I Was Possessed By An Unknown Manga - Chapter 135: Old Story

The coconut crabs, fortuitously obtained, were properly cleaned and boiled in a large pot.

The claws were so large that they had to be separated from the body to fit in the pot.

I decided to reserve the extra one for Vice President Shinji and Minami.

Though it seemed unnecessary to season crabs, I sprinkled some salt just in case.

After placing the pot on the fire, I finally relaxed a bit.

While I focused on cooking, the President, sitting in the shelter, gazed at the sunset over the horizon and muttered.

“…I wonder when Shinji and Minami will return.”

“Yeah, they’re both running late.”

Saying so, I sat next to the President.

“It’ll take some time to cook; let’s chat.”

“Shall we?”

Pleased with my suggestion, the President smiled slightly and looked at me.

Her smiling face, against the backdrop of the sunset, was beautiful.

So much so that I momentarily forgot what to say.

To hide my momentary lapse, I turned my head and asked.

“Is this your first time having such an experience, President? Are you uncomfortable?”

She slowly shook her head.

“Not really. It’s rather enjoyable. As you said, Yu-seong, it’s a first-time experience for me. When else would I come to a deserted island?”

I was a bit worried, but thankfully she seemed fine with it.

Being positive in such a situation might actually be better.

Especially considering we were relatively well-equipped for being stranded on a deserted island.

“That’s good to hear. I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”

“I didn’t grow up as sheltered as you might think!”

After saying that in a burst of anger, the President, sensing the awkward atmosphere, fell silent.

With that atmosphere, it was hard to start another conversation.

So, we just sat staring into the flames of the fire, passing time.

There wasn’t much else to do, but time passed rather pleasantly like this.

I guess this is why people enjoy staring into a fire.

After a while, the President suddenly spoke up.

“Speaking of which, Yu-seong, do you remember the day we first met?”

“The first day we met?”

I tried to recall the memory.

I first met the President in the second semester of our first year.

I was reading Jump in class when she suddenly came and demanded I become the secretary, leaving a strong impression.

When I mentioned that, the President smiled wryly and said,

“Would you believe if I said that wasn’t actually the first time we met?”

“Really? We met before that?”

“Yes. To be precise, it was in the first semester of our second year, before I became the Student Council President.”

The President began reminiscing about the day we first met.

That day, I had sneaked out of the mansion under the pretense of wanting to experience commoner life.

Unlike now, I, plain and ordinary back then, was curiously interested in the lives of commoners.

While wandering alone in Shibuya, I was approached by some unsavory-looking men.

That’s when you, passing by, rescued me.

“You said, ‘Hey, I don’t know what’s going on, but she clearly doesn’t like it.’”

You were a busybody and meddler, both then and now.

You knocked down those troublemakers in an instant and saved me.

Afterward, though you found it bothersome, you kindly helped me with my desire to experience commoner life.

It was then that I started to take an interest in you.

“So that happened.”

I responded calmly but was internally flustered.

‘I met the President during my first semester of the first year?’

Honestly, I couldn’t remember at all.

If I had met a beauty like the President, I would definitely have remembered it.

Anyway, not wanting to interrupt the President lost in her memories, I quietly listened to her story.

Bubble! Bubble!

“Ah, it’s overflowing.”

I quickly stood up and opened the lid of the pot on the fire.

The red-cooked shell of the coconut crab greeted me.

I turned around and said,

“President, it seems like it’s about time to eat.”

Then the President, who had been recounting her story, stood up, leaning on her knees.

“Is it already that time?”

“We’ve been talking for quite some time.”

I used tongs to remove the coconut crab and placed it on a tray.

Even just the body was almost as big as my forearm.

Upon cracking the red shell, the green innards were the first thing visible.

The innards of crustaceans were savory and delicious, so nothing was wasted.

I made a long cut in the shell from the body to the tail.

Then, I removed only the edible flesh and placed it on a plate.

The President, who had been absorbed in conversation, swallowed hard at the sight of the crabmeat, apparently hungry.

“M-may I eat?”

“Of course.”

I replied and handed her a fork.

Upon tasting the white and red crabmeat, the President’s eyes widened, and she shivered.

“…It’s delicious.”

“Is it different from the usual crabmeat?”

“At first, I thought it would taste similar to lobster, but it’s actually more like king crab. The more I chew, the sweeter it gets. It’s good enough to eat without any sauce.”

Hearing the President’s impressions, I also cut the crab meat into bite-sized pieces and ate it with a fork.

“……”

It literally melts in the mouth.

It felt like I could eat this endlessly.

Sharing the same thought, the President, who made eye contact with me, said with an embarrassed expression,

“Can I have more?”

I offered the whole platter of coconut crab to the President.

By the time we finished eating the coconut crab, the sun had completely set.

I wanted to cook ramen with the remaining crab legs, but since this wasn’t Korea and there was none on board, I stir-fried rice with the innards instead.

After eating one crab so economically, I put the boiled coconut crab meant for the two, who hadn’t returned yet, into the yacht’s refrigerator.

Later, after returning to the beach, I checked the time on my watch and asked,

“President, it’s almost 9 o’clock; how about you get some sleep?”

“What? Already? I don’t think it’s time to sleep yet.”

“Unlike when we’re at the mansion, there’s really nothing to do even if we stay awake.”

In such cases, it was better to go to sleep early and wake up late.

Moreover, I had lit incense to repel bugs, so the inside of the tent was quite comfortable.

Although the sleeping conditions were uncomfortable, it was enough to fall asleep.

“Even if I sleep inside, what will you do, Yu-seong?”

“I can go without sleep for a day. And just in case, someone needs to stand guard.”

“Don’t do that; you must be tired. You can take a nap. We can share the blanket.”

The President said this while lifting the blanket that was draped over her shoulders.

It must have been an unconscious action, but honestly, I was a bit startled.

Because I was also a man.

After a brief silence, I asked,

“Do I not look like a man to you, President?”

Then the President tilted her head and said,

“You do look like a man.”

“No, I didn’t mean that…”

I was about to argue with the President’s words, but then I realized the conversation was taking a strange turn and closed my mouth.

Feeling the weird atmosphere, the President was about to ask, “Why is that?” but then quickly excused herself, perhaps realizing her mistake.

“Yu-seong, I didn’t mean it that way…”

Then she suddenly stopped.

“No, it’s not like that. I’ll stop lying to myself now.”

The President stood up straight and looked at me seriously, saying,

“Yu-seong, I see you as a man.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“It’s exactly as I say. When I first met Yu-seong, it started as a small interest. But spending time together in the Student Council and observing you, I’ve come to know many good things about you that others don’t.”

Her eyes, looking directly at me, reflected my image like clear glass beads.

“At first, I thought about suppressing these feelings. As you know, I’m the daughter of a prestigious family, while you, Yu-seong, are not an ordinary Japanese, but a Zainichi Korean, born to Korean parents. My family would surely oppose this if they knew, getting angry. But I don’t want to lie anymore. Not about my feelings, nor about my heart which is drawn to you.”

The President lifted her right arm, hidden under the blanket, and stroked my face as she asked,

“Yu-seong, I ask you for the first and last time. Please answer seriously.”

“…Yes.”

Then, the President looked straight at me and said clearly,

“May I cherish you?”