The silhouette came into focus the closer I looked.
That hair, that posture, that way of standing slightly tilted like she was thinking about something deep but actually just spacing out—
Yeah. That was definitely Mika.
And next to her—Hana, stretching like she was in a sports ad.
Rei shaded her eyes with her hand. "Wait, wait, wait… is that—?"
Akane squinted. "...No way. Mika and Hana? What are they doing here this early?"
Naoko tilted her head. "They look… like they're exercising?"
Sure enough, Mika was jogging in place, while Hana calmly adjusted her jacket sleeves.
Rei grinned. "Ohoho~ plot twist! The morning beach squad just got company."
Akane groaned. "Don't make it sound like an anime title."
"I'm just saying," Rei whispered dramatically, "the fated reunion scene is upon us."
Before anyone could stop her, I was already walking toward them.
It wasn't even a conscious choice — my legs just kinda… moved.
When Mika finally noticed me, she froze mid-step. "...Kaito?"
"Morning," I said, waving awkwardly.
Hana turned her head slightly, eyebrow raised. "Well, well. Didn't expect to see you here."
"Yeah, I—uh… we were just… eating breakfast," I said, gesturing vaguely behind me.
"We?" Mika asked, narrowing her eyes a little.
Before I could answer, Rei waved from behind me. "Yo! Fancy seeing you two here!"
Mika blinked. "Rei? Akane? And—Naoko-chan too?"
Naoko bowed slightly, hands fidgeting. "A-ah, g-good morning…"
Mika looked between all of us, her expression unreadable. "You're all… together?"
Rei grinned mischievously. "Yep~! Beach breakfast crew, reporting for duty."
Akane sighed. "Don't make it sound weirder than it is."
"It is weird!" Mika said, puffing her cheeks a little. "You all just—randomly—hang out here?"
"Well, technically, Rei forced us to," Akane said.
"Excuse me? It was a group decision!"
"No, it wasn't."
"Yes, it was!"
Hana crossed her arms, watching them like she was observing wild animals. "You guys haven't changed at all."
Naoko, who'd been quietly standing beside me, leaned in a bit. "Are they… always like this?"
"Pretty much," I said.
"Ah… I see…" she murmured, though her face was clearly saying she didn't see anything.
Meanwhile, Mika had approached closer, hands on her hips. "And you, Kaito. You didn't think to invite us?"
I blinked. "Invite you? I didn't even know you'd be here."
She frowned. "Still."
"Still what?"
"Still!"
Rei burst out laughing. "Mika, that's not even an argument!"
"Shut up, Rei!" Mika snapped, cheeks turning a bit red.
Akane leaned toward Rei, whispering with a smirk, "Someone's jealous~"
"I'M NOT!" Mika shouted instantly.
Naoko flinched, startled, while Hana sighed like a tired teacher. "Mika, volume."
Mika pouted. "He was just—ugh—never mind."
Rei grinned wider. "Awww, you missed him, didn't you?"
Akane added, "It's okay, we all know Kaito's charm is… weirdly effective."
"Wait, what?" I blinked.
"See? Weirdly effective," Hana said dryly.
Naoko, flustered, waved her hands. "W-wait, n-no, I—he's just—nice!"
Everyone turned to her.
Naoko froze like a deer in headlights. "...I mean—he's… normal?"
Rei leaned closer to Akane, whispering, "Ohhh, she's blushing too now."
Akane snickered. "This is getting good."
"I'm… really confused," I said honestly.
Mika folded her arms. "That's because you always are."
"True," Hana added, smirking slightly.
Rei put her hands on her hips. "Alright, team! Enough drama! The beach breakfast just got bigger. Let's share!"
Akane groaned. "We're not feeding six people with two sandwiches and a melon pan."
Mika raised an eyebrow. "...You brought melon pan?"
"Wanna trade for your sports drink?" Rei offered immediately.
"No."
"Worth a try," Rei said, unfazed.
Eventually, we all sat down together again — a messy circle of mismatched personalities. Rei was negotiating snacks like a shady merchant, Akane was trying to stop her, Naoko kept apologizing for things that weren't her fault, Hana was sipping water like she'd rather be anywhere else, and Mika… kept sneaking glances at me whenever she thought I wasn't looking.
And somehow, amidst all the noise and laughter, I realized —
It had been a while since everyone felt this together.
Even if the conversation was chaos, even if I didn't understand half of it — it felt right.
