Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 183, Section 24: "A Glimpse into the Miyako Island Trip: The Libra's Reunion"

After the rain stopped, everyone was able to go to the beach to play in the water.

They paddled a rubber boat to the small island opposite the beach, where a lone man and woman in swimsuits were waiting behind a cave in the rocks... This plot point was not triggered.

Doing this in unfamiliar waters is far too dangerous, and even if everyone is excited, they wouldn't risk their lives.

Haiyue was drowning because she wasn't good at swimming, and asked Masumi to give her artificial respiration... This plot point wasn't triggered, as the heir protected her very well.

Wild jellyfish were indeed seen.

“Hey… Masumi…”

"what happened?"

"Can we... take it in?"

"You can't take it on a plane, can you?"

Moreover, the coffee shop already has a jellyfish.

"so."

Haiyue's eyebrows drooped slightly, making her look quite regretful.

As for the beautiful girl's swimsuit being washed away by the waves during the fun, Masumi frantically ran to retrieve it, only to find two plump fruits with buds suddenly appearing behind her... but nothing happened there either.

Swimming, water fights, beach volleyball, cooking lobster, burying Mami in the sand as punishment for her forcing others to play King's Game in the morning.

Since it had been more than a month since her last trip to the beach, Masumi was worried before coming that there wouldn't be much to do, but it turned out to be a complete overreaction.

Even though it's an ordinary project, everyone finds it very interesting together, and it perfectly fills the time that Masumi would otherwise find boring if she were alone.

The beachside storyline of the Miyakojima training camp ended without any significant ups and downs.

The sky over the island was dyed crimson, and Masumi was relaxing in the bathtub.

It feels so good to be able to wash your body immediately after getting out of the sea without worrying about salt sticking to your skin.

The bathtub in this guesthouse is quite special. A wide stream of water with just the right force flows from the sink under the headrest, massaging the shoulders, neck, and lower back. There are three adjustable modes.

The old bathtub in the shop couldn't compare at all.

Before the girls came to the shop, only I knew how to use it; my father usually went to the bathhouse that had been open for twenty years on the shopping street.

If the digital edition of the first volume of the manga sells well, we might as well get a new bathtub. Besides the massage function, it should be spacious enough to accommodate several people at the same time.

Kidding.

The day's fatigue dissolved in the water, Masumi's body relaxed, and her thoughts were also dampened by the water vapor, so she couldn't help but sigh.

Soaking in a bathtub like this inevitably gives you the feeling that the day is about to end, and that's certainly true.

However... by this time tomorrow, I should give Mio the answer I promised.

Thinking of this, Masumi let out another damp sigh, looking up at the colorful tiles on the ceiling, which depicted patterns of southern plants, following the rising steam.

Hibiscus.

It is a very common flower in the Ryukyu Islands, also known as the hibiscus.

Yesterday at the market, Mio also bought a hibiscus flower hair clip. The vibrant color, adorning her blonde hair, exudes a vacation vibe and summer charm.

"Masumi, are you inside?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Masumi paled in shock; it seemed as if someone was approaching from the other side of the steamy mist.

"Mio? I was taking a bath, why did you just walk in—"

He turned his face away as if he had been punched hard.

"It's okay if you don't look away."

Kurokawa Mio smiled nonchalantly, "I'm wearing a swimsuit."

As dusk falls on a small island in the south, a beautiful woman in a navy blue swimsuit comes into view.

Unlike the style she wore during the day, the two-piece design was very simple, without any ruffles, ribbons or other unnecessary decorations, making people's eyes immediately focus on her slender figure.

With a slender and toned waist, an adorable elongated navel, and long, graceful limbs, her stunning figure surpasses even that of female idols featured on the covers of fashion magazines.

"But I wasn't wearing it."

Masumi submerged her chin underwater, awkwardly covering her body.

"Don't worry, I brought it over for Masumi."

She held up the dark fabric in her hand as she spoke.

"It has been washed and dried."

"Oh, thank you for your thoughtfulness..." Masumi squeezed out a stiff voice from her throat, "Um, you can just throw it over here."

"Uh-huh."

Mio Kurokawa turned around considerately. It would have been even more considerate of her to leave directly. In the meantime, Masumi quickly changed into her swim trunks.

"Well, excuse me."

A sweet smile appeared on her lips. After saying just that, she stepped into the bathtub.

"Mio!?"

