Hizashi slid his hands into the pockets of his swim trunks and tilted his head down to the ground, peeking up sheepishly over his glasses like a remorseful puppy. Shota glared down at him with gritted teeth and his expression and body language suggested that he was mere moments away from either giving up on the day entirely or spiraling down into an uncontrollable rage. Hizashi had to fix this and fast. Not just for Shota's sake but for Suzumi as well. It was her day after all and he hoped that he didn't already ruin it.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside the house, pausing to leave his black geta sandals by the door. "Go ahead and get ready. I'll take care of this."
Shota shut the door behind them without a word and Hizashi held his breath as he watched his grumpy shoulders drop and disappear into his office. When the door closed he saw Nemuri pop her head out from the bathroom door. The nervous look on her face quickly brightened into an apologetic smile as she turned to greet him, gripping the trim on the doorway as if bracing herself.
"Heyyyy! Hizashiiiii~!" She greeted, her tone suggesting she was walking on eggshells and expecting to receive a scolding.
Her expression was wiped from her face and she averted her eyes as the blond grimaced unhappily, his hands still buried in the pockets of his neon colored swim trunks. He closed his eyes and sighed, seeming to muster up his strength as he calculated just how he wanted to voice his disappointment.
"I'm sorry…." Nemuri was first to speak, releasing her grip on the doorway as he stepped closer to meet her face to face. Her gaze remained at his feet but her shoulders tensed, still feeling his disappointed eyes on her. "I wanted to help but…."
"I don't know what you did but you really pissed him off…" Hizashi flashed a look over to the closed office door. "You should probably go home before–"
"It's okay…!" Suzumi popped up from behind Nemuri. "She doesn't have to leave…"
Hizashi slowly closed his mouth, surprised to see her in full view instead of the usual specter he was used to being startled by now. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrists excitedly. She had already subconsciously raised them in hopes that he would back off and give her some space.
"Look at you!" He hopped slightly in place but quickly toned down his excitement as he noticed how she flinched and recoiled from his touch. He let her go and returned his hands to his pockets, taking a step back. "You look great! Do you like it?"
Suzumi's hand wandered up to the side of her head to touch her hair and she seemed to be stunned by the sudden compliment. She smiled apologetically. "I actually haven't had a chance to really look at it yet…"
Her head was spinning at this point with how stressed she felt. She wasn't used to this much attention or riff-raff in the house and the day had only just begun. She turned away from the two and walked over to the mirror, forcing the anxieties she felt in her stomach to turn into fuel for her excitement.
She placed a hand over her heart as she was startled by herself in the mirror. She still wasn't used to seeing her reflection appear before her and even though she could recognize herself now she still saw that body as a stranger. It was going to take a while for her to become used to her own features. There were times now where she forgot she was visible. She no longer noticed the weight of the veil lifting off of her shoulders. It wasn't really that heavy anymore.
She stared back into her blue eyes and looked at the unfamiliar shell of her body. Although her mind took up the space within it she still felt hollow and distant like it was somehow not her own. She scrunched up her nose and brushed the hair from her clothes before remembering the reason why she came to look at herself.
Nemuri was right. As she cupped her cheeks in her hands she found that her face had somehow become rounder with her new haircut, framing her face perfectly. She both looked younger and more mature at the same time. A soft smile formed on her face and she shook her head excitedly to feel the lack of weight on her shoulders. She pushed her fingers back into the strands and ruffled them around.
"Looks like she digs it." Hizashi commented proudly in the doorway, crossing his arms as he leaned against it. "It looks good on you!"
Suzumi turned her head to the two and smiled apologetically. She had forgotten they were there and that they could see every move she was making. Nemuri looked back at her with a proud admiration, her fists on her hips.
"Thank you…. Both of you." She grinned a big toothy smile, stealing both of their hearts. "I love it!"
Nemuri clapped her hands together excitedly before the two exchanged a few enthusiastic high fives. Suzumi's smile faded as she saw Shota appear in the doorway behind them. He seemed to have cooled off but still carried a heavy cloud over his head. The two froze, their gazes unmoving from Suzumi's face as their lips drew back into fine lines with wide eyes. They remained painfully still, hoping they would go unnoticed if they didn't move a muscle.
