Chapter 37. A Weekend of Waves

"Alright, now! Are we all here?" Haruto clapped his hands together, standing at the front of the group like an excited tour guide.

"Let's do a headcount. One!" He pointed to himself with a grin. 

"Two!" Keiko called out, throwing her arm in the air dramatically. 

The count continued around the group, each person playfully shouting their number until they reached twelve. 

"…Twelve." 

All eyes shifted to Akihiko, who had spoken with the same cool, indifferent tone he always carried. 

"Ohhh, the surgeon is here!" Kazumi's voice dripped with amusement as he smirked at Akihiko, waving mockingly. 

Akihiko's expression soured instantly. 

Without a word, he casually positioned himself between Kazumi and Ayaka—who was too busy chatting with Keiko and Yuki to even notice. 

Kazumi let out a low chuckle, leaning in toward Akihiko. "Relax, I'm not here to steal Ayaka." He grabbed Akihiko's arm and pulled him aside before whispering, "She already turned me down." 

Akihiko's blue eyes flickered with something unreadable. 

Kazumi grinned wider. "Besides, loosen up! Try having some fun with us for once. Yo, guys!"

He turned back to the rest of the group, raising his voice. "This dude's a doctor! A surgeon!" 

Haruto perked up. "No way! We've got a real-life doctor in our midst? That's kinda cool!" 

"A surgeon, huh? That explains the stiff posture." Shou murmured, adjusting his glasses. 

From a short distance, Yuki nudged Ayaka and Keiko. "Looks like they're getting along..." she observed. 

Keiko giggled. "More like Kazumi is trying to get under his skin." 

Ayaka nodded, watching as Akihiko heaved an exasperated sigh while Kazumi continued introducing him to the others. 

"Before we head out, let's do quick introductions!" Haruto announced enthusiastically, stepping forward.

"I'll start! Haruto Watanabe, the birthday guy! You better remember that!" 

"I'm Shou Moriyama." the bespectacled man beside him said flatly, adjusting his frames with a measured nod. 

"Hello! I'm Hikaru Matsuda! Nice to meet you all!" Hikaru greeted with bright enthusiasm, his energy a sharp contrast to Shou's. 

"Sota Nakahara here! Looking forward to this trip!" Sota waved with a warm grin. 

"My name is Ryuuji Mizuno, and this—" he gestured to the girl beside him, "—is my girlfriend, Emi Sawada." The two bowed politely. 

"Hi, everyone! Keiko Ito! Also known as the birthday boy's amazing girlfriend!" Keiko struck a playful pose. 

"I'm Kazumi Suzuki! Looking forward to this trip, so take care of me!" he added a smirk. 

"I'm Yuki Fujimoto, and this is my boyfriend, Kaito Fujiwara!" Yuki linked arms with Kaito as they both waved together. 

"Hello, I'm Aya—" 

Before Ayaka could even finish, Hikaru suddenly gasped. 

"Wait a second! You're Ms. Midnight!" Hikaru practically lunged forward, gripping both of Ayaka's hands.

His eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm a huge fan! Your writing is incredible! If only I had known, I would've brought my books for you to sign!" 

Ayaka blinked in surprise, feeling her cheeks heat up. "O-oh! Thank you so much, that really means a lot!" 

Before Hikaru could say anything else, a shadow suddenly loomed between them. 

Akihiko. 

He stepped in smoothly, breaking Hikaru's grip on Ayaka's hands with a subtle yet deliberate movement. 

"Excuse me." His voice was polite, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it. 

"My name is Akihiko Nakamura. It's a pleasure to meet you all." His words were formal, his expression unreadable, but the way he positioned himself slightly in front of Ayaka did not go unnoticed. 

Kazumi's grin stretched wider. He leaned closer, muttering just loud enough for only Akihiko to hear. "You get jealous way too easily, dude. Relax he's just a fan~" 

Akihiko didn't respond, merely shooting Kazumi a sharp side-eye. 

Before anything else could escalate, the bus driver leaned out of the vehicle. "Are we all ready to board?" 

"Yes, sir!" Haruto responded cheerfully. 

"Alright then, let's go!" 

The group began piling onto the bus, excited chatter filling the air as they found their seats. 

Just as Ayaka slid into her spot by the window, Akihiko approached, ready to sit beside her. 

But before he could even place a hand on the seat— 

"Oh no, you're sitting with me!" Kazumi declared, grabbing Akihiko by the arm and yanking him away with surprising strength. 

Akihiko barely had time to react before he was forcibly seated next to Kazumi, looking utterly baffled.

