“…So?”

“Huh? What?”

“How was Arte’s reaction?”

Amelia asked Siwoo while glancing at Arte.

How was it?

After thinking hard about her intention behind the question, he finally realized.

No wonder she grabbed Dorothy’s arm and hesitated while getting in the car; she was trying to get him and Arte somehow together.

She couldn’t say it inside the car in case Arte heard, so she deliberately brought it up as soon as we entered the department store.

“… Don’t tell me that’s why you put me and Arte together?”

“What else would it be for?”

“Sigh…”

No wonder he kept feeling her gaze.

It seemed Amelia had started up again, desperate to match him with Arte.

“Nothing much happened.”

“Th-that can’t be…?”

“It’s true. You were watching the whole time too, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

She thought they were having a secret conversation.

He was amazed at how Amelia strained her ears for anything.

If she was concentrating that much, there’s no way she couldn’t hear it.

It wasn’t just a day or two that Amelia kept trying to tie him and Arte together, but deep down, Siwoo wished she would stop soon.

…Because it felt like far from falling for him, Arte would be against it.

I’m sure she didn’t think much of it before, even if they were that close.

When Arte sat beside him, he could only fidget anxiously.

“Can’t be helped. Then we’ll have to move on to the next plan.”

“…Do I really have to go? Can’t I not go?”

“You think we spent time dressing you up for nothing? It’ll make what we did today a waste of time.”

“That’s true, but…”

Siwoo couldn’t refute her.

Well, he was forcibly dressed up, but it’s true that he was.

It was obvious she would be sad if he gave up without making use of it.

No matter how much he says he doesn’t want to, she will be disappointed after hours of diligent preparation.

Especially Dorothy excitedly poured out all sorts of knowledge while dressing him up. She seemed to be interested in fashion.

If he suddenly disappeared, saying he couldn’t do it, what kind of reaction would she have…?

They may have gotten closer, but he already felt guilty doing it to Amelia.

“But how did you convince Dorothy?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t tell me you told Dorothy too? About Arte’s identity.”

No matter how he thought about it, it was strange.

Dorothy wouldn’t know anything about Arte’s identity.

She was excitedly making a fuss, saying she’d help.

But Amelia doesn’t seem like the type to say such a thing easily.

“Ah, that… When I dodged the question, she accepted it really easily?”

“Huh?”

“I said you and Arte aren’t dating, but it seems you have feelings for each other, but things aren’t progressing.”

“… That’s your wishful thinking, isn’t it?”

“I just blurted it out in surprise then. But strangely, she accepted it in an instant.”

So that’s why… No wonder.

Siwoo thought she was mercilessly dragged Dorothy into it and felt a bit scared, but there was such a story behind it…

…He couldn’t comprehend it.

Why in the world?

“Anyway, Dorothy still doesn’t know her identity…”

“What have you two been talking about for so long?”

“Ah, Dorothy. Just, well. It’s nothing much.”

“If it’s nothing, come over here quickly!”

“…Huh?”

“Hurry, hurry!”

Dorothy, talking with Arte while walking, ran towards them and dragged Siwoo’s arm.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Ah, hurry!”

Having no choice, he let himself be dragged.

Dorothy, who ran all the way to the empty corridor, finally let go of my arm.

“Phew, the gaze was piercing…”

It must be referring to Arte’s gaze. Indeed, she was staring intensely.

However, she disappeared after Amelia hurriedly went to distract her.

“…So, why did you call me?”

“To ask a favor.”

“A favor?”

“You’ll be going to buy swimsuits with us now.”

“…Sigh.”

“Wh-what’s with that sigh?”

No, what could he say about this?

He definitely made up his mind to go. Even considering the sincerity of Dorothy, who dressed him up.

But, still.

Even though he made up his mind, now that it’s about to happen…

‘I don’t want to go…’

“…Listen, Dorothy. Do I have to go?”

“How could you not? We came to buy swimsuits.”

“About that… I’m a guy, you know? Wouldn’t it be a bit…weird?”

“…What, were you thinking about that?”

She gave Siwoo a disgusted face.

‘Of course I have to think about that, so what?’

If three girls pick out swimsuits at a department store and one guy stands alone, even he would think strange things first.

Just what kind of guy is mixed in there?

What’s his relationship with the girls?

Wouldn’t a normal person think like that?

“I’m the only guy, so wouldn’t being in the women’s swimsuit section be weird?”

“… It’s fine. Amelia and I don’t see you as a man anyway.”

“Somehow that hurts more? Are you saying that intentionally?”

“I have no desire to touch someone who already has an owner.”

