Chapter 8 - 8. Curiosity killed the cat

When I woke up in my bed again, I found the room, as expected, spacious. I thought that maybe I would return to the world after this sleep, but it seemed that the dream was still continuing. For now, I feel that this world is kinder to me, so it's not that I dislike it. I'm now talking to women 100 times more than in real life, so it's certainly difficult, but how can I put it, I feel like my life is more fulfilling.Even though I said I was interested in the female body, deep down I just wanted to experience interaction with the opposite sex. I was completely devoid of any female interaction in my past life. It was a miracle I didn't become some sort of sociopath after all the bad shit that happened to me.My wrist's digital clock read 7:27 a.m. on Monday, April 1st. I hadn't set an alarm, yet I was awake, feeling surprisingly alert. Perhaps this was simply my body's natural clock at work.After changing from my pajamas into a suitable long-sleeved shirt, I walked from my room, via the bathroom, into the living room.Mom had already changed into a suit and was leisurely reading the tabloid morning paper, most likely a business paper, on the sofa in the living room. She didn't seem to have started on the breakfast on the dining table yet, perhaps waiting for Yuki and me to arrive. When Mom noticed me, she stood up and greeted me, "Oh, good morning Shun." Unsure where to look, I returned the greeting, and she sat down at the table with a satisfied look on her face.My heart was beating fast as I watched her in her suit, her blouse showing a slight opening at the chest, but together with Yuki, who had arrived late, I started to eat breakfast. The breakfast that Yukari had already prepared was a selection of familiar yet comforting Western dishes such as scrambled eggs and French toast.However, Yukari only prepared the food and did not prepare anything for herself. Thinking back to the first day, she prepared three servings of food for a four-person table."...Um, Yu, Yukari, aren't you going to eat with us?"I wonder if it's okay to call her by her name, but I end up asking anyway. After setting the food out, she tidies the kitchen and doesn't seem to be eating. "I-I always eat separately, later."Yukari replied. I thought that if we ate together it would be more efficient to do the washing up and such, and more than anything, I was worried that she might feel lonely eating alone. Of course, this is just my own speculation. At the same time, I remembered my desire to get to know her, so I timidly made a proposal to her. In my previous world, I would never have made such a proposal to a woman, but since it was within my family, maybe I was being a little bolder."Um, from now on, let's eat breakfast together, um, when we can, gather around each other like everyone else... how about that...?"God, that was horrible. Being a social recluse for 99% of my life hadn't done me any favors. My social skills definitely needed tuning. In fact, I had decided to treat my mother and Yuki like family, so I felt a little less nervous, but that wasn't how Yukari felt yet.So, he simply saw her as a beautiful older sister who looked just a few years younger than him in his original world. There was no way he could converse with such a person, much less make a suggestion to her. However, it seemed that he had managed to get his point across to her."Oh, eh, eek, are you really saying that?"I was actually worried that she might be too nervous. Maybe I shouldn't be the one to say this, but I didn't understand why she was so nervous around me.I hadn't said anything to Mom and Yuki beforehand, but they both accepted my proposal, saying "If it's okay with me, then it's fine." I was touched by their kindness as family and was truly grateful. Yukari also bowed her head so hard that it nearly hit the table, and it didn't seem to me that she had any ill intentions.To be honest, I'm a bit worried that she might actually feel a slight disdain towards me. I had no clue what my past self was up to in this world, but I could only infer that I was an asshole, not greeting my family, being entitled. Or maybe that was the role for most men in this world, maybe I was normal and these past few days I was flipping the script.But since that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment, maybe I can have a little hope in this world. At the very least, the three women in front of me aren't going to persecute me.As I interact with them, I wonder if the negative energy I still carry with me will change for the better. Or will it remain unchanged and remain in despair? If I stay in this world, I might see the end of it.I had completely forgotten what it felt like to say hello to someone and have them say hello back, and I never knew it could be so heartwarming. I feel like I'm somehow living a life like a real human being.Yukari would be at home until the evening today, working in her room and cleaning the house at the same time. So, she spent the morning with Yuki in the living room, commenting on things on TV and chiming in as she talked about school. Yuuki's junior high school, the place I recently graduated from, is co-ed, but even though it's a co-ed school, the ratio of boys to girls seems to be about 1:9, and Yuki doesn't seem to have had much chance to talk to boys either.I also wanted to ask if she talked about love, but I didn't have the courage to suddenly talk about love. Especially with my sister, I didn't have the nerve to make such a bold statement.Considering the gender ratio, she probably doesn't have a boyfriend. Still, Yuki is a