"Hey, do you have a minute?"

One afternoon in late August, I was suddenly called into the president's office. I've been with the travel agency for a few years now. I've done stints at regional branches and filled in as a tour guide, but I couldn't think of any work that would warrant a direct summons from the president himself.

"Excuse me."

When I opened the door, the president, in his mid-fifties, pointed to the reception set.

"Sit down. Actually, I want you to go on a business trip for a month starting in September." "A month?" "Minagi Island in Okinawa. You remember it, right?"

The name rang a bell. Three years ago, I participated in planning a small-scale remote island tour. The destination was Minagi Island—a tiny island with a population of less than two hundred, reachable only by transferring to a small ferry from the main island.

"You remember the pension my sister and her husband run there, too?" "Yes. They were very kind to me."

The president nodded and began to explain the situation. Starting in September, the pension was set to host some guests with special circumstances for about a month. However, after the booking was finalized, his brother-in-law fell ill and was hospitalized on the main island. His sister was leaving the island to stay by his side.

"My niece and an employee are still there. But with three long-term guests, they'll be short-handed. That's where you come in." "...This is a business order, isn't it?" "Of course."

The president laughed without a hint of guilt.

September 1st. After transferring from a high-speed boat to a small ferry, I stepped onto Minagi Island for the first time in years. Intense sunlight. The scent of the tide. And a summer sky so vivid it was hard to believe it was September. After walking about fifteen minutes uphill from the port, a white-walled pension overlooking the blue sea appeared.

"Welcome—or should I say, welcome back?"

Seeing the woman who stepped out of the entrance, my memories came rushing back.

"Mutsumi. It's been a long time." "Long time no see. Three years?"

Mutsumi Nakazato. The president's niece and the only daughter of this pension. She had a bandana wrapped around her dark brown short bob and wore a navy apron over a white T-shirt. She looked a bit more mature than before, but her soft smile hadn't changed.

"I heard from my uncle. I'll be counting on you for the next month." "Same here. By the way, where are the guests?" "Oh, they're already here. Let me introduce you."

Mutsumi led me into the dining room. A blue sea stretched out beyond the large windows, and in front of it stood four women.

"First, this is Mei Nishina, who works with us." "Nice to meet you! Having extra hands is a total lifesaver."

A woman in her early thirties raised her hand brightly. She had tied-up brown hair and a cheerful smile, giving off a friendly vibe.

"And—our guests for this trip."

Mutsumi shifted her gaze to the remaining three. The moment I saw the young woman with long black hair, I reflexively stopped in my tracks. It was a face I had seen countless times on TV and in advertisements.

"Moeka Numakura." "...Nice to meet you."

Moeka bowed somewhat awkwardly. The popular idol who had caused a stir in the media was here, at a pension on a remote island. The fact hadn't quite clicked in my head yet.

"This is her manager, Yayoi Negishi." "We'll be in your care for the month."

The woman with brown hair bowed politely. Her composed demeanor was a sharp contrast to Moeka's.

"And finally, the photographer, Yuri Nonomiya."

A woman with a ponytail and a DSLR hanging from her neck looked at me with interest.

"Huh. So this is the helper?" "Yep. He's the one who handled our tour back in the day."

Mutsumi said this, then looked around at me and the four women.

"So—the six of us will be spending the next month together."

A breeze carrying the scent of the sea blew in through the open window. And so, my month on Minagi Island began.