The Shinkansen First Class Seats that we’ll be boarding in Shuo Hero Academy are arranged in pairs.
I inevitably have to sit next to someone else.
Thinking about it, I still haven’t made that decision.
Well, it seems most comfortable to sit with Ishihara or, as a second choice, with that protagonist guy…
“I decided to sit with Ishihara.”
“Understood.”
These guys?
Seeing Ishihara and Kurosawa conspiring already makes my head ache.
That’s because I can foresee the chaos that’s about to unfold.
“Of course, the seat next to my Master is reserved for Eri! I absolutely cannot give it up to anyone else, especially that cow! This is non-negotiable, not even for the princess or Makoto!”
Nishizawa steps forward with her arms crossed.
As she confidently declares my Master, everyone’s gaze turns our way in unison.
Oh dear, is it starting?
I’m going to lose it.
“Hmph. Washboard. Don’t you know that Kim Deok-Sung dislikes you? In a couple’s world, the husband’s path should have the wife following beside. Kim Deok-Sung, your seat next to you is mine, your future wife! W-If you want, you can touch my thighs as much as you like!”
What?
“Hey, Rin. Are you really crazy?”
What is she trying to make me, a pervert?
“H-How about my thighs? I thought they were one of my confident features along with my chest… I mean, I even boldly wore these black stockings that guys usually like…”
Rin’s face flushes.
She fidgets with her skirt, revealing her smooth legs adorned with black stockings beneath.
“Touching thighs? Kids these days are bold.”
“It’s hot. So hot. I envy the youth.”
“Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to make out in public?”
“I did the same when I was younger. Hahaha.”
The unusual monologues of the passengers riding the Shinkansen ring in my ears.
I feel a headache coming.
And now there’s a new pattern that’s giving me a headache.
At that moment.
“Shinozaki! Boys don’t usually appreciate such bold advances. You’re not being very demure, are you?”
The purple-haired long-haired beauty, Kasumi, steps up, reprimanding Shinozaki Rin.
“Hehe. In that sense, Junior, would it be okay if I sit next to you?”
Why are you butting in here?
“Hoshino-senpai, it’s cheating for a second-year to jump in.”
“Oh dear, Shinozaki. Are you perhaps lacking confidence in your charm?”
“Master, I also want to run for the spot next to you. Is that not allowed?”
As Shinozaki Rin and Kasumi engage in a battle of wills, with Makoto subtly trying to join the fray, things are heating up.
“Everyone be quiet!!”
The platinum-haired beauty.
Olivia screams with her eyes tightly shut, clenching her fists and extending her arms downward.
Shaking her fists and stretching her arms downwards, she shouts.
The girls go silent in an instant at her words.
The attention of the trainees and the surrounding passengers focuses entirely on her.
Tch.
Olivia places her hand on her chest.
“The seat next to him is obviously reserved for me, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, his personal maid! I won’t allow just anyone else to take it! Got it?”
As soon as she utters the word ‘personal maid’, gasps of shock ripple through the passengers.
Seriously, how many people are here?
Ugh.
Forget it.
“Even if you’re a princess, monopolizing isn’t acceptable. That seat beside my master is mine, Eri.”
“Opposing monopolies, Bonaparte. And I’m going to be his future wife. Naturally, I hold a superior position to you, his personal maid.”
“The seat next to my lord is mine.”
“Is there anything wrong with a senior looking after a junior beside him?”
The girls immediately start rebelling.
How long are they going to keep this up?
Just as I start getting tired of watching this destructive fight, the announcement comes.
[The Shinkansen heading to Kyoto will be arriving shortly.]
[Please step back inside the yellow line for safety.]
With the announcement, the Kyoto-bound Shinkansen arrives.
I turn my gaze to the girls, still fighting over who will sit next to me.
This isn’t good.
At this rate, we’ll miss the train.
Taking a deep breath, I squeeze my way through them.
“Master?”
“Kim Deok-Sung?”
“Junior?”
“Master?”
Various embarrassing titles ring in my ears.
Braving the embarrassment, I grab the wrist of the platinum-haired beauty, Olivia.
