Chapter 385: A Classic Cliché
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 385: A Classic Cliché
“Don’t go in too deep.”
At my firm words, Hiyori, who was already in waist-deep water, pouted.
“It’s not that deep, you know? And the water is clear, so I can see the bottom.”
“That’s what people think right before they drown. Come here and put on this tube.”
I held up the inner tube and gestured for her to come over. Hiyori slowly pushed through the water toward me.
I slipped the tube over her head and said.
“Go play over there where all the kids are.”
“Hey, what gives! Why do I have to go over there?”
“Because it’s dangerous.”
“I’m wearing a tube.”
“You think that makes you invincible? Hurry up and come back.”
“No.”
“You want me to scold you?”
Splash-!
Hiyori answered by flinging a handful of water at me.
I wiped the seawater from my face and reached a hand under the tube to grab her by the waist.
Then, as she tried to climb fully onto the tube, I pulled her down, holding her in place.
“Just listen to me for once.”
Was it because my hand was touching her bare skin?
Hiyori gazed at the distant horizon as she questioned my actions.
“Shouldn’t you be the one who stops being so stuffy, Senpai?”
Her voice was a confusing mix of pleasure and embarrassment.
Was this the first time we’d touched so directly since our date on that rainy day?
Unlike then, when it felt like an accident, I was intentionally touching her now, which seemed to make her even more flustered.
“How can you call my concern for you ‘stuffy’?”
“Then play with me. First, can you go get my phone?”
“Why do you need a phone when you’re playing in the water?”
“To take pictures, of course.”
“No.”
“Ugh, why do you keep acting like some conservative old grandpa...! It’s so annoying.”
Hiyori thrashed her body under the water, and as soon as I let go of her waist, she launched herself up.
She somehow managed to balance on the rocking tube and lay down comfortably.
I thought her motor skills were hopelessly clumsy, but her sense of balance was surprisingly good.
Shaking my head at Hiyori’s contrary behavior, I debated whether or not to touch her butt, which was dangling below the tube, before deciding to grab the handle on the side instead.
“So comfy...” Hiyori murmured, having completely surrendered her body to the tube.
I clicked my tongue as I watched her drift slowly with the current, pulled by my hand.
“Aren’t you going to play with your friends?”
“We’re hanging out tonight.”
“Don’t even think about going this deep at night. It’s seriously dangerous.”
“It’s fine, we’re just going to lay out a mat and eat the food we brought. If you’re that worried, you can come.”
“I’m not going.”
“Why not? Do you have to hang out with Hanazawa-senpai?”
“No. Why would I insert myself into a group of people I don’t know?”
“Everyone’s a stranger at first. You get to know people through new encounters. And besides, I’ll be there. And Miho.”
“You two are the only ones I know. And I’m not even close with Mitsushima.”
“It’s enough if you’re close with me.”
“You know, sometimes it feels like you’re always trying to push me in front of other people.”
“It’s because I like you that I want to introduce you to my friends.”
What a sly thing to say.
“Stop talking nonsense and button up your cardigan.”
“It’s not a size that can be buttoned up.”
“Then take it off and use it as a blanket.”
“Could you please stop being so conservative, even at the beach? And the sun is really bright here, so move me over a little.”
“It’s going to be bright no matter where we go... Didn’t you put on sunscreen?”
“It’s the glare. It’s blinding.”
“Then wear a hat.”
“How can I wear a hat I don’t have...!”
She flailed her arms, which were draped over the sides of the tube, splashing water everywhere.
With a smile, I told the whining Hiyori to calm down. When she became miraculously quiet, I let out a short breath and pulled the tube.
She was already like a mischievous little kid, but coming to the beach seemed to have made her even younger.
She acted so mature in front of others, yet this was how she was with me.
Normally, I’d have to scold her, but since it was so obvious she thought of me as special, I decided to let it slide.
I would, however, remember this. I’d make sure to get my payback, with interest, on the day we had our first time.
“Can I put my feet on your shoulders?”
“No.”
“So I can?”
“I said no.”
“Thanks.”
Thump.
A heavy weight settled on both of my shoulders.
Hiyori’s fair, pretty feet were resting on them.
It was funny how she had no intention of listening despite my warning, but there was a bigger problem.
Because I was facing her, my eyes were naturally drawn to the space between her parted legs.
The visual stimulation was intense since we were face-to-face instead of her back being to me.
To top it off, her perky breasts were on full display, making my desire surge to an unbearable degree.
She kept toeing the line, and it was driving me absolutely crazy.
Forcing a nonchalant expression, I wondered what to do with the beaming Hiyori when a good idea came to mind, and one corner of my mouth curled up.
“Why are you smiling? Do you think I’m a pushover?”
I let Hiyori’s bold words, spoken as she met my gaze, go in one ear and out the other. Then, I gently bit her calf, which was right next to my cheek.
“Hyaak!?”
Hiyori shrieked, clearly not expecting me to do something like that.
She jolted as if she’d seen a ghost, her body flailing. Just then, a wave rolled in and flipped her right over.
“Wha—!”
As Hiyori, who had fallen from the tube, plunged into the sea, I heard her unfinished scream. I chuckled as I grabbed the waist of the panicking, thrashing girl and pulled her out of the water.
“Phuah...!”
