Sudden Mission: The Temptation to Peek (1)

Flash!

Mom and I instantly sprang apart.

“Uh, ahem. The system’s judgment on that was a bit… arbitrary, wasn’t it, Mother?”

“Y-yeah. It does feel a little strange. Ahaha… Still, it’s okay! That sort of thing is just a natural reaction, after all!”

It was mortifying. In a situation like this, what the hell was I even supposed to say?

“Still! We’ve collected all the coins now, right? That bug-repelling item—we can really buy it, can’t we?”

“Oh. Yes.”

Pushing straight past my embarrassed hesitation, Mother took the lead and moved the conversation forward. There had been a slight sacrifice to my dignity, but in exchange we had gained ten coins. If a brief moment of embarrassment could buy Mother’s smile, it was a cheap price.

“But how does the delivery work? By courier? Or do they drop it from a helicopter?”

“I’m not sure… I think we’ll have to buy it to find out.”

“I hope it gets here fast!”

Listening to Mother’s voice brimming with expectation, I manipulated the Metapia Terminal. We currently held thirty-six coins. Even after purchasing the thirty-coin costume, we would still have some left. If we gathered just a little more, we might be able to afford a weapon.

I naturally tapped Yes.

And at that exact moment—

“Ugh.”

“Whoa!”

With a brilliant flash, a complete bikini set hanging on a hanger materialized right in front of us.

“It’s… floating.”

The bikini drifted in midair as though only that spot existed in zero gravity. An object suddenly appearing from nowhere was one thing, but the fact that it alone defied gravity made the sight feel utterly unreal.

“Wow… Internet shopping these days is on another level…”

Mother stared at the hovering bikini, murmuring in blank admiration.

“…Yeah, it really is.”

That was all I could manage. There was no doubt about it—my mother was a force of nature. To stay this calm after witnessing something like that.

“But if we just keep it, will the bugs really stay away?”

“You’ll have to wear it. The description says ‘within 100 meters of the wearer.’”

“Huh? Wear it? Who?”

“…Excuse me? Who?”

Mother looked at me. Her expression practically screamed, Are you going to wear it, Changjae?

It went beyond absurdity; it was downright ridiculous.

“Obviously you have to wear it, Mother.”

“Me?!”

Logically speaking, how could a man like me wear a bikini? It was only natural that Mother should be the one to wear it.

“Didn’t you suggest buying it because you planned to wear it yourself?”

“No, I just… saw that it repels bugs and…”

Mother fidgeted, clearly at a loss for what to do with herself. Good grief. I knew she was obsessed with bugs, but she had suggested buying it without any intention of actually wearing it.

“Mother. You hate bugs, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then you have to wear it.”

“……”

“It’s better than walking around in just your underwear, isn’t it?”

Even at a glance, the bikini offered very little coverage. It probably wasn’t much different from the negligee and underwear set she was currently wearing. Still, anything was better than wandering around in her underwear. At least, that was what I believed.

“I-I didn’t plan on coming out dressed like this either…”

“But you did come out. At the very least, wearing a bikini is better than walking around in underwear. It repels bugs too, and since we’ve already bought it, please just wear it, Mother.”

“…Okay.”

After my persistent persuasion, Mother finally nodded in resignation.

Whew. Thank goodness. I had almost thrown away those precious coins for nothing.

When I grabbed the floating bikini, it suddenly dropped into my hand as though gravity had finally claimed it. So this was what happened when games became reality. I handed the bikini back to Mother.

“Mother, you can change here. I’ll take a look around outside while you do.”

It was necessary, but we had already spent too much time. It was about time to get a proper grasp ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of our surroundings.

“Ah, no!”

But Mother refused with an urgent cry.

“W-what if more bugs come out while I’m changing?”

“Uh…”

“Changjae. Stay right here with Mom while I change. It says the bugs will disappear once I put it on, so it’ll be fine afterward.”

“But…”

“Please? Just stay by Mom’s side for a little while. I’m really asking you this time.”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked up at me. She wasn’t throwing a tantrum on a whim. She was genuinely terrified.

“…All right. I’ll stand here with my back turned while you change.”

“Okay! But you absolutely cannot turn around, got it?”

“I won’t look.”

