The Stand User Of The Daily World

Chapter 124: Crisis Averted? Not Really

If she were a seasoned female warrior, she might have chosen to feign carelessness and expose herself to eliminate a competitor. However, Marin lacked such awareness at the moment—she was utterly panicked.

"Let's get up first and clean ourselves off," Shunsuke said.

He picked up Mashiro and carefully wiped her body dry with a towel. He did the same for Marin, and that's when he noticed the problem:

The hair wouldn't dry.

This was a critical issue, but Shunsuke could only hope Eriri would continue embracing her "loser's mindset" and overlook it.

Shunsuke then dressed himself and Mashiro properly—having earlier brought their clothes into the bathroom for convenience, which turned out to be unexpectedly helpful.

Finally, he turned to Marin, who was still boldly showcasing her impressive figure.

"!?"

Only then did Marin realize her state. She hurriedly covered her two mysterious points, her cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment.

When it came to embarrassing situations, Marin was always a beat behind.

She often did bold things with confidence, only to realize the implications long after the people she flustered had already calmed down.

This earned her the title of an "unintentional queen of fanservice."

After being startled by Eriri earlier, Marin had snapped out of her dopamine-induced frenzy and regained her rationality. Now, she felt like fainting from sheer embarrassment.

Shunsuke took a deep breath, suppressing his rising desire. "Kitagawa-san, close your eyes."

Marin looked around nervously. "Now? Here?"

"What are you imagining? Just close your eyes and don't open them until I say so. That goes for you too, Mashiro."

Mashiro quietly complied, closing her eyes. Marin hesitated for a moment but eventually shut her eyes tightly as well.

Although they had no idea what Shunsuke was planning, both trusted him deeply. Even without an explanation, they instinctively followed his instructions.

Shunsuke extended his awareness beyond the bathroom door into the living room. Good—Eriri wasn't paying attention.

He quietly opened the door and suddenly scooped Marin up in a princess carry.

"Za Warudo!"

Time froze.

Shunsuke briskly carried Marin to his room, moving with purpose.

Once inside, he resumed the flow of time and started pacing theatrically around his room. One moment, he would make a sharp left turn; the next, he'd leap back suddenly, as if genuinely playing a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with Eriri.

Marin, caught up in the adrenaline of the moment, clung to Shunsuke tightly, her arms and legs wrapped around him, too frightened to move.

After ensuring the ruse was convincing enough, Shunsuke finally set Marin down. "You can open your eyes now."

Marin cautiously peeked through her lashes, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Wait, Eriri-senpai didn't notice us at all?"

Shunsuke grinned. "What's the matter, Kitagawa-san? Did you want to get caught?"

Marin frantically waved her hands in denial. "No way! Just imagining that scenario is terrifying!"

"I get why I'd be worried, but Kitagawa-san, what are you afraid of?"

Faced with Shunsuke's vaguely teasing tone, Marin chose not to answer. Instead, she dashed toward her clothes on the bed. Halfway there, though, she suddenly froze in place.

"What's wrong?"

Marin stiffly turned her head, her expression awkward. "My... panties. I took them off earlier and left them outside…"

"..."

Shunsuke felt his head throb instantly. Could Eriri have already noticed?

"Put these on for now. I'll go outside and check. If it's bad, just pretend you're still wearing them."

Seeing Marin standing there dumbfounded, Shunsuke couldn't come up with a better solution and decided to act quickly.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, when time resumed, Mashiro blinked her large, bright eyes. Watching Shunsuke and Marin suddenly vanish, she remained calm.

—Shunsuke only told me to close my eyes, not that I couldn't open them without his permission. So, technically, seeing anything wouldn't be a problem.

When Shunsuke stopped time again and entered the living room, his heart sank. Eriri was standing there, staring intently at the black lace panties on the couch with a stern expression.

—Yeah, it's over.

With no other choice, Shunsuke quickly returned to the bathroom, brought Mashiro back to her room, and then pretended everything was normal as he exited the bathroom.

"Eriri, what brings you to my place today?"

"Do I need a reason to visit?"

Eriri flashed her small tiger teeth, attempting to look intimidating.

Feigning annoyance, Shunsuke replied, "I just figured it's late, and now I'll have to take you home later. What a hassle."

Eriri snorted. "If it's such a hassle, you don't have to take me home."

"If I don't, Mrs. Izumi would scold me to death."

"Serves you right." Eriri made a funny face before nodding toward Shunsuke's room. "Aren't you going to tidy up your room?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Got it."

Shunsuke was considering whether to move Marin to Mashiro's room when the door to his room suddenly opened. Marin cautiously stepped out, looking like a guilty child.

"..."

Shunsuke stared at her with a deadpan expression, silently blaming his "teammate" for sabotaging everything.

"Marin, why were you in Shunsuke's room?" Eriri asked, still oblivious to the bigger picture. "And why didn't you come out earlier?"

"Ha... hahaha," Marin let out an awkward laugh. "I was playing a game and got so caught up in it that I didn't notice."

She stood there, smiling nervously. Despite her fondness for Eriri as a fellow hobbyist and senior, Marin felt a strong pang of guilt toward her, especially now.

The guilt, coupled with her unease, made Marin uncharacteristically subdued, standing stiffly in place instead of her usual animated self.

"Is that so?"

Eriri frowned slightly, feeling like something was off.

—Wait, if this were any other time, Marin would have immediately run over and hugged me the moment she saw me! But now, she's not doing that?

Before meeting Utaha, Marin had been the one person Eriri found hardest to deal with.

If Kasumigaoka overwhelmed her with sharp, cutting words, Marin disarmed her with relentless, overwhelming enthusiasm, which Eriri could never handle.

—And yet, this time, Marin was standing completely still!

Eriri shifted her gaze slightly toward the sofa, where the bold black lace panties lay. A thought struck her, and her heart skipped a beat.

—Could those panties belong to Marin, not Mashiro?

The realization made Eriri instinctively want to look under Marin's skirt, but she restrained herself at the last moment.

From any angle, it seemed better not to look…

Eriri's "loser instincts" were strongly advising her to back off.

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