Chapter 1: A Reversed World, But Isn't This a Bit Much?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1: A Reversed World, But Isn't This a Bit Much?
It was after I hit my head at the National Basic Education Institute at the age of five that I realized I was a reincarnator. I had been injured at the institution—a place strictly managed by the state, filled only with young boys and staffed by male teachers.
The reason for my injury was trivial: I was the male teacher’s favorite. The kid who pushed me was my only friend in the class. For the record, there were only two of us in the class, including myself.
“Yong-hwan, are you okay? Mommy doesn't know what she'd do without you…. Sob… hic…”
My memories of my past life and my current life were tangled together, making me blink blankly in a dizzying haze.
I heard a voice calling my name. Or rather, was it the sound of wailing?
As I turned my head, a pair of massive breasts greeted me.
“Yong-hwan, are you okay? You’re alright, aren't you?”
The breasts were talking to me. I instinctively answered the familiar, large bosom. Meanwhile, a name tag caught my eye.
Ame Cal Degrain. It was a very sophisticated and cool-sounding name.
“Yeah, I’m okay, Mama….”
Mama? Before I could even be surprised by the word that tumbled out of my mouth, the breasts suddenly lunged toward me.
A pleasant scent, similar to the phytoncide one might smell in a forest, filled my nose. I felt the warmth of maternal love pressing against my cheek, along with a faint, lingering scent of milk.
A perfect score. 100 out of 100. These breasts were top-tier.
“Really? Truly? You’re really okay, Yong-hwan?”
Her name was Ame Cal Degrain, so I wanted to ask why my name was Yong-hwan. I was also curious to see the face of whatever cursed bastard had come up with my name.
Because my head hurt, my stream of consciousness was a mess. As the breasts moved away, I could finally see my mother’s face.
“Wow….”
“Yong-hwan…?”
Green eyes brimming with tears, long platinum-blonde hair, and ears that looked pointed. An elf, the kind you’d only see in novels, was right in front of me.
“Mama…?”
“Yes, yes, it’s Mama, Yong-hwan. Oh, my poor Yong-hwan. Are you really okay?”
It seemed my memories hadn't fully merged yet. This person was my mother. I had a family. I had an older sister and a younger sibling who had just started walking. Their existences slowly surfaced in my mind.
“Yeah, I’m fine… except my head hurts a little….”
“If anything happened to our Yong-hwan, Mommy would… Mommy would….”
Between the fact that this stunning elven beauty was my mother and the torrent of information rushing into my brain, I was completely overwhelmed.
I gently stroked the head of the elven lady—no, my mother—as she buried her face in my stomach and sobbed, trying to calm her down.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, Mama. There, there. No more tears.”
“Waaaaah!!! Mommy thought something terrible happened to you, hic….”
I started to think it was actually quite cute how this crybaby mother of mine burst into fresh tears just from a little bit of comforting. Was this a side effect of reincarnation? After she had cried for a good while, a nurse sister finally came to pull her away, allowing me some time alone.
My head was still throbbing. The memories of my past life were slowly seeping in, but they were clashing with the fragmentary memories of the child named Yong-hwan. My mother’s name was Ame Cal Degrain, so why was my name Yong-hwan? It was likely my father’s fault. I began to wonder where the hell my dad was and what he was doing while his kid was injured.
It was a hybrid mess of Japanese names, German names, and names from places I didn't even recognize.
Actually, I had no memory of him at all.
“Something… is weird here. Something is….”
Fragmentary memories I had learned at the Basic Education Institute began to surface one by one.
‘Everyone, what do we say when a strange lady comes up and talks to us~?’
A male teacher wearing an apron asked me and the brat next to me in a kind voice.
‘No! I don’t want to! Stop it!’
The brat shouted loudly, and the teacher clapped his hands.
‘And what about our Yong-hwan?’
‘M-my mom is a police officer!’
At my answer, the instructor gave a bitter smile and corrected me.
‘First, you have to say: No! I don’t want to! Stop it! Okay?’
‘Okay~!’
‘Now, shall Si-u and Yong-hwan both try it one more time? I don’t want to! No! Stop it!’
Insane memories began to flood in. They kept clashing with the common sense and general knowledge I possessed, making it feel like my head was going to split open.
—Yesterday, a woman in her 40s was sentenced to three years and six months in prison on charges of sexually harassing a teenage boy….
A news report was playing, though I didn't know who had turned it on. I thought I had heard something bizarre, so my eyes were drawn to the screen. Who harassed whom?
—The woman reportedly claimed it was "love." This is becoming a major social issue, and many feel the sentence is far too light. Panelist, what are your thoughts on this?
A female announcer was leading the discussion.
—While it’s true that men deserve protection, I believe the victim is also somewhat at fault. He was on the subway wearing very revealing clothing; one could say he provoked the crime. We say society is advancing, but how can a man expose so much skin in a public place….
An elderly-looking woman was calmly spouting utter nonsense. I stared at the TV as if possessed.
