Chapter 167

[Checked the details of the request.]

[And the result?]

[Just as we feared.]

It was a call with Kara the Red Fixer.

While Iri and Serena briefly stepped away, I took the chance to continue a conversation regarding the next episode.

[Professor Adam’s recent research seemed tied to Stingray’s Lv.5 Arcane Module development. But beyond that, it was hard even for me to dig deeper.]

[……So Miyu’s hunch was right.]

[Yeah. And surprisingly, Adam Richardson himself turned out to be very clean. He’s purely interested in academics and education.]

[What about the Living Fireworks?]

[That too, by itself, isn’t really a problem. The Mixed Occultium Solution Miyu put together seemed to already be a common material used in chimera and mutant research.]

[Chimera, you mean…….]

[Yeah. That’s what Dr. Void said.]

Dr. Void.

One of the Transmigrators, and in the original story, a Mad Scientist who had dedicated his life to chimera research.

The stammering way he spoke the last time we met had left quite the impression.

Still, in the field of artificial biology, he was a renowned figure, so his words were credible enough.

But Kara’s following remark stirred my sense of caution again.

[The problem isn’t the solution, but Miyu herself.]

[What do you mean by that?]

[A dangerous talent. According to him, the Miyu we knew from the original wouldn’t have been able to figure out the right mixing ratio for Occultium this quickly.]

Miyu was growing at a terrifying pace.

To people like us, who only skimmed the surface of science and technology, it might not seem like much, but to professionals in the field, it was a different story.

On the outside, she looked timid and meek, but her brain was like a monster, devouring knowledge and information, growing to a level that was already beyond control.

And the cause was obvious.

It was me.

[Ever since you stepped up as her patron, her growth sped up too much.]

As a Stingray Scholarship Student, she enjoyed numerous privileges, encountered new information, and freely experimented with equipment and materials she desired. While ordinary people remained oblivious, she had already grown into a colossal beast.

[Miyu, in a different field from you, is practically a walking tactical weapon. She may lack physical strength, but what’s inside her head…….]

[That’s how it’s always been.]

I brushed it off casually.

Miyu’s talent being dangerous?

I had known that from the start.

That was exactly why I always paid close attention to managing her, making sure she exercised extreme caution whenever she created something new.

Only now, I realized I’d have to be even more careful with her. When proceeding with the next scenario, I’d have to be more meticulous.

[……Got it. Thanks for the effort.]

[If I learn anything new, I’ll contact you. Send the money to the account.]

Click.

And just like that, the call with Kara ended.

Almost at the same time, I heard a familiar voice.

“Ah, there you are!”

“……”

It was Serena and Iri.

Serena led the way, approaching with quick steps. Iri followed behind her, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

It turned out she was wearing a short skirt. Since her legs were fully exposed, she seemed uneasy, moving awkwardly and hesitantly.

“Took you long enough.”

I spoke in a calm tone.

Iri still couldn’t bring herself to meet my gaze, hiding behind Serena. Serena answered with an awkward smile.

“It actually ended pretty quickly. But since you weren’t at the booth, it took a while to find you. You didn’t answer your phone either.”

Serena complained in a playful tone.

For some reason, Iri gave her a side glance, but Serena didn’t seem to care. I had no idea why she acted like that.

Maybe something had happened between the two at the booth.

“It was a business call.”

“You didn’t run away because my seniors were bothering you, did you?”

“……”

I wouldn’t deny it.

I wished they’d just left me alone, but Serena’s so-called seniors kept trying to talk to me, and it was unbearably annoying.

What’s your relationship with Serena, who’s the silver-haired girl you brought with you, and so on. If they knew I was Aaron Stingray, they’d freeze up and not dare speak, but instead, they kept prying, which irritated me enough to leave.

Especially when some lanky guys with faces plastered in makeup came up to me. Every time they touched my arm and kept calling me “oppa, oppa,” chills ran down my whole body.

It was the first time I’d ever felt such fear.

So this must be what it feels like when your SAN value takes a hit.

Just remembering it made me shudder.

“They’re actually good people once you get to know them.”

“Perhaps. But I don’t care to find out.”

That was my answer, which made Serena chuckle. She then playfully swayed the hem of her clothes in front of me as she continued.

“The people aside, my seniors are quite skilled. Actually, they’re the ones who made this outfit for me. Don’t you think it’s pretty?”

“It’s quite a neat outfit.”

“You have a habit of saying ‘pretty’ in roundabout ways, don’t you, dear husband?”

“Who’s your husband?”

This girl. Always trying to make it sound official whenever she could. Not a chance I’d let that slide.

“So you’re not denying that it’s pretty?”

“……Let’s just get moving.”

“Hing. You’re so mean.”

Serena pouted with a mock-crying face.

Well, if we’re just talking about looks, even by modern standards, Serena was a remarkable beauty, so of course it was the former.

Back in the parking lot, she had been in full makeup, but now it was much lighter, giving her a far more natural and relaxed look.

