"By the beach?"
"An open-air beach?!"
The next day, after officially confirming the photoshoot, Minamoto Senya returned home and told Takanashi Toka the news.
Since they were in the living room, Takanashi Rokka also caught bits of the conversation.
Originally just goofing around, she had already sidled up to the two of them.
Her boisterous personality was on full display. After hearing Senya's words, she looked even more astonished than her older sister, her ahoge standing straight up like an antenna.
"Hey, Senya! You just said it's a beach that hasn't officially opened yet, right? That means there won't be any extra tourists around! It's like the whole beach is ours alone—a private reservation kind of vibe!"
"Just because it's not officially open doesn't mean it'll be completely private. Staff will be there, of course, and there might be others in similar situations—or even internal personnel present," Senya replied.
"Even so, the people there won't be any more than at those other popular city beaches, right?"
Rokka was referring to two well-known commercial beaches in Tokyo. She had visited both: once with her classmates, and once with Eriri.
Her impression of those trips wasn't great.
They had been excited beforehand, imagining beach volleyball, crab-catching, and blindfolded watermelon-splitting games.
But once there, half of the excitement immediately evaporated.
The remaining enthusiasm slowly drained as they tried to enjoy the activities.
By the time they returned home, all that remained was disappointment and fatigue—no particularly memorable moments to cherish.
The root cause? Both beaches were overcrowded.
Rokka loved lively atmospheres, but not that kind of suffocating crowd where the sand was packed with people as far as the eye could see.
The idyllic, open vistas shown in promotional clips—blue skies, laughter, and cheer—simply didn't exist.
There wasn't even a small free space to set up an umbrella without being uncomfortably close to strangers.
People were constantly walking around nearby.
Even building sandcastles was impossible.
During the second trip with Eriri, they happened to be near a large family with two babies.
The babies cried constantly, and at one point, the adults handled bathroom needs right there on the sand.
Distance to a restroom was part of the problem, but the crowds made queues long, so the adults did what they had to.
Those experiences thoroughly destroyed Rokka's fond memories of beach outings.
So when Senya mentioned it again now, her excitement reignited.
"Well, it's not officially open, so there shouldn't be many people," Senya added.
"Waku waku! What should I do, Senya? I'm getting so excited!"
It was obvious from her sparkling eyes that Rokka was barely containing her joy.
Senya chuckled at her, "We can go next week, so no need to get too worked up just yet."
Suddenly, Rokka squeezed herself between Toka and Senya, clasping his hands tightly.
"I've always thought it's so great to be your little sister, Onii-chan!"
Her pronunciation of "Onii-chan" was crisp and unwavering, as if she were making a solemn oath.
Senya couldn't help but laugh, while Toka pinched her sister's ear and led her aside with a sigh.
Rokka didn't mind, and like a playful pet, crouched back down in front of Senya, hands on his thighs, gazing up at him with sparkling eyes.
"Then, Onii-chan, can I invite Eriri next week too?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I was planning to have you invite her anyway…"
After all, the last hot spring trip had worked out so well thanks to Eriri. If she hadn't initiated it, Senya and Saeko might never have crossed the line from mere friendship into their secret couple status.
He continued, "I'll mention it to Saeko and Senya too… Actually, why don't I leave that task to you? Ask them if they're free. If possible, it'd be better for everyone to come together."
"Yay! Mission accepted!"
Rokka jumped up, gave Senya a bear hug, and quickly ran upstairs to call her friends with the good news.
Toka's worried eyes followed her energetic little sister as she spoke, and she murmured,
"This might be a bit too much, don't you think? Even if the client offered to host us and our families, bringing everyone along like this might seem excessive. It could leave a bad impression."
As the eldest, Toka had more things to consider—chiefly, not causing Senya any trouble.
With their home conditions now so good, trips to the beach were always an option, so there was no need to rush into someone else's invitation and risk appearing greedy.
Senya had expected Toka's reaction entirely.
"I'm planning to pay for everything myself. It's just that we haven't all hung out for a while, and this is a perfect opportunity. You don't need to worry about it," he reassured her.
