The morning air was colder than I expected.
It had that kind of chill that bit your skin just enough to wake you up—but not enough to annoy you.
I sat on the sand, coffee can in hand, watching the sky turn from pale blue to orange. The waves rolled lazily, brushing against the shore like the world was still half asleep.
Not bad for a random morning. Peaceful. Quiet.
Perfect, actually.
At least, until a voice called out behind me.
"Then go paint it."
I turned around, blinking. "...Huh?"
Standing there was Rei. Ponytail, sports jacket, and the kind of confident grin that made you think she'd just won a marathon before breakfast.
"Oh. Morning," I said.
"Morning," she replied, stretching her arms. "Didn't think anyone else would be out here this early. You meditating or something?"
"Just sitting," I said.
She nodded like that somehow made sense, then walked over and sat beside me—completely uninvited, by the way.
I glanced at her. "Aren't you supposed to be running?"
"I was. Then I saw some guy sitting alone on the beach looking like he lost his wallet. Got curious."
"I didn't lose anything," I muttered. "Except sleep."
Rei chuckled. "So, couldn't sleep? Or you just like pretending to be deep in front of the sunrise?"
"I'm not pretending," I said. "It's just… nice to look at."
"Deep and dramatic. Impressive."
"Thanks. I think."
We sat in silence for a while. The kind of silence that wasn't awkward — just quiet enough to hear the soft hiss of the sea and her steady breathing after a jog.
Then, out of nowhere, she nudged my arm. "So… thinking about someone?"
"Huh?"
She gave me a sly grin. "You know, someone from that café you're working at?"
I frowned. "You make it sound suspicious."
"I'm just asking," she said, smirking. "C'mon, you and that girl—what was her name—Mika?"
I blinked. "How do you know her name?"
Rei grinned wider. "Rumors travel faster than you think."
"I see," I said flatly. "And no, I wasn't thinking about her."
"Sure," she said. "You just happen to stare at the sea at sunrise while sighing dramatically."
"I was breathing."
"Right. And I run for fun," she replied, rolling her eyes.
She leaned back, propping herself up on her hands. The sunrise light hit her hair, making it shine faintly.
I didn't really know what to say, so I just sipped my coffee.
She looked at me, amused. "You really don't talk much, huh?"
"I do. Just… not about random things."
"Then what do you talk about?"
"Stuff that matters."
"Like?"
I thought for a second. "Breakfast."
Rei snorted. "You're unbelievable."
"I'm hungry," I said. "That's all."
She laughed again — a soft, real one this time. The kind that sounded better than the waves.
"…You know," she said after a pause, "you're kinda funny when you're serious."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Exactly."
I stared at her for a second. "…You're weird."
"Takes one to know one."
I didn't bother replying after that. We just sat there, watching the waves. For a while, it felt calm again.
Until—
"REI?! KAITO?!"
Both of us turned around instantly.
Akane stood a few meters away, hair slightly messy, still wearing her school PE jacket like she'd just stormed out of the house. Her expression screamed what did I just walk into.
"Oh. Morning," I said.
"...'Oh. Morning'?!" she repeated, voice rising. "You're just—sitting here?! With her?!"
"Yeah," I said. "Why?"
Akane's eye twitched. "Because it looks weird, that's why!"
Rei waved casually. "Hey, Akane. Morning jog."
"Then jog somewhere else!"
I blinked. "Wait, are you mad?"
"I'm not mad!" she snapped.
(Which definitely meant she was mad.)
Rei smirked. "Jealous?"
Akane's face turned red instantly. "Wha—jea—NO!"
I looked between them, confused. "Why are you both yelling?"
"Because of you, obviously!" they both said at the same time.
I sighed. "You two are confusing."
Rei chuckled. "Welcome to the club."
Akane huffed, crossing her arms. "Whatever. What are you even doing this early?"
"Watching the sunrise," I said.
"At 5 a.m.?!"
"It doesn't happen at noon."
