Chapter 3: “Summer Vacation at the Mercy of Beautiful Girls”

Finally, the first day of summer vacation has arrived.

As soon as the break began, the relentless summer heat swept in, so intense that merely stepping outside coaxed sweat to bead on my skin.

And where was I on this swelteringly unbearable first day of summer vacation?

“Ryouta, Ryouta! We’re almost at Grandma’s house!”

I was rattling along on a rickety bus, its air conditioning barely wheezing, surrounded by empty seats. For an hour and a half, we wound through rural roads flanked by endless rice paddies.

Stepping off the bus, I found myself in a countryside town enveloped by lush forests, brimming with vibrant nature and crisp, clean air.

“My, my, welcome, Airi-chan!”

“Thanks for picking us up, Grandma! Oh, this is my friend, Izumiya Ryouta-kun!”

“Oh my, is he your boyfriend?”

“No way, that’s not it!”

That’s right—I was here, in this middle-of-nowhere mountain village, at Airi’s family home for a specific reason, all because Airi had won a game of rock-paper-scissors. Nestled between towering mountains, this place was a two-hour bus ride from the city we called home.

Looking around, I was surrounded by vivid green scenery, old-fashioned houses, sprawling fields, and a lone community center—a scene so quintessentially rural it felt like I’d stepped into a countryside diorama.

This is what a real countryside is like? It’s… intense.

“Izumiya-san, thank you for always spending time with Airi-chan.”

Airi’s grandmother, who’d come to meet us at the bus stop, offered me a warm, kindly smile that radiated grandmotherly charm.

“N-no, I’m the one who’s always being looked after by Airi-san.”

“Enough with the formalities!” Airi interjected. “We’ve got to start preparing to make today’s goal happen!”

“Y-yeah.”

Spurred by Airi’s enthusiasm, I began readying myself to fulfill today’s purpose.

Today’s purpose, huh…

My mind drifted back to how we’d ended up here.

One week earlier…

To decide who’d get the first chance to boss me around during summer vacation—whether as a penalty or a reward—the three beautiful girls had launched into a round of rock-paper-scissors.

“””Rock, paper, scissors!”””

I’d expected Rui to dominate as usual, but the outcome unfolding before me was anything but typical.

Airi threw scissors, while Yuria and Rui both chose paper, settling the match in a single round.

“Yay, Ryouta! Airi gets to make the first request!”

“Ugh, I thought Airi would go with rock like always,” Yuria groaned.

“I knew you two would think that, so I outsmarted you!” Airi declared, puffing out her chest proudly, her ample figure swaying with the motion. “After all that test studying, Airi’s gotten a bit smarter!”

Ohh… now that’s something… Wait, huh?

As I stared at her chest, I felt a dark aura emanating from the side.

Th-this aura…

“Heh… to think that I would lose.”

That’s right… Kuroki Rui.

Her loss at rock-paper-scissors left her eyes narrowed sharper than usual, her brow furrowed, though she slowly forced a smile.

“Congrats, Airi. I thought you’d go with rock too, but I didn’t expect you to outsmart us like that.”

“Ehehe, Rui-chan praised me!”

Rui chatted with Airi, her smile seemingly normal, but I caught a glimpse of her hand behind her back, clenched tightly into a fist.

Rui’s such a perfectionist that even losing a luck-based game like rock-paper-scissors must sting.

Or maybe she really wanted to be the first to give me an order… but I pushed that thought aside.

“So, Airi, what’re you gonna make Ryouta do?” Yuria asked.

“Well, it’s not just for Ryouta, but something I want everyone to do together!”

“Wait, us too?” Yuria tilted her head.

Airi nodded firmly. “Airi wants to catch a rhinoceros beetle this year! And a stag beetle too!”

“””Huh…?”””

“So, my order is that as soon as summer vacation starts, we all go to the forest to collect bugs! What do you think?”

I was wondering what kind of order it’d be, and it’s bug collecting… Classic Airi.

“Uh, I’m gonna pass,” Yuria said flatly. “Bugs are, like, totally gross.”

“That’s mean, Yuria! Bugs are living their lives just as hard as we are!”

“Yeah, but seeing bugs live makes me want to die.”

Yuria said this with a deadpan expression, her eyes like those of a lifeless fish.

Man, how much does Yuria hate bugs?

“What about you, Rui-chan? Let’s catch rhinoceros beetles together!”

“Uh, I think I’ll pass too… Bugs are kinda gros—er, I mean, I’ve got an important track meet right when summer vacation starts.”

Oh, come on, even Rui?

Apparently, the bond between these three beautiful girls crumbled in the face of insects.

“Ugh, you two are so mean! Airi just wants to catch beetles with everyone!”

“Sorry, Airi. But, like, you’ve got Ryouta, right?” Yuria said.

“Yeah, Airi. Since Ryouta-kun’s with you, we’re good, right?” Rui added.

Suddenly, Yuria and Rui were tossing me under the bus.

“Hold on, you guys! I’m not exactly great with bugs either—”

“You promised to absolutely follow our orders, didn’t you, Ryouta?” Yuria cut in.

“That’s right, Ryouta-kun,” Rui echoed.

These jerks…!

“Ryouta, don’t you want to catch bugs with Airi?” Airi asked, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears, her puppy-dog eyes gazing up at me.

Tch, that face… that’s unfair!

I’d promised to follow their orders, so backing out wasn’t an option.

“…Fine, I get it. I’ll do it! I’ll go bug catching!”

“Really?! Yay!”

Airi’s teary expression melted into a radiant smile, her chest bouncing with her excitement.

And so, I ended up going bug catching with Airi alone… which brought us to now.

Dragged to the middle of nowhere in this sweltering summer, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes… ugh.

“We’re here!”

“Hm?”

Airi halted in front of an old house near the bus stop.

“This is my mom’s family home!”

“Oh, your mom’s, huh.”

“Let’s drop our stuff here and get ready, okay? That’s fine, right, Grandma?”

“Of course, dear. I’ve got some watermelon chilling in the river, so take your time.”

Chilled watermelon in a rural old house… that’s peak countryside Japan.

Alright, so we’d hang out here until evening… wait, hold on.

“H-hey, Airi.”

“What’s up, Ryouta? Need the bathroom?”

