Vacation Beach Trip # 1
Vacation Beach Trip # 1
After finishing her meal and returning to her quarters, Leona bit down on her handkerchief and vented her frustration.
"Tch...! How could Kim Geun-cheol go and run his mouth like that!"
He'd fallen for Woo Yu-ri's leading questions and blabbed about tomorrow's plans!
"Isn't he supposed to read the room and answer accordingly?!"
According to plan, she was supposed to go to the department store alone with Kim Geun-cheol and tease him to her heart's content without anyone watching, but now Woo Yu-ri had butted in.
"Well, I suppose going as a trio is nice too."
What's wrong with shopping with friends?
Leona thought positively.
No, there was no need to get upset just because the situation of being alone with Kim Geun-cheol had been broken. What was she to Kim Geun-cheol anyway? It was regrettable that she couldn't exploit the duo advantage to tease him without restraint, but if she actually had, Kim Geun-cheol's heart would've been shredded to bits.
So going as three was fine.
"Eee-hee!"
Leona mussed up her own hair with both hands.
* * *
"The two of them, at a department store?"
Woo Yu-ri lay on her side on the bed, chin propped in her hand, giggling.
"Not a chance... heh heh."
She felt like she'd unintentionally thrown up a roadblock, but that was fine. Better than that idiot Kim Geun-cheol getting bewitched by Leona and losing focus.
Now was the time to concentrate on swordsmanship.
She couldn't let his eyes wander elsewhere.
"That bastard Kim Geun-cheol... could he be falling for me?"
Woo Yu-ri entertained the thought for a moment. Kim Geun-cheol going all googly-eyed for her? That might actually be kind of amusing. Yes. If it had to happen, it was more advantageous for her if it was directed at her.
Wouldn't he train even harder to impress her if he set his sights on his master instead of looking elsewhere?
Of course, whether a guy like Kim Geun-cheol thought that way or not was irrelevant to her, but the matter of swordsmanship was important.
"Leona..."
Thinking of Leona.
"Ah, cough, cough!"
A sudden rush of spiciness made her cough burst out. The more she thought, the more her stomach burned. Consider today's roadblock payback for the jjamppong.
* * *
When I got to the front of the department store, the two of them waved at me. I waved back and walked over.
"Let's head in!"
Leona was absolutely bursting with energy from the crack of dawn.
"I'll pick out a swimsuit that suits Kim Geun-cheol!"
"You can just throw any old thing on that Kim Geun-cheol punk."
"What do you mean! We can't do that!"
"Isn't there an option where I pick with my own money?"
"Of course not!"
"I'm saying I wanna buy my own stuff with my own money!"
Clothes other people pick out are a pain in the ass to wear!
More than anything, this situation was seriously suspicious—the two girls seemed to be teaming up to put me in something weird. They weren't gonna turn me into a laughingstock, were they?
"Quiet! Kim Geun-cheol just has to do whatever I say! Got it?!"
"What the...!"
"Let's go!"
"Ack!"
In the end, I was dragged inside the department store by Leona's hand.
Once inside, the place was in full summer mode, selling summer clothes everywhere. Going deeper in, we came across a storefront with swimsuits front and center.
"Here, Kim Geun-cheol. This is it."
"Oh. Lots of stuff."
The world might be a mess, but people seem to be getting by just fine, going out and having fun. I mean, look how lively the market is.
And so, Leona, Yu-ri, and I—the three of us browsed the store together.
Personally, I wanted some cool red-toned beach pants with a floral print, you know? Let's see what Leona ends up picking.
—Swish.
Anyway, while I was looking at swimsuits, I could hear Leona and Yu-ri giggling and whispering over there.
"This. How about this one?"
"Hey, Leona. In times like this, not that... how about this."
"No! Are you insane! What is this!"
"I'm telling you, you gotta put a bastard like Kim Geun-cheol in something like this."
"Good heavens...! A woman wearing that would look like a crazy bitch, so what does a man wearing it look like?!"
"What do you think? Like a total fucking lunatic... heh!"
"Hohoho!"
What the hell are they looking at?
Should I make a run for it?
