I'm a Kept Man for the Three Most Beautiful Girls in School - Chapter 25: At the Beach 1

Chapter 25: At the Beach 1

It was our first outing of the summer vacation. 

We were heading to Kyotango City in a rental car arranged by Chikage’s older sister, Hiyori Karasuma-san. Kyotango is a tourist spot in the northernmost part of Kyoto Prefecture, where you can view the Sea of Japan. Along the way, we enjoyed the nature outside, with a clear blue sky spreading out beyond the window.

I was in the passenger seat, relaxing while listening to the cheerful conversation between Chikage, Tsu-chan, and Sakura in the back seat. 

The occasional sound of cicadas was also pleasant. Once we arrived, we had plans to play at the beach, have a barbecue, and enjoy fireworks—a busy but exciting schedule.

Hiyori-san, who was driving, was just as beautiful as you would expect Chikage’s sister to be. She had the kind of actress-like aura that would turn heads on the street and leave boys falling in love at first sight.

I wondered if Chikage and Hiyori-san inherited their looks from their mother. 

As I was lost in these thoughts, the blue sea came into view, filling our sight.

“Oh, I can see it now.”

“Hey, Kei. It’s the sea! The sea! The sea in Fukui is nice, but the sea in Kyotango is also beautiful.”

“…Yeah. It’s really beautiful.”

As far as the eye could see, there was a vast blue sea. 

The scent of the sea tickled my nose. The blazing sun was bright and hot, but the wind coming through the window felt nice. When we parked the car in a nearby lot and got out, it felt like we had a private beach all to ourselves.

For people living in Kyotango City, it’s common to go swimming in Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. However, because it’s often crowded, we decided to come all the way here instead. 

Tango is a scenic area surrounded by mountains and rice fields, rich in natural beauty. I’m not particularly sensitive to negative ions, but I could still tell that the air was clear.

After all that, we checked into the guesthouse we had reserved.

The room was a spacious Japanese-style room with tatami mats. The view from the window was amazing. The beach and rocky shore stretched out, and the sound of the waves echoed into the room. Apparently, there was also a private outdoor bath.

By the time we finished carrying our luggage, it was past noon, so we had lunch at the guesthouse.

The dishes, full of fresh seafood, were all exquisite. Tsu-chan, the reaction queen, savored each bite with delight.

“Thank you for the meal. It was delicious!”

“Are you sure, Chikage? Eating so much before swimming? Okeihan might see your chubby belly.”

“It’s fine… Kei doesn’t care about that, right?”

“That’s right. I think Chikage is cute even if she gains weight.”

“I’m not fat! Don’t misunderstand that.”

“I’m more worried about Tsukasa’s chest. Do you have a swimsuit that fits?”

“Sakurako! Are you picking a fight? I’ll take you on!”

“Alright, alright, youngsters. If you have so much energy, go play outside. I’m tired from the long drive, so I’m going to take a nap.”

“Sorry, sis, for making you do this on your day off.”

“Don’t worry about it. I also wanted to relax in the countryside. Now, off you go. Oh, by the way, Kyosaka-kun. Take care of everyone. As the only boy, it’s your responsibility. Okay?”

“Yes, understood.”

With Hiyori-san pushing us along, we quickly headed to the beach.

(Phew…)

And so, here I am now, waiting alone on the beach for Tsu-chan, Sakura, and Chikage. Girls always take a long time to change.

Especially since it’s the three of them in swimsuits… I need time to calm my racing heart.

Swimsuits. They are a boy’s dream.

(I’m really looking forward to this…)

While waiting for the three of them, I set up a simple tent and prepared for the barbecue. I placed the four-legged grill and the box of charcoal near the tent, making sure everything was ready so we could start cooking right after playing in the sea.

Phew.

Now I had nothing to do. 

I passed the time by gazing aimlessly at the sea from the shore. I wondered when they would be ready… Just as I was lost in thought, I heard voices calling me from afar.

“Okeihan!”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Kei.”

“Kei-kun, sorry we took so long.”

The three of them came running towards me in their swimsuits. 

Seeing their breathtaking beauty, my heart was instantly captivated.

It felt like goddesses had descended upon the northernmost tip of Kyoto Prefecture.

Three goddesses, all smiling at me.

Chikage wore a high-neck bikini with black as the main color. She had declared she would wear a cute swimsuit, but it seemed more on the sexy side…

Sakura wore a white swimsuit with a pareo wrapped around her waist. The top couldn’t completely cover her chest, causing her “northern hemisphere” to prominently rise.

And Tsu-chan wore an off-shoulder swimsuit paired with denim shorts. The curve of her well-toned abs was dazzling.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Kei. How do I look? Does it suit me?”

“Y-yeah, it looks great on you.”

“Hehe, thanks!”

“Okeihan, what about me? Look!”

Tsu-chan struck a silly but cute pose, like a clay doll, making her even more adorable.

“You all look amazing. Really cute.”

“Kei-kun, it’s getting up.”

“Okeihan, you’re being too obvious. We can see it, you know! Alright!”

Tsu-chan quickly moved behind me and hugged my back. I felt a soft sensation on my bare skin.

“W-What?”

“Chikage, Sakurako, check it!”

What is this hold…?

And, Sakura, please stop squatting and staring at my lower body like that.

“He’s reacting.”

“Yeah… Kei is the cute one here.”

“Stop teasing me… And Tsu-chan, let go.”

We played around for about five more minutes.

It was fun. The beach’s unique atmosphere brought a sense of freedom, and combined with the girls’ outfits, my spirits were lifted. I picked up Tsu-chan on my back and ran towards the sea.

