It was summer again, and the beach was loud with life. Seagulls argued overhead, kids shouted over nothing in particular, and the waves crashed steadily like background music.
Sota, Ryota, and Junpei had claimed a patch of sand near a driftwood log. Bags were dumped, sandals kicked off, and a forgotten bottle of sunscreen lay sweating in the sun.
Kana was nearby under a shaded parasol with a paperback, eyes drifting between her book and the waves. She gave a slight nod when they arrived but kept to herself, calm and quiet as ever.
Farther down the beach, Emi, Mika, and Aoi were playing with a frisbee. Their game looked more like improvised chaos than anything official — lots of laughing, tripping, and yelling directions that no one followed.
"I always forget how hot sand gets," Ryota muttered, shifting on his towel.
"You say that every year," Sota said, tossing a pebble into the air.
"It's called seasonal amnesia," Junpei added. "Common in people who don't think ahead."
They were halfway into arguing about whether beach watermelon tastes better than mountain watermelon when a voice called out.
"Yo! Fancy seeing you guys here."
They turned to see Ryota's older sister, Megumi, walking toward them in sunglasses and a loose beach shirt. Next to her was none other than Junpei's older brother, Daiki.
"Hey, little bro," Daiki said casually.
Junpei blinked. Ryota squinted.
"Wait… you two came here together?" Ryota asked.
Megumi pushed her sunglasses up. "Yeah. Didn't I mention we were dating?"
"NO?" Ryota and Junpei said at the same time.
Daiki gave a laid-back shrug. "We've been going out for a while."
Junpei stared. "And this is how we find out?"
Megumi smiled. "Thought you'd take it better at the beach. Sunshine helps, right?"
Ryota made a face. "I feel like I just got hit by a beach ball of betrayal."
"Honestly," Junpei muttered, "I thought he was still into that one girl from the library."
"Nope," Daiki said. "Upgraded."
There was a short silence before Sota chimed in, grinning. "This is amazing. Your sister and his brother. It's like a crossover episode."
Ryota looked at Junpei. Junpei looked at Ryota. Then, as if on cue, they both burst out laughing.
"I can't believe this," Ryota said. "We might actually end up family."
"Family dinners are gonna be wild," Junpei replied. "Do I have to call you cousin?"
"Call me 'boss,' actually," Ryota said.
Kana glanced over at them briefly from her parasol but didn't comment. The girls down the beach kept playing, unaware of the sudden familial drama unfolding just a few meters away.
"Do we… do we get each other birthday presents now?" Junpei asked.
"I refuse," Ryota said.
Daiki laughed. "You two are gonna be great at weddings."
Sota leaned back in the sand. "If they get married, we'll need a group photo with matching outfits."
"I'll design the T-shirts," Ryota said.
Junpei smirked. "Mine's gonna say 'I was forced into this family.'"
The topic eventually drifted back to snacks and whether it was too early for shaved ice. The tide kept pulling in and out, the sun dipped a little lower, and the chaos softened into calm.
What had started as an ordinary beach day had turned into something else entirely.
They didn't mind.