Chapter Five: “The Princess Wants to Seize the Chance” — Part Two
“Oh, Senpai, this is so beautiful…!”
The moment we stepped into the jellyfish section, I stopped in my tracks, genuinely moved. The lighting was low, with only the jellyfish tanks lit up.
Jellyfish of every colour drifted in the water, otherworldly, like we’d wandered into another dimension.
“Yeah. There are so many different kinds, aren’t there.”
I turned to answer her, and found Iori-senpai’s face beside me, hundreds of times more beautiful than any jellyfish.
“Himena-chan? Something wrong?”
She tilted her head, and her hair shifted with the motion. Lit by the soft glow of the tanks, Senpai looked more luminous than any star.
“Beautiful…”
“Yeah, it really is.”
Let’s get a photo, Senpai said, taking out her phone. I scrambled to raise mine too.
She kept clicking away at the jellyfish. My own photos barely caught them at all — Senpai was the only thing in frame.
“Himena-chan, are you only taking photos of me?”
“S-sorry. I just couldn’t help wanting to capture the most beautiful thing here…”
She laughed, faintly exasperated, and then suddenly put an arm around my shoulders.
“Since we’re here, let’s take one together.”
She crouched down to match my height. Her long legs folded awkwardly underneath her, which was adorable.
“Come on, Himena-chan, stop staring at me and look at the camera, will you?”
“Y-yes.”
“Here we go.”
She pressed the shutter a few times. I tried my best to smile, but with her this close, my heart was racing too hard to remember much of it afterward.
“I’ll send you today’s photos later.”
“Thank you.”
“There’ll probably be a lot, so maybe a shared LINE album would be easier.”
She put her phone away and took my hand. Where to next? she asked, smiling in a way that made her seem younger than usual.
“Senpai. The dolphin show should be starting soon.”
“Right. Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Still holding hands, we left the jellyfish section. The light suddenly felt much brighter.
After the dolphin show, it would already be evening. We’d still have dinner together today, but after that, it would be over.
I wished this happy stretch of time could just keep going forever.
☆★☆★☆★☆★
The dolphin show arena was a half-circle wrapped around the stage. Still nearly twenty minutes before it started, but the seats were already filling up.
“Apparently from the fourth row back you mostly avoid getting wet. There are ponchos for sale too, the website said, if you want to sit close.”
The front rows were empty, probably because most people didn’t want to get soaked.
I didn’t want my hair or makeup ruined either, honestly.
But Senpai’s eyes were fixed straight on the front row.
“Want to sit up close?”
“…But won’t you mind getting wet, Himena-chan?”
“Your enjoyment matters more. And there are ponchos. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Senpai soaking wet would be a little — well, actually, quite a lot — something I’d like to see.”
A drenched, dripping Iori-senpai. I absolutely wanted to see that.
Wet hair on Senpai would be devastatingly attractive, and if her blouse stuck to her skin, I would, I would—!!
“Himena-chan?”
“N-nothing! Let’s go buy ponchos then!”
“Okay.”
The ponchos, at three hundred yen each, were honestly a bit flimsy-looking. Still, better than nothing.
We tucked our bags behind our backs to keep them dry and took our seats. I hadn’t watched a dolphin show since I was small, and just seeing the trainer step onto the stage already had me excited.
Cheerful music started up, and the dolphins were introduced one by one. Four of them appeared in sequence, and the largest one leapt directly in front of us.
Splash! A wall of water came at us. Not a light spray — an absolute deluge. The ponchos meant nothing. We were soaked through in an instant.
Is this how wet a dolphin show is supposed to get you?!
My makeup had probably come off entirely. And my hairstyle, what about that. What do I do.
I glanced over, panicking, and found Senpai completely drenched, laughing with her mouth wide open.
“We got so wet!”
Her wet hair caught the light and gleamed. She looked almost divine, like a goddess.
“…You’re beautiful, Senpai.”
“Even soaking wet?”
“Especially soaking wet!”
Carried by the moment, I grabbed her hand tightly. At that exact instant, another wave of water came down on us.
My carefully set fringe was definitely ruined, and my clothes had gone heavy with water. But Senpai was laughing, so somehow, it was fine.
“Look, Himena-chan. The dolphin’s walking.”
“What, really?!”
I turned my attention back to the dolphins in a hurry. Following the trainer’s cues, one was moving across the surface of the water as if walking on it.
“This is fun, isn’t it.”
“Yes. Very.”
I’d worry about my ruined hair and makeup later. For now, I’d just enjoy the dolphin show with Senpai, purely and simply.
That’s probably what a date is supposed to be like.