The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 54. Dale Han’s Secret Private Life (3)
“W-what on earth is this?”
Iris barely suppressed a scream that had risen to her throat, her entire body trembling.
Wondering if she’d misread it, she peered at the hologram screen several times over, but the photograph stored within was unmistakably one of Juliet Kang.
And she was posed in a coquettish manner as if seducing a man—while dressed in women’s clothing, no less.
‘Why… why would Dale have a photo like this…?’
The sensation of a massive spatula churning through her brain in complete chaos.
The disconnected threads of causality scattered haphazardly through her mind.
‘Could it be… that Dale’s taste is…?’
Just as she had been harboring feelings for Dale, she’d assumed he felt the same way about her.
It was only natural, wasn’t it?
Anyone would think the same, considering the kindness and consideration Dale showed her.
But.
What if that kindness from Dale wasn’t romantic affection?
What if Dale was the type of person who had no interest in the opposite sex at all?
‘No, no, no, no! That can’t be right!’
It wasn’t unheard of for same-sex couples to form within the Academy.
She understood that it was another form of love and deserved respect.
But.
No matter how she looked at it.
‘Dale… liked men?’
The fact that the man she harbored feelings for had carefully stored a lewd photograph of another man—and one dressed in women’s clothing at that!—in his Hero Watch album was nothing short of a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
‘C-calm down and think about this. At least it’s a photo of him in women’s clothing, not a naked photo of a man, right?’
So perhaps deep down, Dale still harbored desires for the opposite sex?
‘Or maybe he doesn’t care whether it’s a man or woman, as long as the taste is good!’
Iris’s mind, rendered dysfunctional by the shock, spiraled without brakes, conjuring all manner of bizarre speculations.
‘If… what Dale holds in his heart isn’t me…’
If this Juliet Kang, this wealthy young master, and Dale were in that kind of relationship!
“Ah… seven gods above.”
Iris swayed, clutching her head as dizziness washed over her.
Whether the shock had transmitted to his thigh, Dale’s eyes fluttered open.
“Ugh… how long was I asleep?”
“D-Dale?!”
Dale squinted and pushed himself up.
Before he could fully rise, Iris hastily closed the hologram window.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Her expression seemed oddly stiff for something that was supposedly nothing.
Could it be…?
“Did I accidentally do something while I was sleeping?”
“N-no! You didn’t make any mistake! Not at all!”
They say that strong denial is strong affirmation.
The sight of Iris shaking her head desperately, her ears flushed crimson, was unmistakable evidence that something had happened while I slept.
‘Damn it, what did I do?’
Had I groped her body in my sleep, or rubbed my cheek against her thigh?
Or had I uttered some shameful words I couldn’t repeat to another soul?
I desperately tried to recall the memory, but naturally, nothing came to mind.
“Oh, are you heading back to the Academy today?”
“Ah, u-um, yeah.”
An awkward silence settled between Iris and me.
We walked toward the Academy with a slight distance between us, both fidgeting.
“Um… D-Dale.”
Then.
Iris called out to me cautiously.
“What?”
“Um… Dale, what do you think about… two men loving each other?”
“…What?”
Two men?
Where was this coming from all of a sudden?
“P-please answer honestly!”
“Ah, u-um, yeah.”
Romance between two men.
‘Honestly, I don’t really understand it from my perspective.’
But still.
It’s not like they’re harming anyone, and if they care for each other, there’s no reason to condemn them, is there?
“Well… I think that could happen, you know?”
“Y-yes, I knew it!”
“…Huh?”
What do you mean “I knew it”?
“D-Dale, then how did it feel when you kissed Professor Elisha last time?!”
“Ugh.”
She was bringing that up again.
‘To be honest, it felt good.’
Elisha possessed such beautiful features that the hideous scar near her left eye seemed like a charm point instead.
It was like a rose brimming with poison, if I had to describe it.
There was no way I wouldn’t have felt good kissing such a beauty with such intensity.
‘Of course, I can’t say that.’
I let out a cough and answered in a firm voice.
“I felt nothing.”
“…Nothing at all?”
“Yes.”
“Even after kissing such a beautiful woman?”
“Of course.”
“Even though you were sucking on her tongue like that?”
No. Saint, or whatever.
Your phrasing is a bit much.
‘So she’s still bothered by what happened back then.’
Back then, Iris had composed herself and acted indifferent, calling it an unfortunate accident, a no-count situation. But clearly, the fact that the man she cared about had kissed another woman so passionately continued to weigh on her heart.
I understood—if the situation were reversed, I’d find it unbearable too.
‘If some random male professor I’d never met before stole Iris’s lips during class?’
‘I’d kill him on the spot.’
Professor or not, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second.
‘In that sense, Iris is being remarkably gracious.’
She was genuinely trying her best to forget about it, to move past it.
‘I can’t let her efforts go to waste!’
I met Iris’s gaze and answered with utmost sincerity.
“I’m telling you again—when I kissed Professor Elisha, I felt nothing. If anything, it was unpleasant.”
“Oh, merciful heavens….”
