Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis.
Chapter Thirty: Shopping for Bikinis
"What!" exclaimed Yukimura after Miyu had announced that she and Sakuno would be going to the beach the coming Tuesday.
After her annoyance had cooled down a bit, she had decided to let the regulars know well ahead so they could have a chance to make up their minds whether or not to go to the beach with them.
She did want to enjoy the outing with Sakuno and going with other people that they were not as familiar with as the regulars would probably be boring.
The regulars were her 'brothers' after all. Besides, she did not want them to moan at her about not letting them come to the beach with them.
Bold as she was, she was too close to the regulars not to know how they would react in this situation.
She would get off lightly with Jackal and Yanagi.
She would be in trouble with Bunta, Yagyuu and Yukimura.
She would be 'dead meat' with Sanada, Niou and Akaya. The last three would be angry in different ways but she would be just as 'dead'.
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Since Sanada was showing such a degree of protectiveness towards Sakuno, he would definitely dislike her going off the beach without adequate escort in the summer.
The beach would be full of people and most likely, there would be plenty of guys looking for a bit of 'fun'.
Sakuno would be easy prey in this situation and Miyu would not be enough to protect her.
Yukimura would be just as angry as Sanada but he could never work up the rage with Miyu so she would be safe from her brother.
Niou would also be just as angry about the situation because she could tell that he was feeling more than friendly towards Sakuno and to think of her in a bikini at the beach with some other guy would be enough to send him off his rockers.
She was wary of Niou, not because he was intimidating like Sanada, though he could be if he wanted to, but because he was capable of making her school life a living hell and not even Yukimura could protect her.
Akaya was also very possessive of Sakuno, 'his bunny', and he would not take lightly to the news that she was off having fun while her 'master' was slaving away in the tennis courts.
Moreover, he was so unpredictable that there was no telling what he would do to Miyu if he was really in a rage.
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Miyu might like her revenge and her fun but she did not relish creating extra trouble for herself.
Therefore she changed her initial plan and told Sakuno that she wanted to get the regulars to go the beach for them to take a break.
She added that if they knew that it was her idea, they would not go because they were too proud of admitting that they needed a break. However, if it was Sakuno wanting to go to the beach, it would be a different matter.
Sakuno did not really understand Miyu's logic but she said agreeably that she would go with Miyu's story and said that it was her that wanted to go to the beach.
Miyu did not enlighten her when Sakuno asked why they would go if it was Sakuno's idea because she did not want to make Sakuno self-conscious around the regulars.
Miyu wanted everything to be as natural as possible, feelings-wise of course.
Everything else could be engineered but feelings could not.
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"What do you mean you are going to the beach?" Yukimura asked.
He was not surprised that she would go to the beach but he was not too pleased to hear that it would only be her and Sakuno.
Miyu said, "What are you asking, onii-san? Sakuno and I are going to the beach. What's wrong with that sentence?"
Yukimura said, "Exactly, Sakuno and you are going to the beach by yourselves? In the middle of the summer holidays? Without some more people to keep you company?
Even you should know better. It would be too dangerous. There would be too many guys around at the beach looking for girls like you and Sakuno just so they could have a spot of fun!"
Miyu gave an exaggerated sigh. "Onii-san, I haven't finished speaking. Sakuno wanted to go to the beach and I agreed to take her but she did say that she would like to ask the regulars to go with us because she would feel that it would be happier that way.
I said that I would tell you first and you can ask the others for us. We chose the coming Tuesday because that day, Sakuno and I don't have tennis practice and on a weekday, there wouldn't be so many families around at the beach like during the weekend.
We won't be going to the beach by ourselves because if you guys aren't coming, then I will just find someone else."
Yukimura asked, "If we aren't coming, who will you find?"
He knew that she was not that friendly with boys at school and he knew that most of her girl friends were made at Rikkai Dai and they would be more interested in getting boyfriends at the beach than having fun.
Miyu would be unlikely to get any of them to go with her and Sakuno.
Miyu answered airily, "Oh, I don't know yet. You know that I don't have many friends as close as your regulars but last time, Fuji-san and I exchanged emails and we kept in touch.
I might ask him to get some of his friends to go with us to the beach. After all, Sakuno knows them as well and since I am going because of her, I might as well get people that she can relax around."
She knew that would annoy Yukimura to think of Sakuno being near the Seigaku regulars again and that was why she brought them up.
Yukimura frowned and said, "Don't bother with the Seigaku people. I never said that we won't go. I don't know about the others but I will go with you, so you will at least have one escort. I will ask the others tomorrow, Miyu."
