The next morning Hajime awoke with a shock. He felt something prod him in the face. He wrestled awake and looked up to see Peko standing over his bed. She had her bamboo kendo sword out and was poking him in the cheek with it.
"Why did you not set your alarm?" She demanded to know, while she sheathed her kendo sword. Hajime grunted and sat up in his bed. He grabbed his phone off the dresser and looked at the time. (5:00AM?! Oh god, she can't mean…) his mind came to the grim realization.
"Wait. Are you telling me I still have to train even while we're on vacation?" He whined. He had a bit of a headache from the escapades of the previous night and his stomach was still feeling a little off. This was the last thing he wanted to do.
Peko nodded intently "Of course you do. If you aren't consistent, then you will never improve. Besides, the beaches and water here are perfect for cardio activities, which you need to improve upon," she elaborated as Hajime rubbed his eyes. He sighed deeply, now regretting having the foresight to bring his workout clothes and running shoes. He had brought them just in case they partook in sports activities during the trip. It was summer after all. He begrudgingly got out of bed and quickly got dressed.
The sun hadn't even risen yet. Hajime and Peko quietly walked downstairs and slipped outside, without waking the others. Over the course of the morning, they ended up running three kilometers in the sand. Hajime quickly learned how difficult and debilitating this was. Every step seemed to suck the energy out of him. However, these hellish conditions would work wonders for improving Hajime's stamina over the course of the following two weeks. After their run, Hajime hobbled back up to his room and took a long hot shower. After it was all said and done, he did feel refreshed. He was starting to get accustomed to the joy of taking hard earned relaxation after a strenuous workout. It was around that time that the others were waking up, so he didn't bother going back to bed.
The time had finally come. Hajime had been looking forward to this moment. Everyone had eaten a good breakfast and the sun was high. He stepped out onto the deck in his bathing suit. He hopped over the railing and began heading out towards the ocean. Fuyuhiko was already waiting for him.
"Are the girls still changing? Why do all women take forever with this shit?" Fuyuhiko complained, resting his hands on the back of his head, closing his eyes.
"They should be out soon. Don't worry" Hajime said with a content, almost mischievous smile, as he began envisioning what they might look like. This didn't go unnoticed by Fuyuhiko.
"Hey man, what's with that look?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow. Hajime snapped back to reality.
"Huh? What look? This is just my face," Hajime replied. Fuyuhiko scowled and made a "tch" noise of disapproval.
"Just so we're clear, I better not catch you eyeballing my sister," he said, threateningly. Hajime brushed it off.
"Whatever. I don't know why you assume I'm so into her" He muttered dismissively. Then Hajime heard a voice calling out. Natsumi was walking towards them, with Peko not too far behind. Natsumi donned a turquoise bikini and a large straw hat. She had her hair tied in a side tail, to help keep it from getting unruly when wet. This was the first time that Hajime really got a good look at her body and he was stunned. Natsumi's cleavage exceeded his estimates and expectations. She had a slender waist, with supple hips and the perfect amount of thickness to her thighs. Hajime was mesmerized as he watched her approach. It really didn't feel like this was the same girl he had known the past month.
.
"So guys, what do ya think?" She gloated, smugly, showing off her swimsuit. She made an elegant pose, which was somewhat ruined by the smug, childish look on her face. Hajime found that comforting, honestly. Even though she looked way more womanly, she was still the same obnoxious Natsumi he knew so well. Following after her was Peko, who was gorgeous in her own right. She had a tall, athletic body and she was more well endowed than Natsumi in the chest department. For some reason she still carried her kendo sword, slung on her back, as if she might need it. Her hair was pulled back so it wouldn't get in her face.
"I brought the sunscreen, which we can all share. However, I will need someone to assist me in applying to my back" Peko explained. Fuyuhiko stepped forward, with a slight trickle of blood leaking from his right nostril.
"I gotcha covered, Peko. Don't worry about" He tried to play off, casually. Natsumi was on to him.
