Chapter 19: Anger.

Translated and Edited by: ynlucca.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

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The immediate problem is how to get the officers to withdraw their proposals.

I just came here to ask for my unemployment insurance and to look for a new job, so how did I even end up in this situation? Ugh, I guess when one problem is solved, another comes to take its place.

Honestly, if it were a decision that only affected my life, I would just do anything at random. However, as the lives of these officers are at stake, I can’t just do that. Throwing the rest of someone else’s life away is absolutely something I abhor.

“It’s something they said on their own, so there’s no need to be so anxious about it,” seeing me so upset my eyes met the floor, Shu admonished me.

“I… I don’t want this. It was for a short time, but they were kind enough to me and, well, I just don’t want them to live the rest of their lives unhappy. I’d feel guilty.”

Not only would my not answering their feelings make them sad, but the worst part would also be to lose any chance of marriage in the future with anyone else. I need to get them to withdraw the proposal somehow.

“I don’t mean to scare you myself, but you’re not worried about those girls following you around or anything like that, are you…?” Tama muttered in surprise.

I don’t care about myself. This is the life I’ve been living up until now. More important than that, I need to come up with a solution for this issue.

“But, marriage is one way to think about it…”

“Why?”

Tama suggesting marriage was something I did not expect. Wasn’t she super pissed off earlier?

“It’s because we can’t help you if you suddenly get attacked,” she continued.

“That’s true… We can’t touch humans…” Shu agreed.

That is probably the reason why they were so vocal and angry earlier. Aren’t they just being too overprotective?

“If you were attacked and humiliated right in front of me, I would find a way to destroy this whole country. Not a single piece of rubble would remain,” threatened Shu.

“Ugh, just imagining it happen is enough to break my mind… Argh… I’d definitely become an evil god,” Tama put a hand to her forehead.

They said such absurd things with serious looks on their faces. Is it something to worry about so much? I mean, I’ve managed to live up until now.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine, there’s nothing to worry about,” I reassured the two.

“What makes you say it’ll be fine?! This isn’t something to laugh at! Don’t do that!” Tama puffed her cute cheeks in a pout.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. I mean, I’ve dodged women countless times before.”

“Huh? Y–You’ve been attacked before?! Even though you were hated?”

“Eh? It’s because they hated me, no?”

Tama titled her head after our exchange. Erm… I don’t think we are on the same page. Thinking so, I tried to figure out a way to explain my old situation, but as I was racking my brains, I heard a knock at the door. Seems like the chiefs had returned.

“Let’s think of a way to gently make them back out of that proposal! That’s the main issue!”

“That’s not something you can do gently…”

I can’t give up, there’s got to be a way! —Ah, yes! The oracle! After that a-ha moment, I turned to Shu.

“By the way, the oracle said it’s impossible,” she was two steps ahead.

“Huh?”

Really?

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Dekiri handed me a stack of papers. If I signed them, I would get all my benefits paid to me. I got that much from her explanation, but why were there papers starting with “Dear Mikuni-san” mixed in with the bunch?

Finding the section chief’s letter mixed in surprised me as well, and what’s more, the contents were extremely dirty.

Every letter started with their names, heights, weights, ages, favorite foods, and even more personal info such as their home address and every contact info they had.

As for Akagami’s letter, she had also written down her erogenous zones. What was I supposed to do with that information, huh? I also saw that the back of her letter was a strong statement of love for me. It was handwritten and colorful.

However, Marui-san’s letter was… odd. I mean, why was she writing about your kinks?

I stopped reading their letters as soon as I reached Chikuni’s incomprehensible ramblings on rice balls made with her armpits.

Still, every one of those letters was cute in comparison to the section chief’s… It was a love letter and a small envelope containing a credit card and a little slip of paper with a PIN and a few words written on it.

“Feel free to use it. With this, I can connect with you, Mikuni-san…”

I’m scared.

I don’t know if I can accept this… When I tried to warn her I couldn’t indulge, I saw her licking her lips with a vacant expression on her face and ended up not saying anything. Her expression was the incarnation of insanity itself, and her eyes were an intoxicated haze.

This is a horror film…

In the end, I decided to put off the problem and just apply for the benefits before anything else. After this is done, I’ll take my time to persuade the girls from doing this.

It’s okay, they’ll understand… Probably.

“Are you running away from reality?”

