Chapter 187: Anyway, It Was Summer.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 187: Anyway, It Was Summer.
Everyone had finished their preparations with excitement, and just as we were about to depart for the sea, a certain drill-haired young lady was prostrating herself at the dormitory entrance.
It was the summer of our seventeenth year.
Strange. They say that simply adding the phrase “It was summer” makes anything feel like a story of youth, but instead of youth, I could only smell the scent of a deranged incident I wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
“…What are you doing there?”
“Yu-na, don’t give her any attention. Let’s just go! You’ll catch her bad luck!”
Aisha looked so pathetic that Lee Yu-na eventually couldn’t help but speak up, but Ga-eul stopped her, treating Aisha with somewhat excessive coldness.
No, but seriously, what is she doing?
Seeing that beautiful platinum-blonde hair touching the dirty ground suddenly reminded me of her drunken antics and the disgraceful scenes she caused before my regression. A wave of sorrowful yet nostalgic emotion washed over me.
Of course, that didn’t mean the sight was pleasant or that I ever wanted to see it again.
“I was waiting.”
The back of the head—no, Aisha—finally spoke. Her voice trembled as she remained in her deep prostration.
“I thought we had become somewhat close during the final exams, so I waited patiently…!”
At this point, the quicker-witted members of the group seemed to realize what she was getting at and began glancing around.
The meaning behind their exchanged looks was clear.
“At least one of you…! Surely at least one person…! Could have asked me to go to the sea with you…! I thought everyone was just being shy! Or maybe it was because things were still awkward, and you’d contact me at least a day before! Do you have any idea how I felt, thinking I’d pretend to be persuaded and join you once the call finally came!?”
“…Not really?”
Wait, even in her imagination, she was planning to “pretend to be persuaded”? She really is impressive in many ways.
“But I endured! I picked out a swimsuit all by myself! Even though no one contacted me during the break! Even though I didn’t receive a single common greeting! Even when no message came until 11:59 PM last night!”
Ah, right. There are people like that. The ones who keep refreshing the page until the very last second, denying that they failed to win a giveaway.
“But I suppose I have to admit it now. You all forgot about me. Yes, it doesn’t matter. A professional is always prepared for such a situation, even while hoping it isn’t true…!”
What is this…? Is she going to do the “If I can’t go, none of you can go” thing?
Aisha lifted her head and looked at us with sparkling eyes, then, surprisingly, slammed her head against the ground even harder.
There was a loud thud, but I caught a glimpse of her manifesting a bit of armor on her forehead just before impact, so it probably didn’t hurt.
“Please, I beg of you…! Let me go to the sea with you too…!”
Oh, is she actually going with the direct approach?
Lilac, who was naturally weak to this kind of thing, was a given, but even Ga-eul, who had the lowest affection for her, looked at her with a mix of disgust and pity.
The others even turned their gazes toward me, silently signaling that I should be the one to decide.
Hey, why are you making me do this? You guys could do it too.
“…Hey, first of all, get up. This is embarrassing.”
“I don’t want to! I’ll behave! The sea! The sea! The sea! I can’t go into details, but this is my first summer vacation! I’ll do anything if you let me come along…! Please, just take me with you! Just think of me as a somewhat amusing ornament…!”
…She’s seriously desperate.
“If you don’t get up right now, I’m going to step on you and keep walking.”
“Yes, sir.”
Aisha stood up without a moment’s hesitation. The others shot me a strange look for saying I’d step on her.
“Just so we’re clear, we’re not going to do anything particularly fun, okay?”
“I don’t care!”
Sigh. This wasn’t in the plans.
If we were just going to play, I wouldn’t mind letting her join, but I’ve planned a secret reinforcement event for the kids.
I’m a bit reluctant because it doesn’t feel like she’s completely on our side yet.
“I’ll do anything…!”
— I-I was a bit weird yesterday because I was drunk, right? You’re not going to kill me, are you? Can you put that thing in your hand down before we talk? Should I lick your shoes? I’ll show you my breasts. No, wait, don’t come any closer!
“…Fine, let’s go together.”
If I leave her like this, she’ll definitely try to lick my shoes in this life too. I might as well just take her.
“Really…!? O-ho-ho-ho! Honestly! If you wanted me to come so badly, you should have just said so! I was actually wondering how much further I’d have to go!”
What is this? This sensation rising from deep within my chest, warming my entire body.
Ah, this is called murderous intent. The urge to kill someone.
You’re lucky I have a grudging attachment to you, or you’d be in for some serious “re-education” right now.
And so, a somewhat unpleasant companion was added to our journey to the sea.
It was summer.
* * *
The spirit born from the tranquil sea did nothing but quietly watch the scenery.
The first piece of knowledge it acquired after birth was that the sea would churn and everything nearby would break if it tried to move even slightly.
It might have been different if it possessed a nature that found interest in destruction.
However, it had not yet fully grasped the concept of “interest” to begin with. It disliked loud noises and hated when the calm ripples became violent.
Therefore, it preferred to curl up as small as possible and gaze silently into the deep sea.
How much time had passed since it began watching the water? As it gazed peacefully, a small, fluttering fish caught its eye, only to be swallowed by a much larger fish.
It was a scene it had witnessed countless times, yet it could not understand the act.
To a perfectly formed spirit, neither sleep nor predation was necessary. It merely recognized it as an event that occurred occasionally.
But perhaps because of that, it felt interest for the first time.
Since it could not move on its own, it waited quietly for a fish to approach.
And the moment a massive fish touched it, the spirit swallowed it whole.
It took the life of the struggling fish and, for the first time, took its knowledge.
It was a very small change, but at the same time, it was the catalyst for the spirit to have a purpose for the first time.
