Clear to cloudy
Target 58: Beach episode
After the ring conflict ended so did the field trip to Tokyo. On the train home to Namimori, Fumie was complaining the whole time about how the mall was closed the entire time saying things like "It was so huge! And with so many stores! I never got any of their clothes!" with Kotsu trying to calm her down, explaining that the renovation was probably important and so on knowing damn well that whole mall will need a makeover after the ring conflict.
Kotsu and Ren are walking to school with the usual crowd of Tsugemora, Fumie and Reishiro, the girl and thunder guardian arguing over something stupid again. Ren looks up at the sky. "So… it's been a week huh…?" Ren says and Kotsu looks up along with him seeing the few clouds floating across the sky.
"Yeah… and we won… are you sure you're okay with fighting… even if it's for me?" Kotsu asks and Ren pulls him into a headlock with a smile.
"Of course I am… it was the ONE thing I learned during that whole ordeal… I need to be there for you, not just in spirit… but in body as well. If it makes you happy then it'll make me happy too. If any more badguys show up…" He says pausing and he takes a few steps forward doing a kick into the air followed by an air-flair and into a back-roll. "I'll be ready!" He says smiling happily as he stands up straight again.
"You… could ask Reborn to teach you some fighting techniques?" Kotsu suggests and Ren sighs.
"I tried… but all he said was…" he says thinking back to him in the back garden with Reborn reading a book.
"If I teach you how to fight then what's the point in making you his sun guardian and not me?"
"And told me to leave him alone with his reading…" Ren finishes and Kotsu gets a blankly annoyed look.
"Sounds like him alright," Kotsu says with a sigh as they arrive at the school.
-NII-
During the break Fumie gets up behind Kotsu who's seemingly in deep through and she blows in his ear causing him to jump in his seat. "Fumie?! W-what'd you do that for?!"
"You were looking a little sulky is all. In fact you've been like that since the camp! You DID win that game didn't you?"
"Yeah… but I definitely didn't deserve the win…"
"Nonsense! But anyway! I've been thinking about going to the beach recently! You wanna come! It's summer time and really warm outside! It could be fun!" She says and Kotsu thinks for a few seconds about Fumie in a swimsuit. Would she have a one-piece or a bikini…?
He quickly shakes his head. "S-sure… who else have you invited?"
Fumie points around the class. "Just a few of my friends… you can invite people you know to come as well if you want!"
"So… you want me to invite Ren?" He says and she nods in the most adorably determined way, not hiding her true intentions in the slightest. "Got it… I guess that means Reishiro's coming too…" He says thinking a little and Fumie is already heading off to ask Rinoka who's quietly sitting and reading a book. Judging by her expression she wants to go but is desperately trying to figure out how to say yes. "So… we're going to the beach…" He says to himself smiling a little. Maybe that's what he needs. He's been thinking a lot about the ring conflict and how he won in an unfair way. The only guardians that could still fight were Rinoka, Faust and Gerald… both of the thunder guardians could easily defeat Rinoka… but he won nonetheless and he should be proud of that! Though Geraldino was walking around somewhere too...
-NII-
On the way home from school they all spot Marco and Cotton standing out front, Marco in red tuxedo suit and Cotton in her usual onesie. "Good evening sir. How was school?" He asks as he begins walking with the usual group.
"It was… good? Why're YOU here?" Kotsu asks and Marco looks to Cotton.
"My lady wished to come and greet you as always," He says stepping as far from Fumie as possible without seeming rude.
Cotton angrily pouts. "Marco! Cotton-heika does NOT want to see Mortal-kun more than necessary!" however she's ignored as Kotsu looks to the group.
"By the way guys… Fumie wants to go to the beach sometime… You guys want to join?" He asks hesitantly and Tsugemora jumps happily.
"If Nii-san will be there then so will I!" He declares and Ren just chuckles.
"Sure… I'll come. It'll be a good change of pace," He says Reishiro just nodding not really knowing what's happening, but he goes along with it. "What about you Marco? Cotton?" He adds and Marco almost freezes.
"I don't think I-" He starts but Cotton just jumps from his arms and onto Tsugemora's head.
"Cotton-heika will go to the beach! She will beat up ALL the watermelons!" She proudly proclaims stomping on Tsugemora who doesn't feel a thing due to not feeling pain.
