Chapter 53 - The Sea and the Villain (3)
The vivid blue sky, the pure white clouds, and the deep blue sea reflecting it all.
The soft sound of the waves crashing against the sparkling white sand, bathed in the dazzling sunlight, was a pleasant melody to the ears.
A gentle sea breeze brushed against my skin, cooling my heated body.
As I pressed my feet into the sand, I felt a satisfying squeak beneath them, something refreshing and oddly amusing.
In this landscape, seemingly condensed with all the essence of summer, the gazes of the many men present were directed, just for this moment, at a single girl standing on the beach.
Her gentle expression was perfectly complemented by her delicate features. Her translucent white skin was smooth and flawless, her slender waist gave way to long, elegant legs.
Her lustrous, long black hair danced in the sea breeze like a vision of an angel, captivating the hearts of all who saw her.
Despite the air of innocence she carried, the sight of her bouncing, full chest with each step she took inevitably drew the eyes of those around her, causing a stir.
She was so beautiful that it took the breath away from everyone nearby. Those who passed her couldn't help but turn back at least once to burn her image into their memories.
—To put it simply, Mashiro, in her pristine white swimsuit, looked far too cute. Far too alluring.
After leaving the beach house together, we were waiting for Mai, who had gone to borrow a beach umbrella and a leisure sheet, but people kept coming up to try and talk to Mashiro.
With a face that would outshine any of the world's most beautiful girls, and a figure so striking it turned heads wherever she went, it was no surprise that people were enchanted by her goddess-like appearance on the white sandy beach.
And now, several men were attempting to approach her, using whatever pick-up skills they had honed over the years to try and win her over—but...
"Hnngh!?"
The sounds coming from the men approaching Mashiro were not the usual flirtatious lines, but rather shrieks of terror.
Why, you ask? The answer was simple.
I was glaring at every single one of them as they approached.
As expected of the most formidable villain in Fusekoi.
Even just a glance from me seemed to project an overwhelming aura of intimidation, causing the background-like NPCs to turn pale.
Every man who tried to hit on Mashiro had his knees buckle in fear, retreating timidly and giving up entirely.
It was the same when we went shopping together—despite having dyed my hair back to black, my menacing villainous presence was still very much intact.
Had I been an ordinary background character like them, I probably wouldn’t have been able to fend off the men flocking to Mashiro. As someone trying to leave behind my villain role and become the hero, I had mixed feelings about this.
As I continued to ward off the approaching men, Mashiro, standing beside me, peeked up at my face.
"Ryusuke, you’ve had this scary look on your face for a while now. You’re furrowing your brow."
"Oh, sorry. I’ve been glaring at the guys staring at you, Mashiro."
"Fweh? Oh, uh... thanks?"
"You're welcome. Here, take this."
I draped the beach towel I had been holding over Mashiro’s body.
The large towel, bigger than a regular bath towel, was enough to completely cover Mashiro’s petite frame. It was perfect for concealing her full chest and the smooth curves of her stomach that were drawing all the attention.
By covering up her overly attractive figure, I could lessen the number of people approaching her. But honestly, my real reason was that I didn’t want anyone else to see her in that swimsuit.
As I lightly patted the confused Mashiro’s head, her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and she looked up at me with soft, pleading eyes.
"Ryusuke... do you not want other guys looking at me?"
"...Saying I don’t mind would be a lie."
"Hehe... I see. That makes me happy, that you don’t want anyone else to see me like this."
Mashiro murmured, savoring her words, while clutching the edges of the beach towel and wrapping herself tightly.
Disappointed murmurs came from the crowd as Mashiro’s alluring chest and slim waist disappeared from view, but she didn’t seem to care. She gave me a soft, warm smile and whispered tenderly to me.
"Thank you, Ryusuke. I want you to be the only one who sees me like this... so I’ll make sure to keep it covered. Just for you to have all to yourself."
"S-Shut up! I only covered you up to keep those guys from hitting on you. It’s not like I want to keep you all to myself or anything."
Even though, deep down, I did want to monopolize her, I was far too embarrassed to say that out loud.
So, I gave her the more practical reason for the towel, but Mashiro, having already seen right through my intentions, grinned mischievously and replied in a soft, teasing tone.
"Hehe, you’re so cute when you blush, Ryusuke. Alright, then, let’s say that’s the reason this time."
"...Do whatever you want."
As I turned my gaze away, Mashiro giggled happily.
At this rate, I felt like I might melt like ice cream left in the summer sun.
Wanting to soften me up even more, Mashiro leaned closer and gently intertwined her fingers with mine.
"If we stay like this, maybe everyone will think we’re a couple, and the guys will stop coming up to us."
"Th-That’s true, but holding hands like this at the beach is kind of embarrassing..."
"We hold hands all the time on the way home from school, don’t we? You should be used to it by now. And today, you said you’d make sure I had a lot of fun."
"I did say that... Fine. A man keeps his word. I’ll stay like this and won’t let go."
I squeezed Mashiro’s small hand firmly.
Mashiro’s face lit up with a bright smile, like a flower in bloom, and she hugged my arm tightly with her tiny frame.