The story began half an hour ago...
________________
After fretting all night over her vanishing youth, Aina, convinced that Iori was hiding something and that Chisa knew about it—relied on a woman's intuition.
So she woke up early that day, determined to stick to the two of them like glue.
There was no way she was letting them out of her sight!
However—
Her plan failed right from the start.
When she brought breakfast to knock on Chisa and Hanabi-san's room door, the only response was dead silence.
Instantly, Aina felt something was off!
Forget Hanabi-san—she didn't know her well. But Chisa was different!
With how hard she knocked, even if Chisa were a heavy sleeper, she should've woken up.
But there was nothing!
She asked the front desk and found out that the two guests in that room had already checked out.
A squinty-eyed guy and a tall woman left together.
As soon as she heard that description, Aina knew who it was.
Kamishiro and Hanabi-san!
Why the hell were those two out together so early?!
Wait, weren't they in separate rooms? After such a big misunderstanding last night, how could they still sleep in the same room?!
Aina didn't want to believe it, but that was the only explanation for why they checked out together.
But—
Wasn't Chisa supposed to be sleeping with Hanabi-san last night?
Did Kamishiro and Chisa switch rooms?
She remembered Kohei was Kamishiro's roommate.
Kohei and Chisa?
As much as she liked the idea of that pairing—it clearly wasn't possible!
The two of them hadn't even used each other's names!
They were always like, "Kotegawa," "Imamura," super formal.
Sometimes, Aina really wished they were more like Kamishiro—bold enough to call someone by their first name after a single meeting.
AAAAARGH!!!!
A handsome guy and a beautiful girl pairing is fine and all, but why are they going after her Iori?!
Wait a sec!
Aina suddenly had a thought: if Chisa and Kohei couldn't possibly be roommates now...
Then who was with Chisa?
There were only two possibilities left—
One: after Kamishiro switched rooms with Chisa, Kohei went to sleep with Iori.
Aina could live with that.
Two: after Kamishiro switched rooms with Chisa, Kohei switched again and with Iori…
Absolutely unacceptable!!!
Not even bothering to think it through, Aina rushed off to confirm things.
Five minutes later—
Aina came stumbling back down, looking like a lost soul.
Behind her was a yawning, half-asleep Kohei.
No one…
Iori's room was empty too.
There were only three rooms in total aside from hers. Now, the only person left…
Was Kohei!
What the hell is this guy good for?!
Aina shot Kohei a furious glare. Sleep, sleep, sleep! Can't even keep track of people properly!
As mad as she was, she knew this wasn't the time for internal bickering.
After confirming with the hotel owner that the guests had indeed checked out, she dragged Kohei into the car and headed straight for the beach!
She had a gut feeling—
Those two groups were definitely at the beach!
And sure enough—
Her guess was spot on. She didn't even need to search the beach — that flashy red convertible driven by Kamishiro had already allowed Aina to lock onto her target.
And then…
Came the current Akina Mountain God of Racing showdown!
"Stop the car! I want to get off! Get off!!"
Ignoring the noisy complaints beside her, Aina was laser-focused on the road ahead.
Now's the moment!
A drift!
(Please do not imitate this. Of course, the precondition to imitating it is that you can even drift a light truck to begin with... (λ?_??))
Perfect!
Aina had just proven her driving skills. Now she just had to follow Kamishiro and the others.
As for Kohei…
He had completely passed out.
(っ╥╯﹏╰╥c)
He swore he'd never ride in the Cakey's car ever again!
He even thought he saw his great-grandmother just now…
Thanks to Kamishiro and Aina's elite driving, the two groups arrived at the beach shortly afterward.
Seeing the familiar car parked on the roadside…
A bad feeling welled up in Kamishiro's heart.
No way… Could it really be this much of a coincidence?!
The moment Kamishiro stood on the beach, he suddenly remembered what he had forgotten yesterday.
His stand-in!
He forgot to ask Nojima and the others what happened to his double yesterday!
But now…
There's no need to ask.
Because—
The reason Kamishiro remembered it was that he saw his stand-in.
His poor double, Mitarai, was currently buried in the sand.
Thinking back to the punishment Nojima's group gave them yesterday, he must still be unconscious.
Which means… Mitarai had been buried in the sand all night long?!
Kamishiro once again marveled at his double's vitality. He hadn't drowned from high tide or anything.
Just… been spectated by a bunch of people. That's not too embarrassing~
Click.
Kamishiro smiled with satisfaction at the photo he took and sent it off to Rie. What a helpful guy he was~
After enjoying this little bonus, Kamishiro turned with Hanabi to walk toward the other side of the beach.
Just now, he'd seen that damned bastard!
So what were those two doing at the beach?
Diving?
Yeah right!
What kind of diving needed to avoid everyone?
Wait a sec!
Actually, there was a type of diving that required privacy…
Like what he was planning to do right now.