The moment I thought that.
"Kim Geun-cheol! Come over here!"
"No, what the hell did you pick?"
"Come see! It's a little horr— I mean! It seems like it'll look good on you!"
Did she just say horrifying? This is making me kinda nervous, not gonna lie. As I approached with a tinge of tension.
—Jut.
Yu-ri thrust something bizarre at me!
"Hey. How about this."
"You're insane! Hey! This is a slingshot!"
It was a black slingshot bikini!
Imagine you get into a beef with some guy, you're about to settle it man-to-man with a good old fistfight, and suddenly the other guy rips his top off! Up to that point, you could chalk it up to fighting spirit! But then, preposterously, the bastard takes his pants off too, revealing a slingshot swimsuit underneath—even if I had a gun in my hand, I'd have no choice but to run!
That's the kind of swimsuit this is!
"You crazy psycho! A male slingshot, have you lost your mind?! Woo Yu-ri, are you insane?!"
"That's absolutely revolting!"
Even Leona, who'd been giggling a moment ago, was rubbing her arms like she'd gotten goosebumps and expressing her horror!
"Insane? Hey, you little shit. Something like this suits a guy like Kim Geun-cheol way better than other swimsuits. Here, Kim Geun-cheol, put this on. Let's wear this and go to the beach."
Her face is way too sinister...!
"Bullshit! I wouldn't wear that even if you beat me half to death!"
"Huh? Talking back when your master's speaking? Keep acting up and you wanna find out how you die?"
"Threaten me with this crap and the master-servant roles are gonna flip instantly, you punk! Leona! Help me out! She's actually gonna make me wear that thing!"
"Hmm!"
Leona took the absurd swimsuit from Yu-ri, grabbed the end of the hanger, and held it out in front of me as if sizing me up, narrowing her eyes.
"It really is revolting! Who in the world wears something like this?!"
"Right?!"
This thing is such a devilish item that even if a woman wore it, she'd be positively branded as exceptionally daring.
A man wearing it is nothing but grotesque comedy.
"Hey, Kim Geun-cheol. If you don't wear this, who's gonna wear it? Huh? Why let it go to waste like this?"
Having gotten the swimsuit back from Leona, Yu-ri gave me a sleazy grin and held it out with an intensely expectant look.
"Who wears something nobody was wearing in the first place?! I'm absolutely not wearing it, so give it up!"
"Then it's a waste."
"What's a waste! We didn't even buy it!"
"Hoh, this little bastard still."
"If you wanna wear it, you wear it, damn it!"
That was a moment when words completely bypassed my brain.
"What?"
Suddenly, Yu-ri opened one eye very wide, looking incredibly menacing.
"I should wear it?"
She said that!
"Wait, hold on!"
"Did you just tell me to wear it?"
Her face had gone ice-cold.
"That's not what I—! Hey! Yu-ri, wait a sec!"
"This bastard... was that your ulterior motive?"
Oh, fuck. This is absolutely not the situation I intended.
—Grin.
But then Yu-ri grinned.
"Well, in that case, should I wear it for you?"
"What did you say?"
"Wear it for you? Wear it? Huh? Wear it for you?"
She said that while moving her body uncomfortably close to me...!
"Should I wear it in your place, Kim Geun-cheol?"
"What the hell is this bitch saying...! Why would you wear it?!"
"If you don't wear it, I have to wear it, right?"
What kind of bullshit is that!
"You're crazy!"
I momentarily imagined Yu-ri wearing this preposterous black slingshot bikini. A bikini this unbelievably daring...!
"What are you thinking about?"
"I mean, that's..."
"Huh? You little shit?"
Yu-ri pressured me like she'd found my weakness!
Help me, Leona!
"Quiet! Quiet! Can you please quiet down! Just what are you two talking about?!"
—Snatch!
Had my prayer reached the angel? Leona, who'd barged right in, roughly snatched the swimsuit from Yu-ri's hand and spoke while staring at it.
"Who in the world wears this...! The joke is way too mean-spirited, Woo Yu-ri!"
"Well, I just..."
"Where in the world does this kind of ridiculous bikini exist?!"
