Marin Hayama, a 17-year-old girl born and raised in a seaside town, wakes up one morning to find herself in a classroom at an unfamiliar school. The building looks just like her old school, but every student is a stranger. She learns from Kai Aoi, a nosy boy in the next seat, that she has been reincarnated into another world. Panicking, Marin survives the day and goes to the beach, where she finds an old shack called a beach house. There, a classmate named Sango Shiozaki greets her: 'So you fina
Marine Scramble! - Black waves, stolen coral
Two weeks had passed since the beach house Naminone reopened.
The blue noren curtain swayed over the white sand. Marin stood at the counter out front, letting out a small sigh as she purged sand from clams.
(Today's going to be hot too… but I wonder if customers will come.)
The regular fishermen had gotten to know her well over these two weeks. A few people had even started coming specifically for her clam butter rice bowl.
"Good morning, Marin. Beautiful weather again today."
Sango poked her head out from behind the counter. The bright red coral necklace at her throat glinted in the morning sun.
"Morning, Sango-chan! I got extra clams today. Yesterday, one of the fishermen gave me a bonus, saying 'Your rice bowls are good, Marin-chan, so keep at it.'"
Marin scooped up a handful of clams from the tub with both hands to show her.
"Oh my, you're already loved by the regulars."
"Umyaa!? L-loved? That's such an exaggeration…!"
Marin turned bright red and dropped the clams back into the tub. Sango giggled.
(Sango-chan's in a good mood today. Her necklace has been shining properly since morning.)
Marin glanced at the coral at Sango's chest.
"Oh, Marin. Why don't we test a new menu item for lunch today? A side dish that goes well with your clam butter rice bowl."
"That sounds great! I've actually been thinking about it. Clam miso soup, and chilled tofu topped with baby sardines."
"You really only think about seafood, don't you."
"W-well, because it smells like the sea… I can't help it."
Marin twirled her hair around her finger, embarrassed.
That was when it happened.
"Hey, is anyone here!"
A low male voice rang out, and Marin and Sango both looked toward the entrance at the same time.
Two men in black suits stood there. One was a slender man with a thin smile. The other was a large, expressionless man. Both carried black briefcases.
"U-um, welcome… wait, huh?"
Marin saw the badges glinting on their chests.
'Shione Town Health Center'
'Shione Police Station'
"We're from the Shione Town Health Center. We'll be conducting an on-site inspection under the Food Sanitation Act."
The slender man spoke without expression.
"Huh… on-site, inspection…?"
Marin's hand gripped the hem of her apron tightly.
"A report was filed. Food poisoning at this establishment. We need to check your refrigerator."
"Wait just a minute! There's been no food poisoning! Yesterday and the day before, every customer went home perfectly fine!"
Sango leaned forward over the counter.
"Once a report has been filed, we are obligated to verify. Open the refrigerator."
The slender man's tone left no room for argument.
"Sango-chan… what do we do?"
Marin looked at Sango with a trembling voice.
"…Fine. Let them look. We haven't done anything wrong."
Sango squeezed Marin's hand.
Marin nodded and reached for the refrigerator under the counter.
(It's fine. I closed it properly yesterday. All the ingredients were fresh…)
She opened the refrigerator door.
In that instant.
"…Umyaa!?"
Marin recoiled from the stench that assaulted her nose.
The smell of rotting fish poured out of the refrigerator in a thick wave.
"W-why…!? Everything was fresh yesterday…!"
Marin peered inside.
The horse mackerel, the squid, the clams—everything she'd bought the day before. All of it had turned a dark, sickly color and was foaming with white bubbles.
"…This is serious. You're shut down."
The slender man declared coldly.
"Wait! I closed the refrigerator properly yesterday! I checked the temperature, and all the ingredients were completely fresh!"
Marin pleaded desperately.
"Fresh ingredients don't rot this badly overnight. Your management must have been negligent."
"That's not…! Please, you have to believe me…!"