"call--"

Kurokawa Mio sat on Masumi's slightly parted legs, hugging her knees, and as she closed her legs, she let out a comfortable sound.

“So warm~”

Because of the combined weight of two people, the water overflowed from the edge of the bathtub.

Do you know what you're doing right now?

Masumi struggled to suppress her breathing, which was about to become heavy.

Perhaps due to the high temperature of the hot water, the blood volume was dispersed and accumulated on the skin surface, so that I didn't have to worry about my physical predicament for the time being.

“Taking a bath, with my favorite Masumi,” she said matter-of-factly.

"Keep your voice down, Masumi, don't let Rinne and Chiai find out."

He observed her nonchalant, natural expression.

"It's too crowded here. Um, I'm almost done soaking. Mio, you can soak here by yourself. I'll go out now—"

"Don't leave!"

Kurokawa Mio looked unhappy as her small buttocks, covered in navy blue fabric, sank underwater, her weight pressing down on her.

"Alas!"

Masumi let out a mournful cry.

"...What, am I that heavy?"

She turned her head and looked at Masumi behind her, her expression slightly flustered.

"It's not heavy," Masumi said honestly.

Mio's figure was already slender, and the buoyancy in the water made her appear even lighter, which was another reason for his slow reaction.

"Really? Then I'll be relieved."

Kurokawa Mio smiled with relief, then leaned her body completely against Masumi's chest.

"Wait! This isn't about how heavy it is, is it?"

"That's right, none of that matters."

She nodded in agreement: "The important thing is that we don't have much time left on Miyako Island, so we need to try our best to create memories that are unique to Masumi and me."

"There's no need to create memories in this regard."

The body heat transmitted through her skin made Masumi's heart beat faster, instinctively baring her fangs and gnawing at her reason.

If this continues, the blood will concentrate in some unpleasant place. Feeling terrible about this reaction, Masumi struggled to squeeze out an answer.

"Eh, it's rare to see Masumi like this in front of me."

Kurokawa Mio turned her head with great interest, raising her eyes to look up at his face.

"So cute."

"That kind of personality is terrible," Masumi said, troubled.

"Is that so?" Kurokawa Mio narrowed her eyes meaningfully. "By the way, is this how Miss Mami always wins over Masumi?"

"I have never surrendered to anything, including conquest."

Consciously ignoring Masumi's rebuttal, she affirmed to herself, "As expected, that's what they call a wicked woman."

"A wicked woman?"

"That's right. When those kinds of women don't know how to react, they try to use their bodies to appease them."

"Just like what Mio is doing now?"

"Yes."

Whenever Masumi leans back slightly, trying to pull herself out of the bathtub, Kurokawa Mio will lean her hips against her.

Masumi sighed, "Even though I heard those commands while playing the King's Game this morning, Mio still..."

"I can't help it, I just don't want to trample on Masumi like that."

Her moist eyelashes trembled slightly as Mio's gaze fell on the water's surface, and she pursed her lips.

"However, if Masumi had that kind of fetish, I would also..."

“No! I don’t have that kind of fetish!” Masumi replied immediately.

"Eh, so when I do that during the day, Masumi also hates it?"

"That's not true, I don't dislike it."

The full statement should be "I don't hate it when Mio does this to me," but it still sounds strange.

So you still like it?

"..."

Kurokawa Mio burst into laughter: "I was just kidding."

Is Masumi angry?

"I'm not that petty."

"I think so too."

She spoke with an incredibly serious expression, slightly straightening her body forward, her tone as gentle as if she were touching upon a memory.

"That's how it was back in Tokyo. No matter how many times Masumi ran into a wall in front of my cold face, she never got discouraged."

"After all, it's ridiculous that a guitarist with terrible skills would presume to invite you to form a band," Masumi said self-deprecatingly.

“Mio’s previous team members were mostly from music academies or had trained since childhood.”

"That's not true at all. Masumi's guitar skills are just passable in my eyes," Kurokawa Mio retorted.

"Not classifying and discussing musical aesthetics is a sign of being an amateur."

"For classical and folk guitarists, as well as electric guitar soloists, technique is everything, while for the latter, overall coordination needs to be considered."

"As the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lyricist of the band, Masumi is more than capable. It was Masumi herself who kept that shaky band afloat; otherwise, it would have disbanded before she met me."

Her tone was so sincere that Masumi couldn't help but lower her eyelashes.

The only thing he couldn't question was Mio's music. Mio's love for him was incredibly sincere, and she would never lie about her music.

