Chapter 92

With cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

In this episode, the magic stones, gacha items, and their drop rates are not related to the main story. Think of it as an "if" scenario, like what if there was a swimsuit gacha.

For those who want to skip this part, please proceed to the next chapter.

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It was a scorching hot day.

Outside, creatures that sounded like cicadas were chirping loudly.

It had been quite a while since I came to this world.

And just like in my world, summer had finally arrived.

"Aah, it's so hot..."

"It's so hot, I don't feel like doing anything..."

"Yeah. I start sweating just by moving a little, and I don't even want to move."

Nohl, Estelle, and I were in the living room.

We were all complaining about the heat and sitting listlessly in our chairs.

Nohl was lying on the table, stretching out.

Estelle was using wind magic from her fingertips to send a breeze throughout the room.

Thanks to her, it was a bit more bearable, but it was still hot.

"Where's Sisha?"

"I saw her rolling in the hallway just a while ago."

"Is she attacking Luna again...?"

I hadn't seen Sisha since this morning... I didn't think she was still doing that.

It would be dangerous to leave her in this heat, so I decided to go and revive her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Ah, what is it, Ohtsuka-san?"

"Oh, you're still conscious."

"What are you doing, lying here like this?"

In the House Extension hallway, Sisha was lying on her back with her hands stretched out in front of her.

When I called out to her, she responded with a weak voice.

Hmm? If she can respond, she probably wasn't bitten by Luna.

"The floor here is so cold and feels so good."

"...Your clothes will get dirty, you know?"

"I clean every day, so it's fine."

Sisha laughed softly and rubbed her cheek, looking very comfortable.

Even though she cleans every day, you shouldn't lie on the floor... But I can understand why you'd want to in this heat.

As we stood there, staring at Sisha in exasperation, my smartphone suddenly vibrated.

"Huh? This is...!?"

"What's wrong?"

"That reaction... Could it be the gacha?"

When I took it out and looked at the screen, it read, "Limited-time swimsuit gacha now available! Special items galore!"

"It's a limited-time swimsuit gacha."

A swimsuit gacha... I never thought there would be a limited-time gacha in this gacha.

I don't have many good memories of limited-time gachas. In my original world, I never got the featured swimsuit units no matter how many times I pulled.

Looking at the details, it seems there are special equipment items exclusive to this gacha.

But I shouldn't pull too many... This time, I'll just pull a few times and give up if I don't get anything.

"Swimsuits...?"

"Oh, swimsuits? That's perfect. Let's pull and go to the beach together."

"Yeah... The beach sounds nice. I'd like to go out and have fun with everyone once in a while."

When they heard about swimsuits, Estelle and the others came over eagerly.

Even Sisha, who had been lying down, perked up with interest.

The beach, huh... The thought of monsters in the sea of this world is a bit scary.

But Estelle and the others are getting excited, and I can't bring myself to stop them.

Besides, the thought of seeing them in swimsuits makes me look forward to it too.

"Let's pull about twice."

"Hehe, since it's a swimsuit gacha, I'm expecting something cute."

This time, I decided to pull twice.

I wonder what I'll get...

I tapped the gacha and pulled the first time.

A treasure chest appeared on the screen. The chest stopped at silver, gold, and then gold.

[R Sunscreen, SR Swimsuit (Male), R Straw Hat, SR Swimsuit (Female), R Beach Umbrella, SR Beach Ball Set, R Barbecue Set, R Blue Hawaii, R Summer Bed, R Sunglasses, R Snorkel]

Whoa!? It's completely beach-themed...

I thought it would be swimsuits, but it's different.

I tapped the gacha again and pulled the second time.

A treasure chest appeared on the screen. The chest stopped at silver, gold, white, and then rainbow.

"Whoa!? Really!?"

"Oh, it's UR!"

"I wonder what it is."

UR on the second pull!

Wow, getting UR in a limited-time gacha is pretty cool!

[R Inflatable Ring, SR Swimsuit (Male), R Beach Flag, R Bodyboard, R Frisbee, SR Swimsuit (Female), R Cooler, SR Swimsuit (Female), R Fan, R Beach Tent, UR 'Devil of Midsummer' Estelle]

"Huh... Me?"

Estelle was surprised when she saw the UR.

What's going on...?

I'll check what it is.

---

● 'Devil of Midsummer' Estelle

Changes to a summer-themed outfit and gains a title.

---

"It seems to just add a special outfit and title."

"Oh, it's a swimsuit just for me? I'm looking forward to it."

Hearing that it's a special outfit just for her, Estelle clapped her hands in joy.

