Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 3 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Swimsuit Season with Fireworks, a Barbecue—and Love

Miori was upset with me because I hadn’t kept in touch recently.

“Oh? Really? I don’t particularly care if you don’t need me around anymore,” she said, the displeasure in her voice clearly apparent even through the phone.

“I said I’m sorry already. I told you what happened!” I replied. This incident had been a private matter for Hoshimiya, so even though I’d wanted to ask Miori for help, I couldn’t because it wasn’t my problem to talk about.

“Well, I understand...but it kinda pisses me off,” she grumbled. I had just given her a brief rundown of the incident with Hoshimiya, which shouldn’t have even registered as an issue for Miori. “So? What happened to Hikari-chan in the end? Can she go on the trip?”

“Yeah, apparently she managed to convince him.”

Sei-san had admitted that Hoshimiya’s novel was enjoyable. It was good enough to win a writing competition, after all, though I might’ve been biased. Due to her efforts, Hoshimiya had gained stronger leverage over Sei-san. She promised to improve her grades, and in exchange, he allowed her to continue writing novels as a hobby. In addition, instead of forcing her to find a different main career, he accepted her aspiration to become an author. Furthermore, he acknowledged that she could choose her own friends, and somehow the ocean trip got bundled in as part of their deal. But apparently, he still refused to move her curfew back for some reason.

Sei-san had lamented, “My daughter is in her rebellious phase.” What a riot!

“Sounds like it was resolved happily, then,” Miori said.

“Yeah. When I first heard Hoshimiya had run away from home, I was worried how it would turn out, but I’m glad it went well for her.”

I had been extremely relieved when she’d called me to report the outcome. One week had passed since then. Our trip to the ocean was in two days. If I scrolled up in our group chat for the trip, I would find Hoshimiya’s message saying, “I can go!” followed by a sticker of an anime character giving a thumbs-up. Our group was now lively with discussion about what we needed to bring and prepare.

“How’re things going on your end?” I finally asked, having waffled over whether or not to do so. Ultimately, I figured it’d be weirder not to. There was one more reason I hadn’t gone to Miori for advice: the girls’ basketball team was in the midst of Interhigh prelims. Since she was a starting player, I hadn’t wanted to give her one more thing to worry about.

“We lost; it was a complete defeat! National-level opponents are really strong,” she said in a surprisingly light tone.

Our girls’ team had made it all the way to Gunma Prefecture’s Interhigh semifinals. Their opponent had been Endo High, a school that regularly competed at nationals. Our team was strong, but they had still been outclassed.

The day Hoshimiya had run away from home was the day before their semifinals. I’d thought Miori would be depressed about losing, but it sounded like she had already moved past it.

“We’re going to win next time. You’d better help me practice,” she said, frustration tinting her tone. However, she was not discouraged, and instead she had her eyes fixed on the future, brimming with optimism.

“If I feel like it.”

“Nope! If I say you’ll train with me, then you’ll train with me. We’re partners in your plan, right?”

“Basketball isn’t included in that agreement.”

“Then help me out for old times’ sake! Or are you going to abandon your precious childhood friend? You have few enough friends as it is already.”

“Okay, okay. I don’t mind helping, but throwing in insults was uncalled for!” I feel like Miori has been very demanding lately... Was she always like this? Up until recently, she was more coolheaded and kept some distance between us. “By the way, how did the boys’ team do?”

I’d heard from Reita that the soccer team had lost before summer vacation even started. The boys’ basketball team had won two games and were subsequently preparing for their third match when our break began.

“You didn’t hear from Tatsuya-kun? They lost on the first day of vacation.”

“Oh, I see,” I remarked. Looks like that didn’t change even after I got a do-over. Well, not that I’d be an important factor. The other clubs might’ve run into the same results as before too, but I have no way to be sure of that since I don’t remember what happened to them. “Then does that mean you’re all free from club activities for a while?”

“Yeah. This trip will be a good change of pace for us sports folks,” she said.

And most importantly, as the event planner, I’m thrilled everyone can go without issue!

“I can’t wait!” she exclaimed, her voice oozing excitement.

“Me too,” I said. Miori usually spoke with an even and dispassionate tone, so it was atypical for her to blatantly show enthusiasm. Hearing her so energetic put me in an upbeat mood as well.

After we finished chatting, I took a bath, brushed my teeth, and threw myself on my bed. There were still two whole days until our trip, but I was already bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I forced my eyes shut, trying to suppress my eagerness.

***

The night before our trip, I had been so restless that I hadn’t slept well. I’m acting like a little kid! I scolded myself, dragging myself out of my home still half asleep.

Over the break, I had met everyone a few times individually, but it had been a long time since all of us had gathered together. We all lived near different stations, so we’d decided to meet up at Takasaki Station first before boarding the bullet train.

“Morning. The weather’s nice.” Miori greeted me with a wave when I stepped outside.

“Wow, you waited for me?” I remarked.

“We’re going together anyway, so might as well. Since I’m your childhood friend, should I have woken you up instead?”

“Cut it out! Only heroines in stories do that,” I replied fearfully.

Miori giggled lightheartedly. “Don’t the childhood friends who act like that in stories tend to lose?”

D-Don’t insult my favorite type of heroine! In the past, I’d been fond of childhood friend heroines (who always lose) in anime and light novels, so her words hit deep. I’m not going to tell her that, though, because she’ll definitely tease me about it!

In contrast to my internal grumblings, Miori began to stroll with enthusiasm. “All righty, let’s go! All aboard!”

Though she’d bothered to wait for me outside my house, she still proceeded ahead as per her own whims. It filled me with nostalgia. “It is what it is,” I muttered. Just like I had in the past, I obediently followed after Miori.

We took the train and disembarked at Takasaki Station. On the ride there, I’d listened to Miori’s endless stories about her club. When we exited the station, the group had already gathered in front of the display board.

“Good mooorning!” Miori waved a hand vigorously at them. They all simultaneously turned in our direction.

“Ah! Miorin! Natsu! Good mooorning!” The first to brighten up was Uta. She raised both hands and waved back ardently.

“Hey, it’s been a while.” Reita shot us a gentle smile from beside her.

“Wassup.” Tatsuya raised his hand listlessly and let out a big yawn. “I’m damn tired.”

“Hey, you two. You made it.” Hondo-san looked up from her smartphone from where she was leaning against the wall.

“Mioriiin!” Uta tackled Miori, embracing her hard. Miori patted Uta’s head as if she were soothing a child.

At the same time, Tatsuya slung his arm around my shoulders. “I’m so sleepy... Can’t stand up...”

“Don’t use me as a cane!” I said in protest. Though I worked out often, Tatsuya was much brawnier and taller than me. He’s gotta be over seventy kilograms; he’s freaking heavy! “Besides, why’re you so sleepy?” Well, I’m probably just as tired, but I’m hiding it.

“Tatsuya’s like a little kid, so he can never sleep the night before a fun event,” Reita explained.

“Shut up, Reita. Stop blabbing!” Tatsuya seemed kinda embarrassed, but I was in the same boat as him so I didn’t tease.

Reita checked the time. “It’s almost time... Only Nanase-san and Hoshimiya-san are missing now.”

“Oh, there they are. Looks like they just got here,” Tatsuya said.

I followed his gaze and saw Nanase and Hoshimiya exit the gates with suitcases rolling behind them. They noticed us staring at them and waved lightly.

“Sorry! Are we late?” Hoshimiya asked, clapping her hands in front of her apologetically.

“Nope, you’re right on time. Don’t worry,” Reita replied.

“We scheduled our meetup so we’d have time to spare before the train,” I reassured her.

Nanase stood behind Hoshimiya, holding her forehead as she apologized. “I’m sorry. Hikari couldn’t decide what clothes to pick, so we lost track—”

“Yu-Yuino-chan?! You promised you wouldn’t tell them!”

