Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Swimsuit Festival (5)

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"Heh heh, did you have a good time?"

Shin Se-hee said, her eyes curving into a smile.

"Uh, yeah. I guess so."

"Then, you'll have fun with me now too, right?"

"Uh, uh. Of course."

I nodded, acknowledging Shin Se-hee's words.

But, truthfully, I was thinking something a little different inside.

I'd had a blast with Lee Yu-ri, and even had a thrilling swimming race with Kang Do-hee, complete with a wager.

Of course, given my usual training regimen, my stamina wasn't depleted by this much, but it was more like…

A feeling of wanting to catch my breath mentally?

'Hmm, still, I shouldn't show favoritism.'

Even in games, severe favoritism among party members often caused discord.

If you only coddle one person and intentionally exclude another, their condition plummets, and the number of skill misses increases exponentially.

That's why, as a Velvet S-class, I had to ensure fair treatment and care.

Moreover, this wasn't a game; it was reality.

'And Shin Se-hee is quite sensitive to those kinds of emotions.'

"Well then, shall we go?"

I composed my expression, pretending nothing was amiss, and spoke to Shin Se-hee.

"Heh heh, I'm joking, Jin Yu-ha."

"Huh?"

"Well, it's not that I don't want to dip into the ocean and spend time with you, Jin Yu-ha… But actually, there's something else I want to do."

"…What is it?"

"You're hungry, aren't you? Shall we eat together?"

*Grrrrowl—*

As if on cue, my stomach rumbled the moment I heard her words.

'Ah, now that I think about it, lunchtime passed a long time ago.'

I'd munched on various snacks in the car on the way here, but after two consecutive water activities, it seemed everything had been digested.

Once I became aware of my hunger, a fierce appetite surged, as if asking why it had taken me so long to notice.

"Are you sure that's okay?"

"Yes, for me, eating here with you, Jin Yu-ha, while watching the ocean—that's what I want to do most."

Shin Se-hee said, smiling brightly.

"Shall we go then?"

"Hmm, well, i-if that's the case…"

I followed Shin Se-hee, pretending to be reluctantly convinced.

* * *

"…Here."

We arrived at a secluded beach, following Shin Se-hee.

There, a large glass box, about the size of a shipping container, sat all by itself.

The material appeared to be glass, but from the outside, the interior looked hazy and indistinct.

"There was a place like this here?"

It was clearly an unusual structure.

A building made entirely of glass in a place like this—it hadn't even appeared in the game, so I examined the structure with curiosity.

Shin Se-hee grasped the doorknob of the glass box and opened it.

"Alright, shall we go in?"

"…Wow."

The inside of the box was even more spectacular.

Unlike from the outside, the interior offered a transparent view of the exterior, and the ceiling was wide open, allowing sunlight to stream down.

Beneath it, a parasol, a waterbed, and even a luxurious wooden table were set up.

The crowning glory was the array of dishes laid out on the table.

The dishes, seemingly freshly made, emitted wisps of white steam, and the drinks beside them were chilled, beads of condensation forming on their surfaces.

"…You rented this whole place?"

"Hmm, you could say that. Now, please start eating. You must be hungry."

"Uh, uh…"

I sat down at the table with a bewildered expression and began to eat.

'…'

*Clink. Clink.*

I busily worked my fork and knife.

*Munch, munch.*

"Uh, how is it? Does it suit your taste?"

Shin Se-hee, who had been daintily picking at her food across from me, asked hesitantly.

"…It's delicious."

It wasn't an empty compliment; these dishes were genuinely delicious.

Dishes that looked beautiful, with careful attention paid to their decoration.

Normally, I wouldn't have been particularly impressed by such typical, merely pretty dishes.

However, these dishes, as if made with my taste in mind, had a flavor that was both experimental and harmonious.

*Sigh—*

When I said it was delicious, Shin Se-hee placed a hand on her chest and let out a long sigh.

Instantly, my eyes narrowed.

"Shin Se-hee, your hand…"

There were bandages stuck here and there on her fingers.

Shin Se-hee, startled, quickly hid her hands behind her back.

What could that mean?

"…This, no way. Did you make this?"

I asked her, surprised.

'She made these dishes herself? Such high-level cooking? No, more than that, Shin Se-hee originally hated getting her hands wet and cooking herself…?'

"…W-well."

"Really?"

"Ugh, n-not entirely myself. I just helped out a little on the side, with the help of professional chefs…"

Shin Se-hee said, bowing her head in embarrassment.

Dishes tailored to my taste.

The fact that Shin Se-hee had gone to such lengths for me, even putting bandages on her hands, tugged at something in my heart.

"Uh, th-thank you. I mean, I really am grateful, but…"

"Huh? Is there something that doesn't suit your taste…?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean. It's truly delicious. It's a dish perfectly tailored to my taste."

"Then what?"

Shin Se-hee wore a tense expression.

