Thankfully, the more modest bikini Nagisa wore next showed off a charm that was far from overwhelming. It was only because the previous one had been so absurdly daring; a bikini itself can hardly be called modest, after all.
Still, with the wrap skirt covering her up, it was definitely less intense. When I gave her the flower crown back, her beauty shone so brightly that I was sure the beach beauty contest was already hers.
"How do I look, Mika-san?"
The sight of Nagisa standing there, her hands clasped in front of her, was so lovely it felt unreal. As she fidgeted with her fingers, waiting for my reaction, I had to wonder if this was the same person who had nearly made me faint with that shocking bikini just moments ago.
Judging by her expression, Nagisa seemed much more at ease now. Personally, I think anything would be more comfortable than that black bikini. The sheer lack of fabric, the strings… every single part of it was enough to make me gasp. Especially since string bikinis like that are designed to be worn without anything underneath, which made it all the more risqué.
"Let's get this one!"
"…Is it that good? I thought you'd make me try on a few more."
"Ahaha, if you see something else you like while I'm picking mine out, we can just buy that, too. But this one is my treat!"
"Hmm… alright. If you like it that much, Mika-san, then I suppose this one is fine. I'll just have to get it in a slightly tighter size."
Making Nagisa try on more swimsuits would have certainly been a feast for my eyes, but the problem was that it would cut into the time for the last event on our schedule. So, I decided to cut it short here, quickly pick out my own swimsuit, and finish our shopping.
"I'll go change and be right out. You can pick out yours in the meantime."
"Okay~ It won't take me long, anyway!"
No, really. I had already decided what kind of swimsuit I wanted before we even got here.
First rule: absolutely no bikinis. It was hard enough just getting used to wearing a skirt; you expect me to wear a bikini? Not a chance.
That naturally narrowed my choices down to a one-piece or a monokini.
When I was a guy, I was so unconcerned about it that I'd go topless, but now, the idea of showing too much skin feels incredibly awkward. So, if I had to choose, monokinis were out, too. While it's true that monokinis are less revealing, I couldn't help but lean toward a one-piece.
As I held up various one-piece swimsuits to my body, I couldn't help but wonder how I had ended up like this. When I was little, I just wore whatever my parents bought me. As I got older, I got used to other people buying clothes for me, so I'd just pick things out paying attention only to the color combination. That feels like it was only yesterday.
As the time for Nagisa's return drew near, I started to feel a little anxious that I hadn't found anything I really liked. It was a little past 3:30, so I didn't have much time.
This one has a pretty color, but the high-cut leg is a deal-breaker. Rejected.
This one looks like something a little kid would wear. Rejected.
This one has a color and design I like, but the material feels weird. Rejected.
I wanted to just grab anything, but my desire to avoid too much exposure was at war with my desire to wear something pretty. Photos are what remain, after all, and if I wear something pretty, I can add it to my collection of my favorite character—who just happens to be me now. If I didn't have this aversion to exposure, I probably would have bought every pretty thing I saw and made my own private photobook. Anyone who didn't know my situation would wonder what was wrong with me, but from my perspective, it was just an extension of my usual otaku hobbies.
"…Are you choosing a one-piece, Mika-san?"
"Ah, Nagi-chan! You're back?"
As I was hanging up one one-piece and picking up another, Nagisa, who had returned with the correct size of her chosen swimsuit, asked me with a strange expression if I was planning on getting a one-piece. Please don't tell me that's the look of someone silently rebuking me for putting her in a bikini while I get to escape into a one-piece.
Personally, I think that's your fault for picking out such a ridiculously designed bikini in the first place, Nagisa. I just recommended one that was a little less revealing.
"I want to keep the exposure to a minimum. To be honest, it's a little embarrassing~. I'd prefer a light-colored one-piece that isn't high-cut, if possible."
"Then how about this one?"
"The color isn't bad, but I think the pink is a little too bright."
Nagisa held up a perfectly nice, light pink, off-the-shoulder one-piece, but it was a bit far from the color I wanted.
"Hmm… Are frills okay?"
"Frills? As long as the design doesn't look too childish, I don't think I mind."
The fluttery nature of frills tends to emphasize femininity. The keyword associated with frills might be 'beauty,' but in my opinion, it leans more toward a girlish feeling than a mature one.
