The car ride was filled with the sound of Mika humming loudly. She had her face pressed against the window, ears twitching with excitement.
"Beach! Beach! Beach! Beach!" she chanted like a broken record.
Nari groaned, plugging her ears. "If you say 'beach' one more time, I'll throw you out of this car."
Sayo was reading a book about seashells, ignoring them both. "You two should conserve your energy. Swimming takes a lot of stamina."
Yua clutched her beach bag, eyes wide. "…Do you think the fish will… bite me?"
Their parents just laughed. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's safe."
---
Arrival at the Beach
When they finally arrived, the salty breeze hit their noses, and the sound of waves rolled across the shore. The girls stepped onto the sand, their tails swishing in awe.
"It's HUGE!" Mika shouted, racing toward the waves.
"Wait! Sunscreen first!" Sayo called, chasing after her with the bottle.
But Mika was already knee-deep in the surf, squealing. "It's cold! But awesome!"
Nari dropped her bag on the sand with a huff. "Finally, some space to relax." She flopped under the umbrella, sunglasses on, acting cool.
Yua tiptoed nervously to the shoreline, dipping her toes in. She gasped at the chill but then giggled softly. "…It tickles."
---
Sandcastle Mayhem
The sisters decided to build a sandcastle together.
Sayo carefully drew blueprints in the sand. "If we shape the base like this, it will support the—"
Mika smashed a bucket of wet sand on top. "TA-DA! Done!"
"YOU RUINED THE FOUNDATION!" Sayo yelled.
Nari sighed and started building her own fortress a few feet away. "Forget them. Mine will be better."
Yua quietly decorated her section with seashells. When everyone looked, hers was the prettiest—small, delicate, and shimmering with shells.
"…Okay," Mika admitted, pouting. "Yua wins."
---
Into the Water
Eventually, they all waded into the waves. Mika splashed Nari first.
"HEY!" Nari growled, ears flat, before launching a tidal wave back at her.
Sayo tried to stay calm, but got caught in the crossfire and shrieked. "Stop it—don't splash—!"
Then Yua, normally quiet, sent the biggest splash of all, soaking all three of them. "Got you," she whispered, hiding a tiny smirk.
The splash war escalated until their parents had to call them back to shore, laughing.
---
Evening Sunset
After drying off, the sisters sat on a blanket, munching on sandwiches and watermelon as the sun dipped into the horizon.
The sky turned orange and pink, reflecting on the waves.
Mika stretched out with a satisfied sigh. "Best. Day. Ever. Again."
Nari leaned back, pretending not to smile. "…It wasn't terrible."
Sayo wrote in her notebook, her tail swishing slowly. "We should record days like this."
And Yua, cheeks glowing in the sunset, whispered, "…I want to come here every summer."
The waves rolled in, gentle and endless, as the four sisters leaned on each other—warm, tired, and happy.