"…Tatsuya."
"What?"
"I get the situation, but not swimming?"
"…Guess not."
Freshly arrived, we changed into swimsuits to enjoy the beach. Lunchtime was near, but we'd eaten light snacks on the ship, so no issue.
Leo and Mikihiko went for a long swim. I wasn't invited—Erika warned, "You'd crush their confidence." She likely considered the two girls who'd care if I were pulled away.
Instead, I practiced Tenjin magic, crafting a natural water slide from seawater under a beach parasol. The girls loved it. Tatsuya, cooling off nearby, inwardly sighed at my casual absurdity.
"Maintaining that magic long-term should be tough," he said.
"For modern magic, sure. Tenjin magic just needs a tweak."
Call it "overpowered protagonist," but Tatsuya's not far off. As the girls approached, done playing, I stopped the spell, letting the seawater settle.
"Yugen-san, swim with us?" Honoka asked.
"It's the beach, let's play!" Erika added.
"Alright. Tatsuya, brace yourself."
"Seems I must."
Shedding our hoodies, Tatsuya's scars stood out—marks from childhood training without proper self-healing. Mine? Erased by my strong restoration magic. The girls flinched, so I covered.
"Impressive training, Tatsuya. Those scars are proof of effort. No clue what Yakumo's aiming for with you."
"…Thanks, Yugen. Wait, what's that look?"
"Didn't expect thanks from you."
"Why's that? Miyuki, why're you laughing?"
I framed the scars as a man's badges; Miyuki smiled, others looked surprised. No deep probing—good for Tatsuya.
Next, we played target practice with floating ice and fire targets, using seawater. Then, Tatsuya and I trained psion control. His quick grasp led to convergence-dispersion drills. The girls, except Mizuki (resting under the parasol), played on boats nearby.
"Sorry, Yugen. You'd rather be with Miyuki or Shizuku," Tatsuya said.
"No big deal. Erika might pry too much. A little alone time's nice… Besides."
"Besides?"
"Once summer's over, I'll be with Miyuki or Shizuku 24/7."
Same class, student council with Miyuki, and living at the Shiba's—Miyuki time's inevitable. CAD tuning remains Tatsuya's domain.
"About Okinawa… odd you didn't suspect my actions were calculated."
"Mind if I ask? Were you okay with Miyuki?"
Tatsuya wants to support his sister's first love, as would their aunt or mother. Miyuki's too obedient, bottling stress, and leans on me. He worried she'd cross forbidden lines.
"It's fact now, so I accept it. I do love her. Crossing that line? Just a sigh."
"Our family's hopeless at romance. Yours different?"
"No clue about Grandfather's era, but Dad, Mom, and Grandfather were love matches. Rare for clans or mages."
Maybe Saegusa's meddling stems from envy of Mitsuya and Yotsuba love matches.
Miyuki left a good impression. I expected her Tatsuya dependency from the original story, but she's grown attached to me.
"When you collapsed after magic and I returned to the base, Miyuki was pale," Tatsuya explained. "She clearly felt strongly for you."
"Midnight mentioned that… Makes sense."
"She denied it—'Absolutely not!'—but her actions gave it away. Valentine's? The kitchen felt like a dark ritual."
"That's harsh."
A sea breeze carried a scream and a flipped boat. Tatsuya moved instantly. I lagged, recalling a "lucky pervert" scene from the original.
(Tatsuya's got that protagonist trope… Gotta hurry.)
Using Water Spider to amplify surface tension, I ran across water like land, deploying an air barrier to calm waves and wind. I righted the boat, drained water, and overtook Tatsuya, lifting Shizuku and Miyuki aboard. Erika climbed up herself. I stood on water with magic, mindful of weight.
"Impressive, their boyfriend," Erika teased.
"Cut it. Honoka's left…"
Tatsuya struggled to lift a flustered Honoka, who resisted. Sensing why, I turned away.
Shizuku, puzzled, then understood seeing Honoka's state.
"…You noticed?" she asked.
"Bad feeling. Don't want trouble, even with friends… Moving the boat to shore."
Back on the beach, Honoka, still crying, was soothed by Tatsuya (and Shizuku's nudging). He agreed to her request—a safety-first mishap.
Honoka seized the chance, boating with Tatsuya. Miyuki's reaction?
"Yugen-san, ahh~"
"Mmm. Tasty."
"Too couple-y," Erika muttered.
Miyuki preferred Honoka's bold moves over bad rumors (like abnormal tastes). Unable to dote on Tatsuya, she fed me fruit attentively, making Erika grimace.
"I've got zero normal dating experience. Plenty of shady political and mage dealings, though," I said.
"You're such a siscon," Erika jabbed.
"Shut it, ultra brocon."
Shizuku stayed out, feeling responsible for Honoka. Miyuki, understanding, didn't badmouth her. No tension between fiancées.
Trading barbs but drawing lines, Mikihiko gave a wry smile.
Dinner was a lively barbecue. Tatsuya and Leo had a food fight; the girls swapped love stories—no awkwardness.
Later, alone on the beach, I listened to waves under the night sky.
I've sprinted this far. Can't predict the future, but it's almost too perfect.
(Someone's coming…)
Footsteps and a presence—my beloved Miyuki. She sat beside me, skirt heedless of sand.
"Weren't you chatting with the girls?"
"Shizuku consulted me about Honoka… I slipped away to find you."
Shizuku figured my presence would paralyze Tatsuya. Miyuki thought, "Onii-sama has some sense…" but had another realization.
"As Onii-sama's Yotsuba guardian, I'm touched he cares. I rely on him too. But to achieve our dreams, shouldn't we aim to be 'human'?"
Not a sacrificial pawn, she said. She wished Tatsuya happiness, nudging Honoka forward.
"I didn't push our approach, though," she added.
"That's normal. Honoka doing that would be no joke."
Elemental clans risk dependency. Controlled, it's fine; unchecked, it disrupts life. I warned Shizuku post-accident.
"…Miyuki, can I ask something?"
"Yes?"
"Why me? I'm pretty selfish."
I'd heard others' takes, but this was a rare calm moment. Miyuki took a deep breath.
"Mother's smile. She was often ill, rarely genuine. You drew it out, sparking my interest."
Midnight, healed by Domain Enhancement, was frail from magic overuse then. My presence brought her real smile.
On a plane, we swapped seats and talked.
"You were the first guy I spoke to freely, without magic or study talk."
"Your charm's magnetic, Miyuki. I hid staring hard."
"Really? I might've been staring too."
She admitted it was love at first talk. My gifted cookies? She hasn't reached that "sanctuary." Cookies aren't a holy grail!
"You're okay with me as first wife? I'm jealous, not restrained…"
(She knows she's unrestrained…) "Tatsuya's so abnormal, I overlook a lot."
"Then I'll wash your back next time."
"Bare minimum: bath towel."
Her figure, exceptional for 15, stunned Honoka to nosebleeds (per Shizuku). Shizuku might envy the gap.
"You saved and made me cry. Take responsibility."
"That's a line for after filling all the ditches."
Later, Shizuku dragged us to her room; we three slept. No moves made—probably. Asleep, who knows? Morning found me touching their chests through pajamas; I apologized. Shizuku, blushing, mumbled, "Want bigger ones, it's fine." Miyuki, peeling off pajamas, clung, saying, "See all of me." Shizuku shed everything, hugging me.
This world's girls might lean carnivorous, I thought, embracing them early morning.
Notes: Avoided Tatsuya's side to steer clear of snags. Summer arc continues.
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