The rest of us broke out into cheerful laughter. We haven’t gathered like this in a long time, but the ambience is still the same. The only difference is that Miori and Hondo-san are here too. I glanced over at Hondo-san. She already had her eyes fixed on me, so our gazes met.

“Haibara-kun, do you like the ocean?” she asked, expressionless.

“Huh? Well, yeah, I guess I do?”

“I see. Same here,” she said and went back to her phone.

Is she...the type of person that lives in her own little world?!

***

We all bought our tickets and boarded the bullet train. It would take us about an hour to get to Niigata. We hadn’t reserved any seats, but luckily there weren’t many passengers. We flipped one set of seats to face the set behind it. Unfortunately, even doing that, each side would only fit six, so our group would have to be split by the aisle.

Since there were eight of us, we naturally kept the aisle seats empty. We grouped up based on the order we’d boarded the train, with Reita, Nanase, Miori, and Tatsuya on the left side of the aisle and me, Hondo-san, Hoshimiya, and Uta on the right.

I felt somewhat awkward because not only was I the only guy on my side, but I was also sitting in front of Hondo-san. Uta sat next to me, and Hoshimiya was diagonally across. The three girls appeared to be good friends already, conversing excitedly. Hondo-san’s expression didn’t change much, but she turned out to be fairly chatty.

Missing my chance to join in their conversation, I stared out the window. Man, Uta and Hoshimiya aren’t throwing a line to include me... I’m so sad... Do I have to butt in on my own? Of course I do.

I glanced at the others across the aisle. Reita and Miori were chatting amicably. Tatsuya hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, so he was chowing down on a bento he’d bought at the station. “I’m impressed by your appetite,” Nanase commented with admiration, observing him.

They look like they’re having fun. While I was lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt gazes focused on me. “Hmm?” I looked back to my side of the aisle to find Hoshimiya and Uta staring at me for some reason. “What’s up?” I asked.

Their eyes widened with a start.

“N-Nothing’s up. Right, Uta-chan?”

“Y-Yeah. What Hikarin said!”

The heck? I hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation, so I didn’t know what the appropriate response to their fishy behavior was. I cocked my head in confusion and looked at Hondo-san. She shrugged at me, emotionless as usual. The atmosphere got awkward, and we were visited by good ol’ silence.

“Hey,” Hondo-san abruptly said, her eyes fixed straight on me. “What kind of person are you, Haibara-kun?”

Are you...really asking me that? “What kind of person am I? Err, I’m not sure.” At a complete loss, I looked to Hoshimiya for help.

She thought for a moment with a small hum. “Well, he’s 178 centimeters tall, he weighs 65 kilograms, his favorite foods are ramen and omurice, and his name has the kanji for ‘summer’ because his birthday is August 28. His hobbies are reading and working out, and he’s particularly skilled at basketball. He’s also good at studying, with his best subjects being physics and math. His family...” Hoshimiya began listing facts about me without pause.

I know I answered these questions a week or so ago, but I’m surprised she remembers that much about me!

“Hikarin... Why do you know so much about him?” Uta asked, head quizzically tilted to the side.

Hoshimiya froze. “Um... Uh, I asked him a little bit of this and that the other day. Right?”

“Yeah. Stuff happened, and we wound up talking about a lot,” I answered vaguely, unsure how much of her incident I could divulge.

“Hmm,” Uta uttered, dubious about our nebulous replies.

All she’s doing is shooting me a confused look, but why do I feel a bit scared?

“I know he’s smart,” Hondo-san said. “I see his name listed as rank number one on the bulletin board after every exam. And I heard from Miori that he’s good at basketball. I also heard stories from when he was a kid too.”

“For real? I told her not to blab about me to anyone!” My face contorted with distress. My childhood stories are just an embarrassing part of my past! They already know about my high school debut, so it’s not much worse if they find out more about my dark history, but it’s still embarrassing!

“Miori seems like she has the most fun when she’s talking about Haibara-kun, so it’s hard to stop her,” Hondo-san said nonchalantly.

Well, she did always enjoy playing with me a lot...

“I’ve heard a bunch of stories about kid Natsu from Miorin too!” Uta grinned mischievously, giggling.

That girl... Stop telling people left and right about my past! I glowered at Miori from across the aisle, but she didn’t notice, absorbed as she was in conversation with Reita.

“Stories about li’l Natsuki-kun?” Hoshimiya questioned, highly intrigued.

Hey! Haven’t I told you enough over the phone?! I had a bad feeling where they were going with this, so I struck preemptively. “Okay! We’re done with this topic! That’s a wrap!”

Having made my dislike for the subject clear, Uta and Hoshimiya shared a look and giggled. But Hondo-san remained impassive and came at me with another question. “Haibara-kun, you’re Miori’s childhood friend, right?”

“Well, I guess so... We’ve more or less known each other since kindergarten.” Though, at the same time, we pretty much only hung out during elementary school as classmates, so calling us childhood friends is a huge overstatement. We’ve just been aware of each other’s existence for a long time, that’s all.

Hondo-san suddenly pushed her face near mine.

“Wh-What?” I stuttered. Her beautiful face filling my vision gave me the jitters. Why are all the girls here so gosh darn cute? I’m gonna be charmed! Please, quit it! I felt my own face get hot.

“Haibara-kun, what do you think of Miori?” she whispered in my ear so Miori couldn’t hear. However, Hoshimiya and Uta were close enough to hear, and they stared at me intently.

“What do I think? I don’t know what to say... She’s a good friend, though we didn’t talk much during middle school. Anyway, she’s done a lot for me since she’s so annoyingly helpful,” I replied honestly in a hushed tone. She probably wanted to know if I like Miori romantically, but if I answer this way, she’ll see that there’s nothing like that going on between us. A lot of people are doubtful whenever I say we’re just childhood friends.

“Hmm... Really?”

“Really. I don’t feel anything else besides that.”

Hondo-san’s eyes bored into me for a while until she finally backed off, satisfied. She straightened up and then leaned back into her seat. I feel like I was about to get cross-examined, but looks like I made it out safely.

The moment I thought that, she followed up with another pointed question. “Then are you and Uta dating?”

My face went stiff. “N-No...”

Compared to my half-baked response, Uta interjected with fervent panic. “Wh-What are you saying, Seri?! I told you we’re not dating yet!”

“Oh, right. You’re not dating yet.”

As soon as Uta digested Hondo-san’s calm reply, her face rapidly flushed red.

“So you’re not dating yet... Not yet, huh? I see, not yet,” Hondo-san repeated again.

“Seri?! Stop it!” Uta cried, on the verge of tears and scarlet up to the tips of her ears.

Not gonna lie, but I’m pretty embarrassed too. Leave the cute thing alone!

“Sorry, sorry. I had a little too much fun there,” Hondo-san apologized, her lips ever so slightly curling up.

Hoshimiya watched us, wearing her usual smile. I... I can’t glean any emotion from her...but she seems kinda scary right now. Why?

“You know, I saw you guys during the summer festival,” Hondo-san explained.

“Oh, makes sense,” I murmured. If she saw Uta and me walking around during Tanabata, it’s no surprise she’d assume we’re dating. We were fairly flirty too... Even I was aware of how we must’ve looked to others.

“Huh? Seri, you were there too?! I didn’t see you! You should’ve called out to me.”

“Uh, no way I could’ve. I mean... I saw you two in front of your house, Uta.”

Really? She saw us in front of Uta’s house? Wait... In front of Uta’s house?! That’s when...

“Natsu.” I remembered her whisper. “This is how I feel.”

Does that mean she saw all that?!

Hondo-san quietly looked back and forth between Uta and me. “Um, sorry.”

