Chapter 204: Ha-ni Wants to Wear a Swimsuit Too
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204: Ha-ni Wants to Wear a Swimsuit Too
In the end, I was only released after being teased for a long while.
“Seriously, everyone is being so mean. I gathered so much courage to apologize, and all they do is make fun of me.”
— Why don’t you do something about that grin on your face before saying that? You have zero persuasiveness.
“Ah, what grin? Seriously. Stop making things up.”
…Well, I might be saying that, but it’s the truth.
When I was washing up earlier and looked in the mirror, I realized I was grinning like an idiot without even knowing it.
Honestly, I know.
Even if I felt something this time and made a promise, I won’t change that easily.
People aren’t beings that change so simply.
In fact, I’m a particularly stubborn sort, so if my people fall into danger again, I’ll waver, and I might even try to break my promise like a fool once more.
Still, I’ll try to move forward, little by little—even if it’s just a tiny bit.
Because I promised. And because I’ve realized firsthand how others see me.
— My, look at you talking all smooth. Aren’t you just feeling relaxed because you finally have something to rely on?
“Ah, seriously. Stop ruining the mood. Yes, you’re right. I’ve become relaxed because my Multiple Reinforcement has fully awakened.”
…To be honest, that is a big reason.
Multiple Reinforcement.
The awakened form of my original A-rank Reinforcement, a power that allows me to use reinforcement multiple times and on multiple targets simultaneously, was finally fully in my hands.
Well, the consumption of Innate True Qi is no joke, so I can’t just spam it, but considering it was a power I never managed to perfectly awaken before my regression, it’s a huge step forward.
Originally, as I used it last time, I had to start with a single reinforcement and then stack them, which made the fuel efficiency of my Innate True Qi much worse. But after I regained consciousness, I could instinctively tell that my talent had moved to the next stage.
Since the talent itself has matured, there’s no need to manually “start the engine,” and the consumption will be much lower.
Well, considering I used to use it recklessly without even caring about things like Innate True Qi before my regression, the output might actually seem lacking compared to back then.
But in every aspect except raw output, it’ll be better since I can now perform detailed control.
“But really, why did this awaken now?”
Was it because I died and came back to life? Or was there a psychological change? It might have been influenced by the power of a deity during the process of my resurrection.
Or, well, maybe the things I’ve been steadily building up without shortcuts—unlike before—finally paid off.
— Without shortcuts?
“…Ah, now that I think about it, were stealing fortuitous encounters and boosting potion effects also shortcuts?”
— Do you really have to think about it to know the answer…?
“But I didn’t steal that many. And I only stole from villains. Wait…?”
Hold on.
Speaking of stealing from villains, I almost forgot.
“Black Shadow.”
The shadow parasitic on my left arm wriggled.
“…You can’t even digest that thing even if you keep it in your mouth. I’ll feed you something better next time, so spit it out for now.”
Our greedy shadow flinched and tried to deny its crime, but I clearly saw it swallow something while taking advantage of the confusion when I collapsed.
Sure, in a way, since Black Shadow grows the more it eats, it might have recognized it as the ultimate prey and tried to swallow it. Unfortunately, what it swallowed is a bit too much for the current Black Shadow to handle.
“Good boy, right? Spit it out. I’ll give you something better later, so let’s spit it out, okay?”
When I treated it like a puppy as a joke, the shadow, shaped like a small snake, growled and rejected my touch.
…Wait, why is a snake—no, not even a snake, a dragon’s shadow—growling?
“You, if you don’t spit it out now, you’re going to have a stomachache.”
— What did the fellow swallow to make you say that?
“It’s just that this guy, even though he can’t swallow it, took the thing I cut off…”
Knock, knock.
While I was talking to the artifacts, a sudden knock was heard. Sun Wukong signaled me to go ahead, saying it wasn’t urgent.
“…You, I’m making you spit that out later.”
Black Shadow, flicking its tongue with a shururu sound, seemed to think this was its chance and retreated back into my body.
“Who is it?”
[Ah, So-hyun, do you have a moment? I thought I heard voices coming from your room. Is someone with you?]
I wondered who it was, and it turned out the guest was Ha-ni.
But I put up a soundproofing barrier; how did she hear? Was she just taking a guess?
