Chapter 34 – Seashells & Sunflowers & Secrets
Ui's POV
"Wow…so, that's what happened."
"Yeah, it was pretty emotional from what Mugi-senpai told us." Azusa-chan said to me. "Makes perfect sense that she immediately went back to sleep after practice."
"But Miharu-senpai did the same thing. And Sumire-san hasn't woken up at all for the day. What exactly happened in there?"
"Who knows. But one thing's for sure…both Mugi-senpai and Sumire-san are wild as hell sleepers."
"Ain't that the truth…" I mumbled to myself. My stomach still in pain from when Sumire-san kicked me in the middle of the night.
Just what the hell is her strength?
The Light Music Club and Yui-san managed to get some practice done today. So, now it was Azusa-chan and I as we were walking back to our room after getting something to eat.
It felt nice not having to cook for once…but at the same time, the food they were serving was…mediocre at best.
And even then, I couldn't enjoy it to its fullest because my stomach was still in pain. I'm pretty sure at this point that Sumire-san left an internal bruise somewhere inside. Otherwise, the pain would've stopped by now.
Hopefully, it goes away soon…
"So, what do you want to do now?" I asked.
"Hmm…not sure. Everyone's doing their own thing again and Miharu-senpai's asleep. I can't really think of what to do."
"What about Akari-chan?"
"She tripped and fell yesterday at the beach due to her poor eyesight. So, she's resting today."
"I see. It must be an everyday struggle for her since she only has one eye."
"She's a soldier. Every accident nowadays just motivates her even more. No matter what the physical pain is."
"So inspiring…" I gained a sweatdrop.
"So, yeah. I don't really have much to do. Kinda sucks, actually."
"Well, maybe something will come to us. It's not that common, but it happens."
"Yeah, true. But what, though?"
"Well…"
"*whine* It's hopeless! I'll never come up with something on time!"
"Hey, isn't that Chinatsu-chan over there?" I asked as we heard a yelling voice and eventually saw the pink-haired girl wallowing in defeat at one of the tables in the lobby.
"She looks distressed. I wonder what's up."
"Whatever it is, it's really troubling her."
"Hmm…well, I guess you were right about something to do coming to us, Ui."
"Huh? Wait, seriously?" I was actually shocked that something went my way for once. It rarely happens. Especially with Onee-chan.
And yet, she wonders why people often mistake me for the older sister…
"Hey, Chinatsu." Azusa-chan called out.
"Oh…hey, Azusa. Ui." Chinatsu-chan greeted us in a sad tone.
"What's wrong, Chinatsu-chan? You look upset." I asked.
"Well…i-it's kinda embarrassing."
"Come on, it can't be that bad. Just tell us."
"Well…" Chinatsu-chan went silent for a bit. "…Y-You see, tomorrow will be the 1st anniversary of when Kyoko and I became a couple. And I want to give her something that truly came from my heart. So, I've been trying to make something for her these past few days."
"Aw. That's really sweet, Chinatsu-chan."
"Yeah, it is." Azusa-chan said. "But…knowing you…"
"Yeah, yeah. I can't make anything that doesn't look like a hellspawn even if my life depended on it. Which is why I've been going at it for the past 3 days trying to at least improve my gift-making skills."
"And?"
"I just came back from having to burn them all in a fire."
"Wh-Why did you burn them?" I asked.
"Because the staff wouldn't allow me to throw them in the trash. Due to how nightmare-ish they looked."
"Huh…" We both gained a sweatdrop.
"So, now with the deadline close by and all the supplies I brought with me burned to ashes, I'll just have to suck it up and go buy something for her. As much as I don't want to."
"I'm sure Kyoko-chan wouldn't mind. Knowing that it's from you." I said.
"Yeah, but…this is the 1st anniversary. There won't be any special ones to celebrate until the 5th one. So, I wanted this first one to be extra special, you know."
"That is a good reason…" I then thought to myself. "Oh, I know a way to do it. And it's very simple to do."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"There's a little store close to the beach that lets you turn whatever seashells you find into beautiful jewelry. I remember seeing it shortly after we arrived here."
"Oh, yeah. I remember seeing it, too." Azusa-chan said. "But will that really work, though? We're talking about someone who makes stuff that will wanna make you gouge your eyes out and drench them with bleach."
"Aren't you supposed to be cheering me up?!" Chinatsu-chan retorted with a pissed-off tone.
"It's fine." I continued. "From what I read about the place, it's as simple as finding the shells and connecting them with string. No complicated stuff included."
"Well…it does sound easy. I guess I can give it a shot. Where's this place again?"