Ayaka blinked in confusion. 

"Um… what just happened?" she muttered to herself. 

Meanwhile, a soft voice hesitated beside her. 

"E-excuse me… Ms. Midnight…?" Emi fidgeted nervously. "Would it be alright if I sat with you? I-I'm a huge fan, and I'd love to talk about your books!" 

Ayaka's lips parted in surprise before a warm smile spread across her face. "Of course!" 

Emi's eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you!" She quickly took the seat beside Ayaka, looking like a child who had just met their idol. 

"Is it okay with you, Ryuuji?" Sota asked, raising a brow. 

Ryuuji simply chuckled. "She loves Ms. Midnight. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I don't mind." 

Meanwhile, at the back of the bus— 

Akihiko exhaled slowly, tilting his head toward Kazumi with visible irritation. 

"I don't know why you're doing this." he muttered. 

Kazumi simply leaned back, arms folded behind his head. "I'm just looking for answers." 

Akihiko narrowed his eyes. "Answers?" 

Kazumi smirked, his voice dipping into something almost knowing. 

"Answers only you can provide." 

Akihiko frowned, clearly unimpressed by whatever mind games Kazumi was playing. 

But before he could say anything, his gaze instinctively flickered toward the front. 

His sharp blue eyes landed on Ayaka. 

She was laughing—her expression, bright, her hands animated as she talked with Emi. 

She looked… genuinely happy. 

Something inside him softened. 

Without thinking, a small, barely-there smile ghosted across his lips. 

Kazumi caught the look. 

And that grin of his? 

It grew even wider. 

The bus roared to life, the engine rumbling beneath them as the driver pulled onto the road. 

Their journey to the beach had begun. 

And Akihiko had a feeling… it was going to be one hell of a trip.

------

After what felt like an eternity on the road, the bus finally pulled to a stop. The moment the doors hissed open, everyone spilled out, stretching their stiff limbs and taking in the refreshing ocean breeze.

The bright afternoon sun gleamed overhead, its golden rays bouncing off the white sand and the deep blue waves rolling in the distance.

The beach stretched endlessly before them, promising adventure and relaxation.

Ayaka stepped onto the pavement beside Akihiko, shaking off the lingering drowsiness from the long trip.

She glanced up at him, immediately noticing the sharp crease in his brow.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked, tilting her head in concern.

Akihiko let out a slow, irritated breath, his piercing blue eyes flicking toward a completely oblivious Kazumi. "That guy… wouldn't shut up the whole trip. Spouting nonsense nonstop..." he muttered icily.

Ayaka let out an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, well… Kazumi's always like that. Non-stop chatterbox. Besides, we haven't really talked much on this trip anyway, so… yeah."

Akihiko's sharp gaze shifted back to her. "...Did you two fight?"

"Not exactly..." she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "We're good, I think... It's just that maybe he still feels awkward around me."

"In what way?" Akihiko pressed, his tone unreadable. His piercing gaze made it clear—he wasn't just asking out of curiosity.

He wanted to know if Kazumi had been completely honest with him.

Ayaka sighed in defeat. "Fine. He confessed. And I turned him down."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"B-because I don't feel the same way..." she blurted, her face heating up at the direct question.

"I see." he responded simply, his voice as cool as ever.

Before the conversation could go any further, Haruto's voice rang through the sea breeze. "Hey, you two! Let's head to the house first!"

Ayaka barely had time to adjust her bag before Akihiko wordlessly took it from her, carrying it with ease.

"Thanks..." she mumbled, slightly flustered at his casual act of chivalry.

As they made their way toward the house, Kazumi's excited voice filled the air. "Haruto, you never told us your 'beach house' was actually a freaking villa!"

Haruto smirked, unlocking the large double doors. "Well, it used to be rented out to vacationers, but now it's ours for the weekend." he explained, gesturing for everyone to step inside. "I've got everything prepared. Girls' rooms are in the right wing, boys' rooms are on the left. We meet here in an hour."

The group exchanged excited nods before heading off to their respective rooms.

Yuki twirled around with excitement. "I can't wait to try on my new bathing suit!"

Keiko smirked, nudging Ayaka with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Honestly, I'm more excited to see how the Ice Prince reacts when he sees Ayaka in a swimsuit."

Ayaka's face turned beet red. "C-can you just shut up?!" she stammered, grabbing Emi by the wrist. "Come on, Emi! Let's go! Ignore these two!"

Keiko and Yuki burst into laughter as Ayaka practically dragged Emi into their room, her heart pounding faster than she'd like to admit.