Volume 4 - CH 13.5

At a period with the summer break slowly moving towards an end, I was indulging myself in my part-time work as always. Gotta grind for that cash, you feel me? Honestly, I feel pretty shitty working for such a laughable motive. I want to take a lesson from Ichinose-san, and learn a bit about being a diligent person. When I think about all my effort being turned into literal cash in the shape of my salary, I naturally grow more motivated. Thinking about it that way, the very existence of this bookshop is different from my vision.

‘Ahh, so bored’, I blurted out, to which Ichinose-san’s gaze shot at me, saying something like ‘Is it fine to say that!?’. That reaction of uncertainty sure is cute. It appears as though she got used to the work here, because she seems much more relaxed compared to before.

Just when I was thinking that, I felt a presence at the front of the shop…Wait, I can do that? Did I learn some special skill while not even realizing it? It’s like I leveled up by dealing with customers. If I was a simple plain 1* in the beginning, I must have leveled up to become a 2* character…Wait, only two stars? I’m the character who gets thrown away for materials…

Leaving aside these nerd-related jokes, because this bookshop is at a more desolate location, I could clearly hear any footsteps approaching. When I looked over at the glass, I spotted a familiar university girl approaching. I-It’s a 6* ultra rare character…

“Hello!”

“Welcome, Sasaki-san.”

I was taken aback by her momentum. Judging from her looks and regular attitude, she really felt like a university girl. However, once you open up the lid, you are forced to realize that Sasaki-san is actually still in middle school. Worse than that, she possessed the looks to deceive men, while wearing a short skirt befitting her age. Because of the sudden sight of her bare legs, I could not hide my bewilderment. I will probably die today. Big Sis is probably cursing me in my sleep.

“Hello Ichinose-senpai!”

“H-Hello…”

As expected from someone who looks like a girls-only university girl, she had the height to back it up. Depending on the cosplay, Ichinose-san could go through as a grade school student, so she was clearly bewildered by seeing a middle school student with these looks. Personally speaking, I want to look up at Sasaki-san with the gaze of Ichinose-san, but I would pay to see Ichinose-san’s grade school cosplay as well.

“Are you studying at the library after this?”

“Yes, I just wanted to talk with you two before that.”

“God dang cute.”

“Eh…?”

“Mm…Cough.”

I cleared my throat in order to cover up my embarrassing outburst. What is she, some new type of little sister…? What does that even mean? Since I always saw her as a university girl before she revealed that crucial fact, there’s still a part of me that cannot brush away that wishful thinking. I at least want her to be a grown-up high school student. How desperate for respect am I, really…

“Oh right, you were attending Mishirohama Middle School, weren’t you? Since you’re coming all the way out here, is your home nearby?”

“Hmm…about in the middle? Barely at the corner of the school district. A bit closer, and I wouldn’t have made it into Hama Middle.”

“So you abbreviate Mishirohama as Hama Middle…”

Located next to the town which has Kouetsu High, Mishirohama city has connections to the inland and coast. This city is pretty close to being a large town because of the business district, but once you move to Mishirohama city, it feels like you ended up on the rural side of the country. Then again, not the kind of rural place where it would take you two hours to the next convenience store, but it’s actually known for a lot of tourist locations like a central park, an open plaza, a golf park, and so on. If you want to have fun at the beach, better visit Mishirohama.

“I went there a lot when I was a child. Did you visit Mishirohama’s beaches as well, Ichinose-san?”

“Ah…I-I can’t swim, so…”

What a reason…I don’t know why, but…somewhere deep inside of me, I was hoping that Ichinose-san couldn’t swim. I want to help her practice, as she holds on to my hands, and flaps her legs up and down. And, I bet she’d be wearing a school swi—No, nevermind. If I keep going, I won’t be able to look Ichinose-san in the eyes again.

“Until now, I went there to play a lot, but…Now that I can ride the train, read books, and play with friends, I’ve come to visit this place more…So, special ‘trips’ all ended up here.”

“Ah, I’m the opposite. I’ve always been living here, so any special trips were basically ending up at Mishirohama. I was always jealous of having an animal zoo or a theme park nearby.”

Back then, your entire allowance pretty much was used on the train ride after all. All places you would visit you had to reach by bike. Back in 6th grade, I went to Mishirohama with some friends, and got back at 9pm, only to get scolded. I still remember it vividly, apparently they were close to calling the police.

“Well, I doubt there’s any clothes or accessory stores, let alone beauty salons.”

“…T-That isn’t true!”

“Woah!?”

It’s not that I was making fun of the place, but it seems like Sasaki-san took it the wrong way. I don’t want to make a girl that looks like a university student angry, you know. That alone really hurt. Why do I always mess it up…

“Mishirohama City is the city of dreams for children, as well as the ‘Working Man’s Town’, you know! We also have old porcelain and other craft shops available!”

