"...I can swim."
Shiina Taki bit her teeth lightly, refusing to give in, showing a very stubborn personality.
Takamatsu Tomori's eyes were filled with worry:
"Taki, don't push yourself."
"Tomori, stop talking." Togawa Sakiko, on the other hand, was very clear-headed. "Let Taki swim for a while, and she'll understand."
Before experiencing hardship, people always think they're capable. Only after truly suffering do they understand how to write the word 'regret'.
Kitahara Makoto swam ahead:
"Stay close to me."
"..."
Seeing everyone swim towards the small island, Shiina Taki silently followed behind.
At first, it was nothing, but unfortunately, after a short while, Shiina Taki felt her body become heavy. Although the clothes she wore were summer wear, they became exceptionally heavy after soaking up water.
As her physical strength rapidly depleted, Shiina Taki's breathing quietly became heavier.
"Taki, don't force yourself."
Takamatsu Tomori followed beside her, constantly monitoring her friend's condition.
"I'm fine..."
Shiina Taki bit her teeth, choosing to continue to endure.
Unfortunately, humans have limits, and willpower does not translate into physical strength.
After enduring and swimming for a while longer, Shiina Taki's eyes suddenly widened, and her expression abruptly panicked. She hadn't warmed up before falling into the sea, and then she forced herself to swim. At this point, her body directly gave up, and the muscles in her calf distorted together, immediately causing Shiina Taki to put on a pained expression.
"Makoto-kun, Taki's leg is cramping!"
Takamatsu Tomori shouted nervously.
Kitahara Makoto didn't say a word, turned around, and swam over quickly, grabbing Taki to prevent her from choking on water again.
"Taki, how are you?"
The other girls swam over one after another.
"I, I'm fine..."
Shiina Taki gritted her teeth, still choosing to endure.
You're already wearing a pained expression, and you still say you're fine! How much face do you want to save?
Kitahara Makoto sighed:
"Taki-san must have been a duck in her previous life if her mouth is this stubborn."
"You..."
Shiina Taki glared at him in shame and anger.
"I can't help with a massage in the sea. Fortunately, the island is almost here. Once we reach the island, we'll help massage your muscles." Togawa Sakiko let out a light breath, then turned and said, "Kitahara-kun, I'll trouble you to carry Taki on your back."
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"Leave it to me."
Shiina Taki gritted her teeth and lightly snorted:
"I don't want a boy's help..."
"Taki." Takamatsu Tomori furrowed her small brows and said seriously, "At a time like this, safety is the most important thing. Don't just stubbornly push yourself."
"..."
Shiina Taki fell silent, no longer speaking, and turned her head away in grievance.
She's speaking up for this boy again... Tomori trusts him too much, doesn't she?
"Taki-san, hold on tight to me."
Kitahara Makoto reached out and tossed Shiina Taki onto his back.
With his current physical fitness, carrying a person was still effortless.
"Taki, quickly hold onto Makoto-kun tightly, don't fall off."
Takamatsu Tomori supervised from the side.
"..."
Shiina Taki had no choice but to blush, extend her arms, and silently wrap them around Kitahara Makoto's neck.
There was nothing more to say after that. Except for the unexpectedly joining Shiina Taki, the other girls had all done warm-up exercises beforehand, and no one broke down midway.
A moment later.
The group finally swam to the small island.
Splash.
Kitahara Makoto reached out and propped himself on a reef, then directly leaped onto the shore.
"Put me down."
Shiina Taki immediately said in a low voice.
Kitahara Makoto reached his hand behind his back, casually supporting a certain perky area, and then set Shiina Taki down.
Turning his head, he saw that the girl's white shirt, soaked by the seawater, subtly revealed a faint cleavage. Although this Taki was short, her chest was quite ample.
"Where did you just touch?!"
Noticing Kitahara Makoto's gaze, Shiina Taki covered her chest with one hand and her buttocks with the other, feeling both shy and angry.
"Sorry." Kitahara Makoto said casually, "I really didn't notice."
As he spoke, Soyo, Tomori, and others also came ashore one after another.
