"Isn't that Yunyun? Our village's hero!"
"gumin, you're our hero too!"
The day after they took down the Demon King's General, Shichen walked through the village with gumin and Yunyun. Everywhere they went, villagers gazed at the two girls with open admiration, showering them with praise.
News of yesterday's subjugation had already spread. To the chūnibyō-leaning Crimson Demons, this kind of feat was basically the dream scenario of "looking cool in front of everyone."
So much swag!
Especially compared to everyone else—just imagining the mont when the others were powerless while gumin and Yunyun turned the tide… If it were you, that would feel amazing.
"No, no, just routine work."
"Mhm, it was all thanks to everyone's perseverance."
gumin and Yunyun couldn't hide their pride—beaming smiles, cheeks flushed. Pure, unfiltered happiness.
Today's little "victory lap" around town was gumin's idea. Yunyun, while a pretty normal girl, couldn't resist the experience of walking down the street basking in everyone's adoration. She used to be treated as an oddball, after all.
Now she'd learned advanced magic, beco a village hero, and grown more confident—all because she t Shichen. Thinking of that, she looked at him, her affection nearly spilling over. Her heart thumped extra hard, like that night when she was wrapped around "Shichen-kun."
She wanted a repeat—just not right now.
Aqua and the others hadn't co along—only Shichen, gumin, and Yunyun. Since they hadn't contributed to the fight, there wouldn't be much praise for them anyway. Better to stay ho and play gas.
"gumin, Yunyun—do you know that person?"
Up ahead stood a girl dressed a lot like they used to dress, sporting an eyepatch. The chūnibyō aura was strong… but she was pretty. The Crimson Demon n were hit-or-miss, but the won were all gorgeous.
"Isn't that Arue?" gumin said. "It's her…" Yunyun's face soured.
She was the novelist whose book had sent Yunyun into a panic and prompted their trip back to the village.
Arue noticed them looking and waved excitedly.
"Shichen, what do we do?"
"Let's go say hi."
"You're not interested in her, are you?" gumin eyed him suspiciously.
"Cut it out." Shichen flicked her on the head.
"Mm…"
Pouting and rubbing her head, gumin walked over to Arue.
"Long ti no see, Arue."
"gumin, long ti no see! Perfect timing—can you look at this? I just finished Chapter 2 of my Chronicles of the Crimson Demon Heroes. I think the scene of Crimson Village engulfed in flas is especially brilliant—sure to be a masterpiece."
"Is that so? Then let savor it… like hell!"
gumin took the stack of pages—and imdiately slamd them to the ground.
"Eh? My manuscript! gumin, what are you doing?!" Arue scrambled to pick up the pages.
"Hmph! If not for you, would we have rushed back? And you even wrote that Yunyun and Shichen have a kid in the future! You've got the nerve to write a second chapter—and Crimson Village in flas? How badly do you want our village destroyed!" Arms crossed, gumin planted a foot on one of the pages.
"Ahhh! M-my masterpiece… a week of sleepless nights…" Arue stared blankly at the trodden page, as if her spirit had left her. The characters were sared under gumin's boot print.
"Oh? The unflappable Arue actually looks depressed. First ti I've seen it." gumin felt zero guilt—she even piled on.
Arue just stared at the page. Soft-and-hearted Yunyun, who had scolded her before, couldn't help patting her shoulder to comfort her.
"M-gumin, we finally et again—how did you get so rude? How could you treat like this…" Arue asked, hurt.
"Hmph~ You brought it on yourself. Writing clumsy trash is one thing, but writing that Shichen and Yunyun have a kid—why don't I get one?"
"C-clumsy trash?!" Arue reeled. "Clumsy trash." "Why are you like this…"
"gumin, don't. She's really upset," Yunyun said.
"Why are you taking her side? She duped you! Don't tell just because she wrote you and Shichen having a kid, you've forgiven her?"
"N-no…" Yunyun protested, embarrassed. "Knew it." gumin rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay—Yunyun, don't bully Arue. You're all friends. Take it down a notch, yeah? Since you're reunited, let's not fight," Shichen stepped in to diate.
"Why are you siding with an outsider? Don't tell you are into her?" gumin glared.
"As if." Shichen karate-chopped her head.
"Ow! You hit for an outsider."
"Zip it." He scooped gumin up into his arms and gave her pert backside a pat.
"Mm…" gumin imdiately curled up obediently.
"Um, Arue, you okay?" Shichen asked at last.
"I—I'm fine…" She shook her head, then looked up at Shichen—and froze. It was her first ti seeing a man this handso, as if he glowed—not like a re mortal. She wouldn't dare write soone like him into a novel.
"Hey! How long are you going to stare at Shichen?" gumin snapped.
"Eh? Ah! S-sorry…" Arue tore her gaze away, blushing, but couldn't help sneaking glances.
"gumin's just ssing with you. Don't mind her," Shichen smiled.
"It's okay, it's only one page," she said quickly, cheeks red, hugging her manuscript. "Good."
"Are you the Shichen gumin always talks about?" Arue asked.
"That's ."
"I see…" She looked at gumin, happily nestled in Shichen's arms, and understood. No wonder gumin was mad.
But hadn't Yunyun praised that baby scene earlier? What was going on?
"Isn't that gumin and Yunyun? Why's Arue here too?"
Two girls around their age waved as they walked over.
"It's Funifura and Dodonko," Yunyun nad them.
Shichen's face tightened. gumin and Yunyun's nas were tolerable, but these two… Only in Crimson Village.
They reached gumin, gave Shichen a quick dazzled once-over, then looked away shyly and turned to the girl in his arms. "Long ti no see, Gag Mage— gumin."
"Who's a Gag Mage?!" gumin glared.
"Don't be mad~ We were just teasing. It's been a while."
"Yeah, and…" One girl smiled.
"You two were so cool yesterday."
Then she looked away again, blushing.
"Honestly, you really changed my mind about you," the other said. "You two were so scatterbrained before, I used to worry about how you'd turn out."
"Right, right—gumin's a bit childish, and Yunyun seed like she'd fall for the wrong guy way too easily… But seeing how well you're both doing now, I'm relieved." The first girl turned back, smiling.
"Funifura, Dodonko, you…" Yunyun looked moved.
"Hmph~ We don't need your concern," gumin answered tsundere-style. Then, proudly: "Let introduce him. This is Shichen, our party mber and a-also…"
"H-hello…" The two girls bowed shyly to Shichen before gumin could finish.
"Nice to et you. Thanks for looking after gumin and Yunyun," Shichen smiled.
"N-no, they used to look after us…" they protested, faces red.
"Hey! What are you two getting all shy about?" gumin suddenly barked—and dropped a bomb. "I know you haven't had much romance, but don't you dare set your sights on my man!"
"Eh?"
The two girls, and Arue, froze.
"gumin, you—?" Yunyun stared at her.
"Y-your… your man? The gumin whose heart holds only magic has a man? T-that can't be real—you're ssing with us, right?"
"Right! gumin who doesn't care about fashion at all suddenly has a m-man? No way… Right, Arue?"
"Uh… Yunyun, is Shichen really gumin's man?" Arue asked.
"Th-that…" Yunyun looked at gumin curled in Shichen's arms, then mustered her courage and shouted, "Shichen is my man too!"
"Eeeeh—?!"
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