Beach Season Is Now Open

Hello, everyone. Human Aikawa here.
Though calling myself “human” like that feels a bit off.

Anyway, let’s play a quick word association game.

Blue. Around stage four. Rihaku. Watermelon. Swimsuits.

So, what answer do those lead you to?

That’s right. Exactly.

A place I couldn’t go because the summer sun was too much for a zombie like me.

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It was a perfectly clear summer day, with sunlight streaming down from above.

Soaking up the sunlight, I savored being human.

Lilia had turned most of my body human, so the sun didn’t bother me anymore.

It was bright. Way too bright. The summer of my second year of high school.

I lay on a rainbow-colored plastic sheet and looked around.

Blue sky. Crowds everywhere. Families and couples smiling.

It should be obvious where I was.

The beach! I wanted to shout.

The sheer vastness of the sea made you feel like it could take in anything, inviting you to let everything out.

Mountains and the