"Sure looks like you're taking care of things…" Shota commented unenthusiastically to Hizashi. "Do you let your students off the hook this easily too?" His gaze fell on Suzumi who was still by the mirror before his expression turned back to anger. "Why don't you give her some privacy?"
He stepped away from the doorway to let the two out. Hizashi slinked out into the living room and Nemuri followed close behind, flashing a knowing grin at Shota as she caught him stealing another look at Suzumi. He delivered a firm karate chop to the top of her head. "And you need to leave. You've far overstayed your welcome."
Nemuri scoffed, but before she could voice her rebuttal Suzumi rushed over to the doorway. "She doesn't have to go!"
Suzumi swallowed hard and lowered her gaze to the floor as Shota turned to look at her. She briefly saw the look of betrayal on his face and the agitation bubbling up inside him. He took a step closer, with his fists clenched at his sides, and she found herself closing her eyes and holding her breath, waiting for his hand to connect with her face.
Shota was completely against the idea of having Nemuri tag along, but it was Suzumi's birthday.
Suddenly he felt guilty for his attitude seeing how drastically she reacted to him. Her visage fluttered rapidly for a moment as her entire body shrunk and every one of her muscles clenched, awaiting impact either by his words or by his hand. It nearly broke his heart seeing her react this way to him. He himself shrunk into his usual slouch now that he noticed he was towering over her.
He put a gentle hand on her head and pulled her against his chest. If it was for her then he could endure anything. He looked down at her and sighed, letting go of his own feelings for the sake of hers.
"You really want her to come…?" He half groaned, his voice much calmer and more gentle. It was enough for her to move her fingers around his back and he felt her body relax against his.
She looked up at him with uncertainty and a hint of apology before looking away again. "I do…"
And that was that. The four of them gathered their things and left the house, Shota lagging behind to lock the front door with the black duffel slung over his shoulder.
"Whoa!" Suzumi's eyes sparkled in nearly the same hue of blue Hizashi's car was.
She had seen some old cars while with the Yakuza, but American styles were hard to come by and the ones she had seen obviously showed their age. This one was different, looking almost brand new. 'A result of his hero money' she assumed. Compared to Shota, he seemed to be rich. Come to think of it… she never really gave much thought to how much heroes were paid. Coming from a rich family, she assumed they made a similar amount. Her gaze followed the two white stripes on the hood back to the trunk that Shota opened and Nemuri joined him to deposit her duffel as well.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Hizashi smirked, pushing his sunglasses onto his face in a proud fashion. He opened the driver's side door and motioned for her to take a seat. "She's a 1966 Ford Mustang GT350 Shelby!"
Suzumi was stunned, forgetting that the steering wheel was on the opposite side of the car when he opened the door for her. She took a seat on the passenger's side, her head spinning as she took in the strange and cool details of the interior, all while trying to imagine Japan in the 60s. The seats were a soft, worn leather and she was both surprised and unsurprised at the fact that it didn't reek of cigarette smoke like the Yakuza's vehicles.
"You know she doesn't understand what that means." Shota commented as the driver's side door opened. He reached down and pulled the driver's seat forward to slide in behind Suzumi.
"So?" Hizashi stood by and waited for Nemuri to slide in as well. "It's not too late for her to learn a thing or two about cars!"
He pushed his seat back as the heroine settled in and couldn't help but smile and shake his head at the mischievous look Nemuri gave Shota in the backseat. He got in and turned on the car, his grin widening as it sputtered and purred to life. Before the radio could blast he turned it down to a respectable level and buckled up.
"You too." His eyes fell on Suzumi from behind his shades, noticing that she hadn't moved since taking a seat. "Safety first!"
"Oh!" She snapped out of her trance and buckled herself in.
She felt silly at forgetting such a simple thing… Times like these she found herself back in a distant memory and outside of her body… It was like for a brief moment she was in an entirely different universe and she was stuck in those memories as if she were currently living them out before being suddenly ripped back into reality. It was jarring.
