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Chapter 7
Getting Naked It was the end of January. s.h.i.+rakawa Miyako had finished her college semester tests, and went to visit Itsuki’s house. Miyako rang the bell, and Itsuki opened the door. “…Yo.” “Ah, Itsuki. I-I’m done with exams today, so I’ve got some time! I’m just here to tell you! So if you have anything you need, I’m fine with it. Don’t mind—” Miyako quickly said this with a blus.h.i.+ng face, but upon seeing Itsuki’s outfit she had a surprised look on her face. “Are you going somewhere later?” Itsuki was dressed in a coat, and he had a m.u.f.fler wrapped around his waist. It looked as though he was about to head out. However, he shook his head at Miyako’s question. At this moment, Nayuta’s voice could be heard from within the room. “Senpai~, close the door. The wind’s going to come in otherwise.” Hearing that, Itsuki motioned to Miyako. “Anyway, just come in.” “Y-yes,” she tentatively replied as she entered. The room was basically as cold as it was outside, and Nayuta, as thickly dressed as Itsuki, was lazing around under the kotatsu, flipping through a manga magazine. Nayuta turned her head around to face Miyako, and softly greeted her. “Good work there, Mya-san.” “I’m done, Nayu. Anyway, isn’t this room too cold!? Why isn’t the heater switched on?” “…It broke down in the morning. It just had to break down today of all days…kukuku…I’m so disappointed in you…” Itsuki also darted under the kotatsu, s.h.i.+vering as he glared at the heater. “Did you call for repair?” “Yeah, but the technician can only come by to repair it in 3 days. It’s thanks to this great old kotatsu that I’m able to bear this low temperature, but I can’t do any work.” “Are you going to buy an electric stove from an appliances store?” “Hm….looks like that is the only way out…” Nayuta slowly got up. “Senpai, what about this?” Saying that, she opened the manga she had been reading. It was a two-page spread of pretty girls in bikinis, yelling “It’s the sea!!” with bright smiles on their faces. “…? Are you telling me to go swimming in this d.a.m.n freezing weather?” “No. I’m thinking about our school trip to Okinawa.” “Okinawa…! There’s that too!” “Right!” Nayuta and Itsuki muttered to each other, while Miyako was feeling troubled. “W-wait a second…what do you mean? I heard that it’s warm even in winter at Okinawa, but you’re not planning to head off to Okinawa immediately, right?” “You’re right,” Itsuki affirmed. Nayuta then continued, “Come with us to Okinawa too, Mya-san.” “What? Me too?” “Aren’t you bored since the exams are over? Ah, I can pay for your travel expenses.” “I-it’s fine…I have my own savings…” “Now it’s decided, senpai and Mya-san are going to Okinawa with me!” “Eh? It’s decided!!? Ehh?” Nayuta was grinning happily, and Miyako, being embarra.s.sed, was unable to say anything. So, the matter was settled so simply. As it was the offseason, they got their plane tickets and hotel rooms immediately. That evening, Itsuki, Nayuta and Miyako arrived in Okinawa. Miyako arrived at the airport without bringing any luggage along, and looked completely lost. “We really came to Okinawa…that’s weird…is Okinawa the kind of place you come to when you want to avoid the cold…?” Itsuki let his black coat flutter like a cape and yelled, “FUHAHAHA, Okinawa! I have returned!”[19] “Eh? Are you from Okinawa?” “…No, but I came here once two years ago.” “Really? Then where did you visit?” “The hotel.” “Of course you’ll be going to the hotel. I’m asking which attractions did you go to, or which leisure places?” “Nope, not really?” “Huh?” “Back then, it was August. The place was packed full with tourists, the sun was so strong, and it was so humid. I thought I was going to die…so I hid in the hotel for 3 days straight.” “Eh, are you an idiot?” Miyako voiced out her thoughts, and Itsuki blushed. “Wh-who are you calling idiot!? It’s my right to choose what to do for my vacation!” “That’s right…but isn’t that just stupid?” “I-I’m not the stupid one…the one calling others stupid is stupid…” Itsuki still regretted that he had wasted his vacation back then, so even though he was being told off, he could not go all out to refute. “…I-I want to learn from my lesson from that last time, and enjoy Okinawa to the fullest…anyway, it’s really hot, I don’t think I have the strength to head out.” “You’re right…I don’t get the feeling that it’s January…” Sweat was trickling down Nayuta’s forehead. “It’s 17 degrees Celsius. To be expected of Okinawa…it’s kinda warm…anyway, the reason why you guys are so hot now is because of your clothing.” “That’s true.” “Right.” Miyako pointed it out, and Itsuki and Nayuta removed their coats. However, they had worn a few layers of sweater underneath, so they were still hot. For the time being, the trio bought some T-s.h.i.+rts and underwear to wear, took a taxi to the hotel in Naha, and completed their check-in. Room-wise, Itsuki took a single bedroom, while Miyako and Nayuta shared a double bedroom. “Mya-san, can you switch rooms with Itsuki-senpai?” “O-of course not!” “Too bad…but I’m hoping to sleep in the same room as you.” Nayuta showed a fawning smile, and rubbed her body on Miyako like a cat, “Yes, yes,” the latter patted her on the head and said. The trio rested in their hotel rooms for a while, and went to a nearby bar for dinner. They ordered Octopus rice, Bitter-gourd Campur, Rafute, Sea Grapes, Double Lined Fusilier and other famous Okinawan dishes. Itsuki and Miyako toasted to each other with Hibiscus beer. (It is a beverage brewed with beer and Hibiscus extract. It has a little sweet and sour taste, and is very refres.h.i.+ng, definitely a treat to drink in really hot weather. The Hibiscus extract can be bought on the internet, so it can be brewed at home. It is better to brew it with beer with a clear refres.h.i.