Oh, I want to.

Ignoring Tama’s retort, I began filling out the materials at hand.

“Then please fill in this section with your account number, right-justified,” Dekiri indicated where to fill the form while matching the speed of my writing.

I don’t have an account number or a bankbook, so I’ll have to ask her for help. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a bank account. Could I get the amount in cash?”

“In cash? Director~! Did we have the option to switch the payment to cash?” She turned to the director of the bureau.

“There are not many precedents, but I think it’ll pass. The mayor will approve it, won’t she?”

“I’ll do it. I will do it. I shall definitely do it.”

The mayor emphasized, which only made me realize these people around me were all important and held a lot of authority… Though it’s hard to forget due to all the crazy stuff they say.

However, it seemed that the cash payment would require approval from the Storks side, so she asked me to be present for a follow-up meeting after this. There was no reason for me to refuse, so I nodded.

Oh, the Storks people were here too… I keep forgetting stuff, don’t I?

“We’ve kept them waiting for a little too long… Akagami, could you go get them for me?”

“Understood.”

The section chief instructed Akagami to call the Storks in the other room.

We had kept them waiting for almost two hours, so I hope they’re not angry. All in all, I think they’ll probably offer me to join… Hmm, I guess I’ll make up a story as I go while considering it. I just don’t want to get married. Tama and Shu don’t want me to either, despite what they said.

I’ll try to quickly persuade the officers.

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“Nice to meet you~ I’m happy to finally be here~ Ah, here’s my card!” A short-cut woman with slanted eyes handed me her business card. She gave me an impression of aloofness and a cheerful smile. But on her card, however, she had the title of Storks branch manager. That woman was more powerful than she let on, and that made me nervous.

Next to the branch manager sat another woman from Storks, the legal director. The legal department was in charge of anything pertaining to the law, but… they may also use the two duties of man to urge me to join them…

Two against one wasn’t good. If I don’t toughen up, they’ll make me sign it.

Seeing me nervous and tense, the branch manager rubbed up against me, wondering what I had misunderstood.

“Mikuni-san’s right to be angry~ Really, what did you do to such a good young man?”

Anger…?

Maybe they’re under the impression I’m still mad at the falsification of the family register earlier?

“Mikuni-san, don’t worry! We’ll sue them for your rights!”

While I hesitated and shuffled around wondering where to start explaining, the Storks manager took her eyes off me and turned to Dekiri and the others.

“Prepare yourselves. We’ll take you to jail for this. Our legal department is strong~”

She glared and spit out words of disdain, yet her anger was even more dignified and mighty than the section chief’s. Dekiri turned pale at the sight of that angry scowl.

“No, I, um… We’ve apologized to Mikuni-san, and, w-we’ve received his forgiveness… I, I hope you’ll spare us the trouble of a legal lawsuit as well…”

“What? Oh, I wasn’t sure what to expect of you, but to even scare him into giving you forgiveness?”

“N, no! We did no such thing! We apologized with utmost sincerity, and he’s forgiven us!”

“Even if you say that it doesn’t change the fact you’ve committed a crime. We also suffered because we couldn’t get Mikuni-san to join us, don’t you see?”

The manager then asked the head of the legal department to speak, and she put it bluntly and coldly. “Simply, it’s obstruction of mediation services. Your crime of obstructing the law’s mission is grave. Even if he’s forgiven you, we won’t.”

“Well, that’s all there is to it. There’s nothing more to talk about, so you can go home. The police will come to talk to you soon,” the manager waved her hand and gestured for them to leave.

“T, that’s…” Dekiri clenched the application form for my benefits which she was holding in her hand and froze in sheer despair. Her lips quivered as she tried to counter her, but words couldn’t come out of her mouth. Instead, a flurry of tears dampened the form.

It must’ve been tough for her, who was relieved after getting her hopes up. The same went for the other officers behind her, as they were getting paler by the second.

The section chief was especially bad though. She fell down with her head in her hands, baffled.

Just a few minutes ago, everyone was smiling and laughing.

…And I feel sorry for them.

Can one really decide another’s life that easily? I’m the victim of this whole situation, and I forgave each and every one of them, so nothing else must happen in this situation. The manager said the Storks also suffered from it, but all they wanted was to mediate my marriage with someone else.

That’s enough.

