Nagisa and I. Our little vacation was surely sailing smoothly as we both enjoyed a satisfying time, so it wouldn’t be completely wrong to say that.

In reality, just because I was the holder of a VIP pass exchanged for an S-rank ticket, it didn’t mean I received significantly special services compared to A-rank guests.

The overall content was the same, but you could say the priority leaned towards the VIP side? If we had to put it bluntly, it’s like the difference between a regular amusement park guest and someone who paid extra for a fast pass.

Even if I committed illegal acts exclusively on the Golden Fleece, I received nearly immunity-like authority, but that doesn’t mean we really possessed omnipotent power.

In most situations, the Bunny Girl Guards would side with us and to some extent, we could direct them as we wished, but that wasn’t exactly a thrilling story.

If we had boarded this ship to cause trouble, it might have made sense, but getting such power in a vacation spot where we just wanted to relax wasn’t exactly useful.

It was truly like a beautifully polished useless stone, a mere burden to carry.

There was a reason I had aimed solely for A-rank from the beginning. I wasn’t confident enough to pull off an S-rank, after all.

Anyway, we were perfectly satisfied with the room granted to A-rank guests.

The softness of the bed and blankets rivaled that of my own bed at home, and the size felt like it made time spent speaking frivolous.

In the bathroom, there was even a jacuzzi—a bubble bath, to be precise. Yup, totally satisfied. It was the best!

Honestly, the mere existence of this bathtub was enough for Nagisa and me to praise our assigned room.

When I eventually move out, I’ll definitely make sure to get one of these. No joke.

Also, room service was available 24/7, and the quality was excellent—better than your average hotel.

I didn’t know who the chef of this cruise ship was, but based on my taste buds, they were certainly a master worthy of competing with Fuka from Gehenna or Rumi from Sanhaegyeong.

The fact that we could comfortably enjoy three meals a day in our room without worrying about others’ gazes must have skyrocketed Nagisa’s satisfaction to the skies.

We also spent quite a bit of time in the play lounge, where we casually enjoyed games with the chips that Nagisa had brought, relieving any stress.

Deep down, I wanted to see Nagisa sweep the table in card games, but she was so stubbornly refusing that I gave up on persuading her. Sigh.

If I, of all people, failed to persuade her, it must have been something she was absolutely against. Card games probably carried a bit too much association with gambling for her comfort.

Additionally, with plenty of amusements like dance floors and band performances available, time truly flew by.

As the third day dawned bright.

I buried myself under the blankets and stared blankly out the window.

Outside the terrace, all that was visible was an endless expanse of ocean. While it might be rated as a nice view from inside the room, sitting on the terrace, all you could see was ocean covering every direction.

However, from the bed, there were plenty of sights.

For instance, the picturesque image of Nagisa sipping morning tea at the table on the terrace. Occasionally, her hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and even that seemed beautiful to me.

After staring at her for a while, she glanced over at me with her somewhat cool gaze, contrasting warmly with her gentle eyes, which easily reached me.

While sharing a moment of silent connection, I was the first to rise. The blanket naturally slipped away, and a slightly chilly breeze touched my bare skin, causing me to shiver slightly.

I thought my slip dress would be thrown somewhere, but I found it on the bedside table.

The ivory, sheer dress was indeed very alluring, but perhaps that was what made it even better?

After all, given that it’s already been nearly nine months living with Nagisa, being shy about something like this seems rather strange. If caring about my outfit could earn me a bit more affection, then I’d gladly do it a hundred, a thousand times over.

After throwing on some pajamas and sliding into my slippers, I got up.

The sensitive parts of my chest brushed against the fabric, and the bare skin on my lower half was a little distracting… but it wasn’t enough to seriously bother me.

Finally, I tied my hair back and slowly headed out to the terrace.

The air outside was quite mysterious. It carried a rich scent of the sea, yet it wasn’t musty, and the temperature was just right—not too hot nor too cold. I could understand why Nagisa liked it here.

