───● The Childhood Friend-type JD Gets a Piggyback Ride ●○●

The midsummer sun is scorching the sandy beach. The temperature had risen to a level that made it hard to believe it was early summer.

Where we arrived was the deep blue sea, a hallmark of summer.

“It’s the ocean~!!!”

“Heey! Don’t go in suddenly! It’s dangerous if you don’t do warm-up exercises!”

Summer vacation has started.

Koumi, Mizuho, and I—the three of us came to the nearest swimming beach as planned.

After dropping our luggage at the seaside inn, we headed towards the ocean.

Mizuho, whose tension had been skyrocketing since the ocean came into view, charged into the sea as soon as she reached the sand.

Is she really okay…?

“Ahaha, Mizuho is energetic, isn’t she.”

“It’s fine, you know? Going with Mizuho. I’m just going to be on the beach anyway.” I said.

“Ehh, that’s boring. Let’s swim together, Masato?”

Koumi, stepping a little in front of me, smiles innocently.

When talking with Mizuho before, she was saying something about a daring swimsuit…

Koumi’s swimsuit is a separate top and bottom, with the bottom being shorts-type and the top being a white ribbon design with straps.

Exposure is modest; a swimsuit prioritizing cuteness. I actually think this type suits Koumi better.

Since she has a good figure, a bikini type would probably look good too, though.

“…How is it, I wonder?”

Noticing that I was looking at her swimsuit a little, Koumi lightly twirls on the spot while acting shy.

“…It’s cute. How do I put it… I feel like it brings out your good points, Koumi.”

“Ehehe… thanks.”

…Giving honest impressions might be something to reconsider.

It’s fine that Koumi looks happy, but given recent events, my state of mind was complicated.

“Hey you there! Don’t flirt, get in the water—!”

“W-We’re not flirting!!”

Mizuho, who had returned before I knew it, grins broadly with a gesture like blowing a whistle. Tweet-tweet.

Mizuho’s swimsuit is also a separate type, off-shoulder style. The color is based in blue, giving a refreshing feeling. While exposure around the chest is low, the shoulders and stomach are bare, and although the bottom has frills, it’s a bikini type. It might certainly be slightly daring. But undeniably, it looks like a very good swimsuit for emphasizing Mizuho’s cute parts.

“Didn’t you say you were bad at swimming, Mizuho…?”

“Well yeah! But it’s not that deep here so I’m fine!”

It’s something I’ve learned from knowing her, but there are times when Mizuho pushes herself to pretend to be cheerful.

I think it’s okay to say it’s painful when it’s painful…

And today, up to this point, the tendency to pretend to be cheerful is strong. Or rather, I feel like there are a lot of days like that recently.

She forces herself to try and leave Koumi and me alone, and for some reason tries to remove herself from the circle.

Since the three of us came, I think the three of us should talk, but…

“For now, I’ll stick a parasol in an open spot, so you two go to the ocean?”

“Ah, I’ll help too.”

“There’s nothing to help with, is there…?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! It’s dangerous for Masato to be wandering around alone!”

The swimming beach is showing a decent turnout.

Even though it’s summer vacation, it’s a weekday and a relatively hidden spot, so the number of people is small, but it’s not like there’s no one around.

I guess I have to accept being told not to walk alone as a man…

Considering that aspect just in case, I chose a swimsuit that was as modest as possible. I wanted to be topless, but I’m wearing something like a thin hoodie over it.

The two of them gave it reviews like “Actually, that’s better…” for some reason. Apparently, seeing glimpses is good. Is that what they call chira-rhythm? (I give up).

“…Th-Then I’ll go ahead! The sea waits for no one~!”

“Ah, hey Mizuho!”

Tatata, Mizuho runs off toward the ocean again.

That girl is reckless… Is she really okay?

Rather, from my perspective, leaving Mizuho alone makes me more worried.

“Let’s go too once we set up the parasol?”

“Yeah. It’s dangerous to leave Mizuho alone too.”

Replying to Koumi, I followed Mizuho’s destination with my gaze.

I have to properly keep track of where she is…

“Isn’t around here good? It’s close to the sea!”

“Alright. Let’s set it up here.”

If it’s too close to the sea, waves might come depending on the tide.

We stuck the parasol in a spot moderately close to the sea but where waves wouldn’t reach, and placed our luggage.

And, at that timing.

“Abah!”

Raising a strange cry I couldn’t quite identify, Mizuho, who was a little far away, fell over.

Splash, a rather large spray of water rises from the sea.

“Just like I said, that girl…!”

“Eh, Masato?!”

I’m glad I kept tracking Mizuho in the corner of my vision.

I ran to where Mizuho was and dove into the sea without hesitation.

I’m not that confident in my swimming, but this distance is no problem. I reached Mizuho immediately and lifted her slender body up.

…Light. Mizuho-chan is too thin, it’s a bit worrying!

“That’s why I told you! Do your warm-up exercises properly.”

“Ah… um… sorry.”

Just barely, the water depth allowed her head to be above the surface, but you shouldn’t underestimate the ocean.

Realizing you’ve drifted to a deep area is a story that happens all too often.

“Are you okay…? Did your leg cramp?”

“No, I really just lost my balance…”

Rescuing the unusually meek Mizuho, I brought her to the sandy beach.

Koumi also followed me to the beach.

“Mizuho, are you okay?!”

“Ah, uh, I-I’m fine! Just lost my balance a bit.”

