Me: Okay, I'm up to speed! I hope you all like this chapter! IT'S PARTY TIME! (pulls on sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt) Oh yeah, this is going to rock!
Torahiko: Can't wait to hit the waves!
Hiroyuki: No spoils! Reader does not own Morenatsu!
Me: If I did, I'd love to hang out with the crew for this chapter! BEACH BOOGIE! (gets hit with a pebble by Juuichi)
August 7 part 2
Beach Party!
The bus stops at nine, and Tatsuki is the one to pay, though he does so groggily. I must admit, I'm surprised he can even make the payment without having a hangover or some other problem. Climbing off directly behind Kouya, I can only gawk at the scene before me. I really wish I had something to remember this with.
We're on a beach, ten meters of sand wide and stretching along the shore for miles. The water, completely devoid of life, is lightly touched by waves, which are larger out in the distance. The sun casts the perfect light over the beach, making this place like something you can only find in a story or video game. I can't help but love it for all this place is.
"Hey, I think you might want these," Hiroyuki mutters in my ear, pressing something to my chest. Apparently, he thought to grab my sketchbook and a freshly sharpened pencil when he and Torahiko dragged me out of my room earlier today. He smiles, walking off with Torahiko and the crew towards a shack of sorts.
I scramble to follow them, slipping on the sand a little as I catch up. Inside the shack, lockers are available, but there is no source of privacy for changing. Immediately, the others start to strip, though, Tatsuki and Juuichi are the only ones not to go stark, since they wear fundoshi. I turn away so I can change, gladly pulling off the embarrassing pajama hand-me-downs. I'm a little reluctant of my boxers, which are luckily not white today, but I pull them off in a swift motion.
The trunks Juuichi gave me are a little large, but a drawstring is available for me to tighten them enough, and the goggles are snug on my head. I shut the locker after I toss in my clothes, grabbing the towel and sketchbook.
I admit it, I'm surprised to be the third person finished, just behind Juuichi. The others are all just pulling on their trunks, minus Kouya, who seems to be enjoying not having anything on at the moment. At least, on the backside. His trunks are pulled up completely in the front, but the back is pulled down enough for his cheeks to show, just under his slowly wagging tail. I can't help but chuckle, covering my mouth.
The husky notices me and winks before speaking. "Enjoying a show, Lee?"
"What show," Shin mumbles. "You're just being slow, Kouya-kun." He steps out as a vein pops from Kouya's head, his fur spiking up.
"I said no formalities! Is it so hard to remember?"
"Course not, Kouya," I say with a laugh. I open up the sketchbook to a clean page, moving outside. The others, minus Kouya of course, follow, chattering away as they make plans for what to do.
I take a quick sketch down of the beach before I move in to join the conversation, taking notice of Kouya's rushed presence. I stay silent, of course, simply listening to what everyone else is doing, since I still can't swim. One lesson is certainly not enough for me to know how, and I don't care to have another lesson if Tatsuki gets involved again.
Of course, Torahiko, Tatsuki, and Hiroyuki are racing off for the water in seconds, laughing as they compete with one another. Soutarou and Kyouji, along with Juuichi, head for a nice shaded area where a fire pit is readily available for beach goers to use. My guess is they are preparing lunch for us all. Shun and Kounosuke run down along the shore, not entering the water, but staying in the wet sand, where large white deposits of shells are able to be seen. The husky stretches a little before moving to the water himself, wading out until it is at his waist. Shin, of course, pulls free a novel and sits in the shade of a tree, reading intently.
Pencil at ready, I smile, taking down more sketches of the group. I can't say I'm surprised when I say that my favorite member of the crew to draw is Kouya, floating on his back in the water without a care in the world. I still see him blushing with my fedora on his head whenever I see him relaxing like this.
Shutting the book, I set my things near Shin, with his permission, and move to the water. I take a short breath to calm my nerves as I enter the calm waters, moving with nervous ease to a point where I can sit down without having the waves go over my head.
