Kays Translations

Chapter 43: Southern Island ②

“Phew. I’ve set up the beach umbrellas, chairs and mats for everyone, and all the marine goods too.”

I had arrived at the beach a bit earlier than the others to get everything ready.

There’s a beach house set up here, and it’s got pretty much everything we could need. From food and drinks to all sorts of marine equipment—it’s all available and free to use as much as we want.

“I guess I just like doing everything myself.”

For this trip, everyone wanted to relax in a completely private setting, so we chose not to have a concierge on the island. We just had supplies delivered and opted to do the rest ourselves.

I’m not really good at having people do things for me. Just sitting around waiting makes me feel kind of uneasy and guilty.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always been the one supporting others…

For safety reasons, we’ve anchored a cruiser nearby, so in case of any emergency, help can arrive right away. Their attentive support really impressed me—I feel like I should learn from that kind of dedication.

“I bet cooking together tonight is going to be fun…”

I imagine us all laughing and cooking together. Just picturing everyone in aprons makes me smile a bit.

“Oh, right. Thinking about food is nice, but we should enjoy the ocean first.”

“Go, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Ah, Asuka-san—!”

I turned around and gasped.

Asuka-san stood there confidently in a white bikini. Her figure was perfect, with all the right curves in all the right places. She’d styled her hair in twin tails, giving her a special look different from usual.

“How do I look?”

“The contrast between your blonde hair and the white swimsuit is beautiful, and the hairstyle really suits you. You look super cute.”

I averted my gaze, flustered, but still managed to say what I thought.

“Yay! I got a ‘cute’ from Go-kun…!!”

Asuka-san pumped her fist in a triumphant pose. You’d think she’d be used to being called cute, but she genuinely looked happy.

“Hey, Akkun! What about me?”

Acchan came running over in a frilly gingham-check swimsuit that was totally her style. Her large chest bounced as she ran, and the sight was… quite powerful.

“You look really cute—it totally suits you, Acchan. Also, well… how should I put it… you’re kind of amazing.”

“Hehe, I’m glad you said that! But… amazing?”

“Ah…!”

Acchan tilted her head, puzzled by my unintentional comment. Realizing what I meant, she blushed and gave me a mischievous smile.

“…Go, you perv.”

That expression and outfit totally caught me off guard.

“Go-kun, instead of staring at Akane-chan’s chest, how about giving me some attention too?”

“I-I wasn’t staring!”

Prompted by Takarazuka-san’s voice, I looked toward where she stood.

“Well? What do you think?”

Her black swimsuit accentuated her sensual charm. She had a long skirt with a slit that revealed her elegant legs.

“You look really mature and beautiful…”

“Fufu, I know, right? You’re welcome to look more, you know?”

“W-wait!”

With a teasing smile, she grabbed the slit of her skirt and started to boldly show off her leg. I quickly stopped her.

Even though I knew she was wearing a swimsuit underneath, her gesture was incredibly seductive.

“Hey hey, what about me? How do I look?”

Keina asked innocently, wearing a fashion-forward, minimal-coverage swimsuit. But despite the daring design, it didn’t feel overly sexy—just very stylish.

“That’s super fashionable. I don’t think anyone but you could pull that off.”

“Right? Celena-san made it for me.”

“Wait, seriously? Celena-san!?”

No wonder it was so stylish. She clearly understood Keina’s charm and designed it to bring it out to the fullest.

“Yeah. When I told her I was going to the beach with Tsumu-tsumu, she got super excited. She said, ‘With this, Go will be totally smitten!’ So? Are you smitten?”

Keina suddenly struck a seductive pose, completely changing her mood. It probably would stir something in most people, but having lived like family for a while, I didn’t really know how to react.

Also… what on earth has that woman been teaching her?

“Haha, I think it looks really good. But I’m not smitten.”

“Grrr, Tsumu-tsumu Smitten Plan: Failed!”

Snapping back to her usual self, Keina looked utterly defeated.