"Taki, you haven't thanked Makoto-kun yet."
Takamatsu Tomori gently reminded her.
"I'm not going to thank him."
Shiina Taki subconsciously blurted out:
"He just touched me..."
Takamatsu Tomori tilted her head:
"What did Makoto-kun touch?"
Shiina Taki: "..."
She couldn't possibly say the word 'buttocks'!
"I accidentally touched Taki-san's body just now." Kitahara Makoto said without changing his expression, "I've already apologized."
"I see." Takamatsu Tomori's expression was calm, completely devoid of any jealousy. "When saving someone, physical contact is a very normal phenomenon. Makoto-kun didn't do it on purpose, and he has already apologized, so Taki should thank Makoto-kun."
"..."
Shiina Taki parted her lips, the grievance in her heart growing even stronger.
Tomori is too protective of this boy, isn't she?
During the time they were separated, what exactly happened to make Tomori so biased towards him?
"It was just a small favor, Tomori doesn't need to worry about it." Kitahara Makoto waved his hand magnanimously. "It doesn't matter whether she thanks me or not."
There were still many things to do; he wasn't in the mood to tease Taki.
Shiina Taki took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and said:
"...Thank you!"
There was no need to say more about what happened next.
Kitahara Makoto had Hana weave a vine ladder, and together with the girls, they climbed the cliff.
"What a big tree..."
Looking at the towering giant tree that covered the entire island, Shiina Taki's eyes widened, and she was completely stunned.
In the real world, there was no such exaggerated colossal object.
"Taki, that tree is very dangerous..."
Takamatsu Tomori stood beside her, seriously explaining the dangers of the Eden Tree.
Nagasaki Soyo, meanwhile, softly added, explaining the importance of the Eden Fruit to Mutsumi.
"Taki, Mutsumi, the Otherworld and the real world are different. A slight mistake can truly be life-threatening." Togawa Sakiko's expression was serious. "From now on, you two must never act alone. Whatever you do, you must tell us beforehand."
"Okay."
Mutsumi nodded slightly.
"I understand." Shiina Taki's expression was serious, and she said earnestly, "I definitely won't cause everyone any trouble."
Her'self' from the poster suddenly teleported and fell into the sea, the oil-painting-like sky, and the towering giant tree that only appears in myths and legends... After the initial shock, Shiina Taki had quietly come to terms with reality.
She had indeed come into contact with the Otherworld, which was completely different from reality.
As a newcomer to the Otherworld, Shiina Taki had only one thought: to stay close to Tomori and protect her.
As they spoke, the group arrived at the cave entrance.
Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand, squatted down, and then, with a hook of his finger, pulled out two soda cans from the darkness.
"Eh, what is this?"
Nagasaki Soyo asked curiously.
"They're small traps I specifically left when we left last time." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "Look closely, there's a thin string tied between the two soda cans."
Togawa Sakiko blinked, already understanding the intention:
"Kitahara-kun was worried that something might enter the cave after we left?"
"Exactly." Kitahara Makoto nodded. "The soda can traps haven't been triggered, which means nothing has entered the cave during the time we were away."
Entering the cave, Kitahara Makoto found the emergency light he had left last time. After turning it on, the warm light immediately illuminated the entire cave.
"It's a bit cold." Togawa Sakiko covered her chest with one hand and her lower abdomen with the other. "Kitahara-kun, let's take out the supplies from the poster first."
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto found a flat cliff face and pasted the Kessoku Band poster onto it.
The next second.
The several girls who were still on the poster suddenly 'came to life'.
"Very good."
Kitahara Makoto felt relieved.
It seems it's not limited to man-made walls; as long as it's a flat surface, the poster can be put up.
"It's the promotional poster we took together before our performance last year..."
Looking at the girls who had come to life in the poster, Shiina Taki felt an incredibly subtle emotion.
On one hand, it was nostalgia, and on the other, it was disbelief.
However, for some reason, although the Kessoku Band girls in the poster walked around, none of them came out.
"Eh, I'm talking inside."
