Author's Note: Holy smokes, that's a lot of words! This update is like two in one if you go by word-count! Please don't forget to comment and let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading and for your patience!
Season 3 Episode 48: He's Actually Bravo!
"It's yours Seiichirou! Pass it!" Yukinari exclaims. Seiichirou draws back towards the right corner of their side of the sandy volleyball court.
"I got it!" Seiichirou answered. With a wide swing of his arm he returns a shot with a predictable arch. Maharu, not wasting any opportunities, moves forward up to the volleyball net and slaps the ball straight down to the sand scoring her and Nina another point. "Damn!" Seiichirou growls disappointed as Yukinari retrieves the ball from under the net.
"Seiichirou, you should have passed it my way so I could spike it down into their side!" Yukinari explained impatiently. "Don't you get it yet?"
"Shut it! I want to see what I can do on my own against these two!"
"But we won't win if we don't work as a team!" Yukinari declares preferring not to blame Seiichirou's unwillingness to cooperate.
"We'll win, don't you worry. And this is a good way to see who's better between you and I."
"Oh yeah, that..." Yukinari recalled somewhat exhausted. "I guess we're rivals now?" Yukinari wondered silently to himself.
"Well boys, score stands at 9 to 24" Maharu declares triumphantly. "Better shape up you two or you risk losing."
Yukinari tosses a look at Nina as if saying in disappointment "Miss Nina, this isn't working. We're not exactly becoming chums it seems."
"Teamwork breeds friendship Yukinari" Nina replies to Seiichirou's confusion. "...But I guess I sometimes miscalculate too" she continues wearing a look of disappointment similar to Yukinari's. "Let's just finish this game and then we'll take a break" Nina finishes.
"Alright, my serve" Yukinari said backing up and out of the court. He tosses the ball upward and with a swift swing the ball sails over the net threatening the inner rear border of Nina and Maharu's side of the court. Nina backs up and taps the ball upward and forward. The ball falls towards a Maharu ready and positioned to deliver a game-ending spike but Seiichirou rushes forward ready to receive the spike.
"You're not trying this again!" he thought. Maharu, with complete surprise in her eyes, finds her younger brother ready and waiting below her on the other side of the net ready to receive the spike. "Surprise big sister!" he communicated through the sneaky grin in his face.
"Hmph! Nice try!" she returned with a grin of her own. With Seiichirou right up to the net, he had abandoned his original position, his corner of the court. Maharu's eyes shift towards that corner of the court, opposite Yukinari's side.
"Crap!" Yukinari exclaims in thought rushing towards the corner hoping to get there in time but it was a futile effort. With a smack the ball soars fast towards the exposed corner.
"Damn it!" Seiichirou exclaims jumping with both arms up above him almost reaching the ball. Losing his balance from his effort, he falls back onto the sand. Yukinari's dive too almost reaches the ball but instead, he falls onto the sand face down, the volleyball hitting the corner and earning the opposition their 25th point.
"Game, set, and match!" Nina declares. "25 to 9, didn't think you boys would get that many. I must say, it made it fun enough" she said as Masashi handed her several towels.
"I was mildly amused" Maharu teased, her hands confidently at her sides. "Novices are no real challenge."
"Damn" Seiichirou growled frowning at the sky. "I'll make you eat those words big sister."
"Of course you will" Maharu agreed falsely with a grin.
"It'll have to wait fool! We're taking a break!" Nina said handing a towel to Maharu. "Speaking of eating. Masashi!"
"Yes ma'am?" Masashi reports with a military salute.
"Here" Nina says happily. "Go get us some lunch: I'm in the mood for pizza. Pizza with tons of mushrooms and chicken!" she requested. "Get other varieties too! But no pineapple!" she commands firmly handing over a generous bundle of yen. "Get enough for a party of 11 or so."
"Seems like a lot Miss Nina" Seiichirou comments taking the bundle of currency. "I will get it though" Masashi answers with confidence and departs the beach.
"Don't forget drinks!" Nina calls out.
"Well, I'll admit I had fun" Yukinari says lifting his face out of the sand shortly before getting up and patting the sand off of himself.
"You had fun huh?" Seiichirou chuckled annoyed. "Good for you Sasaki... I'm taking a break" he announces walking off the beach.
With Seiichirou out of sight, Yukinari restarts. "Well Miss Nina, what do you think?"
"You two got stomped badly" Nina said simply.
"That's not what I was referring to Miss Nina" Yukinari responds annoyed. "I mean I'm not sure it's working: I'm trying to be nice to the guy but he's so gung-ho about winning the game and all. I just want to be able to attend the UFC with peace of mind. Without him breathing down my neck about rematches and whatnot... You know Miss Nina, you could always ban him from the club!"
"Seiichirou hasn't done anything bad enough to warrant a ban. He's free to challenge whomever he wishes" Nina said handing Maharu a towel.
"You're right" Yukinari concedes. "I guess if this doesn't work, I'll just have an honest man-to-man talk with the guy."
"Or you leave him to me Yukinari" Maharu enters patting Yukinari's body with a towel. "I'll make him behave!"
"M-Maharu, please don't!" Yukinari interrupts as Maharu becomes too adventurous in drying him, her chest pressing up against his back.
"What? You in a relationship? Sounds arousingly dangerous! Don't tempt me like that! Your bare, muscly chest is enough of a turn-on you know" Maharu complimented draping the towel over Yukinari's head and rejoining Nina's side.
"Aiming a little low aren't ya?" Nina mocked lightly.
"This body is still plenty young. Tight as a drum!" Maharu defended. "Just looking for the right man to give it a good work out is all" she says while looking at Yukinari dangerously.
"No shame" Nina said walking off. "..Quick break."
"Shame just interferes with fun" Maharu answers following. Yukinari did not follow fearing Maharu could get him in trouble.
-TRANSITION-
"Isn't this nice Lisa? The sand... the sea... the sun... The soft slender bodies of the beach-going beauties that frolick in the sand and splash each other in the ocean playfully, their soaked skin glistening, their breasts jiggling and just waiting for my hands to grope them lovingly!"
"To you it is... It's excruciatingly boring to me" Lisa says reading a book quietly to herself.
"Oh come on Lisa, your big brother just wants to cheer you up. After your terrible break up with Punynari!"
"I don't need you to cheer me up! I'm okay!" Lisa insisted.
"I-I'm just so glad!" Fukuyama bellowed letting out large, goofy sobs. "Your purity was spared and Punynari didn't violate you!" he cried hugging Lisa protectively.
"But I wanted him to violate me! I still do!" Lisa exclaimed with a scowl. "Get off!"
"Oh my dear little sister, please don't speak like that! Where did you learn to talk like that!?"
"You're one to criticize!"
"I can't stand it! Please promise me you will never give yourself to him!" Fukuyama begged not letting go.
