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 217

Chapter 217: Friendship and Romantic Feelings

 

It was noon, around 12 o’clock.

 

Before heading home, Kurono climbed the stairs with Inori, her Astral Online gaming companion and friend.

 

As she thought about how rare it was for the two of them to be alone together like this, she stole a glance at Inori beside her.

 

Once again, Kurono couldn’t help but be amazed by Inori’s chest.

 

Those two prominent mounds, which Kurono lacked, moved noticeably beneath her shirt, even with a bra on.

 

The sheer presence they exuded was like that of a living being. Though she should have been used to it by now, Kurono was still overwhelmed.

 

The three of them, Sora, herself, and Shiori, were planning to stay over at Inori’s house soon. But Kurono couldn’t help but wonder if such a chest could even fit into a swimsuit at the heated pool they were going to use.

 

In the worst-case scenario, would she need to blindfold Sora…?

 

As Kurono folded her arms and seriously pondered this, she suddenly found herself at the top of the stairs. In front of her now was a single door.

 

She pulled a key from her pocket, inserted it into the lock, and unlocked the door, stepping out onto the empty rooftop.

 

Ordinarily, the rooftop was off-limits to students, with the keys strictly managed.

 

But wanting to have a private conversation, Kurono had borrowed the key from the principal, using her adventurer privileges to make it happen.

 

Why had she gone to so much trouble to be alone with Inori?

 

It was because she wanted to tell Inori, who also had feelings for Sora, that Sora had confessed to her during their recent date, and that she had said yes.

 

While she could have sent a quick message on her smartphone, Kurono felt that this wasn’t a topic to handle so casually.

 

Because they both earnestly cared for the same boy, Kurono decided to face Inori directly.

 

…Now that she thought about it, this was her first time on the school’s rooftop.

 

With nothing to block it, the scorching sunlight poured down mercilessly.

 

The wide, open space was surrounded by safety fences, with nothing particularly special about it.

 

In fictional stories, it’s common to see a protagonist or heroine climbing up to the tower that the two had just exited.

 

Kurono felt a slight urge to climb it herself, but that wasn’t the reason she’d come here today.

 

Suppressing her curiosity, she decided to save it for another time and shifted her focus.

 

From below, she could hear the lively voices of students enjoying their lunch break.

 

As a strong breeze swept past, Kurono instinctively held down her skirt. After taking a few steps forward, she stopped in place.

 

The distance between her and Inori was no more than about a meter.

 

Inori, whose long bangs obscured one of her eyes, was also holding down her skirt, looking slightly tense.

 

By the time she was called up here, Inori must have already sensed that something was going on.

 

Usually wearing a hesitant expression, Inori was now waiting for Kurono to start talking.

 

Beads of sweat began to form on Kurono’s brow.

 

*Suu… haa…*

 

She took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled.

 

…Since yesterday, Kurono had been agonizing over how to tell Inori about her relationship with him.

 

But every explanation she thought of felt like an excuse.

 

It occurred to her that over-complicating things might actually be disrespectful to her dear friend.

 

What she needed wasn’t a roundabout way of speaking.

 

With that realization, she arrived at a single answer.

 

Though nerves gnawed at her, she knew her friend before her felt the same.

 

Summoning the same courage she had when confessing to Sora while watching Laura’s concert, Kurono opened her mouth.

 

“Inori-chan, I… I said yes to Sora, and we’re now dating.”

 

“…!?”

 

She confessed directly, laying bare the events of the previous day.

 

But no response came immediately.

 

Inori kept her mouth shut, staring at Kurono with a surprised expression.

 

It felt like an eternity, though only a few minutes had passed, as Kurono waited with bated breath.

 

“…I see.”

 

Peeking out from beneath her long bangs, Inori revealed her striking blue heterochromatic eyes and smiled gently.

 

“Kuro-chan, you’ve succeeded in dating Sora-kun. Even though both Ilya and I… well, he couldn’t even consider it with us.”

 

“I… I’m…”

 

“No, don’t make that sad face. Two people I care about deeply have come together. That’s the best news I could ever hope for.”

 

“Inori-chan…”

 

Even though she was the one chosen, Kurono felt like she was about to cry.

 

The divide between the one chosen and the one left behind felt impossibly vast.

 

Though she had mustered the courage to speak, Kurono now feared that anything more she said might hurt Inori further, and her words faltered.

 

She was the one who had started this conversation, yet deep down, she honestly wanted to run away.

 

But that was the one thing she absolutely could not do.

 

Even as she thought of herself as a weak person, Kurono clenched her stomach and resolved not to run away from her friend, no matter what.

 

…What should I do?

 

What do I say? What’s the right thing to say?

 

Her inexperience left her unable to find an answer.

 

Seeing Kurono’s troubled expression, Inori wiped away the faint tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

 

“No… I need to apologize,” Inori said softly.

 

“Inori-chan, why did you need to apologize…?”

 

“I’m sorry. I understand that you two are a couple now. But… even so, I can’t give up on my feelings for Sora-kun.”

 

She declared that she would continue to love the boy she cherished, speaking those words directly to his girlfriend.

 

Even though she understood that quietly stepping aside might be better for everyone involved.

 

Still, she said “I won’t give up” with unwavering conviction, because her feelings for Sora were so important to her that she couldn’t bear to lose them.

 

But it wasn’t necessarily a declaration of hostility. Inori continued, expressing her heartfelt wishes.

 

“That’s why, Kurono-chan, I want you to do your best to never let go of him.”

 

“…Yeah, yeah. I understand. Thank you, Inori-chan…”

 

Inori, despite being a rival in love, cheered Kurono on.

 

Kurono, in turn, responded to Inori’s determination with equal sincerity.

 

After months of fighting massive sea monsters together, they had come to understand each other so well that their feelings were clear just by looking into each other’s eyes.

 

Kurono thought of Inori as a precious friend and loved being with her.

 

And Inori felt the same way.

 

With radiant smiles, the two stepped closer and shook hands, reaffirming their friendship.

 

Then, Inori unexpectedly moved in closer, spreading her arms wide, and pulled Kurono into a tight hug.

 

“…!?”

 

Startled, Kurono looked at Inori, only to see tears streaming down her face.

 

“…Aahhh, I’m so frustrated! But I love you too, Kurono-chan!”

 

“W-Wait, Inori-chan!?”

 

Suddenly, as if flipping a mysterious switch, Inori burst into high-energy sobbing, akin to her in-game personality.

 

The emotions she poured out weren’t resentment but rather a confession of her own feelings for Kurono.

 

As Inori clung to her, crying her heart out, Kurono, though confused, steadied her so she wouldn’t fall.

 

…Yeah, of course, it hurts.

 

Holding the loudly crying Inori in silence, Kurono gently wrapped her arms around her friend’s back.

 

“…Yeah. I love you too, Inori-chan.”

 

They stayed like that, holding each other until Inori’s tears finally stopped.

 

Kurono couldn’t help but indulge in a fleeting, childish thought: how nice it would be if all three of them could be together.