Since the day Haruto had returned to Tokyo, he hadn't seen Mai again. Even after settling back, their schedules hadn't aligned due to her work, and it wasn't until today that they finally met again.
"How's work been?"
"Busy. Incredibly busy. Drowning in paperwork every day—I haven't had a proper rest in ages. Why? Were you thinking of inviting me out somewhere to relax?"
Mai crossed her arms, looking at Haruto with a soft, teasing smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"I don't have any plans to go anywhere far this summer," Haruto replied. "I'll be staying in Tokyo. But if you ever feel lonely on your day off, we could go for a walk downtown or something."
"Are you sure?"
Wrapped in a pale orchid-colored knit cardigan, Mai raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. But I'll need to wait until my sisters leave Tokyo—I'm responsible for them while they're here."
"Alright. Once your sisters head back, we'll plan a day out. Right, Setsuna? You don't mind, do you?"
She looked over to her daughter sitting on the couch, who appeared to be watching TV. Setsuna briefly glanced at her mother with a blank expression, paused, and then silently turned back to the screen.
"No protest means she's fine with it," Mai said. "I'll contact you once I'm off."
"Sounds good."
"So, what brings you here today?"
After that casual exchange about future plans, Mai fixed her gaze on Haruto, curious about his reason for dropping by.
"Nothing much—just wanted to see how you two were doing. I'll be out tomorrow, so I probably won't be home."
"With your sisters?"
"Not just them. I also made plans with some school friends. We talked about meeting up during summer break, so I'm taking Mitsuha and Yotsuha with me."
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah, we're going to the beach."
At the mention of the beach, Setsuna's ears perked up. Mai, noticing, gave Haruto a subtle look and then glanced back at her daughter. After observing the girl for a moment, she returned her gaze to Haruto.
"The beach, huh?"
"Yeah. It's just guys, so I figured it'd be awkward to bring others along."
"I understand. A gathering among guys your age—makes sense."
Mai nodded in understanding. Haruto looked toward Setsuna, who remained quiet, and then smiled faintly at Mai.
"Next time, let's all go to the beach together."
After spending a bit more time at the Kiyoura home, Haruto returned to his apartment. As he stepped inside, he found Yotsuha sitting on top of Mitsuha, both girls huddled around the computer. Their faces were tense and focused on the screen.
Click.
He closed the door, walked over to the living room, and glanced at the monitor—just in time to catch a flicker of pitch-blackness and the sudden flash of a grotesque, crimson figure with a distorted face.
Mitsuha froze in terror, her mind going blank. Yotsuha clamped her hands over her ears, eyes shut tight, frozen in place on top of her sister.
Haruto sighed and walked over to the desk, calmly closing the browser tab. Then he looked at the girls beside him.
"Watching this kind of thing in the middle of the night—aren't you worried you won't be able to sleep?"
Mitsuha, teary-eyed, clung to his arm, visibly trembling.
"I—I didn't mean to… I just found a link while browsing. It said, 'Spot the Difference,' and then suddenly... that thing..."
Haruto immediately understood.
"I see. You're not used to the internet yet, so falling for something like that isn't surprising. Just remember—don't click on shady links again."
Back then, the internet wasn't as regulated, and most people were still unfamiliar with its darker corners. It wasn't unusual for people to fall for simple scare tactics—like flashing a jump-scare image accompanied by a piercing scream right when you're concentrating.
"As the internet grows, so do online crimes. Always be careful. People lie all the time online—it's one of the easiest crimes there is."
Familiar faces might deceive you, but online anonymity often reveals people's worst sides. Few truly consider how their actions affect others.
"...Okay," Mitsuha muttered, lips pressed tight, still shaken. Yotsuha slowly uncovered her ears and glanced over at her brother.
"It's over?"
Yotsuha, being younger and more sensitive, had sensed something was off and immediately shielded herself. Unlike Mitsuha, who kept staring at the screen trying to find the difference, Yotsuha escaped the scare.
Haruto looked at the two girls, then opened the browser again.
Mitsuha shrank back immediately. Yotsuha, meanwhile, hopped off her sister and ran to the bed.
Seeing their reactions, Haruto simply opened a preschool educational cartoon.
The soft, gentle music gradually soothed the girls. Mitsuha sat quietly, and Yotsuha curiously watched the show.
By 9 PM, Mitsuha was fighting off sleep, and Yotsuha was nodding off. Haruto stopped the video and gently urged them to get some rest, then headed to the bathroom to shower.
When he came back out, the futon had been completely claimed—both sisters were already lying down, fast asleep.
