In this country, teenagers in their late teens and early twenties who lacked friends, ate lunch alone, or didn't participate in activities were absolutely subject to discrimination.
The severity differed by location; in some places, it was mere social ostracization, while in others, it was outright bullying to death. Of course, if you were strong enough, everyone would fawn over you, but clearly, Mina was not that strong person.
So, even though she disliked them, Mina Morita got to know her brother's rotten friends. Her naturally blond hair meant she didn't need to dye it, but she still used a curling iron to give herself a permed look, allowing her to keep up with the fashion of the other girls. (Guess what I'm implying?)
"Hey, Vance-kun, why did you use my brother's name? Wouldn't it be better to just use your own name?" Mina asked curiously.
"Huh? It's just for fun. Those guys won't be able to get up for a while. Anyone looking for trouble will probably look for the name I gave them. Let them go have some fun with your brother."
Alistair answered casually, then thought for a moment and asked, "Where do you live?"
"My house is over in Kuraza Town. My grandparents mostly lived in the countryside before, but they've been staying here recently. Is that far from your place, Vance-kun?" Mina Morita was nervous, afraid Alistair would reject her because of the distance.
"Kuraza Town? I live there too."
Alistair was slightly surprised. Although he didn't go out much during the break, he had gone out a few times and had never run into this Gyaru.
"Then, can I walk to school with you, Vance-kun?"
Mina Morita asked eagerly. Walking to school with the boy she liked was something Mina had only seen in manga!
Alistair looked at Mina Morita. This Gyaru of the same age was quite attractive. Her looks, height, large tits, and well-rounded ass were impressive. Her waist was also quite slender. She was tall and had nice long legs; her 5'5" height hadn't gone to waste.
"If you don't go home tonight, will your family look for you?"
Hearing Alistair's words, Mina blushed and replied, "I haven't done it before. If my grandparents went back to the countryside, I wouldn't even need to call. But since my grandparents are staying here, I just need to call them and say I'm staying at a friend's house."
"I see. That's a hassle. I thought you were the type who could stay out all night without an issue."
Alistair scratched his head. He had no idea what Mina Morita's past was like; he assumed she frequently stayed out, which was why he asked.
Alistair thought that staying at a friend's house to play games or watch movies was normal, especially for a girl dressed like a Gyaru.
Alistair was a hedonist, but his morals were relatively intact (or so he thought). His extreme behavior was mostly aimed at those he knew to be rotten or corruptible. He had no prior impression of Mina Morita.
Mina, hearing the irritation in Alistair's tone, quickly waved her hands and said, "It's fine! I don't even need to tell them! I can just go back tomorrow and explain it then!"
Alistair looked around, confirmed their location, and realized he wasn't in the mood to play with women right now. He checked the time. "It's almost noon. I'll take you home."
Mina had been full of anticipation since the morning, thinking about going to a hotel, staying at his place, and spending the night with Alistair. Seeing him suggest taking her home made her anxious.
"Vance-kun! I'm sorry! My family won't be a problem; it won't affect us!"
Alistair now sensed that this young Gyaru was particularly eager to spend the night with him.
Alistair didn't mind, but he didn't want the little Gyaru's grandparents calling the police on him. According to the girl, her grandparents were still staying in the city and hadn't gone back to the countryside.
After all, he had just brutally beaten her brother this morning. Even though he healed him a bit, if the brother went home and told the truth, the police would likely come looking for Alistair. The police here might be lazy, but they would still act if called, especially regarding assault on minors; they were incompetent, not entirely corrupt.
Alistair felt that the little Gyaru was on his side. Even if her family called the police and claimed he used force, the little Gyaru would strongly defend him, claiming they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
This wasn't innocence; it was stupidity.
Alistair didn't dislike stupid women because they wouldn't complain if they saw him playing with other girls. They'd be afraid of getting replaced and would actually help Alistair.
This foolish girl might even be the one to drug or tie up another girl when Alistair prepared to rape them.
