Chapter 659 – Each One’s Time, Faint Yellow (2)

Star, who had tugged on her beach robe to shield her breasts, struggled to find words.

“This… umm….”

She had a lot to say, but the words wouldn’t escape her lips. She stamped her feet in frustration, her expression shifting from anger to a growing sadness. As her downturned lips approached her chin, she began to sob.

Even for a star as kind-hearted as her, nothing could be more infuriating than an intrusion on her time. She must be seething at this.

“I’m not… I haven’t filled out…”

Hmmm…

The source of her anger seemed to lie elsewhere. Sensing that any more teasing would land them in deep trouble, Se-Young sighed and drew closer to Star.

“Okay, okay. Siheon is yours today. You can’t cry like that. Your makeup will get ruined.”
“It’s not true. This is a special magical beach makeup, it won’t come off… What do you know… I haven’t filled out.”
“I get it. Since it’s natural, you should have a great time with Siheon.”
“I’m not filled out.”
“I said, I understood!”

With a pout, Star ignored Se-Young’s words, adamantly denying everything. At that moment, Aori, inappropriately clad in a school swimsuit only seen in subcultures, interjected.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! How does Aori’s swimsuit look?”
“Do I need to use a wheelchair?”
“Umm, you don’t have to worry about that.”

– Swish, swish.

Aori’s bosom, generously gifted with King Mokryeong’s genes. Where on earth did she find such an item? The tag attached to her chest read Tsugaru in Japanese.

“Tsugaru?”
“It’s Aori. Aori, as in the Japanese word for apple. It’s juicy when you bite into it~ Would you like to try some, Your Majesty? Here, a nipple apple~”
“Umm…”

It seemed like soothing Star was a more pressing matter at the moment. Lee Se-Young’s unexpected attack had revealed an insecurity about Star’s breasts.

“Squeak, squeak.”

Oblivious Aori clung to me, her hand cupping and lifting her breasts. Her bosom, appetizingly jiggling above her flesh-colored hand, made Star’s breathing grow heavier.

She might be like my little sister, but she’s very dense.

“Eeek…”

Star swallowed hard, her eyes drawn to the suddenly exposed large breasts. Her already dismal expression deepened five-fold.

Sensing our discomfort, Hong-Yeon discreetly came over, grabbed Aori by the hair, and led her away.

“Ugh! Ahhh!”
“Aori, come over here.”

– Swish, swish.

Even as she left, the dreadful jiggling was still perceptible.

“If it’s too much for you, we can leave, Mr. Chairman.”

Alba, attentive to Star’s discomfort, asked with caution once more. It would be awkward to call off the event everyone had been looking forward to, especially since Alba is intimidatingly tall and imposing.

From her chic and proud demeanor, Star could never compete at the same level.

In the perception of a star, might Alba not appear thusly?

[Are you going to deny it?]

A voice of nuance that evokes school-day traumas.
With a hint of paranoid delusion, it pierces the star’s mind. Alba, in reality, likely harbored no such thoughts.
The star, clenching her teeth and shielding her chest, cried out.

“No-“

Her words halted there.

“-It’s not that. However. It’s just.”

“The Guild Master?”

In the face of Alba’s naive inquiry, she finally succumbed.
She strived, in a manner uncharacteristic of her.

A deep shadow passed over her visage, followed by a sigh.
She bowed her head to conceal her tear-streaked face, casting a surreptitious glance in my direction.

“…No, not that.”

Her pupils, usually so clear, were darkened, rendering them difficult to discern.

“Enjoy your time. With Si-heon… I am a bit fatigued.”

“Oh, Star….”

“Guild Master. That’s what I meant.”

Anger surged, reaching a disappointing climax.
It seemed as if she was furious with herself for not being able to articulate her desires candidly.

“Se-Young, I’m exhausted… I’ll just go to my room and rest. Si-heon, no need to follow me. I am truly tired.”

With worn-out steps, Star, the first to turn her back, gradually drifted away.

Se-Young, who had been observing, scratched the back of her head with a regretful expression.

