"Hori-san. Here… drink some water."
She'd shed so many tears that I feared she might die of dehydration rather than from a zombie attack.
I handed her a water bottle, and she gazed at me for a moment—making me nervous—before snatching the bottle and gulping it down.
Ha~
She then released a heavy breath, just like everyone does after drinking water.
"Sorry for showing you such a sight, Kobayashi-kun."
A bit embarrassed, Hori-san hid her face, not wanting me to see her crying. Still, it confuses me. Why don't girls like to show their crying faces to boys?
"No, it's alright. It's normal in times like these. And Hori-san, if you don't remember, you already hugged and cried in my arms a moment ago."
"Gah!"
Hori-san snapped her face out of her hands and grabbed my collar, shaking it furiously. Now that she remembered that moment, embarrassment overwhelmed her.
'Damn! So embarrassing! Not just once but twice!'
And as part of her character, when Hori-san gets embarrassed, her skills activate on their own.
[Frenzy Activated!]
With a dark look that could kill, she spoke, almost making me lose it out of fear.
"Forget it!"
"Y-Yes, I'll forget it! Just don't shake me so hard! Please!"
Hori-san's temper… Sorry, but I don't want to deal with it unless there's some kind of reward, you know. But all this made me realize again and again that, despite Hori-san being an anime character, she's a regular girl.
'It would've been better if she hadn't been chosen as a player.'
That thought crossed my mind. But, of course, I'm pretty happy being a player. The glow on my face was evidence enough.
"Kobayashi-kun."
"Hm?"
"You're really strong."
Me? Strong?
It makes me a bit embarrassed. Still, I am quite strong, right?
But remembering my scuffle with Saeko… Damn! I am still behind by quite a few miles. I should ask Saeko to teach me some swordsmanship.
"Do you remember the time you fought those green monsters?"
Is she talking about the Gate that appeared inside the classroom? Hori-san, her friend, and Asuna were there, and I saved them by killing the goblins with a desk.
Damn! I sure was cool at that moment. Though, I was pretty scared too.
"Hori-san, are you talking about the goblins?"
"Yes. I guess those monsters are called goblins. I was so scared then. But Kobayashi-kun, you fought them off and saved me. Even now, you saved me from the zombies. I'm really grateful for that."
"W-Well, if you say that much, it makes me a bit embarrassed."
"Is that so? I thought Ren Kobayashi, the Lust King, wouldn't be embarrassed by compliments."
"Hey! I am a human too!"
Even though I'm a bit open about "certain" things, I'm also weak to straight compliments, especially if they're from girls.
What man isn't weak to compliments?!
Still, these interactions brought a chuckle to her face, making the grim atmosphere feel a tad bit brighter.
"Monsters… Zombies… Really, you're strong, aren't you, Kobayashi-kun? You can face all these things without any fear. You're the same everywhere. I envy you, Kobayashi-kun."
"Hori-san…"
"Sorry. I said something weird. We shouldn't be talking like this now."
For a moment there, I felt that Hori-san showed me her real self, only to retract it back. Under that responsible, bright exterior lies something—a secret self that needs care.
In the anime, it was the same, right?
She was the only one who didn't hang out normally like other students because of her responsibilities. Not that she hated those responsibilities, but sometimes one really wonders if I too could be like that.
That's why she came to fall in love with Miyamura, who also had a hidden side that others didn't see.
"Hori-san."
"Hmm?"
And I gave a karate chop to her head, earning an "Ouch!" from Hori-san.
"Why are you hitting me out of nowhere, Kobayashi-kun?"
"I'm just calming Hori-san down. You really overthink too much, Hori-san. And as for being envious, I'm the one who should be envious of you!"
"Huh?!"
What's with that surprised face? I'm not lying at all! Do you know how envious I am of you beautiful girls and boys? I've even prayed for you lot to die! Of course, that prayer was only for beautiful boys, but still, you get the point!
"You're beautiful and a bright girl. You're so popular at school. Many boys have confessed to you!"
As my narration continued, Hori-san's face grew redder and redder with each line. And…
"If I could become like you, then girls would fawn over—!"
[Frenzy Activated!]
Bang!
And a punch landed on my face, silencing me.
"That's it. No more words!"
"Yes, ma'am."
…
"Seriously, your punches are just too strong, Hori-san. Are you sure you're a girl?"
"It seems you want one more of these."
She flexed her fists, making me bow down.
"I'm sorry."
My behavior just made her sigh. Even though she knew it, once again she realized that the boy in front of her was really the same, even in the face of danger.
"Really, Kobayashi-kun, you really are the same."
"Of course, I take pride in it. Doesn't Hori-san take pride in it too?"
"Pride in what?"
She looked at me with a confused gaze, not understanding what I was talking about.
"I'm talking about being a big sister. Now that I remember, Hori-san's casual look is amazing too. It's different from your bright high school self and has the scent of a housewife~"
"Y-You… Where did you…"
Ah~ She didn't know I saw her secret self, right?
"Hmph! Hori-san, don't you know my moniker? I'm the Lust King, Ren Kobayashi. Of course, I know the details of the girls I like."
"Y-You pervert!!! I'll kill you!"
[Frenzy Activated!]
"W-Wait! Don't hit— Argh! I didn't peek—"
Bang!
There she was, Kyouko Hori, the real monster!