"I see. This is paradise. I should thank the gods for this moment, this very time."
With a brand-new DSLR camera in hand, I wore a nonchalant smile.
Wearing just my swim trunks and aiming my camera, I must have looked suspicious, but luckily, there was no one around but us.
"Shuhei, you're going to develop the photos and share them, right?"
"Oh, Sunny was curious about that too!"
"Of course! I've been saving this photo album for occasions like this, and I plan to fill it up and distribute it to everyone."
"You're serious, huh?"
"Your brother is great at taking pictures, so everyone should be excited!"
"But honestly, it's a bit embarrassing to be photographed in a swimsuit..."
Kaba, who had been completely at ease moments before, now twisted shyly at the thought of the camera. Her cheeks flushed a light pink as she glanced over at me; she looked innocent and adorable. I quickly pressed the shutter.
"Oakley, that pose with that line has major impact. Even as a woman, I feel like I might fall for you... Ugh."
Summer clenched her fists, looking frustrated about something.
I didn't know what was bothering her, but I cheered her on silently. "Hang in there, Summer!"
"By the way, Ethan, now that I think about it, do you have anything to say about this scene?"
At Jasper's words, everyone who had been playing turned their expectant gazes toward me. Understanding what they wanted to hear, I took a moment to observe Kaba and Summer closely.
Both of them wore one-piece swimsuits. Kaba's was a soft pink, adorned with tiny bows at the neckline and on the shoulder straps. At the back, there were round pom-poms that gave it a playful bunny look.
Summer wears a simple, white, frilly swimsuit, draped with a translucent, gauzy cover-up that allows her skin to shimmer through. She looks more mature than the swimsuit I saw last year, perhaps a sign of her growing up.
"I'm so excited!"
"... You're saying that out loud, Summer."
Correction: she's still quite the child.
"Well, you see, as a girl and as your little sister, I can't help but be curious."
"Curious about what?"
"About your preferences, big brother."
"Don't think you can judge my preferences based on a swimsuit."
"So, that just means your preferences are pretty unusual, right? Well?"
"Well? What do you mean? Are you really asking me to spill my secrets in front of everyone?"
Just to clarify, I don't have any particular fetishes. If I had to say, I like the little gestures girls make, but that's nothing out of the ordinary.
"I'm curious about Ethan's preferences too, but I really want to hear your thoughts on my swimsuit…"
Despite her embarrassment, Kaba eagerly urges for my opinion.
I figured it would be easier to just share my thoughts than continue the awkward conversation about preferences, so I turned to face Kaba, whose face was as red as an apple.
"You look cute, Kaba."
"Wha…!? Pssh—!"
In an instant, overwhelmed, Kaba toppled backward into the river, creating a tremendous splash. Within seconds, she resurfaced, floating peacefully on the water.
"Ah! Kaba-san, are you okay?!"
"Ah, Sunny... I'm just so, so happy right now... I feel like I'm going to burst!"
"What about me, big brother? How do I look?"
As Summer glanced at the ecstatic Kaba, her intense expression demanded an answer. Why was she so desperate for reassurance?
"Well, Summer... you have a mix of cuteness and maturity. It really shines through and I think it's great just the way it is."
"Oh, really? Mature... Hehe."
Summer blushed, and it was clear she was over the moon.
"If anyone said I was acting too grown-up or not like myself, I would have dunked you in the river!"
"..."
In an instant, I felt a chill run down my spine. The warmth from the sun and the exhilaration vanished, leaving me trembling. No matter how hard I tried to look away from Summer's devilish grin, the shaking wouldn't stop.
"Haha, come on, you know I'd never say something like that!"
"Ethan, why do you sound so monotone?"
"Monotone? Jasper, what are you talking about? I'll bury you, you know!"
Honestly, I thought her jokingly trying to act mature was cute. I intended to say that, but I'd made the right call switching gears at the last second. If I had blurted out my true thoughts, I'd probably be at the bottom of the river by now.
"As for burying Jasper, we can put that off for now. Shuhei, what about Sunny?"
"Wait, Sunny? Please don't assume we're just going to bury her!"
Jasper desperately bowed his head, reduced to a subordinate dealing with disrespect from a junior. It was hard to tell who was really in charge here.
Well, burying Jasper could wait; now, he turned his attention to Sunny.
She wore a halter-neck swimsuit, vibrant orange, which matched her lively personality. The unexpected style added an alluring touch. This type of swimsuit, with its neck ties, could reveal quite a bit if undone, but fortunately, Sunny's chest wasn't a concern in that regard—she hadn't developed much in that area.
"…Shuhei, I can tell what you're really thinking."
"What do you mean?"
"You're wondering about Sunny's flat chest. Your gaze has been lingering there for a while."
"…"
"Wow... So you really do judge girls by their chests."
"That's low."
"Really low."
The cold glares from the women, excluding the dreamy-eyed Momo, pierced right through me. If this continued, my reputation could hit rock bottom. I needed to come up with something to salvage the situation.
"Okay, I admit I looked at Sunny's chest, but hear me out. I'm not the kind of guy who judges girls based on that!"