Kamishiro's mouth twitched. If that was the case, it'd be one hell of a coincidence!
And with Kitahara's skill level… where did he get the nerve to try that?!
Chisa?
Please. Get a grip on reality.
A few minutes after tailing them later, Kamishiro saw a familiar figure.
And that figure confirmed it—
That shameless bastard had come for the exact same reason as he had!
That's right, it was the long-absent Ninagawa Amuro!
Their examiner from their previous diving certification!
Since she was here, Kitahara's intentions were obvious.
Damn it!
Trying to sneak ahead without us?!
Unforgivable!
At this moment, Ninagawa was smiling brightly and warmly greeting Iori and Chisa.
"You two came early!"
"Haha, yeah, I function better in the mornings," Iori said, scratching the back of his head. He didn't know if mornings really suited him — he just knew he could avoid Kamishiro that way.
That bastard was probably still sleeping at the hotel.
If they came in the afternoon… they might've missed their chance!
"Hahaha, full of energy, huh, kid? So is it just the two of you?"
Ninagawa glanced behind them. What about that prince-like, pretty boy didn't he also apply?
A few days ago, Ninagawa had received two applications:
One from Iori and one from Kamishiro. Because of the previous exam, she assumed they were once again applying together.
Maybe even with the whole same group?
"Eh, we applied separately this time. It's just the two of us."
Iori waved his hand dismissively. It was understandable to mistake this for a group effort again after the last time.
"Hmm, I see…"
Ninagawa looked at Iori a little oddly, then pointed behind him.
"So… you really didn't come together?"
Huh?
Iori turned around in confusion — only to see Kamishiro looking at him with a face full of mockery.
"Well, well, look what I've found. A delusional bastard trying to sneak off on his own."
"..."
Iori's face darkened. Why… WHY did this bastard have to show up?!
Shouldn't he be asleep at the hotel?!
________________
Ten minutes later, both Kamishiro and Iori were glaring at each other in total annoyance.
Kamishiro: "Heh, I never imagined someone would abandon their companions just to take the exam alone. I can already see your disgusting smug face after today."
Iori: "Likewise. Why didn't I know you were taking this exam too?"
Kamishiro: "Well, your skill is garbage. I didn't want to crush your confidence, so I didn't tell you."
Kamishiro taunted with a smirk. Just months ago, Kitahara was a complete landlubber — how could he ever compare to him, the King of the Sea?
Iori's forehead twitched with anger. "Just wait. I'll show you what I'm made of. Don't come crying when your score's worse than mine, 'King of the Sea'!"
Those last words were gritted out through clenched teeth. Iori had been training hard lately!
"Heh."
Kamishiro just laughed it off and focused on preparing his gear.
He'd let his results do the talking.
Chisa and Hanabi exchanged awkward glances.
Yeah… they were more like the moral support squad.
One already had a license; the other didn't have remotely enough skill for this.
Ninagawa, watching the whole scene, beamed brightly.
As expected of the very first students she ever tested — even after all this time, they were still this lively!
But wait, weren't two people missing?
Ninagawa looked around and asked again, "So, only you two are testing today?"
"Yup. Is that a problem?"
"If you mean the blonde guy and Cakey, they're probably still at the hotel sleeping."
Sleeping?
In her pure, innocent mind, Ninagawa didn't read too much into it. Sleeping just meant… sleeping.
But…
Were they sure about that?
This time, even without her needing to point it out, Kamishiro and Iori both sensed something wrong behind them.
Killing intent.
Smack!
Two arms hooked tightly around their necks. Kohei and the Cakey's demon-like voices hissed in their ears, "Yo… trying to ditch us, huh?"
"Shameful!"
Aina pouted angrily. She'd imagined so many possible scenarios — but not this one!
Running off to get certified on their own?! How sneaky could they be?!
A few minutes ago, while she and Kohei were watching from afar, they had already figured out how the story would end.
If they hadn't come to Okinawa…
Or if they hadn't followed this morning…
Those two bastards would have laughed them to death!
They'd wave around their new diving licenses, mock them every chance they got, and probably get them drunk during party games like "I have something you don't!"
Most importantly…
The entire club would have advanced diving licenses — except for the two of them!
That result…
Was unacceptable!
Aina absolutely couldn't tolerate that!
As for Kohei, her teammate — he couldn't accept the thought of those two waving their certificates and rubbing it in either!
Without hesitation, the two decided to self-destruct immediately!
Either both go down together—or no one gets anything!
…
Caught red-handed, Kamishiro and Iori looked flustered, forcing awkward smiles.
"Uh… what a coincidence?"
"Don't you want to rest a bit longer?"
"Rest?"
Kohei sneered coldly, "So you two bastards can laugh at us tonight?"
"No way…"
"We'd never think something like that…"
(;?＿?)
The two averted their eyes guiltily—clearly, that was their plan all along!
"Ahem, Kohei, Aina, you've misunderstood me. It's not like I intentionally didn't invite you—it's just that this kind of application needs to be submitted a day in advance."
