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! - Protect the Beach House! The Morning of the Spring Tide and the Mysterious Light
Morning light streamed through the broken roof of the beach house Naminone. Marin stood alone in front of the shop. Her hands were clenched tightly in front of her chest. She kept repeating in her head the plan the four of them had decided on the night before.
(It's okay. I'm not alone.)
The disaster prevention broadcast echoed through the town.
"Due to today's spring tide, please refrain from approaching the coast."
The mechanical voice dissolved into the morning air. The sound of the waves was louder than usual. The beach looked narrower than usual. The sea was breathing, slowly.
Marin bit her lip.
"...It's coming."
From the distance, the sound of heavy machinery engines could be heard.
Vroooom.
Three black cars on the gravel road. Behind them, yellow heavy machinery advanced slowly. Iron arms glinted in the morning sun.
Marin's legs trembled faintly.
(I'm scared.)
(But I won't run.)
That was when it happened.
"Marin—!"
A voice called out, and she turned around. Aoi was sprinting across the sand at full speed. Still in his school uniform, his necktie coming undone. Out of breath, he stopped right in front of her.
"Hah, hah... Sorry I'm late!"
"Aoi-kun... Why? What about your family..."
"I talked to my dad and mom properly. They said 'We believe in our son's path' and pushed me forward."
Aoi took Marin's hand.
"I'm here. You don't have to stand alone."
Aoi's hand was sweaty, trembling a little. But it was warm.
Tears spilled from Marin's eyes.
"...You idiot. You're late."
Marin buried her face in Aoi's chest. She could hear his heartbeat, thumping. The scent of the tide mixed with Aoi's smell.
"But... thank you for coming."
Marin lifted her tear-streaked face and smiled.
—Around that time, at Shione Town Hall.
Ren had tied his black hair back into a single ponytail, wore a temporary staff armband, and stood in front of the document archive. White shirt, black trousers. A name tag on his chest reading "Shione Town Hall — Temporary Staff."
(The guard is at the reception on the first floor. No one's here right now.)
Ren quietly opened the door.
Inside the archive, there was the smell of old paper. Rows of shelves lined the room. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly.
"Where are Kurose's forged documents..."
Ren traced his fingers along the shelf labels. "Land Records," "Building Applications," "Financial Records"—
"...This one."
He stopped in front of a shelf labeled "Kaigara Industries — Related Documents."
Ren pulled out his smartphone. He activated the camera. He flipped through the documents one by one, taking photos.
"Demolition Consent Form."
On it, Sango's grandmother's name was written as if she had signed it herself.
(Forged. The handwriting is subtly different from the other documents.)
Ren pulled out a file from further back.
"Ledgers... These too."
His hands, slick with sweat, slipped as he turned the pages.
That was when his footing wavered.
Clatter!
Ren hit his head on the shelf and collapsed to the floor.
"...Ngh!"
The pain made his vision flash white for a moment.
(Bad. The noise...)
But no one came.
Among the papers scattered on the floor, Ren spotted a single scrap of paper.
"...This is—"
"Kaigara Industries — Misappropriated Expenses — Receipt Copies."
On it were Kurose's name, personal dining expenses, and suspicious amounts.
(Evidence of embezzlement...!)
With trembling fingers, Ren aimed his camera at the receipt copies too.
The shutter sound echoed through the quiet archive.
After finishing photographing everything, Ren hurried out of the archive.
—The moment he stepped out of the town hall.
"Hey, you. Temporary staff."
A low voice.
Ren's heart jumped.
He turned to see two men in black suits watching him. Kaigara Industries badges gleamed on their chests.
"What were you doing at this hour?"
Ren said nothing and broke into a run.
"Stop!"
The men gave chase.
(To the sea!)
Ren cut through the shopping district and sprinted down the slope toward the beach.
—Shione Town broadcast room.
Sango stood before the microphone, clutching a white handkerchief. From the broadcast room window, she could see the beach.
(Will everyone come?)
With trembling fingers, Sango pressed the broadcast switch.
"Everyone in Shione... Please!"
Sango's voice rang out across the town.
"Right now, at Shione Beach, the beach house Naminone is about to be destroyed! It's the place my grandmother protected all her life! Marin-chan and the others are fighting alone right now! Please help!"
Sango's tears fell onto the microphone.
"Please... Don't destroy the beach house... Don't destroy our memories...!"
—Hearing that voice, Isobe Yoshie, the owner of the general store "Isobe," sprang into action.
Yoshie was seventy years old. Her back was bent, but her eyes blazed with youthful fire. She pulled an old gong from the back of her shop.
"A young girl is crying, isn't she!"
Gong!
Yoshie ran down Kamome Street, striking the gong.
"Beach Protection Society members—! Gather up—! The beach house is being torn down—!"
Gong! Gong!
Shutters along the shopping street opened one after another.
"The beach house?"
"That Sango-chan's place?"
"Let's go!"
People poured out into the street.
White flags in hand—old people, young people, children.
The Beach Protection Society's flag fluttered in the morning wind.
—The beach.
Kurose Takumi stood in front of the heavy machinery, grinning.
Black suit, red necktie. Ten workers wearing oil-stained gloves. Three machines.
"Now then, let's begin."
Kurose raised his hand.
"Wait, please!"
Marin ran out in front of the machines.
"This is the place Sango-chan's grandmother protected! Don't destroy it without permission!"
"Hah? You're still saying that?"
Kurose looked down at Marin.
"This land was purchased by Kaigara Industries through proper procedures. You have no right to refuse. Move."
"No! This place belongs to everyone!"
Marin spread her arms wide.