"All of me belongs to him, every atom of my being! You just don't know the meaning of true love, love between soulmates: and no, what you do with your hussies isn't love. Now get off!" With a kick and a punch, Lisa's assistants force Fukuyama off of Lisa and he collapses face-first onto the sand. "Now beat it! I can't relax with you around! That is why you brought me here isn't it?"
"Hmph... Please do your highness" Fukuyama pouts and leaves her side.
"Hayate, Kosame, I need a spot on the beach" Lisa requests now with Fukuyama in the distance. "I need a spot not too far from the shore but it must be close enough to be pleasing to the senses and the soul. And I also need it to be far enough from civilization that I won't be disturbed by its hustle and bustle but close enough to remind me that humanity and I are spiritually distinct yet one!"
Hayate and Kosame simply stare at the blonde witch, at each other, and then back at Lisa.
"..That spot, occupied by that gentleman" Lisa finished pointing at a beachgoer seated on a chair and under an umbrella.
"Understood" both Hayate and Kosame confirmed before approaching their new target.
"..Hey! You two need something?" the guy asks Hayate and Kosame who had approached him suddenly.
"That spot. We need it" Kosame demands.
"Surrender it now" Hayate adds.
"The hell? Screw off!" the man objected angrily.
"Hand it over" Hayate and Kosame both said pulling out magnums pointed straight at the man's face. "Now!"
"Gahh! Wh-what the hell!? You two are c-crazy!" the man exclaimed staring at the guns. "You can have it! The chair and everything!" the man quickly panicked falling out off his chair and he flees never to be heard from again.
"Here you go Mistress Lisa" Hayate and Kosame said presenting the beach chair and umbrella to Lisa.
"Why thank you! This is perfect! It was awfully nice of him to donate this spot!" Lisa observed making herself comfortable on the chair.
"Yes, he was quite charitable" Kosame agrees.
"And willing to part with his belongings no less" Hayate added.
"We're at the beach, you two should enjoy yourselves" Lisa said positioning herself in a meditative posture: back straight, legs crossed and tucked underneath her, eyes closed, her breathing slow and easy.
"Are you meditating here of all places Mistress Lisa?" Hayate asked noting the noises of people splashing water, blazing barbecues, and people racing across the beach.
"They say that when you can meditate under conditions such as these, you are approaching Nirvana. Perfect harmony with Heaven and Earth. A balanced Yin and Yang. Have fun you two" Lisa calls out as Hayate and Kosame take a stroll through the beach.
"So Kosame, how are you coping?" Hayate asked after a long stroll through the beach.
After a long pause, her gaze absorbing the entirety of the ocean, Kosame finally answers. "I think I'll be fine. At the end of the day, it was for the best. In all honesty, it was ill-fated from the very beginning. Miss Kirie and I are... too different" Kosame finished as she and Hayate continued with their stroll. They pass by the volleyball court which was playing host to the game Nina was holding. "But I think I know how I'd like to spend my visit here on the beach" Kosame revealed as she watched Yukinari and the other volleyball players getting ready to start the next round.
"Alright, I think it'll take Masashi some time to get all the food here so let's build up an appetite with the next round" Nina says as Seiichirou re-enters his and Yukinari's half of the court. He shakes his legs and arms loosening his joints. "Are we ready to work as a team?" Nina asked holding the volleyball up in her hand.
"I'm ready to win" Seiichirou answered flexing his wrists.
"Well, we'll see won't we?" Nina asked drawing back outside of the court. With the volleyball tossed in the air, she strikes the ball and it flies up and over the net aimed at Yukinari's corner.
"Get it!" Seiichirou commanded.
"Got it!" Yukinari answered and he counters Nina's serve with both hands clasped underneath him, the volleyball flying back just over the net. Maharu interrupts the ball with her right fist knocking it skyward and forward behind the net. Following Maharu's lead, Nina charges forward threatening a spike. Yukinari charges just the same ready to intercept, Nina's arm just about to spike the ball earthward but, to Yukinari's surprise, her movemenet was a feint. Maharu rushes to Nina's side and slaps the ball sideways, too quick for Yukinari to respond. The ball falls to the side, Seiichirou rushing to catch it but he fails and Maharu scores her side another point. With initially silent protest coming out of Seiichirou, the game continues on despite the fact that Nina and Maharu were favored in the long run regardless of whatever meager points Yukinari and Seiichirou were both managing to eke out. 1-0, 4-1, 7-3, 10-4, 17-7. The numbers were against Yukinari's side of the court and Seiichirou was not taking this well.
"Damn it! What's it gonna take!?" he exclaimed retrieving the volleyball after it had earned the other team their 19th point.
"Hey, no complaining! Where's your sportsmanship?" Nina asked.
"Sportsmanship? What the hell is that?" Seiichirou countered.
"Relax Seiichirou, it's just a game" Yukinari reasoned. "So what if we lose? It's not like anything is on the line."
"So what if we lose!?" Seiichirou parroted offended. "What point is there to playing if you're not putting your all?"
"This is just a game and Miss Nina and Maharu are loved ones. This is a friendly game so just have fun."
"I approach everything I do without holding back!" Seiichirou boasted proudly at which Nina and Maharu toss Yukinari exhausted looks. "That's my life's philosophy: strive to excel at everything you do. Those are the times when I feel alive!.. What's your excuse?"
Yukinari noted this was a rare moment: Seiichirou telling him something about himself. Maybe this would be a good chance to foster a friendship between the two. "My excuse? Well, to be honest, I'm not doing this to win. I'm doing this in hopes of maybe, well, becoming friends with you."
"...Huh?" Seiichirou grunted looking at Yukinari oddly.
"Don't flatter yourself" Yukinari quickly added. "I'm not doing this for your sake and I'm not doing this for my own... I'm doing this for Miharu's sake" Yukinari answered with a tone demanding more respect from Seiichirou. "When she returns, I don't want her to have to be split between her older brother and her friends." Seiichirou says nothing to this. "Despite whatever differences you may think we have, we do share one thing in common and that's the care and concern we have for Miharu." A further silence ensues as Yukinari's words resonate with Seiichirou.
"Shall we finish this game boys?" Nina asked after the durable quiet.
"Let's win this game Sasaki" Seiichirou muttered.
"Let's" Yukinari confirmed and Seiichirou readies the serve.
"Hold it!" a voice shouted from the side of the court. All four players turning their heads find, of all people, Kosame in a sports bikini with Hayate by her side, her hand raised gesturing them to halt the game. Hayate is simply standing beside her seemingly supportive of her decision.
-TRANSITION-
Fukuyama ran atop sand in a beach filled with bikini-clad girls. Everywhere he looked he found to his delight voluptuous girls showing just enough skin to titillate any young man passing by. "The butts! The legs! The busts!" Fukuyama drooled. "This is heaven!" Fukuyama sung to the sky. "Now all that remains is for me to work my lovely charms" he declared. Caressing his conceited face with his gloved hand, he runs his fingers through his hair slowly and with a flick of his chin, he whips his hair to the side and gives a handsome look of confidence that shines like a lighthouse in the pitch-black darkness of nights out at sea. Suddenly, six to seven women approach Fukuyama like moths to a flame, drawn in by the exuberance of his looks, his figure, the passion he emanated, all from a flick of his chin.
