The Virgin Hero Who Fought in the Dungeon for 20 Years Returned to the Surface Only to Find the Population of the World Has Dropped Drastically, with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:1000 - 80

Chapter 80: The Taxi Driver’s Trap

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“Ah… nnh…”

Rion let out a breathy, pained sigh.

“…!”

No way. Did I… d-did I just touch her? Even though I just moved my finger a little. Did I graze her? With this God Finger of mine!? W-wait, wait. Just now… Wasn’t that part kind of hard? Rion-chan’s girly little tip…It was hard, right?? Like, is this Hatch Potch Station or what!?

As Ryuuto imagined himself pinching and twisting Rion’s delicate tip like a dial phone, he endured the gnawing temptation and prayed to the heavens. (For what, exactly?)

That today, too, the world might be at peace.

While he was thinking about such ridiculous things, the story continued.

On-screen, Noah and Allie were steadily deepening their love. Noah, the very embodiment of a wholesome American dad, lovingly offered pancakes to Allie. The warm, gentle scenes were enough to melt anyone’s heart.

It’s so wholesome. I like it.

But of course, a wall of social class stood tall between Allie, a proper young lady, and Noah, a blue-collar worker. At first, Allie’s parents welcomed Noah, but the moment they learned he worked at a lumberyard, their attitudes turned into utter, arrogant disdain. Especially Allie’s mom—her scorn toward Noah was infuriating. Allie’s dad, at least, had some decency and didn’t show it outright. But that only highlighted the disparity between their families’ wealth. Ryuuto, who was not known for his patience, felt his blood boil. He ground his teeth as he stuffed popcorn into his mouth.

Goddamn. If I were there, I’d roast that old hag medium rare.

Still, it was probably proof of how immersed he was in the film.

Then Allie went off to college in the city, and their fleeting summer romance seemed to come to an end. But Noah continued writing to her every single day for a full year—365 letters. These days, he could’ve just sent a quick email or DM, but considering the prewar setting, it was clear how devoted he was to her. Or maybe, in a kind of stalker-ish way.

Furthermore, Allie’s mom hid all of Noah’s letters. Ryuuto’s rage meter continued to rise.

And then, war broke out. Noah was drafted and sent to the battlefield. With no chance to close the emotional distance between them, time just kept moving forward. Eventually, Allie got engaged to the son of a wealthy landowner—a bourgeois lapdog. Wanting closure, she returned to the hometown where she had spent that magical summer, and fate reunited her with Noah once more.

And then, the story returned to the nursing home seen at the beginning. The elderly Allie, having recalled everything, realized the old man reading the story to her was her husband—Noah. But the time left for them was heartbreakingly short.

It would be nice if they could die together…

The elderly couple lay down in a single bed, hands tightly clasped, and drifted off to sleep.

Morning came. A nurse found them in the hospital room—never to awaken again. Noah and Allie, sleeping side by side. It was the purest scene in the world, a love that remained true to the end.

“It was cliché, but it was really good.”

“Totally.”

“Yeah.”

“For sure.”

The four of them exited the theater with tear-swollen eyes. They were all highly sensitive. When you boiled it down, the plot was simple: lovers forcibly separated by their parents eventually met again and were reunited by fate. That was all. The core was basic, but the acting, visuals, and use of props were excellent. 

Ryuuto accepted a pocket tissue from Haruka and gave his nose a hearty blow. Rion and Kyouka quietly fought over the used tissue to collect it.

“Man, movies really are something special.”

At Ryuuto’s line, the three girls tilted their heads, question marks practically hovering above them. It was in moments like this that Ryuuto felt the massive generation gap.

“…I don’t really get it, but yeah!”

“Wait. That was apparently a catchphrase from Haruo Mizuno, who used to do commentary on Friday night movies.”

“Wow! Ryuuto-san, you know so much!”

“Stop, please, I’m begging you—don’t look it up.”

Ryuuto looked half in tears. He suddenly felt like Urashima Tarō. But still, he was in high spirits. Surrounded by three beautiful girls and sharing some physical affection—life was good.

Though, if you asked me whether I was actually able to focus on the movie, well… Not really.

The plan was to grab tea with the three girls before heading to the hospital where Sayaka was. But that plan fell through.

Because the moment the locals caught wind of Ryuuto’s presence, they descended on the theater like a swarm of locusts. Ryuuto then contacted his big sister. IN no time, a team of black-suited bodyguards came. They somehow cleared a path through the crowd, and managed to escape. The luxury sedan headed straight for the hospital.

Well, school starts tomorrow, so I’ll see everyone again soon anyway.

He sank into the luxury seat with a sigh.

“So fluffy…”

“Ryuuto-sama, this vehicle was crafted with top-class materials provided by Koyota Textiles. Please, rest your body with peace of mind.”

“Ah, thanks. But is it really okay? I’m just going one or two stops, and all of you are driving me in such a fancy car…”

“What are you saying!?”

“Whoa.”

The driver suddenly turned around and shouted.

