CH-9 (THE INFAMOUS BEACH EPISODE)

It happened back when I was still in middle school.

It was an extremely cloudy day, with heavy rain pouring down.

Normally, people would be sitting back at their homes, relaxing with their loved ones, eating oranges, watching television, and cozying up to each other.

But here I was, stranded outside, on empty streets, in the rain.

You see, Akeno and I had a dispute. I had been selfish, too selfish in fact, to even realize what I had done.

“I got news from big-sis today, that you were planning to quit. Is that true?”

“That’s right, Akeno. Ayako-san is telling the truth.”

“Since when?”

“Since the very beginning of this project.”

“Why didn’t you tell me anything sooner? Why is it that I had to learn about this from big-sis?”

I didn’t have any words to say, aside from casting my gaze downwards.

“I just……couldn’t.

I knew you would try to stop me, if I ever did mention it to you.”

“May I ask the reason why?”, asked Akeno.

I couldn’t see her face, as my eyes were cast downward. But I could sense that her voice was shaking. She was about to break down.

“That’s-“

“It’s because of me, isn’t it? You are going to leave because I’m not good enough, is it? I know in the past few days, my acting hasn’t been on par to the standard, but…but I promise! I promise that I’ll work on myself! I’ll take extra lessons if I have to. I know my schedule is packed, but I’d still work hard to make sure I can deliver to your expectations.

I promise that I’ll work twice, no thrice as hard from now on, so you don’t have to worry!”

“Stop it, Akeno! That’s exactly why I-“

“I’ll make sure to search for a new instructor! I’ll ask big-sis to adjust my schedule. I’ll make sure-“

“STOP IT!”

“Rei-chan?”

“Stop belittling yourself, Akeno. You are not the one who is wrong here.

The fault lies with me.

I’m the one who should be working hard.

I’m the one who’s not worthy of you.”

“That’s not true, Rei-chan! Your work is really amazing!”

“BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH!”

“Rei....-chan?”

“Do you want to know why I decided to quit? It’s because I couldn’t keep up with you anymore. You shine brighter than the sun, while I’m nothing more than a pebble.

It’s because of me that the quality of your recent performance has gone down. I’m the one who is doing injustice to your acting skills. I’m the one who’s not a good match for you.”

She looked at me, in disbelief, as I uttered those words.

“WHO GAVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE THAT? JUST WHO?”

“Akeno, I-“, but I couldn’t finish my sentence, as I looked at her grim face, with tears welling down on her eyes.

“Sniff…..Sniff….

Everyone has already abandoned me!

Are you going to abandon me too now, Rei-chan?”, said she, sobbing.

“That’s not it Akeno, I-“

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!

WHAT ABOUT OUR PROMISE?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VOW THAT YOU MADE?

WAS THAT ALL A LIE?”

“No Akeno, listen-“

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, RIGHT NOW!

I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN!”

___________________________________________________________________________

My emotions were a tangled mess, as I walked down the road. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I had lost everything that I had built up until now. But what pained me the most, was her tears.

I broke our promise, simply because of my selfishness, and in turn, broke her as well.

I wandered aimlessly on the streets, without any sense of direction, with my gaze casted downwards.

When I looked up again, I found myself in front of an abandoned playground. It was the same playground where I made the promise to her, the same promise that I had failed to keep.

“Haha.....!

Hahaha.........!

Hahahaha….....!

I’m so pathetic!”,

thought I, laughing at myself. 

Who knew that separation could feel this painful?

But it looked like fate had other plans for me, for I spotted her, of all people, sitting alone on a swing in the playground.

She hadn’t noticed me yet, but I could sense that we both carried souls broken beyond repair.

She was a girl I had always admired from a distance.

Someone who despised the world, yet possessed the kindest soul, for even in the harsh rain, even at her lowest, she used her coat to shelter a stray cat.

She was a senpai of my middle school.

She was Kurosawa Emi.

___________________________________________________________________________

I opened my eyes to the sound of Kuro purring against my cheek.

Kuro was a black stray cat, the same one she had sheltered on that fateful day.

It had all been a dream, one that carried me back into my past.

On my right hand, was a pen, that I kept holding on to, even during my sleep.

It wasn’t anything special, just a normal black pen. Old, rusty, and worn down.

But to me, it held the memories that we both shared.

It was the same one I had gifted her back in her birthday.

And yesterday, she had gifted it back to me.

It seemed she no longer needed it.

Lying there, I raised it before my eyes, staring at it from a distance.

___________________________________________________________________________

The bright sun felt awfully hot on my skin, as I decided to tread onto the sands of the beach.

We had arrived at a resort today, to enjoy the last days of summer.

Meanwhile, here Akeno was, running around, without a care in the world, paying no heed to the scorching heat of the sun.

