We managed to eat in peace despite the obvious tension I’ve accidentally created between Chaeyoungie and I, but I guess she was also trying her best to ignore it.

Thank you and love you, Chaeyoungie.

I hope to say that out loud for you someday.

Learning my lesson, I decided to refrain from making any bold moves when we stopped by our hotel before going to our next destination; I could already sense this self-restraint challenge was going to be tough.

It was also difficult to hold back a smile when I saw how shaky Chaeyoungie’s hands were when she unlocked the door to our shared-room, but I still managed to do so somehow.

I wonder what was going on in her mind for her to be trembling so much?

As I followed Chaeyoungie inside, I saw her drop her bag onto the floor carelessly while her eyes were glued onto something.

Confused, I went ahead to take a look at what stunned her so much, and oh dear Lord, the temptations are becoming a bit too much.

It seems like we will be sharing a bed tonight.

Based on what we saw, there were good news and also bad news.

The good news was that I now have the chance to snuggle with my little crush as we rest for the night.

The bad news- mainly for Chaeyoungie- was due to my lack of confidence in my self-control.

I couldn’t promise that snuggling was the only thing I had in mind.

It should be pretty obvious by now, since I’ve exposed myself multiple times already, that I was a scandalous individual.

People tend to assume that I was a proper child with a clear mind and soul based on my reserved personality, but ha ha ha- no.

That was definitely not the case, and Chaeyoungie’s really at risk of becoming a prey for once.

While I pretended to be calm despite feeling all the blood pumping to my face, Chaeyoungie was absolutely losing her mind.

Was she panicking about tonight just like how I was despite acting as if I wasn’t?

Maybe I’m not the only scandalous person here.

Don’t worry, Chaeng.

Even if we did advance from snuggling, I promise not to devour you whole.

You are the predator after all.

I’ll quietly wait for your move.

Trying our best to ignore the tension within the room, we started to unpack while she remained perplexed about our situation.

When she mentioned something about not having our own individual beds, I accidentally let a comment slip out of my mouth without much thought prior.

I had only noticed its double-meaning after the sentence had already left my lips.

“Do you not want to sleep with me?”

Noticing how my roommate froze slightly upon hearing the sentence, I instantly scolded myself silently for making the same mistake as earlier on- speaking before thinking which ultimately made things worse.

I felt the tension rising, and it was pretty suffocating at this point.

You were proud of your intelligence before, Minari, but I don’t think you’re qualified anymore.

How could you spout something like that so carelessly?!

Thankfully she didn’t seem to take it the other way, and brushed it off by advising me to unpack my belongings before we were supposed to gather back to the bus.

I obediently did I was told before I could get another chance to screw things over again.

After we had finished organising our stuff within the hotel, our school trip resumed itself.

Our teachers were giving us the opportunity to explore around the area ourselves since it was a shopping district.

It was bold of them to assume that none of us would get ourselves killed out here.

We were untrustworthy, immature, and playful teenagers.

I’d like to say otherwise about myself, yet even I don’t trust myself with some things-

For example, my mind whenever I was around my crush.

I had forgotten to worry about my popularity when our free-time had just started.

Before I could even react, I found myself surrounded by people who were inviting me to accompany them with their adventures.

I politely declined them all, though my voice was inaudible compared to their desperate pleads.

It was, once again, thanks to my protective tiger’s growls that scared them away successfully.

I don’t think I’d be capable of enjoying myself in this trip if it wasn’t for her company.

Unexpectedly, it was my turn to scowl at others when my best friend somehow ended up in the same situation she had just saved me from- though of course, I didn’t actually growl like how Chaeyoungie did.

It was more of an internal struggle mixed with weird noises that others couldn’t even hear.

I was still a timid penguin after-all, even though penguins are indeed capable of growling.

Yes. They growl.

Trust me, I’m a professional penguin.

Eventually Chaeyoungie was taken hostage by a group of girls while I simply tagged along.

They didn’t seem to mind having an extra addition to their group, and were actually quite friendly towards me also.

Those girls weren’t exactly the type of people I’d choose to hang out with voluntarily, but I was thankful that they weren’t acting indifferently to me.

They weren’t treating me like a celebrity, and instead it was Chaeyoungie who they adore- which was something I can totally relate to.

They also didn’t seem to want to poison my drink whenever I wasn’t looking, thus I was quite at peace around them.

We proceeded to window-shop and tried out multiple outfits from different stores, though it was mainly Chaeyoungie and I who were getting dressed up as if we were Barbie dolls.

Although my best friend was uncomfortable from her sudden popularity and the mass amount of affection, I surprisingly found myself having fun after a while.

The situation reminded me of my past weekend-hangouts with my friends back in Japan, which I missed greatly.

Despite the wave of nostalgia, I was still incredibly grateful for the present; to be on a school trip with my crush and some nicer classmates, I was thoroughly enjoying my time.

We visited a store which had many adorable-looking accessories, where someone found a pair of electrical cat-like ears that apparently could detect excitement.

Of course the girls spared no time with testing them out on Chaeyoungie, making her look exactly like her nickname.

