Chapter 29: Beautiful Girl, Enjoying the Pool? (Part 1)

Courageous girls are terrifying.

That was my honest feeling.

Because here we were—the very next day after buying swimsuits—already arriving at the leisure facility.

I know people say “strike while the iron’s hot,” but isn’t this a bit too fast?

The day we bought the swimsuits, the topic came up in our group chat, and with a casual “Then how about tomorrow?” from Ryoji, our plans were instantly set.

As for Togo, he apparently had plans to hit the arcade with another group of friends today, but he ended up sliding into an apology—literally head-sliding—to cancel on them so he could join us at the pool instead.

I probably shouldn’t be the one saying this, but—guys, you really ought to treat your friends better.

“This pool uses heated water, you know!”

Right now, we were on the shuttle bus headed straight from the station to the resort.

Sitting beside me, Moeka-chan beamed as she said it.

But the person being spoken to—that is, me—could only manage a stiff, awkward smile in return.

Honestly? I was a nervous wreck. Sure, it’s “just a pool,” but my stomach had been twisting and cramping nonstop. You know that queasy, on-edge feeling you get right before doing something you really don’t want to do? Yeah. That’s me right now.

I can’t even swim, so I don’t particularly want to get in the pool—and I hate swimsuits to begin with. Ugh. Why didn’t I just flat-out refuse when they invited me? Too late for regrets now.

Before long, the bus pulled into the resort grounds.

We headed straight for the changing rooms.

Along the way, we passed big, flashy signs advertising things like “Diving Pool!”, “Waterslide!”, and “Lazy River!”. I mean, splashing around could be fun, sure. Even the waterslide sounded nice.

Still—why do pools have to involve swimsuits, anyway?

If I’d thought things through, I could’ve picked one of those short-pants-style suits instead. That would’ve been way better than this… but too late now.

I was zoning out thinking about that in the changing room when Moeka-chan and Sakurako-chan came over.

“Come on, let’s go already!”

“W–wait, why are you undressing!?”

“Undressing? It’s just a swimsuit.”

R–right. Of course.

Honestly, I didn’t know where to look. Sakurako-chan was wearing a pastel-striped bikini, and—well—her curvy figure made it really pop. Envy doesn’t even begin to cover it. But you know what? Girls shouldn’t be competing over body sizes, okay?!

Moeka-chan, on the other hand, was wearing a light-blue tank-top bikini—the kind that didn’t really show off her figure. The bottom half even looked like short pants. Hold on. She kept insisting I buy a “real” bikini, but she’s the one showing up in full defense mode!?

“Moeka-chan, why’d you recommend a normal bikini to me? That kind of swimsuit looks way better! We have the same body type! You totally set me up, didn’t you!?”

“W–wait! Wait, Ayumi-chan! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“She’s right, Ayumi-chan. Moeka just doesn’t have much of a waistline, so she picked one that doesn’t draw attention. But you’ve got a nice slim waist and long legs—completely different story!” ♪

“Ughhh… everything you said is true, but it hurts hearing it from someone else…”

Sorry, Moeka-chan… I’ve got nothing to say to that.

Just to clear her name, it’s not like Moeka-chan is fat or short-legged. She just has a slightly childlike build, that’s all.

Not that I have any room to brag either—I’m not exactly model material myself.

Ugh. Why am I, someone who’s still male on the inside, even worrying about appearances like this!?

And the fact that I don’t even feel weird changing in the girls’ locker room anymore—is that really okay for a guy?

“C’mon, hurry up and change already, okay?”

Sakurako-chan urged me along.

Heh. Luckily, I’d worn my swimsuit under my clothes today, so at least I could avoid the embarrassment of changing here.

And no, I didn’t forget to pack underwear for the trip back either. I’m fully prepared this time.

I quickly stripped down to my swimsuit, then pulled a hoodie over it.

“Wait! Wait, Ayumi-chan! Why are you putting a hoodie on!? Show it off! Flaunt it a little!”

“B–because it’s embarrassing…”

I clutched the collar of my hoodie tightly. I know I’ll have to take it off once we’re actually in the pool, but I need some mental prep time, okay?

“Ooh, that natural shyness…! You’re totally going to get hit on nonstop if you act like that.”

“Right? That’s why it’s good we brought the boys along. If it were just the three of us girls, Ayumi-chan would stand out so much she’d be swarmed by guys.” ♪

Ah, so Ryoji and Togo are basically my anti-flirt bodyguards, huh?