“Careful, Akeno! Don’t go running around like that! You might trip-”

But it was I who tripped, falling flat on my face before I could even finish my sentence.

A sharp pain shot through my toe. It felt like I’d kicked a rock.

“Before giving advice to others, shouldn’t you follow it yourself, idiot?”

I looked around and found Emi-senpai lowering her hand to help me back on my feet.

She was wearing a straw hat and a purple-and-black bikini, paired with a sarong.

She looked like an angel who had lost her wings.

“What are you staring at?” she asked, turning shy with embarrassment.

“Nothing…… it’s just I think you really look pretty. It really suits you well.”, said I, while checking her out, head to toe.

“You really think so? Thanks……I guess?”

An awkward silence followed us. I mean, can you blame me? I saw her in a swimsuit for the first time. I was embarrassed to even make an eye contact with her, but I knew I had to do something to thin out the air.

“Even though, I gotta say Emi-senpai, you’re awfully bold for a high schooler. I didn’t expect someone like you, who always upheld morals, to have such exquisite taste.”

“S-shut up! I knew it! It doesn’t suit me at all, does it? I shouldn’t have worn it in the first place. Looks like I’ll just have to wear an oversized hoodie above it.”

But as she was about to leave, I grabbed her hands, to stop her.

“Please don’t, senpai!

I wasn’t joking, you know?

It really looks good on you.”

It looked like my words had taken an effect, for, she decided to listen to me.

“Sigh.......! Fine......! But only just for today”, said she, reluctantly.

Meanwhile, Akeno was busy playing with the beach ball, running around, wearing an oversized hoodie over her. But it wouldn’t last long, for she decided to stop on her tracks, unzip her hoodie, and threw it at me.

“Here Rei-chan, catch it!”

That took me by surprise.

“Hey! What was that fo-“, but I couldn’t finish my sentence, as I was too stunned to speak.

Akeno stood before me, wearing an orange bikini with a floral pattern. It looked as though it had been tailored just for her, accentuating her curves perfectly.

*THUD*

“Hey, what was that for?”. I asked, turning towards Emi-senpai, who had slapped me on my head.

“You were looking at Akeno lecherously, so of course, I had to intervene, in order to knock some sense into an idiot like you.”

Meanwhile, Akeno started patting my head, trying to ease my pain in the process.

“There there! You’ll be all right!”, said she, while patting my head.

“Did you put sunscreen on, Akeno?”

“Shit! I was so busy playing, that I had completely forgotten it.”

Then she looked at me with the puppy dog eyes.

I could already guess where this was heading to.

“Rei-chan! Could you pleas-“

“With pleasure!”

I knew exactly she was looking for. She didn't even have to spell it out for me.

But the moment I replied, I could feel a burning gaze upon my shoulders. Someone was definitely pissed.

But that was exactly my goal, to reinstate some form of jealousy within her. This was my way of getting back at her.

“Here, lie down on your stomach, Akeno!”

I poured the lotion on my palms, mixing them properly, before applying them over Akeno’s skin. We were under the shade of the parasol.

“Here I go!”

“EEEEK- Rei-chan! It’s cold!”

“Bear with it for a while, Akeno. Or else, you might get suntanned. Don’t worry, I’ll be done soon enough.”, said I, while making sure to apply it thoroughly on her. Meanwhile, Emi-senpai was watching over us.

“Hmph! Idiot. Pervert.”

After a couple of minutes had passed, I was done with Akeno. 

"Hey, Emi-senpai, how about I apply on you next?”, I asked.

“Not even in your wildest dreams, perv! And besides, I had already applied mine before getting here.”

The next couple of hours were a blast. We played beach volleyball, tried suikawari (blindfolded watermelon splitting), had water-gun fights, built sandcastles, raced each other while swimming, and did so much more.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

“Can I ask you something, Emi-senpai?”, asked I lying on the beach, exhausted.

“Go ahead.”

“Don’t you think it’s kinda weird that only 3 of us are here at this beach? Normally a beach is supposed to be crowded.”

“You should thank Ayako-san for this. She used her connections to get us permissions to visit this private beach. Do you really think we could’ve just walked into any crowded beach with a super famous actress like Akeno?”

Meanwhile, Akeno was sleeping peacefully beside us, thanks to her exhaustion. I mean, she was the most hyperactive amongst the 3 of us. And she’s supposed to be a superstar.

But our respite was short lived, for the sound of our conversation had promptly woken her up.

“YAWN…..! What time is it, Rei-chan?”, said she, looking around.

“Judging by the colour of the sky, it’s already evening.”

The sun was tinged with crimson as it sank beyond the horizon.

“Looks pretty, isn’t it, Emi-senpai?”

“I agree.”

We were staring at the setting sun, when Akeno suddenly had an idea.

“Let’s take a picture to commemorate this day!”

