Part 3Located near the equator, Midgard was hot all year round.
As a result, most people basically spent the majority of their time indoors in air-conditioning. The uniforms designed for this lifestyle were extremely hot when worn outdoors—which was why very few people would wear the uniform outdoors except during their commute to and from school.
And... on holidays where uniforms were not required, things would be completely different.
"Great, it"s sunny today."
Using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun"s powerful rays, I looked at the blue sky.
There were virtually no clouds for miles around in the sunny sky. There was also very little wind. The sea was calm.
Normally in such heat, I would rush indoors, but having changed to swimwear, the current temperature was just right.
At the seaside, Iris and Tia were playing in the water, similarly dressed in swimwear. The ones swimming in the sea were probably Lisa and Mitsuki. On the other hand, Firill was reading under a parasol.
"—How do I put this? It feels like a day off has finally arrived."
Approaching me from behind, Ariella came to my side and said slowly.
"Well, after the fighting ended, there were so many things preventing us from relaxing."
I smiled wryly and agreed with Ariella.
Wearing a bikini, Ariella was generously displaying her svelte and tender body under the sun. The tropical-themed swimsuit was an excellent match for the beach where it was summer all year long.
Ariella"s narrow waist and slender legs were strongly alluring and I could not help but feel my gaze drawn to them.
"Oh—Monon.o.be-kun, w-what are you staring at?"
Keenly noticing my gaze, Ariella blushed and covered up her thigh area with her hands. However, trying to cover up when wearing a swimsuit was not very effective while her embarra.s.sed look actually added to the allure.
"Nothing, umm, I didn"t mean to—"
I scratched my head while my gaze wandered. Ariella smiled wryly.
"Didn"t you mention before that you found my legs attractive, Monon.o.be-kun...? Looks like you were being honest."
"You didn"t believe me?"
That time, I was sent to repentance essay h.e.l.l for speaking my mind. It would be so not worth it if she did not even believe me.
"I thought it was partially a joke... But after seeing your reaction, Monon.o.be-kun, I believe you. You do treat me properly as a girl."
"...That goes without saying."
Ariella"s very happy smile made me blush.
Seeing my response, Ariella became embarra.s.sed and lowered her reddened face.
"Mm—Onii-chan."
Someone suddenly grabbed my hand, surprising me. By the time I noticed, Ren was already standing next to me. Instead of the one-piece swimsuit I had seen before, she was wearing a more revealing set of pink swimwear separates.
"What"s up, Ren?"
"What about... me? Do I count as a girl to you, Onii-chan?"
Ren looked at me seriously and asked. She must have overheard my conversation with Ariella.
Ariella looked a little panicked and grabbed Ren"s shoulders from behind while she said to me:
"Monon.o.be-kun, you must answer properly, okay? Ren is our younger sister, but before that, she is also a girl."
She was encouraging Ren from an older sister"s standpoint, demanding me to give a sincere answer.
"Well—of course I know that. Ren too, umm... I do think of you as a proper girl."
Saying that, I began to stroke Ren"s head to hide my embarra.s.sment.
However, Ren grabbed my hand and continued to question.
"Then what"s my charm point?"
"Umm... V-Very cute... something like that."
I felt reluctant to say it face to face, but I still endured my embarra.s.sment and voiced it out.
"Mm... That"s a bit ambiguous. Be more specific."
Ren suddenly went red but she still shook her head, not yet satisfied.
In other words, I needed to point out what was cute about Ren, like how I had called Ariella"s legs attractive.
"R-Right... Ren, your hair is a very pretty red. It"s silky smooth and I find it very attractive."
"...That"s it?"
"A-Also—There are your cheeks, for example."
When I said that, Ren tilted her head in surprise.
"Cheeks?"
"Yeah... Umm, you tend to pout when you"re unhappy, right? That look is strangely adorable. Your cheeks look so soft that it makes me really want to poke them..."
Wondering why the heck I had to explain this, I answered honestly.
"...It"s the first time anyone told me this."
Ren placed her hand on face doubtfully.
"Monon.o.be-kun, you were a bit perverted there."
Ariella looked at me in shock.
"Mm, Onii-chan is a... maniac."
Seeing Ren agree with her, I slumped my shoulders.
"...It"s impossible to argue against that here."
Holding my hand, Ren proceeded to bring it to her cheek.
"However, because it"s you, Onii-chan... I allow you, just a bit."
Ren pressed my fingertip against her face and looked up at me.
