Night had fully descended, and the waves rhythmically lapped against the jagged rocks of the shore, creating a steady, soothing hiss.
The beach remained alive with activity; crowds of people still wandered the sands, and stalls selling street food were scattered in an orderly chaos, filling the air with the tantalizing, salt-tinged aroma of grilled delicacies.
As Hayashi Shuichi and his companions stepped out from the hotel entrance, the sea breeze hit them head-on, causing him to squint instinctively against the cool, damp air.
Mouri Kogoro, meanwhile, sauntered along with a toothpick dangling from his mouth and his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his beach shorts, looking for all the world like a man without a single care. Behind them followed Furuya Rei and Narumi, the two of them whispering about something and breaking into low chuckles every few moments.
"Eri and the others should be just up ahead," Shuichi noted, his gaze scanning the bustling shoreline for the girls' silhouettes.
Suddenly, he noticed Mouri's foot skip.
"Whoa—!"
Mouri's sandal had caught on a patch of slick, wet seaweed. His entire body lurched forward, and in a blind panic, he reached out and snatched the sleeve of Shuichi's shirt.
"Hey! Mouri, you—"
Shuichi didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence before the sudden weight dragged him off-balance. The two of them toppled forward like a pair of falling dominoes. In that split second, two figures suddenly appeared directly in their path.
Thump!
With a dull muffled impact, the four of them collided into a tangled mess.
Shuichi's vision went dark for a moment, and his nose was immediately filled with the sweet, cloying scent of sunscreen. When he finally managed to steady himself, he realized he was in an incredibly awkward position—half-kneeling on the sand, face-to-face with two girls who looked exactly alike.
"What do you think you're doing?!" one of the girls shouted, her voice laced with fury.
She had her hair tied in a high ponytail, her almond-shaped eyes wide with indignation, and her cheeks flushed deep crimson from anger.
It was only then that Shuichi realized both girls were wearing provocative bikinis, their stunning figures highlighted vividly under the silver moonlight. His gaze was momentarily, instinctively drawn toward the "abyss" before him, but he quickly forced himself to look away.
"Sorry! Deepest apologies!"
Mouri scrambled to his feet, but the moment he got a clear look at the two girls, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. His jaw went slack, and he stared, utterly dumbfounded.
"So big…" he let out a breathless murmur.
Shuichi stole a quick glance and couldn't help but feel a silent surge of amazement himself. This was the legendary "baby-face, bombshell-body" archetype come to life. Both girls possessed delicate, doll-like faces but exceptionally curvaceous figures—particularly the one wearing a jade Buddha pendant, whose porcelain skin seemed to glow like a pearl in the moonlight.
What made it even more surreal was that they were identical. If not for the fact that one had a high ponytail and a slightly deeper tan, it would have been impossible to tell them apart.
Slap!
the sharp crack of a palm meeting a cheek cut through Shuichi's thoughts. Mouri Kogoro clutched his left face, looking completely bewildered.
"Pervert!" the ponytail girl barked. Her chest heaved with agitation, and her hand was still trembling from the force of the strike. "Filthy!"
"Why am I the only one getting hit?!" Mouri grumbled, rubbing his stinging cheek and pointing an accusing finger at his friend. "He was looking just as hard as I was!"
"I was looking at the Buddha," Shuichi said, pressing his palms together in a mock-pious gesture, his face a mask of pure innocence. "This young lady is wearing a jade Buddha around her neck. As you know, I am a devout Buddhist. How could I see a Buddha and not stop to pay my respects?"
As he spoke, Shuichi stared directly at the "abyss" in front of him while bowing solemnly with his hands joined.
The girl wearing the jade pendant seemed to sense the double meaning, and her cheeks turned a soft pink. However, she wasn't nearly as volatile as her companion. She merely gave a shy, gentle smile.
"Shizuka, let it go," she said softly, tugging at her friend's arm. Her voice was as smooth as silk. "They didn't do it on purpose."
"Hmph! Who knows if they're just acting!" The girl named Shizuka crossed her arms over her chest—an action that only served to emphasize her already impressive assets. She continued to glare at the two men. "Perverts never admit they do things on purpose!"
The girl with the jade pendant gave Shuichi an apologetic nod before forcibly dragging her grumbling friend away.
Shuichi watched their retreating figures, noticing that Shizuka was still stomping her feet in the sand as she walked.
"Talk about rotten luck!" Mouri complained, nursing his burning cheek. "So what if I looked? It's not like it cost them anything. Was a slap really necessary?"
Nearby, Furuya Rei was shaking so hard from holding back his laughter that his shoulders were twitching. "That's what you get for having slow reflexes. Look at Sensei—he saw way more than you did, yet he got off scot-free."
"You brat, what are you babbling about?" Shuichi reached out and gave his apprentice a sharp flick to the forehead. "That was just a subconscious reaction."
Furuya immediately clutched his head, let out an exaggerated wail of agony, and skipped a few steps away to escape Shuichi's reach. Once he was at a safe distance, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "So you're saying you were 'subconsciously' attracted to their huge racks?!"
That shout cut through the noise of the beach like a knife. Dozens of nearby tourists instantly turned their heads to stare.
A group of college-aged guys shared a knowing smirk and gave Shuichi a thumbs-up, while several mothers nearby clutching their children's hands threw him looks of utter disdain.
Shuichi felt his face ignite. He wanted nothing more than for the sand to open up and swallow him whole.
"Tch, what normal man doesn't like a pair of big ones?" Mouri shouted back defiantly, not caring who heard him. "Anyone who says they don't isn't a real man!"
Furuya Rei hadn't expected Mouri to be so shamelessly bold. In that moment, he truly understood the meaning of the phrase: "When a man reaches the peak of shamelessness, he becomes invincible."
Narumi, dying of embarrassment, hid behind Furuya and whispered, "This is so humiliating…"
Shuichi nodded in profound agreement. He swung a leg and kicked Mouri squarely in the backside. "Shut up!"
He then grabbed the loudmouth by the collar and beat a hasty retreat from the scene.
On the other end of the beach, Furuya Rei crouched on the sand, looking pitiful as he let Narumi rub the bump on his head.
"Sensei… you didn't have to hit me that hard…" Furuya grumbled, sounding like a kicked puppy.
"You deserved it!" Shuichi scolded with a stern face. "Who taught you to be so disrespectful to your elders? I'm your teacher. Do you have no concept of honoring your master?"
Beside them, Mouri was still muttering indignantly. "Why did you drag me away? I wasn't wrong!"
"Are you sure about that?" Shuichi shot him a sideways glance. "What if Ruri had heard you just now?"
Mouri's expression froze instantly. Fine beads of sweat began to break out on his forehead. He suddenly remembered that his girlfriend was somewhere on this very beach.
After a forced, nervous laugh, Mouri turned a ferocious glare toward Furuya Rei. "You little brat, you almost got me killed! I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
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