NOVEL WEB Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Chapter 164
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Swimsuit Festival (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"What do you want— *Gasp*!?"
When a voice suddenly came from behind them, the women turned around with annoyed expressions, then gasped.
"Let go of that, while I'm still asking nicely."
Kang Dohee eyed the hand on my shoulder and said in a low voice.
"W-what does it matter to you—!"
However, one woman snapped back, seemingly unwilling to admit she was intimidated.
Kang Dohee's eyebrow twitched.
"Informal speech?"
"B-but you spoke informally first... sir."
"I told you to let go."
"W-what d-does it matter to y-you... sir."
"Just acquaintances."
"D-don't lie... sir."
The woman's hand was still on my body.
Kang Dohee's brow furrowed deeper, as if her patience was wearing thin.
'Hmm, just talking it out probably won't make them back down.'
I quickly assessed the situation and made a judgment.
Although they were intimidated, there were three of them, and it seemed to be a matter of pride, so they wouldn't easily retreat.
It looked like I had to step in.
'If I cause trouble here and get caught, it'll be a pain.'
If news broke that an Academy student, especially a dealer from Utopia, assaulted a civilian, it would be a headache.
Even if Shin Sehee was a master at cleaning up messes, there was no need to escalate something that could be avoided.
Having made my decision, I pushed the women aside, approached Kang Dohee, and boldly hooked my arm through hers.
"Oh! Honey! What took you so long!"
Everyone looked dumbfounded. Even Kang Dohee.
"I was waiting for you. I got caught by some weirdos."
I said that, winking at Kang Dohee.
'Just play along!'
*Ahem*. Kang Dohee cleared her throat and spoke.
"Uhm... I... was... a... little... late."
It was good that she finally understood my intention, but there was another problem. Kang Dohee's acting was absolutely terrible!
Her voice was stiff and broken, like a robot's. And her facial expression was a mess.
'Ah... My Puppy. I guess acting isn't her forte.'
But fortunately, the awkward acting seemed to go unnoticed by the women in front of us.
"What, what!? Weirdos!?"
"Crazy, what is this guy. He was just hanging out with another girl... He had a girlfriend all along!?"
The woman said, as if specifically for Kang Dohee to hear.
'They're the ones who came here first, claiming they were just 'hanging out' with other people, and now they're talking.'
I casually hooked my arm deeper through Kang Dohee's.
"My honey is such an amazing woman with a big heart, she understands even things like that."
"Y-yes... Of... course."
Kang Dohee awkwardly nodded.
"Hah, crazy... He acted all innocent, but he's just a guy who gets passed around?"
"You damn slut..."
The women bit their lips hard and spat insults directly at my face.
But would I feel insulted by such words?
From my perspective, coming from a world with opposite gender norms, such words honestly weren't even close to an insult.
They could insult my parents; I'm immune to trash talk about family since I'm an orphan, so what.
"Oh, thanks for the compliment."
When I said that with a casual eye-smile, they gaped.
But Kang Dohee didn't seem to feel the same way, and bristled, ready to step forward.
"Those worthless hussies..."
"Honey, don't get mad. We came here to have fun. Let's not waste our time on those idiots."
"..."
"That thing we always do, it's a bit hard to do on the beach, so should we go somewhere private?"
"...!"
At my words, the women could only clench their lips, overwhelmed by an uncontrollable sense of defeat.
'That's what you get for messing with me.'
* * *
It was as I forcefully dragged Kang Dohee a little distance away.
"Honey, so what do we do now?"
"...Jin Yuha. Isn't it time to stop?"
Kang Dohee spat out curtly.
"Why, honey. Wasn't this supposed to be your date time with me?"
An alarm had rung from Lee Yuri's wristwatch, and then Kang Dohee appeared. What could this mean?
Well, it meant we're all going to switch partners one by one, like conveyor belt sushi.
'Hmm, when I put it like that, it sounds really weird.'
However, I understood perfectly why the party members had planned the course this way.
Spending time one-on-one, rather than all together, allows for a deeper understanding of each other.
In other words, the intention is to strengthen our bonds not as a group, but as individuals!
'Since Sophia just joined. This must be to help her naturally integrate into the party.'
Mmm-hmm.
It must have been hard to adapt coming in suddenly in the middle, but with this kind of consideration, she'll adapt quickly.
"...Stop saying things like that; others might misunderstand."