“Huh…Now you have my interest. What else do you have?”

“We also have a lot of breezes hitting us from the sea, so our fashion is adjusted to that! We’re famous for our Japanese-style aloha shirts!”

“You sure know a lot.”

“Well, I got a lot about the culture hammered into me when I was a child…”

“I get that.”

Ahh, how nostalgic. I still remember how we had some weird class instead of actual Japanese and math…I had some ‘Comprehensive’ class, where you don’t really get what you’re doing.

“I also have this seashell set here with me.”

“Ah, that’s stylish. So you have this kind of stuff as well.”

“Ehehehe, I was inspired by my friends.”

Sasaki-san showed me a bracelet she had around her wrist, consisting of glittering seashells. It really fits the summer season perfectly, and would probably look good on men as well. Only limited to hotties, though.

“I made this a while ago with Dad.”

“Huh…Eh, you made this? That’s pretty amazing.”

Also, they are pretty close, huh. Wait, are all middle school girls of today’s age this close with their fathers? Big Sis started separately washing her underwear back in grade school. She’s even giving snarky remarks to him from time to time.

“I had one of the craft shops near the beach teach me. Since they are fairly cheap, they gladly taught a middle school student like me.”

“Huh…Now I’m a bit interested. Could you tell me the name of that shop, I’ll check it out.”

“Ah, right…”

When I took out my smartphone to search for the place, Sasaki-san moved closer to me, looking down at my smartphone. O-Ohh…this scent tickling my nose. She really is pretty grown-up for her age. Even Natsukawa gives off this sweet scent of perfume like she does. But, she’s not wearing make-up, right? What natural beauty.

“Ah, this place?”

“Yes! So they even had a homepage, huh!”

As I was feeling excited because of the pure and innocent scent, I arrived at the homepage of the place Sasaki-san was talking about. ‘The city next to the sea Mishirohama’s shell crafts!’, it said. I feel like this place hasn’t been updated in a while though. That’s a rural area for you.

“So it’s a one-person management by a wife, huh.”

“Exactly what you enjoy right, Sajou-san.”

“Eh…!?” In surprise, I looked over at Sasaki-san.

Eh, does she think I have a thing for married women or something? I really don’t, though. I only have eyes for singles! If I was, then my parents would have failed educating me.

“Sajou-san, you like singular-management stores, right?”

“A-Ah…that’s what you meant.”

That surprised me. I was seriously wondering what she was on about…Thinking about it, there’s no way Sasaki-san would say something like that. She’s not even a university girl. Then again, that might just be a prejudice.

The reason I like single-management stores is because working there is pretty easy, and I don’t have to get involved too much.

“Hmm…I decided. I’ll check out that place.”

“Eh, you’re going there?”

“Those accessories look great, and not to mention…”

“Not to mention…?”

“…Well, I can make it according to my own tastes.”

I’ve been feeling a bit off for a while now, like some mysterious fog was covering my heart. However, hearing what Sasaki-san was saying, it cleared up right away. I guess I’ll go with this for this year, yeah—For Natsukawa’s birthday present.

Her birthday’s on the 31st of October, the same day as Halloween. We’re talking about like two months in the future, but when you’re a Natsukawa believer on my level, I start thinking about her next birthday present on the 1st of November. Haha, so gross.

Then again, considering her present a solid two months prior is plenty gross as well, but Natsukawa knows about how gross I am, so no biggie. It’s not even strictly a story of love, but just my duty. Imagining Natsukawa’s smile, I felt a flame burn up inside of me.

*

A few days passed after that. Two more train stations until we would reach Mishirohama city. It looked close in terms of easy access, but it was pretty troublesome. Despite changing trains only once, it really bit into my wallet. I went off at the station in question, and took a deep breath.

“Ohh, the scent really is different. It’s like the smell of the ocean. I bet coming through here every day must be refreshing.”

“Especially during windy days…Though, it’s hard with longer hair.” Sasaki-san held her summer hat, as a breeze passed us by.

The city next to the sea—Mishirohama. Well, they say it like that, but tourism inland is flourishing as well, offering zoos, theme parks, and so on. Although public safety is pretty solid, the atmosphere around here is just much more natural and fresh. I feel like I’d be healthy just living here.

“Are you really sure about tagging along? You must be busy as an examinee…”

“I’ve already studied 40 hours this week, I can take some time off!”

“…Well, if you say so.”

I think it’s pretty amazing to have a proper studying routine. When I was an examinee, I always felt guilty going out to play…While admiring this, I reminisced about the other day. Namely, the day I decided on this trip. I was checking my smartphone for the details, and when I raised my head, Sasaki-san gave me somewhat of an expectant gaze.

‘Um…Sasaki-san?’

