"Oh, Yu was thrown off."
"How unsightly. Should we go fish him out?"
Standing on the shore, Miyazawa Yu was measured to have been dangling outside the banana boat for three or four minutes before finally being tossed into the sea.
However, according to Ryujirou Kotobuki's judgment, even if he was flying like a kite due to a mistake, Yu should have had the strength to hold on until the boat stopped.
And judging by his relieved expression at the end, it seemed he mostly let go on his own accord!
"Ha... Um, is Yu okay?"
With a flush on her face, Nanaka Kotegawa anxiously ran over, covering her chest and looking out to sea.
Guessing that Yu falling into the water must have had something to do with Chisa, she immediately went into the water, intending to first pull Yu up.
However, for Miyazawa Yu, merely being slapped onto the sea surface at high speed was far from the limit of this body.
After skipping across the water surface a few times with his face, he immediately found his bearings and turned to swim toward the shore, but he quickly noticed a crucial problem—
His underpants! They were gone!!
"Hiss... was the speed so fast that they were washed away when I fell into the water?"
Floating at the boundary between deep and shallow water, Miyazawa Yu looked back blankly, only to see his underpants drifting away with the waves on the choppy sea surface.
Just before they disappeared from sight, he even heard a shout of "I'm free!" in his ear. It seemed this was a long-planned escape.
Very good! Miyazawa Yu, who had never been driven into a corner before, was now tragically betrayed by his underpants.
Kicked into a ditch, he now had two choices. The first was to strictly adhere to the Pab club tradition and go commando!
The advantage was that it was time-saving and labor-saving. He could simply let loose without thinking too much! The disadvantage was that he might be invited by Uncle Hat to have a pork cutlet bowl in broad daylight.
As for the second choice, looking at Nanaka-san, who was swimming toward him with a concerned look, he sincerely lowered his head.
"Please! Help me find a pair of underpants to wear! Nanaka-san!"
"Eh?"
The worry instantly turned into confusion. Nanaka Kotegawa was wondering why Yu had suddenly stopped halfway while swimming, so was this the reason?
"What's wrong? Your underpants were washed away?"
Arriving late, Azusa Hamaoka immediately guessed the truth when she saw Yu treading water upright despite being fine.
"Uh... actually, I suspect this was a premeditated betrayal!"
"Yosh, yosh! I'll go buy you some underpants, Yu! Be a good boy and wait here alone!"
"Although I'm grateful, it would be better if Azusa-senpai didn't use that tone to fool a child..."
He was patted on the head. Azusa Hamaoka swam back to shore to buy underpants. Miyazawa Yu, with half-moon eyes, watched the wicked woman leave.
However, he quickly realized something was amiss. Even if Azusa-senpai was battle-hardened and full of mischief, she shouldn't have immediately noticed that his underpants were washed away, should she?
"Nanaka-san, did Azusa-senpai also..."
"...Azusa called me in the middle of the night before, saying she had been soaking in the sea for half a day and only dared to contact me after everyone left."
"Oh!"
His gaze changed from speechless to pitiful. Being victims of the same suffering, Miyazawa Yu unilaterally announced that he forgave Azusa-senpai.
Ten minutes later, Azusa Hamaoka swam back with a freshly unwrapped pair of underpants, only to be met with a head pat from the former.
"Good girl! Be sure to let me go with you when you swim in the future. Personal safety is still very important."
"...Eh?"
"In any case, let's get ashore first!"
Although the water was nice, staying too long without a wetsuit could still cause a cold.
Taking Azusa-senpai and Nanaka-san back to shore, Chisa and Aina also happened to get off the banana boat on the other side.
"Aina, how was the ride? Wasn't it your favorite kind of youth?"
"Ugh... I am a sinner."
Facing Shinji Tokita's question, Yoshiwara Aina covered her mouth and raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
Her first outing with everyone in the club, her first time riding the banana boat, yet the motivation and result were both about throwing a companion into the sea.
This picture, full of the Pab club's style of antagonizing each other, was absolutely not the youth she wanted!
"Emmm... she doesn't seem very satisfied."
Ryujirou Kotobuki summarized it succinctly with dot eyes, and then looked at Chisa Kotegawa.
"Chisa, how did Yu fall off?"
"Ah? That..."
Jumping back half a step in reaction, Chisa Kotegawa originally wanted to sneak away.
Seeing everyone's eyes turn to her, she guiltily stopped and lightly scratched her face on the spot, stammering and not knowing what to say.
"Well, when the boat just started, I wasn't sitting down yet, and I accidentally slipped, and that's how it happened."
