Became a Student of the Academy (1)
"God is a bastard…"
Anyone hearing me would say that such a remark deserves divine punishment, but I felt like I was already being punished by God.
"Sora, are you okay?"
Hearing me muttering to the one who claims to be everyone's Father in Heaven, Asami asked me with a worried face.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Come on, let's go into the Mirror World."
The beige knit sweater and blue jeans I had carefully picked out from my meager wardrobe had disappeared, and I had changed into a comfortable tracksuit instead.
-What's wrong with your clothes?
-…? Is it weird?
-No, it suits you, but wouldn't it be a bit uncomfortable for the Mirror World?
She was right. One thing Asami and I needed to establish was our fighting prowess, which unfortunately had nothing to do with my ideal dating life. Eventually, my imaginary date was called off, and we decided to venture into an F-rank Mirror World instead.
Asami and I used a teleportation device within the academy to warp to Gangwon-do, standing before the F-rank Mirror World currently owned by the school. I had heard it was a high-tech feat of magical engineering combining science and sorcery, but honestly, I wasn't sure.
'I only met her yesterday and I'm already excited about a date. Is this why I'm so hopeless?'
Still, I had to do my best now that I'd come this far. An F-rank Mirror World is a place where even an ordinary adult male can face monsters alone. It was the perfect "combat power meter."
"The first monster we'll deal with is a Goblin. They have the body and strength of an elementary school student, but they carry knives, so you have to be careful," Asami explained. We had decided to speak casually to each other, and she started with a brief briefing.
"The two of us should be able to handle them easily enough, provided they don't swarm us. Let's save our Essence for now. I'm sorry for talking so much…"
When we met at a cafe earlier, we had a discussion about how to use my Essence. She had been stunned to discover that over 18,000 points of Essence had "evaporated" into my Drain and Intercourse levels. I had to explain that it was an investment for obtaining Essence more efficiently in the future.
Of course, Asami was flustered when she asked if there was actually anyone I planned to do "that" with, but I managed to navigate the conversation. Seeing my awkward reaction, she smiled slightly, so at least I was spared from a total disaster.
Our conclusion was to save the remaining points for now. Even though I understood the talents of the game's heroes, I didn't yet know the full potential of the final boss, Asami. I didn't know if she was better with a sword or a bow, or how to efficiently utilize her growth. Since we were of the same mind, she was against investing Essence in raw stats yet. She said it's more efficient to raise stats naturally until the average reaches 10.
"No, it's okay. I am your contractor, right? I'm sure I'll pay you back for that kiss. Shall we go in?"
You might think it was just a kiss, but it was the first kiss from my favorite character—in reality, not just behind a monitor. Regardless, I was ready to go to any lengths to help her.
"I see… I get it. Okay."
Asami nodded, perhaps remembering the kiss from earlier, and quickly stepped into the Mirror World. I followed right behind her.
As I passed through the entrance, which looked like shattered glass, I felt a brief wave of dizziness that quickly vanished. What appeared next was a forest—lush green grass and trees, filled with the sounds of insects and birds. While I was awed by the beautiful nature, a notification window appeared in my field of vision.
[Rating: F-] > [Goblins: 30/30]
It was the Mirror World info window, a sight I had seen countless times in the game.
'Wait, can I not leave until I handle everything…?'
If I used my extra Essence, I could kill 30 goblins as easily as eating cake, but it felt like a waste. Looking back, the entrance was still there. All the settings were exactly the same as in the game, though the story would surely change now that I was Asami's contractor.
"For now, let's focus on hunting individuals that wander off alone. Got it? As we planned, you just need to assist. I never thought you'd even forget your combat experience…"
"Got it."
I gripped the broadsword I'd found in my dorm. Asami and I sharpened our senses and started walking through the forest, carving marks on the trees to guide us back to the exit.
-Keruk…
Before long, I heard the cry of a goblin. I turned to check on Asami, and she nodded, having heard it too. Moving carefully to mask our presence, we found a single goblin circling with a rusty sword.
"Asami, would it be okay if I deal with this one alone?" I whispered.
"Are you sure? Even if ordinary people can handle them, it's dangerous alone."
"It'll be fine. If I get into trouble, will you help me?"
In truth, I wasn't in any real danger. Asami was right behind me, and I had 9,000 Essence in reserve. If I got hurt, I could just create a recovery skill.
"Um… okay. But be careful. If you die, I'll be in a lot of trouble for two days."
"I will."
In the Mirror World, if you "die," you simply respawn at the entrance in the real world, but you are incapacitated for two days. And now that this was reality, I assumed the pain would be very real.
"Here I go…!"
I lunged toward the goblin. It was taken aback, but it was too late—or so I thought. I swung the sword with all my might, but the goblin backed away just enough to dodge.
"Wait… what?"
I straightened my posture and glared at the creature. It seemed just as surprised that it had dodged. I must have just been lucky. I swung again and again, but with no experience, my movements were reckless and unskilled. I barely grazed its chest, and my second attack was blocked by its iron blade.
We traded blows, dodging and parrying. Since it only had the strength of a child, the momentum gradually shifted in my favor.
Finally, I found an opening.
"Keruk…!"
My sword pierced the goblin's heart. With a weak cry, it collapsed and turned to dust, leaving behind a small magic stone.
