Volume 6 Chapter 33 Sunburn
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Whoa, the sun is seriously intense today!” Syu exclaimed, raising a hand to shield her eyes.
”It’s Okinawa, Syu.” My mother, Tomori, smiled knowingly. “Once May rolls around, the sunlight is practically a heat ray. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up roasted like the Hare of Inaba.1“
Today was our practical certification dive. For the first time, we would be entering the actual ocean with tanks strapped to our backs. We would be staying in shallow water under the instructor’s supervision, so there was little real danger, but it still felt very different from the calm, controlled environment of the pool. The steady rise and fall of the waves alone was enough to make me nervous.
We gathered on the beach and changed into thin wetsuits. Since they were rentals, fashion clearly had not been a priority, but they hugged the body surprisingly well. Syu, in particular, looked unfairly good in hers. At the same time, I could not help thinking that Saran-san seemed a little thinner than before.
Once everyone was ready, we followed the instructor into the sea. Most of the session was spent practicing equipment handling and emergency procedures in the shallows. We were not there for sightseeing, yet the ocean was breathtaking enough to distract me anyway. The pool had been empty except for people, but here fish drifted through the water as though we did not exist. Some were large enough that they seemed close enough to touch. A few people even tried, though the instructor had repeatedly warned us not to grab anything we could not identify.
Wait… that’s a gurukun,2 isn’t it?
For a moment I wondered if I could catch one.
Then it vanished into the blue before the thought had even finished forming.
By the time we finished our first tank and climbed back onto shore, it was already noon. While we ate lunch at the rest house, Syu was every bit as excited as I had expected.
”Did you see that, Saran? That big triangular fish was a batfish, right?”
”Yes, indeed.” Saran-san gave a small nod. “There were quite a few of them. I also noticed several fish that often appear at the market.”
”Saran-san, that one was a gurukun. It’s Okinawa’s prefectural fish.”
”As expected of you, Halt-san. You are very knowledgeable.”
”It’s not that impressive. Most people around here know that.”
Even so, something felt off.
Saran-san had become quieter since starting school, but today she seemed especially exhausted. Whenever our eyes met, she looked away almost immediately, and the more it happened, the harder it became to ignore the uneasy feeling settling in my chest.
”Alright, take a nap,” my mother said. “You’ve got another dive this afternoon, so finish eating and stop getting yourselves all worked up.”
At her urging, we quickly finished lunch and moved to the air-conditioned lounge. The moment we lay down on the floor, Syu latched onto me.
”Hey, cut it out. You’re too clingy, and it’s hot.”
”Come on, it’s fine!” Syu pouted. “The AC is way too strong. I’m freezing over here.”
”You’re diving again this afternoon. Save your energy.”
”I’m not wasting energy. It’s just cuddling.” Syu turned her head. “Saran, come over here too.”
”W-what!? Syu-sama, I could never. To presume to cling to Halt-san…”
”I didn’t mean Halt. Come cling to me, silly.”
”Ah… yes.”
Saran-san obediently moved over beside Syu. Even then, she carefully avoided looking in my direction.
As my mother had warned, Okinawa’s summer sun was no joke. Even though we stayed in the shade whenever possible, covered ourselves carefully, and spent most of the day underwater, we still ended up badly sunburned.
”Hahaha! Saran, your face looks like a reverse panda!” Syu laughed.
”Syu-sama, you are a reverse panda as well!” Saran-san shot back, though there was less energy in her voice than usual.
Elves were naturally fair-skinned and notoriously vulnerable to sunlight. The backs of Saran-san’s hands had already started to blister lightly, and Kashiwagi-san was applying ointment to them.
”This is hopeless,” Saran-san grumbled. “At this rate, by the time we obtain our C-licenses and go observe the whale sharks in July, I may have perished from the heat.”
”That’s true.” My mother laughed. “No locals actually swim in the ocean in July.”
”You cannot give up, Saran.” Syu’s expression grew serious. “Observing the whale sharks is one of the main goals of this study abroad. If we postpone it until autumn, we have no idea when we might be called home.”
”I know, Syu-sama. I would accompany you even into the jaws of death. However…” Saran-san lowered her gaze. “Your Majesty truly will not be able to come?”
My grandmother, Akari, had been unable to visit because of the Gate accident. As a result, Syu had traveled alone. According to my father, returning through the Gate was much safer than making the trip here, which meant Syu would most likely go home before my grandmother ever had the chance to visit Okinawa. My mother worried about her constantly, and I could only imagine how painful that separation must have been.
”Well then, Saran. I have already bathed, so I shall retire. What about you?”
”Ah, Syu-sama. I only just had the salve applied. Since hot water would likely be unbearable, I believe I shall take a cold bath before bed.”
