Chapter 75: Isn’t Travel in Academy Stories Always Like This? (End)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75: Isn’t Travel in Academy Stories Always Like This? (End)
I had no idea how much time had passed since we ran into each other.
We were both so flustered that neither of us could utter a single word.
I had to think.
If I didn’t come up with a natural response within the next few seconds, there was no telling what kind of unpredictable move she might make.
Kang Ha-ni.
The cross-dressing heroine of the Academy and the character who was originally supposed to be the protagonist’s roommate.
She maintained her long hair too well to be mistaken for a man, and anyone could see her facial structure was feminine, yet she went to great lengths to dress like a male.
In truth, those efforts didn’t mean much, but since she insisted she was a guy, she was a girl who managed to avoid suspicion until the early stages of the Academy story.
However, looking at her now, fresh out of the bath, no one would ever think of a man.
The elegant lines of her body, usually hidden by compression bandages and perception-blocking artifacts, were now fully revealed.
I wanted to stay calm, but the presence of those two round mounds asserting themselves beneath her light clothing kept interfering with my rational judgment.
To put it simply, they were big.
“Um.”
It was dark, so it was hard to see clearly, but Ha-ni’s face seemed strangely flushed.
“I’m sorry…!”
Shit.
In the end, an unrefined apology burst out of my mouth before it even passed through my brain.
“Senior…!”
And the word I instinctively tacked on—also without thinking—was, in my own estimation, the perfect excuse.
“…Huh?”
Ha-ni let out a dumbfounded sound.
* * *
This was bad.
Kang Ha-ni felt a wave of regret, thinking she had been far too careless.
Well, it wasn’t like she didn’t have an excuse.
At first, she had been excited about the trip, and since it was only one night, she thought she could endure not washing for a day even if it felt a bit gross.
It felt like a waste to give up on the rose-scented bathtub included in the travel itinerary, but she figured she could handle it since it was often impossible to stay clean in dungeons or combat situations anyway.
The problem was Kang So-hyun, who had been lying next to her before they went to sleep.
When she took the corner spot and lay down, he naturally took the spot next to her as if protecting her, and a faint, subtle scent of flowers seemed to drift from him.
The gentle floral scent put her mind at ease, but at the same time, a thought occurred to her.
What if I smell like sweat…?
She had run around quite a bit today.
It was her first time going on a trip with friends, and she had been so excited that she’d done a lot of running, so naturally, she’d sweated.
And since they had unintentionally ended up in a dungeon, what more needed to be said?
The friend lying next to her was the type who prioritized cleanliness, spending time every day to wash thoroughly.
Of course, it was fine since he thought she was a man.
She had heard that some guys didn’t bother washing for a day if they felt lazy.
Still, she hated the idea.
It was a feeling she couldn’t quite explain, but if he were to say something like, “Hey, you smelled like sweat while you were sleeping,” tomorrow morning, she would be incredibly mortified.
He and everyone else were asleep, but this was a matter of her own peace of mind.
Yes, she couldn’t let her future roommate remember her as an unclean person.
If she went quickly while everyone was sleeping, no one would know.
With that thought, she had hurried to the bathroom.
Because it was late, there was no hot water, but just as she finished a quick wash and was about to get dressed, she realized she had forgotten her compression bandages in her haste.
Tightening bandages she had already used once would be less effective, and it felt unpleasant to put her body odor back on herself right after washing.
In the end, she decided to grab the bandages quickly while wearing only her shirt and underwear.
Since everyone was asleep, it would be fine if she kept her footsteps quiet.
“…Water.”
But then, making a strangely cute sound, a familiar person approached.
“…Huh?”
“…Uh.”
Kang So-hyun.
She had run right into her roommate in the dark hallway.
She was doomed.
She should have just wrapped the used bandages.
No, she shouldn’t have washed at all.
She shouldn’t have even come on this trip.
Countless regrets flooded her in an instant, but the milk was already spilled.
Now that she’d been caught, they could never go back to their previous relationship, and given her family circumstances, she would have to silence him.
It pained her heart to have to do such a thing to a friend, but it couldn’t be helped—
“I’m sorry! Senior!”
…Wait, what?