"Hey there handsome" one of the unidentified women began. "Looking to have some fun?"
"Why yes" Fukuyama answers with a confident inflection to his voice. "Are you ladies looking for the same thing?"
The girls let out a collective giggle before one bravely answers. "Yes, we are."
"Shall we tour the beach?" Fukuyama asked presenting both of his arms and the girls latch on like magnets to cold, shallow metal. As the girls continued giggling, Fukuyama thought arrogantly to himself "this is expectedly much too easy!" He walks and talks with them throughout the beach, discussing things most would find grating topics to discuss, the majority concerning how wonderful and good-looking Fukuyama thought he was, the rest how not great and not good-looking other men at the beach were. After a while however, Fukuyama became bored with how easy it all was. He needed a chase, a girl who would make him work before she'd give up her goodies. "I grow tired of this" he thought with a sigh as girls around him worshipped his long arms, his broad chest, ocean-blue eyes, his golden locks, his manicured toenails and gloved hands. But as he was suffering the excruciatingly painful boredom of being surrounded by his affectionate bounty, something caught his eye: an aura of innocence and vulnerability emanating from a large rectangular tent situated on the beach. "What is this essence!?" Fukuyama demanded pushing away the girls surrounding him causing them to collapse down to the sand. "My manhood is tingling!.. It demands my attention to this tent!" Fukuyama examined just outside of said tent.
Inside the very tent sat Koyomi completely consumed with her reading, oblivious to the horrible, perverse danger just outside the tent walls. "Look out!" Koyomi squeaked as she continued reading her novel, a drink atop the cooler next to her going on ignored. Just behind her, a horned and hairy humanoid figure with clawed, grubby paws and sharp, drooling fangs cast a large and growing shadow upon the tent. "Oh no! He's right behind you! Run!" Koyomi exclaimed in shock. "No!" she screamed. "He's going to get you! Please run!" she exclaimed, her eyes frantically scanning her book. "No!" Koyomi screamed covering her eyes and at that exact moment, the tent surrounding her exploded flying upward, a gust from the movement rushing around her blowing her hair wildly.
"Koyomi!" Fukuyama called out heroically, his arm up in the air after tearing the tent from its foundations. "My love! What is it that distresses you!?"
"NOoo!" Koyomi screamed louder panicking. Before she could react, Fukuyama's arms wrapped around Koyomi locking her in place. "It-It-It's the pervert!" she added loudly dropping her book and struggling to break out of Fukuyama's vile grip.
"Koyomi, how long has it been Koyomi since I've taken pleasure in your silky-smooth, supple skin?" he posed before closing in with a kiss.
"NOoo!" Koyomi screamed again holding Fukuyama's face back with whatever strength she could muster from both her arms.
"Now Koyomi, there's no need to play hard to get!" Fukuyama reasons. "That'll only encourage me!" he adds sinisterly with a forked tongue! "Gyahahahahahaha!" Fukuyama laughed conceitedly. "Now, how about some privacy?" Fukuyama asks, his eyes arresting Koyomi's fearful gaze. As he finishes his sentence, the tent falls back down where it once stood imprisoning Koyomi in the tent helpless and alone against a lecherous predator. It was Fukuyama and Koyomi now, one-on-one, no one around who could hear her plight in the sea of sound that was a crowded beach. "You see Koyomi? Perfect landing! Our destinies are intertwined! Hyaahahahahahahaha!" Fukuyama laughed.
"No! No! Nnnoooo!" Koyomi shouted further, unsure if anyone could hear her.
"MMmmuu" Fukuyama hummed threatening Koyomi with his puckered lips.
"S-someone, anyone" Koyomi pleaded in her mind, her arms weakening against Fukuyama's assault. "Please help!" she thought, her eyes shut tight.
"Mmuu-glurgh!" Fukuyama's throat was quickly seized by, to both Koyomi's and his own pained surprise, two sharp fangs. "Wh-what the hell!?" Fukuyama wheezes out releasing Koyomi and grasping at his neck. His gloved hands grasp at a long and scaly snake that had bitten his neck and was now wrapping around him tightly.
"Wha!?" Koyomi gasped making sense of what had just saved her. The snake that had bitten Fukuyama, she saw, had arisen out of the cooler that was sitting next to her the whole time. "It's, it's you!" Koyomi said as she realized that the snake that had saved her from Fukuyama's clutches she had gained as a pet at the Mahjong game many months ago.
"Le-let go!" Fukuyama gasped out. The snake wraps around and squeezes Fukuyama, tighter and tighter turning him a blue color. He does so briefly until Fukuyama, trying to pull apart the heavy and powerful coils, begins to stumble before ultimately collapsing down onto the sand unconscious and motionless. The snake then releases its hold and wraps around Koyomi harmlessly, its scales feeling pleasantly cool against her warm skin, her skin warming the snake's cold blood.
"How did you get here? Did you hitch a ride in the cooler? You poor thing, you must have been so cold!" The snake only flicked its tongue in response. "Th-thank you so much! You saved me! Let's warm you up!" Koyomi thanked petting her snake which let out a long hiss as she and the snake watched Fukuyama unconscious on the sand. Koyomi, preferring not to stand near the pervert, quickly made her way out and headed toward where Kirie was watching over Tomoka and Ebi at the moister, darker, cooler sand near the water. "I've gotta tell Kirie about this!" Koyomi thought urgently to herself. Running across the hot sand to where Kirie was, she finds Kirie helping Tomoka and Ebi in building large and tall sand castle walls, at this point tall enough to provide Tomoka and Ebi shelter from the wind and the rays from the sun. The sand walls enclosed a very spacious area, enough room for Tomoka and Ebi to sprawl out on.
"Where do you want this sand?" Kirie asked holding two heavy bucketfuls of dark, moist sand.
"Right here" Tomoka answers pointing at the base of a thin section of one of the sand castle walls.
"Kirie, please help!" Koyomi began alarmed as she arrived at the sand castle.
"Koyomi? What's wrong?" Kirie asks before exclaiming in alarm "Aaahhh! A-a snake! Koyomi, look out!"
"Koyo, when did you bring your snake along?" Tomoka asked as she patted the sand in front of her into a wall with a plastic shovel. "It's okay Kirie, that's her pet snake. Tomo thought you left it at home?" Tomoka posed turning back to Koyomi.
"That's not important right now" Koyomi informs. "The crazy pervert! He's here!"
"What? Fukuyama?" Kirie demanded. "Where is he Koyomi?"
"In the tent!" Koyomi announced pointing the way.
"In the tent huh? Let me handle this Koyomi. Whatever the bastard's up to, I'll find out and put an end to it!" Kirie declares cracking her knuckles. "You stay here Koyomi and watch over Tomoka and Ebi" Kirie said before heading off to the tent.