+ng taste, and best with Orion beer or other white beer.) Nayuta, being underage, could only treat herself to Hibiscus juice. “…Hm, really nice.” “Yep. Goes well with the Bitter-gourd Campur.” Seeing Itsuki and Miyako enjoy themselves with the beer and the dishes, Nayuta enviously puffed her cheeks. “Mmm. I want to drink beer too.” “No way. Wait until you’re an adult.” “Right. Brats like you should just drink juice.” “…Senpai, you don’t take me as a love interest because I’m a kid, right?” “Pff!?” Itsuki immediately spat out all the beer in his mouth. “…Eh, what did you say? I couldn’t hear.” “…Isn’t that exaggerated response and pretending not to hear anything too fake?” Nayuta gave Itsuki a displeased look while the latter blatantly lied with a forced tone, saying, “Eh? What did you say? Music’s too loud. Can’t hear you.” Nayuta nonchalantly continued, and Itsuki too showed a mask-like stoic face as he blatantly played dumb. “I like you, senpai.” “Hm? What did you say about a pike?”[20] “Go out with me.” “Alright, where are we going?” “Let’s have s.e.x.” “I prefer the trumpet to the saxophone though.” “…I’m starting to get interested in how long you can play dumb, senpai. You can feel how round they are.”[21] “Round? A round of beer? Underaged kids aren’t allowed to drink beer.” “You can jam it in though!” “So, traffic jam or strawberry jam?” “…That’s a bit forced, isn’t it?” “…You too, who in the world confesses like you do?” “Please come inside!”[22] “Speaking of Jouji Nakata, that performance of the character ‘Fudou Dairen’ in Occult Maiden was done by him. Really great acting. Seriously, that’s not much of a confession!”[23]. “…I’ll switch to something more tasteful—the moon is beautiful.” “I guess.” “Huh? Eh, that was Natsume Soseki’s—” “I know! I’m playing dumb because I know what you’re getting at!”[24] “I love how you are, senpai.” “…You want to eat ice? No, don’t wanna…hey. I can’t hang on anymore, so can you stop?” “Couldn’t you have just allowed me to drink?” “Anyway, kid, just finish the egg and be quiet.” Itsuki stabbed his chopstick into the boiled egg of the Rafute, and brought it to Nayuta’s mouth. “Ahm.” Nayuta took the egg into her mouth, gnawed at it while staring at the chopstick, and swallowed it. “Nchuu…rerorero…chuu chuuu…” “Ho-how long are you going to keep licking?” Itsuki saw Nayuta finish the egg and made some noises as she licked at the chopstick, and he hurriedly pulled it out from her mouth. There was a trail of drool from the tip of the chopstick to Nayuta’s mouth. “Fufu…senpai, that’s some unique fetish you have, bringing your eggsack to a girl without thinking.”[25] “Stop being so lewd about this!” Itsuki continued eating with a bus.h.i.+ng face, and Nayuta picked up the deep-fried chicken with her chopsticks. …While Itsuki and Nayuta were bickering away, Miyako was left fl.u.s.tered as she looked back and forth between them. After dinner, they returned to their hotel bedrooms. Itsuki took out his laptop, and began to work. He had only had one gla.s.s of beer, so he did not feel drunk at all. After a scrumptious meal, he felt happy, and the night breeze blowing through the window felt refres.h.i.+ng. Also, the season in January sharpened his senses. Thus, he could not stop writing. I might as well stay in Okinawa all the time. Itsuki thought as he continued working, but after almost 2 hours, he started to tire. Then, someone knocked on the door. Itsuki opened the door, and found that it was Miyako standing outside. Her hair was slightly drenched, and she was holding a bag from a family mart. “I saw a lot of rare beers down there, so I bought them. Drink some with me.” Miyako said that with an absurd tone, and her expression was a little lost, her cheeks blus.h.i.+ng slightly. It looked as if she had drunk quite a bit. “…Where’s the crab lord?”[26] “Nayu went to sleep after her bath.” “I see.” Miyako entered Itsuki’s room, took out a few cans from the bag, and placed them on the table. There was Chu-Hai from the southern countries, Southern Star, Special X—all kinds of beer that could not be bought in the family marts on the mainland. “The Okinawa family marts are really interesting. They sell octupus rice and pork with egg onigiri, and also local limited burgers and snacks. Oh yeah, there’s also some Oden with Okinawan soba. Same goes for the vending machines, lots of local-only juice.” “I know. Last time I came here, I got all of my meals from the marts.” “That’s not something to be proud of, right…?” Miyako looked stunned, opened the can of Southern Star, and started drinking. Itsuki too drank from the she-quasar and pineapple flavor from the Southern countries. It was only then that he realized he had not drank, and was thirsty for quite a while. “How’s that?” “Well, great.” Itsuki gulped down to quench his thirst, and answered. “Hm. This one’s ordinary though…it’ll be great with the Hibiscus extract.” Both of them finished up their first cans, and started chatting. As Miyako started scanning for what she wanted to drink next, she said, “Hey, Itsuki.” “Hm?” “What do you think of Nayu?” “She’s a pervert,” Itsuki immediately answered. “We-well, about that…I guess! But she kept saying that she likes you, she likes you, so…haven’t you thought about going out with her?” “…What’s there to think about…I plainly rejected her before. A long time back.” Itsuki was half-drunk, his eyes starting to blur as he said that. “Eh! Really? When was it?” “…” Itsuki opened a can of Special X, took a swig at it, “Kek.” He made a cute sound as he burped, and stammered somewhat as he recalled what happened. 3 days had pa.s.sed since he was rejuvenated by Nayuta’s debut work. Nayuta visited him at his home, hoping for a reply to her confession, and Itsuki immediately refused. “I can’t go out with you.” Nayuta immediately collapsed into tears. Itsuki recalled the guilt he felt back then. That was when he had understood something; that if he made a girl cry right in his face, even if he did nothing wrong, he would feel like an incorrigible sc.u.mbag. When Nayuta left the room, she hid her bawling face and whimpered, “…Has.h.i.