Miyu grinned, "Thanks, onii-san, make sure you say that Sakuno would be really disappointed if they don't say yes."
Yukimura looked at his sister suspiciously. He guessed that his precious sister was up to something but he did not know what.
He was not going to give her the satisfaction of asking though and could only hope that it was not something nasty.
He would have a great shock if he knew that she was trying to let them spend time with Sakuno so she could pair her up with one of them. It would never have occurred to him what she was going on about.
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Miyu was happy with the way her brother had reacted and she went to the kitchen where Sakuno was preparing dinner.
She said to Sakuno, "I asked and onii-san said yes, he will come with us."
Sakuno smiled happily, "That's wonderful! Thank you, Miyu-chan. I am starting to like your idea very much now!"
She honestly started to look forward to spending the day at the beach with her friends from Rikkai. Then, a thought struck her and she asked, "Miyu-chan, what about the others? Will they go?"
Miyu patted her arm, "Don't worry, Sakuno. Onii-san said that he will ask them tomorrow but I am sure that they will all want to come. Come on, it's the summer holidays. They have been practicing all summer already and it's high time that they have a break!"
Sakuno nodded and Miyu continued, "By the way, Sakuno, will you come with me to choose swimsuits? Mine is too ugly and I really want a new one."
Sakuno said, "Sure, I need a new one as well. Let's go tomorrow!"
Miyu was excited now because she rarely went on shopping trips with friends. Most of the girls she knew spend too long deciding and asking repetitive questions like, "Do you think this looks good?" or "Are you sure it doesn't make me look fat?"
She was fine if they asked once or twice but over and over again? That was too much and she learnt to avoid going on shopping trips with them.
However, that left her with no girl friends to go shopping with until Sakuno came along. She tried shopping with her guy pals but they were just as bad in a different way.
They would say, "That looks fine" to everything she chose and would look bored very soon.
In the end, she usually went on shopping trips by herself or with her mother but it was not as much fun, other than the fact that she did not have to pay when she went with her mother.
Now, there was Sakuno to go with her and somehow, she thought that Sakuno would not be the type to ask repetitive questions about style and weight and stuff.
She really looked forward to the beach trip now, not only for Sakuno's sake for also for herself.
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As with every practice, Yukimura stood facing his team-mates at the beginning of practice.
He said straight on, "Coming Tuesday, I won't be coming to practice."
Everyone was surprised by this sudden announcement. Apart from the time that he was ill a few years ago, they had never known Yukimura to miss practice.
They wondered what was up and some of them were immediately worried if it was his health. They all waited for his explanation and it was not long in coming.
Yukimura continued, "Miyu told me last night that she will be going to the beach with Sakuno that day and I have decided to accompany them. It would be too dangerous if they went by themselves and I don't trust anyone else with them.
She also told me to tell you all that Sakuno would like everyone to come because it would be happier. It will be your own decision though."
There was no question about everyone's decision. They all decided to go and for a few minutes, there was excited talk about the beach trip until Sanada lost his temper and got everyone under control.
He was not too pleased about having to cancel practice but he did look forward to spending the day with little Sakuno.
Since she came back, he had not been able to see her much because he had been too busy. He had enjoyed her bento very much though and was definitely going to tell her that.
Niou was also very happy about the beach trip. He looked forward to seeing Sakuno in a swimsuit.
In fact, he was so happy that he wondered if he actually liked her more than he thought.
If that was the case, then he would start making his moves soon because he did not want to lose her just because he was being indecisive.
He also thought of the fun he could have at the beach.
There would be so many unwary people around for him to play with. He smiled evilly at the thought.
Bunta was also thinking of Sakuno. This time, he was actually thinking like a normal eighteen-year-old and not a hungry kid.
His eyes sparkled as he fantasized Sakuno in a bikini but his stomach started to edge in his thoughts.
Sakuno in a bikini holding a basket of food and saying, "Bunta-senpai, I made loads of food just for you!"
He was dreaming so much that he did not notice that Jackal was trying to speak to him.
Jackal had stopped trying when he saw the silly look on Bunta's face and knew that he was up in the clouds somewhere.
He had not been to the beach in a long time and he looked forward to relaxing for a whole day with his friends.
He liked tennis and was determined to play better and better but he did like to have fun as well.
He thought of games they could play at the beach, like beach volley ball or just plain splashing around in the sea.
He suddenly remembered that they could rent floating rafts at the beach. They could rent one of those for the girls.
