A Splendid Outing (1)
In front of the main gate of Cheonmu Hunter Academy.
Choi Marie, dressed a little differently from the hoodie she usually lived in, glanced around while pretending not to be looking at anything in particular.
Because she might run into someone she knew who would tease her for wearing clothes so unlike herself.
Well, it's not like it's something I can't wear.
Her pants were, as always, jeans that hugged her body like a second skin, but the top felt a little different from usual. A slightly fluttery blouse in a soft shade of pink — the kind of clothing the old Choi Marie would never, ever have bought for herself.
She'd only put it on because her friend and roommate had recommended it, but she couldn't deny that it still felt wrong on her body.
…Of course, whether she liked it or not, drawing every eye in the vicinity was simply unavoidable.
Attention is the last thing I want.
And yet, if she'd gone out wearing nothing but her hoodie, Seonho might have been disappointed in her. People who looked so respectable on the surface always had a sneaky, sly side to them. Maybe he actually had feelings for her and was just pretending not to, hiding them all this time.
She didn't have any romantic feelings for her junior herself, but he was undeniably a good junior. As long as he never did something reckless like suddenly confessing to her, anyway.
And judging from how Seonho had behaved in all the time she'd known him, it didn't look like he was the type to ruin their relationship first — so Choi Marie had been able to meet him without any weight on her shoulders.
You have to give a guy hope if you want to get along with him long-term.
With that thought, she strolled leisurely toward the school gate.
When she spotted his tall frame standing out even in a crowd and raised her hand, her arm faltered slightly at the sight of a familiar young woman standing beside him.
“Oh, Senior Marie! You're here!”
“Hello, Senior Choi Marie.”
“…Hey, Seonho. And Sora, too.”
When he'd called her out saying he'd need a senior's help to buy his weapon, that had been one thing — but what was this supposed to be?
The excitement Marie had felt, thinking this was an outing for just the two of them, deflated a little. She couldn't quite tell herself why.
“…You're coming along too, Sora?”
“We ran into each other on the way out. I asked her to help me buy you… I mean, help me buy a weapon, and she said she could help too, so she tagged along.”
“I thought it'd be better if someone checked over the ranged weapons. It's not like Seonho's going to be swinging a sword or holding a shield, so if he's buying a gun, someone like me who actually uses something similar would know better.”
“…….”
This was unfolding a little differently than she'd imagined.
She was sure she'd been the one invited out at his request, so why did it suddenly feel like she'd been stood up?
Still, she couldn't very well go red in the face in front of her juniors, so Choi Marie restrained herself and asked,
“…So, with Sora here, that means I'm not needed anymore?”
“What are you talking about, Senior? I asked you first, remember? Your help is obviously the one I need most.”
“…Is that so?”
“I-I only came along because I was bored, Senior Marie. I was going to spend the whole weekend in the dorm anyway, so I had nothing else to do.”
“Right, sure. But I'm only here to watch over Seonho's weapon purchase, so don't take it too hard.”
“Oh, of course. I'm just here to observe today. Just observing.”
…Well, he did say my help was more needed.
It would feel a little petty to sulk in front of her juniors, anyway. Fine. She'd let this one slide.
Phew. That was close.
Senior Marie's eyes were absolutely murderous.
Did she think I was interfering with her date? Well, to be fair, if I hadn't butted in, the two of them would have gone shopping together, just the two of them.
It does make me feel a little guilty, though.
Going by time spent together, she probably knew Seonho longer than I did.
Wasn't she saying they went running together morning and night? Maybe she was actually closer to him than I was.
Which is exactly why I can't back down. Compared to Eunju or Isabelle, I'm already short even one advantage — if I hesitate now, I'll only fall further behind.
And for some reason, I get the feeling Senior Marie has a bit of a thing for Seonho too.
Her expression is hard to read, but her eyes drift toward him constantly.
It was like that when we sat in on Teamwork and Strategy together, and right now she keeps sneaking glances at him over and over.
And she came out in something all soft and flowy and fashionable. …Meanwhile I'm in my uniform because I rushed after them on the way to the training grounds.
“Senior Marie.”
“…What?”
“Your outfit is really pretty. Do you usually dress like that when you're not training?”
“A friend of mine… told me to try wearing something like this for once. It's not like I wore it to show off to you.”
“I wouldn't dream of it. Why would you dress up for me? I'm not that handsome.”
“…….”
…Oh, you absolute fool.
Anyone with eyes could see she dressed up for you. She looks like she borrowed it straight out of her friend's closet, for goodness' sake.
So dense. Honestly. But right now, that density is a blessing.
Truthfully, I wouldn't have much confidence even going up against Senior Marie. Eunju and Isabelle are already plenty to keep my head spinning — I don't want anyone else added to the pile.
Tall, slim, and with a presence like that… she really does have a model's aura.
Seriously. Why is it that only gorgeous women flock to Seonho's side?
Still, I'm the one who's made the most progress. I've had my chest touched. I've seen him naked. And somehow or other, I even ended up witnessing him… finishing.
