“—Hah!? Ugh...!”
Aah, my head hurts.
This is... Neika-san’s villa. I must have fainted in the bath.
...I feel like something good happened in the bath... but what was it? I’ve forgotten.
I sat up in bed and checked the time on my smartphone.
8:00 AM. Come to think of it, I had a half-hearted lunch yesterday and didn't even eat dinner.
The moment I realized that... *Grumbleeeeeeeee*.
...I’m hungry.
I slowly got out of bed.
And then.
*Munyun, monyun.*
Hmm? What is this strange softness?
It’s like nothing I’ve ever touched before... and yet the tip is hard, and there’s something like a core deep inside.
For a moment I thought it was the duvet, but the softness is different.
There was a definite sensation inside the covers.
Moreover, I feel like I've felt this softness before, or rather, I've touched it before...?
Hmm... where did I touch this? I can’t remember.
While thinking about it, I continued to knead and grope.
It’s no use, my head isn't working. But it’s so soft. I can't let go. Knead, knead—
“Uuuuuu~! Ugaaaaaahhh!!”
“Whoa!?”
The futon flew away!?
No, I’m not making a pun, it literally flew!
Along with the sudden loud voice, the futon danced into the air.
At the same time, Riran, who must have been inside the futon, jumped out with a bright red face.
Jumping up from the bed, Riran glared at me while hugging her own chest.
With teary eyes, her body was twitching and convulsing, and even her knees were trembling.
Eh, huh? ...Don't tell me, just now was!?
“Ah, ah... A-A-Akkiiiii...!”
“W-Wait. That was an accident. I didn't know you were here, Riran...!”
“B-But, to grope, to grope me like that...! ...Eh?”
...? Riran, where are you looking? It feels like she’s looking down below me.
I followed Riran's gaze and looked down.
—My gown was magnificently forming a morning tent.
Silence dominated the room.
At the same time, I felt like I heard the sound of something inside me crumbling into pieces.
““............””
Not just her face, but Riran’s ears, neck, and even her visible collarbone turned bright red as she softly cast her eyes downward.
I also scrambled to grab the futon and hide the tent.
“S-Sorry. About everything, well...”
“N-No. It’s okay... In fact, I’m a little relieved.”
“...Relieved?”
“Y-You see, even though Akito has had chances until now, you never laid a hand on me, right? So I thought maybe I wasn’t attractive...”
Ah, ahh. So that’s what she meant.
It’s true that I haven't tried to lay a hand on Riran until now.
I didn't even jump at the rewards she offered when we were doing summer vacation homework.
But that’s because I treasure Riran.
Precisely because she is precious to me, I can't cross the line with half-baked resolve.
That’s what I thought... but it seems I had conversely made Riran worry.
“I-It’s fine. To be blunt, I think there’s no woman more attractive than you, Riran. Truly.”
I put what I truly felt into words.
However, Riran looked a bit dissatisfied and muttered something under her breath.
“Then why don’t you make a move on me...”
“Eh? What was that?”
“It’s nothing!”
What... now she’s mad at me.
They say a woman’s heart is like the autumn sky, but I really don't understand it. Even though it’s midsummer right now.
“*Ahem*. W-Well, I understand now that Akito looks at me with lewd eyes.”
“Hey, watch your words.”
“You’re not looking?”
“...I am, but.”
“Hehehe. Lewd, pervert, skebbe.”
This is the first time anyone has ever called me a 'skebbe' with such a happy look on their face.
“W-Well then, I’m going to the living room. I’m hungry.”
“Ah, then I will too.”
“Akito, come once *that* has settled down. If you don’t mind Rion-san and the others seeing it, then by all means.”
Ah, right.
In the end, I wrapped myself in the futon for about 10 minutes waiting for it to settle down before heading to the living room.
When I arrived, everyone who was already awake was eating breakfast.
“Oh, Akito. Are you okay? I heard you collapsed in the bath yesterday.”
“Yeah. I don't remember why I collapsed, but I’m in perfect health now.”
“Heeh. You don't remember, huh?”
Everyone looked at Riran with a smirk.
Riran was munching on her bread with a bright red face... Does it have something to do with her?
...No good, I really don't remember.
“Nishi-shi. Well, whatever. Akito, we’re supposed to leave this afternoon, but you should just rest. You did pass out from the heat of the bath, after all.”
“Yeah. I know.”
Indeed, going into the ocean the day after collapsing in the bath would be too suicidal.
Today, I’ll stay quiet and pray that the earring is found—
“M-My Lady, it’s an emergency!”
Just then, a maid rushed into the living room in a panic.
“Hmm? What’s up?”
“T-That is, at the rocky area...!”
The rocky area...?
...Could it be...!
“Ah, boy!”
Hearing Liza-san’s voice behind me, I used the external stairs from the terrace to run down to the beach.
If the bottlenose dolphin I saved at the rocks yesterday is back there again...!
With such a worst-case scenario in mind, I headed for the rocks.
“W-What is this...!?”