episode_0053

1.

Time is like a river.

Always flowing by my side.

“…Fukagiosri. De Capiora Lucianesia to Hetaro Poalama.”

Today, I started worship only after soaking in the river.

It was a day where I started my day by washing myself in the Rukia River, which is one of my daily routines.

But unlike the past days, I’m wearing trunk pants.

‘Srenia or Taina… if either of them appears, it’s my loss.’

That’s why I’m keeping a minimum of caution and preparation.

But I can’t get all dressed up because I still have to wash.

Although it’s awkward and uncomfortable to shower with underwear on.

You should think about putting on a swimsuit and washing your body.

Suddenly, I wondered if it would be better to wrap it up a little more, so I asked Yuli, who was washing her body behind me.

“Yulie, is it okay to think of trunks as underwear?”

They are lying back to back in the Rukia River without even looking at each other.

-with a splash.

“Purur… What’s the difference between the two?”

Even though Yuli had her face in the river, she bravely listened to me and answered.

“Hmm. The exposure is similar. But the material is a bit different.”

“Then it doesn’t matter. They both cover the same area.”

“I see, right?”

Feeling reassured by Yuli’s words, I started washing my body again.

When I hear someone who thinks the same way as me, I feel like I can wash my body with peace of mind.

…

Before I knew it, dawn had passed in an instant and the sun had fully risen.

It’s really late spring now, so I guess that’s natural since the sunrise is earlier.

Just when I thought it wouldn’t be strange for Srennia to appear by now.

They say even a tiger will come if you call it, and Srenya’s trembling voice was heard.

“Oh, hello……”

“Hello Sreni…”

Here’s one useless piece of common sense that you should know.

Water fog is a natural phenomenon often observed at dawn.

in other words.

The fog disappears when the sun rises.

-Thud!!!

“AAAHHHH!!!”

When I turned my head to welcome Srenia, a hazy mist… no, it couldn’t be called mist, but it was surrounding Srenia’s body.

As soon as I sensed that the flesh-colored areas of Srennia were more visible than the white areas of the hazy water mist, I threw my face into the river to prevent a catastrophe.

‘Oh, my face hurts…’

At that moment, I let go of my speed and my face high-fived with sleep, feeling cold.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, but I don’t want to see your body before your face!’

-Bubble bubble bubble…

I exhaled and waited for the situation to settle down.

Since Yuli is behind me, wouldn’t she take me out on her own?

“Ah, the fog has cleared…”

There was no sign of urgency, and behind Srenya’s languid speech, I could feel waves of magical power.

Now that I’ve somehow managed to cover up my body, I think it won’t matter.

I waited with my nose in the water until Yuli declared it safe.

“…That magic is amazing. Kai, it’s okay to raise your head.”

“Huh, okay.”

After Yuli gave a signal that it was safe, I finally raised my head and looked at Srenia, who was casting a strange spell.

A magic that draws water up to the chin and adjusts the refraction so that my body is not reflected outside.

“…It’s been a while, Kai oppa.”

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like this on the river.”

“What’s been going on lately…? I think we used to see each other often, but lately it’s been hard to see each other.”

“Um… I guess something came up this morning.”

Srenya questions me with a look of resentment on her face.

Lately, I’ve been having a hard time moving the Golden Taina without being caught by Srenia, so I haven’t been able to spend time leisurely at the Rukia River…

I didn’t tell this story to Srenya exactly.

I just brushed it off as something that came up.

“And it seems like it’s vaguely mixed.”

This story is also somewhat true.

It seems that Srenya has also come to the Rukia River less frequently these days, perhaps because she has more work to do.

“Is that so?”

hmm.

Srenya.

Doesn’t it seem a little strange that his eyes scan my body passionately, even though he looks cold and aloof?

-Sneak…

I didn’t like the feeling of Srenya’s gaze on my body, so I covered my body with my arms.

Then, Srenya turned her head slightly, perhaps realizing that her gaze was blatant and immature.

It’s fortunate that you have that much conscience.

“That’s right, Srenya.”

“…Huh?”

“Isn’t it rather inconvenient to stop by our cabin?”

“Uh…”

“If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to visit our cabin. I think it would be a bit tangled up in the path.”

I finally got around to organizing the traffic I had been meaning to talk about.

It’s actually a bit inconvenient that Srenya stops by our cabin.

The biggest reason is that there is a risk of encountering Taina.

Even if you’ve been lucky enough to avoid encounters so far, who knows what the future holds.

“Well, I guess it wasn’t a favor… Rather, it felt like a burden. I’m a little confused…”

“Okay, I understand. I actually felt a little uncomfortable too.”

“A little bit, right? Sorry for making things complicated, Srenya.”

I didn’t know that returning a favor could be such an uncomfortable thing.

I apologized to Srenya with complicated feelings.

