Lynn’s words were supported by Eri, with Olivia and Makoto nodding along.
Wait, when did Lynn and Eri become such good friends?
Weren’t they supposed to be bitter rivals who couldn’t stand each other?
And now, just among us girls?
Did I just hear that this was a girl’s time?
So are they all agreeing with their nods?
“So, can I just dip out now?”
Finally, I’m free from this damn shopping.
But just as I voiced that hope,
“Master, are you really going to abandon Eri-Ring? That’s so sad…”
“Lord… that’s just cruel…”
Eri and Makoto launched a visual assault on me.
[Partner, how can you be so petty? It’s ridiculous. Really. Partner. Sometimes, as a man, I’m embarrassed for you.]
The Black Prince criticized me in my head.
I can’t take this anymore.
“You idiot, moron, the worst man in the universe with zero manners…”
“You, you really are a bad man… Kim Deok-Sung…”
A beat later, Olivia and Lynn joined in.
Four women’s resentful gazes were directed at me.
[Are you really going to leave like this? If you do, how do you plan to handle the fallout? Partner?]
The Black Prince chimed in.
With this much pressure, I have no choice.
“Alright, I won’t leave. I just need to stick around.”
It’s better to wait here than to dodge and end up listening to a long lecture from these four women later.
“Hmph, that’s the obvious answer. Not surprising at all. But are you seriously planning to shamelessly eavesdrop on our swimsuit shopping?! If you do, I’ll never forgive you! You idiot! Pervert! Moron!”
Honestly, I’m not that curious.
It’s a scene we’ve seen plenty in anime, plus they’ll probably just have pointless swimsuit reviews.
“Just hurry up and pick already.”
“Hmph. Fool.”
“Master! I’m off to follow Eri-Ring! Wait for me!”
“Go ahead. Kim Deok-Sung.”
“Lord, I’ll be back!”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung. I will accompany them for shopping support. Please wait a moment.”
With a colorful farewell, Han Seo-Jin carrying shopping bags followed behind them.
Bang.
The swimsuit store door slammed shut mercilessly.
‘Now I’m really alone.’
[Partner? Alone? But you have me, the Black Prince. You didn’t forget my existence, did you? I’m feeling a bit hurt.]
As I monologued, the Black Prince jumped in with a terrifying remark.
Just me and the Black Prince.
Not exactly the situation I was hoping for.
It took three hours just to pick sunscreen; I can’t even guess how long this swimsuit shopping will take.
What a dreadful day.
I plopped down on a waiting chair outside.
With an unbearable amount of time stretching ahead.
Can’t waste a single moment even in this downtime.
No time to waste, even in the small moments.
Now that I know Evangelin is British, I need some background information.
I open YouTube on my phone and enter the British Girl channel.
[(British Girl) British Girl’s Spicy Noodle Challenge?! Spicy, but tastier than British food! K-Food is the best!]
It’s a video of a masked British beautiful girl eating spicy noodles.
Her hair is pink-blonde, the same color as the original Evangelin’s hair.
Her hairstyle is also different from Eri’s, with long and voluminous twin-tails down to her waist.
How did I not notice this before?
[I’m going to try the spicy noodles!]
[Ugh, it’s too spicy. Spicy. Tears…·····.]
[The spiciness isn’t going away… Milk… Milk…]
The British girl, no, Evangelin, is eating the spicy noodles with a fork while tears are trickling down from behind the mask.
[Lol, the British girl is also doing the spicy challenge lol]
[This is the taste of Korea, take a look lol]
[So cute lol]
[Show your real face!]
[Proud of K-Spicy Noodles]
[Today, the K-Spicy Noodles are still going strong as the anti-Korean manufacturing machine lol]
The comments below are something else.
It wasn’t me who left the comment, so why am I feeling embarrassed?
My face turns hot.
[Still better than fish and chips, I like Korea! I like Kim Deok-Sung!]
[That’s it for today!]
[This was the British Girl! Please subscribe and like!]
Thud.
The video cuts off.
My hands tremble. I feel a wave of nausea coming.