“Did something happen?” Hoshimiya asked, a smile still pasted on her face.

“N-Not much! Natsu just walked me home,” Uta replied, trying to dodge the question. She looked to me for help. “Right?!”

I nodded in agreement.

“Really? Is that what happened? You two went to the Tanabata Festival together, right? I’m so jealous,” Hoshimiya said, gazing out the window.

If memory served, she had gone to Kanagawa Prefecture with her family during that time. At any rate, Uta and I had managed to quell the storm, though our hearts were racing.

The four of us fell silent again, the previous dilemma returning. The other group was alive with chatter, making our dead air stand out all the more. Wh-What should I do? And why aren’t Uta and Hoshimiya talking much? They don’t look like they’re in bad moods, but they seem kinda fidgety. Why is that?

Anyway, I want to liven things up a bit. I’ve always been bad at small talk, but now I’m way worse with a new person here. Come on, it’s just the nerves... Remember Miori’s advice! The key to communication is interest in the other person.

“Hondo-san, you’re in the light music club, right?” I asked, hoping to get to know her better. Come to think of it, she’s been asking me questions all day, so this is probably the right move.

“Yeah. I’m surprised you knew,” she replied with a nod.

“Miori talks about you sometimes. She mentioned that you play the guitar.” Once the topic turned to music, Hondo-san’s tone blatantly became more energetic. Her facial expression didn’t change much, but it was easy to tell. She must like music a lot. “Actually, I’ve played the guitar before.”

“Huh? Really?” She leaned forward, her excitement and interest showing through.

Her face was once again too close for comfort, so I reflexively backed away, but I somehow continued the conversation. “I just messed around a little. I can barely play a power chord.”

I recalled my period in college when I’d tried everything I could alone. I was a huge rock fan, so of course I tried my hand at the star instrument in a band—the guitar. I’d always looked up to Jimi Hendrix, so I bought a stratocaster. I ended up getting discouraged before I got any good, though, and it wound up abandoned in the corner of my room.

Ah, the memories. Maybe I would’ve kept practicing if I had people to make a band with... No, that’s just an excuse. After all, my university had a light music club. I simply didn’t have the grit to take the dive.

“Really? Want me to teach you?” Hondo-san offered, but then remembered something. “Haibara-kun, you’re not part of a club, right? Wanna join the light music club? We always welcome new members with open arms.”

“W-Wow, you’re coming on strong...”

“Ah ha ha! Seri loves music, after all!” Uta cut in, noticing me bending away.

“Also, just call me by my given name. I hate how stuffy my surname sounds,” Hondo-san said.

“Would you prefer Serika-san?” I asked.

“Drop the ‘san’ too.”

“Serika, then?”

“Yep.”

“Cool, you can call me just Natsuki too.”

“M’kay. Nice to meet you again, Natsuki.”

Wow... How did we naturally start using each other’s given name all friendly like this? Is this just how extroverts build rapport with each other? I feel like it’s been ages, but I still don’t have the balls to call Hoshimiya by her given name. Well, I don’t overthink around Serika, so it’s easy to go along with her. If this were Hoshimiya, though, I might blush just saying her name.

Hoshimiya... I mean, Hikari... Hikari. Yeah, I don’t think I can do it. Uta and I started out by using our given names, so I don’t have a problem with it, but I’ve been using “Hoshimiya” for so long that it feels really embarrassing to switch.

Without thinking, I glanced at Hoshimiya. She was looking at me. Before I could avert my eyes, she quickly turned away, returning her attention to her phone as if nothing had happened. Is it just me, or is Hoshimiya acting kinda suspicious today?

“Hey, Seri. Natsu likes rock music too,” Uta said.

“I heard from Miori. Who do you like in particular?”

“My favorite’s gotta be Alexandros,” Uta replied.

“I thought she was asking me,” I remarked.

“Uta, I already know what your favorite band is,” Serika said.

“Ah ha ha! I’m just kidding; it was a joke. If I remember correctly, Natsu likes Bump and Elle!”

I liked pretty much everything, but when it came to J-rock, those two bands were my favorites. There was also One Ok Rock, UVERworld, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Radwimps, The Oral Cigarettes, 04 Limited Sazabys, My First Story... There would be no end if I started listing bands, though!

“Ohhh, nice taste. I like Elle too. ‘Kaze no Hi’ is a good one,” Serika said.

“Yeah! That song has great lyrics,” I said in agreement.

“Right? Recently, I’ve been getting back into Japanese songs that have lyrics that really hit me.”

“I’ve been hooked on old Western music lately myself.”

If I had to say, I’d made my return to the old hits these days, seeing that I had leaped seven years back in time. I couldn’t listen to any music that was new from my perspective, and because I pretty much knew all the current popular stuff already, I was getting more interested in older songs in search of the unknown. During this period of my life the first time around, I hadn’t delved too deep into the classics, but they were definitely the ultimate rock out there.

I began with the group that had changed the age of rock, The Beatles, then moved on to Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. Punk rock had the Sex Pistols; hard rock had Led Zeppelin; heavy metal had Black Sabbath; and of course, I couldn’t forget Nirvana. There were many other great bands buried in the vast history of rock, but these were the ones that I had retained so far.

“Oh, I getcha. I was nuts about Nirvana a little while ago,” Serika said.

That’s quite a rugged hobby for a high school girl. Looks like we can talk the same language more than I expected.

“Do you like Nevermind too?” I asked. Nevermind was Nirvana’s album that had experienced explosive sales in its time.

She nodded. “It’s way too famous not to... Y’know, you’re pretty well versed.”

“I’ll listen to anything. What can I say? I’m an omnivore.”

And just like that, Serika and I became engrossed in our conversation. I was having so much fun talking about music that, when I realized it, we had left Hoshimiya and Uta out. Uta was somewhat familiar with the topic, so she occasionally threw in her two cents, but Hoshimiya was completely in the dark. All she could do was nod and make a small interjection every now and then.

I looked at her and put my hands together apologetically. “Sorry. I got too excited.”

“Don’t worry about it. Natsuki-kun, you have a lot of hobbies,” she replied.

“My hobbies are just like my taste in music... I dabble in a wide variety of stuff, but it’s just surface-level knowledge.” My random interests hadn’t been very useful in the past, but it felt like they’d been helpful during my second chance at youth. My passion for music had, after all, been a good way to bond with Serika.

I think she’s opened up a lot. Though, I still can’t read her expressions at all. It’ll be okay; I did get better at understanding Nanase over time. Wait... Maybe Nanase was just being formal with me when we first met. She’s actually been very expressive lately.

“Oh, we’re almost there. Our stop’s next,” Hoshimiya said.

“Huh? For real?” I asked.

“Time flies when we’re having fun,” Serika commented.

“Ah ha ha! Natsu and Seri were hyped up the whole time.”

In any case, I had successfully completed my mission (if you could call it that) to become comfortable talking to Serika. It would’ve sucked if I made things awkward, so I’m glad we hit it off early on in the trip.

***

We took a short break once we got off at Niigata Station before boarding a bus. We then headed to the cottage we’d reserved to drop off our luggage first. It was a slight detour compared to beelining it straight for the ocean from the train station, but the cottage was within walking distance to the beach, so I figured it’d be better to go there first.

Though I had asked everyone for their opinions, most of the planning was done by me, so I was pretty nervous. I’d done a decent amount of random wandering alone before, but this was the first time I’d ever been on a group outing apart from school field trips. I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility when I imagined how everyone’s future depended on my decisions.

“What are you worrying about? You did a ton of research, so it’ll all be fine,” Miori said. Right when I was feeling touched by her concern, she slapped my back hard.

“You know... It hurts when you do that,” I groaned.

“Your childhood friend is cheering you up. Be grateful!”