"Yeeaah… nice try big bro. Come on, Peko" she said, taking her hand and leading her over to the towels. Fuyuhiko had a stunned look of defeat on his face.
"Looks like we're on our own… bro" Hajime said, placing his hand on Fuyuhiko's shoulder, as he too found himself rather dejected. In the end, the duty was divided by gender, much to the chagrin of the guys. The girls didn't seem to mind, however.
"OK guys, I've got a pretty badass idea" Natsumi proclaimed proudly, with a grin on her face.
"Since we have four people this time, that means we can do a chicken fight!"
"Isn't that like a cavalry battle? The thing at sports festivals where people team up and carry someone on their shoulders?" Hajime asked, recalling his middle school days. Natsumi nodded enthusiastically.
"Yup. All we gotta do is split up into two teams. And see who gets knocked off first. Pretty simple," she explained to the others. The others looked intrigued. Fuyuhiko thought about it for a moment and nodded. "OK. I'm down for that."
"But wait a minute. How are we going to divide up the teams? Who's gonna be on top?" Hajime asked, directing his attention to Natsumi. She put her hands on her hips and shot him an annoyed look.
"Uh, it's pretty obvious isn't it? The guys will be carrying the girls. Geez, do you expect me to carry your heavy ass around?" She responded, smugly.
"Oh yeah. That makes sense. So you want to pair up with me then?" Hajime asked her.
As soon as he said that, her normally cocky expression dissipated. Her cheeks began to glow red and her expression changed drastically. She broke eye contact and looked away, adjusting her hair.
"Yeah, that would be fine, i guess..." She mumbled.
"Well then, looks like Peko and I are gonna have to school ya. Right, Peko?" Fuyuhiko said with a thumbs up. Peko smiled warmly and nodded.
"Of course. I will do my best, young master."
The group waded into the calm water of the bay. It was pleasantly cool, the perfect temperature for swimming. They walked out to where the water was roughly four feet deep. Hajime could have gone deeper, but given Fuyuhiko's height, that would have proven to be a little too difficult. As it was, Fuyuhiko's head and barely any of his shoulders were above water.
"Ok, Natsumi. Hop on" Hajime said as he knelt down into the water, allowing Natsumi to climb up on his shoulders more easily. He felt Natsumi's body brush against his and then felt her warm, supple thighs rest on his shoulders and brush up against his cheeks. Her body was warm and her skin was so soft. Hajime felt something stir with him. She placed her hands on top of his head and adjusted in her seat, which inadvertently made her crotch press against his neck. He began to feel flustered and he stood up quickly, more so than Natsumi was expecting. She almost lost her balance and fell off, but she caught herself just in time.
"Woah! Warn me before you make any sudden movements, ya fuckin' clown!" she barked angrily, light hammering the top of his head with her balled up hand.
Meanwhile, Peko had climbed onto Fuyuhiko. The young Yakuza's face resembled the complexion of a boiled lobster. Hajime could practically see steam coming off of it, as Peko's legs rested on his shoulders. She looked down at him, concerned .
"Are you alright, young master? I am sorry if my weight is troublesome for you," she apologized, shamefully. While it was true that she weighed more than Fuyuhiko and was quite the burden, that was the last thing on his mind right now.
"It's… fine," he sighed.
"Ok, let's do this! Come at me Peko! I'm gonna wipe the ocean floor with you" She gloated. "Charge, my loyal steed! " she yelled and pointed, ordering Hajime forward. Hajime wasn't quite fond of his new title, but he did as she commanded, trying to keep her balanced on top of him.
"Just because I serve your family, do not expect me to take it easy on you, Lady Natsumi," s he said as she prepared herself. She raised her arms at her sides and when the girls got in range of each other, they grabbed each other's hands, intertwining fingers. They both strained and struggled to push or pull the other one off, with all their strength. Their eyes locked and the boys could practically feel the sparks flying. Hajime and Fuyuhiko both made eye contact for a moment and shared a mutual smirk. This was already the best summer vacation ever.