‘……’

She had her hands put together as a fist in front of her chest, looking up at me. I can perfectly see how she would usually ask her Papa to give her stuff. That’s the kind of weapon she has, I guess.

‘…Wanna tag along?’

‘Are you sure!?’

And with that, it was decided that we would come here together. As a result of that, I had no reason to not ask Ichinose-san as well. It’d be a bit weird if it was just me and Sasaki-san going there, and in all honesty, I wanted her to join us.

‘Eh…Ah…Um…’

After Sasaki-san begged Ichinose-san with a heartwarming ‘Let’s go together~’ request, Ichinose-san was practically backed into a corner, and could only let out a muffled groan. It seems like both Sasaki-san and I were lacking something in order to invite her. I mean, she got used to me to some degree, but after what I did to her…I can tell that her affinity towards me could be negative.

Compared to that, I feel like Sasaki-san is lacking some crucial resistance and careful thinking towards a member of the opposite sex. I’m sure she doesn’t feel like anything would be weird if the two of us went out together, and probably thought of it as visiting an amusement park with friends.

“Then, should we go…Sasaki-san?”

“Ah, well…”

After we left towards the ticket gate, Sasaki-san lined up behind me. For a moment, I thought she was hiding. Wondering if something was off, I called out to her. When I did, she showed me a flustered reaction.

“Well—my school is pretty close, so if someone were to see us…”

“Eh?”

I-Is that…Because she’s embarrassed that we might look like a couple? Is she worried that, once the second term starts, her classmates would tease her with a ‘We saw you walking around with a boy~’, or something like that!?

“So…my clothes.”

“Eh, clothes…?”

I faced Sasaki-san, and closely inspected her clothes. She wore the same clothes she had shown me on the day we first met. As before, these clothes really did not make her look like a middle school student at all. Not to mention her body itself didn’t help in that. Staring at her too much would count as sexual harassment, so I quickly averted my eyes. Time used for fashion check—0.5 seconds.

“…I don’t think there’s any problem. You look as much of a grown-up as always.”

“! I-Is that so!? Wait, that’s not…”

I was planning on praising her, but I guess I was off the mark with that. It’s not that? Then, why is she hiding? Eh…is it me? Are my clothes the problem? Since this didn’t feel like a date or something, I was just normally putting on clothes I’d wear for my part-time job, but…Maybe that was the mistake? Why did I not put more attention into my coordination when going out with a beautiful girl like her?

“Well…I chose these clothes under the pretense that I would be going out with Sajou-san, and not meet someone from school during that time…”

“Eh, really?”

She may be a middle school student by name, but from her daily attitude and clothing, she looked like a university girl. And, I get what she means, wearing clothes under the pretense that nobody you know will see you. I have times like that, and I’m sure the same goes for Natsukawa, Ashida, or even Ichinose-san. Not for Big Sis, though…So then, didn’t she put in a lot of effort?

“What clothes are you normally…Ah, a uniform?”

“No, I do wear my own clothes when I meet friends, but normally…”

“Hm…?”

“I…well…wear what I had been wearing back in grade school.”

“Hm!?”

Eh, wha…What did she just say? Hold on a second. My head can’t keep up. A big incident happened, that’s all I know. This is an accident. I need to prioritize my own safety, so I checked my body for any injuries. Everybody, safety is important. I repeat, safety is—Eh?

“Back in…grade school?”

“…Yes.”

Subconsciously, I looked at Sasaki-san (‘s body). Her face alone was enough to steal my gaze, but when I looked down at her full body, I could see lines that were befitting of a middle school student. However, even amidst her slender line, I could definitely see proportions that made her look like a grown woman. Of course, all of this ogling only happened for 0.2 seconds.

Well…I can’t see her wearing these kinds of clothes at all…Would probably be regarded as an act of public indecency…Then again, it would be tough for about anybody.

“Eh, you wear that while playing with your friends?”

“Yes…”

“…Do they not tell you…to wear something else…?”

“Eh, how did you know? Everybody says so! I wonder why…Nobody would tell me. As of late, even Mom would push her clothes onto me…”

“……”

Tell her…! Teach her why she should get different clothes…! Don’t keep quiet just because she’s still growing up…! Of course, I couldn’t be the one to teach her either. How could a boy her age just randomly say ‘It’s because of your lewd body’, I’d go behind bars in a matter of minutes…Not to mention that she would come to hate me.

“These clothes look cute, which is why…”

“Well, you know…You can keep it as something to wear at home…But, you’re about to be a high school student, so some clothes just aren’t fit for you anymore, you see.”

“Is that so…” Sasaki-san seemed a bit dejected, and yet followed after me.

Like she was hiding behind a tree, she put one hand on my back, and looked ahead. What would happen if I suddenly came to a halt? I bet her well-endowed chest would ram right into me. Because of a single action, both our lives could be shaken strongly—I felt like laughing about how irrelevant my past ten years of living were, when I looked up at the fluorescent light ahead of me.

