Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 45: Southern Island ④ After the Cooking Showdown:
“Thanks for doing the dishes, Akkun.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
As I was washing the dishes after dinner, Acchan spoke to me.
I’ve always been in charge of cooking and cleaning for my whole family, so this is nothing.
In fact, if I don’t help out, I feel kinda guilty.
At first, everyone tried to clean up together, but I asked if I could do it alone.
“Since I lost the game and don’t have anything else to do, I’ll dry the dishes, okay?”
Acchan cheerfully picked up a plate and started wiping it with a towel.
“Ah, Acchan…”
“It’s just to kill time until it’s my turn again. Okay? You don’t mind, right?”
“If that’s the case… Thanks, Acchan.”
I figured insisting any further would just waste her kindness, so I let her help.
There were only a few things left to dry anyway, so it wouldn’t take long.
The others were playing a video game—
a four-player battle game called “Grand Brawl Smash Sisters.”
Instead of traditional HP systems used in most fighting games, this one reduces your stock each time you’re knocked off the stage. Once your stock hits zero, you lose.
Characters go flying when hit, which is part of the thrill.
It’s easier to play than other fighting games, thanks to simple controls and the use of items, allowing for many different strategies.
The joy of launching characters and the intuitive gameplay make it popular with both kids and adults.
“Himeji! You’re using that combo again!?”
“You can’t escape with that vector change.”
“V-Vector change?! Ugh, I got knocked out again!”
“I love swinging this hammer~”
“K-Keina-chan? I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t come near me…”
“Can’t do that~”
“I have no choice but to wait until the item effect wears off… Wait! If I use this gun—”
“W-Wait, Suzu… You’re not going to shoot me, are you…?”
“Forgive me. This is war!”
It was total chaos—and looked like a lot of fun.
I never imagined I’d get to see something like this.
“I never thought I’d see something like this.”
“Yeah… I was thinking the exact same thing.”
Acchan seemed to feel the same way I did.
That made me kind of happy.
“Really? I’m glad we’re thinking the same thing, Akkun.”
Ah, there it is again—that same wavelength.
Maybe it’s because we were close as kids and still think alike.
“But, you know, there’s still so much we don’t know about each other.”
Acchan kept talking without stopping her hands from drying dishes.
“You’ve had all these experiences I wasn’t around for, and there are so many things I don’t know about you. Lately, it’s felt like you’re out of my reach.”
“That’s not true.”
It’s ridiculous to say I’m out of reach.
I still have a long way to go.
“No, it is. That’s why I’m working hard to catch up to you. I can’t say much yet, but when the time comes, will you listen to what I have to say?”
I didn’t know Acchan felt that way.
If she’s working hard toward something, I want to support her.
“Yeah, I’ll always be ready to listen. And if there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word.”
“Thanks. Oh—looks like Asuka-chan came in last. I’m up next!”
Acchan had finished drying the dishes while we were talking, and she went back to the others.
“Himeji kept using the same combo over and over! Akane, please avenge me!”
“Alright, leave it to me! Suzu, Keina-chan—want to team up?”
“I’m in. Himeji keeps winning and never rotates out.”
“I don’t like the idea of a 3-on-1, but given the skill difference, I suppose it’s necessary.”
“W-What…?”
Himeji-san looked a little bewildered by the sudden alliance, but she accepted it without complaining.
Everyone really had become close.
But just like Acchan said, we don’t know everything about each other.
Even so, we’ve grown close.
And the more we learn about each other, the closer we can become—
I think that’s how it works.
By the way, even with three of them, they couldn’t beat Himeji-san.
I joined in later and got totally destroyed, too.
I was just frustrated enough that I might start practicing to win next time.
○ ●
I soaked in the bath, gazing out through the large, single-pane window at the stunning view, letting the travel fatigue melt away.
This wasn’t an ordinary bath—
It was a round jet bath with marble floors and walls, creating a very luxurious atmosphere.
“Ahh, a big bath really does feel amazing…”
“Remember how we used to cram into a tiny tub together back in the day?”
“Yeah, those were the days. Back when Celena-san wasn’t famous yet and we lived in a small house— Wait, why are you here, Keina!?”
I turned around and saw Keina crouched right beside the tub, face level with mine.
I’d been too focused on the view to notice her. I guess I’d let my guard down from being so relaxed.
“Why? What’s weird about it?”
Keina said it like it was completely natural.
“Because! It is weird for a guy and girl to be in the bath together!”
“Ehh, but we used to bathe together all the time.”
“T-That was when we were little!”
“Tsumu-tsumu is still little though?”
“I’ve gotten taller! I’m not small anymore! You just got taller faster, that’s all!”
Okay, sure, I am below average height—but this is the one thing I won’t back down on.
If I admit it, it feels like I’ve lost.
“More importantly, why is it bad for us to bathe together now that we’ve grown up?”
“…Why, you ask…”
I recall seeing Kiena in her swimsuit on the beach.
Compared to back then, her body has changed in many ways, so I can’t help but be conscious of it.
“Ah, you’re totally conscious of me as a girl, right? That’s what it is, isn’t it~?”
Kiena brought her face close with a happy grin.
It’s frustrating because she’s exactly right.
“That’s right! Kiena is a cute girl, so of course I’m going to be conscious of her if she’s naked and nearby!”
“C-cute…? That was out of nowhere… But too bad for you—it’s not naked, it’s a swimsuit!”
Saying that, Kiena stood up.
She was wearing a simple black bikini.
The amount of skin showing through the fabric—which was clearly less than when she had clothes on—was overwhelming for a high school boy.
“Even if you’re wearing a swimsuit, I’m still naked here.”
“C’mon, don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“It’s not small—that is the problem!”
