C16 Capsized! Ahhh!

The taste of the sea was undeniably salty.

A brisk wind swept across the waves, tousling Hoshimori Shion’s hair into disarray.

Yet, to drift on the sea in midsummer, feeling the ocean breeze kiss her skin…

…it still felt remarkably pleasant!

****

As the Capybara sailed mere hundreds of meters from the harbor, the colossal port warehouses dwindled in size, and other vessels gradually receded from view.

The roar of the boat’s engine was somewhat noisy, but compared to the sensation of the sea breeze sweeping past and the waves rushing by, it left Shion feeling utterly content.

Seated in the back, Shion extended her hand slightly over the side.

Pristine white spray brushed past her fingertips, like a series of delicate kisses.

“How is it, classmate!” Kazama Nanami called out loudly from the front seat, where she was steering the boat.

“It’s quite nice,” Shion replied, her voice soft and gentle, almost swallowed by the ocean’s vastness.

“I can’t hear you!” Nanami’s voice, lively and loud, boomed from the front.

However, Shion realized that if Nanami worked on boats like this for extended periods, a slight hearing impairment would be perfectly normal.

“I think! It’s wonderful!” Shion declared, elevating her voice by several octaves.

She saw Nanami nod.

“That’s good then! Have fun!”

Before them stretched an endless expanse of cerulean blue; the sea and sky merged into a seamless canvas of azure, their distant horizon gradually blurring into indistinctness.

While cruising on the sea in a pleasure boat was undeniably comfortable, there was, well…

…a touch of boredom.

Having grown accustomed to the sky, she turned her gaze to the water.

Beneath the brilliant blue, not a single fish was visible.

Though this was supposedly a significant fishing ground, the ocean here was cloaked in such clear blue that not even a few small fish surfaced for Shion to observe.

‘Just a few fish now and then, I wouldn’t eat you,’ Shion murmured to herself, staring into the seemingly bottomless blue beneath the waves.

Yet, the powerful roar of the engine had likely scared off all the fish, for truly, not a single one could be seen near her.

“Um, Kazama-san!” Shion called out.

“I’m here! What’s up?” Nanami responded.

“Aside from… using a fishing boat to take passengers on cruises, are there any other activities?” Shion inquired.

Nanami slowed the Capybara, and Shion could tell she was deep in thought.

‘Yes, deep in thought.’

‘Why… is she blushing?’

Shion noticed Nanami’s face beginning to flush, and it almost seemed as if steam were rising from her head.

It was like a computer mining cryptocurrency, its graphics card overheating and starting to smoke.

The next step, she imagined, would be catching fire…

“Um, it’s alright if you don’t force yourself to think of something…” Shion quickly added from behind her.

Scratching her head, Nanami explained, “I’ve been thinking for a while… After all, this is a new business, and there are many things I haven’t quite figured out yet.

I can’t very well have you come fishing with a net, can I?

Asking guests to help with my work would be terrible… Besides, people don’t really eat the fish we catch in these waters anymore.”

Shion pondered for a moment before suggesting, “Well, if we can’t experience fishing, could we perhaps visit some nearby place with beautiful scenery?”

Nanami lowered her head, considering.

“That’s a good idea.

I know there’s a pebble beach a little further north.

I used to love going there when I was a child.”

Shion nodded, forming an ‘OK’ sign with her right hand.

“No problem then, let’s go there!”

****

With Shion’s approval, Nanami deftly maneuvered the fishing boat’s steering wheel, executing a graceful ninety-degree turn that carved a perfectly sharp right angle even into the waves.

“As you wish, then! Let’s go have some fun at that pebble beach~”

The engine roared to life once more, its powerful acceleration causing the bow of the boat to lift slightly.

Shion, seated in the back, felt the splashing waves strike her back, cold and damp.

She quickly gripped the boat’s sides near her seat, preventing herself from being thrown overboard.

Nanami, in the front, remained perfectly steady, clearly a seasoned veteran.

“On the road, you have to watch your speed, but out here, there’s no need to worry so much!

No cars are going to suddenly dart out from around a corner!” Nanami’s enthusiasm, seemingly ignited by the Capybara’s acceleration, knew no bounds as she floored the throttle, pushing it to the absolute limit.

“Kazama-san, if you had a car, you’d definitely be one of those terrifying speed demons!” Shion exclaimed, utterly beyond the point of making any further remarks.

As the Capybara surged forward, the once-gentle sea breeze transformed into a roaring beast.

Not only did the salty, fishy scent of the ocean aggressively invade her nostrils, but the intense wind lashed at her face, leaving it stinging.

Despite it being summer, the sea air felt colder than winter.

Within five minutes, Shion could discern a stretch of pale yellow pebble beach in the distance.

Alongside the beach ran a coastal road, winding its way beyond the small town.

Though it was nearing noon, the seaside highway remained utterly devoid of vehicles.

Nevertheless, the pebble beach was undeniably beautiful.

The stones, long sculpted by the ocean’s waves, had become smooth, round, and charmingly polished.

“See it? That’s the pebble beach up ahead!” Nanami shouted, pointing towards the shore.

“I see it! It’s beautiful!” Shion yelled back, having now fully grasped that one had to speak loudly on the open sea to be heard at all.

“Let’s stop over there then.” Nanami mused, assessing the surrounding sea conditions to find a suitable mooring spot.

Otherwise, the boat risked being swept away by the tide.

“There are quite a few hidden reefs around here; a moment’s carelessness could easily capsize the boat.

Let me see if I brought…”

Just as Nanami reached out for the sea chart, her hand met only empty air.

The blue-haired girl froze instantly, turning to stone.

“Oh no, I think I forgot the sea chart.”

Shion, observing the stunned Nanami, asked with concern, “Kazama-san, what’s wrong?”

Nanami forced herself to appear calm before responding, “Well… you absolutely must hold onto the boat tightly in a moment.

There are many hidden reefs around here; the boat could easily…”

Even as Nanami spoke, the moving Capybara suddenly lurched violently, clearly having struck something.

The boat instantly underwent a dramatic sway.

“…Capsize,” Nanami finally uttered the last two words.

But it seemed, it was already too late.

Shion, seated in the back, had no time to secure herself.

During the sudden lurch, all she felt was the world spinning around her.

She tried to grasp onto something, anything, but found nothing to hold, before plunging into the boundless ocean.