Tears welled up in Marin's eyes.
"Marin, calm down. …Who filed the report?"
Sango quietly asked the inspector.
"We cannot disclose the reporter's information. In any case, you are closed as of today. This establishment cannot reopen until improvements are confirmed."
"Additionally, the police will investigate whether the report contained any falsehoods. We'll be checking the area around the shop."
The large police officer spoke for the first time.
"Police…?"
Marin's legs trembled.
Customers who had been eating shaved ice on the terrace stood up in a stir.
"Food poisoning, they said." "That's bad." "Let's go, let's go."
The customers filed out of the shop one after another.
"Ah… everyone, it's not true…!"
Marin's voice reached no one.
"In any case, you're closed today. If you violate this order, your business license could be revoked."
The slender man placed a single document on the counter.
"Our condolences."
The two men left the shop, expressionless just as when they'd arrived.
"…"
Marin leaned on the counter, head bowed.
Her shoulders trembled faintly.
"Marin, lift your head. You did nothing wrong."
Sango rubbed Marin's back.
"But… if I had just checked properly…"
"No. Someone did this deliberately. Someone opened the refrigerator you closed last night, and put something in there to make everything rot."
"Huh…?"
Marin looked up.
"That smell wasn't normal decay. There was a strange, chemical-like odor mixed in. …I've heard about this from my grandmother. There's a chemical that can rot fish overnight."
"That's… who would do something like that…"
A scene from yesterday evening surfaced in Marin's mind.
A man in a black suit had been walking behind the shop.
(That was… one of Kurose-san's subordinates?)
Marin opened her mouth to say something.
But she had no proof.
(Maybe he was just taking a walk.)
Marin bit her lip and swallowed her words.
"Anyway, let's clean up today. Then we need to figure out what to do."
Sango stood in front of the refrigerator.
"Sango-chan… I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. You're my proud partner."
Sango smiled at Marin.
But that smile was just a little stiffer than usual.
(Sango-chan… she's forcing herself.)
Marin's chest ached.
That was when it happened.
"Hey, what's going on! There's no one in front of the shop!"
Aoi burst into the shop, shopping bags in both arms.
"Aoi-kun…!"
"…What happened."
Aoi lowered his voice when he saw the tear tracks on Marin's face and Sango's strained expression.
"The health center and the police came… they said we're shut down."
"What!? Why! What's wrong with this shop!"
Aoi set the shopping bags on the floor and picked up the document on the counter.
"Suspension order… food poisoning report? You've gotta be kidding me! There's no way Marin's cooking caused food poisoning!"
Aoi crumpled the document in his fist and made to rush outside.
"Aoi-kun, where are you going!?"
"I'm going to protest at the health center! You two wait here!"
"Stop it, Aoi. Even if you go now, they won't listen. And if you get emotional, it'll only make things more complicated."
Sango grabbed Aoi's arm.
"But still…!"
"I'm frustrated too. But we have no evidence right now. Don't pick a pointless fight."
Sango's voice was calm.
Aoi glared at Sango for a moment, then let out a long breath.
"…Damn it."
Aoi lightly punched the wall.
"Aoi-kun, thank you. For getting angry for me."
Marin spoke to Aoi's back.
"…Obviously. I'm going to protect you."
Aoi said it without turning around.
Something warm stirred deep in Marin's chest.
But at the same time, her anxiety grew.
(Do we have to close the shop like this?)
(What should I do?)
Marin just stood there in the shop, the smell of rotting food still lingering.
Evening.
The three of them had come to Hamakaze, a diner in the shopping district.
"Let's eat first, then figure out our next move. You can't think on an empty stomach."
Aoi ducked under the noren curtain.
"…Yeah."
Marin followed behind Aoi, head down.
"Marin, I'll order your favorite fried horse mackerel set meal for you."
Sango took Marin's hand.
"Huh? Sango-chan, did I ever tell you I like fried horse mackerel?"
