Genius Swordsman In Reverse Game

"What do you want─ Huff!?"

Startled by the sudden voice, the women turned around with annoyed expressions, only to swallow their words at the sight of Kang Do-hee.

"Let go of him while you still can."

Kang Do-hee gestured at the hand on my shoulder, her voice low and threatening.

"What business is it of yours─!"

One of the women, unwilling to admit that she was intimidated, raised her voice defiantly.

But at her tone, Kang Do-hee's eyebrows twitched.

"Are you talking back to me?"

"Y-You were the one who spoke informally first…"

"I said, let go."

"Wh-What business is it of yours…"

"Just an acquaintance."

"Don't, don't lie…"

The woman's hand was still on my body, and Kang Do-hee's patience was wearing thin, her frown deepening.

'Hmm, they don't seem like they'll back down easily.'

I quickly assessed the situation and made a decision.

They were intimidated by Kang Do-hee's aura, but with three of them and their pride at stake, they didn't seem likely to back down without a fight.

It seemed like I would have to step in.

'If something happens here and it gets out of hand, it could become a hassle.'

If news spread that an Academy cadet, especially the dealer of Utopia, had assaulted civilians, it could become a major issue.

Even though Shin Se-hee was skilled at damage control, there was no need to create unnecessary trouble.

Having made up my mind, I pushed the women away and walked over to Kang Do-hee, linking arms with her.

"Hey! Honey! Why are you so late!"

Everyone, including Kang Do-hee, wore expressions of surprise.

"I've been waiting. I got held up by some weird girls."

I winked at Kang Do-hee, signaling her to play along.

'Just go with it!'

Kang Do-hee cleared her throat. "I. Was. A. Bit. Late."

Although she finally caught on to what I was doing, the problem was her terrible acting skills!

Her voice was stiff and robotic, and her facial expressions were all over the place.

'Ah… Our Puppy can't act, can she.'

Fortunately, her awkward acting skills seemed to go unnoticed by the women in front of us.

"What? What do you mean, weird girls!?"

"What a jerk. You were just playing with another girl… Did you have a separate girlfriend!?"

The woman spoke as if she wanted Kang Do-hee to hear her.

'They're the ones who came up to us first, saying we were playing with other people.'

I casually tightened my hold on Kang Do-hee's arm.

"My dear is a wonderful woman with a broad mind who understands everything."

"Of. Course."

Kang Do-hee nodded awkwardly.

"Wow, what a player… Pretending to be innocent and playing everyone."

"You bastard…"

The women muttered curses under their breath, their faces twisted with resentment.

But why would I feel insulted by their words?

In a world with opposite gender norms, their insults didn't even come close to being offensive.

I was immune to insults about my parents or even personal attacks, so this was nothing.

"Thanks for the compliment."

I winked and smiled, leaving them speechless.

But from Kang Do-hee's perspective, it seemed like she didn't appreciate their comments, as she bristled and took a step forward.

"Those bitches are like trash…"

"Honey, don't get mad. We're here to have fun, so let's not waste time on these idiots."

"..."

"Why don't we do what we always do, but somewhere more private? Since we're at the beach."

"...!"

At my words, the women could only bite their lips, unable to refute the sense of defeat they felt.

'So why did you bother me?'

.

.

.

After dragging Kang Do-hee away to a more secluded spot, she finally spoke up.

"So, what do we do now, honey?"

"...I think it's about time we switch, Jin Yuha."

Kang Do-hee said bluntly.

"Why, honey? Isn't this our date time?"

Just then, Lee Yoo-ri's wristwatch alarm went off, and Kang Do-hee appeared. What did this mean?

Well, they had planned to switch partners like a revolving sushi bar.

'Hmm, it sounds weird when I say it like that.'

But I understood why the party members had organized this activity in this way.

Spending time alone with each other allowed us to get to know each other on a deeper level, not just as a group but as individuals.

In other words, their intention was to foster stronger bonds and camaraderie within the party, not just as a collective but as individuals!

'They're doing this to help Sophia fit in naturally since she just joined.'

Hmm.