"I suppose I will need to go as well then…" Marco says sighing.
-NII-
They decided to go to the beach during the following weekend having plenty of time to be there and Fumie, Kotsu, Ren, Tsugemora and Reishiro arrive first. Fumie in her red-floral patterned bikini, Kotsu and Ren both having opted for simple swim trunks in their respective flame-color Kotsu in purple and Ren in yellow. Kotsu is looking slightly stronger than last time he was bare-chested, due to Murphy's rough training during the ring conflict. Ren meanwhile is quite fit which shows clearly and Reishiro isn't even wearing trunks. He's just in his ordinary clothing. "We're here!" Fumie proclaims running towards the water, the boys carrying all their things. They set up camp near the water and Fumie stretches happily while Kotsu and Ren put up their parasol. "Alright boys! First in the water's a rotten egg!" She yells and starts running and Ren just chuckles setting off after her along with Tsugemora.
"I won't lose to you, Ren! 'I' am going to be Nii-san's strongest guardian!"
"A race is it? Then I'm in!" He yells laughing and Reishiro is right behind him, surprising Kotsu quite a bit with how fast Ren runs and he sets off as well, though without his dying will mode or hyper dying will mode he's quite weak and as they get in the water he's last and already a little exhausted. "Looks like I win!" Ren declares and splashes Fumie who just giggles trying to shield herself. Reishiro is in the water as well in his normal clothes not seeming to mind. Kotsu joins them and they all splash around a bit before Kotsu looks up seeing someone under their parasol and he goes to check who it is.
"Um… excuse me… this is our parasol… you can't just-" he starts before the person lifts his sunglasses.
"I know Secondo," Geraldino says and Kotsu jumps.
"What are YOU doing here?!"
"I'm trying to relax but you're making that harder for me. Go away," he commands and Kotsu just sighs before Geraldino smirks a little. "By the way I brought someone," He says gesturing behind him and Kotsu looks up seeing Rinoka shyly approaching the beach wearing a towel over her swimsuit looking around for anyone she knows. She spots Kotsu and Reborn and her eyes light up a little and she quickly makes her way over.
"H-h-h-h-h… Hello… K-Kotsu-san…" she manages to get out, her face already red along with Kotsu's as they both just look at each other.
"H-hey… Rinoka-san… you actually came," He says and Rinoka looks down a little fiddling with her toes in the sand.
"O-O-of course… B-because you're here…" She shyly says and Geraldino sits up.
"Well now you two. Stop standing around. Ren and the others are staring," He says and Rinoka tries hiding behind Kotsu as he sees Ren and Tsugemora looking at them.
"Y-yeah… come on let's go swim a little," Kotsu says and Rinoka blushes sending Kotsu ahead and she sits down next to Geraldino a little sad-looking.
"Is something the matter, Master?" He asks and Rinoka just blushes.
"W-what if he doesn't like my swimsuit…?" She says having gotten to be a little more open with Geraldino specifically.
"Nonsense…" He simply says taking a sip of a beer he brought. "I've lived at your house for about a week… and I know that you're too diligent and hardworking to give up on something before you try. So… nonsense…" he says and Rinoka blushes a little before taking off her towel and slowly heads towards Kotsu. It's just a simple black onepiece swimsuit, nothing special, but she's set her hair up in a bun to prevent it from falling in her face. She can't really have a hairpin in her hair while in the water after all. She heads out to join the others slowly stepping in the water gasping lightly as it's pretty cold in spite of the warm weather.
"Glad you could join us!" Ren says splashing her a little with his carefree expression.
"Y-y-yeah… T-Thank you Ren-senpai…" She says trying to get herself to splash him back but she can't really get herself to do it, being so timid.
"Oh please… We're not really upper- and underclassman anymore. We're fellow guardians. So maybe call me something else," He says chuckling a little. "Like Ren-pai or something," He says laughing at his own joke and Rinoka fidgets with her hair a little.
"R-Ren-pai…? I-I like it," She says and Ren just smiles.
"Then I'll be Ren-pai," he says dragging her with him out to others seeing Fumie holding Tsugemora under the water clearly in another argument with the young boy, Kotsu trying to defuse the situation, Reishiro having gone invisible, though you can see where he is in the water.