“No, that’s not it! If it’s evening, there won’t be any more buses, will there?”

“Yup, that’s right. So?”

That’s right?! That’s not just a “so” thing!

“So, does that mean… we’re staying the night here?”

“Huh? Yeah, of course.”

Of course?! That’s not just an “of course” thing!

(Second time today)

Staying the night with Airi… an impromptu, envy-inducing, ultra-exciting event every guy would kill for.

“Wait, didn’t I mention it was an overnight trip?”

“N-no, you didn’t!”

This is way too much of a reward!

Pink-tinted fantasies flooded my mind.

“Oh, does your family have a curfew or, like, no sleepovers allowed?”

“I don’t think so, but I’ll check with my parents later just to be safe.”

“Really? Thanks, Ryouta! Say hi to your mom for me!”

This girl… not even fazed by the idea of staying over with a guy? She’s way too trusting.

Sure, we were friends, but I was still a guy, you know?

There’s always the chance I could sneak in while she’s sleeping… nah, I’m too much of a coward for that.

Maybe Airi doesn’t even see me as a “guy.”

She probably just thinks of me as a “close friend who happens to be a guy.”

I followed Airi toward the house, but she paused in front of the sliding door.

“Airi?”

“Um… honestly? I’d be super nervous staying over alone with you, Ryouta, so I wanted Yuria and Rui-chan to come too… but, well, it ended up just being the two of us, didn’t it?”

Airi’s shy smile was tinged with unease, her brows furrowed slightly.

“I guess I’m kinda nervous, after all.”

W-wait, does that mean… Airi’s actually aware of me as a guy? Or… what’s going on here?

I had a sinking feeling this sleepover was about to get complicated.

☆☆

“E-excuse me!”

I gave a quick bow, slipped off my shoes, and stepped inside.

The floorboards creaked beneath my feet, and the weathered wooden walls, paired with shoji screens that practically begged to be poked, radiated a nostalgic charm. It felt like I’d returned to my own hometown, even though I’d never set foot here before.

Is this house some kind of nostalgia factory?

“Hey, Grandma, is that room the only one we can sleep in?”

“Yup, the other rooms are packed with storage.”

Airi and her grandmother were discussing our sleeping arrangements for the night.

“What’s ‘that room’?”

“The attic room!”

“The attic room?!”

I’d assumed this low-roofed old house was single-story, but apparently, it had an attic.

Airi led me to a ladder leading up to the attic room, and we climbed up.

“So this is the attic room, huh.”

A gabled ceiling capped a surprisingly spacious single room. The floor was carpeted, furnished only with a dresser and a low table, leaving the space stark and bare.

Looks like they don’t use this room for storage or anything.

Airi opened a small window, letting a cool breeze sweep into the dusty attic.

“Airi loves this room! Doesn’t it feel like a secret base?”

“Yeah, it’s got that perfect vibe to spark a kid’s imagination.”

“Muu, Airi’s not a kid!”

No matter how you look at it, Airi’s totally a kid. Well, except for her massive chest.

“So, is it okay if I sleep here?”

“Yup! Tonight, we’ll lay out futons side by side, and tomorrow morning, we’ll get up early for the real bug-catching adventure!”

“Got it… wait, side by side?”

“Yup!”

“Hold on, you’re sleeping here too, Airi?”

“Of course! This house is small, so the attic’s the only place we can sleep.”

No way!

So tonight, I’m literally spending the night with Airi?! I didn’t bring that with me today!

“If you don’t want to, Ryouta, I can sleep under the dining room table or something…”

“Don’t sleep in a place like that! Fine, fine, this is okay!”

I played it off like it was a hassle, but deep down, my heart was racing.

“…Cool! Then let’s sleep together, okay?”

“Y-yeah.”

Sleeping in the same room as a girl? That hasn’t happened since preschool naptime, and the thought was making me nervous. If things with Airi somehow escalated and we went all the way until morning, it’d be way bigger than just bug catching…

“Oh! It’s still here!”

While I was lost in less-than-pure thoughts, Airi rummaged through the dresser and pulled something out.

“Is that a photo?”

“Yup! It’s a picture of Grandma when she was young! She was super pretty, right?”

“Hmm… whoa?!”

Airi handed me a black-and-white photo of a younger woman who must have been her grandmother. She stood by the seaside in a pure white dress, her hairstyle exactly like Saza●-san, but her chest… it was impossibly large, radiating an almost scandalous allure that’d never make it onto Sunday evening TV.

[T/N: Saza●-san likely refers to Sazae-san, a popular Japanese manga and anime.]

So Grandma was this busty back in the day too… The power of those genes!

Now I was dying to see what Airi’s mom looked like.

“I wanna grow up to be an adult woman soon too!”

“Don’t worry, you’re already plenty grown-up.”

“You called me a kid earlier, and now I’m grown-up? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Grandma Busty—BB for short—passed down something truly incredible to Airi, didn’t she?

BB, your genes are legendary!

“Ryouta? Why do you look like you’ve achieved enlightenment?”

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing. By the way, you mentioned doing something this evening—what’s that about?”

“Hehe, glad you asked! When evening comes, we’re gonna set out the bait!”

“B-bait?”

“You don’t know about bait? It’s the basics for catching rhinoceros beetles!”

“Basics or not…”

A self-proclaimed city boy like me had never done anything like bug catching.

“I mean, aren’t there tons of rhinoceros beetles in the forest? They’re probably buzzing around out there right now, right?”

“Way too naive, Ryouta! If it was that easy to catch rhinoceros beetles or stag beetles, no one would bother!”

“I-is that so?”

I didn’t quite get it. I’d thought a countryside forest would be crawling with bugs, easy to snag and head home. Was it really that tough?

“For one thing, the best time to catch rhinoceros beetles is late at night to early morning, and you need bait to lure them!”

“Oh, wow.”

“So let’s get started with the prep!”

“What, right now?!”

“Duh! Come on, let’s head to the kitchen!”

Airi’s enthusiasm for her passions was unstoppable.

Following her to the kitchen, I saw BB—Airi’s grandma—holding a strange-colored mixture of bananas and shochu.

“Here you go, Airi. I got it all ready for you.”

“Thanks, Grandma!”

Airi took the mixture and set it on the kitchen sink.

“Wh-what is that… it’s kinda gross.”

