“Fufu, does this mean we’re mutually in love now?”

A voice came from beside me. Tachibana-san had laid down on the sheet. From the tone of her voice, I could tell she was facing me.

“Or… do you not believe my words?”

Her voice sounded so close, like we were the only two people in the world. When I gave a small nod, Tachibana-san slid closer to me on the sheet. Under the parasol that cut us off from the world, the distance between us was far too small.

If only I hadn’t fallen in love, I could have remained her senior forever. But now, I felt like a fish on the chopping block, just waiting to be cooked. All I could do was silently wish, At least make it taste good.

“────Ah.”

A strong gust of wind blew. My vision was suddenly filled with intense light, and I instinctively shut my eyes. At the same time I realized the parasol had fallen────something soft brushed against my lips.

“────Does this make you believe me now?”

When I opened my eyes, Tachibana-san’s face, cheeks flushed red, was right beside mine. The fallen parasol had become a cover, shielding us from the others playing by the water’s edge. I slowly touched my lips and looked at Tachibana-san again.

“Of course… this is my first time.”

I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know what had just happened. Even someone like me, who knew nothing about romance, understood what it meant.

“If my feelings… still haven’t reached you, I’ll do it again.”

Her lips touched mine once more. This time it lasted a little longer. So this was what a kiss felt like… incredibly warm and sweet.

“Phew… This thing’s heavier than I expected.”

Tachibana-san straightened the fallen parasol and stabbed it back into the sand. Then she returned to my side.

“I’d like to hear your thoughts, Natsuki.”

“…My heart’s racing like crazy.”

It felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. But it seemed Tachibana-san felt the same way. Her usual confident demeanor was now clearly replaced by a nervous stiffness.

“Anything else?”

“I feel… happy, I guess. It feels kind of like a dream… but it’s real, right?”

It was hard to believe, but it seemed like Tachibana-san and I were really in love with each other. I didn’t doubt it anymore. Still, honestly, it didn’t quite feel real yet.

“I worked up so much courage, so it better be real. I never thought I’d end up kissing you, though.”

The moment she said kiss, Tachibana-san’s face turned bright red. Mine probably did too. Now that the moment had passed, the reality of what had happened started to sink in.

Embarrassed, we both averted our gazes. Tachibana-san slowly lay down beside me.

We stared blankly at the sky beyond the parasol. But perhaps it wasn’t fixed properly—soon enough, the parasol tipped over again, falling into the sand with a thud.

I turned away from the glaring sun, and when I did, I found Tachibana-san’s face right beside mine. The sun shone down on only the two of us, and no one else was around. The distant noise of the beach seemed so far away.

Tachibana-san slowly closed her eyes.

This time, it was my turn to be brave.

I held my breath, closed my eyes… lost my sense of direction, and opened them again.

────Then, I kissed Iori.