Continuation of 'Stray dog and Ocean'.
A side-story (sequel) of 'Beast and Rain'.
Enjoy ヾ(＠^▽^＠)ﾉ ～Hirari
Stray dog and Ocean~Gin-san's side story~
(Sequel to Beast and Rain)
Part: 02 –Having a break at the ocean, in her heart, is...
I see the wide blue ocean in front of my eyes.
As the huge waves crash along the beachside, they sparkle, reflecting the shards of sunlight.
"Yahoo-!"
"It's so beautiful!"
"Woof!"
Watching the kids charge at the waves, I lower myself on the beach sand.
Kagura is weak against sunlight, so she's wearing a one-piece dress with a straw hat, and bringing along her umbrella just in case.
Shinpachi nor I had brought swimming wear, so we are wearing light clothes which we don't mind getting wet.
"Why don't you go out to and have fun at the ocean since you came all the way here?"
That's what Miki had offered us in kindness, so the three of us, plus one dog, decide to do just that.
Observing the others who are having fun spraying water at each other, I lied down on the sand.
"Ow, f-ck! It's hot!"
I immediately sit back up.
I should have brought a towel to lie on...
Just as I had thought that, furrowing my brows, I hear a voice and spin around.
"Are you okay?" Miki asks with a chuckle.
A white one piece and a straw hat, and a blanket like material in her hand.
"Such a huge difference..." I mutter as I avert my gaze, trying to hide my blush.
Such a huge difference even if Kagura and her are both wearing the same thing...
"Sorry?" Miki asks in confusion and I just reply that it's nothing.
She lays the blanket and sits down, and then she pats the lain blanket beside her while smiling at me.
"Please, come sit beside me."
When I do as she offers, I become surprised at how close the distance between us is.
The blanket is too small that our shoulders almost touch each other.
"You go join them," I offer her seeing that Miki is staring at the others having fun.
But she only just softly smiles.
"I'm...okay."
Her side on face expression is somewhat sad and her eyes look far ahead into the distance as if looking straight through the others while the ocean wind brushes her hair back.
I start getting worried about her pale white skin that is being constantly penetrated by the strong, hot sunlight.
"Well... I won't say tell me what's wrong."
The blanket isn't wide enough but I don't mind the heat and lie on my back.
"But if you've got problems, it will make you feel better if you talk to someone about it."
Just a few seconds ago my vision had been full of the scenery of the wide ocean, now it is the wide and high sky.
There's not one cloud and the seagulls glide high above.
To my words, Miki looks towards my way with a truly grateful, but not a fully happy smile.
"...Thank you very much."
I pretend not to see her wavering eyes that had the slightest pool of tears starting to well up.
I had a feeling that she and I were alike...
Like we both shared the same pain...
"Gin-cha~n! Miki-! Come and play with us-!"
Sitting up to look towards the source of the high voice calling us, I see Kagura waving at us.
Smirking, I stand up and look down at Miki who is still sitting down.
"...come."
I offer her a hand and in front of her.
She stares at me slightly confused and I feel the side of my lips descend in sync with my brows furrowing.
"Um...It's kinda embarrassing, so could please understand what I'm trying to do?" I say as I avert my gaze as I keep the hand in place.
Looking at me like that, Miki suddenly widens her eyes in realisation.
"Oh! Um.. y-yes," Miki stutters and hesitatingly takes my hand.
I smile in satisfaction and pull her up, but when I pull her along towards the waves up to just when the waves meet my feet, Miki stops dead in her tracks.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
I turn around in confusion.
It's only just one step forward to the water, but she just won't take another step forward.
Her face is slightly hardened by nervousness and her hand that held mine is shaking.
"...ter."
Her quiet voice is erased by the loud crashing of the waves and I can't hear her well.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
When I cock my head to the side in confusion, Miki's fear-filled eyes stare straight at me.
"I-I'm afraid of the water!"
After her loud shout, the huge sound of a wave crashing follows.
"...what?"
That's what bluntly comes out of my mouth as I blink in confusion.
After watching her blankly for a few seconds at her who is about to burst into tears any moment now, I start laughing.
"You're afraid of water? Are you a wuss?"
I laugh at her, thinking she's being ridiculous.
I didn't know that there are people who have hydrophobia even if they live next to the ocean!
That's such a crack up!
Miki then immediately lets go of my hand and glares at me.
"You're so mean! I... I'm really afraid of the water!"
She then announces that she's leaving while she turns her back towards me.
"Wait!" I call and stop her in panic.
She then turns around to stare glumly at me and I smile.
I reach out for her beautiful hand once again.
"...if it's like this, it's not too scary, don't you think?" I say and splash around the water with my feet, "what's so scary about the shallow waters anyway?"
To that, she doesn't say anything so I look up, only to see Miki in a bright red face looking at the shallow water.
"He~y," I wave my hands before her and then she comes back to Earth, looking up at me. But when our eyes lock, she immediately averts her gaze in a rush.
She then pushes a strand of her hair back, that she had lowered today, and opens her mouth to speak.
"I don't understand you very well, Gin-san..." She says to me in a clear, beautiful voice.