“I don’t need that served with a side of violence.” I was sitting in a window seat on the shaking bus with Miori next to me. We’re on a special trip—you should sit next to Reita to continue whatever conversation you had on the bullet train!

“Are you and Serika getting along?”

“You could say that. I can hold a conversation with her now, since we have similar interests.”

“That’s good. You probably didn’t notice because we were behind you, but I got Serika to switch seats with me. Originally, I would’ve ended up in front of you.”

“What? Were you fussing over me?” Did you do that so Serika and I would get closer?

“Nope. Obviously, I did that so I could sit with Reita-kun!”

Uh-huh, so she says, but sounds dubious. I know how meddling her personality is. I feel like she’s been prioritizing supporting me over her own love life too much lately. I mean, look, she’s sitting next to me right now. Well, I do feel relaxed with Miori around.

“Natsuki, this is our stop, right?” Reita asked.

“Oh, you’re right. My bad. I got lost in conversation,” I said, thankful that he’d caught my mistake. We hurried off the bus and found ourselves on a straight path that screamed “countryside.”

“Ah! Look! We can see the ocean from here!” Hoshimiya shouted happily.

I followed the direction of her finger. Though it was a moderate distance away, the ocean certainly was visible in the gaps between the trees and houses.

“Ohhh! I’m gettin’ pumped! Look!” Clearly excited, Tatsuya slung his arm around my shoulders.

“Hey! It’s freaking hot, man,” I said in complaint. It’s already boiling as it is, and you think I’d want a gross dude’s armpit on me? Though, the heat’s much more bearable today. Maybe Gunma’s just too hot.

“Natsuki, this is the place, right?” Reita asked, pointing at his phone’s map application.

“Yeah.” I nodded. Thank you, Reita... You’re such a capable man.

“Y’know, there’s no one else here,” Uta said, looking around the vicinity.

“It’s because this road mostly has ryokan, guest houses, and cottages,” I replied. There were a few people who looked like tourists here and there, but that was about it. The residential area was elsewhere, so there weren’t many locals hanging around here. It would be more crowded if we went back towards the station.

Hoshimiya giggled uncontrollably. “Yuino-chaaan! Yaaay!”

“Wh-What is it, Hikari? I don’t think I can keep up with your enthusiasm,” Nanase replied.

Everyone was quite excited now that we’d seen the ocean, but among the eight of us, Hoshimiya was clearly the most ecstatic. She had been beaming nonstop this whole time. Well, she did go through a lot just to get here. I’m glad being here makes her smile so wide.

“Natsu?”

I’d been staring at Hoshimiya, but Uta’s voice returned me to my senses. “Y-Yeah? What’s up?”

“Nah... It’s nothing! I can’t wait to hit the beach!”

We walked a few minutes and soon arrived at our cottage. The first thing that stood out was the spacious terrace. It was a western-style building made of wood, with quite an impressive ambience. It had a large parking spot too. I bet a lot of people drive up here. If this were before I got my do-over, I’d have a driver’s license. Does that car parked there belong to the owner?

“Hi there! Welcome!” When we walked up to the door, the landlord came out to greet us and give a tour of the property. After he showed us the facilities in the bathroom and kitchen, and noted some other small things for us, he gave us the key. “Great! You’re staying one night, right? Enjoy!” the middle-aged man said. Then, he got in his car and drove away.

“Whoa! The living room is huge!” Uta dived onto the long sofa and flopped there.

I looked around the building one more time. The staircase was right in front of the entrance, and to the right was a sliding door that led to a large, unpartitioned room. There were two fairly wide sofas that faced each other, sandwiching a low table. There was also a TV in the front of the room and a wooden table lined with chairs.

I initially thought only the kitchen and bathroom areas were separated by doors from the rest of the first floor, but there was another room in the back. It was a moderately spacious eight-tatami-mat room—a nice Japanese-style room perfect for us to hang out in.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor, where there were ten identical small rooms that each had two beds, a small table, and a chair. Looks like we can sleep two people per room tonight.

After I confirmed that the cottage’s layout matched the information listed online, I returned to the first floor. Our luggage was piled in the corner of the room, and the others were relaxing on the sofas. The air conditioner had rapidly cooled the area, and it now felt nice and cool inside.

“We talked and decided we’d take a breather before going to the beach,” Reita told me.

“Sure.” I nodded. If we push ourselves without any rest in this scorching weather, Nanase will collapse. Plus, anyone could get heatstroke, not just her. I’d better keep an eye on everyone’s condition.

“What’s the plan for today? Just see the ocean?” Tatsuya asked.

“We can go for a swim; buy meat, veggies, and whatnot at the supermarket; and then have a barbecue on the terrace,” I replied. “After that, I guess we’ll wash up and sleep.”

“Sounds good. I’m getting pumped!”

Those were my plans for the first day. If we still had the energy, I figured we could play board games or do something else.

Tatsuya suddenly stood up with vigor and loudly declared, “Righto! We took a ten-minute break already, so let’s get moving!” He grabbed his bag with his swimsuit and beach stuff, and promptly exited the room.

For the guy who struggled the most to scrape enough dough together for this trip, he sure seems the most gung ho. The rest of us also left our large luggage behind, only grabbing the things we needed for the beach, and left the cottage.

I exited the cottage last, making sure that the door was properly locked. When I turned back to the rest, Tatsuya, Uta, and Hoshimiya had disappeared. What the... I can get the basketballs-for-brains duo, but Hoshimiya’s gone too?

Holding a parasol over her head, Nanase shrugged at me with an exasperated look. “They left already. And yes, Hikari went with them too.”

“Do those three want to walk all the way there?” I questioned. It was only ten minutes on foot, but that was also a ten whole minutes spent under the blazing sun. If we waited a bit, a bus that would take us close to the beach would come.

“They were so excited they just couldn’t wait,” Nanase said.

“For the record, we did tell them that we’re gonna take the bus,” Miori piped up. The two girls smiled wryly.

“Aren’t you the type of kid to run down with them?” I asked.

“Hey now, how long ago do you think that was?” Miori retorted, smacking my head. “Still, it threw me off to see Hikari-chan that eager.”

“Hikari has always loved the ocean far more than your average person,” Nanase said, gazing into the distance.

“Welp, let’s get to the bus stop. It should be here soonish,” Serika said matter-of-factly. With that, we departed from our cottage.

***

The first thing we did once we arrived at the ocean was change into our swimsuits at the beach house. Incidentally, Tatsuya and the others got there at pretty much the same time as the rest of us. Though we’d waited for the bus, driving was still faster than going on foot. The three who’d dashed off without us were still in high spirits, though, so I figured all’s well that ends well.

Currently, us three boys were waiting in front of the beach house for the girls to finish changing. Guys are faster at changing, after all.

“It’s finally here! The moment of truth!” Tatsuya swung his fist around with a fierce expression as he roared into the air.

“Humph. I’ve already finished running simulations of their swimsuits in my brain.”

R-Reita is broken... Nah, he’s always had this side to him. Underneath his nonchalant attitude is a love for dirty talk. There are some things he only expresses to us guys.

“Hey, you! Say something too. Aren’t you excited? Riiight?” Tatsuya said.

The two slung their arms over me, leaning on me with their naked upper bodies. You guys are way too hyped about this. “Well, yeah, I want to see them, but...”

When I imagined Hoshimiya in a swimsuit, I could feel the blood gather in a certain...unspeakable place. C’mon, I mean, they’re huge! She looks slim in her usual outfits, but a swimsuit will be fairly... N-No, calm down, me! I should imagine Uta in her swimsuit. If it’s Uta, then... No, I still want to see it! Of course I’d want to see her in a never-before-seen form! I mean, I do like her!

