Zul turned to Eri. "Here, Eri, take this watermelon first. I'll set up the beach parasol for all of us."
As they settled into their spot, Mizuha squinted at the items Hikaru and Zul had brought.
"Wait a minute, where did you get all these? I don't remember seeing you carry them earlier."
Hikaru smirked, adjusting his sunglasses. "The parasol and mat? Rented nearby. Watermelon and bat? Bought at another shop. Gotta plan ahead for fun."
Shimizu, still brushing sand off her towel, eyed the items suspiciously. "Watermelon? Baseball bat? Don't tell me… are we playing watermelon smash?"
Hikaru grinned. "You got it."
Shimizu raised one of her arms. "Hey, let's do it now! But Hikaru, you're going to be buried next to the watermelon!"
Hikaru protested, shaking his head. "What? No way! We're deciding this fairly. Everyone pulls a paper. Red mark gets buried; blue mark gets to smash."
They all pulled their papers, and Shimizu froze, staring at hers.
Shimizu groaned, holding up her paper with the red mark.
"Why... why must it be me?! Damn it!"
Mizuha, holding the blue-marked one, smirked. "Looks like I'm smashing it, yeah."
"Okay, Shimizu, get ready."
Soon, Shimizu was buried in the sand beside the watermelon, glaring at Hikaru and Zul as they finished piling sand over her legs.
Shimizu growled. "Don't bury me too deep, or I'll bury you both later."
Hikaru smirked. "You look great down there, Shimizu. Just don't move too much, or you'll ruin the setup."
Shimizu growled as Hikaru handed Mizuha the baseball bat. "Okay, Mizuha, spin three times and try not to hit anything that's not the watermelon."
Shimizu shouted from the sand. "Wait, what do you mean by ‘not watermelon’?!"
Blindfolded and holding the bat, Mizuha spun around while the others cheered her on.
Eri cheered for her. "A little left, Mizuha-chan!"
"No, to the right!" Zul countered.
Shimizu yelped. "Don't swing yet—you're facing me!"
"Shut up, Shimizu! You'll reveal your position."
Mizuha finally steadied herself, raised the bat, and swung with full force. The bat missed the watermelon by inches, the whoosh of air silencing everyone before erupting into laughter.
Shimizu shouted. "Woah, that was dangerous, Mizuha!"
Mizuha clicked her tongue and pulled off the blindfold.
"Tch. I missed. So close."
"So close to what—me or the watermelon?"
Mizuha turned her head slowly, a sly smile forming while winking. "Hmm, who knows?"
Shimizu wiggled in the sand, glaring at her. "You were aiming for me! Damn it, Mizuha!"
"One more time, Mizuha. Want to go for another round?" Hikaru suggested.
Mizuha sighed, dusting sand off her clothes.
"Nope. I'm done with this. Eri-chan, it's your turn now," Mizuha said, handing the bat to Eri with a mischievous glint.
"Go and smash that Shimizu's head—oops, I mean the watermelon."
"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" Shimizu barked from her sandy prison.
Eri hesitated, gripping the bat awkwardly. "Is it okay for me to do this? It was supposed to be your round?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm giving you my turn. Knock yourself out—figuratively, not literally."
Reluctantly, Eri tied on the blindfold and gripped the bat. Like Mizuha earlier, she spun in place as the others cheered her on. Seeing this, Hikaru and Zul scrambled to reposition the watermelon slightly further from Shimizu.
Zul cheered for her. "A little to the right."
Hikaru leaned in. "Straight on from there."
"Eri-chan, you can do it."
Everyone cheered for me. I must not disappoint them, thought Eri.
Meanwhile, Shimizu, still partially buried, narrowed her eyes as she observed Eri's movements. This girl... I shouldn't underestimate her, even though she's like this, she's scarily accurate when it comes to hitting targets.
Eri stopped spinning, steadied herself, and raised the bat. With a sharp inhale, she swung down with surprising force. A loud CRACK echoed across the beach as the bat struck its mark.
Mizuha shouted, "She did it!"
Eri pulled off the blindfold and blinked at the splattered remains. "I... I actually hit it?"
Zul leaned in. "Well done, Eri."
"Not bad at all," Hikaru chimed in.