Rei burst out laughing. Akane glared at both of us, cheeks puffed like she was about to explode.
"Ugh… forget it. Anyway, we were supposed to plan our end-of-break trip today," Akane said, trying to change the topic.
"Oh, that's right," Rei added. "We're going to the summer hill, remember?"
I blinked. "Trip?"
"Yeah. You're coming too," Akane said, like it wasn't even up for discussion.
"I have work later," I replied.
Rei tilted her head. "Still working during break?"
"Yeah. Mika works there too."
The air went dead silent.
Rei raised an eyebrow. Akane froze. "...Mika? As in that Mika?"
"Yeah," I said. "She's my new coworker. She spilled a drink on me yesterday."
Rei laughed. "That sounds about right."
Akane blinked, clearly struggling to process it. "You're telling me you're working with her—alone—in the same café?"
"Fujimoto's there too," I said. "Sometimes."
Akane didn't look convinced. "Still!"
I tilted my head. "Why do you sound upset?"
"I—just—! Never mind!"
Rei smirked again. "She's definitely jealous."
"I am not!"
I sighed. "Girls are weird."
Rei snorted. "No, you're just oblivious."
"I don't get it."
Akane facepalmed. "Of course you don't."
The sea breeze blew gently, the sun now fully awake over the water.
Kaito sighed, staring at the waves again. "Girls are confusing."
Rei chuckled. "Welcome to life."
Akane turned away, mumbling. "You're just hopeless."
I blinked. "Was that supposed to be encouragement?"
Rei sighed, brushing her ponytail aside. "You really don't get sarcasm, do you?"
"I get it," I said. "I just choose to ignore it."
Akane snorted beside me. "Wow. That's… kind of impressive, actually."
"It's a survival skill," I said, completely serious.
The two of them exchanged a look — the kind of look people give each other when they silently agree I'm a lost cause.
(Which, to be fair, wasn't the first time.)
Rei suddenly grinned. "You know, since we're already here…"
She spread her arms wide toward the open beach. "Why don't we hang out for a bit?"
Akane frowned. "At the beach? In autumn? Are you trying to catch a cold?"
"It's not that cold," Rei said. "Besides, look at the sky!"
She pointed toward the horizon, where soft orange light danced on the water. "Perfect morning vibes!"
I looked at the waves for a moment. She wasn't wrong. "She's got a point."
Akane stared at me. "Don't tell me you're agreeing with her."
"Technically, I didn't disagree."
"Same thing!"
"No, it's not."
Rei chuckled and started walking toward the shoreline. "C'mon! It'll be fun!"
I followed her, hands tucked into my pockets. Behind us, Akane groaned loud enough for the seagulls to hear before finally stomping after us.
"Unbelievable. Both of you are hopeless."
The sand felt cool under my shoes — soft, a little damp. The faint crunching sound with every step mixed with the rhythm of the waves. The air carried that sweet kind of chill that made you feel awake but not uncomfortable.
For a while, no one said anything. Just the sea. Just the sound of water breathing in and out.
Then Rei spoke again. "You ever notice how the sound of waves kinda… sings?"
I tilted my head. "Sings?"
"Yeah," she said, eyes closed. "Like, 'shuwaa~ shuwaa~' — it's like nature's own soundtrack."
Akane rolled her eyes. "You've been listening to too many anime OSTs."
"You can't tell me you don't hear it!" Rei protested.
I actually paused to listen. "Hmm… it does sound like a steady rhythm. Like someone strumming a guitar really slow."
Rei gasped. "See?! He gets it!"
Akane crossed her arms. "No, he doesn't. He's just being polite."
"I am," I said.
Rei blinked. "See—wait, what?"
"I mean, you looked convinced," I explained. "Didn't want to ruin the moment."
Akane nearly fell over laughing. "Oh my god, you're so bad at this."
Rei pouted. "You could've just said 'you're right!' like a normal person!"
"But you weren't," I said honestly.
She threw her arms up. "Why are you like this?!"
"I was born this way?"
Akane laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach. "Rei, you walked right into that one."
The wind carried our laughter down the empty beach. Even the shells seemed to join in, clinking faintly as the waves brushed past them.
Rei eventually dropped down onto the sand, still giggling. "Okay, fine… maybe this was worth waking up early for."
Akane sat next to her, brushing sand off her jacket. "You're such a kid."
"Better than being grumpy at sunrise," Rei shot back.
"Who's grumpy?!"
"You are, obviously."
I crouched near the waterline, poking at a seashell with a stick I'd found. "You two fight like siblings."
Both of them turned toward me. "We're not siblings!"
"Right," I said. "Then like angry coworkers."
Akane huffed. "You're impossible."
Rei smirked. "But admit it — it's more fun when he's around."
Akane hesitated for a moment. "…I guess."
I looked over my shoulder. "Did you say something?"
"Nothing!" they both blurted in unison.
I shrugged and turned back to the sea. The gulls circled above us, calling lazily. The breeze tugged at my hair, carrying the faint scent of salt and warmth from the rising sun.
"You know…" I murmured, resting back on my hands. "It's weird."
"What is?" Rei asked.
"Even though it's autumn," I said, staring at the horizon, "the beach still feels alive."
Akane's tone softened. "Yeah… it really does."
Rei smiled faintly. "Maybe because we're here."
"Or maybe because nature doesn't care about the season," I said. "It just keeps moving."
Rei snorted. "There he goes again — philosopher of the beach."
"I'm just saying," I replied. "If the waves stopped, that'd be bad."
Akane laughed. "You're hopeless."
Rei grinned. "But he's not wrong."
The three of us stayed like that for a while — teasing, laughing, letting the wind and sea do the talking.
The waves lapped gently against the sand, and somehow, Rei managed to convince us to start playing a "game" that didn't really have rules.
"Okay, whoever can find the prettiest seashell wins!" she declared, crouching down with determination.
Akane sighed. "That's not even a game, Rei. That's… collecting trash."
"Excuse you—these are treasures of nature," Rei said, holding up a broken shell proudly.
I looked at it for a second. "…It's cracked."
"It's aesthetic," she shot back.
Akane groaned. "You've been online too much."
Meanwhile, I spotted something half-buried in the sand — a weirdly shaped stone, kinda like a heart.
I picked it up and showed it to them. "Does this count?"
Rei blinked. "Wait, how'd you find that so fast?!"
"Just lucky, I guess."
Akane stared at the stone, then at me. "You probably just stepped on it."
I looked down. "…Maybe."
Rei sighed dramatically. "Ugh, fine. You win. I'll just—hey, don't throw it back!"
"I thought we were done?" I said, blinking as the stone plopped back into the surf.
Akane facepalmed. "You really don't get what winning means, do you?"
"Not if there's no prize," I said simply.
Rei slumped. "This guy's impossible."
I smiled a little, watching the waves reclaim the little heart-shaped stone. "Guess I'll let the ocean have it."
Akane gave me a sideways look. "You say cheesy stuff like that and somehow don't even realize it."
"What's cheesy about returning a rock?" I asked.
Rei laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach. "Oh my god, you're hopeless in a whole new way!"
The sun was higher now — soft gold spilling over the water.
We'd been out here longer than I realized.
Rei stretched her arms and groaned. "Okay, I'm starving."
Akane nodded. "Finally, something we can agree on."
"Convenience store breakfast?" I suggested.
"Sold," Rei said immediately.
The minimarket was quiet, just the faint hum of the fridge and the sleepy chatter of an old couple near the counter.
Rei was crouched in front of the snack aisle, staring intensely at the onigiri section like it was a moral dilemma.
"Hmm… tuna mayo or kombu…"
Akane stood beside her, holding a drink. "Just pick one already."
"But they both look good!"