"Yes, I will" Koyomi answers.
"Hey! Tomo can watch over herself!" Tomoka objected but was ignored. Arriving at the tent, Kirie yanks open the zippered door to the tent.
"Hey Fukuyama, you bastard!" Kirie shouts into what she finds to be an empty tent. "Huh?.. He's not here?" She walks in to make sure only to find an abandoned beach chair and a cooler with the lid off. "What the hell could the bastard be up to? Actually, isn't it obvious? Dirty lecher" Kirie thought to herself closing the cooler. Walking back out of the tent, she shrugs at Koyomi in the distance.
"He wasn't there?" Koyomi thought worriedly as she waved back at Kirie. "Then, where could he be?" Koyomi pondered fearfully looking around her only to find beachgoers going about their business, Tomoka and Ebi resuming work on their castle.
"Tomo thinks Koyo worries too much" Tomoka observes aloud still patting the castle into shape. "If the stupid pervert shows up, you can take shelter behind our castle walls." Koyomi could only look at the sandy castle walls and at both Tomoka and Ebi who were smaller than her. This only made her feel more helpless.
"Ssss" Koyomi's snake let out, its tongue tasting the air. Koyomi pets her snake again which made her feel somewhat safe.
"You'll protect me, won't you?" Koyomi asks the snake but she, as expected, did not get any kind of answer aside from a tongue flicker. "Sigh..." Tomoka exhales hoping to relax. "...Tomoka, Ebi, I must say your sand castle is impressive!" Koyomi complimented wishing to cope with the anxiety she would always feel whenever Fukuyama was loose.
"Thanks a lot Koyo. We've only worked on it for half an hour or so. Tomo was the chief architect and engineer of course!" Tomoka said proudly. "And Ebi was Tomo's assistant" Tomoka reveals pulling Ebi to her side, a small plastic shovel in her hands. "Isn't that right Ebi?"
"Nya nya" Ebi answers, it being the only thing she was able to say.
"That's a yes" Tomoka confirms confidently. "Tomo can tell because Tomo has had to work with her and that meant learning her language! Really goes to show the level of expertise and professionalism we here at Tomoka Inc. are accustomed to employing."
"Right" Koyomi chuckles already acquainted with Tomoka's boastful nature. Suddenly, without warning, the snake wrapped around her is pulled off of her. Turning around in alarm, she watches as her snake whips down into the sand tail-first and disappears. "Aaaah!" Koyomi screamed fearfully.
"What's wrong Koyo!?" Tomoka asked surprised.
"My snake! He's gone!" Koyomi exclaimed and started digging bare-handed into the spot where the snake had disappeared.
"Really? Hold on, Tomo will help you!" Tomoka says exiting the castle and lending her shovel to Koyomi's effort. "You too Ebi!" Tomoka commands and Ebi joins them both. As they shoveled sand out, the hole began to widen until, unexpectedly, a gloved hand burst out from the sandy ground causing all three to leap back in shock.
"What the heck is that!?" Tomoka exclaimed. Koyomi simply stepped back slowly, her eyes tearing up as she readied herself for another chase. "Koyo, it's a dead body! We found a dead body!" Tomoka said as the hand began waving. "Hello" she saluted waving back. "...Wait a minute, it's a zombie! Koyo, we've found a zombie!" Tomoka gasped. With a sudden, violent outward explosion of sand where the hand was poking out arose a blonde man covered from head to toe in moist sand.
"Really Koyomi, our love is one no reptilian can ever stop. You and I share a destiny" the man said shaking off the sand coating his body.
"Oh, it's just the stupid pervert" Tomoka learns disappointed.
"Noo!" Koyomi screamed in panic and started to run, where to she did not care as long as it was away from Fukuyama.
"Now Koyomi, running only encourages me!" Fukuyama says about to give chase only to be stopped dead in his tracks. His body frozen, he stands still just outside the castle walls. With the precision of a machine, his head snaps mechanically to the side toward the castle and hones his beady, lecherous eyes at the little girl with green hair.
"That green hair and large, vulnerable eyes! A cute, little, one-piece bikini! Equipped with a skirt no less! EBI!" Fukuyama shouted with glee, his mind abandoning his pursuit of Koyomi completely. He moves so fast that had his arms moved any faster they would have flown off of their shoulders. Before Ebi could even blink, she was secured into Fukuyama's vile clutches. "Ebi, how long have we been apart? How I've missed your pretty little face and frail, tender innocence!"
"Nyanyanya!" Ebi shouted struggling to break his hold, kicking and punching. "Nyanyanya!"
"Now now Ebi, I'm not going to hurt you!" Fukuyama countered as his face was fruitlessly kicked and punched. "Look! I have candy!" he said presenting candy in his hand but this went ignored by Ebi whose resistance didn't wane. "Just come with me" Fukuyama started devilishly, "and I'll give you much more candy!" Fukuyama finished, the horns on his head almost visible.
"That is so wrong" Tomoka said before taking her plastic shovel and stomping it down onto Fukuyama's foot.
"Yaaargh!" Fukuyama shouted in pain hopping on one foot.
"Let her go you stupid pervert!" Tomoka demanded. "She's Tomo's employee!"
"Tomoka, knock it off! Go play with your sand. Big brother Kazuharu is busy" Fukuyama dismissed having recovered from her attack. "Now Ebi. Give me a little kiss" Fukuyama whispered, his eyes closed and lips puckering up as he held empty air up to his face ready to meet some part of Ebi's face. Instead, sharp knuckles drive forward against his face crushing his nose and almost collapsing his face. Fukuyama falls back onto his back, a knuckle-shaped bruise on his face sporting a bleeding nose. "What a kisser!" he thought light-headedly. "Ebi, I never thought-" Fukuyama stops himself as he looks up to find Kirie, her face twisted in a fatal rage. In her arms rested Ebi safe and sound.
"You like that kiss!?" Kirie snarled slowly approaching Fukuyama menacingly. "Well then, you'll love a second one!" Kirie shouted approaching quicker and readying to pound Fukuyama deep into the sand. "I'm sending your ass to hell!"
"Wait wait wait!" Fukuyama protested holding his hand up. "Let me just-" Fukuyama began removing one of his gloves.
"Huh?" Kirie asked aloud as Fukuyama probed the inside of his glove. "What the hell are you-AAaaaahhhh!" Kirie shouted as three navis flew out of his glove much too close to Kirie's comfort zone. "Get them away from me!" Kirie shouted running off, Ebi still secure in her arms. Ebi, watching over Kirie's shoulder, watched the navis turning yellow and give chase.
"Nya nya!" Ebi called out fascinated by the floating flames which were now shifting back and forth between yellow and white, responding to both Kirie's fear and Ebi's excitement.
"NNnooooo!"
"Humph! Too easy!" Fukuyama remarked smugly as Kirie ran off. "Well, if I can't have Ebi" Fukuyama said getting up and fitting his glove back on. "I'll settle for Koyomi!" Fukuyama says perversely, tending to his injured face and restarting his original pursuit. "Oh Koyomi!" he sung as he skipped joyously across the sand.
"Honestly, the stupid pervert is never going to learn... Huh?" Tomoka voiced noticing near her the head of a snake popping up and out of the sand. "Oh, hello Koyo's snake" Tomoka greeted, the snake turning its head in the direction Fukuyama had run off to and flickering its tongue.
-TRANSITION-
"It's very nice of you to join us Kosame" Nina told Kosame who had joined her team taking Maharu's place after Maharu had agreed.
"Thank you very much for this opportunity" Kosame returns gratefully. "I look forward to this game" Kosame says, her eyes locking coldly with Yukinari's. "Shall we begin?"
"Of course" Nina agrees. "It's their serve however."
"That's fine" Kosame returns and Seiichirou readies. Granting the ball in his hand some height, Seiichirou leaps and pounds the ball over the net heading straight for Kosame. Kosame, her eyes homing in on the serve leaps up and with an incredible ferocity, pounds the ball back and with an incredible speed it jets straight for Yukinari who, taken by complete surprise, dodges the ball rather than attempt to retaliate a ball he was not ready for.
"What was that!?" Yukinari gasped mentally. "Such intensity!"
"Get your head in the game Sasaki!" Seiichirou reprimands retrieving the ball and serving it again only to have the ball intercepted by Kosame.
"Haaa!" she shouted blasting the ball again aiming for Yukinari who this time blocks the ball with his palms only to have a stabbing pain jolting throughout his arms.
"Gah!" Yukinari expels in pain. "What was that!? Damn that hurt!" he kept to himself trying to conceal his discomfort. For some reason, he felt a hate emanating from Kosame's attacks. Yukinari wasn't sure what it was but there seemed to be something driving Kosame to play a game against him in particular so aggressively.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Seiichirou wonders aloud.
"N-nothing! Just a cramp" Yukinari excuses. "Sorry."
"Haaa!" Kosame shouted every time she launched a fast pass Yukinari's way. Yukinari dodges the attack that would otherwise have hit him in the face. Every time the opportunity presented itself to Kosame, she would impact the ball forcefully toward Yukinari's direction, at times hitting him painfully. Returning her moves were only proving painful to his wrists, palms, and any other body parts they collided with. Even Seiichirou winced when he managed to intercept one of Kosame's passes.
"Gah!" Yukinari exclaimed finding another one of Kosame's rebuttals speeding toward him, almost as if taking aim at him directly. At the last instant, he jerks his head out of the way giving up another point for the recently-formed Nina-Kosame team, Maharu assuming the role of referee.
"Hey, you're pretty good at this" Nina compliments. "You've got a dangerous arm!"
"No kidding" Yukinari thought massaging his limbs.
"Thanks" Kosame responds but maintaining a poisonous glare directed at Yukinari who had returned from retrieving the ball. "My training taught me how to make a weapon out of almost anything. I could kill a grown man with a spoon if I wanted to" she said focusing the gaze she had on Yukinari as she finished the last sentence.
"Why is she looking at me like that?" Yukinari wondered urgently. "She's been taking shots at me this whole time. Did I do something?"
"You should have gotten that Sasaki. Don't let it happen again. Serve the ball" Seiichirou asked his teammate.
"Oh, sorry" Yukinari answers holding the ball in his hands. He tosses it up and hits it toward Nina who answers effectively, the ball heading for Seiichirou who mimicks her response, this time aimed at Kosame. Kosame wastes no time, no effort, to grant the volleyball an explosive power heading straight for Yukinari yet again. Yukinari, not wanting to let the other team score again braces for impact. "This is gonna hurt" he thinks quickly with hands grasped. He halts the ball with his forearms and bumps it upward just behind the net on his side of the court, Seiichirou charging forward for a spiked score.
"Yeah!" Seiichirou celebrated loudly. "Another one for us! Good bump Sasaki!" Yukinari could only nod as he tried to shake off the pain pulsating on his forearms. He shakes the pain off somewhat and started noticing some bruising on parts of his arms.
"So now the score is 12 to 4. Good for you Seiichirou" Nina teased.
"You enjoy annoying me don't you?" Seiichirou asks pessimistically.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Nina answers smiling.
"It's all over your face!" Seiichirou countered.
"Or maybe you're too easily annoyed?" Nina suggests. "Did you ever think of that?"
"Kosame, are you mad at me?" Yukinari posed still coping with some of the pain in his arms.
"It's all in your head" Kosame answered firmly readying her serve. "Just consider yourself lucky I'm your opponent and not your teammate." Her serve flies fast just above Yukinari's head who ducks. That's when it hit him.
"Research is our specialty" Yukinari recalled these words. They were Hayate's words and he had used them when Yukinari went to see Lisa in hopes of mending Lisa's hurt feelings. This was when Yukinari was at the foot of Lisa's room after Lisa had found out about Yukinari and Kirie. "Our?.. He was referring to himself and Kosame! Oh crap, Kosame knows!"
"Haaaaa!" Kosame howled serving the ball with an explosive strength, again heading straight for Yukinari.
"Yukinarii!" Koyomi suddenly called out taking a Yukinari drifting in thought completely by surprise.
"What-" Ssmaackk!
"Revenge!" Kosame thought vindictively to herself. "Oh how sweet!"
From Koyomi's perspective, it happened almost in slow-motion. The volleyball bolted toward Yukinari and hit the side of his face contorting it painfully. For Yukinari, one instant he caught sight of Koyomi's distressed face and the next, he was still looking at her distressed face but he found himself lying on the sandy ground facing skyward.
"Yukinari, are you okay!?" Koyomi asks in concern kneeling beside him.
"He's fine, don't worry about it. He's a lot tougher than he looks" Maharu said standing over him.
"Yeah... I... I'm fine..." Yukinari assured sitting up.
"You took a pretty hard serve, to the face no-less" Nina recalled. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine" Yukinari repeated and dismissed the pain preferring to address Koyomi's concerns. "What's wrong Koyomi?"
"It's Fukuyama! He's here!" Koyomi reveals fearfully. "Please help me! He's coming for me!" Koyomi begged near tears.
"Relax Koyomi, I'll get him to leave you alone, I assure you." With these words, a great worry visibly lifted off of Koyomi's shoulders displaying a confidence Koyomi had in Yukinari's words. This reliance on Yukinari Koyomi seemed to have impressed Seiichirou and started to wear on Kosame who was starting to feel guilty. "Where is he?"
"I don't know" Koyomi said seeking shelter behind Yukinari, her eyes scanning the beach.
"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmm" a conceited chuckle was emitted from behind Koyomi and just as quickly, fingers groped Koyomi's swimsuit. "Honestly Koyomi, you have such terrible taste in swimwear. Just come over to my place and I'll fit you with a perfect, barely-legal string bikini! You'll turn heads wherever you go!" Fukuyama offers drooling.
