Chapter 11. Summer and the Sea (5)

Ria felt a splitting headache as she woke up in the morning.

It seemed she had drunk too much yesterday.

Still, the first can was fine. The taste of the alcohol itself was barely noticeable, and I didn’t feel much of a buzz even after finishing the whole can.

It was completely opposite to the feeling of my insides burning that I experienced when I had a drink in the Dwarf Kingdom.

The problem was-

“…Ah.”

That’s right. If there was a problem, it was that I got a little too confident after drinking just one can.

Since it was a low-alcohol drink, there were naturally many more of those. Besides Chuhai, there was also beer.

Ria tried her best to rack her brain and slowly recall the faint memories. The end of the memory she remembered most clearly was-

She was dragging Anna, who was talking to Lee Si-yoon, and hugging her.

“…”

What on earth was she thinking?

Just a little while ago- no, actually, it’s a bit of a stretch to say ‘a little while ago.’ To be precise, it would be more accurate to say ‘a few months ago.’

So, until a few months ago, Ria was on the side of cheering on the relationship between Lee Si-yoon and Anna.

After all, Anna knew nothing.

She had lived in the church her entire life, receiving its education. Naturally, her knowledge of sexual matters lagged behind others.

Although she received sex education, she didn’t have the opportunity to date anyone. More importantly, there wasn’t a single man around her.

In a sense, Ria wasn’t much different, but there’s a big difference between thinking ‘I have the opportunity to date anytime’ and judging ‘I don’t even have that chance’ and giving up. At least Ria knew how to converse with men.

So, she cheered them on. She felt like Anna would just admire from afar. She felt like Anna wouldn’t even think of confessing her feelings.

Moreover, given the current situation, Anna might end up belonging to the church for life. Ria felt guilty about that fact.

Wouldn’t it be possible that if she dated someone before that, she wouldn’t be able to become a Saint? She would never tell her to date just anyone, but if she dated someone she truly liked, wouldn’t Anna be happier? She didn’t want Anna to choose her future without even considering such possibilities.

…And for the exact same reason she felt that guilt, Ria pulled Anna away from Lee Si-yoon yesterday.

Lee Si-yoon already had two women around him. Moreover, in Ria’s eyes, there were other women eyeing Lee Si-yoon besides those two. She felt that every time she entered the Hunter Association building.

Although Lee Si-yoon himself wasn’t much to blame, it still felt a bit much to push Anna into that situation. Anna, who knew nothing about dating, was bound to get hurt in that environment.

“…”

Is that really true?

Ria seriously pondered whether she had pulled Anna away for that reason.

Perhaps she was worried that Anna would drift away in a different direction?

Maybe she felt the same emotion she felt in the Dwarf Kingdom when Anna’s hand was bleeding? Was she worried someone would just take Anna and leave?

Anyone in the world, when they get a lover, spends less time with their friends. They even meet their friends with their lovers quite often. Then, the relationship between Anna and Ria, built over the years, would naturally change to some extent.

That’s natural. She was sure she thought that way.

But why? Why did she feel bad when she thought about it? She had never felt the same way about friends she had known for years-

“…”

Ria hugged the blanket she was holding even tighter.

“Gggk.”

And a sound came from the blanket. It was a groan, like someone’s waist being squeezed tightly.

“Gyaaaak!?”

“…Huh?”

No, it doesn’t seem to be a blanket. It’s natural for warmth to reach the skin when hugging a blanket, but blankets aren’t this soft and pliable in the first place.

They can’t be so slender that you can put your arms in and hug them tightly. Although there’s an indentation in the middle, it’s not firm.

“Ah.”

And Ria, once again, recalled the last time she drank.

Her face flushed. It probably wasn’t just due to the warmth transferred from the opponent’s chest fat.

Slowly lifting her head,

There was Anna’s face, looking a little pale, but at the same time, she had a gentle smile like a Saint.

“Did you sleep well, little Ria?”

