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[Game] Chapter 153: Sun, Sand, and the Beach
🕑 Added 2025-02-28 03:32:17 +0000 UTCOn a summer afternoon, even by the sea, the sun was blazing, and the public beach was packed with people.
After splashing around in the shallow water for a bit and observing the crowded scene, Hiratsuka Shizuka ran a hand through her long hair. "I don’t think we can enjoy ourselves here… it's way too crowded."
Ichin had expected this and suggested, "Want to go somewhere else? The hotel operates a private beach on the other side, exclusively for guests. There's a small fee, but it’s not expensive. The only downside is that it's a bit smaller."
"Let's go there!"
Shinoda Hajime eagerly chimed in. "I really want to swim, but it's impossible to move freely here!"
After a brief discussion, everyone agreed. They returned to the hotel, where Ichin went to the front desk to inquire about the private beach access and pay the fee, while the girls went upstairs to change into their swimsuits.
Ichin didn’t need to change since he had already put on a short-sleeved shirt and beach shorts after lunch.
Once the payment was settled and he received the access passes, he waited about ten minutes before the girls finally came downstairs.
Everyone had changed into their swimsuits, though since they were still inside the hotel, they had thrown on extra cover-ups to remove once they reached the beach.
Seeing that everyone was present, Ichin glanced at Mozuku, the cat accompanying Hazuki, and smiled. "Alright, let’s head out."
Exiting through another lobby entrance, the group quickly arrived at the hotel's private beach.
It was indeed smaller than the public one, but considering it was only available to hotel guests, it was more than enough.
Despite being a private area, there were already quite a few people lounging and playing in the sand and water.
The arrival of Ichin's group immediately drew attention—after all, aside from Ichin, everyone else was female. He was, quite literally, a lone green leaf surrounded by a sea of flowers.
Sun umbrellas and lounge chairs were already set up on the beach. Finding an unoccupied spot, Ichin placed the rented drink cooler down before sprawling onto a lounge chair and putting on his sunglasses.
"Now this feels like a proper vacation. You guys go have fun. Everything you need is available here—there are swimming rings for anyone not confident in the water, and there are several lifeguards on duty, so safety won’t be an issue."
Just as he finished speaking, he felt his sunglasses being lifted off his face. A pair of hands then reached from behind, covering his eyes.
Though it was just a pair of hands, Ichin instantly knew who they belonged to.
"Utaha, what are you up to?"
Standing behind him, Utaha chuckled. "You'll see in a moment."
Ichin could already guess what was coming, so he stayed still and waited patiently.
Two minutes later, Utaha finally spoke. "Alright, get ready… 3, 2, 1!"
As her hands lifted away, Ichin slowly opened his eyes—only to have them widen in surprise.
Before him, everyone had changed into their swimsuits. Some wore classic one-pieces, while others sported bikinis, each exuding their own unique charm.
But… Rin, why are you hiding behind Aoba? Hiding won’t help you now.
Meanwhile, Shinoda Hajime stretched her arms confidently, grinning. "Hehe, this new swimsuit is great! My old one at home was way too small—I couldn’t even fit into it anymore!"
A moment of silence.
The girls who were… less well-endowed all turned to Shinoda with complex expressions.
At that moment, Haruno clung to her younger sister, Yukino, happily pressing up against her. "Come on, Yukino! Let's go swimming! Maybe we'll even run into a shark!"
"You're overthinking it. The area is completely enclosed—there's no way a shark could get in."
"Then how about we go out to sea tomorrow to see some dolphins?"
"Nee-san, there are no dolphins here. If you really want to see them, we can go to an aquarium—or travel to the waters near Kumamoto or Nagasaki."
Yukino responded to Haruno's constant teasing with calm, factual replies, but in the end, she still couldn't win against her sister's persistence. Reluctantly, she agreed to go swimming.
Of course, sunscreen came first.
Yagami Ko, usually carefree and energetic, had opted for a conservative one-piece swimsuit today. She sat somewhat stiffly on a beach blanket, applying sunscreen to Rin, who was also wearing a one-piece.
Meanwhile, Hazuki secured Mozuku on the blanket to rest, then picked up a bottle of sunscreen and turned to Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was dressed in a sleek black bikini, smiling mischievously.
"Shizuka, want me to apply sunscreen for you?"
"…"
Hiratsuka suddenly felt uneasy and eyed Hazuki warily. "You don’t have some weird fetish, do you?"
Hazuki instantly put on a serious expression. "Of course not! Just lie down—I'll apply it for you. Getting sunburned wouldn’t be fun, would it?"
After glancing around at Hazuki, Hiratsuka hesitated for a moment before sighing and lying down, allowing her friend to help with the sunscreen.
"Ichin."
Just as Ichin was enjoying the lively scene of everyone chatting and helping each other, Utaha picked up a bottle of sunscreen and placed it in front of him. "Help me put this on."
"No problem."
Taking the bottle, Ichin had Utaha sit on the chair next to him, facing away. He squeezed some sunscreen onto his hands and confidently began applying it to her back.
He didn't make a big deal about having her lie down on a towel—this was just fine.
Not far away, Eriri watched the scene unfold and pouted slightly, looking regretful. But she quickly turned her attention back to applying sunscreen to Yukino.
"Yukino, your skin is really nice… Hehe, not that I'm surprised."
"Hmm? Did you say something, Eriri?"
Since Eriri had spoken softly, and Yukino was still wary of Haruno—who seemed sulky about not getting to apply her sunscreen—she hadn’t caught what Eriri said.
Eriri quickly shook her head. "Nope! Don't move, I'll be done soon."
Soon enough, everyone had finished applying sunscreen and eagerly ran into the water, laughing and playing.
Ichin, however, remained still. After finishing with Utaha, he simply lay back on his lounge chair, put on his sunglasses again, and enjoyed the view.
To his mild surprise, he soon found himself flanked by two figures—Utaha and Hazuki—who had settled onto the lounge chairs on either side of him.
"You two aren’t going in?" he asked.
Hazuki lazily waved her hand, slipping on sunglasses just like his. "I don’t have great stamina, so I think lounging here and enjoying the scenery suits me better."
Utaha stretched her graceful figure and added, "I’m not really a fan of swimming. If I do swim, I’d rather have you accompany me to the hotel’s pool later, Ichin."
Well, fair enough. As long as they were happy.
Ichin reached into the cooler, grabbed three bottles of chilled drinks, and handed one to each of them. The three of them leisurely sipped their drinks, enjoying the beach in their own way.
...
