Chapter 25: I Hate Swimsuits!

The mall was bustling with people, but all eyes were on a particular group - a boy and four girls. The boy was the envy of every guy around, walking with four stunning girls, Some of them marveled at how lucky the boy was to be surrounded by such beautiful girls, "Wow, that boy is living the dream!" while others wished they could switch places with him. Tohka marched along, gritting her teeth and looking like she was about to explode at any moment. The reason was obvious - Origami had tagged along on their outing, using the flimsy excuse of needing a swimsuit. Yoshino, still afraid of Origami, held tightly onto Shido's hand as she tried to make as much distance as possible from her. Hikaru, on the other hand, was positively beaming with joy as she walked alongside Tohka, her head held high and a spring in her step. Her hand was crossed behind her head, a sign of her carefree attitude. "It was supposed to be just me, you, Hikaru, and Yoshino today! Why does Origami Tobiichi - of all people - have to come?!" Tohka grumbled, her eyes fixed on Origami. Shido tried to calm her down. "Okay, okay, don't get so angry. It's just that she needs a swimsuit too." "Nah, I think you just want another girl to add to your collection." Hikaru couldn't resist a smirk. Shido let out a resigned sigh. "Let's just finish what we came here for." "i think you misunderstood something," Origami said, as she skipped over to Shido on light feet, took his hand, and started to walk briskly away. "I'm going with Shido to buy a swimsuit, not you. You can go with Hermit and Light." Tohka gasped. "Shido! You—! Hey, let go of his hand!" "But then that would mean you and I would be going shopping together." "I-it would?!" Tohka asked, bewildered. "Yes." Origami nodded with confidence. "It would be an unalterable fact." While the storm started to approach between Origami and tohka. Hikaru approached Yoshino as she walked beside her. She patted her on the head, "Don't worry, Your big Br - sister is here to protect you!" Hikaru said, with a playful wink and a grin on her face. She couldn't help but notice how nervous Yoshino was the whole time, even after holding Shido's hand tightly. "T—Thank you, Hikaru...Onee-chan" Yoshino replied with a grateful smile. Suddenly, Hikaru felt a strange sensation hit her right in the heart. "What is this feeling?" she exclaimed in disbelief as she glanced at Yoshino. "This smile must be protected," Hikaru thought to herself, feeling a sudden surge of affection for her new little sister. Meanwhile, for some reason, Shido started to blush. Hikaru noticed this and turned to him in confusion, "What's the matter, Boy? Did you catch a fever or something?" "N-No, it's just..." Shido couldn't help feeling self-conscious, especially with all the curious looks they were getting from people around them, who mistook them for a newly formed family. He could hear some mumbling from them. "That's one weird-looking family. "Is that little girl adopted or something?" "Is this some kind of cosplay group? "That girl's got some serious big sister energy. Can she adopt me too?" "I wish my family was this cool. All I got is a weird uncle who keeps visiting me every night." '...what the fuck wrong with those people?' shido didn't know how to react to those mumbles. As they stepped into the elevator of the Twin Building B wing in front of Tengu Station, Tohka tilted her head curiously. "Hey by the way Shido, what exactly is a swimsuit?" she asked innocently. "Hmm?" He glanced over at her. "What?" "What exactly is a swimsuit?" "Huh?" Shido's eyes widened in surprise. But now that she mentioned it, it hadn't been pool season for gym class just yet. No wonder she didn't know. That said, it was a little embarrassing to explain to a girl what a swimsuit was. He averted his gaze slightly. "Mm. Right. A swimsuit is—" "S-w-i-m-s-u-i-t. A new weapon for the annihilation of Spirits. When activated, the onboard Realizer commences parallel world operation and analyzes the warhead on a molecular level. The warhead is then launched and easily slips through the Astral Dress to utterly destroy the target's physical structure to the level at which recovery is impossible," Origami explained without missing a beat. "The pain it causes is beyond description. International law prohibits personal use for the reason that it is simply too inhumane." "Eep!" Tohka gasped. "Wha—? I-is that true, Shido?!" "No, of course, n—" He tried to correct this, but— "It's basically, underwear that women around the world decided it's okay to be seen by others," Hikaru interrupted him, rolling her eyes. "No...wait..." Shido began to object, but as he pondered further on Hikaru's statement, he realized that she made a valid point. "She's right..." "So, it's like a license for us to walk around in our underwear?" Tohka inquired, perplexed. "That is what society has deemed acceptable, Nee-san," Hikaru confirmed. "What an evil society..." Tohka muttered, tilting