Chapter 185: What Does the Swimsuit Matter? It’s the Heart That Counts.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: What Does the Swimsuit Matter? It’s the Heart That Counts.
Deep in the abyss.
It began to pulse suddenly.
An entity formed from the excess energy overflowing from all things in the universe, gathering in one place to take shape.
Its parents were the stars and the world itself.
Therefore, by all rights, it should have been promised completion as a deity the moment it was born.
However, unlike other deities, it was an incomplete existence.
Perhaps because its birth was a mere accident, it received no role from the world, unlike the gods who are born with a destined purpose.
Because it had no role, it lacked necessary knowledge; because it lacked knowledge, only instinct existed.
Nevertheless, its innate power was at a level that could never be ignored. It was a being that could become either a god or a devil.
The sea grew violent at the quickening of a presence that felt as if a god were about to be born at any moment.
* * *
Reminding myself that I had to stay by their side was one thing, but I couldn’t just sit around without any countermeasures.
According to the explanation I later received from the Professor, those who are particularly dangerous even among S-rank Villains are called Calamity-class. That guy was one of them. Originally, he had been imprisoned at a great cost, but it seemed he had escaped with someone’s help.
…And that “someone” was undoubtedly Chae Yu-jin.
“Right, so it’s a setting you never told me about.”
I remember.
Back when we were still in middle school, Seo-ha—who insisted on wrapping her arm in bandages and wearing an eyepatch—was obsessed with a few specific abilities.
— I can’t remove these bandages. Seven abilities are sealed within.
— Yeah, I heard you yesterday too.
— Ah, listen again! Ahem, these bandages are effective at suppressing my powers, which are so mighty they cannot be controlled!
Well, I wasn’t exactly in a position to talk, but Seo-ha was really over the top.
Anyway, one of the settings Seo-ha frequently used was gravity manipulation.
Since the character was based on an ability from the list she wanted to use during her chuunibyou days, it was safe to assume he was far stronger than most villains appearing in the original work.
The bigger problem was that even one of them was a headache, yet there was no telling how many more like him there might be.
Knowing Seo-ha’s personality, I didn’t think there would be that many, but still.
Anyway, as for what I was doing now to prepare for the coming threat…
“So… So-hyun, how’s this?”
Ga-eul, wearing a red bikini that was far too flashy in many ways, struck an awkward, seductive pose and gave me a wink.
Honestly, it was a bit much.
I was helping the girls pick out swimsuits for our trip to the beach.
…No, you might not believe me, but this really was a necessary task.
* * *
Several days had passed since the incident.
There was a lot of noise about a massive search party being organized and emergency alerts being issued, but in the end, not much changed.
He wasn’t the kind of villain who would be caught by such measures, and since the only casualties in that incident were the terrorists, it didn’t feel like a major threat to the general public.
While I spent my time training and worrying about various things, the students who had gone back to their hometowns or houses began returning to the Academy one by one.
Of course, since the Academy was undergoing water pipe repairs, most cadets were staying in other accommodations. However, I decided to look after my close friends at our hotel, just like I did with Ha-ni.
And so, on the morning after our one-week reunion…
“So-hyun. Let’s go buy swimsuits!”
Lilac spouted such utter nonsense that a hotel murder almost occurred first thing in the morning.
Go buy swimsuits? Between men? You crazy bastard. This was definitely a case where a court would unanimously rule it as justifiable self-defense even if I killed him.
“…Don’t look at me like that. Even I don’t have a hobby of going to look at swimsuits with other guys. The girls asked us to go together.”
While I was debating whether to draw my weapon, Lilac added that, scratching his cheek as if he felt awkward even saying it.
“Right, then you should have said so from the start. I almost cut ties with you.”
“Wow, look at that personality. You’d cut ties over just that? I think we need a proof of friendship.”
I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure most guys would cut ties if another guy asked them to go pick out swimsuits at the crack of dawn.
Actually, I could guess why this guy came by so early.
He probably heard about me getting caught up in the incident recently and wanted to show some concern in his own way.
And since we were scheduled to leave for the beach the day after tomorrow, we actually did need swimsuits.
“Honestly, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
“To what, the girls’ swimsuits? You pervert.”
“Huh? No! I mean, I’m looking forward to the swimsuits too, but not just that! I mean the ocean!”
