We finally reached the beach resort.
Cars parked. Engines off. Doors opened.
Everyone stepped out and did that universal road-trip stretch like we were NPCs loading into a new area.
I stretched too. Mechanically. Spiritually I was still back in the car, replaying the hand incident in 4K.
I glanced at Saki's dad.
He caught my eye.
Smiled.
Not a warm smile.
Not a dad smile.
A traitor smile.
I looked away immediately.
So this is how it feels to be betrayed by an adult you trusted.
We entered the resort lobby together. Cool air, sea smell, polished floors. Same as every year.
Except… something felt off.
Saki's dad walked to the reception desk casually.
"Reservation under Tanaka," he said.
The receptionist typed.
Paused.
Typed again.
Then looked up. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't see a reservation."
Silence.
Saki's dad blinked. "Oh?"
Then he laughed lightly and scratched his head.
"Ah… I must've forgotten to book in advance this year."
He smiled.
I saw Kyosuke smirk back at him.
No.
No no no no no.
This is coordinated.
The receptionist continued, "We do have four rooms left. Each room has a two-person capacity."
My brain instantly started calculating like it was life or death.
Okay. Four rooms. Two people each. That's fine.
Kyosuke and I can share.
Saki gets her own room or with her mom.
I survive.
I relaxed.
Big mistake.
Kyosuke suddenly raised his hand.
"Actually," he said cheerfully, "I'd prefer not to share a room with Haruto."
I turned to him so fast I nearly pulled something.
"Why?!" I whispered.
He looked at me with fake concern. "You snore."
"I do not!"
"You do. Loudly. Like a dying engine."
"That was one time!"
He shrugged. "Trauma lasts."
Then he dropped the nuke.
"So I think it makes more sense if Haruto and Saki share a room."
The world stopped.
Not slowed.
Stopped.
Everyone froze.
Saki's mom blinked.
My mom choked slightly on air.
My dad went quiet in that dangerous way.
Saki—
Saki went completely red.
My soul evacuated my body without leaving a forwarding address.
"I—WHAT—" my brain tried to form words and failed spectacularly.
Before anyone could recover, Saki's dad spoke.
"Oh dear…" he said gently, with the most innocent expression ever manufactured.
"Well… if there are only four rooms… what can we do now?"
He spread his hands helplessly.
Helpless.
Totally helpless.
Absolutely not enjoying this at all.
Except his eyes flicked to Kyosuke.
And they shared a smirk.
That's when it hit me.
I wasn't on a vacation.
I was on a five-day psychological survival challenge.
And it had just begun.
I froze where I stood, staring at the receptionist like maybe if I glared hard enough, the universe would reboot and give me six rooms instead of four.
Kyosuke leaned against the counter, arms crossed, looking like he'd just won a lifetime supply of chaos. "See? Easy solution," he said, grin still plastered on his face.
"Easy solution?" I whispered, voice cracking. "Do you even understand what you just suggested?"
Saki's face was red enough to fry an egg. She stared at Kyosuke like he'd just proposed we all be sent into a volcano. I tried to say something to calm myself, but all that came out was, "N-no, this… this can't—"
"Haruto," Saki's dad said with that awful calm, innocent smile again, "we're limited on rooms. I'm afraid this is how it has to be."
"No!" I shouted in my head. Out loud I only squeaked. "But… but… five days… sharing a room…"
Saki looked mortified. She hugged her bag closer, probably wishing the floor would swallow her. I wanted to join her. Instead, I felt my knees weaken.
Kyosuke clapped his hands slowly. "Relax, little bro. Think of it as… bonding time. Quality bonding time."
"BONDING TIME?!" I screamed internally. My heartbeat was already trying to escape my chest. My brain had started short-circuiting.
Saki's mom tried to lighten the mood. "Oh, it'll be fine! Just like old times!"
Old times?
I remembered all those "old times." Sleeping next to her after breakfast on the beach… walking on the sand…
Why is every memory suddenly a problem now?!
The receptionist cleared her throat. "If you're ready, we can assign the rooms now."
Kyosuke winked at me. "Go on, little bro. Don't keep your roommate waiting."
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to faint.
I wanted to punch Kyosuke in a very polite and legal way.
"Okay…" I muttered, shaking. "Okay… we'll just… assign the rooms…"
Saki's dad patted my shoulder like he was comforting a child. "It'll be fun. You'll see. Make the most of your summer vacation."