very cute girl, so it wouldn't be strange if she had a boyfriend. In my original world, I would have had to pay a large sum of money to get such a cute girl to talk to me one-on-one, in her defenseless T-shirt and shorts.To be honest, I still don't have confidence in my ability to respond appropriately in my conversations with Yuki. And I worry that Yuki might find it boring. So, it's half fun and half difficult.As the clock struck 12, Yuki started getting ready to go out. She had a denim jacket thrown over a cut-and-sew top, and hot pants underneath, and although she may have had a young look, she was undoubtedly a beautiful girl. Her bare legs and beautiful skin were dazzling, and as usual I couldn't help but glance at them as I saw her off. Yuki smiled and said she'd be back by five, before closing the front door and leaving. It was heartwarming to know that we had a relationship where we greeted each other, just like with my mother.Now it was just me and Yukari left at home. That said, she was in her room, so I was just wandering around the living room aimlessly. I really should be getting ready for the next day while asking Yukari for advice, but I simply didn't have the courage to go and call out to her.Up until now, whenever I spoke to a woman, I was usually met with a look that seemed to suggest, "Who is this guy?" This shouldn't happen to Yukari as she is a housekeeper, but that experience continues to cast a shadow over me. But I guess I have to speak to her when she's getting ready. Since I don't know anything, I have no choice but to rely on her. Making up my mind, I walk down the hallway.Yukari had told me the other day, "I'm in the room at the very back, so if there's anything you need, please ring this bell," and sure enough, there was something like a call button in the living room. At the time, I thought it looked like a nurse call button. But thinking about it again, calling her with something like that would be a shame, as it would make it seem like I was an object. The door was probably at the end of the hallway, so I decided to go over there.I knocked on the vertically grained door, and there was a momentary pause before the sound of slippers flapping slowly approached the door. Even though we were in the same house, I felt uneasy about entering a woman's room, but I waited for the door to open. "Eh, Shun-sama, was there something I did wrong with the cleaning?" As soon as Yukari opened the door, she had an uneasy look on her face and sounded panicked."Well, well... I was wondering if you could help me with the things I need for tomorrow's entrance ceremony, and the preparations..." When I explained my requirements, she looked surprised for a moment, then for some reason looked apologetic. "Well, if that's the case, you can just ring the bell and it'll be fine, so there's no need for you to go out of your way to come here..."I felt like saying thank you for coming all the way was thinking too highly of me. But, in truth, she had said there was a bell, so perhaps I should have used it. Also, I'm sure she had her own privacy, so this was an unnecessary action.  "...To do something so sudden...it's bad for my heart..." I'd heard her whisper, so I felt sorry all over again. I guess I was being thoughtful in the wrong way.Yukari, who had calmed down, asked me to come to the living room with my bag from my room, so I went back upstairs and picked up what looked like a student's bag and went to the first floor. Meanwhile, Yukari was waiting for me, having lined up handkerchiefs and other items on the sofa. I couldn't help but be impressed by how quickly she worked. The bag already contained writing utensils, a folding umbrella, and other items, but I also threw in the handkerchiefs and other items she had lined up.Furthermore, it seems that the high school had provided me with a new type of security alarm in advance, which I attached to a hook on the side of his bag. Apparently, if I squeezed it tightly, it would automatically call the police. They had items like this for women back in my old world. I never thought I would've needed it. No one wanted to bother me, let alone try to take advantage of me because of my looks.It only took about 10 minutes for me to get ready, so Yukari told me what to do the next day. First, there was the entrance ceremony, and then there was homeroom. She told me that it was best to get along with the few boys I had at first, that I didn't need to be so scared of girls, but that if I felt they were looking at me strangely, I should distance myself, and other things like that.After finishing that, Yukari said, "Well, excuse me," and stood up to return to her room.But I decided to stop her. Naturally, I had to muster up all my courage. "Um, could you please tell me a bit more... I'm a bit worried, so... I'd like to ask..."And while I was asking her about her future school life, I decided to ask her some questions. It may be a weird thing to do, but I was feeling a bit conceited, thinking she would forgive me."