Chapter 117: 58.1

　Takatsuki Aika decided to go out together just before Chihiro and Riko returned home... one third of the way through August. It took some time to persuade Hana, and with Aika, it was difficult to arrange the schedule, which is why it took so long.

「As I listened to your story, I became interested in this Takatsuki-san」

　That's what Hana said when she finally agreed to accompany him.

　He doesn't know what tugged at Hana's heartstrings, but he was glad that the conversation was going well, and he and Riko made sure not to do anything unnecessary.

　Then, on the appointed day.

「Good morning, Izumi-kun」

　Aika is dressed in a light dress, with a small bag in her hand and a separate, larger sports bag. Her hair fluffy as usual, she turned up at the rendezvous point.

　She smiled at Chihiro and then looked at the three figures standing behind him in turn. 

「Then Riko-chan, Fukami-san and... Mishuku-san, good morning」

　She smiled at them with her usual warm smile.

「Uh, yeah」

「...Yes, good morning, Takatsuki-san」

「Hello」

　Riko replies a little self-consciously, and Maria replies a moment later with a polite smile. Hana, unconcerned, bowed her head from a distance.

　The girls are also dressed in their casual clothes.

　Maria in a black one-piece dress, Hana in a white one, Riko in a shirt, denim shorts and her usual choker. Chihiro, by the way, is wearing the outfit that Riko picked out for him beforehand.

「Let's go, then」

「Yes, sure」

　Chihiro nodded to Aika, who gently urged him, and started walking.

　The five of them are headed for the pool. The pool is the second largest in the area, and they meet in front of the nearest station. They avoided the biggest pool because it would definitely be crowded this time of year.

　...Well, the second one might be just as good.

　It was mainly Chihiro's idea to go to the pool. Aika didn't have any particular wish, so she chose it while listening to Riko and others' wishes.

　The deciding factors were mainly time and budget.

　Going to the beach is quite far, and a day trip is not realistic. Chihiro was willing to pay for Aika's portion, but it was a little difficult to pay for the accommodation.

　The mountain, on the other hand, is easy to get to from the nearest station of the school, but that's why it's not worth it. In addition, the image of that mountain is something for adults to climb as a hobby.

　A fireworks festival or a test of courage. If they went there, there would be no mood, and it would be a little dangerous to go in the dark when Hana is there, so it is better to avoid it.

　Therefore, it was decided to go to the pool.

　Currently, Aika is in a good mood.

　She didn't complain when the schedule was adjusted by e-mail, and she wrote "I'm looking forward to it". In fact, she is walking next to Chihiro with a smile on her face.

　That said, there are some concerns. She is too quiet.

　He wonders what happened to her in the classroom at the closing ceremony. What's going on in her mind when she meets Maria and the others?

　It's tempting to look into her mind, but it seems like a bad idea to do so now.

　Chihiro is sure that the girls behind him are even more awkward than he is.

　And he glances back at them.

　The three of them are following Chihiro and Aika, each with a subtle sense of tension.

　When he was relieved that Hana was quiet for the moment, a voice came from next to him.

「Are you worried about Riko-chan and the others?」

「Yeah. Uh, yeah.」

「Yeah, I guess so. They're Izumi-kun's slaves」

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　The word "slave" came out of Aika's mouth, and Chihiro os startled.

　Aika's expression barely moved.

　And yet, the impression he got from her changed drastically to the same one as that time.

「"Everyone", is "that" right? The three of them?」

「Uh, yeah」

「I see. So, you kept your promise」

　With that, Aika let the mysterious pressure dissipate.

　All that remained is a gentle, soft, normal girl.

「Oh, we're almost there」

　Aika said as if nothing had happened, and Chihiro couldn't help but feel something akin to fear.

　Anyway.

　The five of them arrived at the entrance of the facility. They paid the fee and went inside. The changing rooms are separate for men and women, so they are separated from Aika and the others here.

　He wonders if they will be okay.

　Chihiro can't hear the conversation going on in the women's locker room. And he can't interfere with them. While feeling a little uneasy, he took off his clothes and changed into his swimsuit.

　A man's change of clothes does not take much time.

　And after changing, he made sure to lock his locker to prevent anyone from taking his valuables. As expected, Aika and the others had not yet arrived.

　He had told them that they would meet near the entrance, so he waited for a while.

　Thinking it would be a waste of time to just wait, he checked out the food stalls available in the facility. It's not a good idea to get shaved ice and drinks here. And he wanted something that would not fill him up too much and that he could share with others.

　So, he bought french fries from one of the stalls.

　When he came back, Aika and the others had just arrived. Is it imagination, or is the tension increasing again? 

「Oh, Chihiro, you're eating something!」

　Riko, who noticed Chihiro, spotted the fries and ran up to him. She smiled, took one from the bag, and threw it into her mouth.

「Thanks. These are rather tasty」

「I see. That's good」

　Then Aika walks up to him.

「Izumi-kun, can I have one too?」

「Yes. Sure.」

「Thank you.」

　And Maria said, "I'll have some too". Then, Hana also said, "You're not going to leave me out, are you?" and she took a piece of fries.

　Before he knew it, there is only one piece left, and Chihiro picked it up and threw the paper bag into a nearby trash can.

　At this point, he finally looked intently at the girls.

　Each of them is wearing a different style of outfit.

　Maria is wearing a black one-piece type. And it's surprising that she didn't expose more of her body, but seeing her luscious body wrapped in a swimsuit, it makes sense. After all, if she wore a bikini, she would have attracted all the men's attention and it would have been impossible for her to have fun.

　Riko is wearing a lime yellow two-piece. Although the fabric area is thin, the color is rather plain, and as a result, it gives a strong active impression. It matches her hair color, which is a typical choice for her.

　Hana's swimsuit is a two-tone black and white two-piece with a fluttering skirt on top. Perhaps she couldn't give up both her cuteness and her lack of exposure.

　...On Riko and Hana's stomachs, the slave marks can be seen, but they are so small that they are not so noticeable. The pattern is too complicated for others to see it as anything more than a bruise.

　And Aika is wearing a two-piece, very light pink swimsuit.

　A darker shade would have made her look more attractive, but she kept the color light.

　She does not have a body as attractive to men as Maria. She is also not as healthy and sexy as Riko, and not as delicate as Hana. That's why she has an ordinary girlishness, which matches her atmosphere.

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