633 - I Was Genderswapped and Reincarnated as a Villainess, but I’m Making this My Personal Yuri Game

In the afternoon, while letting the silver clay accessories dry, I found myself lost in thought. Shion's share had to dry first, and then mine, so it's been quite some time already. Shion's taking a long time... "I'm back, Sakuya-sama!" "Ah, welcome back, Shion. You were qui—" I almost said "quite late," but quickly clamped my mouth shut. Those words must not be spoken. It's an insensitive statement. Imagine a young girl visiting a friend's house, having a stomachache, and spending an embarrassing amount of time in the restroom. Even someone as thick-skinned as Shion might feel embarrassed if such a comment were made. Everyone has moments when their stomach doesn't agree with them, and it's a natural thing. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Still, for a girl at that age in someone else's house, it can be quite an uncomfortable topic. Making a careless comment like "you were late" might hurt her feelings. I almost became as insensitive as Ibuki and the others. Being originally a man, I might still have some of that male insensitivity. In fact, I'm still a man! So, these things are somewhat unavoidable. Among men, flatulence might bring laughs, but with girls, it's a different story—a fact I should never forget. "Oh! You've already dried my share, thank you so much!" "Completing yours today was more important." Shion beamed with a bright smile as she looked at the dried silver clay. I could finish my portion later if necessary since I have plenty of other accessories. Today was about practice and exchanging creations, so prioritizing Shion's work was the obvious choice. "Ah? Shion... something's about to fall from your pocket?" As Shion moved to see the dried accessories, some fabric peeked out from her pocket. At first, I thought it was a handkerchief, but something felt off. The frills suggested it might be... "Oh no! Um, thank you!" Hurriedly, Shion shoved the stray fabric back into her pocket. Something was definitely off, but I decided not to pursue it. Yes, because I'm a man who knows how to read the room! It was probably a handkerchief sticking out of Shion's pocket. It wasn't neatly folded, so it looked different than normal. But why would Shion crumple a handkerchief and let it stick out like that? Shion had been in the restroom for quite some time. She must have been anxious to get back quickly and acted hastily. It's understandable why she shoved the handkerchief in her pocket without folding it back neatly. If I were to stupidly dig into this now, it might bring back the topic of her long restroom visit. We've moved on to accessories, and I can't hurt Shion by dragging it back up. Insensitive men might foolishly question things directly, but a capable man like me can deftly overlook it! "Glad you didn’t lose it. Now, let's shape and fire Shion's piece." "Y-Yes! Let's do that!" Even the usually composed Shion seemed flustered by this exchange. It’s up to me to skillfully divert the conversation away from anything uncomfortable! ～～～～～～～ Once we resumed our work, Shion calmed down and focused intently on crafting. At last... "I'm finished!" "It's well done." Shion had crafted a second ring that afternoon, even better than the first one she made earlier. Perhaps the morning trial helped her get the hang of it. As we worked and chatted away, evening crept up on us, signaling it was almost time for Shion to head home. "Let's exchange our pieces, Sakuya-sama! Exchange!" "Alright, alright. No need to rush; the silver clay won’t run away." Smiling wryly at Shion’s enthusiasm, I laid out our creations. I had made three, and Shion, two. We agreed to exchange each other’s work as gifts. "How should we swap them?" "The pieces you made this morning, Sakuya-sama, were intended for me, right? So, I'll take those two, and here are both my rings as a trade!" Hmm... While I'm okay with giving mine away, receiving both rings from Shion might be too much. I'd like her to keep one for herself as a memento of her first creation with silver clay. "I'll be happy to give you the two I made in the morning, but wouldn’t you like to keep one of your rings? It’s a special memory of your first attempt at silver clay, and with two, you could think of one as our shared keepsake..." "Got it! I’ll keep the one I made this morning with me then! It's the first one I crafted and isn’t as nice as the later one. I’d prefer to give you the better one." My words could have easily been misinterpreted as "I don’t want two of your rings," so I carefully chose how to phrase it. Thankfully, Shion didn’t take it that way and simply accepted my suggestion with a smile. From my side, I gave her a ring and a brooch made in the morning, while I received her afternoon ring in return. We each kept one of our self-made pieces as well. "I’ll wear the accessory you made for me every day from now on, Sakuya-sama!" "Well… um… maybe you should be mindful of matching them appropriately… in moderation..." They're simple, amateur-made accessories. Wearing them without consideration for the occasion or outfit might be embarrassing for me as the creator. Depending on the dress or event, suitable choices should vary. If worn discreetly where they can't be seen, that's fine, but not in plain sight. "Hagiwara Shion-sama, it's almost time to leave." "What?!" As Shion and I were exchanging our creations and chatting, Momiji suddenly appeared. While her presence wasn't a problem, her tone when addressing my guest came across as though she were saying "hurry up and leave," which is hardly appropriate behavior for a maid, right? I'd say it's up there with the top things a maid shouldn't do. "Well, it can't be helped... Though I'll miss you, Sakuya-sama, I'll be on my way!" "Uh, okay..." But