Chapter 75: The Pool Party's Got New Skins
In the girls' changing room…
Shiranami Chihiro poked Ichinose's soft, bouncy things with her finger.
Puzzled. Confused.
"When did that start developing, Ichinose…?"
Ichinose didn't seem upset by Chihiro's action. She gave a pure smile, placed her index finger on her lips, and thought back.
"Hmm, probably in my third year of junior high. They just kept getting bigger, and after that, I totally lost control. What's wrong?"
Ichinose hadn't realized why Chihiro asked, just casually discussing girl stuff.
Chihiro nodded, then looked at her own chest, lowering her head in self-consciousness.
When others' ice cream melted, it dripped on their chest; when hers melted, it dripped on her shoes. How tragic.
But moping wouldn't help. Chihiro clenched her fist, summoning courage.
She told herself that people like Ichinose were rare. She turned her gaze to Kushida, who'd just taken off her underwear and slipped into a fiery red swimsuit, perfectly matching her bold personality.
But… her figure far exceeded Chihiro's expectations. Even though it was obvious she was well-developed, the swimsuit made it terrifyingly clear.
Then she looked at Sakura from Class D, who'd just put on a pink, somewhat childish swimsuit. Compared to Kushida's, it was more conservative, but… it did nothing to hide her stunning figure.
Even through the fabric, her incredible proportions were evident—possibly even surpassing Kushida and Ichinose.
Terrifying. Too terrifying.
Chihiro just wanted to escape. She thought Ichinose's development was rare, but these girls were all absurdly endowed, making her feel inferior.
Ichinose had finished changing into her new blue lace-trimmed swimsuit, highlighting her approachable charm with a perfect balance of sexy and cute.
Sakura, meanwhile, had been eyeing Ichinose's swimsuit. Seeing her in the blue-and-white lace design, Sakura couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Ichinose was, indeed, Ichinose.
Kushida, already changed, hopped twice to test her swimsuit's hold, confirming it was secure before smiling happily.
"Now that I think about it, this is my first time hanging out with Sakura. Do you like coming to the pool too?"
Caught off guard, Sakura answered honestly: "N-no… I came because of Hikigaya-kun."
In this setting, she was too shy to call him Hachiman …
Her words made Ichinose raise her hand excitedly: "Me too, me too! Hikigaya-kun invited me!"
Chihiro racked her brain, trying to recall who Hikigaya was. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't picture him.
Hearing the girls, Kushida steered the topic to Hikigaya: "Lately, it feels like Hikigaya's surrounded by people. He keeps saying he's some lonely guy who can't make friends."
Ichinose, as if relating deeply, said: "I don't know why, but it feels like Hikigaya-kun's always pushing me away. But when I'm in trouble, he helps me. He's such a good guy!"
"Good guy" was practically a curse in girl-speak.
But coming from Ichinose, it probably just meant a good person, nothing else.
"Hachiman's actually pretty cool when he's working."
Sakura slipped up.
Habits, as expected, weren't easy to break.
"H-H-H-H-Hachiman? Who's that…?"
Ichinose's eyes sparkled with curiosity, her ample chest pressing against Sakura's, creating a stunning scene.
Kushida was stunned too. If she remembered correctly…
"Hachiman is Hikigaya-kun's first name, right? Sakura-san… have you two already gotten that close?"
Hearing it was Hikigaya's name, Ichinose, who'd been buzzing with excitement, instantly cooled, like a girl who hadn't processed it, her eyes losing their spark.
"N-no, no, I just call him that one-sidedly. He's kind of my savior, since back then…"
Through Sakura's stuttering and hesitant words, she finally explained the whole story.
"So, that's how it happened. After that, our relationship… became like that."
"Wow, isn't he basically your hero!? Like, the chosen one!"
Chihiro, joining the gossip, was all in.
But she regretted it right after, noticing Ichinose's envious look.
Ichinose forced a smile: "You're okay now, right…?"
