"Mio...?"
Seeing her deliberately avert her gaze, Hare was briefly confused. But in the next moment, she understood. She glanced at her own chest, then curved her soft lips into a doting smile and took the initiative to wrap her arms around Mio's arm, pressing close.
"Mio~? Come into the water with me?"
Boing~
She intentionally let her chest brush against Mio's arm.
"Hare... don't behave like this..."
Her body trembled slightly as she shyly tried to push her away.
"Mio~ your face is so red..."
Seeing her like this, Hare pressed forward again, her chest slowly rubbing against Mio's arm, her gaze faintly hazy, her voice carrying a sweet, seductive tone.
"Mm... d-don't do that... have some modesty...///"
She gave a quiet reminder, but her soft tone held no real persuasiveness.
"Hehe~ Mio clearly likes this, right~?"
Hare smiled, raising her hand to gently hold Mio's turned-away face, guiding her to look back.
"D-don't be ridiculous—///"
Her forcibly redirected gaze once again landed directly on the scenery before her. She instinctively shut her eyes again.
"Mio... you're so innocent..."
Hare sighed helplessly at her reaction.
"Yeah, even though you have plenty yourself—and better quality than both of us, actually?"
Inori came out of the sea as well, sat down to Mio's left with her knees drawn up, and teased her with a subtle smile.
"Mm... yeah///, that's true... I'm kind of jealous."
Hare subconsciously compared herself with the woman in front of her. Their builds were both slender, yet they differed in that crucial area. Even beneath a dress, the curve couldn't be concealed. Her face flushed slightly, and she felt a hint of inferiority.
"Stop talking about such indecent topics."
The Shogun admonished the two of them irritably.
Besides, this wasn't something she could control. She was born this way... what could she do? With two mothers possessing such excellent genes, this result was inevitable.
"Why aren't you going into the water?"
Inori asked curiously.
"I simply don't want to take off my clothes. And aren't there men nearby?"
She replied gloomily, tightening her arms slightly around her knees.
How could she possibly expose her body to those boys? It would be a nightmare—a disaster! Just thinking about it made her want to die.
But... perhaps she could reveal her puppet body instead? After all, it was just a jointed structure. There would be nothing to worry about exposing.
"Huh? Mio, you care about that?"
Hare looked surprised.
"...This vessel is female. Of course I care. Don't you?"
No... she probably didn't. After all, she was dressed like this.
Was she the only one making a fuss over something like this?
"I don't care. This is the beach, after all. It's not like usual. Everyone changes into swimsuits, right? How else would you play in the sea?"
Hare replied casually.
"So that's how you think... haa... I can't do that. I care about this a lot."
She felt that once she put on a swimsuit, it would inevitably become eye candy for the men present. That feeling was terrible. For ordinary girls like Hare and Inori, it might not matter—but for her, considering her identity, upbringing, and everything else, it felt utterly inappropriate.
In the eyes of the people of Inazuma, how could the noble Raiden Shogun do such a thing at the beach? It was unacceptable. And this was once Ei's body as well. As her daughter, she absolutely had to safeguard her mother's dignity in this regard—no exceptions!
U-unless... it was someone especially close... then it might be acceptable. Like... Ayaka or Kokomi... only they could see it...///
"Mm—well, if that's the case, it can't be helped. Actually, that really suits you, Mio."
Hare smiled in understanding.
What kind of style is that supposed to be? Even she didn't know.
She complained inwardly.
...
After a full day of fun, night fell and it was time to rest. After bathing with the other girls, the Shogun returned to the room and, without a word, collapsed onto the already laid-out futon. She rolled over onto her stomach, facing the pillow, and buried her face in it.
"Mio... don't lie down immediately after coming back. It's not good for your body."
Hare followed in wearing a yukata, drying her hair as she spoke in a motherly tone.
"I'll be fine... my body is very healthy."
Her voice was muffled since her face was buried.
"Honestly... change into your pajamas. Don't lie down in your yukata."
Hare sighed and took out Mio's pajamas from the luggage. Yes, Mio's clothes were stored with hers—it made things easier to distinguish, since Mio hadn't brought any luggage.
"Here~ put them on."
She sat beside her, unfolded the neatly folded clothes, gently nudged her back, and urged her softly.
"I don't want to."
She refused in a muffled voice.
"That's not allowed. What if you catch a cold?"
Hare asked.
"I won't catch a cold."
She replied.
"Mm—fine, I won't bother you then?"
Hare pouted slightly and draped the pajamas over her back like a blanket, covering the back of her head.
"..."
Her body wriggled cutely before becoming still.
"Haa... you're like a child."
