The sun blazed overhead, the scent of salt in the air as the volleyball soared high above the net. I squinted, wiping sweat from my forehead.

Kaede smirked from the other side of the net, cracking her knuckles. "You ready to lose, perv?"

"Bold of you to assume I was ever ready to begin with," I shot back, stretching my arms.

Erina adjusted her bikini top, her expression cold. "Just serve the damn ball."

Fujiko giggled beside me, casually sipping on a cold drink. "You guys are taking this way too seriously."

I took a deep breath. This was it. A battle of wits, skill, and—

WHAM!

The ball shot past me so fast I barely saw it, slamming into the sand behind me. I turned my head slowly, staring at the crater it left.

Kaede was grinning. "One point for us."

I looked at Fujiko. "You were supposed to get that."

She shrugged, twirling a lock of her hair. "I don’t really do sports."

I sighed. "We’re doomed."

The game continued with Kaede dominating. She leaped, spiked, and blocked like she was born for this. Meanwhile, Erina was fast and ruthless, her competitive spirit flaring up with every play.

On my side, Fujiko was… well, present.

"Oh no, I totally missed again," she said lazily as the ball whizzed past her.

"You’re not even trying!"

She sipped her drink. "Nope."

I groaned, barely managing to dive and save a ball before it hit the ground. I flicked it up for Fujiko, who lazily tapped it over the net.

Kaede scoffed. "Pathetic."

Erina, however, wasn’t laughing. She lunged for the ball, her toned body moving with grace, and slammed it over the net.

I barely had time to react. The ball came straight at me like a heat-seeking missile.

"Oh shi—!"

BAM!

Next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, staring up at the sky.

Fujiko peered down at me. "You okay?"

"I think I saw the afterlife for a second."

Kaede doubled over laughing. "Oh man, she killed him!"

Erina flipped her hair. "If he can’t handle a simple game, he deserves to lose."

I groaned, slowly getting up. "You did that on purpose."

She smirked. "Prove it."

Fujiko patted my shoulder. "At least you got a good view when she jumped."

I blinked. She wasn’t wrong.

Unfortunately, Kaede spiked another ball straight at my head before I could enjoy the thought.

After the brutal match (which we definitely lost), I collapsed onto the sand with a cold drink in hand, watching the waves roll in. Finally, peace.

That’s when I noticed her.

The silver-haired girl sat beside me, her violet eyes fixed on the horizon, her expression completely unreadable.

Wait… when did she even get here?

Before I could say anything, she suddenly spoke. "So, how's the system working for you?"

My heart almost stopped.

Out of everything she could have said… that was the last thing I expected.