+ma-senpai, are you still willing to talk to me?”. Triggered by his guilt, Itsuki was a little hesitant, and answered, “O-of course…we’re both authors. I’ll be in your care.” …However, he never expected her to come back to play the next day. Itsuki was not mentally prepared, but considering that he said ‘I’ll be in your care’, it would be inappropriate for him to shoo her off. Though troubled, he welcomed her into his room, and they started playing video games together. Ever since then, Nayuta would pop by Itsuki’s place from time to time, and their relations.h.i.+p continued on until this point. “Heh…” “What’s with that face?” “Hmm~ I thought you were just a sc.u.mbag who let a cute girl chase you and deliberately not give her a clear answer, keep a vague relations.h.i.+p, and just wanted her to have your baby. I was wrong about you.” “…So that’s what you thought.” Itsuki narrowed his eyes, and Miyako sheepishly gave a wry smile. “Then why didn’t you go out with Nayu? She’s cute—ah, whatever. Ignore that.” “?” Itsuki looked puzzled, and Miyako deliberately averted her eyes, playing dumb. —Why don’t you try go out for a date too? Miyako thought of the questions she was often asked by her friends, and every single time, she was perturbed. If someone goes out with someone not because she likes that person, but because he’s handsome, smart, some football team captain, rich, has a bright future or so on, Miyako felt that that was fine, and that there was a possibility of her falling in love with that kind of guy once they began dating. However, Miyako disagreed that she was being treated like a weirdo by her friends simply because she did not go out with a boy. “…Don’t you have any feelings for Nayu?” Miyako repeated again, and Itsuki looked nonchalant as he answered, “Humph. That’s a stupid question.” He averted his face, and muttered. “…It’s because I still have some feelings that I don’t know what to do.” Upon seeing Itsuki’s red sidelong face, Miyako had the urge to cry out loud. “…Miyako, have you read the crab lord’s books?” Itsuki lowered his eyes and muttered. “…Nope,” Miyako answered. “…If you don’t have any plans to be an author in the future, you should go look them up. If you never read them, it’ll be no different from having wasted your life. If you have the time to read my books, you might as well read Kani Nayuta’s works as well…” Itsuki muttered away, and immediately fell asleep. Saying those words was not like his usual self, and that shocked Miyako quite a bit. “…Looks like you have quite a bit of issues there…” The next day, the trio were having their meal at the hotel restaurant, discussing their plans for the day. “It’s our first time to Okinawa. Shuri City and Churaumi Aquarium are must-goes, but are there any recommendations for Okinawa in winter? Don’t you have any place you want to go?” “Ah~?” “Nya~?” Miyako inquired, while Itsuki and Nayuta were slow in their reactions. Their eyes were half-awake, nibbling on their fried fish. “I! Said! Don’t you have any other places you want to visit!?” “…Keep your voice down. My head’s ringing…” Itsuki was frowning. “What, Itsuki? You have a hangover?” “…Impossible…I only had a gla.s.s last night. How is it possible for me to be drunk…?” “1 gla.s.s…you don’t have any recollection of what happened last night?” “…? I was writing last night, and for some reason, I ended up sleeping…” It appeared Itsuki really could not remember what happened the previous night. Miyako sighed. Miyako considered that if he were to ask her what had happened the previous night, she would reveal that she kept drinking and enjoyed watching Itsuki’s sleeping face, and decided to remain quiet. “So, any place you want to go?” “Mmm…an uninhabited island.” “Huh!?” Miyako tilted her head. “…Next volume, I plan to have an event where the protagonist drifts to an empty island with his little sister. If possible, I want to get some material.” “An uninhabited island…maybe there is one. I’ll start looking for a bit.” —And so, the trio left for an uninhabited island. Miyako asked a hotel staff member, and went to lunch early to ask the canteen staff, finding out that there was an island ‘with probably almost no one around’. “Good thing Mya-san’s around huh, senpai?” “…Ahh.” Itsuki nodded at Nayuta’s words. Itsuki could handle jobs like booking tickets and hotel rooms, jobs that could be done on the computer, but he was incapable of going around and asking for information. Miyako handled this job with her top-notch communication skills, and he was grateful for it. The canteen staff were correct; it appeared that there was no one visiting this island other than Itsuki and the others. The trio walked down a trail thanks to the smartphone’s camera function, and arrived on the other side of the island. Beyond the beach was a wide, blue sea. “So pretty…” Miyako uttered in marvel. “It’s! The! Sea!” Nayuta exclaimed in a rhythmic manner. She took off her shoes, and teetered towards the sea. “The sea is really cold after all.” Miyako followed Nayuta in removing her shoes, and stepped into the clear seawater, saying. “Since we’re finally here, let’s get swimming, Mya-san!” “What nonsense are you saying? We didn’t bring our swimsuits.” Miyako was flabbergasted, but Nayuta remained as she was. “What’s wrong with not having swimsuits? No one else is around.” And while Miyako was looking on, stunned, Nayuta stripped off her T-s.h.i.+rt without hesitation. “Wait, wh-what are you doing, Nayu!? Itsuki, look over there right now!” “I-I got it!” Without needing anyone to tell him, Itsuki instinctively turned to look away from Nayuta. While this ruckus was going on, Nayuta had stripped herself of her s.h.i.