Chapter 139: Senior, Save Me!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 139: Senior, Save Me!
"Huh? Make her cry?"
Muen looked at the senior sitting before him with a face full of bewilderment. "Why?"
"Well... just a little personal reason of mine," Anna said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
"Are you sure it's not just because you want to mess with me?"
Muen couldn't help but let out a cold snicker, the look of a man who had seen through everything. "I get it. This is just another one of your new pranks, isn't it? I'm not falling for it."
"Oh? So my dear junior is unwilling?"
"Of course. I mean, making a young girl cry for no reason is a one-way ticket to getting struck by lightning, okay?"
"So, it's okay to make this senior cry instead?"
Anna pressed a finger to the corner of her eye, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. "You said you'd do anything to repay me, yet you won't even help with a small favor like this. I guess the words of a playboy like you really can't be trusted, huh?
Sniff, sniff. Your senior is so heartbroken."
"..."
Muen fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "I'll help, but you have to tell me why. You don't seem like the type to bully little girls on purpose."
"A reason?"
Anna dropped the fake sobbing act and rested her chin on her palm, her gaze drifting toward some distant, unknown point.
In that moment, Muen felt as if he saw that same aura of loneliness on her again—a loneliness that didn't seem to belong to this world.
"Just consider it a selfish whim of mine, Junior."
*
"Here, Muen, try our local specialty, the cream stew."
"Oh, okay."
"Here, Muen, try the escargot."
"Uh-huh."
"Here, Muen, try the sirloin steak."
"Ah... yeah."
Inside the exquisitely decorated little restaurant, a piece by a famous composer was playing. The lingering melody, accompanied by a singer's pleasant soprano, flowed from the sound-recording stone like a babbling brook.
The doors and windows were tightly shut. In the dim space, several red candles burned atop a pure white tablecloth. The flickering flames cast a rosy glow on everyone's cheeks, matching the crystalline red wine in their glasses.
Even the most etiquette-obsessed noble lady would surely praise this as a perfect candlelight dinner—the ideal setting to pair with the innocent feelings of a young man and woman, reaching the climax of a date in a romantic atmosphere.
At a time like this, if the boy were to produce a ring set with a massive diamond and confess his true love, he would surely move the girl to tears, making her resolve to marry him even if he were a dog.
But, that's only if...
The people on the date...
Weren't three fucking people!
Three!
It is a magical number that has absolutely nothing to do with romance.
The only things that pair well with "three" are hiding in wardrobes, crawling under beds, White Album drama, NTR, "But I was here first!", and playing cards!
Once a date involves three people, it feels like a firewood chopper to the gut isn't far off!
So...
Senior, save me!
Muen dodged Shali's constant attempts to feed him—she was clearly leaning in way too close on purpose—while shooting a pleading look at the senior who had started all this.
But instead of saving him, Anna just gave him a small, encouraging squeeze of her fist.
Keep it up! That was likely what she meant.
Keep what up?!
Ever since Shali found out he and Anna were on a "date," she had become a completely different person. Her intense offensive had the momentum to melt even the densest block of steel into a mushy-hearted boy.
This is completely out of character for you, okay? Are you doing justice to your black-rimmed glasses and braided pigtails? Don't you know transformation magic is forbidden here?
Regardless, Muen felt like he was reaching his limit.
Muen shifted his body subtly. With Shali sitting so close, he realized that beneath her loose uniform, she actually had a figure just as good as his senior's.
But the more he noticed, the more restless he became, especially with Anna watching the show with such amusement.
"Um... Shali."
Muen blocked another attempt at being fed and couldn't help but give a wry smile. "I'm not a kid anymore. I can eat by myself."
"This is a token of my affection!" Shali insisted, refusing to back down.
"I've already felt your affection!"
"Really?" Shali finally gave up her assault, tilting her head. "Then, does it taste good?"
"It's great, really!" Muen nodded vigorously.
Though he was so nervous he couldn't taste a thing, even if the food had been literal poison, he would have had to offer glowing praise with a smile right now.
"I'm so glad you like it, Muen."
Shali looked delighted, as if this was the most wonderful thing in the world to her.
Looking at Shali's blushing face, Muen hesitated for a split second.
But he quickly suppressed that tiny spark of guilt deep in his heart. He smiled and pushed a plate he had tampered with toward Shali.
"You've been busy for so long, you should eat too, Shali."
"I..."
Shali's cute eyes darted behind her black-rimmed glasses. Her blushing cheeks looked so tender under the candlelight that they seemed like they might leak water if pinched.
"I want Muen... to feed me by hand."
"..."
Muen's eye twitched. But at this point, he could only pick up the silver spoon with a trembling hand. Under Shali's expectant gaze, he brought the fragrant food to her lips.
Shali swallowed it in one gulp, her face full of bliss.
"It's so delicious. As expected of food fed to me by Muen himself."
"Is... is that so?"
Muen played along, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
What the hell? I squeezed a ton of mustard into that!
Is this girl that hardcore?
Just as he was thinking this, Shali opened her pink lips again like a baby bird waiting for food.
I want more!
"..."
Senior!
Save me!
Muen sent another SOS signal to Anna.
But Anna was currently focused on battling her steak, having absolutely no time to pay attention to his side.
She only raised her little fist again, giving it a squeeze.
Keep it up!
Seeing his senior's completely indifferent attitude—and how she even seemed to be fanning the flames—Muen felt a sudden, inexplicable sting in his heart.
—Senior, if you're this open-minded about it, I'm actually going to be sad.
Realizing he was truly isolated and helpless, Muen took a deep breath.
Don't panic.
Muen, don't panic.
Look on the bright side.
At least if the senior doesn't care about this kind of thing, I can avoid the legendary Shitshow, right?
In other words, as long as I finish the task the senior gave me and handle this girl Shali, everything can land smoothly!
That's right, a bright future is waiting for me!
Fate is nothing! Watch me crush it with my own two—
The sound of a wind chime rang out.
In that moment, Muen felt as if an infinite flood of light rushed into his vision.
But it wasn't his future. It was someone opening the closed door of the restaurant.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
A figure dressed in a maid's uniform stood in the doorway, backlit, looking into the restaurant.
She seemed unable to adjust to the dim light immediately, her eyes narrowing slightly.
In that moment.
The moment he saw that figure's face clearly.
The crisis alarm in Muen's head exploded with a deafening BZZZT.
Even though he had experienced death countless times, the warning had never been this intense.
A terrifying chill, like countless needles, stabbed into his soul.
After a brief moment of confusion, shock, and terror, his consciousness began to race at high speed.
The "scumbag soul" hidden deep within him was fully ignited. Before those dignified eyes could spot him, he slammed his head down and dove under the table, grabbing Anna's fair, slender thigh.
"Senior, you really have to save me this time!"