“Even if it’s just a hundred meters, being able to drive Ryuuto-sama is the greatest happiness a woman could hope for! Do you know how tough the selection process was? Do you know the miracle that occurred for me to be chosen as today’s driver!? Because I do!”

“S-sorry.”

The driver—a stunningly beautiful woman who looked to be in her early twenties—wore a taxi company’s cap. With snow-white skin and pink lipstick, she had the aura of a Takarazuka actress. Ryuuto couldn’t help but feel this world was wasting its talent given how many beautiful women he had seen. As he stayed silent, the driver, her face flushed red, stared intently at him. 

Wait, is she even paying attention to the road?

“Driver-san, eyes on the road!”

“Ah! I can’t believe myself. What a rude thing to say! I deeply apologize, Ryuuto-sama. But please, allow me to carry out this final duty—driving you to the hospital—before I atone with my life!”

“Don’t! Just—don’t go dying on me. Eyes on the road, please!”

“Yes, sir! I couldn’t help being mesmerized by your gallant face, Ryuuto-sama. But worry not. I, Kana Kisaragi, have received special training. Looking away for just a few seconds will not cause an accident.”

“Are you serious?”

“I lied. Actually, this car is fully autonomous. I’m just holding the wheel for show alone.”

“What!?”

“That was also a lie. Ryuuto-sama, you believed me? Hehe, how cute.”

“Is it a lie or not!? Just drive safely, please!”

“Fret not. Please, leave everything to this Kana.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“Ryuuto-sama.”

“What is it?”

“To entrust the steering wheel is to entrust your life.”

“…Well, I guess that’s true.”

“Which means… The two of us are already bound by fate! Ah! That means we’re no longer strangers, right!?”

“No, we are strangers. Total strangers! Hey, wait—why are you taking off your jacket? And your shirt? How the hell are you in just your underwear with the seatbelt still on?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not wearing anything underneath.”

“That doesn’t help at all!”

“May I humbly request permission to move to the back seat?”

“Denied! What are you trying to do!?”

“Just thirty seconds! I swear I can make you explode in thirty seconds! All I need is for you to be in the mood! Please! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime request! Kana’s one and only wish!”

“You’ve said that, like, ten times already!”

“Ahhh, Ryuuto-samaaa. Look, look! My legs are so long and soft. You can do whatever you want with them, okay?”

“Who the hell approved her as my driver!? Wait, you’re actually climbing over? What about the car!?”

“It’s on autopilot. Haa, haa…”

The car’s interior had become absolute chaos. Yet, somehow, the vehicle smoothly approached the hospital. Kana glanced around, quickly put her uniform cap back on, and donned a serious expression. But below the waist, she was completely naked. Even her shoes were kicked off and tossed onto the passenger seat. She pressed the gas pedal barefoot, breathing heavily.

A pervert. No doubt about it. She was a genuine pervert.

“Ahh, yes… Just a little further and we’ll arrive. Aahh, with just one tiny lapse of reason, I’m going to lose everything I’ve built—my academic background, my military record, and the honor of being appointed Ryuuto-sama’s personal driver at the age of 23. Society won’t forgive me. Even his elder sister Kazuki-sama won’t forgive me. An unhinged spinster trying to seduce her heroic younger brother? My family, my younger sisters—everyone will shun me…! Ahh, just thinking about that…”

“Thinking about that?”

“Turns me on so much!”

“YOU’RE JUST A STRAIGHT-UP PERVERT!!”

“Uu… Uuuh…”

The car descended into the hospital’s underground parking. The sudden slope made the vehicle sway slightly. Kanade hung her head, sniffling. Ryuuto, genuinely concerned, called out to her.

“Hey… What’s wrong? Don’t cry.”

“I-I’m sorry. But… Could I just hold it for a second?”

“Uh, sure…”

A handshake, maybe? Ryuuto leaned forward and held out his hand.

“Ryuuto-sama’s thing, I mean.”

“Sympathizing with you was my mistake!!”

“Uwaaahhh! I just thought… That if I didn’t do something like this, I’d never get close to Ryuuto-sama! Aaaah, I’m gonna get fired. Fired, fired, fiiiiiired!!”

“Don’t cry. Your name is Kisaragi-san, right? I’m not gonna fire you. I’ll explain things to Nee-chan later. Besides, meeting like this might be fate too. Our meeting was a bit sudden, sure, but I like beautiful women too.”

“Eh… I-I’m beautiful?”

“Yeah. When you act normal, you’re seriously gorgeous. So have some confidence. Someday, a great guy will come along.”

“Ryuuto-sama… Are you… God? A god?”

“C’mon now.”

With a sharp screech of brakes, Kanade brought the car to a stop. For a while, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel, trembling. Then she let out a low groan—“Ugh!”—and fell still.

Ryuuto instinctively reached for the door to escape. But it wouldn’t open.

It was locked.

“I understand. I cannot thank you enough for forgiving all my repeated offenses. From now on, both professionally and personally, I pledge to serve Ryuuto-sama with my entire body and soul.”

“By the way, what’s with the trembling?”

“It’s the… Afterglow.”

“Nee-chan, you seriously messed up with the hiring process…”

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