The game continued for well over an hour. They played many rounds and even swapped places a few times. Fuyuhiko's team was actually much more effective with Peko on the bottom and her young master on top. Natsumi, on the other hand, had an extremely difficult time, keeping Hajime on her shoulders. It was a rigorous, physically demanding game, but all four of them found themselves laughing more than they had in a long time.
After the chicken fight, Peko decided to take some time to relax on the beach. The other three opted to play a different game. They got out a beach ball and played "keep away" while waist deep in the water. This had always been one of Natsumi's favorite games as a kid and she played with an enthusiasm that Hajime had rarely seen from her. Of course, she was significantly less enthusiastic when she was the one stuck in the middle being taunted by her brother and Hajime.
Satsuo prepared them an extravagant feast, around lunch time. They all greedily scarfed it down, to refuel their expended calories throughout the day. After that was finished, it was time for something that Natsumi had mentioned to Hajime much earlier. They walked out to a small pier located on the property. There were three waverunner jet skis parked on the dock. They were suspended above the water by a hydraulic metal lift. Each one of them were made to accommodate two people, three if one of the passengers was a small child. Hajime had never seen these things in person, much less ridden one.
"Man, it feels like it's been forever since I've taken one of these puppies out for a ride," Fuyuhiko grinned, as he pressed the button to lower the jet skies into the water. Hajime took note of the fact that there were only three of them. This made sense, since normally it was only Natsumi, Peko and Fuyuhiko on these summer trips. However that was a problem now. Natsumi noticed Hajime's concern and nudged him with her elbow.
"I forgot to ask dad to get an extra waverunner, but don't worry about it. You can ride with me, but I'm driving. You're gonna have to ride bitch," she said smugly. So much for Hajime getting preferential treatment for being the guest. All three of them climbed onto their respective jet skis. Hajime mounted the water vehicle, behind Natsumi.
"Er, what should I grab onto?" he asked.
"Ugh! Just grab my waist, genius. If you try to grab anything else, I'll feed you to the fucking sharks, got it?" She responded curtly. Hajime shrugged and then placed his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her flat, soft stomach. Natsumi suddenly tensed up. She felt a shiver up her spine and tingles of erogenous pleasure at his warm touch on her sensitive stomach. His fingers were brushing dangerously close to her navel.
"Sh-shit..." she whispered to herself. She bit her lip and felt blood rushing to her face. She suddenly gunned the engine and sped off, surprising the hell out of the others and especially Hajime.
"Woah! The hell?! Warn me before you just take off like that!" He yelled over the engine as Natsumi was leaning forward, intensely.
"J-just shut up and hold on!" She yelled back at him.
They blazed through the water at max speed for half an hour and it didn't take Hajime long to realize how flustered Natsumi was.
"Hey! Natsumi!" he yelled over the engine. She heard him and slowed down to a coasting speed, as the waverunner gently rocked back and forth in the waves.
"Yeah, what is it?" she responded, looking a little exhausted.
"Do you want to switch places? Just for a little bit?" he asked as she looked at him weakly, her cheeks still flushed.
"Uh… sure" she mumbled, toying with her hair. With a little maneuvering, they were able to swap places. Hajime took position, slipping on the emergency shut-off lanyard onto his wrist. Meanwhile Natsumi leaned in. Hajime felt a sudden wave of warmth. He felt her two firm orbs press against his back and her arms wrapped around his body. His heartbeat increased feverishly. An unnerving feeling came over him. Feeling Natsumi's body pressed up against him like this was strangely comforting, but also terrifying. He could feel her chest move with her breathing. He could even feel her hot breath on his shoulder. There was something intoxicating about it.
"W-what the hell are you waiting for? Let's get going," she complained, meekly, before Hajime sped off to chase after Peko and Fuyuhiko. Natsumi rested her head on his back and closed her eyes, smiling to herself.
