Chapter 28: A Summer-like Event

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Translator: Soafp

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Monday, Amanatsu kept messaging me.

“Are you still sick today?”

“I trust you, Hatsukade-kun, but in the photo Sakura posted on social media, isn't there someone who looks like you in the background????”

When I checked the photo she sent, I found my back-view silhouette barely visible far behind Sakura, who was taking a selfie on the beach.

How did she even notice someone my microscopic size?

For now, I told her it was probably someone who just looked like me, but I was starting to feel like I was nearing my limit.

“Hey, Subaru, good work today too.”

Because there weren't many reservations on Wednesday, we finished early.

When I clocked out, Toshie-san called out to me.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“You really saved us by covering for Murata-chan too. Honestly, if you hadn't been here, the whole operation would've collapsed. Well, if you hadn't been here, Murata-chan wouldn't have taken time off in the first place, though.”

That was a pretty nasty way to put it.

What exactly had I done?

It sounded like I was the reason she'd taken time off.

“Right, right. A typhoon's apparently going to hit hard on Friday. So tomorrow we're canceling reservations and all pitch in to prepare before it comes.”

When he explained it, it sounded like a big job.

Hauling the diving boat up onto land.

Putting away the chairs, parasols, and all the other equipment outside the shop.

And notifying customers with reservations that everything had been canceled.

“By the way, I remember Subaru and Sakura were scheduled to help through the weekend. Sorry, but the sea's going to get rough, so we're shutting down for the rest of the week. Realistically, tomorrow will be the last day you'll be working, Subaru.”

So, one more day.

I could feel the end steadily approaching.

After wrapping up my conversation with Toshie-san, I was resting leisurely on the bench in front of the shop when, for some reason, Sakura appeared wearing goggles and a snorkel in her mouth.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo!”

“What are you doing?”

“Fuh!”

She handed me a full snorkeling set with a pop.

“…”

---

“Why am I doing this again…?”

After changing into a wetsuit and putting on fins and a snorkel set, I was waist-deep in the sea.

“Come on, let's swim together! If we miss today, the typhoon will come and we won't get another chance to go underwater.”

Sakura had tied her hair into a ponytail and was smiling as she splashed the water.

“You've done this plenty of times already. You should be used to it.”

“Not that—I want you to see it. It's fun.”

Then Sakura grinned mischievously and pointed toward the offshore side with her thumb.

“Hehe, there's a nice rocky reef over there. I'll show you the way.”

What kind of smooth-talking flirt are you supposed to be?

Honestly, I wasn't really eager, but if I got this far and chickened out, it would all have been a waste.

I steeled myself and dived in headfirst.

I'm good at swimming.

Once I started, the initial anxiety quickly faded, and I ended up thinking, Oh, so this is all it is.

Sakura tapped my shoulder.

I assumed she was telling me to follow her.

I let myself be guided, and before I knew it, the water was too deep to stand in.

Then I looked toward where Sakura was pointing, and there were schools of little fish gathered around the reef…

(…Wow…)

Some swam gracefully, while others peeked out from gaps in the rocks and swayed back and forth.

This was pretty cute too.

Sakura grabbed my arm again.

This time I turned around to see a large black fish swimming low near the bottom.

Ah, that's a black sea bream.

And that long one with only its head sticking out is a moray eel.

I remembered because they were in Blue Note's fish guide materials.

Before I knew it, I was completely absorbed in snorkeling.

The customer who had bought me coffee from the vending machine the other day came back to mind.

“There are views you can't see from land.”

That was absolutely true.

This beautiful scenery is something only people who dive can understand.

I'm not good with the sea.

Throwing myself into an environment full of uncertainty made me uneasy, but if I think of this as the reward for taking that first step… it wasn't a bad experience.

After a while, we came back up.

We sat down together on the beach at the water's edge.

“How was it?”

“…It was fun. I never planned to do something like this in my whole life, but I'm glad I tried it.”

“Really? Then I did the right thing asking you.”

“But why did you suddenly want to go snorkeling?”

“Hm? Well… I guess I just wanted to make one last memory.”

“One last?”

The relationship was supposed to last until Sunday.

There was still plenty of time left, so why “last”?

“Well, if the typhoon stalls, you won't be able to go home, right? You've got school on Monday, and it'd be bad to keep holding you here forever for your parents' sake. So I thought maybe you should head back after tomorrow's work.”

