Finally, Sara leaned in for the push.
“I didn’t want to resort to this, but I need you to come…”
She took a deep breath.
“…or I’ll tell those two everything about you.”
“Wha—?! You promised not to expose me!”
She’d given her word not to reveal his secret.
To go back on it now felt like a dirty move.
“Yes… which is why I hate using this. But it just shows how much I want you there. Akasaki-san… please join us.”
She bowed deeply, pleading.
Between the guilt he already felt and her sincerity, refusing was impossible.
Kazamiya would be there, and it was at her grandfather’s house. Nothing too questionable could happen.
The only issue was his own nerves.
“Haa… I understand……Fine. It’s true that I have turned you down a lot.”
“Really?!
Sara’s eyes lit up, her excitement blatant.
Then, as if flipping a switch, her demeanor turned almost sultry.
“…Akasaki-san, just know—I won’t be the same as before. Look forward to it.”
“Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“I’ll email you the full schedule later.”
Ignoring his question, she smiled. And with that, the sleepover discussion closed.
They spent the rest of lunch swapping side dishes and chatting about seat changes and summer plans.
…She seems like the usual Himekawa-san now, but what did she mean by ‘change’?
Two days after their agreement—two days into summer break.
The first thing to note: Haruya’s dream summer plan of lazing around at home had already crumbled.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Akasaki-san.”
Sara appeared before him, dressed in a white sundress.
It was just past noon. A few minutes after Haruya arrived at the fountain—their designated meeting spot—she showed up.
“That outfit suits you today.”
After scanning him head to toe, Sara spoke as if savoring the words.
“Eh, ahh, well… this is basically how I dress when going out outside of school, I guess.”
“You look cool.”
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“Thank you.”
His hidden side… Well, Haruya had just gone out in his usual fashion, but Himekawa’s straightforward compliment made him feel a little embarrassed.
“Himekawa-san, you also seem even more stylish than usual today.”
Taking another look at Sara’s appearance,
Haruya noticed her hair was done in loose, fluffy twin tails—a hairstyle he hadn’t seen her wear in a while. Combined with her round glasses, it made her look even more fashionable. The white dress she wore complemented it perfectly, creating such an angelic presence that it was almost dizzying.
“Thank you. I tried a hairstyle I don’t usually do.”
Sara spun around in place with a little twirl.
“Huh. That hairstyle would probably look good even when you’re hanging out with friends on holidays, though…”
“I only really do it when I feel like it… It’s kind of a hassle. But today, since it’s been a while since I went out with Akasaki-san, I put in a little extra effort.”
With a slightly bashful tone, she started walking.
“O-Oh, I see…”
“Yes, you’re special, Akasaki-san. ♪”
She covered her mouth elegantly with a soft fufu laugh,
a somewhat teasing smile playing on her lips.
“Hmm? Did you just look away?”
“N-No, I didn’t…”
“Fufu~ You can stare at me all you want, you know? Though, I’d appreciate it if you told me first.”
“Himekawa-san, you seem… extra lively today.”
Maybe because they hadn’t gone out together in a while, but she seemed different from usual.
There was something bewitching about her aura, making her cuteness multiply tenfold.
Trying not to let his feelings spiral, Haruya quickly changed the subject.
“Speaking of which, Himekawa-san. You mentioned we were buying an overnight set today, right? That’s still the plan?”
“Yes! So let’s get ready for our little sleepover.”
Today’s outing was Sara’s idea. She had offered to help him shop for anything he might need for the overnight stay, since he couldn’t just bring the bare minimum essentials. And since he had no idea what her grandfather’s mansion would be like, he needed to dress appropriately. Having someone like Sara—who had the sensibilities of the wealthy—helping him was a relief.
Come to think of it, how’s Kazamiya handling his preparations? Eh, whatever. It’s Kazamiya. He’ll figure it out.
Brushing it off, Haruya and Sara headed toward their destination.
“——So, how did we end up like this?”
And now, the two of them were picking out swimsuits.
……Yeah, uh.
Up until this point… things had been fine. They’d grabbed a bite to eat, bought most of what they needed for the overnight stay.
