Chapter 42: Turning Point
Sneaking into the mansion at night and spiriting away the young lady.
When I put it into words like that, I feel like I've turned into some world-famous womanizing thief. Clouds were already drifting across the moon overhead, proving that my knowledge of the original story was spot-on—rain was about to fall.
"W-Wait, Santoku-kun! Where are we… going?"
Running hand-in-hand might sound romantic, but it kills the speed. And right now, romance is the last thing on my mind. Time was too precious. I switched to carrying Erina in a princess hold so I could run at full speed.
Even with a high-school girl in my arms—especially one with a figure that didn't belong to a high-school girl—I could still move without breaking a sweat. All those years of training were finally paying off. I wanted to pat myself on the back for enduring all those brutal days.
"It's fine. You're exhausted, right, Nakiri-san? I'm taking you somewhere we can rest."
"R-Rest…?"
On paper it sounded exactly like a sleazy guy trying to lure a girl to a love hotel, but of course that wasn't the plan. I mean, I'd love to, but right now I had to play the gentleman if I wanted to reach that future.
"Arato and Alice are too close to the Nakiri family to ask for help. The only safe place nearby where you can hide… is my room, for now."
"…Eh? …Ehh!?"
"Relax. I keep it spotless."
"That's not what I—! …Ehh!?"
Her reaction was so pure it was almost funny.
If one of the shoujo manga Erina reads had a scene like this, the suspension-bridge effect would probably boost my favorability even higher. But asking for that much would be greedy. I'd just count it as a lucky bonus if it happened.
"We're almost there, Nakiri-san."
"H-Hold on… I'm not mentally prepared yet…!"
She was saying the cutest things, but I didn't have time to savor them. I had to finish my business before the rain started.
I picked up the pace and smoothly carried the breathtakingly beautiful girl straight into my room.
Guys really are simple creatures.
The girl I actually want is sitting in my room. That alone was enough to make my nerves go haywire in a way I'd never experienced before. I thought I was used to bringing girls back to my room, but when it's the real one, everything feels different.
Even so, Erina was way more tense than I was. I'd sat her down on the bed, and she was frozen solid—probably because it was a guy's bed. Sitting next to her felt like a bad idea, so I took the chair across from her.
"Here, tea."
"Ah… thank you…"
I handed her the cup and tried to loosen her up. Her reactions was adorable, but at this rate we wouldn't be able to talk properly.
"Sorry for dragging you out so suddenly. Must've been a shock, huh?"
"Well… yes, it was. …But you came to rescue me, right, Santoku-kun?"
"Pretty much. Arato filled me in on the situation and begged me to help you."
"…I see. So Hisako… Even though I couldn't protect her, she was still worried about me. How am I supposed to apologize…?"
It looked like Azami's casual dismissal of her secretary had left a deep scar. That was how powerful her fear—her trauma—toward him really was.
"I won't tell you not to worry about it… She's your precious friend, after all."
"…Friend? …I don't deserve to call her that. We've been together since we were children, but we're…"
"You are friends. You and Arato. I've been watching you two up close. Trust me."
"…Santoku-kun."
Nice. The honest words I'd prepared in advance were working better than any cheap lines.
"I'm the one who should apologize. I finally made it into the Elite Ten, and I still couldn't stop Azami's plan. He snatched the principal's seat right out from under us, and now you're suffering because of it. …I feel pathetic, honestly."
"Eh? Y-You made it into the Elite Ten…?"
"Eh?"
I couldn't help repeating her words. Wait, she didn't know? This is so embarrassing.
"…Oh, yeah. I did. You really hadn't heard, Nakiri?"
"N-No… I had no idea…"
"Now that you mention it, I didn't see any articles about it in the school newspaper…"
I'd been too busy railing Nene in my room to notice, but normally Alice or someone would have contacted her. It was exactly the kind of juicy topic Soma would jump on first. No doubt the information was being suppressed. Which meant…
"…That bastard Azami really went and did it."
"Santoku-kun?"
"Hm? It's nothing. Just annoyed at my own uselessness."
The whole "secretly oppose Azami's plan and raise Erina's favorability" strategy that had been the main reason I got into the Elite Ten had just been crushed.
I won't forgive you for this, Azami Nakiri! You've only just become principal and you're already focusing fire on me personally? What a cheap move. Are you really that scared of any guy getting close to your daughter? …Though, I have to admit, that judgment is completely correct.
"…You really are amazing, Santoku-kun."
Erina actually praised me. Amazing? I'd tried to hype myself up and completely whiffed it like an idiot.
But this was a golden opportunity. I'd ride the wave.
"I didn't actually accomplish anything, so there's nothing to praise."
"No. You're incredible. Things I could never even imagine… Going against my father… If only I could be strong like you…"
"Strong… am I?"
"You are. …Have you always been this strong, even as a child?"