And seriously—what kind of dangerous plan name is that!?

I thought everyone had arrived, but I didn’t see Himeji-san anywhere.

“…Huh? Where’s Himeji-san?”

“If you’re looking for Himeji, she’s over there.”

When I looked in the direction Asuka-san pointed, I saw Himeji-san hiding behind a rock.

“Heeey, Hime?”

“Himeji-chan, don’t be shy, come over here!”

“That’s right, it’s just us here after all.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Himeji-san timidly stepped out, blushing—and I was stunned when I saw her.

Because she was wearing a white school swimsuit.

A school swimsuit!? Seriously!?

“Himeji-san!? What’s with that swimsuit!?”

“U-Um… I asked some… close friends what kind of swimsuit would suit me, and they said this would be good…”

Did she just say “listeners”…? Come to think of it, she did ask during a stream before. I can’t believe it was for this.

If she asked what would suit “Kaguya Hoshizuki” as a character, maybe that makes sense… But seeing the mature-bodied Himeji-san in a school swimsuit gives off a weirdly guilty vibe.

“Does it not look good on me…?”

My reaction seemed to make Himeji-san feel down.

“No, it’s insanely cute and suits you perfectly, like a miracle of balance!”

“Really? Yay! I’m so happy!”

Her innocent joy made her look a bit childlike—adorable, really. But still, it felt like I was seeing something I shouldn’t.

(Also, when all five of them are lined up… wow.)

Seeing these unbelievably beautiful girls in swimsuits was just breathtaking. It felt like a moment that needed to be preserved for future generations.

“But hey, Tsumu tsumu, you complimented everyone, didn’t you? That’s boring.”

Keina’s words darkened the mood a bit.

“She’s right. I want something more… special.”

“That might be true. Oh! Let’s have Akkun decide which swimsuit he likes the best!”

“Ooh, great idea.”

“I was happy just to be complimented, so I don’t need anything more…”

“You think so too, right, Himeji?”

“Y-Yeah…”

Himeji-san nodded, half-pressured by Asuka-san. The discussion seemed to reach a consensus, and everyone began to approach me.

“Sakasegawa-kun…”

“Go…”

“Akkun…”

“Go-kun…”

“Tsumu tsumu…”

“““““Which one of us do you like the most!?”””””

“N-No… I mean… picking just one… that’s kinda…”

That day on the rooftop when we were eating lunch—I thought of everyone as equals, no one above or below, and I didn’t want to treat anyone specially…

But the day I had to choose “the one” had come…

This is… This isn’t what a normal youth looks like!!

(Wh-What do I do…?! How do I get through this peacefully!? I can’t pick just one swimsuit! The classic charm of Asuka-san, the overwhelming impact of Acchan, the seductive elegance of Takarazuka-san, Keina’s stylish flair, and the forbidden allure of Himeji-san… Who do I even choose… Wait, what am I even thinking!? Picking one feels like confessing a fetish—it’s way too embarrassing! And I’d feel awful for the others I didn’t pick… Uh, um, uh…)

Panicked and flustered, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

“…Fufu, I was just joking.”

Asuka-san’s words instantly relaxed the tense atmosphere.

“Ha ha, Go-kun, you were taking that way too seriously.”

“Pfft, it made me happy that Akkun was thinking so hard about it, though, y’know?”

“Eh? E-E-Eh?!”

Wait, you were just teasing me!?

I totally overthought everything!!

“Ehh—I wanted you to choose, though!”

Keina puffed out her lips in protest.

“Well, well, it’s all good. By the way, Go-kun, you’ve got a surprisingly nice body, don’t you?”

“Oh, I thought that too! I was shocked how the once-scrawny Akkun got so built!”

“I noticed it before when I touched you, but yes—quite the fine physique.”

The conversation suddenly shifted focus to me.

I was embarrassed to be in the spotlight, but I went along with it.

“Since I started learning martial arts from a mentor to become a bodyguard for the sisters, training became a daily habit. I’m still keeping up with it.”