"If you want something mature, you might be better off with a monokini, you know…"
"Ahaha, I'll think about it if I get the chance later! For now, it just makes me feel a little uncomfortable~. Yeah, something like that☆"
Nagisa showed me a few more, but it was hard to find one I really loved. To think that Nagisa, who had just been dragged along, had decided on hers in two tries, while I, who had come in with a clear idea, was taking longer. Am I being unnecessarily picky?
"…Mika-san."
"Hmm~?"
"What about this one? I think it would look good on you."
What Nagisa held out was a white, frilly one-piece with a rather unique design. One shoulder was sleeveless, while on the other, a frilly lace descended diagonally. It even had wide, lacy sleeves, giving it a very fluttery feel.
The most important part was that it was a low-leg cut, which meant less exposure. If it had been high-cut, I would have had to think about it, but since it was a low-leg, I felt like this could be the one.
"Whoa~! I love it, Nagi-chan. Yep, I'll get this one!"
I grabbed the swimsuit in my size and was about to head straight for the checkout when Nagisa's hand came to rest on my shoulder.
"Mika-san, surely you're not planning on buying it without trying it on? Please, go change."
"Hmm~ I don't wanna."
"…What?"
Seeing Nagisa's dumbfounded expression, a laugh escaped my lips. Ah, this is why I can never stop teasing her.
"Ahaha~! Oh my gosh…! Nagi-chan, that face is hilarious☆"
"…I don't find it funny at all."
"Hmph~ Really? But you know, I can tell whether it suits me or not without even trying it on. And the material feels pretty good."
"I'm sure you know that's not what I meant…"
Since we were in a public place, Nagisa kept her voice soft, but her eyes held a dark glint. I gave her a gentle smile and answered brightly.
"I'll save the grand reveal for the festival☆ But I'll show you first, so don't be too disappointed."
Dirty and cheap, you say? Looking back, things like this are what become memories.
"Fufu."
As I was about to head to the checkout with a triumphant smile, a murderous laugh made me clap a hand over my mouth to stop myself from surrendering. The terror of having my mouth stuffed with a roll cake, even if it only happened once, was still vivid in my memory.
But as a man… no, as someone who was a man, I couldn't just give in to external pressure so easily. As I desperately searched for a way out, a solution appeared before my eyes.
"Ah, Nagi-chan! Should we get one of these, too?"
"Mika-san, I'm not going to fall for such a clumsy attempt to change the subject. So hurry up and… hmm?"
Nagisa blinked as she looked at the straw hats I was pointing at. If you're asking how this was a solution… to be honest, I don't know either! I just had a feeling.
"Yep, now we have matching couple hats!"
"Ngh…! You're so unfair, really…"
Having narrowly escaped the crisis with the mysterious power of the straw hats, I slowly calmed my heart, which had been trembling with the fear of another roll cake incident. Teasing Nagisa like this is as thrilling as a drug.
Come to think of it, it might be nice to make some flower decorations myself and attach them to our hats for the festival. I'm sure Nagisa would like that, right?
After we finished picking out our swimsuits, we made an unscheduled stop at an instant photo booth. Nagisa, wanting to preserve the memories of our day together, wanted to capture it in photos she could keep. Isn't that the advantage of these photo booths? They let you capture a feeling that you just can't get with a phone selfie.
In the process, most of Nagisa's smiles came out looking stiff, and we almost ended up with a bunch of awkward photos, but I was able to solve that problem by sacrificing my own dignity.
For the sake of what little dignity I have left, I'll skip the details. Let's just say that thanks to me making a series of very strange faces, I was able to capture a shot of Nagisa bursting into genuine laughter.
It was worth it. The four photos we took, thanks to my sacrifice, would become a precious memory that not just Nagisa, but I as well, would not trade for anything. We lost a little time for our final event because of our detour, but it was more than worth it.
The grand finale wasn't actually all that grand. It was an ordinary, everyday activity: just a walk along the path in the lakeside park.
The reason I had included such an ordinary event in Nagisa's birthday celebration was all to give her another gift I had prepared. It wasn't a material gift, but for Nagisa, who wants for nothing financially, it might be a gift of even greater value.
"Mika-san, you really are…"
"Yep, yep, you can say it☆"
"…Never mind. I'm not going to say it."
"Hey, wait a minute?! The Nagi-chan of today is being a little too mean… I was hoping for a cuter reaction, you know. That's not fair."