Having realized the law of the jungle—that the strong eat the weak—it moved.
However, it was not to find prey, but for observation.
Even if it had taken the knowledge of a fish, a spirit would not act like a mere fish.
Zero and one are different. Having become capable of minimal thought, it grew curious about the creatures that performed actions unnecessary to itself and began to ponder.
And to solve that mystery, it began to carefully construct a nest where it could move.
* * *
One might imagine a crowded beach during this season, but in this world, that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Beaches for civilians and beaches for superhumans were separated.
— Huh? Of course. It would be a disaster if a civilian and a superhuman got into a fight while playing.
Seo-ha, the creator of this world, solved this problem with a rather simple setting: some beaches were designated as “fields” where sea monsters appeared.
These monsters weren’t particularly lethal, but non-awakened individuals with no resistance would experience dizziness or vomiting just by being near their energy.
“It’s the ocean…!”
Thanks to that, we arrived at a beach that, while not exactly deserted, had plenty of space to play.
With glowing eyes, Ga-eul spread her arms in a pose straight out of a manga and shouted at the sea. But surely, no one would actually join in on that…
“It’s the ocean!!!”
“Waaaah…!!!!”
There were. There definitely were. Regrettably, most of the group shouted toward the sea as if they were just as excited.
“Aren’t you going to do it, So-hyun?”
Professor Cathy, having stepped out of the car, approached me with a smile.
Normally, I would have refused instantly, dismissing it as the over-the-top behavior of fictional characters.
“Shall I give it a try, then?”
But now, I’m trying not to do that.
I’ve made up my mind to treat them as people and strive to become one of them.
With that in mind, I took a deep breath and turned toward the sea.
“Cool watermelons for a very low price…! We also have oriental melons, perfect for the summer heat…!”
Wait, watermelons are very cheap…?
Needless to say, that wasn’t me shouting.
However, I felt like I knew exactly who it was.
Professor Cathy’s expression soured, and those in the group who knew him all turned to look at me.
No, damn it, don’t look at me like that…! I really didn’t call him today!
The Farmer Expert, Ban Gi-san.
He was selling vegetables at the beach.
“Oh, those watermelons are really cheap. Guys, we didn’t buy any watermelons!”
And our Lilac, whose situational awareness fluctuates daily, was clearly having an “off” day as he laughed brightly and said something nonsensical.
“Hmm? Oh! I felt the energy of someone who doesn’t pick their vegetables! It’s you guys!”
And he spotted us.
What the hell, man? Why are you selling watermelons here?
In addition to his muscular skin and handsome face, he wore a red Hawaiian shirt with palm trees on it.
His muscles, heated by the burning sun, rippled beneath the shirt.
I promised myself I wouldn’t say it, but I have to today.
Ah, seriously, damn it. This is way too much.
* * *
First, we headed to the accommodation I had reserved to drop off our luggage.
Originally, I was going to book a hotel with individual rooms, but some members strongly objected, saying it wouldn’t feel like a trip. So, we rented a large pension where the guys would stay on the first floor and the girls on the second.
Honestly, I thought the girls might find it uncomfortable since they’d inevitably be sharing a floor with the professor, but surprisingly, they all seemed to get along well.
“Hmm, you can see the ocean right outside the window. I haven’t been to many pensions, but this is nicer than I thought.”
Professor Cathy, who was the first to finish unpacking, approached me.
Since this was a power-up event, I had considered inviting the Chairperson or Professor A-ram, but unfortunately, both were busy.
The Chairperson said she had something to investigate, and the Little Witch had a look of grim determination as she said she had work to do. Seeing her reaction to the villain’s escape last time, it seemed she was planning to undo her own seals.
My sister couldn’t come because of other schedules.
In the end, the only guardian who came along was the professor.
“You unpacked quickly, So-hyun.”
“Ah, yes.”
Well, it wasn’t actually me who unpacked.
— As your servant, it is only natural that I organize my master’s luggage for him.
— No, you don’t have to do that.
— I didn’t realize you were craving honey water.
Rose, who had followed us, had calmly handled everything, saying she would do it for me, so I simply had nothing left to do.
No, it’s great that she’s becoming more expressive, but why does she keep subtly threatening me with the tattoo and the honey water? Come to think of it, shouldn’t she be the embarrassed one, not me?
…No, I’m the one who should be embarrassed.
Knowing her, she’d probably say something like, “This is the mark my master gave me.”
“I’m a bit hurt. It’s just the two of us here, but are you thinking about something else?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just…”
Wait, in the brief moment I was distracted, the professor’s face had moved right in front of mine.
Without exaggeration, if I moved just a little forward, our lips would touch. She didn’t seem flustered at all; instead, she smiled and slowly reached out to caress my face.
Seriously, isn’t this distance a bit too close? Is this the right amount of personal space?
Is it because it’s summer that she’s being so open…?
“You’re not pulling away.”
“Pardon?”
“You used to flinch and look scared whenever I got close.”
Did… I? Maybe I did.
“I’m glad.”
After saying that, she slowly pulled back.
“The kids will be out soon. It wouldn’t be good for the vacation mood if they saw us like this, right?”
Professor, it’s a bit troublesome for me if you attack my heart so suddenly like that.
“Let’s take it slow. I don’t plan on doing anything during the trip, so don’t worry.”
…What does she mean by that? “During the trip”? It sounds like she’s planning to do something once the trip is over.
I’m just overthinking it, right?
Soon after, as the others came out one by one, the professor returned to her usual energetic self. However, I found it hard to calm down because her strangely predatory smile from a moment ago remained burned into my mind.
…And we haven’t even stepped out to the sea yet.
I felt a sudden certainty that this was going to be an eventful trip.