That World of Otome Games is Tough for Us - Volume 2 - Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3:

Second Term

AS SOON AS SECOND TERM began, the lives of us insignificant background characters turned hectic. A few school events were planned for this term, including the annual festival and a trip. Right now, we were focused on the more immediate of those two events: the festival.

Men in this world, unlike those in Japan, were eternally on the back foot. If a guy acted like he was too cool for school events and skipped participating, female students immediately assumed he lacked motivation and gave him the cold shoulder from then on. That basically put a guy at an even greater disadvantage finding a bride. The safest route was to participate and at least try to look like you were doing your best.

My peer group—a collective of sons from poor baronies—had been discussing working together to do something for the festival. In fact, we were gathering today to talk about that very topic. For reasons beyond my comprehension, though, the other guys were busy prostrating themselves in front of Marie. Their faces were deadly serious.

“Lady Marie, please give us another chance! One more group date, please! Set up another meeting with those girls from last time!”

The men sprawled on the floor abandoned all shame and pride as they pleaded for her assistance. They included second and third years, but I also spotted my best friends, Daniel and Raymond. The grave desperation on their faces was off-putting enough, but their pitiful crawling across the floor in front of Marie was even more disturbing.

“Guys, what are you doing?” I said. “Even upperclassmen are stooping this low?”

Despite my exasperation with their antics, they were intensely genuine.

Among the upperclassmen, I was closest to Lucle. “Remember how she set up a group date for us in first term?” he asked, glancing up at me. His eyes were usually narrow, like barely perceptible lines.

“Yeah, I remember. How’d that go?”

“Well, we got so caught up in bickering with one another that we never had the chance to get to know the girls.” Lucle let out a silly giggle, sticking his tongue out as if trying to lighten the mood. There was nothing cute about the reason for their collective failure, though.

What had these numbskulls been doing, fighting over girls? The whole reason we’d formed this group was to share information and support each other so we could avoid that.

To be fair, the girls Marie brought to that group date were certainly ideal brides. One had been chronically lazy; another preferred the company of books to people, avoiding the latter almost entirely; a third was an artist with little regard for society. Men in Japan would’ve considered such types undesirable, but in this world, they were the pinnacle of every man’s dreams. That stark contrast further illustrated the cultural divide between my last world and this one.

A total of seven girls had gone on that group date, including Marie. Unfortunately, as Lucle explained, all the guys had wanted the first chance to talk to them, so fighting broke out. They’d spent so much time arguing that none had a substantial enough conversation with any girl to warrant further contact.

Lucle bowed low, forehead pressed to the floor. “Anyway, that’s why we beg you to give us another chance, Lady Marie—please!”

Marie sat primly in her chair. She heaved an annoyed sigh, but I saw right through her act. She loved having all these men prostrated before her.

She’s as insufferable as ever, I thought.

“I don’t know if I should,” she purred. “What happens if you start fighting again? You’ll ruin the mood, and my efforts will have been for naught.”

Lucle kept his forehead to the floor. “We won’t make the same mistake again!” he reassured her. “We’ll duel beforehand to settle who can go first!”

Marie flinched. “Oh, uh…you will?” She hadn’t expected their solution to be so extreme. She cleared her throat. “Ahem… Well, I guess I could help you… But you surely don’t expect such a favor for free, do you?” 

She crossed her arms and legs, smiling leisurely at the boys. I kind of wanted to sit her down and teach her the meaning of humility.

“Of course not,” Lucle assured her. It sounded like the boys had anticipated this. “We’ll do everything in our power to repay you for your help. Please, set us up with those wonderful girls again!”

“I don’t know,” Marie replied in a singsong voice.

For guys like us, at the bottom of the social hierarchy, the girls she’d introduced us to were goddesses. No—maybe that was too exaggerated. Still, there was no denying that they were incredible catches, so top-tier that the guys were willing to duel for a chance to get together with them. 

