Chapters)

Chapters)

Going back in time, the day before the opening ceremony

Mm

On my bed, I, Haruka Shijouin, woke up.

Seems like I sweated in my sleep; my T-shirt is slightly damp.

Huh? Why am I in my room? I was supposed to go to the beach with everyone

In a room thats comfortably air-conditioned, I push myself up from the bed, still half-asleep.

My memories are a bit fuzzy; I cant recall the sequence of events.

The sea yes, the sea. I went to the beach with Niihama-kuns invitation, right?

(C-Could it be was that whole beach outing just a dream!?)

In a panic, I search for my mobile phone and find it near the bed, hastily operating it.

With a hopeful heart, I open the photo folder and there are numerous photos of Niihama-kun and everyone. A sigh of relief escapes my lips.

Phew Thank goodness. I couldnt bear the thought of it all being a fantasy

With genuine relief, I gaze at the photos I took with my phone.

Each and every one of them is as precious to me as a jewel, a treasure trove after being deprived of friends for so long.

Hehe It was so much fun

The beach with friends that I had yearned for turned out to be even more exciting than I had expected.

We made a lot of noise together, shared meals, soaked in the sea, and basked in the sunlight.

In the evening, we had a perfect dinner on the beach with a barbecue. I ended up overeating a bit

(Huh? Come to think of it, my memory gets fuzzy around the time I got full from the barbecue? How did I get back, exactly?)

Considering it rationally, after eating so much and being tired from playing, I probably just fell asleep. But for some reason, it doesnt quite make sense.

Hmm Hmmm?

I place the index fingers of both hands against my temples and groan as I try to recall.

Oddly enough, theres resistance in remembering it.

Its almost as if my subconscious is shouting, Just pretend you fell asleep and thats it! Dont remember it!, but wanting to ensure that the memory of that wonderful day remains intact, I delve into the memory.

And then

Hehehe Gotcha, Niihama-kun

Huh?

Huh!? Whats that, whats that? Cmon, what fun and embarrassing things happened at the beach? Mom really loves hearing about stuff like that!

Im starting to get a sense of that lately!

Not just my father, but my mother also seems to lack subtlety when it comes to her daughter!

Whats with those sparkling eyes filled with anticipation!?

Natsuzaki-san mentioned it to me, but come to think of it, Haruka accidentally drank some alcohol, right? Mmm, could this be a celebration rice cake?

Hey you, Akiko! What on earth did you just imagine!?

Well, you know, this child might seem reserved, but I feel like her unconscious mind gets a bit heavy sometimes. If you mix in alcohol and the restraint comes off well, who knows, it might have led to something crazy

These parents who suddenly burst into their daughters room are really!

Please, just leave me alone for a while. My head is all over the place right now!

Enough already, you dont need to worry about anything! Both of you, just leave!

With my emotions running wild, I spread my arms wide and shout.

In response, both of them show surprised expressions and apologize, saying S-Sorry and Sorry, Haruka as they quickly exit the room.

Sigh

Letting out a sigh in the now quiet room, the embarrassment swirling within me still wont dissipate.

I cover myself with the towel blanket from head to toe and hunch over on the bed, looking like some kind of ghost.

The silver lining is that its currently summer vacation.

At least, I have a bit more time to sort out my thoughts

Huh

Thats when I notice.

The date on the calendar hanging on the wall of my room.

Today is the end of summer vacation, and tomorrow is the opening ceremony where Ill see everyone.

R-Right!

Staring at the calendar as if in prayer, the merciless reality remains unchanged.

Having ended summer with a fun memory at the beach and taking a day to rest before the opening ceremony I now remember that Niihama-kun had arranged this plan for us.

Ah, ahhhh! W-What should I do!? I cant face Niihama-kun like this!

Hunching over in my towel blanket ghost state, I clutch my head, and my panicked thoughts cause me to roll around on the bed.

(TLN) Yes, it definitely says part 2. I dont know why. I checked on neosekai to see if there was a chapter with a similar title but there wasnt. Heres this chapters title: 103 96