Chapter 57 - The Sea and the Villain (7)
Mashiro and I stood up from under the beach parasol and, following Mai’s lead, arrived at the venue of the tournament.
Two poles had been set up on the white sandy beach, with a net strung between them for beach volleyball. The beach was bustling with people, and there seemed to be quite a few teams participating in the tournament as well.
The participants ranged from groups of middle school and high school students, families, to adult teams. Although their ages and genders varied, the one thing they all had in common was the smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the game.
In the midst of all this, Mashiro, Mai, and I stood at the edge of the venue, watching other teams compete while reviewing the rules.
"A game is played three-on-three, and the first team to reach 15 points wins, huh? There are a lot of teams, so there’s no second set."
"Yeah, Onii-chan! It’s not some super serious tournament or anything; it’s just a fun event organized by the beach house for everyone to enjoy!"
"Win, and you get a 1,000-yen meal voucher per person, and even if you lose, you get free shaved ice as a participation prize. That’s pretty generous."
"Right? They’re really going all out! I’m totally aiming to win! I’ve already started thinking about what I’m gonna eat!"
"You’re such a foodie, Mai. Well, I’m hungry too, to be honest."
"It’s almost noon. Let’s work up an even bigger appetite with some beach volleyball, and then we can have a feast for lunch! I’m so excited!"
Mai jumped up in joy, laughing happily.
On the other hand, I was starting to feel a bit tense about this tournament.
When I glanced around the venue, there they were—Fusegawa Raito and the heroines, Hanasaki Yuna and Himeno Karen.
As I suspected, our opponents were Raito’s team. Of course, they were already aware of this as well.
The three of them had huddled up, likely discussing their positions and strategies. I could feel their determination—like they were absolutely intent on winning.
As I caught sight of them, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
That focus, that confidence, that aura radiating from Fusegawa Raito—it was exactly the same as what I saw during the finals of the term exams.
As the villain in this story, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s awakened as the protagonist. He’s going to come at me with everything he’s got, alongside the heroines.
I can’t afford to let my guard down for even a second. If I show any weakness, I’ll be crushed.
My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest. The fear and tension that always hit just before the match were starting to overwhelm me, and I couldn’t help but hold my breath.
At that moment, I felt something soft touch my right hand. I looked down to see Mashiro gently holding my hand, smiling tenderly.
The warmth of her small hand, combined with the softness of her voice, enveloped me gently.
"Hehe, you’re really nervous, aren’t you? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this—probably since the finals?"
"Yeah… I haven’t been this nervous since then."
"I’ll give you a little charm to help calm you down. Just lend me your hand, okay? Open it up, like this."
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Mashiro gently took my hand between both of hers.
Then, she began tracing something on my palm with her index finger, drawing letters slowly. It felt a little ticklish, and despite myself, I couldn’t help but smile.
After she finished, she gave a light tap with her finger and let go, flashing a playful grin.
"There, all done."
"Huh, okay... but what did you write?"
I looked down at my palm where she had traced the charm. I could only make out the first letter, which seemed to be the character for "dai" (大). Did she write “daijoubu” (大丈夫), meaning “it’ll be okay”? That would make sense for a charm to calm me down. But the second character she drew had an unusually high number of strokes.
"What did you write? I saw the character for ‘dai’..."
"Well… uh…"
Mashiro suddenly turned away, her cheeks flushed, and started fidgeting nervously.
What the heck? Now I’m even more curious!
(Did she definitely write "dai"?)
What other three-character words start with "dai" besides "daijoubu"? The last character only had four strokes, so it should have been the character for “bu” (夫) in "daijoubu." But why did the second character have so many strokes?
It’s supposed to be a charm to calm me down, but now that Mashiro is blushing, I can’t help but feel even more intrigued. Her face is bright red, and I’m dying to know what she wrote.
Just as I was about to ask her again, Mashiro turned her face even further away and muttered softly.
"I-it’s a secret. It’s a charm, so if I tell you, it won’t work anymore."
"Is that so?"
"Y-yeah. But you feel more relaxed now, right? The charm worked, didn’t it?"
"Yeah, thanks, Mashiro. I feel a lot more at ease now. I think I can do this."
Just like Mashiro said, the charm worked like a dream. It was as if the nervousness and anxiety had melted away, and I felt strangely calm now, as if I had been under some sort of spell.
I ruffled Mashiro’s hair as a way of saying thanks, and she squinted happily, her expression softening in delight.
"Hehe, I got a charm from Ryusuke too. I’m happy."
"Wait, were you nervous too?"
"Yeah, but I’m okay now. Ryusuke’s charm worked wonders."
"Well, I guess we’re even then. I’m good now too. Let’s do our best together."
"Yeah! Let’s win this!"
Seeing Mashiro’s adorable expression gave me a surge of confidence. Thanks to her, I felt ready to give it my all.
Even though our opponent is the protagonist, there’s no way we’re going to lose. Feeling a surge of certainty, Mashiro and I exchanged smiles.
As she watched us, my little sister Mai grinned mischievously, clearly amused.
"Onii-chan and Mashiro-san are sooo lovey-dovey~. You two are getting way too cozy before the match!"
"W-what are you saying, Mai? It’s just a charm… right, Mashiro?"
"Y-yeah, Mai-chan. It’s just a charm to help us win. It’s not like it has any weird meaning… right?"
"Sure, sure. You two are so obvious. It’s really easy to tell what’s going on with you both."
Mai grinned at us with a teasing look, making both Mashiro and I glance away awkwardly. Maybe we had been a little too touchy in front of everyone. Embarrassed, we both blushed and looked down in silence.
After a few deep breaths to calm ourselves, Mai seemed satisfied with her teasing and dropped the subject.
Finally, I refocused, locking my gaze onto Fusegawa Raito and the two heroines.
The determination in their serious expressions was palpable, hinting at the intense battle that was about to unfold.
It’s finally about to begin.
The showdown with the protagonist, set against the backdrop of the summer sea.
damn. I wanted to drop this but it's as addictive as it is irritating. Will someone explain to me why a guy who is an adult behaves like this? and accuses the protagonist of being dense, and is even more so himself?
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