Translator: SCP-423

Editor: Terra

Read at Watashi Wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 5: At the gatekeeper’s station, exposed stomach?

Vidello-san’s throat rang with a gulp, and I realised that the arm pinning my waist was suddenly full of strength.

Still holding me, Vidello-san stood up vigorously. Lifting me up, without sparing a glance for the dying dragon or its combatants, he started to move toward the gate.

“I can walk on my own…”

“You were attacked pretty badly just now. I’m fine because Mac healed me, but Mac isn’t okay yet.”

That wasn’t true, because I sufficiently drank the same potion. Besides, the blow was considerably reduced because Vidello-san was pinned under me. While Yuuta’s shouts of “Alright! Quest Clearrr!” hovered in the back of my mind, I still didn’t feel like resisting Vidello-san, who had been dying earlier, so Vidello-san dragged me to the gatekeepers’ office as we were.

Vidello-san carried me into the gatekeeper’s station, which I would never normally be able to enter. The stone walls of the station were like something you’d see in a movie, with the details perfectly reproduced. Was this really a game? I wanted to delve into it.

It was a new experience for me to see the inside of the station, and I looked around while Vidello-san finally put me down on a wooden chair. With a sigh of relief, I peered up at his face. Suddenly, I noticed stares from behind Vidello-san.

The guards, who were apparently resting at the station, were curiously scrutinizing us. I was being watched!

“Vidello-san. I don’t think it’s a good idea to push down a cutie in broad daylight and rough up their clothes.”

“You’re wrong!”

One of the guards called out to us with a straight face, and Vidello-san and I shouted at him in unison. I mean, even though the horns sounded out an emergency and adventurers set out, the inside of the station was peaceful. I couldn’t feel the commotion outside at all. When I asked Vidello-san about this, he told me that gatekeeping is quite a nerve-wracking job. So if you don’t take a good break, you’ll feel uncomfortable, and if you make a mistake, it leads to the deterioration of the city’s security, so unless it’s a real emergency, the outside situation is not transmitted into the station. It’s true that being a gatekeeper seems fun, but I’m sure it’s not easy at all.

“In the meantime, I’ll lend you my clothes. Mac’s clothes have become disheveled.”

“Eh, that’s fine.”

“Don’t be shy.”

Vidello-san asked one of the guards to bring me something to drink, then disappeared into the back and returned right away. Huh.

“On second thought, it’s difficult changing clothes in a place like this, come with me.

“Ok.”

I mean, changing clothes. If you choose to change the equipment in your inventory, the equipment just changes on the spot, but because he’s not a player, Vidello-san wasn’t well informed in that area? While following him, I hesitated about what to do. I walked down the corridor to the back, and I was a little excited when I saw the row of doors and realised here were the guards’ private rooms. Even the back of this building was well-made! Vidello-san and his friends lived here! This seemed less and less like “Simple NPC” however. It appears that NPCs also have normal livelihoods.

As I looked around, impressed, Vidello-san stopped and opened one of the doors.

“This way. It’s my room so please make yourself at home.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Upon entering the room, there was a bed, a bookshelf, a closet and a desk. The bookshelf was packed with books. I wondered what kind of books Vidello-san read, and if I’d learn anything from reading them. Like learning skills. I heard plenty of stories that you can get skills from trivial books like this. I’ll ask him later. But would that be rude?

Restlessly standing at the entrance to the room, Vidello-san opened the wardrobe and took out some clothes.

“Your innerwear is worn out and your belly is visible. You look thin, but you’ve got proper muscles.”

“Because it takes physical strength to be a pharmacist.”

“Really?”

Although I was really an alchemist. When collecting ingredients, strength will increase steadily. While laughing, Vidello-san enthusiastically removed the clothes he was wearing. Immediately after that, the clothes that were worn out by the dragon’s claws tore apart and turned into a messy pile of tattered cloth. I couldn’t help but laugh, and Vidello-san laughed out loud, too.

He had a lot of muscle, by the way. It didn’t go as far as gorimaccho, but it wasn’t as thin as fine macho either. He had the kind of muscles that men long for.

“There’s no wounds or scars on your side. That’s good.”

“Now now, don’t look at my body. You should do something about those rags, Mac. Or are you deliberately exposing your stomach?”

“No, no; nobody would be tempted even if I exposed my stomach.”

While speaking the unfortunate truth, I deselected my equipment in my inventory. Then, for some reason, the equipment I was wearing fell to the ground at my feet. Huh, so it wasn’t just stored in the inventory. In my innerwear, I picked up the equipment that had fallen at my feet.

