Eat The World Tree

Chapter 217: Someone Among Us Is A Flower (3)

The challenger of the Flower and the symbol of the nation. National Tree.

Kim Soo-yeon and Saku.

“Suyu-san, Suyu-san. I saw the academy match.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. We lost that…”

“It was really unfortunate. You did soooo well!”

Even the eldest daughter of an internationally renowned family, Sansuyu, was there. She wasn’t participating in the conversation but simply watching, yet she seemed to radiate light.

Saku cut the bread into pieces, slightly lifting her mask to pop it into her mouth. Each time she did, her jawline became slightly visible. Her cheeks were sharp yet soft.

I also lifted my mask and sipped the tea. I had eaten too much bread earlier. I was conscious of the surroundings, so I couldn’t continue my meal.

The appearance of the two National Trees drew the attention of those around us.

The transparent artifact floating around was now filming the three women in front of me. It’s clear that I’m the only one excluded from the broadcast.

-Slurrrp.

Enjoying the taste of properly brewed black tea, I watched the women chatting in front of me. With one hand, I operated my phone, searching for information about the women in front of me.

[Yoshino Saku]

20 years old. Japan’s National Tree.

The second daughter of the Sakura family and a genius in spirit magic. Although recorded as an A-grade hunter, her actual abilities were unknown. She showed a knack for being a spirit mage from a young age, surpassing her elder sister to be selected as the National Tree.

This was my first time seeing a spirit mage, aside from Jin Dallae. There are so few who can communicate with spirits that I had never faced a spirit mage before.

And the next person was.

[Kim Soo-yeon]

20 years old. South Korea’s National Tree.

Granddaughter of the Sword Saint… Following in her grandfather’s footsteps, she quickly reached high levels and became Korea’s pride. The Sword Saint. The invincible chairman of the Hunter Association. I had an inkling, but to think she was his successor.

I smiled, making sure it didn’t show on my face.

“Oh, right….”

While I was looking at my phone, she started talking to me.

“…You said you resolved the rampage incident with Spring Peach Blossom. I almost forgot… I wanted to thank you on behalf of the association.”

“Oh, you mean that incident.”

“Yes. It was a very dangerous situation.”

“There was no need to thank me. It was the right thing to do.”

Not wanting to appear unfriendly, I responded smoothly, and Soo-yeon smiled brightly.

“No. Even if it was the right thing to do, stepping up in that situation wasn’t easy. Especially for an academy cadet without real combat experience.”

She seemed to recognize and praise my efforts. As a recognized public figure and a National Tree, this moment being broadcast was the perfect time.

Just her saying it brought many advantages.

In other words, it meant my name had spread enough for even a National Tree to know me.

“People like you becoming hunters would make the world a better place. Thank you.”

“That’s too kind.”

Recognition. If I ever joined a guild in the future, it could be beneficial. Although I had no plans. But from others’ perspectives, it was something to be happy about.

As I thanked her, I took another sip of tea.

Somehow, the conversation became stiff. It’s a conversation between a mere human and a National Tree, so I couldn’t use informal speech here. Sansuyu and Saku blinked, looking at me.

“Me too~ Me too. I think it’s cool. Shiheon-san is kind. A good person.”

“Haha, thank you.”

“Is Shiheon kind…?”

Sansuyu dragged her words. Why was she looking at me like that? Honestly, if you asked objectively if I was a good or bad guy… Hmm.

I was not good.

Accepting that, I brought the teacup to my lips again.

‘Ah.’

The teacup was empty.

“Shiheon-san~! See you later!”

“If you need something, I’ll see you then. Saku, this is a selection competition. Stop yelling.”

“Eeh~”

After the meal, I parted ways with the two National Trees.

Saku, wearing a fox mask, excitedly waved her hand as Kim Soo-yeon lightly tapped her head. I would see them again in the future, but it’s burdensome given that I’m a mere human.

The adaptation period lasted for three days. It’s short for an adaptation period, but with a hunter’s stamina, it was more than enough time.

When I checked my phone, it was already 11 PM. It should have been broad daylight by now.

I had trouble sleeping lately, and my biological clock was now off. Training was tougher than sleeping. Should I just go to my room and play on my phone?

As I was pressing the door lock of my assigned room, Sansuyu followed behind me.

“Isn’t your room upstairs?”

Sansuyu tilted her head without answering my question. When I pressed her crown with five fingers, she frowned.

“There’s nothing to do.”

“If there’s nothing to do, you should logically enjoy some leisure activities downstairs.”

Why did she always look for me when she was bored?

If she had nothing to play with, it would be different. Since we had to spend several months here, there were plenty of facilities in this building. Internet cafes, cocktail bars, massage shops, etc. You could enjoy almost all the leisure activities you would find in a big city inside this building.

Sansuyu stood blankly, staring at the door lock. It looked like she was urging me to open the door quickly and go inside.

“It won’t be fun.”

“I don’t care.”

“…Alright, suit yourself.”

-Click.

When I opened the door and went inside, a spacious room greeted me.

Better than most hotels. A large refrigerator, a sofa, a kitchen, and even a pantry. The power of the World Tree Foundation, where money from all over the world gathers. The facilities were so excellent that the word “overkill” seemed an understatement.

-Click.

The sound of the door lock from the next room. If there was a small flaw, it was that the soundproofing was slightly inadequate. But it was just living noise, so it wasn’t a big deal.

As soon as I put my luggage down, I flopped onto the bed.