-NII-
After the group fools around a little in the water they all go up Ren having brought a net he borrowed from the school on Reborn's approval for beach volleyball and Ren and Tsugemora both pull on the net to get it stretched out, Tsugemora instantly seeing it as a chance to compete with the sun guardian, who still seems to be wearing his guardian ring and it's still flaring strong. "As if I'll let you beat me THIS time Ren!" He yells pulling the string back as hard he can and Ren just lifts an eyebrow getting down in the sand to hammer his own string into the ground.
"I… don't think this is the point of the game… that comes a little later…" He says laughing happily as Kotsu simply watch the two guardians 'fighting' Rinoka shyly standing beside him.
"Don't you guys think we're a little few to be playing beach volley?" He asks and Ren looks at their little group before smiling.
"Well not now at least," He says pointing and Kotsu looks in the direction seeing Marco come walking with Cotton in his arms, Cotton in her own little red onepiece, her hair still flowing free as it's against Rosa Rossa custom to restrain your hair in any manner. They all use their burning hair to force their hair into the many braids they wear. Marco meanwhile is looking quite vary of his surroundings as he approaches.
"Good day sir," He says bowing politely as he lets Cotton go and she runs to Tsugemora assaulting him and getting on top of his head.
"H-Hello… no need to be so formal with me… I'm just a normal guy after all…" Kotsu says and Marco shakes his head.
"That will not do sir. I see we're are playing beach volleyball? Have the teams been decided?" He asks and Ren looks between their group.
"Let's see… Me, Reishiro, Fumie aaaaand lil' bro vs Rinoka, Tsugemora, Marco and Cotton," He suggests and everyone happily agrees, except Marco.
"B-but I cannot…" He says looking to Rinoka, gulping trying his best to not make her uncomfortable. "I-it is fine Ren sir," He concludes Rinoka looking slightly uncomfortable as Cotton climbs onto Tsugemora's head.
"B-but I'm… not good at sports…" She says poking her fingers together and Tsugemora just throws his arms in the air Cotton doing the same from atop his head.
"That's alright! We'll win anyway! I'm not losing to Ren!" He declares pointing to the older boy who just laughs grabbing the ball.
"YEAH!" Cotton agrees.
"I like your spirit, Tsugemora!" Ren exclaims happily, preparing his serve.
"Yeah! But we won't lose either, Tsugemora!" Fumie yells back knowing that Ren is quite amazing at most, if not all, sports. Kotsu knows the same however it DOES make him wonder how good Reishiro is.
"Here I come!" Ren says taking a run-up jumping into the air slamming the ball over at what feels like super-sonic speed and it flies right past Tsugemora and Cotton's heads and into the sand and Ren smiles. "Good try! One more!" He says Rinoka tossing the ball back to him and she looks to Marco a little afraid.
"M-Marco-san… I-I don't think I c-can take that ball… c-can you… help me if it comes my way?" She shyly asks and Marco takes a small step back. Kotsu looks at the odd exchange before remembering that Marco's afraid of girls… and if that's the case Rinoka is the most girly girl ever.
"I-I will try lady Rinoka," He reluctantly says as Ren gears up for the serve again, not knowing how to hold back in a friendly sport match. He aims the exact same place as before, but Tsugemora manages to intercept this time and it flies into the air.
"It's yours Rinoka!" He declares as it slowly approaches and Rinoka starts panicking not knowing how to receive it in any way until she hears Kotsu from the other side.
"Just hit it up Rinoka. The others will help!" He yells and she tries her best to hit it up, but it doesn't get anywhere close to up into the air, however Marco enters dying will mode blasting in, hitting it over the net, exiting the state in an instant as well.
"I-I'm sorry Marco-san… I-I wasn't very good," She says and Tsugemora just laughs.
"Well we got it over didn't we!?" He says confidently before the ball slams into the ground at his feet. Everyone looks confused at what happened seeing Ren landing from his spike after Reishiro set it up for him. Even Kotsu is confused. "W-what happened!?" Tsugemora demands to know and Ren just laughs.
"I received, Reishiro set and I spiked. That's how we usually do it. Sorry you two. Next time how about one of you spikes it?" He suggests and Kotsu nervously laughs.
