The sun was quickly climbing high into the summer sky. I casually examined my watch as I waited patiently at a certain fountain for Chika. No sooner had Kaori let her know about her plan to take our group to her uncle's beach house had Chika all but forced me to agree to go shopping with her for another swimsuit. The fact that I was roped into yet another shopping trip where my horrid fashion sense would be put on display for her to tease was not what had sort of gotten under my skin. Today was supposed to be a relaxation day or at least a day to get ahead on both school and recreational reading.

  "Kazu," Chika called out as she ran up. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I got caught up doing chores."

  "No worries, I only just got here a minute ago," I smiled.

  A minute ago... twenty-six times over... that habit will never die.

  Without any hesitation, she dragged me to the same ice cream parlor that we had visited a year prior when I first met Nina and Natsu. The significance of the date was not lost on me even though it was a sort of belated anniversary of a meeting. This time, however, we had come on the seventeenth of June, Chika's birthday. I had only remembered when I saw the calendar in my room after I got home and showered. I felt bad that I had only remembered then.

  What do I get her this time? Another purse? A bracelet? Anything more would probably be taken the wrong way and end with her teasing me relentlessly.

  "Earth to Kazu," Chika sort of sang as she stole a whopping spoonful of my ice cream... again.

  "You still don't even like mint, why take mine?" I complained.

  "You snooze, you lose," she laughed and winked as she stuffed her face with her ill-gotten gains.

  "Just because it's your birthday, I'll let it slide."

  "Aww, Kazu. You remembered," she giggled in an almost sarcastic way.

  She had come dressed in an eggshell white and sky blue dress that flowed down from her collar bones and danced just below her knees. Her slender arms basked in the sunlight and freedom from clothing, and simple leather sandals covered her feet. Atop her head rested a large brimmed sun hat with a light yellow ribbon wrapped around it and tied in a bow on one side. All of her miscellaneous items were certainly haphazardly thrown into the purse she toted — the same purse that I had gifted her for her birthday the previous year.

  She's so cute... Does she have any idea how beautiful she is?

  "So, Kazu," her normal devious smile returned. "What's it going to be this year? A necklace? A bracelet? A ring?"

  I choked and started coughing at the last suggestion to which she started laughing like a child. I knew she was teasing me, but I still thought of it nonetheless when she mentioned it — the perfect "ever after" with her. She wasted no time pulling me from my seat and dragging me to a department store to look for clothes for our upcoming trip. As she browsed the endless racks of clothes, I found myself lost in watching her again.

  "It's a shame that this is only an overnight trip," she mentioned as she pulled two blouses from one of the racks. "I could have so much more fun choosing an outfit if it was a three or four night trip."

  "Considering none of us have to pay for any of the trip, the fact that it's overnight is hardly something I'm concerned about."

  "Yeah?" she looked over into my eyes. "I don't know, maybe even an overnight with a bunch of boys is a bad idea. Everyone knows how you boys can get when you're alone with a girl for too long," she covered herself and kept eye contact.

  "I don't think anyone will try anything given how Kaori described the house: a massive layout where boys and girls will be sleeping in separate wings of the house. Sorry to rain on your fantasy."

  "You're no fun to tease, Kazu," she laughed as she pulled a couple of swimsuits from the racks. "I'm going to go try these on, wait outside of the dressing room... and warn me if you start talking to people again."

  Yeah, last time was definitely awkward... I'm still getting interrogated by my mother about our relationship.

  Thankfully, there were no unexpected run-ins while she changed clothes, and she came out to model them with her usual overconfidence. One was a nice one-piece that looped over her left shoulder and boasted a myriad of swirling colors centered on her right hip. The other was a two piece with frills at the base of the top and top of the bottom; it almost seemed like the two pieces were from different sets, though. The top was a deep green with black linings and lighter greens spread throughout to emphasize certain areas while the bottom was a harsh red with an off white outline.

  "Which one do you think, Kazu?" she poked her head out of the curtain after modeling the second suit.

  "I don't really know, they both seem alright. Why don't you just wear the one from last year?"

  She stared at me unimpressed. "Because I've grown since then, Kazu," and she disappeared back into the changing room. A few minutes later, she emerged, grabbed a third swimsuit, and returned to the room. Another couple of minutes passed before she walked out again. The white and gold bikini emphasized... everything. I was at a loss for words, and she knew it.

  "See? Maybe I should wear this one and find a local boyfriend while we're there," she smirked.

  I was at a complete loss for words trying to take in the sight before me.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "W-what? Did I finally leave y-you speechless, Kazu?" she began turning red realizing how much of her was exposed but refusing to back away from teasing me. "That's w-what I thought, now, h-help me choose a swimsuit."

  Without a word, I pointed at the multi-colored one-piece, and she disappeared yet again leaving me with my mouth wide open and my head still trying to process what had just happened. When she emerged again, her face was still red from the realization and probable embarrassment. We walked together to the checkout where I paid for her new suit as well as the outfit she had chosen.

  "You didn't have to pay for that, Kazu," she quietly said as we left the store.

  "Consider it part of your birthday present from me... the second part will come later."

  "You really don't have to."

  "But I want to."

  The walk back to her house was peaceful. She returned to her normal self about two kilometers before the end of the walk. Once I made sure that she had made it home safely, she turned around and smiled.

  "Thank you, Kazu, I'm glad I could spend my birthday with you."

