“Nishizawa, stop that. Master, where are we going today?”
Instead of Nishizawa, Makoto asks in a quiet voice.
The destination for the first day.
That had been decided long ago.
“Deer Park.”
A must-visit tourist spot on a school trip to Japan.
Located near Nara, it’s often grouped with Kyoto.
Nara Deer Park it is.
It was proudly included in the sightseeing list presented to students by the student council, or should I say, the scouting list, so it should be fine to go there.
“If Master wants to go anywhere, it’s all good. I’ll follow you, Makoto!”
“Wait, Eri-rin wants to go too! Eri-rin has never been to Deer Park!”
Makoto clenches her fists.
Nishizawa’s eyes are sparkling as if to say, “Are you angry?”
They hop on the train heading to Nara.
Clunk clunk.
After just over an hour on public transport, they’ve arrived at Deer Park.
‘Did they say there are 1,200 deer here?’
1,200 deer in a park?
Honestly, it sounds ridiculous, but as soon as we enter, a herd of deer appears, and I start to think maybe it isn’t a lie.
There are stalls selling Senbei, a rice cracker used to feed deer, and the deer chase tourists around with Senbei in hand.
I can spot students wearing Shuo uniforms here and there.
“Deer! Look, the deer are wandering around! They’re super cute, of course not as cute as Eri-rin! Eri-rin is the cutest in the world, right, Master?”
Nishizawa approaches me with a delighted expression, making a flower pose with her hands, acting all cute.
Oh boy.
I’ve been feeling queasy since this morning.
“Cute? Yeah, right. Stop rambling and go get some Senbei.”
“Hmph. Master is such a fool for not understanding Eri-rin’s heart. Makopi, let’s go. Time to get Senbei.”
Makopi?
When did she come up with such a ridiculous nickname?
“Uh? Alright. Nishizawa, let’s go together.”
After sending the two girls to the Senbei stall, I find a bench in the shade and sit down.
A cool breeze wraps around me.
A surreal scene of deer and humans coexisting unfolds before my eyes.
It’s clear at a glance why it’s a famous sightseeing spot in Japan.
Peaceful.
I wish I could keep slacking like this.
‘But why are they taking so long?’
How far could the Senbei stall be?
Just as I started feeling something was off and stood up.
“Nishizawa, if you do that, your underwear will show!”
“I’m doing it on purpose. I have to show Master Eri-rin’s charm. Oh my! A deer!”
“What the heck?! I have to show my charm to Master! Oh my gosh! A deer!”
“What? My charm?”
Is she out of her mind?
Looks like she’s up to some nonsense again.
Just as I was about to sit back down with a click of my tongue…
“Kyahhh! Bad deer! This isn’t what Eri expected!! Makoppi! Help me! Save meee!!”
Nishizawa’s scream echoes from a distance.
What now?
I head towards the direction of the voice.
And there…
“Perverted deer!! This is disgusting!!”
There’s a deer munching on Nishizawa’s skirt, surrounded by a horde of deer targeting the senbei in her hands.
In the middle of the park, her skirt is in tatters.
Underneath, her white underwear with bear patterns is revealed.
“Hawawawa…”
Beside her, Makoto is covering her mouth with both hands in sheer disbelief.
‘What the hell.’
How is someone like Nishizawa getting bullied by a deer? Really?
And on top of that, she’s literally saying “hawawawa”?
‘This is a total disaster.’
A sigh escapes me.
This isn’t some light novel world for nothing. It’s faithfully recreating those ridiculous situations.
No, seeing her skirt getting eaten makes it feel like we’re way past ridiculous already.
“Help me! Master!! Eri, save me!!”
Nishizawa is flailing her arms as the deer is munching on her skirt.
“Hawawa… What do I do…? My lord?”
Makoto is still in disbelief, repeating “hawawawa.”
If this keeps up, she’s going to remain like that.
“Oh goodness. Seriously. What a mess.”