No need to get too impatient. You know how Seonho is. If I just wait like this, he'll feel guilty and come to me first.
“Is this the place, Senior?”
“Yep. This is the only shop around here that sells firearms. The only people who buy guns — things monsters don't even register as threats — are Support Department students anyway.”
“That's a slur against the Support Department, Senior.”
“Then get stronger if it bothers you. Oh, and you do know you can't buy anything without your Cheonmu Academy student ID, right?”
“Of course. I came prepared.”
“Oh, and I'll check the power and effective range for you myself. I know by feel exactly what tier of gun can kill what tier of monster.”
“…….”
Senior Marie's gaze at having her conversation with Seonho interrupted burns like a nettle sting — but I'll just have to endure it.
“Fine. I'll leave it to you, Sora.”
…Because I have to be of use to Seonho, even a little.
Choi Marie and Han Sora had come out to help me shop for a weapon, with me wedged between them.
Thanks to the subtle collision of emotions radiating between those two, I came dangerously close to bursting out laughing more than once.
I suppose I can understand it from Han Sora, since she's started her conditioning — but I never expected even Choi Marie to be fencing Sora off like this.
Well, she is the heroine who's known me the longest, after all.
At some point the two of them had all but stopped talking to each other entirely, holding every conversation through me as a middleman — I nearly let a dry snort escape on several occasions.
Which meant I had to play the oblivious harem protagonist and toss out a few deliberately diplomatic answers along the way.
“Go with the Glock. You should buy the most standard option.”
“I'm telling you, the SIG is better. The Glock's too chunky.”
“They both fit in one hand anyway, so what does it matter?”
“The grip feels completely different. What if you draw it in a hurry and it slips out of your hand?”
“Wouldn't the smaller one be easier to drop? You could drop a SIG straight down a storm drain if you fumbled it.”
…And here they go again, pointlessly competing over their pride with something that doesn't even matter.
I suppose this is a hunter world, because I'm watching a spectacle I'd never have witnessed back on Earth: college girls deep in military talk, right before my eyes. Refreshing, in more ways than one.
“The SIG has a smaller magazine capacity too.”
“Extended magazines exist.”
“Then it gets bigger anyway, which means the Glock wins.”
“It only gets longer, not thicker.”
“Name one gun easier to maintain than a Glock. They sell in such volume that parts are easy to find.”
“It's so simple that people accidentally discharge them in their holsters. The SIG has guaranteed safety in comparison.”
“Yes, the SIG is safe. So safe the trigger won't pull even when you actually need to shoot.”
“That was only an early defect, the current models have no problems whatsoever—”
…Honestly, I could barely keep up. I was never a gun nut in my old world, either.
I use guns in the first place only because, as a Support Department student, they're about the only weapon available to me. They're useless inside dungeons, but they work fine for monster waves and hunting down villains.
Both of them had extensive firearms knowledge in the original novel, too, so my plan had been to get their help picking out a weapon as a bonus before the upcoming event — I just never imagined their preferences would clash this hard.
“I'll take these two, plus one holster for each side, spare magazines, and this as well—”
At some point the two of them had completely forgotten I existed and were locked in their own gladiator arena, so I slipped through the gap and simply bought both.
That way, no one could ever say I'd taken sides.
“Seonho, make your decision. Glock or SIG?”
“SIG, obviously? The Glock's too bulky for carry. I'm the one in the ranged-attack position, so trust me on this.”
“When you say 'handgun,' you say Glock. I thought you were a sensible man, Seonho.”
“I bought both of them. So please, stop fighting.”
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
I showed the two pistols in my hands to the pair, then slid them straight into the holsters on either side of my waist.
If I'd picked a side, the other one was bound to feel betrayed.
Thinking about it purely strategically, siding with Choi Marie — who hasn't even begun her conditioning — would have been the smarter move. But I didn't want to slight Han Sora over something like that.
And considering my pathetic physique — the free hand couldn't hold a shield to save my life — two guns weren't exactly a bad thing to have.
“I was planning to buy two from the start. I'll just carry and use both.”
“Wouldn't it be better to standardize on one Glock? Carrying two guns with different grips will wreck your muscle memory down the line.”
“If you're standardizing, the SIG is better. The Glock's too heavy to hold in your off-hand for long—”
Even after I'd bought two whole pistols, the two of them showed no signs of ending their dispute. If I left them to it, they'd still be at it on the walk home.
I'd come out on an outing with the two of them, and I couldn't bear to watch that spectacle — so I quietly settled it with a reason neither of them could argue against.
“You're both right, honestly. A dual-wield is supposed to be two different guns, one in each hand. That's the romance of it.”
“…Oh. You're right.”
“Come to think of it, Chow Yun-fat did it too. The junior's got a point.”
“Bruce Willis also—”
“Anyway, let's go get lunch. You do realize we've been in this one shop for two hours, right?”
“…Already?”
“No way. There's no way we've been here that long.”
To be clear, I'd given up on anything resembling a sweet, romantic date the moment I'd dragged both of them along.
Still, watching the entire morning evaporate in a gun debate was a little hard to swallow, even for me.