Chapter 46: Unexpected Outfit

“Sigh…”

—Rumble…

Ruah slumped into her seat on the shuttle bus, letting out a sigh. The bus, headed for the mainland, departed immediately and sped onto the highway.

Himari had chosen a place Ruah hadn’t even considered.

A water park.

Himari probably picked it out of curiosity due to its unfamiliar name, but unfortunately for Ruah, it couldn’t have been a worse choice.

‘I hate it…’

The blazing sun,

The throngs of people bumping into each other,

The overpriced food,

And the swimsuits that barely covered anything.

Although she had never actually been to one, the thought of the typical water park scene she had seen in various media made Ruah feel nauseous.

It was as if the place was specifically designed to gather everything Ruah disliked.

“Well… I have to go.”

Ruah sighed and checked the admission tickets she had received earlier. A promise was a promise.

And she wanted Himari, who had decided to stay at the Academy, to continue experiencing new things.

It was a sense of responsibility.

Since she was the one who convinced Himari to stay, she felt obligated to take responsibility.

‘But I’m still scared…’

Trying to forget the ordeal that awaited her, Ruah closed her eyes and tried to sleep. It would take about an hour to reach the water park, so she thought she would rest for a bit.

‘And there’s no one sitting next to me.’

“Why are you taking me too?”

“It’s… embarrassing to be alone, just the two of us.”

Juju and Himari were sitting behind Ruah. Originally, it was supposed to be just Himari and Ruah, but Himari had contacted Juju this morning, asking her to come along.

“But we’ve been out together just the two of us before, haven’t we?”

“Th-That’s true, but…”

Himari blushed and trailed off.

Strangely, the more conscious she became of Ruah, the more awkward the things she had done without a second thought before felt. It was like becoming suddenly aware of your breathing or the position of your tongue, things you usually do naturally without thinking.

If she went with Ruah alone in this state, she would be too nervous to enjoy the date or figure out what Ruah liked.

“If you want to get closer, wouldn’t it be better to sit next to her?”

“No, that won’t do. What if I drool while sleeping?”

Himari shook her head.

“I only want to show Teacher… my best side…”

Come to think of it, Himari’s face was paler than usual.

“Did you put on makeup?”

“Is it… noticeable?”

Himari, who was already pretty without makeup, looked even more radiant with it. Even Juju felt a slight flutter in her chest when she looked directly at Himari’s face.

“But why makeup… for a water park…?”

“What? Water park?”

Himari tilted her head.

“Aren’t we going to a water park?”

“That’s a swimming pool.”

“What?!”

Himari’s sudden outburst made a boy sleeping nearby turn around with an annoyed expression. Himari apologized, and he shyly turned back.

“I thought it was a water ‘park,’ like a regular park…”

[Welcome to Summer Dream Bay!]

As they got off the bus, they were greeted by upbeat music and a cheerful voice.

It was late spring, still too early for summer. While the water park was open, it wasn’t as crowded as it would be in midsummer.

And the park was larger than expected, so even with this small number of people spread throughout, the density would be low enough for even Ruah to feel comfortable.

‘Maybe this won’t be so bad?’

As they approached the park gate, Ruah felt a slight flutter of anticipation. As long as it wasn’t too crowded, she was ready to enjoy herself.

“Shall we go in?”

“Wait a second. Himari needs to rent a swimsuit.”

Juju stopped Ruah and suddenly pushed Himari forward.

“Now, Himari, didn’t you have something to say?”

“Uh…”

“?”

Himari hesitated in front of Ruah, blushing. Confused, Ruah tilted her head.

“Um, Teacher.”

Himari shyly spoke, lowering her gaze.

“If it’s alright with you… I’d like to wear… the one you choose for me.”

“Huh? Me?”

Himari nodded.

Ruah scratched her head.

‘I don’t know much about women’s swimsuits.’

Ruah had just grabbed whatever she had at home, so she didn’t have the fashion sense to give advice to others. Besides, this was her first time at a water park.

‘…Wait a minute.’

A thought suddenly occurred to her.

‘The swimsuit skin Himari never had… a chance to fulfill that dream…!’

“Hunter Hunting Academy” released swimsuit skins every summer season, but strangely, despite being a popular character, Himari was always excluded.

Some players even emailed the developers, but they only received the reply,

<Himari has never been to a swimming pool because she’s busy training in Battoujutsu>.

This led to a running joke among players about Himari not having a swimsuit skin.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Ruah grabbed Himari’s wrist and headed towards the rental shop with enthusiasm.

As a hardcore “Hunter Hunting Academy” gamer, she couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“Th-Thank you, Teacher!”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what Teacher will choose.”

Juju followed with a mischievous grin.

—Ding!

“Welcome!”

As they entered the swimsuit rental shop, they were greeted by a staff member and a dazzling array of swimsuits.