Juice and watermelon fragments splattered everywhere, drawing laughs and applause from the group.
Eri turned to face Shimizu. "You see that, Shimizu-chan? I managed to hit it."
"Good, that was good... haha," Shimizu said with a forced chuckle, watermelon splattered on her face.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Shimizu-chan. Let me clean it for you."
She then helped to release Shimizu from her sandy burial.
Both Mizuha and Hikaru laughed at Shimizu's predicament.
Shimizu glared at them. "You two will pay for this later."
"Geez, don't just laugh at her. Come help me release her from this sand."
"Eri-chan, you don't need to help her. Just leave her alone; she can free herself."
Hikaru leaned in. "Yes, isn't she the strong girl at our school? Just leave her alone."
Eri turned to face Mizuha and Hikaru with a scary glare. "Did you hear what I said? I said come and help me release her," she said in an unusually deep tone.
"Eek, what is that glare? It's so scary... thought Mizuha and Hikaru simultaneously.
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry! We'll help," Mizuha and Hikaru said together, quickly moving to assist Shimizu.
Once freed, Shimizu immediately hugged Eri around the waist, resting her head against Eri's chest.
Shimizu whined. "Eri, they're bullying me."
"It's okay, Shimizu-chan. Don't be sad anymore," Eri reassured her while cleaning Shimizu's face with the small towel.
"Mizuha-chan, that was too far. Poor Shimizu-chan."
"Really!? Sorry, Shimizu."
"Hmmph!" Shimizu pouted, then put her head back on Eri's chest.
Wait, are you kids or what? Mizuha thought, feeling irritated with Shimizu.
"Wow... is it always this soft?" Shimizu thought contentedly, her head resting on Eri's chest.
"Umm, Shimizu-chan, how long do you want to cling to my body like this?"
"Ah, sorry. I was just enjoying... the feeling. Especially your chest. Let me rest here a bit longer?"
"You sound like a perverted old man, Shimizu."
After everything calmed down, they cleaned up the scattered watermelon and continued with their other activities. The three girls played beach ball with each other while Hikaru and Zul swam in the sea.
Shimizu started passing the ball toward her. "Mizuha, catch this!"
"Got it," Mizuha said, receiving the ball and passing it to Eri. "Eri-chan!"
"Nice pass, Mizuha-chan. Here, Shimizu-chan, catch this."
"Okay, give it to me!" Shimizu said, ready to push the ball. The three girls played in a triangle formation, passing the ball to each other.
As Hikaru and Zul returned from their swim, droplets of seawater sparkled on their skin under the sunlight.
Hikaru turned to Zul. "Ah, it feels so good after the swim."
They shook their hair like carefree models on a runway, earning another round of admiring glances from the group of girls gathered nearby.
Hikaru noticed the attention, then flashed a dazzling smile and waved to the girls, who excitedly responded to his wave.
Shimizu muttered. "Seriously, are those two celebrities or something?"
"Look at that crowd—still swooning over them."
Mizuha leaned in. "Maybe they have that natural cool vibe, I guess."
Zul and Hikaru rejoined the trio for beach ball.410Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsWCaU0e2k
"Oh, it looks nice—a beach ball, huh? Can we join you guys?"
Mizuha turned to them. "Of course, but we won’t compete with each other—just passing the ball to each other."
"It’s okay. I think this is better this way than competing with each other, because I’m sure these two would compete with each other if we did that," Zul said, pointing his thumb at Hikaru and Shimizu.
"How did you know?" "Eh!!"
"Hey, don’t copy me," both of them said, glaring at each other.
Mizuha chuckled with Eri. "Yes, you got it right, Zul. They’re really in the same boat."
After that, the group started playing the ball together in a pentagon formation, passing it around.
After about twenty minutes of energetic play, hunger began to creep in.
Shimizu, lying on the sand. "Ah, I'm so tired."
Mizuha leaned in. "Yeah, we played too much earlier, I think we should rest for now."
Suddenly, Eri's stomach growled and her face turned bright red. "Ah, not now! So embarrassing."
Zul turned to her. "Eri, are you hungry?"
"Yes, apparently so."
Then, Shimizu's stomach growled too. "Ah, sorry, that was me."
"Looks like everyone is hungry. Let's find the nearest beach restaurant to fill our stomachs."