+rt, skirt, and even her undergarments without hesitation. She shouted ‘Bashaann!’ and squealed as she fell backwards into the sea. “H-Hey! Put on your clothes now!” Nayuta widened her eyes in shock and said, “It’s so cold, Mya-san!” “Well of course it is, isn’t it?” “Ah, but it doesn’t feel like it’ll stay this cold though. Come on in, Mya-san.” Nayuta got up as she splashed water on Miyako. When she lifted her arms, those two hills that were rather plump for a skinny girl would shake. “Stop fooling around! It’s cold! I’ll get wet!” “Come join us too, senpai!” “Y-you idiot!” Itsuki turned his head away, not looking at Nayuta as he ran off. “Stop fooling around, Nayu!” “Didn’t we bathe together yesterday, Mya-san?” “So what?” The clear sea dazzled under the s.h.i.+ne of the sun, and Nayuta, shaking her silver hair and white body nicely, looked like a pixie. Even Miyako, of the same s.e.x as her, started to turn beetroot, her heart racing. It felt like a fantasy world that did not belong in reality. If she joined in on this game, she too could become a resident of this fantasy world, and a strange sense of excitement was born within her. And she, lured by this irresistible urge— “Ah seriously! Itsuki! Go keep watch over there! If you dare turn around to peek, I’ll definitely snap your neck!” And before Itsuki could answer, Miyako stripped herself without a second thought, “Ahh, it’s cold!” and shouted desperately as she chased after Nayu into the sea. “I’m here, Mya-san.” “You dare splash me?” “Nyaha.” Miyako really enjoyed herself as she started splas.h.i.+ng water at Nayuta. And while continuing this water battle with Nayuta, Miyako yelled, “Arrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh! What am I doing––-!!!” It was Okinawa, but it was still the end of January, and they were playing around naked in the sea like idiots. She was doing something she normally wouldn’t, and if her college friends saw her, one had to wonder what they would think. “Nyahaha!” And this girl, having fun like a kid who admired her as an older sister, was someone even the amazing professional author Has.h.i.+ma Itsuki felt inferior to, the latter even describing his own works as simply ‘my books’. Even in the world of professionals, she seemed to be an amazing prodigy of a writer. Miyako only read light novels, manga, video games and anime after knowing Itsuki, and Kani Nayuta’s novels were the only ones she had never read. She had a vague premonition that if she were to read Nayuta’s works, she would never be able to get along with the latter as normal, so she had been avoiding it. But Nayuta’s ‘Scenery’ series was a bestseller, and most bookstores would set her works at obvious places. Even when ordering books on Amazon, they were often seen under the ‘Customers who bought this item also bought’ and the top half of the bestselling columns, so it was really difficult to ignore them. Also, every book had hundreds of reviews, most of them sounds of praises, with thoughts like ‘this book really changed me’, or ‘this book saved my life’ being beyond praise and almost wors.h.i.+p-like. It is said that heaven does not create one man above or below another man, however, the reality is that humans are not equal—so said the old man on the 10,000 yen note.[27] Miyako too agreed with that saying. There’s no such thing as equality in people. There’s no way I’m as valuable as Kani Nayuta. I don’t have any value compared to Kani Nayuta. I don’t have the right to ruin her romance. Tears welled out. But n.o.body else found out, for those tears were quickly washed away by the water Nayuta splashed on her. On the other hand, “…What do I do now? That’s my line…” Itsuki sat down, leaning on a rock as he looked up at the sky, muttering to himself. He could hear two completely naked girls having fun from behind the rock. If anyone were to ask if he wanted to look, the answer, of course, was a resounding yes. He probably wouldn’t have been discovered if he had peeked from the blind spot at the rock, but Itsuki suppressed his desires with all his might. He came to this uninhabited island to obtain materials, but the captain warned him not to get lost. So, he could not go adventuring alone. “So this is how it feels to be better off dead…?” Thinking that he should have brought his laptop along, Itsuki spent the time by bitterly suppressing his urges. They later returned from the island to Okinawa, visited Shuri City, and then strolled down Naha’s International Road, buying a few local gifts. On the 3rd day, the trio went to the beautiful aquarium, and were marvelled by the whale-sharks, spending a few hours there. They went to A&Ws for burgers at dinner, and Nayuta got addicted to root beer, drinking 5 cups in one go, and had an upset stomach that almost resulted in the trio being unable to get onto the plane. Despite this sudden situation, the trio managed to make it back to Tokyo safely. Itsuki nearly froze due to the cold Tokyo nights, and barely managed to hang on until he got home and hid under the kotatsu. The air conditioning was repaired the following day, and he finally got back to his usual daily routine. During the trip, Itsuki had become a maniacal fan of whale-sharks, and bought a lot of related materials. He completed his new proposal on the flight back (a story about an older brother being cursed to become a whale-shark and live with his naked little sister on an uninhabited island). After reading it, the editor-in-charge, Toki, said, “Maybe it can work. This can be written as a fantasy love story with a childish premise, and create Has.h.i.+ma Itsuki’s new realm).” While that was a relatively positive opinion, the proposal was not accepted, for the older brother never changed back into a human and lived together with his little sister as a whale-shark. Itsuki insisted on this riveting climax, but was never able to get the editor-in-charge’s understanding.
