tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71047125761945493112024-02-19T02:44:06.066-08:00Imoutolicious Light Novel TranslationsProud sponsor of New Brighton control group Electric Dawn™.Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-12676902753955783542017-01-15T20:18:00.000-08:002017-01-16T17:09:03.061-08:00[Four Lovers v02] Side. Heroines<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yuyu: Gee, Ka-ryeon. What are we going to do tonight?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ka-ryeon: The same thing we do every night, Yuyu. Try to take over the world!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>...Or not. Anyhow, this side story is a really good read!</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Translator: Really Not & Kurosmith (AMA ~MMLCR~ #1)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Editor: Ashley June X. & LHI</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Typesetter: Imoutolicious</i></span> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please enjoy~</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
current time is 9:30 PM.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For the
European-style cafe Saint, this time of day would mean wrapping things up and
calling it a day. Actually, since there were almost no customers after
dinnertime, it could close earlier, but the manager Han Chae-ryeon insists on
sticking to the 10:00 PM closing time, so the cafe is open until late into the
night. The typical scene consists of the depressed-looking manager sitting
alone in an empty store.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But today,
surprisingly, there were guests at Saint. Three girls were sitting around the
antiquated round table in the corner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu,
second year at Bigyeong High School.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon, first year at Eunyoung Girls High School.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee, first year at Jaran University Girls High School.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The three
girls were sitting around the round table, an equal distance between each other.
There were three cups of coffee, but no one had touched theirs yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">They were
silently exchanging glances, ignoring the manager, who was peeking out
occasionally from the changing room.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...Then.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It was Han
Ka-ryeon who broke the long silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yu
Yuyu drooped her shoulders with a tense expression, and Ahn Yeon-hee narrowed
her eyes and looked closely at Han Ka-ryeon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">After
casting a tender smile towards the other two, Han Ka-ryeon said in a calm
voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Let us
begin the 1st Harem Members Round Table Meeting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Wait!” Yu
Yuyu jumped out of her seat. “W-What do you mean by that?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Oh, do
you have a problem with the name?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I-It’s
weird! A harem?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I find it
difficult to accept that name as well.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee blurted out, next to the shouting Yu Yuyu. Unlike Yuyu, Yeon-hee was
in her seat, expressionless, but her voice was tinged with discomfort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“If you
put it like that, it sounds like my brother is a playboy with girls following
him around. Don’t insult him like that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Isn’t it
a man’s dream to have a harem?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“My
brother isn’t like that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee responded with piercing eyes, but Han Ka-ryeon only smiled, unfazed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Well,
names aren’t that important.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“T-They
are!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“In any
case,” said Han Ka-ryeon, putting her hands on the table as if to signal that
the conversation would be moving on, “we have gathered today to finish the 0th…
the talk we were having on Friday evening.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Hearing
this, Yu Yuyu looked nervous. Ahn Yeon-hee’s expression did not change, but she
shifted against the back of her chair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“T-The
talk we had on Friday evening…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Yes,
about the date.” Han Ka-ryeon nodded, looking at Yu Yuyu who was sitting down
again. “Last Friday, we asked Sunbae… Ahn Kyeong-hyun for a date.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Last
Friday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">After the
ruckus concerning Ahn Kyeong-hyun’s amnesia and the girlfriends and all, he and
the three girls gathered at this cafe. The false relationships were dissolved
after the truths were revealed, but the three girls’ obsession for Ahn
Kyeong-hyun only grew deeper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But there
was no way he could have realized that. It would be wrong to expect some wits
from someone for whom studying is life itself, but because he went through such
complicated, lie-ridden events, he had an even more twisted view of the girls’
thoughts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">So the
three demanded that Ahn Kyeong-hyun go out on a date with them, so they could
hold on to the boy that just didn’t seem to be able to look through their
hearts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“J-Just to
make it clear!” Yu Yuyu raised her voice. “It was me who asked him first!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Who was
first isn’t everything,” Ahn Yeon-hee shot coldly. “What matters is whether he
accepted.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“In the
end, Sunbae didn’t.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“The same
goes for you two!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Kyeong-hyun did not accept a single date from the three girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It’s obvious,
though. For him, studying is the most enjoyable thing in the world. There can
be no bigger pleasure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">To fool
around with girls on the golden weekends would be blasphemy in Ahn
Kyeong-hyun’s world. Of course, he did say that the time he spent with the
three girls wasn’t bad, but putting time aside for them on the weekend was a
different story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">What’s
more, Ahn Kyeong-hyun didn’t understand why he needed to go out with the girls,
in fact, he didn’t understand why they were asking him in the first place. He
even said, “If you want to have fun, have fun together. You’ve all become
friends, right?” The three girls were feeling despondent at this point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But I
coaxed him into sparing some time for us this Saturday.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">What the
girls asked for was for a date on the day right after last Saturday. However,
Ahn Kyeong-hyun adamantly refused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">His
reasoning was that, since he gave up on recovering his memory through having a
relationship, he needed to study even harder to make up for the time he lost.
More than now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">So I have
to make study plans, I have no time to fool around with you all… was what Ahn
Kyeong-hyun said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon was the one who coaxed Ahn Kyeong-hyun with all sorts of words.
Eventually, she succeeded in convincing him to spend some time with them on the
next weekend this saturday..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But will
he really set aside time on Saturday?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“That’s…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“My
brother didn’t even give us a straight answer. He might have forgotten about it
all and be thinking, ‘Should I go to the library on Saturday?’ or something.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee’s attitude was callous.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">She didn’t
even have a reason to want a date with Ahn Kyeong-hyun, anyway. She lived under
the same roof as him and didn’t really need to make time on weekends to be with
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I’m
planning to speak with him about that while working. I couldn’t today, because
I was busy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“B-Busy?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“What?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“What were
you busy doing? W-Were you seducing Glasses again?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...Well.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Looking at
Yu Yuyu’s desperate expression, Han Ka-ryeon made a mischievous smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Is there
a problem with me seducing Sunbae?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“There is!
Everyone knows now that you’re not his girlfriend! You’re not his fiancee!” Yu
Yuyu said in an agitated tone. “It’s wrong to s-sexually tempt him or anything
when you two aren’t like that!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Look
here, Miss Yu Yuyu.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Don’t
call me that!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then Miss
Uu Uu-uu.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Those are
moaning sounds!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then Miss
Eeu Eeu-eeu.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Those are
also moaning sounds!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then Miss
Ah Ah-ah.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“You’re
making it more wrong! Stop it!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I think
Miss Yuyu has the wrong idea here.” Making a bitter smile at the angry Yu Yuyu,
Han Ka-ryeon said with a composed voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Don’t
call me Yu Yuyu! ...Oh, my mistake.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Even if
we’re not dating, isn’t it my free will to seduce him?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“W-What
are you talking about?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Actually,
I’m doing this because I’m not dating him…” Han Ka-ryeon said with a curious
smile. “Haven’t you also tried to seduce him last week? With those significant
breasts of yours.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“W-What
are you saying?!” Yu Yuyu covered her chest with a red face. “I-I have never
done such a thing!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Really?
Have you never pressed your body against him, giving him an earnest look?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“N-N-No…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon continued while Yu Yuyu looked away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I need to
coax him because we aren’t in a relationship now. To give him the idea that I’m
a woman. Of course, if everything works out and and we do that, that’s good,
too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“D-Do
that…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Of
course, I shouldn’t do that with a person who can be cool about sleeping
together once, but Sunbae isn’t that kind of person. If he lays his hands on me
once, he’ll go out with me seriously, even if it’s just because of his sense of
responsibility.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I-Is that
your purpose? To make Glasses lay his hands on you, and use that to become his
actual fiancee and marry him eventually…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Oh my,”
said Han Ka-ryeon with a grin on her face, “that is something I wouldn’t
refuse, but that’s too calculating. My heart is pure, you know?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Pure? Did
you just say pure?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Yes, I am
pure,” Han Ka-ryeon said in a soft voice, putting her hands on her chest, “I
really do want to do those things with Sunbae.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
swallowed her breath.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Y-You,
how could you say that….”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I don’t
want to hide it or anything,” Han Ka-ryeon said nonchalantly, while Yu Yuyu’s
face turned bright red.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“For a
girl to say such a thing…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Aren’t
women and men the same? It’s natural to want that with a person you think is
the one.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“N-Natural?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“How about
you? Haven’t you had any thoughts like that about Sunbae?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I… Not
like…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Well, it
doesn’t matter. Keep being platonic with him. I’ll be erotic and all, and I’ll
make him fall for me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“N-No!
I’ll do it too!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
exclaimed without thinking, and Han Ka-ryeon made a mischievous grin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“And how
are you going to carry that out?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Eh?!
W-Well…” Caught short, Yu Yuyu peered down at her own body. “S-So, to make Ahn
Kyeong-hyun aroused…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“You’re
going to do something with your breasts?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“B-Breasts…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
touched her own chest with shaking hands. When her fingers reached, her
sizeable breasts shook slightly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Breasts…?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“N-No! I’m
not going to say anything like this!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon smiled at Yuyu, who came to her senses and was shaking her head left
and right. She must have been pleased that Yu Yuyu was acting as she wanted to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Of course,
amidst all this, they were actually speaking in a quiet voice. The manager, Han
Chae-ryeon, was listening, even though Han Ka-ryeon banished her to the
changing room. If she knew that her little sister was talking about luring boys
or having such desires…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...I
can’t listen to this anymore,” Ahn Yeon-hee, who was keeping silent, began to
speak. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want you girls in heat near my brother.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Oh, don’t
you have any feelings like that towards him?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I don’t,”
Ahn Yeon-hee said coldly. “Are you mad? We might be related by blood - there’s
no way I would want to do that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Hello,
look who’s talking. Right? Don’t you remember what we did last week? Don’t
you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“That was
then, and this is now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">She
answered adamantly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“It is
true that I went a bit out of control because I thought I might lose him to you
two. I caused him a lot of trouble because of that, and I’m reflecting on
myself.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee said collectedly, her hands folded on her lap.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“So I
won’t do anything weird from now on. He must have been really stressed out by
what I did to him last week. From now on, I’ll support him as his little
sister… his obedient little sister.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Her voice
did not carry a single hint of deceit. She was really reflecting and making a
resolution for the future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“What if
Sunbae gets a girlfriend?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“If she
doesn’t suit my brother, I’ll be against it, of course. But if I think she’s an
okay person for him, I’ll give them my blessing.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Y-Yeon-hee,
how about we become friends from now on? I’ll be really good to…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“However.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
tried to strike up a conversation, but Ahn Yeon-hee didn’t even look at her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“If it is
found that my brother and I do not share a drop of blood.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee raised her head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Looking
ahead with clear eyes, she said in an unwavering voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then, it
must be me who is with him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Neither Yu
Yuyu nor Han Ka-ryeon could say anything at that earnest voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">They could
only look at her with a stiff look, their lips shut.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“And to
make this clear,” Ahn Yeon-hee said coldly to the girls who were looking at
her, “I don’t think either of you suit my brother. Whatever your feelings are
towards him, I can’t allow it. Not a relationship or even flirting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But you
don’t have a say in those matters,” Han Ka-ryeon spoke up again. “We’re free to
approach Sunbae if we want. Even though you’re his sister, you have no right to
stop us from doing anything. It’s also Sunbae’s freedom to choose to accept
us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I know.
But,” Ahn Yeon-hee said again in the cold voice, “I won’t allow it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Hearing
this, Han Ka-ryeon let out a sigh, as if she was stressed out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">At that
moment, Yu Yuyu, who was quiet until now, raised her hand and said,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“B-But, if
Yeon-hee came to this meeting, that means you’re thinking about the date,
right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee sighed quietly at this question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...Even if
I can’t accept you two, it’s hard for me to stop you from approaching him. Of
course, if I really pester him, he won’t even look at you, but he won’t feel
comfortable doing that. I don’t want that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee said clearly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But I
have no intention of letting you girls do as you wish. Including the date. If
what you want is to go around with him by yourselves and advance your plans, I
won’t let that happen so easily. So I’ll follow you, if you’re going to go on a
date with him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon, who was listening, rested her chin on her hands and grinned. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Even if
you say that, you actually want to go on a warm date with your brother, right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...Don’t
make me laugh.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee replied indifferently.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But one
could see that her ears were slightly red upon close examination.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Okay,
then…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon nodded as if she had the answer and raised her index finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Let’s
discuss time allocations.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Time
allocations?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Don’t
tell me that you want to go around with all of us together?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon explained to Yu Yuyu, who looked confused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“It’s a
date, after all, so we should spend some time one-to-one. If all four of us
move together, that’s not a date, that’s just playing around.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“T-That’s
true…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“So let’s
divide our time. We should split the date into three.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">She now
raised two more fingers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“When we
spoke last time, Sunbae said that he didn’t want to spend the entire day even
if he did actually go out on the date. So our dates won’t be long,
realistically speaking. So having lunch, going to the movies, having some
coffee… A normal date like that should be fine. I’m thinking about six hours,
from twelve to six.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Yes, that
would mean about two hours per person. We’re going to spend those two hours
merrily with Sunbae, and when the time ends, we’re going to hand him over to
the next person without resistance. Absolutely no messing around when it isn’t
your time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Han
Ka-ryeon continued to explain brightly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“So we’re
going to split Saturday’s time in three and go out on our dates.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">She raised
three fingers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Lunch,
from twelve to two.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The first
person would have lunch with him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“A movie,
from two to four.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The second
person would see a movie with him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“A cafe,
from four to six.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The third
person would have coffee with him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“If we
allocate our time like this, we’ll be able to have Sunbae without each other’s
interruption. It’ll be the perfect date.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“R-Right…”
Yu Yuyu nodded, looking impressed. “B-But, are we going to have lunch for two
hours?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Of
course, you can do whatever you want if you have time left over. The same goes
for any other time slot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Oh, so it
works like that…” Yu Yuyu made a thoughtful expression after listening to Han
Ka-ryeon’s explanation. “Lunch, the movies, and coffee together… Hmm, I really
want to do all three with Glasses, but even if I could do just one…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Wait,”
Ahn Yeon-hee suddenly opened her mouth. “Don’t you remember what I said? I have
no intention of allowing you to be alone with my brother.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But if we
do this, you’ll be able to go out on a date with him, too, just the two of
you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“That’s
pathetic,” Ahn Yeon-hee sighed. “Oppa and I are family. We go out together all
the time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But
that’s just as family, as a little sister, right? If we go out together like
this, on a date, maybe he’ll feel the mood and start thinking about you as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">girl</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“......”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Ahn
Yeon-hee didn’t say anything, but one could tell that she was having some inner
conflicts by looking at her tightly closed fists.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Well
then, let’s divide the time as we just discussed. How about we pick who does
what by rock-paper-scissors, or drawing straws?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...I
haven’t agreed yet.” Ahn Yeon-hee shot sharply, but Han Ka-ryeon wasn’t
listening. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Wait,” Yu
Yuyu raised her hand high, “when the last person’s date ends… What happens at
six o’clock? Do we just end it there?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“About
that…” Han Ka-ryeon thought for a moment before replying. “Let’s leave that for
Sunbae to decide.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Glasses’
decision…?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“If Sunbae
says that he wants to go home and study, we should end it there. But if he
wants something more… That’s the bonus stage. We’ll have to see to know for
sure.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“T-Then we
should make him happy on our dates, right? So Glasses would want to keep
going!” Yu Yuyu said with an excited look. “R-Right. I’ll search on the
internet after I go home… Making boys happy on dates…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“A
question,” Ahn Yeon-hee spoke up. “If you’re assigned the last time slot… What
are you going to do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I’ll lure
him into having dinner with me and I’ll take him somewhere we can rest</span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui symbol" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">♡</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">” Han Ka-ryeon replied with a light
smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Somewhere
you can rest?! Where are you going, and what are you going to do there?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“...Yes,”
Ahn Yeon-hee’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve decided. I’ll have the last slot. I’ll have
coffee with him, and I’ll head home as soon as the clock strikes six.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
flinched at her fierce look, but Han Ka-ryeon smiled, looking unfazed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“And
you’ll say, ‘Oppa, I think I sweated too much today. How about we have shower
together…?’ or something like that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Don’t
treat me like a brocon pervert. Family showering together, how could you say
such a…” Ahn Yeon-hee suddenly stopped talking and looked lost in thought.
“...Yes, we took a bath together, so a shower isn’t really out of the
question.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“H-Hey?
What did you just say? What did you say?” Yu Yuyu tried desperately to make her
talk, but Ahn Yeon-hee simply nodded with her eyes closed. “Y-You guys are
weird! Why does it have to go straight to that after a date!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then what
will Miss Yuyu do, if you can keep having Sunbae after six?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Me?
W-Well, that is…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
looked down. Her expression started to show embarrassment, and she rubbed the
table with her finger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“O-Of
course, we’ll have dinner, since it’s that time of the day. I’ll have to decide
based on what we had for lunch, but I’d like a restaurant with a good
atmosphere…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“What
about after dinner?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I think
I’ll be fine with just walking around… Looking at stuff, talking…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Maybe
you’ll do some eye-shopping at an accessory stand.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Yes, if
I’m looking at something I like, Glasses would say, ‘I am buying this for you
since we’re on a date.’ Hehe…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“And
you’ll miss the last bus while doing that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Yeah, and
when Glasses makes a troubled face, I’ll lean slightly on him and look up,
saying, ‘I… don’t want to go home today.’ And I’ll, with Glasses, hehehe…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
was blabbering happily, but when she saw Han Ka-ryeon and Ahn Yeon-hee’s faces,
she realized what she was saying and stopped moving.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“N-No!
This is just talk, a delusion. No, wishful thinking, no, that’s…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“It’s
okay, we understand. The desire that fills you heart, we know…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“It ends
with lust… Whatever you do, it always ends with lust, you perverted woman.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“P-Perverted?!
N-No! I’m not perverted!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Well,
let’s see. If we say that a normal highschool girl is 10 on the perversion
scale and a normal highschool boy is 20, Miss Yu Yuyu would score about 40…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Level
40?! Four times a normal girl, and twice a normal boy?! That’s not true! What’s
this based on!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I can
tell just by looking. Miss Yuyu is the type to sit at school and study, with an
‘I don’t care about those kind of things’ expression, but actually has all
kinds of perverted thoughts all day…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“N, No,
I’m not… Perverted delusions, I don’t have those that often…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“How
pathetic.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu
with the crying face, Han Ka-ryeon on the teasing side, and Ahn Yeon-hee who is
sighing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It looked
as if they were friends playing around. If someone who didn’t know looked, it
would seem as if they were close friends teasing each other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Then,
let’s decide with rock-paper-scissors. Who will have lunch, see a movie, and
have coffee, the winner decides first.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Okay. For
your reference, I’ll go with scissors.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“M-Messing
with my mind?! W-What should I do…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But among
the three, a sense of rivalry that did not allow any of them to stand down
existed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Yu Yuyu,
Han Ka-ryeon, and Ahn Yeon-hee, none of them ever yielded to any of the other
two. They negotiated, since if things favored one person too much, the other
two would strongly resist, but each one of them took what they wanted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The war
was continuing. It seemed peaceful on the surface, but a cold war persisted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">A cup of
coffee was in front of each person, as if to prove that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Coffee
that was cold and never even touched.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Of course,
none of them could even imagine that a new, formidable aggressor would soon
enter this silent war.</span></div>
Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-66343425395886783202016-11-18T09:00:00.001-08:002017-01-18T11:53:38.878-08:00[Four Lovers v02] 1. Monday<span style="font-size: small;"><i>And we are back to your regular Korean drama series...</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Kudos and many thanks to Really Not and LHI for their hard work on this chapter!</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Translator: Really Not</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Editor: LHI</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please enjoy~</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-48333cb2-123b-44d9-3f1d-7a560386daf3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-48333cb2-123b-44d9-3f1d-7a560386daf3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-d209c5ee-7804-e0dc-34df-e945251b03d3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lunchtime, at the Audiovisual Reference Prep Room.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was studying as usual when Yuyu spoke from across the table.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“G-Glasses.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At this careful call, I stopped my pencil and looked at her face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was looking my way, blushing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I think… I have a…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Have a?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Well, that…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was looking at her with an odd expression, she lowered her eyes and made an embarrassed face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I think I have a baby…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For a moment, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wha-What?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I jumped up from my chair at this unexpected announcement.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-What are you talking about!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I was surprised, too. I am a little happy, too, though.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait! Wait, how could I be…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yu Yuyu peeked up at me and said with a red face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s like a dream, me becoming mom and Glasses becoming dad…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I’m the father?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then that means…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-Aren’t you going to take responsibility? You’re horrible…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“D-Don’t cry! That is, I don’t remember anything like…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was struggling to calm a tearful Yuyu, the metal door of the Preparation Room opened with a loud bang.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I heard all about it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl who walked in, her long hair in the wind… was Ka-ryeon, in her waitress uniform.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Han Ka-ryeon?! How did you get in here?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her clothing aside, I was more surprised that Ka-ryeon, who went to another school, was here.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But instead of answering my question, Ka-ryeon approached me in light steps.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stopping right in front of me, she tilted her head slightly and said,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, would you prefer a boy or a girl?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Eh?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon put her hand on her belly and smiled.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In here is the… fruit of our love.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What the hell are you girls talking about?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Startled, I took a few steps back.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That can’t be! What is going on here! Not just one, but two…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oppa.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, I heard a familiar voice.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Peeking out from behind Ka-ryeon, Yeon-hee was looking this way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-Yeon-hee, don’t tell me you…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked at Yeon-hee with trembling hands, and she bent her expressionless lips into a small smile.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Looks like you have another member of your family, Oppa.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“AAAARRRRRGHHH!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I crouched on the floor. Yeon-hee, as if trying to comfort me, said in a tender voice,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t worry, Oppa. It would be trouble if we were really blood-related, but we aren’t”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah, that’s a relief… Wait, no!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Almost accepting that for a second, I jumped up and shouted,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t lie, you girls!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I cried at the blinking three people in front of me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We were never in a relationship! And we obviously never did anything that would result in kids!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I recently lost three months of my memory in a traffic accident.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The three girls in front of me now are the people who claim to be my girlfriend… That is, Yu Yuyu, a classmate, Han Ka-ryeon, my junior coworker, and Ahn Yeon-hee, my little sister. They claimed that they used to be in a rather serious relationship with me, and tried feverishly to prove it as well.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But none of it was true. It was a lie that the three desperately made up in order to not lose me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After the truth was revealed and the matters sorted, we made up and agreed to stay as friends in the future.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Which means, this nonsense here shouldn’t be happening!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Glasses, aren’t you being too mean?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, Yuyu looked shocked at my words and started tearing up.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s horrible. How could you be like this…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu started sobbing, and Ka-ryeon gave me a reprehensive look while putting an arm around Yuyu’s shoulders.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, you should take responsibility if you are a man.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, I mean, I didn’t do anything to take responsibility for…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“There was incriminating evidence in your desk drawer. Don’t try to back out of this.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon took out the square box that was in my drawer. When did she get that?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That doesn’t necessarily mean I used them… No, if I did use them, there wouldn't be anything like this?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, you’re a model student and you don’t know this? They don’t work perfectly all of the time.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Next to Ka-ryeon, Yeon-hee mumbled expressionlessly,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“My belly is already bulging out…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Nonono, that doesn’t happen that fast! Are you sure you don’t have a disease, not a baby?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, it kicked… Fufu.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-Yeon-hee, making a mother’s face like that! …...N-No, don’t talk rubbish! That happens way after three months!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu, who was wiping her tears, then said with a stern expression,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-It’s okay. Even if Glasses decides not to be dad, I’ll take care of the baby by myself…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“O-Okay. So what I mean is…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s okay, Ms. Yu Yuyu. Although Sunbae is like that, he fulfills his responsibilities.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t call me Yu Yuyu!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That gets you worked up now?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, this leaves me with no choice. I accept your relationships with Oppa. But the real wife is me.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What is this all of a sudden!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I shouted to Yeon-hee, who was standing with her arms arrogantly crossed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then, Sunbae… You’re prepared to support us three, plus the three babies we now have?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You will need to quit school and get a job. I’ll ask my sister to see if she can get you any good jobs.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Nonono!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was starting to go mad.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Glasses, too bad you can’t study anymore… Cheer up.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oppa, I’ll study hard and do your share as well.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, you’ve studied enough, now you should work.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait! This can’t be happening!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I jumped up and down, looking at the three girls’ smiling faces.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This can’t be. How could this be happening to me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I, I…!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is something I must do…!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I have to study…!!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“AAAARRRRRGHHH!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I jumped up from under my blanket.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Haah, haah… S-Studying…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Looking around, panting, I saw my familiar room. It wasn’t the Audiovisual Reference Prep Room, and I didn’t see any of the three girls demanding that I take responsibility.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Was it a dream?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was soaked with my own sweat.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That was a bad one. Not being able to study…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, becoming a dad all of a sudden was pretty shocking as well.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not one, but three? That’s pretty hard.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Was it because I studied biology before going to bed last night…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is all because of that FSH and LH and estrogen and progesterone crap. Why do hormones have to have such difficult names?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...At least I memorized them well.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Feeling the fruits of last night’s studying coming back, I stretched inside my bed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mmm, having what I studied stored well inside my head does feel satisfying.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah, doing it with three girls at the same time, no way something like that could happen in real life…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I came down from my bed, muttering.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I left my room and went to the bathroom to wash my face…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ughh…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There, Yeon-hee was going to be sick...!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-Yeon-hee…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was in a thin t-shirt and shorts, not yet changed into her school uniform. She was bending over the sink, her expression pained.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeon-hee having morning sickness, was it for real?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......Oppa, are you out of your mind?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ahh, my little sister’s cold eyes. It brought my senses back like a bucket of ice water over my head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Get ready for school. It’s Monday, you know.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Snapping at me, Yeon-hee rinsed her mouth and left the bathroom.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apparently, she wasn’t having morning sickness, she just choked while brushing her teeth. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wow, that scared me…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After having breakfast, I opened the front door and saw a familiar uniform in front of me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“H-Hey! Good morning!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Uh, hi.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hearing my lukewarm response, Yeon-hee peeked out from inside the house.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You, why are you here?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-Am I not supposed to be here?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Standing in front of the door was a girl in our school uniform… Yu Yuyu.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course not. Begone, stalker.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I’m not a stalker!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What are you if not a stalker, hanging around someone else’s house like this. Never come near here again if you don’t want to be reported to the police. In fact, I’d like you to leave this neighborhood completely.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I live around here too! Are you going to make me move?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu sulked at Yeon-hee’s unforgiving attacks.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uhhh… Say something, Glasses!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Actually, I’m a bit surprised, too, that you’re here.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She doesn’t have to pretend to be my girlfriend anymore, and I thought going to school with her every morning was over.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“B-But….”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu said hesitantly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m a bit, worried…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Worried about what?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You coming to school, you know…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...I’m not a child, going to school isn’t that hard.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Having said that, I did know what Yuyu was worried about.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s go, we shouldn’t be late. ...Yeon-hee, I’ll be off.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Walk at least 10 metres away from Kyeong-hyeon.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ignoring me, Yeon-hee scowled at Yuyu and slammed the door shut.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...The girlfriend stuff is over, so why is she so hostile?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What’s that?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As we were waiting for the elevator, Yuyu asked after seeing me take a small notebook out of my pocket.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s a word list I made.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I look at a few words while I’m on the elevator, and I repeat them over and over in my head as I walk to school.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you serious?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu looked at me, startled.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you studying while walking to school?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is pretty useful. It keeps me from getting bored, too.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t do this last week because I wasn’t used to walking to school together with a girl, but I think it’s okay now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-wait, you’re going to study alone while walking to school together with me?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you want to use it?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-No, that’s not what I mean…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu drooped her shoulders and made a gloomy expression.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-If we’re walking together, shouldn’t we talk or something? I can’t talk with a person who’s memorizing words inside his head…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was lost in thought for a second.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s true.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I put the notebook inside my bag. Come to think of it, Yuyu might be offended if she felt neglected.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“G-Glasses gave up studying for me…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We took the elevator, Yuyu looking moved for some reason.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We reached the first floor without exchanging a word.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, what are we going to talk about?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu looked surprised at my question.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You said we should talk. What should we talk about?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t walk to and from school with friends that often, so I didn’t have a feel for what the topic should be in situations like this.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, Yuyu and I talked a lot last week, but that was about being in a relationship and such.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What should we… Yeah, so…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu looked rather tense. She seemed to be thinking of interesting topics to discuss.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You don’t have to force it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No! S-So, umm…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Let’s talk about the future.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-The future!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu shouted when I cut her off in advance so she wouldn’t think of anything weird.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“G-Glasses, would you like a boy or a girl?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The image of Yuyu shyly confessing that she had a baby flashed through my mind.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...This can’t be a continuation of that dream, right?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Why are you asking something like that?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-As reference…?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Reference for what!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu covered her face and shook her head left and right at my loud voice.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That’s… Uhh, Glasses, how can I talk about something like that here… You’re cruel.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s cruel is your conversation abilities…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I can’t figure out what she’s talking about. Is it normal for high schoolers to talk about their future children when walking to school in the morning…?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then which would you like?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Me?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu blushed bright red at the question and glimpsed at my face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Well… Then of course… A s-son?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Okay, please do have a healthy boy.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I blurted out, trying to end the conversation. I felt somehow that we should stop talking about this subject.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait, Glasses, I think that’s a perverted thing to say…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Which part?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I can’t understand women…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Exchanging such conversations, we arrived at the intersection in front of our school. There were a lot of people wearing our school uniform, and Yuyu, who was walking right beside me, put a little distance between us. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uh, Glasses.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We were waiting at the pedestrian crossing when Yuyu, who was standing behind me, asked me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Is is okay?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What is?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“There was that thing on Friday. Is it okay, going to school?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I kept my mouth shut and stared at the red light.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This morning, Yuyu came all the way to my house. It was probably because something was on her mind.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last week, there was the National Achievement Test. However, I ran out of class, breaking the rules. Then I made a ruckus to save the three girls who were held captive by my homeroom teacher - Mr. Kim, that is.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What that event would do to my school life, and what that would cause for my state of mind… Yuyu came early because she had those things on her mind.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It would be a suspension at most. It’s okay.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After that day, I waited at home for a possible phone call from school… But there was nothing, it seemed that even teachers took weekends off.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Sorry.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You have nothing to apologize about.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I always cause trouble for Glasses…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s okay, really.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Mm.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu mumbled in a small voice.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Nothing changes if I’m sorry, so I guess it’s just for my own satisfaction?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m saying, it’s okay…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I did what I did because I wanted to. I honestly didn’t want her to feel sorry or anything.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But, what are we going to do at school…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...That is a problem.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I frowned at Yuyu’s worried voice.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That day, I shouted in front of many students that I’m a philanderer who toyed with women. And Yuyu was one of my victims.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When we go to class today, people will give me a different look than before. An unfriendly look - not the one that they gave to the “quiet studying maniac.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On top of that, last Thursday, Yuyu went around telling people that she was in a relationship with me. Our classmates welcomed the news, but when they hear that it was actually me playing with her…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It must be troubling for you, too. ...I’m sorry.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In cases such as this, people come down hard not only on the perpetrator, but the victims as well. Even if she did nothing wrong, the looks people are going to give Yuyu will certainly not make her feel comfortable.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I’m okay. I just have to read the books as always and then go home… I don’t have friends, anyway.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, aside from Sega, neither do I…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shin Sega.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had a heavy heart as I thought of my fine friend. Last Friday, he was watching me do that stuff.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is likely that my behavior would be quite disappointing to him since he had a diligent and serious attitude towards dating.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Growing distant from Sega would be rather regrettable, even for me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What should we do at lunchtime? We can’t use the Prep Room.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Honestly, I wanted to have lunch and study at the Audiovisual Reference Prep Room like before, but since I was caught there Friday by the homeroom teacher, we won’t be using that place anymore.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If we disappear from class, just the two of us, our classmates will have suspicions… It’s a bother.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-Then should I stay in class? You can leave by yourself… Oh, if you want to stay, either way is fine.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If we both stay in the classroom, it will be uncomfortable in more ways than one. Having lunch together there is out of the question.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Let’s just see what happens. It will work out.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even if things turn for the worse, it’ll just mean that there will be two more outsiders in class. Yuyu and I were both like that from the start, though. It won’t make much of a difference.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mocking myself like that, Yuyu and I crossed the road, walking some distance apart.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I left Yuyu, who said she would go in a bit later, and entered the classroom, I felt a variety of looks coming at me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before, no one cared whether I came and went or not. I was certainly the center of attention now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Some frowned openly, and others glanced my way, pretending to do something else. They were not friendly looks. Regardless of whether they were boys or girls.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In their eyes, I was actually a philanderer who tricked and toyed with girls while pretending to be studying quietly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Sigh.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I strided into class as if I had nothing to hide. I put my bag on the desk, maintaining my confident attitude.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is no need to appear intimidated. Philanderer or not, I just have to sit at my seat and study.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thinking that, I was about to take my seat.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoa?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The warm feeling, no, pressure, on my butt.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Feeling something touch me through the gap in the back of my chair, I jumped up.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?!?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where the hell did he come from? Sega, who wasn’t at his seat just a moment ago, was leaning over his desk and rubbing my butt.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A good butt today as well, thank you.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega, saying that perverted line with his handsome, smiling face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This manliest of men, perfect in every conceivable way, touched my butt.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was a bit moved by that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Sega…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was about to cry. Not necessarily, of course, because of the fact that he touched my butt.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega heard everything last Friday, but his attitude towards me hasn’t changed a bit.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He still looks at me as before and makes the same jokes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If this doesn’t move my heart, what should?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-Touch all you want! I can trust you with my butt!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then I won’t refuse.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rub-rub.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I saw many of those who were giving me those looks hurriedly turn away. Among those, a few girls seemed to be concentrating even harder at what was happening here, but that didn’t matter to me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What are you guys doing…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When she saw us, Yuyu became pale and came to a dead stop as she was entering the classroom, but that didn’t really matter either.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was enjoying my friendship like that, it soon became homeroom time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Okay, quiet down.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But the person who came in wasn’t the homeroom teacher… Mr. Kim.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A white blouse, a black skirt, and slender legs. Still in her twenties, monopolizing the popularity of the male students… It was Ms. Park Eun-Kyung, the social studies teacher and also our vice-homeroom teacher.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mr. Kim can’t come today because of personal matters. I’ll be doing both the morning and afternoon homeroom times today.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The class became noisy at Ms. Park’s ringing voice. It must have been pretty shocking that Mr. Kim, who was like a teaching machine, was taking a day off.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, I couldn’t keep my composure either. While I was a bit worried about having to see Mr. Kim face-to-face, I was more confused than relieved.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Disregarding the hum, Ms. Park started to call attendance. She wasn’t the type to give a warning when students were chatting or not paying attention, but she had a curious ability to quieten things down just by speaking aloud.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Okay, homeroom time is over. And, Ahn Kyung-hyun.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After making all the announcements and such, Ms. Park stopped and looked in my direction while stepping out of the classroom.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“See me in the Counseling Room. Class president, please tell the first period teacher that I borrowed him.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Okay, Ma’am.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega’s voice coming from behind my back, and the eyes of my classmates focusing on me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I silently stood up.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I saw Yuyu worriedly looking my way, but I’ll only give others something to gossip about if I stay too close to her in class. I stepped out, not giving Yuyu a look.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I stepped inside the Student Counseling Room, the supposedly soothing pastel tone interior greeted me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sit there.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I sat on the sofa, Ms. Park opened a cupboard and started making coffee.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Two cups in her hands, she put one down in front of me. Not sure whether I was supposed to drink it, I sat still, but Ms. Park sipped hers silently.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Um.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unable to bear the silence, I broke the ice first.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mr. Kim, did something happen to him?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What, you’re worried about Mr. Kim?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park replied to my question without changing her expression.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why, do you think he’ll be sick in bed because of what you did?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Perhaps Ms. Kim saw me cringe, because she laughed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t worry. Actually, Mr. Kim’s mother is getting discharged from hospital today. He was supposed to have today off anyway.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Is that so.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s been some time since Mr. Kim’s mother fell ill with a stroke. I thought she was okay now, but did something else come up?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, I suppose he might have spent the weekend in bed since his favorite Ahn Kyeong-hyun became a real delinquent.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Okay.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok. As a friend of my father, he became the legal guardian of Yeon-hee and me after father passed away.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We weren’t especially close and we both kept our distance, but he still helped us out.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But I let Mr. Kim down. It was to protect the three girls, but I went against him and showed him the appearance of a delinquent with relationship problems.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I know I should formally apologize later and repay my debt, but I can’t fathom when that would be.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then again, I’m not sure you’re a real delinquent, after all.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park’s voice startled me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t make fun of your teachers, you.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park said, furrowing her brows.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you were really out of your mind like that, you wouldn’t become all serious about what I just said.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Oh.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I unconsciously covered my mouth.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I tried to show a good-for-nothing, rebellious attitude last Friday, but I completely forgot about it just now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Us teachers were a bit troubled, too. We all knew what kind of student you are. But you did cause that ruckus, and we were confused.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park said, shrugging her shoulders.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So they just dumped everything on me since I am the youngest. I’d know your feelings the best since we’re close in age, that sort of thing.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I realized that my treatment was left in the hands of the person sitting in front of me, Ms. Park.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You had your reasons, right?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But, you aren’t going to tell me?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...I’m sorry.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I don’t want to explain things and justify myself. I’m also not sure if I can explain the complicated situation so Ms. Park can understand.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“All right…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park sighed and leaned back on the sofa. She didn’t seem to be angry, though.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Honestly speaking, I don’t want to interrogate you. As a woman, I am interested in the love affairs of others, but what good would it do me to listen to you kids talk…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m not sure what the difference is, but I guess Ms. Park isn’t interested in high school students’ relationships.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll make something up, so you just wait.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-Is that okay?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s harder to listen to your story and make it so that the other teachers can understand.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I agree with that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But, um…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What about, any disciplinary action?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At my question, Ms. Park crossed her arms and made a thoughtful expression.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you think about it, you didn’t really do anything that wrong. Leaving class early, roaming around the school, and letting non-students into the building… There is also the affair with the girls, but suspicions are just that, suspicions.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park suddenly leaned forward.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She put her face into mine and asked in a serious tone,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you get them pregnant or something?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The three girls from last night crossed my mind. Desperately trying to chase the memory of them, charging at me and demanding that I take responsibility, out of my mind, I said,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I did not!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If something like that happened, it’d be difficult to just let you off the hook, but if not… It’s nothing, really. Definitely not something to give a suspension over.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That was a bit surprising.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No suspension? I caused such a fuss…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If anything, I wanted to be punished for the trouble I’ve caused Mr. Kim.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Even if we give you a suspension, you’ll just study at home. Hardly any punishment at all.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t have anything to say.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We won’t give you a suspension for something like this. Just a long talk would do fine. But still, you did make a big commotion… Be prepared for some community service work.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Community service… I wouldn’t be able to study while doing that, so it would definitely be punishment for me, but still, I thought it was too light.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So model students really are different? You didn’t have alcohol, smoke, or get into a fight, but you were that worried about punishment?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s not like I was worried…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The world’s more lenient than you think, you know? Even when you think you are crossing the line, people will accept it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Park sounded both playful and grown-up at the same time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Would Mr. Kim accept it, too?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It might take time. He has his stubborn sides.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I nodded, and Ms. Kim smiled and waved her hands in front of her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, then, get to class now. I shouldn’t keep a student from his classes, especially in your case.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Thank you.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After showing her my gratitude, I left the Counseling Room.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt strange, like my face was tickling.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After returning to class, first period ended and the first recess arrived.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Recess is always noisy with the sound of students chatting. However, I was sitting still at my desk, and no one was paying any attention to me. People gave me curious looks when I returned in the middle of first period, but if I just sit still, their interest fades quickly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So I stayed at my seat and opened a book. If I just study at my desk like usual, no one will care about me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I glimpsed at Yuyu, who was also studying with a notebook open in front of her. Perhaps we were thinking the same thing. That’s good. If Yuyu comes over and talks to me, gossip will spring up from everywhere. It would be like trying to make small talk with the guy who played around with her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thinking that, I turned my attention to the book when a voice sounded from above my head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I looked up in the direction of the cold voice, I saw braids hanging in the air.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a neat looking girl, her soft hair braided over her shoulder. She appeared to be a bit angry, but since she looked younger than her age, it wasn’t really intimidating.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was small and had little in the way of feminine curves, but the disciplined movement of her slender limbs gave her presence. Her skirt was a bit longer than that of her classmates, and overall, she seemed to be without fault.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew her name. She was Chae Song-hwa, our vice-class president.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3fh63OXGtvaNzoVKC9DFh1tlhl9tC03QhTQp6lse2Xmv1d3YnYH9UVaSyMOUqTg_2MDRHV-A2EbXhlOqABh5g9YidYDlNu9sAqJrNPj7i8_APx8-3_y5TulibwmrG0v6I9bpnbXtfMo/s1600/Four_Lovers_v02_0021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3fh63OXGtvaNzoVKC9DFh1tlhl9tC03QhTQp6lse2Xmv1d3YnYH9UVaSyMOUqTg_2MDRHV-A2EbXhlOqABh5g9YidYDlNu9sAqJrNPj7i8_APx8-3_y5TulibwmrG0v6I9bpnbXtfMo/s640/Four_Lovers_v02_0021.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I replied, a bit tense, and the vice president frowned.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then I saw the others looking this way behind her. I just wanted to study, not draw attention - what is this…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s talk just a bit.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Talk?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I blinked at the vice president’s stiff voice.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wasn’t friends with the vice president. I wasn’t friends with girls in general, really. We might have spoken before since she is, after all, the vice president, but we didn’t have private conversations before.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Wait.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I realized a certain possibility all of a sudden.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t have any memories of being friends with vice president Chae Song-hwa. But what if I had forgotten it?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What if, during the three months that vanished from my memory, I had built up some kind of relationship with the vice president?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“V-Vice president…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked at the vice president’s face, feeling tense. But it was impossible to deduce from her frowning face whether we did have some kind of relationship or not.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, I…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I jumped up from my seat and grabbed the vice president’s wrist.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I saw her make a surprised expression. But there wasn’t any other choice. There were too many onlookers here to talk.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s talk somewhere else!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, Ahn Kyeong-hyun! What the…!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I dragged the resisting vice president into the hallway. Being approached by the vice president, then grabbing her wrist and hauling her out of the classroom… I realized my classmates were staring at me, their eyes wide, but it was too late.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What the heck are you doing!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president yelled at me when I stopped at an out-of-the-way spot where I spoke with Yuyu before.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Sorry.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was a bit rough with her, I admit. I lowered my head, feeling sorry, but the vice president still looked unsatisfied.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, she always looked a bit unsatisfied.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What, why are you looking at me like that?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Feeling my stare, she took a step back.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, uh… What is it that you wanted to talk about?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This time, the vice president looked at me with her mouth shut.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I started to become uneasy at her silence. If there really was something between us, I wanted to reveal my amnesia and hear from her what our relationship was like.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But the calamitous events of last week flashed through my head. After realizing that I had lost my memory, the three girls started claiming to be my girlfriend. That gave me a lot of trouble… Wait, this time, too…?!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t you even have an idea of what I’m going to say?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“D-Don’t tell me you’re going to say you’re my girlfriend, too?!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president’s eyes grew wide. I covered my mouth, realizing that I had said something stupid, but I couldn’t take it back now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What are you talking about! Who’s your girlfriend!!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president yelled, her face red. Yuyu also had a thing for blushing, but the vice president was up there, too. She was so red that she looked like a scarlet flower, just like her name. [TL note: Chaesonghwa literally means ross moss (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Portulaca grandiflora</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">).]</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-W-Were you looking at me with those eyes, too?!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-Those eyes?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“D-Don’t tell me you brought me here because…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president made a frightened expression, looking around her surroundings.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-You’re going to do perverted things to me, too! You pervert!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“P-Pervert?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president’s eyes, which were looking at me with a burning stare before, were now trembling like those of a frightened herbivore. She was raising her guard against me, her body shrinking.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-If you touch me, be prepared to face the consequences!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What are you going to do?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll bite my tongue off and die. Then you’ll be charged for murder!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...No, I don’t think that counts as murder.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t worry, you won’t be doing anything like that.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you saying you’ll stuff my mouth and stop me from biting my tongue?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m really disappointed in you, Ahn Kyeong-hyun! I didn’t know you were like this!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president screamed in a reprehensive tone.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I thought you were different from the other boys, but you were this perverted…!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Different from the other boys?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I asked, and the vice president looked as if she was caught off guard.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She turned her eyes away and mumbled sulkily,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You know I don’t like boys, right?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, yeah…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even sitting still at my seat, I can hear the things that people talk about in class. I heard it from Sega once as well, and apparently, the vice president hates men.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s not so bad as to affect her social life, but arrhenphobia was enough to seriously hurt men who approached her with stinging words. That was one of the few personal things I knew about vice president Chae Song-hwa.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But… Ahn Kyeong-hyun, I thought you were a bit better than the others.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I opened my eyes wide, and the vice president continued, her face blushing a little.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You study hard every day, and you don’t chat or slack off in the middle of class… Most of all, you don’t chase after girls like the other guys. So I had a good opinion of you.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That means…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A thought popped up inside my head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">M-Maybe the vice president…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“D-Did you like me?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No! What are you talking about! Why does it come to that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Oh, yeah. Of course.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who would like a boring guy like me? I shouldn’t make assumptions like this from now on.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t get the wrong idea! Because you’re different from the other boys! I thought you wouldn’t be a threat! Cause any trouble or things like that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yeah… Okay.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But, but…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president shook all over, clenching her fists.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why did you do that? Why did you have such messy relationships?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She proceeded to yell at me, showing anger on her face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Missing the Achievement Test, letting students from other schools in, doing perverted things inside the school with all of them… Why are you doing this!!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...What? Isn’t something wrong here?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The story I fabricated last Friday was that the girls I meddled with gathered round and had a skirmish over me… Something like that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait, I think there’s a misunderstanding…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t make excuses! I saw you too, last Friday! You guys doing perverted stuff in the school and getting caught by our homeroom teacher!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m telling you, it’s not like that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">D-Don’t tell me that’s what my classmates think what happened.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is definitely more exciting and interesting if you put it that way…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I couldn’t understand what was going on when I saw it then! But I figured it out after thinking about it over the weekend! You were definitely caught because you did those things!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s just your imagination!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I think it was just her delusion.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No! It’s true that you had an indecent relationship with three girls! Did you not! Three girls! Indecent relationship!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That was…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was hard to deny it when she put it in such a direct fashion. I did, in fact, end up doing things with three girls, and it was a pretty indecent relationship.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I didn’t.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“See?! You’re stuttering! You pervert! Pervert! Pervert glasses!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stubborn vice president, accusing me relentlessly. I wasn’t sure how to deal with this. There didn’t seem to be a very good way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Haaa…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I let out a long sigh, feeling tired.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...So, what is it that you want to say.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve heard enough about what the vice president thinks of me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her purpose wouldn’t be to just condemn me, so I’d like her to say what she wants now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, I’ve decided!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll keep watch over you so you don’t get your hands on any other girls, and I’ll educate you so you regain a healthy state of mind! You’ll become a new person!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Are you for real?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president nodded in a serious expression.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I can’t overlook a classmate heading down the wrong path. The class president is too close with you, so it’s up to me, the vice president.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I don’t know why a mere class vice president has such a large sense of responsibility.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You know, vice president.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Feeling weary, I groaned,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This doesn’t concern you.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maybe I was being too cold to her, but you can’t be ambiguous on matters such as these.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president was probably acting on her sense of morals and good will, but honestly, it’s just unnecessary and annoying interference for me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For instance, there was a kid back in middle school who used to tell me to get along with my classmates, not just study all day. Of course, his logic made sense, but I didn’t like his attitude of trying to force others to be like his version of what’s right.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When you get involved in something with such a person, you have to be clear cut from the beginning - it’s better for both sides.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t interfere. I’ll take care of my own business.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I told her as resolutely as possible, but the vice president started to slowly lower her gaze.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I became a bit uneasy at this unexpected response. Did I make her cry or anything…? Was I too cold to her…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It doesn’t matter…?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was feeling alarmed, she moved her lips slightly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course it matters!!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She cried, raising her head suddenly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, you’re in the same class as me, right? Then does it not matter?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-No, I mean, we’re just in the same class…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What if you keep walking the path of the Pervert Glasses and other girls in the class get harmed? Even when it comes to that, do I have to not do anything because it doesn’t concern me?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, I’m not going to do anything like that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t joke with me!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Like I said, I’m not doing that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Liar! You laid your hands on Yuyu!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I gulped when I heard those words.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president’s look towards me didn’t hold just stubborn self-righteousness.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Last Friday, Yu Yuyu looked like she was really suffering. She was in pain, she was hurt! You are responsible for making her like that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, the events of that day were totally different from what the vice president thought happened. Still, I couldn’t deny that I had some responsibility for Yuyu getting hurt.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not really that close with Yu Yuyu, but I was thinking I should become closer friends with her because we’re in the same class. Seeing someone like her getting hurt, it does concern me!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president roared, looking at me with fire in her eyes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I can’t condone something like this happening again in my class! I’m going to make you a new man. Of course, I’ll see that you apologize sincerely to Yu Yuyu and reflect on yourself…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just then, as the vice president was pointing fingers at me and raising her voice, she stopped as if someone had hit the stop button.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was looking at her with a dumbfounded expression when she put her hand into the pocket of her skirt and retrieved her cell phone.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...30 seconds before the start of second period.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, we should get going now.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I breathed a sigh of relief, actually having wished for recess to end soon.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s continue this after second period ends.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Come on! What if we’re late for class!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president grabbed my wrist and started running. She just told me she wouldn’t let me touch a hair on her body, but is it okay if she touches me?!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We arrived just as the bell signalling the start of second period was ringing. Feeling the stinging looks from all around as soon as we set foot inside the door, I gulped.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sit down! Class is starting!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pushing me, the vice president strided to her seat and plopped down. No one dared talk to her, who had her arms crossed with a determined expression.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After second period ended in that state, the vice president suddenly stood up and approached me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, let’s go!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Feeling everyone’s stares again, I resisted.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I just want to sit here and study!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re the one who took me to that out of the way spot! We should finish what we started.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We already did enough! Stop, will you?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I haven’t had enough. Is it over after you’ve satisfied yourself?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m tired…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Man up and put your back into it!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*Bustle, bustle…*</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The classroom was quite noisy, for some reason. More so than this morning or just a few minutes ago. W-What?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was just standing there, confused at the strange atmosphere, when the vice president dragged me out, even resorting to kicking my waist.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After taking me to the spot from before, she resumed her nitpicking. She droned on about what kind of life is sound and healthy and human, and I couldn’t help but listen to her with a tired feeling.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We’re out of time. Let’s continue this after third period.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Again?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Returning to class once more, the looks my classmates were giving me were on another level from before. I sat down at my seat. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And it was recess once again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, let’s go and continue what we were doing!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just as the vice president, who seemed to me like the devil now, was coming over to my seat.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“H-Hold on!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A girl blocked her path all of a sudden.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Yuyu?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl who spread her arms and tried to stop the vice president with a desperate expression was none other than Yuyu.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s going on?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president looked at Yuyu, perplexed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What are you doing!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Doing what…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-Taking Glasses outside during breaks… Doing that in obscure spots…!!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The whole class stirred in an odd way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu, no, everyone was reacting strangely. What was happening?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uh, Yuyu.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wanted to avoid talking to Yuyu in class if possible, but there was no other choice. I tried to walk over to her, but the vice president turned her eyes on me wildly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun. I thought I told you not to approach this girl?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At that voice, I flinched and stopped. The vice president emphasized over and over that I, as the perpetrator, shouldn’t go near Yuyu, the victim.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After blocking my intervention, she turned her attention to Yuyu.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I didn’t really do something that serious.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-It must be something you don’t do every day!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That is true. It isn’t a very ordinary thing to do.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I knew it…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I thought I should do something, having found out Ahn Kyeong-hyun is a guy who goes around seducing innocent girls.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So did you want to test Glasses? I didn’t know Chae Song-hwa was that kind of girl…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Test? Well, I guess you could call it a test. The results were as expected.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Interpreting my actions the way she wanted to, she came to the conclusion that I am indeed a philanderer.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-So you did it?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, I did it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She did the pestering.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-To think that Chae Song-hwa was such a carnivore… Uuu, I thought I wouldn’t have any rivals inside the school… Getting him stolen so suddenly…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Carnivore? Rival? Stolen? What’s she talking about?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“On top of that, doing it at school, I can’t believe it!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then where should we do it?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Well… Anyhow, somewhere no one else is around!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s true. That’s why we went to that corner. We couldn’t do it in class.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course! But if you really had to do it, couldn’t you have done it after school?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“After school? I couldn’t wait until then.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You should wait! ...Is it t-that good?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu glimpsed at me for a second, and her face turned scarlet.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And not once, but several times…! S-Shouldn’t you be satisfied with doing it once?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We didn’t have enough time. Recess is 10 minutes, and we have to count the time it takes to get to and from there.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-Yes, I did hear that women take a bit of time, unlike men…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is the time required for pestering different for men and women?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Glasses doesn’t like it! Taking him by force… You shouldn’t do that!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Even if he doesn’t want it, we should do what should be done.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-No! You should do it under consent or it’s unwholesome!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I think it would be rare for both to like it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s not! Anyway, you shouldn’t work Glasses too hard!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yelling in a loud voice, Yuyu then pointed a finger at me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-You did it so much that his waist hurts! Give it a rest!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was rubbing the spot where the vice president kicked me before.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t think that is related to waist pain…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s related! Don’t tell me Chae Song-hwa was on top of Glasses and moving on her own!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“On top of me? Moving on her own? I don’t know what you’re talking about… We were both standing.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Standing…?! I-I see, in that position…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu looked back and forth at me and the vice president, her face becoming a darker shade of red.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Just to make this clear, I don’t do this with anyone.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ehh? D-Don’t tell me, Chae Song-hwa, you actually think of Glasses like that…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I just did it because I knew he was a dangerous philanderer who toyed with girls.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then it’s because of his body?! That’s even worse!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“One more thing, this is my first time doing this.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“First?! It’s your first time and you did it like one night’s mischief?! Not even my fantasies were that wild!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu was spouting nonsense, but I was a bit surprised that I was the first person the vice president lectured like that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Vice president, you seemed like you were used to doing that, so I thought you had done it to the other guys before.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Who do you think I am? My body won’t stand it if I did that with anyone.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu shrieked.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-Anyway, you can’t do it anymore! I will protect Glasses!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Protect? What are you talking about?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president looked dumbfounded.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re the victim. Why is the victim protecting the perpetrator?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That’s…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Out of words to say, Yuyu looked at me - but I couldn’t think of anything, either.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was near impossible to explain now that the relationship between Yuyu and I was different from that of a victim and perpetrator, that is, a girl who was fooled and a boy who toyed around with her. There were too many people around, too.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-So, that was, I…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu clenched her fists and tried to say something.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait, Yuyu!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu seemed like she would make a big mistake again, so I tried to stop her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Glasses and I…!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just as everyone’s attention, including the vice president’s, was focused to Yuyu, who was radiating a strange willpower.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s time for class, everyone~ English time~ Let’s study again today with… Eh?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Choi, the English teacher for 4th period, tilted her head at the tension in the classroom.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then, finally, lunchtime.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">During 4th period, I had already decided what I should do now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That is!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Run away!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Exactly as lunchtime began, I’ll take my boxed lunch and run outside. It doesn’t matter if it’s the bathroom, I just want to eat lunch peacefully and study alone.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m done with bothersome things. If I drag my feet, the vice president will catch me again and I’ll have to listen to her tirade. Yuyu will also try to say what she was trying to say before, and that would be a headache. The other students will think even worse of me, and there was nothing I could gain from that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I just wanted to study quietly, but what is this? I was a bit relieved that the school was going to go easy on me, but my classmates were the problem.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was getting out of my seat while thinking that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?!?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was about to run outside with my body lowered when someone grabbed my belt and took me down.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What are you doing!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I got myself together and shouted at the person who had done that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is not the time! I’ll take my pants off anytime, so leave me alone!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s quite a dangerous and provocative remark.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega replied, making a gentle smile.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I received a note from Chae Song-hwa during class.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A memo…?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I turned my head to see Yuyu also restrained, this time by the vice president. What’s going on?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I wasn’t sure until now, but…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president let Yuyu go and walked towards me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, you were taking Yuyu out during lunchtime and doing weird things with her, right? And you were going to do that today, too.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Right then, Yuyu made a troubled expression and joined our conversation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-No, Chae Song-hwa…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s “no?” You were going to meet up with Ahn Kyeong-hyun outside class right now.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That is…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, I didn’t make that kind of appointment.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I butted in, feeling that the conversation was heading down the wrong path again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t lie. You still haven’t regained your senses and were going to do bad things to Yuyu again.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No. It’s definitely true that I have been having lunch with Yuyu until now. ...I haven’t done bad things to begin with, anyway.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lying again…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president sighed and stared at me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Just to make sure.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Turning her fiery eyes at me, the vice president asked,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yuyu and you were in a relationship, right? There was a rumor on that last Thursday.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, that’s…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I stopped in the middle of my sentence.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Thursday, Yuyu told others in this very classroom that she was dating me. That was her lie, but it wouldn’t be prudent to reveal that in front of others.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course, the truth was that Yu Yuyu alone was thinking that she was Ahn Kyeong-hyun’s “girlfriend.” Ahn Kyeong-hyun was just playing around with her.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“G-Glasses didn’t do that…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, that’s right.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I said, blocking Yuyu’s words.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But we’ve settled that relationship now. Everything was revealed on Friday. Yuyu shouldn’t have any feelings left for me, so don’t think that I would do weird things to her now.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Saying that, I raised my head a little and looked around.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Everyone in class was looking this way, even as they were eating their lunches.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And, I just want to make this clear so I can protect Yuyu’s honor.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I said aloud, conscious of the fact that everyone was listening.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yuyu never suffered weird things - the kind that you’re imagining - from me. Not once, so bear that in mind.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I needed to make this clear. It wasn’t very good for Yuyu’s image that she was duped into a relationship with a guy, but if it had physical implications, it would be quite damaging for her. That would be a big burden for a girl.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t feel the need to protect my own image so much, but I did want to make sure no one thought wrongly of Yuyu.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yu Yuyu, is that true?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu, who had her head down, answered by dropping it another inch.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re not lying to protect this guy?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This time, she shook her head hard.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seeing her do that, the vice president made a thinking expression.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm… That’s a bit hard to believe. Then why did Ahn Kyeong-hyun hit on Yu Yuyu? Men are always trying to do bad stuff to women, right?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What do you think men are…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lost in thought for a while, the vice president nodded and turned her attention to Shin Sega.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Shin Sega.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“During lunchtime, please have lunch with Ahn Kyeong-hyun and keep an eye on him. If we let him outside, he might get his hands on other girl.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not only was she trying to restrict my movement to inside this classroom, she was bringing Sega into this mess. I tried to object, but the vice president ignored me and looked at Yuyu.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll have lunch with Yu Yuyu.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“M-Me too?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you go outside and meet with Ahn Kyeong-hyun, then all this until now becomes futile. He may not have done anything to you until now, but that might mean he hasn’t done anything “yet.””</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president raised her index finger.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yu Yuyu doesn’t seem like she has realized that Ahn Kyeong-hyun was playing with her - that she was being fooled. I don’t think she has come to her senses yet, but if she keeps following Ahn Kyeong-hyun around and really suffers something, then it would be too late.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, if I have lunch with Sega, then there wouldn’t be a problem. Even if Yuyu goes around outside, I’ll be under surveillance here, so we wouldn’t meet.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I objected, not wanting to restrict Yuyu’s freedom.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I just want to double-check, that’s all. Sega might not be able to have lunch with you every day. And honestly, Yuyu looks like she has a poor guard. If she goes around outside like she has until now, she might end up with the wrong people and suffer, even if it’s not Ahn Kyeong-hyun.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do I look like I have a poor guard?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu looked quite shocked. I’m in agreement with the vice president on this one, though.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Anyhow.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president pointed her finger and said adamantly,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll keep an eye on Ahn Kyeong-hyun so he doesn’t do anything promiscuous, at least in this school. Yu Yuyu, too. As long as I have my eyes open, no one’s doing anything weird.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her words were fancy, but they were just a nuisance to me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I have a feeling that this would be more bothersome than having a girlfriend.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sega, do we really have to do this…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m fine with it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega shrugged his shoulders and smiled.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then there’s no way out of this other than me giving a clear refusal… But looking back on the events of today, I had a feeling that defying the vice president might end up in even more bothersome situations.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then that’s decided. Come on, Yuyu. Let’s have lunch.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“O-Okay, but…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president grabbed Yuyu’s wrist, but Yuyu hesitated and glimpsed at me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-Actually.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu said hesitantly, dropping her head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I want to eat with Glasses, if possible…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president looked at Yuyu impatiently.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Didn’t you hear what I was saying until now?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“B-But…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuyu looked like she was frightened of the vice president’s anger. As I was thinking about what I should do, I heard a voice coming from next to me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Chae Song-hwa, let her do that.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega was looking at the vice president with a warm expression.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yu Yuyu has been having lunch with Ahn Kyeong-hyun until now. Yu Yuyu wouldn’t feel very comfortable if we suddenly force them apart.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But I’ll eat with her, right? We’re both girls, and I think she would be better off with me.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s not true.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sega said with a bitter smile on his lips.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Actually, there is a way to satisfy both Chae Song-hwa and Yu Yuyu’s wishes.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? What is that?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Having lunch all together. Ahn Kyeong-hyun, Yu Yuyu, Chae Song-hwa… And me, if possible.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I opened my eyes wide and looked at Sega. Yuyu and the vice president, too.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then Chae Song-hwa will be able to keep an eye on both Ahn Kyeong-hyun and Yu Yuyu, and Yu Yuyu can keep having lunch with Ahn Kyeong-hyun. Isn’t that a win-win situation?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait. Then I can’t keep Ahn Kyeong-hyun and Yu Yuyu apart like I was planning…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Is it your purpose to sever their relationship completely? Isn’t it better to let them develop a sincere and healthy relationship if you want to stop them from having an indecent one?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uhh…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After making Chae Song-hwa think about his proposal, Sega turned his attention to Yuyu.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It wouldn’t be as good as having him to yourself, but wouldn’t this be okay?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mm, y-yes!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In this situation, it might be better to have others around, too.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At this, Yuyu made a surprised reaction for some reason.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, you’re okay with this too, right? You wouldn’t have as much time to study, but please understand. Staying in the classroom and hanging out like normal students to will give others a good impression.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Chae Song-hwa, you’re good?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Okay.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The vice president sighed and nodded her head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then it’s decided.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After receiving approval, Sega quickly began to assemble some desks. Without much of my help, a spot where the four of us could have lunch was prepared in no time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We spent a lot of time talking. Let’s eat, everyone must be hungry.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At his smooth suggestion, Yuyu and the vice president brought their boxed lunches over and sat down. I also reluctantly joined them and took out my lunch.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“As expected, Sega’s lunch is really impressive…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yuyu’s lunch looks good, too. It’s quite amazing that you can make that yourself.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? Yu Yuyu makes her own boxed lunches?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-Yeah. And, I don’t like being called Yu Yuyu, so I’d like you to call me Yuyu if possible…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, really? Then I should do that from now on.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Like the other students, we sat in a circle and ate our lunches like friends do.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“How did it come to this…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I mumbled to myself, feeling quite strange.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t even imagine something like this happening just three months ago. Me, having lunch with this many people.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It wouldn’t be the case with Sega, who understands my intents, but eating with others takes a lot of time, with the talking and all. Preparing and cleaning up afterwards uses even more time, and that reduces the time I have for studying, which I do not like.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just three months, no, a few days ago, I would have thought that, but strangely, I’m not feeling very displeased right now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was thinking that, Yuyu, who was sitting to my left, murmured as if she was deeply moved.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s the first time I’ve had lunch with a girl since I’ve entered high school…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m not one to talk, but this kid really doesn’t have any friends…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Anyway, this was a novel situation for both Yuyu and me. Until this morning, we were prepared to be isolated at school, but we’re having lunch like friends now. Why did this happen?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, why do you have your mouth shut? Are you having perverted thoughts going inside your head, perhaps?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...No.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A clamorous school life. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I don’t like chaos, but this isn’t too bad, either. Thinking that, I had a spoonful of Yeon-hee’s side dish.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sensing the deep scent of coffee, I opened the wooden door.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The shop’s interior was full of dignified furnishings. Of course, there were no real antiques; they were all imitations, but to a layperson, it looked like quite a presentable space.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cafe “Saint.” It was the place I worked part-time every evening from Monday to Friday.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Kyeong-hyun.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seeing me step inside, the woman at the counter, in her mid-twenties, called me. Her name was Han Che-ryeon, the manager of this cafe.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What’s going on?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unlike her usual lively self, she looked strangely depressed. She had dark bags under her eyes, and overall looked quite spent.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I… Did some thinking over the weekend…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Speaking in a heavy tone, she suddenly raised her head and shouted,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are!? You!? Really!? Not in any kind of relationship with Ka-ryeon?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I almost stepped back at the force she was radiating from her eyes. Trying to maintain my composure, I answered,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“R-Relationship… We’re just co-workers. What about that?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Not that!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The manager shouted, tearing up a little.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you in a lovers’ relationship with Ka-ryeon?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is she still suspecting me… I sighed softly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The manager cares really deeply for her sister - also my co-worker. I feel the same about my own sister, Yeon-hee, so I understand where she’s coming from, but her excessive sister complex sometimes puts me in an awkward situation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even if you love your sister so much, should you overprotect her like that… You should keep it in line like I do!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I told you last Friday. There was a problem with one of my classmates and I didn’t know his phone number, so I contacted Ka-ryeon because she did. We just got together after everything was resolved. We don’t have that kind of relationship like you think.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, this wasn’t strictly true.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon was planning to get married to me. After I lost my memory, she pretended to be my fiance and tried to seduce me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But I can’t tell the manager that. If she finds out she did that to a guy, she would go insane.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know you would kill me if I laid my hands on Ka-ryeon, so why would I?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“O-Of course, I did announce that I would crush your precious place like coffee beans if you touched Ka-ryeon…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I heard this before, but it gives me the chills every time I hear it. Scary…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“B-But if Kyeong-hyun would have a serious and responsible relationship with Ka-ryeon… Maybe it would be a different story… I know what kind of person Kyeong-hyun is, and maybe I could entrust Ka-ryeon to you…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The manager, murmuring, had a cute side to her, unlike her age would suggest.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was happy that she thought so highly of me, but she was still getting the wrong idea.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, we really don’t have that kind of thing going.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“R-Really?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Really. Our relationship is just that of a junior and senior.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Friday, I made it clear to Ka-ryeon.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t settle for a guy close to you, look for someone who’s better.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon chose me just because I’m the closest man to her. She doesn’t have the opportunity to meet other guys, so she thought of me as the man of her life. I made this clear so Ka-ryeon would understand.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now Ka-ryeon doesn’t have any reason to insist on me. She doesn’t have to seduce me into marrying her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you are still suspicious, look closely this evening. We’re just colleagues.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, I don’t have to get a headache over Ka-ryeon’s attacks!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Leaving the suspicious manager behind, I headed for the changing room.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s begin work~”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My heart felt really light when I thought Ka-ryeon wouldn’t be bothering me anymore. I could focus on my job, and also rest when I wasn’t too busy.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yeah, that’s what part-time jobs should be like! No more dealing with juniors flashing their legs under their skirts!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I opened the changing room door in such a cheerful mood.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A girl, with long, lightly colored hair and unbelievably beautiful, was standing there.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Han Ka-ryeon, a junior at my part-time job, who also claims to be my fiancee.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was changing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Very fortunately, she wasn’t in her underwear. Of course, she wasn’t stark naked, either.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was about to take off the top part of her light blue school uniform. She was wearing her skirt, too, so it wasn’t like I could see anything.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, because she was about to pull her blouse over her head with her arms crossed, I could see her bare, white belly.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That was it. It wasn’t like I could see any further up. I couldn’t see the color or shape of the underwear that would be there.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then again, I could see her belly. Her waist was so thin that I thought it might break if I hugged it too tight, but she wasn’t so skinny that her bones were visible through her skin. She had pretty lines that gave her a very feminine beauty.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes, they looked smooth. Although her waist looked like it came straight out a painting, without an ounce of fat, it would surely be very smooth to the touch… A small belly button right in the middle, that belly…</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEgPXxB_7vW5cEGPGnCFcdcj_p1yh5G0KzT9Pyf8J2xqng9jC_Tc6iyzZ2PY1lfuGkxt8Hvkny4EGAtx0bl9_xBWgKlgTFJTkVq0Pp7IUE8x6JxhfnhK9H9r7WJvtj3VnPb4GQAOXBeE/s1600/Four_Lovers_v02_0037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEgPXxB_7vW5cEGPGnCFcdcj_p1yh5G0KzT9Pyf8J2xqng9jC_Tc6iyzZ2PY1lfuGkxt8Hvkny4EGAtx0bl9_xBWgKlgTFJTkVq0Pp7IUE8x6JxhfnhK9H9r7WJvtj3VnPb4GQAOXBeE/s640/Four_Lovers_v02_0037.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uh-oh!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was staring at her bare flesh without even knowing it. I hurriedly opened my mouth as soon as I regained consciousness.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Sorry, I’ll leave right aw…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But before I could even turn around.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon started tugging at her clothes again.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was there, and she was undressing right in front of me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What are you thinking?!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I turned around and tried to run out of the changing room, but stopped after remembering that the manager was just outside.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I dart out from the changing room now, the manager will wonder what was happening inside. If she sees Ka-ryeon changing, she would definitely be all over me for trying to see Ka-ryeon in her underwear.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then do I have to just stand here and watch? Watch Ka-ryeon strip in front of me??</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Tsk.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I bit my lips and slammed the door shut. This was a locked room now. The manager will have no idea what happens in here from now on.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In front of me, Ka-ryeon was slowly undressing while throwing me a seductive look. If she raised her blouse a little bit more, I would be able to see her underwear.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Honestly, as a boy, I was interested.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But I shouldn’t do that!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Convincing myself like that,</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I closed my eyes. I just had to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">not look!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Through the utter darkness, I heard Ka-ryeon’s voice.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What are you doing?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“As you can see, I am closing my eyes.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Why?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If I didn’t, I would be watching you change.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Haven’t you thought of the possibility that I might be letting you see on purpose?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why?!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I shouted out loud. But only so loud that no one outside could hear.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why do you want to show me something like that?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you serious?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I heard Ka-ryeon giggle.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m seducing you.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt Ka-ryeon moving about, but I couldn’t tell what she was doing because I had my eyes shut.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Why would you be seducing me?!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was strange.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The reason you were doing that was to prove that you were my fiancee! You wanted to take the place of my girlfriend, too…! But that’s all over now!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was no reason for Ka-ryeon to do this after everything was exposed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And I told you! There are better men than me, so you should go out looking for them! Do you still have any reason for doing this?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I could hear Ka-ryeon sighing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Maybe you still don’t understand.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her voice was close.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She must almost be face-to-face with me, but I couldn’t open my eyes to check.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It wouldn’t be ideal if she was in her underwear when I looked, and I had the feeling that Ka-ryeon would be the type of person who would be doing just that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I just… want to get married with Sunbae, not with anyone else.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I mean…!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At that moment, something soft - I guessed that it was Ka-ryeon’s finger - blocked my lips. I gulped at the foreign sensation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, I want to get married to you and become a NEET.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A NEET.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That’s the dream of this cute little girl. Getting married to a man who provide for her and lying around the house all day - that is her dream.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It seems that she wants to make up for relying on her spouse by… satisfying him at night. I have no way to tell whether she is serious or not.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t want to marry anyone else. Just you.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“O-Okay, so…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I tried to move my lips, but the sensation of Ka-ryeon’s finger prevented me from doing so. When I tried to move away from her, the finger followed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had no other choice but to grab her wrist. ...You, even your wrists are so thin.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, I mean, why me! It can be anyone else!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I told you already. You are…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Because my grades are good and I work diligently? That’s nothing! You can meet someone who is much better than me!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m not judging you based on things like that. I just really…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon’s voice became smaller and smaller. When I was wondering why she wasn’t saying anything anymore, she coughed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-Anyway, that’s what you need to know. I haven’t given up becoming your fiancee.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And I said, why are you doing that…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-That’s it for now. I’m just going to change.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon removed her finger. What’s going on?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In any case, Ka-ryeon moved away a bit and I could hear the sound of her clothes rustling for what seemed like a long while. Then she called me again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, I’m finished, you can open your eyes again.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Really?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, really.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt Ka-ryeon approaching me. She pulled my hands forward and put something in them.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s this?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The school uniform I just took off.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sunbae, you shouldn’t drop it. You should check.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“C-Check what?!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whether I really did change or not.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Should I?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Confused, I fumbled around with whatever Ka-ryeon gave me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I wasn’t sure, but it did feel like the uniform Ka-ryeon was wearing. It had a blouse and a skirt.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, even if I check this, it doesn’t prove you’re wearing your cloth…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Click.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait! What was that sound!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s a good photo. Sunbae, holding a girls’ uniform in his hands and feeling it thoroughly… I like your expression, eyes closed and concentrating.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“H-Hey! Erase that now! No, give that to me!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You should note that I don’t even have my underwear on now, so you shouldn’t open your eyes.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aaaargh!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I needed to confiscate her phone or camera or whatever, but I couldn’t even do that now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, that’s a lie anyway.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“R-Really?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You can touch to make sure. I’m wearing the waitress uniform.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon grabbed my hand and pulled it towards her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I mustn’t touch where Ka-ryeon takes my hand. There is the danger that she will put it somewhere inappropriate.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I therefore grabbed Ka-ryeon’s wrist and started my way up from there.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Sunbae? What’s this?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Stay still.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-This feels a bit weird…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon sounded a bit more embarrassed than usual, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to that now. Being careful not to touch anything other than the arm, I moved my fingers up slowly.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Sunbae, if you touch my arm like that…”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...You’re wearing it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My hand confirmed the presence of the waitress uniform’s sleeve. After reaching her shoulders, I let go of her.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And I opened my eyes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sigh…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t help but let out my breath when I saw Ka-ryeon wearing her waitress uniform with my own eyes. Why am I going through all this trouble? Weird things sure do happen in life.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Sunbae…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? Why?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon’s face was strangely pink and pointing towards the ground.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-No, nothing.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She walked out of the changing room in small steps, as if trying to avoid eye contact with me. Did she seem elated for some reason, or was it just my imagination?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...I should change, too.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It must be my imagination. It was just her arm, after all.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m going to go mad…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was lying against one of the chairs, my time for the day almost up.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m exhausted, but not just because of the flood of customers asking for dinner.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My exhaustion stems from the fact that Ka-ryeon’s behavior is more or less the same compared to last week. Whenever she gets the chance and the manager is not looking, she pulls weird jokes on me.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Has she seriously not given up on marrying me?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I don’t get why she’s so stubborn. If you want to be a NEET so bad, find someone who can provide a better NEET environment for you. I’m trying to provide some serious advice here… Maybe she doesn’t have the will to find another man.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Phew…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I sighed and looked at Ka-ryeon, standing a bit away from me. She was doing something with her phone, maybe texting someone.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A friend?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I asked without giving it much thought, and Ka-ryeon raised her head, looking surprised.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let me see, I wouldn’t say it’s a friend.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Is that so?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Come to think of it, I haven’t really heard anything about what Ka-ryeon’s friends are like.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then I looked at the clock and saw that it was already 8:50.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then I’ll be going.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seeing that it was now my time off, I stood up right away.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In a hurry, are you?’</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I rescheduled my studies in order to make up for the three months I lost. Today is the start of some serious studying.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Due to a car accident, I have lost my memories of the past three months. It goes without saying that I have forgotten everything I have studied during that time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That commotion during last week was because Ka-ryeon persuaded me to go out with the three girls in order to regain my memories… In the end, nothing returned.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My memories might come back with time, but I still need to study. That is why I was holed up in my room over the weekend, checking the state of my knowledge and making a schedule to fill that three month gap. I really need to work even harder than before.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Is that so? Then it might be better for you to get home and start right away.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon’s behavior was somewhat off.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s wrong?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Nothing.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I stopped and looked back, Ka-ryeon smiled and waved her hands, as if seeing me off.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Suspicious.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you perhaps planning something weird again?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I am not.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ka-ryeon wouldn’t tell me anything more no matter how hard I tried.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m feeling a bit anxious.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Phew…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After changing and leaving the store, I wiped away the sweat on my forehead and sighed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The air was warm. June was already almost over, and while it wasn’t full-on summer yet, it was enough to feel hot. If it was like this at 9 PM, it must be about to get really hot soon.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll have no choice but to stay at the library from this weekend on…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I often study at my house, but I also frequent a library near here. There are a lot of references to look at, and the climate control made it a good place to be in the summer and winter. During summer and winter vacation, I practically live at the library to manage the electrical bills.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As a side note, Yeon-hee doesn’t really care about the cold or heat, so she just stays at home. She doesn’t produce a drop of sweat on the hottest of days if she gets just an electrical fan.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s see.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Walking home, I thought about what I had to bring to the library to study. Actually, I got the problems from last week’s mock examination from Sega today. I felt like taking a look at them as soon as I got home, but it would be better to solve them during the time of day when I would actually be taking them. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“All right, mock examinations at the library this weekend…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just as I was walking along the avenue, murmuring to myself.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An ice-cold voice pierced my eardrums.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s been a while, my boyfriend.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I almost instinctively turned my body towards the voice.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The night road with almost no trace of people. On the stairway that led to the part of town opposite from where I live.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A black shadow with a hand on her hip, bathing in the blue glow of the streetlamps.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a girl of the most foreign beauty.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To begin with, her hair was blonde. Glimmering even in the darkness, it was tied into ponytails around her head. Even her eyes were blue, giving off the implausible look that one would expect in a manga or novel.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was similar to Ka-ryeon in that she was so unbelievably, captivatingly beautiful - but unlike Ka-ryeon, who appeared fragile and delicate, this girl exuded an immense presence that made it difficult for me to even approach her.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1uFv8gWtMv3LPZI7OjlTzkBl329oQSevtkfYSg7GRmzxpZkziI-uf1sqQNrRd6RDuGEmLPmHQBWUgP0a9pxDBR6Wz4Jn5rjziQ0fs3ySOzSxpQkl2gOj0U0Fp8ZRFJdZQ6sTuAab1xA/s1600/Four_Lovers_v02_0043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1uFv8gWtMv3LPZI7OjlTzkBl329oQSevtkfYSg7GRmzxpZkziI-uf1sqQNrRd6RDuGEmLPmHQBWUgP0a9pxDBR6Wz4Jn5rjziQ0fs3ySOzSxpQkl2gOj0U0Fp8ZRFJdZQ6sTuAab1xA/s640/Four_Lovers_v02_0043.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her appearance was so exceptional that it was almost frightening, overpowering.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes, it was almost as if she was…</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A queen.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-What did you…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s wrong?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Looking down, she started to walk down the stairs one by one while I stood there, my body and mind frozen.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I watched her coming towards me, holding my breath.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you forget what your girlfriend looked like just because you haven’t seen her for a few days?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Girlfriend.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And before that, she called me her “boyfriend.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t comprehend right away what that meant.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A voice from last Friday, playing from the answering machine, clicked on in my head.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<i><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">—<i> ...Why did you leave me waiting last Saturday?</i></span></b></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">—</span><i>Were you… fooling around with other girls?</i></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">—</span><i>...If you were, I will never forgive you.</i></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That voice sounded very similar to the queenlike girl before me now.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-No way…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was difficult for me to grasp the situation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was my “girlfriend</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was her “boyfriend".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, that means…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“T-Then…”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t know what to say.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Was it really her?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not the school girlfriend, the workplace girlfriend, or the family girlfriend, but the “weekend girlfriend”... The real deal?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-Yeah, actually…”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I tried to explain. That there was an accident, that I lost my memories, and that I didn’t even know her name.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While I was trying to decide what to begin with, she finished walking down the stairs.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stopping right in front of me, her expression was as cold as ice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t say a word at the sight of that face.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But right afterwards, she warmed up. On that immaculate face was a small and beautiful smile.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I was feeling relieved for a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sigh.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She let out a short breath, and I felt a sharp pain on my cheek.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Liar.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It took some time to realize that I had been slapped.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Erasing the brief smile from her face, she turned away with an expression of contempt. Without another word, she started to quickly climb the stairs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was disappearing into the 9 o’clock darkness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait…!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I came to my senses and ran up the stairs after her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But when I reached the top, she was nowhere to be seen.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-15701186593403391782016-09-27T18:46:00.001-07:002016-09-27T18:54:10.957-07:00[Dawnbringer v3] 01. An Ominous Feeling from the First Move - Part 1<i>We're not dead. We were just slightly less alive than before. Now we're slightly more alive than we were less than alive. Yay!</i><br />
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<i>Translator: Narane</i>
<br />
<i>Editors: </i>
<i>MadTix</i>