After that, we exchanged pleasantries and decided to part ways.

“Yes, Kai oppa. Goodbye.”

“Then see you on Friday, Srenia.”

I don’t know why, but seeing Srenya greeting me with a slightly brighter complexion, I thought my heart had eased a little.

And then Srenya greeted me and turned around.

-Pfft!

My face and the water had to touch again.

Because the back was so clearly revealed, I wonder if the refraction wasn’t applied because it was an unexpected surface!

Thanks to that, it was white and round like the moon…

‘Kuaaaah!!!’

I just saw the back of your head!

2.

People have diverse desires.

Desire for honor, sexual desire, material possessions, sleep… If we were to count them, the list of human desires would be endless.

Srenya has been feeling unsatisfied lately.

I don’t know what the desire was, but… it was a dissatisfaction.

Things like having to shed pretense or her father’s messages coming to her in her dreams to torment Srenya.

I just thought it was something that happened as stress increased.

I thought that a walk in communion with nature like usual would solve the problem.

But it wasn’t.

“Ugh… why is it like this…”

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and headed towards the Rukia River.

Clearly out of condition.

“…Fukagiosri. De Capiora Lucianesia to Hetaro Poalama.”

I immersed myself in the Rukia River while reciting the prayer I had personally prepared for Kai Oppa.

I tried it for dinner last Friday… and it felt different when I used it myself.

“Hee.”

I smile as I recall Kai’s gentle guidance, explaining each and every pronunciation that could be difficult to understand.

I wonder if it reminds me of the dinner I had that day and the warm atmosphere of the cabin.

After worshipping the water spirit, I enjoyed a walk and soaking my feet in the Rukia River.

“…not fun.”

I feel strangely empty.

“Something’s weird.”

In the past, just taking a walk would bring a smile to my face, and I would feel gratitude for nature with my whole body, filling me with joy.

Right now… it seems like just a stroll through the academy.

weird.

I don’t feel that ticklish yet sweetly stimulating sensation.

Srenya didn’t notice.

The sharp stimulation is repeated and gradually becomes dull, and you find yourself craving more and more sweet emotions.

And that such stimulating emotions are not just feelings from the bland grace of nature.

…

When I met Kai oppa, I felt very sad.

‘Why, why didn’t I see you here?’

It was just a childish complaint about not being given the chance to understand someone who should understand me.

-grasp!

Before the tantrum could even die down, my brother hit his head.

Only then did I realize that the mist covering my body had disappeared in the sunlight…

“…haaa…”

Strangely ticklish.

What I was searching for so desperately.

I felt like a desire was being fulfilled, like a drop of rain falling in a drought.

As I let out a relieved sigh, an inner voice cried out, “Just a little more…”

Since Sister Yuli was there, I somehow managed to concoct some magic.

“Carito, Alima de Fucajira Hetaro Poalama.”

A magic that grants control over water, along with the intention of having the water spirit cover one’s body.

And by inducing refraction at a certain rate, a plausible visor was created.

…

It was only then, in a situation that was clear, that I heard something I didn’t want to hear.

Actually, I’m just reversing my brother’s wrong consideration.

‘Am I kicked out of the cabin?’

It was distorted with the thought that

It means that I cried without realizing it.

But the more we talked, the more I felt like I was being eaten up by a ticklish feeling and my mood started to ease.

Hot sighs were let out in the middle of the conversation.

I felt a stimulation as if an electric sensation was running through my body.

I felt like a new sensation was being developed, taking a step further into a space I didn’t even know about.

At the end of that exploration, a thought occurred to me that I should never, ever do.

‘This won’t do. I don’t think that’s what you think…’

While repeatedly blaming myself inwardly.

I couldn’t ignore the sweet stimulation of a single drop that fell on me as I was parched with thirst, so I pushed myself, shouting for just one more sip.

“….Yes, Kai oppa. Goodbye”

on the sly.

The magic that covered her back was broken with the feeling of slightly lifting her collar.

At the same time, I felt as if the net that had been holding me steady was coming loose with a thud.

-Thump thump thump thump

A cold sensation, like a sense of falling, comes over me.

My heart rate increases uncontrollably.

“Haa, haaah… Heuheu. Heuheu… Haa, haa, haahaha…”

My breathing becomes ragged.

I try to hold my breath as much as possible, afraid that Kai will hear my heavy breathing, but I can’t stop it.

Goosebumps rise up my spine and tears well up in my eyes as if they might flow down my cheeks at any moment.

I took a step as if I didn’t mean to, but… I felt a tingling sensation tearing at my heart.

-grasp!

I ran away from the place with the sound of water splashing.

The feeling at that time was engraved in my brain like a brand and seemed like it would never be erased.

It’s a feeling I’m experiencing for the first time.

Srenya felt a single desire that was so intense it was eating away at her brain.