“And if I call you, you have to come right away?”

“…Yes.”

Don’t turn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around no matter what, but come immediately if called. It was an incredibly difficult request. Still, the time it took to change into a swimsuit was short; the chances of another spider appearing were slim.

I crossed my arms, turned my back to her, and stood still.

“Changjae. You really, really can’t look. Mom’s going to be watching you the whole time.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

“For real? Mom’s changing now, okay?”

“I said it’s true.”

“…Okay.”

Only after repeating her warnings several times did Mother finally begin to change.

Rustle. Rustle.

That was probably the sound of her taking off her clothes. I stared quietly out of the cave, waiting for the noise to stop.

Outside, a faint light was beginning to rise. Sunrise, most likely. Beneath the dim glow, tall trees, overgrown grass, large rocks, and bare earth slowly revealed themselves. Was this truly an untouched wilderness island?

…This was going to be difficult.

Mother had no proper clothes, so she would have to live in that shabby bikini. We could layer the jacket over it, but she didn’t even have shoes. She couldn’t walk around barefoot out there. She might step on sharp stones, get scratched by branches, or run into snakes.

Sigh. What should we do?

Leaving Mother alone in the cave while I explored was also risky. We had no idea when someone—or something—might show up and harm her. Until I was certain it was safe, I didn’t want to leave her by herself.

Maybe I should buy a weapon and give it to her? No… that wouldn’t work. If she couldn’t even kill a single bug, there was no way she could use a weapon against a beast or another person.

Perhaps buying shoes first was the better choice. Then we could explore together—

“—What?!”

Mother, in the middle of changing, raised her voice in shock at the absurd message coming from the terminal.

“No! Changjae, you absolutely cannot look! Understand?”

The terminal’s message felt like it was actively tempting me. Mother shouted again, desperate for my confirmation.

But my eyes were glued to the reward screen on the LCD.

“…Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t peek even if you tell me not to.”

“Really? You promise you won’t look?”

“Mother. Please trust me a little.”

I brushed off her anxious questions with a tone of disbelief and stared at the phone screen hard enough to burn a hole through it.

…What should I do?

I wanted both rewards. The beach sandals were exactly what I had been thinking we needed. Since I couldn’t let Mother walk around barefoot, we had to get shoes one way or another. If there was a way to obtain them for free, I couldn’t afford to miss it. The Guardian Bracelet was the same. With Mother’s revealing outfit, I was worried about her getting scratched by tough grass or branches. If it could prevent even minor injuries, I absolutely had to secure it.

…Was there any way to claim both rewards?

My mind had already tilted firmly toward definitely peek. This was no time to hesitate. I might earn Mother’s hatred right now, but in a place full of unknown dangers, choosing the safer path was only logical. Even if I had to kneel and beg for forgiveness later, I was going to peek at Mother’s naked body for those rewards.

But how?

Mother was still highly vigilant. Whether she changed her top first or her bottom first, there was almost no chance both her upper and lower body would be exposed at the same time. That meant I would need to peek at least twice, at the perfect moments.

I turned off the phone and subtly angled the darkened screen to reflect her. She had already removed her negligee and bra. But suspecting I might try to peek just like the terminal had suggested, she kept both arms tightly crossed over her chest, watching me. Her suspicion toward me still hadn’t eased.

“Mother, are you done changing?”

“Ah, um, no! Not yet! Don’t look!”

I spoke in a calm tone, gently urging her. I wanted to show that I had zero intention of peeking and that she was simply overreacting.

“Please put it on quickly. We can’t waste any more time.”

“Ah, okay… Sorry…”

Only then did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mother seem convinced that I really wasn’t going to look. She lowered the arms covering her chest and lifted the bikini top as if to put it on.

──Now!

Flash!

I had been casually gazing outside, but the instant Mother’s breasts were completely defenseless, I whipped my head around.

“Ah!”

Mother’s eyes were already fixed on me. She noticed my movement immediately.

“Kyaaah—!!”

She screamed and crumpled to the floor on the spot.

But even in that fleeting instant, I had captured it all. The beautiful curve of her two full breasts and the pair of cherry-blossom nipples proudly crowning their peaks.

I’m sorry, Mother.

This is all for your sake, too.