A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 323: Applying Sunscreen

"Haha, hahaha..."Noah could only awkwardly scratch the back of his head and laugh. No matter how he answered this question, it would be wrong. How was he supposed to answer?

"In my heart, you are all the most important. There is no distinction; you are all existences for whom I would give my life. For you, I am willing to lay down my life."

After thinking about it, Noah spoke his true thoughts.

This was what he genuinely felt. Since he had decided to face their feelings, he naturally wouldn't try to escape.

Being able to gain a new life in this world was undoubtedly a stroke of immense luck. To gain the affection of these four women, who were outstanding in every aspect, was an even greater blessing.

These words were Noah's promise. For them, he would give it his all, even if it meant laying down his life.

"No!"

Ultear and the others cried out in unison, sitting up abruptly with one hand clutching their chests.

Mirajane, who was the closest, threw herself forward, pressing against Noah. She kept one hand over her chest and clamped the other over Noah's mouth. "You can't say that!" she said, her expression fraught with anxiety. "Whether for yourself or for me... for us, you have to stay alive and well, okay?"

The other three looked at him with equal seriousness. With his mouth covered, Noah could only nod.

Seeing him nod, Mirajane finally released her hand. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "Promise me you'll never say something like that again, understand?"

She was reminded of the Beast King incident she had endured. The absolute despair she felt while looking at her battered siblings came rushing back. Hearing Noah's words made her feel as though she were back in that horrific moment, only this time, the one severely injured was Noah.

Just picturing that scenario made her chest tighten, making it hard to even breathe.

Ultear, Erza, and Sorano also had their own dark pasts triggered by his words. The deeply buried tension and fear erupted instantly. Their faces were visibly tense, laced with a lingering dread.

"I understand. I won't ever say that again," Noah said solemnly, putting away his awkward smile.

He hadn't expected a single sentence to provoke such an intense reaction, so he answered them with absolute sincerity.

"That's good. That's good..." Mirajane let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing his serious response, the expressions of the other three women visibly relaxed.

"Don't do that again. You really scared me," Sorano scolded him playfully.

"Mhm, there won't be a next time," Noah nodded repeatedly. He then looked at them and added, "Alright, hurry up and lie back down so I can apply the sunscreen. Looking at you all like this is a bit too stimulating."

Right now, the four women were only covering their chests with one arm. In this half-concealed state, their alluring figures were on full display.

"Hmph!" Ultear, Mirajane, and Sorano huffed daintily, rolling their eyes at him.

Though they knew he was changing the subject, they obediently lay back down on their mats.

Erza, on the other hand, turned beet red the moment she heard his words and threw herself back onto her mat with lightning speed.

Seeing them settled, Noah picked up the sunscreen, unscrewed the cap, and squeezed some into his palm. He walked over to Erza, who was on the far left.

He had ultimately decided to go in the chronological order of when they had met.

Sensing his approach, Erza's blush deepened until her entire body took on a faint pink hue. Her toes curled tightly together. She buried her face in her arms, not daring to look at him.

She could feel the gazes of Noah and the other three women fixed squarely upon her.

"Noah, you better not try anything funny," Sorano teased from the side. Noah couldn't help but roll his eyes at her.

He rubbed his hands together to spread the sunscreen evenly across his palms.

When he placed his hands on Erza's shoulders, she jolted. Through his palms, he could feel her entire body stiffen like a board.

"Relax. Don't be nervous," Noah said softly, slowly and gently massaging the lotion into her shoulders.

Erza didn't reply, but her muscles gradually began to loosen.

After finishing her shoulder blades, Noah noticed her arms were still tucked under her head. "I'm going to apply it to your arms now," he announced.

Hearing this, Erza pulled her arms out, but kept her head turned away.

Looking at her flushed face, Noah gently coated her arms. He then worked his way down from her shoulder blades to her waist and along her sides.

Erza's body tensed up once more, but when she realized he was respectfully avoiding her sensitive areas, she completely relaxed.