“This is the bait to attract rhinoceros beetles!”

“Bait? We’re using that?”

“Yup! This mix of shochu and bananas draws tons of rhinoceros beetles!”

“H-huh…”

The fermented smell was intense, likely mimicking the tree sap rhinoceros beetles loved.

“So, we just smear this on trees or something?”

“We can put it on trees, but this time, I brought something else too!”

Airi pulled a rubbery item from her pocket.

“Ta-da! Stockings!”

She stretched them with a biyoon biyoon, holding them up like a cat-shaped robot showing off a prize.

S-s-s-stockings?!

“We put the bait in these stockings and wrap them around a tree overnight! By morning, tons of rhinoceros beetles will come!”

“Tch, with those…?”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Ryouta?”

“Using something as precious as girls’ stockings to attract rhinoceros beetles?! Forget beetles, that’s gonna attract perverts!”

I widened my eyes, pleading with Airi.

“H-huh? Ryouta, what are you talking about?”

“Legally allowing something to swarm girls’ stockings?! Rhinoceros beetles are way too privileged!”

“Whoa, Ryouta, calm down!”

“Calm down?! No way! Look, I’m confiscating these right—”

“They’re brand-new from the 100-yen shop!”

…Brand-new?

So, they’re not ones Airi’s worn…?

“Phew. Alright, let’s hurry and stuff the bait in these.”

“Ugh, what was that all about?!”

I quickly reined in my overactive imagination and urged Airi to fill the stockings with bait.

Brand-new stockings are just… stockings, right? (Philosophy)

“Ryouta, you really are a pervert, huh?”

Airi shot me a sidelong glance, her expression exasperated.

“I-I won’t deny it… but all guys are perverts, you know.”

“Really?”

“Obviously. But it’s not just guys—girls are the same. When you see a hot guy, don’t you think, ‘Hold me!’ or something? It’s like that.”

I tossed out some half-baked reasoning, pure bias on my part.

“Hmm, Airi doesn’t really get that? I mean, I’m not even interested in hot guys.”

“N-not interested? No way, that can’t be true!”

“It’s true! Airi doesn’t care about looks—I like guys who are kind and have good hearts!”

Kindness and heart, huh. So like Airi herself.

“So, have you already found this ideal prince with a kind heart?”

I teased, figuring Airi’s childish nature meant she hadn’t.

“I-I have…? Not a prince, though—more like a princess.”

“Huh? A princess? Wait, does that mean Airi’s into girls? I mean, that’s cool too.”

“Ugh, no! You’re such an idiot, Ryouta!”

Idiot? What’s that supposed to mean?

So Airi wasn’t into girls after all. Then who was this “princess”?

“Seriously, Ryouta, you’re just a brainiac idiot!”

“Why’re you suddenly dissing me like that?”

“…Hmph!”

“What? You mad?”

“Yup, super mad.”

“No way, people who are mad don’t just say they’re mad.”

“I’m really mad! Fine, if that’s how it’s gonna be, we’re not just using stockings—I’m wrapping bait in your underwear and hanging it on a tree!”

“Huh? What kind of nonsense—hey!”

Airi, spouting absurd ideas, lunged for my lower half, trying to yank off my underwear.

“Take ‘em off!”

“Whoa, stop! Don’t say stupid stuff like that!”

“My, my, you two are getting frisky in broad daylight, aren’t you?”

“B—er, I mean, Airi’s grandma! T-this is a misunderstanding!!”

I was too busy shielding my lower half to do anything else.

☆☆

BB—Airi’s grandma—had prepared the banana and shochu mix in advance, and we set to work stuffing it into the stockings. The bait, likely due to its fermentation, gave off a pungent smell that could make you dizzy if you didn’t pinch your nose.

“This stuff straight-up stinks.”

It reminded me of the socks my sister used to leave scattered around the entrance back when she was in high school.

“Rhinoceros beetles are attracted to this smell, so deal with it, Ryouta!”

“Y-yeah, maybe, but…”

Pinching my nose, I managed to finish stuffing the bait into the stockings.

“Still, you’re pretty good at this, Airi. Do you do bug catching a lot?”

“Hmm, not so much lately, but when I was a kid, it was pretty much the only thing to do around here, so I did it all the time. Plus, I love rhinoceros beetles!”

Airi made horns with her fingers and playfully poked my shoulder. “Airi the rhinoceros beetle got lured by Ryouta’s bait!”

Cute… I’d want a million of these rhinoceros beetles…

“What about you, Ryouta? You’re a guy, so you must like rhinoceros beetles, right?”

“Don’t assume that. I’m not good with bugs.”

“What? Not good with them? But you’re here helping me out!”

“That’s just ‘cause I made a promise.”

The deal was that, depending on our test results, I’d have to do whatever the three of them wanted over summer vacation.

“But still! If you really hated it, you’d have bailed like Yuria and the others, right? Why’d you come?”

“W-why? Well, that’s because you…”

“Huh? Because of me?”

“I mean, you really wanted to go bug catching, right? If the other two ditched and I bailed too, you’d have to go alone. I thought that’d be kinda sad for you.”

Pressed by Airi’s relentless questions, I let my honest feelings slip out.

“So, you came so I wouldn’t be alone?”

“Uh, w-well…”

Airi’s wide-eyed question made me nod, trying to mask my embarrassment.

“…I see.”

Airi smiled softly, picking up the bait-filled stockings. “You’re really kind, Ryouta. You’re the first guy to think about me like that.”

“R-really?”

“Yup. That side of you is pretty cool, you know?”

Her bright smile flashed, revealing her white teeth—a near-perfect expression, if not for the stinky stockings in her hands.

“Alright! We’ve stuffed the stockings with bait and got the bait for the trees, so we’re all set, right?”

Then, with a shy glance, Airi undid her two-side-up hairstyle.

“Oh, Airi! I’m gonna go find a straw hat!”

“Yeah…”

That Airi just now… she didn’t seem as childish as usual. Her smile felt so natural. And she called me cool…

Watching her back as she went to grab a straw hat, my heart kept pounding.

Getting all flustered just because Airi praised me—classic virgin move. Holding a plastic bag with the smelly banana stockings and a jar of bait, I waited by the entrance, feeling oddly smug.

