Upon the appearance of the two, the members of the circle couldn't muster the words and were left frozen in place.
During this time, Kanami walked with a relaxed gait. With each step, the human wall in front of her seemed to part, creating a stunning effect. Being of royal lineage, Kanami naturally possessed an imposing aura that could command respect even without trying, but it was clear that wasn't the only reason here.
To my surprise, Kanami was wearing a swimsuit. She had on a pure white bikini with a long pareo. Her exceptional proportions, which were unlike those of a typical Japanese person, stood out against the simple swimsuit, evoking a sense of awe, as if I were gazing upon a sculpture. It might sound cliché and ordinary, but the word "beautiful" suited her appearance perfectly.
Even her violet-colored hair, ruffled by the sea breeze, was adorned with a pale pink ribbon, creating quite a distinct impression compared to her usual look.
Kanami stood before me.
"I apologize for the delay. Thank you for waiting."
"No, I wasn't waiting at all."
I couldn't afford to show any vulnerability in front of Kanami, who knew me as a hero. I kicked my own thoughts aside, which seemed on the verge of being captivated, and managed to respond.
"You're wearing a swimsuit, huh? It suits you really well."
I complimented, exuding a confident, masculine charm. What a perfect response. My voice might have trembled a bit, but that was just my imagination.
Kanami seemed accustomed to receiving compliments about her appearance. She responded with a soft smile and a bow.
"Thank you very much. It feels strange to expose my skin like this in public, as I've never done it before. But they say, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' and on the battlefield, there's no time to worry about attire."
"The swimsuit doesn't require such commitment, though..."
Come to think of it, I feel like we had a similar conversation yesterday.
Nevertheless, Kanami was audacious or unafraid. I thought she might have chosen a swimsuit with less exposure, but it turned out to be quite daring.
Since a while ago, I had been putting in all my effort to ensure that my gaze didn't stray too far from its intended direction. My conscious and subconscious were at war.
However, I had neglected to mention one thing—there was still one girl behind Kanami who seemed rather hesitant.
"What about Lisha? What's she doing?"
"Oh... It seems she's quite embarrassed about it. She did put on a swimsuit, but..."
Lisha's face turned bright red, and with a nearly biting intensity, she exclaimed, "Th-that is not clothing! It's indecent, way too indecent!"
"Well, it's hard to deny that."
"I-it's almost like underwear!"
"Just so you know, in the hot city, women often have this level of exposure."
In cities like those in Asteris with high temperatures, it's not uncommon to see women with quite revealing outfits. It was confusing to figure out where to look. Moreover, there were many passionate and open-minded women, and they often approached me. Well, not me, but my companions.
I'm just a kid with a plain face without armor, so it can't be helped. I'm not crying about it.
But such reasoning wouldn't work on a sheltered saint like Lisha.
"A-anyway, I can't do it!"
Lisha's outfit consisted of a T-shirt and shorts, which was already quite an effort for her, considering her usual attire. Her legs, in particular, were hardly ever exposed.
"You don't have to force yourself. You can enjoy the beach without a swimsuit."
"Is... is that so?"
"Just be careful if you're wearing a shirt; it's hard to swim."
Swimming in clothes can be dangerous. Well, since it's Lisha's first time swimming, she probably won't go into deep water anyway.
Hinata, who had been listening to our conversation, asked with a puzzled expression,
"Why are you wearing a hoodie, Senpai?"
"I'm worried about getting sunburned. Don't make me say it; it's embarrassing."
"I still don't quite get it."
You should be able to figure it out.
I shrugged my shoulders and gave Hinata a little nudge, and finally, the members of the circle started to regain their composure.
As expected, Matsuda approached with an unsettling demeanor, so I playfully sprinkled sand to ward him off. Begone, evil spirits!
* * *
After completing various minor preparations, the club president finally raised a beer high and declared,
"Now, let the Literary Club's summer camp at the beach begin!"
Immediately, everyone shouted, "Woohoo!" but not too loudly to avoid displeasing the surrounding beachgoers.
Why is she already trying to drink beer? Doesn't she plan on going in the sea?
With that, our second day of the camp officially began. However, it wasn't as if everyone would be sticking together. Given our group size, we gathered in small groups of three to five and moved around as we pleased.
There were some planned activities, but until then, we had free time. Most of us were either going to the beach, staying behind for a barbecue, or playing on the sandy shore.
"So, what would you like to do, Lisha, Kanami?"
"Us?"
"Yes."