“Y-you…”
Olivia’s face turns red as her wrist gets caught.
She’s stammering.
Hey, I’m embarrassed too, you know?
“I’m going to ride with her, so everyone, keep that in mind. Honestly, fighting over something so trivial is childish.”
Ugh, my hands and feet…
But I can’t help it.
If I don’t say something like this, they’d be fighting here for a thousand years.
I have to put an end to this fight.
Plus, since the two easygoing guys planned to sit together, I only have one option left—Olivia.
At least she’s the most comfortable and listens decently.
Out of all, she’s the most like a fairy.
“Looks like you’re weak only to the knight princess, huh? Is there no way to beat the knight princess who is number one in your eyes? I guess being your girlfriend is still okay.”
“Master, that’s mean. Eri can do as well as the princess! I hate how you only favor the princess! Eri will sulk!”
“Kuh… I lost to Bonaparte again…”
“Master, I’m fine… Really… I’m not bothered…”
They start pouring out dizzying comments, as if they’ve been waiting for this moment.
I want to say something, but the train is about to depart, so I can’t.
Suddenly holding Olivia’s wrist, who has become unexpectedly quiet, I lead her onto the Shinkansen.
Now, all that’s left is to go to Kyoto.
The train starts moving with the trainees on board.
Since it’s a reserved car for the academy, there are only trainees inside.
The scenery outside passes by quickly.
“Ugh…”
Olivia, sitting next to me, lets out a groan.
She places her hand on her chest.
Something feels unsettling.
“W-well, it seems you can’t do without me, your personal maid. I… really… you are quite bothersome… Well, I guess I have no choice… Alright! I’ll take care of you until we arrive in Kyoto!”
“Well, um, there’s nothing we can do about it… Alright! I’ll take care of you until we arrive in Kyoto!”
Olivia’s face turned red.
She stuttered, looking embarrassed.
Thank goodness there were only classmates on the train. If there were other passengers, I might have died of shame.
“Tch.”
“Heh…”
“Master…”
I heard the sighs of Nishizawa, Rin, and Makoto in the same carriage.
Kasumi-senpai was in another carriage, being a second-year and all.
“Haha… After all, the only person who can be by your side is none other than me, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte…”
Olivia chuckled with that noble lady laugh after hearing the sighs.
Not sure why, but she looked happy, so that’s a relief.
Clunk.
Olivia opened the portable tray attached to her shinkansen seat, extending it for me too.
Rustle.
She pulled out a sealed container and a soda from her bag.
But wait, soda?
Clack.
Olivia opened the lid of the sealed container.
It was filled with boiled eggs.
“I heard that in Korea, people eat boiled eggs and soda when traveling by train. Hehe. As the noble French princess, I personally boiled these eggs for you since dawn! Enjoy!”
Olivia puffed up with pride, wearing a triumphant expression.
I sighed.
What is this, the 80s?
Traveling by train and eating boiled eggs with soda.
And what about that rabbit-shaped apple before? Who keeps feeding Olivia these twisted notions about Korean culture?
‘Could it be Bella who’s behind this?’
Considering that in the original work Bella often gives faulty advice leading to weird perceptions of Japanese culture, it’s likely.
I should have seen the warning signs from the moment she called the Master her master.
Tap, tap.
Olivia carefully peeled the shell off a boiled egg with her delicate white hands.
Out appeared a fluffy, white egg.
“Now, eat up! Say aah~!”
Olivia thrust her hand forward.
The moment she said “aah~,” everyone’s attention around us snapped in our direction.
How embarrassing.
I clicked my tongue internally and accepted the egg she offered.
“How is it? The taste of the boiled egg personally prepared by me, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte!”
She pointed a finger at me, proudly declaring.
Munch munch.
Just the taste of a regular boiled egg—not particularly delicious or anything.
Eggs are eggs, after all.
I turned my head away.
Glancing over, I caught Olivia’s eyes sparkling as she peeked at me, her face turning red once again.
“It’s good.”
I decided to just tell her it’s good.
It’s not going to cost me anything.
Upon hearing my response, Olivia’s cheeks quivered.
Her face flushed bright red.
