SURFING OCEAN ☀ CHAPTER 8

[karoruru]

 

[Scene - Deserted Island: Beach]

Koga: Ugh...how long are we gonna be walkin’ through all this grass? 

Rei: I’m not certain, either...will we reach the ends of the Earth, at this rate?

...oh?

Koga: Woah! Vampire bastard, don’t just suddenly stop there! I was about to crash into you-!

Rei: Kaoru-kun’s stopped in front of me, so I had no choice.

Adonis: …!

Kaoru: Something happened, Adonis-kun?

Adonis: ……….

Kaoru: Hey, Adonis-kun…?

Adonis: ...my apologies- I spaced out after seeing...this. Everyone, come take a look.

Kaoru: A cove...! Then this must be…

Rei: The legendary cove that Tenshouin-kun spoke about. It really is quite the view… ♪

Koga: Woah. This is...amazing…

Adonis: Mm...it’s hard to put it into words. ‘Beautiful’ doesn’t seem sufficient enough…

But I understand what the legends wanted to convey about this place. It’s...gorgeous.

Kaoru: A masterpiece created only by nature...it looks like a piece of art. It really does seem like mermaids might appear.

Rei: So Leon-kun... wanted to lead us to this place, no?

Koga: Heheh. Good job, Leon. As expected of my pet! ♪

...what is it? You’re looking towards the sea…

Woah!

Oi, look! There’s some kinda shadow on the surface! Isn’t that a mermaid~!?

Adonis: R-Really?

Koga: Yeah. Look at the rock over there...doesn’t the shadow look like a tail?

Kaoru: ...haha.

Adonis: …? Hakaze-senpai, why are you laughing?

Kaoru: Ah, it’s just...I was thinking how simple that thought was.

That’s a dugong. It’s just a normal mammal. But just by looking at its tail...it wouldn’t be odd to mistake it as a mermaid’s.

Rei: Even I cannot make out its whole shape...but it’s quite large.

Kaoru: Yeah. Looks like it’s around 3 metres long.

(...how nostalgic.)

(Many years ago...there was a time I pestered my mother, saying I wanted to meet a mermaid that I’d seen in a picture book.)

(And even though she should’ve been piled with mountains of research, she still found the time to take me to a cove just as beautiful as the one I’d read about.)

(And all the while, teaching me about the sea; about the creatures that lived inside it.)

(We never did find a mermaid...but I promised her I’d definitely show her one, in the future.)

Rei: ...Kaoru-kun, why are you...crying?

Kaoru: Eh? Ah, haha...I think the sea breeze got into my eye.

(I never wanted to break the promise...but I can’t fulfill it anymore, can I?)

(It hurts...my heart hurts so much. But- it’ll always be one of my most treasured memories...so I’ll make sure to keep it - and the memory of this scenery - deep inside my heart.)

＜Few days later＞

Kaoru: Hey~ Kanata-kun, Souma-kun, did you enjoy the summer vacation~?

Kanata: Ah, Kaoru. …….

Kaoru: Eh, why are you sniffing me? Do I stink? But I pay attention to that...and I already took a shower in the morning.

Kanata: No, no...it’s because you『smell』like the『sea』. Kaoru, did you go for a『swim』in the sea?

Kaoru: I did...but that was already a few days ago. Kanata-kun’s really sharp with things relating to the sea, huh~?

Kanata: Heheh. I do love the『sea』very much, after all~ ♪

Souma: Oh, I remember Adonis-dono mentioning a trip to the tropicals with 『feenay』. Did you accompany him, too?

Kaoru: More or less. It was kinda a vacation, but we also had work as a unit.

The tropicals meant oceans, so I made sure to get both of you souvenirs, as well. Kind of me, right~? ♪

Firstly, a weird t-shirt I found~♪ It even says 『Aloha』on it. Funny, yeah~?

And then there’s this. A table clock shaped like an anchor! Apparently it can even show you the temperature and humidity in the room- I wonder if it’s true?

Souma: Umu. I can’t tell whether you’re actually being serious or not…

Kanata: Kaoru, what about 『fish』? Do you not have any『fish』?

Kaoru: You mean, actual fish? There’s no way I could’ve brought those back.

Kanata: I see...how unfortunate.

If Kaoru had brought some back, we could’ve gotten more 『friends』 in the 『Marine Club』...

Kaoru: You wanted to keep tropical fish here? But there’s the temperature differences and all...it’d be quite troublesome, wouldn’t it?

Kanata: Ah, you’re right...then, let’s all have some 『grilled fish』. They’re quite delicious, after you add some soy sauce ♪

Kaoru: I don’t even know where to cut in for that...I brought us some of their local chocolates too, so let’s go with that instead.

And also...I have quite an interesting story- will you listen to it?