Living in a Class-Based World
Chapter 20 Yukishiro ③

T/N: When I wanted to copy over the second part of chapter 20, I noticed that the title and content didn’t match. Quickly I realized that I had copied the first part of chapter 21 from the Patreon, instead of the first part of chapter 20. Well, I fixed it now, adding the correct part 1 and the new part 2. Sorry for the mess-up. No idea why my brain failed me like that last week. Old man ailings, I tell ya.

A certain day in July.

Takuya’s class was having its trip at a summer resort belonging to Eternal Minato. This class trip didn’t just include Takuya, but also the other boys whom Takuya regarded as his pawns. This was something Yukishiro wished for as well because inviting and entertaining boys other than Takuya would create an opportunity for the girls, who had become temporary affiliates, to interact with guys.

Basically, it was an occasion for getting as many girls as possible accepted as indirect affiliates.

Since she invited the girls, who were the temporary affiliates of those boys, it naturally led to inviting the boys’ direct affiliates as well. Yukishiro wouldn’t do something as uncouth and rude as moving things along while skipping the direct affiliates. As such, she was also properly entertaining the direct affiliates.

All the expenses for this whole event were shouldered by the Minatos.

The summer resort was huge enough to not lose out to the Yoshiwaras and came with all kinds of facilities, allowing the girls and boys to enjoy their stay. Providing a platform for making all sorts of exchanges and intensifying existing ones obviously led to good results.

Yukishiro and her associates were also delighted to see this outcome.

However, Layla and her two friends weren’t present on this trip. Yukishiro had invited them, but they planned a trip with Takuya in the second half of August and thus didn’t participate in the class trip.

And while enjoying the trip himself, Takuya was being considerate towards the other guys, entertaining them decently as the excellent elite guy he was. But, in the end, the center of his attention rested with business enterprises such as trade. Not only did he genuinely enjoy visiting facilities, but he also harbored a strong interest in how those facilities were managed.

══•°• ⚠ •°•══

One day during dinner, the venue was wrapped up in delight. A boy had given his permission for a temporary affiliate to become his indirect affiliate. And as the direct affiliate, who sat next to him while smiling, seemed to also regard the temporary affiliate in a good light, the recommendation was accepted on the spot.

This was no exception, but had become rather common. At this point, several temporary affiliates had already been approved as indirect affiliates. And each time this happened, the dinner turned into a celebration where the lucky ones shared their happiness with everyone else.

This sort of atmosphere also had a good influence on the guys, resulting in them growing more interested in the other temporary affiliates on this trip.

Feeling joyful over this happy event, the guys’ emotions got riled up and they fell into a virtuous cycle.

“Masaki! As I thought, you’re a great guy!” Takuya highly praised Masaki who had given his permission for the girl to advance into being an indirect affiliate.

The leader of the guys present in this location was Takuya. And being praised by their leader, Masaki smiled cheerfully.

Takuya had shown a lot of interest in business during this trip, but he never neglected to interact with the other guys and girls. Especially dinner was a time where he’d actively talk to the guys and take control of the whole room.

Seeing this truly reliable side of him, Yukishiro’s indirect affiliates praised Takuya for being a wonderful man and many of them revised their evaluation of him, which had plummeted due to the matter with Layla.

But.

Yukishiro couldn’t see Takuya’s behavior in such a positive light. Takuya took control of things and actively created connections, only when it came to girls whose families were running big businesses.

There existed a lot of temporary affiliates and even Yukishiro understood that it’d be impossible to give everyone an equal opportunity. It might be a coincidence. The girls, who had been accepted as indirect affiliates, might incidentally all come from families connected to business.

That’s obviously wrong.

In Yukishiro’s eyes, Takuya was networking with the boys and girls while having a clear goal. Riling up this place, which had turned into a celebration party at this point, he was trying to have another temporary affiliate approved as an indirect affiliate.

Someone watching this without knowing any of the details would likely assess Takuya as an extremely promising and outstanding man.

An expansion of male rights? And accompanying that, a career in society?

Until this very day, Yukishiro hadn’t grasped Takuya’s objective. He hadn’t talked to her about it either. If only he were to consult with her, they could talk about the problematic aspects and aspirations of Takuya. Yukishiro wouldn’t spare any effort to achieve an even better future for him. Yet, he didn’t discuss anything with her.

