Chapter 350: She Wants to Kiss (3k)

"Give it to me! Hurry up and hand over my swimsuit!"

Floating in the water, Chika's face flushed bright red as she called out, her tone urgent and embarrassed.

Amamiya held the swimsuit, his expression unusually serious.

"I have a question," he said.

"What is it?" Chika asked warily.

"Here's the swimsuit. But how exactly do you plan to put it on?"

"Well, obviously I'll just…"

Mid-sentence, Chika froze. A realization hit her—she couldn't put it on. Not here. Not like this.

They were in the middle of the sea, not on solid ground. Swimming required both arms to maintain balance, and there was no way to slip into the swimsuit using only one hand.

"Let's head to that small island," Chika decided quickly, pointing toward a nearby rocky outcrop. "I'll climb up there and put it on."

Amamiya nodded in agreement, his gaze briefly dropping to the water's surface.

The waters of Kagoshima were pristine and clear, sparkling under the morning sun. Beneath the rippling waves, Chika's skin appeared smooth and flawless, the hazy refraction of light lending the scene a certain ethereal allure.

"Don't stare!"

Chika puffed out her cheeks in protest, her voice tinged with embarrassment as her face turned an even deeper shade of red. Despite being the instigator of constant chaos, she was still a girl—and a self-conscious one at that.

"Cover your eyes!" she demanded, her voice rising.

"Do you want me to drown?" Amamiya countered, raising an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to swim blindfolded?"

"You were just floating a moment ago; you'll be fine!" Chika huffed. "Now hurry up and get to the island!"

"Fine, fine."

With no sense of urgency, Amamiya began swimming leisurely, keeping slightly ahead of Chika as they made their way toward the island.

"Hey! Someone's coming!"

Chika's voice suddenly turned anxious.

Amamiya squinted toward the horizon and spotted a female tourist surfing on a paddleboard some distance away. He shrugged.

"Relax, they're too far away to see anything clearly. Even up close, it'd be hard to make out anything underwater."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chika shot back, her cheeks puffing indignantly.

"Just saying, you're the one who claimed to be a mermaid princess. Isn't it normal for mermaids to not wear clothes?"

"Mermaids at least wear shells!"

"…Fair point."

As their banter continued, the two eventually reached the small rocky island.

"I'll go up first," Amamiya said, circling to find a relatively flat area to climb.

After securing a spot, he pulled himself onto the island and turned back to the water. Stretching out a hand, he said, "Give me your hand."

Still covering herself with one arm, Chika reached out with her free hand.

"I'm coming up… Ahhh!"

The island's rocks, worn smooth by the relentless battering of waves, proved treacherously slippery. Distracted by her own predicament, Chika's footing failed her the moment she tried to climb up. With a startled cry, she felt herself falling backward.

Amamiya reacted instinctively, grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling her toward him.

Thud.

The two collided—Chika landing squarely in his arms.

For a moment, Amamiya was frozen, acutely aware of the warm, smooth sensation against him. It was as if the world had gone silent, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

The air grew heavy with awkwardness, neither daring to move or speak.

Only the sound of their breathing and heartbeats broke the silence, unusually vivid in the stillness.

The sun hung just above the horizon, its soft light painting the sky in warm hues. Beneath it, Chika's flushed cheeks glowed like embers, her beauty striking and radiant.

Amamiya's gaze lingered on her wide, startled eyes and flushed face. His heart began to race against his will. A thought crossed his mind, mischievous and impulsive—he wanted to tease her, to fluster her even more.

"Wait!"

Chika suddenly raised a hand to cover his lips, her voice firm despite her embarrassment. "Not now!"

"But I won the race," Amamiya argued, his tone deceptively calm.

"That's tomorrow's business, not now!" Chika's face turned an even deeper shade of red, as vivid as a ripe apple. She flailed slightly, her voice tinged with panic. "Anyway, now's not the time. Let me go!"

Taking a steadying breath, Amamiya fought back the urge to press his advantage. Slowly, he loosened his arms from around her slender waist, releasing her from his grip.

Chika immediately crouched, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She looked up at him with a face still red from the flurry of emotions.

"Give me back my swimsuit," she demanded, her voice almost a squeak.

"Alright."

"And turn around!"

"Fine."

"No peeking!"

Amamiya smirked faintly. "Do you really think I'd need to peek?"

"…!"

Chika shot him a sharp glare, deciding not to dignify the comment with a response.

After a few moments of fumbling, she finally managed to fasten her swimsuit. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stood up, still visibly flustered but more composed.

"Okay, let's head back. Quickly!" she said, motioning toward the shore.