Lies.
All lies.
We followed the receptionist down the hall, my suitcase dragging behind me like a funeral procession. Each step felt heavier than the last, my internal panic climbing with every tile we passed.
Kyosuke walked beside me, leaning casually on the wall. Every glance he gave was designed to remind me of my helplessness.
And worst of all?
Saki kept glancing at me with this tiny, nervous smile, probably unaware of the absolute catastrophe her father and Kyosuke had conspired.
I swallowed, gripping the suitcase handle so hard I was sure my knuckles would leave fingerprints in the wood.
Five days.
Five days trapped in a room with Saki.
And Kyosuke plotting every second of my suffering.
I had already lost before even stepping through the door.
The receptionist opened the first door.
And my summer vacation… officially began.
I quietly stepped into the room, dragging my suitcase behind me like it was the only thing keeping me from collapsing entirely.
Saki was already there, sitting on the bed closest to the window, legs tucked under her. She looked calm, almost serene. My brain betrayed me and went, Calm? That's illegal right now.
I closed the door slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements. My heart was pounding like a drumline at a festival.
"Uh…" I said, clearing my throat. My hands were sweaty, and I didn't even know why. "So… five days, huh?"
She looked up at me and smiled. A little shy, little mischievous. "Yeah… five days."
I nodded, my eyes glued to the floor. My suitcase felt heavier than ever, probably because it carried the weight of my impending doom.
We had an hour before everyone was supposed to meet on the beach. An hour. Sixty minutes. Three thousand six hundred seconds. All spent in the same room, side by side, without Kyosuke watching—thank god—but still… terrifying.
I sat on the edge of the bed farthest from her. Not too far. Not too close. Perfectly awkward distance.
Saki tilted her head, studying me. "Are you… nervous?"
I swallowed hard. "Nervous?"
"Yes." She smiled softly, eyes twinkling.
She knows.
"No," I said quickly. "I'm… I mean, yeah, maybe a little."
"Maybe a little?" she teased, leaning back on her hands. "You look like you're about to explode."
I felt my face heat up instantly. "I—No! I'm totally fine!" I waved my hands like a man warding off a wildfire. "Absolutely normal. Nothing going on here."
Saki giggled. Giggled. The sound made my heart stutter.
I tried to focus on the suitcase beside me, anything to distract myself. My mind kept flashing images from the car ride, Kyosuke's smirk, the speed breaker… my hands brushing against hers, even by accident.
Why am I alive right now?
I ran a hand through my hair and muttered under my breath, "Okay… okay… just an hour. Just… survive the hour. Then outside… then the sand… then the ocean… then maybe… maybe less panic."
Saki tilted her head again, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "You talk to yourself a lot, don't you?"
"I… maybe…" I admitted, sheepishly. "Helps me think."
"You're funny," she said softly. And for some reason, my heart completely betrayed me and did that weird leap thing again.
We sat in silence for a few moments, the kind of silence that made me aware of every little noise—the faint hum of the air conditioner, the distant call of the ocean, the slight creak of the bed frame under her weight.
I'm doomed.
"Uh… should we… plan what we're doing at the beach?" I asked suddenly, trying to distract myself. "So it's… less… panic-y?"
Saki laughed again. "You're impossible."
I groaned. "Yes, I am."
And for the next hour, we sat there, talking in fits and starts—mostly me panicking internally, trying not to reveal my complete meltdown, and Saki teasing me gently, completely unaware that she was the cause of the chaos in my chest.
Sixty minutes. One hour. Each second a test of endurance.
By the time we heard everyone calling from outside to meet on the beach, I was exhausted, sweaty, and completely unprepared for what was about to come.
Summer vacation had officially escalated to maximum panic mode.
Just as I was starting to calm down—like, maybe two percent calmer—this teeny-tiny traitorous thought slithered into my brain.
Wait… the beach… the ocean… the sand…
All perfectly normal things. Calm, relaxing, vacation stuff.
But then it hit me like a rogue wave.
Swimsuits.
They're gonna change into swimsuits. Swim. Splash. Frolic. In swimsuits.
My heart skipped, tripped, and then tried to jump out through my throat.
And then… the unthinkable mental image popped up.
Saki. Bikini. Last year. Summer. Beach. Sunshine. Smile.
