Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Sticky Outing
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"Are you planning to leave me behind?"
At Leona's quiet question, Irene nodded without hesitation. Leona's face remained impassive, but her slender, elongated tail swished back and forth in clear displeasure.
Finally giving in to Irene's stubbornness, Leona approached me and spoke in a measured tone.
"Please make sure to keep to lunchtime. If you need dinner as well, the same applies. I hate to say it, and I do so with some reluctance, but—"
"I wish you'd stop right there... Leona."
Irene, who had been watching intently, flushed bright red and hurried over, clamping her hand over Leona's mouth.
Watching from the side, I secretly smiled in satisfaction at the two of them.
They were the couple whose memories stuck with me the most vividly, so the fresh traces of their early days naturally resurfaced in my mind.
As the parts muddled by poor graphics sharpened into clarity, saliva flooded my mouth unbidden.
"Tsk."
Lately, this had been happening more often, but I had no idea why.
...Maybe it was a backlash from not being able to fully enjoy my hobbies amid the overwhelming circumstances.
Could anyone quit cold turkey something they'd been glued to every day?
Dogs don't stop eating shit, and neither could I. Especially with temptations everywhere, yet unable to indulge freely because of prying eyes growing around me—didn't that play a part?
Saying it like this makes it sound like some drug, but this was a hundred—no, a thousand times better.
"...I'm sorry. I was being unseemly."
Then came Irene's dejected voice.
Lifting my head, I saw Irene with her flushed face turned away and Leona glaring at me with a hardened, fierce expression.
I replayed what I'd done and realized it was the sound of my own smacking lips.
They must have mistaken it for a disapproving click of the tongue.
"Ah, no, that's not it... My, my throat was just dry."
"Is that so...?"
"Of course."
If I said otherwise, the woman next to you looks like she'd snap my waist in half.
Apparently, she couldn't see it.
Anyway.
After all that back-and-forth, Irene and I finally ventured outside the academy.
Walking the streets alone with her, what I'd said as a joke started feeling like a real date.
Irene strolled along with a delighted smile, clearly enjoying herself immensely.
"Teacher, have you tried that? It's got quite the reputation for being delicious."
"...No?"
Following her pointing finger, I spotted a skewer that felt oddly familiar.
As the strange sense of déjà vu hit me, I realized it was tanghulu—or something that looked just like it—and blinked.
Well, precisely, something resembling tanghulu.
...Is this what they mean by everywhere humans live being the same?
To avoid spoiling her cheerful mood, I approached the street vendor and bought one of those tanghulu-like things.
It wasn't because Leona's glare flashed in my mind or anything.
Just... a gesture of kindness.
The handle of the tanghulu she handed me was sticky. Not enough to be truly bothersome, but sticky enough to notice.
Some unidentified fruit was dipped in it... Well, coated in sugar, so it couldn't taste bad.
I passed the slightly tacky stick to Irene, and she glanced around as if searching for someone before taking it with a joyful expression.
Seeing my puzzled look, she gave an awkward smile and murmured softly.
"Leona says I shouldn't eat things like this."
"... "
A chill suddenly ran down my spine. I half-expected a strict maid to pop out from somewhere and catch Irene.
Sh-should be fine, right? Should I snatch it back now?
Crunch!
But it was already too late.
Irene's pearly white teeth shattered the sugar coating right before my eyes.
...Spilled milk—regret wouldn't help now.
Swallowing an inward sigh, I followed her lead, popping my share into my mouth.
Crunch!
Putting food I'd never even tasted in the real world into my mouth felt strangely off.
...When did I start casually eating junk like this?
Normally, just the sweet scent would make my eyes water.
Thinking back, it all started with the cake Michelle brought me.
Hard to refuse the kindness, so I ate it—and before I knew it, I'd grown comfortable popping sweets into my mouth on my own.
...Or maybe because I still didn't fully see this as my body.
At least this body's appetite wasn't too voracious. Small mercies.
Even as those thoughts swirled, the crunching in my mouth released the sugar's sweetness and crispness, mingled with the tartness of the unfamiliar fruit inside. Not bad at all.
