The Beach Episode

The beach greeted them with a refreshing sea breeze, warm golden sand, and the lively atmosphere of summer. Families, couples, and friends were scattered around, colorful umbrellas offering shade as the scent of sunscreen and saltwater filled the air.

Akemi, in her pink flower-patterned swimsuit, admired the view. Meanwhile, Seiji, wearing navy blue swim shorts, sat under an umbrella alongside Hideaki, who sported black swim shorts.

Seiji had well-defined muscles on his body front — the result of years of discipline and hard work — in contrast to Hideaki's thin frame, which displayed a distinct lack of physical conditioning and one more interesting thing...

Seiji glanced at Hideaki with one eye, seeing his bare chest — with distinctly darker ovals on it — he thoughtlessly threw out:

"...you have big nipples."

There was silence.

Hideaki froze. His eyes widened, and his cheeks turned red-pink like someone had splashed boiling water on him.

"D-don't look like that!" he yelped, quickly covering his chest with his arms. "I know they're big! They just are! Don't ask me why! I was born with them, okay?!"

Seiji stared at him with a confused, half-lidded look, raising one brow."I didn't think it would bother you that much," he mumbled. The corner of his mouth twitched, betraying a hint of amusement. "I didn't know it was such a taboo subject."

Hideaki cringed even more, ears practically steaming.

"S-stop it! This isn't a taboo subject!" he hissed. "I mean... maybe it is a a-a little, but... but now you know and... and... Aarghh! J-just don't comment on it any further!"

Seiji rolled his eyes.

"Relax," he said, leaning back under the umbrella. "Why are you explaining yourself so much? Did anyone ask you about that? It's not like they're going to attack anyone."

Hideaki sat hunched up, still blushing — less from anger now, and more from sheer embarrassment. He sneaked glances at Seiji, thoughts racing.

'He must think I'm weird... Or, I don't know... disgusting? That's not normal, right? Normal guys don't have nipples like that... I g-guess?'

In the meantime of his mental brekdown, Seiji was lazily scrolling on his phone.

Hideaki swallowed, then finally blurted out:
"H-hey, Seiji..."

"Hm?"

"Y-you..." he stuttered, blushing even more. "Y-you really think they're... big?"

Seiji put his phone down and looked at him in surprise.
"Well... they are. But not in the sense of "gross" or "weird". Just... a little bigger than average. Like size 44 feet." He shrugged. "It's just anatomy, Hideaki."

Hideaki blinked in surprise.

"...So... you don't think I'm... abnormal?"

Seiji looked at him more seriously.
"Hideaki, you're a psychopathic, emotionally disturbed murderer with a trust complex and a passion for making weapons out of blood... Do you think nipples are the biggest problem here?"

"...Hey!" Hideaki snorted "You're a huge asshole."

"Thanks." Seiji returned to his phone. "At least you're honest."

Suddenly, Akemi ran up to them, turning her gaze to her brother. "Seiji, can you put sunscreen on my back?" she asked, giving him puppy eyes.

Seiji sighed.'Of course, And who will apply sunscreen on my back...?' he thought. "Fine. Just don't expect a professional job," he muttered dryly.

He applied it carefully, and when done, Akemi gave him a cheerful smile. "Thank you, Seiji! I would've been red as a lobster without you!" she teased before dashing off toward the water.

Seiji watched her leave with a sigh, then turned toward Hideaki. "Well, guess you're up. Can you put some sunscreen on my back?"

Hideaki stiffened. "M-me?!"

"Yes, you. It's not like Akemi's coming back."

Hideaki hesitated a bit and then softly opened the bottle. Then, began rubbing sunscreen onto Seiji's back, awkwardly at first — then suddenly, his hands slid up to Seiji's shoulders... and tightened.

Before Seiji could react, Hideaki leaned in with a smirk and locked his arms gently but firmly around Seiji's neck.

Suddenly Seiji felt Hideaki's grip tighten.

Hideaki chuckling was hearable from behind, and before long, it turned into an outright chokehold.

'That's for looking at my nipples!' Hideaki declared dramatically in his head.