As I was searching for words to argue back, the Storks manager ignored Dekiri’s crying and turned to talk to me.

“Come to think of it, we did a background check on you and found out you only graduated from middle school, right? Why is it that your younger and older sister got higher education, but not you, I wonder?”

“…Because life was hard.”

I recall my mother telling me to get a job because we had no money. Well, I hated studying so I didn’t mind getting one.

“Life was hard…? I guess we’ll have to talk with your family, too.”

“If what you’re saying is true, it’s a very serious case of abuse. I think he needs protection.”

My answer clearly changed the atmosphere, and the two members of Storks got a sharp glint in their eyes.

What the hell? Why is the air suddenly like this?

“Tsune-kun… Listen to what I’ll tell you… Men should have free tuition until college. Moreover, education is compulsory up until high school, to begin with…” Shu whispered in my ear.

Mom?! That’s not what I heard! Did she even know school was free for me?!

“He’s a beautiful boy, yet they didn’t educate him well… Unfit parents. We’ll have the scum pay the price for such a heinous crime.”

“Family, huh? It’s a violation of men’s rights. They should just drop dead.”

Isn’t she overreacting?

I mean, it’s true I’ve been through a lot, but I don’t think someone I just met has the right to belittle my family. I mean, what is all even about in the first place? This aggressiveness, this self-righteousness…

Unconsciously, I clenched my fists. The grip only got tighter by the moment.

“Tsune-chan… Are you okay?” Tama looked anxious.

Come to think of it, I didn’t feel this way when Tama and Shu were mad at my sister… So I wonder, why do I feel so sick to my stomach with the Storks?

“Shall we investigate Mikuni-san’s family later?”

“Yes. Now, why don’t we… Hm? What are these papers titled, ‘Dear Mikuni-san?’”

Whether she knew how I was feeling or not, she picked up the love letters of the section chiefs that had been gathered on the table. S**t, I forgot to clean up… I had too much on my hands and didn’t get around to it.

If that thing is seen by others, the position of these officers will become unsavory at best. I need to divert their attention.

“W, well, I wrote it as a hobby… I, I’m not popular, so I fantasize about it a lot…”

“How can that even be possible? Mikuni-san, shut up for a minute.”

She found out it was a lie right away. Why isn’t it possible?

“Oh, it’s a given she’d find out…” Tama said.

“Tsune-kyun…”

What’s up with that follow-up honorific, Shu?

The branch manager, who ignored my pleas, shifted her gaze toward the section chiefs.

“Is this yours?”

“…”

No one answered her question. Actually, it would be more accurate to say no one could answer. Inside those papers were their heartfelt confessions, and it would surely affect their future marriage prospects. For that reason, it was hard to even say a word back.

“Silence is also an affirmation. Three proposals mean 3 stocks.”

Upon hearing the branch manager’s words, the legal director expressed her admiration. “Excellent. With your looks paired with your stock of 3, Mikuni-san, even subtracting your academic credentials, you’d definitely be Rank A.”

“Oh~? Rank A? The members will be happy.”

Stock 3? Rank A? What does any of that even mean?

“At Storks, the number of times you’re confessed to by a woman is indicated by a stock, and it’s counted to measure the rank of a man in the organization’s ladder,” Shu explained from behind me.

I didn’t have to turn around to know she was probably using her oracle.

“Incidentally, it seems Rank A refers to the best men, and there are only a couple dozen among the Storks ranks.”

She then went on to mutter I’d be Rank S instead, which I heard, and continued.

“Since these are rare men, Storks will only introduce them to women who donate more than 50,000,000 yen every year.” (T/N: 366k freedom eagles.)

Donations? W, what’s…

“I also just found out that when you join the Storks there are rules imposed on you. Basically, a man who’s part of the organization must not marry a woman who isn’t introduced to you via them… In short, they control who you’re able to marry.”

Huh?

Does this mean that if I join this organization, I can only marry a high donor of Storks? Then what about the chiefs behind me?

They’ll… use their proposals… only to boost me…?

“If you end up affiliated with Storks, Tsune-kun, it’s certain those girls will end up single for the rest of their lives. They won’t be able to pay the required 50 million yen a year… When you think about it, it is a pity indeed.”

Shu muttered sadly, and Tama concurred: “At least if you had rejected them directly, they’d be able to give up before it was too late…”

Their confessions, which are things that could absolutely ruin a woman’s life, would only be used as “points” for my rank…

Because they decided to confess to me, they’ll never be able to marry for the rest of their lives, living in absolute solitude…

—Wait.

