"Why is Dad so quiet today?" Tomizawa Yuzo said curiously, looking at his father's back.
"What's wrong, Yuzo?" Suzuki Ayako, who had her long hair tied in a high ponytail, held her boyfriend's arm and asked in confusion.
"No, my dad is a die-hard baseball fan. He used to shout loudly when watching games." Tomizawa Yuzo lowered his voice and whispered in Ayako's ear, "My dad has a bit of a bad temper… Sorry for making you come out and run around with me."
"I think uncle is fine, Yuzo. Don't worry too much." Suzuki Ayako hugged his arm with a gentle smile.
Tomizawa Yuzo glanced again at his father's silent back, sighed, and said, "I hope so. Ayako, no matter what my father says later, you must believe that I'm not… because you're the daughter of the Suzuki family."
"I know, Yuzo." Suzuki Ayako smiled with narrowed eyes.
She wasn't the kind of simple girl who would be swayed by a few sweet words... If she couldn't see the true heart, she would never easily decide on marriage.
The daughters of the Suzuki family were bound to be watched and calculated by many. When it came to marriage, they had to be especially careful.
But speaking of that—
Suzuki Ayako paused for a moment and looked toward her sister on the beach beyond the boardwalk.
"In the summer, I still have to go to the beach and bask in the sun!" Suzuki Sonoko, wearing a leopard-print bikini, placed her hands on her hips and declared excitedly, "I want to get a beautiful tan and catch a handsome guy over summer break!"
"Sonoko, keep your voice down." Mao Lilan, who was still in a one-piece swimsuit, grabbed her best friend with a smile and said, "Now that Kazawa's not here, you're not concerned about your image at all. You keep talking about handsome guys—no wonder Kazawa has no interest in you."
"What does it matter? He can't hear anything, right?" Sonoko waved her hand carelessly.
Actually, after a few months of spending time together, she clearly understood that Kazawa wasn't interested in her. No matter how she approached him at school, he rarely responded. Sometimes, he even looked at her with a fond gaze like an elder...
If it weren't for Kazawa's handsome face, things would be really awkward.
However, Suzuki Sonoko had always had a good attitude. She quickly figured out Kazawa's thinking and kept their relationship pure.
In other words, it was all about appearances.
She felt that Kazawa more or less understood her intentions too. So although he was cautious not to get too close, he never stopped her from patting his face or hugging his arm, as if he understood she was just admiring his good looks.
They maintained this inexplicable mutual understanding and successfully kept a good friendship.
"But don't just talk about me." Suzuki Sonoko casually changed the subject and gave her best friend a slap on the bare back. "Didn't you also buy that swimsuit for Shinichi?"
"No, no!" Mao Lilan dodged and quickly defended herself.
"Hehe, you're blushing, you're blushing!" Suzuki Sonoko ran two steps into the water to avoid Mouri Ran's playful punch.
Conan, who was lying on a swim ring, overheard their conversation and blushed instantly.
So... this swimsuit... is for me...
It really did show off Xiaolan's figure... ahem.
Conan dipped his head into the swim ring, kicked the water a few times, and paddled toward the two girls who were playing.
Since it was bought for him, it should be okay to take a closer look, right?
"Sonoko—" Suzuki Ayako stood on the shore and waved, calling her sister.
"Ah, sister!" Suzuki Sonoko stopped and pulled Mao Lilan along, running quickly over to Suzuki Ayako. "You're here! Brother Yu San, I'm really sorry to trouble you too!"
"I should be the one thanking you." Tomizawa Yuzo laughed. "If it wasn't for you, Sonoko, suggesting we have dinner here, my dad probably would've made Ayako go home and cook..."
"Hey, I thought you were planning to eat outside." Suzuki Sonoko looked a bit surprised. "Is this some kind of 'bride test' from your Tozawa family?"
"No, no, how could that be?" Tomizawa Yuzo hurriedly waved his hands, afraid Suzuki Sonoko might get the wrong idea. "Our family might be a business family, but we're nowhere near your level. How could my dad dare to criticize Ayako? The main reason is our satellite TV receiver had a problem, and my dad was anxious to watch today's baseball game, so he insisted we go to your villa..."
Suzuki Sonoko glanced doubtfully toward the shore.
The beachside area of the Izu Princess Hotel had several semi-open-air booths equipped with awnings. At the moment, Tetsuji Tozawa was sitting in one of them, facing a large TV in the reception area. He sat silently, his back turned to them.
"Uncle, you still have the temper of a child." Suzuki Ayako smiled, trying to smooth things over.
Tomizawa Yuzo sighed, a bit conflicted, but still relieved that his father hadn't said anything too sharp in front of Ayako today.
Maybe it was because they were in a public setting...
Thinking about his father's usual scoldings, Tomizawa Yuzo suddenly felt his arms holding Ayako go a bit weak.
No one really knew what had happened over the years, but as his father entered middle age, he became more and more dissatisfied with his sons. All three brothers were often scolded and suppressed by him. The atmosphere at home had always been heavy.
He just hoped that during tonight's dinner, his father wouldn't say anything too extreme in front of the Suzuki daughters.
"Yuzo! Yuzo!" Tetsuji Tozawa, who still had his back to them, suddenly pushed his chair back, stood up, and called out loudly to his son.
"Ah, Father, I'm here." Tomizawa Yuzo was startled, glanced worriedly at his fiancée, then walked alone to the booth and stood beside his father. "What's the matter?"
Tetsuji Tozawa clasped his hands behind his back.
On the TV screen in front of them, the intense baseball match continued—the players running and colliding, the cheering audience, and the sound of waves behind them created a strange harmony. And yet, the silent Tetsuji Tozawa seemed unusually lonely.
"Father?" Tomizawa Yuzo called again, surprised. It was rare to see his father like this.
"Go call Taichi and Tatsuji," Tetsuji Tozawa said in a deep voice, still not turning around. "Tell them to come for dinner today."
"Ah?" The sudden request left Tomizawa Yuzo stunned. "But isn't my second brother on a business trip in Okinawa?"
"Some crappy mission," Tetsuji Tozawa snorted, shaking his head. He didn't continue to scold him, only waved his hand. "Go call them. Just tell them I want to see them both and introduce them to Ayako... Tell Tatsuji to bring Hiromi, too. Seriously, you kids are all useless."
"O-okay..." Tomizawa Yuzo didn't dare say more. He quickly took out his phone and began scrolling through the contacts, secretly surprised.
Ever since their mother passed away, it had become rarer and rarer for the whole family to sit down and eat together.
Especially with Tetsuji Tozawa's personality—whenever they did meet, they often parted on bad terms.
Is Dad going to announce something important? For him to gather the three of them... it must be.
A few wild ideas flashed through Tomizawa Yuzo's mind—
…Could it be that Dad has some terminal illness or something?