It must be hard for her to adapt suddenly, but with this kind of consideration, she would settle in quickly.

"...That kind of talk could be misunderstood by others, so stop it."

"Why, honey, we should enjoy this kind of mood at times like this."

"...What nonsense!!!"

Look at her.

Even the strong and straightforward Kang Do-hee was flustered and embarrassed, her face turning bright red.

It was a feeling of something damp and obscure being touched within me.

When I had grappled with her in bed, making her admit defeat and showing her the TV screen, it had been a deeply satisfying memory that still brought me a sense of pleasure.

'Hmm, it would be fun to tease her a bit more, but… Why don't I try to hook her completely?'

I thought for a moment, then unlinked my arm and nodded casually.

"Okay, fine. Let's stop. Ah, it was fun though."

Kang Do-hee's rigid body also relaxed as the tension eased.

"...Tsk, you're good at saying such cheesy lines."

"It's fun, isn't it? Hey, Kang Do-hee, do you have anything you want to do here?"

"Hmm, to be honest, I don't really have anything specific in mind. I'm not really the type to enjoy places like this."

Kang Do-hee, with her arms crossed, spoke in a disinterested tone.

I smiled inwardly.

Hey, Puppy.

You're going to enjoy yourself today.

At this beach.

"Hmm, okay. Then how about we make a bet? The loser has to grant the winner's wish."

I suggested casually, as if the idea had just occurred to me.

"...A bet?"

At the mention of a bet, her eyebrows twitched with interest.

'That's right. I'm just throwing out the bait.'

Kang Do-hee had a strong competitive streak, and she never turned down a challenge.

"Yeah, do you see that black dot over there?"

I pointed to a tiny speck in the distance, and Kang Do-hee narrowed her eyes to get a better look.

"...Is that a rock?"

"Yeah, let's start from here and see who can touch it first. But, no mana, only physical abilities."

At that, Kang Do-hee let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Ha. Jin Yuha. Do you really think you can compete with me physically?"

'Yeah, you're pretty confident right now.'

I delivered the line that had a 100% success rate in hooking Kang Do-hee.

"...Scared?"

Grrr─

"Don't regret it later."

"I'll be the one saying that to you later, begging you to grant my wish."

"...Ha, you'll be the one begging."

'You've taken the bait.'

.

.

.

Step─

Step─

The two figures cut through the water, their bodies slicing through the waves.

As soon as the race began, Jin Yuha and Kang Do-hee dove into the sea without hesitation.

The rock was quite a distance away.

Kang Do-hee scooped up handfuls of water and pushed them away forcefully.

With each motion, her body surged forward with incredible speed.

As she swam, she glanced back surreptitiously.

Swosh!

A white spray of water rose as Jin Yuha, kicking with fins, pursued her closely from behind.

'Amazing, as expected.'

Kang Do-hee was impressed, her admiration hidden beneath the surface.

She had gained some insights from the recent training sessions with him.

Although they had not fought at full strength, treating it more like a friendly spar, she had noticed significant changes in his aura and abilities.

Perhaps Jin Yuha had already surpassed her in strength.

Previously, she had been confident that she could beat him by a hair's breadth, but if they were to fight now, she honestly couldn't predict the outcome.

However, even she was surprised by how far he had come.

Perhaps it was because she had expected that he would eventually surpass her.

Honestly, she didn't know.

But she wasn't consumed by a sense of defeatism.

On the contrary, she felt even more motivated.

She had never had a true rival among her peers, and now she had someone with whom she could truly compete.

'But not today.'

Even though Jin Yuha had grown stronger, he still lagged behind her in physical abilities.

As if to prove this point, Jin Yuha had been right on her tail, but he couldn't close the gap between them.

And the rock, which had only been a tiny black dot in the distance, was now right in front of them.

As Kang Do-hee reached out to touch the rock─

Boom─!

A sudden explosion sounded from behind.

'What the─!?'

Kang Do-hee turned around, startled by the unexpected noise.

What she saw was the sight of Jin Yuha leaping into the air like a dolphin.

Thud─

He landed gracefully on top of the rock, looking down at her.

"I won, Kang Puppy."