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</i>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Within the perfectly polyhedral room was nothing but a single monitor. It was like looking into a section of a mental hospital, or a movie’s special effects background done in the Seventies of Earth. If anyone viewed the room from the outside, they’d see how drab the room looked before all else. Was this room intended for torturing people? I had found many issues, but my biggest problem was being the one in it.<br /><br />“What have you learned while in contact with the Asa? Private Lezirth Dawnbringer?”<br /><br />An unpleasant voice made an accusation. The light from the monitor had provided a lighting for the Hispanic-like soldier’s face. Perhaps because I’m too used to the standard light from the ceiling, I found the shadows uncanny when the lighting came from below him. I absently looked him in his face and repeated the same words as before. It was the twentieth time. I was like a hamster running on a wheel.<br /><br />That’s right. I was being interrogated.<br /><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>* * *</b></span></center>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />It was a few weeks ago in Earth time, I had been on a return trip from destroying the threat against humanity, the Letix Uberlords. My rank at the time was Vice Admiral of the First Space Marines, and my title was Lezirth Dawnbringer, Commander of the Dawn Corps.<br /><br />It’s embarrassing to mention it myself, but I was a war hero. Despite having the massive social disadvantage of being a Replicant, a humanoid of non-natural origins, I was constantly given attention by politicians and paparazzi were stuck to me at all times. That was understandable, however-- after many battles with the hyperdimensional beings known as the Letix, the Federation had only the Dawn Corps remaining as its last standing army, and the defeat of the Dawn Corps meant the end of humanity.<br /><br />And one day, the alien threat had gone.<br /><br />Even in the Space Age, the nature of humans hadn’t changed. Humanity immediately went on to act upon the old proverb, to “eat the hunting dog after the hunt is over.” And unfortunately, I had never expected them to act so quickly.<br /><br />Before some may say that I was an idiot for not seeing it sooner, my excuse was that the Letix threat had not yet been completely eradicated at the time, despite their Uberlord having been destroyed. So, the battle with the Letix was sure to continue, while the Federation army was sharply decreasing in size until there wasn’t much military power to speak of.<br /><br />How was I supposed to know that I was getting removed before the war was actually over?<br /><br />And so, I was forced into a cryogenic stasis for one hundred and twenty years, exiled from the world that I once knew.<br /><br />I was filled with grief at the unfairness every time I remembered the moment-- but rather, should I be thankful that I wasn’t killed off? A political purge usually entailed an assassination, or an exile into the vacuum of space and then being marked off as MIA. Yet, I had received only the cryogenic treatment.<br /><br />I felt downtrodden for I had found myself saying “it could’ve been worse”, after having been at the rough end of the situation. I was like a slave who had gotten too used to getting whipped. ...Well, there was probably some complicated story that led up to the decision.<br /><br />After the unwanted years of cryogenic freezing, I had become Private Lezirth Dawnbringer. Once Vice Admiral, and then a Private? Has there ever been anything else more worthy of the word ‘downfall’?<br /><br />It had been five weeks since my new life as a Private. A lot of things happened in those five weeks. Within four weeks of becoming a Private, I was stranded on a hostile planet in the Azoran System, and awaiting me in the compensatory vacation was an attack by an Asa group.<br /><br />In the process, Asa princess Riznah Ereshikigal kidnapped Sergeant Aroha Pereira, and publically broadcasted to the entire planet their attempt at convincing her to defect. Much of the broadcast was denied by Admiral Luise, but the denial was limited to digital communication.<br /><br />The live broadcast was not stopped. The population that had witnessed the broadcast must have been in the millions. Even though Admiral Luise had amazing psionic powers, altering the minds of millions was an impossibility.<br /><br />Naturally, as an active duty soldier, I stood out as someone who had a dangerously close contact with the enemy. Although the contact was clearly due to an attack by the opposing party, there was nothing strange about the military security agency wanting to investigate an individual’s contact with the enemy.<br /><br />“And how did you end up in that situation, Private?”<br /><br />Which was why I was stuck in a room that looked like it belonged in a mental hospital, being interrogated by a hardened Gunnery Sergeant who I thought would start torturing me any moment. <br /><br />After being asked the same question over and over again, a normal person would be scared into changing his words. The tone may change, or different words are used, to describe what the interrogatee thinks is the same answer as before. Then the interrogator interprets the change in tone in whichever way they’d like in order to corner the interrogatee into an answer that they want.<br /><br />Knowing that, I couldn’t fall for the trick. I was in there for eight hours by then, repeating the exact same answers like playing back a recorded line. When the interrogator changed his words ever so slightly, I remarked on the differences for clarification and then repeated the same answers. Repetition was met by repetition, and change was met with change, and so the interrogator let me leave after concluding that there was nothing to gain from me.<br /><br />Heh. It was totally worth going through interrogation resistance courses during my cadet training. I was proud of myself for remembering a training from hundreds of years ago and successfully using it to defend myself in an interrogation.<br /><br />But I also had a slight worry.<br /><br />‘Myself aside, how are Admiral Luise and Sergeant Aroha doing? There’s a possibility that they couldn’t withstand such a harsh interrogation...’<br /><br />My worries grew worse as I thought that. Were they really safe? They might be thrown into the brig or worse, a military prison. I had to meet up with them to confirm for myself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* * *</span></center>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br />The common room was crowded with people.<br /><br />The members of the newly formed Thirteenth Special Forces Brigade needed to learn about their new workplace and their new brothers in arms. While the same could be said for any other jobs, the soldiers’ lives were on the line when choosing partners. The length of their lives depended on how much they learned who to befriend and from whom to stay away. So, the soldiers couldn’t be blamed for turning the common room into a noisy mess.<br /><br />Even in the midst of chaos, there was a central point where the attention drew close.<br /><br />‘There she is.’<br /><br />I had a gut feeling that the attention was directed towards my colleagues. For better or worse, they were always the center of attention. They were a step above a bad circus troupe, and... they’d get pretty mad if they knew that I called them that.<br /><br />“Over here!”<br /><br />A girl with blue eyes and silver hair waved her officer hat upon discovering me. The Ensign insignia on her hat flashed brightly against the artificial lighting. Yet, her silver hair was shining more brightly than the metal insignia.<br /><br />Her sharp-featured face, her blue eyes, and her glamorous body were radiating beauty that was hardly covered up by the standardized uniform. But the bigger attractions were the wings on her back. Those wings, producing a silvery glow, were the features of those who had the Elcro blood. They indicated that she was at least partially an Elcro.<br /><br />She was currently my upper ranking officer, Ensign Liu Meihowa.<br /><br />“Took you long. Are you alright, Lezirth?”<br /><br />Sitting beside the Ensign was another girl, with short, hazel hair, giving me worried looks. Admiral Luise Maynard, the ex-Federation Chief of Staff. She was forced into hibernation for a hundred and twenty years with me. The fact that such a petite girl was a four-star general that oversaw all the military operations of the Federation should have been a surprise, even to those who served in the olden days alongside her.<br /><br />“Did you get tortured, or something? What took you so long?”<br /><br />On the opposite side of Admiral Luise was a red-headed lady, throwing a glance at me while resting her back against a bench. As she was almost in a laying down position, she looked like she was almost showing off her breasts as they formed hills on her chest. Some men near her were blatantly staring at them, and really, I couldn’t pay attention to anywhere else either. She was also a higher ranking officer-- Sergeant Aroha Pereira. She was half-human and half-Asa, the latter race being one of the partners to the enemy of humanity, the Alliance. She was having an energy drink with a tired look.<br /><br />‘It’s fine. Humans are mammals, so there’s no helping it.’ I made an excuse for myself and forced a smile.<br /><br />“It looks like everyone finished early.”<br /><br />“Yep. We took about an hour.”<br /><br />“....Huh?”<br /><br />They took an hour, while some poor sap took eight? What’s happening? Was the Federation suspecting something against me? But the one who was kidnapped in the Critik incident wasn’t me, but Sergeant Aroha! There was no sense in Sergeant Aroha being interrogated less than I.<br /><br />...Did they finally realize that I’m the real Lezirth Dawnbringer?<br /><br /><br />No, if that were the case, the security agency wouldn’t have sent a lowly officer. Although the interrogator from before was trained very well, if they really suspected me, they would have sent a telepathy specialist instead.<br /><br />Then, why? Why did they discriminate me in particular?<br /><br />While I had those thoughts, Admiral Luise whispered. “Uh, Lezirth... did you try to resist them?”<br /><br />“I’m sorry?”<br /><br />“I mean, well, that counter-interrogation training that you received in the military academy-- you didn’t follow that, did you?”<br /><br />“I-I did. What’s wrong?”<br /><br />“...”<br /><br />“...I see.”<br /><br />Sergeant Aroha gave a disappointed look. Ensign Meihowa sighed, burying her face into her officer cap.<br /><br />They all looked at me like I was an idiot.<br /><br />Wait, what did I do wrong?”<br /><br />“Lezirth, put yourself in their shoes. Would you, or would you not think that it’s strange that a fledgling private has an officer level counter interrogation training?”<br /><br />I felt my face grow hot when Sergeant Aroha finished.<br /><br />Ah, damn, that was the reason. E-embarrassing. How did I not think of that?<br /><br />“S-so... let’s have a talk. What’s the situation now?” I sat on a chair and looked around, attempting to change the topic.<br /><br />Admiral Luise gave a sorry look while Ensign Meihowa and Sergeant Aroha continued their ridiculing stare. Moving on, why is there an empty seat?<br /><br />“Ah... I... the cheeseburgers were all gone, so I bought teriyaki burgers instead. I-is that fine?”<br /><br />There was a voice behind my back. Behind me was a beautiful blonde lady... I mean, a boy who waddled towards the group with arms full of bread and drinks. He was recognizable as a man by wearing the male uniform, but if he were in his normal clothes, he would not have been seen as one. No, even then, he looked like a girl who just happened to force on menswear.<br /><br />Kiske Risner.<br /><br />He was the secretary to an Asa princess, Rizna Ereshikigal.<br /><br />I somehow ended up taking him a prisoner, so that the Asa princess could not think of doing anything dangerous against us, and also for information. But I hadn’t handed him over to the Federation government. After creating a fake identity of a half-Asa citizen for him, he was placed with us in the Thirteenth Special Forces Brigade.<br /><br />“Whew. We got a fine errand boy here.”<br /><br />He was pretty damn good at adapting to his situation. He put the breads and the drinks on the table with great difficulty. The others sat back and watched as he did so.<br /><br />Even disregarding the Asa and Elcro people, many people around the table were very beautiful-- the common room was already very populated with many visitors going in and out, so there was a lot of attention being pulled to the table with all the pretty women(?) forming a group around it.<br /><br />Kiske sat around the table, being mindful of the attention being directed to him. The way he timidly sat reminded me of a new bride from a nomadic group from desert lands.<br /><br />“The news that the Federation lost in the Oden system is spreading. Take a look at this.”<br /><br />Ensign Meihowa showed me an online broadcast through a military computer. The broadcast displayed the many organized protests around the world by right-wing groups, and a never ending line of people rallying to the recruitment offices.<br /><br />The Federation, after their defeat against the Alliance in Oden, decided that they could not hide their loss, and instead they admitted their defeat as an excuse to issue war bonds. It took only six hours for the war bonds to be considered and then deployed, and the so-called nationalists popped up like wildfire. Among them were idiots who attacked Replicants as their way of denouncing the Alliance.<br /><br />“What do you think?”<br /><br />Ensign Meihowa and Sergeant Aroha knew that I was the legendary Lezirth Dawnbringer, who was technically KIA in the battlefield a hundred and twenty years ago. Before coming to an understanding, I was considered a psycho, but they had been seeking my advice after that phase. Of course, having been a Vice Admiral and a squad leader, and managing the lives of many people, leadership had to come as a natural trait.<br /><br />Right. Now, shall I provide advice to the newbie Ensign as a former commander?<br /><br />“Enemies on the outside make it easy for the people inside to cooperate.” Sergeant Aroha mockingly replied, before I could say a word.<br /><br />“...” I felt slightly annoyed, but that was obvious enough to not need my explanation.<br /><br />“Lezirth? What’s up? You look a little annoyed.”<br /><br />“...No, no, I was just curious about that. Cooperation is fine, but the problem is that it’s only meaningful if they can solve the problem through cooperation.” I made an excuse, having a cold sweat. But it did sound like a meaningful saying in retrospect.<br /><br />Kishin Duskbringer of the Alliance-- To be honest, it was not an enemy that the Federation could defeat as of now. They used the silly name “Hyper-Kishin,” but it was indeed much stronger than the average Kishin-class Alter-Armour. Even with the aid of numerous Federation Kishins, they couldn’t take on the lone Duskbringer.<br /><br />Still, besides Duskbringer, the Alliance was severely disadvantaged in numbers. Perhaps the Federation could defeat Duskbringer through a multi-pronged attack.<br /><br />But that was not possible for a civilized society. Though they were soldiers, they were Federation citizens and no one should order them to a suicide attack. Throwing them into the battle as expendables, even if it were strategically beneficial, was politically wrong to carry it out.<br /><br />The strategies that seem great on the drawing board were worthless if they could not be realized. Then how could the Federation deal against Duskbringer? Did they have a secret weapon?<br /><br />“Hey, Kiske. You were in the Asa Royal Guards, right? Don’t you know anything about Duskbringer?”<br /><br />“Ah, uh, that’s...” Kiske didn’t seem to know what to do.<br /><br />“Duskbringer. Is that... made with Dawnbringer’s Alter Core? It looks a lot like a combination of Dawnbringer and Tetragrammaton, doesn’t it?”<br /><br />Kiske looked nervous when I dug into the topic. As a former guard to an Asa Princess, revealing sensitive information was to commit treason. We had kept him here so he wouldn’t face the harshness and the abuse in the military prison, but we’d forgotten that his heart was still with the Asa.<br /><br />“Hey now, I’m not even slightly trying to hurt the Asa. Honestly, this war isn’t my thing. But who who was that impostor Lezirth, anyway?”<br /><br />“...That man is called Reiji Dawnbringer. He is the leader of the Alliance Replicants.”<br /><br />“Reiji... Dawnbringer.”<br /><br />I shrugged. I didn’t know too much before my cryosleep, but I had heard that the surname Dawnbringer had become common for Replicants.<br /><br />It’s indeed my own name, but it’s really not a great name to be passed down for generations...<br /><br />“The Asa is a part of the Alliance, but it’s obvious from the actions and the strategies of the Alliance that the Replicants are given full control. What do you say about that?”<br /><br />“...How attentive. You speak like you’ve seen the imperial plan itself.”<br /><br />“So... am I correct, or not?”<br /><br />“Y-yes, that is accurate. Quite right. The Asa court had opponents who disliked that they were handing over the command to the Replicants, and that they were shaming themselves. But the pressure from the humanity was too great for us to not ally with the Replicants.”<br /><br />Kiske’s words helped me envision the overall picture of the Alliance. The Alliance was a salad bowl of amazingly different cultures, livelihoods, and habits, and there was no chance that their cooperation was going to go smoothly. I’m not saying that there aren’t any people whose sense of responsibility cross differences in race-- it was simply impossible for all those involved to have great patience, tolerance, and acceptance for all kinds of cultural differences between everyone involved.<br /><br />“So, that Reiji and that Eiredith are the heads of the Replicants? How so?”<br /><br />“Sorry?”<br /><br />“I mean, anyone who leads an opposition against the Federation would likely be a high-ranking military officer, or a politician, or a respected professor... I realize that the Alliance is in need of people, but there’s no way that they’re choosing leaders without considering their track records. Even if they could handle Kishins, they may be treated very well, but it should be difficult to become a head of the entire Alliance. Without having a nice background, that is.”<br /><br />And if they did indeed have very well-recognized backgrounds, the Federation would have known about them. The Federation’s response to Reiji and Eiredith was utter confusion and unexpected risk, so I could assume that they had no idea.<br /><br />“If the Replicants and the Senators backed them, then it wouldn’t be impossible.”<br /><br />“The Senators?”<br /><br />“Yes... the Replicants are controlled by the Senate.The Elcro and the Asa are the face of the Alliance, but the brains are the Replicants and its core is the Senate, which we have not yet seen for ourselves.”<br /><br />Oh. That’s a very valuable information.<br /><br />“He was once the Asa’s Royal Guard, but now he’s only a source of intel...”<br /><br />“Sorry?”<br /><br />“No, it’s nothing.”<br /><br />But it did pay off to bring Kiske along. I learned a lot about the Alliance. Since he was chasing after an Asa princess all this time, he must have overheard well-kept secrets, and he knew about the Asa perspective on things. <br /><br />After listening, Ensign Meihowa became frustrated. “I can feel that something’s going on... but I’m a lowly Ensign, so I still don’t understand the big picture. Is this making sense to you, Lezirth?”<br /><br />I shrugged at Ensign Meihowa. “Well, I’m also a lowly soldier for now. Anyway, it seems like a good idea for us to act together.”<br /><br />“Right now, we’re all placed in the same squad. I’m the squad leader... we’ll be placed with most of the Bomb Cadet Squad, plus new soldiers, into the assault squad. The new faces are also Replicants and part-humans.” Ensign Meihowa had a gloomy face. It couldn’t have been by sheer coincidence that the squad was formed with just Replicants and minority races of the Federation. Were they really using us as expendables?<br /><br />“Assault squad? We’re not even marines, and they want that? And honestly, when was the Bomb Cadet Squad qualified for that?”<br /><br />There may have been the mandatory assault drop training as a part of the recruit training, but assaulting a planet wasn’t exactly easy. It was obvious why they were placing recruits without marine training into the assault squad, despite the fact that we had a brigade-sized army, and there had to be qualified marines. It was a section of the military that had the highest casualty rate.<br /><br />On top of that, the Bomb Cadet Squad was mixed up in a major incident in the middle of that mandatory training. Was the Federation going crazy, to put us in the assault squad?<br /><br />“Hey now, remember who was being treated as an advisor to the Bomb Cadet Squad? When did you get so cocky, Lezirth?” Sergeant Aroha joked. Psh... how long ago was that, anyway?<br /><br />“Doesn’t it feel like a repeat of the recruit training? Are we going to be cannon fodder again?”<br /><br />But I had felt an even bigger trouble brewing. My instincts were usually accurate at times like these... I had hoped that I was wrong this time.</span><br />
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<br /><br />And my instinct was right.<br /><br />But I don’t mean that I was sent off as cannon fodder. I was looking at my assigned room, and I sighed. When the Federation military has no shortage of space, they assigned as much room as they could afford. Claustrophobic environments were bad for the soldiers’ mental health, the galaxy was big enough, and the improvements in construction technology allowed more space to be used.<br /><br />When it came to a spaceship, there was a problem. Alter-Drives and cold fusion technology was incomparable to the hydrazine rockets of the old times, but a spaceship was still a spaceship-- there wasn’t going to be free space.<br /><br />The lowliest soldiers naturally could not receive any more than the minimum required space. With engine parts, outer armours, and miscellaneous components filling the inside, there were bound to be inconveniences like overly tiny three-man rooms.<br /><br />And my room was that room. Ventilation pipe and power lines crossed the room, so on one wall was a two-shelf bunk bed, and the other had a tiny single bed. But the bigger problem were the roommates.<br /><br />“I’m keeping this space all for myself!”<br /><br />Pencolt immediately occupied the single bed for himself. Well, that was fine, but...<br /><br />“Can’t you move this out?”<br /><br />“These treasures?! You can’t even buy these treasures anymore!”<br /><br />Crowding the room were unopened figures, models, and various toys. I sighed. The room was already tiny enough that I didn’t even have room to stand, but the toys reduced the space even further. <br /><br />“Hey, what’s this? Why did you buy the same thing twice? Thrice?”<br /><br />“One’s for storage, one’s for display, and one’s for practical use!”<br /><br />“Practical use? Displaying it is the practical, isn’t it? How do you use this in a practical way? What the hell does that involve?” I sighed, and turned my attention away. Behind me was the meek, blonde-haired girl, who was nearly plastered on my back with her head down. Uh, nope, ‘girl’ just isn’t right. No, it was the Asa boy, Kiske Risner.<br /><br />“O-Onbira are made to use the same room? The Federation is filthy-minded!”<br /><br />“B-but of course guys would use the same bed. Is it normal for the Asa to have men and women share the same room?” I mumbled, remembering that Onbira meant males in the Asa castes. Since it seemed too challenging to try and take the bed away from Pencolt, I went for the bunk beds.<br /><br />“Hey, Kiske. Are you going to be bottom, or top? Should I take the top?”<br /><br />“...”<br /><br />Kiske’s face flared up brightly in red. Wh-what’s going on?<br /><br />“Wh-what?”<br /><br />“...I-I’m bottom... it’s my first time, so please be gentle.”<br /><br />“R-really? Isn’t it normal to enjoy being top? Well, if you’re letting me have it, I’m happy.”<br /><br />I sighed again, making room to move my feet by shoving the figures aside. Pencolt growled at me, but quickly whimpered away when I glared at him.<br /><br />“Ugh. I’m worried about the future, especially when my roommates are already like this.”<br /><br />“I’m worried too!”<br /><br />“I’m talking about you, you jerk. Can’t you move this away? Get rid of it while I’m still being nice.”<br /><br />“G-get rid of it?!”<br /><br />Of course, I already knew that Pencolt wouldn’t get rid of them. But it was outrageous that he’d try to take all the space in this tiny room for himself.</span><br />
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<br /><br />Maybe because the Thirteenth Special Forces was hastily formed, people were getting busy with the organization of the crew. The upper ranking officers were almost dying through the slow process of investigating the new crew’s profiles and placing them in the right squads, while the simple foot soldiers were having an easier time. I was personally busy filling in my knowledge gap for the last hundred and twenty years. Normally, I would take out my PDA and study mostly through internet surfing, but the Special Forces was in the middle of an operation. The only connection to the non-military network was in the common room, and all connections established in there are recorded and watched by the military investigations unit.<br /><br />Therefore, to fill my knowledge gap, I had to spend all of my free time in the common room.<br /><br />And when I got up to head for the common room... a shuffling sound came from somewhere, and soon, Kiske appeared with his uniform on, standing and looking at me with sparkling eyes.<br /><br />“If... y-you’re heading for the common room, let me follow you.”<br /><br />“...”<br /><br />I had no reason to decline, but it was getting awkward for him to follow me around every time. For Kiske, he was in the middle of enemy territory, and I was the easiest one for him to talk to, so it was almost understandable.<br /><br />But the other soldiers didn’t seem to think the same.<br /><br />...Did I have a choice? Kiske was a valuable source of information, and... he was a bargaining chip with my negotiations with the Asa princess.<br /><br />“Alright, come with me.”<br /><br />“H-hey, let me go too!”<br /><br />Pencolt, as he stopped rolling around the room while watching an animation through his head-mounted display, jumped up and followed me, too.<br /><br />“Huh? Why you?”<br /><br />“Lezirth is slow! Don’t you know how other soldiers act against Replicants and half-aliens?”<br /><br />“Huh? Is that so? But how come nobody ever says anything to me?”<br /><br />I’ve heard that civilians have recently been increasingly causing acts of terror and vandalism against Replicants and non-human races. But was that true for the military, too?<br /><br />“Because Lezirth is... an enhanced human! Even if a lot of people hate Replicants, there aren’t idiots who would touch a Combat Replicant!” said Pencolt, gluing himself against my back. When I walked forward with my left leg, he moved his left leg too, and when I moved my right, he moved his right. “If I match my movement like this, I can stealthily follow any target.”<br /><br />“There’s no way!”<br /><br />I dodged away from Pencolt and walked away forward. But then,<br /><br />--Slam!<br /><br />The door to the utility room opened and a private first class sprawled across the ground. A few marines walked out of the room, uniforms tied around their waist. They were all very muscular, but seeing their particularly thick neck and abs on their bulbous belly, they were clearly repeat steroid users.<br /><br />“Hey, man, just do this nice little thing. That’s it, you know? Hmm? It’s going to be really fun.”<br /><br />They pushed a special neural-connection PDA into the lying PFC’s face. When they saw my surprised expression, they looked at each other and grinned. One of them winked at me, and then stepped on the man.<br /><br />“Hey, hey, are you gonna try it out? Huh? You dirty Replicant spy! You’re resisting because you have something to hide, aren’t you? Huh?”<br /><br />“Hey, you guys should keep moving. Or do you want to play with us, too?”<br /><br />“Haha, isn’t that an Asa? You’ll be playing with us later, anyway.”<br /><br />Their crude threats scared Kiske and Pencolt. They kicked the fallen PFC and held him up by his neck. The skinny soldier was helplessly pulled around like clothes on a clothesline. They tried to put a red-coloured head-mounted display on him.<br /><br />That machine was a virtual reality machine that had recently become illegal. It forcibly intercepted a person’s brain waves to incite desired dreams on the user, and it was initially a massive financial success.<br /><br />But the virtual machine had a critical side effect. People were getting addicted to the enjoyable thoughts that were incited by the machines.<br /><br />The people who originally bought the machine to play online games offered by the platform were slowly addicted to the direct, unfiltered happiness that was offered by the system. Of course, there already have been addictive substances that directly provoked happiness in the users that have been made illegal, but the when people began enjoying the effortless rewards, such as eating the world’s tastiest food and having relations with beautiful people without the social step, the virtual reality lost all other purpose.<br /><br />Grind an entire day to level up, and fight the bosses? For what? Why not just get the princess at the start, and spend the effort in the fiery night after?<br /><br />And so, the players had become disconnected from the society after becoming addicted to stimulus. When a massive number of people were found dead with the HMD on their heads, the Federation government declared the machine as a type of an addictive substance and made the connection to the virtual reality illegal.<br /><br />And these people were not only assaulting a man, but also forcing an illegal device onto another.<br /><br />“Hey, if you get lost right now, I won’t tell the military police.” I said, while laughing at the ridiculous sight.<br /><br />The marines ignored my words like I was some random seagull crying at the beach.<br /><br />“Don’t shake up the bee’s nest! Let’s just move on, please?” Pencolt shivered.<br /><br />Kiske looked just as scared. It wasn’t unfitting for his gentle, girly looks, but hasn’t he been in multiple battles where his life was on the line? Why so scared? <br /><br />Setting the questions aside, I walked up to a marine and put a hand on his shoulders.<br /><br />Suddenly, something zoomed past my head. He had swung his fist at me. I easily avoided his punch and locked my leg around his weight-bearing leg.<br /><br />He lost his footing and hobbled away, but he didn’t fall down. At that moment, the rest of the marines had turned their focus on me.<br /><br />“Hey, this Replicant private is insane!”<br /><br />“Don’t you know who we are?”<br /><br />They tried to surround me, but I stood against a wall. “Do I know you people? I know that you’re all idiots who’s going to have a hard time in the military prison. Electronic drugs are one thing, but you’re also forcing somebody else to break a law, aren’t you?”<br /><br />“You bastard!”<br /><br />They grabbed wrenches, spanners, and other random tools from the utility room. Those tools were more dangerous than an average Medieval flail. Getting hit by one was guaranteed to break a body part, and seeing them go for the tools without a second thought made me even more disappointed.<br /><br />I didn’t know if they had a particular reason to do this to the private first class, but using weapons against someone who just said a few words, despite having the number advantage, was cowardly. If they had come at me with their fists, I would have been mad but not much else. ...But now, their cowardly attitude had left me with pure hatred.<br /><br />“I’ll warn you now-- if you don’t want to have a group funeral, put down whatever’s in your hands, hmm?”<br /><br />“Too late, you...”<br /><br />Before a marine could finish his words, I threw a jab at him. He stepped back in surprise when he felt my fist against his face. Blood poured down his face.<br /><br />“...Huh?”<br /><br />After eating a double punch to his nose and his chin, he walked backwards with a dumbfounded expression until he collapsed.<br /><br />“What was that?”<br /><br />“You’re getting beaten up, that’s what. Dear customers, you’ve earned free beatings for racking up enough points in our reward program.”<br /><br />I threw a straight kick at one of the marines who hadn’t understood the situation yet. He was pinned to the wall like a preserved bug in an insect collection.<br /><br />“Aaargh!”<br /><br />Another marine came to and charged at me with an iron pipe. Instead of dodging, I grabbed the pipe with a hand.<br /><br />--*Creeeee!*<br /><br />The iron pipe deformed to the shape of my fingers. The marines were shocked at the sight.<br /><br />“An enhanced human?!”<br /><br />“Is that a Combat Replicant?!”<br /><br />“What are you wasting time for? If you don’t take a beating when your friends did, that would be discrimination! I don’t know if you’d die from it, so you should take just one hit each.”<br /><br />I grabbed the two marines who spoke last and gave a punch each in their stomachs. The sight of them collapsing while hugging their stomach was refreshing.<br /><br />“It’s been a long time since I fought off-duty. Ah, it’s a nice feeling.”<br /><br />“Urg... guh...”<br /><br />“Nobody said we’re fighting off-duty...”<br /><br />The collapsed marines spoke, but I ignored them and helped the fallen soldier get up on his feet.<br /><br />“Are you alright, Private First Class? You don’t seem alright. I’ll call the military police and take care of these punks.” I said, and then the man looked at me like I was crazy. He had a small build and looked like he had no energy. Why did he look at me like that?<br /><br />“But... they’re the military police.”<br /><br />“Eh?!”<br /><br />“...”<br /><br />What? These punks were the military police?<br /><br />“Uh oh, we’re in big trouble! Lezirth, how are you going to deal with this?!”<br /><br />Pencolt looked distraught from fear. But I had only grown curious.<br /><br />“What do you mean, deal with this? What did I do wrong?”<br /><br />“Isn’t this assault? And on the military police, too!”<br /><br />“They used weapons against me, so it’s just self defense! And what, these are the military police? This won’t do.”<br /><br />I grabbed one of the fallen marines and put him on his feet. He looked at me, confused.<br /><br />“Wh-what?”<br /><br />“You bastard! Praying won’t save you now! Your time is over!” He said the most generic evil henchman line that I’d ever heard. Isn’t he embarrassed?! I almost cringed.<br /><br />“That’s enough of bringing down the troop morale! That’s it, it’s time to speak to your parents-- I mean, your superiors!”<br /><br />“Wha?!”<br /><br />“What? A-are you right in the head?!”<br /><br />The military police members lost their confidence from a minute ago and appeared surprised. When I began using the military line to call the military police chieftain, everyone was utterly shocked. The criminals were understandably shaken, but even Pencolt and the victimized soldier were looking nervous.<br /><br />The soldier exclaimed to Pencolt, “This is terrible! He’s crazier than I thought!”<br /><br />“Right? He’s like this every day!”<br /><br />What’s the issue? Isn’t it normal to complain to the superiors of the military police, just as I’d talk to the parents if a child does wrong? <br /><br />“Hm, let’s see. Special Forces officers list is here... Who’s the military police chieftain? MP Commander Supredi? Hmm?<br /><br />I had noticed a familiar name in the middle of the staff list of the Thirteenth Special Forces.<br /><br />“Huh? Brigade Tactical Commander Liu Kwanshin?<br /><br />Isn’t that Ensign Meihowa’s father?</span><br />
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<br /><br />I gave up on accusing the military police punks to the upper commanders after the victimized soldier and Pencolt talked me out of it. It wasn’t that I, the former commander of the marines, turned a blind eye to a blatant disregard for the law. It was only because the victim himself did not desire the situation to blow up further, and for whatever reason, everyone seemed to think I was the insane one, so I went with it.<br /><br />‘Everyone thinks of me as their advisor, but when I’m the crazy one, I should follow the general consensus.’<br /><br />I had decided that I shouldn’t completely trust my own judgment after a hundred and twenty years of sleep. How should I know how the world changed while I was gone?<br /><br />“But why were you bullied, anyway?”<br /><br />The soldier looked thankful that I asked. “B-because I’m a Replicant. Those bastards said that they will see if my thoughts are clean, by... peeking into my mind with that dream machine. I got away with an attempted assault, but I bet there were a lot of people who had worse.”<br /><br />It seemed that the society and the Federation were both becoming nationalistic and xenophobic at a greater rate than I had anticipated. After knowing about the defeat at Oden, people’s feeling of dominance over minor races were turning into fear and dissent.<br /><br />When fear spreads over an entire society, people are guaranteed to act overly defensive. It would be helpful if these defensive feelings led to a friendly attitude that makes the Federation apologize for its crimes against Replicants and aliens, and then befriend the other factions, but human history says that will never happen.<br /><br />‘I’ll kill them before they kill me!’<br /><br />These nationalistic attitudes instead turn into a violent uprising. These attitudes were the nature of the population to preserve their gene pool, and even if the humans were to spread across the galaxy, we could see that human psychology was ultimately governed by their DNA.<br /><br />So, does it justify the abuse of the nationalistic mobs, because their genes told them what to do? That wasn’t it, either. Even if you were to get beaten up by a man whose tragic past could fill a book, you were going to get hurt and angry just the same.<br /><br />“I don’t know how to thank you. Can I maybe offer you tea?”<br /><br />“Well, you don’t have to do anything for me.”<br /><br />“It won’t feel right if you decline. Oh, I’m Private First Class Koscheck.”<br /><br />“I’m Lezirth Dawnbringer.”<br /><br />“This guy’s a Vice Admiral, you know?”<br /><br />“... I-I’m a private.”<br /><br />Pencolt giggled at my response. Hmph. What a nuisance. Still, the man would have known my rank by my insignia.<br /><br />“I-is that so? I wasn’t sure, but you look like you’ve had a lot of military experience...”<br /><br />“No, I... I-I’m a natural, you know?”<br /><br />I did indeed have a lot more military experience, but it wasn’t something that I could publically announce. Looking back, I had been talking with no respect to a private first class as a lower ranked soldier. Wait, I suppose that wasn’t important after how I dealt with the officer-class soldiers from a minute ago.<br /><br />And despite properly introducing my rank, the private first class maintained his careful, formal tone. He was a good man for behaving based on who the people were, and not their ranks.<br /><br />When I was the Vice Admiral myself, I would have had nothing to learn from him myself, but as a private, I wished that everyone would behave like he did.<br /><br />PFC Koscheck went to buy coffee, milk tea, and snow cones with nanomachine bandages on his body. Coffee was for Pencolt, milk tea for me, and the snow cone for Kiske. I refused repeatedly but he still went ahead and bought them-- what a nice guy.<br /><br />“Eh-- How do I eat this?”<br /><br />Kiske was confused at the paper-wrapped snow cone. He gave looks at Pencolt to get him to notice, but Pencolt perfectly ignored him.<br /><br />“Gee, what kind of backwards place have you been living in? Give me that.” I took the snow cone and removed the paper wrapping.<br /><br />Kiske looked amazed. “L-Lezirth, you really are a powerful Onbira! Not only can you defeat strong enemies, you can also remove skins off of a complex food! You’re a great hunter.”<br /><br />“...”<br /><br />He compared removing a food wrapping to skinning and butchering an animal or a fish. What.<br /><br />What is this feeling? I thought I’d become the father figure in a stone age family who went hunting for his family.<br /><br />“Hahaha, you guys look very close. Like... Um...” PFC Koscheck alternated between looking at Kiske and I in search of appropriate words. Well, rather than appropriate words, he seemed to be looking for a way to say whatever that wasn’t going to offend Kiske or I. Was he checking us out?<br /><br />Before he could say anything strange, I took the initiative. “Anyway, were those bastards from before actually acting on official business?”<br /><br />That couldn’t have been true. The bastards became ghostly white when I said that I’d tell the military police chieftain, so their act was more like lynching rather than an official matter. It had to be illegal officially, but... it seemed like an act that was close to becoming the norm of this society. Even now, the soldiers around us weren’t giving us kind looks.<br /><br />“Not officially, but... the world is becoming dangerous. Especially for us Replicants...” PFC Koscheck spoke, shrinking in fear like a scared little animal. It was sad to see him.<br /><br />“Ugh. It’s a pretty complicated problem. Are we going to run into more of these later?” I was distressed that the Federation had turned into this, after I’d given my life to protect it. It was like the feeling of a parent watching his child become a worthless being.<br /><br />“Whoa! This is delicious! It’s soft, and it’s sweet... I can’t believe such a thing exists in this world!”<br /><br />“...I-is that so? At least you’re not worrying.”<br /><br />Kiske was in ecstasy while he licked the snow cone. Well, seeing him incredibly happy made me smile, too. Seeing others happy had a magical power to make people around them happy, too-- unless they’re nemeses, I guess.</span>Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-6091051718803713712016-09-10T01:30:00.001-07:002016-11-18T09:09:10.547-08:00[Four Lovers v02] Prologue. Quartic Equation<span style="font-size: small;"><i>A new challenger appears! How will our original roster fare against the new opponent?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>In other news, please give a warm welcome and applause to Really Not, our newest K-translator on board!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>He has exceptional skills and practical real-life experience, which are clearly evident in this release!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Translator: Really Not</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Editor: LHI & Ashley June X.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please enjoy~</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-48333cb2-123b-44d9-3f1d-7a560386daf3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-48333cb2-123b-44d9-3f1d-7a560386daf3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have you ever seen what a girl looks like when she comes face-to-face with the women who were four-timing with her boyfriend?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, I was a bit inattentive to him.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl who spoke was someone who could attract people’s gazes just by sitting still.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">More than anything else, her appearance was foreign. She, with her shining hair and transparent, blue eyes, was simply not Asian.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, the reason she drew people’s attention was not just because she had the looks of a Westerner.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With a translucent black cardigan over a sleeveless one-piece dress, the girl looked pretty much perfect in every way.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“My school has mandatory self-studies after class, so we didn’t even meet on weekdays. We only got together on the weekends. Even then, it wasn’t like we went around on dates.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her eyes bore a cold shine like that of transparent ice, and her well-defined lips glistened despite the lack of makeup. They were the kind of facial features that would draw the attention of anyone, men and women alike.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Although her figure was slim, her breasts were not small. Below her slim waist and petite hips, her fair legs stretched in long, clean lines.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And she was displaying that brilliant appearance confidently, without a hint of hesitation.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A girl whose expression, posture, and attitude, as well as everything else, were perfect and dignified.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was like a “queen.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We always met in the library. You all know what he’s like. He studies even on the weekends. So studying in the library together was our concept of a date.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite talking about her lover, her voice carried neither excitement nor shyness.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her face was so composed that it was hard to tell whether she was talking about her boyfriend or what she had for breakfast today.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-You studied together?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The person who shouted was a girl wearing a light pink dress with a floral pattern. She looked to be a model student, but her breasts were on the large side and shook dramatically whenever she moved her body.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, we often studied together. It’s efficient when you study together after setting a goal for the day. Having said that, I did read other books from time to time since I am not the studying addict that he is.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-Studying with another girl…”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She cringed while hanging her lip. After taking a glance at her breasts, which were deforming under the pressure of her arms, the blonde girl added in a cold voice.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course, we didn’t spend all of our time silently at the desk. We went outside to get some air and talk on breaks. Us both are not really interested in small talk, so we discussed life issues.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“…Life issues?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The person who spoke was a girl in a white, lacy dress. She was also blessed with a surreal beauty and slim, long legs, but if the blond girl was proud like a queen, she had the innocence like that of a fragile flower.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It wasn’t anything grand. We speak the same language, since we know what each other’s values are. We just talked about how we would live in the future, what we want to make a living out of, things like that.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So… You talked about your futures…”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She smiled slightly, her eyes narrowed. It was a smile which conveyed a strange sense of will, but the the blonde girl didn’t seem to be fazed.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Still, our relationship wasn’t that bland. We also ate boxed lunches that I made.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Boxed lunches…?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The person who responded to that word was a girl clad in a simple, flared black dress. Although she looked to be as young as a middle schooler, her expression was firm and her eyes did not shine with charm.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I didn’t get up early in the morning to cook for my boyfriend - it wasn’t anything nice and warm like that. The library food is cheap but not that great. I didn’t like it, so I made some sandwiches, and I happened to give some to him. Eating together is kind of fun, too.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You didn’t just give him a boxed lunch… You ate them together…?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She murmured while biting her lip, and the girl next to her flinched. The blonde girl was just letting it go in one ear and out the other, though.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In any case, that’s basically how our relationship is. It’s not passionate, but we are serious about dating, so I don’t want you girls to get the wrong idea.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th...Then!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl in pink shouted while raising her hand like in class.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uh, well, then... D, Did you do perverted things with Glasses?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The other two looked at her with an expression that said “What the hell is she saying…,” and the one who talked realized what she was doing and became flustered.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N, no, I mean that…”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“…Hmm.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The person in question looked surprised for a second, but soon brought a cold smile to her lips.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You, do you want to do perverted stuff with my boyfriend?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ehhhh?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Or, perhaps, you already have?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No no no, no!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She snickered while looking at the bright red face in front of her.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes… You’re probably desperate to do that stuff with my boyfriend. So you failed even though you thrust those breasts at him?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-W-W-What are you talking about?! That’s nonsense!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You seem to be the type who has all the perverted thoughts in the world inside her head while looking like an uninterested model student on the outside. You must have had it hard.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I mean it isn’t like that! Y-You guys, say something! I’m not like that!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well… Miss Yu Yuyu is…”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t really feel the need to deny that statement.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl wearing pink, who wanted some support, looked about to cry at the cruel attitude of her friends.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, about the answer to that question.” The blonde girl said, tidying her hair. “Why do I have to answer that?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, you can’t answer?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The one who spoke up was the girl in white.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you did it, why don’t you say it? If you are so deeply entwined with Sunbae, we might be able to accept it and back off.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, she didn’t really mean what she said. Her expression said that she was trying to figure out whether the blonde girl was telling the truth or not from her answer.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I wouldn’t talk about that with people I have met for the first time today, would I?” The blonde girl would only answer with a cold expression. “You girls, do you talk about those kinds of things with anyone? You’re different from what I thought.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That is…”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, I guess you could claim superiority with that when fighting with other girls. But don’t you think that’s kind of rude?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, you don’t want to give us a straight answer.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s because I don’t need to.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“…Let’s stop with the useless chatter.” The girl in black spoke. She asked while remaining expressionless. “You, do you like my brother?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was a moment of silence at that direct question.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We are going out like this, so there wouldn’t be no emotions, right?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t talk in circles.” She said sternly. “Please answer. Do you like my brother… Ahn Kyeong-hyun, as a man? Do you love him?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You can’t answer?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I like him. Hence we are going out.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She shook her head at this light response.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t think you mean it.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aren’t you expecting a bit too much from a forced confession of love?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I can’t believe it.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She scowled at the girl in front of her with deep, dark eyes.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I can’t believe the fact that, you are my brother’s girlfriend.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Even if you don’t believe it, the truth is the truth.” Without losing her composure, the blonde girl smiled and said, “I am Ahn Kyeong-hyun’s girlfriend. That fact doesn’t change.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After stating so, she said as if it had just come to her mind,</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I was wondering for a while.” She asked, looking at the three girls in front of her. “Why are you all in dresses? I don’t like it.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The three looked at each other and showed mixed expressions. One was in a light pink, floral pattern dress, one was in a white, lacy dress, and the other was in a flared, black dress… In any case, they were all dresses.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Y-You’re also wearing a dress!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s why it’s more unpleasant.” She, in her black cardigan over her black dress, rose from her seat after replying. “Then, I think we have talked enough. I will be going now.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, not yet…”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hold on a second.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ignoring the calls to stay, she grabbed the arm of a boy who was sitting nervously on a nearby chair.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a boy in glasses, wearing a white t-shirt with a landscape print and cotton pants.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s go, boyfriend.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Wait!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A boyfriend who was going out with other girls, three of them, no less, would best shut up at this point.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The boy who had his arm grabbed looked around in panic. After gazing at each of the three girls, each of them with their own expression, he raised his voice to the girl who was leading him away.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-Where are we going!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s obvious.” Making a queenlike smile, she whispered to her captured boyfriend. “We are living together from now on. We promised, right?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seo-rin.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jaran University’s College of Education Affiliated Girls High School, Second Year, Class 5, Student Number 16.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl whose looks are outstanding even among the students of the school that is said to have the prettiest girls in the neighborhood.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She is always first in her class in exams. Her schoolwide rank is also always in the single digits.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She is also this year’s student council president. Her outstanding capabilities and charisma lead the entire school.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her name is known to everyone in the school, as well as those in other schools - she is the “Queen.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, no one has heard of her having a boyfriend. Rumor has it that she sometimes declines confessions from boys who attend other schools, but the consensus is that she is simply not interested in dating.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, though, she is walking with her arms around a boy.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Leaning her head against him, hugging his arm close to her chest.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Leaving behind the three girls who were going out with him.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From today, she will live together with her “boyfriend.”</span>Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-28236822014796782302016-08-31T05:31:00.002-07:002016-09-27T18:36:28.029-07:00[Me and the Tigress v01] 03. Third Story - Part 2This is the part where you get clubbed by a bear-- in multiple meanings at once.<br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Dijon</i><br />
<i>Editor: Narane </i><br />
____________________<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
…...It’s cold. It’s July, the hottest month of the year, but I was woken up from my sleep again by the cold. My entire body was shivering from the cold feeling on my stomach. I opened my eyes and looked down.<br />
<br />
“Have you woken up?”<br />
<br />
The phantom, who expressed with her whole body that she was angry just yesterday evening, looked at me with her two shining eyes and had her hands on my chest.<br />
<br />
Something about her position is erotic.<br />
<br />
“......What’re you doing?”<br />
<br />
“There is something I must urgently do.”<br />
<br />
I took out my phone and checked the time. It’s 3 in the morning. Even if you have something to say, there’s no reason to say it at this time.<br />
<br />
“Tomorrow…… Tell me <i>then</i>. I’m sleepy.”<br />
<br />
“Unless it is now, I am unable to avoid Master’s eyes.”<br />
<br />
“And what’re you going to say while avoiding Rangii?”<br />
<br />
The corners of Saehee’s mouth rose.<br />
<br />
“I said I would <i>do </i>something, not <i>say </i>something, young master.”<br />
<br />
You mean an action?<br />
<br />
“Please do it tomorrow. I’m going to sleep, so get off of me.”<br />
<br />
“I cannot.”<br />
<br />
“Oi.”<br />
<br />
Saehee ignored my words entirely, bent her body to have her face right in front of my nose, and then,<br />
<br />
“I do not know why my Master would become enamored with a piece of trash no better than scum, but I truly wish I could kill you, young master.”<br />
<br />
She made a chill run down my back.<br />
<br />
“....... Are you serious?”<br />
<br />
“Of course, young master. My hatred for you is equal to your stupidity.”<br />
<br />
Saehee smiled a smile that froze my heart, and grabbed my neck with one hand.<br />
<br />
“Although it would aid Master if I were to end your life now, I cannot as I do not wish to see Master’s hurt face a second time. I truly hope you view your continued life as Master’s kindness.”<br />
<br />
“Sae, Saehee?”<br />
<br />
“It would be best to remember my words, the leech-like-young-master-who-only-continues-to-live-because-of-Master’s-kindness. How Master must have felt while waiting four thousand years for the young master, the great happiness she must have felt because of you, how she felt when she followed you to Seoul, I hope you will think about them as you act in the future. I hope you will think, and think, and please, never forget to think about that."<br />
<br />
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move even a finger. With me unable to talk, as if in a nightmare,<br />
<br />
“Ah, and please do not feel too badly about my erasing your memories of this night’s events.”<br />
<br />
Along with Saehee’s hate for me, I could only see her hand against my head.<br />
<br />
“Because this is simply my way of venting.”<br />
<br />
Were you that upset after I didn’t buy you a doll?! Why’re you doing this even when you have so much money?!<br />
<br />
Seeing dozens, hundreds of hands cover me, the last thing I felt was an inexplicable sense of unfairness as I lost consciousness.<br />
<br />
I woke up today from the sunlight coming in through the window. Uu—. I should hang up curtains. I moved around on the bed to avoid the light and curled up my body. At night I was…… Huh? What was that last night……? Ah, yeah. I had a strange nightmare and wasn’t able to sleep well. What the heck am I thinking of? The only thing I have to think of is how I can comfortably sleep more.<br />
<br />
Click.<br />
<br />
I heard the door open.<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon! It’s morning!”<br />
<br />
…...No, it’s Rangii’s voice. I slightly opened one eye and looked towards the door. Rangii had on the same style of hanbok as yesterday, entered the room, and ran towards me with a <i>bang-bang</i>. …...no, maybe <i>pitapat </i>would fit better. Because she was turning round and round in the middle of the room.<br />
<br />
Ee—ya. Young people are truly full of life. But mornings are tiring for me because of my age.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, it’s morning……”<br />
<br />
And I went off into dreamland again.<br />
<br />
“Huh?”<br />
<br />
I let out a sound to show that I was sleeping.<br />
<br />
“Snore……”<br />
<br />
“Wake up!”<br />
<br />
“I’m—sleepy.”<br />
<br />
“Don’t you have to get up early so we can have a date?”<br />
<br />
I partially woke up after she talked about a date.<br />
<br />
“What do you mean, a date?”<br />
<br />
But my body was still curled up under the blanket.<br />
<br />
“Saehee said today that men and women who are in love go on things called dates.”<br />
<br />
The moment I heard the name Saehee, I felt an inexplicable chill. Why did that happen? Ah, is it because she said something strange to Rangii so she could tease me?<br />
<br />
…...Well, that isn’t important compared to Rangii who’s trying to make me get up.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, yeah. People who’re dating go on dates. So I’m going to go have a date with drowsiness in dreamland.”<br />
<br />
People who need a lot of sleep have it tough in the morning. Since a sudden mishap like what happened yesterday won’t occur, I don’t have a reason to get up at this time.<br />
<br />
“How much longer are you going to sleep! Someone’s been preparing breakfast since dawn!”<br />
<br />
But I feel like a sudden mishap has just occurred. I quickly got up and begged Narae for mercy.<br />
<br />
“I’m up!”<br />
<br />
Narae smiled.<br />
<br />
“If you’re not fully awake, I can help you.”<br />
<br />
I fully woke up after seeing you in an apron. But if my eyes aren’t mistaken?!<br />
<br />
“N, naked apron?!”<br />
<br />
Bam!<br />
<br />
“Wh, who’s naked?! I clearly have clothes on!”<br />
<br />
Narae blushed and did a spin. Ah, because she’s wearing a small tank top and hot pants, I mistook her for being naked. The strength of a human’s imagination is scary. Narae’s kick hurts.<br />
<br />
“Hm? What’s a naked apron?”<br />
<br />
Nibbling on her finger, Rangii made a question mark with her hair and asked me a question I didn’t need to answer while I was underneath and being stepped on by Narae.<br />
<br />
“A naked apron is when a woman, or a man, wears only a small dress which is normally used as protection for clothes or as a decoration.”<br />
<br />
Because Saehee answered for me.<br />
<br />
“Have you gotten up, young master?”<br />
<br />
I suddenly got a headache after seeing Saehee. Is it because I was too worried because of her yesterday?<br />
<br />
“Rather than gotten up, I got woken up.”<br />
<br />
“I have almost prepared the meal, so please prepare to eat.”<br />
<br />
There was a tasty smell in the house.<br />
<br />
“Soybean stew?”<br />
<br />
“You’re a great competitor for Baduk’s role.”<br />
<br />
I scratched my head at Saehee’s insult-like compliment.<br />
<br />
“Shut up.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I washed quickly, and when I was about to go out, the door swung open. It was Rangii. This brat, she opened the bathroom door without a care in the world. No, was it my fault for not locking the door?<br />
<br />
“What?”<br />
<br />
“Saehee told me to wash my face first.”<br />
<br />
You look pretty happy for someone who just got told to wash herself.<br />
<br />
“Yeah. I’m all done so I’m leaving.”<br />
<br />
“Huh? Weren’t you going to wash me?”<br />
<br />
What’s that nonsense?<br />
<br />
“I taught you how to wash yourself.”<br />
<br />
“Wasn’t that how to take a bath? I haven’t learned how to wash my face in human form yet.”<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii smile so delightedly, I wanted to hit her on the top of her head, but I held it in. No matter the reason, solution, or the process, I can’t get punish her for trying to learn how to live in the human world. I let out a small sigh and beckoned Rangii forward with my hand.<br />
<br />
“Right. I will fall for your trick just for today.”<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#1" name="top1"><sup>[1]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“Huh? You’re copying me.”<br />
<br />
Rangii ran towards me while saying that, and when she was by the sink…… She’s short. I set Rangii on top of the bathroom stool. Hm, about the right height. I put a towel around Rangii’s neck and had her put her head down.<br />
<br />
…...Saehee hadn’t braided her hair yet so her hair fell forward.<br />
<br />
“......Your hair’s really long.”<br />
<br />
I moved Rangii’s hair back and tied it loosely with a towel.<br />
<br />
“Hehehe, I’m proud of it.”<br />
<br />
You could be a bit more proud about other things. Some examples are your cute appearance, or your bright, quick-to-follow personality.” …...Shoot! What am I thinking? I concentrated on washing Rangii’s face.<br />
<br />
After finishing washing her, I went out to the living room to find a huge traditional meal set out. I asked Narae something as I thought to myself that there was no way she could’ve made so many side dishes from the groceries I bought yesterday.<br />
<br />
“Did you go grocery shopping this morning?”<br />
<br />
“Saehee and I went.”<br />
<br />
Narae went grocery shopping! Then the dream-like situation in which Narae got up early, went grocery shopping, and prepared a meal for me happened? Ah, Mom. I think I saved the world in a previous life. Is it okay to be this happy?<br />
<br />
“You have completely forgotten that I went as well.”<br />
<br />
It’s not that I forgot; I was ignoring that on purpose.<br />
<br />
“How did you know that?”<br />
<br />
“Anyone could tell by the way your jaw dropped while looking at Narae-nim.”<br />
<br />
“......I’m really sorry for that.”<br />
<br />
“Don’t have weird thoughts while you’re looking at me!”<br />
<br />
“How do I look like someone who’d have those kinds of thoughts?!”<br />
<br />
So that Narae would reevaluate her perception of the human known as Kang Sunghoon……<br />
<br />
“Naked apron.”<br />
<br />
…...She silenced me.<br />
<br />
I sat in the same seat as yesterday; Saehee sat to my left and Narae sat to my right. And Rangii sat on my knee as if it was natural.<br />
<br />
“......Hey.”<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
Rangii asked me while pricking up her ears, and while I know it wouldn’t have any meaning, I still had to say something.<br />
<br />
“Why’d you sit here?”<br />
<br />
“I realized yesterday while I was eating that eating here was the most comfortable, so I decided to eat like this.”<br />
<br />
Narae gave a short laugh.<br />
<br />
“What, isn’t that okay? Since it’s cute.”<br />
<br />
And a confirmed fact.<br />
<br />
“But I see this as a nice father-daughter relationship.”<br />
<br />
And now she’s even digging a grave.<br />
<br />
“Oi.”<br />
<br />
“I believe the young master will be a good caretaker for children later.”<br />
<br />
I don’t want to receive those kinds of future-related compliments at 17 years old.<br />
<br />
“It must be because he is a helpless lolicon.”<br />
<br />
“Stop saying that. If strangers heard that then they’d think I was really a lolicon.”<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon, I want to eat that.”<br />
<br />
While they were saying that, Rangii had inexplicably taken a bite of rice and, while chewing on that, she pointed at the faraway vegetables. Try and read the mood.<br />
<br />
After I was done watching over Rangii’s meal, I brushed my teeth and lounged around watching TV. There’s a weather forecast on the news saying it’ll rain at night in the central district of Seoul. Hm. Is it going to get a little cooler? The heat isn’t too bad in the house because the breeze hits here well, but getting cooler is a good thing. Ah…… I want to hang up an air conditioner. However. Is it okay to waste my precious summer vacation just watching TV? …...Well, this is better than going to a prep school, or getting private lessons, or getting supplemental lessons like my friends.<br />
<br />
My parents are extremely strict about studying. Seeing them sometimes make me panic, but if you don’t have fun when you’re young, then when will you?<br />
<br />
“Coffee or tea?” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#2" name="top2"><sup>[2]</sup></a><br />
<br />
And while I was bewildered by the sudden English as I was a bad student, I quickly regained my composure after realizing that it was elementary school level vocabulary and answered.<br />
<br />
“Please give me coffee.”<br />
<br />
“Do you like coffee?”<br />
<br />
How should I answer Narae’s question?<i> I don’t love coffee, but I don’t want tea that’s purely bitter. I like coffee since I can have it at least slightly sweet.</i> Could I say that?<br />
<br />
“Y, yeah.”<br />
<br />
“Hm—mm. Okay.”<br />
<br />
Narae had cat’s eyes and a foreboding smile, and she went into the kitchen. What, was she going to ask me what coffee I wanted <i>after </i>making it? The only coffee I know is the one from the vending machines, anyway. That aside, there’s really nothing to watch on TV. All the programs in the morning are the usual stuff, and they’re just boring. I need to pay more attention to the broadcast schedule. Should I go on the computer? No, going on the computer right after eating is a bit…… In the end, I just spaced out in front of the TV. *Sound of epic spacing out*<br />
<br />
“Uraaak!”<br />
<br />
A clear, beautiful shriek came from somewhere, and as I turned my head, I saw Rangii flying with her body outstretched. Correction. She was flying towards me.<br />
<br />
“Uwak?!”<br />
<br />
It was too late to catch her, so all I could do was stick out my arms, but she landed face down on the sofa with her chin on my leg as if she was aiming for this.<br />
<br />
“You scared me! What’re you doing?”<br />
<br />
“Saehee and Narae are fighting over something weird, so I ran away.”<br />
<br />
“They’re fighting?”<br />
<br />
I turned my head to look towards the kitchen. Although I couldn’t see them, I could just make out their voices.<br />
<br />
“You are foolish. Using the coffee beans one day after they are roasted will result in a taste and aroma that……”<br />
<br />
“That’s wrong. It’s best right after the coffee beans are roasted……”<br />
<br />
…...I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Since I can’t understand what they’re saying, and I don’t want to.<br />
<br />
“So what is it?”<br />
<br />
“You’re too cold sometimes. A woman approaches the man who will become her husband to try to express affection, but you’re acting like that.”<br />
<br />
Isn’t it natural for my reaction to you to be as cold as absolute zero? I changed my mind about saying that because she’d just respond with <i>what do you mean by absolute zero</i>? I'm not a good enough scholar.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, yeah. So, how should I occupy your time?”<br />
<br />
“......I don’t like that tone even more for some reason.”<br />
<br />
What a sharp brat.<br />
<br />
“But it’s okay. You don’t need to go out of your way to do something for me. Because just being by your body makes me content.”<br />
<br />
It looks like lending my leg so she could use it as a pillow doesn’t count as doing something for her.<br />
<br />
“But are you sure got up early this morning?”<br />
<br />
“Isn’t there the saying, the early tiger gets to the stove first?”<br />
<br />
You’re wrong. It may seem correct at first glance, but the saying itself is wrong.<br />
<br />
“You're probably thinking this: gentle cats get on top of the furnace first.” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#3" name="top3"><sup>[3]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“......Have the words changed like that?”<br />
<br />
Are you trying to say that it was originally like that?<br />
<br />
“Anyways, I don’t sleep well in the morning.”<br />
<br />
And she’s lying.<br />
<br />
“Today’s the only day you woke up earlier than me.”<br />
<br />
“Isn’t there no helping that? When I’m right next to you I get sleepy.”<br />
<br />
“Am I a sleeping pill? Ah, by sleeping pill, I mean a medicine that makes you sleepy.”<br />
<br />
“Uu—. I know that much.”<br />
<br />
Does she not like being treated like a completely clueless child? Rangii flailed her hands and feet, and she shook her body from side to side. Seeing you like this, you’re clearly a child! Rangii used the rebound from her flailing to turn her body to look up at me. I looked straight at Rangii and spoke.<br />
<br />
“So why do you get sleepy when you’re with me?”<br />
<br />
“Um……”<br />
<br />
Rangii was deep in thought for a moment, and then,<br />
<br />
“It’s probably because when I’m with you, this place gets warm.”<br />
<br />
Rangii put her hand against the left part of her chest and spoke.<br />
<br />
“When my body, my soul, my everything are touching you, smelling you, feeling you, this spot gets warm. This has been getting bigger, day by day, since the first time I saw you. I don’t really know what this is, but this very warm, tender, and a little sad place…… I don’t really know. What do people call this place?”<br />
<br />
She was bearing her genuine self before me with her pure, serious eyes. My face flushed at Rangii’s unexpected surprise attack. Th, this brat. Does she not know what she’s saying right now? Y, you little. That’s……<br />
<br />
While I was having trouble giving her an answer, Rangii’s serious look flew off somewhere and was replaced by a joking expression.<br />
<br />
“So that’s what I’ll say.”<br />
<br />
Rangii lifted up my t-shirt, buried her face against my belly and put her hand around my waist.<br />
<br />
“Hey!”<br />
<br />
I couldn’t see her face, but seeing Rangii’s tail shake happily, I could guess what kind of expression she had. Are you smiling, you brat? That also…… must mean you’re happy.<br />
<br />
“......But this is a surprisingly plump, tasty looking belly.”<br />
<br />
She’s nonchalantly talking about something I’m conscious of.<br />
<br />
“Hey, you brat.”<br />
<br />
“Is it okay if I take a bite?”<br />
<br />
“Don’t.”<br />
<br />
“Just one bite……”<br />
<br />
“I said don’t.”<br />
<br />
“Just one…..”<br />
<br />
“One bite or not……”<br />
<br />
“Nyam.”<br />
<br />
“Uhak?!”<br />
<br />
I instinctively grabbed Rangii’s tail after she bit me in the stomach.<br />
<br />
“Kya—eeng?!”<br />
<br />
“I said don’t bite!”<br />
<br />
“T, touching my tail is a foul!”<br />
<br />
Are you that alien who transforms whenever you see the full moon?!<br />
<br />
“......Hey, what’re you doing?”<br />
<br />
Crap. I regained my senses after I heard Narae’s voice that could’ve reached absolute zero temperatures. Narae glared at me coldly with two cups of coffee in her hands. Um, I’m scared. Please stop looking at me with those eyes.<br />
<br />
“Uh, you see, Rangii said she was bored and she played a prank on me so I was playing with her.”<br />
<br />
“I was tasting Sunghoon’s belly. I bit it once, but it tasted incredibly good. Do you want to try a bite too?”<br />
<br />
“......Okay. I’ll eat later. I’ll chew it well.”<br />
<br />
No, in times like these, please refuse. Maybe she didn’t get that angry, but Narae sat opposite of Rangii and offered me a cup of coffee.<br />
<br />
“Here.”<br />
<br />
“Ah, thank you.”<br />
<br />
I thought to myself <i>I should regain my usual self while I’m drinking coffee</i>, and was about to sip it when……<br />
<br />
“What, is it weird?”<br />
<br />
“No, not that, but……”<br />
<br />
The teacup was familiar, but this is my first time seeing the contents. The color is different. The color is completely different from the coffee I drink. I remember seeing on TV once that this is called brewed coffee.<br />
<br />
“Was there this kind of coffee at home?”<br />
<br />
There isn’t. Definitely not. The only coffee in the house is the box of 100 packets of instant coffee. Don’t say I have cheap taste! If you badmouth coffee mixes, I’ll pour hot water with coffee mix down your throat!<br />
<br />
“I brought it along with everything else yesterday. I really like coffee.”<br />
<br />
Did you bring it with that bag? This is the first time that I heard you say that you like this kind of coffee.<br />
<br />
Narae savored the aroma of the coffee and took a graceful sip.<br />
<br />
…...Seeing her so different from usual made my heart pound. So there are times when I can see Narae like this. Seeing such elegance and class overflowing from Narae, I couldn’t help but take up this new challenge and put my mouth to the cup.<br />
<br />
Hm.<br />
<br />
Bitter! It’s bitteeer! Super bitter! Coffee is normally bitter, but this is really bitter! This is black coffee!<br />
<br />
“Isn’t it good?”<br />
<br />
If Rangii or Saehee was the one to ask that, I’d say <i>what the heck’s up with your sense of taste?!</i> But Narae, the one I have a secret crush on, is the one who asked. I did my utmost to control my face and spoke.<br />
<br />
“There is no way that kind of coffee could taste good.”<br />
<br />
I didn’t say that. Narae’s face changed to her usual expression, and she glared behind her. Saehee was holding two teacups and walked towards us. Hm? Why two?<br />
<br />
“I hope you will drink the coffee I made, young master.”<br />
<br />
Ah, is that vending machine coffee? I feel sorry for Narae, but my sense of taste isn’t mature enough to be able to drink herbal medicine-like coffee. I put down the cup Narae gave me on the table for now, took the cup Saehee had and……<br />
<br />
I hallucinated that Saehee sneered and said <i>you just got caught in my trap!</i> This is brewed coffee toooooo! The color and smell are even darker! It might even be more bitter! And you want me to drink that?! Even if I have to overcome the coffee Narae gave me through the power of love, yours is totally undrinkableee!!<br />
<br />
“Hm? Does it taste good?”<br />
<br />
And then, when Rangii had her face against my belly and was making a weird growling noise, she took the cup from my hand before I could tell her not to and,<br />
<br />
“Slurp.”<br />
<br />
She drank the coffee.<br />
<br />
…...And,<br />
<br />
“Unyaak?!”<br />
<br />
The coffee cup flew into the air. Rangii with all her hair on edge. Narae with her mouth slightly open in surprise. Saehee swiftly catching the cup.<br />
<br />
And also,<br />
<br />
“Agh it’s hooooooot!!”<br />
<br />
In place of Rangii, I drank the coffee with my skin.<br />
<br />
What did I do to deserve this?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Due to the unfortunate accident that happened in the morning, I took a shower, and then saw Rangii standing in front of the bathroom, unable to do anything except wriggle her fingers.<br />
<br />
I didn’t get badly hurt because Saehee quickly got me a wet towel, but maybe Rangii felt bad that I almost got burned because she looked extremely depressed compared to usual.<br />
<br />
The tail and ears that she’s so proud of were drooped down; she looked just like a dog that was about to get punished by its owner. This is unlike Rangii.<br />
<br />
“Um…… are you okay?”<br />
<br />
Rangii looked me in the eyes and asked me quietly. With her eyes looking up despite her bowed head, seeing her ask a question like this almost made me laugh. The heck, you brat. Why are you so lovely?<br />
<br />
I answered bluntly so that I could see her like this a bit more.<br />
<br />
“It hurts.”<br />
<br />
“Unyaa?”<br />
<br />
Her expression turned a lot darker.<br />
<br />
“I, I didn’t know it was so hot and bitter. So, so……”<br />
<br />
Wait what? She started by giving childish excuses? If I don’t fix this habit of hers right now, then she’ll grow up and become an adult that only gives excuses. I stared at Rangii to properly educate her.<br />
<br />
“So that’s……”<br />
<br />
I gave strength to my eyes with a pow!<br />
<br />
“U…...uweeng.”<br />
<br />
Ah, I made her cry. …...Was my frown that scary?<br />
<br />
I put my hand on top of Rangii’s head as tears formed around her eyes.<br />
<br />
“Hu—eh?”<br />
<br />
“Rangii. You’re not supposed to give excuses when you make a mistake like this.”<br />
<br />
“Th, then what am I supposed to do?”<br />
<br />
Saehee, you didn’t even teach her this basic thing? My hearing Saehee say <i>there was no need to teach her</i> is probably just a hallucination.<br />
<br />
“Apologize.”<br />
<br />
“Apologize?”<br />
<br />
Rangii tilted her head and copied what I said.<br />
<br />
“Just say <i>I’m sorry</i> with all your heart and apologize. Because then I’ll forgive you.”<br />
<br />
“Then you’ll forgive me?”<br />
<br />
Of course not. If an apology was enough to make everyone live happily ever after, then why do we have laws and police? But since she’s still a little kid, I can teach her that when she gets older.<br />
<br />
“That’s all you have to do.”<br />
<br />
“Okay.”<br />
<br />
Rangii nodded her head, clenched her fists as if she was resolving to do something, and took a step back. I was thinking,<i> is she going to bow?</i> but I was completely wrong. She kneeled, put her head to the ground and kowtowed!<br />
<br />
“I was a hindrance to you, Sunghoon-nim, due to my inability. I will accept any punishment you give, so please punish this lowly wife however you please.”<br />
<br />
My jaw dropped and I couldn’t close my mouth. Uh, excuse me? Are you Rangii? Are you a phantom that put on a Rangii mask…… No, she was always a phantom. Hey! What’s wrong? What’re you doing that’s so out of character?<br />
<br />
Embarrassed, I saw that Rangii was waiting for me to respond so I ushered Rangii to get back up and spoke.<br />
<br />
“Y, you don’t need to apologize so seriously, so stop. Get up. I’ll overlook what happened this time.”<br />
<br />
“But didn’t you say I had to apologize with all my heart?”<br />
<br />
“But what you did was going too far. Now I’m the one feeling sorry, you know?”<br />
<br />
Huh?<br />
<br />
Rangii’s eyes suddenly shined after being so depressed. H, hey. Why’re you suddenly acting like this?<br />
<br />
“Do you really feel sorry for me?”<br />
<br />
“I was missing the subject, object, and the predicate there, but I am sorry. You got down on your knees for something so trivial.”<br />
<br />
“Then instead of apologizing to me, could you listen to just one of my requests?”<br />
<br />
Stop! You brat! Do you even realize how quickly you’ve made this about you again? Even if it’s natural for children to be selfish, isn’t this going too far? She grabbed my hands tightly with her two cute little hands, and seeing her expectant gaze, there was no way I could say no. Ah, Mom and Dad, how were you two able to hit me without a second thought whenever I did that myself? …...What am I asking for? Since I’m not as cute as Rangii, probably. The world is prejudiced against the non-beautiful.<br />
<br />
“Okay. But only because I’m not going to listen to a request like this again.”<br />
<br />
“Like this?”<br />
<br />
Rangii created a question mark. Oi, you mean you weren’t going to ask me to play with you? Are you innocent, or just stupid?<br />
<br />
“No, it’s fine. So. What’s your request?”<br />
<br />
“A date!”<br />
<br />
…...A date? Wait, I remember you talking about that when I was half asleep. What did she say about a date when she was waking me up?<br />
<br />
“Eh?”<br />
<br />
“A date. Where a man and a woman in love go out.”<br />
<br />
You’re holding a candle to the sun, you brat. Did you think I repeated the term because I didn’t know it?<br />
<br />
“No. I mean, why a date all of a sudden?”<br />
<br />
No, if it’s her, I should be able to think of it.<br />
<br />
I asked Rangii one thing.<br />
<br />
“The meaning of the word date. Who told you that?”<br />
<br />
“Saehee told me this morning…… Shoot!<br />
<br />
Rangii covered her slightly open mouth with her hands; you’re already too late. And I went,<br />
<br />
“Hmm?”<br />
<br />
--While smirking, and Rangii stuck her hands up to the sky and got angry.<br />
<br />
“Darn it! What do you care! A date’s a date! Let’s go on a date! Didn’t you say you’d listen to my request?!”<br />
<br />
“You shouldn’t take advantage of people’s goodwill like that.”<br />
<br />
Because then, you’d be a villain.<br />
<br />
“But what does that matter, young master?”<br />
<br />
Saehee popped up behind Rangii. She seems a little far away...? It seems like she’s about five steps away from us.<br />
<br />
“......What’re you doing there?”<br />
<br />
“I kept some distance to not surprise the cowardly young master.”<br />
<br />
“I’m so thankful, I could cry.”<br />
<br />
But when Saehee went right behind Rangii in the blink of an eye, that useless consideration for me became worthless. I shouldn’t react to every little thing. I should be used to it by now.<br />
<br />
“But what do you mean, that doesn’t matter? Are you telling me that my most memorable first date ever should be with Rangii?”<br />
<br />
“Is this your first?”<br />
<br />
Why’re you picking this moment to raise the corners of your mouth?<br />
<br />
“Pff.”<br />
<br />
Don’t laugh!<br />
<br />
“That doesn’t matter to you!”<br />
<br />
“That is true.”<br />
<br />
“This is my first date too!”<br />
<br />
“For me as well.”<br />
<br />
I don’t want to share such a strange sentiment with phantoms.<br />
<br />
“But Saehee. You’re so ol……”<br />
<br />
“That is enough, if you please.”<br />
<br />
“Ack, Saehee are you angry?”<br />
<br />
“I am not.”<br />
<br />
…...That’s right. Talking about your age is taboo.<br />
<br />
“Anyway, I want my first date to be with Na……”<br />
<br />
Even I had enough sense to not mention Narae’s name.<br />
<br />
“......I mean, wouldn’t it be best to go on one after I’ve prepared?”<br />
<br />
“You truly worked hard to use that dimwitted brain of yours.”<br />
<br />
I didn’t like the look in Saehee’s eyes as she seemed to be able to see through everything.<br />
<br />
“Then instead, how do you feel about playing with Master and coming back later?”<br />
<br />
“Explain to me the difference between that and a date.”<br />
<br />
“A date is a date, and playing is playing.”<br />
<br />
The two words may be similar, but I felt a force of persuasion as great as the Big Bang.<br />
<br />
“A date! A daaaate!”<br />
Seeing Rangii dance around me like a native Amazonian, should I just go along with her? No, but for me to go on my first date with Rangii, isn’t that a little sad? Saehee spoke to me while I was worrying about that furiously in my head.<br />
<br />
“Young master. I truly hope you will think about Master’s mood.”<br />
<br />
Something about Saehee telling me to think…… weighed on my mind. Rangii’s mood. …...yeah.<br />
Rangii is dancing around me like I’m a sacrifice as she prays for a date, and she hasn’t seen the world in centuries. I’d feel bad if I didn’t play with her a bit.<br />
<br />
“Okay. Let’s go.”<br />
<br />
“Uwa!!”<br />
<br />
Her dance turned into a victory dance, and her movements got larger. Thank goodness we’re the only residents of the house. If we were in an apartment, we’d have received complaints.<br />
<br />
“Now that that’s settled, where do you want to go?”<br />
<br />
“Are you going somewhere?”<br />
<br />
At that moment. I saw Narae, the unwanted house guest whom I have a secret crush on, come into my field of view.<br />
<br />
“Na, Narae?”<br />
<br />
Seeing Narae walk in from the kitchen where she was cooking or something, with her wearing an apron and smiling while holding a kitchen knife, I inexplicably got goosebumps.<br />
<br />
“I came out because I heard something about a D.A.T.E. so what were you talking about without me?”<br />
<br />
Could this be my imagination? That the moment when Narae opened her mouth, the kitchen knife looked like it shined.<br />
<br />
“F, for whatever reason, you’re scary right now.”<br />
<br />
Did you also have that feeling? Dang, I’m glad. That the feeling I had wasn’t wrong.<br />
<br />
“We were talking about the date that Master and the young master will be going on.”<br />
<br />
She kindly explained the situation, but today she was especially nasty. Narae’s face froze after she heard Saehee’s words, and then she quickly approached me. And with the kitchen knife in her hand.<br />
<br />
“U—nyak?!”<br />
<br />
Rangii was shocked and hid behind me with her tail straight out. Oi! Miss Great Phantom! Why’s a great phantom scared of a kitchen knife? And you brat! Don’t grab onto my clothes! How am I supposed to dodge when I need to?!<br />
<br />
“No we weren’t! We’re just playing, not going on a date!”<br />
<br />
“Really!”<br />
<br />
Narae stabbed me hard on my chest. …...With her finger.<br />
<br />
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”<br />
<br />
Huh? Then why did you get angry?<br />
<br />
“What’re you getting so flustered about when all you’re going to do is play? When we did played together all the time when we were kids? You even stayed over at my house once!”<br />
<br />
I received a culture shock after I saw Narae get embarrassed and blush after she talked about what happened so long ago.<br />
<br />
Sh, she’s cute! So cute! Super cute! …...Is what I would have thought if only that shining kitchen knife wasn’t there.<br />
<br />
“Ah, um. Sorry.”<br />
<br />
“Whatever.”<br />
<br />
Narae went hmph, ignored me, and spoke to Rangii who was trembling behind me.<br />
<br />
“Then Rangii. I can go too, right?”<br />
<br />
Rangii nodded her head hard and spoke.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, yeah. You can!”<br />
<br />
“Thank goodness. Because when you’re playing, the more the merrier.”<br />
<br />
But why are you not asking me? Obviously, if Narae was coming with us, my answer would be <i>yes</i> and <i>okay</i>, but I feel a little disappointed. Could this be a man’s complicated feelings?<br />
<br />
“However.”<br />
<br />
Narae suddenly turned her gaze towards Saehee.<br />
<br />
“You’re not going to go, right? Don’t we need to have at least one person here to watch the house?”<br />
<br />
“I am sorry, but I am a phantom. If you so believe that a person must watch over the house, you should stay yourself, Narae-nim.”<br />
<br />
“Are you playing with my words?”<br />
<br />
“If that is what you heard, then I am sorry, but I was merely telling the truth. Most importantly, as I must attend to Master and the young master, I cannot stay home.”<br />
<br />
“Is there a reason for you to attend to them when they’re playing? Use this opportunity to rest at home. After all, you’re so old.”<br />
<br />
“But it would seem as though Narae-nim, with such massive lumps of fat attached to her, would be the tired one.”<br />
<br />
Ah, I can see them. Cracks appeared in Saehee’s expressionless face, and veins popped out of Narae’s forehead. I took a step back from within the typhoon and got down to whisper to Rangii.<br />
<br />
“Why have those two been acting like this?”<br />
<br />
“I, I don’t know either. Ever since I got up this morning, they didn’t look like they got along that well.”<br />
<br />
“Our not getting along is a misunderstanding, Master. While we were grocery shopping, we got to know each other very well and are thus getting along this well.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, Rangii. We get along. The problem’s that we get along so well, we fight.”<br />
<br />
“He—ek!”<br />
<br />
Ah, Rangii. She got scared. What were those two talking about when they were grocery shopping? …...I shouldn’t ask. Since I’m not interested in playing marbles with a grenade with its safety-pin pulled out.<br />
<br />
“Rangii, want me to read you a book in my room?”<br />
<br />
So let’s run away.<br />
<br />
“Wa—ah. That sounds like fun. Le, let’s hurry and go.”<br />
<br />
I ran away to my room while holding Rangii’s hand.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hm—mm. I feel like we went off the topic because of Narae and Saehee’s friendly conversation, but since I’m going to go and play with Rangii, I should think about what to do a little. Where would be a good place to go with her? There’ll probably be a lot of people at the far away amusement park, and it’ll take a long time to get on the rides. Is there anywhere with few people where Rangii can have fun?<br />
<br />
…...There is.<br />
<br />
“Hm? What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
Rangii was on my knees, reading the children’s book<i> The Little Prince</i>, when she leaned against my chest and looked up. I stopped reading right during the part when the fox and the prince first meet. It seemed like a good book for a kid like Rangii, no, actually, the truth is that this was the only children’s book in my house so I read it to her, but it seemed like she was really interested in the story.<br />
<br />
“Sorry. I was thinking about where to go.”<br />
<br />
Rangii’s tail went inside my t-shirt and wrapped around my waist. The feeling of her fur tickles.<br />
<br />
“Did you decide? I’ll be happy to anywhere as long as I’m with Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
If Narae had said that, I would’ve been happy enough to say something as insane as “Huhu. Then let’s go to the bed together.” But since Rangii’s the one who said that, I was only happy enough to hug her tightly.<br />
<br />
“Uwah, why’d you do that all of a sudden?”<br />
<br />
Ah, I really hugged her. I noticed Rangii was both wriggling and staying still in my embrace, and at the same time I thought that Rangii doing something so contradictory looked really cute……, no that’s not it! Yeah! She’s cute! She looks cute! Geez. After only seeing kids on TV with terrible personalities, or kids who’ve only learned weird dances that shouldn’t be performed by children, I think Rangii’s cute since she’s such an innocent kid! Yeah. That’s it!!<br />
<br />
“......Sunghoon?”<br />
<br />
“......No, sorry. My sanity flew away somewhere for a second.”<br />
<br />
“What does that mean?”<br />
<br />
Do I have to explain even this much?<br />
<br />
Even after I finished reading Rangii all of <i>The Little Prince</i>, Narae and Saehee were still talking.<br />
<br />
“Where the heck do they sell clothes like that? It must be impossible to find something like that, but you sure did well finding it.”<br />
<br />
“Please respect that this is my preference. Am I not keeping silent of your vulgar, excuse me, indecent, excuse me, choice in clothing that in a vulgar, indecent fashion emphasizes certain areas?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t want to hear that from you! And don’t you know that this kind of clothes is in fashion these days?”<br />
<br />
“I believe that, rather than following trends, dressing stylishly as one’s tastes dictate is much wiser.”<br />
<br />
“You don’t believe that you’re dressing stylishly, do you?”<br />
<br />
…...I should stop them. I’m scared that I’m going to see the kitchen knife dance and a phantom conjuring magic.<br />
<br />
“O~i. Excuse~me. You~ two over there~.”<br />
<br />
“What?” “Have you called for me?”<br />
<br />
Seeing the two of them respond in unison as if they’d decided beforehand to do that, I wasn’t sure if they got along or not.<br />
<br />
“I decided where we’re going to go play, but can I ask you guys to make lunches?”<br />
<br />
“Where’re we going to go?”<br />
<br />
At Narae’s question, I spoke the place where I thought of.<br />
<br />
“A children’s park.”<br />
<br />
“......That decision is just like you.”<br />
<br />
Narae spoke as if she was disappointed and looked at me. N, no. What’s wrong with a children’s park? Didn’t we go there all the time when we were kids?<br />
<br />
“Want to go somewhere else?”<br />
<br />
Narae shook her head.<br />
<br />
“It’s fine. Then I’m going to make our lunches. Since it’s expensive to buy there.”<br />
<br />
“Want me to help too?”<br />
<br />
Narae frowned.<br />
<br />
“It’s fine. Stupid.”<br />
<br />
Tch. I wanted to fulfill the ideal image of the two of us as a married couple cooking in the kitchen together, but I’ll have to wait until next time. That aside, it’ll probably be hard to make lunches for 4 people. Will Saehee help? Thinking that, I glanced at Saehee.<br />
<br />
I felt a chill.<br />
<br />
A chill went down my spine when I saw Saehee looking out the window with a terrifying smile on her face. That face could make a kid cry. Why’re you doing that?<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong? Is there something you’re unhappy about?”<br />
<br />
Saehee restored her usual expressionless face and spoke.<br />
<br />
“Not at all, young master.”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean, no?”<br />
<br />
“I was thinking about the old saying, tigers hear words in the night and bears hear words in the day.” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#4" name="top4"><sup>[4]</sup></a><br />
<br />
…...You’re on the same level as Rangii. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The children’s park. It’s a park made before I was born, and while just a few years ago it was only free for children, now age doesn’t matter so the park is well loved by many people as a rest area.<br />
<br />
On weekends, the place would be full of families visiting, but on a weekday afternoon like today, there aren’t a lot of people. The playground toys themselves are old types, but since maintenance wasn’t neglected, safety isn’t an issue, and most of all, this place is a perfect fit for Rangii.<br />
<br />
And if we walk along the trail, there’s surprisingly a lot of stuff to see, so that’s why I picked that place for a date…...no, I mean, for a place to play. There’s also the pro that it’s 5 minute walk away from home. So if I were to start by giving the conclusion, I think Rangii likes this place.<br />
<br />
“Uwa—.”<br />
<br />
Going through the back gate, we saw a fountain cooling down the summer heat. Water rose into the sky from the long, square fountain, and on both sides of it from the forest, pipes released water into the air, creating a beautiful scene. Most importantly, I liked that it was dispelling the heat from the sun that was above us so easily.<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon, Sunghoon! It’s a rainbow! There’s a rainbow!”<br />
<br />
Rangii grabbed my hand and pointed at the water in the air, chattering incessantly. Rangii’s hand is small, but there was a rainbow hanging there.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, yeah.”<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii like this, I unknowingly smiled happily.<br />
<br />
“Lolicon.”<br />
<br />
“Ugh. Narae?”<br />
<br />
Narae went <i>hmph </i>and tossed her head back. Narae changed from her skin-exposing clothes to white outerwear, and while holding the lunch with our lunches, she looked like a innocent young lady. No, it’s not that she just looked like one. Her personality aside, she really is a young lady in her household. However, seeing her as an innocent young lady is difficult because of her, uh, eh, her breasts are a little…… She’s clearly wearing an airy one piece dress, but why does it seem like it’s emphasizing your breasts so much?<br />
<br />
“That is why men are……”<br />
<br />
“......Hey, dammit.”<br />
<br />
And in comparison, Saehee was inflexibly wearing the same clothes three days ago, two days ago, yesterday, today, and now. The clothes themselves looked like they must be insufferably hot, but even with such stifling-looking clothes on, she wasn’t sweating even a drop. A phantom really is a phantom. No, she seems more like a ghost than a phantom.<br />
<br />
“Jealousy is one of the seven causes of divorce.”<br />
<br />
“Who’re you calling jealous?! She’s just a little kid!”<br />
<br />
“Then are you jealous of me?”<br />
<br />
“Why would I be?!”<br />
<br />
Narae got angry and argued back at Saehee. Narae is the prettiest when she’s smiling, but quite cute when she’s angry too.<br />
<br />
…...So I should endure the gazes of passersby. Thankfully, Rangii is being quiet right now. Hm? Rangii’s quiet? Isn’t there no way she would be? Feeling something was strange, I looked to where Rangii was and she was gone. You brat. Where did you go in the moment I was looking away?<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon! It’s really refreshing here!”<br />
<br />
I recall someone explaining it: little kids are like rubber balls that can bounce in unexpected directions. Rangii was standing on top of the railing of the fountain, shouting my name energetically while waving her hands. And next to me, I could hear laughter and people saying <i>she’s so cute, if only I had a little sister, daughter, wife like her.</i> I couldn’t help but blush. It’s times like when I see Rangii able to pay no mind to the people around her that I’m honestly jealous of her.<br />
<br />
“Hey, that’s dangerous, so get down. What if you slip?”<br />
<br />
Rangii hopped from the fountain, and enduring my embarrassment, I grabbed Rangii’s waist and was bringing her down when,<br />
<br />
“Darn—it!”<br />
<br />
Rangii suddenly grabbed my arm and fell backwards like that. And what’s behind her is the fountain. The place full of fountain water. What I’m saying is that she fell into the water. Even while I was surprised, I tried to hold her up.<br />
<br />
“Huh?”<br />
<br />
I don’t know where such strength came from that small body, but I wasn’t able to keep her up; and while I was held by Rangii, my body tipped towards the fountain. At that moment, I remembered a small trivia about tigers.<br />
<br />
When it’s hot, tigers cool down their bodies by going into streams or watering holes.<br />
<br />
Ah, so that’s it. I know it well.<br />
<br />
And I’m a human.<br />
<br />
Splash!<br />
<br />
“Ahahahaha, it feels so nice!”<br />
<br />
Rangii laughed happily. She’s really laughing happily. She was too happy for me to get angry at her, so all I could do was laugh.<br />
<br />
“Yeah. You having fun, you brat?”<br />
<br />
“Yeah!”<br />
<br />
I grabbed Rangii’s waist while she was mistaking the fountain for a swimming pool and…… doggy paddling, and handed her to Narae and Saehee who had walked towards us.<br />
<br />
“But you can’t go into the water here.”<br />
<br />
“Why not?”<br />
<br />
“Fountains are only supposed to be looked at. You’re not supposed to go in them.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah! I get it! I won’t do this next time.”<br />
<br />
The first date of my life with Narae and co. started with me falling in a fountain. Just 10 minutes after leaving the house, I have no idea what’s going on.<br />
<br />
“Are you okay, Sunghoon?”<br />
<br />
“......Well. This is refreshing.”<br />
<br />
Thank goodness the water is clean. Ah, the tap water in this country is truly clean. This makes me want to volunteer for a city ad. I moved the wet hair that was stuck on my forehead back and spoke.<br />
<br />
“But still, I think I’m going to have to go back home and change.”<br />
<br />
“There is no need to do that.”<br />
<br />
That’s because you didn’t fall in the water.<br />
<br />
“There is something I can do if we go somewhere with fewer people.”<br />
<br />
I’ll believe what Saehee said. Because if she says she has a solution, then she probably really does have one.<br />
<br />
I lead all of us to a side road off to the right of the fountain. Now it’s a place where a decommissioned train is put on showcase, but people unexpectedly don’t come here too often. There are still people here, but they were too busy having a good time with their partners of the opposite sex to pay any attention to us. Yuck, disgusting.<br />
<br />
“Then please excuse me, Master.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
Saehee carefully slid her hand from Rangii’s hair down to her feet. And then shockingly, Rangii went from being soaking wet just a moment ago to looking completely dry like before she went into the water. Instead, a big ball of water had formed on Saehee’s hand.<br />
<br />
“What’s that?”<br />
<br />
I asked in place of a surprised Narae.<br />
<br />
“It is a simple magic. I gathered all of the water’s energy in one place.”<br />
<br />
Saehee flicked her hand and the ball of water fell and splattered on the ground. …...how interesting.<br />
<br />
“Then please excuse me.”<br />
<br />
Saehee, the phantom dryer, put her hand on my head. In a moment, my wet hair was all dried. Next, Saehee’s hand stroked my face, went past my chest and lower,<br />
<br />
“......”<br />
<br />
…...Narae’s stare is extremely scary. I thought about what could’ve ticked Narae-nim off, but I had no idea.<br />
<br />
A bit later, with my clothes as dry as before I fell into the fountain, I forced myself to smile brightly to alleviate Narae’s inexplicable bad mood as she looked as if she was reaching the boiling point.<br />
<br />
“Okay, so shall we go now? Hahahaha.”<br />
<br />
“Gross.”<br />
<br />
Why?!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you go up a small hill from the fountain, you can see a zoo. Maybe it was because it’s hot, but all the animals in their cages were lying down, disappointing all the visitors; but aren’t all zoos like this?<br />
<br />
“Ack? Isn’t that a deer?”<br />
<br />
Rangii went right up against the railing around a deer’s den and looked amazedly inside, just like any other kids of her visual age. What’ll you do if you accidentally trip? I went towards Rangii from behind, and with eyes full of innocence, she said,<br />
<br />
“It looks tasty……”<br />
<br />
Looking at the deer as if it looked delicious, Rangii was drooling…… Eh? Even as I looked again to see if I was mistaken, drool fell down from Rangii’s mouth, and her eyes were shining with gluttony. In comparison, the deer that Rangii was focusing her eyes on was shaking on its four legs, unable to take a single step. Is this the classic scene of a deer paralyzed in fear of a tiger?! The deer couldn’t even think of running away at Rangii’s overwhelming show of gluttony. Tigers are scary!<br />
<br />
“......Hey.”<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon. Let’s have deer hotpot for dinner today.”<br />
<br />
Don’t decide the dinner menu on your own.<br />
<br />
“We can’t eat that.”<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong? Don’t humans keep animals enclosed there and raise them so they’re easier to eat? If that one won’t do, we can pick another one.”<br />
<br />
To think I’d be so glad that there’s no one else around.<br />
<br />
“A zoo isn’t a place to pick and eat animals, it’s a place made to go look at them.”<br />
<br />
“......How strange. Why would you only look? Isn’t that wasteful?”<br />
<br />
What about this is wasteful? I looked at Saehee, asking her with my eyes to give her a proper explanation. Ah, c’mon. She turned her head away. Are you telling me to explain?<br />
<br />
…...I felt like the only way I could explain what a zoo is is with elementary school level vocabulary. I looked towards Narae, asking for help. Seeing me like that, Narae sighed and talked to Rangii.<br />
<br />
“These days, you can’t see these kinds of animals in the wild. That’s why we raise these animals in the zoo. So that we can give kids the chance to see the animals they’d seen on TV or in drawings in real life. So you can’t eat that deer, right? If you do, then the kids that come here later won’t be able to see the deer.”<br />
<br />
With Narae speaking so logically, Rangii understood Narae’s simple explanation, and she nodded her head. Maybe this is a little unexpected, but Narae was always like this. To some extent, her fierce appearance is just an appearance. Yeah, I like Narae when she’s like this.<br />
<br />
…...Although, these days, her image really worsened.<br />
<br />
“What, do you have a complaint?”<br />
<br />
“Why would I?”<br />
<br />
Narae glared sharply at me, but I quickly raised my arms to show I had no desire to resist. After hearing Narae’s explanation, Rangii bit her finger and looked depressed.<br />
<br />
“Then there’s no helping it. It’s a shame, but I can only give up.”<br />
<br />
Don’t feel so disappointed because of such things.<br />
<br />
“But only because I can ask Saehee to find one later.”<br />
<br />
And then you’ll be arrested.<br />
<br />
I held Rangii’s hand and walked towards the wall made from a log.<br />
<br />
“Uwaaaaa! What’s that?”<br />
<br />
She was acting exactly like a kid who went to the zoo for the first time. I brought Rangii to an elephant moving slowly in its own cage.<br />
<br />
Narae answered Rangii’s question.<br />
<br />
“It’s an elephant.”<br />
<br />
“Is that long thing its nose? Is its nose that long?”<br />
<br />
“Yeah. To an elephant, its nose is like our hands. That’s why there’s also this song: Mr. Elephant’s nose is…… hey, why’re you smiling like that?! Why! Is it weird for me to talk like this?!”<br />
<br />
“It is not weird.”<br />
<br />
It seems like my face relaxed. This scene was just too heartwarming. This felt just like when an older sister looking after her extremely young little sister. Or……<br />
<br />
“I am sure you are not imagining the ideal family in this situation.”<br />
<br />
“......Sometimes, I wonder if you’re a ghost and not a phantom.” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#5" name="top5"><sup>[5]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“I am indeed a ghost.”<br />
<br />
“Change the color of your clothes first." <br />
<br />
“This is my preference.”<br />
<br />
Yeah, of course it’s your preference. Moving my gaze to look at Rangii, I saw Rangii on the fence, waving her hand at the elephant.<br />
<br />
“Elephant! Come over here and play with me!”<br />
<br />
After my conversation with Saehee that made me feel like I’d just gone 3 years in a drought, the reservoir of my mind was blessed with rain as this scene brought a natural smile to my face. The adults around us were smiling contentedly while looking at Rangii. But I was the only one to notice something in this heartwarming scene. The elephant that Rangii was shouting the name of. The elephant couldn’t even look towards Rangii as it turned away and used all its strength to get away from her. …...could it be?<br />
<br />
[————————————!!]<br />
<br />
I grabbed Rangii by the waist and ran full tilt away from the elephant when it started shrieking, so I could avoid making elephant-eating tiger a new thing.<br />
<br />
“Huh, why’re you doing this?”<br />
<br />
“I forgot what kind of a brat you are!”<br />
<br />
She’s a tiger. On top of that, she’s such a big tiger that it makes the words huge and gigantic seem too small. There’s no way an animal could stay calm when a tiger is staring as if it’s saying “nyam nyam, you look tasty, come over here.”<br />
<br />
Thankfully, it was apparent the elephant stopped running away after Rangii went away, because there was no announcement that the elephant escaped from its enclosure.<br />
<br />
Having learned my lesson from what happened with the elephant, I took Rangii to the place with lots of small animals, the ‘House of Baby Animal.’ It should be okay here.<br />
<br />
“S, so cute! I want to hug and pet them!”<br />
<br />
Rangii, who is cuter than anything, was against the glass wall, looking at the meerkats. The two meerkats were standing on two legs and looked around to notice Rangii staring at them…… then they all fell on their backs. I could hear surprised noises around us. And among them was,<br />
<br />
“Huh? What’s wrong with that child all of a sudden?”<br />
<br />
Rangii was there too. I quietly grabbed Rangii’s hand and walked away while crying on the inside.<br />
“It’s because they’re sleepy. Because they’re sleepy.”<br />
<br />
Is it impossible for me to relax at the zoo when I’m with her? …...No, there might be one place.<br />
<br />
“Let’s look at the lions.”<br />
<br />
I held Rangii’s hand and went towards the lion habitat.<br />
<br />
My prediction was half right. Seeing Rangii against the glass on the opposite side, the lion got up and snarled.<br />
<br />
“Heeh……”<br />
<br />
It looks like Rangii was interested by that too.<br />
<br />
“......Are you saying you want to fight?”<br />
<br />
Wait, wait! Did I just hear something completely unforgivable? What’d she just say?<br />
<br />
“Master.”<br />
<br />
Ah, yeah, Saehee should be able to properly explain……<br />
<br />
“There is no need for Master to personally deal with it; I will personally……”<br />
<br />
“Hey, you two!”<br />
<br />
At my raised voice, Rangii was surprised and turned towards me, away from her full strength staring contest with the lion.<br />
<br />
“But Sunghoon. Look. Isn’t it being terribly hostile?”<br />
<br />
“That’s because you were the one staring at it first.”<br />
<br />
“I only did that because it’s cute!”<br />
<br />
“Even if you put it like that, you’re not persuading me at all.”<br />
<br />
Who would call a lion cute? Normally people say things like <i>it’s cool, it’s handsome, </i>or <i>it’s so regal</i>. People would call you cute after seeing you…… Why am I acting like this?<br />
<br />
I grabbed Rangii by the back of her neck while she was trying to start a fight with the lion and moved her away. And there was one of Rangii’s clansmen, a tiger. As soon as the tiger saw Rangii,<br />
<br />
Roooar!!<br />
<br />
The tiger howled. Heeh, do tigers recognize other tigers? Having received a greeting from one of her species, Rangii said,<br />
<br />
“What’s this kid saying?”<br />
<br />
She tilted her head and asked me.<br />
<br />
“Hey. Why’re you asking what that tiger said?”<br />
<br />
“But I cannot understand him.”<br />
<br />
“How does that……”<br />
<br />
As I was reacting to Rangii’s words, I suddenly noticed something. I saw the information sign next off to the side. And among the things I saw were the words ‘Bengal tiger.’<br />
<br />
Oi, wait a second.<br />
<br />
“Where were you born?”<br />
<br />
“I was born in Mount Baekdu.”<br />
<br />
Is there such thing as a foreign language among tigers? …...I should stop thinking about that. It is what it is.<br />
<br />
“You’re clearly a foreigner. I am going to......”<br />
Anyway, I concluded that I can’t keep Rangii here any longer.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go over there.”<br />
<br />
“Huh? Why are you acting like that?”<br />
<br />
That’s because I’m afraid something terrible will happen if you stay in the zoo.<br />
<br />
“So we can go somewhere else.”<br />
<br />
“Ack! Then I want to go see that over there!”<br />
<br />
Rangii pointed at the place where it said Aquatic Birds Area in large letters.<br />
<br />
Give it up. I don’t want to experience a horror film directly.<br />
<br />
“Let, let’s go next time.”<br />
<br />
It was an unoriginal excuse, but thankfully she went along with what I said. She chewed on a finger of her hand that I wasn’t holding, and she looked disappointed.<br />
<br />
Farther down the road of the zoo was a manmade stream. The stream looked like something from the countryside, with water circulating because of a machine, and while the kids were enjoying playing in the water, the parents were reminiscing about old times. And like a little kid, she went towards the water with her shoes on and……<br />
<br />
“Oh man.”<br />
<br />
I put my arms between her armpits and held her up. Rangii struggled in my embrace.<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
I know that Saehee can just use her magic to dry her shoes if they get wet. But we can’t depend on her magic forever. Rangii has to live in the human world.<br />
<br />
“You brat. You have your shoes on.”<br />
<br />
“So I have to take them off?”<br />
<br />
“No, since you can get hurt with them off, for today, just put your feet in the water.”<br />
<br />
“There is no need to do such a thing.”<br />
<br />
Saehee cut in next to me. While I was thinking to myself<i>, you’re not going to say it’s okay because you have magic, right?</i> Saehee took something out of her sleeve.<br />
<br />
…...They were white slippers. And they looked like they’d fit Rangii perfectly.<br />
<br />
“Because you can wear these.”<br />
<br />
I put Rangii down and asked Saehee something while she was changing Rangii’s shoes.<br />
<br />
“When did you bring those?”<br />
<br />
“Just now.”<br />
<br />
Do you have a 4D Pocket in your clothes?<br />
<br />
“Is it fine now?”<br />
<br />
I nodded to Rangii after she was all ready. Finally ready, Rangii started to play happily within the crowd of passengers…… kids her age. Even with kids like her, Rangii’s cuteness was easily noticeable.<br />
<br />
“Let’s sit and rest over there.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
We left Saehee to care for Rangii, and Narae and I sat on the bench behind the stream. Whew—. Now I can relax.<br />
<br />
“How about exercising more often? How can you be tired already?”<br />
<br />
I felt embarrassed by Narae’s scolding.<br />
<br />
“Looking after kids is hard work.”<br />
<br />
“Despite that you’re actually good at this?”<br />
<br />
“My little cousins were really mean when they were young.”<br />
<br />
Narae met them a few times back in middle school. Maybe she remembered because Narae tilted her head.<br />
<br />
“Were they? But I thought they were nice kids?”<br />
<br />
That’s because they act nice in front of strangers.<br />
<br />
I suffered so badly that they made me want to have boys when I get married later.”<br />
<br />
“What’s up with that.”<br />
<br />
Narae chuckled. Even though what I said wasn’t a laughing matter to me at all.<br />
<br />
“I like sons, but daughters are good too. Aren’t they cute?”<br />
<br />
“Then one son and one daughter would be best.”<br />
<br />
“How about two sons and one daughter?”<br />
<br />
“My apologies for interrupting during your family planning.”<br />
<br />
Heeek?! I thought my heart was about to pop out of my chest when Saehee appeared behind me and stuck her head between the two of us. But what did she say? Family planning? Narae gave a vehement denial at Saehee’s words.<br />
<br />
“Wh, who’s doing family planning? That wasn’t it!”<br />
<br />
“But you were speaking extremely in detail.”<br />
<br />
Narae’s face reddened.<br />
<br />
“Doesn’t everybody think about it at least this much?!”<br />
<br />
Sorry, Narae. Most high schoolers don’t think about family planning. So I changed the subject.<br />
<br />
“But what’re you doing here?”<br />
<br />
“I thought it would be best to eat lunch soon, and I came to say something.”<br />
<br />
Really? I looked at my watch and saw it was already 12. I’m not hungry, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to eat now. Since we’re going to go to the amusement park in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
“That seems good. Could you get…… No, I’ll go.”<br />
<br />
I didn’t think Saehee would tell Rangii to come over here when she’s having so much fun, so I decided to get her directly. Geez, seeing you play with all the other kids who look your age makes you seem like you seem like a totally carefree kid, even though you are one.<br />
<br />
“Rangii.”<br />
<br />
It’s probably a hallucination, but I saw Rangii’s ears prick upwards. Although that didn’t actually happen.<br />
<br />
“Did you come to play with me?”<br />
<br />
If I play among all of you, the thoughts of the people watching will change from [ah, how nice.] to [who the hell is this guy].<br />
<br />
“No. Let’s go eat lunch.”<br />
<br />
“Ohh…… It’s too bad, but let’s play again later.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah!”<br />
<br />
“Bye, Rangii~!”<br />
<br />
When did you get so close to them? And with the boys. Something didn’t feel right. I left the stream while mindfully holding onto Rangii’s hand.<br />
<br />
In the time I was gone, I think Saehee got a spot under a pavilion. Narae and Saehee prepared sandwiches for lunch. So you two are belong to the picnic-sandwich-crowd? I’m part of the gimbap crowd, myself.<br />
<br />
“Shut up. Just eat.”<br />
<br />
Narae abruptly handed me a container full of sandwiches. I took one out and took a bite. …...Heeh. It’s good.<br />
<br />
“How is it?”<br />
<br />
She must have felt self-conscious, because even though she told me to eat it regardless of taste, she asked me that question. I gave Narae a thumbs up.<br />
<br />
“Yeah. It’s good.”<br />
<br />
“Then that’s fine. I’ll make gimbap next time, so just eat that.”<br />
<br />
Speaking like that, Narae took a sandwich and bit into it. It must be my imagination. But it seems like Narae blushed a little.<br />
<br />
“Me too, me too!!”<br />
<br />
“What do you think is in your hand?”<br />
<br />
After I spoke to Rangii who was sticking next to me with her own sandwich in her hand,<br />
<br />
“The ingredients of the sandwiches are different.”<br />
<br />
“The one Rangii’s holding has cheese, ham, and lean beef. Yours is made of tomato and lettuce.”<br />
<br />
“I want to try just one bite too!”<br />
<br />
Three people replied. But why is mine only vegetables? Even though I don’t care, since it tastes good. I gave the sandwich I was eating to Rangii.<br />
<br />
“Here.”<br />
<br />
“Nyam.”<br />
<br />
Rangii opened her small mouth and took a bite. Chew chew. A moment later,<br />
<br />
“?”<br />
<br />
Her hair formed a question mark and she asked a question.<br />
<br />
“Why does Sunghoon’s sandwich only taste like grass?”<br />
<br />
Hey hey, how can you say that it tastes like grass?<br />
<br />
“It is because the young master is an omnivore.”<br />
<br />
“I am an omnivore. And come to think of it, why does mine have no meat?”<br />
<br />
“We made ours like that because we kept eating so much meat since yesterday. What, do you have a complaint?”<br />
<br />
“Not at all, Narae-nim. No, thank you very much. The truth is that I wanted to eat vegetables.”<br />
<br />
With our stomachs cooling down, we decided to take a walk along the path in the park. While watching Rangii copy the many old men and women who were power walking, looking at the totem poles, and watching men play basketball, we ended up at the entrance to the amusement park before we even realized it.<br />
<br />
“What do you do in this place?”<br />
<br />
With Rangii looking at me, enraptured and her eyes shining, I decided to quote the old saying that one picture is worth a thousand words.<br />
<br />
“You’ll find out after you play.”<br />
<br />
“Hmmm?”<br />
<br />
She seems too short to be able to go on every ride…… Ah. That looks good. I pointed towards the bumper cars that were off to the side and spoke,<br />
<br />
“Let’s go on that.”<br />
<br />
And then I was painfully reminded of the way people act like completely differently behind the steering wheel.<br />
<br />
“U—nyak?!”<br />
<br />
“Uwak!”<br />
<br />
Narae crashed in between Rangii and my bumper cars. If I hadn’t put my seatbelt on, I would’ve been sent flying out by the impact. Wait. Were bumper cars always this powerful and dangerous? But I don’t think they were?<br />
<br />
“I’m going one more time!”<br />
<br />
At Narae’s declaration of war, I desperately turned the steering wheel to drive away, but hey! Were bumper cars always able to make such precise movements?<br />
<br />
Narae dodged all the clueless drivers rushing towards her and smashed into the back of my bumper car with a bang!!<br />
<br />
“Unyaaak!”<br />
<br />
I saw Rangii off to my side, her eyes rolling in their sockets.<br />
<br />
“Wh, why are you doing that to me?”<br />
<br />
“That wasn’t me!”<br />
<br />
“You’ll get hurt if you stay there, you know?!”<br />
<br />
““Narae!!””<br />
<br />
I didn’t know 5 minutes was this long. During those 5 minutes of the session, I pedaled hard and moved the steering wheel to avoid Narae. But, as if she was a master of bumper cars, Narae didn’t miss my back, and I could only feel jealous of Saehee who was watching from outside.<br />
After 5 minutes that felt like 50, Rangii and I sat on a bench, and looked up at the yellow sky.<br />
<br />
“......So she was always that kind of kid.”<br />
<br />
“......I think she’s been holding in a lot because of all that happened.”<br />
<br />
Unlike Rangii and me who were exhausted, Narae stretched, emphasizing a certain part of her body, and spoke happily.<br />
<br />
“Ah~. I really released all my stress in one fell swoop. It’s best to do this when you’ve held in a lot.”<br />
<br />
I think I’m going to have to change my impression of Narae. She isn’t fierce-looking-but-actually-kind, but rather fierce and kind.<br />
“What do you want to ride next?”<br />
<br />
Do you not even get tired? No, am I the weird one for almost getting knocked out after going on the bumper cars? Rangii, who’d gone through the same trial as me, seems to have been revived to full health after drinking the water Saehee brought her. In the end, I was dragged along by Narae and Rangii. <br />
<br />
If I start with the conclusion, one hour later. I became a corpse. My body was exhausted by the terrifying roller coasters that Narae went on, and my mind was KO’d by the merry-go-round-like rides Rangii went on.<br />
<br />
I looked up at the sky while sitting on a bench and drinking the water Narae gave me. Ah, the sky is really clear. Is it okay for the sky to be so clear when it was supposed to rain in the evening? Instead, I’d like it if it started raining now. So we can go home.<br />
<br />
“Are you tired?”<br />
<br />
Rangii spoke to me while pulling on my hand.<br />
<br />
“......Can’t you tell by looking at me?”<br />
<br />
“Then you can pick the next one.”<br />
<br />
In times like this, would it be okay to say something like <i>then how about we go home now</i>, or <i>let’s rest a bit</i>?<br />
<br />
“Yeah. We kept taking you everywhere so you choose one too.”<br />
<br />
Even Narae was supporting Rangii’s words. Enemies on all sides! Am I surrounded by enemies?! Who here is my ally?!<br />
<br />
“......”<br />
<br />
Fine. What was I thinking, hoping anything from you? I ignored Saehee’s stare and looked around. Where’s somewhere I can rest a little…… I found something good.<br />
<br />
And that’s called the haunted house.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go there.”<br />
<br />
I’m saying this ahead of time, but I don’t have some wicked scheme at all. I’m saying that I’m not looking forward to Narae getting scared and sticking close to me.<br />
<br />
“......Pervert.”<br />
<br />
“You are showing your true intentions too easily, young master.”<br />
<br />
Don’t look at me like that. That wasn’t my intention; I picked that place because it’s where we could comfortably have the most fun.<br />
<br />
“Huh? Why’re you all like that?”<br />
<br />
Only the innocent Rangii understood my feelings. No, it’s probably just because she doesn’t know what a haunted house is. I gave a rough explanation of what a haunted house is, and we walked towards the place that would become my sanctuary for a bit.<br />
<br />
…...But even so, I didn’t want to go in with Rangii. The passages in the haunted house are narrow so only one group of two are allowed to go though. Our group has four people. So we were deciding the pairs, but Rangii threw a tantrum, saying “I’m only going with Sunghoon!” so we divided into Rangii and me, and Saehee and Narae. I definitely wasn’t thinking of using the chaos to increase my skinship with Narae, but…… I’m sorry. I was looking forward to that a little.<br />
<br />
But why with Rangii of all people?<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong? Is it because you’re scared? Don’t worry! I’ll protect you!”<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii a hundred times more energetic than usual, I unconsciously felt more energetic too. Rangii looked really cute when she clenched her fists and looked at me with determination, trying to get me to get up. Yeah. She’s definitely cute.<br />
<br />
But the thing is, though you may have noticed from my decision to go relax at a haunted house, I had never been scared of ghosts in my life. Thinking about it now, that may have been because I saw Rangii, a huge tiger way scarier than ghosts, when I was younger.<br />
<br />
I held the hand of Rangii who’s scarier than ghosts and cuter than dolls, and went into the haunted house. First was a flight of stairs going underground. The entrance was covered in a blackout curtain, and there were red lights that made the whole place feel spooky. Maybe it was designed with a cave-like motif because the rocks decorated the walls, making them rough.<br />
<br />
I walked and heard the screams of the people who entered before us being transmitted through speakers and thought, <i>those sounds really fit this place,</i> but then I felt something was weird. My body is trembling. More specifically, my left hand that Rangii is holding is shaking. Looking at Rangii, I saw her face had gone blue and she was trembling while holding my hand tightly with both of hers.<br />
<br />
There wasn’t a trace of her authority as a great phantom, nor the confidence with which she said she’d protect me. <br />
<br />
“......Hey.”<br />
<br />
“Ee—heek?!”<br />
<br />
All I did was say your name, so why’d you get so surprised?<br />
<br />
“D, don’t talk so suddenly! You surprised me!”<br />
<br />
For some reason. I thought I saw tears brimming in her eyes. For Rangii’s sake, I silently walked forward.<br />
<br />
“S, say something. Are, are, aren’t you scared?”<br />
<br />
…….What’re you asking me to do? I was about to talk to her. when I heard a click and a ghostly doll hung from the ceiling by its neck. The blood dripping from its mouth and its envious eyes really matched it well. Anyone else would’ve been easily scared.<br />
<br />
“Unyaak!!”<br />
<br />
It was then, when Rangii jumped up and threw a right jab! The doll swung back after getting hit by Rangii due to the principle of action, and by the principle of reaction, the doll went straight back at Rangii again. Well, isn’t this basically Foucault’s pendulum?<br />
<br />
“Hunyaaaaak!”<br />
<br />
She was spooked a second time by the doll. Rangii jumped up, got on my back, and wrapped her arms around me, burying her head into my shoulder. I may die from asphyxiation.<br />
<br />
“Hey! M, my neck!”<br />
<br />
“Kyaaak!”<br />
<br />
M-my breath! I loosened Rangii’s grip a little to survive. Whew, I almost died. Now I could talk to Rangii while she’s trembling on my back.<br />
<br />
“If you’re scared, we can go back.”<br />
<br />
“W, we can?!”<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
Then should I turn back? But instead of saying to go back, Rangii thought for a moment and said,<br />
<br />
“N, no. I’ll go to the end.”<br />
<br />
She said something completely unexpected.<br />
<br />
“You aren’t scared?”<br />
<br />
“I, I’m not scared!”<br />
<br />
Even though you’re saying that while you’re on my back in fright.<br />
<br />
“It, it just surprised me!”<br />
<br />
That means you’re scared.<br />
<br />
While obviously bluffing, she got down from by back and hugged herself tightly to my left leg.<br />
<br />
Hey.<br />
<br />
“I can’t walk if you do that.”<br />
<br />
“Uuk.”<br />
<br />
I’m glad that Rangii felt satisfied with holding my hand like before. Even though we could go back if you’re scared. I held on tight to Rangii’s hand and walked forward once again.<br />
<br />
In the cave were weird things like skulls and coffins. Crosses and the like acted as decorations, shining as they hovered slightly to scare visitors; they faithfully filled their role, and they were enough to scare Rangii. Seeing Rangii step forward even as she trembled made me feel bad for her. You brat, you look like you’re about to cry.<br />
<br />
The moral of today: don’t bring timid kids to haunted houses.<br />
<br />
There’s no helping it.<br />
<br />
“Wait.”<br />
<br />
“Hu, hunyang?”<br />
<br />
I held Rangii up by her waist and brought her to my chest. Rangii instinctively locked her legs around my waist and wrapped her arms around my neck. I spoke while holding Rangii up by her rear with one hand, and rubbing her back with the other.<br />
<br />
“You aren’t scared now, right? Keep your eyes closed tight. We’ll be out soon.”<br />
<br />
Rangii looked up at me with tears in her eyes.<br />
<br />
“B, but then, won’t you have no fun? I’m okay. I can keep going.”<br />
<br />
Ah—. So that was the reason?<br />
<br />
I was the one who said to go here. Did you think I wanted to go here because I’d enjoy it? I don’t know why she’s thinking so hard about others when she’s a little kid. Since she’s been trembling in fear until now.<br />
<br />
“It’s okay.”<br />
<br />
Because seeing you laughing is a hundred, a thousand times better than seeing these gorey things. …...Of course, Narae’s smile is a thousand, ten thousand times more. Wait, from whom am I trying to defend Narae?<br />
<br />
“O, okay.”<br />
<br />
Rangii closed her eyes and buried her face in my shoulder. Rubbing Rangii’s back while she was like that, I quickly walked to get through the haunted house.<br />
<br />
I was blinded by the warm sunlight when we went outdoors. Okay, now...<br />
<br />
“Rangii. We’re out now…… oi.”<br />
<br />
“Snore—. Snore—.”<br />
<br />
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping right now?! Does falling asleep in that situation make any sense?! You said you were scared! How does it makes sense for you to fall asleep in such a short time when you were trembling in fear!!<br />
<br />
No matter how much I ridicule her, it won’t change the fact that Rangii’s sleeping. I sighed and sat down at a nearby bench under a tree. Even though Rangii’s a kid, she’s heavy. And…… it’s hot. Even under the shade, hugging the superheater known as Rangii is making me sweat profusely. Let’s go home when Saehee and Narae come out.<br />
<br />
Even while thinking that, a sudden refreshing breeze made me fall asleep in an instant.<br />
<br />
…...It’s not my fault. It’s because last night I didn’t sleep well, and because Narae and Rangii dragged me along. That’s why.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I was a little surprised when I woke up. First: Because I was lying down on top of a mat. Second: Rangii was using my arm as a pillow. And third:<br />
<br />
“......”<br />
<br />
“......”<br />
<br />
I turned my head slightly and saw Saehee staring down at me.<br />
<br />
“......What’re you doing?”<br />
<br />
“I was observing.”<br />
<br />
“......Really?”<br />
<br />
Also, I fell asleep on the bench, so how is there a mat under me?<br />
<br />
“For the sake of Master’s and your sound slumber, I moved you two.”<br />
<br />
“How?”<br />
<br />
“With magic.”<br />
<br />
That magic you’re talking about is really amazing. But…… I didn’t ask about it, but what’s that soft feeling on the back of my head and back? And I feel like someone’s hand is on my waist……<br />
<br />
“?!?!”<br />
<br />
Clearly, the owner of that arm must be Narae. Then that soft, pillowy, cushion-like feeling on my back is?!<br />
<br />
While I was speechless, unable to do anything but smile, Saehee kindly explained the situation.<br />
<br />
“She had watched the young master, who sleeps like a cow, and fell asleep just the same.”<br />
<br />
R, really?!<br />
<br />
“And the young master is currently laying on my lap.”<br />
<br />
Seriously?! That’s why your face was so close?<br />
<br />
…...Since I’m lying on Saehee’s lap, and I’m able to look at Saehee’s face with no obstruction in between, then...<br />
<br />
“Do you have something to say?”<br />
<br />
“......No.”<br />
<br />
I stopped thinking.<br />
<br />
Narae and Rangii got up an hour later.<br />
<br />
“Why are you like that if you like it?”<br />
<br />
I have nothing to say.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Ah—. That was fun.”<br />
<br />
My sorta-kinda date with Narae, Rangii, and Saehee ended at sunset. Rangii was smiling widely, maybe because she played so much, and Narae looked refreshed unlike before. …...Well, after she nearly killed me when we were at the bumper cars, seeing her smile like that is healing my heart. And Saehee? Saehee’s behind Rangii with her usual expressionless face. Can no one except Rangii tell if she had a good time or not?<br />
<br />
“Now, want to go home?”<br />
<br />
“Yeah! When we’re home, I want to bathe, eat, and sleep with you!”<br />
<br />
Seeing her like that, I almost said “yeah, that sounds good.” Looking like she wouldn’t lose to anyone in terms of happiness, she was adorably showing her teeth while smiling widely. But I don’t plan on going along with her just because of that.<br />
<br />
“I don’t know about the first two, but switch that last one with Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Eh—. Why’re you being like that? I like Saehee too, but I like you more!”<br />
<br />
With good timing, Narae interrupted our conversation.<br />
<br />
“Don’t carelessly say stuff like that.”<br />
<br />
“Why not?”<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon might attack you since he’s a lolicon.”<br />
<br />
“I’ve been curious since before, but what do you mean by attack?”<br />
<br />
Rangii asked innocently. Narae hesitated as even she couldn’t answer that. Well, Saehee is probably the only one who could answer. I looked at Saehee to stop her from saying anything weird. And I wasn’t able to believe what I saw. Saehee was grimacing.<br />
<br />
“......Oi?”<br />
<br />
I spoke to her since I was worried, but Saehee ignored me, looked at Rangii, and spoke.<br />
<br />
“They have come. They are earlier than expected.”<br />
<br />
I don’t know what she’s saying, but seeing Rangii, who’d been giving Narae a hard time, have a serious look on her face, nothing good seem to have happened.<br />
<br />
“Really?”<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
Rangii and Saehee were having a conversation only they understood.<br />
<br />
“What the heck’s wro……”<br />
<br />
My words were cut off. At that moment, something unidentifiable to a normal human like me covered my whole body. …...What is this?<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
Narae’s face had turned blue, and she was trembling as she held onto my arm. Her legs are shaking. Even at a glance, it’s clear that something’s wrong. If I don’t do anything...!<br />
<br />
“Saehee! What is this?!”<br />
<br />
“It is a barrier. One that attacks people and disrupts their awareness.”<br />
<br />
“But what is that?”<br />
<br />
“This is the action of the enemy that I told you before.”<br />
<br />
“Enemy? By enemy, you must mean…… The Bear Tribe?”<br />
<br />
“You’re definitely a changgwi. Being able to identify this so quickly, you’re living up to your name.”<br />
<br />
On a deserted street, I saw a woman appear from thin air. It was like an invisible person suddenly became visible in front of me.<br />
<br />
Wearing glasses and giving off the sense of great intelligence, a woman who looked to be in her 20s with something that was attracting my eyes to nowhere else but her…… Her breasts were big. No, I’m not talking about where a teenage boy is looking first, I’m saying that her breasts were that prominent! Enough to make my eyes go nowhere else! Although she was wearing a suit, the top of her button down shirt was unbuttoned so a bit of her bra was showing, and I’m paying way too much attention to that! The Bear Tribe really does have large breasts! No, this isn’t the time to be admiring.<br />
<br />
“How dare you run that filthy mouth!”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Rangii stood in front of me and shouted.<br />
<br />
“I clearly warned you while you were running away! Can you not remember me telling you that, If you troubled me again, I could not guarantee your life?!”<br />
<br />
The woman from the Bear Clan, now shortened to bear woman, bowed deeply to Rangii.<br />
<br />
“I apologize for my extremely late greeting due to your changgwi’s barrier, tiger-nim. I am Jeongmi, the head of this generation of bears. And while I remember clearly your roar at the seal, despite my regret, members of the Bear Tribe, we had no choice but to find you even after we were driven away.”<br />
<br />
“I don’t care about your circumstances!”<br />
<br />
The head, Jeongmi, scowled.<br />
<br />
“We truly have no interest in the circumstances between you and Ungnyeo-nim. However, this cursed blood will not disappear.”<br />
<br />
Rangii clicked her tongue.<br />
<br />
“Then tell that damn woman this. I haven’t the slightest hint of affection for either you or him! The man who will become my husband is Sunghoon; this man is the only one for me!”<br />
<br />
“I am sorry, but she is not someone to listen to a joke.”<br />
<br />
“How dare you! What do you believe when you’re flapping your lips?! I will forgive you just this once in consideration of Sunghoon being with me, but turn back now! I do not wish to taint my hands with blood on such a happy day as today!”<br />
<br />
“I am sorry, tiger-nim. We have no choice in the matter. If we were to miss this chance after 300 years……”<br />
<br />
Tears fell in a line from one of Jeongmi’s eyes.<br />
<br />
“We would be unable to escape this cursed blood.”<br />
<br />
The second Rangii’s body shook,<br />
<br />
“Attack!”<br />
<br />
Jeongmi ran towards Rangii. At that moment, I saw something insane. Even though the street was completely deserted just before, dozens, no, hundreds of women appeared from out of nowhere with all kinds of weapons and ran towards us. This is an extremely detailed illusion. They all had large breasts, and eyes devoid of any consciousness. I felt an instinctual revulsion and fear when I saw their expressionless faces, ones even more terrifying than Saehee’s. Um, this is a dream, right?<br />
<br />
“It seems you have prepared quite a lot.”<br />
<br />
“The fools cannot tell the difference between a puppy and a tiger.”<br />
<br />
Only Rangii and Saehee understood this illusion to be reality and moved. I was frozen, unable to do anything, and Narae was trembling while holding on to me.<br />
<br />
“......Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, Master.”<br />
<br />
“Spare their lives. They are undeserving.”<br />
<br />
“......Understood.”<br />
<br />
Rangii moved her hand. She swung the gigantic tiger’s front paw that had taken the place of her hand. An unbelievable sight unfolded as she broke the laws of the conservation of mass as compared to her body proportions. There’s no way something like that is possible. But aren’t they phantoms because they can do these impossible things? The bear women who were unable to dodge Rangii’s paw were swept away as if they were baseballs hit by a baseball bat, defying gravity as they hit the wall, the tree, the ground.<br />
<br />
…...Did they die? They didn’t. Even while they were throwing up blood, with their arms twisted in bizarre positions, or even their legs were broken, they got back up again. Maybe they didn’t feel pain because faces didn’t change at all. They just set their broken bones, spit blood, and rushed at Rangii just like before, their eyes completely vacant.<br />
<br />
“You, if only you were gone, none of us would have to go through this!”<br />
<br />
Jeongmi was striking down with a huge bat, no, a <b>bone-shaped club</b> that was bigger than she was tall. Even in this situation, something about seeing a woman like Jeongmi wield such a fantastical club almost made my mind go blank. Rangii raised her hand to block it, but she felt something and immediately dodged. The club pulverized the road.<br />
<br />
“So that’s Ungnyeo’s bone.”<br />
<br />
“I brought this especially to combat the tiger-nim. Even if you are the tiger-nim, if this touches you while you are in your spiritual body, you will receive a terrible wound.”<br />
<br />
“Tch. How tiresome.”<br />
<br />
“You should speak again after you see what you have caused to these children.”<br />
<br />
Jeongmi spoke while pointing at the other bear women. Even though they were getting hit by Saehee, having their joints snapped, throwing up blood, and getting so damaged that they collapsed, they kept getting up and attacking with blood flowing down. Is this some kind of horror movie?<br />
<br />
“Are you saying that what’s happening to these kids is my fault? None of you have changed at all in the last 300 years! Didn’t what I say get through to you? I just want to live my life!”<br />
<br />
“That is a curse to us. Because just your staying alive means we will be used like dolls! Me as well! And my little sister! And everyone!”<br />
<br />
…...What the hell is she saying?<br />
<br />
“As this is unrelated to you two, please leave for now. Although these numbers are nothing to Master and me, but there is such thing as a worst case scenario. If you were to leave the barrier, you would be safe in the eyes of the public.”<br />
<br />
Despite having just been beating up bear women, Saehee was suddenly next to me. There were still lots of bear women, it didn’t seem like they planned to approach us carelessly.<br />
<br />
“I will lead you outside of the barrier. When there, please avoid places with many people. I will find you when this disturbance has been dealt with.”<br />
<br />
Saehee was being rational. This isn’t something a human like me could do anything about. This is a fight between phantoms and those that are close to phantoms. Narae and I would just be burdens if we stayed here. However…… I already knew. No, I just realized.<br />
<br />
“Can I stay here?”<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon?”<br />
<br />
Narae squeezed my arm that she was holding. I know what you want to say. But I told Rangii back then. That no matter what happened, I would protect her. How could I just run away at the first chance I got? Since this all <b>happened because of me</b>.<br />
<br />
I realized that this all happened because I brought Rangii with me to Seoul without thinking. The instigator of all this is me. …...However, Rangii. How can this be a small problem? I’m asking what you consider to be a big problem!<br />
<br />
Saehee looked at me and smiled. To be able to smile while she’s surrounded by enemies, she’s definitely not human.<br />
<br />
“It seems you have now begun to use your head. But you are still foolish. While the young master is here, Master cannot use her full strength.”<br />
<br />
And as if she read my mind, she said,<br />
<br />
“Protecting Master does not solely encompass her body. Thus, please leave.”<br />
<br />
She made it so the only thing I could do was leave. There’s no way I can respond if you put it like that. I nodded my head.<br />
<br />
“Then I shall open a path. I hope you do not fall behind, young master.”<br />
<br />
While Saehee was moving, more than a dozen bear women charged at us from all directions. And Saehee…… oi, you’re joking, right?<br />
<br />
Saehee’s clothes, without a doubt, split in half from front to back and began to move on its own. But she wasn’t in her underwear or naked despite that. Saehee was still fully clothed. That is, she was wearing two sets of clothes. For her to have clothes on under her clothes in such hot weather. I couldn’t even imagine.<br />
<br />
“This is a simple magic. I can keep them occupied for now, so let us go now.”<br />
<br />
“Are you actually super powerful?”<br />
<br />
I followed behind Saehee while holding up Narae as she wasn’t able to walk properly.<br />
<br />
“Because I am Master’s attendant.”<br />
<br />
“......Then how strong is Rangii?”<br />
<br />
Saehee answered while throwing the bear women who’d dodged her clothes aside with one hand.<br />
<br />
“If you exclude Ungnyeo, no one could stand up to Master.”<br />
<br />
Saehee was talking while repelling two bear women that attacked her from both sides with just a swing of her arms.<br />
<br />
“The only reason I hold back from killing is because of Master’s kindness. The same goes for these weaklings”<br />
<br />
…...It seems I shouldn’t hit Rangii on the head anymore.<br />
<br />
After throwing the bear women like that and guiding us, Saehee suddenly stopped. I stopped with her, with Narae on my shoulders.<br />
<br />
“......Why?”<br />
<br />
“We have arrived.”<br />
<br />
Eh? What do you mean? Nothing’s changed…… No, something’s changed. The weird energy that was covering me had inexplicably disappeared. Does that mean we’re outside the barrier? But I can still see Rangii and the bear women far away.<br />
<br />
“That is because you witnessed what is happening while within the barrier. I do not have the time to explain in detail, but please avoid places with many people. Such an event will not occur, but Master will be worried.”<br />
<br />
“Y, yeah.”<br />
<br />
Narae nodded and pulled on my arm. She looks better than before, so it looks like she’s feeling better.<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon, let’s hurry and go. My head’s been strangely hurting since earlier.”<br />
<br />
Even so, she clearly looks worse than normal. Of course, she wouldn’t feel good after seeing her fellow Bear Clan behave so inhumanly. No, I also don’t want to see something like that.<br />
<br />
“Yeah. Saehee, take care of Rangii.”<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
Saehee bowed slightly, and when I blinked my eyes, she was suddenly within the barrier, fighting the bear women. This isn’t the time to be relax and watch. Even if we’re outside the barrier, we’re in the same danger. I held Narae’s hand and ran to leave this place.<br />
<br />
It was then. Jeongmi, the head of the Bear Clan, shouted.<br />
<br />
“I command you as the head! Awaken the blood of the Bear Clan, Seo Narae, and kill that man!”<br />
<br />
I heard a strange sound from behind me. What’s with that sudden nonsense? You’re telling Narae to kill me? I grabbed Narae’s hand and tried to run away. …...That was a mistake.<br />
<br />
“Narae?”<br />
<br />
Narae held me still with what felt like inhuman strength. I naturally looked behind me when I was stopped, and I saw Narae with an emotionless face, vacant eyes, and clenching a fist. And as I was unable to dodge such a fast punch, I got hit……<br />
<br />
“No!”<br />
<br />
The instant her fist was about to make contact with my head, Narae was sent flying. I’m not kidding, she was sent up as high as my height. She looked like she was hit by a truck. Seeing Narae broken, seeing her collide into the tree, this all felt unbelievable. But Narae’s clothes was turning red.<br />
<br />
Rangii stood where Narae used to be.<br />
<br />
“Are you o……”<br />
<br />
“Narae!!”<br />
<br />
I slapped aside Rangii’s upraised hand and ran to Narae. She wasn’t moving, but I put my hand over her nose. Thank God. She’s breathing. She didn’t die. Along with my sense of relief, a great rage surged up within me at Rangii. You damn brat, what the hell did you do?!<br />
<br />
“Go away! It’s dangerous!”<br />
<br />
Rangii grabbed my body with her human arm that was covered in white fur. The strength was monstrous, but I strangely didn’t feel it. Since she’s a phantom. But Narae! What about Narae!!<br />
<br />
“Let go! What’re you saying is dangerous! You’re the dangerous one, idiot! What’ll you do if Narae dies!”<br />
<br />
“I held back! Now that she has awakened her Bear Clan blood, she won’t die from just this! Right now you’re in more danger than Narae! I just realized! I’m not their target; you are!”<br />
<br />
“What’s that nonsense? Is that important? Narae just got hurt! She might die!”<br />
<br />
“Didn’t I say she wouldn’t die? Calm down! Even I can……”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean she won’t die! Hey, you little crap! Does it look like I can calm down? I’m asking if it looks like I can calm down when Narae is throwing up blood and unconscious after she got hit by a phantom!!”<br />
<br />
The moment Rangii’s grip loosened, I shook her off and ran to hug Narae. I heard that it’s not good to shake someone when they’re like this.<br />
<br />
“Narae! Narae! Are you okay? Narae!!”<br />
<br />
I shouted Narae’s name at the top of my lungs.<br />
<br />
“Uu…… Sung…… hoon?”<br />
<br />
Thank God. Narae’s conscious. I’m about to cry.<br />
<br />
“Run…… away. My body…… m, moving on…… it’s own.”<br />
<br />
“Narae? It’s okay. I’ll take you to the hospital so……”<br />
<br />
Before I could even finish that sentence, Narae’s eyes went blank for the second time and she grabbed my neck. Why? Why is Narae doing this? Narae didn’t answer. And the when she was about to strengthen her grip…… Rangii grabbed Narae’s hand. No, she broke it. Narae’s arm was bent where it shouldn’t have been, and her arm was dangling in accordance to gravity. I couldn’t even scream after seeing that grotesque scene. <br />
<br />
“Didn’t I tell you?! Narae’s dangerous right now!”<br />
<br />
But Rangii was different. She pushed Narae away from my chest, and Narae collapsed onto the ground again.<br />
<br />
…...What just happened? She can’t get up. She’s not moving, just as if she died. She twitched on the ground, throwing up blood.<br />
<br />
“But the Bear Clan’s control is still weak so if you take her away……”<br />
<br />
“What the hell have you done!”<br />
<br />
I shoved Rangii away.<br />
<br />
“......Huh?”<br />
<br />
Rangii sat on the ground, her eyes empty<br />
.<br />
I don’t care. Right now, Narae comes first. I went up to Narae and put my hand over her nose. Thank God. She’s breathing. But the blood on her mouth, her pale face, her broken arm. She’s clearly in danger. I need to hurry and take her to a hospital.<br />
<br />
Right then, Rangii was unexpectedly near me and spoke.<br />
<br />
“Wha, what’s wrong?! This was all for your sake; there was no helping it! I also hate doing this! But why are you getting mad at me?! Did I do anything wrong?!”<br />
<br />
I responded to Rangii's childish tantrum by saying,<br />
<br />
“Did you do anything wrong? Are you kidding? Do you really not know what you’ve done wrong?”<br />
<br />
Saehee suddenly appeared and was standing in front of Rangii. How did you…… I saw the collapsed forms of the Bear Clan behind Saehee. Ah, so that’s it. You’re an impossible strong phantom as well.<br />
<br />
“Master made the correct decision.”<br />
<br />
“The correct decision? To send a girl flying and break her arm?”<br />
<br />
“B, but if I didn’t you would have been in dang……”<br />
<br />
“You didn’t have to do that! Aren’t you two strong? Aren’t you a great phantom? You’re the tiger from the myth!”<br />
<br />
Among all the Bear Clan members who targeted Rangii, not a single one of them was properly on their feet. The head that looked like she had something was leaning on her club, breathing heavily. If you guys are that strong,<br />
<br />
“Is this all you can do? Was this the only solution?”<br />
<br />
“Th, there was no helping it! If I was even a little late, you would have died!”<br />
<br />
“Then you! So if I was like Narae and was a threat to Saehee, you would try to kill me?!”<br />
<br />
“Th, that’s not it. There’s no way I could do that to you, Sunghoon!”<br />
<br />
“I’m saying that Narae is that kind of person to me! But, but what did you say? You were thankful?”<br />
<br />
Rangii looked unusually confused. She opened and closed her mouth, clenched and unclenched her fist, and spoke after working hard to figure out what to say.<br />
<br />
“I, I just…… For your sake, I didn’t want you to die because of Narae; I didn’t want you to get hurt so……”<br />
<br />
But, when she said that,<br />
<br />
“Because of Narae?”<br />
<br />
I lost my sanity.<br />
<br />
“Don’t screw with me! My almost dying, that’s your fault! It’s your fault!”<br />
<br />
By the time my sanity returned, it was too late.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, the great phantom who had overwhelmed the Bear Clan was replaced by a girl who looked like she got hurt after getting rejected by the guy she liked. <br />
<br />
“......Ah.”<br />
<br />
I feel like I have to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth.<br />
<br />
“......You’re right.”<br />
<br />
Rangii clenched her fists.<br />
<br />
“Everything is…… my fault.”<br />
<br />
Her huge amber pupils were shaking. Blood spilled from Rangii’s hands even though the hundreds of Bear Clan members had been unable to harm her.<br />
<br />
“Resent me. You have the right to do so.”<br />
<br />
“Master. However……”<br />
<br />
“Enough! It is not your place to speak.”<br />
<br />
“......Yes.”<br />
<br />
Unlike her usual self, Rangii smiled sadly.<br />
<br />
“I understand. Ha…… After this, I now know what I have wished for. Truly, this is why they gave up their own lives. Now I understand. It was too late, but thank goodness. As I have realized what I must do for the person I love.”<br />
<br />
She laughed bitterly. She had on a smile that didn’t match her.<br />
<br />
“Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, Master.”<br />
