Chapter 25: A Little Rivalry Isn't So Bad.
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"Kihara, wake up—we're at the station!"
Kihara was shaken awake from his sleep. The moment he opened his eyes, his vision was… filled.
Soft. Bright. Overwhelmingly… present.
Two large, pale shapes dominated his view.
Wait. No. Focus.
Remembering his girlfriend was right there, he snapped his gaze away at lightning speed.
"W-When did I fall asleep…? Are we already here?"
Akane Shinjo stood with one hand on her hip, looking amused at both him and the still-drowsy Rikka Takarada.
"You two fell asleep not long after boarding. Hurry up, or you'll end up riding past the stop."
"Thanks."
Kihara gently nudged Rikka's shoulder. "Rikka, we're here."
She blinked a few times before quickly waking up. "Mm… let's go."
As the three of them stepped off the train, a cool, refreshing mountain breeze washed over them.
Kihara stretched lazily.
"This place is amazing… Right, we need to pick up the camping gear from the management office first." He turned to the two girls. "Rikka, Shinjo, you go ahead and pick a good spot. I'll handle carrying the equipment."
Rikka actually wanted to go with him…
But leaving Akane alone didn't feel right.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded. "Don't overdo it. If it's too much, call me, I'll help."
Kihara flexed his arm confidently. "With you watching? No way I'd admit I can't carry it. Just relax and wait for me."
Rikka glanced at his arm—firm, well-defined.
A faint blush flickered across her cheeks.
Since becoming his girlfriend, she had… reviewed certain "videos" they had taken together more than once.
At this point, she was basically in a state where skipping a day was fine…
But skipping two days felt wrong.
Realizing her expression might give something away, she quickly grabbed Akane's hand.
"L-Let's go pick a spot!"
The campsite was nearly empty.
Whether it was the off-season or the school had booked the place entirely, there wasn't another person in sight.
Rikka had planned to carefully choose the perfect spot.
But Akane casually derailed that plan with a single sentence:
"Don't you think Kihara would love to see his girlfriend in a swimsuit?"
Rikka froze.
That was… true.
They had bought swimsuits together yesterday, but she hadn't tried hers on in front of him, she wanted to keep it a surprise.
Now that Akane brought it up…
Maybe changing first wasn't such a bad idea.
Inside the changing room, the two chatted casually as they changed.
"I'm kind of jealous of your figure, Akane…"
"What's there to be jealous of? My shoulders ache every day," Akane replied lightly, then smirked. "Besides… I remember on his first day after losing his memory, Kihara couldn't stop staring at your legs."
"Ugh…" Rikka fidgeted. "I'm happy he likes them, but… I still wish my chest were a bit bigger…"
After all, what girl would want a smaller chest?
Even Akane probably wouldn't accept that.
Akane slipped into a white frilled bikini, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Rikka~ what's it like being his girlfriend? What have you two done? And… is it true you didn't come home the other night?"
The rapid-fire questions nearly sank Rikka on the spot.
She slammed her locker shut, face burning red.
"We didn't do anything weird! You're overthinking it!"
"Oh? Someone's shy~"
Akane poked her bare shoulder teasingly.
"Then at least tell me, have you kissed yet?"
"N-No…"
"Eh?!"
Akane's eyes widened in exaggerated shock, though inside, she was quietly celebrating.
"Why not?"
Rikka twirled a strand of her hair nervously, biting her lip.
"B-Because… my mom called and interrupted…"
"That's such a shame…"
Satisfied with the information she'd extracted, Akane packed sunscreen and other essentials into her bag.
"Let's go.Kihara might start panicking if he can't find his girlfriend."
"Mm."
When they stepped out.
What they saw surprised them.
Kihara wasn't running around looking for them at all.
He had already changed into swim trunks and finished setting up the tent by the river, hammering in the final peg just as they arrived.
When he looked up.
He froze.
Two swimsuit-clad beauties stood before him.
"Rikka… Shinjo… you both look incredible. I don't even know where to look."
Rikka had tied her long black hair into a ponytail.
She wore a simple yet charming light-blue two-piece swimsuit, with a halter-neck design that accentuated her delicate shoulders and neck.
Her high-waisted black bottoms made her already attractive legs look even longer, while small blue ribbons at her hips added a touch of cuteness.
At first, Rikka shyly covered her chest.
But then she noticed something.
Akane wasn't shy at all.
With her hands behind her back, she stood confidently, proudly showing off her figure.
…Why does she feel like a fox trying to steal someone else's man?
Rikka didn't think any further.
She immediately dropped her hands.
If it was a competition.
She wasn't backing down.
And just like that.
An unspoken rivalry began.
Kihara, caught in the middle of two stunning girls competing for attention, felt completely overwhelmed.
If it were just him and Rikka alone…
He probably would've already pulled her into his arms.
But right now?
With a third person standing right there.
No matter how much he wanted to "graduate from being a wizard," he still had to consider the time and place.
Realizing things were getting dangerous, he coughed lightly and looked away, pointing toward the river.
"I've got watermelon and drinks chilling in the water. For meals, the staff said we can pick up ingredients an hour in advance. The water's shallow, just about calf-deep. Want to go play?"
"Sure!" Akane agreed immediately.
Then—
She pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and handed it to him.
With a playful wink, she said:
"Hey… can you help me apply this? The sun's pretty strong—I might get burned."
"…Huh?"
Kihara froze.
Rikka, on the other hand.
Instantly turned red.
Now she was absolutely certain.
Akane wasn't just acting like a sly fox.
She was trying to steal her boyfriend right in front of her.
Oh, you little green tea schemer…
Let's see how you handle this.
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Thank you for reading.