episode_0167

Chapter 167 – A Real Date

On a warm morning, I was waiting for Isis in front of the bustling Colosseum Plaza.

I glanced at the plaza clock.

“She should be here soon….”

Five minutes left until our appointment.

Isis, always diligent and meticulous, somehow never showed up until the last minute whenever she had an appointment.

Of course, it hadn’t happened often enough to be called ‘every time’ or to draw statistics from.

Well, she only arrived at the last minute, not late, so it wasn’t an issue.

Just then, the crowd in front parted sideways, as if the Red Sea were splitting.

Isis was the one who performed that miracle.

“Ruan!”

A white sweater, skin-tight jeans, and a beige coat worn over them—it was truly a fitting outfit for autumn.

Her fashion, which perfectly accentuated her wonderful figure, drew everyone’s attention.

Running through the parted crowd, she looked at her watch and apologized.

“Sorry. I’m late, aren’t I?”

As her eyes, sparkling with anticipation for the date, dimmed with gloom, the gazes of the men who had been watching her focused on me.

It was as if they were telling me to yield her to them immediately if I was going to treat her like that.

‘Are these guys crazy?’

As if I’d yield her.

To make sure they understood, I firmly took Isis’s hand.

“It’s fine. More importantly, let’s go in. The game’s about to start.”

“Ah! Uh, okay!”

Isis, visibly flustered, blushed.

As expected, holding hands like this in a crowded place must be quite awkward for her.

After all, she wasn’t just any ordinary woman; she was the student council president of Solias Academy.

If she went to the academy tomorrow, there would probably be rumors floating around that Isis went on a date with some man.

If it was revealed that I was the one, it would quickly become a non-issue.

Anyway, having entered the Colosseum with Isis, I only slowed my pace after the unnecessary gazes disappeared.

“But it’s surprising for Nuna-nim to suggest coming to the Colosseum. Do you come often?”

“Ah, no. This is my first time. I just thought I wanted to come, but I didn’t have the courage alone, so I asked you. Ruan, have you been here before?”

“No, I haven’t. So I’m quite looking forward to it. I’ve wanted to come too.”

Back on Earth, watching baseball sometimes, I wondered what it would feel like to watch a game live there.

While there were significant differences between the Colosseum and baseball, there were also surprisingly many similarities, so my impressions would probably be somewhat similar.

I led Isis toward the betting booth.

“Ruan. Are you going to buy a bet?”

“Yes. Since we’re here, we should definitely enjoy it. Nuna-nim, you should join too. There’s information about today’s players here.”

“Okay, I understand!”

We examined the players displayed on the screen and each placed our bets on those we were drawn to.

“Hmm… looking at how that person grips their hand, they must use a flexible sword. But their flexibility seems a bit lacking. They probably aren’t that strong. And that person uses axe mastery; their grip strength seems quite powerful. And that other person…”

Isis, by merely scanning their upper bodies rather than their full forms, was able to gauge and judge their skill levels to some extent.

The people around merely laughed at her assessment.

To them, it was just the nonsense of a pretty lady.

However, those who could be called ‘old-timers’ of the Colosseum seemed to react with both joy and sorrow to every word Isis uttered.

‘Her insight has definitely improved with this newfound enlightenment.’

I smiled contentedly at Isis’s growth, finished our betting, and took her hand.

“Then let’s go to the food stand and buy something. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“Huh? Hmm… I don’t know? Not really.”

“Really? Then let’s just get something suitable.”

Snacks are essential at a baseball stadium.

Thinking the same applied to the Colosseum, I moved to the arena with Isis only after we had carried an armful of food.

We found our seats and chatted leisurely until the match began.

The topic, unexpectedly, was about romance.

“Ru-Ruan. You’ve been close with many female students lately, haven’t you found a girlfriend?”

“Huh? Suddenly?”

“It’s not sudden! …It’s been a long time since you broke off your engagement with Skadia. Isn’t there any woman you’re interested in?”

Glancing sidelong without pause while asking, she seemed very cautious.

I shrugged and replied.

“Hmm? There is a woman I’m interested in, but I don’t think it would be possible.”

It might sound truly despicable, but at that moment, several women’s faces floated in my mind.

There was, of course, the person who had just asked the question, as well as Deborah, with whom I had shared a passionate night just yesterday, Alisa, who unilaterally loved my other identity, and the Saintess, who always approached me kindly and warmly.

Should I exclude Alisa from that list?

As I pondered, Isis gasped in surprise and leaned her face closer.

“In-interested in a woman? Who?”

Her dilated pupils, as if she absolutely had to know, fully took me in.

Suddenly, a playful urge surged within me.

“Nuna-nim.”

“Uh, huh?”

“I said Nuna-nim. The woman I’m interested in.”

“Huh? Me? M-me? R-really?”

Her eyes were practically shaking.

Isis was flustered and agitated by the unexpected answer.

She must have been shocked by the thought that her younger brother might be into incest. I quickly clarified before it went too far.

“It’s a joke.”

“…Huh?”

“I said it’s a joke. Were you very surprised?”

“You…”

As I teased her annoyingly, Isis’s eyes blazed.

She huffed, seemingly indignant about something, then her shoulders slumped.