Getting Naked It was the end of January. s.h.i.+rakawa Miyako had finished her college semester tests, and went to visit Itsuki’s house. Miyako rang the bell, and Itsuki opened the door. “…Yo.” “Ah, Itsuki. I-I’m done with exams today, so I’ve got some time! I’m just here to tell you! So if you have anything you need, I’m fine with it. Don’t mind—” Miyako quickly said this with a blus.h.i.+ng face, but upon seeing Itsuki’s outfit she had a surprised look on her face. “Are you going somewhere later?” Itsuki was dressed in a coat, and he had a m.u.f.fler wrapped around his waist. It looked as though he was about to head out. However, he shook his head at Miyako’s question. At this moment, Nayuta’s voice could be heard from within the room. “Senpai~, close the door. The wind’s going to come in otherwise.” Hearing that, Itsuki motioned to Miyako. “Anyway, just come in.” “Y-yes,” she tentatively replied as she entered. The room was basically as cold as it was outside, and Nayuta, as thickly dressed as Itsuki, was lazing around under the kotatsu, flipping through a manga magazine. Nayuta turned her head around to face Miyako, and softly greeted her. “Good work there, Mya-san.” “I’m done, Nayu. Anyway, isn’t this room too cold!? Why isn’t the heater switched on?” “…It broke down in the morning. It just had to break down today of all days…kukuku…I’m so disappointed in you…” Itsuki also darted under the kotatsu, s.h.i.+vering as he glared at the heater. “Did you call for repair?” “Yeah, but the technician can only come by to repair it in 3 days. It’s thanks to this great old kotatsu that I’m able to bear this low temperature, but I can’t do any work.” “Are you going to buy an electric stove from an appliances store?” “Hm….looks like that is the only way out…” Nayuta slowly got up. “Senpai, what about this?” Saying that, she opened the manga she had been reading. It was a two-page spread of pretty girls in bikinis, yelling “It’s the sea!!” with bright smiles on their faces. “…? Are you telling me to go swimming in this d.a.m.n freezing weather?” “No. I’m thinking about our school trip to Okinawa.” “Okinawa…! There’s that too!” “Right!” Nayuta and Itsuki muttered to each other, while Miyako was feeling troubled. “W-wait a second…what do you mean? I heard that it’s warm even in winter at Okinawa, but you’re not planning to head off to Okinawa immediately, right?” “You’re right,” Itsuki affirmed. Nayuta then continued, “Come with us to Okinawa too, Mya-san.” “What? Me too?” “Aren’t you bored since the exams are over? Ah, I can pay for your travel expenses.” “I-it’s fine…I have my own savings…” “Now it’s decided, senpai and Mya-san are going to Okinawa with me!” “Eh? It’s decided!!? Ehh?” Nayuta was grinning happily, and Miyako, being embarra.s.sed, was unable to say anything. So, the matter was settled so simply. As it was the offseason, they got their plane tickets and hotel rooms immediately. That evening, Itsuki, Nayuta and Miyako arrived in Okinawa. Miyako arrived at the airport without bringing any luggage along, and looked completely lost. “We really came to Okinawa…that’s weird…is Okinawa the kind of place you come to when you want to avoid the cold…?” Itsuki let his black coat flutter like a cape and yelled, “FUHAHAHA, Okinawa! I have returned!”[19] “Eh? Are you from Okinawa?” “…No, but I came here once two years ago.” “Really? Then where did you visit?” “The hotel.” “Of course you’ll be going to the hotel. I’m asking which attractions did you go to, or which leisure places?” “Nope, not really?” “Huh?” “Back then, it was August. The place was packed full with tourists, the sun was so strong, and it was so humid. I thought I was going to die…so I hid in the hotel for 3 days straight.” “Eh, are you an idiot?” Miyako voiced out her thoughts, and Itsuki blushed. “Wh-who are you calling idiot!? It’s my right to choose what to do for my vacation!” “That’s right…but isn’t that just stupid?” “I-I’m not the stupid one…the one calling others stupid is stupid…” Itsuki still regretted that he had wasted his vacation back then, so even though he was being told off, he could not go all out to refute. “…I-I want to learn from my lesson from that last time, and enjoy Okinawa to the fullest…anyway, it’s really hot, I don’t think I have the strength to head out.” “You’re right…I don’t get the feeling that it’s January…” Sweat was trickling down Nayuta’s forehead. “It’s 17 degrees Celsius. To be expected of Okinawa…it’s kinda warm…anyway, the reason why you guys are so hot now is because of your clothing.” “That’s true.” “Right.” Miyako pointed it out, and Itsuki and Nayuta removed their coats. However, they had worn a few layers of sweater underneath, so they were still hot. For the time being, the trio bought some T-s.h.i.+rts and underwear to wear, took a taxi to the hotel in Naha, and completed their check-in. Room-wise, Itsuki took a single bedroom, while Miyako and Nayuta shared a double bedroom. “Mya-san, can you switch rooms with Itsuki-senpai?” “O-of course not!” “Too bad…but I’m hoping to sleep in the same room as you.” Nayuta showed a fawning smile, and rubbed her body on Miyako like a cat, “Yes, yes,” the latter patted her on the head and said. The trio rested in their hotel rooms for a while, and went to a nearby bar for dinner. They ordered Octopus rice, Bitter-gourd Campur, Rafute, Sea Grapes, Double Lined Fusilier and other famous Okinawan dishes. Itsuki and Miyako toasted to each other with Hibiscus beer. (It is a beverage brewed with beer and Hibiscus extract. It has a little sweet and sour taste, and is very refres.h.i.+ng, definitely a treat to drink in really hot weather. The Hibiscus extract can be bought on the internet, so it can be brewed at home. It is better to brew it with beer with a clear refres.h.i.