"Hell yeah, I win!"
"Tomoki! Do you think I'll allow you to play video games all day in your room? Do something else."
"Fine, mom."
It's so good to just enjoy your holiday, especially on the first day.
But I gotta say, yesterday we only arrived home at night. It was so late and exhausting that I didn't play or read any manga. I just went straight to bed.
And earlier this morning… let's just say I was farming resources, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, let's head to the kitchen and grab something.
"Oh my! I forgot the sauce..."
"Hello, aunt Yuna. Do you need some help?"
"Hello, Tomo-kun. It's just… I forgot to buy the tomato sauce. Can you tell Miyuna to buy it?"
"Don't worry, it's tomato sauce, right? Let me buy it. The money is in the cabinet, right?"
"Yes, it is. Thank you!"
Since everyone helps each other, I can do at least this much.
Let's go.
...
"Yuna, I heard Tomoki's voice."
"Oh, Haruka-san. Yes, it was him."
"And where is he? I was thinking of making him help me clean the house."
"He just left a while ago to… buy… the… Oh my god, what have I done!?"
"Yuna? What happened?"
"He offered to buy the tomato sauce. But he said it so naturally that I didn't even realize it."
[Breaking news! A woman in her 30s was witnessed trying to get intimate with a high school boy. Experts warn about the increase in these types of cases.]
"Tomoki! My sweetheart! Mom's coming!"
"Haruka-san, wait for me! I'm going too!"
...
Right now, I'm in the convenience store. I kind of wanted to buy other things since I'm here, but I forgot to ask if there was anything else they wanted.
Anyway, let's just buy it.
"Good morning, that'll be 1,780¥."
"Here."
"Thank you very much."
Well, let's head home since aunt Yuna needs this ASAP.
"Excuse me, are you here all alone?" — an office lady called to me.
"Yes, I am. Something wrong?"
"Do you know it's dangerous for a man, especially a boy your age, to be wandering alone?"
"Yes, I know. Then if you'll excuse me."
"Then let me accompany you until you're home."
Does she intend to rob me or something?
"No thanks. I can handle myself."
"Wait! It's just… I couldn't take my eyes off you." — She started touching my shoulders gently.
Is this what you call being picked up? I guess I'm not that bad-looking after all.
But do you know what's interesting? If it were a man doing this, I would freak out and start fighting for my life… or my dignity.
She's just an office lady with a faint smell of alcohol, trying to hit on me.
I should just ignore it.
"Wait a minute! Can you talk with me for a moment?"
"Look, miss, even if you try to talk to me, I won't be able to give you what you really want."
"What I really want?"
"Yes. My time."
"Oh, that? Just a few minutes is enough. I just want to get to know you better—"
"Please, miss, I really need to go home. Otherwise, my mother will freak out if she finds out some stranger tried to talk to me."
"I'm not strange… let me at least pay for your lunch or something. I know a good place where we can talk."
"Bye, miss. I hope you find a man who will cherish you."
"Wait!"
She tried to catch my hand, but I managed to fend her off.
When I did, she lost her balance and started falling toward the road—where a car was passing.
Crap!
...
"What…?"
"Phew— Miss, are you okay? You almost got hit by a car."
"Was I?"
"Yes. So… can you stand up? If you want, I can call an ambulance."
Then she slowly stood up on her own.
"No, I'm okay. Thank you for saving me. And sorry about earlier, I wasn't thinking straight."
"That's okay. Then, if you'll excuse me."
"Can I ask you something? Just answer honestly."
"Sure, what is it?"
"In your eyes, how do you see me as a woman? Actually, forget it. You can go—"
"Let me see… a drunk office lady who hits on high school boys. That's what everyone would say."
"Haha… you really don't hold back… wait, everyone would say?"
"Yes, exactly."
"But… what about you?"
"For me? A vulnerable office lady who could be easily deceived by scumbag men. It honestly chills me how easily you could be swayed."
"If that were true, then I would have already met a man. But thanks for trying to cheer me up. And... don't walk alone, you´re too careless." — Then she started leaving me alone.
I think this is just a reflection of the consequences of the skewed gender ratio. Because if this were my original world, I wouldn't be surprised if some guy tried to take advantage of a drunk, lonely woman.
But this is how it is.
"T O M O K I!" — A woman screamed my name, running like crazy.
"Mom!?"
"Tomo-kun, are you okay?" — Aunt Yuna asked me.
"Yeah, I'm okay—"
"Who said you could go out like this!?" — Mom was mad.
"I just bought the tomato sauce, look!" — I showed her the tomato sauce.
"You know why I don't let you go outside alone, don't you?"
"Mom, nothing happened."
"Really? Because I saw you talking with an office lady." — Mom asked with her arms crossed.
Holy shi—! Now I'm screwed.
"Ehh… well… she wanted to talk to me..."
"Then?"
"... but when I pushed her away, she almost got hit by a car. I saved her, and then she just left."
"Tomoki, why are you hiding the fact you were being hit on by her?"
"That's not—"
"Because I know you wouldn't push someone without a reason."
"..." — At this point, I was ashamed of myself.
After all…
"You lied to me twice. Tell me, Tomoki, how can I trust you when you do this to me?"
"Sorry..."
"Can you tell me why you lied?"
"Because… I knew you would freak out if you realized that some woman tried to talk to me. But, as you can see, I was able to handle it." — I still tried to justify myself.
"Handle it… Then let me ask you. What if that woman had a weapon or another friend to attack you? Tell me, would you be able to handle it?"
"I…"
"Tomoki, you're underestimating women. I think this scholarship messed up your head because you weren't reckless before. How could you try to advise Ayame-chan about her safety when you act like this? Tell me, Tomoki, am I wrong?"
"No..."
Then mom patted my head and came closer to me.
"You're my only child. When you suddenly disappeared, I thought I'd have a heart attack. For God's sake, if that woman really wanted to take you… I don't even want to imagine it."
"Sorry mom, I promise not to repeat this again."
"Look, I know that prohibiting you from going outside is wrong. But you need to understand that you're a man. And a handsome man, by the way."
"Mom, I'm not all that."
"Listen to me, I'm still talking."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Tomoki, you know what I mean, right? Being one of the few men in this world means you're like a walking diamond. Anyone would try to get you."
"..."
"Okay… let's head home. Thank you, Yuna, for helping."
"It's nothing, I'm just glad Tomo-kun is fine!"
"Sorry, aunt Yuna."
"It's kind of my fault for letting you go out like this… but, Tomo-kun, I hope you learned from this."
"Yes."
And that's how my first day of vacation ended.
Mom is right, I was really underestimating women and at the same time overestimating myself just because I don't fear women the way men in this world do.
Just like everyone said to me, I was being naive.
However, there's one thing that won't change my mind: the fact that men are more dangerous than women. It's easy to see just by looking at the news or the internet.
But this is something only I know, and it doesn't apply here.
Today I was lucky, and I need to keep that in mind.
I guess what the principal said was right about me— that I was acting overconfident toward women.
And thinking about it now, I understand why she keeps me company at the spot where mom always picks me up.
Well, what a day… but at least I learned something from it.