When you think of the beach, there's nothing better than playing in the water. The sea is the kind of place where you can have fun just by splashing around with friends.
Watching Azusa and the others chase each other with water guns—who knows where she even got them—was a heartwarming sight.
At first, I did wonder, why water guns? But when you think about it, real guns actually hurt when you get hit, and they're a pain to maintain after getting them soaked in seawater. It made more sense to just play with water guns instead.
"Uheh~ It's nice to see everyone so full of energy. Still, I'm surprised you're so much like me, Mika-chan," Hoshino commented, giving me a sideways glance as she lay sprawled out on a towel next to my sunbed.
"Ahaha, well…"
I mean, based on my reputation, I should have been the one in the middle of that chaos, dual-wielding water guns. Saori, on the other hand, should have been the one relaxing here.
"Prepare yourself, Shirasu Azusa…!"
"I'm sorry, Saori. I didn't know it would be like this."
"You think that's enough? If you didn't know, you shouldn't have taught me in the first place!"
"Ugh. Saori, you're so petty."
"…Hah. If you're going to talk like that, then I'll get serious—blub."
"That's far enough, Sao-chan. I'll protect Azusa-chan."
"What…? Ah, Atsuko, how could you…!"
"Ehehe… This means we're ganging up on you."
"Wow You're right! Let's go! Let's defeat the villain as the Swimsuit Squadron!♤"
Seeing the four streams of water converge on Saori, I thought the scene suited her quite well. She looked like an uncle playing with his young nieces.
The real reason I wasn't out there frolicking with them was that I don't get many opportunities to just relax like this. I was long past the stage of clinging to childhood innocence or acting my supposed age.
What could be more peaceful than just lying around, doing absolutely nothing? Yet, I had rarely experienced such tranquility in Kivotos.
At first, I was simply too busy to afford such luxuries. More recently, I had grown so accustomed to the warmth of others that it had become difficult to truly enjoy my time alone.
So, for some reason, watching the others play while I just zoned out allowed me to feel that peace for the first time in a while. Having Hoshino lazing around next to me was a big part of it, too.
"If I had to say, I guess… I don't really hate being lazy like this," I admitted.
"Hoh. Is that so? See, Mika-chan, you and this old man have something in common. How about you transfer to Abydos? This old man will take good care of you."
"Ahaha… That might be a little difficult. It's not a bad offer, but I've got too much going on at Trinity."
Besides, there was the fact that I didn't want to leave Nagisa behind. If Nagisa suddenly announced she was transferring, I'd probably follow her without a second thought.
Well, the chances of that happening were practically zero, so it didn't really matter.
"Hoshino-chan, how long are you two staying here? You said you were here yesterday, too. Considering Abydos's situation, you can't be away for too long…"
"That's true~. We chased out all the thugs who were causing trouble in our district, but they'll be back to target our school again soon enough."
The ones harassing Abydos weren't just simple delinquents; it was a calculated assault by Kaiser Corporation. As soon as they realized Hoshino was away, they'd undoubtedly deploy a new wave of mercenaries.
"Originally, we were planning to meet you today or tomorrow and then head back. Since we met today, I guess we'll probably leave tonight?"
"Ahaha, I see. It's a bit of a shame you only get to enjoy the festival until today. Hopefully, things will be different at next year's festival☆"
"Uheh? I might have to think about that. The sun is too harsh for this old man to stay for long… It's so hot, I feel warm just sitting still~."
Even if Hoshino said that, the entire Foreclosure Task Force would be together then. I had a feeling her love for her juniors would bring her back here eventually. If they did come, I hoped they'd have a great time at that festival, too.
In the meantime, checking out everyone's swimwear was surprisingly fun.
Atsuko was wearing a bolder-than-expected hot pink bikini. Knowing what she usually wears under her uniform, however, it wasn't that much of a shock.
Hiyori's choice of a black high-waisted bikini that covered her stomach was very her. She must be interested in fashion magazines, because she'd layered a black see-through cardigan over it as a nice touch.
Unlike the Arius girls, who never got swimsuit versions in the game before I was isekai'd, Hoshino and Nonomi did. But today, their outfits were different.
Hoshino had opted for a simple but fitting light-blue one-piece, while Nonomi caught my eye with a black lace bikini that was a bit less revealing than her original version.
But just because it showed less skin didn't mean it was any less sexy. As they say, there's beauty in what's left to the imagination. A swimsuit that sparks the imagination is often more alluring than nudity, a preference that surprisingly transcends gender. So, while it covered more, the design itself gave her a more mature feel.
Even for me—someone whose libido seems to have waned since coming here, to the point where I can look at my own naked body and just think, 'pretty,' and move on—it was a breathtaking sight. I imagine I'd have had a similar reaction if I'd ever seen Hasumi in a bikini, given the stress she feels about her… assets continuing to grow.
