The black Cadillac traveled smoothly along the highway leading to Kamakura.
Light music played inside the car—a Japanese pop song chosen by Kaoru Hoshitani. It had a warm melody and simple lyrics, making it perfect for such a journey.
Exactly 10 minutes ago, Chinatsu Ayase had returned to the car carrying a large bag in each hand.
She displayed the two large bags of snacks and drinks to Kaoru, a proud, seeking-praise smile on her face.
“I didn’t know what you liked, Mr. Hoshitani, so I bought a bit of everything—chips, chocolate, jelly, cookies, and various flavored drinks. See what you’d like to eat?”
Kaoru widened his little deer eyes as he looked at the two overflowing bags. “Ah, so much?!” he asked in shock. “Can we finish all of this in one day?”
His surprised expression, paired with his slightly parted pink lips, made Chinatsu laugh out loud.
“If we can’t finish it, you can take it back. It won’t go to waste anyway,” she said with a smile.
She then had Kaoru pick out a drink he liked. He chose a bottle of White Peach Soda with cute packaging.
She took a bottle of Sugar-free Oolong Tea for herself.
After placing the two large bags in the back seat, she sat back in the driver’s seat.
She gripped the steering wheel, took a deep breath, and shouted in a very girlish tone, “Departure—Kamakura!”
Her voice carried an irrepressible excitement and anticipation, as if this wasn’t a spontaneous “escape” but a long-awaited vacation.
Kamakura is a seaside city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.
Because it has a beautiful coastline and offers a magnificent view of Mount Fuji from the shore, many famous anime series have been filmed there, making it a well-known tourist destination.
Whether it was the classic railroad crossing from Slam Dunk or the old Japanese-style house in Our Little Sister, countless people felt a deep longing for this city.
Kaoru, of course, knew about Kamakura.
He had scrolled through videos on his mobile phone featuring its beautiful scenery—the azure sea, ancient temples, the green trams passing through, and the shimmering surface of the water under the sunset.
Back then, as he watched those videos, he had thought how nice it would be if he could come here with Aina.
But it was just a thought.
He never expected that under today’s circumstances, he would have the chance to see that sea with his own eyes.
The distance from Tokyo to Kamakura is about 60 kilometers, which takes just over 1 hour by car.
It wasn’t too far, but for Kaoru, who had lived in Tokyo for a long time and hadn’t left the city in years, this already felt like a journey to a distant land.
The atmosphere in the car remained light throughout the trip.
Chinatsu let Kaoru play his favorite music through the car’s center console. He selected several songs he usually enjoyed; some were slow-paced folk songs, while others were upbeat pop melodies.
The music flowed through the cabin, harmonizing with the scenery racing past the windows, causing his mood to brighten.
The two chatted and hummed along to the music while admiring the views along the way.
Chinatsu was very good at conversation. She could always find interesting topics and naturally took over whenever he didn’t know what to say.
She talked about funny incidents from when she studied in a foreign country, the shock she felt the first time she saw Tokyo Tower after returning home, and the cat she kept.
Kaoru listened, chiming in with a sentence or two and occasionally being teased into a laugh by her. The smile was faint, but it was genuine.
Perhaps it was because he had left the vast, suffocating forest of steel that was Tokyo.
Kaoru, who had been brooding over his recent experiences, suddenly felt as if he had been pulled out of the water just as he was about to drown. He felt an immediate sense of relief.
The fear, anxiety, and humiliation weighed down in the depths of his heart seemed to be scattered by the wind outside the window.
Though it was only temporary, at this moment, he only wanted to enjoy this rare relaxation.
When they were halfway through the trip, he stopped humming. He leaned his head against the window glass, staring straight at the scenery receding rapidly outside.
The sunlight spilled through the glass onto his face, casting a soft glow over his exquisite profile.
His eyelashes were long, casting shallow shadows over his eyelids. With his lips slightly pursed, he looked quiet and beautiful.
Chinatsu sensibly stopped talking as well.
She concentrated on driving, looking straight ahead, but she occasionally turned her head to glance at the beautiful man sitting in the front passenger seat.
Her gaze was light and quick, as if it were just an accidental glimpse.
However, the corners of her mouth remained upturned the entire way.
……
“The sea…”
Kaoru stood on the beach, by the shore of Kamakura.
The sea breeze carried a faint, salty dampness as it lightly brushed against his pure and naturally exquisite face.
He gazed at the ocean right before his eyes and murmured his admiration, his voice soft as if he were afraid of disturbing the peace.
The distant coastline was endless. The deep blue seawater merged with the sky, making it impossible to tell where the sea ended and the heavens began.
White clouds drifted lazily like shredded cotton, smeared randomly across the blue canvas.
The waves stacked one on top of another, gently lapping at the shore with a faint, healing sound. The noise was unhurried, rhythmic like the heartbeat of the earth.
The seawater rushed up, washing over his ankles—he had already taken off his shoes and socks—and then receded, taking the fine sand from under his feet and leaving a tingling coolness behind.
In the distance, Enoshima was faintly visible, looking like a fairyland through the thin mist.
The railroad tracks stretched along the coastline, and occasionally, a green tram would pass by with a cheerful whistle before disappearing into the sea breeze.
The scene was exactly like the one he had seen in the videos, yet it was more real and more moving.
Beneath his feet was soft, warm sand; every grain felt as if it had been kissed by the sun.
Around him, time flowed quietly. There was no rushing, no pressure—only this clean, gentle seascape holding him softly.
Kaoru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sea breeze filled his lungs, bringing a faint saltiness and coolness that gave him an unprecedented sense of peace.
The heavy burdens on his heart and the fears that kept him awake at night seemed to be scattered by the breeze and washed away by the waves. All that remained was a long-lost tranquility and beauty.
He stood there as if he could stay until the end of time.
As the saying goes—”You stand on the bridge viewing the scenery; the person viewing the scenery looks at you.”
Chinatsu stood 3 meters behind Kaoru.
In her eyes, half the view was the sea of Kamakura, and the other half was a person clearer than the sea.
Under the sunlight, the man stood there quietly. The sea breeze tugged at the corners of his clothes and tousled his hair, but it could not blow away the innate purity of his being.
The profile of his face was elegantly contoured, his eyelashes cast fine shadows in the sun, and his lips were slightly upturned in a heartfelt, genuine smile.
Chinatsu felt that this sight would surely be something she would never forget in this lifetime.
She quietly took out the camera she had prepared in advance, raised it, and aimed it at the figure standing by the sea.
Click—
The sound of the shutter was exceptionally crisp in the sea breeze.
Hearing the sound, Kaoru turned around and looked at the young woman behind him. He didn’t say anything, only offering a slight smile.
That smile bloomed in the afternoon sun like the brightest flower of spring—clean, pure, and completely defenseless.
His eyes curved into two crescent moons, reflecting the sea, the sky, and the person holding the camera.
In that instant, Chinatsu felt her heart suddenly thud, skipping a beat.
She froze in place, her hand holding the camera stiffening slightly. Her gaze fell upon that flower-like smiling face, and for a moment, she forgot to look away.
It wasn’t until the sea breeze blew past, bringing a hint of chill, that she suddenly snapped back to her senses. She took a deep breath, adjusted her state of mind, and then walked toward the beauty with a smile.
Her steps were light and her posture natural, as if that moment of distraction had never happened.
Yet only she knew—that heart was no longer as calm as it once was.
‘Sister…’ she thought silently. ‘Brother-in-law is simply too seductive. I really can’t help myself…’
Chinatsu stepped forward and said with a smile, “Your hometown is Kagoshima, right, Mr. Hoshitani? That is a very beautiful seaside city as well.”