<br />
“I entrust these two to you.”<br />
<br />
Saehee’s face froze.<br />
<br />
“But Master. I……”<br />
<br />
“Since when were you able to talk back to me?”<br />
<br />
Saehee bit her lip.<br />
<br />
“Understood, Master.”<br />
<br />
“I’m sorry, Sunghoon. Because of me, the person you, you like got hurt.”<br />
<br />
“No, wait. Um, Rangii.”<br />
<br />
I wanted to tell her something, apologize, say I was too harsh, that this isn’t your fault, that I know you did this all for me, but…… My mouth wouldn’t move. Rangii didn’t permit those words.<br />
<br />
“I will not trouble you any longer. I will go back to my land……”<br />
<br />
The tears hanging near her eyes weren’t able to stay put any longer,<br />
<br />
“The time I spent with you was the happiest…… of my life. Thank you, Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
And they fell.<br />
<br />
“You absolutely need to be happy.”<br />
<br />
Tears were falling.<br />
<br />
And so, my first kiss was sweet, but at the same time it tasted salty.<br />
<br />
“I love you, Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
Rangii spoke softly and smiled. A sad smile, like a farewell, that was tearing her heart apart. And then I realized. That Rangii was about to leave me, and that if I didn’t grab her now, I might never see her again. I grabbed Rangii’s hand and shouted.<br />
<br />
“Wait, Rangii!”<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeDmfvP2lSrKzGnVJaSAfJJrlW1_EI_Pf3eOQiKhsbY48Jyh1VUQHb4b34gkFcTNJkLWMfcLbe5Est2IqkMojeMluZRxngFsRorVVMty1JeRAY2SMkeNop4u40zi5H9jmaCINbYwd7hUm/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeDmfvP2lSrKzGnVJaSAfJJrlW1_EI_Pf3eOQiKhsbY48Jyh1VUQHb4b34gkFcTNJkLWMfcLbe5Est2IqkMojeMluZRxngFsRorVVMty1JeRAY2SMkeNop4u40zi5H9jmaCINbYwd7hUm/s640/Untitled-1.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But I only grabbed air. I was looking right at her a moment before, but she suddenly disappeared. My hand was without the feel of Rangii’s hand and her warmth, and the reality of it left me in despair, and I could only smash the ground from my anger at myself.<br />
<br />
<br />
______________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1">.</a>1. Rangii's speech pattern is copied here, which is supposed to be old Korean as spoken by a kid-- unfortunately, not very translatable.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#top1"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2">.</a>2. Spoken in English.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#top2"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3">.</a>3. An old proverb, meaning that the quietest ones are always the first to act, and are the most dangerous. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#top3"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="4">.</a>4. An old proverb that actually goes "words in the day are heard by birds and words in the night are heard by mice," meaning that there will always be a listener no matter when and where you talk.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#top4"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="5">.</a>5. Being a ghost is synonymous with being a mind reader in Korean. Saehee happens to be a ghost-like being who seemingly reads minds. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html#top5"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<br />Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-8937822024410353062016-08-27T20:39:00.001-07:002016-08-27T20:45:20.888-07:00[Soccer Spirits] The Heir of Kiri<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/38qNQTPmc2E4JsDViVZ-Ax6WDMjWEjIDbMZr41-TmkKhLr3oeiT-cqyq1bu6rE33D8TpkGxB0-ZnC_nNJzOzDs1P-9-Whs_p2sQ34K0mzjSomh5HRk7z766IeQrfNKe9BE2FGxKJ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="가로배너.jpg" border="0" height="129" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/38qNQTPmc2E4JsDViVZ-Ax6WDMjWEjIDbMZr41-TmkKhLr3oeiT-cqyq1bu6rE33D8TpkGxB0-ZnC_nNJzOzDs1P-9-Whs_p2sQ34K0mzjSomh5HRk7z766IeQrfNKe9BE2FGxKJ" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /> </a><br />
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A short story from the official website of a mobile game called <a href="https://www.withhive.com/game/desc/381/22">Soccer Spirits</a>. This was actually done quite some time ago and it was already posted on some of the game's communities, but I'll be leaving this here too for archiving purposes.<br />
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Caution: Everything in this story might sound <i>very</i> strange if you don't know anything about the game. Especially the whole soccer thing.<br />
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<i>Translator: Narane</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Soccer unites the world.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s a phrase that I hear with every new World Cup season. As the saying explains, in the game of soccer, even if everyone’s nationality, skin colour, culture, and religion are all different from yours, you’re going to be like an old friend to them when it’s over.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had a similar experience when I was young. I remember playing soccer with foreign kids during my overseas trip. I played a game of soccer with players of other colours, white and black, and I was uneasy because of our language barrier. But after actually playing a game with them, chasing after them for ninety minutes as they kicked the ball around, and finally exchanging our jerseys at the end, I knew that we had mutually felt as if we had always known each other for a long time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When that happened, soccer felt like a magical sport. I had met people whom I never could speak to or knew before, and yet it was as if I could understand them while we were playing soccer. That was more appealing to me than the act of kicking the ball-- the way I could be friends with complete strangers was the true magic of soccer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And, in the last few years, events that no one could ever predict had unfolded.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The phrase “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">soccer unites the galaxy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” was becoming reality.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since I was young, I watched a lot of alien movies. They usually presented two scenarios for the first contact between aliens and humans.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first version has the aliens bring a large space fleet and then immediately begin an assault on Earth. In this story, the people of Earth either succumbs powerlessly, or a military group heroically defeats the aliens and saves Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Second scenario: an alien or two accidentally ends up in the backwards countryside of the galaxy known as Earth. The aliens secretly meet up with some Earth residents and become friends, and after a long series of adventures, they return to their home world or continue to live on the planet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I ever hear of aliens coming to Earth, I would assume that either of those two things would happen, but the actual aliens had appeared for completely unexpected reasons. That is, their reasons had gone completely off-course from the generic excuses, like “We are the people of Altauri from the Alpha system, and we have come to form an alliance with Earth.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first contact was strange, but perhaps strangely familiar in some perspective. However it went, a few years ago, an alien-- or an alien life form-- had appeared on Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before all else, the most damning part of that situation should have been the fact that an alien has made a confirmed appearance on Earth. Yet the first place that the alien had chosen to visit was even curiouser: instead of making contact with the governments of each nation... it had visited the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">international football association. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You know, the global soccer group.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The alien life form had the appearance of a rabbit. Okay, it was essentially a talking rabbit. The alien rabbit had introduced itself as “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Littre.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” Littre explained that there is a space-wide soccer competition known as the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Galaxy League</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, and it’s managed by the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Parliament of the Galaxy League</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Littre had expressed interest in taking a representative of Earth for the Parliament, so it had visited the football association.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, the news had turned Earth upside-down. Unsurprising, considering that a random space rabbit had shown out of nowhere to talk about a space soccer competition. The world filled with heated discussions-- that NASA was responsible for all of it, or that Earth was secretly ruled by space rabbits all along, or that soccer was an ancient sport given by aliens in the past. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As the years went on, with increasingly greater contact with foreign planets and aliens, Earth had regained a peace of mind as the stories of aliens had become old news. Aliens, space rabbits, and space soccer were all the norm at this point. I had heard later that Earth actually had its own team participating in the Galaxy League. Humans have the fantastic ability to get used to just about everything.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, why am I talking about this? Thanks to all of the mentioned events so far, I was sitting in a spaceship.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My dad was with the football association. Not as the CEO, of course, but I had heard that he had a fairly important position that had him do important things. The original plans of the space rabbit from a few years before was finally making progress, and the association’s representatives were going to have a meeting with the representatives of other planets. My dad naturally got put aboard the ship as a rep, and... he concluded that he might as well make it a family trip, thinking that he’ll never have another opportunity to go into space.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And so, I was on the spaceship. I expected to take a trip to the Moon by the time that I become a shriveled old man, but now, I was a seventeen year old kid, seeing the stars from a spaceship. I couldn’t explain my feeling at the moment with words.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The spaceship was a secret project that was quietly developed on Earth... would be a cool thing to say, but it was actually just shuttled here by the aliens. The aliens mentioned here were apparently from the planet “Umbra.” The people there looked quite a lot like the humans of Earth, but they had ears that resembled various animals. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The word “alien” tends to remind me of those gray-skinned humanoids with pitch-black eyes. But when the actual aliens look like rabbit or fox ears added on humans, they really might as well be just another human being in my country.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oppa, oppa. What are you thinking so hard about?”’</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My little sister asked me from the seat beside mine. Black hair, twin tails to the side. Her pajama-like, rabbit-shaped coat and her rabbit ears were immediately noticeable. She is “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yu Nabi,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” my little sister, who definitely isn’t a space rabbit. After being told that she was visiting a planet of animal-people, she proclaimed that she must “do as the Romans do” and found herself a rabbit costume and a headband with rabbit ears.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seeing that, I imagined some famous foreign musician repeating to the crowd in a Korean concert with a broken accent, “I like Kimchi! Bulgogi too! I love Gangnam Style!”. What was my little sister thinking? It was clear what the aliens were going to think when they see her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t ignore me! What were you thinking about?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I like Kimchi. Bulgogi too.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“?????”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nabi pressed her fingers against her cheeks and gave a puzzled look.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This spaceship’s interior-- it just looks like my airplane flights from years ago. I thought an alien spaceship would look a lot more sci-fi, and cool, and all that.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hehe, Danbi Oppa is a dummy! You don’t know? This is made in Planet Umbra, specially designed for Earth people! They copied after airplane interiors from Earth, so of course it’s going to look very familiar!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know that, but I’m saying that’s just completely unnecessary.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I just got considered an idiot by my own sister...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“On top of that, I thought aliens would have four arms, and three eyes, and maybe twelve legs, but they just look like humans.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oppa, please! What do you mean, ‘look like humans’? They have cute bunny ears!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nabi pointed at a passing stewardess as she spoke. The stewardess was wearing a hanbok-like, Asiatic traditional dress, and had rabbit ears. I heard that’s the trait of the “Myo” clan of Planet Umbra...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You have bunny ears too, you know.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oppa, please! These are fake bunny ears! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Those </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">are real bunny ears!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, see, that’s why I said that I thought aliens would have silver skin and eight legs with tentacle appendages...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoa! Look at that! Her ears are twitching! That’s so cute!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She wasn’t listening to me. Ugh...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nabi had been overly excited about meeting the animal people since the beginning. Right as we were getting on the flight earlier, she was like a broken record, repeating “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So cute so cute so cute so cute that’s so cute that I’ll die!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” and when dad showed her photos of the people on Umbra, she went “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So cute so cute kyaa-- my heart! Hnnnnnngh my heart’s exploding!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” and once again annoyed me to no end.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about this is so cute..? They just look like humans.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Danbi Oppa is cute, too, so you could be like the Myo people if you wear bunny ears.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“D-don’t say that...!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I shook as I clenched my fists in annoyance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But Oppa is cuter than I am.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Stop it.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why? If you dress up like a girl, you’re definitely going to be cuter than me. And if you take photos and put them up online... ‘Hngh! My heart!’”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I seriously need to consider sewing your lips together. Stop blabbering, please.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Blabber blabber blabber~! Blah blah blah~! Yammer yammer yammer~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was deliberately saying “blabber.” I thought about attaching a zipper on her mouth so I could zip it up. Others might think that my little sister is cute, but she was really my worst nemesis.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My face is, as my little sister put it, “cute.” It’s less of a face of man and more like a lady’s. My voice sounds androgynous, too, so I had often been mistaken for a girl when I was young.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After a history of being made fun of my girly face, it had become a kind of a trauma for me. I did my best to look more like a boy since my early age. Getting into soccer was a part of it. I had a time when I worked out until I was a muscular hulk and took my top off whenever I played soccer. I thought I could finally rest easy as people recognized me as a boy...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And after a passing comment that went “Oh my god, that kid has the face of a lady but the body of a muscleman! That’s totally unbalanced LOL” I had once again returned to being very frustrated. I had given up on maintaining that body, too-- it looked weird to me, too, looking at myself in the mirror at the time. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The bigger trauma was at school some time ago, when I had been asked to go out with another boy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It doesn’t matter if you’re a guy! You’re pretty!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” were his words, and I got mad enough to physically kick him out of my face. I want to be asked out by a girl! A </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">girl</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Kyaah!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nabi screamed in surprise. I was just as surprised. While I was deep in thought, the ship shook with a massive ‘clunk’. Did we crash into an asteroid?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“O-oppa, what’s happening? Are we going to go down?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t be so stupid. We’re flying in space, so we can’t just go ‘down’.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I reassured my little sister, mixing in the comedic “straight man” act. I had gone on a lot of airplane flights in my youth, so turbulence wasn’t unfamiliar. Even if the plane shakes around violently, I just need to stay calm and still.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the next moment, however, darkness enveloped my sight, and then I lost my consciousness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I pinched my cheeks.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pinching my cheeks proved I wasn’t in a dream, so I pinched my nose, my lips, and tore my hair out, and I still wasn’t in a dream to awake from, so I thought better and stopped the pinching.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was in a tiny spaceship. I was in a tiny room that was only enough to fit the size of my body. The ship seemed to be egg-shaped, so I imagined that an outside observer would think that I was in a massive egg. I was in a white egg.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The door in front of me was opened outward, so I had a good view of the outside world. Looking at that, I was pinching my cheeks.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had landed on a great field of purple crystals. The area looked like a desolate plain devoid of flora at a glance, and instead of grass, there were purple crystals. They looked like gems, or maybe simple minerals; at the very least, I’ve never seen them before. I wondered if I had fallen into a crystal cave, but that was an impossibility as the clear, blue sky was right above the field.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What happened back there...?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I could recall as far as the ship shaking violently after talking to Nabi. Then a big thud happened... and then everything went dark as I lost my consciousness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No. Actually... My vision blacking out, and going unconscious were two separate events. I carefully recalled about the events that had occurred on the flight. My vision was blocked because an object fell from above and onto my face, like someone had put a blindfold over my eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It might be entirely different, but traditional airplanes had a similar feature. When airplanes have emergencies, oxygen masks fall from compartments in the ceiling. I remembered practicing donning those masks several times over my numerous flights.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If that was the case...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did something happen to the spaceship?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What happened to Nabi? What about Mom and Dad? I couldn’t tell. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There were many confusing buttons and controls within this egg-shaped, miniature spaceship, but none of them produced any reactions when I mashed on each button. I looked for a manual, but searching around the body-sized spaceship produced nothing worthwhile. Even if it did, I probably couldn’t read any of it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was previously in a spaceship that belonged to the United Kingdom of Kartina, so I was possibly in one of the escape shuttles within it. With that thought, I stepped out of the ship, making crunching sounds as I landed my foot on solid ground.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I sure wish this was Earth...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked around the crystal-filled lands. Everywhere I looked, there were nothing but purple crystals, with no fauna, people, or buildings. There weren’t even any other ships flying in the skies above.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A crystal-filled desert. I had traveled to many different countries as a child, but I had never seen such a sight. I’d seen a crystal cave before, but a crystal desert?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Was it an alien planet after all? As I rationally thought about the events thus far, that was the natural conclusion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had no idea what my next move should be. If I had anyone else with me, I could have had the reassurance. I really didn’t know what was the proper action while stranded alone on an unfamiliar, alien planet. Should I return to the egg and sit still? Or should I draw an SOS signal on the ground and then hope for the best? Wait... How were aliens going to tell what SOS means? Things seemed worse with each moment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked around. Alien monsters... were nowhere in sight, thankfully. Around me were only purple crystals. They were the only things that I could really see in the distance. I squatted on the ground, and inspected one of the purple crystals beneath me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Purple crystal. The shapes didn’t seem to have a pattern. It wasn’t fully transparent, and it had clearly defined angles and surfaces like gem crystals. If I were to be rescued and made it back home, wouldn’t it be great to have one of these with me? A purple crystal from an alien planet. Not too shabby for a souvenir.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was such a frivolous thought for a stranded man, but the crystal had caught my eyes the more I looked at it. After making up my mind to take back one with me, I touched the crystal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Huh?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t move my hands. Both of my hands refused to move, with the crystal in their grips. Huh? What’s it doing? Why can’t I move? I tried to step away in panic, but my legs refused to move next. I thought I had been paralyzed. I realized something had gone terribly wrong and I tried to scream for help, but my mouth did not move, either.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My lips were without feeling. My tongue was solid. No voice was being made. My neck wouldn’t turn to my wishes. My eyelids were frozen. I couldn’t blink.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My entire body, as if it had become a crystal, refused to move a single inch. Feeling was leaving my skin. I was still staring at the crystal. My body was paralyzed as I looked at the crystal, so I couldn’t look away.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I continued to attempt at a call for help, but my paralyzed mouth did not allow any words to come out. No screams were heard. I was filled with regret a little too late. I was done for in the moment that I decided to touch the crystal. I knew that nobody would hear me even if I called for help, but I really wanted to say anything at all.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, so this is how it ends.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The thought filled my mind. I was going to die a lonely death in an alien world, without friends, without family.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Images of Nabi, Mom, and Dad flashed by. I saw my childhood soccer friends, too. I could never hold a conversation with them and they looked very different than I, but I really had a lot of fun playing soccer with them. That was the most fun I had in those days. Getting to meet the different people of the world through a children’s soccer team was great. I recalled the jersey exchanges in the aftermath.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Am I never going to play soccer again...? That was my final question. My body was tingling. I couldn’t move. I was going to die a slow death as I stood still as a stone statue. It was all too sad.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What are you doing there?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I clearly heard that voice. I thought I was hearing things for a moment. It was very apparently the voice of a woman asking ‘what are you doing there?’ I was very relieved. I could actually understand her. I tried to reply, but no words were coming out-- of course, I was still paralyzed. I had to say something back...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Can’t you hear me? I asked what you’re doing there.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wanted to answer, but I could neither speak nor turn my head. I detected a hint of annoyance in the woman’s voice. No, wait, stop being annoyed and help me out! I’m completely paralyzed and I can’t do a thing!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait... You’re a guy?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Footsteps approached. I heard her walking in my way. I really wanted to see her for myself, and that didn’t work. Not even my eyes could roll over to look, which were fixated on the purple crystal instead.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But that face has to be a girl’s...?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She saw my face. Then please, help me! Don’t just look! The mysterious stranger began poking my face with her fingers. Then, she suddenly slapped my face.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Seeing how you’re paralyzed, you have to be a man, but... Maybe you just look like a girl?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Footsteps crunched by again. She was walking away somewhere. Wait, stop! Come back and save me!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s an escape pod from a Kartina ship... What business does Kartina have on Planet Kiri? Oh, wait, you can’t speak, can you?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I thought I’d nod if I can’t speak, but that was also futile. Presumably, she was looking around the spaceship. The mystery lady’s footsteps approached again, returning to my direction.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Only an idiot of a man would touch this crystal, though.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had no idea what she was talking about. Are men not allowed to touch this crystal? How was I supposed to know?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Your body’s probably poisoned and paralyzed at this point... So you won’t be able to speak, or look at me. You don’t know who I am, because you can’t see who I am.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yep. I’m poisoned. Please save me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, what should I do? Should I save you? Maybe not?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was getting angrier with each word. Why even ask, if you know that I’m unable to reply?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If I rescue you here, then you’ll be indebted to me as your saviour. ...The price should be pretty steep, huh? Do you have the money for repayment? Or maybe alternate things of value?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She continued to ask questions to a voiceless man. Whoever she was, she was evil. She was truly the worst.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you have nothing, then you’re going to have to pay with your own body, so you should brace for that. I’ve run a lot of businesses in my life, but charity isn’t one of them, you see? If you have own nothing, then I’ll own you.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Okay, alright! Just take it all! My body, my parents’ money, whatever it is! Just save me!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then, when you’re able to talk again, let’s talk about your methods of repayment.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Soon, darkness came over my sight again. I didn’t lose my consciousness, but I was put into some sort of a coffin. As I was put into the coffin, the lid was shut, and pitch black covered my eyes.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What could possibly happen to me now?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Light returned to my vision. The lid had come off.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm? You’re awake? Let’s see, let’s see. Body functions are normal. Respiration is fine. Oho, good! You’re perfectly healthy!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I saw a face with blue goggles. She had green hair, but the goggles covered the most of her face so her eyes remained unseen. Beneath that was her disheveled work clothing, and sprouting from her sides were...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whaaah! It’s a monster with nine arms!!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Numerous metal arms were holding tools like hammers and spanners. The goggles threw me off for a moment, but that was definitely a nine-armed alien!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What! No! These are mech arms for my work!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the arms took the goggles off of her face, and her green, sparkling eyes were revealed from underneath. W-wait, she looks like she could be my sister’s age, but the robot arms behind on her backs are...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whaaaaaaaah! It’s a girl-like monster with nine arms!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey... You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl grumbled and shook her mechanical arms around. What did she think she was-- an Indonesian goddess...? I shrunk away in fear, and the girl sighed. She collapsed her human arms onto her chest and, like taking off a school backpack, she removed the mechanical arms aside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, so they’re robot arms.”</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2편삽화_미리알.jpg" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Z_QzhZmngIPArEzxx4jDoBldPGK4RHJmAubYnGgnXiW2oNbBvu0jBYFp-o-d5eAU0I9wTqN-Elk0VT8rWermhkkG15YI2-zqmJ6tjE8A16geC7XzJ1OBO8StAMkdCeeu9gFGr6iM" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="457" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The thing on her back was a mechanical contraption that controlled the nine arms. After taking the device off, the girl looked like any other girls at my little sister’s age. Looking around, the area looked like it was the interior of a futuristic spaceship. I was in a state-of-the-art laboratory, and there were more coffin-like containers around me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My outfit was... the same. It was as I had in my space flight.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Will you believe that I’m not a monster now? Seeeriously~ Those are support arms for helping me do my work.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“U-uh, fine, I’ll believe you. But, who are you? And... where am I?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Me? I’m Mirial. Mirial Shuutena. Just call me Mirial~ I’m the engineer of this ship!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh... I’m Yu Danbi.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I could have guessed that she was an engineer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re in Minerva Kingdom on Planet Kiri.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Planet Kiri? Minerva Kingdom? Where is that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoa! You don’t know Minerva Kingdom?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The little girl clasped her hands around her mouth as if she were truly surprised. She was like a city girl making fun of a countryside bumpkin for not knowing trivial things...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you seriously not know about the galaxy’s most powerful nation, Minerva Kingdom? Is there even anyone left who doesn’t know about the military powerhouse that ended the star wars? Are you suffering from memory loss?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t have memory loss!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then how under the rock do you have to be to... H-hey, do you know how many this is? You see, this is called a ‘number’...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl made a V-sign with her hand.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s two! I know that much!! I’m from Earth!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Earth? Was there a tribe like that on Kartina?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I realized where the mistake originated.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not from the United Kingdom of Kartina, but from a planet called Earth. I’m a guy from Earth. Earth. Earth, the planet in the Sol system!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s an Earth? Is there really a planet called that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Earth must have been completely insignificant to the people around here.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm. You came out of a Kartina escape pod, but you’re not from Kartina?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s how it is. I was on a spaceship to travel to Planet Umbra to enter Kartina. But there was an accident during the trip, and... I don’t know the specifics, but I found myself on this planet after waking up.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I pieced my memories together to make that summary.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Earth...? Earth... Hm, I thought I heard that somewhere before. What else that... Wait, that’s right!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Engineer Mirial clapped in light of her realization.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I have absolutely no clue!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, my poor head...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm. Anyway, I know enough to know that you’re from a tribe that’s primitive enough to not know Planet Kiri’s Micrinum ores. So, a primitive planet called Earth, right? ...Mmh, do you know what a ‘fire’ is? Do you eat raw meat, and stuff?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We cook meat just fine!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, so your culture just began utilizing fire. It’s fine if people from such a backwards culture make that kind of a mistake! I understand!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I really wanted to argue with her further, but I realized that I would only tire myself out. Instead, I moved onto a different question.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, Micrinum ore? What is that, exactly?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s the purple crystal that you touched. We call that Micrinum around here. It’s a special mineral that exists only on Kiri.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As she spoke, she opened up a toolbox-like container from her side and took out a purple crystal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah... Aaaaaagh!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I immediately recoiled at the sight of the crystal. I almost died because of that thing!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, yeah, you almost died from this. Micrinum ores are densely packed with energy, but it has a special poisonous property that only affects men.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“H-how can you touch that crystal so calmly?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm? I’m a girl.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I fell into silence for a moment. What? So, that crystal is... perfectly fine when females touch it, but when males touch it, poison spreads and paralyzes them?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s a lie! That’s impossible! How can that kind of crap exist?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“As expected from a primitive folk. He’s in denial of a crystal that’s common knowledge in this galaxy...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If such a thing existed, then all the males on this planet must have died off! That doesn’t make sense!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah. They all died.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I stiffened and gawked at the girl’s eyes. That, uh... That was a joke that only engineers could understand, right? There must have been a gag that I missed, like a pop culture reference, or a word play.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Only women live on Planet Kiri. That’s why it’s very odd for a boy like you to enter this planet.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uwaaaaaah! That’s impossible! A planet with only women?! That’s like some fairy tale world!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm? A primitive civilization has Kiri mentioned in its folklore? That’s an... interesting data.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-so, this planet has... only women?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. Already, we have laws that prohibit males from entering the nation, so no males could legally be here.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I must have fallen into a bizarro world.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Learning from the data given by the girl so far... This place was a militarily powerful nation, so it must have been what United States appears to Earth. If it were a really big nation, then... Might they have a way for me to return to Earth, or find out the whereabouts of my little sister and my parents?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I told Mirial my thoughts. I believed that somebody could help me out of pure kindness, since in my baseless opinion, the people here seemed genuinely nice...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep! It’s totally impossible.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">... And I immediately reconsidered my previous opinion. I got denied in the moment that I asked.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I was a little confused at first, but I confirmed it for myself after I scanned your body. You look like a girl, but... You’re unmistakably a man! A healthy, young boy, I’ll agree on that!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then she suddenly blushed.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, uh, why are you blushing?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th-that’s because... of absolutely nothing!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You said you scanned my body, so did you...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Kyaaaah~!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She covered her face in embarrassment.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did I... seriously show off my bare body to a girl... for the first time?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“B-but you looked like a girl no matter where I looked, so I needed to make sure!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Okay, putting that aside, why is it impossible?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah, it’s impossible because of the ‘no entry to males’ law, which is still in effect to this day.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She dramatically raised a finger like she was teaching a little kid.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What of it?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re a boy. A healthy boy. A boy however you look.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s the problem?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But you’re on this planet.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial lowered her finger and stared in silence. I looked back at her. What was happening? Was she attempting a telepathic communication?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you really not understand the issue yet?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, so what’s the problem that I’m a guy?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re on a planet that doesn’t allow any males to enter, and you’re on this planet. You’re an illegal alien.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Right, go on.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re a criminal.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I froze. I was trying to remember the meaning of the word “criminal”, and looking back at Mirial,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?!?!?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why?!?! What have I done?! When have I wronged this world?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Phew... It’s not easy, making a primitive tribesman understand such a civilized concept. You don’t have anything like laws on your planet, no? The tribal chief manages its people, and...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s not it! I perfectly understand the situation! Why do I have to be labeled a criminal?! I’m innocent! It’s unfair! I’m just stranded after a spaceship accident!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But there’s nothing to worry about! We’re not exactly low on money! I’m not about to take you straight to the police or anything! Oh... But if the boss changes her mind, I don’t know if...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The slurred speech at the end was a bad omen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wait... One thing was especially troubling. If this really was a foreign planet, how was I communicating with this person with no problems?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, how come we can hold a proper conversation? Isn’t it normal to suffer from a language barrier if I’m on a foreign planet?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ahh, that? It might be difficult to understand from the perspective of an uncivilized tribesman, but it’s been centuries that we had a galaxy-wide, automatic translator! People on Planet Kiri have them installed in their body, so we can have free communication with strangers from any other planet! Hmm. Was it too tough to understand, after all? Do you know what it means to ‘translate’?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know, so please, stop thinking that I’m a primitive ape.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There existed such a convenient system. If there was a device like that back on Earth, I never would have needed to waste time learning foreign languages...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I got the rough idea of what’s going on now. But... I don’t see the person who rescued me. She had a different voice...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah. It was my boss who rescued you!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Your boss?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mmh. The boss left it to me to find out who you are, where you’re from, and investigate your background! I’m just an engineer, but I’ve been getting all sorts of miscellaneous tasks... N-no, I’m not complaining. The boss is busy with other work, but you’ll get to meet her soon.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When you say ‘the boss’... This is a company building?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. This place is called Khan Electronics. We make things related to soccer around here.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The mention of soccer piqued my interest. This world seemed mostly alien to me thus far, but a friendly, familiar word had been spoken.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then... you make things like soccer balls and uniforms around here?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oho! Even primitive tribes play soccer! I suppose I won’t have to explain what soccer is.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I really wished that she would stop calling me primitive.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But... making soccer balls doesn’t sound like it’s going to involve a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">spaceship</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufufu! That’s the difference between primitive soccer and modern-age soccer! Soccer is the most famous sport in this galaxy! Naturally, it’s the prime testing ground for any modern technology!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As Miss Mirial explained, the rules of the game were the same as I had always known, but all kinds of space technology were included. It begins with the material of the soccer ball, which it is durable enough to withstand the might of any alien out there, and follows with special outfits that enhance the bodily strengths of its wearers for playing soccer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She said that this company was especially concerned with making special suits that enhance the abilities of its wearers by two hundred percent, while strengthening their body.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The most important components of these suits are Micrinum ores, so I was out prospecting for ores, until our ship had found you.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Making suits out of such dangerous materials? That means guys can’t wear it, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufufu! It doesn’t have to be that way! If we use our new tech--... O-oops, that’s a trade secret! A trade secret! Pretend I didn’t say anything!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She put a hand over her mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-ahem. Anyway, it’s as you say. Micrinum suits, shortened to Micsuits, can only be worn by the women of Planet Kiri! It’s a brilliant technology that allowed the military nation of Planet Kiri to rise to the top!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That almost sounds like a cheat... That’s just not fair play.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmph. I don’t know about your primitive soccer, but the Galaxy League is on a different level than whatever you’re thinking about! Angels play soccer, dragons play soccer, and demons play soccer! All kinds of nonsensical, common-sense-defying beings play soccer! If you’re going to play on the same level as those things, you need the Micsuits! Now that’s fairness; I’ll agree on that!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-angels? What?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was reminded that there were more things unknown than known in this world. I wanted to press further about the angels and the demons, but a sudden rhythmic beeping from the spaceship interrupted me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wah! It’s my boss calling me!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Without a single explanation, I was dragged outside by Mirial by my arms. Going through the door that connected to the laboratory space, I found myself in a room that looked like someone’s office.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The room was a lot less impressive than the previous. It looked as if the place was cleaned out before moving away to a new home. The walls were plain purple, and the desk and the floor were just as purple. What was this place? The purple room had a purple desk, and behind it was a purple chair that faced away. I couldn’t see the person on the chair because of its orientation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“W-whoaah!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And suddenly, the floor had turned into a display of the outer space, catching me off guard. I saw Earth in the distance. It then looked as if the room was flying in space.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“There’s nothing to be surprised about. This is a hologram. Ah... Primitive tribes wouldn’t know about holograms--”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know what it is.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I came back to my senses after hearing Miss Mirial. I had a small hope that they returned me to Earth, but the hope was promptly lost.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The room turned into space, and beneath me was Earth. Only the desk and the chair remained purple. The chair still faced away, and whoever sat in it stayed still.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She began speaking. I couldn’t see her, but I recognized the voice right away. It was the voice from back when my entire body was paralyzed. She spun around in her chair and began,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now. Shall we talk about the payment for saving your life?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The chair spun, and revealed the owner of the voice. My first impression was... that she was a pirate captain. She didn’t have a skull-marked tricorne, but she wore a red jacket with a black cape, and her definitive pirate quality was the black eyepatch over her left eye.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Was I captured by pirates?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hello, Yu Danbi. I’m Lei Khan, but people usually call me Khan.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She had pale white skin and her silvery hair extended down her shoulders. If her clothes weren’t pirate-like, she would have probably looked like a mystical, noble elf, but the added pirate captain look made her look rather ghostly and terrifying.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial had left the room soon after bringing me in, so there were only Khan and I remaining. Pressure mounted extra quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I got the gist of your identity with Mirial’s information. Hm. My search into the space flights records for your spaceship shows that... a Kartina spaceship that was heading for Umbra had gone missing. I see that you haven’t been lying.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th-that’s right. I’m not lying about anything.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan looked visibly surprised at my reply. Did I say anything that might surprise her? Or... It was my girly voice again?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey... Has anyone ever told you that you sound a lot like someone else?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You don’t have to tell me that I sound like a girl. Tsk.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I meant... No, forget it.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t have any idea what she was trying to say. Khan looked like she didn’t care about my situation at all, but she looked more interested after hearing me out. Was she getting interested in my problem?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know what situation I’m put into. I heard that this planet doesn’t allow men to enter. I want to leave here, too. Miss Khan, is there a way for me to find and return to my parents?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Before we get to that, we have a different issue. You haven’t paid me for saving your life yet.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ugh. That was the issue, after all. I had nothing that I could do for her. But...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Can’t you see? I have absolutely nothing with me. You want a reward? Then you’ll need to find my parents. I own nothing myself, but my parents should be able to pitch in a reward.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I answered with the best possible solution that came to my mind. That’s great! It was what I needed. I just needed to take the attention away from the reward, and to finding my parents!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you sure that your parents have the ability to pay?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“My parents earn a lot of money!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You don’t understand, kid. That’s only in the perspective of a citizen of Earth.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uh... Sorry?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m one of the richest people in this galaxy. When I talk about payment, I’m thinking of a large spaceship in the very least. Hm... Like the big spaceship that you were riding on, yes? But, according to my investigation just now, it says that the people of Earth don’t even have the technology to build a proper spaceship.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th-that’s... We can’t build them now, but we’ll manage it in ten years!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even though they were my own words, they sounded like silly, desperate excuses to me. An entire spaceship?! How can I guarantee that can be made in ten years?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Therefore, neither you nor your parents have the ability to pay.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Nngh... Then, what do you want?! What are you going to do?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I could be a law-abiding citizen and hand you over to the Minervan government for the crime of trespassing, and receive a small bounty as a result.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then what will happen to me?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’ll be exiled from this planet. You’ll become lost in space, floating in space until you expire...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aaaaaargh! It’s not my fault that this happened to me! That’s not fair!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Or, you can pursue the second option. Since you can’t pay, you forfeit your body. You become my slave. But, what can you do for me?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Avoiding the fate of being stranded in space had left me with the life of a slave.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I... I can play soccer.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Soccer?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes! I was in a youth’s international soccer team when I was young. I competed against many other nations... A-and I heard you make soccer accessories here! I might be able to help!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I quickly pitched myself in desperation. I’m fine with anything else, just don’t shoot me out into space!!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm... Soccer...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I must have convinced Khan. She looked to be deep in thought for a moment, and she spun in her chair back around.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She brought up a bunch of holograms in front of her and fiddled with its controls. Several screens flew by. What was she looking at?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait... Maybe... My plan could be solved a lot easier this way....?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan mumbled to herself as more holograms floated above her. They were all images that I did not recognize. There was a palace surrounded with purple crystals, and beside it was a blonde lady in a white dress, wielding a shining sword with a black hilt. It was my first time seeing anything like that</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Holograms above displayed many complex-looking numbers and letters, and then, they all disappeared. The sight of the space and Earth disappeared, too, and the room returned to its original purple. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...A purple room? Could it also be made of Micrinum ores? The colours were similar, so maybe that’s how it was.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yu Danbi. How well can you play soccer?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had found my way out. I had to press onward to take the opportunity, even if I had to lie in the process.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m the best player on Earth! Number one on Earth! So I should be pretty good, even space-wide!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If any of the soccer players on Earth heard that, they would stop kicking the ball to kick me to pulp instead. But they’ll understand too, if they also knew of my situation.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re the best player on Earth?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes! You could say that I’m the future of Earth Soccer! You can’t talk about Earth Soccer without leaving me, Yu Danbi out! I’m the very icon and the hope of all things soccer! Historians say that Earth Soccer divides into pre-Danbi and post-Danbi days!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I gave up thinking. There was no going back. I had to see where this would take me!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm. Okay. The people on Earth may have an inferior civilization, but I have data that shows that their soccer abilities cannot be ignored. And if you’re truly the best player on Earth... As long as you’re not lying, there should be some use for you as a player. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you aren’t lying, that is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The way she talked about me lying-- I felt my heart sink. Did she see through my ruse...?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Alright. If you can prove yourself with soccer, I will guarantee your freedom and help you find your parents. Of course, you can always reject this proposal and choose to become stranded in space instead.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll do it! I’ll play soccer! I’ll win against any team that’s thrown at me!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Good. Then prove your skill on the field. But if I find that you were exaggerating your abilities...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan smiled, tracing her neck with the side of her hand, as if to cut her throat. Whoa, that’s a common gesture in space, too!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ll grind you into space dust.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You can rely on me! I’ll show you that I’m the best player in the galaxy!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And that’s what happened.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is how Yu Danbi came to say the biggest lie of his lifetime.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is how Yu Danbi ended up playing soccer out in the galaxy.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?!? I’m going to be a manager for a soccer team?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in the purple room, I personally watched on as Mirial screamed.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After the biggest lie of my life, Khan had called Mirial back into the room. When Mirial returned, Lei Khan immediately began, “You. You’re going to be the manager to take care of our soccer team from now on.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m just a humble engineer gal! Even if you give me all the time and finance, it’s impossible! Impossible! Terribly impossible!!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The Micsuits of the soccer players of Minerva Kingdom-- Who made them?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th-those are made by me. They’re products of Khan Electronics, after all.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Those suits are designed by analyzing the specialties of each player and optimizing their individual, unique abilities, aren’t they?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course! It’s a high-performance suit that can bring up the potentials of the players by two hundred percent! It maximizes their strengths and minimizes their weaknesses! It’s the magnum opus of the state-of-the-art Minervan technology!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial suddenly flushed up, excited. She was too eager to talk about her own profession...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ergo, you know of the unique characteristics of every Minervan player?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial paused, her mouth ajar.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Isn’t the job of a manager to perfectly understand the abilities of every player?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, I’m just an engineer girl, not a...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t you perfectly understand them?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I do perfectly understand them, but this and that are different types of things, so realistically I can’t make use of...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then we’re done here. You’re the most suited for this position. Begin working on it immediately. Don’t waste your time here.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan grinned. Hm. It seemed to mean ‘I have nothing more to say, so get out’...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial put on a long face and grumbled on her way out. The situation seemed to call for me to leave with her, so I followed right after.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Waaaaaaaaaaaahh!! It’s all your fault!!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As soon as we exited the room, Mirial charged at me. If she had ran at me with only her own body, it might have looked cute, but she was coming at me while swinging her nine terrifying robot arms on her back. I ran, struck with fear.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-no, wait! Why is this my fault?! It was decided by her!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s your fault that the boss got her weird idea!! I-I’m a soccer team manager... What kind of nonsense is thiiiiiiiiis?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It appeared that I wasn’t the only victim of the unreasonable series of decisions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, that just happened. She said she’d help me find my parents if I prove myself as a soccer player... Hm. I guess you got mixed up in this because of me. I’m sorry.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sorry doesn’t solve anything! Waaah!! How did I end up as a soccer team manager?!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But, uh... Like Miss Khan said, you know precisely well about the players... So... Maybe you’ll get through this somehow?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not a soccer team manager, I’m an engineer!! An engineer!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know a little bit about soccer, so maybe I could help.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial stopped her waterfall tears and looked up at me with moist eyes. It was pretty cute in that angle... if not for the robot arms.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Really? You were a team manager before?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I were on Earth and I were asked by a random person, then I would have quickly replied “no,” but I was in a situation where I have lied numerous times and an extra one wouldn’t matter anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. I led the Earth’s greatest band of boys.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoa! Really? You were a manager! B-but aren’t you a little too young to be a manager?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Back on Earth, even a kid like me can be a manager with enough skill! And I’m Earth’s best soccer manager!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m so sorry, real managers. Please forgive me. I just want to live. I’m sure you’ll understand.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Alright. Everything happened thanks to you, so... Take responsibility and help me out! I might be a professional with suits, but being a manager is my first!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Believe in me! I’ll make the best soccer team in the world!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A serious thought struck me that I’d grow up not as a professional soccer team manager, but as a pro swindler...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial used holographic projections to explain the Minerva Kingdom Soccer League.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was the Galaxy League which took in a national soccer team from each planet, but there was also a large variety of soccer leagues happening on each planet. Minerva Kingdom had its own soccer league, and it was apparently called the ‘Minerva Cup’.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“There are many soccer teams in Minerva Kingdom, but there are only five that are noteworthy.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial opened up more holograms by flicking her robotic hands around. Several square photos that looked like pictures on ID cards were listed and aligned themselves in the air.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wow, that’s a lot of players.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mm-hmm. There are a lot, so I’ll start with the first team! I’ll pass the rest of them! Close, sesame!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With more flicks of the robotic hands, Miss Mirial erased the holograms to my right and opened and closed various screens to rearrange them. They looked more like touchscreen interface than simple holograms...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After cleaning up the screens, a picture appeared, containing a blonde lady, holding a shining blade with a black hilt and wearing a white armour. Huh? I thought I’d seen her from Khan’s room projections... I saw the screen from afar then, but now that I got a closer view, I found the lady’s blue eyes and her face to be pretty. She may looked like what I’d call... pure.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The first team to introduce has to be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Siena Celtron</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. They’re practically the strongest of Minerva Kingdom. Obviously, because the leader of Minerva Kingdom, Princess </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bell Rougemann</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> herself, is one of the players.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The princess is a player herself? That’s pretty amazing...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Princess Bell is very active in promoting playing soccer in Minerva, you know. Playing soccer herself is the best way to advertise it, you see?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Is that so...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had found myself in a nation that loved soccer more than Brazil. Soccer was that important on this planet...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Siena Celtron is the crowd favourite within the Galaxy League, too, so its renown in the Minervan Kingdom goes without saying. The explosive offense from Princess Bell is its well-known specialty. One mistake, and then she’s already penetrated past your line. I don’t have to say any more other that they’re pretty much expected to win. Next~”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After the blonde princess disappeared, twin girls appeared on the screen. Silvery twintails, and... black outfits that showed a heck of a lot of skin. No, that has to be a swimsuit! Sure, it had traces of futuristic spacesuit tech, but that cleavage, and those butts, there were too many things showing!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey... Are they seriously playing soccer in that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm? But that’s typical for soccer-use Micsuits of Minerva Kingdom.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, but that degree of nudity is... I think that’s pretty lewd!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm. I heard something similar to that from people from other planets, but Minerva Kingdom is the land of women, you know? I don’t know about other planets, but there’s nobody around here who thinks the same as you about the Micsuits.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“B-but they’re almost naked!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“They just removed everything that gets in their way of moving around. Clothes can only slow you down the more layers you wear!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t find a good retort against her reasoning. I suppose it wasn’t too wrong to be nearly naked on a planet of women as a woman.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Micsuit designs are nearly perfect! Needless parts are carefully omitted to reduce air resistance! Parts that require strengthening are empowered by the suit! What a fantastic display of modern technology!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But the suit seems to be focusing a lot on the breasts and the legs.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, yeah, you need to receive the ball with your chest and you kick the ball with your legs. Sigh. To talk to a tribal like this...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I gave up arguing. If that’s how it was, it was going to be. And I wished again to stop being called a tribal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Back to my speech: the second team to introduce to you is the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeneva Crew</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. The twin sisters, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maggie </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meg</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> are quite famous. The Jeneva Crew is, um... A little awkward, but stronger near the end of the match? Some style like that. Even if they look like they’re falling behind early on, their skills are impossible to ignore in the end. So, you have to be careful for a comeback.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A team that aims for a comeback... I looked back at the silver-haired twins on the hologram screen. I was again struck by the degree of their nudity. Lewd!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial erased the twins’ hologram, producing the next. There was another player with a suit of the similar design.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Green hair, and green suit. Her expression looked cold.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The next is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">DC Neska</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. The face of their team is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blade</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. She’s the definition of calm, calculated plays. Their team won’t have any explosive offense like the Siena Celtrons, but their defensive game is pre-tty hard to break through. The height of defensive plays, I feel.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The leading player looked like she’d never get angry. And very cold, too, that she’d never smile, either.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The next is, uh... Atlanta.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial stammered in the middle of her speech. She had already erased the last hologram, but she hesitated to bring up the following screen. What was she doing?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-it’s nothing! Now, Planetary Defense Initiative Atlanta!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The huge hologram showed another great big surprise. So, um, uh...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, Danbi? You’re staring at her breasts too much...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Not at all! I wasn’t looking at her breasts! I was assessing her as a player! A player!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was another silver-haired player, but with a completely different atmosphere from the twin sisters. She looked kind and gentle, with very huge breasts and hips, and with her wearing the similar near-nude indigo suit, my male eyes were naturally drawn to certain parts of her...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Atlanta was originally a military command center for Minerva Kingdom. But thanks to Princess Bell’s efforts... they formed a soccer team here, too. Soccer over war~ Soccer and peace!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s not love and peace, but soccer and peace...?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Atlanta has a relatively short history, but each player stands out uniquely in personality and abilities... No one can underestimate them. Their team cohesion isn’t that great compared to other teams, either, but it feels like their individual abilities cover for that. Especially the previous star war’s, uh...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial stammered again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What about the star war?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-nothing. The war hero of the last star war, Hildegard, is the ace of the aces. There’s no single player on Minerva Kingdom who could stand against her might alone.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I stared at the silver-haired lady of incredible history (and incredible bodily features...) on the screen. She was a war hero, huh? This was a world where war heroes play soccer... Everything seemed to end up going back to being about soccer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Next, next!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial awkwardly hurried to remove Atlanta’s information off of the view. Hm. Maybe she had a history with Atlanta?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Next up is the last of the rising stars... </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Karladure</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Mm. I don’t have enough information about them, so I can’t explain much. They’re formed very recently. They’ve proven strong, so they’ve been getting attention, but there are too many unknowns to understand their specialties.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The screen now showed a girl in a red suit. She had silver hair like the rest, but her eyes were red like her suit, giving a different impression from the rest. If the previous players looked very serious, this one was more playful.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Their leading player is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Guinevere</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">... but like her team, her playstyle and her abilities have been very inconsistent. I could say that they use very nonstandard strategies... Her and the team really popped out of nowhere, so they have no history to learn from. They have an empty track record, so I can’t predict anything! And that’s the end of it!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial erased all holograms. She opened up a final, lone hologram...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the screen was a girl that hadn’t shown up before. Black hair, and... the ever-revealing Micsuit. Wait... somehow, she’s... a little too familiar?</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="3편삽화_유단비.jpg" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nErEjIHmB8lDJWfL_zAJnWcSrremlpLlnYuVVPp7Ap50yUeNgAPsS9C7x-3vym9m49T0uRWZqLifgGArAnHM8sTRczR-QWSCjZ5xzLAp8wwo0MIfPPHjTpm2EPyGZI_tfntbzt-k" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="457" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And the one who shall defeat the five teams! Yu Danbi’s newly formed soccer team!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah. So she’s the player who will be the star of our soccer team.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. That’s you, Yu Danbi.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looped between looking at Miss Mirial and then looking at the girl in the screen.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh... I knew she was familiar, but... What? What did she just say?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s me? That’s totally someone else!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I used your body scan data to simulate how you’d look with a new Micsuit. Even if it’s a simulation, it’s incredibly accurate, so I bet you’re going to look just like that.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Waaaaaaait a minute, that’s a girl, no matter how you look!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But you’re not allowed to look like a male player! Minerva Cup is the tournament of women! If a male player enters, it’s obvious that we’re going to have an issue before we even start playing!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had a headache. No... I’m... I have to... I’m going to wear that suit? I have to crossdress? Is that it?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Thankfully, your face is cute like a little girl’s! It’ll be perfect with the suit’s finishing touch! It won’t take that long to build the suit! You can count on it! I’ll turn you into the prettiest little girl in the galaxy! You can trust my skills!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t even want to count on it!!!!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And that’s what happened.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And that’s how Yu Danbi began playing soccer while crossdressed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh... my life.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Next day, I was actually forced into that swimsuit-like, state-of-the-art suit. I was uncomfortable being forced on a girl’s clothing, but there was going to be a bigger issue if I were found to be a man, so I couldn’t refuse.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Was I really going to play soccer in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">this</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After finding me in the suit, Miss Mirial exclaimed, “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wow! It’s really cute on you~! As expected of my personally designed suit! Not only is it amazingly strong, it’s breathtakingly beautiful! Cool suit; I’ll agree on that!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” And fired off a stream of self-compliments.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, I can take it off now, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Nope. You have to keep wearing it.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s a high-tech suit that also neutralizes the poisonous effects of Micrinum. As long as you wear that suit, nothing will happen to you from coming in contact with Micrinum. And Planet Kiri is absolutely full of Micrinum, here and there! Micrinum spaceships, Micrinum rooms, and Micrinum forks! Do you really think that you can lead a normal life on Planet Kiri without the suit?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Why were so many things made of Micrinum?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, being reminded of the time that I touched the crystal and almost died of paralysis... I knew that I had to wear the suit, despite the embarrassment. I had to save my life before all else.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And not only that, there’s also another special feature on the suit for...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? What feature is that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh-oh, it’s nothing. Hmph.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now the uncomfortable expression was on Miss Mirial.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What happened to the other players? I don’t imagine we’re making a full team in a single day.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah, I was thinking the same. So I asked the boss about it... She said that we ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">just need to take from other teams if there’s no one available</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“She looks like a pirate, so she’s thinking like a pirate...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But it’s not just one or two players that we have to cover... I mentioned that it might be next to impossible to try and form an entire team of scouted players. I explained that I was stuck forming a soccer team before I was stuck managing it. Hm. She was busy contacting a bunch of people after that, but I don’t know the details.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This crossdressing soccer team-- I mean-- the female soccer team plan seemed to be doomed before it began.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As for me, I was happy that I didn’t have to play soccer while crossdressed, and... No, wait, wouldn’t that mean that the only fate awaiting me is being fired off into space?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That’s a big problem...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One week later,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Everything is a lie...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mirial blankly eyed at the players that approached the spaceship one by one. A week before, Miss Mirial was blissfully shouting ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yay! The soccer team plan is over! I can go back to being a good old engineer girl! Wahaha~!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’ And at the end of a week, a mass of soccer players crowded in front of the spaceship.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan might have been evil, but her influence was terrifyingly far-reaching...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ai has arrived~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first arrivee to the spaceship was a cyan-haired lady in a white suit. ...Was that a tail on her back...?! That has to be the suit’s design! Right?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Ai! You’re an Atlanta player! What are you doing here?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial approached the girl known as Ai. Her scrambling robot arms seemed to be trying to drive Ai away.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh? I was told that I’m playing here from now on! It was a direct order from the Planetary Defense Initiative~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whaaat?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Where do I leave my luggage? Uhm~ Where is the lodging area?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The lady in the white suit walked away, humming on her way inside the ship. Before Miss Mirial could block Ai from going inside, she was stunned by the next player who approached.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Excuse me... Is this my new team?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The next player was in a yellow suit-- a girl with short, brown twintails. She was like a bear cub, hesitating on her way inside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Paulina! You’re a member of DC Neska! Why did you come here?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah... My manager said I have to play here now... I won’t make any mistakes anymore! So please don’t kick me out! Waaah~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She seemed to believe that she was here because she got kicked out of her team.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The bear cub-like girl cried her way inside, and before Miss Mirial could get in her way, the third player stopped her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Thanks for calling me! I’m allowed to take the ball for myself, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Rosaria? But you’re in Siena Celtron--”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoa! Cute girl detected! I’m going to steal you heart!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With blue, flowing twintails, an excited girl hopped onboard the spaceship, wearing a suit that looked like a school uniform due to the skirt. She pointed at me as she spoke.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Did she just say that she’d steal my heart?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Miss Rosaria? I’m asking you, what are you doing here this time?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uh... See, I swiped some shiny thing back at the palace, and... I got caught, so I thought I was in a big trouble. But the manager just said, ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re in luck. You should stay in that other team from now on</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.’ and then I was sent here.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was sent here as punishment for thievery?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, hey? I don’t recall seeing you before! What’s your name?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah... I’m Yu Danbi.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rosaria gave a curious look. What? Did she realize that I’m a guy?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did anyone ever tell you that you sound a lot like somebody else?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-no, never. Is there someone who sounds like me?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufufu. No~ It’s nothing~”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rosaria smiled, hopping and skipping into the spaceship.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Stop! I didn’t say that you can enter the spaceshiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaahhhh what are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> doing here?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial turned around mid-scream. The next player was... A puffy-haired, blonde girl, wearing a black suit. She had the face of a girl who was too tired to do anything in life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“System check. Destination confirmed. This is Mute’s new team.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Mute! You’re supposed to be in the Jeneva Crew! Not to mention that it’s odd for you to be playing soccer in the first place!! There’s a lot of issues with you, but for one, what are you doing here?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“‘New orders received from the Planetary Defense Initiative. Mute is henceforth a member of this team.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This girl had the tone of a robot.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I haven’t heard of anything like that!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Commencing reassessment of Mute’s orders. No errors found. Mute will now enter the spaceship.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-wh-who-who said you could enter this ship?! After all those players, an artificial intelligence is on this! This is my spaceship! Mine! Okay, it’s actually the company’s ship, but you need my approval to enter the ship!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mute’s battery levels are critical. Mute must recharge her batteries. Battery charging station’s location is... Location found. Relocating.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The robot-voiced girl completely ignored Mirial and moved inside. Following her was a continued stream of players, and Mirial panickingly chased after each of them as they entered.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, Miss Manager? The players are waiting.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m an engineer, but also a manager. I am a soccer team manager. I am a great manager. I can do this. Mirial can do this. Nothing is impossible for Mirial. There is no impossibility for an engineer gal!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoa... She’s hypnotizing herself.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial hid herself in her small room, talking to her holographically projected reflection. She repeated to herself, ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can do it! No, you can’t... Nothing about the plan makes sense... Why should I... No! You’ve been doing well with everything that they threw at you! There’s nothing impossible for an engineer! No... This isn’t in the scope of my profession... I can’t solve this with just time and money... Don’t say that! Just do it! Try it first!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’ It was like looking at the inner angel and the devil arguing, but in the form of two Mirials talking to each other. Self-hypnotization... was scaring me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, Miss Manager? The players are waiting!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I loudly repeated, since she didn’t hear me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“O-o-o-o-o-o-k-k-k-k-kay I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I’ll b-b-b-b-b-be th-th-th-th-ere.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was shaking uncontrollably. Was she really fine...?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After the last of the new arrivals, the spaceship took off and began its flight. Inside, the new players gathered in a large hall. The hall had purple Micrinum walls and floorings, too, so the entire hall was also a medium for holographic display.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hello, everyone! I’m your manager, Mirial Shuutena!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial began her speech from atop the podium. I stood quietly beside her.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The players from below the podium gave a loud applause. Eh. They were probably clapping out of courtesy, but it was a good start.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Now that all of you are here, you might have realized that our team, Team Neo Kiri, is a very special team!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I whispered to Miss Mirial in her speech.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, our team name is Neo Kiri? When did you decide on that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Now...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just now?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a dark omen for the future of the team.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial continued.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Our team is a newcomer to the Minerva Cup! A wild card team, if you will! We had no plans to enter the tournament, but that’s changed! We’re a strong mystery team that’s going to make the tournament’s outcome impossible to predict!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t know about strong, but we were definitely a mystery team, since the team’s future was dark and blurry...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is a dream team, formed by the elites of the other teams! Our victory is guaranteed!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I have a question~”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We had our first question. The one who raised a hand was the white-suited lady, Miss Ai. It was trouble. She had already realized that our team was made of bluffs. Powerful? Dream team? They’re all lies! What elites?! We have a team of undesirables from other teams!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Who’s the person next to you? Haven’t seen her before~”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah. Ah! I forgot to talk about our greatest, elite player! She’s the ace of Neo Kiri! The best soccer player on Earth, Miss Yu Danbi!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The players looked at me with rounded eyes, surprised.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Earth...? There’s soccer there, too?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wait, but the things I said about being the best soccer player on Earth were for your boss’s ears. Why are they being repeated by you, Miss Mirial?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The players began noisily whispering among themselves, as their expectations of the team just spiked up.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s right! The planet of Earth is special for being behind on technology, and yet having big love for soccer! And she’s the best player on a planet like that! The next Minerva Cup is definitely ours! Yu Danbi is skilled enough to penetrate through any of the team’s defenses! She could likely win if she played all by herself!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hey, Miss Manager? You’re trying to kill me, right?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But I was already the team’s center of attention.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s amazing! I can’t believe there’s a player like that...!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We‘re going to defeat every team out there now, right?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ramble, ramble, rabble, rabble. No, that’s not it at all. That’s a lie. Don’t take it too seriously!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“She’s cute! And amazing at soccer! I almost want to go out with her!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then there were strange noises mixed into the ramblings! I had to straighten out the facts!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m sorry, but I’m actually a bo--”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Bo~~~~ld player! You don’t have to tell me that again!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial put a hand over my mouth before I could finish talking. She whispered.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t reveal that you’re a boy!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I can’t build proper relations with girls if I’m going to be forever known as a girl.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Girls romance and marry other girls on Planet Kiri!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, what? Then, where do children come from?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I asked a very honest question. There were no other men on this planet for that...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th-that kind of complicated information will be taught later! For now, go along with it! If they ever realize that there’s nothing in this team for them, they won’t listen to me.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She had the eyes of a begging puppy, so I couldn’t say anything back. Sigh...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had no choice. The ship has sailed. I had no choice but to help Miss Mirial out.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Right! I’m the galaxy’s greatest soccer player! Yu Danbi! I’m not afraid of any team! As long as I’m here, this team is invincible! The best! The greatest! The legend of Neo Kiri will begin here! Trust me! I’m the solution to soccer, Yu Danbi!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Enthusiastic applause followed my speech, and Miss Mirial and I grinned widely.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the inside, there was a rainstorm in my heart.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was doomed. I was seriously done for.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What am I going to do now...?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I studied the holographic display of the tournament brackets. So that’s how the teams were going to meet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Too bad that we weren’t one of the groups to get a bye.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I remarked to Miss Mirial, who watched the display next to me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I heard that none of the wild card teams got a bye. But it’s strange that we have a team at all, anyway.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Right. It was my first time seeing a soccer team get formed so quickly, admittedly..</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The boss clearly did some... shady deals with Planetary Defense Initiative Atlanta, or other groups! She already stole two players from the Defense Initiative... Sigh. What kind of nonsensical deal could she have pulled off to cause this situation?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial sighed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It had been two weeks since the inspiring pep talk on the spaceship. The ship landed on a different location on Kiri after the speech, which had a gym prepared for pre-tournament practice. I thought that a futuristic gym would look very unlike the ones I knew, but they were basically the same as the ones on Earth. Of course, they couldn’t be that different if they were just made for playing soccer. The only thing that stood out was the purple surrounding the building, which reminded me of Micrinum.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Practicing was also the same as my soccer practices on Earth, so getting used to it was not difficult. The beds, too-- I was afraid of using the same room as the other girls, but thankfully, I had a room for one. Specifically, the bed consisted of a purple glass container, which was partially made of Micrinum, that speeds up falling asleep by releasing sleeping gas, and automatically adjusts the temperature and various conditions to maintain the player’s best health.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At first, lying down in a strange coffin that belonged in a science fiction movie made me feel like a lab rat, but the thought was replaced with a refreshed feeling after waking up, as if it grew my desire to practice playing soccer. That aspect stood out as high-tech than anything else.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was afraid that my true skill level would be revealed if I were to practice playing with the others, but somehow, the lies were maintained for a long time. It was unsurprising in retrospect... Since I was reluctant to speak to other players in order to keep my secrets, I had gathered a reputation as a stoic and cool Earth girl.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the end, even while I clearly looked like I was hardly trying to practice, a rumour spread that “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Legendary players don’t need to practice. They hide their true skills. Their true selves will only appear in the heart of a match!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” ...And that’s why people say that lies give birth to even more lies.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For the most part, I had no trouble. Yet the dangers came from the most unexpected angles.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey Danbi~ Let’s go shower~”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah... I’m not feeling too well right now... I’ll pass.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You passed last time, and you’re passing today... Is something wrong? What are we supposed to do if our ace is feeling bad all the time?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I should have seen it coming, but.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After working up a sweat through practice, the natural aftermath was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">showering</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, yes, that should have been obvious. Playing soccer makes you sweat. Then, obviously, everyone would head off to take a shower as a group like they planned it, but waaaaaaaait a minute there were only girls here.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Back then, I didn’t feel a thing about jumping into the showers with other guys, but the situation was different. I’d be instantly found that I’m a guy if I were to enter!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And so, I made up excuses about my well-being to avoid getting in the showers, but the other players began taking notice when I made excuses every time. They were taking it the wrong way-- that I was avoiding them.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, I approached the manager with my problem.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey manager~ manager! I got a major issue. Please help me.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What, what? What’s happening, Danbi?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I explained to Miss Mirial about my peril. Sensitive, private issues like these were best explained to the manager. If the manager understood, she would produce an acceptable explanation to other players about why I avoided taking showers with them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After I unloaded my problem on Miss Mirial,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So you just have to get in the shower with them, then!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Who’s the one who told me not to reveal my identity?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufu. Don’t underestimate an engineer girl! Using the state-of-the-art hologram technology, we can trick their eyes!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Everything’s solved if you were to appear as a girl to others! Solved! It’s solved! Problem solved!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So I have to get in the showers, after all?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite my furious complaints, the engineer girl promptly turned her attention to creating the device that would “make a boy appear as a girl,” and disappeared into the distance as she hummed. Wait, stop! That doesn’t actually solve my problem!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And so, on the next day,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey Danbi. Let’s go sh-... No, nevermind. Sorry, I know you don’t like showering...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As always, the girls persistently invited me to shower. I took a deep breath, and,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, I’ll go with you today.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve done it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whatever. Let it be. Let’s get it over with.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The shower room fogged up with mist. It was fortunate that everything was covered up with the mist... Fortunate?! What’s so fortunate about this?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whether it was because of the mist, or because of Miss Mirial’s advanced hologram technology, nobody thought of me as a boy when I entered the shower room.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Phew. What a relief. Please don’t pay any attention to me. I won’t look, either. I’m not doing anything wrong, so let’s let the moment pass. And so I hoped, although my hope was crushed very soon.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Soon after I took a step into the showers, I became the star of the room.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As soon as I entered, the girls surrounded me with a loud “Kyaaaaaaaaa★” and I backed away in fear.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, wait, why is everyone coming after me?! Why?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was obvious! An entire week of avoiding them only grew their curiosities about my identity! I know already! I know! I did my best to run away, but my opponent was an entire soccer team, and I was alone. I was caught.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was gawked at by a ring of girls like I was a monkey in a zoo. And in the showers. The shower room, where everyone was naked. I didn’t know where else to lay my eyes safely, so I fixed my eyes to the ground beneath me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey~ Danbi’s very shy, aren’t you? Want me to wash your back?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Ai caressed my back. No, I’m fine with that. I’ll do it on my own!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Heheh, I’m going to steal Danbi for myself~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And Miss “Kleptomaniac” Rosaria pulled my hand from aside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“D-D-Danbi, can I touch your thighs?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t touch them! Never touch them! You’re way too close! You’ll break the hologram if you come any closer!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Danbi. Cheeks are red. Suspected high fever. Immediate cure is required for quick recovery.””</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t sneak a hug from behind as you say that! Why does a robot need breasts of those sizes, anyway?! They’re rubbing against me! Aaaaaaaagh!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Instead of getting any showering done, I dashed around the showers like I was playing a game of tag with the girls. While I ran around, I could see Miss Mirial showering alone in the corner of the room.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, she’s a lot bigger than I th-...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Heh.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The manager noticed me being chased around, and she grinned. Random thoughts quickly disappeared from my mind when I saw her grin.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She definitely brought me here on purpose! Aaaaaaargh!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The match... The match needs to start soon! But there’s still a week left!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I have to repeat today for an entire week.... Waaaaaaargh!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I honestly felt like I’d pass out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A week later,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was holding a flag. I felt as if I wasn’t really there in my own body. I was at the front of the crowd, holding the flag. I’d done something like this before, but I never imagined that I’d be the flagbearer on an alien planet...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The light in front of me grew larger. The door was opening. I walked forth through the opening.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Outside, I could see the purple stadium and the people occupying every seat. All women. It was to be expected, but they were all women. It was a striking reminder that I was indeed on a planet of women.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As the flagbearer, I was the first to walk the playing grounds of the stadium. Loud fanfares. Music filled the stadium. The music was very electronic, making me feel like I was at a concert rather than a sporting event. Along with the music, I felt uplifted.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that the two weeks of shower-- no wait-- the practices were over, the Minerva Cup finally began. We were early in the gigantic Minervan soccer stadium to participate in the opening ceremony. As the ace of my team, I naturally became the flagbearer who leads the team from the front.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Other teams entered with their own flags, and then the loud music stopped. I turned my attention to the broadcast</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And now, the recitation of the oath from our lead player.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the hologram screen above me was a close-up of the golden-haired lady in her white armour. I had seen her enough times by now to recognize her. She was the princess of Minerva Kingdom.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Though I had little idea of her usual conduct, judging by her appearance alone, I could feel that she was a very righteous princess.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I swear by this oath that all shall take part in the Minerva Cup, respecting and obeying the rules and the referees, playing in the fairest manner possible. Team representative, Bell Rougemann.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her voice was as firm and clear as her impressions. I knew that she was going to be a tough opponent if we were to face against each other. Though, we probably weren’t going to meet, since we were likely going to be defeated by another team before that could happen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The biggest surprise in my two weeks of practice was that, despite the team being a bunch of problem children, they were amazingly passionate about soccer. Even the girl who couldn’t keep her hands off of things, even the clumsy bear cub girl, even the lady who seemed to be tired of everything, even the emotionless AI-guided robot, they had all been serious when they were on the soccer field.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It wasn’t like they were fighting for their careers. They honestly loved soccer, and so they were playing their best. That was my motivation to try harder during practice. Despite my confidence that we’d lose in our first real match, anyway...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And so we began the first match,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And we won.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maybe you’d think that I was summarizing the match to the point of ridiculousness, but that was exactly how I felt about the match. I really thought that my lies would finally be uncovered. I thought I would hear all sorts of insults from my team members while getting beaten up by them, but... We simply won.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our opponent was Kaladure. I could clearly recall being informed before the match that they were very unpredictable and strong, but they had lost to our team too easily. When I had the ball, they provided me space as if they were purposefully avoiding the ball.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And when I kicked the ball, it was a goal. ‘What? Wait, you could have easily blocked that shot!’ I was stunned when I saw the ball rolling in when I had fully expected it to be blocked. What, were the people here actually awful at soccer? Maybe I was really the god of soccer? The reactions around me had me think that.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But I wasn’t a complete idiot. I knew I wasn’t godly at soccer by any means. Suspicions grew in my mind, and starting from the second half of the match, I paid more attention to the opponent’s movements rather than winning.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When the match ended, my suspicions were confirmed by the expressions of the opposing leader, Guinevere.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They lost on purpose. I couldn’t see a hint of exhaustion on the enemy ace’s face. I reasoned that she might have had an amazing poker face, but nothing about her expressed tiredness. The other players were acting their best to appear disappointed and having done their best, but Guinevere’s face had left me without a doubt that my victory was a fake.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was absolutely disgusted.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As the match ended, the rest of the team members were excited about their first victory, but I was as uncomfortable as sitting on a pile of nails. The others truly believed that they won a real, deserved victory. Won with their skill. But I couldn’t feel great about the victory.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why was that? Maybe I was thinking too hard? Perhaps the opponent really was that horrible. Was I taking it all too seriously? Maybe no one on the planet can play soccer well.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm? What’s up, Danbi? We won, but your face doesn’t say that we won.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial approached me in the player lounge.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-it’s nothing, really. I might be too tired from giving my best today.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm~ Really~? We just finished our first match, so you can’t be exhausted already!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re right. I thought we were going to lose, but somehow, we won.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufufu! It’s all thanks to my carefully laid out plans and the technological superiority of my new suits!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">During her two weeks of preparation, Miss Mirial managed to fit new custom suits to every player. Admittedly, my body was a lot more maneuverable in the suit. It was as if I had gained wings.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Also, I have to give you an apology. I’m sorry, I didn’t trust you. And I realized today that... Danbi, you really are Earth’s greatest player!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh? That was out of nowhere!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“See, actually... I never trusted your abilities. But you made three whole goals all by yourself today! We won thanks to you! Three-to-none!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No, see, when others were kicking the ball, the opponents easily blocked them, but whenever I kicked, they just got out of the way. But I found myself unable to say these words.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Um... Wasn’t the match... strange to you, Miss Mirial? The last match, I mean.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm? What? You did well, so you won.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She didn’t notice it. I was the only one.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The opponents lost intentionally. Things like this happened on Earth several times in history. Before the match begins, the players or the managers meet in secret to make shady promises, like “Let’s have a draw this match!” When these secrets go out, they make big news, and lives get ruined. Fans die out as consequence, and eventually, the sport dies.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, no matter what happens, match fixing is a crime that should never be committed. It is an insult against soccer, and it is an act of murder against it.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And such incident... actually happened, right in front of my eyes. I wondered. Miss Mirial, as a manager, have not realized the match fixing. From what I’ve noticed from her actions, she couldn’t have been the mastermind. She wasn’t the type to use whatever dirty tricks she had in her disposal to achieve a victory. Hmm? Wait...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Damn it... Am I an idiot? It was so close to me, all along.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew someone who would. Someone who would do the evilest of deeds for gains. Just one person.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh? What’s close to you?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Excuse me, is Miss Khan still on the ship?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. What’s up?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh... I just have a question to ask. I’ll be in the ship for a short moment.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial produced question marks above her head as she saw me off. I approached the spaceship to confirm my suspicions.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The suit had a built-in navigational system, so I had no worries about getting lost. I set the course for the spaceship and I followed its routes.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At the entrance of the spaceship, I found someone whom I expected to be there.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Silver hair, black suit, and red eyes. She was Kaladure’s Ace, Guinevere.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was just leaving the spaceship. She was briefly surprised at my appearance as I approached from the other side. After recognizing my face, she attempted to casually walk past me, as if it wasn’t a big deal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you lose on purpose?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I asked, and Guinevere stopped. She turned around to give me an innocent expression.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Has nobody explained to you yet?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then she turned back, resuming to take her leave.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had absolutely no doubt then. The match was deliberately forfeited by her team.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And the mastermind behind the match fixing was aboard the ship.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I walked through the open entrance of the spaceship.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Who the hell is it?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan immediately pointed a laser pistol at me as I stepped in. Okay, I had no clue if it would shoot lasers, but it was held like a pistol and it visually screamed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">laser pistol</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, so that was my quick conclusion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-It’s me! Yu Danbi! I’m not a thief!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My desire to argue was quickly surrendered when I saw the end of the gun’s barrel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, it’s just you, kid. Don’t surprise me like that.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan returned to her fed-up-with-life expression. Thinking about the match again, I realized that she hadn’t shown up to see it despite being the founder of our soccer team. I was exploding with the urge to make her answer to my suspicions, but I felt suppressed by her demeanor after actually coming here. She was a scary lady.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Khan, we won today.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know. I heard.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Have you seen the match?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No. I didn’t need to see it.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I mustered up a small bit of courage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What do you mean, you ‘didn’t need to see it’?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It took a lot of effort to squeeze out that courage. Khan responded with a “Hoh.” and eyed me from above, and then began walking back inside her office with a gesture to follow her in. I followed her into the purple room. The wall and the floor shifted, displaying the stadium from today.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Since you’re Earth’s best player, of course you’d win.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan laughed. Guinevere confirmed my thoughts already, and yet she was insistent on continuing the lie.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I personally thought that it went wrong.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In what way?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That they purposefully avoided shots that they could block. Like I was being played.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I suppose I provided too much service?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Service?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I frowned.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You also told other players that you’re the galaxy’s greatest player, didn’t you? You need that kind of performance so that your lies don’t become uncovered, no?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So she already knew everything. She knew that I was bluffing from the start, but she accepted it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Good. I’ll answer your question. When I said that I didn’t need to see the match, that’s because I already knew the results of the match. Today, Neo Kiri wins. That was decided beforehand. Therefore, I did not need to see a match for which I knew the conclusion.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But that’s match fixing!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan replied nonchalantly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“‘So’...? You’re not supposed to do that in soccer...!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In my head was the image of the white-armoured princess, reciting the oath.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I swear by this oath that all shall take part in the Minerva Cup, respecting and obeying the rules and the referees, playing in the fairest manner possible. Team representative, Bell Rougemann.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Soccer must be played fairly and honestly! Match fixing should never be done!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’ve grown up, kid. Now you’re talking back at me.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’ll be in big trouble if this gets found out by other people! Match fixing is a serious issue!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But kid, you’re making a mistake.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What... mistake am I making?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stadium disappeared from the walls and the floor. The room returned to its Micrinum purple. In the mono-coloured room, Khan eyed me, sitting in her chair.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you honestly believe that I’ve made a soccer team to win-- because I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">love soccer</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that she mentioned it, it was strange.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew that this woman didn’t have a single percent of her heart devoted to soccer. The people on my team were the ones who truly loved soccer. They talked about soccer. They discussed how to practice, what to do in the future, and how to create a formation. They only thought about soccer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But there was never an occasion where I saw this woman talk about soccer. So why... Why did she form a soccer team, even by employing risky, underhanded means to do so?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey kid. You’re not from this planet in the first place, no? Aren’t you trying to find your parents?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s... correct.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And I’ll keep my promise. Of course, I won’t stop you from having suspicions. That’s your right. But I’ll definitely find your family. Why? Because it’s not difficult to me. I only need to make a few calls. I have no reason to break my promise to do a favour that takes ten minutes.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But... Still... Match fixing...?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Kid, are you from Earth? Or are you from Kiri?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan put the image of Earth on the floor. My home planet was beneath my feet. I could touch Earth by reaching down.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m... from Earth.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When this is over, you’ll never see this planet ever again. You’ll return to Earth. So, would you care to... not be too mindful of businesses that happen on foreign planets?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had no clue how to carry on the argument. Khan wasn’t wrong. She was entirely correct.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It will be easy for you to go around and spread the words of my match fixing. But if I were you, I wouldn’t do it. You’re an illegal alien and thus a criminal. How many people would hear justice from an unjust criminal? And you’re from a different planet. It’s obvious what’s going to happen then. The players of your team, who would be celebrating by now... They’ll be known as the team that won a dishonourable victory. They’ll bear the label of being accessories to a match fixing scandal, and no matter which team they join, their history will haunt them. Good. That’s an optimistic future. Did you know that I’m officially unrelated to this soccer team? Even if you managed to publicize the match fixing, you won’t hurt me at all. A very positive result for me. Now, do you understand your situation, kid?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wish I knew what kind of face I had at that moment. If I had a mirror, I would have seen that I had a defeated, dejected face.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Great. Now, if you have nothing else to say, get out of here. I’m a busy woman.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wanted to run away. I didn’t want to talk to her anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I turned around to leave from the purple room.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, hold on, kid. I remembered one last thing that I should tell you.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t turn around. I knew her face from her voice alone. She was probably laughing. She held me back from leaving just to put one last thorn in my mind. She opened her mouth. The viper’s tongue moved.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not planning to see the next match, either.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="ss05_pic.png" height="268" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7i0fa-Cy2x-Jkb1jl9wCSA5glS7GrEpSMAEQVvJZp_qiZW6TgD3ndofywejx0HYtOROv-RZTwzw_tIVzrH_Z-bwKU4GNu-_FOd2Iuw8KBTNyAp-0bIxx1-lfl1gtefS6tnmXDwFj" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I stared at the scoreboard in daze. It had the information of our team and the others of the tournament. The next opponent of Neo Kiri was... a team called “Atlanta.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m not planning to see the next match, either.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew very well what those words meant. Khan refused to see the match between Atlanta and Neo Kiri. The result of the match was predetermined, and therefore, there was no need to spectate it. Had Khan already arranged a deal with Atlanta?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Mirial-- that team, Atlanta... What is it?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm? Oh, that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I asked Miss Mirial, who stood next to me.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufu. Of course you’d be curious about our next opponent! Atlanta is one of the many teams formed by the Planetary Defense Initiative.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The Planetary Defense Initiative?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. The PDI is... It’s a group with the highest authority over the military of Minerva Kingdom. All soldiers and all weapons belong the PDI. That’s why a great number of their players have a military background. Mmh, I don’t know about their skills for soccer, but you sure can’t ignore their physical prowess~ Their style is to play with brawn over brain.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I recalled a question that I couldn’t ignore. It had little to do with our match ahead, but I had to ask.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you know if Miss Khan has connections within the PDI?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“H-huh? Why do you ask?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I... was curious.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She had scouted a player from Atlanta and other members of the PDI, so it was natural to assume that she had some connections with the respective groups.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, I see. Miss Khan had a history with with the PDI. The company may be primarily producing soccer suits these days, but... When the war was still raging on, Boss was a weapons manufacturer.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-a weapons manufacturer?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That was, however, more befitting of her than designing suits for playing soccer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. She designed and produced numerous state-of-the-art weaponry, and sold them to the PDI. To be honest, I was a member of the PDI at the time.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Really? You weren’t working here since the beginning?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. I was originally... from the PDI. I was working as an engineer there, and...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial had brooding eyes. Was it troublesome for her to talk about the past?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you really want to know? It has nothing to do with soccer.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I do want to know. I’d like to know why Miss Khan and Miss Mirial had ended up with this line of work.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm. If you say that much, Danbi... I suppose I can tell you.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When the war among the stars was still ongoing, Miss Mirial’s profession was designing military-purpose suits and weapons. It was then that she had met Khan, a weapons dealer.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mineva Kingdom had outfitted its army with powerful weaponry that sourced its energy from Micrinum, but the other stars were almost as powerful, and so the war raged on without a clear victor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The lands of Minerva Kingdom was slowly turning into ruins from the long war. And yet the Kingdom absolutely could not accept surrendering as an option, so they instead devised plans to end the war through a single plan. The plan was to create </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the weapon that can end all wars in a singular strike</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="미네르바_올빼미_완.jpg" height="312" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AGcfHW02eULcX6dbcpm9XbXy-HNVpTv1VUnWOMpEpUpvPHj-GHyA_RFmvEqieU_czOd6B_1qD2_rZjfs1nqOZw_y9A582OBrEEucpoT7onkf05_h2ZdJXEqeomQzNy8SVNb03H-T" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The result was the ‘Owl’. The Owl was the codename for the project behind its development, but the name had stuck around. The Owl was powered by Micrinum, and it could fire a focused beam of energy that could penetrate the surface of a planet and demolish it from its core. The collapse of the core of a planet causes a supernova, utterly destroying it. The Owl was a star-killing weapon.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As an engineer, Miss Mirial was one of the people responsible for this weapon. Miss Mirial trusted the weapon to only exist as a leverage for peacekeeping. However, the weapon was, eventually, used.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Planetary Defense Initiative tested the Owl on a planet for the first time. It was a small planet called Chromecross. Miss Mirial watched the incident from a spaceship. The Owl fired its beam at the planet, and soon after, an overpowering flash blinded her.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When the explosion ended, the planet was no more, and only its shattered remains travelled through space. There were many who still lived on that planet at the time. There were many who had nothing to do with the war, but within a single strike, the weapon had consumed them and the planet. Miss Mirial was utterly traumatized at the sight.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Owl’s raw power had ended the star wars in time, but Miss Mirial could never forget what she had seen. She was guilt-ridden from the creation of the weapon, and she had given up on her job.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortunately, after the war, Miss Khan had suggested that she should work for her to design suits for soccer players, and so Miss Mirial happily joined the company.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If Boss hadn’t called me in that day, I would have sat around like a useless lump to this day.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So... Thanks to Miss Khan, you’re doing this work?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah! She might act like a jerk, but she’s basically my saviour! I don’t have to make weapons for any wars anymore! Soccer is a peaceful sport! I’m very happy to make soccer suits over that!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial had an honest smile.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Was I making a mistake about my situation? To Miss Mirial, Khan wasn’t evil. She provided a life of soccer over weapons, and she was like a... saviour.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Perhaps she was just a skilled merchant who profited off of weaponry during the war, and saw the rise of other markets after the war. Maybe she was ready to jump onto anything that would make her more money. Could she have been involved in match fixing, just so that she could sell even more soccer suits? Just so that she could advertise her suits, by ensuring that the winners were the wearers...?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hadn’t a clue. It was still a troubling problem. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was missing a critical information.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Mirial, have you ever... suspected that Miss Khan might be up to something? Why is she suddenly in this industry?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm~ I wouldn’t know what’s going on in her head, of course~ She doesn’t talk a lot, either...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If she’s only using Miss Mirial...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No. No way. Boss would never do that! I’m sure! She does occasionally have troublesome requests, like asking me to make a pistol for personal defense, but... I stood my ground and argued with her that weapons are ne~ver allowed. She didn’t let me go for three hours to explain point by point why I should make her a gun, and then I eventually caved in, but... A-anyway, Boss may look scary on the outside, but she does listen to her employees! She never once misused my designs! If she does, I’ll never let that continue!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial defended Khan in a long rant. I couldn’t press my question after such a speech.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uuu~... Is that enough? I don’t want to keep talking about such a depressing topic~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Okay, okay-.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hm. I resolved everything I could ask of her, so I was fine with changing the conversation. And for the topic...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Anyway, where do babies come from?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-wh-wh-what are you suddenly talking about?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, you said you would explain later. I’ve been forgetting about it, now that I think about it. You said you’d tell me everything.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, uh... About that. Minerva Kingdom only has women, so I guess it’s going to be different from other nations.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes! That’s what I’m curious about! How do babies get made here?! Teach me, Miss Mirial!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial took many deep breaths, and with a serious face, she began,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Babies come from eggs.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Huh. What face did I have at that moment? The face of “Aha! I get it! Eggs!” and the following realization? Or the dejected look of “What the hell did I just hear?” Likely the latter one.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Eggs? Is that the same egg that I know? The round, white things?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. That’s the egg.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“How?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Was I wrong to be surprised?! Was it normal, because they’re aliens?! Ah... Right. I had been forgetting that I was on an alien planet, and that these people were aliens.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I... I see. Women, uh... Go through processes, and... Become pregnant, and then... Lay eggs. I always knew that the galaxy was full of mysteries, but...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We don’t get pregnant! Why would we lay eggs?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial looked at me cockeyed. Oh. Have I made another mistake?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then where do the eggs come from? Does it drop from the skies, or pop out from the ground?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sorry, Danbi! It might sound too complicated and advanced for a tribal race, but we have a widely available technology called ‘cloning’! Do you know what a clone is? It’s too difficult, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Clone? The thing where they copy paste people?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know that. It’s how you copy people.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep, that’s right. The royal families clone superior genes to create new children. They continue the bloodline that way. For normal families, once they officially register as a family, they can request to create a clone based off of the mother. That’s where the children come from in Mineva Kingdom.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then, the eggs are for...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“For others, the babies grow in the bellies of the pregnant mothers, right? Here, the artificial eggs replace the womb~ It provides a suitable temperature and nutrients for the babies to grow.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I expected a very alien life cycle, but it was perfectly imaginable from the perspective of Earth’s residents.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm... Then... There’s a government branch that saves genes and creates clones. It sounds like a great responsibility to manage such a duty. Does it ever get abused?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Normal families usually aren’t affected, but there can be issues around how the royal genes are treated. You’ll never know what kind of terrible things can happen when they get into the wrong hands! So, I hear that the sector that manages the royal bloodlines are only made accessible to the royal families. Its location must be a closely-guarded secret, if not even the members of the PDI are taught.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh. That sounds complicated.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. I hear that Princess Bell is the only one with the access to those areas. That is, only Princess Bell knows the true location~ They don’t just have the royal genes in there, but supposedly, they also have the central systems for the military and other government systems. The details are only known to the royal families, so I don’t know any more than that... I heard that it can intercept every system on Minerva in times of emergency.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hadn’t asked further questions about the issue, since I had already succeeded at changing the topic. I was somewhat curious of the origin of children here, but I was disinterested in learning about the royal families of Minerva.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had confirmed what I wanted to know. Team Atlanta was a soccer team from PDI... And Khan has connections within the PDI. Therefore, she had the power to interfere with its teams and its players. And she knew the outcome of their match.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I made up my mind on my next move. Khan wouldn’t like it, but I did not want to play a game of prearranged outcomes. I knew where I had to go next.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Mirial, can you direct me to the player lounge for Team Atlanta?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ll confront those people directly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s compete, fair and square!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That was what I planned to say. I headed for Atlanta’s player lounge to not talk to the manager, but to the lead player. The ones who go on the field are the players, not the manager-- even if the match fixing was rooted in the manager, the players could simply choose to not follow, as I believed.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And with my mindset of an honest sportsman, if I were to ask them to play fairly and to their best abilities, we would be able to have a real game of soccer by convincing them of my seriousness!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And the one who I wanted to convince to play fairly, was...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Zzz~~~ zzz~~~”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sleeping in front of my very eyes. The silver-haired woman of strikingly large chests laid on the couch, sleeping with the most worry-free expression.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hildegard. The leader of Team Atlanta, and the war hero of the past. On a closer inspection, she had an overpowering aura about her, despite sleeping peacefully. The other players were at least awake, but this lady was completely out of it despite the match happening soon.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“H-hey, Miss Hildegard?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Please, be careful... You might die if you try to wake her up.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the players of Team Atlanta gave a short tip as she passed by. I gulped. I just wanted to ask for a fair game, and there I was, trying to waken a sleeping beauty and fearing for my life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Hildegard? I have something to tell you...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yawn... Who’s bothering me...? The match shouldn’t be starting anytime soon...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, I-I’m Neo Kiri’s Yu Danbi! I’m really sorry to wake you up, but I really need to tell you something...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Hildegard glanced at me, half-asleep. Her aura was hard to withstand while knowing that she was a war hero. I heard that she physically beats people up to pulp if they dare to make her feel unpleasant. Oh...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I want to compete with you, fairly and honestly!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I shouted, in the middle of the player lounge. There was a sense of awkwardness all around me, and I looked around to find the other players with their jaws dropped.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you say that you wanted me to kill you, here and now?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She held up a fist. No-no, that’s not what I meant!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-no, I don’t want to fight you here! I’m talking about soccer! Soccer!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aw... What? That’s boring. It would have been more fun if you wanted to fight me.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She sounded like she really wanted a fight. What a bloodthirsty woman...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fair competition...? There’s no such thing in war.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, not war! I’m talking about soccer! Soccer! I want to fight against you fairly in the field!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You want to fight in the field, instead of playing soccer? Do I get to avoid the red card, even if I nearly kill you?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not talking about that kind of fighting at aaaaaall--!!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why was this lady interpreting everything as a challenge for combat?! I’m against violence!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then, what’s your point? If you don’t have any, I’m going back to bed.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you lose on purpose against me, I-I’ll never f-forgive you!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Hildegard closed her eyes for a short moment, and reopened them after taking in my words. I looked around. Several players had guilty looks on their faces. Miss Hildegard, however, did not seem to realize what I had meant.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lose on purpose? What do you mean?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Could it be...? The other players were in the deal, but this lady was apparent at a glance that she was difficult to reason with, so the word had never reached her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, I must have chosen the wrong person to talk to.... No! It wasn’t the time to grow weak.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-if you’re thinking about going easy on me just because I look small, I-I’ll really get angry! Not just me, but my entire team will get angry!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hoh. Then... </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I can go all out in the next match, right?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Hildegard spoke, now fully awoken. She looked to be in a happier mood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes! Play for real! Play with your whole might! That’s all I wanted to say, so see you later!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I fled the area immediately, noticing the murderous intent directed at me. Did I... make a huge mistake?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the moment soon after the beginning of the match against Team Atlanta, I realized that I had indeed made a big mistake. When the match began and the ball reached my foot... I felt a creeping coldness, and then a powerful, bloodthirsty aura in front of me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I regained my focus, I saw Miss Hildegard charging towards me at her full speed. Wait, she’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">really</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> running straight at me! P-pass! Pass!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I immediately kicked the ball to a different player. However, Miss Hildegard ignored the ball, and continued her sprint towards me. Huh? Wait, the ball’s over there! Waaaaaaaahhh!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A violent tackle came at me despite the ball being elsewhere, and I jumped up before I was hit. Normally, jumping would have barely lifted me up, but the suit’s enhancements allowed me to gain at least a meter above ground.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And when I landed back on the ground, the ground... had the shape of the tackling pose. I seriously would have broken at least one leg, if I had been hit by that!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh? Where did the ball go? My bad.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Hildegard smiled, and casually walked away. Hey, you! You almost killed somebody!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After that, I felt like I wasn’t playing a game of soccer, but instead I was running away from a crazed beast. Whenever I had the ball, Miss Hildegard began her assault on me. Tackle, tackle. The tackles weren’t directed the ball, but directly </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">at</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> me. It was a blatant attempt at harm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The most astounding time happened when our team had been pushed to our goalposts, and Hildegard was put in a one-on-one situation with our goalkeeper. Considering Hildegard’s destructive strength, if she had kicked the ball then, our goalkeeper could have blocked the ball and went straight into the net along with the ball. And in that moment, Hildegard kicked the ball, and... it went in the other direction of the goal, and instead towards a target that was faaaaaar away from our net: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">me</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I saw the ball of death flying towards my eyes, I dropped down and rolled on the ground. Yu Danbi, seventeen years old-- almost killed by a soccer ball.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Am I going to... get my name up in Guinness records, for dying in a soccer match at the age of seventeen? Wait, if I die here, I won’t be recorded in anything!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And thereafter, whenever Hildegard received the ball, she shot it directly towards me. I had to avoid both her tackles and her shots. However the onlookers interpreted the situation, they must have imagined that I got on Hildegard’s bad side.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While I participated in this deadly game for survival, our team had scored a point in the stupidest way possible. We had continued being pressed into the defense, as the ball was constantly in our side of the field. For my own survival, I selfishly ran away to Team Atlanta’s net, ignorant of whatever happens to our team. I foolishly thought to myself, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m on the other side of the field, so there’s no way she’ll come after me now!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, Miss Hildegard, standing right in front of our net with the ball, turned around and kicked it towards me-- she kicked the ball in the direction of her own net. The ball rocketed at me, forcing me to scream and dodge to the side, but Atlanta’s goalkeeper stood around without a clue (how </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">could</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> she have a clue?!) and she soon watched the ball that was kicked by her own ace player going into her own team’s net. She must have been thinking, “Whoa~ I guess we’ll finally score one, after all this time~ Whoa. Huh? Something just zipped past me... Huh? A soccer ball? What? What the hell’s happening?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And so, thanks to Miss Hildegard’s play of the game, our team had won, one to zero. It was an inevitable result, however, since Miss Hildegard was fixated on me instead of playing soccer. She didn’t care about kicking the ball anywhere but into my own face!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We had won the match, but I was simply happy for living another day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Danbi...! You’re amazing! I heard everything! Danbi’s grand strategy! I’m moved!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-huh?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I returned to the player lounge, everyone was in celebration-mode, and Miss Mirial was greeting me teary-eyed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You went to meet the other team... And you taunted Miss Hildegard into blind rage! You put your life on the line for the team... Nobody else could have devised such a strategy! I guess that’s why you’re Earth’s best!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, wait, to be fair--”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Not only you’re amazing as a soccer player, but you saw through the opponent’s psychology and created an appropriate strategy...! Danbi! You’re the true manager of our team! Please guide us to victory!