The next day—
Shiro waved a pile of IOUs in front of Iori.
"Hey, Iori, it's already 250,000 yen. Even if it's in yen, that's still a big amount, you know. With just your allowance, there's no way you can pay this back~"
Seeing that stack of IOUs, Kohei backed away frantically, staring at them in shock.
"What the hell kind of shady deal are you two making?!"
A vivid scene flashed through his mind: poor Iori, swindled emotionally and financially by the Gay Club president, forced to borrow money from Shiro.
"You're imagining something weird again!"
"You bastard! Are you planning to silence me now that I've figured it out?!"
Strange wavelengths had been detected. In some twisted way, it was like the three of them shared a single brain…
As for the new addition to the debt, of course it was from yesterday—Shiro had blackmailed him with photos.
Originally, he aimed for 300,000 yen, but since that number was a bit overwhelming, they haggled it down to 250,000. Shiro planned to tack on the remaining 50,000 later as interest.
Iori did a rough calculation.
Even at an hourly rate of 2,000 yen, he'd have to work 125 hours—no eating, no sleeping, just working for almost six days straight…
Yeah, maybe it's better not to repay it. Scumbags don't deserve sympathy!
"How about I introduce you to a job? Haven't you always wanted to graduate from being a virgin? This job could help you with that~ Plus, it pays really well. You could pay off your debt quickly and even save up a fortune!"
The devil's temptation whispered in Iori's ear. Even though he knew nothing good ever came out of this scumbag's mouth, he shamefully wavered!
Come on! This was his chance to stop being a virgin!
Suddenly, Iori's tone became serious. "Can I ask what kind of job this is?"
"It's exactly what you're thinking~"
Iori was even more tempted!
"Okay, what about the age?"
"Some of them are around your age."
!
Perfect, Iori was seriously considering the job now. If they're the same age, it might not be that bad!
"Last question—location!"
He was already seriously debating whether to take the job.
"A gay club!"
"…"
Iori's face darkened. He knew he shouldn't have trusted this guy!!!
"You bastard, what the hell are you thinking?! I'm not giving my first time to a guy!"
Iori grabbed Shiro's hair. Was this guy possessed by Azusa or something?
"Ehhh… girls are possible too. But… for girls, we need some equipment…"
Iori blinked, confused. Equipment? Why would you need equipment for girls?
Until he saw Azusa watching from behind him with a mischievous grin.
"…"
"You damn pervert! When did 'virgin' start meaning this?! Apologize to virgins everywhere!"
"How else are you gonna pay me back?!"
"I'll win the lottery and pay you back then!"
"Hah? So you're not planning to pay me at all?!"
The two slammed their heads against each other, clearly not using what little brainpower they had left.
"This scene is… really intense."
"Hey Kohei, don't you want to join in?"
The two seniors looked at Kohei with kind eyes. For some reason, it always felt like Kohei couldn't quite integrate with them.
(メ｀ロ′)/
"What makes you think I'd want to get involved?! I'm a normal person—I'm not messing around with these two idiots!"
…
"Alright, enough playing around. Today we'll dive in these teams!"
Nanaka said with a bright smile, patting Shiro's head. She had already divided everyone into four groups.
Kouhei – Tokita
Chisa – Iori
Aina – Azusa
Nanaka – Shiro
Kutobuki will take photos!
Everyone seemed happy with the team arrangements—except Iori.
He was panicking inside, terrified that Nanaka would sense something and leave him buried under the sea…
"Okay, let's go change into swimsuits!"
Nanaka said. Before diving, they needed to put on swimsuits first. But…
"Eh? We still need swimsuits? I thought we just wear wetsuits?"
"Feels like it's been a long time since I last wore a swimsuit."
"Well, we used to dive completely naked, after all."
The three from the main group and the two seniors weren't even considering swimsuits. They used to dive naked under their wetsuits!
Aina's face turned bright red as she watched the five of them start stripping right there on the street.
"What are you doing?! Nanaka-senpai, you too?!"
Σ(ﾟДﾟ;≡;ﾟдﾟ)
Just as Aina was about to shout for help, she saw Nanaka and Azusa also casually taking off their tops.
One was used to wearing a swimsuit underneath, the other was just used to taking clothes off…
Even Chisa took her top off without hesitation. For her, wearing a swimsuit before diving was just routine.
Poor Aina, with zero experience, was practically turning into a steam engine, desperately pushing the two senpais and Chisa toward the changing room.
"This is the first time I've seen someone embarrassed about wearing a swimsuit."