Interrupting the silence, Miyazawa Yu didn't have any psychological pressure, and with a bitter smile, he took all the blame onto himself.
"So that's how it is. Be careful when you play this kind of activity in the future. Safety first, after all."
"Yes, yes, yes! Tokita-senpai, aren't you going to ride once? It's quite exhilarating!"
"Oh~ You saying that makes me want to... Kotobuki! Do you want to ride the banana boat with me..."
The topic was smoothly shifted away from her. Looking at the crowd gathering to ride for a second time, Chisa Kotegawa frantically accelerating heartbeat gradually returned to normal.
Although she didn't know how Yu could lie through his teeth without blushing or getting nervous.
But Chisa understood that this was absolutely not the reward she deserved, but rather the tolerance and protection of repaying malice with kindness.
"Onii-chan...?"
Muttering to herself while covering her heart, Chisa Kotegawa only felt a warmth spreading through her body.
Although it was just a mere Yu, the moment he smiled and let go for her, and made an excuse for her, she genuinely felt the kind of care that she only ever felt from her sister!
"Chisa... that's wonderful!"
"Hmm?"
Giving a weak thumbs up, Yoshiwara Aina was too engrossed in her internal sorrow on the boat, and the banana boat noise was quite loud, so she completely missed the interaction between Chisa and Yu.
"Yu can't sleep with Nanaka-san anymore, so you can rest assured now, right?"
"..."
Her face flushed completely. Guiltily looking at Aina, who had gone all out for her prank, Chisa Kotegawa avoided eye contact and turned her head slightly.
If it had been ten minutes ago, she would have excitedly smiled and nodded in agreement. After all, this way her sister wouldn't be snatched away so quickly, and she could feel a little at ease.
But now, after feeling Yu brotherly care...
"Actually, if Yu insists, it's not entirely impossible..."
"Ha?"
Suspecting that there was definitely something wrong with her ears, Yoshiwara Aina looked at Chisa mysteriously rosy cheeks, and a bad premonition arose.
This kind of girlish shyness, don't tell me!
"Chisa, don't tell me... (you've fallen for Yu?)"
"Mhm. (Acknowledgement as an older brother)"
"Ugh————!"
Instantly turning to stone, looking at Chisa shy and involuntarily twisting girlish posture, Yoshiwara Aina's body turned gray-white and cracked into two huge fissures horizontally, splitting her head, torso, and legs into three.
At the same time, shock and incomprehension filled her large blue eyes, as if she was reprimanding the absurdity of this outrageous world.
What kind of unexpected development is this! She literally broke apart!
That's right! The beach, sand, and banana boat were indeed a good place for couples to start something, but no one told her the effect would be this potent!
Chisa was practically eager to nail Yu to the sofa before getting on the boat, but now she was already smitten. If such a cool-headed girl was like this! Could it be that she herself!
"Ha... huff...!"
Trembling with fear all over, Yoshiwara Aina clutched her chest and looked at Miyazawa Yu, who was casually chatting with the Senpais in a new pair of underpants. Her eyes gradually turned to horror—
Did she also fall under the banana boat's love curse, and it just hadn't manifested yet, but her red thread was already connected to Yu?
She didn't want this! No, no, no!!!
"???"
Seeing Aina suddenly stop talking and start shaking with anger (actually fear), Chisa Kotegawa pursed her lips in guilt, walked forward, and patted her shoulder, explaining hurriedly.
"Aina! When you stand in my position, you will understand too!"
"!"
Standing in Chisa position means falling for Yu, right? Does that mean she can't escape either, and will even get used to it?
The hellish scene of Yu wearing a crown and arrogantly hugging both her and Chisa, while Nanaka-san and Azusa-senpai were sitting on his legs, flashed in her mind.
Yoshiwara Aina staggered two steps, and her soul slowly floated out of her mouth.
I'm sorry, Iori, my soul has been corrupted by the banana boat!
"Aina! Aina!"
"Hmm? What's going on?"
Rushing over at the commotion, Miyazawa Yu, seeing the dying Aina in Chisa arms, frowned and discussed with the Senpais: "Chisa and I are done playing, so I'll take her back to the villa first."
"Oh! Thank you, Yu."
"I'll buy you all some watermelon to cool down on the way back. Please take care of Aina."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Reaching out to Aina, whose eyes were swirling with mosquitos, Miyazawa Yu wanted to put her on his back and carry her back.
But as if she had a spider-sense, the closer he got to her, the more intensely Aina's body trembled, until his knuckles were just five centimeters away from her shoulder.
Aina, who was already out of commission, instantly had a moment of lucidity. She slapped Miyazawa Yu hand away and wailed with tears in her eyes: "Absolutely not!!!"