Chapter 89: The Valley (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: The Valley (2)
Splish, splash—
I waded along the water’s edge, carrying a watermelon in a mesh net.
“Right here?”
“Yeah. Tying it off there should be fine.”
The Club President nodded at my question.
I submerged the watermelon in the cool water. Since I’d anchored it firmly under a heavy rock, there was no chance of it drifting away.
“By the way, how did you find a place like this?”
“It’s great because there’s no one else around, right?”
I nodded. He was right. There wasn't a soul in sight, and the breeze blowing through the trees was refreshing. The sunlight was a bit strong, but not unbearable. It was the perfect spot to hang out.
...It’s so quiet.
Since there were no other people around, the noise from the Mini-Mes was minimal, making the surroundings feel serene.
Rustle— rustle—
The only sound was the gentle rustle of swaying branches. It was incredibly peaceful.
“Finished...!”
“Looking good.”
Boisterous voices drifted over from a distance. They had mentioned setting up the tent, and it seemed they were finally done.
“...Oh.”
I let out a small exclamation of surprise as I looked at the completed setup. A camping table and chairs were neatly arranged. These must have been the items the Club President brought. He must go camping quite often.
“This is nice.”
Seeing the setup really made it feel like we were on a proper vacation.
“Right?”
— “I did do a pretty good job.”
Since Shin A-young had done most of the work, her Mini-Me stood with its nose held high in pride.
“Hm?”
As I was admiring the area around the tent, Lee Sol caught my eye.
“Whew...”
She was tucked away in a corner, drenched in sweat. She wiped her brow repeatedly with the back of her hand. She looked miserable in the heat. The weather was warm enough as it was, but wearing a wig must have made it even worse.
I casually approached her and whispered softly.
“Are you going to be okay with that?”
“Huh? With what?”
“The wig. Won't it be uncomfortable when you get in the water?”
No matter how well it was pinned down, it could easily come loose if she moved around too much.
“Ah...”
Sol ran her hand down the ends of her hair.
“It’s fine. I only planned on dipping my feet in anyway.”
— “...It’s not like I’m a good swimmer to begin with.”
Her Mini-Me muttered while staring at the water.
“Is that so?”
Well, that was a relief. If that was her plan from the start, I had nothing more to say. I nodded and turned to walk away.
— “It is hotter than I expected, though...”
Her belated comment made my pace falter for a second, but then—
“Seung-ho. Let’s go change.”
“Ah, yes.”
At the Club President’s call, I turned toward him.
*
“Sol!”
Ji Nuri bounded over and playfully bumped her shoulder against Sol’s. Her energy was higher than usual. Perhaps it was because they were out on a trip; she seemed even more vivacious than she was at school.
“Let’s go change too.”
“...”
Lee Sol looked at her for a moment before nodding.
“Okay.”
The changing room was inside the tent. Since there was nowhere else to change and no one else around, it didn't really matter. Park Min-ji unzipped the tent entrance.
“Who wants to go first? I’ll go last.”
“Then, I’ll go first.”
Sol quickly raised her hand. The space inside the tent was too cramped for everyone to fit at once, so they had to take turns.
I should change quickly.
Rustle— zip—
She shed her clothes and pulled her swimsuit out of her bag. She was careful not to disturb her wig. Once she pulled the zipper up...
“Hmm.”
She twisted her body this way and that, checking to see if anything looked off.
Done.
It seemed fine.
“How do I look?”
She stepped out of the tent. Upon seeing Sol, Park Min-ji made a huge fuss.
“Wow, is that a new swimsuit? It’s so pret—”
Min-ji’s mouth slowly fell open. Her gaze drifted downward and stayed there.
“No, I mean... what is...”
Min-ji stared at Sol, momentarily speechless. After struggling to find the right words, she finally managed to point a finger.
“...What’s up with that swimsuit?”
“Isn't it pretty?”
“No, I mean, uh, well... it is pretty, but...”
Min-ji’s face turned a strange shade of red as she stammered.
“...Isn't it a bit suggestive?”
“Really?”
“This zipper right here is just...”
Min-ji kept glancing down. The vertical zipper on the front of the swimsuit bottoms seemed to be bothering her.
“...”
Sol looked down and adjusted the hem of her swimsuit. Was it really that bad? To be honest, she didn't think it was particularly suggestive. In fact, if they were going to look at it from that perspective...
Those two are way more "suggestive" than I am.
Sol glanced toward Ji Nuri and Shin A-young. Just look at those curves.
“...”
Sol’s eyes naturally narrowed into a squint. If she could, she would have loved to take a little bit of that volume for herself.
Compared to them...
This was nothing. Yeah, this was absolutely nothing. In fact, a swimsuit needed to be at least this much to even stand a chance in the competition. Besides, this outfit only looked like this; in reality—
“It’s fine. It’s just designed to look like this.”