Iris let out a sigh and clasped her hands together as if in prayer.
“Seven Gods above… why do you test me so….”
“…Huh?”
That wasn’t the reaction I expected.
‘Why is she suddenly acting like this?’
I was staring at Iris in confusion when—
“D-Dale!”
A voice called out to me from the direction of the School Gate.
“Juliet?”
What was he doing here?
“Ah, right. I messaged you earlier, but you didn’t reply… so I went to your Dormitory and they said you’d gone out to Valhalla City today.”
“So you’ve been waiting at the School Gate this whole time? Until I showed up?”
“Y-yes.”
Juliet nodded, his expression withdrawn.
It seemed he’d been quite frightened by the message I’d sent this morning about having something urgent to discuss.
“I told you I’d contact you later.”
“I… well, I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?”
“Yes.”
Juliet held out an elegant box adorned with a golden grapevine design.
“What is this?”
“What is this?”
“My family sent me a fine wine as a gift this time. So… Dale, do you drink wine?”
“Well, I have it occasionally.”
I kept a few bottles of wine on a shelf in my Dormitory room and would sip from them whenever I felt bored.
Of course, these were cheap wines from the Convenience Store, not premium vintages like this.
“Hehe. I’m glad.”
Juliet Kang’s rigid expression suddenly softened, and his face brightened with a smile.
“It’s the finest wine made from grapes grown in the Holy Kingdom. I’ve had it a few times myself, and the aroma is incredible.”
“But why are you giving this to me?”
“Ah, well, just! I… thought you might like it! There’s no hidden meaning!”
Juliet Kang cried out with a flustered expression.
I let out a quiet chuckle watching him.
‘No hidden meaning, right.’
There could only be one reason for suddenly handing over a gift like this.
‘It’s a bribe to delete those photos.’
I’d been thinking it was about time I deleted them anyway.
“Um… you’re Juliet Kang, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. That’s right.”
Juliet Kang turned toward Iris and flinched slightly.
His eyes clearly reflected the question: ‘Why is the Saint speaking to me?’
“What’s your relationship with Dale?”
“Ah… Dale and I… well.”
Juliet Kang glanced furtively in my direction.
I quickly opened my mouth before he could say something strange.
“What relationship? Obviously we’re friends.”
“Y-yes! That’s right! Friends! We’re friends!”
Juliet Kang nodded vigorously with a startled expression.
“Hmm. Friends, you say?”
Iris narrowed her eyes at Juliet Kang’s response, which clearly seemed to be hiding something.
‘Damn it.’
If Iris found out I was secretly extorting money from Juliet Kang by exploiting his weakness, that would be troublesome.
I draped my arm across Juliet Kang’s shoulder and pulled him close.
“So we’re friends, right Juliet?”
“Y-yes! How close are we?”
“We even ate together before.”
“R-right! That spicy pork stir-fry was delicious!”
Juliet Kang desperately played along while linked arm-in-arm with me.
Thinking the suspicion had cleared, I glanced at Iris’s face.
‘What?’
Why did she look like her world was crumbling?
“…Ugh.”
Tears streamed down Iris’s blue eyes like dewdrops glistening in the morning light.
“Huh? W-what?”
What is this? Why is she suddenly crying?
“This is too much… How could you… how could you do this to me?”
“What, what do you mean?”
“If you were going to be like this, you shouldn’t have been kind to me from the start! Do you enjoy toying with people’s hearts?!”
Iris strode toward me, tears scattering in her wake.
“I’m not… I’m not the kind of woman who gives up so easily, you know?”
“What are you even talking about since just now—ugh?!”
Iris grabbed my collar and suddenly pressed her lips against mine.
A sweet, fragrant peach scent tickled the tip of my nose.
Her tongue pushed past my lips and ravaged the inside of my mouth with fierce intensity.
“Hah!”
Iris pulled away, breathing heavily, her fists clenched tight.
“Just you wait. Even if Dale likes men, I will never give up!”
“No.”
What the hell are you talking about?
* * *
“So… that is, Dale doesn’t actually like men. Rather, it’s Juliet Kang who likes men, and because of that, he sent you a photo of himself crossdressed and asked you to check if it suited him, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Then the person Juliet Kang likes is….”
“Ever heard of Berald Ryu?”
“Oh. Could he be from the Ryu Family….”
“Right. The Ryu Family’s delinquent. He’s a Candidate one year below us.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of him.”
“Juliet has a sexual preference for muscular macho types—he enjoys being forcibly dominated while crossdressed.”
“T-that kind of…!”
Iris’s eyes widened in shock.
“Um… J-Juliet Kang?”
She approached Juliet Kang with an awkward smile on her lips.
“Um… there are many different preferences in this world, so… I’ll support your love, Juliet Kang!”
With those words, Iris fled, distancing herself from Juliet Kang as quickly as she could.
I hurried after Iris, my footsteps urgent.
“…Sob.”
Left alone, Juliet Kang hung his head and wept quietly.
“No… I’m not… I don’t have that kind of preference….”
Transparent teardrops traced down his cheeks.
It was spring.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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