My Own Worth

side: Ichijou Reina

Shouya-sama's milking and his second ejaculation were finished; the semen analysis results ought to be coming in any moment now.

Kudou-sensei and I were on our way to the analyzer. A physician was required to be present whenever we reviewed test results.

That was why I'd asked Shouya-sama's attending physician, Kudou-sensei, to accompany me this time. She watched over his condition every day, so her judgment would be the most accurate.

"All the same, the amount Shouya-san produced was incredible."

It was Kudou-sensei who struck up the conversation. As his attending physician she'd been overseeing his care, and only moments ago she had supported him through that second ejaculation.

After the earlier milking, she'd spoken with Shouya-sama alone, and afterwards he'd taken to addressing her by her given name. Honestly, I was envious.

I want Shouya-sama to call me "Reina-san" too…

But as his secretary I had to keep a firm line drawn between us. Of course, there were cases where a secretary and her male charge did end up together…

"Yes. For a second round, that volume is astonishing…"

By the time we reached the analyzer, the results were already up on the screen.

"What…?! This is…!"

"No way…! How could it be…?"

My voice and Kudou-sensei's rang out across the room together, because the numbers in Shouya-sama's semen analysis defied imagination.

"We already knew the volume was high… but the motility, the sperm concentration, the normal morphology rate… every one of them blows past the A-rank standard by a wide margin!"

The figures alone were staggering enough that anyone glancing at them would know at once Shouya-sama was an A-rank man.

Normally a man's rank was determined by combining the semen analysis results with a personality assessment of his psychological tolerance for women.

But Shouya-sama's sperm was so exceptional that the semen analysis alone was enough to confirm his A-rank.

"Kudou-sensei… is this kind of thing even possible?"

"With it actually happening in front of us, I can't really say… Male sexual function has declined, but that doesn't mean it applies to every single person…"

This was clearly beyond anything Kudou-sensei and I could decide between ourselves. I had to contact my superior immediately and ask for direction.

 

*

 

side: Protagonist

The day after the semen analysis, Mom came to my hospital room to hear the results.

"Taku-chan, good work on the milking. It wasn't too hard on you?"

"Mhm. I was fine."

She'd apparently been a little worried about yesterday's milking.

"I see… Mom's eye in picking Ichijou-san wasn't wrong after all!♡"

Satisfied that I was all right, she nodded and puffed out her chest proudly.

While I was chatting with Mom like that, Ichijou-san, Chiaki-sensei, and a woman I'd never seen before came into the room.

"Shouya-sama, well done on yesterday's milking. How have you been feeling since?"

Like Mom, Ichijou-san was always looking out for my well-being.

"Yes. I rested well, so I'm fine. So… who is that with you…?"

After ejaculating yesterday I'd been allowed to rest through visiting hours, so I was fully recovered. What I cared about now was the woman I didn't recognize.

"Izumi Shouya-sama, Kaori-sama, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Ichijou Reina's superior. My name is Ooyamada."

With that, Ooyamada-san handed Mom a business card. Her greeting style was so identical to Ichijou-san's that I could feel the boss-subordinate relationship for myself.

"O-oh, your superior coming with you… don't tell me it's something bad…?"

Mom had grown anxious at the sudden appearance of a superior. Honestly, I was uneasy too, wondering if something had happened.

"Then let's get straight to the discussion. First, there are no problems with either the semen analysis or the personality assessment."

At the words "no problems," Mom and I both let out a long breath together.

"However, the results of the semen analysis are too good."

""Too good?""

What was wrong with being good? Neither Mom nor I had any idea what Ooyamada-san was getting at.

"Shouya-sama's semen analysis exceeded what the existing ranks can contain. On top of that, there's no psychological aversion to women either… Shouya-sama's rank goes beyond A-rank. He ought to be called Special A-rank, or even S-rank."

"Taku-chan is A-rank!"

Mom looked delighted at the news that I was A-rank.

"With the recent decline in male sexual function, A-rank men are almost never confirmed anymore. That makes Shouya-sama an extraordinarily precious male."

A higher-ranked man in a world with a 1:200 male-to-female ratio… had this world's me always been like this from the start? Or had Goddess-sama remade my body to match when I was reincarnated?

"But because he's so precious, Shouya-sama's importance now far surpasses that of any other man. If he were to suffer another accident, say, the loss would be enormous for our nation… no, for the world."

I'd been musing over my own body, and now the conversation had ballooned to a frankly cosmic scale. A loss for the world? Was my semen really that incredible…

"Th-then, what should Taku-chan do?! You're not about to say he has to stay shut up at home forever…?"

Being cooped up inside all the time really would wear me down… besides, I had plans to go out.

"No, that's out of the question. A healthy mind and a healthy body are what produce healthy sperm. If we forced something like that on him, the IOCM would not stay silent."

"IOCM?"

Another unfamiliar term, after a while. From the sound of the name, it didn't seem to be an agency of this country.

"IOCM stands for the International Organization for Conservation of Males… please think of it as the global version of the Ministry of Male Protection. Most of the world's nations are members, and it's this body that determines male ranks."

When I made a face that said I didn't follow, Ichijou-san stepped in to throw me a lifeline.

"Yes, and so to get to the main point. We'd like to request that the Izumi family relocate."

"Relocate… as in move?"

"Yes. Security at the Izumi family's current home is insufficient… to ensure the strongest possible measures, we'd like you to move into a property owned by the government. The cost of the move, and the utilities and upkeep at the new residence, will all be covered by the government. We humbly ask for your consideration."

