"Hm... A dangerous yokai showed up, so I took it out. That’s all."
"Senpai, please give an explanation I can actually understand!"
Umi couldn’t help but complain about Ren’s nonchalant attitude.
"Eh~ That sounds like a hassle. Can you just pretend you didn’t see anything?"
"No way!"
Umi shot back, defying Ren. How could she forget what she’d just witnessed?
Putting on a serious expression, Ren tried to intimidate her.
"Haaa... Before that, a warning. Sotis, ignorance is bliss. Knowing too much isn’t always good. This world has a far darker and more dangerous side than you can imagine. Even so, do you still want to know the hidden truth of the world, Umi?"
"..."
It worked. Umi hesitated. Her eyes flicked to Ren, then to where the Jorōgumo’s ashes had vanished.
Part of her wanted to know, but another part feared what she might discover.
Clenching her fists tightly, Umi t Ren’s gaze with resolve. Her curiosity and need to understand what had happened outweighed her fear.
"Yes, I want to know. Even if it doesn’t change anything, I don’t want sothing bad to happen to or those around without knowing why."
"Alright. I respect your courage, Umi."
Ren’s expression returned to its usual relaxed state, as if the serious mont never happened.
Then, he began a brief explanation of the mystical world. He spoke of yokai, supernatural beings from folklore that were real. He ntioned individuals with special abilities who dealt with this hidden world and how the balance between the human and spiritual realms was maintained—or sotis disrupted.
Ren avoided details about his identity as a Campione, giving Umi a general overview she could process.
"..."
Listening intently, Umi’s face displayed a range of emotions.
Shock when she learned ghost stories and legends were real, disbelief as Ren described the dangerous nature of yokai, astonishnt when he alluded to unseen battles, and a faint fear resurfacing as she realized how vulnerable humans were in such a world.
Her brows furrowed, her eyes widened, her mouth occasionally parted—every emotional reaction was vivid on her face.
"Goodness, who would’ve thought the supernatural was real? If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never have believed it."
Patting her chest, Umi was still processing the information.
She looked at Ren with a mix of admiration and newfound respect.
"By the way, what are you doing out here, Umi?"
"Well..."
Umi froze. Ren’s question jolted her brain. She suddenly rembered why she left the tent: to relieve herself.
Earlier, fear and awe at what she’d witnessed had made her forget her original purpose. Now, with the situation calr and adrenaline fading, the urge returned with force.
"Senpai, can you stay with ?" Umi asked softly, her eyes avoiding Ren’s.
"What? Don’t tell you need to pee?"
It was just a joke. But Umi’s shy, blushing reaction confird it.
"Don’t say it so loudly, you perverted Senpai!"
"Go ahead and do it here. I’ll wait."
"Senpai, turn around and cover your ears!"
"If I cover my ears, how will I hear if sothing happens to you?"
"..."
Ren had a point, and Umi couldn’t argue with his logic. Caught between lingering fear from the yokai encounter and her embarrassnt, she compromised.
"Senpai, don’t peek!"
"Yeah, yeah, fine. Happy?"
Ren replied casually, already turning his back, though he had no intention of peeking.
Seeing Ren turn, Umi sighed in relief. She cautiously moved to so thick bushes, lowered her underwear, and squatted. The earlier fear had tensed her body, making her muscles stiff and relieving herself difficult.
(God, this is so embarrassing!)
Umi’s cheeks burned.
(Peeing in front of Senpai? Even if he’s facing away and not looking, it’s still mortifying!)
She tried focusing on the bushes, ignoring that Ren was just ters away.
(But... at least I’m safe. If another monster shows up, Senpai will protect . That fear earlier was so terrifying... Better a little embarrassnt than being eaten by a giant spider. Yes, a small sacrifice for safety.)
Umi closed her eyes briefly, calming her racing heart, and finished as quickly as possible.
*PSSSHHH...!*
Umi cringed as the sound of her urine echoed clearly in the quiet forest. The trickling seed amplified in the silent night, each drop like water falling from a height, resonating and drawing attention.
Her face flushed even in the darkness.
(Peeing in front of the guy I like... What kind of punishnt is this?!)
It was the most humiliating experience of her life. Umi wanted to dig a hole and hide, forgetting everything.
After finishing, she quickly wiped herself with broad leaves she found, awkwardly pulled up her underwear, and hurried back to Ren, who was still facing away.
"Senpai! Please forget everything that just happened! Forget it all!"
"Don’t ask for the impossible, Umi. How could I forget sothing so... personal? How about this? I’ll pee too, to make it fair."
"Stupid Senpai! Who wants to see that!"
Ren’s absurd suggestion, combined with her peaking embarrassnt, pushed Umi over the edge. She couldn’t face him another second.
With cheeks red as tomatoes, Umi bolted back toward the tents, leaving Ren alone in the forest.
"What a girl."
Ren chuckled, enjoying her flustered reaction—a small amusent amid the serious situation.
(This mont, with Umi so reliant on and vulnerable... it’s a golden opportunity to win her heart and make her my sixth girlfriend.)
He’d initially thought Kikuchi Sonoka would be his sixth. But fate was unpredictable.
(Looks like Sonoka will have to settle for seventh. Fate’s hard to predict. Who’d have thought the Archery Club would face an accident returning from sumr training in Nagano?)
The accident, tragic for most, opened a new path for Ren. A chance to expand his harem unexpectedly. He returned to the campfire, his mind already plotting how to "win" Umi’s heart amid the crisis.
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