Chapter 84: The Beach Plan and the Rendezvous |
(TLN) Imma be honest. I don’t remember the names of the others. So I’m leaving them as is for now. If the names are different, please let me know in the comments and I will change them.
After receiving a positive response from Shijouin-san, I proceeded to invite the others via email, asking, “How about going to the beach together?” To my surprise, Fudehashi, Kazamihara, and Ginji immediately called me back with even more enthusiastic reactions than I had imagined.
“Goin’ to the beach? Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely count me in! I love the beach, and going there with everyone is gonna be awesome! Man, Haruka, inviting her to the beach, you’ve got guts, bro! Ahaha, the guys in our grade are gonna be so jealous when they hear about this!”
“Beach!? Yes, yes, yes! I was just wishing someone would invite me to the beach! If you had left me out, I would have cursed those air-headed, summer-loving, popular kids all summer long. Huh? My schedule? Hehe, do you really think a girl like me, with no boyfriend and barely any friends, has anything to do? Sarcastic, am I?”
“H-uh…? Uh, me? Haha, you’ve gotta be kidding, Niihama. That’s too much like a dating sim. There’s no way such a situation could happen in real life… Huh, really!? Uh, wait a minute! Are you sure it’s okay for someone like me to join you!?”
Everyone’s eager participation (especially Kazamihara and Ginji’s) caught me a bit off guard, but at the same time, I found it heartwarming. It seemed that the longing for the beach wasn’t limited to just Shijouin-san and me, as everyone was excited about the invitation to this place filled with youthful energy.
With that, I naturally took on the role of the organizer, and from that moment on, I became busy working on the plan.
Fortunately, I still had the nostalgic computer I had saved up for during my junior high days, so the task wasn’t too difficult. Having access to a certain giant IT company’s map service even in this era was a great help.
(But… I never realized how exciting it could be to go out with friends other than family…)
When I was in my previous life, I was greatly troubled by my superiors during the company trip. They complained about things like “It’s too far and troublesome,” “The travel expenses are too high,” “No karaoke? Are you kidding me?” “Hey, there’s no unlimited non-alcoholic beer! Are you making fun of me, who can’t drink due to health reasons!?” It had been incredibly stressful, and I was on the verge of collapsing.
But now, the fact that my friends were pleased with what I had planned was just heartwarming. The research I did for everyone was enjoyable, not painful.
It was an entirely new experience, one that I had never known in my previous life.
(I’ve missed out on so many things, haven’t I…)
I keenly realized how I had ended my previous life as a lonely man and, once again, felt grateful for the miracle of having a second life and the people who had become close to me during it.
And with that heightened excitement, my work efficiency improved.
The plan came together swiftly, and the promised day arrived in no time.
On the day everyone was heading to the beach, I walked through the scorching city.
I was wearing a pearl white t-shirt, a light blue short-sleeve shirt, and khaki shorts. A very casual outfit, with a backpack containing a change of clothes.
Fortunately, the chance of rain today was 0%, and the sky was a refreshing blue. The sun was strong, and the heat was considerable, but it might actually be perfect for a trip to the beach.
(I’ve really come… the day I’m going to the beach with Shijouin-san…)
In reality, my three classmates were going with me, but going to the beach with the girl I admire was, when considered calmly, an unimaginable act. It felt as if I had slyly whisked away a princess living in a castle, and I couldn’t help but feel a mysterious sense of guilt.
Thinking about such things, as I approached the meeting place, a convenience store’s parking lot…
“Oh, Niihama! Over here, over here!”
“Good morning, Niihama-kun! Thanks for setting everything up for today!”
“It’s been a while since I last saw you… but you’re giving me the impression that you’ve been thinking about Haruka all this time.”
When I arrived at the convenience store’s parking lot, Fudehashi, Ginji, and Kazamihara greeted me.
Ginji, who had short hair and a clean-cut, sporty look (though he was just as much of an otaku as me), was dressed quite casually, similar to how I was for the summer outing. However, he seemed to be quite conscious that several girls would be joining us, so he tidied up his hair and clothes slightly, which was rather amusing.
(But… it’s the first time I’ve seen Fudehashi and Kazamihara in their casual clothes…)
Fudehashi, with her short haircut, had a sporty girl look, wearing an orange t-shirt and denim shorts with a cap that gave her a refreshing charm, as if she could be in a summer sports commercial.
On the other hand, Kazamihara, the bespectacled girl, wore a sky blue linen blouse with moss green mid-length pants, giving her a somewhat mature look. Surprisingly, and I mean no offense, she had a very modern and sophisticated aura about her.
“Hey, isn’t everyone here too early? It’s still 15 minutes before the agreed time, right?”
“Well, it seems like everyone wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be late, even by a slight chance. When we all gathered together 20 minutes early, we were surprised to see each other.”
Fudehashi chuckled slightly and said, “Haha… I feel like I’m a grade schooler looking forward to a field trip,” and the other two also looked a bit bashful. They were quite excited during the phone call, but it seems they were genuinely looking forward to it as the plan’s originator, and that made me really happy.
“Haha, thanks for being so excited. So, what about Shijouin-san?”
When I asked, for some reason, all three of them grinned and pointed at me simultaneously.
Huh? Why are they pointing at me… no, wait, is it not me but someone behind me?
“Good morning, Niihama-kun!”
As I turned around, there was a summer angel standing there.
She wore a pure white blouse with frilled collar, and a navy ribbon swayed at her chest. What’s more, it was a sleeveless blouse, generously exposing her fair shoulders and arms.
The striped blue short skirt and the large straw hat she wore enhanced her youthful charm, making her irresistibly adorable.
“Oh? What’s the matter? Are you still sleepy?”
“Oh, no… um, good morning, Shijouin-san. This is the third time I’ve seen you in casual clothes, but today’s outfit is so summery and looks great.”
I tried my best to practice what Kanako had told me before we left, which was to “always compliment a girl’s outfit when you see it!” She insisted that “even if it feels forced, find something to compliment! Most people won’t feel bad about receiving compliments, and it will make them aware of your attention! It’s all positive!”
However, there were just too many things to compliment about her. It was frustrating that my eyes couldn’t convey even a tiny fraction of how captivated I was.
“Really? Th-thank you! I’m glad to hear that since I’ll be changing into a swimsuit later. I tried various combinations rather than just randomly picking something. Hehe, I was already excited and woke up early, but now my excitement is soaring even higher!”
Shijouin-san’s face brightened, and she smiled like a blooming sunflower.
Her pure innocence and radiant smile were even more dazzling than the midsummer sun.
Bonus chapter 2/2! Thank you once again, Jamo!