I realized things were moving in a horrible direction and rushed to stop the manager.

“H, hey! That’s what I wrote! Akagami-san and the other had nothing to do with it!”

“Hahaha! You’re so good with jokes, Mikuni-san. There is no way a man could write something like this.”

“Guh… I, in any case, pretend they never happened! If this stuff gets out, they’ll end up in trouble!”

“Hm? Oh, you’re so protective! Still, if it’s about them, stop caring. They got what they deserved.”

“Ha?”

What is she on about!? What does she care?! She doesn’t give a single s**t to their lives! They all depend on this very moment!

“But Mikuni-san! Rank A is a great thing to be! There’s a lot of preferential treatment, so look forward to it! Well, it’s the first Rank A we’ll have in our branch, isn’t he?”

She turned to the legal head, who nodded her head happily.

“Ufufu… I look forward to our next assessment.”

W, what are these people even…

Assessment?! Under these circumstances? They must have brain rot or something! I mean, look at the chiefs… All of them have their heads downcast, and depressed. The happy atmosphere from before might as well have never existed; only a sad shadow remained.

It was the first time I saw another drowning in despair…

Huh? What’s this…? I felt my mood dropping to the floor and my heart tightening, being dyed in black.

…Ah… I see. That’s how it is. I get it now.

The reason I got irritated by these two members of Storks when they talked about my family is that they were never once worried about me… They were angry because their interests were being thwarted.

All the Storks were mad for was the fact I wasn’t a part of their circlejerk…

However, that wasn’t the case for Shu and Tama. They were never cunning or calculating in their behavior, only getting angry in my behalf because they cared.

There was true kindness within the two…

In fact, they both stopped saying bad things about my family as soon as they realized I wasn’t comfortable with it. They even stopped calling my sister a sl*t or whatever it was… They understood how I felt about my family.

The two goddesses were not like the Storks organization.

The clenching of my fists grew even stronger, and I could feel the prickle of my fingernails.

I must refuse them. Not arguing back means the lives of everyone in this room will be over. I have to avoid that situation, but… I’m only an idiot, so my words never come out right. Moreover, I couldn’t put my thoughts in the right order as blood rushed to my head.

I need to do something!

I need to say something!

“Tsune-chan, you don’t like these guys?” Tama’s voice echoed in my head. Her gentle tone fizzled out the gargling of blood and anger in my head. It’s as if all the confusion swirling inside me was a lie all along, and I could finally think clearly.

—Yes. That’s right. I don’t like them one bit.

I hate what they’ve said and done.
I hate that they made Dekiri cry.
I hate that they’ve belittled my family.
And I hate that they violated the feelings of the people behind me.

I found one of the things I abhor most in this life is when people approach me and pretend to care, all while doing the opposite. How could they do this to the officers right here? They are women too, so they should know how they feel…

With my head in the right place, I nodded so that Tama could see. I’d never shown disgust so clearly before. For my whole life and despite all that’s happened to me, I always played it by the book. Never once did I ever feel such a deep-seated disgust toward someone before… Not when I was beaten, fired, humiliated, and even kicked off my own house.

I had never been this angry, so I have to thank you for this experience—Though I wasn’t happy at all.

“Just to make sure, you want to help the chief, the redhead, and the other behind you?”

I nodded again.

“You… wouldn’t join the storks?”

Never! I nodded once more.

“I see.”

Tama and Shu stood side by side with me, and I glared down at the Storks manager with the coldest expression my face could physically manage.

“I was going to encourage you to join the Storks until I saw that look on your face… This is impossible,” Tama noted.

“To be honest, they deserve it, but… Yeah, your kindness doesn’t suit the Storks at all, Tsune-kun,” Shu put in her own two cents.

“The Storks are stupid. If only they hadn’t said and done the unnecessary, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s too late. Tsune-kun’s enemy is our enemy.”

Then Shu took a deep breath and clearly said:

“Let them know that, dear.”

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T/N: Oh damn! Time for the protagonist to stand up!

Before anyone else says anything, the MC’s a bit slower mentally most likely due to the fact his education only went as fas middle school. Still, he’s putting in the effort to understand the things around him and to make his own decisions.

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