Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Take It Off (2)
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Rin grabbed her water-soaked clothes and wrung them out, cold droplets spilling onto the stone floor.
In the meantime, Ian shook the water from his thoroughly drenched hair and body. Remembering the other two, he turned to Rin.
"What about Tanya?"
"Tanya's fine. She didn't get hurt."
"So it's just the two of you there right now?"
"That's not the point... What were you thinking, Captain?"
Rin stared back at Ian, pointing out what he had done.
"What if you just charge in like that? You can't even fight."
"...Tanya can't fight either."
"What are you talking about? Tanya could beat you."
Rin let out a sigh, her face full of disbelief.
If one person got hurt in an accident... Well, the best outcome was no one getting hurt at all, of course...
But it sure as hell shouldn't be the captain.
Still, hearing Ian's side of the story made Rin a little worried about what those two might be up to, left alone like that.
"Those two... They'll figure it out and come back, right? No monsters on the way they came."
"Yeah, probably. Let's wait here then."
Ian nodded.
They'd been swept away suddenly, with no idea where they were or how to get out. Moving recklessly wasn't smart in their current state.
They'd stripped off their wet clothes and shaken off as much water as possible, but the chill underground air still seeped into their skin, making their bodies shiver.
Rin rummaged through her pockets, hoping for something useful, but most of her belongings were combat items.
At least the magic lantern hanging from her belt was still there—a stroke of luck.
A lantern powered by magic, not oil.
Its light was dim, but it provided some faint glow.
"Captain. Got anything to start a fire?"
"Nope..."
Ian had a small pack with essentials, but they were all for emergencies in battle.
"Spare clothes? Food?"
"...None."
Rin peeked into Ian's portable bag and saw it was filled with the same combat gear as hers.
He used to carry it himself before, but after Tanya joined, she'd taken over all that luggage.
Rin couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"...Why are you laughing?"
"You always act like you're prepared for anything. But when push comes to shove, you can't even make a fire. It's funny."
How was he supposed to know they'd need survival gear, not just a survival instinct?
Ian made a frustrated face, at a loss for words, and Rin burst out laughing at the expression she'd always wanted to see.
A faint light flickered to life in the darkness of the underground sewer.
Ian and Rin sat huddled together in front of the small lantern.
Rin's lantern ran on magic, no oil needed.
The tiny flame gave off a very faint warmth—better than nothing.
It wasn't real fire, so the heat was weak, but at least it worked even when wet.
Of all their belongings, this was the only source of heat, so Rin and Ian sat as close as possible to it.
"...Next time, I'll carry something to start a fire."
"Next time, don't do this at all."
She'd teased him a bit, and he was still hung up on it.
Rin let out a small laugh at his words.
They'd spread out their wrung-out clothes to dry and shaken off their bodies. Now, wrapped together under Ian's least-damaged cloak—the only thing still intact—they sat skin-to-skin, completely naked.
"It's cold. Scoot closer."
Ian had shifted slightly away, letting a draft sneak in under their shared cloak.
Rin scolded him for pulling away and pressed her body tight against his.
As the distance closed again, their bare skin touched.
Soft flesh met chilled skin, spreading a burning warmth.
Their body heat seeped through the contact, and without thinking, they leaned in closer, overlapping more skin.
"Hoo..."
Rin exhaled a shaky breath from the cold and glanced at Ian's face.
The quiet stretched on, filled only by their breathing.
Since Mika and Tanya joined, moments like this—alone and silent—had been rare. The memories flooded back to Rin.
"Being alone like this... brings back old times."
"...Not that old."
Staring at the flickering lantern light, Rin leaned blankly against Ian.
The lantern was on because something was better than nothing.
In this chill-filled place, the only warmth came from Ian's body right beside her.
Unconsciously, Rin pressed closer, molding their skin together.
She felt Ian tense up, hunching as if nervous.
It's cold, and now this.
Grumbling inwardly, Rin looked at him and noticed Ian awkwardly trying to cover something.
His actions only drew her eyes there, and she saw that Ian's manhood was standing erect, with nothing on.
