Chapter 125: This Time, I Can Give Tanaka-kun a 100-Meter Head Start!
Ryohei Tanaka had grown up in a coastal city, but despite that, he had rarely seen the ocean, and this was his first time actually swimming in it.
The moment his bare feet touched the seawater, a refreshing chill shot up from his soles and traveled throughout his entire body. The tide washed gently over his ankles, carrying the salty sea breeze, which slowly wicked away the summer heat. Fine sand flowed between his toes, creating a light, pleasant sensation as it shifted with the ebb and flow of the waves.
Ryohei looked up at the horizon, where the azure sky and the pale blue sea merged into one.
The sea and sky were a single, boundless color. This magnificent sight was breathtaking, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilarated freedom.
"The water feels so cool!"
"And the water quality here is amazing! It's so clear!"
"This is Okinawa, all right!"
Yurine, her hands clasped behind her back, walked past Ryohei with light steps, her slender white legs gliding through the water. She suddenly spun around, lifted a pale, graceful foot, and kicked at the surface, sending a spray of crystalline water splashing onto Ryohei.
"Awooo—!"
Ryohei, now soaked, raised his hands, splayed his fingers like claws, and let out a playful howl as he lunged for her.
Seeing this, Yurine immediately dashed away, her laughter like silver bells echoing across the beach.
Lucoa, who had followed them, watched this with a hint of envy and loneliness, but she didn't let it show.
As Ryohei chased Yurine, his peripheral vision caught sight of Lucoa standing all alone in the surf, listlessly kicking at the water.
Come to think of it, Lucoa was the only one here by herself. Everyone else had their own little groups: Jashin-chan with Minos and Medusa; Yusa with Koji-kun; Pekola with Poporon; and him with Yurine. Only Lucoa was alone.
Thinking about how he had actively "dodged" her all morning, and seeing her kicking at the water by herself now, Ryohei felt a strange pang in his heart. He felt that Lucoa was, in all likelihood, a little lonely. If she weren't, she probably wouldn't spend almost all day, every day, at his place.
Ryohei thought for a moment, then turned and jogged over to Lucoa. Mimicking Yurine, he used his foot to send a wave of water splashing onto her.
The next moment, he saw Lucoa's left eye snap open in surprise. Then, a beautiful smile spread across her lips.
"Awooo—!" she cried, raising her hands into a pouncing stance.
'Should I dodge? Or not?'
The thought barely crossed Ryohei's mind before Lucoa tackled him.
It didn't hurt. Lucoa came equipped with two world-class airbags, and behind him was the knee-deep seawater. With the water as a cushion, there was naturally no pain. However, the moment he fell back into the sea, Ryohei instinctively shut his eyes, held his breath, and his hands came up to push her away.
"What are you two doing?"
Yurine walked over to where Ryohei had been tackled, her slender legs cutting through the water. She crossed her arms and looked down at them, her face completely expressionless.
"Ehehe~~~."
｡(^▽^)ゞ
Lucoa pushed off the shallow seafloor, her graceful waist straightening up as she knelt on the sand. She casually pulled Ryohei back to his feet, then tilted her chin up, looking at Yurine while scratching the back of her head with a grin.
"We're just playing."
"Oh, is that so? Are you having fun, Tanaka-kun?" Yurine asked, her face still void of emotion as she looked at Ryohei, who was coughing, wiping water from his face, and trying to slick his bangs back.
"Do I look like I'm having fun?" Ryohei asked, standing up from the water and pointing at his own drenched state.
"You asked for it," Yurine huffed, though the expression on her face softened. She was, for the moment, appeased.
Ryohei turned to look at Lucoa, who had also stood up and was wringing out her wet, golden-highlighted hair.
"Want to continue?" Lucoa asked, noticing his gaze. A smile played on her lips. She held up one finger and said cheerfully, "This time, I can give Tanaka-kun a 100-meter head start."
"What difference would that make? Are you addicted to tackling me now?" Ryohei's mouth twitched as he retorted. 'This is insubordination!'
He really wanted to tackle her back and teach her a proper lesson.
"Hmm? You're not satisfied?" Lucoa tilted her head, and then, as if an idea struck her, her face lit up. "Then... how about we switch? This time, I'll run, and Tanaka-kun can try to tackle me?"
"Don't worry," she added, puffing out her chest, "I'll go easy on you!"
Yurine really couldn't listen to any more of this. She instinctively lifted her foot and gave Ryohei's good leg a solid "kick."
"Hey, hey, hey! That's not what I meant!" Ryohei said, instinctively blocking a couple of her strikes before simply tackling Yurine into the water.
...
After playing and splashing around in the ocean, they had their fill. Ryohei returned to the shore, went straight to the canopy tent, and grabbed a bath towel to dry off.
Then, he picked up a "Black Beauty" watermelon, placed it on the cutting board, and sliced it open with the watermelon knife.
"Watermelon's ready!"
"Oooh!"
"Watermelon after a long swim is the best!"
"This is so sweet! And so juicy!"
Jashin-chan was the first to grab a slice of the faintly glowing watermelon. She took a bite, savoring the abundant juice and sweet flavor, an expression of pure bliss on her face.
"Kori-kun, help me chill these," Ryohei said, pointing to the remaining watermelon slices. He looked at Koji-kun, who had come ashore earlier and had been building a sandcastle. He preferred asking Koji-kun for these little favors—he loved seeing the sense of accomplishment on her face after she helped, and the way she looked at him, waiting for praise.
"Mhm!" Koji-kun puffed out her chest with an expression that said, 'Leave it to me!' She extended one short, cute finger and pointed at the watermelon.
A chill aura spread! In an instant, the chilling process was complete.
"Nice work! You get the first piece of chilled watermelon," Ryohei said, picking up a slice and handing it to her.
Koji-kun immediately beamed and accepted it.
"Ah... chill mine, too," Jashin-chan said, holding out her half-eaten slice toward Koji-kun. Chilled watermelon was obviously better in this hot weather.
Koji-kun just shot Jashin-chan a haughty glance, let out a soft "Hmph!" and went to kneel beside her sister, holding her own chilled slice in both hands. She took a bite, and her big, dark eyes lit up. She said with pure enjoyment, "So sweet~ (whispering)."
"Damn it! You little brat, do you want me to beat you up?!" Seeing a lowly subordinate demon dare to ignore her and give her attitude, Jashin-chan was immediately furious. Her free hand balled into a fist as she glared at Koji-kun, looking like she might swing at any second.
"You just try it."
Yusa, holding a piece of watermelon, was sitting seiza-style on the mat. She glared at Jashin-chan with pure killing intent.
"Erk..." Sensing Yusa's murderous aura, Jashin-chan's rage instantly deflated. Her violent emotions dissipated, and she sullenly unfurled her fist, taking another bite of her warm watermelon.
'Damn you, Yusa!' she fumed internally. 'Sticking up for your sister again! I'll make you pay for this sooner or later!'
"Speaking of which..." Ryohei said, sensing the bad atmosphere and deciding to change the subject. He looked at Minos. "Minos, that swimming race you two had earlier. Who won?"
"That would be me, of course!" Minos declared, puffing out her chest proudly as she ate her watermelon. Her silver-white cow tail swished happily behind her.
"Tch—!" Jashin-chan shot Minos an annoyed look. "Don't get cocky! I wasn't in top form this morning. Let's have a rematch this afternoon!"
"We can race as many times as you want. The result will be the same," Minos replied, looking at Jashin-chan with total confidence.
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