Seiji remained calm despite his growing frustration.

'We agreed to find better things that we know to solve stuff, and yet he's doing this!? Didn't he learn his lesson?'

He reached for a nearby water bottle and struck Hideaki's head, forcing him to loosen the grip.

"Ow!!" Hideaki exclaimed loudly, letting go off Seiji and massaging his head.

"No choking," Seiji said firmly, his voice steady. "Not here. Not anywhere. We promised something to each other."

"Tch... fine," Hideaki muttered, rubbing his head and giving a mischievous grin from managing to choke Seiji, even a little bit.

'Why can't I just relax for once?'  Seiji lamented in his head.

Hideaki soon appeared to calm down, and Seiji turned to him "Now your turn to be covered in sunscreen."

The killer turned his back towards Seiji, who poured the creamy white lotion into his hands. Just as Seiji was about to apply it, his attention was caught by a long scar on Hideaki's back. "Hold on... that scar on your back. How long have you had that?"

Hideaki didn't respond right away. His body tensed slightly, shoulders rising just a bit — as if the question touched something deeper than skin.

The gentle sea breeze passed between them, silent and patient.

"...Since my last fight," he muttered at last, his voice low and oddly detached.

"Fight?" Seiji inquired, wanting to know more.

"Yeah... a long time ago... During my high school years, I sometimes got into fights with idiots that I bullied,"

"You were a bully, huh? Never would've guessed." Seiji said with a hint of sarcasm. "Beating up classmates. Real legacy material, huh?" He added after a while.

"Are you fucking making fun of me!?" Hideaki straighten up.

"No. I'm just clearly unimpressed - if not outright disgusted - by yours teenage achievements."

"Tch! Shutup..." Hideaki muttered.

For a moment, Seiji said nothing more. Instead he let out a quiet resigned sigh and carefully resumed spreading the sunscreen along Hideaki's shoulders, as if nothing had changed. As if the conversation hadn't just taken a sharp, unsettling turn.

His fingers hovered just above the scar, the lotion slowly dripping between them.

The sight stirred something in him — curiosity, yes, but also something heavier. A quiet ache. He'd never seen it before. And Hideaki never mentioned it.

He gently touched the skin around it, careful not to press too hard.

"It looks deep," Seiji said finally, his voice quieter now. "It was accidental? Or...?"

"No..." Hideaki cut him. "It was... made by one guy... But not from my school. Back then he was an adult one. He countered my attack and got me from behind, and then... He dig his mantis like claws into my back..."

Seiji's brows furrowed slightly. His hands stilled.

"...Claws?" he repeated, voice low. Not mocking — more like verifying. Processing.

"Mhm..." Hideaki replied.

"So someone with Magic Ability," Seiji concluded flatly.

His gaze stayed locked on the scar, the shape of it making more sense now — deep, uneven, curved.

"That kind of wound... you're lucky your spine wasn't severed."

He paused for a moment before continuing,

"And you didn't report him?"

Hideaki didn't answer immediately, and Seiji already predicted it.

"Let me guess," he continued dryly. "You thought you could handle it on your own. Or maybe you wanted revenge more than justice."

Silence

Seiji sighed and finished applying the lotion, then wiped his hands on a towel, his voice calm — almost too calm.

"I'm not sure what's worse. That someone went after you like that... or that you've buried it for this long like it's normal."

Silence

Seiji's brows furrowed.

'He isn’t answering. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to, or for some other reason. Whatever it is… To make him stop killing others, I need to know more about his past. About his murderous origins...'

He thought, then, more casually, he added, "To be honest, I'm not surprised that with your devious nature, you decided to make other people's lives miserable."

"Tch..." Hideaki hissed again, his tone more calmer now, "You... could say that. People I knew were worried that I could harm them with my Magic Ability,"

"Well, no wonder they thought that... Your Magic Ability is a rare but a dangerous thing if used improperly." Seiji remarked.

"I've been told that ever since I got it..." Hideaki confessed.

"I see." Seiji said. He tossed the towel aside and stood. His eyes lingered on Hideaki with that observing look in them, prompting to 'dig' into him further.