"AAaaaahhhh!" Koyomi screamed getting away from Fukuyama's touch. "Get away!"
"Knock it off Fukuyama!" Yukinari commands shielding Koyomi.
"And what are you going to do about it Punynari?" Fukuyama challenged, his height still greater than Yukinari's.
"Are you seriously asking that?" Yukinari retorts.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Nina asked posing a question of her own.
"Who am I?" Fukuyama asks almost offended. "The name's Kazuharu Fukuyama. Playboy billionaire, handsomest man on the beach, handsomest man at school, in all of Mizuno! Dare I say handsomest in this entire prefecture? And what of you madam?" Fukuyama asks daring to scan Nina's athletic and feminine body. "You're quite the looker, I must say! What's your story?"
"I usually expect a man to buy me dinner before I let him look at me like that" Nina reacts coolly.
"That can be arranged" Fukuyama responds with a smile.
"Listen, we're in the middle of a game so if you would please go about your day with your billions then we shouldn't have any trouble."
"Not without my woman!" Fukuyama demands locking his gaze with Koyomi's fearful eyes. Koyomi retreats back behind Yukinari.
"No! I'm not his woman!" Koyomi cried.
"You heard her Mister Playboy. She's not available so, kind sir, I bid you adieu" Nina bids waving at Fukuyama.
"This is an outrage! Is a man not entitled to his woman!? I demand to see her! To hold her! To touch her and consume her! To coat her in whip cream and top her off with several fruits and nuts and dine on her succulent flesh as I please! Hihihihihihihi!" Fukuyama cackled lecherously. "I demand it now!"
"Well" Nina resumes ignoring Fukuyama's exaggerated mannerisms, "if you wish to take that tone young man, I'm afraid you'll have to get through me" Nina offers standing her ground.
"And you'll have to get through me too" Seiichirou contributes placing his hand firmly on Fukuyama's shoulder making Fukuyama shudder.
"You can count me in" Maharu contributes having encountered the pervert a long time ago.
"For my woman..." Fukuyama starts eyeing Yukinari who's also standing his ground thus adding up to a total of four people Fukuyama has to get through. "...challenge accepted!"
-TRANSITION-
Lisa, finishing her meditation and thus feeling completely relaxed and refreshed, leaves the cool shade under someone else's umbrella and sets about finding her assistants. "Where have they gone off to? It's time to go home" Lisa declares noting the yellow-orange sky. She walks for a few moments before spotting the volleyball match from afar.
"So why didn't you finish the game?" Hayate asked Kosame who had withdrawn from the game, Nina and Maharu reassembling their team.
"I just couldn't... Yukinari's a good person. I was wrong to spite him. Anyways, I've had my fill" Kosame finishes grabbing a towel from the vertical towel rack next to the volleyball court.
"Game set and match. 25 to 15. The game goes to us!" Maharu declares approaching Yukinari and Seiichirou. "Good game wasn't it fellas?" she says extending a hand.
"For you it was" Yukinari says admiringly. He shakes Maharu's hand and she immediately gives him a dangerously seductive look.
"..So cute" Maharu compliments and Yukinari just as quickly withdraws his hand.
"Th-thanks..." Yukinari answers nervously. Seiichirou simply collapses down onto the sand.
"We suck" was all he could say of what had happened.
"Here you go try-hard" Maharu says lifting towels off of the towel rack and laying one over Seiichirou and another over Yukinari, both of which proceed to dry themselves.
"There you two are!" Lisa announces as she arrives at the volleyball court. "What have you been up to?"
"Mistress Lisa" Lisa's two bodyguards reply.
"Our apologies Mistress Lisa. We've indulged too much already" Hayate regretted bowing respectfully, Kosame following suit.
"It's okay, that's sort of what the beach is for" Lisa said forgivingly. "Yukinari!?"
"Hello Lisa" Yukinari said removing his sweat with the towel Maharu had given him. Even then seeing her now only filled him with a guilt. "It must hurt her seeing me" he thought but not for long, Lisa pouncing on him, her arms wrapping around him tightly.
"Oh Yukinari! I've missed you so much!" Lisa sung squeezing tightly. Yukinari looked at Lisa's assistants who simply looked back at him blankly. "Having fun playing volleyball?"
"Yeah" Yukinari replies feeling relieved. Lisa seemed cheery and, as Yukinari thought, she was much stronger than she let on. "And what have you been up to Lisa?"
"Just some relaxation: that's what my big brother brought me here for. Speaking of which, where is that lecher?" Lisa asked looking around. "Have you seen him? He's probably running around after girls."
"As a matter of fact, he was chasing Koyomi moments ago" Yukinari recalls.
"Of course. I'm very sorry Koyomi for whatever trouble my brother has caused you" Lisa apologized turning to Koyomi.
"It's okay. He's been taken care of" Koyomi returned politely.
"So where is he now?" Lisa asked. Yukinari points towards the towel rack beside the court. "The towel rack?" Approaching the towel rack, Lisa comes to the shocking realization that hidden behind it was Fukuyama buried into the sand waist-high wringing sweaty towels dry without his gloves on. "Big brother! What's going on here!?"
"Welcome to my torment my dear little sister" Fukuyama greeted wringing a sweaty towel, disgust on his face.
"How did you get like this? What did you do now?" Lisa asks suspicious.
"He got confrontational with us" Nina explains watching Fukuyama with a scrutinizing eye. "...And then he just passed out..."
"It's especially warm today!" Fukuyama excused.
"So then we decided to cut the playboy down to size by burying him!"
"A, ha, ha, ha, ha" Fukuyama mocked with a fake laugh.
"When he came to, we had a pile of sweaty sticky towels that needed wringing."
"This is what you get for chasing Koyomi again. I guess you'll never learn" Lisa said pessimistically.
"Why can't you side with me for once!?" Fukuyama asked offended. "At least a little sympathy! I need my gloves!"
"Here's my towel Fukuyama" Yukinari says dropping a moist towel on Fukuyama. "Be careful, I worked up a sweat!" Yukinari warns and walks off to rejoin the others.
"You see!? I'm drying Punynari's towel!" Fukuyama exclaims in anguish. "And just my luck, Koyomi didn't sweat today! Even though she teasingly played hard to get! She wants me! I know it!"
"Shut up already!" Lisa demands snatching the towel from Fukuyama's hand. "Hayate, Kosame, pull him out!" Immediately, Lisa's attendants stand at attention, grab Fukuyama by his arms and pull freeing him from his sandy prison.
"Humph! I guess only us Fukuyamas can look out for each other huh?" Fukuyama comments patting sand off. "I need to wash my hands."
"We're heading home big brother. It's getting late" Lisa notifies.