“So we gotta move by bus, here. This town is pretty big.”

“Although it is the same Mishirohama city, it goes along the shore after all.”

“Are you used to taking the bus?”

“Not too much, I guess. I can walk to my school from here after all, and when the need arrives, I can just go together with Dad and his car.”

“Car, uh…Must be fun living here.”

When talking about a bigger town, there’s narrow roads, with a lot of traffic, so using any kind of transport was generally a pain more than enjoyment. Here, the roads are wide open, allowing for smooth driving, and not building up stress.

While waiting at the bus stop, we talked about this and that, wasting some time. As the examinee that she was, Sasaki-san brought up the topic of studies. It might not look like it, but because I was studying quite a bit during my own days as an examinee, I could give her some proper advice. Since she was more of a literature type, she had some problems in math, trouble remembering mathematical formulae despite being able to remember historical dates quite well. That’s why she’s mainly working on revision, trying to forcefully get it into her head.

“I wonder why I just can’t remember it…”

“I get it~”

There’s actually a pretty good trick to that. It’s easier to keep an impression about a date when you know about the historical background and all that. A single world is already enough to remember much easier. That’s why I often don’t study until the final moment.

Then, what about math formulae? Just learning it by heart like Sasaki-san does is a possibility, but you can just imagine the background of the formula. Through that, some dude became a mathematician, and could remember formulae like historical dates. Of course, doing that right before an exam is a risky bet, but if you’re not motivated, no kind of studying will work. If anything, it’s much more interesting to look at the origins of mathematical formulae.

I mean, who came up with all of that stuff…what kind of life were they living…you know?

“Online, is it…”

“Right…For example, Menelaus’ Theorem…Ah.”

“……” Sasaki-san was looking it up on the internet.

Right when she jumped to a page, she stopped herself from tapping on the auto-complete, and an awkward atmosphere followed. I forgot that Sasaki-san is a sheltered lady…she definitely isn’t used to the internet.

‘North Shirohama Coast! North Shirohama Coast!’

Together with the engine stopping, the bus came to a halt. It was quite regrettable, but I stood up from the seat next to Sasaki-san. Whenever she would talk to me during the drive, her right shoulder would gently touch mine, that was the best. I’m seriously worried for that girl, going to attend a co-ed school soon.

Finishing the payment, we got off the bus.

“Ooooh…It’s the sea…”

“It really is~”

With skilled movement, Sasaki-san put her hair behind her ear. Normally I’d give that gesture a dubious gaze, but my eyes were stolen by the beautiful sea ahead of me.

“Just what I expected from Mishirohama, your sandy beaches sure are white.”

“We have a lot more salt crystals here than other locations. To the east, we also have a high mountain, so it’ll look even more white in the winter.”

“I kinda wanna see it, but the beach during winter sounds cold…”

“That’s the problem, yes…”

Despite the neighbouring town having such a beautiful sea to offer, it’s been a few years since I came here. I guess I was even more of an indoor type than I thought. If I don’t have any real urgent business, I would usually stay at home and play games. Why would I go outside to seethe in this heat?

“There’s…no people?”

“It seems like swimming is prohibited here. Look, over there.”

“So this is some business-oriented beach?”

I could see a fishing harbor in the distance. Fishing, agriculture, this really isn’t the place for people to swim at. They apparently weren’t working after noon, as no people were around.

“Ah, were you searching for a beautiful older lady wearing a swimsuit? You can’t do that!”

“Wha, n-no, of course not?”

I was overwhelmed by the sight of the sea, when Sasaki-san gave me a dubious glance. Despite that not being the case at all, I faltered. Well…you know. Normally, I’d probably be treated like even bigger trash than now. But, Sasaki-san is pretty curious about how a boy thinks, I think. It’s like she’s affirming my desires with her own eyes. Please, just stop. The damage is no joke…

“Um, so here is…”

“Ah, over there. I remember the way, so let me guide you!”

“Eh, seriously? Please do—Wha?”

She grabbed my right arm. Let me say it again, she grabbed my right arm. It was all so natural, for a second I was completely lost on what was going on. Right after, a soft sensation hitting my elbow pulled me back to reality.

“Um…Sasaki-san?”

“Eh…? Ah…! I-I’m sorry! It’s just a habit when I would head out with Dad, so…I’m sowwy.”

“No, it’s nothing you need to apologize for, really.”

I guess that she must have thought of this as excessive, as she blushed furiously and moved away from me. Instead of fanning some fresh air to her face, she just put both her hands on her cheeks. Realizing how red her face must be, she tried to hide her ears as well. Dear father…what should I do in order to become more like you in the future? I feel like I finally found a goal in my life. How about we switch places, you must want to relive your youth, right?

