Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 215
Chapter 215: Aloha Party Guy
After the confession event, we finally made it back home, still holding hands.
But as we approached the house, I noticed a suspicious-looking man standing in front of it.
He was about 180 cm tall, with short-cropped hair. He wore a flashy aloha shirt and shorts, giving off the impression of some kind of party guy at first glance.
The man, who looked to be in his fifties, stood with his arms crossed, staring directly at us. The sight stopped me in my tracks, and a very different kind of tension filled me compared to earlier.
Kurono, sensing danger, hid behind me like a frightened kitten. Her small, animal-like gesture stirred a strong protective instinct in me, and I couldn’t help but smile wryly. To reassure her that the party guy wasn’t a threat, I decided to speak up.
“Welcome back, Dad.”
“Wait, Sora’s dad!?” Kurono exclaimed in shock.
As she reacted, my dad—Yuichiro Kamijo—grinned widely and suddenly kicked off the ground, sprinting toward me.
“It’s been a while, Sora!”
A shiver ran down my spine. I had a bad feeling about this.
And sure enough, my instincts proved correct.
As he ran toward me, my dad spread his arms wide, clearly intending to pull me into a bear hug.
For a moment, I considered letting him embrace me. But then I remembered, Kurono, my girlfriend who hadn’t seen her parents in nearly a year, was standing right next to me. It didn’t seem appropriate to get all touchy-feely with my dad in front of her.
So, I decided to refuse.
With my adventurer-enhanced reflexes and stats, I dodged his oncoming arms.
As his balance wavered from the missed grab, I instinctively followed up by sweeping his legs out from under him.
“UGH!!”
With a dramatic thud, my dad fell face-first onto the concrete, like something straight out of a gag scene.
It was only after the fact that I realized what I’d done.
Dodging was fine, but the leg sweep? That was definitely overkill.
Unable to even break his fall, my dad hit the ground so hard he was trembling slightly, almost like he was having spasms.
For a moment, I worried I might have seriously hurt him.
But then, with sudden vigor, he planted both hands on the ground, pushing himself up into a push-up position, and sprang back to his feet.
Oh. He’s fine.
Relieved that I hadn’t actually done any damage, I let out a small sigh of relief.
Yuichiro dusted off his clothes, now smudged with dirt, and turned to face me again.
Maybe the unexpected counterattack had thrown him off because this time, he didn’t try to jump on me like before.
It had been months since I’d last seen him.
Facing my dad again, I felt a slight tension in the air as I wondered how to start the conversation.
When reunited after so long, even with family, it’s surprisingly hard to start a conversation.
After all, the things that happened over these past few months were so intense, so life-altering, that they left a deep mark on me.
So, I decided to start by explaining the situation the fact that I had been transformed into a girl because of the game’s curse.
“Uh, so… I think you already know from the calls, but because of a game’s curse, I’ve turned into a girl.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s been on TV, and Shino’s been keeping me updated regularly. So, is there a way to turn back?”
“To return to being a guy, I have to defeat the final boss. So, for now, I’ll have to stay like this… I think.”
“I see. If I remember correctly, you’ve taken down the third Calamity, right? At the pace of one per month, that means it’ll take about four more months to finish, huh?”
“Yeah. And now for the most important thing I need to tell you—”
Meeting his serious gaze, I straightened my posture and tightened my grip on Kurono’s hand.
Summoning all my courage, I decided to be completely honest about my relationship with her.
“I’m dating her, Kurono!”
“……What?”
My dad, Yuichiro, froze in place, his eyes wide with disbelief as if he couldn’t process what he’d just heard.
To him, the situation must have been bizarre: his son, now transformed into a silver-haired girl, was suddenly announcing a relationship with another silver-haired girl.
Anyone in his position would probably react like that if they were hit with such news right after reconnecting after months apart.
But Kurono took a small step forward and gave a polite, graceful bow.
“N-Nice to meet you. I’m Kurono Takanashi, Sora’s girlfriend!”
“……Wha—!?”
It must have been too much for him.
For a moment, it looked like he was about to collapse, but he barely managed to stay on his feet.
“I see… So you’re Haruto and Arisa’s daughter, huh…”
“Huh? You know my mom and dad?”
“Know them? Haruto was one of my students, alongside Shino. And Arisa? Her dad and I were rivals back in my days as a top-ranked VR competitive gamer.”
“W-What!?”
Three shocking revelations all at once. It was overwhelming.
First, I learned that my dad, now working as a full-time debugger, was once a professional gamer.
Second, that Shino and Haruto were his apprentices.
And finally, that Arisa’s father was not only his rival but also a professional gamer from Northern Europe.
Ah… now that I think about it, my mentor always looked at my dad with such deep respect.
It wasn’t just because he was older. He must have truly admired Yuichiro as his master.
As for Arisa, considering her superhuman movements, it makes perfect sense if her father was a world-ranked player in the otherworldly realm of competitive gaming.
“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I was actually planning to reveal it when you turned pro. I wanted to surprise you with a challenge to face me. But with how unpredictable the world is right now, I figured it’d be better to tell you sooner rather than later.”
“That makes sense, I guess.”
“The world really is small, isn’t it?”
“…There are just way too many world-class people around us.”
Kurono’s honest observation made me chuckle wryly.
Yuichiro stepped closer and turned a kind gaze toward her.
“I never imagined my son would end up dating their daughter. So, Kurono, what do you like about Sora?”
“What I like about Sora…?”
Kurono tilted her head slightly, pondering for a moment. Then, with unwavering sincerity, she answered.
“He’s so kind, stronger than anyone else, and… he makes me want to protect him.”
“…Makes you want to protect him, huh? I imagine it’s not always easy, but please continue to support my son into the future.”
“Yes, you can count on me—sh-ure!”
…Ah, she fumbled that perfectly at such a great moment.
When Kurono gets nervous, her tongue occasionally trips over her words. It’s one of her cutest quirks.
It was absolutely adorable, but for her, it was mortifying. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, like a ripe apple, as she covered her face with both hands out of sheer embarrassment.
Her reaction was so endearing that my dad and I both found ourselves smiling warmly.
“Stop staring at me… It’s embarrassing!”
*Wham!*
A precise elbow jab, too quick to track, struck my side cleanly.
Despite the flawless aim, she held back perfectly, ensuring there was no actual force behind it, a testament to Kurono’s skill.
Meanwhile, Yuichiro stood nearby, grinning ear to ear as he watched us.
The earlier tension had completely dissipated before anyone realized it.
Then, the sound of the front door opening caught our attention.
Shiori appeared, wearing a cute apron, and fixed us with a stern glare.
“Hey, you three. How long are you planning to hang around outside? If you’re done talking, wash your hands and come inside for dinner.”
“Oh, right! I get to have Shiori’s cooking again after so long. We’d better hurry before it gets cold!”
Humming a cheerful tune, Dad quickly headed into the house.
As Shiori’s gaze met mine, she walked over with a bright smile and said,
“You and Kurono, hurry up and come inside too. Today’s a special day, a celebration of Dad’s return and the start of your relationship.”
“Wait, what? How did you—”
“How do I know? Well, obviously, because I’m your sister.”
“Heh, Shiori’s sharp as always.”
“She really is,” I agreed with Kurono’s remark.
Shiori had always had a remarkable knack for uncovering secrets.
Her keen insight was something I’d admired deeply, even if it made keeping things from her practically impossible.