At Liam’s arrogant comment, I briefly imagined what Liam swimming would look like. Then I said I’d look forward to the day when I could directly confirm how well he swims.
“Are you saying that because you’re looking forward to my swimming skills, or because you’re looking forward to me in a swimsuit?”
Liam asked in a voice that felt cunning beyond playful. I pondered how to answer this difficult question, then decided to first pretend to be uninterested and back out.
“……Unlike someone, I’m not very interested in swimsuit attire.”
Actually, I’m not uninterested. The other Rangers guys show off their bare torsos at every opportunity so there’s no sense of mystery, but Liam rarely does such things. So there are almost no opportunities to see him exposed.
“Ah, you’re not interested? But once you actually see it, you won’t be able to speak, you know? It’s awkward for me to say with my own mouth, but my swimsuit appearance is pretty amazing.”
Of course Liam’s swimsuit appearance would be amazing, but the confidence to say such things without hesitation is even more amazing. As I was pondering what to say to him, I received a proposal asking if I’d like to go buy swimsuits together since the topic came up.
“It would be more meaningful if we each wore what the other person chose.”
“Sounds like a good idea. My swimsuit is getting old, it’s about time to throw it away.”
“Mine too.”
Saying that when an idea comes up it should be implemented immediately, Liam pulled my hand and said let’s go to the shopping center. And at a store selling all kinds of swimsuits for summer, he handed me black triangle swim briefs.
“This is it. There’s nothing in the world that would suit you better than these swim briefs. I’m certain.”
“No…… I’ve never in my life worn swimwear that goes above knee height.”
“Try it on this time. Walk around the beach wearing this and let the whole world know that you’re Moonbeam’s number one track and field hunk.”
Track and field hunk.
Having heard a title perhaps even worse than track and field loser, I begged Liam to please refrain from such strange talk. And I recommended a rashguard with a slightly loose fit as the swimwear for him to wear. As soon as Liam received the rashguard, he asked why I recommended that particular item.
“It’s not that I don’t like it, but I’m curious about the reason.”
“I don’t really want to let the whole world know about the appeal felt from your physique…… and such things.”
When I explained that it was similar to the principle of wanting to hide a delicious snack and eat it alone, Liam smiled with a rapidly sinister expression and nodded. Then he promised he’d buy this rashguard once he saved up money through the short-term part-time job he’s been doing lately.
“Is it not enough to buy it now? Then I’ll……”
“No, it’s okay. Never mind.”
Liam immediately rejected my proposal—without even hearing what proposal I was going to make—and said if I was planning to give him any kind of favor, just buy him a pink donut. And he asked me to eat donuts together while walking along the riverside.
“……Hey, Cheick.”
While walking along the riverside talking about the upcoming trip, Liam lowered his voice a tone and spoke.
“From now on, if I look too destitute and you want to lend me money or buy me things I need, just hold back.”
“Okay.”
“But you can buy me donuts anytime.”
“……Okay.”
Taking Liam’s words to heart, around the time we were leaving downtown, I stopped by Randy’s again and packed a box of pink sprinkle donuts. Then I handed the donut box to Liam, who naturally thought I was packing something for myself to eat.
“Why are you……”
“Eat them with Ted.”
“You don’t need to go this far.”
“Take this and do what you were trying to do for him today. I’m giving you this as encouragement.”
At my words, Liam nodded with a bewildered face. I was worried about what to do if Ted didn’t like donuts, but seeing him gulp at the sight of the donuts gave me some relief.
* * *
“Don’t forget. Do you know how many people die in accidents at the sea every year……”
A few days later, while packing for the trip, Mom kept following me around telling ominous stories. Of course, she was bringing up these stories to tell me to be careful not to have an accident, but listening continuously made my excited heart about the trip sink down.
“I’ll be careful. I’ll contact you often too. So please stop worrying and sit down.”
“Did you pack everything you need? Medicine and sunscreen, and oh! Pack plenty of towels too.”
When Mom started reciting the travel necessities in succession, Dad went even further and started checking one by one whether I’d packed all of them.
“I knew this would happen so I even made a list.”
It seems like the situation will only be resolved if I leave here quickly.
Taking advantage of Mom being distracted by a phone call from a neighbor friend that happened to come in, I snatched the roughly packed luggage from Dad. Then I hastily left them words of love and got in the car.
