Swimsuit Shopping Date
"This weekend, come swimsuit shopping with me."
I was utterly dumbfounded by Hwa Yujin's sudden declaration.
This bastard—why's he suddenly trying to cross the line again? Are you and I the type to leisurely do something like that?
It must be because of those weird things I said without thinking during phone sex with him the other day. I ended up giving him the wrong idea.
Time to draw a clear line again.
We're not like that, got it?
"Hey, don't get the wrong idea. Why the hell would I go swimsuit shopping with you? Are we that close? We're not, right? Don't cross the line. What's your reason even...?"
"I want to see you in a swimsuit."
"...What?"
"I want to see you in a swimsuit. Cute ones are good, sexy ones are good too. I want to pick out one that suits you myself. Can't I?"
...How can this bastard say something so embarrassing with such a straight face?
He wants to pick out my swimsuit? Ha, the little shit's lost it. Does he think I'm some dress-up doll? And he's standing there all proud, neck held high after saying that?
...Hmm, hmm. Anyway, he wants to see me in a swimsuit, huh.
This guy's got some real greed. Seeing me naked wasn't enough—he wants to add my swimsuit look to his collection too, right?
Perverted bastard, as always.
...Come to think of it, maybe I'm overreacting a bit. Friends go swimsuit shopping together sometimes... right? I wouldn't know since I've never done it.
To be precise, we're sort of sex partners or something like that. This might be totally normal.
Plus, a swimsuit's basically equipment.
Equipment for swimming, and equipment for sex too. Swimsuit sex is a straight-up vanilla scene in most eroge—it's gotta happen.
So, in a way, this is just going shopping together for gear needed to train me.
"...You really wanna see me in a swimsuit that bad?"
"Yeah. I do. You'd look good in anything, no doubt."
"If I'd look good in anything, then~ we don't need to go together, do we? I could just grab anything and it'd be cute. Right?"
He hadn't thought that far, apparently—Yujin started sweating bullets and stammering.
Seriously, how's he gonna be useful with no quick wit like that? I'm letting it slide 'cause it's me, but any other girl would've docked points.
"Tch, fine. I wasn't planning on it at all, but since you're begging like that, I'll go with you as a special favor."
The moment I gave my okay, Yujin's face bloomed into a huge grin.
So damn innocent. Even if we go on vacation, who knows if we'll have time to hit the beach—but picking out swimsuits and actually swimming are different flavors of fun, right?
...This guy won't pick something too extreme, will he?
No, but if it's super perverted and slutty, the training effect might be even better, so maybe I should encourage him.
...Tricky.
※
That Saturday, Yujin and I checked out for the night and left the dormitory.
We could've just done a day pass for swimsuit shopping, but we used overnight leave instead.
I bet Yujin knows why.
Our destination: the nearest big department store.
A frequent spot in the original story for grabbing various items.
We headed straight for the swimsuit section on the sixth floor of the main building.
"Shouldn't we browse other stuff slowly before swimsuits? We're at the department store for once."
I ignored Yujin's suggestion.
Why bother? We came for one thing—get it and go.
Besides, we're broke.
The academy doesn't just waive tuition—you get a stipend too. But for a first-year cadet like us, it's barely 300,000 won a month.
Dorm life covers living expenses for free, but we can't blow money carelessly.
It's not like I'm excited to show him my swimsuit or anything.
"What kind of swimsuit do you think would be good? Got any ideas?"
"W-Well... a one-piece seems the safest, right?"
I shot him a death glare with my pigeon eyes.
This bastard, playing coy now?
"Hey, you gonna pussyfoot around like that? Be honest. You wanna see me in a sexy bikini. That's why we came, isn't it?"
"I-Idiot! Don't say that where people can hear!"
The punk's shrinking now that we're in the women's swimsuit section.
I'd be tense too if I were in his shoes.
Some might say "it's just swimsuits, no big deal," but let me nail this down: swimsuits are lewd. The wearer might not be, but the swimsuit itself is.
Being surrounded by lewd stuff and drawing stares from other women? Of course it's pressuring.
But cowering won't get us anywhere.
"Hey, stand tall. Alone, you're just a regular perv, but with me, you're in the VIP club."
"What're you talking about?"
"You get front-row seats to a beauty like me in a swimsuit."
"Saying you're a beauty yourself?"
But it's the truth, right?
If I'd been born with this face, I might be too shy to say it.
But as a soul who's only possessed this body for half a year, let me tell you: across the whole academy, I'm top-five beauty material, no question.
