Chapter 330: Kotonoha Gets Seasick
The day of the agreed beach outing arrived quickly.
As planned, everyone gathered at Hachiman's house early in the morning.
Yukino, who had been taken away by her sister, returned to the apartment yesterday. Her expression remained as calm and cold as usual, giving no indication of whether anything unpleasant had happened at home.
After a simple breakfast at Hachiman's house, the group boarded a rented bus and set off towards their destination.
Before long, the bus came to a steady stop.
They arrived at a bustling dock, where a gentle sea breeze greeted them. Looking out into the distance, they could see the endless sea, with blue waves crashing against the rocky shore.
Not far from the dock, a luxurious black car was parked. Without a doubt, it belonged to Erina and Alice.
As the group got off the bus, Hachiman approached the black car alone.
The car door opened, revealing a dazzling sight of golden hair.
"You're so slow," Erina said, arms crossed, with a displeased expression.
"Sorry, sorry. There were a lot of people, so it took some time," Hachiman replied with a slight smile.
Seeing the group of girls not far behind him, many of whom were familiar faces from their last beach trip, Erina couldn't help but recall the scene of her and him kissing, which made her feel a little unhappy.
This jerk is so welcoming.
However, as the heiress of the Totsuki Conglomerate, she naturally wouldn't lose her manners in public.
"Well, forget it. Let's get on the ship. We should arrive at the island around noon," Erina said before turning and heading towards the Nakiri family's private yacht.
Hisako naturally followed closely behind her mistress, and as for Alice, who initially wanted to stay behind and chat with Hachiman, she was dragged onto the ship by Erina.
Seeing the three of them walk away, Hachiman shrugged and turned to beckon the girls to board the ship together.
The Nakiri family's private beach was on a separate small island, so they naturally had to take a boat to get there.
Once everyone was on board and the ship's horn sounded, white waves splashed on both sides as the yacht gradually left the dock and headed towards the island destination.
On the deck, the girls gathered in groups, chatting away.
Vignette walked up to the second-floor deck, gazing at the endless sea. Beside her, Satania was continuously taking photos.
"Vigne, look, it's the real ocean! So blue, not black at all," Satania exclaimed excitedly after snapping a picture.
"Yeah, and there are none of those scary and weird creatures. It's amazing," Vignette replied with a hint of joy in her tone.
Although their conversation was quiet, Hachiman could still hear them clearly. He couldn't help but smile wryly, marveling at the wonders of the demon realm's ocean.
Meanwhile, Hachiman was resting on a lounge chair on the first floor.
Seeing him lounging lazily, Komachi nearby felt a bit frustrated.
"Onii-chan is such an idiot, just lying there sunbathing. Is it even sunbathing time now? He should be chatting with these sisters. With so many girls here, there's bound to be one who could be his sister-in-law."
Noticing Komachi's meaningful gaze, Hachiman shrugged and sat up from the lounge chair.
Looking around, he noticed that Kotonoha's complexion seemed a bit pale.
This made him worry as he approached her.
"Kotonoha, what's wrong? You don't look too good."
Seeing Hachiman approach her, Kotonoha just shook her head slightly.
"I-I'm fine."
Hey, there's no way you look fine with that expression.
Just as Hachiman was about to ask again, Kotonoha's sister, Kokoro, spoke up beside her.
"Hachiman-niisan, Onee-chan is feeling seasick."
"Eh... Kokoro."
Didn't expect her own sister to sell her out like this. But given her personality, she naturally didn't want to cause trouble for her crush. She shook her head again, forcing a strained smile on her face.
"I'm fine, Hachiman-kun, just a little seasick."
A gust of sea breeze blew, lifting the girls' hair, and the black strands danced in the wind, giving off a graceful vibe reminiscent of a Japanese beauty. However, coupled with her slightly pale complexion at the moment, she looked more like a delicate sister who was often ill.
"How can you be okay? Have you forgotten how you looked when you got seasick last time?" Although Kotonoha's intentions were good, she couldn't resist her sister's consecutive teasing.
"Kokoro, please stop."
"But sis..."
Seeing the two sisters like this, Hachiman shook his head.
"Alright, Kotonoha, don't blame Kokoro. After all, she's just concerned about your health."
"If you're feeling seasick, don't force yourself."
"It's no trouble for Hachiman-kun. I'll be fine." Kotonoha shook her head, signaling to Hachiman not to worry.
But the next moment, a wave of nausea surged, causing the girl's eyebrows to furrow slightly.
Seeing this scene, Hachiman felt a pang of pity.
That's just like Kotonoha, always putting herself last. She's undervaluing herself too much. Looks like I need to have a proper talk with her when I get the chance.
"Give me your hand."
"Eh?"
Although the girl was surprised, she obediently stretched out her left hand.
Her fingers were long and fair, and faint blue veins could even be seen on the back of her hand.
Grabbing Kotonoha's hand, Hachiman secretly activated a strand of holy light and transmitted it through her hand.
"Eh?"
Kotonoha was surprised to find that after Hachiman held her hand, the intense nausea in her heart had significantly reduced. This surprised her because during her previous seasickness, the strong nausea almost made her feel like she was going to vomit bile.
But why now...
Could it be because Hachiman-kun is by my side?
Feeling the warmth transmitted through her hand, the girl blushed inexplicably.
Seeing the two hands held together, Kokoro's face lit up with a smug smile, and then she ran off to chat with Komachi nearby.
As for her sister, having Hachiman's company was enough for her now.
Although Hachiman's use of holy light was very discreet, two people present still noticed it.
It was naturally Gabriel and Raphiel, the two angels. As angels, they were naturally extremely sensitive to holy light.
However, Gabriel just glanced at it and then lay back on the lounge chair like a salted fish.
As for Raphiel, she looked at the two clasped hands with flickering eyes, her thoughts unknown.
After more than an hour of sailing, the yacht finally docked.