The Next Day.
At just past four in the morning, Chisato got out of bed.
After taking care of himself, he gently knocked on his girlfriend's door.
Hearing the sound, Kazusa opened her eyes, and the first thing she noticed was a slight throbbing in her head.
"Hiss—" She winced, holding her head as she sat up. Glancing out the window at the dimly lit sky, she groggily responded.
She rubbed her eyes, and as she lifted her hand, a small item slipped from her palm.
She stared at the small, square package and suddenly recalled how she had fallen asleep the night before, caught between fear and anticipation.
She hadn't even properly covered herself with the blanket, and the air conditioning had been blowing on her all night.
That was probably why she felt chilled all over and had that mild headache.
It was all that guy's fault!
If he didn't have any intentions, then why did he act so excited while watching the movie together?!
He gave her the wrong idea, making her wait anxiously like an idiot all night.
And she barely got any sleep…
Kazusa grumbled internally.
Getting out of bed, she angrily tossed the small contraceptive packet into the trash can.
"Good morning."
Chisato greeted her proactively as she stepped out of the room.
She shot him a glance and responded sulkily,
"Not good."
With that, she walked straight into the bathroom.
Chisato: "?"
He figured she was probably just grumpy from waking up and assumed she'd be fine in a little while, so he didn't take her attitude to heart.
By the time both of them were ready, it was 4:30 AM, and they left the hotel.
Sunrise was expected around 4:50, and the walk to the beach only took about ten minutes, so their timing was just right.
The streets were nothing like last night's bustling scene—they were vast and nearly empty.
Elderly men briskly walked along the roadside for their morning exercise, crows pecked at garbage bags in small groups, and drunkards lay sprawled across the greenery beside the road.
The last one was actually a common sight in this country—soon, either a patrol officer would wake them up, or they would eventually regain consciousness and head home.
"Are you hungry? Want me to grab something for you?"
Chisato asked.
There weren't any open restaurants at this hour, but there were 24-hour convenience stores selling various food items.
"Not really. Just get me a drink."
It seemed Kazusa had already gotten past her morning grumpiness. After her boyfriend showed concern for her, she smiled prettily and even held his hand.
Since they only needed drinks, there was no need to go into a convenience store—vending machines on the street would do.
Chisato took some change from his pocket and inserted it into the machine before turning to his girlfriend for her preference.
"What do you want?"
Kazusa didn't answer right away but asked in return,
"What about you?"
"For me… this one, I guess. I feel like I haven't had it in a long time."
Chisato pressed the button, and after a rumbling sound, he retrieved a drink.
It was ramune soda.
"Then I'll have this too."
Kazusa pressed the button, choosing the same drink as her boyfriend, but with a different flavor.
His was crisp apple, while hers was tropical mango.
With a "pop," the glass marble that sealed the bottle dropped, and the liquid inside suddenly came alive.
Countless bubbles surged upward, forming a sparkling galaxy inside the bottle.
"Cheers."
Chisato held out his bottle.
"Childish."
Despite her response, Kazusa still played along and clinked her bottle against his, producing a crisp sound.
The sky grew brighter—it was almost time for sunrise.
…
Otsu Port Beach was one of the more well-known beaches near Tokyo. Its beautiful white sands stretched for nearly five kilometers, and the water was exceptionally clear.
It had even been selected as one of Japan's "Top 100 Seaside Resorts," making it an ideal spot for diving and family outings.
Hand in hand, Chisato and Kazusa crossed the last pedestrian crossing, descended the stairs, and stepped onto the soft beach.
They had arrived at their destination. Now, it was time to watch the sunrise.
The sky was a gradient of rouge red, growing more vivid by the second. It wouldn't be long before the long-awaited scene unfolded before them.
Chisato had planned everything—including what he would say while watching the sunrise with her.
If the atmosphere felt right, he might even take the opportunity to create a special moment for both of them.
But plans never keep up with changes…
"Ah-choo—!"
It wasn't a bird call—it was the third time that morning Kazusa had sneezed.
Conscious of her boyfriend beside her, she turned her head away each time and covered her mouth, trying to muffle the sound.
Because of that, her sneezes ended up sounding rather cute.
There was no way Chisato wouldn't notice something so obvious.
"...You caught a cold, didn't you?"
"I did not."
Kazusa answered firmly, feigning calmness. But the flush on her cheeks and her occasional sniffles betrayed her.
"Don't move. Let me check."
Since she was being stubborn, Chisato acted decisively—he placed a hand behind her neck and leaned his forehead against hers.
Caught off guard by his sudden action, Kazusa's eyes widened, but she didn't resist.
Their foreheads pressed together in silence. Thankfully, she hadn't instinctively closed her eyes.
She secretly thought.
But Chisato's expression gradually turned serious.
"It's not a cold. You have a fever. If you're not feeling well, you should've told me earlier."
Kazusa didn't respond to his words and instead turned her head away.
"You have a unique way of checking a girl's condition."
"I only do this for you. Besides, at first, I did plan to check with my hand, but seeing how red and cute your face was, I couldn't resist getting a little closer."
"...Ugh, you really have no shame, do you?"
Kazusa quickly hugged herself and rubbed her arms.
Chisato gave her a half-smile.
"You didn't deny the part about being cute, though."
"Mind your own business…"
Seeing her slightly puffed-up cheeks, Chisato felt both amused and concerned. He pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed it to her.