Lately, I’ve been able to talk to Yuria and Rui normally, so maybe I’m finally moving on from just being a loner otaku. I’ve leveled up to an elite loner otaku, haven’t I?

As I stood by the sliding door, it snapped open.

“Ryouta, sorry for the wait!”

Airi emerged wearing a straw hat. Her usual two-side-up hair was let down, flowing freely, as glossy and silky as Rui’s. It swayed in the breeze, carrying a gentle fragrance that tickled my nose.

Countryside, natural beauty, straw hat… it’s like a scene straight out of something ke● would love.

Except for the massive chest that ke● probably wouldn’t have.

“What’s up, Ryouta? Oh! You’re staring at my chest again!”

“W-Well, yeah, I was looking, but you’re the one who said it was okay to look before, right, Airi?”

“T-That’s true, but! Ugh, don’t you ever think to at least try to cover it up?”

“If I’ve got permission, I’m not gonna hold back. That’s just how guys are.”

“Ugh… Ryouta, you pervert.”

I can’t be the only one who thinks Airi, who’s totally okay with this, is just as much of a perv… (Nope, Airi’s definitely a huge perv too.)

“Boobs aside, let’s hurry up and go bug catching!”

Boobs aside, huh.

As Airi marched down the country road, I followed close behind.

“So, where exactly are we catching these rhinoceros beetles?”

“The village chief’s mountain!”

“The village chief’s?”

“Yup, the village chief owns the mountain out back!”

Airi pointed toward the massive mountain looming behind the village.

“Grandma got permission from the village chief for us to catch bugs there.”

“Airi’s grandma is way too prepared.”

“Well, everyone in the village is like family, you know!”

Like family, huh.

For a city guy like me who barely knows the neighbors, that was hard to grasp.

Guess that’s the difference between the city and the countryside.

We chatted as we made our way to the mountain path’s entrance, the setting sun casting a warm glow over us.

“Hmm, this tree looks good too.”

Airi carefully inspected the trees along the path, choosing one for our trap.

It’s getting late, the sun’s going down, and the mosquitoes are out, so I wish she’d hurry up and set the trap.

“Hey, Airi. Don’t all these trees seem pretty much the same… wait, huh?”

While waiting behind her, I heard the buzzing of wings overhead. W-Wait, what?!

“Gah! A bee?!”

I’ve always hated bees, so the moment I spotted one, I instinctively bolted.

“Ah!”

The uneven mountain path tripped me up, and I stumbled forward, hard.

“Airi! Get out of the way!”

“Huh?”

I shouted desperately as I careened toward her, but it was too late. Airi, who’d been examining a tree, turned just as I crashed into her chest, knocking her down onto her butt.

“Ow! Wait, huh? It… doesn’t hurt? And what’s this soft… oh.”

Lifting my face, I felt a soft, squishy sensation enveloping both cheeks—Airi’s massive breasts. Unlike the marshmallow metaphors in light novels, the real thing was softer, more pliable, gently cradling my face like a low-rebound bean cushion.

B-Boobs?! This is the real deal, the true sensation of boobs?!

The raw feeling was overwhelming compared to a boob mousepad, and I was genuinely moved.

“U-Uwoooooh!”

“Ugh, Ryouta! Get off already!!”

“Oh, right.”

My triumphant yell earned me a scolding from Airi.

“Geez! You totally dove into my boobs on purpose, didn’t you?!”

She brushed off her butt with a pat pat, clearly upset as she questioned me.

“No way, that’s not it! There was a bee flying over my head!”

“Suspicious… There’s no bee around.”

“I’m serious, I was really freaked out! Believe me!”

“Hmph, it’s probably because of your usual bad behavior, right?”

Airi puffed out her cheeks, shooting me a skeptical look.

Tch, damn it! I’m telling the truth!

I’ve never hated my usual self this much.

“Haa. But I’m glad you’re okay, Ryouta.”

“Huh?”

“You came all the way up this mountain for my request. It’d be awful if you got hurt. So, I’m glad you’re fine.”

Airi’s gentle smile accompanied her soft brush of dirt from my face.

“Oh, Airi… thanks. And sorry for knocking you over like that.”

“It’s fine already! I just fell on my butt, and I’m not mad at all, okay?”

Airi… she’s just too kind, like a walking bundle of kindness.

“But, you know, if you pull that kind of pervy stunt with anyone other than me, you might get hated. Especially by someone like Yuria—she’s scary.”

Wait, didn’t Yuria say something similar?

“Alright, let’s find a good tree and head back! We don’t want to get stung by a maybe-real bee, right?”

“It was real! I’m serious!”

Teased by Airi, we set the traps on the trees and headed back down the mountain path.

☆☆

I couldn’t stop replaying that lucky pervert moment with Airi’s chest, even as we trekked back to the village, the sensation lingering far more than any thought of rhinoceros beetles.

Airi’s boobs… Airi’s boobs…

“Good work, Ryouta!”

“O-Oh, yeah! Good work to you too, Airi.”

“We’ve set the bait on the trees, so now we just wait until morning, right?”

Airi flashed a mischievous grin as we made our way back to the house.

Just waiting for the beetles to show up, huh?

We stuffed that smelly banana-and-shochu mix into stockings, but will it really work?

“Hey, Airi. Are you sure those traps will actually attract rhinoceros beetles? To a newbie like me, they seem way too simple.”

“They’ll come! And if they don’t… we’ll stay another night and catch them!”

Airi was dead set on nabbing those rhinoceros beetles.

“Why do you want them so bad?”

“W-Well…”

“…Well?”

“Um…”

Airi fidgeted, her gaze dropping to the ground.

Is there some reason she’s hesitant to share?

Come to think of it, I’d never asked why Airi was so obsessed with catching rhinoceros beetles. I’d assumed it was just about reliving childhood games, but… was there more to it?

“Is there some special reason you want them so bad?”

“Uh… yeah. Actually, um…”

“Why’s it so hard to say? W-Wait, Airi… are you reselling them or something?”

“No way! I’m not that desperate!”

Airi playfully smacked my shoulder in protest.

“Then it’s okay to tell me, right? Or is it something you can’t share with me?”

“N-No, it’s not that. It’s just… kinda embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?”

“Yeah… So, since this year started, my mom’s part-time job has been ending later than before. Lately, when I get home from my own job, I’m always alone…”

“Huh? What’s that got to do with rhinoceros beetles?”

