Chapter 55

The forest appears peaceful on the surface.

However, as befits an erosion zone, interdimensional beings lurk everywhere.

Swish.

Rin cuts down the Forest Frog with the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi she holds in her hand.

[Forest Frog Eliminated]

[+10 Points]

The giant green frog, Forest Frog, lets out a scream as it falls, sliced by the Japanese sword with its azure magical power.

A kill log appears on the Hunter Watch.

"Did you see that, Kim Deok-sung? I've already eliminated ten interdimensional beings. What do you think? I'm quite useful, right?"

Thud.

Rin, who has plunged the Japanese sword into the interdimensional frog's body, places her hand on her chest and proclaims in a confident voice, like a victorious general.

"Yeah, yeah. You're doing well."

I offer a half-hearted compliment.

As Rin said, all the interdimensional beings eliminated so far have been her doing.

I haven't done anything.

There's no need for me to step in.

This is a group assignment, after all.

If I can hitch a ride, I should definitely do so.

Memories of group assignments in college come to mind.

A group member who had a funeral every day, another who claimed to be sick every day without a doctor's note, one who only left greetings in the group chat and went AWOL, and another who was absent on presentation day...

I recall the terrible memories of suffering from free-riding.

Now, I'm going to live for myself here.

"Th-thank you. The compliment..."

Rin's voice reaches my ear.

I look up.

There she is, blushing and fidgeting with her fingers, looking embarrassed.

Why is she acting so out of character all of a sudden?

"I just said you did well. What are you thanking me for?"

I only complimented her to use her, but she's attributing so much meaning to it.

I have no idea why she's acting like this.

"That, that's... Still... No, nothing. Never mind."

Rin shakes her head, her face flushed pink.

Her azure ponytail sways with her head.

"Pathetic."

"Kim Deok-sung. This time, I, I'll take the lead. You can relax; I'll protect you. Just leave it to me."

"Alright."

If she's going to be the meat shield, there's no reason to refuse.

I look up at the sky.

Dark clouds are gathering.

It's going to rain soon.

I turn on the holographic map on the Hunter Watch.

According to the school's rules, the combat mode of the personal weapon should only be used when encountering a high-level interdimensional being.

Breaking this rule results in a penalty.

This useless setting is a result of the world materializing the idea of a lucky ecchi scene during a heavy rain.

Therefore, we need to find a place to take shelter when it rains.

'There's a cave nearby.'

The holographic map on the Hunter Watch shows the cave's location.

My backpack contains a homemade bento made by Olivia, a hand warmer, a blanket, solid fuel, a lighter, a fishing stool, extra clothes, and a rain poncho, all prepared before the interim school.

This should be enough to handle a heavy rain.

I turn my gaze forward.

I see Rin, wearing a white gym uniform that reveals her figure and a blue bloomers that makes me feel embarrassed.

"Hey, Rin."

"Yeah? Kim Deok-sung."

"Why are you wearing bloomers? Our academy's gym uniform is spats, right?"

Both bloomers and spats are embarrassing, but in terms of exposure, bloomers are a step above.

I really don't know where to look right now.

"That, that's..."

Rin stops walking.

She turns her back to me.

Rin looks solemn.

For some reason, I feel a sense of unease whenever she acts like this.

"In this interim school, I'm supposed to use the Shinozaki family's desperate beauty strategy to seduce you! How do you like it, Kim Deok-sung? My bloomers? Aren't they sexy?"

I press my forehead.

What? Sexy?

I thought things were quiet lately, but here we go again.

Luckily, there's no one around.

"Sexy? More like 'fucking sexy.' Did the president order you to do this again?"

I press my temples and ask Rin.

She can't be doing this just because she likes it.

100% it's that perverted uncle's secret order.

My words make Rin's face turn as red as a beet.

"Resolve...?"

Rin's eyes waver.

"Yeah. Resolve. Honestly, you don't like it either, right? Being tied to your family, using beauty strategies, and all that."

At my words, Rin shakes her head vigorously.

Her azure ponytail flutters.

"No, not really. But the order I received was only to use the beauty strategy. I swear by my name."

"Only one?"

"Yes."

Damn.

The story has taken another strange turn.

I really need a cigarette.

At this rate, I might become a smoker.

'I don't want to keep getting involved with her.'

Not only have I not received a proper apology, but I also don't want to become a son-in-law of the Shinozaki family.

Change my last name to Shinozaki? Under that perverted uncle?

Absolutely not.

'Clearly, the all-purpose cheat key of rescue is the answer.'

The culprit behind all this is Shinozaki Ichiro.

