Even Today, the Genius High School Programmer Cashes In on Day Trades, Completely Flustered by Beautiful Girls' Growing Affection. - Chapter 19: “This swimsuit is way too daring, isn’t it?”

“This swimsuit is way too daring, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

On the artificial turf of the rest area.

Sakuraba lay on her side, using a towel as a pillow, the hoodie pulled over her swimsuit. She gazed up at me from where I sat beside her.

After that giant swing had caused her top to slip earlier, she’d muttered that she felt sick and crouched down on the spot.

Apparently she hadn’t been feeling great since morning.

I’d suggested taking her to the infirmary, but

“It’s not that bad. I just… maybe want to lie down for a bit…”

So we all decided to take a break together in the rest area.

The place had tables and benches on one side, and an open patch of artificial grass for lounging on the other. We spread out on the turf; the others sat around while Sakuraba stretched out flat.

“Sorry… I’ll just stay here lying down. You guys go ahead and have fun without me.”

She said it, but of course none of us were going to leave her like that.

“Then how about Kousuke stays with her?”

With one casual line from the handsome guy, the others immediately jumped on it—“Shingo, nice idea!” “Yeah yeah, perfect!”—and just like that, the three of them wandered off to play.

They at least bought us drinks before disappearing.

And so now it was just the two of us.

My heart was pounding.

“You could’ve gone with everyone…”

“If I did, you’d get hit on every thirty seconds by some random guy. You okay with that?”

“…Maybe not.”

Her voice shrank.

“See? And besides, if we left you alone, none of us would be able to relax and enjoy ourselves anyway. This is the best solution.”

“I ended up causing trouble for Ooyama-kun again…”

“I told you, it’s not trouble. Getting to be alone with Yukihime is basically a perk of the job.”

“Ugh… stop calling me that alreadyyy…”

Maybe because she wasn’t feeling well, Sakuraba seemed to have slipped into a slightly negative mood.

“Were you feeling off since this morning?”

“Yeah… I couldn’t really sleep last night.”

“Like the night before a school trip or something?”

“No, it’s not that. Um…”

She hesitated.

“This swimsuit.”

“The one you’re wearing now?”

“Yeah.”

“What about it?”

“It’s… way too daring, right? I kept thinking—what if Ooyama-kun gets turned off by it…”

“Huh? No way. I mean… it looks really good on you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

She let out a long, heavy sigh.

“I went shopping for this yesterday with Hina.”

“I see.”

“She’s the one who picked it out.”

“Got it.”

Yamano, you could’ve at least chosen something with a little more coverage.

I twisted open the cap of my sports drink and took a swig.

“I told her it was too bold, but…”

“Yeah?”

“Hina said, ‘Ooyama-kun is a total boobs alien, so he’ll definitely love it.’”

“Pffft—!”

I nearly sprayed the drink across the turf.

“W-What the hell? That’s not me!” …Probably.

Seriously, Yamano—what kind of image do you even have of me in your head?

“Really?”

She glanced up at me sideways, clearly suspicious.

“Absolutely not! I’m… just a very normal, average teenage boy.” …Probably.

“Besides… at the end of the waterslide… it, um… kind of… slipped out a little.”

“It did?”

I kept playing dumb.

“You really didn’t see?”

“Nope.”

“…Good.”

She looked visibly relieved.

Wait—so the reason she ended up wearing this thing… is because of me?

Maybe the relief made her drowsy; her eyelids slowly drifted shut.

For a little while, gentle silence settled between us.

In that quiet, I remembered what the handsome guy had said earlier.

Tell her what you think of the swimsuit, he’d told me. Easier said than done…

“Sakuraba, about that swimsuit…”

No reply.

Asleep?

Perfect timing, then.

Saying it out loud to her face would be way too embarrassing anyway.

“It looks incredible on you. I mean, yeah, your chest is… but your waist is so slim too, and your proportions are honestly unreal. I didn’t even know where to look.”

No reaction.

“But keeping a figure like that, taking care of your hair, developing that kind of sense—it can’t be easy. You must put in a ton of effort every day. There’s this dignified air about you… I can feel the beauty that comes from the inside.”

Her eyes were still closed.

…Wait. Are her ears turning a little red…? Or am I imagining it?

“And it’s not just the swimsuit. This morning when I saw you in your casual clothes at the station, I was shocked. I seriously thought you were some celebrity. That pink dress was adorable. The uniform’s cute too, but seeing you in something like that with light makeup… you really looked like an idol—wait, hey?”

“Stoooopppp!!”

All of a sudden she buried her face in the towel and let out a muffled squeal, flailing her small feet while smacking my leg over and over with her hand.

She was awake?!

Her legs kicked lightly in embarrassment as she kept whimpering “No… no more…” and slapping my shin.

…Ow. That actually kind of hurts.