I froze mid-breath. My brain went, No. No. That didn't just happen. Abort simulation.
I gripped the edge of the bed like it could anchor me to sanity. "I… I can't… I… what if… she… she's—she's wearing one again…"
Saki glanced up at me, smiling faintly. "You okay there, Haruto?"
I snapped my head toward her. "Yeah! Totally! Absolutely! Fine! Normal! Nothing! Ignore my sudden death glare!"
Her eyebrows lifted. "You look… nervous."
I waved my hands wildly. "Nervous? No, no! Just… excited! Excited! Yeah, that's it. Pure excitement!"
My mind started spiraling. *They're all gonna swim. Saki's gonna swim. I'm going to have to look at her. Oh god, no. Oh god, no. Oh god, no.
What do I wear? My brain asked. Do I… look normal? Are my abs visible? Wait, no, focus. Don't think about abs. Don't think about… her… bikini…
Kyosuke's smirk flashed in my memory, and my soul tried to hide behind my ribs.
I muttered something unintelligible under my breath, something that might've been, Please let me teleport to my house instead.
Saki tilted her head again, catching my mumbling. "Haruto?"
I blinked rapidly, hoping she didn't notice the full-blown internal panic explosion happening behind my eyes.
I straightened up, nodded like a normal human being, and tried to speak:
"Uh… yeah! Yeah… swimming! Fun! Fun for all! Totally… wholesome!"
Saki laughed softly. "You're funny when you're flustered."
I wanted to crawl under the bed and disappear.
Five days… five days of sand, sun, water… and Saki in… in…
I had to stop the thought. I tried. I really did. But the image kept replaying like a cursed anime loop in my head.
And that, my friends, was how I realized:
summer vacation had just escalated to… top-tier, God-level panic.
I stepped onto the beach, the sand warm under my sneakers. The ocean sparkled under the sun, waves rolling lazily toward the shore. For a second—just a second—I thought, Maybe this will be fine. Maybe I can survive this.
Then a firm hand landed on my shoulder. Kyosuke.
"Enjoying your life, little bro?" he asked with a smile that could only be described as maliciously cheerful.
I tensed. My brain scrambled for an answer, but all that came out was a strangled, "Uh… yeah…"
Before I could even try to breathe, another hand landed on my other shoulder.
Saki's dad. Smiling that same innocent, harmless, completely-guilty smile of his. "Are you having fun?" he asked lightly. "Sorry about forgetting to book the rooms in advance."
I froze, shoulders trapped between two masters of psychological warfare. My pulse spiked. I tried to stay calm, but my legs felt like jelly.
He leaned slightly closer. "Don't worry," he said, voice smooth. "It's just sharing a room with her. You two are childhood friends. Nothing will happen."
I blinked rapidly, letting out a shaky breath. Childhood friends. Okay, okay… I can handle this. My shoulders relaxed just a fraction.
Then he paused. Just a pause. That pause that made my heart stop.
And then… the smile.
A teasing, playful, devilish smile.
"And even if anything happens…" he said slowly.
I swear my soul tried to evacuate my body. My brain went blank. My throat locked.
"You… you can just… marry her," he finished casually.
I sputtered. My brain stalled. My mouth couldn't form words. I think I might have made a noise somewhere between a choke and a squeak.
He laughed. Warm, rich, infuriating laughter that made me wish the ground would open up.
"Just joking," he said, voice light.
I exhaled shakily. My shoulders unclenched a little. Maybe… maybe I could survive this.
Then came the pause. A pause so deadly it made me feel like I was standing at the edge of a cliff.
"Or not?"
And he didn't look like someone praying for something to happen. Not at all. He looked like someone who had planned this entire thing, like he was running a perfectly orchestrated experiment in chaos and panic.
My eyes went wide. My jaw slackened.
Kyosuke smirked from the side. Saki's dad's grin stretched impossibly wide.
And me? I was standing there, sand between my toes, heart pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it, absolutely certain that I was officially trapped in a family-sanctioned panic simulation.
I had to remind myself to breathe. Somehow. Somehow survive.
And then, of course… Saki called from the changing rooms. "Haruto! I'm ready!"
No.
No, no, no.
The ocean sparkled innocently. The waves rolled gently.
And I was about to face the five-day apocalypse in bikini weather.