"What next?"
Seeing the puzzled look in Kamuro Masumi eyes, Kaoru Mitoma didn't bother to explain much. He simply reached out his hand to the girl.
"The rain is getting heavier now. These narrow paths are slippery, so it's best if we hold hands and walk together."
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Kamuro Masumi looked at him. "Even children know that holding hands makes it more likely for both of ou to fall together."
Kaoru Mitoma shook his head. "They just can't hold onto a girl properly. I'm different."
"No, maybe it's me who can't hold onto you" Kamuro Masumi retorted, avoiding his hand and changing the subject.
"Besides, didn't you say you were going to withdraw from the exam now?"
"Yes, but we still have a guest."
Kamuro Masumi didn't understand what he was talking about and asked suspiciously.
"What exactly are you hiding from me?"
Kaoru Mitoma couldn't tell her the truth.
How could he explain that he had seen what would happen today through the time camera and had brought her along for this reason?
Not only that, but he had also seen Ayanokoji Kiyotaka on the Marauder's Map, which was why he had talked so much earlier?
"If we stay in the rain any longer, we'll catch a cold. Let's take shelter at a nearby base first" Kaoru Mitoma confirmed again.
"Are you sure you don't want to hold hands?"
"I don't" Kamuro Masumi immediately refused.
Thus, the two of them continued on their way, trudging along the waterlogged path through the forest.
The already difficult path became even worse and visibility in the rain was extremely poor. Without a strong body, one would likely catch a cold or fever from this downpour.
The thunder began to roar again, as if zeus was having his periods.
The flashes of lightning occasionally pierced through the thick clouds and the cold wind constantly swept through the forest, assaulting them from all sides.
Their body temperatures were gradually dropping.
The narrow path extended toward the foothills and the forest gradually thinned out. The feel of gravel underfoot finally led them to a wooden cabin in sight.
BOOM!
A sudden flash of lightning struck nearby, the explosions roar causing a brief ringing in their ears.
Kamuro Masumi was completely startled and instinctively stepped back, only to trip over a stone.
In that instant, her pupils involuntarily contracted.
Beside her was a steep slope.
If she fell, it would likely be a severe injury, especially with so much gravel around. However, the ground beneath her was too slippery, and she couldn't react in time.
In an instant, her body began to tilt backward.
It felt as if the entire world was turning upside down, the sky turning dark, her heart pounding violently, yet she couldn't feel anything.
Until a sudden tug pulled her, as if she had been dragged up from the depths of the ocean. Kamuro Masumi stumbled and fell into a warm, damp embrace.
Before she could relax, the force of the impact was so strong that it knocked the other person over, and the two of them fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
"...I almost thought I was being struck by lightning. Is the world really this dangerous?"
A familiar voice came from above.
Kamuro Masumi could hear the sound of a heartbeat, so close that she couldn't tell if it was her own or the other person.
Thanks to the other person acting as a cushion, Kamuro Masumi wasn't hurt at all, though she was a bit dazed.
What… just happened?
Was she startled by the lightning? And at that moment, was it him who caught her?
"While I don't mind you lying on top of me, my dear friend, I'm in a bit of pain right now. Could you get up first?"
Kamuro Masumi looked up, realizing she was straddling him.
Having such a soft yet sturdy cushion felt quite nice, especially seeing him grimace in pain.
"This pain is a reward for you."
Though she said this, the girl began to feel around Kaoru Mitoma body.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking if you have any wounds. Infections can be deadly in situations like this."
"How can you check while sitting on me?"
"Fair point."
Kamuro Masumi obediently stood up, watching as Kaoru Mitoma slowly got to his feet.
He was covered in mud, looking no different from a piglet in a pigsty.
"Let's take shelter in the cabin for now." Kaoru Mitoma couldn't feel much at the moment, except for the lingering pain from the fall, which was gradually fading. But it could also be his body adjusting its pain threshold.
Once the adrenaline and other chaotic substances wore off, the pain might return.
The lightning hadn't actually struck the island, but it must have hit somewhere nearby in the sea.
This wooden cabin was one of the bases occupied by Class A and the equipment still had about an hour of power left.
It was Kaoru Mitoma first time here and he thought it resembled a hunter's cabin, complete with a stove, chairs, and firewood—all supplies prepared by the school.
He picked up a matchbox from the stove, skillfully lit the firewood and then took out a cooking pot and a bottle of mineral water from his backpack to start boiling water.
"You're quite prepared" Kamuro Masumi observed curiously.
"Just in case. In weather like this, a single misstep could lead to what just happened to us." Kaoru Mitoma confirmed the flames were steady, then removed his soaked jacket, revealing his bare upper body.
Kamuro Masumi didn't have time to stop him and could only stare in surprise.
Though it wasn't the first time she had seen a man shirtless—many movies and shows had similar scenes—this was the first time she was alone in a room with one, and at such close proximity.
It wasn't as rugged or unattractive as she had imagined, nor were there exaggerated muscles.
Instead, there were subtle shape, with blue veins pulsating beneath the skin, like flowing streams of muscle lines wrapping around the man body.
It was as if she could feel the surging vitality within him, subtly enticing her primal instincts.
Just as men might crave a woman body, Kamuro Masumi found it incredibly difficult to tear her gaze away from him.
Her heartbeat, which had just calmed down, returned growing even more intense unsettling her mind.
"Don't stand naked in front of me. I don't want anyone to misunderstand…"
Before she could finish, Kamuro Masumi saw Kaoru Mitoma place his hands on his waistband.
What followed was a sight that left the girl utterly speechless.
Yes, she had seen a man upper body before—it wasn't anything extraordinary.
After all, men weren't women and going shirtless wasn't illegal.
But… but as for the lower part, aside from a cartoonish anatomical diagram in her health class, Kamuro Masumi had never seen the real thing.
Could it really be that big?
Kamuro Masumi was stunned for a long time.
The rain, the wet man and the allure of the opposite sex—this absurd scene would likely be etched into her memory forever.
------------------------------
Hey i reupload some of my blocked fic under different account : OPlovers11
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator