— — — — — —
July 12th.
The first day of Oikawa's summer vacation. He slept in until he woke up naturally.
High school holidays were honestly great.
No homework.
Well… not completely none. Shizuka Hiratsuka was, as always, a special case.
She'd assigned one task: read a classic novel and write a reflection.
After getting up, Oikawa got straight to work.
He chose The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea.
The Japanese edition cost a whopping 2,600 yen. Yukio Mishima was really making a killing.
After skimming through it once, Oikawa quickly started writing.
…
People live with both pain and happiness intertwined.
Life is a mix of suffering and joy.
Even though life is never smooth and is filled with setbacks and hardships, we must keep living on with strength.
Only by continuing to live can we carve a radiant path through a life full of thorns.
"Done!"
It took Oikawa about fifteen minutes to finish the 800-word reflection. With that, his only summer assignment was complete.
Next…
After washing up, he headed out.
"I'm off."
Outside, the sunlight was perfect.
The sky was so blue it looked painted. Oikawa felt himself relax.
He grabbed a bowl of ramen.
Then stood by the river for a while, watching people fish. A guy even invited him to try, but Oikawa turned him down.
Fishing was dangerously addictive for some reason.
Better to just watch and leave it at that.
After that, he finally headed to his actual destination for the day: the mall.
New clothes, a haircut, and some daily necessities for summer.
Compared to his current longer hair, Oikawa preferred a clean, short style.
It was just that he hated the whole process of getting a haircut, so he only went when it became absolutely necessary.
Haircut done. Summer clothes bought.
Oikawa walked home carrying two heavy shopping bags.
Total spent today: 37,490 yen.
When he left in the morning, the sun was gentle, the breeze just right.
But by noon, the sun had climbed high, the temperature rising with it. The humid sea breeze clung to his skin.
Honestly, if he wanted seafood and hot springs, he didn't even need to go all the way to Hokkaido.
Chiba had both.
On the way back, sweat kept forming in his palms as he gripped the bags. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead.
"Should I grab something cold before heading home…?"
He was thinking about it as he walked.
Then suddenly, he heard tapping on glass.
As he kept moving forward, the tapping got louder.
Oikawa took a few steps back.
Through the window of a KFC, he saw a very familiar face.
Well… two, actually.
One of them looked a bit reluctant.
The other, a little girl wearing matching clothes, was waving at him excitedly.
Kawasaki.
And her younger sister, Keika.
Oikawa's relationship with Kawasaki was… complicated. Still pending.
But with Keika? They were definitely on great terms. She'd come along once when Kawasaki brought her to a weekend study session, and Oikawa had treated her to a burger.
"Oikawa-oniichan, come in!"
He couldn't hear her voice through the glass, but her lips clearly formed the words.
Kawasaki then said something to her, and Keika immediately crossed her arms and turned away, pouting.
Left with no choice, Kawasaki reluctantly beckoned Oikawa over.
"Beg me," Oikawa mouthed, nice and clear.
"…Please."
On one side, her beloved little sister. On the other, her infuriating classmate.
In the end, Kawasaki gave in.
Oikawa suddenly realized he might have found her weakness.
'Kawasaki, you wouldn't want your little sister to be unhappy, right?'
Grinning, he carried his shopping bags and walked into KFC.
"Oikawa-oniichan, over here!"
He walked over to their table.
Same parents, and yet…
Why was Keika so unbelievably adorable, while Kawasaki was… the complete opposite?
Oikawa felt like this had to be one of the great unsolved mysteries of the world.
"Oniichan, what's in your bags?"
Keika looked at the two large shopping bags with sparkling curiosity.
"Chocolate. Want some?"
"Yes!"
"Keika! Eating too much chocolate will give you cavities."
Kawasaki tried to stop her, but it was obvious Keika wasn't going to listen. So she shot Oikawa a threatening look instead.
Did that scare him?
Not even a little.
Ignoring Kawasaki completely, Oikawa pulled out some chocolate and handed it to Keika.
"Oniichan, I like you the most!"
Oikawa felt like he'd just taken a direct hit to the heart.
When she grew up, she was definitely going to be the kind of girl who captured countless hearts.
"..."
Kawasaki shot him a cold glare, her eyes practically saying, 'If you keep spoiling her like this, you're making things difficult for me.'
But Oikawa didn't care in the slightest.
.
.
.