"......"
Sensing Rin's sudden awkwardness, Ian realized she'd noticed.
"This... It's not on purpose. It just happens."
"...I know that much."
In the dim lantern light, Rin's face seemed a little flushed.
Realizing it, Rin tried to look away but kept stealing glances at Ian's member.
After a stretch of silence from Ian, Rin hesitated before asking carefully.
"Um... in a situation like this, don't you have to... relieve it once?"
"...Where'd you pick that up?"
"From a book back in the village..."
No proper scholar's or academy tome in a rural village.
The books there were cheap pulp sold off by passing mercenaries or merchants to lighten their loads.
And those were mostly novels to pass the time on the road—plenty of them erotic.
The village books were communal, stored at the chief's house, and Rin had read most of them.
So... she knew when it got like that.
No one else here, so the only one who could excite Ian was Rin.
Her face flushed a bit more at the thought.
...Should I try it? Like in the book.
As Rin reached out with that in mind, Ian's panicked arm blocked her hand.
"...Should I not?"
Ian always answered her questions without hesitation, but this time, a long silence followed.
Rin, tense and waiting, took the silence as permission.
She reached out carefully again toward Ian, and this time, he didn't stop her approaching hand.
Her touch trailed slowly along his skin.
With their bodies pressed so close, extending her arm brushed soft skin against his thigh, tickling it.
Pausing just before her target, Rin extended her fingertips very cautiously.
After what felt like forever, her fingers finally touched Ian's member. Her cold fingertips met sensitive skin, sending a shiver of chill through it.
The stimulated organ twitched.
"Eek!"
Startled by the sensation at her fingertips, Rin yanked her hand back, flustered.
"I-It... moved."
"It does that."
"It's... alive?"
"...It's part of me."
After a moment of shock at the unexpected reaction, Rin calmed herself and reached out again.
Her cautious fingers touched Ian's member, and like petting a cat, she gently stroked it with her fingertips.
Her soft touch glided over the sensitive skin, tracing a path of burning pleasure.
Warmth seeped into her cold fingertips.
As Rin grew a little more familiar with the unfamiliar texture, she glanced at Ian's face and slowly wrapped her hand around it.
...Bigger than expected.
The thing she'd only read about in words was now in her hand.
It was larger, hotter, and pulsing than she'd imagined.
Ian's member was enveloped in Rin's soft palm.
Holding it for the first time, Rin flinched at its surprising size, her face reddening.
She felt a hot pulse throbbing in her grasp.
Cold fingertips and a palm still holding faint warmth.
In the sewer's chill, Rin's hand—carrying a tiny spark of heat—wrapped around Ian's member like a cold flame.
Soon, Rin moved her hand, her palm and slender fingers softly brushing and rubbing the hypersensitive skin, spreading stimulation.
How hard? How fast?
With knowledge from outdated pulp novels, Rin had no clue. She moved her hand very slowly, carefully.
Her hesitant, clumsy motions awkwardly grazed Ian's member.
The touch was more ticklish than pleasurable, but the warmth melting the chill through his skin seeped in like ecstasy.
"......"
Ian's arm rose silently to wrap around Rin's shoulder.
Her hand paused in surprise, trembling slightly, but after a moment with her head bowed, Rin leaned deeper into his embrace without a word.
The subtle distance from their initial body heat huddle was gone.
Their embracing bodies pressed fully together.
Skin met skin, pushing out the cold air.
Where they touched, soft warmth bloomed, stirring a desire to press even closer.
With her face against Ian's chest, Rin unconsciously gripped a little tighter, feeling his member twitch in her palm.
She recalled the reaction when her fingers first touched it.
...Maybe this is what it does when it feels good?
Gripping Ian's cock a bit firmer, his hand gently stroked her hair.
...Rin took that as a sign of pleasure.
Hot warmth seeped from their tightly pressed skin, and breaths from their close faces tickled the flesh.
Stealing glances at each other, their eyes met.
And then...
Footsteps echoed from behind.
"...!"
"...Oh dear. Did I come too early?"