The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

“It’s been a while since we stayed at a hotel,”

Alice said as she looked out the window.

Just as we’d planned, we all went on a trip together.

Not somewhere near Seoul, but a much farther coastal area with a view of the sea.

While Seoul is by far the largest city in South Korea, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other tourist destinations.

“The ocean is beautiful,”

Claire said quietly, still gazing out the window.

While we were deciding where to go, someone had casually mentioned wanting to try flying in a plane.

There were aircraft in Atherna, but airships were the dominant mode of passenger travel.

The kind of airplane that relies on fixed wings and engine thrust wasn’t widely developed enough to carry large numbers of people.

That must’ve made it all the more fascinating for these girls to ride in something that small yet capable of carrying so many people.

Since traveling abroad required passports and more complicated procedures, we picked a domestic destination instead.

Jeju Island.

Thanks to the crisp clarity of winter weather, the blue sea stretched far into the distance.

Whether it was just this area or all of Jeju, I wasn’t sure—but the ocean we saw on the way to the hotel had been incredibly clear. Out of all the beaches I’d seen, this was the most transparent.

The palm trees along the streets gave the place a foreign, exotic feel, even though we were still in Korea.

And the short stone walls and citrus orchards—likely tangerine trees—were warmly familiar.

“Flying in the plane was fun, but there were way too many people inside,”

Charlotte said with a light sigh.

“Well, that’s what economy class is like. If we’d booked the really expensive seats, there would’ve been a lot more space. Honestly, considering the kind of status we held in Atherna, it makes sense that we found those seats a bit cramped.”

“That’s true. The airships we used were technically meant for Academy students.”

Charlotte nodded with a wry smile at my comment.

“But it’s a bit of a shame. It’s too cold to go into the sea,”

Claire said with obvious disappointment.

Well, it was the middle of winter.

“Then why did we even bring swimsuits?”

“Sylvia said ‘just in case,’”

Charlotte replied, glancing at me.

We hadn’t been to a swimming pool here before. We’d seen the ocean, sure—but it hadn’t been warm enough to actually swim.

So none of us had swimsuits until we went out and bought some before this trip.

“We can’t go into the sea, of course, but this hotel’s pool is heated during the winter. You can swim even in weather like this.”

“Really!?”

Claire’s eyes lit up.

“And I made sure to book rooms close to the pool.”

Of course, that didn’t mean I intended to walk through the hotel halls in a swimsuit. That would be a bit... much.

Though I had read online that some people do walk around like that.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Claire shouted, tugging on my arm. She was like an overexcited kid.

“But won’t it still be a bit cold, even with the warm water?”

Mia said, a bit timid but not unreasonably worried.

“I’m a little concerned too,” I replied, “but we won’t know until we try. Let’s bring our swimsuits and give it a shot.”

At that, Claire immediately darted for her bag.

*

The pool wasn’t very crowded.

I guess even with heated water, winter is still winter.

First impression of the hot-water pool? Honestly, it felt more like an outdoor bath. It was shaped like a regular pool, but the steam rising from it immediately made me think “spa” instead.

“Wow, this is so warm! Feels amazing!”

Maybe it was the atmosphere, but...

Seeing Claire in a swimsuit, splashing around with a delighted grin on her face, reminded me more of a niece playing in a bath than someone swimming.

Even though her swimsuit was actually kind of bold.

Claire was wearing something that looked like sports underwear—a navy blue two-piece that resembled a sports bra and matching bottoms.

But the fabric clearly marked it as a swimsuit.

“Come on in, Sylvia!”

“Understood.”

I climbed into the warm water—err, the pool—at Claire’s urging.

I’d thought about waiting and just watching from outside at first, but the moment I got here, it was way too cold to stand around in the open air.

As Claire had said, once I got in, it felt incredibly warm and comfortable.

Honestly, it was relaxing to the point that I wondered if I was even in a pool anymore.

Splash!

“Bwuh—!?”

But just as I started enjoying that peaceful warmth, Claire struck with a surprise attack, and I let out the most ridiculous sound.

“...Claire.”

“Ahahaha!”

Drenched before she was, I lunged at her.

Of course, I stood no chance of matching Claire’s athletic ability.

As we splashed and played around, the others gradually joined us in the water one by one.

“Wow, this is...”

“It really is warm.”

Alice and Charlotte each gave a small smile, looking a bit amused by it all.

“Feels like a bath...”

And there it was—Mia, the last to join us, finally said what we’d all been avoiding.

“Eek!”

But her words earned her an immediate splash to the face.

“Whether it’s a bath or a pool depends on how we use it! If we have fun, then it’s a pool!”

So you were thinking the same thing, huh?

I splashed Claire right in the face.

“Gah—! Sylvia...!”

Claire retaliated immediately, and her splash hit Alice and Charlotte as well.

In no time, what was practically our private pool turned into a battleground for five very rowdy teenage girls.

*

“Whew...”

We all let out deep sighs and leaned against the edge of the pool.

We weren’t getting out for one reason: it was way too cold outside.

At this point, it really did feel like we were in a hot spring. Seeing Charlotte toss her hair back or Alice wipe water from her face only added to that impression.

Mia was the only one of us who bought a one-piece swimsuit.

Honestly, we felt a little guilty recommending a bikini to her. She ended up choosing a black one-piece that she said looked like a magical girl outfit and seemed to genuinely like it.

Made me wonder if some of the magical girl shows she watched weren’t actually for kids. But I didn’t ask. We all had an unspoken rule—no judgment about each other’s interests.

The rest of us wore two-piece suits.

Claire’s was, as mentioned, like a sporty bra and shorts set.

Charlotte wore a rash guard on top with bikini bottoms underneath.

Alice wore a slightly more daring white bikini.

And I wore a black bikini.

A bikini, huh...

As a kid, I never imagined I’d wear one of these. I mean, I was a guy back then.

It wasn’t the bikini itself—I just always felt embarrassed taking my shirt off in front of people. I wasn’t in shape and didn’t work out or anything.

So I never liked going to pools, and even at the beach, I didn’t bother with swimwear.

...I've really changed.

Especially in how I see myself.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve got such a grandma expression right now.”

“....”

I scooped a handful of water in my palm and splashed it straight into Claire’s face.

“Pffft!?”

Claire made a ridiculous sound, then smiled at me with a mock-threatening grin.

Then she spread her arms wide—

“Wait, Claire—!”

This time, she didn’t splash me—she tackled me, shoulder first.

“Gah!?”

And just like that, I let out another strange noise as I was dunked under the warm, definitely-not-a-bathwater pool.

*

It was too early for dinner, but too late to do nothing.

After washing up and drying our hair, we decided to take a walk along the beach.

This was Jeju, after all—famous for its beautiful coastlines.

As expected, the beach near our hotel was gorgeous.

At first, all five of us walked together in a group. But little by little, we drifted apart to do our own thing.

Alice and Charlotte were chatting, Mia was doodling in the sand with a stick.

Claire and I stood together.

“...Claire.”

“Yeah?”

She answered immediately when I called her name.

I didn’t have anything particular to say.

I just wanted to talk while we were standing together.

So I threw out the first question that came to mind.

“Are you °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° happy right now?”

“Of course.”

Claire grinned.

“This might be the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

“I see.”

Her answer filled me with a quiet, deep satisfaction.

“Whoa, what’s this?”

“Mia, did you have a talent for drawing or something?”

“Huh? Oh, no, not really... eheh.”

We turned at the sudden conversation.

Apparently, whatever Mia had drawn in the sand was surprisingly good.

“Let’s go take a picture!”

Claire said cheerfully.

I smiled and nodded.