Chapter 35 (1/2)
Episode 35: Minami Mai Swimming Training-Arc
The next morning, we decided to swim in the ocean after having the prepared breakfast.
It’s likely that this was a standard attraction at this island. Lots of parasols and chairs were prepared since the start, and we were able to swim in swimsuits.
“Yahhoi! The water’s so clear!!”
Mai was cheerful as she was the one who was the most excited. Her swimsuit was an amazingly adorable pink bikini.
*Splatter* her feet in the shallows, she raised up a splash.
“……it’s hot. The scorching h.e.l.lfire burns my skin. The oil-based armour will-!”
“You’re really black, huh.”
As expected, Sunou’s swimsuit was confirmed to be of gothic style. It had a frilly design that was quite cute, a swimsuit that looked like underwear.
Wearing sungla.s.ses, she held a scoop and bucket in her hands.
“Are you going to make a castle?”
“Kuh!? How did you know!? ……ah-”
A hat with a large brim was placed on top of Sunou’s head.
Concerned about the strong suns.h.i.+ne, Kokoro had put on the hat that she brought. Sunscreen can’t protect one’s hair, after all.
“I’m glad that I brought along two.”
Saying this, Kokoro held down the hat that she was wearing so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.
Her swimsuit was a string bikini, but completely different from Sunou over here, hers was completely white. The unblemished fabric that was somehow supporting her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s incites my impulse to tear it away right here and now.
“……this is good.”
“What’s wrong, Rein?”
“Somehow, this is really nice. I’m also glad that I came.”
“I see.”
Rein’s swimsuit was a two-piece type bikini. Her body expressed her intention that she came here to swim.
Above all, the motionless dolphin-type floating tube that she held at her side displayed the fact that Rein, herself, loved to swim.
The instant I thought this, Rein ran off towards the open sea.
Because her black hair was bundled behind her, she looked like a dog that was waving its tail as it headed towards the sea.
“I think she’ll be fine, but is she just gonna run off by herself?”
“I will look after her. Sunou-chan, shall we swim before making a castle?”
“Eh!?”
“I will make it together with you later. Now then, let’s do our warm-up exercises.”
“If Kokoro-nee-san says so, then……”
Kokoro smiled at me. She’s probably asking to do it together.
Although I started my warm-up exercises next to Kokoro, whenever her upper body turned backwards, my eyes caught Kokoro’s large b.r.e.a.s.t.s, which had become like soft mountains.
“Is something the matter?”
“……no.”
This woman is enticing me. Each and every one of her warm-up exercises, when in a swimsuit, were quite erotic.
This is the beauty of the female body.
Kokoro was smiling. While sending me an upwards gaze, she was trying to discern whether or not I was becoming erect.
That’s why I absolutely won’t do it.
With my high pride, I refused to change my mind so as to tell her not to get c.o.c.ky.
“I’ll do it later.”
“……I see. You will join us later on, correct?”
Although Kokoro was disappointed, she trusted in the fact that she could do it for me later. She made an expression of victory. How frustrating.
“Then, we’ll be heading off. How about Master?”
“I’ll wait for a little bit.”
“*Bleegh*!!”
After Sunou pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue at me, the two of them chased after Rein together.
I also like to swim, but, for the time being, it’s necessary for my body to calm down.
I placed my waist down on the long chair in the shade of the parasol.
“……ah?”
“Hm?”
Beside me, I noticed that Mai was there.
Come to think of it, even though she was the one most hyped up, isn’t she gonna go into the ocean?
“Dearie me, is Book also not going to swim?”
“I’ll swim later. Rather than swimming, Mai, aren’t you gonna play?”
How rare.
Mai is the type that takes the initiative and joins her friends during times like these. She wouldn’t do something so boorish as to not swim just by herself.
In other words, there is a reason for this behaviour.
“Can you not swim?”
“Yea……eeehh!? How’d you find out?!”
“Ah, no, it was just a hunch, though.”
Mai narrowed her eyes and approached me with doubting eyes.
When she leaned forward, I could clearly see her cleavage thanks to her bikini.
The weakness of wearing a swimsuit is that I can’t hide my erection. I changed the way my body was facing so that I could hide it as much as possible.
Though, even after doing this, I’ll probably be immediately found out……ah.
“Mai, since we’re here, why not try learning to swim?”
“Eh, why?”
“Nah, it’s just that being able to swim is better, right?”
“No way. I’m more concerned about how Book could tell that I can’t swim.”
It seems that having me see through the fact that Mai couldn’t swim was a humiliation for her.
Since it’s fundamental to not show your weakness to others and just play it off in the first place, she’s probably quite agitated.
As for here, thanks to Kokoro’s records, I have grasped the menstrual cycle of all four members. I knew that such a hard-to-say reason couldn’t possibly be why she wasn’t swimming.
And this ended up backfiring on her.
“How should I say this, it feels like I just immediately arrived at that answer……”
“You’re not gonna practice, right? Then that’s fine.”
“……say, Book. Book, are you able teach people how to swim?”
Mai’s topic abruptly changed into a completely different direction.
As I found it curious, let’s continue the conversation.
“As long as one can swim, then I think they can teach the general method.”
“Is that so……then, Book. You teach me!”
“Me?”
“Yup. As punishment for figuring me out!”
Mai’s eyes were fixated on me. Her gaze seemed like it was probing someone.
Even though I also felt some kind of danger, I was charmed by Mai’s expression which she had rarely shown to others.
This was Mai’s true expression which she occasionally displayed.
“I got it.”
“Alright, let’s do it!”
“Yeah, but let’s change the place. There, around that rocky area.”
The waves around here weren’t that strong, so it should be just perfect for practice.
And those rocks guaranteed that the trio wouldn’t be able to see us.
“You really get it, don’t ya!?”
Even if friends were here, Mai wouldn’t want other people to see this.
I don’t know what kind of position I had in her head, but, as expected, I was mistaken.
“Wait a second, I’ll go get a floating tube.”
“Kay, kay!”
Bringing a floating ring, I headed towards the shadow of the rocks with Mai.
After confirming that we had gone out of the trio’s field of view-
“Then, let’s do it!”
“Yeah, [Over There is Fun].”
I announced Mai’s hypnotic key word.
As though she was suddenly switched off, Mai closed her mouth, standing in a state where her empty eyes did not know what where she was looking at.
After a while, she also lost strength, her arms dangling loosely as her body staggered unsteadily.
“Mai, can you hear me?”
“Yes……I can……hear you.”
“From here on, you are going to practice swimming with me. I will decide on the method of this practice, but no matter what that entails, please obey what I say.”
“No matter what it is……I will obey.”
Even if that were to be something very embarra.s.sing or horrid, it is something that can’t be helped in order to become able to swim. Please bear with it.”
“Yes……in order to swim……it can’t be helped.”
This much should do it for now. After this, it’ll be fine as long as I catch her when necessary.
Since we were above the ocean, I was worried about whether or not the staggering Mai would fall. I guess I’ll have her wake up early.
“Now then, when I count to 10, you will wake up.”
Mai’s skin was painted with sunscreen, protected so that whatever fell upon her would be repelled.
Without notice, I brushed against and rubbed this skin. A sense of conquest, that was akin to that of desecrating the secret formula that was protecting her, spread inside of my hands.
“10!”
Removing my hands, I released Mai’s hypnosis.
Mai’s pupils gradually regained their glow, returning back to her condition just before being hypnotised as though she were being rewound.
“Say, then, whadda we do?”
“Let’s see. First, could you try floating on top of these shallows?”