I pointed at the third row. "There's also salmon."
Rei gasped. "There's salmon?! Oh no, now it's worse!"
Akane sighed. "He made it worse."
I shrugged. "I just stated a fact."
That's when I noticed someone standing a few steps away — staring at the bread shelf like they were trying to solve a life problem.
"Naoko?" I called out.
She jumped. "E-eh?! K-Kaito?!"
Rei perked up immediately. "Oh? Fancy seeing you here, Naoko~"
Naoko turned around, clutching a loaf of bread to her chest like it was some sort of shield. "I-I wasn't stalking you guys or anything! I just— I live nearby!"
Akane raised an eyebrow. "No one said you were stalking us."
Naoko blinked. "...Oh. Right."
Rei giggled. "You look suspicious when you say that."
"I do not!" Naoko puffed her cheeks. "I was just… buying breakfast!"
I glanced at her basket. "That's just one slice of bread."
She looked down, panicking. "I— I like to eat light!"
Akane smirked. "More like you overslept and rushed out without your wallet."
Naoko froze. "…maybe."
Rei laughed. "Classic Naoko."
"Hey!" she whined. "It's not my fault the alarm clock betrayed me!"
"Right, sure," Akane said. "Let's just all buy something before Rei eats the shelf."
"Hey!" Rei said, mouth already full of bread she definitely hadn't paid for yet.
"...You did pay for that, right?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Rei froze mid-bite. "...Uh."
Akane smacked her on the back of the head. "You idiot! Go pay first!"
"R-right!" Rei darted toward the counter, cheeks puffed like a hamster, bread still hanging from her mouth.
Naoko blinked, watching the chaos unfold. "You guys are… close, huh?"
Akane crossed her arms. "Unfortunately, yes."
"I heard that!" Rei shouted from the register, still chewing.
Naoko turned back to me, curious. "So, um… you all came here together?"
"Not really," I said. "I was watching the sunrise, then Rei showed up out of nowhere."
Rei came jogging back, grinning. "And saved you from loneliness!"
"I wasn't lonely."
Akane smirked. "Sure you weren't."
Naoko tilted her head, smiling shyly. "You all look… really comfortable together."
Rei leaned closer to me, grinning like she'd just found something juicy. "Oh? Comfortable, huh?"
I blinked. "Well, yeah. We were just talking."
"Talking?" Akane raised an eyebrow. "That's one way to put it. You were practically smiling."
"I smile all the time," I said flatly.
They both stared at me.
"No, you don't," Rei and Akane said at the same time.
Naoko giggled, covering her mouth. "You guys are funny."
"Funny?" Rei asked, feigning offense. "We're hilarious."
Akane nudged her. "You're just loud."
"I'm energetically social, thank you."
I sighed. "Pretty sure that's just another way of saying loud."
Naoko chuckled again, then looked down at the loaf of bread in her hands. "You know… I kinda wish I had mornings like this more often."
Rei smiled. "Then hang out with us! We do dumb stuff like this all the time."
"Wait—hold up," Akane said. "Don't drag me into your chaos."
"Too late," Rei said, looping an arm around her shoulder. "You're part of the squad now."
Naoko looked between them, her cheeks pink. "S-squad?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Apparently."
"See? Even Kaito's fine with it!" Rei beamed.
Akane sighed in defeat. "You're hopeless, both of you."
Rei grinned. "And yet, you're still here~"
"I regret everything," Akane muttered, but she was smiling too.
For some reason, Rei and Akane kept standing close to me — not like they were doing it on purpose, but it made Naoko look a bit flustered. She fidgeted, adjusting her bag strap.
"Um… you three seem like… really good friends," she said softly.
Rei leaned in, teasing. "What's wrong? Jealous~?"
Naoko's face went red instantly. "N-n-not at all! I just… didn't expect Kaito-kun to have this many girl friends!"
Akane smirked. "You mean female friends."
Naoko froze. "...Oh."
