Unexpectedly, Akira Fujimiya made her wait outside the door for a very long time.
Half an hour!
That short span of time felt unbearably long.
While waiting,various images flashed through Hiratsuka Shizuka's mind one after another, none of them were particularly wholesome.
The longer she stood there, the more her thoughts drifted in directions she absolutely did not want to acknowledge.
Just as her imagination was about to spiral completely out of control, the door finally opened—She turned her head and saw Akira coming out.
"Don't think too much, Hiratsuka-sensei," Akira said calmly, his tone casual yet deliberate. "I didn't go too far. I just wanted to know Shouko better."
"Hmph!," Hiratsuka Shizuka snorted, crossing her arms and turning her head away.
"....I also want to understand Hiratsuka-sensei better," Akira added with a pause, his voice carrying a teasing edge.
"What… what did you say?" Hiratsuka Shizuka clenched her fists, her face instantly turning red, glaring at him.
"It's just a joke. Don't be angry," Akira said lightly as he reached out and gently held her clenched fist.
"Although this isn't a school, I am still—" Hiratsuka Shizuka started, but she abruptly stopped.
She suddenly realized she didn't know how to define their relationship anymore, nor did she want to rely on her identities to push Akira away.
Deep down, she didn't want to draw a clear line between them.
Akira looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka with a faint smile.
He had deliberately let their relationship remain ambiguous, and he knew very well that Hiratsuka-sensei must be feeling conflicted right now.
Seeing that smile, Hiratsuka Shizuka shook off his hand and turned her head aside.
"Hiratsuka Shizuka, you're really cute," Akira said teasingly.
"You! You're not allowed to call me that!" she protested, visibly flustered.
"Then… Shizuka?"
"No!"
"I see. Then, Hiratsuka."
"Call me Hiratsuka nee-san!"
"Okay, Shizuka~."
"You— you're really asking for a beating!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka glared at him in embarrassment and frustration, but she had no real way to deal with him.
Akira glanced at the time and felt that it was about right.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, please take care of Shouko for me and also yourself," Akira said calmly.
"You—" Hiratsuka Shizuka froze, instantly understanding what he meant.
Akira continued. "You have ten minutes. I'm going on a date first. Bye."
With that, he turned around and left without hesitation.
Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at his retreating back and waved her small fist at him in frustration.
Then her gaze returned to the closed door.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she let out a soft sigh and went in.
...
After 10 minutes—
Akira took Yuigahama Yui away from the living room.
The cheerful girl had originally planned to spend the afternoon playing board games with her friends. She had assumed that Akira would be busy with other girls and forget about accompanying her.
Unexpectedly, he remembered.
She thought happily as the two of them went to the boat and changed into swimsuits.
Akira also enthusiastically helped Yuigahama Yui apply sunscreen, carefully spreading it over her shoulders and arms.
Yuigahama Yui was shy throughout the entire process, her face red and her eyes darting around.
Once they disembarked from the ship, they returned to the beach volleyball court where they had played the previous day.
The showdown began.
If strength alone were to be considered, even ten Yuigahama Yuis wouldn't be a match for Akira.
And yet, the match remained evenly balanced.
That was because Akira rarely paid attention to the volleyball itself, his focus was at two different balls...
After winning several rounds, Yuigahama Yui finally realized the truth.
However, she didn't expose him and instead chose to continue playing, full making used of her advantage.
In the end, Yuigahama Yui won.
"Yui, you cheated," Akira said with fake seriousness, while pointing at her.
"Akira-kun, you are such a perv~," Yuigahama Yui replied with a bright smile.
"Damn it. Losing to a little idiot like you… I can't accept this," Akira said with exaggerated seriousness as he massage his forehead.
"Your eyes weren't even on the volleyball. Don't think I didn't notice," Yuigahama Yui pouted.
"My eyes were clearly on the balls. Don't question my character," Akira replied, his gaze fixed entirely on Yuigahama Yui.
Yuigahama Yui didn't say anything as she grabbed the volleyball and threw it straight at his face.
Bang.
The ball struck Akira squarely, and he fell backward onto the sand.
"Akira! Are you okay? I—" Yuigahama Yui rushed over anxiously, startled.
She didn't think she used too much force.
Before she could finish speaking, Akira suddenly hugged her, and a kiss instantly made her understand what had happened.
She had been tricked, again!
They played on the beach for an hour.
Later, Akira drove a small boat out to sea.
Yuigahama Yui stood at the bow facing the sea, stretching out her hands as if trying to catch the sea breeze.
Their destination was a nearby small island—an open place where fishing was possible at a glance.
After docking the boat, the two got off.
Yuigahama Yui carried a bucket and a pair of pliers, eagerly searching for crabs.
While, Akira found a suitable spot to fish as he waited for the fish to take the bait while watching Yuigahama Yui.
"Don't run! Let me catch you!"
"You bad crab! I finally caught you!"
"Akira-kun, look! I caught so many!"
Yuigahama Yui ran around the beach energetically.
Akira looked at the little fool.
Her movements were clumsy, but undeniably cute.
Suddenly, the fishing rod twitched.
Akira calmly picked it up, pulling it with little strength.
After a brief struggle, a fish was pulled from the sea.
"Hm?" Akira felt that it looked familiar.
"Wow, tuna!" Yuigahama Yui shouted.
Akira instantly recognized it as well.
He had seen this kind of fish in the kitchen before—and this one was of fairly good quality.
'After I get back, I'll let Yui taste the fresh tuna.' Akira thought.
Yuigahama Yui ran over and enthusiastically explained the value of tuna, her knowledge mostly coming from its price.
She didn't realize that tuna was a common ingredient in the island's kitchens.
At sunset, they returned with a full harvest.
Yuigahama Yui's bucket contained crabs and also some shellfish.
Akira caught three tunas and released the rest.
After the boat returned, a maid came to collect them.
The maid was also momentarily stunned when she saw the tuna.
"Thank you for your help," Yuigahama Yui said politely, handing over the bucket.
The maid glanced at the shellfish and crabs, wanting to comment on their quality, but held back.
Akira carried one tuna back to the villa, with Yuigahama Yui following behind.
.....
Inside the living room,
Yukinoshita Yukino and Mai Sakurajima were drinking black tea.
Yumiko Miura, Ebina Hina, Kawasaki Saki, and Isshiki Iroha were playing mahjong.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked surprised when she saw the tuna.
Except for Isshiki Iroha and Yumiko Miura, none of them knew much about tuna.
Yuigahama Yui eagerly introduced it, her explanation slightly inaccurate but mostly correct.
At the same time, Tadokoro Megumi came out of the kitchen, her eyes lit up at the sight.
She has experience in making tuna sashimi.
Akira didn't speak as he handed the tuna to her.
Megumi took it carefully as she return to the kitchen.
Less than ten minutes.
Megumi Tadokoro came into the living room again, this time carrying a plate of tuna sashimi.
Soon, the girls tasted it.
"Akira-kun… why doesn't this tuna taste that good?" Yuigahama Yui asked, confused.
"The tuna you've eaten before was of higher quality," Yukinoshita Yukino explained.
"Huh?" Yuigahama Yui froze.
"The island uses the best ingredients. The crabs and shellfish you picked probably aren't up to standard," Akira added.
"…" Yuigahama Yui.
At that moment, the maid brought out the two plate of dishes.
"Your crabs and shellfish are ready."
Yuigahama Yui suddenly felt sorry for the maid.
She looked at Akira silently.
...
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Bonus Chapter:-
4 Bonus chapter at 100 powerstone
6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
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Word Count — 1,360