She really was the cutest tiger out of the whole world, and anyone’s welcome to debate with me about it-

I mean, I’d probably end up crying in frustration since my opponent wouldn’t even be able to hear my arguments due to my soft voice, but I shall never back down from my strong belief.

I am my tiger’s number one fan, forever and always.

Three girls attempted to make the ears move, yet only one slightly succeeded.

It was pretty entertaining to witness a response, and to my luck they had also invited me to give it a try.

My habit of my lips kicked in as I approached my best friend, who seemed to have already tensed up.

She worried all for nothing, though.

I didn’t even get to come up with a tactic when the ears began moving uncontrollably, resulting the girls to celebrate the ‘great success’ while our experiment’s actual ears began to flush red.

I was at a loss of words myself since I literally did nothing, while there was also a slight hint of disappointment in my chest for missing out on a golden chance to .

Oh well, I shouldn’t be too sad about it though.

You’ve tortured her enough already, Minari.

Also, there’s plenty of chances waiting ahead- since it’s going to be a long, long night.

After walking around a bit more, we ended up in a café to rest our sore legs.

I sat myself across of Chaeyoungie who seemed like her soul had flew out of her petite body hours ago.

She was obviously extremely tired and her face hid absolutely nothing, resulting the others to also become concerned about her.

I watched them quietly as they pampered her with their own methods.

I could only grit my teeth while trying my best to hold back my jealousy, since I knew they meant no harm.

But I couldn’t control my facial expressions as well as I should have.

I wanted to chase them away.

So, so badly.

I finally lost my temper when I saw my friend beg for mercy with her lifeless eyes.

She was on the verge of exploding from the amount of pastries being hand-fed to her.

Even I felt queasy just from witnessing her eat continuously without given a break.

I think the girl had forgotten the fact that stomachs had a limit to how much food they could hold at once.

I forced myself to muster up the courage and spoke up.

“Can you stop?”

My voice was finally loud enough to be heard, but unfortunately the girl didn’t seem to understand.

“But this is so good!” she exclaimed, making me scoff within my mind.

She was about to become a murderer if she feeds her another forkful, and of course I wasn’t going to just sit there and watch it happen.

Not when Chaeyoungie had stepped up to protect me in so many different cases.

“Can’t you see she’s not feeling well?” I semi-growled for the first time ever, “You’ve fed her enough.”

I guess my voice was still too soft for them to take me seriously, since I saw them giggle as a response to my warning.

“Are you being jealous, Myoui?” one asked in between her laughter, causing my heart to skip a beat.

She was correct.

“Aww, does our little princess Mina have a crush on our Chaeng?” the one beside her added; I could feel my heartbeat increase its pace.

Yes, she was also correct. 100%.

I knew clearly that I had feelings for Chaeyoungie, which is exactly why I couldn’t stand this situation any further.

Although they were all nice girls, my best friend had been extremely uncomfortable ever since the beginning.

She didn’t enjoy their skin-ship nor any of the affection they’ve been forcing upon her.

I started to feel guilty for not stepping in earlier despite knowing how she felt the whole time.

Chaeyoungie had never once hesitated to assist me whenever I was in discomfort, yet why couldn’t I bring myself up to do the same for her?

Yes, my voice was easily engulfed by other surrounding noises, and yes I was born timid, but couldn’t I have tried just a little harder for her sake?

It’s silly of me to scold myself now since it didn’t matter anymore.

Chaeyoungie had already suffered.

All these regrets made me incapable of speaking up, resulting the atmosphere to turn awkward from the lack of response.

While I had my gaze glued onto the table, I could see the girls shuffle in their seats uncomfortably from the corner of my eye.

I knew I should say something, but I don’t think I deserve to anymore.

The abrupt sound of a phone’s alarm clock broke the awkward silence, making all of us flinch on our spots.

It turned out to be Chaeyoungie’s reminder about our meet-up time, to which she turned off hastily before jumping up from her seat, visibly relieved to have an excuse to escape.

Apparently her movement was too sudden for her brain to catch up with, since we witnessed her sway weakly before she lost her footing.

Thankfully I was quick enough to catch her before she collapsed onto the floor, holding her up securely with an embrace.

“Chaeyoungie, are you okay?” I asked as I looked into her eyes worriedly.

“Y-Yeah, sorry.”

She stood firmly and was capable of walking by herself again, but I didn’t let her go just yet.

I was still feeling regretful for my previous self who lacked the courage to help her in time, so I had decided to step up my protection game.

Chaeyoungie, from now on, you can count on me to be there for you too.

Although that was what I had intended to do for you ever since we first met, I knew I lacked the actual effort.

I’d like to change that fact by breaking out of my shell more.

I’m here for you, and I’ll always be.

We reunited with the rest of the students and proceeded on to our final location.

It was a local museum which presented the history of the land.

I was fairly intrigued by the information as I enjoyed gaining knowledge, especially about the country that I now live in.

The others weren’t that into the museum since all I saw them do was take pictures of themselves.

