It Seems That the Word Cute Was a Deadly Poison to the Girls Who Were Despised as Ugly Women in a World Where Beauty and Ugliness Are Inverted
Yuma changed into his shoes at the shoe locker and was walking slowly through the school building with his classmates.
After climbing the stairs, a little further down the hallway, Yuma saw the plate he remembered – [2-B].
When he came to the classroom, Yuma suddenly thought.
(……It’s not so much a memory, it’s more like my body is already moving on its own.)
Habits are sometimes more deeply ingrained than memories.
He realize this once again.
“I’ve arrived! Oh, no. I didn’t do my homework. ……!”
“Really? The teacher will get mad at me again.
“
“Are you okay, Yuma? Did you do your homework?
“
“……, just in case.”
“Can I trust you? Yuma is such a clumsy guy~”
As Yuma stepped into the classroom amidst the casual exchanges, he smiled naturally so as not to disrupt the atmosphere.
But inside, he was not at all at ease.
(…Isn’t this weird? The girl is clearly the only one who stands out…but no one says anything.)
My classmates who had already arrived at school were happily chatting and laughing in their own groups.
The topics of conversation were about changing cosmetics or the hottest sweets in the neighborhood, and if you didn’t listen carefully, it would even seem like a normal classroom scene.
Among them, the loudest laughter came from the girls, who were obviously plump in appearance.
The leader among them, Onodera Honoka, raised her voice.
“Hey, look at me. My dark circles have been getting really dark lately. Every time I look in the mirror, I get excited.
”
Onodera smiles with a hand mirror in her hand.
Her gestures and voice are calm and innocent. However, her remarks were steeped in the distortion of beauty in this world.
“Ehhh~, as expected of Honoka! She looks more mature with deep shadows under her eyes, after all!
“
“That’s so true! In this day and age, girls who are on the edge of their prime are more beautiful than those who look healthy!”
Even the boys nearby nodded their heads and laughed, saying, “Onodera really has a high sense of beauty, doesn’t she?”
An illusion of a stomach churning pain struck Yuma, but he did not show it on his face.
(……I’ll just have to get used to it, huh?)
Although it was only a school day, Yuma was determined to go to his seat as if he were going to a war zone.
The seat at the very back of the classroom, by the window. He puts his bag on the seat he remembers and slowly sits down.
“Oh, Yuma. Good morning.
”
he looked up at the soft voice and saw Onodera Honoka standing there with a neat smile on her face.
Reddish-black blotches appeared on her cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. Her pores are prominent and her skin is flaky and partially peeling.
Still, she was a girl who was celebrated as a symbol of beauty in this classroom.
Despite – or perhaps because of – her appearance, which Yuma’s common sense could never approve of.
Her smile even made her look like an imposing winner.
“Good morning, Onodera-san.”
“You were absent yesterday, weren’t you? Are you okay now?
“
“Yes, I’m fine. I just had a slight fever, so I’m fine now.
”
It was just a conversation with a friend.
But the feeling of discomfort slowly spreading in Yuma’s mind was much stronger than the lingering scent of a fever, quietly eating away at his heart.
The classroom was filled with lighthearted voices, unaware of Yuma’s inner thoughts.
“Hey, those two together really make a picture, don’t they? I thought they were on the cover of a magazine!
~”
“Both Honoka and Kanna-kun have really great looks. I’d like to take a photo.”
“Dammit, Kanna! switch places with me..!”
The air in the classroom is a mixture of admiration, envy, and somewhat frivolous jealousy.
The noise only reached Yuuma’s ears like a distant noise.
“…… everyone’s watching, right?”
“…… yeah.”
“Are you nervous? Don’t push yourself.”
“I’m fine. I was just thinking about something.
”
The conversation with Onodera also did not reach Yuma’s ears.
(I’ll have to get used to it, or I’ll break.)
He never thought being the only “foreigner” would be so painful.
Just as Yuma lowered his gaze to his desk, the classroom door suddenly opened.
With a snap, the conversation stops.
The air in the classroom instantly becomes tense, and all the students’ gazes are drawn to the front of the room.
Entering the room was a dark-haired girl.
Her long, lustrous hair slicked back from her shoulders, and the skirt of her school uniform swayed quietly in the wind.
Her arms and legs were supple and toned, and she had an eye-catching, well-proportioned style.
Above all, her well-shaped face naturally drew Yuma’s gaze.
Karei Mashiro
Although she was a member of this classroom, she was a girl with a different kind of beauty that changed the temperature of the place just by being there.
At that moment, Yuma’s heart rippled very slightly.
(……cute. Even in my previous world, I had never seen such a beautiful girl.)
But beside his admiration, the air in the classroom rapidly and visibly cooled.
And then, one after another, voices that sounded as if they were vomiting echoed out.
“Tch, Karei. Don’t show yourself.”
“How can she come to school with that face and style? If it were me, I would really shut myself in.”