Olivia erupted into another noble lady laugh.
“Hehe. Right? How can the boiled eggs made by me not be good! After all, I am your number one exclusive maid!”
That’s fine and all, but can we stop with the ‘number one’ line?
“Your Highness… Amazing… She’s a formidable opponent. Eri-ling is also confident in being the Master’s number one slave.”
“To think you even researched Korean culture… So that’s it. I understand now why I was defeated by Bonaparte.”
“…I also want to eat eggs with the Master.”
Now it was Rin, Nishizawa, and Makoto mumbling like it was background music.
What on earth is Rin confused about now?
“Since you’re choking, why not have some soda too? Honestly, you’re such a mess. Fool. Dummy.”
Swoosh.
Olivia opened the soda and set it in front of me.
I took a sip of the soda.
The cold sweetness refreshed my throat.
Not as good as cola, but carbonation is always a win.
“But Olivia.”
“Olivia.”
“Go ahead. Hehe. Since I’m in a good mood right now, I’ll answer anything specially! Just be grateful!”
Olivia lets out a cheerful snicker.
Tap, tap.
While peeling an egg, she says, “Eating cider and boiled eggs on the train. That was only popular in Korea in the ’80s.”
“Huh!?”
Olivia gasps in surprise at my words, her face flushing red.
“People don’t eat that kind of stuff nowadays.”
She pops the peeled egg into her mouth.
“Ughhhhh…”
Olivia lets out a groan.
She bites her lip.
“W-w-why are you bringing that up now?! Fool! Idiot! Sea cucumber! Sea squirt! Anemone! You’re like the lowest of the low who knows nothing about manners!!”
Olivia shouts, her face still cherry red.
I knew this would happen.
It’s a response I’m all too familiar with.
Without saying anything, I rummage through my bag and pull out a lunch box.
Olivia’s eyes tremble as she gazes at the lunch box resting on the stand.
It’s the Tokyo bento, exclusively available at Tokyo Station.
Grilled salmon, simmered beef with bamboo shoots, rolled omelet, etc. All the famous Tokyo dishes are packed together, though I don’t get why there’s lotus root.
“So let’s eat this together.”
Japanese train journeys are all about railway bento, ekiben.
I’ve always wanted to try it every time I see it in manga.
I’m curious about the taste.
“J-j-join… us?”
Olivia’s neck turns red.
Her hands tremble nervously.
“Muhhh…”
A strange sound escapes Olivia’s mouth.
“Do you not want to? If you don’t want to, then don’t.”
“N-n-no! Who, who said I didn’t want to?!”
Olivia shakes her head vigorously.
Just in case, I hand her an extra plastic fork I brought along.
Olivia takes the fork and, while unwrapping it, says, “W-w-will you be feeding me… or not…?”
What?
As I turn my head, Olivia hurriedly shakes her head again.
“A-a-actually, forget what I just said!! Wh-what was I saying?! It’s not like I have any secret intentions!! I-I just misspoke!! It’s just that!!”
Olivia’s blue eyes tremble with anxiety.
Anyone can see she wants to be fed.
Is she a child or something? Good grief.
Sighing, I rip apart a pair of chopsticks, pick up the rolled omelet, and hold it in front of Olivia’s mouth.
“Here. If you don’t eat it, I’m going to.”
“Hmph. I absolutely do not enjoy such embarrassing acts! But I can’t waste food, so it can’t be helped! Fine, I’ll eat it. Consider it an honor. Do you understand?”
Flushed, Olivia has a lot to say as she takes a bite of the rolled omelet.
“That sight… I can no longer endure the tyranny of Bonaparte.”
“Don’t hold back, Cow. This time, Eri will support Cow too.”
“Nishizawa, Shinozaki, you shouldn’t make a scene on the train. The Student Council President is watching!”
The three girls become noisy again at the sight.
At that moment.
“Hey, junior students. I believe I told you not to make a scene in the train before we departed.”
I hear Aris’s voice.
“W-we’re sorry, President.”
“C-can you let us off just this once?”
“I tried to stop them, you know?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
And just like that, the three girls are dragged outside the carriage by Aris.
