Chapter 52

The bus door opens.

"Wow, are you finally starting your shopping, Blacky?"

Ishihara, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, mutters in a strange thug-like tone.

"Yeah."

As I step out of the bus, I slightly frown.

The sign that reads "Tokyo Plaza" in English is impressive, marking the entrance to the shopping mall.

In front of it stands a life-size statue of a giant robot from a famous anime.

It was also a famous landmark in Odaiba in the world I lived in.

At night, the statue lights up and transforms, but since it's still daytime, there's no particular movement.

"Ah, this is the famous robot statue...!"

"It's quite unique."

Yooji and Ishihara take photos in front of the robot statue.

I don't understand what's so good about it that they're doing this.

"Hey, if you don't come, I'll leave you behind."

"I'll come, sir!"

"I'll follow too!"

From the start, I have a bad feeling about this.

Olivia, Nishizawa, and Rin are already walking ahead.

It seems that women loving shopping is a universal trait.

"Mr. Kim Deok-sung. I bought you a strawberry smoothie."

Han Seo-jin, dressed in a black suit, politely offers me a strawberry smoothie.

I take the smoothie from her, put the straw in my mouth, and sip the drink.

It tastes better than I expected.

The feeling of being dragged out on a weekend and having a bad time starts to improve.

"Let's go in."

"Understood."

The automatic doors of the shopping mall open with a swoosh.

"Come on, sir!"

"Wait, Kim!"

Ignoring the two men calling out pitifully from behind, I enter the air-conditioned shopping mall.

*

Olivia, Nishizawa Eri, and Shinozaki Rin.

A strange, cold silence hangs between the three women as they walk through the marble-decorated corridor of the shopping mall.

"Hey, Shinozaki."

The silence is broken by Nishizawa Eri.

She glares at Rin with her sharp, orange eyes.

Rin's navy blue eyes turn to Eri.

"Why did you call me, flat-chest?"

A cold smile appears on the corner of Rin's lips.

No matter how much Nishizawa Eri struggles, she can't make up for the natural difference in body parts.

She proudly pushes her large chest forward.

Nishizawa Eri's brow wrinkles.

"Flat-chest? You can't possibly be talking to me, right? A cow with only a big chest."

"Flat-chest, you still haven't gotten rid of that useless sense of inferiority. Jealousy of others' fullness is ugly."

"I'm not a flat-chest! I'm annoyed. The rumor that women with only big chests are stupid is true. Stupid cow. I wish you'd be slaughtered."

As Rin and Eri growl at each other.

Olivia sighs.

Her voice is cold.

"Really, you people. Even here, you're acting so childish. It's pathetic. You haven't forgotten the original purpose of coming here, have you?"

Olivia pouts.

"Anyway, I don't like either of you at all, not even a bit, during the cherry blossom festival or now!"

She puffs out her cheeks with her arms crossed.

Nishizawa Eri and Shinozaki Rin.

Neither of them is to her liking.

'As his exclusive maid, both of you are failing. Hmph. I absolutely can't allow it!'

Especially Shinozaki Rin, who started trouble and hasn't even apologized properly.

Nishizawa Eri, who suddenly changed 180 degrees after disobeying orders and being sent to the disciplinary committee, is also not to her liking.

"I don't know when I last had a proper outing."

Olivia mutters in a small voice.

She wasn't in a good mood.

She could overlook it during the Ground Zero event.

But during the cherry blossom festival, it was too much.

It was supposed to be just the two of them.

'Baka, stupid, sea cucumber, sea squirt, jellyfish...!'

Olivia's gaze turns to Shinozaki Rin.

'This is all because of that thief cat...!'

The cherry blossom festival was ruined because Shinozaki Rin butted in halfway through.

Olivia hasn't forgotten her grudge from that time.

"Why should I be to your liking? Bonaparte?"

Rin's eyes turn to Olivia.

"Well, because I'm his exclusive maid. Miss Shinozaki, and now isn't it time to buy supplies for the interim school?"

"Princess is right. Cow. There's no time to waste on pointless arguments."

Olivia's words are echoed by Nishizawa Eri.

"Keh."

Rin bites her lip at their rebuttals.

She can't think of a counterargument because it's the truth.

Feeling like she's lost, Rin's hands tremble.

"Fine. Then let's start with the lingerie shop."

"What does the interim school have to do with a lingerie shop?"

Nishizawa Eri raises her eyebrows in protest.

"Well... Obviously, we need to buy battle lingerie. Nishizawa. Ah, does the flat-chest, who lacks womanly charm, not know this? I must have slipped."

Shinozaki Rin smiles triumphantly.

The content of the internet dating tips she read yesterday comes to mind.

Battle lingerie is the most effective for a frontal assault.

It's written that no man can resist when a woman seduces him in lingerie.

The interim school schedule is a week-long camping trip.

Of course, she plans to take the opportunity to seduce him.

'Of course, this is only as a last resort... Just in case!'

Her face turns red.

Nishizawa Eri's face contorts.

"Are you planning to seduce Master with that disgusting lump of fat at the interim school? Disgusting."

"I don't want to hear complaints from someone so weak."

Rin laughs coldly and enters the lingerie shop.