Look at him react just because I teased him a bit.
“Anyway, so? Are we all heading out after breakfast?”
I had just showered after my dawn training, so I was a bit hungry.
“No, actually, everyone except you is already gathered.”
“…Huh? What do you mean? What kind of swimsuit shop is open at this hour?”
“Inspector Na-hyun said not to buy them at a high price and that she’d give us each a set.”
“Aha, I see.”
To be honest, I didn’t think much of it at the time.
I mean, the Yuseong Group has more than one or two businesses, and they even have a sportswear line, so I figured they could easily give away a few swimsuits.
“So where do we need to go?”
“Yuseong Department Store.”
“…Huh?”
“She said she rented out the whole place.”
…What are you renting out the whole place for just to pick out some swimsuits?
* * *
So, I followed Lilac to the department store, and it was indeed in a reserved state with no one there except for a very small number of people, including the staff.
…They’ll have to return this to normal by tomorrow; is this really okay? What about staff complaints?
“You may rest easy. There is nothing in this world that cannot be solved with money.”
“I see. But Rose, didn’t I ask you to stop reading my mind and answering?”
“That is because the ‘Things a Perfect Maid Can Naturally Do’ series stated that one must be able to read minds. That aside, you are using formal speech again?”
Ah, right. The womb tattoo.
“Ah, damn, I forgot. Give me a break…!”
When I hurriedly apologized, our kind maid said “of course” and presented me with a breakfast table.
…Why is a dining table popping up in the clothing section of a department store?
“Of course. If you would drink this honey water and eat the breakfast I have prepared with all my heart, I shall cleanly forget about it.”
I see. There is no paradise for those who flee.
…Steeling myself, I gulped down the honey water. Fortunately, it tasted of familiar acacia honey and pear.
“Today’s concentration is light, so it should be easy to drink.”
…What concentration? You mean there’s more pear than honey? No wonder it felt smooth.
Of course, for the sake of my mental health, I won’t ask for details today either.
It’s nice to see her becoming more human, giggling while covering her mouth.
But why do you only do that when you’re teasing me?
“Ah! So-hyun! …Huh? What are you doing?”
Ga-eul, who happened to be passing by at the right time, was about to greet me with a bright face, but she paused and spoke with a voice full of doubt after seeing the bizarre sight of me eating in the middle of a department store.
I wonder. Why am I doing this here?
“Anyway, glad you’re here! Help me pick out a swimsuit!”
Ah, right. I came here to help the girls pick out swimsuits, didn’t I?
* * *
Well, for that reason, I was looking at several of Ga-eul’s swimsuits, but honestly, I couldn’t understand why she kept looking at only the excessively flashy ones.
“…No, Ga-eul. Why are you trying to wear only flashy things that don’t suit you?”
“What!? They don’t suit me!?”
“It’s not that they look terrible, but aren’t you picking things that are too gaudy? And the colors are all nothing but red.”
It’s hard to deny that red draws the eye, but honestly, I thought a slightly more modest design would suit Ga-eul better than something so flashy.
It’s not like she looks fierce; she looks more like a half-baked villainess, so if she wears something that flashy, it feels like the clothes are swallowing her up.
“…But still.”
“Yeah?”
“Ah, seriously! If I wear something too plain, I’ll lose to Professor Cathy or Unnie Na-hyun…!”
Our Ga-eul was having a much cuter worry than I thought.
But Ga-eul, you should know this. They aren’t opponents you can beat just by wearing something flashy.
“I see. Still, rather than leaning too far toward flashiness, wouldn’t it be better to work on highlighting your own charms?”
“You just pitied me with your eyes! I saw everything! So-hyun, you’re mean…!”
Oh, crap. What? I didn’t even commit the cliché of swapping my dialogue and thoughts, but Ga-eul suddenly exploded.
“…To be honest, your gaze did look like you were looking at someone very pitiful.”
Ah, really?
Rose, who was standing right next to me and looking at Ga-eul as if she were also looking at something pitiful, gave me a tip.
Sorry, Ga-eul. But since I didn’t say it out loud, I feel like I actually tried hard enough.
“Just you wait! On the day of, I’m going to wear something so cute you won’t be able to look at anyone else!”
