Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Rumors (5)
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"So... you're saying you got so stimulated by burying your nose in my chest that your head overheated and you ended up with a nosebleed?"
"...Yeah."
"Your face was flushed and dazed, but the moment the kid showed up, the blood drained from you and you snapped out of it?"
"...Uh-huh."
"Don't call me kid!"
"Mm. Got it."
It was a huge relief that Fuyuno Tsubaki hadn't actually been harmed by the heat of my Solar Body, but that didn't stop a complicated mix of emotions from swirling inside me.
And who could blame me?
She was basically saying she'd gotten so excited by my chest that she'd zoned out and started gushing blood from her nose.
I'd had plenty of women look at me with lust in their eyes before, but realizing someone as close as Fuyuno Tsubaki had been eyeing me that way felt... off. Weird.
Not that I hated it or anything, but it was awkward. Like, really awkward.
"...".
"...".
As we both shut our mouths amid the tangled feelings, an uncomfortable silence began to fill the training room.
Knowing Fuyuno Tsubaki's personality, if I stayed quiet, she'd start spiraling into wild delusions and self-blame. So, to break the awkwardness, I forced my mouth open, even if it was awkward.
"...Is my body really that hot?"
"Khk?! Cough! Hack!"
"Hng?! Wh-what?"
Maybe because it was such a forced question, the kid started choking and coughing, while Fuyuno Tsubaki stared at me with wide eyes, like she couldn't believe what she'd heard from her own ears.
If I just met those flustered eyes in silence, it'd undo all the effort of speaking up, so I clumsily kept going.
"No, I mean. Uh. You nosebled and everything, Tsubaki. Getting a nosebleed from excitement is something that only happens in comics...".
"Ah, no, that's, um. Er, uh."
At my words, Fuyuno Tsubaki's face turned beet red as she floundered, avoiding my gaze.
I'd just thrown out anything to dispel the awkwardness, but seeing her like that left me stunned.
"Pfft."
The gap created by my bewilderment and Fuyuno Tsubaki's inability to respond was pierced by a snicker from the kid beside us.
"What's wrong, Fuyuno Tsubaki? You boldly declared in front of all those people that nothing mattered more than repaying your great master's grace, but now it's out that you're just a lewd girl who nosebleeds from a single hug?"
"Ugh...".
The kid smirked, lifting the corners of her mouth as she began teasing Fuyuno Tsubaki mercilessly.
I'd heard they'd stuck together the whole time during the screening. Guess they got pretty close. Teasing each other like this and all.
It was rare to see the kid tease someone so mischievously, so I decided to zip it and watch the show.
"Just what kind of dirty thoughts do you have all day that a simple hug makes you nosebleed? Huh? A hug is just a hug. It's the most wholesome way to share warmth with someone. And yet you nosebleed from one? How lewd are you?"
"H-hngh...".
No matter how much the kid kept poking, Fuyuno Tsubaki couldn't muster a single retort. She just clenched her fists and trembled.
Watching her silently, I noticed the kid grinning triumphantly, all smug and pleased with herself.
A sudden curiosity flashed through my mind, and I casually asked the kid, who was gleefully one-sidedly roasting Fuyuno Tsubaki.
"So, you're saying you're totally fine with it, kid?"
"Don't call me kid! Fine with what?"
"Hugs. You're saying even if I hug you, it's no big deal."
"...Huh?"
At my question, the kid blinked slowly with blank eyes, clearly not expecting the conversation to go this way.
Snapping to, she crossed her arms, whipped her head away, and shot back in a prickly tone.
"Of-of course! I'm the head of the guidance department at Dabcheon Academy! Hugs are super wholesome to begin with, and nosebleeding from one is something only a seriously lewd girl would do!"
Hugs are super wholesome, huh... Hard to believe that from the girl who'd thrown a fit about handshakes being indecent when we first met.
No matter how I looked at her now, she was just bluffing tough.
