kscans

Chapter 40 -

Approaching Shadows

"We don't need to prepare camping equipment, right?"
"Yeah, I'll take care of that. Hikaru and the others just need to bring a change of clothes, wallets, and smartphones."

I could cover all the expenses if I wanted to, but that might be too much for Hikaru.
He's really such a responsible big brother.
The twins might find him a bit nagging, but when they grow up, they'll realize how amazing Hikaru is.

"Ai and Midori don't have smartphones!"
"Big brother, when are you going to buy us some?"
"You're still too young for that."
"Aw, come on! You always say that!"
"Haha, Akatsuki-kun is really playing the big brother role, huh?"
"Anyway, look, we've arrived at the swimwear section. Go ahead and choose."
"Okay!"

The three girls rushed into the swimwear section.

"Let's pick out something casual for ourselves too."
"Yeah. I thought about using my school swimsuit, but that would be embarrassing."

Well, the ones used for school swimming are quite tight. Though I hear kids these days have long spats-like options, so it's probably better than in our time.

"When we were kids, they were like boomerangs, I swear."
"...That must have been tough for boys going through puberty."
"You said it. It's one thing to be embarrassed, but it's another if it awakens some weird fetish."
"F-Fetish...?"
"Don't tell me, that guy...you know?"

Chatting away, Hikaru and I casually bought trunk-style swimwear.
After paying, we headed towards the women's swimwear section, but Hikaru was fidgeting. He must be embarrassed.
It's not like we're in the lingerie section, so he should just act natural.

"If you look suspicious, people might think you're up to no good."
"Y-You're right."
"Anyway, where are Rika-chan and the twins...?"

Ah, there they are. I can't see Rika-chan, but the twins are giggling over by the bikinis.
Looking at Hikaru next to me, his earlier fidgeting is gone. Now he's as still as a statue.

"Those two... really..."

The twins must have noticed Hikaru's dejected look.
They're calling out to us, "Over here, over here!"

"What do you think, big brother? Sexy? Is Ai sexy?"
"Midori is sexier, right?"

The twins are striking poses with bikinis against their flat chests, going "Ahhn~"
This is so adorable, I'm about to be purified...

"Who would get excited over your childish bodies? It's embarrassing, so stop it."
"Ah! Ah! Big brother said something mean! He said something mean!"

Well, yeah. It's just stating facts, but they're still little ladies even if they're small.
Hikaru might have chosen his words more carefully if it were other children, but it's different with family.
But I think it's really nice that you can be a bit rough with family like this.

"Hey, hey, what do you think, mister!?"
"It suits us, right!?"

Oops, they've turned to me now.
Hikaru looks apologetic, but this is no big deal.

"Unfortunately, this is a bit too early for you twins right now."

That's not enough. I need to follow up properly.
To the twins puffing their cheeks, I say:

"You know, a good woman knows how to use her weapons well."
"Weapons?"

Yes, weapons.

"Your mom is beautiful, and from my perspective, both Ai-chan and Midori-chan have great potential.
When you're about fifteen or sixteen, those might start to suit you, but unfortunately, you can't make the most of them now.
I think it's better to showcase your cuteness that would make flowers blush. You'll be the stars of the beach that way!"

How's that?

"Oh my! Mister, you're so smooth!"

Looks like it worked.

"Well, if mister says so, I guess we have no choice!"
"Then, help us choose our swimsuits! Of course, big brother too!"

Come on, Hikaru. Don't make such an obvious "what a pain" face.

"Let's work hard for when you get a girlfriend in the future, okay?"
"No... I don't really want a girlfriend or anything..."

This kid is already... Hm? The twins are tugging at my hem.

"By the way, do you think this would suit Rika-neechan?"
"Hmm... it might be too early. Right now, Rika-chan shines more with sporty styles than sexy ones."

Rika-chan has a good figure too. If we're talking about whether it suits her or not, it probably does.
However, to fully pull off this kind of revealing bikini, you need some meat, you know. I think that's important.

"Like that onee-chan over there?"
"Midori, it's rude to point at people... Wha..."
"?"

