Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World-Chapter 246: Once Again

Normally, Sonoko did not stand out much in her casual clothes or school uniform, but once she put on a bikini, her natural figure was immediately apparent.

She appeared slim overall, but her bust was still very prominent.

Ren had never studied girls' body sizes closely, but even he could see that Sonoko had everything she should. With her bangs let down completely, it further highlighted a different, more alluring side of her.

She was truly beautiful.

Ren was stunned for a moment, staring at the girl in front of him.

This girl... was one of his girlfriends now.

He had really become the so-called "harem protagonist" from the fan works he used to see in the past.

Diary, diary, I really love you to death.

In a sense, it fulfilled something he had once half-jokingly wished for.

"Hehe~"

Seeing her boyfriend staring at her so intently, Sonoko felt her heart race a little faster. She smiled and walked over to him.

She reached out and gently pushed against Ren's chest.

"What's wrong? You can't even recognize your girlfriend now?"

Ren finally snapped out of it, but he did not know where he should look. Mainly, this angle was too dangerous. Even if he did not mean to, his gaze naturally fell on Sonoko's fair and ample skin.

"I can recognize you just fine, but... I really don't know where I should be looking."

Following Ren's gaze downward, Sonoko immediately understood where he had been looking. Her cheeks flushed a light red.

"You can look if you want."

After all, she had chosen this swimsuit for him to see.

As a girl, she could not say something so bold directly, but her actions clearly showed her intent.

After appreciating Sonoko's rare look, Ren suddenly thought of something. He asked somewhat selfishly:

"Sonoko, do you normally... wear something like this when you go to the beach?"

Hearing this, Sonoko glanced up at her boyfriend's slightly uneasy expression and instantly understood what he was worried about.

She pushed the silly boy in front of her with some annoyance.

"Have you ever seen a proper young lady showing off her body at the beach? Isn't that the same as standing around in underwear and letting strangers stare at you?"

"Even when we go to the beach, we don't wear something this revealing."

"Usually, we wear one-piece swimsuits."

As she spoke, Sonoko pointed at her own collarbone.

"In those, you can barely even see the collarbone."

"I see. I thought you would just wear bikinis casually to the beach."

Ren finally let out a relieved breath.

Sonoko immediately raised her eyebrows. Who was it that was slandering these proper young ladies?

"Ren, let me ask you something. Where did you get the idea that we wear bikinis to the beach?"

"Uh... from stories."

I knew it... Sonoko smacked her forehead. She should have guessed it was from fictional stories.

Feeling the need to teach Ren some basic common sense, Sonoko continued.

"Ren, listen carefully. In real life, proper girls don't wear revealing outfits casually in public. We care about dignity. Only in private or safe environments would we wear something like a bikini."

Ren nodded silently as he listened to Sonoko's explanation. So that was how it was.

"Only models walking the runway, like at fashion shows, lingerie shows, or art exhibits, will openly show off their figures because that's part of their profession—and sometimes to catch the eye of rich suitors."

The term "catch the eye" was a gentle way of putting it. In harsher words, it was about finding a wealthy patron.

"Most girls from prominent families like us receive a very proper education. Sure, you see in TV dramas those rich kids behaving like playboys. They exist, but they're usually the children of nouveau riche families—those who have just made their fortune."

"The first generation works hard to earn money. It's up to the second generation to stabilize the family, and it's the third generation that typically receives a full education."

"Once the family stabilizes, the third generation rarely produces playboys. They become more refined, so naturally, they don't make for interesting TV drama characters anymore."

"And so, you rarely see the third generation in dramas because there's no 'conflict' to exploit."

"Similarly, they don't engage in the typical nouveau riche behavior."

"What you see in stories is, at best, one-sided fantasy. Without a bit of spice, those stories wouldn't sell."

From the perspective of profits, it was obvious. Stories needed characters doing provocative things to sell better.

Sonoko instinctively judged that the portrayal in stories was completely different from reality.

Ren thought about it carefully based on Sonoko's explanation and realized she was absolutely right.

"Yeah, thinking back, it's true. In a lot of stories, no matter the heroine's or the supporting character's background, they often end up doing fanservice."

"No matter what kind of prestigious background the characters have, it doesn't matter to the author. All that matters is selling the story and grabbing attention."

Whether or not the characters showed skin had nothing to do with their dignity or upbringing—it was entirely a business decision. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"That's right."

Seeing that her boyfriend finally understood, Sonoko let out a breath of relief. She had been genuinely worried that he had developed some strange misunderstandings about girls like them.

"Just imagine this: would I, the designated future heir of my family, ever casually be left alone without a bodyguard nearby? It's nearly impossible."

"Even if I were in some 'damsel in distress' situation, the bodyguards would have handled it before anyone else could swoop in to play hero."

"And as for Kaguya, even though she's like a canary raised within a gilded cage, she has still received proper education. She's one of the public faces of the Shinomiya family."

"While the Shinomiya family might see her as their 'canary,' to the outside world, she is still the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family."

"So, she would never have the freedom to choose her own love. Not unless she could completely control the Shinomiya family, like she does now. Otherwise, she would always have to accept the marriage arrangements made by the family."

(To be continued.)

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