Chapter 58: The Women Being Jerked Around
“Souji-senpai! Next, let’s go on a banana boat!”
“Okay, but who’s going to pull the banana boat?”
There were usually lifeguards and other supervisors on the beach, but currently, there were none at the beach where Kazuma and the others were playing.
There was a reason why the hotel where Kazuma and the others were staying had employees, but no lifeguards on the beach.
Firstly, Ibinom lurked by the seaside, and most areas were currently prohibited for swimming, so there were no lifeguards stationed there.
This time, because Kazuma had liberated Hawaii, they were in the process of training lifeguards using old documents as reference, and they hadn’t made it in time for the orientation.
“I’ll go ask some random adult!”
“Some random adult… but even the teachers aren’t here…”
As far as Souji could see looking around the beach, there were no chaperoning teachers.
However, several VIPs were relaxing on the beach, so it wasn’t that there were no adults.
Souji worried that Kazuma might be going to ask the VIPs.
His prediction hit the mark; Kazuma, with light steps, headed towards the VIPs and pleaded with them to pull the banana boat because he wanted to ride it.
“The Great Sage Equaling Heaven! I want to go on a banana boat, so can you pull us with a jet ski?”
Kazuma fearlessly spoke to The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, also known as Wangfu, who was sunbathing on the beach.
Wangfu, who had presumably been enjoying his sunbathing, slightly raised his upper body from the sunbed, slid his sunglasses down, and glared at Kazuma.
Souji, watching this scene, felt nervous, but he had no way to stop it anymore and could only watch, hoping nothing would happen.
“Alright. That said, I’ve never ridden a jet ski either, so can I practice a bit first?”
“You’ve never ridden one?”
“Because of the Ibinom, I have no experience with marine sports. Well, I’ll probably get used to it quickly, so just wait a little.”
“Okay! Let me know when you’re ready!”
“Yeah!”
Saying that, Kazuma parted from Wangfu and returned to Souji.
“Y-You’re really something else…”
“Everyone who’s on friendly terms with the Crimson Knight is my friend, you see.”
“You could really throw your weight around with just that…”
“If I did something like that, the Crimson Knight would smack me down. ‘What do you think you’re doing using my name!’ or something like that.”
Indeed, if Kazuma were to make remarks relying on his friendship with the Crimson Knight, he would undoubtedly be scolded.
Souji could easily imagine Kazuma, who was “wearing the hat” of being the Crimson Knight’s friend, getting a fist brought down on his head, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Heh, indeed, the Crimson Knight doesn’t seem like someone who would overlook such misdeeds.”
“Right? Oh, by the way. About the banana boat, let’s invite others too.”
“Please, just not the VIPs, okay?”
“What about the people over there glaring at us?”
In the direction Kazuma was pointing were the girls who were angry about the “playing lovers” incident from before. Souji realized the cause of his chills and lamented the misfortune that would surely befall him next.
“What’s wrong, Souji-senpai? You suddenly seem to have lost your energy. Are you hungry or something?”
“You seem so happy, I’m envious…”
“That’s rather sudden. Did something bad happen?”
“You don’t feel anything seeing that?”
In the direction Souji pointed, there were the figures of the girls, smiling eerily.
“It’s fine! I’m used to it!”
“I really don’t want to get used to it…”
After that, when Kazuma approached the girls to invite them on the banana boat, he was beaten black and blue and discarded on the beach like trash.
Kazuma, who had collapsed by the water’s edge like a jellyfish, revived as if nothing had happened once the banana boat was ready.
“Oh! Is it ready?”
“Yeah! The test run was perfect! We can go anytime!”
“Woohoo! Souji-senpai, let’s go right away! Come on, everyone, hurry, hurry!”
As if he had no memory of what just happened, Kazuma, full of energy, invited Souji and the others and straddled the banana boat.
When Souji tried to get on behind Kazuma, his shoulder was grabbed from behind. Turning around, he saw Charlotte with a beaming smile.
Behind her were the figures of the other girls, looking frustrated after losing at rock-paper-scissors.
“Now, why would the Holy Maiden be in a place like this?” Souji wondered, but he decided it was best not to think too deeply about it and quietly yielded his turn.
“Thank you very much!”
While glancing over his shoulder at Charlotte, who was so cheerful it seemed like musical notes or hearts might be floating at the end of her sentences, Souji moved to the back. Then, seeing the other girls glaring at her as she gleefully straddled the boat behind Kazuma, he couldn’t help but recoil.
“(Scary! This is going to be tough, Kazuma.)”
Souji mentally pressed his hands together in prayer for Kazuma, who would likely continue to have no end of trouble with women.
“Yeeeeeeeeeeah!”
Kazuma, straddling the front of the banana boat, full of energy.
Charlotte, sticking closely behind him, unreservedly pressing her ample bosom—which captivated the gazes of many men—against Kazuma.
However, Kazuma didn’t react in the slightest.
He had been enjoying the banana boat from the start, and even though Charlotte’s chest was pressed against him, his heart wasn’t pounding at all.
