NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73
It feels like I might lose my mind at any second in this dazzling array of colors.
No, let me rephrase that. It’s not just about the colors.
To be precise, when I look around, aside from a few extreme exceptions, all I see are swimsuits that barely cover anything at all. We decided to call those swimwear.
“What do you think, Uju? Aren’t there so many pretty ones?”
As we arrived at the swimsuit store, Older Sister Seo-ha approached me with an enticing gaze and asked. I knew better than anyone that her question didn’t have the innocent meaning behind it.
Why is she being so aggressive today?
“I’m not sure….”
“Really? You seem to know.”
Chuckling softly, Seo-ha poked my arm with her finger, making me turn away.
The tickling sensation on my arm, the soft touch on my back, and the smiling face of my sister in front of me were overwhelming in every direction.
“You said you like bikinis, right? Which style do you prefer?”
With a swish sound, she started showing me bikini after bikini, clearly trying to provoke me, but I had no way to counterattack.
“Uh, no, I don’t really like bikinis.”
“Really? You answered without hesitation, though?”
“Umm, uh….”
I couldn’t confess that I just reflexively responded while my mind was blank.
Seriously, who would casually ask about their preferred style of swimwear?
“Well, I just answered without thinking. Please don’t read too much into it.”
“Answering without thinking means your true feelings came out, right?”
“…….”
My mind was spinning, caught in a dilemma with no way out.
In the past, when I got too flustered, she would show some sign of retreat, but not anymore. Perhaps her true nature has finally started to show.
I don’t dislike this side of her, but it’s really hard to endure. I just wish she would show a little mercy.
“Hehe, it’s okay. Liking bikinis isn’t a crime.”
Fortunately, as if she was trying to give me a little encouragement, she smiled while hugging my arm and pulling out hangers one by one.
Of course, I knew it wasn’t a crime, but I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. When I think about the form of a bikini, it’s only natural.
“…I feel like I’d be seen as a pervert.”
“That’s surprising. I thought Uju would prefer less revealing swimwear.”
Seo-ha added the comment, ‘like rash guards?’
Hmm, I have to admit rash guards are nice too. Some guys criticize them as the worst invention, but I actually think they’re decent swimwear. There’s a saying about the beauty of concealment.
But preferring bikinis? Maybe that’s just the sad instinct of being a man…. Well, it is what it is.
“Not that I dislike it, though. Honestly, I’m glad you told me.”
“Is it good enough for you to be happy?”
“Of course! You want to show me your swimwear, so you should choose one you like, right?”
Show me your swimwear? Whoa.
The moment I heard that, my imagination switched to my sister wearing the white bikini in her hands, making my head spin.
That would be a whole different kind of violence.
“Welcome! Are you looking for a swimsuit?”
As I was regaining my composure, a female employee attending to other guests approached us with a bright smile.
“Ah, yes. I’m actually looking for a bikini to wear to the beach.”
“Are you only looking for a bikini? These days, rash guards and cute one-piece types are quite popular too.”
“Is that so?”
Perhaps influenced by the clerk’s words, Seo-ha’s eyes widened as she momentarily glanced at me. Then,
“…Ah, but I think I still prefer bikinis. Can you show me those?”
Hold on, sister. Why did you glance at me first and then decide on bikinis?
If someone saw us, they’d think I was crazy about bikinis.
“Well, with a figure like yours, it would be a crime not to show it off. I’ll show you right away.”
The employee said this with a teasing tone as she guided us to a corner of the store.
It seemed to be a new arrivals section, and there were quite a few fresh and exciting swimsuits hanging, beyond the simple designs we saw earlier. I never realized there were so many types of swimsuits.
“These days, the most popular ones are monokinis and tube tops. Which do you prefer?”
“Hmm… Which one do you think looks better, Uju?”
“Me?”
I never expected the baton to be passed to me here.
I awkwardly approached to check the displayed swimsuits. To be honest, every single one of them was a daring swimsuit that would make it hard to choose. Imagining my sister wearing one made it even harder.
“…If I had to choose, maybe something like this?”
Among them, I chose a swimsuit that had something covering the waist, as it seemed relatively less revealing. After all, it was clear that no matter how much I hesitated, my sister wouldn’t let me go.
