After stuffing themselves with high-quality meat at the barbecue, the Jujutsu High group enjoyed a quick Smash Bros. tournament at the villa. Following a short rest, they changed into their swimwear and headed out to the sea.
The boys' swimsuits were, predictably, all similar half-pants styles, differing only in color. Megumi looked a bit dapper yet disgruntled, forced to wear fluorescent yellow trunks and an orange life jacket for water safety, but otherwise, there wasn't much to remark upon.
If one were to nitpick, the physical differences were apparent. While Toji was exceptionally shredded, they were all sorcerers who trained relentlessly. Bodies reminiscent of Greek sculptures were standard-issue for them.
However, the women were a different story entirely.
First, there were the children: Maki, Mai, and Tsumiki. Maki wore a black sports bra-style top with fluorescent yellow trunks like Megumi's for ease of movement. Mai, partly to test the boundaries of what counts as 'underwear' but mostly to grab Naoya's attention, had braved a pink bikini. Tsumiki wore a cute white one-piece with frills, a heartwarming sight for anyone watching.
Then, the adult women emerged after helping the children change.
"Suguru, I just realized," Satoru said. "At our age, when the person you're talking to is our age or older, no matter what you say, you either sound like a pick-up artist or some guy acting like a mysterious boyfriend."
"That might be true, but I think staying silent would be just as bad, wouldn't it?" Geto replied.
"Both of you look great. It suits you well," Naoya chimed in.
"True. It looks good on you, Ieiri. ...Besides, the Zen'in elders aren't watching here. You should just enjoy yourself, too," Toji added.
"...Maybe I should learn from how Naoya and Fushiguro-sensei handle this," Nanami mused.
"Commenting on a girl's swimsuit is so hard...!" Haibara added.
"Hey, you virgins, you're blushing too much. Are you maidens?" Shoko teased.
"Isn't a swimsuit on an older woman like me just an eyesore...?" Mari wondered.
"Mari-san, declaring yourself an 'older woman' at thirty-two is going to get you yelled at by people from all sorts of directions, don't you think?" Shoko countered.
Standing before the adolescent boys were Ieiri, wearing a tube top and hot pants under a rash guard, and Zen'in Mari, who wore a light blue fitness-style swimsuit designed to cover her figure like a proper mother.
Even though Mari wore a conservative suit to hide her figure, to the teenage boys, she was still incredibly sexy. Their reactions were only natural.
However, due to a 'staggering difference in power,' the boys' eyes kept drifting more toward Mari. As Shoko said, they were acting like total virgins.
Geto and Naoya, in particular, were in a difficult position due to their personal preferences, and like the protagonists of the Persona games, they were busy having deep dialogues with their 'inner selves.'
But even for a bunch of virgins, they could manage a decent attitude once they steeled their nerves. After properly complimenting Ieiri and Mari, the boys grabbed their beach gear and ran toward the ocean to wash away their worldly desires.
---
Some time passed.
On the beach, Maki, Mai, and Mari—the Zen'in mother and daughters—were building sandcastles together. Nanami and Geto were racing each other in the water, while Satoru and Haibara were bursting with laughter after finding a weird-looking fish. Shoko and Tsumiki were helping teach Megumi how to swim. Amidst this peaceful scene, Toji drank beer and Naoya sipped juice under a beach parasol.
As they watched everyone from a distance, Naoya suddenly brought up a certain 'discomfort.'
"Toji-kun, is there something you actually want to do here?"
"Huh?"
"You're not the type to just join in for fun. I was wondering why you came along. Everyone else thinks it's for the kids. But honestly, I'm betting you've got some kind of scheme."
"Ah. Well. It's not like I don't have a plan, but I won't do anything that makes things worse."
"It won't violate any 'Binding Vows'?"
"Yeah, it's an act of charity, an act of charity. Don't be so prickly... I'm sure the talk will reach you eventually anyway, won't it?"
"Is that so? ...Doesn't seem like you're lying."
"You've got a convenient constitution yourself."
"Not as much as yours, Toji-kun. You'd be able to tell naturally."
The conversation between the two 'cursed' cousins was swallowed by the sound of the tide, disappearing into the calm sea of Tateyama without reaching anyone else's ears.
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