Chapter 72: 【Perspective Change】 Exploring Shinjuku Dungeon with Everyone ③
☆★☆【Side: Omogawa Tamaki】☆★☆
(Ugh~, Ko-chan. He’s gotten stronger again…)
Shinjuku Dungeon, 18th Floor.
A Minotaur appeared before us, but Ko-chan, using 【Presence Concealment】 which he’d learned at some point, circled around behind it and was striking it with 【Aerial Swordsmanship】.
(He’s amazing…)
His movements are already no different from those of top-tier explorers.
“BUMOOOOOO!!”
“Otama-chan! Finish it off!”
“Ah, okay!”
Oh no, I was captivated by Ko-chan.
I gripped the hilt of my katana and stomped my right foot on the ground.
“Here I go… Water Stream Quickdraw!!”
Shhh, Swish!!
The horizontal slash bisected the Minotaur’s torso.
Thud!!
The Minotaur’s body turned into black mist and dissolved into the dungeon.
“We did it!”
“As expected of you, Otama-chan. That was cool.”
“Ah…”
When I realized it, Ko-chan was by my side.
Feeling happy in many ways, I impulsively high-fived Ko-chan.
“Yay!”
Clap!
Ko-chan also looked happy and returned the high-five.
“Ehehe… That was great teamwork, wasn’t it?”
“Ah…”
Ko-chan, for some reason, looked shyly at his own palm, and then…
“O-Otama-chan, sorry! I’m going to catch that spider over there!”
He hurriedly went to the corner of the room.
I was left standing there.
Ugh…
(Does Ko-chan not think anything of me…? Am I just a friend…? Even though I’m this happy just by having Ko-chan near me…)
As I was thinking that.
Piko-n!
A strange sound occurred, and a voice echoed in my head.
『Achievement――《Having an unrequited love for a specific target within a dungeon for a certain period of time》 has been completed. Skill 【Red Thread】 acquired.』
“H-Huh!?”
Because I was suddenly told something strange, I let out a dumbfounded voice.
“What’s wrong, Tama-chan?”
“Did something happen?”
“N-No! It’s nothing! Nothing at all, ahaha~!”
Shi-chan and Manamin were worried about me, so I managed to brush it off.
I can’t talk about something like this here.
(Eh, eh? Red Thread…? A skill…? Does this mean it’s the same as 【Water User】 or 【Rental】 that I learned before…?)
Without understanding the situation, I decided to try it out for now.
(Skill 【Red Thread】 activate… Is this right?)
And then.
“Ah…!”
From my left pinky finger, the 【Red Thread】 smoothly extended, heading towards Ko-chan who was catching insects.
“N…No!!”
Why is it going towards Ko-chan!?
(If the skill gets exposed here and now, I’ll have to explain its name and everything! I definitely won’t be able to cover it up!)
And so, as I tried to make the 【Red Thread】 disappear.
“…Tamama, what have you been making a fuss about?”
“Tama-chan, should I use Dispel on you? Did you get hit by the Minotaur or something?”
“Eh…?”
They were both looking at me.
But they didn’t say anything about the 【Red Thread】.
(Eh, eh…? Can they not see it…?)
I tried raising my left hand to my chest.
The 【Red Thread】 should have been completely visible to them, but…
“What’s this, Tamama? Imitating a celebrity’s marriage press conference? Were you having some lewd fantasies by yourself?”
“I-I wasn’t!”
“…You seem okay. If anything’s wrong, let me know.”
“Y-Yeah! Thanks, Shi-chan! Ahahaha…”
(They can’t see it…)
I was relieved.
(But, Ko-chan…?)
At the end of the 【Red Thread】, Ko-chan was swinging his insect net, catching a spider.
(Has he not noticed?)
Then, what on earth is this skill?
It’s probably not just a skill that produces a thread.
(I hope it’s a skill that makes Ko-chan fall in love with me… I even prayed to God that I want to marry Ko-chan…)
《Eh, Otama-chan…? Marriage? With me…!?》
“Eh…!”
Ko-chan’s voice echoed in my head, and I was so surprised I deactivated the 【Red Thread】.
The thread became transparent and disappeared.
Ko-chan turned around from the corner of the room and was looking at me.
“Ah…”
My heart is pounding.
Sweat is forming on my palms.
(Could it be, my feelings from just now… were they heard!?)
The 【Red Thread】 might have been a telepathy-type skill.
“Uuuu~…”
My face grew hot with embarrassment.
–I confessed…
–At a time like this…
(I messed up… Uuu…)
I feel like crying.
Even though I’ve liked him for so long…
(Fweeeehn…)
Holding back tears, I watched Ko-chan approach.
Ko-chan’s face was red too.
He definitely heard me…
Looking down, I waited for Ko-chan’s words.
And then.
“U-Um… Otama-chan, were you talking to me just now…?”
“Eh…?”
“Ko-chin, are you alright? Tamama wasn’t saying anything in particular… If anything, she was just making a bit of a fuss by herself.”
“Natsume-kun, your face is red too? Did you and Tama-chan both catch a cold?”
“Ah, no… I don’t think it’s a cold, but…”
(Huh…? He didn’t realize…?)
It seemed Ko-chan hadn’t noticed the existence of the 【Red Thread】 skill.
“I guess I’m fine too, ahaha…”
For now, I pretended not to know anything and brushed it off.
“Natsume-kun, can you make it to the 20th-floor boss battle? If you’re not feeling well, maybe we should turn back. You too, Tama-chan…”
“Ah, I’m fine! There’s nothing wrong with me at all!”
“I think I’m okay too, but… sorry, once we beat the boss on the 20th floor, let me head back. Was it an auditory hallucination…? It was strangely vivid, though…”
“Kehkeh, it’s ’cause we were talking about celebrity marriage press conferences. Were you fantasizing about marrying Tamama? Mr. Famous Ko-chan-san.”
“N-No, it’s not like that…!”
“R-Right!”
“…Hmph.”
Shi-chan stared at me intently.
Somehow, I have a feeling she’s vaguely aware…
“Well, if you both say you’re okay, let’s try going to the 20th floor. It’s our goal for today, after all.”
“…Yeah.”
“…Okay.”
(I have to keep the 【Red Thread】 skill a secret… Otherwise, today’s confession will become real. A confession has to be done in a romantic place, after I get much closer to Ko-chan…)
In my heart, I can say ‘I love you’ or ‘I want to marry you’ as much as I want, but why is it so difficult to tell him directly?
I glanced at Ko-chan and sighed, haaah.
And then, we headed to the next floor.
☆★☆
【Bugs Caught Today】
Encyclopedia No. 26/251
Name: Black Spider
Rarity: 0
Capture Skill: Thread (Lv1) → Already learned, so strengthened to Lv2. Max thread strength increased.)
Capture EXP: 15
Drop Item: Magic Stone (Tiny)