Her outfit was just a simple shirt and jeans.

Above all, the fact that she wasn’t wearing that damned golden lipstick earned her a perfect score in my book.

‘But I’ll never say it out loud.’

If I stacked up compliments for Serena, it might eventually spiral out of control. For now, since her affection was one-sided, it was manageable, but in the future, things could get out of hand.

-Sign here pleeease. Just write your name right here!

-Serena, this is a marriage certificate.

-Serena doesn’t care about that! Just sign it!

……It was obviously an improper fantasy, but why did it feel so real?

I should pull myself together and be careful to avoid ending up as a legally registered couple.

“Enough with the nonsense.”

“Oh, you’re embarrassed. Fufu.”

“……”

“Oh my, if you glare at me so passionately like that, my heart will pound and I won’t be able to sleep tonight~”

……No matter how firmly I built my wall, it didn’t seem to have much effect on Serena.

‘Is this woman sane?’

Watching Serena openly acting coy, Iri looked appalled. Even though Aaron was clearly showing signs of discomfort, Serena pushed on undeterred, like some battle-hardened warrior who knew no surrender.

‘Amazing. Truly amazing…….’

It was enough to make her embarrassed just by watching, but at the same time, she found herself envying Serena’s confidence.

‘I could never do that…….’

Aaron!

Dear Husband!

Beloved!

Without a hint of shame, Serena tossed out such blush-inducing titles and kept the conversation flowing with Aaron, skillfully making sure there were no awkward silences.

Sometimes acting cute, sometimes playing the fool, sometimes teasing him, she still managed to avoid getting on Aaron’s nerves while deftly drawing out his answers. Iri could only be left speechless by it.

“……”

All Iri could do was silently follow behind them, watching the two of them.

She was confident she’d never lose in a verbal sparring match, but how was she supposed to handle an ordinary conversation like this?

No—up until they came here, she’d been talking to Aaron naturally. But now she had no idea what to say or how to slip neatly into the gap between them.

‘Ah, seriously…….’

She knew well enough this was just her overthinking. She could just speak casually like she always did.

But if she did that—

With feelings she had only just become aware of, she might end up exposing herself. Or maybe, because of the rough speech she’d developed from living in back alleys, she’d make him lose interest. She was afraid.

In the end, her choice was silence.

Her best option was to keep her mouth shut and make sure Aaron didn’t notice anything strange.

But, as always—

Aaron didn’t leave her alone.

“Iri.”

“Ye—Yes?!”

Called so suddenly, she bit her tongue.

She wanted to die of embarrassment.

“You’ve been quiet all this time. What’s wrong?”

“N-No, it’s nothing…….”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“That’s… that’s not it…!”

She was hastily searching for an excuse when Serena, sensing her chance, cut in.

“Oh my. If you’re not feeling well, why don’t you head back and rest? There’s a temporary clinic over there too—”

What the? This woman?

Was she trying to separate them?

No way she could allow that.

“No. I don’t need it.”

Yes, get a grip.

There was no time to be shy right now. If she hesitated, Serena would snatch Aaron away from her in an instant.

“M-Mr. Chairman!”

Iri gathered all her resolve and moved closer to Aaron. She had been following half a step behind Serena all this time, but she couldn’t stay timid forever.

She moved to Aaron’s right side and grabbed his arm.

‘Ah…….’

It wasn’t the first time she’d held his arm, but maybe because she was aware of it now, it felt completely different.

The solid muscles, and yet the softness of his skin coexisting. The sensation made her head spin.

W-Wait.

Wasn’t she acting like some kind of pervert?

“……!”

She quickly erased her shameful thoughts and, at random, pointed toward one of the booths.

“Let’s go over there, over there!”

It wasn’t that she actually wanted to go there. She just felt she shouldn’t stay lost in this feeling.

‘A-Anyway, it was Mr. Chairman who said we should come here, right? So technically this is a date between me and him.’

Convincing herself like that, Iri began tugging at Aaron. But since Aaron didn’t move, she couldn’t take even a single step forward, as if she’d been stopped in her tracks.

‘Ah…….’

Was it a mistake?

Was this behavior unbefitting of her?

As those negative thoughts started swirling through her head—

“Do you really want to go there?”

Aaron spoke in a rare, flustered voice.

And not just him.

“Uh……”

Even Serena, standing beside them, let out a sound of surprise, either astonished or appalled, as she looked at Iri.

W-What was with their reactions?

Had she done something wrong?

Feeling uneasy, Iri looked at the festival booth she’d pointed to.

It was much larger than the other tents, and at the entrance, inside a giant pink heart with rounded lettering, it said:

[Prove Your Love with Your Partner!]

[LOVE Event! What’s the Temperature of Your Love?]

[Campus Ultimate Lovey-Dovey Couple Contest!]

“Waaahhh! No! No! No!”

“Iri, you……”

“That’s not it! It’s a mistake!”

Iri desperately denied it.

She wanted to die of embarrassment.

In the end, tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.

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