The only problem was, as I sat there, a certain clichéd scenario came to mind.
Especially considering the Abydos story arc is a veritable theme park of Japanese subculture clichés…
"Hoshino-senpai~♡"
"Uheh—gasp! Ptooey, ptooey! No-Nonomi-chan?! What was that for? I was having a nice rest…."
"No way~ We came all the way to the beach, and there are so many people here! You can't just lie around like a log!"
"Is that so… If you're going to disturb this old man's rest for that reason, then I guess I can't forgive you."
As expected, the clichéd scene unfolded right before my eyes, and a smile crept onto my face.
Watching Hoshino grab one of the spare water guns that had been set aside for us, I thought to myself, this is Abydos.
Splash—
It wasn't the gruesome sound of something tearing; it was just a stream of water from a water gun hitting me square in the face.
"Mika-san, don't just watch, get up! Let's have some fun together~☆"
"…Ahaha."
I picked up the other water gun and exchanged a look with Hoshino. Nonomi was about to regret poking a sleeping gorilla and a sleeping whale.
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Saori flanked Nonomi from behind, and the time for righteous retribution began.
After a long water gun battle, Atsuko, Nonomi, and Hiyori were completely out of energy. The four of us decided it would be better to prepare a barbecue for dinner than to keep playing.
"Mika-san, the pension where Hoshino-senpai and I are staying is near the Trinity side of the beach~♤ They serve meat there, so let's have dinner there and come back for the fireworks!"
It seemed that when it came to things like this, even Hoshino didn't try too hard to stop Nonomi from spending her own money. While Nonomi called the pension to have them prepare the barbecue, the rest of us packed up our things.
After that, Azusa gave the water guns, which she had probably bought with her own allowance, to some kids playing nearby. If only our Azusa could always stay this sweet, I wouldn't ask for anything more. Maybe it would be best to just block her from accessing that darn community forum altogether.
Instead of taking a car, we took a leisurely stroll along the beach and soon arrived at a pension that, fittingly for a building on the Trinity side, had a very classical atmosphere.
I say barbecue, but it wasn't a traditional one; it was just yakiniku. I took charge of grilling the meat, and I was glad everyone had become friendly enough not to be overly formal about my status.
Still, seeing the surprised looks on Hoshino's and Nonomi's faces as I grilled, I guess the situation itself must have felt a bit awkward for them.
To be honest, the whole time we were eating, I was dying for a glass of soju… In Kivotos, soju doesn't even exist, and it's been over half a year since I've had a drop of alcohol. You'd think I'd be over it by now, but the human heart just doesn't work that way.
After returning to the festival grounds, we gathered on a quiet corner of the beach with relatively few people and watched the colorful fireworks decorating the night sky.
But just watching fireworks can get a little boring, so we bought some of our own—sparklers, Roman candles, and the like—and had our own little fireworks show.
Flowers of light bloomed from the metal wires in our hands, and the small sparks shooting from the Roman candles offered a different, more intimate kind of joy than the massive explosions overhead.
There was a minor incident where we had to stop Azusa from heading to her bag to "make her own fireworks," but because we were all having fun together, our enjoyment was multiplied. Everyone seemed sad when it was time to part ways.
"Bye, everyone! Let's meet again if we get the chance~☆"
"Uheh This old man is completely wiped… I just want to go back and sleep. Text me once in a while so this old man doesn't get lonely."
"…I'll think about it, Hoshino."
"Alright~ That's good enough for me. Take care, everyone. See you later."
"Bye, Nonomi-chan! Hoshino-chan! Today was fun!"
After saying goodbye to Nonomi and Hoshino, the Squad and I returned to the academy in a transport helicopter.
I had extended a hand to them, albeit anonymously, so I always expected our paths would cross with Abydos eventually. It happened much sooner than I anticipated, but looking back now, the timing wasn't so bad after all.
The problem was, now that the fun was over, all the issues I'd been putting off came rushing back to flood my mind.
First, there was the matter of the feelings Saori, Azusa, Atsuko, and Hiyori had for me. They had already declared to Nagisa's face that they wouldn't give up, which made the situation incredibly tricky.
But the real problem was that Gehenna had swept the gold, silver, and bronze medals in today's long-distance swimming competition. To make matters worse, it wasn't even their star students who did it; it was a bunch of nobodies I didn't even recognize.
The score, which had been 14 to 13, instantly shot up to 14 to 21, which was more than enough to send me into a panic.
If we can't at least close the gap in tomorrow's water skiing and marksmanship events, we might actually lose this competition.
My only hopes now are Ichika, Tsurugi, Hasumi, and Hiyori.
Surprisingly, Sakurako is also competing in water skiing, but honestly, I don't have high hopes for her…
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