Though they looked puzzled, I had every intention of having them take the lead today.
"Well, it's Kanami's first time at the beach, so that should be fine."
"I agree."
"I'll go too."
Souji and the others nearby agreed as well. We hadn't actually discussed this, but it seemed natural for us to move as a group.
I wondered what Kuroi-san was doing, so I looked in the direction of the tent. She was wearing a one-piece swimsuit over which she had draped a cardigan, reading a book elegantly. If the book's cover didn't say "True Tales! Bizarre Beach Legends," she would be the embodiment of a secluded young lady, acknowledged by everyone.
Her unwavering demeanor was splendid.
When I returned my gaze from Kuroi-san, Lisha looked up at me with determination.
"Um, I'd like to give the sea a try after all."
Oh, right, of course. We came all the way to the sea, after all.
"That's a good idea. Let's practice swimming in the shallows."
"Yes. It's essential to be able to swim just in case. I think today's goal is to swim to that rocky area over there."
"Huh!?"
"Come on, we're here to have fun today, not to compete seriously."
Today's beach outing was for leisure, so don't torment Lisha with Ranger-like thought processes, Kanami. She looked surprised and teary-eyed.
Souji, who had been listening nearby, now turned to Kanami and asked,
"Can Kanami swim? If it's your first time, I can accompany you."
"Thank you for your consideration. I can swim to some extent, so I'll be fine."
"I see. In that case, let's play around in this area with just us."
Everyone nodded in agreement with Souji's suggestion.
So, we moved to the shoreline. As we listened to the sound of the waves, we took off our flip-flops and let our feet touch the damp sand. The waves immediately rolled over the sand and back out to sea.
In the midst of the scorching heat that made our skin feel like it would burn, the cool sensation of the waves was irresistible.
Matsuda, who was standing in the waves like the rest of us, exclaimed,
"Whoa, it's quite cold!"
"I'm glad it's sunny. It might have been a bit chilly if it were overcast."
"Yes, it's a bit complicated because of the sunburn."
While conversing with Souji, Hinata continued splashing waves at me. Cut it out; it's actually cold.
I turned to look at what Lisha and Kanami were doing behind me. Kanami was watching over Lisha, who was standing frozen where the waves couldn't reach.
Ah, I see. There was no point in trying to convince her with words alone. The best words I could offer, given my limited vocabulary, would only make it more difficult for her.
I walked over to Lisha and grabbed her hand.
"Come on, let's go. Everything is an experience, Lisha."
"But... But, in a lake this large, there might be terrifying monsters..."
What kind of fear is that? Well, from an Asteris perspective, it's a pretty normal feeling. A B-grade monster movie's classic giant shark would be nothing more than a small fry over there.
"They won't come here. And even if they did, there's no way I'd lose to them."
Ugh, embarrassing. I can feel my face turning red as I say it.
But there's no helping it now. This is probably the most convincing thing I can say to Lisha.
In response, Lisha murmured, "Yes," nodded, and began walking.
When Lisha touched the waves, her face lit up as she looked up at me.
"Yuusuke-san, it's cold!"
"Yeah, it is."
"By the way, why is the sea moving? Could it be because there are gigantic monsters inside...?"
"No, it's not monsters. Unlike a lake, the sea is always in motion, which is why waves form."
"Huh, is the sea alive?"
I hadn't thought of that.
"No, it's not. It's more like a natural phenomenon, similar to rain falling or rivers flowing."
"Is the sea a river, then? Could it be the result of heavy rainfall?"
"No, it's not like that."
It's no use; our conversation isn't making sense. I appreciate her efforts to understand, but I can't provide an explanation that will satisfy Lisha. I don't even understand the mechanisms behind waves myself.
So, I decided to scoop up some seawater and playfully flicked it towards Lisha's face. Special move: Water Shuriken!
"Aaah!? What are you doing?"
"It's a secret ninja water shuriken technique."
"I don't understand! Also, my mouth tastes incredibly salty. What is this?"
"The sea is salty. It's just another experience, Lisha."
As Lisha retaliated with a stream of water, I deftly dodged and managed to land a water shuriken on her. However, Souji and the others were giving me disapproving looks, so I decided to stop.
Afterward, we enjoyed ourselves in the sea. I taught Lisha how to swim, Kanami and Souji competed in crawl races, and when we got tired, we returned to the tent area for a barbecue. Some people were enjoying drinks without swimming, so it was quite convenient to find something grilled waiting for us.
It was then that Hinata wandered off. Hinata disappeared suddenly.
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