"You talked about fried horse mackerel for thirty minutes the other day."
"Umyaa!? I-I did…?"
Marin blushed a little.
The three of them sat side by side at the counter.
"Welcome. Oh, Marin-chan, you look down today. What's wrong?"
The owner in a white apron called out to her.
"Ah, um… a lot of things happened."
Marin smiled vaguely.
"Well, never mind. Cheer up. I'll make your fried horse mackerel a large serving, on the house."
"Really!? Thank you so much!"
Marin's face lit up.
(The fried horse mackerel here is so crispy and delicious.)
Marin felt a little better.
That was when it happened.
"Man, that beach house is done for now, huh."
A familiar, unpleasant voice.
A chill ran down Marin's spine.
From the tatami room in the back, Kurose Takumi was drinking with the regular fishermen, talking loudly.
"I heard the health center raided them. Food poisoning, apparently. That shop's shut down now. It'll be cleared soon. A rundown place like that should be torn down quickly and turned into a new resort. It's better for the town."
"Hey, Kurose-san. Those kids at that shop are still young. Don't you feel bad for them?"
"Feel bad? Should we just let a shop that causes food poisoning off with sympathy? If that place keeps operating, it's a disgrace to the town. Tourists will stop coming. Even you fishermen would be in trouble if customers stopped coming because of that shop, right?"
"Well… I suppose that's true."
"Right? So it's fine for that shop to be finished. I'm saying this for the future of this town."
Kurose smirked and downed his sake.
"…That bastard."
Aoi set down his chopsticks and started to stand.
"Aoi-kun, don't!"
Marin grabbed Aoi's arm.
"Let go, Marin. That guy just said about you—"
"Please… stop. If we fight here, we'll be the bad guys. And that's exactly what Kurose-san wants."
Marin's hand was trembling.
"…Marin's right. Endure it for now."
Sango also tugged at Aoi's sleeve.
"…Damn it."
Aoi gritted his teeth and sat back down.
Marin glanced at Kurose.
(Is he… behind all of this?)
(Was that man walking behind the shop yesterday one of his subordinates?)
(But I have no proof.)
Even when the large serving of fried horse mackerel arrived, Marin couldn't bring herself to pick up her chopsticks.
"Oh, isn't that the beach house crew over there."
Kurose had noticed them.
"Good work out there. Making progress on closing up shop? Man, it's rough being young. But this is all experience. Next time, run a more respectable business."
Kurose raised his sake cup toward Marin.
"…"
Marin hung her head.
Her body trembled.
(It's frustrating. It's scary. But I can't say anything.)
"…Let's go."
Sango quietly stood up.
"Sango-chan…"
"Staying here will only make us feel worse. Let's go back to our place."
Sango took Marin's hand and left the shop.
Aoi shot one last glance at Kurose, then followed after them.
"Hey, get home safe. The beach house will soon be sea foam."
Kurose's mocking laughter stabbed into their backs.
When they returned to the beach house, the sky was dyed crimson.
The three of them sat down on the terrace.
"…What are we going to do? We've been shut down, and Kurose-san is spreading those rumors all over town."
Marin hugged her knees.
"First, we file an improvement report with the health center tomorrow and get permission to reopen. Then we find out what caused the spoilage. I will absolutely protect this shop."
Sango's voice was strong.
"I'll do whatever I can too. …Oh, right. I know someone who's knowledgeable about food sanitation. I'll ask if he can look into what caused that spoilage."
"Aoi-kun, you know someone like that?"
"Yeah. I'm surprisingly well-connected."
Aoi rubbed his nose proudly.
"…Hehe, what's that supposed to mean."
Marin laughed a little.
(I'm glad Aoi-kun and Sango-chan are here.)
(If I were alone, I'd have already broken.)
Marin looked at both of their faces.
That was when it happened.
"…Huh?"
Sango put her hand to her chest.
"What's wrong, Sango-chan?"
"…It's gone. My neckl
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