Grrr─

There was no way she could accept this.

Kang Do-hee, overcome with frustration, shouted angrily.

"You, you!!! You used mana, didn't you!!!"

"Nope."

Jin Yuha shrugged, shaking his head.

"How, how is that possible without using mana─!"

"Oh, that? It's a technique my master taught me. Let me show you."

Jin Yuha pushed off from the rock and fell into the water.

Contrary to expectations, he didn't sink immediately.

Instead, he slowly sank into the water, even seeming to float for a moment!

"...Th, that's─!"

"It's called the Shadow Step technique. You lightly step on the water, and without mana, you'd sink immediately. But if you apply a little variation to the principle, voila!"

Boom─!

Jin Yuha pushed off the water and jumped.

Seeing this, Kang Do-hee bit her lip.

"...Isn't that cheating!!!"

"Hmm? Cheating?"

"Yes! The first one to arrive here by swimming─."

"Who said that? I clearly said, 'From here, whoever touches the rock first. No mana, only physical abilities.'"

"...!"

"There was never any mention of swimming."

Jin Yuha casually wagged his finger, looking down at Kang Do-hee.

"Kang Do-hee, you should have paid more attention to the conditions from the start."

.

.

.

"..."

Trudging out of the water, Kang Do-hee looked like the life had been sucked out of her.

'Hmm, did I go too far?'

I had planned to use the Shadow Step to beat Kang Do-hee from the start, but seeing her so dejected made me feel a little soft.

'No, no. It's not.'

A match is a match.

Since Kang Do-hee took competitions seriously, it would be an insult to her if I went easy on her or gave her special treatment.

In fact, if I didn't give her a proper penalty now, she would be angry.

'Hmm, what should I wish for with this wish right?'

I never intended to take anything from Kang Do-hee.

After all, we were party members and bound by trust. If I wanted something from her, all I had to do was ask.

'Hmm, it's difficult to think of something that she would consider a punishment but that I want to see…'

I stared at Kang Do-hee, pondering what to wish for.

'Ah, she absolutely hates calling someone "oppa," right? Should I make her do that? No, that's too weak. Too weak.'

In this world of reversed gender norms, being called "oppa" was the same as being called "noona" in the original world. (Informal/affectionate way to call someone older. Oppa is older brother and noona is elder sister)

Then, I suddenly remembered how much Kang Do-hee had hated the expression she made earlier, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Puppy, I won."

"..."

Kang Do-hee clenched her teeth, glaring at me.

She seemed to be struggling to accept the defeat, even though she knew she had lost.

"And this was a bet. The loser grants the winner's wish."

At that, she sighed heavily, resigned to her fate.

"Okay, what do you want me to do? Money, gifts… Anything, just name it."

"Hey, would I ask for something materialistic from you?"

"...Th, then, th, that weird grappling thing─!"

"No, we've already done that, so it's boring."

"Then what!!!"

Kang Do-hee barked like a desperate puppy.

I held up a finger in front of her and smiled casually.

"For today, call me 'honey' for the rest of the day."

"...What!?"

"Can't you do it? This is a legitimate wish from the winner of a fair bet. And it's just for today. It means you have to do it in front of the party members too."

At that, Kang Do-hee's face turned as white as a sheet.

Desperately, she pleaded:

"...Something else! Anything else!"

I shook my head firmly.

"Anything else, just please!"

"No, I'm not changing it. It's a deal."

"Well then, Kang Puppy. Shall we give it a try? Honey."

"..."

Kang Do-hee glared at me, her face bright red.

She could kill a person with that look.

Slowly, her lips parted.

"...H-Honey…"

Just as she was about to utter the word with great reluctance.

Beep – Beep beep –

Kang Do-hee's wristwatch went off.

"Oh, time's up! Then, I'll be on my way!"

Boom─!!

Kang Do-hee vanished into thin air at lightning speed.

"...Wow, that's some speed. But we'll meet again later, right?"

I shook my head, amused, as I watched her retreating figure.

"Hmm, Kang Do-hee is surprisingly punctual, isn't she?"

And the third partner.

Shin Se-hee appeared before me.

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