Chapter 41: Beautiful Girl, To the Sea (Part 1)

Summer’s here! Summer vacation! All right, let’s hit the beach!

…Or so the five of us—Moeka-chan and her little sister, Sakurako-chan and her little sister, and me—enthusiastically declared. Yet for some reason, we’re now standing inside a bookstore.

From the glass-walled magazine section, I gaze outside.

The rain falls in soft drizzles, rippling across puddles and spreading out in endless circles.

How did it come to this!? Do your job, Pacific high-pressure system! Don’t tell me this is Ryoji’s curse… Curse you, Ryoji!

It was the end of July.

We’d planned a three-day, two-night beach trip.
We found an affordable place to stay, packed everything, and were ready to go—but then it rained on the very first day. The forecast says it’ll clear up tomorrow, but having our excitement drenched like this really took the wind out of our sails.

Right now, we’ve just arrived at the train station closest to the beach. All that’s left is to take the bus to the swimming area. The problem? The next bus won’t come for another thirty minutes. So, to kill time, we ducked into this bookstore.

I’ve always liked the atmosphere of bookstores.
That faint paper scent that hits you when you walk in, the quiet hum of the air, the smell of ink—all of it feels calming. …Though for some reason, bookstores also always make me want to use the restroom.

This one, right in front of the station, is surprisingly spacious, with shelves packed full of books. Everyone’s wandered off in different directions, so I’m on my own.

Moeka-chan and Aika-chan went to the shōjo manga section, Sakurako-chan’s browsing the paperback novels, and Yoshino-san is flipping through magazines.
As for me, I ended up in the shōnen manga aisle.

The shelves stretch up to the ceiling, crammed with comic volumes.

I’m the type who doesn’t read manga magazines—only the collected volumes—so I usually just buy whatever catches my eye. I never keep up with new releases. For people like me, those face-out displays are a blessing. You can see the covers without having to pull each book out.

One manga on display looked interesting, but it was volume three.

I wondered where volumes one and two were, and after searching around, I finally spotted them—way up high on the shelf.

Why are these shelves so tall? I reached up, stretching as far as I could.

No good.

One more try! I stood on tiptoe this time… Still no good.

Third time’s the charm—except, no. Not even close. Utter failure.

This shelf’s defective! It’s the shōnen manga section—make it so actual boys can reach the books!

Just as I was debating whether to call a clerk or look for a step stool, a hand suddenly reached out beside me and handed me the book I’d been struggling to grab.

"Here."

"Ah, th-thank you very mush—!"

Great. I tripped over my own tongue because it caught me off guard.

And in front of a total stranger, no less. Oh no, my face is definitely bright red right now—I can tell because the backs of my ears are burning. Ugh, so embarrassing…

I accepted the manga from him and finally looked up at his face.

Smooth black hair. Sun-kissed brown skin.
A plain T-shirt, shorts, and sandals—super casual, yet somehow it all suited him thanks to his solid build. He had to be at least twenty centimeters taller than me.
Sharp eyebrows, a firm, determined mouth—but his eyes sparkled like a boy’s, clear and bright.

In a word: handsome.

He gave a small, amused chuckle when he saw me blushing.

"I’ve read that one too—it’s pretty good."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It gets a lot better around volume two. The first one’s a little iffy, but stick with it."

"I see. Then I guess I’ll buy the first and second volumes too…"

As I said that, he grabbed the second volume for me as well.

Some people really are just… nice.

"Well, I’d better get going."

With that, he walked off from the shōnen section and disappeared from sight.

"Hmm~ Ayumi-chan, who was that just now? Looked like a nice moment you were having there~"

Moeka-chan suddenly popped out from behind the shelf.

"Y-you were watching!?"

"Yup! From the moment you were all ‘I can’t reach~ sniff sniff~’ and stretching up like that."

That’s practically the whole thing! And what’s with the ‘small and cute’ tone!? You couldn’t reach either, could you? You’re only two centimeters taller than me!

"So, so—who was that guy?"

Then Sakurako-chan appeared from behind Moeka-chan. She’d been there too!?

"I don’t know him! He just helped me grab the book, that’s all."

"Aww. You two looked kinda cute together, so I thought maybe Ayumi-chan got herself a boyfriend!"

Moeka-chan looked way too delighted by that idea.

It didn’t feel like that at all, though. I just panicked and turned red on my own. But maybe from the outside, it did look like I was flustered around him…

"Ayumi-chan, the bus will be here soon. If you’re buying something, you’d better hurry."

