Chapter 121: Sea House |
“Guys! I’m back!”
Ryuji, who had gone to buy ice cream, returned about 5 minutes later.
Perhaps because they were thirsty from running around the beach, the girls, who had been chatting on the sand, eagerly gathered around to pick their ice creams.
“Yu-seong! Come and have some!”
“Okay.”
Upon Rika’s call, I got up from where I was sitting and approached.
As everyone else had already chosen, the only things left in the bag were Garigarikun and Pappico.
‘Well, this isn’t bad either.’
I picked a Garigarikun.
Ice cream eaten on a hot summer day at the beach was truly heavenly.
Eating it not by licking but by crunching quickly left only the stick of the ice cream, and as I was left wanting more, Sasha, eating a Giant Cone, suggested,
“Yu-seong, how about you join in for a round this time?”
“Me?”
I looked at Ryuji.
Ryuji then said he would watch the stuff, so I should play a round.
“Alright.”
Not wanting to spoil the fun atmosphere of the trip, I readily accepted their invitation.
Having rested enough, we naturally resumed the beach volleyball game.
The teams remained the same as before, except I filled in for Ryuji’s spot.
Before the game started, I made just one request.
“Make sure to keep the ball in the air.”
Contrary to her literary girl-like appearance, Yaguchi, surprisingly a physical player, energetically agreed.
“Got it.”
The Class President, who had been the weak spot in the previous game, nodded, indicating she could do at least that much.
Then, the game started with Sasha’s team serving, having won the previous round.
Taking advantage of her long limbs, she delivered a long serve.
“My ball!”
Positioned at the back, Yaguchi rushed forward, shouting that, and lightly hit the ball up above her head.
With the eyes of a hawk, I seized the opportunity and leaped, delivering a spike.
Bang!!
The volleyball spiked down at a normal speed, as I had controlled my strength.
“Kyu!”
Karen hastily lunged to hit it, but her arms were too short, missing the ball by a hair.
As they quickly conceded a point, Sasha looked visibly frustrated.
I had felt it before, but her competitive spirit was far from ordinary.
Having scored and gained the serve, I lightly tossed up the ball Karen threw to me.
At that moment, Sasha moved swiftly.
I was momentarily distracted by her agile movements, reminiscent of a leopardess, but then I realized something.
Karen was nowhere to be seen.
As I jumped up for a block and our eyes met, Sasha flashed a triumphant smile, and then Karen, hidden in her shadow, leaped up in a staggered rhythm to deliver a spike.
Bang!!
An excellent combination indeed.
I was completely fooled by Sasha’s act.
Yaguchi hurried to receive the ball, but it had already hit the sand.
The score was now tied at 1:1.
“Don’t underestimate me, Kim Yu-seong.”
Certainly, they were not opponents who could be beaten with half-hearted efforts.
Provoked by Sasha’s blatant challenge, I resolved to step up my game.
After another intense match, our team emerged victorious.
No matter how strong Sasha and Karen’s combination was, they couldn’t overcome the fundamental hardware difference.
They kept up a good rally and came close, but in the end, I scored consecutive points after figuring out their attack pattern, securing our win.
The final score was 15:12.
Although it was a friendly match, it felt almost like a real competition, leaving both teams exhausted.
It seemed like the consequence of playing two matches back-to-back.
While I, having only played one game, still had plenty of energy, we decided to stop for the health of the others.
“How about we grab something to eat? I’m getting hungry.”
Everyone agreed to Karen’s suggestion.
We had snacked on the bus ride in the morning, but it was about time for a proper meal.
We dusted off the sand from our bodies and headed to a nearby beach house.
Beach House.
A common sight found at Japanese beaches was makeshift food stalls.
They typically sell yakisoba, curry, various hotdogs, and shaved ice, known for being expensive and not particularly tasty.
But as the saying goes, hunger is the best spice, making anything taste good when you’re really hungry.
Although we hadn’t started swimming yet, playing on the sand had worked up everyone’s appetite.
With a large number of people, we split into two tables and ordered whatever each of us wanted.
As I noticed upon arrival, the beach seemed especially crowded today.
Curious about the reason, I spotted a flyer on the wall.
“The 17th Onjuku Swimsuit Contest?”
This seemed like something straight out of a love comedy.
Just then, the shop owner, fanning himself, commented.
“Did you come here interested in that contest, young man?”
“Me?”
I was taken aback by his sudden question, but the owner nodded as if no further explanation was needed.
“It all started 17 years ago. The swimsuit contest began with the intention of revitalizing our beach and quickly became popular among surfers…”
Caught off guard by the owner’s sudden reminiscing, I was left dazed until the waitress bowed apologetically.
“Sorry! Sorry! My father is like this!”
Despite his daughter’s apologies, the owner clenched his fist and continued.
“A true man can’t resist a woman in a swimsuit! Men from all over the country flock here to showcase their manliness in the contest!”
Sounding like a narration from a youth drama, the owner enthusiastically explained the history of the swimsuit contest and then turned to me with wide eyes.
“I may not know much else, but I have an eye for talent! You could definitely be the highlight of this contest! Why don’t you give it a try?”
“Sorry! Sorry! My father is one of the sponsors of the contest!”
I realized what was happening with the daughter’s continuous apologies.
So, they wanted me to participate in the swimsuit contest?
“Sorry, but I’m not interested in such things.”
I politely declined the owner’s invitation.
Participating in such a contest would mean less time to spend with friends.
With limited time to enjoy, I didn’t feel the need to spend it on a contest.
Rika, who had been watching our conversation with interest, chimed in.
“Why not give it a try? Ryu-chan? It seems like there’s a hefty prize, too.”
Her words made me glance back at the flyer without thinking.
First prize: 100,000 yen.
Winning meant I could recoup all the expenses of the trip.
It was a tempting offer, but considering the time and effort required, I still felt it was better not to participate.
Upon my firm refusal, the owner, though visibly disappointed, backed off.
Fortunately, he wasn’t the type to persist.
Shortly after, our food arrived, and we filled our hungry stomachs while enjoying our meals.
After a satisfying meal at the beach house, we decided to go swimming together.
Not everyone knew how to swim, so some rented tubes.
Satoru, who had gone off to ‘hunt’ for girls, was still out of sight, and since there was no reason to forcibly bring him back, we decided to have fun on our own.
“Ah! It’s cold!”
Near the shoreline in the shallow water, the girls playfully splashed water at each other.
In the process, water droplets sprinkled on their fair skin, and the various beach balls swaying with their vigorous movements were a feast for the eyes.
“Hmph!”
With snorkeling gear, immersing deeply in the water revealed the underwater world.
Seashells, corals, and various fish swimming around definitely gave off the real feel of summer at the sea.
After emerging from the water, I saw the Class President on a tube near me, looking surprised.
“What’s wrong?”
The Class President pointed at my body, her face turning red.
“Y-your shirt is soaked…”
“Oh.”
I wore a T-shirt to avoid drawing attention, but it seemed to have backfired.
The thoroughly wet T-shirt clung tightly to my body, long losing its intended function.
At that moment, Ryuji, who was playing in the water with Yaguchi, saw my back and exclaimed in astonishment.
“M-monster!”
Hearing that, I quickly relaxed the tension in my body.
It was a comment I often heard from other members of the gym while showering.
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