Part 3
While the group enjoyed the watermelon, laughter floated through the air. Out on the water, Kai and Naia returned with their boards, completely in their element. Their movements were so natural, they felt like part of the coastal landscape.
—How's it going? —Kai greeted, setting his board down. —We saw you doing something odd from the sea. A ritual to the goddess of watermelons, maybe?
—It's called Suikawari! —Haruto said, sitting up with excitement. —It's a classic beach game from my world. You break a watermelon while blindfolded.
Kai raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
—Sounds fun. We could teach it to the tourists... and sell them watermelons.
—You're always thinking about business —Naia laughed as she set her board aside.
—What? Fun and commerce can go hand in hand!
The laughter bubbled up again.
—So what's next on your checklist of stereotypical teenage manga activities? —Yuna asked, amused.
—For my next act... —Haruto stood up and raised a hand dramatically. —I need to use one of my special abilities.
—You mean Kizuna? —Melodía tilted her head.
—No, the other one. —He grinned mysteriously. —You'll see.
A soft blue light enveloped his body. He extended his hand, and in front of him, a glowing book appeared. Its pages flipped rapidly on their own.
—Manga Read!
—What's he doing? —Yuna asked, both surprised and confused.
—He's pulling things out of a manga —Simmone explained, as if commenting on the weather.
—I heard him talking to Olivia about it... though maybe I wasn't supposed to say that. Forget I said anything.
Haruto smiled as he tucked his prize into his magic bag.
—It wasn't a secret. I just wanted to do something special. Since you all surprised me with your swimsuits, I wanted to share something from my world too.
He walked a few steps away and began drawing a rectangle in the sand. Then, he pulled out two posts and a net, which he set up with surprising precision.
—All done! I'm going to teach you beach volleyball.
—Beach what? —Yuna repeated, puzzled.
—Beach volleyball. It's a team game. We use a ball, pass it over the net, and it mustn't touch the ground!
Melodía watched him with arms crossed.
—What a curious game. Too bad we're an odd number...
—That can be fixed —Naia said, turning to a nearby palm tree. —Want to join us, Nero?
From behind the trunk, a boy with blue hair peeked out timidly. He'd been watching them for a while, but hadn't dared to approach.
—He's my little brother —Naia added with a smile. —Come on, say hi.
The boy took a few small steps, still visibly nervous.
—H-hi… I'm Nero. Nice to meet you… —he murmured, avoiding eye contact.
Kizuna floated over to him, bursting with her usual energy.
—Hi, Nero! I hope you're really good, 'cause here we don't accept anything less, Kizu!
The joke managed to pull a small smile from the boy.
—It'll be fun —Haruto said, offering a hand. —Come on, we'll teach you.
After a quick explanation, teams were formed: Naia, Kai, Nero, and Melodía on one side; Haruto, Yuna, Simmone, and Thalindra on the other.
—Before we start—no magic, no overpowered hits —Haruto warned, glancing sideways at Thalindra. —The ball has a bit of magic protection, but it's not indestructible.
Thalindra gave a thumbs-up... while her eyes clearly said I'm not listening to a word you're saying.
Kizuna, with a makeshift whistle, blew for the match to begin.
—I got it! —Naia called, receiving the ball with graceful ease.
—Nero, coming your way! —Kai shouted, setting the ball perfectly.
Nero jumped—clumsily, but with determination—and headbutted the ball with more force than expected. It flew straight toward Simmone… who didn't move an inch.
The ball landed beside her without her even blinking.
—Apologies. I was distracted. —she said, as calm as ever.
Haruto placed a hand over his face.
—Simo, you just have to watch the ball...
—Understood. I will improve my efficiency.
The match went on, filled with laughter and improvised plays.
Surprisingly, everyone handled themselves quite well.
When they took a break, Nero and Simmone returned to their sandcastle, working together in silence—like two pieces of the same puzzle.
Kai came back with a tray of juices.
—Compliments of the house. Time to recharge.