"…Is there nothing you want? This is for me, not for you, isn't it? We're spending time together after a long while, and it feels a bit… odd for me to be the only one receiving."

"Ah, what a relief. So it wasn't that you didn't like the food."

"No, of course not. What I'm eating today… Honestly, it's the most delicious food I've ever had made by someone else."

I nodded, speaking seriously.

"Heh heh, Jin Yu-ha."

"Hm?"

"You just gave me what I wanted most."

"…What?"

"You told me the food I made was the most delicious. That's the greatest reward for me."

'She really leaves me speechless…'

I looked at Shin Se-hee, who was smiling purely, without a hint of shadow, as if she were truly happy.

Among the Utopia party members, Shin Se-hee might be the one whose initial image has changed the most.

No, in fact, she might not have changed a single moment from the beginning.

After all, even in the game, she was a character who remained an absolute ally to those on her side.

Perhaps Shin Se-hee was simply desperate to survive in her suffocating household.

And perhaps, in a place free from her family's shadow, she was always a girl who could smile so brightly.

It seemed that her actions in the game had, all this time,

still been thickly veiling my eyes.

'As expected, it doesn't add up if I'm the only one receiving.'

"Shin Se-hee."

"Yes?"

"Is this really it?"

"…Uh, well."

Shin Se-hee rolled her eyes, flustered by my words.

"My stomach's full now, and there's still quite a bit of time left. What's next? Something other than just lying down and resting."

"…"

Shin Se-hee touched her lips with a serious expression, as if she hadn't considered that part.

'Right, what she likes is alcohol and massages, isn't it? But she drinks when she's angry… So a massage would work.'

True to her lady-like character, Shin Se-hee regularly goes for treatments.

While it couldn't compare to the touch of the top-tier estheticians she usually visited,

I, too, had thoroughly learned about muscle anatomy through my grappling training.

About where muscles ache and where they often tense up.

'She's a precious party member who works hard behind the scenes, sitting at a desk every day… I can at least give her a massage.'

And if I kneaded her muscles with a faint trace of mana, I was sure I could quickly loosen up any knots.

"Oh, Jin Yu-ha, I-I'm sorry. I didn't really think about what to do after the meal… Other than just relaxing here…"

"Really? Then can I do what I want?"

"What you want to do?"

"Yeah."

"Of course! Please tell me anything!"

"You clearly said 'anything' with your own mouth, right?"

I asked, grinning.

She seemed to sense something ominous, but she didn't retract her words.

"Then, lie down over there."

"…Huh?"

"Over there, on the waterbed."

* * *

'W-what is this? He wants *me* to lie on the bed?'

Shin Se-hee was flustered by Jin Yu-ha's sudden words.

"Me? That spot was for *your* rest, Jin Yu-ha…"

"Quickly."

When Jin Yu-ha urged her again, Shin Se-hee stood up with a reluctant expression and lay on the waterbed, facing the sky.

'…What is he going to do after making me lie down here?'

Then, as if that wasn't it, Jin Yu-ha's voice was heard once more.

"You can't lie down like that."

"Th-then how?"

"Flip over."

Shin Se-hee's mind became complicated, unable to understand what Jin Yu-ha wanted, but for now, she followed his command and flipped over.

*Squish—*

The cool sensation of the waterbed touched her chin.

*Splish— Splish—*

Then, from behind, a strange splashing sound, as if hands were clapping together, reached her ears.

*Gulp—*

'What is this…?'

Her thoughts were increasingly flowing in a strange direction. Surely not.

"Shin Se-hee, could you loosen your top strap for a moment?"

"…T-top strap?"

"Yeah, I can't really touch that."

'…Huh, is this for real?'

Shin Se-hee's pupils lost their way.

Her heart hammered wildly.

But at the same time, her hands honestly reached behind her and unfastened the top strap.

She had only unfastened a single strap, yet why did she feel so incredibly embarrassed?

It even felt as if she were exposing her bare body directly in front of Jin Yu-ha.

And then, a heavy weight was felt on her back.

Jin Yu-ha had sat on her back.

At that unfamiliar sensation, Shin Se-hee screamed internally.

'Gasp!?'

What in the world was happening right now?

Clearly, she adored Jin Yu-ha.

But this fast?

For Jin Yu-ha, Shin Se-hee had constructed this glass enclosure the day before, and today, she had called professional chefs to help prepare and serve dishes tailored to his taste, starting two hours ago.

She had simply intended to appeal to him by uniquely filling the void when others had completely drained Jin Yu-ha's energy, offering healing instead… Honestly, just hearing Jin Yu-ha say, "This is the most delicious meal I've been served so far," had been enough.

That was certainly the case.

'Did I put something in the food today, like some sort of drug?'

She was so confused that she even began to suspect she might have pulled some trick without even realizing it herself.

*Slap!*

Then, a wet hand touched her shoulder.

Goosebumps instantly spread across her back.

And then.

*Press—!*

"Ahnn~♥"