“Because! I’m lonely! Being alone feels so lonely, and when I tell people, ‘I’m lonely, can we talk on the phone?’ they just say, ‘Do it with your boyfriend!’ So, I thought about getting a pet, but… our apartment doesn’t allow dogs or cats.”

And so, of all things, she chose rhinoceros beetles…

“Pfft…”

“Hey! You laughed, Ryouta! That’s mean!”

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just, your reason for wanting rhinoceros beetles is so darn cute.”

“C-Cute?! R-Really?”

“Yeah. It’s just so… Airi.”

So adorably childish.

“But now that I think about it, since you know I don’t have a boyfriend, maybe I could’ve just asked you to… you know…”

“Asked me? Asked me what?”

“…N-Never mind! Airi just wants to live with rhinoceros beetles!”

With that, Airi bolted ahead.

“First one back gets the first bath! Here I go!”

“H-Hey, Ai… ri!”

I reached out but stayed rooted, watching her dash back to the house.

Come on… any guy would want to take a bath after Airi, obviously!

Gazing up at the starry countryside night sky, I let out a wry smile.

The long countryside day drew to a close, and night settled in fully. When Airi and I returned to the house, BB—Airi’s grandma—had dinner waiting.

“Wow! My favorite mushroom rice and oyster tempura! It looks so yummy!”

“Oh, dear. When I told the village meeting Airi brought a boy, everyone pitched in with ingredients.”

BB laughed heartily as she set the dishes on the table: oyster tempura, mushroom rice, clam miso soup, natto, avocado salad… huh.

I thought countryside food would be all stews, but this is surprisingly fancy… Wait, something’s off. If my knowledge is right, these ingredients are supposed to boost stamina…

Glancing at BB, I caught her sly smirk.

Got it… so this is her official approval, huh?

Boosting stamina and not stopping whatever happens tonight… right?

Come to think of it, she hadn’t batted an eye when we mentioned sleeping together in the attic, so this meant…

“Looks delicious! Let’s eat!”

“Hey, Airi! Don’t dig in like that in front of a guest!”

“Okay!”

Scolded by BB, Airi began eating more politely.

“Come on, Ryouta-kun, eat up too!”

“Oh, right. Thanks for the meal.”

Urged by BB, I sat next to Airi and started eating.

“Ryouta-kun, don’t hold back—eat lots! Haa, I can’t wait to see my great-grandkids’ faces.”

“Munch munch, huh? Great-grandkids? What’s that mean, Grandma?”

“Oh, nothing!”

BB winked at me, brushing it off.

Yup, BB’s totally in on it.

Sure, if I had the chance with Airi, I’d be beyond thrilled, but… Airi’s so childish, she probably sees sleeping side by side as just a school camping trip or something. No matter how many stamina-boosting oysters I ate, I’d likely just end up frustrated (though I’d hold it in until I got home, of course).

“Thanks for the meal! Man, that was delicious!”

“Whoa, you’re done already? You eat fast!”

“You’re just slow, Ryouta! Since I got back first, I get the first bath! Here I go!”

As hyper as ever, Airi dashed toward the bathroom, her chest bouncing with each step.

“Sorry about Airi, as always.”

“N-No, it’s fine! I’m used to it.”

Left alone with BB, I ate dinner while chatting with her. For an introverted loner like me, being alone with Airi’s grandma felt a bit daunting.

W-What do I even talk about?

“Airi, you know…”

BB spoke up as I quietly ate.

“She lost her father when she was too young to remember. For a while, she lived here, but just when her mom finally got a job, they moved to the city right away.”

“That’s how it was?”

“Yup. Honestly! That girl’s mom is such a fool. We scraped together every penny to send her to a city university, but she started doing gravure modeling and dropped out after a year. Then, before we knew it, she had a kid. As a parent, it’s just embarrassing!”

“W-Wow…”

BB’s rant about her daughter left me, a total outsider, flustered.

Wait, gravure? Airi’s mom was a gravure idol? I gotta ask Airi her mom’s name later…

“But, you know, even if she’s a foolish daughter, after her husband died, she’s been working her butt off for Airi. Even in poverty, she raised Airi to be an honest, straightforward girl…”

Tears welled in BB’s eyes as she spoke.

“Uh, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, dear. But I’m just so happy that Airi brought such a fine young man like you.”

“F-Fine young man? Me?”

“Yup. You remind me a lot of my late husband.”

“R-Really?”

Someone like me? I’m just a loner otaku virgin, though.

“Please make Airi happy, okay?”

“Uh, um… sure.”

We weren’t dating or anything, but I could only nod to keep the mood light.

☆☆

After dinner, I retreated to the attic room to wait for Airi to finish her bath. I could’ve stayed in the living room, but being alone with BB felt awkward—she might bring up more topics I wouldn’t know how to handle—so I escaped to the attic.

“Man… Airi sure takes long baths.”

Thinking that Airi’s essence is lingering in the bathwater… that’s way too creepy, even for me, but I can’t stop thinking about it.

A chance to bathe in the same water as a female classmate? That’s not something you get in normal life.

Airi’s bathwater… ugh, it’s making my lower half…!

“Ryouta! I’m done with the bath!”

Airi poked her head into the attic, climbing up the ladder. My rising excitement was doused instantly as I pictured my mom’s face, calming my lower half in a split second.

This is the art of instantaneous lower-body suppression, my ultimate skill.

All those times I got parent-zoned have given me experience points far beyond other guys.

“Ryouta? Hurry up and take your bath.”

“Y-Yeah! Guess I’ll go take one then.”

Slightly pigeon-toed, I kept a straight face as I responded.

“Um, Ryouta…”

“Hm?”

“So, earlier, when you were talking with Grandma… about, you know, me…”

“With Grandma? Oh, what, Airi, were you eavesdropping?”

“N-No! I was just grabbing another bra because the hook on the one I brought broke, and I happened to overhear you guys!”

Airi blurted out in a flustered rush.

Wait, hold up!

B-B-B-Bra hook broke?!

Is that the kind of thing that happens all the time when your chest is that big?

“Hey, Ryouta? You listening?”

“…Huh? W-What?”

“I said! About me, and… ugh, never mind! You’re such an idiot, Ryouta!”