Alistair felt that such women had a unique charm that could please him. Besides, Alistair wasn't into BDSM; he was lustful, not a pervert.
The train ride was short, and they soon arrived in Kuraza Town.
"You go home first and say hello to your grandparents. I'll wait for you outside."
Alistair told Mina at a junction not far from her house. Alistair had no interest in going inside and greeting the elders; mainly, he didn't want to pretend to be a good kid, which was evident in his bored yawns.
The little Gyaru saw Alistair's bored expression and, thinking about his words, suddenly had an idea.
The little Gyaru happily said to Alistair, "I know! I'll go home and get some money. We can buy whatever you like, Vance-kun!"
Huh?
Clearly, the little Gyaru didn't think Alistair asked her to go home to greet her family so they wouldn't worry; she thought he wanted her to get some money so they could go out and have fun!
Alistair looked at the little Gyaru. This was truly... speechless. When it came to undermining her own family, this Gyaru and her brother were birds of a feather.
However, since he was the one benefiting, Alistair couldn't be bothered to interfere. She was his woman now. If she ran out of money, he would just support her, like owning a pet.
Speaking of which, as the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together." A girl as pretty and well-figured as Mina Morita...
"Mina, do you have any other beautiful friends? Call them to join us!"
Mina lowered her head and whispered sheepishly, "I don't have any friends who are as good-looking as me... I'm sorry..."
Alistair didn't mind and said casually, "It's alright. Just get to know more people at school. If you find any other women like you, feel free to introduce them to me~"
Although Mina was quick to fall for him, the girl herself had high looks and an explosive figure, so it was normal for her not to have any friends who could rival her in appearance. Alistair just wanted the strange sense of fulfillment that came from having his "girlfriend" introduce him to other pretty girls.
"Oh, by the way, there's a girl in my class named Zoey Morita. Is she a relative of yours?"
Alistair suddenly remembered the cute girl sitting behind him with the enormous tits. Her surname seemed to be Morita as well.
"No, I don't know her. Maybe it's just a coincidence that we share the same surname. I'm sorry..." Mina shook her head, saying she didn't know anyone by that name.
"Tch, it's fine, it's fine." Alistair said dismissively.
Japan. This was due to old traditions where only high-ranking individuals had surnames. When it became open, commoners didn't know what to choose, so they chose based on locations, leading to an overabundance of names like Morita (Forest/Rice Paddy), Watanabe (Crossing the side), Kawabe (River Side), and Ikegami (On the Pond).
Mina's house wasn't close to Alistair's. Although both were in Kuraza Town, they were divided into rural and urban-adjacent areas. Alistair's apartment building was quite upscale and naturally located closer to the city side.
Mina's house was a three-story detached house with some distance from its neighbors and a yard.
Most homes near the countryside were of this type. Unlike his previous world, here, the poor lived in detached houses, and the wealthy lived in luxury apartments.
There were many complex reasons for this.
In short, except for a few densely populated cities, most areas were sparsely populated.
Japan's geography meant it was high in the middle and low and flat toward the coasts. The interior was mostly rural and mountainous, with rugged terrain that was difficult to develop. In this capitalist society, land in sparsely populated areas was worthless; developing it served no purpose. Therefore, port cities and areas closer to the coast flourished.
Additionally, people here generally disliked standing out, prioritizing conformity and integrating into the group. Standing out meant being targeted, so perhaps it was a peculiar form of strong collective consciousness? (A misconception, perhaps).
Even wealthy people generally avoided living in detached houses and chose to move into rich communities, opting for luxury apartments instead of detached homes. That's why many anime characters live in detached houses—either their economic situation doesn't allow for an apartment, or the author needs it for plot development.
For the very highest tier, these rules no longer applied. They were the ones who could break the unspoken rules—typically not individuals, but families and conglomerates, whom they called the "Zaibatsu" (financial cliques). These Zaibatsu aimed to claim entire cities as their territory, making all these other rules pointless.