Meanwhile, Hideaki's gaze locked at the sea.

"What else happened during your school years?" Seiji suddenly asked.

At this question, Hideaki growled. "Tch! I already told you! I was a bully, I got a scar, I killed the teacher... I've got suspended from school... Isn't that enough for you!?"

"Hey, don't sweat it, alright?" Seiji run his hand through his hair,

'I have to take a different way...'

He analyzed but just before he was going to say another thing, he heard Hideaki's 'tch' again,

"Tch! Just get off of me..." Hideaki finished surprisingly softly and turned around, trying to appear offended.

The wind blow lightly, moving both of their hair...

Seiji sighed, realizing that digging deeper, even though he really wanted, could end up in reversed outcome.

Instead, he decided to reveal something about himself,

"Well, as for me, I wasn't liked in my class. Not because I had some unusual Magical Ability, but because I don't have any,"

Hideaki turned to him, "R-really?!" He asked, looking a bit paralyzed from hearing what Seiji had just said.

All this time, he believed that Seiji was simply hiding his magic powers, waiting for the right time to reveal them.

"Yeah." Seiji nodded slightly, his expression neutral. "I was ridiculed and bullied in class for not having any powers. They looked down on me and tried to humiliate me everytime they could. It escalated to the point, that my classmates treated me as if my lack of magic was contagious. Mocking, bullying, avoiding." he sighed deeply "The fear of the unknown brings out the worst in people."

"Tch! What an idiots! You can't get sick from Magic Ability!"

"Well... I wouldn't be so sure about it... I'm sure there are some people who may have such an Ability and-"

"I don't care! Y-you for sure don't have such power to do so... Tch! If they would show up, I would slice them up to show them how wrong they were!"

"Your violent streak never fades, does it?" Seiji sighed then continued "Anyways... all this bullying from others - it shaped a lot of how I saw others. Isolation taught me resilience. Being treated like a pariah only strengthened my resolve to excel. Still, the system - teachers, peers - failed me entirely." he added.

"Weren't your parents trying to do something about the bullying?" Hideaki suddenly asked.

Seiji was caught off guard by how empathetic the question sounded, but he answered anyway.

"Well, my mom tried. One day she went to school, but when she told teachers that others were bullying me, they gave no shit about it. More so, they accused me of being the reason of bullying... So, I stayed away from them and focused on studying. Less drama that way." His voice was calm, as if recounting a trivial fact rather than painful memories.

Hideaki stayed quiet, watching Seiji with a mix of confusion and something close to empathy. He couldn't imagine not having any powers. He had grown so accustomed to using his Magic Ability for the entire of his life that Seiji's revelation seemed somewhat abstract to him. Yet, it was all too real for Seiji.

Seiji stretched greatly, his voice returning to its usual detached tone.
"But that's in the past. Now we have other things to worry about," He glanced at Hideaki, noticing the intensity in his gaze.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from Akemi. Seiji immediately turned in her direction, quickly walking over.

She stood frozen, pointing at the sand where a few crabs had wandered too close.

"Aaaa! Eww! Eww! Ewww! They're so ugly! Seijiiii! Help meee!" Akemi wailed, looking for her older brother's assistance.

Seiji's face showed mild frustration as he approached. "Seriously, Akemi? They're just crabs. They're not going to hurt you, you know."

"But they look so scary! And they have those claws! Seijiii!" Akemi protested, inching away dramatically.

With an exhale, Seiji bent down, calmly scooping up the crabs and carrying them toward the shoreline. "There. Problem solved."

Akemi immediately hugged him tightly, almost knocking him off balance. "Thank you! You're my hero!" she exclaimed.

"It's really not that complicated," Seiji replied, his tone flat as he gently pushed her away. "You just need to stop overreacting to things like this."

"Hmph. Well, I'm staying far away from that side of the beach now," Akemi declared, crossing her arms. But her tone shifted as she grinned mischievously. "I wonder if people will mistake me for a foreigner. My blonde hair and a little sunburn... What do you think?"

