163. Swimsuit Festival (4)
163. Swimsuit Festival (4)
"And what are you— Hrk!?"
When the voice suddenly came from behind, the women turned with irritated faces—then swallowed their breath.
"I'll say this nicely. Let go of him."
Kang Do-hee gestured with her eyes toward the hand resting on my shoulder and spoke in a low voice.
"Wh-What business is it of yours—!"
But one of the women raised her voice sharply, as if unwilling to admit she'd been cowed.
Kang Do-hee's eyebrow twitched.
"Casual speech?"
"Y-You were the one who used casual speech first...."
"I said let go."
"Wh-What business is it of y-yours...."
"We just know each other."
"D-Don't bullshit...."
The woman's hand was still resting on my body.
The furrow between Kang Do-hee's brows was deepening, as if her patience was running out.
'Hmm, doesn't look like they'll back off just from a few words.'
I read the room and reached a judgment.
They'd been cowed, sure, but there were three of them, and pride was on the line—so the feeling was they wouldn't back down easily.
It seemed like I ought to step in here.
'If I cause a scene here and it gets picked up the wrong way, it'll be a pain.'
If a story broke about an academy cadet—a Utopia Damage Dealer, no less—assaulting civilians, it'd be a headache.
No matter how skilled Shin Se-hee was at cleaning things up, there was no need to blow up something we could just let slide.
My mind made up, I pushed past the women, walked right up to Kang Do-hee, and looped my arm through hers.
"Oh! Honey! What took you so long!"
At that, every single person looked flabbergasted. Even Kang Do-hee.
"I was waiting. Got caught by some weirdos."
I said that and winked one eye at Kang Do-hee.
'Just play along!'
Then—ahem. Kang Do-hee cleared her throat and opened her mouth.
"R-Right. I. Was. A. Bit. Late."
It was good that she'd belatedly caught on to my intent, but there was a separate problem. Kang Do-hee's acting was absolutely atrocious!
An awkward voice, staccato like a robot's. And her facial expression was a complete mess on top of it.
'Ahh... our Poppy. Acting is not her thing.'
Fortunately, though, that awkward acting didn't seem to register with the women in front of us.
"Wh-What did you say!? Weirdos!?"
"What the hell. You were just messing around with someone else... You had a girlfriend!?"
The woman said it as if she meant for Kang Do-hee to hear.
'They're the ones who came up to me and called it playing around with other people, and now they're running their mouths.'
I calmly tightened my arm around Kang Do-hee's.
"My honey here is a wonderful woman with a heart big enough to understand all of that."
"Th-That. Is. Correct."
Kang Do-hee nodded awkwardly.
"Hah, insane... Acting all innocent, and you're just a slut who gets passed around?"
"Filthy whore...."
The women bit their lips and spat curses right to my face.
But would I feel insulted by words like that?
From my standpoint, coming from a world with the opposite sexual norms, honestly that sort of talk didn't even register as an insult.
When you're immune to dead-parent jokes because you're an orphan, what's this?
"Sure, thanks for the compliment."
I smiled with my eyes, calm as could be. Their mouths fell open.
But from Kang Do-hee's perspective it wasn't the same, and she flared up and tried to step forward.
"You skanky-ass bitches...."
"Honey, don't get mad. We came here to have fun. Let's not waste time on trashy women like that."
"...."
"That thing we always do—the beach is kind of a bad spot for it. Want to find somewhere private?"
"...!"
At my words, the women only pressed their lips together, overcome by a defeat they couldn't shake.
'That's why you shouldn't have messed with me.'
*
That was when I'd forcibly dragged Kang Do-hee off to a spot a little ways away.
"So honey, what do we do now?"
"...Jin Yu-ha. Don't you think it's about time to stop."
Kang Do-hee spat it out sullenly.
"Why, honey. Isn't this your time to have a date with me?"
The alarm on Lee Yu-ri's wristwatch had gone off, and then Kang Do-hee appeared. And what did that signify?
Well, that they'd all decided to rotate partners one by one, like conveyor-belt sushi, and have fun.
'Hmm, putting it that way makes it sound really weird.'
Still, I understood why the party members had arranged the schedule this way.
Completely.
Spending time one-on-one lets you get to know each other more deeply than hanging out as a whole group.
In other words, the idea was to strengthen bonds person-to-person, not just as a collective!
'Sofia just joined us this time. They probably want to help her blend into the party naturally.'
Mm-hmm.
Joining in the middle like that must've made it hard to adjust, but with this kind of consideration she'd settle in fast.