"Why, honey, isn't it fun to get into this kind of mood once in a while?"
I said that with an even more playful grin.
Her face was bright red and she was trembling; it was truly hilarious.
'As expected, Kang Dohee's reactions are top-tier.'
If the most satisfying 'hit' is like a warm bowl of Gukbap, then Kang Dohee's reactions are truly top-tier.
"H-how absurd!!!"
See?
To see the usually strong and straightforward Kang Dohee looking so flustered and embarrassed.
Every time this happened, it felt like something dark and insidious was stirred within me.
The time I grappled her on the bed, made her admit defeat with her own lips, and then showed her the TV screen to make her experience 'shame-play'—that memory still remains a vivid source of pleasure.
'Hmm, teasing her more here would be fun, but... should I just try to bait her completely?'
I thought for a moment, then unhooked my arm and nodded with a casual expression.
"Alright, fine. I'll stop now. Aww, it was fun though."
Kang Dohee's stiff body seemed to relax as the tension left her.
"...Tsk, you're quite good at spouting such cheesy words."
"It's fun. So, Kang Dohee, is there anything specific you want to do here?"
"Hmm, honestly, no. I'm not really the type to enjoy places like this."
Kang Dohee said, still with her arm hooked, sounding uninterested. I chuckled inwardly.
Oh no, Puppy.
You *will* enjoy this beach today.
"Hmm, really? Then how about we make a bet? The loser grants the winner a wish."
I said casually, as if the idea had just occurred to me.
"...A bet?"
At the word 'bet,' her eyebrows twitched, as if her interest had been piqued.
'That's right. I had cast the bait.'
Kang Dohee is fundamentally a competitive person. She never refuses a challenge that comes her way.
"Yeah, see that over there?"
I pointed to a tiny black dot far in the distance.
Kang Dohee narrowed her eyes and looked in that direction.
"...Is that a rock?"
"Yeah, who can touch that rock first, starting from here. But no mana, pure physical ability only."
Kang Dohee let out a scoff, as if utterly dumbfounded.
"Ha. Jin Yuha. Do you really think you can match me in physical ability?"
'Yeah, she'd be that confident right now.'
I uttered the line that had a 100% success rate for capturing Kang Dohee.
"...Scared?"
*Grind—*
"Don't you dare regret this."
"That's my line. Don't come begging later that you can't grant my wish."
"Ha, I'll return those words right back to you."
'You've completely taken the bait.'
* * *
*Splash—*
*Splash—*
Two figures cut through the water, propelling themselves forward.
As soon as they started, Jin Yuha and Kang Dohee plunged into the sea without a moment's hesitation.
The rock was quite far away.
Kang Dohee pushed against the water with all her might.
With each stroke, her body smoothly shot forward.
As she swam, she glanced behind her.
*Whoosh—!*
A white spray of water erupted from his kicks as Jin Yuha chased right behind her.
'As expected, he's incredible.'
Kang Dohee inwardly marveled.
She had felt it during their recent training sessions.
Of course, it wasn't a real battle, so they only sparred at a moderate level.
But lately, the aura emanating from him... many things had changed.
Perhaps the current Jin Yuha had even grown stronger than herself.
She had been confident she would win by a hair's breadth, but if they were to fight now, she honestly couldn't predict the outcome.
Yet, surprisingly, she had no negative feelings about it.
Was it because she had always expected him to eventually surpass her?
Honestly, she didn't know.
But she wasn't wallowing in defeatism either.
On the contrary, she felt more fired up than ever before.
She had never had a true rival among her peers in the same age group, so this meant she finally had someone she could genuinely compete with.
'But not today.'
No matter how strong Jin Yuha had become, she still surpassed him in pure physical ability.
As if to prove her point, Jin Yuha stuck close behind her, but he couldn't close the gap.
And the target rock, which had only been a black dot, was now right in front of her eyes.
The moment Kang Dohee reached out her hand towards the rock.
*Whoosh—!*
Suddenly, the sound of air being cut reverberated from behind her.
'What—!?'
Kang Dohee whirled around at the sudden sound.
And what she saw was Jin Yuha leaping into the air like a dolphin.
*Thud—*
He easily cleared her head, landing on the rock and looking down at her.
"I won, Kang Puppy."
*Grind—*
There was no way she could accept this.
Kang Dohee, overcome with indignation, burst out.