The waves behind us whispered softly, the sky brightened a shade bluer, and the morning carried on.
Then, just as Rei reached for the last onigiri, a gust of wind blew it straight into the air — splat! — right into Akane's face.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Akane yelled, half-laughing, half-horrified.
Rei fell backward into the sand, laughing uncontrollably. "IT'S DESTINY! THE SEA CLAIMS ITS OFFERING!"
Mika was cackling now, Hana facepalmed, and Naoko… was trying to help clean Akane's hair while apologizing every two seconds.
The laughter slowly died down, leaving only the sound of the waves and a faint breeze brushing against my cheek.
Rei was still giggling, lying flat on the sand like she'd run a marathon.
Akane was picking bits of rice off her hair with a glare sharp enough to kill a small animal.
Naoko was helping her with an apologetic smile, muttering "sorry" every three seconds.
Mika was sitting cross-legged, watching us with puffed cheeks.
Hana, as always, just sighed — the calm in the middle of all our chaos.
It felt… nice.
Warm, in a weird way.
I stretched a little and looked out at the sea. "Hey, you know…"
Rei turned her head lazily. "Hm?"
"What if we come back here again tomorrow?" I said. "Like, properly. Bring food, maybe hang out longer."
There was a beat of silence — the kind that means someone's brain just short-circuited.
Rei sat up instantly. "Wait—what? You mean like a beach picnic?"
Akane frowned. "In autumn?"
"Yeah," I said simply. "Why not?"
Mika's head snapped toward me. "Why not?! Because it's cold, that's why!"
"It's not that cold," I said.
Rei grinned. "See? He gets it."
Akane folded her arms. "Of course he 'gets it.' He doesn't get anything."
"Hey," I said, "I get stuff."
"Name one," she challenged.
I paused. "...Sand feels nice when it's not wet?"
Rei burst out laughing. "He's got a point!"
Hana looked skyward. "This is my karma for waking up early."
Naoko, who had been quietly fiddling with her jacket zipper, blinked. "U-um… i-if everyone's going… maybe I'll… come too?"
Mika's eyes widened a little. "W-wait, you'll what?"
Naoko shrank a bit under the stare. "I-I mean—! Only if it's not weird!"
Rei leaned over and whispered loudly to Akane, "Uh oh, someone's making moves."
"Rei!" Akane hissed.
Naoko's face went bright red. "I-It's not like that!!"
Mika looked away, crossing her arms. "Hmph. Fine. If Naoko's going, then I'm going too."
Hana raised an eyebrow. "Are we all just ignoring that it's cold, windy, and probably miserable?"
"Basically," I said.
She exhaled, long and defeated. "…Alright. But if I catch a cold, I'm blaming you."
Rei clapped her hands together like a game show host. "And there it is, folks! The full autumn beach gang!"
Akane groaned. "Stop naming things like they're movie titles."
Rei ignored her completely. "We'll bring snacks, music, maybe a frisbee—"
"Frisbee?" Hana repeated. "Do we even have one?"
Rei grinned wider. "Nope. But that's part of the adventure."
Mika sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be chaos."
Akane smirked. "You say that like it's new."
Naoko looked at all of us, eyes sparkling just a little. "It… actually sounds fun."
I smiled. "Then it's settled."
Mika immediately pointed at me. "But you're carrying everything heavy!"
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me!"
Rei laughed. "Ah, the classic 'punish the clueless male protagonist' arc."
Akane snorted. "Fitting."
Hana smirked. "He brought this upon himself."
"Wow," I said, deadpan. "So much support."
Mika poked my shoulder. "That's what friends are for."
Rei threw her arm around Akane dramatically. "Don't worry, Kaito! We'll cheer you on while you suffer."
Akane muttered, "You mean while you do nothing."
"Exactly!"
Their laughter filled the air again — soft, easy, like the morning never really ended.
The sea shimmered gold in the light, and the faint scent of salt hung in the wind.
It wasn't the kind of moment that needed to be special — but somehow, it was.
Tomorrow would probably be another round of ridiculousness.
But for now…
I didn't mind that at all...
The next morning came faster than I thought.
The sky was a soft orange again, the same lazy waves rolling across the shore — and the same chaos waiting to happen.
"Okay!" Rei shouted, hands on her hips. "Finally, today we will play together on the beach!"
Akane sighed. "You sound way too proud of that."
