Chapter 24: A Three-Person Riverside Camping Trip.
...
"It was me… I was the first… I was the one who met him first… the one who started liking him as if he were the main character…"
Akane Shinjo turned her gaze away from the doorway, the scene there made her uncomfortable and instead looked out the window, trying to overwrite what she had just seen by rewriting the "script" in her mind.
"Good morning, Shinjo! Thanks to your encouragement, Rikka and I are officially dating now!"
At those words, Akane clenched her fist tightly… then slowly loosened it.
"…Yeah. Congrats."
She didn't even turn around to look at him.
Her eyes were filled with twisted jealousy, and she refused to let that emotion shatter the nearly perfect image she had carefully maintained in his mind.
Seeing how different she was acting, Kiharaassumed she wasn't feeling well and chose not to press further.
During morning class, the homeroom teacher made an announcement:
"Tomorrow and the day after, the school will be organizing a two-day riverside outing."
The classroom instantly erupted in cheers.
"Awesome!!"
"We're going to a river? Gotta bring sunscreen!"
"Eh… I don't really feel like going…"
"Heh, with that tone? You gained weight, didn't you?"
"You wanna fight?!"
Suddenly—
Akane pushed her chair back and stood up.
The sharp screech of metal against wood silenced the room in an instant as all eyes turned toward her.
"Teacher, I'm not feeling well… May I leave early?"
The teacher paused for a moment before nodding.
"Of course. Can you get home by yourself?"
Akane was a model student, reliable, responsible. Requests like this were rarely denied.
"I can."
"Alright. Be careful on your way."
"Thank you."
Of course, her "illness" was nothing more than a lie.
If she stayed any longer, she couldn't guarantee she'd be able to maintain that perfect-girl persona in front of Kihara.
Right now, the urge to create a new monster burned stronger than ever.
She rushed home without stopping.
Without hesitation, Akane crushed the unfinished clay model of an Orphnoch monster beneath her feet, the one that hadn't yet been materialized.
"What are you doing, Shinjo?"
Alexis Kerib appeared on her computer's side screen, stirred by the surging negativity radiating from her.
"These monsters are outdated. I need something that truly fits what I want now."
"Destruction paves the way for creation. I support your decision," Alexis said smoothly, his voice dripping with encouragement. "The rebirth that follows will only be more beautiful."
Inside, however, he was delighted.
He could already sense it.
A monster born from such intense negative emotions would push his influence over this world past the halfway point.
Soon, he wouldn't even need her to keep creating monsters.
Little by little, her mind would be devoured on its own.
Just imagining it almost made him hum in satisfaction.
All Akane had to do… was keep creating.
The Next Day — Early Morning
Kiharawas abruptly dragged out of his dreams by an urgent call from his bladder.
Groggy, he blinked at the faint light of dawn. His alarm hadn't even gone off yet.
Not one to laze around in bed, he threw off the covers and rushed to the bathroom.
Today was the day.
The day he'd go riverside camping, with Rikka Takarada and Akane.
At first, he found the whole activity a bit strange…
But the moment he realized he might get to see his girlfriend in a swimsuit.
All doubts were instantly blown away.
Right?
Right, right.
…Wait, no. Not right.
…Actually—yeah. Totally right.
That pretty much summed up his mental state this morning.
Why worry about trivial details when you're going camping with your girlfriend and another beautiful girl?
For once, Kihara spent over ten minutes in front of the mirror.
He carefully checked for any missed stubble, adjusted his clothes, and examined his overall look.
Even if they'd change into swimsuits later… the journey there still mattered.
He wanted to leave a good impression.
Completely forgetting that the outfit he was wearing had already been picked out by Rikka yesterday, his mind was filled with thoughts of making their first "date" perfect.
By the time his alarm rang for the third time, he finally left the bathroom, grabbed his bag, and headed out.
The tents and food were all prepared by the school.
All he had to do was meet up with Rikka and Akane at the designated station.
And when he arrived.
He spotted them instantly.
Two dazzling figures standing out among the crowd.
Rikka wore a white short-sleeved shirt paired with a denim suspender skirt. Though it covered her famously beautiful legs, the outfit gave her a playful charm that only enhanced her natural, relaxed aura.
To Kihara, his girlfriend looked perfect, no matter what she wore.
Akane, on the other hand, wore a simple white sleeveless dress. Her doll-like face paired with her curvy figure left him at a loss for words.
If he had to describe her?
"…Petite face, killer body."
"Good morning, Rikka, Shinjo. You both look amazing today!"
"Good morning, Kihara."
"Morning."
After exchanging greetings, Kiharanaturally walked up to Rikka and gently took her hand.
"Let's get going."
Rikka's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pull away.
She accepted it.
Just as Kiharawas about to step forward.
His other hand was suddenly taken.
He froze, turning his head in surprise.
"S-Shinjo!?"
Only then did Rikka notice.
Akane had casually taken hold of her boyfriend's hand.
Her brows knit ever so slightly.
There was a hint of displeasure in her heart…
But strangely, no real anger.
"Hehe~"
Akane let go almost immediately, flashing a playful smile.
"You two are way too lovey-dovey first thing in the morning. This is a three-person camping trip, you know? Don't treat me like I'm invisible and start doing weird couple stuff."
"Sorry… I got a bit carried away,"
Kihara admitted honestly. "I'll be more careful."
"Alright, let's head out properly this time!"
"Mm."
Behind her back, Akane's thumb moved swiftly across an invisible interface.
She sent a message:
"Wait for my signal before materializing the monster."
What was supposed to be a class-wide riverside outing…
Had quietly been altered by her.
Now, it was a trip for just the three of them.
And the monster she had created.
Would soon play its role in helping her achieve a very specific goal.
.....
Thank you for reading.