Bright Sun, Soft Sand, Cold Water - Part 3

Following the text, I slowly began making my way over to the toilets.

They were a pretty significant distance away from the main area. It took around 5 minutes just to walk there. As I arrived, I looked around to see if there was anyone else nearby. It seemed aside from a few members of the public, we'd be all alone.

I made my way behind the toilets to find Tachibana standing there.

"So what's the matter?" I asked.

"There's no one else I can talk to about this..."

"What is it?"

"It's about the Tachibana System."

"Ah."

"Apparently, they're going to implement it into the school next year."

"Well, I guess that's happening then."

"How can you be so calm about this?"

"I mean—"

"You know what the Tachibana System entails right?"

"Yeah."

"I don't have much to worry about, but you on the other hand, are you going to be able to protect all of your friends?"

Her hair swayed as the breeze brushed through this shaded area.

I looked down at her.

"Who says I'm going to protect them."

"Haa, you're as cold as always, but my question to you is, are you really going to be able to sacrifice them?"

I took a few steps closer to her.

"Tachibana, you have a friend, don't you?"

"Sorry, but I don't make myself vulnerable by doing things like that, Ayato."

"That's not true, is it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Ichikawa Mana, that's her name, isn't it?"

"S-she's not my friend."

"You're not as invincible as you think, Tachibana."

She was obviously taken aback by my revelation.

"I assume you're going to try to get me expelled as soon as the Tachibana System commences. However, you've got a pretty big liability to carry, so are you going to be able to do it?" I said.

"Y-you... don't call her a liability..."

"You've read The Tachibana System, haven't you? You're probably the person with the deepest understanding of the system aside from Tachibana Kohei himself. So, with that advantage, do you think you can defeat me?"

"You also have a copy... I don't have any advantage."

"Why are you lying? I know that you were the person who sent that man to confiscate it from me. You'll be happy to know that I never got an opportunity to read it either."

Well, it wasn't exactly that I never got an opportunity to read it. It was more of another reason. However, it was certain that Tachibana was the reason that man came.

I can't let myself get expelled for the sake of my mission.

"Haha, you really are something, aren't you? Yes, I did send the man, and yes, I will get you expelled from this school."

"Are you really going this far to stop my mission?"

"Yes, I won't let my father get what he wants; I won't let you get what you want, Ayato."

"But, can you do it?"

There was a moment of silence.

"It's not about whether or not I can do it—no matter what, I must do it."

With that, she turned around and began walking back toward the group.

The Tachibana System.

It really was coming to the school.

I wonder why Tachibana called me over to tell me about it.

There were definitely many things that she was hiding during the conversation.

Oh well.

I also began making my way back over to the others.

**

A few moments later, I was back in the group.

"Mizuhara, where did you go?" Asked Okamoto.

"I just went to the toilet."

"Ah, alright, well, we were planning on having a swim. Are you coming?"

"I didn't bring any bathers."

"Oh, that's not good..."

"It's fine. Just go without me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine by myself."

"If you say so..."

The others were all getting changed into their bathers as they prepared to go to the sea. Kinoshita looked over at me.

"Mizuhara, are you coming?"

"He forgot his bathers," replied Okamoto.

I found a relatively shaded spot underneath a tree. As I sat down in the sandy dirt and leaned up against the rough bark, I heard the very slight breath of someone. It seemed that someone was sitting on the other side of the trunk. It was a nice place to sit, covered from the sun, on a flat plot of land.

I looked into the distance for a little while until the other person started talking to themselves.

"—I wonder if we'll ever make up..."

The person on the other side stretched their arms and suddenly touched my shoulder. They jolted before pulling their arms back.

"—Ah, is someone there?"

"Yeah."

"—Wait, that voice..."

Suddenly, they fell silent.

I could also recognise the voice on the other side of the tree—it belonged to Fujiharu.

As the cold ocean air blew against my body, I leaned up against the tree. I watched as everyone enjoyed their time at the beach, happily playing around and talking. It was much quieter here, with only the faint distance chatter in the distance.

I felt the sensation of soft dirt and sand at my feet as I relaxed.

It was quiet.

"—Ayato..." Fujiharu whispered from the other side.

"Yeah?"

"...do you want to see the real me?" She asked.

The real her?

To be completely honest, I wasn't all that interested.

I had already seen a decent amount of her.

"...I'm not the person that everyone thinks I am." She added.

I guess a response from me wasn't needed.

"...ah, you probably don't care that much."

Her voice was different from usual.

Suddenly, she went quiet again.

The two of us continued to sit on opposite sides of the tree.

We stayed like that for almost twenty minutes.