"Close to the beach on Kokusai Street. Uh…Sunset Beach I think it's called. Don't worry, I'll show you the way."
"Huh? You mean you're coming with me?"
"I still have to get a Mother's Day gift for my mom. The earlier the better, you know."
Plus, I still feel bad for not getting Mikuru-chan a birthday/Christmas present. I could kill two birds…or in this case, three…with one stone.
"Well, alright then. Thanks a lot, Ui. You really saved me good."
"No problem, Chinatsu-chan. Anything to help my friends." I said with a smile.
"Well, you two have fun with that. I'll meet you back here." Azusa-chan said.
"Huh? You mean you're not coming?"
"I don't wanna go to the beach. I'll get tanned up in seconds. Plus, what's so good about a do-it-yourself necklace store anyway? It sounds tedious."
"Well…" I grew a small smirk. "…don't you think Miharu-senpai would be happy to receive a present from her girlfriend?"
…
…
…
"I-It wouldn't hurt to check. L-Let's go." Azusa-chan then sped off with a small blush on her face. Her mind easily changed because of the person she loves the most.
Love makes even the most stubborn ones extremely gullible…
"Hey, is Azusa really dating that Miharu girl?" Chinatsu-chan asked me. "I never took her to be into girls."
"It was a shock to us all, really. Even she couldn't believe it once she realized it. But in the end, they both love and cherish each other. So, it works out."
"Huh. Well, they do say love is blind."
"Yeah…"
Love is blind, huh? I wonder if that's even the case for someone like me…
After a short bus trip, the three of us had reached Kokusai Street and were now heading towards Sunset Beach to check out the store. And like most days in Okinawa, the streets were as populated as ever.
"Wow…there are so many people out today." Chinatsu-chan said.
"And it seems to be more than usual." I added.
"Well, it makes sense." Azusa-chan said. "Considering that the music festival's tomorrow."
"Yeah, true. Still sucks that I won't be singing with Yui…"
"Let it go, Chinatsu." Azusa-chan said to her.
"Fine, fine. How close are we to that store?"
"It should be around here somewhere…" I said while looking at a map on my phone. "Oh! There it is!" I then shouted in glee as I pointed to a small shack sitting on the beach.
"That's it? Kinda tiny."
"It probably doesn't get a whole lot of customers." Azusa-chan said.
"Well, making seashell jewelry isn't really for everyone." I said. "But at least we found it."
"*sigh* I just hope that even someone like me can make some of these things." Chinatsu-chan said. "I'm literally out of options here."
"Just have hope, Chinatsu-chan."
The three of us made our way onto the beach and soon were standing in front of the shack. It looked a little bigger than it was from out in the street. But it still was rather tiny.
""Sunset Seashells – Home of the first and only Build-A-Shell workshop" Build-A-Shell? If that ain't copyright infringement, then I don't know what is." Azusa-chan said after reading the sign placed near the entrance.
"Eh, who's gonna care? It's not like they have secret spies around the place or anything." Chinatsu-chan said.
"True…"
"Anyway. Let's see what this place is about." Chinatsu-chan then went inside the store and Azusa-chan and I soon followed. Once inside, we unexpectedly walked in on two of the employees having a conversation.
And it was a…interesting one, to say the least.
"Ugh. Hiro, I'm so freaking bored…"
"You're complaining again?"
"I can't help it. It's freaking Golden Week and we haven't done a damn thing besides work. I'm sick of it."
"Well, you did lose that bet, Aoi."
"I get that, but…*sigh* Can't we at least have a day to have fun here? I mean, we're in Okinawa! I could be out there making money off the tourists here but nooo~! I'm doing this crap for free! What a waste!"
"Well, gee. I feel SO sorry for you, Aoi."
"Don't patronize me, Hiro. I'm not in the mood."
"Uh…Aoi. I didn't say that."
"Huh? Then who…" And as the long black-haired girl turned around…
"Hey there, Cousin. Long time no see." Azusa-chan said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"You've gotta be kidding me…Why are you here?!"
"I could easily ask the same thing about you, Aoi."
"W-Wait, hold on. You two are cousins?" Chinatsu-chan asked.
"*sigh* Yeah, we're cousins." The black-haired girl said. "Though, I'm actually a month younger than her. But I don't bring it up because of how popular she is."
"How am I popular?" Azusa-chan asked.
"Well, duh. All the fanfiction about you and some girl named Yui. It's basically all you see on there."
"Th-That's not it!" Azusa-chan blushed a little. "I'm in a freaking band that plays good music! That's all to it!"
"Yeah sure, cousin. It's EXACTLY that."
"Wh-Whatever."