An owner, she says.

‘Just what kind of relationship are Arte and I in Dorothy’s mind?’

Just what did Amelia fill her head with?

Siwoo wanted to ask but didn’t want to know the answer.

Because it seemed like he would hear an even stranger story.

“…No, that’s not it. You just have to compliment Arte when she’s wearing a swimsuit. Got it?”

“O-okay…”

“You must. And keep your eyes on Arte, not us. Alright?”

As soon as she finished talking, Dorothy ran back in a hurry.

Amelia has done something again.

The number of people who want to meddle in his relationship with Arte has increased.

***

“Wow, it’s pretty. How is it?”

“It’s not bad. But the exposure is a bit too much…?”

“Ehh, it’s a swimsuit, who cares. It’s not like you have much flab. Let’s see.”

“Wh-why are you suddenly touching my belly?!”

“No, I thought your belly might be sticking out…”

“That’s rude, you know?!”

Amelia and Dorothy were making a fuss.

Not having the courage to look in front of me, I kept my eyes tightly closed. Since I couldn’t see, it only made their chatter louder.

“Arte, aren’t you going to pick one?”

Perhaps because I was just sitting quietly.

Amelia asked in a puzzled voice.

“Ye-yes…? Ah, I don’t really know much about this stuff…”

“Really? Then should we pick for you?”

“Please do.”

“Okay, leave it to us!”

Fortunately, Amelia and Dorothy didn’t notice that I had my eyes closed.

Sometimes, having narrow eyes comes in handy, I suppose.

Because it’s hard to tell if my eyes are open or not.

I had asked the Author before.

Just why did you put me in this kind of body?

The answer was very simple… Because it’s cool.

If she says so, then so be it!

“…Here, Arte! How about this one? Do you like it?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you. I like it.”

“Try it on quickly! Hurry!”

I rushed into the fitting room at Amelia’s urging.

Phew, that was close.

Perhaps because I’d never been to a women’s swimsuit shop before, I didn’t know where to look and was having a hard time with my eyes closed.

Fortunately, it seemed Amelia decided to pick out a swimsuit for me.

“I’m going to resent you, Author…”

[But swimsuit fashion shows appear often, don’t they?]

“Shut up.”

I know there are novels among web novels heavily influenced by light novels that have this kind of happenstance. (TN: Suggested by my friend, blame them…)

And I knew the Author wanted to use that kind of material.

So that’s why I suggested we should go pick out swimsuits.

It was good that I guided things that way since she wanted to use that material. It was good, but…

If there’s one thing I overlooked, it’s that I have to buy a swimsuit too.

“Can’t be helped. I’ll quickly put it on and… Huh?”

[…Wow. A bikini.]

“…”

What is this?

I tried to put it on and get out as quickly as possible, but the size of the piece of cloth in my hand was small.

Right, people call it a bikini.

When I received it and held it, I was sure there was a lot of cloth touching my hand, so I thought it would be a rashguard or high-leg style, but I was fooled…!

It’s not just a bikini.

As if telling me what that cloth I felt was, a pareo that could be put around the waist was asserting its presence.

It’s not that there’s no top, either. It was prepared to be worn over the bikini.

It would have been nice if it had just covered up to below the chest instead of exposing the belly button.

The outerwear top is white, and the pareo is also made of a see-through material, so it doesn’t cover anything at all.

…Then what’s the point of having a top and pareo?

“Arte, are you done?”

“… I-I’ll be out soon.”

Ah, dammit.

Do I really have to wear this? Seriously?

Amelia must have been considerate in her own way.

I was the only one wearing the school swimsuit during swimming class when everyone was wearing bikinis.

…But if you were going to be considerate, I wish you had done a bit more.

No matter how you look at it, the clothes seem meaningless to wear.

“Arte?”

“…Wa-wait a moment. Just a moment.”

***

“How does it feel?”

“I want to leave.”

Siwoo answered honestly to Amelia’s question.

He wanted to leave.

‘Why am I in a place like this?’

Just being surrounded by women’s swimsuits was embarrassing beyond words.

“Okay, I’ll let you go.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah. If you just look at Arte and give your impressions.”

“Huh?”

“She’ll be out soon. Wait.”

That’s when he realized.

He could hear Amelia and Dorothy’s voices but not Arte’s.

He tried his best not to be conscious of the swimsuits because they were embarrassing, so she didn’t notice other things.

Swish, swish.

His closed senses expanded in an instant.

…Did they say Arte was in there?

His annoyingly good hearing and intuition vividly conveyed the sound of Arte changing clothes.

Author’s Notes

The emoticons are done.