“I intended to tease her a bit, but it seems I crossed the line.”
“Indeed, you crossed it.”

I can’t even remember how many psychological battles transpired before I managed to utter a word.
Even for someone as resilient as Star, consistently being on the defensive could deeply wound.
Even within friendships, there exist conflicts. Star must have made considerable concessions.

Of course, the gathering of the women today was not merely to encroach upon Star’s time.

“How should I present the gift?”
“Let’s put it aside for now and give it tomorrow.”

As Hong-Yeon and Gu-Seul conversed, they placed the gift box atop a suitable wooden plank.
Alba brought the best potion for fatigue recovery, Hong-Yeon brought alcohol, and the other women each contributed a gift.

As it was the busiest time recently for Star,
I planned to throw a party and feed her well, considering she would be tired after spending the night with me.

“What if you mess up right from the start? Especially Alba. Se-Young. You two were the worst.”
“…I just genuinely asked.”

Hyun-ja, just stay quiet.
If you speak with a cold countenance akin to a Nordic queen, anyone would cower. Especially Star.

“I’ll apologize later. For now… Si-heon, you take good care of her.”

Usually, these kinds of events, even if they start off as pranks, are expected to be paid back later. But once someone is already upset, there’s no solution.

Reluctantly, I must attend to her now.
Without Star, there’s no other option.

Even though Star sacrificed her time for me, if I don’t genuinely comfort her here, our love would inevitably be tarnished.

“Did you bring it?”
“…Yes.”
“Good.”

I traced the footprints of the adorable stars, sporadically scattered across the sandy beach.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Venturing into a secluded corner, I discovered a tearful star, huddled between wooden planks that displayed surfboards.

“Heave, heave,” she sobbed.

Her face was awash with tears, a clear sign of her profound sorrow. As I reached out to the wooden partition intending to join her, the sobbing star wiped her tears and began to sing.

“I am just a knotted sack…”

What an odd song.

The star, marking characters in the sand with a broken tree branch, began to weep. Her tears flowed freely, much like a heartbroken heroine in a drama.

“Sister?”

“Hmm…?”

As I peered through the gap in the planks, the teary-eyed star cast a glance my way.

Curious about her drawing, I discovered it was a portrayal of herself, hand in hand with me. The depiction radiated happiness, doubling the pang of sorrow.

“What are you doing here? We agreed to be together.”

“…Leave.”

Perhaps my silence in that moment had been a great disappointment to her. Though she gently pushed me away, I knew that if I left now, it would cause a great upheaval.

Resisting her soft push, I squeezed myself between the planks. She gently attempted to displace my shoulder with her hand.

“Go. Enjoy your abundance of girlfriends.”

“Why are you acting this way?”

In response, I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly. Resisting initially, the star squirmed against me like a worm, before I blew wind fiercely into her cheeks.

In the process, I noticed how soft her white belly and shoulders felt beneath her garments.

“Sigh.”

Upon being held, the teary star started sobbing anew, as if a switch had been flipped.

“It shouldn’t have been you, Siheon. You of all people.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Do you even like me? What am I to you? Just a convenient neighbor to bed?”

Her words were brazenly explicit.

I wiped her tears as if caressing her with my hand, planting gentle kisses on both her cheeks.

-Smack, smack.

“Do you think you’ll like me if I do this?”

Indeed, I did. As she clung to me, her tears fell freely, but the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.

-Smack.

“Why aren’t you going?”

Seeing her continued pretense of being upset, I embraced her waist and stroked her head. Her face melted into a smile at the gesture, reminiscent of a large, docile dog.

“There are many prettier girls out there… Stop playing the field.”

“Sister.”

“…Ugh.”

Where could I find someone prettier, someone better? To my eyes, they were all equally beautiful.

But from the star’s perspective, it didn’t seem that way.

“What makes me better than them?”

“There must be something.”

“See, even you have no idea.”

“There’s a reason I love you,” she said.

A grin appeared at the corners of her mouth once more.

Humph – In a huff, she wore a vexed expression, her eyes welling up with tears as she spoke.