"I'll come too! Cow. I'll come too!"

Nishizawa Eri chases after her.

"Ugh... Ugh..."

Olivia, left alone, blushes.

She groans.

"How can you have such a despicable idea... Battle lingerie...!"

She can't understand it.

How can they so boldly suggest showing their underwear to a man they're not even married to?

"Filthy, vulgar...!"

Olivia bites her lip.

She walks into the lingerie shop with a flushed face.

"Ugh. That thief cat Shinozaki...! Daring to seduce with her body...!"

She grinds her teeth.

"If you can get the heart of the one you love, you don't care about the means. That's the teaching of the Shinozaki clan's beauty strategy. What's wrong with that, Bonaparte?"

Olivia's words are met with a triumphant response from Shinozaki Rin.

"That's... That's..."

Olivia is speechless.

Rin's words are the truth.

There's no room for rebuttal.

"No matter what, showing your body to a man you're not even married to... Filthy woman!"

"Anyway, he's going to be my son-in-law, and my future husband. There's no reason not to show him my body, is there?"

"Shut up! Filthy woman! I won't allow you to be by his side even if dirt gets in my eyes! Know that!"

"You, a coward who can't even show your body to the man you love, have no right to speak."

"Y-y-you! Who the hell is a coward! Filthy woman! Thief cat!"

At the moment when Olivia, her face red from Rin's bold words, groans.

"Ms. Bonaparte. Ms. Shinozaki. Ms. Nishizawa."

A cold voice reaches the three women's ears.

They turn to see a beautiful woman with ash-gray hair and a black suit standing there.

Han Seo-jin.

"Mr. Kim Deok-sung's message. He said to stop wasting time in the lingerie shop, which has nothing to do with the interim school, and come out quickly."

Han Seo-jin speaks calmly and composedly with a blank expression.

The three women's faces turn red upon hearing her words.

"If that's the case, we have no choice."

"Of course, Eri-ling is a good slave and will follow Master's orders."

"Don't get the wrong idea! I was only dragged here because of these two! Hmph."

Han Seo-jin bows after hearing their varied responses.

"Understood. Then I'll leave it at that."

*

The ominous feeling was right.

The shopping time ended up being unnecessarily long, as expected.

I should have realized it when they spent over thirty minutes in the lingerie shop.

It's already night.

The Tokyo Plaza building is lit up with dazzling lights.

"Damn... My golden Saturday is going like this."

Feeling like a fish that has been drained of water, I am exhausted from walking around the mall like clothes in a washing machine.

A realistic fatigue, different from the one in light novels, washes over me.

I sip the chocolate shake in my hand.

I don't know how many drinks I've bought and consumed, but without this, I might have collapsed long ago.

"Shopping is over!"

"Good job, everyone."

"Hmph. If it weren't for those two holding us back, we would have finished much earlier!"

The three women, each holding shopping bags, engage in a silent battle.

Seeing them reminds me of when the three women competed to buy ingredients at the food store, claiming they would have a cooking contest.

"Wow, it's starting to transform!"

"Right? It's amazing. We should take a picture!"

The two men are taking photos in front of the giant robot statue, which is now lit up and transforming.

"Thank you for your hard work today, Mr. Kim Deok-sung."

Han Seo-jin, who has approached, bows.

"No, you did all the hard work. From leading the group to the bus to cleaning up after shopping."

Han Seo-jin handled everything.

Without a doubt, she is today's MVP.

Han Seo-jin's gray eyes waver upon hearing my words.

She shakes her head vigorously.

"No! As Mr. Kim Deok-sung's dedicated attendant, it's only natural that I do these things."

"Still, you did a good job."

"...Understood. I appreciate your excessive encouragement. It's an honor to assist you today, Mr. Kim Deok-sung."

Han Seo-jin salutes with military precision.

It seems pointless to say more.

What to do about the interim school.

*Cooking Contest*

Hokkaido (北海道).

The northernmost of the four main islands that make up the Japanese archipelago, along with Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

A beautiful northern region, well-preserved in its natural environment, and often ranked as the top tourist destination for Japanese people.

Here lies the largest primeval forest erosion area in Japan, the Aokigahara.

As the name suggests, it's a vast area of dense coniferous forest that stretches beyond the horizon, resembling a sea.

The green primeval forest swaying in the wind is a breathtaking sight.

Unlike Ground Zero near Tokyo, parts of Aokigahara are open to the public as a tourist attraction and are even featured in Hokkaido tourist guides.

The main stage of the second volume of the original work.

I am now there.

"Everyone, did you all arrive safely by plane!"

In the heart of Aokigahara.

The parade ground in front of the interim school's dedicated classroom building.

Maiuzumi-sensei, holding a megaphone, clenches her fist and speaks to the gathered first-year students.

"Then, I'll explain the precautions for the interim school!"

The scene is exactly the same as the beginning of the animated interim school episode.

The students, dressed in gym uniforms, are lined up in rows.

'The girls' gym uniforms are really bloomers.'

The problem is that the girls' gym uniforms are exactly as depicted in the anime—bloomers.

A white top that reveals the body and navy blue bloomers that show the leg lines are incredibly embarrassing.

It's almost indecent.