It would have been a waste to ignore the private beach right in front of us, so Alice and I decided to go for a swim together.
Luckily, I still had the swimsuit and gear I’d bought for our previous trip to the ocean stored in my Magic Box, so getting ready was easy. Keeping a full set of leisure supplies in there really does pay off; it makes it so much easier to handle spontaneous plans.
"...It feels a bit strange, standing here all alone on the shore."
Alice had gone to change into her suit, so I’d finished first and was currently waiting for her while setting up a parasol and some other gear on the sand.
Since we weren't planning on doing anything too strenuous, just the parasol and a Leisure Sheet would suffice.
"...S-sorry to keep you waiting! The Transcendent Beautiful Girl has made her grand entrance!"
"Hmm? Oh, you're back—"
I turned around at the sound of her voice and was immediately struck dumb. She hadn't changed her hair, but she had finally taken off her mask. Clad in a simple black bikini, she was so breathtakingly cute that I felt a physical jolt of shock.
Alice rarely wore anything revealing, so the sight was incredibly fresh. More than that, though, her blonde hair and blue eyes made for such a stunning combination that the look suited her perfectly.
"Oh? What’s wrong, Kaito-san? Mesmerized by the sight of your adorable lover in her swimsuit?"
"Yeah. To be honest, you’re even more beautiful than I imagined. I mean it, Alice—you’re a perfect beauty as long as you keep your mouth shut. The suit looks great on you. You're really cute."
"Hehe, being praised like that is making me blush... Wait. That’s weird. I feel like you just implied I’m 'not' perfect when I talk."
"...Well, as soon as you open your mouth, the word 'disappointing' tends to get tacked onto the front of 'beauty.'"
"Who are you calling a Disappointing Transcendent Beautiful Girl!?"
In all seriousness, she was an impeccable beauty when silent, but the moment she spoke, her Alice-ness became overwhelmingly apparent.
"No, it’s just that when you talk, your Alice-ness is so... loud. It’s a very thick vibe."
"You’ve been remarkably biting today... Hah! I see what’s going on! Kaito-san, you’re just overcompensating for your embarrassment! You’re so desperate to dote on the lovely Alice-chan that you’ve turned to insults to hide your bashfulness, haven't you? I get it. The classic plight of a man who can’t be honest with himself. Honestly, if you’d just tell the truth, Alice-chan would be happy to accept your affection... but I suppose I’m just so charming that you find it impossible to be sincere."
"Oh? If you're going to push it that far, then fine. I'll dote on you to my heart's content..."
"Whoa, whoa! Kaito-san, hang on! Let's stay calm... Let's be cool and talk this through. I admit, I might have gotten a little ahead of myself just now... But, uh, if you come at me from that angle, I really don't stand a chance... So let's just take a breather for a second, okay?"
If anything, Alice was the one 100% trying to hide her own embarrassment, but since the opportunity had presented itself, I decided to lean into her provocation and dote on her as much as I wanted.
Actually, wasn't she basically pulling an Inviting uke move? Well, whatever works...
Serious-senpai: "...Always with the flirting... Just non-stop flirting..."