It's not explicitly stated as a swimsuit, but since it came from a swimsuit gacha, it should be a swimsuit.

"Shall we change into it right away?"

"Wait. Will it force my current clothes to change?"

"Probably... it might."

"Then I want to wait until we get to the beach. I want to look forward to it."

I was about to change it on my phone, but Estelle stopped me.

Indeed, changing now would reduce the excitement.

---

So, we immediately headed to the beach south of Brunne.

There were other people on the beach, swimming and playing in the sea.

It seems there are no monsters around here.

"...It's so bright. Why do I have to go out on such a day..."

"Luna, you'll be lonely if you stay home alone!"

"That's right. It's better to go together."

Luna covered her eyes with her hand, looking annoyed.

Nohl and the others said it would be cruel to leave her behind, so we brought her, but is she okay?

After all, she's a vampire, and the beach with direct sunlight could be dangerous...

"It really is a bit tough. Are you okay?"

"...I'll be fine. I'll just watch from the shade. It might be nice to sleep outside once in a while."

"You're going to sleep again..."

Typical Luna.

Even in a situation like this, she chooses to sleep without hesitation.

"Shall we change, Nohl and the others? Estelle, you can just switch, right?"

I gave Nohl and the others a dimension room to change in.

I already have swimming trunks under my clothes, so I just need to take off my clothes.

Estelle can switch to her swimsuit with a tap, so she should be able to do it quickly in a secluded spot.

"Wait, big brother! I'll change with Nohl and the others."

"Huh? But this should be instant, and there's no need to worry about being seen naked, right?"

"Come on, don't be silly. It's a tradition to come back and say, 'I'm ready.'"

"Oh... Yeah, you're right."

It seems I was thinking too much.

Estelle puffed her cheeks slightly, looking a bit annoyed.

Indeed, that's a tradition...

I handed my phone to Nohl and the others and waited.

In the meantime, I petted Mofutt, who we brought along.

"Hey, Mofutt. How does it look for a guy to be in swimming trunks, petting a rabbit?"

When I asked, Mofutt made a "boo" sound and came closer.

I wonder, is he being considerate?

Mofutt is a good guy.

After about ten minutes of waiting...

"Ohtsuka-sama, I kept you waiting."

Finally, Nohl finished changing.

She usually hides her face and dresses like a knight, with no hint of sex appeal, but how will she look in a swimsuit?

I turned around with some anticipation.

"Hey, you're here—Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"What's that...?"

"It's a swimsuit."

What I saw was Nohl in a white wetsuit that covered her from neck to toe.

She even wore a black mask with a snorkel to hide her face.

Oh no... None of the elements I was hoping for...

"Hehe... That's the reaction I expected."

"Whoa!?"

As I was stunned, Sisha called out.

Her swimsuit was a black bikini.

The top crossed under her chest, and my eyes involuntarily went to that area.

"Hehe, Ohtsuka-san, where are you looking? You're so naughty."

"B-But I'm not looking at your chest! I really am not!"

"You're so obvious. But it's more fun if you look, since I did it on purpose."

I quickly looked away, but Sisha was grinning mischievously.

Damn, she's still enjoying my reaction.

Looking at Sisha is a real pain.

"Big brother, how do I look?"

Just in time, Estelle came back.

She was wearing a white tube top and a black pareo.

She also had a red flower in her hair and matching wristbands, looking very cute.

"Wow, it suits you. You look so cute."

"Mmm, I'm glad you like it, but compared to Sisha's reaction, I'm a bit disappointed..."

Because I treated her normally, Estelle pouted slightly, looking a bit unsatisfied.

Well, it can't be helped... I'm a guy, and I can't help but react to such outfits.

On the other hand, Estelle is cute and wholesome, so I can look at her with peace of mind.

Finally, Luna came back.

Her swimsuit was a navy blue... school swimsuit.

Why! Why a school swimsuit!?

"...What?"

"Well, it's a classic..."

"It was the most comfortable to wear. I'm going to go sleep over there."

It's a common swimsuit, but... how about it?

Luna didn't seem to care and picked up Mofutt, who was at my feet, and walked away.

As always, she's so cool and aloof.

"Big brother, you're quite toned under your clothes, aren't you?"

"Hey, s-stop it! It's ticklish!"

"Hehe, it's fine."

While I was distracted by Luna, Estelle came over and started touching my arms and stomach.

I told her to stop, and she laughed and moved away a bit.

It was ticklish, but also a bit thrilling because it's a place I don't usually let others touch.

"So, what are we going to do now that we're here?"

"Of course, we're going to swim!"

Saying that, Nohl ran into the sea.

I wondered if she was okay entering without warming up... and if she could even swim?

