“I realized I’d forgotten to inflate the beach ball. ...Is my only option to huff and puff until it’s full?”
“Go for it! Go, go!”
“...Inhale... Haaaa!”
“Whoa!”
Haruka clapped enthusiastically as the ball expanded rapidly under the full force of my lungs.
After making sure the plug was sealed tight and no air was escaping, I bounced it a few times. It seemed good to go.
“Here!”
“Wa-wah...!”
On a whim, I tossed the ball toward Haruka without any warning.
Though she looked a bit startled, she caught it with both hands and fixed me with a flat, judgmental stare.
Compared to the pranks Haruka usually pulled on me, I figured this was pretty cute... I gave her a small, sheepish smile and stood up from under the parasol.
“For now, let’s head down to the water and play some volleyball.”
“Since we’re at it, let's make a bet. Whoever drops the ball first, umm... has to buy the other ice cream on the way home. How's that?”
“I’d probably buy you ice cream anyway, but... sure, that sounds low-stakes enough.”
“Yay! I’m getting Häagen-Dazs!”
“Well, the ‘low-stakes’ part just flew out the window...”
We waded out until the water reached our knees. I stood across from Haruka, who held the ball ready.
With a bright shout of “Here I go!” she sent the ball flying with a silly-sounding thwack.
It flew toward me in a gentle arc. I returned it with an overhand pass, though I didn't put quite enough power into it.
“Hup!”
“Oh, nice one.”
Haruka slid under the ball with impressive agility and sent back a perfect return. She certainly moved well for someone standing in water.
Not to be outdone, I stepped back and returned it with an underhand bump.
“Tatsumi-kun, aren't your reactions getting a little slow?”
“What was that...? Take this!”
“Whoops, careful! There!”
As the rally continued, we both started to find our rhythm.
I was getting so absorbed in chasing the ball that I’d almost forgotten about the bet entirely when my gaze happened to shift toward Haruka.
“Ahaha! This is so much fun, Tatsumi-kun!”
“Yeah... it is.”
I smiled back at her carefree expression, but then my eyes drifted just a little lower.
The moment she reached up for an overhand pass, her ample curves swayed—faintly, but unmistakably.
A crude, base thought flashed through my mind—Wait, now there are three balls—and the instant it did, I snapped back to reality and jerked my gaze away. Splash.
The sound of the ball hitting the water followed immediately after it vanished from my sight.
“Ah,” I let out a weak groan.
“I win~! Weren't you relaxing a little too much?”
“Ugh... Let's make it a Three-game Match.”
Haruka tilted her head triumphantly, clearly proud of her victory.
There was no way on earth I could honestly tell her, “I got distracted because I was staring at your chest,” so I just ignored her question, picked up the ball, and proposed a rematch.
Fortunately, Haruka didn't seem to think much of it. She nodded in high spirits.
“One game isn't enough anyway! Since we're here, let's make it a Five-game Match.”
“That works for me. I’ll start.”
“Bring it on!”
The match continued, but I couldn't regain my composure. I was still too shaken to look at Haruka head-on.
Despite my best efforts to fight back, I ended up suffering a crushing defeat, losing four games to one.
§
Once our beach ball battle was over, we headed back to the parasol to rest and hydrate.
I downed a bottle of ice-cold sports drink in one go.
After tilting the bottle back for a few seconds, only a few droplets were left. I was thinking about heading to a nearby vending machine to refill it when I felt a poke on my arm.
“Hey, hey, what does this look like to you?”
“Hmm?”
Haruka was pointing at a drawing she’d etched into the sand.
I leaned over to look at it from the side and found myself tilting my head in confusion.
“...Uh, a sleeping dog...?”
“Bzzz! Wrong! The correct answer was a kitty cat!”
“A cat...? I see. A cat, huh...”
Leaving me behind with a massive question mark over my head, Haruka moved her slender fingertips through the sand with total confidence.
“Done! What do you think this is?”
“A fish?”
“Hmm... close, but no cigar. It is a sea creature, though.”
“I see...? Uh, a... tuna?”
“Incorrect! The answer was a dolphin!”