Sakura waved her hands: "I'm back to normal now, thanks to Hachiman … and I joined the student council. When Hachiman joins, I'll be his secretary… and serve him."
For some reason, as she spoke, Sakura's stuttering faded, like she was fully immersed.
The more she said, the more envious Ichinose looked, almost unable to contain it.
Kushida: "So that's how it is…"
Chihiro: "What a kind person… practically a saint!"
Ichinose: "Are you two a couple?"
Sakura's face turned bright red: "N-no… not yet… Hachiman and you seem pretty close too, Ichinose-san…"
Light returned to Ichinose's eyes.
Sakura wasn't wrong, but their relationship was nowhere near hers.
He'd only helped her see herself clearer, especially during Chihiro's incident.
She couldn't say that with Chihiro here.
Even so, after that incident, Ichinose wanted to repay him, but… Hikigaya didn't seem to need her help or seek it.
So, that "favor" had been delayed until now, still unpaid.
But this brief changing-room chat made Ichinose more certain of Hikigaya's character.
She smiled and said to the group: "Anyway, let's head out. The boys are probably waiting…"
Yamauchi and Ike exchanged sleazy looks, while Hikigaya caught a strange vibe. Sudo was already getting antsy.
"Why are they taking so long to change?"
Hikigaya: "They're girls. It's normal for them to take time changing, right?"
Ike: "Maybe they'll even talk about some weird stuff in there, like comparing sizes or chatting about someone they like."
Seeing Ike's narcissistic expression, Yamauchi couldn't stand this guy anymore and directly retorted: "I don't know if they'll talk about crushes, but I'm pretty sure they won't be talking about you…"
Hikigaya nodded, expressing his agreement.
Sudō, standing nearby, clapped his hands in approval, but Kanzaki stated firmly: "Ichinose won't fall for a guy."
Where does this confidence come from…? I don't know much about Ichinose myself, but since a classmate and friends says so, I guess I'll just keep it in mind for now.
Ike: "Huh? That pure and innocent angel from Class B doesn't like guys? No wonder she seems so unguarded."
Kanzaki nodded again with conviction, as if he knew Ichinose extremely well, and said: "At the very least, I've never seen Ichinose show interest in anyone. She's like a true angel, treating everyone equally."
That's pretty admirable… but doesn't that have more to do with personality than sexual orientation? Kanzaki-kun, please don't spread rumors like that.
Sudō took a deep breath, placed his large hands on Hikigaya and Kanzaki's shoulders, and said candidly: "What's so strange about that? I don't like women either. I only like basketball… For basketball, I'd even study hard!"
Hikigaya: "Sudō, I can see your passion for basketball. I acknowledge your basketball soul."
Sudō raised his right hand, his index finger standing out prominently.
He wagged it lightly and said: "Hikigaya, you can't just go on like this without any goals!"
Hikigaya was about to say his dream was to be a househusband, but after recalling what happened with Sakayanagi, he swallowed his words.
"I'll learn from you properly."
In the end, Hikigaya could only force out that one sentence after holding back for a while.
Ike: "By the way, Hikigaya, haven't you been getting a bit too close to the girls in our class lately?"
Hearing Ike's words, Yamauchi got fired up, his face full of indignation as he said: "Yeah, yeah! Forget about Kushida and Horikita for a moment, but you're way too close with that Sakura girl… You're stealing all the good girls in our class! What are the rest of us brothers supposed to do? Tell us, are you two in that kind of relationship?"
Shock. Pure shock.
Hikigaya's heart was already screaming to get away from these guys. Whether he was too excited or too calm, they'd mock him and distrust him, so…
"Ugh, no way! We're just classmates. How could someone like me be worthy of her? She's a proper beauty, you know."
"Yeah… fair enough…"
Hikigaya let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like these guys actually believed him…
But something felt off about their expressions.
Hikigaya opened his eyes and suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Turning around, he saw that the girls, now changed into their swimsuits, were all standing behind him.