The enraged Ga-eul grumbled cutely and stomped off, saying she would pick her swimsuit alone.
Seriously, she seems to be getting cuter and cuter. Is that really the same pseudo-delinquent who used to pick fights with me at the start of the semester?
“Ah, So-hyun. Where did you go? I finally found you.”
“What is it, Lilac? If you ask me to help pick out your swimsuit, I’m going to beat the hell out of you.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? Just kidding. Yu-na asked for some help picking out a swimsuit.”
“I… I really wasn’t going to say this, but are you a crazy bastard?”
“N-No! I don’t want to show her off either!?”
Oh, so he’s at the stage where he feels that much jealousy now. Yeah, damn, it makes me feel like a proud older brother.
But then why?
“Yu-na told me to bring you and Han-hee too.”
…What kind of nonsense is that? Is this guy crazy?
To check what kind of nonsense it was, I followed him and fortunately found Lee Yu-na still in her street clothes, not a swimsuit.
“…Because Lilac says ‘It’s pretty’ to everything, I need some objective evaluation.”
When I asked what she was thinking, she gave a much more sensible answer than expected.
“Which of these two do you think would suit me better?”
One was a women’s trunks-style swimsuit. It wasn’t a common design, but the top was well-covered, making it a low-exposure design.
The other was a typical bikini, but the top had frills to hide a lack of volume, and the bottom had decorative ribbons, making it an overall cute design.
Well, since she’s a beauty to begin with, she’d look fine in either.
But if I had to choose, I’d recommend the one with frills.
Many people fall into the trap of thinking trunks won’t stand out, but since so few people wear them, they actually stand out a lot.
But honestly, it was a bit awkward.
“How about the trunks? Not many people wear them, but they don’t look like they’ll slip off, and they seem easy to move in.”
However, Ha-ni readily recommended a swimsuit without much hesitation.
Well, I guess since she’s originally a girl, she could do that?
“Hmm, what about you?”
“Huh?”
“Which one do you think suits me?”
The arrow came to me? Well, since Ha-ni recommended one first, it should be fine.
“The frills.”
“Oh, so it’s a 1:1 tie. Lilac can break it then!”
Lilac scratched his cheek as if troubled, then nodded and pointed toward the frills.
“Hmm, really? Then I’ll go with this one.”
“Huh? Aren’t you going to try it on?”
…Ha-ni? You might not realize it, but in a way, you’re crossing a line right now.
“I’m going to show it on the day anyway. It’s no fun to lower the anticipation by showing it early.”
As Lilac naturally followed Yu-na, Ha-ni and I were left behind.
“Hmm, then should I pick one too?”
…What? A swimsuit? Which side are you going to pick?
Fortunately, Ha-ni didn’t start picking out a swimsuit but instead chose shorts and a shirt that wouldn’t be see-through even when wet. Is she really planning to go into the water?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
But when Ha-ni turned around, her eyes were filled with mischief.
“…Were you teasing me just now?”
“You just realized? You were looking at me so worriedly that I wanted to tease you a bit.”
“…This girl, seriously.”
“Do you want to see?”
“…What.”
“Me in a swimsuit.”
…Oh, so because I tested the waters a bit last time, she’s going to openly appeal to me now?
“Do you hate the idea?”
Honestly, I did want to see.
“Well, I can’t show you when everyone else is around, so hold back for now~”
…When you say it like that, it sounds like you’re going to show me when it’s just the two of us.
“I’ll show you next time we’re alone.”
Ha-ni, who had approached while I was off-guard, whispered in my ear and then pulled away.
“Then I’m going to go pay for my stuff!”
…Seriously, our little minx is being so very Ha-ni.
Seeing how her physical affection has grown strangely bold lately, it seems my previous loss of control must have been quite a shock to her.
“I really need to stop causing so much worry.”
Since it seemed everyone had picked out their swimsuits, I figured I should just grab one for myself.
Just as I thought that and turned the corner, I ran into the Professor.
I ran into Professor Cathy, who was wearing a competitive swimsuit.
“Ah?! So-hyun!? No! It looked like it had the least exposure, so I just tried it on once! I’m going to wear something else on the day!?”
Ah, I see.
What does the design of a swimsuit matter?
What truly mattered was the heart.
The vast heart clearly visible even through the competitive swimsuit.