“Both of you look great in those swimsuits. Really cute.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Ah, thank you.”

…As expected of Mogi-san, he casually said what I’m sure all of us were thinking. This guy is definitely used to talking to girls.

“Huh? Mogi-san, did you get hurt on your side? Are you okay?”

“Ah, this? It happened yesterday when I was messing around with Aniki…”

“Oh no, Mogi-san, are you okay!?”

“Ouch!?”

Everyone’s gaze was on Mogi-san’s bruised side. I aimed and threw the luggage I was holding straight at it.

“Sorry, my luggage kind of flew off. Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine.”

“…Mogi-san, didn’t you just say yesterday that what happened was supposed to be a secret?”

“…Ah, right. I forgot.”

We had just agreed to keep yesterday a secret, and he’s already spilling it. I’d really like to take back even a fraction of the admiration I felt for him yesterday.

“Sorry about yesterday. I accidentally hit your side during practice.”

“Nah, it doesn’t hurt anymore, so I’m good.”

…You just said it hurt a second ago. Well, I doubt anyone suspects that we were actually fighting with thugs yesterday.

Everyone looked a little doubtful for a moment, but thanks to the usual trust we’ve built, nobody questioned it too much.

Alright, we’ve met up, but now what? I’ve never been to the beach with girls before, so I have no idea what to do. Abe and Watanabe look just as lost as I am.

Oh right, we need to put our stuff somewhere. Damn, I should’ve brought a leisure sheet or something!

“Aniki, I rented a parasol and a sheet from that beach hut over there. I also got a beach ball, so let’s play some volleyball later.”

“Oh, that sounds great!”

Having been to the beach multiple times, Mogi-san smoothly arranged for a parasol and a beach ball.

“Alright, since we’re at the beach, let’s go all out and have fun!”

We put our stuff under the parasol and fully enjoyed the sea—swimming around in the water, playing with the beach ball on the sand.

The beach ball was especially amazing. The intense movement and jumping on the sand made a certain part of Kawabata-san and Sayama-san’s bodies bounce… a truly delightful sight.

Mogi-san, thank you for suggesting beach volleyball! For the first time, I’m really glad you’re here!

For lunch, we each grabbed something to eat at the beach hut. I went with ramen and ramune soda.

“Phew—nothing beats drinking ramune at a beach hut!”

“This ramen is great too. Honestly, anything eaten at a beach hut tastes amazing, even if it’s just cup ramen.”

I still remember eating cup ramen at a beach hut when I was a kid. After running around and getting exhausted, the salty broth really hit the spot. It was ridiculously overpriced—almost three times the regular price—but still.

“And shaved ice and ice cream are a must too.”

“Yeah! I saw a fancy shaved ice stand over there. Let’s get some later!”

“Oh, and yakisoba and grilled corn are classics too.”

“Yeah, eating hot food on a hot summer day at the beach is the best.”

This feels so much like the ideal summer experience. I’m really glad I got invited to this part-time job.

“Sorry, I’m going to the restroom for a bit.”

“Ah, Yukari, it was super crowded earlier, so the one outside might be faster.”

“Thanks, Nozomi. I’ll check inside first, and if it’s too crowded, I’ll go outside.”

“…Yukari’s taking a while. I’ll go check on her.”

“Yeah, I’ll look outside. If she’s not there, I’ll come right back.”

Maybe she went outside and got lost. There are a lot of beach huts here, and their signs all look the same. It wouldn’t be surprising if she forgot which one was ours. I should make sure to remember the name of the one we’re at.

“…No, it’s fine. I’ll look for it myself.”

“It’s okay, we’ve got time.”

“Yeah, we’re locals around here. Leave it to us.”

…I found Sayama-san, but she was being hassled by two shady-looking guys. She’s really cute, so I guess it comes with the territory. Fortunately, they don’t seem to have realized she’s an idol. I should step in quickly.

“Sayama-san, over here.”

“Tachihara-kun!”

“…Tch, she’s with a guy.”

“Damn it.”

The two looked like typical delinquents, but honestly, they don’t scare me at all.

“Sorry, my friend was bothering you.”

“…Tch, let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

…As they passed by, the blond one deliberately bumped my shoulder, while the one with the nose piercing stepped on my foot.

They clearly weren’t trying to help her. Well, it didn’t hurt or anything, so I’ll let it slide. No need to escalate things.

“Tachihara-kun, are you okay!?”

“Yeah, it didn’t hurt at all, so I’m fine. More importantly, are you okay, Sayama-san? Did they do anything to you?”

I don’t care about myself, but if they had done anything to her, I’d have to take them behind the beach hut for a little chat.

“No, I’m fine. I just got lost trying to get back, and while I was looking around, those two started bothering me…”

“I’m glad you’re safe. Let’s head back to everyone.”

“Yeah. Thank you, Tachihara-kun!”