172 – Summer Sea -2-

Every girl here shared a common thread.

It was the first time they had revealed so much skin to a man not of their blood.

Ichinose and Clara, embarrassed to expose their skin to Rohan, became hesitant in their actions.

But Shion and Noah acted boldly.

To the stiffened Ichinose and Clara, the uninhibited two seemed magnificent.

“Did it turn out pretty? I’m going to catch some fish now~”

Satisfied with the photo, Noah dove back into the water with a splash.

Shion, leaving footprints on the sand, approached Rohan and met his gaze.

Concealing the pounding of her heart and suppressing her bashfulness, Shion’s emotions created a captivating smile that no one could imitate.

“Rohan. This is the swimsuit I bought recently. Do you think it suits me?”

“Uh… it’s stunning?”

He thought he should come up with a more elaborate compliment, but.

Rohan’s instinct blurted out the direct praise.

Indeed, those were the only words he could muster.

Each of them was stimulating and unconventional. Each of their unique colors and charms stood out.

“Heeh~”

Shion, seemingly satisfied, nodded and guided Rohan toward Ichinose and Clara.

The two girls, eyes averted, fidgeted with an air that clearly telegraphed they were awaiting opinions.

“I trust Rohan will fulfill his duty.”

Shion declared, stepping back a pace.

Rohan took in the sight of the girls, their pale toes nervously digging into the white sand.

Excessively beautiful. It made him want to scratch his head.

He was about to speak with the intention of offering compliments, but the ticklish feeling exceeded all sensible limits.

“O-Oppa… do I look strange…?”

Rohan shook his head with a vehemence that threatened to snap his neck.

Aware of Clara’s personality and sensing her nervousness, he chose his words carefully.

“You’re too pretty, I don’t even know how to compliment you. Did you pick out the swimsuit yourself, Clara?”

“U-Uh-huh…”

Rohan, pleased, tousled Clara’s hair with a smile and then met Ichinose’s intense gaze.

Rarely, both of her eyes were wide open, unveiled.

Rohan felt the pressure from Ichinose to deliver his thoughts quickly, but the unspoken demand wasn’t intimidating. It was heartwarming, even.

“Ichinose. I’m sorry.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden…?”

“I’m acutely aware of how lacking my vocabulary is right now. The word ‘pretty’ is the only thing that comes to mind.”

“…!”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I got struck by lightning tomorrow, I’m feeling so undeservedly blessed.”

“I… It isn’t strange, is it?”

Ichinose fidgeted with her swimsuit, noticing Rohan’s gaze momentarily losing its composure at her question.

Any other man eliciting such a reaction would have been unpleasant, but from Rohan, it delivered a thrilling sense of purpose achieved, exactly as intended.

An outfit she would never wear outside of private property.

Feeling rewarded for forgoing the rash guard and making such a bold choice.

Ichinose lowered her gaze, concealing her eyes as usual.

Rohan began to shift his weight, taking a step.

“Should we head into the water now!”

With the most important procedure completed, it was time to head toward the ocean, already claimed by Noah.

As he went to move, Shion grabbed his arm.

“Rohan. Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

“You need sunscreen.”

Shion squeezed a dollop of cream onto his hand and gently touched Rohan’s face.

Rohan, enduring the kneading of his cheeks, looked curious.

“I’m going in the water, do I still need to put this on?”

“Of course. Even underwater, you’re affected by the sun. And this is a sunscreen that’s safe to use in the water. It doesn’t pollute the ocean either.”

“They make those now? That’s amazing.”

Rohan chuckled as Shion’s hand moved lower, starting to feel at his chest.

If he let him, he’d probably slather it all the way down to his toes.

“The body is mine to handle.”

Shion didn’t dwell on the blocked gesture, feeling no particular regret.

She simply moved on to the next thing.

“Just let me apply the sunscreen to your back. My arms are too short to reach the whole thing, I reckon.”

“…”

Rohan turned and slumped onto the sand.

This was another one of those situations where he had nothing to say.

“Your back’s so broad, it’d take me forever to do it myself.”

“Why are you buttering me up so much all of a sudden, Shion? Need something?”

“I wasn’t exactly trying to flatter you. Just a simple observation.”

Shion squeezed a line of sunscreen onto Rohan’s back. As if they’d caught a whiff of something tempting, the girls who had been watching piped up.

“Shion unni… Can we, uh, help…?”

“Ahem! I’ll help too, so let’s get this done quickly.”

Before Rohan could even protest, six hands were roaming over his back.

The atmosphere was festive, and it seemed they were gifting him with playful mischief, as he could feel them fiddling in-between spreading the cream.