“…Well, let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

Seeing a flustered Sasaki-san awakened an odd urge to tease her inside of me, but I decided to keep calm and show how grown-up I was. I didn’t want her to think of me as an annoying Senpai, so I left this alone.

“Huh? Are we walking on the sandy beach?”

“Ah…that’s right. It was the same before.”

We walked on the asphalt alongside the beach, when we suddenly reached a location that only continued with sand. Looking over, even a parking space in the distance stood upon white stand.

“Will your shoes be okay?”

“They have a thick ground, so it should be fine.”

“Let’s take our time.”

“Yes, thank you very much. Ho, ho.”

“……”

Sasaki-san chose more solid places to walk upon, looking like she was skipping along the sand. I felt guilty, as I couldn’t look away despite knowing it was wrong. Dear father…? What kind of face should I make at a time like this? Right now, I really felt like lecturing her father for raising her this defenselessly.

“Do you come to the sea every year?”

“Yes, I came here on a trip with my family. Though, I haven’t gotten to really swim…I need to buy a new swimsuit as well.”

“Swimsuit, huh…I did buy a new one in middle school, but I pretty much only wore it once when I went playing with friends.”

“I…Well, I’m the same.”

She probably doesn’t fit into her old swimsuit. You sound like you hate it, but that just means you’re growing up, you know. Even I can barely fit into my swimming trunks from back in middle school. With boys, generally their upper body changes a lot, so we rather buy new shirts than pants.

“Oh.”

“Ah!”

We were talking about this and that as we walked along, and reached an asphalt path again. I feel like we’d reach a sandy beach where we could swim if we kept walking like this.

“A tourist location, huh.” I muttered.

“Smells like charcoal-grilling…”

“Wanna go there? I’m down.”

“Urk…I ate lots of soba before I came here.”

“Then another time.”

Not to mention that our goal for today wasn’t to check out random places. Instead, we went for the shop at the front, and in the corner. From afar, it looked like a typical Hawaian shop. Not a place where you could waltz into while wearing swimsuits.

“It was a private management craft shop, right? Now I’m feeling a bit nervous.”

“I came here before, so it’s fine!”

“I’ll leave them to you in case they’re the assertive type.”

After opening the wooden door, a small bell started ringing. I had a bad premonition about it, and it turned out to be a silver-colored metal wind bell. It was a high sound between glass and metal, feeling fresh.

“Ohhh…” Subconsciously, I let out a voice of admiration.

In all directions I looked at, I saw accessories all related to the ocean in some way. The walls were colored with a strong blue, like I found myself in the middle of the ocean. Right next to the entrance were accessories and small bins lined up for you to look at, with the crafting corner in the back, next to a large table.

Although there were a few customers present, they were mostly older ladies. They sat at the back, working on something. Eh, is it only me? Now I’m feeling even more nervous.

“Welcome! Oh my…you are.”

“Ah, yes! I came here before!”

“That’s right. I think you came with your father. You seemed very much like an adult despite your age, so you left quite the impression on me.”

“Ehehe, is that so.”

An employee Onee-san arrived from the back of the shop, greeting us with a warm and calm attitude. I can tell from a single glance, she’s the AraAra-type. She wore a thick pink apron, seeming very inviting. However, if she’s taking care of this store, then she’s got more than she’s showing. She’s different from some old man who spent his days selling ramen.

“Ah, so that person next to you…Oh my, your boyfriend by any chance?”

“Eh!? Um, that’s…!”

The Onee-san let out an excited voice. In response to that, the other Onee-san was left baffled, struggling to bring out words. What is this…Some love talk between an office lady and a university girl? Before growing flustered, I just can’t help but admire the scenery.

“Hello, I’m her Senpai, and we’re not in that kind of relationship.”

“Oh my, is that so. Your father must be strict in his own way, I see.”

“E-Ehh…? Did it look like that?”

It seems like Sasaki-san didn’t understand what the Onee-san was trying to say. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a single father who is fine with his daughter being stolen…As for me, I do want to go out with Natsukawa, but I never want to meet her father. He has to be super protective. If I was her father, I’d put a GPS on her.

“Have a look around, take your time.”

“Yeees~”

“Thank you.”

…Yeah, just as Sasaki-san said, I really like this personal management kind of establishment. Being left to roam freely is just the best. I like how they don’t force any manual onto the customers.

“…Wait, didn’t you say that this was being taken care of by a housewife?”

“Isn’t she a housewife? Look at the ring on her finger.”

“Eh, seriously? I didn’t realize.”

However, I could see myself agreeing to that. A person who can smile brightly like that would surely be popular. I can see her being the kind type.

“Let’s look around here a bit.”

“Right…Waaah…!”

We looked at the wares lined up in front of us. Or, would works be more accurate…? They look pretty handmade, like they were sold at jewellers. Maybe that employee just now made them? That would explain the price at least. However, they were still affordable, so they are allies of us students.

