I'm so sorry this chapter took so long, writing fanfiction is really hard for me.

"Summer Home" Osaka pondered to herself as she arrived at Chiyo-chan's house, well, Mansion really. Chiyo-chan's family was rich, like, really rich, so rich it made Osaka's mind crumble just thinking about all the Yen bills her family must've owned. To Chiyo-chan, the sight of a 10,000 yen note wasn't as uncommon as it was to all her other friends.

But she was getting ahead of herself. Osaka had been to Chiyo-chan's summer home before, from what she remembered, there was always a cool breeze blowing through the wooden planks, so she made sure to bring some blankets for everyone.

When Osaka arrived at Chiyo-chan's place, Yomi and Sakaki were already there

"Oh, hey you guys!" she said cheerfully "Tomo couldn't make it?"

Yomi was quick to fill her in "She's out on a family vacation to Shizuoka"

"Oh, that's where Mt. Fuji is!" Osaka exclaimed, clearly impressed by her elementary school level knowledge

"Yeah," Yomi replied dryly "And Kagura's doing some things with the swim team, so you know"

About a quarter of a second later, a small ginger haired girl appeared from the mansion.

"OK everybody," Chiyo-chan announced as she came through the door "a taxi is going to come for us in about an hour, so please check your bags to make sure you've got everything you wanted to take!"

Yomi had brought some sunblock for everyone as well as some clothes. Sakaki had brought some Neco Coneco plushies and also some clothes. Osaka had also brought some clothes and a straw hat; she had also brought… the album.

It had become part of her life, like a Teddy bear to a child; she could not leave the house without taking the album with her; she had even taken it to school. Of course she was obsessed, everyone even her friends, could see she was obsessed; the only thing they didn't know was what it was. She never showed the album to anyone else, she was scared to because she thought she would be made fun of by everyone, especially Tomo. Osaka had found out that the album was from 1987, everyone else listed to exceptionally recent J-Pop and other kinds of music by idols, if people found out she liked older music, she would surely be made fun of. It would break Osaka's little heart and she would surely have to transfer again.

But she was overthinking, right now; she needed to focus on having a good time at the beach.

The group waited in the mansion for about an hour. Yomi read a magazine, Sakaki played with Mr. Tadakichi, Chiyo made some tea and Osaka found some time to sleep in the sun bleeding through the window.

"Miss Osaka please wake up!" Chiyo-Chan said as she gently shook the sleeping girl "our taxi is here!"

Osaka woke up, she felt a bit groggy and could only really muster a "huh?"

"I've got your bag for you, come on!" Chiyo-Chan said desperately; she then took Osaka's hand and dragged her to the taxi. They got back to the entrance just in time to see Sakaki saying goodbye to Mr. Tadakichi, Yomi was already waiting in the taxi.

"Goodbye Mr. Tarakichi!" Osaka said, mustering enough strength.

"Tadakichi" Chiyo-chan helpfully whispered into her ear.

"Oh," Osaka realised "too late now"

The taxi was one of those black London taxis you'd see around Britain and especially London. Osaka had been to London before, but that was like 10 years ago; surely it would've changed by now. She heard a new bridge had opened there and she was very excited to see it.

Before they knew it, the taxi had set off and was currently driving on the highway. Osaka enjoyed staring out of the windows as the other cars passed feverishly by, Yomi and Chiyo-Chan were talking to themselves in the back while Sakaki kept to herself on one of the flip-out seats, it seemed as if she was depressed.

The other girls decided not to pry. Yomi however, wanted to kill the silence.

"So Chiyo-Chan, I've been meaning to ask, why did your family buy a summer home all the way in Ibaraki"

"Oh, my parents had some extra cash to splash so they found this place in Ibaraki and they bought it."

Yomi's jaw dropped; her family was, financially speaking, above average, but compared to Chiyo-Chan's, it felt like they were just breaking even; she decided not to try and comprehend that and instead initiate conversation with Osaka.

"Hey Osaka, are you looking forward to the trip?"

Silence.

"Osaka?"

"Please don't talk to me like a child."

"Oh, ok."

Finally, the girls arrived at the summer home and after paying the fare, were left to their own devices.

"Your parents are ok with us being here on our own Chiyo-Chan?" Yomi asked.

"Oh yeah, they know that we'll be safe on our own." Chiyo replied.

"Ok, well, let's not get into anything too risqué." Yomi finished as the girls, after a whole year, went back into the summer home.

The cool breeze seeping through the planks surrounding the building welcomed them back into their home for two weeks, but after putting down their bags something else came to their minds.

"Hey guys! Let's go to the beach!" Chiyo-Chan exclaimed excitedly.

"Sure!" Yomi replied.

"Ok" Sakaki also replied, the first time she had spoken to the girls during the whole trip. With that, the rest of the girls rushed to change into their swimming outfits.

"Hurry Miss Osaka!" Chiyo-Chan urged Osaka as Yomi ran out to the beach with a bunch of beach toys.

"I'll join you later" Osaka assured, right now it seemed to long taxi ride had tired and she just wanted to rest for now

"Ok then" Chiyo-chan replied and joined Sakaki in running to the beach.

Half an hour later Osaka emerged from the house and ran to the beach; the sand of the dunes flowing through her toes felt wonderful to her, remembering the old days where she would run up and down soft beaches carefree.

Thinking back to the old times always made her teary, but this time it didn't; instead she felt herself running faster and faster as the sand moved around her, as all she could see was the long yellow beach, the glimmering blue coast and the bright white sun against a dark black sky, no clouds to be seen. She existed in a pure state of bliss, uncaring to the outside world and its issues, her own dimension siphoning off the darkness and allowing her to focus on the one thing she had wanted to do for the last 8 years, just be herself again.

She was giggling like a little girl by the time she got to her friends.

"What's gotten into you?" Yomi asked almost jokingly.

"I'm just having so much fun!"

"Well then," Chiyo-Chan resolved "we'll just have to have even more fun then!"

All the girls agreed as they ran into the ocean and splashed each other. They made sculptures and sandcastles in the sand. Chiyo-Chan brought out some super soakers and the girls just really had fun blasting each other with soft jets of water.

As the afternoon turned to evening and the evening turned to night, the girls laid on the beach, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the nighttime sea as the moon began to rise. There was a mutual agreement between them that they had fun.

And for Osaka, well, she could only smile.