"So, why are you here? I already know about Chinatsu and the others being here. But seeing you here all of a sudden…and with this girl, too. Is this the girlfriend you won't shut up about on LINE?"
"N-No, you moron. This is my friend Ui Hirasawa." Azusa-chan then turned to face me. "This is my cousin Aoi Isurugi. And next to her is her friend Hiro Takaoka."
"They both go to Rakuyama High with Sachiko. A school in Takaoka." Chinatsu-chan added.
"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you both, Aoi-san and Hiro-san."
"Same here, Ui-san." Hiro-san said.
"Yeah, I guess…" Was all Aoi-san replied with.
Did I upset her somehow?
"So, why are you two here?" Chinatsu-chan asked. "Seems kinda hypocritical for you to be here after turning down our offer to join us."
"We're not hypocrites. We just got sucked into some unfortunate situations and now we're here working at this shop."
"And by "We", she means that it's totally all on her." Hiro-san added.
"Why? What did you do?"
"Well…"
"Hey, you two. Quit lounging around and get this stuff done already." We then heard a voice coming from the back of the store. And once we saw who it was…
"Sawako-sensei?" Azusa-chan and I said in shock.
"O-Oh. H-Hey, girls. How's Okinawan life treating you?"
"Fine…" Azusa-chan said. "…But what are you doing here? Didn't you say you had something to do before coming here?"
"I did…" Sawako-sensei went silent for a bit. "…And this is it. I'm helping my grandmother with her shop for the week. Just like me to be thoughtful of others. Hehhehheh..."
"Uh…"
"She lost, too." Hiro-san said.
"H-Hey! No one asked you!"
"Lost what?" I asked.
"This bet that Aoi got us all into. And I'm still rather pissed that I lost, too." We then heard another voice that was familiar to us. And once we saw who that was…
"Hiyori?" The three of us asked.
"And me, too. *giggle*"
"How are you so cheerful about this?" Hiyori-san said to the short blonde girl next to her.
"Patty too, huh? This story oughta be interesting." Chinatsu-chan said.
And so, the group of unsuspecting acquaintances explained to us how they all ended up working at a seashell shop during Golden Week. It started with Aoi-san making a bet with some guy named Jeb that she could get the fastest time on Tetris' Marathon Mode. And once this was all set and made, Aoi-san made a LINE post about it and how she'll win without any problems.
Though, unexpectedly…the post attracted interest from Hiyori-san, Patty-san, and even Sawako-sensei. And so, the four of them challenged this Jeb person on the bet.
And lost hard.
They each refused to tell us the scores. But we all could tell from their disgruntled faces that they weren't happy about it.
And so, after refusing to pay him money, they eventually gave in to the guy's alternative demand. Which was to help a friend of his with her shop in Okinawa. Hiro-san didn't take part in this bet. But came along anyway because Aoi-san was throwing a fit about it.
Thus, making the whole story come full circle. In a weird way.
"I see. So, that's what happened." I said.
"Placing bets with high schoolers, Sensei. You really are a questionable teacher." Azusa-chan said.
"I don't need a student to ridicule my sense of recreational time." Sawako-sensei retorted in an agitated tone.
"So, all four of you lost to Jeb, huh?" Chinatsu-chan asked. "I would be shocked as hell…but knowing him, I'm not the tiniest bit surprised."
"Who is this Jeb person, anyway?" Azusa-chan asked.
"Well…"
"We're back." And for the fourth time today, we heard a recognizable voice. And we turned around towards the exit to see…
"Oh hey, Chizuru."
"Chinatsu. Funny running into you here. Despite Okinawa being a big island and all."
"Well, with how this story's being played out, it was bound to happen eventually."
"True."
"Uh…since when did Chizuru-san had red eyes?" I whispered to Azusa-chan.
"They're contacts. A friend of hers gave them to her after her glasses broke. But they ended up changing her eye color and she's too squeamish to take them out. They're the same ones Mugi-senpai got from Iyo-san."
"I see…"
"So, what brings you three here?" Chizuru-san asked. "You're actually interested in making necklaces and such from seashells?"
"Well, yeah. We are…" I said. "…But then we were told about this bet and got rather curious."
"Huh. Makes sense. Hey, Jeb. You actually sparked interest in that stupid bet you made."
And then…out from the bag Chizuru-san was carrying…came something neither Azusa-chan nor I expected to see. Like ever.
"You're just jealous of all the money I potentially made, Chizuru. I could've set up for a good as hell retirement."
"I'm not entirely sure what the hell you would retire from, but I'm not going to ask." Chizuru-san said with a sweatdrop.
"Wh-What the hell?! A talking mouse?!" We both shouted in pure shock at what we were currently looking at.