Ah, of course, that Saint-like face was clearly fabricated.

Mainly to tease Ria.

*

I don’t like the smell of alcohol much. Especially not the smell of someone who has been drinking, rather than just alcohol.

Well, who would like it?

The peculiar scent of a person, especially the body odor mixed with the faint smell of sweat from someone who hasn’t washed properly in the midsummer heat, wouldn’t leave a good impression on anyone.

But then.

Although it was a bit strange, I didn’t dislike the smell emanating from Ria’s body that much.

I didn’t dislike the feeling of being held tightly by her. Ria… yes, she’s Ria.

Putting aside talk of her being pretty or having a good figure, Ria is Ria. She’s come too far to be just the heroine ‘Lee Chae-eun’ from the novel. In the first place, I’ve hardly ever called her by that name.

She smiles a lot, is honest, and although she seems to tease me all the time, she takes good care of me in various ways. Most importantly, even in the most dangerous moments, she protects me by risking her life.

It’s not that easy to dislike someone like that. In fact, I don’t think there’s any reason to dislike her anymore. At least, Ria doesn’t seem likely to end up with Lee Si-yoon.

…

Even if there was a possibility, I wouldn’t have been able to dislike her. At least, unlike the Saint in the original work, I probably would never openly say I dislike her.

Unfortunately, my inner self was still male even after 15 years in this world.

Therefore, I feel a little guilty about this situation. Ria is acting this way because she trusts me completely.

If you ask if I have any small ulterior motives, I would have to lie.

“Ugh.”

As Ria shifted her body, I felt a slight tickle. I smiled slightly-

“Gguk.”

Then, because Ria squeezed my waist tightly, I let out a sound- no, this isn’t a situation where I can express it so leisurely-

No, wait, wait, wait!

This really hurts? Putting aside my stomach being pressed, my waist feels like it’s bending into a bow? Come to think of it, Ria had the ability to swing a sword with her slender arms and lop off the heads of monsters. It goes beyond simply having ‘human strength’; it’s literally ‘fantasy’ strength.

If those two arms are fully engaged, can my waist withstand it?

“Gyaaaak!?”

As I was contemplating whether to hit Ria’s body, Ria’s body trembled. It seemed she finally realized what she was hugging after hearing the sound I made.

Ria raised her head hesitantly, her face flushed bright red.

Before our eyes met, I was already smiling at Ria.

Of course, it was a fabricated smile.

After I stayed still instead of pushing her away, she tries to kill me?

…

Well, even if I tried to get away, my strength was still quite lacking. Yesterday, Han Yu-ri burst into laughter looking at me, and Gloria looked at me with a strange gaze, so I had to sit on Ria’s lap like a doll.

…

Hmm, okay.

Still, a slight animosity is brewing.

I’ll tease her about this all day today.

This is your own fault, Sister Ria.

Please accept it sweetly.

*

“What’s wrong, Ria?”

I asked Ria as I moved the tube, paddling gently with my hands, approaching her.

“Are you too embarrassed to look at me? You were clinging to me like that yesterday.”

In the sea, well, if clinging is clinging. Although the meaning is a bit different.

Both of us were dressed the same as yesterday, but in a situation where only one person is embarrassed, the one who is not embarrassed always has the advantage.

“Or did your feelings cool down overnight!?”

But my words didn’t continue to the end.

Ria grabbed the tube I was sitting on from below and flipped it over.

I briefly sank into the water with a gurgle and then jumped up and shouted.

“What are you doing!?”

“Oh, no, sorry. Were you there?”

“What are you saying after flipping me over so openly!?”

As I protested, Ria snorted and walked away again.

“What is it? Are you sulking?”

“Sulking-“

At my words, Ria turned sharply towards me as if provoked, but for some reason, she had a slightly dazed expression.

Ria mumbled for a moment-

“I’m not sulking!?”

She shouted so loudly that the kids playing a little distance away were startled and looked this way.

She really is sulking.

That’s what I thought, despite her words.