“Whaaat?”

I got scolded for no reason at all.

Did she catch me thinking about her bra?

“Hurry up and go take your bath!”

“Y-Yeah.”

Feeling a bit guilty but secretly skipping with joy, I headed to the bathroom and stepped into the steamy air.

Taking a bath… when was the last time I felt this excited about it?

No—never.

For the first time in my teens, I was thrilled to take a bath. Back during our middle school field trip, I laughed off the dumb theory some guys had about the girls’ bathwater flowing into the guys’ bath, calling it “basically the same bath.” I thought I was too mature for that nonsense… but not anymore.

“This is… the bath Airi was in…”

After washing myself clean with the shower, I stood naked before the small bathtub. Right in front of me was the bathwater a female classmate had used. Any teenage boy would dive in face-first with joy.

What? A normal guy would politely decline to use it?

Heh, sorry, but I’m getting in. As a perverted gentleman, of course.

“Alright… here we go.”

Resisting the urge to do a Lupin dive, I slowly dipped my toes into the tub.

“Ahh, it’s warm… It’s like Airi’s wrapping her arms around me from behind.”

This was the overwhelming power of a teenage boy’s imagination. Since it was Airi’s bathwater, saying I was being embraced by her wasn’t entirely wrong.

“This is… all of Airi.”

☆☆

After soaking in the bath for about an hour, I returned to the attic room with a satisfied grin.

“Oh, welcome back, Ryouta.”

“Yeah, thanks for the bath… wait, huh?”

Two sets of futons were laid out side by side in the attic. Airi must have set them up while I was gone.

“S-Sorry, Airi, you even put out the futons for me.”

“Oh, come on, no need to mention it! That’s what friends do, right?”

Airi patted my shoulder with a smile.

“Y-Yeah, thanks, Airi.”

“I mean, I kinda forced you to stay over tonight, so I should at least do this much. So, how was the bath?”

“The bath? It was amazing… hands-down the best bath I’ve ever taken.”

“Geez, you’re so dramatic about a bath, Ryouta! Was the water too hot, though? I didn’t soak in it, so I wasn’t sure about the temperature.”

“…Huh?”

The moment I heard Airi’s offhand comment, I dropped the clothes I was holding.

W-W-W-What?!

“Huh? What’s wrong, Ryouta? Your mouth’s wide open.”

“W-Wait, hold on! What did you just say? You didn’t get in the tub?”

“Yeah, I just took a shower and didn’t soak.”

“Wha—Why didn’t you get in?!”

“Well, I thought you might not like using the bath after me.”

“Ngh!”

What?! Airi didn’t use the bath?!

So the warm embrace I felt in the tub… it was all an illusion?!

“Plus, I was worried my long hair might float around and freak you out, and it’s kinda embarrassing. Ehehe…”

Airi smiled shyly, her cheeks tinged with a blush.

She seems so carefree, but she was actually thinking about me this much…

And here I was, grinning like an idiot over plain bathwater, thinking perverse thoughts! Aren’t you ashamed, as a human?!

Guilt and shame toward Airi overwhelmed me.

“Ryouta? Why’re you biting your lip?”

“N-Nothing, Airi. I’m just a failure as a man.”

“A failure? I don’t get it, but come on, Ryouta, sit on the futon and… let’s do it together?”

What? On the futon… together…?

My lower half reacted at the speed of light.

“You mean, like, se—”

“Ta-da! I brought a deck of cards and Ba●lu●mu! Wanna play?”

My lower half calmed down in an instant. Airi, beaming, pulled an unnecessarily huge Ba●lu●mu box from her suitcase.

She brought that massive fortress in her suitcase…? I was too disappointed to even retort.

“Haa… Airi, you’re so Airi.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?! Come on, let’s have a super exciting time!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Despite briefly hoping for something more intimate, I ended up playing Ba●lu●mu with Airi until she was satisfied.

☆☆

Midnight.

Airi and I lay side by side on the futons. No air conditioning, naturally, but the countryside nights were cool enough. A wind chime by the window and the fan cranked to “high” kept the heat at bay, though the fan’s partly broken blades buzzed loudly.

About as loud as the bee wings that led to that lucky pervert moment.

“Turning off the light, okay?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Airi switched off the attic’s light, and moonlight streamed through the window, faintly illuminating the room.

Well… it’s been a tiring day. Time to sleep.

“Hey, Ryouta, you awake?”

“Of course I’m awake. It’s only been two minutes since you turned off the light.”

“R-Right, yeah!”

Airi’s voice came from the futon to my left.

“This kinda feels like a school field trip, doesn’t it?”

“…Yeah, I guess. But normally, field trips have boys and girls sleeping separately. Honestly, us lying side by side like this feels kinda risky, don’t you think?”

“It’s fine! I know you’re not the kind of guy who’d do anything to hurt me, Ryouta.”

As she spoke, Airi quietly turned toward me, her gaze meeting mine while lying down. She wore a T-shirt and hot pants—pajamas or not, I wasn’t sure—but the cow graphic on her shirt was stretched so tightly over her chest it looked more like a dachshund.

So… damn… hot.

“Um, Ryouta.”

“W-What? Why so serious?”

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. Something I couldn’t say during the cultural festival.”

“W-What…?”

Something she couldn’t say at the cultural festival…?

Could this be… a confession?!

“I think… the boy who gave me a wafer back then might’ve been you, Ryouta.”

Her words hit me like a shockwave.

“…Huh? A w-wafer?”

“I told you before, right? When I was poor and sitting on a bench outside the candy store, a boy gave me a wafer.”

Oh, yeah… I vaguely recalled her mentioning that at the candy store.

“And you’re saying that was me?”

“Yup! The blue bag that boy had was definitely the same as the one at your house, and you used to buy those wafers a lot back then, right? When we went to the candy store together, I thought that boy kinda reminded me of you.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah, but I mean, it’s not like I have proof, and you don’t remember it, do you?”

“Well… sorry.”

Like with Rui’s memories, I didn’t keep track of every childhood moment. If you’re the one helped, you might remember, but for the helper, the memory fades. In a light novel, the protagonist might conveniently recall it with a dramatic, “That was you!” But reality’s harsher.