Ike and Yamauchi were practically drooling, completely forgetting the trap they'd set for Hikigaya.
Kanzaki clapped his hands and started praising: "It suits you, Ichinose. Yours looks great too, Shiranami."
Only Sakura stood there dumbfounded, her expression suggesting she had definitely heard the conversation.
"Ha… Hachiman, is that what you think?"
"…"
In an instant, Sakura's words froze the atmosphere to an icy chill.
As girls, Ichinose and Kushida couldn't possibly miss Sakura's feelings for Hikigaya.
The words Hikigaya had said might seem fine to others, but to Sakura, they weren't something she could just brush off.
He was her hero—how could he not be worthy?
If anyone was unworthy, it should be her, right?
Perhaps everyone thought Sakura would get angry.
But in the end, Sakura only gave a faint smile. It was the first time she'd shown such a candid smile in front of so many people, and it left Yamauchi and Ike stunned for a few seconds.
"You're such an idiot, saying silly things…"
"No, I didn't…"
"There's no… such thing."
The girl's voice grew softer until it faded completely into the air, leaving only the blush on her cheeks as evidence of her stirred heart.
Hikigaya's cheeks also turned bright red under the sunlight. Despite having over a decade of life experience, he still didn't know how to respond to Sakura in this situation.
But this wasn't a problem for Ichinose and Kushida.
Seeing that Sakura wasn't angry and that the boys seemed to have forgotten their earlier words because of the girls' swimsuits, the two exchanged a glance and said excitedly: "Let's go play!"
Summer trips are always so fleeting. Perhaps without realizing it, people start to look back on the past, but the memories that linger in the mind are so few, so scarce that it feels like you've never truly experienced the beauty of life, leaving only wistful sighs.
However…
This moment should hold some meaning for Hikigaya to remember, right?
Even years later, when recalling that summer by the pool, the day that girl with flushed cheeks said those words to him, her name would surely come to mind in an instant.
If that day ever comes, it absolutely must be paired with an indispensable MAX Coffee.
Hikigaya lounged on a beach chair, still wearing a loose shirt, quietly savoring this fleeting moment that would never return once lost.
Kushida walked up to the boy, her hands clasped behind her back, pressed tightly against her hips.
"It's such a pity Horikita-san didn't come."
"Horikita? Even if you invited her, she probably wouldn't show up."
He finally remembered who's missing.
'Sorry, Horikita-san, we didn't invite you. But even if we did, you'd probably just stay in the dorm studying, right? After all, you're a diligent, hardworking person, unlike us who are out here playing right before finals.'
Through intense self-hypnosis, Hikigaya finally convinced himself.
"Anyway, it's a shame we didn't get to have a private date this time… Next time, you'd better make it up to me, okay!"
Before Hikigaya could respond, Kushida had already jumped into the pool.
He shook his head helplessly and continued lying on the beach chair to nap.
Besides admiring swimsuits, being able to get a good nap didn't make this place seem so bad after all.
With that thought, Hikigaya opened his eyes, only to find a large patch of peach-colored skin filling his vision.
What was this? Evil? A massive evil.
He bolted upright, only to realize Ichinose was now crouching beside him.
"What's wrong, Ichinose…?"
"Want a drink? I just bought some fruit tea!"
Without any hesitation, Ichinose handed Hikigaya the fruit tea she'd just been drinking from.
Hikigaya froze for a second, his gaze fixed on the straw she'd bitten.
You drank from this, you idiot! How could a mortal defile an angel's indirect kiss?
"No thanks… I'm not thirsty."
Following Hikigaya's gaze, Ichinose noticed her bite marks on the straw and seemed to realize the issue, freezing for two seconds.
Then, hearing the boy's words, she pouted a little, clearly annoyed.
"It's not a big deal…"
"Aren't you going to play? Your classmates are all out there having fun. As the class leader, shouldn't you be with them?"