There were times where Keiji would take her on nightly drives throughout the city and he would drive so fast and so recklessly as if he didn't care what happened to them both. Wearing a seatbelt used to be an insult to him and he would scold her and make fun of her every time she'd grab onto the handles or the door of the car. He'd take it as an insult to his driving and his control over her each time.
The engine of the car got louder as they drove off and Suzumi gripped her thighs tighter in hopes to pull herself out of the memory. Her anxiety quickly faded and she exhaled a silent sigh of relief as Hizashi proved to be a much better driver than her ex.
What really pulled her out of her mind was the sound of Nemuri and Shota smacking at and arguing with one another in the back seat. She turned her head back to ask them to stop, but the look on her face alone was enough for Nemuri's mischievous smirk to vanish and for her to straighten up and sit correctly in her seat. Shota caught the red in her eyes as Suzumi faced the front once again and he crossed his arms, breathing out a thankful and weary sigh.
It took about an hour for them to reach their destination and the car remained fairly quiet save for the roar of the engine on the highway and the rock music from the radio. Hizashi made occasional conversation and calmly expressed his road rage. Suzumi was unsure of if he was keeping it toned down for her sake or not but she was thankful for it.
Her heart fluttered when her eyes finally met with the waves of the sea as they found a place to park. She was the first to open the door when the car went silent and she took in a deep breath, smelling the deep and salty smell of the ocean wafting on the breeze in the humid air. The wind danced in her hair and the dark clouds that were scattered across the sky shielded her from the sun. Past the parking lot was a single building for bathrooms and changing, beyond that was the tan sandy beach, and the ocean stretched far off into the horizon.
"I hope we don't get rained out…" Hizashi joined her by the front of the car, holding his hand over his brow to shield them as he looked out to the waves. "The weather said it could rain later today... Hopefully it misses us!" He gave her a wink from behind his triangular orange-tinted sunglasses.
"Hey! Izzat you, Suzumi?" She barely had time to turn around before a large hand plopped gently down on top of her head. She looked up to see Franklin grinning down at her from under a straw hat, his other hand holding a large closed umbrella over his shoulder. "I barely recognized you!"
She mirrored his bright and sunny smile, finding relief in the thought that she wasn't easily recognizable. "Franklin!" She brought a hand up over top of his, feeling the leathery scales of his fingers as she looked around the parking lot. "Where's Momo?"
"'M sorry…" He recoiled his hand to rub at the back of his neck. "She had'ta pick up another shift… She hopes ta make it next time."
"Oh… Well that's okay."
"Come on!" Nemuri rushed forward towards the ocean with her bright pink duffel over her shoulder, leaving the crowd behind. "We can talk on the beach!"
Suzumi chased after her with Franklin and Hizashi not far behind. Shota closed the trunk of the car and walked behind them with his hands in the pockets of his black swim trunks, his eyes scanning the area.
They were in Chiba after all… There was less of a threat of an X murder happening here but there was still a chance a stray Gokudo member could pop up out of nowhere. Shota had decided that he wasn't going to take his eyes off of Suzumi while they were here. They weren't the only group here either. A handful of families and couples had claimed spaces on the sandy beach with towels, large umbrellas, and coolers. Suzumi thought it was crowded, but this was manageable for him compared to the sea of people who usually walked the streets during the day in Tokyo.
By the time he caught up, Hizashi and Franklin were already setting up their spot on the beach. They had thrown their bags down before getting to work and he sat his own down next to them. Franklin opened the multicolored umbrella and shoved it down into the sand as Zashi smoothed out the towels around it. Shota offered to help, joining Hizashi in his efforts while peeking up to check on Suzumi who had reached the water's edge.
Suzumi looked out over the waves as they rolled in, the cool water drifting over her feet and around her ankles. She gripped her pink tank top in her fists, the grim feeling of deja vu welling up within her stomach. The last time she had been on a beach was in Shizuoka… and Seeker had come to return her to Keiji. She looked down and watched as the water drifted in and out between her invisible legs. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand found its way onto her shoulder.