"Hmph. Brat. What can a little girl like you, who smells of nothing but the sea, possibly do?"
Kurose signaled to the workers.
"I don't care. Start."
The workers climbed into the machines.
The engines roared.
—At that moment.
The voice of the sea rang in Marin's ears.
(The high tide... is coming.)
An image rose clearly in her mind. White waves surging over the old seawall. Water pressing forward, right up to the machines.
Marin's eyes widened.
"Stop the machines right now! The high tide is coming! The water will come over the old seawall and reach all the way here!"
"Huh? What are you—"
That was when it happened.
Whoooosh!
A large wave surged over the old seawall.
Water rushed up the beach all at once.
"Whoa!"
"What the—!?"
The workers scrambled to jump down from the machines.
The wave spread out in front of the heavy machinery, soaking the tires.
"The waves... The machines won't move!"
A worker shouted, his face pale.
"What are you doing! Move them!"
"It's impossible! In these waves, the machines will sink into the sand!"
Kurose's face turned redder by the second.
"Damn it...!"
That was when it happened.
"Have you forgotten the law of Nagi—!"
Yoshie's voice rang across the beach.
Turning around, the Beach Protection Society members stood lined up on the sand, white flags in hand. Over sixty people. Fishermen had also come ashore from their boats and rushed over.
"Those who destroy buildings on this beach shall face the wrath of the sea! This law has been upheld on this beach for hundreds of years!"
Yoshie struck the gong.
Gong!
"If you're going to destroy the beach house, run over this old woman first!"
Yoshie planted herself in front of the machines.
"Us too!"
"This beach is our life!"
The fishermen stepped forward one after another.
Kurose stumbled back a step.
"W-what... You people..."
That was when it happened.
"Kurose-san!"
Ren came running onto the beach. Out of breath, hair disheveled, shirt soaked with sweat. He held up his smartphone.
"Look at this!"
Ren thrust the smartphone screen in front of Kurose's face.
On the screen, the forged demolition consent form and the misappropriated expense receipt copies were clearly visible.
"These are the documents you forged and the evidence of your embezzlement. I photographed everything from the town hall archive!"
"Wha...!?"
Kurose's face went pale.
"Everyone, this man forged the demolition consent form for the beach house. Furthermore, he has been embezzling company funds. This entire project was for this man's personal gain!"
The Beach Protection Society members buzzed.
"Forged?"
"Embezzlement?"
"How could he..."
"Kurose-san, what is the meaning of this!"
"We were told this was a legitimate job!"
The workers glared at Kurose too.
"N-no! This is some kind of mistake!"
Kurose's voice cracked.
That was when Kurose's smartphone rang.
With trembling hands, Kurose answered the call.
"Y-yes... President..."
An angry shout leaked from the other end of the line.
"What are you doing! The town hall just contacted us! Forged documents!? Embezzlement!?"
"N-no! This is some kind of—"
"Enough! Project Marine Blue is suspended indefinitely! You're fired as of today!"
Click.
The call ended.
Kurose crumpled to the ground, limp.
"...N-no way..."
Kurose trembled on the sand.
The bravado from moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
The workers exchanged glances, abandoned the machines, and left the beach one by one.
—.
Marin walked over to where Kurose had collapsed.
"...Kurose-san."
Kurose looked up.
"The sea doesn't hurt anyone. The sea is kind to everyone. So destroying the sea... was wrong, after all."
Marin turned her back to Kurose.
"Please don't come here again."
Kurose could say nothing. He just clutched at the sand.
—.
"Marin—!"
Sango came running across the beach.
"Marin-chan! Aoi-kun! Ren-kun!"
Sango threw herself at Marin.
"Thank goodness... Thank goodness..."
Marin hugged Sango.
"Sango-chan... Thank you. I heard your broadcast. You called everyone for us."
"Yeah... I told everyone... to help..."
Aoi and Ren came over too.
"Nice work, Sango."
"Your voice echoed all across town."
Sango smiled through her tear-streaked face.
"Ehehe... I really yelled."
The four of them embraced in the middle of the beach.
Waves washed over their feet.
The cold water gently wrapped around their legs.
—.
That day, Marin served clam butter rice bowls to the townspeople.
A long line formed in front of the beach house.
"Here you go! Be careful, it's hot."
Wiping sweat from her brow, Marin handed out bowl after bowl.
"Delicious! This is the taste!"
"The clam broth is irresistible."
"Marin-chan, you're the best!"
The smiles of the townspeople spread across the beach.
Sango was making shaved ice at the shop counter.
"Here, strawberry syrup shaved ice. ...The taste I used to share with my grandmother."
Sango poured bright red syrup over the white ice.
"...I always wanted to protect this taste."
Tears welled up in Sango's eyes.
"Sango-chan, let's keep protecting it together from now on."
Marin squeezed Sango's hand.
"Yeah...!"
Sango gripped the chain of the coral necklace at her throat.
—Evening.
Marin finished cleaning up and went out to the beach alone.
The sky was dyed orange.
Waves quietly washed in and receded.
(The sea smells the same today.)
Marin closed her eyes.
The sea breeze stirred her bangs.
—That was when it happened.
Among the waves, a pale blue light swayed gently.
"...Huh?"
Marin opened her eyes.
The pale blue light rode the waves and washed up onto the sand.
It was a small box.
Marin approached cautiously.
"...This is—"
It was a blue pencil case.
A little dirty, with worn corners.
"...This is mine..."
Marin picked up the pencil case.
Something she had used in her previous world.
Her own pencil case—the one she had dropped into the sea.
Marin's hands trembled.
That was when the voic
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