Chapter 52: Entranced by my childhood friend’s swimsuit

Entranced by my childhood friend’s swimsuit

When I woke up, it was already past ten in the morning. I slid open the sliding doors, passed through the neatly organized main room and headed towards the inner room where I felt someone’s presence.

As I opened the sliding door, Aya was right there in front of me.

“Hey, good morning, Boyan. I was just about to wake you up”, she said.

“Sorry, I overslept.”

“No worries. You helped clean up the main room until late last night. Oh, I’ll bring breakfast now. Just sit there and wait.”

The six-mat room had a low table, shelves and a television, indicating that this was where they usually had meals and relaxed.

As I sat down on a cushion, Haru-kun, who was sitting across from me, spoke up.

“Boyan-kun is a late riser too.”

“Good morning.”

Haru-kun was already having his breakfast. In the end, after getting drunk, Haru-kun couldn’t possibly have gone back to his parents’ place, so he had fallen asleep on the futon laid out in the main room.

“Hey, I’m sorry about last night. Aya-chan told me that I was bothering you the whole time. Honestly, I don’t remember what we talked about, though.”

As expected, it seemed he had forgotten the monologue on the veranda from last night. Well, he probably wouldn’t want his cousin’s current boyfriend to know that he had been curious about his cousin for a long time.

“We didn’t have any significant conversation, so don’t worry about it.”

“I see… well, that’s good then.”

As the sliding door slid open, Aya entered carrying a tray.

“Here, breakfast is ready.”

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Today, Aya was wearing a plain orange knit sweater and jeans. The neckline of the sweatshirt was wide, exposing the white T-shirt she was wearing underneath.

As usual, she had rolled up her sleeves and the veins were visible on her slender arms as she held the tray.

“Sorry, thank you. Can I help with something?”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. After all, you’re technically a guest, Boyan.”

“Even though I just invited myself.”

“Hehe, yeah, that’s right. Here, enjoy… well, to be honest, Mom made most of it.”

“So, did you make something too, Aya?”

“Well, yeah… I made a little bit of miso soup.”

“Itadakimasu.”

I immediately took a sip of miso soup. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

“…It’s delicious.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, the broth is flavorful and it has a gentle taste.”

“I see…”

Aya blushed a little and smiled. While I was captivated by that smile, a small sigh came from across the table.

Haru-kun was watching us with a smile, seemingly unfazed by our newlywed-like interactions.

“Oh, Aya-chan, maybe you should start getting ready soon?”

Haru-kun spoke up as if he had just remembered.

“That’s right. Even though it’s a weekday, it takes over an hour to get to the pool and traffic can be a hassle once it gets crowded.”

“Then I’ll go tell Hiroto. Oh, Boyan, take your time with breakfast.”

Aya left the room in a hurry. The sound of her footsteps echoed through the house as she climbed the stairs. She must have gone upstairs.

“Trying to cheer up Aya-chan, I invited her to the pool. But honestly, she probably wouldn’t have gone if you hadn’t come.”

“Cheering her up… was she feeling down?”

“Aya-chan loves her grandpa so much. She was really gloomy since he collapsed. Even after recovering, she was quiet… but when it was decided that you were coming, she suddenly became energetic.”

“I envy that.” – For some reason, I remembered the words Haru-kun muttered on the veranda last night.

An awkward silence started to settle in, so I decided to change the topic.

“Speaking of which, I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

“Yeah, Aya-chan and I and everyone else, plan on renting swimsuits.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Suddenly, I found myself imagining Aya in a swimsuit and a pulsating feeling started in my lower body.

I sipped the mildly sweet miso soup and tried to calm myself down.

- - -

The car carrying us was cruising along the highway.

Haru-kun was driving, with Hiroto-kun in the passenger seat. Aya and I were in the back seat.

Popular music, supposedly selected by Haru-kun, played in the car. Every now and then, I saw Aya humming along, making me think he probably picked the songs for her.

“It’s quite far, isn’t it?” I said to Aya next to me and she responded with a happy smile.

“Even so, it’s relatively close for the countryside.”

“It’s your first time going, Aya?”

“Yeah, I haven’t had many chances to go.”

At that moment, Hiroto-kun, seated in the passenger seat, turned around.

“Nah, even if she had the chance, she wouldn’t have gone, would she? She can’t swim.”

“Today… I’ll learn to swim”, Aya said with a frustrated look as she glanced at me.

“It’s okay. I’ll teach you carefully.”

“…Please.”

To my anxious childhood friend, I smiled reassuringly and mouthed “It’s alright” once again.

Suddenly, I felt a gaze and turned to find Haru-kun’s eyes meeting mine through the rearview mirror.

If I hadn’t come and if Aya hadn’t refused the pool trip, was Haru-kun planning to teach her?

As I absentmindedly pondered this, a cheerful voice came from the driver’s seat.

“Well, we’re almost there. Once we get off the highway, it’s just around the corner.”