Seiji raised an eyebrow. "Sunburn's not exactly the attention you want. Besides, you'll just end up with a painful reminder of your 'plan'."

"O-oh... Right... But then... How about a tam?" She asked.

"Well... That's certainly a better option than landing in the hospital with burnt marks all over your body." Seiji replied dryly, yet serious at the same time.

Akemi giggled, undeterred by his warning.

Seiji then turned and wandered toward the water, seeking a break from his sister's antics.

The cool waves lapped at his feet, offering a brief moment of peace - until he felt someone grab him from behind.

Expecting Hideaki, he glanced back with angered expression but found Akemi instead, grinning playfully.

"You're too grumpy, nii-san! Hehe!" Akemi teased, and before Seiji could respond, she pulled him into the ocean,

"Grumpy, huh? I'll show you how grumpy I can get! Hehe" Seiji retored and he lunged at Akemi in the sea.

Now, both of them were bickering and splashing each other in a playful scuffle.

From his spot on the blanket, Hideaki watched the siblings, his expression unreadable.

'So he doesn't have a Magic Ability..? But.. he's so... confident...'

The sound of their laughter brought a flicker of something long forgotten.

Hideaki blinked, trying to clear away the strange feeling in his chest. The laughter of Sekiguchi siblings mingled with the sound of the waves, but to him it became blurred, replaced by echoes from long ago.

The hallways were full of students, the loud conversations, laughter, and chaos created an atmosphere in which he felt lost.

The large windows let the sun in, but despite that, everything seemed dark and oppressive.

Teenage Hideaki walked down the hallway, avoiding contact with other students as much as possible. His posture was stiff, hunched back and his hands were tucked into his pockets as if he was protecting himself from his surroundings.

He stopped at the notice board, trying to find information about the schedule of classes that could help him feel less lost.

Looking at the large number of registered rooms and classes, he sighed,

'S-so many classes...'  he thought anxiously to himself as he tried to decipher where his classroom was on a crowded board.

"There are too many people here... Too loud... I hate crowds..." he grumbled as he sensed how other students passed near him.

Entering the classroom, Hideaki noticed that most of the seats were already taken. Not having much choice, he decided to find a seat in the corner, away from the group of students who were currently chatting animatedly with others.

Soon, the teacher entered the classroom - an average-height, middle-aged man, balding on the top of his head. As he sat down at his desk, the previous conversations of the students slowly died down.

After a while, the homeroom teacher's voice rang out: "Good morning, class! I warmly welcome you to the new school year. I hope you all had a nice vacation and are ready for a new, exciting year. My name is Fuchida Toshiro and I will be your homeroom teacher. Please take your seats and prepare to introduce yourselves."

Hideaki, sitting in the corner, could feel the entire class focusing on the teacher. Meanwhile, the man looked at the list of people and continued.

"Tell me your name, where you are from, and a short story about yourself along with your Magic Ability. Please, everyone, come to the front of the room and after introducing yourselves, return to your seats."

The first student reached the front of the class.

"Good morning, my name is Uranishi Noriaki. I'm from Kyoto. I like playing soccer and I'm interested in Japanese history. My Magic Ability is Super Speed!"

Gasps and excitement erupted in class.

"That's one of rarest Magic Abilities!" One student said.

"I bet he can sleep longer during week. He probably can reach to school in seconds!" One girl said.

The boy grinned widely from their comments "I look forward to working with you!" he bowed gradually and went back to his seat.

Next one stood up eagerly and went to the front of the room.

"Hello, I'm Sueno Aoki. I come from Osaka. I'm interested in music and I play the guitar. My Magic Ability is Muting."

The teacher nodded with a smile and moved on to the next student.

"Thank you, Sueno-kun. Next person, please."

Hideaki felt increasingly nervous as the teacher approached him on the list.

When his name was called, he stood up unsteadily and with unsure steps, walked to the front of the class.

"H-hey... My name is Miyahara Hideaki. I come from Kyoto... I l-like drawing, and my Magic Ability is.. B-Blood Control." He said shyly.

Whispers and murmurs from other students could be heard throughout the class.

"Blood control? It's another one of the rarer Magic Abilities." One of the students said.