"You didn't show me your swimsuit earlier, Mika-san. So I'm not going to say it either."
"Hmm, when you put it like that, I don't really have a comeback… Still, I can't help but be disappointed!"
The reaction I got from Nagisa after I took out the item from my bag on the park bench was, surprisingly, an expression like she was about to cry. Well, considering what I had placed in front of her was a chessboard, something she probably never expected, it made sense.
That's not to say the chessboard itself was the gift. As I said before, this wasn't a material gift.
"I've managed to memorize the basic rules, but I haven't actually played a game yet. So I was hoping you could teach me today, Nagi-chan!"
"Fufu… If that's what you wish, Mika-san, I feel like I could teach you every technique I know."
I remembered seeing an interesting post on an internet forum about Nagisa a while back. It was a deep dive into why her hobby was playing chess by herself. Of course, it wasn't a serious analysis; it was clearly meant to be a joke.
It basically said that Mika's personality was the type to be more interested in the chess pieces themselves, picking them up and saying things like, 'Nagi-chan, look at this! Isn't this piece so cool?!'
And if Nagisa asked Seia for a game, she would say something like, 'Sorry, Nagisa. I had a dream that I beat you in every game we played today,' which would annoy her, and then she would actually proceed to win.
For these reasons, Nagisa had no one to play chess with, and so playing by herself became her hobby. It was a post that was both a little sad and funny.
As Nagisa's best friend, how could I just let that stand? For her birthday, I decided to become a true friend who would play chess with her. I believed that if I kept studying, the day would come when we could enjoy it together.
"First, you are White, Mika-san… so you go first. It's not a huge difference, but in chess, White, who goes first, has a very slight advantage."
The moment her hobby was involved, Nagisa's expression lit up, and she seemed filled with the determination to teach me chess in earnest. Seeing her so passionate, I couldn't just mess around, so I, too, listened intently, hanging on her every word.
"Hmm… so the first move by White determines the general flow of the game?"
"Yes, basically. From Black's perspective, depending on how White starts the game, you can get a glimpse of how they plan to play the opening. It means you can start thinking a step ahead."
For a while, Nagisa's explanation, which was more like a chess lecture, continued. I couldn't understand everything at once, but I figured I would pick it up as we continued to play.
"Fufu. If I just keep explaining, you'll get bored, Mika-san, so shall we learn as we play?"
"Yeah, that's probably for the best…"
Naturally, the only result was my repeated, one-sided defeat. The situation was no different from a master giving a one-on-one lesson to a beginner, so it would have been strange to attach any meaning to winning or losing.
Nagisa, too, was probably not enjoying the game itself as much as she was happy to have found someone to share her hobby with, which was why she was teaching me so enthusiastically.
As we continued to play, I happened to check the time and realized we were running out of time to get Nagisa back to the Tea Party office as planned. I was worried we were late, but a quick calculation told me that if we left right now, we could make it on time.
"Nagi-chan, should we call it a day? We've had our fun, so I think it's about time we went back and helped poor Seia-chan."
"…You're right. Yes. This was more than enough fun; perhaps even a little too much. As you say, Mika-san, it would be logical to head back now."
Though she looked disappointed that I was suggesting we go back, Nagisa nodded, seeming satisfied. I guessed that she had been pleased with my attitude while we were playing. The fact that I was seriously trying to learn and enjoy her hobby must have made her happy; I could see with my own eyes that her mood had improved incomparably.
I wondered what her reaction would be when she found out we had prepared a surprise party for her. Everyone had worked so hard to prepare it, so I hoped she would be even happier than she was now.
For the entire ride back to the academy, the smile never left Nagisa's lips. She must have been in such a good mood that she would just smile sweetly no matter what I said, and even took my hand first and squeezed it tight.
We returned to the academy without incident, and as we stepped into the Tea Party building, I took out my phone and sent a MomoTalk to Seia, telling her we were on our way up. The Tea Party staff would have already told her, but this was just in case.
After getting in the elevator, as I watched the floor numbers go up one by one, I finished my own preparations.
"Nagi-chan."
"Yes?"
Ding—
The moment the elevator doors opened, stardust rained down from above Nagisa's head.
And then,
POP—!! POP POP!!
"SURPRISE!!!"
Amidst the exploding party poppers, the girl who had walked a lonely and solitary path, whose heart should have rotted away, was blessed by everyone as she burst into tears of joy.