Marco laughs a little as well. "I see… if we're up against that kind of power then I will receive it with my dying will!" He declares activating his ability once again as Ren prepares to attack, both Rinoka and Tsugemora looking at their teammate. Ren blasts it off at his intense speed and it flies right for Rinoka, however as she flinches Marco gets in front uppercutting the ball into the air, exiting his dying will mode. "I got it!" He says and looks up. None of them can see the ball… Seems he MIGHT have hit it too hard… as Marco leans his head back to look he manages to catch a glimpse of Rinoka's hair in his peripheral vision and he almost leaps forward in fear. "My apologies lady Rinoka! I have no sense of personal space in my dying will mode!" He excuses bowing politely again, and Rinoka just tears up a little.
"Thank you… that was really scary!" She says thinking back to that terrifying serve Ren used. The ball finally comes back down and Tsugemora sets it to Marco who makes a spike using his dying will mode and they finally score their first point.
-NII-
After around 30 minutes of playing the others have pretty much giving up on playing with Ren and Marco as the match slowly devolved into Marco using his dying will to spike and receive any ball Ren tosses his way Ren doing the exact same, and the two are currently at their 31st point with the score 15-15. The rest of the group, save Fumie, who's just watching their game, is sitting under the parasol with Geraldino. "So… how long have their been going those two?" the young cosmic flame asks.
"I think… at least 30 minutes?" Kotsu says and everyone nods in unison at the two inexhaustible humans.
Reishiro sits up looking around. "What else do you do at a beach…?" He asks and Rinoka pokes her fingers together.
"We could… build a sandcastle…?" She suggests and Tsugemora jumps up.
"I will build a sandcastle with Nii-san! It will be the best sandcastle ever!" He declares and Cotton jumps into Rinoka's arms.
"Then Cotton-heika and Rinoka will build one as well and our armies will clash!" She yells and Rinoka gets a little flustered.
"C-Cotton-chan. W-W-We don't h-have armies…" she says and Cotton pouts.
"Well then Cotton-heika thinks it is boring," She says but goes along with it anyway, Geraldino laughing a bit.
"You're such a strange bunch of kids," He says looking at Ren and Marco who're STILL going on in their 31st point, neither tiring. It seems a few people have come to watch them. Marco rams a spike and Ren is forced to use his foot to hit it and it flies away from the net and he sprints after it, jumping up doing an overhead kick sending it right back to Marco.
"You're pretty good Marco!" He says and Marco sends it right back with a quick one-two hit barely giving Ren enough time to get it.
"Thank you, Ren sir. I am happy to be on your team," He says and Ren finally manages to get the better of Marco by deciding on something tricky, jumping up kicking it straight down with his intensely powerful kick Fumie cheering for him as it hammers into the sand.
"That was amazing Ren-senpai!" She says and Ren just smiles at her.
"Well Marco's no slouch it seems!" He says and the two shake on it neither of them seeming to be tired in the slightest.
"It was an honor, Ren sir," he says as girls flock up to them freaking him out a little, Ren mostly not minding them at all, Marco bolting away to 'go check on Cotton'.
-NII-
Rinoka and Cotton are sitting and making a sandcastle, Rinoka feeling a bit more at ease around Cotton given that she's like the older sister in their relationship. "Rinoka. Let's add a tower! It can blast all the enemies away!" Cotton declares grabbing the bucket filling it with sand and Rinoka just giggles a little.
"S-sure… b-but let's not do evil things okay Cotton-chan?"
"Cotton-heika cannot be an overlord by being nice!" She yells looking at Kotsu and Tsugemora who're also making a sandcastle, one of the two being a million times more energetic than the other.
"Nii-san! We cannot let the girls beat us! This is war!" Tsugemora declares and Kotsu literally gives up.
"I… can't even begin to understand you sometimes Tsugemora…" he says clapping their castle to make sure it's sturdy when suddenly they get attacked.
"COTTON-HEIKA SPECIAL MOVE: CASTLE CANONBALL!" Cotton yells coming in front the side slamming their castle to pieces laughing happily. "You have been defeated! Give in now mortal-kun and Tsugemortal!" She declares as Tsugemora gets angry and begins chasing her.
"Come here you little furball!" He yells annoyed he doesn't have his wiregun.
Kotsu laughs a little. "At least they're not boring…" he says looking to Rinoka who's just sitting by herself also looking at him and he smiles. They might all be odd in their own ways, but his friends are important to him. And if becoming Vongola boss makes their lives better, albeit more dangerous then that's fine. He'll be there to protect them…