“Please take your time browsing and bring your selections to the counter.”

Fortunately, the staff member was the type Ruah preferred – the type who only spoke when necessary. This allowed them to browse the swimsuits at their leisure.

“Himari, come here and stand over here.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

“Hmm…”

Wanting to choose the most flattering swimsuit for Himari, Ruah held up various options against her.

However, she couldn’t decide easily.

‘They all look good.’

Perhaps it was because Himari was a natural clothes hanger, but every swimsuit seemed to suit her. It was a dilemma.

“Himari, which one do you like?”

“I, I… Anything you like is fine with me, Teacher.”

“That’s the hardest answer…”

Scratching her head, Ruah finally chose a seemingly suitable one and handed it to Himari. It was a rash guard type swimsuit that covered a good amount of skin and seemed relatively easy to wear.

“Then, I’ll go change!”

Himari disappeared into the changing room.

‘She seems excited.’

Ruah smiled inwardly, glad she had come. Himari’s excitement was evident even from her back.

“Teacher.”

Juju approached and spoke quietly.

“Himari is… making an effort.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Ruah asked, puzzled by the sudden remark, but Juju just chuckled evasively.

“Just… remember that.”

‘Making an effort…?’

—Click!

Before Ruah could ponder the meaning of those words, the changing room door opened, and Himari emerged.

“D-Did I wear it… correctly? My legs are so exposed… it feels strange…”

Ruah had chosen a rash guard swimsuit in a mix of white and black. Perhaps because she had estimated the size visually, it was a bit small, clinging tightly to Himari’s body and accentuating her figure. Furthermore, the bottom part of the swimsuit didn’t fully cover her hips, exposing a considerable amount of skin.

And as a final touch, her hair was tied up in a ponytail, perhaps because it had gotten in the way while changing.

—Gulp.

Ruah unconsciously swallowed.

‘A ponytail is cheating…’

If a skin like this had been released in the game, it would have definitely broken sales records. She mourned for the “Hunter Hunting Academy” developers who didn’t know how to make money.

“Teacher, please… say something.”

“B-Beautiful.”

Even though they had seen each other naked, Himari’s subtly revealing outfit was much more alluring. Captivating, even.

“Really? I’m glad…!”

Himari finally smiled at Ruah’s words.

“Then let’s go. We’ll change in the changing rooms at the park entrance.”

“Ah, r-right.”

Leaving the rental shop, Ruah and Juju checked their tickets and headed towards the changing rooms at the entrance. They had to be in their swimsuits to enter.

‘Well, I have to wear it anyway, so I might as well get used to it.’

Ruah wasn’t thrilled about walking around in what was practically underwear, but that was the rule here.

Sighing, Ruah rummaged through her bag. Last night, Suah had visited and Ruah asked her to find a swimsuit from her drawer and put it in her bag for the water park trip.

“…?”

But something was strange. Why were there two pieces?

“Huh?”

She had expected a simple one-piece swimsuit, but what she found in her bag was—a frilly bikini.

“What the…”

Her head spun. A bikini? A bikini?!

—Knock, knock!

“Teacher! I’m done! Are you taking long?”

Juju was calling from outside, and this was the only swimsuit she had. She should have rented one at the shop earlier, but now that they had already entered, there was no turning back.

—Knock, knock, knock!

“Hello? Are you going to be much longer?”

“Eek!”

There was even someone waiting outside, and she could hear a stranger’s voice.

“J-Just a minute…”

In the end, Ruah reluctantly undressed and put on the frilly bikini Suah had packed. It was more like ‘putting it on’ than ‘wearing it,’ but still.

‘How can I go outside in this…?’

But she couldn’t stay in the changing room forever.

—Click.

Ruah cautiously opened the door and stepped outside. The warm sunlight caressed the parts of her body that were usually covered by clothes. It felt strange.

“Oh.”

Himari covered her mouth with one hand, her face flushed.

“T-Teacher… you’re… unexpectedly bold.”

The black frilly bikini that barely covered the essentials contrasted sharply with her pale skin. Every time the wind blew or she moved, the frills fluttered, creating the illusion that the whole swimsuit was precariously placed.

As if prioritizing safety, the straps on her back and hips were tied tightly, but since they were tied in ribbons, they might easily come undone.

“Teacher…”

Juju spoke seriously. Ruah turned to her with a worried expression, but—

“…You have an outie belly button.”

“D-Don’t look!”

Ruah quickly covered her stomach with both hands.

“Ahahaha! You’re so cute!”

“He, hehe.”

Juju burst into laughter, and Himari giggled softly. Feeling the gazes of passersby, Ruah quickly hid behind a trash can.

—Ding!

A message from Suah arrived just then.

“Ugh… I’ll definitely get you back for this…”