I Asked A Beautiful Girl, Who Was About To Jump Off The School Rooftop, 'If You're Going To Die Anyway, Could You At Least Take My Virginity Before You Go?' To My Surprise, She Agreed. - Chapter 79: The Former Introvert Returns To His Girlfriend's Room.

The Former Introvert Returns To His Girlfriend’s Room.

I, Ueno Yakumo, awoke on a bed, glancing around in slight confusion.

Where am I?

But I quickly realized the answer—this was Hatsune-san’s room. I’d made it back to my own world.

It was late summer, nearing the end of the break. I had gone to that other world a second time, with a clear purpose: to take down that so-called “Evil Dragon Lord” Volcanius and rescue Hatsune-san’s parents. Having a clear goal made the journey shorter than the first time, though I still spent about two months there by their time. Quite a long stay, actually.

I looked over at the digital clock near the bed: September 7th, 5:52 PM. The sky outside was tinged in orange.

I remember transferring back into Hatsune-san’s room earlier this morning, and she’d arrived shortly after, tackling me almost immediately. It felt like one long battle after that, followed by a nap… probably for about an hour.

Admittedly, I might have gone overboard. But honestly, we both had been apart for so long that I suppose it was inevitable. She’d been saying how lonely she was, telling me to brace myself, and I’d been holding back for two whole months over there… so yeah, restraint wasn’t my strong suit.

“…I’m definitely feeling it now,” I muttered.

The effects of overuse were hitting me hard. Traveling between worlds and fighting with cheat-like powers was always an insane amount of strain. After pushing myself too far, I had burned out my strength this time around. Hatsune-san had pointed out I seemed smaller, and it wasn’t just her imagination—losing all the otherworldly power in my body had done a number on me.

“Guess waking up back to normal was wishful thinking. Still… I’m bigger than I was before my first trip, at least.”

But I could feel it—my body was weaker now, and my abilities were gone. In short, I was back to being an ordinary high school student. I had no regrets, though. This was just me returning to who I truly am.

And unlike the guy who went off to the other world for the first time, now I had a beautiful girlfriend.

“Humming a happy tune?” I heard her in the kitchen, her hum floating out cheerfully. I sat up to get a better view and our eyes met.

“Oh, Yakumo-kun, you’re awake? I’m making dinner, so hang tight, okay?”

“Thanks.”

I wanted to help, but my body felt too sluggish to even move. And without clothes on, I was in danger of catching a cold, so I dragged myself out of bed and reached for something to put on. Grabbing my shirt and underwear from the floor, I dressed myself slowly and glanced over at Hatsune-san.

Just seeing her in an apron, busying herself in the kitchen, felt incredibly calming.

“Hatsune-san, you’re amazing. You were so exhausted halfway through even though you’d come at me so full of energy, and now you’re already back to normal.”

“Come on, it’s unfair to bring that up, Yakumo-kun! …Though I do feel great now, thanks to you.”

“I’m glad I got to see your cute reactions, so I’m satisfied.”

“You’re being mean, Yakumo-kun…”

She gave me a sulky side-eye.

“Well, you were pretty pushy, so I guess this is payback?”

“Hmm, I thought I could take you this time…”

“I’m definitely weaker than before, no doubt.”

My height and build had both scaled down a notch.

“Seeing you now makes me remember the first time I noticed you.”

“You mean when we ended up in the same class in our second year… No, I was away in the other world until the end of April.”

“Well, actually… I saw you once at the start of first year.”

As she spoke, she glanced over at the simmering pot on the stove. Judging by the smell, it must be miso soup.

“Back in first year, huh… That’s surprising.”

At least on my end, I hadn’t expected Hatsune-san to have taken any notice of me back then.

“Yeah. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t really have a place in the classroom, so I’d wander around looking for somewhere quiet to eat my lunch alone.”

“Sounds like classic loner behavior.”

I’d had the same experience myself.

“Anyway… I happened to spot you, Yakumo-kun, eating lunch confidently on the rooftop.”

“‘Confidently’… But I was also just running away from the classroom like you.”

“Except in your case, you didn’t look like you were hiding from anyone; you looked like you were really enjoying yourself.”

That sounded like a view through Hatsune-san’s rose-colored glasses, but that meant…

“So I was just a brazen loner?”

“No, not brazen… It’s just that, unlike me, who worried about not having friends, you seemed to be taking life at your own pace, and it left an impression on me.”