“Hm? This is…”

“Seems to be raw materials.”

In one corner, unlike the other desks offering finished accessories and such, I could see seashells or stones, lined up in small bottles. They might not look particularly beautiful, but you could surely build a beautiful interior with that.

“This is…”

“Ah, it’s cut in half.”

“This is a part of a pearl shell.”

When I found something interesting, the Onee-san from before returned, and gave me an explanation. Apparently, you could use this as crafting material. Looking over at the crafting table, I spotted some older ladies focussing hard on their work.

“Did you gather this here at the beach?”

“Although it pains me to say it…we have a lot of deliveries here, because we are quite limited with just material here.”

“I see.”

Judging from her tone, this was probably one of the things that they had to get delivered. I could see that as well, so I wasn’t too bothered.

“So you split this up?”

“Not quite, we cut it to make for easier manufacturing.”

“You cut it?”

“Yes, seashells are quite sturdy, so it’s hard to break them with just your hands. We have a lot of things that can’t be cut with a file, so we generally prepare a file with engraved diamonds.”

“……”

“Sajou-san?”

Hearing that seashells are sturdy, I felt a cold sweat run down my back. Turns out that this was much more complicated than I would have imagined. I thought I could easily take care of it. Handicraft classes were pretty much like that after all.

“Ah, this…”

“A pāua​, I see. We have received this from New Zealand. Do you enjoy blue or jade colors?”

“Hmm…pretty complicated…I don’t particularly hate it, but also don’t really like it…I guess.”

“Wah, this is amazing!”

Sasaki-san stared down at the object in my hands. Since it sparkled from whichever point you might look at it, I can tell why she would gush about this. With the light reflecting, it gave it a myriad colors, and I bet this must be a great material for accessories.

“Sajou-san, how about this? Would you like to make something?” Sasaki-san tapped me on the back with an excited manner.

Her face was basically screaming ‘I want to use this…!’, so I struggled. Be careful with all that body-touching! Body-touching warning! Everyone, it is time to be gentlemen or we will be judged as perverts! Leaving aside my wicked thoughts, I felt like working with this myself, and I didn’t see any reason to decline.

“Since we’re here, we might as well. Going home after just buying something would be a waste.”

“Yay…!”

There it is, the air applause. I felt happy, so I joined in myself. The smile from the employee was pretty embarrassing.

“What do you like to make, Sasaki-san?”

“Since Dad made a bracelet for me out of shells, I want to make up for that with some scraped stuff…”

“Oh my…scraping is pretty hard, you know?”

“Eh…!? I-I’ll try my best! I have confidence in my strength!”

“I see…That’s fine then.”

The employee gave Sasaki-san a worried gaze. In response to that, Sasaki-san showed a confident reaction, but that didn’t fully remove any kind of worry that I had. I might be able to help her out, but I wasn’t even too sure about myself.

“What would you like to make, Sajou-san…?”

“Ah, well…I’m still a bit in the clouds regarding that.”

“Really?”

“It might be better to decide on that first. After starting to work on it, it might already be too late.”

“That does make sense…”

I had to agree with that. With such sturdy materials, once you start working on them, it’s pretty much irreversible. It’s definitely much more efficient to decide on your work beforehand. As I was pondering about that, the employee in front of me spoke up.

“I’m sorry if I’m off, but…are you thinking of making this a present?”

“Eh…?”

“Well, you seemed so serious when thinking about it, so…I just thought that maybe?”

“Eh, is that true!?”

Following the employee’s words, Sasaki-san’s eyes lit up, and she closed in on me. Even if she’s like a sheltered lady, a girl will stay a girl, and she definitely loves stories like these. Stop it, will you, otherwise I might have to make this a present for you instead. Because of her stature, she easily reached up to my face as well.

It pains me to say it, but the employee was head-on. I feel bad for Sasaki-san, but I indeed am planning to make this a present for another girl. I know that I’m worthless of a man for doing so on what could be considered a date, but it’s not like Sasaki-san saw it that way either, so it should be fine.

“Well.yes. A birthday is coming up soon.”

“Of a girl?”

“Is it a girl!?”

“Could you maybe calm down?”

Now both of them were questioning me. The employee seemed rather docile, but I guess she really enjoyed that topic. Girls will be girls, I guess…

“So, well…I want to make it…a beautiful present, so…”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a boy after all.”

“You are a boy after all!”

Sasaki-san joined in on the employee’s chant. What do you even mean by that…Is there a difference of presents? Well, we’re talking about birthday presents, so I guess.

“If you want to make something, then you should probably use the materials here. We have an ingredient room in the back, so you can choose from that.”

“Hmm…”

I looked at the ingredients on the desk. Since I don’t have any real image in my head, I want to at least judge from shape and color.