"It's a little hard to believe…but this is Jeb." Chinatsu-chan said. "He lives with the Ikeda twins at their house."
"He knew our now deceased grandmother well. So, we kinda can't kick him out." Chizuru-san added.
"Huh…"
"Interesting…" Was all we said.
And here I thought the world of Yuru Yuri couldn't get any weirder…
"Since when were you good at Tetris?" Chinatsu-chan asked the mouse.
I can NOT believe I just said that.
"I play it all the time. Every day, to be exact. I may be small, but I can pile up combos like none other."
"I still think you cheated." Hiyori-san said.
"How could I cheat? It's a puzzle game."
"I'm sure you found a way since you wiped our asses clean."
"Although…playing against a mouse was rather fun on its own right." Patty-san said. "I don't really mind that I lost. I got to come to Okinawa for Golden Week because of it."
"See? Patty's accepted it." Jeb said.
"Girl, you are just too accepting of everything." Hiyori-san gained a huge sweatdrop.
"By the way, Jeb…" Chinatsu-chan said. "They mentioned that this store belongs to a friend of yours. Where is she, anyway?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. She should be done sunbathing by now."
"What?! You mean this whole time we've been working our asses off while your friend's been out SUNBATHING?!" Aoi-san yelled in anger.
"Hey, she needs it. Otherwise, she'll be struggling to survive right now."
"Huh?" We all asked.
"Wait, what kind of friend is this person?" Azusa-chan asked.
"I'll get her." Chizuru-san said. "She should be still in the back." She then went to the back of the store to "get the store owner".
And after meeting Jeb-san the talking mouse, I'm a little afraid of who or what this store owner could be.
"Come to think about it, I don't think we've ever seen the store owner before this point." Hiro-san said.
"Seriously? Not even once?" Azusa-chan asked.
"We were always told that she was busy with something." Sawako-sensei said. "Though, we never thought that "something" was just her sunbathing."
"So, she's been chilling it up on the beaches of Okinawa while we did her work for her." Hiyori-san said. "*sigh* This is the last time I'm ever making bets with you, Aoi."
"Why are you putting the blame solely on me? You jumped in on it on your own free will."
"She has a point, Hiyori-chan." Patty-san said.
"Shut it, Patty."
"Geez. To think you were sitting out there for that long…I'm honestly surprised that you're still standing like this." We then saw Chizuru-san and Jeb-san return. And in Chizuru-san's hands was…a potted sunflower, of all things.
If this sunflower talks, I swear…
"Chizuru, where's the owner?" Aoi-san asked. "You said she was in the back, right? What's with this sunflower?"
"I am the owner."
…
…
…
"Uh…who just said that?" I asked.
"The sunflower." Chizuru-san answered nonchalantly.
"Hello~!"
"A-A TALKING SUNFLOWER?!" We all shouted in shock.
"Cool…" Except for Patty-san, who was the only person who was absolutely fascinated with the fact that this was a thing.
"Thank you ladies for helping me with the store. It really means a lot that there are still such kind humans out here." The sunflower said.
"Uh…s-sure." Was all the four shocked employees responded with.
"This...is...the COOLEST thing I've ever seen in my life! "I've gotta post this!"
"Patty..." Hiyori-san said with a sweatdrop.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll tag you guys."
"That's not the point!"
"They're still shocked out of their minds." Jeb-san said. "Makes me remember the time I met you girls for the first time."
"Yeah, but back then I was trying to kill you." Chizuru-san said.
"Right…"
"I shouldn't be surprised at this…but somehow I am." Chinatsu-chan said.
"S-So, um…wh-who's the talking sunflower?" I asked.
"This is Lily. A friend of mine from a while back." Jeb-san said.
"I was so happy to get in contact with Jeb again after so long." Lily-san added. "And to offer free labor for one of the busiest weeks of the year, too. Totally lucky."
"So, you really have no intention of paying us?" Aoi-san asked.
"He did mention something about you ladies losing a bet…"
"*sigh* I hate Okinawa so much…" Aoi-san then went into a depressed mood. All while Hiro-san was patting her on the back out of pity.
"So~! What's this I hear about having a couple of customers?"
"U-Um…"
"W-Well…" Both Azusa-chan and Chinatsu-chan slowly raised their hands while having a mild blush on their faces.
"They want to make something for their girlfriends and I told them about this place." I said. "I also want to make something for my mom and a friend of mine."
"Oh. Well, that's nice of you girls. May your love be totally strong for all eternity."
"Th-Thanks…Lily." The two girls said.
