I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 91: Swaying on the Sea (1)

The beach house menu, which should have been nothing particularly special, turned out to be incredibly delicious, and we polished off the abundant servings in no time, wondering if we had ordered too much.

I’ve had a similar experience before with Shijouin-san during the cultural festival. There’s something about eating street food with friends at the beach that makes it taste even better. Everyone seemed to have an insatiable appetite, just like me.

As the afternoon approached, we all started to feel only a bit tired. Teenagers really have amazing stamina, and our energy levels didn’t seem to wane at all.

Fudehashi from the track and field club, with her slightly tanned wheat-colored skin, was in high spirits. She challenged me and Ginji to a swimming contest, but of course, we were hopelessly defeated. She complained that we had already given up when we hadn’t even completed one kilometer. It’s a problem when athletes use their superhuman stamina as the standard.

Kazamihara, without her glasses, looked like a mature beach girl in her swimsuit. She suddenly wanted us to bury her in the sand, and without thinking twice, we all dug a hole and buried her in it. However, she quickly regretted her decision as the heat became unbearable, and she burst out of the sand covered in grains.

As the afternoon went on, we continued to have fun under the scorching sun, and I was enjoying the company of my friends at the beach. It made me understand why people love coming to the beach with their friends.

Now, during this moment, I find myself resting in a quiet spot at the edge of the beach, swaying like a leaf on the water.

“Phew… I’m a bit tired,” I muttered to myself.

Even after all the activities in the morning, everyone’s energy remained high.

I’ve come a long way from my previous life, which was filled with toxic people, and now I truly appreciate how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful friends.

“Hey guys, doing leisure activities with friends is really fun… I might understand why the ‘popular kids’ always want to come to the beach,” I said while floating on the water.

Being at the beach with close friends is even more enjoyable than I imagined. Basking in the sunlight, playing in the sea, all worries and unnecessary thoughts vanish, leaving only the pure feeling of joy, like being a child again.

But all the fun and games had left me a little exhausted.

That’s why I found myself alone now, taking a moment to rest at a less crowded spot on the beach.

“N-ni… hamm…!”

“Huh… whose voice is that?”

Among the sound of waves, a small voice caught my attention. It was a voice I couldn’t ignore.

“Niihama-kun! Over here, come this way!”

“Huh? Shijouin-san…? W-what’s that!?”

Turning my gaze in the direction of the voice, I saw a huge vinyl mat floating on the water, occupying my entire field of vision.

Inflated and filled with air, it seemed like a large floating ring, big enough for two people to lie down side by side, resembling a floating double bed on the sea.

“Hehe, thank you for the expected reaction. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Shijouin-san said with a satisfied voice. Apparently, she swam over with this giant float to show me.

“Ah, yeah, I’m really surprised by its size… What is this?”

“When I was little, I fell in love with this and asked my parents to buy it. I brought it out from the house’s warehouse and have been playing with it for a while. I wanted to show it to you, Shinhama-kun, so I brought it here!”

She introduced her prized possession with a bright smile, sitting on the edge of the float and patting the space next to her with her hand.

Unaware of the impact her invitation was having on a virgin like me, she looked innocent and carefree, as always.

(G-Gladly, but…!)

Sitting next to her already made me blush, and now, we were both in our swimsuits. The lack of fabric covering our bodies made the situation feel even more precarious.

Still, it was impossible to refuse Shijouin-san’s warm invitation.

“U-um, if you insist… Excuse me,” I said, getting closer to the float and carefully climbing aboard to avoid overturning it.

The float seemed to have weights or some kind of stabilization at its unseen parts because it was incredibly stable even with two people sitting on the edge.

And… it was right after that moment when I truly understood the power of this situation.

“Hehe, welcome, Niihama-kun.”

“Ah, yes… Sorry for intruding.”

(S-So close…! Our hips and legs are touching…!)

Prompted by Shijouin-san, I immediately sat down next to her. Since the float was inflated with air, our bodies slightly sank in the direction of each other when sitting at such a close distance.

As a result… our hips and thighs came into contact.

Moreover…

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“Oh, don’t worry! We tried sitting together with Mizuki-san and Mayu-san earlier, and we didn’t flip over.”

With a smile that bloomed like a flower, Shijouin-san exposed her soft body without any hesitation. Even though there was a guy sitting right next to her, she made no attempt to hide her bewitching figure.

Just glancing at her nearby, I could see her slender arms, dazzling legs, ample chest, her exposed belly button, and her enchanting nape up close. The impact was overwhelming, causing my blood to rush faster, and my body temperature to rise even more than the summer heat.

(Just a few meters away, it was already overwhelming… Is it really acceptable at this distance…!? Can I get arrested for getting too close to someone in a swimsuit!?)

I know I’m stating the obvious, but swimsuits have even less fabric than underwear, yet both men and women accept them as something wholesome. In reality, if I keep gazing at this wet angel, my virgin mind might explode into pieces.

“But, well… how did you manage to find me floating all the way out here?”

Trying not to look at Shijouin-san too much, I spoke up. When I don’t engage in conversation, my vision keeps wandering, and my thoughts tend to drift into a more boyish direction.

“Oh, well… All three of them had a cheerful expression and said something like, ‘We’re going to take a break, but Niihama-kun seems bored over there, so could you keep him company?'”

“Huh…? Why did Ginji…?”

Ginji had been with me just a moment ago but told me to stay here while he went to the bathroom.

That’s why I was resting alone by myself… But wait.

“Oh…!?”

I remembered what Ginji said during lunch, “Don’t eat too much and take a nap,” and “Kazamihara and Fudehashi are supporting you.” Given what he seemed to conspire with Kazamihara and Fudehashi…

“Those guys…! They’re probably planning to leave us alone together, aren’t they!?”

I don’t know who came up with the idea, but it seems they had already agreed upon it in the morning. Maybe they were secretly planning this from before we came to the beach.

“These meddlesome guys…”

Imagining their faces, grinning and conspiring to create this situation, I was certain they were enjoying it. Nevertheless, I couldn’t deny that this situation, being alone with Shijouin-san at the beach, was both embarrassing and thrilling.

“Well, if you were enjoying yourself alone, I’m sorry. But…”

Sitting next to me, Shijouin-san spoke hesitantly, as if looking up at my face with her… what they call ‘upturned eyes,’ and her eyes met mine.

“When I heard that Niihama-kun was bored alone, I felt like it would be ‘such a waste,’ so I came over. I hope I wasn’t bothering you…”

“Huh?! N-No, of course not! Being with Shijouin-san is a hundred times more fun than just floating around alone in the sea! …Ah.”

My words burst out without any filter or restraint, and my face flushed with embarrassment. Due to the special situation of sitting next to Shijouin-san in our swimsuits, what I thought in my head came out of my mouth right away.

“I-I mean… it’s not a hundred times… I may have gone a bit overboard with that, but thank you…”

Looking somewhat surprised by my straightforwardness, Shijouin-san returned my honesty with a shy smile.

“But if that’s the case…”

Relieved, she took a breath and looked up at my face, or so-called ‘upturned eyes,’ and her pupils reflected my face.

“Could you keep me company and chat with me like this…?”

With our shoulders occasionally touching due to the proximity, the timid girl made her hesitant invitation, and I had no reason to refuse.

(TLN) Get ready to raise anchors bois… this ship might be setting sail soon…