Chapter 529 - Night, on the Beach
Time flies when you're having unrestrained fun, and so the recreation tournament, which had been a great success, came to a close. Several hours later.
Was it the typical vacation high, or was I unable to sleep, or did I just not want to? In that ambiguous state of mind, I slipped out of bed, out of my room, and then out of the villa itself, where a cool night breeze and a magnificent starry sky greeted me.
Ah, the quiet of the night really sinks into the wounds of defeat. Damn that perfect superhuman princess.
The tournament ended when the girls, as if to say, "How long are you guys going to keep this up?" stormed the scene, and Alicia proceeded to trample all over Irori and his opponent, with whom he'd been locked in a rally of unending tenacity. It was a completely unsatisfying conclusion.
Seriously, I can't think of a single thing she's bad at. I was watching from a distance, but she seemed incredibly skilled at darts, too. It's not just her real-world stats; the extent of her real-world skills is just too ridiculously god-tier.
"Oh…?"
As I walked along, letting my thoughts wander, I eventually found myself at the fence along the cliff's edge.
I had planned to watch the sea at night, indulge in a bit of melancholic brooding, and then head back… but I spotted a figure on the sandy beach below. I hesitated for a moment, then,
Well, that could be interesting, too, I thought, and turned my feet toward the path leading down.
I descended the neatly paved slope and stepped onto the beach with a soft crunch of sand. The fine particles immediately clung between my toes, but since I was just wearing sandals for a short walk, it wasn't a problem. And so, the figure with their back to me was right there.
We hadn't really interacted enough to call ourselves close, but hey, it's a vacation. No shame in trying new things. There was no need to hesitate to call out.
For an opening line… "Good evening?" No, we already saw each other tonight. In that case…
"Going down to the beach alone is strictly forbidden—or so the master of the house said."
"…I had no intention of approaching the water's edge, so I would appreciate it if you could turn a blind eye."
"I see. In that case, I'll be coming here to brood by myself on another day, so please keep it a secret."
"That, I'm afraid, I cannot accept. A single, downcast adult woman is one thing, but I cannot say for certain that a spirited young man, even alone, wouldn't get carried away."
"In the real world, I'm basically a loner when I'm by myself… hey, stop. Please disclose the reason you just chuckled as if to say, 'You're kidding, right?'"
"I'll remain silent."
"Hah, so that's how it is? I'll take that as an affirmation and a declaration of war."
"A grave situation indeed. If the renowned [Acrobat] has his sights on me, I may have no choice but to summon the [Sword Queen]."
"Whipping out your overkill trump card from the get-go? Isn't that a bit lawless?"
"…It's not humility. Nor is it sarcasm. The fact that you can calmly analyze the situation and be certain she is 'superior'… is that what makes you, you? I don't dislike that kind of person."
"Well, it's an undeniable fact, after all. The stars are beautiful tonight, huh?"
It might be rude to say I was surprised, but the lighthearted exchange went on longer than I expected. I came to stand three steps beside her and looked up at the night sky, letting out an honest thought… and for some reason, Helena-san let out an elegant chuckle.
"If I were ten years younger, I might have mistaken that for a pickup line."
"No, that's a bit of a stretch, don't you think? If a girl could be wooed with 'the stars are beautiful' these days, men everywhere wouldn't have such a hard time. Not that I'd know."
I understood she was just teasing me, and she probably said it with the assumption that I would understand.
How should I put it…
Ui-san… no, that's a bit different. Right, she has this air of mature composure, like Hinayo-san, or rather, an atmosphere that makes it impossible to see the depths of her emotions.
I'm not bad with her, but she's a type I'm bad with.
In the sense that I don't feel like I could ever win against her. For the record, a certain maid is in a separate category, an irregular, due to her excessive willfulness.
"Haru-san."
"Yes?"
I had been blankly staring at the stars during a lull in the conversation. When she called my name, I turned my gaze back to her. Her intelligent black eyes were looking at the sea and sky, not me, but I could clearly feel her attention was directed my way.
And because I could sense what was coming next…
"I've already heard it all from Uni."
"…………"
I preemptively sang out a "no thank you," and Helena-san swallowed the words she was about to speak. Just as I thought. In that case, my 'gratitude' was already accounted for.
"I've already accepted it once, head-on, without any coyness. Being praised over and over for my selfish whims is, well, you know. It goes beyond just being ticklish…"
My unspoken plea was to spare me, and after a few seconds of thought, she—
"—Then, not as a member of the Southern Faction, but as Alicia's friend."
"…, ……"
"I won't put it into words, but please accept it."
—she said, tossing her 'feelings' at me with a composed face.
See? There's no way an eighteen-year-old boy can stand up to someone like this. No matter the situation, I'll just end up being wrapped around her finger.
As for the hypothesis, brimming with evidence, that I'm just hopelessly weak against older women? I move to dismiss the motion to bring it to debate.
A setting that's lethal to the protagonist, where most of the characters are older than him.