Chapter 26 Swimsuit Ichinose

  "Hikigaya-kun, your room has a lot of new things now," Ichinose said curiously as she entered and looked over the new furniture. Since her st visit, there were now several floor cushions and even a small dining table.

  After sending off Sudo and Horikita, Hikigaya had taken Ichinose to the pharmacy to buy some bruise and injury ointments before returning to the dorm. He needed someone to help him apply it to his back.

  Although he could have asked Sudo or Hirata, he preferred being touched by Ichinose over being touched by a guy.

  "Because I occasionally have guests over," Hikigaya said, taking off his jacket and T-shirt, pcing his phone on the table, and lying obediently face-down on the bed. "Sorry to trouble you with applying the medicine."

  "I told you, no need to be so polite."

  As she unscrewed the cap of the liniment, a strong medicinal scent filled the room. Ichinose took off her brown jacket, revealing a beige short-sleeve top which, though a bit loose, couldn’t hide her full chest.

  She poured some of the brown liquid into her hand and walked to the bedside. The boy lying down had a rge frame and broad back. Though his muscles weren't very defined, there was still some visible tone.

  His fair-skinned back was now red and swollen in many pces.

  "You really should take better care of your body, Hikigaya-kun."

  As she spoke, Ichinose gently applied the medicine to the red, swollen areas, massaging softly with her slender fingers to help the ointment absorb better.

  "Does it hurt?"

  "No, go ahead."

  Lying there with his head buried in his arms, Hikigaya quietly felt Ichinose’s once-cool hands gradually warm up. Despite the pain, there was a certain comfort.

  Wait—am I actually a masochist?

  Sorry, Komachi, your brother might be a pervert after all.

  But Ichinose’s massage really does feel good!

  While Hikigaya was lost in these random thoughts, Ichinose lightly patted his back, her gentle voice following.

  "Your back is done. Turn over so I can apply it to the front."

  "Huh?!" Hikigaya opened his eyes. "I can do the front myself!"

  If he had to face Ichinose directly, he’d definitely blush. Actually, his face was probably already red.

  "As your girlfriend, it’s my duty," Ichinose said, pcing her hand on his side. "If you don’t turn over, I’ll tickle you."

  It was her first time massaging a guy’s body, so Ichinose’s face was also slightly flushed. Though she was a bit upset about Hikigaya hurting himself, seeing him lying there seemingly at her mercy gave her a slight sense of delight.

  She really wanted to see the expression on his face right now.

  "I refuse."

  Hearing that, Ichinose began tickling Hikigaya’s side. "You’ve been a bad boy today, getting into fights. Disobedient boys need to be punished."

  There’s a limit to what someone can take. Unable to handle the tickling, Hikigaya flipped over, pinning Ichinose’s hands under him. From his lying-down vantage point, Ichinose’s voluptuous chest loomed above him, and he couldn’t look away.

  "Don’t act like a spoiled kid, Ichinose."

  He quickly sat up, releasing her hands and turning his head toward a corner of the room.

  What was over there?

  Oh, just a desk.

  What books were on that desk again?

  "Well, I guess this is fine too, bad boy Hikigaya-kun."

  A warm sensation spread from his repeatedly punched abdomen. Hikigaya could faintly feel Ichinose leaning closer. Amidst the strong medicinal scent was her personal fragrance, reminiscent of jasmine.

  As the heavy silence dragged on, it felt like forever before Ichinose finally said she was finished applying the ointment. Relieved, Hikigaya noticed his back was sticky with a mix of sweat and medicine.

  "I’ll go wash my hands first."

  "Mm."

  Looking down, Hikigaya’s gaze fell upon Ichinose’s smooth, full legs under her white short skirt. She usually wore white tights, but today, possibly due to the possibility of swimming, she hadn’t worn any.

  Still… why was she bringing a small bag with a swimsuit into the bathroom?

  Maybe it had her usual shower items?

  …

  Inside the bathroom, Ichinose looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her slightly flushed face now held a mischievous smile.

  Seeing Hikigaya embarrassed and awkward gave her a sense of joy, like she’d discovered a new toy.

  Though she hadn’t spent that much time with Hikigaya, his mature and composed demeanor during their "work" interactions had quietly crept into her heart. She realized she had started to like him.

  Even his dead-fish eyes, which ruined the typical "handsome guy" image, were becoming more tolerable. In fact, now they seemed kind of charming. Dead-fish eyes could be cool too.

  After thoroughly washing her hands, Ichinose closed the door, pulled out a newly bought swimsuit from the bag, and stood in front of the mirror. Though expensive, her natural love of beauty made her splurge—she didn’t want to go swimming with Hikigaya wearing the frumpy school-issued one.

  "You got this, Ichinose."

  Giving herself a pep talk, she changed into the new swimsuit and, after checking her reflection again, mustered her courage and walked out of the bathroom to face Hikigaya.

  "So... how do I look, H-Hikigaya-kun..."

  Blushing, Ichinose fought the urge to look away and instead gazed directly at the stunned Hikigaya. He was dumbfounded, obviously because her appearance in the swimsuit had completely overtaken his thoughts.

  The upper half of her body was cd in a pale green swimsuit that hugged her slim waist and full chest. The cute, frilled trim contrasted against the exposed pale skin, forming an enticing cleavage. The lower half was a matching simple bikini with a semi-transparent white overy.

  Ichinose in a cute swimsuit was adorable.

  Ichinose was an adorable girl.

  A shy girl was also very cute.

  Conclusion:

  She was simply very cute.

  "Very cute," Hikigaya said, arriving at his conclusion. Ignoring his shyness, he looked her straight in the eyes. "It suits you."

  Hearing that, Ichinose, nervously twirling a strand of her long hair, let out a small breath of relief.

  "Hikigaya, are you unconscious or what? Why didn’t you answer your phone?"

  Just as Ichinose was about to thank him, a lively voice accompanied by a figure entered the room.

  It was Kushida Kikyo, who had a spare key to his room.

  "Oops, looks like I came at the wrong time," Kushida said, wide-eyed as she saw Ichinose in a swimsuit and Hikigaya shirtless in the same room.

  "No, you came at exactly the right time." Quickly grabbing his T-shirt, Hikigaya stood up and firmly pushed Kushida out the door by her back.

  "Looks like Kushida-san has something urgent. Ichinose, if you need anything, we can talk ter."

  Putting on his shoes, Hikigaya grabbed Kushida—whose expression had turned visibly gloomy—by the wrist and pulled her out of the room, leaving a flustered Ichinose behind.