“Right. Of course, that would be it, wouldn’t it? I’m your Nuna…”

“Nuna-nim?”

“It’s fine. It’s nothing. But if you ever play a trick like that again? I’ll just, ju-just kiss you. Got it?”

“Uh… really?”

“Yes! I’ll do it in front of everyone. There’ll be no point saying you don’t like it then!”

Looking at Isis shouting as if warning me, I couldn’t help but think:

‘Isn’t that a complete win-win?’

To be able to tease Isis and get a kiss at the same time—this was the best possible option, with nothing to lose.

Swaying from the temptation, I steeled myself with desperate willpower.

“Understood. I won’t tease you anymore.”

“Good that you understood. More importantly, the match is starting. Let’s focus!”

“Ah, yes.”

As I turned my head forward, the announcer on stage was introducing the players.

The players’ combat power levels were roughly between Level 100 and 150.

While not exceptionally high, it was just right, as too high a level would only make it difficult for ordinary people to follow.

Isn’t it said that even fights between amateurs can be fun?

[Alright, for our first match! The fighter from the red corner is none other than! The Butcher who came all the way from the South! Kevin Maliner!]

“ROOAARR!”

The man called the Butcher appeared, letting out a powerful roar.

The shirtless man’s body was densely covered in countless scars, which strangely writhed with his every movement.

─WAAAHHH!

─It’s the Butcher!

─Kevin! Kevin!

The spectators cheered wildly at the Butcher’s performance, doubling the excitement of the match.

[Next up from the blue corner! From the frontier region of the West! No one can defeat me even in that harsh city! Zacky the Chain Arm!]

“Bring it on, all of you!”

Zacky forcefully raised his chain-arm prosthetic, revealing his belligerence.

His metal arm looked like a weapon in itself.

─Zacky! Show us the power of your chain arm!

─I bet on you! Win it!

Here, the voices of the spectators, more interested in the outcome of the match, were louder, perhaps because they were focused more on skill than the Butcher.

With both players introduced, and as they stepped onto the stage, the match finally began.

[Match start!]

*CLANG!*

“ROOAARR!”

“HYAAAH!”

As soon as the bell rang, both rushed forward aggressively, exchanging blows.

While Zacky the Chain Arm had the overall superior skill, the Butcher compensated for the difference with his immense resilience and brute strength.

After watching the match for a moment, I turned my head to look at Isis.

‘She’s completely focused.’

Forgetting that she was on a date, Isis paid no attention to me.

Having apparently bet on Zacky the Chain Arm, she flinched and reacted every time he took a hit.

That was quite cute.

‘It must have been a while since she’s had fun like this.’

Always holed up in the student council room just sorting documents, she must have greatly missed moments like these.

I slowly admired Isis’s face.

Though quite similar to me, her slightly longer eyelashes, large eyes, prominent nose, and small lips were harmoniously arranged, creating a feminine charm.

Watching her, time quickly passed.

After several more matches, the Colosseum’s excitement reached its peak.

The announcer began a special event for the match.

[At this point, for a change of atmosphere, it’s Kiss Cam time! We’ll pick one of the most passionate couples and give them a special souvenir!]

It happened to be just before today’s highlight match was about to begin.

Couples smiled sweetly at the announcer’s words and began to kiss their lovers.

The large screen rotated through the audience, capturing the scenes.

‘I have a strange feeling about this.’

And then I felt a certain premonition.

Somehow, I felt like I knew where that screen’s camera would stop.

I didn’t dismiss that ‘what if’ feeling lightly and immediately took out my surveillance nullification magic tool.

*CLICK!*

The third button.

No sooner had I pressed the button to disguise myself as another person than the screen, coincidentally, showed a familiar figure.

“Ah!?”

Isis’s eyes widened.

She looked around, then tilted her head and pointed at herself.

[Oh my! What a truly beautiful lady! Is that your boyfriend next to you? How envious! Hahahaha!]

Everyone burst into laughter at the announcer’s words.

In their eyes was the unspoken demand for us to just shut up and get to it.

Isis became restless.

“Ru-Ruan. What should we do?”

She was so flustered that she didn’t even notice my disguised appearance on the screen.

I grinned.

“What should we do? If we just stay like this, it looks like we’ll completely ruin the mood.”

“Ruan…”

Isis looked up at me pleadingly.

Her expression reminded me of Puss in Boots from an animated movie.

I couldn’t ignore that gaze.

“Nuna-nim. This is an expression of affection as your younger brother. Understand?”

“Huh?”

“What’s about to happen means nothing more. Got it?”

“…Okay.”

“Close your eyes.”

At my instruction, Isis flinched, hunched her shoulders slightly, then slowly closed her eyes.

I gently cupped her cheek and then pressed my lips to hers.

“Mmm…”

A soft hum.

At that sound, mixed with subtle charm, I extended my tongue and licked her lips.

‘Sweet.’

Isis’s lips tasted like fresh cherries.

What must she be feeling? I couldn’t know, but at least one thing was certain.

Isis wasn’t pushing me away.

Even if it was a momentary misjudgment on her part, the fact that she had forgotten her aversion to incest and accepted me, even for a brief moment, was incredibly exciting.

I continued kissing Isis until we disappeared from the screen.

No, even after we disappeared, I continued to kiss Isis for a while.