- - -

The pool was much larger than I had imagined, more like an amusement facility.

It operated year-round indoors and featured water slides, lazy rivers, and even an artificial beach that simulated the seaside.

As we entered the facility, it was evident that it was a weekday off-season due to the sparse crowd. Having fewer people was a relief.

We decided to head to the rental swimsuit section for the time being.

While picking out swimming trunks, Aya, who had gone to the women’s swimsuit section, came over to me.

“Hey, Boyan.”

“What’s up?”

“If it’s between blue and white, which one do you think is better?”

This is… undeniably a request for me to choose a swimsuit color for her. Despite how embarrassing it must be, Aya’s composed expression as she tried to act nonchalant was adorable.

“I think blue suits you, Aya.”

“Blue, huh…”

For some reason, she furrowed her brow and seemed lost in thought. After a moment, she cleared her throat, seemingly making up her mind and went back.

The mystery was quickly unraveled.

“Sorry to keep you waiting… Or maybe not, huh…”

When Aya emerged from the changing room, both I and Haru-kun were left momentarily stunned.

“It looks really good, I think.”

I couldn’t find any other words to say.

Aya was wearing a two-piece bikini that exposed quite a bit of skin. Apart from covering parts of her breasts and lower abdomen, she left everything else on display — two white fruits, her graceful shoulders and arms, her well-defined waist, her navel, her curvy yet slim legs.

The fabric was more of a light blue than blue, with a hint of frill at the waist.

While swimsuits were said not to exude the same atmosphere as underwear, in this case, that wasn’t true at all. Shyly gripping her midriff with her arms seemed to emphasize her ample bust, sandwiched between her arms.

“The white one was a bit more subtle, but…”

Aya blushed and offered an explanation.

Sensual.

Perhaps because she often wore boyish attire, the contrast was staggering.

It was incredibly seductive, yet if she sensed that it was coming across, she’d probably hurry back into the changing room.

“It suits you really well, Aya. Let’s go.”

As I turned towards the passage to the pool, both Haru-kun and Hiroto-kun also shifted their gazes in the same direction. None of us looked like anything unusual was happening and we all started walking.

As the pool gets closer, Aya walking diagonally behind me is gradually shortening the distance.

Fuyon, I feel a soft sensation on my upper arm and she quickly moves away. Glancing sideways, I notice Aya pursing her lips together.

Wearing a highly revealing swimsuit for the first time, it must be incredibly embarrassing. But since I said I’m okay with it, she mustered up some courage in her own way.

Suddenly, I recall the time when Aya and I, sixth graders in elementary school, went to the public pool during the summer.

Back then, she was in her school swimsuit, yet the two curves were still pushing the swimsuit up, making a statement.

Older junior high or high school students were grinning at Aya. I hated the way those guys looked at her, so I hurriedly inflated the float and put it over her.

I don’t want anyone to see Aya’s body.

My heart grows cold.

By the time we get to the pool, any impure thoughts I had about her have disappeared. I’ve decided to shield Aya from the gazes around us as much as possible and never leave her side.

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

Despite my strong determination, Aya exclaims with a cheerful voice.

When I look, the bashful girl from just moments ago is nowhere to be found. She’s now gazing at the water slide with the excitement of a little boy.

“Boyan, let’s try going on it!”

“It looks like fun.”

“But it’s my first time at a pool that’s like an amusement park, so it’s exciting!”

Indeed, it’s like an amusement park.

The artificial beach is like the real sea and it seems they have mechanisms to create big waves periodically.

To reach the water slide in the back, you have to cross several bridges over flowing pools that are set up like mazes.

“Aya, you really like this kind of thing, don’t you?”

“Boyan, you probably thought I’m acting like a kid now.”

A sulking Aya really does seem like a pouting child. I can’t help but smile at her like that.

“I didn’t think that.”

“You’re lying!”

She stares at me with raised eyebrows, but her underlying excitement isn’t well-hidden.

Aya, once she decides to have fun, throws herself into it wholeheartedly.

Caught up in her sun-like presence, even the people around us find themselves smiling from the bottom of their hearts before they know it.

One of her many charms.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Aya, with a face like the leader of a young explorer team, grabs my arm and pulls.

Gradually, her arm intertwines with mine.

Looking at Aya, my heart skips a beat. Her eyes are fixed solely on the water slide. She unconsciously hooked her arm around mine to make it easier for me to pull her along.

Sometimes she unleashes a natural charm like this, which can be a bit troublesome.

“Aya, try not to rush and fall.”

“At that moment, I’ll leave it to you, Boyan.”

It’s amusing to see Aya so carried away that she’s even leaving her footing to others.

Well, as long as I’m right beside her, the chances of her stumbling are one in a million.

I inadvertently burst into a chuckle, but she doesn’t even notice.

Feeling her warm body temperature through our linked arms,

I savor the joy of having my childhood friend, as radiant as the sun, all to myself.