HS Chapter 52: The hopeless sister admires her swimsuit.

It has taken a little more than two hours of shaky ride by the car driven by Editor-san. When we arrived at the cottage, I put down my luggage and immediately changed into the swimsuit Koma had picked out for me… 

“Yahoooooooooo! It’s the oceaaaaaaaaan!”

It was an endless, green ocean.

The sound of the waves rolling in and out, the surface of the ocean reflecting the sun’s rays, the fresh ocean breeze bringing the scent of the sea, the white sandy beach scorching hot under the summer sun where I can feel the heat even through my beach sandals… 

Uumu, it’s amazing. It’s like your typical summer ocean! It gives that feeling. How do I put it, just looking at it gets me excited and makes me want to scream at the ocean with the hot passion of my youth.

…. Ehh, actually, I’m already so excited that I’m yelling and screaming at the ocean. I’m a bit childish, even if I say so myself…

“Oh? Mako-san. You’re here early.”

“Ah, Editor-san. Hello.”

As I am admiring the ocean like that, the Editor-san approached me and held a beach parasol, beach chairs, cooler box, etc. and called out to me. 

“The ocean here is very nice, isn’t it, Editor-san? The view and the atmosphere are the best… I’m a little too excited thanks to it. I was just shouting to the ocean.”

“Hahaa! It’s fine, don’t mind it. There’s nothing wrong with being a little over excited in this amazing ocean. In fact, it would be a disservice to the ocean if we didn’t have fun and enjoy ourselves.”

“Right! Right!”

When I hear the Editor-san say that, I ask for his agreement, slightly excited. I’m very grateful to Editor-san for providing such a nice place.

“… Oh? That being said, Editor-san… You’re not in a swimsuit?”

I suddenly noticed and asked the Editor-san about it.  Editor-san in front of me… He is wearing a T-shirt and shorts, and then a straw hat and towel as an extra option, just as if he was working at a beach house. 

… This, he’s not dressed like someone who’s going to go to the ocean.

“Hm? I haven’t told you yet? I have sensitive skin… Most of all, I don’t have the stamina to swim in the ocean, so I don’t plan to play in the ocean this time.”

“Hee…?”

“To start with, I didn’t even bring my swimsuit. Today and tomorrow, the leading actors will be Mako-san and Koma-san, and Meiko-sensei. I’ll be happily doing chores, watching your bags, or anything else you need, so don’t worry.”

“Eeeh!?”

Editor-san gives a flat response to my question. Eh, eeeh…!? We’re finally here and you’re not going to play in the ocean…!? Rather, you’re going to do the chores voluntarily…. As expected, isn’t that wasteful!?

“Ehm, Editor-san? We’re very grateful that you’ve brought us to this ocean. So you don’t have to do this maid-like thing for us, you know!? I mean, Editor-san is on his precious summer vacation, and we’re at such a nice beach… I’m saying it’s fine for Editor-san to act out more freely…”

“I’m fine, Mako-san. Don’t worry about me, so Mako together with Koma, should enjoy yourselves to the fullest!”

I make a suggestion in a hurry, but Editor-san simply smiles back at me…. No, I’ll feel guilty if you say it like that with a smile…

I mean, not only did he plan the trip for free, so I’m worried if it’s really okay for him to do so much…

“…Mako-san. Please don’t look so sad. It’s something I like to do. Besides, in a certain sense this is also part of my job.”

“Eh…? Job…?”

While I had been thinking about him, Editor-san told me that with a wry smile. Caring for us… Is his job? What does he mean by that…

“Because I’m Meiko-sensei’s editor. In other words, managing sensei’s mental and physical condition is part of the job too. So, to be honest, when I asked Mako the other day about your family travel plans through the call, I thought ‘A chance’….  Do you know why?”

“No… I don’t know at all.”
“After all—- Isn’t Meiko-sensei a true recluse who never comes out unless there’s an event like this? There aren’t many chances to bring Meiko-sensei out of the house like this.”