Amamiya turned to her with an impish grin. "How about another race? First one back to the shore wins."

"Absolutely not!"

Chika's response was swift and definitive.

She had lost the last game, and there was no chance she'd win this one. It wasn't worth risking another humiliation.

"How about this," Amamiya suggested, holding up a finger. "I'll give you a ten-second head start."

Chika frowned, placing a hand on her hip. "A ten-second head start? You're underestimating me!"

"Are you accepting, then?"

"...Fine! I accept!" Chika declared confidently, puffing out her chest.

Amamiya tilted his head. "Weren't you just refusing a moment ago?"

"I changed my mind." Chika clasped her hands together and gave him a dazzling smile. "This time, I'll definitely win!"

"Alright, but just to be clear—the rules for winning haven't changed, right?"

"No problem!" Chika nodded, her determination unwavering.

She leapt into the water with a splash, shooting him a final warning. "No cheating! Or you'll be nothing but a lowly puppy!"

Amamiya sighed and began counting down. Once she was far enough ahead, he dove into the water, gliding swiftly in pursuit.

But it didn't take long for him to realize that he had no chance of catching up. The distance between the rocky island and the shore was only about two hundred meters, and with a ten-second lead, Chika had already gained too much ground.

Unless she stopped, there was no way to win.

Thinking quickly, Amamiya called out, "My leg! I think it's cramping!"

"Huh?"

Hearing his voice, Chika paused and turned back, her expression a mix of suspicion and concern.

Was he serious?

The moment of doubt didn't last long. She saw Amamiya slipping below the water's surface and immediately sprang into action, swimming back toward him without hesitation.

Splash!

Reaching him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him up. "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously, her voice trembling slightly.

Amamiya surfaced with a grin. "I'm fine."

As soon as she saw the mischievous sparkle in his eyes, realization struck.

"You tricked me!"

Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's, her anger palpable. "How dare you lie to me!"

"It's just strategy," Amamiya replied nonchalantly. "Isn't that what you always say?"

Chika froze, momentarily speechless. He had used her own logic against her, and it was infuriating.

"You're the worst!" she finally blurted out, stomping her foot in the water.

The outcome was predictable.

Amamiya, through sheer audacity and cunning, emerged as the victor once again.

——

"Why is your face so red?"

Kaguya tilted her head, her tone curious.

"Cough, cough..." Chika cleared her throat twice, trying to maintain her composure. "I swam too fast just now. Got a little tired, that's all."

"Then why do you keep puffing your cheeks?"

"I... accidentally choked on some seawater," Chika stammered, her eyes darting away.

"..."

Watching her best friend walk off in a suspiciously flustered manner, Kaguya narrowed her eyes. Something didn't feel right. As she glanced toward the bright sky, she couldn't shake the feeling that the sun seemed just a little greener than usual.

The group spent some more time enjoying the beach, watching the sunrise before heading back to the hotel to change and freshen up.

"Let's soak in the hot spring for a while," Chika suggested, her energy fully restored. "Then we can grab breakfast together. After that, we'll head to the station."

"Call me if you need anything," Amamiya replied casually.

"I'm not calling you!" Chika huffed, still holding a grudge over their earlier interaction.

Seeing her suspicious demeanor, Amamiya raised a brow but said nothing as he headed back to his room.

When he arrived, the lively schoolmate he half-expected to see was nowhere in sight. Instead, a sticky note lay neatly on the table:

"Senpai~ I got an urgent call and have to head back to Tokyo first. See you tonight!"

Predicting as much, Amamiya folded the note and set it aside. He began to prepare for a relaxing soak in the hot spring. Just as he finished taking off his clothes, there was a knock at the door.

Opening it, he found a familiar face smiling brightly at him.

"Good morning, Amamiya!"

Standing there was Umi, her golden hair shining like sunlight. Around her neck was a black collar, and her expression radiated mischief as she flashed a playful scissors hand gesture.

Amamiya blinked, momentarily stunned. "Why are you here?"

The previous night's conversation replayed in his mind. Umi had mentioned plans for breakfast with her father, after which the group was to meet at the station to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

"Oh, Dad got a call about some urgent work, so he had to leave in a hurry," Umi explained as she wheeled a suitcase into the room. "I got bored being alone, so I came here early. Surprised?"

Amamiya sighed inwardly. If you'd shown up unannounced last night, that would've been a real surprise.

"We just got back from swimming at the beach," he said, glossing over the morning's events.

"Eh?" Umi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I want to go swimming too! Why didn't you invite me?"

"Why didn't you message me if you were free?" Amamiya countered dryly.

