It was Sunday evening, and everything was drawing to a close. Matsuoka Rio stood on the sand of Cobalt Beach. Fine grains of sand trickled and slipped away from the soles of their sneakers. Ever since that night at the lighthouse, ever since they'd heard Makoto-senpai's story, something had been lodged in their chest — something far too painful to call resolve. (*I have to tell him. Properly.*) With trembling fingers, they pulled out their phone. The LINE screen. Their chat history with Haruka-senpai was filled with nothing but dry, flavorless words — practice time confirmations and the like. The last message was from Rio: "Tomorrow's practice starts in the afternoon." There was no reply. It hadn't even been read. That was normal. Haruka-senpai was just like that. Even so, Rio closed the screen and shoved the phone back into their pocket. Right in front of them stood a large rock known as the "Confession Rock." It was about two and a half meters tall. Its granite surface was dyed orange by the setting sun. There was a local urban legend that if you confessed your love here, it would come true — but Rio knew that was just a rumor. Still. (*I felt like I could say it here.*) Rio climbed up onto the rock. The hem of their skirt fluttered softly in the sea breeze. The top of the rock was barely wide enough for two people to sit. It was as if the place had been made for someone and someone else alone. The sun began to sink slowly into the horizon. The entire sea was filled with golden light. How long did they wait? Five minutes, maybe ten. Or perhaps it was only a single minute. They heard footsteps walking across the sand. They turned around. Nanase Haruka was walking along the beach, alone. His usual expressionless face. His usual, clear blue eyes. The sea breeze stirred his glossy black hair just a little. Haruka spotted Rio and stopped dead in his tracks. He must have thought Makoto had called him out here. Haruka's narrowed eyes moved just the slightest bit. But he said nothing. He just stood there. Rio looked down at Haruka from atop the rock. Their chest felt like it was about to burst. They were scared. Their voice wouldn't come out. But. (*I won't fake a smile.*) They had decided that ever since that day in the clubroom, when Haruka-senpai had treated them like air. Rio parted their trembling lips. "[whispers]...I've always loved you." Their voice shook. "Ever since the summer of my third year of middle school. From the first day I saw you." Haruka's lonely back. The stillness, like the bottom of the water. The way he stood alone, as if no one needed him — and yet, he still stood. They had been hopelessly drawn to that. "[crying]I watched your swimming, and that's why I was able to come here." The words overflowed from somewhere deep inside them. "I'm glad I became your manager. Just being near you, senpai — that alone made me happy." Tears spilled over, unbidden. Their vision blurred. Haruka's figure seemed to melt into the sunset and disappear. A long, long silence fell. Only the sound of the waves quietly passed between the two of them. Haruka narrowed his eyes just a little. What those blue eyes were thinking — Rio still couldn't tell. And then. "[serious]...For me, there's only Makoto." A quiet voice, but utterly honest to its core. Words so straight they were almost cruel. They pierced straight through Rio's chest. Not "I'm sorry." No evasion, no kind lies. It felt as if he had simply laid down the bare fact before them. Rio bit their lip tightly. (*...I knew it.*) They had known for a long time. Even so, the tears wouldn't stop. But even as they cried, Rio tried to smile. Not a fake smile, but a real one — their own. "[crying]Even so... I'm glad I fell in love with you." The words, the voice — trembling, but undeniably there. Haruka said nothing more. He just averted his eyes slightly. Beneath that expressionless mask, Rio felt they saw something stir, just a little, for the very first time. They felt the sound of their own love ending, resonating through their entire body. The sunset sank further into the sea. The world was slowly dyed red. That was when it happened. "[angry]Don't give up!!" A sudden shout echoed across the sandy beach. Startled, Rio turned to see Nagisa bursting out from behind the rocks. His fluffy brown hair bounced and bobbed. His large, golden-tinged eyes were bloodshot red. Nagisa stood before Rio, who was still on the rock. "[crying]I will definitely make you happy!" Rio couldn't find any words. "[whispers]Why are you here...?" "[crying]Because I knew you'd come here alone, senpai!" Nagisa's voice was trembling. His usual cheerful tone was nowhere to be found. The person standing there was just a boy, desperately throwing his feelings at a single girl. "I've been watching from here the whole time. I knew you were going to confess to Haruka-senpai, and even so, I — I don't want to give up!" Nagisa's hand reached out, trembling, towards Rio. Rio stared at that hand. (*Is someone like me really okay?