Chapter 4: A Manual for Dating

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“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Just as we were getting thoroughly bored of waiting for the girls to change, as usual, Sudo’s booming voice echoed. For some reason, we stood at attention to greet her.

Nanase, looking embarrassed, hid behind Sudo. Sudo nudged her, saying, “Haruko, what are you doing?” and Nanase timidly revealed herself.

At that moment, I felt like thanking the heavens.

“Wow, that looks amazing! Summer is the best!”

Kinami, standing next to me, shouted. For once, I completely agreed with him. …Summer is the best!!

Nanase was wearing a white floral bikini with frills around the chest. The frills accented her ample bosom, the pronounced cleavage, her slender waist, her small navel, and her long, lean thighs, all exposed to the sun.

Previously, I had always thought, “Bikinis are just skimpy clothes; yukatas are way sexier.” But now, I had to revise that opinion. Bikinis and yukatas each have their own appeal, and both are equally wonderful. They can’t be ranked.

“Sa… Sagara-kun.”

Hearing my name snapped me out of my daze. I realized I had been staring. Nanase, standing before me, was fidgeting with her hands in front of her chest.

“…How do you think my swimsuit looks…?”

“…Huh?”

How do I think? It’s perfect, obviously.

I wanted to compliment her, but giving detailed opinions on swimsuits seemed kind of creepy. Trying to find a non-creepy way to express myself, I finally said,

“…Uh… It looks good on you.”

“…Anything else?”

“Uh, well… The pattern is nice too…”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Nanase, looking dissatisfied, tugged on my hoodie sleeve. She bit her lip and stared at me with an expression that was both shy and anxious.

At times like this, there was only one thing Nanase expected to hear.

“…You look cute.”

Nanase’s face lit up instantly.

“Thank you! I’m glad I had the courage!”

Nanase took my hand and said, “Let’s go, Sagara-kun,” smiling. Under the watchful, amused eyes of Sudo and the others, we ran towards the scorching beach.

The blazing sun, the blue sky, the white sandy beach. The gently lapping water. Lake Biwa was more like the sea than I had imagined. It was practically an ocean.

After grilling and eating meat at the BBQ area, we played beach volleyball, built sandcastles, and smashed watermelons. Nanase reveled in the fun, laughing constantly. It seemed she finally understood how to enjoy summer like a true “riajuu.” (tln : normies in japanese)

Though I was enjoying myself to some extent, I wasn’t the type to go wild among riajuu. Maintaining my usual calm demeanor, Kinami scolded me, “That’s not the beach vibe!” He and Hojo forcibly removed my hoodie and threw me into Lake Biwa with a splash.

“…Phew.”

I surfaced, seeing Kinami clapping and laughing. Hojo, though asking, “Are you okay, Sagara?” was clearly amused. …They’re ruthless. What if I couldn’t swim?

The water of Lake Biwa was cool and pleasant, more so than I had expected. Floating on my back, the blue sky overhead was dazzling.

“Sagara-kun, are you okay!?”

Seeing me float like a drowned body, Nanase rushed over, worried. I reassured her, standing up. This area was just shallow enough for my feet to touch. Nanase, lacking any flotation device, was naturally shorter than me.

As she waded into the water, Nanase smiled, “It feels nice.” Her bright makeup was perfect, not a smudge to be seen.

“By the way, Nanase… Is your makeup okay? You hated it coming off last year.”

Last year, Nanase had avoided the sea and pools to prevent her makeup from smudging. She now replied, her eyes sparkling,

“Yep! I bought waterproof mascara and eyeliner that won’t come off! Even if you spray water directly on my face, it won’t smudge! Modern makeup is amazing! I wish I had these for the Miss Contest…!”

Recalling last year’s contest fiasco, I chuckled. Though more people had seen her bare face, Nanase still preferred not to show it. Well, insecurities are like that.

“Can you swim, Sagara-kun?”

“I can keep myself from drowning… What about you, Nanase?”

“In swimming class, I got straight A’s.”

Nanase puffed her chest out proudly. Not only smart, but athletic too? I had no chance against her. Of course, it was a result of her hard work.