"I am proud," Rei said. "Do you know how rare it is to get everyone to wake up this early without bribing them?"
"Technically," Hana said while adjusting her scarf, "you did bribe us. You promised snacks."
"Semantics," Rei said, waving a hand.
Mika spread out a blanket on the sand, frowning at the breeze. "It's colder than yesterday…"
"Of course it is," Akane said. "It's autumn."
Naoko crouched beside her, gently setting down a thermos. "I-I brought hot cocoa… just in case…"
Mika's eyes brightened. "Wait, seriously? You're a lifesaver!"
Naoko blushed. "I-It's nothing! I just thought it might help…"
"See?" Rei said dramatically. "Naoko's already contributing to team morale! Meanwhile, what did you bring, Kaito?"
"Uh." I looked down at the two heavy bags in my hands. "Everything."
Akane smirked. "So, the mule."
Rei clapped my shoulder. "Every great operation needs one!"
"Do I get a break?" I asked.
"Denied," Rei said instantly.
Mika laughed softly, brushing hair from her face. "You should know by now not to ask."
Hana crossed her arms, gazing out at the sea. "At least the view's nice. Can't complain too much."
Rei grinned. "Exactly! Now—" She dramatically pointed at the sand. "Let's have fun!"
Akane groaned. "Define fun."
It started harmlessly enough.
Rei and Akane began drawing in the sand — Rei making a random doodle of a crab, Akane sketching neat geometric patterns for some reason.
Naoko joined in, shyly drawing a small cat near the edge of the blanket.
Mika looked over and grinned. "That's adorable!"
Naoko waved her hands. "N-no, it's weird! The ears are uneven!"
Kaito tilted his head. "Looks fine to me."
"See?!" Rei said. "Kaito gets it!"
Akane raised an eyebrow. "No, he just says that to everyone."
"I do not," I protested.
Rei smirked. "Oh really? What do you think of this?"
She pointed at her crab drawing — which looked like a potato with legs.
I blinked. "…It's very… round?"
Akane lost it. "You tried so hard to be nice."
Rei pouted. "Rude! My crab has personality!"
"It looks like it needs medical attention," Hana said dryly.
"Okay, that's extra rude."
After a while, Rei got bored of drawing and decided to play catch the driftwood — basically throwing small sticks and making me fetch them because "you look like you'd be good at this."
"I'm not a dog," I said, catching one mid-air.
Rei gasped. "See? You are good at it!"
Mika was laughing so hard she had to sit down. "Stop bullying him!"
Akane snorted. "No, keep going. This is the most exercise he's gotten all week."
"Excuse me," I said, "I walk home from work every day."
"Carrying what, your pride?" Rei teased.
Naoko giggled softly behind her hands. "Y-you guys are terrible…"
Hana sipped her cocoa calmly. "And yet we're all here anyway."
I sneezed.
Like, an embarrassingly loud one.
"Ah—choo!"
"Whoa," Rei said, blinking. "That sounded like a dying seagull."
"Don't exaggerate," I muttered, rubbing my nose. "It's just… cold."
Akane crossed her arms. "Just cold? You've been shivering since we sat down."
"I'm fine," I said through chattering teeth. "Totally fine."
Rei leaned in, grinning. "Your lips are turning purple, Kaito."
"Fashion statement," I said deadpan.
Mika giggled. "You're hopeless."
Naoko, who'd been quietly sipping from her cup, blinked at me and tilted her head. "U-um… Kaito-san… do you want to… um, s-share my blanket?"
I froze. "Huh?"
Her face went red instantly. "I-I mean! You look cold! It's just… warm, so…!"
Rei immediately smirked. "Ohhh~ Naoko's being bold today."
"Rei!" Naoko squeaked. "I-it's not like that!"
Before anyone could add fuel to the fire, another shiver ran down my spine. I sighed. "...Fine. Thanks, Naoko."
I sat down beside her. She hesitated a moment, then carefully lifted the corner of her blanket so I could share it.
The warmth hit immediately — soft, cozy, and ridiculously comforting after all that wind.
"See?" Naoko said, smiling shyly. "W-warmer, right?"
"Yeah," I said honestly. "It's nice."
She blinked, clearly not expecting me to just say it so casually.
Her face went redder. "A-ah… I-I'm glad…"
Across from us, Rei elbowed Akane. "Look at that. Cozy setup, limited edition autumn model."
Akane smirked. "So pure it hurts."
