Playing in the water can be exhausting, especially when it involves more than just swimming—like beach volleyball and other games.
Most of the team from the studio were office workers, and apart from Shinoda and Umiko, their stamina wasn't great. After about half an hour, one by one, they all started returning to the shade.
Seeing that everyone was already wiped out, Shinoda and Umiko exchanged a glance and followed suit, retreating under the parasol.
Shinoda cracked open a bottle of ice-cold cola, took a few big gulps, and let out a satisfied sigh. "Ahh! This is the life! Nothing beats cooling off in the ocean and then chugging an ice-cold Coke on a hot summer day. Pure bliss!"
The six lounge chairs were all occupied, but no one minded. The rest simply settled down on a large beach blanket, sipping their drinks and relaxing.
Taking a sip of chilled apple juice, Aoba turned to Ichin. "Ichin-kun, aren't you going to swim for a bit?"
"No rush. We've got two more days. If you burn through all your energy today, you won't have any left for the rest of the trip," Ichin said lazily. "You all should pace yourselves too. I told you before we left—there's a festival in town tonight. Lots of fun things to do. You don't want to be so sore you can't even walk by the time the evening rolls around. Office workers like us are prone to that kind of thing."
"Oh, right! The festival!"
Aoba perked up. "I almost forgot about that. In that case, I'll stop swimming for now. Nene, let's go for a walk and see if we can find some seashells or crabs!"
However, Sakura Nene was currently sprawled out on the blanket in a starfish position, her eyes vacant. "Lemme rest first… we'll go later."
With her petite frame, she had spent a ton of energy playing volleyball in the water earlier.
Suddenly, she felt something cold press against her face—it was a bottle of chilled sports drink.
At some point, Umiko had walked over and now held the bottle against her cheek. "Want a drink?"
"Umiko-nee, you're an angel!"
Nene sat up eagerly, took the bottle, and tried to twist the cap open—only to fail.
"Ughh… nnngh…!"
She tried twice more with all her might, but the cap refused to budge. In the end, she could only look at Umiko with teary, pleading eyes.
Umiko, usually cool and composed, found herself helpless against that expression—especially from someone as adorable as Nene. A faint blush spread across her tanned cheeks as she took the bottle and effortlessly twisted the cap open.
"Here, drink up."
"Thank you! I won't hold back!"
Watching Nene happily chug the drink, a small but genuine smile of satisfaction appeared on Umiko's face as well.
Ichin, who had been observing from behind his sunglasses, couldn't help but pull them down slightly and sneak a few extra glances at the scene.
Ichin wasn't the only one who noticed the scene—Haruno, who had come over to grab a drink, saw it too.
"Hmm~~"
Glancing around, Haruno picked up a bottle of cola, then leaned in close to Ichin and whispered, "What a messy love circle."
Ichin didn't deny it. He simply nodded slightly and said, "But it's pretty entertaining, isn't it?"
"True, it is quite fun."
Haruno narrowed her eyes with interest. "Looks like I should visit your studio more often. It's way more amusing than the clubs I had in college."
"You're always welcome. Just remember to bring a gift when you visit."
"Is there a price range?"
"Not really. Just bring some good snacks—pastries, bubble tea, anything like that. As long as you bring food, they'll welcome you with open arms. I still have school, so I'm not always at the studio."
"No worries. The others seem even more entertaining than you, Ichin-kun."
That comment made Ichin give her a second glance.
She was undeniably smart, beautiful, and well-rounded in every aspect, but… it seemed like she had some unusual hobbies. A bit of a sadistic enjoyment in stirring things up.
"Just to be clear, you can visit, but don't disturb their work schedule."
"Relax, relax. I'm involved in my family's business—I know better than to mess with productivity."
Waving him off, Haruno grabbed two bottles of drinks and walked toward her younger sister, Yukino.
With Haruno now pestering Yukino, the group, which had been resting, quickly became lively again.
They stayed at the beach until a little past 3 PM before heading back to the hotel to shower and rest.
Ichin never actually went into the water. At most, he took a few scenic photos and posted them on Bilibili.
"The studio's on a group vacation these days, so no stream tonight. Have fun without me."
Fifteen minutes after posting, the comment section was already buzzing.
"Damn, company retreat?"
"Why are all the photos just landscapes? Where are the people?"
"You're at the beach, where are the bikinis? Hoarding them for yourself?"
"This guy is totally keeping the good stuff to himself!"
Seeing the flood of similar accusations, Ichin smirked.
He had taken plenty of pictures of everyone in their swimsuits, but they were on the studio's shared camera—meant for memories, not for public posting. No way was he uploading them to Bilibili.
As he scrolled through the comments, the bathroom door opened, and Utaha walked out, wrapped in a bathrobe, drying her hair.
"Ichin, what are you looking at?"
"I posted some landscape photos, and now everyone's demanding swimsuit pics."
Utaha walked over, glancing at the comment section before chuckling. "Looks like the idea that our studio is full of beautiful women is well-established."
"But they're a little too rowdy about it."
"Then why not post a few pictures with the team in them over the next couple of days?" Utaha suggested. "During dinner, we can ask everyone if they're okay with it. As long as they're not in swimsuits, it should be fine, right?"
"That sounds reasonable."
Ichin nodded, closed the browser, and got up—it was his turn to shower.
That night, they had dinner at a seafood restaurant, enjoying a massive feast.
It was great that no one in the group had seafood allergies—everyone could dig in without hesitation.
Peeling a large crab leg for Utaha, Ichin turned to the team and said, "For the next two days, take plenty of photos while we're out. Pick one or two shots you like and send them to me, and I'll post them all together on social media. Sound good?"
Having just swallowed a piece of sea urchin sushi, the ever-energetic Shinoda was the first to raise her hand.
...
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