Yukishiro also livened up the place with a perfect smile plastered on her face as she was sitting next to Takuya.

“T-Thank you!”

“It’s truly great.”

Celebrations piled up on top of celebrations. Even without a single drop of alcohol, everyone present got infected by the festive, delightful atmosphere.

This day’s dinner became one huge, thrilling event, ending with results you could only call a huge success.

══•°• ⚠ •°•══

“Takuya-sama.”

“Mmh? What’s up?”

Yukishiro had been walking behind Takuya as he was going back to his room. Just when they arrived in front of his room, she called out to him.

“Would it be alright for me to visit your room later, Takuya-sama? There is something I would like to discuss with you…”

“Hmmm. Oh well, sure. Why not. I’d like to take a little rest, so how about in an hour?”

“Thank you kindly.”

Yukishiro immediately cleansed her body by taking a hot bath, got someone from the ryokan to help her with removing the make-up, and had them arrange everything so that she’d look charming. She put on the red night dress, which she usually didn’t wear and left her room while tightly gripping the fan she was given by Takuya.

Arriving in front of his room, she took a short break, calming herself. After her hands stopped shaking, she knocked on the door.

“Takuya-sama, it is me, Yukishiro.”

“Sure, come in.”

She slowly opened the door and went inside.

The most luxurious room of this ryokan had been reserved for Takuya. At the moment he was sitting on a comfy sofa set up in the spacious living room. Once he saw Yukishiro wearing the red night dress, he widened his eyes due to her unexpected appearance.

“O-Oh, nice of you to come here.”

“I know it is bad manners, but thank you for allowing me to enter your room at night.”

“W-Well, isn’t that just fine anyway? I mean, we have that sort of relationship. S-Sit down.”

Takuya couldn’t get a grip of himself because of Yukishiro’s overly attractive beauty. Until now, they had never met at night like this. Takuya had no choice but to recognize Yukishiro’s allure anew.

It goes in a different direction compared to Layla, but she’s without a doubt a perfect woman.

Takuya was considering Layla, whom he had fucked many times over by now, as truly charming woman. Moreover, he felt honored and delighted as a guy that the first-rate woman in front of his eyes had come here after dolling herself up for his sake.

Yukishiro sat down on the sofa opposite Takuya.

“Thanks to your strenuous efforts, the joint class trip has become a great success, Takuya-sama,”

“Today another two girls were accepted as indirect affiliates. That’s something to be happy about.”

“Yes. Their high school lives are going to become very valuable from now on. They were deeply grateful for you taking the command on this.”

“I said it’s alright. It’s a necessary experience for me.”

“…Experience, you say?”

“Yeah. Reading other people’s hearts and moving in accordance. That’s indispensable for me.”

A man paying heed to a woman’s heart. This could be called a perfect dream. But, Yukishiro felt that Takuya very likely meant something different with what he said.

“Takuya-sama, what are you planning to accomplish by using that experience?”

Why are you showing such strong interest in business? This was Yukishiro’s indirect question to Takuya.

“I still feel like I only have a vague idea of what I will accomplish. I’m still in the middle of learning.”

So it’s not like Takuya-sama has some unshakable, firm goal in mind either?

Yukishiro pressed even further in response to Takuya’s answer.

“If you were to describe that vague idea, I think I will be able to help you a lot more than I can do right now.”

“Hmm, are you that curious about it?”

“Of course. Do you think that I am a woman who does not care what her beloved is thinking?”

“Nah, I didn’t think that at all. But, we both have our own, respective standings, right?”

“Standings…it is?”

Yukishiro’s standing was that of Eternal Minato’s next matriarch. Even Takuya knew as much.

So, what was Takuya’s standing then? Takuya was a first-year D-Rank boy at Toukyou’s male high school. Yukishiro also knew that his Sperm Rank, according to the last exam at junior high, was D-Rank. He had actively carried out Service Activities during the first term with the goal to become a C-Rank boy by the end of his first high school year.

It’s not about this sort of standing, I’m sure.

“Yeah. Yukishiro, you’re a woman, so I, as a man, have a different standing than you do, right?”

This is bad, Yukishiro discerned. That’s because the standing Takuya was talking about was related to something he shouldn’t think at all costs.

