My love index is at its maximum.

Chapter 149, Act 1: Tazaki's First Arrival in Ōma Town (1)

Tazaki Tsukasa looked in the mirror and put on her newly bought beach shorts and white T-shirt.

After arriving at Oma-no-Tsutsu, the four of them checked into a seaside inn called Remom. Tazaki Tsukasa's room was an 8-tatami room.

The sofa and bed were antique pieces with a calm and understated style, and the oak inlaid floor had a perfectly polished sheen. Several photos of local scenery hung on the wall, and white sheer curtains draped the windows, offering a view of the shimmering sea with a few dirty fishing boats listlessly floating in the harbor.

The room isn't bad, it really isn't bad.

Tsukasa Tazaki took a picture out the window and sent it to Hanami Hoshino with a caption.

I want to walk with you on the beaches of southern Izu.

I haven't been to Minami-Izu Beach yet, but many people say it's nice, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with that.

While waiting for a reply, Tsukasa Tazaki stared intently at the wisps of clouds floating on the sea, watching them change shape and drift eastward.

Taking a night train without luggage is a truly delightful experience. Leaning back in your seat and closing your eyes, it feels like being swept into a time vortex while taking a leisurely stroll.

There's nothing here.

There were no annoying crows cawing, no problems waiting to be solved on the table, no irreparably complicated interpersonal relationships; the only thing there was was the old tennis shoes on his feet.

Then, I got off the bus.

Replacing old tennis shoes with beach sandals means facing all the problems again.

Three girls were having breakfast in the courtyard below the window.

Coffee, apple tarts, pancakes, and honey-dipped croissants. The coffee was freshly brewed and still steaming.

"I'll go to the fisheries association first to discuss borrowing a fishing boat."

Yui wiped her mouth and stopped eating. Then she took out a black headband from her handbag, put it in her mouth, and gathered her loose blonde hair behind her head with both hands as if binding it. With a twist of her wrist, she quickly tied it into a single ponytail.

He stood up, camera in hand, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the boy at the window.

He crossed his arms and gazed into the distance, his half-closed eyes conveying a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty about the future. The morning light shone greedily on his handsome face, carrying a fleeting sense of melancholy.

A simple white shirt, neatly arranged beach sandals, a cool Coke can, and condensation from the air conditioner vents—an endless summer dream.

With this scene quickly forming in her mind, Yui Kikawa used her camera to capture it.

A southerly breeze carrying the scent of the sea blew in, gently swaying the white gauze curtains.

The boy seemed to be startled awake by something, and opened all his eyes.

The camera then pans to the sea in front of him, where the rising sun on the horizon makes the water sparkle, and the sky is a breathtakingly clear blue. The weather is impeccable.

Hoshino Hanami sent a message, and Tazaki Tsukasa took out his phone to reply.

[Hanami: Beautiful, one more picture.]

Tsukasa Tazaki had no choice but to take another picture looking out the window.

While looking for the right angle, I happened to see a blonde girl wearing a white sleeveless top and a light blue skirt walking out of the guesthouse.

Take the photo and click send.

[Hanami: Alright, behave yourself these next couple of days, and I'll have Sakura keep an eye on you.]

[Tazaki: Teacher, why don't you come over too?]

[Hanami: I'm busy with a teaching research meeting tomorrow.]

[Tazaki: If you come to the beach, you'll see me in a bikini. To be honest, I've dreamt about that before.]

[Hanami: It's not like the teacher doesn't have a swimming pool at home.]

[Tazaki: I humbly request that the teacher reward me, this good student.]

[Hanami: Mmm... I'll consider it.]

After ending the conversation, Tsukasa Tazaki went downstairs to have breakfast.

Kuriyama Sakura sipped her coffee, a book always in her hand. Seeing him come down, she remembered Kichikawa Yui's actions earlier and smiled at Tazaki Tsukasa.

That's the smile of a top student whose report card is all A's.

Tazaki Tsukasa subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth, thankfully not finding any toothpaste residue left on it.

The three sat across from each other at a table, chewing on slices of toast and drinking coffee.

An unidentified bird landed on the fence in the yard and chirped incessantly.

The coffee was incredibly flavorful, with a rich aroma and just the right amount of acidity—better than many coffee shops I've had in Tokyo. Tazaki couldn't help but wonder if this guesthouse was run by a young, sophisticated person tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city.

After breakfast, Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at the script.

The scenes in Oma Town are divided into four parts. The first part is about the male protagonist wandering alone in this simple coastal town, searching for the legendary tuna.

The second part is about their encounter with the tuna girl and how they get to know each other.

The third part shows the two of them going out to sea on a fishing boat to fish for tuna, gazing at the starry sky from the bow. (Upon reading this, Tsukasa Tazaki was immediately reminded of a famous British dish.)

The final part is about parting; the male protagonist abandons the country girl and returns to Tokyo alone. (Tsukasa Tazaki always felt this was a veiled criticism, but he had no evidence. Besides, he wasn't the screenwriter and didn't have the authority to modify the script.)

