Chapter 145: Let’s Go to the Beach (4)

After patiently listening to the explanation, Iris slowly opened her eyes. “Basically, what you’re saying is...”

Her gaze turned sharp as she looked at Yurina, who fidgeted nervously, head bowed like a criminal awaiting judgment. “Yuren was your deceased brother... and because of family circumstances, you’ve been pretending to be him all this time?”

Yurina gave a timid nod, her shoulders shrinking. “Y-yeah. That’s right.”

A heavy silence fell upon us. The gentle sound of the waves echoed loudly, like distant thunder.

Then, Iris extended her hand toward Yurina.

Perhaps expecting a slap across the face, Yurina squeezed her eyes shut. “

Uh.

”

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Instead, Iris pulled her into an embrace, gently patting her back with a kindness that made Yurina’s breath hitch. “You’ve been through so much, Yurina.”

“Iris?”

“You must’ve suffered, carrying that secret for so long, unable to tell anyone.”

Yurina’s eyes trembled faintly.

Iris’s brow furrowed. “To be treated so unfairly, even by your parents, just because you bore the soul stigmata of the Moon... The soul stigmata of the Seven Gods, no matter what form they take, are all equal blessings. Divine grace. To grieve or be discriminated against because your soul stigmata is different from that of your parents, it’s absurd.”

Tears welled in Yurina’s eyes. She bit her lip hard and buried her face against Iris’s shoulder. “

Ugh!

”

All soul stigmatas, regardless of type, were blessings of the same god; that was what the Hero Academy’s general education texts said. It was written plainly in the holy scriptures of the Seven Star Church she had studied as a child. But reality was far crueler. Humans were the kind of creatures who would reduce others to slaves over nothing more than a difference in skin color.

The discrimination Yurina had endured, being a “Moon born among Suns,” had been brutal, carving deep wounds into her life. So, hearing from the Saintess herself that all soul stigmatas were divine blessings untied a knot of grief that had been festering deep inside her for years. Her tears slipped out before she realized.

“Thank you, Iris,” she said, sobbing.

Iris replied, “There’s nothing to thank me for. I’ve done nothing. If only I’d known sooner... I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s my fault for not saying anything. Why would you apologize?”

“If I had, I could’ve stopped this shameless stray cat from trying to seduce Dale.”

“

Huh

?”

Iris’s arms tightened around Yurina. While she was a support-type, she was still a superhuman with mana flowing through her soul stigmata. The strength behind her grip was enough to crush stone.

Surprised, Yurina looked at her. “

Gah

! I-Iris?”

“I can understand you hiding the fact that you were a woman. I can even understand why you hesitated to tell us despite having the chance.” Fury sparked in Iris’s eyes. “But luring Dale out in secret? Flirting with him? And

in a

swimsuit, no less?”

“Argh! I-Iris! W-wait!”

“I wanted to show him

my

swimsuit, too!”

She had been too embarrassed to appear in front of other men dressed like that, so she had worn a baggy cover-up on top. However, she had planned to secretly call Dale out later, just the two of them, and show him then.

Iris roared. “And you dare cut in line?”

She threw off the oversized shirt she wore. Beneath it, a soft pink bikini revealed her stunning figure. Yurina’s eyes went wide in shock, horrified by the sheer violence of what she saw. Even the word formidable didn’t suffice to describe those overwhelming curves.

Iris cast a sly glance at Yurina’s chest, smirking provocatively. “

Heh

. How is it? No matter how underhanded you are, there are gaps you’ll never be able to cross.”

Yurina’s brow twitched. “So what? You’re bragging just because yours are bigger?”

“You wouldn’t know, Yurina, but there’s no weapon more effective in captivating a man’s heart.”

“T-that’s not true! Yours are just... stupidly oversized!”

“And what’s wrong with that? The bigger, the better. Besides, Dale clearly prefers them that way.”

“

Ha

! Don’t you dare lump Dale in with other men! He’s not someone who sways over something so trivial as flesh!” Yurina turned toward me, full of conviction. “Right, Dale?”

While they had been bickering, I was frozen, spellbound by the sight of Iris in her swimsuit, something I had never even seen in my past life. Only belatedly did I snap my head away and mutter, “

Huh

?

Oh, uh!

What?”

Yurina clicked her tongue.

Iris grinned triumphantly, pressing her arms together to emphasize her chest. “Oh my! What’s this? Looks like you weren’t just swayed, you’ve fallen head over heels.”

Yurina’s face twisted in sheer agony. “How pitiful. To think the Saintess of the Holy Empire would stoop to such shamelessness.”

“And you, Lady Helios, think you can bow out of defeat so easily?”

The two glared at one another, sparks practically flying. Then, almost in unison, they both whipped their heads toward me.

“Well, Dale? Tell us, which one of us looks better in our swimsuits?”

“Be honest!”

With both of their demands aimed squarely at me, my lips clamped shut. I clenched my teeth, staring at them both.

Damn it.