Hare let out a breath, her tone carrying both affection and a hint of complaint. Then she stood up, removed her yukata, skillfully changed into her pajamas, dried her still slightly damp hair, and sat at the heated kotatsu table, scrolling silently through her device.
"...?"
The Shogun slightly lifted her gaze, glanced at the girl sitting beside her with her legs tucked under the kotatsu, then raised her hand to remove the pajamas from her head. Clutching them, she rolled over like a cat and slipped under the kotatsu, poking her head out while the hanging blanket covered her lower body like a quilt. Since it was summer, the heater wasn't on, so it remained at room temperature. She began changing clothes under the table.
The movement caused her hair to occasionally brush against Hare's thigh, prompting Hare to glance down at the small figure snuggled beside her under the kotatsu. A gentle smile unconsciously formed on her lips. She set aside her device and helped her get dressed.
"Kanon..."
"Mm?"
Hearing the Shogun mention her friend's name, Hare paused.
"Does she have feelings for Samukawa...?"
The Shogun didn't finish her sentence, only hinting at it vaguely. Earlier, while bathing together, she had overheard their occasional conversations. Whenever Yahiro Samukawa was mentioned, Kanon would always show a mixture of sadness and worry. It felt... somewhat subtle.
She asked out of curiosity while they were alone...
"Mm... Kanon likes Samukawa."
Hare nodded, shifting her gaze away from Mio's face and back to the screen of her device.
"After all, Samukawa hasn't come to school for a month. She's really worried about him."
"..."
Hearing this, Mio lifted her eyes to the light above, resting both hands behind her head like a pillow as she fell into thought.
"Perhaps..."
"...Mm?"
Hearing her begin, Hare looked toward the woman lying under the kotatsu. Mio was gazing back at her with those violet eyes.
"Should we tell her about Samukawa? Not everything—just about his younger brother, and where he lives... let her go visit him. Would that ease her mind a little?"
Since Hare was the one closer to Kanon, not her, Mio sought her opinion.
"..."
Hare fell silent for a long time. She reopened an old photo taken together with Kanon on her device, gently pressing her lips together as she made up her mind.
"Better not."
In the end, she refused.
"Are you sure?"
The Shogun asked.
"Mm... Kanon may like Samukawa, but she's also my best friend. Even so, I don't want her to be in danger—not even because of something like this. So... I'm sorry, Mio."
Hare apologized with a complicated expression.
"Haa... there's no need to apologize. I understand."
She nodded slightly in understanding. After all, that girl was living a good life now. There was no need to let her come into contact with him and get dragged into something troublesome—especially since GHQ was also searching for Samukawa and the others.
So... for now, it was best to leave things as they were.
Click...
At that moment, Inori finished bathing as well and entered the bedroom. She wiped her damp hair, and after seeing the two of them, she thought for a moment before sitting down with them.
"..."
Seeing her sit down, Hare shifted slightly to the side, and the Shogun adjusted her position as well.
"You have a mission, don't you?"
The Shogun had already been suspicious when Inori suggested coming to the island, and now she took the chance to ask.
"...Was it that obvious?"
Inori tilted her head at her.
"Very."
She replied.
"...What do you mean?"
Hare looked confused.
"The reason Inori suggested coming to the island was probably because of a mission from Funeral Parlor..."
"Huh?!"
Hare froze for a moment.
"That's right... and it also requires someone else to come along to fulfill the mission conditions."
Inori no longer hid it.
"Come along...? Who?"
Hare asked.
"...Souta Tamadate."
Inori answered.
"Souta? Why?"
"Because of his Void, right?"
"Mm..."
Inori nodded.
So... Inori hadn't come here for a vacation at all, but because of a mission. Suggesting the island was also part of the mission requirements, and even Souta's presence was necessary?!
"I was still wondering how to get him here at the time. I didn't expect you to suggest a summer trip, and he just happened to be one of the members. You also hadn't decided on a destination yet, so I simply went along with it."
Of course, if that hadn't worked, she would have proposed a summer trip herself. It wasn't hard to find people willing to go. This just saved her the trouble.
"I-I see... that really is just like you, Inori."
Hare smiled helplessly.
"So... when are you going to act?"
The Shogun asked.
"In an hour..."
"I'm going too."
She nudged Inori's thigh slightly. There wasn't much to do staying here anyway—she might as well go out and take a look.
"...Gai said two people are enough for this mission—"
"I don't listen to him."
She smiled.
"...Pfft, then I'll come get you later~?"
Inori poked her cheek fondly at her playful expression.
"I'll wait for you."
"Then I'll also—"
Hare hesitated before cautiously raising her hand.
"You're not allowed to go~!" ×2
The two of them narrowed their eyes in perfect sync and rejected her without hesitation.
"Mm..."
—
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