I went with the flow, literally.
I was floating in the lazy river that circles the perimeter of the pool area, just basking in the sun.
Everyone, not just Yukina, had scattered. We could still keep track of each other with our devices, though.
A little while ago, I got a message from Nanoha-san saying she had secured a rest area with a parasol. The adults were apparently taking turns staying there.
And they were taking turns going to play with the kids. In addition to the usual members, Miura and Yuki from the Yagami Dojo were here today. Nove-san couldn't handle all the kids by herself.
Maybe I should join them. It's getting boring just floating around by myself forever.
As I was thinking that, someone called out to me.
"Oh, Sho. So this is where you were."
"Fate-san? Ah."
I guess I zoned out and ended up making a full circle.
I grabbed the edge of the pool so I wouldn't be carried away. Fate-san came closer and crouched down in front of me.
"Oof..."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing..."
When she crouched down with her legs together like that, it just emphasized everything. She didn't seem to be doing it on purpose, though.
With her legs folded, her full thighs were straining against the fabric, and from between her legs, I could see the line of a woman's secret parts.
Swimsuits and underwear. They're almost the same shape, but it seems Fate-san is the type who doesn't feel embarrassed at all in a swimsuit. Well, her Barrier Jacket is a leotard in her full power state. She flies through the sky in that outfit.
Actually, that swimsuit looks a little loose, doesn't it? The bottom isn't so bad, but the top looks a little baggy... it feels like she reluctantly chose the biggest size they had.
It was loose even with Fate-san's ample bust.
"Fate-san, that swimsuit..."
"Oh, yeah. Does it look strange?"
"It seems pretty loose. Didn't you try it on?"
I decided to be blunt.
"Ah, you noticed after all. Yeah. I actually just bought this swimsuit at the shop here. Hayate told me that a young lady her age should get a new one."
"I see?"
Is our division commander really okay?
"But the size that fit me was sold out."
"Then you could've chosen not to buy it. You brought a swimsuit with you, right?"
"I did, but Hayate said, 'For Fate-chan's size, as long as it stays on, it's fine.'"
"That's just sexual harassment..."
Even if it's a woman, that would definitely be a red flag if they weren't friends.
"I couldn't refuse..."
"You should learn to refuse, Fate-san."
"Nanoha would have refused..."
"Ah, so Nanoha-san refused?"
"No, she bought one too."
"Which is it...?"
I guess there's a certain childhood friend dynamic there. I can't keep up.
"I spent so long choosing one that I took too long. When I came out, everyone was gone."
"You can't expect the kids to wait."
"Hehe, you couldn't wait either, Sho?"
"Well, I just..."
I just jumped into the lazy river in front of me because I had nothing to do.
"Is that so? Is your bodyguard duty okay? I heard Coccolo-chan is playing with everyone today, too. Is Yukina-chan by herself right now?"
"Something happened with Yukina."
"Did you have a fight?"
"Well, I made her unhappy..."
Because I was distracted by the Holy Empress in her school swimsuit. And while I was floating in the pool, I realized I hadn't said anything about Yukina's swimsuit. I don't want to explain such a stupid reason.
"So I was thinking of going to the kids' area. I'll meet up with Yukina after some time has passed."
She's not going to be mad forever. And I don't intend to leave her alone for a long time, either.
"I-I see. So... are you going to the kids' area right away?"
"Nah, I haven't decided yet."
It's a spur-of-the-moment thing.
"Hey, can I get in the pool with you?"
"You don't need my permission."
"That's not what I mean. My turn to take over is in a little while, so will you float around with me for one lap?"
Oh, that's what she meant.
"Of course. I'd be happy to."
"Hehe, thank you."
Fate-san didn't jump in like a child. She sat on the edge of the pool, dipped her toes in the water. Then she put her hands down, lifted her butt, and entered the water.
Why am I narrating every single detail like this?
Because Fate-san's face came right next to mine. Maybe it was just the flowing water, but her breasts might have brushed against me, too. We were that close.
"Ah, s-sorry! Was I too close?"
"N-No, don't worry about it..."
We started to drift with the current.
"Ah, this feels so good. It's really been a long time since I've been to a pool..."
While saying that, Fate-san floated on her back, just like I was earlier.
But there was one crucial difference.
Two big, big mounds were floating on the surface.
The cleavage was amazing even from the front, but from below---or from the side, in this case---you could immediately see how much volume she had compared to her waist.
Of course, that drew everyone's attention.
"Hmph!"
"Ouch!?"
"So, a big one really is better..."
"Huh!? N-No! That's not it!"
Ah, I'm a couple-wrecker...
"F-Fate-san? When you spread your body out like that, it's a nuisance to the people around you. There are a lot of people here today."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. You're right."
My voice made her stop the act of terrorism.
The gazes of the women in the surrounding couples pierced me. Why me?
("Take care of your own girlfriend! Don't bother us!")
I feel like they're thinking something completely unreasonable. Well, they didn't actually say anything, so I'll just leave it at that.
The water was shallow enough for us to stand, but we both chose to float and drift with the current while chatting about trivial things.
But after a while, something happened to Fate-san. To be precise, something she was wearing started to slip.
The thing that should have been firmly secured with a string was starting to be swept away by the flowing pool.
(It was loose to begin with, I guess...?)
The person wearing it noticed it much faster than I could have pointed it out.
"Huh!? W-Wah!? Wh-Why...!!"
She immediately tried to fix her slipping swimsuit, but...
"Th-The string!? The string in the back came untied, too...! S-Sorry, Sho! Hide me!"
"Huh, w-wait...!"
Even through the cold water, I could feel Fate-san's warmth. Two soft things are on my back!? We're completely pressed against each other now, aren't we!? Fate-san!? This is a huge difference from when we first got in the pool!