Her cheek was very soft and elastic, it felt even better than I had imagined.
"Wow..."
While I was immersed in poking her cheek, Ren suddenly turned red.
Rather than caused by friction, Ren"s face had gone red from embarra.s.sment.
"O-Onii-chan... When are you going to stop?"
"Oh—Sorry, I accidentally got too into it."
Coming to my senses, I took my hand away. Exhaling hot breath, Ren held her cheeks.
"You are a manic as expected, Onii-chan. But... in that case, I too—"
Blushing, Ren began to murmur then turned around and ran to the water"s edge.
"R-Ren! You need to do proper warm-ups before entering the water!"
Ariella ran after her frantically. Left behind, I felt an inexplicable sense of guilt and sighed.
"I guess I"ll go for a swim too..."
I was going to head to the water"s edge for a change of pace. But at that moment, the rest of my companions who had been staying in the dorm arrived.
The four of them, Kili, Vritra, Jeanne and Shion had taken slightly longer to change.
Dressed in a bold swimsuit, Kili was holding the hand of the not-too-pleased Vritra. What displeased Vritra was probably the school swimsuit with "Vritra" written across the chest. Judging from the situation, it was surely a prank on Kili"s part.
The other mother-daughter combo had the mother leading the daughter by the hand.
"Z-Zwei, slower please—I am not ready yet—"
"i cAn"t wAit."
Wearing a yellow swimsuit, Jeanne was desperately trying to cover up her chest and lower abdomen. As a result, she was walking even slower than the young Shion.
Clad in a one-piece swimsuit, Shion waved as soon as she saw me and ran across the white beach.
"Papa!"
"Uwahhhhhhhhh!? C-Captain! P-Please do not look at me!"
In stark contrast to the excited Shion, Jeanne wailed, almost about to burst into tears.
"—You don"t need to hide yourself. You both look really good."
I smiled wryly at Shion and Jeanne who had arrived before me.
Slightly later, Kili arrived and grabbed Jeanne from behind, pinning her arms behind her back.
"Yes, Jeanne-chan is so pretty—Let him have a good look."
"K-Kili!? What are you doing—S-Stop it!"
Two well-shaped bulges entered my sight. Jeanne"s struggle against Kili caused her twin peaks, wrapped in yellow fabric, to quiver seductively—I could not help but gulp.
"U-Unhand me! Ah—C-Captain, please don"t stare at me—"
"O-Okay."
Obeying the blushing Jeanne, I averted my gaze.
Liberated from Kili, Vritra looked up at me in displeasure next.
"Thou seemest to love large chests. "Twould explain thy lack of interest the previous occasion."
Vritra touched her flat chest and remarked with comprehension.
"N-No, that"s not it—"
I frantically denied but someone caught my hand from the side, drawing my gaze.
"mY... chEsT is vEry sMall. Papa... diSliKes mE?"
Shion looked down at her own chest with extreme sadness. Noticing that I had brought on an unexpected misunderstanding, I bent down to look at Shion at eye-level.
"I don"t dislike you, Shion, okay? Ignore what Vritra said."
"...thEn, yOu alSo loVe... sMall chEsTs?"
Shion"s continued pursuit of the matter left me speechless. However, seeing her about to cry, I hastily replied.
"Yeah, big or small doesn"t matter."
"biG oNes... sMall oNes... dOn"T maTtEr. bUt... Papa wAs stAriNg at Mama"s chEsT. tHaT meAns Papa... loVeS chEsTs. yOu loVe... miNe toO?"
"Uh..."
Questioned by those innocent eyes, I felt cold sweat flowing down my face.
Although her question had a bit of a reverse s.e.xual harra.s.sment flavor to it, Shion clearly had no intention of that. Telling myself that there was no malicious meaning, I nodded.
"Y-Yeah, I love yours too."
Feeling like I had lost something that a human being should have protected to the bitter end, I answered. Shion finally looked relieved.
"thAnk GoOdneSs... i loVe yOu toO, Papa."
Stroking Shion"s head while she was hugging me, I exhaled in relief.
"Hmm, in other words, thou hast desires for this body of mine too. "Tis truly a relief that there are further opportunities to create deeper interaction."
However, this time, it was Vritra"s turn to misinterpret my words and she leaned against me on the other side opposite to Shion. This further elicited misunderstandings from Jeanne and Kili.
"Yuu... Although I intended to accept your entire being, I do wish your fetishes weren"t so twisted. I will accept nothing less than arousal towards my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, okay?"
