Vacation Plans!
After finishing my shower, I changed into fresh clothes and grabbed my weapons.
I strapped on my harness over my casual clothes, sheathed my sword, reloaded the empty magazines, and holstered my pistol.
All set.
When I stepped out of the room, Sion and Clara were already dressed to head out, waiting for me.
They were fiddling with their bangs in the mirror, then turned to me with smiles.
Living in Sion's mansion really is a feast for the eyes—you get eye candy just from breathing.
"Oppa. You ready?"
"We can head out anytime."
I didn't answer the question directly and closed the distance with the girls.
The feeling I get every time I see them swells up big in my head.
I'd held back from saying it out loud before, wondering how it'd land, but now I wanted to let it out.
"You're pretty."
"W-Who...?"
I chuckled at Clara's question.
It's cute how she asks the obvious and looks suspicious.
"Both of you."
"... ."
"... ."
Sion and Clara froze, unable to respond.
Their mouths slightly agape, eyes just blinking.
Satisfied that I'd said what I wanted, but a bit embarrassed as they took my hands, I lightly ruffled their hair and headed for the entrance.
"Let's go. Noah keeps texting that she's hungry."
"Y-Yeah...!"
"Got it... ."
The two girls followed behind me, clutching their burning faces and pounding hearts.
My group headed to the bustling streets to meet Ichinose and Noah.
Being near the academy, it was packed with first-years fresh off their exams. I spotted familiar faces everywhere, even if I didn't know their names.
No matter how their practicals turned out, they were all reveling in the fact that it was over.
The excited crowds and lively chatter made for a vibrant space, and blending in didn't feel bad at all.
We wove through the throng toward the restaurant we'd agreed on, where Ichinose and Noah were already waiting.
They spotted us right away and turned their heads.
Ichinose gave a small wave while hugging her sword, and Noah let out a roar to announce her condition.
"I'm starving!!!"
"Sorry, sorry."
I soothed Noah's growling stomach as we entered the restaurant.
We showed our reservation on my phone and were led to our seats.
Feels like everyone's staring daggers.
Gazes prickled from all sides. The guys grilling meat had their pupils dilating as they swarmed over.
I praised myself for booking the secluded corner spot while pitying these poor guys who couldn't fight their instincts.
"Meat~ Meat~"
Noah hummed happily as she took her seat, her tail swishing with excitement.
Today was straight-up grill-and-eat day.
It was the menu we'd decided on after my exams ended—Noah had the loudest voice in the discussion.
"Oppa! Sit here...!"
"Rohan. Get in quick."
Sion and Clara naturally sandwiched me in the middle, while Ichinose sat across, tending to Noah.
"Order whatever you want."
Noah grinned mischievously as she snatched the ordering tablet.
A glint of playful mischief tugged at her lips.
"No regrets? I'm ordering for real."
"No regrets."
"Oh?"
This wasn't a cheap joint, but it didn't sell absurdly pricey cuts either.
With my wallet fattened up lately, treating them—even with Noah pigging out—was no burden.
Hell, I wanted to feed them till my wallet had holes in it.
Spending on these girls with me felt worth every penny.
"Then ribeye, sirloin, skirt steak too~"
Noah's hands flew across the tablet. She handled requests from around the table with practiced ease.
The moment the orders locked in, platters of meat started flooding the table.
I pulled the raw beef plates toward me.
"Hey now! Hands off the tongs and scissors. I grill meat like a pro, remember."
"Just eat," I said, grabbing the tongs. I checked the hot plate's heat and laid the meat on.
Sizzle—!
As the meat hit the grill, Noah gulped and stared it down.
She glared like she could make the pink fade faster. The wait looked torturous.
I chuckled and called her name.
"Noah."
"Woof?"
Her blue eyes stayed glued to the meat.
Cute how she answered while hyper-focused.
"Order some yukhoe too. Eat it raw before it cooks."
"R-Really...?"
Like she'd been waiting for it. Her round ears twitched as she looked up.
Whatever her reasons, she'd clearly held back on ordering.
"I said order whatever."
"Then... you really won't mind?"