"He's bluffing. It looks like he just wants to impress us." Another added.

"He may have blood control, but he looks weird... especially with that long hair..." One girl said.

"I like him... He looks a bit shy but he's quite handsome..." Another girl said quietly.

Hideaki, hearing the commotion about him in class, began to get increasingly stressed. 

'D-damn it! I don't want everyone staring at me! My voice is shaking! I just want to get out of here!'

He swallowed hard and quickly added, "Um... n-nice to meet you... and... l-let's give it our best..."

The teacher smiled "Thank you Miyahara-kun for introducing yourself. We also wish each other great cooperation as a class! Now please sit down in your seat and I will ask the next person!"

Hideaki, still red in the face and with trembling hands, stepped down from the front of the classroom with relief and returned to his seat. His posture was hunched, and his movements were uncertain, feeling that he was all shaking after the public speaking.

Another boy came in his place, introducing himself rather tersely.

Hideaki sat down at his desk at the back of the class and took a deep breath, trying hard to calm down. He waited impatiently for the class to end and for him to go home.

During the break, Hideaki noticed a group of students from his class talking and laughing together. He himself stood by the vending machine, avoiding the eyes of others and trying not to draw attention to himself.

'T-They're probably laughing at me... Thinking I'm weird after my performance in the classroom...' he thought as he sipped a cold drink.

Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching him. He startled and glanced up to see a classmate, Gyatsu Shizuo, a friendly-looking guy with a curious expression.

"Hey! I'm Gyatsu Shizuo. Nice to meet you! Miyahara-kun, right?" Shizuo said with a friendly smile.

Hideaki nodded shyly.

"Why you're standing here so alone?" Shizuo asked curious.

Hideaki felt as stress has slowly began to overwhelm him. With shaking voice he replied "Um... I-I... I'm s-standing here, because I.. j-just feel like it.." he said shortly, hoping to draw away attention of him of the classmate. He returned to sipping his drink with growing panic.

"Oh, I see... A moment of relaxation from the class... Hehe, I don't blame you. Getting to know new people can be a bit stressful."

"M-mhm..." Hideaki replied nervously.

Shizuo's fingers glowed with a lavender magical aura, and in a moment the glow of musical notes began to emerge from his fingertips, creating a silent soothing sounds.

Hideaki gazed at it with amazement.

Shizuo noticed it. "It's nothing special hehe. I'm sometimes doing it to get calm down and got a new chat ideas with others heh."

"I s-see..." Hideaki replied gazing at the notes.

"Maybe it will help you too. You seem quite nervous heh."

"Um... N-no... I-I'm n-not..." Hideaki replied blushing nervously.

"You're sure about that? You know, it's easy to tell from your tone of voice."

"I'm s-sure."

"Heh. If that's what you said."

Hideaki gulped his drink, and started shyly "Y-your Magic Ability is.. a-amazing..."

"Mine? Nah, it's nothing special heh."

"It is... I never seen someone who can create soothing sounds like that before..."

"Thanks, heh!" Shizou scratched back of his head from compliment. Then he added,

"So, speaking of Magic Abilities, you are one of those who have some kind of... special Magic Ability, am I right? With blood, or something like that?" Shizuo suddenly asked.

Hideaki's heart raced, and he instinctively took a step back. His grip tightened around the can of his drink. "U-um, yeah... I mean, um..." He stared to stutter.

Shizuo's eyes widened with interest. "Really? So you weren't lying on introductions class! That sounds pretty cool! Can you tell me more about it?"

Hideaki's anxiety spiked, and he looked away, fumbling with his can. "N-no, it's not a big deal. I'm not really... I mean, it's just..."

Shizuo tilted his head, trying to understand. "Come on, it's okay. I'm just curious. I heard it's something really unique."

Hideaki's face turned red, and he struggled to find the right words. "W-well, it's... it's not like I can do much. J-just some small bloody art... Nothing i-impressive."

"Bloody art? Like drawings from real blood? So cool!" Shizuo seemed genuinely interested but noticed Hideaki's discomfort. "Oh... Alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Hideaki felt a wave of relief and nodded quickly. "Y-yeah, sorry. It's just... not really something I like to talk about right now..."