He was sure that Sakuno would enjoy that and they could push her in the water. Miyu would probably like that as well.
He liked spending time with these two girls because he did not have any siblings and while the regulars were like his brothers, Miyu was like his … actually, sometimes, she was more like another brother but Sakuno was definitely like a sister.
He enjoyed this relation with the friends around him and he knew he would miss it when he graduated from high school.
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Miyu and Sakuno were at one of Miyu's favorite stores, looking at the bright and colorful swimsuits on display.
Miyu was excitedly pulling this one out and that one out.
She was more interested in choosing one for Sakuno than choosing one for herself because she really looked forward to seeing the regulars' eyes popping out of their sockets.
All the styles she pulled out were bikinis and Sakuno had been shocked at some of the styles.
She was not a prudish girl and had her own taste in clothes. She liked clothes that were not too conservative but she did balk at them being too wild or gothic.
She would not have chosen a bikini by herself but she also did not mind wearing one but she did mind wearing bikinis with so little cloth that she might as well as not wear anything.
She did not know that Miyu had been choosing the wild ones on purpose.
She wanted to have a greater contrast for Sakuno to see and if she put two bikinis side by side: one extremely revealing and the other less so. Sakuno would of course choose the less so one and Miyu would have gotten what she wanted.
Sakuno would end up with a sexy bikini and not think too much of it because the alternative would be much more revealing.
Miyu pulled out another revealing bikini, a leopard patterned one this time and added it to the growing pile.
Sakuno said, "Ne, Miyu-chan, don't you think we have enough to choose from for the time being? The salesgirl is glaring at us." She glanced at the salesgirl nearby who was looking a bit impatient.
Normally, Miyu would not have cared less but since Sakuno was feeling nervous, she stopped and they went to the changing rooms to try on some of the bikinis.
Last year, it was Miyu's mother who had accompanied Miyu to shop for swimsuits and Miyu had ended up with a rather traditional one piece that she hated.
It was like one of the school swimsuits that they wore for swimming lessons in the summer.
This time, she was going to choose a stylish one with a daring design.
Actually, she had already had a few in mind. They were mixed in the pile that she had pulled out for Sakuno.
Sakuno looked apprehensively at the pile of bikinis that Miyu had chosen.
Surely she was not expected to try them all? She tried to say, "Ano…"
Miyu cut her off, knowing what it was that she wanted to say, "Don't worry, Sakuno, you don't have to try them all. I just wanted to have a few more choices to compare with. I can't choose properly with them all on hangers."
She fished some out from the pile and said, "I'll try these on. What about you? This one?"
The one Miyu suggested was a black skinny piece with a G-string for the bottom.
Sakuno shook her head vehemently. She was not going to go out wearing anything that would be showing her bare bottom for the world to see.
Miyu shrugged and put the black one aside. She pulled out another outrageous one.
This one had so little cloth that covered only the most important areas and was even worse than the black one. Sakuno shook her head harder and Miyu put that one aside as well.
She found another one to shock Sakuno with. It had a relatively normal bottom piece compared to the other two but the top piece was designed to show more chest than to cover it.
Sakuno shook her head again and asked, "Isn't there a less revealing one, Miyu-chan?"
Miyu pretended to think and browse through the pile as if they were really hard to find and finally pulled one out. It was a light blue two-piece and Sakuno took it thankfully.
Miyu pulled out another two. One was a hot pink bikini that was rather conservative in design and the other one was a pale pink one that covered the important parts well but the top piece showed a bare back.
Miyu pulled out some more. A few of them were very daring and Sakuno refused those and the others not so daring ones, she agreed to try on.
Soon, they started trying on the bikinis.
Miyu very quickly made her choice.
She chose an aquamarine bikini that was very sexy with strings that tied at the neck and the back.
She then waited for Sakuno to try on each bikini and make her choice.
Each time Sakuno tried on a bikini, she would come out and ask Miyu's opinion.
Sometimes, if the bikini was too daring, she would be blushing furiously and Miyu had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
She thought that Sakuno was very cute when she was blushing like that.
Since she was never much of a shy person, she did not really understand how Sakuno could be so easily embarrassed but she did respect the fact that not everyone was like her.
In the end, Sakuno settled with the pale pink bikini that showed her back.
She liked the color and the style did cover everything that needed to be covered safely.
Miyu was also happy with her choice because she had been half nervous that Sakuno would be adamant on a one piece conservative swimsuit.
If she did, Miyu was sure she would pull a first and bawl in public.
Thankfully, she did not have to do that and they paid for their purchases and went for ice-cream.