her head as a question mark appeared above her head, "What is it... that society thing?" Hikaru grinned with excitement, "Glad you asked, Nee-san. Society is a place where if you have money on the table, you're considered a good person. If you don't, you're deemed the opposite. You see, society-" "Well, we've finally arrived at our destination." Shido interrupted her philosophical musings A colorful space with swimsuits lined up came into view as soon as they got out of the elevator. It was already the end of June, the biggest sale of the season for swimwear. "I feel like nobody takes me seriously..." Hikaru thought as she joined Tohka and the others in the swimsuit sales area. She was a little bit sad. "Welcome!" A high-pitched voice called out from the department store. Tohka was the first to run towards the display, her curiosity piqued. "So, Shido. Which one is a swimsuit?" "All of the ones hanging here are swimsuits," Shido replied. Tohka's eyes widened, and her hands trembled as she tentatively picked up a one-piece suit and examined it closely, running her fingers along the fabric to check its texture. Hikaru's face fell, and her smile vanished. "I feel wrong to be here." "If that's how you feel, then how should I feel?" Shido replied, letting out a defeated sigh. He then gestured to the four girls in his field of view. "Anyway, feel free to try on whatever swimsuits you like." Origami immediately bobbed her head up and down in excitement, while Yoshino nodded shyly. Tohka's cheeks colored. "...If it's for you." Then she clenched her hands into fists, turned towards Yoshino and Hikaru, and took on a fighting pose. "All right! Time for battle, Yoshino, Hikaru!" "Uh. Um. Please...be...gentle," Yoshino replied quietly. Hikaru, unusually quiet, walked up to one of the employees, asking for assistance. "Battle?" Shido cocked his head to one side "You're going to battle now?" "Mm." Tohka nodded. "I guess they'll give whoever makes your heart pound fastest—me or Yoshino— i wonder if Hikaru wants to participate — anyway, The winner gets the right to go on a date with you, Shido." "What?!" Shido's eyes bulged in disbelief, and he tapped his earpiece frantically. "Reine, you knew about this, didn't you?" "...We just wanted to make it a little more exciting," Reine's sleepy voice crackled through the earpiece. "Why you—"- (...) "can i find something that would show as little as possible from my skin," hikaru asked the employees, The employee nodded, smiling kindly. "Of course, miss. We have some swimsuits with more coverage that you might like." Hikaru followed the employee to a different rack of swimsuits, muttering to herself. "I can just refuse to wear those things, but for some reason, I want to try them on... am I finally losing it?" She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "What am I saying? It's just for the prize, nothing more." She nodded firmly. "Yeah, that's the reason." "These are the available swimsuit options, miss." the employee said, gesturing towards the rack. "I see," Hikaru responded, scanning over the various swimsuits on display. She picked up a high-neck one-piece suit and examined it closely. "This one seems good." "Excellent choice, ma'am. That swimsuit has been popular among girls lately," the employee remarked. "'It's?'" "Can you give me the three sizes of your body so I can bring one in your size?" the employee asked. "Huh? What is that?" Hikaru was puzzled. "Does she mean the size of the clothes like L, M, XL, and that stuff, but why three?" Hikaru thought to herself. "Oh my, could it be that you don't know your three sizes? If that's the case, don't worry. We provide free measurements to our customers. This way, please," the employee explained. Hikaru hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I guess that would be helpful. Thank you." She followed behind her, "Oh right let's hide those scars first" With a tap of her finger on her chest, a dim light appeared, "illusion is useful" The employee led Hikaru to a private fitting room, where she was measured for her bust, waist, and hip size. Hikaru felt a little self-conscious as the employee took her measurements, but she reminded herself that it was all for the sake of finding a swimsuit that she would feel comfortable in. "B89/W60/H87. You should be proud, miss. Those sizes are the ideal size if you're planning to be an idol. Your boyfriend is really lucky to have you, even though he seems to be kind of a playboy," the employee said. "..." After the measurements were done, the employee went to retrieve the swimsuit in Hikaru's size. "I am about to cross the line," Hikaru thought to herself. Finally, the employee returned with the swimsuit, and Hikaru hurriedly changed into it. When she looked at herself in the mirror, When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was amazed. "I know I was hot, but holy shit! I am the hot itself. I wouldn't mind marrying myself," she mumbled under her breath. "I think this is