"Phew... Alright, shall we head into the water?"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
When I called out while exhaling a long, weary sigh, Haruka stood up with a radiant smile.
In the end, I had been unable to put up any real resistance—though I did successfully defend my lower half—and had been thoroughly slathered in sunscreen. In exchange—or perhaps as a penalty—I had been forced to rub the lotion onto Haruka’s back as well.
I was already exhausted, and we hadn't even started playing yet. In contrast to me, Haruka looked incredibly satisfied, leaving me with nothing to do but give a faint, wry smile.
...Well, I didn't get as flustered as I expected. I suppose my self-restraint has been tempered by the fact that we've been sleeping curled up together every night.
While entertaining those pointless thoughts, I tucked my smartphone and wallet into a waterproof waist pouch, grabbed the swim ring in one hand, and stood up.
"By the way, Haruka, can you swim?"
When I asked Haruka, who had excitedly taken my hand and laced her fingers through mine, she made a somewhat conflicted expression.
"Hmm... I might be pretty bad at it."
"You think so?"
"It’s been over a year since I’ve been to a pool, let alone the ocean. Even back in middle school, I couldn't really swim that much during class."
Middle school swimming... Right, I remembered how things were for her last year.
Since swimming classes at our high school were elective alongside track and field, Haruka had likely chosen track to avoid the water.
When I held out the swim ring, she hugged it to her chest before she could even say thank you.
"What about you, Tatsumi-kun?"
"I’m not a pro or anything, but I can swim as well as the average guy."
I could manage about twenty-five meters as long as I stuck to the crawl or breaststroke. My speed was another story entirely.
Regardless, if we were just playing in the waves, not being able to swim wouldn't be much of a problem. I’d brought a beach ball too, so we could figure out plenty of ways to have fun.
Under the beating rays of the sun, our feet crunched rhythmically against the sand as we walked toward the shimmering blue sea.
We stood at the water's edge, right where the sand turned a darker shade, and waited a moment until a retreating wave swept over our feet. The sudden chill of the seawater made me catch my breath.
"Oh..."
"Eek, it's cold...!"
"Yeah. Shall we go in a bit further?"
"Wait a second!"
"O-Okay."
Haruka, clearly hesitating, gripped my arm tightly to hold me back. Startled, I looked down to find her eyes fixed on mine with a strangely serious intensity.
"Before we go in, we have to stretch...!"
"Sure, okay. I don't think you need to be that nervous, though. You've got the ring, and you've got me."
"I'm not nervous! ...But you'd better keep your eyes on me, okay?"
"I will."
It seemed our earlier conversation had reminded her of her lack of swimming skills, and now that she was actually touching the water, her anxiety had become tangible. It didn't seem like a major phobia, but I agreed that stretching was a good idea.
We stepped back onto the dry sand, lightly stretching our limbs and loosening our joints. I was especially thorough with my legs to make sure I wouldn't get a cramp out there.
By the time we finished, Haruka’s tension seemed to have eased. Her footsteps toward the water were lighter now, and she wore a peaceful expression—though she was still on high alert, already wearing the swim ring like a life jacket.
"Tatsumi-kun, make sure you don't let go of my hand...!"
"I’d like to, but the ring will get in the way. I'll support you from behind instead."
"Ugh, but then I won't be able to see your face..."
"It’s okay, it’s okay."
Since I was usually the one being teased, seeing Haruka acting so vulnerable felt fresh.
In a pose reminiscent of the climax of a certain famous movie about a doomed luxury liner, we slowly waded into the deeper water.
"Wa, wah...!"
"I think you can take your feet off the bottom now. If you tense up too much, you’ll just sink. Just relax... There, you've got it."
Haruka’s athletic reflexes were naturally good. Once I provided enough support to ease her fear, she quickly grasped the trick to staying afloat.
"I think I’m getting the hang of it! If I move my legs like this... Whoa, whoops!?"
"Careful. Floating and swimming are two different things. You should probably stick with the ring for a while."
"Th-Thank you...! Ugh, this isn't how it was supposed to go..."
