The Only Way to Go: Swimsuit Episode (2)

Yamauchi said mysteriously, "We're even betting on the girls' bust sizes and have set up odds. Are you joining in, Hoshino?"

Hoshino rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on.

"Let me ask you one thing first: you do realize the severity of the consequences if the girls find out about this, right?"

"That... well, of course we do."

Yamauchi's reply lacked any real conviction.

"In the best-case scenario, no girl in this school will be willing to speak to you for the next three years."

"Eh? No way! That's terrible! Why is that even the best-case scenario?"

"If you get reported by the girls, it could escalate into severe consequences like suspension or even expulsion."

"!"

Obvious shock washed over their faces. Hey, had you guys not even considered these things before now?

"So, knowing all that, you're still going through with it?"

"...Some things just have to be done."

No, even if you say that with such a tragic tone, those are two completely different things.

"I understand," Hoshino sighed. "I won't help you gather information or cover for you, but I won't leak this to Hirata or anyone else either. Is that fair?"

"Eh? And here I thought you were our comrade, Hoshino!"

"...Fine. I'll participate, just to show support. You should be satisfied with that, right?"

Hoshino took the tablet and quickly scanned the list of girls. The current leader was Hasebe.

Hasebe Haruka sat next to Hoshino, and the two were quite familiar with each other. In all honesty, while she wasn't the type to seek the spotlight, she was undoubtedly one of the most striking girls in Class D in terms of looks and figure.

Hoshino's finger hovered over Hasebe's name for a moment before he scrolled past. Sudo and the others watched his final choice with bated breath.

Hoshino finally selected a girl and handed the tablet back to Sotomura.

"Just transfer the points to Ike, right? I'm betting 3,000 points."

"3,000 points! You're really generous, Hoshino."

"If I bet any less, you guys would just nag me. Let's leave it at that."

"Who did you pick, Hoshino...? Sakura? Who's that? Is her bust that big?"

Sudo, having no impression of Sakura, asked Ike with a puzzled look. Ike wasn't sure either.

Compared to Hasebe and the others, Sakura had almost no presence in class. She was a plain girl who wore glasses, had a bit of a slouch, and always sat quietly at her desk, rarely saying a word.

"At the very least, her odds are high. I chose her for the points."

Hoshino dropped that line and took the initiative to distance himself from them.

Just then, the girls began to emerge from the changing rooms one after another. Leading the way was Horikita. Dressed in a school swimsuit, she carried herself with a sharp, composed air, showing not a hint of shyness. Even though a swimsuit was the kind of attire that usually invited wandering thoughts, she wore it with the same poise as her school uniform. How did she manage that?

Horikita frowned as she glanced at the group of boys huddled together, then walked over to where Hoshino stood.

"The boys seem to be up to something behind our backs."

"Is that so? I'm not really sure."

"I saw you with that group just a moment ago, didn't I?"

"It's also a fact that I haven't earned their full trust, so I've been pushed to the sidelines."

Horikita huffed with a hint of impatience. She knew Hoshino wouldn't tell her the truth, so she stopped asking.

Kushida, who had entered the pool area after Horikita, walked over to them as well.

Wearing the same school swimsuit, Kushida gave off a completely different impression than Horikita.

Kushida was already exceptionally beautiful, and seeing her in a swimsuit made it impossible to look away. Compared to when she wore her uniform, the swimsuit accentuated her curves even more. Her bust was at least a D-cup, far larger than one might have imagined. Her waist was slender—a perfect example of a "fruit-bearing branch"—and the fleshiness of her thighs and hips was just right.

If he kept staring, things might get awkward in more ways than one. Hoshino turned his head away just in time.

"What are you and Horikita-san talking about, Hoshino-kun? Can I join in?"

"Rather than talking, it's more like I'm being interrogated."

Horikita immediately shot him a glare, as if reprimanding him with a look that said, Don't say unnecessary things.

"I don't quite understand, but you two really do get along well, don't you?"

Kushida said with an envious expression. Hoshino had heard her mention before that she had tried to talk to Horikita many times, but Horikita had always remained indifferent. For Kushida, who wanted to be friends with everyone, this must have been quite a blow.

"Oh, that's right. Kushida-san, your swimsuit is very cute."

"Eh? Hoshino-kun, saying that so suddenly makes me shy."

"If I see a beautiful sight and don't offer a compliment, it goes against my principles."

"Hoshino-kun, you always say such hard-to-understand things."

Kushida tilted her head slightly as she looked at Hoshino. As expected, she radiated a kind aura at all times and would never say or do anything to make others feel uncomfortable.

Horikita, on the other hand, was the complete opposite, openly displaying her impatience. Without even saying a word, she walked straight toward the edge of the pool.

"There's no doubt about it, she hates you, Kushida."

"Eh? Is that so? What should I do?"

She played her part in feigning ignorance perfectly, and Hoshino truly felt he understood the secret behind why a girl named Kushida Kikyo was so popular.

Just then, Ike, Yamauchi, and a few others came running over in a panic.

"K-Kushida!"

Perhaps because he saw Kushida in her swimsuit, Ike was so shy he could barely stutter out the words.

"You guys seem quite flustered."

"Y-yeah, the weather is really nice today, isn't it?"

The conversation made absolutely no sense. Kushida tilted her head in confusion.

Hoshino was pulled aside by Yamauchi.

"What's going on?"

"It's wrong! The girls haven't shown up at all!"

As soon as Yamauchi said that, Hoshino immediately realized it. The number of girls who had changed into swimsuits and entered the venue was very small—not even half.

"They couldn't still be in the changing rooms or anything, could they?"

No matter how you looked at it, changing clothes shouldn't take that long.

Then, there was only one possibility.

"A message from the Professor!"

Ike whispered, and Hoshino leaned in to see a message sent by Sotomura, nicknamed "the Professor."

"The girls are all observing from the second floor!" Hoshino followed their gaze upward and, sure enough, saw several girls, including Hasebe, standing there. They hadn't changed into swimsuits.

"The operation... has failed..."

Yamauchi let out a low, mournful groan from the back of his throat.

No, no, your operation was unreliable from the very beginning, in every possible way.

A gloomy atmosphere settled over the area. Hoshino stepped away, wanting nothing to do with it.

"What happened? Ike and the others look like they're in pain."

"Uh, well, it's just a typical guy's problem, I suppose."

Hoshino could only dodge the question in response to Kushida's inquiry.

"A bunch of hopeless idiots."

Horikita, who had been watching the whole scene from nearby, made a sharp remark. She seemed to have a thorough understanding of the situation.

I couldn't agree more, Hoshino thought helplessly.