Chapter 102: Don’t Underestimate Yourself

Red wanted to argue further, but Finis had already left the Confession Chamber, leaving him sitting face-to-face with Litt.

The air in the Confession Chamber felt heavy and awkward.

Red cleared his throat twice and took the initiative to speak.

“No… actually, it’s all just a misunderstanding on their part.”

Red had thrown caution to the wind; the first thing he needed to do was clear himself of any suspicion.

Especially the misunderstanding Litt might have about him.

No matter how desperate a person is, they wouldn’t go after a mere grunt.

But it was obvious that Litt in front of him hadn’t understood that.

After hearing what he’d just said, she’d definitely think he was interested in Letia.

So, what he needed to do now was to break the doubts and confusion in her heart, and make Litt understand that what he liked was only White Stockings, not Letia who happened to be wearing White Stockings.

But how should he explain it so it was clear?

Red’s mind began to race at lightning speed.

In order to prove he wasn’t a pervert, at this moment, he had turned into a contemplative Ainsteins.

Finally, it seemed he had figured it all out.

He… stood up.

“Litt, I think you’ve misunderstood something. What I love is only White Stockings. That is to say… as long as Letia takes those off, I couldn’t possibly feel any desire!”

“Eh?”

Litt, who had been a little shy just moments before, was stunned when she heard that.

“Uh… like, takes everything off?”

“Of course not!”

Red thumped the floor and immediately clarified.

“I mean taking off the White Stockings, just the White Stockings!”

“Then… what if she’s totally naked in front of you?”

Red fell silent for three seconds, attempting to imagine Letia naked in his mind.

The Sea, waves, running away… a cheerful yet unknown BGM playing in the background… and… a monkey jumping out from who knows where.

Forget it, better not imagine it.

Red hurriedly shook his head, tossing the weird scene out of his mind.

Besides, he hadn’t even cleared up his name yet—why was he thinking about such nonsense?

So Red spoke up again to explain.

“Let’s not talk about Letia for now, but please remember one thing—so long as you’re wearing White Stockings, I’d look at you the same way, Litt!”

“Eh…?”

Litt paused, slowly shifting her gaze elsewhere, her fingers fidgeting with her Nun Dress.

Then, in a slow voice, she spoke.

“So that means… do I also need to… take them off?”

Her voice was soft, as if her mind hadn’t quite caught up, genuinely considering the question.

“…There’s absolutely no need for that.”

Red refused Litt’s suggestion like a monk who’d attained enlightenment.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t tempted, but if he nodded now, the ghost outside the door might just barge in and take his life.

“In any case, Litt, you can question my character, but you can’t question my xp…”

Once again, the image of the monkey, the Sea, the waves, and the running flashed through Red’s mind.

He couldn’t help but add,

“And you definitely can’t question my preferences.”

Seeing how wary he looked, Litt’s tense expression finally softened, and she showed a faint smile.

“Mhm, that’s good then.”

But then, as if recalling Finis’s words before she left, her eyes grew a little vacant.

Her fingers unconsciously played with the hem of her skirt, and she murmured in a near-whisper, almost as if talking to herself.

“And also… do we really look that much like Little Lovers who are bickering?”

Her voice was quiet, with a trace of confusion and curiosity that was almost impossible to notice.

Silver hair fell, hiding her slightly flushed ears, and her gaze kept drifting away from Red’s eyes.

“I don’t know, either.”

Red sighed.

He really had tried hard to keep his distance from Litt, so why did so many people still get the wrong idea?

And there was another, very important reason—he was totally unworthy.

“In my view, someone like me definitely couldn’t be Litt’s boyfriend. Even if we really stood together, like a couple, I think we’d just seem like ordinary acquaintances, you know?”

Hearing Red’s words, Litt reached out and gently tugged on his sleeve.

She seemed a bit upset, her eyes filled with earnestness.

“We’re not just ordinary acquaintances, and we couldn’t possibly be just ordinary acquaintances.”

Litt’s reaction was a bit intense, leaving Red momentarily at a loss.

The girl continued,

“Red, you’re looking down on yourself too much. It’s really not like that at all—there’s no such thing as ‘someone like you’. I think you’re a very outstanding person—kind, understanding, a good person… just a bit, um, shrimp-headed, but in my eyes, there’s no need for you to be so self-conscious!”

“Did you just mutter something under your breath?”

Although Litt tried to lower her voice halfway through, Red still caught those two words.

“No, I didn’t!”

Litt immediately denied it.

Red scratched his face, a little embarrassed after hearing that.

Honestly, Red had never thought that Litt would think so highly of him, and with such sincere, unquestionable tone.

Maybe she felt a bit embarrassed to say all that, because her cheeks reddened once again.

Still, she met Red’s gaze directly, never looking away.

As if she wanted Red to understand that she meant every word.

After a long moment, Red also began to feel embarrassed under her steady gaze.

“Is that so… How should I put it… thank you?”

In fact, he didn’t really know how to respond, so he just said thanks.

“So, don’t keep putting yourself down,” Litt said earnestly.

“If you don’t believe me, just ask the people around you—no one thinks you’re an ordinary person.”

Being stared at by Litt made Red even more embarrassed, his body heating up slightly.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, right then and there… he felt a little shy.

“Ahem… It’s about time.”

Red took a deep breath, suppressed the flutter in his chest, and stood up to leave.

But before pushing the door open, he paused and couldn’t help but turn his head.

“By the way… Litt, thank you for what you said earlier,” he paused, then added, “I’ll definitely go watch your performance later.”

Once outside the Confession Chamber, Red saw that his three good buddies were still waiting for him by the door.

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

“Hm?”

Seeing Tos get up as if to leave, Red asked, “Did you guys hear what Litt said just now?”

“The Confession Chamber isn’t very soundproof; we heard some of it.”

Mason answered for Tos.

Red thought of what Litt had said earlier.

“Does that mean…”

Brian patted Red on the shoulder.

“Just like Litt said, there’s no need for you to look down on yourself, Red. You’re one of only five in the Hero Party, and you fought all the way up to the Twenty-Third Floor!”

“Exactly, exactly,” Tos couldn’t help chiming in, “how could you possibly be an ordinary person?”

“You guys…”

Just as Red was moved, Tos added,

“You’re obviously a shrimp-head.”

“Just to add,” Mason adjusted his glasses, “a shrimp-head with a White Stockings loli complex.”

“You m… (beautiful and unknown language)”