125 [125] Drowning Alice

Chapter 125: Drowning Alice

As his hand gently grazed Utaha's waist, she suddenly shuddered and spoke with a trembling voice.

"Hachiman, th-this... there's no need to wipe here, I'll take care of it myself later."

Observing this reaction, a subtle smile curled at the corner of Hachiman's mouth. It appeared that Utaha's waist was a sensitive area for her.

This newfound knowledge was valuable, and Hachiman felt compelled to jot it down in his mental notebook promptly.

Having identified this particular sensitivity of Utaha's, Hachiman didn't linger there. His hands continued their descent, eventually brushing over her buttocks before reaching her most prized possession: her legs.

Undoubtedly, her legs were one of Utaha's greatest assets. The proportions of her thighs to calves were flawless, and even without stockings, they felt silky-smooth and tender to the touch.

While her thighs possessed a plump and rounded charm, they also retained an underlying bone structure, providing a delightful tactile experience to Hachiman.

Unintentionally, Hachiman incorporated subtle massage techniques into his caresses, further enhancing the sensation.

A familiar sound echoed in his mind, signaling the activation of the [Massage Module], but Hachiman chose to ignore it, continuing to massage Utaha.

As Hachiman's hands continued their work, Utaha gradually acclimated to his touch. An unprecedented wave of pleasure coursed through her, prompting her to close her eyes and savor the sensations.

Witnessing the girl's blissful reaction, a mischievous idea crossed Hachiman's mind.

As he meticulously applied sunscreen to her inner thigh, his index finger grazed over the alluring territory hidden beneath her swimsuit.

This unexpected touch caused Utaha, still lost in pleasure, to tremble involuntarily. When she turned to look, all she encountered was Hachiman's determined expression as he diligently continued applying sunscreen. Her feelings became tinged with a hint of doubt.

After a while, Hachiman had thoroughly applied sunscreen to Utaha Kasumigaoka's legs. Despite being caressed by Hachiman's hands, Utaha's face still held a lingering blush. However, her mischievous spirit hadn't waned.

"Hachiman-kun, would you like to help me with the front?"

Still in the mood for a little mischief?

Well, I'm not one to back down.

Hachiman raised an eyebrow, ready to agree, but his attention was abruptly drawn to a startled cry from Erina.

"Alice!"

Turning swiftly, he saw Alice, who had been swimming in the sea just moments ago, now thrashing about desperately. Her body bobbed up and down in the water, displaying clear signs of impending drowning.

Erina swiftly tossed her lifebuoy in Alice's direction, but the panicked girl appeared completely unaware of the lifesaver just a meter or two away from her.

Meanwhile, Ryo, who had been seated on the beach, sprang up urgently and dashed toward the shore, clearly intent on entering the water to rescue her.

But someone was swifter.

Hachiman, who had been applying sunscreen to Utaha just moments before, reacted like an arrow released from a bow.

In the blink of an eye, he covered the twenty-meter distance and reached the shore. Without hesitation, he launched himself into the water, moving with the grace of a fish as he rapidly swam toward Alice, who was struggling in the water.

Thanks to the swimming classes commonly offered in Japanese schools, Hachiman had already developed his "Swimming" skills. Over the past few months, his proficiency had risen to almost Level 4.

In no time, he reached Alice's submerged position ahead of Ryo. Holding his breath, he dove down and, with enhanced vision, easily located the slowly sinking girl. He coordinated his limbs to swim closer to her.

Upon reaching her, he encircled her waist with his arms, simultaneously kicking his legs and propelling them toward the surface. Breaking through the water's surface, Hachiman gasped for air and glanced at Alice. To his concern, she had lost consciousness. Without hesitation, he initiated a swift swim back to the shore.

Reaching the shore, he gently laid Alice down on the sand.

By now, the other girls who had been playing around had rushed over in a panic.

"Give me some space," Hachiman shouted, stopping them from crowding around.

The girls immediately halted their steps, creating space for the two of them.

Alice had lost consciousness, and time was of the essence. Hachiman quickly initiated emergency procedures.

Kneeling on one knee, he placed the girl on the raised leg, face down. He used his fingers to pry open her lips and extend her tongue, ensuring her airway was clear. With the palm of his hand, he rapidly struck her back to expel water from her mouth, nose, and airway.

Once most of the water had been cleared, he carefully laid Alice back on the sand.

Her breathing was nearly nonexistent, and Hachiman wasted no time. He immediately began performing artificial respiration.

Gently lifting Alice's chin, he pinched her nose, took a deep breath, and exhaled into her mouth.

But that wasn't all. He also started chest compressions. Placing his hands one over the other, he positioned them just below the sternum, the central part of the chest, and began pressing down. At this point, he was completely focused on the rescue, setting aside any thoughts of enjoying the soft, smooth sensation he had been experiencing earlier.

Chest compressions and artificial respiration had a specific ratio. For single-rescuer CPR, it was 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths, while for two-rescuer CPR, it was 5 chest compressions followed by 1 breath, with these two methods alternating.

Thanks to his relentless efforts, Alice slowly began to regain her breath.

As she opened her somewhat hazy eyes, she found herself face-to-face with Hachiman. She also noticed her mouth had been pried open, and she instinctively moved her tongue, suddenly widening her eyes.

I... Is Hikigaya-kun... kissing me?

No, this must be him performing CPR on me.

Recalling that she had just nearly drowned, Alice realized that Hachiman was saving her.

But this is also my first kiss.

Alice felt a bit aggrieved, not expecting her first kiss to be taken away like this, especially by Hachiman, whom she had only met once or twice.

Hachiman, who had been fully focused on performing artificial respiration, felt something agile in his mouth, causing him to pause briefly. Then, he saw Alice open her eyes, and he couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"Miss Alice, you're finally awake."

"Yes, thank you for saving me, Hikigaya-kun."

Slowly sitting up, Alice blushed slightly as she expressed her gratitude.

Though her first kiss had been taken away, he had saved her life.

Compared to her life, things like first kisses were small matters... right?

Thinking back to the despair she felt when she was drowning, Alice couldn't help but feel a bit scared. After all, she was only 15 years old, and she definitely didn't want to die so young.

"Miss Alice, as long as you're okay," Hachiman replied with a smile upon hearing her gratitude.

He had been genuinely startled a moment ago. Even though Alice had come along as part of a casual invitation, if something had actually happened to her, Hachiman would have had a difficult time explaining it to General Nakiri.

Seeing that Alice was fine, the other girls breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, Leonora rushed over and hugged Alice tightly. "Alice, you're safe! Thank goodness. I was so worried just now."

While Leonora might seem a bit unreliable at times, she was, after all, Alice's mother. When it came to her own daughter, she couldn't help but worry, no matter how eccentric she might appear.