“I’m your direct affiliate and your ally.”

“…I think so of you as well, you know?”

You don’t. Those words didn’t come from your heart. Things are heading in the wrong direction. Takuya-sama has been disputing the respective positions of men and women in his mind.

This was something you could describe as a taboo in this world. Men were in a position where they’d be monitored and managed by women. One mustn’t hold any doubts about this arrangement.

Even the Mir Kingdom, which is said to let their men run free, is controlling the men in the end. It looks like they allow them to do whatever they please, but the Kingdom should have a clear grasp on the men’s movements. Still, coming in contact with the uninhibited group around Layla who all were born in Mir, doubts about the standing of men seem to have formed inside Takuya-sama.

Yukishiro couldn’t believe that the objective of Layla’s group in getting in contact with Takuya was to sow doubt about the standing of men in Nihon. It didn’t look as though those girls, whose head appeared to be filled with nothing but indulging in pleasure, would introduce such dangerous thoughts to Takuya.

A coincidence maybe? And the contact with Layla-san happened by coincidence as well…

“Takuya-sama, it’s the best approach to allow things to grow slowly and calmly. If there is something you are aiming for, the Eternal Minatos and I promise to support you in this.”

“That’s what I hope for.”

Yukishiro tested Takuya’s resolve.

“But, if there is something you desire, the things you ought to achieve grow in proportion to that as well.”

“…Tsk. This again, huh?”

Takuya faced Yukishiro with a clearly displeased expression. Seeing that, Yukishiro felt like sighing. As she expected, he didn’t have any resolve at all.

“If you consider men to be important and precious, you wouldn’t embrace such thoughts, would you?”

“We always cherish the men.”

“Really? So, why do you ask something of me then? If you truly cherished me, you’d lend me your assistance without asking for anything in return.”

Yukishiro believed from the bottom of her heart that she wanted the something, which was budding inside Takuya, to be accepted by society once it took a clear form. Because of this, she knew that he couldn’t simply claim it without fulfilling the duties and hardships coming with it.

But, right now Takuya didn’t have the resolve to do all that. Demanding it for free while thinking that everyone had to give it to him because of his status as a rare, precious, and important man, was the same as the selfishness of a child.

Moreover, the duty and hardships that Takuya would need to take upon himself could be called truly insignificant, if compared to the responsibilities shouldered by the women for the sake of running the society. And even that small sacrifice was already too much for Takuya. He wanted to obtain something without losing anything in return.

“Isn’t this folding fan something I gave you for the sake of protecting me?”

“…Of course.”

This one question caused Yukishiro’s heart to plummet into darkness. She tightly clasped the fan while making sure to keep her smile.

Is he telling me to offer him my heart because of this fan which he chose together with Layla-san!?

The folding fan Yukishiro had received for her birthday had been chosen by Takuya and Layla. Takuya thought that Yukishiro wasn’t aware of it.

How much easier would things be, if you could fix everything by simply speaking up while living under the illusion that you’re always in a safe place.

“In that case,” Takuya leaned forward and extended a hand.

That hand grabbed Yukishiro’s fan.

“Isn’t it about time for you to become slightly more assertive towards me? You’re not going to tell me that nothing is going to happen after you come here while wearing such a seductive dress, are you?”

Takuya’s eyes were gleaming like those of a beast. He looked at Yukishiro’s body as if licking it all over.

“There is no way that I would reject an invitation by you, Takuya-sama. After all, I would gladly become your wife.”

Yukishiro answered Takuya’s heavy-handed approach with a calm smile, implicitly asking him whether he realized that having sex with her meant that he’d immediately make her his wife.

“…Humph! How boring.”

Takuya let go of the fan and flopped back down on the sofa.

“I cannot propose to you, if I don’t know our bodies’ compatibility, you know?”

“Oh? Do you think that my body wouldn’t please you?”

Her cleavage was visible through the red night dress, just like her tight waist and plump butt. The slits also allowed a peek at her sensual thighs.

No matter where you look, I’m a highly desired woman for any man, you see? Yukishiro indirectly told Takuya by showing off her body.

“We’re done. I’m going to go to sleep.”

“Thank you kindly for giving me some of your time. Please have a good night.”

Yukishiro bowed gracefully and left the room.