A sigh escapes me.
Aren’t those guys deer but more like monsters?
I push my way through the circle of deer surrounding the two girls.
“Master?”
“My lord?”
Both girls stare at me.
Without a word, I snatch the senbei from Nishizawa’s hands.
“Ah…”
Her face flushes slightly as our hands touch.
But I don’t care; I smash the senbei to pieces and scatter them on the ground nearby.
The deer rush towards the pieces of senbei.
The deer that was gnawing on Nishizawa’s skirt seems entranced and abandons the skirt to chase after the crumbs.
“Is that enough?”
I say, looking at the completely deer-free scene.
Nishizawa nods.
Her face is still beet red.
“Yes… Thank you, Master. Please don’t look this way!”
Nishizawa shyly murmurs, trying to cover the remains of her deer-chewed skirt with her hands.
The bear pattern is still very much visible.
It’s embarrassing.
“What kind of crazy thing is this?”
“Well… I just wanted to show a little bit of Eri’s cuteness to Master… hehehe…”
Nishizawa giggles, her face still flushed.
Cuteness?
If I have to see that twice, I might lose all my limbs.
I click my tongue.
“How pathetic.”
“Ugh…”
Nishizawa bites her lip.
I’d love to unleash some curses, but I don’t want to ruin the mood on a rare day out.
The skirt, which looks like it can no longer serve as clothing, definitely can’t be left like that with all the eyes around us.
There’s no helping it.
Emergency measures are needed.
I take off my school uniform shirt and tie it around her lower half as coverage.
What a burden.
“Master…”
Nishizawa’s eyes widen.
Her orange eyes tremble.
Linda.
“Keep acting like that until you buy a skirt. Don’t annoy people unnecessarily again.”
“T-thank you… Master… heh heh.”
So bothersome.
Leaving Nishizawa behind, I head toward the senbei stall with Makoto.
A burden like Nishizawa needs to be left behind.
*
The bench in the shadow where Kim Deok-Sung had just sat.
“Hehe.”
Nishizawa Eri sits there, smiling as she strokes the jacket of Kim Deok-Sung’s uniform, which covers her ragged skirt.
Her face turns red.
The dizzying moment from earlier flashes in her mind.
Suddenly, a deer tore at her skirt, exposing her underwear.
“I originally wanted to show it to Master cutely… Eri made a mistake…”
Nishizawa instinctively felt it.
There was some kind of connection between Olivia and Kim Deok-Sung.
It was a woman’s intuition.
That’s why Nishizawa might be feeling a bit anxious today.
She needed to show Master more favor.
Because of that, she even went to the extent of deliberately showing her cute underwear to him.
“Heeeng.”
Nishizawa pouted her lips.
“Bad deer…”
But the deer in Deer Park were much wilder than she thought, and she ended up causing a scene.
She thought she would definitely be scolded by Master for making a mistake.
But that wasn’t the case.
“Master saved Eri again.”
A smile crept onto Nishizawa’s face as she recalled the recent incident.
Her cheeks flushed with warmth.
He saved her.
Not just that; he even tied his coat around her without saying a word after her blunder.
Thump.
Nishizawa Eri’s heart raced.
The sensation of having touched Master was still vivid.
“Hehehe…”
With trembling hands, Nishizawa Eri fidgeted with the hem of Kim Deok-Sung’s coat.
If it weren’t for Master, she might have shown her cute battle underwear to disgusting other guys instead.
Just the thought of it made her dizzy.
“Master is so kind…”
Even if she pretended otherwise, just the fact that he saved her in trouble proved he was kind.
Nishizawa thought so.
“Though I am a little jealous…”
It was true that she was a bit miffed by his recent favoritism toward Olivia.
The reason for her sulking today was also because of that.
But Nishizawa’s sulk melted away like snow in spring thanks to the recent rescue.
“After all, my one and only prince is Master alone.”
I love him.
My beloved Master.