At Sakurako-chan’s reminder, I quickly glanced at the clock.

Only five minutes left before the bus! I rushed to the register, paid for the books, and hurried to the bus stop with Sakurako-chan and Moeka-chan. Yoshino-san and Aika-chan were already waiting in line.

"Ayu-chan, you’re late~"

"S-sorry!"

I apologized to Aika-chan as Yoshino-san watched with a smile.

Yoshino-san was dressed casually too—T-shirt, shorts, and platform sandals—but she still had the kind of presence that made people turn their heads. As expected of a model.

Since my outfit was sort of similar, the others teased, "You two look like you’re matching!"
Personally, I just thought, Great. Now everyone can see how much smaller I am—in every possible way.

Before long, the bus arrived, and we all climbed aboard.

The rain still hadn’t stopped.
Looks like we’ll have to give up on swimming for today.

"So, so—what do we do once we get there?"

Inside the bus, rattling with every bump, Moeka-chan turned around to ask us that question.

To be honest, we’d all been so focused on the “Let’s go swimming!” part of the trip that none of us had really thought about what we’d do if we couldn’t.

"I heard there’s a café nearby that serves really good parfaits," said Yoshino-san, flipping through a travel magazine she held in one hand.

She must’ve bought it back at the bookstore. Meanwhile, I only bought manga. So this is what it looks like to think ahead, huh?

"I want something sweet!"

With that one line from Aika-chan, our next destination was decided.

Not that anyone objected—everyone here loves sweets.

"Ayu-chan, do you like sweet stuff?"

Aika-chan leaned in close to peer at my face.

"Yeah. I do."

I smiled back at her.

The moment I did, Aika-chan’s cheeks turned bright red.

"Hey, Ayumi-chan. Do you like sweets?"

Now Sakurako-chan asked the exact same question.
Wait, what’s going on? You definitely heard me answer Aika-chan just now, right?

"Yeah, I do."

I gave the same answer.

Sakurako-chan’s cheeks turned faintly pink, and she let out a small sigh. What on earth is happening here…?

"Really, Sakurako. Don’t play dirty."

Yoshino-san lightly tapped Sakurako-chan on the head.

"Oops, my bad. Couldn’t help it," Sakurako-chan said, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"Ugh, and here I was just about to jump in too! Don’t end it there!"

For some reason, Moeka-chan looked genuinely frustrated.

Okay, so apparently everyone knows what’s going on—except me.

While I sat there with a big question mark hovering over my head, Yoshino-san chuckled softly and explained.

"My, my. It’s no wonder everyone adores you. They just wanted to hear you say ‘I like you.’"

Ah… I see now. Clever girls.

Wait—hold on! They wanted me to say I like them!?
What do I do!? I mean, it’s better than being disliked, sure, but still… that’s kind of dangerous, and embarrassing, and—well—kind of nice? Eh? They weren’t serious, right?

"See? Ayumi-chan’s cutest when she gets all flustered."

"Right?"

"Totally."

…So I was just being teased.

I really need to work on not taking everything so literally. I always end up reacting, blushing, and then getting teased for it. I wish I could be a little cooler about things…

"Being expressive is a good thing," Yoshino-san said as she gently stroked my hair. "A girl who never smiles is no fun to be around, you know?"

It felt like she could see right through what I was thinking.
Well… if Yoshino-san says so, then she’s probably right.

Meanwhile, Moeka-chan, her sister, and Sakurako-chan were still giggling and chatting about what had just happened.
Yoshino-san, on the other hand, kept smiling softly as she patted my head.

That calmness, that poise—that must be what separates college students from high schoolers.
How does someone become that kind of woman? Will I ever be like that someday?

"Next stop, Beachfront Station!"

Aika-chan quickly pressed the stop button.

"Hey, Aika! I wanted to press it!"

"Come on, Moeka. You’re not in elementary school anymore."

Moeka-chan puffed out her cheeks in protest, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Truth be told, I kind of wanted to press it too—but that’ll stay my little secret.

As the bus neared our destination, it gradually slowed to a stop.
We opened our umbrellas and stepped off at the bus stop.

"The café I mentioned should be this way," Yoshino-san said, leading the group while checking the map on her smartphone.

After walking for five or ten minutes, we spotted a charming log-cabin-style building ahead, complete with a giant soft-serve ice cream statue out front.

When we stepped inside, the place was fairly empty. Not surprising, really—there aren’t many people heading to the beach in the rain.