"Y-you're kidding me!! You, you! You used mana, didn't you!!!"
"Nope."
Jin Yuha shrugged and shook his head.
"H-how could you do that without using mana—!"
"Oh, that? I learned a movement technique from my master. Want to see?"
Jin Yuha lightly pushed off the rock and dropped into the sea.
Unlike her expectation that he would plunge into the water.
Jin Yuha slowly sank into the water.
For a moment, he even seemed to float completely!
"...W-what is that—!"
"It's a movement technique called Amyeongbo, where you lighten your stepping foot. Without mana, you'd sink quickly like this, but if you apply the principle just a little, *Hup*!"
*Whoosh—!*
Jin Yuha pushed off with his foot and jumped out of the water.
Watching him, Kang Dohee bit her lip hard.
"...T-that's cheating, isn't it!!!"
"Huh? Cheating?"
"Yes! The person who arrives here first *only by swimming*—"
"Who said that? I clearly said, 'Who can touch that rock first, starting from here. But no mana, pure physical ability only.'"
"...!"
"Nowhere in that did I say 'only by swimming'."
Jin Yuha wiggled a finger, looking down at Kang Dohee.
"Kang Dohee. You should have checked the conditions carefully from the start."
* * *
"..."
*Shuffle, shuffle—*
Kang Dohee, who had emerged from the water with him, looked utterly deflated.
'Hmm, was that too much?'
Although I had planned from the start to use Amyeongbo to beat Kang Dohee, seeing her so crestfallen made me feel a little soft.
'No. No way.'
A match is a match.
Kang Dohee takes competitions seriously, so going easy on her would be an insult!
In fact, if I didn't give her a proper penalty here, she'd probably get angry.
'Hmm, since it was a wish-granting bet, what would be good?'
I hadn't planned on getting anything out of Kang Dohee from the start.
After all, we're party members, bound by trust, so if I wanted something like that, all I'd have to do is ask.
'Hmm, thinking about it that way makes it difficult... Something that she'd feel is a penalty, but that I'd want to see...'
I stared intently at Kang Dohee, pondering how to use my wish.
'Ah, she hates being called 'Oppa,' doesn't she? Should I make her say that? No, that's too weak. Too weak.'
Since this is a gender-reversed world, that would be like me just hearing 'Noona'.
Then, suddenly, I recalled the disgusted expression Kang Dohee had earlier, and a smirk tugged at the corners of my lips.
"Puppy. I won."
"..."
Kang Dohee clamped her lips shut and glared at me.
She probably acknowledged her defeat, but didn't want to admit it. It seemed her emotions were clashing internally.
"And this was a bet. The loser grants the winner a wish."
She sighed deeply, as if she couldn't help it.
"Alright, what do you plan to make me do? Just say it, whether it's money... or a gift..."
"Hey, would I really ask for something material from you?"
"Th-then what, another one of those weird grappling things—!"
"No, I've already used that once, it's cliché now."
"Then what is it!!"
Kang Dohee barked like a trembling puppy.
I held up a single finger in front of her, a relaxed smile on my face.
"For the rest of today, call me 'honey'."
"...What!?"
"What, you can't do it? This is what I, the winner of a fair bet, am asking for. Not just now, but for the *entire* day. That means you'll have to do it in front of the other party members later, too."
Kang Dohee's face turned ashen.
She said in a desperate voice.
"...S-something else! Ask for something else!"
I shook my head firmly.
"Anything else, please, I'll do anything!"
"No, I won't change it. Go away."
No matter what she said, I had no intention of changing this penalty.
"Alright, Ms. Kang Puppy. Shall we try? Ho.ney."
"..."
Kang Dohee glared at me, her face bright red.
Wow, she could kill someone with that glare.
And slowly, her lips parted.
"...Hon—"
Just as she was about to utter that word in a tightly suppressed voice.
*Beep— Beep-beep—*
Kang Dohee's wristwatch chimed.
"T-the time is up! W-well then, I'll be going now!"
*Whoosh—!!*
Kang Dohee vanished from sight at the speed of light.
"Wow, look at that speed. But we'll meet again later, won't we?"
I let out a hollow laugh, watching her fleeing back.
"Hmm, Kang Dohee actually kept to the schedule quite precisely, didn't she?"
And then, the third participant.
Shin Sehee appeared before me.