Nagasaki Soyo widened her eyes and leaned in to listen carefully, but unfortunately, through the poster, she couldn't hear the sound inside.
Fortunately, at this moment, Sakiko from the poster found a notebook in her backpack, quickly wrote large characters on it, and then held it up high.
Kitahara Makoto looked closely; the handwriting was only ant-sized, but it didn't prevent him from seeing it clearly:
"It turns out that entering and exiting the poster requires accumulating 'energy', so I can't enter and exit as I please… No rush, I still have the supplies left from my last visit to the Otherworld."
Before leaving the Otherworld last time, Kitahara Makoto basically left all the supplies behind, so making a fire for warmth was not an issue at all.
"Achoo—"
Shiina Taki covered her mouth and sneezed.
"Taki-san, take off your wet clothes," Takamatsu Tomori said softly, "You'll catch a cold if you keep wearing them."
"But…"
Shiina Taki hesitated and glanced at Kitahara Makoto.
Wearing wet clothes was indeed super uncomfortable, but asking her to take off her clothes in front of a boy was something she just couldn't do.
She was different from everyone else; under her clothes wasn't a swimsuit, but underwear, and the two were completely different.
"I'll go outside and collect some branches."
Kitahara Makoto greeted them and turned to walk out of the cave.
"I'll help."
Nagasaki Soyo followed him out.
"Kitahara-kun, please don't be angry. Taki-san has always had a super serious personality, whether it's towards others or herself, she's incredibly serious and strict," Nagasaki Soyo raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "Plus, Taki-san studied at an all-girls school since she was young and has no experience interacting with boys, which is why her attitude might seem a bit poor."
Kitahara Makoto shook his head and said:
"I definitely won't hold it against Taki-san."
"That's good…"
Nagasaki Soyo breathed a sigh of relief.
"However," Kitahara Makoto changed the subject, "I'll definitely mind it in my heart."
Nagasaki Soyo: "…"
"There's a way to make me stop minding it," Kitahara Makoto leaned towards Soyo, lowering his voice, "As long as Soyo says she likes me, what just happened will be water under the bridge."
Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but glare at him:
"Kitahara-kun really likes to take advantage of others, doesn't he?"
"There's absolutely no coercion, alright?" Kitahara Makoto said shamelessly, "Taki-san is your beloved friend, your sister, your close companion. Soyo, you wouldn't just watch as my prejudice against her grows, would you?"
Nagasaki Soyo: "…"
No choice.
Soyo could only turn her pretty face away, her slender eyelashes trembling slightly, and whispered in embarrassment:
"I… like… Kitahara-kun…"
Kitahara Makoto immediately smiled:
"Your voice is too soft, I didn't hear it clearly. Say it again."
Taki-san is, of course, part of the play!
"If you can't hear clearly, that's Kitahara-kun's problem," Nagasaki Soyo crossed her arms over her chest and softly hummed, "Anyway, I won't say it again."
"Miss Soyo, I really want to hear it again."
"Calling me 'Miss' is useless, unless you call me 'Big Sister'."
"Soyo-nee?"
"…How could you even say that?!"
A moment later.
Kitahara Makoto and Soyo collected enough dry grass and dead branches, then returned to the cave.
Shiina Taki had already taken off her soaked clothes, covering her body with her hands, and sat beside Tomori. When she saw Kitahara Makoto walk in, her small face immediately flushed with embarrassment.
However, Kitahara Makoto merely glanced casually, then withdrew his gaze without lingering, and immediately took out a lighter to ignite the bonfire.
As the fire burned, the chill on the girls' bodies was quickly dispelled, and they no longer had to worry about catching a cold or fever.
"The Kessoku Band girls in the poster still don't know when they can come out," Kitahara Makoto clapped his hands and suggested, "How about we challenge the slime now?"
"Slime?"
Shiina Taki tilted her head in confusion.
Takamatsu Tomori said softly:
"Taki-san will know soon."
Kitahara Makoto said casually:
"Mutsumi and Taki-san have never entered the game space, so they don't know what will happen inside. You should explain it clearly first, so you don't blame me for being bad later."