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No, please, I only went to to talk about the match fixing issue with them.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My words were already drowned out by the loud cheers for Yu Danbi. Somehow, I became known as the strategic mastermind who bravely confronted and taunted the war hero Hildegard, who nobody else dared to approach, and disabled the core of the enemy team before the match had even begun.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No, I, um... I didn’t do it on purpose, and I almost died for it! But nobody was interested in hearing me out. It wasn’t the right mood for such a confession, anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, whatever.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Didn’t I promise you? I told you that, I, Yu Danbi, would bring you victory! Now it’s the finals! Our team is invincible, so we’ll definitely be the winners! Everyone! All we have left is our victory! Team Neo Kiri! Through the next match, we’ll become soccer legends!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yaaaaaaay~! Yu Danbi~! Yu Danbi~!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was sure to become a scamming legend.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Really? The Princess is going to be here?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial explained to me in the player lounge,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. Tomorrow’s the finals, right? So, Princess Bell-- she said that she really wants to meet our team!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But why...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Um, I guess it’s because we’re a wild card team, and not one of the official ones. We’re a one-time team that exists only to participate in this season’s Minerva Cup, so... Once Minerva Cup is over, we’ll be disbanded.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh? The team will be disbanded?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was surprised. I wasn’t told about that.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But when the matches are over, the scouted players will return to their original teams, and Danbi’s leaving the planet. This was more fun that I thought, too, but... Honestly, I want to return to my old job!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Considering that, this was the natural end for us. Most of our players belonged to other teams. They needed to return after the league, I wasn’t going to be on this planet anymore, and Miss Mirial would return to her old job, so disbanding was obvious.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t change my mind about returning to my parents, but I was sad to see the team go.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, even if it’s shocking, we’ll be disbanding by the end of the match, and the Princess wanted to see the team before it does.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, I see.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whether we win or lose, the team’s life was at its end. I was disappointed , but we were a single-use team that was formed through a ridiculous abuse of social power, so it had to go.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As Miss Mirial said, the Princess actually visited us in our player lounge. She was accompanied only by a small number of knights, so the noise level was kept low. I thought about putting up some signs around the room that says along the lines of “We welcome the Princess!” But it appeared that the Princess herself had prearranged the visit to be kept low profile.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, I, I’m, I am the temporary manager of Team Neo Kiri... Mirial!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial sounded extremely nervous in the Princess’s presence. It wasn’t any different for me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I, I’m Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yu Danbi!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I stammered in the same way. I had seen her once on the holograms, and then briefly on the playing field, but it was my first time seeing her in front of my eyes. On a closer look, she was very much princess-like-- her every action and word felt noble and practised.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Greetings. I am Bell Rougemann.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell greeted us with a smile, and first began chatting with Miss Mirial. I sighed in relief. I was afraid that she would talk to me more, but talking to the manager of the team first was more natural; the manager is the representation of a team. I crept away to hide in a corner far, far away...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Danbi! Danbi! Come here! The Princess is calling for you!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...And failed. Miss Mirial called for me, waving her hands around. I presented myself to the Princess.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then, I’ll be going!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial ran away with a smile, as if to pass the baton to me. Hey, wait! What am I supposed to do if you leave me like that?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Yu Danbi?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, uh, yes, Princess Bell. I’m Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yu Danbi.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t quiver around, Yu Danbi. I know it’s the princess, but stop shaking!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On an even closer look, her blonde hair and blue eyes looked very beautiful. Her white armour ended in a dress bottom. She was even more beautiful in this distance...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Mirial explained a lot about you. I heard that the team would not have gone far without Miss Danbi.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ha, ha ha ha ha, It was n-n-n-n-n-n-nothing.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t be shaking Yu Danbi don’t be shaking Yu Danbi Danbi shaking Yu Don’t Be Aaaaaaagh! What am I saying to myself?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I have no knowledge of Planet Earth, but... If Miss Danbi is from Earth, then I feel that people of Earth enjoys soccer as much as we do.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, that’s right... Soccer is popular on Earth, too. But I was very surprised when I got here. Soccer may be popular on Earth, but not at this world’s level.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufu. Soccer has... a great meaning for our people.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Soccer has a great meaning?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes. Ah... Miss Danbi may not share our sentiment, but soccer represents peace across the galaxy for us.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">W-was the sport that important?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you know about the... war of our past?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, I have. I heard that there was a big war...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In the past, long, long ago, the galaxy was not peaceful. There were constant wars, large and small. Eventually, a great war, spanning all stars, began. The war caused the loss of many lives, and... left nothing but tragedies behind.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell continued the story with a look of sorrow.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Even as the war ended, the tragedies were never forgotten. Every planet, every culture considered each other as enemies, since they were fighting as opponents until the day before. The relationships could not be repaired in a single sunrise. But then, we were able to have soccer uniting the galaxy.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Soccer... united the galaxy?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes. To prevent such a war from happening again, we pondered our options. One of them was soccer. Though we may not understand each other, and misunderstandings brew conflict, playing soccer united the feelings of the competing players and the cheering spectators alike. And that’s why the leaders of the stars put their hearts together and began the great tournament-- the Galaxy League.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The leaders that endlessly argued and fought amongst each other... When they planned the soccer matches together, they cooperated willingly and managed the league. On the soccer field, the teams fought, not as belligerents of war, but as fair sportsmen, who learned to understand each other and become closer. Those who cheered for them had gained the same ideals.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Those who learned to hate each other on the battlefield instead came to an understanding through playing soccer together. And then, everyone fell in love with soccer. They desired the League to remain as the galaxy’s biggest event. That is how soccer became the catalyst for preventing further conflict. If there was to be another war, the soccer leagues must also stop. No matter the social class or power, everyone who enjoys soccer worked together to prevent conflict in order to continue being able to watch and play soccer.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I understood Princess Bell. If everyone truly falls in love with soccer, and they want to continue being a part of it, no one would dare to start a war. Wars would end soccer, and so wars could not begin for the sake of soccer.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was such an... unbelievable story behind the popularity of soccer in this world. Letting soccer grow in order to end all wars... It was an ideal that I never expected.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And I, too, enjoy soccer, of course. Fufu.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell added, giggling softly in embarrassment.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I never knew how meaningful this tournament was. Thank you for telling me, really. I’ll need to try extra hard in the finals.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt a mysterious sense of elation from within. It was more than excitement for soccer. It was the belief that my actions will keep the peace among stars. And, more than that, I felt that the princess in front of me was accepting me as a rival. Many feelings tangled together in me, and I was happy.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“See you in the finals!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I smiled. In that moment, I was truly happy. If I could play a game with a lady like her, I would feel happy regardless of its outcome.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes. See you in the finals!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell returned my sentiment, and left with her personal knights. When the Princess left, Miss Mirial came back to me.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you finish the chat? She’s a really nice lady, right?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes. She... really deserves to be respected.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Right? Fufu~.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The happiness had transferred over to Miss Mirial. She must have been praised by the Princess.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“By the way, I’m surprised. I was watching from far away... Your voice sounds exactly like the Princess.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh? What? My voice?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t know. Did it sound that way to other people?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yep. You didn’t know, Danbi? If I didn’t look, it would have sounded like the Princess was talking to herself~.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“R-really? What a coincidence...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was amused by the strange coincidence. It was surprising that I could sound so alike somebody else. Maybe I was... destined to meet the Princess, somehow?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was very little time left. Once the night passes, the morning after was the finals.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My final game of soccer on Planet Kiri... I knew that I would be satisfied about it, no matter how the match ends. So, I thought to myself, that I should play my best so as to cherish the moment.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And the next day, the finals had begun. I was in the player lounge, stretching for the last time before taking my leave.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh. Hey, Danbi, Boss wants to see you.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? But the match is happening soon.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm. She says it’ll be a short moment.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was uncomfortable about meeting that woman before the finals, but I decided to comply. This time, at least, there couldn’t be any match fixing, since a royal princess would not fall for such petty attempts.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In front of the stadium, in a distance, a round, purple ship stood. Standing in front of it was Khan and few other women who wore special suits. I approached her.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s happening? The finals are starting soon... If it’s not urgent, I’m going to go back, so please make it quick...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No need to hurry. You’re not going to the finals.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I paused. My words, and my brain, stopped. What did I just hear?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Um, are you confusing something? The final match is about to start. I have to hurry back, so if you’re making a stupid joke, you don’t have to. They can’t play the finals without me.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I already told Mirial. The finals will go on without you. So, there’s nothing to worry about. Here. Don’t make me repeat again. You’re not going to the finals. I’m not patient enough to explain thrice. Yu Danbi, you have a place to be. Get on the ship-- once you’re done with this, you’re free.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m... not going to the finals?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s right.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why? I have to play in the finals!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And there you go, making me explain for the third time.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan pulled out an object that appeared to be a white remote controller from her pockets. She pressed a button.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And at that moment, my body froze. I knew this feeling. It was the same as the time when I landed on this planet for the first time, after I had touched a Micrinum crystal. I couldn’t blink, and I couldn’t turn my head.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re wearing a Micrinum suit. It has a function to neutralize its poisonous property, so you were able to move normally. If I turn off that function remotely, you’ll be exposed to that poison. You’re basically encased in Micrinum. This was my fallback plan in the case that you would attempt to cause harm to others. I doubt that you realized that-- I’m not naive enough to keep a disloyal dog unleashed.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t talk. My entire body was paralyzed. The women next to Khan walked over to me and held each of my arms. I was powerlessly dragged away inside.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was dragged away, Khan continued.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not asking you, or instructing you. I’m informing you.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, Khan reminded me the same words that she had to repeat three times.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You’re not going to the finals.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Those words spun in a circle in my head. I... have to get to the finals. I have to get to the finals, and meet the Princess.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was dragged away into the darkness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Only after getting on the spaceship and handcuffing me, Khan released me from my paralysis.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Cough... Cough... Phew...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I coughed violently as if I had come back from a near-death experience. I did feel my death approach as the paralysis went on, since I could hardly breathe by the end.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the ship was Khan and several women who appeared to be personal guards for her. They were all wearing special suits and hid their face with helmets. Khan had a similar helmet next to her. When I saw the helmet, I realized that they had a dangerous plot. I watched them in silence.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan gathered the guards into a circle and turned on a large hologram in the enter. In the view was a familiar palace. I had seen the building before.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Our destination is Minerva Palace. Normally, the security is too tight to sneak inside.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another hologram popped up beside the palace. It was a close-up into the stadium, and onto Princess Bell.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That’s... the finals! The finals had really begun!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The hologram broadcasted the final match. It was Neo Kiri going against Princess Bell’s Siena Celtron in the soccer field.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But Princess Bell and her accompanying force is concentrated around the stadium. The palace is left with a minimal force. To keep it short, the palace is practically empty. But if the palace guards are allowed to alert the stadium guards, the whole plan will blow over. Their security may be weak, but we still need to be discreet and quick.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan was explaining an attack plan on the palace to her helmeted underlings. I knew what she was trying to do. She was going to attack the palace and capture it.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But... The palace was, as she said, empty. Princess Bell and the royal members were all at the stadium. What was the worth of capturing an empty palace?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t know what Khan was thinking. I had no clue what she wanted to gain out of this.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One thing was for sure-- The creation of the phony soccer team and entering the league were all done for this moment. She didn’t have a simple trick of the eye, but she had an entire plan to keep the Princess and the palace’s guards occupied elsewhere.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The ship landed at a considerable distance away from the palace. Still handcuffed, I was dragged away by two of the goons. A few of them went ahead to the palace, while the group with Khan and I took their time.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By the time we arrived at the scene, the palace guards were already taken down. The guards seemed to be unconscious.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Good. Throw the ones that are knocked out into the jail, and the rest of you guard this spot. Don’t let a single speck of dust get through you. Hm. I suppose they’ve hit the half-time by now. We’ll have forty five minutes for the game to end. We’ll finish our mission in that time.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With that said, Khan began dragging me away by my arms. I wasn’t paralyzed, but I didn’t resist. She could leave me paralyzed whenever she wanted.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan was going somewhere. In this foreign palace, Khan stepped through a corridor, through many strange doors, and down a large set of spiral stairs.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a very long set of stairs. I couldn’t see anything below me. I couldn’t see a thing, but I somehow knew that we had a long descent ahead.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you were going to do this from the start... you didn’t need to make a soccer team.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I mustered up what was left of my confidence.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, it was quite effective. The Princess loves soccer. I honestly didn’t think that you’d help me out this much. In the beginning, I just considered you as a distraction for the Princess by having you play as the wild card.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan astonishingly gave a clear answer. Did it no longer matter that her plans are revealed?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What does that matter?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When you’re really into one thing, then the uninteresting surroundings no longer matter. The simple signs of danger get ignored in favour of doing something that you really enjoy. You’ve admirably accomplished your duty as that distraction, and held Bell’s attention. I bet the only thing on her mind is competing against your team, now.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But if I’m not there... She’ll find that something’s off.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s why I told them that you’ll return for the second half. Mirial believes that, too.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So... Forming a soccer team, and fixing the matches... They were all for this moment? So, what’s your plan now? Are you going to wait in the palace, and assassinate her when she returns?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Well, we’ll see about that soon.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The staircase continued. Where was I? What kind of room needs to be hidden deep down below? A secret room under Minerva Palace? I didn’t know. It was my first time at the palace, and of course, I didn’t know what was underneath it. Yet, something called out to me from my memories. I thought... I had heard something about it. Somebody had explained to me about the palace. What was it?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I hear that the sector that manages the royal bloodlines are only made accessible to the royal families. Its location must be a closely-guarded secret, if not even the members of the PDI are taught.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I hear that Princess Bell is the only one with the access to those areas. That is, only Princess Bell knows the true location~ They don’t just have the royal genes in there, but supposedly they also have the central systems for the military and other government systems. The details are only known to the royal families, so I don’t know any more than that... I heard that it can intercept every system on Minerva in times of emergency.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Those were the explanations from Miss Mirial. The forbidden area, somewhere in Minerva Palace. I hardly paid attention to it at the time, but... I remembered. A secret area that only Princess Bell knew about.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are we... entering the forbidden zone?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan stopped.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Where did you hear that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It must have been correct. I had no reason to answer her question.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I heard that only Princess Bell knows its location.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm. From Mirial, probably. I suppose that kid’s previous job was in the Planetary Defense Initiative. Then there’s a likelihood that she heard a rumour.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But you dragged me here because you need my help.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I changed my attitude. I had no chance to escape, even if I were to fight back. My hands were restricted, and she could paralyze my entire body at a moment’s notice. There was no point in talking back spitefully like a rude child. The smarter idea was to act like I was complying, and continually look for my escape. I had to get her relaxed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Like Miss Khan said... I’m from Earth, and not from here. None of stuff matters to me. As long as you keep your promise and don’t hurt me, I can cooperate.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And the soccer match? Have you let it go already?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It was fixed from the start anyway.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I continued, as if I had given up. I did my best to sound dejected, hiding my true feelings. She was treating me like a little kid. She didn’t think that I was capable of anything threatening. And she was mostly right.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Good, kid. You’re finally making this easier.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No matter what you do to this planet... it has nothing to do with me. I’m from Earth. I just remembered that.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm. You were from Earth. Then, maybe you might understand what I’m about to do.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The people who were born on Minerva-- none of them would understand me.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan’s attitude felt slightly different. She had been aggressive thus far, but she was calmer now.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“To you, Minerva Kingdom should look like a simple society ruled by women. The people of other stars see us that way, too. But that’s only how it looks. In truth, Minerva Kingdom is ruled by genetics.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A kingdom ruled by genetics?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes. The genes of the royal bloods are saved, and only the superior genes are chosen to become the Princesses that rule the kingdom. The ones who are born that way do not suspect anything of this system. The royal bloods and the bloods of normal families are never mixed together. This is the system of discrimination by genes. Despite having the military technology to rule the galaxy, the reality was that we were antiquated.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even within the same royal family, only one superior gene is chosen. The other genes are considered collateral descendants. Hildegard, who I’m sure you’ve met, is the same case. She’s a royal blood, but she was separated for not being chosen.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then, you, too...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s right. I’m partially a royal blood, but it was a blessing in my case. Thanks to being a collateral descendant, I wasn’t forced to be a part of the royal family, and I got to travel the stars.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then... She’s seeking revenge, for not being selected as the royal blood?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Was I mixed up in a battle for the succession of Kiri?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then I was just... mixed up in the fight for the Minervan crown?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, it’s not that simple. Answer for me in the perspective of someone from Earth: let’s say that a king rules a nation. Then, the king grows old and perishes. The king’s identical-looking son continues the rule, and dies of old age. And then the identically looking grandson takes over the nation. Of course, the kings themselves claim that they were all unique people. As an outsider, though, what would you think? Would you accept it as a normal occurrence?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’d... think that it is strange.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s what’s happening to Minerva Kingdom. It’s the tragedy called upon by the Micrinum crystal. As genetic science became the sole source of offspring after all males were killed, it all began. Oh, and everyone born in Minerva considers this to be normal. The kind, smart Princess leads the kingdom to prosper, so even if the clones of the Princess continue the rule, albeit with different names, nobody considers it strange. I, too, thought that this was normal. But, when I traveled around the stars... I began to realize that none of this was normal.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stairs had ended. A large door stood forth Khan and I. This was the end.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And this, here, is where the strange tale meets its conclusion.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew where this place was. The large door. Beyond it had to be the storage for the royal genes.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Honestly... I have no idea. I can see why you’re trying to do this, but... I don’t think Princess Bell is evil.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I commented, standing in front of the door.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Voice recognition confirmed.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suddenly, a mechanical voice from beyond the door replied.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Voice analysis complete. 95.8% match to Bell Rougemann. Waiting for orders.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The robotic voice continued. Did... the voice say Bell Rougemann? Why did her name get mentioned?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Good. It’s all over, kid. Tell it to open the door.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? Why would I...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Because this system heard your voice, and understood you as ‘Bell Rougemann’. The security system is based on voice, you see.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How? I’m not Princess Bell. How could it think that I was Princess Bell?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did anyone ever tell you that you sound a lot like somebody else?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“By the way, I’m surprised. I was watching from far away... Your voice sounds exactly like the Princess.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You didn’t know, Danbi? If I didn’t look, it would have sounded like the Princess was talking to herself~.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then I realized my purpose for being there.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was my voice.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That was it.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The whole journey began because my voice was identical to Princess Bell.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the moment that she found me and heard my voice, she had this planned.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Everything... had happened because of my voice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The forbidden zone had a mysterious atmosphere. I imagined from the descriptions like </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">genes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">systems</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> that it would be filled with complex machinery, but nothing that I had imagined was inside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the air was a gigantic purple crystal, probably made of Micrinum. The purple crystal had numerous connections that appeared to be power lines. They looked like they powered the crystal, or... they were taking power from the crystal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is... the forbidden zone...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was overwhelmed by the mystic feeling of the room. I felt like I had discovered Kiri’s deepest secret.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“All functionalities of the Queen are activated. Waiting for instructions...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The machine voice was coming from the purple crystal.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That is the Queen. It’s the main system that connects to all other systems on Minerva. At the same time...It’s the storage for the genes of the royal families.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan stared at the purple crystal. Unlike me, she was calm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s... a Micrinum crystal?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s made of Micrinum, so it looks like like one. This whole place is covered with Micrinum. The Kingdom had fallen once with Micrinum, and it has risen back up with Micrinum. The history went in a full circle. Everything here is dependent on Micrinum... If we didn’t have it, then Planet Kiri would look a lot different than it is now. Oh, but this isn’t the time to get nostalgic.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan looked at me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Now, Yu Danbi. Give an order to the Queen. Tell it to hand over the military command over tome.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ugh...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hesitated. If I handed the control over the military to her, terrible things could happen.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="6편삽화_칸.jpg" height="640" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/m_UW1Iky1AuY4Q7mhSisGBCru9wZItUkjiGvetYebQbLaFkxXbUwtT3L5Pe25F5Usak6FU9DBe4DSiJYtcN709MywXuPL-JM5vC2gFnR222QLMKskAPK2TPjMTd8k_Zt0f_BV_p1" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="457" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Noticing my hesitation, she pulled out a white gun. It wasn’t the remote this time, but a weapon. Of course, if she had paralyzed me instead, I couldn’t say anything either, so she had no other options.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you really want to die here, then I don’t want to waste our time, either.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I... I’ll do it. Queen. Transfer the military command to... Lei Khan.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I gave up to the threat. If I really had the power to give her the command, then I would have had the power to take it away. So, I had to pretend that I was going along with her plan.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Confirmed. All military command and associated authority are transferred to Lei Khan.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Good, Danbi. Your work here is done. I’m a woman of my words-- I’ll bring you back to your family.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then... What are you going to do now?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Right... There’s no time to fool around. Now that I gained the authority, I have to do what I must. Queen. I will order as the top commander of the military. Bombard the stadium where the Minerva Cup is held immediately. Demolish it entirely, so that not a single person survives.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Confirmed. Commencing attack on the stadium.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“N-no!! That’s where the final match is being held right now! Stop it immediately!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Command retracted by the order of Bell Rougemann. Attack withheld.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I tried to continue arguing, but no more words came out of my mouth. I noticed that Khan had pressed the buttons on her white remote once again. My body was paralyzed. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t talk.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So you reveal your intentions. Kid-- you said with your own mouth that you don’t care about what happens next, didn’t you? Did you already change your mind?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan pressed the same button. My body resumed its functions. I gained my voice.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But that’s where the soccer match is happening! There’s a lot of innocent people gathered there!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And Princess Bell Rougemann is among them. This is my best chance to cut the line of royal blood at its head. Once the Princess dies, and I destroy all the genes in here, everything is over. The new Minerva Kingdom will be born.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know, I’m not from this planet. I don’t have any rights to make decisions about Minerva’s crown. But, before that, I’m a player of Neo Kiri! I’m one of the people who love soccer! And you! You’re trying to destroy soccer, the sport that these people enjoy! I’ll never let you do that!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan had an honest look of curiosity. She seemed to have not fully understood my words. She wasn’t angry, and she wasn’t surprised. She only gave a condescending look.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, right now, you... won’t let me get in the way of playing soccer? Is that what you’re trying to say?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah! It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t get to the finals, but I won’t let you ruin it right in front of me!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The Princess, too, and now you, too... I still can’t believe that. It’s just soccer. Is that more important than your life?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I heard from Princess Bell herself-- what soccer means for this planet.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At least on this planet, soccer wasn’t a meaningless sport. It was a magical sport that banded the people who disagreed with each other back together.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The people who fought each other and hated each other came to an understanding and stopped fighting. That was the Galaxy League. That was the story of soccer on this planet.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As long as people kept their love for soccer, no more wars were going to happen. That was the will of Princess Bell. I believed in her honesty and faith.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell, and Miss Mirial, everyone that I had met on this planet did not want a true war. They wished for the tradition of soccer to continue instead. Not the sadness of war, but the excitement of competition.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What you’re trying to do is starting a war! You’re going to ruin the world of peace that people worked to create, and you’re going to start a war that will ruin soccer!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s correct. To be honest, I don’t like soccer. Saving the world through soccer is something that I’ll never understand, and the only thing that practically protects Kiri is its military. It’s not a silly game like soccer.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s the difference between you and the Princess. The Princess seriously believes in soccer’s power to keep peace in this galaxy. And if you’re trying to kill the Princess, then you’re trying to kill that belief!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmph. Now that I see it, you really fell in love with Bell, haven’t you? Do you want to be her personal prince on the white horse? Why didn’t you reveal that you’re a guy?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Th-that’s...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan pressed the remote’s buttons once more. My body froze. My limbs were stuck in place, and I lost my voice.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Thank you, Yu Danbi. Thanks to your efforts, I realized that there was one more thing to add to the list of things to destroy. In the new Mineva Kingdom that I’ll rule soon... Not only will there be no trace of Bell Rougemann and her bloodline, but there also won’t ever be any soccer, ever again. I will remove the concept of soccer from this planet. I’ll make everyone on this planet biologically hate soccer, from the genetic level. That won’t be too hard. If I wanted, I could remove soccer from this entire galaxy. As long as I have Kiri’s military, commanding the entire galaxy won’t just be a dream. But that’ll be for later. I have something that I need to do now.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan returned her attention to the crystal.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Queen. Bombard the stadium where the Minerva Cup is held. Don’t leave a trace.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Order confirmed. Commencing bombardment.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I needed to stop her, but I couldn’t. My entire body was paralyzed. Just as before, feelings were escaping me. It was getting difficult to breathe.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had to stop her... I couldn’t stop her. Khan was looking at the crystal with a satisfied smile, and viewed the stadium from a hologram.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I could see the players continuing their game in the stadium, not expecting anything. Spectators cheered for their players. But soon... The stadium was going to turn into hell. The match was to end in a way that would defy everyone’s expectations.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had to... stop that from happening.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Stop this immediately.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A familiar voice called out from somewhere.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I turned around. Princess Bell was there. Wait... I turned around?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I could feel my legs again. What happened? Did Khan let me go?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Confirming voice... 100% match to Bell Rougemann. Awaiting orders.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mother, I am sorry. Please stop the bombardment.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Order confirmed. Ending the attack.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell had called the giant crystal her mother. Mother...?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan did not seem surprised at the Princess’s sudden appearance. Following the Princess inside was another familiar face.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Hildegard!!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was the same woman who nearly murdered me in the semi-finals, Miss Hildegard. The two entered the forbidden zone to oppose Khan.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I see... No wonder my goons couldn’t buy me any time. You dragged Hildegard here. You were pretty desperate, weren’t you?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Your plot ends now. Lei Khan-- surrender immediately.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell glared at Khan, wielding her blade. Khan thought in silence, and pointed the gun at the Princess.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You should very well know that you cannot stop me with that.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know. I just thought that it’s good manners to point the gun at you, when you have your sword pointed at me. The moment you vacated that stadium, there’s no meaning in this anymore.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan lowered the gun back down. I sighed in relief, but Khan quickly approached me and aimed the gun at my temple instead. Hildegard and the Princess moved in reaction, but the gun was already against my head.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you come any closer, I’m pulling the trigger.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Don’t do anything foolish. My royal guards have returned to the palace. You have nowhere to escape.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know, even if you don’t tell me. But... I could make a trade, if I had a hostage.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I got no reason to trade with you.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before Hildegard could burst forward, Princess Bell held her back.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Please, wait. Miss Danbi has done no wrong.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Isn’t it her fault that everything here happened?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Danbi was used. So please, wait.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hildegard grumbled, but stood back. If the Princess hadn’t stopped her, she would have tried to take down Khan, regardless of what happens to me.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Princess Bell Rougemann. I know that you’re a good woman. Now we can make a deal.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Taking Miss Danbi as a hostage... Don’t you think that is cowardly?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m a merchant. If I acquire things of value, I’ll try to make a deal with it. Now’s the same thing.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan’s plans have clearly failed. Now that Princess Bell and Hildegard were here, she couldn’t try anything more.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She had lost all of her authority that she had gained from me. The real Princess Bell was here. The main system now only listened to her orders. If the Princess’s royal guards had returned, then Khan’s underlings couldn’t act, either.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Everything’s... over. Khan, you’ve failed.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I said to Khan, who was pointing her gun at me. Khan didn’t reply. Did she have a hidden hard in her sleeves? A special plan that neither the Princess nor I have found out yet?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ve heard everything that you’ve said in this room. Khan, you... Not only is it enough for you to set Minerva ablaze, you were planning on consuming the entire galaxy with another war. As long as you have such a dangerous plan, the Galaxy League’s Council will come after you, no matter what planet you try to escape to. Even if you manage to escape Planet Kiri, you will be brought to justice.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If the star wars continued, then Minerva Kingdom would have become the ruler of the galaxy. I’m sure that there’s quite the number of people who believe the same.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And for that, many lives will pay its price in lives and happiness.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes... You’d think that, since you were born with the genes of the nicest princesses. A thousand years ago, the same princesses but with different names would have said the same. I thought today would be the end of that tale, but thanks to this foolhardy kid from Earth, that story looks to be continuing.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The end of the gun poked at my head.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Congratulations, kid. You’ve saved Minerva Kingdom by sacrificing your own life. Everyone will remember your name.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Terror struck. I realized what she was about to do.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was going to pull the trigger.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was the end.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I closed my eyes. I had hoped that this wouldn’t end this way, but it had.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Perhaps Khan was right. Even though I was completely unrelated to this planet’s politics, I was incredibly stubborn, and I had paid the price.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But I still wanted to protect this planet. I wanted the daily lives of the people here to continue. I never expected to put my own life on the line for it, but when the opportunity was given to me, I took it-- and in the end, I was here.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Click.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I heard the sound of the trigger.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I could only see darkness.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Was the afterlife going to feel this way, too? Pure darkness? No. I opened my eyes.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I opened my eyes, I saw Kahn’s face. She was frowning.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is the first time seeing my employee make a mistake.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She pulled the trigger again. With that act, the gun had a small explosion, and I fell back in surprise. Khan dropped the gun.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She looked at the fallen gun on the ground. Princess Bell and Hildegard looked just as startled.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was my first time seeing this woman get surprised. She never had this kind of expression. Even when Princess Bell appeared, even as she realized that her plan had been ruined, she hadn’t looked surprised. And then, she was surprised.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If I had made any mistake, that was trusting you, Boss.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a familiar voice. She walked forth from between Princess Bell and Hildegard. Without her robotic arms, her small stature stood out. The girl with long green hair, with goggles covering her face-- Miss Mirial.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She pushed the goggles up to her forehead and glared at Khan with her sharp eyes.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I had a contingency plan for the gun falling into the wrong hands by putting in an emergency shutdown feature. It’s set to explode if it gets used during the shutdown mode. It was meant to stop the gun from being used for evil deeds, but... I never thought it would end this way.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan was at a loss for words. If she hadn’t expected one thing, it was Miss Mirial showing up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I always thought Boss was a nice person. You let me live a life of making soccer suits instead of weapons. I trusted that you hated wars just like me, or... so I thought. I never once imagined that you’d start a war.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Khan still couldn’t answer. She was quietly staring down at her broken laser pistol.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Boss, if you really did all this to start a war... I can’t work for you anymore. More than anyone else, I’m going to try my hardest to stop you!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The little girl appeared strangely larger than her true stature. She was so little without her robotic arms, but Miss Mirial was confronting Khan with an unrelenting stance. Khan now looked at Mirial. She stared, without any words.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell and Miss Hildegard both remained in silence. Only glares were exchanged.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suddenly, Khan began laughing. A cynical laugh that broke the silence. The rest of us were surprised. She had been a very unpredictable person thus far, but that laughter had really broke our expectations. I felt the tenseness loosen its grip of my heart.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’ve come so close... and I’ve lost it all. Hilarious. The soccer-loving Princess leaves soccer behind, the workaholic engineer throws away her work, and the family-loving kid throws away the chance to return home, just to bring me to justice. With this many coincidences overlapping together, I’ll have to accept it as destiny, no? I think it’s time for me to retire from the industry. I can’t afford to lose further by getting too attached.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, Khan produced a small sphere from her pockets and threw it onto the ground. A small flash escaped the sphere, and quickly, the room was filled with multiple Khans.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh...! Don’t be fooled! They’re all holograms!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial yelled, but the many Khans were all escaping in different directions. Miss Hildegard quickly reacted to take down the Khans one by one, but each of them scattered in the air, as they weren’t the real Khan.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Hildegard chased after the dozens of Khans outside. The Princess, Miss Mirial, and I were left in the room.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I apologize... I should have explained to you from the start.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No, Miss Danbi. Miss Mirial had explained everything to me.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Shh.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell pressed her finger on my lips.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">M-my heart’s racing?! This kind of skinship is too much, since I’m really a guy...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I assume you have a lot to say, but... We have to be elsewhere, don’t we?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Elsewhere? What could be...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We need to have our final match.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The finals. The forgotten word that caught my attention once more.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, right. The finals. It was our final match.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It should have been very strange to talk about soccer in that situation, but I couldn’t deny feeling very excited at her reminder.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Really, I must have fallen in love with soccer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Or, maybe, I had come to really enjoy being with this lady.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My head was pounding. Everything that had happened was already confusing, but I was getting even more confused.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whenever things get overcomplicated... There was only one thing to do.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I go out and run, I’ll feel better. Heh... I was such a simple human being.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was the time to go. Our final match was waiting.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To explain from the end, we got stomped.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We hadn’t just lost-- it was more appropriate to say that we were stomped. The opponents were absolutely powerful, though our team had done our best. It turned out that the match was temporarily paused by the Princess’s request, and the second half of the match began after I returned. Our team expected the galaxy’s greatest soccer player, Yu Danbi, to carry the team for them, but-- I’m sorry-- I got stomped. Our team was kicked around for the whole forty five minutes, and we had lost three to zero.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stronger poke at my conscience was when I expected the teammates to realize my true skill level and curse me, but everyone had instead went ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ugh... Danbi must be in a bad condition today!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’ and defended me. Their fantasies about my skills had been too deep-rooted... That’s not it! I was never a good player! I’m just very bad at this game! Please understand that!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I was told, the Princess found it strange that I hadn’t shown up, so she looked for me in our team’s player lounge after the half time. She was told that Danbi had a business elsewhere, and that she’d show up in the second half, and she was almost fooled... until Miss Rosaria had given her a reason to be suspicious.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But why’s your Highness looking for Danbi? Are you... trying to steal Danbi’s heart?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-whatever do you mean?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Stealing away the girl who sounds just like you-- I can understand that, but...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sorry? What do you mean, she sounds just like me?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then, the Princess had an ominous feeling. She contacted Minerva Palace and received no replies, and realized that things had gone terribly wrong. She quickly requested to pause the match, and returned to the palace with her personal guards.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If she had dismissed the coincidence as simple probability, Khan might have succeeded her plans. I was scared to think that.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Bell contacted Kartina Federation when she heard my story. After contacting them, I was informed that my family had safely landed on Planet Umbra. I sighed in relief.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was as Khan said. One call was all that was needed. I was anguished about having been through these series of events for that one call, but I was also happy for my newfound friendships. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meeting Miss Mirial was fun, and Miss Rosaria, Miss Mute, Miss Paulina, Miss Ai, everyone was great to me. Princess Bell was also very nice, and Miss Hildegard... Uh, I hesitate to see her again.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The team was disbanded and my teammates returned to their original teams. It had to be that way, since our team was a wild card team. From then on, back in their own teams, they’d continue their lives.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After Khan escaped from the palace, there was no further news of her. She must have been planning a dangerous plot elsewhere, but... With all nations informed of her deeds, it was going to be difficult for her to show her face anywhere in the galaxy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When Khan vanished, Miss Mirial went, ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Phew... I wrecked my own company with my own hands? It’s a weird feeling.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’ A questionable self-reassurance. Fortunately for her, she had received help from Princess Bell in starting her own company.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The company was obviously focused on manufacturing of soccer suits and soccer accessories. She had gained the resources to devote her life deeper into her favourite work. She quickly shed her depressed attitude, and repeated her new catchphrase, ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course! The suits that I design are the best in the galaxy!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’ Now that she was the owner of her company, she was more free to go around advertising her designs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And, as for me...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hm. I’m sad to see you go. You could stay here a bit longer~.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miss Mirial grumbled. Behind her was a gathering of people. On the other side was a spaceship, specially prepared by the Princess herself. It was for my way back to my family, who were still on Planet Umbra. She had personally prepared the ship for me, after learning of my history on this planet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I hope there won’t be another accident...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Minerva Kingdom’s technology is the best in the galaxy! It’ll never break!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That almost sounded like an insult to other worlds’ technology...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Uuu~. Danbi’s heart was stolen by somebody else already.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The kleptomaniac Miss Rosaria, and everyone else had gathered to say goodbyes. I felt increasingly guilty from the hugs that were offered to me. I’m-- I’m actually, uh....</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Miss Danbi. I hope that you’ll visit us again at Minerva in the future.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t bring it up, when even the Princess was giving me a serious goodbye.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I will. Princess-- uh... P-please stay strong!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stay strong? What was</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> that?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> It was the cheesiest thing to say, but I couldn’t think of anything else.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now I had to get on the ship. Then, it was bye-byes with Kiri.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Many things that happened, and I had to leave them behind.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did I really have nothing else to say?</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked at the Princess. “Stay strong” was... a nice thing to say, but there had to be much nicer things. Right. I had to be confident! Yu Danbi, you have to be confident! I was nervous. No. I had to do it!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chu-.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I ran to the Princess and kissed her on her cheek. I honestly considered doing it on her lips, but I thought the others would chase me to the edge of the galaxy to murder me if I had done so, so I stuck with her cheek. Yu Danbi didn’t have the courage, after all.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Princess was surprised. It was the time for the finale. I had to make my final confession.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In truth, I, ... I...</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I... To be honest... I...!!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess! I.... Waaaah! I had to say it! But what do I get out of saying that I like her, right before leaving? No! I had to say something! I already started it, so I had to end it! Oh, no, Yu Danbi, how will you end this? What will you say? You have to say something.... My head was turning pure white. Alright, that’s it!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m actually a boy!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">”</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">....Or so I thought about saying that. I wasn’t courageous enough. Courage aside, I wasn’t sure what would have happened to me if I confessed that. I would have died.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Princess in front of me looked curious and waited for me, and so were the people behind her.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-I’ll be leaving now! Bye!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, my life. That was the last thing that I was capable of saying to these people. I dejectedly waved my hands at them, and quietly tore myself apart for even imagining saying such embarrassing things. I walked into the spaceship.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Would I ever have the chance to return to this planet?</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Could I ever meet these people again?</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If such a day comes, I’ll have to confess the truth.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m actually a guy!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I quietly pictured that day in my head.</span></div>
Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-13428792420324978052016-08-07T18:41:00.003-07:002016-08-07T19:38:43.798-07:00[Me and the Tigress v01] 03. Third Story - Part 1It's the eye of the tiger. It's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of our (love) rival.<br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Dijon</i><br />
<i>Editor: Narane </i><br />
____________________<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
03. Third Story<br />
<br />
Even though I can't even remember how many times I've drunk the barley tea Saehee brought, for some reason my lips were totally dry. Ah, it's like sitting on a pincushion. Narae's glaring at me from the corner of her eye so hard, it hurts.<br />
<br />
"......So you mean, even though Sunghoon and Rangii have a cousin-like relationship, they're actually complete strangers? And they're even engaged?"<br />
<br />
It looks like our story has ended up like that.<br />
<br />
"Y, yeah."<br />
<br />
"That's right. We're lovey-dovey."<br />
<br />
When and where did you learn that word?<br />
<br />
<i>Sting</i>. Narae's glare hurts a whole lot more.<br />
<br />
"Really?"<br />
<br />
It's better that I tell her about the engagement than about Rangii being a phantom.<br />
<br />
"It's like that for now, but......"<br />
<br />
"Lolicon. Go die."<br />
<br />
Words that I couldn't ignore came from Narae's mouth.<br />
<br />
"Who, who's a lolicon? My tastes are normal!"<br />
<br />
I must look just like someone from a soap opera who got caught cheating by his lover.<br />
<br />
"That's right. Of course Sunghoon likes a perfectly normal woman like I."<br />
<br />
You brat. Would you shut that mouth for now? Are you planning on robbing me of my romance and going all the way to bankrupt me?<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
Aghh, Miss Narae's scornful glare hurts. My heart hurts.<br />
<br />
"Even if we are engaged, our parents are the ones who decided that; and I didn't even know about it until yesterday."<br />
<br />
"But despite that, it looks like you two are really close?"<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon met me once when he was young."<br />
<br />
"When?"<br />
<br />
"When Sunghoon was born......"<br />
<br />
I swiftly blocked Rangii's mouth.<br />
<br />
"<i>Uub?</i>"<br />
<br />
Don't look at me like you're asking why I'm doing this. You brat, try and use common sense. I'm clearly older than you, so does it make sense that I met you the moment I was born?<br />
<br />
"Ha, haha. When Rangii was born, not that long ago. Yeah. I was also young then, so I forgot."<br />
<br />
I carefully removed the hand that was blocking Rangii's mouth. I was trying to tell her, <i>hey, don't say anything weird,</i> with my eyes, but Rangii didn't have a lot of experience in understanding someone's thoughts.<br />
<br />
"Why do you keep acting like that? Even though I said that I would accept a concubine, at some point a concubine should know her place! Isn't it natural for you to show love to your wife, to me, first?"<br />
<br />
The first thing I'm going to do is shut that mouth.<br />
<br />
"Who're you calling a concubine?"<br />
<br />
Look. Because of you, Narae got mad.<br />
<br />
"If Sunghoon were to pick who to be his wife between the two of us, he would obviously choose me!"<br />
<br />
You're getting mad about something weird!<br />
<br />
"Why are you saying that?! Sunghoon will obviously choose me! Sunghoon is totally in love with me! Because he's a lolicon!"<br />
<br />
Are you planning on killing me?<br />
<br />
At first Narae got angry at Rangii's nonsensical words, but suddenly she gave a bright smile, looking like a flower, and said,<br />
<br />
"Rangii, dear."<br />
<br />
Narae, in a voice as if trying to placate a child, spoke of a cruel reality that I could never vocalize.<br />
<br />
"I know Sunghoon's tastes quite well, okay? Ever since he was young, he liked big-breasted ladies."<br />
<br />
That was a cruel reality to me as well.<br />
<br />
How, how do you know about my tastes?!<br />
<br />
"But there's no way......"<br />
<br />
"So you see, <b>there's no way he would choose you</b>."<br />
<br />
At that moment.<br />
<br />
"There's no way that's true!"<br />
<br />
Rangii stood up and shouted while emitting an intense energy.<br />
<br />
"There's no way, no way that that's true! Sunghoon, Sunghoon is the one who will love me!!"<br />
<br />
Something overbearing filled the room, almost suffocating me. Is, is this the so-called Reiatsu?!<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon,<i> sniffle, </i>likes me!!"<br />
<br />
You brat, what you doing all of a sudden? <br />
<br />
I looked up at Rangii while thinking, <i>you brat, what are you doing all of a sudden?</i> when,<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
I wanted to faint.<br />
<br />
"......A tail? And ears? From where?"<br />
<br />
Narae's words are reaffirming that the situation before my eyes is reality. That's right. While angry and on the verge of tears, Rangii forgot to hide her tail and ears.<br />
<br />
Oh crap. What do I do? Could I just say it's a magic trick? Could I trick her by saying, <i>surprise, it was a surprise show~</i> and have this all blow over?<br />
<br />
Of course not!<br />
<br />
"Please excuse me for a moment."<br />
<br />
Saehee, the only one of us to have kept their cool, made her move. She put her hand on Narae who was confused at the sight of Rangii's sudden tail and ears. At that moment, Narae collapsed backwards.<br />
<br />
"Wha, what?"<br />
<br />
"More importantly, the young master should seek to calm down Master. Right away."<br />
<br />
In times like this, Saehee's expressionless face makes her a lot more trustworthy. I decided to go to Rangii, who was getting ready to scream, with her hands in fists, tears forming around her eyes, and breathing hard, going <i>huuk-huuk</i>.<br />
<br />
"Hey, hey. What's the problem, huh?"<br />
<br />
"That woman, she--! <i>Uu</i>, that woman said that you hate, <i>huk,</i> hate me......"<br />
<br />
With Rangii stuck to my chest, I rubbed her head and spoke.<br />
<br />
"Who, when, and where did anyone say that?"<br />
<br />
"But, but. Didn't that woman say so?! That there's no way, <i>kuu,</i> no way you would love me!"<br />
<br />
Well, if a man with typical sexual preferences were to pick between Narae and you, he would obviously choose Narae. And I'm definitely a typical man, so I'd pick Narae.<br />
<br />
But, Rangii,<br />
<br />
"Hey, just because you're like that, it doesn't mean I can't love......"<br />
<br />
It's embarrassing, so I can't say it. <br />
<br />
"I mean, liking someone is different. No matter your age, face, or personality, none of that stuff matters."<br />
<br />
"But......"<br />
<br />
I blocked Rangii from continuing.<br />
<br />
"Listen well. None of that stuff matters when it comes to liking someone."<br />
<br />
That is a lie. Appearance, money, breasts, height, personality, and a lot more are related to that.<br />
<br />
"You have your own charm. So I......"<br />
<br />
Rangii's a kid. A kid. A little kid. A freaking little kid. So why is blood rushing to my face?<br />
<br />
"Like you, Rangii."<br />
<br />
Rangii stopped crying. She loosened her fists, and her previously unfocused eyes looked up at me. Hey, look somewhere else. If you look at me with such innocent eyes, then my conscience will get hurt. I said something so embarrassing that I wanted to hide in a mouse hole, so stop looking at me like that!<br />
<br />
Rangii lifted her hand and held them tightly onto my chest.<br />
<br />
"Really? Really?"<br />
<br />
Rangii's two cheeks were getting rosy. To such Rangii, I said,<br />
<br />
"Nope. I lied."<br />
<br />
She reacted like when you tease a kid about whether or not you'll give her candy, but then you put it in your own mouth. She started tearing up again, her eyebrows looking like the Chinese Eight (八), and her mouth looked like the Korean letter (ㅅ).<br />
<br />
"Uu, uuu--, uuuu--."<br />
<br />
If I keep this up, she may really cry, so I should stop teasing her. I bent down, hugged Rangii with both my arms, lifted her up, and continued,<br />
<br />
"Because I like you a super-duper lot."<br />
<br />
I'm telling Rangii what she wants to hear. Ah, shit. There are goosebumps on my arms. But seeing a blooming flower on Rangii's face, I thought, <i>so what if I have goosebumps?</i> Because kids look their best when they're smiling.<br />
<br />
"Uu--. How mean! Sunghoon is mean!"<br />
<br />
Rangii slapped down against my shoulders with her hands. Of course, it hurts. Even if it's a little kid, something that hurts will hurt. But I won't show it on my face. Because that's being an adult.<br />
<br />
Okay, I've calmed down Rangii, so should I worry about the next thing? Now that Rangii was back to normal-- I mean, in a better mood than normal, I tried to put her down, but somehow she climbed and clung onto my back, so I gave up. I shifted my position to have her on my back comfortably.<br />
<br />
"Saehee."<br />
<br />
"What do you need of me, you crimi-- I mean, young master?"<br />
<br />
"What were you about to call me?"<br />
<br />
"I haven't a clue what you are talking about. But it seems as though there is something else you should be curious about."<br />
<br />
Seeing as how Saehee skillfully changed the subject, it looks like I'll have to have a private chat with her later.<br />
<br />
"So what're you going to do?"<br />
<br />
Even if it was for just a moment, before she was knocked unconscious by Saehee, Narae saw Rangii's tail and ears. If I don't prepare some kind of answer while she's unconscious, then it'll be terrible.<br />
<br />
"The simplest solution would be to drop her in the ocean in a metal drum with cement, but......"<br />
<br />
Saehee was glancing at me from the side while I had a furious expression on my face.<br />
<br />
"The victim isn't the young master, so I do not plan on doing that."<br />
<br />
So if it were me, you'd do it?<br />
<br />
"That is why I was going to perform a simple memory manipulation on her, but a problem has occurred."<br />
<br />
"......What is it?"<br />
<br />
"The one called Narae is a member of the Bear Clan. I believed that she was a normal human, but I was fooled. I never expected that I would be unable to notice those who had not had their powers awoken."<br />
<br />
What? Bear Clan?! And a barrier?<br />
<br />
And on that topic,<br />
<br />
"What's the Bear Clan, and what do you mean by barrier?"<br />
<br />
Saehee looked at me pityingly. Please don't show emotion only in times like this.<br />
<br />
"All day today, I worked to create a barrier to be able to detect the energy of different phantoms as well as ourselves in the Seoul area."<br />
<br />
Is it okay to think of it as a convenient radar?<br />
<br />
"While drinking alcohol?"<br />
<br />
A barrier-under-influence?<br />
<br />
"Do you have any complaints?"<br />
<br />
I do not.<br />
<br />
"Then explain to me in layman's terms what the Bear Clan is."<br />
<br />
"It is the enemy."<br />
<br />
"......A little longer, please."<br />
<br />
"The Bear Clan I am speaking of is composed of Ungnyeo and her direct descendants."<br />
<br />
"And by Ungnyeo, you mean the one from the Dangun Myth, that Ungnyeo?"<br />
<br />
"Is there a different Ungnyeo?"<br />
<br />
I'm sorry for asking something so obvious.<br />
<br />
"If members of the Bear Clan inherit Ungnyeo's blood, and should they meet a certain condition, they become female puppets of Ungnyeo. Then only their heads remain under their own control."<br />
<br />
"Explain so it's easier to understand."<br />
<br />
"They are the bitches among bitches."<br />
<br />
I should stop talking.<br />
<br />
"Simply put, they're like this: that fat hag hates the fact that Hwanung paid attention to me, so she's using her descendants to try and kill me."<br />
<br />
"Then, aren't you in danger?"<br />
<br />
With Rangii on my back, in a position that didn't inspire any confidence at all, she put her mouth to my ear......,<br />
<br />
"Don't worry. No matter how many dozens, or hundreds of them come, I will protect you."<br />
<br />
She whispered this with complete confidence. Hey, you brat. The one I'm worried about is you. Why are you worrying about me? I'm a normal human so there's no reason for the Bear Clan to target me.<br />
<br />
Well--, Rangii telling me that she was strong enough to protect me must've been just to make me feel safer. I decided to think of it as that. But maybe Saehee saw that I wasn't convinced at all because she gave an additional explanation.<br />
<br />
"Approximately 300 years ago as well, we repelled an attack by the foolish Bear Clan more easily than we could flip our palms. Because the seal has weakened since then, they will be unable to harass us thoughtlessly."<br />
<br />
Could Rangii's strangely anachronistic thoughts and speech-style be an influence from that time?<br />
<br />
No, that's not the important thing here. I should go back to the main issue.<br />
<br />
"So what's the problem with Narae being a part of the Bear Clan?"<br />
<br />
"Every member of the Bear Clan has some degree of resistance to magic. Although she has yet to meet the condition, hastily casting magic may result in a small problem."<br />
<br />
"What is it?"<br />
<br />
"If she is fortunate, brain damage; if not, instant death."<br />
<br />
"Oi."<br />
<br />
What the heck is that a huge problem to you, then? Anyway, if I interpret her words differently,<br />
<br />
"Are you saying that, since you can't manipulate her memory, you need to find a different solution?"<br />
<br />
"That is correct, young master."<br />
<br />
What should I do? I need the wisdom of Solomon himself. ......Not the one where he tries cutting a baby in half! <br />
<br />
"Instead, if she realized her power, this problem would become much easier."<br />
<br />
Saehee's words caught my attention.<br />
<br />
"Then, wouldn't everything work out if she met that condition? What is it?"<br />
<br />
"It is her breast size."<br />
<br />
I was dumbfounded at Saehee's indifferent, completely serious words.<br />
<br />
"......What?"<br />
<br />
"Members of the Bear Clan awaken their strength when they become greater than a D cup."<br />
<br />
I decided that Saehee was screwing with me and spouting nonsense. I turned my head and I asked Rangii, who now had her chin on my shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Really?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know what a D cup is, but all of my opponents had large breasts."<br />
<br />
Okay, but why are you talking while tightening around my neck?<br />
<br />
"I made sure to educate the attackers, with those huge, useless things swaying and shaking, exactly who they were dealing with."<br />
<br />
From the feeling Rangii's tiny breasts on my back, I, for whatever reason, felt pity for her.<br />
<br />
"So what do we do? Can I tell her the truth about you two?"<br />
<br />
"Please do as you please, young master."<br />
<br />
"......Is it really okay if I do that?"<br />
<br />
Although I meant if it was okay if I told her about phantoms,<br />
<br />
"She is the one to become the concubine of the man to be my husband. It would be right to do so."<br />
<br />
Seeing the two phantoms before me not at all worried about that, I felt like the weird one. So I decided.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"So you're saying, after I fainted in your house, I was unconscious for nearly an hour, and I just now woke up?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, that's right. Miss Narae."<br />
<br />
Please be fooled. I'm begging you. Por favor.<br />
<br />
"......Do you wanna die?"<br />
<br />
"It was impossible?!"<br />
<br />
Ignoring Saehee's look of pity and Rangii's look of disappointment, I moved onto my next plan. Although I call it a plan, it's not well-made, and the plain truth is that I'm adapting it on the fly. I simply explained that Rangii is the tiger from the Dangun myth, that she lived in my grandfather's estate away from humans, that he passed away (even though he's not dead), and that there was no one else who could take care of her so I brought her to Seoul. Although I hid all the other important facts except for those, Narae must have been shocked speechless after learning that Rangii and Saehee are phantoms, because after I was done explaining, she didn't say a word.<br />
<br />
After I finished my explanation and drank a glass of barley tea, Narae held my hand at looked at me with eyes full of sadness. Huh? Why're you doing that all of a sudden?<br />
<br />
"You must've had a really tough time, Sunghoon."<br />
<br />
Ah, is that how you're going to be?<br />
<br />
"You must've been really shocked because of your grandfather's passing. Yeah. That's why I'll understand."<br />
<br />
Your pitying kindness is making me sadder. It seems like Narae is treating me like someone who lost it after I heard my grandfather passed away, but at least she understands, that's all crap.<br />
<br />
"No, that's all real."<br />
<br />
"You expect me to believe that? The tail and ears that kid has on must be because you forced her to wear them because of your perverted interests, you pervert, sexual harasser, dirty old man!"<br />
<br />
Oi, oi. Even though I had a lot of things to say at Narae's incomprehensible yelling, Rangii got angry and spoke up first.<br />
<br />
"No it's not! These are truly a part of my body!"<br />
<br />
She clenched her fists, closed her eyes hard, proudly moving her ears and tail, and while Narae was trying to calm down Rangii, Narae sighed.<br />
Narae opened her mouth, looking completely calm and making it seem unbelievable that she was furious just a bit ago.<br />
<br />
"I know, Rangii. It's just that I couldn't think objectively if I didn't talk like this. For him to talk about phantoms in this century. And that he's the guardian of you phantoms, of course I have to be able to believe that. It's because he's speaking nonsense to try and trick me."<br />
<br />
"Sorry."<br />
<br />
I bowed my head. Although I'm going through all this because of my damn grandfather and my eccentric dad, in other words my family, Narae was totally unrelated. But now, because of me, she's caught up in this too. Really, there's nothing I can say.<br />
<br />
It's okay. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Because I'd be even more upset if I didn't know.</i></span>"<br />
<br />
Narae actually comforted me. I heard everything up to the<i> it's okay</i>, but what did you say after that?<br />
<br />
As I was about to ask her what it was she said, Narae suddenly pinched my side.<br />
<br />
"Uwauwaagh!"<br />
<br />
"But what? I was passed out for an hour? Do you think I'm an idiot? Did you think I'd fall for that?"<br />
<br />
You're pinching the same place as before! Why're you pinching somewhere you already pinched before?!<br />
<br />
"N, no! That's not it!!"<br />
<br />
Would I ever say such things under normal circumstances?<br />
<br />
"And, if I was fooled, you were going to keep hiding this, weren't you?"<br />
<br />
"That goes without saying."<br />
<br />
Narae stared daggers at me. She doubled her strength.<br />
<br />
"Ugyaaaagh!"<br />
<br />
"If you're going to try and trick me, then make up something convincing, you idiot! Who would fall for such a pathetic lie?!"<br />
<br />
"Ow! It hurts! Please let me go, Narae-nim!!"<br />
And so Narae let go of my side. Although I was rubbing hard with my hand, the pain wasn't going away at all. While I was moving my butt to get away from Narae for the sake of my sides,<br />
<br />
"So now that everything's revealed, what are you going to do?"<br />
<br />
Narae asked me.<br />
<br />
"Huh?"<br />
<br />
What am I going to do?<br />
<br />
"Rangii and Saehee...... may be phantoms, but right, now they're still girls."<br />
<br />
Even though Rangii looks like a girl, she's actually nearly an animal, and Saehee is almost an unidentified mystery creature, but so what. Like Narae said, right now they really are girls.<br />
<br />
"Even if your dad is living with you, you can't just live with two girls! Wait, it's not because you're okay with whatever as long as they're girls, right?"<br />
<br />
"That's not it......"<br />
<br />
"If that's not it, then what?"<br />
<br />
I don't know what to say. It seems like Sahee has connections in the government, but even if she found a different house, Rangii probably wouldn't leave my house. While I was worrying about how to answer, I never imagined Saehee would respond to what Narae said.<br />
<br />
"That is truly not the case. The young master's parents are not residing here."<br />
<br />
"Eh?"<br />
<br />
Narae was dumbstruck.<br />
<br />
"What?!"<br />
<br />
No, she was angry.<br />
<br />
"The heck does that mean?! Hey! Are you trying to use this opportunity while your parents are gone?!"<br />
<br />
Seeing the spiritual body of Shiva as if about to destroy all of creation with a single blow, I lost any words I was about to say. Narae, you don't think I brought these two here while my parents were gone to do wicked things to them, right? No, after seeing your face is that actually correct? That is a misunderstanding. It is a misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
"No, you see, madam, it was only after I brought these two to Seoul with me that my parents had something come up and had to leave."<br />
<br />
Why am I using honorifics to Narae right now?<br />
<br />
Narae leaned down, slammed her hands on the table, and then spoke,<br />
<br />
"Are you telling me to believe that ridiculous excuse?!"<br />
<br />
"But it's true."<br />
<br />
"Do you have any proof?"<br />
<br />
"I do not."<br />
<br />
With her eyes looking even more furious than before, Narae lowered her hand to my inner thigh...... and pinched it.<br />
<br />
"Uwohoohk?!"<br />
<br />
"You idiot! What the hell was that yesterday, really?!"<br />
<br />
WhyareyoubringingupsomethingfromyesterdayithasnothingtodowiththisandhowmuchlongerareyougoingtokeepdoingthisithurtssomuchI'mdyiiing!<br />
<br />
For the sake of my survival I grabbed Narae's wrist. Her other hand went directly for my side. I quickly moved my body. Is this what's called a reflex?!<br />
<br />
"Oh, you're dodging?"<br />
<br />
I quietly put down my hand and turned away. Narae pinched my side. Maybe I've grown numb there because I can't feel any pain.<br />
<br />
"So you're all going to stay like this until your parents come back?"<br />
<br />
"......I mean, but I can't drive them away."<br />
<br />
Narae fell deep into thought at my realistic objection when,<br />
<br />
"Then Rangii and Saehee can stay at my house."<br />
<br />
She said something difficult to understand.<br />
<br />
"Eh?"<br />
<br />
"Two girls can't stay in a house with a guy! What if you did something terrible?!"<br />
<br />
Then I'd die.<br />
<br />
Rangii is a tiger the size of a mountain and Saehee is some kind of unidentifiable phantom. If I went <i>uhuhu, I can't hold it in anymore! Uwaaang~</i> and pounced at them, I'd just end up receiving terrible punishment.<br />
<br />
But setting all that aside, Narae's idea has its appeal. Narae's family is rich and entrusting them to Narae might be okay.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"I can't do that."<br />
<br />
"Why? No way, do you......"<br />
<br />
I cut off Narae, stopping her from continuing a ridiculous misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
"No, that's not what I meant. How could I do that after they trusted and followed me all the way here? I have to take responsibility for them, but I'll accept your feelings."<br />
<br />
Narae got furious.<br />
<br />
"E, even if you say that you don't look cool at all!"<br />
<br />
That's because I didn't say it to look cool.<br />
<br />
Narae looked as though, if she was in a manhwa, she'd have veins popping out of her forehead as she was bearing a lot of thoughts in her head. She's a member of the Bear Clan, so she's bearing a lot of thoughts, you see..... Sorry. I messed up. I wanted to escape reality, even if I had to use a bad joke. But it was only after Narae spoke that I really wanted to escape reality.<br />
<br />
"Then, until your parents come back, I'm going to stay here, too."<br />
<br />
"Eh?"<br />
<br />
What are you saying right now? She may have gotten caught up in the moment and not really thought about what she's saying.<br />
<br />
"No, Narae. That's......"<br />
<br />
"I used to come to play and sleep over with you all the time a long time ago!"<br />
<br />
That was back in elementary school!<br />
<br />
"What kind of demand is that?!"<br />
<br />
"Shut up! If I want to do it, I will! I'm going to sleep in your house too! Or are you saying that it's okay for them, but not for me? If not, what else? Does it make you uncomfortable for me to be here?!"<br />
<br />
If you say that much, then there's no way I can respond.<br />
<br />
When Narae is so completely stubborn, at first there's no way she'd accept a direct refusal. She's too strong an opponent. But that's only a direct refusal. It's possible to refuse later on. I mean like this:<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
While acting like I accepted,<br />
<br />
"But. You need to get permission from your parents first."<br />
<br />
I just gave a completely impossible condition. If they're proper parents, there's no way they'll let their fully grown daughter stay at a man's house for several days, even if he's a childhood friend. It's a bit of a shame, but if Narae stays here then I'll lose my mind.<br />
<br />
But I got nervous after seeing Narae so full of confidence for some reason.<br />
<br />
"For real?"<br />
<br />
I stuttered at her sudden energy.<br />
<br />
"Y, yeah."<br />
<br />
Narae took out her cell phone and probably called her parents. Narae opened her mouth, but I didn't know if the one who answered was her mom or her dad.<br />
<br />
"Yes, Dad. It's me. Yes. I have something to tell you. I'm going to sleep at Sunghoon's house for a few days. No. His parents aren't here."<br />
<br />
Oi, Narae. DIdn't you just nonchalantly step on a landmine?<br />
<br />
"You mean I can't?"<br />
<br />
Thankfully Narae's dad seems like someone with a good head on his shoulders. Narae furrowed her brow a bit, then a moment later. A rare sight appeared as Narae smiled brightly and spoke with a soft voice.<br />
<br />
"Okay. Fine. Then I won't ever get married and live with <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Papa </b></span>forever. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Forever</b></span>. That's okay, right, Papa?"<br />
<br />
Why am I getting goosebumps on my back from hearing this?<br />
<br />
"Yes. Okay. Thank you, Dad. Ah, I'll give the phone to Sunghoon for a bit."<br />
<br />
Narae took her cell phone away from her ear and handed it to me. Though I felt uneasy, I took it and opened my mouth.<br />
<br />
"Hello."<br />
<br />
[Please take good care of my daughter, Sunghoon. Make the most of this opportunity. Please, please do that. That little devil is......]<br />
<br />
As I was about to hear something like a scream, Narae took the phone and hung up. Um, I'm curious about that last part about a little devil.<br />
<br />
"Everything's worked out, right?"<br />
<br />
But for some reason, I feel like I cracked open Pandora's box?<br />
<br />
"Although members of the Bear Clan have a strong obsession for their mate, they have trouble expressing their true feelings."<br />
<br />
Saehee, when did you get next to me? Since a moment ago you were in front of me. And it feels like you just said something weird?<br />
<br />
"I shall prepare a meal for Master. I came to ask if it was okay to prepare food."<br />
<br />
"I'm hungry~. Let's talk after we eat dinner~."<br />
<br />
Hearing Rangii's whining, I realized I was hungry as well. Come to think of it, I went out grocery shopping to get ingredients for dinner. I can even, I mean can't understand why Rangii started drooling over pigeon.<br />
<br />
"Yeah."<br />
<br />
"Then I shall prepare dinner."<br />
<br />
"I bought the ingredients before so thanks."<br />
<br />
"I shall do so."<br />
<br />
With a slight smile on her face, Saehee spoke to Narae.<br />
<br />
"Do you not think that this conversation is similar to one between newlyweds?<br />
<br />
Oi, what're you saying right now?<br />
<br />
"......You said that so I could hear it, didn't you?"<br />
<br />
Narae isn't one to walk away from a fight.<br />
<br />
"How rude. Seeing such egotism, I could not help but do so as well."<br />
<br />
In times like these, just say no. Narae even narrowed her eyes!<br />
<br />
"Great. I want to help too; it's okay if I do, right?"<br />
<br />
"Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
Seen from the outside, with Narae smiling and Saehee expressionless, the two looked like they got along as they walked to the kitchen. I should avoid the kitchen. Definitely.<br />
<br />
Okay then, it looks like a typhoon just passed by so I can finally take a breather. I want to lie down on the floor with my legs and arms stretched out like Rangii, but I have human dignity. But you brat. What're you doing right now? Apart from laying down like you don't care about a thing, why're you banging on the floor?<br />
<br />
"......What're you doing?"<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon still wouldn't play with me, so I'm angry."<br />
<br />
It seems that when tigers are upset these days, they lie with their limbs outstretched while hitting the floor with their palm. Even if I entered a tiger's den by an accident, I could survive by making the tiger angry. But still, if you interpreted what happened between Narae and me as playing, then I'd have to fit you a pair of glasses right away.<br />
<br />
"I was busy because of you. If you hadn't shown your tail and ears, then all this wouldn't have gotten so complicated."<br />
<br />
Rangii puffed out her cheeks.<br />
<br />
"Uuu--. But I couldn't help that. How could I have ignored such words?"<br />
<br />
I probably would've just ignored them. Because there are lots of times when you aren't chosen by someone you like. Will such a thing happen to the future-me as well?<br />
<br />
......Ah. I should wipe away my tears. For the sake of my potentially lamentable future, I decided to be on Rangii's side.<br />
<br />
"Yeah, yeah. You didn't do anything wrong."<br />
<br />
Rangii laughed, going <i>hee hee</i> at my answer, and she crawled under the table as she pushed her legs out the other side towards me. You brat. Are you saying that it's tiring to get up? Rangii moved further, and this time, she crawled out all the way to her hips, but hey. A girl should be dressed neatly. Your dopo<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#1" name="top1"><sup>[1]</sup></a> like shirt is moved up, so your belly is visible. Seeing her belly wriggling left then right, slowly exposing itself to get closer to me, I couldn't help but play a prank. I poked Rangii on the belly button with my finger.<br />
<br />
"U--nyak?!"<br />
<br />
Rangii suddenly lifted up her limbs, got up, then made a bang as she shook the table. What a fun kid. Teasing her was worth it. Having gotten up on the opposite side of the table from me, Rangii whined while rubbing her red forehead.<br />
<br />
"Why'd you suddenly do that? Weren't you surprised?"<br />
<br />
"Took the words right out of my mouth. What're you doing?"<br />
<br />
"I tried to sit on your lap."<br />
<br />
"Then you should've gotten up properly and sat there."<br />
<br />
"It's annoying to get up."<br />
<br />
If annoyances were given ratings, you'd be a first-class tiger.<br />
<br />
"Ah, is that so."<br />
<br />
I took a slight step back, saw Rangii's legs poking out from under the table, grabbed them, and,<br />
<br />
"Huh? Why're you doing that?"<br />
<br />
I pulled her towards me.<br />
<br />
"Ha--eek?!"<br />
<br />
While squealing, she looked at me with her eyes wide open, and her face came up from under the table.<br />
<br />
"If you don't want this to happen to you, then next time, sit properly."<br />
<br />
"That, that was fun! Can't you do it again?"<br />
<br />
Looks like it backfired.<br />
<br />
""Lolicon.""<br />
<br />
When did you two come out?!<br />
<br />
<br />
The dinner Narae and Saehee made was so delicious as to elicit a scream. Seeing the unbelievable food made from the simple ingredients I bought, my mouth was watering. <br />
<br />
We ate dinner with Rangii and Narae sitting next to me around a circular table, and Saehee opposite to me. Mmm~. It tastes good.<br />
<br />
"How's the spinach dish? I'm the one who made it."<br />
<br />
At Narae's carefully asked question, I ate a bite of the spinach and gave her a thumbs up.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. It's good."<br />
<br />
"Thank goodness. I was worried you wouldn't like it."<br />
<br />
"I'm serious, it's really good."<br />
<br />
More than anything, it's a side dish that Narae made for me. Thus I could already comprehend a heavenly taste.<br />
<br />
"Young master. Please try the pumpkin-jeon as well."<br />
<br />
At Saehee's suggestion I tried a bite of the pumpkin-jeon. It's really good. Although I already knew this, Saehee is really good at cooking.<br />
"It's delicious."<br />
<br />
"That is a relief."<br />
<br />
......For some reason, the mood feels really tense, but is that just my imagination? No, it doesn't seem like my imagination. Narae-nim seems, for whatever reason, to be in quite a bad mood.<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon."<br />
<br />
For some reason, I have a bad feeling.<br />
<br />
"This and this. These are the ones I cooked, so <b>enjoy </b>it."<br />
<br />
"Besides those, I made the rest. Please <b>enjoy </b>it."<br />
<br />
Looking closely, I could see that Narae's food was on the left, Saehee's food was on the right, with the Bulgogi in the center.<br />
<br />
Oi, you two. What the heck happened in the kitchen while Rangii and I were playing around? It's hard to eat only with one pair of chopsticks when Saehee and Narae are looking at me.<br />
<br />
Oh, Miss Saehee, why do you look so anxious to get rid of Narae? In times like these, I feel jealous of Rangii who's eating totally carefree.<br />
<br />
......Seeing her continue to drop food, I was actually no longer jealous of her, considering how clumsy she was with her chopsticks. Just this morning, although she was a little clumsy, she was using them properly. But why are you now <b>suddenly </b>like this?<br />
<br />
Whenever Rangii dropped the side dishes, she'd go, <i>uuu</i>, puff out her cheeks, and glance at me. Are you asking for my help?<br />
<br />
Yeah. I feel a little bad for Rangii so I'll help her.<br />
<br />
"Rangii."<br />
<br />
"What's wrong?"<br />
<br />
Her response was a little funny since it sounded like she was sulking.<br />
<br />
"Come over here."<br />
<br />
I patted my knee. It felt like I was calling for a dog, but it was different. Because she's not Baduk.<br />
<br />
"Yeah!"<br />
<br />
Rangii took her rice bowl and utensils and sat on my lap.<br />
<br />
"I already taught you how to hold your chopsticks. Try and eat properly."<br />
<br />
"Hehehe."<br />
<br />
I fixed Rangii's clumsy hold on the chopsticks by fiddling with her hand.<br />
<br />
"I'm trying."<br />
<br />
"Okay, okay. So what do you want to eat?"<br />
<br />
"Bulgogi." <br />
<br />
I picked up Bulgogi with my chopsticks and put them on top of Rangii's rice......<br />
<br />
"Wait, wait, wait!!"<br />
<br />
Hm? Narae suddenly got upset.<br />
<br />
"What're you doing right now?!"<br />
<br />
With Narae pointing her finger at me, I answered by explaining my actions matter-of-factly.<br />
<br />
"But I'm helping Rangii with her food? She may look like an elementary schooler, but she's actually a phantom, so she's clumsy with this stuff."<br />
<br />
"It's still weird! Even if that's the case, why is she on your lap?!"<br />
<br />
Is this weird? But when I was little, I would sit on top of my mom's knees to teach me how to use my eating utensils.<br />
<br />
"This is how we teach this in my family."<br />
<br />
"I...... no, that's ridiculous!"<br />
<br />
Seeing Narae go bright red and getting upset, should I give her an excuse or maybe protest?<br />
<br />
"Because this way, I can make sure that she eats easily and that she isn't being picky with her food. And Rangii's a little kid, so what's the big deal?"<br />
<br />
"In what way is she a little kid?!"<br />
<br />
Hm? I looked down at Rangii. Rangii looked up at me with bright, innocent eyes.<br />
<br />
She's clearly a little kid.<br />
<br />
"......Aren't you overreacting?"<br />
<br />
"I'm not! Look! She even stuck her tongue at me just now!"<br />
<br />
I looked down at her again.<br />
<br />
"The meat is tasty~."<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii enjoy the Bulgogi, I silently hit her lightly on the head.<br />
<br />
"Uwah! Why'd you do that all of a sudden?!"<br />
<br />
"There's no reason for Narae to lie."<br />
<br />
"Do you not trust me?"<br />
<br />
"I saw you stick your tongue out."<br />
<br />
Rangii was shocked and looked totally surprised.<br />
<br />
"You, you saw? How?"<br />
<br />
......Oh man.<br />
<br />
"Did you really?"<br />
<br />
I was just testing her but she got caught.<br />
<br />
"Shoot!"<br />
<br />
I spoke to Narae while putting my chin on top of Rangii's head as she was embarrassed.<br />
<br />
"As you can see, she's just a kid. Don't pay any attention to stuff like that."<br />
<br />
"......You're right."<br />
<br />
Dinner was tasty, but after some time of eating uncomfortably the doorbell rang. While I was wondering who it could be, Narae spoke.<br />
<br />
"It's a priority delivery. It's probably my luggage, so I'll go."<br />
<br />
Narae went out and came back inside with two large bags in hand.<br />
<br />
"Were you really planning on sleeping over?"<br />
<br />
"I said that I would. Why, did you think I lied?"<br />
<br />
I would like it if this entire situation was a lie. If-- just if-- Narae had asked to sleep over when I was all alone at home, I'd welcome her with open arms, but Rangii and Saehee are here. Rangii truly thinks that Narae is beneath her, so there's no real problem there, but the problem is Narae and Saehee. Narae bears some strange hostility against Rangii and Saehee, and I get the feeling that Saehee doesn't like Narae. Could that be because of Narae being part of the Bear Clan? Can they really not get along?<br />
<br />
"Which room can I use? I'm also okay with your room. Of course, you'd need to sleep somewhere else."<br />
<br />
Hahaha, Miss Narae, you are truly good at joking. Though it looks like you're serious. But which room should I have Narae use? If Narae shared a room with Rangii I feel like something terrible would happen, so the only room left is Dad's...... It bothers me to have her stay in Dad's room, but I clean it every day, so it should be okay. I pointed to Dad's room and spoke.<br />
<br />
"Do you want to use my dad's room for now? I'll get you different blankets."<br />
<br />
Thank goodness I sometimes have to take care of people Mom knows so I always keep spare blankets for guests. Since that means I don't have to give Narae the blankets that my dad used.<br />
<br />
"You're paying attention to unexpected things."<br />
<br />
"What do you mean unexpected?"<br />
<br />
I'm always paying attention to you. Though I probably won't tell you that. Narae cluelessly went <i>hmph </i>and entered Dad's room.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to go unpack and change now."<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
As she went in, she looked through the gap next to the door and stared at me with scary eyes.<br />
<br />
"If you peek, I'll kill you."<br />
<br />
"......I won't."<br />
<br />
"I'm not going to lock the door."<br />
<br />
"Are you telling me to look or not?"<br />
<br />
"I'm saying look, and you'll die."<br />
<br />
She jokingly stuck her tongue out at me.<br />
<br />
Since I don't want to die at the young age of seventeen, I went into my room. Rangii was lounging on the sofa in the living room, and Saehee was next to her, so now is the best time. ......It's not to do anything weird, just that now seems like the best time to find out more about Rangii. I turned on my computer and searched <i>tiger </i>in a search engine. I found folktales, characteristics, and more about tigers. All kinds of information appeared.<br />
<br />
Although I was forced to take care of Rangii to maintain humanity's peace, my family's safety, and my own life, that doesn't change the fact that I'm Rangii's guardian. In that case, I need to take responsibility for looking after her. So it isn't weird for me to search for more information about Rangii.<br />
<br />
No, seriously. I'm only looking for how to deal with her. It's nothing weird.<br />
<br />
It was then,<br />
<br />
"Have you evolved from a lolicon to a stalker?"<br />
<br />
"Uhyaak!"<br />
<br />
Holy crap! Calming down my racing heart, I turned around and saw Saehee looking down at me with an expression contrasting my own-- blankness.<br />
<br />
"Would you stop suddenly appearing behind me and talking? I'll die of a heart attack!"<br />
<br />
"Next time, I shall be careful."<br />
<br />
"But I remember you saying that before, as well."<br />
<br />
"Is that so? If you want to know about Master, rather than use the Internet, you can ask me directly."<br />
<br />
Are you telling me to do something so shameful?<br />
<br />
"I don't want to tell you what I'm bothered about."<br />
<br />
"Are you the infamous tsundere?"<br />
<br />
"Do you think I'm Jeom Soon-Yi?"<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#2" name="top2"><sup>[2]</sup></a><br />
<br />
Why is she joking around with me?<br />
<br />
"More importantly, why? Don't you have something to say to me?"<br />
<br />
"You truly pay attention at the most unexpected times."<br />
<br />
What kind of image do those two have of me?<br />
<br />
"The truth is that I came here to tell you something."<br />
<br />
"What is it?"<br />
<br />
"Although Narae-nim has not yet awoken her powers, she is still a member of the Bear Clan. Master also knows this."<br />
<br />
"So?"<br />
<br />
"Narae-nim being around you would be a bad influence on Master."<br />
<br />
"Why?"<br />
<br />
Saehee narrowed her eyes.<br />
<br />
"The thing above your neck is not only used to eat."<br />
<br />
"Isn't it tiring to say things in such a roundabout way?"<br />
<br />
"It is easy when you are used to it."<br />
<br />
I also want to get used to it. So I can take you down.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I should think about it for a second.<br />
<br />
Narae is a member of the Bear Clan, and Rangii is a tiger. In the Dangun myth, a tiger and a bear met Hwanung to turn into humans. Hwanung offered the trial lasting 100 days to survive on mugwort and garlic, but the tiger couldn't endure the test, so it ran away. The bear turned into a human, wanted a child, and was chosen by Hwanung to marry him.<br />
<br />
So what the heck's the problem? It's probably not because she has a special complex, since she looks like a child while Narae has such a great figure. She's 5,000 years too young to feel something like that.<br />
<br />
"It seems you are entertaining foolish thoughts."<br />
<br />
"Did you learn how to read minds or something?"<br />
<br />
Though I can't deny that my thoughts were foolish.<br />
<br />
"What the hell is it?"<br />
<br />
"Although I cannot explain in detail, this is related to Master's trauma."<br />
<br />
If you were about to start explaining in detail, I'd have to plant an apple tree.<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#3" name="top3"><sup>[3]</sup></a> But, a trauma? There's no way that Rangii would have such a thing! But I don't think Saehee would lie about something related to Rangii.<br />
<br />
"So what do you want me to do?"<br />
<br />
"Please chase Narae-nim out."<br />
<br />
"Oi, oi."<br />
<br />
What the heck kind of nonsense is that?<br />
<br />
"Hey. She's staying over here for a few days because she cares for you two; isn't that a little harsh?"<br />
<br />
"Truly an idiotic response, so befitting the young master."<br />
<br />
Why do I have to hear you calling me an idiot? So what if Narae stays here?<br />
<br />
"Young master. There is something you must not forget. That Master came to Seoul with her eyes only on you."<br />
<br />
"......I know."<br />
<br />
Whatever the reason, I was the one who reached my hand to Rangii, and she's the one who grabbed my hand. That's why I need to take responsibility for Rangii's well-being.<br />
<br />
"No. The young master is completely clueless. That is why you invited Narae-nim while completely disregarding Master."<br />
<br />
At her words, I started getting furious. What's so wrong about inviting Narae, and what did I do wrong to Rangii for me to hear those words? And this happened when I thought I had to say something or I'd explode in anger.<br />
<br />
"What are you doing, leaving me all alone? I'll feel lonely if I'm alone."<br />
<br />
Speaking sulkily, Rangii opened the door and entered. I quickly closed the browser window. I was feeling like teenager who got caught looking at an erotic site by his mom, but that was probably just my imagination.<br />
<br />
"We were preparing where you will sleep, Master."<br />
<br />
She even tells sudden lies extremely well.<br />
<br />
"What is there to confirm? I can sleep comfortably as long as I'm by Sunghoon's side."<br />
<br />
"I feel like you'd be able to sleep well anywhere, even if I weren't there."<br />
<br />
Rangii went <i>buu--</i> and puffed out her cheeks at being treated so coldly.<br />
<br />
"I'm only like that because you're next to me. I'm usually not like that."<br />
<br />
Show me proof of that behavior directly.<br />
<br />
"With that aside and our stomachs full, it's getting darker, so I'm also getting sleepy. Sunghoon, let's sleep together."<br />
<br />
"Why me?"<br />
<br />
"I learned that if you don't sleep a lot, you won't grow."<br />
<br />
Your real body is Jirisan, so what if you grew more...... Wait, that's not the problem here.<br />
<br />
"Why does that work as an answer for me sleeping with you?"<br />
<br />
"Because I want to sleep with you."<br />
<br />
"I don't want to."<br />
<br />
"Uu--. Then I'm going to use force!"<br />
<br />
As I looked to see what she'd do if she was using force, Rangii grabbed my hand and started to pull me towards her. ......I'm not sure what you think of me, but I'm not so weak that I'd be pulled around by a kid's strength. But even so, I felt bad seeing Rangii strain so hard so I got up slightly then,<br />
<br />
"Upsy-daisy!"<br />
<br />
I sat down again.<br />
<br />
"Uu--."<br />
<br />
Rangii looked cute while puffing out her cheeks. Is this why adults tease kids?<br />
<br />
But the important thing is,<br />
<br />
"Why're you preparing the blankets?"<br />
<br />
Saehee was setting the blankets that I had folded.<br />
<br />
"Master said that she wants to sleep."<br />
<br />
"Then you should prepare a spot for her in your room."<br />
<br />
"Master said that she wants to sleep with you, young master. Even if you continue, my response will not change."<br />
<br />
"What's wrong? Isn't it natural for a couple to sleep in the same room?"<br />
<br />
Rangii said something I couldn't just ignore.<br />
<br />
"No, since when were we a couple?"<br />
<br />
"You don't have to be so embarrassed. It's only been a few days, so of course you'll act like that. And also......"<br />
<br />
Rangii fidgeted around and blushed.<br />
<br />
"Didn't we already have our first time together?"<br />
<br />
No, no we didn't. You're wrong. I mustered up my courage to correct her mistaken thinking.<br />
<br />
"Do you know what a first time is?"<br />
<br />
"Of course. I'm not a child."<br />
<br />
So again, how many times do I have to tell you that you're clearly a child?<br />
<br />
"Isn't it when a man and a woman who love each other get married and go sleep in the same room under the same covers?"<br />
<br />
Right now what I need is a xylophone. <i>Ding!</i><br />
<br />
"Saehee."<br />
<br />
"Yes."<br />
<br />
"I think that Rangii needs proper sex-ed."<br />
<br />
"As the old saying goes, experiencing something once is better than hearing it one hundred times."<br />
<br />
Are you telling me to die? I mean, physically and mentally.<br />
<br />
"C'mon, let's hurry and sleep together. I want to have our child quickly."<br />
<br />
While I was worrying about how to give her sex-ed,<br />
<br />
"Why're you all here?"<br />
<br />
Narae entered my room. Ah, I'll ask Narae to give Rangii proper education...... and the second I saw Narae, such a thought flew away.<br />
<br />
"H, hey! Why're your clothes like that?!"<br />
<br />
"Wha, what's wrong with it?!"<br />
<br />
I have no idea where Narae's usual fierce appearance went, as she had on a loose-fitting tank top that exposed her belly button and bra strap. And below that, she was wearing hot pants that set her thighs on full display without anywhere for me to comfortably look. To a teenage boy, her attire was enough to set me drooling. I tried to stop my face from blushing, but there was no way I could en, endure it! If a healthy teenager sees the girl he likes exposed in such a stimulating fashion, then...... Th, this is just a physiological phenomenon!<br />
<br />
"Your clothes are too skimpy!"<br />
<br />
"Everybody wears stuff like this, so what's the big deal? What, do you have any complaints?"<br />
<br />
The problem is that I don't have any. No, the problem is that I'm liking this too much.<br />
<br />
"Your eyes look evil."<br />
<br />
Shoot. Seeing Narae stare daggers at me, I gave the only excuse I could right now.<br />
<br />
"You have on clothes which, at this point in my life, makes me have trouble deciding where to look, so the fault is entirely on......"<br />
<br />
Narae cut me off.<br />
<br />
"The fault is on--?"<br />
<br />
"Not you, of course."<br />
<br />
Seeing me concede her point, she felt satisfied, smiled, and looked around my room.<br />
<br />
"So this is your room? Heeh...... It hasn't changed at all since before?"<br />
<br />
"This is also my room."<br />
<br />
A guest in my room, Rangii-nim is saying something completely ridiculous. Narae frowned after Rangii spoke.<br />
<br />
"Why is this your room?"<br />
<br />
"Because I'm going to sleep here too."<br />
<br />
"Why would you sleep here? This is his room."<br />
<br />
"Isn't it natural for a couple to sleep together?"<br />
<br />
While Rangii said something obvious, Narae grabbed and pulled on Rangii's hand. Maybe this was the first time Rangii ever had this happen to her, but she was confused and asked for my help.<br />
<br />
"Wha, what's wrong with this woman? A concubine should know her place!"<br />
<br />
"Who's a concubine? And polygamy is illegal, so there aren't any concubines!"<br />
<br />
Rangii's hair formed a question mark and she asked me a question.<br />
<br />
"Is that true?"<br />
<br />
I nodded my head. At first Rangii was shocked, but then her face darkened as she spoke to Narae.<br />
<br />
"In that case, I feel sorry for you. Sunghoon has already completely fallen for my charm, so you have no chance."<br />
<br />
Narae glared at me sharply and spoke.<br />
<br />
"Hey."<br />
<br />
"No I haven't."<br />
<br />
Rangii's tail and ears were standing up sharply.<br />
<br />
"But last night, didn't you intensely desire me?"<br />
<br />
I gave an excuse right before Narae's hand flew towards me.<br />
<br />
"Last night I was cold, so I hugged her as a substitute for a heater. I didn't do anything else, and this all happened while I was half asleep so please forgive me. After all, you know my sleeping habits."<br />
<br />
So please don't make a fist.<br />
<br />
"Haven't we already seen each other's naked bodies?"<br />
<br />
"That was just because you didn't want to take a bath! Don't say something that's so easy to misunderstand!"<br />
<br />
I told the truth exactly as it was to Narae. After I finished talking, Rangii opened and closed her mouth like a bird, made a fist and released it, then when she looked like she was going to speak...... She suddenly hugged Narae while crying.<br />
<br />
"Uwaaaah! Sunghoon is bullying meeee! E, even though I was so happy that Sunghoon accepted me! But then! Uwaaaaa!!"<br />
<br />
Hey! When did I bully you?! I'm just saying exactly what happened! And why are you hugging Narae and not Saehee? Even I've never hugged her before! I'm so jealous!<br />
<br />
Confused by Rangii suddenly hugging her, Narae thought hard, sighed, and spoke to me while rubbing Rangii's head.<br />
<br />
"You didn't have to say that much, did you? Why were you so harsh?"<br />
<br />
"......What?"<br />
<br />
Why're you suddenly saying that? I was too confused to answer, as Narae took Rangii's side instantly.<br />
<br />
"It's okay, Rangii. Sunghoon was so mean because he was embarrassed that I was here."<br />
<br />
Narae interpreted my words completely differently. Enjoying the dream's interpretations more than the dream, huh? <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#4" name="top4"><sup>[4]</sup></a> However, Rangii actually seemed to be amused by Narae's words. With tears in her eyes, Rangii turned to look up from Narae's bosom and spoke.<br />
<br />
"Is that true?"<br />
Narae's glare from above Rangii hurts. Narae, I like it when you think about others like that, but cases like these make me sad. And there's no reason for you to mouth <i>You're. So. Dead.</i> at me. Please think about me as well.<br />
<br />
"That's right. I was so embarrassed that I was only able to say it like that."<br />
<br />
After hearing that what she just heard was a lie, she instantly stopped crying and smiled brightly.<br />
<br />
"It's true! Sunghoon's so shy!"<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
And she ran away from Narae's bosom to go towards me. She reached to hug my neck, and I automatically bent down and held her up by her hip and butt. ......There's no helping it. Even if she's a kid, if I tried to hold her weight only on my neck then I'd die. There's no helping it, for the sake of survival.<br />
<br />
When Rangii was hugged against my chest, she turned around to look at Narae and spoke,<br />
<br />
"You are truly ready to become Sunghoon's concubine!"<br />
<br />
"Like I said, you can't have concubines in this country."<br />
<br />
Even though she said it like that, she doesn't seem upset. She was smiling slightly.<br />
<br />
......I'm worried. I'm concerned about Narae's sudden change in attitude towards Rangii. I was going to ask her about that, but there was a sudden weight on my shoulders.<br />
<br />
"Snore--."<br />
<br />
And I could hear her breathing rhythmically. Hey, are you sleeping right now? Something like that just happened and you fell asleep?<br />
<br />
"......Oi."<br />
<br />
The end of Rangii's tail twitched slightly.<br />
<br />
"Are you sleeping?"<br />
<br />
"Because she is exhausted from traveling so far."<br />
<br />
I was a little surprised at Saehee, who had erased her presence until now. If you were here, you should've said something, or calmed down Rangii, or said something to Narae, or insulted me! Wait, cancel the last thing.<br />
<br />
"You brat, all you did in the car was sleep too."<br />
<br />
"She always needed a lot of sleep."<br />
<br />
......Geez, her body is really inefficient.<br />
<br />
"Then have her sleep comfortably in your room. Here."<br />
<br />
I tried to give Rangii to her, but Saehee spoke abruptly.<br />
<br />
"That is not possible."<br />
<br />
"Why?"<br />
<br />
"Master is sleeping because the young master's scent and heat put her mind at ease. If you move her to my room, she will wake up."<br />
<br />
You just nonchalantly called it your room. Your own, sole room.<br />
<br />
"So?"<br />
<br />
"You can sleep with Master in my room."<br />
<br />
"Denied. She can just sleep here."<br />
<br />
"......Tch."<br />
<br />
Don't click your tongue.<br />
<br />
I carefully released Rangii's arms from my neck, and put her on the blanket to not wake her up.<br />
<br />
"Uu--ung."<br />
<br />
She moved around a bit, but thankfully she didn't wake up. For some reason, I felt embarrassed that I thought to myself, <i>so she can sleep on blankets that have my scent as well.</i> Should I wash the blankets tomorrow?<br />
<br />
I led Narae and Saehee out of the room and I closed the door. Whew. Since Rangii's sleeping in my room, the only place left for me to sleep is the sofa. Well, sleeping on the sofa isn't that bad. Maybe it's because a lot of stuff happened today, but I'm tired. Should I try and sleep early today?<br />
<br />
"Hey."<br />
<br />
It seems like the day's still early to her.<br />
<br />
"Yeah?"<br />
<br />
"I'll understand, to some extent, your situation with Rangii."<br />
<br />
I'm praying that her understanding won't turn into misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
"So don't overreact when it comes to Rangii. She's only sticking to you because she's a lonely little kid who's all alone."<br />
<br />
So you did misunderstand. It seems like you don't know, but Rangii doesn't know anything and she's completely serious. That's why she's even scarier.<br />
<br />
"If you react like that, then you seem like a real lolicon."<br />
<br />
"You kept calling me a lolicon until now."<br />
<br />
Narae smiled like a figure from an impressionistic painting.<br />
<br />
"Are you really?"<br />
<br />
"No I am not."<br />
<br />
"Then it's fine. I know you're not like that so......"<br />
<br />
Narae blushed and mumbled something, but I didn't hear it. I was asking her what she said because I was curious when,<br />
<br />
"Please excuse me while you are rubbing salt in your wounds."<br />
<br />
Saehee suddenly interrupted. Saehee cut in between Narae and me, and she spoke to Narae.<br />
<br />
"Narae-nim. There is something I wish to tell you."<br />
<br />
"Whatever. ......but please, stop adding -nim to my name; it's weird."<br />
<br />
"It is a habit."<br />
<br />
"But......"<br />
<br />
"It is a habit."<br />
<br />
"......Do what you want."<br />
<br />
Is there no one who can beat Saehee besides Rangii?<br />
<br />
"So what're you curious about?"<br />
<br />
"What is your size, Narae-nim?"<br />
<br />
"Size?"<br />
<br />
"Chest size."<br />
<br />
"Wha, what?!"<br />
<br />
Narae's face turned bright red, and she glared at me. Why're you looking at me? Even though I haven't done anything? Can't you see that I'm embarrassed too?"<br />
<br />
"Wha, what the heck are you asking?!"<br />
<br />
"Is your chest growing even now?"<br />
<br />
Not caring at all that we were embarrassed, Saehee continued on this topic; I was able to realize the truth of the saying <i>water downstream can only be clear when the water upstream is as well.</i> <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#5" name="top5"><sup>[5]</sup></a><br />
<br />
No, why would you say something like that in front of me? I'm curious too, but...... , wait, that's not it!<br />
<br />
"I, I don't know!"<br />
<br />
"If you do not know, then there is no choice."<br />
<br />
Saehee, in contrast to Narae who was blushing and flustered, was expressionless as usual, put her arms between Narae's armpits, then,<br />
<br />
<i>Squish.</i><br />
<br />
Befitting the above sound-effect, Saehee started to feel around Narae's huge breasts.<br />
<br />
"It seems you are still a C-cup. However, this size. In some years, the chance of becoming a D-cup is high."<br />
<br />
I, I'm so jealous! Couldn't I do that......, no that's not it!<br />
<br />
"You, you, you, what're you doing?!"<br />
<br />
Seeing Saehee pushing down on Narae, and how Narae was filling with both shame and anger, a teenage boy like me was about to have his vigor explode. Will, will I be able to sleep properly tonight?<br />
<br />
"Ah--, wait, now, ack--, this is.......uht. D, don't......"<br />
<br />
"You are truly a member of the Bear Clan. However, we will be okay for at least a year."<br />
<br />
Saehee having just given her conclusion, she took her hands off Narae's breasts, moved in front of Narae, and bowed her head slightly.<br />
<br />
"Thank you for your cooperation."<br />
<br />
Narae covered her chest with her hands, moved away from Saehee...... and hid naturally behind me.<br />
<br />
"I'm, I'm going to kill you."<br />
<br />
I could see from the tears filling her eyes that she was totally furious. Touching an unmarried woman's breasts as much as you want, being able to hold that feeling and size...... no, I should stop thinking like that. Because right now I'm jealous of how Saehee was able to massage Narae's breasts as much as she wanted solely because of her gender...... I said stop!!<br />
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<br />
"Why would you want to know someone's chest size?!"<br />
<br />
Narae-nim seemed to have recovered from Saehee erotically measuring Narae's chest size and the chance of her future development, and she shouted while glaring at Saehee. Ah--. Narae doesn't know she's a member of the Bear Clan, right?<br />
<br />
"I did this because you are a member of the Bear Clan."<br />
<br />
"What's that?"<br />
<br />
Saehee answered Narae's question.<br />
<br />
"It is a gang of big-breasted women."<br />
<br />
"Did you think I'd understand from that?!!"<br />
<br />
Does Saehee have a few screws loose in her head? I simply explained what the Bear Clan is to Narae in place of Saehee who looked like she had no plans to explain. That they are blood relatives of Ungnyeo, the one from the Dangun myth, even that they awaken strange powers when their chest size gets bigger than a D-cup.<br />
<br />
Narae carefully asked me something after she heard everything.<br />
<br />
"......What happens if I awaken those powers?"<br />
<br />
Despite having solely been listening, Saehee answered her question.<br />
<br />
"You will lose your free will and become Ungnyeo's puppet."<br />
<br />
"Hey, dammit!"<br />
<br />
Even if you say that, how can you say she'll be a puppet? A <i>puppet</i>!<br />
<br />
"Please do not worry. As long as you are careful, such an event will not happen. As long as the head does not show herself, such small breasts will not awaken those powers. However...... Narae-nim, if you stay by the young master's side, you will be a bother to Master. So while Master is sleeping, please leave this house. As I am not as generous as the young master, I cannot allow you to stay here."<br />
<br />
......Hearing Saehee's demand to kick Narae out, rather than Narae herself, I was the one who got angry.<br />
<br />
"What the heck's so bad for Rangii if Narae stays here?! Don't just make stuff up!"<br />
<br />
Having just lost my temper and raised my voice at Saehee, I heard Saehee's contrasting voice.<br />
<br />
"Young master, do you know the Dangun myth?"<br />
<br />
How could I not. I even know that Rangii's the tiger from the myth.<br />
<br />
"What about it?"<br />
<br />
"The myth is incorrect."<br />
<br />
"......What?"<br />
<br />
Saehee casually spoke.<br />
<br />
"Master underwent the test same as Ungnyeo and mastered the magic to turn into a human. And as Master was able to turn into a human, we also learned the magic from Master and became able to transform to human form as well."<br />
<br />
Ah--! I was just now able to understand why I felt like something was wrong when Rangii transformed into a human. Based on the Dangun myth, it says that the tiger couldn't endure the test and ran away. That's why it couldn't turn into a human. But Rangii can. Not only that, but Baduk and Saehee, Rangii's kin, are able turn into humans like this.<br />
<br />
"However, Hwanung did not choose Master; he chose Ungnyeo. After that, Master was sealed away. Do you understand now? Why Narae-nim cannot stay near Master?"<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Narae gave a shout as she realized something from what Saehee said. But I don't have a clue. So what're you trying to say?<br />
<br />
"So what do you mean by that?"<br />
<br />
Saehee looked at me pitifully as if my head was full of suffocating smoke.<br />
<br />
"I shall provide the young master with a hint as your head is completely empty."<br />
<br />
I'm sorry for being dumb.<br />
<br />
"You treat Master as a child, correct?"<br />
<br />
"Because she really is a kid."<br />
<br />
"Yes. As you said, Master is still young in her mind. <b>That is why she transforms into that form</b>. So then, do you know what personality traits are common to children?"<br />
<br />
Common personality traits? As I've had to suffer domestic life with my little cousins since I was young, I know that much very well.<br />
<br />
"They whine, laugh easily, cry easily, are honest, don't really think, are true to their feelings, and greedy?"<br />
<br />
"You know this well."<br />
<br />
"......Have you still not realized?"<br />
<br />
Why are you looking at me like I'm pathetic, Miss Narae?<br />
<br />
"Master is so pitiable, to have such a half-wit as her other half."<br />
<br />
"No, but so what?!"<br />
<br />
"You really are stupid."<br />
<br />
"It's okay to be stupid so at least tell me why you're treating me like an idiot."<br />
<br />
Narae frowned.<br />
<br />
"Do you think we can tell you something like this? You know, it would make Rangii look bad if we told you, right?"<br />
<br />
When Narae, whom I trusted, betrayed me, something within me snapped.<br />
<br />
"Fine! I get it, I'm an idiot, so stop! Since I'm gonna go sleep!"<br />
<br />
Giving off the feeling of <i>I'm pissed!</i>, I walked past Narae and Saehee and went into the living room. The two, who were masters of treating me like an idiot by now, followed me in.<br />
<br />
"Where're you going to sleep?"<br />
<br />
I shouldn't act like this to Narae when she's worrying about me, but I was unconsciously curt with my reply.<br />
<br />
"I can sleep on the sofa."<br />
<br />
"Even if it's summer, you'll catch a cold if you sleep there. Instead, sleep in my room."<br />
<br />
The anger that was filling me up to the top of my head was replaced by embarrassment. I turned around and grabbed tightly onto Narae's hands.<br />
<br />
"Narae. Thank you for your feelings, but you should care for your own body......"<br />
<br />
Narae shook off my hands and hit me hard in the stomach. It wasn't a fist to rule the world, but it was the fist to rule my consciousness.<br />
<br />
"Kuwok!"<br />
<br />
"Wha, what're you saying! If you're going to sleep in my room, then of course I have to sleep with Saehee!"<br />
<br />
I was joking. And if you really mean that then I definitely don't have to sleep on the sofa. However,<br />
<br />
"I refuse."<br />
<br />
Saehee dissented.<br />
<br />
"Huh? Why?"<br />
<br />
Saehee answered Narae's question.<br />
<br />
"I have no plans in the least to sleep in the same room as someone with such massive lumps of fat. I do not get off on being crushed by those heavy breasts."<br />
<br />
"Th, they aren't that big! And this much is......!"<br />
<br />
Narae blushed and said something weird; then there was a <i>poof!</i> above her head and steam rose as she started to get mad at me.<br />
<br />
"Don't make me say weird things!"<br />
<br />
"But why're you getting mad at me?!"<br />
<br />
"This is your fault!"<br />
<br />
It's Saehee's fault. Regardless, maybe because of the subject, Saehee's body grabbed my attention despite my complete ignorance to it thus far. Saehee's actually quite slim? Is her black modernized hanbok keeping her figure hidden? Could she actually be on the small side even for women her age? Could this be because Rangii is her master?<br />
<br />
"I was always like this even when I was human."<br />
<br />
"......But I didn't say anything?"<br />
<br />
"Is there a problem?"<br />
<br />
......I should stop talking.<br />
<br />
"Because of that,"<br />
<br />
Saehee changed the subject.<br />
<br />
"The young master will sleep in my room."<br />
<br />
""What?!""<br />
<br />
Towards an extremely strange direction.<br />
<br />
"Although it is my duty to attend to Master, it is my duty to attend to the young master as well. Even in nightly duties."<br />
<br />
Ababababababa.<br />
<br />
"Because Master is still young and cannot release all of the young master's overflowing sexual desire, and that the big-breasted Narae-nim is harboring much sexual desire, it would make no difference if you left, as, with my brilliant techniques, my frail body can satisfy the young master."<br />
<br />
Uh, is it really okay for you to have just said something so incredibly dangerous?<br />
<br />
"What the heck does that mean?!"<br />
<br />
"I am joking, young master who lacks a sense of humor."<br />
<br />
I know. That I'm bad at telling jokes. And you're the same.<br />
<br />
"From now on, if you're going to tell a joke, say <i>okay, what I'm about to say is a joke.</i> Because I can't tell if you're joking or serious."<br />
<br />
"I was serious to some extent. If it is for Master's sake, no matter what perverted fetishes the young master may have, no matter what positions you demand, I shall accept and do them all."<br />
<br />
"I don't have anything like that though?!"<br />
<br />
This woman, is she not even blushing when she's saying such dirty things? I forcibly ended the conversation because if she kept talking like this I wouldn't be able to sleep properly.<br />
<br />
"A, anyway! I can sleep on the sofa, so you two sleep in your own rooms!"<br />
<br />
I ignored Narae who still wasn't over the shock that she just received, and Saehee, who didn't look any different than normal, and went to lie down on the sofa; but Saehee brought up something I couldn't ignore.<br />
<br />
"There is no need for the young master to sleep on the sofa. Because I can sleep in the same room as Master."<br />
<br />
Is this what it means to switch one's way of thinking?<br />
<br />
"......You're right."<br />
<br />
Why wasn't I able to think of that? ......what do I mean, why?! It's because I couldn't think straight thanks to Saehee's weird words! <br />
<br />
I calmly spoke to the main culprit, Saehee.<br />
<br />
"But......"<br />
<br />
Saehee glanced at me and continued,<br />
<br />
"If I sleep under a blanket covered in the young master's thick stuff, I may become pregnant......"<br />
<br />
"Hey, dammiiiiiiit!"<br />
<br />
"If the young master has Miss Narae leave, such a thing need not occur."<br />
<br />
"I won't leave even if you tell me to."<br />
<br />
Narae cut in and gave her opinion. Thank you for your feelings, but if Rangii and Saehee leave the house, then you should leave too.<br />
<br />
"I was joking."<br />
<br />
Saehee smiled slightly.<br />
<br />
"I believe I was affected by the alcohol I drank before."<br />
<br />
.......But I feel like it's been kind of a long time since you drank alcohol? And if you drink, isn't your complexion supposed to change? Why is a supposedly drunk person's face so pale?<br />
<br />
"Well then, please excuse me now."<br />
<br />
Maybe Saehee was ignoring Narae and me while we were stunned, but she turned around and went into my room. With Narae and me left in the living room like that,<br />
<br />
"......We should sleep now."<br />
<br />
".......Yeah."<br />
<br />
Feeling like I got played for some reason, I entered my own room. And then I went,<br />
<br />
"Saeheeeeeee!!"<br />
<br />
I screamed loudly so that the drunk phantom could hear me shout her name, because all I could see in my room were a thousand women's panties.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It's hot. It's strangely hot. Considering that I locked the door because of the uninvited guests, it's strangely hot. I even have the fan on. I feel like a heater was placed on my chest. In the end, it was too hot so I woke up.<br />
<br />
The morning sunlight shining through the window blinded my eyes. If I had heard sparrows chirping, this would have been a classic morning.<br />
<br />
I scratched my itchy head and got up.<br />
<br />
"U--nya--ah."<br />
<br />
I can hear a weird sound. What was that? I found the answer when I rubbed my eyes and looked down. It's Rangii. Rangii was stretched on my belly like a dog on one of the hottest days of the year. From above, she'd look like a 十 character. But the real question is, why she's sleeping here? Even though I definitely had her sleep in my room?<br />
<br />
On the topic of bothering someone while they're sleeping, with Rangii sleeping deeply on top of me, I poked her in the side to wake her up.<br />
<br />
"Hm--nya."<br />
<br />
She's sleeping. She's sleeping well. Again, <i>poke, poke.</i><br />
<br />
"Nya--nyaii."<br />
<br />
Even though she's flinching, she's not opening her eyes. <i>Sigh.</i> This just makes me want to try harder. I cracked my knuckles, and lifted up Rangii's shirt.<br />
<br />
The door opened.<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
".......Hahaha, this is a misunderstanding."<br />
<br />
Seeing Narae's face freeze as she opened the door and saw me try and tickle Rangii in the sides, I gave the best excuse I could.<br />
<br />
"Perveeeert!!"<br />
<br />
<b>Don't try this at home</b>. Please do not try to imitate a flying knee kick, as it is dangerous.<br />
<br />
In the end, Narae carried Rangii out of the room, so I went out into the living room to go to the bathroom and wash my face. I was going to the bathroom when I saw Rangii sitting on her knees in the living room, frowning, and Narae sitting on the sofa, speaking fiercely to Rangii.<br />
<br />
What're they doing?<br />
<br />
"And so! That's why you can't thoughtlessly go into a boy's room at night!"<br />
<br />
Narae was teaching common sense to Rangii. Good job, Narae. Teach her human common sense. .......Especially because I can't teach her.<br />
<br />
"I know that. But isn't Sunghoon an exception?"<br />
<br />
"How could there be an exception! No, you <i>especially </i>can't do that with Sunghoon!"<br />
<br />
"But why not?"<br />
<br />
"--Uk."<br />
<br />
Narae stopped talking. Normally she'd have grabbed her by the collar, shaken her up and down, and said, <i>if I say you can't, then you can't!</i>, but she's talking to Rangii. Even if it's just her appearance, she looks like a kid.<br />
<br />
"Because he's a pervert lolicon! He might attack you!"<br />
<br />
I also want to become a kid. Then Narae might be a little more caring to me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Living room on the third day of summer vacation after eating breakfast.<br />
<br />
I wanted to give myself up to the wings of freedom and experience the feeling of, <i>so this is how it feels to just laze around~</i>. But because the number of residents at home suddenly increased, I had to face reality before I could feel such happiness.<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon!"<br />
<br />
"What?"<br />
<br />
I answered while maintaining the pose of a king lion, with my back deep against the sofa and going <i>are there any fun shows on cable right now~</i> with the remote control.<br />
<br />
"Play with me."<br />
<br />
Was that a command and not a request? I turned my gaze to focus on Rangii. A happy smile. Seeing such a bright smile, it seemed like she expected me to listen to any of her commands. It seems like she doesn't think she'll be rejected, not even a little.<br />
<br />
Of course, I'm a man who goes against expectations.<br />
<br />
"Play with Narae."<br />
<br />
Is this what it feels like to be a husband throwing responsibility at his wife take care of the kids on a weekend?! Although Narae isn't my actual wife. But based on what just happened, I found that if Narae looks after Rangii, then she can teach Rangii all kinds of unmentionable things that I'd have trouble with. <br />
<br />
Narae will view me not just as a lolicon, but a pervert, sexual harasser, degenerate; but if that's what it takes for Rangii to get a proper education, I can bear it.<br />
<br />
"Narae said she's going back to her home, so she can't play."<br />
<br />
"What?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not."<br />
<br />
Narae came out of the kitchen, sat next to me, and denied Rangii's words.<br />
<br />
"Who's going back home? And you. Are you that happy that I'm going back home?"<br />
<br />
"I am not."<br />
<br />
"Really?"<br />
<br />
"Really."<br />
<br />
"I can't ever trust you."<br />
<br />
Rangii looked blankly at the two of us having a conversation, and spoke while shaking her tail slowly from side to side.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Didn't you say that you were going home?"<br />
<br />
"I said I was going, then coming back, you little tiger."<br />
<br />
"I'm not little!"<br />
<br />
I have to object to that.<br />
<br />
Moving on, it seems like Narae is extremely adaptable to reality. I mean that because of what she went through yesterday. She casually accepted the truths that would have thrown me into a state of denial-- and despite her confusion over the situation, she was kindly playing along with Rangii. I thought to myself that she is, indeed, Narae.<br />
<br />
In other words, I'm still in denial over this reality.<br />
<br />
"But why are you going home?"<br />
<br />
Narae blushed slightly.<br />
<br />
"Th, the heck? What does that have to do with you?"<br />
<br />
"I'm just curious."<br />
<br />
"There's just something I need to get!"<br />
<br />
Huh?<br />
<br />
"Then like yesterday, you could......"<br />
<br />
In the middle of saying <i>then like yesterday, you could have someone bring it for you,</i> I realized that Narae's face was turning red. In short, it's not something she can ask on the phone, or it's something that she can't entrust to a stranger. The conclusion has appeared.<br />
<br />
It seems like Narae has sensed what I was thinking.<br />
<br />
"What're you thinking right now, you pervert! I, I'm gonna kill you!"<br />
<br />
"But what did I do?"<br />
<br />
Right now I, uh. It's not like I was even thinking, <i>does that mean Narae's wearing the same underwear as yesterday?</i><br />
<br />
"Y, your eyes look evil!"<br />
<br />
"Aren't these the eyes of an innocent child?"<br />
<br />
I gave a light joke to change the mood.<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
I don't know when Saehee came in, but these feminine three stared wordlessly at me, leaving an irreparable wound on my delicate emotions.<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon, I don't think that's right."<br />
<br />
Shut up, tiger.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
While Narae left, I decided to clean the house. Rangii and Saehee are here too, but this is a pubescent boy's desire to clean the house as long as Narae is staying here. I clean the house everyday anyway, so today I'm going to go out of my way to clean under the sofa, the windowsill, the windows, the bathroom, and the sink. This much should be enough. But there's a person, no, a phantom, who was going against my plans.<br />
<br />
Who do you think it is?<br />
<br />
"Play with me--."<br />
<br />
Rangii had been lounging on my legs, using them as a pillow since earlier. You brat. Is there a ghost that died of boredom possessing your mind? Though, I suppose there is indeed a ghost-like paranormal brat stuck to me.<br />
<br />
"You appear to be in a bad mood, young master."<br />
<br />
".......You're mistaken."<br />
<br />
You sure notice things well even though your eyes are glued to the TV, watching an anime.<br />
<br />
"Can't you watch TV with Saehee?"<br />
<br />
"I have the most fun when I play with you."<br />
<br />
That's an appreciated, yet useless, statement. If you go as far as to say that, then I have no choice but to play with you; but I already already made up my mind to clean, so I'll have to postpone playing with you until after that.<br />
<br />
"I'm still busy right now. Because I have to clean."<br />
<br />
At the same time, the phantoms reacted as if I had said some kind of taboo.<br />
<br />
Rangii's jaw dropped, and Saehee looked at me with wide eyes. The heck's up with their reactions? Is it that weird for me to say I'll clean?<br />
<br />
"Isn't that what Saehee does?"<br />
<br />
"Please tell me directly to clean instead, young master. There is no need to change the subject through such sly means."<br />
<br />
I decided who to argue with first.<br />
<br />
"I'm not trying to change the subject. And these days, men are able to clean too."<br />
<br />
And not just cleaning. There are those who manage <i>all</i> the chores around the house. Like me. This isn't an era when women have to raise the cows, so anyone can do this much.<br />
<br />
"I'm the one who normally does the chores here."<br />
<br />
"Uwa--. Amazing."<br />
<br />
Something about seeing Rangii look so genuinely awed made me feel great.<br />
<br />
"Anyway, that's why I can't play with you. Okay?"<br />
<br />
"Then I'll help clean too."<br />
<br />
As Rangii was saying <i>Aren't I good? Aren't I nice? Then please rub my head. Or hug me!</i> with her whole body, I decided to give her a mistrustful look.<br />
<br />
".......What is that look for?"<br />
<br />
Yeah. I feel like, with a bit of polishing, she'll grow up to be a good person to talk with. ......No. If she grows up wrong, then she might end up like Saehee. Never grow old.<br />
<br />
"Have you ever cleaned before?"<br />
<br />
"A long time ago, I was trying to lie down to sleep, but a hill was in my way, so I swept it away with my tail."<br />
<br />
The scale is too big! Uselessly big!<br />
<br />
"That is not called cleaning."<br />
<br />
"Then I haven't. But I'll work hard to learn if you teach me."<br />
<br />
What should I do? It doesn't seem like using this opportunity to teach Rangii how to clean is a bad thing. And it seems like this brat will learn well if I teach her once. Hm...... Great. It might take a while, but I'll think of it as an investment for the future.<br />
<br />
"Then let's do it together. Since I'll teach you how to clean. Are you going to keep watching TV?"<br />
<br />
I poked at Saehee who was intensely watching an anime.<br />
<br />
"I believe that learning more about the common sense of modern society would be better."<br />
<br />
I'm afraid that your idea of common sense is neither common nor sensible to other people.<br />
<br />
"Then shouldn't you watch the news?"<br />
<br />
"It is boring."<br />
<br />
"A drama?"<br />
<br />
"It is the day time."<br />
<br />
"How about a variety show?"<br />
<br />
"Is that the one where people play around like children?"<br />
<br />
Apologize, dammit. Apologize to all the variety show comedians.<br />
<br />
"What is it? Do you want to say that my tastes are childish? So the young master is a completely senseless human, unable to accept cultural diversity."<br />
<br />
I shouldn't argue. I don't think I can win it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Unlike Saehee, who was busy playing around, Rangii was even more help than I thought. All Rangii did was move stuff so it wouldn't get in the way of the vacuum cleaner, but at least she was better than Saehee, who complained about the noise, took out headphones from somewhere, and had her eyes glued to the animation. She also took a clean rag to wipe the floors, the windowsills, and the glasses of the windows. I thought that, in comparison to Saehee whose biggest work was lifting her feet as I cleaned the floor under her, Rangii is a really, really good kid.<br />
<br />
"What is it? You have the shining eyes of a rotten pollock."<br />
<br />
You're quite hurtful.<br />
<br />
The finished laundry marked the end of the house cleaning that I spontaneously planned to do. Rangii and I were on the clean floor of the living room, catching our breaths.<br />
<br />
"Cleaning is harder than I thought."<br />
<br />
Rangii said this happily despite her words, and I patted her head.<br />
<br />
"But it's nice when everything's clean, isn't it?"<br />
<br />
"I feel like I've expelled all the noisy annoyances from the front yard."<br />
<br />
Your example is strange, Rangii. But anyway, after all the moving around from cleaning, it's a little hot. No, rather than a little hot, at this level, it's extremely hot. There's even sweat on my back. Normally I'd turn on an electric fan and dry my sweat with that, but Narae will be here soon. I don't want to stink of sweat when I'm with the girl I like. I should just take a shower.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to go take a shower and come back."<br />
<br />
"What's a shower?"<br />
<br />
"He is speaking of washing his body with falling water."<br />
<br />
So you can give such good explanations even while watching TV with headphones on.<br />
<br />
"So you're saying you're going to wash yourself? Then I'll wash with you too."<br />
<br />
"I taught you how to wash yourself yesterday."<br />
<br />
She had an expression like she was going <i>uwa!</i> and looked shocked.<br />
<br />
"......I can't remember."<br />
<br />
She looked away and said something that was clearly a lie. Hey, you brat. Play tricks on someone who would actually get tricked. But still, wouldn't it be good to wash with her once? After moving so much, cooling ourselves off with cold water would help us stand the heat.<br />
<br />
So I called out the name of the phantom who's meant to take care of Rangii.<br />
<br />
"Saehee."<br />
<br />
"If I get water on me......"<br />
<br />
I cut Saehee off.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to wash first, so do whatever you want."<br />
<br />
Before Saehee could say anything, I went into the bathroom and closed the door. Thank goodness I always keep spare underwear stored in the bathroom. I took off my clothes and comfortably washed my body.<br />
<br />
It wasn't that long since I left the bathroom to Rangii, who was disappointed, and Saehee, who was glaring at me, that Narae came back with a suitcase. Rather than simply bringing some underwear, she looks like she's about to go on a trip. Along with the bags from yesterday, is that 3 bags in total? .......How long do you plan on staying here? I'd welcome you with open arms, but I don't know how long my sanity will last given the shoujo-filter situation when I'm living with Narae, a girl whom I view as a member of the opposite sex.<br />
<br />
"What? Got any complaints?"<br />
<br />
Narae was looking at me fiercely, so I could only give a false answer.<br />
<br />
"I don't."<br />
<br />
"Your eyes say that you do."<br />
<br />
"It must be your imagination."<br />
<br />
"But I don't think it is."<br />
<br />
She's skilled at reading my mind since we were childhood friends. And the moment when I thought, <i>I guess it'd be okay if you found out that I like you,</i><br />
<br />
"<b>It appears that I have forgotten to bring clothes to change into.</b>"<br />
<br />
I was surprised by Saehee's strangely loud voice and turned my head,<br />
<br />
"S, stupid! Don't look!!"<br />
<br />
And Narae grabbed my head with her hands,<br />
<br />
<i>--Crack?!--</i><br />
<br />
And she forcibly twisted my head. Even while feeling the pain of having my neck broken, I saw her. I saw Saehee naked, without even a pair of panties on, not even trying to hide her body. But more than Saehee's naked body, I was too occupied with the descent of the god of death, Yama.<br />
<br />
"You saw."<br />
<br />
"Wha, what are you saying?"<br />
<br />
"Don't look at another woman's naked body as you please!!"<br />
<br />
Seeing the bag flying at me, two thoughts came to my head. Why the heck are you getting mad, Narae? And.......<br />
<br />
"My apologizes, Narae-nim. This was <b>my mistake.</b>"<br />
<br />
Was this her plan all along?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"Could you please go grocery shopping for dinner?"<br />
<br />
I closed the book I was reading after Saehee's words. Although it was the scene when Kinkotsuman was giving a love confession to his little sister who's known for her thighs, I can read the book later. At least a book won't dig a trap because I didn't listen to it.<br />
<br />
"What should I buy?"<br />
<br />
"I wrote it down for the young master who has terrible memory."<br />
<br />
Saehee-nim, with her excellent memory, spoke kindly to me and handed me a note. Let's see...... Green onions, onions, garlic, lettuce, peppers, 9 pounds of pork.<br />
<br />
"Oi."<br />
<br />
"What is the problem, young master?"<br />
<br />
"How many people do you think there are for me to buy 9 pounds of pork? No, before that, didn't we eat meat for lunch too?"<br />
<br />
"And that is why you are complaining?"<br />
<br />
I took a step back.<br />
<br />
"No, that's not what I mean. I guess I'm trying to say that only eating meat will be a very imbalanced diet, and it will be bad for our health."<br />
<br />
And get tired of it, too.<br />
<br />
"I am proposing a balanced diet. This is not something for the young master to worry about."<br />
<br />
Ah, is that so.<br />
<br />
"But if we only eat meat, then we might have indiges--......"<br />
<br />
"Are you unaware of meat that is easily digested?"<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#6" name="top6"><sup>[6]</sup></a><br />
<br />
That's not what that means.<br />
<br />
"Master likes it more than anything else."<br />
<br />
Of course a tiger phantom would like meat. There's no helping it. It's lame, but I'll tell her the realistic problem.<br />
<br />
"I don't have money. Eating like this will use up all the living expenses until the end of the month."<br />
<br />
"Is that so?"<br />
<br />
I'm extremely aware of the fact that, if I keep wasting the living expenses I have left, I'll be in trouble by the end of the month. Since I don't know when my parents will come back, it's best to save money. It's definitely not because I'm tired of eating meat.<br />
<br />
Saehee suddenly took out a wallet from a scroll and handed me two 50,000 won bills. <br />
<br />
"If you require money, please ask of me, young master who is unable to maintain his life."<br />
<br />
I will ask.<br />
<br />
"Where did you get that money from?"<br />
<br />
"Long ago, I bought some land in Myeong-dong."<br />
<br />
So you're a rich landowner?<br />
<br />
"Please use the rest as pocket money, beggar-nim."<br />
<br />
"......Really?"<br />
<br />
The corners of Saehee's mouth rose.<br />
<br />
"Yes. Please buy a dirty magazine with that money to motivate yourself for self-improvement."<br />
<br />
Shut up.<br />
<br />
I got a shopping basket and talked to Narae and Rangii who were playing a boardgame in the living room.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to go shopping for a bit."<br />