Hikaru suddenly cut off his words.
Following Midori-chan's pointing finger, I saw...

"――――"

Holy...! What the...!?
Even I, who has seen many beautiful women and girls, lost myself for a moment at the sight of this exceptional beauty.
Is she a foreigner? Foreigners really are something else. Her face and figure are out of this world.
That girl would certainly look stunning in that swimsuit.

"Ah, Sarna-chan."

Just then, Rika-chan returned.

"Sorry, Akatsuki-kun, I lost sight of the twins. I was in the bathroom for a bit."
"No, it's fine... Um, is she an acquaintance of yours, Saionji-san?"
"Remember I told you before? About the super transfer student from abroad? That's her."

A junior high school student!? Are you serious!? This goes beyond just having potential!
If that girl were a hero in a game, she'd start at level 30 right when her mom wakes her up on the morning of her journey!

"Hey, Sarna-chan!"
"? Ah, Rika-san. How do you do?"
"How do you DO! Sarna-chan, are you shopping?"
"Yes. Now that I've settled into life here, I wanted to get some convenient cooking utensils I've been interested in."
"Sarna-chan lives with her father, right? But he's busy, so you do all the housework yourself?"
"Yes. But I enjoy doing it, so it's no trouble."
"You're amazing~"

The two of them chat away.
From Rika-chan's behavior, it seems she trusts Sarna-chan quite a bit.
Even accounting for Rika-chan's outgoing nature, this Sarna-chan seems to have quite good communication skills.
And just from her casual mannerisms, you can tell she comes from a good family. She must have been raised well by conscientious parents.

"We are blessed, we are blessed."
"H-Hey, you two!"
"? Rika-san, those children are...?"
"They're my friend's little sisters. Cute, aren't they? They're Ai-chan and Midori-chan."
"Yes, they're very adorable. It warms my heart."

This is... could it work?
Just as I thought that, the twins took advantage of Hikaru's distraction and dived into Sarna-chan's chest.
Sarna-chan reflexively caught them, but she looks confused.
However, there's no sign of disgust, just surprise at the sudden action.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! You two, let go of her!"
"Haha, it's fine. It's good to see they're so energetic."
"It's a goddess... there's a goddess here... so soft..."

Sarna-chan smiles and pats the twins' heads.
...Kids have it good. Damn, this old man is dying of jealousy.
Then, Sarna-chan turned her gaze to Hikaru and me.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Sarna Diadokos."
"That's very polite of you. I'm Sato Hideo, a friend of Rika-chan's mother."
"I'm Akatsuki Hikaru. I'm so sorry for my sisters' behavior..."

We naturally started chatting.
That's fine, but Hikaru... averting your gaze so obviously looks even more suspicious...
I mean, I get it? If I were in my teens, I'd be totally flustered by Sarna-chan's incredible... assets too.

"By the way, Sarna-chan."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Do you have any plans around this time this month?"

I open my schedule book and trace the dates.

"? No, nothing in particular."
"I see. Actually, we're planning to take a few days off and go on a trip. Would you like to join us?"

Meeting like this must be some kind of fate.
Look, I wouldn't normally say this to just any kid, you know?
It would be a high hurdle to suddenly invite someone you just met on an overnight trip with two men.
But from talking with her, I can tell Sarna-chan doesn't seem like the type to worry about such things, so I thought I'd ask.
She's calm and not timid, and if the twins have taken a liking to her, there shouldn't be any problems.

"Eh!? N-No... I couldn't impose on people I've just met..."
"Come on, it's fine! Don't hold back! This old man is known for his generosity."
"B-But..."

Even as she says this, Sarna-chan's eyes are filled with a hint of expectation.
She may be mature, but she's still a child after all.

"Sarna-chan should come too~"
"...What do you think? Even the little ones are saying so."
"...Well, if you insist, I'll gladly accept your offer!"
"It's settled then! Ah, Sarna-chan, let's choose a swimsuit for you too! Something amazing that'll steal all the attention on the beach!"

And so, our travel group gained one more member.