“Eek!”

As she approached me, Nanase let out a small scream and clung to me. Her soft body pressed against my bare skin, causing my temperature to spike.

“S-Sorry… I-I can’t touch the bottom here…”

Now that I thought about it, Nanase was nearly 20 centimeters shorter than me. Where my feet barely touched, hers wouldn’t at all.

Whether she was scared or didn’t want her face to get wet, Nanase clung to me tightly. Her bikini-clad chest pressed against mine, changing shape with the pressure. Unwanted thoughts crept in, making me sigh. I had underestimated the impact of a swimsuit.

…How do other guys stay calm around their bikini-clad girlfriends…?

As we moved to a shallower part, Nanase, blushing, let go of me.

“S-Sorry.”

“No problem.”

Awkwardness hung in the air, making it hard to leave the water.

“N-Nanase, why don’t you go back to the others first?”

“Okay.”

Nanase said and walked back to the shore. Left alone, I dove into the lake to cool my head.

After a while, I returned to the parasol and sat alone, lost in thought.

Though the summer at Lake Biwa was more fun than I imagined, I was exhausted. I didn’t have the talent for beach antics.

As I sat there, something cold pressed against my neck, making me yelp. Turning around, I saw Hojo standing with a blue-labeled water bottle. It looked like a sports drink commercial.

“Want one?”

“…You’re definitely offering this to the wrong person…”

I took the sports drink, thanking him.

On the beach, Nanase, Sudo, and Kinami were playing a two-on-one beach volleyball game. Sudo’s athletic ability was impressive, but Nanase wasn’t bad either. Her chest bounced every time she jumped, perfectly receiving the ball for Sudo to spike.

“Yay!”

Nanase cheered, high-fiving Sudo. …What a nice view.

“Sagara, you’re staring at Nanase too much.”

“S-Shut up.”

I brushed off Hojo’s teasing. At this distance, no one would notice me staring.

But as I observed, I noticed many people on the beach were looking at Nanase. She was a striking beauty with a great figure, so it was only natural. Though I had no right to complain, it made me feel uneasy.

Just then, Sudo glanced our way. Hojo waved, making Sudo blush and look away. Something seemed off. Hadn’t Hojo and Sudo avoided speaking to each other since we got in the car?

“…You and Sudo haven’t talked much today, huh?”

“Noticed that, did you? Sagara, you’re more observant than I thought.”

Hojo shrugged, smiling wryly. I thought he’d brush it off, but he continued calmly.

“It’s not exactly a fight… but things are a bit awkward between us.”

“Huh? You?”

“What’s with that reaction?”

“…I can’t imagine you having relationship troubles. You always seem so composed.”

“Not at all. I’m far from composed.”

Even his profile, devoid of gaps, looked perfect, making it hard to believe. If I had been born with such a face, my life might have been different, I thought bitterly.

As I debated whether to ask what happened, a voice interrupted.

“Um, excuse me.”

Looking up, I saw two unfamiliar women in bikinis smiling shyly.

“Could you take a picture for us?”

“…Oh, sure.”

Hojo took the phone and snapped a few shots. Handing it back, one of the women said in a sweet voice,

“We’re just the two of us. Would you like to join us?”

I froze. Was this… a reverse pick-up?

I thought it was an urban legend, but it was real. In contrast to my shock, Hojo, seemingly used to this, politely declined.

“Sorry, I’m here with my girlfriend.”

“Oh, really? Too bad.”

“Are those girls over there? They’re glaring at us.”

Following her gaze, I saw Sudo and Nanase glaring daggers at us. It sent chills down my spine. I had never seen Nanase look so menacing. The temperature seemed to drop just in that spot.

“See you around.”

The women waved and left. Sudo and Nanase approached us.

“…Sagara-kun, who were those women? Friends…?”

Nanase’s eyes were devoid of light, her voice a notch lower. I hastily explained, “No, not at all!”

“I don’t know them. They weren’t interested in me; they were after Hojo…”

“Hmph. Still as popular as ever, aren’t you?”

tln : godammit, sagara-kun risking hojo’s future huh