I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 102

Episode 102  

It might be a reasonable piece of advice, but… there’s just no benefit in it for Rin.  

Well, for me, I’d welcome it with open arms, though.  

“That’s just… isn’t there another way—”  

“Hmm, nope. Well, increasing the contact area might improve your ability to sense it, though.”  

Saotome-san denied it outright.  

…Ugh, if that’s the case, then there’s really no other choice.  

I guess we’ll just have to continue training like this.  

“No choice, I’ll just have to try even harder.”  

I muttered as I focused my concentration even more to sense the energy.  

Though, I had no idea if it would actually change anything. I hoped it would, but…  

As I was thinking that, Rin suddenly looked at me with a determined expression. 

“I-If it’s just a hug… yeah! …W-Wait a second.”  

“Huh?”  

Her unexpected words made me doubt my ears for a moment.  

When I let out a confused sound, Rin lowered her head, let out a small breath, and took several deep breaths.  

…W-Wait, is she actually going to do it?  

S-Should I stop her?  

N-No, but………. there’s also a part of me that’s a little excited about this. So I can’t bring myself to say anything.  

And then—  

“F-Focus… focus…!”  

Muttering that, Rin suddenly closed the distance between us and hugged me tightly.  

A soft sensation pressed against my chest. And a sweet fragrance drifted from her hair.  

Because Rin was holding on so firmly, her entire presence overwhelmed my senses.  

Her soft chest was pressed tightly against mine, and she had wrapped her arms around me. She was pinning my arms in the process.  

I panicked.  

This… this is like when someone launches a suicide attack!  

It’s a little different from what I imagined, but—there’s definitely a soft sensation!  

Her face was flushed and her eyes were tightly shut. It made her look as if she had steeled herself for something monumental.  

“R-Rin…!? Y-You don’t have to force yourself…!”  

I managed to squeeze out the words. But I could tell my voice was shaking from both nervousness and excitement.  

Rin didn’t answer.  

She just kept mumbling, “Focus… focus…” over and over.  

“I… I have to focus… ahh…!”  

Her voice trembled, and her face was bright red.  

Even the tips of her ears were flushed. It was making me embarrassed just looking at her.  

…This is bad.  

This is supposed to be training, but I can’t focus at all!  

“Did you… did you get a feel for telekinesis?”  

“U-Uh… well…”  

Still red in the face, Rin glanced up at me with an upward gaze.  

That gesture left me at a loss for words.  

Only the sound of my swallowing echoed.  

A heat surged up from deep inside me, making my head spin.  

Is this… is this the sensation of telekinesis?  

No, definitely not.  

This is just me overheating from embarrassment.  

A-And besides, Rin went this far for me. Yet I still couldn’t sense a thing.  

Could it be… that I have zero talent for telekinesis? Not just little talent—but absolutely none?  

If that’s the case, then there’s no way to improve…!  

Just as that thought crossed my mind—  

“Ah…!”  

“W-What’s wrong?”  

“I-I forgot to use telekinesis…! L-Like this…!”  

Blushing even more, Rin activated her telekinesis.  

And at that moment—  

“…This is—”  

Just a little.  

Only the faintest amount.  

I felt something stir deep inside me.  

………….…Could this be it?  

Could this be the sensation I was looking for?  

Before it disappeared, I immediately acted.  

As if pulling up a tiny sprout from within me—  

I activated my telekinesis.  

The magic stone lying on the ground moved ever so slightly. Just a tiny bit, but it moved.  

“Whoa!?”  

“I-It moved!?”  

Rin looked up at me with joy in her eyes.  

Seeing her like that, I smiled back and turned to Saotome-san.  

“Saotome-san…! I never expected such a drastic method…!”  

“Hmm…! Even I’m surprised!”  

“”Huh?””  

“Well, I just sensed some rom-com energy in the air. So I made something up. I thought it would make for a good scene, you see. Ha ha ha! I’m glad it actually worked out! I was already thinking of excuses in case it didn’t!”  

Y-You little…!  

“Saotome…-san…!”  

Rin glared at Saotome-san and started hitting her lightly but repeatedly.  

“O-Ow! C’mon, it’s fine! You got to hug him, didn’t you!?”  

No, that’s not the point!  

Do you even realize how valuable a maiden’s hug is!? It’s incredibly precious!  

“I-I mean, I did get to hug him, but…! Lying isn’t okay…!”  

Wait… I-Is that… approval?  

Rin, what exactly do you mean by that?  

“It wasn’t a lie, though!? Oww! That hurts, Kanzaki-san!”  

Saotome-san looked at me as if pleading for help. But I quickly averted my gaze and resumed my telekinesis training.