The sound of the waves is like a background soundtrack being played for this scene.
...there it is again, the sadness-filled eyes.
"Well, I'm like a person who you get and don't get..."
She smiles at that but a sad smile that looks like she's almost going to cry.
Miki makes so many facades that make me wonder if she has ever smiled happily from the bottom of her heart before.
Just when I wonder about that, water contacts her feet.
"!"
Miki widens her eyes in fear and grabs tightly onto my arm.
Surprised at the thin arms that wrap around my arm, I look down at her.
We realise that our faces are so close that we both blush and tear ourselves apart.
"S-sorry!"
"N-no worries..."
...I'm really not feeling myself when I'm around her. I say inwardly as I scratch the side of my head.
I then look down at the downcast Miki and ...bluntly said the thought that had been stuck at the back of my mind for awhile.
"You got rejected, didn't you?"
That's too straightforward, you idiot!
To my words, Miki immediately looks this way with her mouth wide open.
"W-wwwha-...!"
I chuckle at her obvious reaction and then look far away out into the ocean where a small boat floats.
"Then we're alike."
"...Eh?"
Miki seems shocked at my words, but I don't answer her and instead pull her hand.
"Oh- kay, gu-ys-! We're gonna have a beach volleyball!"
Kagura is burying Shinpachi and beside them, Sadaharu digs a hole.
But when they hear my shout, they look at me with excitement.
"You're playing to and there's no option to pass."
I can't hold her hand in front of the other two, so I pat her head.
"...okay."
Miki gives a somewhat happy smile and I feel my lips curve upward too before we both start heading towards Shinpachi and the others.
"Who the f-ck hits a ball strong enough to burst it, you moron!"
The beach volleyball had been a huge success, occupying us till late evening when Kagura stops our activity by bursting the ball.
"Oops, I did it just a little bit too hard"
Wait...it BURST, you know? JUST-A-LITTLE-BIT-TOO-HARD!
Kagura's casual 'oops-y' apologising makes us all pale white in fear.
Her and her fearful strength...
But not noticing our faces, Kagura starts walking back to the private lodging humming 'food~, food~," happily, and I sigh as I watch her go.
"Oh my gosh!" Miki suddenly gasps out loud.
When I spin around in surprise, I see her looking out towards the ocean.
"Um, I-I've lost something... please leave without me! I will join you later!"
It must've been something reallyimportant because she had said it with such a frown as she starts walking towards the ocean by herself.
"I wonder what she lost... I hope she's okay..." Shinpachi says worriedly.
Kagura is nowhere to be seen now and is probably back at the private lodging.
Watching Sadaharu chase after her, I shift my gaze towards Shinpachi.
"You go back first."
"Eh? Gin-san?"
I don't reply Shinpachi's questioned look but follow Miki's steps.
When I reached the sandy beach, Miki was there.
The salty wind played with her hair as she desperately tried to find something in the sand.
The sun slowly sank beneath the horizon of the ocean and her shadow stretched along the sand.
"What was it that you lost?" I ask her who keeps herself so occupied that she doesn't realise my presence until now.
She flinch her shoulders up high as she spins around to face me.
"Gin-san," she breathes as her eyes widen and then sighs with a wry smile, "it seems I have lost... a ring."
She furrows her brows as her left hand fingers naturally start to come together and curl up beneath her palm which makes my heart feel heavy.
...a ring.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it isn't a ring that she had bought herself, but a gift from someone.
My face nearly hardens, but I keep my face straight so she won't see how I'm feeling.
"Do you know where abouts you dropped it?" I ask calmly as I crouch down and start sifting my hands through the sand which is no longer burning hot.
Then to that, a rushed reply comes back.
"It's okay! Um... It sorta... gave me a clean break from my past."
While watching the sand slide down between my fingers and then be taken away by the wind, as I keep listening to Miki's quiet voice that continues speaking.
"I'm such an idiot, aren't I? I was only just a play toy, but I was keeping the ring so preciously..."
I can tell only from hearing the voice, that she is once again putting a forced smile...
I can tell without looking that she is welling up tears in her eyes...
I can tell that she's holding herself in, bottling her emotions and being careful not to let it out by hiding it all with the smiling façade just by listening to her voice...
"Ah, but now I'm all fine! I feel refreshed! Now I can take a step forw-"
...I can't stand it!
Without further thoughts, my body acts honestly to my feelings and stands up, pulling Miki's hand towards me and embracing her body that follows her hand.
I embrace her small body tightly before I know it.
"Who in the world says that while crying," I sigh while pat her head gently.
I can feel her shake while she starts weeping without an attempt to not leak her voice.
I'm the one who wants to cry... I sigh inwardly as I look out towards the sinking sunset.
I couldn't reveal the guy who rejected Miki! (´Д｀；)
Hopefully next time, I shall! ←
And I have also decided that I need to finish this story with just 4 chapters!
I would really be happy if people will read it till the very end＞＜
I'm sorry that I suck at every chapter... I will try harder!
Hope you will be interested enough to read the next chapter too
Bye, for now ヾ(＠^▽^＠)ﾉ