the one," Hikaru said, feeling a sense of satisfaction. The employee smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Hikaru shook her head. "No, that's all. Thank you for your help." She patted her head and then went to approach Shido and the others. As Hikaru approached, she began to hear the familiar sounds of Tohka and Origami bickering as usual. "You two get along so well, as always," she joked, as she finally made her way back to the group. "Oh?, Hikaru, you're finally back—"Shido swallowed his words as he looked at her in astonishment. His mouth was about to hit the ground. "Heart rate increased by 20%," a voice commented through an equipped earpiece in Shido's ear. "HUH? What's with this reaction, boy?.... OOOY! Boy, do you hear me?" she called for him, but he seemed to be in his world. As if his pulse were being monitored, Shido heard a familiar buzzing sound in his right ear. "...Strike one. Calm down, Shin." "Ah." He realized he'd been gaping at Hikaru's body. He heard Reine sigh in exasperation. "So that's why you disappeared, you were out getting your secret weapon!" Tohka yelled with her finger pointing at Hikaru. Origami was quick to jump in and chime in with her remarks, "As expected from the Princess of Tricks," she said, biting her fingers. "...What's wrong with them" She turned to shido, asking him. "Huh~.." shido just sighed. "i don't know anymore" "Shi...do...!" He then heard a voice like a mosquito buzzing from somewhere. "Huh?" Tohka, Origami, and Hikaru had also heard it. They froze and raised doubtful eyebrows. "Mm. That voice belongs to..." "..." "That's...Yoshino, right?" Shido perked his ears up and heard the small voice again. "Shi...do. P-please...help me...!" It seemed to be coming from inside the third changing room. Help me. The instant those words hit his ears, he lost his head, raced over to the changing room, and put a hand on the curtain. "...! Yoshino, I'm gonna open it! Okay?!" He yanked the curtain open. And in front of him was... And in front of him was "Sh-Shido..." Yoshino had her clothes half off so that she was half-naked with her arms through the openings of a bikini top that she pressed to her chest with tears in her eyes. What was this? Her slender body was so alluring that it threatened to cause an abnormal, immoral, forbidden sexual desire to blossom in Shido's heart. "I—I can't...get it...on with...a single...hand...," she explained weakly. In his ear, the loudest buzzer of the day sounded. This was the moment when the winner of the day-long date with Shido was decided. June 11, 9:55 AM. Shido was standing in front of Pachiko at the east exit of Tengu Station, with a bag stuffed with the swimsuit and beach towel he had bought the day before over his shoulder. "...Ah." He groaned quietly, pressing a hand to his forehead. After he'd passed out the day before, he'd fallen asleep and woken up in the Fraxinus medical office. They'd checked over his vitals just in case and given him an IV, but he could still feel the slight throbbing in his head. "Are you all right, Shido?" He heard Kannazuki's voice over his earpiece. Naturally, since Kotori couldn't exactly guide him on his date that day, this man was stepping in on her behalf. "Yeah...for the most part," Shido remarked and slapped his cheeks. He was concerned about what had happened yesterday, but he couldn't be thinking about that now. Whatever else was going on, he had to go on a date with Kotori and get her to fall for him today. This was an extremely difficult mission, but if he didn't complete it, Kotori's mind would be swallowed up by the Spirit's power. There wasn't room for even a single misstep. Before long, a small figure walked toward him. Wearing a cute, frilly, short-sleeved blouse and dark brown overall shorts, she held a bag in her hand, which he assumed contained a swimsuit. Familiar black ribbons tied her long hair up in two bunches. "H-hey, Kotori." He raised a hand in greeting. "Mm. Sorry to make you wait," Kotori replied. And then there was a moment of silence. Chatting with his little sister was pretty much a daily thing for him, and yet he felt a little nervous. He couldn't think of a thing to say. "...Shin, why aren't you saying something? First—," Reine instructed, while Kotori let out an exasperated sigh. "You've got nothing to say when a girl meets you all dressed up? I thought I taught you this—the basic of all basics?" Shido scratched the back of his head and replied with a smile, "Oh, sorry about that, I forgot..." "...! You what?!" Kotori's eyes widened in disbelief He offered a wry smile. "Well, when you've lived with something beautiful for so long, you tend to forget just how beautiful it is." "...!" Kotori twitched. "Did they put you up to saying that?" Shido tilted his head in confusion. "Why would they tell me to say something I already know?" Kotori rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, isn't it about time to catch the train?" Kotori turned toward the station and