Though my mind was running wild, I somehow maintained my composure on the outside. The three of us must’ve looked like stupid boys getting suspiciously riled up, though, and right then, our long-awaited moment came.

“Heyo! Did you guys wait long?” Uta ran over in a red and white checkered bikini. Relatively speaking, it wasn’t that revealing, but beholding more of her ivory skin than usual dazzled my eyes.

Dude. She’s so cute. She’s super adorable! At my limit for directly looking at her, I averted my eyes to where Hoshimiya was.

“Th-Thanks for waiting.” She waved shyly. I could see a deep ravine and two ample mounds on her chest. They looked like they would spill out of the two thin pieces of cloth that covered them. A large skirt-looking piece of fabric was wrapped around the narrow point of her waist.

Is that a sarong? Underneath that thing is a swimsuit bottom, right? The image of Hoshimiya in her underwear in my room flashed through my mind. It’s hard enough to believe that she stayed over at my house. Maybe that moment was just a fever dream.

“Hikari, did you put on sunscreen?” Nanase asked, acting as her childhood friend’s guardian as always. She was wearing a black bikini.

Is that the swimsuit she bought when we went shopping together? Wow, she’s showing the most skin of them all! As soon as I thought that, she put on a rash guard. But that actually made her appear more erotic because I could catch a meager glimpse of her bikini bottom. She was tall, which meant there was more of her long legs generously exposed to all. I unwittingly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

“Reita-kuuun! How do I look?” Miori smiled with satisfaction as she showed him her stylish, predominantly yellow swimwear.

When she’s in a swimsuit, I can tell she’s unexpectedly well-endowed... She’s definitely an athlete—look at those tight muscles... It kinda pisses me off how cute she is. No, I think I’m actually feeling irritated by the facts: Miori is cute.

“It looks good on you. Very cute,” Reita complimented her, wearing a mild smile.

“Natsuki.” I turned around to see Serika inching up close to me. She was wearing a flashy, rainbow-patterned swimsuit that fit her image as a fashionable high school gal. She examined my body up and down and then touched my abs. “Wow... You’re super ripped. I guess you did say your hobby is working out.”

“Yeah. I just do it to kill time,” I replied. Though I kept my tone impassive, I was actually thrilled to hear her praise my muscles. Ever since break started, I’ve been doing a special workout menu focused on my abs. That’s right! All of my efforts were for this very day!

“Let’s find a spot to claim first,” Reita suggested.

“There are a ton of people here,” Miori remarked.

“Doesn’t that place look good?” Hoshimiya said.

“Hikari, put your valuables in a locker,” Nanase chided.

“Come on already! I want to hurry up and swim!” urged Uta.

No one else besides Serika brought up my abs, which made me a bit glum. Well, Reita and Tatsuya are pretty muscular themselves, so it’s not like I even stand out.

My wallowing aside, the beach was teeming with people, but we managed to secure an area to lay out our picnic blanket. I opened the beach umbrella that I’d purchased with my hard-earned cash and made a nice space to relax in the shade. This was a bulky thing to lug around, but I’m glad I brought it! The spots with any natural cover have been snatched up by other groups already.

When we finished setting up our base, Tatsuya and Uta rushed towards the ocean.

“Hell yeah! Chaaarge!” he shouted.

“I’m coming too!” she yelled. “Yaaaaaay!”

They leaped into the water, creating a big splash where they landed.

“Miori, let’s go too,” Reita said.

“Yeah!” she replied.

He pulled her hand, and they joined the other two. I’m glad to see they’re getting along. They look like a couple walking on the sand.

“Are those two already going out?” Hoshimiya asked from behind me, staring at Reita and Miori.

“I haven’t heard anything...but they look way closer than last time, right?”

“Yeah. Even if they’re not dating, it looks like it’s just a matter of time.”

She was leaning in because she was whispering, which put her way too close to me. I was nervous that our shoulders might touch—I was definitely not mentally prepared for skin-to-skin contact with her in a swimsuit. Suddenly, our upper arms brushed against each other.

“Oh... S-Sorry.” Hoshimiya rapidly backed away.

You didn’t have to distance yourself that quickly. “N-Nah... Uh, sorry.”

Nanase interrupted our awkward stammering. “You two should get going too. I’ll stay here and watch our stuff.”

My heart was pounding like a drum, but I managed to keep my cool and reply. “Thanks... You sure?”

“We put our valuables in the lockers, but it’s still better for someone to stay behind, right? If I frolic around right from the start, my stamina won’t hold up. It’s important to pace yourself, you know?” Nanase sounded like she was lecturing us about how to run a marathon.

Serika was seated beside her, so I looked to her next. “What about you, Serika?”

“I’ll go after I blow up my swimming ring,” she replied and began breathing air into her doughnut-shaped swim ring.

“Okay. Hold down the fort, guys,” I said.

Hoshimiya and I walked away from our comfortable blanket and parasol base, sediment crunching under our feet. On our way down to the shore, I saw the heartwarming scene of children playing in the sand. Suddenly, Hoshimiya grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

“Hoshimiya?” I questioned, turning around to face her. She let go, bashfully searching for the right words. “Is something wrong?”

“Um, err...” Her voice shyly trailed off, and her cheeks were tinged red. “My swimsuit.”

“Uh-huh?”

“What...do you think of it?”

Taken aback by the unexpected and very blunt question, my brain stopped functioning. I froze, gawking at her in surprise. I let the flow of the moment take me, and my true feelings came out. “It’s... It’s pretty. It looks super good on you.”

Hoshimiya flushed a deeper shade of red, embarrassed, causing my face to burn up too. The sun was beating down on us, so we were hot enough as it was, but I felt my body temperature shoot up even more. I’m going to suffer heatstroke if you keep this up. Please cut me some slack!

“Natsuki-kun... I think you look cool today. You’re really toned... It’s manly,” she murmured, her face now bright crimson.

If... If you tell me that, then I’m going to fall for you, hard! I feel like I just got violently beaten up in the name of praise. Stop whacking people out of left field! We both fell silent. What is this? Why do I feel so embarrassed?

“W-We should get going! Sorry for stopping you randomly!” Unable to bear the awkward silence, Hoshimiya ran towards the ocean.

“Wait! Hoshimiya?!” I called after her. She slipped on the sandy beach and fell over magnificently. I ran up to her in a panic.

“A-Ah ha ha... I-I’m fine. Totally fine.”

“Here.” I offered her my hand. She took it, and I pulled her up.

“Th-Thanks,” she said, now covered in sand. She whimpered, a displeased look spreading across her face, but said nothing more.

Nothing to say now that you’ve exposed yourself as a klutz? You’re too damn adorable!

“Heeey! Natsu! Hikarin! Over here!” Uta yelled, wildly waving her hands by the water’s edge. Miori and Reita were having fun spraying water on each other nearby. Tatsuya was nowhere in sight, but he was probably off swimming somewhere on his own.

“Let’s go, Hoshimiya.”

Today was a day that Hoshimiya had seized with her own two hands. She was here because she had fought without giving up on her dreams and her friends.

“Yeah!”

That was why I hoped her day would be filled with joy.

***

The time had come for us to go all out at the beach.

“Yo, Natsuki! Let’s compete to see who can reach that rock first!” Tatsuya challenged.

“Well, sure, I guess. But are you even good at swimming?” I asked.

“Yeah, man. No way I’m gonna lose in a swimming match!”

“I’ll go over there to be the ref, then!” Uta exclaimed. “Good luck, Natsu!”

“Hey! What about me?! C’mon, cheer me on too!” Tatsuya groused.

“Ah ha ha! Sorry! I’m on Natsu’s side!”

When we were in the water, Tatsuya growled, “Y-You’re not doing too shabby, Natsuki.”

“Uh, I haven’t done anything yet, though...”

We raced through the water...