"Wait…Chinatsu making something?" Aoi-san asked. "So, I'm going to have nightmare fuel inflicted into my mind, too. Man, Okinawa is such an ass to me."
"H-Have some faith in me, damnit!" Chinatsu-san yelled.
The rest of the day was spent with us three getting an introduction to Lily-san's store and how to make seashell jewelry. And despite being a sunflower, she knew a whole lot about seashells. Which ties into why she had a seashell shop in Okinawa.
However, just the thought of a sunflower owning a store (or, at the very least, talking) is still nonsensical to me.
The stuff we made actually came out pretty and cute. Even Chinatsu-chan made out with something good. A-After a few trial & error ones, of course.
Now heading back to the hotel, the three of us were looking over the seashell jewelry we made one last time. With Chinatsu-chan being the most excited about it.
For obvious reasons.
"Oh, my God…this necklace came out so cute! I can't wait to give this to Kyoko! She's gonna love it!"
"I'm sure she will, Chinatsu-chan." I said to her.
"A-And this necklace…it came out better than I thought it would. I hope Miharu-senpai loves this. I put all my heart into it."
"I'm sure she will, Azusa-chan." I said to her.
"You know, Ui. You sure made a lot of stuff. Does your mom really like seashells or something?"
"Um…well…"
I might as well tell them…
"To be honest, I also made one for Mikuru-chan. To make up for the fact that I didn't get her a gift for Christmas/her birthday."
"Well, there was that clock…"
"Please do not bring up that thing ever again." I quickly retorted.
"So, you made one for your mom, you made one for Mikuru…who's the third one for?" Chinatsu-chan asked.
"Th-Third one?"
"You know. That ring you made with those pearls that glow in the sunlight. You made that for someone, right?"
"Y-You must be mistaken, Chinatsu-chan. I don't recall making anything of the sort."
"What?" She didn't buy it.
"I'm pretty sure she made that so she can use it in her own dream wedding. Given the romantic maiden she is." Azusa-chan said.
"I-I am not a romantic maiden!" I yelled with a mild blush on my face. "*sigh* Look, I won't deny the fact that I made it. but your reasoning is wrong. I just…made it for the hell of it. That's all."
"That's it? Just for the hell of it?"
"Yes. That's all there is to it."
…
…
…
"You're lying your ass off."
"Huh?! B-B-But…"
"You think it's a boy? Or could it really be a girl? Are you a lesbo too, Ui?" Chinatsu-chan asked.
"N-No, I'm straight!" I started blushing harder. "K…Kinda."
"What?"
"Did you just say "kinda"?" Azusa-chan asked.
"N-No! Y-You're hearing things!"
"You sure? Cause I'm pretty sure I heard you say it."
"She's contemplating her feelings…" Chinatsu-chan said. "…Maybe she's going bi like your girlfriend."
"That could be it. Are you bi, Ui? Cause we won't judge you if you are."
"Sh-Shut up! For God's sake, just drop this fucking conversation already!" I then quickly covered my mouth after realizing what I had just said.
"W-Woah…Ui just dropped an f-bomb." Chinatsu-chan said in shock.
"D-Damn, Ui…" Azusa-chan added.
"I-I'm sorry. I-It's just…I-I gotta use the bathroom! Be right back!" I then quickly ditched the two girls and ran for dear life. Even though my life wasn't in danger.
I dipped inside a fast food restaurant and headed towards the bathroom. Locking myself inside a stall before finally having the chance to calm down from the sudden interrogation.
"Aw, geez. That was close. I almost broke and told them everything."
And then, digging through the gift bag I had with me, I took out the ring in question and held it in my hand. Staring at the name I secretly had engraved onto it.
And started shedding tears of pure sadness.
"*sniff* Zoé-chan…someday, I'll meet you. My one true love."
Author's Note: A more relaxed chapter after the last few were all emotion-heavy. But it still includes new stuff.
For one…yes, this story has a talking sunflower for a character. Lily the Sunflower was planned for about a month or two in advance. And was supposed to debut in a later chapter. But with how this one was going, I decided to just introduce her now. She will return in future chapters, by the way. But not for a while.
And lastly…Ui has a secret crush. And just who is this "Zoé-chan"? Well, you're gonna have to wait for the answer. As this character will debut in a later chapter.
Speaking of later chapters, the next one is the LAST one that takes place in Okinawa. Meaning that the long-awaited music festival will end off the Golden Week segment of the story. And with this…one more special guest character will appear. One that wasn't even thought up until somewhat recently.
No hints this time. But I can say that it's not from either Yuru Yuri or Lucky Star. Despite me saying that some stories involved with those two series are connected to this one.
Thanks for reading. Later.