then whirled around to face Shido again, a bold smile crossing her face. "Now. How about we start our 'war'—a date?" "Y-yeah." Shido gulped loudly. He knew what that phrase meant. "Mm!" "O-okay...!" "Ooh, that'll be fun. "Even the little sister didn't survive" Four extra voices chimed in after Shido, and he frowned. Suspicious, he looked back and froze in place. Standing there were Tohka, Hikaru, and Yoshino, all dressed up for an outing. "Tohka, Yoshino, Hikaru... And Yoshinon?! Wh-what are you doing here?!" "Mm?" Tohka eyed him curiously. "What are you talking about? Aren't we going to Ocean Park or whatever?" "H-how do you know that?!" "What do you mean, how?" Tohka frowned as if to say that Shido's reaction was entirely unexpected. "It's..." Yoshino spoke up in a faltering voice as if to fill in the blanks for him. "Reine told us...to come. But...is that a problem...?" "...?!" He gasped. And then, before he could ask, he heard a voice over the earpiece. "...Oh, right, right. I guess I didn't tell you. They're coming on your date today, too." "Wh-why would...?" Shido asked, starting to perspire. True, there was such a thing as a group date, but as a general rule, dates usually involved just two people. "...Well, I thought that might be best for today." "Uh. Uh-huh..." ...This date was already shaping up to be a rough one. Ocean Park was a theme park close to Eibu Station, five stops away from Tengu Station. It had a water area with all kinds of pools, a large bathing area, and indoor attractions, as well as an amusement area, which mainly consisted of an outdoor amusement park. Shido finished changing, left the locker room, and stepped out into the indoor pool area. He couldn't see the girls yet, so he figured they were still changing. He leaned back and stretched as he looked around. Back to Hikaru "I am about to enter paradise," Hikaru thought to herself as she stood outside the girls' changing room. She used to be a boy, and now she's standing in front of the girls' changing room as one of them. She felt like a spy who just infiltrated the enemy's base. "what are you waiting for? let's hurry and change?" Tohka's voice interrupted her thoughts Hikaru shook her head and walked towards her sister. "Sorry, I was just admiring the view." Tohka raised her eyebrow. "What view? The changing room door?" Hikaru chuckled, "No, no, the beauty of paradise" "...?" As they entered the changing room, Hikaru couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She was surrounded by girls, some of whom were half-naked, " some of them may already have a boyfriend, Let's not lower ourselves and stare at another man woman" She quickly averted her gaze and focused on changing into her swimsuit. Soon, they all emerged from the changing room and made their way to the indoor pool area, where Shido awaited them. "Wow, this is impressive," Hikaru said, taking in the view. "Yaaaah!", Tohka let out a loud shout of excitement. "This is amazing! There's a lake and a mountain inside a building!" The space was covered by a domed roof, and a large pool patterned after a sandy beach spread out underneath it, a waterslide in the form of a rocky mountain on the other side of this fake ocean. After a short walk, they spotted Shido and Kotori. "Shido! Sorry to make you wait!" Tohka called out as they approached him from behind. He looked back to find Tohka, Yoshino, and Hirakru walking toward him. Tohka's, Hikaru's, and Yoshino's outfits were the swimsuits they'd bought the previous day, just as he'd expected. Tohka's was a light purple bikini, while Yoshino's was a pale pink one-piece with a frilly bit like a skirt around the waist as for Hikaru, she got herself a black high-neck one-piece suit with Yellow striped around the nick. "H-hey," Shido replied, waving, and letting out a sigh of relief. Tohka, Hikaru, and Yoshino were beautiful in an entirely otherworldly way, like sirens of the deep. If he had just happened upon them, without actually knowing them, he might have indeed ignored Kotori to stare at them. "...It's a good thing we did that training," Reine observed as if reading Shido's mind. Hikaru then strode towards Kotori, getting a confused look from shido Her gaze fixed on the girl. A frown furrowed her brow. Kotori met her gaze, returning it with equal intensity. Shido was puzzled. "What's going on with them?" he thought. Then he realized, "Ah, this is the first meeting between them after the fight. Could they be holding a grudge against each other?" But the intensity didn't last long as Hikaru's frown melted away, replaced by a small smile. She extended her hand and patted Kotori's head, "As I told you the day before, I am here if anything happens. So, enjoy your time as if it's just another normal day for you." Kotori returned the smile as she broke the glance, looking at the ground instead, "Yes... thank you" Shido was still puzzled, "I don't know what's going on with them," he thought, "but it seems everything is okay now, right?".