“But even if it wasn’t you, that’s okay! I want that boy who gave me the wafer to be you, Ryouta. I hope it was you, and I want to believe it was.”

Blushing slightly, Airi spoke with a serious expression before turning her back to me.

“A-Airi?”

“Ehehe… that sounded kinda like a confession, didn’t it?”

“Wha—! Y-Yeah, I guess!”

“Just kidding! Sorry for talking so long. We’ve got an early morning tomorrow, so let’s sleep, Ryouta.”

“Y-Yeah!”

Airi’s heart-pounding comment left me utterly flustered.

What’s with that “sounded like a confession” line?! It’s like a sweet scene straight out of a shoujo manga!

Could it be… Airi was actually confessing to me?

The more I thought about it, the more my head swirled with thoughts of Airi. As I clutched my head in excitement, a LINE notification popped up on my phone… and my eyes nearly popped out when I saw it.

Kuroki: Hey, Ryouta-kun? After track practice today, I stopped by your house, and your mom said you’re not coming home tonight. You okay? Are you maybe staying over at Airi’s family home?

This… is really bad.

I’d just taken a bath, but I was sweating bullets again.

Of all people, the worst person to find out about this sleepover found out!

While Airi began snoring softly beside me, I gripped my phone, hands trembling, eyes wide open. This wasn’t some sweet shoujo manga “you can hear my heartbeat” moment—it was straight-up zawKaren from a certain gambling manga.

Of all people, Rui finding out about the sleepover…

Rui’s got this weird fixation on me after I saved her from trouble twice. She’s been trying to tame me—a total pervert—with her selfies, and now I’m stuck as vice president because of it. If she finds out I stayed over with Airi, who knows what’ll happen… No, I can’t even imagine.

I had to come clean to protect my honor. If I’m honest, it should be fine, right? Probably.

I opened the chat, marking it as read.

Kuroki: Hehe, Ryouta-kun, you finally read it, huh? ♡

The moment I opened the chat, Rui sent that message.

This girl… was she seriously watching the chat screen this whole time, waiting for me to read it?

That’s almost horror-level creepy. But if Rui was monitoring me, I couldn’t dawdle or she’d think I was making excuses. I poured my heart into typing a response as fast as I could.

Here’s the deal! It’s better to catch rhinoceros beetles early in the morning, but since there are no buses in the countryside, I had to stay at Airi’s grandma’s house! And just so you know, we’re sleeping in separate rooms, so don’t get any weird ideas!

There, perfect. Nailed it.

Sure, that last part was a small lie, but it was to make it clear nothing happened. Like, 90% true. I’m not wrong.

This should clarify the sleepover was for bug catching and unavoidable… right?

Kuroki: Hmm, I see. But that last part’s a lie, isn’t it?

My lie was called out instantly.

What? How’d she know…? Is she bluffing?

How do you even know that?

Kuroki: I acted like I didn’t know about the sleepover earlier, but I actually talked to Airi on LINE before this. She told me some stuff, and then she sent me this photo.

This photo…? What?!

The picture Rui sent showed me and Airi playing Ba●lu●mu between two futons. Airi was making a peace sign at the camera, probably sneaking the selfie while I was cleaning up the game.

Kuroki: Two futons side by side. One has clothes that look like you took them off for your bath, Ryouta-kun. Two people’s bags in the corner. And you’re still gonna insist you’re in separate rooms?

I totally screwed up.

I underestimated the insight of the perfect superhuman.

Kuroki: It’s all so obvious, Ryouta-kun.

Airi, you idiot!!!!

I glared at Airi, fast asleep beside me.

I should’ve known better than to lie to Rui.

Kuroki: Since you lied, I’ll have to punish you properly when you get back, okay? Night, Ryouta-kun!

Rui ended the conversation without hearing my excuses, saying what she wanted to say.

Punishment, huh…

If it’s something like a spanking, I’d happily take it, but with Rui, it’s definitely not gonna be that simple.

Already at the mercy of these three beautiful girls this summer, and now a punishment on top of that…

“Haa… might as well sleep.”

Thinking about staying in the countryside forever, I slowly closed my eyes.

☆☆

The next morning, 5:30 a.m.

“Ryouta! Wake up!”

A loud voice jolted me awake. Groggily opening my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling and a busty beauty with two-side-up hair in my blurry vision.

“Huh? An unfamiliar ceiling and a busty beauty… Could it be, I got isekai’d? Then, are you my mom, about to let me—”

“This isn’t an isekai! And I’m not your mom! Geez, stop being half-asleep and let’s go catch rhinoceros beetles!”

“Oh… right, I stayed over at Airi’s house.”

As my sleepy brain cleared, I took in Airi, dressed in a straw hat, long sleeves, and long pants.

That’s right, I came here for bug catching…

The memory of Rui finding out about the sleepover soured my mood slightly.

Punishment when I get back… What’s that even gonna be?

“Hurry up, get dressed, and let’s check the traps!”

“Alright, alright, don’t rush me.”

Urged by Airi, I got ready, and we left the house together. The sun was already up, but the mountain path was rough, so we walked with a flashlight.

“I’m so excited for the rhinoceros beetles!”

Airi climbed the mountain path with the glee of a kid on Christmas Eve. If no beetles showed up, she’d be crushed, given how excited she was. And if it was just June bugs or G’s instead, that’d be even worse.

“Ryouta, we’re almost at the tree where we set the bait!”

“Y-Yeah…”

“What’s wrong, Ryouta? You don’t seem hyped. Not a morning person?”

“It’s not that… I just, you know, you’re so excited about this, and I’m worried what’ll happen if there aren’t any.”

Airi would probably be super disappointed, and being so childish, she might even sulk. I shared my concerns honestly.

“You’re so thoughtful at times like this, Ryouta. So kind, even though you’re usually thinking about pervy stuff!”

“S-Shut up. That’s not relevant right now.”

“Haha! But, you know, I care about both the kind Ryouta and the pervy Ryouta. Like I said before, both are part of you!”

“A-Airi…”

“Even if we don’t catch any beetles, I’m happy just making memories with you. Spending time alone with you was so fun!”

I see. I thought she was excited about the beetles, but Airi’s been enjoying our time together.

That realization warmed my heart. I’d been worried about boring her, being alone together and all.

Guess I’ve gotta have fun too, then.