"No, you go home. Big brother Kazuharu is going to stick around for a little while longer" he says eyeing Maharu, Nina, and Koyomi over the towel rack while paying absolutely no mind to Seiichirou and Yukinari.
"You just don't learn!" Lisa reprimands snapping her fingers. FWwwwiiipp! A dart hits Fukuyama's leg and he topples over.
"Gaaah! L-little sister! Why little sister?.. Why?" Fukuyama grunts before losing consciousness.
"Just saving the Fukuyama name. Or what's left of it after what you've done to it. Hayate, Kosame, we're heading home." Lisa approaches the others who are busily conversing. "I'll be taking my brother off of your hands now. I just wish to extend my deepest apologies for his behavior."
"He didn't cause too much trouble. I mean Koyomi is safe and sound after all. That's a billion-dollar playboy towel wringer you've got there by the way. Put him to good use!" Nina said chuckling.
"And Yukinari" Lisa begins approaching Yukinari. "It's really good to see you again!" she says hugging him fiercely.
"It's good to see you too Lisa" Yukinari returns hugging her back. As he hugged Lisa, Kosame directed a handshake at him.
"It was nice playing you" Kosame said sincerely. "And I'm sorry about the hit to the face."
"It's okay Kosame. I'll be fine" Yukinari agrees answering the handshake offered.
"I'll see you again Yukinari" Lisa assured as she blew a kiss Yukinari's way.
"Yeah, see ya" Yukinari said glad that Lisa seemed to have cheered up. He cared deeply for Lisa but he was in a relationship with Kirie and it would only be awkward to have her around... Now with Lisa gone, Maharu got down to business.
"Yukinari, I have something to tell you" Maharu says beckoning Yukinari closer.
"Yeah?" Yukinari answers walking up to Maharu.
"It's about Miharu. She's told me recently that she's ready to come back to Earth."
"Really!?" Yukinari and Seiichirou gasp.
"That's right Yukinari. And Seiichirou, I don't want you interfering with this you hear me!?" Maharu warns.
"I won't... I'll honor my word" Seiichirou confirms reluctantly. "But Earth is a dangerous place for Seiren girls" he warned.
"Fukuyama and I are both from Earth but rest assured, I'm not like him" Yukinari declares loudly. "She's coming to Earth if she wants to!"
"Relax Sasaki" Seiichirou says annoyed and turning away. "I've already agreed to that... Anyways, let's eat. I'm starving" Seiichirou grumbles shoving the issue into the back of his mind.
"Speaking of which, where the heck is that Masashi?" Nina says loudly. "Speak of the devil!" In the distance, Masashi comes running fast towards their location, massive insulated boxes wrapped in sheets slung over his shoulder. "About time you got here" Nina directs at his arrival.
"Do you realize how far I had to go Miss Nina? Carrying this all the way here was not easy at all... I'm sweating buckets here!" Masashi claims breathing heavily. Moments later, with a long portable picnic table set up near the volleyball court, lunch was arranged. Before starting on the feast Nina had provided, Yukinari goes out to get Kirie, Ebi, and a Tomoka who had what looked like sunburn on exposed parts of her skin. Further behind them was a snake following along going unnoticed.
"I'll be back everyone. Don't start without me though!" Yukinari had said departing their company.
"Don't take too long" Nina says organizing the boxes Masashi had brought. Yukinari finds Kirie heading his way with Ebi in her arms, Tomoka following along.
"Hey Kirie! Tomoka! Ebi!" Yukinari calls out to her heading their way.
"Yukinari!" Kirie calls back relieved to see him and quick to close the distance between them. "Oh Yukinari, it was awful! That bastard Fukuyama pulled out these creepy fireball things! They chased me around the whole beach! It was terrible!" she wailed, Yukinari wrapping his arms around her.
"You mean navis don't you?" Yukinari recalls. "Kirie, they're harmless!"
"Whatever, I don't care! They're creepy!" Kirie says burying her face into Yukinari's chest. "And fire isn't harmless!"
"Well I don't see them anywhere" Yukinari said looking around. "Looks like they're gone."
"Good!.. Is Koyomi okay?" Kirie asks withdrawing her face out of Yukinari's chest. "Fukuyama chased after her, the bastard!"
"Yeah, she's fine. And we took care of Fukuyama too so relax Kirie. We're at the beach" Yukinari reminds caressing Kirie's arm to comfort her knowing how the supernatural terrified her. "Tomoka, is, is that a snake around you?" Yukinari asked not sure whether to believe what he was seeing.
"Yep!" Tomoka confirms worry-free, the snake wrapping its coils around her. "It's Koyo's!"
"Is it now?" Yukinari asked uneasily watching Tomoka's legs sticking out from under a bundle of scaly coils.
"Koyo!" Tomoka calls out.
"There you are!" Koyomi calls back, the snake popping its head out of the coils at the sound of Koyomi's voice. Uncoiling excitedly, the snake leaps at Koyomi and wraps around her. "I was wondering when you'd get out from the ground!" The snake simply flickered its tongue and Koyomi scratched the back of its head affectionately. As Koyomi had learned early on as a snake owner, it was normal for her snake to go underground. "Thanks Tomoka."
"No problem Koyo! Anyways, I'm starving! Pizza time!" Tomoka announces. With that, Yukinari and Kirie join Tomoka and Koyomi in reuniting with Nina, Maharu, and Masashi at the table to enjoy a tableful of a variety of pizza pies.
"And who is this adorable little thing!?" Nina sings catching sight of Ebi in Kirie's arms. "She's absolutely adorable!" Nina says dashing for Ebi and taking her from Kirie's hold. "What is your name you cute little thing!?" Nina asks holding Ebi in her arms. Ebi simply stares curiously back at the woman with dark green hair and sharp, violet eyes.
"Nya nya" Ebi emits softly.
"Awwww!" Nina melts at the sounds Ebi had just made and squeezes Ebi in a powerful hug. "Kirie, who is this? You must let her eat with me!" she requests excitedly showing bits of a maternal side that took Yukinari by surprise.
"S-sure..." Kirie agrees feeling famished. Yukinari takes a seat and guides Kirie to sit next to him to his right. Koyomi takes a seat to Yukinari's left with her snake wrapped around her and Tomoka to Kirie's right. Nina seats herself opposite Yukinari, Ebi taking a seat on her lap, Maharu and Masashi sitting on either of Nina's sides. Seiichirou, preferring to eat standing, held a plate with one hand and ate with the other.
"Well this is quite the table" Nina said as pizza slices were passed about. "Koyomi's got a pet snake and I've got a cute little one seated on my lap. So whose is this little one? You two didn't have a kid behind my back did ya?" Nina joked.
"N-no! Not our kid!" Kirie claims quickly with pink cheeks, Yukinari similarly affected by the question. "T-too soon for that."
"She didn't just puff into existence by magic then did she?" Nina asks pinching Ebi's cheek.
"Actually, in a way she did" Kirie answers to Nina's surprise.
"..Oh?"