With that, Ooyamada-san handed Mom a document.

"… Understood. We accept. May I share today's discussion with the rest of the family?"

Mom decided on the move right there on the spot.

"Thank you very much. Sharing the matter with your family shouldn't be a problem, but please take care that the information doesn't spread any further than necessary."

Ooyamada-san and Ichijou-san both bowed deeply to Mom.

"M-Mom, are you sure it's okay to decide that fast?"

"Yes, the family's safety isn't something you can put a price on…"

Mom said it looking me straight in the eye.

"Besides, it isn't very far from where we live now, so the girls shouldn't be too inconvenienced either."

"Then, Kaori-sama, please sign the contract."

Ooyamada-san and Mom went straight on into adult talk, and I ended up a little outside the conversation.

"But a house this big sounds like it'd be a nightmare to clean…"

From the look of the documents, it was quite a large home. No, a mansion… at this point it was almost a castle? Upkeep was going to be a chore.

"As for maids, the candidate selection is already complete, so all that remains is for Shouya-sama to make his choices."

With that, Ooyamada-san glanced at Ichijou-san, who handed me a tablet.

"From that terminal, please select three maids. Normally one maid is enough, but for a residence of that size we believe three will be necessary."

When I looked at the tablet, résumés were laid out with full-body photographs of many women attached. And every one of them was in tight-fitting clothing that showed off the lines of her body.

This was probably meant for men who had clear preferences about women's bodies. Even the personality assessment had asked about things like breast size; for men in this world, it must be a fairly important matter.

But picking without meeting them even once felt kind of scary…

"Um… we don't do something like interviews? Choosing without meeting them seems…"

"Hmm… A normal man would just leave it to his secretary or his mother, with the criteria being that he doesn't find the appearance unpleasant to have around… but in Shouya-sama's case, circumstances being what they are, let's hold interviews."

Once I said I wanted to meet them before deciding, Ooyamada-san set up interviews right away.

"As for the Protection Officers, I'd been planning to have you choose from the documents the same as with the maids… shall we interview them as well?"

I nodded at Ooyamada-san's words. She seemed to be the type to hear one and understand ten; without my having to say anything, she'd already asked about interviewing the Protection Officers too.

"Right, I have to choose Protection Officers too. Yes, please, I'd like to interview them as well."

"Then, Shouya-sama, please select the candidates you'd like to interview from the documents. Let's see… five times the number we plan to hire… fifteen maids, ten Protection Officers. Ichijou will be present at the interviews, is that all right?"

"Yes. I'm counting on you, Ichijou-san!"

"Yes! Leave it to me!"

After the milking, the distance between Ichijou-san and me felt like it had closed a little once again. Even so, it wasn't the easy closeness I had with Shiori-san and the others; the business-like relationship of a dependable secretary was hard to shake off.

For my part, I'd at least like for us to be on the level of a dependable big sister.

"Taku-chan, would it be all right for Mom to join too? I have to make sure for myself whether they can be trusted with Taku-chan!"

"Mhm. Sure."

Mom seemed eager about the maid and Protection Officer interviews too. Her eye for picking Ichijou-san hadn't steered her wrong, so I could rely on it.

While we worked out the details of the interviews, I went through and picked who'd advance to that stage.

"It feels kind of wrong, picking people like they're products…"

It bothered me that someone's pass or fail was decided just by my tap on the screen.

"Taku-chan really is kind… a normal man wouldn't even think to say something like that."

I see… maybe normal men didn't agonize over this because they didn't want women near them to begin with.

"If choosing pains you, then to make up for it, let's treat the maids and Protection Officers who do get chosen as kindly as we can.♡ That's the most Taku-chan can do.♡"

"Mhm. Got it."

It really does feel wrong to reject people. Even more so once you've heard good things about them in an interview. But all I can do is what I'm able to do.

"Oh, I know!♡ How about Taku-chan shakes hands with everyone who comes in for the interview at the end?♡ Like an idol!♡ I'm sure they'd be thrilled!♡ And the candidates have all passed the male qualification anyway, so they wouldn't try anything funny.♡"

A handshake, huh… if it would make them happy, I guess I could. Although… there are barely any men in this world, and they still have idols?

"Mhm. If it'd make them happy, I'll give it a try."

"They'll definitely be thrilled! Right, Ichijou-san?"

"Yes! It would be a lifelong treasure! Even I'd love to ha… n-no, it's nothing!"

Her real feelings had leaked out at the end, but a glare from her boss, Ooyamada-san, made her tuck them back in.

"Well then, Shouya-sama, we'll take our leave here. Please complete the candidate selection by the deadline."

With that, Ooyamada-san moved to take Ichijou-san and go, but at Mom's whispered word in her ear, she had Ichijou-san stay behind for a moment.

And then I stood up, took Ichijou-san's hand, and looked her in the eye.

"Ichijou-san, thank you for everything you do. Please continue to take care of me!"

"Y- yes! Of, of course, of course I will!"

Ichijou-san turned bright red, gripped my hand back, and pumped it furiously up and down.

"See? She's thrilled, isn't she?"

Mom was grinning like a kid who'd just pulled off a prank.

I don't know if everyone at the interviews will be as happy about it as Ichijou-san, but no one's going to object to a handshake. Thanks to the two of them, my heart felt a little lighter about the selection process.