<br />
"Are you leaving?"<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii's shining eyes, I had a bad feeling and took the initiative.<br />
<br />
"Don't follow me."<br />
<br />
Of course, if that had worked, then she wouldn't be Rangii.<br />
<br />
"No! I want to go too~. When I went yesterday, I had fun because there were lots of interesting things."<br />
<br />
While saying that, Rangii clung on to and rubbed her cheek against my legs. I want to bring you too, but while you're trying to find something fun, I would have to find a hole to hide in.<br />
<br />
Bringing Rangii outside with me isn't a huge problem, but it's a different story for my sanity. I'm saying that I'm sorry to tell a charming yet not charming Rangii that she can't follow me. Can't you just be cute in a normal way?<br />
<br />
"Stay at home today."<br />
<br />
"Uu--."<br />
<br />
Rangii's ears drooped and she sucked on her finger.<br />
<br />
"Then, how about I go?"<br />
<br />
The already-beautiful Narae-nim's words sparked my interest. I, I, I'm going shopping with Narae? Isn't that romance between newlyweds?! Walking arm in arm, wondering <i>What should we do for side dishes today? I'm having you. Oh my...... </i>Wait, no! What in the world am I thinking right now?! While I was busy with my shoujo-filtered delusions, Rangii puffed out her cheeks and sprung at Narae.<br />
<br />
"You can't!"<br />
<br />
"Rangii?"<br />
<br />
Narae was embarrassed. Rangii approached Narae from behind, wrapping her legs around Narae's waist and grasping Narae's breasts with her hands, and even I would be embarra......<i> puhak!</i> This is enough to make me have a nosebleed. The stimulation from seeing Rangii's hands unable to grab all of Narae's breasts, with their shape constantly morphing and sticking out, was too strong!<br />
<br />
"If I can't go, then Narae can't go!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Rangii! Let go for now...... ahh!"<br />
<br />
This seems like a scene restricted for those 18 years and over. I overcame my desire with my overflowing consideration and turned around.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to go."<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
"Ahu, Ra, Rangii!!"<br />
<br />
Putting on my shoes as if I was running away,<br />
<br />
"......<i>Hueh?</i> Something feels amiss."<br />
<br />
I ran away before Rangii realized.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I had 40,000 won left after buying all the groceries that Saehee wrote down. To a normal high schooler, this could be called a huge amount of money. Because I take care of all our living expenses, this sadly doesn't feel like a lot of money. Of course, compared to my usual pocket money, this is huge. I guess this could be called the feeling a bank teller has when he receives his paycheck. It's hard to describe.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the fact is that I got some unexpected money. While thinking about how I can spend the money so that the rumours of my great spending habits would become known, a doll store that I normally would have just walked past caught my eye. There was a disgusting sight of couples looking at dolls in the store.<br />
<br />
Couples for Hell, singles for Paradise.<br />
<br />
<i>Somebody</i> out here is unable to properly confess to the girl he likes because of some random tiger getting in the way, while those two are plastered together in this hot weather. The man bought the woman a doll, and the woman gave thanks and smiled happily as they walked out of the store.<br />
<br />
I sighed, feeling sorry for myself as I thought, <i>when will my youth arrive?</i> but while walking home, I stopped. <br />
<br />
Yeah. What if I use this money to buy a doll as a gift for Narae. She didn't play with dolls even when she was young, but she's still a girl. At the very least, she won't hate it. Even if this is a bit sudden, it should be okay. Great. I'll buy her one. Maybe Narae will say she's thankful and give me a light hug......<br />
<br />
It was then.<br />
<br />
Rangii appeared, had her arms up in a hurray, and clung on to me.<br />
<br />
......No, why're you bothering me even when I'm in the middle of my delusions? I shook my head and tried to erase Rangii's sudden appearance. But, like her real form, she refused to disappear. Sure. I can buy you one, too. Well, since you also helped clean this morning, you can consider it a reward for your good deeds.<br />
<br />
I went inside the store. I answered the store clerk's greeting with a slight bow and looked around at the dolls. What kind of doll should I buy for Narae and Rangii? Hm. Yeah. Since Narae's a member of the Bear Clan, I'll buy her a bear doll; and since Rangii is a tiger phantom, I'll buy her a rabbit doll. It's totally not because a tiger doll is more expensive. I found reasonably priced dolls, and got it gift-wrapped plainly, and......<br />
<br />
"To get gift-wrapping, you need to give 5,000 more Won."<br />
<br />
"Please put them in a bag."<br />
<br />
No, I put them in a plain old bag and left.<br />
<br />
......But I feel like I've forgotten something. Could it just be my imagination? I felt like something was off while heading home.<br />
<br />
"I'm home."<br />
<br />
"You're back!"<br />
<br />
"Good work."<br />
<br />
......This is a taste of the happiness that I'll feel when we get married. Wouldn't life be worth living if a wife like Narae and a daughter like Rangii came out to see me?<br />
<br />
"But what is that?"<br />
<br />
Rangii pointed at the white bag in one of my hands and spoke.<br />
<br />
"A present."<br />
<br />
I answered shortly, put down the groceries in the kitchen, and gave the dolls to Narae and Rangii.<br />
<br />
"Oh......"<br />
<br />
"Uwa!"<br />
<br />
Narae held the doll and looked happy yet surprised, and seeing Rangii smile so widely, I unconsciously had a mile on my face as well.<br />
<br />
"Wh, what is this all of a sudden?"<br />
<br />
'No, I mean. I thought of you on the way and......"<br />
<br />
I'm sorry I couldn't think of anything cool to say.<br />
<br />
"It's a present! It's a wedding gift!"<br />
<br />
"It's not a wedding gift."<br />
<br />
Even though I'm saying this kind of stuff so easily. Seeing the two of them so glad, I also felt good. Ah, how nice and......<br />
<br />
"Do you have nothing for me?"<br />
<br />
"<i>He--ek?!</i>"<br />
<br />
Even while I freaked out when Saehee suddenly appeared, I thought to myself, <i>crap!</i> Yeah. The reason why I felt something was off. It was Saehee. I carefully gave an excuse while large drops of sweat formed on my back.<br />
<br />
"That's......"<br />
<br />
"I know. I know that such cute things do not fit me. I will prepare dinner."<br />
<br />
......In the end, to try and get Saehee less mad, I took care of preparing dinner and cleaning the dishes.<br />
<br />
"Young master, this tastes awful."<br />
<br />
It wasn't enough. <br />
<br />
<br />
______________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1">.</a>1. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopo_(clothing)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopo_(clothing)</a>
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#top1"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2">.</a>2. A character from a short Korean short story that was written in 1936, who, by the otaku standards in this age, very closely follows the <i>tsundere ojou-sama</i> archetype.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#top2"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3">.</a>3. Possibly a reference to a quote of debated origin, "Even if the world ends tomorrow, I will plant an apple tree." <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#top3"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="4">.</a>4. A proverb, meaning that people has a tendency to prefer their own (favourable) interpretations of things, rather than experiencing the things themselves.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#top4"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="5">.</a>5. A proverb, which says that the leading figure must set a good example before the followers also do good deeds. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#top5"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="6">.</a>6. One of the well-known lines from a Korean web comic called <i>the Sound of Your Heart</i>. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html#top6"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-76508962051271548152016-07-03T23:08:00.000-07:002016-08-07T19:22:00.134-07:00[Me and the Tigress v01] 02. Second StoryIf anyone asks, this is a very pure and innocent story about raising a baby tiger.<br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Dijon</i><br />
<i>Editor: Narane </i><br />
<br />
<i>Hi guys, Dijon here. This translation took more-or-less 3 months. My
goal is to finish volume 1 by some time in August or September. Let's
hope I meet my pseudo-deadline!</i><br />
____________________<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>02. Second Story<br />
<br />
Unlike my plan to go back h<i>o</i>me on a bus, instead of dropping us off at the terminal, the car went down the mountain and it passed the terminal and went somewhere else. I knew this when the car entered the freeway.<br />
<br />
Are you thinking that I noticed way too late? But I don't think so?<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon, Sunghoon! What is that over there?!"<br />
<br />
With Rangii occupying the top of my thigh like a tyrant and constantly bombarding me with questions about what was amazing and new to her, it was totally chaotic.<br />
<br />
"It's called a train and it's like what we're riding in right now, but the simplest explanation is that a bunch of cars are put together and go on a fixed road."<br />
<br />
"Ohhh! So that's what it is!"<br />
<br />
Ever since the car took off-- That's amazing! What's this? What's that? Since she kept asking me things she could've asked Saehee, I didn't have the chance to look away. And because there were fewer new things to look at after entering the freeway, I was able to ask Saehee a question.<br />
<br />
"Hey, the thing is, where are we going right now?"<br />
<br />
"We are going to the young master's kennel."<br />
<br />
I'm not such an impatient man that I'd reply in anger <i>did you just call mys house a kennel?!</i> Instead, I leaned in towards Saehee and spoke in a hushed voice.<br />
<br />
"Isn't this a chauffeur service? Didn't it cost a lot? Do phantoms have a lot of money?"<br />
<br />
Saehee ignored my concern for her spending and spoke in her usual tone.<br />
<br />
"There is no need to lower your voice, young master. Because the person driving knows our identity."<br />
<br />
"Eh?"<br />
<br />
Surprised, I looked at the driver. The old driver who initially looked harmless suddenly looked like a middle aged phantom man to me.<br />
<br />
"Are phantoms these days able to get driver's licenses?"<br />
<br />
"Haha, I'm a normal human."<br />
<br />
"What?"<br />
<br />
The driver was wholeheartedly laughing and I diverted my eyes to look at Saehee.<br />
<br />
"We have lived on this land for over four thousand years. Since ancient times, the higher-ups of humanity knew of our existence, and they assisted us in various ways."<br />
<br />
"......That's a little unexpected."<br />
<br />
"Because if we get angered and decide to act, their position would be endangered. Even if I were to <b>leave my place by Master's side</b>, doing that much would be child's play."<br />
<br />
Isn't it a little subtle to call that assistance?<br />
<br />
"You're saying such scary things as easily as ever, Saehee-nim. And that's why we work to create a satisfying environment in the present for the greatest phantoms."<br />
<br />
The old man said that while looking completely affable.<br />
<br />
"But I've never seen that little kid before today......"<br />
<br />
"I'm not a little kid!"<br />
<br />
Rangii lost her temper and shouted. She's definitely a little kid. The old man laughed loudly and acknowledged her words.<br />
<br />
"Haha, please excuse me, young lady. But what kind of phantom are......"<br />
<br />
"When did I say you could question us, human?"<br />
<br />
The air stood still at her scornful, critical voice. My body naturally froze as well, and Rangii tapped my arm and teased me. While I was stuck like that, the driver calmly replied.<br />
<br />
"Ah, please excuse my rudeness. It seemed like you were in a better mood than usual. Please allow me to focus on driving now."<br />
<br />
Please do that, old man. Unlike the old man, I don't have a lot of experience with phantoms so if things like this happen often then my body will end up with problems. Like in my heart. Or like in my heart. Or, like in my heart.<br />
<br />
"Saehee, Sunghoon's stuck like this!"<br />
<br />
"In times like this, you should caress his body with both your hands."<br />
<br />
Ah, I then noticed something. Saehee hasn't called Rangii Master even once until now. Is that why Saehee was intentionally ignoring Rangii's questions since earlier? In case she accidentally called Rangii Master? Is that why she got angry just now as well?<br />
<br />
......The thought 'is Rangii's leaving Jirisan an unexpectedly big deal?' melted away on this summer day as Rangii fidgeted with my chest and stomach with her hands.<br />
<br />
"What're you doing right now!"<br />
<br />
"Ah, you're back to normal."<br />
<br />
Rangii let out an unidentifiable low grumbling sound and leaned her face on my chest.<br />
<br />
"Then since Sunghoon's body has gotten smoother, I'm going to try to sleep for a bit."<br />
<br />
What's gotten smoother, huh? I've always been a smooth man.<br />
<br />
"Sleep when we get there."<br />
<br />
"Snoo--ore--."<br />
<br />
"So quick?!"<br />
<br />
That's too quick! Is she pretending to be asleep? But seeing her right now with her eyes closed, sleeping happily, I'd feel sorry to wake her up even if she was pretending. I have no choice but to leave her be.<br />
<br />
I sighed and lowered my voice so I wouldn't wake her up.<br />
<br />
"Really, stop being so spoiled."<br />
<br />
Rangii's tail danced a little.<br />
<br />
Are you really asleep?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Dad is a novelist. He has enough fans to somehow make royalties, but I know he's a terrible author because he hasn't sold many copies and he's too busy just taking care of himself. Thanks to that, we rely on Mom to pay for the majority of the household expenses. Thankfully, Mom has a very high income so my family can afford our own house with a small yard, and we may not be rich, but I thought we were happy in our own way. And so,<br />
<br />
"What a tiny house."<br />
<br />
Don't say whatever you want about someone's house, you brat. I grabbed Rangii, who just said something incredibly rude, by the ears with my hands and squeezed them hard in a 3/4 beat rhythm.<br />
<br />
"You brat, what're you saying about someone's house?"<br />
<br />
Of course it's small compared to grandpa's estate, but do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a house like this in the middle of Seoul?<br />
<br />
"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!! I, I'm weak in my ears!"<br />
<br />
It looked really painful so I let go. Rangii protested while touching her ears with both her hands.<br />
<br />
"But if Saehee and I are going to live with you and we're going to raise our children as well, it's clearly too small!"<br />
<br />
Huh, is that so? Based on what Rangii said, it'd be my family of Dad, Mom, and me, along with Saehee and Rangii, making it five people. Add to that kids and it'd be seven at least, so the house really is small...... No, that's not it!<br />
<br />
"There is no need to worry, Master. By then I will have saved up enough for the sake of the young master who is too incompetent to own a house."<br />
<br />
That day won't come so there's no need to make such a plan. I pushed aside talking with these weird phantoms for later and rang the doorbell.<br />
<br />
Ding dong.<br />
<br />
"Whoa! It's making an interesting sound. What is that?"<br />
<br />
Rather than answer, I looked at Saehee. Saehee avoided my eyes. She did it naturally enough for me to not realize she was avoiding eye-contact. Does that mean you want me to talk?<br />
<br />
"It's called a doorbell. You use it to tell the people in the house that you're there. In your case, it'd be like having a servant say "I'm here" but instead, it's a machine."<br />
<br />
"Ah, so that's what it is?"<br />
<br />
Rangii nodded and stared at the door.<br />
<br />
"But why isn't anyone coming out to meet us?"<br />
<br />
That's what I'm saying. Why isn't anyone opening the door? Maybe she had to go out for a bit? It's not that I don't have a key, but it's troublesome to have to take it out. While complaining I opened my backpack, got the key, and opened the front door.<br />
<br />
"I guess nobody's home. Let's go in."<br />
<br />
"Ah, wait for a bit."<br />
<br />
At Rangii's words, I stopped going back into the yard.<br />
<br />
"Why?"<br />
<br />
"I thought I didn't see any magic on this house that could protect us."<br />
<br />
Well of course. There's no way there could be. Or do you want me to get a shaman to do an exorcism?<br />
<br />
"So?"<br />
<br />
"Isn't it common sense to feel uneasy when it's like this?"<br />
<br />
I never even imagined there would be a day when you'd talk about common sense.<br />
<br />
"Thus I'll put down the most minimal defense."<br />
<br />
While saying that, she plucked out one of her hairs and blew. I felt complete disbelief, and then that disbelief became reality.<br />
<br />
This may be sudden, but do you like tigers? Because right now I'm not talking about the tiger phantom who's puffing out her modest chest with an ehem~, but a real tiger. I like them. They're cool, fearless, and look good. But that's only when they're on TV or in a cage at the zoo, but when a tiger is prowling around my front yard, it's not the same!!<br />
<br />
Rooar!!<br />
<br />
The tiger roared. At the same time my distracted thoughts flew to the faraway sky, I stopped escaping reality. I put my hands on Rangii's shoulders.<br />
<br />
"Hey. If my eyes aren't going bad, then it seems like one of your hairs changed into a tiger."<br />
<br />
Rangii nodded her head.<br />
<br />
"That's right. This will provide safety."<br />
<br />
So that I wouldn't hit Rangii on the head, I repeated the word 'patience' thirty times in my head.<br />
<br />
It wasn't enough.<br />
<br />
"Ow!"<br />
<br />
"What about this is safe?!"<br />
<br />
"Why are you hitting me! If anyone comes to our house and tries to do evil things, then this child will......"<br />
<br />
"I know BS when I hear it!!"<br />
<br />
"Ha-nyak?!"<br />
<br />
After bragging, Rangii was surprised by my yelling and caused her hair to stick up.<br />
<br />
"How do you think it's okay to keep a tiger in the middle of Seoul?! Did it run away from the zoo? Do you want to go on the nine o'clock news?!"<br />
<br />
In the heart of downtown, a tiger showed up! Are you planning on having me with a mosaic covering my face and my voice changed, you brat?!<br />
<br />
"S, so this won't do?"<br />
<br />
"Of course not!"<br />
<br />
"But I thought there were already a lot of tigers in Seoul so one more would be okay......"<br />
<br />
Even during the time when Seoul did have a lot of tigers, I think having a tiger act proudly as a guard isn't common sense.<br />
<br />
"In this country, a lot of tigers have already died out, okay? If you want to see one, then go to the zoo!"<br />
<br />
Rangii's face turned pale.<br />
<br />
"N, no way. How did my children end up like this?"<br />
<br />
......Ah, she's a tiger. I didn't think that because she's the same species, she'd be shocked at the tigers dying out. That's my mistake. So with Rangii on the verge of tears, I rubbed her head and spoke in my most comforting voice.<br />
<br />
"I, I know that that's terrible, but a lot of things happened. I'll tell you about it when I teach you histo--......"<br />
<br />
"In that case, there's no helping it. Even if I must pull out all my hair here, I will have all my children here thrive."<br />
<br />
Just who the hell was I worrying about?<br />
<br />
"Don't! I said don't!!"<br />
<br />
Are you planning on releasing a pack of tigers in Seoul? Also, if you pulled out all your hair and became bald, you'd look......, no, that doesn't matter. Since Rangii's a phantom, there isn't any problem if she changed her appearance.<br />
<br />
Although I got a little off topic, I brought our attention back to the tiger that was lying down in the yard with its belly exposed, yawning, and its body spread across the yard.<br />
<br />
"More importantly. Do something about that for now. Are you trying to cause me trouble?"<br />
<br />
"Hm--mm. Then there's no helping it."<br />
<br />
Rangii lowered her body and snapped her fingers. Then where that tiger was just lying down, there was a baby tiger......<br />
<br />
"Now there's very little difference in appearance from a cat. If it's like this, it should......"<br />
<br />
"Did you think that'd work!"<br />
<br />
I squeezed her ears really hard.<br />
<br />
"Awuuu--. Sunghoon's bad. I did this all for you, so why are you bullying me?"<br />
<br />
Rangii, who just turned the tiger back into a hair, was embraced in Saehee's chest and staring at me. She looked like a kid who went to her mom, I mean sister, after getting punished so it looked really cute. Although that's really what happened.<br />
<br />
"Master. Although it is a pity, the young master is correct."<br />
<br />
"But what if......"<br />
<br />
"Master."<br />
<br />
What's going on. Saehee cut Rangii off.<br />
<br />
"Do you remember what the young master said before we arrived here?<br />
<br />
Rangii stopped whatever it was she was about to say and nodded. ......What did I say again?<br />
<br />
"Thus it is okay for us not to do anything."<br />
<br />
Rangii's tail swayed from side to side.<br />
<br />
"But isn't Sunghoon a normal human?"<br />
<br />
"He is the one who accepted you, Master."<br />
<br />
"But still......"<br />
<br />
"Is a human's strength not the strength of his heart?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah. That's right!"<br />
<br />
"But if you are worried, I will lay down some small spells."<br />
<br />
At those words Rangii nodded her head.<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
I feel like they're ignoring me while talking about me directly, so when can I join the conversation? But the truth is that I don't want to join in. What do you mean, a human's strength is the strength of the heart?<br />
<br />
I gave up on joining the foreign world that was their world of conversation and I opened the front door. Two two naturally followed me in.<br />
<br />
"I'm baaaack--!"<br />
<br />
I intentionally went in loudly, but it was strangely quiet in the house. If Dad were here,<br />
<br />
"You brat. You just activated my trap!"<br />
<br />
And if Mom were here,<br />
<br />
"Well aren't you late, son?"<br />
<br />
They would have said something like that, but...... Could it be? I opened the shoe cupboard. Dad's sneakers aren't there. Also Mom's dress shoes! I took off my shoes and entered the living room. My eyes fell on the large sheet of paper on the living room table. I held up the paper and read the message written on it.<br />
<br />
"Something urgent came up so I'm leaving the house for a week. I took Dad with me so take good care of the house and have Rangii sleep in my room. And don't go and carelessly make me a grandmother, okay?!"<br />
<br />
"I want to quickly become a mother."<br />
<br />
I ignored Rangii who was peering over my shoulder and took out my cell phone. Although I thought of Narae the second I opened saw my phone, I should take care of the most urgent problem first. It's not that I'm scared of Narae's reaction, but that terrible......, no, if I, in my everyday life, had accidentally said those things in front of Mom something terrible would happen to me so I should use good words. Since the first thing I'm going to do is call my absent, busy-with-work mother.<br />
<br />
[The number you have called is currently out of range......]<br />
<br />
How far away do you have to be for the signal not to reach? I called Dad.<br />
<br />
[The phone you are calling is currently off so please record your......]<br />
<br />
"Why do you look so frustrated?"<br />
<br />
Rangii said that while poking me in the belly. You can only say that because you don't know the crappy situation that I'm in.<br />
<br />
"Because the young master's father and mother are not here so he is thinking of doing wicked things to you while you two are alone."<br />
<br />
"I'm not, okay? And you're here too!"<br />
<br />
"Am I also a target?"<br />
<br />
"Don't make such a hateful face at someone! That's actually hurtful!"<br />
<br />
"Understood, young master."<br />
<br />
I never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd find Saehee's expressionless face to be a show of warmth and kindness.<br />
<br />
"Then I shall go unpack the luggage."<br />
<br />
Saehee held the bag with both hands and walked past me. <i>Hey, how do you know where Mom's room is when this is probably the first time you've been here?</i> was what I was thinking when Saehee opened a door and entered a room. But that isn't Mom's room.<br />
<br />
"Hey! That's my room!"<br />
<br />
And she quickly retorted to stop me,<br />
<br />
"I know."<br />
<br />
And after Saehee said something that made her seem like someone who committed a premeditated crime,<br />
<br />
"Because there is the strong stench of chestnut flower coming from this room."<br />
<br />
She just stomped on a delicate pubescent boy's emotions.<br />
<br />
"Wha, wha, what are you saying!"<br />
<br />
"Why would there be the smell of chestnut flowers? Are you growing a chestnut tree in your room?"<br />
<br />
How should I respond to Rangii when she has a question mark above her head and she asked that so innocently? That was clearly a useless worry.<br />
<br />
"When a man becomes sexually aroused he......"<br />
<br />
"He--ey! Have sex-ed when you two are by yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Why the hell is she saying this in front of me?!<br />
<br />
"Hiding things like this is how one becomes a sexual deviant like the young master."<br />
<br />
I prepared my already-stomped-on pubescent boy's emotions as a weapon to fight against Saehee who said something so ridiculous with such persuasion.<br />
<br />
"It's not something to hide, but it's not something to talk so openly about either!"<br />
<br />
"What's wrong? What in the world are you talking about for your face to get so red?"<br />
<br />
In the midst of this chaos, only Rangii could look at back and forth at Saehee and me with such an naive expression on her face. This is terrible. For now I should at least avoid this.<br />
<br />
"The room that you two are sharing is my mom's room over there, so don't just unpack wherever you want!"<br />
<br />
I pointed at my mother's room, located in the corner away from my own room.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to go wash my face or something while you unpack, so don't do anything funny."<br />
<br />
I kindly took Saehee's bag, put it in Mom's room, and went to the bath...... no, I was going to go when Rangii was staring intently at me. And so, I figured I had to talk to her.<br />
<br />
"What?"<br />
<br />
I thought she was going to ask if she could use the bathroom first or something, but what she said made what I thought completely laughable, shocking me.<br />
<br />
"Why do you constantly wash away your scent so pointlessly?"<br />
<br />
"......What?"<br />
<br />
"Isn't it inconvenient to wash your scent off?"<br />
<br />
"......Explain to me what's so inconvenient about it."<br />
<br />
"Your scent is used as a warning to those in your territory."<br />
<br />
Ah, so that's what she meant.<br />
<br />
I realized that my impression of Rangii up until now was mistaken. I had thought she was a kid who didn't know anything about the world, but she isn't a kid. She's just an animal. A wild tiger.<br />
<br />
I never imagined she wouldn't understand the concept of bathing.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to ask you one thing. So you didn't wash yourself last night?"<br />
<br />
"Do I have to?"<br />
<br />
"Okay. That's enough."<br />
<br />
With Rangii's shining eyes looking up at me, I gave up on talking to her about this and decided to speak to her guardian.<br />
<br />
"Saeheeeee!!"<br />
<br />
At my scream, Saehee stuck just her head out of my mom's room and replied while looking at me.<br />
<br />
"What is wrong, young master?"<br />
<br />
"Teach her the importance of bathing! Right now, immediately!"<br />
<br />
"As I have no need to bathe, I am unaware of the importance of bathing."<br />
<br />
Hey, is that something for a woman to say? Ah, the truth is that if you just looked at her age, she's a super......"<br />
<br />
"Young master? I must inform you that it is very easy for me to understand what you are thinking in your wrinkleless brain."<br />
<br />
She's a psychic. She's a freaking psychic.<br />
<br />
"Whatever, just bathe Rangii!"<br />
<br />
"The young master can do it."<br />
<br />
"But you can."<br />
<br />
"I am busy. And also......"<br />
<br />
Saehee spoke with the most serious face I had ever seen.<br />
<br />
"If I get water on me, my body gets wet."<br />
<br />
Ah, that's true. I understood. So I'm the one who has to wash Rangii. There's no helping it. Then...... wait, that's not it.<br />
<br />
"The heck does that mean!"<br />
<br />
"If I make contact with water, my body gets wet."<br />
<br />
Obviously you're going to get wet if you touch water!<br />
<br />
"No, I mean what are you trying to say."<br />
<br />
"That if I touch water, I get excited."<br />
<br />
OK. I now understand what she's saying.<br />
<br />
"Is that a pun?"<br />
<br />
"It is the truth."<br />
<br />
Maybe I should get a water bottle and pour it on her.<br />
<br />
"And so, I shall continue what I was doing."<br />
<br />
Saehee's head went back into the room. I can't force her to do something she hates so much. It's not because I'm scared of her staring at me expressionlessly and threatening me.<br />
<br />
But even if Rangii's a tiger, at this age she probably knows how to bathe herself. On the off chance, I spoke to Rangii.<br />
<br />
"Do you know how to bathe yourself?"<br />
<br />
"I took a bath often in my spiritual form. First I put spit on my front paws like this......"<br />
<br />
I grabbed Rangii's arms after she licked her hands and lowered them. As a human being, as a civilized man, I couldn't bear to allow this to continue.<br />
<br />
"I understand. Then does that mean you've never bathed in human form?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah! How'd you know?"<br />
<br />
I did not want to know this fact. That I would have to bathe her in the end. But no matter what Rangii truly is, right now she's a girl. Something about having a high schooler bathe a kid who looks like she's in the third grade is dangerous. At the same time, if I don't then she won't bathe herself when she's in human form. Or I could actually let her groom herself like a cat. That...... isn't okay.<br />
<br />
Yeah. I should think of it like that. I'm not giving a little girl a bath, I'm giving a tiger that hates baths a bath. Yeah. She may look like a girl, but on the inside she's a tiger...... no, I am bathing Rangii.<br />
<br />
I am giving a tiger a bath.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
I went behind Rangii's back and lifted her up by putting my arms through her armpits. Rangii's tail stuck fast to her belly.<br />
<br />
"Wha, what are you doing?"<br />
<br />
"Giving a bath."<br />
<br />
"To whom?"<br />
<br />
"To you."<br />
<br />
"Ehhh? Why're you doing this all of a sudden? I don't need a bath."<br />
<br />
"Okay, okay. But I do, so just wash with me."<br />
<br />
"Sae, Saehee! Say something to Sunghoon too!"<br />
<br />
Saehee didn't answer. Ah, it's hard to keep her up when she's struggling.<br />
<br />
"Stay still, you brat."<br />
<br />
"This is just a spiritual body so I don't need a bath!"<br />
<br />
Hm? That's only enough to persuade yourself.<br />
<br />
"Despite being a spiritual body, the spiritual bodies of great phantoms such as you are already similar to physical bodies, Master. Your body will get dirty just like a human's."<br />
<br />
Unprompted words came from the room. With her fur on edge, Rangii shouted back."<br />
<br />
"Saehee, damn you! Are you betraying your master?!"<br />
<br />
"This is for your sake, Master."<br />
<br />
"But I don't want toooo!!"<br />
<br />
There's no answer. So you're ignoring the words of Rangii, your master? Isn't this way too sudden? For whatever reason, by her current attitude, it looks like Saehee really doesn't want to give Rangii a bath even though she needs a bath. There's nothing to consider. I could tell Rangii was furious at Saehee's betrayal so I rushed to the bathroom while holding Rangii. I locked the door and took off my clothes after putting Rangii down. Rangii was watching me do that with a sullen look on her face.<br />
<br />
"What're you doing? Are you going to take a bath with your clothes on?"<br />
<br />
"......Why is everyone around me trying to make me miserable?"<br />
<br />
"We're not trying to make you miserable, we're doing this because we care about you. And just so you know, I hate women who don't bathe."<br />
<br />
"Uuu--."<br />
<br />
I easily ignored Rangii who was puffing her cheeks out and spoke.<br />
<br />
"More importantly, get undressed."<br />
<br />
"......Isn't showing your naked body to others embarrassing?"<br />
<br />
After what happened before, that's not really for you to say.<br />
<br />
"If a girl your age had something called common sense then I'd be embarrassed. But right now I don't see you as a girl, but an animal, so there's no problem."<br />
<br />
Although with me standing tall, naked with nothing covered, someone else seeing me say that would view me as a pervert.<br />
<br />
"That's something you said to hurt my feelings again."<br />
<br />
That's the truth, but what do you want me to do about it.<br />
<br />
Whether Rangii gave up on arguing or not, she started to take off her clothes piece by piece.<br />
<br />
"Put your clothes on top of the drawer."<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
While Rangii was undressing, I turned on the water and got the temperature right. Well, it's summer so it should be okay for it to be a little lukewarm. And when I got it right,<br />
<br />
"I took everything off."<br />
<br />
I heard Rangii's voice. Just like when we first met, when I turned around I saw Rangii standing with not a single piece of clothes on her. She loosened her hair braid and let her hair down, covering all the necessary parts and it felt strange. But because of that, the thing called human imagination was unneedingly active. ......Well, since the one I'm looking at is Rangii, it doesn't really mean anything.<br />
<br />
By the parts of her skin not covered by her white hair that shined like silver, her skin could definitely be called that of a child's. It's like a baby's. Like if I went ahh-- and bit her softly, my teeth-marks would be clearly visible on her delicate skin. That aside, I was a little surprised to find that Rangii actually had curves. Her chest is small, but towards her hips it dipped in and her butt was a bit more......, I mean, so what if I was appreciating staring at her body.<br />
<br />
"What am I supposed to do now?"<br />
<br />
"Now......"<br />
<br />
I was about to say <i>sit down </i>when I realized something. That there's only one bath stool in the bathroom. I can't let her sit on the floor, and it'd feel off to stay standing. I'm naked so if I stayed standing while washing then my<i> big magnum</i>...... I mean, then Rangii might touch my important bit since she's sitting. If I had known it was going to end up like this, I would've at least brought a towel. No, going this far and choosing one of those would mean defeat. I don't really know what kind of defeat it would be, but it'd still be defeat. I'm going to bathe this naked girl while I'm naked. But I don't feel embarrassed. It's not even weird. She's just a simple tiger!<br />
<br />
......Yeah. She's Rangii. A tiger. There's nothing to be embarrassed about!<br />
<br />
"I'm going to bathe you, so sit here."<br />
<br />
I spoke while slapping my thigh.<br />
<br />
"You mean there?"<br />
<br />
"Why?"<br />
<br />
"......I often ask myself what kind of person you are."<br />
<br />
And I have absolutely no idea what kind of phantom you are.<br />
<br />
Rangii approached me slowly and went on top of my thigh with her back to me.<br />
<br />
"Am I okay like this?"<br />
<br />
"For now."<br />
<br />
But you brat, why're you keeping your legs spread? Given the way the human body is designed, it's natural for her to keep her legs spread when she's sitting on top of my thigh, but it feels like something about this posture is dangerous......<br />
<br />
Meh, whatever. I should just think about bathing this brat for now.<br />
<br />
I turned on the water from the showerhead above Rangii's head and......<br />
<br />
"Ahwa?!"<br />
<br />
With her fur on edge and her tail sticking straight out, she let out a scream-like sound.<br />
<br />
"It's hot!"<br />
<br />
You mean this is hot? But I think I made it quite lukewarm? Could it be because kids' skin is weak? I made the water a little colder.<br />
<br />
"Is this okay?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yeah. It's okay." <br />
<br />
What a relief. But her hair is long so looks like she catches colds easily. I pumped out the shampoo a few times and rubbed it over her hair.<br />
<br />
"What are you doing?"<br />
<br />
"I'm going to wash your hair so close your eyes. It'll sting if it gets in your eyes."<br />
<br />
I didn't hear Rangii's reply, but started rubbing her hair. Bubbles rose from her hair and I moved the suds across the whole of her head, washing the tips of her hair as well.<br />
<br />
"It smells weird."<br />
<br />
"I told you to close your eyes."<br />
<br />
I moved my hands back to her hair and thinking about giving her a scalp massage, I pressed against her head.<br />
<br />
"Uwaaa--. It feels really good."<br />
<br />
"That's a relief."<br />
<br />
Rangii totally relaxed her body and leaned her back against my chest. Thanks to that it got a lot harder to wash her hair. But still, it didn't feel bad. Because she's leaning on me and entrusting her body to my hands. It's better than her jumping around.<br />
<br />
I more-or-less washed her hair so now all that's left are her strange ears, but...... I figured it'd be okay to wash them just like her hair. But when I pressed against the base of her ears, I triggered an incident.<br />
<br />
"U--nyaa?! I, I'm sensitive there-- Kyaheeng! Eyes! My eyes! It stings, it stiiiings!"<br />
<br />
She opened her eyes in surprise and in a 2-hit combo, the shampoo went in her eyes-- and with Rangii struggling on top of me, I wasn't able to keep her steady so I fell flat on my butt. Oh, ow. Without even the time to be in pain, I grabbed Rangii's hands as she rubbed her stinging, painful eyes while on top of my pelvis. You still have shampoo on your hands, so rubbing your eyes will only make it worse! It looks like Rangii understood my thoughts differently.<br />
<br />
"Uwaaang--. Sunghoon is, Sunghoon is being evil--. Uwaang--."<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Just now, the area she's sitting on is an extremely evil area.<br />
<br />
If someone saw me like this, I'd commit suicide.<br />
<br />
"Don't say something that's so easy to misunderstand!"<br />
<br />
I grabbed onto Rangii's hips while she was crying, lifted her body, and turned on the water. I poured water on Rangii's face with the showerhead and rubbed her eyes with my hand. And then Rangii stopped crying. Whew, looks like I stopped the most urgent problem for now. To prevent a second disaster, I flipped the hair that was over her face back and spoke.<br />
<br />
"Hey, you brat. I told you not to open your eyes."<br />
<br />
I could see Rangii puffing out her cheeks through the reflection in the mirror.<br />
<br />
"It's not my fault! You were the one who thoughtlessly touched the bottom of my ears, weren't you?!"<br />
<br />
"Making such a fuss about touching your ears? You must be the only pers-- I mean, you must be the only phantom who's like that."<br />
<br />
"When we change into human form we become sensitive there, so what you said is wrong, Sunghoon!"<br />
<br />
......Is that so? So that's universal in phantoms. I gained even more useless information.<br />
<br />
"Okay. I'm sorry, so let's rinse your hair. Make sure to keep your eyes shut. If you open them, it'll sting just like before."<br />
<br />
"O, okay."<br />
<br />
Maybe because the soapy water getting in her eyes was pretty painful, she had her entire body tensed up while keeping her eyes shut tight. <br />
<br />
It wasn't something to be so scared about.<br />
<br />
I brought the showerhead above Rangii's head again. I rinsed her hair with my hand to wash out all the shampoo. Great, this should be enough. I moved Rangii's hair back again.<br />
<br />
"You can open your eyes now."<br />
<br />
"Huwa--. Taking a bath in human form feels unexpectedly good!"<br />
<br />
"Well that's a relief."<br />
<br />
"Please do this for me tomorrow as well."<br />
<br />
"Today is one day, tomorrow is a different one."<br />
<br />
"What does that mean?"<br />
<br />
It means I won't care whose body gets wet or not tomorrow.<br />
<br />
"More importantly, I washed your hair so now let's wash your body."<br />
<br />
"Hm? We're not done?"<br />
<br />
"Were you planning on leaving after only washing your hair?"<br />
<br />
You need to wash your body too.<br />
<br />
I wetted the shower towel, pushed on the pump multiple times to get body shampoo, and created a lather. It could've been because she had her eyes closed, but Rangii was staring at the bubbles, totally intrigued.<br />
<br />
"It's very pretty. What is that?"<br />
<br />
How should I explain what this is?<br />
<br />
"Soap bubbles. You rub this on yourself when you're taking a bath."<br />
<br />
I explained using vocabulary on the level of an elementary schooler's.<br />
<br />
"So these are called soap bubbles? It's so interesting how they don't disappear as quickly as water bubbles."<br />
<br />
Rangii reached out her hands and took a lot of bubbles, playing with them. Maybe she liked the slippery texture of the bubbles, but she went <i>ehehe</i>, and laughed like a little kid. No, she wasn't laughing like a little kid; she is a little kid laughing. I blew on the soap and while Rangii was preoccupied with the bubbles flying from her hands, I grabbed Rangii's arm and rubbed the shower towel against her arm.<br />
<br />
"Unyak?!"<br />
<br />
Hm? Why'd she suddenly shout out like that? Rangii grimaced and pulled back her arm then she turned her head back and looked up at me.<br />
<br />
"What are you doing all of a sudden?! It hurts!"<br />
<br />
".....But you're taking a bath."<br />
<br />
"Then why was it so painful?"<br />
<br />
No, no. It couldn't have been painful. It's not like she's taking a shower after surgery. I rubbed the shower towel against my arm. It's nothing. I grabbed Rangii's wrist again and pushed it softly.<br />
<br />
"Ow-ow-ow! Didn't I tell you it hurt?!"<br />
<br />
Rangii's skin turned red.<br />
<br />
......Is this for real? Can I really believe that her skin is so weak that rubbing a shower towel softly against her is enough to make her skin go red? What kind of a phantom's skin is like this? I thought, if she was stabbed with a blade, then maybe she'd go, <i>ah, that'd leave a mark</i>. Isn't that how they are?<br />
<br />
"......Sorry."<br />
<br />
"Why are you scrubbing my body with the tool that makes soap bubbles? Isn't it obvious that it would hurt if you do that?"<br />
<br />
"No, this isn't the thing that makes soap bubbles. It's called a shower towel, and after making the bubbles, you wash yourself with this."<br />
<br />
Rangii was shocked.<br />
<br />
"You mean you wash your body with something so rough? There's no way. Is that a lie meant to tease me?"<br />
<br />
"What would I get out of teasing you?"<br />
<br />
The doubt in her eyes isn't disappearing. Hey, what the heck do you think I've done to you? I rubbed the shower towel ostentatiously against my arm. She still had her eyes narrowed. I then rubbed it slightly against my chest and neck in a showy manner as well. That was when Rangii's suspicion went away.<br />
<br />
"It seems you weren't lying. But I cannot rub my body with something so rough."<br />
<br />
"......Can't you just bear with it? There's the saying that you only become an adult after pain, after all."<br />
<br />
"I'm already an adult!"<br />
<br />
No, you're clearly a kid.<br />
<br />
"Also, look!"<br />
<br />
Rangii protested while showing me her red forearm.<br />
<br />
"If I bathe using that shower towel then my body will turn red like this, won't it? I don't want to show such an ugly sight to my future husband! It's not because it hurts at all!"<br />
<br />
A great phantom that has lived for over four thousand years is throwing a tantrum because of the pain while taking a bath. Seriously, it's laughable that this is the tiger from the myths.<br />
<br />
But still, Rangii has a point. If it hurt to take a bath, I'd also not want to take one. When I was a kid, I was scared of my dad's scrubbing towel <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/07/me-and-tigress-v01-02-second-story.html#1" name="top1"><sup>[1]</sup></a>. Since it's come to this, I should just wash her by hand......<br />
<br />
......Huh? Oh, yeah. I could do that too, can't I?<br />
<br />
"Then there's no helping it."<br />
<br />
Rangii's tail began to wag. Hey. It tickles. Stop.<br />
<br />
"Then......"<br />
<br />
"I'm going to wash you by hand."<br />
<br />
"Eh?"<br />
<br />
Rangii was stunned, and I spoke to her while openly while rubbing bubbles on my hands.<br />
<br />
"You're okay with that, right?"<br />
<br />
"N, no. There's no need to go that far, isn't there?"<br />
<br />
"I have a bad feeling that if I don't take this opportunity to teach you how to properly wash yourself then something seriously terrible will happen."<br />
<br />
It doesn't seem like this brat's going to stay here for more than a day or two so, I need to take this opportunity to educate her. For something like this, once should be enough.<br />
<br />
"B, but touching with your hands? Isn't something like that embarrassing?"<br />
<br />
She sure picked a weird time to care about that when she's sitting on my thigh, naked.<br />
<br />
"I'm not embarrassed."<br />
<br />
Because the one before me is Rangii. Yeah. That's right. I'm doing this to a tiger, to Rangii. She's a massive tiger phantom whose true form is Jirisan. ......I kind of have the feeling that I'm convincing myself on the level of brainwashing, but there's no problem with that because it's the truth. Yeah. Absolutely no problems. If there aren't any, then there really aren't. Don't think about it.<br />
<br />
But what was I just thinking about? Ah, it was rubbing soap on Rangii's body.<br />
<br />
I started rubbing soap on Rangii with my hands.<br />
<br />
"Uk."<br />
<br />
Rangii was shaking and her fur was spiked up. Her hatred of bathing is almost on the level of a cat's. With the utmost care, I stroked her body. Starting with her hands, I moved to her arms then her armpits. <br />
<br />
"Kyahahaha, it tickles!"<br />
<br />
"Ah, sorry."<br />
<br />
I went past her shoulder and around her neck to rub the opposite side. I got more bubbles then put them on her back.<br />
<br />
"Uu--heek?"<br />
<br />
I was touching her spine, and she let out a weird sound.<br />
<br />
"What's wrong?"<br />
<br />
"Something's strange."<br />
<br />
"What is?"<br />
<br />
"Even though I thought I would hate this, your hands feel strangely good and it's making me shout out. Was taking a bath always supposed to be like this?"<br />
<br />
"Well, I heard somewhere that taking a bath is the washing machine for the soul."<br />
<br />
Even though I forgot where I heard this.<br />
<br />
"......This might become a habit."<br />
<br />
"Then I would be thankful."<br />
<br />
I got more bubbles and this time I rubbed them on the front. When I about to touch her chest, I stopped without thinking, but I moved my hands again almost immediately. I'm not doing anything weird, and all I'm doing is bathing the adorable Rangii so there's nothing weird about it. Yeah.<br />
<br />
I feel like I got the core concept wrong, but I'll just ignore it. I get the feeling that if I remember what's wrong, I'll have to cross a river I can't return from.<br />
<br />
"Uu--heek?"<br />
<br />
Her tail went completely straight, bothering my chin.<br />
<br />
"What, does it tickle?"<br />
<br />
Rangii bowed her head as her face turned bright red.<br />
<br />
"Y, yeah."<br />
<br />
But even though they're really small, she really does have breasts. But for her belly to be softer than her breasts, how should I put it, I guess I'm a little sad. There, I put soap on her belly and hips so now below that is......<br />
<br />
No, no. No matter how much I think Rangii is a tiger, there's no way. No way. I could do it, but if there's something that I shouldn't do, it's this, and I absolutely cannot.<br />
<br />
I leaned her back against my chest, hugged her with both arms while she was disoriented, and put her down by my side.<br />
<br />
"There. Wash yourself like that and do the rest yourself."<br />
<br />
"......You're not going to do the other places?"<br />
<br />
Why do you sound so disappointed?<br />
<br />
"I need to bathe myself too. Here, this is the body shampoo. If you press the thing on the top then the water that makes bubbles will come out, so rub that on your hands and wash yourself."<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
Rangii started washing herself with the soap. As a dad, I'm happy-- no, that's not it. I'm proud that Rangii learned something. Could this be what's called a paternal pride?<br />
<br />
Paternal or whatever, I should just wash myself for now. I put soap on my whole body and washed it off with water when Rangii, covered in soap, put her slippery butt on top of my thigh. I couldn't even say anything about Rangii insisting that my thigh was hers. ......I want to think that I was overlooking her cute behavior since she was bathing so well after hating it, but man.<br />
<br />
"Why're you looking over here?"<br />
<br />
"I like looking over here more."<br />
<br />
Today I'm generous.<br />
<br />
"Do as you please."<br />
<br />
"Heheh."<br />
<br />
Well, I might like this.<br />
<br />
After Rangii was done, I dried her with a towel, and after I put on underwear and pants, I looked for clothes for Rangii until I realized that she wouldn't have brought her own.<br />
<br />
"Wait there for a bit."<br />
<br />
After basically giving her the command <i>stay</i>, I opened the bathroom door and called for Saehee...... What're you doing there?<br />
<br />
"......Hey, didn't you say you were busy?"<br />
<br />
"Where are you looking, young master? As you can see, I am busy."<br />
<br />
Saehee was sitting on the sofa, watching a cartoon on the TV. If she were just watching TV I wouldn't have gotten this upset, but in her hand was one of my dad's favorite bottles of plum wine, and scattered atop the table were two or so completely empty bottles of plum wine. And as she was saying that, she brought the bottle up to drink.<br />
<br />
......So, what did you say? You're busy?<br />
<br />
"Your business aside, don't you look quite comfortable?"<br />
<br />
"I need information on how the world has changed. My knowledge is already outdated by three years. Ah, this manhwa is funny."<br />
<br />
She looks like she's finished all her work and is lounging like an old la......"<br />
<br />
"And so."<br />
<br />
She's like a psychic as usual.<br />
<br />
"Why did you call for me, young master?"<br />
<br />
Seeing her expressionless face completely devoid of any intoxication despite drinking two bottles of plum wine, I unconsciously became less upset. Could I be at the bottom of the food chain in this house?<br />
<br />
"......Whatever, just give me clothes for Rangii."<br />
<br />
"Understood."<br />
<br />
Saehee got up from the sofa, went into Mom's room, and brought out the exact same clothes that Rangii was just wearing, from the same design to the same colors. If I don't react to that then I won't be able to survive.<br />
<br />
"Is that all the clothes she has?"<br />
<br />
"This makes it easier to animate."<br />
<br />
"......The heck does that mean?"<br />
<br />
"It is something from a manhwa I just read."<br />
<br />
Please, I'm just wishing that she doesn't gain any weird knowledge. I got the clothes from Saehee and turned to look at Rangii. And there......<br />
<br />
"...Hm? What's wrong?"<br />
<br />
Rangii was playing with the underwear that I had worn before.<br />
<br />
"Hey. You're not supposed to put that on your head! And you're not supposed to put your arm through there either! It's not food, either, so don't put it in your mouth!!"<br />
<br />
"I, I know."<br />
<br />
"If you know, then don't!"<br />
<br />
"I just did it because I was curious."<br />
<br />
"What're you curious about?"<br />
<br />
Rangii looked away. She isn't saying anything. So her being curious was a lie.<br />
<br />
"......Let's just get you dressed for now."<br />
<br />
I handed Rangii the clothes Saehee gave me, and Rangii just blinked her shining eyes and stared at me. Don't tell me......<br />
<br />
"Do you not know how to dress yourself?"<br />
<br />
"There's really nothing that you <i>don't</i> know about me, isn't there?"<br />
<br />
Seeing how happy Rangii was, my heart sank. It's only been two days, but I already know more-or-less what kind of kid she is. She's a kid who never received any education on everyday tasks. I opened the bathroom door and shouted for Rangii's guardian.<br />
<br />
"Saeheeeee!"<br />
<br />
I can't even remember how many times I've yelled her name.<br />
<br />
Saehee, the educator and caretaker of Rangii, didn't even look away from the TV and answered.<br />
<br />
"Did I not tell you I was busy? Have you already forgotten?"<br />
<br />
"Don't give me that! How busy can you be if you're watching TV while drinking?!"<br />
<br />
"I am busy."<br />
<br />
Seeing Saehee drink from the bottle made a fire rage from within my body, and was threatening to burst out. I was about to argue back at her, when,<br />
<br />
"Is Saehee drinking alcohol?"<br />
<br />
Rangii asked from behind me. Great. I should use Rangii. Even if she looks like a kid, she's a great tiger phantom and master of Saehee who's giving ridiculous excuses.<br />
<br />
"Then that means she's really busy."<br />
<br />
But Rangii betrayed my expectation beautifully.<br />
<br />
"......What?"<br />
<br />
"Saehee uses the energy from alcohol to do tiresome tasks. Saehee only ever drinks when she has to do stuff like that, so right now she must be really busy. You shouldn't bother her about something so trivial."<br />
<br />
Getting you dressed isn't trivial to me.<br />
<br />
"Thank you very much, Master."<br />
<br />
Saehee glanced from the side at me with a smile. Ah, for some reason I feel like I've lost. I should just give up. A pack of Baduks...... I mean of dogs will stick together, so phantoms must have each other's backs too. I sighed<br />
<br />
"Can you put that on your...... no, nevermind. I'm wishing for too much from a kid who has underwear on her head."<br />
<br />
"I, I was just curious!"<br />
<br />
"Like I said, about what?"<br />
<br />
Rangii blushed and kept silent.<br />
<br />
"Alright, so I'll get you dressed."<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
I mostly looked away as I got her dressed. Even so, I found that her clothes are incredibly soft and light. What the heck is it made from? If I get the chance, I'll ask her later. I didn't know how to braid her hair so I decided to just leave it. It shouldn't be a big problem. Right now, my empty stomach comes first.<br />
<br />
"Let's eat dinner."<br />
<br />
"Food?"<br />
<br />
Rangii's eyes were sparkling. Her tail was moving like a wave.<br />
<br />
"If you are finished, masters, I shall prepare dinner."<br />
<br />
Saehee just downed another drink and I got a little curious at her words.<br />
<br />
"But what're you doing right now?"<br />
<br />
"I cannot answer."<br />
<br />
"What are you, a celebrity who wants to be famous for being mysterious?"<br />
<br />
"Don't worry. <b>Everything Saehee does benefits me in the end</b>."<br />
<br />
That <i>in the end </i>part bothers me. In this world, the means to the ends are often the most important steps.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I don't know if she's doing any work or not, but Saehee is so generously making dinner for us, so I might as well look to see what side dishes we have. I went grocery shopping the day before going to the countryside, so we should still have the ingredients. I opened the refrigerator door.<br />
<br />
There's nothing. It's empty. There's only kimchi, water, and plum wine. I closed the door. I'm thinking about how this could have happened.<br />
<br />
Mom. There's no way a huge eater like her would leave anything. But eating three peoples' portions of food in one day seems excessive. Throwing curses at the general direction that Mom is at won't change anything, though.<br />
<br />
Yeah. I'm a man who's prepared for the unexpected. If we're all out of groceries, I just need to buy some. I have a credit card that's used for domestic things like this.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to go to the supermarket for a bit."<br />
<br />
Rangii's ears pricked up.<br />
<br />
"Are you going to the market?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah."<br />
<br />
I have a bad feeling.<br />
<br />
"I want to go too!"<br />
<br />
Please think about it. If I take you grocery shopping while holding your hand, I'd feel like an old mother.<br />
<br />
"I'll only be gone for a little, so just wait here."<br />
<br />
"Ehhh, I don't want to! I want to go too! I want to see how this world has changed with my own eyes!"<br />
<br />
Rangii grabbed my hand and was jumping up and down in a tantrum. Ahh, having a kid throwing a tantrum even though I'm so young makes me feel like a housewife...... No, I should think more positively. Yeah. Considering she's my young bride, going shopping with her makes me feel like a husband...... That's complete crap. The only wife for me is Narae.<br />
<br />
Ah. I just realized that I need to call Narae. If it's now, her anger should have died down, right? Maybe I should call her today. ......I mean, after I deal with Rangii who's sticking to me like glue.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. Let's go, let's go. We can just go together."<br />
<br />
"Hehehe."<br />
<br />
Rangii was smiling and sticking next to me. With Rangii's belly up against me, I unknowingly rubbed her head. I mean, it's because she's cute. Seriously.<br />
<br />
"Ah, hide your tail and ears for now. You can hide them, right?"<br />
<br />
Rangii turned her head away.<br />
<br />
"Why do I have to do that? I'm proud of these......"<br />
<br />
"If you can't, you'll have to stay here."<br />
<br />
"Uu--uu."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I regretted taking Rangii grocery shopping with me 5 minutes after we had left the house.<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon, Sunghoon! What is that? The power of lightning is running through that column!"<br />
<br />
"It's called a utility pole. It brings electricity to every house through a wire......"<br />
<br />
"Wow. What's this black thing? Is it a curse meant to weaken the power of the earth?"<br />
<br />
"What do you mean a curse? It's called asphalt, and it's meant to make travelling more comfortable for people or cars."<br />
<br />
"Amazing! I never imagined that humans would disregard the natural order to such an extent!"<br />
<br />
"That said, you seem pretty happy. Shouldn't you be sad in this case?"<br />
<br />
"Why do you say that?"<br />
<br />
Rangii's beautifully braided hair quickly unraveled and formed into a question mark.<br />
<br />
"Please act like a human when you're on the street."<br />
<br />
"Isn't that why I hid my splendid ears and tail?"<br />
<br />
Yeah. Her white tail and ears were hidden, so Rangii just looks like an adorable little girl in eye-catching clothes and...... it would be so great if I could say that. Just the color of her hair was attracting attention from pedestrians. Isn't having white, nearly silver hair with black stripes abnormal? And add to that her cuteness.<br />
<br />
Her interesting hair color attracted the gazes of pedestrians, and her cute appearance kept their eyes on her. People would even turn around, stop in their tracks, or say things like <i>she's so cute~ I want to take a picture~ I want to touch her~</i> before leaving. Thank God no one actually did any of this stuff.<br />
<br />
With Rangii already attracting so much attention, just the thought of her making a question mark with her hair is terrible.<br />
<br />
"Because even like this you're attracting attention."<br />
<br />
"What does that mean, I'm attracting attention?"<br />
<br />
When Rangii tilted her head and looked up at me, I think the people, who for some reason were following us, shouted out <i>kyaa </i>or <i>uwaa</i>. ......I'll ignore them.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Sunghoon, what's wrong?"<br />
<br />
She asked me while pulling on my hand.<br />
<br />
"Am, am I dying of moe?"<br />
<br />
"Hawu~. I want to take her with me~."<br />
<br />
I can't hear them. I'll ignore them. I said I can't hear them. If I let this continue, something bad really may happen, so I should tell her the truth.<br />
<br />
"It's because you're cute."<br />
<br />
"Because you're cute......?"<br />
<br />
Rangii suddenly went <i>poof!</i> and emitted smoke after she heard what I said. I'm telling you this beforehand, but that was a figure of speech. Her face went bright red and she spoke.<br />
<br />
"Did, did you just say that I'm cute?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah. You're attracting attention because you're cute, so don't do any......"<br />
<br />
I wasn't able to finish what I was saying. Because Rangii jumped up with unbelievable strength and hugged her two arms around my neck.<br />
<br />
"I'm happy! I'm so happy! You've finally fallen for my charm!"<br />
<br />
It looks like you've totally fallen for a delusion.<br />
<br />
"The hell's that guy?"<br />
<br />
"Should we kill him?"<br />
<br />
"Lolicon bastard."<br />
<br />
Y-you too.<br />
<br />
I don't know what these delusional people might do if this continues. Hey, hey. All of your eyes are scary. For now, we should run away for fear of our safety. I hugged Rangii, held her to my side,<br />
<br />
"Uraaa!!"<br />
<br />
And I ran.<br />
<br />
It feels like I've been sprinting a lot these days.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It was right after I was able to escape from Rangii's impromptu fanclub that I realized. I had passed the usual supermarket I go to where I collected a lot of points. ......and this is all because of Rangii. Let's see if I go shopping with you again.<br />
<br />
The cause of this situation was already on her feet and let out a carefree response.<br />
<br />
"That was fun!"<br />
<br />
"Ah, was it?"<br />
<br />
I was about to die from exhaustion. Well, it wasn't Rangii's fault that I had to run like this so there's no helping it...... or is there? The problem is whether Rangii's at fault here or not, but I'll just think it's not. Yeah. Because that's the only way my sanity can endure this.<br />
<br />
Moving on, it looks like I'm going to just go to the nearest market here and take empty back roads back home. Because otherwise I'll probably have to hold her and run like that again. I grabbed Rangii's hand and continued what I was unable to finish before.<br />
<br />
"Moving on, if humans are living while ignoring the natural order, isn't that bad for phantoms like you? Aren't you all basically a part of nature?"<br />
<br />
"That isn't the case."<br />
<br />
Rangii said this without a doubt.<br />
<br />
"We are children of chaos. If providence was broken and distortion increased, this would be a suitable environment for us. If the children were to follow me and no longer keep themselves hidden, this land would become a paradise for us."<br />
<br />
Paradise of the phantoms? That's really bad. The person who's going to teach her what love is had better show up fast. Otherwise this place will become a phantom paradise like she said. And the one who was still on the fence about creating a phantom paradise or not said,<br />
<br />
"......Why is there so much food on the street?"<br />
<br />
Having seen plump chickens, I mean pigeons, walking on the street, Rangii began to drool and her hidden tail pointed towards the sky......<br />
<br />
"Hey, hey!"<br />
<br />
I quickly grabbed Rangii's tail and,<br />
<br />
"Uu--haa!?"<br />
<br />
"Put your tail back, you brat."<br />
<br />
She put her tail back inside her clothes. With her hands covering her butt, she was bouncing up and down and shouted at me.<br />
<br />
"Can't you touch it a little more gently?!"<br />
<br />
"Nevermind that, what would you have done if someone saw you stick your tail out?!"<br />
<br />
"......Did I do that?"<br />
<br />
Rangii laughed, going <i>heh heh</i>, and scratched her head.<br />
<br />
"I didn't know."<br />
<br />
This time, should I overlook this? Since there's no one around here to have seen it. Instead, I should give her a proper warning.<br />
<br />
"Also, you can't eat the things on the street."<br />
<br />
"I can't eat them?"<br />
<br />
I made myself clear to Rangii who spoke so disappointedly.<br />
<br />
"That stuff is dirty. If you eat it then you'll get a stomach ache."<br />
<br />
"......I don't like painful things."<br />
<br />
I want to know what kind of phantom would get hungry at the sight of pigeons on the street, seriously.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>A-Mart</i>. It's an overly large market to go to just to buy groceries for dinner, but I was unexpectedly okay with shopping here. The only problem is that there are so many people. But isn't there the saying to hide a tree, hide it in the forest? Actually, because there are so many people moving busily, Rangii should attract less attention than in a place with fewer people.<br />
<br />
That is a lie. People are looking this way enough to sting. I decided. I won't take her outside with me again.<br />
<br />
I put in a 100 won coin and pulled out a cart.<br />
<br />
"Is that something you ride in?"<br />
<br />
Rangii shared her personal interpretation. It seems like she came up with that conclusion because kids her age were riding on the carts and their parents were pushing them, but...... Well, she's not wrong. But I don't plan on having Rangii ride on the cart. I mean, she's heavy.<br />
<br />
"No. You put your stuff here."<br />
<br />
"Is that so?"<br />
<br />
Those two amber pupils were asking me, then why are those kids riding on it? It looks like fun but you mean I can't? ......Could this be the thing where a pet communicates with its owner?<br />
<br />
Probably not.<br />
<br />
"You can ride in it like that, but only kids do that. Or do you want to ride in it?"<br />
<br />
"I, I don't. I am not a child so I won't ride in it."<br />
<br />
"Okay, okay."<br />
<br />
But I immediately regretted my words.<br />
<br />
"This! I want to eat this!"<br />
<br />
As soon as Rangii passed the entrance, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the butcher section. She looked like a tiger that hadn't eaten in three days. I stopped Rangii who was merging with the refrigerator by grabbing her by her waist and moving her back.<br />
<br />
"Hey, you dummy. That's premium meat, premium."<br />
<br />
"Premium? What's that?"<br />
<br />
"It means it's from cows that were raised in this country. It's the same as saying the beef is expensive. And I can't buy anything expensive."<br />
<br />
"You don't have enough money?"<br />
<br />
The truth is I could buy it. But for housewife-like reasons I can't allow myself to buy it. Because I don't even eat this kind of expensive meat on holidays. ......No, even though I'm not a housewife.<br />
<br />
"Then what about that?"<br />
<br />
Rangii pointed at a different type of meat. It was shank meat that was meant to be braised. <br />
<br />
"So you're okay with anything as long as it's meat."<br />
<br />
"I like bear meat the most!"<br />
<br />
"......But bear hunting is banned."<br />
<br />
"Hm? In the place where I lived, Saehee would sometimes catch a bear and......"<br />
<br />
"That's enough."<br />
<br />
Is the disappearance of black bears in Jirisan your guys' fault? No, back then when she served bear gall bladder, Saehee said something about revenge for the papa bear......<br />
<br />
I stopped thinking about it. In this world, the saying ignorance is bliss is often true.<br />
<br />
I asked the butcher who was watching Rangii with warm eyes for a geun<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/07/me-and-tigress-v01-02-second-story.html#2" name="top2"><sup>[2]</sup></a> of seasoned pork and put it in the cart. If I had time I'd season it myself, but I don't have the time to wait for that to finish. My stomach, that is. Okay then, all that's left is......<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon! What's this? It looks weird!"<br />
<br />
With a drink in my hand, I saw Rangii shouting out my name and I thought to myself that shopping this time would be a lot more troublesome.<br />
<br />
In the end I decided to put Rangii on the cart. Since I'd rather the cart get a little heavier than for Rangii to end up even more active.<br />
<br />
"Whoaaa--!"<br />
<br />
"Don't move outside of the cart. Don't kick your feet. Don't shake it. Just stay still, ya brat! Are you a kid?!"<br />
<br />
"Ah, so I can't do this?"<br />
<br />
What kind of magic could be within Rangii's gaze as she's looking up at me? Seeing Rangii look a little dejected, my anger subsided.<br />
<br />
"No, that's not what I meant. If you keep doing that then you could end up in danger. It'd hurt if you fell from there."<br />
<br />
"That wouldn't happen."<br />
<br />
Having heard Rangii say that so naturally, I felt like teasing her.<br />
<br />
"Ah, really?"<br />
<br />
I used a bit of my strength and turned the cart to the left!<br />
<br />
"Wah--wah--wah!"<br />
<br />
Rangii was in a daze and grabbed on tight to the cart to not fall off. Uhahaha! This time to the right!<br />
<br />
"U--ah--wah!!"<br />
<br />
Now she's wriggling to the other side. Uhahaha. You little brat. Did you say something like this wouldn't happen?<br />
<br />
"......Young man."<br />
<br />
I was scolded by the old grocery clerk lady.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Having spent 30 minutes buying simple ingredients for dinner, I felt like I was going to collapse right away. Because we were causing enough harm to stop the market's business. Thank goodness the other shoppers would just laugh it off. For whatever reason, Rangii was smiling delightedly.<br />
<br />
"Hehehe. That was fun."<br />
<br />
"Really."<br />
<br />
I couldn't say anything to Rangii who looked so happy.<br />
<br />
"Let's go together next time as well. There are so many interesting things."<br />
<br />
My inability to say anything was just in the past.<br />
<br />
"I can't."<br />
<br />
"But why?"<br />
<br />
"You see, you......"<br />
<br />
You attract too much attention and lack common sense so it tires me out. I was going to say that.<br />
<br />
"......Sunghoon?"<br />
<br />
Is that an angelic voice I just heard behind me?!<br />
<br />
"Oh, Narae?"<br />
<br />
Narae was standing there, wearing an innocent-looking dress and with a small bag over her shoulder. Could this be fate? We didn't even talk about meeting up together and we still met so we must be a fated couple...... is what I would think if only she hadn't sent that message.<br />
<br />
"When'd you get back?"<br />
<br />
"Ah, just now."<br />
<br />
"I told you to call me when you got back to Seoul, didn't I."<br />
<br />
Narae's glare turned sharp as a knife. Ugh. And I remembered she did tell me that. But the message Narae sent was......<br />
<br />
[Die. Just stay there and die.] Because of that I was so scared that I didn't even think of calling her.<br />
<br />
"Because I just came back."<br />
<br />
"What's that in your hand?"<br />
<br />
"Ingredients for dinner."<br />
<br />
"And you just came back?"<br />
<br />
Are my brains on Rangii's level?<br />
<br />
"No, you see......"<br />
<br />
I should apologize. The only answer I can give is to apologize.<br />
<br />
"I'm, I'm sorry! I was afraid that you'd be angry so I wasn't able to call. I'm really sorry."<br />
<br />
Narae went <i>humph </i>and crossed her arms.<br />
<br />
"What about me is scary?"<br />
<br />
Right now you look plenty scary.<br />
<br />
Are phantoms really the only beings capable of killing someone with just their glare? With my lips feeling dry, I panicked while trying to decide what to do.<br />
<br />
If I tell the truth, that I was too busy with Rangii to call, then Narae would probably get truly angry. Because it'd sound like I was just using Rangii as an excuse. And then, help came from an unexpected source.<br />
<br />
"Sunghoon, who is this woman?"<br />
<br />
Good job. Rangii. So even you can be useful. I tried to changed the subject by introducing them to each other. If only Narae hadn't responded to Rangii, that is.<br />
<br />
"I'm Sunghoon's friend, but who're you?"<br />
<br />
"I am Sunghoon's fiancée."<br />
<br />
My thinking was incorrect. She wasn't useful. Rangii just poured oil onto a burning house. Even though it was the middle of summer, I felt a chill go down my spine. I'm telling the truth. I had forgotten that that was how this brat thought of me. Narae started to tap on the ground, bothered.<br />
<br />
"Fiancée? What're you saying? Since when did you have a fianceé?"<br />
<br />
This is the first time I've ever heard Narae's voice so ominous.<br />
<br />
"Also, there was that little girl on the phone who said something about being naked......"<br />
<br />
"Uwaaa! That's not what happened!"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Even if you are to become Sunghoon's concubine, I am generous enough to understand."<br />
<br />
Can you not see how I'm trying to defuse the situation right now?<br />
<br />
"Con, concubine?! What're you saying? What're you saying?! Have I gone insane?!"<br />
<br />
While doing my best to hold in the tears as my 10 years of feelings I kept had been rejected before even confessing,<br />
<br />
"Wait!"<br />
<br />
I pulled on Rangii's hand, widened the distance between her and Narae, bowed my body, and whispered to Rangii.<br />
<br />
"Hey, I'm going to tell her you're my cousin so just go along with it."<br />
<br />
Rangii puffed out her cheeks.<br />
<br />
"Why do I have to do that? Isn't it true that I'm your fiancée?"<br />
<br />
It's also true that the fiancé didn't know he had a fiancée until yesterday.<br />
<br />
"If you don't plan on making more trouble for me, please do this. Okay?"<br />
<br />
"......Okay. I do not plan on causing distress to the one who will become my husband."<br />
<br />
Even though she has a sulky look on her face, she thankfully understood. I grabbed Rangii's hand again and returned in front of Narae.<br />
<br />
"Looks like your secret meeting is over."<br />
<br />
Uwaa. My feelings were hurt by Narae's thorny remark.<br />
<br />
"No, that's not what that was. Please listen to what I have to say, Narae-nim."<br />
<br />
"Speak."<br />
<br />
With Narae glaring at me, I told the lie I had prepared.<br />
<br />
"Rangii's my cousin, but when we were younger she followed me everywhere and she said that. Okay? You know how it goes. It's like when a kid says when I grow up I'm going to marry Dad~."<br />
<br />
"I am not a young kid."<br />
<br />
You just stay still. Think about for whose sake I have to make excuses like a guy who was just caught two-timing.<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
Narae narrowed her eyes. If they were expressed by emoticons, her eyes would be two consecutive lines. When I joke about it with my friends, I call it her death glare. Narae's really scary when she looks like that. What else can I do to survive?<br />
<br />
"Okay."<br />
<br />
Huh?<br />
<br />
"If that's what you're saying then it's probably true. Because you tell the truth whenever you can."<br />
<br />
It looks like the angelic Narae is just going to accept my last-minute excuses. Miss Narae, a true angel.<br />
<br />
"So because you're lying to me, I can't just overlook this. I want to go to your house and listen to what you have to say in detail; that's okay, right?"<br />
<br />
When did she become a fallen angel?<br />
<br />
"Um, that's a bit troublesome. Everything's a mess and I don't have anything to treat guests......"<br />
<br />
"<b>That's. Okay. Right?</b>"<br />
<br />
With Narae staring daggers at me, I couldn't do anything but obey Narae-nim.<br />
<br />
"......Yes."<br />
<br />
Although I was scared when I left, after we ended up becoming a group of three and returned home, I naturally sighed at this situation.<br />
<br />
"She seems to be too strong-willed to become a concubine; couldn't you reconsider?"<br />
<br />
And at Rangii's small voice, I returned to reality. I again thought to myself where I could find your true partner. Maybe in an elementary school.<br />
<br />
And I forgot that there was one more thing I had to think about. <br />
<br />
"......And who's that woman?"<br />
<br />
That's right. Saehee was at home. Even if you take into account her personality, on the outside she looks just like someone our age!<br />
<br />
After the angry and lovely Narae opened the door, Saehee who was previously just watching TV came to greet us. And Saehee helped by directing us to sit around a table.<br />
<br />
The situation right now is sitting in this order to my right are Narae, Saehee, and Rangii. Even in this situation, I was a little happy to have Narae sitting next to me in my house after so long. She hasn't come here since we entered middle school.<br />
<br />
"Ow ow ow!!"<br />
<br />
Narae pinched my side. Could she have read my mind?<br />
<br />
"Shouldn't you answer my question now?"<br />
<br />
Why can't I say that I'm relieved that that wasn't the case?<br />
<br />
"Ah, yeah. But it might take a while to explain."<br />
<br />
Narae slightly bit her lower lip. It's like a little habit that she does when she gets angry. That means she's extremely angry.<br />
<br />
"I don't care."<br />
<br />
Seeing Narae's determined face, I thought as hard as I could about how to explain. Giving a lie as close to the truth as possible would be best.<br />
<br />
Yeah. Everything should work out if I tell her that Rangii is my cousin who lived in grandpa's estate, that Saehee is her bodyguard and helper, and some stuff happened so Rangii came to Seoul with me.<br />
<br />
After coming up with all this within one second, I wondered if I was a master trickster.<br />
<br />
"Saehee is......"<br />
<br />
"I am Master's maid."<br />
<br />
Seeing as how Saehee just organized all my thoughts in a few words, I had to wonder if Saehee was a god.<br />
<br />
"Ow ow ow ow!"<br />
<br />
The finger pinching my side has just gotten stronger?<br />
<br />
"Master?"<br />
<br />
Ah, she's responding to that unusual word.<br />
<br />
"Pardon me, but who's the master?"<br />
<br />
"It seems you have misunderstood. My master is Rangii-nim. And there is no need for you be polite to me."<br />
<br />
"But this is the first time we've met each other."<br />
<br />
Although she gets easily misunderstood because of her fierce appearance and word choice, she is unexpectedly very polite. To the point where even if they look alike in age, she has to use honorifics the first time they meet.<br />
<br />
"There is no need."<br />
<br />
"No, but......"<br />
<br />
"There is no need."<br />
<br />
Ah, there it is. Saehee's using her expressionless face to force Narae to agree with her. The truth is when I was struck by that, an unknown force made me lose what I had to say, and even sitting beside Narae, I could see that that force wasn't disappearing.<br />
<br />
"......Okay."<br />
<br />
Narae nodded with a bitter look on her face. I wondered if I could finally relax a little after what just happened, but Narae was a very strong-willed kid.<br />
<br />
"But when are you going to explain to me why they are in your house, Sunghoon? You weren't planning on avoiding the topic, right?"<br />
<br />
I did plan that. I'm caught. Although I didn't complete the excuse in my head, I was going to try to tell her even a bad one when Saehee spoke.<br />
<br />
"At the behest of Master's guardian father, who had to go on an overseas business trip, we are staying with young master Sunghoon, the one who Rangii got along so well with."<br />
<br />
My mouth dropped open. I never imagined Saehee would so skillfully explain this for me.<br />
<br />
"But something about that doesn't sound right?"<br />
<br />
"That is how it is."<br />
<br />
Narae and Saehee's eyes clashed in midair. Dang, I really don't want to get near this.<br />
<br />
Narae sighed.<br />
<br />
"Okay. This seems like a family problem so I won't pry. I was sorry, Sunghoon."<br />
<br />
Narae released her hand from my side. Now it feels like I'll survive. I didn't say this before, but my side was hurting all this time. Out of Narae's sight, I secretly gave a thumbs up to Saehee for a job well done when,<br />
<br />
"And Master is the young master's fiancee."<br />
<br />
It seems like I'll have to reverse the direction of my finger.<br />
<br />
And with Narae pinching my side,<br />
<br />
"That's the truth. Sunghoon is the man that will become my husband."<br />
<br />
So Rangii set the fire,<br />
<br />
"Due to the oath sworn by her deceased father, Master and the young master have been engaged since before they were born."<br />
<br />
And Saehee fanned the fire.<br />
<br />
Isn't there anyone who's going to save me from within this chaos?
<br />
<br />
______________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1">.</a>1. The Asian idea of cleaning your body: scrubbing your skin with an abrasive towel.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/07/me-and-tigress-v01-02-second-story.html#top1"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2">.</a>2. Also known as "catty": <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catty">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catty</a>
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/07/me-and-tigress-v01-02-second-story.html#top2"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-59478584447694209042016-06-22T14:50:00.000-07:002016-06-22T18:12:36.581-07:00[Four Lovers v01] Epilogue. Indecent Relationship<span style="font-size: small;"><i>My deepest thanks goes to all the staff who contributed their time and effort into this project! And of course, our dear readers for their patronage and patience. Look forward for the volume two!</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Translator: Kurosmith<br />Editor: LHI</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please enjoy~</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My face was aching from the punch.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It wasn’t swollen or bruised, but my lips were a bit split.
I laughed at how I really looked like a delinquent student after sterilizing
and putting on a band-aid on the wound at the infirmary.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Whew…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was totally night time when looked up at the sky. I felt
the cool wind against my cheeks.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Leaving the school this late was a rare occurrence. Maybe I
could chalk this one up as a good experience.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It’ll at least be a suspension …”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My punishment has yet been undecided. Probably the
discrepancy between my usual demeanor and my behaviour today was confusing the
teachers.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The good news was that it was unlikely Ka-ryeon’s or
Yeon-hee’s schools were going to be contacted. In the first place, the teachers
don’t even know who the girls are as well as their school affiliation. Although
the homeroom teacher knows who Yeon-hee is, he won’t intentionally make an
issue out of it given our complicated relationship.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There may be a bit of a problem with Yuyu who’s a student of
our school, but… At best, it’ll be due to her unauthorized absence. I know
it’ll somehow work out.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I alone was able to become the perpetrator thanks to my
desperate provocation and the homeroom teacher’s focused criticism of me. I was
able to end it with just me.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Maybe I’ll study at home if I get suspended…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was at that moment when I was about to head home with
such thought in my head.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I stopped at the sight of three girls who were blocking my
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My classmate, my junior, and my little sister were looking
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hey.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smiling bitterly, I raised my hand in greeting playfully.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Your face’s a little bit funny now that you look like a
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Said one of the girls.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“G-Guests?! Four of them, to boot…!” As soon as we entered
the café, the Manageress was greatly confused. “W-What would you like? I’ll
make whatever you want! I’ll give you a special 50% sale!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I sat down after giving the Manageress, who was babbling
from her excitement, a good talking to as the café’s part-time employee. Yuyu,
Ka-ryeon and Yeon-hee took their seats as well, and we each chose a coffee from
the menu and ordered them.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two of her part-times were gone, so I was worried if things
were going to be okay for the evening. Fortunately, it seemed her friend had
come over to help her out. Although the Manageress was still exhausted, she
started brewing the coffee.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We were close to silent. All four of us were just sitting
still, unable to look each other properly in the eyes.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eventually, the Manageress brought us the coffee personally.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“H-Here you are.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We didn’t order any cakes.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I-It’s service!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You can’t be giving four cakes as service!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“B-But I’ll have to take them home and eat them all by
myself if they don’t get sold anyway…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I’ll pay for them later, so just leave them here.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wow, you’re so manly… It makes me want to date you…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Setting the coffee cups and cakes down on the table, the
Manageress’ eyes shined brightly.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“By the way, Kyeong-hyun…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…What is with this group?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…What does it look like?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“A ha-harem?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Is this r-really your harem? T-That’s amazing. Although
I’ve had many crushes before, I’ve never had any boyfriends, but here you are
with three girls at once… No, wait, my little sister’s in that harem!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Manageress, who was fidgeting with her face dyed red,
pointed her finger and yelled.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No! As her older sister, I won't approve of this! Rather,
put me in your harem instead of Ka-ryeon!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Stop speaking non-sense and go get some rest!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Here sis, you’re tired from working too much today, right?
Let’s go inside and rest.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smiling, Ka-ryeon dragged the Manageress into the staff
room. There was a sound of a heavy thud for a second, but it became quiet
shortly after.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…This coffee is delicious.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu muttered with a look of surprise as she sipped on the
coffee that the Manageress had brought out.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That’s a given. My sister’s coffee is on a whole different
level than mine.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon, who just returned, said with a bright smile.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I don’t like coffee very much, but this seems all right.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeon-hee nodded her head in agreement.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Whew…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I felt my tired body starting to relax as I drank the coffee
loaded with sugar and cream.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smelling the aroma of the coffee fill up the old-fashioned
café, I slowly raised my head.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…So, ahem.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I cleared my throat and opened my mouth. At that moment, the
three girls who were sitting before my eyes stopped what they were doing and
shifted their focus me, which made me feel a little uncomfortable.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m sorry for everything. I mean it.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I lowered my head and apologized.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“N-No! There’s nothing to be sorry about, Glasses! Rather,
it’s me that…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a look of surprise on her face, Yuyu shook her head
from side to side.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“She’s right. There’s no reason for you to apologize,
Sunbae. We’re the ones who ought to apologize.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I’m sorry, Oppa, for doing weird things.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Both Ka-ryeon and Yeon-hee bent forward and apologized.
However, I really had no desire to receive apologies from them.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“So, in regards to what we’re going to do from now on.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I said that, the three girls straightened their backs and
tensed up for some reason. Were they feeling uncomfortable…?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It’s weird for me to be even saying this but… Let’s all get
along. Of course, I still like studying the best… However, we’re all
acquaintances now, so let’s get along without any awkwardness between us. The
past few days that I spent with you girls weren’t so bad.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Myself and as well as the girls, every one of us were
carrying our respective solitude.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu didn’t have a single friend at school. Ka-ryeon had
sociophobia and was possessed by her fixation to become independent from her
older sister whom she was relying on. Yeon-hee had lost her parents at an early
age, and was afraid that she would even become estranged from me— her only
family.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And it was the same for me as well. Perhaps it was because
we had been living in such loneliness that we were trying form an indecent
relationship with a person who could supplement ourselves.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no need to sever the relationship itself just
because it wasn’t wholesome. Even if it’s an unwholesome relationship, if we
can develop as a person through positive experiences from it, it’d be far
better than a wholesome one.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s why we have to continue this indecent relationship.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yuyu, let’s keep eating lunch and studying together. We
probably can’t use the Audiovisual Reference Prep Room anymore, but there
should be somewhere else where it’s quiet. Let’s find it together.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“G-Glasses…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“As for you, Ka-ryeon, you’d better prepare yourself because
I’ll educate you thoroughly on the mindset of a part-timer for the café once
more. …While we’re doing that, we’ll chat and have fun together.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae…” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yeon-hee, rely on me more and tell me if anything is
troubling you. I’ll accept everything.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oppa…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…But there was something I’ve been curious about since
earlier.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Their eyes were sparkling brightly for some time. Why? I
felt an immense burden every time I met their eyes.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“O-Okay, Glasses! I’ll do everything as you tell me to do.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“All right, Sunbae. Please train me as you please.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Okay. I’ll only trust and follow you, Oppa.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu kept nodding her head with an expression as though she
was deeply touched; Ka-ryeon had her hands together in front of her chest as if
praying; and Yeon-hee was fidgeting with her face flushed.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Y-Yeah. Let’s get along and help each other out if anything
happens.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I continued talking while inexplicably feeling pressure from
the strange mood.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“When you girls find a boy that you like for real, I’ll do
everything in my power to help you out.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For some reason, the girls who were all upbeat stopped
moving and froze in place.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yuyu, you should try talking to other boys, and who knows?
There might be a boy that you really like.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reason why Yuyu confessed to me in the end was probably
because she didn’t want to lose a friend that she had made for the first time.
Since it was unnatural for a boy and a girl to be together constantly in a secluded
room, she probably thought she had to step up to being boyfriend and
girlfriend. Although I think there can be friendship between two genders.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ka-ryeon, don’t compromise with simply the closest boy if
you’re really considering becoming a NEET, and try to find a boy with better
prospects.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Probably I’m the only boy who’s closest to her. Her school’s
an all-girls school, and after school she only works at the café. She’d
mistaken me as her fated person because I was the only closest boy to her and I
was a senior, to boot. However, there were people in this world that were far
better than me.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“As for you, Yeon-hee… To be honest, I don’t want you
getting a boyfriend, but if you find a boy that you’re interested in, bring him
to me. I’ll thoroughly check if he’s suitable for you.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She’d really gone too far this time. Although there was the
possibility that we weren’t blood-related, for her to try to detain her brother
by seducing him with her body… That’s something you should only do after
building sufficient trust with the person you truly love. …Tch. Imagining
Yeon-hee would be doing that sort of stuff in the future with some guy made my
stomach feel…</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, I won’t be much of a help since I know next to nothing
about romance, though. Hahaha.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve been doing nothing but studying so far with zero
interest in romance. So if there was a test about romantic feelings, I’d
definitely get a failing mark.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“So you’re better off not expecting too much from… What’s
wrong?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only then I realized the girls sitting in front of my eyes
were trembling. All the girls were gazing at me: Yuyu with her face dyed red,
Ka-ryeon with an ice-cold look, and Yeon-hee with a deep sigh.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“T-This guy really… Despite what
he’d said so boldly… I know he knows nothing except studying, but to think that
it’s this bad…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I almost believed it, but you’re
insensitive after all… Well, it’s our fault for lying to you at the start, and
your misunderstanding can’t be helped since it’s not like we confessed to you
properly, but…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oppa… Do you know the meaning of
the word ‘responsibility’? If you don’t, I’ll lend you my dictionary when we
get home.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…What’s wrong with these girls?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wanted us to get along and cherish
each other as a school friend, as a co-worker, and as a family from now on… Why
were they so discontent?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…There’s no other way.” At that
moment, Ka-ryeon spoke as she shook her head. “I’ll have to teach you from the
beginning. You really are a slow student in this subject, Sunbae.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“W-What are you talking about?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Like I said, Sunbae, I’ll be—”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Glasses!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu got up from her seat all of a
sudden and yelled, cutting off Ka-ryeon.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“W-What is it?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You said you wanted to get along
with me, right? That you’d help me, right?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All worked up, Yuyu shot her
questions at me, to which I nodded without thinking.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“T-Then next Saturday… G-Go out on a
date with me!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…What?!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s are you saying all of a
sudden?!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“D-Date? Why?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Y-You don’t want to? You don’t want
to go out on a date with a girl like me?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, it’s just that I was planning
on studying in peace starting from tomorrow…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All the complicated matters had been
settled, so I was thrilled that I was going to be able to focus on studying
with a true peace of mind…</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“N-No! People become insensitive if
they only study! Studying is forbidden!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ehh?!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t tell me you still haven’t
given up on lowering my grades and stealing the first place in school ranks
from me?!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wait a moment, Miss Yu Yuyu.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Don’t call me that!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“He’s coming with me to the shopping
mall to pick my underwear tomorrow. He won’t be able to accompany you, Miss
Yuyu Yuyu.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“My name’s not Yuyu Yuyu! Also, why
is Glasses picking your underwear?! H-How indecent!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae, please pick a pretty
underwear that suits your preference. You can even pick a really erotic one if
that’s what you wish.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’re not listening!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While Ka-ryeon and Yuyu were having
a quarrel, Yeon-hee who had been moving her chair furtively towards me grabbed
the hem of my sleeve.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oppa, Oppa.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“W-What is it?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Play with me tomorrow…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…Hnng.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, the little sister is seducing
Glasses with a cute face!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That pitiful stare looking up from
below… It’s going to be super effective against a siscon like Sunbae. We have
to stop her.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu and Ka-ryeon drew closer to me
in a hurry and clung to me. Yeon-hee, as though not to be outdone, grabbed and
clung to my arm.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“W-What in the world are you girls
doing?! Why are you acting like this?!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“G-Glasses is going to hang out with
me! He’s studied too much, so he needs a change of pace with me!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sunbae, how about we visit the wedding
exhibition next after we pick my underwear?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“My brother, I won’t hand him over…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I desperately struggled to free
myself, the Manageress, who had been watching the whole situation from the
slightly opened staff room door, asked in shaking voice:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“H-Hey, Kyeong-hyun, this is really
not a harem, right? It doesn’t seem very wholesome to me…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…It’s a wholesome relationship!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Insisting with zero persuasiveness,
I let out a deep sigh.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="KO" style="font-family: "바탕" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕;">◇</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="KO" style="font-family: "바탕" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕;">◇</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, I’m tired…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Massaging my shoulder, I stepped
inside my home.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeon-hee didn’t come with me.
Apparently the girls had more to discuss among themselves. It was good that
they were getting along, but I wondered what they were discussing. They said
something about dividing the time again so they can decide tomorrow’s schedule,
but they’re sure to be joking.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I headed to my room while trying to
shake off the ominous premonition, but I realized that I had something that I’d
forgotten.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Come to think of it, that thing is
still inside the desk.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The contraceptive that I’d found in
the drawer. It was one of the main culprits that had really complicated the
situation, but it was yet clear as to why that was inside my drawer.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I think I know why such a thing
was inside my drawer.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Was it in middle school…?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 60.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’d heard a group of boys talking
about it before: an old-looking guy would go and buy a load of them at once and
share them between the boys. Not had plans on using them, but purely to satisfy
their adolescent curiosity.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If it’s that, you could have them even without the intention
of using them for real. Probably there was a situation like that during the
past three months and as a result they ended up inside my desk. I should be
able to confirm with Sega later if I ask him right.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…As for the trace of being used, probably I’d opened a few
to see how it looks like for my curiosity.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That really had me confused…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Letting out a sigh, I took off my outer clothing and tossed
it aside, and then made my way to the kitchen to quench my thirst.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But on the way I stopped after noticing a flashing light in
the living room. The telephone was flashing, apparently from a left message on
the answering machine.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hmm?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was with Yeon-hee<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>just a while ago, and the café wouldn’t have called me.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…Perhaps a call from the school already?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I nervously pressed the button on the answering machine. The
old cassette answering machine clicked to life and started spinning.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then I heard a scratchy sound of a voice.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Ahn Kyeong-hyun.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…!”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was a girl’s voice. She sounded around my age, and I
didn’t recognize her voice.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But for some reason, I felt like I was suffocating.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sorry, I know you told me not to contact you at home and to
never leave a message, but I just can’t bear it anymore since you won’t even
give me a call.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her feeble, subsiding voice cut off for a moment.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Why didn’t you show up at the promised place last
Saturday? I waited for you. I waited for you for an hour. I even called you at
home, but no one picked up the phone…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Saturday. I was unconscious in the hospital at that time.
There was nobody at home.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You promised. Why didn’t you show up? And you haven’t
called me at all after that…”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every day I go to school, work part-time, and return home. I
repeat this routine from Monday to Friday. In this routine, I spend my time
with Yuyu, Ka-ryeon, and Yeon-hee.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But what about the weekend? What have I been doing on the
weekend?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Who did I meet on the weekend?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’re not… fooling around with another girl, are you?”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tone of her subsided voice changed all of a sudden.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…If that’s the case, I will never forgive you.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her dreary voice gave me the chills.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then give me a call… I’ll be waiting.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The recorded message ended and the cassette started
rewinding itself.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I stood in front of the telephone without moving an inch.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no way. I knew nothing but studying. I had zero
interest in romance. Even if someone were to ask me to go out with them, marry
them, or cross the line with them, I was the type who’d never accept.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But this voice recorded on the answering machine told me
something that I couldn’t deny at all.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was still early to focus on studying in peace.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It seems that I still have another girlfriend.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span></div>
Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-11816679739685961712016-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:002016-05-30T12:42:01.276-07:00[Four Lovers v01] 7. Bitter End - Part 2<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Well, that situation escalated rather quickly... If you are still here with us, thank you for waiting. Kurosmith's got more time on his hand now, so he'll do more TL work.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Also, please give a warm welcome to</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><i> Ashley June X, our newest editor on board the Imouto Train!</i></span> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Translator: Kurosmith<br />Editor: Ashley June X. & LHI</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please enjoy~</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everything was over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I got dragged out of the room by my homeroom teacher, a
feeling of impending doom loomed over me. It was the same for Yuyu, Ka-ryeon
and Yeon-hee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He must have already heard about how I ran off during the
exam. Maybe the homeroom teacher had been searching for my whereabouts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Given the serious atmosphere I was creating with three other
girls in a remote area of the school, it was definitely an issue that the
homeroom teacher couldn't just overlook.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everyone gathered here had skipped out on their mock tests,
so there was also the problem of being absent without leave. Moreover, it gets
more complicated since two of the girls are from different schools. Considering
that it’s a matter between opposite sexes, mentions of public indecency and
impure relationship could arise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was a situation where we could receive multiple
punishments, not to mention that my homeroom teacher was also my legal
guardian. There was certain to be some sort of penalty aside from the school’s
punishment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘……’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At this state, it became difficult to reach a conclusion in
regards to these three girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was going to be completely over with everything up in
smoke like this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Don’t worry.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breaking his silence, the homeroom teacher spoke as we
followed him down the stairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I looked at him in confusion, he came to a stop, turned
around to face me, and said:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’ve done nothing wrong. These girls probably seduced you
like the slithering serpents that they are.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a long time, I failed to understand what I just heard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other students started showing up, seemingly indicating that
the mock exam had ended. Students who were using the stairs often stopped at
the sight of girls in different school uniforms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m well-aware of how earnest of a student you are. I know
that you’re not the type of kid who would run off on your own during a mock
exam to do obscene things with girls from other schools in a remote part of the
school.” In an atmosphere that was gradually becoming rowdy, the homeroom
teacher spoke with a stern voice. “There must’ve been a reason. For example,
you could have been blackmailed... or threatened... or deceived."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I kept looking at his face in confusion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just what on earth was this guy saying?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I can tell from their faces. You damn vixens whose only
talent is fooling around with men.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His glare towards the three girls standing behind me was
filled with clear mistrust.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In his eyes, they were nothing more than malefactresses who
had seduced his favourite honour student. Even Yeon-hee, who he had known for a
long time as her guardian; even Yuyu, who he was a homeroom teacher for; and
even Ka-ryeon, who he had met for the first time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After spitting out his words in disgust, he turned his
attention to me again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Don’t worry. I'll make sure no harm comes to you. I’ll deal
with those girls that cornered you into this mess myself, so you just be
careful to not get caught up in something like this in the future. I’ll have a
good talk with their school teachers as well. So you don’t have to worry. You
just have to keep up the good work studying.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…Aha, I see.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I keep my mouth shut here and do as this adult tells me
to, I should be able to regain my peaceful everyday life. This person will
protect me flawlessly like his frigid countenance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There may be rumors and gossip, but it’ll quiet down in no
time if I stay silent. I’ll be able to restart my life of devoting myself to
studying without any damage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But, if that happens…!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Damn it…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I thought about the three girls standing behind me. If that
happens, what will become of them?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If Yuyu gets punished the school will contact her parents,
and if they're the strict type, they won't just let it pass. Not only that,
it’ll become hard for Yuyu to be at school. Then there will be a high possibility
that Yuyu will quit school for real.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon doesn’t have parents. However, there’s the
Manageress who lived her life only looking after her little sister as an older
sister. The Manageress will be very sad if she finds out that Ka-ryone has
caused trouble with this incident. Then, crushed under the guilt in regards to
her older sister that has gotten bigger, Ka-ryeon will spend day after day in
agony.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As for Yeon-hee, her reputation as a model student who was
even a student council president in middle school will be tarnished. It may
even affect her admission into university. She’s been suffering alone because
of her birth and her relationship with me. Her heart will wear out even
further.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is it really okay to leave all the responsibility to these
three girls so that only I can live?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘But, what should I do in this situation?’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I broke out in a cold sweat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man in front of my eyes, Kim Muhyeok, isn’t the kind of
person who’d let this sort of thing just pass. What’s more, there were many
students passing by who were watching this situation unfold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no way to cover everything up without holding
someone responsible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even if I were to insist that I was responsible as well, the
outcome wouldn’t change greatly. In the end, we will lose our everyday life
until now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Think…!’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I didn’t give up, and kept thinking. Biting my lips,
focusing my entire mind, like when I’m solving an extremely advanced applied
question, I thought frantically.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The answer, where is the answer to solve this situation?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At that moment—</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An idea flashed into my mind, just like how a solution to a
mathematical problem you couldn’t figure out what formula to apply suddenly
pops up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘But this is…’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A violent repulsion swept over my whole body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I may be able to solve the problem if I act according to my
thought just now; however, that might not be the textbook answer. I may regret
it saying I’ve really made a big mistake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I go with this choice, I’ll probably be throwing away
everything that I’ve been protecting till now. I will lose many things
incomparable to skipping out once on a mock exam.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Just what should I do…?’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feeling desperate, I looked behind me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Staring at the three girls who had their heads down with an
expression as if everything was over, I thought about why these girls acted the
way they did until now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And why I’ve lived only to study until now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘The reason why I immersed myself in studying and distanced
myself from human relationships like dating…’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was ridiculed and dumped by a girl I used to like.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was abandoned by a woman who I’d thought of as my mother
even though we weren’t blood-related.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But my mistrust in women and my obsession with grades and
academic ability weren’t due to my past.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I just didn’t want to form a close relationship with another
person. The other person might have different feelings about me, and I was
afraid of being hurt from it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The other person might not like me as much as I think. That
other person might suddenly abandon me one day. I don’t want to be involved
with an “other person” like that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That…was the me created from my trauma.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s why I did nothing but study. If I only study, there’d
be no need to form a relationship that’s more than necessary. There’d be no
need to get hurt from a relationship with another person.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So I’d maintained my relationship with others to such a
degree that it would not interfere with my everyday life. Although I was
friends with Sega, I had nothing but superficial conversations with him.
Although I cherished Yeon-hee as my little sister, I had failed to notice what
was troubling her because we never had any heart-to-heart talks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With nothing but a shell of a relationship left, I continued
immersing myself in studying. I took no interest in a things like romance. If I
only studied, there was nothing to worry about and nothing to lose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reason why these three girls told such lies to me was
because I was that sort of a human.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun, what’s the matter?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While I was keeping my silence, the homeroom teacher asked
with a suspicious look on his face. Instead of replying, I clutched my fist and
let out a sigh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now I fully understood why these three girls told such lies.
I finally had the answer to the burning question that had made me storm out of
the classroom during a mock exam.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then what should I do? Where should I go from here now that
I have a complete comprehension of the reason behind their actions?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Mr. Kim.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This may not be the right answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the answer I must choose has already been decided.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’ve got it wrong. These girls were seducing me, you
say?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I slowly raised my head and looked straight into the
teacher’s eyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feeling an inexplicable impulse surging within me, I smiled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I think you’re mistaken. These girls, I was just playing
around with them.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no stopping now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wh…What?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I just messed around with them for fun, but things got a
bit twisted. I was only playing with them… but these girls were too innocent,
and they started fighting over me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Messed around with them for fun…? Too innocent…?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ve made a little mistake. I knew better than mindlessly
laying my hands on innocent girls who’d never gone out with a guy before. Who
would’ve known they’d come to my school and create a fuss like this? Hahaha.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What in the world are you doing
right now!?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The other me was yelling inside. He was trying to stop me
from carrying out my absurd plan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was throwing away the image of a model student that I had
built up so far, and getting on the wrong side of the homeroom
teacher-slash-guardian who had always favoured me. Furthermore, the students
who were passing by began to stop, sensing the unusual mood, and started
looking our way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I do this, my future school life was as good as doomed.
Just keeping my mouth shut and staying still would have been the best for my
future, but here I was doing the exact opposite.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stop, shut up, it’s not too late to
shut up.</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The other me was ordering me
endlessly inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, I had a reason for what I was doing right now!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Kim. I’ll be more careful next
time, so could you let this one just slide?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shrugging my shoulder, I asked frivolously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Earlier, the teacher was trying to turn me into a victim by
treating the three girls behind me as the perpetrators. But that must not be
the case. It can’t be a situation like that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I alone have to be the perpetrator!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Are you… saying this trouble was caused by your
misbehaviour with these—not one, but three—girls over here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, come on, Mr. Kim, don’t be like that. You know I’m a
guy, and it’s not like I forced them.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Are you out of your mind? One of the girls is your younger
sister!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, you didn’t know? We might not be blood-related. Well,
not that it matters even if we were.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I smiled as wickedly as I could.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have to play the villain here from start to finish…!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Think about it, Mr. Kim. Wouldn’t you get a hard-on if you
were living alone under the same roof with this fine-looking girl?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why you…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abruptly, the homeroom teacher grabbed me by the collar. I
couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t care at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihow4OlZ5oNb4UGmu_f1sZKnfEvJa4M9Vd2daaTH4_y8xM3Q42mBpKHB9Cw_tdqTAAqkboL_bW5L_sqiaLMuNsLoP0mplGtaTmH8ElK-Fv84qNl-61ub_M2NbJ-V-1i_looCxdpXtNjBY/s1600/BW_v01_0008_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihow4OlZ5oNb4UGmu_f1sZKnfEvJa4M9Vd2daaTH4_y8xM3Q42mBpKHB9Cw_tdqTAAqkboL_bW5L_sqiaLMuNsLoP0mplGtaTmH8ElK-Fv84qNl-61ub_M2NbJ-V-1i_looCxdpXtNjBY/s1600/BW_v01_0008_Final.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t back down a single step.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What’s wrong, Mr. Kim? It’s a given for a guy when he sees
a hot girl. Maybe you don’t get it because you’re not married yet.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I needed him to get angry at me. Have him lose his cool so
that he doesn’t notice the true intention hidden inside my drivel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I thought you were a diligent, studious model student.
That’s why I didn’t interfere and let you be. How did this…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…You’ve got the wrong person, Mr. Kim. I’m quite the skirt
chaser.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A sharp pang of guilt pierced my heart. This man has given
me the greatest help in my life. It wasn’t like he gave me financial aid or
took care of me as like a parent. But if it weren’t for this man, my present
self wouldn’t have existed. Even at school, he trusted and favored me greatly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reason why he discriminates against women with such bias
was probably because of Yeon-hee’s mother. His friend married an immoral woman,
and because of it, his friend suffered and died. That had distorted his view of
women.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I have no choice but to go against this person. I do
feel gratitude toward this man, and I do think that I should repay his kindness
someday. The trouble that I’m causing him with this commotion, I’ll give a
proper apology and ask for his forgiveness someday. Despite that, I can’t back
down. I have a reason why I can’t.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And to tell the truth, I was a little angry with him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Uncle, these three girls aren’t
that bad as for you to degrade them!'</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These three girls had lied to me. They had deceived me. But
what was the reason?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Yuyu lie to me so that she could drop my grades and
steal the title of first place?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Ka-ryeon lie to me so that she could find a person who
would feed her for the rest of her life?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Yeon-hee lie to me so that she could cross the line with
her older brother who may or may not be blood-related?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did they lie in order to satisfy their perverse desires?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘That wasn’t it…!’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They simply didn’t want me to hate them. They didn’t want to
grow distant from me. They didn’t want to lose me. They were merely holding
onto me out of desperation. Even if it meant lying, they didn’t want to lose
their relationship with me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The girls knew well that I was the sort of person who tried
not to form a relationship with others that was more than necessary. Because
they knew I was the type that distanced myself from others, they had no option
but to use extreme methods to hold on to me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indeed. In the end, I was the reason why these three girls
had told such lies to me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu had no choice but to continue lying because she thought
I was a person who would coldly sever a relationship. Ka-ryeon had seduced me
because she’d judged that entering such a relationship was the only way that my
attitude would change. Yeon-hee had acted in such a way because I failed to
give her the affirmation that we would still be a family even if we weren’t
related by blood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They treasured my relationship with them so much. Was it
okay to criticize them on the sole reason alone that they lied? Rather, aren’t
I the one who should be criticized for failing to give them a proper answer to
their feelings and making them do such things?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then what should I do? What should I do in order to become
the person who could support these girls who got hurt because of me?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Mr. Kim, aren’t these girls pretty nice even to your eyes?
It’s hard to pick just one girl. Three-timing is the only way to go here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With my collar still being grabbed, I turned my head back. I
saw the three girls, each of them with a different look on their face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I turned my gaze to one of the girls. Then I vulgarly raised
my voice to my classmate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hey, your boobs are seriously huge. Honestly, I bet all the
guys wants to cop a feel when they see your boobs. I was so lucky that I got to
spend my time with a girl like you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a surprised look on her face, Yuyu covered her breasts
with her arms. But I took no heed and continued, speaking the whole truth and
nothing but the truth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ve had a lot of headaches when I was with you, but eating
lunch and studying together with you wasn’t so bad. It was quite fun.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu was staring at with me her eyes wide open. She had an
abundant collection of expressions that I never got tired of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’re the one who made the boring school where I’d only
sit and study into an exciting place. I want to keep studying with you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Glasses…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I shifted my gaze next to her. I spoke playfully to my
junior who was standing there silently.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Your legs were to die for. Especially when you wore a pair
of stockings, it was great, like it was a fetish. I couldn’t keep my eyes from
going below your skirt.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I babbled so that the other people would perceive me as a
hopeless pervert.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But at the same time, I didn’t leave out what I wanted to
convey.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Working with you was quite fun. Even if you were slacking
off, it was reassuring that I had a coworker that I could work together with.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon didn’t have her usual carefree look. She was
staring at me with a crimsoned face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If you hate burdening your older sister while you worry
about how you’re going to live, just rely on me. I’m not a stranger anymore, so
I’ll take care of you for a while even if I don’t plan on marrying you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“S-Sunbae…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I shifted my gaze again. To my little sister who had shrank
away, I spoke leeringly:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You grew up into such a cute little girl. Even if a guy
doesn’t have a thing for little girls, he would give in to your seductions.
There’s no way I could stay sane when I live under the same roof with such a
girl.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no doubt I was saying stuff that anyone would
disapprove of. Even I thought so as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Still, in between the perverted words, I mixed in my true
feelings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It doesn’t matter whether or not we are blood-related. Even
if the blood tie that was connecting us were false, the ‘time’ we have spent
living together so far will never be a lie.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeon-hee looked at me with tears in her eyes. She looked so
pitiful that I wanted to hug her right this moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“To me you’re an important person that I want to keep being
together with whether or not you’re my little sister. No matter what happens,
our relationship won’t end.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oppa…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I shook of the hand that was grabbing my collar and turned
around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, I have to finish this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Earlier you told me to choose one of your three girls. That
is, to choose only one girl and abandon the other two girls.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The reason why I did nothing but study and distanced myself
complicated relationships.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was ridiculed and dumped by a girl I used to like. I was
abandoned by a woman who I’d thought of considering as my mother even though we
weren’t blood-related.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So I tried not to form a relationship with others that was
more than necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that reason, I
only studied and lived with ease inside the meritocratic world where nobody
would try to hurt me. I was that kind of human.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, by losing my memories of the past three months,
I’ve changed. These three girls who struggled to get deep inside my heart
changed me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No matter what, I have to change.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sorry, but I can’t do that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Among the crowd of onlookers that filled the stairs and
hallway, I caught a glimpse of Sega’s face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘You won't have regrets if you can
act like a man.’ </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sega’s voice flashed across my mind.
I don’t know if what I’m doing right now is manly or not, but I have no
intention of having regrets after it’s over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“All three of you are my women. I’ll take the
responsibility.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I opened my arms wide and hugged the three girls. The crowd
of onlookers around us burst into an uproar, but I paid no attention to them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All three of them didn’t reject me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Hurry up and run.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hurry! It’ll be hard to handle if another teacher shows
up!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After whispering to them in a suppressed voice, I pushed
them away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Immediately after that, I took a punch to my face and
stumbled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ahn Kyeong-hyun…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Glaring at me with a contorted face, the homeroom teacher
grabbed me by the collar again. But without a moment to wince from the pain, I
threw a look at the three girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Hurry…!’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As if they understood my look, they used the opportunity to
slip away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Overwhelmed by the serious atmosphere, the nearby students
were frozen in place. The three girls made their way through the crowd and ran
down the stairs. After confirming their escape, I let out a sigh of relief.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Mr. Kim, what’s the meaning of this?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sure enough, the other teachers showed up from the crowd of
students.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ll handle this! Please don’t concern yourself!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the other intimidated teachers were hesitating, the
homeroom teacher started dragging me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Come with me! I would’ve never thought you were this kind
of a kid…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the end, the situation unfolded the way I wanted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The homeroom teacher perceived me as the perpetrator and
Yuyu, Ka-ryeon and Yeon-hee as the victims. Now, having lost his cool, the
three girls were nowhere in his mind. The only thing left in his head was his
rage towards a delinquent student who had betrayed his expectations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then I’d be the only to receive punishment. Yuyu, Ka-ryeon,
and Yeon-hee were no longer important to the homeroom teacher. Only I would
stand in the courtroom as the culprit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“This kind of indecent act… I won’t let it slide, so you
better prepare yourself…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I am prepared.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes, the fight has just begun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From here on, I have to thoroughly disguise myself as the
sole perpetrator to the homeroom and possibly even the other teachers.
Masquerading as the villain and misleading others so that it doesn’t implicate
the other girls won’t be an easy task.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I think as far as to apologizing for this incident to the
homeroom—no, Uncle Muhyeok—and repaying my debts, this will really be a long,
long fight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I can’t back down. So that I won’t have regrets, I can’t
back down a single step.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thus I began the fight to protect
the indecent relationship between four lovers.</span></div>
</div>
Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-74080726385875632362016-04-07T17:53:00.000-07:002016-09-29T13:58:14.320-07:00Dawnbringer Volume 3: Main <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTonpybPCkqn1tRH1Da4ANASiAOEbmZNopakMFknDeord50nGnRYFV4-AdsBzbMj9mmStgynm_miwgC3qwu_qenqtH0lJb4WOQO97bOYSVVEgbp4hbsyFO-SGgzvL9fz7M1eIj6ApxsLU/s1600/imgcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTonpybPCkqn1tRH1Da4ANASiAOEbmZNopakMFknDeord50nGnRYFV4-AdsBzbMj9mmStgynm_miwgC3qwu_qenqtH0lJb4WOQO97bOYSVVEgbp4hbsyFO-SGgzvL9fz7M1eIj6ApxsLU/s640/imgcover.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: Jung-Hoon Hong (홍정훈)</b><br /><b>KKEUM/Cheol-i (꾸엠/철이)</b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvAEAKDH8JYE6QnEuG-4GaBdqCgvwdgX-5Bhp9PSP6xxBHFjHhZ7Yj-9vTleDJt3q2SY1i-n6ResOn2l4jIT-33R3jTO53jERQcH76R0RLb6giaY1ODirwyhjrFukX_TphIAKGqc7s0s/s1600/img2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvAEAKDH8JYE6QnEuG-4GaBdqCgvwdgX-5Bhp9PSP6xxBHFjHhZ7Yj-9vTleDJt3q2SY1i-n6ResOn2l4jIT-33R3jTO53jERQcH76R0RLb6giaY1ODirwyhjrFukX_TphIAKGqc7s0s/s640/img2.jpg" width="424" /> </a></div>
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<b>Ladyhawk of the Unparalleled Celerity</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A famous Kishin known for being piloted by generations of beautiful women. Its special armament is the Multi Arm. It normally fights with dual rapiers, but when the battle becomes heated, it uses its Multi Arms to slaughter its enemies. The Multi Arm is also equipped with a plasma cannon for ranged combat.<b></b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNrGg1OdTnvmAAQ1irf-F86EWgV4IQT107JfgRyl0u46leXNSn7AL59ZabgWwlFvdOk12eTXL2LPeT7lVrzcq6bKDoJhaeV5kUbiAORT2jF61rrEw_AomVQWEAON3p2WwBsvhuMZffcw/s1600/img3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNrGg1OdTnvmAAQ1irf-F86EWgV4IQT107JfgRyl0u46leXNSn7AL59ZabgWwlFvdOk12eTXL2LPeT7lVrzcq6bKDoJhaeV5kUbiAORT2jF61rrEw_AomVQWEAON3p2WwBsvhuMZffcw/s640/img3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Content</b><br />
01. An Ominous Feeling from the First Move<br />| <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/09/dawnbringer-v3-01-ominous-feeling-from.html">Part 1</a> |<br />
02. A Girl from the Past <br />
03. Humansia<br />
04. The Weakening of the Gateway<br />
05. The Power of Humanity<br />
06. The Oracle of Artus<br />
07. Epilogue<br />
AfterwordNaranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-22819110968783373132016-04-07T16:33:00.002-07:002016-07-03T23:41:22.661-07:00[Dawnbringer v2] 04. The End of the Vacation<i>It's the end of a book! What kind of adventures will Lezirth and his crew get into next? What new things will we learn about how Lezirth came to be? How long will Narane take to translate it?! See for yourself in the next twenty years to find out!</i>
<br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Narane</i>
<br />
<i>Editors: </i>
<i>MadTix</i>
<i>
<br />
</i>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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[The coup at Critik had ended with the Alliance, after their promise to back the operation, massacring the population. The leader of the rebellion, Kasik, was killed. Kasik’s mentor William Mayer was arrested by the Federation police on the charge of creating dissent among the population.]
<br />
<br />The television displayed the news.
<br />
<br />I turned off my PDA and looked out the window. On the other side of the observation deck of the cruiser’s lobby was the sun setting on Critik-4.
<br />
<br />Or, I guess, the sun’s coming up on the other side of the horizon, while the sun’s setting on this side.
<br />
<br />There had been a lot of happenings in the short time that we were here.
<br />
<br />I smiled bitterly as I looked upon the surface of Critik-4 from the observation windows. Sergeant Aroha was watching with me, though while receiving a glucose drip to recover from overexertion. And I was receiving an IV drip myself from the massive blood loss that I had suffered earlier.
<br />
<br />It was almost funny how we looked, being a slave to the IV pole together.
<br />
<br />“Aroha, this is the planet that you saved. You should feel proud for that.”
<br />
<br />Ensign Meihowa handed her a cup of coffee. She handed me a cup, too, and smiled.
<br />
<br />“Is that so? Then, can I get back down to the surface and take everything from the big name brand shops?”
<br />
<br />“I would like to do that myself, but neither of us will likely get to use any of them for a while.”
<br />
<br />The battle in the Oden system had grown worse, so we were going to be back in the heart of the war. While we were on vacation, the Federation army operations had relocated Ensign Meihowa to a different place.
<br />
<br />The Thirteenth Special Forces Brigade.
<br />
<br />It was a new group created by the survivors of Oden and the Kishin Ladyhawk.
<br />
<br />The “special forces” name alone sounded fancy, but in reality, it represented the will of the Command to put us through whatever difficult task they need solving at the moment. That is, it was the brigade to throw into any dangerous battle!
<br />
<br />“And now, we’re joining that brigade.” Admiral Luise said, Rabbitte in her arms. If she had wanted, then we may have all been transferred to a different platoon, but she must have not done so. I never thought about escaping the heat of battle, regardless.
<br />
<br />And beside her was a silver-blonde girl, tracing her footsteps without daring to catch anyone’s eye along the way. She was wearing a man’s uniform, but... wait, hold on. Isn’t that Kiske?
<br />
<br />His eyes were darting around the room like a scared animal’s, shivering in his unfitting uniform. Understandably, he was in the middle of the enemy’s army, so he was right to be scared. And even though he was wearing the smallest size of the uniform, his sleeves were still too long and flapped around as he moved.
<br />
<br />“He’s Kiske Risner. Private. He’s in our brigade from now on.”
<br />
<br />Kiske became distressed at Admiral Luise’s introduction. “No, wait, I...!”
<br />
<br />“If you don’t like it, do you want to go to the army prison instead?”
<br />
<br />Kiske shook violently as Admiral Luise asked. Of course, a lot of bad things were bound to happen if you put a guy who looked like that into prison.
<br />
<br />I shrugged and sighed. “Princess Riznah will be after us as long as she lives if we have him around. Are we just going to return him when she finds us?”
<br />
<br />“Yes! U-until then, I’ll cooperate with you people! But I’ll never lend my hand to killing another Asa!” Kiske shouted, confidently.
<br />
<br />I sighed at her-- I mean, him. “When am I ever going to need your help?”
<br />
<br />“I-- uh... nngh.” Kiske held his fists in frustration. But it was the truth-- according to Sergeant Aroha, an Asa, the male Asas couldn’t use the traditional magic, and their only ability was of the dirty kind.
<br />
<br />And to think I’ll ever need that help...
<br />
<br />Hm.
<br />
<br />No, absolutely not! I’ll have none of that!
<br />
<br />And as I thought to myself, Private Pencolt entered the break room. The short vacation had put back fat on his body, returning him to his old looks.
<br />
<br />“Hey~ Lezirth! You got what you deserved after trying to spend a vacation with great girls! Hehehe.”
<br />
<br />“Didn’t you get your own vacation canceled, too?”
<br />
<br />“I’m sad too, but I can’t stand watching you building a harem for yourself, yeah?”
<br />
<br />“I’m not building a harem for myself!” I explained, but watching Pencolt laugh had made me laugh just as hard. It was terrible-- I was in serious trouble if I felt glad in any way for seeing him again. “So, did you get placed into the Special Forces too?”
<br />
<br />“Yep.”
<br />
<br />“Then, you’re passing by Critik base before getting passed off into the Special Forces? Then we’ll have a little time, right?”
<br />
<br />I tried to recall the time.
<br />
<br />But Pencolt was looking at me like I was insane. “But this is the Special Forces.”
<br />
<br />“Huh?”
<br />
<br />“This cruiser is the Thirteenth Special Forces Brigade’s main base and the command center.”
<br />
<br />“... ... ...”
<br />
<br />We were returning to the battlefield without a moment’s rest? I could already feel the tough times ahead of us.
<br />
<br />I mean, as Lezirth Dawnbringer, I had always lived this kind of life, but I couldn’t adapt after having an actual moment of relaxation as a Private. “So, we’re... going straight back into the war?”
<br />
<br />“Yep. Well, we don’t have any orders yet, so we can rest now. Oh, and we got a new roommate that I haven’t met before.”
<br />
<br />“Hmm?” I became curious. “Are we roommates in here, too?”
<br />
<br />“Yeah, got any problem?”
<br />
<br />“No, but I’m not under watch anymore! And you still are.” Was my effort in the Azoran system not enough?
<br />
<br />Pencolt scoffed. “What a joke! That’s what I should say to you! Anyway, our room’s down in the corner, so we’re the only room with three sharing while everyone else gets four. And, mmh... let’s see. The new guy is Kiske Risner, I hear. Do you know anything about this guy?” Pencolt spoke into the PDA.
<br />
<br />I turned my attention to Kiske in shock. Kiske is my roommate?!
<br />
<br />“I had no choice if we’re keeping him around close.” Admiral Luise nodded.
<br />
<br />Kiske bowed down to greet Pencolt. “I am Kiske Risner. Pleased to meet you.”
<br />
<br />Wait, this can’t be good. Kiske is too pretty-looking, and with Pencolt as a roommate...?
<br />
<br />It-it wasn’t going to end in a disaster, right?
<br />
<br />Already, Pencolt was giving a full inspection on Kiske with his sharp eyes. “Hmm? Wait a minute!”
<br />
<br />“Kyaa!”
<br />
<br />Pencolt suddenly felt around Kiske’s body.
<br />
<br />Though everyone else knew Kiske was also a guy, I jumped up at how criminal the scene looked. “What are you doing?!”
<br />
<br />“I knew it, he’s a guy!” Pencolt shook his hands and wiped them on a wet paper towel. “No matter how pretty you are, I’m not interested in another guy!”
<br />
<br />Pencolt left with those words, grumbling all the way back to his room.
<br />
<br />Kiske was sobbing in the aftermath of the sudden harassment, but Pencolt refused to even throw him another glance as he walked back. </span><br />
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<br />Pencolt, at that moment, appeared like the boldest man I’d ever seen.
<br />
<br />“Ugh. We’ve got nothing but bad news ahead of us.” Ensign Meihowa brushed her hair back tiredly, imagining the dark days ahead.
</span>Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-58964584459569222882016-04-07T16:28:00.001-07:002016-07-03T23:28:42.686-07:00[Dawnbringer v2] 03. Dawnbringer VS Saika - Part 2 <i>Rumour has it that there's an alternate story where Lezirth gets his genes stolen! I wonder what that involves.</i>
<br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Narane</i>
<br />
<i></i><i>Editors: </i><i>MadTix</i><i><br />
</i>
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Princess Riznah, the pilot of Kishin Saika, requested to reopen the communication channel. Her voice resumed on the speakers after reopening the channel.
<br />
<br />
[Shall we see the conclusion of our battle, pilot of the Federation? I am the Harakal of the Asa, Princess Riznah Ereshikigal! What is your name?]
<br />
<br />
“Pilot of Dawnbringer Minor, Lezirth Dawnbringer.”
<br />
<br />
[Lezirth? Hm, a common name. I have no clue how you are managing to use Kishin Arts from such a weak model, but I assume it is already at its limits? Do you wish to surrender peacefully?]
<br />
<br />
“I refuse.”
<br />
<br />
[Unfortunate. Someone like you should have some highly desirable genes.]
<br />
<br />
“What was that, a marriage proposal?”
<br />
<br />
If it was a proposal, it was probably the world’s most casual, least acceptable proposal in history. I could almost blush after hearing such a direct request for my partnership.
<br />
<br />
[Unfortunately for you, we have no tradition for marriages like Humans do. But, once I have Kiske’s child, I could consider having yours.]
<br />
<br />
“...”
<br />
<br />
For a moment, I tried to imagine Kiske and her being together, but my mind drew a blank.
<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha interrupted, unable to sit quietly. “I don’t imagine someone like Kiske could have had any accomplishments to serve a Harakal. Why don’t you surrender to us instead? We have a freedom of relationships over here. Isn’t it beautiful, being able to romance anyone without barriers of social class?”
<br />
<br />
[How impudent, Umea! I...]
<br />
<br />
“Weren’t you just crying to return Kiske to you a few moments ago? It was recorded too, if you want to hear it,” I added.
<br />
<br />
Princess Riznah became bright red. [I... no, I cannot. An Asa will forever remain an Asa. But I am a Harakal!]
<br />
<br />
She... must have honestly loved Kiske, and she had to do all she could to give military decorations to Kiske. However, pushing Kiske into opportunities for earning military honours meant that he was also constantly brought to death’s doorstep. Now that Kiske was taken prisoner by us, her enemies, she must have been writhing in guilt and despair.
<br />
<br />
“If only you dropped your worthless pride as a Harakal sooner, Kiske would have never been held prisoner by us, don’t you think?” Sergeant Aroha used this to taunt her.
<br />
<br />
As she was with William Mayer, too, Sergeant Aroha sometimes had shown a surprisingly cruel side of her, and it had surfaced once again. Even after a Smart Bomb blasted off Princess Riznah’s eye and arm, she had maintained her courageous stance; and then, she was struck with great pain by immaterial, harmless words.
<br />
<br />
[Shut up! I just... no, any more words will only slow down your death, so I will end this chatter now.]
<br />
<br />
“How troublesome.” Sergeant Aroha sighed, and looked back at me. “So, do you have a plan, Lezirth?”
<br />
<br />
“Of course.”
<br />
<br />
At that time, I recalled the cockpit next to Dawnbringer Minor. It was found back at the stadium-- the cockpit that ejected off of the Alliance Alter-Armour when I drove it to the stadium, and inside was a seat full of energy gels from the Chinatown’s supermarket. I had teleported it away as soon as I had discovered it, and then I teleported it back to me for this time of need.
<br />
<br />
I grabbed the cockpit, ripped it apart, and brought the energy gels into my cockpit.
<br />
<br />
“I was wondering what your plan was, and it’s this again? What is this, some sort of dictatorship country where you get a stretch break for every thousand times that you shovel?” Sergeant Aroha sighed, unfolding the army shovel.
<br />
<br />
“If you please, Aroha.”