+ng taste, and best with Orion beer or other white beer.) Nayuta, being underage, could only treat herself to Hibiscus juice. “…Hm, really nice.” “Yep. Goes well with the Bitter-gourd Campur.” Seeing Itsuki and Miyako enjoy themselves with the beer and the dishes, Nayuta enviously puffed her cheeks. “Mmm. I want to drink beer too.” “No way. Wait until you’re an adult.” “Right. Brats like you should just drink juice.” “…Senpai, you don’t take me as a love interest because I’m a kid, right?” “Pff!?” Itsuki immediately spat out all the beer in his mouth. “…Eh, what did you say? I couldn’t hear.” “…Isn’t that exaggerated response and pretending not to hear anything too fake?” Nayuta gave Itsuki a displeased look while the latter blatantly lied with a forced tone, saying, “Eh? What did you say? Music’s too loud. Can’t hear you.” Nayuta nonchalantly continued, and Itsuki too showed a mask-like stoic face as he blatantly played dumb. “I like you, senpai.” “Hm? What did you say about a pike?”[20] “Go out with me.” “Alright, where are we going?” “Let’s have s.e.x.” “I prefer the trumpet to the saxophone though.” “…I’m starting to get interested in how long you can play dumb, senpai. You can feel how round they are.”[21] “Round? A round of beer? Underaged kids aren’t allowed to drink beer.” “You can jam it in though!” “So, traffic jam or strawberry jam?” “…That’s a bit forced, isn’t it?” “…You too, who in the world confesses like you do?” “Please come inside!”[22] “Speaking of Jouji Nakata, that performance of the character ‘Fudou Dairen’ in Occult Maiden was done by him. Really great acting. Seriously, that’s not much of a confession!”[23]. “…I’ll switch to something more tasteful—the moon is beautiful.” “I guess.” “Huh? Eh, that was Natsume Soseki’s—” “I know! I’m playing dumb because I know what you’re getting at!”[24] “I love how you are, senpai.” “…You want to eat ice? No, don’t wanna…hey. I can’t hang on anymore, so can you stop?” “Couldn’t you have just allowed me to drink?” “Anyway, kid, just finish the egg and be quiet.” Itsuki stabbed his chopstick into the boiled egg of the Rafute, and brought it to Nayuta’s mouth. “Ahm.” Nayuta took the egg into her mouth, gnawed at it while staring at the chopstick, and swallowed it. “Nchuu…rerorero…chuu chuuu…” “Ho-how long are you going to keep licking?” Itsuki saw Nayuta finish the egg and made some noises as she licked at the chopstick, and he hurriedly pulled it out from her mouth. There was a trail of drool from the tip of the chopstick to Nayuta’s mouth. “Fufu…senpai, that’s some unique fetish you have, bringing your eggsack to a girl without thinking.”[25] “Stop being so lewd about this!” Itsuki continued eating with a bus.h.i.+ng face, and Nayuta picked up the deep-fried chicken with her chopsticks. …While Itsuki and Nayuta were bickering away, Miyako was left fl.u.s.tered as she looked back and forth between them. After dinner, they returned to their hotel bedrooms. Itsuki took out his laptop, and began to work. He had only had one gla.s.s of beer, so he did not feel drunk at all. After a scrumptious meal, he felt happy, and the night breeze blowing through the window felt refres.h.i.+ng. Also, the season in January sharpened his senses. Thus, he could not stop writing. I might as well stay in Okinawa all the time. Itsuki thought as he continued working, but after almost 2 hours, he started to tire. Then, someone knocked on the door. Itsuki opened the door, and found that it was Miyako standing outside. Her hair was slightly drenched, and she was holding a bag from a family mart. “I saw a lot of rare beers down there, so I bought them. Drink some with me.” Miyako said that with an absurd tone, and her expression was a little lost, her cheeks blus.h.i.+ng slightly. It looked as if she had drunk quite a bit. “…Where’s the crab lord?”[26] “Nayu went to sleep after her bath.” “I see.” Miyako entered Itsuki’s room, took out a few cans from the bag, and placed them on the table. There was Chu-Hai from the southern countries, Southern Star, Special X—all kinds of beer that could not be bought in the family marts on the mainland. “The Okinawa family marts are really interesting. They sell octupus rice and pork with egg onigiri, and also local limited burgers and snacks. Oh yeah, there’s also some Oden with Okinawan soba. Same goes for the vending machines, lots of local-only juice.” “I know. Last time I came here, I got all of my meals from the marts.” “That’s not something to be proud of, right…?” Miyako looked stunned, opened the can of Southern Star, and started drinking. Itsuki too drank from the she-quasar and pineapple flavor from the Southern countries. It was only then that he realized he had not drank, and was thirsty for quite a while. “How’s that?” “Well, great.” Itsuki gulped down to quench his thirst, and answered. “Hm. This one’s ordinary though…it’ll be great with the Hibiscus extract.” Both of them finished up their first cans, and started chatting. As Miyako started scanning for what she wanted to drink next, she said, “Hey, Itsuki.” “Hm?” “What do you think of Nayu?” “She’s a pervert,” Itsuki immediately answered. “We-well, about that…I guess! But she kept saying that she likes you, she likes you, so…haven’t you thought about going out with her?” “…What’s there to think about…I plainly rejected her before. A long time back.” Itsuki was half-drunk, his eyes starting to blur as he said that. “Eh! Really? When was it?” “…” Itsuki opened a can of Special X, took a swig at it, “Kek.” He made a cute sound as he burped, and stammered somewhat as he recalled what happened. 3 days had pa.s.sed since he was rejuvenated by Nayuta’s debut work. Nayuta visited him at his home, hoping for a reply to her confession, and Itsuki immediately refused. “I can’t go out with you.” Nayuta immediately collapsed into tears. Itsuki recalled the guilt he felt back then. That was when he had understood something; that if he made a girl cry right in his face, even if he did nothing wrong, he would feel like an incorrigible sc.u.mbag. When Nayuta left the room, she hid her bawling face and whimpered, “…Has.h.i.