Milyang Ice Valley apples are a famous specialty just like Cheongsong apples in Korea.
It’s strange if they don’t taste good.
“Fortunately, oh, just in case you don’t like it… I’ve also prepared Shine Muscat.”
Rustle.
Rin pulls out a bunch of light green grapes, a Shine Muscat, from the fruit basket.
Oh.
I’ve really been wanting to eat Shine Muscat lately, but I didn’t expect her to actually bring some.
“Here, open wide, haeda-oh.”
Rin pops a Shine Muscat grape into my mouth.
I take the grape.
This is the taste!
Apples are good, but eating apples all the time gets boring.
Sometimes I need to eat other fruits too.
Gurgle.
Is it because I was starving?
My stomach rumbles after eating that little bit of food.
Hunger hits me.
I munch on the Shine Muscat and the Milyang Ice Valley apple that Rin peeled.
“I’m glad to see you enjoying it, Deok-Sung. But don’t eat too fast. You’ll get a tummy ache. Drink some water while you eat.”
Rin raises a bottle of mineral water.
Her every little comment feels so much like a real mom.
It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
“Okay.”
I nod and reply.
“Hoho.”
Rin chuckles.
As she suggested, I eat the fruit slowly and look around.
Evangeline and I are in a two-person hospital room.
Normally, other girls, including Olivia, should have come to visit me after hearing about my hospital stay.
Why aren’t they here?
It feels a bit empty without Olivia and the others.
“What about the others?”
“Ah, that? After the raid incident, the practice was temporarily halted and then resumed after a safety check. Since today is the last day of practice, they’ll be here soon.”
Rin explains kindly.
Just as I nod at her words and reach for another Shine Muscat, suddenly—
Clunk.
The hospital room door swings open.
At the unexpected sound, everyone’s eyes, including mine, turn to the entrance.
There stands—
“Oh look, it’s Deok-Sung oppa waking up! Deok-Sung oppa! Seira-chan has missed you soooo much!”
A beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes, looking even younger than before, hugs a big white teddy bear that is almost as big as her upper body, smiling at me.
Ha.
This is driving me insane.
The ultimate weapon of the Shinozaki clan (Illustration included)
“Deok-Sung oppa!”
Seira beams brightly like a child.
The atmosphere in the hospital room gets heavy with her presence.
Even Rin, who’s a native of this light novel world, Evangeline, who’s a patriotic beauty, and Beatrice, with her middle school concept, look taken aback.
Zerlin, even Beatrice, who is in a typical “chuunibyou” concept, wears a shocked expression.
“Oppa, did you just wake up? Are we going to play with Seira-tan?”
Seira giggles and touches the limbs of the white teddy bear she is hugging.
She runs over and jumps onto my bed.
“Dukseong oppa, Seira-tan really missed you!”
Seira lightly grabs the sleeve of my hospital gown and smiles gently.
Normally, I would find this scene revolting, wondering if this old lady is losing her mind.
But this time, seeing her like this makes my heart feel heavy.
She looks younger than usual.
It’s a regression to infantile behavior.
I know very well when Seira shows such a side.
[Nee······.]
Raul Napoleon Bonaparte murmurs in a pitying voice.
According to the original setting, Seira is unable to use her powers properly due to a serious injury inflicted by the Professor, who was her mentor ten years ago.
The reason she looks like a 15-year-old beautiful girl is also because of the wounds she sustained back then.
However, as is typical with the cliches of beautiful girl characters in light novels, Seira can temporarily revert to her prime state.
The penalty for that is.
“Dukseong oppa, are you feeling better now?”
This regressive infantile phenomenon.
After her prime mode ends, Seira temporarily experiences this infantile regression.
That’s why Seira is acting like this in front of me.
It’s not that she’s being silly like during the summer festival; it’s actually a side effect of her prime mode.
It’s a little frustrating, but since she’s really a patient right now, I can’t say anything.
[······Nee, still being silly as always.]
‘It’s not silliness.’
I correct Raul’s misunderstanding.
‘It’s just a side effect of using prime-level powers temporarily.’
[······.]
Raul falls silent for a moment.
[······Then our nee, treat her better. Even if it’s uncomfortable. You took on the side effects to save her, right?]
Raul speaks earnestly, unlike his usual self.
I didn’t feel the need to respond.
“Ugh.”
A sigh escapes me.
So, it’s still my fault, isn’t it?
Seriously, this old lady is such a handful.
Using the prime mode for no reason.
It wasn’t even necessary.
I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.
Damn it.
“Oppa, your face doesn’t look good. Are you okay? Are you still in a lot of pain? Should I do some magic for you, Seira-tan?”
Seira, looking like a doll thanks to her gothic dress and frilly hairband, asks with a worried expression.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Hmm. But you look hurt. Oppa, Shiro-chan is worried about you too.”
Seira fiddles with the white teddy bear she’s holding.
So, that teddy bear’s name is Shiro.
I had forgotten since the bear name isn’t a major detail, but here she is kindly reminding me unnecessarily.
Such pointless kindness.
“······President. Are you okay?”
Rin talks to Seira.
“Eh? Wow! Big-chested sister!”
Hearing Rin’s words, Seira beams and burrows into her chest.
“President, um, that’s a bit ticklish······.”
Rin’s face turns red in surprise.
“Your chest is so fluffy······.”
“Ugh…”
Seira buries her face in Lin’s chest.
This scene actually appeared in the original story too.