Rei snorted. "You're adorable."
"I-I'm not!" Naoko said, puffing her cheeks again. "Stop teasing me!"
I looked between them, confused. "Wait, what's going on?"
Rei and Akane both turned to me with synchronized exasperation.
"You. Are. So. Dense."
I blinked. "Huh?"
Naoko covered her face, trying not to laugh. "You really don't get it, huh, Kaito-kun?"
"Get what?"
"Never mind," they all said at once.
A few minutes later, we were sitting outside the minimarket, breakfast bags in hand, heading back toward the beach. The wind was lighter now, brushing past us with a cool, salty scent.
Rei hummed happily beside me, Akane occasionally bumping my arm when I slowed down, and Naoko trailing a step behind — her eyes flickering between us, like she was quietly trying to keep up with the rhythm.
The morning breeze was perfect — soft, salty, and carrying that faint scent of coffee from the stalls nearby.
We found a quiet spot on the sand, not too far from the water. Rei plopped down without hesitation, kicking off her sandals. "Finally! My feet were dying."
Akane sat cross-legged beside her. "You're the one who said we should walk from the convenience store."
"It builds character," Rei said, already unwrapping her bread.
Naoko sat down more carefully, brushing sand off her skirt before sitting. She glanced around, eyes widening at the sea. "It's… so pretty."
"Yeah," I said softly. "It always is in the morning."
For a few seconds, everyone just watched the waves roll in. The sun was climbing higher, turning the water into liquid gold. Rei took a big bite of her sandwich and promptly choked.
"...You okay?" I asked, holding out my water bottle.
Rei snatched it, gulping dramatically. "Note to self: don't talk while eating."
Akane sighed. "You say that every time."
Naoko giggled, covering her mouth. "You two are like a comedy duo."
"We're professionals," Rei said, proudly raising her sandwich. "The 'Rei & Akane Morning Show!'"
Akane flicked a bit of sand at her. "Don't drag me into your nonsense."
I chuckled quietly. "You already are."
Akane gave me a mock glare. "Et tu, Kaito?"
Rei leaned back, grinning. "See? Even Kaito's on my side."
"I didn't say that."
Naoko tilted her head, smiling shyly. "You kinda did."
"Wait—what?"
Everyone laughed.
It wasn't loud or forced — just the kind of laugh that slipped out naturally. Even Naoko, who usually tried to stay composed, ended up giggling until she had to hide her face behind her sandwich.
For some reason, seeing that made my chest feel… lighter.
Rei was already making a tower out of empty cans, Akane was trying to stop her before she caused an accident, and Naoko…
She was just sitting there, staring at the horizon with a gentle smile.
"I could get used to this," Rei said. "Breakfast with friends, ocean view, and zero responsibilities."
Akane snorted. "You do have responsibilities. You're just ignoring them."
"Details, details."
Naoko turned to me, her tone soft. "Do you come here often, Kaito-kun?"
"Sometimes," I said. "It's quiet. Helps me think."
She nodded, her hair catching the sunlight. "I can see why."
Rei suddenly leaned in between us. "Oooh, what's this? Deep talk in the morning?"
Akane threw a piece of bread crust at her. "Can you not for five minutes?"
Rei gasped dramatically. "Violence! I'm being oppressed!"
"Good," Akane muttered, rolling her eyes.
Naoko giggled again, while I just sighed, though I couldn't stop smiling.
Maybe this was what happiness looked like — simple, messy, a little too loud, and full of crumbs.
As the wind picked up, a distant figure appeared at the far end of the beach. At first, I thought it was just another early jogger, but…
There was something familiar about the way she moved — slow, deliberate, like she was searching for something.
I squinted, shielding my eyes from the light.
"...Huh."
"What's wrong?" Rei asked, mid-bite.
"Nothing," I said automatically. But my gaze lingered.
Because even from here, even with the wind blowing sand in my eyes, I could tell —
That silhouette looked a lot like Mika.