Finally, Noah applied the sunscreen to her thighs and calves.

When he finished, he looked up to say something, only to find that Erza had fallen fast asleep. The bashful flush had faded from her face, leaving behind a peaceful, serene expression.

Not wanting to disturb her, Noah quietly stood up, leaned over, and gently tied the straps of the swimsuit she was lying on.

He then moved to Ultear and crouched down beside her.

Ultear watched him with a faint smile, cooperating obediently as he applied the sunscreen to her back, arms, sides, and legs. When she saw that he was just as respectful with her boundaries, her gaze grew even softer.

Next, Noah went to Sorano. She let out a low chuckle. "You actually didn't get handsy?"

"Just what kind of image do you have of me?" Noah sighed helplessly, pouring more sunscreen into his hands.

"Aren't you a massive womanizer?" Sorano covered her mouth, giggling softly.

"Ah, I won't deny it. I love all of you, and I couldn't bear to lose a single one," Noah said, gently applying the lotion to her shoulder. Sorano blushed and continued to snicker quietly.

Ignoring her teasing, Noah applied the sunscreen just as carefully as he had for the others. Halfway through the process, Sorano had also drifted off to sleep. In her slumber, her usual mischievousness vanished, replaced by tranquil calmness.

When Noah finally reached Mirajane, she didn't speak. She simply watched him in quiet contentment. Feeling him working gently around her, enveloped in the comforting scent of the man she loved, she too fell into a groggy, peaceful slumber.

By the time Noah finished with Mirajane, he realized all four of them were fast asleep.

He stood up and tied the back straps of their swimsuits.

After setting up a protective barrier around their spot, Noah lay down gently beside them. Closing his eyes, surrounded by the sea breeze and the presence of the women he cherished, he slowly drifted off to sleep as well.

When he woke up, he found Ultear and the others already awake, sitting beside him and chatting quietly.

"You're awake?" Mirajane smiled warmly when she noticed him stirring.

Hearing her, the other three turned to look at him as he sat up.

"How long have you all been awake? What time is it?"

"We've been up for a while. It's already evening."

Noah looked up at the sun, which was now dipping close to the horizon. The sky was painted in brilliant hues, and the ocean surface glittered under the setting sun.

"I slept that long? Why didn't you wake me?" he asked.

"You were sleeping so soundly, we didn't have the heart to wake you," Sorano smiled.

"Mhm. It's rare for you to sleep so deeply, so of course we let you rest. We came here to relax, after all, so doing whatever makes you the most rested is the right way to go," Mirajane added.

Ultear and Erza nodded in agreement.

"I see. And how did you guys rest?" Noah asked, figuring they had a point.

"Us? We slept wonderfully, of course," Ultear said with a gentle smile. Erza nodded beside her.

"That's good." Seeing that they indeed looked much more refreshed than before, Noah felt relieved.

Seeing his genuine relief, their smiles grew even brighter.

"Where are the others? Natsu, Lucy, Wendy-kun, and the rest? Did they not come looking for us?" Noah asked.

"According to Wendy-kun and the girls who stopped by earlier, Natsu and Gray got into a fight over the sunscreen application. Fortunately, it was just a brawl on the sand, so they didn't cause any real damage. Since you were still asleep, we told Wendy-kun and the others to go ahead and play first. Lucy went with them," Erza explained.

"Let's go find them and see what they're up to." Noah stood up and began gathering their things.

"Mhm." The women agreed and started packing up as well.

They quickly stored everything in their spatial storage. Noah dispelled the barrier, and they all walked out together.

"Did they say where they were going to play?"

"Wendy-kun mentioned they were heading to the amusement rides in the theme park."

"Then let's head that way."

With that, Noah, Ultear, and the others made their way toward the theme park.

Along the way, they spotted Natsu and Gray in the middle of a fierce beach volleyball match.

Bam!

"Take this!" Natsu leaped high into the air and delivered a vicious spike toward Gray.

Even from a distance, Noah could hear the incredibly loud smack of the impact.

~~~

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