Ah, it had 0 durability. The equipment was broken. Was that why it fell at my feet?

“That’s as good as rubbish now. Do you have replacement equipment?”

“Yeah, I do. Just a moment.”

I put on my spare equipment from my inventory. A breastplate suddenly appeared on my body with a poof.

“…The innerwear is still torn.”

Even with new equipment, my stomach was still exposed. But I haven’t had to change my innerwear since I started playing the game. How did this happen?

“You don’t have a change of innerwear? Then it’s fine to wear mine and go home. If you walk along the roadside the whole time with your stomach exposed, you might get caught by us for disturbing the public peace.”

“What do you do about bikini armor!?”

Crap, I didn’t know Vidello-san was such a fun person. We usually only met at the gate while Vidello-san was on duty, so we didn’t have such friendly conversations. It’s somehow thrilling.

Unequipping my equipment once more, I gave up and took off my innerwear.

“Mac.”

Vidello-san, who was staring at me, called to me.

“What?”

I met the gaze of the shirtless Vidello-san, and Vidello-san’s gaze was directed at the scar on my stomach.

I had a scar on my belly that looked like it was scratched by claws, starting at my navel and covering my left side. This scar, chosen when I was doing character creation, was tragically stylish right? It was an optional scratch that I put on because I felt like it. It wasn’t a scar from a severe wound that never faded. It was a wound inflicted by impulse and a little bit of *chuunibyou. So don’t look at it with such sorrowful eyes!

“You’ve been having trouble up until now too, haven’t you?”

“Nope, not at all, I’m perfectly happy! It’s fine!”

But I couldn’t tell NPC Vidello-san that I played around with character creation and stuff! How should I explain? I really couldn’t explain it to begin with! It’s really amazing that the scars had been reproduced so realistically in this game. Even though I stressed my happiness, Vidello-san’s eyes remained fond. He took a step closer to me.

“Isn’t there any pain or twitching anymore? It must have been very difficult with such a big wound.”

“It’s not like that at all. It doesn’t hurt. Uhh, I don’t know what to say. Look, since I’m really healed now. Don’t worry about it.”

The moment I covered the wound with my hand to divert the conversation, Vidello-san’s fingers stretched out to me. He caressed the back of my hand. Aaa me at the beginning, why did you choose this kind of scar!? That’s it! Finally, I could play the game I had been waiting for! Because I made the character with overpowering excitement! Stupid me!

“Hoo, clothes, I’ll put them on.”

Close! Because Vidello-san’s handsome face was close! Speaking of which, I recently gave him a potion by mouth. But I was just thinking non-seriously because it was just a game. I had never had a girlfriend in my life, so of course I had never kissed. But this is an avatar, and I was saving a life, so it doesn’t count, right!?

“I’m sorry I sent you off without stopping you, even though the forest was kind of weird today. I’m glad to see that there are no scars left from today…”

Shirtless, Vidello-san gently puts his arm around my waist. Our bare skin is touching! But somehow, he sounded relieved, so I couldn’t push him away, but what should I do? It didn’t feel unpleasant. Handsomeness is godly!

“I’m glad that Vidello-san’s wound healed.”

“That’s because Mac gave me a potion.”

THAT’S RIGHT. It was mouth-to-mouth, wasn’t it?

“At that time, I thought it was pretty dangerous. But I was able to save Mac and I had no regrets, so it was ok.”

“No, it wasn’t ok! I’m fine, so don’t be so reckless. At that time, you could have avoided it if you wanted to avoid it, right?”

“If I avoided it, Mac would have crashed into a tree and that’s dangerous.”

“Because I can return from death!”

Vidello-san’s existence will be over when he dies. When I said this, Vidello-san looked into my face as if he had just realized what I meant.

“I see. Mac is a Foreigner… When I saw Mac being attacked, my mind just went blank and my body automatically moved.”

Our foreheads are stuck together. His eyelashes are so long, they almost touch my face.

“That’s right, Foreigner huh…”

For some reason, the muttered words made me feel guilty. I’m sorry I’m not a person from this world. I thought with all my heart as I saw Vidello-san’s slightly downcast gaze.

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Lu: *”chuunibyou,” or more commonly referred to as “chuuni” (中二病) or “8th grade syndrome” is a Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.

Yeah no, I seriously just googled it. Sorry for the delay fellas, hope y’all found the chappie to be hilarious.