you to call me by my name!"
Once again, who on earth was I thinking I was here? It was just a question. I no longer had the mentality to call people by their names, so I should just call them by their names.
However, up until now in my life, I had never called a woman by her first name. Even if she was my little sister in this world, I felt endlessly nervous right now. I thought that casually calling someone by their first name was something only the popular guys at university could do. Still, I knew that I had to say it here. The Yuki in front of me did not give off an air of teasing at all.
"Okay... Yu-Yuki, I'll be careful... yeah." Just the thought of saying a woman's first name sends shivers down my spine, and it even makes me shiver. That's how much I resist getting too close to women, and how disgusting it makes me feel.
However, Yuki seemed satisfied with my actions, and continued to quietly mutter, "Big Brother Shun called me by my name... hehe..." If she wasn't a beautiful girl, this might have seemed a little dangerous. But the fact that she acknowledges me as a person, and especially as an older brother, makes me very happy. My heart began to calm down a little.
Seeing this, the mother seemed to smile, but at the same time, I thought I heard her mutter, "I wonder if he should call me by my name too." I feel that a son calling his mother by her first name is socially borderline unacceptable, even if it wasn't me, but I wonder.
I don't have any plans to go out tomorrow, but since it's Monday, my mother will be working. Therefore, the housekeeper, Yukari, will be staying with us for the whole day.
Meanwhile, Yuki has plans to go out for dinner with a friend and will only be out for a few hours in the afternoon. In the meantime, I'll be getting ready for the entrance ceremony while asking Yukari questions.
I felt a slight uneasiness about the fact that we would be alone together. But Yukari wasn't my enemy, and given her position, I didn't think she would look down on me. Plus, considering what would happen in the future, I thought we should have a conversation. Of course, there was no doubt that I was interested in getting to know her better.
After finishing my meal, I took a bath at Mom's suggestion. The bathroom was spacious and the tub was large, big enough for three people to fit in. In my original world, bath time wasn't particularly relaxing, it was just to warm up. But now, I was feeling more relaxed than I expected.
Since I was in the bath by myself, I had plenty of space and I even took my time reflecting on my day. At the same time, I was wondering what it would be like if the three of us were to bathe in the bath together, and whether we would wear towels or something. As usual, I was having these vulgar fantasies.
Once finished, I swiftly returned to my room and got ready for bed.
I couldn't help but fantasize about the toned legs I saw earlier today at the track field. It ended up being a long night for me as I contemplated my decisions for the day.