+ma-senpai, are you still willing to talk to me?”. Triggered by his guilt, Itsuki was a little hesitant, and answered, “O-of course…we’re both authors. I’ll be in your care.” …However, he never expected her to come back to play the next day. Itsuki was not mentally prepared, but considering that he said ‘I’ll be in your care’, it would be inappropriate for him to shoo her off. Though troubled, he welcomed her into his room, and they started playing video games together. Ever since then, Nayuta would pop by Itsuki’s place from time to time, and their relations.h.i.+p continued on until this point. “Heh…” “What’s with that face?” “Hmm~ I thought you were just a sc.u.mbag who let a cute girl chase you and deliberately not give her a clear answer, keep a vague relations.h.i.+p, and just wanted her to have your baby. I was wrong about you.” “…So that’s what you thought.” Itsuki narrowed his eyes, and Miyako sheepishly gave a wry smile. “Then why didn’t you go out with Nayu? She’s cute—ah, whatever. Ignore that.” “?” Itsuki looked puzzled, and Miyako deliberately averted her eyes, playing dumb. —Why don’t you try go out for a date too? Miyako thought of the questions she was often asked by her friends, and every single time, she was perturbed. If someone goes out with someone not because she likes that person, but because he’s handsome, smart, some football team captain, rich, has a bright future or so on, Miyako felt that that was fine, and that there was a possibility of her falling in love with that kind of guy once they began dating. However, Miyako disagreed that she was being treated like a weirdo by her friends simply because she did not go out with a boy. “…Don’t you have any feelings for Nayu?” Miyako repeated again, and Itsuki looked nonchalant as he answered, “Humph. That’s a stupid question.” He averted his face, and muttered. “…It’s because I still have some feelings that I don’t know what to do.” Upon seeing Itsuki’s red sidelong face, Miyako had the urge to cry out loud. “…Miyako, have you read the crab lord’s books?” Itsuki lowered his eyes and muttered. “…Nope,” Miyako answered. “…If you don’t have any plans to be an author in the future, you should go look them up. If you never read them, it’ll be no different from having wasted your life. If you have the time to read my books, you might as well read Kani Nayuta’s works as well…” Itsuki muttered away, and immediately fell asleep. Saying those words was not like his usual self, and that shocked Miyako quite a bit. “…Looks like you have quite a bit of issues there…” The next day, the trio were having their meal at the hotel restaurant, discussing their plans for the day. “It’s our first time to Okinawa. Shuri City and Churaumi Aquarium are must-goes, but are there any recommendations for Okinawa in winter? Don’t you have any place you want to go?” “Ah~?” “Nya~?” Miyako inquired, while Itsuki and Nayuta were slow in their reactions. Their eyes were half-awake, nibbling on their fried fish. “I! Said! Don’t you have any other places you want to visit!?” “…Keep your voice down. My head’s ringing…” Itsuki was frowning. “What, Itsuki? You have a hangover?” “…Impossible…I only had a gla.s.s last night. How is it possible for me to be drunk…?” “1 gla.s.s…you don’t have any recollection of what happened last night?” “…? I was writing last night, and for some reason, I ended up sleeping…” It appeared Itsuki really could not remember what happened the previous night. Miyako sighed. Miyako considered that if he were to ask her what had happened the previous night, she would reveal that she kept drinking and enjoyed watching Itsuki’s sleeping face, and decided to remain quiet. “So, any place you want to go?” “Mmm…an uninhabited island.” “Huh!?” Miyako tilted her head. “…Next volume, I plan to have an event where the protagonist drifts to an empty island with his little sister. If possible, I want to get some material.” “An uninhabited island…maybe there is one. I’ll start looking for a bit.” —And so, the trio left for an uninhabited island. Miyako asked a hotel staff member, and went to lunch early to ask the canteen staff, finding out that there was an island ‘with probably almost no one around’. “Good thing Mya-san’s around huh, senpai?” “…Ahh.” Itsuki nodded at Nayuta’s words. Itsuki could handle jobs like booking tickets and hotel rooms, jobs that could be done on the computer, but he was incapable of going around and asking for information. Miyako handled this job with her top-notch communication skills, and he was grateful for it. The canteen staff were correct; it appeared that there was no one visiting this island other than Itsuki and the others. The trio walked down a trail thanks to the smartphone’s camera function, and arrived on the other side of the island. Beyond the beach was a wide, blue sea. “So pretty…” Miyako uttered in marvel. “It’s! The! Sea!” Nayuta exclaimed in a rhythmic manner. She took off her shoes, and teetered towards the sea. “The sea is really cold after all.” Miyako followed Nayuta in removing her shoes, and stepped into the clear seawater, saying. “Since we’re finally here, let’s get swimming, Mya-san!” “What nonsense are you saying? We didn’t bring our swimsuits.” Miyako was flabbergasted, but Nayuta remained as she was. “What’s wrong with not having swimsuits? No one else is around.” And while Miyako was looking on, stunned, Nayuta stripped off her T-s.h.i.+rt without hesitation. “Wait, wh-what are you doing, Nayu!? Itsuki, look over there right now!” “I-I got it!” Without needing anyone to tell him, Itsuki instinctively turned to look away from Nayuta. While this ruckus was going on, Nayuta had stripped herself of her s.h.i.