Exactly my point.
"Yeah. Something like that really is crazy. First, Leona? How about you put down the thing in your hand and we talk."
By now, that bikini was starting to look like a gun to me. Just having her hold it felt threatening.
"Yes, let's."
Then I paused for a moment.
I imagined Leona wearing that. Absolutely not on purpose, just a natural spinal reflex.
And Leona, catching that look.
"Wh-what are you thinking about! You, Kim Geun-cheol!"
"No! I wasn't thinking anything!"
"Bullshit! Shut up! Just hurry up and pick a swimsuit!"
"You said you'd pick it for me!"
"Ah! That's right!"
—Fwoop!
Leona, having instantly put the slingshot back in its place, marched forward without hesitation.
"Let's carry out our original objective."
"Yeah, let's..."
I seriously thought I was gonna die.
I immediately followed along behind Leona.
—Swish.
Leona naturally started sifting through the swimsuits, inspecting them, and soon picked one out and handed it to me.
"This one's pretty decent."
Beach pants with a sort of zebra-like vibe.
"This much is inoffensive, right? Try it on."
"Okay. I can wear this. Yeah. Give me stuff like this. Like this. Not that other thing."
"Just go put it on already."
"Yes ma'am."
I took the beach pants, pushed the fitting room curtain aside, and went in.
—Swoosh.
I immediately took off my pants and short-sleeved shirt and put on the beach pants. Then I looked in the mirror, and man, this is really...
"Prince of the beach... no. The Beach Emperor."
Admiration just leaks out.
"Hell yeah."
My body's gotten into really good shape lately, so the lines are popping. Yeah. Now this is the physique of a hero. I really like how my upper body has gotten bigger. Look at those packed muscles.
I'm extremely satisfied.
It's really great seeing the results of my training show up like this. Due to the nature of being an Awakened, using magic power makes it easier to lift heavy weights, so muscular hypertrophy is comparatively easy.
—Swoosh!
After confirming that, I strode out of the fitting room like a grand prince.
"Oh my!"
Leona, who'd been waiting for me, covered her mouth with both hands and marveled.
"Wow! Kim Geun-cheol, that looks great! It totally suits you! Totally!"
"Right? Nice! Looking at it, this was definitely made for me!"
"Yes! It's an outfit made specifically for Kim Geun-cheol! Let's go with this one!"
"Heh heh heh! Yeah!"
"Woo Yu-ri! Look at that!"
Yu-ri, arms crossed, rubbed her chin and said.
"Should've gone with the slingshot..."
"Seriously, just kill me."
Anyway, I changed back and went to pay. However much it was, I felt a little bad about her buying my swimsuit, so I held out my card.
"Smack! Smack! Down! Put it down!"
"Ugh..."
Leona started smacking the back of my hand with her own card, over and over... Powerless me had no choice but to accept her goodwill.
With that, purchase complete.
"Anyway, Leona. Thanks for buying it."
"It's nothing. Just one of those things. Hohoho."
"But aren't you two buying anything?"
"I already have one. We came out today to buy Kim Geun-cheol's. I don't really have a need to buy one."
Is that how it is?
Guess we should go eat then.
"Wait. I have to buy one too."
Yu-ri spoke up then.
"Then let's buy Yu-ri's and go eat. Yu-ri. What are you gonna get?"
"Slingshot."
"Bullshit! For real?!"
Wait, she's actually buying it?
I asked in shock, and Yu-ri looked at me like I was pathetic and said.
"It's a joke, you dumbass. Are you crazy? You think I'd really buy it? Anyway, this perverted bastard, is that all you've got in your head, huh? Those kinds of thoughts?"
"You're the one who started it...!"
In the end, Yu-ri didn't pick a slingshot but just a standard black bikini.
"No. Yu-ri. A bikini is still too daring."
"Wanna see what really daring looks like?"
"What's wrong with you, seriously! Leona! Quick, do something about Yu-ri!"
"Woo Yu-ri! If you're too daring, we can't go around together!"
"Heh heh heh, I said it's a joke and she still takes it seriously."
Why is buying swimsuits such an ordeal?