“Ahhh. It feels so good to just let the waves carry you,” I said, floating comfortably.

“Don’t just bum around in the swim ring. Time to sink!”

“What the— Miori?! You idiot! Glub...glub.”

“Mwa ha ha! It’s mine now!”

Miori had dunked me in the water and commandeered the swim ring for herself...

“Waaait! Natsu!” Uta screamed suddenly.

“Whoa! Where the heck did you get that from?” I yelled. She was toting a water gun.

“Bought it at a store! Peace was never an option! Take this!!!”

“Ow, ow, ow! Hey, that actually hurts! The pressure on that thing is crazy!”

Uta started using me as a human target...

“Oh, Haibara-kun. Are you resting as well?” Nanase asked me.

“If I don’t take short breaks occasionally, my body won’t make it through the whole day,” I replied.

She giggled. “You have been quite fired up. It’s fairly unusual. Aren’t you typically more composed?”

“I’m well aware that I’ve been infected by everyone else’s energy.”

“Be sure to drink water so you don’t collapse,” she said. “Come, I’ve prepared plenty of cold drinks in the cooler.”

“I can always count on you, Nanase. You really are like a mom everyone can depend on.”

“Who’re you calling a mom?” she quipped. “My hands are full taking care of my one and only daughter, Hikari.”

“Doesn’t that still make you a mom?”

I watched everyone else have fun as I relaxed under the parasol with Nanase...

“Hey, guys. Wanna go ride on a banana boat?” Uta asked a few of us.

“Huh? They have those here? That sounds super hype!” Tatsuya exclaimed.

“What’s a banana boat?” Hoshimiya asked.

“When you see one, you’ll understand. We ride on a banana-shaped floatie while getting pulled by a motorboat,” Reita explained. “It’s free, so who wants to go?”

“I... I think I’m good,” she answered. “It sounds kinda scary.”

“I’m in; sounds fun!” Miori piped up. “What about you?” she asked me.

“’Course I’m down.” I said. “Looks like it’s me, Tatsuya, Uta, Miori, and Reita?”

“Woo-hoo! Let’s gooo!” cheered Uta.

We rode on a banana boat together. Uta sat behind me and shook my shoulders, and I fell off...

“Why the hell does yakisoba at the beach taste so damn good?!” Tatsuya exclaimed.

“Don’t forget the curry. Even though it’s gotta be from a ready-made box,” Reita added.

“Yeah, well, for me, ramen’s where it’s at—a bold and classic shoyu ramen. This stuff’s the best,” I said.

“It’s that effect, yeah? What’s it called again?” Tatsuya reflected. “You know, the ocean power effect.”

“Not even close, dude.” I remarked. “Are you thinking of the placebo effect?”

“Yeah, that! Big brain as always, Natsuki.”

Reita, Tatsuya, and I ate lunch at the beach house while making dumb small talk...

“What’re you doing?” I asked Serika.

“As you can see, I’m playing in the sand. I’m on the trickiest part right now,” she replied.

“I’ve never seen a sandcastle this high quality before.”

“I’m a creature that always pursues the greatest heights possible. I’ll never compromise on effort.”

“It’s cool you’re trying so hard, but it’s not gonna last long once you’re done, you know?”

“That’s fine. ’Cause it’ll be ingrained in your memory, right?”

“Well, yeah. A sandcastle this impressive would be pretty hard to forget.”

“Exactly. As long as you remember, my past two hours will be rewarded.”

It took me a second to register what she’d said. “You’ve been working on this for two hours?!”

I had a nice, leisurely chat with Serika while she continued to passionately sculpt the sand...

“It’s my serve!” Uta exclaimed, holding a volleyball. “Taaake this!”

“Huh? Hwah!” Hoshimiya yelped. “S-Sorry!”

“Hey! Aiming at Hoshimiya is cowardly!” Tatsuya yelled.

“Agreed. Think about Hoshimiya-san’s poor reflexes.”

“R-Reita-kun? Those words hurt way more than the ball...”

“Okay, okay. Let’s start the next rally,” I said.

“Natsuki-kun, don’t just brush this aside!” Hoshimiya cried.

We all continued our beach volleyball match together...

Just like children, we wholeheartedly enjoyed everything we did at the beach. After we were all tuckered out, we gathered under the parasol for a break.

“I... I’m beat,” I groaned, sprawling out on top of the picnic blanket. It felt much cooler in the shade. The gentle, salty breeze was pleasant against my damp skin. Uta placed a chilly plastic bottle on top of my head. “Whoa! That’s cold!” Initially I was surprised, but it felt nice to the touch.

“Ah ha ha! You got pranked!”

“Uh, yeah, I can tell without you announcing it.”

“I’m a girl who speaks the truth,” she crowed. “Go ahead and praise me!”

“Right... Good girl, good girl.”

Uta sat down beside me and peered over at me. Satisfied with my reaction, she beamed gleefully. It’s almost vexing how cute her smile is. I really wish she’d stop rocking my heart back and forth all the time. And I’m taking three times more damage than usual because of her swimsuit!

“Miori, here!”

“Hey! Oh, stop it, Reita-kun.”

Next to us, Reita had played the same trick on Miori.

“Are you just a bunch of kids? Sheesh,” she said with a smile.

“Whew. That was fun,” someone murmured.

As the sun gradually sank, the air became cooler, though there was still plenty of time until it would fully set. The people who had filled the beach during the day had trickled away with time, and now there was scarcely anyone left.

For a while, no one said anything. We all absentmindedly gazed at the ocean. The silence wasn’t awkward; instead, I felt like staying here forever.

However, the end had come.

“Shall we head back to the cottage?” I suggested, reluctant to tear myself away from the moment.

***

We borrowed the showers at the beach house to clean off and then changed back into our clothes. We didn’t take the bus and walked back home together—not because the temperature was nicer, but because there was a large supermarket along the way. The plan was to buy ingredients there for our barbecue tonight.

We’d have been a noise nuisance to the store had all eight of us been chattering inside, so we carefully selected who would go shopping. Taking into account who would be useful and who’d won the rock, paper, scissors competition, our party consisted of me, Nanase, Serika, and Reita.

“Let’s see. This, this, this, and...”

I was supposed to be the shot caller for what we needed, but Nanase was blithely tossing things into the basket. Truly everyone’s mom, indeed. I’m counting on you, mom! Come to think of it, Nanase’s in charge of ordering ingredients at Café Mares. She must be so decisive because of that experience.

When we had pretty much everything, she asked, “Do we need anything else?”

“Nope. I think this is enough. It’ll be a pain if we buy too much and end up with leftovers,” I replied. I noticed Serika had slipped in a novelty spice called “Maximum,” but I’d missed my chance to comment on it.

“I can’t predict how much Tatsuya-kun will eat,” Nanase remarked.

“If we don’t have enough, we can just make him come back here and buy more,” Reita said with a shrug.

“True,” the rest of us said, laughing.

Once we’d finished checking out, we split up the heavy shopping bags among ourselves and headed back to the cottage. I’d taken the heaviest bag, which was, predictably...very heavy. There was more to a barbecue than just meat, after all. I had rice, veggies, snacks, and juice. But thanks to my daily workouts, I managed to carry it all without resting.

“Hey, Reita. Can I ask you something?” Serika abruptly said.

“Wow, you’re asking for permission? What’s this about?” he replied, his tone mellow as always.

They seem like they get along. Just as that carefree thought surfaced in my mind, Serika pitched a fastball into the dead center of the strike zone.

“Did you and Miori start dating?”

I’m...quite curious about that too. They clearly spent the day close together. Of course, if they are going out, then I don’t have any problem with it—that’s something to celebrate. Obviously. Why wouldn’t I be happy?