Meanwhile, moderately wealthy people living in areas with poor public safety who dared to build a villa in the suburbs should be prepared for the police to arrive too late.
Living in a crowded place offered little sense of security. Also, the settings for horror films often reflected this environment. Given the supernatural element in this world, who knew if ghosts or monsters might come knocking?
Many celebrities in this country also avoided villas. Living in a villa meant preparing for isolation—yelling for help might not work. Celebrities often had obsessive fans. You couldn't assume that if a fan snuck in, they'd just clean, cook, and serve you. Especially in this adult-themed 2D world, letting someone in today might mean transforming from a celebrity to an adult film actress tomorrow.
Living in an apartment offered an invisible deterrent to those around you. Especially for single women, the wealthy chose luxury apartments, and the less wealthy chose affordable apartments—the key was choosing a crowded area.
However, the people of this country were also odd; some would actively avoid their neighbors. If they couldn't avoid them, they would smile and greet them, feigning friendliness. They hated interacting with the outside world except for work and essentials. What about online shopping? Forget it; the service fees here could be astronomical, and those who could afford it wouldn't be this socially anxious.
Therefore, one could usually tell a family's general situation from where they lived. There was a reason why some people would take on decades of debt just to buy a house.
Tsk, it reminded him of his previous life.
Alistair, while preferring physical solutions (yes, physical solutions), was not unintelligent. His observational skills were sharp. Although his mental attributes were only average, he tried to deduce Mina's family's situation.
The type of house was secondary; where people chose to live, rich or poor, was mostly about location. Could the city center be compared to the city fringe?
In this urban-adjacent area, Mina's family was not rich, but not poor either—they were middle-class, upper-middle-class for this particular neighborhood.
But that was only relative to the neighborhood. Closer to the city, even within the Kuraza Town area—near Alistair's apartment—her family would be considered average. Further into the city, they'd be lower-middle-class.
Mina quickly said upon arriving at her doorstep, "Vance-kun, please wait here for a moment. I'll be right out once I get the money!"
"You mentioned you live with your grandparents and brother right now, correct?"
Alistair wanted to confirm there wasn't anyone else. People in this country generally lived long lives, despite the high suicide rate. If Mina was 16 or 17, her parents around 40, and her grandparents around 60, it wouldn't be surprising to find an 80-year-old relative. Four generations under one roof wasn't unheard of, especially since the age of majority here was 20, but the marriage age of 16 was a bit absurd.
If there truly was an 80-year-old relative, Alistair wouldn't ask Mina to stay out tonight.
He was a hedonist, but he didn't want to cause an elderly person to have a medical emergency or call the police because of him. He didn't care about the elderly person; the hassle would find him, and Alistair hated hassle. It wasn't hard to resolve, but it was too troublesome.
Mina thought Alistair was worried about the money, so she explained, "My parents work out of town. My grandparents don't interfere much. They're just staying here temporarily. I manage my monthly allowance myself. I get plenty for cosmetics and spending money. I'll save some up to buy you games, Vance-kun! I'll even give you some spending money!"
Alistair curled his lips. She's definitely the people-pleaser type.
Even if she was a "normal" girl now, Alistair was certain that without him, this woman would quickly become the Cum Rag for the blond muscle men after starting high school—the kind who also provided food, lodging, and entertainment.
She would probably be in an orgy, and the adult film she starred in would undoubtedly be known far and wide as a local cultural export.
Her parents definitely wouldn't give her money for cosmetics, perms, hair dye, and various accessories. Since she said she managed the monthly money, this fund was likely being embezzled from the family budget.
"Oh, by the way, when you go in, see if that idiot is around—your brother, that is. If he is, call him out."
Alistair smiled. He suddenly had a very amusing idea.
"Yes!"
Mina was now completely focused on the prospect of sleeping with Alistair. She happily agreed and quickly ran inside.