Ichinose kept pouting, still a bit miffed about what happened, but she answered honestly: "If they can't even have fun without me sticking to them, then this class is truly doomed. They're not so helpless that they can't survive without me. Besides, I'm a little curious about what you're doing here."
"Doing things you wouldn't understand."
This is something only guys can understand. Don't underestimate a guy's appreciation, you dummy!
Ichinose took a deep breath, her expression looking like she was making a difficult decision.
"What are you doing…?"
"If you're doing something weird, Hikigaya-kun, even if it's you, I'll call the police."
"Hey, hey, don't slander me! I'm not doing anything weird!"
As expected of the ever-kind angel, but this is slander, slander!
Ichinose stood up, finally showing a smile, and took another big sip of her fruit tea.
"You really don't want any?"
"I really don't—"
Before Hikigaya could finish, Ichinose pressed the straw against his lips.
Whether he drank or not was unclear, but that indirect kiss… who knows?
"There, now it doesn't matter if you drank or not."
With a playful step, Ichinose walked away slowly, leaving Hikigaya dumbfounded.
Are all women such disobedient creatures?
But instead of jumping into the pool like Kushida, Ichinose seemed to remember something and turned back to look at Hikigaya.
"By the way, you still haven't said if my swimsuit looks good or not!"
"Forget it, seeing that silly expression of yours, I already know the answer."
With that angelic smile, Ichinose soon jumped into the pool to join the others.
Hikigaya still couldn't quite wrap his head around it, but that didn't matter anymore.
After all, Ichinose Honami would always be Ichinose Honami.
[Class 1-B…]
[Kanzaki found it somewhat unbelievable, but he didn't let his shock show on his face. He had always known this girl had no guard up, often clueless about the dynamics between guys and girls.]
[But even so, he couldn't believe it. Ichinose had already reacted, and now he had to take back what he'd said in the video. To some extent, he didn't really know this little angel all that well.]
[Ichinose seemed to notice his gloom and walked up to Kanzaki to ask.]
["What's wrong, Kanzaki? You look so serious…"]
[Kanzaki: "Nothing, just glad that this guy named Hikigaya doesn't actually exist in our school."]
[Ichinose looked puzzled, clearly not understanding what Kanzaki meant.]
[In Class 1-D, Sakura Airi seemed to have completely frozen.]
["In-in-in-indirect kiss…"]
[Ike stood up, clearly frustrated, and said indignantly: "What's so charming about this guy? How did he even steal the little angel's heart…"]
[Shinohara: "Ike-kun, please don't get so worked up. We can understand your pain as a single guy."]
[Shinohara's words sparked a burst of laughter among the classmates, and Ike grew even more flustered amidst the laughter.]
["What are you laughing at? You're single too… and you, and you!"]
[He kept pointing at his so-called friends around him, but none of them paid him any mind.]
[Yamauchi: "But I have to say, Sakura-san's figure is really amazing. I never noticed before, but now that I see it, it's pretty incredible."]
[Yamauchi's words shattered the pleasant atmosphere in the class once again, his remarks pushing the awkwardness to new heights.]
[For a moment, Sakura Airi lowered her head, and the laughter in the class came to a complete stop.]
[Inside the Service Club…]
[Isshiki, with a devilish smile, slowly walked up to Hikigaya, rubbing her hands together as she said: "Looks like Senpai's been quite the ladies' man, huh."]
[Hikigaya: "You can't blame me for this, can you? Everyone saw it—I was totally forced into it."]
[Yukinoshita also showed a faint smile: "Objection overruled."]
[Hikigaya: "Tch…"]
[Yuihama scratched her bun-shaped hair, then, like a peacemaker, said: "It's not Hikki's fault. There really wasn't much he could do."]
["Exactly, exactly!"]
[Yuihama's words rang in Hikigaya's ears again: "But… you should be careful with that girl. I feel like she might just gobble you up if you're not careful…"]
( End of this chapter)