“Hey, Okeihan, what are you doing!?”

With Tsu-chan on my back, I dove into the sea. Water splashed everywhere, and we were both soaked.

“Pwah! Okeihan, you idiot!”

As I surfaced, I heard Tsu-chan’s shouting and saw Chikage laughing so hard her face was scrunched up. Sakura was also smiling slightly.

“Haha… This really feels like summer.”

“Are you a poet, Okeihan?”

“Well… I’ve only ever come to the sea with my family, so I got a bit excited.”

“That’s fine, just have more fun!”

Soaking wet, Tsu-chan and I started walking towards the shore. Our feet felt heavy in the water, and the sand was burning hot. That feeling was strangely nostalgic. It’s the unique sensation of moving from the sea to the land.

“Let’s enjoy this to the fullest.”

“Yeah.”

Tsu-chan ran her hand through her freshly dyed blonde hair, looking so beautiful that my heart skipped a beat again.

“Hey, don’t play without me… Kei, come over here.”

“Hm?”

“Lie down here.”

“Uh… okay.”

“It’s a sand bath, Kei-kun. It will detoxify your whole body. It’s a reward from us for all your hard work.”

“I get it, but… no pranks, okay?”

“Of course not, now hurry up.”

Really? Chikage’s face looks like she’s up to something.

I lay down as they instructed. Sakura and Chikage positioned themselves on either side of me, covering my body with sand. Tsu-chan joined in, piling even more sand on top of me. In no time, I was completely buried in sand.

It was hot. A gentle warmth, but somehow it felt nice.

“…I’m starting to feel sleepy.”

“It’s okay if you take a little nap. I’d like to see your sleeping face.”

“No, but we came here to play together. Sleeping would be…”

“Kei-kun, you’ve been working too hard lately. I know you’ve been studying programming on your own. Take a break.”

As Sakura gently stroked my head, I felt a wave of sleepiness wash over me.

“Also, Okeihan, you should have told us you wanted to learn programming. We could have helped. For our systems, Mellow outsources a lot, and we know quite a few freelancers. I could introduce you to some.”

“…Thank you. I’ve been feeling the limits of self-study… Can I take you up on that offer?”

“Of course, leave it to me.”

Recently, I’ve started studying.

After thinking about how I could be useful to the three of them, I concluded that learning programming might be a good idea.

Of course, right now, I’m just at the stage of learning HTML and source code. I’m not a full-fledged programmer, and I don’t even know if I’ll become one… but if I can, I think I could be helpful to everyone.

But… this is bad… Sleepiness is taking over…

…

…

※

“…Did he fall asleep?”

“Looks like it.”

“Kei… is so cute. It’s making me feel strange.”

“Chikage, calm down. Kei-kun needs to rest.”

“…I know.”

“Okeihan has been studying PF platforms and business topics too. And the notes he’s been making are super easy to understand.”

“Like what?”

“Like this, titled ‘Be Aware of the Left Side’ – it goes like this:”

Games:

Get users to click ads → Get them to play → Increase conversion rates

Pickup lines:

Start a conversation → Take action → Success rates

Online novels:

Increase page views → Get readers → Improve rating rates

“…”

“…”

“Isn’t it amazing? Even if you wrote it in the sand, you’d still get it. The way he organized it is brilliant. The more you focus on the items on the left, the higher the achievement rate. He applied this to various things. I was shocked when I saw his notes.”

“Pick-up lines… that makes me a bit jealous.”

“Kei-kun isn’t actually doing it. It’s just a business perspective. But it’s certainly easy to understand. The more people you approach, the higher the success rate.”

“Mellow’s works have been selling 20% more since Okeihan started helping with promotion. Seeing the data he compiled makes it clear how much we were neglecting that aspect.”

“But… it’s not my specialty.”

“Chikage, that’s an excuse.”

“Watching Okeihan work hard, I sometimes think about it… What if he becomes the head of a big company like DDM in the future?”

“I don’t like that. I’d be happy for him, but… it feels like he wouldn’t have time for us anymore.”

“Imposing our opinions isn’t good. Kei-kun is still figuring out what he wants to do.”

“Does Kei want to leave us? He doesn’t have to work… I’d support him for life, so why… why does he want to leave?”

“Chikage, no negative thoughts!”

“Chikage has a point. Right now, we have Kei-kun to ourselves because of our youth. As we grow older, his interests might change. He’s a boy, after all.”

“Are you saying that when we get older, he’ll start looking at younger girls…?”

“Definitely.”

“…Oh no, I need to start taking better care of my beauty… skin care… I have to do it.”

“Sakurako, Chikage, you’re being too pessimistic. I don’t think Okeihan is thinking that deeply… but still…”

“But it’s true. Tsukasa, you need to be more realistic. Unless we make things official, we can’t stay together forever. Right now, we’re students, so we can be together like this. But both of you should consider the X-day.”

“So, you’re saying… we should have Kei choose one of us?”

“Yes. No hard feelings.”

“Let’s stop. We can think about it later. We’re at the beach, let’s not talk about depressing things!”

“Okay. We won’t talk about this for the rest of the summer vacation.”

“…Isn’t there a way for the four of us to stay together? Maybe if we go overseas.”

“Chikage, let’s pause this discussion!”

“…Yeah, sorry.”

As Chikage, Sakurako, and Tsukasa surrounded the sleeping Kei, each of them pondered about the future. They felt that this summer vacation might be a time for them to make some important decisions.

All three sensed this feeling.