The Gal Game Heroines Who Were Supposed to Die Somehow Learned My Secret ～By the Way, Where Did My [Diary] Go?～ - EX 4: Book Release Celebration – Satsuki Saionji

EX4: Book Release Celebration – Satsuki Saionji

“It’s the ocean!!”

Satsuki ran toward the shore, throwing her arms wide as she cheered.

Her hair swayed in the salty breeze as she pushed it back, gazing at the glittering sea with pure excitement.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“Haven’t you been to the ocean tons of times for shoots?”

“Well, yeah~. But coming for work and coming on a date are two totally different things!”

“Fair point.”

Today, Satsuki and I had come to the beach.

Originally, all five of us were supposed to go, but unfortunately, the other three caught colds.

So at the last minute, our beach trip became a one-on-one outing.

“Alright, let’s set up!”

“Yeah!”

I grabbed the beach umbrella’s pole, found the right spot in the sand, and firmly planted it.

Then, I carefully opened the umbrella, making sure its shadow fell just right.

Since the wind kept lifting the edges, I placed small stones at each corner to keep it secure.

“And done!”

Satsuki smoothed out the sheet with her hands, pressing out the wrinkles.

With that, our little beach setup was finally complete.

For some reason, I found myself looking away from her.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Satsuki had tied her signature sakura-colored hair into a ponytail.

Her white bikini hugged her slender figure perfectly, while the light gray hoodie draped casually over her shoulders added a laid-back yet undeniably alluring touch.

Then—

She shot me a teasing smirk.

“You’ve seen me naked plenty of times, so why are you getting flustered now~?”

“…No comment.”

It’s different when something’s left to the imagination.

Also—

This really wasn’t something to say out loud in public.

Now people were staring at me.

Before I could protest, Satsuki suddenly flopped down onto the beach mat, lying on her stomach.

With her back completely exposed, she reached into her bag and handed me something.

“…Sunscreen?”

“Yep! Make sure you cover every inch, okay? If there’s even a single spot left unprotected and my soft, delicate skin gets burned… you know what happens, right?”

“…Roger.”

…Was that a threat? 

With no choice but to comply, I carefully began applying the sunscreen.

“Hnn…”

“…”

“Ah… right there.”

“…”

“No… not there…”

“…”

…There is no way I can focus like this.

“Can you not make sounds like that?”

“Eh~? But Satoshi-kun, you’re way too good at this~!”

“There is no skill involved in applying sunscreen.”

“That’s not true! Satoshi-kun, you have amazing hands!”

“Keep your voice down.”

Thanks to Satsuki’s highly misleading choice of words, I could feel the stares around us getting sharper.

“Alright, now for the front—”

“Don’t push your luck!”

“Ahyuu!”

I lightly chopped Satsuki on the head, making her let out an adorably pained noise.

◇

Satsuki and I waded into the ocean together.

With each barefoot step on the white sand, a gentle warmth seeped into my soles.

The waves rolled in, brushing against our ankles, the cool water gradually blending into our skin.

“This feels so nice~.”

“Yeah, it really does~.”

Since I couldn’t fully use my right arm, going too deep wasn’t an option.

But just soaking up to my knees was more than enough.

Then—

“Eiii”

Splaaash!

“Bwah!?”

A spray of seawater hit me right in the face. 

Salt water got into my mouth, making me grimace.

When I turned to glare at the culprit—

“Hehe~ I just couldn’t resist playing a little prank. Sorry?”

Her words sounded apologetic, but her mischievous grin said otherwise.

“Oh, I see how it is. Either you get the same treatment… or I let it slide. Your choice.”

“…Huh?”

Before she could process what I meant, I swiftly kicked up a wave of water toward her.

More than I expected.

A lot more.

Fwoosh!

“…”

Satsuki was completely drenched before she could even let out a scream.

Her soaked hair clung to her skin, droplets sliding from her forehead down her cheeks.

Her vision was likely blurred from all the water—

So she probably couldn’t even see my reaction right now.

Now then…

“…Sorry, my bad.”

Feeling a little guilty, I apologized.

Satsuki pushed back her soaked bangs, then suddenly splashed water at me with a smirk.

“This is payback.”

“You little—!”

Before I knew it, we were like a couple of kids, playing and laughing as we splashed water at each other.

◇

“Ahhh~! That felt amazing!”

“Yeah, it really did.”

After thoroughly exhausting ourselves, we headed back under the beach umbrella.

Satsuki threw her hoodie over her shoulders again, and we sat down side by side.

“It’s so hot…”

“Yeah, they said it’d go over thirty degrees today.”

The heat rising from the sand made the distant scenery shimmer like a mirage.

“I’m gonna grab some drinks. You want anything?”

“Huh? I’ll come with you.”

“It’s fine! I’ll go on my own!”

“Hey, wait—!”

Before I could stop her, Satsuki dashed off toward the stalls.

…Energetic as always, but—

She forgot her wallet.

“Oh well. Guess I’ll go after her—can’t leave her alone, anyway.”

Satsuki didn’t seem to notice at all—

But at the beach, she was definitely the center of attention.

Even without trying, she stood out.

She was already stunning, but with her incredible figure on display, there was no way people wouldn’t stare.

Up until now, I had been by her side, which probably kept any opportunists from trying anything.