Shizuo smiled kindly, trying to ease the tension. "No problem. We can just hang out and chat causually if you want."

"U-um.." Hideaki started but then, he was cut through his forming sentence.

"What's your favorite part of school so far?" Shizuo asked.

Hideaki glanced up, relieved by the change of topic. "Um, I guess... I like the library. It's quiet, and I can... create from blood there."

Shizuo nodded, his smile still warm. "That sounds nice. I like it too. Maybe we can hang out there sometime." Suddenly their little chat was interrupted by school bell rings. "Oh shoot, the lesson's about to start... Better let's get going to class... Anyway, I'll catch you later, okay?"

Hideaki nodded gratefully, a bit less tense now. "S-sure. Thanks."

Shizuo walked away, and Hideaki exhaled deeply, feeling a mix of relief and lingering anxiety. He hoped the rest of the day would be less stressful.

In class, Hideaki avoided eye contact with other students at all costs.

Instead, he focused on drawing, thinking about his magical skills.

He was consumed with the desire, from middle school, to become even better in his magical field, in order to fully control the flow of his Ability. He didn't want to led to the same mistakes that he did there.

---

He opened his eyes.

The warmth of the sun returned, but the heaviness in his chest stayed.

He noticed Akemi a little further away, sunbathing on an additional blanket they had brought. Rising from his previous position, he saw Seiji sitting nearby, a rare, relaxed smile on his face..

"Had a good nap?" Seiji asked.

"N-nap?" Hideaki stammered, rubbing his eyes.

"Mhm. When we came back to you, you seemed lost in sleep," Seiji explained.

"Oh... M-maybe... I didn't notice," Hideaki replied calmly.

Seiji gave a small, knowing smirk. "It's been a while since we've had a chance to just... unwind."

Hideaki nodded, still processing his surroundings. "Y-yeah... I guess."

Seiji leaned back slightly, gazing out at the ocean. 

***

While they were enjoying their time on the beach, a voice called out to Seiji from a distance. As the figure approached, it became clear it was Ken, who greeted them with a smile.

"Hi, Seiji!" Ken said, his attention fixed on his coworker, not noticing Hideaki lying behind him.

"Sup, Ken. What brings you here?" Seiji asked, maintaining a calm demeanor.

"Well, I was looking for a nice spot to relax on the beach and thought I recognized someone from afar. I wasn't entirely sure it was you, so I decided to check."

He rubbed anxiously his neck from back

"Worst case scenario, I'd embarrass myself shouting at a random person, but luckily it was you!" Ken explained, with now a grin on his face.

"Yeah, it's me," Seiji replied, his tone flat.

Suddenly, Hideaki emerged from the blanket, visibly upset at being overlooked. "I'm here too, you know! You idiot!"

Ken jumped back, startled by Hideaki's outburst. "O-oh! Damn- Sorry! I thought you were alone here, Seiji!" Then added whispering "Not with that knife welding psycho..."

"Well, I'm not. Besides him, my younger sister is also here, but she's sunbathing right now," Seiji clarified.

Upon hearing about Seiji's sister, Ken's eyes lit up. "S-sister?" he stammered, the interest clear on his face.

Seiji sighed heavily, seeing the spark of interest in Ken's eyes.

"Ken, you're too old for her. She's underaged." Seiji retored firmly.

Ken gazed at Akemi, pondering if she is really a minor.

Seiji noticed it "Try anything, and I'll be forced to add you to the list of societal threats."

Ken deflated immediately. "Fine, fine... Dang it..." He glanced at Hideaki and joked, "So, you're saying that someone like your roommate, would be better for her?" gesturing at Hideaki, who was glaring at them.

At that, Hideaki exploded, "H-HUH?! YOU TOO?! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!!! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU IDIOTS THAT I AM NOT A FUCKING KID?!?!?!"

A chill ran down Ken's spine at Hideaki's outburst. "G-Gosh... calm down, dude... I was joking! You look very young! And... uh, your height doesn't help either," Ken murmured with a slight smirk on his face.

