Whispers of a Rare Man
"But Sihoo, you're really tall. I've hardly ever seen anyone taller than me in my life."
"Is that so. I've seen plenty taller than me."
"Really? Do you know any large beastkin types?"
"Nah, just regular humans."
"Huh? There are humans like that? That's amazing... Ah, I mean, it's just so surprising...! Not that I'm discriminating by race or anything...!"
"I know."
As expected, Maria was kind and sociable. Even though we were strangers, she'd helped me throw out the trash and smoothly kept the conversation going like a total people person. Meanwhile, I—looking every bit the loner—was spitting out stiff replies, old habits from my past life included.
She didn't seem bothered by how rude I might come off; I was just grateful. Word was, her personality meant she knew everyone in the apartment. That's probably why she'd approached the new face out of curiosity.
Chatting with her taught me a bit about this world. As I'd sensed from her horns, it was different from the one I'd known—not a completely alien worldview, but the rules felt shifted. Actually, it had more in common with my previous world.
For starters, it wasn't just humans here; there were all sorts of races, like in that other place. Maria was a cow beastkin working at a milk farm. The apartment housed various races too, plus some with special abilities. Apparently, it was a government project making it beastkin-friendly.
I'd been a little thrown at first, but it worked out fine. After over ten years rubbing shoulders with other races in my past life, adapting was no issue.
In that sense, talking to Maria was an unexpected bonus. Still, as the conversation dragged on and fatigue set in, I figured it was time to wrap up and head inside.
That's when Maria suddenly pressed her body against mine. A sweet, nutty milk scent tickled my nose, and the soft touch made my body freeze solid. Then, as if sharing a secret just for me, her whispering voice slipped into my ear.
"But Sihoo, have you heard the rumor?"
"...Rumor?"
"A little while ago, a new resident moved into the apartment. Word is... they're a man."
"...And?"
"What do you mean 'and'? A man's moved in! The only thing more shocking would be the end of the world!"
What was the big deal? It wasn't like they'd found aliens. Half the world was men, half women, right?
But Maria's next words shattered that assumption.
"If the rumor’s true, ours would be the only apartment around here with a man. There aren't even a hundred men in our whole district."
What the hell? Had men gone extinct here or something? I wanted to ask what was going on, but I didn't want to seem weird. Still, something felt off from what she'd said. If men were that rare, she should've been shocked when she first saw me, not friendly.
Wait... did that mean the "new male resident" she'd been talking about this whole time was...
"Maria. Did you think I was a woman until now?"
"Huh? Of course. You look like a reliable woman no matter how I see it."
"...Hypothetically. What if I said I was actually a man?"
"Huh? Well, that wouldn't happen, but if you were... I'd be hauled off to jail right now? Men usually sue women for sexual harassment just for talking to them."
"I see."
This world was even more twisted than I'd imagined.
"...The world's finally gone mad."
Was this really considered common sense? The more I dug, the more absurd it got—speechless, really. Though, thinking back, my old world wasn't much different. It was already crazy then too.
But a gender-reversed world? Straight out of some niche novel I'd skimmed during my hikikomori days.
The male-to-female ratio here was thousands to one—an extreme fempoc phenomenon. Men were treated like rare sights women might glimpse once in a lifetime. And that made their absurd privileges feel normal.
On paper, it sounded like paradise for a guy like me. The old loner Kang Sihoo might've just rolled with it, no questions asked.
But as Targon, having lived through that other life, I knew better. If things kept going like this, the men here would go extinct before long.
I was sure because my previous world had a similar issue: the endless wars. Racial divides sparking constant fights between species. Eldrion—that was my old world's name.
Eldrion was a heterorace society, but instead of mingling, everyone despised other races. Meetings turned to brawls, sometimes full wars. Even same-species infighting was common. Hell, the Earth Warriors who'd taken me in were at war with nearby clans when I arrived.
No one knew when it started or when it'd end—hence, endless wars. Of course, it was all resolved nicely now, letting me return here.
"This time it's gender conflict, huh."
Honestly, it felt even more hopeless than Eldrion. One side was so outnumbered, it was worse.
Unlike that world's constant brawls, here women pampered men—what was the problem? But how long could that last? Hell, it might already be cracking.
Why did men get this treatment? Because they were great? For humanity's reproduction? Wrong. It was only because the vast majority of women allowed it.
If they decided to tip the scales even slightly, men wouldn't stand a chance—they'd be swept away. Then they'd face worse than Eldrion's slaves.
And those sparks might already be igniting.
If time kept passing like this, things would only get worse. And with the stakes this high, there was only one solution: fix the men's arrogant mindset, improve relations with women.
The best way? Reciprocate the favors they'd given—give women what they wanted most.
And what this world's women craved from men more than anything was...
A quick skim of the internet showed just how thirsty they were for men themselves. Meeting one was so rare, their wishes stayed pretty modest overall.
As a former loner, I got it—sympathized, even. Deep down, part of me wanted to fulfill every last one of their dreams.
'Huh? But Sihoo looks like a reliable woman no matter how you see it.'
Like Maria said, I apparently came off more womanly than manly here. Checking photos of other men, most were way smaller and daintier than me—apparently the standard.
So even if I approached women looking like this, would they see me as a real man? It left me too intimidated to make the first move.
The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. Then, out of nowhere, a line from an Eldrion friend popped into my head.
'Targon, you worry too much! So eat! Eat a ton! Fill your gut and the worries fly away! Still not enough? Step outside. I'll train you till you never worry again—till you drop dead!'
What a barbaric memory to surface now. But it was exactly what I needed.
Yeah. Food first. Stomach was growling anyway.
Did I even have money at home?
..
"H-Huh...! Y-Yes...! Th-this is fate...♡! F-Finally... met you...! My prince...! H-Huhihihit...♡!"