‘Not making a move on me because he’s scared of his wife’s privilege’s; he’s a truly pathetic man in this regard.

The state assigns various privileges to a wife in regards to her husband. It’s her duty to guarantee her husband’s livelihood, but that’s only natural, going by the privileges it gains her.

A new problem had reared its head, but she was able to take a peek at Takuya’s heart. As such Yukishiro persuaded herself that tonight’s discussion had been fruitful for her.

════════════•°• ⚠ •°•══════════════

Takuya’s class trip ended as a huge success with no apparent problems. On the last day, Layla’s group arrived in cars to pick up Takuya.

“Takuya-sama♡”

Layla’s sickly-sweet voice filled the front yard.

“Yo, I’ll be in your care.”

“Yes♡ Well then, let us all be off♡”

“Eh?”

Behind Layla waited several cars. And not only Takuya, but the other guys, who had accompanied him on this trip, all headed to those cars.

“W-Wait a moment!” A boy’s direct affiliate shouted towards the cars. “W-Why is Naoya-sama going with you!?”

“Ah, my bad,” Takuya addressed the girl, “I’m going to borrow everyone for a little while.”

“No way! I didn’t hear anything about this!”

“Oh? Didn’t I tell you? Well, it doesn’t really matter, does it? You were able to spend a long time together in this place. Even guys, you see, will sometimes feel caged in, if they’re together with the same woman all the time. Even if she might be his beloved. Isn’t it fine to give your guy a bit of breathing room?”

The direct affiliate’s face turned red and she looked quite pissed by Takuya’s sudden berating. Regardless of Takuya being a man, it completely lacked common sense to pull something like this off without consulting the direct affiliate beforehand.

Yukishiro reprimanded Takuya without a moment’s delay

“Takuya-sama, making plans without informing the direct affiliates in advance is too high-handed.”

“That’s why I told you now, didn’t I? Or what? Is it wrong for us to have a trip among ourselves?”

“That’s not the issue here.”

The presence of Layla’s group was the issue. If it really was just men…well, realistically that’s impossible though.

If it’s something like enjoying a vacation without the indirect and direct affiliates being around, it’s no problem as long as they get their direct affiliates to arrange for women to take care of the men. But, it was unthinkable that the direct affiliates could allow their boys to be taken along by just Layla and her group.

Moreover, Layla and her friends were women from Mir. This made the problem even worse.

“Well, I’m not forcing anyone, you know? Hey, what do you guys want to do? If you dislike coming with me, you’re free to go back, too.”

The men looked at each other. Their direct affiliates immediately ran up to them and told them to give up on the idea.

“If you desire to go on a trip with Takuya-sama, we will prepare everything so that there won’t be any problems.”

“Please, please reconsider departing here and now. After checking that there are no issues with the destination, I will personally send you off while having someone from the main family come with you.”

Some boys changed their mind due to the appeals by their direct affiliates.

“Takuya-kun, sorry. I can’t go.”

“Sure, no need to push things. Even if you join in later, we’ll welcome you.”

“Thanks!”

But, some boys didn’t change their mind.

“It’s no big deal. Don’t selfishly decide on what I should or should not do.”

“But!”

“Now, now. You see that Naoya isn’t being forced. I’ll properly take care of him, so don’t worry.”

Takuya said to a girl, who was trying to chase after her boy despite his refusal, while the boys climbed into the cars.

Yukishiro was about to stop Takuya.

However.

Paaaang

Takuya slapped the butts of Emily and Monika, who he had been holding in both arms. Not caressing or fondling, but slapping. The two girls smiled happily.

Watching that, Yukishiro froze.

“Anyway, we’re off now!”

“”Let’s go♡””

Holding Emily and Monika, Takuya headed towards the car with Layla. Right before boarding it, he slapped the two girls’ butts once more, and then he climbed in while cheerfully laughing together with them.

While watching the cars leave, Yukishiro considered how she should apologize to the fuming girls.

════════════•°• ⚠ •°•══════════════

On the other hand, Takuya, squeezed in between Emily and Monika, said to Layla in front with a serious voice, “There’s a place I want to go to for a bit. Please take care of the other guys while I’m over there.”

“As you wish♡”

Support us on Patreon & read ahead!

...

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.