"C-Captain, forget about Vritra, but please could you treat Shion properly as family! If you have pent-up needs, a-allow me to relieve them for you!"
Questioned by the two of them, I wanted to back away but with Shion and Vritra hugging me, I was unable to move.
"Calm down! Now isn"t the time to discuss this!"
While shouting that, I used my arms to pick up Shion and Vritra respectively who were restraining me like shackles.
"Wa—Papa."
"Neun, what art thy intentions?"
With the two of them confused and carried in my arms, I fled the scene.
"Where are you going, Yuu!?"
"Captain, please stand still!"
Hearing Kili and Jeanne"s voices behind me, I rushed towards Iris and the others on the beach.
After leaving Shion and Vritra with them, I began to escape into the sea. Things should have settled by the time Shinomiya-sensei arrived with the barbecue equipment.
Racing across the sand under the scorching sun, I prayed for things not to get any worse.
However—I had forgotten one thing.
Having left an understanding unexplained, the situation would only deteriorate further.
I swam in the deep blue sea in the mood to forget everything.
Swimming silently alone in the warm and comfortable seawater, I felt very calm.
Without swimming goggles, I could not look into the sea but I knew very well that all kinds of tropical fish were swimming in the surroundings.
Slight movement of my sluggish body brought a sense of fulfillment. The sun hanging in the sky allowed me to fully enjoy a swim in the sea.
But when I returned to the beach in contentment, I was confronted by the reality I had left hanging.
Shinomiya-sensei had showed up and everyone was starting to prepare the barbecue. Slightly farther away, Charl and Mica-san were staying under a parasol. The girls were probably chatting about the barbecue.
However, when Iris and the girls, who were happily preparing things, they all instantly shielded their chests at the sight of me.
"M-Monon.o.be... You"re late."
"Oh, sorry about that. I wanted to go for a quick swim but it ended up taking longer. Uh... Why are you covering your chest?"
When I asked with a frown, Lisa answered on Iris" behalf.
"W-We know that you are the type of person who gets aroused by all manner of b.r.e.a.s.t.s regardless of size! A-Although I don"t dislike your stares... Now that I know about it, I cannot help but feel conscious about it!"
Using two arms to guard her ma.s.sive bust, Lisa stared at me shyly. Next to her, Firill c.o.c.ked her head.
"Monon.o.be-kun"s type of person... A worshiper of b.r.e.a.s.t.s? Eh... But aren"t they limited to large ones?"
"Yuu is fine with big or small! As expected of Tia"s husband!"
Tia exclaimed excitedly and Mitsuki nodded deeply in response.
"Indeed—the strike zone"s breadth is something we need to review... However, Nii-san... It is truly insensitive to publicize your fetishes while we are in swimwear. In a certain way, this counts as s.e.xual hara.s.sment."
Covering her small but well-shaped bosom, Mitsuki reminded me.
It looked like Shion had spread what I had said.
"No, umm—"
Thinking about how to clear up the misunderstanding, I started to speak.
But at that moment, I noticed a golden fairy approaching at full sprint from under the parasol.
"My friend——!"
She—Charl—removed her lab coat while running then jumped up high. Spinning in the air, she took off her red dress as well.
"H-Hey!?"
I panicked at the prospects of Charl getting naked, but a closer look revealed that she was wearing a micro bikini.
She proceeded to fly over Iris and the girls before hugging me forcefully.
"Mmm—"
The softness of her skin and the sweet fragrance shook my brain with a violent impact.
Standing on the sh.o.r.e, I was unable to stop Charl"s momentum and we fell into the sea together.
My back crashed into the water. Falling over, face up, I saw waves splashing in the surroundings. Then my vision was immediately occupied by Charl with watery eyes.
"My friend, I finally get to see you! I finally get to see you!"
Charl was very excited. She grabbed my cheeks with her hands and rubbed them. However, she soon showed discontent in her expression.
"I... have been waiting for you the whole time, you know!? But you never came! Is this all that our friendship amounts to!?"
"Huh...? No—I only returned to Mitsuki"s dorm a week or so, right?"
When I asked in confusion, Charl shook her head in surprise.
"Only a week? It"s already a week. Ideally, I want to spend the night with you every two days—every three days if I"m busy—once a week is the absolute minimum!"
This declaration caused a great commotion to stir somewhere outside my sight.