Mika squinted suspiciously. "Why does it actually look like a drama scene…"
"I can still hear you guys," I said flatly.
Rei grinned. "That's the point."
Naoko fidgeted beside me, clutching her cocoa cup with both hands.
I could feel her warmth even through the blanket — she was tense, like a rabbit about to sprint away.
"Relax," I said. "I'm not gonna steal your blanket or anything."
She laughed nervously. "N-no, it's okay… I-I just don't usually… uh… sit this close to people."
"Oh," I said. "That makes sense."
A pause.
Then Rei whispered loudly, "He didn't even flinch! Naoko, he's invincible!"
Naoko buried her face in her scarf. "D-don't say that!"
Akane chuckled. "Our boy's too dense to notice."
"Notice what?" I asked.
"Nothing~," Rei and Akane said at the same time, suspiciously cheerful.
Mika sighed. "I feel bad for Naoko…"
Hana smiled faintly. "Don't. She's learning the true meaning of patience."
For a while, we just sat like that — the six of us, surrounded by sea breeze, laughter, and the smell of cocoa.
The blanket rustled softly every time Naoko shifted, and I tried my best not to spill my drink on the sand.
The wind softened as the sun climbed higher, painting the sand in gold.
Everyone was still chuckling about Rei's attempt at drawing a "masterpiece" in the sand — which somehow turned into something that looked like a mutant seal.
I was still under Naoko's blanket, quietly finishing my cocoa.
That's when Mika leaned closer, resting her chin on her hand.
"Well, well," she said with a teasing tone. "Naoko-chan sure is brave this morning~"
Naoko blinked. "E-eh? B-brave…?"
Akane grinned. "Sharing a blanket with a guy at sunrise? That's like… the definition of a romantic scene."
Naoko nearly choked on air. "I-it's not like that! H-he was freezing! I was just— just helping!"
Mika giggled, eyes sparkling. "Helping, huh? You even smiled while doing it~"
"I-I didn't!" Naoko squeaked, hiding her face in her scarf. "D-don't say weird things!"
I blinked between them, confused. "Uh… what's weird about sharing a blanket?"
Rei nearly fell backward laughing. "Oh my god, he said it again! The king of obliviousness strikes!"
Akane wiped a tear. "Naoko, I'm sorry. You picked the densest guy on the planet."
Naoko groaned softly. "I-I didn't pick anyone…"
"Sure you didn't," Mika teased. "Next thing we know, you two will be sharing scarves in winter."
I sipped my cocoa, trying to ignore the growing chaos. "Scarves sound practical, actually."
All three girls turned to stare at me.
"…What?" I asked.
Akane sighed dramatically. "Kaito, please never change."
Mika laughed, tapping her shoulder. "It's fine. His cluelessness is kind of his charm."
Naoko, cheeks still pink, murmured under her breath, "I-it's not… bad, I guess…"
Rei instantly caught it. "OH? Did Naoko just admit something?"
"R-Rei!" Naoko flailed, nearly spilling her cup. "I-I didn't mean— I mean—!"
Akane smirked. "Wow, this is better than breakfast TV."
Hana chuckled quietly, the corners of her lips lifting. "If you three are done bullying her, maybe we can actually eat?"
Rei grinned. "Fine, fine. But this isn't over, Naoko."
Naoko hid her face again. "Uuuh… please let it be over…"
I blinked at them, still lost. "Wait… what are we talking about again?"
The girls groaned in unison.
"Nothing!" they shouted.
The breeze had softened into a gentle whisper when Rei suddenly clapped her hands.
"Alright! Everyone's stomach is officially growling — let's go to my place!"
I blinked. "Your… place?"
Rei grinned. "Yup. It's close by. And before you ask— yes, there's food, and yes, it's huge."
Akane raised a brow. "Huge?"
"Like, mansion huge," Mika added dramatically. "I've been there once. It's insane."
Hana just sighed. "So we're really invading a rich girl's house now?"
Rei puffed her chest proudly. "Correction — you're being invited by a kind and beautiful host."
Akane snorted. "Yeah, right."
We ended up walking along the coast road until Rei's "house" came into view.
Except it wasn't a house — it was practically a mini resort.
Wide gates, a courtyard with a koi pond, and glass walls that reflected the sea light.
"…You live here?" I muttered.
Rei winked. "Welcome to Casa Rei."
I didn't expected her house will be this big thought...
But maybe...
This night will be a chaos night.