The Last Place Hero's Return-Chapter 54: Dale Han’s Secret Private Life (3)

Iris barely held back the scream rising in her throat, trembling in shock from head to toe. She blinked repeatedly, hoping she was mistaken, but no matter how many times she checked, the image on the hologram screen didn’t change. It still showed Jules Kang, wearing women’s clothing and posing seductively, like he was trying to entice a man.

“W-what? What is this?”

It felt like someone had taken a giant ladle and stirred her brain into a mess. Nothing connected, nothing made sense, and her thoughts scattered in every direction.

Why? Why would Dale have a picture like this? Wait! Could it be... is this Dale’s... taste? she wondered.

All this time, she had assumed Dale also harbored feelings for her. After all, hadn’t he always treated her kindly? Been considerate? Gone out of his way for her? Anyone would have thought the same if they were treated like that.

But what if all that kindness wasn’t born from romantic interest? What if Dale wasn’t even interested in women?

No, no, no, no way! That can’t be true! she told herself.

Sure, there were same-sex couples at the academy. She understood that love had many forms, and all deserved respect. Of course, she did. But still, the idea that Dale liked a man—not just any man, but one wearing makeup and a skirt—and had a risqué photo of that man crossdressing tucked away in his Hero Watch album hit her like a bolt from a clear sky.

Her brain, already fried from the shock, now took a sharp left turn into chaos. It spun out wild theories at full speed.

Okay, okay. Stay calm. Think it through. It’s not like the guy’s naked. He’s just... dressed as a woman. That still means Dale’s attracted to femininity, right? Or maybe, maybe he doesn’t care whether someone’s a guy or a girl as long as they look hot? But what if I’m not the one in Dale’s heart? What if he and Jules Kang, that rich boy from the Republic, are... something more?

She clutched her head and swayed as dizziness overtook her. “Oh, merciful Seven Gods!”

Her knees had probably weakened, because Dale stirred from where he lay on her lap.

“Ugh! How long did I sleep?” he asked.

“D-Dale?!”

Still groggy, he blinked a few times and sat up, rubbing his eyes. In a panic, Iris hurriedly closed the hologram screen before he could notice it.

***

As I opened my eyes, I saw Iris fidgeting. “Huh? What’s going on?”

“N-nothing! Really, it’s nothing!” she replied. However, the stiff look on her face said otherwise.

No way! Did I do something in my sleep? I wondered, alarmed.

“Did I say something weird while I was out?” I asked.

“N-no! Not at all! You didn’t do anything! Seriously!”

Strong denial was the surest confirmation, they said. And with her ears turning red and her eyes darting around, she was basically waving a giant flag that something had happened.

Damn it, what did I do? Did I grope her in my sleep? Rub my face on her thigh? Mutter something indecent? No matter how hard I tried to remember, my mind remained blank.

Suddenly, Iris said, “Um! M-maybe we should head back for today?”

“Y-yeah. Sure.”

An awkward silence settled between us. Keeping a subtle distance, we slowly made our way back to the academy.

Then, Iris softly called out to me. “Um! D-Dale.”

“What is it?”

“Well, what do you think about... You know, love between two men?”

“Huh?”

Where the hell did that question come from, I wondered.

“P-please be honest!” she asked.

“Uhh! Okay?”

I didn’t quite understand love between men myself, but it wasn’t like that hurt anyone. If both people were happy, then who was I to judge?

“I guess it’s possible?” I replied.

“I-I knew it!” she suddenly said.

“Huh?”

Knew what? I pondered.

She continued, “Then, um, about that kiss with Professor Baldwin the other day, what did that feel like?”

“Ugh!”

She had to bring that up again. Honestly, it had felt pretty good. Professor Baldwin was striking, even with that scar near her left eye. It somehow made her even more alluring, like a rose laced with poison. And when a beauty like that kissed you with tongue, well, what guy wouldn’t enjoy it? But there was no way I could say that out loud.

So, I cleared my throat, put on a stern face, and lied. “I felt nothing.”

“Not even a little?”

“Nope.”

“Not even with someone that pretty?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Not even with all the tongue action and slurping?” She seemed insistent.

Holy crap, dear Saintess, what the heck kind of phrasing is that?! She’s still not over it, huh.

Back then, Iris had acted like it didn’t bother her, brushing it off as an unfortunate accident and calling it no big deal. But clearly, the image of the guy she liked kissing another woman had left a mark. I probably would have felt the same if the roles were reversed. If some random male professor had suddenly kissed Iris in the middle of class, I would have killed the bastard on the spot, without any hesitation. Title or status, none of it would matter.

So, in that sense, Iris was being incredibly composed. Even with all that doubt and heartache, she was still trying to keep her cool and move forward. I couldn’t let her efforts go to waste.

I looked her straight in the eyes and replied with a serious expression, “I’ll say it again. When I kissed Professor Baldwin, I didn’t feel a thing. If anything, it was uncomfortable.”

“Oh, my goodness!” Iris let out a long sigh and brought her hands together like she was praying. “Oh Seven Gods above! Why must you test me so?”