“Well, it doesn’t sound too bad. What do you say, Emi-senpai?”, asked I.

“Sure, why not?”

We decided to stand in front of the setting sun. Emi-senpai was about to take a picture, when suddenly, Akeno stopped her.

“What’s the matter, Akeno? Don’t you want me to take the picture?”

“That’s not it, Emi-senpai! I want you as well, to be present in our photo frame. I don’t want you to be left alone.”

“I’m fine, Akeno! I don’t look photogenic enough, anyway.”, said she, with her face downcast.

I decided to intervene.

“Come on now, Emi-senpai. Let’s take the picture together.”

“That’s not it Kouhai-kun, I- “

“Or are you just embarrassed?”, said I , with a grin on my face.

Looks like my teasing had an impact on her, for she decided to comply with our request in the end.

“F-Fine then. But just for today.”

So, I set the phone camera on a timer, tapped the shutter, and ran back to the girls, slipping in between them.

“5”

“4”

“3”

“2”

“1”

"SAY CHEESE!"

*CLICK*

___________________________________________________________________________

It was already evening, by the time we had finally reached the destination.

We were supposed to meet at a nearby shrine, for the summer festival. Apparently, it was Akeno’s plan, and therefore, we had to wear our Yukata. But unlike me, the girls were taking too long to get dressed. So, I decided to visit the stalls myself before them, to buy some food along the way.

Upon returning back to the aforementioned spot, I found them, standing angrily, pouting at my sight.

“Sorry, I’m late!”

“You better be!”, said Emi-senpai, stomping her feet. She was wearing a navy blue Yukata, with red flowers printed all over it, along with a crimson obi.

“It looks good on you, Emi-senpai”, I decided to complement her, so as to not be a victim of her wrath yet again.

“Isn’t that right, Rei-chan? She was refusing to wear her Yukata, but I forced her to put it on! She looks sooooo freaking adorable!”, said Akeno, who herself was wearing a Yukata, painted with crimson red, and had white flowers printed over it, along with a yellow obi.

“You look beautiful yourself, Akeno! Hang on, let me adjust the obi for you”, said I.

“Hmph! Flattery will get you nowhere.”, said Emi-senpai, pouting.

“Relax, I bought you guys some food as an apology. Here, grab them!”, said I, while handing them their masks and candy apples. We couldn’t risk getting found out over here, by the people, because of Akeno’s popularity.

“Wow! The mask looks sooo freaking cute! Is that ‘Hi Kitty’? Thank you, Rei-chan!

Hey, Emi-senpai, what did you ge- EEEEK!”

Meanwhile, Emi-senpai was fuming, looking at her mask.

“What is the meaning of this?”, said she, while pointing at her Oni mask which BTW, I purposefully bought just to troll her.

“I’m sorry Emi-senpai, but unfortunately, the store had already run out run out of other options by the time I got there, so…..”

I thought she would get mad at me. But I was surprised to see her respond calmly, for once.

“Sigh…. I guess it can’t be helped then.”, said she, while fastening the mask on her face.

___________________________________________________________________________

The festival was breathtaking, to say the least. I mean, where else can you find places that serve tasty meals, and also host so many fun activities? The atmosphere felt vibrant, as we walked through the vibrant atmosphere, amongst the crowd. However, let’s just say, instead of enjoying myself, I found taking care of 2 girls and their fascination for food. And, well, my wallet is currently having a heart attack, managing both of them.

“Rei-chan, look! That’s a yakisoba stall. Let’s have some!”

“Didn’t you just have Yakisoba like 5 minutes ago? You wanna eat some again?”

“It was a different stall, Rei-chan! This is different.”

“How is it different, Akeno? You are still going to eat Yakisoba. It’s the same food!”

“Nope! It was a different stall, so obviously, it’s a different dish. No two Yakisoba stalls can serve food that taste exactly the same.”

“Sigh… I don’t understand girls. And Ayako-san had explicitly instructed me to be careful about your calorie intake. She’s going to be so freaking mad at me when we get back!

Hey, Emi-senpai! Say something!”

“Hmm? Mmph-hmpf-mmmh!”

Who was I even asking? Emi-senpai was completely lost in her own world, stuffing hot Takoyaki into her mouth.

She’d already eaten enough snacks for two people at the festival today, and I was genuinely amazed to see that she still had room for more.

It looks like my wallet is about to run dry thanks to their incoming demands.

“Hey girls, I need to withdraw some cash really quick from the ATM nearby. You girls just stay here, near this stall, and don’t move. I’ll be back within a few minutes. Is that all right?”

I quickly made my departure, saying that.

The ATM had a massive queue, to say the least. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had fallen victim to my companions’ gluttony.

Thankfully, it didn’t take much longer for me to withdraw some cash. I was about to head back to our agreed meeting spot when I suddenly bumped into someone by accident.