<br />
<br />
“Hmph... fine, Lezirth.” Sergeant Aroha leaned forward, but turned back around after a thought. “B-by the way, this pose is a little too dirty, isn’t it? If you and I were naked right now, then...”
<br />
<br />
“D-don’t say anything like that! I finally started focusing my mind elsewhere! Did you really have to remind me before a big fight?” I grumbled, moving Dawnbringer Minor.
<br />
<br />
Kishin Saika approached from the front, spreading the Skirt Bits in all directions.
<br />
<br />
[Here I come!]
<br />
<br />
“Bring it on, lovestruck girl!”
<br />
<br />
[Y-you bastard!]
<br />
<br />
Taking my bait, Saika reacted, opening its right hand. Bright, white rays of light shot from its palm. Though the attack was at lightspeed, I easily dodged it beforehand.
<br />
<br />
When in a one-on-one fight, even before the opponent begins pulling the trigger, my mind says “this is when my opponent will pull it.” When in a close-quarter battle, even as I frantically beat on the opponent’s defenses, there are moments that my mind says “this is when my opponent will begin to retaliate.” Combat Insight, I believe it was called.
<br />
<br />
Asa Princess Riznah Ereshikigal was definitely proficient at controlling a Kishin, able to use highly complex Kishin Arts that Prince Tenseron couldn’t, and she had perfectly understood the extent of her abilities.
<br />
<br />
Yet, she was no match for me.
<br />
<br />
Cleverness and experience! There was no one who could possibly match me in those qualities. I am Lezirth Dawnbringer! I am the legendary soldier who lived in the battlefield ever since the age of space began!
<br />
<br />
--Shwooo-!
<br />
<br />
The Skirt Bits reflected the rays of light, aiming for my backside. Saika’s main plan of attack appeared to be trapping Dawnbringer Minor and bombarding it with deadly beams reflecting all around by the Skirt Bits. I quickly dashed forward to escape the Skirt Bits’ encirclement.
<br />
<br />
[Kuh!]
<br />
<br />
Kishin Saika moved back. Thundergod Saika was not a melee-centric Kishin, but a controller-type Kishin designed for mid-range combat. She could not have desired to get in close range with a ground combat Alter-Armour like Dawnbringer Minor.
<br />
<br />
[Get out of here!]
<br />
<br />
A ray of light flared from Saika’s chest.
<br />
<br />
A blast of deadly light!
<br />
But Dawnbringer Minor was already in motion to dodge any attacks. Whatever couldn’t be dodged was deflected by the Black Barrier, and then it swung behind Saika.
<br />
<br />
And a powerful kick to its back!
<br />
<br />
But suddenly, Saika jumped away at an unbelievably fast speed. It had warped away in place of one of the Skirt Bits, using one of Saika’s special abilities.
<br />
<br />
--Kishin Arts! Shining Planar Emporio!
<br />
<br />
And that was not the end of it. One of the Skirt Bits shot away and accelerated to near-lightspeed, flying around erratically. In the blink of an eye, Dawnbringer Minor and Saika were both trapped within blinding lights caused within the flying Skirt Bit’s wake.
<br />
<br />
--No. For Saika, the area was now her own territory.
<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor was the prey that fell into her territory!
<br />
<br />
[Here it comes, Lezirth!]
<br />
<br />
I grinned.
<br />
<br />
[Gah! That snarky attitude of yours! We’ll see how long that’ll last! Hiiiiyaaaah!]
<br />
<br />
Kishin Saika clasped its hands in front of its chest. Between its fingers, bright, luminous spots appeared. It began with one point, then ten, and then a hundred.
<br />
<br />
[Warning! High energy output detected!]
<br />
<br />
Its energy levels spiked up, prompting my pilot assistance program to begin throwing warnings.
<br />
<br />
“Waaah! L-Lezirth! What are we gonna do about that thing?!” Sergeant Aroha panicked, hugging my head in fear. I briefly went back to being smothered to death by her chest.
<br />
<br />
“Hpfh... ffh... s-stop it, Sergeant! We’re going to be fine, just fine! Ack--!”
<br />
<br />
S-something went in my mouth just now!
<br />
<br />
I quickly shoved the panicking Sergeant Aroha away. Quite so, if Saika had released all of its energy from those gatherings of light, they would ceaselessly chase down Dawnbringer Minor as they bounce in every direction by jumping off of the reflective sphere created by the Skirt Bit. Sergeant Aroha was right to be scared!
<br />
<br />
[You have no need to try and prolong your life by using some useless Kishin Art! This is the end, Lezirth!]
<br />
<br />
“Is that so?! I never lose to little lovestruck girls!”
<br />
<br />
And then, Saika disappeared.
<br />
<br />
Saika switched its place around with the near-lightspeed Skirt Bit in succession, almost appearing to move as Dawnbringer moves with the Dance of Discord, and releasing the rays of light. A shower of deadly beams approached Dawnbringer Minor for a kill from every direction.
<br />
<br />
However--
<br />
<br />
--Kishin Arts! Dark Spiral! Palm of Seven Chains!
<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor struck with the Dark Spiral in a full circle, seven times. Reviving the old black holes that were once created by Dawnbringer in the past, linked together with the Ergosphere, the Dark Spirals twisted the space to grip onto the bombardment of beams.
<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor hopped back and approached the encircling ring of light. It pulled out the ground combat blade in preparation.
<br />
<br />
Though I used the Dance of Discord myself, such an ability was an extremely difficult thing for me to control. Then, Thundergod Saika’s Shining Planar Emporio must have been difficult for it to control, too!
<br />
<br />
With that prediction, I quantized the blade to transform it into a great sword of light.
<br />
<br />
Saika was afraid of my approach, so it had scattered the Skirt Bits to erratically move itself away from my attacks. If anyone were to try to shoot or cut it down, then they couldn’t even scratch the edge of its armour. That was the true meaning behind the name of Discordant Thundergod!
<br />
<br />
But what if I were to try this?
<br />
<br />
I raised the Sacred Sword and stabbed into the shimmering, twisting light. Eventually, Saika’s pilot would throw the armour into the blade on her own, unable to consciously control its movement accurately.
<br />
<br />
And, of course!
<br />
<br />
[Kyaaaagh!]
<br />
<br />
Princess Riznah screamed. Even if Saika could control the quantum field, it wasn’t easy for it to control its movement in near-lightspeed!
<br />
<br />
The Shining Planar Emporio was stopped, and Saika appeared at a distance very far away from Dawnbringer Minor. Even as the special technique got broken, she was careful to put her a distance away from the melee-specialized Armour. How very practiced.
<br />
<br />
I gripped onto the Sacred Sword and spun around.
<br />
<br />
--Sacred Sword! Void Slash!
<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor slashed upon the beams of light, held from escaping by the Dark Spiral. As the Dark Spiral shattered, the lights bounced away from the Dark Spiral at lightspeed. At the end of the beams was Saika.
<br />
<br />
[Kuh!]
<br />
<br />
The Skirt Bit created a defensive formation around Saika. The beams struck against the shielding and exploded, and then exploded again. Even in the soundless space, I could feel the shockwaves and energy radiating, giving a very dramatic feel of a silent film.
<br />
<br />
At the same time, Dawnbringer Minor was blinking on and off. It had the looks of a student in a lazy afternoon, dozing off in the middle of a class after a big lunch. Dawnbringer Minor had been pushed to its limit!
<br />
<br />
“Lezirth! We’re out of energy gels!”
<br />
<br />
As expected, the shovel had made the gel feeding extremely quick. Thanks to that, Dawnbringer Minor was able to use all manner of high-intensity techniques, but was it really it? I had hoped that the Void Slash would have been the end of Saika...
<br />
<br />
But there was no way that a Kishin would fold that easily.
<br />
<br />
[Argh! What are you, a monster?!]
<br />
<br />
Despite the heavy damage done by the Void Slash, Saika was still fully operational. It was the difference between a proper Kishin and a Minor-class. Even after such a one-sided beating, my side was dangerously close to depleting all energy, and the Kishin was making a quick recovery from all damages. Saika was at the height of its rage and fear, retaliating back immediately. Even as Dawnbringer Minor was becoming unoperational!
<br />
<br />
“Tsk.”
<br />
<br />
I jumped out of Dawnbringer Minor, teleporting in front of Saika’s chest-- the cockpit. Jumping through the Hyperspace and into complete vacuum with my unprotected body made my insides cry, but I endured it, swinging Colorado and slicing Saika’s cockpit. Colorado quantized, cutting inside the cockpit and splattering the seat with blood. </span><br />
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[Gah!] Prinzess Riznah cried.
<br />
<br />
I had aimed for her arm-- the one that was mostly intact. Saika normally would have been able to protect its pilot from even the Sacred Sword, but my repeated strikes must have caused lasting damage.
<br />
<br />
[Aaaaaargh!]
<br />
<br />
Saika suddenly became inoperational. Princess Riznah could operate Saika remotely, but as long as she was within the cockpit, she had to have been manually piloting. As her remaining arm was cut, Saika had briefly lost control.
<br />
<br />
I shoved Colorado inside the cockpit, placing it under Princess Riznah’s chin. As she grabbed at her wound, I phase shifted through the cockpit glass to enter inside.
<br />
<br />
“Haah... haah...” Princess Riznah hugged onto her cut arm and glared at me. Her eyes were full of hostility, but she also bore the expression of admiration.
<br />
<br />
“You could kill me from the outside, had you wanted to... why have you come inside? Are you intending to hold me prisoner? Or... perhaps?” She rolled up her body, eyeing me. She was trying to hide her body away, but her breasts were looking like they were about to burst out of her tight pilot suit.
<br />
<br />
“Is this your arm?” I held the dismembered arm up. It was so cleanly cut by the Sacred Sword, that a Portable Medic could reattach it right back with a quick operation. The real problem was whether or not her body could take any more operations...
<br />
<br />
I used telekinesis to gather up the splattered blood around the cockpit, injecting it back down her wounds, so that she wouldn’t suffer from blood loss. “Use that Medic to put it back on. And, also...” I deactivated the quantized sword and used Colorado’s edge to wound my arm. Blood dripped out, combining with her blood.
<br />
<br />
With medical nanomachines in my blood, I could transfuse to anybody else. On top of that, my blood repaired the oxidization that occurred in her blood during its time splattering around the cockpit. She could survive the surgery just fine.
<br />
<br />
“What... are you doing? Are you pitying me?”
<br />
<br />
“No, let’s call it appeasement. I might have to stay on friendly terms with the Alliance in the future.” I answered, putting the cut arm against her wound. The Portable Medic began reattaching the arm to her body.
<br />
<br />
I produced the first aid kit from below the pilot seat and handed over antibiotics and painkillers to her. She stared at me like a distrusting wild animal for a moment, but Princess Riznah soon took the medicines and swallowed them down.
<br />
<br />
“Make your return soon. We’ve run out of time. The Federation fleet will be here.”
<br />
<br />
“What about Kiske?”
<br />
<br />
“I’ll return him to you without a single scratch. It’ll be difficult to do that now.”
<br />
<br />
There really was no time. The Federation fleet was within the Critik system, and they were soon going to be in communication range with Critik-4. At that point, I could make no excuses about the happenings here.
<br />
<br />
Princess Riznah looked a little better, probably because of the painkiller. I had noticed now that her eyes were a bluish-gray.
<br />
<br />
“Why are you leaving me alive? Am I not a war criminal from your side’s perspective? And would it not come with a great reward to capture Saika and I?”
<br />
<br />
“Do I have any duty to answer that?” I shook my head. Even if I told the full truth, this girl wouldn’t understand any of it. So, I backed away. “I’ll be off, then.”
<br />
<br />
I shifted out of Saika to return to Dawnbringer Minor. As I made my return, Sergeant Aroha was sitting in the pilot’s seat in my place, glancing at me with crossed arms.
<br />
<br />
“Hmm? What’s happening, Sergeant?”
<br />
<br />
“Hm. Lezirth, your... clothes smell like some other woman!” She dug into my chest with her face, grumbling.
<br />
<br />
I grinned. “You also smell blood and medicine, right?”
<br />
<br />
Then, Sergeant Aroha put her arms around my waist. As she quietly pressed her body against mine, I gently combed down her hair.
<br />
<br />
“It’s my turn now, right?” Sergeant Aroha looked back at Critik-4. The spreading corruption from the center of the stadium was impossible to see from simple radar. And a camera zooming into the stadium saw... the cracks growing larger and larger.
<br />
<br />
“Yep. Anytime you want, Sergeant.”
<br />
<br />
“I really don’t want to be using the power of the Asa...”
<br />
<br />
As she grew up, she never received her family’s love and became confused by her identity, denying her existence as an Asa. She was, however, needed to end the situation in Critik.
<br />
<br />
I held both of her hands, and Sergeant Aroha looked up.
<br />
<br />
“But... Lezirth will protect me, right?”
<br />
<br />
“That’s right, Aroha. You can do it.”
<br />
<br />
Those were the only words I could say.
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<br />
<br />
I brought Dawnbringer Minor into the atmosphere of Critik-4. Behind me was Saika, attempting to teleport away with the captured cruiser.
<br />
<br />
She was still taking the cruiser after all that?! But it wasn’t the time to get caught up on that. The Hyperspace corruption had to be taken care of before the Federation fleet’s arrival.
<br />
<br />
“Dammit! It’s always the same: a Harakal starting crap, and a Black Sister cleaning up the mess that’s left behind! Lezirth! The start of the cataclysm! Fly me to the stadium!”
<br />
<br />
“Right!”
<br />
<br />
Thankfully, there were no more eldritch beings appearing from the cracks. Thanks to the Archdemon consuming a huge number of the Hyperspace creatures, there weren’t too many left over. It was a good thing to remove the Archdemon after all.
<br />
<br />
[Lezirth! Are you okay?! You only have thirty seconds!]
<br />
<br />
[That’s just the time needed for the Federation fleet to get into viewing range! We’ll have a bit more time for them to detect the Hyperspace corruption in the area! Should I try to slow the fleet down?]
<br />
<br />
“Yes, please, Luise! Just a little more time!” I shouted, standing in the middle of the stadium. Sergeant Aroha walked out of the cockpit and into the warped world, standing on the palm of Dawnbringer Minor.
<br />
<br />
“I only did this once when I was young, so I have no idea how well this is going to work.”
<br />
<br />
She inspected the stadium-- what used to be the stadium, and raised her arms towards the cracks. And then she began singing.
<br />
<br />
It was a foreign song that I couldn’t understand.
<br />
<br />
It was a very solemn, yet beautiful song.
<br />
<br />
I couldn’t believe that she was the same girl who’d joke around most of the time. As she sung, her body began glowing as silver tattoos appeared all over her body.
<br />
<br />
The Black Sisters of Asa, they called them. Would it not have been more appropriate to call them the Silver Sisters?
<br />
<br />
With that thought, the world began changing.
<br />
<br />
--Swoooooo--!
<br />
<br />
The air resonated around us.
<br />
<br />
And suddenly, a black circle appeared on Sergeant Aroha’s hand.
<br />
<br />
It was the source of the cataclysm! Even though I had no way of knowing that, I somehow felt it to be true. The ominous feeling and power that crept out of the circle was the same as the atmosphere around the stadium.
<br />
<br />
“Kyaah!”
<br />
<br />
At that moment, Sergeant Aroha screamed in pain..
<br />
<br />
“No!” I jumped out of the cockpit. “Are you okay?! Sergeant?!”
<br />
<br />
“Lezirth?! What about Dawnbringer Minor?”
<br />
<br />
“I can control it remotely too! That’s not important! What happened to you?!”
<br />
<br />
“...Heh heh. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, so it’s not working out so well. It’s my first time trying it with something this big, and I guess it’s too tough starting with a big one right away.”
<br />
<br />
“...What?” I was at a loss for words. “So it’s hurting you?”
<br />
<br />
“... ...That was a joke, Lezirth.”
<br />
<br />
“No, I... just don’t know how to react to such a pan-dimensional sexual harassment.”
<br />
<br />
She collected herself and resumed her singing. The dark crack crept up her wrist, and climbed up her arm.
<br />
<br />
I looked at Sergeant Aroha. She was sweating profusely. She was obviously in huge pain, but she held her ground and continued her song.
<br />
<br />
[The Federation fleet arrived in the Critik system! I’m going to create an artificial storm over the area, so don’t be surprised if it gets cloudy!] Ensign Meihowa warned. As she announced, it began raining quite soon.
<br />
<br />
The Archdemon had previously flash-frozen the atmosphere around the stadium, so the area was covered with rain clouds. So the plan was to cover the planet with rain clouds to prevent visual inspections?
<br />
<br />
The black ring had almost reached Sergeant Aroha’s shoulders. She raised that arm. Her sweat was now replaced with the raindrops, but I could still see that she was in great pain.
<br />
<br />
She was definitely putting her life at risk.
<br />
<br />
Stupid...
<br />
<br />
I should have realized before with a little more thought. It wasn’t normal for a single person to stop a Hyperspace corruption on a planet’s scale. Why did Sergeant Aroha accept such a task so quickly?
<br />
<br />
If I had realized that this task would have put her life to a test, I wouldn’t have been quick to ask her to do this in the first place. Right. Even if I knew that her life was at stake, this action could save millions of lives, so I still may have asked her to perform this. Still... I couldn’t help but feel powerless.
<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha gestured at me.
<br />
<br />
I approached behind her.
<br />
<br />
Her father was taken by the Asa, and she herself was appreciated by neither the Federation nor the Alliance due to her half-Asa identity.
<br />
<br />
And she was still singing out of a sense of duty and the goodness of her heart.
<br />
<br />
I watched over her, afraid of her falling down after spending her energy.
<br />
<br />
‘I promised that I’d protect her... and I can’t do anything but watch her in silence.’
<br />
<br />
I would be glad to endure the harm in her place, but only the Black Sister of the Asa could accomplish this task.
<br />
<br />
And finally... the black ring escaped Sergeant Aroha’s hand. She stopped her singing, and slowly collapsed down. I quickly supported her in surprise, hugging her.
<br />
<br />
She had such a womanly body, and there was not a single part of her that wasn’t attractive that I could lay my hands upon. But my desires were quelled by an even stronger feeling of guilt.
<br />
<br />
“You really did your best, Sergeant.”
<br />
<br />
“Yep. I put in my hundred percent this time, Lezirth.”
<br />
<br />
Rainfall blanketed the earth. I picked the Sergeant up, and looked at the ground through the rain. The cracks around the stadium were disappearing, and the demolished city reappeared. The ruined stadium and the parking lot aside, the place was returning back to normal.
<br />
<br />
“Heh... I still got it after all this time. Damn, I’m... good...”
<br />
<br />
“Hey! Sergeant?!”
<br />
<br />
[The corruption is cleansed! You’re pushing it now, Lezirth! Get back in Dawnbringer Minor!]
<br />
<br />
[Tell them Sergeant Aroha piloted it! Hurry! Fly above the atmosphere!]
<br />
<br />
Listening to Admiral Luise and Ensign Meihowa, I walked back inside the cockpit of Dawnbringer Minor with Sergeant Aroha in my arms. She was limp without strength and nearly rested on my body.
<br />
<br />
“Are you okay, Sergeant?”
<br />
<br />
“Mmh. I’m... as fine as ever.” Sergeant Aroha resumed sitting on my knees. I had to report this situation as Sergeant Aroha having been the pilot of Dawnbringer Minor, but she was too tired for that to be convincing. How was I supposed to ride Dawnbringer Minor?
<br />
<br />
But when Sergeant Aroha took over the controls for Dawnbringer Minor... it stabilized its energy levels.
<br />
<br />
‘Huh? She’s still pretty good, even in this state!’
<br />
<br />
I had worried that the synchronization level might be low with Sergeant, but she was as good as any other high-ranking officer. In retrospect, she was an elite among elites within the Asa. Her decision making skills and abilities were way above average.
<br />
<br />
“Are you really okay, Sergeant?”
<br />
<br />
“Yeah. Phew, our vacation’s over just like that, huh?” Sergeant Aroha rested her head on me. I let her use my shoulder as her pillow and smiled.
<br />
<br />
“It was fun, though.”
<br />
<br />
“Yeah, it was.” Sergeant Aroha caressed my face gently.
<br />
<br />
I spaced out as rainclouds dispersed. The sun was burning bright red as it sunk down the Southern horizon. Above the red sky were the Federation cruisers and destroyers entering the planet’s atmosphere. Sergeant Aroha noticed them, waving Dawnbringer Minor’s hands to signal to them.
<br />
<br />
It was... very close. If we were even slightly late, Sergeant Aroha’s identity would have been revealed, and she might have been forced to clean corrupted planets like some vacuum cleaner. Even later, and this entire planet may have been burned down by a storm of quantum torpedoes.
<br />
<br />
I guess, even though Sergeant Aroha got extra weight on her shoulders, everything worked out pretty well.
<br />
<br />
I blankly stared at the beautiful dusk in the horizon, and nodded.
<br />
<br />
Yep, everything worked out pretty well.
</span>
Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-20323164307460387392016-04-01T11:34:00.000-07:002016-08-31T05:38:36.048-07:00Me and the Tigress Volume 1: Main<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kanel<span style="font-size: large;"> (카넬)</span> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Illustration: Young-in<span style="font-size: large;"> (영인</span></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">)</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Rangii</span>: "You said I'm pretty! This is the first time I heard that!" </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Narae</span>: "I told you to call me when you got back to Seoul." </div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">Saehee</span>: "I am Saehee, the one who came from the family estate to meet you, young master." </div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Baduk</span>: "Please pet my head~!" </div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><i>Contents</i></u></b></span></span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html">01. Starting Story</a><br />
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/07/me-and-tigress-v01-02-second-story.html">02. Second Story</a><br />
03. Third Story<br />
| <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story.html">Part 1</a> | <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/08/me-and-tigress-v01-03-third-story-part-2.html">Part 2</a> | <br />
04. Fourth Story<br />
05. Concluding Story<br />
Author's Notes<br />
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<![endif]-->Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-62545563170621385362016-04-01T11:32:00.000-07:002016-05-30T12:25:14.391-07:00[Me and the Tigress v01] 01. Starting StoryThe first chapter! No, this isn't an April Fools Day thing!<br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Dijon</i><br />
<i>Editor: Narane </i><br />
<br />
A word from the translator:<br />
<br />
<i>Hi readers, I’m Dijon, the translator, and I have a disclaimer to give. My Korean is not good, but my English is perfectly fluent. In other words, I am incredibly sorry for any translation mistakes. Also, there's a manhwa out of this. In light novel terms, chapters 0-28 are volume 1, 29-70 are volume 2, and 71-ongoing are volume 3. So if you're okay with spoilers, here's the link:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://bato.to/comic/_/comics/my-love-tiger-r14598">http://bato.to/comic/_/comics/my-love-tiger-r14598</a></i><br />
<i>This light novel is a ridiculously long series, so don’t expect any closure in the near future.</i><br />
<br />
____________________<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
01. Starting Story<br />
<br />
Everybody must have felt their heart beating out of their chest. Like when showing your parents the worst report card ever, or when the evil boss you fought against whom you thought was a complete stranger said "I am your father," or when the girl you liked turned out to be a boy.<br />
<br />
Now in a situation where my heart’s beating hard, I too understand. Since I’m giving the confession of a lifetime. My life will change based on how this confession goes.<br />
<br />
The target of my confession, the slightly arrogant and dignified Miss Seo Narae, stands before me. Our class president and my childhood friend, she’s the girl I like. Her shoulder length, half-curly hair is waving, and because of her sharply rising eyes that made her look a little fierce, it was easy to tell her personality. Which was to say...<br />
<br />
“The hell is it? If you want to say something, spit it out already!”<br />
<br />
“Ah, sorry.”<br />
<br />
She gets angry easily. Of course, I understand Narae’s feelings. Class was over and she was going with friends to play when I, of all people, grabbed her and brought her to a secluded place behind the gym. Folding her arms and looking nervously at me, I know for sure that her mood was bad.<br />
<br />
But Narae. Don’t pose like that. It makes your already-huge breasts stick out even more. If you compare her to our other classmates, the other girls looked almost pitiful compared to her explosively large... ……What am I thinking about right now?! Get yourself together, Kang Sunghoon. Aren’t you the one who was just childhood friends with Narae, but are now upheaving your relationship with her?<br />
<br />
With a confession of love?<br />
<br />
“Hey, Narae.”<br />
<br />
“What?”<br />
<br />
Na-- Narae’s always gotten angry easily, so don’t be intimidated by her cold response, <i>me</i>.<br />
<br />
“……Um, the thing is--”<br />
<br />
One step. I just need to take one more step! Keep it up! Being unable to confess here means you’re not a man! I have no time to spare. Look! Narae’s so angry now that her face turned red!<br />
<br />
“I-.”<br />
<br />
It was then.<br />
<br />
[♪♩♬]<br />
<br />
A familiar cell phone ring tone cut off my words.<br />
<br />
“Just, just one sec.”<br />
<br />
I was cursing the caller to become impotent for generations for that damn timing when I found it was actually my dad, so I stopped.<br />
<br />
What the hell is it? Does he want me to hurry back and make food for him?<br />
<br />
“What--……”<br />
<br />
[You need to hurry back home.]<br />
<br />
“I was going to go in just a bit even if you hadn’t told me to.”<br />
<br />
[There’s an urgent matter. Come home now.]<br />
<br />
He doesn’t know his own child’s circumstances. Because I got upset I also unthinkingly replied,<br />
<br />
“What the hell is it?! The side dishes are in the refrigerator, I made rice, you don’t need to do the dishes, I also did the laundry, ironed the clothes we’ll wear, threw away the compost when I left, and the newspaper’s on top of the dining table!”<br />
<br />
……I was shocked to remember that I was still in front of Narae. She was still there, looking at me with pitying eyes. Since she knows full well of my domestic circumstances. Because mom doesn’t come home often because of her work and dad’s a patient with uncommon laziness, our family situation is that I have to do housework in their place.<br />
<br />
For now, I should hang up on this damn father. But dad continued, blowing away what I’d assumed he was going to say.<br />
<br />
[Ah, it’s nothing special. Just that my dad died?]<br />
<br />
Dad’s dad. In other words, my grandfather?!<br />
<br />
“.....Eh?”<br />
<br />
[So hurry back home. I’m hanging up.]<br />
<br />
“Dad? Oy, Dad!!”<br />
<br />
The only return was the segmented beeps of the phone.<br />
<br />
“What’s going on at your home?”<br />
<br />
“No, that’s…..”<br />
<br />
Obviously something’s wrong. Is it okay to tell Narae about it? After worrying a little, Narae quickly turned her head and spoke bluntly.<br />
<br />
“Fine. It has nothing to do with me anyway.”<br />
<br />
She may be saying that, but she’s definitely inwardly worried. Others may misunderstand her often, but Narae’s fierce appearance is different from her truly caring personality. I fell in love with her because of that side of her. And as vacation starts today, I wanted to make my confession of love, but…… Now doesn’t seem like the right situation.<br />
<br />
“Narae. I’m sorry, but I have to go now. I wasted your time after you made time for me, so I’m really sorry.”<br />
<br />
“What, all of a sudden?! And after you went and called for me!”<br />
<br />
Ah, she’s really mad. If I leave without saying anything, I’ll probably pay for it later. It couldn’t be helped so I explained my situation.<br />
<br />
“My dad just told me my grandfather passed away….. So I have to go now.”<br />
<br />
Although, from the time I was born until now, I haven’t seen him once.<br />
<br />
“Ah.”<br />
<br />
Narae understood my situation and nodded her head and spoke in a depressed voice.<br />
<br />
“Okay. You can go.”<br />
<br />
“Sorry.”<br />
<br />
“But are you going to the countryside now?”<br />
<br />
I’m not really sure, but,<br />
<br />
“I guess?”<br />
<br />
“Then contact me when you come back to Seoul.”<br />
<br />
“…..Eh?”<br />
<br />
Why do that? After I asked, Narae’s face turned bright red and she shouted.<br />
<br />
“St--stupid! Do you think I’ll just let you off free after wasting my time?!”<br />
<br />
Ah, so that’s it. Is she trying to cheer me up?<br />
<br />
“Ah, then I’ll apologize to you properly then.”<br />
<br />
“And send me a message when you arrive in the countryside.”<br />
<br />
“…..What?”<br />
<br />
“If I said to do it, just do it! Why’re you talking so much!”<br />
<br />
But all I said was “what.”<br />
<br />
“What, you unsatisfied?!”<br />
<br />
Eek. Narae must have shouted because she read my expression. After knowing each other for so long, she can understand what I’m thinking even without me speaking. I spoke while keeping both my hands in the air.<br />
<br />
“Not at all.”<br />
<br />
“Then message me!”<br />
<br />
“Yep, understood.”<br />
<br />
I said bye to Narae and headed home. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"Go by yourself."<br />
<br />
Dad instructed, as absurdly as the idea of him doing chores around the house.<br />
<br />
Ah, before that I should simply explain our household situation for you to fully understand how I feel.<br />
<br />
Right after Dad graduated high school, he cut off all his ties with his family and ran off to Seoul. Because of him, I've never seen any family on my dad’s side. And telling me to go by myself to give my condolences is what you’re telling me to do, Dad. After you said that, did you expect me to say “yes, I understand?”<br />
<br />
“And what about you, Dad?”<br />
<br />
“I’m not going to go.”<br />
<br />
“Even at fifty years old, you’re stubborn like a child.”<br />
<br />
Even at fifty years old, his fists still stung.<br />
<br />
“I can’t just go back after running away. But you should go, since you’re his eldest grandson”<br />
“You’re his eldest son, Dad.”<br />
<br />
Wrinkles formed around his eyes as he spoke.<br />
<br />
“Since when did you start constantly talking back to me?”<br />
<br />
“You didn’t know? I just started today, Dad.”<br />
<br />
It seems like adults often don’t acknowledge that their children have grown up. Rather than try and persuade me properly,<br />
<br />
“If you don’t want to go, then get out of the house.”<br />
<br />
“Who does that?!”<br />
<br />
“I do.”<br />
<br />
He likes to threaten others.<br />
<br />
Thinking about it, I should’ve left the house right then. I should’ve also thought about why Dad ran away from home to go to Seoul. But without even a thought, I lost to Dad’s threat and could only think about leaving Seoul as I got on the bus line headed for the countryside.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After riding the bus for 4 hours and getting off, I arrived in the eldritch world of... I mean, I found myself in Jirisan <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#1" name="top1"><sup>[1]</sup></a>. Maybe because it’s Jirisan, even the air itself feels different.<br />
<br />
…..Right. It’s hot. It’s really hot. Seriously, it’s so hot I might go crazy. Just the temperature itself isn’t a joke. It’s not that it’s really humid, but even under shade it’s hot. Even the breeze is hot. I didn’t know that was because of the bus’s air conditioner, but what in the world? Aren’t mountains supposed to be nice and cool? It may have been because of the crazy weather, but the terminal was completely empty. But, of all places, there was a beautiful woman there.<br />
<br />
Looking to be about my age, she was pretty and gave off a cold appearance. But it was her attire, and the place she was wearing it, that immediately caught my eye.<br />
<br />
She was wearing a modernized hanbok <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#2" name="top2"><sup>[2]</sup></a>. The hanbok was uniquely beautiful, but while it was designed to allow the wearer to move freely and comfortably, that’s right. It’s good up to here. Be it wearing a modernized hanbok, a suit, a kimono, a China dress, or a traditional African outfit, that’s all a part of her freedom. But it’s a different story when the hanbok is completely black.<br />
<br />
That’s right. Black. Like a night with no moon or stars shining, the kind of black you see if you enter an empty room and close the door. No wait, looking in-detail I can see a Norigae <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#3" name="top3"><sup>[3]</sup></a> on her waist and there’s a pattern on the skirt, but this doesn’t change the fact that the woman standing in front of me is wearing a pitch-black hanbok on this hot day, with an expressionless face, standing in the sun, and without a single drop of sweat showing.<br />
<br />
At a glance, she gives the impression that she wants to become a mannequin. She doesn’t give off the sense that she’s a living human. Definitely a feeling that she’s a corpse that was connected to an invisible string and set there. But I could see her chest heaving slightly so it seems like she’s breathing; it must’ve just been my imagination. That’s right. Instead of thinking about that, I should find a bus going towards my dad’s family. I looked at my surroundings as I thought where could it be.<br />
Then our eyes met.<br />
<br />
A fearful chill strong enough to make me forget the heat for a moment swept through my back. That was just one of her footsteps, and it only got worse as she stepped closer to me. More than anything, her gaze was directed at me.<br />
<br />
Is there someone behind me? I turned around and saw a bus with no driver in it. Ah, does she want to get on the bus early? I stealthily stepped away from the woman’s path. Then she altered her course to head towards me. All while looking straight at me.<br />
<br />
One sec. What is this. Is this strange woman interested in me? The one wearing a short sleeved t-shirt, long pants, and sneakers. The one carrying a backpack with several changes of clothes packed inside. Ah, is that it. Is it my face. Quite humbly, I have to say I am handsome. Although this is limited to my reflection in the bathroom mirror. And this isn’t the bathroom.<br />
<br />
At some point while I was thinking these dim-witted thoughts, she approached and faced me. Before I knew it? I hesitated, moved a foot back so I would be ready to run away if necessary, and spoke.<br />
“Seeing that foolish face, I can see that you are the young master Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
I lost my initiative to those strange words.<br />
<br />
“Um, who are you?”<br />
<br />
Suddenly calling me “young master.” What is this woman saying?<br />
<br />
“I am Saehee, the one who had no choice but to come here from the main house to fetch the young master.”<br />
<br />
“If you’re from the main house, then you’re Grandpa’s granddaughter?”<br />
<br />
Huh? Does this mean she’s a part of my dad’s side of the family?<br />
<br />
“No one told me that someone’s going to fetch me here.”<br />
<br />
Just then, my phone suddenly rang.<br />
<br />
“Ah, excuse me.”<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
I answered the phone as I asked to be excused. I can hear a familiar voice.<br />
<br />
[Have you arrived?]<br />
<br />
“Ah, yes. Dad.”<br />
<br />
[I totally forgot to tell you, but the youngest said she’d go get you when I told her you were coming.]<br />
<br />
Did you seriously not tell me. Rather, your what? Youngest?<br />
<br />
“What?”<br />
<br />
[Your youngest aunt is going to meet you.]<br />
<br />
An ominous feeling enveloped me.<br />
<br />
“And what’s her name?”<br />
<br />
[Saehee.]<br />
<br />
“And her age?”<br />
<br />
[Now she’s 40? Or maybe 39?]<br />
<br />
I looked at the woman in front of me. No matter how you look at her, she’s clearly not a 40-year-old middle-aged lady. Do they have the same name? If not, then maybe my aunt’s daughter? No, there’s no way she gave her daughter the exact same name?<br />
<br />
[Ah, she’ll look a little young. She has a baby face.]<br />
<br />
Baby face? If the woman in front of me is my aunt, then the baby face explanation…… doesn’t make any sense!<br />
<br />
“Any special characteristics?”<br />
<br />
[She’s expressionless, cute, speaks strangely and harshly, and she won’t seem like a human. You’ll know her when you see her?]<br />
<br />
I’m looking at the woman, I mean my aunt, who is right in front of me. I made eye-contact and my head is spinning.<br />
<br />
[Then do your best, my child. I’m expecting a lot from you.]<br />
<br />
The call ended without a chance to talk further. He’s always been this kind of a dad. Now, well, it’s nothing new. More than thinking about Dad’s words, the bigger problem is how this woman can be my aunt.<br />
<br />
“Then shall we get going?”<br />
<br />
Let’s check. Since I honestly cannot believe this woman is my aunt.<br />
<br />
“Back then….. what’s your relationship to my dad?”<br />
<br />
“That human trash would be my older brother.”<br />
<br />
What could he have done for you to identify my dad as human trash? But now, rather than that, out of the many things I was told I feel there’s one thing I have to say.<br />
<br />
“But you’re not my aunt, right?”<br />
<br />
“Based on the family tree I am.”<br />
<br />
“And what is your age?”<br />
<br />
“I am 40.”<br />
<br />
We have a winner. The prize is loss of sanity, failure of reason, and absurdity.<br />
<br />
“What?!”<br />
<br />
“The weather’s quite hot. We should get going now.”<br />
<br />
As if she didn’t hear my reply, Aunt Saehee began to walk. For now I followed my aunt and opened my mouth.<br />
<br />
“Today’s definitely hot, right?”<br />
<br />
No matter how much you’re mourning, isn’t moving around in those clothes stifling? --Is what I meant, but,<br />
<br />
“I’m fine. It seems only the young master is having a hard time like a mutt on the dog days..”<br />
<br />
My aunt understood a little differently. No matter where you look at it, she had to be dying of heat compared to me when she’s dressed like that. That’s that, but as Dad said her words are really harsh. She’s not outright insulting, but I think I’ll lose it if I keep hearing her say stuff like that.<br />
<br />
“But Auntie.”<br />
<br />
She suddenly stopped walking. If I did something I would have crashed onto her back. Before I could ask why she did that she spun around, looked me in the eye with those emotionless pupils, and spoke.<br />
<br />
“From now on please call me Saehee, young master. Also, there’s no reason for the young master to treat me with respect.”<br />
<br />
“…..But you’re my aunt, so I should call you that.”<br />
<br />
“Since I was adopted, I do not share a single drop of blood with you, young master. So there’s no need to call me aunt.”<br />
<br />
If you suddenly say that it makes me never want to speak again.<br />
<br />
“But still, because of your age…..”<br />
<br />
“A woman’s age is just a decoration. Do you understand, young master?”<br />
<br />
The first time I saw her smile- I was terrified.<br />
<br />
“A woman’s age is merely a decoration. Since I’ve told you that please call me Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Ah…. Yeah.”<br />
<br />
I shut my clueless yet energetic mouth and could only nod to au… I mean, Saehee’s words.<br />
<br />
“But have you always talked like that?”<br />
<br />
“Is there a problem with the way I speak, young master?”<br />
<br />
If you speak like that to a weak-willed person like me, there’s nothing I can do but droop my tail.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Outside of the terminal I could see an expensive and fancy car waiting for me.<br />
<br />
“Please get in, young master.”<br />
<br />
I nodded my head and entered as she opened the back door with the ease of long practice and guided me in. I moved my butt over so she could get inside, but she closed the door. She went to the opposite side of the car and entered the car. Somehow, I felt like an idiot.<br />
<br />
The car took off and she began to speak.<br />
<br />
“Before we leave, there are several things I must inform you of. Is that okay?”<br />
<br />
“Yes……”<br />
<br />
I twitched.<br />
<br />
“Ah, yes.”<br />
<br />
“First, Father’s funeral was a lie.”<br />
<br />
She told me something totally unexpected.<br />
<br />
“What?”<br />
<br />
“My scumbag brother made the lie to get the foolish young master to come to the countryside.”<br />
<br />
Let’s stop paying attention to the words she attaches to people. Be brave, me.<br />
<br />
“Wait, what are you saying?”<br />
<br />
“Father directly gave the command.”<br />
<br />
…..Dad, I’m beginning to understand why you left his home back then.<br />
<br />
“Then why are you wearing mourning clothes?”<br />
<br />
“These are my normal clothes, not mourning clothes.”<br />
<br />
This woman’s fashion sense is as distorted as her personality.<br />
<br />
“Then, is grandfather at home?”<br />
<br />
“No. When he heard the young master was coming, he went on an overseas vacation.”<br />
<br />
Dangerous. I’m beginning to understand a little as to why Dad cut off all ties with his family. I want to go back home. But I’m already in the car, and there’s no way I can go there and say “it was nice to meet you. Then I’ll be going now~.” There has to be a reason for why they would lie about someone’s death just to get me here.<br />
<br />
“Why did you call me here?”<br />
<br />
Saehee gave me an incomprehensible reply.<br />
<br />
“In order to keep the promise you made long ago with my master.”<br />
<br />
“What promise? And who’s this master?”<br />
<br />
“I cannot tell you right now.”<br />
<br />
I asked her multiple times but she consistently remained silent. There’s nothing I can do.<br />
<br />
“…Wait.”<br />
<br />
I got my cellphone from my bag and called Dad.<br />
<br />
[The phone is out of power. Please leave a voice message.]<br />
<br />
He planned it, this guy. He planned it. Without a doubt he turned off his phone on purpose. Yeah, I’ll gladly turn my phone off too. I pressed the power button on my cellphone for a long time and then shoved it into my backpack.<br />
<br />
“Then what do I have to do?”<br />
<br />
“You just have to live in the residence for a few days.”<br />
<br />
“Whaaaa-t.”<br />
<br />
“I prepared everything you need beforehand so you do not have to worry about anything.”<br />
<br />
“I am worrying about what you just said!”<br />
<br />
“You can think of it as returning home.”<br />
<br />
“My home is Seoul!”<br />
<br />
“There is nothing more to tell you. Please excuse me until we arrive home.”<br />
<br />
You’ve already changed from calling it a residence to a home? You’ve decided on that? I kept talking but she remained silent.<br />
<br />
After 30 minutes of driving on the steep mountain road to deep in the mountains, I got out of the car and was greeted by cool air and a wall bigger than I could imagine. And also a massive gate. It was an old-fashioned, traditional house and it was incredibly big. Is my dad’s side of the family rich?<br />
Looking at the massive wooden gate that seemed to belong in a historical drama or a folktale, I felt the sudden urge to shout “Come out.”<br />
<br />
“Come out!” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#4" name="top4"><sup>[4]</sup></a><br />
<br />
She said it. She really said it. Not me, but Saehee. As soon as she shouted, the gate opened inwards and someone came out to meet us….<br />
<br />
“Welcome, young master!!”<br />
<br />
I dropped my bag, turned around, and ran full force.<br />
<br />
Dad, I think I know now. Why you left your home. And why you didn’t want to go back. It feels like I might hate this house. Actually, I do hate it.<br />
<br />
Dad. It seems that I’ve misunderstood you all this time. I thought that you were a geezer. But I thought wrong. Dad, you really grew up to be normal with a fine personality...<br />
<br />
<br />
Considering that the household has a dog the size of a bus greeting its visitors!<br />
<br />
<br />
A yellow dog, big beyond common sense, opened the door with its front paws, blew gusts of wind by wagging its tail, and spoke in human language. Being raised in such a house and becoming the way he is now, Dad must have been a very gifted child! Hahahahahahahaha!!<br />
<br />
What the hell is that!!<br />
<br />
“Did you forget something in the car?”<br />
<br />
She asked in a bored voice, and I turned my head towards her, surprised. Although I was running as hard as I could, Saehee was easily walking next to me.<br />
<br />
What is this. It’s weird.<br />
<br />
“Were you surprised?”<br />
<br />
I’m surprised even now.<br />
<br />
“Did you think I wouldn’t be? Haa, No wait, what is that? And what are you?! I, now, haa, running, haa, but, you?!”<br />
<br />
“It’s teleportation magic." <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#5" name="top5"><sup>[5]</sup></a><br />
<br />
Who are you, Hong Gildong?! <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#6" name="top6"><sup>[6]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“And what, haa, is that?!”<br />
<br />
“A phantom.”<br />
<br />
“Phantom?!”<br />
<br />
The wall between reality and delusion is collapsing. Is this a dream?<br />
<br />
“Before that, suddenly moving on this hot day without warming up is not good for an unathletic person like the young master, so if you’ll excuse me.”<br />
<br />
Without the chance to even ask“What are you excusing yourself for?”...<br />
<br />
“Huh?”<br />
<br />
She grabbed my waist with her strangely cold arms and I was lifted into the air, bringing me back in front of the large dog. In this ineffable situation, Saehee spoke to me as I was dazed.<br />
<br />
“Welcome, young master.”<br />
<br />
I wanted to pass out.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I sat down on the wooden main floor as Saehee, sitting dutifully in front of me, gave me an explanation.<br />
<br />
It is said that in the beginning, the phantoms were born in chaos. The phantoms lived freely with their mysterious strength and some viewed humans as friends, some as food, and some as enemies. And to put an end to this time for the sake of humanity came Hwanung <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#7" name="top7"><sup>[7]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“….Why the Dangun myth all of a sudden?”<br />
<br />
“This isn’t a myth, but a true story. And it is polite to wait until others are done speaking.”<br />
<br />
Saehee scolded me and continued her explanation.<br />
<br />
In order to open up this world for humans, Hwanung stood fast in his resolve to stop phantoms from harming humans. And by that resolve the two strongest phantoms, the Tiger and the Bear, sought to become his wife. And the tiger wasn’t chosen because she ran away.<br />
<br />
“Our master is that tiger. And our ignored master was sealed away by Hwanung and the Bear.”<br />
<br />
“That’s too severe.”<br />
<br />
Getting sealed because she wasn’t chosen. How could they do that so arbitrarily……<br />
<br />
“I think so too. She got sealed away just for trying to tear apart the mountains.”<br />
<br />
She’s talking about a tiger, right.<br />
<br />
Anyway, at the same time the phantoms were forced to live hidden from human eyes. Sometimes a crazy phantom that lost all reason would appear, but by borrowing Hwanung’s power the humans made it so those phantoms were eradicated and could no longer be found on this earth. And Hwanung, the orchestrator of these events, lastly sealed the tiger away but by a moment of compassion, was said to make a kind of promise with it. It is at this point that I raised my hand.<br />
<br />
“And what is that promise?”<br />
<br />
Saehee didn’t answer.<br />
<br />
The tiger believed in that promise and quietly slept until now. After that a family was chosen to protect the seal, and continued that duty for generations.<br />
<br />
“And that is why the young master was brought here.”<br />
<br />
I may be confused, but I still couldn’t believe this.<br />
<br />
“And Dad?”<br />
<br />
“He cut off all ties with his family and fled from his responsibilities. If my scumbag older brother had kept his promise, the young master would not have had to come here.”<br />
<br />
Dad, I did misunderstand you. You’re really just human tra--…, no, you’re still my dad, so I shouldn’t curse at you. Anyway, I’ve already experienced a situation beyond common sense so there’s nothing I can do but believe her.<br />
<br />
“And what do you mean by protect? I don’t know such strange things.”<br />
<br />
“That’s okay. The ability to protect it is in your blood.”<br />
<br />
“If a person is supposed to protect the seal isn’t that bad for you guys?”<br />
<br />
“No it is not.”<br />
<br />
“Why?”<br />
<br />
“It’s just a title, anyway.”<br />
<br />
“….What do you mean by that?”<br />
<br />
“We call it the protector of the seal just for convenience’s sake. For generations you were just observing the seal. They, like the young master, are powerless humans.”<br />
<br />
It was just for a bit, but I felt embarrassed for thinking that I might have special powers.<br />
“Is there anything else you are curious about?”<br />
<br />
“So you’re saying that all phantoms are keeping their bodies hidden?”<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
Is that so. In that case,<br />
<br />
“What is that?!”<br />
<br />
Until now I was intentionally ignoring it, but I spoke while pointing at the dog with its tongue sticking out and its tail wagging that was sitting in the yard behind Saehee. That’s right, a dog. It’s a dog, but a monstrously huge dog.<br />
<br />
“It’s a dog.”<br />
<br />
“That’s right, it’s a dog. A monstrously huge dog.”<br />
<br />
“It seems you know quite well.”<br />
<br />
“I don’t mean that! I mean, what the hell is it? Is that dog a phantom too?!”<br />
<br />
“That is correct.”<br />
<br />
“And you said phantoms are hiding?”<br />
<br />
“It’s hiding even now.”<br />
<br />
“Where is that?”<br />
<br />
But the dog is scratching itself with its hind leg?<br />
<br />
“Normal humans are unable to see it.”<br />
<br />
“Could you not deny me my once-normal 17-year-old life?”<br />
<br />
“Compared to an earthworm, the young master is closer to a normal human.”<br />
<br />
Ah, I’m really thankful for that.<br />
<br />
“Then why am I able to see it?”<br />
<br />
“The protectors of the seal are powerless humans, but you are able to see it because, at a young age, a ceremony was conducted to open your spiritual eyes.”<br />
<br />
I can assume that the spiritual eyes are meant to explain the power to see phantoms. But she said something about a ceremony. What the hell is that?<br />
<br />
“What do you mean by a ceremony?”<br />
<br />
“I cannot tell you right now.”<br />
<br />
Is your catchphrase “I cannot tell you, please wait for now”? As I wrapped my head around what to do next and worried about how to get more information, this woman-- I already stopped thinking of her as my aunt-- turned around and spoke to the huge dog.<br />
<br />
“Since it seems that the young master understands us now, please change into a human.”<br />
<br />
“Okay!”<br />
<br />
There was smoke and a bang! No, the bang didn’t actually occur, but it would have fit the mood. When the smoke cleared away, there appeared bobbed-up hair in an almost unnatural shade of brownish yellow, on top of the head were raised dog ears, and the girl had on a dirt-covered hanbok jeogori <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#8" name="top8"><sup>[8]</sup></a> and pumpkin-colored pants; she spoke while shaking her hands and speaking to me. She looked so young that it seemed like she should have been getting admitted into elementary school. With shining eyes that fit her appearance, the dog-turned-child spoke.<br />
<br />
“I’m Baduk! It’s nice to meet you, young master!”<br />
<br />
Even as I am swept by her vigorous attitude and making me nod in response, I couldn’t hold back from asking,<br />
<br />
“Are you that dog from before?”<br />
<br />
“Yes!”<br />
<br />
And one more question.<br />
<br />
“….Who gave you your name?”<br />
<br />
“Grandpa did!”<br />
<br />
Grandpa’s naming sense is the best. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#9" name="top9"><sup>[9]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“But young master. Is it okay to ask you for one request?”<br />
Baduk went up to the house floor with shining eyes. I nodded my head, unable to betray those expectant eyes.<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
“Please pet my head~!”<br />
<br />
Before I knew it, Baduk was stretched out on all fours and spoke with her chin on my thigh. When the hell did she do that? But until just now she was standing behind Saehee?<br />
<br />
“Please do it~.”<br />
<br />
I don’t know if Baduk could see how embarrassed I was, but she implored me with the tail on her butt shaking from side to side. I was barely able to reply while keeping my composure in this situation.<br />
<br />
“I know now that your name is Baduk and that phantoms exist…… how does that lead to me petting you on the head?”<br />
<br />
Even while saying that, I was petting that girl’s head.<br />
<br />
Huh? Since when was I doing that?<br />
<br />
“Hawooo---.”<br />
<br />
To say that I enjoyed seeing her close her eyes, her blush, and being sprawled out totally carefree… there’s no way I could even think that. Pull yourself together. Yet even while thinking that I slightly touched that girl’s ears. She flinched. I pulled on them with my fingers. They’re warm. They’re not like toys. They’re real ears.<br />
<br />
“Awuuu~. Our ears are our weakness, young master~.”<br />
<br />
Seeing Baduk twisting her body, blushing as she used my thigh as a pillow and rolling around, if time stopped as I found and stabilized my inner peace… no way I could say that. I shook my head from side to side. Seeing Baduk sprawl out nearly made me lose my mind.<br />
<br />
“Then I shall continue my story from before.”<br />
<br />
Saehee started her story as though nothing happened. If everything that happened just now was a plan to calm me down, this woman must be a snake phantom.<br />
<br />
“We all live here as a part of our master’s household”<br />
<br />
Since before I came here, there was something I kept wondering so I asked her one more time to make sure.<br />
<br />
“That master you’re talking about is the tiger that was sealed away, right?”<br />
<br />
“That is correct.”<br />
<br />
“And I came because I had to protect the seal.”<br />
<br />
“That is correct.”<br />
<br />
“But there’s also a promise I have to keep?”<br />
<br />
“You’re unexpectedly intelligent.”<br />
<br />
What do you mean, unexpectedly? Anyone could easily comprehend your story without that crazy self-introduction in the middle.<br />
<br />
“Then what the hell do you mean by a promise? Can’t you tell me now?”<br />
<br />
I blurted out the question again after first asking in the car, but Saehee replied with something totally unrelated.<br />
<br />
“Do you like hiking?”<br />
<br />
Why are you talking about hiking all of a sudden? I’ll answer her anyway.<br />
<br />
“I don’t hate it, why?”<br />
<br />
“In order to answer the question you just asked, we need to move from here.”<br />
<br />
“….Where to?”<br />
<br />
“Into the mountain.”<br />
<br />
….Great. Because things turned out like this, I want to know why I came here and why I met phantoms. I’m not the kind of person to cluelessly do as he’s told. I brushed off my seat and got up.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There are a lot of things in this world that I don’t know.<br />
<br />
“Huff— huff— huff—.”<br />
<br />
“It would be best for you to exercise more, young master.”<br />
<br />
Don’t you think that you two are the weird ones?<br />
<br />
It’s already been 40 minutes since Baduk and Saehee guided me where to go from the house. I’m not physically unfit. On a continuous uphill trek, the weird ones are Saehee who was easily climbing the uneven road, and Baduk who was animatedly climbing next to her feet.<br />
<br />
“Young master. If you’re tired shall I carry you?”<br />
<br />
I shook my head from side to side at Baduk’s words. Just look at yourself. How in the world could I ride on the back of someone with the appearance of a child.<br />
<br />
“Just- huff- a little, let’s- huff, -rest.”<br />
<br />
My back was already smeared with sweat, my legs were shaking, my breathing was ragged and my chin was rising and falling. Until now my male pride was keeping me going, but this is my limit. I can’t go. I can’t walk anymore.<br />
<br />
“That won’t do.”<br />
<br />
But Saehee cut off my words in one strike.<br />
<br />
“Young master, you are walking slower than a turtle. We need to walk for 6 hours without rest to get there before the sun sets. If it becomes night, this will only become more tiring.”<br />
<br />
We need to walk for 6 more hours. I raised my arms in surrender.<br />
<br />
“I can’t go. I said I can’t go. Don’t you know that I’m a normal human?”<br />
<br />
“My normal human father was able to make it there in 3 hours without a rest.”<br />
<br />
What does that matter to me? I bet Grandfather could do that teleportation thing too, right?<br />
<br />
Ah! Then, I thought of a solution that could end this situation. It’s really embarrassing, and I don’t want to do it twice, but it’s probably better to be embarrassed than have to walk for another 6 hours. No, it’s definitely better.<br />
<br />
“Say...”<br />
<br />
“Yes?”<br />
<br />
“Uh, can’t you grab me and use teleportation magic to take me there?”<br />
<br />
“Yes I can.”<br />
<br />
A cool reply.<br />
<br />
“Do you really want to do that? Even though back then you said quite confidently that we should go up the mountain?<br />
<br />
I just noticed. This woman hates me.<br />
<br />
“It’ll be better than being so exhausted.”<br />
<br />
“Although this displeases me, if you’ll excuse me.”<br />
<br />
Saehee hugged my waist and picked me up.<br />
<br />
“Eh? Young master. Can’t I carry you there?”<br />
<br />
Baduk was next to me, incessantly shaking my leg. Saehee treating me like a parcel, or getting on Baduk’s back like a savage? There isn’t a dilemma. Even if you were to change to your original form, I refuse.<br />
<br />
A 6 hour hike for me is a 10 minute walk for Saehee. Looking at the one who nimbly climbed the mountain without sweating a drop even while carrying a person, and at Baduk following with her tail wagging as if going on a walk, I could feel in my bones that these two really weren’t human. Suddenly curious, I asked Saehee a question.<br />
<br />
“So what kind of phantom are you?”<br />
<br />
“I am unable to answer your question.”<br />
<br />
What are you, an online game admin? I gave up on asking any questions.<br />
<br />
“We’re here.”<br />
<br />
Saehee dropped me off at a huge cave entrance. At a glance, I could tell it was over three times my height and about 10 meters wide, and my jaw dropped. What in the world, was there such a big cave in Korea?<br />
<br />
“Please enter.”<br />
<br />
Saehee went in first. I followed behind her and entered when……<br />
<br />
“Wait. It’s too dark.”<br />
<br />
Only travelling a bit, I had to stop. I entered the cave, but I couldn’t even see me feet properly. So I couldn’t properly walk anymore. Do I have to take out my cell phone? I stuck my hand in my pocket and, damn. I put it in my backpack and left it behind. Baduk came right up next to me and spoke as I was unable to do anything.<br />
<br />
“Heh heh, then this time, I’ll help you.”<br />
<br />
Before I could even ask “how?” Baduk-<br />
<br />
“Uwak?”<br />
<br />
I was thrown to the sky. What is this all of a sudden?!<br />
<br />
“Com~bine!”<br />
<br />
Baduk lightly leaped underneath me and put her neck between my legs and landed on the ground.<br />
<br />
Can I just die?<br />
<br />
“Wait, hey! This isn’t right!!”<br />
<br />
A little girl smaller than me is carrying me on her shoulders. Thinking about this objectively, this is a laughable situation, but by my perspective I was so embarrassed I could die.<br />
<br />
“Eh? Then, should I walk on my four feet so you can get on my back instead?”<br />
<br />
“I hate that even more!”<br />
<br />
Isn’t that perverted? No wait, this entire situation is perverted!<br />
<br />
“Then I’ll go like this.”<br />
<br />
Baduk turned her head from side to side as she tried to look at me.<br />
<br />
“Hey! Hey!! Don’t, don’t move your neck!!”<br />
<br />
“Hawuung?”<br />
<br />
Baduk tilted her head indicating she didn’t understand, but there was absolutely no way I could explain the reason to her! How am I supposed to explain the reasons to handle with care when it comes to teenaged boys?!<br />
<br />
“Just keep going like this!”<br />
<br />
“Yes~!”<br />
<br />
In the end, I just decided to give up.<br />
<br />
Some time after Baduk was carrying me deeper into the cave.<br />
<br />
“The master’s seal will break in a few years.”<br />
<br />
Saehee suddenly told me that. Suddenly hearing her voice so clearly surprised me, but what was even scarier was the meaning of what she said.<br />
<br />
“What’d you say?”<br />
<br />
Are you telling a man that a phantom who was dumped and had a huge tantrum is going to be freed?<br />
<br />
“So much time has already passed that the seal is reaching its limit.”<br />
<br />
“Then if that seal were to break what would happen?”<br />
<br />
“Master would probably eat you first?”<br />
<br />
Baduk said such a scary thing with an innocent voice.<br />
<br />
“Please don’t worry. Our master does not eat food that will make her sick.”<br />
<br />
“And who’s the food?”<br />
<br />
“Of course, our master wants to keep the promise so there is no reason for her to do so.”<br />
<br />
I was concerned about the promise ever since before. But,<br />
<br />
“Can’t you tell me what the promise is that I have to keep?”<br />
<br />
“I am unable to tell you myself.”<br />
<br />
Saehee closed her mouth again.<br />
<br />
A long time passed as I was unable to see a thing. Then I saw a soft light in front of me.<br />
<br />
“We are almost there.”<br />
<br />
At Saehee’s words, I tapped on Baduk’s head and spoke to her.<br />
<br />
“Let me down.”<br />
<br />
“I’ll go just a bit more.”<br />
<br />
“No, I mean for the sake of my innocent sensitivity, please put me down.”<br />
<br />
“Hawuung?”<br />
<br />
Baduk’s body language showed she didn’t understand, but she let me down anyway.<br />
<br />
“Thank you.”<br />
<br />
For now, since Baduk succeeded in getting me here without injury, I should express my thanks.<br />
<br />
“Heh heh~.”<br />
<br />
Baduk laughed happily and thrust her head towards me with her tail wagging. It’s that, right? I petted Baduk's head.<br />
<br />
“Hawuuuu.”<br />
<br />
Her ears were even pricking up.<br />
<br />
Saehee’s walking towards the light. And the light is slowly getting brighter, and I kept walking until I discovered what was in the middle of the light, at which point I stopped and my mouth hang loose, speechless.<br />
<br />
<br />
A tiger the size of a mountain was sleeping.<br />
<br />
<br />
White fur, close to silver in color, with talismans stuck shining and illuminating the cave and black stripes were swallowing that light. The white tiger, even lying down, was exerting an overwhelming presence.<br />
<br />
“Words can’t even…”<br />
<br />
For such an unreal sight, I wasn’t open-minded enough to go “Ah, that’s right. Of course that kind of a tiger exists. If there’s a dog the size of a bus, who says there shouldn’t be a tiger the size of a mountain? After all, the world is huge! Hahahaha-.” My two legs were firmly implanted onto the ground and my eyes couldn’t peel away from the giant white tiger. But really, that’s a tiger? As big as a mountain? One that looks like, if that thing stood up, it’d tower over huge apartment buildings?!<br />
<br />
“This is our master. Please do not lose your mind, young master, and move forward”<br />
<br />
But Saehee grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. Baduk was pushing me from behind.<br />
<br />
“Wa, wait! I need to prepare my mind!”<br />
<br />
“How much time will you need?”<br />
<br />
I thought hard at Saehee’s words.<br />
<br />
“70 years?”<br />
<br />
“You have 7 seconds.”<br />
<br />
Hey, that’s too short.<br />
<br />
“Your time’s up.”<br />
<br />
“Uwak?!”<br />
<br />
As I was being dragged to the tiger that was big beyond belief, I was overwhelmed and amazed all over again. The fur was shining and silvery, the curves on its body made like Goryeo porcelain. And,<br />
<br />
“…….”<br />
<br />
“…….”<br />
<br />
With pumpkin-sized and thin pupils bigger than my head, it felt like it was capable of casting spells on people no wait did it just open its eyes? It just opened them!!<br />
<br />
“I came with the young master, Master.”<br />
<br />
Saehee spoke as she politely dropped to her knees. Baduk fell to the ground and exposed her belly, showing an expression of obedience.<br />
<br />
“I have arrived, Master.”<br />
<br />
“So you’re here.”<br />
<br />
But the tiger’s eyes were only directed towards me. Should I pee myself? Or have my legs tremble? Go insane? But out of all those choices, my one action was,<br />
<br />
“The tiger spoke!!”<br />
<br />
I pointed my fingers as I shouted, and I thought even then that this was an idiotic act. The tiger revealed its teeth as it laughed. I just hoped that its smile didn’t mean “I feel like eating human meat for lunch today.”<br />
<br />
“Why are you so surprised? Is my ability to speak that weird?”<br />
<br />
Honestly, your existence in and of itself is weird.<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
Why in the world did I naturally speak so informally? Maybe it’s because I was so scared. Or maybe I got used to acting like this because of Baduk.<br />
<br />
“You’re quite bold and honest.”<br />
<br />
If you throw away common sense, then those concepts will become meaningless.<br />
<br />
“That’s right, boy. Do you know why you came here?”<br />
<br />
“I came here to fulfill a promise, but I don’t know what that promise is.”<br />
<br />
The tiger directed its gaze at Saehee.<br />
<br />
“So you didn’t tell him.”<br />
<br />
“I felt it would be best for Master to tell him directly.”<br />
<br />
“Is that so.”<br />
<br />
The tiger looked back at me.<br />
<br />
“You look alright with coming here without being given a reason.”<br />
<br />
“The shock of all this is so big that I look okay. So, let’s start over from the beginning.”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean?”<br />
<br />
Instead of answering I took a deep breath and cried out loudly.<br />
<br />
“Run for your lives!”<br />
<br />
I turned around and ran with all my strength.<br />
<br />
……They brought me back.<br />
<br />
“It seems you were raised to be a delightful child.”<br />
<br />
I sat with my legs folded in front of the tiger after getting captured, and spoke in submission.<br />
“I was raised normally.”<br />
<br />
The gigantic tiger bared its supernaturally large teeth as it laughed.<br />
<br />
“That’s right. But still, you are here to keep a promise between us from long ago.”<br />
<br />
This tiger! What are you saying to a person who doesn’t even know what that promise is?<br />
<br />
“Shouldn’t you explain it first? I said this before, but I don’t know what that promise is.”<br />
<br />
The tiger’s avoiding my eyes. Ah, it forgot what I said. It’s obvious.<br />
<br />
“Then I shall tell you.”<br />
<br />
After going ahem as if readying its voice, the tiger growled lowly as it spoke.<br />
<br />
“The one who placed this seal on me left me with one prophecy. When this seal would yield to my strength and I would be freed, a man to be my husband would be sent to me.”<br />
<br />
“……What?”<br />
<br />
“And if I fall in love, even if the seal is broken they swore to never bother me again.”<br />
<br />
“……What?”<br />
<br />
At this, I looked pointedly at Saehee, the one who dragged me back here, for an additional explanation.<br />
<br />
“That is what Master thinks it is.”<br />
<br />
But Saehee skillfully avoided answering with those words. I wanted to ask for more, but the tiger opened its mouth and I decided to listen for now.<br />
<br />
“Now the seal upon me is weakening, and after a few years I will be freed without effort. And this generation of protectors includes a boy who I have laid my eyes upon. I suppose this could be called fate.”<br />
<br />
“Excuse me? What are you saying?”<br />
<br />
“My husband who has been blessed by the heavens. I am saying that this man is you.”<br />
<br />
I can’t hear it, I can’t hear it.<br />
<br />
“Ahhh, I have waited so long for this day. Finally I can receive love.”<br />
<br />
“Um, I can’t understand what you’re saying right now…….?”<br />
<br />
“Do not worry. Although I have lived for a long time, I have never allowed another man to lay his hands upon me.”<br />
<br />
Do you really think that that’s what I’m worrying about?<br />
<br />
“So let’s have a wedding.”<br />
<br />
“Like I said, who will?<br />
<br />
“Who else but you?”<br />
<br />
“…..Eh?”<br />
<br />
“You are the wonderful man to be my husband. You are quite handsome and raised to have a nice personality. In other words, you were raised lovingly by the heavens.<br />
<br />
Your appraisal of me is too generous.<br />
<br />
“So, when would you like the ceremony to be?”<br />
<br />
Someone’s really jumping the gun here.<br />
<br />
“Um, I never said I’d marry you though?”<br />
<br />
The second I said that, the air within the cave changed. I guess this could be called a mourner’s house? It suddenly felt as if my shoulders became heavy.<br />
<br />
“Are you saying you hate me?!”<br />
<br />
“That, oh, I’m sorry, but our differing species create an insurmountable wall?”<br />
<br />
“So you’re saying you cannot accept me because of my animal form?<br />
<br />
Even if that tiger is surprisingly speaking the same language as me?<br />
<br />
“That’s right! It may be possible to overcome differences ethnicity, culture, age, and gender, but a difference in species is too much! Because I’m a human…”<br />
<br />
As I kept talking, I realized the truth. Even now there was a little girl lying at the feet of the tiger. Her name is Baduk. Whose real identity was… a massive dog!<br />
<br />
“Is that it? Then if I become a human, everything will be fine!”<br />
<br />
“No, that’s not it!”<br />
<br />
I was too late. The once massive tiger’s body became covered in white smoke, and there was a girl’s appearance appeared…… Ara? Something’s weird?<br />
<br />
“So it’s okay as long as it’s like this?”<br />
<br />
Without a chance to get my thoughts together, I could only look at where the tiger disappeared and at the talking little girl who was looking up at me, and I was able to return to reality. That’s right. She was looking up at me while she was speaking. The tiger that was bigger than a mountain before it disappeared was nowhere to be found, and in its place was a cute little girl who looked to be in the third grade!<br />
<br />
A mysterious looking girl with tiger ears pricking up, a tail elegantly shaking, and silvery white hair tinged with black stripes acted as a replacement. Excluding her hair that was hiding her flat chest and other embarrassing areas, in other words, she was standing proudly even while in the same state as she was when she was born. That’s right. She’s naked.<br />
<br />
Why are you talking so coolly! You’re naked! Completely nude! You took off all your clothes?! When Baduk changed shape she had on a hanbok, so why are you totally naked?<br />
<br />
“Achoo-. Human bodies really are delicate. Just from this slight cold- achoo! Uuuu, it’s cold.”<br />
Of course it’s cold. Even if it’s summer, did you think being naked while being deep in a cave wouldn’t be cold?<br />
<br />
“You, where are your clothes?”<br />
<br />
“Hm? Why do I have to wear such bothersome things? And why are you saying such things now? I had nothing on since the beginning.”<br />
<br />
So she’s a nudist.<br />
<br />
Of course, I can understand the tiger’s words. Since animals don’t need to wear clothes. But if you transform into a human you have to wear clothes like a human!<br />
<br />
“That is because the naked body of the opposite sex cause excitement, Master.”<br />
<br />
Saehee, who until now remained a passive observer, brought up an unnecessary subject. At her words, the tiger had a smile of satisfaction on her face as she took a step towards me.<br />
<br />
“Is that so?!”<br />
<br />
And another step. My eyes were dazzled at her pure-white skin.<br />
<br />
“You’re......”<br />
<br />
Another step.<br />
<br />
“Aroused by me!”<br />
<br />
The tiger that was approaching right up next to me… or rather, the little girl that took its place, hugged my waist. From what I could feel beyond my clothes, the little girl’s body heat and her slim chest on my hips were causing me to be…… Sorry, it wasn’t actually arousing. Although I was in a situation where a naked girl was stuck right onto me, I remained strangely calm. Rather than girl, I suppose I should just call her a child? Or maybe it’s because I know her true form is a tiger. Or perhaps because strong, older sisters are more to my taste.<br />
<br />
“No, I’m just embarrassed to see you like that.”<br />
<br />
I took off the t-shirt I was wearing,<br />
<br />
“Do you want to have our first night in this place? Of course, I’d like to, but I need to prepare myself……”<br />
<br />
While spouting nonsense, I spoke to the reddening tiger.<br />
<br />
“Hands up.”<br />
<br />
“Hands up?”<br />
<br />
As the tiger raised her two hands, I sneakily clothed her with my t-shirt. Even to me it was decently sized and it exposed one of the tiger’s shoulders, but it perfectly covered her down to her thighs so it’s good.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWm2wi1R7TZhDoRusV4yXyig8YkXJvPr4BuX86yFbeQ2aEMby5THyYHOic8eApowdReKihEyU6-wg1fUQ3Dr15iO55TjydPuvlYYb5qAgxybNqkhBWgrKgYLLGGSQLlZFL4iISi1VQaM/s1600/volume-1-first-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWm2wi1R7TZhDoRusV4yXyig8YkXJvPr4BuX86yFbeQ2aEMby5THyYHOic8eApowdReKihEyU6-wg1fUQ3Dr15iO55TjydPuvlYYb5qAgxybNqkhBWgrKgYLLGGSQLlZFL4iISi1VQaM/s640/volume-1-first-picture.jpg" width="443" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Yeah, it’s good. With this, I was relieved from her overexposure. Let’s just be satisfied that she’s only half naked. But, showing that she didn’t understand my nice feelings, the tiger puffed out her cheeks and displayed her dissatisfaction.<br />
<br />
“Why are you making me wear this?”<br />
<br />
“Human’s sexual preferences are such that rather than being totally naked, having some covering is……”<br />
<br />
“Hey, don’t say weird things.”<br />
<br />
“So you like it like that, young master?”<br />
<br />
“I don’t.”<br />
<br />
“If my husband is a man with these kinds of tastes, then it is my duty as a wife to accept them.”<br />
<br />
“I said I don’t!”<br />
<br />
What the hell do these people think I am?!<br />
<br />
“So now that I’ve taken the form of a human, are you content?”<br />
<br />
The tiger looked up at me with eyes full of expectation. Her gaze looked as though she was going to play a fun game with Baduk, who was right next to Saehee. But in the tiger’s gaze, I could feel that something was different. Although I don’t know what that is, although I really don’t know what that is. Although I don’t know other things, I could tell that this girl… was nervous.<br />
<br />
So rather than rejecting her directly, for now I’ll change the subject.<br />
<br />
“I’ll just ask one question.”<br />
<br />
The tiger nodded her head.<br />
<br />
“Why me? It’s a little embarrassing to say this, but to me, you’re pretty. You could get lots of other men if you grew up a little…”<br />
<br />
“You said I’m pretty! This is the first time I heard that!”<br />
<br />
The tiger blushed deeply, embarrassed.<br />
<br />
“Really, are you trying to make me embarrassed?”<br />
<br />
“Hey, hey. You. You’re missing the main point of what I was saying. And if you’re nitpicking over being embarrassed, doesn’t it make more sense to be embarrassed about being naked?<br />
<br />
“How much longer until you answer my question?”<br />
<br />
The tiger was clearly excited as she answered my question.<br />
<br />
“Because long ago, I fell in love with you at first sight.”<br />
<br />
“But this is the first time I’ve ever seen you.”<br />
<br />
“Although you don’t remember, you came to see me once to open your spiritual eyes when you were a newborn.<br />
<br />
...Could that have been the ceremony? The tiger reminisced while looking far away and talked.<br />
<br />
“Until then, all children felt an instinctive fear and cried when they saw me. But you were different. Even after seeing me, you smiled widely and gave me a hug. As you suckled upon my breast, you fell asleep on my bosom.”<br />
<br />
But I can’t remember. I can’t remember being such a brave child.<br />
<br />
“At that time, I felt we were fated for each other. This child to be my husband was above comparison from other children. You are the partner I was waiting for. Look here. Even now, you are confidently standing in front of me. In this place where my powers are large, no other human could stand so confidently as you do.”<br />
<br />
I looked at Saehee.<br />
<br />
“It’s the truth, young master. Even now, Father cannot raise his head near the Master, and the scum humans who looked upon the Master fainted. The only exception is the young master’s mother.”<br />
Ah, if it’s mother, then I can understand. Since she’s always been that kind of person. I have heard that I took after my mom a lot. All that aside.<br />
<br />
“But today is the first time I’ve ever seen you. Suddenly saying we should get married doesn’t make any sense, right?”<br />
<br />
A question mark appeared above the tiger’s head. No, I’m not joking and it’s not a figure of speech, it’s real. A number of strands of hair stood up on her head and formed a question mark. To be able to move her hair so freely, even if she’s taken the form of a child, she’s still a phantom?<br />
<br />
“Why are you like that? Your parents gave their blessing and I have been unable to see the face of my partner for so long, isn’t it obvious?<br />
<br />
What planet are you from?<br />
<br />
“Ah, is that it? Do not worry. When we were performing the ceremony, your mother already gave her blessing for our marriage agreement. By your species’ standards, I have already been accepted by your family. So it’s obvious that our marriage would happen.”<br />
<br />
Mother, just what the hell were you thinking? You thought about marrying your son off to this phantom. That’s too much.<br />
<br />
“That may have been obvious in the Joseon Dynasty <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#10" name="top10"><sup>[10]</sup></a>, but times have changed. I have no intention of marrying someone I don’t like.”<br />
<br />
Because there’s someone else I like. Although I didn’t confess to her yet. But marrying a phantom I’ve seen for the first time. That’s nonsense.<br />
<br />
“…You don’t like me?”<br />
<br />
Struck by my words, the tiger looked up at me. Her eyes became downcast and her mouth lowered, making me look like the bad guy. Uuu, I wavered at the sight of a tiger who looked like she was about to cry and answered her as I turned my head away.<br />
<br />
“How am I supposed to like you if I just met you today?”<br />
<br />
“…Is, is that so.”<br />
<br />
The tiger looked as though she was hurt by my words, her face frozen, and then she lowered her head, depressed. Her tiger ears on her head also drooped naturally. Although my words were backed by common sense, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. But I can’t back down. Because I could feel in her gaze that she sincerely wanted to get married with me. Married to a phantom at the age of 17, one that’s a tiger as big as a mountain! How does that make any sense?<br />
<br />
…But right now in front of me was a crestfallen little kid. Even knowing I was speaking in a straightforward manner, I tried to comfort her.<br />
<br />
“Well, someday you’ll find a partner who likes you too, so don’t be too depressed.”<br />
<br />
“There’s no way that’ll happen.”<br />
<br />
But what came back was a cold denial.<br />
<br />
“After being rejected by you, I’ll stop seeking love.”<br />
<br />
Are you planning on labeling me the worst man in history?<br />
<br />
“No, there’s no need to do that……”<br />
<br />
I shut my mouth.<br />
<br />
I had goose bumps. Ominous energy emanated as if it would kill every living being. And in the center of that energy: the tiger. A girl.<br />
<br />
“If my fated partner isn’t you, nobody else will be able to accept me. If that’s the case, I will wait like this until the seal is lifted.”<br />
<br />
Remembering the private story I heard earlier, my mouth moved on its own.<br />
<br />
“If the seal is lifted… what will you do?”<br />
<br />
“I will burn this land asunder.”<br />
<br />
That horrified me. My hair stood on end, my terror was like fireworks, unable to handle the tiger that was exuding such energy, and I felt such chills that I was could not speak.<br />
<br />
“I will have the Sun fall, and I will swallow the Moon. I will show to humanity that the end of the world has arrived. With others of my household, we will find and kill every single member of the human race.”<br />
<br />
In each word she said, she made clear her powers. No matter how you look at it, she was being serious.<br />
<br />
“If this is Master’s decision, all of humanity’s lives will change before the sun has set.”<br />
“Master’s scary when she’s angry. I hate it.”<br />
<br />
I saw Saehee give an additional explanation in her usual expressionless manner, and Baduk was trembling and hiding behind Saehee, so she must not have been exaggerating.<br />
<br />
“You…”<br />
<br />
The tiger looked at me. Deep within her gaze I could see a terrible hatred, and I may have gone crazy, but I could also see a deep-seated sorrow. It was as if she were a normal girl who was cruelly hurt by a womanizer.<br />
<br />
…What kind of simile is that?<br />
<br />
“Leave this land. I do not want the blood of the man planned to be my husband to dirty my hands. Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, Master.”<br />
<br />
“Deal with the aftermath as you wish. I want to be alone. Nobody is to enter here until I say so.”<br />
“Yes, I understand.”<br />
<br />
Saehee bowed her head respectfully as the tiger turned around.<br />
<br />
“Let us leave.”<br />
<br />
Saehee took me by the arm, leading me.<br />
<br />
Is it okay to leave it like this? Is it okay to return home and then run away from this country? And after the seal dissolves, will the tiger devastate this country? This... doesn’t make any sense.<br />
What is this. This is absolutely crazy. This is completely crazy. It’s crazy for phantoms to exist, and it’s crazy that a phantom was hurt by my words, and it’s crazy that because of my choice I got a phantom to massacre people. But above all, it’s crazy that I shook off Saehee’s hand and turned the tiger back around.<br />
<br />
That’s right! I didn’t do it because I felt pity at her incredible sadness when I looked at her back! Nor is it because I could see my young self in her! I just did it because I was scared of what the tiger would do later!<br />
<br />
“Hey!”<br />
<br />
The tearful tiger looked up at me with a surprised expression, and perhaps she finally realized she was crying because she hid her eyes with her wrists as she spoke:<br />
<br />
“This, this isn’t what it looks like! I, I’m not crying!”<br />
<br />
She was making a ridiculous excuse. That’s right, you’re not crying. I can see that dust got into your eyes first, Tiger-nim <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#11" name="top11"><sup>[11]</sup></a>. But, hey. Why are you speaking like that? Although, the way you're speaking now definitely fits your child-like appearance bette.<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#12" name="top12"><sup>[12]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“You, don’t you know you’re not supposed to interrupt people when they’re talking?”<br />
<br />
“Huh?”<br />
<br />
She peeked up at me with her tear-filled eyes.<br />
<br />
“Of course I can’t marry a girl I don’t like. Even if you are my fiancé, it’s impossible. But I don’t want to reject you just like that.”<br />
<br />
“That’s… What are you saying?”<br />
<br />
Her parlance changed back, but that’s not important.<br />
<br />
“I can’t just leave you.”<br />
<br />
Narae, I’m sorry. Although I like you, this is for your sake and to keep our country safe and peaceful, so please forgive me.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go together. I don’t want to leave you behind in a place like this.”<br />
<br />
The tiger’s ears pricked up. If you compare her from before to now, it was as though she was outshining the sun and moon; her expression clearly brightened immensely and she squeezed with the hand that grabbed mine and spoke.<br />
<br />
“Are, are you serious?”<br />
<br />
“I am.”<br />
<br />
“You’re saying that you’re going to be my husband and love me?!”<br />
<br />
Hey, hey. When did I ever go so far as to say that.<br />
<br />
“It might be possible when we get to know each other better, and then when we’re in love.”<br />
<br />
And that’ll also be possible when you’ve grown up a bit. Rather than speaking of marriage, it’d fit you better to be talking about your times tables. …disregarding her true age.<br />
<br />
“I’m happy! I’m happy! So you didn’t give me up! You chose me!”<br />
<br />
“The young master is clearly a lolicon.”<br />
<br />
I heard words that I couldn’t ignore to my side.<br />
<br />
“Hey, who are you calling a lolicon?”<br />
<br />
“What’s a lolicon?”<br />
<br />
How am I supposed to explain to the tiger that’s asking me with such round eyes…<br />
<br />
“It’s a word for people who are sexually interested in underaged girls.”<br />
<br />
“Don’t say weird things!”<br />
<br />
But the tiger expressed joy at Saehee’s words.<br />
<br />
“So that’s it! So you were aroused because you like me! So my eyes really weren’t wrong!”<br />
<br />
What, do you like lolicons? And do I have to give up on stopping those phantoms from calling me a lolicon as they pleased.<br />
<br />
“Then does that mean that because the young master is a lolicon, you like me too?”<br />
<br />
No, I have to properly tell them. After seeing Baduk's naïve questioning, I couldn’t just leave it like this.<br />
<br />
“I just don’t want to leave you alone in a place like this. I’m not a lolicon!”<br />
<br />
“In public, that’s called being a lolicon or pedophilia.”<br />
<br />
You’re noisy, shut up. My preference is large-breasted, older sisters. When I should hurry home and look at some pictures of big breasted ladies on the internet to reinforce my sexual identity.<br />
Ah… but then there’s that.<br />
<br />
“But you’re sealed to this place, right?”<br />
<br />
“That is correct.”<br />
<br />
The tiger nodded her head. Thankfully, the topic about lolicons seems to have been passed.<br />
“Then what will you do? Can you leave this place?”<br />
<br />
“Do not worry. At this stage, the seal has my true form trapped, but following you is no problem. I’m here now because the weather’s too hot.”<br />
<br />
…Wait.<br />
<br />
“True form? That tiger form from before isn’t your true form?”<br />
<br />
The tiger smiled and answered.<br />
<br />
“That shape is just a spiritual body. My true form is all of Jirisan.”<br />
<br />
“…What?”<br />
<br />
“The entirety of Jirisan is my true form.”<br />
<br />
At the ridiculous scale, I lost what I was going to say.<br />
<br />
“Do you now know of my greatness?”<br />
<br />
Looking at my blank face, she stuck her chest out with pride, but looking at the tiger, I could only say these words.<br />
<br />
“And yet you’re so small.”<br />
<br />
I put my hand on top of the tiger’s head. It seems like it’d be comfortable to lay my elbows there.<br />
“Uu-! I’m going to grow! In a little bit, I’m going to grow up!!”<br />
<br />
Looking at the tiger who raised her arms to hit me, it feels like I’m going to end up forgetting that her true identity is a tiger. Ah, but I didn’t ask the most important thing.<br />
<br />
“But what’s your name? I’m Kang Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
“My name is Ho Rangii.” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#13" name="top13"><sup>[13]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“…What?” <br />
<br />
After Baduk, it’s Ho Rangii? I blankly looked down at the tiger as she yelled at me furiously.<br />
“I, I have a different name given to me by heaven! But I’ll only tell you it when you have enough determination! Our names are like that! Or do you want me to tell you my name?”<br />
I have no idea what she’s saying, but I firmly refused.<br />
<br />
“That’s a nice name, Ho Rangii.”<br />
<br />
“Awooo…”<br />
<br />
Why do you look so unhappy.<br />
<br />
“Then let’s go, Rangii.”<br />
<br />
Since she’s Ho Rangii, I’ll call her Rangii. After calling her that, it seems like a really good name. If I name my daughter Rangii she’d be… Kang Rangii. …let’s forget about that. Narae would kill me. Since I’ve chosen Narae to be my wife. Ah, I just remembered I should send Narae a text. Looks like I’ll have to message her while going down the mountain.<br />
<br />
“Yeah!”<br />
<br />
With the tiger by me, we left the tiger’s cave. Although, I didn’t want to experience that old proverb to survive in a tiger’s cave: keep your wits about you like this.<br />
<br />
“Ah, but one thing. Are Corn Fla*es your main diet?”<br />
<br />
“…What is that?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After coming back down the mountain, showering, and putting some clothes on, I turned on my cell phone to text Narae when the messages came flying in. In total there were… 13 of them. And the sender of all of them was my childhood friend and unrequited crush, Narae. The messages started out as [have you arrived?] [Well? Why aren’t you replying?] but changed to things like [wanna die?] [Wait there. I’m going there right now to get you!].<br />
<br />
Just one day after summer vacation started a problem like the east and west lines blowing up simultaneously has occurred. And Rangii, not knowing my miserable situation,<br />
<br />
“Why do I have to wear such bothersome things?! The clothes Sunghoon gave me is enough!”<br />
<br />
While saying things like that,<br />
<br />
“In order to live in the human world, this must be done, Master.”<br />
<br />
She kept up her stubbornness to Saehee. And Baduk? She was curled up on the floor dozing, not caring at all to those two. In human form. She must feel totally at peace. I also wanted to go back to the days of my carefree childhood… No, no. That’s not the problem right now. For the time being, I called Narae. Before one whole ring could finish, Narae answered the phone.<br />
<br />
“Hel…”<br />
<br />
[The heck! Did something happen?! Why was it off?! If I call you, you’re supposed to answer, you idiot! Don’t you know what a cell phone’s for?!]<br />
<br />
I stopped mid-word in reaction to Narae’s bullet-like voice. Ah, it’s scary. But still, in comparison to Rangii who was adamant about not wearing anything underneath a lone shirt, and the expressionless Saehee who was preaching the importance of attire, I was so thankful for this normal conversation that I could cry.<br />
<br />
“Ye, yeah. Something came up while I was going up the mountain, so I forgot about my phone. I’m sorry.”<br />
<br />
[Then there’s no point in you having it at all!]<br />
<br />
She’s still talking about that.<br />
<br />
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”<br />
<br />
[Who, who was worrying!? Why would I worry about you?]<br />
<br />
“Because we’re friends?”<br />
<br />
[These days, who cares enough to bother their friends during vacation?!]<br />
<br />
“You.”<br />
<br />
[…….]<br />
<br />
Hello, Miss Narae? Why are you not saying a word?<br />
<br />
“Narae?”<br />
<br />
[I didn’t hang up! That’s right, like you said I was worried because we’re friends. So what happened?]<br />
<br />
She asked about me after regaining the use of her words. I want to tell her I’m alright, but the truth is I’m going to die. That’s because this place is a phantom paradise. And also, Narae still thinks that I’m here to attend a funeral, right? Since I thought that it until I got here. I hadn’t even imagined that someone would lie about a person’s death to lure me here.<br />
<br />
“Just, I somehow sent…”<br />
<br />
It was then.<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon! Say something to Saehee as well! Why must I put on such cumbersome articles as that! I said I am comfortable being naked!”<br />
<br />
That was Rangii yelling loudly inside of the house.<br />
<br />
“Wait, I’m in the middle of a call.”<br />
<br />
[……Who was that just now?]<br />
<br />
I felt a chill on the back of my neck. Has Narae’s voice ever been so cold? …no. Never.<br />
<br />
“No, that’s…” <br />
<br />
“The lolicon young master should persuade Master. Will the young master not be aroused if the Master continues to be naked?”<br />
<br />
You’re making my life harder.<br />
<br />
[……Master? Naked? Aroused?!]<br />
<br />
I listened to her as goose bumps popped up. Na, Narae. Since when were your ears so good?<br />
<br />
“No, that’s not it. The situation here is more complicated than the ocean is deep and the sky is wide, so there’s definitely nothing weird…”<br />
<br />
“In the first place, when a man and a woman mate, things like clothes are…”<br />
<br />
“Uwaak!!”<br />
<br />
I quickly covered Rangii’s mouth with my hand and yelled out at Narae over the phone.<br />
<br />
“I can explain!!”<br />
<br />
But all I could hear in my ear was the segmented beep, beep, beep of my phone. A message arrived as I was stunned. It said, [Go die. Just die there.] ……How was I supposed to explain this later on?<br />
<br />
Slurp--.<br />
<br />
Rangii licked my palm with her rough tongue.<br />
<br />
“Uraaak?!”<br />
<br />
What are you doing, getting me dirty? There’s saliva on me!<br />
<br />
“Why are you blocking my mouth? I said nothing wrong!”<br />
<br />
Looking at the indignant and angry Rangii, I felt my patience explode and I spoke to her.<br />
<br />
“Nothing wrong, my ass!! Humans have to wear clothes! And what kind of girl talks about mating and being comfortable when naked! Learn to be embarrassed!!”<br />
<br />
I clenched my fist and hit Rangii on the head.<br />
<br />
“Owie!”<br />
<br />
She raised her hands to her drooping ears, caressing her head. Thanks to that her t-shirt started flapping, and a secret hidden part was dangerously close to being seen.<br />
<br />
“He, he hit me! Sunghoon hit me!”<br />
<br />
Close to tears and acting as if this was unfair, Rangii ran screaming to Saehee, and looking at Rangii clinging to Saehee’s chest, I felt like a complete bastard, but, hey! You were in the wrong first!<br />
<br />
Saehee, who has no idea how to educate a child, rubbed Rangii’s head while calming her down.<br />
<br />
“It’s okay, Master. That just now is how the young master expresses interest and love.”<br />
<br />
You’re speaking complete nonsense again.<br />
<br />
“The young master is mentally immature so he expresses his affection for the Master in an abusive manner. Specifically, the violence like before is a sign of affection.”<br />
<br />
“Don’t do as you want and label me as an elementary school brat who can’t express his feelings of love! That just now was punishment!”<br />
<br />
Her ears and even her tail pricked up and Rangii gave protest.<br />
<br />
“What did I do wrong!?”<br />
<br />
“I was talking to someone on the phone and you were screaming weird things right next to me!”<br />
<br />
The tail drooped down. In its place, her hair formed a question mark. Oh man. What a convenient body.<br />
<br />
“……What’s that phone thing you’re talking about?”<br />
<br />
Do I have to start explaining from there?<br />
<br />
“A phone is used as a means of electrical communication, turning sound waves from spoken words into electrical currents, transmitting and travelling far away, turning into a voice so that spoken words may be exchanged. In this case, a conversation is being struck with the recipient of the phone call.<br />
<br />
My jaw dropped at Saehee’s explanation. What are you, a living encyclopedia?<br />
<br />
“How amazing!”<br />
<br />
Rangii’s hair flew straight up.<br />
<br />
“You mean humans have created such a device?!”<br />
<br />
I’m more amazed at you in many ways.<br />
<br />
“Then does that mean I was interrupting Sunghoon’s conversation with a person?”<br />
<br />
This tiger’s quick to catch on.<br />
<br />
“Yes. That’s right, you brat.”<br />
<br />
“I’m sorry.”<br />
<br />
Oh? I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when Rangii bowed her head to me. Her tail went straight down, too, so it seems like she’s really apologizing. I never thought that she would apologize so honestly.<br />
<br />
“Ah, no. It’s fine. Nothing terrible happened, anyway.”<br />
<br />
Something terrible did happen. After hearing all that, Narae sent me a message telling me to die. Ah, while I have the chance, let’s message her, telling her I’m sorry. When I sent the message, Rangii spoke.<br />
<br />
“Then that’s a relief. Since I mustn’t cause trouble to the man to be my husband.<br />
<br />
At those words, Saehee’s eyes suddenly flashed with light. No, that had to be my imagination. There’s no way a person’s eyes can shine like that.<br />
<br />
“Master. If you do not wear human clothing, you will cause the young master much trouble.”<br />
<br />
No, actually, I don’t think it was my imagination. My thinking was wrong from the beginning. Because she’s not human.<br />
<br />
“…Is that so?”<br />
<br />
Rangii carefully asked me. Although her gaze was almost begging me to say no, walking around like that with only a t-shirt on is a nuisance. Think about it. If she passed by my head when I was lying down on my bed…<br />
<br />
“Yeah. It’s a nuisance. It’s a huge nuisance.”<br />
<br />
“……If that’s the case, then I have no choice.”<br />
<br />
Rangii bowed her head while speaking lowly. Saehee didn’t waste this opportunity, and with the hands of a master craftsman, she skillfully began to dress Rangii. It looked like a white hanbok for the top and blue shorts, but……<br />
<br />
“Hey. You need to take off my shirt first.”<br />
<br />
Why are you dressing her while she has on my clothes?<br />
<br />
“Is that so?”<br />
<br />
Rangii looked up at Saehee when she asked.<br />
<br />
“No.”<br />
<br />
What do you mean, “no?” Ask those questions to me.<br />
<br />
“That’s my shirt. Take it off quickly.”<br />
<br />
“I know that couples are to share even a grain of rice.”<br />
<br />
These days, property management tends to happen separately.<br />
<br />
“I will prepare clothes like this for you, young master.”<br />
<br />
But that’s not the problem. Until now I told myself this situation couldn’t be helped, but the fact that a girl is wearing the clothes I wore for half a day doesn’t make me happy. Moreover, it’s clothes drenched in sweat while I was climbing the mountain, and now the wearer’s a phantom who looks like a child. I feel embarrassed that that shirt is over her bare skin. I opened my mouth to have a word with them, then I quickly turned my head.<br />
<br />
“Hey, hey! Don’t dress her right in front of me! No, why is she changing here in the first place?!”<br />
Because I caught a glance of something when she was raising her leg to put on panties! Do you lack understanding of the word shame?<br />
<br />
“Is it embarrassing to change clothes?”<br />
<br />
“It is not.”<br />
<br />
“Then shouldn’t he not care?”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean, no?!!”<br />
<br />
At this cry from my soul, Rangii answered.<br />
<br />
“But it seems to me that Sunghoon is embarrassed when I change clothes? Then I won’t wear clothes.”<br />
<br />
So then Rangii moved to take off her panties. Before Rangii’s hand that grabbed her panties could move downward, I hit my head to the ground, bowing to her as I spoke.<br />
<br />
“I am not embarrassed when you change clothes, so please go ahead and change here.”<br />
<br />
Let’s throw away common sense. That’s right. Rangii is a child who knows nothing. She may be old, but she’s just a little kid who has no common sense. No, she’s a newborn baby. Let’s think of her as that. Seriously, let’s think of her as that. But why are there tears coming out of my eyes? Farther away, Baduk yawned. ……really, a dog’s life is enviable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After she took off the t-shirt -I was desperate in my own way-- and she put on the clothes Saehee prepared, I was unable to look at Rangii with a different meaning.<br />
<br />
She had the bangs of her black and white hair left alone, her long hair neatly braided with a black band tied to the end, dressed with traditional Korean wear as her top, with blue, hot pants-like shorts, and looking at her from the front makes it look like she’s not wearing pants.<br />
<br />
Ahh, the human imagination is truly mighty. There’s obviously something there, but imagining such a vulgar lack of covering… why am I imagining that from a little brat?<br />
<br />
“It’s the first time I’ve ever worn clothes, but it’s definitely uncomfortable.”<br />
<br />
Rangii complained to Saehee.<br />
<br />
“You will get used to it. Above all, won’t the perverted young master like this?”<br />
<br />
“Is that so? Does Sunghoon like it when I wear such bothersome clothing?”<br />
<br />
I was unable to answer back I like big breasted older sisters wearing clothing that shows off a lot of skin because I couldn’t ignore Saehee who was standing behind Rangii, expressionless. And I didn’t want to reject the excited Rangii because of my tastes.<br />
<br />
“That’s right. It really fits you. You definitely look prettier than before.”<br />
<br />
Her ears were fluttering and her tail was wagging. I wanted to say this before, but are you really a tiger? You’re a lot more like a dog or a cat.<br />
<br />
“I’m happy! I’mhappyI’mhappyI’mhappy!”<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii express her happiness with her excitement and by jumping about, I could only see her as a normal little kid. I couldn’t believe that this innocent kid and that tiger screaming “I’m going to burn this earth and kill everyoooone~” were the same phantom. But,<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon! I’m really glad that I met you!”<br />
<br />
Seeing Rangii running up to my chest, there was definitely no way a human could jump…… wait. That kid jumped way too high? Rangii’s thin thighs were acting right before my eyes. Thank goodness this brat was wearing shorts properly. I could clearly see her top-obscured shorts. No wait. What is this?!<br />
<br />
Rangii wrapped her two legs around my neck, hugging her body to my head. Maybe it’s a child’s unique smell, but although it was very small, I have to emphasize that there was a definite fragrance coming from Rangii’s body as she pressed her chest to my head.<br />
<br />
“Hey! What are you doing!”<br />
<br />
“It’s an expression of my happiness!”<br />
<br />
So you express your happiness by wrapping your legs around people’s necks? Is that supposed to be a wrestling move, too?<br />
<br />
“I can’t see in front of me! Get off!”<br />
<br />
“Then I’ll go like this.”<br />
<br />
Rangii skillfully moved to be on my shoulders before I could react. Rangii’s long tail wrapped itself around my chest. You should change your job from cat to monkey, seeing as you’re so similar to one. Will you be happy if you got to meet Jaecheondaesong? <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#14" name="top14"><sup>[14]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“……You’re heavy.”<br />
<br />
A young kid weights 20-30kg (tn: 44-66lbs), so it’d be weirder if having that kind of weight on your shoulders wasn’t heavy. But the one directly causing said weight is going to deny that obvious fact.<br />
“No way! A person you love is on top of you so there’s no way it’s heavy?”<br />
<br />
While saying that she hit my head multiple times. It hurts. Why are you hitting me. Did I say something weird? Is what you said not incorrect, Miss Tiger? Although if the one riding on my shoulders was Narae I’d attest to your statement, since this monkey-like, cousin to a cat little brat is on me, how could it not be heavy.<br />
<br />
“It seems like you’re thinking of something unpleasant.”<br />
<br />
She’s quite perceptive. In order to shift Rangii’s attention, I grabbed the ankle of the girl hitting my head and……,<br />
<br />
“Why are you doing that?”<br />
<br />
She turned around energetically.<br />
<br />
“Ack, what are you doing now?”<br />
<br />
Then a moment after she said that.<br />
<br />
“Kyahahaha! How fun!!”<br />
<br />
She lied flat, beginning to scream cheerfully. I’m starting to get dizzy too, so I should stop. Since if I make a mistake it’ll be dangerous. I slowed down little by little, stopping. Wow, everything’s spinning. Rangii hugged my head with her legs, making sure she was sitting up on me and then collapsed. Her waist is strong.<br />
<br />
“Was it fun?”<br />
<br />
“Yeah! So human bodies are so weak that this makes them dizzy? But that was fun!”<br />
<br />
“The young master is shockingly good at caring for children.”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean shockingly? I took care of my younger relatives on my mom’s side so I got used to it.”<br />
<br />
“No matter where I look, that kind of personality is nonexistent.”<br />
<br />
“Thanks for the compliment.”<br />
<br />
I spoke while Rangii, who made a nest on my head, was tapping her legs on me.<br />
<br />
“Hey, now get down. Like you said, humans are weak and get tired easily.”<br />
<br />
“Okay.”<br />
<br />
The tiger released her legs from around my neck and tumbled backwards, falling. ……what?! I turned around, surprised, but I could see Rangii had landed on all fours, and a question mark formed on her head while she looked at me.<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
Ah, you’re a member of the cat family.<br />
<br />
“The clueless young master worried about Master.”<br />
<br />
“So my being worried makes me an idiot.”<br />
<br />
“I’d prefer it if you were loving rather than worried.”<br />
<br />
“Ah, that’s impossible.”<br />
<br />
Love can’t suddenly form just from one word. Falling in love at first sight is an exception, but I already fell in love with Narae, so I can’t fall in love with you.<br />
<br />
“Where else could you find such a lovable girl?”<br />
<br />
Puffing out her lacking chest, she spoke proudly while tilting her head up, and while she may be lovable, something was different. Rather than love for that girl, what I felt was…… That’s right, fatherly affection. I suppose you could say that it’s too easy to feel fatherly affection for her. And so, holding onto all that affection,<br />
<br />
“That’s right. Our Rangii is very, very lovable.”<br />
<br />
I patted Rangii’s head. Seeing Rangii smile so happily at this, it made her really look like an innocent little kid.<br />
<br />
“Really?”<br />
<br />
“Yes—.”<br />
<br />
Since she’s a lovable little kid. Rangii clearly showed a happy expression at my words, but strangely, it disappeared after a moment,<br />
<br />
“Then what should…… I do……”<br />
<br />
She started muttering something I couldn’t understand.<br />
<br />
What’s wrong? This is the first time I saw a kid look so down after getting complemented.<br />
<br />
Ah, this is the tiger from Dangun mythology. Could my words or actions have brought up bad memories?<br />
<br />
Ah, I don’t know. If she doesn’t tell me, then I don’t have a clue. For some reason I got upset and lied down in my room. Then at that auspicious moment, a stomach grumbled.<br />
<br />
Grooowl—.<br />
<br />
That was my stomach. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten anything since getting here.<br />
“Then, please excuse me. I shall prepare a meal for the pig-like young master.”<br />
<br />
Let’s filter those words through my brain. That is easily my favorite thing that Saehee said today.<br />
“Food?”<br />
<br />
Baduk woke up after hearing the word food.<br />
<br />
“Will you greedily eat what I bring?”<br />
<br />
Are you hiding some side dishes somewhere is what I thought.<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
“I understand.”<br />
<br />
I came to regret what I said.<br />
<br />
A moment later. Saehee came carrying a table with enough on it to break its legs. Even at a glance, I could tell there were over 10 side dishes on it. How bourgeois. I’m not jealous! There’s no way I’m jealous of how luxuriously you can fill your table! I’m just going to gracefully eat it!<br />
<br />
But after that well-endowed table was laid in front of me, rather than pick up a spoon, I raised a finger to ask Saehee a question.<br />
<br />
“…..What is this?”<br />
<br />
“It is grilled salamander. Marinated, barbecued salamander.”<br />
<br />
“Then, this?”<br />
<br />
“It is steamed snake. Recently caught with its internal organs removed, braised to keep taste and nutrition. Even the shape was perfectly preserved.”<br />
<br />
“And this.”<br />
<br />
“Deer antlers.”<br />
<br />
“That?”<br />
<br />
“The gallbladder of a bear.”<br />
<br />
“That?”<br />
<br />
“Centipede blanched in boiling water wrapped with kimchi made 3 years ago into bossam. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#15" name="top15"><sup>[15]</sup></a><br />
<br />
I wanted to flip the table.<br />
<br />
“What kind of side dishes are these?! Are you making it so I only eat rice?!!”<br />
<br />
Even a frog’s side dishes would be better!<br />
<br />
“It is not good to be picky.”<br />
<br />
“That’s right, being picky is bad! And I’m not picky!”<br />
<br />
I was raised by an ill-tempered dad and my mom whose days spent at home I can count with one hand; I wouldn’t have survived if I were picky about side dishes. But, but who can eat this stuff?! Do you think I’m a person from TV? Did you think I’d eat it while saying “It’s a really dangerous animal, but it’s also high in vitamins and proteins”?! Are you going to record Man VS Phantom? How the hell am I supposed to eat this?!<br />
<br />
“Who could eat this?!”<br />
<br />
“Looks great.”<br />
<br />
“Looks really extravagant.”<br />
<br />
I’m sorry. The residents are phantoms. Seeing Baduk eyeing the barbecued salamander and Rangii concentrating her sight on the bear gallbladder, it felt like I was Alice in Wonderland.<br />
<br />
“Say, Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, young master.”<br />
<br />
“I’m a human. A normal one at that, until yesterday.”<br />
<br />
And I saw some shocking things, so I thought I’d finally started to revolt. Why, you may ask? Because before my eyes, I saw Saehee’s eyes widen and her hand cover her open mouth as her brain comprehend this distorted information!<br />
<br />
“Is, is that so?”<br />
<br />
She’s also stuttering?!<br />
<br />
“I had always thought the young master was a thoughtless, moronic human.”<br />
<br />
“……Even if you say I’m a thoughtless, moronic human, I can’t eat that.”<br />
<br />
“I understand. Then I will prepare the food again.”<br />
<br />
I spoke to Saehee while she was getting up.<br />
<br />
“No, you don’t have to. Well, I’ll just eat it this time.”<br />
<br />
I may have difficulty eating such impactful side dishes, but if I look closely, I can see a few seasoned vegetables there. I had been holding a spoon, thinking I would eat like this without realizing that fact. There were only my eating utensils on the table.<br />
<br />
“You’re not eating?”<br />
<br />
Rangii answered my question.<br />
<br />
“We’re going to eat in the kitchen, so do not worry.”<br />
<br />
“Why?”<br />
<br />
“That is proper etiquette.”<br />
<br />
Like I asked, what era are you from?<br />
<br />
“Who does that these days? Let’s just eat together.”<br />
<br />
Rangii spoke, embarrassed.<br />
<br />
“No, it’s etiquette. We cannot do that.”<br />
<br />
……Even though you’re worrying over this now.<br />
<br />
“Eating alone makes the food taste bad. Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, young master.”<br />
<br />
“Prepare the table so Rangii, Baduk, and you can all eat.”<br />
<br />
“What? Me too?”<br />
<br />
Baduk looked questioningly at me. Why are you doing that?<br />
<br />
“But I can just eat the mixed up leftovers?”<br />
<br />
Ah, that’s right, you’re a dog.<br />
<br />
Hm?<br />
<br />
……Ah.<br />
<br />
Mother. Your son has gotten to the point of treating a house-sized phantom, a phantom transformed into a human, like a normal dog.<br />
<br />
If I saw Baduk eating my leftovers all mixed up in a dog bowl, I would lose something important as a human being, so I’ll have to make her eat with us by force.<br />
<br />
“That’s enough. Just eat together.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, young master.”<br />
<br />
She may have made it seem like she refused once, but a little later, her tail was wagging and her head was nodding. She’s not happy just because she gets to eat food sooner, right? Saehee left the room for a moment. Saehee came carrying rice, utensils, and more side dishes for me to eat on a tray and set them on the table. If you had that, you should have brought it out earlier. I let out a small sigh and held my spoon.<br />
<br />
“Then let’s eat.”<br />
<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
“Thank you for the meal~.”<br />
<br />
I heard each respective reply and with my spoon in hand…… but I put it immediately down and hit the tiger in the head.<br />
<br />
“Ow?! Why are you hitting me? Don’t you know the saying that even Baduk shouldn’t be bothered during a meal?” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#16" name="top16"><sup>[16]</sup></a><br />
<br />
That’s because you’re a tiger.<br />
<br />
“Who eats food with their hands?”<br />
<br />
Is this India? Look at who’s next to you. Baduk's eating while using her utensils like a civilized phantom! She is eating a little too fast, but never mind that. How can a tiger not do what a dog can?<br />
“What’s weird about eating with my hands? I’m a tiger!”<br />
<br />
“Ah, yes. You’re a tiger who changed into a human. If you’re going to eat like that, change back into a tiger.”<br />
<br />
“……Is that okay?”<br />
<br />
I only said one thing to Rangii who was carefully studying my expression and whose hair was creating a question mark.<br />
<br />
“If you are, then go back to the cave.”<br />
<br />
“Uwuuuh—. How mean. Suddenly saying that, Sunghoon you’re mean—.”<br />
<br />
Looking at how depressed Rangii looked, I felt like a bastard but I really didn’t do anything wrong?<br />
“Young master, you truly are the son of my scumbag older brother.”<br />
<br />
I didn’t do anything wrong!<br />
<br />
“If you don’t like it, then eat with your utensils.”<br />
<br />
At my words, Rangii’s shoulders drooped and her tail fell to the ground as she clumsily held her spoon-- no wait-- she held it in her fist like a kindergartener and started shoveling the rice. When she wanted to eat the side dishes, she picked up the chopsticks, stuck them through the food, and barely brought it to her mouth. But as grains of rice fell and side dishes dropped, her tears began to fall. She was totally crying.<br />
<br />
……I can’t watch this anymore.<br />
<br />
“Hey, Rangii.”<br />
<br />
“Sniff, what is it, Sunghoon-the-meanie-who-enjoys-bullying-me?”<br />
<br />
My name isn’t that long.<br />
<br />
“Bring your rice bowl and utensils and carry them over here to eat.”<br />
<br />
“Why?”<br />
<br />
“Come over here and eat.”<br />
<br />
I spoke while patting the seat next to me, and Rangii moved cautiously towards me. It seems she remembers how I hit her before. When Rangii moved to the spot I indicated, I sneakily moved behind Rangii and sat.<br />
<br />
“Hm? What are you doing all of a sudden?”<br />
<br />
I crossed my legs and lifted her onto my legs. It’s heavy.<br />
<br />
“Hueek?!”<br />
<br />
Her totally straight tail was tickling my chin. It’d be tough if she got the wrong idea so I spoke to her before that could happen.<br />
<br />
“Don’t think anything weird.”<br />
<br />
I spoke while picking up the spoon and putting it in Rangii’s hand properly with my right hand.<br />
“This is how you hold the spoon. Understand?”<br />
<br />
“Y, yeah. I understand.”<br />
<br />
“Try and eat.”<br />
<br />
Rangii moved her spoon to eat the rice. It was sloppy, but she was eating her rice a lot better now that she was holding the spoon well. She was totally cute, going nyam nyam while eating.<br />
<br />
“And this is how you hold chopsticks. It’ll be tough at first, but this’ll be the most comfortable as you get used to it so make sure to hold them like this. Okay?”<br />
<br />
I held the chopsticks in Rangii’s hand. Since holding chopsticks is complicated, I fiddled with her hand until I noticed something and stopped. Until I noticed how small and smooth Rangii’s hand is, and her face turning red.<br />
<br />
……Right now I’m doing something that would be totally embarrassing in public. Even though the truth is that all I did was teach a child how to hold her eating utensils. Un-until I was a sixth-grader in elementary school, whenever my mom came home she’d put me on her knee and eat like this with me! I’m not the weird one!<br />
<br />
“You are calmly doing incredibly embarrassing things, young master.”<br />
<br />
My face became red-hot at Saehee’s words.<br />
<br />
“Ah, no! I’m just teaching her proper etiquette!”<br />
<br />
“I understand. If that is what the young master says, then it must be true.”<br />
<br />
In times like this, I can’t tell if she’s making fun of me or being serious because of her expressionless face.<br />
<br />
“A, anyway! You get it now, right?”<br />
<br />
“Y, yeah. I get it. Thank you, Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
I suddenly felt embarrassed so I set Rangii down and I began to eat. I moved my chopsticks to pick up a vegetable, but then I saw Rangii reach her arm out to get the wrapped centipede.<br />
<br />
……Her arm is too short to reach. It’s a tear-worthy sight. I don’t know if she thought it was improper to get up during the meal, but her but her butt remained stuck to the ground.<br />
<br />
“U—uk.”<br />
<br />
She groaned like this while and all I could think was so this is why stature is important. I tried to get the attention of those two with a ‘you two should take care of your master’ stare, but Baduk was too busy eating, her butt moving up and down and her tail wagging. Saehee was staring expressionlessly at thin air, so she didn’t notice my gaze.<br />
<br />
“Uu—. I can’t reach it. I want to eat it…… Unya—.”<br />
<br />
Ah, she’s even beginning to cry. …..There’s no helping it. I endured the strange food and grabbed the centipede wrap with my chopsticks.<br />
<br />
“Ah—.”<br />
<br />
I heard Rangii’s gasp. If I put it on my own rice bowl and ate it then it’d be the perfect way to bully her, but, ah, that’s impossible. Like I said, my stomach isn’t strong enough to eat a centipede wrap. I nimbly put it on top of Rangii’s rice bowl.<br />
<br />
“If there’s a side dish you want to eat then tell me. I’ll give it to you.”<br />
<br />
“……My eyes truly were correct!”<br />
<br />
Looking at Rangii’s big smile, I felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.<br />
<br />
Sorry. I don’t know if I did anything wrong, but sorry.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After eating dinner, the sky was already darkened.<br />
<br />
I guess despite the weird side dishes, Saehee’s actually a really good cook? One thought suddenly came to my attention. I accidentally overate a little, as a result. Though Rangii ate more than me. I have no idea how she could be putting all that in her tiny body.<br />
<br />
As I was blanking out while digesting the food, I heard my cellphone’s ringtone. Is it Narae? It’s probably Narae? Does she want to forgive me? I quickly got up and checked my phone.<br />
<br />
It’s Dad.<br />
<br />
My anger was surging within me. I shouted immediately after opening my phone.<br />
<br />
“You sure called at a good time! What kind of parent tricks their son and sends him to a phantom den?!”<br />
<br />
The receiving party didn’t say anything. Hm? Why’s he like that? If it were Dad, then he’d go ‘hahaha, that’s your dad for you, I guess if it’s unfair, then your dad did it, hahaha’? It was then. I heard her voice.<br />
<br />
[O—oh. Our son. So you’ve even learned how to yell at your mother? You’ve really grown up?]<br />
I screwed up. It’s Mom. My hands were shaking and a cold sweat chilled my back.<br />
<br />
“M, m, m, mother?”<br />
<br />
[Why’re you like that, my son, whom I love, who also stabbed a dagger into my heart? You’re not going to give me the excuse that you saw it was your dad calling you so you didn’t know it was me, are you?]<br />
<br />
“……But that’s what happened.”<br />
<br />
[Your mother is sad. At how you bit your mother who worked to the bone to raise you. I was worried for my son so I came immediately from my work in China to Korea, half-killed my husband, and called you with his phone just to have you raise your voice at me…….]<br />
<br />
Then mother deliberately stopped talking and took a deep breath.<br />
<br />
[I’m so sad.]<br />
<br />
“Ah, ha, ha, ha.”<br />
<br />
My mouth which moved so easily in front of the tiger was stuck.<br />
<br />
[To thrust such a claw at me, my son who just screwed up, shall I use this opportunity and time to break you?]<br />
<br />
He—ek!<br />
<br />
“I’m sorry! I made a mistake! Please spare me!”<br />
<br />
[Oh my, but there’s no reason for me to kill the son who I went through great pains to give birth to?]<br />
No, it seems like you’re going to kill me. My hand was shaking so much that I had to struggle to hold onto my cellphone, and then I heard my mom give a small sigh.<br />
<br />
[More importantly, has everything gone well?]<br />
<br />
That’s a relief. My affectionate and merciful mom seems to have decided to skip over my blunder.<br />
<br />
“Yes.”<br />
<br />
[Really. This louse—kwajeek—without any explanation—uwaaak!!—sent you there, do you have any idea—pok!—how word this mother was?—kyaaaak—]<br />
<br />
I’ll just ignore the noise in the background.<br />
<br />
[Really, when will you grow up?—I’ll die before that! I said I’m going to die!—will you get yourself together if you die?—I’m really dying!!—]<br />
<br />
Ah, they really are a close couple. I’d better marry a gentle, completely non-violent woman.<br />
<br />
[So did everything go well with Rangii?]<br />
<br />
“Oh? Mom, you know about Rangii?”<br />
<br />
[Isn’t it obvious? Who do you think took you there before you were even weaned off your mother’s milk?]<br />
<br />
Ah, of course. Mom took me to Rangii and then…… created the engagement.<br />
<br />
I totally forgot that the main culprit was my mother.<br />
<br />
[Really, there was a girl who was so cute I wanted to take her as my daughter, and I think I remember making a promise but it’s all a little hazy. Well, it can’t have been that important.]<br />
<br />
Am I solely surrounded by people who totally lack common sense?<br />
<br />
“……You really didn’t notice anything after seeing Rangii?”<br />
<br />
[So what if she’s a tiger phantom? When that’s just her astral body?]<br />
<br />
She’s open-minded. Way too open. To the point where I have nothing else to say.<br />
<br />
[So come back tomorrow.]<br />
<br />
“What? Why?”<br />
<br />
I was thinking about bringing Rangii to Seoul with me, but tomorrow? Isn’t that too fast? Because I was thinking about teaching her about the human world at grandfather’s estate before going back to Seoul. But, mom……<br />
<br />
[Why? Are you talking back to me right now?]<br />
<br />
She changed my thoughts in just one word.<br />
<br />
“I shall obey.”<br />
<br />
[Then let’s eat dinner together tomorrow. Okay?]<br />
<br />
“……Yes.”<br />
<br />
After saying that as if I would eat in hell if I didn’t agree, Mom hung up the phone. Ah man, dear God. Please save me.<br />
<br />
“Are you done with your call?”<br />
<br />
Of course, it’s not the time to find God, but deal with this. Seeing Rangii appear by opening the paper sliding door, I felt as if I still had a long ways to go before completing my 12 labors. But what did she just say?<br />
<br />
“Oh, were you waiting?”<br />
<br />
Rangii went “ahem” and stood proudly.<br />
<br />
“Of course I did. I know it is improper to interrupt in your husband’s phone call.”<br />
<br />
If she hadn’t added the part about husbands, then I would’ve honestly wanted to compliment her.<br />
<br />
“Ah, yeah. Thanks.”<br />
<br />
That’s why I thanked her so curtly.<br />
<br />
“So why did you come here? It’s getting dark so a good kid should be going to sleep now, right?"<br />
<br />
“That’s why I came here.”<br />
<br />
I had an ominous feeling so I’ll just cut this at the bud.<br />
<br />
“So you came to say goodnight before going to bed? Yeah, goodnight to you too. Okay, now leave. Right now.”<br />
<br />
“I came to sleep with you.”<br />
<br />
“He—y.”<br />
<br />
Are you just going to ignore me?<br />
<br />
“It’s okay. Even if you cannot stand your adolescent vigor and attack me, I shall accept you with my whole body.”<br />
<br />
Does she even understand what she’s saying? And do you really think I’d attack a little kid like you if I couldn’t stand my adolescent vigor?<br />
<br />
I was worrying about how to send her back when,<br />
<br />
“Excuse me.”<br />
<br />
Opening the door even more and carrying blankets, Saehee entered the room. ……how did she just open the door? She didn’t use her foot and she was carrying blankets with both her hands.<br />
<br />
“I shall prepare a place for you, young master.”<br />
<br />
“By whose decision?” <br />
<br />
It seems like Saehee didn’t have an appropriate response to what I said.<br />
<br />
“Because if I do not prepare this, then a terrible situation will occur.”<br />
<br />
“Like I said, why?”<br />
<br />
“It’s because of me.”<br />
<br />
“This is your doing?!”<br />
<br />
She ignored my words, but seeing her skillfully lay out the bed, I stopped thinking about stopping her. I guess you can call it despair. But after she prepared the bedding, she said,<br />
<br />
“Then I shall go back. Please have a good night……”<br />
<br />
I couldn’t do anything but grab Saehee.<br />
<br />
“Hey. Why did you set two pillows but only one blanket?”<br />
<br />
“Ah, were you going to have her sleep on your arm?”<br />
<br />
“That’s not it. And why the hell is there a tissue box right next to the bed?!”<br />
<br />
Where the hell did you learn that kind of thing from?!<br />
<br />
“I heard on the internet that when a couple sleeps together, this is necessary.”<br />
<br />
“……Does internet work here?”<br />
<br />
“It is wireless.”<br />
<br />
I was shocked at how our country’s technical prowess allowed access to wireless internet deep within the mountains, wait, that’s not it.<br />
<br />
“We’re not a couple yet, Saehee.”<br />
<br />
“You will be one starting tomorrow. Since the young master is a lolicon.”<br />
<br />
“You’re saying that again?!”<br />
<br />
“Then I shall take my leave now.”<br />
<br />
“Hey! Hey!!”<br />
<br />
While saying that, Saehee disappeared like she was fog and closed the door.<br />
<br />
Just staring blankly at the door won’t change the situation. I wish someone would press the rewind button on my life. Even two minutes would be enough.<br />
<br />
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”<br />
<br />
“……When did you get in there?”<br />
<br />
Rangii was unexpectedly underneath the covers, with just her head poking out. Who said you could get in. I’m saying it’s more comfortable for me to sleep alone so get out! is what I wanted to yell at her, but I shut my mouth after seeing her clothes laid neatly next to the blankets. I could see Rangii’s outer clothing and lady’s panties. This must be that, right?<br />
<br />
“……Hey.”<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
“Did you take your underwear off too?”<br />
<br />
“I was told that not wearing underwear when sleeping is good for your health.”<br />
<br />
That kind of saying does exist, but who told......, it was Saehee. There’s no one else but Saehee. After releasing a big sigh, I got up while packing the shorts I brought to wear as pajamas.<br />
<br />
“You sleep here. I’ll sleep in another room.”<br />
<br />
“Why are you going to do that?” <br />
<br />
Rangii sat up. The blanket that was covering her up to her neck naturally moved down and I could see…… couldn’t see her pale skin.<br />
<br />
“Hey.”<br />
<br />
“My name is Ho Rangii.”<br />
<br />
“No, just ignore the small stuff. How did you end up wearing that.”<br />
<br />
The pronoun that, in this case, is being used to indicate my t-shirt. Speaking of Rangii taking off her clothes, after I took that t-shirt from her and stuffed it in my bag, she’s wearing it right now.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, do whatever you want. Wear it or don’t.”<br />
<br />
I got up and pulled the sliding door to the side. It’s not moving. ……huh? I’m using all my strength to try and pull a door made of wood and thin paper, but it won’t budge.<br />
<br />
“Why won’t this open?”<br />
<br />
I was talking to myself, surprised, but then<br />
<br />
“For Master and the young master’s time of intimacy, I applied magic. Until the first chicken cries even I cannot open the door, so no matter what kind of hard play you do, you can relax.”<br />
<br />
Saehee answered. Hey, dammit. So you were there.<br />
<br />
“Open the door right now!”<br />
<br />
There’s no response. It doesn’t seem like anyone’s behind the door. Has she disappeared for now?! I tried to open the door again, but it really won’t open.<br />
<br />
“What are you doing there?”<br />
<br />
……Should I ask Rangii for help? No, there’s no reason why Rangii would listen to my request. Would it really be so bad to just sleep? I still remember a thought like that from before. But still, I should at least try and ask her.<br />
<br />
“Hey, open this door.”<br />
<br />
“I don’t know how to use that kind of magic.”<br />
<br />
“……Why?”<br />
<br />
“Saehee knew those trivial magics so I didn’t have to learn them. I can break it by my own strength. Should I do that?<br />
<br />
“It’s fine.”<br />
<br />
Whatever, I don’t know anymore. I’ll just sleep here for today. I’ll just think of it as sleeping with a younger cousin. It, it’s embarrassing because this came about so quickly. It’s okay. Rangii’s still a child. If I were sleeping with Narae or some other big-breasted older sister type I might be able to escape virginity through some means…… no, I mean I would be able to escape it, but since it’s Rangii, it’s okay.<br />