“I'm keeping in touch regularly, so don't worry.”

“It's not that simple… You've already let me have so much fun. And besides…”

Then Sakura fell silent.

She looked at me as if checking my expression, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Slowly, she reached her arm toward my hand… and pulled it back.

“…I want to keep my promise.”

The sound of the tide rolling in and out rang softly in the quiet.

The orange sun sank below the horizon.

Thinking this might be the last time I'd see a view like this, I felt a faint, unfamiliar sense of regret.

“Why don't you want romance, Hatsukade?”

She had changed how she called me—sharply and unmistakably.

“Come to think of it, I never told you, did I? I had a childhood friend I liked in middle school.”

“Really?”

“But she set up a fake confession and made me the laughingstock. Ever since then, I decided I didn't want to date anyone who did childish things.”

“Eh… then what I did means—”

“Don't worry about it. I'm over that already, and I've made up with Amanatsu and Shinonome too. Besides, you apologized right away, didn't you? So I'm not angry.”

“…Even so, I still want to properly apologize.”

Sakura stood up and bowed deeply.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know you had that kind of history, and I did something awful. …I'm the worst.”

I got to my feet and pressed on her shoulders to lift her face.

“Then I've forgiven you for now. Is that good enough?”

But she shook her head.

“You can't forgive me that easily.”

“I'm telling you, I'm not—”

“If my doing that made you think you never wanted romance again, that would be awful.”

“…Even without that, I never planned to date in high school.”

Since the day my childhood friend set me up with that fake confession, I'd lived that way.

I wanted to spend my time on something more enjoyable and worthwhile than pointless nonsense.

“But you did love your childhood friend, didn't you?”

“…”

“If you'd met someone good, maybe you would've wanted to date somebody someday. But because of our fake-confession stunt, maybe we made you harden that decision even more. That makes me sad.”

Honestly, what was with everyone?

Why did they put so much weight on romance?

It wasn't something absolutely necessary just to live.

Sakura had been staring at me, and then her expression softened.

“Falling in love can be painful a lot of the time, but that's not all there is to it. At the very least, since the day I met you, I've been happy all the way until today.”

“…”

“So, um… you should hurry up and find someone you like and get a girlfriend already. Then I'll be able to give up properly…”

Is romance really happiness…?

That didn't sound like something a person forcing a smile and holding back tears would say.

“Sorry, I'm thirsty, so I'm heading back first!”

With that, Sakura grabbed her snorkeling gear and ran off barefoot.

I let out a deep sigh and sat back down on the sand.

“Romance… romance, huh.”

Why should I have to dive into a place where my life gets controlled by other people?

When I put my hand on the ground, something touched it.

I picked it up and muttered in exasperation.

“That idiot forgot her beach sandals.”

She wouldn't be able to walk any farther on the sand like this.

What a handful she was.

I started after her.

And then I found Sakura being bothered by a man.

Wasn't that… the surfer who had been hitting on her before?

Looks like he was trying again despite having learned nothing.

“Hey, hey, I'll listen to you, okay?”

“Please move.”

“If you're crying and looking that sad, I can't help worrying. Oh, what, did you break up with your darling?”

“…”

“I see. Then even more reason not to be alone. Come eat with me or something.”

The man's voice and expression sounded sympathetic, but the tone and his behavior made it obvious he was pleased.

If he liked Sakura enough to keep hitting on her, then at least have the decency to really worry about her.

I approached from behind and pulled Sakura close by the shoulder.

“!? H-Hatsukade!?”

“Huh!?”

The surfer's eyes went wide.

“What the hell are you?”

“I'm her darling.”

“What!? But I thought you broke up!”

“We haven't. You're bothering us, so could you please leave it at that?”

The surfer's face twisted with frustration.

“Tch. And I thought she was available.”

Then he clicked his tongue and left.

“W-Wh…”

Sakura's face was bright red as she trembled and let out a shaky voice.

“I wasn't lying.”

“…!”

When I started walking, Sakura followed behind me.

“Thanks… that angry face of yours was the first time I'd ever seen it.”

What was she talking about?

I wasn't angry.

I just glared a little to make him back off.

And then, the following day, we would reach the final day in this seaside town.