It was overwhelmingly ticklish. He struggled to suppress his laughter.

“Can I *actually* go in the water now?”

The second request for permission.

But the girls still weren’t ready to let Rohan go.

“Rohan.”

“Hm?”

“You have to apply sunscreen to us too. You weren’t just planning on leaving, were you?”

“…”

“Just the back is enough.”

Shion turned around, presenting her back, and pulled her hair up, baring her neck with a refreshing flourish.

Ichinose and Clara, as if they’d been waiting for this moment, swallowed hard at Shion’s boldness.

“Alright! I’ll make sure to get every spot.”

Rohan squeezed a generous amount of cream onto his palm.

No hesitation. If a pleasant experience presented itself, he wouldn’t shy away.

He stretched out his hand, slathered in sunscreen, and began to smooth it across Shion’s back.

A smooth, addictive texture.

If he hadn’t kept his wits about him, an exclamation would have slipped out.

“Hngh…!”

“Cold? Did I put on too much?”

“I’m… alright…”

Shion bit down hard on her finger, trying to stifle a moan.

The large hands on her back sent her senses reeling. A surge of satisfaction was exploding in her consciousness.

‘This is madness…’

Simply being touched by Rohan was almost too much bliss. Her whole body tensed.

She was grateful that she was turned away from him.

Seeing Ichinose and Clara’s flushed faces as they looked straight at me, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how wrecked my own expression must have been.

“Shion, you’re done! Next, please!”

“M-Me first, please do me!”

“Oppa! M-Me too…!”

Clara and Ichinose scampered around, turning their backs to Rohan.

Shion stepped slightly away from the group, letting out a breath.

“Haa… haa…”

I couldn’t look toward Rohan.

The heat on my face wouldn’t dissipate. My thighs were trembling.

The pleasure had peaked, and I almost…almost lost it right then and there.

“Ah!”

“Hee, heeuk…!”

At the saccharine moans, Shion turned her head.

She saw Clara and Ichinose’s rapturous faces as Rohan massaged their backs, and a wry smile escaped her lips.

‘Was that what I looked like?’

I was just glad I hadn’t shown Rohan my face.

“Finished!”

Rohan roughly rubbed the remaining sunscreen on his arm and approached Shion.

He then asked for permission.

“I put it all on, so can I *really, really* go into the water now?”

“Mmm, I’ll be there soon.”

Shion answered in place of the girls, who were still catching their breath, lost in the afterglow.

Rohan quickly crossed the white sand beach and plunged into the water near where Noah was floating.

*Splash!* Water erupted, and Noah yelped.

— Idiot! You scared the fish away!

— We caught enough, didn’t we? How many were you planning to catch?

Shion quietly watched Rohan laughing and joking around.

An everyday scene I couldn’t have imagined just months ago.

‘I’m happy.’

Seeing the person I love so happy and laughing is truly wonderful.

Already, my satisfaction with this trip is at a perfect 100.

Shion lowered her sunglasses, frankly admiring Rohan, when Ichinose and Clara, flushed and shaky, gathered at her side.

“Rohan’s hands… are big and warm…”

“Haa… my body still feels weird… I don’t have any strength…”

The two girls looked where Shion was looking.

They found themselves quietly admiring Rohan as he played with Noah.

Ichinose picked up the camera resting under the parasol and started taking pictures of Rohan, focusing intently.

“Shall we go?”

“We can’t just watch.”

“Let’s go…!”

Afterward, the girls, somewhat recovered, let out long breaths.

They slowly entered the water to reach Rohan’s side.

Each had many objectives for this trip, making their heads a tangled mess.

But in the sea, enjoyment was paramount. That much was certain.

“Nose! Look at this! I caught a huge one!”

“Don’t shove a fish in my face!”

“Eeeh~ Praise me~”

As the three joined in the sea, the commotion grew, laced with even more joy.

Rohan laughed until his cheeks hurt, spending time with everyone.

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“Let’s get ready and go grocery shopping.”

A little over two hours passed, the setting sun bringing their water play to a natural end.

Rohan headed to the third floor to wash up, and the girls toward the second.

“It begins now.”

Ichinose’s quiet remark.

Sion and Clara nodded, faces more serious than ever.

They’d enjoyed themselves so much they almost forgot the meticulously planned schemes.

They just played. But what did it matter? The sea would be there tomorrow, and tonight there was a drinking party waiting.

The Night Blossom Brigade steeled their resolve, nurturing individual desires.

Not to make a fool of themselves while drunk, to see Rohan drunk, to learn the deep, specific details of Rohan’s ideal type and views on love, and so on.

The girls’ pent-up yearnings began to swirl in earnest.