“A dolphin!? This triangular, mountain-looking thing?”
“You have to use your imagination to fill in the gaps!”
She was asking for the impossible.
Apparently, my beloved perfect beauty was also a self-proclaimed Master Artist.
The drawing certainly had... character. I couldn't call it good even to be polite, but the more I looked at it, the more strangely captivating it became.
I wondered if people who enjoyed abstract art or cubism felt this way. Probably not.
It seemed like a crime to let this masterpiece simply be washed away, so I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo.
“Okay, next one! What's this?”
“Horns and wings? Hmm... I've got it, it’s a bat!”
“Too bad! It was a clione!”
“Guh, almost had it...!”
A bat and a clione—also known as a sea angel—probably have the same basic silhouette if you squint hard enough.
In the end, I wasn't able to get a single one of Haruka's questions right. I suppose I still have a long way to go.
Though I had no idea what I was actually supposed to be improving on... maybe I’d take her on a Museum Date sometime soon.
§
“It’s already four-thirty. We should probably start getting ready to head back.”
“Eh, is it that time already? Time really does fly when you’re having fun...”
When I told her the time, Haruka, who had been lounging on her swim ring, let out a disappointed sigh.
Looking around, I could see other beachgoers starting to pack up as well. It was better to get a head start before the rush.
I soothed her disappointment and we walked back to the parasol.
“First, I’ll fold the parasol and take it off the pole...”
“We can leave the swim ring inflated, right?”
“Yeah. We’ll just return it to the counter as is.”
“Got it.”
With the two of us working together, we finished tidying up our spot in less than five minutes.
I carried the folded parasol and the swim ring while Haruka took the rest of the bags, and we headed toward the Beach House counter.
Fujimiya-san was there, still energetically calling out to customers just like she had been at lunch.
When we stepped up to the window, she greeted us with a bright smile.
“Oh, you two heading out?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I wanted to stay a bit longer, but...”
“Hearing that makes it all worth it for us staff! Well, come back and see us again soon.”
“Fujimiya-san, I’m here to return the parasol and the swim ring.”
“Sure thing. ...Alright, thanks for coming! We hope to see you again soon!”
Immediately after giving a professional bow as an employee, Fujimiya-san waved her hand with a casual “Bye-bye!” We waved back and left the Beach House behind.
The changing rooms behind the building were starting to get crowded as the swimming day wound down.
I parted ways with Haruka and entered the men’s changing room. I rinsed the sand off my body before hopping into the shower.
The feeling of the cold water washing away the salt and stickiness was so refreshing I found myself lingering under the spray.
After drying off, I pulled on the T-shirt and shorts I’d left in my locker, did a few quick stretches, and headed back out.
I didn't have to wait long before Haruka appeared.
“Did I take too long?”
“No, I just got out myself.”
She was drying her hair with a towel, wearing a White One-piece that swayed as she walked. She had a soft, gentle aura about her that was a stark contrast to the daring swimsuit she’d worn all day.
“That’s good. Ah... I’m actually really sad to leave.”
“Me too... Did you have a good time?”
“Of course! It was amazing! But that just makes me feel a little lonely now that it's over.”
Haruka murmured softly as she looked out toward the shore.
Beyond the embankment, the setting sun was slowly sinking, gilding the waves with a brilliant gold.
“Let’s look at the sea for a moment before we go.”
“Yeah.”
We walked slowly along the sand, side by side.
The tide rose and fell quietly, leaving soft white foam at our feet.
Most of the other beachgoers had already left, leaving the area nearly empty. It was so peaceful that the noise and bustle of the afternoon felt like a distant memory.
“Let’s come back again, Tatsumi-kun. Next time... maybe I’ll be able to swim without the ring.”
“In that case, we’ll have to have a race.”
“It’s a promise.”
Haruka smiled happily and reached out to lightly pinch my sleeve.
When I took her hand in mine, I could feel the warmth soaking from my fingertips deep into my heart.
With the water’s edge glowing in the sunset behind us, we turned to leave. The sound of the retreating waves grew faint.
Carrying the memories we’d made at the summer sea, we left the beach behind, feeling just a little bit sentimental.