"It's a bit of a long story..." Kirie initiated.
-TRANSITION-
Fukuyama, in the backseat of a long limo driving him home, begins to regain consciousness. "Uhnn... Urghh..." he moaned groggily.
"You're developing an immunity to the tranquilizer it seems" Lisa comments sitting next to Fukuyama, a towel in her hands. Fukuyama, his sight becoming clearer as he wakes, watches as Lisa exhales out of her mouth lengthily and then, to Fukuyama's alarm, smothers herself with the towel breathing in the towel's scent fiercely and aggressively. "Mmmm, Yuukiinariii's sweeaaat!" she exhales pulling the towel away with a look of utter bliss on her face, red dots on her cheeks. "They say men's sweat contains a pheromone! I must harness this elixir of love!" Lisa told herself.
"No" Fukuyama exclaimed weakly lunging for the towel only to fall down onto the limo's floor still feeling numb from the drug. "Lisa, don't."
"Just go to sleep again" Lisa commands.
"Shall we?" Kosame and Hayate ask sitting opposite Lisa, dart blowers at the ready.
"Only if he insists on interrupting my fun" Lisa instructs before taking another long inhalation.
"You do realize Punynari and Kirie are a couple now don't you?" Fukuyama reminds Lisa.
"I'm well aware of that!" Lisa snapped back. "But that's not going to stop me! Yukinari will one day realize his mistake the way he did with Miharu and when that happens, I'll pounce! Then he'll take my purity from me as he ravages every nanometer of my body!" Lisa exclaimed gleefully.
"Lisa, don't speak like that! You're underage!" Fukuyama pleaded.
"Ha! Who are you to criticize!?" Lisa demands with a huff. "Age hasn't ever stopped you before!" she counters glaring from behind the towel. "Now I've had enough of your whining. Continue as such and I'll have you tranquilized again" Lisa threatened, her assistants seated nearby lending her words their weight. Fukuyama groans resentfully but finally quiets down preferring to remain conscious for the rest of the ride back home.
"Kids nowadays have too much damn time" the limo driver grumbled.
-TRANSITION-
The party of nine had dined and drank themselves full. In that time, Tomoka had boastfully explained Ebi's origins: how with her magic, she had transformed the yellow cat-seal into the little girl with green hair that now sat on Nina's lap. "Well isn't that something? You're magic Ebi!" Nina informs Ebi who was moments ago busily nibbling on a pizza slice. "So Seiichirou, have fun during our volleyball game?"
"No" Seiichirou answers coolly.
"We were terrible" Yukinari condemned which prompts a number of laughs around the table. "Hopefully we'll do better next time, if there's a next time."
"There won't be" Seiichirou assured.
"By the way Koyomi, that snake" Masashi then asked. "Where'd you get it? It looks intimidating!"
"I, I guess you could say I won him at a mahjong game!" Koyomi explains nervous from being spoken to by a man.
"And what does he eat? Can he eat pizza?" Masashi continues hoping to watch the snake eat.
"A-actually, snakes don't eat often. I feed him at least once a week, at most twice a week" Koyomi explains still not too comfortable.
"Pretty cool pet" Masashi concludes.
"Th-thanks" Koyomi answers.
"Ow! Watch it Kirie!" Tomoka complains. "Don't touch me!"
"Don't get mad at me. I told you to apply sunblock but did you listen?" Kirie challenges as she pokes Tomoka's skin.
"Tomo gets it! Tomo gets it!" Tomoka shrieks getting up and away from the table.
"So if we come back to the beach, what will you do differently?" Kirie asks hoping to drill the lesson in.
"Sunblock! Tomo gets it already!" Tomoka shouts back.
"Remember it Tomoka! It's for your own good!"
"Oh! That reminds me!" Maharu recalls. "Good news girls! Miharu has told me she wants to come back!"
"Really!?" Tomoka voices excitedly. "That's great! Tomo can't wait to see her again!"
"That's wonderful news!" Koyomi agrees. "It'll be just like the good old days! Won't it Yukinari? Kirie?"
"Absolutely" Yukinari said.
"Yes" Kirie agrees. Quickly, she feels Yukinari grab her hand gently. Kirie squeezes back. Without words, Yukinari reassured Kirie that he and Miharu were now just good friends. It was Kirie who was his significant other now...
As delicious and enjoyable as the get-together had been, the day was not endless and with the beach darkening and emptying of people, Nina stood up and stretched. "Well, I think I've had my fill. What about everyone else?"
"I've had plenty" Maharu answers.
"That was very good Miss Nina. Thank you very much!" Masashi responds.
"That was very lovely! Thank you so very much!" Koyomi thanked gratefully and dabbed at her lips with a napkin.
"Tomo thought it was good!"
"Thanks teach" Seiichirou said simply after setting his plate down on the table.
"Thanks for everything Miss Nina" Kirie says elbowing Yukinari who's busily finishing the rest of what was on his plate.
"Oh! Yes, of course! Thank you so very much Miss Nina! It was absolutely delicious!" Yukinari agreed and he got up along with everyone else.
"Okay, everyone help clean up and gather our things and after that, I'll give you all a ride home since it's getting late" Nina offers noting the darkening sky. With that, everyone sets out to gather their things for the trip home. Yukinari heads off with Kirie to retrieve the tent and some of the things in and near it and Masashi and Maharu go off to gather the volleyball gear and towels. Nina heads off to call up some cabs to ready for the trip home, an Ebi nodding off in her arms and thus leaving Koyomi and Tomoka to clear the table. Seiichirou however stood nearby staring out to the ocean quietly.
"Mister Seiichirou, if you're worried about Miharu coming to Earth" Koyomi starts, "you shouldn't worry too much... Yukinari is a very sweet person and he's defended me against the pervert several times. He's brave and strong... And Miharu is in good hands here on Earth... Even with my own phobia of men, Yukinari is one of the few men who I'm comfortable being around with."
"I hear you Koyomi, rest assured I understand. Tell me, was Miharu happy when she lived here?"
"She was very happy" Koyomi answers confidently though she found it best not to bring up the break up that had occurred between Yukinari and Miharu. "And if the pervert would show up, he'd be there to defend her."
"Do you like it here on Earth?"
"Yes, absolutely" Koyomi answers without hesitation. "There are people here who are important to me. There are many interesting things here on Earth and it was on Earth where I met Miharu."
"And it's on this planet where they produce 'Poyon'. That's very important!" Tomoka declares with praise.
"...I see" Seiichirou responds chuckling at Tomoka's comment.
"Hey! Do your part slacker!" Maharu shouts at her younger brother holding the volleyball in one hand and the net in another.
"Alright alright! Don't shout at me!" Seiichirou retaliates as he approaches the portable picnic table and begins to disassemble it.
"I'll shout at you all I want" Maharu disciplines moments later as the two siblings walked towards the cabs that had just arrived. Koyomi and Tomoka followed behind with dishes in their hands ready to get home and call it a day.