“No, I’m alone. Why? Do you need something?”
[Oh, you’re asking if I ‘need something’ already? I’m hurt. Are we the kind of people who can’t even go to each other’s rooms unless we have business~?]
…Her voice sounds a bit strange?
[Open up~ Hurry~ Huh? You’re not opening? You’re really not~? You’re going to regret it…!]
I feel like I’ve heard Ha-ni use this kind of voice once before.
Driven by a sense of impending dread, I hurried to open the door. A red-faced Ha-ni walked in.
She was wearing a coat that was unnaturally long for summer, looking quite out of place.
The smell of alcohol was quite strong.
Superhumans can clear their intoxication with mana if they put their minds to it, so they are relatively free from getting drunk.
In other words, unless someone tricked her into drinking, Ha-ni drank of her own volition. Why on earth would our Ha-ni drink alcohol, which she doesn’t even like?
And why did she come to my room after drinking…?
“It’s hot.”
Huh? Is this déjà vu? Didn’t a drunk Ha-ni do this before…?
That’s right.
A few months ago, after the exams, on the day Kang Hyun-woo… I mean, Father, kidnapped the kids and asked about my academy life, Ha-ni had a similar reaction after drinking a cocktail she thought was just a juice.
“Hey…!”
However, while back then she was wearing a school uniform that was somewhat complicated to take off, this time it was a simple coat, so I was a bit too late to stop her.
And.
“Phew.”
…Except for the fact that she was wearing a swimsuit under the coat she took off, it was exactly the same.
It was a white frilly bikini.
Even though the design wasn’t overly revealing due to the large surface area of the fabric, it couldn’t quite cover the wearer’s figure. The ratio of skin to white cloth was high enough to stir up… complicated thoughts.
Honestly, she looked so charming that it felt like a waste to look away.
“I got~ fooled! Puhuhu.”
But why did she go as far as drinking a Courage Potion to do this…?
First, let’s lock the door so no one else comes in, and then I’ll think.
“So-hyun~”
“…Yeah, Han-hee.”
“I’m not Han-hee. I’m not. Dummy. You don’t even know my name.”
…I do know, okay? But you’ve never told me yourself.
Why is she suddenly acting like this?
* * *
In fact, it was only natural that Kang So-hyun found it hard to find a reason for her behavior.
Even she couldn’t properly explain why she had started acting like this!
In short, she was currently in a state of reckless abandon.
She couldn’t even pinpoint the exact trigger.
She had intended to scold him for his actions today, but when he reflected on his own and showed so much courage while apologizing to them, she felt frustrated with herself for not being able to approach him as confidently as the Professor or Ga-eul.
Thinking back, even though she said she would monopolize the evening on the first day, she hated that she couldn’t proudly tell the others she was going on a date.
Then, she happened to see the swimsuit she had bought and brought along like a lingering regret. She wanted to be brave, but her feet wouldn’t move, so she decided to borrow the strength of the Courage Potion that happened to be in the fridge.
And if she had to pick another reason…
— Mom!
It was because the moment she was called “Mom” by that child earlier, an incredibly powerful shock had struck her body.
In other words, she wasn’t in her right mind.
Wearing a thick coat over her swimsuit, she headed to the room where he would be resting alone.
It would have been absolutely impossible if they were still at the pension they first rented, but fortunately(?), they had moved to a safe hotel after the villain attack, so it wasn’t hard to launch a surprise visit when no one was around.
No, well, it’s not like she was going to do anything bad.
It’s just unfair, isn’t it?
Ga-eul and everyone else got to play in their swimsuits, but she was the only one in a shirt and shorts.
She couldn’t even play properly; she just went for a walk while buying drinks, and even that was blocked halfway by a dungeon.
Of course, she could have shown him slowly later, but since they came all the way to the sea, she felt like she was losing if she was the only one who didn’t show off her swimsuit.
And though she didn’t know if it would be any comfort, seeing that gloomy face of his made her want to comfort him.
His expression, which had crumbled the moment that villain woman muttered something in the dungeon, was still vivid in her mind.
He had recovered dramatically, but in the end, that twisted expression was the “illness” he carried.