Shion didn't seem particularly bothered by Momiji's words, brushing it off with a nonchalant expression as she started preparing to leave. Knowing Shion, I half-expected her to protest staying longer or to challenge Momiji for her brusque remark, but today she wasn't quite like that. After tidying up, I walked down the hallway to see Shion off. At that moment, I spotted Toritogiku and Fuki in the distance. Since we were there, I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce them. Normally, for mere maids or etiquette apprentices, I wouldn’t bother with introductions, but given their particular circumstances, it seemed fitting for Shion to know them. "Both of you..." "Toritogiku! Fuki! I'm heading out now! See you later!" "Huh...?" Just as I was about to introduce them, Shion cheerfully called out to the two by name. How does Shion know Toritogiku and Fuki’s names? "Greetings, Shion Squad Leade... Senior!" "—!?!!?" They greeted her as "Senior" with ease. What? Despite my encouragement, they never quite called me "Senior," yet here they were, already establishing a senior-junior relationship with Shion. It's understandable to know someone a year behind you, since attending the same Fujika Academy, especially given its noble population and private connections. However, the three of them seemed overly familiar, didn’t they? "Shion, are you familiar with Toritogiku-chan and Fuki-chan?" "No! We met today and... ah! Um..." When I questioned her relationship with them, Shion began confidently but suddenly hesitated mid-sentence. What could have—oh. Of course, Shion must've met them while she was away from me earlier. Specifically, during "that time." If I probed this further, it would lead back to Shion's extensive restroom visit, which I recognized I shouldn't delve into, considering myself a man who reads the room well. Undoubtedly, Shion encountered something with the two during her makeup touch-up. They must have helped her. Otherwise, Shion wouldn't have been so casually acquainted with juniors she just met today. The times and circumstances of them providing aid in the restroom are limited—and not matters to be unearthed clumsily. "Both are in a challenging position, so please, continue to look out for them." "Yes! I never imagined Sakuya-sama would entrust them to me! Leave them to me! I'll mold them into remarkable team members!" Huh? Entrust them? I merely suggested that, given the precarious circumstances from the previous incident and the challenges facing their families, Shion should keep an eye on them when possible. But I suppose it's best not to delve deeper into this topic; it’s delicate. So, understanding this, I left it at that with a vague smile. ～～～～～～～ The following Monday, I arrived at the academy with the ring I exchanged with Shion threaded onto a necklace. Of course, it was tucked inside my clothes, out of sight. Even at Fujika Academy, wearing accessories daily isn't permitted. Although high-ranking families’ children might not be reprimanded, few would flaunt them, so it's generally not an issue. Showing off accessories is best reserved for appropriate venues, like parties, to be effective and meaningful. Besides, schools are places for study, so dressing ostentatiously isn't common. While some might wear keepsakes or gifts hidden under their uniforms, rarely would someone flaunt rings, necklaces, or brooches. I hadn’t done it before, nor often seen others do so. On occasion, a student may wear a hidden keepsake, but usually, it’s discreet enough to only be noticeable during something like changing clothes. "Good morning." "Good morning, Sakuya-chan." "Hello, Sakuya-chan." Entering the classroom, Satsuki and Seri had already arrived, as usual. There was nothing special last weekend or today, so the others hadn’t arrived yet. After greeting them, the two gathered close, staring intently. Or rather, at my chest? "A necklace with a ring on it, I presume?" "I think so." "What!?" Reacting to Satsuki's words, Seri nodded, which surprised me. They were undoubtedly looking at my chest. Indeed, I was wearing the ring I exchanged with Shion as a necklace, but it was hidden under my clothes. Under the thick uniform fabric, I made sure it wouldn’t show. No one should have been able to tell there was a necklace, let alone one with a ring. Yet they knew. How? "The fact that Sakuya-chan, who hadn’t worn necklaces before, is suddenly wearing one with a ring..." "What does it mean?" "Uh, um..." Their serious faces, albeit smiling, approached me with alarming intensity. It was terrifying. Despite being a grown man, being cornered by these middle school girls was genuinely unnerving. "How did..." "How did we know you have a ring on a necklace?" "We always pay very close attention to Sakuya-chan." "That’s why we noticed immediately." "So, what exactly is it?" "W-Well!?" Satsuki and Seri, relentlessly grilling me with those not-quite-smiling smiles, pressed until all our friends arrived. One look, and everyone knew I wore the necklace with the ring. In the end, I was grilled with their terrifying smiles until I revealed everything about the ring. To navigate between sections or chapters, you can click on "Previous," "Table of Contents," or "Next." To bookmark a passage, please log in to use the bookmark feature. Support the Author with Likes Currently not accepting You can support the author with points! Please log in to rate. *To write comments, please log in. ▲Return to the top of the page Share via X (formerly Twitter) or LINE Send via Twitter Send via LINE +Notice+ Unless otherwise specified, all works published here are fictional and bear no relation to real persons or organizations. The copyright of the works, unless stated otherwise, belongs to the author (with some exceptions). 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