CH 35

After we headed south on Route 127.

“Where are we going next?”

“We’re going to Okinoshima in Tateyama.”

I went along the road by the sea.

The hills facing the sea were lined with houses.

It’s like we’re in a different country from Chiba City.

I felt like I was in a southern island.

It’s not really a metropolitan area at all.

But then again, even Tokyo has Okutama, an unexplored region where bears come out.

After passing Tateyama Station, we headed for the Tateyama Maritime Self-Defense Force base.

The uninhabited island to the west of the base is Okinoshima.

There is a parking lot in front of the sandy beach leading to the island.

“Wow, from here you can see that the island is connected by a beautiful sandy beach.”

She said this as she got out of the car and pressed her hair, which was blowing in the sea breeze, with her hand.

I snapped a picture of her.

This time, she didn’t notice me.

“We’re going to walk across here to the island.”

We walked along the beach side by side.

“Okinoshima used to be an independent island, but it was connected to the land after the Great Kanto Earthquake.”

“Is that so? If that’s true, it’s the same as Enoshima.”

“Enoshima is definitely more famous, though.”

But this one is better because it’s less crowded. It’s like a beach in Southeast Asia.”

“Isn’t that too much of a compliment?”

“Is it? Also, if there was a castle on the island, it would look like Mont Saint-Michel in France, right?”

Oh, I see. Okinoshima is just a park covered with trees, but if a castle was built on it, it might look like that.

“This place is on the west side of the Boso Peninsula, right? If you come here at sunset, I’m sure it will be wonderful.”

Indeed, it might be.

Also, from here, you can see Mt.

In front of it is the ocean.

If you can see the sunset, Mt. Fuji, and the ocean all at once, there may be no other place like this.

“Maybe we should have come in the evening.”

I muttered to myself.

I heard that the island was a nature park.

“There are natural pools and even caves.”

Touko-senpai looked at the information board with a surprisingly childlike gleam in her eyes.

I snapped another picture of her with my phone.

This time she seems to have noticed and turns around to look at me.

“Didn’t you just take a picture?”

“No, I didn’t.”

I said with a laugh.

“No, you did, I swear!”

“I didn’t take any pictures.”

“Not at all.”

As she said this, she pointed towards a path leading to the back.

“This is the path that leads into the island, isn’t it? Let’s go there.”

The two of us followed the path through the forest.

After a while, the view opened up.

We were at the sea.

It was a small sandy beach sandwiched between rocks on both sides.

“Beautiful! There’s such a pretty beach here!”

Touko-senpai went down to the beach with a small leap, as if she was a different person from her normal demeanor.

I followed right behind her.

“The sea water is so beautiful. The water is so clear all the way down to the bottom.”

“I heard that this beach has always been ranked AA, the highest level, in the water quality survey conducted by the Ministry of the Environment.”

Touko-senpai looks back at me.

“Have you been here before, Isshiki-kun?”

“No, it’s my first time here too.”

“It’s my first time too. I’ve never been here before either. I didn’t know there were good places in the neighborhood.”

“Yes, it is. I heard that this is the northern limit of coral and you can see coral when snorkeling. There are also a lot of fish here, and it’s also a good diving spot.”

“There are small fish here, too. See?”

Touko-senpai said and pointed.

I stepped over the rock and went nearer to Toko-senpai.

Indeed, there were many small fish swimming in the small tide pool.

“Oh, there’s a bunch of little fish over here and there’s some kind of big tropical fish over here.”

“Where are they?”

“Here, over here.”

Just as Touko was about to climb up to the top of the stair-shaped rock.

“Ah.”

She slipped and let out a small scream.

In a panic, I grabbed Touko-senpai from the front and supported her.

However, along with her, one of my feet also fell into the sea.

At the same time, my phone made a small “beeping” sound.

“Oh, thank you.”

Touko-senpai said with a surprised look.

I”No, I’m glad you didn’t fall. It’s a rocky place, and if you had fallen, you might have gotten hurt.”

“But it’s not just me, you got your feet wet too.”

“It’s okay, it’s just this.”

When I said that, I noticed that Touuko’s face was very close to mine.

She was less than 30 centimeters away.

In addition, I was holding her by the upper arms with both hands as if to embrace her.

Toko-senpai seemed to have noticed the position.

She turned her gaze away from me and said.

“You were taking pictures just now, weren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, I remember that.”

There was indeed the sound of a smartphone shutter.

“You didn’t have to take pictures all the way down here.”

She looked somewhat embarrassed.

“No, I didn’t do that on purpose.”

Touko senpai looked at me.

Iu can see my reflection in her dark green eyes.

I’m sure that my eyes are also reflecting Touko-senpai’s right now.

She smiled slyly.

“Let’s get out of here. If we don’t, we’ll get more wet from the waves.”

I nodded silently and pulled her hand back towards the beach.

TL : It was a quite pain to translate names of the all place i know no jack about.