“I didn’t think a senior would be washing at this hour!”
What on earth was he talking about…?
Could it be?
Does he not know…?
Does he really not know? Does he not realize it’s me?
Actually, it made sense.
When encountering a woman in such attire in a dark hallway without any lights, it was probably more natural to think she was one of the seniors he didn’t know yet, rather than thinking his male friend had suddenly grown breasts.
Besides, it was dark, so he couldn’t see her face well, right?
Seeing him turn around instantly, it really seemed like he didn’t know.
…For some reason, she felt a slight sense of disappointment alongside the relief, but she told herself it was just her imagination.
She worried her voice might give her away if she spoke, but on second thought, that was fine too.
She usually made an effort to strain her throat and speak in a lower tone, so if she spoke in her natural voice, he probably wouldn’t recognize her.
“A-Ah, no. It’s okay. It’s my fault for washing at this hour.”
It felt awkward to speak in her natural voice for the first time in a long while, but it was comfortable and nice to speak without straining.
“I forgot something and was going to get it, so I made a mistake.”
However, seeing him trembling after turning his back felt strangely cute.
This wasn’t the time for such thoughts, but it was a bit annoying that he didn’t recognize her despite being her friend. Would it be okay to tease him just a little?
“Hey, why are you standing with your back turned like that?”
Oh? Why am I asking this?
“It’s just that… your outfit is a bit provocative for me to look at, Senior…?”
Ah, I see.
“Hmm? Really? I’m covered where it counts.”
Since she usually wore bandages, she wasn’t wearing a bra, and though she was just in a shirt and panties, the truly important parts weren’t visible, right?
She felt like she knew why she was having such dangerous thoughts she wouldn’t normally have.
It was a mysterious feeling—almost like joy.
“I don’t know who you are, Senior, but in the eyes of the world, that’s not exactly called being ‘covered’…”
The way he rambled when he was flustered or upset was just like his usual self, yet the way he spoke as if he were addressing someone else was strangely cute.
The sensation of being seen as a woman by a peer for almost the first time in her life didn’t feel too bad.
No, if it were anyone else, she wouldn’t feel this way.
She would have been disgusted.
But to be seen that way by Kang So-hyun, the friend who was always considerate of others… it really was…
Not bad at all.
And seeing him so embarrassed was fun, too.
* * *
Dammit, Ha-ni!
You might think your voice sounds different, but to everyone else, it’s pretty much the same…!
People don’t usually know what their own voices sound like to others!
The excuse I came up with on the fly—acting flustered and turning away because I thought she was a senior I didn’t know, since we weren’t the only ones here—was a success. But just as I was trying to play along, Ha-ni started doing something weird.
Stop the heroine behavior…!
No, it’s fine.
Whether there’s actually a problem or not doesn’t matter.
The important thing was to calm my heart.
Even though I’d be screwed if anyone else woke up, and Ha-ni was losing her mind trying to play a silly prank, and my brain wasn’t working right because I’d just woken up… it was fine, right?
Wait, everything about this is a problem.
“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
Yes, Ha-ni, what now?
“How is it?”
“How is what?”
“I heard boys like situations like this. How do I look to you?”
I’m asking what, dammit.
I mean, honestly, I knew what she was asking, but how was I supposed to answer?
I couldn’t exactly say to a “senior” I didn’t know, “Whoa, you were hiding breasts like those? Hehe, look at you…!”
And what if I accidentally set off some weird flag here and got caught later…!
“Actually, this is the first time anyone has looked at me like this.”
I bet it is.
“Is it… not that great because I look like a tomboy with breasts?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Stop with the unblockable moves…!
Actually, this was my own karma.
I should have kept a proper distance from Ha-ni—no, from all the victims of the “Heroine Dies First” trope in this novel—but I had become too close.
In the original story, Ha-ni had a much more severe hatred of men at this point because of Lilac.
If not for my influence, she wouldn’t have come on this trip in the first place, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have taken the gamble of washing in the middle of the night.
Because of the influence I’d had, her hatred for men had decreased, and her guard, which had been as tight as her bandages, had loosened.
Of course, I didn’t mean that was a bad thing.
In a positive sense, it meant she had become more honest.