Funny how they didn’t say a word about coming swimsuit shopping with us, but suddenly they’re eager to join the pool trip. I was starting to wonder what changed.

Though honestly, with Sakurako-chan’s figure, she’s the one who should be drawing the most attention. But yeah, anyone getting hit on would be a pain.

“Oh right, Ayumi-chan, did you put on sunscreen?”

“Yeah… I did before coming here.”

If I waited until we arrived, I’d just slow everyone down, so I made sure to apply it at home. I wasn’t sure how to do it properly, so my mom helped with the spots I couldn’t reach. …Mom. Not “Mama.”

Seriously, ever since she started insisting I call her “Mama” at home, it’s been slipping out more often lately.

“Aw, man. I was hoping I’d get a chance to touch Ayumi-chan’s soft skin myself…”

Please no. Getting rubbed down by Sakurako-chan sounds like a dangerous situation waiting to happen.

She’s the type who, once her “switch” flips—like at the freshman welcome party—becomes really scary. Yeah, I definitely made the right call putting sunscreen on early.

“Well, the boys are probably waiting, so let’s head out!”

Sakurako-chan took my hand and tugged gently.

Guess I’ve got no choice now… time to accept my fate.

With Sakurako-chan and Moeka-chan at my sides, I stepped out of the changing room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Moeka-chan called out cheerfully to Ryoji and Togo, who were waiting outside.

“Oh, there they are! Man, skipping the arcade today was the right call.”

“Huh? Where’s Ayumi?”

Right here—hiding behind Sakurako-chan and trying my best to blend into the background.

“She’s behind me,” said Sakurako-chan. “Got a little shy.”

“Ayumi-chan, come on out!”

Guh… do they have to rush me like this? I poked just my face out from behind Sakurako-chan. Ryoji and Togo were both looking at me with expectant expressions.

No, no, no—Togo, sure, but Ryoji?! You already know I used to be a guy! Don’t look at me like that! Go stare at Sakurako-chan or Moeka-chan instead!

“If you don’t come out, I’ll pull that hoodie off myself♪”

Moeka-chan slipped behind me and started tugging at my hood’s collar. Hey—hey! That’s really coming off! You’re going to pull my swimsuit off too at this rate!

“F-fine! I’ll come out! Just stop pulling!”

“Wait, wait—oh my gosh! Those eyes! Ayumi-chan, don’t look at me like that! That’s too cute, my heart can’t take it!”

At least she let go of me.

With no other choice, I stepped out from behind Sakurako-chan and stood next to her.

“Ohhh, how about this, Tagawa-san?”

“Magnificent, Yoshikawa-san. Compared to Aikawa’s bold figure, the raw numbers may fall short—but the shyness, that fair skin, the hair shimmering under the sunlight… When it all comes together, she completely surpasses any numerical measurement!”

“Stop staring at me like that! And enough with the commentary already!”

So this is what the male gaze feels like… When I was a guy, I never realized, but you really can tell when people are staring at you. You even start noticing where their eyes go. These perverts…!

Then again, I probably wasn’t any better back when I was one of them.

Sakurako-chan and Moeka-chan seemed totally unfazed by this kind of attention, but I just couldn’t get used to it.

I’ve gotten used to people glancing at me when I’m in casual clothes or my school uniform—but this? Way too much. Ugh… stop looking at me already.

“C’mon, c’mon! Ayumi-chan’s getting all flustered—keep looking at her!”

“You’re supposed to stop them, not encourage it!”

Moeka-chan, how could you? That’s not how this conversation is supposed to go!

“What? But flustered Ayumi-chan is adorable! I could watch her all day!”

“At this rate, the sun’ll set before you’re done staring!”

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Sakurako-chan, stepping in. “Don’t gawk so much, guys. That’s sexual harassment, you know!”

“Hey, Aikawa! You’ve got no right to talk after everything you’ve done!”

Honestly, I agreed with Togo there. When you’re alone with Sakurako-chan, she does whatever she pleases. Compared to that, a few stares are… well, still not okay! Let’s call it a firm no!

“Hold on, Yoshikawa. There’s an insurmountable wall between her and us—the wall of gender.”

“D-dammit…! Fine, at least let me get a picture.”

“N-no way!”

“Come on, Ayumi. We’re all here together—what’s the harm in one photo?”

Guh… don’t give me that innocent, sparkling smile like you’ve got no ulterior motive!