Once this exploration is over, I need to manipulate the protagonist into rescuing Ichiro after the interim school ends.

The rescue will sever the terrible bond I have with Rin.

Just as I was thinking this,

Thud, thud.

I feel a cold drop on my cheek.

"What is it? Dew?"

Rin, who was making a pure sound, suddenly stops.

Thud, thud. Whoosh.

The raindrops, which were just dew, quickly turn into a heavy downpour, drenching Rin and me.

"Ugh."

"Damn."

The heavy rain soaks us instantly.

"Hey, Rin..."

The expected situation.

No need to panic.

I look up.

Now, if I take Rin to the cave...

"Why, why are you calling me?"

The sight of her drenched body cuts off my thoughts.

Her face, red even in the heavy rain, stands out clearly.

Her large chest, emphasized by the wet, semi-transparent white T-shirt, and the dangerous design of her black lace underwear catch my eye.

"Hey, what are you...?"

Don't suddenly escalate things.

This was supposed to be an all-ages light novel. Why is it like this now?

"Ah, this?"

Rin smiles faintly in the heavy rain.

She confidently approaches me, links her arm with mine, and says,

"This is a special victory underwear I bought for you. How do you feel? What do you think of a woman's secret weapon?"

How should I react to this?

My mind goes blank.

"Do you know the meaning of a woman showing her victory underwear to a man, Kim Deok-sung?"

"..., No, I don't."

I have an idea, but I don't want to say it out loud.

Swish.

She releases her arm.

"If you don't know, I'll tell you now. It means... If you want, you can take my virginity! I declare it here and now. Kim Deok-sung! Let's have a child together! You can embrace me as much as you want. Just be gentle..."

Wow.

You're a bad guy.

Whoosh.

The heavy downpour beats against my body.

"Hey, Rin."

Rin's gaze, which was covering her large, semi-transparent chest with her arms, turns to me.

Her azure eyes tremble.

Looking at Rin, I say,

"Are you really crazy?"

I'm not a saint.

I'm not without desires.

Rin may be annoying and unappealing, but she is pretty.

Her figure, which she often boasts about, is curvaceous.

But just as a person won't eat filth no matter how hungry they are, there are lines that even desire shouldn't cross.

Eating anything you find will get you into trouble.

And Rin is in the 'anything' position for me.

'If I fall for the seduction, she'll probably demand responsibility.'

Rin is like a poisoned chalice right now.

I have no intention of becoming a son-in-law of the Shinozaki family.

It's not just her.

I don't want to enter into a relationship I can't take responsibility for.

Moreover, to defeat the final boss, the protagonist, the heroine, and all the helpers are necessary.

Not a single person can be missing.

Therefore, to achieve a happy ending, I need to maintain a good relationship with them.

So, from my perspective, even if such a situation arises, I should avoid it as much as possible.

"That, that's..."

Thud, thud.

Rin's body, drenched in rain, trembles.

She wraps her arms around her upper arms.

Her drenched chest sways.

Her shoulders droop.

"..., But."

Rin's trembling voice cuts through the sound of the heavy rain.

The heavy downpour soaks her entire body.

I sigh.

"I've told you before, I don't need you. Even if you offer, I won't accept. Stop with the seduction or beauty strategy."

I suppress my boiling anger and say.

Rin suddenly raises her head upon hearing my words.

She speaks with a serious expression.

"Are you, are you a saint? That would be a problem. If the son-in-law to continue the Shinozaki family is a saint... Or insensitive...? Not touching a prepared meal is suspicious."

"Stop calling me a saint, will you?"

Why is this world testing me so much?

Irritation rises.

Who's making me a saint?

What kind of mindset is she using to say such things?

In reality, I'm barely holding back with superhuman self-control.

"..., I see."

Rin bows her head again.

Flash! Boom!

Thunder and lightning strike, and a fierce storm rages.

"Sigh."

I sigh.

In the original story, the heavy rain doesn't stop until tonight.

If we stay here, we'll both likely catch a cold.

Rin actually caught a cold in the original story.

It's absurd for a superhuman to catch a cold, but this is a light novel world.

If the hero has to wipe the feverish, drenched body of a sick heroine to create a lucky ecchi scene, this level of setting destruction is no problem.

That's the common sense of light novels.

"Follow me."

But I have no intention of following the original story.

If Rin gets sick, I'll suffer.

To prepare for the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons event, I can't afford to lose any of our team members.

Rin's face turns red.

"Where, where are we going? Are you, are you finally going to embrace me, Kim Deok-sung? It's my first time, so please be as gentle as possible and don't hurt me..."