“Huh?”

That wasn’t the reaction I had expected. Confusedly watching her, I tried to figure out what was going on when a voice called out from near the academy gate.

“D-Dale!”

“Jules?”

What the hell is this guy doing here?

As if he were a mind reader, he said to me, “I-I messaged you earlier, but you didn’t reply. I stopped by your dorm, and they said you had gone into Valhalla City.”

Surprised, I asked, “So, you’ve been standing out here this whole time? Waiting for me to return?”

Jules nodded, looking a bit nervous. “Y-yeah.”

He looked pretty shaken, probably due to the message I sent him this morning.

“I said I would contact you later,” I replied.

“W-well, I brought a little something. A gift, actually,” he said.

“A gift?”

“Yeah.” He held out a sleek, ornate box decorated with golden grapevines.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“My family sent me some really good wine. I thought maybe you’d like it? You drink wine, right?”

“Well, from time to time, sure.”

I had a few cheap bottles stashed on the shelf in my dorm, nothing fancy, just stuff from the campus store to sip when I was bored.

Jules’s stiff expression finally relaxed, and he smiled brightly. “Hehe. Good, I’m glad. It’s a top-shelf vintage made from grapes grown in the Holy Empire. I’ve had it a few times, and it’s got an incredible aroma.”

“But why are you giving it to me?”

“No reason! I just thought you might like it! That’s all! No hidden meaning!” Jules exclaimed in a panic, obviously flustered.

I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Yeah, sure. There was no meaning in it. It was definitely a bribe to get me to delete those photos. That was the only reason he would randomly give me a gift like this. He didn’t need to, though; I was already planning to delete them soon anyway.

Suddenly, Iris turned to face Jules and interrupted our conversation. “Um! Are you Jules?”

Jules flinched. “Huh? Ah, y-yes, I am.”

His eyes practically screamed, “Why is the Saintess talking to me?!”

She looked concerned. “May I ask... What kind of relationship do you have with Dale?”

Jules glanced at me anxiously. “Ah! Dale and I... well...”

Before he could say anything weird, I jumped in. “What kind of relationship? We’re obviously just friends.”

Jules nodded so fast it looked like his neck might snap. “Y-yeah! That’s right! Just friends! Totally!”

Iris narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced by Jules’s jittery behavior. “Hmm. Friends, huh?”

Damn it. I cursed inside.

If Iris found out I was blackmailing Jules over some photos to squeeze cash out of him, I would be in serious trouble.

So, I casually slung an arm around Jules’s shoulder and pulled him close. “Right, buddy? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Y-yep! Best buds! Super close!” he replied.

“We even had lunch together that one time.”

Jules echoed my words as if his life depended on it, still clinging to my side like a drowning man to driftwood. “Y-yeah! The pork stir-fry was delicious!”

At this point, I figured Iris’s doubts had been cleared up. But when I turned to check her expression, it was not what I expected.

What the... Why does she look like her entire world had come crashing down? I wondered.

Teardrops began rolling down from her wide blue eyes.

“W-what?! Why are you crying?!” I immediately asked.

She just looked at me accusingly. “How could you? How could you do this to me?!”

“D-do what?!”

Iris stormed toward me, tears flying. “If you were going to be like this, then you shouldn’t have been so kind to me in the first place! Do you enjoy toying with people’s feelings?! F-for your information, I’m not the kind of girl who gives up that easily!”

Flustered, I asked, “What are you even talking abou—”

Before I could finish, she grabbed me by the collar and suddenly kissed me. The sweet scent of peaches tickled my nose. Her tongue forced its way into my mouth and swirled around wildly.

She pulled back, panting heavily, her fists clenched in determination. “Just you wait. Even if you like men, Dale, I’m not giving up that easily!”

“Wait a minute,” I shouted.

What the actual fuck?

***

Now calm after hearing an explanation, Iris said, “S-so, just to clarify, it’s not that you like men, Dale. It’s that Jules likes men, and he sent you that cross-dressing photo to ask if it looked okay?”

“Exactly,” Dale replied.

“And the person Jules is in love with is?”

“Have you heard of Berald Ryu?”

“Oh! You mean the one from House Ryu?”

“Yep. The infamous black sheep of House Ryu. He’s a cadet in the second year.”

“I’ve heard of him,” Iris said.

“Jules is into guys like that, the super muscular, macho types. And he has this... uh, taste for being dominated by them while dressed in drag,” Dale explained.

Iris’s eyes trembled with shock. “T-that’s... Um! Jules?”

She approached him, her smile painfully awkward. “I-I mean, people have all kinds of preferences, right? So, I’ll be rooting for your love!”

Then, she practically sprinted away from Jules. Dale quickly followed after her, trying to catch up.

Left alone, Jules lowered his head, trembling and sniffling. “That’s not true. I... I’m not into that kind of thing.”

Clear tears slid down his cheeks. It seemed like Spring had come.[1]

1. I think this is a reference to how people get a little bit more emotional when it’s Spring. ☜