—Of course, some say it’s the fault of the man who seduced her. But shouldn't we, at the very least, reconsider the state of men’s rights? Especially in the current climate where the role and presence of men in society are steadily shrinking. Our Men’s Rights Promotion Group is working to give more men a voice so they can return as functioning members of society and….
A blonde woman with fox ears on top of her head was sharing her opinion. Behind her, a golden tail swayed gently.
—Our next panel topic is: ‘The Male Quota System: Is it actually effective?’ Companies have hiring plans but are constantly facing labor shortages. Why is that? It’s because of the mandatory quotas imposed on them. In one case, a company planned to hire 200 new employees, but because they couldn't find enough men to satisfy the Male Quota System, they only ended up hiring 20 people. It’s an interesting topic. Our panelists are ready to discuss this. We’ll be back after the break.
It was strange. So incredibly strange. I looked around. I was looking for something. I grabbed the remote next to the bed and changed the channel.
—The red light has been turned on for sperm banks. As semen donations from men continue to decline, a gang has been caught grading men and selling their semen. Acting as brokers, they lured men of "good lineage" with promises of high-paying part-time jobs, then kidnapped them….
What kind of bullshit was this? I changed the channel again.
—For the first time in ten years, a male cadet has finally passed the entrance exam for the Federal Army Military Academy. Let’s see the interview.
A man with a shaved head stood with his chest puffed out.
‘I may be a man, but I want to show that if I work hard, I can do my part just as well as any woman. To my mother, who believed in me and supported my application….’
It was a bizarre interview. I changed the channel.
—A group has been arrested for capturing Orc males and forcing them into prostitution. They were charged with deceiving the Orc men by telling them they could earn money easily and comfortably, then selling them to an island. The Orcs, who lived as sex slaves on the island for three years, are reportedly suffering from extreme mental distress. Doctors say it is unlikely they will be able to lead normal social lives in the future….
My head began to spin. I changed the channel once more.
—The male population is steadily decreasing. According to the National Statistical Office, the ratio of men has dropped to 1 in 20, and the outlook remains bleak. Some argue this is due to the oppressive and discriminatory treatment of men in society, as well as the social phenomenon of avoiding having male children….
The insane stories began to weave together. Finally, I reached a conclusion.
“...A Gender-Reversed World.”
The place where my 2nd Playthrough was beginning was a Gender-Reversed World.
—Amidst rampant sex crimes against men, voices calling for the legislature to enact stronger laws are growing louder. Critics point out that the electronic collars currently placed on female sex offenders are actually hindering their resocialization and encouraging recidivism….
On top of that, it was a Chastity Reversal World.
—An accident occurred where a Drake escaped from the zoo. The species is reported to be a Red Drake. Ah, we have breaking news! The military and police have successfully neutralized the creature. We have an interview with Lieutenant Iseia, a 5th Class Mage. Let’s take a look.
And it was a fantasy world.
I chewed over the details of this insane world. Gender reversal, chastity reversal, and fantasy. I had to slowly figure out how to adapt and live here. Still, since this was my 2nd Playthrough, I felt like I could handle life reasonably well. Or rather, I felt like I could reach the conclusion that 'as long as I play my cards right, I can live happily.'
Just as I was finishing my thoughts...
“Yong-hwan!”
A brat who looked to be in late elementary school, sporting twitching rabbit ears, lunged at me.
“Oof… that hurts… Sis…. Wait, did I just say Sis?”
The title had come out of my mouth instinctively, making me want to double-check it myself.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s your big sister. Sis.”
“Are you okay? I heard your friend pushed you!”
The rabbit-eared girl began frantically touching my face, checking my complexion. My mom was an elf, but my sister was a rabbit beastkin. I wondered how the hell this household even functioned.
What kind of person was my father? Even as I dug through my memories, there was no trace of a man who was a father. However, the memory of my mother with a swollen belly, as if pregnant, did exist.
There was a younger sibling at home. My head started to ache again. The confusion of memories began to weigh down on my mind.
“Yong-hwan, are you okay? Should I call the nurse sister? Huh? Should I?”
“I’m fine… so stop shouting, Sis…. Where’s Dad?”
“Dad…? We don’t have a dad.”
It felt like I had just made a morbidly impious joke to my sister.
“When did Dad… pass away…?”
“What are you talking about? We don’t have a dad to begin with.”
What did I just hear? I wanted to grasp the situation properly, but bringing it up right here and now would be strange. Besides, my head was such a mess that I didn't want to talk anymore.
“Sis… I’m really sleepy… Can I sleep?”
“You can! You can! Hurry up and go night-night! Yes, you have to sleep! Sleeping is the most important thing when you’re hurt!”
She was a sister who took very good care of her younger brother. Still, a beautiful mother and a kind, pretty sister... this 2nd Playthrough didn't seem so bad.
“Sis will sing you a lullaby, so you have to get better soon, okay? Okay?”
“Alright, alright….”
I wasn't sure if the title "Sis" was appropriate for this little snot-nosed kid, but she began to quietly sing a song I had heard a few times before.
Whether it was because my brain was exhausted from the information overload or because the place where I hit my head hadn't fully healed, my consciousness began to slowly sink into the sound of her singing.