"...Seriously?"
He glanced at the unused bed, then stepped toward it. Just as he was about to lie down—
Whap.
A cold hand grabbed his ankle.
Looking down, he found Mitsuha wide-eyed, silently staring up at him. The look in her eyes was... intense.
Haruto sighed.
Knowing full well she was still scared, he gave up and lay down on the futon with them.
As soon as he did, the two girls clung to him like octopuses.
He loved his sisters dearly and didn't mind their affection, but…
It's summer. And it's hot.
When he awoke the next morning, he felt a warm, sticky sensation around his collarbone. Groggy, he looked down—and found Mitsuha sleeping against his neck.
He had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
With a slight headache, Haruto slowly and carefully removed her arms from around him, gently moved Yotsuha's hand off his chest, and slipped out of bed to head to the shower once again.
By the time he came out, both girls were awake in their pajamas, sitting up on the futon.
"Morning shower?" Mitsuha asked groggily.
Judging by her blank look, she had no idea she'd drooled on him in her sleep. Haruto decided to let it slide.
"Finish getting ready. After breakfast, we're heading out. It'll take a while to get to Shonan Beach."
"Oh, right! The beach!" Mitsuha jumped up, scrambling to get dressed. Yotsuha followed.
Meanwhile, Haruto grabbed his phone and called Akihisa.
"Hello?"
The voice that answered was deeper and rougher than expected—it wasn't Akihisa.
"You with Akihisa, Yuji?"
"That idiot said he was going to Shonan today, so I figured he'd oversleep and just crashed at his place."
"And?"
"We pulled an all-nighter gaming. Went to bed at 1 AM. Still tired… yawn…"
"You still good to go?"
"No problem, I'll wake him now—Akihisa, get up. Beach day."
"Urghh…"
Yuji's tone shifted as he tried to rouse his friend, growing more aggressive until some unpleasant sounds came through the line—then finally:
"I'm up."
"You alright?"
"Just got caught in a knee lock. Nearly broke my leg. But I'm up. Are you heading out now, or meeting us at Shonan?"
"Shonan."
"Alright, we'll see you there."
Once Haruto confirmed they were good to go, he changed into a T-shirt and shorts, slung on a small backpack, and the girls stuffed their things into it.
After breakfast, they all left the apartment, made their way to the train station, and started their journey to Shonan with a few transfers.
"Isn't there a Shōhoku High around Shonan Beach?" Mitsuha asked along the way.
"You mean the one near Enoshima?"
"There really is one?!"
"Of course. It's right near the beach."
Seeing Mitsuha so suddenly energized, Haruto tilted his head.
"It's famous, right? From Slam Dunk!"
"Oh, the basketball thing…"
Haruto's gaze grew distant. He didn't have much interest in basketball—only a vague familiarity at best.
Still, seeing his sister so cheerful, he smiled slightly and turned back to the view outside the train window.
The city slowly gave way to older, less maintained neighborhoods. The faded colors of aging buildings reminded him of a worn-out photo album—somehow familiar, even if he'd never seen them before.
A strange sense of déjà vu.
After about two hours, they finally arrived near Shonan Beach. Haruto messaged Akihisa and Yuji.
"You're already there? We're still on the way. About 30 minutes out. Hideyoshi's with us too."
"Got it. I'll wait somewhere nearby."
They were already wearing their swimsuits under their clothes. The sun was up and the beach was still mostly empty—early enough to enjoy it before the crowds.
"Since we've got time, want to try that speedboat ride?" Haruto asked the girls.
"Really?!" Mitsuha and Yotsuha's eyes sparkled.
After checking the price, which wasn't too steep, Haruto agreed.
He helped them into life vests, and the three of them got on board.
The salty sea breeze, the brilliant sunshine shimmering off the ocean's surface—endless blue skies and sparkling water stretching to the horizon.
Haruto stared, entranced.
For someone who usually stayed cooped up in his room, this view was breathtaking. Looking at his smiling sisters, he thought:
Maybe I should get out more. These little adventures aren't such a bad way to spend time.
The warm breeze tousled his hair. Without realizing it, a gentle smile crossed his face.
When they returned to shore, Haruto was still composed—but Mitsuha and Yotsuha looked dazed, completely enchanted by the experience.
"That's the ocean… the real ocean…" Mitsuha whispered.
"It's nothing like Lake Itomori," Yotsuha added, wide-eyed.
The girls' awed remarks only made Haruto smile faintly. He didn't say anything—just quietly took it all in, without giving it much thought.
~~~~~~~~~~
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