It didn’t matter if some of those girls skipped class, or even the school festival. And none of us cared if they wanted to laze their days away doing nothing because they considered the alternative too much work. Even if all they cared about was their hobbies, and they had so little interest in others that they couldn’t even bother to remember names, that was cool. Other girls were so ­horrible that these traits were more negligible quirks than legitimate flaws.

Since Marie was the one who knew so many quirky girls, she could—and did—demand compensation for access to them, as if it were her right.

“Well, if you’re that insistent, I expect flan from the cafeteria at lunch every day of the week.”

The guys lifted their heads in unison, mouths agape. “What?!”

The academy was specifically for Holfort’s nobility. It went without saying that the cafeteria’s flan was luxurious, gourmet stuff. It was immensely popular with the students. A single cup would’ve fetched a thousand yen back in Japan.

I should also mention that the cafeteria’s basic meal was free for everyone, but if you wanted a special order or something off the side menu, there was a separate charge.

“You’re just acting as a matchmaker, and for that, you want cafeteria flan? Every day? That’s a pretty rich demand,” I said with an accusing look.

“B-but I want to eat it.” Marie’s face fell as she started second-guessing herself. “Okay, fine. I get it! Just three times a week.”

The guys’ eyes widened. “Th-three times a week?!” they squeaked.

Flustered, Marie amended that demand, too. “Once! Once a week, then!” She assumed they were shocked because she was still requesting too much.

Digesting her request, the guys formed a circle and whispered among themselves.

“She keeps lowering her demands. What does this mean?! Are we really talking about flan right now?”

“Idiot. It’s got to be some kind of code. That’s the only explanation. It’s too cheap otherwise.”

“Yeah, that has to be it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I read in a book somewhere that people sometimes refer to stacks of cash as ‘chocolate bars.’”

“So what does ‘flan’ mean in this context?”

“Hell if I know! But there’s no doubt in my mind that it must cost an arm and a leg. Remember, she’s offering to introduce us to the best women out there.”

They didn’t bother keeping their voices down, and judging by their reactions, they completely disagreed with me. To them, flan was ridiculously cheap. It was like they’d expected Marie to demand brand-name handbags and designer clothing, only for her to ask for a treat from the local convenience store. It made them uneasy.

Their reaction was a good clue to how much money they normally invested in female classmates. It made me realize how pathetic the male students were, myself included.

Lucle straightened and glanced over his shoulder at Marie. He wore a nervous smile. They hadn’t puzzled out the meaning of her request on their own, so he was shouldering the embarrassment of asking outright.

“Lady Marie, I apologize for my ignorance, but ‘flan’ is code for something, isn’t it? Could you possibly be more specific as to what you want? We’d greatly appreciate it.”

All emotion had drained from Marie’s face at this point, but hearing this question made her redden with anger, brows knitting. “What do you mean ‘code word’?! Do you guys seriously think I’d ask for something that wild? I gave you my demand totally straight: I want flan from the cafeteria every day. There’s no hidden meaning beyond what I literally asked for!”

“No way!” The guys gasped in disbelief. “Y-you seriously mean all you want is flan? That’s it?!”

Marie winced. She probably pitied them. Beside her, I kept my mouth shut and watched the scene play out. Daniel and Raymond raced over to me, tears in their eyes.

“Leon,” said Daniel, “Miss Marie is the best woman in the world! I envy you!”

“You said it,” Raymond agreed with a nod. “Only a goddess would agree to connect us with those girls again for the tiny price of one flan per day!”

Not long ago, these two had warned me to stay away from Marie. Now here they were, treating her like an avatar of the divine. Although they only cared about their own interests, I frankly understood where they were coming from. However…

“Let me get one thing clear,” I said. “Marie and I aren’t in a relationship.”

My friends gave me skeptical looks. 

Why did everyone in my circle have the wrong idea about Marie and me? It was like the world had decided on the relationship for me.