“I don’t have breasts as large as Cornus.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m not as adorable as Marronnier.”
“That’s also true.”
“I’m not as smart as Alba.”
“That’s indeed true.”
“… … .”

The examples she gave were such clear advantages that I couldn’t argue.

“Damn…”

Her swearing appeared charming. Cornus’s bust was without a doubt one of the largest in the world, Marronnier’s cuteness had already been affirmed by the subscription buttons of hundreds of millions of people, and Alba’s intellect was superior.

But it’s a fact that I still adore her.

“The way you worked your way up to the presidency of the association is something I admire… You and I share quite a few similarities.”
“…More so than Se-Young?”
“We share similarities, but of a different kind.”

Everyone else says Se-Young and I look alike, but I’m not sure about that. In terms of detailed personality traits, I feel like I resemble her the most.

It’s often the case that sharing weaknesses, rather than strengths, leads to a greater sense of camaraderie. Even I was a social outcast, an introvert, and a recluse during my school days.

“Uh-huh.”

She, with a sniffle, nodded her head. It seemed like she too felt this sense of camaraderie, her face appeared slightly relaxed.

“I’m… kind of in-between.”
“Cute. But not like Blanche.”
“…Am I cute?”
“Yes.”

She subtly clung to my body.

“…Am I beautiful?”
“You are.”

She looked like she could be part of a photo shoot right now. Everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses.

Who would dislike that face, moist with tears and yearning to be loved? It’s pure and beautiful. Even the slight runny nose added a touch of adorableness.

“…Do you like my nipples too?”
“Uh, uh, yes.”
“Do you want to eat me?”
“Yes, well.”

Did she finally feel relieved then? She rested her head on my shoulder and, in turn, held me tight in her arms.

“Hehe…”

Then she was just like herself. The anger had dissipated, and she was now smiling, her arms rubbing against my body in an endearing manner.

“I like you, too.”

If anyone were to say this, wouldn’t it be most fitting for her? Starfruit is the most suitable for a tropical environment. She flashed a fresh and sweet smile, lifted me up, and warmly embraced my face.

We climbed out from within the planks together. She was giggling, shaking the sand off her feet.

“But is that true?”
“Yep, what?”

I subtly glanced at her bikini.

“Pads.”
“… … .”

Her complexion stiffened.

“…Si-heon.”
“Yes.”
“Turn your head for a moment.”

As I turned my head, she wriggled above me.

“…It’s done.”

Returning to her original position, her bikini somehow looked empty. The loose upper body seemed frail as if it were about to tumble down.

The size of the swimsuit was unknown, but it was undeniably larger than the stars.
If I took a plunge into the sea like this, wouldn’t my underwear just slip off?

I discreetly glanced at the ground.
Thick pads, three or four of them.

“No, no, no, don’t look!!”

I vowed to take this secret to the grave.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The water splashed.
The waves ebbed and flowed.

When I clenched my drenched, alabaster thighs, the tantalizingly ripe, plump flesh ebbed over the waves.

Marronnier, with her legs fully extended, raised her feet above the tide and firmly held down the hat on her head.

Two hours had passed since Lee Se-Young had announced to everyone that the issue was resolved satisfactorily.
A delightful leisure time was granted to them.

“Ah, the water… It’s refreshing.”

For Marronnier, wearied from the relentless training of Sephirot, there could be no greater reward.

“I want to play with Monsieurie.”

Blanche, who giggled while splashing water, crawled out from the waves, rubbing the sand grains that clung to her thighs and the underside of her buttocks.
The soft flesh folded between her thighs and buttocks quivered.

-Splash!

Just then, Aori, who had approached, wrapped her arms around Blanche’s waist and buried her nose in it.

“Wha-? What the… Why?”
“Aori is conducting a smell scan!”

A smell scan, of all things.

Could there be a smell?
Aori, who was sniffing at the lower part of her buttocks, announced with a smile.

“It smells like vanilla!”
“……?”

What on earth was she doing?
Soon after, Marronnier cocked her head as she watched Aori dart away.