The male lead has very few lines throughout the entire story, while the female lead is quite talkative.

This aligns with reality.

Tazaki Tsukasa pondered for a moment, then looked at Kuriyama Sakura: "It seems like this has nothing to do with you, so why did you come along?"

Kuriyama Sakura didn't even lift her eyelids: "Staring at you."

She said that, but when Yui Kichikawa came back and said that they were going to film the male lead's solo scenes next, this lovely department head glanced up at the 34°C sun and decisively went to the air-conditioned room to lie down and read a book.

"Let's get rid of these teammates who contributed zero points after the promotional video is finished!"

Tsukasa Tazaki said this, but unfortunately the other two beautiful girls did not take his advice.

At 10 a.m., the two girls applied sunscreen and sprayed antiperspirant, while Tsukasa Tazaki was forced to change back into her school uniform and tennis shoes.

With everything prepared, the three left the guesthouse and began the first phase of filming.

Oma-cho is a small town nestled between mountains and the sea, with its economy based solely on fishing, tourism, and a small amount of agriculture.

The crowds weren't huge, but the facilities were fairly complete.

It has food, drinks, drugstores, and of course, claw machines and vending machines that can be seen everywhere.

A railway line runs through the town, and there's a station in the center. The first scene to be filmed is the male protagonist boarding a tram and entering the station, so the three of them film the scenery along the way as they make their way to the station.

Yui Kikawa deliberately chose some less bustling places to shoot.

A single-track tram track, dilapidated farmhouses that made you want to yawn, a little bit of farmland, and a tiny river. What Tazaki Tsukasa found even more incomprehensible was that at a crossroads in front of the station, she patted the brightly colored metal advertising boards for a long time; the advertisements were all about toilet paper and soap.

There were promotional posters for "Tuna Fishing and Sightseeing Tours" right in front of the travel agency.

"Are you sure this is a promotional video and not just a smear campaign?" Tazaki asked, somewhat doubtfully, "You've turned a perfectly good tourist town into a place where you don't even see a dog. Aren't you afraid the mayor will cause you trouble after it's released?"

Yui Kikawa simply handed him the camera, implying, "You can do it, you do it."

"..." Tsukasa Tazaki carried the cardboard box full of photography props and walked forward without saying a word.

"Haha..." Shiori Ninomiya let out a clear, bell-like laugh, her hand holding the parasol tilted slightly, and the sunlight fell on her golden ponytail, making it dazzling.

Whenever Yui Kikawa encountered a scene she thought was good, she would have Shiori Ninomiya take the cardboard box from Tsukasa Tazaki and then have the latter film a short scene on the spot.

Every time she presses the shutter button, a notification appears in front of Tsukasa Tazaki's eyes: "Acting Skill Experience +1".

Most of the people who passed by along the way looked at the three of them with amazed expressions, such as, "Is this a movie shoot?", "Are these three celebrities?", and "They are so beautiful that they don't seem to fit into this small town."

Arrived at Oma-cho Station.

It's a small tram stop, not particularly nice, but it has all the necessary facilities, including a convenience store, information desk, and restrooms.

However, from the angles carefully chosen by Yui Kichikawa, the station looked so dilapidated that it gave the impression that the stationmaster was a retired veteran and that the station might leak when it rained.

Fine, do whatever you want, I just need to hand in my homework...

Tsukasa Tazaki carried a large box of equipment and walked onto the small platform of the station. A sea breeze blew from the sea opposite the platform, making it slightly cooler.

"Kiki, hurry up."

Shiori Ninomiya waved to him from her chair, her hair swaying weightlessly in the wind. Yui Kikawa, meanwhile, was holding a camera, shooting a distant view of the sea from the platform, fiddling with the depth of field like a professional photographer.

Just as Tazaki Tsukasa put down the box and straightened up, he heard her say, "Take out the tripod." So he had no choice but to bend down again, take out the tripod, and fix it on the platform.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Go buy two bottles of water."

The three of them had been walking for so long under the blazing sun and were quite thirsty.

Even if she didn't say anything, Tsukasa Tazaki would still go and buy it.

He glanced at the vending machine at the other end of the platform and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"salt soda water."

"Where is Ninomiya-kun?"

"It's also salt soda."

As Tsukasa Tazaki turned and walked away, a yellow Shiba Inu suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began to stroll around his feet.

I could faintly hear my little cutie's laughter behind me.

"Haha... I've been wanting to see Kiki being bossed around for a long time. Don't be shy, Kiki-kun, make the most of him today!"

"..."

Tsukasa Tazaki looked down at the dog.

The dog was watching him too.

"Dogs are better, unlike..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Shiba Inu turned around and ran to the feet of the two beautiful girls.

May you stay single forever!!!

Tsukasa Tazaki went to the vending machine and bought himself a can of cola first.

Then my gaze shifted to the salted soda, which cost 250 yen a bottle.

I felt like I was being mocked in Chinese by this white-painted Japanese vending machine.