The next morning, Hajime awoke to the alarm on his phone. He climbed out of bed and sugglishly got himself dressed. As expected, he heard a knock at his door. Peko was standing outside waiting for him. She wore tight shorts and a tank top.
"I have a different sort of training planned for you today, Hajime," she said, as she led him downstairs. "You aren't going to be running today. Your legs probably still need to rest and rebuild muscle. So instead I will be straying from the established schedule. Today I will give you your first lesson in basic combat training."
Peko led Hajime out of the house and out to the beach. Like usual, she carried her kendo sword in the bag on her shoulder. They stopped once they reached an area equidistant from the house and the water. It offered the widest area possible. Peko unslung her sword bag from her shoulder. To Hajime's surprise, she pulled out two kendo swords. They were light weight, traditional, and made out of bamboo. She tossed one to Hajime.
"You will be using this in our sparring session. You probably won't ever use a sword in real-life combat, but they are a good way of illustrating combat fundamentals," she said, in a matter of fact tone. She then took her sword and began encircling the area, dragging it through the sand. She was setting up the ring-out zone for their sparring.
Hajime felt a little uneasy about this. "Wait a minute. You're the ultimate swordswoman, right? This isn't exactly a fair contest," h e complained, flatteringly.
"This isn't a contest, Hinata. This will be purely instructional. I will not be truly exerting myself. If that were the case, you would probably end up dead" She said, casually, which made Hajime's heart drop. Peko stepped into the makeshift arena she had constructed, at the opposite end from Hajime.
"Now, I want you to come at me as if you have the intent to kill. I don't want you holding anything back. Trust me, there is no need for you to do so. I will be fine" She assured him, taking out her sword, stepping backwards with her left foot, and assuming a one-handed stance.
Hajime steeled himself. All that could be heard was the crashing of the waves and his own breathing. Hajime clutched the sword with two hands. He realized he would have to end this as quickly as possible. So, he darted forward, attempting to strike swiftly, perhaps with an element of surprise. Unfortunately the sand slowed him down substantially. When he reached Peko he swung with a mid body strike from his right. Before he could even complete the swing, Peko had stepped forward and parried the blow. It was so quick, it seemed inhuman. She did so without even diverting her eyes away from his face. She took another step forward and conked him on the head with the hilt of her sword. Hajime was knocked off balance and landed on his rear end.
"W-what the hell was that? " he asked, irritatedly rubbing his injured forehead. Peko stabbed her kendo sword into the sand and rested her hands on the hilt.
"Approximately 78% of close combat encounters start with a right armed attack. For a rookie that number is even higher. So, your first attack was blatantly predictable. I could have beaten you with my eyes closed."
Hajime climbed to his feet as the pain in his forehead gradually wore off.
"You can really make predictions about what your opponent might do before they even do it?" he realized, with awe. Peko nodded her head.
"That is correct. This is the key to a swift victory. Ideally you want to defeat your opponent in five moves or less. This is much easier said than done, however. It requires practice, situational awareness, and experience."
Hajime took in Peko's words took a deep breath. There was a lot more to fighting than strength and speed. Cunning and strategy were also needed in order to win a battle of life and death. Hajime walked a few meters away from Peko and began formulating a basic plan in his mind. If nothing else, he at least wanted to make the fight last longer than two moves. He charged at Peko with full speed. She readied her defensive stance once again. Hajime knew she would be prepared for a right sided attack. He decided to take her by surprise by coming in low for a stabbing strike. Peko gracefully turned her sword horizontally in a forward sweeping motion, to defect Hajime's flimsy attack. However, Hajime quickly pivoted and spun around, going in for a low, leg sweep with his sword. Peko had not anticipated this, but her reflexes saved her. She hopped over the attack and brought her sword down towards Hajime's face, stopping mere inches away from it. Hajime winced and closed his eyes, before slowly opening them.