But now, she was alone.

Satsuki could easily brush off casual flirting, but… you never knew what kind of people you’d run into.

Feeling uneasy, I quickly jogged after her.

It didn’t take long before I spotted her ahead, just about to call out—

When—

“Hey there, big bro~!”

“…Huh?”

A voice suddenly called out to me.

Instinctively, I turned to see—

A group of four college-age gyaru girls.

“Sorry to bother you, but we’re kinda lost~! We don’t know the area well, and we’re trying to find this place~. Any idea where it is~?”

“Ah… Sorry, but I’m a tourist too. I don’t really know my way around here.”

“Ohh, I see~. That’s a bummer.”

I would have liked to help, but—

Satsuki was my priority.

I was about to leave them behind and continue after her when—

A hand grabbed my arm.

“Heyyy, why don’t you come hang out with us~?”

“Uh… I’m kinda in a hurry—”

“Aw, come on~! We came all the way to the beach, we wanna have some fun, you know~?”

Then, in the middle of her sentence—

She suddenly froze.

“Hii!“

The overly sweet, flirty tone of the gyaru girls disappeared in an instant—

Their faces paled. I felt a chill run down my spine.

Sensing the overwhelming presence behind me, I slowly turned around—

And there she was.

Satsuki.

Her eyes were devoid of light, her head tilted at an unnatural angle—

Like a marionette with its strings cut.

Staring straight at us.

“What exactly… are you doing with my boyfriend?”

“Eh? Uh—”

“Step. Away. From. My boyfriend.”

“W-Wait, we weren’t—”

“Did I stutter? Or are those ears just for decoration?”

“S-Sorry!!”

Without another word, the gyaru bolted.

Disappearing as fast as their legs could carry them.

Then, Satsuki turned her head with a snap, locking onto me.

“Are you okay!? That was so scary, right!? Your right arm—is it alright!?”

“Uh… yeah. I’m fine.”

“Thank goodness~.”

She started fussing over me, worried sick—

But honestly…

The real terrifying part was—

◇

“You’re way too careless, Satoshi-kun.”

Once we reached the beachside café, we sat down at a wooden four-seater table.

Right next to each other. With almost no space in between.

After what just happened, Satsuki refused to leave my side.

I still couldn’t believe those girls had actually tried to hit on me—but Satsuki definitely wasn’t letting me forget it.

She ordered curry and a Coke. 

I got yakisoba and a melon cream soda.

Halfway through our meal, I noticed a smudge of curry at the corner of her lips.

I grabbed a tissue and gently wiped it away.

“Look, I’m sorry. They really seemed like they needed help.”

“Too naive. Way too naive. You’re sweeter than that melon soda you’re drinking, Satoshi-kun.”

I noticed Satsuki eyeing my drink, so I held it out for her.

Without hesitation, she leaned in and took a sip through my straw.

“Thanks~. But listen, that was just a classic pickup tactic. When people use goodwill as a way to start a conversation, it makes the approach feel less sketchy. Oh, here—say ‘ahh.’”

“Mm. That’s good.”

She held out a spoonful of her curry, and I took a bite.

The rich blend of spices hit just right, making my stomach grumble in anticipation.

Seriously, why does beachside curry always taste better?

“Man~. I was planning on having you rescue me from some thugs, but you ended up being the one who got hit on instead.”

…So that’s what she was thinking?

“You also forgot your wallet—was that part of your plan, too?”

“Ah, no, that was just me being forgetful.”

“Not much of a mastermind, huh…? Want some yakisoba?”

“Yep!”

I twirled some noodles with a bit of red ginger and seaweed, then lifted them toward her.

She happily accepted, her expression lighting up.

“Ahh, now this is how yakisoba should be~!”

I was planning to lecture her about her habit of losing things…

But seeing her so happy made me reconsider.

Instead, I just grabbed a napkin and wiped away a stray drop of sauce from her lips.

Now that we were done eating—

Guess we should head back to our spot.

“”Thanks for the meal!~!“”

Whether the busy staff actually heard us or not, I wasn’t sure.

But showing gratitude to the people who made our food was something we should never forget.

“…They’re like a married couple.”

“They’re way too in sync…”

“Is this what true happiness looks like?”

◇

“Man, that was fun.”

The sky had turned a warm shade of orange, the waves gently lapping at the shore.

The loud, bustling beach from earlier now felt like a completely different world.

Only scattered couples remained, quietly enjoying the evening.

We were just about to pack up and head home when—

Satsuki spotted a large seashell lying in the sand.

She picked it up, pressed it against her ear, and grinned.

“You can really hear the waves! Here, listen!”

“…Whoa, you’re right.”

I held the shell to my ear, focusing on the strange, distant sound inside.

Maybe it was just my imagination—

But it felt like the echoes of today’s memories were somehow trapped inside.

Then—

Satsuki leaned against my shoulder.

Together, we watched the sun slowly sink beyond the horizon.

Its golden trail shimmered across the water, gradually swallowed by the darkening sky.

Without either of us saying a word,

Our fingers naturally intertwined.

“Let’s come back here again.”

Satsuki whispered, smiling softly. The last rays of sunlight caught her face, giving her an almost ethereal glow.

“Yeah…”

Next time we returned—

I knew we’d have just as much fun.

And another beautiful day to remember.

━━━

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