Nemuri felt Suzumi jolt away from her touch and looked down at the divots in the sand where her invisible body stood. "You okay girl? If you're going to turn invisible I suggest letting Shota know otherwise you'll have him in a panic."
She offered a reassuring smile despite it going unseen, lifting her hand up to point into the distance. "Fuji-san….!" She said innocently, hoping to take the attention off of her.
Nemuri stared off in the direction of the large mountain, admiring the beauty of its shadow in the distance with a concerned frown. "What is it? What's bothering you?"
She dropped her hand and her act along with it, keeping her gaze on the mountain as well. "The last time I was on the beach… It was somewhere over there in Shizuoka. I was living by myself and even though I was invisible and living under a new identity my ex was still able to track me down… They stole me right off of the beach."
"And you're worried it will happen again? Or are you here to prove to yourself that it won't happen again?"
Suzumi shook her head, focusing on the sound of the waves as the water pushed against her ankles and threatened to pull her back in along with it. "I'm here because I want to be." She paused as Nemuri turned and made eye contact. She must have become visible once again. "I like the ocean… I find it calming… and I'm glad to have you all here with me because I know that I'm safe with all of you."
Nemuri smiled back thoughtfully, reaching out to softly grip Suzumi's hand in between her own. "Right! We won't let anything happen to you, especially on your special day!"
Before she could answer, Franklin dashed past them in a blur of green and red, the red being from his speedo swim trunks. He dove into the waves once they reached about chest height and he seemed to disappear beneath the water's surface. Hizashi followed behind with a loud and excited exclamation.
"Hey! Did you put on sunscreen?" Nemuri shouted after him. He flinched before turning around to approach them and wore an embarrassed smile behind his sunglasses. "You won't hear the end of it from your students if you return looking like a lobster! Come on." She hooked her arms around Suzumi and Hizashi and led the way back to the umbrella Shota was sitting under. "Special delivery!" She exclaimed at Shota's feet. "I'll let you have first pick! Who would you rather slather up~?"
Shota narrowed his eyes up at her, unamused by her choice of words. "Behave yourself." He warned, looking at Suzumi before pointing down at the towel in front of him.
Suzumi tried to ignore her innuendo as well as she was nudged in his direction. She took a seat in front of him, her back facing him as he opened up the sunscreen. She watched as Nemuri pulled her black t-shirt off in one flawless swoop and dropped her jean shorts to the ground, revealing her tight red two piece bikini. Suzumi couldn't help but envy how confident she seemed to feel in her skin. It was light and clear save for the occasional mole or freckle. She looked away as her gaze moved to her busty chest and she found herself gripping her tank top once again like a pouty child.
She couldn't help but compare herself to Nemuri. Their similar heights, how different their bodies were, and how different their personalities were as well. In a score out of 10 being the best by looks, Nemuri was surely a 10/10. Suzumi rated herself a 7 at best… giving her a couple extra points to be nicer to herself. Not that it helped anything.
"Are you going to keep that on?" Shota asked, reminding her that she was once again getting lost in her thoughts. He sat by with a dollop of sunscreen in his hand and watched as she hesitated, tugging thoughtfully on the pink fabric.
"Yeah…" She released her grip and looked down at her arms as they relaxed into her lap.
Shota began rubbing her shoulders and moved his hands underneath her tank top to make sure she wouldn't get burned. Her back was fairly devoid of signs of Keiji's abuse, but as he handed over the bottle of sunscreen to Suzumi he could see it. The bruises were gone, save for a few accidental ones, but the scars on her skin were obvious. Cuts and burns in a variety of sizes and shapes were scattered across her body and he bit his cheek as he caught sight of her pinky finger as she rubbed the lotion across her leg.
"Hm?" Suzumi looked over to him, a kind smile on her face. "Want me to get your back?"
"No…" He shook himself out of his trance and shot a glare over at Nemuri who was grinning back at him wickedly while rubbing Hizashi's back. "I'm keeping mine on too."
"Okay." She handed the bottle back and leaned back on the hands she held out behind her now that she sat perpendicular from Shota, scanning the waters for Franklin. She saw his bare green head pop up in the distance as he belly surfed a wave back to the shore. "Franklin seems to be really in his element…. Do you think he gets sunburns?"