As I watched with concern, Nohl, who had entered the sea energetically, ... sank.

"Cough, cough... It's salty..."

"It's because you breathe with your snorkel underwater..."

She flailed and repeatedly surfaced and sank, then wobbled back.

It's because she dove in and went underwater with her snorkel...

Nohl then calmly returned to the sea, only her head above the water.

I think she's doing the dog paddle.

"Sisha... Huh!?"

"She's running on the water."

When I looked for Sisha, she was running on the water.

The other people on the beach were also surprised and exclaiming.

Hey! What is she doing!?

She's drawing too much attention!

"Hehe, swimming feels so good."

"Swimming...? What part of that is swimming? And how did you do that!?"

"Huh? I just kicked the water with one foot before the other foot sank."

After running around the sea for a while, Sisha wiped her sweat with her arm.

What? What is swimming?

And she did that with an old, ridiculous theory...

Sisha then swam normally and headed towards Nohl, who was dog paddling desperately.

She should have swum normally from the start.

Estelle and I were both exasperated but decided to look for Luna, who had gone somewhere else.

We found her quickly...

"...Huh? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing... You're more relaxed than I imagined."

"Indeed, it's not as bad as I thought."

"It's a more mature way to enjoy the beach..."

Luna was lying on a summer bed under a beach umbrella.

She had her legs crossed, wearing sunglasses, and was sipping a Blue Hawaii.

Nearby, a beach tent was set up, and Mofutt was sitting inside, relaxing.

The young girl and the rabbit were the most elegant ones relaxing... I started to feel like we were doing something wrong.

"Phew, I'm already tired from coming to the beach..."

"But Nohl and the others seem to be having fun."

"Are you not going to join them, Estelle?"

"You know I don't like moving much."

Watching Nohl and the others, I felt tired even though I hadn't done anything.

Well, they seem to be having fun, so it's okay.

Estelle didn't go anywhere and followed me the whole time.

Now, she was sitting on a sheet on the beach, staring blankly at the sea.

Indeed, Estelle isn't much of a mover, so she would probably get tired quickly if she swam with Nohl and the others.

"Big brother, can you put this on my back?"

"Huh? Sunscreen?"

"Yes, Sisha and the others already put it on, but I haven't."

Estelle took out the sunscreen from her bag.

While Sisha and the others had already put it on themselves, Estelle hadn't.

Did she do this on purpose...? Well, it's just sunscreen, so it's fine.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Thanks."

I laid her down on the sheet and started applying the sunscreen.

It was a white cream, and I mixed it with my fingers.

I think I heard that you should mix it first, but I don't know why.

"Mmm, ah... mmm..."

"Hey, can you control your voice?"

"B-But it's ticklish."

After mixing it, I started applying it to Estelle's back.

She made indescribable sounds and twitched her body.

Hey, it feels like I'm doing something inappropriate!

I understand that being touched in a place that's usually not touched can make you react like this.

"Ohtsuka-sama, aren't you going to play beach volleyball?"

"Beach volleyball... No, thanks."

"Why not! It would be fun!"

"That's right. Let's play!"

Just as I finished applying the sunscreen, Nohl and Sisha came back from the sea.

They were holding the beach ball from the gacha.

Beach volleyball with Nohl and the others... Normally, it would be fun to play with girls, but with Nohl and the others...

"Nohl, I'll throw the ball up, and you try to spike it."

"Huh? Okay..."

I gave her the ball and decided to teach Nohl how to spike.

She tilted her head in confusion, but when I threw the ball up, she reacted immediately and jumped, shouting, "Huh!"

"Phew!"

She hit the volleyball with all her might, and it landed on the sand with a dull thud, sinking into the beach.

Of course... The ball had a deadly force.

"...It's stuck in the sand."

"See? If I and Estelle joined, we'd be dead."

Sisha and Luna are probably at a similar level, so if we played together, I and Estelle would be dead.

I don't want to play deadly beach volleyball.

"Boo, boo. I'll go for a walk with Mofutt."

Nohl, looking disappointed, picked up Mofutt from the beach tent and walked away.

"Then, I'll go with Luna..."

"Hey, don't come here. Go run on the water by yourself."

"Aww... Ugh, ugh..."

Sisha, wanting to play with Luna, approached, but Luna shooed her away.

She then collapsed to her knees, falling on all fours, expressing her shock with her whole body.

You really wanted to play that much...

"Really noisy..."

"Hehe, it's fine. This is more fun, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

It's a bit too noisy, but it's not bad.

After that, we played frisbee and had a barbecue, and our first beach trip ended quite enjoyably.