“Hahaha, Your Highness. Still as cute as ever.”
“Eep! S-stop it!! How dare you kiss me without the permission of your devoted maid?! This is utterly unacceptable!!”
Fluttering.
The magazine in Olivia’s hand shakes.
Seeing this, Eri lifts her hands dramatically.
“I’m serious. It’s fine for Eri, Mako, and the princess to be close to our Master. Just as long as you leave out the cow part.”
“Me, leave out?”
Twitch.
Rin raises an eyebrow.
“Yep. The cow. It seems to be somehow more annoying these days. Though, it doesn’t really matter. After all, Eri and our Master have already shared a passionate kiss! Hehe.”
Eri adjusts her collar with a triumphant expression.
“A kiss, huh… Heh. Bolt. So your source of confidence is just that? Pretty weak justification, just like your flat chest. Ridiculous.”
Rin chuckles at the scene.
Eri’s eyes narrow.
“What’s with you, Cow? Why are you acting all relaxed? I don’t like it. Our Master just kissed Eri, you know? A kiss that you couldn’t have. Cow.”
Puff.
Eri puffs up her cheeks.
She wasn’t pleased with Rin’s calm demeanor and smile.
‘Something must have happened on that deserted island, for sure.’
Eri bit her lip.
The reason she had overly planned the wedding shoot was mainly because of that cow.
Snap.
Rin places her hand on her chest.
Her ample bosom jiggles.
“Because I… Even if it was an accident, I kissed Deok-Sung for over three minutes on the deserted island.”
Rin’s face flushes pink.
She touches her lips with her hand.
A shy smile creeps onto Rin’s lips.
She still remembered.
The hot kiss they had on the deserted island.
“What?!”
Eri’s eyes widen.
She had suspected something had happened on the deserted island.
But a kiss, really?
“No way. Why did the cow get to kiss Eri first…?”
Eri’s mouth trembles with disbelief.
“W-wait a minute, what did you just say? Shinozaki? Over three minutes on the lips?!”
Olivia immediately stands up.
“This is unacceptable! This is all nonsense! You’re all little thieves!! Ugh!!!”
Olivia bites her lip.
She thought she, as the devoted maid, was the closest to him.
I was determined.
So I let my guard down.
But in the time I didn’t see them, we’ve gone from wedding photo shoots to kiss shots, and now it’s the lip lock?
A kiss on the lips is still uncharted territory, even for my loyal maid, so how?
And over three minutes? Deeply?
I can’t accept this.
“Nishizawa and Shinozaki, both of you are now prohibited from approaching him! Do you understand?!”
Thunk.
Olivia shouts with her hand placed over her chest.
It’s necessary to ban access to those two shameless women who committed such acts.
Because that idiot of the galaxy lacks self-control.
As his loyal maid, I must support him.
“Bonaparte. No matter how much you interfere, the Shinozaki-style bride lessons will not stop. Get ready.”
Watching this, Rin speaks up resolutely.
“Even if she’s a princess, the no-approach order was a bit much. Eri, I will never give up on Master.”
Eri follows up, puffing her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
“Who, who said that I’m, I’m j-jealous?! This is, well, yes. It’s the command of a loyal maid!”
Once again, Olivia reddens her face, bringing up her role as a loyal maid.
As the three of them create a ruckus, Kasumi watches and mutters under her breath.
“The junior who took away the purity of so many girls, the Black Beast, really is a bad man. Isn’t that right, Kamiya?”
“……I also want to kiss my master……”
Makoto hangs her head dejectedly.
Just as the chaos in the gym wraps up.
In the hallway outside the gym.
“The world of women is scary.”
Ishihara Daiki, who unintentionally eavesdropped on the conversation, shivers as if he’s caught a chill.
“Exactly, Ishihara… so that makes Kim even more impressive.”
Yuji beside him grins.
“Above all, everyone genuinely likes Kim, don’t they?”
“That’s right. Isn’t he the seductive man?”
Daiki’s response makes Yuji chuckle.
A seductive man.
In a way, that’s not incorrect.
His best friend, Kim Deok-Sung.
People are always crowding around him.
“Yeah. Right. Kim is a good friend and a good person.”
He pretends to be cold and aloof, but in reality, he’s a deeply caring friend.
It’s no surprise that girls fall for someone like him.
A warm smile spreads across Yuji’s face.
“Hang in there, Kim.”
He silently cheers for his friend Kim Deok-Sung’s romantic endeavors.
Hoping, if possible, for him to end up with his childhood friend, Rin.
*
Shuo Hero Academy.
A courtyard behind the dormitory with walking paths and benches.
Normally, you might see cadets taking a stroll, but now, during vacation, this place is host to a secret meeting.
“So, you’re saying you’ll be coming to Korea for the training camp?”
A gray-haired beauty in a stylish suit.
Han Seo-Jin questions with a slightly surprised expression, unusual for her.
“Yes. Including junior, all our members plan to go to Korea for club activities… but we don’t know much about Korea, so we’re asking you, Han Seo-Jin.”
As Kasumi speaks timidly, suddenly…
“Leave it to me.”
Han Seo-Jin cuts her off with a serious tone.
“I will prepare for the best training camp.”
“Ah? Uh, okay. Thank you, Han Seo-Jin.”
“Thank you, Han Seo-Jin.”
Kasumi expressed her gratitude.
A terrifying desire flared in Han Seo-Jin’s eyes.
After finishing her meeting with Kasumi, Han Seo-Jin immediately reported Kim Deok-Sung’s return and the summer training camp to her superiors.
That day, an emergency cabinet meeting was convened at the Blue House.