“I get it…!”

I was actually a bit curious as to why Editor-san was so accommodating and supportive in this trip, but now I finally understand. 

I see now, so the purpose of this was to get Aunty, who is usually a recluse and doesn’t want to go outside, to bring her out of the house… 

“Sensei is a person who is always confined to her room throughout the year, sitting at her desk or lounging on the couch. If I miss out on opportunities like this, I don’t know when sensei will move her body right again! We need to give her a healthy dose of sunshine and exercise, and at the same time, give her liver a proper rest…. I’m always worried over whether her body is going to collapse soon or not…”

“… Yeah, isn’t she? Aunty lives a very unhealthy life…”

Both me and Editor-san sigh. She doesn’t go out at all, she doesn’t move her body much, she drinks a lot, she’s selfish, and a picky eater… She’s a little bit of a different vector than mine, but Aunty really is a hopeless person.

… It’s understandable that Editor-san, who has to manage Aunty for her job, will be worried.

“That’s why I forced myself to plan this trip for Mako-san and everyone. If this trip got cancelled… Probably, in Sensei’s case she would spend the entire summer vacation in her room, idly and doing nothing, right?”

“…. Amazing. That scene appears in my mind so naturally, Editor-san.”
“See?… Though, I think she’ll be slacking even at the ocean. That’s why I’m here this time as an attendant for Mako-san and Koma-san and as a guardian for sensei. As Meiko sensei’s editor. And then… As her fan of the novel sensei writes. There is no other job that is as rewarding as this one for me.”

Editor-san smiles while saying so… How do I say it, Editor-san looks more like Aunty’s manager than her editor. As her niece, it’s really helpful having more people observing Aunty… Even though she’s only in her twenties, she’s reaching the age where she needs to take care of her health.

“I know I’ve said it many times, I’m the one who should be thanking Mako-san and Koma-san for making this trip possible! Thank you very much, Mako-san, for allowing me to come along this time! So, to thank you at least… While it’s not only that, but if you have any trouble please use me. I’ll do my best to help you!”

“… Thank you very much, Editor-san. How… Aunty is very difficult, but please continue to watch over her with warm eyes.”

I bow to Editor-san once more. It’s a relief that Aunty met such a good editor. Rather, I think he’s too good for Aunty.

“…. *Cough*. Aah… Oi, Mako. What do you mean by ‘warm eyes’? … Also, editor. You’re younger than me, so don’t act like you’re my guardian all the time… Good grief.”

“Oh? Aunty was here.”

“Ah, it’s Meiko-sensei. Good work. Sensei, you were quick to prepare.”

While we were talking like this, Aunty suddenly appeared from behind us, coughing… She seemed to have heard our conversation earlier, and she seems to be slightly embarrassed.

Aunty was embarrassed unsuitably for her years, and wore a bright red bikini. She was wearing a so-called triangle bikini with a triangle top and a stylish pareo wrapped around her waist like a skirt.

… A swimsuit like this should only be worn by people with a good figure, and not by Aunty, who doesn’t move much and leads a lazy, slothful life—- Should.

“……… (*Staring*)”

“Wh-What is it, editor… Staring at me like that. Sexual harassment?”

“…. Sensei’s style is still as good as ever… Even though you’re a hikikomori.”

“Who’s a hikikomori, who!?”

… That’s right. As Editor-san said, maybe because she’s Koma’s aunt, that Aunty Meiko somehow has a great (useless) style and looks great in a bikini to the point of frustration.

This Aunty… She doesn’t exercise enough, she snacks whenever she can, she drinks heavily, she eats a lot of the food I make, and she never leaves her room, living a slovenly hikikomori life… She has a constitution that fights with women all over the world who are trying hard to lose weight, by showing up where she shows up and pulling back where she pulls back… She has a constitution that can match with women all over the world who are trying hard to lose weight, and yet she is going out where she can and staying in where she can.