—Your ideas are fascinating, Haruto —he said, sitting down beside them. —I can already see tourists enjoying this stuff. Solid business, if you ask me.
Haruto chuckled softly.
—If you have time, stick around until tonight. I still have a couple things planned.
—You really had this all figured out, huh? —Melodía said, half surprised, half impressed.
—I always wanted to live a day like this. In manga, there's always a beach episode. The characters laugh, relax... and I always wondered what that felt like.
Naia tilted her head, curious.
—Don't you have beaches where you're from?
Haruto shook his head, letting out a quiet sigh.
—We do. But I never had anyone to share something like this with...
A brief silence followed.
—I would've gone with you —Melodía said, her voice honest and soft. For a moment, her noble mask slipped, revealing something warmer.
Haruto looked at her, smiling sincerely.
—Thank you, Melodía.
Realizing what she'd just said, she crossed her arms and looked away.
—Hmph... only if you invited me. I don't accept just any offer.
Laughter returned, light and warm.
—And now, as your humble host... I want to share something traditional from my world —Haruto announced, pulling out trays from his magic bag.
On them, carefully arranged rice and fish snacks.
—What's this? —Yuna asked, surprised by the presentation.
—It's a typical Japanese dish. It's called— —Haruto began to explain, but his words faded, swept away by a distant memory.
A long time ago...
He sat on a bench beside a girl his age.
Both held little bento boxes, the late afternoon sun wrapping them in quiet warmth.
—What's this? —the girl asked, peeking curiously at the food he'd offered her.
—It's called sushi —Haruto answered eagerly. —I made it for my grandma, but she won't be able to come today... so I thought maybe you'd like to try it.
—Sushi… what a strange name. —she said, picking up a piece and biting into it gently.
Her eyes lit up with surprise... and a single tear rolled silently down her cheek.
—Don't cry, please! —Haruto said, waving his hands in panic. —If you like it, I can make it every day! But don't cry!
The girl wiped her tear with the back of her hand and smiled.
—It's delicious. Yes… I'd love to keep eating with you.
—Then come to my house tomorrow. I'll make something special. I'm still learning, but I'll do my best.
—It's a promise. —she said, extending her pinky.
—A promise. —he replied, intertwining his finger with hers and smiling.
Back in the present...
—Haruto... are you okay? —Yuna asked, leaning toward him with a worried look.
Haruto blinked, snapping back to the present.
—Sorry. Zoned out for a second —he said with a faint smile. —It's called sushi. My grandmother taught me how to make it.
He placed the trays in the center. The group gathered around the food with genuine curiosity.
—It has a very distinct flavor —Kai said, examining one like it was a rare gem.
—I love it! It has fish! —Naia exclaimed with her mouth full. A grain of rice shot straight into Kai's face.
—Yeah... I can really see how much you love it —he muttered, wiping his cheek with resigned patience.
Without skipping a beat, Naia walked over to Nero and Simmone, carrying a tray in hand.
—I'll share the recipe with you later... and a few more, too —Haruto added, pleased by everyone's enthusiasm.
Kai crossed his arms, thoughtful.
—Interesting... I wonder if they eat anything like this in Yurei.
—Yurei? —Haruto asked, curious.
—An island past the Coral Settlement. That's where this rice is from. It's white, compact, and only grows in that climate.
—And you've been there?
—Nope. No one has, really. They only have a small, isolated port. But if the Coral Settlement is where Naia and Nero live, then Yurei is where their parents and the rest of their tribe are.
—I see... —Haruto murmured, gazing toward the horizon as if searching for something between the waves.
The conversation faded into bites and laughter, the relaxed atmosphere settling back in.
But then, Melodía stood up, brushing the sand from her legs with purpose.
—Well then, time for the halftime show. It's our moment.
Haruto looked at her with suspicion.
—Our... what?
She just smiled mysteriously, motioning toward the other girls, who were already standing.
—You'll see soon enough —she said, throwing him a wink before walking off with a graceful stride.
Haruto watched them go, sighing in resignation.
—Guess I'll just have to wait... —he muttered, crossing his arms.