The tablet clacked again in Noah's hands.
The table filled up fast, no gaps left.
I watched Noah devour the yukhoe with fond amusement.
Flipping the meat, I started the conversation.
"Orion Academy break comes twice a year after each semester, right? Summer and winter?"
"Yes."
"Exact dates set yet?"
"No, haven't heard."
"Break? Academy break's like July through August, yeah?"
Ichinose nodded at Noah's input.
I munched on yukhoe the girls fed me while working the tongs and scissors nonstop.
"You two heading back home?"
"I'm planning to go to Samhwa Nation first."
"I'll follow Nose, but home... dunno!"
Ichinose let out a wry chuckle at Noah's words and looked straight at me.
She asked carefully.
"...What about you, Rohan? Got plans for break?"
"Me? Nothing set. If nothing comes up, thought I'd train and take you two sightseeing."
The two were obviously Sion and Clara.
They beamed openly happy smiles, eyes sparkling with anticipation already.
"... ."
That was when Eungae Nose sensed it.
The gravity of the impending crisis.
If the conversation ended all vague like this, wouldn't she miss seeing Rohan the whole break?
Eungae Nose bit her lower lip at the unwanted scenario.
"We talked about going to the beach together last time. What about that...?"
Noah had brought it up back then, and Eungae Nose—the one embarrassed about swimsuits—had trailed off.
But in this emergency, words changed.
"Beach, huh. You two up for the beach?"
I didn't care where we went.
So the girls' opinions on either side mattered most.
"I've never really played at the beach... Swimsuits are em-embarrassing, but... if it's with Oppa, I'd like it...!"
"I've never been at all. It'd be good to experience it together."
With her comrades on board, the mood flowed smoothly. Ichinose let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Summer means beach!"
Even Noah, polishing off another yukhoe bowl, chimed in energetically. I nodded decisively.
"Let's plan it. Picking the beach, booking stays, swimsuits—lots to prep."
I plated the perfectly browned meat in front of everyone.
Noah's chopsticks flashed, hiding the meat in her mouth as she already dreamed of the sea.
"I wanna harpoon fish at the beach."
"Not just splashing around?"
"Dad showed me him spearing a huge marlin once. Nose was there too. Remember?"
"Oh... Yeah, that was impressive. But that wasn't a marlin—it was a monster. Shaped like one, but whale-sized. Weird color too."
I wanted details on that story.
Who wouldn't wonder what happens when the Snow Tiger Emperor hurls a harpoon into the sea?
I'll ask them to spill it sometime.
I grilled nonstop to match Noah's ferocious pace.
How much had I filled up on what Sion and Clara fed me?
As the meal wound down...
A vibration buzzed from Ichinose's pocket.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
She pulled out her phone and opened her eyes.
Checked the name, then stood.
"I'll take this."
"Sure."
Once Ichinose stepped out...
Clara, gauging the moment, poked my arm with her finger.
"O-Oppa... ."
"Yeah?"
"Do you drink... ? In anime, they go to the beach, drink at night, do fireworks... ."
"I'm curious too. Do you drink, Rohan? Never seen you."
I'd enjoyed it occasionally before, but not in this body.
"Don't hate it. You, Clara?"
"I-I've never tried...! So I heard... it's good to learn with someone your first time... ."
"Less learning, more like—better to have someone watch your back to gauge your tolerance. Helps control your pace."
Sion too, but Clara especially worried me.
She'd either be a tank or crash hard—one or the other.
"At the beach, wanna try drinking with you as a commemoration... ."
Rare for Clara to voice a want first—I agreed readily.
Noah was still chowing down, so I turned to the one right next to me.
"Sion?"
"...If you look after me, I'd like to try."
Excited to see what sides they'd show.
Break was starting to feel like something to look forward to.
Sizzle—!
The last meat hit the grill just as I was about to order rice.
Ichinose returned, looking troubled.
"Uh... Rohan... ."
"What's up?"
Eungae Nose clutched her phone with both hands.
Couldn't even sit, mumbling awkwardly.
"M-Mom wants to talk to you for a bit... ."