The group unanimously decided it was time to refuel and headed to the nearest beach restaurant.
The tantalizing aroma of grilled seafood and fried snacks wafted through the air as they arrived at their table overlooking the beach.
Plates of fresh sushi, yakisoba, and juicy karaage soon covered the table.
"Okay, you guys, please enjoy all of this—it’s on me."
Zul frowned. "Treating us again, huh!?"
"You got me, Zul."
Eri got excited. "Wow, so much food, and it smells so good!"
"You’re right. I can’t wait to taste all of this."
"Alright, what are we waiting for? Let’s dig in!" Shimizu declared, raising her chopsticks before wasting no time piling karaage onto her plate.
Mizuha chuckled. "Slow down, Shimizu! Are you going to eat everything?"
As they ate, Hikaru turned to Mizuha. "So, Mizuha, what do you think of today so far?"
Mizuha paused, swallowing a piece of sushi before answering. "Honestly, it's been amazing. I haven't had this much fun in a while."
Shimizu nodded in agreement with her mouth full of food. "Yeah, I needed this. Today's been great."
Hikaru chuckled. "You looked like you were having the time of your life when you were buried in sand, Shimizu."
"Keep talking, and you'll be the one buried next time," Shimizu shot back, puffing her cheeks in mock anger.
"Eri, here, try this shrimp tempura. It tastes good when eaten with mayonnaise," said Zul, placing two tempura shrimp on Eri's plate with his chopsticks.
"Ah, thanks, Zul. Let me taste it," replied Eri. She took the tempura with her chopsticks, dipped it into mayonnaise, and ate it.
"How does it taste?"
"You're right. This is so delicious."
"Glad to see you like it."
The table erupted into laughter as they ate together.
Mizuha leaned back, watching her friends with a smile, content with the laughter and the ocean sound.
After they finished their meal, all of them returned to the beach to continue their day.
Shimizu got excited. "Ah, I'm full! Let's continue."
Eri and Shimizu were splashing around in the sea, laughing and playing. Zul swam and dove in the sea while Mizuha sat under a parasol with Hikaru, watching their friends from shore.
The gentle breeze rustled the fabric of the parasol as Mizuha turned to Hikaru with a smile. "Today has been amazing. I'm so happy we could all come here together."
Hikaru nodded, leaning back slightly. "Yeah, it's all thanks to Zul for winning those tickets earlier. If it weren't for him, this wouldn't have been possible."
Mizuha chuckled lightly. "Zul really came through this time. But honestly, this whole scene—the beach, the sun, the way everyone's having fun—it's so inspiring. I wish I had my sketchbook right now. I'd love to capture this moment."
Hikaru smiled at her. "You really do like sketching everything you see, huh?"
"Well, you know me, haha."
"Anyway, that's your hobby. I can't argue about it."
From the sea, Shimizu's voice interrupted their conversation. "Hey, you two! What are you doing over there? Come join us!" she called out, waving her arms.
Mizuha waved back and stood up. "Yes, we're coming now!"
She turned to Hikaru. "Looks like they're calling us."
Hikaru stood, offering his hand with a small smile. "Let’s go, Mizuha."
Mizuha hesitated for a brief moment. She took his hand, and smiled shyly. "Alright, let's go," she said softly.
Hikaru, his own cheeks dusted with pink, held her hand firmly as he led her toward the water. Together, they joined their friends, laughter and the sparkling waves welcoming them into the fun.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow across the beach, the group gradually stopped their activities and gathered together at the shoreline. The ocean reflected the sunset's vibrant colors.
Mizuha was amazed by the scene. "It's so beautiful." The setting sun painted her face in soft, warm hues.
Hikaru nodded, leaning back slightly. "Yeah, beautiful. Look how the sky and sea merge."
Eri leaned in. "Wow, I've never seen a sunset quite like this before."
Shimizu stood quietly, her usual energy replaced by peaceful silence.
As day turned to night, the colors faded and stars appeared. The gentle sound of waves provided a soothing backdrop to their silence.
"We should probably head back to the hotel. It's getting dark, and we've had a long day," Hikaru suggested.
410Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcqj8AOp1t
To be continue, Part 3…
ns216.73.216.13da2
and then Add to home screen.