“Good morning, Karei san. Can you please not show your face too much?
Scoffs, sneers, and sighs.
While everyone was throwing insults at each other, only Yuma was caught up in her beauty.
She bites her lip hard without raising her voice, despite being bombarded with one heartless word after another.
With a downcast look, she averted her gaze, walked quietly to the seat next to Yuma, and sat down without making a sound.
“Homeroom is about to start, so I’ll be back.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“……Yuma kun, let’s talk again.”
Onodera’s words were gentle and her smile was soft.
But as she was leaving, she looked at Karei for a moment.
The cold, expressionless profile of Onodera returned quietly to her seat.
“Good morning, Karei san.”
Yuma called out in the calmest tone of voice he could muster.
She reacted with a twitch as she sat down next to him.
Karei’s shoulders shook slightly, and she slowly turned toward him, her eyes widening.
It was as if to say that there was no way she would be called upon.
No, no, no. If she was called, it would only be with a cold sneer.
“…….”
Her lips trembled slightly and she could not speak.
Still, there was a definite tinge of agitation in her eyes.
Before Yuma could look for the rest of the words, a chime sounded to announce 8:30.
At the same time, the door at the front of the classroom rattles open.
“Okay, everyone take your seats. Homeroom will begin~”
Sasanami Yuzuha , the homeroom teacher, stands at the teacher’s table, her voice echoing lightly.
Dressed in a black suit, she has long, swaying brown hair, slit eyes, and a well-defined figure.
Her ample bosom and tight waistline are sure to catch anyone’s attention.
At first glance, she appeared to be a perfect, beautiful teacher with a hint of sex appeal.
However, the air in the classroom did not react to her appearance.
In fact, they even exchanged cold glances.
“Sasanami-sensei, you are wearing a self-satisfied fashion today as well.”
“Why don’t you look in the mirror and try again?”
A heartless voice was quietly heard from the front row.
However, Sasanami-sensei did not change her expression at all and opened the attendance sheet with a smile on her face.
(I wonder if this person is also on the side …… that has been denied being beautiful.)
Yuma gently looked away while Karei did not even move her body next to him.
With Sasanami-sensei’s order, homeroom began gently, and as if to continue, the day’s classes opened.
The subjects and content themselves are not much different from what he remembers from his previous life.
However, only the “beauty” depicted in the textbooks was decidedly out of whack.
The heroines of the stories and the great figures of history were all praised for their unbearable appearance.
Every time he turned the page, Yuma let out a small breath.
─ ─ More than knowledge, common sense is destroyed.
Right now, the priority is to keep a low profile and pretend to be adaptable.
He told himself this as he ran his pen over his notebook.
“Good work. See you tomorrow.”
As soon as sixth period ended and homeroom was closed, Sasanami-sensei lightly waved her hand and left the classroom.
As if to replace her, the voices of the students began to rustle and the sound of chairs being pulled out spread throughout the classroom.
“Hey Yuuma, do you want to go home with me?”
“Me too, I’ve actually been waiting for you since a while ago!”
“Eh, unfair!! You should mix me in too!”
Several men and women gather around Yuma, as they should.
“I’m going home alone today. I’m not feeling well yet, so I wanted to take it easy.”
“I see. Take it easy.”
“I’ll see you next time, when you’re feeling better!”
“Take care of yourself! You need to get some rest when you get home, okay~?”
“I mean, it’s so quiet without Yuma. Come back soon.”
Yuuma declines with a light chuckle.
There’s no harshness in his tone. However, behind his smile is a quiet refusal to let anyone step on him.
(……I want to be alone. I want to breathe a little without talking to anyone.)
As Yuma started to walk out of the classroom, a shadow quickly appeared in front of him.
Standing in his way was a dark-haired girl named Karei.
“I’d like to ask you a few questions, Kamina-kun.”
Her voice was quiet, but still had a core to it.
Her straight eyes pierced Yuuma squarely in the face.
“……What’s wrong?”
When Yuuma responded without hiding his confusion, Karei, without taking her eyes off him, lightly adjusted the bag she was holding.
“I don’t want to talk here. Let’s move to another place.”
“What, um, …… Karei san?”
He instinctively looked around and saw that the classmates who remained in the classroom were turning their eyes towards Yuuma and the others.
He could feel a hushed atmosphere starting to form nearby and growing.
“……What is it?”
Her gaze was unwavering.
“You’re really conspicuous. The current situation… it’s probably even more flashy than you’d think.”
“Does that have anything to do with me?”
“…… no, but it doesn’t.”
“Then you’re in the clear. Let’s get going.”
As soon as she said that, Karin took Yuuma’s hand without any hesitation and led him out of the classroom.
Yuuma was shocked and almost stopped in his tracks, but she continued walking straight down the hallway with no sign of slowing down.
(Wait, what? Was Karei such a pushy person? I mean, I want to go home alone!)
Karei did not even turn around and took Yuma away without a word
Maiasa