"Well, I didn't expect you out this way after the other day," Kouya, who has floated closer to me, chuckles, giving me an upside down look. I smile, letting the water lap over my shoulders before I answer.
"Well, I have to get used to the water still. I may not be able to swim, but I can still relax in it." With a smirk, I splash his face, making the musician sputter. I can't hold in my laughter when he glares at me, flipped over so he's now able to stand up, which he does.
"It's that funny, huh? Well how do you like it?" He slaps the surface of the water, soaking my face. I shake my head, a grin on my face as I ready myself to send another wave at him.
I have the strangest feeling that someone or something wants me to get into a lot of awkward moments this summer. Just as I send a second wave at Kouya, and he sends one at me in what is the beginning of a splash war, something collides with the husky, and he cries out, tipping forward. Due to the small amount of space between us, I am what he lands on, or more particularly, the top of my head.
Despite the pain of having his chin smash onto my scalp, I find myself, not cringing, but blushing. The reason is the fact that my nose is right against his chest, so the mixed scent of sea water and a strong musk enters my nostrils. I can practically hear his heart beat as the organ vibrates my face. Or, that may very well be my own heartbeat, since it's racing in my chest.
Both of us try to adjust, but the wet sand beneath us won't allow it, worsening the situation as I slip back, only my face out of the water, and Kouya is forced to have his arms on either side of my head to keep from pushing me under. I can only see his face, about ten centimeters away, outlined by the sunlight. If I had to describe him, I'd say he would look like an angel in an old painting, descending from the skies above.
My mind is jumbled by thousands upon thousands of thoughts, so I can't make sense of anything. I can only be aware of a lack of space, who I'm with, and the way we are positioned. I'm not even certain if any of the others can see this.
That is answered as someone picks Kouya up around his abdomen, then sits me up. Even in a dazed state of mind, I can see the husky being held by Tatsuki, his fur on end in both embarrassment and anger.
"Sorry about that," Tatsuki laughs, setting down Kouya in the water. "I really need to watch my tail while I swim."
"Yes, you do," Kouya growls, shaking like, well, a dog. Luckily, he doesn't have that wet dog smell, or else I'd reek of it as water droplets cover my entire left side.
The dragon grins, wading away from us before he dives underneath, so he is out of sight. Kouya lets loose a sigh, standing up completely. My blush, which managed to lessen slightly, returns full force when I see how skin tight his trunks have become. Not wanting to see much more that what I already have seen, I turn away, trying desperately to remove the image from my mind and burn it to mental ashes.
By the time noon arrives, and lunch hour, I've managed to teach myself a little more about swimming, mostly by watching the others. I left the water, of course, to stay out of more awkward situations, and was lying on a towel, getting a bit of a tan while I did so.
Shun, being the sweet, innocent little wolf he is, brings me a bowl of the curry that Juuichi, Kyouji, and Soutarou made up, mostly because I asked him to do so a couple minutes ago. I take it graciously, nodding my head in thanks before I begin to consume the meal. My eyes drift over to Kouya slightly, something I am unable to stop myself from doing. Thankfully, his waist is wrapped up in his towel, so I can't see his trunks and how tight the water has made them after a few hours.
"You like him, don't you, Lee-sama?" I choke on a bite of curry at the sudden, unforeseen question from Shun. I honestly thought he left and went to sit with the crew! He's really quiet when he wants to be, apparently.
I pat my thin chest several times after I finally manage to get the curry unstuck, and turn to him, wide eyed. His head is tilted in an adorable fashion, making him look like a young cub more than a teenager. Why must he be so damn cute?
"C-Could you repeat the question a little differently, Shun?"
"You seem to watch Kouya-kun a lot. Do you like him?" Oh gods, my face must be priceless, as the wolf smiles, holding down a chuckle. Of course, that dam is about to burst.
"W-Well, he's nice, but, what exactly do you mean by 'like'? If you're implying that I l-" I catch myself, realizing exactly what word I'm about to use. Of course, I can't just pretend it doesn't exist, and I don't agree with using improper grammar in my speech. "If you're implying that I love him, then the answer is no. I can't really say I love him, mostly because we just met a week ago. I do like him as a friend, though, just like the rest of you."