“Sorry! My bad!” I apologized, scrambling to my feet.

“No worries, kiddo! I’m at fault too. I wasn’t being careful enough,” he said, graciously helping me stand.

He looked like a gentleman. He was well dressed, polite, and humble. And yet, something about him didn’t sit right with me. I felt as though I’d seen him somewhere before.

“So,” he said, “a high schooler like you attending a festival like this can only mean one thing.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a date, isn’t it?”, said he, grinning mischievously.

“WHAT!? I-”

“Ha ha ha! No need to be shy, kiddo! Even I used to sneak out of school and fool around with girls back in my day. Ah! You’re reminding me of this one time during my youth when I-”

He went on rambling about his youthful days. I was starting to get annoyed listening to him, but out of respect, I kept quiet and let him talk.

“Ah! Sorry for holding you up, kiddo! Looks like it’s about time I took my leave.”, said he, glancing at his wristwatch.

“Pardon me for asking this, Mister, but have I seen you somewhere before?”, asked I, inquisitively.

His expression changed, when I asked him the question.

He looked at my face, with a grin.

“Oh! So, you have forgotten me! And here I was wondering why you were referring to me as ‘Mister’.”

“Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Well, let’s just say, I know exactly who you are, Nishimura Reiji-kun!

Or should I say,

Kitagawa Airi-sensei?“

A shiver ran through my spine, upon hearing that name.

This has to be a joke.

How the hell does this random ass dude knows about me?

“I also know a lot more about you, than just your true identity, Nishimura-kun!

Like for example, your reason for leaving the literary world.

It’s because of her, isn’t it?”

“Wait! Who are yo-“

But I couldn’t finish my sentence, before being interrupted by Akeno!

“Rei-chan! What are you doing here?”

“Huh! Akeno! Just give me a sec-“

“Who are you talking to?”

I turned around, and sure enough, he had slipped away!

Sigh….. Just my luck, I guess?

“Why are you out here, Akeno?”

“You were taking too long to come back, so Emi-senpai asked me to go and look around for you!

Let’s go back. Emi-senpai must be getting tired, waiting for you.”

But that couldn’t be farther from the truth, as I found her hogging a huge number of prizes from the shooting booth. Her aim was so accurate, that the shopkeepers had to close down their shops before we even got there.

Well, that’s a gamer for you!

“W-What are you looking at? I am not giving you any of these, you hear me? They are mine. I won them, fair and square.”, said she, while sucking a lollipop.

Seriously, for a matured woman, Emi-senpai can be quite childish at times.

As we wandered around the festival square, Akeno spotted an accessory shop nearby. And sure enough, my wallet was about to run dry yet again. At this rate, I wondered if I’d even have enough money for the trip back home.

“Ohohoho, Ojou-san! You have quite a refined taste! That’ll look lovely on you!”, said the old shopkeeper lady, looking at Akeno pick up a pair of Sakura flower themed earrings.

Then, grinning at me, she said, “Your boyfriend is a lucky man!”

“Hehehe…..”, Akeno giggled in response to that.

“Sigh…… I’m not her boyfriend!”

“Still too shy, eh? Well then, how about you gift her this pair as a memento?”

“Fine…..! Name your price!”

As I reached for my wallet, I noticed Emi-senpai’s gaze fixated on a different accessory, which was nothing but a blue hairpin kept on display.

“Say Emi-senpai, let me buy this for you!”, I said.

“Hmph! You’re getting too full of yourself, Kouhai-kun! 

What kind of senpai makes her kouhai buy her presents? 

I’m not a kid, you know.

 Something like that wouldn’t even look good on me. 

And besides, you should save things like that for her,” she said, pointing toward Akeno.

But I ignored her words and decided to buy the hairpin anyway.

“Hey, granny! I’ll take this one too, please!”

“But kouhai-kun,…”

“Shhh! Just think of it as a gift from me!”

“Sigh…. This is exactly why I-“

“I won’t take a no for an answer, so here, take this.”, said I, gently but firmly fixing the hairpin in her hair.

“F-Fine! I’ll accept it.”, said she.

__________________________________________________________________________

As we made our way forward; we ended up in the middle of a massive crowd. It honestly felt like the entire city of Tokyo had come down just for this festival. It was so crowded, that navigation almost felt impossible for us. We had to tread carefully, so as to not get lost in the midst of these people.

“Akeno! Look out!”, I screamed, grabbing her hand, and pulled her towards me, as a massive influx of people suddenly barged in.

However, to my surprise, it wasn’t Akeno’s hand that I had grabbed, but Emi-senpai’s.

“Kouhai-kun! What’s the matter?”, asked she, while gazing into my eyes.

I looked around, and to my surprise, I couldn’t locate Akeno amongst the sea of people.

“Emi-senpai! I have some bad news for you!

Looks like we’ve lost Akeno!”