"……Um."

Not wanting to be pulled into the vortex of memories, he responded absentmindedly, his vision filled with a fair and beautifully shaped back.

Unlike her front, which was covered by a triangular piece of fabric, her back was only covered by a thin swimsuit strap. If viewed from behind, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that her entire upper body was not wearing any clothes.

"Is Masumi staring at my back?" I've been caught.

"It's alright, Masumi, feel free to look around." Kurokawa Mio didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, she seemed to enjoy Masumi's gaze.
"I underestimated the UV radiation on Miyako Island today, and I ended up in a bit of a mess."

She bit her lip and said unwillingly.

Although there is sunscreen, it seems difficult to block all ultraviolet rays, and there are still embarrassing tan lines on the skin.

Masumi nodded in agreement: "The sunlight here is indeed much stronger than in the Seto Inland Sea."

"Has Mio never been to Okinawa before?"

If I don't ask random questions to distract myself, the current situation is still very bad.

"Yeah, after all, the main reason to go to Okinawa is to see the sea and play in the water. I used to be alone, and I didn't have any friends to go to the beach with."

She said it casually, then put on a big smile.

"So, I'm really happy to be able to go out and have fun with Masumi like this. The sea on Miyako Island is also very beautiful."

"Indeed, the water was incredibly blue. I remember it was called..."

“Miyako Ran,” Kurokawa Mio added for him, “I admired her carefully during the day.”

"Really? I always felt like you were looking at me the whole day and didn't really look at the sea properly."

Recalling Mio's passionate gaze during the day, its intensity was no different from the sun on Miyako Island.

Even if the view is suddenly interrupted, it will be restored immediately, just like after emergency repairs by staff.

When pointed out, Kurokawa Mio didn't show any shyness and readily admitted it:
"Because you can only see Masumi here."

"...That's a profound answer."

After thinking about it carefully, I realized that feeling was the same as wanting to keep that scenery in my memory forever.

"Masumi."

She suddenly called out Masumi's name.

Even through the bathwater, I could feel Mio's burning body temperature, and the reason for this must be more than just the water temperature.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Kurokawa Mio suddenly felt uneasy, clutching her hair. Was it just her imagination? She felt that the way the woman called her just now sounded sweeter than usual.

"It's nothing, it's just that... Masumi's body is finally starting to feel warm towards me too."

"...!"

Her back, which had been leaning back, now arched forward as Masumi fanned her face to cool her burning skin.

He seems to have lost his mind from the heat.

◇

To avoid being discovered, Masumi went out of the bathroom first to investigate, but it seemed like a pointless effort.

Four girls were sitting on deck chairs in the courtyard, admiring the beautiful and ethereal scenery between the water and the sky, while the spreading summer sunset looked down on them from above.

The sun has set.

The fortune teller's mysterious prophecy came to mind at that moment.

"Walk towards Libra after sunset, and an encounter awaits you."

"—Look, Masumi-nii, isn't the sunset beautiful?"

Upon seeing him, Qian'ai flashed a radiant smile, as bright as a blooming sunflower.

"Oh, it really is beautiful."

"It's still early, how about we go for a walk?" Rinne suggested.

"Agree."

Qian Ai echoed energetically.

"Sigh, I just want to lie on a beach chair until the sea dries up and the rocks crumble," Mami said lazily.

"Sister Mami, are you going to turn into a fossil?" The childhood friend asked helplessly, her eyebrows drooping.

"That's right, it's just a mermaid fossil."

This guy always had some strange insistence on this.

"After sunset, there probably won't be many tourist attractions to visit. Is there anywhere you'd like to go, Masumi?" Rinne asked.

"Well, there is a place, or rather, a direction."

Masumi then shared the fortune teller's prophecy with Rinne and Kaigetsu.

"An encounter..."

"Not bad." Mami, who had been looking lazy, perked up again. "I thought Masumi wasn't planning on going."

"Let's head towards Libra!"

She gave a powerful shout.

Do you know which direction Libra is in?

"I don't know." Mami shook her head.

"But it knows."

She proudly raised her phone and opened a mobile app called Virtual Observatory.

Masumi understood immediately, "So there's such software. It's really convenient."

And it even supports my iPhone X, which is fantastic. Sure enough, this phone can still be used for another 8 years.

"No way!" Qian Ai sighed helplessly. "This is a phone that's almost eight years old."