After the battle with the Professor in volume 11, there’s a scene where the chairman, in baby regression mode, calls Aris ‘Mom’ and hugs her.
Yuji, standing beside them, ended up being treated like ‘Dad’ on top of that.
Who would’ve thought I’d witness this damn cliché from the original story firsthand?
I’m losing it, really.
“…I don’t know what’s going on, but please calm down, Chairman.”
Lin gently pats Seira’s white hair.
A motherly smile blossoms on her lips.
“I love being in my sister’s arms… It feels like Mom. Deok-Sung oppa feels like Dad!”
Finally, that line comes out.
Seira beams innocently.
Oh, come on.
As a patient, I tried to endure as much as possible, but this is too much.
What do you mean ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’?
Lin’s eyes widen.
“R-Really?”
“Yep! Sis!”
Seira nods at her question.
“I-I’m Mom and Deok-Sung is Dad… Mom, Dad… Mom and Dad…”
Blush.
Lin’s face turns red.
A smile spreads across her face.
[Both are pitiful, really pitiable. Sigh. Partner. Dude. You better treat them nicer usually.]
The Black Prince chides.
Tch.
Lin sits Seira on her lap and places her hands on her ample breasts.
“…Hoo, Deok-Sung. Indeed, the person who will be your future wise wife and family is none other than me.”
She grins confidently.
What wise wife?
Please, stop.
Just as I was about to say something.
“Chairman! Are you here?”
A familiar voice comes through the open door.
I look up.
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung…?”
There stands a slender beautiful girl with silver hair flowing down to her waist and silver eyes.
Saionji Aris is here.
Our eyes meet.
“Have you regained consciousness? That’s a relief.”
A faint smile graces Aris’s lips.
The gazes of the other three women shift towards Aris.
“Ugh?!”
Aris’s lovely face slightly flushes as she becomes aware of the attention.
She shakes her head vigorously.
Tch.
Aris points her finger at me and says, “This is purely out of concern for your well-being as the representative and responsible student council president of Shuo Hero Academy. I’m a public figure. Don’t get it twisted, I have no ulterior motives!”
As Aris tries to maintain a blank expression while blushing and rambling,
“Ah-chan!”
Seira’s face lights up upon spotting Aris.
She jumps out of Lin’s arms and runs towards her.
“Ah-chan! You’re here! I missed you!”
Seira naturally snuggles into Aris’s embrace.
“Ah, yes. Chairman, you shouldn’t be wandering around recklessly when you’re not feeling well. The Association President will scold you.”
Aris lifts Seira as if calming a child.
A well-practiced skill, not her first time doing this.
It was established that whenever Seira acted up in the original story or entered baby regression mode, Aris was there to handle it.
You could even feel the maternal love.
Mentioning the Association President makes Seira’s expression tighten slightly.
Mentioning this, Seira’s expression stiffens slightly.
In her child regression mode, Seira is supposed to be scared of Ichiro.
It’s frustrating how today I’m experiencing such unnecessary detailed settings.
Today?
I must be going crazy.
This is originally a messed-up world.
That’s why I can never truly like this insane light novel world.
“Okay. A-chan sister, I’ll behave. Seira-chan is a good girl.”
Seira pouts a little.
“Seira-chan wants to play with Shiro-chan and A-chan sister.”
“Understood, President. This way, please.”
Aris, holding the regressed Seira’s hand, looks at me.
“My apologies, Kim Deok-Sung. You seem okay… I’m relieved.”
“Well, I’m a bit creaky, but it’s fine.”
Really.
It seems like they used a healing skill or at least a potion because I felt quite sprightly.
Sure, I felt a bit stiff when I first woke up.
“Still, please be careful. I need to assist the President, so I’ll take my leave.”
Aris bows to me and takes Seira out of the hospital room.
“……”
A heavy silence fills the hospital room.
The silence is broken by Evangelin.
“How should I put it, it was a stormy situation.”
She speaks while placing her finger on her lips.
[Ahh…]
The Black Prince lets out a heavy sigh in my mind.
Having witnessed Seira’s embarrassing behavior, it’s no wonder I’m in a state of enlightenment.
I understand.
Honestly, it was a bit much, even to me.
However, seeing her regressed like that after saving me feels a bit pitiful.
In the end, it’s my responsibility that Seira ended up like this.
It can’t be helped.
This is really driving me crazy.
[From now on, let’s train harder, partner. To avoid this kind of situation, you know.]
The Black Prince speaks seriously.
‘Right.’
His words are spot on.
If I want to avoid seeing that miserable sight, I need to get stronger.
I wanted to get strong easily, like an OP webnovel protagonist with cheat codes.
In this hellish light novel world that resembles a minefield.
But still.
I have to.
That day, I made a resolution in France.
Though I don’t particularly like this messed-up light novel world,
if necessary, I have to step up and save it.
Because I twisted the original plot.
I must bear that responsibility.
[Wow. Our partner is all grown up! It feels rewarding to advise from the sideline. I’m proud of you, partner.]
Big brother?
I get chills again.
I told him not to call me that.
Just keep your mouth shut.
I sigh inwardly at the Black Prince’s nonsense.
However, the hospital room feels oddly stuffy.
Sitting here makes me restless.
“……I want to go outside and get some fresh air.”
The moment I say that,
“Deok-Sung, do you want to go outside?”
Rin replies to me.
I nod my head.
“Great. Then let’s go together.”
Suddenly, Rin places her hand on her large chest.
Huh?
With you?
As a question mark pops up on my face, Rin’s face turns red.
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