She started coughing, spitting out the water she’d swallowed in that short time. Although it wasn’t entirely my fault, I felt like I might have made a mistake.
The water was deep enough to reach her chest, which made me a little worried.
“Are you okay?”
At my serious question, she instinctively placed her hands on my shoulders for support and shook her head frantically.
“No...! Do I look okay!?”
“I didn’t think you’d actually fall off.”
“I’m not a good swimmer, so why are you messing with me...!”
“When did I mess with you?”
“You bit my leg!”
“That’s messing with you? You’re the one who rudely put your feet on my shoulders first. It was just payback.”
“So this is my fault?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped then...”
Finding her quick acceptance amusing, I wrapped an arm under her bottom, holding her completely against me.
“Ah...!”
Was she surprised by the firm feeling beneath her?
A short gasp escaped her lips, and her ears began to turn red.
The blush spreading across her face was quite cute.
It was also entertaining to see the girl who had been so bold just a moment ago become incredibly shy all of a sudden.
If she was going to react like this, why did she act up in the first place...?
It didn’t matter to me either way, but it made me want to take a peek inside her head.
“Relax. It’s hard to move.”
“.....”
Like a child held in a parent’s reliable arms, the tension drained from Hiyori’s body.
Feeling the weight in my arms increase slightly, I started walking toward the drifting tube and chided her.
“You always pick the strangest times to be obedient.”
“Because the water is scary...”
She had jumped into the sea without a second thought, and now she was making another strange excuse.
I decided to let her excuse, meant to hide her embarrassment, slide.
“Go grab the tube.”
“I’m scared.”
“You just have to reach out your hand.”
“I can’t swim.”
It seemed Hiyori was gradually getting used to physical contact with me.
The way she was acting so brazenly now was a far cry from the past when she could barely speak properly.
Even so, she still had a long way to go before she built up a tolerance.
After retrieving the tube for her, I asked.
“Want to get out?”
“No. I want to practice swimming.”
“Practicing in the ocean isn’t a great idea. You’ll get saltwater in your mouth.”
“Who said I was going to do all that? I can just splash around, can’t I?”
“Then grab the tube.”
“You scared me, so I’ll do it after I’ve calmed down a bit.”
“You don’t look scared.”
“I am, though. Here, see?”
With that, Hiyori took one of my hands and placed it on her upper chest.
It was a sudden move. But for some reason, I’d had a feeling she might do something like this, so I wasn’t too surprised. I gently bumped my forehead against the bold girl’s.
“Ow! Why’d you hit me...!”
“Why are you so mischievous?”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not necessarily. But were you really scared?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s take a short break and go back in. You’ll get a cramp if you’re tense.”
“But it’s fine just like this...?”
“Let’s go back and check if we’re missing anything.”
“I don’t want to...”
She seemed comfortable being held like this and showed her reluctance.
I smirked, coaxing her as we returned to the shore.
I was drying my hair with a towel from one of the sunbeds when...
“Senpai.”
Hiyori, who had been watching the waves wash ashore, called out to me.
She wore a mischievous expression.
Wondering what prank she was planning now, I said.
“What.”
“Look at this.”
“What is it?”
“Hurry.”
At her urging, I looked over her shoulder at what she was pointing to and had to force myself to suppress a warm smile.
Drawn in the sand was a picture that looked like a man and a woman sharing an umbrella, with “Matsuken” written on the left and “Hiyori” on the right.
It was a traditional symbol called an Aiaigasa.
It was also a rather classic cliché, a staple of the rom-com genre.
The thought that she had diligently drawn this with a stick when I wasn’t looking was endearing.
I could see the shadow of the soaking-wet girl who had done such a sweet thing.
Why was it so cute that her signature ahoge was plastered flat against her head?
“Doesn’t my shadow look like a ghost?”
Hiyori seemed to find her own shadow funny, too, and started shifting her posture this way and that.
As she struck a series of ridiculous poses, her butt stuck out and brushed against my groin, which was an added bonus.
“Ah?”
Seeming to have felt the thick bulge between her buttocks, Hiyori let out a surprised gasp, cleared her throat, and changed the subject.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“I dunno. They were selling skewers on the street back there. Should we go?”
“Then wait a second.”
“Why?”
“Your outfit is too revealing. I’ll go get you a gown, so just rest here for a bit.”
“I have a gown.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
Hiyori pulled a long, white bathrobe from her large bag.
She must have brought it from the hotel... It seemed she was well aware.
Aware of just how revealing her swimsuit was.
“If you had one, why didn’t you take it out sooner?”
“Why would I take it out beforehand when I was going to play in the water?”
“Fair enough, but why did you act like you didn’t have one earlier?”
“I dunno. Let’s go.”
Hiyori tugged on the hem of my wet t-shirt and started walking.
As I let her lead me toward the street stalls, I glanced back and saw the drawing being washed away by the waves.
And yet, its shape remained largely intact. Things like that are often used as a device to symbolize the strong bond between the protagonist and the heroine.
Hoping that my relationship with Hiyori, and by extension, with Miyuki, Renka, and Chinami, would be just as resilient, I left with Hiyori.
I had been worried about whether we’d have time to make memories, but my worries were unfounded.
Just as so many things had happened in such a short time today, I was certain that many more events would unfold tonight, and tomorrow as well.