“You’ve got a perfectly balanced torso—like the golden ratio.”

“Yeah! You’re muscular but not too bulky—it looks great!”

Even Himeji-san followed Keina’s lead and complimented me.

“Hmm. That’s the result of proper training and good nutrition.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Of course. You can’t just work out randomly—consistent daily effort is what matters.”

“I had no idea. That’s amazing, Akkun!”

“Th-Thanks…”

Being praised for something I worked hard on honestly makes me happy.

But when everyone starts praising me at once, it’s kind of embarrassing.

“…By the way, Suzu, you said something earlier about having touched him before, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah! Mind telling us a bit more about that?”

“I’d like to hear it too.”

“Suzu, are you trying to sneak ahead of us?”

“Fufufu, that’s a secret.”

Why is Takarazuka-san saying it like that so suggestively!?

She’s talking about when we first met and I almost fell, and she caught me, right!?

…Wait, come to think of it, there was that time when I carried her in a princess carry…

After a bit of confusion and clearing up misunderstandings, we all ended up swimming together and playing with a beach ball.

Then, as part of a game Keina came up with, we did a beach flag game—except I was the flag.

That was a disaster. I got completely swarmed, and I couldn’t even tell who won.

Things got especially wild when an excited Keina suggested doing a “Go-splitting” instead of a watermelon-splitting game. Fortunately, everyone stopped her before it went too far.

If that had continued, my head might’ve actually gotten cracked open.

Now, I was finally taking a breather, watching everyone play from under the parasol.

That’s when it happened.

“Go, are you having fun?”

“Yeah! It’s really fun because I’m with everyone.”

Asuka-san sat down next to me, smiling gently.

“I see. If you’re enjoying yourself, that’s good. I’m having a great time too—it’s been a while since I could play without worrying about being seen.”

“It’d probably be a huge deal if Asuka-san went out and played in town…”

“Exactly. That’s why this place is so great. There’s no one here but us, and the scenery is absolutely beautiful.”

As she said that, Asuka-san stretched with a groan.

Her arching back emphasized her chest even more than usual. I instinctively turned my eyes forward.

“Y-Yeah, you’re right…”

“By the way, Go-kun—about earlier.”

“Earlier?”

“When we asked who’s swimsuit you liked best.”

“Oh, that… What about it?”

“Well, I let it slide with a joke because you were struggling, but I think deep down, everyone really wanted you to choose someone.”

Her tone had turned serious.

Sensing that, I turned to face her directly.

“I mean, everyone put effort into choosing their swimsuits for today, right? I know I did. Even though I wear swimsuits for work, I rarely get to wear one in private. So a day like this is really special.”

So that’s how it was…

I hadn’t thought about it at all.

For a girl, showing herself in a swimsuit might take a lot of preparation and courage.

“But I bet, knowing how kind you are, you didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, right?”

“Y-Yeah…”

If someone is chosen, then someone else isn’t.

I’ve always been someone who wasn’t chosen.

To aim for the top means having the mental strength to push others aside.

That’s something I’ve always struggled with.

…Of course, there’s also the issue of ability.

“Just as I thought. You really are kind, Go-kun. But, you know… Not choosing anyone might actually be more cruel than picking someone.”

“…Huh?”

Asuka-san’s words pierced right into my heart.

“So next time, make sure you really choose, okay?”

“…Next time? What do you mean?”

“Tonight, all of us are going to cook something just for you—since you worked so hard at GalColle! It’s going to be a cooking showdown!”

“Wha—?! No one told me about that!”

“Well, I never said anything.”

The mood from before vanished like mist.

Asuka-san grinned mischievously, like a child who had pulled off a prank.

“Alright then, see you later! Heeey everyone—wait for meee!”

With that, Asuka-san ran back over to join the others playing with the beach ball.

I thought we were just going to cook together and have a fun, casual dinner tonight…

Nobody said anything about a cooking competition!!

What’s going to happen to my peaceful vacation!?

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