Umi stuck out the tip of her pink tongue. "Well then, how about we go swimming now?"

"We won't have enough time," Amamiya replied flatly. "But soaking in the hot spring? That's doable."

"Alright," Umi agreed with a tinge of disappointment. "Let's go to the hot spring."

"Sajuna and Chika are in the rooms next door," Amamiya said, gesturing. "You can join them for a bath."

Umi blinked, leaning closer with a sly grin and lowering her voice to a whisper. "No one knows I'm here yet, right? So it's fine if I soak in the hot spring with you, isn't it?"

"..."

Amamiya's brow twitched. Without a word, he grabbed Umi's wrist and started leading her toward the bathroom.

"I'll help you take a bath," he said, deadpan.

"W-Wait a second!" Umi's cheeks turned a bright red, and she quickly backtracked. "I was just joking!"

"I seem to recall the Kitagawa family's motto is never tell a lie," Amamiya teased.

"That's not a real family rule!" Umi protested, flustered.

"..."

Embarrassed and unable to follow through on her playful suggestion, Umi ultimately relented. After chatting for a while, she grabbed her suitcase and headed to Sajuna's room.

The final outcome?

Sajuna, caught between the energetic Umi and the ever-cheeky Amamiya, found herself subjected to a double dose of chaos.

After finishing their hot spring baths, Amamiya and the group gathered in the corridor, ready to leave the hotel.

In Japan, there aren't many specialized breakfast shops. Instead, 24-hour convenience stores and traditional fast-food joints are the go-to options. After a simple breakfast, they stopped by a convenience store to grab some snacks and then headed directly to the station to board the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

"Let's get on the train already," Umi said, fanning herself with her hand. "It's so hot out here."

"It was so cool this morning," Chika complained, wiping sweat from her forehead as she stowed her luggage. "Who'd have thought it'd heat up this much once the sun was fully up?"

"Here," Amamiya said, handing her a freshly bought drink.

Chika glanced at him briefly, then snatched the drink and gulped it down.

She might still be mad, but thirst and grudges were separate matters. Chika prided herself on keeping things clear-cut.

"Amamiya, I want one too!" Umi raised her hand enthusiastically. 

Amamiya handed her a can of juice with a warning. "Don't spill it."

"I won't spill it like yesterday!" Umi blurted out.

Sajuna turned to her, curious. "Did you spill your drink yesterday?"

Umi's face turned crimson as she stammered, "W-Well… last night, I bought some milk tea in Osaka. There was a little left when I got on the train, but a kid bumped into me, and it spilled. That's all!"

What she didn't mention was spending the rest of the trip sitting on Amamiya's lap.

"Kaguya, what about you?" Amamiya asked, turning toward the quiet Kaguya sitting nearby. "I picked up a coriander and mint-flavored summer refreshment. Want to try it?"

"What kind of bizarre combination is that?!" Kaguya frowned in disbelief. "Absolutely not!"

"It sounds interesting," Sajuna chimed in, intrigued. "I want to try it."

"You might not want to after the first sip," Amamiya warned.

"That's not guaranteed!" Sajuna wagged her finger confidently. "Remember the ghost town visit? I managed to eat even the darkest cuisine. Coriander soda sounds like child's play."

Kaguya hesitated, her expression faltering.

It… did make some sense. If coriander-flavored soda wasn't dark cuisine, what was?

Time passed as the novelty of the Shinkansen ride wore off. Everyone began to grow tired.

Having woken up early for their morning trip to the beach, fatigue now crept in. Even Amamiya wasn't immune to the drowsiness.

Putting his phone away, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and drifted into a light sleep.

In his half-conscious state, he felt a soft, fragrant presence settle against him, a scent like orchids and musk filling the air. Reflexively, his arms closed around the delicate figure.

After what seemed like an eternity, Amamiya opened his eyes, groggy but alert enough to realize he was holding someone in his arms. Looking down, he was startled to see the familiar figure of Kaguya nestled close, her slender frame warm against him.

It seemed the air conditioning on the train was too cold. Sometime after falling asleep, Kaguya had unconsciously shifted toward him.

"Hmm…"

As though disturbed by his gaze, Kaguya's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened, hazy with sleep. Her half-lidded gaze held a misty softness, her drowsy state making her seem unusually gentle and vulnerable.

Their eyes met.

Amamiya braced himself, expecting Kaguya to quietly pull away and pretend nothing had happened, in line with her usual composed demeanor.

But instead, the drowsy young lady blinked a few times, raised her face toward him, and—still in a haze—slightly parted her soft, cherry-pink lips, as though leaning in for a kiss.