Chapter 11. Summer and the Sea (3)
Well, whatever. Fine.
Since I've already told the strangest story first—that a nun wore a bikini—let me move on to a story that's slightly less important than that.
First, to explain how the beach retreat that was supposed to be just me and Ria ended up with this many people—
"So you're saying we should bring some other knights order along?"
Yes. That was the reason.
I am a Saint Candidate.
My reputation on Earth is still somewhat below my reputation among the other races. Within the Church, it seems almost certain that I'll ascend to the position of the next Saint, but ironically, the people who've seen me in action in this world are mostly professionals.
Hunters? Naturally, they think well of me. More than a few of them owe me their lives. Some soldiers have seen me fight in the research lab, at least.
But the truth is, I've hardly ever done anything in front of ordinary people.
I've never exterminated a giant monster invading this world, and I've never flown around saving lives like the other Heroes. Even I find it strange, but on Earth I haven't publicly performed the kind of feats I've done elsewhere.
That was fortunate, but... the problem was that the Church people all knew about my exploits.
Wherever I went, it had become natural for a Church knights order to follow me.
Before, no one made much of a fuss as long as Ria, my personal escort knight, was with me, but now it seems even that status has risen a bit.
...Yeah, I understand. If someone saw what I did in the Dwarf Kingdom and reported it to the Church, it was warranted.
"I can't wear a swimsuit in front of a knights order."
"......"
Hearing Ria say that, I did consider—very briefly—just bringing a knights order along.
It really was very brief. Ria seemed to be looking forward to going to the beach enormously, and I didn't want to do anything to pour cold water on that here.
As a result, we ended up looking for an escort target who had superb skills for guarding us, but who also wouldn't say much if we wore swimsuits in front of them.
That was Lee Si-yoon and his friends.
No, I have no idea how Glaria and her maid—who clearly live in our Church—ended up becoming part of Lee Si-yoon's group, but anyway, that's how it was.
"...If the Convent Head knew I was in front of other men dressed like this, she'd probably faint."
"She might actually come right back. If she found out you had your veil on your head, she'd faint all over again in her dreams."
"......"
Even if I wanted to get angry at Ria, unfortunately I couldn't look at her properly right now. The swimsuit I'd picked out suited Ria very well, but at the same time, for someone like me with no resistance to this sort of thing, it was a difficult outfit in many ways.
"Come on, don't just stand there. Let's go."
Ria said that and grabbed my hand.
Normally, I would have just accepted it as a matter of course. Ria always liked dragging me around here and there, and grabbing my hand or wrist in the process was completely natural.
But Ria's back as she said that and took the lead—well, it was radiating such objectively overwhelming appeal in every way that I couldn't bring myself to lift my gaze.
*
The swimming Ria taught me turned out to be pretty useless.
I had barely managed to get the basics into my body, but that didn't mean the two of us had done those swimming lessons every day, or set aside time a few times a week for them.
On top of that, the waves were more of an obstacle than I'd expected. I couldn't even go into the deep part of the sea, but the places not heavily affected by the waves were deeper than I'd thought.
In the end, what I chose was sitting on a tube and enjoying the waves.
Splash.
"......"
I had been staring blankly up at the sky, but at that sound I lowered my head again.
The tube had tilted and sunk to one side. Not enough to flip completely over, though.
Splash.
After taking seawater to the face, I wiped my face with my hand.
Then I looked at Ria.
"...What are you doing right now?"
Ria was hanging onto one side of the tube, grinning at me.
She was sitting with her lower body through the hole of the big tube, bracing herself with her legs and back, so seawater was flowing in and out of the middle of the tube—and Ria was deliberately splashing that water at me.
"Oh, nothing. I just got a little bored playing in the waves."
"......"
Ria had both elbows propped up on the tube.
If she'd just been lying on it like she was sprawled over a desk, I wouldn't have been in a situation where I didn't know where to put my eyes. Most of her body would have been underwater.