Charlotte, clinging to him from behind as if hugging him, also sensed this and puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
“Mmmph!”
“What’s wrong, Shar!? Aren’t you having fun?”
“I am having fun! But, it’s not what I expected~”
“Eh? Is that so? I’m having a blast!”
Charlotte was full of dissatisfaction with the carefree Kazuma.
Even though she had gone to the trouble of wearing a swimsuit and pressing her chest against him.
Towards Kazuma, who showed no interest whatsoever and was engrossed in the banana boat, Charlotte, as if out of spite, hugged him with enough force to break his spine.
“Ughghghghgh! What’s with the sudden…!?”
“I don’t know!”
After playing on the banana boat for a while, Kazuma decided to try another marine sport.
“I want to try wakeboarding!”
“Then, I’ll pull you!”
“Oooh! Counting on you, King!”
Wakeboarding is originally a water sport where a rope with a handle is attached to a motorboat or similar vessel, and a person holding onto it at the rear of the boat rides a board-like planing device, being towed and gliding over the water surface. However, it was decided that King would pull Kazuma with his high-speed flight.
“This feels kinda wrong!”
Normally, one would use the waves created by the motorboat as it moves, but since King was flying in the sky, Kazuma was just being pulled.
That couldn’t really be called wakeboarding.
“Is it wrong?”
“Well, wakeboarding is a sport where you use the waves from a motorboat to do jumps and stuff.”
“Huh, is that so?”
“Well, thanks to the Ibinom, most marine sports have become obsolete.”
“Then, I’ll pilot a motorboat for you!”
“I’m counting on you!”
A motorboat was immediately prepared, and once King was taught how to pilot it, the wakeboarding began right away.
Kazuma conquered the rough waves from the motorboat, which King piloted more aggressively than usual, and performed splendid jumps on the sea surface.
“Woohoo~! Yeeeeeeah!”
Alicia and Kaede, finding it boring to just watch, combined their Telekinesis to stop Kazuma on the water surface.
Unaware that Kazuma was immobilized by Telekinesis, King kept driving the motorboat, and Kazuma, unable to let go of the rope, was slammed against the water surface.
“Abababababababa!”
Like something out of a blooper video, Kazuma skimmed upside down across the water surface. After letting go of the rope, he spun vertically several times on the water and became like a drowned corpse.
However, he immediately revived, beaming like a young child.
“So fuuun!”
Naturally, Kazuma continued to enjoy marine sports afterwards, stirring up the hearts of the girls.
“Yayoi-san! Create a strong wind!”
“Alright~”
While kiteboarding, Kazuma was thoroughly battered by a gale from Yayoi, but he displayed his natural athleticism and splendidly mastered the raging wind.
“Alicia! Make a huge wave!”
“Here I go~! Hyaah!!!”
Alicia created a tsunami with her Telekinesis, one that could easily swallow even a large ship.
Kazuma, giggling and holding his surfboard, dived into the approaching tsunami.
His mental simulation seemed to be perfect; Kazuma pulled off difficult maneuvers, and though he was finally swallowed by the raging current, he made a spectacular return and thrust his fist into the air.
“Fwooooooooah!”
“Are you invincible…?”
Watching Kazuma, who remained unfazed by anything, Momoko was utterly exasperated.
He probably wouldn’t flinch no matter what kind of sabotage they attempted in the future.
The girls who had been trying to make Kazuma suffer were the ones who ended up exhausted.
“Just what will it take for Kazuma to notice us!?”
“Ah, I tried reading his mind, but right now, he’s completely absorbed in playing and isn’t thinking about us at all.”
To Alicia, who was whining, Momoko, who had been reading Kazuma’s mind, presented the cruel reality.
“Is that true?”
“It’s true. Right now, his mind is completely filled with ‘fun,’ ‘exciting,’ ‘want to play more,’ ‘want to do more.'”
“Oh my God!”
Alicia raised both hands as if surrendering and looked up at the sky.
Alicia and the others stood utterly dumbfounded, having learned that Kazuma, incredibly, harbored not a single lewd thought towards the women in their swimsuits.
“Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does. It’s already dusk before we knew it.”
“We should probably head back to the hotel soon and get ready for the banquet.”
“It’s just a casual get-together and dinner, okay? Don’t go doing anything weird, you hear?”
“…Is performing a party trick out of the question? I’ve actually come up with one.”
“Why are you trying to subject yourself to a punishment game you devised yourself…?”
“But! A party trick is essential for a banquet, isn’t it!?”
“It’s really not necessary… Just stick to eating quietly.”
“Well then, I’ll at least keep it to a fire dance.”
“Don’t you dare do a fire dance inside the building! And besides, why a fire dance of all things?”
“Well, since we’re in Hawaii and all, I thought a fire dance would be appropriate…”
“Just behave yourself for today, okay? Please?”
Souji put his hand on Kazuma’s shoulder, trying to reason with him to behave.
Though his expression was one of reluctance, Kazuma vowed to do as Souji said and behave himself at tonight’s banquet.