The two seniors laughed. Since this club was formed, no one had ever really liked wearing clothes…
"Well, technically I'm still sort of a girl when I'm not wearing makeup," Aina mumbled.
Shiro mused while gazing at the sea. Every time he looked at the ocean, he felt drawn to it all over again~
…
At the Dive Shop
Everyone waited for Aina's arrival.
As a newbie, she deserved a bit of special treatment. Eventually, she'd get used to stripping down like the rest of them.
Tokita nodded in satisfaction at how well the main trio had blended in. Nothing made the club president prouder than seeing new members integrate quickly!
If more newbies joined, he'd definitely use the same method again!
Unaware they were the test subjects of this method, the trio was curiously playing with Kutobuki's camera—a high-end device meant for underwater photography. It was way more advanced than Shiro's, and officially part of the club's gear.
Chisa had always wanted one…
"Man, Aina sure is taking her time."
Shiro grumbled.
He couldn't wait to dive, it had been a month since their last session.
"Ugh, can't stand people who aren't used to stripping down."
"Yup, everything takes practice!"
Iori and Kohei chimed in. All three had conveniently forgotten that they were once normal, fully-clothed people too.
SWOOSH!
Just as they finished speaking, a figure appeared right in front of them!
"Ta-da! Now I'm not scared of wearing a swimsuit anymore!"
The Makeup Monster had returned! And this time, it had evolved into Swimsuit Makeup Monster! Still flat-chested and still stingy…
Shiro silently turned away and handed Iori and Kouhei a towel and a bottle of makeup remover.
"Σ(ﾟДﾟ;) W-Wait! Don't be violent to a lady!"
"Let's get rid of that disgusting makeup right now!"
"Are you trying to pollute the ocean?!"
"Are you sure you're not here for a sea burial, wearing a wig to go diving?!"
The three of them forcefully wiped off Aina's thick makeup. Once it was gone, Aina shrank into the corner like a little girl who had been stripped bare, eyes full of tears.
"…"
For a moment, Shiro felt like some kind of creepy predator. So your real form is the makeup and wig, huh?!
…
Everything was ready. The group pushed their oxygen tanks toward the sea.
Watching Chisa march ahead like a general heading to war, Shiro turned to Nanaka and asked,
"Nanaka-nee, did you pair Iori and Chisa together so they could clear up their misunderstanding?"
That was the only reason he could think of. For Nanaka, a hardcore siscon, to give up being in a team with her sister—she must be serious.
"That's right~ I don't know exactly what happened, but it's never good for people to fight~"
Seeing Nanaka smile so brightly, Shiro was at a loss for words. Did she not realize that Kitahara was a complete idiot? Wasn't she worried it might backfire?
"Don't worry, Shiro. Once Chisa's underwater, she's easy to handle~"
Azusa whispered into his ear with a smirk, and Nanaka nodded in agreement. "That's right~ Little Chisa just loves diving~"
"…"
Shiro suddenly felt bad for Chisa. She was being sold out by the two of them?
But seriously, why were they telling him this? Iori was already trembling in fear!
From Shiro's perspective, he saw Chisa saying something serious to Kitahara. Probably something like, "If you drag me down, I'll kill you," or the like?
Look, that idiot's face had turned into a Titan's expression. Sigh~ Poor buddy, hope you manage to pay back that 250,000 yen before you die.
But in reality, Chisa was just carefully explaining safety procedures. The Titan-face was all Iori's imagination…
Splash!
They dived into the water, and the beautiful underwater scenery unfolded before them.
Even though it was just shallow sea, and even though this wasn't their first time, Shiro was once again awestruck. It was so beautiful, like something out of a dream.
Suddenly, he felt his right hand being held. Turning, he saw a pair of eyes as beautiful as the ocean itself.
For a moment, it felt like he had returned to when he was ten, lying in a field with Nanaka-nee watching over him with a gentle smile.
Letting her guide him through the water, he looked ahead.
Clumsy, overwhelmed newcomers. Warm, patient seniors. Within the vast blue ocean, they painted their own vibrant picture of youth.
Truly, the sea never disappoints.
…
After the Dive, Back at the Shop
Originally, they had planned to throw another drinking party, but due to certain reasons, it had to be postponed.
As for those reasons…
Let's just say it had to do with Iori, now on his knees in the center, apologizing.
Originally, after the dive, his relationship with Chisa had returned to normal. But then the idiot said, "Your butt has the most amazing curves!"
And just like that, their relationship was back in the freezer.
"Why would you say something so unnecessary…"
"This isn't just sexual harassment—it's on a whole new level."
"Try focusing more on the scenery next time."
"If you see something, use a 'look over here' signal, please!"
"…"