I always knew this day would come. I had long been aware that both Iris and Yurina harbored feelings for me. So, I deliberately ignored it. I told myself that it wasn’t the time to be thinking about things like that and pretended not to notice. Burying my head deep in the sand, I waited for everything to pass by on its own. But I knew in the back of my head that it couldn’t go on forever.

I turned to look at Iris and Yurina, steadying my resolve. Some would call the choice I was about to make selfish, a decision without respect, without consideration, a choice born solely from my desire. However, so what? That was not a reason to give up.

I had already given up too much, lost more than I could ever count. Even if people said my choice was selfish, even if they called it wrong, I refused to leave any regrets in this new life I had finally been given. Because this was the way I had chosen to live.

I exhaled deeply, then finally said to the two women, “You both look beautiful.”

“

Ugh!

There you go again, brushing things off vaguely.”

I said, “I mean it. I’d like it if, from now on, you showed that side of yourselves to only me.”

The two girls were surprised.

“

Eh

?”

“W-what did you just...?”

I reached out and took both their hands. “Iris. Yurina. Will you stay by my side? Always?”

A heavy silence fell. Iris and Yurina leaned toward each other, whispering in hushed voices.

Doubting her ears, Iris asked, “Wait, was that... a confession?”

“I-I think it was?” Yurina replied.

Clearly flustered, they rambled to each other to mask their confusion.

“He was supposed to tell us who he liked more in a swimsuit, but instead, he just suddenly confessed to both of us?”

“That’s... what it sounds like?”

“Is this what people mean by a swimsuit effect?”

“I’ve never heard of such a phrase in my life.”

“Fine. From now on, I’ll give up the nun’s outfit and just wear swimsuits everywhere. Bikini armor style.”

“Would the Holy Empire really allow that?”

I held back a laugh and pushed myself to my feet. “I’m not asking you to answer right away. I know just how ridiculous what I said must sound.”

I needed time, and so would they.

“Let’s head back.”

Leaving behind the moonlit beach, we returned to the lodging.

***

When we got back, I gathered the party and Professor Baldwin to finally reveal Yurina’s true identity.

Berald’s and Camilla’s faces twisted with shock.

“S-so,

uh

, Brother Yuren is actually Sister Yurina?

H–huh!

I— What in the world?”

“Unbelievable!”

Professor Baldwin crossed her arms and nodded, as though everything finally made sense. “I see now. No wonder I always felt something was off whenever I looked at Yuren.”

The last one, Jules, stared at the pendant in Yurina’s hand, swallowing hard. “So, not Yuren, but Yurina. H-hey, does that magic disguise tool also let you turn into a girl whenever you want?”

Ignoring Jules’s burning stare, Yurina lowered her head before everyone and gave a heartfelt apology. “I’m sorry for deceiving you all until now.”

Berald shook his head. “No, Sister Yurina. You must have had unavoidable circumstances.”

Camilla also tried to comfort her. “I agree. I’ve heard that among noble families who obsess over bloodlines, things like this happen more often than one might think.”

Professor Baldwin frowned, clearly troubled. “

Hmm!

Still, if this gets out to the academy, Yurina may find herself in serious trouble.”

If the academy discovered the truth, they could ask her to repeat a year or, worse, expel her. Even if her parents had forced this upon her, the fact remained that she had enrolled in the academy under a false identity, a clear violation of the rules.

“I’ll do what I can to keep this from reaching the academy’s ears,” Professor Baldwin added.

Yurina’s face brightened as she bowed to the professor. “T–thank you, Professor!”

For the first time, she had found joy in attending the academy. She didn’t want to lose that now.

Professor Baldwin warned her. “However, until graduation, you’ll have to continue living as Yuren.”

Yurina smiled faintly, as if to reassure them all. “That’s fine. It’s something I’ve been doing all along, after all. As long as the people who matter to me know the truth, that’s enough.”

Professor Baldwin chuckled and nodded. “

Heh!

So, I’ve also been included among your ‘precious people,’ have I? What an honor. Still, that pendant of yours is fascinating. Does it really alter even your body shape and hair color?”

“Yes. I was told it’s an incredibly rare magical device.”

Yurina slipped the pendant around her neck. With a shimmer of blue light, her golden hair darkened, and the curves of her chest flattened into a man’s physique. Before their eyes, Yurina had once again become Yuren. The party members murmured in awe, staring at the pendant hanging from Yuren’s neck.

As though he had solved a great mystery, Berald suddenly shouted, “

Aha

! Of course! So that’s how it worked!”

He turned toward Camilla, nodding as if everything clicked into place. “Camilla, you can be honest now.”

“About what?”

“

Haha

, don’t play dumb! The reason you have such a flat chest is also because you’ve been using a disguise artifact, isn’t it—”

BAM!

Camilla’s fist, wreathed in mana, drove straight into Berald’s gut. He soared through the air and crashed headfirst into the floor.

Watching him twitch on the ground like a squashed bug, I nodded. “

Mm

. He deserved that.”

That was how our short summer vacation came to an end.