Chapter 51 - The Sea and the Villain (1)
The vast stretch of pristine white sand lay before us.
A refreshing breeze, carrying the scent of the sea, gently brushed my cheeks.
The cobalt blue ocean sparkled under the radiant rays of the sun.
We had arrived at our destination, the beach, and stood admiring the beautiful, endless ocean that spread out before us.
The beach was bustling with tourists.
Like colorful strokes on a white sandy canvas, vibrant beach umbrellas dotted the shore, and countless visitors swayed beyond the waves.
“It’s amazing, Ryusuke. The sea is shimmering like a jewel, so beautiful. And the weather’s perfect, it couldn’t be a better day for swimming.”
“Yeah, it really is,”
Mashiro spread her arms wide as she gazed at the sea, letting the salty breeze wash over her.
Her pure white dress fluttered softly, and her silky black hair danced in the wind. She looked as if she were wrapped in the wings of an angel.
The scene was so breathtakingly beautiful that I found myself more captivated by Mashiro standing beside me than by the ocean itself.
(She’s really beautiful…)
Bathed in the dazzling summer sunlight, her beauty seemed to shine even brighter.
I couldn’t help but stare at her in awe, and suddenly, our eyes met.
Mashiro smiled shyly and gently intertwined her fingers with mine.
The warmth of her small palm was soothing, and her body heat, transferred through her touch, was comforting. My heart raced, thudding in my chest, and I could feel the heat rising to my face.
Embarrassed that she had noticed me staring, I quickly turned my face away to hide my fluster.
Mashiro, catching on to my reaction, peered at me with a playful smile, as if she could see right through me.
“Hehe, Ryusuke, what are you looking at? Come on, look this way.”
“No way.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because my face must look weird right now.”
“It’s not weird at all! I bet it’s a cute expression.”
“Liar, it’s definitely weird.”
Determined not to let her see my flushed face, I stubbornly kept looking away. Seeing my reaction, Mashiro stifled a giggle, clearly amused.
As Mashiro and I carried on with our usual banter, my little sister Mai watched us with a mischievous grin.
“Onii-chan and Mashiro-san really get along, huh? Do you always flirt like this?”
“Idiot, we’re not flirting. Mashiro’s just teasing me.”
“Is that really true? It doesn’t look that way to me.”
With even Mai teasing me now, the embarrassment surged even more. At this rate, I was going to get heatstroke from the combined intensity of the sun and my own embarrassment.
“Anyway, we came to swim, right? The beach hut has changing rooms, so we should hurry up and change.”
“Oh, Onii-chan’s changing the subject! Mashiro-san, Onii-chan’s super embarrassed, isn’t he?”
“Fufu, I agree with Mai-chan. Ryusuke-kun really is adorable.”
“…Ugh. I’m seriously going to get heatstroke.”
Mashiro’s teasing left me completely flustered.
Mai, too, seemed to be having fun at my expense, enjoying every moment of it. Both of them have pretty wicked senses of humor.
With these two in tow, I headed toward the beach hut.
The beach hut at this seaside resort was impressively built.
Inside, there were a variety of food stalls, as well as changing rooms, showers, and even a powder room for women. There were also lockers with keys where you could safely store your belongings, making it quite convenient.
Apparently, they also rented out beach umbrellas and leisure sheets, so we could grab some once we were done changing.
“Mashiro, could you take care of Mai? I’m going to go change, too.”
“Sure! Let’s meet back here after we’ve changed into our swimsuits.”
“Yes! I can’t wait to see Mashiro-san in her swimsuit! I’m so excited!”
With an enthusiastic Mai in tow, Mashiro headed into the women’s changing room inside the beach hut.
As I was about to head to the men’s changing room on the opposite side—
“Wha—Shindo Ryusuke…?!”
A familiar voice reached my ears. No, this had to be a mistake—I wanted to believe I had misheard.
But as I fearfully turned around, I saw a man staring at me, his expression one of utter disbelief.
And the moment I saw him, my face drained of color.
Because standing there was none other than the protagonist of this story—Fusegawa Raito.