'It was a good fight. You were the toughest enemy of my life,' I thought sarcastically. Of course, it was my only opponent so far.
"Whew…"
Still, I was satisfied with the win. A tingling sensation of pride rose from my chest.
'Am I surprisingly talented? Should I just become a swordsman?'
My imagination went wild—should I use a two-handed sword, a sword and shield, or dual blades? The idea of a dual-wielding warrior was especially attractive to any man. I turned back to the grass where Asami was hiding. She started walking toward me with a subtle smile.
"Great job…" she said.
Noticing her expression, I felt uneasy. She looked like she was debating whether or not to say something.
"So? How was I?" I asked nervously.
"Sora, I just hope you don't get hurt…" Asami said, avoiding eye contact.
"It's okay, tell me the truth."
"It's not my place to judge, but honestly… I don't think the sword is for you. Your posture, your swing… honestly, I think you're worse than someone picking up a sword for the first time. It's like you have no talent at all… but you still fought hard! You looked cool!"
The relentless criticism stung. Even though I was prepared, the damage to my ego was significant.
"Yeah, I figured…"
"Don't be too downhearted! I meant it when I said you looked cool. And you don't have to use a sword, right?"
"True."
I was ashamed that I'd thought I was a prodigy for a second, but she was right. How could a modern office worker/gamer suddenly be a master swordsman? However, I could still do my part. Magic, Healing, Blessing—I had reached the end of the game as a healer. I knew all the guides. I would become the ultimate support.
"Whew… you worked hard. Sora, I think we should stop for today."
Asami, who had just slain another goblin, wiped sweat from her forehead.
"What do you mean? You did all the hard work."
Literally. Out of the 11 goblins we found, Asami handled almost all of them. I just assisted a little or landed the finishing blow.
"No, thanks to you, I was able to hunt much more comfortably."
"…Thank you."
Her warm encouragement made me want to propose on the spot, but I held it in. She was so kind; it must have been hard for her to give me that honest critique earlier.
"Let's settle the rewards once we're out."
We followed our marks back to the exit. Outside, the world was still bright.
"We got 12 F-rank magic stones, so let's take 6 each."
F-rank stones are worth 1 GP each. Splitting them 50/50?
"Why? You did everything. Why split them equally?"
"Because we were a party. If I had come alone, I would have only caught 6 before having to return. I've had many days like that. Thank you for joining me."
I shook my head. "Still, you did the work. And don't misunderstand—I didn't join your party out of charity. I wanted to be there. You don't need to be thankful."
Asami was kind and beautiful, but her combat rank was F. By this time in the game, most students were D-rank. No one wanted to party with an F-ranker, so she had likely been hunting alone this entire time.
"What… what are you saying…?"
Asami lowered her head, her body trembling. Suddenly, she started to weep.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry…" she sobbed, looking up at me with tears streaming down her face.
"Hey, are you okay?!"
I panicked. I had never had a girl cry in front of me. An old internet meme flashed through my mind: When a woman cries, don't ask questions, just hug her.
I didn't know what else to do. I stepped forward and hugged her. Asami trembled in my arms for a moment, then buried her face in my chest and let it all out.
"I'm so… hic… I was so lonely and it was so hard… waaah…"
"It's okay. It's okay now," I said, patting her back and stroking her hair.
"I thought I would be alone forever… sniff…"
"You're not alone anymore. I'm here. I'll make sure you're never lonely again."
I comforted her until the crying stopped. After a while, she gently pulled away.
"I-I'm sorry. I showed you something embarrassing…"
Her eyes were moist and her face was flushed. She looked so cute I wanted to protect her forever.
"It's okay. I'm just glad I didn't offend you."
"No! It wasn't unpleasant at all. It was… actually very warm…"
She shook her head vigorously. The reaction was so lovely I couldn't help but smile.
"Then I'm glad. You can hug me whenever things get hard."
"…Okay," she whispered, looking down shyly.
∴
Later that evening, Asami stood under the warm water of her shower, thinking of Sora.
He had suggested he focus on being a healer or a buffer since direct combat wasn't his suit. She thought that was a perfect choice. She remembered how he had mistaken the Mirror World trip for a date, and how he had looked so confident, yet failed with the sword.
At first, she thought he was a strange pervert, but today he had been so kind. Like the hot water pouring over her, his warmth stayed with her.
She shook her head, her hair splashing against her skin. His words kept echoing in her mind.
"I didn't join your party out of charity. I wanted to be there."
"I'll make sure you're never lonely again."
She blushed, and it wasn't from the heat of the shower.
'And he was so firm…'
When she was crying against his chest, she could feel his solid muscles, proof that he worked hard on himself.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered to the empty bathroom.
Recalling the way he looked at her during their first meeting, how he couldn't take his eyes off her body, Asami felt a familiar heat. She gripped her breast with one hand and moved her other hand down.
She felt guilty, but she couldn't stop. She massaged herself, imagining his eyes on her, his warm embrace, and the strength she felt in his arms.
"Haa… Sora… ah…!"
She realized that masturbating while thinking of him made her quite the pervert, but the feeling was too good to ignore. She moved her fingers, finding the entrance to her vagina. She felt the resistance of her hymen, the virginity she had decided to give only to the one she loved.
She had the feeling that, very soon, she would have someone to give it to.