"That was a risky move, giving up your footing for a surprise attack at your enemy's legs. However, you did better than last time. Now, get on your feet and try again," Hajime couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. Peko was leagues above him in combat ability and experience. He had a long way to go before he was ready for a real fight.
"This time I will give myself a greater handicap" She said, sliding her sword into the bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "I will not use a weapon in our fight."
Hajime's jaw dropped. "What? That's crazy! How are you supposed to win if you don't even have a sword? " he asked, feeling uneasy about this whole thing.
"Do not concern yourself with me. I will demonstrate to you that victory is still attainable, even at a disadvantage," she said, crossing her arms. "Begin!"
Hajime hesitated for a moment and then clasped his sword tightly. He thought to himself
(If I'm going to become strong enough to be Natsumi's protector, I can't back down from this. Sorry Peko, but you're going down)
He charged at her once more. He started off with a vertical downward swipe, forcing her to dodge either left or right. She chose left and that is when Hajime swung his sword horizontally to hopefully catch her in the stomach, before she could regain balance. But she elegantly twisted her body so that it barely missed her abdomen. Peko then spun around to deliver a kick. She dragged her heel down into the sand and kicked upwards. Hajime thought she was aiming the kick at his face, but she was way off. That was when he was hit with a splash of sand in his face. He instinctively closed his eyes and tried to rub it away, but as he did so he felt Peko's palm smack into his face, while she expertly slid her leg behind his, to knock him off balance and send him tumbling to the ground, dropping his sword.
Hajime grabbed his jaw in pain, tasting a little blood. He tried to get remaining, irritating grains of sand out of his eyes.
"W-what the hell was that? You cheated!" he exclaimed, furiously.
"Cheated? There is no such thing in real combat, Hinata. In the real world, when faced with death, people will use anything they can to survive. What incentive is there to follow the rules when it will only get you and your loved ones killed? You must learn to use your environment as a weapon. Be aware of everything around you. If you don't take advantage of it, your opponent will. That is a reality of this world and that is what I want you to take away from this exercise," she said, reaching down to offer Hajime her hand.
Peko's training exercise lasted much longer than their usual routine. They were at it for hours, long after the sun had risen, sending rays of light shimmering on the sea behind them. Hajime's body glistened with sweat, while Peko was not even winded. Hajime's body had numerous welts and bruises on it, but nothing too serious. Just as they were finishing up another round, the door to the deck opened and Natsumi stepped outside. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt, holding a cup of coffee. Her hair was disheveled and she looked grumpy. She looked out to see the two of them fighting in the sand.
"What the hell are they doing out there?" She asked herself, in perplexion. She set her coffee down and walked out onto the beach to get some answers. Peko and Hajime were locked in close combat and didn't notice her approaching.
"Uhh, excuse me, but… what the fuck are you guys doing?" she yelled out angrily. Both Peko and Hajime stopped to look at her, as they both had their swords locked. Hajime blushed slightly and backed away from Peko.
"Oh, hey Natsumi. Heh heh, about that. It's kind of a long story..." he began to explain before Peko interrupted him.
"I apologize, Lady Natsumi. I asked Hajime to accompany and assist me in my morning exercises and he agreed to. I hope that is alright with you. I will ask you before borrowing him next time," she said, giving a bow
Natsumi's cheeks lit up red. "Wh-why would you need my permission? I don't care who he hangs out with. I just don't like being left out of the loop, that's all," she said, before storming off. Hajime realized in that moment that he still hadn't told Natsumi about the request her father had made and the fact that he was undergoing this training for the very purpose of protecting her. For some reason, it just seemed like an awkward subject. Hajime knew he would definitely have to tell her eventually, but not yet.
The rest of the day went by smoothly after that. After a nice, hearty breakfast they decided to play some volleyball, boys against girls. Peko was the MVP by a substantial margin. Her height, acrobatics, and reflexes made her a formidable opponent. Hajime and Fuyuhiko never stood a chance. Nevertheless, they fought as fiercely as they could to protect their manhood and dignity. After an inevitable string of defeats, they decided it was time to throw in the towel. Natsumi seized this opportunity to gloat and rub the victory in their faces, even though Peko had done the vast majority of the work.