“Is that what it looked like?” Reita returned a question of his own, a faint smile playing at his lips.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“I’ll leave it to your imagination, then.”

“Since you’re saying that, I guess you two aren’t dating yet, huh?”

I listened with bated breath, eager to hear the conclusion. Finally, Reita relaxed, smiling wryly.

“Correct. We’re not dating...yet.”

Even I understood what his words implied.

However, Serika only hummed indifferently, even though she’d been the one to initiate the topic.

“Should I help you out?” Nanase offered enthusiastically.

Reita kept smiling, but said nothing.

In the first place, Miori already likes Reita, so he doesn’t need anyone’s help. It’s just a matter of time.

***

By the time we’d returned to the cottage and began cooking, it was already night. The large terrace had chairs and a table with a grill—perfect for barbecuing—in its center. We already had a few slices of meat on top of the grate.

Hearing it sizzle made Tatsuya impatient. “Is it ready yet? ...What about now?”

Because a barbecue was the kind of thing that went hand in hand with an overnight trip, we’d borrowed a barbecue set from the landlord. As a matter of fact, I’d pretty much chosen this place because the listing had said that it would be possible to have a barbecue on the terrace.

“All right! Leave the meat grilling to me!” Tatsuya shouted.

“Rice is done! Everyone gets one bowl each to start off!” Uta announced.

“Okay, I’ll hand out the paper cups and plates,” Hoshimiya said. “Oh, this is yakiniku sauce. We have several types.”

I had a lot of other lodging options, but seeing everyone bustling around like this makes me think this place was the right choice. The sun had set, and it was dark outside; I could hear crickets chirping. Our only light came from inside the cottage. The farther down the terrace someone was, the dimmer and harder it was to see the details of their face.

Our surroundings were pitch-black because we were in the countryside. This feels similar to where Miori and I live, but Uta and the others live near the city, so this must be a new experience for them.

Serika sat at the entrance to the terrace. She began playing music from some speakers she’d brought. The first song was One Ok Rock’s “Kimishidai Ressha.” Uta and Tatsuya energetically sang along while grilling meat. They’d bother our neighbors if this were a city, but the buildings are pretty distant, so their singing should be fine— Hey, don’t spit!

I was leaning against the wooden fence at the back of the terrace when Hoshimiya suddenly appeared next to me. “Done eating already?” she asked.

“I’m stuffed. What about you?”

“Me too. I ate too much.” She rubbed her stomach with a small smile.

Barbecues truly are the greatest! I’m content with all the meat, veggies, and rice I ate.

The other six were still boisterously grilling meat. We’d only drunk soda tonight, but everyone was so merry that they seemed almost tipsy—even Reita laughed loudly. Though Serika’s expression didn’t change much, her enthusiasm was reflected in her behavior, which made for an interesting contrast. I had no idea what Miori and Uta were talking about that was so funny, but every time either of them spoke, they would explode in raucous laughter. Whenever Nanase finished cooking a piece of meat, she’d leave it at the edge of the grill, and Tatsuya would snap it up into his stomach. How much is he planning to eat?

Hoshimiya and I watched the scene unfolding before us. Suddenly, I felt the warmth of skin touching my right palm. I didn’t need to look to know that it was a hand. Her hand squeezed mine as though to check the shape of my palm in the darkness.

I looked at her. She didn’t return my gaze, keeping her stare fixed on everyone else. We were sitting in the back of the terrace where it was very dim. We could see the others because they were close to the cottage, but to everyone else, we likely appeared as indistinct outlines. They wouldn’t know we were holding hands unless they drew closer.

What should I do? was the first thought that came to mind. Feeling fortunate, happy, and other positive emotions came after. Why in that order? I already knew the reason—it was because I was still confused.

I want to stay like this forever. Her hands are so small and slender; I feel like they might break at any moment. That’s why I want to protect her. I want to always be by Hoshimiya’s side, hands intertwined as we walk together. But at the same time, there were contradictory feelings swirling around inside my heart.

“I shouldn’t do this. I’m pretty sly, aren’t I?” she murmured. Her tone was questioning, but it also sounded like she was speaking to herself. Our hands separated.

While I was in the midst of pondering her words, I heard footsteps coming towards us.

“Whatcha guys doin’?” Uta asked in an unexpectedly calm voice. I looked up to see her regarding us with an amiable expression. I was unsure of how to respond, but she opened her mouth once more. “We’re done barbecuing now. Tatsu can’t move anymore.”

“Yeah, well... He did eat a ton,” I remarked. Tatsuya slumped back in his chair like a lazy blob as he rubbed his belly. “We should go back inside, then. It’s pretty cool out, but it’s still hot without the AC going.”

“Yeah... You’re right,” Hoshimiya said in agreement.

Did Uta see us? She didn’t look like she was glancing over here, though.

“Heeey!” Serika called out, walking towards us.

“What’s up?” I questioned.

She pulled out a large plastic bag. Inside was an assorted set of handheld fireworks. “When we went to the store earlier, I secretly bought these. Wanna use ’em?”

Wh-When did she do that? No wonder I thought she was holding a lot of stuff!

“Huh? Fireworks?! Impressive as always, Seri! You know how to live it up!” Uta’s excitement levels shot through the roof.

Handheld fireworks, huh? Very youthful; I approve. I mean, why the heck didn’t I think of that? Argh, how frustrating! My youth powers are still too low...

We first called the landlord for permission just in case, and he gave us the green light to set them off in the parking lot. We hadn’t come by car, so there was plenty of space available.

“Wow, it’s pitch-black outside,” I commented.

When we left the cottage’s entrance, we could see virtually nothing. The only source of light came from the window. The lights from the first floor barely reached where we stood. Tatsuya was still sitting on the terrace in pain. You still can’t move? Nanase kept an eye on him with an exasperated look from nearby. Reita and Miori were chatting on the sofa in the living room.

“They don’t want to join?” I questioned.

“Nah. They said they’d enjoy just watching,” Serika replied.

Just the four of us? Well, I guess there aren’t that many fireworks. “But man, isn’t it way too dark?”

“We’re playing with fireworks anyway, and I bet they look better the darker it is,” she said.

Uta was deftly using her phone light to prepare a bucket of water for extinguishing the fire. Oh, nice. Why didn’t I think of that?

Holding a gas lighter in one hand and a firework in the other, Serika mysteriously muttered, “Fire magic...activate.”

Long, thin streaks of lively sparks flew out of the end—a typical susuki firework. She began to spin it around. That’s pretty but dangerous!

“Natsu! Look over here!” Uta held a susuki firework in each hand. “Two-sword style!” she yelled energetically.

“Am I doing this right?” Hoshimiya asked, lighting a mouse firework. “Huh... W-W-Wah?!” She yelped when it began to wildly spin on the ground like a pinwheel, and then she grabbed my shoulders.

“Was it really that surprising?” I asked.

“I-It moved a lot more than I thought it would.” She gasped and quickly put some distance between us. It was a complete one-eighty from how she’d proactively grasped my hand earlier; now, it felt like she was avoiding me.

What does this mean? I can’t see the whole picture, but maybe I get it a little. Yet if my gut is wrong, then that just means I’m being way too self-conscious... Still, think about it! I doubt Hoshimiya would hold hands with a guy she wasn’t into.

KRRRSH! The mouse firework that had been wildly spinning and scattering sparks on the ground finally sputtered out.

“We have a lot left,” Serika said.

The set that she’d bought was filled with a variety of fireworks, including a skyrocket; the sight of it flying through the night air was beautiful. Eventually, we’d amused ourselves with all different kinds of fireworks, and the end of our pyrotechnics show was drawing near.

“Natsu, c’mere.” Uta beckoned me over from where she was squatting with a sparkler in hand.