"I was just afraid that if you came on-site, it would hurt you even more emotionally."
"Exactly, exactly! I was thinking the same thing!"
Iori chimed in, trying to sound thoughtful—they were the kind of people who always put others first!
(???)
Kohei and Aina gave them dead-eyed stares. So if it only takes a day, why didn't you say so yesterday?
You two were too busy scheming how to ditch us, weren't you?!
Kohei: "Then you two aren't taking the test today either!"
Aina: "Wait with us until tomorrow!"
Iori: "That's not going to work—we have a flight tomorrow!"
Kamishiro: "Exactly! You can just learn from us now, and you'll definitely pass tomorrow!
Oh right, Kitahara, I recommend studying my form—it'll increase your chances next time!"
Iori: "Worry about yourself! I'm definitely passing this time!"
Aina: "Don't ignore us! Sneaking ahead is wrong!"
"…."
Watching the chaotic scene unfold, Chisa sighed. She'd known from the moment everyone gathered that sneaking off wouldn't work.
This outcome didn't surprise her one bit.
If she remembered correctly, she and Iori had a flight scheduled tomorrow too—rescheduling the test might really be cutting it close.
"Ninagawa-san, do applications really need to be submitted a day in advance?"
Chisa turned to Ninagawa, who looked eager to join the commotion. Surely the rules weren't that strict?
Sure enough—
Ninagawa shook her head. "Nope! If you want to take the test together, we can do it this afternoon!"
"How about a little competition? See who scores the highest?"
Her eyes sparkled—so long as everyone's safe, competitions are fair game!
But this wasn't the type of competition people usually imagine. Here, all they had to do was take a normal test.
Usually, the examiner would simply write "Pass" or "Fail."
But if it was a competition, the instructor would give scores—more detailed feedback, so everyone could better understand their weaknesses.
Kohei's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! None of us have plans this afternoon anyway, right?"
!!!
That's not a great idea at all!
Iori's face fell. He could maybe guarantee he'd pass, but a competition…?
He knew full well—of the three of them, he was the weakest.
"I don't mind, but what about our 'Land God of War'? What do you think?"
Kamishiro's eyes twinkled playfully—he wasn't going to lose, no matter what!
"I'm fine with a competition, but the timing's not great. Chisa and I actually have some stuff this afternoon…"
He frantically shot Chisa looks, silently begging her to help him out.
But Chisa was happily chatting with Hanabi about the beautiful underwater scenery she'd filmed—she didn't even notice Iori's distress.
Seeing this—
Kohei looked at Iori with mocking eyes. "Don't tell me… you're scared?"
(▼皿▼＃)
That jab hit Iori right in the pride.
Damn it!
This is just Kohei! And he's mocking me? It's just a diving test!
I'll ace it in no time!
"Heh! Who's scared? Let's do it! Just don't start crying when you lose!"
Iori bumped foreheads with Kohei—no way he was going to lose to an emo Kohei in a post-blood-loss slump.
Impossible!
It's time he evolved from "Land God of War" to "Land & Sea God of War"!
Now that both agreed, a sly grin crept onto Kamishiro's face.
"Well, since it's a competition, there should definitely be a punishment~"
Seeing Kamishiro's expression, Iori got a very bad feeling.
He could hear his wallet screaming in pain!
This scheming bastard clearly had his sights set on bleeding him dry!
Kohei didn't find anything wrong with this—loser punishment was perfectly normal.
Same logic as strip rock-paper-scissors!
"So what's the punishment?"
"I heard there's a new Chinese restaurant around here!"
"Oh? Chinese food, huh…"
Kohei dug at his ear, not too interested. He'd rather have a bento box made by Shiori.
But that'd be punishing her, not Iori…
"They say the food… goes great with alcohol!"
"Oh!"
Now Kohei's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. He wanted to experience just how well it paired with booze!
Iori: Σ( °Д °;)
Just go by yourself!!
Eating Chinese in Okinawa… do you know how expensive that is?!
Iori instantly realized this punishment was aimed squarely at him—they were planning to fleece him dry!
He'd won 300,000 yen, not 300,000 dollars, dammit!
He wanted to suggest a different punishment… but how could he say that now?
Wouldn't that make him look unconfident, like he was admitting defeat?
Damn it!
Underestimating me, huh?
Let's see who ends up paying!
"Then it's decided!"
Ninagawa cheered. She couldn't wait to start the competition. Time to see how much everyone had improved over the past few months!
"…."
Aina twitched as she looked at the three guys.
Had they just completely ignored her opinion?!
How did this suddenly turn into a test?!
She wasn't even ready yet!
(っ╥╯﹏╰╥c)
Aina felt miserable. She just wanted to stop them from sneaking ahead—not join them!
But now… it looked like she had no choice.
She definitely didn't want to be the only one in the club without an advanced diving license!
…