“Hey, hey, shampoo me like you used to.”
Completely ignoring my state of mind, Kiena sat down on a bath chair, waiting expectantly.
She may have changed in many ways, but her clingy side hadn’t changed at all.
“…Jeez, fine.”
I took the towel from my head and wrapped it around my waist, then walked over to Kiena.
I’ve always liked being relied on or clung to. It makes me feel happy—like I’m needed.
Maybe that’s because I was mostly ignored at home growing up.
“Okay, here I go.”
“Yep, go ahead~”
Sitting behind Kiena, I started by rinsing her hair with just water.
Then I took shampoo, lathered it up, and gently massaged her scalp with my fingertips so as not to hurt her hair or skin.
It brought back memories.
Back when we lived together for a short while, she’d often ask me to do this.
She had long hair back then.
I remember thinking how she looked like a doll—so cute it surprised me.
“Mmm~ Feels so good~”
Kiena let out a voice that practically melted.
W-what kind of voice is that…
“Ah, right there… that’s the spot…”
Her back twitched as a shiver ran down her spine.
Now that I looked more closely, the line of her back down to her waist was really beautiful.
No, no—I must stay focused.
“Haaa, that’s amazing…”
Suddenly, Kiena went limp and leaned back against me.
Her head rested against my chest.
“H-hey, Kiena! Sit up properly!”
“Mmm… I can’t move… No strength…”
Looking down, I could see the cleavage peeking from her black bikini.
This situation is seriously bad. I can’t keep a clear mind.
“Hey, can you do more…?”
Kiena turned to look up at me, her eyes oddly seductive.
Usually I’m the one looking down at her, so this view was… new.
This couldn’t go on—I stood up abruptly and decided to leave the rest to her.
“Alright, that’s it! All that’s left is rinsing, so do it yourself!”
“Ehh? Do it all the way to the end~… Ah—”
Kiena froze, staring at a single point.
“Huh?”
Wondering what was going on, I followed her gaze and looked down—
The towel that had been wrapped around my waist… was gone.
“UWAAAAAH!! I’m sorry!!”
I bolted from the bathroom in a panic.
While catching my breath in the changing room, I tried to figure out what had happened.
I guess when I stood up quickly, the towel had gotten heavy with water and slipped off…
Ugh, I really did it this time.
“…Tsumu tsumu… wasn’t still small after all…”
Kienagi muttered something behind me, but I decided to pretend I didn’t hear it.
○ ●
On the beach at night.
Because of that incident with Keina, I’d been feeling somewhat restless, so I came out to get some fresh air.
As I walked along the sand, someone with an especially striking presence caught my eye.
“Oh, Takarazuka-san.”
There stood Takarazuka-san, gazing up at the moon alone.
Her silver hair shimmered beautifully in the moonlight, and her well-defined profile, tinged with melancholy, gave her an almost otherworldly appearance.
Noticing me, Takarazuka-san turned toward me and spoke.
“Isn’t that Go-kun? What brings you out here?”
“I was taking a bath and started feeling a little lightheaded, so I thought I’d get some night air.”
Yeah, I wasn’t lying.
“I see. Are you alright?”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“Well, if you say so…”
She said, still looking concerned.
I felt a little bad making her worry when I was really perfectly okay.
To change the subject, I voiced a question I’d been wondering about.
“What about you, Takarazuka-san? Why are you here?”
“Me? Hmm… I was looking at the moon.”
“The moon?”
“Yes. The play I’m preparing for features the moon a lot. So lately, I’ve found myself thinking about it more and more.”
Right, Takarazuka-san was set to perform in The Far Side of the Moon, The Magic of Snow, a production by the stage director Yukio Kakogawa.
The moon was a major theme in this play.
“The moon stirs people’s hearts, which is why it’s often used as a motif. But we only ever see the front side of the moon—you know that, right, Go-kun?”
“Yeah, I read the script and did some research on the moon. It’s because the moon’s rotation and revolution periods are synchronized, right?”
“As expected of you, Go-kun. Because of that, we’ve never seen the far side of the moon. Yet despite only seeing one side, we call it beautiful and sing its praises. That made me think—it’s a bit like the entertainment world.”
“I see. We never really know what goes on behind the scenes for celebrities.”
“Exactly. And the far side of the moon has more craters and is bumpier than the front.”
“That’s because the moon protects the Earth from incoming meteors, right?”
“Yes. Some say that recent volcanic activity on the near side has eroded its craters, but I prefer the idea that the far side takes the impact. It’s more romantic, don’t you think?”
Then, Takarazuka-san added:
“The front side, lit up by the spotlight, is me. The far side, supporting from behind, is you, Go-kun. The moon feels like it represents the two of us.”
“Wait, does that mean…?”
“Ah, no! Sorry—I said something weird. Please forget it.”
Flustered, Takarazuka-san turned away, visibly embarrassed.
“No, I’m happy you said that. If there’s anything else I can help with, just let me know!”
“Go-kun… Thank you.”
After a short silence, Takarazuka-san spoke again.
“Even in Okinawa, the nights in June can get chilly. I think I’ll head in now.”
“Yeah, it’s a little cold. I’ll go back too.”
We chatted about things like school and the play as we returned to the villa.
When we reached our respective rooms, Takarazuka-san spoke again.
“Go-kun.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Good night.”
That tender, affectionate, yet mysteriously enchanting smile left me momentarily speechless.
Not wanting to leave her hanging, I hurried to reply.
“G-Good night, Suzu-chan.”
With a soft smile, she giggled and stepped into her room.
“Huh, when was the last time someone told me good night?”
It was just a simple bedtime greeting, yet it left me feeling so full and warm inside.
And with that, I drifted off to sleep.