  "Happy birthday, Chika. I'll see you tomorrow."

  * * * * *

  The sunlight burned bright and reflected off the water as I climbed out of the twelve-passenger van. The warm and salty breeze crashed into my face as the waves crashed into the shore. As we all filed out, Kaori stopped us all and had us face away from the ocean for a group photo signifying the start of our weekend at the beach.

  There were eight of us in total: Kaori, Denki, Nina, Natsu, Ino, Rito, Chika, and myself. The reality hit me as Kaori took the photo with her selfie stick — this was the first true gathering of all of us since Hiro had died. I was certain that my facial expressions shifted between the several photos she took. Once everyone was tired of smiling, she turned around.

  "Alright, everyone," she sang in her cheerful voice. "Come with me for the grand tour!"

  The first indication of what type of house we were walking into should have been the circle driveway with a sizable fountain in the middle. The walkway to the front door was flanked by small statues of tigers while two dragons guarded each side of the large wooden double door. The entryway was the first instance of jaws dropping. The doors gave way to a room as tall as the house itself with a spiral staircase that ran both higher and lower just to our right as we entered.

  The floor was a waxed and polished marble, and the furniture that filled the room and all others on the first floor was made of a rich mahogany. Fine paintings dotted the walls, and porcelain statues filled in spaces where paintings had proven too big to be placed. To our left was the kitchen that continued the theme of "way too rich." There was a four door fridge that was at least twice the size of my own. The countertops were also bleached granite, and a large island dominated the center of the room. Across from the island rested a seven-burner gas stove with an additional faucet behind it.

  Next to the stove stood a tall and proud double oven which astounded me since there was already a sizable oven below the stove itself. Pots and pans of all shapes and sizes hung from hooks above the island, and under the comically large double sink sat a fully stocked wine cooler that was understandably locked and protected by a code. Atop the island sat a large block filled with at least a dozen knives whose handles seemed to glisten in the sunlight that filled the room.

  Next came the main living room. Windows lined the back wall and ran from the floor to the high ceiling ensuring that there would always be light during the day. There were enough spaces on the various couches and chairs to allow for everyone in our group to have their own piece of furniture, and each piece looked as if it had cost a fortune by itself. An expansive stone fireplace sat in the corner — commanded the corner would probably be the better term. The stones were sleek and smooth to the touch, and a ledge extended from its front to allow for a warm and cozy seat in the winter.

  The deck behind the living room overlooked the beach and subsequently the ocean with absolute clarity. A large hot tub sat near the edge to allow for a scenic dip at any given point, and a wet bar had been set up for convenience in not having to reenter the house for a drink. Lights lined the railing and hung from below to ensure that any level of light could be provided while the sun was in hiding. We returned inside and set off for the north wing where the boys would be staying. Inside we found a long hallway that gave way to four separate rooms with one at the end.

  "You each get your own room that shares a bathroom with your neighbor," Kaori explained. "Since it's only for one night, I don't think there will be any real issue. The door at the end of the hall leads outside and to a set of emergency stairs, and before you ask, our wing looks the exact same, so there's no reason to show you the same thing twice."

  She pulled us away to the entryway and took us downstairs. We walked out into a massive den area that held yet another bar, a billiards table, a table for table tennis, and a depressed area with comfortable-looking seats and a massive screen and projector. The walls were decorated with jerseys and other sports memorabilia, various neon signs, and the occasional pop art. Through one of the two doors — the other one was a large bathroom — we were led to an impressive functional fitness area.

  Free-running machines and rowing machines lined the wall while a handful of squat racks sat in the middle joined by pull-up bars. The wall across from the cardio machines held the adjustable benches and medicine balls as well as the dumbbells. Back at the first floor, Kaori pointed up to the second floor that seemed to have a large loft overlooking the living room.

  "That's the only place that's off limits. Uncle Ko keeps his study/ library and master suite up there. I've only been up there once, myself, so don't get upset. He's generous, but he still likes his privacy."

  "What does your uncle even do to afford this place?" Denki finally spat out.

  "Yeah, Kei," Chika added. "And didn't you say this is just a vacation home? What's his normal home like?"

  "Uncle Ko does something with biotech, the actual name is super confusing, and he's gracefully given up trying to help me understand," she stuck her tongue out and knocked on her head.

  "Astounding," Ino replied.

  "That's one word for it," Rito added.

  "But enough about the house, we came for the beach, right?" Kaori sang again. "Let's get changed and meet on the deck!"

  As we went back to our wing to get changed, Natsu and Denki were already butting heads on who was going to use the bathroom first. Pairing them was probably not the best idea. We got back to our wing, and I entered my room. In it rested a beautiful queen bed with enough pillows to fully surround myself as I slept. There was a chair and desk that sat looking out the window and over a section of the beach. As I allowed my mind to wander and take in everything that we had been shown, I returned to the name on the gate of the property.

  It was only then that I realized that Hojo was Kaori's father's name while her uncle was her mother's brother. His pictures had seemed familiar as I glanced over them walking through the house, but from where had always eluded me. The part about him being involved in biotech forced my brain to make the connection, and his name burned in my head as I remembered the name tag on his white lab coat when I would be tested in my past life. How I had missed such an influential person in our treatment made my heart almost stop.

  Doctor Masamune Ko, Director of Bioscience, Eclipse