Irene's eyes sparkled too—she clearly loved it.
Feeling her refined air mixed with that innocent smile warmed my heart.
Then I remembered why we'd come out here and drew closer to her.
As I chewed what was still in my mouth and looked at her, her sugar-dusted little lips parted—either guessing what I meant to say or just in sync.
"I wanted some alone time away from Leona, so I used our outing as an excuse. Oh, but don't worry—we haven't forgotten our goal."
So that's what it was.
True, at this stage, their bond was more about goodwill, loyalty, and the ties from growing up together than full-blown love...
Still, knowing that didn't seem particularly useful.
Our current unique situation had forged an unbreakable link between Irene and me.
...From my perspective, I preferred her spending time with me over Leona right now.
A bit selfish, maybe, but they weren't lovers yet.
What I'd seen was just one fragment I'd glimpsed.
Honestly, even treating them like in the game, I had no guarantee they'd end up together here.
Lots had deviated from my expectations so far—some stayed on track, but plenty exceeded them.
Arrogant to assume I could replicate the game's click-and-done events just by acting them out in person.
A bit late to realize, but better now than never.
As these thoughts ran through my head, Irene, clinging to my side, spoke up.
"What do you think makes 'that' grow, Teacher?"
"That?"
C caught up in other thoughts, I responded vaguely, and she flushed crimson, mumbling.
"...What else? Th-that... male... thing...?"
"Ah."
"What on earth were you thinking...?"
"...Nothing much. Anyway, why it grows... right?"
Come to think of it, I'd never seriously pondered it.
I'd heard Michelle and figured it was just natural here.
More precisely... a world with the DLC applied.
But that didn't seem right.
This wasn't a world where it normally happened, either.
I was starting to doubt if I could call this a game world at all.
It was too... vivid for a game.
Things I never knew existed were alive, breathing, moving.
Even this tanghulu I was sucking on—no memory of it in the game.
So... best to reason logically.
And one logical conclusion came to mind.
"...Probably happens when you feel sexual desire? That thing itself... is like that... right?"
"S-sexual... desire?"
She didn't seem completely clueless, murmuring with reddened cheeks.
Putting "sexual desire" in such noble lips felt oddly thrilling.
Irene, munching her tanghulu deep in thought, suddenly perked up and beckoned me to follow into a slightly secluded alley.
...Is this really okay?
The worry hit me, but recalling El made me feel a tad more secure.
If worst came to worst, with her around... we could probably manage somehow.
At a cost, sure, but better than dying.
But... what happens if I die here?
Permanent death?
Or... maybe that's the trigger to return.
"Teacher?"
"...Coming."
Either way, too risky to test. Honestly, my gut already leaned toward "just die."
Anyway.
I shook my head inwardly and followed Irene.
What was she planning in such a deserted spot all of a sudden?
As I approached and she confirmed no one around, Irene made a strange face, pursed her lips, and blew me a kiss with a soft "Mmwah."
Absurd as it was, I blinked and asked.
"...What are you doing?"
"Uh, w-well... Does it make you feel 'sexual desire'? I-I thought I was... confident in my looks, at least."
"...Sigh."
The held-back sigh escaped.
Such clumsy seduction would cool even a millennium-old love.
...Right, Irene was a bit 'lacking' in this department.
Should I be relieved she matched my memories, or call it a disaster...?
Shaking my head, I looked at her and said.
"More than that..."
I felt a chill on my legs and reached out a hand.
No one, man or woman, could dislike these shapely legs in stockings... or so I thought.
More effective than Irene's clumsy—no, pitiful—seduction attempt.
If she learned this, she could use it someday.
But as I moved to show off those legs.
I'd forgotten one thing.
My hand was sticky with sugar.
Riiip...
The tacky fingers shredded the stockings to tatters.
Through the long, ragged tears, her pale thighs gleamed white.
"...Oh dear."
This ruined the demonstration. If Irene tried this, Leona might kill me.
But then.
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed hard.
Not someone—Irene.
Her face beet red, staring at my thigh.
Something... felt off.
Her clothes—specifically, her lower half.
Was visibly swelling.
...Looks like my guess was spot on.