Journey to Planar World

Under the bright sunshine, the beach looked like an earthly paradise. The clear blue sea reflected the sunlight, while a gentle breeze carried the calming scent of salt. The fine white sand felt warm beneath their feet, providing a peaceful atmosphere that was sadly rare in this time of uncertainty.

There were no other visitors besides them. The MK Virus outbreak and the unstable global situation made people prefer to stay safe at home. The beach was entirely theirs, providing a safe space to momentarily forget about the outside world.

Near the edge of the beach, Charlie seemed busy. Wearing simple black swim trunks, he deftly took various items from his Space-Time Cache, such as mats, umbrellas, sunscreen, watermelon, cold drinks, volleyballs, and even floaties.

Throwing a few floaties towards Fuutarou, he gave him a task.

"Uesugi Fuutarou, you inflate these, I'll finish the rest."

"Don't underestimate me, I can do it all myself."

After saying that, Fuutarou started inflating the floaties. However, it proved that his stamina couldn't support his words. With just two floaties, he was panting and out of breath.

His physical fitness was very poor due to rarely exercising and only studying at his desk. As a result, any high school girl from a sports club could defeat him.

'Already tired? Oh gosh, how can you satisfy women in bed with such poor stamina? No wonder your wife would look for another man to satisfy her sexual desires. I guess that won't happen, Yotsuba isn't that kind of woman. I feel sorry for Yotsuba.'

Glancing at Fuutarou, who looked pathetic, Charlie stopped paying attention to him. He planted the umbrella in the sand, set up folding chairs, and prepared fresh watermelon on a small wooden board. He worked efficiently, making sure everything was perfect.

Soon, the sound of light footsteps on the sand signaled the arrival of the girls. They appeared in swimsuits that reflected their individual personalities.

"Sorry for making you wait~"

Ichika chose a pastel-colored two-piece bikini with delicate lace accents that gave a feminine and mature impression.

"It's just us here. It feels like a private beach."

Nino appeared more confident, wearing a bright red bikini with a bold design that accentuated her figure.

"This situation is better, I'm not used to wearing a swimsuit in public..."

Although shy, Miku chose a simple light blue one-piece with a small ribbon decoration at the waist.

"Let me help, Uesugi-san."

As usual, Yotsuba appeared sporty in a bright green bikini and shorts, complete with her green ribbon still attached. Then, she helped Fuutarou inflate the floaties.

"There's so much food!"

Itsuki chose a more modest swimsuit, a dark blue one-piece with a small skirt that gave a graceful impression. Seeing the array of food on the table, her eyes sparkled, and unconsciously, drool dripped from her mouth.

"..."

Raiha wore a flower-patterned children's swimsuit, appropriate for her younger age. Perhaps because she had just had her father's funeral, she didn't seem as cheerful as usual.

Finally, Aishia wore a simple white swimsuit that seemed to radiate a gentle aura. Without saying anything, she sat in one of the chairs, took an apple, and ate it.

"Hey, Charlie, you're a pervert, aren't you? Where did you get so many women's swimsuits?" Nino crossed her arms across her chest as she stared at Charlie with sharp eyes.

Not offended by the harsh comment, Charlie just glanced briefly before returning to his work. In a relaxed tone, he replied, "I'm the type of person who always prepares a lot before acting. So, of course, I've thought about things like this before."

"You're so annoying."

The answer made Nino a little annoyed because she didn't succeed in provoking a reaction from him.

Next to her, Ichika showed off her swimsuit, put her finger on her lips, and said in a teasing tone, "No comments after seeing us in swimsuits? You know, this is the first time a man has seen the quintuplets wearing clothes like this."

It wasn't a lie. Before transferring to Asahiyama High School, the Nakano quintuplets attended Kurobara Girls' High School. In other words, Fuutarou and Charlie were the first men to see them in swimsuits.

"...!!!"

Fuutarou's reaction was quite noticeable; his face flushed, and he quickly turned his head away, clearly feeling awkward with the situation.

"Hmmm..."

However, Charlie's reaction was completely different. He looked at them casually, his eyes scanning them from top to bottom before making a comment.

"You five have the same body shape. Come to think of it, it can only be counted as one person."

The sentence immediately changed the atmosphere. Ichika, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki stared at Charlie with disbelief. However, before they could vent their protests, Charlie added casually while pointing at Aishia, who was sitting in a folding chair.

"If I had to choose who's the best among you, then the answer is clear—my Aishia is number one."

The comment immediately sparked various reactions. Nino snorted in annoyance while folding her arms across her chest, Ichika put on a sarcastic smile, and even Miku, who was usually quiet, showed a disappointed face. Yotsuba just laughed awkwardly, while Itsuki tried to maintain her dignity even though it was clear she was dissatisfied.

"What a clueless jerk." Nino muttered while rolling her eyes.

However, the awkward atmosphere was soon diverted by Ichika, who casually lay down on the folding chair under the umbrella. With a meaningful smile, she looked at Charlie and said in a teasing tone.

"Charlie-kun, help me put on sunscreen~"

"..."

Charlie stopped his activities for a moment and looked at Ichika with raised eyebrows.

"Why not ask Nino or one of them?" He asked while pointing towards Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki.

However, Ichika just chuckled softly.

"Are you a coward? Not brave enough?"

"You'll regret this."

The corner of Charlie's eye twitched at the challenge. Without saying much, he took the sunscreen bottle from his bag, sprayed the cool liquid onto his hand, and began to apply it to Ichika's back.

"Ah—!" Ichika gasped as the cold liquid touched her skin.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her face flushed because she didn't expect Charlie to actually follow her request. Actually, she only intended to tease the man, but what happened instead was that she herself felt embarrassed.

Her sisters looked at Ichika with a mix of amusement and awkwardness. Nino smiled faintly, Miku lowered her head to hide her smile, Yotsuba scratched the back of her head, and Itsuki just sighed softly.

After finishing, Charlie turned to them with a flat expression.

"Do you guys want some too?"

Seeing Ichika's red face, who was now lying limply in her chair, the other girls immediately shook their heads quickly.

"No, thank you." Nino said while taking a step back.

Finally, the girls decided to help each other apply sunscreen, creating a more relaxed atmosphere. Itsuki enthusiastically helped Raiha, while Miku and Yotsuba were busy chatting while taking turns applying the protective liquid.

Fuutarou, who was observing the interaction from afar, approached Charlie with praise.

"You're clueless." He said, giving a thumbs up.

Charlie just shrugged while smiling faintly.

"She started it."

After saying that, he approached Aishia.

"Do you want some too?"

"Mm."

In fact, Aishia didn't need sunscreen, her skin wouldn't be affected by the sun even if she sunbathed all day. After all, she was a Spirit, her physiology was different from humans. Even so, she wanted to experience what humans experienced.

"Okay, I'll start."

With care, Charlie applied sunscreen to Aishia's skin. He didn't miss an inch of her skin and touched forbidden areas.

"So comfortable."

The warm sensation of Charlie's hand made Aishia close her eyes, enjoying the treatment from him.

'It seems their relationship is deeper than I thought.'

Seeing this scene, Ichika remembered the previous incident. Although Charlie seemed reckless, he didn't cross any boundaries, and he didn't touch the parts that shouldn't be touched.