“Sleeping?”

“Just lying down.”

-Rustle.

Sansuyu, who followed me, looked at my face as I lay on the bed and tilted her head. Then she rummaged through her luggage and pulled out something. It was a notebook and a textbook.

“…I was going to suggest we study.”

“Even here?”

“…Yes.”

Ah.

We were students, weren’t we?

It had only been a few months since we were studying and training hard. It felt like ages ago.

After the Forester Selection Competition ended, the midterm exams for the second semester would start immediately. From late spring to early fall, we had to stay here.

Of course, the grades themselves would reflect the midterm exam scores from the first semester. However, the curriculum lagging behind other cadets was an inevitable phenomenon.

“…Then I won’t do it either.”

As I lay there without reacting, Sansuyu threw her textbook somewhere. She rustled and climbed onto the bed, resting her head on my stomach.

A light weight settled precisely on my belly button.

“Can’t you lie down properly?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“…You always pull my cheeks.”

As if in petty revenge, she pressed her head down more firmly. It was just cute anyway. As I tried to pull her cheeks with a smile, she slapped my wrist the moment my hand touched her cheeks.

“I don’t like being touched.”

“Double standards?”

“…What’s that?”

When I did it, it’s romance; when others did it, it’s an affair. It’s a typical trait of someone you didn’t want to get close to, someone who did what they wanted but forbade others.

After roughly explaining that, Sansuyu nodded with a complicated expression.

“A person you don’t want to get close to?”

“Usually, yes. It depends on the case, though.”

“…Then, go ahead.”

So, there’s no option to take her head off. Understanding Sansuyu’s four-dimensional thoughts was too much for me.

I reached out and squished her cheeks. They stretched like sticky rice cakes, and a gloomy voice leaked from her mouth.

“…Euh.”

“Malleable” Sansuyu. That’s the fixed nickname I saw in the community where Sansuyu was active last time. Despite me telling her not to do that, this girl had become an admin of the community.

For some reason, it felt unfair. I pulled her cheeks with some force.

-Streeetch!

-Snap!

When I let go, her cheek snapped back like a rubber band. Sansuyu rubbed her cheek with her hand. It must have hurt because I pulled it too long.

“Shiheon is bad. Not a good person.”

“Sure, let’s say that.”

“…”

-Thump, thump.

I responded appropriately to Sansuyu’s complaints while reading articles on my phone.

30 minutes. 1 hour, 2 hours.

Time passed quickly as I lay in bed. Sansuyu idly lay there killing time, curious about what videos or articles I was watching, and lay beside me. She took my pillow and watched videos with me until her eyelids drooped, and she quickly fell asleep.

Though it was my room, Sansuyu ended up occupying the middle of the bed. I had no intention of sleeping, and as I continued tapping on my phone, I heard faint sounds from the next room.

-Ah, …Ahng.

Even with sufficient soundproofing, I could hear it.

A woman’s moan.

-…It’s driving me crazy. Ahng, Ahhh! Ahng! Why are you so good? Ahng!

The translator device in my ear was working unnecessarily well.

Since it mimicked the tone, intonation, and pitch of the voice, the woman’s moan hit my ears twice in a row.

‘…Why are they having sex here?’

The Olympic village. I had heard urban legends about such things happening there.

I vaguely knew those kinds of risqué stories, but even in this global event, it seemed nothing had changed. People were enjoying the three days of free time to the fullest.

It’s no joke.

I quickly removed the translator from Sansuyu’s ear. For some reason, she had a strong pure image, and I felt it wouldn’t be good for her to hear such sounds.

-This… is this really the position?

-Of course.

-…Ugh, ooh! It’s so potent…

Thump, thump.

Was the lack of soundproofing a problem only in this room? I also removed my translator and placed it on the nightstand, feeling a bit more relieved. Even so, the moaning from the next room didn’t stop.

-Ahng! Ahhhhh! Ahng!

‘……’

Anyone hearing this would think someone was dying.

Unfortunately, I had a lascivious nature, so hearing those sounds made me feel worse. Lately, I had been more prone to sexual frustration. Jin Dallae was rather pleased, seducing me whenever she could, but she was not here.

I turned my head to look at Sansuyu.

Her innocent eyelids were closed in deep sleep. Her eyelashes were long, and her skin was pale. When I saw her last time, she was so frail that I hesitated to even touch her, but since I started treating her, she seemed to have regained some health.

A delicate face. Looking lower, I saw sweat pooled in her collarbone.

The indoor clothes provided for the Forester Selection Competition weren’t tight-fitting, but since Sansuyu’s size was so large, her chest was excessively prominent.

Watermelon or melon.

Her chest looked even softer than her cheeks. I covered my eyes.

‘What am I thinking about a sick girl.’

Damn my lecherous thoughts…

Thinking that, I tried to cover Sansuyu with a blanket to avoid looking at her.

“Mmm…”

As I pulled the blanket up to her chest, she made a faint sound.

-Drip.

The sound of liquid dripping. I lifted the blanket in surprise.

What?

I slowly pulled down the blanket and looked at the source of the sound. For some reason, Sansuyu’s chest area was wet.

There was no reason for water to spill, and it wasn’t leaking from the ceiling. The stain on her clothes was too dark to be water. It seemed slightly sweet-smelling.

Most importantly, the location of the wet spot was directly related to a woman’s sensitive area.

‘Uh…’

I quickly realized what it was.

“…Huh?”

I was so shocked that I was at a loss for words.