She had tried to shift her weight and lost her balance inside the ring, but I caught her before she could flip over. She looked quite pouty about her lack of grace, but at least she stopped moving recklessly.
"Why don't you try sitting on the ring for a bit? Put your arms up."
"Hands up~"
I pulled the swim ring up from her torso as she obediently raised both hands, then helped her sit on top of it. Having a stable base finally made her relax. She sat there with a peaceful smile, contentedly splashing the water with her hands.
I kept one hand on the ring, enjoying the sensation of the waves rocking my entire body. Between the rhythmic wash of the tide and the distant, muffled noise of the crowds, I felt my spirits lifting.
I casually looked up at the sky, squinting against the brilliant sunlight, when—splash. A cold burst of water hit my cheek.
"...Haruka?"
"Ehehe, gotcha!"
Haruka laughed mischievously, scooping up more water from her perch on the ring.
"Oh, you’re asking for it," I laughed, brushing my wet hair back. "My turn!"
"Hya!? It’s cold!"
When I splashed a bit of water back at her in retaliation, Haruka let out a tiny shriek and shrugged her shoulders. Not to be outdone, she scooped up water with both hands and fought back relentlessly.
Soon, the sparkling surface of the water became the stage for a proper splash fight as we rained water down on each other.
"Hey! Your hands are bigger, so I'm at a disadvantage!"
"The world of competition is a cruel place."
"Muu... I'm not losing!"
Raising a voice of mock protest, Haruka leaned forward to counterattack, and I took the splash head-on while returning fire. Since Haruka was sitting on the ring and I had to keep a hand on it to keep her steady, neither of us could really dodge.
It was essentially a slugfest with zero defense—but it was fun. Water droplets scattered across our cheeks and hair, and our laughter rang out, dissolving into the sound of the waves.
"Haha... Careful, or you'll capsize!"
"You're the one who—oh, wait, uh oh...!"
"—Haruka!"
In our frantic attempt to soak each other, Haruka lost her center of gravity. I hurriedly reached out to catch her, using my other hand to steady the ring before it could flip.
"Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine. Thank you...!"
"Man, that was close. We both got a little carried away..."
"Yeah, we did..."
The warmth of Haruka’s body as she shifted slightly in my arms was clearly transmitted through our wet skin. Even though we were cooled by the seawater, she felt strangely hot to the touch. We were so close that I could feel her every breath.
"...Tatsumi-kun."
Haruka looked up at me from inches away. In her eyes, framed by wet lashes, the sunlight reflected like shimmering diamonds. Even the way the water droplets trailed down her cheeks seemed incredibly vivid.
The splashing had stopped, but my chest felt noisy. I realized it was the sound of my own heart.
"...Haruka."
I whispered her name, trying to exhale the heat coiling in my chest. Just as I was about to pull her closer—
"...Mnh."
Haruka squeezed her eyes shut and, after the briefest moment of hesitation, gently pressed her lips against mine.
The sensation was soft and sweet. My entire world was instantly occupied by the girl in front of me, making me feel as if we were the only two people left on earth—until a tiny plink broke the spell.
"...!"
The sound of a drop of water falling from my bangs into the ocean brought me back to reality.
"...Ehehe, I did it."
Though her face was bright red, Haruka smiled with a hint of pride. I couldn't help but give a wry smile at her mixture of innocence and boldness.
"We're in public, you know."
"No one's looking... and I’m hidden by your shadow, Tatsumi-kun."
It was true; I was currently standing with my back to the beach, effectively shielding her with my body. At this angle, no one could see what we were doing.
"...I guess it’s fine, then."
"Yeah, it is... mnh."
Our shadows overlapped once more, and the soft sound of our lips meeting was quickly swallowed by the rhythmic wash of the waves.
We played in the ocean for a while longer before deciding it was time for lunch. To keep from getting too cold, we both put our rash guards back on and headed toward the beach house.
"What should we get?"
"I think I'll go with the fried rice. How about you, Haruka?"
"Hmm... maybe the mazesoba. I was torn between that and the yakisoba."