"Leave it to me."
Togawa Sakiko nodded gently and thoroughly described the possible encounters in the game space, especially how the slime Boss's acid missiles could corrode clothes, and how a slight carelessness could lead to exposure.
"I'm going," Mutsumi said calmly, her pretty face showing no emotional fluctuations, "I'm a bit curious."
Shiina Taki bit her teeth and likewise said:
"I'm going too!"
Everyone else was going to the so-called game space, so how could she stay out of it?
No matter what, she had to protect Tomori!
Kitahara Makoto looked over and reminded her:
"Let's be clear first, this is Taki-san's own choice. No matter what happens then, don't regret it."
Shiina Taki crossed her arms over her chest: "I won't regret it."
"Then… let's begin."
Kitahara Makoto opened the backpack he carried with him. Game discs, pet collars, magic cookie boxes, the answer book, and other items were all packed inside, carried close to his body.
Game loaded successfully.
"Traveling into another world to fight monsters and level up, isn't that something that only happens in light novels?"
Looking at the lush forest in front of them and the slimes bouncing over, even the serious and earnest Shiina Taki couldn't help but complain at this moment.
"No isekai," Takamatsu Tomori explained seriously, "We are just our consciousness entering the game space."
"Stare—"
Mutsumi widened her eyes and tilted her head to look at the slimes bouncing over in the distance.
"Slimes are very cute, aren't they?"
Nagasaki Soyo said softly from the side.
Wakaba Mutsumi nodded:
"Very cute."
"But you can't hold back just because they're cute, okay?" Nagasaki Soyo gently shook her finger, "After all, only by eliminating monsters can we level up and become stronger."
Wakaba Mutsumi turned her head to look over:
"Can slimes be eaten?"
"Eh?"
"I had cold jellyfish salad a few days ago, and slimes look quite delicious too…"
"Monsters certainly can't be eaten!"
"…"
Half an hour later.
Everyone entered the Boss battle.
Shiina Taki originally thought she had adapted, but after being hit by three consecutive acid missiles from the Boss, she realized how terribly wrong she was.
After three acid missiles, her clothes were almost completely corroded, her small face was beet red, and she could only cover her body and hide in a corner.
"Why… why is everyone still fighting?"
"Soyo, Sakiko, Tomori, Mutsumi… Mutsumi doesn't count, but why hasn't everyone given up yet?"
"Especially Tomori, she's already exposed herself now!"
Shiina Taki couldn't understand, couldn't accept it.
The formerly sensitive and introverted Tomori, who didn't even dare to talk to boys, was now clearly exposed, yet she still hadn't given up... She must have gone through this many times, right?
As expected, everyone still failed to clear the stage and were all defeated by the slime Boss.
"Ah, failed again."
"Our coordination is still not good enough."
"If our coordination is lacking, we'll continue to practice. No matter what, we must clear the first stage, get the Eden Fruit, and then let Mutsumi eat it."
"…"
After returning to the cave, although everyone felt regretful, they didn't regret their decision. They began to seriously reflect on their experiences and learn from their lessons.
During this time, the Kessoku Band girls in the poster finally came out. Upon asking, they learned that the poster could not be entered and exited freely without limits; both opening and closing required consuming a mysterious energy, and only when enough energy had accumulated could they emerge from the poster.
There's nothing more to say about what happened next.
Taking out the supplies stored in the poster space completely solved the basic survival problems. The rest was just passing the time, waiting for the game disc to cool down, and then starting again.
During this period, some read books, some played board games, and some even played music. With so many people around, Kitahara Makoto naturally behaved himself and had no opportunity to take advantage of anyone.
In a blink of an eye, the game disc's cooldown ended, and everyone entered the game space again.
One minute later in the Otherworld.
Everyone was once again defeated by the slime Boss.
"We were just a little bit short just now!"
Togawa Sakiko clenched her small fists, very unwilling.
They were just one step away from victory, about to defeat the Boss, but instead, they were completely wiped out. The psychological sense of defeat was imaginable.
