Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 63

Embrace in the Sea

The sea and a swimming pool have significant differences.

The most fundamental distinction is that the sea is uncontrollable; there may be offshore currents, a single wave could sweep a person dozens of meters away.

However, such wave currents are not frequent.

Even if they occur, they usually aren’t too forceful.

“I want to swim too.”

Having floated around ten meters offshore with a lifebuoy, Ichinose attempted to swim, but it didn’t feel satisfying.

“Sure, but wait a moment.”

Seeing her struggle a bit with swimming while using the lifebuoy, Kurosawa nodded after giving it some thought.

“Oh, okay.”

Ichinose didn’t know what to wait for, but she still nodded.

In the next moment, Kurosawa let go of her hand and dove into the water.

The sea at Onjuku Beach was clear. Underwater, Kurosawa opened his eyes and reached out to grab the rope attached to the lifebuoy.

Next, he circled around Ichinose’s slender waist twice and tied a knot.

“You’re good to go.”

Emerging from the water again, Kurosawa signaled OK to her.

With the lifebuoy’s rope tied around her waist, even if something went wrong, he could pull her back, giving himself enough time to rescue her.

In a place like the open sea, safety should not be taken lightly.

“Can I take off the lifebuoy now?”

Seeing his actions, Ichinose felt delighted and asked.

Back on the shore, she found the lifebuoy childish because of the safety rope. Being seen by others made her feel like a child.

After the reminder, her hands were no longer on the lifebuoy but raised up.

Her figure was excellent, long and slender. With a simple hand movement, she instantly slipped out from the middle of the lifebuoy and sank into the water.

However, in the next moment, she resurfaced.

“With that pose, you look like Sadako.” (1)

As she disappeared and reappeared, Kurosawa suddenly laughed.

Because Ichinose’s well-groomed and stylish hairstyle was completely soaked by the water at this moment, it looked a bit messy.

Although she had just entered the sea, her hair was only partially wet due to the presence of the lifebuoy.

“Umm…”

Ichinose noticed his laughter and realized that her hair was a bit disheveled. Feeling a bit unhappy, she used her hands to push the wet hair on her face to the back.

“Don’t mind me, it’s just the first time I’ve seen your hair so messy, I couldn’t help but laugh.”

Seeing her cheeks puff up like a squirrel stuffed with food, Kurosawa reached out and pinched them, trying to console her.

“Even when your hair was messy just now, I didn’t laugh.”

Ichinose was still a bit unhappy. She saw Kurosawa’s wet hair and thought it looked handsome, but when he saw her wet hair, he laughed. 

Moreover, he even said something about her hairstyle resembling Sadako, which was too much.

“Don’t be angry.”

Kurosawa didn’t expect her to care so much. He reached out, touched her head, and patiently ran his fingers through her hair, helping her tidy it up.

The initial period of getting to know each other is the most patient time for both guys and girls.

Even the most impatient guys would act this way. Even when doing something boring together, they would still accompany each other.

“I’m not angry.”

Ichinose, comforted by his gentle actions, shook her head.

In reality, she was a bit upset and aggrieved because in her eyes, Kurosawa always looked handsome no matter what. Yet, he compared her to Sadako, even if it was just about the hairstyle, it made her feel quite frustrated.

After a bit more reassurance and Kurosawa promising never to say such things again, Ichinose’s mood gradually recovered.

In light of this incident, Kurosawa learned a lesson.

Even in jest, he should never say that a girl looked like something unattractive. It should always be something cute.

Shortly after, they began swimming in the vast sea. Unlike a swimming pool where you can swim in a designated area, the sea is boundless. 

They aimlessly and leisurely floated in the ocean, sometimes heading outward, sometimes turning left or right, ensuring they didn’t drift too far from the shore.

After playing for about ten minutes, Kurosawa noticed that she was quite skilled at swimming, with precise movements and a stable body. It was evident that she had learned well in swimming classes.

“Hoo…”

No unexpected incidents occurred, but Ichinose’s breathing became rapid.

“What’s wrong?”

Kurosawa had been observing her closely to prevent any danger, and he quickly swam to her side.

“Swimming in the sea is so tiring,” Ichinose panted, feeling a bit exhausted.

Unlike in a pool where you can relax and float when tired, in the sea, you must constantly contend with the waves. Moreover, the currents in this area were abundant and intense.

The waves occasionally surged, causing involuntary breath-holding. Over time, this made it challenging for her to maintain a steady breathing rhythm.

At that moment, she suddenly felt a pair of arms beneath the water embracing her.

Looking up, she saw Kurosawa right in front of her.

“Let’s take a break for a moment,” Kurosawa said as he held her to prevent her from being carried away by the waves.

“Mmm…”

Sensing this gesture, Ichinose, who was already feeling tired, found it very comfortable. She relaxed her mood, wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his shoulder.

She was quite exhausted, with little strength left, and didn’t speak.

However, the opportunity to swim until tired, being held by Kurosawa, and holding him in return made her very satisfied with this ocean swim.

Unlike the hotel room incident, this time it was Kurosawa who took the initiative to hold her.

In the sea, their bodies were close together.

Although she was relaxed, it wasn’t as simple for Kurosawa.

Is it so difficult to embrace in the sea for a minute? 

Kurosawa wondered to himself, continuously treading water to avoid being carried away by the waves.

He initially thought that this task objective required some technical finesse, figuring out how to design and find a suitable moment to embrace Ichinose.

However, to his surprise, it turned out to be purely a physical activity.

Although they were both light in the water due to buoyancy, holding someone with both hands restricted arm movement, making swimming quite challenging.

After holding her for a while, a line of text appeared in Kurosawa’s mind.

“Task objective 【Ocean Embrace for One Minute】 achieved.

Date mission: 【Seaside Journey with Ichinose Yuki】 Four task objectives completed, task accomplished. Rewards: Entry-level swimming, entry-level surfing (permanent).

Is that it? 

Kurosawa felt somewhat uneasy seeing how simple the mission was.

Apart from applying sunscreen, there was hardly any difficulty.

At that moment, he suddenly felt something emerging from deep within his body—strength.

Not only that, but knowledge, theories, and experiences also flooded into his mind.

Besides swimming techniques, there was even a newfound understanding of ocean waves and many other things he didn’t know before.

TL Notes:

1. 1. 1. 1. Sadako is a character from the Japanese horror film “Ringu” (The Ring), known for her eerie and ghostly appearance.