I didn’t plan on entering the ocean, but I got thoroughly soaked… I’ll just stay quiet under the parasol for the rest…

I brushed up my annoying bangs that were blocking my vision and put my beach sandals back on.

“Eh…”

“? What’s wrong, Mizuho?”

Turning around, there was the figure of Mizuho frozen on the spot.

Her eyes are round.

Seeing Mizuho like that, Koumi also has a puzzled look.

“…N-Nothing! Thanks Masato!”

“…Do your warm-up exercises properly, okay?”

Shaking her head side to side as if shaking something off, Mizuho started warm-up exercises with Koumi this time.

I returned under the parasol and sat down.

I could see the figures of Koumi and Mizuho happily talking while doing warm-up exercises.

Both are undeniably cute.

In the previous world, if those two were at the beach, they would undoubtedly be hit on.

“The previous world, huh…”

Recently, there are many things that make me think.

About Yuka, and about Seira-san the other day.

Thinking by the standards of the previous world, I’m just doing normal things, but apparently, that’s not the case here.

That said, it’s impossible for me to suddenly treat the girls I’m close to coldly.

I realized it with Seira-san. Seeing her face looking like she was about to cry… I couldn’t bear it.

Because I was taught that being kind is natural. To be told to suddenly change that at this age is difficult.

“What should I do…”

While deep in thought, my eyelids become heavy.

Maybe because I woke up early thinking about preparations and stuff. My lifestyle rhythm being messed up due to the bar job backfired.

Fortunately, the two of them are playing happily… well, whatever.

The sound of waves is pleasant to the ears, so I decided to surrender myself to drowsiness for a short while.

“…to… Masato!”

“Hmm…?”

The first thing that entered my eyes upon waking up was Mizuho’s face.

I was a bit surprised, but noticing that Mizuho’s expression panicked more than that, I sat up.

“Masato! Koumi looks like she has heatstroke!”

“Ehh?!”

Instantly fully awake, I look around… and notice Koumi sitting hugging her knees next to me.

“Ahaha… sorry, my head hurts a little…”

“Don’t force yourself. Are you taking fluids?”

“Yeah, it’s strange… I was drinking sports drinks properly…”

Her face is red, and her breathing is rough.

According to her, she had a headache and dizziness.

“Mizuho, watch things here for a bit. I’ll take Koumi and lay her down in the room at the inn first.”

“Y-Yeah, got it!”

“Koumi, bear with it a little…”

“Eh…”

I squat down in front of Koumi and have her hook both arms around my shoulders.

Standing up just like that, I piggybacked Koumi.

“Hold on tight. Endure it for a bit.”

“…Yeah.”

Gyu, the arms wrapped around my body tighten strongly.

…This kind of thing is probably not good either, but right now it’s an emergency… getting slightly fed up with myself making excuses.

Looking back, it looked like a shadow had fallen over Mizuho’s usual smile, and that bothered me a little too.

After laying Koumi down in the room.

While the sun was slanting so much it looked like it was about to set, Mizuho and I were walking along the beach, just the two of us.

“Koumi is a handful too, huh~ That girl played softball in high school so I thought she was used to the heat.”

“If there’s a gap, you lose that tolerance quickly. The sun was especially strong today.”

After carrying Koumi, I enjoyed swimming with Mizuho.

Koumi herself asked me to. She wanted me to play with Mizuho.

Well, certainly I couldn’t leave Mizuho alone, so I agreed.

“Even so, Masato is cool! Carrying Koumi instantly like that!”

“No, that was the least burdensome way for Koumi.”

“You say that! Is it that thing after all? Working at a bar makes you able to be kind to girls?”

“I don’t think that’s really related~”

She probably doesn’t think so either. Mizuho, who whispered in my ear teasingly, was laughing cutely, hihihi.

“Hey, Masato.”

“Hm?”

Mizuho, starting to walk a little ahead again, mutters without looking at me.

“If I were in Koumi’s position… would you have carried me too?”

Not knowing how to answer, I choke on my words for a moment.

But Mizuho’s back looked a little lonely.

“…Of course I would. I mean… we’re friends.”

“…Ehehe. Thanks.”

Mizuho turns around.

…Somehow, maybe because of the swimsuit, Mizuho’s cuteness looks about 20% higher.

Mizuho faces forward again and stretches straight up.

“I hope my destined person is a kind person like Masato~!”

“The people at my place—everyone I’ve been involved with—are kind, so I think it’ll be fine.”

The good nature of the people there is abnormal. Yuusee-san who gave me advice the other day, of course. The other boys are all kind too. It’s just tough seeing them talk in front of women…

Now, I’m ashamed of myself for initially shunning them based on appearance.

While talking like that, the sun set and it became dark around us, so we returned to the parasol where we left our luggage.

Looking around, everyone seemed to be heading home or packing up.

The sea is dangerous after visibility gets bad.

“What shall we do for dinner?”

“Depends on Koumi’s condition… maybe buying something delicious and eating it in the room would be best?”

“Right.”

The inn doesn’t include meals.

Normally we planned to go eat somewhere nearby, but with Koumi like that, it can’t be helped.

Suddenly, I noticed Mizuho taking something out of her bag.

It was a single piece of cloth.

Spreading it out, Mizuho was staring at it blankly.

—Huh?

“That’s my handkerchief.”

“—Eh?”

The expression of Mizuho looking at me froze.

---