“Nagi-chan… I’m so lonely.”

Instead of sitting in the opposite chair, I snuggled close behind Nagisa and mumbled her name, or maybe whined about it.

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“I just wanted you to stay with me a little longer… but you went off so harshly. Have you lost your love for me? Yup. That’s a bad thing.”

“Cough, cough. Lost love…? That’s nonsense! Strictly speaking, I would argue that I’m the one being devoured here…?”

“Let’s put those minor details aside☆ I think our Nagi-chan needs to love me a little more intensely.”

I buried my face into the nape of Nagisa’s neck and pressed my lips against her bare skin, making smooch sounds.

Considering Nagisa’s hairstyle, I targeted the spots that wouldn’t be noticed by others. Occasionally, I’d leave marks in more visible spots just for show, but I knew to be cautious about it as well.

If I had it my way, I’d get her a shirt saying “I Love Mika” just to make it clear, but… it is what it is.

“I love you this much, Nagi-chan…”

“Excuse me, Mika-san. Do you go around saying the same thing to everyone?”

Ah, that’s a tricky question…

But the satisfaction radiating from Nagisa’s voice told me she had said that half jokingly. To be completely honest, I wished she wouldn’t bring up such jokes…

Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll be forever guilty in this part of my life with Nagisa, so I must endure. The more desires I have, the heavier the burden I carry.

With my eyes closed, I took a slow breath. Nagisa had this wonderfully pleasant scent of her own.

…Thinking that my scent wouldn’t be much different only added to my fluttering feelings. Hehe.

“By the way, Nagi-chan… did you wake up early today?”

“…”

I naturally snatched the tea cup from Nagisa’s hand and brought it to my lips.

Earl Grey. A nice tea to start the morning.

…Usually, I’d be the one to make tea for Nagisa when I wake up first.

The fact that Nagisa was up before me only implied one thing.

“Does this mean that yesterday’s ‘love’ was not truly your best for me, Nagi-chan?”

“Mika-san…? That’s, well…”

“It’s okay, Nagi-chan. Yup, I’m fine with it. I’m not worried at all…”

Feeling a little disgruntled that Nagisa slipped out alone instead of cuddling up to me in bed, I openly displayed that I wasn’t fine at all, trying to provoke her conscience.

In the end, I got Nagisa’s promise that tonight would be something to look forward to. So, I’d say it was a pretty great exchange in the end, wouldn’t you?

I believed that for the time being. The joyful moments of these two days were enough for me to forget we were at the center of an incident.

*

Creek. Bang.

“Whoa?!”

While I was mid-shower, I suddenly opened my eyes wide at the ruckus from outside. Not bothering to turn off the water, I grabbed the towel hanging nearby to cover myself and dashed out of the bathroom.

“Nagi-chan, what’s going on?!”

“…?! M-Mika-san! Your clothes! Your clothes!”

Nah, I was aware I was naked. If I had lost even the slightest sense of modesty, I would have rushed out without pretending to cover myself. As I grabbed the towel, I felt a bit sheepish.

Even though protecting Nagisa’s safety was infinitely more important than covering my body, I still felt a twinge of embarrassment that I thought of covering up in that moment.

Fortunately, there was no direct threat to Nagisa. However, it took me a moment to absorb the situation.

“Huh? Ugh…?!”

Nagisa hurried towards me and began to push me back into the bathroom. While I was helplessly pushed back, I caught sight of the intruders in our room.

C&C’s sniper, Karin. The explosives expert, Akane. The living bomb, my fellow idol Neru. And the Bunny Girl Guard, who seemed to be barely hanging on in Neru’s grasp.

Lastly, our teacher, turning her head away with her eyes shut.

“Sigh…”

I suddenly realized how meaningless my thought of not involving myself in this incident was. Truly, an event had come to us on its own.

For some reason, Akane’s gaze shone with interest, peeking at me behind her glasses, which was quite bothersome, and that was enough for Nagisa to close the bathroom door on us.

Sigh. I need to dry off and get out of here.