The cruise ship docked along the west coast of Oshima. Including the Shogun, everyone followed the other tourists and disembarked one after another.
Gazing at the island's beautiful scenery, everyone's mood—like the view before them—suddenly became bright and clear. The spotless coastal streets, lush green trees, and the sea breeze tinged with the scent of salt all made them sigh in admiration.
"We're here!! Finally!!"
Naturally, the most excited of them all was Souta Tamadate. Ignoring the embarrassed stares of the surrounding tourists, he rushed out in a burst, took a few bounding steps forward, and spread his arms wide as if embracing the sky under the blessing of spring.
"The weather is so nice..."
Hare also stepped out, shading her eyes with her hand as she softly remarked.
"Yeah... it's cleared up (hare). Perhaps it's because we have Hare (hare) with us."
The Shogun followed behind and casually delivered a deadpan pun.
"Wah... M-Mio~///!"
Understanding the joke, Hare's face flushed red as she puffed up her cheeks in embarrassment.
"It's rare to hear Mio make a joke like that. I used to like you quite a bit..."
Inori walked up behind them and teased her.
"...?"
The Shogun instinctively turned her head toward the girl beside her.
"...Now I like you even more."
Inori's tone shifted as she wrapped an arm around the Shogun's waist from behind, leaning close to her ear and whispering seductively.
"W-wait... Inori... we should get going."
During this, Hare also hugged the Shogun's other arm, deliberately interrupting Inori's advance.
"Mm... what a pity."
Inori didn't argue, only expressing mild regret with her usual blank expression.
"... "
The Shogun sighed inwardly. She hadn't expected someone like herself to end up traveling with a group of teenagers—going to the beach to "enjoy youth," no less. It simply didn't suit her personality. If Yae Miko ever found out, she would surely tease her endlessly.
"You three seem really close... haha."
Kanon, who had caught up from behind, gave an awkward chuckle as she looked at them.
At this moment, everyone was dressed in summer clothing appropriate for the season. Hare wore a light yellow dress paired with lively low-heeled sandals. Inori had on a strapless dress with a light blue short-sleeved outer layer.
As for the Shogun, she wore a pale purple dress chosen for her by the two of them, along with casual sneakers that suited her youthful appearance. The edge of white ankle socks was faintly visible above her shoes.
Among the boys, Shu Ouma looked fairly normal, but Souta was dressed like a stereotypical guy—tank top and shorts. Combined with his noisy behavior, he drew plenty of attention, giving Kanon a headache just watching him.
"I heard we're going to a villa owned by Inori's relatives?"
Souta ran up to Inori with an excited expression and asked.
"Mm. I lived there when I was younger."
Inori lied without batting an eye.
"So rich!!"
He jumped up in excitement.
Heh... the wealthy one is the Kuhouin family.
Inori silently complained to herself. She was only a nominal member. Otherwise, the lie would fall apart.
Earlier on the cruise, Gai had already established contact with the Kuhouin family. They were now in a cooperative relationship. Any expenses required would be covered by them, which made things much easier.
"Alright, alright~! Souta, stop making such a fuss. Let's go..."
Kanon gave him a push, telling him to calm down. The sunlight here was also intense, and she was starting to feel overheated.
"We finally made it here—let me enjoy it a bit! You have no taste!"
He shot back.
"Sure, sure—you have taste, got it?"
She waved her hand dismissively.
And so, the group left the tourist dock and followed the location given by Gai, arriving at a luxurious villa not far from the beach. The villa wasn't particularly large—two stories—but more than enough for all of them to stay.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by the cool indoor temperature—like air conditioning—completely isolating them from the heat outside.
The living hall was spacious, with polished wooden floors, a long dining table, an intricately patterned folding screen that clearly cost a fortune, and a red-carpeted staircase leading to the second floor. The house was also brightly lit, with no hint of gloom.
"Amazing!!! This is awesome!"
Souta was even more excited than before. Wearing flip-flops, he ran several laps around the hall, shouting loudly, then quickly pulled out his camera and snapped several photos.
"What kind of people are your relatives, Inori?"
Kanon asked in astonishment, looking at her with envy.
"No... just ordinary people."
Inori replied.
"Eh? That's impossible... how could ordinary people afford such an expensive seaside villa?"
Kanon was skeptical, but didn't press further. The environment here was far more captivating than questioning it.
"(Are they really your relatives?)"
The Shogun quietly asked at her side.
"It's arranged by the Kuhouin Group. Do I look like someone wealthy?"
Inori replied with a faint smile.
"...You do."
The Shogun narrowed her eyes as she answered.
"Mio, don't you think your filter for me is a bit exaggerated?"
Inori said helplessly.
"What?"
She tilted her head.
"But honestly, I think you look even more like someone from a rich family."
Inori countered.
"...Why?"
The Shogun asked, puzzled.
"Because you have an elegant face—and your aura feels refined~"
With a smile, Inori reached out and pinched the Shogun's cheek, then left before she could react.
"...?"
Elegant?
Well... it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
"Alright~! Let's go to the beach! The ocean!!"
Souta interrupted their conversation, grabbed his luggage, and ran out.
"Wait—! We haven't unpacked yet!"
Kanon shouted wearily.
"We can do that later! We rarely get to a vacation spot—let's enjoy it to the fullest!!"
Whoosh!
He disappeared in an instant.
"That guy... only thinks about himself."
Shu muttered quietly, finally speaking up.
"Hehe, that's just how Souta is, right?"
Hare smiled at him.
"Haa... so tiring."
Mentally exhausting...
The Shogun sighed.
"Let's put down our luggage first, everyone?"
Kanon suggested, ignoring the runaway troublemaker.
"Mm~!"
Everyone agreed.
"... "
Meanwhile, the Shogun was dragged upstairs by both Hare and Inori, one holding each of her hands, looking completely uninterested.
The time ahead... was probably going to be difficult.
I want to go back to Inazuma!
...
"Woohoo!!"
Splash!
A few minutes later, after putting away their luggage, the group arrived at the beach just in time to see Souta dive into the water in a chaotic, flailing motion, sending up waves of spray.
"Souta is as energetic as ever."
Hare gave a wry smile.
"Ah... I should've known better than to bring him."
Kanon said with disdain.
"B-but... wasn't he the one who suggested the trip?"
Hare replied with a smile.
"That's true... sigh—!"
No, if Souta didn't come, things would be troublesome for me.
—Inori thought silently.
After that, it was time to settle in. Everyone removed their outer clothing, revealing their swimsuits. The girls' graceful figures were on full display—except for the Shogun!
"...This is rather terrifying."
She muttered quietly. It wasn't just the overwhelming sense of youth—she felt completely out of place among them.
She planted a beach umbrella in the sand and sat down, hugging her knees. She had no intention of entering the water, nor had she changed clothes. She was still wearing her dress—and she didn't even have a swimsuit.
Just sitting there, watching the ocean and the people playing in it, was admittedly quite relaxing.
However...
"Hey, Mio... aren't you going into the water?"
Hare, having come out of the sea, sat down beside her in a simple white string bikini, wiping the water from her body.
"I don't want to—///!"
The Shogun hadn't realized the gravity of the situation. The moment she turned her head, she saw the girl's exposed chest and skin, and immediately averted her gaze.
Eh? Hare would wear something like that?!
In her impression, someone with Hare's personality shouldn't be this... bold...
—
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