"Really? Then let me hear how you come to that conclusion."
Aoi Yuki crossed her arms, awaiting my response. I knew that one wrong move could end it all, so I needed to choose my words carefully.
"I'm a man, and I won't deny that I find myself drawn to a girl's chest. If I had to put it into words, I like the chests of the girls I fall for."
"Is that so...? I'm relieved to hear that."
"Honestly, it's impressive that you can publicly admit something so embarrassing..."
"Setting that aside, the most important thing to me is a girl's smile."
I raised my voice, letting the words resonate. After a brief silence, Jasper's laughter bubbled up like the cheerful chirping of a bird.
"A smile, huh? I see, I see. That's very much like you, Ethan."
While the other four stared in disbelief, Jasper nodded in understanding.
"Yes, a smile. I firmly believe that a girl's smile is her most attractive feature. We experience joy, anger, sadness, and all sorts of emotions. We find joy in the little things, get angry when things don't sit right, feel sorrow in tough times, and enjoy our daily lives—no matter the circumstances, we always end up smiling. We never forget our smiles because we know how important they are."
But it's not just about maintaining a smile. There will undoubtedly come times when a smile doesn't suffice. In those moments, it's the irreplaceable friends that will support you. Everyone here is a friend I can trust. While Summer is more like family, that faith remains unchanged.
I reflect once more on my situation. I realize I'm in a fortunate environment. With these friends, I feel like we can accomplish anything together.
"Anyway, that's how it is. Do you understand?" I call out to the group, still in a daze. Finally, they snap back to reality, bustling around and averting their eyes from me all at once.
"Why are you looking away?" I ask. Aoi Yuki steps up to respond on their behalf.
"Well… I mean, I really regret making fun of Shuhei earlier. At the same time, I can't help but respect him now. So, I'm sorry. We were wrong."
"Oh, um… glad to hear you understand," I reply. It seems my honor has been restored. I do a small victory pose, which makes Jasper, who has been observing, smile brightly with evident joy.
"You look happy, Jasper," I note.
"Yeah! I'm having so much fun. I love spending time with everyone like this. I wish it could last forever," she replies.
"Then let's make it last! I feel the same way as you do, Jasper. This moment is built together by all of us, and as long as we're here, it will never end."
"Hehe, that's right. I want to keep this dream-like time forever and ever," she says, her eyes sparkling.
"…Jasper?"
A shadow crosses Jasper's smile. At the same time, the sun is briefly hidden by a passing cloud, casting a momentary darkness around us.
"Ethan. I won't give up."
"What?"
"Ethan~"
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, Maple leaped onto me, cutting off my words. I glanced back at Jasper, only to find her wearing her usual expression, with no trace left of the sadness she had shown just moments before. She would probably just deflect any questions I asked; it was the same pattern every time. I resolutely gave up and turned my attention back to Maple.
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much~ I just thought I'd check on you since you looked scary."
"Did I really look that scary?"
"Not scary, more like… deep in thought? What were you talking about with Jasper?"
"I'm not really sure…"
Honestly, what am I even thinking?
I looked up at the clear blue sky and let out a deep sigh.
*
"Wow... I really ate a lot. I don't want to move for a while…"
After finishing our lunch (Summer and I had convenience store food), I stretched out on the leisure sheet. The sun's rays were sizzling against my skin, a feeling unique to summer—even if it was only the beginning of the season.
"Hey everyone, what do you want to do next?"
Sunny, who was sipping on her café au lait and relaxing, tilted her head in curiosity. It was still early afternoon, with plenty of time left to enjoy ourselves.
"When it comes to games you can only play in the river... what do we have? Skimming stones?"
"True, you can really only do that by the river or near the water, but it's a bit too cliché, don't you think? Isn't there something else we could do?"
"Well, fishing could be an option, but we didn't bring any gear, and there's nowhere to borrow any."
"Hmm..."
As they all tilted their heads in thought, Sunny suddenly let out a meaningful chuckle. With a beaming smile that seemed to say "Listen up!" she scanned the group, creating an atmosphere where someone had to ask her what was on her mind.
"Do you have an idea, Sunny?"
Reluctantly, I took the initiative to ask. In response, a mischievous glimmer sparked in Sunny's eyes.
"Heh heh heh! You know, I thought this might happen, so Sunny prepared something special!"
With that, Sunny began rummaging through her bag.
"Ta-da! Water guns and... paper balloons!"
In a manner reminiscent of a certain blue cartoon mouse, Sunny pulled out a variety of water guns and red and white paper balloons.
"Water guns! Oh, I used to play with these all the time as a kid."
Kaba picked one up and twirled it in her hands, reminiscing. I felt a nostalgic smile cross my face as I recalled the times I played with Summer when we were little.
"It might seem a bit childish, but how about we all play with water guns together?"
"That's fine, but what are we supposed to do with these paper balloons?"
"Glad you asked! Actually, today I have something special for you all—"
Without warning, Sunny aimed a water gun at me, her lips curling into a mischievous grin as she pulled the trigger.