My answer definitely gives me strange results. Shun laughs, jumping onto my lap, nuzzling my chest. I blush when I realize we're being watched by all of the others, with sly smirks on their faces. For some reason, I think this was planned. Especially when Kounosuke pulls out his camera and snaps a picture.
"That's a keeper," he laughs, showing it to the others. Shun, of course, doesn't seem to care, tail wagging viciously as he continues to cuddle against me.
I look down at him, just as he looks up, and I sputter about three seconds later as he licks my face. I've never liked being licked, but I don't get the chance to say anything as he continues to do so. His tongue is like soft sand paper, gentle to the touch but still with a rough edge. It runs over a spot just by my ear, and I honestly don't know what happens next.
One moment I'm blushing as a wolf beastman licks my face, the next, I'm practically wetting myself laughing. Tears form in my eyes as he continues to lick, especially near my ear, and I can't stop my reaction. This must look fucking hysterical to the others.
"Okay, that's probably enough licking, Shun," Hiroyuki states, pulling the wolf off of me. I have to take several deep breaths to recover from my laughing fit before I can sit up, a layer of sand now on my back.
"E-Excuse me for a minute," I gasp, standing up with my legs practically crossed. I race off to find a spot to relieve myself in private, the sounds of chuckling, laughter, and conversation behind me.
The rest of the day flies by, so I have no idea where time went. We all spent time on the shore the rest of the day, playing various games. Kyouji, having been close to Juuichi during a game of Watermelon Smash, is currently picking red pieces off of his fur still, not a care in the world. Soutarou, Kounosuke, and Shun have all passed out in the shade of a nearby tree, muttering about various things in their sleep. Shin and Tatsuki are dealing with a clean-up of the area, while Torahiko and Hiroyuki have disappeared somewhere. I honestly believe that they've, well, gone somewhere private to enjoy the rest of the day.
I can see Kouya sitting at the edge of the water. He's changed back into his street clothes, so his pant legs are rolled up, and his shoes and socks rest about half a meter away from him, his feet resting in the damp sand, water sometimes coming up to wash over them.
Seeing as I'm without anything to do, I grab my sketchbook and pencil from where I set them earlier today and move to sit by him. The view is breathtaking, one that I only make an outline of; I'll have to add in the shading using real colors at some point in the future.
Shun's question about me liking Kouya still lingers in my mind. Right now, even though we are both silent, I can't help but look at him, though with a sideways glance. Why do I look at him? He's nothing very special, minus the fact he is a beastman. But, so are the others, minus Hiroyuki. He may be a musician, but I've never liked people just because they play instruments. So, why, after only a week, do I feel like I should be around him? It's not love, that much I know. But, it's not friendship either. I can't tell what I'm feeling towards the husky that I'm sitting beside, one who is currently turning to face me.
"Do you need something," he asks, an eyebrow raised. Oh dear heavens, that is just too much on me. I have to hide a blush as I think of a reason, besides having nothing to do.
"I, uh- Do you have any spare clothes?" That's just awful. I make a mental note to scold myself about this later. "I only have those pajamas, so, I was wondering if I could borrow anything."
"Wouldn't my clothes be a bit big on you?" I really did not think this over, since it's true.
"Well, you probably wear something that's closer to my actual size than the others." He sighs, seeing as it does make sense.
"Come on, then," he sighs, standing up. "My extra clothes are in my locker, so I'll need to pull them out for you."
Wait, so, that means it will just be me, with Kouya? Alone in the shack? So many disturbing situations enter my mind, many of which I can only blush like a maniac about. I really hope he doesn't stick around to watch me change. That would be the worst.
Me: Ha! Thought I'd start writing something pervy there, didn't ya'?! I'm saving anything like that for later in the story, though the M rating will show up soon, mostly because I have some funny incidents coming up soon. (evil laughter)
Torahiko, Hiroyuki, and Juuichi: This cannot end well…