I just accept the Korean pride YouTube.
But a British princess doing the spicy noodle challenge on YouTube?
What in the world did I just watch?
I feel like I just peeked into the abyss of Luey.
[Partner… Why on earth is Evangelin… doing that…?]
Even the Black Prince is left speechless, engulfed in shock and horror.
I close the YouTube app.
I have a gut feeling.
I should never get involved with her. It’s a guarantee that it will be 100% exhausting.
As I decided on how to handle Evangelin, at that moment…
“Makopi! Still got an amazing bust size!”
“Kyah! Nishizawa-san! Don’t do that! Ah♥”
“Makopi, are you still calling me Nishizawa-san? Eri-chan is sad. Call me Eri!”
“But! Ugh! Kyah!”
“If you keep calling me Nishizawa instead of Eri, I’ll make it even worse?”
“Eri-chan! Alright, stop it already!”
I can hear that embarrassing conversation in my ears.
Everything feels hazy, and nausea rises from within.
When am I even going home?
I have a brilliant plan.
Shuo Hero Academy. After school. Chairman’s Room.
In the spacious office overlooking the courtyard through a glass wall, Seira sits in a seductive pose, listening to Aris’s report.
“…That concludes the preparations for the summer school.”
Aris finishes her report in a stiff voice.
“Well done, Aris.”
Swish.
Seira fans herself with a lace fan, flashing a deadly smile.
“Since it’s a joint training, make sure to oversee everything thoroughly so that there are no incidents.”
“Understood, Chairman.”
Aris salutes with a composed expression.
The organizing committee for this summer school event includes Aris and the Student Council of Shuo Academy.
As Student Council President, Aris carries the heavy responsibility of being the overall head of this summer school.
“Hm, then let’s wrap up the formal talk here. It’s boring anyway.”
Fluttering.
Seira waves her lace fan while popping a sweet treat into her mouth.
“Ah-chan.”
At Seira’s call, Aris jolts.
“Did you call for me, Chairman?”
“Hey, didn’t I tell you to call me sister?”
“Did you call for me, sister…?”
Aris blushes slightly as she calls her sister.
Seira, smiling pleasantly at the title, pops another sweet into her mouth.
“Did you prepare your swimsuit?”
“…I have my usual management swimsuit, so it’s no problem.”
“Are you planning to wear that management swimsuit again this year? Well, I suppose it’s fine, but… how will you properly appeal to the little guy if you do that?”
Seira asks playfully.
“That is…”
Aris’s face turns crimson.
Appeal?
What on earth is happening right now?
Seeing Aris’s flustered expression, Seira’s smile widens.
“While other girls will be wearing daring swimsuits to entice him, do you really think wearing a bland management swimsuit will be enough?”
“…”
Aris bites her lip.
Images flash through her mind reflexively.
Olivia, Rin, Eri, Makoto, and Kasumi in bikinis, enticing Kim Deok-Sung.
And then there’s her own image in a management swimsuit.
Her juniors looking at her mockingly, Deok-Sung shaking his head comparing her to them.
Aris shakes her head, trying to shake away those ominous thoughts.
That can’t be.
It’s unhealthy.
“That is… Summer school is not that kind of place! Exposing oneself against good behavior…”
“A-chan is still not being honest.”
Aris shakes her head at Seira’s words.
“No. Absolutely not… I represent Shuo before being a student; I’m the Student Council President responsible for everyone in the academy.”
She fiddles with the red armband on her arm.
“…I don’t have the time, opportunity, or reason to be affectionate with anyone.”
Aris bites her lip, steeling her swaying heart.
“Oh, is that so?”
Seira narrows her crimson eyes.
*Snap.*
She folds her lace fan.
“Well, if that’s the case…”
Just as Seira was about to wrap up her sentence.
*Clank.*
The Chairman’s room door swings open.
The sudden intrusion of an uninvited guest turns Seira’s and Aris’s attention to the open door.
There stands…
“President! So this is where you are!”
With her hand over her chest, catching her breath, a beautiful girl with purple hair, Kasumi, appears.
