Life In The Reverse World

Rustle.

Rustle.

The warm early-summer breeze swayed the leafy trees outside, as if offering a quiet tribute to the idle classroom finally at peace.

Harutaki didn’t quite understand why he had to be the one handing out the charms, but he followed Nogami’s request and went through the motions, asking each of the three girls for their preferences.

“I want the love charm.”

Nogami grabbed the soft pink pouch without hesitation.

“As an athlete, I guess I’d go for the health charm,” Sae said, her choice clear.

“I…”

Minako, usually so decisive, seemed unusually hesitant. She lingered between the family charm and the academic charm, finally choosing the crimson charm for academic success.

“I want to aim for first place in the grade, so I’ll take this one.”

“That does sound like something Minako would say. But you’re already third in the grade, so going higher won’t make much difference.”

Sae, the worst-performing member of Nogami’s trio, grumbled.

Harutaki thought to himself: that really does sound like Minako—or perhaps it’s just the kind of reasoning he would come up with himself. This “perfect fit” for the role one plays, the character one shapes—it was all too familiar.

“Hoshikawa-kun, last test you were fourth in the grade. I don’t want to get bossed around by Nogami’s ‘dog.’”

Ah, she’s dragging me into this again—what a cunning girl.

“I’d prefer ‘on top of me’ rather than ‘bossed around.’”

He teased, voice light, trying to push things further.

“Could you repeat that, Sanada-san?”

“Eh? Hoshikawa-kun, you mean on top of Nogami, or on top of Chouko? Or… both at once?”

“I think Sanada-san, you’d make a great Queen in a ‘Snow White’ casting. If the director isn’t blind, he’d definitely pick you.”

“Next time, aim for tenth place, you dumb dog!”

Please don’t force me into this.

Harutaki gave Nogami a helpless glance. Nichiya High prided itself on gathering the top ten percent of Tokyo’s students—aiming higher was possible, but trying to control the scores precisely was a human impossibility.

“Hoshikawa, that look on your face… do you really want to be on top of Nogami?”

Please, don’t fan the flames!

Chouko gave a playful grin, winking mischievously.

“Compared to Nogami, I’d rather be on top… of Shihou!”

“Ugh… gnnn…”

“Pervert! Loser! Dirty dog, die!”

Nogami clearly misunderstood, and seeing Chouko shyly lowering her head, she grabbed Harutaki’s ear. His yelp filled the room as she ground her teeth.

“As a dog, you can only climb on your master!”

Harutaki wanted to argue he wasn’t a dog, but revenge for the ear tug won out.

“So… I can climb on Nogami?”

“You’ve got it backward! You still want to climb on your master!”

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

Wasn’t that your line?!

He gritted his teeth.

“Got it now?”

“Got it, got it.”

Clearly, the one at fault is you!

“Hmph…”

But then Nogami did something entirely unexpected.

In fact, Chouko, Sae, and Minako hadn’t seen it coming either.

“Huff… huff…”

Her face, as if it had just been pinched, slowly flushed a vivid crimson, delicate enough to seem like it could drip water.

She blew out two steady breaths, then pushed Harutaki’s head away. Her voice trembled slightly but left no room for argument.

“All right, no more pain.”

“…”

Harutaki swallowed. Even though he knew it was impossible, his ears truly did feel fine.

Could this be what they call “heart-to-heart understanding”?

Of course not.

Nogami’s words reflected her domineering personality, not any real sympathy for his pain.

But… sometimes people like to be a little romantic, so he allowed himself to believe it was mutual understanding.

After rubbing his ears and standing, the first thing his eyes caught was the soft pink love charm.

The girl tilted her head away, speaking without turning back.

“If… if you really want the love charm, dumb dog Hoshikawa, it’s not like I can’t give it to you.”

She knew the blessings could stack, so she spoke confidently.

“And what about you, Nogami?”

“Family is more important than love. Just give me your family charm.”

Such an awkward version of Nogami was… cute.

“Actually, there’s another way. If Nogami becomes family to me, that works too.”

“Who… who’d become family with a dog! Stupid Hoshikawa!”

“But people always say pets are family too. Part of the household, you know.”

Harutaki was baffled. If Sae did it on purpose, her disguise was too flawless. He preferred to believe it was just her natural talent.

“Rather than as a pet, I’d rather form a family as humans.”

He thought the topic settled—but Chouko wasn’t done. Her gaze lingered between him and Nogami.

She pouted. Even the beauty mark at the corner of her lips seemed offended, turning her face away from Harutaki.

“To form a family as humans, you’d have to meet parents and get their approval first, right?”

Ah… jealousy, perhaps?