Understandable, I guess.

I did describe ourselves as immature, playful teens.

I thought Chaeyoungie would be pretty bored too, yet throughout the tour she had stuck herself by my side and helped me with some translations.

She was the best tour guide I could ever ask for, and I didn’t forget to pay her with more hugs.

She didn’t seem to mind my skin-ship despite her absolute loathe of the ones from the previous girls.

Lucky me.

And just like that, we were driven back to the hotel to call it a day.

The teachers informed us the time for dinner before letting us rest until then.

As soon as we entered our room, I saw my roommate crash straight into the bed lifelessly.

She must’ve been incredibly exhausted from all the chaotic moments we experienced throughout the day. I felt bad for her.

Instead of taking a quick nap, I saw her turning on the television and switching around the channels randomly.

I wanted to cleanse my body since I still reeked of chlorine from the water park, yet I worried about disturbing her possible choice of slumber with the sound of me showering.

Maybe she was the type who required noises within the room in order to fall asleep.

Maybe I think too much- who knows?

Playing it safe, I decided to ask for her permission beforehand. “Is it okay if I go take a shower first?”

Oh God, I hope I didn’t weird her out with the sudden question.

It was merely out of pure intentions.

She nodded, thus I went into the bathroom with a clean set of clothes happily.

I felt incredibly relaxed as I took a nice, warm shower.

I was also extremely exhausted from our adventures, and to feel clean again really helped me recover from my tiredness.

It also felt as if I was cleansing my soul- which I actually needed.

I had way too many improper thoughts throughout the day to which I should really try to erase completely.

I don’t think I’m ready for Chaeyoungie to find out about my true self.

What if she liked this ‘pure and innocent’ version of me better?

Maybe I need to bathe in holy water instead.

When I got out of the shower, I instantly realised a big problem:

There wasn’t a single towel within the room despite it being the bathroom.

Oh.

Just when I thought I could give my heart a break.

And hers.

We were both screwed by this incident.

I’m really sorry, Chaeyoungie.

I swear I didn’t mean it this time.

Regardless of my utter embarrassment, I had no choice but to seek for her help.

“Chaeyoungie!” I had to call out twice before I heard the sound of the TV being lowered, finally capturing her attention.

“Yes, Mina?”

“C-Can you please bring me a towel?”

There was a slight pause until I heard her voice again, which sounded closer than before.

She now seemed to be on the other side of the door to hear better.

“What?”

I repeated my request shyly, to which she immediately took action while nagging about the hotel.

Her muffled complaints made me giggle to myself as I waited patiently and ly.

She knocked on the bathroom door after finding them.

I found myself taking a deep breath before opening it for her, my free arm covering whatever I could.

My face was already burning by the time the door revealed my roommate on the other side.

We immediately made eye-contact, her eyes trembling slightly.

I could tell she was trying her best not to let her gaze wander, which I was thankful for.

My heart would’ve exploded on the spot if I caught her checking me out.

I mean I wouldn’t hate it, I’d just feel way too shy to function properly afterwards.

Chaeyoungie was indeed a gentlewoman- to me at least.

I shouldn’t let any of the guys who had their babies assaulted hear that compliment.

After drying my body successfully, I walked out of the bathroom fully clothed while trying my best to pretend nothing had ever happened.

I took a quick glance at Chaeyoungie who was now sitting on the bed with the television off, doing absolutely nothing.

Was she traumatised by my glory?

If so, I’m sorry for acting so foolishly again.

My intelligence seem to drop whenever I was around her, since I become too flustered to use my brain properly.

So technically, it’s your fault, Son Chaeyoung.

Since you’re the cause to all these feelings within me.

It’s all your fault.

Shaking away any unnecessary thoughts, I tried to move on from the incident by asking her to dry my hair.

She teased me slightly about it, but she still agreed to do so eventually.

My heart pounded in excitement as she went to stand behind me.

While she dried my hair I had my eyes closed to focus on the enjoyment of her touch, which were extremely soft and cautious.

It felt as if she’d never hurt a fly- even though we all know she was more than capable of killing another human being if she really wanted to.

Despite feeling my scalp getting burnt a few times, I enjoyed her service overall.

She was incredibly sweet towards me, and I didn’t know what I did in my past life to deserve her.

You sure are falling for her hard, aren’t you, Minari?

Let’s just hope that you’d get a little break from your Chaeng-feels before dinner’s served.

The missing towel incident was already bad enough… right?

Absolutely wrong.

When Chaeyoungie finished taking a shower herself, she brutally murdered me by walking out of the bathroom in only a towel.

I couldn’t help but stare as she went to fetch her clothes from the closet, and thankfully she was too focused with what she was doing to notice me panicking in homoual.

Was this how our schoolmates felt when they saw me in my swimwear? Because wow.

I’ve never felt my face burn up so quickly and so hot before.

I was ready to die on the spot.

Was this revenge for teasing her all day?

Karma, you definitely got me.

Please have some mercy on my timid heart for the rest of the night.

I don’t think I can survive in one piece if anything else occurs.

お願いします.