"How do you feel now? Don't force yourself. If you feel worse, we'll go to the hospital."
"Sunrises happen every day, but if your fever gets worse, it'll be a big problem—I wouldn't be able to explain it to Aunt Youko."
"I'm not going. Don't underestimate me. I feel just fine."
Her response was predictable, but Chisato was firm.
"The moment this ends, we're going to the hospital."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and, for the first time in their relationship, took a hard stance.
Kazusa, however, wasn't fazed in the slightest. Like a child, she shook her head stubbornly.
"Not going. Stop making a big deal out of it. We still have things to do today, right? And you know I love dolphins the most."
"How come I didn't know that?"
"As a boyfriend, you should be ashamed of not knowing that. But it's okay, since I'm in a good mood today, I'll let it slide. In exchange, don't mess with our plans anymore, okay?"
Before Chisato could react, Kazusa reached up and patted his head.
He was momentarily stunned.
Wasn't his girlfriend always the cool type? Since when did she become so talkative?
Was it because of his influence?
Chisato removed her hand, switching to a different approach—he decided to adopt a more gentle strategy.
"But in your current condition, you need to rest."
"There's plenty of time to rest when we get back tonight. Worst case, I can take the day off tomorrow. Besides... I'm really looking forward to what's coming next. Don't let me down, okay?"
As Kazusa spoke, she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck, gazing into his deep, bright eyes. She was utterly captivated by them, her heart soaring.
When he didn't respond for a long while, she boldly stood on tiptoe and took the initiative to kiss him.
Her already rosy cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red, as if they were about to drip blood.
"Don't worry about me. If it comes to it, I'll just take some medicine, okay?"
Chisato tilted her chin slightly upward, looking at her with a meaningful gaze.
"...You really shouldn't say things like that, Miss Kazusa."
What did that response even mean?
Just as a puzzled Kazusa was about to ask, a gentle red glow appeared on the horizon, tinting the clouds and illuminating the sea.
She stared in a daze at the ocean, her eyes growing even brighter.
"...I understand. But if at any point you start feeling worse, you have to tell me immediately."
After much consideration, Chisato finally compromised.
"Thank you."
Kazusa happily hugged his waist.
She loved it when her boyfriend indulged her—when his gentle, warm gaze was fixed solely on her.
"I had so much I wanted to say to you."
"Then say it now."
"The timing isn't right—the sun is already up."
"We'll have plenty of chances to watch sunrises and sunsets together in the future. You can tell me then."
"Mm, but before that, there's still something else that can go according to my original plan."
"...What are you up to?"
"Well... this."
Chisato smiled, interlaced his fingers with hers, and sealed her prepared lips with his own.
…
Iroha woke up at around seven in the morning but didn't leave the house until eight-thirty. The bulk of that time was spent choosing her outfit and preparing for sun protection.
After meeting up with Yukino and Yui, the three of them took the Shinkansen and arrived at the ocean exhibition. The venue was already bustling with excitement.
Iroha and Yui had no trouble adjusting to this kind of atmosphere, eagerly scanning their surroundings for anything interesting.
But Yukinoshita sighed quietly. She hadn't expected the exhibition to be this crowded, and she struggled with being in densely populated places.
Just standing there, surrounded by the constant noise, was already draining her.
The only comfort she found was that she had two friends with her today. That, at least, gave her some psychological support.
"This exhibition hall is pretty big. Where should we go first?"
Holding a guide map she had received from the staff, Iroha directed her question to Yukinoshita.
"The Marine Ecological Protection Association's booth is in Section D. We should go there first to sign the petition against ocean pollution."
Neither Iroha nor Yui had any objections since that was, after all, their main purpose for coming.
However, as Yukinoshita gracefully took the lead and started walking ahead, Iroha and Yui began to feel like something was off.
Iroha leaned in close to Yui and whispered,
"Uh... something's wrong. Isn't Yukinoshita-senpai heading toward Section A instead?"
"Maybe Yuki-chan has her own plans? Like stopping by a vending machine to grab a drink before we start?"
"Oh, I see. That makes sense."
"Yeah, let's just follow her for now."
But ten minutes later...
The two of them watched as Yukino stood in the middle of the crowd, holding the guide map, glancing around uncertainly.
A delayed realization dawned on them simultaneously.
—Yukinoshita-senpai (Yuki-chan) is... directionally challenged!
"Yuigahama-senpai, what do we do? How can we subtly guide Yukinoshita-senpai in the right direction without hurting her pride? We've been walking farther and farther away from Section D..."
"Iroha, you're the junior here, so it'd be better if you gave her a heads-up. Yuki-chan isn't the type to get mad over something like this, so just go for it."
"That's so sneaky, Yuigahama-senpai! You're way closer to Yukinoshita-senpai, so it'd definitely be better if you told her!"
"No way, I find Yuki-chan's little lost-puppy moments way too adorable! If I go up to her now, I might start giggling, and she might think I'm making fun of her!"
"I wouldn't think that."
Completely absorbed in their whispered conversation, they failed to notice when Yukinoshita had silently approached them.
They quickly separated, scrambling to say something to ease the awkwardness, but Yukinoshita just shook her head indifferently.
"...Sorry. I'll leave it to you guys."
She handed over the guide map with an expression that said, I give up.
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