I'm a Kept Man for the Three Most Beautiful Girls in School - Chapter 28: At the Beach 4

Chapter 28: At the Beach 4

When I returned to the tent, Tsu-chan was stretching, saying, “Yo! Ho!” 

She was swiftly performing her exercises and stretches. It was the final date with just Tsu-chan and me, but I wondered what she had in mind.

Tsu-chan took off her denim shorts, revealing her bikini bottoms without hesitation. 

As soon as she spotted me and Sakura, she flashed a mischievous smile.

“Welcome back, Okeihan. Sakurako. Did you enjoy your walk?”

“Yeah, it was fun.”

“It was fun. Tsukasa, you should have fun too. Where’s Chikage?”

“She went to wake up Hiyori-san. We all want to have dinner together.”

“Got it. Then, please take care of Kei-kun. I’ll take a nap in the tent for a bit.”

There was a slight look of fatigue on Sakura’s face. 

Well, it was understandable since we had just been doing some intense exercise. 

Sakura has a habit of becoming bold when her emotions run high. Normally, she is calm and modest. 

But as the action reaches its climax, her pent-up passion expands like thermal expansion, and it’s not unusual for my vitality to be drained by that gap.

However, with the ever-energetic Tsu-chan waiting, I needed to gather my remaining strength. Like a spirit bomb.

“Shall we go, Okeihan?”

“Yeah.”

“I can guess what you were doing with Sakura, but I’m not going to say anything.”

“I won’t say anything either.”

As we walked along the beach, I glanced at Tsu-chan in her swimsuit.

She might have a flat chest, but Tsu-chan had an outstanding model-like figure with perfect proportions that were more than enough to charm any guy.

Her smooth, flawless thighs were seductive, and her spotless skin could easily rival any actress in commercials.

Since dyeing her hair from brown to blonde, all her charms had doubled or even tripled, making me feel like my heart was being played with in the palm of her hand. 

Maybe Son Goku felt the same way. Well, that part of “Journey to the West” wasn’t about love, though.

“Okeihan, you’re staring too much. Your gaze is a bit lewd.”

“Tsu-chan, you’re just too cute, I can’t help it…”

When I admitted that honestly, Tsu-chan smiled, looking somewhat pleased. 

As we walked along the water’s edge, talking about trivial things, the conversation gradually shifted to what I did with the other two on our previous dates, making it a bit hard to respond.

“What did you talk about with Chikage and Sakurako? Like, living together in the future?”

“…Well, yeah. Something like that.”

“Come on, we’re still in high school. Okeihan, you shouldn’t think too much about such far-off things. Normal students aren’t thinking about marriage and all that. Nowadays, a lot of kids just enjoy the present. You don’t have to shoulder everything by yourself.”

“I guess that’s how it is for most people.”

“Oh, that sounded like there’s more to it. Spill it.”

When asked so directly, I found myself at a loss for words. 

I organized my jumbled thoughts and, after putting my words in order, I finally spoke up.

“Well… I know it hasn’t even been half a year since we met. But I’ve received so many important things from Tsu-chan, Chikage, and Sakura that can’t be measured by time alone. I want to give something back to all of you. And…”

“And?”

“And… being shown affection by such cute girls… if I can’t give it my all, I wouldn’t be a man. It’s not about trying hard, it comes naturally. So, don’t worry about it. Of course, if you find me too heavy, it’s okay to step away. It’s up to you, Tsu-chan.”

This was my honest feeling. 

Tsu-chan turned her face towards the sea, which was dyed crimson by the sunset, and covered her face with her left hand. Her cheek, peeking through the gaps between her fingers, was redder than the sunset.

“Okeihan, you’re sneaky. Don’t make me fall for you even more.”

“Tsu-chan, are you easy to fall for…? I haven’t really been in a deep relationship with other girls, so… I’m not sure.”

“I’m pretty normal, I guess… Girls are idealists, you know. We like romantic things like being treated kindly by a handsome guy or meeting someone who seems ordinary but is actually a prince charming. Those romantic events make us think, ‘Oh, this person is my destiny.’ So yeah, I think I’m normal… But Okeihan, you’re just… sneaky.”

“Sneaky, huh… If you mean that in a good way, I’m glad.”

“See, that’s what makes you sneaky. But saying you’ll try hard because we’re cute has an expiration date, right? As we get older, our charm will fade. Of course, I’ll spend money on beauty care, but if you want to marry us just for our looks… it’s sweet, but probably unrealistic.”