He realized, what seemed the hardest barrier had only been the beginning. Subtly hinting at the limits of their relationship, only he and Chouko could understand—less jealousy, more declaration of territory.

Just as he thought to laugh it off, Nogami suddenly exclaimed, as if remembering something urgent.

“Chouko just reminded me—my dad mentioned a couple days ago that he wants to meet Hoshikawa.”

Meet… me!?

“My dad? He’s overseas, he can’t…”

“I mean my dad!”

“I still want to enjoy my youth, not become a dad at this age.”

“You’re not becoming a dad!”

Minako sighed, once again stripping Harutaki of his cover after several days.

“Hoshikawa-kun just got overloaded from the shock of the news, that’s all.”

“Geez…”

Nogami tapped his head with her knuckles.

Thump. Thump.

“My dad isn’t a tiger or anything scary. He seems intimidating sometimes, but he’s actually very nice.”

Really? I don’t buy it.

“I’ll go then…”

According to Miyabi-senpai, Mr. Nogami wouldn’t hold grudges and had no reason to send messages through his daughter. And Harutaki had, in a way, helped “set her back on the right path,” defeated the “evil dragon”—the hero of the story.

Confidence surged.

Hmph, just Nogami…

“What’s there to hesitate? You can’t possibly refuse, Harutaki.”

Gnn…

Sae drove the point home.

…

After handing out all the charms, Harutaki also gave Kyoto specialties he’d picked out, taking advantage of everyone being together.

Of course, in the end, he didn’t take Nogami’s love charm. Instead, using the excuse “no girlfriend yet, but I have you all,” he returned it—earning another ear tug in the process.

“Th-thank you… I… I’ll return the favor…”

He gave Nogami two bags of Gion Koishi candies: lemon matcha and cherry plum flavors.

Nogami, receiving the gift, finally showed a hint of honesty, without the awkward words Harutaki expected.

For example—

“‘I don’t want a gift from a dumb dog, hmph!’ Nogami wouldn’t say that, right?”

“Considering the gift, I won’t fuss.”

Her soft rose-colored eyes gave him a quick glare before she continued:

“I don’t usually like hard candies for kids, but since dumb dog Hoshikawa you brought them back from Kyoto, just tasting them is fine…”

Ah, there it is!

Harutaki couldn’t help but suppress a laugh.

“This is for Sae.”

“Oh, thanks, little bro~”

Sae’s gift was nama yatsuhashi from Shogoin, a famous Kyoto sweet. She hugged him carelessly, the scent of her sweat spray lingering in his nose.

Nogami and Chouko seemed entirely unbothered by Sae’s closeness.

“This is for Sanada-san.”

“Tea confections from Kitayama MALEBRANCHE?”

Minako gently tucked her golden hair behind her ear, soft smile on her face.

“I suddenly feel like we’re on the same wavelength, huhu… want me to hug you too?”

“Spare me…”

Though he protested verbally, he didn’t resist Minako’s embrace.

Compared to Sae’s sporty scent, Minako’s mix of perfume and shower gel created a delicate floral-fig aroma he couldn’t immediately distinguish.

“Hoshikawa-kun, smelling a girl without permission is impolite, you know.”

Her slightly seductive voice whispered in his ear.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I allowed it~”

The warmth of her breath brushed against his skin, making him shiver.

“Hey! Hoshikawa, how long are you planning to hug her! Minako, really… just let him hug you?”

Nogami’s tone was frustrated and sharp, like a water bottle pressed too hard, threatening to overflow.

“Haha~ Nogami’s dog is so cute, a little hug won’t hurt~”

“Mmm…”

Clever, sly girl.

Harutaki thought: Minako’s hug felt intimate, but her distance was deliberate. Her proud chest stayed just out of reach, the only contact around his neck.

That distance made him more curious about the girl’s secrets.

But as soon as Minako pulled back, Nogami and Chouko quickly closed in from either side—

“Pervert… hugging Minako feels nice, huh?”

Nogami ground her teeth, memories of that night nearly a month ago flooding back.

“Right now, you’re the most attractive.”

Sitting beside her, Harutaki had said that.

Now, thinking carefully, she was equal parts angry and amused.

Typical scumbag comment.

What was lacking compared to Minako? She may not have been as busty, but her E-cup was perfect—big but manageable, not the burden of carrying two water balloons around.

But… she realized suddenly. That perverted Harutaki—if he’s unsatisfied, could he go looking for other girls to satisfy himself?

Meanwhile, Chouko gave him a sly, unsmiling glance.

Her pale golden eyes bore no hint of humor, sending a chill down his spine.

She didn’t speak, but pressed her soft arm against his in silent protest, clearly implying her chest was no worse than Minako’s.

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