Chapter 297: Bashful Kurumi
Seeing the heartfelt smile on Kurumi's face,
Franklin caught a glimpse of the smile she used to show when she was still an ordinary girl, playing with Sawa Yamauchi in the past.
It stirred a pang of guilt in Franklin, who hadn't yet recovered many memories.
Even if everything would have happened the same way whether he had appeared or not, if it had all started because of him, he really wasn't sure he could convince himself to accept the affection of innocent girls who had been turned into spirits without any real fault of their own.
He was about to speak when Tohka's voice rang out from nearby.
"Lin! What are you doing to Tokisaki-san?!"
Snapping back to reality, Franklin looked toward the voice and saw Tohka in a purple swimsuit that perfectly showcased her flawless figure.
Beside her, Reine—with her 95cm bust—had softness that seemed ready to burst free from the swimsuit's restraint.
And hiding behind Reine was Kotori, white ribbons in place, wearing a white bandeau-style bikini with butterfly bows similar to Yoshino's.
The sight of all three instantly lit up Franklin's eyes. The self-reproach he'd felt moments ago vanished completely.
"Ara ara, Tohka-chan's here. I was just asking Mr. Franklin to help me with sunscreen. If you want some too, Tohka-chan, you'll have to wait a bit."
At Kurumi's words, Tohka glanced at Franklin, then at Kurumi, and finally sat down in the nearest lounge chair.
"Oh, that's what it was. I don't really get it, but I'll be next. Hurry up, Lin."
Seeing Tohka—who had stormed over angrily—calm down so quickly surprised Franklin.
He snapped his fingers lightly, and several glasses of iced orange juice and watermelon juice appeared on each small wooden table.
"Then you'll have to wait a minute with a drink, Tohka. Before we start, I have to say—this swimsuit looks amazing on you.
It's gorgeous. Your figure is perfectly on display. It's really making my heart race."
At Franklin's raised thumbs-up, Tohka's cheeks instantly flushed. She grabbed a nearby juice and took a big gulp.
"Thanks, Lin. If you like it, I can wear it for you anytime."
"Your bashfulness right now is perfect too. I feel like my love for you has already broken through the limit."
"Ara ara, Mr. Franklin—those words are making me a little jealous. You didn't praise me like that earlier.
And Mr. Franklin, when you're servicing one girl, focusing all your attention on another is very rude."
Seeing Kurumi's slightly puffed-up cheeks, Franklin thought he might be seeing things.
After confirming it was real, he lightly tapped his forehead, squeezed sunscreen onto his hands, rubbed them together, gently took one of Kurumi's jade-like hands in his, and slowly massaged upward along her forearm with the other.
"Sorry, that was my oversight. It won't happen again."
Once one arm was done, he interlaced his fingers with hers and worked the other side.
By the time both arms were finished, Kurumi's cheeks were faintly red.
"Well, since you're doing such a good job, I'll forgive you this once. But no next time, okay?"
Franklin smiled. After repeating the process on the other side, his gaze fell on Kurumi's long, beautifully curved legs.
Seeing those crystal-clear, jade-like feet and toes, an endless urge to play with them surged in him.
He squeezed out more sunscreen and stroked her legs. The moment he touched her, Kurumi's toes curled slightly, revealing her nervous state.
Franklin didn't stop. He covered every inch without missing anything until he finally held her feet in his hands.
Kurumi looked up at him, cheeks flushed.
"Mr. Franklin, I know my feet are pretty, but… you really don't need to put sunscreen there…"
Before she could finish, Franklin seriously massaged every part.
"Service has to be perfect. Not a single inch can be missed."
Feeling the gazes of the three girls nearby, Kurumi couldn't help burying her head lower. One bold, indulgent moment had turned her into a lifelong shy girl.
Enduring the embarrassment, she let Franklin finish both legs. Once he retied her swimsuit, she started to get up to leave—only for Franklin's fingers to flick lightly. She flipped over and landed back on the yoga mat.
"We're not done yet. The front—your tummy, neck, and collarbone—still need it. What's the rush?"
Her eyes met the gazes of the three girls. The strong, fearless Kurumi was gone. Her cheeks burned even redder.
"No need, Mr. Franklin. I can do the rest myself…"
Before she finished, Franklin's warm palms were already gently stroking her soft belly.
"Don't be shy. We've come this far. In a bit, you can watch me do Tohka's."
"Mm, Lin's right. You can watch him do mine too. It's no big deal."
Kurumi was already regretting her earlier words. Next time, she'd definitely think thrice before acting—or she'd end up regretting it like now.
Once everything was finally done, Kurumi sank straight into the shadows. When she reappeared, she was under the farthest parasol.
"Thank you for the excellent service, Mr. Franklin. I won't disturb you further—I want to test the abilities you gave me."
Watching Kurumi disappear again with flushed cheeks, Franklin smiled helplessly.
Tohka didn't care about any of that. She excitedly lay down right in front of him.
"My turn! Lin, make sure you cover everything. Don't skip a single step."
Franklin smiled and nodded. He formed an array with his hands and pressed them to Tohka's back, implanting partial domain authority into her body.
"Mmm~ Ah~"
Tohka's sudden moans instantly drew Reine's and Kotori's attention. Feeling their strange looks,
Franklin cleared his throat and explained, "It's just a protection. Tohka can now create food freely like I do.
As long as she can picture the food and the taste she wants, she can shape it directly."
At his words, Tohka—who had been lying on the mat—sat up instantly, eyes sparkling.
"Wait just a sec, Lin. Let me try first…"
Before Franklin could react, dozens of dishes Tohka had eaten over time floated in the air around her, slowly taking shape.
Even Franklin ended up surrounded.
"Calm down, Tohka. You can't eat all that. And we came to the beach to play, not to eat…"
At that point, Franklin saw Tohka looking at him with pure excitement.
"But I don't really like playing. These foods make me way happier."
Seeing her thrilled expression, Franklin smiled helplessly, snapped his fingers to erase all the food, and left only a small sundae, which he handed to Tohka.