Ch.331IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (28)

Even the most energetic children couldn’t play too long in the waves that rushed in and out of the shore.

Playing in water already takes a lot of energy, and with the constant waves crashing in, it was only natural.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the adults were having more fun than we were.

Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Yamashita both looked somewhat tired after being dragged into the water by their daughters, and Kagami also collapsed on the beach shortly after playing with me by pulling my inner tube around.

Looking around, the other adults were in similar states. The children who came together were playing enthusiastically, while most adults sat under parasols watching them.

Kagami’s quick exhaustion wasn’t solely because he played with me.

While Kagami and I were playing, Yuu suddenly joined in, splashing water with us, and when the two of us were playing, Harumi naturally joined in as well.

Kagami, who somehow ended up playing in the water with the children, had quite an enjoyable expression, but before long, he looked completely exhausted.

I smiled wryly at Kagami sitting absentmindedly on the beach with his feet in the water.

After seeing Harumi join our group, Mr. Fukuda also slipped away and was resting on the beach. Among the adults playing in the water… oh, somehow only Mr. Yamashita remained.

Though Mr. Yamashita’s skin always looked tanned by the sun, seeing him wearing only a swimsuit now made him look somewhat younger than usual.

He still appeared to be almost ten years older than Kagami, but that meant he looked like he was just entering his early thirties.

Miho was playing with Mr. Yamashita, splashing water at him. Mr. Yamashita looked confused, as if unsure how to react to her attack.

If he pushed too hard, she might get hurt, but playing water games with a much younger girl also seemed a bit strange.

Thinking about it again, Mr. Yamashita and Mori have different surnames. Does that mean they’re not relatives? I hadn’t heard that story either…

How should I put it.

Hmm.

Mr. Yamashita and a young girl—it keeps making me feel strange.

But his awkward expressions and gestures made it hard to maintain my earlier suspicions. If Mr. Yamashita were really that kind of person, the way he’s playing with Miho and the atmosphere would be quite different.

And those suspicions changed when Yuu blatantly joined in between them and started splashing water together.

Right, even so, someone who would do such things in front of his own daughter… well, it’s possible, but somehow I don’t think Mr. Yamashita would do that.

Seeing Harumi naturally joining Yuu’s side, I also ran over there with my inner tube around my waist.

When one middle schooler and three elementary schoolers started splashing water, Mr. Yamashita was genuinely flustered under the concentrated attack—

“Hey, look, that’s not how you attack.”

Suddenly, Mr. Fukuda, who had been watching from a distance, joined the fight.

Mr. Fukuda grabbed his daughter Harumi’s waist with both hands and lifted her up.

“Waah!”

Harumi screamed but waved her arms and legs as if enjoying it.

Then Mr. Fukuda swung her up and down before gently tossing her near the water’s surface. She was wearing an inner tube so there was no risk of injury, and above all, the water was there and he didn’t throw her from a particularly high place—no, still, the fact that he lifted her higher than his own head already deserves demerits. As someone who worked in safety-related fields in my previous life.

What was it called? Ah, yes. The reason why dads shouldn’t be left alone with their children. It reminded me of those photo series.

“Ahahahaha!”

Harumi happily fell into the water, then ran back to Mr. Fukuda shouting.

“Daddy, one more time! One more time! Higher!”

“Sure thing!”

Seeing that, Miho, Yuu, and I all looked up at Mr. Yamashita simultaneously.

“…Don’t worry. I’m not that reckless.”

“Who are you calling reckless, kid!”

Mr. Fukuda shouted in disbelief, but honestly, I was a bit scared of being caught in his hands.

As I backed away hesitantly, Mr. Fukuda seemed to have set his next target on me.

“Hehehehe.”

As Mr. Fukuda approached making what sounded intentionally like a cartoon villain’s laugh, just as he was about to put his hands on my waist—

“…Mr. Fukuda?”

An ice-cold voice was heard.

For a moment, I felt like even the completely unrelated people playing around us went quiet. As if capable of creating an iceberg in the sea despite this hot summer.

Hearing Kagami’s voice, Mr. Fukuda quickly withdrew the hand he was about to place on my waist and laughed.

“Oh, I was just joking, of course joking. How could I do that to Princess Kotone?”

To anyone watching, it was obvious he was really going to do it and was now making excuses out of embarrassment.

Having regained his strength after resting a bit, Kagami put his hands under my armpits and lifted me up into his arms. A first-grade elementary student was a bit tall to be carried, but since Kagami was quite tall, it didn’t look completely awkward balance-wise.

“Haha, well…”

Mr. Fukuda scratched the back of his head as if a bit embarrassed.

“Daddy, Daddy.”

But Harumi, seemingly unconcerned with the atmosphere, grabbed the edge of Mr. Fukuda’s swimsuit and pulled.

“One more time, one more time.”

Seeing Harumi raise both hands high and speak, Mr. Fukuda glanced at Kagami before lifting Harumi.

“Whoosh—”

And instead of lifting her high, he moved his hands near the water surface as if she were a jet plane flying around.

“Hahaha!”

Fortunately, Harumi didn’t seem to care much about the height.

“…Phew.”

Kagami shook his head and looked at my face.

We both caught each other’s eyes and smiled at the same time.

As I turned my gaze absentmindedly, I met Yuu’s eyes.

Yuu was looking up at me with one finger to her lips, as if envious.

“…”

Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt strangely guilty and buried my face in Kagami’s shoulder.

Kagami also saw Yuu looking up at him and silently stroked my head without saying anything.

*

For lunch, we cut open a large watermelon and ate it enthusiastically and deliciously, and for dinner, we grilled meat. It wasn’t the common Japanese yakiniku, but Western-style barbecue. This was possible because the pension had a yard.

There was some bickering between Mr. Yamashita and Mr. Fukuda about how much salt to sprinkle on the meat, but even that was enjoyable and delicious enough to find somewhat amusing.

Even after the sun set and midnight came, the weather wasn’t that cold.

The children who had played hard were nodding off, so Mr. Yamashita and Mr. Fukuda took them to their rooms. Miho went to the shower to wash up once more—

And somehow only Kagami and I were left.

The two of us sat in the yard, looking up at the sky together. The weather was so clear that we could see stars far over the ocean.

“…Kotone.”

After looking up at the sky for a while, Kagami slowly opened his mouth.

Unlike before, his calm, settled voice suggested that he had something to tell me.

“I hope you don’t hate Yuu too much.”

Hearing those words, I felt my heart sink.

Did it seem that way? No, I wasn’t like that.

Yuu is still a child too.

Kagami paused in thought for a moment, then spoke in a composed voice as if having made up his mind.

“Yuu’s mother was… my older sister.”

“…Ah.”

I couldn’t help but sigh at those words.

I see.

When I think about it that way, the story makes a bit more sense.

Why Mr. Yamashita shows such respectful attitude toward Kagami. Why he helps Kagami and me.

And why Yuu… thinks of her mother when she sees Kagami.

Somehow I felt that Kagami hadn’t told me everything, but a corner of my heart felt a little more at ease.

I believe in Kagami.

After seeing his dedication to me all this time, it would be a sin not to believe him.

“…Okay.”

I answered Kagami like that, then sat close to him and leaned against his waist.

Kagami’s arm wrapped around my shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

What did that apology mean?

Because there are things he hasn’t told me yet? Or was it an apology for being in this situation?

I don’t know yet. Because Kagami hasn’t told me.

But still.

We still have plenty of time. We have many days left to be together.

Someday, I’ll hear everything from Kagami.

That’s all I decided to think.