<br />
“Let’s just sleep.”<br />
<br />
I decided to just get this weird activity over with. I got in quietly next to Rangii. It’s a large blanket so there’s a lot of space left for me.<br />
<br />
“I haven’t prepared myself for our first night yet……”<br />
<br />
I prepared myself to hit you on the head a while ago.<br />
<br />
“Owie! What in the world do you think my head is?!”<br />
<br />
“A cure to stop you from spouting nonsense.”<br />
<br />
“Uuuu—. You are the only one since I was born to ever hit me on the head.”<br />
<br />
“Think of it as a good experience.”<br />
<br />
More importantly, the blanket is very nice and thin. The feel of the wind blowing softly through is really refreshing. Did she put into consideration the fact that it’s summer?<br />
<br />
“Then I’m going to sleep. You go to sleep too.”<br />
<br />
“Is the first night really meant to be like this?”<br />
<br />
Don’t ask me.<br />
<br />
“I heard that we’re supposed to do something more the bigger our love for each other is, before we go to sleep. How strange.”<br />
<br />
“……Why are you so fixated on that?”<br />
<br />
After hesitating for a moment, Rangii responded to my question while grabbing my hand.<br />
<br />
“This will be a long, boring story, but would you like to hear it?”<br />
<br />
“It’s fine, I still think fondly of grandmothers telling an old folk tale.”<br />
<br />
“In what way am I like a grandmother?”<br />
<br />
Rangii pinched my side.<br />
<br />
“Hey hey hey.”<br />
<br />
I spoke as Rangii took the blanket from me and rolled it around herself as she spun away.<br />
<br />
“Even if I don’t know other things, I know that Sunghoon needs a punishment for making fun of someone’s age.”<br />
<br />
This may be a bit of a late response, but you have to be over 4000 years old, so if you think about the wording of what I said I’m not wrong? But even if it is the middle of summer, I might catch a cold if I sleep without a blanket. I also don’t want to harm Baduk's sanctity by having her catch a human’s cold. Looking at Rangii’s back as she was sulking, I patted Rangii’s clearly visible head and spoke.<br />
“It’s a joke, you brat. Don’t be upset.”<br />
<br />
“……I’m not upset.”<br />
<br />
Rangii quietly pushed the edge of the blanket that was originally around her body towards me. I grabbed my side of the blanket and pulled. She spun quickly and got right up next to my chest. It’s way too warm with you on me is what I was about to say when,<br />
<br />
“It was a long time ago.”<br />
<br />
Rangii started her story right after she hugged my chest.<br />
<br />
“I was watching over and protecting the children who were eating humans. My fellow chiefs and I, as great phantoms, had no reason to eat humans, but the normal ones ate the spirits of humans to increase their strength.”<br />
<br />
On this topic, back then this was a natural occurrence. Because after phantoms ate humans, other humans’ fear would act to prolong the life of the phantoms for days.<br />
<br />
“And so, one day, I found a strange sight.”<br />
<br />
A mother and child. And a phantom. The phantom was going to eat the pair when,<br />
<br />
“I couldn’t understand. One’s own life is more important than any other’s life. This is the logic of all those who have life. But then the moment they were about to be eaten, the mother attempted to save her child’s life by sacrificing her own.”<br />
<br />
At first, I thought that was just an instinct to save her species.<br />
<br />
“But it wasn’t. I thought that their mating and creating offspring was all this was, but a man and woman who were completely unrelated by blood, despite their fear being plain to see, sought to sacrifice themselves. And when I saw this, I found out my thinking was incorrect. What could be making this pair, who were so deathly afraid and facing death, act for the sake of another.”<br />
<br />
And so, one day, she asked the wisest human. How can a human sacrificing herself for the sake of another, and he answered like this.<br />
<br />
“Dear mountain god, that is love.”<br />
<br />
The mountain god, Rangii, was shocked by this.<br />
<br />
“Then if I were to receive this love…… How happy would I be. I was so bored and bored and bored. Receiving love is the only way for me, who lives without a purpose, to have purpose. So, how could I not be interested?”<br />
<br />
At those words.<br />
<br />
“I want to be loved.”<br />
<br />
I suddenly felt as if Rangii, who was hugging my chest, was far away.<br />
<br />
“I heard that all couples who love each other get married. So I want to get married with you and receive your love.”<br />
<br />
Rangii’s thoughts on love are wrong. You can’t call that love. Simply for fun, to love just to make yourself happy, is not what I view love to be. That’s closer to a kind of game.<br />
<br />
But I couldn’t bear to tell Rangii that her thinking was wrong. Rangii believed that was love for such a long time because of the seal. A long time that I couldn’t possibly fathom.<br />
<br />
Could I even explain to her what was wrong if I told her that her thinking was incorrect? And could I explain to Rangii what love is?<br />
<br />
It’d be impossible. I’m not the one who should tell her about that anyway. So I said,<br />
<br />
“Is that so.”<br />
<br />
I responded to Rangii’s words,<br />
<br />
“Yeah. It is.”<br />
<br />
To Rangii, who so thoroughly believed she would receive love from me and was smiling so innocently, I couldn’t do anything but rub her head.<br />
<br />
“Huwee~.”<br />
<br />
Rangii was happy so her ears were down and she was smiling brightly. I wish someone would quickly appear and properly teach this baby-like phantom what love really is. <br />
Since there’s no way that person can be me.<br />
<br />
Could it be because of what happened today? After patting Rangii’s head, I lost consciousness and I fell asleep.<br />
<br />
“……Are you sleeping?”<br />
<br />
The last thing I heard was Rangii talking, embarrassed. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It’s cold. Even though I have the blanket over me, it’s cold. The cold woke me up. Ugh—. How is it this cold? I curled my body together, but I’m not a bug so I couldn’t just roll into a ball. I flailed my arm on the ground out of the blanket to find anything extra to cover me with. My bag should be around here somewhere…… Ah, I don’t know what it is, but I grabbed something warm. With my hand outstretched, I used it as a substitute heater and hugged it to me. It was big, a perfect fit on my chest, and extremely warm. With even a nice fragrance coming from it, it was the perfect thing to hug and sleep with.<br />
<br />
“Uu-ung…… What the…… Su, Sunghoon?”<br />
<br />
Hm? The heater was wriggling and now it’s talking. Well, not like I care. If a dog and a tiger can talk, why can’t a heater talk. But still, it might be a strict heater, so I slightly opened one eye to look at the heater and as I lifted my head, I saw Rangii looking at me. Ah, the thing I thought was a heater was actually Rangii. Then I don’t care.<br />
<br />
“Since it’s cold— I should sleep like this……”<br />
<br />
“Ye, yeah.”<br />
<br />
Even if I didn’t like this, it’d be nice to sleep like this. But it’s not as warm as before? Back then, I clearly…… Ah, back then, her tail was wriggling because she turned around. This little minx. I turned Rangii back around and stuck close to her back.<br />
<br />
“This side…… is warmer.”<br />
<br />
“Uu—uk.”<br />
<br />
With my face on Rangii’s head and my arm under her neck to give her an arm-pillow, I wrapped my arm around her hip and thanks to the heat and smell radiating from her, I fell asleep.<br />
<br />
“I, I can’t…… go to sleep like this.”<br />
<br />
I can go to sleep easily.<br />
<br />
“……it feels wrong to go through something so troubling.”<br />
<br />
It’s definitely troublesome. It felt nice to hug her because her body is so soft. I moved my hand and touched her belly.<br />
<br />
It’s soft.<br />
<br />
“Unyak!”<br />
<br />
*Feel, feel* A kid’s belly is definitely soft and round. This might become a habit. Then how will other places be? And so I fell asleep while caressing Rangii’s soft body like this.<br />
<br />
“U, unyaaang—.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It’s troubling. I woke up and was greeted with an unprecedented development, unable to figure out how to deal with this, so it was extremely troubling. I, I should calm down. I calmed down and objectively examined the situation.<br />
<br />
Right now I’m lying on the bed like a shrimp in the blankets. And Rangii’s lying down with her back on my chest. My left hand is under her neck, giving her an arm pillow, and my right hand is on her stomach. No, it was touching it. Since I moved it right after I woke up.<br />
<br />
This brat, her belly is strangely softer than her chest…… no, I mean right now I look perfectly like a degenerate. A pervert. Like a lolicon. What should I do in this situation? I can’t even change my position because of my left arm. It’d be counterproductive to move my left arm and wake up Rangii. And while I was unable to do anything,<br />
<br />
Cock a doodle doo~.<br />
<br />
A totally generic-sounding chicken’s cry echoed through the air. Ah, has the first chicken cried? For the sun to rise now, I must’ve woken up really early. Actually, it’s a relief I got up so early. Since I woke up before Rangii.<br />
<br />
Right then,<br />
<br />
Du-ru-ruk.<br />
<br />
The door’s open.<br />
<br />
Wearing the same black modernized hanbok and maintaining her lack of expression, Saehee opened the door and entered, although just saying ‘it was Saehee’ would have sufficed, I purposefully increased the amount of words I used to try and slow down time, but it didn’t work.<br />
<br />
“……”<br />
<br />
“……”<br />
<br />
Our eyes met. A moment later the corners of Saehee’s mouth rose slightly.<br />
<br />
“Lolicon. Pervert. Human scum. Which do you prefer, young master?<br />
<br />
“You’re wrong! What you think happened didn’t really happen!”<br />
<br />
“It seems your exhaustion from last night has not been reduced, so I shall contact you later.”<br />
<br />
This damn woman doesn’t have any thoughts about listening to what others say.<br />
<br />
“I said that’s not it!”<br />
<br />
“U—ung. What’s…… not it?”<br />
<br />
Oh God. Rangii woke up.<br />
<br />
Rangii rubbed her eyes and while still half-asleep,<br />
<br />
“Ha—ahm…… I wasn’t able to sleep properly because of Sunghoon…… so I’m going to sleep more.”<br />
<br />
After saying something bound to cause a misunderstanding, she spun to my side and after looking towards me,<br />
<br />
“Snoore—.”<br />
<br />
She fell asleep.<br />
<br />
Du-ru-ruk.<br />
<br />
The door’s closed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
With Saehee acting as if she knew everything already, I gave up on explaining the situation to her, and for whatever reason there was only stamina food for breakfast, so after eating that I started packing up. Mom said for me to go back to Seoul so I’d better thoroughly prepare beforehand. Rangii crouched beside me and started talking.<br />
<br />
“Is there somewhere you’re going?”<br />
<br />
“I need to go home. I can’t stay here anymore.”<br />
<br />
“Home?”<br />
<br />
“My home.”<br />
<br />
“……You’re going to Seoul?!”<br />
<br />
After being lost in thought for a bit, she jerked back in surprise. What’s wrong?<br />
<br />
“Wha, what are you going to do about me? Are you just going to throw me away and leave?”<br />
<br />
Are you a dog I picked up from the street? Throw you away? I tried to say of course you’re going with me, but Rangii stopped me with a shocking statement.<br />
<br />
“Then what was all that last night? Was it a midsummer night’s prank?!”<br />
<br />
“Don’t say something that can be so easily misunderstood!!”<br />
<br />
What do you mean what I did last night?! All I did was hug you and go to sleep!<br />
<br />
I’d better change the subject before she says something strange again.<br />
<br />
“Also, of course you’re going with me, so who’s going to be thrown away?<br />
<br />
“……Eh?”<br />
<br />
A question mark appeared above Rangii’s head.<br />
<br />
“Then are you not going to go? You’ll stay here alone?”<br />
<br />
“I--I can come, too?”<br />
<br />
Rangii looked like she was about to cry. That expression made me uneasy. A kid shouldn’t make that kind of face. So I spoke a little angrily.<br />
<br />
“I told you in the cave. Let’s go together. Do you have dementia?”<br />
<br />
Rangii’s tail stretched out straight.<br />
<br />
“The Sunghoon who talks about dementia is bad!”<br />
<br />
I’ll ignore that.<br />
<br />
“So is there any problem with following me?<br />
<br />
After getting lost in thought about it for a moment, Rangii shook her head.<br />
<br />
“……There’s no big problem.”<br />
<br />
Are you saying that there’s a small problem, then?<br />
<br />
“But if I follow you I may be a nuisance.”<br />
<br />
“What about it?”<br />
<br />
“Can’t you remain here?”<br />
<br />
“I can’t.”<br />
<br />
“Why not?”<br />
<br />
“My mom told me to come to Seoul immediately.”<br />
<br />
And since it’s best to fix the misunderstanding with Narae as soon as possible. But Rangii, this brat. After hearing about Mom, she lowered her head and her tail was shaking from side to side. She seems depressed?<br />
<br />
“What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
“If it’s a command from my mother-in-law, then there is no helping……”<br />
<br />
“And just who’s your mother-in-law?”<br />
<br />
“Is it strange to call the mother of my husband mother-in-law?”<br />
<br />
Your assumption is wrong in the first place.<br />
<br />
“No, moving on from that.”<br />
<br />
And I’ve gone beyond the level understanding her as a little girl saying nothing more than when I grow up I’m going to marry Dad~. I guess I’ve grown up.<br />
<br />
“But your reaction to me saying it was my mom was weird?”<br />
<br />
“Ah, that.”<br />
<br />
Rangii fiddled with her tail as she spoke.<br />
<br />
“Mother-in-law is difficult to go against, even I cannot do anything.”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean by that?”<br />
<br />
“Mother-in-law believes that if she put her mind to it, she could do something even to a spirit like me.”<br />
<br />
“……It must be difficult when someone’s so delusional.”<br />
<br />
Her real body is Jirisan and just her spiritual body is the size of a mountain, so if there’s someone who deludes herself into thinking she can take on Rangii, then of course it’d be difficult to face her.<br />
“But for that to be truly possible……”<br />
<br />
“Eh?”<br />
<br />
What kind of nonsense is that? Mom’s definitely a little unusual, but she’s still a normal human? How can Mom face a phantom like you?<br />
<br />
“Listen well. We phantoms most fear humans who believe in themselves and think they can do anything. Even great phantoms such as I cannot injure humans without having a material form.”<br />
<br />
“So you’re saying my mom’s that kind of person?”<br />
<br />
Rangii nodded her head. Wow, Mom. You were acknowledged by the tiger from the Dangun myth.<br />
“Well, is that so.”<br />
<br />
Even if I didn’t know that, Mom’s the one who married Dad to reform him. If you look at it in a certain way, she’s more of a freak than Dad. She had the strange confidence that led to her motivation to fix Dad’s personality.<br />
<br />
Maybe it’s because I inherited that from her, but I grew up believing only in what I thought was right while totally disregarding others no matter what they said. I know it’s a bad habit, but it’s really hard to fix what’s called a personality.<br />
<br />
But the problem I need to think about right now isn’t my personality, but how I can go to Seoul with Rangii. Because Mom said to come back to Seoul together, if I don’t do that then my life may be in danger. So I looked at Rangii again.<br />
<br />
“Are you saying you won’t go with me?”<br />
<br />
“But if I go to Seoul……”<br />
<br />
Rangii shook her tail from side to side, lost in worry. I don’t know what you’re worrying about, but I might end up being beaten by my mom if you don’t go to Seoul.<br />
<br />
So I’m saying it.<br />
<br />
“I’ll protect you.”<br />
<br />
“......Eh?”<br />
<br />
“No matter what my mom does, no matter what happens I’ll protect you, so let’s go together.”<br />
<br />
Don’t go together and get killed or go together and something happens. Between those two, obviously I’ll pick the latter.<br />
<br />
“Sunghoon……”<br />
<br />
Rangii was shaking.<br />
<br />
“Do you really mean it?”<br />
<br />
“Of course.”<br />
<br />
Even though if you don’t then I’ll die.<br />
<br />
Totally clueless of my circumstances, Rangii crouched down and,<br />
<br />
“Truly, I knew you were my fated one!”<br />
<br />
Uwak! Rangii made me fall by suddenly jumping up and rubbed her face on my cheek. Even as I was surprised by how soft and warm she felt, I grabbed her waist to try and pry her off when,<br />
<br />
“There is a saying that teenage boys are like dogs in heat, but that seems to be the truth.”<br />
<br />
At Saehee’s words, who inexplicably opened the door and was sitting respectfully outside, I hugged Rangii, set her down to the side, and got up.<br />
<br />
“You should stop with the nonsense, you silly person.”<br />
<br />
“I am not a person.”<br />
<br />
Now I’m not even curious about what you are. I’m talking about what kind of phantom you are.<br />
“More importantly, Rangii’s going to Seoul with me, but is there a bus that comes here?”<br />
<br />
But Saehee ignored me and looked at Rangii then spoke.<br />
<br />
“Are you planning on going to Seoul, master?”<br />
<br />
Rangii nodded her head. Saehee’s usual emotionless expression collapsed for a moment but returned to normal in an instant, leaving me unable to know what that expression was.<br />
<br />
“Is that so. In that case, I will prepare the car.”<br />
<br />
“But what are you going to do?”<br />
<br />
“Obviously I shall attend to Master and remain at her side.”<br />
<br />
Couldn’t you just stay here? For the sake of my sanity.<br />
<br />
No, I should look on the bright side. If I go with Rangii alone then I’ll have to take care of her as well. Since Mom’s busy with work and Dad’s that kind of person. In that case it’d actually be best for Saehee to come with us. But I’m still going to ask what I have to ask.<br />
<br />
“What about the house?”<br />
<br />
“Baduk will be here.”<br />
<br />
Baduk became a guard dog.<br />
<br />
“......Will it still be okay? Won’t Baduk be lonely if she’s all by herself?”<br />
<br />
“You do not have to worry. The children that left because of the smelly young master will return after realizing you have left and they will play with her.”<br />
<br />
If I respond then I lose. I ignored Saehee’s deliberate word choice and asked a question.<br />
<br />
“Those children you talked about, they’re phantoms right?”<br />
<br />
“That is correct.”<br />
<br />
Then this place really will become a phantom’s mansion.<br />
<br />
“Then I shall prepare the bags.”<br />
<br />
Just like when she came here, she disappeared silently. She really lacks a presence. If I were walking on a road in the middle of the night and she spoke to me from behind I might have a heart attack.<br />
“I’m gonna pack my things, so you too. If you have anything to bring then pack it.”<br />
<br />
At my words, Rangii grabbed me from behind and hugged onto my neck.<br />
<br />
“......What’re you doing?”<br />
<br />
“What I’m going to bring.”<br />
<br />
Am I an object?<br />
<br />
“Anything else?”<br />
<br />
“None. All I need is Sunghoon.”<br />
<br />
…...Ah, that’s actually a little touching. This brat, she’s so young that she’s able to say such incredibly embarrassing things. That’s why she’s cute. Isn’t she cute? She’s cute. So much so that I want to bite her.<br />
<br />
“Yeah. Thanks.”<br />
<br />
Since I couldn’t bite her, I put my hand on top of hers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When I packed my backpack and headed to the yard, Baduk was waiting for me.<br />
<br />
“Young master, isn’t there any way you could stay here longer?”<br />
<br />
Although it’s sad to see Baduk with her tail down straight down and looking at me so mournfully as if she was about to cry,<br />
<br />
“Sorry. Something urgent came up.”<br />
<br />
Because in this world, there’s nothing more precious than one’s own life.<br />
<br />
“Whi—ine.”<br />
<br />
Uwak?! She’s really crying! Tears fell from her eyes like waterfalls and as I saw her wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands, I thought such a weird thought as ‘in this word, could this dog girl’s tears be the most precious thing in the world?’<br />
<br />
No, that’s not right. If my mind weakens here then tonight I’m going to be eating dinner in hell. For Mom, it’d be an easy task to capture her son from Jirisan. I spoke while petting Baduk's head.<br />
<br />
“I’ll be back after I settle what I have to do. Don’t cry, you brat. If strangers saw this, they’d think we were separating forever.”<br />
<br />
“You’re going to come back?”<br />
<br />
“That’s right.”<br />
<br />
“Then when will you?”<br />
<br />
Ummm……. It’d be okay to say that I’d stay for a week before summer vacation ended, right?<br />
“After 20 days? So during that time, you need to be sure to guard the house well.”<br />
<br />
Baduk nodded her head at my words and, making it unbelievable that she was crying just a moment ago, had her eyes filled with resolution and looked at me as she spoke.<br />
<br />
“Yes! I’ll protect it for sure!”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, aren’t you a good girl.”<br />
<br />
I was petting Baduk like that when suddenly,<br />
<br />
“The young master is truly a lolicon.”<br />
<br />
“Heek?!”<br />
<br />
I was totally surprised when I heard Saehee’s voice from behind my back. (I gave up on caring that Saehee calls me a lolicon.) Ra, rather than a phantom, don’t you have the characteristics of a ghost? Looking at Saehee in the middle of the day absorbing sunlight made her seem even less like a human. Ah, she’s not a human. Anyway, she was carrying a black travelling bag with two hands.<br />
<br />
Huh?<br />
<br />
“......So it’s not a bindle?”<br />
<br />
“Following common sense, I believe it would be strange to carry a bindle in this day and age.”<br />
…...Sorry. I honestly thought you would pack things up in a bindle. But the thing is……,<br />
<br />
“Then, does that mean those clothes aren’t weird to you?”<br />
<br />
“This is my preference.”<br />
<br />
Ah, yeah. Since it’s your preference, I’ll respect it.<br />
<br />
“So where did Miss Rangii go?”<br />
<br />
At my words, Saehee turned around and looked at the house’s roof. My eyes naturally went to that direction as well.<br />
<br />
I got goosebumps on my back.<br />
<br />
There was something there I wasn’t able to see, no wait. Totally different from how she is originally, Rangii was standing seriously, looking adamant and proud. It was clearly a small, cute child’s form, but she seemed to be wider than the sky, heavier than a mountain, and deeper than the ocean, an appearance just like that of a character from a myth.<br />
<br />
…...What am I thinking of while looking at Rangii?<br />
<br />
More importantly, what is she doing there? What’ll she do if she falls and hurts herself? I opened my mouth to warn her, but,<br />
<br />
“Then, please excuse me for a moment.”<br />
<br />
Is what she said and then Saehee blocked my ears so I had to stop myself from talking. And then……<br />
<br />
[————————————————!!]<br />
<br />
A tiger’s fierce roar, indescribable in words, spread through the heavens and the earth. I could see it going through the earth and vibrating the ground. I would have collapsed if Baduk hadn’t grabbed me from behind, and I would have blacked out if Saehee hadn’t blocked my ears.<br />
<br />
Wha, what was that? Did something just happen? Saehee took her hands off my ears. I forced open my inexplicably dry lips.<br />
<br />
“J, just now…… What was that?”<br />
<br />
“For Master, it is similar to a farewell. There is no need for you to know.”<br />
<br />
Farewell? You’re saying that that’s a farewell? But to me it sounded like she was threatening something? Did I hear it wrong? Do all tiger’s roars feel like that? My head was filled with those kinds of thoughts when, without my realizing, Rangii had come down from the roof, approached me, and grabbed my hand.<br />
<br />
“Did you wait long?”<br />
<br />
“......No.”<br />
<br />
Seeing her innocent expression, I felt that I somehow had misinterpreted it. I guess tiger’s roars are always like that. Rangii nodded at my words and spoke to Baduk, who until just this second was acting as my legs.<br />
<br />
“Then, Shin-ah. Please take care of the house.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, Master.”<br />
<br />
“Shin-ah?”<br />
<br />
Wasn’t her name Baduk? As I was thinking that, the kind Saehee graciously explained it to me.<br />
“That is Baduk's name which she was blessed with by heaven. Simply put, you can consider it to be her true name.”<br />
<br />
“Is it something important?”<br />
<br />
Saehee nodded her head.<br />
<br />
“More important than one’s own life. Carelessly using such a name will result in the speaker getting murdered without excuse. Although we have only just met, I hope you go to a better place.”<br />
<br />
“......Am I being murdered?”<br />
<br />
Is Baduk going to transform into her original form and bite my head off?<br />
<br />
“It’s okay, young master.”<br />
<br />
Whether Baduk read my thoughts or not, Baduk casually walked in front of me and spoke.<br />
“Because the young master is the one who will become Master’s husband it is okay. If a normal human had said such a thing, I would have bitten him and rolled him around in my mouth.”<br />
<br />
Husband, I’ve never heard the word said so magnificently.<br />
<br />
“Yeah, okay. That’s a relief.”<br />
<br />
“Tsk.”<br />
<br />
Did you just ‘tsk’ at me? Actually, I won’t argue. In this world, pretending to not notice something is the better solution for many problems. Just then, I heard a car pull up outside the front gate.<br />
<br />
“Then I’m going.”<br />
<br />
“Good bye, Master. Young master, please return soon. And Saehee, please take care as well.”<br />
As I received Baduk's farewell, I went out the front gate. Saehee followed right behind me, and Rangii also was…… No, she was standing in front of the gate, completely lost in thought. This brat. Does she really not want to leave? Although there’s the seal, it’s probably because she’s leaving a place she’s lived for over 4,000 years.<br />
<br />
……There’s no helping it. It’s not like me, but I guess it’ll be okay to just push her a little.<br />
Since I need to survive.<br />
<br />
“Rangii.”<br />
<br />
“Hunyak?!”<br />
<br />
Rangii was completely surprised, let out a cutesy voice, and all the hair on her body bristled upwards. ……Are you a cat? I gave Nyangii, no. Rangii my hand.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go.”<br />
<br />
“......Yeah!” <br />
<br />
Although she was hesitant for a moment, she quickly smiled widely and grabbed my hand. I opened the door and Rangii entered first, then I went in.<br />
<br />
But Saehee had no plans to enter the car. Are you going to ride in the front? is what I was going to ask, but she was looking off somewhere and both corners of her mouth rose into a frightening smile and after seeing Saehee my mouth stayed still.<br />
<br />
Wh, what are you smiling like that for? I stuck my head out to see what Saehee was looking at, but all I could see was the tree’s shade shaking in the wind.<br />
<br />
“......What’s wrong?”<br />
<br />
“A cute few are talking amongst themselves as they watch us leaving.”<br />
<br />
Rangii’s in the car. …...that was a bad joke.<br />
<br />
“What is it?”<br />
<br />
“It was three bears.”<br />
<br />
A familiar children’s song echoed in my head in reaction. <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#17" name="top17"><sup>[17]</sup></a><br />
<br />
“They may have come to avenge the papa bear.”<br />
<br />
“The father bear died?!”<br />
<br />
“It is okay. The mama bear is still alive.”<br />
<br />
…….I need to get them out of here to protect the ecosystem. Since the black bear family will probably end up in phantoms’ stomachs.<br />
<br />
“My apologies. If you wish to eat them, I will prepare them very quickly.”<br />
<br />
“It’s fine.”<br />
<br />
“It is likely they will follow us up to Seoul, so serving them as a meal would be very simple.”<br />
<br />
Saehee’s jokes were always scary because they never seem like one.
<br />
<br />
______________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1">.</a>1. One of the most historically important mountains in all of Korea.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jirisan">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jirisan</a>
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top1"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2">.</a>2. Traditional Korean garment that is freaking hot in the summer.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok</a>
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top2"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3">.</a>3. A traditional ornament on hanboks that look like tassels.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top3"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="4">.</a>4. Meant to be a Korean equivalent of “たのもう!” When the nobles of Joseon
visit one another’s home, they would say this as a greeting to ask for a
housekeeper who would then lead the visitor to the master of the
household
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top4"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="5">.</a>5. More specifically, Shukuchi.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top5"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="6">.</a>6. A Korean Robin Hood.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top6"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="7">.</a>7. A Korean mythological figure who's known to be the founder of ancient Korea, from the Dangun mythologies. The important part is the story of the tiger and the bear: Hwanung presented them with a trial to survive on nothing but mugwort and garlic for a hundred days in a cave if they wanted to become human. The tiger gave up halfway and the bear persisted, becoming the first female human being.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top7"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8">.</a>8. The torso part of the hanbok.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top8"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="9">.</a>9. “Baduk” is historically one of the most common dog names, overused to
the point of it showing up as actual textbook example dog names in
Korean language studies.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top9"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="10">.</a>10. An era in Korean history from 1392 to 1897.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top10"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="11">.</a>11. -nim indicates respect. Is obviously being used ironically.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top11"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="12">.</a>12. Rangii speaks in an old form of Korean. She all of a sudden changes it to modern Korean when Sunghoon turns her around.
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top12"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="13">.</a>13. Literally "tiger": 호랑이
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top13"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="14">.</a>14. 齊天大聖 . "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven." Monkey King Sun Wukong's title.
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="15">.</a>15. Korean style of eating pork. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossam_%28food%29">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossam_%28food%29 </a>
<a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top15"><sup>↩</sup></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="16">.</a>16. Alteration on "Not even a dog should be bothered in the middle of a meal." Replacing idioms involving dogs with Baduk will happen fairly often from here on out!
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="17">.</a>17. Korean song many children learn. Called “Gom Se Mari” or the “3 Bears Song” <a href="http://imoutoliciouslnt.blogspot.ca/2016/04/me-and-tigress-v01-01-starting-story.html#top17"><sup>↩</sup></a>Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-3689578276953404072015-10-29T21:32:00.003-07:002016-05-30T12:24:56.631-07:00[Dawnbringer v2] 03. Dawnbringer VS Saika - Part 1 <i>The secret to better relationship is to sit in the same chair whenever possible.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Narane</i><br />
<i></i><i>Editors: </i><i>MadTix</i><i><br />
<br />Please enjoy.</i><br />
____________________<br />
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<br />
The landed Dawnbringer Minor still had room for just one person. Unfortunately, only specially designed Alter-Armours and Alter-Gunships allowed for double-seater or tandem configurations, and these types of land combat models usually did not. The small cockpit space was inevitable for Minion or Minor-class Armours, after all.<br />
<br />
I had to get in the pilot seat first and Sergeant Aroha had to sit on top of me. She hesitated before taking a seat, looking around the cockpit. “Lezirth... this is what Meihowa had to co-pilot? You said 'no' when I asked if you wanted to get in the Spider APC with me!”<br />
<br />
“Get in, quickly! There’s no time to talk about this! We only have twenty minutes to defeat Saika and cleanse the Hyperspace corruption from the area.”<br />
<br />
“Alright, fine! Damn it!” Sergeant Aroha reluctantly sat on my lap, grumbling. I felt an enveloping pressure around my legs.<br />
<br />
...But, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to sit in parallel to my own direction?<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha sat on my legs, facing towards me. She continued to mutter to herself, her cheeks turning rosy. “I never thought you’d be this perverted, Lezirth. I can’t believe you fought Diablo while Meihowa sat in this position for the whole fight.”<br />
<br />
“But, uh, wait... Sergeant?”<br />
<br />
“Hey, c-careful! You’re breathing in my face as you talk.”<br />
<br />
I-I’m sweating all over! Sweat dropped from the bottom of my chin, flew onto Sergeant Aroha’s chest, and soon disappeared down into the valley in the middle.<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha turned increasingly redder and pouted. “I swear, there’s no helping you. Well, whatever-- I understand, Lezirth.”<br />
<br />
“No, you don’t-- ngh... s-stop it! Stop squeezing on my sides with your thighs!”<br />
<br />
“Hold on, I’m trying to steady myself so I don’t fall off.” Sergeant Aroha answered bluntly.<br />
<br />
I honestly did prefer to have her be this way while I piloted the vehicle. ...Piloting with her back against me was fine, too, but this had its own benefits.<br />
<br />
But the reason I needed to pilot in tandem with another was because I needed the help. To get any help, it would have been more helpful for her to turn around.<br />
<br />
But then, as Dawnbringer Minor stood up, the cockpit shook wildly. When the body of the Armour accelerates at great rates, ten G to twenty G, the G-cancelers should normally activate to reduce the cockpit shaking, but those systems were unavailable during the starting sequence of the Armour.<br />
<br />
As the cockpit shook, so did Sergeant Aroha.<br />
<br />
As her body shook, parts of her body, the ones that carried a huge portion of her total momentum back when we were on the bike, shook in accordance to the natural order (?) of physics and struck my face.<br />
<br />
“................”<br />
<br />
Have you ever seen some old murder mystery films, where the murderer suffocates the victim to death by pressing a pillow to the victim’s face? For some reason, the thought flashed through my mind at that moment.<br />
<br />
I... I can’t breathe!<br />
<br />
[What are you two doing?! We don’t have much time, so get moving!] Ensign Meihowa yelled over the communicator. The screen turned on, too, so she could see what Sergeant Aroha and I were doing... [Wh...What are you doing?!]<br />
<br />
“Oh, Lezirth... careful with your teeth, there. I said that hurts, geez!” Sergeant Aroha giggled, unexpectedly. Oh no, she was going to end my social life forever!<br />
<br />
“Sergeant Aroha! T-turn around already!”<br />
<br />
“Turn around? Are you saying that you want to...”<br />
<br />
I immediately let go of the controls and put my hands over her mouth. I had to stop her from saying anything crazy at all costs!<br />
<br />
“Hpfh! A-alright, I get it! Don’t be so rough on me, Lezirth!”<br />
<br />
[What are you people doing?!] Admiral Luise joined in the yelling.<br />
<br />
Damn it, what did I do?! We wasted a minute with this already!<br />
<br />
“Okay, Aroha! Open those energy gels and insert them into the bottom of the cockpit deck!”<br />
<br />
“Roger!” Sergeant Aroha began her work, filling Dawnbringer Minor with energy. She leaned down to reach the bottom of the deck, and her hips...<br />
<br />
No, shut up! I can’t afford to be distracted! It’s not the time to play around!<br />
<br />
“Let’s go, Dawnbringer Minor!”<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor became fully operational, getting a running start. It sprinted forward, gaining momentum for a great leap in the air towards the stadium and Kishin Saika, who had been surrounded by the Hyperspace Corruption while fighting off the attacks from the cruisers above.<br />
<br />
Kishin Saika turned its attention to us. [Fools! What do you wish to accomplish with that flimsy Armour?]<br />
<br />
Saika flung the deadly discs from its metal skirt. Dawnbringer Minor evaded it mid-air, kicking against the disc to spin around. I could feel the huge acceleration weighing down on us, but the G-canceler mitigated any danger. I continued approaching Saika without slowing down.<br />
<br />
[Hmph! Pretty good.]<br />
<br />
[I’ll end this quickly since we don’t have time!]<br />
<br />
Saika’s height was about thirty-eight meters, while Dawnbringer Minor was a mere fourteen. There was a massive size difference between the two Armours-- as we approached each other, the difference became far more noticeable.<br />
<br />
“Are you gonna be fine, Lezirth?” Sergeant Aroha asked, probably intimidated.<br />
<br />
But I had a past record of fighting Diablo with an even smaller Armour.<br />
<br />
Of course, my current opponent was a far more competent pilot than Diablo’s. And I hadn’t been at my top condition after losing a lot of blood from a previous fight, where I rushed to kill Princess Riznah without knowing of her abilities, and then got punished by being forced to cut off a part of my body.<br />
<br />
Still, I had to toughen up. Nobody wanted to see Critik-4 and its millions of inhabitants die. “Don’t worry, just believe in me! I fought Diablo with a Minion-class, remember?”<br />
<br />
I used the momentum from jumping off of throwing discs and rolled forward. Many more skirt-bits flew towards us to cut Dawnbringer Minor into pieces, but they were too predictable to overwhelm my piloting abilities. I hopped around, disc to disc, evading the rapid assault. These kinds of barrages were difficult to evade upon a glance, but the density of the barrage actually allowed me to form a safe path through it by pushing away and causing a chain reaction of projectiles colliding against each other.<br />
<br />
And so, Dawnbringer Minor dove straight through the metal storm and approached closer to Saika.<br />
<br />
Kishin Saika immediately accelerated backwards.<br />
<br />
[Aaaaaaagh!] Princess Riznah suddenly screamed. Hmm? Did I really scare her that much by managing to get close to her? [Agh! H-hold on! Time out!] She requested.<br />
<br />
Her reaction was so sudden and strange that I froze in place for a few seconds. “What’s she saying?”<br />
<br />
“Saika’s cockpit was ejected, right? Wasn’t she remotely controlling Saika from point-blank range?”<br />
<br />
“Ah.” I realized what had happened thanks to Sergeant Aroha.<br />
<br />
Cockpits that weren’t equipped with G-cancelers left the pilot’s own constitution to resist the effects of acceleration. Superhumans like me would have no problem, but Asa magic must have been too destructive and unwieldy for such utilitarian uses.<br />
<br />
Then, this battle was already closer to victory for us. Before when I had fought Diablo, although the pilot had laughably awful maneuvers compared to Saika, it was at least extremely resilient against my attacks. This fight was very different-- although Princess Riznah was far more skilled, since Saika’s cockpit was no longer properly in place, a small amount of force on Saika could easily kill the Princess. The Kishin would be mostly unharmed, but the pilot within would be violently pulled apart as if the cockpit were a centrifugal separator.<br />
<br />
“Huh! Then we pretty much won already!”<br />
<br />
[Kuh!]<br />
<br />
The fate of this match was decided in the moment she began fighting without a cockpit! Saika wasn’t even able to withstand its own speed. It felt like an empty victory, but a win’s a win!<br />
<br />
I glared at Saika. “Surrender, if you don’t want to become a bloody mess!”<br />
<br />
[D-don’t make me laugh! I could withstand this much, if I put in a little more effort...]<br />
<br />
Before she finished, I kicked at Saika. It was a psionically charged kick that could connect up to a hundred meters farther than it appears to be able.<br />
<br />
Saika shot up into the air to dodge my kick, and another scream echoed from within.<br />
<br />
“You think fruits could avoid being crushed in a juicer if they put in a little more effort to it? Give up already! It’s terribly wasteful for a fine lady like you to go on a suicide charge like this! You should really help me with the Hyperspace corruption first--”<br />
<br />
“Lezirth! Are you really going to let a Harakal live? The Harakal is the Asa’s pride! Even if you let her live today, she’ll come back for you as long as they live! Once you prove that you’re more skilled than a Harakal, the only thing you can do with her is kill her for good or impregnate her!”<br />
<br />
I-- Hey, what was that just now? I thought I must have misheard her somehow. I almost thought Sergeant Aroha had spoken something incredibly unspeakable.<br />
<br />
Ensign Meihowa joined in to urge me further. [Lezirth! Now’s the best chance you’ll ever get! Kill her now and take the Kishin for yourself! Even if it’s different from Dawnbringer, you should have an easier time finding Dawnbringer’s Alter Core with it!]<br />
<br />
The ladies were getting restless. But I shook my head.<br />
<br />
Was I letting her live simply because she was a lady? No, it was nothing like that this time. The Harakal had caused a Hyperspace corruption that killed many people, and she was a leader figure of my enemy. She was a war criminal who participated in kidnapping noncombatants. Yet, there was a great reason for me to let her live.<br />
<br />
“If we take the Kishin, then our identity will definitely be discovered. I don’t like that.” I spoke into the communicator.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, I felt something flying at me from behind. I immediately jumped away.<br />
<br />
--*Kaboom*!<br />
<br />
A hail of cannon fire came from the cruiser at a distance. Damn, did we lose control over it?<br />
<br />
[Riznah! Are you okay?] The Alliance chief known as Eiredith asked Riznah.<br />
<br />
Ah, I almost forgot that my PDA was still in Alliance channels. But how could I overhear them? When did William Mayer have the right to a general-level security? Had Admiral Luise already have a hand in this?<br />
<br />
[Gah! I need the cockpit back! And a medical device! I have little time before the corruption overtakes me!]<br />
<br />
I could see Princess Riznah on the channel view. Her left eye and arm had gone, filled in with some sort of Hyperspace beings. Unlike me, who had to sever the affected area to be rid of it, Princess Riznah had stopped the injury by combining with a symbiotic parasite. It couldn’t have been much safer, however.<br />
<br />
[I’ll send a new cockpit with a Portable Medic inside it! It’ll be a special version that can’t be hacked! Do you think you can reinstall the cockpit with that guy after you?]<br />
<br />
[To be honest... it’s going to be difficult! He’s a real monster! He mowed down Hyperspace creatures like grass with his own power, and he flew past my Skirt Bit Formation like it wasn’t even there! He must be the man who defeated Tenseron in Azoran!]<br />
<br />
[The Federation had a pilot with that skill level? It’s not ringing any bells! If it’s not an Old Blood, or the Children of Letix, who could have such a power?]<br />
<br />
Hm? I was indeed one of the Children of Letix, but what was the Old Blood? Maybe they were calling the True Blood as the Old Blood instead? Fanatics of the Cult of Humanism?<br />
<br />
While they talked, an object ejected from the cruiser and began falling down. It must have been that cockpit.<br />
<br />
“The best time to strike is going to be when they’re exchanging the cockpit, Lezirth.” Sergeant Aroha advised. Indeed, Saika was going to be completely exposed at that stage.<br />
<br />
If we took Saika then we were in danger of making our identities known, but I had no choice. I couldn’t just let my enemy repair her biggest weakness right in front of me.<br />
<br />
I bided my time, dodging or blocking the cruiser’s bombardment, waiting for the new cockpit to approach. Saika raised its hand and grabbed the cockpit. But, to place that in its chest, Princess Riznah had to get out first to make room. And if I attacked during that time... she was surely going to die.<br />
<br />
I squeezed on the controls, waiting for my time. But then...<br />
<br />
--*Crash!*<br />
<br />
On the ground below me, where the stadium once stood and was replaced with the Hyperspace warp, a huge arm ripped through the ground and reached into the air. It was about forty meters long, appearing to be composed of a material resembling obsidian. If it were real obsidian, it would have shattered to pieces if it attempted to make any arm-like movements, and it did not.<br />
<br />
--Gwuuaaaaaahh!!<br />
<br />
An unseen creature below the monstrous arm cried. Then, a powerful force erupted and shook the earth. It was as if the ground was a carpet and the arm was dusting it off, clearing the earth with the magnitude of a 9.0 earthquake.<br />
<br />
The atmosphere shook in unison. A great tornado formed in the middle, causing the snail-like beings and tentacles to be flung around in the air and get concentrated into the center of the stadium.<br />
<br />
“Gah!” I kicked away the arm that nearly grabbed me and dodged to the side. The kick from Dawnbringer Minor could knock away a proper Kishin if it properly connected, but the monstrous arm did not seem to be fazed.<br />
<br />
“What on earth is that?!” Sergeant Aroha screamed.<br />
<br />
I raised my altitude to escape the black arm.<br />
<br />
The Hyperspace creatures were being eaten. It was like a humpback whale inhaling in a group of krills-- drinking, almost, instead of eating, like a huge, huge creature would when consuming a much more insignificant creature. Even those snail creatures were great annoyances to me, so I couldn’t imagine what manner of creature would feed on them so effortlessly.<br />
<br />
[Archdemon?!]<br />
<br />
“Archdemon!”<br />
<br />
Princess Riznah and Sergeant Aroha shouted simultaneously.<br />
<br />
“It’s an emergency, Lezirth! A higher-form Hyperspace creature appeared!”<br />
<br />
“Really? How much trouble am I in?”<br />
<br />
“If we can’t take that thing down, then the portal is going to grow large enough to cover the entirety of Critik-4 with Hyperspace creatures! Even if I use my ability... if something like an Archdemon shows up, it’s useless! We’re already at the worst possible level of the Hyperspace corruption! Even the Black Sisters would give up on this star.”<br />
<br />
“I have to defeat that creature to stop the Hyperspace corruption, then?” I asked, glancing to my side.<br />
<br />
Princess Riznah was still holding onto the cockpit, watching for my next move. She couldn’t replace the cockpit with me around, since she could be killed the moment she decides to do so.<br />
<br />
I gestured at her to go ahead.<br />
<br />
“Lezirth!”<br />
<br />
“I’m going to take care of this creature first! Saika comes after!”<br />
<br />
“But the Asa hate being shown mercy by males! If you do...”<br />
<br />
“Let’s just say I’m taunting her, alright?” I escaped the argument, focusing on my next problem.<br />
<br />
The Archdemon had both of its arms out of the torn ground in the stadium, and it was struggling to exit the Hyperspace and into our world. The portal became larger with every movement.<br />
<br />
“Here I am!”<br />
<br />
--Kishin Arts! Lighting-Fire Piercing Palm!<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor enveloped its hand with an electric field, creating a trail of plasma, and struck the Archdemon with its palm. The attack landed on the Archdemon as it attempted to break through the portal. The surroundings ionized, creating arcing lightnings between the snail-creatures that have yet to be sucked into the portal.<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor landed on the ground, clear of anything other than burnt ashes of the creatures. The attack had wiped the Hyperspace corruption deep below the earth, but the tear on the ground was unaffected. The Archdemon refused to budge from there even after my punch.<br />
<br />
--*Ka-ha!*<br />
<br />
The Archdemon made a strange sound, almost like a sneer. Then, the scale-like coverings on the monster’s wrist stood up one by one, releasing a countless number of eye-like objects from beneath. The eyes inexplicably hovered in the air like a projected hologram, and then they began firing a burst of light in unison!<br />
<br />
“Hmph!”<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor evaded left and right while creating a Black Barrier to defend against the attack. I remembered what had happened against the Black Whip so I didn’t solely trust the shielding to save myself.<br />
<br />
--*Bam!*<br />
<br />
And it was as strong as I expected! Earth around me turned to steam and the asphalt turned into liquid. The sea created a small hurricane as the water evaporated violently. Decorative trees were uprooted by the strong wind.<br />
<br />
“Stop this madness!”<br />
<br />
--Kishin Arts! Lightning-Fire Piercing Fist!<br />
<br />
From a great distance, the fist made from the refined power of mind reached forth and struck the Archdemon’s arm. A pillar of fire was created in the fist’s wake from the plasmified air.<br />
<br />
An explosion engulfed the Archdemon’s wrist, and the huge, monstrous arm slowly fell to the ground like an ancient tree being cut down. The ground shook and a dust cloud emerged when the arm finally fell.<br />
<br />
But soon, the arm moved again.<br />
<br />
Hmph! It was an attack powerful enough that I was almost worried if I were going to be safe, by performing that attack on ground and not in space. I had no chance of defeating this if I couldn’t bring it into space so that the subconscious of the Alter-Armour does not inhibit its power.<br />
<br />
--*Kwooooh!*<br />
<br />
“Huh?! What’s going on now?!” Sergeant Aroha became alarmed by the flashing panels within the cockpit. It was her first time being in here, after all.<br />
<br />
The Armour stood strong even after I had used two powerful Kishin Arts. Of course, I couldn’t be anywhere near my original power with only five percent of Dawnbringer’s Alter-Core. My abilities were doing nothing compared to the days with the original Dawnbringer.<br />
<br />
“The gel, Aroha! Right now!”<br />
<br />
“R-roger!” She used the sharp edge of the military shovel from Ensign Meihowa to smash open the input port for the energy gels and squeezed the gels inside. Dawnbringer Minor returned to its strength soon.<br />
<br />
‘Okay, good!’<br />
<br />
The shovel had made her a lot quicker than Ensign Meihowa was. Dawnbringer Minor’s base strength was better off this time, too, so we were at a much better state than the last time.<br />
<br />
--*Kwaaaaah!*<br />
<br />
The Archdemon shook back and forth. The ground shook in response and the portal became bigger once more. Heat from the surroundings began vanishing into the Archdemon’s arm. Spectral analysis showed that the arm was absorbing energy, while the inside of the arm was at absolute zero temperature.<br />
<br />
‘Absolute zero?’<br />
<br />
The temperature itself wasn’t the issue. For my space-capable Alter-Armour, it was a temperature I could withstand. But considering the conceptual impossibility of causing anything to be lowered to absolute zero temperature, I couldn’t imagine what kind of power the Archdemon may have possessed.<br />
<br />
“Agh!”<br />
<br />
The arm alone easily had the strength to destroy the entire planet.<br />
<br />
[Hey, you!] Princess Riznah called, using a public channel. Saika must have completed the cockpit replacement while I was fighting the Archdemon. [Yes, you!]<br />
<br />
“Hey, Princess--... Huh.” I quietly watched as the screen showed the video stream of her getting her eye and her arm being replaced by the medical robot. The remote-controlled medical bot, the Portal Medic, was attaching a cyborg arm and an eye.<br />
<br />
She completed the surgery that quickly? It must have been painful!<br />
<br />
But the Princess only looked slightly uncomfortable, and the look of pain was nowhere on her face. She casually continued, [The Archdemon’s defensive capabilities are much like the Kishin! If you want to annihilate that creature, you can’t leave it on the ground! If we do not bring the fight to space, then the Kishins will hold back in fear of destroying a planet.]<br />
<br />
“What of it?”<br />
<br />
[Kishin Saika’s specialty is teleportation. I will bring the Archdemon to space. That wastes a lot of my energy, so we will need to destroy it together. Understand?]<br />
<br />
“So we’re going to be temporary allies until we beat the Archdemon?”<br />
<br />
[Yes! And I know that you spared my life. That is the most terrible insult to me, but... I am still thankful. But we will have a proper conclusion to our fight later!]<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha scoffed in response. “She knows that she was spared and she still talks big! Lezirth, just ignore her!”<br />
<br />
I shook my head. “Alright, fine, we’ll destroy the Archdemon first!”<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha looked bewildered when I accepted the alliance. “You’ll regret it! How can you be so kind to an Asa?”<br />
<br />
“It’s fine-- I have a plan of my own!” I reassured her, landing on the edge of the stadium area. I picked up an item for my plan-- I was ready for anything with it.<br />
<br />
[Let’s begin!]<br />
<br />
Kishin Saika bolted up into the skies. It looked like the old Hydrazine-fueled rockets pushing the earth back with a great force as it elevated into the air.<br />
<br />
Saika stopped mid-air and spread its arms. Its skirt-like parts separated apart, shooting off in the areas around the stadium’s edges, encircling the Archdemon. Meanwhile, I took the monstrous arm’s attention, preventing it from reacting to Saika’s actions.<br />
<br />
[Kishin Arts, activate! Forced Teleportation!]<br />
<br />
As Saika cried, the parts embedded around the Archdemon emitted a light.<br />
<br />
I quickly fled the circle. Even if I were allied with Saika, I wasn’t about to expose Dawnbringer Minor and myself to an unknown Kishin Art.<br />
<br />
I had to admit, I had made a major mistake.<br />
<br />
The activation of the Kishin Art had already been done when the metal circle was created. Before I knew where I was, Dawnbringer Minor and the Archdemon were moved into space.<br />
<br />
“Damn!”<br />
<br />
[I’ll attack from here, but don’t blame me if you get hit and die from it!] The Asa princess said cheekily. Saika was already on the ground by this time.<br />
<br />
[Thundergod Saika can switch places between itself and any of its Skirt Bits! When the Skirt Bit Formation is formed to perform this ability, its movement is said to be discordant, hence the full name of Discordant Thundergod! You have to be careful!] Ensign Meihowa warned, but it was too late. I had to react against Saika’s preparations rather than its activation, but that chance was gone. <br />
<br />
The Archdemon seemed to be panicking, unaware of what had just happened. It was quite a humongous creature. I thought the arm was only about forty meters, but with the Archdemon out in space, I could see that the full length was more than sixty meters. The whole body was, including the tail, maybe two hundred meters. It looked like... a deformed, giant dinosaur? Almost like the monsters from monster movies?<br />
<br />
--Kishin Arts! Lightspeed Death Formation!<br />
<br />
Saika raised its arms into the air and activated a Kishin Art. Earth, machineries, and various debris levitated into the air, and were soon engulfed in a sphere of light centered on Saika’s hands. The ball of light suddenly accelerated to near-lightspeed, appearing as a beam exiting the atmosphere of the planet.<br />
<br />
Near-lightspeed objects with high density could destroy the biosphere of a planet. By colliding with the atmosphere, the object could explode from its own speed, and the resulting force could wipe the surface clean. This could happen even if the object headed towards space, rather than the ground. But thankfully, the projectile was teleported outside of the atmosphere first before being set in course towards Dawnbringer Minor and the Archdemon.<br />
<br />
[Stop the Archdemon from dodging the projectile!]<br />
<br />
“That ********! Hey, you ******* ********!” Sergeant Aroha began screaming words that were too embarrassing to be heard.<br />
<br />
It was obvious that she was trying to be rid of Dawnbringer Minor as well as the Archdemon, but Princess Riznah was bold enough to ask me to control the Archdemon into getting hit!<br />
<br />
And then, I felt a vibration, though that couldn’t have been possible in space.<br />
<br />
The near-lightspeed projectile of debris struck the Archdemon’s body, causing a violent explosion. The extreme speed and force of the collision caused nuclear fission, causing a massive radiation. People on the surface could probably see an aurora happening in this direction.<br />
<br />
I realized that I would die too if I idly stood around, so I prepared to dodge Saika’s attacks.<br />
<br />
-- Dance of Discord!<br />
<br />
The sight of the world changed its colours. Glowing points flashed in various locations around the battlefield, marking the valid travel locations with projected beacons of my mind. I had placed two hundred of these beacons. Now, I could travel to them in order!<br />
<br />
Commence chained teleport!<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor activated its teleportation device. It teleported to predetermined locations in space, dodging the projectiles from Saika and blocking the Archdemon’s path. The Archdemon struggled to escape the bombardment even as it got repeatedly struck by attacks that could destroy a star, but I kept it down by striking it with more Piercing Fist.<br />
<br />
All of these attacks were enough to destroy multiple planets, but the Archdemon was glancing off the blows by leaking some of the damaging force into the Hyperspace.<br />
<br />
--Alert! Alter-Armour energy level is dropping!<br />
<br />
--Alert! Reaction levels exceeding capacity!<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor was struggling to keep up! Sergeant Aroha cursed obnoxiously, while hurriedly shoving more energy gels into Dawnbringer Minor. It was a nice sight, seeing her lean forward in the process and exposing the curves of her back. She was also on my lap at the moment, so...<br />
<br />
“Uh-- L--Lezirth?” Sergeant Aroha blushed and turned around to stare at me. She seemed to have a lot to say but couldn’t speak any of them.<br />
<br />
“Ah!”<br />
<br />
‘What a time to be distracted-- right in the crossroads between life and death!’<br />
<br />
I continued jumping through space with the Dance of Discord and throwing punches at the Archdemon. The energy level warnings continued just as much, but I trusted Sergeant Aroha and kept on pushing Dawnbringer Minor to its limits.<br />
<br />
The Archdemon attempted to return the favour and fired a ray of light. I did not dodge, but instead created a Blue Barrier to reflect and strike back at the Archdemon.<br />
<br />
--*Kweeeaaaaagh!*<br />
<br />
I heard the Archdemon scream in agony, despite my senses telling me that I couldn’t hear sounds through space.<br />
<br />
“Take this!”<br />
<br />
From the eyes attached on Dawnbringer’s shoulders, I used--<br />
<br />
--Kishin Arts! Anguish of the Lion King!<br />
<br />
A focused wave of electrical energy arced to the Archdemon. And then--<br />
<br />
--Ascend!<br />
<br />
Dawnbringer Minor followed the arc with the Piercing Fist! The plasma storm and the punch combined to spray and inject deadly plasma into the Archdemon’s body.<br />
<br />
--Ascended Kishin Arts! Aurora Slash!<br />
<br />
Following up on the last attack was a spinning kick from Dawnbringer Minor. Somehow, despite the size of Dawnbringer Minor, the Archdemon’s back exploded from the hit. The hardened flesh cracked open and spurted blood into space! The Archdemon was flung back from the force, only to be hit by another projectile and get pushed back towards Dawnbringer Minor.<br />
<br />
--*Kwwweeeee!*<br />
<br />
The Archdemon raised its arms, almost looking like it was surrendering. It then folded the space around it, and like a magician disappearing into his own cloak, it enveloped the fabric of space around it and... vanished completely.<br />
<br />
“It ran away!”<br />
<br />
[Oh!]<br />
<br />
Sergeant Aroha and Princess Riznah exclaimed. I was just as surprised.<br />
<br />
“Hmph. After all that, it ran away before I could kill it!”<br />
<br />
“No, wait, that’s not what I’m surprised about! How did you manage to make an Archdemon run away?!’<br />
<br />
[If the Black Sisters knew about this, they’d faint in shock.] Princess Riznah muttered. Before she could say anything further, Sergeant Aroha shut the communicator off.<br />
<br />
“Why?”<br />
<br />
“We’re out of energy gels, Lezirth!”<br />
<br />
“Hm.”<br />
<br />
After withstanding every ability down to the last Ascended Kishin Arts, the energy gels are all out? I nodded.<br />
<br />
Saika had already begun its move towards Dawnbringer Minor, quietly and quickly leaving the atmosphere of Critik-4. Though the Kishin Arts must have spent a great deal of energy, it was a proper Kishin, after all.<br />
<br />
With Critik-4 behind it, Saika stopped at a distance away from Dawnbringer Minor.<br />
<br />
There was about ten minutes before the Federation fleet could arrive and assess the situation on Critik-4. I’d never need more than ten minutes to take down a Kishin!
</span>Naranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02495033918285147613noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-35042269725099898462015-09-05T08:20:00.000-07:002016-06-30T09:19:32.463-07:00[Four Lovers v01] 7. Bitter End - Part 1<span style="font-size: small;"><i>As always, thank you readers for your kindest patience. Part 1 is approximately 60 percent of the chapter. Kurosmith couldn't finish the rest in the desired time due to his work schedule.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Anyhow, I would like to give a warm welcome to Kuro Cavk, our newest editor to join us. His work was exceptional here, and I would like to thank him for both his speed and skills. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Translator: Kurosmith<br />Editor: Kuro Cavk</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Please enjoy~</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>____________________</i></span></span></span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Friday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I left the house early without
seeing Yeon-hee’s face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was nobody in the classroom
when I arrived at school. I took out the organized notes from my bag and
started studying by myself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aside from greeting Sega briefly
when he entered the classroom, I kept studying without talking to anybody.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was used to it since this was my
everyday life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yu Yuyu. …Hmm, is she absent?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then during the homeroom period, the
morning roll call caused a small stir.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu’s unexpected absence made
everybody turn their eyes towards me. However, I ignored them and continued
reading my notes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m sure everybody knows, but we're
holding a National United Achievement Test today. Don’t let your guard down
just because it’s a mock test. Think of it as the real deal and get your head
on straight.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After giving his advice, the
homeroom teacher encouraged the class to attain good marks while pointing
towards me again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, it would be difficult to
get a good grade this time. I had forgotten about three months of studies,
which was quite the amount.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course, I have been studying, so
it wasn’t like my grade was going to drop sharply all of a sudden. But, since I
have studied three months lesser than other high schoolers in the country, my
ranking will go down a fair bit. A result significantly short of the first
place in the country that the homeroom teacher wants was certain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no way around it. I’ll
make it up by increasing the amount of studying from now on. For today, I will
do all that I can with my current skills.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And so, the mock test began.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tense mood unique to the day of
mock tests filled the classroom to the brim. Feeling at ease in that mood. I
put my writing implements on the desk.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It seems there’s an absentee.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first period was linguistics.
The teacher in charge came in and commented on the empty seat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But as if it was nothing, the
teacher started preparing the test. The test sheets were distributed to the
students, and a moment later the announcement notifying the commencement of the
test was heard from the speakers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The listening test broadcast would
have begun right away in the past; however, due to its scheduled removal from
the national university entrance test, we now start with solving paper
questions first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beginning with question number one,
they’re questions assessing one’s writing ability. Even if you had not studied
comprehensively, it was perfectly possible to solve them with a grasp on their
context and logical thinking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, grammatical questions
weren’t so easy. There were parts that I felt like I had studied before, but
couldn’t remember clearly. I probably had thoroughly memorized them in the last
three months, but I was unable to solve them due to my memory loss.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless, it wasn’t in my
character to leave it unsolved and move on to the next question. In the end,
after contemplating for a good while between the likely answers number two and
four, I checked number two as the temporary answer and went on to the next
question.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Read
the following and answer the question.</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Literary questions started
appearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘This
text, I’ve seen it somewhere before…’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I remembered immediately. It was
from the mock test preparation printouts that Yuyu had lent me two days ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Given how the question did not show
up too often, I was surprised to see it appear on the test just like this. The
academy has a considerably high accuracy rate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘......’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I had no time to spare on random
thoughts. I lowered my head and resumed solving the questions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘…Whew.’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, I felt oddly at ease.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe because it’s a test, I could
concentrate really well. It has been too long since I’ve solved problems with
the right focus like this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I thought about it, there
wasn’t a single time where I was able to study properly in peace since
Saturday. My amnesia had also been constantly on my mind, but my life was too
disarrayed. Since I had no way of knowing when and what would happen, I wasn’t
able to keep my mind at ease.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Yu
Yuyu, Han Ka-ryeon, and Yeon-hee…’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because of their pestering all this
time, I had wasted too much time. But that is all over now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu won’t be bothering me any more
now. The same goes for Ka-ryeon. It’d probably be best to quit my part-time
job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Things will be awkward with Yeon-hee
for a while, but it should go back to the way they were over time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then everything will be back to
normal. I’ll be able to study in silence. Continue attending school and study,
do well on the national university entrance test, get into a university where I
can receive an all-expenses paid scholarship, work more part-time jobs while
studying in university so I can keep getting scholarship, send Yeon-hee to a
good university, and then…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Live in peace and quiet without
getting involved excessively with other people.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘……’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I raised my head up a bit and
glanced at the seat where Yuyu should have been sitting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was nothing on the ownerless
desk. Looking at the sight, I thought about Yuyu.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘How
pathetic.’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That was what I thought.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She was a girl who cared greatly
about marks and ranks, and yet she was playing truant on the day of the
national university entrance test. Has she lost her mind?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps she hasn’t sorted herself
out yet after yesterday’s event. Nonetheless, isn’t being absent like this
contradictory? Her objective should be to bring down my grades and steal the
first place in the school. It’s not a competition if she doesn’t even show up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And if she wants to surpass me and
place first in the school, the best opportunity is now where I’ve forgotten
about three months of studying. Yet why in the world did she skip out today. I
couldn’t understand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘I
just can’t underst—’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hold on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was just one more thing I
couldn’t understand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All this time, Yuyu had followed me
around. She came to see me in the mornings, and we ate our meals together
during lunches. She was so anxious about my activities that she had even come
to my part-time job to spy on me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Doesn’t this mean Yuyu was unable to
properly study as well?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘And—’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One more thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This time Yuyu had discovered that
there were also two more girls who were actively approaching me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If her goal was to bring down my
grades by distracting me with romance, then there was no real need for Yuyu to
take action in this situation. All she had to do was to take a step back and
let Ka-ryeon or Yeon-hee to push me around. There was no need for her to
personally take action and sacrifice her study time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But Yuyu had continued to approach
me. Not only that, she had even tried to keep Ka-ryeon and Yeon-hee in check,
going so far as to put aside her studies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What is up with him?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some of the students who were doing
the test looked this way from my blurting. The teacher in charge also turned
his attention to me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I couldn’t care less about their
stares.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Just
why…’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu wouldn’t have gone about it
this way if her goal was to bring down my grades and steal the first place in
the school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then why did Yuyu do those things?
Just why?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For what reason did she try to be my
‘real girlfriend’?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘And…’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This raises second doubts about Han
Ka-ryeon and Yeon-hee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Yuyu,
Ka-ryeon, Yeon-hee…!’</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Yuyu lie to me in order to bring
down my grades and steal the first place in the school?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Ka-ryeon lie to me in order to
get someone who’ll support her for her whole life?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Yeon-hee lie to me in order to
cross the line with her brother that might be blood-related to her?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why did these three girls lie to me?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where is the solution to this
problem?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Damn it…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kicking the desk, I got up from my
seat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The loud noise drew attention from
more people than the previous time. No, almost everyone inside the classroom
was looking at me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“W-What’s wrong?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With an expression of surprise on
his face, the teacher in charge asked me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I looked straight into his eyes and
told him:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Something urgent came up so I will
be leaving early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wh-What?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Probably he’s one of the teachers
who remember my face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Y-You’re Ahn Kyeong-hyun, right?
What do you mean you’re leaving early because something urgent came up?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then make it for a medical reason,
please. I will inform my homeroom teacher later.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In front of the teacher who had his
mouth agape, I swiftly packed my bag. As I waltzed out of the classroom, all
the students looked on with dumbfounded expressions. Sega stood out amongst
them, greeting me with his hand in the air, but I had no time to respond to his
encouragement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hey, hey, where are you going…?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ignoring the teacher’s voice calling
me from behind, I walked down the hallway in strides. He won’t be able to leave
the other students and chase me right away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have to confirm them, without a
moment’s delay, what their true intentions are.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ll miss the test, but that doesn’t
matter. What’s important right now is not that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because even if there’s a question
I’m not sure of, I don’t skip to the next question— I’m the type of person who
just has to find the answer ASAP.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
◇<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span>◇</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Now that I think about it, I don’t
even know Yuyu’s cellphone number.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After leaving the school without
hesitation, I encountered my first problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But I have my ways.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Right away, I walked to a nearby pay
phone. I took out the notebook from my bag and opened it to the page where I
had written down the contact information.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hello, this is Café S—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Manageress, it’s me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The place I called was Café Saint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Kyeong-hyun…? Shouldn’t you be at
school right now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Please tell me Ka-ryeon’s cell
phone number.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wh-What?!” The Manageress, whose
voice had been drowsy, sounded surprised. “Hey, hey! Why are you trying to get
my sister’s number?! Are you interested in Ka-ryeon? W-Why you…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It’s an important matter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I responded with a serious
tone, the Manageress became quiet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“...Wh-What? What’s with the
seriousness…? I-Is it really an important matter?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I-If you’re seriously interested in
Ka-ryeon for real… If it’s a serious relationship and not a fling, then as her
older sister…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Manageress, her cellphone number.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“O-Okay.’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I jot down the number from the
Manageress in the notebook. The Manageress said “Y-You two can’t have sex yet!
If you really want to do it, make sure to use contracep—!” at the end, but I
didn’t reply and hung up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I called Ka-ryeon immediately
afterwards. Hearing the dial tone, I realized that she was also in the middle
of the linguistics portion of her test, but the call connected shortly after.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Sunbae?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You guessed right.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Somehow, Ka-ryeon had sensed the
call was from me even before I spoke. Her intuition was something else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sorry, but can you tell me Yuyu’s
cellphone number?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Why do you think that I would know
Miss Yuyu’s cellphone number?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You came to my house with Yuyu on
Saturday as well, and after that you had lent my house key to Yuyu after
hearing her story. There’s a possibility you had used your cellphone to contact
her.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Haah.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon let out of a sigh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I will tell you her number.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Was she searching through her
cellphone directory? After a momentary silence, Ka-ryeon told me Yuyu’s number.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Thanks.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae, what do you plan on doing?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ll have a talk with you soon,
too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With those last words, I ended my
call with Ka-ryeon. Although I was searching for Yuyu’s whereabouts right now,
I wasn’t going to delay settling the issue with Ka-ryeon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…But how did she answer her cell
phone during the test?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well then…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I phoned the number that I’ve
obtained. I don’t know if she’ll answer it or not, but I had to call her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, the call quickly went
through.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hello?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yu—“</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I stopped myself from calling Yuyu’s
name right away. The voice didn’t belong to Yuyu.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hello? Did you call Yuyu’s cell
phone?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The voice was that of an old lady.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…Is it her mom?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…May I ask whom I’m speaking to?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I asked while trying to sound as
mature as possible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah, my daughter went to school with
her cell phone at home today… By the way, may I ask who this is?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After making something random up, I
hung up the phone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Right now, Yuyu wasn’t at home. And
her mom said she went to school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Time to find her.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’d be hopeless if she went
somewhere far; however, considering the kind of girl Yuyu was, she wouldn’t have
wandered far. Her prep school was around here as well, and she didn’t seem to
be the kind of person who had a wide range of movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was already past ten o’clock. The
mathematical portion of the test was going to start soon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even though an earnest desire to
immediately return to school and solve the latest questions was stirring inside
me, I started walking in the opposite direction of the school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ll find Yuyu and uncover her true
intentions. Even to my own surprise, the desire to do so was far stronger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But no matter where I looked, I
couldn’t find a trace of her. I searched the library intensively, thinking I’d
go there if it were me, but to no avail. I searched everywhere else but there
was no sign of her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I thought she’d be in this
neighbourhood that was divided from other areas by a creek and a national
highway. Perhaps my thinking was wrong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Realizing that it was lunchtime even
before I knew it when I saw the clock inside a store as I passed by it, I became
hungry. Come to think of it, I haven’t had any breakfast this morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But still, I was reluctant to get
something to eat with the present situation at hand. Just as I was thinking
about the matter, I heard a voice besides me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I turned my head to see Ka-ryeon
standing next to me in her school uniform.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why are you…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My eyes widened at the sight of her.
Then my eyes opened even wider when I saw the girl standing behind her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Standing there was Yeon-hee clad
also in her school uniform. She was staring me with a stern look.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why are you girls here…? You
first-years also have an test today.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sweeping her hair up, Ka-ryeon
replied to my question:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I didn’t want to write the test, so
I’m playing truant for today.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What…?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is this girl also skipping school
like Yuyu is doing?!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hey, you shouldn’t be doing that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh my, but I’m a delinquent. I
don’t normally study at all.” Said Ka-ryeon, while smiling with an innocent
face. “You’ve lost consciousness before after seeing my midterm test report
card. Apparently you have a constitution where you faint upon seeing terrible
marks, Sunbae.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Wait.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You ravished me throughout the
night that day, saying ‘naughty girl who neglects her studies needs to be
punished!’ I was scared, but it was a little exciting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“D-Don’t lie!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although I regard studying as being
important, there’s no way I would’ve done such a thing… is what I’d like to
believe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…And here I thought I’d never have
this sort of conversation with Ka-ryeon anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yeon-hee… You didn’t go to school,
either?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“……”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeon-hee lowered her head with an
expression of discomfort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…My goodness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yuyu, and now you girls. Why are
you all skipping the test?! Do you or do you not realize that you’re
test-takers?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae, take a look in a mirror.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Ah.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was skipping, too… Though,
technically, it wasn’t truancy in my case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Looks like we’re a group of four
delinquents.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“B-Be quiet. …But really, what are
you two doing here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I was just about to take a nap in a
nearby park when I got your call, Sunbae.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You really have a laidback life…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But I figured it wasn’t the time to
be napping after I got your call, so I called Miss Yeon-hee right away and met
up with her. “</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why would you call Yeon-hee? And
how did you find out her number?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’ve given me Miss Yeon-hee’s
cellphone and home telephone numbers before to get in contact with you in case
something happens. The reason why I contacted Yeon-hee was because…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon’s turned her eyes to
Yeon-hee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I thought it was a bit unfair for
only me to know about this situation.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Unfair?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And things have become urgent for
me, as well.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Urgent?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae.” Said Ka-ryeon, without
answering my question “This love rectangle had started with you and us three
gathered together. And yesterday, it fell apart with you and us three gathered
together.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a light smile, Ka-ryeon
continued.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then don’t you think we all ought
to gather together when settling this matter?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although I couldn’t comprehend them,
her words felt oddly persuasive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While eating a plate of rabokki
for lunch after entering a nearby snack bar as per the girls’ wishes, I
explained the current situation where Yuyu has gone missing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You couldn’t find her no matter
where you searched…” Ka-ryeon, who was listening to the story while eating a
roll of cheese kimbap, nodded her head, seemingly lost in thought. “There
are only a few locations around here that a high school girl would likely go
to. You’ve searched all of the possible places, and we’ve also went around
everywhere searching for you but we didn’t see Miss Yuyu.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeon-hee, who was eating a bowl of
udon next to her, nodded her head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…So she’s gone to a different
neighbourhood?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I don’t think that’s the case.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why is that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Call it a woman’s intuition.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ah… Is that so?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae, women will never run away
to place where truly nobody can find them in these situations.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Is that so?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Seeing how Yeon-hee is nodding her
head in agreement, I guess it’s true.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Does any place come to mind,
Sunbae?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ve pretty much searched
everywhere.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“A place of memories that only you
and Miss Yuyu know of… Don’t you have a spot like that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“There’s no way such a place would
exist… The only places we had met outside of school were the hospital, our
home, and Saint. If there’s a place that we went together within my lost
memories…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While muttering so in my head, a
thought flashed across my mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Wait.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Does something come to mind?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, it’s that…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I’m right…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah… For heaven’s sake.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I scratched my head hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The proverb “it’s always the darkest
under the lighthouse” rang true.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since we couldn’t go in right away,
we had to wait for quite a while outside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was about 3 o’clock when we
entered the school, after the start of the fourth period of the test. The
hallways were devoid of students.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I knew it. Her shoes are inside
the shoe rack.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having confirmed her presence by
checking the shoe rack, we walked up the stairs together. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“This is exciting.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Exciting, my ass.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paying constant attention to see if
anyone’s coming at the front, I grimaced at Ka-ryeon’s carefree comment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I told Ka-ryeon and Yeon-hee to wait
outside but they tagged along anyway, saying it’s too late for that now. It’ll
become an issue if they find out that a student from another school snuck
inside the school during the test…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Are we there yet?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We’re almost there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our destination was the local
history study room on the top floor of the school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To be precise, it was the
Audiovisual Reference Prep Room inside the space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…This is the place.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having stepped inside the local
history study room, we stopped in front of the iron door to the preparation
room. I stood still with a variety of exhibits behind me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What do you plan on doing?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Let me first check.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I grabbed the doorknob, but the door
didn’t budge. It was locked from the inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yuyu.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no answer; however,
certain that Yuyu was inside, I called her again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yuyu, you’re in there, right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was still no answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why did you skip the test today?
Not just any test, but the National United Achievement Test. A girl with good
grades like you shouldn’t be skipping out on this.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…You have better grades than me.
You’re the number one in the school.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At last, a subdued voice was heard
from the other side of the door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was definitely Yuyu's voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“First place or second place, there
isn’t much difference.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Don’t lie to me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Anyhow, though it’s impossible to
do the test today since it’s already late, you should at least take the test
paper with you. Also, we have to talk to our homeroom teacher about today’s
unauthorized absence and get it sorted out. So let’s hurry and—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Why are you saying that?” Said
Yuyu in a dark voice. “Why did you come to see me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That’s…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I hesitated for a moment. I didn’t
know the right words to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the end, I gave the easiest
reply.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Because we’re going to keep going
to school together and keep seeing each other.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…I’m going to drop out of school.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What…?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hold on, why of all a sudden—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Because I have no reason to be at
school. Starting next week, I’m not going to come to school.” Yuyu’s subdued
voice continued, “I have no friends anyway, and I even lied about you being my
boyfriend. Even if I stay in school, nothing good will come of it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“S-Still, you should at least
graduate from high school… And get your parents’ permis—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ll quit school and take the
General Education Development tests. I can take the SAT test after studying at
home while attending a cram school. My mom will give me permission if I tell
her it’s because I want to focus on studying for the SAT test.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yuyu, you should still…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But then you’re not going to have
lunch with me anymore …!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I kept talking to her despite my
confusion, what reached my ears was Yuyu’s woeful voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m not your girlfriend, and I’ve
even lied to you… There’s no way you would have lunch with me!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Is that… important?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It is important! To me, it is…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even without seeing her face, I had
a feeling Yuyu was crying behind the iron door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alone, she was crying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Because the lunchtimes I was
spending with you were the happiest times for me…! I was coming to school in
order to see you…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Listening to Yuyu shouting at me, my
eyes opened wide.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I definitely confessed to you. I
confessed, saying that I liked you and wanted to go out with you. That was last
Friday.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last
Friday…?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I swallowed my breath, realizing its
significance. That was the day I had gotten into the car accident.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That day that I had thrown myself to
save Yuyu, I had received a confession from her?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Originally, I had planned on
pulling a prank on you. But while confessing to you, I could no longer tell if
I was really confessing to you to entrap you or if I was confessing to you for
real.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu continued to let it out in a
heavy voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But you turned me down. Of course
you did. You’re Ahn Kyeong-hyun, who only knows studying and has no interest in
girls. Even if a girl devoid of charm like me were to confess to you, you
wouldn’t have gone out with me. I kept asking you out while not knowing if the
words I was saying were from my heart or not, but you kept turning me down. …It
would’ve been better you had outright told me that you had no intention of
dating a girl like me. Then I would’ve been able to get angry for being ignored
and hate you again. But you didn’t even do that for me. Gently, admonishingly…
You told me that you weren’t worthy of dating another person as though you were
sorry. That’s why it was even more painful.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was likely that it had been her
first confession.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She had confessed while not knowing
if her words were for real or not, and she was turned down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wondered what thoughts she had and
what emotions she had felt at that moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But what really pained me wasn’t
your rejection. I was unbearably sad that I could no longer spend time with you
and the thought that you wouldn’t have lunch with me from now on…” Yuyu said as
she was close to tears. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you again. Seeing you
leave early for your part-time job, I also left school in a rush and chased
you. I was about to cross the road in a hurry after spotting you on the other
end of the crosswalk. Having noticed me running up to you hurriedly while
calling your name, your face changed color and you came running towards me. …I
was happy deep down at that moment, since it was me who you came running
after.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…But that was to save Yuyu who was
about to get struck by a car, and it was the incident that caused all this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And you got into a car accident. My
head was about to burst— How was I going to apologize when you wake up? But I
was surprised that you couldn’t remember anything. I was sad that you couldn’t
remember our times together that were so precious to me, but then an idea came
to my mind.`</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“So that’s why… you did that.” I
said with parched lips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes, I’d thought of becoming your
girlfriend by exploiting this opportunity.” Yuyu continued in a
self-deprecating voice. I was confident that I could be good to you. Treat you
really kindly, make you happy and help you to make you glad that you have a girlfriend…
I’d thought how nice it’d be if I could make up even a little for the
inconvenience that I’d caused you. And that maybe even after your memories
returned, how nice it’d be if you continued to treat me as your girlfriend…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But Yuyu’s plan went awry from the
beginning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I looked at the girl of seemingly
delicate constitution standing behind me, staring this way without an
expression on her face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But I wasn’t the only one who
wanted you. When Han Ka-ryeon, that girl who looks way prettier than me, said
she was also going out with you… I felt betrayed. Why was he going out with
another girl when he wouldn’t go out with me? At the same time, I felt the
possessive desire to steal you and make you mine alone.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And in such a situation, my sister
had driven her further into the corner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And even your sister started
claiming that she had an intimate relationship with her brother. My mind was in
complete disarray. The thought of wanting to be good to you after becoming your
girlfriend had vanished somewhere, and I was in constant fear of losing you to
another girl and drifting apart from you completely. That’s why … I tried to
create an unbreakable relationship while pretending to be your girlfriend.”
Yuyu said in a feeble voice. “This is my real ‘truth’. I went out of control,
unable to keep my emotions in check, and caused you trouble. It’s not something
that can be forgiven.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then, Yuyu offered a word of
apology.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m sorry, Glasses. You lost your
memories because of me, and you couldn’t study properly… I’m truly sorry. I’ll
disappear from your sight from now on; I won’t pester you anymore, so…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She began sobbing in a muffled
manner inside the preparations room. The sound of her cry was so sorrowful that
it pained my heart to listen to it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No longer able to bear it, I opened
my mouth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, Yuyu, I…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was that moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Oppa.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I heard a stiff voice from behind my
back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I saw when I turned around was
Yeon-hee looking at me with a pale face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oppa, are you going to go out with
that girl?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeon-hee had kept silent until now.
However, the question she asked me was absolutely unexpected.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What are you… talking about?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I, I don’t want that…!” Eyes glistening with
tears, Yeon-hee shouted. “No! No! No…! I don’t ever want you to get a
girlfriend!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, Yeon-hee! That’s not what we’re
talking about—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’re lying! You were just about
to say kind words to that girl! If you say those things, that girl is going to
like you even more!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I swallowed my breath at her
unexpected comment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“In such a situation, can you just
act like it didn’t happen? After making a girl fall head over heels in love
with you, will you not take responsibility?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was struck speechless. I should be
denying what Yeon-hee was saying, but I was confused as to how to go about it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While I was lost in confusion,
Yeon-hee ran into my arms and cried out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No! No! Yeon-hee will become your
girlfriend if you need one, I’ll quit being your sister and become your
girlfriend, so don’t go out with anyone else…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just like Wednesday night, Yeon-hee
had completely lost her composure again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What’s wrong, Yeon-hee? This isn’t
like you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But, but…!” Hitting my chest with
her fists, Yeon-hee cried out. “I may not be your real sister, so if you get a
girlfriend, if you find a girl you like, if you find a girl that you want to
spend your life with… I’ll end up alone…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then, in a grief-stricken voice, she
continued...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I may not be related to you by
blood and we maybe aren’t a family. You’re definitely going to leave me!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What are you saying? Even if we’re
not blood-related, there’s no way I would—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Really? Even if we turn thirty,
even if we turn forty, are you still going to live with me?!” Yelled Yeon-hee
while looking up at me after she had stopped hitting my chest. “That’s
impossible. We can’t live like that. You’re looking after me while we’re living
together like this right now, but someday you’ll think that we should live
independently. Then you’ll find your significant other and start a new family.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Looking up at me with eyes filled
with tears, Yeon-hee continued.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If we’re a real family connected by
blood, then we can keep being connected even if you start a new family. But if
we’re not, if there’s nothing connecting us, then our relationship will be
completely severed in the end.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, Yeon-hee, there’s no—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I desperately tried to deny it, but
Yeon-hee wouldn’t listen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ve always been afraid ever since
I realized that I may not be dad’s biological daughter after finding mom’s
notebook. I was so scared that you might find out about the truth. It may be
useless even if I were to hide it. Our mom who’d vanished might return, and a
person claiming to be my real father might appear. If that were to happen, and
you were to learn that I’m not your real sister, then I’d lose my place as your
sister…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yeon-hee, why… Why are you so
fixated on me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I spoke in a trembling voice. Then,
Yeon-hee replied heavy-heartedly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Mom ran away, and dad’s in his
grave… The only person I could rely on in this world was you. You were my sole
family, and you were my everything… I couldn’t stand being separated from you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That was why Yeon-hee couldn’t
approve the existence of her brother’s girlfriend who appeared out of nowhere
one day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If Yuyu or Ka-ryeon is really her
brother’s girlfriend, then she’d lose her brother. Furthermore, in her
brother’s room was evidence of him having an intimate relationship with a girl.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So Yeon-hee lied about being a
sister not related by blood and having already crossed the line long time ago.
Then seducing me, she tried to create an unbreakable relationship… so that she
may keep on being connected with me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“So, oppa… I don’t want you to get a
girlfriend. Yeon-hee will become your girlfriend if you need one; I’m fine with
ceasing to be your sister and becoming your girlfriend…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yeon-hee, I…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What should I say…? I didn’t know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While my lips quivered shut, a
serene voice reached my ears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then may I speak now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon, who’d been observing the
situation in silence, took a step forward.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Han Ka-ryeon, now’s not the—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, I must say it now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contrary to her seemingly delicate
appearance, Ka-ryeon interrupted me with a forceful manner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m not your fiancée as you have
pointed out, Sunbae. You had turned me down, like you did on Wednesday night.
‘Put on hold’ might be the more appropriate phrase to use, but a rejection is a
rejection.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That’s…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But nevertheless, I wanted to have
you.” Ka-ryeon said in a definite voice, “So I lied about being your fiancée
and seduced you, similar to Miss Yuyu and Miss Yeon-hee.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Placing her hand on her chest,
Ka-ryeon seemed as though she was in pain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Right now, I’ve listened to both of
their stories. I know that they both have desperate circumstances. In
comparison, my circumstances aren’t that desperate.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“However, Sunbae…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Smiling gently, Ka-ryeon spoke. Her
smile was truly beautiful and otherworldly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“My desire to become your bride is
true. I’ll never lose to anyone when it comes to this desire. I want you from
the bottom my heart. So…” She continued in a heartfelt voice. “If you reject
me, I’ll definitely be hurt. Like how the other two girls will be hurt, the
same is true if you assume an ambiguous stance.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After saying that, Ka-ryeon let out
small sigh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only then I realized that her
shoulders were slightly trembling, and that she was feeling nervous.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then, Sunbae… You’ve heard enough
about us now, right?’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My mind recalled last Saturday where
I’d listened to their stories <span style="color: blue;">at</span> my home. These
girls who had gathered at my place that day and had lied about their
relationships with me were now telling the truth this time around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unlike yesterday where they pointed
out each other’s contradictions at the café, they were laying the truth bare
and were trying to determine their relationship with me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Then, please decide.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Decide? What do you—”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“That should be obvious.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yuyu behind the iron door, as well
as Yeon-hee in front of my eyes, were waiting for my answer breathlessly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Please decide… who you’re going to
choose among the three of us.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ka-ryeon’s voice ate into my heart.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I choose Yuyu and make her change
her mind, it’s inevitable that I become close to her. Then I’ll have to leave
Yeon-hee one day, and I won’t be able to grant Ka-ryeon’s wish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I choose Ka-ryeon and start
dating her on the premise of marriage, it’ll be difficult making Yuyu change her
mind. Not to mention, I’ll drift apart from Yeon-hee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I choose Yeon-hee and decide to
live with her now and forevermore, then I’ll have to turn the other two down
here clearly, once again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having said that, it was impossible
to choose none of them and ambiguously move on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then, what is it that I should do?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My quivering lips opened before the
three girls awaiting my answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Glasses…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Sunbae.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“…Oppa.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wanted to say, “Give me some time
to think”. I wanted to postpone it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve lived my life until now only
studying while keeping complicated human relationships at a distance. I’ve
never wanted to have an intimate relationship with another person. Yeon-hee was
a family member I’ve lived with, and Sega was a lame excuse of a friend that
I’ve never had a deep conversation with. Uncle Muhyeok was close to a stranger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And now for some inexplicable
reason, I was put in a situation where I have to choose one of the three girls.
What’s worse, if choose one, I would hurt the other two.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no way I could properly
solve this kind of problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I, I…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was at that moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What are you kids doing here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sternly stoic and heartlessly cold,
it was a familiar voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having stepped inside the local
history study room, it was none other than my homeroom teacher, as well as my
legal guardian, Kim Muhyeok, who had a fierce look on his face.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-74185285233447973682015-08-26T18:39:00.001-07:002015-08-26T18:43:14.374-07:00[Sekaimo v2] Ⅱ. Baekryeon :: Psychopath - /003b<i>Love is insanity. To be loved is to be hunted. There is no running away. </i><br />
<i><br />Translator: Kalkin</i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Editor: Diran<br /><br />Special thanks to Kalkin and Diran for bringing this release together! Kudos to you!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /> Please enjoy~</i></div>
____________________<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A Harbinger Princess.<br />
<br />
“In the end, all the truths in the world are but a fabricated model constructed
to one’s liking.”<br />
<br />
</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">《</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Princess of Darkness</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">》</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Maria.<br />
<br />
“That is why Onii-same must become an adult.”<br />
<br />
“Adult…?”<br />
<br />
“Do you still believe that a physical relation with your sister is not of
ethical conduct?”<br />
<br />
Fu-!<br />
<br />
Of course. I finally saw something progressing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and there was another curveball thrown.<br />
<br />
“Hey, hey! Besides ethics and stuff like that, isn’t incest genetically bad for
genes if siblings d, d, do that!?”<br />
<br />
“You mean the scientific findings about how inbreeding and incest can increase
the chance of congenital birth defects? You need not worry about them."<br />
<br />
“Huh!?”<br />
<br />
“It’s my safe day today.”<br />
<br />
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.<br />
<br />
“If that is your only issue, then it seems that all the obstacles barring the
connection between me and Onii-sama have been demolished.”<br />
<br />
“…”<br />
<br />
At this point, it was clear that all this speech she gave out about the truth
of the world doing kickflips many times over and back were just a logical
leeway she paved for her to say "That’s why it’s okay for us to go beyond
sibling love.” to a casual urging.<br />
<br />
The world was coming to a close.<br />
<br />
It had gotten to the point where she conjured up and wove all these world
chapter history level conspiracies into her argument just to make justification
for some sister-brother action.<br />
<br />
“I do admit I had gotten a bit carried off with my explanation, but I can be
sure that I gave no loopholes. Surely you will not reject my advance now?”<br />
<br />
“Game over, man. Game over.” <br />
<br />
She took Sun Tzu’s Art of War and turned it into a theatrical RTS level joke.<br />
<br />
But the important thing was that I had nothing to retort back her ridiculous
but somewhat plausible argument with.<br />
<br />
“B-but! My heart still isn’t prepared…”<br />
<br />
“How much longer will you force this humiliation play on this poor girl before
you now, Onii-sama!?”<br />
<br />
“T-that’s…!”<br />
<br />
It wasn’t like I was devoid of my pride as a man. I wasn’t impotent either; I
was just normal, nothing more or nothing less.<br />
<br />
Oh, it’s specifically because I was normal that I was hesitant.<br />
<br />
I’d heard so much here and there, but whether the truth of the world was
correct or not, what I was taught along my youth was thought patterns of the
normal world. No matter how she emphasized that it’s an illusion, I couldn’t
just ditch the things I was used to all my life and accept her thought pattern
like this.<br />
<br />
In the end, it was like that, dammit.<br />
<br />
“H, hey Maria, but I’m…”<br />
<br />
I couldn't manage to avoid Maria’s conjecture, much less wrap up the argument
heating between us. It was dull and stupid, and anyone else could see how
dead-end I appeared in their eyes.<br />
<br />
“If that is so, then your compromise is hereby rejected.”<br />
<br />
And then, all in a moment, Maria ceased to tolerate my shaky and indecisive
attitude any longer.<br />
<br />
Reject my compromise?<br />
<br />
Did she really realize the true meaning of what she was getting at?<br />
<br />
“Tonight, I’m dyeing you in my color, if nothing else.”<br />
<br />
Maria’s arm coiled around my neck, and her wet, unruly breath tickled the nape
of my neck. <br />
<br />
Maria acted with possessive determination.<br />
<br />
Still grasping my neck, Maria instead carried strength into her fingers and
started tightening down on my windpipe with all her strength.<br />
<br />
Strangling… me.<br />
<br />
“Kuh, you, why…!”<br />
<br />
“Do not be afraid, Onii-sama.”<br />
<br />
Chuckling to herself, Maria was entranced in a maddening satisfaction staring
down at my oxygen-deprived body.<br />
<br />
Like a hound prowling the hunting ground, a predator sinking into bloodlust.<br />
<br />
“I love you, Onii-sama, more than anything in the world. I daresay that there
is nobody in the world that loves you more than me?”<br />
<br />
“W-What are you getti…”<br />
<br />
With pain prying my life loose, I managed to spit out a few words.<br />
<br />
“That is so Onii-same belongs to only me. I will not lose you to anyone else;
that is why you are my Onii-sama, only for me.”<br />
<br />
The Maria that was on top of me was not the Maria I knew. What I could see was
but a person of fear and catharsis welled up in the abyss of her twin gaze,
shaped to a grotesque singularity.<br />
I could tell.<br />
<br />
Maria was like that.<br />
<br />
My little sister, Maria Lunalady Blackhazel, is just like that.<br />
<br />
“-It’s about Baekryeon, isn’t it?<br />
<br />
What I uttered out flew out like a silver bolt, and careened through the wave
of madness whirling around us.<br />
<br />
Pause.<br />
<br />
The fingers constricting my neck shook ever so slightly and ceased to act
further.<br />
<br />
But even if you did something like this, I knew where you were getting at from
the start.<br />
<br />
You’re just that kind of a kid, who would lash out and choke me just to project
out your uneasiness.<br />
<br />
The hands that were strangling me were shaking from the start, like a petrified
child’s.<br />
<br />
“!”<br />
<br />
What I could see now was a wide-eyed Mara, trembling in her place; a
tide-turner, so to speak.<br />
<br />
“B, but that’s…”<br />
<br />
“That means that I knew everything from the beginning, you good-for-nothing
sister.”<br />
<br />
Why must you always be like this? Whether you were the</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">《</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Princess of Darkness</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">》</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">or not, this person
in front of me now was just a little girl, struggling so hard inside her head,
just because she didn’t know what her own brother was thinking.<br />
<br />
“I’ll be honest; I’ve been feeling a little chaotic because of her for a while
now.”<br />
<br />
Just think. You flipped the TV on nonchalantly, and you heard your name
mentioned, and a rather noticeable biochemical terrorism takes place right
before your eyes; I doubt you could shake the earth upside down and come up
with anyone that could cope with that in a sane manner.<br />
<br />
“But Maria, I need you to know this one thing.”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean?”<br />
<br />
“Whatever you think of me, I’m your only Onii-sama.”<br />
<br />
So what was so hard about pampering your sister a bit?<br />
<br />
“Don’t tell me you were thinking that I was going to leave you or
something?"<br />
<br />
“…”<br />
<br />
Hearing that, Maria shook her head down and mumbled something unintelligible.<br />
<br />
Wrestling with something silly like that; this girl in misery<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>before me was none other than the</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">《</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Princess of Darkness</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">》</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "?? ????"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "?? ????"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun;">.<br />
<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><br />
</span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">”Fuha, hahahaha!”<br />
<br />
I wasn’t sure why I burst into laughter there.<br />
<br />
“W, why do you laugh?”<br />
<br />
“It’s amusing.”<br />
<br />
“It’s, amusing?”<br />
<br />
Very much so.<br />
<br />
Here I was, tied head to toe, incapable of even a single resistance, pathetic
as I was, and I found this amusing.<br />
<br />
“Nobody else in the world could possibly see this side of Maria.”<br />
<br />
“Why is that…?”<br />
<br />
“It feels like I’m harbouring a great secret to myself.<br />
<br />
It’s beyond amusing.<br />
<br />
Did I really want to say that? To say that I was amused like a kid stashing a
rare glass trinket in his room and feeling a sense of superior secrecy?<br />
<br />
“A genocidal war criminal in angel’s clothing. Persephone on earth.”<br />
<br />
“…!”<br />
<br />
“Nobody will ever know. To know that someone of that amazing, enormous caliber,
that the harbinger princess responsible for all the hell and strife that exists
in this world, is such an impressionable and innocent girl like this.”<br />
<br />
“B, but that’s because I’m in front of Onii-sama!”<br />
<br />
Maria blushed and reacted so predictably, still encased steadfast inside her
pride.<br />
<br />
Ahh.<br />
<br />
I could see.<br />
<br />
I could read her so clearly.<br />
<br />
This girl definitely wasn’t some sheet of ancient hieroglyphic papyrus, hiding
within it infinite mysteries, like the image everyone took her for.<br />
<br />
The difference was that, she was a princess; simple as that.<br />
<br />
Darkness or whatever, all these fancy adjectives were muddling the truth within
her.<br />
<br />
</span><span lang="KO" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">「</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In the end, all the
truths in the world are but a fabricated model constructed to one</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">'</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">s liking.<br />
<br />
The truth that was there was just much too simple.<br />
<br />
What we had here was but a teenage girl who, threatened that she might lose her
dear brother again, went to whatever desperation she could allow, just to keep
him to herself.<br />
<br />
“I’ve got one more thing to ask, silly.”<br />
<br />
“…What would that be?”<br />
<br />
“You, what would you do if, let’s say, some other guy, who’s like ten times
better and good-looking than me, turns out to be your Onii-sama and I turn out
to be a third-wheel fake?”<br />
<br />
“What do you mean!? On my honor as Maria Lunalady Blackhazel, that sort of
thing is just not possible!”<br />
<br />
“No no, I’m speaking in a literally hypothetical sense. I don’t ask of this as
‘Maria Lunalady Blackhazel’s Onii-sama’ – but as ‘Siyoung’ like you asked about
me before, and what you think of that.”<br />
<br />
I knew for sure what she would say.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t because I was wrapped in some superiority complex, nor was I being
humble in any sense. Departing from all the formalities, I just could know what
Maria was going to say.<br />
<br />
Maria Lunalady Blackhazel does not desert a boy named Siyoung. Why was that so?
Because I was her Onii-sama?<br />
<br />
Well, one could think so at the beginning.<br />
<br />
No.<br />
<br />
Perhaps that was all there was from the start.<br />
<br />
But not anymore.<br />
<br />
I was sure.<br />
<br />
But despite that, she still hadn’t caught on.<br />
<br />
That was why I was trying to tell her a tale that was opposite to the
uneasiness she was experiencing right now.<br />
<br />
“Even so, Maria will never desert me. At least, that was what I was thinking.”<br />
<br />
“I do not particularity feel the need to answer to a question with an answer as
obvious as that.”<br />
<br />
Maria whipped back, her cheeks slightly swollen with annoyance.<br />
<br />
“But that’s assuming you truly think like that. Why not try thinking in the
opposite sense?”<br />
<br />
“What would tha…”<br />
<br />
Twitch.<br />
<br />
Maria bolted upright in shock, as if she was hit over the head with a hammer.<br />
<br />
“Ah, ah.”<br />
<br />
I could see the shock digging through her as she heard the answer she could not
predict, devoid of any rebuttal and retort.<br />
<br />
I had to give a moment of doubt to this world we were in, to be so easily
controlled by a girl that was as senseless and defenceless as this.<br />
<br />
“That’s why I’m telling you, there’s no need to cram all your worries inside
all by yourself.”<br />
<br />
I’m your one and only Onii-sama.<br />
<br />
Whether you were</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">《</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Princess of Darkness</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">》</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">or not, that kind of formality was all fine with
me.<br />
<br />
As a single brother, and as a single pampered sister.<br />
<br />
“If I can’t even pamper you even a little like this, then how could I be
considered your Onii-sama?”<br />
<br />
“Ah, uuu…”<br />
<br />
Maria was lost for words, and merely shrugged in silence, like a child being
yelled at.<br />
<br />
“That’s why there’s no need to worry. I’ll never leave your side. It’s not like
there's a place waiting for me besides here.”<br />
<br />
I still had some reservations about what that “Baekryeon” girl had said to me,
and the implications she suggested.<br />
<br />
But that wasn’t important here.<br />
<br />
Wouldn’t consoling your little sister in need be your foremost duty as a Onii-sama?<br />
<br />
“That’s why there’s no need to worry. There’s nothing to worry about now.”<br />
<br />
“Onii-sama…”<br />
<br />
“You really should learn to depend on others every once in a while. After all,
that’s what the term ‘family’ exists in the world for.<br />
<br />
Woah.<br />
<br />
I just said something really cool I think, I thought it was beyond me honestly.<br />
<br />
So there I was, amazed at my sudden inspiration of quotes, and I felt a warm
droplet fall onto my chest.<br />
<br />
Wait.<br />
<br />
Droplet?<br />
<br />
“Au, auuu…”<br />
<br />
Surely it belongs to no one but Maria on top of me.<br />
<br />
“Eh- T, that’s, I don’t, why tears…”<br />
<br />
Perhaps she herself wasn’t sure either. It would be more correct to say that
she herself wasn’t sure of the emotion she was experiencing right now. Feigning
ignorance, rather.<br />
<br />
“I am strange, aren’t I? I must keep up a fitting dignity as Onii-sama’s
sister… To be such a weak woman to show tears like this… Haguuu, uu…”<br />
<br />
“Did you really just forget again, you silly!”<br />
<br />
“W-what are you referring to?”<br />
<br />
Struggling to keep her emotions from welling up inside her, Maria was shaking
her shoulders and barely containing her cries from leaking out.<br />
<br />
“Quote from blessed Onii-sama himself, first clause. Try to depend on others
and not keep everything to yourself every once in a while.”<br />
<br />
“Uu, auu… uu.”<br />
<br />
“Second clause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the duty of a
‘family’ – as the only Onii-sama of the Blackhazel, me – to be dependable
enough to be relied on, and pamper its members at times.”<br />
<br />
For a guy like me, high-class dignity just didn’t seem to click with me in any
way whatsoever.<br />
<br />
I knew that. <br />
<br />
The true face of the</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">《</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Princess of Darkness</span><span lang="KO" style="color: #333333; font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">》</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">that reigned over in overpowering fear and awe;
her true self as a mask-wearing, meek and innocent girl.<br />
<br />
“Ah, au, auu…”<br />
<br />
Her crystal tears, like small droplets of jeweled pearls were dripping
endlessly. In other words, she was at her limit.<br />
<br />
“So what if you cry your eyes out a little bit? No one’s going to make fun or
chastise you for that here.”<br />
<br />
“Onii-sama… Ahh, Onii-sama, Onii-sama…!”<br />
<br />
Finally reaching her breaking point, Maria sunk her face down straight at my
chest and started bawling.<br />
<br />
I saw it for the first time.<br />
<br />
For Maria to expose herself so open like this, and reveal how she was like
this.<br />
<br />
But what Maria needed was exactly this.<br />
<br />
She didn’t need some souped-up darkness or vice or anything of the sort like
that. It may not be fitting, but they always did say kindness beats strength;
the situation here was a mere extension of that. Not that I would know though.