Her habit of acting alone, which was a problem in the original, would decrease, and her bond with her comrades would grow stronger.
Most importantly, her worries would lessen.
The fact that she actually wanted to reveal her feminine side is a common trope in novels.
But in a world that had become reality rather than a novel, it was also true that it must be a deep, unspeakable concern.
I knew how to answer.
“You’re beautiful.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Though they were still a bit smaller than Professor Cathy’s, Ha-ni’s “heart pockets” held immense potential as she was still growing. Not to mention her physique, which lacked any unnecessary fat or flab due to her training since childhood—it was attractive to anyone.
But whether it was true or not, it was still embarrassing as hell!
“Huh…?”
“I said you’re really beautiful. So beautiful that I’d want to see you again if possible. Happy now?”
Good god, I said it with some resolve, but it’s still so damn embarrassing.
How do the protagonists in novels say things like this so confidently?
Are they insane?
“Hey.”
What now? What? Why? Ha-ni, you’ve done enough! This is really hard for me!
“Say it one more time.”
Her strangely breathless voice sounded as if she would think it was a lie if I didn’t say it again clearly.
It felt as if she were asking me to reassure her insecure self.
“…You’re beautiful.”
Braving the rising embarrassment, I finally said it again.
Seriously, why do characters in this novel love being told things twice so much?
“You’re so beautiful that it’s a shame I can’t see your face properly.”
“…Is that so? Thanks. I kept you for too long, didn’t I?”
So you do realize?
“No. I was just going to get some water anyway.”
“Still. How scary must it have been for a senior you’ve never met to ask if she’s pretty in the middle of the night? If you were a timid kid, you would’ve thought I was a ghost. I’m sorry.”
Yes, Ha-ni. It’s fine as long as you know you’re sorry.
Let’s not do this next time, okay? Promise?
“Well, if you’re really that sorry, buy me a meal the next time we meet.”
“Oh? You said you didn’t see my face, so how will you know who I am?”
“…I’ll just have to leave that to your conscience, Senior.”
“Conscience?”
She chuckled.
“Alright, I’ll buy you one. Whenever that may be. Definitely again in this form.”
— Alright, I’ll tell you again. Whenever that may be. Again in this form.
Wait.
Wasn’t that a line she said in the original when she was half-crazy and opened her heart to Lilac?
I instinctively turned back toward her, but she seemed to have already returned to the bathroom.
“…Let’s just drink some water and go to sleep.”
A classic trait of someone possessed into an Academy story: no matter how much you struggle, you always end up at the center of the incident.
And so, the travel club’s first trip came to an end.
* * *
The next morning.
On the way back to the Academy, Ha-ni approached me with a strange smirk.
“Hey, So-hyun.”
“Yeah, what is it, Han-hee?”
“Looks like you didn’t get much sleep. What’s with your face?”
Look at her pretending not to know.
“…It’s because I was filming a rom-com with a damn beautiful senior last night.”
“…Oh, who was it?”
“I don’t know. If I did, I would’ve slept soundly.”
“If you’re saying that much, she must have been really pretty.”
“Yeah. I didn’t get to see her face, but I could tell she was beautiful just from the vibe.”
“I-Is that so? Hehe.”
Shit, you’re not supposed to laugh there, you brat.
I’m not some oblivious idiot like Lilac.
Dammit.
It’s a bit annoying that I’m the only one suffering here.
“She was probably super, super pretty. Great body, lovely voice, elegant… her poise was just on another level.”
“I-It probably wasn’t that much…? Maybe not?”
“No, my intuition is telling me she’s definitely the most beautiful woman in this entire world.”
“Ah, geez. Why are you bragging so much about meeting a girl?”
Ha, are you embarrassed? I win.
“Hey, So-hyun.”
“Yeah?”
“Want me to buy you a meal when we get back?”
You have no intention of hiding it, do you?
“…No thanks.”
“…Why?”
“The food you make is better than restaurant food.”
“Wow, look at you. Cooking is really hard, you know.”
“Yeah, I know~”
As we chatted and laughed, the other kids naturally joined in.
Ha-ni, as she talked with the others, looked exactly like her usual self.
As if that feminine expression from just a moment ago had been a lie.