"Oh right, let's invite Mio-neechan to come along too. She just said she was a little tired and wanted to go back to her room to rest."

So that's how Mio brushed them off.

Masumi nodded slightly without changing her expression. "Okay."

◇

Walking in the direction of the virtual observatory, you'll find yourself on a bustling commercial street.

The rows of stalls and the lights made it look like a summer festival; honestly, you couldn't feel any autumn atmosphere here at all.

The evening breeze after sunset caressed my cheeks, the gentle breeze carrying fine sand, as if the wind were touching my skin.

"It's so lively."

"Huh? It's that group of high school students I saw when I got off the plane. They're here."

Qian Ai looked over and said, "Hmm, there seems to be an aquarium over there."

"A local aquarium on Miyako Island? That sounds interesting."

“Go…take a look…” Haiyue said expressionlessly.

"Okay." Qian'ai nodded with a smile. "Let's go in."

The aquarium, located in the shopping street, looks small and simple, or to put it bluntly, quite dilapidated. Despite its appearance, it attracts a lot of visitors.

The reason is easy to guess; after all, it's the only aquarium on the island.

Whether it's for the islanders' leisure or for tourists from outside, everyone will want to visit.

This group of high school students on a school trip were just like that; judging from their dialect, they seemed to be from northern Kyushu.

The aquarium is open until 9 p.m. The six of us bought tickets at the ticket machine at the entrance. Adult tickets were 500 yen each, which was a very cheap price.

As soon as Haiyue entered, she unsurprisingly stopped in front of the jellyfish tank and stared at it without blinking.

"Hey, although it looks very simple from the outside, the exhibition inside is really great," Chiai exclaimed.

Although the tank is small, the descriptions of each marine creature are very detailed, all handwritten by staff on sticky notes shaped like cartoon marine animals.

You can feel the staff's enthusiasm for marine life, while also experiencing a relaxed atmosphere.

However… Masumi narrowed her eyes slightly; the handwriting seemed to…

"Ah, it's a garden eel!"

Chiai walked over with bright eyes like a child, only to find many high school students and children standing and observing in front of the garden eel's round tank.

"Masumi-nii, look, so cute!"

The orange-striped garden eel stretches its body straight out in the white sand and sways gently.

It's incredible how such simple creatures move instinctively, yet you never seem to get tired of watching them. No wonder they're considered star marine creatures.

Asami, who had been quietly watching the garden eel, suddenly narrowed her eyes, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, and said to Masumi:
“Masumi-kun, look at these guys, coming and going... they seem to be enjoying themselves.”

"There are children here, please watch your words and actions," Masumi said helplessly.

"Ah~ there's a giant sea turtle over there!"

Completely ignoring Masumi's words, she ran off on her own.

This guy……

The remaining three, Masumi, Rinne, and Kurokawa Mio, continued walking deeper into the exhibition area.

"I didn't expect it to be so big inside." Rinne took a guidebook from the doorway as she entered. "There's also a penguin area, but the show only happens on Thursdays."

"Are there sharks?" Kurokawa Mio asked.

"There's a catshark."

"Oh, if I remember correctly, Rinne also likes these sharks."

"Ah."

"There's probably only one kind of creature in the world that can perfectly please Rinne and Mio," Masumi thought to herself, listening nearby.

A sudden commotion came from the front.

Following the sound, you'll find a touch area where you can interact with marine life—a popular spot found in almost every aquarium.

"What a huge crab! Won't it pinch someone?" the high school girl asked worriedly, standing in front of the sink.

"Don't worry, he just looks fierce, but he's actually very reserved and gentle."

Beside her, a girl wearing a mask and an aquarium uniform smiled and said.

"Oh, is that so? I'll give it a try—"

The high school girl mustered her courage and reached her hand towards the giant chevron's shell.

"Really! She's a bit of a goofball, just like Yang Kui." She exclaimed in surprise, while also teasing her companion beside her.

"What kind of metaphor is that?"

His companion puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction.

The female staff member smiled and made her way out unscathed, leaving the noisy crowd.

"Masumi, what's wrong?"

Kurokawa Mio tilted her head slightly in confusion, looking at Masumi who had suddenly frozen in place.

“That voice…” Masumi murmured to herself.

"sound?"

Rinne tilted her head, looking curious.

"It can't be wrong."

Snapping out of her reverie, Masumi turned to the two girls and said, "Sorry, wait for me," before jogging away to chase after that figure.

(End of this chapter)