“Alright, let’s do this, Airi. Don’t freak out if the banana trap’s crawling with Gokibu●, okay?”

[T/N: Gokibu● = Gokiburi (cockroach)]

“I won’t! I’m used to dealing with Gokibu●!”

“No way… Oh, Airi! There’s a Gokibu● on your shoulder!”

“Huh? No way! Ew, ew, ew!”

Airi’s face paled as she checked her shoulder.

“There’s nothing there! You liar, Ryouta!”

“Hey, you said you were used to it.”

“Ugh!”

Airi pounded my shoulder mercilessly. It actually hurt.

“Don’t get mad. Look, the tree’s right there.”

“Hmph… If we don’t catch any beetles, maybe I’ll make you my pet instead!”

“I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Knew you’d say that. But I don’t want a pervy pet!”

Airi stuck out her tongue, teasing me.

Tch… I’m jealous of the rhinoceros beetles that get to be Airi’s pets…

“Ryouta, let’s sneak up quietly so the beetles don’t fly away, okay?”

“Y-Yeah.”

We crept toward the tree with the banana trap and bait… and then.

“…! T-They’re here! Two of them!”

Airi whispered excitedly, shaking my shoulder. Sure enough, the stockings with the banana trap held two rhinoceros beetles. But… there was one problem.

“Ryouta? Why don’t you look happy?”

“W-Well, it’s just…”

The trap had caught a male and a female beetle. And those two… were going at it in broad daylight, completely shameless. The male was on top, his… thing standing tall, passionately engaged.

These guys are way pervier pets than me!

“They’re awfully calm, huh? Alright, now’s our chance… Gotcha!”

Oblivious to their activity, Airi scooped both beetles into a net and placed them in a bug cage.

Kids are cruel, I realized, on this early summer morning.

☆☆

After catching the beetle couple, we checked the other traps, but the bait smeared on the trees had only attracted small bugs—no rhinoceros beetles. The banana trap in the stockings proved to be the most effective.

“We got two rhinoceros beetles, a male and a female! Yay, Ryouta!”

On the way back, Airi peered into the bug cage with glee. Her great mood was a relief. I’d been worried about what would happen if we didn’t catch any (though I was shocked they were doing it).

“But just two? Is that normal, or do people usually catch more?”

“Hmm, I guess sometimes you catch more, but I’m super satisfied!”

Airi pointed at the bug cage. “The male’s gonna be Ryouta, and the female’s Airi!”

“Huh? Naming the beetles after us?”

“Yeah! They were all snuggled up even before we caught them, so since they’re so close, our names are perfect, right?”

W-Wait, that makes it sound like Airi and I are already in that kind of relationship…

“That’s okay, right, Ryouta?”

“Uh, y-yeah. I don’t mind.”

“Then it’s settled! From now on, you’re Ryouta and Airi!”

I didn’t mind them having our names, but… beetles don’t live long. I hoped these two would stick around as long as possible. Since the male’s named Ryouta, maybe I could count this as losing my virginity by proxy.

Even the beetle’s lost its virginity, and here I am… I might never lose mine at this rate.

Even last night, sleeping in the same room as Airi, nothing remotely spicy happened… sigh. But for Airi, playing these childish games was probably more fun.

“Oh! Ryouta’s climbing on Airi again! They’re so close!”

With a gravure idol body but the sexual knowledge of an elementary schooler, Airi would probably learn “adult games” with someone someday. With a chest that big and a face that cute, if she went to a city university, she’d likely…

Thinking about that clouded my heart.

“Ryouta, Ryouta! I wanna send Yuria and Rui-chan a picture of the beetles, so take one with me and them!”

“…”

“Hm? Ryouta?”

Lost in my thoughts as we walked, I felt Airi tug lightly at my clothes.

“What’s wrong? You look all grumpy.”

“Oh… it’s just, I kinda want you to stay the way you are, Airi.”

“Stay the way I am?”

I blurted it out without thinking, and Airi tilted her head in confusion.

What am I even saying?!

Telling her to stay the same, like I have any right to say that!

“That was weird, sorry!”

“No, it’s not weird at all! I don’t really get what you mean by ‘stay the way I am,’ but I’ll always be me, and I’ll always be with you, Ryouta, okay?”

While I was overthinking, Airi answered with a genuine, beaming smile.

Always, huh.

“Thanks, Airi. I just… I like how childish you are, so thinking about you growing up someday kinda bums me out.”

“Ugh! I’m not childish!”

“No, I mean, it’s just a figure of speech.”

“But if you say you like me the way I am, maybe I’ll stay like this! I don’t even know what ‘grown-up’ means anyway!”

Airi grinned, her white teeth gleaming in a perfect 100-point smile, her massive chest jiggling slightly.

I might’ve never met a girl as lovable as her.

With this much charm, if Airi weren’t so childish, she’d probably have every guy in school wrapped around her finger…

“Anyway, the photo! Take one of me with the beetles!”

“P-Photo?”

“For Yuria and Rui-chan!”

“They both hate bugs, so maybe don’t send it.”

“It’s fine! Especially Rui-chan—she was super insistent I report everything to her.”

I think her “everything” means something else…

With a wry smile, I took a picture of Airi happily holding the bug cage.

☆☆

After two days of bug catching, we prepared to head back on the 10 a.m. bus. Airi carefully held the bug cage with Ryouta and Airi, so I carried her luggage instead… though I wished she’d leave that Ba●lu●mu behind.

“Alright, Grandma, we’re heading out!”

“Th-Thank you for everything. The food was delicious.”

“Oh, no need to thank me! By the way…”

BB quietly pulled something red from her pocket.

“Here, Airi. I fixed your bra.”

From her pocket, BB produced a massive red bra with rose lace… W-What is that?!

That’s Airi’s massive boob bra!!!

“Gah! Grandma, don’t show that in front of Ryouta!”

“Oh, my bad! Guess my old brain’s starting to go.”

BB said that, but shot me a wink.

As a former busty grandma, she sure knows how to thrill a guy… Classic BB.

“Ryouta, did you see that?”

“I… saw it, but it’s surprisingly adult, huh?”

“Muu! It’s the only size that fits! Forget you saw it!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

And so, the eventful bug-catching trip came to a peaceful close.

Now… I’ve got someone’s punishment waiting for me when I get back.