From here in North Carolina to Florida where Leda’s beach house is located, I had to drive for roughly 10 hours, and before departing on that long journey, I had to pick up three people—Liam, Charlotte, and Virgil. I first went to the trailer park to pick up Liam, then kissed him as he naturally offered his lips after getting in the passenger seat, and went to pick up Charlotte.
“Ah, I’m so excited. I think it’s really going to be fun.”
Looking at Charlotte fiddling with her iPad in front of her house, Liam spoke in a very excited voice. I nodded and loaded Charlotte into the car, and as soon as she saw us, she expressed deep fatigue.
“I couldn’t sleep a wink last night.”
“Why, too excited about today’s event?”
“Excited? Why? I just couldn’t sleep because I was reading the comic book Virgil lent me.”
Charlotte said that, then closed both eyes and said she’d have to buy and drink a cold coffee from a drive-through café. I accepted her order and was about to drive the car to the last pickup location, Virgil’s house, when I encountered Liam smiling with a very mischievous face and kissed him again.
“What a fuss in broad daylight. Are you that happy?”
When Charlotte asked with dissatisfaction, Liam retorted that of course he was happy, then apologized to her.
“Sorry. I thought you weren’t looking.”
“I can tell by the signs. What you guys are doing. Ah, these days I’m tired of all the fuss you guys and Nathan make about dating.”
I resolved to buy a muffin as an apology to Charlotte, who was expressing fatigue, and headed to Virgil’s house. Unlike Charlotte, who had come out in advance, Virgil was still busy doing something at home, and we had to wait for him for a while and eventually chase him inside the house to help him pack. Virgil’s luggage was excessively abundant by any measure.
“You never know what might happen. The number of people who die every year in the sea from drowning or various accidents……”
As soon as Virgil got in the car, he said something I’d heard many times before, and I asked Charlotte to please shut his mouth, promising to buy her two walnut muffins. Charlotte, who couldn’t resist muffins, gladly covered Virgil’s mouth with her palm and quietly closed her eyes.
Since even a person with good stamina couldn’t handle driving for a full 10 hours, I looked around at the friends in the car and asked if anyone had a license. Then all three people shook their heads. Among them, Charlotte asked what I thought about her not having a license but being able to drive, which resulted in Virgil being dumbfounded and Liam doubling over with laughter.
“……Damn.”
Current time, 3 PM. Starting at such an ambiguous time and driving straight for 10 hours to Leda’s beach house with no one to switch roles with? Honestly, it’s a tough task.
“It seems like it’ll be difficult to arrive at the destination in one go.”
When I revealed my thoughts, Virgil, who had been fiddling with his smartphone, asked how about staying overnight at a motel located at the 2/3 point to the destination and going the remaining distance the next day.
“Let’s do that.”
“I’m in favor too.”
Thanks to everyone agreeing with Virgil’s opinion, I was able to drive without feeling burdened.
“If I’d known this would happen, I should have gotten my license in advance.”
“Then at least give Cheick a kiss whenever he’s tired to give him strength.”
When Liam muttered with regret, Charlotte said sarcastically.
“If you’re okay with it, I can do that anytime.”
“……I’m fine with it too, but wouldn’t Charlotte or Virgil be uncomfortable?”
At this, Charlotte kept her mouth firmly shut and said nothing, but Virgil expressed that he wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
“If you like each other and want to kiss, you kiss. But regardless of that fact, I still can’t believe it. That Cheick and Liam are dating.”
At Virgil’s words, Charlotte said that while watching a couple kiss at any time makes her feel queasy, she feels it’s extremely joyous that Liam and I are dating.
“When you two came out, it felt like everything that had been questionable was resolved. Like how Liam and Leda were dating but there was no feeling of them liking each other, or how that guy who was always relaxed about everything would get excited and change like a different person whenever Cheick’s name came up……”
Charlotte explained that she clapped when she saw Liam and me kissing in front of everyone because of the sense of liberation that came from the questions being answered.
“I thought you did it to bless us.”
When Liam spoke in a disappointed tone, Charlotte soothed him, saying of course that meaning was included too. Virgil just watched the two of them quietly, then carefully asked while watching everyone’s reactions.
