Chapter 52 – Counting Stars

Ȓ​ҽ​αɗ ｏɴ Ｋα​ṫЯėаｄіṅｇ​Ḉａƒҽ

Editor’s Note

Edited

Crackle, crackle.

When juices dripping from the meat touched the flames, a small sound like water splashing into oil could be heard.

Sitting under a night sky densely packed with stars, blankly watching the meat cook.

The feeling was quite… peculiar.

Until not long ago, my only joy in life was coming home exhausted from work and playing Yuri games.

I never dreamed I’d be experiencing the camping meal that’s every man’s inner fantasy here.

…And in a woman’s body, no less.

Glancing to the side, beautiful girls with pleasant scents came into view, and straight ahead were meat and some fruits cooking over the fire.

Looking up at the sky, unfamiliar stars twinkled beautifully.

Leisure and romance that couldn’t be felt in the concrete jungle.

It might be natural to feel mixed emotions. After all, I was thinking that aside from my body changing… no, aside from those strange occurrences, things weren’t so bad.

But still, a woman’s body was uncomfortable, and the bizarre situation that Aileen had pointed out wasn’t to my liking either.

As I was inwardly sighing, someone held out a plate with fruit and meat, suggesting the food was cooked.

When I looked up, I saw Michelle’s face as she offered the plate.

“Is something troubling you?”

It would be a lie to say I had no worries, but they weren’t the kind I could share. There was no point in talking about ‘that’ growing, and as for the other issues… well, would there ever come a day when I could speak of them?

I don’t know.

But there was no reason to worry her now, so I quickly gathered my emotions, smiled, and replied.

“No. Ah! I’ll enjoy the meat.”

“I hope it suits your taste.”

Michelle looked a bit dubious, but she didn’t press further.

Instead, she gave me a slight smile and began distributing meat to the others.

My briefly dampened mood soon improved.

This was largely due to the scenery I had just taken in and the sight of my companions receiving their food.

Charlotte and Evelyn looked very curious, perhaps tasting venison for the first time, and surprisingly, Philia didn’t refuse the meat either.

Since she came with an armful of fruit, I thought ‘Elves only eat vegetation!’ but apparently that wasn’t the case.

Anyway, seeing them made me smile warmly.

I’d smile even more if they fed each other.

In any case.

While there was no such heartwarming scene, I watched as they one by one brought meat to their mouths, and then I too shifted my gaze to my plate.

There I saw venison with a dark brown exterior.

Unlike the deep brown outside, the inside was slightly red, resembling beef.

The smell… had a stronger meaty aroma than expected.

Perhaps due to my Sensitivity stat, it was more intense compared to the beef I last ate.

Still, it wasn’t bad enough to be inedible since it didn’t have a strong gamey smell.

It was freshly dressed after all, so it wouldn’t have a gamey smell, and Michelle’s skills seemed impressive from what I could tell.

Carefully putting it in my mouth and chewing, while it didn’t burst with juices or fat, the mild flavor was pretty good.

The texture was similar to beef, but the eating experience felt closer to chicken breast.

It felt almost completely fat-free.

It seemed like it would be quite good for protein supplementation after exercise.

…Though first I’d need to get rid of the lumps attached to my chest.

After chewing thoroughly and swallowing, next I carefully put a slightly fire-charred fruit in my mouth.

I’d heard of grilling fruits like tangerines or pineapples, but since this was my first time eating fruit this way, I was a bit nervous.

As I chewed the unknown fruit that was still warm.

Unlike the slightly dry venison, this moistened my tongue with sweetness and juicy pulp.

“Mmm!?”

Should I say it makes a contrast, or that they complement each other?

I felt puzzled, but since it tasted good, I chewed enthusiastically. Then, feeling someone’s gaze, I turned my head.

I saw Michelle with a calm face but drooping tail and ears, and a satisfied-looking Philia.

“B-both are delicious.”

When I spoke as if to the air, Michelle’s tail began to sway again.

…I thought the competition was over, but they were still at it.

I continued eating while inwardly sighing with relief.

After the meal, everyone except the two who had brought the deer and fruit—that is, me, Evelyn, and Charlotte—went to the riverside to wash the dishes.

We could have used Undine’s help, but Philia had looked at Evelyn and Charlotte, saying there would be no point in coming for field training otherwise, so we had no choice.

Still, it was pleasant to put hands in the cold water.

Once we finished tidying up, the group gathered around the campfire again.

While blankly staring at the red glow, I asked Philia on a hunch.

“Madam President.”

“Ah, yes. What is it?”

She had been absently gazing at the forest but turned to me at my voice. Her face in the crimson firelight was very attractive.

…Perhaps because of what she’d said, I kept becoming conscious of her.

After firmly pinching my thigh to stop myself from having such inappropriate thoughts, I asked.