Once I’d squatted down next to her, she lit the firework in her hand. Modest crackling sparks began to fall. I couldn’t even see Uta in the darkness—she repeatedly flickered in and out of sight, disappearing and reappearing at the whim of an orange glow.

Eventually, the sparks died away, leaving only a faintly smoldering fireball behind.

“Natsu, your birthday is coming up soon, right?”

The little ball of fire dropped to the ground.

“I’m surprised you remember.”

“Of course I’d remember! It’s my crush’s birthday, you know?”

I looked at her, taken aback by how blunt she was being. I could only make out a hazy silhouette in the inky darkness, but I could tell she was gazing at the extinguished sparkler.

“Natsu, what do you want for your birthday?”

“Huh? I dunno. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.” I’d be happy with anything you gave me.

“Okay, then I’ll think about it on my own. I’ll prepare something that’ll make you veeery happy!”

“Are you sure you want to raise my expectations that much?” I asked jokingly.

Uta replied slowly, as if she were trying to ascertain her own words. “I’ll think about you a lot so I can pick something that good.”

“I’m a lucky guy.”

“Yep. You just realized that?” She laughed softly and took out another sparkler. “This is the last one.”

She lit it, and once more, our surroundings became alive with crackling sparks. I stayed squatting next to Uta, eyes fixed upon the sparkler. Until the final fireball dropped to the ground, we didn’t utter another word.

“And we’re done,” she said reluctantly.

Why do fireworks only last for an instant? They sparkle so beautifully too...

“Everyone’s started cleaning up! We’d better help out!”

Compared to the way I was getting lost in sentimentality, Uta stood up with a bright smile and joined Serika and Hoshimiya to clean up.

The time for fireworks had ended.

***

After that, we showered away the day’s sweat.

Next, we played tabletop games and cards until bedtime. When we played Daifugo, Nanase suffered a mysterious streak of losses. On the other hand, during rounds of Mafia, Serika displayed her outlandish prowess. We all got fired up while playing Coyote, Uno, and everything in between.

“We should go to bed soon,” Reita said, stopping us for the night.

Tatsuya was snoring loudly on the sofa already. Miori was also nodding off, even though a mere moment earlier, she’d been wrapped up in playing a lateral thinking game—Sea Turtle Soup. I checked the time; it was getting late.

“You’re right.” I stood up and dragged the unconscious Tatsuya to the second floor.

Serika tugged Miori’s hand and led her sleepy friend to the girls’ bedroom.

“Good night,” Nanase said.

“Mm-hmm. Night,” I replied.

I shut the door and flopped onto my bed. Upon landing, it finally hit me how exhausted my body was. However, my drowsiness soon disappeared when Tatsuya let out another snore from the bed next to mine.

I should’ve slept in the same room as Reita... Ah well. Apparently, he prefers sleeping alone.

***

I wondered how long I’d spent with my eyes shut. Though I couldn’t doze off, time continued to slowly tick forwards. Sleep wouldn’t come to me, but I had plenty to mull over, so various thoughts raced through my mind.

Before long, I sensed a very faint ray of light against my skin and opened my eyelids. I got out of bed and peered out the window. The sky right before dawn was stunning.

“Guess I’ll take a walk.” Even if I lie here with my eyes closed, I can’t sleep anyway. It’s time to give up. Going down to the shore to watch the colors of sunrise by the ocean will be more worthwhile.

I left my room and descended to the first floor. The hush blanketing the cottage made it hard to believe how lively it’d been yesterday. It’s already over. I was filled with wistful reluctance. This trip was a real blast!

Outside, the dark sky was tinged slightly red, and a refreshing breeze rustled through the trees. As I walked down the empty road, the sky gradually turned crimson. Eventually, I could see the ocean up ahead where the sun bobbed in and out of sight from beyond the horizon. Sunbeams paved a path in the water. It was the kind of scenery that could only be found at this early hour.

Wanting to enjoy the beautiful sight to the fullest after coming all the way here, I made my way closer to the shore. There, I spotted a person sitting on top of the breakwater. It looked like a high school girl.

“Hoshimiya?” I called out.

She—Hoshimiya Hikari—turned around, blinking at me in surprise. The relaxing, salty breeze played with her hair. “Natsuki-kun. I see you’re also up.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep, so I gave up.”

“Really? Are you okay?” she asked with concern.

“I got some shut-eye in the literal sense, so my body feels rested.” I flexed my bicep to show her how energetic I was.

“I guess that’s fine, then.”

“I figured I’d come here to enjoy the sunrise and get my mind off things,” I explained, taking a seat next to her.

As the sun rose, the sky’s hues gradually transformed. I’d never get bored of watching this.

“I thought I’d feel better after coming to look at the ocean,” she said. I flicked my eyes in her direction; her gaze was focused on the watery expanse. “I love the ocean. It’s vast, clear, beautiful, and I feel like it’ll wash away my worries and gloomy feelings... I love it so much that I want to stare at it forever.”

She did say she wanted to go to the ocean before this trip had even been planned. And I could tell how much it meant to her when I read her novel too.

“I kinda want to rewrite parts of my draft now. There are descriptions that don’t come to you unless you see it firsthand. I’m sure I can make the prose even better now.”

“Hoshimiya, you’re amazing. I’m enjoying the view, but the only word that comes to my mind right now is ‘beautiful.’”

“Natsuki-kun, I want to share what you’re feeling right now with those who read my novel. I don’t think I’ll be able to convey things perfectly, but I want to make it as good as possible.” The way the sunrise illuminated her profile was beautiful. Suddenly, she turned to face me, giggling quietly as if she’d just thought of a good idea. “It’s surprisingly cool.”

That was an exceedingly normal thing to say. Just when I was about to give a typical response, I felt a peculiar sense of déjà vu. “The sun’s not out and the wind is blowing, after all,” I replied, though the sun was flitting in and out of sight.

It was a line from Hoshimiya’s novel. I’d read it so many times that I knew every single word by heart. This scene was in the final part of the book—the climax of chapter three, “On a Moonlit Night.” There, the protagonists’ emotions collided. It was my favorite part of the book.

Hoshimiya continued to recite the girl’s dialogue. “The sea breeze is pretty strong, so we might get sticky if we stay out in it too long.”

So I followed along with the boy’s lines. “Hey... Did I help you?” I was only borrowing his words, but they still echoed how I truly felt. Did I help Hoshimiya? Was I one of the factors that spurred her to take a step forward?

“Of course you did. If you weren’t here, I couldn’t have done anything.” Her eyes bored into me as she quoted her novel.

Hearing her say that somehow made me feel relieved, even though I knew we were just acting out a scene. I was having fun, but our play ended there. One critical difference distinguished our current setting from the book’s—in the book, this scene took place by the ocean during the night of a full moon. The words that followed drew from that situation, so we couldn’t fully reproduce it.

“Hey, Natsuki-kun.” Hoshimiya called my name, not the boy’s. She wore a soft smile as she stared at me. Captivated, I couldn’t form words. “Someday, on the night of a full moon...”

Leaving it at that, she descended from the breakwater. Sand crunched against her sandals as she walked a bit before turning back towards me. “I’ve made up my mind. I won’t lose to Uta-chan.”

What did she mean by that? Even someone as dense as me understood.

I felt ecstatic enough to jump for joy, but I knew I hadn’t earned the right to express my happiness. I hated how indecisive I was, but it would’ve been insincere of me to choose while my feelings still wavered.

But maybe I’m just running away. Isn’t keeping the current status quo way more insincere? I know both of them have sensed how I feel, and they’re letting me put off my reply. And I’m well aware of how they feel about me... But that’s exactly why I need to quickly make up my mind.

Dawn had ended, and now the sun was climbing higher in the sky. Hoshimiya and I returned to the cottage before it got too hot. Our fun trip was over, just like that.