Nishizawa swallowed her words and cherished the dog collar around her neck.
She spotted Kim Deok-Sung and Makoto holding senbei.
*
Kyoto.
Meijin Hero Academy.
The prestigious second-ranked hero academy in Japan that follows the Shuo Hero Academy.
If Shuo is in the Kanto region, they proudly assert that Meijin is in the Kansai region with its historic legacy.
Unlike the modern and cutting-edge emphasis of Shuo, the Meijin academy stands out with its charming red brick buildings covered in green ivy.
Student Council Room.
In the spacious student council room, a black-uniformed, half-squinting boy sits.
The Student Council President of Meijin Hero Academy, Maruyama Ryosuke.
In front of Ryosuke, who is absorbed in paperwork, stands a man in a black uniform.
A man in a black uniform stands in front of Ryosuke.
“President.”
“What’s the matter?”
At the call from the male student, Ryosuke raises his head.
“The Shuo Hero Academy student council has sent a formal request for training.”
The male student hands over the document.
“A request for training…”
Ryosuke trails off.
His expression stiffens for a moment.
A smile soon returns to Ryosuke’s face.
“Understood. Please let Shuo know that they need more time to prepare for negotiations regarding the training.”
“Yes, President.”
The male student politely bows and exits the Student Council Room.
Thud.
The door to the Student Council Room closes.
Alone in the office, Ryosuke slightly narrows his eyes.
“Hehehe… This is going to get interesting.”
Is this what they call a nerdy downfall?
After spending the morning at Deer Park, I returned to Kyoto and had a late lunch.
Lunch was ramen.
I entered a ramen shop famous in Kyoto, but it wasn’t as good as I had expected.
The moment I was leaving the ramen shop with Makoto and Nishizawa, I ran into Rin.
Dressed in a blue kimono adorned with floral patterns, holding a Japanese sword at her waist, Rin opens her mouth.
“Absurd! How was your morning? Now, as promised, I’ll be taking Kim Deok-Sung with me. You have no complaints, right?”
A promise? What nonsense is this all of a sudden?
“None at all, because Eri Ling has already climbed the ladder of adulthood with Master at Deer Park.”
Things just keep escalating.
“What? The ladder of adulthood?”
Rin’s eyebrows twitch.
“Hey, Nishizawa. Are you crazy too? Where are you climbing?”
“Master, then enjoy the afternoon with the cow. I’m going to Kitano Tenmangu with Makopi! Let’s go, Makopi!”
“Oh, okay. Got it, Nishizawa.”
Ignoring my words, Nishizawa swiftly disappears with Makoto.
I’d rather die than endure this.
I pinch my forehead.
The only ones left on the streets of Kyoto are me and Rin.
“Hmm. Good. Objective achieved. Kim Deok-Sung. Now the remaining time is to be spent with me. Just the two of us…”
Snap.
Rin places a hand on her chest, her face turning red.
Her big breasts sway in the revealing kimono.
Well, she’s better than Nishizawa.
Though she’s a bit strange, she’s considerably improved compared to when she acted snobbishly.
If only she’d stop with those son-in-law propositions and pervy acts.
I just don’t want any shenanigans.
“I-I’ve been to Kyoto quite a bit for various reasons, so I, I’m confident in being your guide! Is there anywhere you want to go? I can take you anywhere!”
Rin confidently clenches her fist.
“Where’s your school uniform, and why are you wearing a kimono?”
“Oh, this? When in Kyoto, you just feel like wearing a kimono…”
Rin touches the hem of her blue kimono and laughs softly in a low voice.
Ah.
This somehow feels unsettling.
Snap.
Rin strikes a bizarre pose like a Greek statue and speaks.
“This is also to showcase my charm. What do you think, Kim Deok-Sung? My body boasts the most Japanese beauty. Of course, I’m not wearing any underwear. W-Well, if you want, I can give you a whole lot…”
“Hey, Rin. Are you a pervert?”
A whole lot of what?