“Ah.” Sasaki-san raised a voice. “Look at that small and pink spiral shell! It’s so cute…”

“It’s a small conch. We have them from India here.”

“I’ll take that one!”

So Sasaki-san will take pink…Nice.

“Pink, huh…”

I tried imagining Natsukawa. A pink accessory hanging down from Natsukawa’s neck, visible thanks to her opening the first button of her blouse during a hot summer day, her necktie swaying in the breeze…Ahh, crap. Let alone the accessory, the fact of her button open was too stimulating.

…Hmm, it would probably look good on her, but it doesn’t really fit with Natsukawa’s image. Her personality and hairstyle were pretty diligent, and her bright hair symbolized her cheerful attitude, matching with her beautiful eyes, but adding a bit of pink there would ruin the image…It should support Natsukawa’s beauty, not draw from her beauty.

“Hmmm…I know. I’m sorry, but do you have a lighter colored shell of that Pāua before?”

“So light green maybe?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“Let me think…The shape is pretty important, so could you tell me what you had in mind?”

“Urk…”

I thought about it. Since it’s a present for Natsukawa, I want to give her something that would look good on her. However, I don’t have much confidence in my own sense, so is this really good enough…

Wait a second. Think about it. I’m back from back then. I just have to objectively think about what would look good on her, and make that a present. If she doesn’t like it, that’s fine. What matters is that I give Natsukawa a present.

“Well, the thing is…”

“—Fumghuuuuuuuh…!”

I was stabbing a super narrow saw into one of the shells I received. It wasn’t just any saw either. It was one with a diamond edge that wouldn’t break even with sturdy materials. However, because I simply wasn’t used to it, I was basically pushing my legs on the desk so as to not push it away from me.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t have any pre-prepared materials…”

“Huff…haaa…No, it’s my fault, asking for these materials…”

Since they didn’t have any light green seashells. I thought I just had to put stuff together in the end, with prepared and finished materials, but I was forced to use an abalone shell. The color inside was about what I expected. I was like ‘This is it!’, and started working, but my work was completely different from Sasaki-asn.

“You can do it, you can do it~!”

“Guaaaaaaaaaah…!!!”

Sasaki-san sat next to me on a chair, clapping her hands as she cheered for me. What is this…I feel so much strength filling my body…? Is this the power of a girls-only university student? Can’t underestimate them! At her neck, I could see a faint pink spiral shell glittering in the light. She had scraped it to become more round, put a golden aluminum chain through it, to create a beautiful necklace. It took around one hour only, and was quite simply work.

We thought that maybe a gold chain was a bit too flashy, but the small spiral shell really emphasized Sasaki-san’s adult charm. Put simply, I want her to become my Mama.

“S-Seems tough…”

“I’ll do it…”

“Ohh…Sajou-san is burning with passion…!”

At the same time, I was forced to start from the whole cutting process. Using an electronic grinder, and had it cut down to the size of the employee’s hands. From there on, hell began. With smaller materials, I couldn’t use the cutter anymore, so I had to use a small hole with a drill, and work from there.

“Seashells are pretty sturdy, huh…!?”

“That’s right. With thin seashells, you can easily cut them, but making what you have in mind isn’t as simple…”

“Yup, makes sense!”

I seriously didn’t think it would be this much work. I feel pretty bad making Sasaki-san wait now. When I apologized, however, she just gave a nonchalant ‘Don’t worry about it, this is pretty fun!’, and seemed happy. What is this, perfect wife material? I can see the wedding dress on her.

“Well…do your best?”

“Aye!”

There’s other customers present right now, so the employee couldn’t just pay attention to me. After giving me a few words, she left to help another customer. Just leave this to me…! (Death Flag)

“…Um, Sajou-san.”

“Hmmm…!?”

Sasaki-san spoke up, as she looked at my hands. She showed a gesture like she was thinking about something, and looked up at me. Since I was struggling, I accidentally let out a voice full of vigor. Luckily Sasaki-san didn’t seem bothered by it.

“Right after meeting Sajou-san…you said that you had someone you liked, right? Is this birthday present also for…”

“………”

If I kept talking like that, I might just start screaming. So, I calmly moved my hands, and took a deep breath. This member of the opposite sex I was preparing this present for—It seems like Sasaki-san had figured me out. That surprised me, since I only mentioned it once.

“…So you knew.”

“I mean, you wouldn’t go this far otherwise…”

“Well, probably.”

When I gave an honest response, Sasaki-san showed a somewhat lonely reaction, which subconsciously made me stop my hands.

“Eh, what’s wrong?”

“I mean, didn’t you say you already gave up on her?”

“Ahh…you’re right.”

“You don’t think you can actually go out with her, right…? Yet, why…”

Sasaki-san seemed like she couldn’t accept my stance on this. She apparently doesn’t understand the reason why I could not give up on the person I love. Well, I get it. However, as soon as I think of Natsukawa, I can work this hard.