And now everyone’s looking at me. Great. Somehow I’m the bad guy here. You people coordinate way too well.

I let out a long sigh.

“F-fine…”

“Yes! Alright, line up right there!”

Togo pumped his fist in triumph. Wait, is he not even planning to be in the photo himself?

“Oh, I’ll get someone else to take one with me later. For now, let me just take one shot.”

Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask someone to take a picture of all five of us? Whatever. We lined up like he said.

“Okay, ready? Say cheese—”

I’ve never been a big fan of taking pictures, especially not since I ended up in this body.

Still, I couldn’t just look grumpy in a group photo, so I forced an awkward smile.

Then suddenly, something poked me in the waist.

“Hyah! Wh-who did that!?”

It caught me so off guard that a weird sound escaped my mouth.

I glanced at Ryoji and Sakurako-chan beside me, but both were acting totally innocent. Grrr…

“Hey, I’m taking the picture now!”

“S-sorry!”

I tried to ignore it and looked back at the camera.

And then, this time, someone traced a finger slowly down my back through my hoodie.

“Fwah! Who’s doing that!? Stop it!”

I glared at Ryoji. He kept a straight face.

Okay, not him. I turned to Sakurako-chan next. She looked just as calm, like she had no idea what was happening. Those poker faces are unreal!

Could it be… Moeka-chan!? I turned to her—only to see her blushing. Hey! Don’t make that face! You’re not the culprit!

“Well, it was me,” said Togo casually.

Ugh, seriously—Togo again!?

“Come on, don’t go having fun without me around. This time, I’m making sure we get a proper picture!”

I pulled myself together and got back in line.
It felt like the stiffness in my face was finally easing up a little.

Wait… don’t tell me—was this what Ryoji was aiming for all along? If that’s the case, then I might’ve totally misunderstood him…

I looked at Ryoji with eyes that said sorry.
But his gaze went straight to my chest.

Nope. Wrong. This guy wasn’t trying to play the hero at all. He was just being a pervert. Pure and simple.

“Say cheese!” the voice called out as the camera clicked.

We had to retake it a few times—guess it didn’t come out right the first couple of shots.

In the end, we included Togo in the photo, asked a nearby couple to take one for us, and the little photoshoot finally came to an end.

I was already feeling drained. If we’d just included Togo from the start, we could’ve avoided all this trouble.

“Hey, Togo, did they turn out okay?”

“Perfect, partner.”

I could hear Togo and Ryoji whispering to each other.
Wow, did it really come out that good?
I might hate photos, but maybe I’ll sneak a look later.

“Hey, hey! Did they come out good? Lemme see!”

Seeing that, Moeka-chan bounced over and started pestering Togo for the camera.

“Ah, uh… yeah, they’re fine! I’ll send them to you later, so look forward to it!”

“Eeeh, come on! Show me now!”

“Eh—wait, uh… hang on?”

In that split second, Moeka-chan snatched the digital camera straight out of Togo’s hands.

What speed! I almost forgot, but she used to do judo, didn’t she? Not that it matters here!

Togo made an unmistakable “oh crap” face, and behind him, Ryoji was covering his own like, “Ah, we’re busted.”

“Aaah! The whole first half of the retakes are nothing but close-ups of Ayumi-chan!”

“Eh!?”

I leaned in to peek at the camera Moeka-chan was holding.
Out of the five or so retakes, about three were just close-ups of me.
And not only that—they caught every weird reaction from when someone poked my back or my side earlier.

Wow. Impressive timing, really.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“A-Ayu-chan, wait! We didn’t mean any harm! It’s just… well, you’re so cute, I kinda… acted on impulse?”

“That’s right, Ayumi! This only happened because you’re too cute!”

“Yes, Ayumi-chan, you really shouldn’t be that cute, you know.”

“Totally! With those adorable reactions in these photos, who could blame them? Oh, and they came out great—can I get a copy too? ♪”

No no no no! Why am I suddenly the one being blamed here!? That’s not how this works!
And why are you guys teaming up so perfectly at a time like this!?

Wait—Togo’s already transferring the data to his phone! He was ready for this!?
And now he’s emailing it to everyone!? Don’t spread that around!
And Moeka-chan, stop setting it as your wallpaper with that smug look on your face!

Aaaah… seriously, why does it always end up like this?

We hadn’t even gone into the pool yet, and I was already completely exhausted.