"...Saying things like that could cause misunderstandings with other people, so cut it out."
"Why, honey—this is exactly the time to get into the mood and have fun with it."
Feeling even more mischievous, I said that.
Watching her tremble with her face bright red was seriously hilarious.
'As expected, Kang Do-hee is the undisputed number one for reactions.'
If Gukbap is the top tier for impact feel,
Kang Do-hee is the top tier for reactions.
"...R-Ridiculous!!!"
See?
This Kang Do-hee—who's normally nothing but tough and blunt—looking flustered with such an embarrassed face.
Every time this happened, it felt like something inside me was poking at a dark, sneaky emotion.
That time I'd put her in a grappling hold on the bed, made her admit defeat with her own mouth, then showed her the TV screen to inflict some humiliation play—that still lingered as a vivid memory of deep satisfaction.
'Hmm, teasing her a bit more here would be fun, but... what if I really reel her in?'
I thought for a moment, then released her arm and nodded with a straight face.
"Alright, fine. I'll stop now. Ah, that was fun though."
Kang Do-hee's rigid body relaxed, as if the tension had eased.
"...Tch, you sure are good at spouting that cringey stuff."
"It's fun. So, Kang Do-hee, is there anything you particularly want to do here?"
"Hmph, honestly, no. I'm not really the type to enjoy places like this."
Kang Do-hee spat it out with her arms crossed, looking utterly uninterested. I laughed inwardly.
Oh, no? Poppy.
You're going to enjoy yourself today.
This beach.
"Hmm, really? Then want to make a bet? Loser grants the winner one wish."
I said it casually, as if the thought had just occurred to me.
"...A bet?"
At the word bet, her eyebrow twitched, as if her interest had been piqued.
'That's right. I've dangled the bait.'
Kang Do-hee is fundamentally a character with a strong competitive streak. She never turns down a bet that comes her way.
"Yeah, see that over there?"
I pointed at a tiny black dot far off in the distance.
Kang Do-hee narrowed her eyes and looked that way.
"...Is that a rock?"
"Yeah. Starting from here, whoever touches the rock first wins. But no Mana—pure physical ability only."
Kang Do-hee let out a scoff, as if she couldn't believe it.
"Ha. Jin Yu-ha. Do you seriously think you can compete with me in physical ability?"
'Yeah, you're full of confidence right now, aren't you.'
I deployed the line with a one hundred percent success rate for capturing Kang Do-hee.
"...Chicken?"
Crunch—
"Don't regret this."
"That's my line. Don't come begging later that you can't grant the wish."
"...Ha, I'll throw those words right back at you."
'And you have chomped down hard on that bait.'
* * *
Splash—
Splash—
Two figures cut through the water, surging straight ahead.
The moment it began, Jin Yu-ha and Kang Do-hee had plunged into the sea, neither one a beat behind the other.
The rock was a considerable distance away.
Kang Do-hee shoved the water aside with all her strength.
Each time, her body sliced forward, cool and swift.
As she swam, she glanced back over her shoulder.
FWOOSH—!
A flurry of kicking sent up white spray, and Jin Yu-ha was chasing right behind her.
'As expected, he's impressive.'
Kang Do-hee inwardly voiced her admiration.
She'd been sensing something lately during their training together.
Of course, since it wasn't real combat, they'd only sparred at a moderate level.
But recently, the air about him—his presence, you could call it—had changed in so many ways.
Perhaps the current Jin Yu-ha had even become stronger than herself.
Originally she'd been confident she would win by a paper-thin margin,
but if they fought now, honestly, she couldn't predict the outcome.
Yet—and this surprised even her—she felt no negativity about it.
Was it because she'd expected that someday he would surpass her?
Honestly, she didn't know.
That didn't mean she was mired in defeatism, either.
If anything, she burned far hotter than before.
She'd never had anyone among her peers she could truly call a rival,
and this meant she'd finally found someone she could genuinely compete against.
'But today isn't that day.'
No matter how much stronger Jin Yu-ha had become, she still outmatched him in pure physical ability.
Proving that point, Jin Yu-ha was glued right behind her, but he hadn't managed to close the gap.
And the rock—the target that had looked like nothing but a black dot—
it was right before her eyes.
The moment Kang Do-hee reached her hand out toward that rock.
WHOOSH—!
A sudden ripping sound came from behind.
'What—!?'
Kang Do-hee whipped her head around at the unexpected noise.
And the sight she saw was Jin Yu-ha, leaping into the air like a dolphin.
Tap—
He soared clean over her head, landed neatly atop the rock, and looked down at her.