After Syu headed upstairs, the Kashiwagis and my mother followed. Before long, only Saran-san and I remained in the living room.
She still would not look at me.
”Hey, Saran-san. Why don’t you go bathe first? You must be exhausted.”
”…Please do not concern yourself, Halt-san. I will probably need cold water anyway, and if I use the bath last, I will not inconvenience anyone.”
”Haha, fair enough. My skin is stinging pretty badly too, so maybe we should both switch to cold water and take turns.”
”Eh!? E-eh!! Halt-san, what exactly are you suggesting…?”
Saran-san’s face turned bright red.
”No, no, that’s not what I meant!” I hurriedly waved my hands. “I was only suggesting that we both use cold water and bathe separately. Sorry. I really did not mean anything else.”
”D-did you not…?”
”Honestly, I always seem to choose the wrong words.” I scratched my cheek. “I figured that might be why you’ve seemed distant lately.”
”Distant?” She blinked. “Was I really acting that way?”
”Well… ever since you started school, you’ve felt a little different. I could not think of anything I had done wrong, but…”
”That is not it!” she blurted out before stopping herself. “I never thought such a thing. If anything, it is the opposite…”
”The opposite?”
”Ah—never mind. Please forget I said anything. I shall simply try harder starting tomorrow.”
”You do not need to force yourself.”
For a moment Saran-san stared at me.
Then, unexpectedly, she laughed.
”I-I apologize. I was not laughing at you, Halt-san. I was merely laughing at myself. I thought perhaps I should try to be more like Syu-sama.”
”You do not need to imitate Syu. You’re fine the way you are, Saran-san.” I smiled awkwardly. “To be honest, I like that you’re calmer than she is.”
”Th-thank you, Halt-san…”
A faint smile appeared on her face.
”Then, Halt… shall we enjoy a cold bath together?”
”H-huh!?”
”Fufu. I am only teasing you.” She giggled softly. “That sounded exactly like something Syu-sama would say, did it not?”
”Phew… please do not scare me like that.”
”Very well. Then I shall bathe first. You do not mind if I use the cold water?”
”Not at all. Go ahead.”
After Saran-san disappeared into the bath, I stood beneath the shower and let the cold water pour over me.
The chill soothed my sunburned skin, yet it did nothing for the heat still lingering in my chest.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Saran leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
That had been far too close.
For one reckless moment, she had nearly let her feelings slip.
No. She had to be careful.
She was the Princess’s vassal and a diplomat representing Zerlant. Feelings like these could never be allowed to interfere with her duties.
And yet…
Once the Princess returned home, what place would remain for her?
—
Summary:
After a day of scuba diving lessons in the Okinawa sun, the characters are suffering from severe sunburns. During a private conversation in the rest house lounge and later at home, Saran-san’s uncharacteristic distance toward Halt is addressed, revealing her internal conflict regarding her feelings for him and her duty to the Princess. The scene concludes with Saran-san taking a cold bath to soothe her burns while contemplating her uncertain future after Syu returns home.
—
Trivia:
Saran-san and Syu are referred to as having elf-like fair skin, which makes them highly susceptible to UV damage.
The Gate, which allows travel, was involved in an accident that prevented the grandmother, Akari, from joining them.
Saran-san is a formal diplomat from Zerlant.
Halt’s mother, Tomori, acts as a guardian figure to Syu.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Syu – An eleven-year-old long-haired princess and Dwarf Engineer with a large, sturdy physique and soft curves. Studying abroad, this boisterous, energetic girl blends royal identity with mechanical expertise and exceptional natural charisma. Eager to explore her surroundings, she maintains bright, engaging relationships with others and shares a close bond with Halt.
• Tomori – Halt’s mother who provides guidance and warnings to the group, particularly regarding the harshness of the Okinawan sun.
• Saran-san – A young woman who is a student and acts as a diplomat from Zerlant. She is deeply devoted to Syu and harbors hidden romantic feelings for Halt that she struggles to conceal.
• Saran – A small, incredibly cute elf from the Zerlant Royal Family, this serious Palace Guard Officer serves on the joint Gate team. While currently disguised as a high school girl in a blazer and pleated miniskirt, her age is a total mystery. Despite her petite, white-skinned appearance, she is a stiff, exceptionally strong martial arts master working as a bodyguard.
• Halt – A sixteen-year-old high school sophomore, otaku, and grandson of the US President disguised himself to transfer from an elite D.C. school to an Okinawan private high school. Serving as the narrator, this young man is highly knowledgeable about local customs but frequently feels anxious regarding his social interactions, particularly in his relationship with Saran-san.
• Kashiwagi-san – An elderly woman who serves as the host grandmother for the group and provides medical care for their sunburns.
• Akari – Currently bedridden and staring blankly due to a past Gate accident that shattered her life force mechanism.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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