+rt, skirt, and even her undergarments without hesitation. She shouted ‘Bashaann!’ and squealed as she fell backwards into the sea. “H-Hey! Put on your clothes now!” Nayuta widened her eyes in shock and said, “It’s so cold, Mya-san!” “Well of course it is, isn’t it?” “Ah, but it doesn’t feel like it’ll stay this cold though. Come on in, Mya-san.” Nayuta got up as she splashed water on Miyako. When she lifted her arms, those two hills that were rather plump for a skinny girl would shake. “Stop fooling around! It’s cold! I’ll get wet!” “Come join us too, senpai!” “Y-you idiot!” Itsuki turned his head away, not looking at Nayuta as he ran off. “Stop fooling around, Nayu!” “Didn’t we bathe together yesterday, Mya-san?” “So what?” The clear sea dazzled under the s.h.i.+ne of the sun, and Nayuta, shaking her silver hair and white body nicely, looked like a pixie. Even Miyako, of the same s.e.x as her, started to turn beetroot, her heart racing. It felt like a fantasy world that did not belong in reality. If she joined in on this game, she too could become a resident of this fantasy world, and a strange sense of excitement was born within her. And she, lured by this irresistible urge— “Ah seriously! Itsuki! Go keep watch over there! If you dare turn around to peek, I’ll definitely snap your neck!” And before Itsuki could answer, Miyako stripped herself without a second thought, “Ahh, it’s cold!” and shouted desperately as she chased after Nayu into the sea. “I’m here, Mya-san.” “You dare splash me?” “Nyaha.” Miyako really enjoyed herself as she started splas.h.i.+ng water at Nayuta. And while continuing this water battle with Nayuta, Miyako yelled, “Arrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh! What am I doing––-!!!” It was Okinawa, but it was still the end of January, and they were playing around naked in the sea like idiots. She was doing something she normally wouldn’t, and if her college friends saw her, one had to wonder what they would think. “Nyahaha!” And this girl, having fun like a kid who admired her as an older sister, was someone even the amazing professional author Has.h.i.+ma Itsuki felt inferior to, the latter even describing his own works as simply ‘my books’. Even in the world of professionals, she seemed to be an amazing prodigy of a writer. Miyako only read light novels, manga, video games and anime after knowing Itsuki, and Kani Nayuta’s novels were the only ones she had never read. She had a vague premonition that if she were to read Nayuta’s works, she would never be able to get along with the latter as normal, so she had been avoiding it. But Nayuta’s ‘Scenery’ series was a bestseller, and most bookstores would set her works at obvious places. Even when ordering books on Amazon, they were often seen under the ‘Customers who bought this item also bought’ and the top half of the bestselling columns, so it was really difficult to ignore them. Also, every book had hundreds of reviews, most of them sounds of praises, with thoughts like ‘this book really changed me’, or ‘this book saved my life’ being beyond praise and almost wors.h.i.+p-like. It is said that heaven does not create one man above or below another man, however, the reality is that humans are not equal—so said the old man on the 10,000 yen note.[27] Miyako too agreed with that saying. There’s no such thing as equality in people. There’s no way I’m as valuable as Kani Nayuta. I don’t have any value compared to Kani Nayuta. I don’t have the right to ruin her romance. Tears welled out. But n.o.body else found out, for those tears were quickly washed away by the water Nayuta splashed on her. On the other hand, “…What do I do now? That’s my line…” Itsuki sat down, leaning on a rock as he looked up at the sky, muttering to himself. He could hear two completely naked girls having fun from behind the rock. If anyone were to ask if he wanted to look, the answer, of course, was a resounding yes. He probably wouldn’t have been discovered if he had peeked from the blind spot at the rock, but Itsuki suppressed his desires with all his might. He came to this uninhabited island to obtain materials, but the captain warned him not to get lost. So, he could not go adventuring alone. “So this is how it feels to be better off dead…?” Thinking that he should have brought his laptop along, Itsuki spent the time by bitterly suppressing his urges. They later returned from the island to Okinawa, visited Shuri City, and then strolled down Naha’s International Road, buying a few local gifts. On the 3rd day, the trio went to the beautiful aquarium, and were marvelled by the whale-sharks, spending a few hours there. They went to A&Ws for burgers at dinner, and Nayuta got addicted to root beer, drinking 5 cups in one go, and had an upset stomach that almost resulted in the trio being unable to get onto the plane. Despite this sudden situation, the trio managed to make it back to Tokyo safely. Itsuki nearly froze due to the cold Tokyo nights, and barely managed to hang on until he got home and hid under the kotatsu. The air conditioning was repaired the following day, and he finally got back to his usual daily routine. During the trip, Itsuki had become a maniacal fan of whale-sharks, and bought a lot of related materials. He completed his new proposal on the flight back (a story about an older brother being cursed to become a whale-shark and live with his naked little sister on an uninhabited island). After reading it, the editor-in-charge, Toki, said, “Maybe it can work. This can be written as a fantasy love story with a childish premise, and create Has.h.i.+ma Itsuki’s new realm).” While that was a relatively positive opinion, the proposal was not accepted, for the older brother never changed back into a human and lived together with his little sister as a whale-shark. Itsuki insisted on this riveting climax, but was never able to get the editor-in-charge’s understanding.