"No clue…"
"Good question!" Nemuri stood beside them with her hands on her hips. They all stared at the large green man as he emerged from the sea with something in his hands, held tightly to his side.
"Suzumi!" Franklin called, dropping to his knees in front of her with a proud smile on his face. He held out the object to her, catching his breath. "This is for you!"
"Oh!" She took the large conch shell in her small hands, looking it over. "Did you dive for this?"
"Yeah! I made sure it wuz empty before I brought it up. Pretty cool, huh?" He continued to beam excitedly as he watched her study it with careful and dainty hands.
The spines of the shell were mostly smoothed over by the waves and the outside was a bit sun bleached save for an interesting tan-orange color twisted into the curves. The inside was a soft pink and she lifted the large opening to her ear to listen, a bit of water dripping out and down her shoulder, soaking into her clothes. She closed her eyes and listened to the world that lived within the shell, a small and peaceful smile resting on her lips.
"Thank you, Franklin!" She opened her eyes and rested the shell in her crossed legs. "You must be really in your element out here."
A small blush crossed his face and he tilted his head to the side, rubbing at the back of his neck, waving his hand back at her dismissively. "Ah, well..! It's jus' in my turtle blood I guess! I honestly feel best in mah element when I'm undercover."
"Ah! That's what it is!" Midnight popped into the conversation, settling herself on her knees next to the large green man. "I was trying to figure you out myself, but I got stuck on the fact that you don't have a shell."
"I do have one for my hero costume!" He turned his attention to Nemuri, holding out his large hand. "Franklin is the name!" He lowered his voice, seeing a few kids running around nearby. "Tor-Tilla is my hero name. It's nice to meet you in person Midnight!"
Her slender hand was instantly swallowed up within his and she placed the other over her chest in surprise, her face lighting up into an expression that quickly turned into what others would call an erotic curiosity. "Oh my! My reputation precedes me! I'll admit your name is buzzing through the underground network… Do you get sunburns? I'd be more than happy to apply sunscreen on your muscles for you~!"
"Oh! No!" He retracted his hand and began to retreat as she leaned into his personal space with wiggling fingers. "It takes about five hours of direct sunlight for me to burn so I'm good!"
Before Nemuri could reach out and touch Franklin's bicep, Shota raised his leg and kicked her over. She was able to catch herself before her head connected with the beach. She quickly flipped her head around to glare at him from behind Suzumi.
"Shota! You ass! Don't do that!"
"Don't try to come onto a married man." Shota shot back, the unamused look in his eyes piercing straight through her.
If he hadn't been hiding behind Suzumi, Nemuri would have lunged for him. Instead, her hands went over her mouth as she realized her mistake and that the entire party had their eyes quietly on her. Her entire face melted into embarrassment and Shota, Hizashi, and Suzumi swore they never saw her turn this color of red before.
"I'm so sorry!" She faced Franklin again, placing her fists above her knees and bowing earnestly, her forehead nearly touching the sand.
"'Sssalright! Ya didn't know! No harm done!"
Nemuri straightened up and Suzumi caught a pained expression on her face as she kept her gaze to the ground. She could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Also we're not married yet, Aizawa." Franklin corrected, trying to further de-escalate the situation.
"You're close enough." He leaned back on his arms and watched as Nemuri stood and began walking away from the group. His gaze immediately went to Hizashi, trying to read his own expression.
"Don't look at me!" Hizashi put his hands up. "I'm not playing clean-up crew for you! I wasn't part of this-"
"Maybe I….?" Franklin added softly, watching as she walked away.
"I've got it." Suzumi stood, leaving her shell behind.
She was about to begin running to catch up to Nemuri, but Shota grabbed her by the wrist from where he sat. It must have been done by accident because when she looked back at him, his expression raised into surprise. His mouth opened as if to begin to say something, but he just let go of her instead. His head dropped and she could just barely hear him mumble "don't go too far…"
Despite him not looking, she balled her hands into fists and nodded firmly, turning back to run to Nemuri. Her strides were long and she zig-zagged around the other people on the beach quickly as if she were on some sort of mission, but Suzumi could see in her strut and how she swung her arms that she was deeply upset.
