Weekend.

Finally, the day had come to go to the sea.

By the way, after that, we changed our plans from a day trip to a two-night, three-day trip.

Since we wanted to visit the nearby aquarium as well, one day wasn’t enough.

“Did you forget any clothes or anything?”

Hiiragi-san asked while looking over the luggage.

I’m fine!

I answered with a thumbs-up.

Haruka also smiled and said “I’m fine!” too.

“Then, let’s depart.”

We locked the house, loaded the luggage into the car, and set off.

◆◆◆

Driving for two hours, we could see the sea and buildings in the distance.

“Oh, is that it?”

“Yeah, I think so. Let’s check in first.”

“Understood—ah, I got a message.”

A light sound rang out, and my phone turned on. It seems like Ryou-san sent a message.

“She said to wait in the lobby.”

“I see. Then, let’s meet there.”

After waiting for Tachibana-san’s reply, I sent a message saying “We’ll be there soon, so let’s meet in the lobby.”

Then we stopped the car and headed toward the hotel.

When we entered the lobby, Ryou-san and Naruse-san were already waiting. Both of them waved with smiles.

“Thank you for coming such a long way. I’m glad you arrived safely.”

“You’re here. Finally. I was getting tired of waiting.”

“Good morning!”

“Good morning!”

“You’re early.”

We joined them and headed to the reception together.

The receptionist looked a bit intimidated by the four tall figures, but we checked in smoothly.

And yet, there’s something odd about how few people are here. Looking around, there’s no one else except the receptionist lady.

I had heard from the hotel that they clear out the lobby during check-in to avoid confusion, but… this is surprising.

I guess wherever you go, having a man around can cause chaos. It’s a world where chastity is reversed, after all.

Thinking about that, I followed everyone and started heading toward our room.

“By the way—”

Ryou-san seemed to remember something and started talking.

“We had a pretty strict luggage inspection when we entered.”

“I heard about it, but I didn’t expect them to check every part of our bodies…”

That was what Hiiragi-san said earlier.

When a group including men books a room, all guests have to undergo a luggage inspection once.

But then again, wouldn’t that make it obvious if a man is staying? Is the system okay?

“In the past, there was an incident where a male’s female friend attached a tracker and a listening device and broke into his room, so the regulations have probably become stricter.”

“I see… guess there’s no choice.”

Ryou-san seemed to accept it, but while I was still uneasy, we arrived at the room.

Opening the door, what first caught my eye was a spacious living area. Through the large window, you could see the sea, and white curtains fluttered in the wind. The living room had a soft sofa and a glass coffee table, giving off a calm atmosphere.

“Whoa, this is amazing! It’s super spacious!”

I exclaimed in surprise. This hotel was way more luxurious than any I’ve stayed at before.

“Yeah, it seems like we can all relax here comfortably.”

Haruka nodded as well.

Going further inside, there was a dining table in the back, and next to it was a fully equipped kitchen. It’s convenient that they have facilities for cooking.

“There is a breakfast buffet, but to avoid any confusion that may occur if the man encounters other guests, we were told to use the kitchen and dining area here instead.”

“Well, I guess there’s no choice. We can’t stop the business after all.”

“So that’s how it is. We were planning on having a barbecue today, so maybe we can cook our own breakfast too.”

I said, and Naruse-san agreed.

Then, there was the hotel’s highlight: the bedroom. It seems to be designed for multiple people, with bedding instead of beds. The corner of the room had folded bedding.

“This is…”

“Uh-huh”

“Yeah”

“Eh?”

The four of us shared a kind of understanding atmosphere.

“Maybe we should play rock-paper-scissors later?”

I guess they’re trying to decide who gets to sleep where?

A war seems about to start tonight…

“For now, since we’ve seen around and placed our luggage, let’s go to the beach?”

“That sounds good.”

“Let’s go!”

“Oh, there’s a changing room, so let’s go there.”

Hiiragi-san told us.

“Understood!”

Everyone replied, then left the room with their necessary belongings.

◆◆◆

I had already finished changing before everyone else, so I was waiting by the beach. Now, who will come first?

As I was thinking that, a voice came from behind.

“Sorry, did I end up making you wait?”

The first to arrive was Haruka. Behind her were Ryou-san and Naruse-san as well. Everyone was wearing swimsuits they bought during their previous shopping trip.

“No problem at all! You all look great!”

Then Hiiragi-san arrived. It seems she’s wearing a swimsuit that’s recommended by her friend. I wonder what it looks like…

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”

When I shifted my gaze, there was Hiiragi-san, holding a black parasol and wearing a black one-piece swimsuit that covered up to the tops of her thighs, her whole appearance unified in a single color.

Black really suits Hiiragi-san..

I suddenly thought that in my head.

“Umm… how do you think it looks? Honestly, I’m so nervous because the expectation is too high…”

She scratched her cheek shyly.

“It suits you perfectly! It shows a different kind of cuteness compared to your usual serious demeanor.”

It’s reassuring that she didn’t go for something outlandish. If she had worn a micro bikini here, it would have been hard to handle the reactions…

“Since everyone is here now, let’s play!”

With Naruse-san’s signal, everyone ran down to the beach at once. Running straight toward the sea, Haruka raised her hands and played around.

“Blue sky! Wide ocean! And a sparkling sandy beach! It’s the sea—!”

She shouted loudly. She looked really happy.

While watching that scene, I was setting up the parasol.

“Whoa, cold! You did it now!”

Ryou-san and Haruka are splashing seawater at each other, playing around.

“They really went in with a lot of energy.”

Hiiragi-san sitting next to me spoke up.

“Yeah”

“Do you not want to go in, Amiya-sama?”

“I think I’ll wait a bit longer and take it slowly.”

I replied, watching the two playing around.

“Hey, Amiya-kun. Can you put sunscreen on me?”

Lying down beside me, she untied her back straps and handed me the sunscreen.

“Eh!? Is that okay?”

“N-Naruse-san, what are you saying!”

She’s being restless, going back and forth between embarrassed and surprised. Calm down, Hiiragi-san.

“After all, since a boy came to the beach with you, wouldn’t it be nice if he put sunscreen on you?”

Naruse-san smiled and answered.

Touching her smooth skin and spreading the sunscreen. It’s supposed to be a normal act, but I felt an inexplicable sense of shame and guilt.

“Okay, it’s done.”

“Thank you.”

“…Can you also put some on me? Just on the exposed parts?”

Hiiragi-san, who had been quietly watching from the side, now wanted some too.

So I tapped the spot where Naruse-san had been lying down earlier and told her to come over.

I applied it to her arms, legs, and back.

I wonder why I feel embarrassed about this.

Maybe because it was my first time applying sunscreen?

While doing all of this, suddenly water splashed on my face.

What!?

Oh wow, that’s salty. It’s seawater!

The water entered my mouth, and I realized it was seawater. Opening my eyes, I saw Haruka and Ryou-san looking at me and laughing.

I found the culprit. Time to get back at them.

“You did it now”

To get revenge for being splashed with seawater, I ran towards the sea.