“Yeah, that looks good. By the way, Uju seems to like string types, huh?”
“What? S… What did you say?”
String? Is that some kind of cheese?
As I blinked in confusion, Seo-ha chuckled softly, walked over to the displayed swimsuits, lifted up a piece of fabric, and pointed to the bottom part.
“This is what we call a string type. Haven’t you seen it before?”
“…Ah.”
Wait, why is there a string attached to that? Aren’t bikinis just supposed to be put on like underwear?
Of course, the shapes are similar, but having something like that attached made it feel much more daring. Just imagining that string coming loose…ugh.
“Um, hold on there, sister. Can we pick something else…?”
“Can I try this one on?”
Before I could suggest a less revealing option, she picked up that string type and approached the employee.
“Of course, guest. What size do you wear?”
“75E.”
“Oh my, what a nice proportion!”
I tried to close my ears and ignore it. I felt like I might have heard something I shouldn’t have, but I refused to believe it.
“Uju, should I change and come out?”
“Yeah…”
After a moment of whispering back and forth, my sister opened the fitting room door and stepped inside, leaving me exchanging glances with the employee while feeling awkward.
I think this is the first time I’ve felt like just going home while being with my sister.
“Your girlfriend is really pretty.”
“Th-thank you.”
In the meantime, the employee, unaware of my feelings, praised Seo-ha with a commercial smile.
In the past, I would have immediately denied that she wasn’t my girlfriend, but maybe I’ve grown a little. I nodded shyly.
Even though my sister asked for more time, saying girlfriend… is that okay? Is it too hasty?
– Uju, can I come out?
As I was trying to convince myself that it should be fine, a cautious voice from inside the fitting room reached me. She seemed to be a bit nervous about other people being around.
“Yes, sister. It seems fine for you to come out.”
Looking around, there were no other customers besides me and the employee, so I nodded.
Then, sounds of rustling came from inside, and soon my sister opened the fitting room door and appeared…
…Wow.
“What do you think? Does it suit me well?”
“…….”
With a look in her eyes full of expectations rather than shyness, my sister in a bikini matching her hair color asked for my thoughts, leaving me speechless.
It looks great. What can I say? Of course it does.
The problem is, I don’t know where to look. It’s a bikini, so naturally, but even considering that, there was so much exposed skin that my face was turning red.
“Oh my! Guest, it looks wonderful on you! Your boyfriend might just faint!”
“The employee says it looks great, but what about you, Uju?”
I glanced over at the employee who answered on my behalf, then back at my sister, who was smiling and repeating her question.
“S-sister, it looks pretty, but maybe try something else….”
“Huh? Do you think it doesn’t look good? It’s okay if you want to be honest.”
“N-no, I don’t think it looks bad at all. In fact, it looks so good it’s a problem…”
Imagining what it would be like to go to the beach with my sister, I honestly didn’t want to show this to other guys.
I know it’s a pathetic feeling to say, but what can I do? That’s my true feeling. There are going to be a bunch of wolves drooling over her.
Even if she throws on a piece of fabric on top, there wouldn’t be much difference. I think that swimsuit I saw earlier that covered the stomach would be better.
“…Haha, alright. Should I try on one that reveals a little less flesh?”
As I hesitated, trying to swallow my uncomfortable feelings, my sister, as if she had picked up on my true thoughts, laughed and proposed a welcome suggestion.
“Ah…. That’s good! How about the one we saw earlier that covers the stomach?”
“Yeah, I think that would be pretty too. Then I’ll ask you to buy that, and just buy this one for myself?”
“Huh? Are you really going to buy two?”
Do you really need two swimsuits? Do fashion-conscious people’s perspectives differ that much?
It’s certainly enough to buy two, and I don’t plan on making her pay for one, but I became curious about where she’d use the other one and tilted my head.
“I think you’d like this one more when we’re alone together. Isn’t that right?”
“…….”
With a sultry smile, she turned her back and slipped back into the fitting room again.
I wondered just how well she knew me, reflexively rubbing my forehead.
Meanwhile, the employee was looking up at me and quietly chuckling.
Ah, I fell for it again.