TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Sponsored chapter by our Patreon. Enjoy~
TL: ALT
Chapter 164 – Welcome Back, Yu-kun
“Yu-kun!”
Serika, who had seen me, rushed towards me.
She was moving at a speed that was even faster than Haruhara’s during the final battle.
I’m not joking or making a metaphor here; I’m serious.
Just seeing her like that made me lose all restraint.
I also charged forward with all my might.
Serika, who almost ran into me because of her own momentum, stopped her charge, and I hugged her as hard as I could.
“Kyaa, Yu-Yuto…?”
“Serika…”
“Hey, that hurts!”
“…I’m sorry, but can we stay like this a little longer?”
“Th-That’s fine with me…”
I take my time to check the feel of Serika in my arms.
She wasn’t as soft because she was wearing armor, but the sweet smell that is unique to women hit my nose.
“I made it back, didn’t I?”
“Yes… Welcome back, Yuto.”
“It was probably much harder than you think, Serika.”
“…I see.”
Serika put her arms around my back, perhaps sensing something in my voice.
“I’m glad you came back. I’ve regretted it for a long time.”
“Regretting?”
“That I let you go to such a dangerous place…”
“Oh… Well, that’s all taken care of.”
The real trouble came after that.
As Serika and I hugged and whispered to each other,
“…Uh, I don’t mean to intrude, but… please think about where you are?”
The cold voice made Serika and I panic and pull away.
It was Haitani-san.
“Hi-Hisui-chan…”
“Unfortunately, there’s still a mountain of cleanup work to be done after the incident… We’ve received inquiries from the relevant ministries, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Self-Defense Forces. Of course, we’ve also received inquiries from the Explorers Association and other guilds.”
“Should I do something?”
I asked Haitani-san,
“No, I think it would be better if Kurashiki-san stayed out of the public eye. You don’t want to be asked too many questions, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I think you’ve been working hard, so please take the day off.”
“Is that okay?”
“It is a fact that the Voice of Heaven has announced that the collapse of the dungeon has been prevented. You are under no obligation to answer any more questions. In fact, it would be a great help if you could refrain from answering.”
“What about the ballistic missile?”
“That’s a matter of national defense, so it’s not something a mere explorer should be concerned with… so I’ll just brush it off. I’m sure there will be all kinds of questions about Kudave-san.”
“Has Seiji Tozaki said anything?”
“His secretary is the contact at the Prime Minister’s Office, but there’s nothing at the moment. Speaking of which, what about the request to leave the corridor to the other world open?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I’m sure the hole was sealed properly.”
…I forgot to ask God about that.
Well, if the hole wasn’t sealed, God would have told me.
But I’m not going to tell Tozaki about God or the Boundary Dragon.
Maybe I should tell the Explorers’ Association, but I think they’d tell me to stop making up stories.
After all, I don’t have any proof.
“I see. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.”
Haitani-san must be working hard, but she doesn’t lose her intelligent expression.
“I asked Haruka-san to prepare a room for Kurashiki-san and Serika-san. I asked for a room where you won’t be disturbed. You two can take your time and get to know each other to your heart’s content.”
“Wait⁉”
“Hi-Hisui-chan⁉”
“It’s like my heart is being torn apart. The person I admire, Serika-san, is being held by another man… And on top of that, I’m the one who set up this love nest! My heart is about to burst… but that’s okay!”
“You let your sexual preferences show, Haitani-san.”
…Come to think of it, she does have such preferences.
“Oops, I’m sorry. But weren’t you supposed to make love when you came back? Before going into the final battle, Kurashiki-san confessed his passionate love to Serika-san, saying things like, ‘How can I die without embracing the woman I love?'”
“S-stop it! That’s my black history!”
“What? It’s not black history or anything; it was just a few hours ago.”
…Yeah, that’s how it is from Haitani-san’s point of view.
Or rather, that’s how it would be from everyone’s point of view except mine.
“Well, even though it was just a few hours ago, it’s still black history. I think there are a few more steps to make a confession.”
“You’re right, damn it!”
I never thought I’d be teased like this.
I wish I could go back to the time before Escape from Difficulty.
“Hisui-chan, are you sure it’s okay for me to leave?”
Serika interrupts the exchange between Haitani-san and me and asks,
She tries to hide it, but her cheeks turn red.
“That’s why I’m here. The other parties are in a state of confusion, so I thought I’d let the representative deal with it when things settle down.”
“If that’s the case, well…”
“The thought of you two indulging in amorous acts while I’m busy with work really gets me going. Especially in the sense of escaping reality.”
“N-no, that’s weird, isn’t it? You can just tell me if you don’t like it.”
“…I mean, we’re not going to do that now anyway.”
When I said that,
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
They both said in unison.
“N-no, you see, I was thinking about a lot of unnecessary things at that time, and I ended up saying something like that without thinking. But when I calmly thought about it, I realized that it was really bad of me to suddenly ask for something like that without even checking how Serika felt.”
I said this in a flustered manner,
“Haaaaaaaahh~~!”
Haitani-san let out a huge sigh.
“Kurashiki-san… why are you being so… to put it bluntly, such a wimp?”
“No, you’re not being vague at all, are you?”
“I’m so disappointed that I’ve lost all motivation to work… what are you going to do about it?”
“Is it my fault?
“…Yes, yes. Well, okay. That’s what I thought, anyway. Please take some time to talk about the future of your relationship. You are already an adult man and woman. Why are you like a couple of junior high school students just starting to date?”
“I-it’s okay! Besides, Hisui-chan went to an all-girls school, just like me! There hasn’t been a single rumor!”
Serika says, her face turning red.
“Oh, really?”
The high school Serika attended was a boarding school for young ladies that offered scholarships.
From there, she took entrance exams and went on to study at a prestigious women’s university.
So, it seems that Haitani-san has known her since high school.
Serika and I decided to leave the busy-looking Haitani-san and rest in the prepared room.
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!