“You’ll understand once you fall in love, Sasaki-san.”

“O-Once…I fall in love…” Sasaki-san’s squishy cheeks turned pink, as she started thinking.

Ah…that really shows she’s still in middle school. The word ‘Love’ has her flustered. It’s a heartwarming scenery, but that quickly vanished, as she gave me a serious expression.

“—So, what exactly is ‘Love’ anyway!?”

“Eh…!?”

Why are you asking me that!? I mean…that’s what I want to know…I’ve been searching for the answer for about two and a half years now, and I’m nowhere close. How should I answer that? Because she was screaming in a fairly loud voice, the older ladies around us directed their attention towards us, which had me blushing.

“So, well…Where did that come from?”

“Urk…Well, I was just wondering if it will ever happen to me…”

Love, huh. It’s just love. There’s no real way to handle it. So calm down, me…Going crazy doesn’t help. Move your hands.

“I wonder…Personally, it’s not that happy of a thing…”

“Eh! Why is that!?”

“I mean, I love her, but I can’t go out with her. It’ll stay one-sided forever.”

“Ah…right.”

“But, just because I’ve given up on that person doesn’t mean that my love has ended. Even if I get rejected, my love for her won’t disappear.”

I fell in love with Natsukawa, was rejected, and won’t be approaching her anymore. However, it’s not like I didn’t gain anything in these past two and a half years. I studied a lot, and if not for my love for Natsukawa, I wouldn’t have worked part-time, and worked to improve myself.

“This is just my self-satisfaction. I want to be proud about giving her a birthday present. If she smiles thanks to my present, then I consider myself lucky.”

“Sajou-san…”

“Hearing about this, you might think it’s better to not fall in love at all. However, if not for that, I wouldn’t even have come here today with you, Sasaki-san. It’s not always pain. I’m pretty sure that I would have stayed a child if not for this love.”

“Is…that so…”

Sasaki-san seemed like she was thinking about something. She was probably thinking about the upcoming entrance exams, and the youth that would follow after. Of course, I was the same. I had high expectations for my high school life. For now however, I decided to leave her be, and in her own thoughts.

*

The sky started to turn a bit yellow. Quite some time had passed, and I couldn’t just keep Sasaki-san with me forever.

“We couldn’t finish yours yet, huh, Sajou-san…”

“I can just come again. Not to mention you got something great, right.”

“Ah, yes…”

Sasaki-san put two fingers on her necklace at her neck. It sparkled a bit in a pink and glittering light. Thanks to that, Sasaki-san had cheered up a bit. Please, someone just hit me.

In the end, I couldn’t finish Natsukawa’s birthday present. I was lacking time, surely. In order to completely get it done, I need to visit that place two, or three more times. Well, I still have a lot of time until Natsukawa’s birthday, so things should be fine.

“Right…Well, if I come here again with Sasaki-san, it’ll probably be next year in Spring. Then, I’ll give you a present as well, Sasaki-san.”

“Really!? That’s a promise!”

“I won’t forget, don’t worry.”

Isn’t Sasaki-san the best junior ever? I’m so praying for her to pass the entrance exam at my school. If she’s that happy, I’ll definitely come here again. And first, I’ll present her with a crime prevention buzzer.

“……”

“……”

The sun started to set, and it had gotten a bit more chilly as we walked along the sandy beach. We both stayed oddly silent, and walked next to each other. It’s like we’re on our way back from a trip to the theme park, and a bit of regret stayed within us. A faint glimmer of hope burned inside of me, hoping that another day like this would come.

“…I wonder, will I ever fall in love.”

“Eh?”

“Well…I feel a bit scared…”

“—Ahahaha.”

“Hey! Why are you laughing now! Don’t look at me like I’m some child!?”

When I just burst out laughing, Sasaki-san showed an angry pout. Having experienced love, I felt a bit superior in that regard. It’s cute to see Sasaki-san scared of love. To me, it just felt odd.

“Everything will change, so you won’t have time to be afraid.”

“Urk…is that so?”

“Look forward to it. That’s just fine.”

“You say that because you know…Acting so calm!”

“Preparing for the timing is wasted effort. You can’t just ready yourself for it.”

Thinking about Natsukawa, Sasaki-san’s presence next to me started to grow weaker. Love at times is cruel, and it’s impossible to explain it to someone who has never experienced it. But, thinking about it now, all the pain and sadness I felt, as well as happiness, it helped to shape who I am now.

“—What if…”

“Hm…?”

Sasaki-san gave a snicker, and looked up. Now, she smiled like an innocent young girl. The wind had her hair sway left and right. A sense of responsibility grew within me, telling me to get her home early.

“—Ah.”

She pulled her hair behind her ear, just as it was about to fall towards her mouth.