Chapter 91: The Antidote

“No way!”

“C’mon~ just once~”

“Absolutely not!”

“Just a teeny bit~”

“Not even a teeny bit!”

Muen’s eyes were wide with fury, his tone righteous and resolute, his expression that of a fearless hero staring down death without a single frown. And then—

He curled up in the corner, trembling like a leaf.

“A real man, a true manly man, is manly in both body and heart! I absolutely refuse to do something so humiliating and shameful!”

“Really?”

Senior Anna let out a sigh of disappointment as she put away the little dress in her hands. “If junior doesn’t want to, then I won’t force it.”

“Eh?”

Muen blinked in confusion.

Since when was she this easy to talk down?

“What are you thinking?”

As if reading his mind, Anna lightly flicked her finger against his forehead with a teasing scold.

“Do I look like the kind of bad senpai who would force her junior to do something he doesn’t want to?”

“...Well, true.”

Muen scratched his head with an awkward laugh.

“Senior is always so gentle.”

“......”

“Hm? Something wrong, Senior?”

Noticing the distant look in her eyes, Muen asked.

“It’s nothing...”

Anna shook her head with a smile.

“Oh, right. Here.”

She tossed him a small vial.

“What’s this?”

Muen curiously inspected the clear, pure liquid inside the vial.

“Another kind of potion?”

“Mm. It is a potion,” Anna replied. “But more specifically, it’s the antidote to the one you drank earlier.”

“Antidote?”

Muen froze for a second before his face lit up with joy.

“Really?!”

“Fake.”

Anna rolled her eyes dramatically, the very picture of sultry elegance.

“Do I look like the kind of woman who would lie through her teeth to her precious junior?”

“Uh... sorry, Senior. I got too excited.”

“Fine, I’ll forgive you. After all, I’m a magnanimous woman.”

“Senior is the best. Beautiful, kind, pure of heart—my «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» favorite person ever.”

“Heh. I’m not some silly little girl who gets swept away by sweet words, you know.” Anna chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand. “So spare me the flattery.”

“It’s not flattery—it’s the truth,” Muen said, stone-faced.

“Then I’ll pretend to believe it.”

Anna ran her fingers through her long hair, tousled from the earlier fight. She tied the ends loosely with a hairband and pulled it over her shoulder before continuing,

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Eh? You’re leaving already, Senior?”

“What else would I do? I came to deliver the antidote and help you out of a jam. Those disgusting bald freaks crawling out of nowhere—someone else is taking care of them now. Why should I stay?”

“Unless...”

Suddenly, she leaned in close. The subtle fragrance from her body invaded Muen’s senses. Her clear eyes locked onto his, curving like crescent moons—utterly bewitching.

“Is it that junior doesn’t want me to leave?”

“I...”

Muen’s cheeks flushed red before he could stop himself.

“Pfft. Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

Before Muen could react, Anna had already stepped back, turning away with her hands behind her back and walking into the shadows.

“Then goodbye, Muen junior.”

“Alright... see you, Senior.”

“Oh, right.”

She glanced back over her shoulder.

“There’s something important about that antidote. Some precautions when drinking it.”

“Precautions?”

“That’s right.”

Her expression turned uncharacteristically serious, like a doctor giving strict instructions.

“You have to drink it completely naked. Otherwise, something very scary will happen.”

“Wait, completely naked?!” Muen was stunned. “There’s really such a weird potion? You’re not messing with me, are you? And what scary thing exactly?”

“Well... that’s for junior to find out.”

With a mischievous smile, Anna spun and leapt into the darkness.

“Wait—!”

Muen ran to the broken window and looked outside. But behind the dorm building, the night was empty.

“She sure left in a hurry... Did she forget to turn off the gas at home or something?”

Muen scratched his head.

Then his gaze turned to the potion in his hand—clear as spring water, seemingly harmless to humans and beasts alike.

And immediately, a headache hit.

“So... do I follow what she said or not?”

He shook the vial, deep in thought.

“Knowing Senior’s personality, she’s probably just messing with me. No way a potion could be that weird.”

Muen decided not to listen to Anna’s warning. He twisted the cap open, raising the bottle to his lips to chug it.

But right as the bottle touched his lips—he hesitated.

If anyone else had said that, he would’ve assumed it was nonsense.

But with Anna... maybe that’s exactly what she wanted him to think.

The real trap might trigger only if he drank it with his clothes on.

A trap within a trap?

Muen frowned.

But... what if she anticipated that too?

Maybe she just wanted to embarrass him. She could be hiding somewhere right now, spying on him.

A trap within a trap within a trap?

“Really living up to your reputation, Senior.”

To be able to twist Muen Campbell’s mind into knots with a single line... only she could do that.

“Whatever.”

Muen clenched his teeth.

“So what if she sees? I’m a grown man. What am I afraid of?”

Better to be safe than sorry.

Taking a deep breath, Muen stripped down completely.

“See no evil, see no evil...”

Eyes closed, he raised the potion and drank it in one go.

Immediately—

A fierce burning sensation spread across his skin.

His body flushed bright red as if lit from within.

It truly felt like fire had ignited inside him. Wisps of white steam curled up from his scalp.

“Hot!!”

Muen finally understood why she told him to strip.

She wasn’t lying—the potion couldn’t be drunk with clothes on.

At such high temperatures, his clothing might’ve literally caught fire.

Fortunately, the pain only lasted a moment.

Soon, Muen felt something shed from his body. A weight lifted.

Opening his eyes, he looked at the full-length mirror nearby.

The blond-haired, blue-eyed, handsome man in the reflection smiled back.

“Ah, my glorious biceps.”

“Ah, my chiseled pecs.”

“Ah, my perfect abs.”

“They’re back. All of them.”

Seeing that he was once again a proper man, Muen couldn’t help but sigh in happiness.

Yes, this is better. Much better.

Beauty is for hugging (or being hugged by)—not for becoming. No thank you.

“Though come to think of it... this probably wasn’t an antidote to a Transformation Potion, right?”

Muen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

If it were a real antidote, it wouldn’t have been that intense.

From how it felt, it wasn’t so much a reversal of the potion’s effects as it was a violent burning-off of his outer disguise.

“So that means... after realizing the potion’s effects, Senior just whipped up a quick counter-agent to forcibly cancel it?”

Muen let out a low whistle.

“Classic Senior. The Ancient Potion Club president title wasn’t just for show.”

“I’ve got to learn from her someday.”

“But that’s for later. Right now...”

His gaze swept around the room.

The clothes from earlier were definitely unusable. He’d already shown himself in front of too many people wearing that outfit. If he walked out wearing the same thing, someone sharp might connect the dots and draw unnecessary conclusions.

He needed to find some emergency clothes in this random dorm room.

Of course, proper compensation would be left in exchange.

“Looks like the room’s owner really likes working out.”

After a casual stroll around the room, seeing all the dumbbells and weight-training gear, Muen couldn’t help but smile.