Chapter 81: King Of Shower Room

Chapter 81: King Of Shower Room

The next day.

We learned Kumamons true identity from the firefighters who arrived early in the morning.

It turned out that Kumamon was a moon bear that had escaped from Chiba Zoo two days earlier, having fled its enclosure while the keeper was momentarily away.

Considering that, we understood why it was extremely sensitive when we first met.

It must have been furious, being starved for two days and then startled by Satoru mistaking me for him and suddenly shouting.

Bears are often described as animals with incredible patience, but it seems that doesnt matter when theyre hungry.

Anyway, thanks to Sashas on-the-spot taming, Kumamon returned to the zoo without any injuries, bidding a tearful farewell to the students.

Goodbye, Kumamon.

Grrrrrr!

Dont cry. A man shouldnt cry over such things.

Although they spent only one night together, Sasha seemed to have grown quite fond of it.

I couldnt properly say goodbye as it whined and tried to avoid me, but well, maybe Ill see it if I visit Chiba Zoo later.

Anyway, the second day of the school trip dawned.

Yesterday, the courage test ended abruptly due to the moon bears appearance, but tonight a campfire was scheduled.

Because of this, the boys in our class seemed a bit edgy.

Well, to be precise, it was probably all the second-year boys who came to the field school.

While eating a budae-jjigae flavored cup ramen I bought from a Korean market for breakfast, I mentioned this, and Satoru clenched his wooden chopsticks in anger.

You, surrounded by girls, wouldnt understand! The sorrow of singles whose girlfriend-less period equals their age!

No, Im single too.

Stop joking! You liar!

Satoru gestured angrily, but I felt a bit aggrieved, too.

Honestly, how many girls my age would like this face and this body?

If there were, they must have a very peculiar taste.

Rika and Karen were just normal friends, and I honestly didnt know what Sasha was thinking.

She confessed out of the blue on her first day of transfer, but never showed any favor after that.

So, I interpreted it as her just playing a prank.

As a celebration of our safe reunion after the fight with Ivan.

Anyway, while the two of us were bickering, Sakamoto, who had just returned to the tent with a towel on his head, asked,

Arent you two going to bathe? The shower is empty now.

Oh, Ill go after finishing this.

After responding, I slurped the broth of the budae-jjigae flavored cup ramen I was holding.

Typically, Japanese cup noodles were mostly soy sauce or salt-based.

So, when I craved spicy ramen, I used to go to a nearby Korean market to buy Korean cup noodles.

Given my preference for spicy kimchi and cup noodles, it seemed I was born a true Korean at heart.

After quickly finishing the remaining cup noodles, I put the used wooden chopsticks and empty containers into a disposable bag and decided to go to the shower with Satoru.

Having spent about three months in the same class, Murasaki knew that Kim Yu-seong was more gentle than his fearsome reputation suggested, but last night during the courage test, when Kim burst out wearing a red oni mask, he almost wet his pants.

The destructive power of Kims deep, unique voice was beyond imagination.

And with his large size, the intimidation he provided was even greater.

Up to this point, everything was okay.

All he needed to do was offer a direct apology to Kim Yu-seong.

Ah! Sorry?

So, Murasaki lifted his head to apologize, but at that moment

He found himself staring directly into the eyes of a yacha.

Uh!

No, it was a mistake.

His overly developed back muscles had created the illusion of a yakshas face. 1

However, the overlap of the red oni mask he had seen the night before and the muscles etched on his back reignited his forgotten fear.

Shivering uncontrollably, his hands and feet began to tremble wildly.

In that state, Murasaki heard a stern warning from Kim Yu-seong, who was showering.

Whoever you are, be careful. The floor is slippery.

Yes!

Murasaki, responding loudly, managed to control his trembling body and hurried into the opposite shower room.

His two friends, who had been watching, asked if he was okay, but Murasaki didnt respond and quickly turned on the water.

Even as steaming hot water cascaded over his head, the chill he felt lingered for a long time.

Murasaki realized something very clearly.

Only a strong individual like Kim Yu-seong could dominate the academy.

After showering and feeling refreshed, I noticed the stares from those around me were odd.

I realized it was because, unlike usual, I was wearing only a thin T-shirt that accentuated the contours of my body.

Feeling inexplicably shy, I hunched my body, and Mr. Matsuda, who was also in a short-sleeved tee like me, glanced at my body and quickly headed toward the dormitory.

It seemed he ran off, perhaps to avoid comparison.

Actually, Mr. Matsudas physique was quite impressive among ordinary people.

After drying my hair with a towel in the tent, I stepped outside just as the teachers were summoning everyone to gather in front of the campground.

It appeared the girls from the neighboring tent had already left, so Sakamoto, Satoru, and I made our way to the stage at a leisurely pace.

Now, todays schedule is to visit the Chiba Marine Ecology Park, have lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then return in the afternoon for a treasure hunt and campfire.

The schedule was as previously announced.

Todays schedule seemed more substantial than yesterdays, which was somewhat relieving.

Had we been scheduled for environmental cleanup activities again today, there surely would have been complaints among the students.

Alright, lets get going, so everyone, please get on the bus!

Following the teachers instructions, the second-year students began boarding the tour bus one by one.

It finally felt like we were on a real field trip.

ED/N: When someone is referred to as a "yaksha," it typically means they are being likened to the mythological beings from Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain traditions. In other contexts, "yaksha" might be used metaphorically to imply negative qualities, such as ferocity, aggressiveness, or a demonic nature, particularly if the context draws on the more fearsome depictions of yakshas.