*) A voice like that echoed somewhere in their head. But Nagisa's eyes held no lies. Just as Rio was about to reach out their hand — They heard another set of footsteps. They turned around. Tachibana Makoto was walking across the sand. His soft brown hair was backlit by the sunset, looking golden. His gentle eyes were fixed directly on Haruka. Makoto stood before Haruka. "[serious]Haruka." That voice wasn't its usual warmth, like a patch of spring sunlight. It was quiet, but it carried a pain, as if he was trying to sever something. "[gentle]You're not in love with me." Haruka's complexion visibly changed. "[cold]That's not true." "[gentle]It is. You're just anxious without me around. We've been together since we were kids, so you've just convinced yourself that's love." Haruka tried to say something back. But the words wouldn't come. His mouth opened, then closed, and only air escaped. Makoto continued. "[sad]You're important to me. But I'm going to live my own life. I can't spend my whole life just taking care of you." "[crying]...Makoto." For the first time, Haruka's emotions were laid bare as he stepped towards Makoto. He grabbed Makoto's arm tightly with both hands. Makoto didn't brush those hands away. Instead, he simply squeezed back, just as tightly. "[sad]You'll always be important to me. But — I'm sorry." Still gripping Makoto's hand, Haruka crouched down. His shoulders trembled slightly. His voice was choked. It was a side of Haruka they had never seen before. Makoto placed a hand gently on his back. His face no longer looked at Haruka. He was gazing at the distant sea, dyed in the colors of the sunset. The promise they had made as children was now quietly coming to an end. Watching this, a strange stillness settled in Rio's chest. It wasn't that their feelings for Haruka had completely vanished. The pain of the days they'd spent loving him still lingered deep in their heart. But. (*It's not my turn anymore.*) They could only feel that because they had drawn the curtain on their own love. They looked beside them. Nagisa was still holding out his hand, gazing intently at Rio. Rio hesitated for a moment. But — they still couldn't take that hand in return. Even so, Nagisa didn't pull his hand back. He just grinned, showing his canine teeth. "[gentle]I'll be waiting." His voice was trembling, but it was truly sincere. At the edge of the beach, a little distance away. In the shadow of the windbreak forest, Ryugazaki Rei stood alone. His intellectual eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses quietly watched the five figures. Rei's gaze was directed at only one person: Nagisa. Nagisa was smiling beside Rio. Seeing that, Rei let out a small laugh. As if he was burning that smile — one not meant for him — into his memory. Nagisa suddenly sensed a presence and turned around. His eyes met Rei's. Nagisa started to open his mouth to say something. But before he could, Rei simply mouthed the words, "It's okay," and returned his gaze to the sea. As if he was gently pushing his own feelings down into the sand. The setting sun was about to sink completely beyond the horizon. The sky, the sea, the beach — all of it was dyed the same orange, melting the five of them into its glow. Everyone was still carrying something with them. But, without a doubt, something had begun to move. Makoto gave Haruka's still-crouching back a final pat-pat, then took a step back. After that, he pulled his phone from his pocket and slowly typed out a message. Inside Rio's pocket, their phone vibrated faintly. Nagisa, and even Haruka, looked at their own phones in the same way. In the club's LINE group, "Iwatobi Penguins," there was one new message. *'Monday. Everyone better show up.'* The sender was Tachibana Makoto. Just a single sentence. But it was the first word spoken to set the broken club in motion once more. The sunset, carrying the five of them with it, quietly sank beyond the horizon. Only the sound of the waves filled the world, unchanging as always. Rio stared at their own hands. (*Can I ever become someone's number one?*) They still didn't know. They still couldn't take Nagisa's hand. But. (*I'm standing here, on my own two feet.*) Instead of just waiting to be chosen by someone, they had conveyed everything in their own words. For Rio, right now, that was the most important thing. Nagisa, watching the sunset, murmured quietly. "[gentle]We're still gonna be okay, right?" Rio couldn't answer. But this time, they didn't force a fake smile. That was the truest thing Rio could manage, with everything they had. Three weeks until the Inter-High prefectural qualifiers. The fractured relationships within the club. A future still unseen. And the day when their brother, Matsuoka Rin, would stand before them as the captain of Samezuka Academy. Everything was still to come. Rio gazed straight ahead at the sea, where the sunset had completely vanished.