She has passed her physical examination every year, despite her unhealthy lifestyle… It’s a mystery.

“How is it possible for sensei to maintain such a healthy body without exercising…? This time, I forced myself to go with Mako and the others, mainly to take care of sensei’s health… And yet, Sensei’s constitution is too mysterious to be worth managing. Isn’t it like I don’t have a reason to exist? What do you do to get that, sensei?”

“Even if you tell me that, I don’t know…”

Editor-san looks complicated when he sees Aunty in a swimsuit. It’s true that the editor-san took the trouble to take time out of his own vacation to attend to Aunty’s health, so it’s understandable that he’s frustrated by her seemingly healthy body and mysterious constitution.

I feel bad for the Editor-san who’s sullen, and I guess I’ll just follow up a bit here to reassure him.

“It’s okay, Editor-san.  Editor-san’s management of Aunty is going to be needed really soon.”

“Eh…? What do you mean by that, Mako-san?”

“Please look carefully at Aunty’s body. At first glance, she appears to be healthy… Actually, the cost of her slovenly lifestyle is showing up here and there on her body. Her skin is much less firm than it used to be, and although her breasts and stomach may seem deceptively amazing, they are beginning to show some sagging, see? Moreover, on her face there are wrinkl—-”

“Ey, Mako. If you’re going to embarrass me any further… I will cut your allowance to zero this month, so be prepared.”

She threatened me… So cruel, I’d been simply and genuinely encouraging Editor-san and yet how tyrannical of you, Aunty. I was only stating the truth, wasn’t I?

“Good grief, you all say whatever the hell you want… Well, it’s fine. Leaving that aside, Shuu let’s quickly set up the parasol! And some beach chairs!” (TN: I think that’s what Aunty Meiko calls the editor ‘Shuu’)

“Yes, yes, I understand, sensei…. That said, Mako-san, I have to set up the preparations so I’ll leave you. Enjoy the ocean!”

“Yes! Thank you very much for the help, Editor-san!”

Aunty said that irritated and went on ahead, while Editor-san bowed to me and followed her. Since he said that ‘I’m sensei’s guardian’,  I think I’ll let Editor-san take care of Aunty the whole day for today.

Because of that, the time…The time to spend flirting with Koma opened up.

“Now. What’s left is to wait for Koma.”

After seeing Aunty and Editor-san off, I do some light exercise near the beach and wait for my beloved little sis Koma, who hasn’t shown up yet.

‘I’m going to take a little while to get ready, so please go ahead of me, Nee-sama’

It’s been about ten minutes since Koma told me that, and I think it’s time for Koma to come soon. Now I’m going to prepare myself for when Koma comes.

“… It’s okay, Koma will wear the one piece swimsuit I chose for her. I keep my mind calm, I won’t get nosebleeds… I wouldn’t. Calm yourself, me… Be cool, it’ll be cool…”

While mumbling to myself I’m waiting for Koma to arrive… Now.  I know I’ve said this quite a lot, but I, Tachibana Mako, am a perverted siscon.

In other words, If I were to see Koma in a bathing suit without precautions… It is obvious that I will bleed to death from massive blood loss, and instead of swimming in the sea, I’ll swim a long way in the Sanzu River in the afterlife.

In order to prevent that from happening, I have to prepare myself well in advance. Luckily, the swimsuit I chose for Koma was a less revealing one-piece type swimsuit. At a glance, it’s almost the same as my own clothes, which I’m used to seeing, and I’m sure I’ll be less excited than other swimsuits she’d be in..

So as long as I’m not careless, I’ll never let a splattered scene show to Koma… Probably, I won’t… I won’t, I want to think. Okay, calm yourself, me. Deep breaths, deep breaths…

“—–I-I’m sorry, Nee-sama… Seems like it took me some time to change into my swimsuit and get the camera ready.”

“(She came…!)”