But the fact that one side of the tube was submerged meant she'd pushed it down into the water with that much force. Ria was putting strength into her elbows and lifting her body up.
There was no way around it—her chest area was clearly visible above the water. Especially the parts not covered by the swimsuit.
"Are you just going to keep resting like that? Everyone's over there playing hard."
I silently turned my gaze toward where Lee Si-yoon and his friends were.
Over there, it was youth itself. Lee Si-yoon, Han Yu-ri, and Glaria.
For reference, Glaria had originally been a kid with very negative views about swimsuits too. Probably because she'd been a princess, she seemed to find exposing that much skin in front of others a bit burdensome.
When Han Yu-ri insisted on picking a bikini, Glaria got worked up too and picked a swimsuit, but it was a somewhat modest one-piece type.
Thanks to that, Lee Si-yoon seemed to be blushing a bit more at his childhood friend Han Yu-ri.
Setting all that aside, he was just an enviable bastard.
Well, it's fine.
If I went over and started playing, Ria would definitely follow, and then Lee Si-yoon would end up with two more heroines beside him.
If that's how it's going to be, staying separated here and keeping at least one of them tied down would be more helpful to those two.
......
It's absolutely not because I'm embarrassed.
And it's not because I don't want to see Ria stuck to Lee Si-yoon's side... well, that part is true, but anyway, it's not jealousy. It's not. Probably.
But however Ria interpreted my complicated expression, she grinned and put more strength into her arms.
"Don't do it."
I warned her.
"Hm? What are you going to do if I do?"
......
Ah, right.
What am I going to do?
I'm weaker, and unfortunately I'm not experienced with women either.
Well, I have done things like holding her in my arms. I'd held Ria in my arms and stroked her hair before.
But the mood now is completely different from then. At least right now, both Ria and I had completely clear heads.
And the one doing the teasing wasn't me—it was Ria.
"I said don't do it."
I warned her again, putting on a show of bravado, but Ria had apparently already made up her mind.
In the end, Ria pushed the side of the tube she was holding completely underwater.
Without even managing to scream, I sank into the water with a gurgle. Ria grabbed me and pulled me back up right away, but—
"Pwah!?"
I jerked my body back above the water and gasped in a huge breath.
"What are you doing right now!?"
I shouted that, tasting the bitter, salty seawater in my mouth—
Splash!
A wave surged in from the side and hit me in the ribs, making my body lurch.
Without realizing it, I thrust both hands forward, and my hand touched something smooth and soft. It didn't take long to realize it was Ria's waist.
Startled, I pulled my hand back, but as the wave receded it swept a handful of sand out from under my feet, and I staggered violently again, like losing my balance on a treadmill.
"Whoa there."
As if she felt sorry for me, Ria said that and caught me.
By the waist, of all places.
In the moment I was about to fall, she slipped one hand behind my waist and held me firmly, and with her other hand she caught my flailing right hand.
Thanks to that, I was held much more securely than if she'd simply grabbed my hand or arm, and I managed not to fall.
"......"
Though I was yanked hard into Ria's grip.
When I glared at Ria, she smiled slyly and said,
"What, I caught you when you were about to tumble in the waves, and you glare at me like that? That hurts my feelings."
Even though her own face had turned red, so she was clearly incredibly embarrassed herself.
No, more importantly, do normal women allow this kind of thing? I really don't think they do. Maybe if it were a hug while fully clothed because you're happy to see someone, sure.
No, well, we'd already danced together and everything, and anyway we were the kind of pair who wore rings on the same hand.
Wait, is that it?
Does she want me to hate it more intensely?
"You're the one who knocked me over!?"
When I shouted, Ria let out a laugh.
No, more importantly, let go of me.
If we stay like this, someone's going to get the wrong idea.
Other people,
and me too.
Soon Ria released me with a playful smile.
Stepping back one pace, I glared at Ria once more.
My heart was pounding violently. Damn it.
Seeing her smile, she's definitely enjoying my flustered reaction.
How on earth do I get back at her? It's not like embarrassment can just vanish in an instant.