The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason

First, we stored the belongings of the four of us in a locker, borrowed a float just in case for Shirafuji, who couldn’t swim, and headed to the lazy river.

This type of pool, commonly found at leisure facilities, was bustling with people.

In the lazy river, where the focus is more on fun than swimming, even someone like Shirafuji, who can’t swim, should be able to enjoy herself.

“Water doesn’t scare you, right?”

“I wouldn’t voluntarily dive in, but as long as I can touch the bottom, I’ll be fine. Besides, I have the float and Hakuto. I don’t think I’ll drown… probably.”

“Can’t you say that more confidently?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as Kuwazome keeps an eye on Luna, nothing bad will happen, right? I’ll watch out too, of course.”

“I’m here as well. With three of us, I doubt Shirofuji-san could drown without anyone noticing.”

“I’ll also try to stick close to Hakuto as much as possible.”

With that, Shirafuji linked her arm with mine.

The direct sensation of her skin and her body warmth transmitted through the contact made my reason waver.

Between my arm and her chest was only the thin, smooth fabric of her swimsuit.

Perhaps because of that, I felt her presence more vividly than usual.

But since Shirafuji had relied on me, saying she might drown, I couldn’t bring myself to push her away.

In short, this heaven-or-hell situation would likely continue all day.

“…Shirafuji-san, you’re pressing against me too much. It’s a bit… problematic.”

“What could you possibly mean? If you don’t spell it out, I won’t understand.”

Flustered by the awkwardness, I cautiously asked her to tone it down, only to be met with a smiling rejection.

…Why does she seem so amused by this?

Am I being teased?

Well, I guess that’s fine too.

With Shirafuji still holding onto my arm, I carried the float with my other hand and entered the lazy river.

The water, which I entered feet first, was pleasantly cool as it was heated.

The last time I had been in a pool was during middle school swimming lessons.

It had been so long that my mind had anticipated the chill of unheated water.

As my upper body gradually submerged, I adjusted to the temperature and found my footing on the pool floor.

Next to me, Shirafuji stood in the water, looking somewhat nervous.

Even in the water, she didn’t let go of my arm.

“By the way… what do you do in a lazy river?”

“Huh? If I had to say, you just drift along and have fun?”

“When I hear ‘pool,’ I usually think of swimming for training purposes.”

“To be honest, I don’t really know either. There’s a saying, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ so for now, let’s just go with the flow.”

The vague image we had was probably due to our lack of experience.

Looking around for reference, I saw people splashing water at each other, floating on tubes, or couples who seemed to be in a romantic embrace.

While I decided to avoid mimicking that last one, I got the general idea of the atmosphere.

“Hakuto, look over here.”

“What’s up?”

“Take this!”

With a cute shout, Shirafuji splashed water in my direction, wetting my face.

Caught off guard, I reflexively closed my eyes. Realizing there was no follow-up, I opened them to see Shirafuji grinning as if she had pulled off a clever trick.

“Take that!”

“Eek!”

In retaliation, I splashed water at Shirafuji, eliciting a short shriek.

Her bangs, now wet, clung to her forehead.

She wiped her eyes with her hand and met my gaze, prompting both of us to burst into laughter.

“This is how you enjoy a pool, huh?”

“Looks like it. I splashed you back without thinking—are you okay with water on your face? Any issues with makeup?”

“I’m not wearing any today, so it’s fine. You can drench me all you want.”

“That makes me feel a bit bad, though—”

“Gotcha!”

Before I could finish, Hanaha splashed me.

Unprepared, I took the full hit, ending up completely soaked.

Off-guard? Seems like water battles in a pool have no rules.

“…So this is how it’s going to be, huh?”

“Of course! Luna, let’s team up and take down Kuwazome!”

“Sounds good. It’s two against one, but don’t think we’re being unfair.”

“With me, it’s two against two.”

“Good thing Rin didn’t join the enemy side.”

With Hanaha and Rin now involved, it became a two-on-two battle.

From there, it was an all-out, unregulated water fight.

We splashed water at each other, thoroughly soaking our faces and hair as we floated down the lazy river, all while being mindful not to disturb others around us.

That mindfulness, however, wasn’t foolproof.

“Heh! Catch up if you can!”

“Wait up!!”

Behind us, a boisterous couple came hurtling through.

Shirafuji, standing in their path, tried to move aside but found it difficult to maneuver in the water.

Realizing she couldn’t avoid them, her blue eyes turned to me.

In an instant, I pulled her close, shielding her with my body.

I positioned myself to protect her as their arms brushed against my back.

The couple, seemingly oblivious to what had happened, passed us without so much as a glance.

That was close.

“Shirafuji, are you hurt?”

“Thanks to you, I’m fine. Are you okay? I saw their arm hit yours.”

“Didn’t even faze me.”

“That’s good to hear… but people should really be more careful.”

“Agreed.”

Shirafuji’s complaint was completely justified.

This isn’t a private space.

In a public place like this pool, surrounded by others, carelessness could lead to injuries or even drowning.

Ignoring that is nothing short of arrogance.

“But with you watching over me, I feel safe. You even helped me before I could call out.”

“I promised, didn’t I? I want this to be a fun and memorable experience for you.”

“Hakuto-kun’s right. That was really cool of you.”

“True to form for the famous couple of Seimei High School. Even at the pool, you’re showing off—saving her in the water, holding her close. Something has to happen after that, right?”

“Nothing’s going to happen. Sorry for grabbing you so suddenly, Shirafuji. You’re safe now, so I’ll let go—”