As night fell, the beach in Izu was swept by a surprisingly warm breeze that kept the evening air cool.
"Inhale… exhale…"
Chika spread her arms wide, breathing in the sea breeze. It wasn't particularly humid, but it carried warmth and the faint scent of the ocean.
Standing on the private beach, she suddenly felt an urge to jump straight into the sea.
Of course, the sea at night was still dangerous.
The rising tide brought with it hidden risks, so for now, she only felt a little tempted.
If she wanted to swim, there was no need to insist on going into the sea. The villa's swimming pool was much safer.
"Chika, you're not planning to dive in right now, are you?"
"No way."
Chika puffed up her cheeks and turned around, looking at Ren who had appeared behind her.
At the moment, Ren wasn't wearing his usual heavy clothes. Instead, he looked like someone on a beach vacation, dressed in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.
Chika was dressed similarly.
In warm coastal areas, wearing thick clothing was practically torture.
Of course, light clothing didn't mean revealing.
She wore a black dress that reached below her knees, paired with open-toed beach sandals that revealed her neat toes. A black ribbon tied her hair slightly higher than usual.
"Even I know that the sea at night is dangerous, especially the hidden currents that can easily take lives."
Chika felt she was being underestimated.
After all, she often went abroad with her family for vacations. She was more than familiar with the precautions needed at the beach.
But Ren didn't continue the topic. Instead, he turned the conversation elsewhere.
"The Miyano sisters' new identities, I troubled you with that this time."
Hearing his thanks, Chika's lips curved into a smile.
"Ren, you should know, right? Grandpa and Grandfather actually hope you'll owe more favors. In their eyes, the more favors you owe, the better."
"Although I don't fully agree, I can understand why they think that way."
"Yeah, I understand it too."
Ren naturally understood this kind of thing well.
If he were in the same position, he would also want to gain favors from someone powerful, in order to benefit more. But this was always under certain conditions.
Chika looked at him and said slowly:
"Only if you acknowledge those favors will they actually count as favors, right?"
Ren didn't deny it.
"That's exactly it. To people with virtue, favors are valuable. To those without, they don't care at all."
"Besides, favors are proportional to strength. Without a balance, it can't be considered a true favor."
Hearing him speak so bluntly, Chika wasn't upset. This was reality, and it made sense.
She continued, "That's why I said I don't really agree with Grandpa and Grandfather. Compared to favors, I'd rather be your friend. In my opinion, help between friends is the best way to maintain a relationship. There's no distinction of status, only a relatively equal relationship."
Ren looked at the smiling girl before him, and he found her words quite reasonable.
"Hmm, I think you're more suited to the Spectator pathway than anyone else. Even without a Spectator's insight, you see through relationships more clearly than Kaguya."
Hearing his compliment, Chika smiled a bit shyly.
"Hehe, am I really as amazing as you say?"
Ren's praise came from the heart.
He truly thought this girl was remarkable. Maybe it was her environment, but he believed she could be Kaguya's only true friend because of this.
Recalling her evaluation, Ren couldn't help but laugh.
"Fujiwara Mama is naturally very impressive, in every sense."
"Ah! Who's Fujiwara Mama?!"
At the sudden nickname, Chika's cheeks puffed up. She had been turned into someone's mother out of nowhere, making her sound much older.
"Of course it's you."
"I'm not Fujiwara Mama! I don't admit it, not at all!"
Puffing her cheeks, Chika immediately jumped at Ren, raising her little fists that carried no real threat.
Of course, Ren didn't stand still. He dodged slowly on purpose, then pinched her soft cheek.
"Isn't it Fujiwara Mama?"
"You take care of everyone's emotions and maintain friendships well. That's not something just anyone can do."
"That still doesn't make me Fujiwara Mama!"
Chika really didn't like the title "Mama."
She could tell it meant she was seen as someone good at looking after others.
If anyone else had said it, she wouldn't have minded. But because it was Ren, she cared even more.
Watching him dodge with ease, Chika made up her mind. She pushed off the ground, leapt high, and lunged directly at him.
This time, she gave herself no retreat.
If Ren dodged, she would fall straight onto the sand. That would hurt a lot.
But Chika was confident.
Sure enough, when Ren saw her leap without hesitation, he raised an eyebrow, quickly adjusted his stance, and caught her.
This startled him a bit.
"You're not afraid of falling?"
But safely in his arms, Chika answered with ease:
"Of course I was. But I knew you'd definitely catch me."
Ren's face twitched slightly. In this, she really was accurate.
Then he suddenly felt his clothes being grabbed. Chika, who was nestled in his arms, had locked her hands tightly on him.
He heard her cackle.
"Now you can't get away, can you?"
(To be continued.)