I was in science major.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I love you, Onii-sama…! Onii-sama, Onii-sama…!”<br />
<br />
Wiping her tears on my chest, Maria really was the proverbial child, with the
way she was letting out the misery she had been saving up for so long inside
her.<br />
<br />
With that, I moved my hand to pet her head, a crucial “Onii-sama certified pin
point action” acknowledged all around the world.<br />
<br />
Klank.<br />
<br />
And there was that familiar metallic clank that ticked down the side of my
head.<br />
<br />
Oh right.<br />
<br />
I had gotten so wrapped up in the situation here that I forgot just how serious
of a problem I was engaged in before.<br />
<br />
“Er, Maria?”<br />
<br />
Maria, while she was busy engaged in ‘Maria’s sister-pamper-play-forever’,
looked up from my chest and tilted her head in curiosity.<br />
<br />
“Ern, I know that you’re currently immersed in your sentimental bonding and
it’s a bad time to ask for something right now.”<br />
<br />
“Hau…?”<br />
<br />
“But maybe we can get rid of all these shackles that would give a late-night
S&M video a run for its money?”<br />
<br />
“That will not do.”<br />
<br />
What returned was an unexpected rejection.<br />
<br />
“Er, what?”<br />
<br />
“I shall do my best to the best of my ability to be thoroughly pampered upon Onii-sama’s
chest tonight.”<br />
<br />
Er, well it wasn’t like I was going to pack up and leave right the instant I
was freed or something like that.<br />
<br />
Just when I opened my mouth to correct Maria's stance on something so plain
like this, Maria cut across my word and sealed the deal.<br />
<br />
“It is so. Onii-sama belongs to me now.”<br />
<br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWqYS1ZzSycwWAjNdJ89jisRAun0Dn3b6UbX4-vHhTj0hVIAUGZ9lqrWXEmqFL3aI7mtuImrrE6S_PdnBo6iEKtIhael06nFoQ-HSUw75EA7jCX7r0AOqa_Bw17cmb_fYPDRWkLo0jkY/s1600/Sekaimo_v02_BW_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWqYS1ZzSycwWAjNdJ89jisRAun0Dn3b6UbX4-vHhTj0hVIAUGZ9lqrWXEmqFL3aI7mtuImrrE6S_PdnBo6iEKtIhael06nFoQ-HSUw75EA7jCX7r0AOqa_Bw17cmb_fYPDRWkLo0jkY/s640/Sekaimo_v02_BW_0003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
“Er, err? No, hang on! I feel as if we’re straying from the highly reasonable
and ethical route we just agreed to progress into!<br />
<br />
“If your sister is happy with it, then is all not well?”<br />
<br />
Please don’t nod your head like that and look like everything is according to
the norm.<br />
<br />
I could say that, but she wouldn’t understand anyway.<br />
<br />
I could act cool and sophisticated all I want like I was the best brother in
the world and I would have another lap to go.<br />
<br />
No matter what kind of supernatural Maria was made out to be, no matter how
fancy a -darkness adjective slapped before her name, it wouldn’t change a thing
as to the truth of how much of a pampered in-your-face little sister Maria was.Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-59204442331067007322015-08-22T01:04:00.001-07:002015-08-22T01:09:27.006-07:00[Dawnbringer v2] 02. Critik in the Storm - Part 5<i>Dawnbringer: Do You Remember Love?</i><br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Narane</i><br />
<i></i><i>Editors: </i><i>MadTix</i><i><br /><br />Please enjoy.</i><br />
____________________<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-8202b040-5459-a132-e468-401082daa818" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Peacocks wear fanciful plumage to get noticed by peahen as mates. Peahen evolved for survival, having no unnecessary extravagance to instead blend better with the environment.This seemed to describe the history of the Asa race.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s why a Harakal is a very dangerous being. I know you’re very powerful yourself, Lezirth, but please don’t challenge a Harakal on your own, okay?” Sergeant Aroha warned, breaking into various lockers around the locker room. She was looking for a PDA, but there were none around.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When we were caught by the Asa, our PDAs were taken from us and we had no way to contact Admiral Luise. We were scavenging around this locker room in desperation.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you know about the Asa well, Sergeant?” I asked while inspecting the lockers myself.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Considering I grew up as an Asa around other Asa, sure. Anyway, are we gonna be fine with... that?” She jutted her chin towards Kiske. He was cowering in the corner of the room, shaking in his handcuffs.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To think I just found a scared, shaking boy cute... I thought I should poke my eyes out. ...But none of this is my own doing! Everything is because of his existence!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then why would the Asa consider humans as potential mates, too?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The fact that different aliens could mate and form an offspring was insanely unlikely in the first place. How did a race with a culture like that ever consider mating with males from entirely different species?</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The upper-class Asa tend to want stronger genes inheriting the family. Of course, the measure of strength here is extremely ancient: you need to accomplish great things. And human men are likelier to fit that need than Asa males.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Accomplishments...”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Before the war, accomplishments would have had to do with trivial things like hunts, but these became war achievements after the war with the Federation began. The Asa males who hurried to join the war and prove themselves were quickly killed off. That’s when the women began looking towards humans, too, as the history of the Asa goes. Why? Are you interested, Lezirth? The life of being a stud horse destined to make babies for the rest of your life?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I’ll get punched again if I said that doesn’t sound too bad, right?</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha looked grave as she talked about the Asa. She wasn’t in the mood for joking around.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why do you look so angry about this? Ah, I mean, I already knew that you wouldn’t like seeing other Asa again, but...”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m not angry, but... no, it’s nothing.” Sergeant Aroha glared at Kiske and sighed.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After looking through the last locker, I produced nothing but a few bottles of ionized sports drinks. I opened up the drink, at least, since I was quite thirsty.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then Sergeant Aroha resumed. “...I’d been lying to you.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In truth, my dad never loved my mother all that much, but... an Asa man.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“----Pwargh!” My mouth shot out the drink in surprise. I coughed.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha had a bittersweet smile. “The Asa don’t believe in romance between men and women. They only consider the genes involved, and form offsprings. The Onbira need an achievement in order to prove that they are worthy. Those that manage will be chosen by the Asa females, and... they can sell their bodies to many different females.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“How could there be any love in a culture like that? Although I was born between my mother and dad, I lived most of my life as an Asa being taught by the Black Sisters, and my dad occasionally came to see me. Him and his real partner in life, that is.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A-Aroha...”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“All I wanted was love and attention from my mother and dad. But being chosen by the Black Sisters as an Umea was apparently something amazing-- my mother was very happy to hand me over to them. My dad at least visited me from time to time, but you have to understand, Lezirth, I was just a kid at the time. For a kid that I was, the man that brought me to life, the single family member who bothered to show me family love, he was too important to me. I wanted all of his attention and love! But...”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was calling her father “dad” but her mother remained as “mother.” Was I right to pity her for her past? Would it have been an insult to her? I didn’t know, but it was hard to not pity her.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And in the end, instead of living his life as a father, he...” She shook her head violently. “...And that’s why I’m not fond of seeing another Onbira. Sorry, Lezirth, for my tantrum.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I gently put my hand on her shoulder. Then Sergeant Aroha suddenly hugged me.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sergeant?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sorry... can I hug you for a bit?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But you already did!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“....Heh.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her body was quite curvy and I had no idea where my arms were supposed to move next. If I moved them around her waist, the... pressure would have been too great on me. I ended up awkwardly putting my arms around her shoulders.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I still had her past as a little kid in my mind. She would have wanted to flaunt her beauty and charm around that time, but she never could, and maybe she was looking for attention now. ...But I felt it was rude to try and analyze her past like an armchair psychiatrist, so I stopped the train of thought.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Thanks for coming to save me. I didn’t want to return to my life as an Asa.” Her body shook. She may have acted tough in front of the camera before, but she was surely scared after all. She had more reasons to be scared than anyone else I knew, considering her past.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No need to thank me. You’re my Sergeant and my precious squadmate, so I couldn’t let you get taken over by the Alliance.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Tch! I’m just a squadmate?” Sergeant Aroha grumbled.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It then came to my attention that Kiske was still in the corner, throwing dirty looks at us from time to time. ...I had forgotten about him entirely.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Chosen by the Black Sisters? When even the Harakals are rarely chosen?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha moved away from me after Kiske made his presence known by muttering to himself. “A-alrighty, shall we move out?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Excuse me, I am quite thirsty.” said Kiske out of the blue.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was about to hand my bottle of drink to Kiske. Sergeant Aroha interrupted me with a shocked look. “Wait, Lezirth? Isn’t that bottle what you’ve been drinking from, so far?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm? So what?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Isn’t that an indirect kiss?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t believe in indirect kisses because I’m a realist, and-- no, wait! But he’s a guy!”</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Didn’t you hear me before, Lezirth? I said the Asa don’t believe in romance between men and women, but between just men...!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“.............”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wait, seriously?! I looked at Kiske to confirm. He blushed and shook his head. “I am dedicated to Lady Riznah, and I definitely do not have such... I-I’m really thirsty. I don’t believe that you will ever take my handcuffs off, and so I asked despite my shame.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And so he says.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked at back Sergeant Aroha, but she had snuck behind me, trying to loosen my belt.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Whoah! Wh-what are you doing?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Here, Lezirth, try showing off your abs! Let’s see if his body will be honest!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wh-what’s wrong with you! Sergeant, I wouldn’t...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Eheheheh, you don’t have to be embarrassed! It’s nothing new over yesterday night.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yesterday night? The time when I blanked out for a while after drinking too much? What happened in that time period?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dodging away from Sergeant Aroha’s sexual harassment, I brought the bottle to Kiske. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth wide. His small red tongue revealed itself from between his bright pink lips.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whoa...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I placed the end of the bottle against his lips and tipped the bottle up, sending the green liquid down his throat. His marble-pale face lit up in red as he drank-- probably embarrassed from being made to drink like this as a prisoner, right? If so, why was I also feeling a little embarrassed too?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I pulled back the bottle so he could have a little time to breathe. A stream of the liquid fell from the top of the bottle and down my hand. Kiske stared at the dripping stream with an empty expression, and soon extended his tongue to lick the liquid off.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmTHalnpHjqAZXLmZD8QUZJBMtoSXzdRe3ICtwFPulHb7YkE9VXXRYf0iBC6LIXJY64N-QdBJ1LUGG30OKVr70bgcPRFWNX1-x9zQt1ea-6XPg4OKbkpeBJ8axDlWdnPBUwCnqqEyFGk/s1600/Dawnbringer_v02_0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmTHalnpHjqAZXLmZD8QUZJBMtoSXzdRe3ICtwFPulHb7YkE9VXXRYf0iBC6LIXJY64N-QdBJ1LUGG30OKVr70bgcPRFWNX1-x9zQt1ea-6XPg4OKbkpeBJ8axDlWdnPBUwCnqqEyFGk/s640/Dawnbringer_v02_0114.jpg" width="406" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hrk!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I pulled back my hand in surprise. I thought my heart would stop at the feel from the tip of his tongue. Kiske jolted back, too, realizing what he had done without thinking.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah, um.... Th-the drink was really delicious, and...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I-is that so? Th-that’s right!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Asa had the technology and culture equivalent to those during the fifteenth century on Earth, so it must have been his first time having such a refined, flavoured drink. Yeah, that must have been it!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Having fun over there?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha approached and hugged me from behind. Her voluminous upper body pressed against my back. I felt a shock course across my spine-- what was she thinking?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is mine! Don’t even think about it! Grrrr!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...I belong to the Sergeant?! Wait, that sounds like it could be understood in very wrong ways!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before I could respond, Kiske gave a snooty look before turning his head away with a ‘hmph’. “My heart belongs only to Princess Riznah! And, also, I am a manly personal guard! I am only doing this to quench my thirst so that I may resist you both in the future!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...What part about him was manly?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In any case, it seemed like we weren’t going to be finding a PDA for us anytime soon. It was a smarter idea to get away from the area as much as possible. We exited the locker room and entered the hallway that connected the seating area and the exits.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“There they are!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Over there!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A soldier and a Tri-Walker simultaneously shouted as they noticed our entry into the halls. But Sergeant Aroha’s Colion rifle was faster than their reaction. She shot the soldier and the Tri-Walker one after another, and jumped over the glowing, charred remains of the Tri-Walker. Kiske screamed in horror. I followed after Sergeant Aroha, pulling Kiske with me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Tch.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha had been busy honing her skills. She was rampaging through her path to the exit, shooting down everything in her way.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But then,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">--Swooooooooooooo-!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A loud, booming noise echoed throughout the stadium. The building vibrated along with the noise, shaking the dust out of the ceiling.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From the various monitors around the hallways, we could see the inner area of the stadium. Many scared people were huddled around the area, while Saika watched over them. Saika dismantled its plate-skirts and threw the parts into the air. The plates spun up and made a spherical formation around the edges of the stadium, creating a forcefield that surrounded the civilians. It looked like the field was encapsulating the stadium in a dome.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What is that?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I think they’re about to teleport. Maybe they’re using that field to protect the civilians against the Hyperspace during the warp, with the Black Magic of the ancient Asa.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What’s the Black Magic?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You know how the Elcro pray to Artus the White and borrow the White Magic?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In contrast, the Asa use the powers of some unknown number of beings within the Hyperspace.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Using the beings of the Hyperspace? I never knew that was even possible. I shrugged.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When it came to developing a technology relating to the Hyperspace, the biggest concern was always the corruption of the Hyperspace. The Hyperspace was home to beings of greater dimensions that were utterly incomprehensible by humanity; greater dimensions, not as in the metaphorical sense that they have superior cultures and technology, but that they literally inhabit a world of different dimensions. And they were all extremely dangerous.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, imagine if we were in the 2D world, on a paper. If a being in the 3D world picked up a pencil and drew a point on the page, we could only imagine that the point had appeared from nowhere, and without an explanation. As such, making contact with otherworldly beings, those without explanations, was extremely dangerous for us. But the Asa had a way to make use of them.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“So, they use the magic to transport people, and block the corruption from the Hyperspace with that shield? The Asa have some amazing powers.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Of course, it’s expected of the Harakals to use such a powerful magic.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The caste matters?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The powers of the Asa depend on the bloodlines, so yes. Also, only the females are known to make use of the Black Magic, and none of the males.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Aroha’s statement reminded me and drew my attention back to Kiske. If that was the case, then it seemed natural that the Asa culture ended up being a very matriarchal society. The males of the Asa had no strength, no magic, and the only positive seemed to be that they looked nice. But that’s a really nice positive, of course!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I sighed and let go of Kiske.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lezirth?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Sergeant Aroha, take him and run away.” I turned around. The Alliance was about to kidnap a city of people. Not only was it a war crime to kidnap civilians, the Alliance was dominated by groups whose cultures were still back in fifteenth-century Europe. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No way! You’re thinking of going back in there to fight? The enemy has a Kishin! And she’s a seasoned Alter-Armour pilot who’s capable of moving a Kishin remotely! She’s nothing like Diablo back from the Azoran system! And not even you could easily handle a Harakal’s Black Magic!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite Sergeant Aroha’s insistence, I shook my head. “I can’t let them kidnap civilians, you know?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then take a hostage with you!” Sergeant Aroha pushed Kiske back to me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I shook my head once more. A hostage wasn’t going to help my situation. Even if he was the Princess’s favourite, the situation did not allow being dragged down by a hostage and restricting my own movement. Also, even if the Princess and the Asa were fond of the hostage, what about the rebels?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then, an even louder noise permeated the stadium.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* * *</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fireworks.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stadium vibrated to a different tune-- loud music. Fireworks exploded to the skies like a fountain, and the bottom of the stadium opened up.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stadium was multi-purpose, able to accommodate different sports such as baseball and soccer, but also musical concerts, by reforming the floor of the stadium. The floor was being controlled by someone.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha and I were taken off guard by the sight of the moving stadium floors. When the floor began rearranging, Kishin Saika too stopped moving, its attention taken by the center of the stadium.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At the center was a girl, with hazel-blonde, short hair.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“L-Luise?!” I exclaimed. What in the world?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Admiral Luise had made a personal appearance in the stadium, within the center of all attention from our enemy. She was wearing a long, one-piece dress, a hat with a wavy brim on her head. She pressed down on her hat with one hand, and waved at the camera with the other.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[What’s an idol singer doing here?]</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[What’s going on now?]</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We could clearly hear some of the confused exclamations from the civilians through the broadcast. Amongst the panicked people clearing away from the moving floors, Admiral Luise stood alone, winking at the camera. Rabbitte the Rabbit, sitting on her shoulders, also winked with by forming the expression with its LED-lit eyes.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Was she actually going to perform in the middle of a battle?! Before that, wasn’t she super shy?!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And the song...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The song was called “Supernova,” a popular new song a hundred and twenty years ago, though an ancient song at this point.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By the time my head began clicking together again, the instrumental intro had already gone by. The part with the lyrics was coming up.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Admiral Luise extended her arms high up towards the sky and began singing with more emotion than any professional singer I’d seen.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I was left alone amidst the dark,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You lit my path like a newborn nova,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And eyes like fire brought light to my world.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Your bright, burning spirit and mind</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I fell in love with your lasting fire,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unquenched desires, unending dreams,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lone supernova, shining alone.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...3...2...1...0!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Save me from this dark, I beg you,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I asked the supernova, shining in the sky,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Brighter than a comet of wishes and hope.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But you shine alone, burning in silence,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dreams of a girl, clouded in darkness.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blinded by selfishness, frozen with pain,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn’t see the dark around you.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fighting the dark with burning light,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl fell in love with the lasting fire.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shining alone, lone supernova,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I want to shine, but as two</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even if the desire burns my body.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...3...2...1...0!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ll save you from the dark, and soon,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Though a lone stranger I might be,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was saved, by your light,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Light that called me by your fire,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dreams of a girl, like a supernova.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Holy crap.” Sergeant Aroha, with her jaw agape, blankly stared at the monitor. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl that stood on the stage to dance and sing, Luise Maynard, had a powerful and amazing voice. She might as well have been a professional singer. But why? Why sing in the first place?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Three, two, one, zero!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With the countdown that took the song to the back to the refrain, Admiral Luise brought her hands to her lips and kissed towards the audience(?). At the same time...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">--Pwoosh!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A strange thing suddenly happened.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All the Alter-Armours that watched on simultaneously ejected their pilots into the air.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An Alter-Armour cockpit was a middleware between a human being and the mind of the Alter-Armour, a living being itself. So, as a part not native to the Alter-Armour’s body, it was possible to eject the cockpit in disregard of the will of the armours.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kishin Saika also ejected its cockpit into the distance. It flew up into the sky, smashing into the barrier field and gaining even greater force away from the stadium, disappearing into the distance.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As the Alter-Armour cockpits flew out everywhere and embedded themselves into various areas in the stadium, the Alliance army was at a complete disarray. The panicked Alliance soldiers and rebels pulled out their guns to retaliate, but their guns had also been disabled and became paperweights.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Admiral Luise was exacting a revenge for me, back when I had also been forcibly ejected out of my Alter-Armour’s cockpit. And what a stylish way to get revenge!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Fufufu! Now this is how you do it!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was a little too sure of her own skills. She was so occupied in the competition with that Eiredith girl that she was losing her usual self. The shy girl had disappeared off somewhere, and the personality of a scary, provocative lady took place in her body instead, throwing a charming smile at the camera.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was beautiful. And I was also happy. The girl who had been constantly swamped in the computer-filled basement of the Federation operations room still had a feisty spirit left in her, and I found myself grinning at the television screen.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...Wait, wasn’t I forgetting something? Oh, no, Saika doesn’t need its pilot to move!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked at Aroha. She seemed to be thinking what I had in mind.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s go!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We bolted towards the stadium.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The stadium had really been transformed into a heated concert. The beam projector now displayed a 3D broadcast, now showing an angry blonde girl shaking her fist towards the viewer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Gaaaaaaaaaaah! I’m going to kill you! Like, seriously kill you!] The chief of the Alliance, Eiredith, was screaming in rage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Admiral Luise was smiling, looking around the stadium that was under her control with panicked soldiers running about. A bike appeared and raced towards her-- it was Ensign Meihowa, now wearing a biker getup with a black leather suit and sunglasses, however she found the time to change into that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Screeeeeee!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With the sound of tires screeching against the stage floors, the bike turned to the side and slowed. When did she learn how to drive like that?! She spun the bike around, pivoting by the front wheel as she performed a spinning burnout with the rear wheel while slowing to a halt in front of Admiral Luise.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The soldiers that attempted to crawl up the stadium backed away, intimidated by Ensign Meihowa’s entrance. She was holding a presumably functioning Colion rifle, after all, and the Tri-Walkers from outside the stadium had joined in while blaring Federation identities. Even Kishin Saika had lost its pilot, so it seemed like a complete disaster for the Alliance who had no quick technicians to recover from the situation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But Saika did not need its pilot within to be controlled!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Luise!” I called her, running down the hallway.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I slammed into the stadium door, almost breaking it open. But a huge wave of civilians was on the other side, who then attempted to barge through the now-open door. Damn! I should have known that the civilians were hanging by the exits of the stadium.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Agh!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aroha! Hold onto my hand!” I grabbed Sergeant Aroha by her arms and lifted her up. Kiske got pulled up along with her. With Sergeant Aroha in my hands and Kiske around my arms, I ran up against the wall to get past the crowd safely.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey! Why am I held by your hands while your friend’s around your arms?!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha was never jealous of the other girls, but Kiske seemed to be special... but that was probably my narcissism talking.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I kicked against the end of the wall, hopping over the last crowd, and landed on the stadium’s front seats.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">--Fwoooooosh!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A stream of fireworks exploded behind me.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I dropped Kiske and Aroha down and looked towards the stadium. Ensign Meihowa and Admiral Luise were still standing on the stage floor, and all Alter-Armours were frozen still with their pilots gone.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But Kishin Saika began moving.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Tri-Walkers simultaneously opened fire. A hailstorm of plasma rounds rained upon the armour. Of course no amount of anti-infantry weaponry could even leave a scratch on a Kishin-- they instead fired upon the pilot outside, Princess Riznah.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Agh!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She controlled Saika to have it kneel down, covering her with its arms. Yet, some Tri-Walkers were equipped with smart bombs instead of plasma rounds. The bombs curved around, exploding on top of Saika’s arms.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Kyaah!” Princess Riznah screamed, a lot more feminine than the other Asa.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kiske was shocked. “What are you doing to the Harakal?! Cease fire! Please, stop this at once!” He bolted forward, handcuffs still on his arms. He couldn’t get very far, tripping on the stadium bench.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I followed after him, jumping from one bench to another, and landing on the stage floor. “Meihowa!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa waved from her bike. “Lezirth! Did you manage to save Aroha?” </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha walked up the stage after me, smiling coldly. “Gosh, what was that just now?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not only were the Alter-Armours disabled, even Kishin Saika was crippled.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had approached Meihowa in a hurry to tell her that Kishin Saika could be moved remotely, but it seemed that there was no need. Admiral Luise used the many cameras around the stadium to learn all about Saika, planned a way to take control of the situation, and even came up with a way to make a fantastic entrance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That was really cool, Luise. You should be a singer!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, Lezirth. A singer? That’s... too embarrassing. Heheh.” She looked extremely smug even as she said that.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha smiled. “Want to form a duet-- no, let’s make a band! How ‘bout that?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa was surprised by Kiske meanwhile. “Who’s this kid?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“An Asa. We needed a hostage, and taking the Princess’s favourite was probably the right move.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Huh. The Princess was a lesbian?” said Meihowa, in past tense, as if Riznah had died already. Although, a normal human being wouldn’t be able to survive a smart bomb blast.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But then,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-*Swooooooooh!*</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kishin Saika began moving again! The air around Saika’s arms began tearing apart. As space itself distorted, a group of swirls, like snail shells, shot out the distortions, flying towards us.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa quickly started the bike, pulling Luise on it. I grabbed Kiske and Sergeant Aroha and jumped down the stage to dodge the distortions.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Gaaaah!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aargh!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Space distorted even further. The stadium became the focal point of dimensional collapse as more tears formed, letting creatures from the Hyperspace through.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, no.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Admiral Luise looked at Rabbitte, and Rabbitte immediately began controlling the nearby robots. The Tri-Walkers changed their targets to the swirled, snail-like beings, and fired a barrage of plasma at them. The creatures quickly fell. The plasma rifles are strong enough to burn off an unprotected human’s torso, so that was expected. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But the splattered bits of the creatures on the ground began regenerating. They bubbled up and quivered, resembling shaking jellies, growing back to their original forms. It was sickening to watch.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was the beginning of a Hyperspace corruption.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I realized why the Asa were significantly better off than the Elcro at fighting off the Federation’s assault. They had the power to summon the Hyperspace beings at will. When the Hyperspace corruption takes place, humans had no options to retaliate other than blowing apart the entire planet from which the corruption began.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was an experience all too familiar from the Letix War. Was the future of Critik-4 sealed?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Aaaaaaaagh!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kishin Saika stood. It held Princess Riznah in its hands. Surrounding the Princess were tears in the dimension.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Harakal!” Kiske screamed upon seeing Princess Riznah. It was because she was perfectly demonstrating what happens when Hyperspace corruption takes place in a living being.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Riznah’s left eye had gone and her right arm was nowhere to be seen. In place of her left eye, a blue glow filled the void, and instead of her right arm, a strange tentacular growth wiggled about. The growth was almost, but not quite like her humanoid arm, and yet it moved like it was her own.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Those beings were nothing like humanoid races. Hyperspace corruption was their way of using our flesh to fuel their growth. And Princess Riznah was using their power.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Kwaaaaah! Aaaaaagh!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Or, perhaps not. Princess Riznah screamed. As her screams became louder, a wave of powerful force radiated out from her body. Where the waves collided with a physical object, dimensional tears formed on them and produced even more beings from the Hyperspace.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Waaaargh! Run away!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Run for your life!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I pointed my finger at the distance, where the gate from Chinatown lay after I was ejected from my Alter-Armour. Soon, Colorado broke free from the gate and returned to my hands. I grabbed the blade out of the air.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lezirth! We have to defeat the Princess right now! If we’re too late, this entire planet will collapse from the Hyperspace corruption!” Ensign Meihowa yelled, seating Luise on her bike.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know this is too much to ask, but... can you do it?” Admiral Luise asked, hesitant.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For any level-headed person, the right idea would have been to get the hell out of there immediately. It was nothing short of suicide to try and fight. Yet I didn’t want this beautiful paradise to be contaminated by the Hyperspace. I couldn’t allow the civilians and tourists in the area to get hurt, either. Now, then...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Alright! But please, even if I beat the crap out of that Asa lady, don’t be thinking that I’ve lost my gentlemanly ways.” I left, leaving Kiske and Aroha with her.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A Kishin, its pilot, and the Hyperspace. I was going to try and fight them off with only my Colorado.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No matter how many times I thought it over, it was insane. But I had no choice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s go!” I charged towards Saika. The snail-creatures and tentacles blocked my path, and I activated the Sacred Sword. “Go, Colorado!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Colorado spun into a corkscrew shape and separated, reforming into its quantized shape. I cut through the otherworldly beings and jumped towards Saika.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Saika attempted to fend me off with its arms. I created a wall of force in the air, kicked up against it and leapt over Saika’s swinging arms. My only target was Princess Riznah-- I had to take her down to stop the growth of the Hyperspace corruption.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You!” The Asa princess glared at me and clasped her hands together. Suddenly, formless but strangely menacing forces flew straight towards me, and all the snail-creatures below me changed their targets to me. All around me, shapeless objects shot to my position. I jumped back and forth through the air to dodge them, but they altered their trajectories to continue making their way towards me. They really wanted me dead!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So be it! I leapt again, spinning in every direction. While spinning, I wildly slashed with the Sacred Sword.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">---Unique Skill! Schrodinger’s Cat Slash!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The ability was a Kishin Art, a powerful slash that could cut down anything within the range of its attacks. Within the reach of the Sacred Sword, it could cut down anything, even gods, devils, and hypotheticals such as the Schrodinger’s Cat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of Saika’s skirt-plates levitated between Princess Riznah and I, blocking the slash. No matter! No matter how thick or strong it is, nothing could stand in the way of the Sacred Sword, which cut through anything in quantum levels! It would cross straight through the plate and slash Riznah! Or maybe even cut the plate along with it!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...But then,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">---*Clink!*</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The plate deflected the Sacred Sword. The plate seemed to be guarding against my slash on quantum levels.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As soon as the sword glanced off of the plate, I gave up on a direct attack and brought my attention back to the Hyperspace creatures. While my attention was briefly taken away, Saika’s skirt-plates had fully protected Princess Riznah from my further attacks.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmph!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There must have been a special ability embedded into the Kishin’s outer armour. Was I trusting Colorado too much? It was a great mistake to gamble on the enemy’s capabilities and fight without any knowledge of them.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let.... Kiske... Go!” Riznah commanded, springing bloody red and black whips from behind the plates. Instead of dodging them, I projected the Black Barrier so I could get closer. But soon, I felt a piercing pain across my chest.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The bloody whip was destroyed by the Barrier upon collision, but the black whip had broken past and slashed across my chest. I immediately dodged to the side so that the whip could not entangle me after the strike. How could there be anything that nullifies the Black Barrier?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But that wasn’t the end of it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">---*Crackle! Crunch!*</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The wound on my chest began contorting. Many small tentacles formed from the open wound, breaking through the skin! In surprise, I returned Colorado to its solid form and cut the wound from my body entirely. I had to cut the afflicted flesh out of my body in order to stop the Hyperspace from further contaminating my flesh.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A fountain of blood squirted out from the fresh cut. I jumped away and closed my eyes, calming my mind and body, allowing the wound to seal by itself. I was able to stop the Hyperspace corruption from consuming my body, but it seemed too late to deal with Princess Riznah at that point.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kishin Saika raised its arms, forming a cross with its body, levitating up in the air. Princess Riznah walked into its chest, where its cockpit used to be but no longer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tum0ssxsPKvrBSM702NysZ5NM15FWGMR0j-LNs7Pwv1fsbvZPyltFeYU1IQTheu7LtmS4pTz6-Cy9Nv-0x-zzMrJJgOru-yGSldXWnRvh539E3-ONXBoW-xVy3G8l52R-1de_szMN-s/s1600/Dawnbringer_v02_0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tum0ssxsPKvrBSM702NysZ5NM15FWGMR0j-LNs7Pwv1fsbvZPyltFeYU1IQTheu7LtmS4pTz6-Cy9Nv-0x-zzMrJJgOru-yGSldXWnRvh539E3-ONXBoW-xVy3G8l52R-1de_szMN-s/s640/Dawnbringer_v02_0125.jpg" width="404" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At this point, the only way to stop the corruption was to defeat Kishin Saika itself!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Alright! Challenge accepted!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had experience fighting against Alter-Armours with my own strength, but a Kishin was my first. Yet, it was a fight I couldn’t avoid if I wanted to stop the Hyperspace corruption. I leapt on the plate in front of me and jumped up to Kishin Saika, aiming for the empty spot where the cockpit was.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">--Lightning Fire, Piercing Fist!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Upon landing, I punched Saika’s chest, above its cockpit, and followed up with a stab from my Colorado after its quick shift into the Sacred Sword. Both the Piercing Fist and the Sacred Sword landed squarely on Saika’s heart-- I hoped the shock would at least kill Princess Riznah.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To my surprise, black whips pierced out from between Saika’s outer armour, or rather, seemingly passing through them like it wasn’t there. It was the attack that nullified the Black Barrier.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">--Algarb’s Black Whip!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was an Asa magic! I kicked Saika and propelled myself away to dodge the whip. Though I might have overestimated my Black Barrier and got hit before, I wasn’t about to get hit by such a slow attack the second time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The world seemed to spin in circles as I flipped around the air. Ugh... I’d lost too much blood from before.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I landed back on the ground and looked up. Saika was still levitating upwards, now too far away for me to attempt another attack. I could use my powers to levitate myself up, too, but that would put me on an easy path for Saika to kill me effortlessly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lezirth!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha appeared with a bike of her own-- it was a mystery where she got a bike in the mean time. I quickly jumped on the bike behind her and steadied myself by holding onto her waist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you alright, Lezirth?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Agh... Let’s just go!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had lost a lot of blood and the pain was getting worse. Embarrassingly, I couldn’t do anything about the Princess anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Don’t make me laugh! Did you believe I would let you out of here alive?! My arm! And my eyes! And Kiske! Return all of them back to me!] Princess Riznah screamed, enraged.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Damn! She was going to have a fight to the death right here!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But then,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">--*Boooom!*</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A huge explosion engulfed Saika and the Kishin fell down to the ground. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a shot from a cruiser in the space above. It seemed that Admiral Luise’s hacks had reached the ships above us.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even the secondary armament of cruisers were capable of wiping out an entire biome from a land mass. Kishins were no less likely to take the hits too well. I could smell the thick ozone gas from the explosion from here-- It wasn’t safe to get near the blast zone.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Gaaah! Eiredith, do something! I thought you’re supposed to be a genius?!] Princess Riznah grumbled out loud.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl called Eiredith angrily argued through the radio. [This has nothing to do with smarts! I can’t beat a physical hardware hacking of our Hyperspace communicators! Do you maybe see Rabbitte the Rabbit there? If you do, smash it into little pieces! There’s nothing else that could physically hack our system!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[What the hell is that? How should I know if there’s something like that around here?!]</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks to Admiral Luise, once again, I gained some breathing room. I immediately fled the scene with Sergeant Aroha.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Outside of the stadium, I could see the rebel forces in complete disarray. Mayer was among them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You! What have you done in here?!” Mayer aimed his Colion pistol at me. I assumed that his pistol was safely disarmed through Admiral Luise’s sabotage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Put that thing down, Mayer. Also, give me your PDA.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Give me the Alliance PDA.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You crazy bastard! You know I’m with the rebels, right?!” Mayer glared in suspicion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, it could have looked like I was threatening one of the leading figures of the enemy to give me access to their secure lines. But right now, it wasn’t a threat-- it was a plea.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If we don’t do something about this, all of Critik-4 is going to be corrupted by the Hyperspace. Remember the Letix? They’re also one of the Hyperspace creatures, so it’s the exact same thing as the Letix corruption. Do you remember what we needed to do any time the Letix spreads on a planet?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“They had to wipe the entire planet with quantum torpedoes.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Right, when the entire planet is gone, you’re not gonna have either the Federation government or the free government to worry about. They’re going to be floating in space with the stars very soon.” I extended a hand towards Mayer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mayer hesitated for a short while, but soon took a PDA from one of his lackeys and gave it to me. “What a piece of crap! After all the things that the Federation had done to us... damnit!” Mayer shook his head, questioning what’s he’d just done. He had no choice but to comply, however; no matter how evil the Federation was to him, it was way worse to see his own nation meet its end.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Just consider yourself unlucky.” I tapped Mayer on his shoulder and put the headphones in my ears.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, the stadium had begun crumbling down. As the Hyperspace corruption grew, the very foundation of the structure seemed to have weakened to the point where it couldn’t maintain itself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Run!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Aaaargh!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Many panicked screams were heard over the Alliance channels. Kasik was particularly loud over the channel. [This can’t be happening! I started the rebellion for it to end like this?!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suddenly, within Kasik’s channel view, a fleshless arm appeared and covered up Kasik’s camera. Since the camera appeared to be on his head, the arm seemed to be coming from the center of his chest or his neck. Following gurgling, grinding sounds from his voice channel, blood splattered onto the camera. I quickly turned his channel off. Soon, Kasik’s status was displayed as KIA.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lezirth! Hold on tight!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, can’t I be the one driving?” I asked, still dangling behind Sergeant Aroha. But she was too focused on driving away from the stadium as quickly as possible to care. I had no choice but to hold onto her at that speed. Sergeant Aroha’s hair shook wildly in the wind, getting in my face.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wah! Lezirth, watch where you put your hands!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“But this is about as safe as it gets! I’ll move them further up if you keep complaining!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Try it if you dare!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What? How innocent do you think I am? You know, I had more ladies after me than there are stars in the entire universe!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah, yeah, whatever! Let’s go.” Sergeant Aroha giggled mockingly. She went against the road leading into the stadium. There were many other vehicles fleeing the area, buses and military machines that carried civilians and soldiers away. Sergeant Aroha expertly weaved around them to outrun them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha probably believed that I didn’t dare move my hands around in this situation. If I distracted her, she could lose her focus and run into a truck, and probably killing us both! But that’s a problem for a common man, not for a superhuman psionic being like I am! That’s right! Time to move my hands where ever I feel like it! I’ll touch anything and everything I can!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">… It came to my attention that I was probably feeling competitive in the stupidest thing imaginable, but there were just certain things that a man couldn’t back down from!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And so I raised my hold up her body!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">… But some heavy, squishy object blocked my arms and stopped my arms’ progress. I seemed to have underestimated her and overshot the horizontal distance that my arms were allowed to move. If I could just have more room to move around the object...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“.........”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“......Uh, um... sorry, I think I took it too far.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Dummy.” Sergeant Aroha shot a look at me. I thought I caught a glimpse of her eyes being… moist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But then,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*---Swooooooooh!*</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The air around us began vibrating.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[This is a demand to the Federation agents!] The Alliance’s Kishin, Saika, was yelling. More specifically, it was the pilot within Saika, Princess Riznah. [Hand over Rabbitte-the-Rabbit-or-whatever to me! And cease your control over the cruisers! Free Kiske and any other Asa you have taken hostage! If you do not listen to these three demands, every living thing in the Critik system will become food for the Archdemon!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">… What happened to the propaganda tactic? They resorted to threats?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even as Saika spoke, the cruiser continued firing its secondary cannons at Saika. Saika defended against the bombardment by creating another force field with the six skirt-plates, forming a dome. Saika couldn’t retaliate as the cruiser was likely filled with Alliance soldiers and other Asa, and so it was forced to passively guard against the cruiser.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Princess Riznah must have been angry that we had presumably taken over the cruiser by force, keeping the Alliance soldiers and the Asa hostage. She was threatening that, if we were holding her troops hostage, then she’d be taking the entire planet hostage in turn.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Luise wouldn’t fall for her threat, but... no, she simply can’t fall for it. Right now, the Hyperspace corruption spread so far that not even a Harakal could easily maintain control over it. That’s how unstable the Asa Black Magic is. It’s extremely destructive, but it always manages to cause problems because it’s indomitable.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Luise wouldn’t be fooled, but... I don’t like where this is headed.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I held onto Sergeant Aroha, looking at the collapsing stadium in the distance. The speed of the corruption was increasing every moment.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By the Federation’s standard practice, the planet was a prime target for complete destruction via quantum torpedoes. The emerald oceans of Critik-4, its artificial coral reefs, seaside resorts, casino hotels, circuses, ski resorts three thousand meters up above sea level, everything was about to be wiped out. And all the people on it-- at least a million who belonged to the Federation alone, and billions more of natives of this planet. Though allowing the corruption to consume the planet was still a gruesome end for the inhabitants, destroying the planet with a weapon of mass destruction was just...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, the PDA crackled, switching itself to Federation channels.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Lezirth!] Admiral Luise called.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Luise! Where are you?!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[I’m on an Alter-Gunship! I’ll be right there!]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Soon, an Alter-Armour approached us. It was called a gunship because a transport module was attached on its side, restricting it to a transport gunship.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Alright, hold on!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergeant Aroha smashed against the guard rail beside us on purpose, using the force of impact to fling us into the gunship. I used my powers to absorb the ensuing crash against the gunship’s floor and eased Sergeant Aroha’s dynamic entry.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That was too risky!” Ensign Meihowa was sitting in the pilot’s seat, looking at Sergeant Aroha and I. Admiral Luise was controlling the cruiser with Rabbitte by her side.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girl named Eiredith seemed to be continuing her efforts to return her control over the cruiser, but traditional long-distance hacking could only affect the communication systems at the application level. Rabbitte the Rabbit, instead, affected the entire system down to the hardware. This was possible because Rabbitte itself contained an Alter Core, its power matching a Major-level Alter-Armour. Rabbitte the Rabbit was a one-of-a-kind technology, a computer made of Letix cells.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not even the best hacker in the universe could regain control with traditional hacking methods.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“At this rate, all of Critik-4 will be destroyed! What should we do?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We’re going to have Federation backup incoming, but... that’s going to make things worse, isn’t it?” Admiral Luise used her PDA to show the location of the Federation forces at the time. The Federation marines had already entered the boundaries of the Critik system through Hyperspace warp. As soon as they’d realize the planet was being consumed by the Hyperspace corruption, they could impatiently shoot a quantum torpedo to end the problem quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“If you were really selected by the Black Sisters... wouldn’t it be possible?” Kiske asked, still handcuffed. He was, of course, talking to Sergeant Aroha.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Maybe, but...” Sergeant Aroha shrugged, folding her bike for storage.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What did he mean?” I asked.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa answered in Aroha’s place. “The reason why the Asa haven’t killed themselves off despite using the Black Magic is said to be thanks to the Black Sisters taking care of Hyperspace corruption.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You can ‘take care of Hyperspace corruption’?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So far in history, the only way humanity had dealt with the Letix or Hyperspace corruption was via purification by fire-- destroying individual cells with heat, killing it and preventing regeneration. And I heard now that wasn’t the only way.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Pah... you want me to use an Asa’s ability, huh?” Sergeant Aroha sighed.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was reminded of her look when she had seen her dad’s picture on a magazine. Her history with the Asa had given her a scar. Was it going to be too much for her to recollect her memory from those times?</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa playfully punched Sergeant Aroha’s back. “Sorry, Aroha. We have Luise on her side, so maybe we can get through this without the Federation knowing.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yeah, sure, but... phew. I’m being asked to use an Asa power after everything I said about the Asa.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“S-sorry, Sergeant, I don’t want to make you do it, but...”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even if she didn’t like it, she had to try it if we were to have any chance of stopping the corruption.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When Sergeant Aroha saw my grave expression, she smiled. “...I learned it when I was a little kid, so don’t expect too much out of it.” She shook her head. Still, she smiled like her usual self. “If you can do something about Kishin Saika, I’ll try. But I might make a mistake, so don’t depend too much on it, okay?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Good. Now, what was I going to do about Kishin Saika?</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Federation communication channels reopened at that moment.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Lezirth!]</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the channel was my roommate, Pencolt, whose weight seemed to have returned to its original state.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Pencolt!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[Damn! They went and did it! Our vacation’s done for!]</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s really sad news.” I grimaced. The vacation was over for me, too.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pencolt was wearing an assault diving gear, standing by the entrance to the drop pods.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Behind him was an Alter-Armour, registered as Ensign Meihowa’s belonging-- Dawnbringer Minor. It was the machine that absorbed approximately five percent of the original Dawnbringer’s Alter Core, back in the battle in the Azoran system, now sitting in the drop pod with an assault gear.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[I’ll be shooting that thing unmanned to your location, so make sure you get it, yeah? The coordinates will be C-4-12500, 4800! Take it and make sure you’re alive until we get there! We’ll save you soon!] said Pencolt, sending Dawnbringer Minor out of the cruiser.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our location was 12496, 4801. We were pretty close to the announced destination of Dawnbringer Minor.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Lezirth! As soon as we retrieve Dawnbringer Minor, we need to defeat Kishin Saika and end the Hyperspace corruption! If we don’t... the Federation will probably decide to destroy Critik-4!” Ensign Meihowa summarized, piloting the gunship towards the destination.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“How much time do we have?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Dawnbringer Minor will arrive within ten minutes to the destination! But about twenty minutes after that... Federation cruisers will enter bombardment range of Critik-4!”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thus, I had only twenty minutes to defeat Kishin Saika and stop the Hyperspace corruption.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I quickly gathered various energy gels and drinks to recover my strength and equipped myself with a combat vest from storage. Sergeant Aroha wore the same vest and a helmet to prepare herself.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’ll be a long run.” I pointed at the nearby mall below us. “Ensign Meihowa! Energy gels first!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Roger. We’ll be fighting against the Hyperspace this time... go with Sergeant Aroha.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“...Roger.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“And for Aroha, here.” Ensign Meihowa took a military spade that hung on a wall and handed it over to Sergeant Aroha. Sergeant Aroha looked confused, but took it without questioning. “You’ll need it, eventually.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ah.... alright! Okay!” Sergeant Aroha nodded.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa pointed at me and gestured to come over. When I walked over, Ensign Meihowa whispered in my ears quietly, “Lezirth. You can’t do the weird things that you did to me to Aroha, alright?”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“....What?”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Even if Aroha’s like that, she’s pretty pure and innocent.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...What were Ensign Meihowa’s standards for ‘pure and innocent’? You’d probably need a long stick that you use for pole vaults to jump the hurdle needed to be impure!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Wait, wait, what did I ever do to you?!”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensign Meihowa blushed at my response. “I-if you don’t recall anything, that’s fine, too, I’m sure you’ll handle it. Well, it’s not like Aroha has wings.” She lightly jabbed at my chest as she spoke.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And then, a red comet grew larger and larger in the skies.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dawnbringer Minor was entering the planet’s atmosphere.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now... it’s time to begin!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-60569542625129721122015-07-21T11:10:00.000-07:002015-07-22T09:58:21.615-07:00[Overlord Drama CD Vol. 1] Tracks 09 & 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtLBOXC3tjNdeNdeaTX8WNpeKOEDEIxLeWCiRYFVMlkJOrwXF4eJTn5V6lO8LlpZ4yNGL6e-9vh784bQb3MMhpm6ubU_wlHzXW6Bk9aYmnsBGpSTh6ST5oWUhQw8bKTI2xiYRItriBdQ/s1600/Overlord_wp1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtLBOXC3tjNdeNdeaTX8WNpeKOEDEIxLeWCiRYFVMlkJOrwXF4eJTn5V6lO8LlpZ4yNGL6e-9vh784bQb3MMhpm6ubU_wlHzXW6Bk9aYmnsBGpSTh6ST5oWUhQw8bKTI2xiYRItriBdQ/s640/Overlord_wp1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/x53ud4ta1dxkdmc/TRACK_09.mkv">TRACK 09</a> & <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/r7l1a16na02cf4r/TRACK_10.mkv">TRACK 10</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Annnnnd that concludes the first volume of our Overlord Drama CD, for the glory of Ainz Ooal Gown.<br />
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Kuro certainly took his sweet time translating it, and I thank you readers for your kind patience!<br />
<br />
Special thanks to Waies and Hiiro74 for Track 10 translation and proofreading, respectively.<br />
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Now, to answer the big question you have in your minds in regards to the second volume...<br />
<br />
You will have to wait until 1) Kuro gets around it, 2) We get a new TL, 3) Other group picks it up.<br />
<br />
From this point on, Four Lovers will be the priority for Kurono Smith.<br />
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Lastly, my heart goes out to LHI for his dedication to assisting our projects with his skills. Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-67795610255157871142015-06-22T14:08:00.000-07:002015-06-23T12:13:40.337-07:00[Overlord Drama CD Vol. 1] Tracks 07 & 08<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ThjHwSm-x-nyQQi-aHuvZU3t5PmLwEWRsfO5WkjwRBlzJX0uYoZGfDv5iTS48e7k6mkAweTzpMBoYdnpr-shLWGQMNxqz66Bbt_8YpMAoSHi_A5w7j4ucRLtlvNUoF2dx5HLj48szys/s1600/Overlord_wp2_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ThjHwSm-x-nyQQi-aHuvZU3t5PmLwEWRsfO5WkjwRBlzJX0uYoZGfDv5iTS48e7k6mkAweTzpMBoYdnpr-shLWGQMNxqz66Bbt_8YpMAoSHi_A5w7j4ucRLtlvNUoF2dx5HLj48szys/s640/Overlord_wp2_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/ileg7nuqlqj2nue/TRACK_07.mkv">TRACK 07</a> & <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/jn35ilibs83cmef/TRACK_08.mkv">TRACK 08</a></div>
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Kudos to LHI yet again for proofreading this release. You're a lifesaver.<br />
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Kurono Smith will be on vacation until mid-July, so don't even bother asking for an update!Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-47282546748626757872015-05-17T08:27:00.000-07:002015-05-24T18:47:24.512-07:00[Overlord Drama CD Vol. 1] Tracks 05 & 06<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkYycH3tvDqmB24r4zrGXivP30tXpoGg4S3C1a3RUQq9kAVLb6je5VZgnCPlLwKOP2gaYsnLU_5fKLt_9DNFF5tK8MadFZ1lhPf5RXnmenKPRlYdlo7w6ofkJdg9xNcejX8dC6uU0Aa4/s1600/Overlord+-+JK+Shizu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkYycH3tvDqmB24r4zrGXivP30tXpoGg4S3C1a3RUQq9kAVLb6je5VZgnCPlLwKOP2gaYsnLU_5fKLt_9DNFF5tK8MadFZ1lhPf5RXnmenKPRlYdlo7w6ofkJdg9xNcejX8dC6uU0Aa4/s640/Overlord+-+JK+Shizu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/zr7w2f336dksc6a/TRACK_05.mkv">TRACK 05</a> & <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/68tdkmo3b3ynaqo/Track_06.mkv">TRACK 06</a></div>
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Huge thanks to LHI for making this release possible. Kudos to him.<br />
<br />
I'm looking for Korean and/or Japanese translators, so give me a shout please if you're out there.Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-19776133905591798042015-05-02T17:12:00.000-07:002015-05-02T21:07:46.997-07:00[Dawnbringer v2] 02. Critik in the Storm - Part 4<i>A fine new addition to the cast!</i><br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Narane</i><br />
<i>Editors: </i><i>MadTix</i><i>, Foodpenguin <br /><br />Please enjoy.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old
shopkeeper handed over Colorado and Rabbitte to us for free.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rabbitte’s
irises changed their shape into two question marks. Admiral Luise asked,
“Wh-why would you do that? These are worth one and a half billion-- no, you
said you wouldn’t sell it for any price!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man
shook his head. “I’ve never meant for these treasures to gather dust in my
display case for eternity. Admiral Luise, Vice Admiral Lezirth, you are the
people that these treasures were waiting for all along.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The man
reached for his necklace. The necklace opened up, revealing a small hologram
chip within. The chip played a holographic picture of a middle-aged man,
bearing a befuddled expression as he carried a young boy in his arms. The
middle-aged man was in the uniform of the Dawn Corps. The mark of a breaking
dawn and a sword-- that was the symbol of the Dawn Corps.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“They are my
father and my grandfather.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hmm?” I
returned my attention to him.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man
gently opened his eyes with his fingers. His aged, focusless irises had golden,
translucent, and sticker-like attachment. “I also am a Replicant.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But that
doesn’t...”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“A cross
between a human and a Replicant, to be specific, but I was still a Replicant by
law. So, when I was young, I was made to put these in my eyes.” The old man’s
cane began violently shaking in his hands. “Not only that, the Dawn Corps’
existence had been written out of existence.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“What do you
mean?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Humanity
could not accept the great achievements of the Dawn Corps. No, they wanted to
convince the world that humanity itself had done all those achievements, rather
than relying on the inferior Replicants, who should have been the lowly tools
for humans. That was their reasoning.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But how
could they have done that? There should have been many people who knew the
truth! How could they write them off, just like that?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I became
curious. After the countless battles between the Federation and the Letix, only
the Dawn Corps had remained in stable numbers. It began with only Kishin
Dawnbringer as the sole member, but as the other groups were nearly wiped out
after each battle, the survivors gathered into the Dawn Corps.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sometime
during the latter half of the war, the Dawn Corps had grown large enough to
nearly equate to the definition of the Federation military. What could they
have done to change history to forget the existence of such a powerful group?
Even worse, this hadn’t occurred thousands of years ago, but it was merely a
century ago.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I do not
know the details myself, but I have heard that a powerful mind-control was
involved. The Alliance’s Lezirth Dawnbringer and Luise Maynard were speaking
the truth in that regard, though clearly not about their identities.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A power user
to that degree… But the notion of altering the minds of the entirety of
humanity was at an absurd scale, and even if such power existed, it should have
created a disastrous level of Hyperspace corruption around the universe.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But it
wasn’t the time to be asking questions. If I didn’t rescue Sergeant Aroha soon…</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“B-but,
before you go…” The old man rummaged around his belongings for a camera. “M-may
I take a picture of you, sir?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I didn’t
know what to do. The old man looked on with very eager eyes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I remembered
seeing those eyes before. When the Letix army revealed itself to humanity and
put us at the brink of destruction, the military wanted me to lead an army
parade to give hope to people. I didn’t want to do it at the time, but I had
done it reluctantly due to Admiral Luise’s insistence. And so I led the parade,
while people watched on with eager, hopeful faces, wishing their sons and
daughters to return from the war in one piece.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I remembered
those days.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“S-sure.” I
stiffly stood in front of the camera.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man
gleefully took a picture. “Thank you very much! Ah, I am so very glad that I
have not perished earlier!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I, uh,
that’s nice of you to say.” I scratched my cheeks in embarrassment.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“So, how did
you end up with Colorado and Rabbitte?” Admiral Luise appeared from beside me
and asked.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“My
grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel of the transport squadron of the Dawn
Corps. So… ha ha-- ugh- *cough*, *cough*--....”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When I first
saw the old man, I thought he was a stoic, quiet man who would never talk
unless he needed to. But at that moment, he looked like a little boy meeting
his hero, shaking my hands vigorously. He talked so rapidly that he was
coughing for the rest of the words instead.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“A-are you
alright?” Admiral Luise patted the man’s back.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man
nodded. “I am fine. I must be too old for this.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Should you
not be leaving soon?” The old man asked, cautiously inspecting us.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I nodded
back.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Admiral
Luise wanted to give her earnings from the casino to him. “To be honest, I had
more money than I suggested. Please, take these.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“No, there
is no need. These treasures were here for safekeeping, but they are ultimately
your belongings. Are they not?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Even that
coin-operated case should cost a lot to maintain for a hundred and twenty
years. Please, I insist that you take at least five hundred million credits.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But the old
man refused vehemently. “If you continue to insist, I will bash my head against
that stone statue until I perish.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We really
couldn’t argue against that, and so we quietly left the shop.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“May you
bring the light of dawn into this universe.” The old man softly spoke as he saw
us out.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign
Meihowa sighed. “So they did exist after all. The Church of Dawn, that is.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The Church
of Dawn?” I quickly looked it up on the network. The first thing that showed up
was an insult, calling them a crazy cult. “Wh-what is this?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Oh, it’s
just a crazy cult that worships Lezirth as their god.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“....................................
Huh?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“A… a god?!”
Admiral Luise was just as surprised.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A god… like
the beings that people pray to?!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“It’s one of
the few religions that the Federation tries to suppress, since all the
Replicant rebels believe in it. Hmm? What’s going on, Lezirth?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...Nothing,
I’m just very embarrassed.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I had always
been called a war hero a century ago. I realized that I’d never had too much of
a thought about that. I was trained to fight as a soldier since I was young and
fought against my enemies as a soldier should, and then I had found myself
leading the Dawn Corps into a great war that decided the fate of humanity.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For a man
like me, I felt that I was undeserving of the old man’s attitude. I became
burdened by a suspicion that I might have had an important purpose in my life.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Burden. Yes,
that’s what I had always felt.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I wasn’t a
better man than any other. I was only a single person. People expected too much
from a guy like me. It wasn’t just the old man-- people from a century ago had
burdened me with too many expectations. And I was constantly afraid that I
would never be able to meet their expectations. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man
had trusted me enough to trade his life away. Rather than take the half a
billion credits from us, he insisted that he’d rather break his skull on a
stone statue. What kind of beliefs did he have, to drive his life to this point?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would
never know.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After taking
our leave, we prepared an Alter-Armour to pilot. Admiral Luise reprogrammed the
rebel Alter-Armour so that I could use it. In the mean time, I inspected the
tall gate at the entrance of Chinatown.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“That’s made
of metal, huh?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I thought,
if I could take the gate apart and pierce Colorado through it, I could make use
of it with the Alter-Armour. By rigging the metallic parts as the hilt of
Colorado, I could convert them to be a part of the Sacred Sword’s blade.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I imagined
that it would make the sword look somewhat like a slightly long knife, or maybe
a small sword in the hands of a Minion-class Alter-Armour. And maybe a fruit
knife in a Kishin’s hands.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But this
doesn’t share Dawnbringer’s core. It’s using a Nameless core. Are you going to
be okay with that?” asked Ensign Meihowa.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All of my
abilities were specialized for Dawnbringer. Back then, I was capable of
fighting against a Kishin with a Minion-class Alter-Armour only because Ensign
Meihowa piloted one with a Dawnbringer core.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But what
about a Nameless one?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">…I was
honestly worried.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When I
challenged Diablo, the Black Tyrant, its pilot was so inexperienced and fresh
that he looked like he couldn’t do any more than baby steps. Even then, despite
the best of my efforts, I wasn’t able to do a good deal of damage to Diablo. On
the flip side, all it took for Diablo to do significant damage to me was
slamming the ground with a single finger.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Compared to
Diablo’s pilot at the time, Prince Tenseron, I had been told that Asa Princess
Riznah was much more competent. Could I, with nothing but Colorado to my
advantage, stand my ground against her?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But I knew
that I had no choice. As long as Sergeant Aroha remained captive, I had to
rescue her before she could be sent away from this planet. Knowing that I had
no other choice, I had to be thankful that I at least didn’t have to charge in
with my own human strength.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I jumped on
the Alter-Armour and pulled apart the metal gate to hack it onto Colorado.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Alright,
Lezirth! We’ll try to do what we can by hacking and calling reinforcements.
Even if it’ll be slightly late.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Is the Federation
sending a rescue force here?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“They’ll
have to send one. No, we’ll force them to send one no matter what. But if we do
that…” Admiral Luise made a bitter, hollow smile. “That means we’ll have to
call back our squad from their hard-earned vacations.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Bomb
Cadet Squad that went through hell and back in the Azoran system. The group of
expendables, composed of Replicants and half-aliens. That was our squad.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The problem
was that Dawnbringer Minor belonged to this squad. To make the Federation send
it to the Critik System, we had to make sure that the rescue squad was them,
specifically. Although they already had to give up their vacation days to
answer the call to arms, how could we dare bring them back to a
life-threatening battle after they had to endure so many already?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It wasn’t
the right thing to do. Maybe I should have stolen another Alter-Armour that
stood a better chance.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But then,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Okay,
they’re inbound!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Admiral
Luise had already manipulated our squad to reinforce this area without a second
thought.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">…...</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Admiral
Luise was… in a way, maybe, perhaps, a very cruel being. If not for her, the
Bomb Cadet Squad would have likely avoided the dangerous front lines, but...
...Oh well, it was too late.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I needed
Dawnbringer Minor, after all.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Lezirth!
That armour is technically registered as Federation-owned, but the Alliance
systems should recognize it as their property. You should be able to stay
undetected until you can get near Kishin Saika, and launch a surprise attack
whenever possible. Or maybe, if the pilot hasn’t boarded yet because she’s too
busy with that stupid reality show, you could take control by killing the pilot
immediately.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Y-yes, of
course.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But be
careful! That systems administrator for the Alliance, that little girl we saw--
she can’t be taken lightly. And the pilot, too.” Admiral Luise moved away from
the Alter-Armour.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign
Meihowa and Admiral Luise planned to hijack more enemy Alter-Armours to
distract the enemy.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Before I
began, I went to a supermarket within Chinatown. The Alter-Armour’s arms
rummaged around the storage room to gather a pile of energy gels. I brought
them into the cockpit and stacked the contents in the corners around me.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Alter-Armours
are living beings. Though they produced strength that exceeded the energy that
they gained from whatever they consumed by using other sources of power, they
still needed a source of nutrients, like energy gels.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After
procuring enough energy gels to fill up the cockpit, I also found myself a
folding shovel from a nearby tools shop.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My
preparation was done.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It was time
to fight another battle against all odds.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">* * *</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Heavy squall
swept my path. The south of the casino street was a great turquoise sea, and
its condensation met with the cold wind from the mountains to form into a
sudden but frequent rainstorm. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
raindrops fell on Hyondai Stadium and rolled down its transparent ceiling. The
open stadium had an antigravity dome as its ceiling to protect from weather,
but let the sunlight through.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In front of
the stadium, in the parking lot that was several times larger than the building
itself, the rebels were busy screening the civilians. All around the lot,
Tri-Walkers patrolled watchfully, and many military trucks and buses came and
went to drop even more civilians. The rebel soldiers divided the civilians by
their worth, based on their jobs. It only took a single step through the
identifier to gain complete information on each person, so the process did not
take very long.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thanks to
the numerous members of the Manus Solidum who joined the rebellion, the
screening went by even quicker.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Damn it.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I knew the
locals were very unhappy with the Federation, and I couldn’t fault them for
taking action to better their lives, and yet I couldn’t help but sigh. The
Federation was clearly not doing a great job, but the Alliance couldn’t have
been any better for them. The Asa had a caste system, and the Elcro had a
monarchistic government. These people were leaving the Federation because of
its rule based on the economic power held by dominating governments, and were
joining the Alliance where the ruling power was based on social classes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I slowly
moved my Alter-Armour towards the stadium. Fortunately, the armour must have
been recognized as an Alliance asset as explained before-- other Alter-Armours
and soldiers didn’t seem to be too mindful of my approach. I could even hear
through the Alliance’s private channel.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[The first
round of screening is eighty percent complete!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[As
expected, there aren’t too many experienced technicians. Should we start
transporting people in district twenty-two?”]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From the
talk that went on, there was no more doubt that the Alliance was kidnapping
everyone in order to find more skilled workers to aid their war efforts. It was
obvious why they were classifying people based on their jobs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[What the
hell is up with that Amazoness princess, anyway?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[She really
likes that Asa girl, huh? Making her a handmaiden…]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I could also
hear their casual conversations.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Curious, I
looked within the stadium. Inside, beneath Saika, Sergeant Aroha and Princess
Riznah Eresiki-gal were having a talk. I wanted to eavesdrop on them, so I turned
on the light sensors. The sensors picked up the vibrations of objects near
sound sources by echoing laser on them, and converted the vibrations to a
audible sound waves.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[....Ushu?
Toride anakil devka?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Zashi,
anzai toride…]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Whoops. I
had forgotten to turn the translators on.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I opened a
translator application on my PDA, but all it did was tell me to pay for a
premium downloadable content if I wanted to translate Asa languages. Damn. If
it were military property, it would have been free, but I had to use a civilian
machine for my vacation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After
quickly paying up, the translator program flashed and began translating their
conversation properly. Wait a minute, where was the download? It seemed like
the application had the Asa translator installed all along, but locked behind a
paywall.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[We Asa
consider you as one of us, even if you were born between a human and an Asa.
Our bloodlines are considered from the mother’s side, not the father’s, and you
are a worthy Umea. It’s also quite nice that you have the knowledge of the
latest Federation military technology during your career as their soldier. Did
you know that only a handful of Asa soldiers are capable of piloting an
Alter-Armour or a cruiser? Knowing that, will you not help us? If you will,
then I will turn the broadcast back on so you may publicly tell me of your new
allegiance. If you do so, then I shall consider you as my second in command.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[I’d really
like to do that, but I’m telling you, that’s going to be difficult since one of
my friends is coming over to rescue me.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Here?
Rescue you? Do you really believe that?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[I survived
a problem like this once already, so why not?] Sergeant Aroha boasted, not
mindful of her situation yet. When a hostage is that confident, it would be
strange for the kidnapper to not feel overwhelmed.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Really, I
do wonder where your confidence is coming from…] As expected, Princess Riznah
had become confused. [Hmph. No matter. I’ll be bringing you over before anyone
else.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Are you…
thinking of using Black Magic on humans? You’ll create a Hyperspace corruption.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Preventing
that is the true power of the Thundergod Saika. Kishin Saika with Black Magic
should be more than enough to safely teleport everyone in the stadium safely.
Repeating that several times should be enough to teleport every citizen before
the Federation army gets here. Think carefully-- there may be many who oppose
the Federation rule here, but they have no means to take act because the
Alliance is too far away physically. But what if we can prove that their
problem is not actually a real problem? The Federation will soon meet its end.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[No. This is
just kidnapping. You’re not taking people who are volunteering to go! I don’t
know about your culture, but don’t you know what a grave crime it is to involve
innocent civilians, much less kidnapping them?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[No matter.
We need people. We need much more.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then, a man
in a suit walked forth from behind them. It was a man from the television some
time ago, Kasik, the leader of the rebellion. Kasik was using the first
standard language of the Federation, English, and the Asa seemed to be using
their own translators to understand him.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Wait!
That’s not what we agreed on before! You told me you’ll be sending my rebellion
first! And use the civilians as hostages for leverage!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So his plan
was to extract the rebels first. That was why the rebels were very confident
about fighting against the local government and taking on the Federation,
despite the Critik system being directly next to the Federation systems.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Our
imperative is to extract the civilians before all else. Lieutenant Colonel
Kasik, you should be remaining here and protecting our flanks against the
Federation so that we may complete extracting civilians. Also, mind your
tongue. I’m a chief.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kasik looked
annoyed. [Chief, is it? Just because you’ve been lucky enough to be born to the
right mother?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Chief,
because I am capable of piloting a Kishin and leading a troop. Why? Do you
think you could do better than me?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Hmph. a
Kishin, eh.] Kasik peeked to the side at the Kishin that leaned over the
stadium.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[There is no
need to worry. It won’t be too long before you get your turn. When you are
brought to the Alliance, you’ll be recognized as a hero. Perhaps many Asa
families will be after your heroic genes. You could very well say goodbye to
the days of being unpopular with women.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[You…! How
dare you! That report was completely falsified!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kasik yelled
as hard as he could, but the other Asa quietly giggled and refused to take him
seriously. What a clown!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Alright!
Laugh as much as you want! It’ll be the last time you’ll ever laugh. Hmph!
Let’s see if you’ll still be pompous when I ask the Black Sisters to hand you
over to me!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Princess
Riznah stopped laughing. The other Asa’s faces became stiff.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It was about
time for me to interrupt their little party. I began thinking of my next move.
If I could kill Princess Prizna while she was out of the Kishin, I could easily
end this ordeal. It didn’t seem like there was anyone else who were capable of
piloting the Kishin in her place, either.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But my mind
strongly refused against killing a cute, young lady. Even if she wasn’t an
innocent civilian, but a chief of the enemy faction.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I still had
to kill her. I carefully detached the metal gate from Chinatown. I had already
destroyed the Alter-Armour’s rifle from the previous scuffle and no other
ranged weapons were on the armour, so I had little options. But if I could
throw the metal gate, it could easily kill any human being it hit.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Now…”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I prepared
the Alter-Armour to throw the metal gate.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But then,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--*Whiiiiirrrr!*</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Suddenly, a
red light flashed brightly within the cockpit. At the same time, the cockpit
ejected itself and exploded forward!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Agh!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then,
through the communication view, the fake Luise revealed herself.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Kyahahahahaha!
You thought I’d fall for that? I’ve been waiting for this moment!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Damn! It was
a trap?! After being shamed by Admiral Luise, the fake Luise must have been
carefully watching over the equipment in Critik to note any suspicious activity.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[It was a
good thing that I’ve been watchful of any Alter-Armours that went offline.]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Admiral
Luise had stunned the Alter-Armour to hijack it. The fake Luise saw it coming
and kept track of Alter-Armours that went off at any time.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She wasn’t
small-time, huh? I readied myself for the impending fall. Before the cockpit
hit the artificial grass, a parachute deployed itself and slowed my descent.
The cockpit slid gently down the grass. I burst out of the cockpit with a kick
after hitting the ground.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But a
beautiful, blonde girl was waiting outside to greet me with a Colion rifle.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hold it
right there, human.” Threats came from her bright pink lips. She spoke with an
unfamiliar, weird accent, but it sounded nice regardless. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Looking at
her again, she was very beautiful. Pale skin, gentle demeanor, and-- her chest
wasn’t worthy of note, but her smooth legs were pleasing to see.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">...Wait,
what am I doing?!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I broke out
of my trance and stood up. I first raised both of my arms to let her drop her
guard. I wasn’t registered as a psionic, so there was little reason to be wary
of me if I didn’t have a weapon.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Riznah! Make
sure he doesn’t try anything funny! He should have a girl working with him
somewhere around here! Also, he’s probably a power user, or at least as
dangerous as one!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And then my
effort to drop my enemies’ guard went to waste. The self-proclaimed Luise
warned the Alliance soldiers of what I am.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Asa
princess asked. [Eiredith! Did you say there was one more?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Wah! Why
did you just call my name in front of the enemy?!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[He’s
already captured, so what could be the problem?]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She did not
seem to think too highly of either Sergeant Aroha or I. Also, Eiredith? Was that
the real name of the fake Luise? If that was the case, then the Alliance had
always known that the fake Luise was indeed not the real deal. Or maybe only
the higher authorities like the Princess knew that fact.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Kiske!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Yes,
Harakal.” The blonde girl who was called Kiske dropped a pair of handcuffs in
front of my feet. “Put them on yourself, human!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Kiske, was
it?” I looked at her, picking up the handcuffs. They were a specially designed
pair of handcuffs, made to suppress the use of psionic powers on the wearer. Of
course, my powers were still of considerable strength even with disruptions
like these, but to try and rescue Sergeant Aroha with these…</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Quickly!”
The girl known as Kiske hurried me, using the end of her rifle as encouragement.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I sighed,
putting on the cuffs on my wrists.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Wh-who is
this? A Federation soldier? A Federation agent?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kasik was
particularly disturbed by my appearance. He should have already known that
Sergeant Aroha was a Federation soldier, so he was assuming that I had also
belonged to the Federation in some way.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But I was
just a soldier on a vacation. ...We’ve been doing much more than anyone on
vacation ever would, so his guess wasn’t strange. But even if I were actually a
Federation agent, he was more worried than I would have expected of him. He
wasn’t really fit to lead a rebellion, after all.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Asa
princess scoffed at his attitude. “What a pathetic display! A man like you will
be seen as a hero by the Alliance? Hmph! In any case, I will be starting Saika.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To my
surprise, Saika moved by itself to bring its hand down in front of the
princess. Once she stood on top of its hands, Saika brought her near its
cockpit beside its chest.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘She’s
pretty good!’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Moving the
armour without directly piloting it meant that they had a long history between
them. That also meant that Riznah herself had a great deal of field experience.
Even if she belonged to a culture with very little development in organized
military, she must have been quite the formidable pilot if she had enough
experience to move the Kishin without piloting it. That is, even an early human
who used nothing but a crude rock axe would become a great marksman after
spending five thousand hours with a rifle.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Bring in
the people!]</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Saika’s head
shined a bright light. Kishin Saika had been activated. Metallic plates around
its waist hovered up in the air and fell down and embedded in various places
circling the stadium.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">---*Vwoooooom!*</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A powerful
vibration shook the entire stadium.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Damn! Are
they starting it already? Let’s fall back!” Kasik ordered his troops and headed
to the dugout area of the stadium. Kiske and other Asa followed with Sergeant
Aroha and I. The civilians soon entered the stadium from various entrances.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Why did you
come here, Lezirth?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“To rescue
my Sergeant, of course.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sergeant
Aroha smiled at my words. She’d been smiling that same playful smile all the
time, but for some strange reason, her smile looked even more beautiful than
usual. I had a feeling that I might have seen her first honest smile.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She shook
her head and bore a more serious expression. “But what were you thinking,
getting captured yourself?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The girl
named Kiske poked at my side with the tip of her rifle. “Stop chatting!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’ve had it
with this! She asked for it!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I turned
around and glared back at her, and… my face lit up in heat. Whoa, I can’t even
look at her without being embarrassed! I can’t look!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“What are
you doing, Lezirth?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Uh, I’m,
um...”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’d always
thought Sergeant Aroha was one of the most beautiful ladies in existence, but I
had changed my mind after seeing that girl. If she could have heard my thoughts
I’d have been in all kinds of trouble, but she couldn’t possibly have such
powers, right?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Lezirth,
you’re not thinking of doing something as silly as sparing people just because
they’re cute, or because they’re ladies, right?” Sergeant Aroha stared at me
with sharp eyes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Occasionally,
there have been idiots among the army who refused to kill women and worsened
the situation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The space
marines who fought against the Letix, the Dawn Corps, were frequently involved
in missions to cleanse areas corrupted by the Letix. When privates hesitated
killing women, who usually looked normal on the outside despite the corruption,
they usually suffered the consequences immediately when the Letix within them
burst out and proceeded to consume the entire planet.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Since those
problems occurred quite often, I had once replaced all the practice-use targets
with pictures of women and children. The invalid targets that were once
hostages were changed to men who looked like hardened criminals, while valid
targets were children and beautiful ladies. This change had once gathered the
ill attention of the media. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Were the
rumours about the state of training procedures of the Dawn Corps true? Are you
actually using these targets?’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
reporters had asked me, showing me pictures of one of the targets made for the
Dawn Corps, however they got a hold of one. I was unable to avoid the question
as it was a live broadcast.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Looking at
the soldiers who looked troubled by the question, I came up with an answer
myself.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘What? Are
you trying to make fun of Wally for looking like a scary, tough guy?’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Huh?’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Wally here,
acting as our hostage in this training gauntlet, is just a normal guy who
enjoys weight training! He might have overflowing testerone as you can see from
his large, bushy beard, but he’s a nice guy who lives with his aged mother,
along with two dogs and five cats in his household! He may have had a troubling
history with his ex-wife thanks to a small difference in beliefs, but he’s
still a hard-working man who still loves his family enough to pay alimony on
time! After all that, he’s had a run-in with a terrorist organization and became
a hostage-- and what, you want him to be shot with a Colion rifle? He’s a
villain because he looks like one? It’s all because of people like you that
this world is screaming that appearance is everything!’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘B-but one
of the targets is a lady--’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘She’s a
terrorist! Disguised as a journalist!’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘And the
children…?’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘They’re
also terrorists, disguised as elementary school news reporters! Don’t be fooled
by their young faces! The setting is that they’re actually in their sixties!’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘What? Wait,
why are they all journalists--’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Because
terrorists like disguising themselves as journalists! At this very moment,
there may be a terrorist here...’</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One of the
journalists in the conference had attempted to run away in surprise. The
peacekeepers of the Dawn Corps immediately moved in to arrest him, and he later
revealed that he was a member of the terrorist organization known as the Cult
of Humanism, who had been terrorizing the Replicant population through violence.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Arresting a
terrorist in a live broadcast in a middle of a conference had put on quite the
show for the crowd. That day felt like it wasn’t too long ago.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And yet, I
found myself reluctant to fight against these Asa girls.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I’m all for
gender equality, even when it comes to violence, but… I just can’t do it!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“....Ugh.
Lezirth, listen.” Sergeant Aroha sighed. “That’s a man.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hmm? Huh?
What was that?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I was caught
off guard by Sergeant Aroha’s sudden joke. How could that possibly be true? I
looked at the blonde girl behind me, who looked more ladylike than anything
else I’d ever seen. And that’s a man?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“......”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“That’s a
man. The males of the Asa are usually much more beautiful than females by human
standards. The girls are nice too, I suppose, but they don’t compare to guys at
all.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...............”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I looked at
the girl-- I mean, boy-- named Kiske again. He nodded. “I am male, yes.
P-please don’t look at me like that.” His aquamarine gaze dropped down, his
cheeks bright. Wait, why are they becoming red?! And why is wearing a skirt if
that’s the case?!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Also, Asa
traditionally have skirts for men, and pants for women.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Is… that
so?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Looking
around, other Asa boys(?!) talked amongst themselves, laughing as they looked
at me. As they met their eyes with mine, they blushed and looked away. Some of
them gently straightened their skirts and looked down as if to politely bow.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">They’re
guys? Them?! They looked like girls in every way!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Kiske, was
it?” I looked at him.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He aimed his
rifle at me. “Don’t talk to me!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“No, I just
wanted to make sure.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Make what
sure?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Make sure
that…”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I quickly
smashed his rifle upward by the link between the handcuffs and went behind
Kiske to grab his neck. How was he so light?! He must have been less than
forty-five kilograms!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Kyaa!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even his
scream was incredibly girl-like! I felt like I had bullied a little girl. I
lifted him up high, and kicked the chairs around the dugout to fling them to
the surrounding Asa.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Kyaa!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The guys
screamed like little girls, and the women….</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Yaargh!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">...cried in
a very brutish manner.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I removed
the handcuffs by phase shifting, and grabbed Kiske by the back of his neck. His
neck was so thin that I thought it would snap in half if I grabbed it the wrong
way. I mean, disregarding that I could probably cut a metal plate like paper…
And the feeling of his neck gave me an urge to feel about some more. It was
almost as if I could get addicted to the touch. What manner of creature was
this?! I placed the handcuffs around Kiske’s wrists.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I felt
slight pain digging into my sides. Sergeant Aroha was poking at me, staring at
me with an angry face. Ah, I’d forgotten to remove her restraints, too. I cut
the wires that bound her arms with my psionic power. Sergeant Aroha immediately
picked up a Colion rifle that had fallen on the ground.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Oh no! How
did he use an ability with the handcuffs on?!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Probably
because he’s still pretty powerful even with a little dampener, yeah?” Sergeant
Aroha shrugged. She pointed at Kiske. “We’ll have to use him as our hostage to
escape here. That princess seemed to like him in particular. It’s not normal
for Harakals to call an Onbira by his name.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Onbira?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The ones
who don’t belong anywhere in the caste system. The males.” Sergeant Aroha
sighed. “My dad was one too, of course.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After
hearing her, Kiske twisted his body around to try and escape us. But he was too
light and weak to accomplish anything with his strength.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">...I thought
our plan was to use him as a hostage, but I felt like I’d become some sort of
criminal who had kidnapped a lady for nefarious purposes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hnh…
*sob*…” Kiske began sobbing and suddenly made a wide motion with his mouth, but
I quickly grabbed his chin to restrain his movement. He had just tried to kill
himself by bleeding to death from his tongue!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Lower your
weapons, every one of you! If you try to fight us, this Kiske friend over here
will die a painful death!” Sergeant Aroha made a threat in my place. She
pointed her new Colion rifle at the other soldiers. She couldn’t fire the
rifle, however, since the rifle was registered to be only used by those of the
Alliance.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Or so I had
thought. The rifle sounded a beep, and soon it displayed the Federation logo in
place of the Alliance’s. Admiral Luise must have been helping us from somewhere!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With Kiske
forcibly dragged along with us, Sergeant Aroha and I escaped the dugout and ran
towards the stadium exit. The other Asa quietly watched us leave.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This boy was
an Onbira, who couldn’t enjoy the benefits of being in any caste. I didn’t know
enough to say for sure, but he seemed to belong in a low class in the Asa
social structure. And yet the other Asa, not just the males but the women too,
did not move as we made our escape. Did the princess favour him that much?
...Favour?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Many images
popped up in my head as to how Riznah was favouring this boy--</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">---*Smack!*</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sergeant
Aroha swiftly jabbed at my side with her elbow.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Why’s your
face going red again?!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“N-no, wait,
this doesn’t mean anything!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
I grumbled as I followed Sergeant Aroha outside.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-31253661294390346632015-04-02T13:49:00.002-07:002015-05-02T17:24:54.709-07:00[Dawnbringer v2] 02. Critik in the Storm - Part 3<i>Yay, got platinum on Bloodborne</i><i>~</i><br />
<i>Now, to finish watching Battlestar Galactica...</i><br />
<br />
<i>Translator: Narane</i><br />
<i>Editors: </i><i>MadTix</i><i><i><i></i> </i><br /><br />Please enjoy.</i><br />
____________________<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I-I’m sorry. I’ve made a
terrible mistake.” Admiral Luise apologized for angering the enemy leader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“That’s alright. You wanted to
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“So, now what do we do, Lezirth?
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“We have to rescue her, of
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took only a single search with its name in a search engine to find information
on the Kishin. Shouldn’t something like this be kept as a closely guarded
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I had no idea how, but it seemed
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Saika has always been piloted by
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Princesses?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The women of the Harakal-class in
their caste system, the ones who have not yet produced an offspring are called
princesses. I don’t know the specifics myself, but what is known is that the
pilots of Saika are the most powerful people of the Asa. The culture of the Asa
is the survival of the fittest-- only the greatest of the Asa are allowed to
pilot the Kishin.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Is that so? Would that mean the
Asa have a very militaristic culture?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As I asked that question, the
city’s civil defense siren blared throughout the area. Only the sirens around
the streets surrounding the casino were active.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Attention! If you are currently
situated within the hotel, you must relocate down to the end of Twentieth
Street.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With the announcement, multiple
military cars entered the street. Admiral Luise looked through the security
cameras around the hotel and found that at least a single platoon was
transported there, and multiple Tri-Walkers could be seen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“What is this? Trying to control
the civilians themselves?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I found the Kishin’s location,
Lezirth. Their Kishin is to the south of this street, down Twentieth, and
stationed inside Hyondai Stadium.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Erk. A sports stadium?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The rebels must have been trying
to gather the civilians at the stadium. The stadium’s purpose may be for
playing sports, but that was going to be changed if the rebels were sending
people there; in places like a stadium or a concert hall, a small military
force could effectively control a large group of people by blocking the key
exits. Forty Tri-Walkers armed with Colion rifles could shoot down about fifty
thousand people before they could escape the building. Perhaps the rebels were
going as far as thinking about executing the civilians.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I doubt they will try to kill
the civilians. I believe their objective is to transport every single civilian
on Critik-4 off the planet.” Admiral Luise assured me confidently.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I became curious. “Hmm? How can
you be sure?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I asked her a few moments ago,
remember, if they could guarantee my family’s safety even if I had a huge
family. But she was very quick to agree to my demand, without asking how many
people I had with me, as if the number of people was of no concern as long as
they were on Critik-4.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Ah! Of course.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The Elcro army used a technique
called the Gate to transport their troops from one place to another, yes? Maybe
the Asa have another special way to do the same thing. Or maybe Kishin Saika
was equipped with a special technology?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I nodded. Admiral Luise’s plan
from before seemed to be finding out from the enemy leader if any of those
guesses were correct.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign Meihowa had not yet
understood that. “Hold on, why would they move the hostages? To where?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“To the Alliance, right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Then they’re aiming to kidnap
civilians? What in the world?! That’s a serious war crime!” Ensign Meihowa
exclaimed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">They were committing a war crime,
admittedly-- however, they also did not have the same history as Earth’s humanity.
Before the eighth century, humans went as far as having a culture of burying
prisoners of war alive, but humanity’s culture had evolved to find that to be
horrifying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Calm down, Meihowa. You can
think of them as having an old human culture. The Alliance needs manpower the
most right now. Their civil production should be severely weak with only the
Replicant rebels and two factions that failed the space race. You can see that
from the way their weapons are mostly from Federation rebels.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Alliance was limited to
weaponry from the Replicant rebels-- the same weapons and armours issued to the
Federation. While they were certainly capable of producing their own equipment,
they did not have the economy to support a stable production. They had to fight
with severely limited ammunition and equipment, and so they were very willing
to take dangerous shortcuts like using Duskbringer to wipe out the Federation
fleet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">They had to do whatever it took
to survive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And to support their unstable
production, they had to invest more manpower. The quickest way to do that was
to kidnap educated people from the Federation who were exposed to high levels
of studies in science and culture. By putting educated people into work, they
could facilitate quicker growth in their infrastructures.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“What about the rebels here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“They’ll likely be sent off to
the Alliance, too. I don’t know how, but…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Then Sergeant Aroha is in
danger, too. Could she be taken by the Asa?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Probably.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I sighed. It was foolish to fight
Kishin Saika with my bare hands. I had to find an Alter-Armour of my own… “...
What about Dawnbringer Minor...?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“It’s currently being held at
Ipis Sector.” Admiral Luise responded to my quiet grumble.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dawnbringer Minor. It was
originally a Minion-class Alter-Armour that was assigned to Ensign Meihowa,
created from sampled cells from Dawnbringer. However, during the battle in the
Azoran system, it was able to evolve to Minor-class after consuming a part of
Dawnbringer’s Alter-Core that was integrated within Kishin Diablo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Admiral Luise’s studies found
that the Alter-Armour had visibly grown to a Minor-class size, but the
potential power resting within was much higher than any other Minor-class, and
it could even use Dawnbringer’s abilities if it was for a brief moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If I could use that, then I had a
chance against Kishin Saika. But I had no time. As long as Sergeant Aroha was
taken hostage by the enemy, if she doesn’t get tortured and killed, she was
going to be taken out of reach by the Alliance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Lezirth.” Admiral Luise called
to me, as if she read my thought.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Colorado.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hmm?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“If we can get Colorado back…
we’ll challenge Saika then.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...” Admiral Luise lowered her
head in thought.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign Meihowa was shocked to
hear what I said. “What?! Did you just… are you actually trying to fight Kishin
Saika with your bare body? No way, Lezirth! Even with your powers, that’s
suicide!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But we don’t have time to waste
if we want to rescue Sergeant Aroha. I have to earn time for us until
Dawnbringer Minor can get to Critik. And no, I’m not trying to fight Saika with
nothing to help it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take back Colorado, and use it
with an Alter-Armour stolen from the enemy. That was my plan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But… hold on.” Ensign Meihowa
fiddled around with her PDA. Soon, noises of glass shattering came from
somewhere, and soon a big object climbed over the broken walls of the suite
room. It was her bike that she had bought before, called over here remotely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“”Let’s go together!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“A-alright!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We jumped out of the hotel.
Outside, there were many armed soldiers and Tri-Walkers guarding the
surrounding area… Hmm? Why are there so many soldiers here?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“P-put your hands up!” One of the
soldiers shouted, his arms quivering. The soldiers’ faces here looked very
awkward to me-- they weren’t familiar to me, yet I felt some sort of deja vu.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wait a minute, these are the
protesters from back then! William Mayer’s groupies!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Y-you!” Mayer made his
appearance, wearing a very unfitting black beret. He looked distraught that I
showed up here. “Hold it, don’t shoot him!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But he’s holding a weapon!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The soldiers were afraid of the
Colion rifle that Ensign Meihowa had been carrying around.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mayer jumped down from his
military transport. “These guys and I know each other!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“If chief comrade knows them,
we’ll hold.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wow, what an embarrassing choice
of words! Who calls each other “comrades” nowadays? It makes me cringe just
hearing them!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">They weren’t rebels, nor were
they the resistance, so they seemed to be inducted into the rebel forces after
the government’s counter-attack reduced their numbers. I was wondering why the
rebels were so devoted to Mayer’s words; he seemed to be Kasik’s mentor after
all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘It took a guy like him to start
this rebellion?!’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Well, the coup would have
happened regardless of Mayer’s presence. The local population was clearly
against the Federation’s rule, and the Federation was clearly corrupt in their
dealings with them. At least, Kasik might not have become the leader of the
rebellion and taken as a complete fool by the Federation’s civilian news team.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The strangest part of this moment
was that I felt like I was talking to an actor in a perfect costume-- someone
in a convincing outfit that was unmistakably a soldier’s, yet could not have
been more apparent that he was only acting in the end. William Mayer was that
man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I have turned my back against
the Federation for the future of Critik and have joined forces with the
Alliance. You… we’re far from strangers, so I will not stop you if you quietly
went back into the hotel.” Mayer spoke coldly, but obviously with good
intentions. He apparently kept in mind that I stood up for him last night, when
he was working for us as a tour guide.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I suppose this is what they
called the ‘tsundere’ archetype, but at the moment, exploring that side of the world
wasn’t going to be any more helpful than going back to exploring the world of
Shanghai mitten crabs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Eh, about that.” I raised my
hands above my head. The bike broke through the hotel walls and dropped on my
hands. It was a very light bike, weighing less than twenty kilograms, but it
had dropped from sufficient height to create cracks on the surrounding ground
below my feet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Whoa!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Surprised, the protesters
scrambled for their guns. These people were definitely unsuited to act like
they were soldiers. Tsk. I almost worried for the state of the rebellion’s lack
of proper military personnel myself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“What? Wait, why not?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“What are you people going to do
after transporting the civilians over to the stadium? You’re not going to kill
them, are you?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I definitely knew they weren’t
going to, but I asked to seem like I was suspicious of them. Any stuck-up
people like Mayer were guaranteed to reply in fury. He had great education but
always felt underrepresented in society. He felt that he deserved more from
this world, going as far as mentoring for a rebel leader to gain respect. It
was obvious what he would say next.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Don’t make such stupid
assumptions! That’s not it at all! I am a part of this rebellion for a greater
cause!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“This is all for the future of
Critik…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just as planned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Though, there was truth in his
words. This man had gone through the trouble of acquiring a doctorate, yet he
had to resort to a job as a tour guide that was not suited for him. For most
citizens of Critik, their biggest source of income was the spending and tips
from rich Federation tourists. Just to survive, they had to sell their smiles
and souls, while their hatred for the Federation grew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I wondered how strongly he must
have felt that the Federation owed him. It wasn’t difficult to understand why
he would have done the things he did-- but that was then.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I thought about Sergeant Aroha,
and what kind of trouble she might be in…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Following that thought, a large
digital sign on a distant building began displaying Sergeant Aroha’s face. She
had bruises on her face and bled from a cut, likely injured when she was
forcefully ripped out from the building before. Her injuries seemed pretty
light if that was the cause, but…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Smile, traitor!]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A young lady’s voice came from
the speakers around the sign.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sergeant Aroha was restrained to
a chair with ropes, and multiple ladies surrounded her, armed with a sword
each.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I was surprised at how beautiful
the ladies were. They had amazingly pearly-white skins as if they were
physically glowing, and their bodies were slender and enchanting like a white
lotus. These stunning ladies surrounded Sergeant Aroha.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The camera turned around to then
focus on a different lady, with silver-blonde hair and dark-brown skin,
laughing at Sergeant Aroha. Her healthy tone, sizable chest yet thin waist, and
her Alter-Armour pilot suit that tightly wrapped around her body to reveal
every detail and curve were enough to possess any man. Despite all that, I
found myself wanting to see more of the other girls.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItrcDZLYbDgg4Se3Nu0dFq4mXsPJKdyrTGh0hsJSY4sSqDlAsRVQdbn_GFPGkMlfDema0foR0giIwr3LQ_ctkm-5QNu_jU9pWBVDQ5vRhtsh5o6sOXrpdy_FW3xaPvw7kVDUNf0rA5qc/s1600/Dawnbringer_v02_0089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItrcDZLYbDgg4Se3Nu0dFq4mXsPJKdyrTGh0hsJSY4sSqDlAsRVQdbn_GFPGkMlfDema0foR0giIwr3LQ_ctkm-5QNu_jU9pWBVDQ5vRhtsh5o6sOXrpdy_FW3xaPvw7kVDUNf0rA5qc/s1600/Dawnbringer_v02_0089.jpg" height="640" width="402" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">W-wait, that’s not important right
now!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[An Asa, willingly working for
the Federation military?! I haven’t seen a more despicable thing!]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The silver-haired lady chopped
the top of a bottle on a nearby table with the side of her hand. The top
section of the bottle cleanly fell away, causing its content to bubble out and
drip down. Bubble champagne? She picked up the bottle and began chugging it
down voraciously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">...Huh? She’s going for a
wild-wolf-style attitude with an appearance like hers? It was cool how feisty
she was, but she was failing at instilling fear-- I was confused, instead.
Maybe because she had none of the elegance of her appearance. A quiet,
gentle-looking girl appeared next to her and cleaned after her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Now, pay attention, everyone!
Ahem. I am a princess of the Sentosa system and a pilot of Kishin Saika, Rear
Admiral Riznah Eresiki-gal of the Alliance!] She shouted, pointing the broken
bottle at Sergeant Aroha. Sergeant Aroha moved back in surprise, and the lady
almost contacted the broken edge of the bottle onto Aroha’s face. If she moved
the bottle further, it was sure to cut a new wound on Aroha’s face. But the Asa
princess called Riznah played around with the bottle rather than cutting her,
spinning it around dangerously. [This girl is an Asa just like us, yet she
claims to be a soldier of the Federation. That is worthy of a punishment, yes?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Yes.] [That is correct, Harakal.]
The elegant girls to the side simultaneously agreed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Suddenly, a line of text appeared
on the screen to accompany her speech.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">---Harakal: Royal ranks of the
Asa, the top of their caste system.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What was that for?! I thought
this was a horrible public execution, but now it just looks like they meant it to
be a reality show!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Ugh.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Man…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even the protesters beside me
groaned. I couldn’t say anything, either.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But the lady on the screen,
Princess Riznah smiled in satisfaction, spinning the bottle on her hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hey, lady, you can’t seriously be
happy with that kind of acting! I wished I could have told her that, but she
spun the bottle only an inch away from Sergeant Aroha’s face. If she slipped
even by a tiny margin, Sergeant Aroha may have ended up with her face full of
glass.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Agh, what do you think you’re
doing?] Sergeant Aroha began speaking. Unafraid of the situation, she looked at
the camera and grinned. [If you’re going to show my cute face on television, at
least dress me up first! And clean up these scars, while you’re at it.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her confident, smiling face
gained a fresh, bloody scar at that moment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Asa princess grimaced,
pointing the bottle at Sergeant Aroha’s face. [Are you trying to look brave?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Not at all, I’ll gladly beg for
my life if you’ll let me live.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[But?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[But it doesn’t look like you’ll
let me live regardless, you see? So, what do you want? My deepest, sincerest
apologies? Or… a wild, hot show for the audience?] Sergeant Aroha took a look
at the camera, and purposefully entwined her legs together. She was still in
her hot pants, and her new pose accentuated her athletic, well-crafted hips.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--Gulp!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The bunch of hastily formed
soldiers simultaneously gulped nervously. Men.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And the caption did not fail to
show up again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--Ooh~!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">...What am I supposed to think of
this?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[You seem to want to get
something out of this, if you’re broadcasting all of it. Why don’t you tell me
what you want, Harakal?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Hm.... yes, that’ll be nice.
Umea!]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--Umea. The warrior caste of the
Asa. Third highest rank.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Of course, the caption showed
again. ...Also, Umea? I had little idea how the caste system worked, but it
sounded like Sergeant Aroha was a part of a highly respectable rank.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[I remember you, Umea. Your
father is a human, yes? And I have heard that the ‘Black Sisters’ have trained
you so that you may join their ranks, is that not correct?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[...] Sergeant Aroha flinched.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The caption again did not fail to
explain this new development.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--Black Sisters: The highest
level Asa Council of Elders. Controls the politics of all Asa nations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[You’re not trying to say that
you’re my little sister, are you?]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[What are you talking about? I’m
only interested in the Umea that the Black Sisters once wanted to recruit. Now,
become my handmaiden! If you promise to repent for your past with the
Federation and become a part of the Alliance, then I will forgive your sins!]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--The Generous Harakal!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Terrible show! That act was so
fake that I’d rather believe an Easter musical at a Sunday school was the real
deal! And that caption ruined it even further!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But now it was clear-- they
wanted to show that they would even take Federation soldiers into the Alliance
if they intended to jump ship. Gross! This is the most blatant, up-front
propaganda I’ve ever seen! They could not have expected Sergeant Aroha to
accept that!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And Sergeant Aroha was a
Federation soldier, after all. If she had said ‘Yeah, sure!’, she would earn a
free ticket to the Federation military prison if she were to be rescued and
returned. There were too many witnesses around to avoid that fate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But if she made a mockery out of
the Asa princess instead, then her life would be put in danger. What could she
do? She may very well accept the Alliance…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Can we talk about this again
when we know each other better? We’re not at that level yet, I don’t think.]
said Sergeant Aroha, smiling. She was expected to beg for her life and look
cowardly, but she looked like she was enjoying the situation, instead. That was
her charisma.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In any case, that was a great
response. She had earned extra time for us</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The broadcast went quiet as the
tense moment passed by.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Eh…” Mayer turned back around,
snapping out of confusion from the broadcast. He looked absolutely befuddled,
as if he drowned in bottles of vodka not a second ago. “Anyway, you--”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But I was already on the bike
with Admiral Luise in my arms, with Ensign Meihowa sitting at the back seat
with her Colion rifle trained on Mayer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Wait, what?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Sorry, friend, I have to go save
that lady in the television. Could you kindly not get in my way? Or would you
like to join me as a bargaining hostage?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Argh! You’re insane! You’re
going to die if you go there! And it looks like she was that Asa girl after all!”
Mayer warned me. The soldiers around him immediately pointed their guns at us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Thanks to that broadcast,
everything is clear now. There really is a way to move an entire city’s
population from Critik to someplace else, huh?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My rhetorical question surprised
Mayer. “H-how did you know that?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Well, because they went through
the trouble of doing that broadcast. If you guys are bringing people to the
stadium while making a show like that one, you’re trying to convince them what
a nice time they’ll have when they’re with the Alliance, right?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Are you sure you people are from
this age? All these things are the oldest tricks in the book! You might have a
better time convincing people back on eighteenth century Earth. Hell, the act
was so hilariously bad, I have to give it to Sergeant Aroha for not laughing
through the whole thing. No, wait, you guys will probably take it as a
compliment if I said it was funny. Let’s just stop at ‘you suck’.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mayer ground his teeth after
listening to my stream of insults. But soon, even he had to agree. “I-I can’t
refute that. The Asa and the Elcro are culturally equivalent to sixteenth
century Earth, so their sense of dramatics is… outdated. But she’s also the
Rear Admiral of the Alliance…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ah, so he went unheard because of
his inferior rank. The rebellion took on the full risk at the start of this
coup, but it seemed that the Alliance took full control of the situation over
time. So that’s why these poor people had to play along…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“You should think about quitting while
it’s still early. Anyway, see you later!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Wait!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I revved up the bike and spun
around, and then I was off. The soldiers panicked and reached for the triggers
on their guns, but I had already used telekinesis to accelerate the bike
forward. We blasted forward at an amazing speed, while plasma shells from
behind harmlessly bounced off of my projected black barrier.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Normal force barriers were able
to effectively deflect an average plasma shell. However, an untrained
practitioner occasionally burned or blinded himself from plasma shells creating
powerful light and heat from friction with the barrier.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A black barrier, on the other
hand, operated purely through the force of gravity, by creating a localized
ergosphere. It wasn’t something that could be created on the spot-- I had to
remember the universal location of micro-black holes created by the Sole Power
of Heaven and Earth, and their ergosphere was projected at a location at my
will. The black barrier ignored the limits of distance of a conventional
teleportation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Whoa! What the hell is that?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“A power user?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“No way! How can anyone use
psionic powers at a casino city?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I continued onwards, leaving the
shocked soldiers behind me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Ugh! What do those Asa think
they’re doing?!” Ensign Meihowa groaned from behind, hanging onto me as the
bike gained speed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“How should I know?! Our first
course of action is retrieving Colorado and Rabbitte the Rabbit! And we’ll
rescue Sergeant Aroha after that! I can’t believe she has to deal with those
insane maniacs alone!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I felt like I was committing a
terrible crime. Sergeant Aroha was a very strong woman, so that alone bought
some time for us. I imagined that anyone else would have gone completely insane
after being thrown into a reality show produced by writers from the medieval
age. My own body couldn’t take it after taking a short glimpse of their act--
what would it feel like, being the center of attention within it?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--Haah… Haah…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I heard someone breathing
roughly. I looked down in surprise, and there I saw Admiral Luise heaving deep
breaths as she latched tightly onto me. Was it too hard to breathe at the speed
we were going?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Are you alright?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I’m not-.... I-I’m alright.
Don’t worry about me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...How can I not worry?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I became overly conscious of
Admiral Luise’s soft breaths brushing against my chest. Whoa, no way, I
shouldn’t have become aware of it! I tried to separate away from her a little.
But suddenly, Admiral Luise shook violently and hugged me tightly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">O-okay, so she was holding on
because the bike was jerking around too much. No other reason, right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">By the time I came back to focus,
we had already made our return to Chinatown. Even the Chinatown entrance was
guarded by soldiers and Tri-Walkers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Should we make a forceful
breakthrough?” I asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign Meihowa shook her head.
“No, that’s going to bring more of them here. I’ll lure them away.” She set her
Colion to remote control mode and approached a worn car on the road. She struck
the windshield with the back of her rifle and fit it between the broken bits.
She opened the door to the driver’s seat, set the car on automatic driving
mode, and held down the trigger to the rifle remotely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--*Pewpewpewpewpew--!*</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Colion rifle sprayed its
plasma shells around Chinatown. The car drove itself on the road encircling the
area. The stationed soldiers, Alter-Armours, and Tri-Walkers all turned their
attention to it and dispersed. We used the opening to sneak to the antique
shop, but its door was closed for the time being.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“One and a half billion credits…
Is it really going to be okay for us to take them? Shouldn’t we at least get
the owner’s consent?” Admiral Luise spoke nervously. She was worried that,
instead of working up the proper quest line to acquiring these items, we were
stealing it in the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I shook my head. “We can’t be
choosy at a dangerous time like this. Necessity of defense! The laws of the
world protect us with that reasoning.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign Meihowa had already begun
picking the lock to the display case while I spoke. It was a traditional metal
lock, rather than a modern, electronic lock, so Ensign Meihowa had to
physically work it herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Wait, when did you learn how to
pick locks, Ensign Meihowa?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“You know, I like to watch old
movies from Earth. I practiced with it, but the real thing isn’t as easy as I
thought.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hmm…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I could have gone inside myself
by phase shifting, but it was meaningless for me to go inside alone. W-wait,
what if I just brought everything out through the display window?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But then--</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Customers?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A voice called out from behind
us. Behind us was an old man, slouched down and staring at us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Erk!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Kyaa!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Ah!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The too-suspicious trio ceased
their burglary and jumped in surprise. How did the old man approach us without
us noticing?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hm. Looks to me that you came
here for Colorado and Rabbitte. Since you have an Elcro with you, I presume
you’re the hagglers that William Mayer worked for. But-- I am not selling these
to you. Please leave me be.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man asked us to leave and
turned around to leave, when it was obvious that we were trying to steal from
him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But wait, there’s a price tag…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man answered Ensign
Meihowa. “They are my personal values for Colorado and Rabbitte the Rabbit.
They are meant to show how much they’re worth to me! I do not mean to sell them
off!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...But why is Colorado cheaper
than Rabbitte?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hmm?!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“N-nothing.” I immediately shut
up. Admiral Luise shrugged at me and smiled. She probably meant to look smug,
but with her face, she just looked like a little girl doing a preschool
exercise routine. In a good way, of course, not to make fun of her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hold on, wait.” I came back to
my senses and stood in the old man’s way. “I really, really need Colorado. A
friend of mine is being held by a dangerous enemy…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Humph! You think you can use
Colorado?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Of course.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Do you take that sword for a
fruit knife, boy? That sword is…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ensign Meihowa sighed as the old
man began a lengthy grumble. “Lezirth, you don’t have to deal with an old loony
like him.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hmm? ‘Lezirth’?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man fell silent and
inspected me from head to toe. Erk, what’s going on?! I felt like I was being
touched by his eyes, like hardened prisoners looking at a fresh inmate at a max
security prison…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hmm. Well-built body, and, hum, hmm…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“E-excuse me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Maybe? No, no, that cannot be.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man muttered to himself,
and passed by me to the door. He produced a key from his pockets and opened the
case to Rabbitte the Rabbit and Colorado.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Try using it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I took Colorado. I felt a wave of
nostalgia wash upon me. The heavy weight on my hand was exactly that of the
last feeling I had, when it had fell from my grip a hundred and twenty years
ago. My companion blade had been waiting for me for more than a century.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Even if it had become so
arrogant and took upon such a ridiculous price for itself.’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The blade had gone from being a
free, military-issued blade to being an antique worth five hundred million
credits. What a promotion! Meanwhile, its owner had gone from being the Vice
Admiral to a shopkeeper on a resort planet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I sighed, and raised the sword
above my head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And then,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Hey, there they are!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I knew they’d be here!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A crowd of soldiers ran towards
us. Even an Alter-Armour came after us, smashing into walls left and right as
it staggered forth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Surrender now!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[We’ll let you live if you do
so!] The Alter-Armour aimed its rifle at us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I smiled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">--Sacred Sword!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At that moment, Colorado became a
crimson, blinding beam of light within my hands. It had been quantized, so
naked eyes saw nothing but light. I gently swung the blade down, and cut apart
the Alter-Armour’s rifle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Kwargh!] The Alter-Armour’s
pilot screamed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The soldiers reacted by aiming
their rifles at me, but I swung my blade once more to destroy their rifles.
Those who continued to resist found that their rifles were no longer
operational.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Admiral Luise hugged the robotic
rabbit like it was a child’s toy. Light emanated from beneath the rabbit’s face
and projected comical expressions. It opened its enamel-red eyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rabbitte the Rabbit-- it was the
first reboot after more than a century of sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From the robotic rabbit, multiple
transparent lines flew forth and penetrated the soldiers’ weapons and the
Alter-Armour. That was all it took to shut them down completely. Even reverting
to factory mode could not get the guns to fire-- it was more than a digital
shutdown.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[Hello, mistress! Great to see
you again! Our last meeting was a hundred and twenty years, twenty-eight days,
and fourteen hours ago!] Rabbitte spoke in a robotic tone. Its AI was highly
advanced, but most of the AI was designed for Admiral Luise’s convenience, and
it did not have emotions or a personality. Yet, Admiral Luise calmly pet its
head-- as if she was proud of it for staying operational after more than a
century of our absence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The old man was utterly shocked
to see these events unfold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Whoah! Oooooooaahh!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take a breather, old man! The man
suddenly ran towards us and held my hand. He looked pleased to see us, like
looking at an old friend. Unfortunately, he looked like a decaying zombie when
he lurched towards us, as if he was from an old horror movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“That was the real Sacred Sword!
Th-then, you are…!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Ah…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I regretted what I had done. I
had revealed my true identity to the old man. Admiral Luise had also revealed
herself by having Rabitte call her its master.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But the old man’s next words
defeated my expectations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I was waiting for you, Vice
Admiral Lezirth! Admiral Luise! Finally, the Prophecy is set in motion!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“...What?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What’s going on?!</span></div>
Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104712576194549311.post-18619513299742854462015-03-04T16:18:00.000-08:002015-07-21T17:54:49.305-07:00Overlord Drama CD Volume 1 - The Sealed Evil Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vc2nUbRCyv6FoMleuijWXAjQDE9u5T8y6Wf884kNr1RmCdgVJQiVmombnkliLRrnBJJSLa_CqHLRvfvtBJY5eLtxRtkwsNYiSCNiUA06sC-PgLUd8yiZwCrMk8x4et0UsEs07RFzwB8/s1600/Drama+CD+Vol.+1+-+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vc2nUbRCyv6FoMleuijWXAjQDE9u5T8y6Wf884kNr1RmCdgVJQiVmombnkliLRrnBJJSLa_CqHLRvfvtBJY5eLtxRtkwsNYiSCNiUA06sC-PgLUd8yiZwCrMk8x4et0UsEs07RFzwB8/s1600/Drama+CD+Vol.+1+-+Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloIqb6rUuobViqXBrFCQWYtN470iBuJMtgeCmRoH7GWNtq_Zpdg8OXIXCJPqu6Rh32LkQAad2uL_arjjrNDdtLrdMnwWNztX4Xdt1qnt6YmLHVLWf3dgpNtiL_A4qlhwBVSReCi_C-Mw/s1600/Drama+CD+Vol.+1+-+Script.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloIqb6rUuobViqXBrFCQWYtN470iBuJMtgeCmRoH7GWNtq_Zpdg8OXIXCJPqu6Rh32LkQAad2uL_arjjrNDdtLrdMnwWNztX4Xdt1qnt6YmLHVLWf3dgpNtiL_A4qlhwBVSReCi_C-Mw/s1600/Drama+CD+Vol.+1+-+Script.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>Overlord Drama CD Vol. 1 - The Sealed Evil Tree</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/u6el56hrs4qbrh9/TRACK+01.mkv">TRACK 01</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/7ycf24a1g0b9n0y/TRACK+02.mkv">TRACK 02</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/xvbj9zr8us98av6/Track_03.mkv">TRACK 03</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/0ipdumi2jfbgxrt/Track_04.mkv">TRACK 04</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/zr7w2f336dksc6a/TRACK_05.mkv">TRACK 05</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/68tdkmo3b3ynaqo/Track_06.mkv">TRACK 06</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/ileg7nuqlqj2nue/TRACK_07.mkv">TRACK 07</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/jn35ilibs83cmef/TRACK_08.mkv">TRACK 08</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/x53ud4ta1dxkdmc/TRACK_09.mkv">TRACK 09</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/r7l1a16na02cf4r/TRACK_10.mkv">TRACK 10</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<u><b>Credits</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Translator: Kurono Smith</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Editors: LHI</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Video: Imoutolicious</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Note: Please download the files to see the subtitles. Install Media Player Classic or CCCP if you can't see the subtitles with your media player.</b></div>
Imoutolicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09026909971380609475noreply@blogger.com168