"As a child, huh… Well…"
The conversation had somehow drifted into reminiscing about the past. I hadn't planned to talk about myself, so I faltered for a second. But she'd asked, so I had to answer.
The truth is, I don't remember much about my frantic childhood of desperate effort. The only clear memory is that I kept pushing myself to the limit.
I possess a special ability you could call a cheat.
Whenever I cook, my body automatically performs the absolute best techniques. My own will doesn't even come into it, the dish just completes itself. In a world where cooking skill is everything, it's easily one of the strongest abilities around.
But reality wasn't that convenient.
No matter how outstanding the talent, if the vessel holding it is fragile, it's meaningless.
The hands that wield the knife, the arms that swing the pan, the body that moves with lightning speed—without a solid foundation to support the talent, you can never reach maximum performance. The cheat ends up being nothing but a wasted treasure.
That's why I trained.
To become a vessel capable of withstanding my own talent.
It was a nonstop string of brutal days.
As the Santoku heir I had endless things to memorize, I was forced to study until I dropped, I trained until I collapsed, and in the end… Ugh, just remembering it makes me nauseous. Let's drop this topic. Right now.
"…No, I wasn't strong. I was just trying to become strong."
"I see… Hehe. That's the first time I've seen that expression on your face, Santoku-kun. Hehe… hehehe."
I'd somehow hit the young lady's funny bone. What kind of face had I been making? Probably pale as a ghost. Can't be helped—I'd lived through hell if I didn't choose my words carefully. Without my greatest driving force—sexual desire—I would've broken long ago. Being reincarnated into my favorite manga world was a big help too, though.
"W-Was I laughing too much…?"
"…Sorry. When I realized even you have bitter memories, it just struck me as a little funny. Santoku-kun I know has always been so amazing."
"I'm glad you think so. …And I'm glad you laughed, Nakiri. You've had such a dark expression this whole time."
"Ah… thank you…"
Pretty much every reason I'd brought Erina to this room had been ruined by Azami, so there was no point in lingering.
If anyone on Azami's side found out she was in my room it would cause problems, so I'd better get her to the Polar Star Dorm as planned. If I kept chatting and did something outside the plan, I might slip up somewhere.
"Nakiri, I'll handle the arrangements. Let's get you hidden at the Polar Star Dorm. You can't stay in a guy's room forever."
"…Ah, y-yes, of course… It is a boy's room, after all."
Hearing her say it like that made even me tense up. What was that slightly disappointed tone? Wait, do you like me? Are you already falling for me?
Damn it, if I just slept with her I'd know instantly whether she was into me or not. This is what I get for skipping normal romance routes.
I've heard somewhere that confession is just confirmation, but that sounds way too hard. In my case, I usually make them fall for me after we're already in bed. Normal relationships really are the highest difficulty. All the couples in the world have my respect.
"A-Anyway, let's move quickly. I'll go with you, so don't worry. Luggage… well, I dragged you out, so you don't have any. Let's go, Nakiri."
I turned off the lights, opened the door, and carefully checked the hallway so no other students would see Erina leaving. The coast looked clear. Now or never.
"Nakiri-san, we can go n—"
"—Santoku-kun."
For some reason Erina threw herself against my chest the moment I turned around. The force actually pushed me back, and my back slammed the half-open door shut.
If it had been an enemy I needed to watch out for, I could have reacted even with my back turned—but Erina was the one exception. Caught completely off guard by the unexpected hug, I spoke to the bold young lady.
"…N-Nakiri? What's wrong?"
"…S-Sorry."
The room lights were completely off, so it was pitch black. The hallway light that had been slipping through the half-open door was gone too. I couldn't see a thing. All I knew for sure was that Erina was pressing herself against me from the front. The only information I had was the warmth of her body and the faint sound of her breathing.
As a guy, it was the most wonderful situation imaginable, but my brain honestly couldn't keep up. I forced my frozen thoughts to move and tried to figure out what she wanted.
"A-Are you scared…? It's okay. I told you earlier—I'll stay with you…"
"…Why… are you going this far for me?"
"…Eh?"
She asked "why," but I had no idea how to answer. The only reason I was helping Erina was so she'd fall for me. There was nothing else. I wasn't doing it out of sympathy for her family situation, pretending to be a saint, or trying to play hero.
I have the ironclad advantage of original-story knowledge, and I'm using it to obtain the greatest prize—Erina Nakiri. That single desire is the spiritual pillar that has pushed me forward in this second life. Really, that's all there is.
There's no way I can say something that honest.
"…Would you not accept it if I just said I want to?"
"…I'm not the kind of person who deserves your kindness. I'm not charming, I don't know anything about the world, and I'm not even… honest."
So she wanted to know why I was being kind to her. Got it. One-sided kindness might be easy to give, but it can be painful to receive.
Erina probably had no experience with that. She'd spent her whole life relying on no one but herself, winning through sheer skill and the God's Tongue in lonely solitude.