"My body can no longer be satisfied without your presence! Ever night after work—My body heats up and it hurts. I want the the two of us to clash intensely!"
"Wait—S-Stop using such misleading descriptions! What you mean is playing against each other in games, right?"
Explaining myself to the others, I sought Charl"s confirmation.
"Playing!? No—Isn"t it an irreplaceable moment of intercourse that is unique between the two of us!? The feeling of spending time together till dawn, falling into depravity together... It is truly the highest pleasure without any subst.i.tute!"
"That"s way too beautified a description of playing games until you drop!"
Pushing myself up, I sighed and retorted against Charl who was out of control.
"Huff... Well, I"m sorry. I should"ve visited at least."
When I stroked Charl"s head, she nodded with excitement.
"Yes. I"m glad you understand. You must stay over in my room at least once every two days."
"—No. No more than once a week."
I made the greatest possible compromise and demanded her agreement.
"Fine... I"ll endure it for now."
With great reluctance, Charl accepted my terms. Then she got off me. Her attire was quite a problem. Her chest and lower abdomen almost lacked the minimum of necessary cover. I did not know where to direct my gaze.
"By the way... Is it okay for you to go out in the daytime? Don"t you need to avoid direct sunlight, Charl?"
Shaken by Charl"s attire, I asked.
"Don"t worry, I avoid sunlight because my skin color reverts very quickly after tanning, which would arouse suspicions around me. But since everyone here knows me, there"s no need to be concerned about the sun."
Looking at Iris and the girls who were staring at us, she shrugged.
"So I will enjoy myself fully today! My friend, let"s enjoy a feast together with lovely maidens!"
Saying that, Charl led me by the hand back to where the others were.
Iris and the girls were still guarding their chests, but since it was impossible to work like that, they lowered their arms while glancing at me.
"Monon.o.be-kun, please remember not to stare, okay? It"s too dangerous to be distracted while using a kitchen knife."
"Mm... Onii-chan probably knows the proper time and place."
Warned by Ariella and Ren, I gave up on clearing the misunderstanding and replied "Got it."
"—Monon.o.be Yuu."
Shinomiya-sensei then walked towards me apologetically.
Like everyone else, she was wearing a swimsuit—However, my gaze was drawn to her undulating curves. Although I already knew she had a great figure, this far surpa.s.sed my imagination.
The navy-blue swimsuit, rather plain in comparison, was strongly emphasizing her voluptuous bust and seductive waist, impressing strongly upon me the feminine charm exuding from Shinomiya-sensei"s body.
"Sh-Shinomiya-sensei... Umm, I—"
I stammered awkwardly, causing Shinomiya-sensei to cough with a blush.
"Sorry—I should have brought a jacket had I known your fetish... To think that my attire would seduce a student, I have failed as a teacher."
"No, not at all, please forget about that. It"d be a great help if you don"t believe what the girls are saying."
Seeing Shinomiya-sensei reprimanding herself, I pleaded with her.
"In that case, the sight of a lady"s chest doesn"t provoke any thoughts in you."
Shinomiya-sensei murmured in relief, but I could not claim that was correct either.
"Umm—it would be difficult to have no thoughts at all. However, this isn"t a special fetish, it"s more like a trait common to all men..."
To prevent the misunderstanding from expanding further, I made a correction.
"Hmm, in any case, it is the same thing as being drawn to an attractive lady. Then I have nothing to be concerned about."
"Huh? Why is that?"
I could not help but ask Shinomiya-sensei, who had commented in a relaxed manner.
"I am not as attractive as they are, right?"
Shinomiya-sensei showed surprise then motioned with her gaze towards Iris and the girls who were in the middle of preparations.
"N-Not as attractive... That"s not true at all."
Feeling that Shinomiya-sensei was too modest, I told her the truth.
"What—"
However, it looked like Shinomiya-sensei actually believed what she had said. She stared at me silently.
After staring at each other for a while, Shinomiya-sensei"s face went red.
Perhaps I should not have said that to a teacher.
However, I had no choice but to correct her. Shinomiya-sensei lacking attractiveness was a statement that no man in the world could let slide.
Amid the awkward silence, the shaken Shinomiya-sensei covered her chest and spoke up.
"M-Monon.o.be Yuu, enough with the jokes. W-Well then, let us start making yakisoba."
"Yes, understood."
Shinomiya-sensei spoke with her entire body stiff. I also nodded awkwardly.
Although Shinomiya-sensei had forcibly changed the subject, the blush on her face still remained the whole time—