“Did anything special happen today?”

“Something special… what do you mean?”

Philia seemed to be expecting something. But since I had no way of knowing what she was expecting, I asked what I was curious about.

“Um, like students getting injured…?”

Philia tilted her head.

“Wouldn’t you know that better than anyone, Teacher…?”

“Ah, um… yes. That’s right.”

Right, I was the health teacher.

Feeling embarrassed, I looked around to see everyone staring at me with incredulous expressions.

Even Charlotte!

I could feel my face flushing hot. Come on, it could happen to anyone who was an ordinary person until recently!

– Kukku, you don’t need to do that if you’re trying to amuse me.

As if that would be the case.

While I was cooling my face, Philia chuckled and said in a low voice.

“Today’s field training proceeded without any incidents. I’m not sure why you’re asking, but was that helpful?”

“…Yes.”

Haah… I want to die not from boredom but from embarrassment.

Still, it wasn’t a complete waste.

It seems that without a “player” to make choices, affection events don’t occur separately.

…Though it’s possible she said there were no incidents because we got through them successfully.

That was fine too. It’s a story of Yuri blossoming somewhere, so I might be able to see an ending just by sitting in the infirmary.

I should take some action since certainty is better than uncertainty.

But the current situation was confusing, making it difficult to act rashly. For now, wouldn’t it be a higher priority to investigate the cause of this with Aileen?

It felt like whenever I tried to do something, “that thing” would appear and torment me.

I should be satisfied with learning that events linked to choices probably don’t happen.

And one more thing.

What about fixed events that definitely occur?

The tonic I ate after looking under the statue’s skirt recently really existed, so it seemed highly likely that fixed events would still happen.

Since they occurred regardless of choices in the game, I thought that would probably be the case.

Tomorrow night.

…I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

“Teacher?”

“Ah, yes.”

While lost in thought, I raised my head at someone calling me and found everyone staring at me.

I flinched at those intense gazes, and after clearing her throat, Philia said.

“It’s almost time to sleep… Since the tents are for two or three people, we’ll need to divide up.”

“Uh… are you and Michelle sleeping here too?”

“Yes, we need to formally take turns keeping watch… so we need a certain number of people.”

…So that’s why they came so naturally.

Then Michelle spoke in a calm voice.

“As Teacher Iris’s roommate, I’ll sleep with the teacher.”

Since I had no particular reason to refuse, I nodded, but Philia spoke with a displeased expression.

“…Since we came to experience a different environment from usual, it might be good to be with different people than usual.”

“Let’s not forget this is to strengthen teamwork. So I think students should stay with students. Don’t you agree, Student Council President?”

…Sensing another deer-and-fruit showdown brewing, I looked around, grabbed Charlotte’s hand, and waved it.

“I’d like to sleep with Student Charlotte.”

“…”

“…”

Somehow I felt déjà vu. No, I was seeing the same scene as before.

It felt heartwarming to see them establishing their positions on their own, but it seems there are still many mountains to climb.

After determining the watch order with a confused-looking Charlotte, I carefully entered the two-person tent with her.

Outside, Michelle, who had taken the first watch, sat by the campfire and waved at us.

After waving back and closing the tent, I felt Charlotte’s gaze.

Following her line of sight, I saw my chest, which had started to become wet.

…Evelyn.

Just how long is this going to keep coming out?

My anger toward her boiled up again.

I was thinking I might need Undine’s help, but Charlotte rummaged through her belongings and pulled something out to offer me.

It was a tool shaped like a small funnel connected to a bottle.

It looked like… a magical tool for milking.

As I stared at it blankly, Charlotte fidgeted with her fingers and said.

“I-I made a breast pump… was that too presumptuous?”

“N-no… um, thank you.”

“Yes, hehe….”

Right, Charlotte is trying to help me.

If anyone’s at fault, it would be Evelyn.

…Nevertheless, it was somehow embarrassing to be seen using it, so I turned my back and used the breast pump.

“Mmm….”

It worked better than expected, extracting the milk smoothly. It seems I won’t have to worry about how to milk myself anymore.

After emptying both sides, a sweet and nutty aroma lingered in the tent.

With a slightly heated face, I adjusted my clothes and turned around.

“Ch-Charlotte, thank you. It works… well.”

“Y-yes….”

Charlotte must have been tired, as she had already taken out a thin blanket and covered herself.

Smiling at that cute sight, I put the breast pump in a corner and tried to sleep in a similar position.

It really… feels like camping, giving me a strange feeling.

Still.

I must have been quite tired because sleep came quickly.

…Despite the dreadful thought of having to keep watch lingering in my ears.

But I was sleepy right now, and soon darkness settled over me.

Editor’s Note

Nothing could possibly go wrong with the manliest women and a horny teenager sharing a tent, right?