"…I guess… it's because you remind me of myself. I can't just leave you alone. I know I'm being nosy."
"N-Nosy!? …I don't think that at all. You've really… saved me, Santoku-kun."
It's true that we rich kids have a lot in common. Though I'd say Erina definitely got the worse end of the family deal. No one on her side except her grandfather is normal. Compared to her, Alice's family is practically sunshine and rainbows.
"…Even if you help me, I can't give you anything in return. So… I feel terrible about it."
"That's not true, Nakiri. I'm helping you because I expect something in return."
"Eh…? B-But I don't have anything…"
"You'll understand eventually. There is something only you can give me in return."
"…Only I can… give you… in return?"
I left it a little suggestive. All I meant was "marry me," but if she interpreted it nicely and accepted it that way, I'd be thrilled.
…Oh right, I think she once said she'd become my cooking rival. I should've tied it back to that. Damn, I remembered too late.
"Come on, we should get going. I love having a beauty like you hugging me, but we need to move to somewhere safe."
"…!? S-Sorry…! I wasn't thinking…"
"I know. Sorry for teasing."
I opened the door again and checked outside. Once I confirmed the hallway was empty, we slipped out together.
Still… the reason for helping her, huh? That was a blind spot. I need to come up with a plausible excuse in advance. I'm usually weak at ad-libbing.
The real reason I chose Erina Nakiri as my greatest ambition is simple.
The first time I saw her in the manga—she was exactly my type. Obviously I can never tell her that.
Falling in love at first sight sounds too cheap; she'd hate me.
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To Erina, Shogo Santoku was still an enigma.
He was the same age as her, yet possessed cooking skill so far beyond hers it was almost unfair. He was one of the few members of the opposite sex she could talk to casually, and one of the few people she could show her true self to.
And yet… she didn't understand him. Why was he helping her? Why was he being so kind to her? Why was he staying by her side?
Looking at her own situation from an outsider's perspective, even Erina knew she was in a troublesome position. That was exactly why she couldn't understand why anyone would reach out a hand and smile at someone like her.
Even now, as they walked through the woods toward the Polar Star Dorm, he was holding an umbrella over her to shield her from the rain that had just begun to fall. He must have checked the forecast—his preparations were flawless. There had only been one umbrella in the room, so the two of them were sharing it. Erina blushed at the classic "lovers' umbrella" scene straight out of a shoujo manga and stole a sideways glance at Shogo walking beside her. He had his phone to his ear, talking to someone.
"Yeah, we're heading to the Polar Star Dorm. Could you bring some spare clothes for Nakiri? …Thanks. See you later."
"…Was that Hisako?"
"Yeah. She said she'll get everything ready in five minutes. I could tell from her voice alone that she's panicking."
From the snippet of conversation she'd overheard, Erina had guessed correctly.
Feeling guilty that the umbrella was tilted so far toward her, she let out a tiny whisper that was almost swallowed by the rain.
"…You and Hisako are really close, aren't you?"
"Hm? Did you say something, Nakiri?"
"Ah, n-no! It's nothing…"
Erina denied it a little too loudly. The moment she realized her words had come from jealousy, embarrassment flooded in and her voice grew louder than she intended.
…Why does my chest hurt?
The thought that Hisako and Shogo were growing closer somewhere she didn't know about sent an unfamiliar pain through her heart. Both of them were precious to her. The fact that she had no part in their relationship suddenly felt unbearably lonely.
"The rain's getting heavier."
"Y-Yes! It's a good thing… we had an umbrella. …Thank you, Santoku-kun."
"…? You're welcome."
Erina forced down the emotion that had nearly spilled out and put on a bright, cheerful front. The pain in her chest faded into a lingering ache that slowly eased.
"…Hey, Santoku-kun."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Um… thank you."
After speaking up first, she felt she had to say something, so Erina offered yet another thank-you—she'd already lost count of how many times today. No matter how often it was said, the words never lost their warmth, but repeating them too many times in such a short span made them feel lighter. Erina's shoulders drooped at her own lack of eloquence.
"Haha, you're welcome. No matter how many times I hear it, it still makes me happy."
"—!"
For a split second, Erina saw a side of Shogo she had never seen before.
She couldn't quite put it into words, but she felt it clearly. There was still so much about him she didn't know. The realization made her heart flutter again.
"Well, Nakiri… we've reached the sanctuary."
"Y-Yes… So this is the Polar Star Dorm."
They emerged from the thick forest, and the building appeared before them. The warm light spilling from the windows gently illuminated the surroundings, giving off a sense of comfort.
An independent nation hidden inside the woods—its name was the Polar Star Dorm.
The runaway girl and the kidnapper took shelter in the only extraterritorial zone within Totsuki Academy.
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A/n: 300 power stones = +1 bonus chapter. Don't forget to vote with your power stones!!
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