"Oh? What made you pick the mazesoba?"
"I figured I could eat yakisoba at the summer festival soon, so I decided to pass for now..."
As Haruka looked down with a mock-tragic expression, I comforted her, saying, "Well, we’ll make sure to have plenty at the festival."
Playing along with our little skit, we ordered at the counter and paid. It felt a bit expensive, but I figured that was just the "location tax" you paid at a beach. We took our numbered ticket and sat down at an empty table for two.
"What's the plan for the afternoon? I almost forgot, but I brought a beach ball too."
"Sounds good! Let's play with that after we eat for some exercise. Then, once we're tired, we can just relax, play in the sand, or walk along the shore."
"Got it. They close at 5:00 PM, so let's start packing up about thirty minutes before that. The showers will probably get packed right at the end."
While we were discussing our plans, a cheerful voice called out our number from the side.
"Customer twelve! Sorry to keep you wai—wait, Haruka and Yanagida-kun!"
"Huh?"
Surprised to hear my name, I looked up at the staff member. She was a quintessential "gal" with light brown curly hair and slightly sharp features. She was wearing an apron over a vibrant bikini, holding our tray.
...I felt like I’d seen her before. While I was trying to place the sense of déjà vu, Haruka spoke up brightly.
"Ririka-chan! Are you working here?"
"Yep. My uncle runs this beach house. Nozomi and Meru are working here too, by the way. Mazesoba for Haruka and fried rice for Yanagida-kun, right?"
"Yeah... thanks."
Following Ririka-chan's gaze, I saw Nozomi and Meru... and finally remembered. They were the gals from my class who had talked to me in the classroom once. Since Haruka had gotten jealous and chased them off, I hadn't had a chance to speak with them since, and the memory had slipped to the back of my mind.
I hadn't even known their names until now. So that’s who they were.
Noticing my thoughtful silence, the girl—Fujimiya-san—let out an exasperated sigh.
"Yanagida-kun, you were just thinking 'who is this again,' weren't you? I'm Ririka Fujimiya. We're in the same class, so you'd better remember it."
"...Sorry. I've got it now. Nice to meet you, Fujimiya-san."
Since I had been legitimately rude by forgetting her name, I gave her an honest apology. She laughed contentedly and turned to Haruka while setting down the glasses of oolong tea.
"Haruka, isn't your boyfriend a little heartless? You’ve gotta keep him on a tighter leash."
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. I'll make sure to give him a stern talking-to."
"Do you guys think I'm a pet or something?"
"Not a pet. Maybe a guard dog?"
"............"
I found myself unable to strongly deny it. Well, if I was a guard dog meant to protect Haruka, I suppose I was fine with that. The two girls shared a giggle at my silence. At least they were having fun.
"Still... Yanagida-kun, you really do have a great build."
"Eh?"
"Ririka-chan...?"
"Wait, wait! I don't mean it in a weird way! I'm just impressed by how much you’ve trained! Haruka, your eyes are terrifying! I’m not hitting on him! I'm not a muscle freak like Nozomi!"
The sudden, loaded comment made me tense up. Just what kind of look was Haruka giving her? Fujimiya-san waved her hands frantically and started explaining.
"Look, I'm on the physical education committee. I have to start thinking about the roster for the sports festival in September."
"Oh, is that all? You should have said so sooner~"
"...My wording was bad, but Haruka, you're a little too sensit—no, sorry, never mind." She cleared her throat. "Based on how you move in PE, Yanagida-kun, you’re one of the more athletic guys, right? The sports club kids have a lot of restrictions on what they can enter, so people in the Go-home Club who can actually move are really valuable."
"Ah, for things like the relay?"
"Exactly! So, I'm going to be counting on you big time for the main event! Make sure you keep pushing those muscles!"
Before I could even respond to that, Fujimiya-san hurried away. Left feeling a bit dazed, I picked up my spoon and muttered a single thought.
"...Starting tomorrow, I think I'll go for a run in the morning or evening."
"That sounds great! I'll do it with you!"