The third day was upon Tadashi as his alarm buzzed, checking his calendar,
he realized that today was their beach day. The beach trip had started with
pure chaos. Between Kei nearly forgetting his swimsuit, Daiki losing his
wallet at the station (only to find it in his other pocket), and Rin making fun
of them every step of the way, Tadashi was already questioning how they
had made it this far.
But as soon as they arrived, the sight of the shimmering ocean, the golden
sand stretching for miles, and the rhythmic crashing of the waves instantly
washed away all their exhaustion.
"Alright, idiots,"
Rin announced, planting her hands on her hips.
"Who's ready to embarrass themselves?"
"That's what you're looking forward to?"
Hikaru sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag.
"Yes. Now let's get in the water before I change my mind about tolerating
all of you."
Tadashi laughed as everyone scattered, some rushing toward the water,
others setting up under a large umbrella. Nao, who had been quiet during
the trip, walked beside him, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Not a fan of the beach?" Tadashi asked.
She shook her head.
"I like it. Just not used to coming with... people."
"Well, today, you get the full experience. Which includes watching Kei get
buried in sand for the third time."
Nao blinked.
"How--?"
"It's a long story," Tadashi chuckled.
Meanwhile, Hikaru was sitting on a beach chair, far from the barbecue area
where some locals had started grilling. His usual carefree expression was
absent, his gaze lingering too long on the flames. Rin, noticing his
distraction, nudged him.
"What, scared you'll burn your perfect hair?" she teased.
Hikaru forced a grin.
"I just don't like fire."
Tadashi caught the slight stiffness in his tone. He was always so laid-back,
so effortlessly confident, that it was strange to see him falter—even for a
moment.
A gust of wind sent the scent of burning charcoal through the air, and
Hikaru visibly tensed. It was subtle, something the others might not notice,
but Tadashi did.
Before he could say anything, Haruto suddenly clapped his hands together.
"Oh, right! Did you guys hear? The teachers finally announced our school
trip."
"Oh?" Kei, now mostly buried in sand, perked up. "Where to?"
"Some hot spring town," Haruto said, pulling out his phone.
"They're giving us the details on Monday, but from what I heard, we get an entire
week off regular classes for it."
Rin smirked. "You had me at 'week off.'"
Nao looked mildly interested. "A hot spring town... sounds peaceful."
Tadashi nodded, but his attention kept shifting back to Hikaru. The way his
hands curled into the fabric of his swim shorts, the flicker of unease in his
expression. It wasn't just a dislike of fire. It was something deeper. A fear.
And as the day continued, Tadashi couldn't shake the feeling that whatever
it was, he would soon find out.