“At my own pace, huh…”

I’d grown so accustomed to my solo lifestyle that I rarely questioned it anymore.

“That’s when I first thought… I’d like to talk to you, Yakumo-kun.”

“Really? I don’t remember us ever talking that year.”

If Hatsune-san, as beautiful as she is, had spoken to me, a lone introvert with few interactions, I definitely wouldn’t have forgotten it.

“…Because I was way too shy to approach you.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

I could completely understand that.

“Since then, every time I saw you, I’d feel a bit curious. I didn’t even know your name until we ended up in the same class…”

“Then why did you seem so cold when we finally talked on the rooftop?”

On that day in mid-May, as I went up to the rooftop for my daily reading, I happened to encounter Hatsune-san as she was about to jump.

That was the first time we’d spoken.

At the time, I thought I was the only one who knew who she was. Unlike me, Hatsune-san had already gained a reputation in our school as the most beautiful girl since our first year.

“I was dealing with a lot back then… And, well, Yakumo-kun, you looked different, didn’t you?”

Back then, she was being bullied, and, overwhelmed by it all, she was about to take a drastic action. Meanwhile, I had been missing from school from a week before the semester started until the end of April because I had been transported to another world.

“True, it must’ve been strange to suddenly see an unfamiliar guy start attending right after Golden Week.”

“And then, you said something completely out of left field. I mean, who says, ‘If you’re going to die, at least take my virginity first’! Even now, thinking about it, it was… questionable.”

Hatsune-san glanced at me as she plated the food, giving a small, pained smile.

“…At the time, all I wanted was to stop you from jumping. I figured if I could get your attention, anything was fair game.”

“Oh really? Even if it was just in the heat of the moment, if you weren’t already seeing me that way, you wouldn’t have come up with that line, would you?”

Maybe so.

It wouldn’t be true to say I hadn’t noticed her at all. Even as a lone wolf who kept his distance from other students, I knew her name and had heard the rumors about her being the most beautiful girl at school. It wasn’t like I was consciously collecting information, but, looking back… I’d sometimes caught myself following her with my eyes whenever I saw her around school.

“So, I hit the mark?”

Hatsune-san teased me while carrying two plates over, a playful glint in her eye.

“Well… and here I thought you just started liking me after realizing my power might be useful when you went along with that crazy suggestion. But maybe, you’d already had me in mind a bit?”

“Even if that’s true, saying it out loud is mean, you know?”

She set the plates down, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“I couldn’t resist; I wanted to see your reaction.”

“If you keep saying things like that, I’ll make you go without dinner, Yakumo-kun.”

I hadn’t eaten anything since morning, and I was completely worn out. On top of that, I had been missing Hatsune-san’s home-cooked meals ever since my time in the other world. I couldn’t bear the thought of skipping dinner in this situation. I resigned myself to it.

“…I think I’ve been conscious of you for a while now, Hatsune-san.”

“Fufu. I love how honest you are, Yakumo-kun.”

Hatsune-san’s dazzling smile was like a balm for my soul. It was so soothing. This was definitely better than the brutal days I spent in the other world. Some might long for the thrill of immersing themselves in a fantasy realm, but I preferred the simple pleasure of having casual conversations with my girlfriend.

“Now, let’s eat!”

As she encouraged me, I tried to rise from the bed. At that moment…

“…?”

I noticed an odd weight and presence in the duvet beside me. It felt like something—or someone—was there.

When I lifted the blanket to check, there was indeed a person lying beneath it.

“Why are you here…?”

It was someone I recognized. However, they shouldn’t have been in this place… in this world.

“Surprised, are you? I followed you, Yakumo-sama, and ended up in this world too.”

The girl had brown skin and striking silver hair, along with physical traits that were uncommon in this world. She calmly emerged from the duvet and stood up beside the bed.

“W-who is this girl? Is she wearing a maid outfit? And those ears… are they long?”

Hatsune-san was utterly bewildered. I could hardly blame her. Anyone would feel this way if a mysterious girl suddenly emerged from their blanket. It was even more shocking given that she was an elf maid from another world.

“Pleased to meet you, young lady. I am Meryl, Yakumo-sama’s dedicated maid and… local wife.”

“W-wait, local wife?”

Meryl’s declaration only added to Hatsune-san’s confusion. She stood there, flabbergasted, before turning to me with a questioning look.

“…Yakumo-kun, can you explain what’s going on here?”

Hatsune-san’s voice had dropped slightly, the sweet atmosphere shifting into what felt like a battlefield.