Tsu-chan said, almost interrupting. 

Does she think this relationship has a time limit?

But that’s not it. At least, I want to spend our time together as a group of four. So, I decided to express my feelings clearly.

“I’d actually be happy if we could still be close even when I’m an old man. I want to be with Tsu-chan, Chikage, and Sakura forever. It might be an impossible dream, but please allow me to pursue it.”

“That’s not fair…”

“Tsu-chan?”

“Reality might not be so sweet, you know. Like, see that big rock over there? If we race to it, I’m sure I’d win. If you lose, maybe your dream won’t come true. It could be something like that.”

Hmm. 

Tsu-chan is the most realistic among the three. She might have a gyaru look, but she doesn’t live by the ‘high energy’ motto. She’s not the type to believe in spiritual things. 

So, she probably doesn’t truly believe in the events or superstitions she just mentioned. But the fact that she said it…

(Does that mean Tsu-chan wants that future the most?)

Maybe I’m overthinking it, but the fact that she was stretching earlier might have been to prepare for this situation. 

Still, I hope she doesn’t underestimate me. I know how fast Tsu-chan can run. But if the outcome of this race could change something, if it could break Tsu-chan’s doubts, then I’ll use any means to win.

“If we tie, can I count it as my win?”

“Are you seriously going to do this? If we race, I’m going all out.”

“I know. That’s why I’m doing this. Stay still.”

“Huh, what?”

“Ready… set… go!”

I lifted Tsu-chan in a princess carry and started running towards the rock. Well, I wasn’t really running—it was more like a fast walk, and probably slower than that. 

And this was pretty, no, really tough…

“W-Wait, Okeihan…?”

“Stay still, or it could be dangerous. Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.”

Honestly, if Tsu-chan started struggling, my weak arms would give out immediately. So, I focused all my energy on my arms, making sure I didn’t drop her while I talked to keep her calm.

“Made it! It’s a tie!”

It was close—really close—but I managed to carry her all the way to the goal.

“Ha… ha… I win, right?”

I put Tsu-chan down and spoke, completely out of breath.

With my hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath. Tsu-chan just stood there, looking stunned.

“Even if you’re not the tough guy type… this is still… I never thought Okeihan could be so aggressive…”

Tsu-chan muttered something under her breath.

“Okeihan, you’re still sneaky.”

“Yeah, I might have cheated just now. But I promise I’ll make it happen, so please give me a chance.”

“I… I get it. I believe you. I won’t be stubborn anymore. I want to make your dream come true too.”

The sunset was so bright that I couldn’t see clearly, but it looked like Tsu-chan was tearing up a little. 

Without thinking, I hugged her. Our heartbeats synced, creating a unique symphony. I wasn’t sure if I was excited by the moment or by imagining our future—probably both

“Hey, Okeihan… this might be totally out of place right now, but…”

“Hm?”

“Do you prefer cat ears or bunny ears?”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“Just answer quickly.”

“Cat ears, I guess?”

“Next week, I’m going to a cosplay event with Kokoa… If you want, I’ll wear cat ears. It’s not as big as Summer Comiket, but will you come with me?”

“Sure.”

I wasn’t entirely sure how we ended up on this topic, but I understood that Tsu-chan wanted to make me happy.

Cosplay, huh? Just imagining Tsu-chan with cat ears made my heart race. It’s going to be amazing.

“I’ll definitely go.”

Honestly, there’s no reason to refuse. I felt a bit ashamed of my inability to control my desires.

“R-Really… I’m so glad. I was worried about what I’d do if you said no.”

“You were worried about that? If you ask me, I’ll go anywhere…”

“You never know. Cosplay is kind of… niche… and, well, otaku stuff is… you know…”

If I had any bias against that, I wouldn’t be helping with Tsu-chan and the others’ doujin circle. Though, it’s true that the unique genre of manga they create might not appeal to everyone.

But I don’t have any prejudice. 

If Tsu-chan likes it, I’m sure I can come to like it too.

“Don’t worry about it. I want to be with the person I like.”

“Okeihan, you’re such an idiot… saying something more embarrassing than me.”

I knew it, but hearing it from Tsu-chan made me feel twice as embarrassed. My cheeks felt warm and probably turned red, but I’d blame it on the sunset.

So, we stood there hugging for a while, with smiles that shone brighter than the sun.