The infirmary professor who had come on the trip—the Doctor—had said:
If you’re only going to be halfway kind, it’s better not to approach him at all.
His deficiency is quite severe, so if you approach him with half-hearted determination, both of you will end up hurt.
Funnily enough, even after hearing those words, instead of thinking she should avoid him or having her feelings cool down, why did she feel like running to him and hugging him right then and there?
I mean, she really couldn’t help it.
Even if it was dangerous, she just liked him. What could she do?
Amidst the complex tangle of thoughts, her original purpose came to mind.
That’s right.
She had planned to confess that she was a girl during this trip.
Since she had already come this far, she might as well do it flashily. Besides, he already knew she was a girl anyway, so what did it matter?
Even she thought she was a bit erratic due to the alcohol, but she shouldn’t dwell on it.
The moment she became level-headed, she would want to die of embarrassment.
Let’s just think simply.
She wanted to reveal she was a girl and comfort him proudly!
She wanted to show him her swimsuit and cheer him up a bit!
And if possible, she wanted him to say she was pretty!
The reasons were sufficient, and she charged in without hesitation.
The result.
So-hyun, looking at her with cold eyes after she had acted like a flasher, let out a sigh.
…The intoxication vanished in an instant.
Uh? This isn’t it. She was going to say it more playfully and cheerfully, without giving him any sense of pressure.
* * *
Through the conversation just now, I thought I understood Ha-ni’s purpose for coming here.
She must have made up her mind to confess that she’s a girl.
I didn’t know if she had planned it before the trip or if she’d had a change of heart, but there was one thing I definitely wanted to tell her.
…Regardless of the purpose, coming to a guy’s room drunk and in a swimsuit isn’t exactly a great look.
“Uh…? Was it not funny?”
Funny? It was shocking, but I couldn’t even joke about it being funny.
Seeing as the alcohol was starting to wear off, I should probably lend her something to wear so she doesn’t jump out the window from embarrassment.
…I don’t have any compression bandages, but let’s see if there’s anything to lightly cover her up.
But the moment I turned around, surprisingly, something with considerable mass pressed against my back as she hugged me.
Uh? I’m so surprised I can’t even react.
“It might just look like I’m being a drunk mess, but I really gathered a lot of courage to come and tell you this, okay…?”
I know.
I know that she’s someone who originally dislikes physical contact with others, and that touching me like this took a lot of courage.
Well, even if I didn’t know that, there’s no way anyone wouldn’t realize it when they can feel her whole body trembling like this.
“So don’t just stand there with your back turned; look at me properly. I bought this to show you, but I was the only one who couldn’t show you at the beach. So, so…”
This isn’t right.
I didn’t turn my back to hurt her, nor did I intend to shock her like this.
“Hey.”
“Huh? A joke… yeah, this is a joke.”
“Should we have curry for breakfast tomorrow?”
“…Huh? Suddenly?”
“They say that when someone is agitated, saying something completely random helps them snap out of it. Take a deep breath and look at my face slowly.”
“Uh, okay.”
While she took a few deep breaths, I could see Ha-ni gradually calming down.
The round things swelled like balloons.
…Watching someone take deep breaths while wearing a swimsuit isn’t exactly great for my mental health.
Wait, is it? I guess they wouldn’t look like that unless it was Ha-ni or the Professor.
“Are you feeling calmer now?”
“…Uh, yeah.”
After hesitating for a moment, Ha-ni lowered her head and began to make excuses.
“No, So-hyun. I didn’t mean for it to be like this, okay? I was going to say it in a more cheerful, fun, and light atmosphere. Really. But when I actually tried to say it, I got so embarrassed…”
Her voice was trailing off more and more, but I couldn’t say what she wanted to say for her.
“Take your time. I’ll wait.”
I didn’t mean to rush her, but instead, a dejected Ha-ni started hesitating again.
Well, even if it’s something I already know, it takes determination to say it with one’s own mouth.
It looked like tonight was going to be a long night for both me and Ha-ni.
“…Hey.”
“…Yeah?”
“Ah! Seriously! I’m actually a girl…! You knew anyway!!!!!!”
…Or not? She suddenly just self-destructed.
Anyway, uh, it’s a good thing I put up that soundproofing barrier.