Summer Sea -1-
After confirming that the car driven by Rohan had pulled away.
Momo and Jane returned to the house and quickly prepared drinks.
Jane filled a glass with ice to the brim with liquor, while Momo brewed steaming tea.
With simple snacks to round things out, they settled into their seats.
They began an open-hearted chat to shake off the lingering tickle in their throats.
The main topic was Rohan, the group's sole male.
"Yui's reactions are so delicious and cute. It's a different flavor from Noah."
"She feels like a mix of you and your husband, doesn't she?"
Jane nodded, deeming it a perfect example.
Then, her curiosity piqued.
"And what about Jun?"
"My husband wouldn't say he hates it. But he won't admit he likes it either."
"That guy and his fatherly pride."
Jane shook her head with a playful click of her tongue.
Momo smiled softly and got to the point.
"What do you think of Cadet Rohan, Lady Jane?"
"I like how he's polite without a hint of sleaziness in his eyes. In this day and age, you need that kind of backbone to survive."
It was an abstract impression, but Jane's instincts carried immense credibility.
With her husband saying nothing against it and even Juyeon praising him, Momo felt reassured that she and her daughter's eye for men was spot on.
"And—"
Jane paused mid-sentence to gulp down her liquor.
Her tail swishing back and forth, she drained the glass in one go before continuing.
"You can tell just from how close she is with the girls. The purer the heart, the more sensitive they are to even the smallest flaws or defects."
"You're right. Strictly speaking, it's not just Yui... Noah calling a guy a close friend for the first time is telling too."
"That's the fun part. We've been jaded by society to overlook minor blemishes, but the girls haven't. Even when guys lined up saying they liked her since she was little, she never got close because she's sensitive to lustful intent."
"I remember you telling me that before."
Momo refilled Jane's glass from the bottle.
Jane raised the brimming glass, her tail thumping the floor tap tap in excitement.
"Anyway, he's a guy our picky daughters acknowledge and stick close to. His reputation at the academy can't be bad, right?"
"According to General Juyeon, he's an odd one—a total lone wolf."
"Oh ho? To earn that kind of praise, he must be a real handful already. And yet he doesn't act arrogant— that's praiseworthy too."
If Juyeon approved, the story only got more interesting.
"I really~ feel all fluttery thinking I'll be called grandma soon."
"Ahahaha!!! Yui hasn't even started dating yet. Is the great Ichinose Momo showing a rare impatient side?"
Though Jane didn't say it outright, dating didn't always lead to marriage.
Momo knew that full well.
Yet she spoke as if the conclusion was already set.
"No, it's based on solid reasoning."
"Hm?"
Jane perked up, eager to hear what plan or strategy the former strategist had cooked up.
"As you know, Lady Jane, no man would turn down our Yui. And I don't think she'll develop feelings for anyone but Cadet Rohan. So, the conclusion is obvious, isn't it?"
"..."
Jane closed her throat mid-swallow and met Momo's eyes.
'That wasn't a joke thrown out for laughs. Scary.'
Pure sincerity. Not a flicker of doubt in her gaze.
Indeed, the doting parent wasn't just Ichinose Jun.
'A genius strategist turned complete fool.'
Even a woman who'd served as advisor to Samhwa Nation couldn't escape when her daughter was involved.
It was a far cry from the meticulous image she'd shown for so long.
Unfamiliar.
But not bad, Jane sensed.
'Yeah. Time has passed—it's fine to have a softer side.'
Jane agreed with Momo and emptied her glass.
The passenger seat next to Rohan.
Eungae Nose, thrilled from reuniting with him, naturally claimed it.
The three who'd forged their resolve had coordinated via messages beforehand, so Clara's seat swap went smoothly without a hitch.
Clara had taken it on the way from Academy City, so Sion would on the return.
To fully accommodate Ichinose's—Eungae Nose's—desire and satisfaction as a comrade in resolve, she'd get the passenger seat while traversing Samhwa Nation.
The bond from the Night Flower Oath was rock-solid.
And it brought Eungae Nose unparalleled joy.
'Even got some premium intel.'