Toka's concern was eased, though she quickly considered finances again.
"This trip together… won't it cost a lot?"
Toka never minded spending on friends, but their previously modest household made her cautious.
"It shouldn't be much. It's only a weekend, and classes still continue afterward. But…"
"But what?"
"Right now, Toka, you're giving off a very responsible, almost wife-like vibe," Senya said.
"W-what are you talking about?!" Toka turned her face aside, flustered. "Are you calling me some petty, bourgeois woman?"
"I don't mean that. I just think you're very attractive and charming when you consider things for me like this."
Senya leaned in slightly, serious in his words, concluding,
"Toka, you'd make an excellent partner someday."
Toka flushed red and suddenly stood up.
She had always thought of herself as calm and collected, unaffected by others' words or actions.
That changed when she met Senya.
Crossing her arms in front of her chest to steady herself, she said,
"It's getting late. I'll go take a shower first."
Changing the topic abruptly—shameful but effective.
"Okay, go ahead," Senya said. He knew when to stop; his plan to confess to Toka in earnest was approaching.
Once she left, Senya leaned back on the sofa alone.
He raised his hand, and Kurohane obediently flew into his lap, letting him stroke his feathers.
The bright living room didn't have an oppressive solemnity; otherwise, his aura might have seemed like a calculating high-ranking figure in a drama.
"Gah!"
Kurohane cawed.
"Oh, got the itch again, huh?"
Senya smiled and turned on the TV.
He found a video about crows on his phone and projected it.
Kurohane obediently faced the screen, laying down to watch intently.
Senya also watched, though his mind wandered to next week's plans.
If possible, he'd like some private time with Toka, but reality had too many unavoidable complications.
Inviting only Toka would be suspicious—Rokka would notice something was off.
Besides, Kudo Miyako would likely bring Kasa along.
Even though his assistant thought everything was discreet, Senya saw the gaps. The repeated coincidences with Kasa during work trips weren't coincidences—they were carefully arranged.
The famous pianist father, concerned about his daughter's solitary tendencies, had asked Miyako to look after her. Senya was simply the perfect companion.
This didn't bother him. He enjoyed Kasa's company, and since she would be there anyway, inviting a few more people made no difference.
Hence, he had just given Rokka the go-ahead to invite everyone.
"Hope everything goes smoothly," he murmured to himself.
Kurohane glanced up, flapped onto his shoulder, as if patting him on the back in encouragement.
Minamoto Senya had always wondered why superheroes in tokusatsu shows didn't just use their finishing moves immediately against villains.
Instead, they endured back-and-forth struggles, occasionally falling behind, before finally going all out to win.
As she grew older, she understood the commercial logic.
The drawn-out fight was necessary for the audience's enjoyment.
Life, however, was different.
Lingering, holding back, or delaying could cause one to miss the best opportunities and lead to failure.
If there was a goal, one had to pursue it with full strength from the start, without hesitation or restraint.
This mindset had propelled Minamoto Senya forward in her light novel career, steadily achieving her early goal of becoming a writer.
Goals varied, though.
Her current wish—the one in her heart—was very different from reality.
Knowing the direction was simple.
But deciding to act on it, to concretely implement her plan, required immense determination.
Matters of romance demanded extreme caution: first impressions, the other's feelings, timing, setting, phrasing, contingency plans—all crucial.
Senya gradually realized she wasn't as bold in love as she had believed.
Still, she couldn't remain stagnant.
Especially since Saeko was already creating opportunities for her.
Minamoto Senya inhaled deeply.
Walking from the station along her usual route, she found herself at the Minamoto household gate.
Hair—fresh, faintly fragrant, perfect.
Clothes—checked multiple times in the mirror at home, no issues.
Black semi-transparent over-knee stockings with lace trim at the hem… a bold choice, but if Senya liked it, she could wear them every day.
She straightened her posture, her expression resolute.
Even if she didn't find the perfect moment today, she had to determine Senya's direct feelings for her.
Ding dong!
She pressed the doorbell.
…
Want to unlock up to 60+ early-access chapters and exclusive novels? Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
patreon.com/sabu19