What's there to be embarrassed about? Nothing.
"Look over there. Guys like that, all huddled up, glancing around suspiciously... they get labeled creeps and pervs."
"A-Ah."
The guy I pointed at had his face hidden under a hood and sunglasses, head swiveling nonstop like a meerkat on alert. Not cute at all.
Looked like he was here to peep on women trying on swimsuits—probably getting dragged off by security soon.
"Don't wanna look like that? Chest out, proud. You dragged me here, remember."
"...Right. So I should act like your boyfriend?"
Hnnngh... this bastard keeps testing me? I'm cracking down soon, for real. But we're here for swimsuits, so I'll let it slide.
"Stay put. I'll try one on. You said one-piece is safe, right?"
Honestly, even I think starting there makes sense.
Bikinis still feel a bit off... somehow.
I've gotten used to bras and panties after half a year, but bikinis—structurally identical—still don't appeal.
Cherish this discomfort. The day I get numb to these little differences is the day my male self dies.
I grabbed a pretty-colored one-piece and headed to the fitting room. Blue center stripe with white and pink accents on the sides.
Good stretch, comfy fit... but.
"...Hey, this is kinda lewd?"
Less exposure than a bikini, so one-piece should feel less sexy... right?
What a shallow thought. I learned the hard way.
No exposure, but it clings tight—making anyone with a sexy body look even sexier!!
Joo Hyowon was treated as the players' borderline giant-tits benchmark.
Not quite giant-tits territory. Weakest of the giants. Size is there, but that's it. Something like that.
But that's just the game. In reality, wearing a body-hugging one-piece? My chest's ferocity hit me anew.
And it wasn't that modest. No torso exposure, sure, but legs and arms out bare? How's that not revealing?
High-leg cut even shows my hip bones clearly.
"......Gulp."
Damn. Embarrassing—how do I deal?
I stomped out acting unfazed.
But in the mirror, I was just a girl with a subtle blush. Damn it.
Get it together!
"It's fine. If I'm this embarrassed, just imagine Yujin."
I pictured his flustered face.
Him losing it, oblivious that a 30-something uncle lurks in this fresh body.
...Yeah, thinking about it calms the shame. His dumb face turning red helps.
Shame's pretty relative, honestly. Even something mortifying feels okay if someone's way more embarrassed beside you.
"...How's this?"
I stepped out and presented myself to Yujin.
He reacted exactly as expected.
"C-Cute! So cute! Uh, um..."
Yujin desperately squeezing out compliments that suit me. But a guy with zero practice can't turn poet on the spot.
The best he mustered:
"S-Super sexy and cute!"
I had teasing locked and loaded, but piling on a guy already despairing over his vocab felt mean.
"Isn't it a bit too childish?"
Just testing. Kids don't wear high-leg one-pieces like this.
"N-No way! It's gorgeous! Totally mature!"
"Hmmm. Not bad, sure. But didn't you say you'd pick? Why am I choosing? Recommend one you like."
At my request, Yujin started browsing with mission-mode intensity.
What suits her best? Matches her taste?
He picked like it was life-or-death: a black monokini.
Less revealing than bikini, more adult than one-piece. A compromise, I guess...
But deep cleavage, right side slashed open like a shark bite, navel exposed—highlighting a different fetish.
"Th-Thought adult-like would be good."
"Hmm... You into this stuff? Been dying to see me in something like it, huh?"
"No, that's not—"
I snatched it from his fumbling hands before excuses.
Matching his tastes helps training, which makes me stronger.
Not 'cause I wanna indulge him or anything.
"A bit... resistant, but."
Less lower exposure, actually worth trying. Remembering original me appealed more hip than bust—this might even be safer combat-wise.
So I tried it.
"...Oh, this is... tricky."
Exposure's manageable. Problem: the red tattoo blooming on my lower belly.
Foundation could hide its current shade, but showing it now...
What's weird about it?
We'll be fucking endlessly anyway. Better if he knows.
Understand this permanent mark on my body from our sex—build some responsibility.
Last time was clothed, dim night, doggy—so he missed the womb tattoo.
Bright light, right now? Perfect impact.
No one's around anyway...
Yeah, decided.
Time to show it properly.
I stepped out in the monokini Yujin picked.
Take a good look. How perfect it fits. How slutty the mark you left on me is!
"Oh my? Hyowon? You're here too? What a coincidence."
Why the hell are you here!!??