Nagasaki Soyo bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and looked at Shiina Taki, who was sitting next to her:
"Taki-san, if you had killed that healing slime just now, we would have made it through."
"…"
Shiina Taki parted her lips, covered her chest, and whispered with her head down:
"I'm sorry, it's my fault."
"Taki-san is a beginner anyway, there's no need to be so harsh," Kitahara Makoto comforted her softly, "Steady your mindset, there's still a chance."
"Makoto-kun, shall we go practice in the dream?"
Takamatsu Tomori suddenly spoke, softly suggesting:
"Our coordination isn't good enough because we haven't challenged it enough times. It's best to enter the dream to improve our coordination and understanding."
Kitahara Makoto nodded gently and said:
"That should be fine, but Hana can't enter the game space, so she might not be able to weave the corresponding dream."
He had considered it before, but aside from Ryo-senpai who was very enthusiastic about games, the other girls weren't very interested, so Kitahara Makoto hadn't brought up the idea of dream practice.
Now that Mutsumi's situation was critical, practicing in a dream might not be a bad idea.
Togawa Sakiko mused:
"Since Hana can replicate our memories, can she read the situation of the game space from our memories?"
Kitahara Makoto turned to look at Hana:
"Hana, can you do it?"
Hana lifted her small face:
"Little cake..."
"Then it is fine."
"..."
Having finally found a'shortcut' to clear the game, the previously low morale immediately soared.
"Meow meow meow?"
Shiina Taki's eyes widened, and she asked blankly:
"Tomori, what are you talking about?"
Tomori gently explained:
"Makoto-kun can weave dreams, allowing us to enter them for cultivation... Before the final exams, all my subjects passed, which was the result of Makoto-kun taking me into dreams to practice."
Shiina Taki: "..."
He can actually take people into dreams for cultivation?
And the Kessoku Band posters.
The game space.
These are things no human could possibly do, right?
Perhaps exorcists truly existed in history, but they certainly weren't this powerful!
Shiina Taki bit her lower lip, silently looking at Kitahara Makoto:
"No matter what his identity is, he shouldn't even think about playing with Tomori's feelings!"
After a simple meal, the girls lay down in their respective sleeping bags and entered the adventure tale dream woven by Hana, beginning their arduous cultivation.
Time passes without a trace in dreams.
Because they stayed in the dream for too long, when they woke up, the girls were all somewhat dazed.
"Ugh, I'm so hungry..."
"First, eat something to fill our stomachs, then do a set of warm-up exercises. Once our spirits and physical strength recover to their optimal state, we'll challenge the game."
"This time, we'll definitely defeat that slime Boss!"
"..."
After waking up, the girls' fighting spirit was exceptionally high.
There's an idiom called 'reborn,' and that's exactly how Sakiko, Soyo, and the others felt.
After the dream cultivation ended, they could genuinely feel that they had become stronger.
"Makoto-kun, you've worked hard."
Takamatsu Tomori lifted her small face, her eyes sparkling.
"It was indeed a bit tiring." Kitahara Makoto reached out and rubbed Tomori's head, lowering his voice, "If Tomori is willing to give me a lap pillow, I can immediately be at full health and mana."
Takamatsu Tomori's small face flushed slightly, and she whispered:
"There are too many people..."
"Then give me a lap pillow when we return to reality."
"...Okay."
In a corner not far away, Shiina Taki watched the two chatting, choosing silence and not forcefully pulling Tomori away.
Having cultivated together in the dream for so long, she already roughly understood why Tomori protected Kitahara Makoto so much.
At critical moments, Kitahara Makoto would truly step forward and stand in front of everyone, bringing an unparalleled sense of security. No one would dislike that, right?
"But it's still not right, after all."
"He's not only very close with Tomori, but also with Soyo and Sakiko. I even saw him secretly holding Soyo's hand before... Is he a scumbag?"
"Is he that kind of scumbag who doesn't initiate, doesn't refuse, doesn't take responsibility, only builds up favorability, waiting for girls to compete with each other, or even actively throw themselves at him?"