I just finished my 100th deep breath and was starting to calm down when I heard my cute little Koma calling me from behind.

Okay… My heart is calm, I’m ready to go. I exhale one last time and turned around my face with a smile slowly—-

“(*Turns around*) Uun, it’s fine Koma, I didn’t wai—-(*Psssssssshhh*) Meeeeeeeeeeeeermaidd!?”

“Ne-Nee-sama…!?”

—–I sank into the sea of nosebleeds that I had released with such a mysterious scream. Well, I had a sneaking suspicion that this would happen too, but as expected, nothing worked out at all….

“A-Are you okay, Nee-sama…!? Why are you suddenly nose bleeding…?”

“….. I’m fwine, Koma… It’s just a heat stroke… That’s why, don’t mind it…”

“Heat stroke…? This amount of nosebleed, is it really just a heat stroke?”

Thought, I almost drowned in a sea of nosebleeds, I managed to reply to Koma. Koma’s swimsuit… What a destructive force. Ah, I was surprised… I thought that a real mermaid had sung to me…

“More importantly, Koma… The swimsuit suits you so well… You’re great… Onee-chan is going to die from happiness… to have Koma wear the swimsuit… I chose…”

“Aren’t you going to die now from excessive blood loss from the nosebleed!? Please wait a bit! I’ll get tissues… No, I’ll get towels so somehow let’s stop the nosebleed, Nee-sama!”

While Koma is giving me first aid devotedly, I’m observing her swimsuit as if I’m licking it.

The swimsuit I chose was a pure white one-piece swimsuit that would suit the pure and innocent Koma. It’s just a standard swimsuit with nothing special about it except for the lovely frills on the chest area—-But, as soon as Koma wore it she began to exude a mysterious killing charm.

It’s often said that one-piece swimsuits like this can make you look very young and have no waistline if you don’t have a good style… In Koma’s case, she doesn’t look like that at all, thanks to her beautiful long arms and legs, ample bust, and firm, shapely waist created by her well-trained oblique abdominal muscles.

Rather, thanks to her mature body shape, I can clearly see the lines of her body, and even though she is wearing a very wholesome and innocent swimsuit appropriate for her age, from my point of view, it somehow makes her look very sexy…

“(… Koma’s skin…. It’s super beautiful…)”

Her skin is so translucent that won’t lose even to the pure white swimsuit that Koma is wearing right now… She is so good. I don’t need to say, but her one-piece type of swimsuit is not very revealing… That’s why her exposed skin is all the more emphasized… I can’t endure it anymore.

… For example, her moderately toned arms, firm thighs, and beautiful bare legs without a single blemish… Not good, I’m drooling just from watching her…

“Thanks for waiting, Nee-sama! I brought the towels! Let’s stop the bleeding—- Nee-sama!? Why has the quantity of your nosebleed increased more from earlier!?”

“I-…. I’m fwine… I’m fwine…”

There is a saying that “the eyes speak louder than the mouth,” but in my case, “the nose speaks louder than the mouth” might be a more accurate description.

…. How honest my body, instincts and nose are. I’m greatly excited by seeing my little sis in a swimsuit.

“Get a hold, get a hold of yourself Nee-sama! I’ll help you right now…!”

“… It’s okay, Koma’s… shimshuit… If I get reborn again… I want to be… Koma’s shimwuit…”

“Are you really okay, Nee-sama!? Do you understand what you just said!?”

I make a faint wish while being at death’s door from the unbelievable nosebleed. I… If I could be reincarnated, I would want to be polyester or polyurethane in my next life.

And then… I’d like to be created as a swimsuit for Koma, and stick tightly to Koma’s attractive and sexy body.

With my nose bleeding like a broken water pipe, I burn the image of Koma’s swimsuit into my retina until the very last second… In the midst of this wild delusion, I let go of my consciousness, and today I was useless as usual. 

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I’m sorry for the slight delay, something happened that’s why. The next few chapters will be slightly delayed just like this one.