The Saint Next to Me Who Sometimes Comes Without Wearing Underwear Tells Me What’s Under Her Skirt in Secret

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Chapter 21

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Summer vacation had arrived.

I wasn’t seriously involved in any club activities. I wasn’t attending any prep school either. For someone like me, the summer vacation was filled with a bit too much free time than usual.

Of course, that didn’t mean I actually wanted to take classes… Last year, I’d just gone back to my parents’ house early and spent the break lazily, but this year was different.

“Welcome.”

“Thanks for having me.”

That was because Seira had started hanging out at my place all the time. She said she wanted to study together, but what she was really after was games. She did the bare minimum of studying just to maintain the pretense, and then spent the rest of the time playing games and not just any games.

Eroge. I could’ve just lent them to her, but apparently, she didn’t have an environment at home where she could comfortably play them. Well, even if she did, I understood why it might still be awkward for her to play eroge at home. They weren’t exactly the kind of thing you could hide like a thin doujinshi. …That said, playing them at a classmate of the opposite sex’s house was also equally questionable.

Just to defend Seira’s honor a little, she didn’t only play eroge. We also played two-player versus games together. If you counted by playtime, those might actually take up more time. Still, the fact remained that we weren’t doing much studying.

“That was so moving…”

Seira took off her earphones and said that with a voice full of emotion. It seemed like she’d reached a good stopping point.

“To think the childhood friend was the mastermind all along.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Are you sure you don’t need to study?”

I asked Seira, just in case. She gave a small snort and replied.

“As long as I listen in class and read the textbook, that’s enough for me.”

Despite how she looked, Seira was the top student in our grade. I’d assumed she must’ve been rigorously reviewing and preparing every day, but apparently that wasn’t the case. It seemed like she was getting by on raw ability, not effort.

“I mean, if it’s three days before the exam, I’ll study.”

“Must be nice to be you.”

“You’re not doing so bad yourself, though.”

“That’s because I actually do review and prep work.”

Even during summer break, I kept up with my studies, though I didn’t go to a prep school. Granted, it was only about an hour a day. but consistency was key with this kind of thing. It made things easier later on.

“Hmm, I see.”

“Anyway, it’s about lunchtime… Is somen okay with you?”

“Sure! I’ll cut the garnishes.”

“Alright. I’ll boil the noodles then.”

After casually dividing the tasks, we started cooking somen together. Though calling it cooking was a stretch—it was just boiling noodles and chopping garnishes. Even including prep time, the somen was done in five minutes.

“This is so good… I’ve thought this before, but you buy really nice somen.”

“Really?”

I tilted my head as I slurped my noodles. I did think they tasted good, but I had no idea if they were actually high-quality. I’d only ever eaten this brand of somen.

“You bought them without knowing?”

“My parents send them to me.”

“Ah, I see… Figures. You’re a little rich boy.”

“Not something I want to hear from an actual rich girl like you.”

After finishing our somen, we washed the dishes.

“…Hey, Haruki-kun.”

“What is it?”

“Do you prefer the pool or the beach?”

“The beach, I guess. It feels more freeing.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“What about you?”

“I think I prefer pools. Saltwater from the ocean damages my hair.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“And I don’t like getting sunburned. Honestly, I’m not that fond of either.”

“Really? That’s kind of surprising.”

“Do I really look like I have tough skin?”

“Not really. I just figured you might like it since it’s a legal excuse to show some skin.”

“What do you think I am?”

“A bit of an exhibitionist.”

“…I won’t deny I have my quirks. But still, I don’t actually like being seen.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. …It’s not like I’ve ever actually shown anything, right?”

“True, you haven’t.”

“I like the thrill of maybe being seen, but I don’t want people actually seeing my skin.”

“That’s actually really deep of you.”

“Exactly. That’s why I don’t usually go to either.”

“But didn’t you buy a swimsuit?”

“There are times you go along with others, you know? Like if my little sister or a friend really wants to go. I’ll go with them. Besides, I don’t dislike playing with water itself. It’s refreshing. It’s a summer tradition too. Not going even once feels like a waste, somehow.”

“I get that. Even if you don’t like something, there are seasonal things you kind of want to do at least once a year.”

“Exactly. I’d hate to get to autumn and regret not doing it.”

“Huh. So what about this year? It’s already August.”

“Not yet. So I figured if someone invites me, I’ll go. I’m feeling more open to it this year. I mean, I did buy a swimsuit and all…”

“…”

“…And it’s kind of a bold one.”

“…”

Glance. Glance. Glance.

Seira kept making eye contact as she said that.

“…Then, want to go? To the beach or the pool. With me.”

As I said that, Seira practically jumped for joy and then, she flashed me a mischievous grin.

“No waaay. You just want to see me in my swimsuit, don’t you?”