She'd probably freak out like a cat seeing a cucumber if I brought up her past rants about indecency and called her out on claiming hugs are wholesome now. But I wasn't gonna tease her verbally.
Actions spoke louder than words—and were way more fun.
"Alright then. You're saying even if I do to you what I did to Tsubaki, it'd be no big deal?"
"Wh-what? Y-yeah? Of course?"
"Okay. Testing that now."
"Uh, huh?"
I strode toward the kid, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"W-wait a sec? For real? Right now? With Fuyuno Tsubaki staring? You're gonna hug me now? I mean, hugs are totally wholesome like I said, so it's not a big deal, but doing that with people watching feels a bit, y'know, off? This should be when we're alone...".
Thud.
"Eek?!"
Since the kid was backed against the wall, I had no choice but to plant my palm on the wall slightly diagonally above her head.
"W-w-wa-wall slam...? Th-this is usually when a girl does it to a guy...".
"...Se-jeong."
"Eh."
Since even Tsubaki was calling her by name now, to match what I'd done to Tsubaki, I figured I should use the kid's name too.
Calling her by name made her flush from neck to scalp, staring up at me with dazed eyes.
I pondered briefly how to hug her so it wouldn't spark rumors of doing it wrong, then realized my left hand was awkwardly free.
Grab.
"Hii...".
Lifting my left hand, I gently grasped her chin with my index and middle fingers, locking eyes with her. Just like with Fuyuno Tsubaki, her ocean-blue eyes glazed over dreamily.
Drip—
"Whoa."
Right then, blood trickled from the kid's nose.
Just from calling her name and holding her chin, she'd gotten so worked up—from scalp to face to neck—that she nosebled.
"Look at you nosebleeding without even a hug. You're not just a kid—you're a lewd kid."
By making both my lackey and my friend nosebleed with just hugs, chin grabs, and name-calling, I learned one clear fact.
I was apparently way hotter than I'd thought.
※
Thanks to Fuyuno Tsubaki's hug-induced nosebleed and the kid's chin-grab nosebleed happening back-to-back, today's special training ended in a total mess.
The moment the kid came to, her face flushed crimson, she jabbed a finger at me and yelled,
'That wasn't a hug! It was a wall slam! Of course I'd freak if you promised a hug and did something indecent like a wall slam! I'm backing off now 'cause I remembered something urgent, but next time, no way!'
With that bizarre declaration, burning with competitive spirit, she bolted from the training room.
No clue where that competitive fire came from, but since it tied into motivation for self-improvement, I decided to see it in a good light.
Anyway, after the chaotic commotion died down and we wrapped up training half-heartedly, I got dressed again and left the private training room with Fuyuno Tsubaki.
"...Hey, Woo-bin!"
"Yeah?"
"Me too—I'll work hard! I'll train so hard that I can last at least three minutes in your arms!"
"...Uh, sure."
The phrasing was a bit weird, but it seemed like she was saying she'd put in effort for my sake, so I nodded.
I could feel Fuyuno Tsubaki burning with the same competitive spirit as the kid from earlier, which was odd, but good things were good, so I let it slide.
"You got this."
"Yeah! I will!"
After wrapping up on that warm note, just as we headed toward the Jincheon Class dorms like always, a familiar voice I hadn't heard in ages called from behind.
"The guidance head leaving with that satisfied look, and your conversation... Guess the rumors are true, huh?"
"Huh? Vice Prez?"
"Ah, h-hello...".
The voice belonged to Ryu Jia, vice president of Dabcheon's most notorious club, the Blast Dragon—someone I hadn't seen in forever.
"What brings you all the way out here?"
Ryu Jia rarely strayed far from the Blast Dragon clubroom, so I was surprised she'd come to the private training rooms and asked.
Grinning, she sauntered over casually, slung an arm around my shoulder like old pals, and said,
"Newbie, let's have sex."
It was a bombshell that made Fuyuno Tsubaki's jaw drop wide enough for a fist to fit through.