The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Hmph.

I had no idea what kind of “mistake” Sylvia was referring to.

If we’re talking about times Alice got angry or annoyed with me back in that world, there were more than a few.

Of course, after we entered the academy, that sort of thing hardly ever happened anymore.

Maybe I hadn’t been able to give up morphine even after joining the academy?

If the Sylvia in the game already knew about the future, and was trying to prepare for it in some way, maybe she was using every method at her disposal.

And then she probably tried to take the blame all by herself.

That’s a classic character cliché, isn’t it?

I had a vague feeling about where this version of Sylvia’s story was heading.

She’d shoulder everything alone, take on the role of the villain, or something like that... only to be saved by the protagonist, Leo.

“Unnie, it’s dripping.”

It was only when I heard Claire’s voice that I snapped out of my thoughts and returned to reality.

In my hands was a hamburger.

Last night’s stream had made us a decent amount of money. Not enough to call it a windfall, but certainly enough that going out like this to eat wouldn’t put a hole in our bank account.

Honestly, if our viewer count keeps rising, maybe we really can survive off streaming alone for a while?

I’d thought about editing the videos and uploading them to streaming sites for extra income, but decided to shelve that idea for now. Whether I learn to edit or hire someone else, it would cost time and money either way.

I bit into the burger, filling my mouth.

It felt like eating “unhealthy food.”

Not that hamburgers were inherently unhealthy—ingredient by ingredient, it wasn’t all that bad.

But the greasy taste felt like it was directly piling fat onto my body, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty even as I enjoyed it.

Because yeah—it tasted really good.

“It’s not even that expensive, so I don’t get why it tastes this good.”

Alice said that, looking seriously at the cheeseburger in her hand.

Well, it wasn’t just a basic cheeseburger. I wasn’t stingy enough to only buy the cheapest burgers for sisters who had just come to this world.

“Two beef patties and a heap of cheese. Of course it’s good.”

Exactly. Two thick beef patties, cheese sandwiched between them, and more cheese layered between the bun and the patties.

It was a combination designed to be delicious—it had no choice but to taste good.

...Come to think of it, why didn’t the Azerna Empire have food this simple?

Did the developers follow the lore too closely?

Seriously, if they’d just put some fish and chips between two buns, that alone would’ve been good. They already stuff all sorts of things between bread—why didn’t they think of that?

“I feel like I’m really going to miss this...”

Claire, who had eaten plenty of bad street food, looked like she was about to cry.

...Yeah.

I think I missed this a lot too.

I’d adapted to the Empire’s food from living there so long, but I used to think about this kind of food all the time.

...Maybe it was because that world didn’t have a country like America.

I looked at the two sisters, both eating their burgers with blissful expressions.

They were dressed in modern clothes that matched this world. Claire wore short denim shorts and a long-sleeve shirt—kind of like a college student. Alice had cotton pants and a button-up shirt, looking more like an office worker. Strangely, they didn’t look that different in age at all.

As for me, I was going to wear jeans and a hoodie, but I’d ended up in short shorts just as short as Claire’s, a sleeveless top, and a shirt thrown over it.

I would’ve preferred something more modest, but the two of them pestered me so much that I eventually gave in.

“By the way, that game we played yesterday...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Claire had already devoured her burger—which had one shrimp patty and one beef patty—and was now reaching for the chicken burger we’d ordered on top of our sets.

“The you in the game felt a little different from the real you, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, it looked a bit different from what we experienced.”

Alice replied to Claire’s comment. She’d already finished her own burger and was now picking fries off the tray we’d dumped them all onto. There was still another unopened burger in front of her too.

“If you both keep eating like this, you’re going to gain weight.”

“It’s fine. We’re planning to move around that much too.”

“...Where, exactly?”

I asked, responding to Claire’s confident answer.

My room wasn’t spacious enough to work out in, and it wasn’t soundproofed either—if we moved around too much, the neighbors below would definitely come up to complain.

“We can just run around the neighborhood or something.”

“There’s a park nearby even if the room’s small. We could train our swordsmanship there.”

“...In this country, walking around with a sword isn’t exactly normal. You can’t even get one easily.”

“Really? Then what do ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) people use for self-defense?”

“Well, I guess some people might need self-defense, but if you walk around with a longsword in daily life, people will think you’re crazy.”

This country’s public safety was top-tier by global standards, but that didn’t mean there was no crime.

Honestly, considering the average physical ability and fighting skills of people in this world, I think Alice and Claire would easily outmatch most grown men.

Could they shoot sword energy with a kitchen knife?

“I’ll just teach you a few ways to exercise instead.”

I’d considered getting them a gym membership, but I had a feeling the kind of training they’d do and the kind that regular people did would be very different.

More importantly—I didn’t want to.

If they joined a gym, I’d have to go with them, right?

After finally escaping Sword Saint-level training, the last thing I wanted was to go do brutal workouts in a gym.

While we’re living in this world, let’s just take it easy.

*

I just wanted to live as comfortably as possible, so the form of exercise I chose was cycling.

There wasn’t exactly a perfect place near my house to ride a bike freely. The neighborhood had a lot of areas where sidewalks and roads weren’t clearly separated. It wasn’t impossible to ride, but it definitely felt a bit risky.

It wasn’t just about the two of them being in danger... If they got too excited while riding and ended up scraping a car, it’d just be a headache for everyone.

Besides, I thought it might be fun to show them some of the prettier parts of the city I live in.

So the place I chose was Yeouido.

It was a bit far from home, but still manageable by subway. The Han River wasn’t too far from there, there were political landmarks Alice would probably enjoy, and above all, there was a wide open park.

I’d never seen either Claire or Alice ride a bike before. Maybe Claire had learned back at home, but at the very least, Alice definitely hadn’t.

And to be honest, the last time I’d ridden a bike myself was in middle school.

People always say you never forget how to ride a bike, but still—there’s always a first time for something going wrong.

“Wow...!”

Alice let out a gasp at the sight of the wide-open park.

Sure, the academy had a big grassy field too. There was even a large field in the Grace territory.

But when you’re used to seeing buildings packed together in the city and suddenly step into such an open space, of course you’d be awestruck. My neighborhood wasn’t far from an apartment complex, and even the area where we shopped for clothes had buildings jammed in everywhere.

We didn’t even need to buy bikes—there was a rental system. Seoul City had an affordable bike-sharing service. Helmets... well, we were just going to take it slow and practice riding in circles today, so maybe we could skip those?

Honestly, even if they fell while riding, I had a feeling these two could just leap off and land perfectly mid-air.

I’d decide later depending on how things went today.

“Alright then—”

Just as I turned around to say that, I heard the distinctive sound of a bicycle chain turning.

Claire was already riding her bike, circling around us with ease.

“...Have you ridden a bike before?”

“Hm? Nope. I’ve seen people ride them, but this is my first time actually doing it.”

“Then how are you riding it so well?”

“Well, as long as you keep your balance, it’s not that hard, right? You’re supposed to turn into the direction you’re about to fall. That way you don’t fall.”

“......”

I tried to remember how I learned to ride a bike.

I think it started with my dad holding the back of the seat, then a long period with training wheels, and only after a lot of effort did I finally manage to ride on my own.

“Don’t be too discouraged. Claire’s the weird one.” 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Alice said that, trying to comfort me after seeing my expression.

Even though I wasn’t making any kind of expression.

Seriously, how does she always know what I’m feeling?

“Then... would you mind teaching me how to ride?”

Alice asked, a little embarrassed.

But her eyes were clearly locked on Claire, following her enviously.

Well, at least one of them will be fun to teach.

I decided not to overthink it.