The main agenda was “Preparations related to Kim Deok-Sung’s return and support for summer training camp.”
A storm was indeed approaching.
This isn’t the Seoul I knew.
Shuo Hero Academy.
The Student Council President’s private training room.
I was training with Aris here.
It was annoying, but I couldn’t skip training even during vacation.
This was a damn light novel world where coasting through wasn’t easy.
Swish.
I swung Durandal.
“Your posture is wrong.”
Aris said calmly.
She drew closer to me, her face slightly flushed.
“Here… like this…”
Correcting my posture as if she were giving me a back hug, she touched my arm.
The sweet scent wafting from Aris brushed against my nose.
“…That’s better.”
Aris stepped back, her face still a bit red.
Training continued, and as an excuse to check my form, Aris kept pressing against me.
To be honest, I didn’t mind it.
“That’s it! Today’s training is over.”
And so today’s training concluded.
As always, I felt utterly exhausted.
Lying flat on the training room floor, I tried to catch my breath.
“Since the summer academy, I’ve seen a noticeable improvement in your skills. At this rate, you won’t get beaten up anywhere.”
Aris said in her calm voice.
Considering her personality, that was practically high praise.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
A smile crept onto my face.
[Anyway, partner. You’re loving this, right? Yeah, I’m loving it to death.]
The Black Prince mumbled in my head.
Aris flinched at my smile.
Her cheeks tinged pink.
She looked away and spoke.
“…It wasn’t a compliment. Don’t get the wrong idea. Kim Deok-Sung, you still have a lot of shortcomings, so you need to work harder. You absolutely must not skip training with me.”
Especially emphasizing at the end that training was never to be skipped.
I had no intention of skipping either.
“Understood.”
I nodded, and Aris nodded back.
After a brief moment of silence,
“Kim Deok-Sung,”
Aris addressed me.
I turned to look at her.
Her face was slightly flushed.
Avoiding my gaze, she said,
“I heard that we’re going to Korea for the summer training camp…”
“Yes.”
Since the Student Council President handles approval of the training-related documents, it’s not surprising she knows the destination.
Aris brushed her silver hair aside, her lips moving silently.
Her face turned crimson as she caught my eye.
It seemed she had something to say.
“Do you have something to say, senpai?”
“No, nothing at all… I absolutely, positively did not have the thought of wanting to go to Korea!”
Aris shook her head in shock at my words.
Is this a trend in light novel worlds? I don’t get why she says those thoughts out loud.
Though it’s a bit cute seeing usually calm Aris act like that.
Just saying.
“Chuk.”
She places her hand on her chest, pointing at me with her finger as she speaks.
“Be sure to have a safe training camp. I advise you to refrain from any scoundrel acts. Since we’re going abroad, this means you should behave properly and not bring disgrace to the name of Shuo Hero Academy. Do you understand? This is a command from the president.”
Same old nagging.
Finally, she seems like the Aris I know.
A smile unknowingly forms on my lips.
“Yes, I understand. Senpai Saionji.”
“Ugh… Hmph.”
She bites her lip and turns her head away.
Thus, that day’s practice came to an end.
*
Morning.
The time when one is blissfully in dreamland.
“Kim Deok-Sung! Kim Deok-Sung! Wake up!”
I hear someone’s voice near my ear.
I slowly lift my heavy eyelids.
“Oh, you’re awake. Good morning!”
My blurry vision clears to reveal the gray-haired beauty, Han Seo-Jin.
She’s the one who woke me up.
“Ugh…”
I want to sleep more.
Just as I was about to close my eyes and roll over.
“Today is the day of departure for the training camp.”
A chilling voice reached my ears.
My sleep vanishes in an instant.
I lift my head to check my phone beside my pillow.
Han Seo-Jin is right.
Today is indeed the departure day for the training camp.
The day I have to go back to that damn Korea has finally come.
‘Damn it…’
I don’t want to go.
I desperately don’t want to go.
Just imagining what kind of scenes will unfold before my eyes is terrifying.
“I’ve already prepared all your things.”
Rattle.
Han Seo-Jin drags a large suitcase toward me.
Why is she so well-prepared?
I feel dizzy.
“It’s almost time to leave. I will assist you.”
Han Seo-Jin looks at me with a strangely heated gaze.
[Partner. Since it’s a determined training camp anyway, just have fun while you’re at it.]
The Black Prince chimes in my head.
I can’t believe I’m going to Korea.
A sigh escapes me already.
“Fine. I just need to get up and go.”
I get out of bed and move my heavy feet.
After washing up, I change into the casual clothes that Han Seo-Jin prepared and step out of the dormitory.
Rattle.
Han Seo-Jin follows behind, carrying the suitcase.
The summer sun feels particularly hot today.
No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem right.
While I walk, filled with countless distracting thoughts, I suddenly hear.
“Master! Master is here! It’s Master!”
I lift my head to see familiar voices from afar.
A medium-sized bus parked in front of the academy’s main gate.
I see the club members gathered in a small group in front of it.
“Deok-Sung. Come on. We’ve been waiting.”
Rin, who’s next to Eri, speaks in a calm voice.
She smiles faintly.
“Junior! The junior who is always late is a bad boy.”
“Master! Today, we’re finally going to your motherland together, right?”
Senpai Hoshino puffs her cheeks, and Makoto’s face lights up.
“Hmph. How can you always be late?! Honestly… You’re a complete fool with no manners!”
Olivia scolds me in her usual tsundere mode.
“Kim, welcome.”
“Did your brother arrive?”
Finally, Yuji and Ishihara greet me from the corner.
I have to take this entire group to Korea.
I already feel overwhelmed.
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