I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 94: Swaying on the Sea (4)

“But… I’m glad. It seems Niihama-kun is really able to relax.”

“Huh? Do I seem that stressed and unable to rest normally?”

The voice that came from Shijouin-san, lying on the floating mat, was filled with a sense of relief.

As someone who died from overwork, I do try to prioritize sleep and rest… but…

“No, it’s just that… Niihama-kun always gives his all in everything he does, and I find that incredibly wonderful. However…”

She paused for a moment, hesitating a little before continuing.

“I might be imagining things… but sometimes, it seems like you’re being driven by something. As if there’s something you must accomplish, and if you don’t give it your all, it won’t be forgiven…”

“…!”

Her words hit home more than she probably realized.

My regrets from my past life and my genuine desire to be happy in this life were true.

They were my own wishes, not imposed on me by anyone.

However… I can’t deny that I’ve also felt an obligation to fulfill the miracle of time looping.

“I know it’s probably just my own assumption, but… this time, I really wanted Niihama-kun to enjoy himself and find peace. When I consulted Yamahira-kun and the others before noon, they seemed to be considerate, and it ended up with them dragging you out forcefully…”

“So, that’s what happened…”

Ah, I see. When Ginji forcefully dragged me into the sea earlier, it was because of that.

I guess his high energy at the time was also fueled by a desire to show concern and say, “I’ll make sure you have fun! I won’t let you worry!” or something like that.

For some reason, my opinion of you keeps rising, Ginji.

But, well…

“Shijouin-san is truly kind…”

“Huh…?”

“You worried about me and took care of me all this time. Thanks to you, I realized that I had become too rigid and was able to fully enjoy the summer at the beach… Thank you, really.”

This angelic girl had been watching over me the whole time, caring for me so that I could truly spread my wings. As someone who was used to being criticized and ridiculed by those around me in my past life, her kindness left an even stronger impact on me.

“Oh, come on! That’s too much! If you say that, it makes me feel embarrassed…”

“No, it’s not too much. Normally, not many people…”

As we continued to gaze up at the sky, we turned our faces towards each other while lying side by side. We noticed it.

On the double-sized mat floating on the sea, when we turned our faces towards each other while lying down, our faces were just a few inches apart.

We had been in a similar situation before when we ended up sleeping together on the sofa at my house, but this time, with both of us in swimsuits and lying down, there was a different kind of awkwardness and a difficult-to-express atmosphere.

“Um… well…”

While I thought that Shijouin-san’s carefree nature might allow her to not be concerned about being close to the opposite sex even in this situation, it seemed that being in such close proximity was making her act differently from her usual self. She couldn’t find the right words to say.

As for me…

(No, this won’t do… I can’t take my eyes off her…)

Despite being a virgin, I couldn’t look away. My consciousness was captivated by the happiness of being surrounded by such a cute and beautiful sight.

The usual carefree girl, who was showing awareness of my presence, embarrassedly recognized me as a boy, which was incredibly adorable. I couldn’t control my desire to keep gazing at her with my eyes.

And, it was at that moment, as I was filled with such thoughts…

(Excuse me, but I can’t help but interrupt you…)

A voice from somewhere intruded into the scene.

“Wah!?”

“Eek!?”

Suddenly, a large wave crashed into us, violently rocking the floating mat we were lying on.

The giant vinyl bed didn’t overturn, but it tilted significantly.

If we had been more aware of our surroundings, we wouldn’t have panicked so much, as the movement wasn’t that alarming. However, in that moment, our minds were overwhelmed, and we lacked a sense of danger.

As a result…

We heard a loud splash as the girl’s body was pulled into the sea.

In an instant, Shijouin-san had fallen into the water and disappeared from the surface.

“Shijouin-san!”

Feeling a chill run through my entire body, I immediately dove into the sea.

Although I wasn’t a strong swimmer, such thoughts were far from my mind at that moment.

A huge water column rose as I dived in, and my surroundings were dyed white with foam.

I left my underwater goggles on the mat, and the seawater stung my eyes.

But even so, I desperately searched for the black-haired girl and found her slender shoulder underwater. I grabbed it and pulled her up in one go.

“Are you okay, Shijouin-san? Can you breathe?”

I held onto her shoulders, with my left hand gripping the U-shaped handle on the side of the floating mat, and asked her.

“Cough… cough… Ugh, I-I drank some seawater…”

She looked a little queasy, but she seemed fine, and I was greatly relieved.

“Phew… Ah, thank goodness.”

“Kof… T-Thank you, Niihama-kun.”

Shijouin-san tried to express her gratitude, but her words were interrupted midway.

I momentarily wondered why, but the reason was clear.

It was because I had my arm around her back, holding her close within my embrace.

I hadn’t been paying close attention to my actions as I had acted on instinct to help her. But now, I noticed that we were in a very intimate position, with her in her swimsuit pressed closely against my bare chest, and something incredibly soft was touching my chest.

“S-Sorry! It was just an instinctive reaction… I-I mean, um, are you hurt? Can you stay afloat by yourself?”

“I-I’m fine.”

Confirming that she was okay, I quickly released Shijouin-san’s shoulders and got back up onto the floating mat. The sensation of our bodies touching was still fresh, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at her face directly.

(I really held her tightly in the heat of the moment… Moreover, thinking about it calmly, it might not have been such a dangerous situation to warrant diving in like that…)

In a more composed state, I realized that there probably wasn’t much danger when she fell off the floating mat. While this place wasn’t shallow enough to stand, Shijouin-san could swim, so she should have been able to surface without any trouble if I had waited.

As I pondered such thoughts, I took Shijouin-san’s hand from the floating mat and pulled her small figure back up onto the platform.

Thus, with our still-damp bodies, we returned to the safety of this enormous double-sized vinyl plaything.

“Uh… I’m sorry. My mind went blank, and I acted out of instinct to save you, but it led to me touching a girl’s body… Once I calmed down, I realized it wasn’t that dire a situation to intervene.”

“Huh? N-No, it’s not like that! I know you were just trying to help me! It’s no big deal that you touched my petite body a bit!”

(Petite…???)

Her words, which would undoubtedly invite sarcastic remarks from Hashibashi and Kazehara, were her generous way of comforting me.

No, it’s because her voluptuousness is so far from being “petite” that I feel even more guilty…

“Besides… it might have been a valuable experience.”

“Huh?”

“To be hugged by a man who isn’t family was a first for me… I was surprised by how strong you were, and it made my heart race a bit…”

With a faint blush on her cheeks, Shijouin-san shyly confided in me.

It was a heartrending line and smile that shook the very core of a man’s heart. I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed and captivated by this sweet moment.

“H-Huh? W-What’s wrong, Niihama-kun? Why are you suddenly hiding your face…?”

“I’m sorry… It’s just that I can’t look at you properly anymore…”

Unable to bear the gaze of an angel any longer, I covered my face with both hands.

My heart was pounding like a maiden’s, overwhelmed by the captivating allure of the girl I had been observing all day today, from her seductive swimsuit figure to her adorable expressions. In a sense, I had underestimated the power of the summer sea, where happy couples gathered…

As the summer sun started to dip towards the west, I realized the immense charm of the girl who had left a vivid impression on me throughout the day, and I was helplessly controlled by some sweet, mysterious force.

(TLN) Was that god? Do I have to dive into this story and fight god? (O_O)

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