Fortunately, the people around us were so engrossed in their own fun that they didn't notice us. Even if they did, they'd probably just think, "Ugh, a stupid couple is being all lovey-dovey. Die! Explode!!"
"D-Don't move! I'll tie it right now...!"
"Y-Yes."
Fate-san seemed flustered, and she didn't seem to realize she was pressing her breasts against me, even through the swimsuit.
Since I'm behind her, I have no idea what's going on. All I know is that we're pressed against each other and I can hear Fate-san's groaning.
I should just stay still and wait for this to pass. I want to avoid Fate-san's swimsuit coming off if I move carelessly.
"Ugh... I can't tie it...!"
"...Do you want me to tie it for you?"
"I-It's fine! Just wait a little longer!"
As if to show her desperation, the soft things bounced against my back.
If this wasn't a pool, my lower body would be in big trouble. I'm glad the water is keeping me cool.
Fate-san struggled for about a minute before she finally managed to tie it.
"That's good. Now it won't..."
But even after that was over, there was another problem.
Our bodies were so close, so much more than when we first got in the pool.
Fate-san, with her ears all red, slowly moved away from me.
"I-I'm going to go change my swimsuit!"
"Ah, w-wait a minute!"
Without listening to my protest, she held her chest and got out of the pool.
---------
Fate-san, with a bright red face, went off somewhere.
Even though it wasn't either of our faults, I didn't know how I could face her again. I couldn't really chase after her in that state, so I came to the kids' area as planned.
Fate-san said she was going to the kids' area, so I thought there was a chance she'd be here.
"Nanoha-san."
"Hm. Sho-kun, you came here."
The person with Nove-san was Nanoha-san.
"Is Fate-san not here?"
"Fate-chan? I got a message from Fate-chan. She asked if she could switch turns watching the kids."
"What, did you come here looking for Fate-san?"
"At least that's more wholesome than saying I came here for those kids."
I shrugged my shoulders in response to Nove-san's smirking question.
My gaze fell on the children. They seemed to be swimming around happily. Coccolo was also in the middle of the group.
I wasn't worried because there are no girls here who would leave her out, and it seems Coccolo is fitting in well.
"Well, in general, you might be right... But can you say that in front of all of them? 'I'm not interested in any of you.'"
"..."
If I said that, one of them would definitely cry.
Nanoha-san seemed to sense my lack of an answer.
"Ohh? Is that so, Nove?"
"It is. Because of that, some of them lost their momentum before the tournament."
"Speaking of which, was that Vivio... No, she seemed her usual self."
"Yeah, who knows? I can't say who it was because of their privacy."
Vivio-chan and the others had been doing individual practice until the tournament. They were probably in contact, but they hadn't shared every detail.
"But everyone had really good matches in the tournament, right? So they must have bounced back."
"That's what I wanted to know! Hey, Sho. What really happened? Something happened when you went to Mika-nee's dojo, right?"
At this point, I think she knows who she's talking about.
"No comment. It's a matter of privacy."
"Oh, come on, that's not fair. I'm the one who stirred things up by saying all that stuff to Mika-nee back then."
"So you were the culprit..."
So that's why the two of them confessed at the same time.
Nove-san is really persistent about this topic. Is she really that interested in her students' love lives?
I can't tell her that I started dating both of them.
Nanoha-san offered me a lifeline when I was in a bind.
"Nove, you should stop. So, Sho-kun, you came to see that girl, then."
"But you said 'Fate-san' without hesitation."
"Well, that's..."
The truth is, I was looking for Fate-san just now. Of course, I was also curious about everyone else, but Fate-san was the first person who came to mind.
But there was a reason for that.
"I was with Fate-san just now, but... we had a little trouble."
"Oh!"
"Heh!"
What is it? Why are both of them so interested? Even Nanoha-san.
"Now, now. That doesn't matter, does it?"
"That's right, go on. Tell us the details of that trouble."
I don't really want to talk about it, but... I resigned myself and explained what happened earlier.
"Hoho~n?"
"Heehee~?"
Nove-san aside, even Nanoha-san is smirking.
"Did you see it?"
"I did not."
"The swimsuit that slipped?"
"I saw that, but..."
"Oh, my."
"Was that a stroke of luck or a disaster?"
"I can't say either way."
"You can't say either way. Is that so? Is there a lucky part about being avoided by Fate-san? I wonder what that lucky part is?"
Nove-san is just teasing me to the end.
"(Nanoha-san, is that topic all they talk about in Section Six?)"
"(Yeah. They're all wondering if Fate-chan has a crush on Yozuki-kun.)"
"(They're betting on who will be the first one to get a boyfriend out of the three of us who have no love life (Nanoha, Fate, Hayate).)"
"(I'm completely against it, though...)"
The two of them were whispering about something. They seemed to be having a good time.
"Well, that's why I was wondering if Fate-san was here. It wasn't a fight, but we didn't part ways on good terms."
"Then you're out of luck. Fate-san isn't here. As you can see..."
Nove-san pointed to the children, who had been playing with that much energy since the beginning.
Compared to the previous trip, everyone's stamina has increased in just a few months, and there are more people.
"...Only energetic kids are here."
"Yami is really keeping up with them, isn't she?"
"Yeah. Yami-chan is getting along so well with Vivio."
Nanoha-san said happily.
I'm also grateful to Vivio-chan for giving Yami a positive reason to be here.
As I was watching them with a warm feeling, they all noticed I was here and waved to me.
"Oh, it's Big Brother!"
"Huh!? Oh, it really is!"
"My Lord, we are over here."
It was a shame Fate-san wasn't here, but for now, I'll go play with the kids.
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