"I won. Kang Poppy."
Grind—
There was no way she could accept that.
Overcome with a surge of emotion, Kang Do-hee burst out shouting.
"D-Don't make me laugh!! You—you used Mana!!!"
"Nope."
Jin Yu-ha shrugged and shook his head.
"H-How could you do that without using Mana—!"
"Ah, that? I learned a footwork technique from my Master. Here, want me to show you?"
Jin Yu-ha lightly kicked off the rock and dropped into the sea.
Contrary to the expectation that he'd plunge straight in,
Jin Yu-ha dropped gently onto the water's surface.
For an instant, it looked as though he was outright floating!
"...Wh-What in the—!"
"It's a footwork technique called Dark Shadow Step. It makes your stepping foot light. Without Mana you sink right away like this, but if you apply the principle just a little—heave-ho!"
WHOOSH—!
Jin Yu-ha kicked off and jumped out of the water.
Watching that, Kang Do-hee bit down hard on her lip.
"...Th-That's cheating!!!"
"Huh? Cheating?"
"Yes! The person who arrives at this spot first using only swimming—."
"Who said that? I clearly said, 'Starting from here, whoever touches the rock first. But no Mana—pure physical ability only.' Didn't I?"
"...!"
"Nowhere in there did I say 'using only swimming.'"
Jin Yu-ha waggled a finger as he looked down at Kang Do-hee.
"Kang Do-hee. So, you should've checked the conditions carefully from the start."
* * *
"...."
Trudge, trudge—
Kang Do-hee stepped out of the water with a face like her soul had left her body.
'Hmm, was that too harsh?'
I had planned from the start to beat Kang Do-hee using Dark Shadow Step, but seeing her so utterly deflated like that softened my heart a little.
'No. No.'
A match is a match.
Kang Do-hee takes competition seriously; cutting her slack for no reason would be an insult to her!
If anything, she'd get angry if I didn't give her a proper penalty here.
'Hmm, I said a wish bet, so what would be good.'
From the start, I'd never considered extorting anything from Kang Do-hee.
We're party members bound by trust anyway—if I wanted something like that, I could just ask.
'Hmm, thinking of it that way makes it tough... Something she'd really feel as a penalty but that I want to see...'
I gazed steadily at Kang Do-hee, mulling over how to use the wish.
'Ah, she absolutely hates that "oppa" type of thing, right? Should I make her do that? No, that's too weak. Too weak.'
In this gender-reversed setting, that would just be like getting called "noona."
Then, suddenly, I recalled the expression of utter revulsion Kang Do-hee had made earlier and pulled up the corners of my mouth into a grin.
"Poppy. I won."
"...."
Kang Do-hee pressed her lips tight and glared at me.
She was probably acknowledging the defeat, but unwilling to accept it.
Seemed like her heart and mind were clashing.
"And this was a bet. Loser grants the winner's wish."
At that, she let out a deep sigh, as if resigned.
"Fine, what do you intend to make me do. Say whatever it is—money... a gift...."
"Come on, would I want something material from you?"
"...Th-Then what—again, some weird thing like, like Grappling—!"
"Nah, already used that one, so it's stale."
"Then what!!"
Kang Do-hee barked like a puppy trembling with anxiety.
I raised one finger in front of her and smiled leisurely.
"For the whole day today, call me 'honey.'"
"...What!?"
"Why, can't do it? This is what the victor of a fair bet is demanding. Not just now—'today,' all day long. That means in front of the party members later, too."
At that, Kang Do-hee's face went pale.
She spoke in a desperate voice.
"...S-Something else! Name something else!"
I shook my head firmly.
"Anything else—I'll do anything, so please!"
"No, I'm not changing it. No take-backs."
Whatever she said, I had no intention of changing this penalty.
"Alright then, Kang Poppy. Shall we give it a try? Hon-ey."
"...."
Kang Do-hee glared at me, her face bright red.
Whoa, that look could kill.
And slowly, her lips parted.
"...Ho—"
Just as she was forcing the word out in that tightly suppressed voice.
Beep— beep-beep—
Kang Do-hee's wristwatch went off.
"T-Time's up! W-Well then, I'll be off!"
WHOOSH—!!
Kang Do-hee vanished before my eyes at the speed of light.
"...Wow, look at that speed. But we're meeting again later anyway?"
I let out a dry laugh as I watched her fleeing back.
"Hmm. Kang Do-hee kept the time surprisingly precisely, didn't she?"
And the third batter.
Shin Se-hee appeared before me.