Ji Nuri crouched down.
Zzzzip—
She pulled the zipper on Sol’s swimsuit straight down.
“See? There’s a layer of fabric underneath, so nothing shows even if you open it.”
“...”
Sol knitted her brows and covered herself with her arms.
“...You pervert!”
Her face flushed crimson. She hadn't expected Nuri to just pull it down like that in public. Ji Nuri jumped up in surprise.
“No, wait! That’s not it!”
She waved her hands frantically.
“I was just trying to show her!”
She shouted as if she were being wronged, but no matter what she said, she had been caught red-handed. Park Min-ji immediately moved in to restrain her.
“...I’ll go in and change now.”
Taking advantage of the chaos, Shin A-young slipped into the tent. After a short wait, she stepped out with hesitant footsteps.
“I’m all changed...”
A-young turned around with a slightly bashful smile. She was wearing a pure white one-piece swimsuit with short denim shorts over it. The wide-brimmed sun hat she wore added to her innocent charm.
“Whoa...”
Park Min-ji’s jaw dropped at the sight.
“...”
Sol said nothing. They had gone swimsuit shopping together, so they already knew what each other had picked. That was why A-young hadn't reacted much to Sol’s zippered swimsuit.
“Is that new? Between the hat and everything else, you’ve got great taste!”
Min-ji gave two thumbs up, being generous with her praise. Shin A-young smiled softly and hugged her braided pigtails.
...Surprisingly, she went with a one-piece.
It was a truly unexpected choice. Sol had thought she might pick something a bit more revealing, but A-young had chosen a one-piece. It felt like she was reluctant to wear anything too exposing.
But since it’s Shin A-young...
Because her figure was so striking, this style had its own kind of beauty. The aesthetics of modesty.
“...”
The problem was the other one. This one was incredibly bold.
“Ta-da!”
Ji Nuri, who had finished changing before anyone noticed, stood tall and proud. All she was wearing was a single black bikini. That was it. That was all.
“...Wow.”
Min-ji let out a short sigh. Her tone was different from before; her eyes looked dead.
“...”
Sol remained silent this time as well.
“How is it? How is it?”
Nuri’s eyes were sparkling. She looked like a child seeking praise, her gaze full of expectation.
“...”
The more she did that, the more Sol’s expression sank.
...Does she have no sense of shame?
The swimsuit was incredibly revealing. No cover-up, no sarong—just a bikini. Simple is best. When you have a body like that, you don't need any tricks.
“Ummm...”
It seemed Min-ji was thinking the same thing, as she began rummaging through her bag.
“Nuri.”
She handed over a spare shirt she had brought just in case.
“You should probably wear this.”
“Huh?”
“Hurry up.”
It was a sense of crisis. No matter how much she trusted her boyfriend, this was a look that would inevitably draw eyes.
“Okaay...”
Nuri put on the cover-up with a pout.
“...”
Sol quietly turned away. If she stayed next to them, she was bound to be compared. Moving away from A-young and Nuri, she stuck close to the Vice Club President. This was better. It was normal.
“...”
Sol watched the two from a distance.
“Sigh... they really are pretty.”
At Min-ji’s murmur, Sol’s shoulders flinched. It was because Min-ji had voiced exactly what she was thinking at that very moment.
“...I know, right?”
She nodded. She couldn't deny it. Height, proportions, face. They had the kind of looks men loved. Both Nuri and A-young did.
“It’s so unfair...”
“...”
Sol agreed.
...Seung-ho probably thinks so too.
Lee Seung-ho was a man, after all. Sometimes, she could tell where his gaze was drifting. She could also faintly guess the meaning behind that gaze. He probably found them more to his taste than her.
“...”
Sol rubbed her arm, her grip tightening slightly. A small spark of jealousy flared up. Since she considered it an unseemly emotion, she tried to suppress it.
If I were them...
I would have started dating Lee Seung-ho a long time ago.
“...”
She stopped that train of thought instantly. She lowered her head and touched the back of her neck.
“...Whew.”
What a pointless thought. Sol exhaled as if brushing it off. Such a thing wouldn't happen. It was just a fleeting imagination.
“Hmm.”
So, she had made a change. Styling her hair short was part of that change. She wondered if Seung-ho liked short hair.
...His reaction wasn't bad.
To keep acting without stopping—that was the only thing she could do.
Slide—
Sol reached deep into her handbag. Her fingertips brushed against something. She grabbed the sunscreen from a gap in the bag.
Sunscreen...
Gulp—
Looking down at it, her throat tightened.
“...”
As she thought about what she was about to do, a strange sense of embarrassment washed over her. She worried if she could actually ask him. But from what she had heard, it was supposed to work.
...They said guys like this kind of thing.
It was precious information she had gathered from a Chat AI.
Okay, let’s do this.
How to seduce a guy.
Step one: Make him conscious of me as a woman.
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