Eungae Nose hadn't even touched her seatbelt, lost in the secretly shared info.
If the dreamy scenario Sion and Clara described came true just like this, she felt a delightful shiver—she'd never escape the Night Flower Oath.
"The address is 17-46..."
Eungae Nose entered it into the navigation and leaned back against the seat.
Watching Rohan check the route made her chatty.
"It's a bit outside the capital, but the location's great, right?"
"Forty minutes—piece of cake. Prime spot... tons of stuff nearby."
"As you can see, just a short walk from the lodging and you're in a commercial area. No worries even if you need something at dawn."
"Sweet. Let's roll."
Rohan glanced in the rearview at Noah dozing against Clara and chuckled, lifting his foot from the brake.
But spotting Eungae Nose sitting ramrod straight, holding her breath, he stomped it again.
"Our lady always rides in the back, huh? Not used to the front?"
"P-Pardon...?"
Eungae Nose put on her best bewildered act.
Rohan laughed and leaned over to fasten her seatbelt.
"Gotta get used to it, even if it's a hassle. Passenger seat's essential."
"R-Right... I forgot..."
Tense as a board, Eungae Nose savored the fleeting bliss and Rohan's scent.
Sion, who hadn't experienced it yet, licked her lips in envy.
...
...
"Whoa! The sea! The sea!"
Noah smooshed her face against the window.
Her eyes sparkled like the sun-glinted waves.
"Better hit the water tomorrow? It's getting late today."
Noah shoved her face between the seats, glaring at Rohan with beastly eyes, as if refusing was unacceptable.
"No way! I came with my swimsuit on under my clothes! Today and tomorrow—I'm going in both days!"
Seeing the ocean had shattered her earlier nonchalance.
Feeling Noah's excitement, Eungae Nose smiled and chimed in.
"Sun's still hot enough. Two hours should be fine."
"Two hours plenty for splashing around."
Noah's round ears flapped as she nodded vigorously at Rohan's approval.
Eungae Nose killed the nav and pointed.
"Rohan. Left here—leads to the parking lot."
He eased off the gas and turned slowly.
[No Trespassing on Private Property]
A menacing warning sign on the gate.
Eungae Nose hopped out, fiddled with the device on it, and the sturdy gate swung open to reveal a wide beach.
"Wow..."
"Impressive."
Sion and Clara gasped in unison.
Vroom—
Rohan drove in slowly, spotting the lodging and parking lot Momo had mentioned.
True to Ichinose family ownership, everything was pristine and tidy.
Noah bolted out first as he parked.
Watching her, Rohan stretched, and the girls swarmed with thanks.
"Rohan, thanks for driving."
"Oppa... you worked hard!"
"Good job. Felt too comfy—kinda guilty."
"No trouble."
The gratitude melted away his long-drive fatigue.
He popped the trunk and hauled out the stacked luggage.
"I take the third floor, right?"
"Yeah. You head up to three... Second floor's big—we'll share."
"I'm diving in now. Camera here!"
Noah, back from the beach, slung her camera around Rohan's neck.
Eungae Nose sighed, grabbing Noah's bag as she dashed off again.
"Get settled and meet at the beach?"
"...Sure."
"Oppa! See you soon...!"
"Heh."
Rohan grabbed his backpack and Noah's camera, heading to the third floor.
"Whoa," he marveled at the spotless, spacious room.
'Way too big for one person.'
Peering out, he saw Noah leaping into the waves.
No lie about the swimsuit underneath—she'd shed her outer clothes on the sand like a snake's skin.
'Tiger beastkin or snake...?'
Eungae Nose would probably sigh and pick them up.
Rohan smiled at the heartwarming image, admiring Noah's swim, then leisurely unpacked.
'Ramen and meat for dinner? Gotta grab booze too... Hm...'
Preparations done amid stray thoughts.
Barefoot on the sand, salty breeze in his lungs—it felt real: the sea.
The girls, quick to ready themselves, had set up on the beach waiting.
'Ah.'
Rohan instinctively raised Noah's camera.
He wanted to capture this moment.