“Hoshino… Why are you here?”
“What brings you here?”
Aris’s silver eyes widen, and Seira looks at Kasumi with her fan spread open, her red eyes focused.
Kasumi’s heart races as she stands before the two powerful figures ruling Shuo Academy—the Student Council President and the Chairman.
She bites her lip.
‘Kasumi. You can do it. Just do it. You can do it. Complete the mission assigned by Han Seo-Jin.’
Han Seo-Jin had instructed Kasumi to bring Aris and Seira to the swimsuit store.
Kasumi had been easily persuaded by Han Seo-Jin’s logic that to rein in the rampaging Olivia, she needed the strength of both the Chairman and the Student Council President.
“P-President… Chairman…”
Kasumi’s face pales under their gazes.
Courage, courage, Kasumi.
Kasumi clenches her trembling hands tightly and says, “W-would you like to go buy swimsuits with me…? The juniors are waiting too!”
At Kasumi’s outburst, Aris’s eyebrows twitch.
Aris bites her lip.
Bite.
I was already feeling a bit shaken after the swimsuit talk, and just then, Kasumi suggested going to the swimsuit store, as if she had been waiting for it.
The resolve I had barely managed to hold onto began to waver again.
Maybe this time, I should wear a bold swimsuit instead of a management one…
‘No way. That’s… disgraceful.’
Aris shook her head.
Seeing this, Kasumi recalled Han Seo-Jin’s advice.
Her prediction that Aris would reject her proposal once was spot on.
“Are you going to reject the proposal of a junior as a senpai?! The juniors will be disappointed!”
Kasumi launched into her prepared lines.
Hearing those words, Aris pondered while touching her chin.
“Disappointment of the juniors… Disappointment… Indeed, that’s true.”
Clap.
Aris clapped her hands.
“Very well. As the Student Council President of Shuo Academy and as your senpai, I have the duty to guide you. I will accept Hoshino’s proposal.”
After all, it’s only as a senpai.
Nothing more personal than that.
Absolutely.
While Aris hypnotized herself into thinking so, she decided to accompany them to the swimsuit store.
Seira, who was watching the whole process, clicked her tongue softly.
“Tsk…”
She quickly hid her stiffening face behind her lace fan.
I want to go too.
I want to go to the swimsuit store.
I want to wear a swimsuit and tempt him.
I want to follow him to summer school.
Because now, her most secret desires, which she had suppressed until now, were starting to overflow uncontrollably.
Seira bit her lips behind the fan, hidden from others.
She felt embarrassed about just moments ago, teasing Aris for turning away from her feelings in the name of the Student Council president’s duties.
‘No way. If I act so foolishly…’
The kid might not like it.
Seira thought this as she tried her best to suppress her desires.
At that moment.
“Would you like to join us too, President? For swimsuit shopping.”
A voice, like a refreshing rain in a drought, rang in her ears.
Seira’s ears perked up.
“M-me too…?”
Thump.
Seira’s heart raced.
Her face flushed a surprising shade of red.
The desires she had barely restrained began to rise like a burst dam.
Controlling the torrent of desires with superhuman patience, Seira stammered.
“B-but I’m the, the president, right? It feels a bit… inappropriate to hang out with you little kids…”
“But don’t we need a chaperone? An adult, perhaps…”
Once again, Kasumi delivered her prepared lines.
Adult.
Chaperone.
Upon hearing those words, Seira’s red eyes sparkled.
The last dam of her conscience, which had been blocking her desires, shattered.
“Y-yeah… Hoshino. You might have a point… Ahem. I can’t just send you kids to such a place alone… Indeed, an adult is necessary…”
Seira nodded while covering her blushing face with her fan, as if making excuses to herself.
Right.
It’s not that I’m going to the store to choose a swimsuit.
I’m just going to guide and supervise the kids.
With that self-hypnosis and rationalization complete, Seira stood up.
“Alright, let’s go right away.”
Seeing that, Kasumi smiled lightly.
She took out her phone and sent a message to Han Seo-Jin.
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