The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1162 - 177 - The Forest Of Doom (4)

After we finally wrapped up our training session, I found myself hesitating instead of immediately sitting down or stretching like usual. My entire body was slick with sweat, my shirt clinging uncomfortably to my skin, and my breathing was still slightly uneven from the exertion. My hair stuck to my neck, and sweat dripped down my temples, but despite all of that, there was something nagging at the back of my mind.

Something I’d been wanting to ask for a while now.

Before I could overthink it any further, I turned toward her.

"Hey, Kaori," I said, my voice a little hoarse from the dry air and exhaustion. "Can I ask you something?"

She glanced at me, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "What is it?"

I paused. Just for a second. The words didn’t come out immediately because I knew exactly how sensitive this topic was. Even though days had already passed since everything happened, that didn’t mean it was any less delicate.

"Well... this might be kind of insensitive," I started slowly, choosing my words carefully. "Especially since you just went through a breakup. But I still want to ask because I realized I never really asked you about it back then."

I didn’t want it to sound sudden or careless. It wasn’t something I could just casually throw out there. Even now, my chest felt a little tight just thinking about it. I’d been curious for a while—about what she really felt, not what she showed on the surface.

"The way you’re dancing around the question is making me nervous, Ayaka," she said, giving me a suspicious look. "What do you actually want to ask?"

I swallowed, feeling my throat tighten.

"I was wondering... if there really weren’t any feelings you had for Tsubasa-kun back then."

The moment the question left my mouth, Kaori stopped moving entirely.

The air felt heavier somehow, like everything went quiet all at once. She didn’t respond immediately, and I could tell I’d hit exactly the kind of topic I’d been afraid of. Just as I thought, it was a taboo subject for her—raw, sensitive, and still lingering beneath the surface.

"I’m sorry," I said quickly, panic creeping into my voice. "I shouldn’t have asked like that. It must still be a fresh wound, right?"

She exhaled slowly, then looked away.

"Well... it doesn’t really bother me that much anymore," she said after a moment. "And honestly, I think I already know why you’re asking something like this." She turned back to me, her gaze sharp but not hostile. "Ayaka, you like Tsubasa, don’t you?"

"W-Wait, how did you know?!" I practically shouted, my voice jumping an octave.

My face instantly felt like it was on fire.

She laughed softly, clearly amused by my reaction. "It wasn’t exactly a secret to me," she said. "I pretty much know everyone in our class who has a crush on Tsubasa."

She let out a small chuckle. "I mean, whenever you’re near him, you’re always blushing. You get flustered so easily. There’s no way I wouldn’t notice."

My heart pounded loudly in my chest.

W-Was I really that obvious? I’d thought I was being careful. There was no way I’d been showing my feelings that openly... right?

"D-Do you think... Tsubasa-kun knows?" I asked quietly, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound calm.

"I don’t think so," Kaori replied without hesitation. "He’s ridiculously dense. Like, unbelievably dense. He can’t tell if someone loves him or not." She sighed, though there was a faint smile on her lips. "Honestly, it irritated me sometimes. How clueless he could be."

Her smile lingered, but it wasn’t carefree. It felt nostalgic, almost bittersweet—like she was remembering moments she could never go back to.

"Well," she added softly, almost to herself, "I guess that applies to both of us."

She said that last part so quietly that I might’ve missed it entirely if my senses hadn’t been heightened. The words barely carried, but they landed heavily.

"To answer your question," she continued, her tone more serious now, "I did have feelings for him."

My chest tightened.

"I just realized it far too late."

There was something somber in her voice when she said that. Not regret exactly—more like quiet acceptance. The kind that came from understanding you couldn’t change what had already passed.

***

Ten days.

We had been here for ten days already, and as of now, it didn’t feel like we’d made any meaningful progress at all.

Day after day, it was the same routine. The same scenery. The same enemies.

All this time, we’d been fighting demon rabbits.

Apparently, this area was their natural habitat, which explained why they were everywhere. They were far more common here than anything else, and no matter how many we killed, it felt like more just kept appearing.

Because of that, the boys were the ones doing most of the fighting.

They killed the demon rabbits quickly and efficiently—almost mechanically. There was no hesitation, no wasted movement. It was unsettling in its own way.

Leading the charge was Amakawa-kun.

He moved with frightening speed, his movements sharp and decisive. Even when the demon rabbits stopped fighting back—when they were clearly terrified and scrambling to escape—he didn’t slow down.

He kept killing them.

"Ugh, boring. This is getting really boring," he muttered after finishing off the last demon rabbit.

He looked down at the creature he’d just stabbed, then kicked it with little effort. The demon rabbit’s body flew through the air, slamming into a nearby tree and splattering against it. Blood sprayed outward, staining the bark and ground.

"Amakawa-kun, could you please take this more seriously?" Kashiwagi-kun said, his voice firm.

Amakawa-kun turned sharply. "What do you mean?" he snapped. "I’m taking this as seriously as it gets. Do you think I’m just messing around here?"

"To me, it looks like you are," Kashiwagi-kun replied calmly.

He wasn’t wrong.

From where I stood, it was obvious. Amakawa-kun looked like he was enjoying himself. Like he was treating everything as a game—like our situation didn’t matter at all.

"You know what?" Amakawa-kun said, glaring at him now. "I really don’t appreciate you saying that, Kashiwagi. Don’t tell me you’re trying to show off, especially since the girls have been ignoring us lately."

His tone grew sharper, more hostile.

"You’ve always been like this," he continued. "Come to think of it, I’ve heard about you before. You’re the type who wants a harem, right? Acting all nice so you can brainwash girls into falling for you. You really think that’s going to work?"

"I have no idea what you’re talking about," Kashiwagi-kun replied coldly, glaring back at him. "I’m just telling you that you can’t treat this like some joke. The rest of us are taking this seriously. We all want to go back to our world."

"Screw that," Amakawa-kun said without hesitation. "I like this world."

He spread his arms slightly, as if gesturing to everything around us. "I’m getting everything I ever wanted without even trying. Why would I give this up when everything here is better?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Don’t you feel the same?" he added. "I mean, you’ve fucked one or two maids in the castle already, haven’t you?"

The reaction was immediate.

The girls froze, shock written clearly across their faces. A few gasped. Others stiffened, their expressions pale. None of us had any idea what he was talking about.

"W-What... are you talking about, Amakawa-kun?" Yamamoto Sakura asked, her voice trembling.

She was one of our classmates—and it was no secret she had a huge crush on Kashiwagi-kun.

Amakawa-kun didn’t answer right away.

He simply smirked.