Sure, Sara had occasionally pulled him along with comments like, “Oh, this would look good on you!” or, during lunch, “Here, have a bite! Say ‘ah~’!”—her little attempts to tease him had left him flustered, but it was still within the realm of playful affection.
But this situation? He really wasn’t prepared for this…
At the edge of Haruya’s vision, Sara was holding up two swimsuits with a cute smile, asking:
“………Between this one and this one, which do you prefer, Akasaki-san?”
One was a sleek, modest bikini, while the other had slightly more exposure.
Honestly, Sara could probably pull off anything.
Whichever one she chose, her model-like figure would make it work.
“This one suits you better, I think. It matches Himekawa-san’s usual style.”
He picked the one that seemed more like her.
The other, slightly more revealing swimsuit was… a bit too much for him to handle. He couldn’t bring himself to look at it directly.
But then, Sara’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
“Hmm~ I see. Then let me rephrase the question. Which one do you think is cuter?”
“……!”
“Because… I want to hear you say I’m cute, too…”
Pouting slightly but still timid, she held up both swimsuits again.
“C-Come on, I won’t let you go until you tell me which one’s cuter! Or… would you rather pick a swimsuit for me yourself?”
“W-Wait, how did we get to this point?! And shouldn’t swimsuit shopping be something you do with friends of the same gender?!”
“………That’s…”
After a brief pause, Sara continued.
“Because… I wanted to make your heart race a little. So, come on—I won’t let you go until you say I’m cute.”
“……Y-You’re cute.”
“What part of me is cute?”
“W-Well, you’re beautiful, and you have a great figure, so that swimsuit really brings it out—”
“Hmm~ …Not enough.”
“Huh?”
“Find something better to say… Because…”
Then, taking his hand, she spoke in a voice so shy it was almost painful.
“Today… Akasaki-san… is mine…”
“——!”
Haruya had no recollection of ever becoming Sara’s “possession,” but the sheer destructive power of those words was overwhelming.
She immediately hid her face behind the swimsuit, her cheeks burning red, before popping back out with the same question.
“So, which swimsuit is cuter?”
Whether it was the sweet atmosphere getting to him or just wanting to see Sara’s reaction, Haruya ended up blurting out what he was really thinking.
“I-I think this one is cuter, but… …Right now, Himekawa-san… I think you’re the cutest…”
“………!!?
Sara’s eyes widened, and she muttered, “…That’s not fair.”
A weak right-hand jab landed squarely on Haruya’s chest.
Her adorable reaction almost made him chuckle, but soon after, the sheer embarrassment of what he’d just said hit him like a truck.
Glancing around, he noticed a store employee watching them with an amused smile, as if witnessing some heartwarming scene.
(…Ugh, this is bad. So embarrassing. What am I even doing? And Himekawa-san is way more forward than usual today…)
Not to mention all the physical contact—his heart was racing like crazy.
After taking a few deep breaths, Sara tugged lightly on his sleeve, leaning in close to his ear. Then, slightly lowering her voice, she whispered:
“………It’s okay if your heart races, you know?”
It felt like she could see right through him, making his pulse jump again.
“L-Let’s go…!”
With a quick spin, she returned to her usual composed self, heading to the checkout with the swimsuits in hand.
…Both of them.
Wait, so she was buying both of them after all? Was she just messing with me?
Shooting her a suspicious glare, Sara just winked in response.
“…Well, if you already knew which one I was going to wear, you wouldn’t get flustered, right?”
Her cute remark made his heart pound even harder—but at this point, Haruya couldn’t help but tease her back.
“…Pfft. Himekawa-san, you’re really bad at winking, huh?”
When she tried to wink, her face had twitched awkwardly.
Yet, somehow, even that looked adorable on her. Beautiful people really were unfair.
“…Wha—?
She clearly hadn’t expected that to be his response.
Sara fidgeted, visibly flustered.
(I’ll definitely master the perfect wink before the sleepover…!)
She wanted to declare it right then and there—but if she did, Haruya would be mentally prepared. No, catching him off guard with a flawless wink would be much more effective.
“And what about you, Akasaki-san? Can you wink?”
“Well, I’m decent at it.”
Saying that, Haruya winked smoothly. His long lashes and sharp, dignified features instantly captivated Sara, setting her heart ablaze.
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