The smiling waitress who greeted us wasn’t dressed exactly like a maid, but her uniform gave off that kind of vibe.
In my mind, anyone wearing a black dress and apron might as well be a maid.

We took over a six-person table, and as soon as we sat down, Aika-chan brought up the uniforms.

"Hey, sis, wasn’t the uniform here super cute?"

"Yeah! Don’t you think it would look great on Ayumi-chan?"

"Agreed. Why don’t we ask if Ayumi-san can try one on?"

"Nice one, sis! Let’s go ask the waitress!"

Wait, wait, wait! How did “the uniforms are cute” suddenly turn into “let’s make Ayumi wear one”!?
That’s not even remotely a logical progression!

"W-wait! You’ll bother the staff! Besides, it wouldn’t suit me anyway!"

"Hehe, just kidding. I think I finally understand why everyone teases you, Ayumi."

"Don’t you start too, Yoshino-san…" I’d thought she’d be the one person on this trip who’d take my side. When I suggested inviting Yoshino-san, sure, part of it was just because I thought it’d be nice to have someone kind like her along. But honestly, with Sakurako-chan, Moeka-chan, and Aika-chan all staying overnight together, I figured we’d need someone responsible to hit the brakes before things got out of hand. That was… the calculation behind it. But now that plan feels like it’s about to fall apart—and my heart won’t stop pounding.

"I don’t think it doesn’t suit you, Ayu-chan. Remember the sports festival? You totally rocked that maid outfit!"

"Ugh… Aika-chan, can we not talk about that? Just thinking about it makes me want to die of embarrassment."

"I made it my wallpaper!"

Moeka-chan proudly held up her smartphone with a triumphant “ta-da!” expression. Oh no… She really did take a great photo. Which is exactly why I want her to delete it right now! I leaned forward to grab her phone, but she just pulled it back with a quick flick, leaving me grasping at air.

"This is my treasure, you know!"

Ughhh… It’s been two whole months since the sports festival, and she still has it? And as her wallpaper, no less! I’m a walking public spectacle at this point.

"Oh my, that’s a lovely photo. Could I have a copy too?"

"Sure thing, Yoshino-san! I’ll send it right over!"

And just like that… the infection spreads. Even if I somehow deleted Moeka-chan’s original, there’d be infinite copies by now. The information age is terrifying…

"Strawberry parfait, order up!"

"That’s mine!"

My strawberry parfait arrived last, completing the table with everyone’s orders. The parfait sitting before me was massive. We hadn’t had lunch yet, but with how little I eat lately, I wasn’t sure I could finish it. The tall glass—about thirty centimeters high—was loaded to the brim with ice cream, wafers, and fruit piled on top. And all this for just five hundred yen! Honestly, kind of a steal.

I scooped up a bit of ice cream with the small spoon and took a bite.

"Delicious."

I couldn’t help smiling. Ahh, sweets really are the best. That rich, creamy milk flavor… cold, but so elegantly sweet. No wonder this place got featured in a magazine. I took another spoonful, savoring it. This—this is happiness. Good food just makes you feel so content. Without thinking, I rested my hand against my cheek and let out a dreamy sigh.

"Wait! Wait, Ayumi-chan! That face is dangerous! Even a girl could get butterflies from that!"

"…Honestly, I could just sit here and watch Ayu-chan eat all day."

"Oh no, Ayumi-chan. Any more of that and I— I can’t— I’m gonna get a nosebleed!"

"Sakurako. Go outside and cool your head for a bit, okay?"

For some reason, everyone started freaking out around me. Did I really eat it that weirdly? Is there some kind of unspoken rule—like, you’re supposed to start with the wafer first or something? …No, that can’t be it.

"Umm… could you not stare at me so much? It’s kind of embarrassing."

"Y-yep. Roger that."

Nope. Moeka-chan said that, but she’s still staring straight at me! If anything, it’s even creepier now!

"Ayu-chan, don’t ever make that face in front of a guy, okay? You’d probably cause… a situation."

I don’t even know what face they’re talking about, since, well, it’s my own face. But… yeah, maybe I should be careful.

In the end, my worries about finishing the parfait were totally unfounded—it was just that good. The flavor stayed well-balanced all the way through, never getting boring even with how big it was. I’ve really got Yoshino-san to thank for finding this place in that magazine. After we finished eating, we lingered over coffee and tea for a while. Then, as check-in time drew near, we left the café and headed to the inn.