You could tell just by breathing—the sea was near.
The light, salty scent carried on the breeze, the moisture in the air… it was unmistakable.
"Alright, drop your bags, clean up, and get ready to head out."
"Okaaay~!"
After settling into the hotel, Hayashi Yoshiki smiled at the group behind him.
Sonoko was the first to cheerfully respond, grabbing Ran by the hand and dashing inside their room, while Haibara Ai followed at a much more relaxed pace.
"Is it really necessary to be this excited about the beach, Sonoko…?" Ran said with a sheepish smile.
Haibara gave Sonoko a flat stare.
For someone born into wealth, she sure got overexcited about simple things. Naïve, Haibara thought.
"What are you saying, Ran? You're the one who's slow on the uptake!" Sonoko teased.
"Huh?"
"Think about it. What's the first thing you change when you get to the beach?"
"Don't tell me..." Ran's voice trailed off.
"Swimsuit. Swimsuit, Ran! But not for us—for Hayashi Yoshiki." Sonoko grinned mischievously, pulling out a compact camera from her bag like it was a secret weapon. "Hehe, I came prepared."
"Honestly… Sonoko," Ran groaned.
"...Trying to seduce him with a swimsuit?" Haibara said dryly.
Sonoko blinked at her and then chuckled. "Wow, smart kid. But please, using a tactic that simple on Yoshiki-oniisan? That's too naïve."
Haibara narrowed her eyes. Does that mean he actually has a good body...?
In the other room,
Conan had already changed into his swim trunks. Watching Hayashi Yoshiki—who was now shirtless in beach attire and applying sunscreen—he couldn't help but tease:
"Are you really worried about getting tanned, Yoshiki?"
"It's not about the tan," Yoshiki replied with a soft chuckle. "Ultraviolet rays accelerate skin aging. Best to avoid them."
He offered the sunscreen to Conan. "Want some?"
"I'm good." Honestly, Conan thought, I'd be happy to age faster—like, overnight fast.
Yoshiki didn't comment further. He simply smiled and continued applying lotion, every bit the pragmatist he always was. His appearance was a tool, and he maintained it well.
Once ready, Yoshiki and Conan stepped out just in time to meet Ran, Sonoko, and Haibara Ai in the hallway.
The moment she saw him, Haibara's eyes widened just a little.
Wearing sea-blue swim trunks, an open white shirt, and radiating an effortless cool, Hayashi Yoshiki's well-toned physique perfectly embodied a quiet masculinity—like ice cream in the summer sun, refreshing and dangerous at once.
"Hey, your eyes are about to pop out," Conan whispered, nudging Haibara.
She flinched, then glared at him.
"Let's head to the beach," Yoshiki said with a smile.
"Coming, Yoshiki-nii!" Sonoko chirped.
The group made their way down the path, chatting and laughing along the way. Sonoko held her camera close like a precious artifact.
"Hey Sonoko," Ran whispered, "You didn't get a nosebleed this time."
"Wha—I'm not that perverted!" Sonoko pouted. "And stop teasing me!"
The beach at Izu stretched out before them, a perfect view of white sand and sparkling blue waves. Ran and Sonoko couldn't wait. They tossed off their sandals and waded into the shallows, giggling as the cold water splashed over their feet.
"This feels so good!" Ran said.
"Right? Perfect weather!" Sonoko beamed.
"Yoshiki-nii, come here quickly!"
"Okay." Yoshiki's smile never wavered. He turned to Haibara. "Coming? You've been looking forward to this, haven't you?"
"Who said that…?"
"If not, why'd you pick such a cute swimsuit?"
Cute? Haibara blinked. She wore a simple black one-piece—elegant, sleek, not flashy. But somehow, when Yoshiki said it like that...
He reached out, ruffled her hair lightly, and then took her hand.
Without warning, he started walking faster, pulling her along.
Their footprints—one large, one small—marked the sand behind them.
Conan followed at a slow pace, hands in his pockets. His gaze lingered on them. Haibara was… different with Hayashi Yoshiki, wasn't she?
That cold, guarded girl always acted oddly soft around him. Maybe…
She likes him?
Conan smirked. That wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would motivate her to restore her body. And if she cracked the APTX solution, he might have a chance too.
"Did the Osaka incident… have anything to do with you?" Haibara asked, voice low.
"Why do you ask?"
"...Just a hunch," she muttered. "The kind of madness it takes to bomb a building and get away clean… that reeks of the Organization. And you said before that the brewing conflict was partly your fault."
Yoshiki gave a soft sigh.
"Smart kids who don't know how to act spoiled aren't very cute."
Haibara lowered her gaze. "I'm not asking out of curiosity. I just want you to be careful."
"Of course I will."
He squeezed her hand gently, then—without warning—ran forward, pulling her into the cold, foamy shallows.
"Alright now," he said, looking down at her with a smile. "Let the sea take your worries today."
He knelt a bit so their eyes were level.
"If you want," he added in a rare whisper, "you can even act spoiled around me today. Okay?"
"...Yoshiki."
He rarely called her "Ai-chan," but something about his tone made her chest tighten.
The sea breeze tangled in her bobbed brown hair, the sun warming her skin, the waves lapping at her knees… everything felt vividly, painfully real.
And all she could do was quietly squeeze his hand a little tighter.