...Oh, by the way, did you go to a co-ed high school, Yukari-san...?" Yukari looked a little confused as she answered my question. At the very least, she didn't say anything like she didn't want to answer because it was creepy, which made me feel relieved.Yukari looked a little confused but answered my question. At the very least, she didn't say anything like she didn't want to answer because it was creepy, so I was relieved. "Well, it was a co-ed school, but not in this prefecture. It was a little far away, but I think it was about the same size as Kita High School."Yukari looked a little confused but answered my question. At the very least, she didn't say anything like she didn't want to answer because it was creepy, so I was relieved. "Well, it was a co-ed school, but not in this prefecture. It was a little far away, but I think it was about the same size as Kita High School.""What was it like?" he realized, sounding too vague, so he added more. Trying to gauge whether she would mind being asked by me, he ended up asking her more questions. "Well, there was nothing particularly interesting about it. I studied normally and hung out with the girls normally. I did play basketball in club activities, but... I wasn't particularly good at it.""What was it like?" he realized, sounding too vague, so he added more. Trying to gauge whether she would mind being asked by me, he ended up asking her more questions. "Well, there was nothing particularly interesting about it. I studied normally and hung out with the girls normally. I did play basketball in club activities, but... I wasn't particularly good at it."I listened to her, who spoke with a little anxiety, nodding vigorously. I respond to women's stories with exaggerated responses, something I learned from the Internet. Maybe what I do is wrong, though.I may have been feeling a little, just a little, cocky because I was able to converse with a girl. "...I, I see. I was wondering if a woman as pretty as you were, Yukari, would get along well with the boys too..."I realized what I'd done after I'd said it. I'd made the worst possible choice of statement, and my anger grew all at once. Even if I had a good relationship with someone, there was no way that any woman would be happy to be called beautiful by me.I had gotten too complacent. Was I doomed to have a horrid relationship with women in both worlds? On the other hand, if it's not someone you're really close to, this comes across as simple sarcasm. Having failed at the conversation, cold sweat trickles down my back and trickles down to my waist. I have to apologize, that's for sure. Yukari's mouth is slightly open, and her face is red. Even if you're a housekeeper, it's natural to be angry if you've been complimented by someone you just don't like.Just as I was about to apologize, Yukari opened her mouth. "...I, you call me beautiful, and I, um, I'm happy to receive such a compliment..."I'm very grateful that she managed to hold back her anger and turn my comments into something positive, and I think she's a real pro. But I still have to apologize."S-sorry... I-it's embarrassing when someone like you calls me beautiful..." When I apologized, Yukari replied. "No, that's not true! I'm really happy about that, but I'm not the kind of woman who would be told something like that."There was no hint that she was lying or anything. But I felt that her self-esteem was too low to justify that, so I took the plunge and told her the truth. "Really... I thought you were beautiful, your food was delicious, you clean well and... I mean, you have a really nice figure, too."I shouldn't have said that last statement. I realized as I was about to say it, but it was too late to correct it now. In fact, even though she was wearing an apron, her figure was outstanding. Her breasts were not huge, but they were still beautiful, and you could see their shape, and from behind, her waist was slim, but her ass, confined in her jeans, was quite large.It's true that she has a nice figure. But I can't bring myself to say something so vulgar, and I knew that the situation was pretty bad at the moment.Prepared for a scolding, I cautiously waited for her next word, when she turned red in the face and shouted, "...That, that can't be! Shun-sama, what do you like about me...?"She spoke frantically, but, like me, it seemed she realized after she'd spoken that it was definitely not something she should say to her employer's son. Her face turned pale in an instant. Of course, I wasn't angry, but if you think about it normally, it must have been a case of the housekeeper getting carried away. "I-I'm so sorry! I said something so outrageous, um, what should I do, so..."It seemed like she was confused about something. But since it had come to this, I decided to just say something too, and get desperate along with her. Not understanding the conversation with the woman, my brain was probably overheating as well. "Well, um, Yukari is really beautiful... I mean, she's cute too, but she's really slim, like a model... I think she must be working really hard... I mean, you might not be happy about me telling you that, though."As a result of my choice of words, my vocabulary was quite limited, but I said things to her that I would never normally say. At this point, I was desperate. While I was talking, she stared at my face. And when I finished, she bowed her head again, as if to hide her blushing face. "Oh, well, thank you for the kind words, it's too much to ask..." Just as I was thinking that I wasn't the kind of man to receive such words, she continued speaking."B-but, I said some rude things to Shun-sama... well, you can report me however you like, I-I'm sorry!" With tears in her eyes, she stood up and tried to leave the living room. I tried to stop her by telling her I wasn't angry at all, but I instinctively reached out to her arm.The moment my hand touched her right arm, she let out a small "ah" and lost her balance. Sensing it was dangerous, I grabbed both of her arms to support her. However, I was unable to get a good grip and failed miserably. As a result, it was my very body that supported her as she fell, and the fullness of her breasts was firmly pressed against my abdomen.