Chapter 46: Melting into the Darkness and Resolve (1/2)

“…Wait.” (Rifreya)

Just as I was leaving, my hand was grabbed.

Weakly, to the point that it would be easy to shake it off.

When I look back, she had raised her head.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were damp.

And she looked up at me with a steamy gaze.

That sight of hers squeezed my heart tightly.

“Hikaru…don’t leave. Please reprimand me more. If you don’t, I…feel like I might mess up more…okay? Scold me more.” (Rifreya)

A plea in tears.

Rifreya wasn’t angry.

She wasn’t angry, but…this isn’t what I expected.

“If you were to leave just like this, I feel like I really might make a mistake… Yesterday when I was waiting at the entrance of the dungeon, countless explorers spoke to me… They were pretty stubborn. There might be a time when I won’t be able to refuse them…” (Rifreya)

“Are you threatening me here?” (Hikaru)

“If I said this, you would stay, right? You are kind, after all, Hikaru.” (Rifreya)

I had no choice but to give up.

I scratched my head and sat back on the bed.

There was a time before where my little sisters coaxed me in a similar fashion.

Is this like a special technique for women?

“Rifreya…how old are you?” (Hikaru)

“Eh? Why so sudden? 16 years old. What about you, Hikaru?” (Rifreya)

“15…no, 17 years old.” (Hikaru)

“I see, so you were older…” (Rifreya)

“What does that mean…?” (Hikaru)

I have simply increased my body age by 2 years, so I am still mentally 15 years old. But maybe because I have had a lot of hardships with my family, I was often seen as an older person in my world.

I think I am the type that has a childish face, but the hardships must have shown in my face.

Anyways, Rifreya is 16 years old, huh… I thought she was older.

“If you are 16, you should be able to think for yourself. You are the one that chooses to follow other people trying to pick you up or not; I have no duty or right to tell you what to do.” (Hikaru)

“Then, you wouldn’t dislike that?” (Rifreya)

She looked straight at me and asked me this.

Rifreya is so sly.

“I wouldn’t like it.” (Hikaru)

“Why? You said just now that you had no duty or right about this.” (Rifreya)

“It is because you are beautiful. I wouldn’t like you being tainted by a random man.” (Hikaru)

“~~~~~~!!” (Rifreya)

“Wa, oi.” (Hikaru)

She suddenly hugged me from the side and was pushed down onto the bed.

“I…am fine if it is with you, Hikaru. No, I don’t want anyone but you… This is my first time feeling like this… Did you know? Even when we are just like this, my heart has been saying it is happy this whole time. Just by feeling your touch and your warmth transmitting to me, I am assailed by an unbearable feeling.” (Rifreya)

Is there a man who wouldn’t fall when being straddled like this and approached this passionately?

If it weren’t for the fact that people from all around the world were watching, who knows what I would have done here.

“Calm down, Rifreya. Idiot, you must still be drunk.” (Hikaru)

“Idiot, you say. Can you say that one more time?” (Rifreya)

“Eh? Idiot, idiot, idiot.” (Hikaru)

“Ehehe, this is my first time being called an idiot.” (Rifreya) <TLN: He is actually saying ‘omae’ which is a really informal way of saying ‘you’. Translates awkwardly.>

She hugged me again tightly.

I felt that heated body with my whole body, and I felt like I myself was heating up.

Even though I was in a bit more of a decent state until now.

“You really should hold back on the alcohol. You will definitely make a mistake. No, you are currently making one.” (Hikaru)

“You think I am doing something like this because I am drunk?” (Rifreya)

“There’s no way you would do something like this if you weren—” (Hikaru)

I was about to finish what I was saying when Rifreya lifted up her body.

With her face bright red.

But those teary eyes were different from that of a drunk person…

“…Pretending to be drunk. If I don’t, I wouldn’t be able to do something so daring as this out of embarrassment.” (Rifreya)

“Good grief… Anyways, I won’t be leaving, so calm down.” (Hikaru)

“You won’t?” (Rifreya)

“As.I.said, I won’t.” (Hikaru)

“Then, I guess I will get picked up by someone~. If you don’t embrace me, Hikaru, I guess I will get embraced by someone else~.” (Rifreya)

“Even if you try to tease me here…” (Hikaru)

I don’t know what tucked at her heartstrings, but I didn’t expect to be attacked in this way.

My mind was completely overloaded to the point I couldn’t even think about the gazes of Earth or the laughs.

“See? You can tell my heart is racing, right?” (Rifreya)

“Wa?!” (Hikaru)

She grabbed my hand and pushed it onto her own breast.

This is my second time feeling this including the time with the prostitute.

But it felt incomparably sweeter than that time, and my heart was on the verge of melting.

“I have been searching for you for several days. At that time, I was always thinking about you, Hikaru. Wondering what he would talk about. What would his smile look like?” (Rifreya)

Her heartbeat I could feel when our skin touched, the heat…that kindness.

It was a temptation hard to fight against for someone like me who has been surviving in this parallel world all alone.

I want to be forgiven.

I want to be consoled.

I want comfort.

“That’s why…to tell you the truth here, this talk about thanking you is simply an excuse. It was fun after having a meal with you. I simply thought you really were the right person. That’s why…see?” (Rifreya)

“I-Is that so…” (Hikaru)

Her breath caressed my earlobe, and her hot and damp lips grazed my cheek.

Her silk-like hair hanging from her ear flowed down smoothly, and tickled my neck.