Before long, nightfall had cast its shade over the Kuzuryu estate. Everyone had retired to their rooms except for Hajime, who sat at the table, eating some of the heated up leftovers that Satsuo had left in the fridge for them.
Hajime's thoughts were interrupted as Satsuo walked into the room carrying groceries from a late-night run to the store.
" Ah, Hajime. You're still up?" He asked, setting the bags down on the counter.
"What's with the groceries?" Hajime asked, as Satsuo began putting them away.
"I always do my shopping at night. No crowds, the food doesn't get as warm on the way back. Plus there is a nice young lady on the night shift, who always gives me the best discounts. She's quite the fox. Looks like my charm still hasn't worn off after all these years. This old dog's still got it! Heh heh," he chuckled to himself, confidently. "So, Hajime. Now that we are alone, I have a question to ask ya," he said casually.
Hajime looked up hesitantly at the imposing, muscular old man, with his robust face and endless tattoos.
"Uh, sure. What is it?" he asked.
"How far do ya plan to take this?" He asked with surprising seriousness. Hajime was confused.
"Uh, what do you mean?… You...You mean with Natsumi?" Hajime asked, to which Satsuo laughed.
"Woah, that's a pretty big Freudian slip there, kid. I'm not just talking about her, but I guess she's a big part of it. I'm talkin' about your career. How close do ya plan on getting to the Kuzuryu family? Looks like you've gotten on my little brother's good side. Let's just say… you got an interesting path ahead of ya, if you wanna take it. So what's the plan?"
Hajime mulled over his words and thought about it for a second.
"This is gonna sound stupid, but I don't really have a plan right now," he said, looking away in shame. Satsuo chuckled and gave Hajime a slap on the back.
"Hey, don't sweat it, kid. That's how I was when I was your age, but I guess things were planned out for me, being an heir to the Kuzuryu-gumi and all."
Hajime had been wondering about that and decided to flip the questions on Satsuo. "So… You're a full-blown yakuza right?" he asked, hesitantly, not wanting to pry too deeply.
Satsuo nodded with a solemn smile. "I used to be, son. I used to be. But that was a long time ago. I gave up that life because… Well, I'll just say that I made some mistakes. I was young and… A dumbass. But I'll tell you what, I wouldn't trade those years for anything in the world. Not a thing," he said, as Hajime spotted a hint of sadness in his eyes, for the first time. But it was quickly masked with a smile. "But that's enough of this old man's ramblings," he said scratching the back of his head. Hajime wondered what kind of life this man had lived. What kind of horrific things had he seen? What kind of horrific things had he done? Had he killed people before? Did he have any regrets? There was a lot that Hajime wanted to ask, but it would be better not to pry.
"Listen boy. I won't tell ya what to do with your life, but I'll tell ya this, so pay attention. The world is a harsh place. Our world is even harsher. It ain't for the faint of heart. It's no picnic. It'll change you, believe me. You'll become stronger and more dangerous than you ever thought possible. You may even scare yourself, sometimes. I don't know if you have what it takes to live that kind of life. But if you're gonna go for it, you are gonna have to commit. Once you get started on that road, there's no turning back," he said seriously, looking into Hajime's eyes. He then turned away and put the last of the groceries away.
"Just food for thought, kid. I'm gonna head to bed. Old guys like me need our rest" He said before walking off, leaving Hajime to grapple with everything he had just told him.
Hajime felt the pangs of fear, twisting around in his gut, but he also felt something else. Adrenaline, anxiousness, and excitement. For the first time, he began to envision a future for himself. A model of the man he could potentially become began to form more coherently in his mind. A new path was open to him. It was a difficult one, a dangerous one, and a painful one. Despite all that, in that moment, Hajime realized that it appealed to him.