Hideaki's eyes twitched, frustration boiling over.

'Why does everyone think I'm a kid!?!?' he thought angrily while clinging his teeth strongly 'Do I really look THAT young???'

Ken, sensing the tension, quickly changed the subject. "So, how long have you been here?"

"For a few hours, I think," Seiji replied. "We needed to escape the house. It's been too hot there since they cut the electricity."

"Yeah, that sucks," Ken agreed.

"I think they should have restored it by now. But we can stay a bit longer," Seiji added, looking out at the ocean.

Then he turned to Ken.

"By the way, how was the monthly drinking party at the izakaya?"

"Ah you know, as usual. Iwasaki and Ume lost themselves again and acted very loud. We had some good food but one of coworkers got food poisoning. Probably ate something before it. Oh and boss said that you need to show up at next evening. He said that you can't brush off and avoid these parties all the time."

Seiji exhaled through his nose — shortly, in a tired tone.

"Of course he said that," he replied coldly. "He's probably worried that without me, no one will keep their conversation above kindergarten standard."

Ken snorted, but Seiji continued, unfazed.

"Anyway, I'll show up. If only so he'll stop reminding me every week."

He then glanced at Hideaki, who still looked irritated by the comment about his appearance.

"And I'll have to leave Hideaki alone tonight..." he muttered under his breath, then added normally, "So if I come back and find the apartment on fire, I'll know who to blame."

Hideaki turned his head sharply.

"H-Ha?! What am I supposed to burn down there?!"

Seiji just shrugged with his usual small, dry smile.

"I know your 'cases'. I prefer to be prepared."

---

As time passed, they continued to relax on the beach. Akemi eventually moved out of the sun and joined her brother under the umbrella. She met Ken, but their conversation was brief due to their differing interests.

As evening approached, hunger began to creep in.

"Seiji, can we go eat something? I'm getting hungry," Akemi pleaded.

"I'm getting hungry too!" Hideaki chimed in,

Seiji let out a quiet breath, as if silently agreeing to surrender to the situation.

"Okay. Let's go eat."

He glanced at Ken, who was staring at his phone.

"Ken," he said curtly, "Are you coming with us or do you have plans?"

Ken looked up and smiled. "Uh... sure, why not!"

Seiji nodded slightly. "Okay."

Without further comment, he began gathering their things, as if it were the most natural thing to do.

***

They went to a nearby small but cozy restaurant, tempted by the delicious smell of freshly cooked fish in the air.

Once they sat down at a table, they looked through the menu, but as soon as they saw the various names of the dishes, their look on their faces from excited, turned into puzzled.

Seiji, with his knowledge of fish dishes being pretty extensive, pointed out some of his favorites, explaining the subtle flavors and textures they could expect.

It was clear he had been to the restaurant many times before, having practically tasted every dish they offered.

"I recommend the grilled sea bream," Seiji said, glancing over the top of the menu. "It's got a more delicate flavor compared to the swordfish. If you're into something richer, try the miso black cod."

As their orders arrived, beautifully arranged on colorful plates, they dug in, savoring every bite. The seafood was fresh, seasoned perfectly, and the combination of spices created a mouthwatering experience. The casual conversation flowed as they ate, enjoying both the food and each other's company.

When they were finally full, they stepped outside into the lively street, where locals and tourists buzzed around.

The city's energy as vibrant as ever.

Maybe because it was Summer?

Or maybe because they just had a surprisingly great time together?

Akemi went on the back of the restaurant to capture sunset pics with her remaining phone battery, leaving the guys alone for a while.

Ken glanced briefly at Hideaki, the memory of that day still fresh in his mind. 'Something is wrong with this guy... Only what?'

He shifted his gaze to Seiji, hoping to downplay the tension. "Thanks for the dinner, Seiji."

"No problem, Ken." Seiji causually replied.

"At least no one was waving knives around this time, right? Heheh..." Ken added, chuckling a little nervously, trying to maintain the casual tone, but his unease was hard to mask.

"Yeah.... Right..." Seiji replied.