"Nemuri!" She called out to the woman in front of her, hoping that she would slow down to allow her to catch up. She reached out her hand, desperate to grab her hand or shoulder, but she was so fast. "Nemuri!" She called again more desperately, but she just made a beeline to the bathrooms. Suzumi gritted her teeth and pushed herself to move faster. "Hey!"
As her fingers settled onto her shoulder, Nemuri quickly turned around to face her, pushing the hand away almost violently. It nearly pierced her heart, the daggers she was glaring into her. Everything in her being was yelling at Suzumi to run back to the safety of the umbrella… but she knew that if she did then she risked losing Nemuri as a friend. If she were in her position she wouldn't want to be left alone. She wouldn't want to be alone with her pain.
Before Suzumi could realize how long she was just standing there and staring at Nemuri in a daze, her frustrated expression melted into sadness and she could see the tears welling again in her eyes. She quickly turned and rubbed at her face with one hand, the other gripping Suzumi's wrist and dragging her along to the side of the building. Once they were to the wall she sniffled, leaning her back against the bricks and melting down into a squatting position. She hid her face between her legs, shielded by her arms.
"Hey…" Suzumi kneeled down by her side, trying to decide on whether or not it was a good idea to touch her. "It's okay… It was an honest mistake…!"
"No it wasn't!" She yelled back, her face muffled from where it was hiding. "I always do this!" She sighed heavily and Suzumi could see the tears dropping into the sand between her legs. "I hate it…"
Suzumi leaned against the side of the building and sat down beside her, putting a gentle hand on her arm to let her know that she was there for her.
"I just…" She sniffled, trying to gather up her feelings. "I just ruin everything and I only cause trouble for Shota. He hates my guts and–"
"I don't think he hates you." Suzumi paused, reflecting on how he looked and reacted to her this morning. The pause was long enough for Nemuri to lift her head, a couple tears rolling down her cheeks. Suzumi managed a tiny smile and squeezed her arm softly for reassurance. "It's true he gets annoyed and tries to either run away or push you away… But after what you told me this morning… No." She returned her hands to her core, balled up into fists in some sort of reassuring pose. "I'm sure of it! The way you two were fighting… he thinks of you as a sister." Suzumi's smile faded as she looked down to the sand in front of her. A tinge of homesickness rocked through her.
When Suzumi didn't hear an answer, she lifted her head and turned back to look at Nemuri. She looked so stunned, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open in surprise as she processed Suzumi's explanation. Her eyes were vacant as if she were replaying every interaction she had with Shota until now.
'This whole time…?' Nemuri thought. 'No….Was it this whole time you only saw me as a friend or a sister? Nothing more?' She sighed heavily, shaking her head. 'I'm such an idiot. I wanted him to love me so badly I was willing to blind myself… no… I've always been like this with everything… with everyone. I always get too carried away and I don't notice what I'm doing until it's too late.'
"I…. guess you're right…" She took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly, shaking her head again in disbelief. "I just can't help how I am…. I've always been confident in myself and I can often take it too far… I make other people dislike me and not want to be around me because of how I act… I can't help it! I've tried being more "cutesy" and "reserved" like you, but it just feels so fake. It's not me!" She stood, brushing the sand off of her bottom and legs. She hugged herself close, an obvious wounded shame showing in the grimace on her face and in the way she stood. "I find myself talking and talking and talking and just can't make myself stop before I make a fool out of myself…"
Suzumi stood as well, her hands resting over her chest. "But I really admire how confident you are in your own skin. You seem to know exactly who you are and you can speak your mind so easily… You shouldn't hold back who you are… because when I do it to myself I worry that I'll somehow disappear… everything I am… will just cease to exist… and I'd rather you not disappear. Nemuri is…. Cute… and beautiful… and strong… AH!"
Suzumi wasn't able to finish, startled as arms were flung around her and she was wrapped into a tight hug. Nemuri rubbed her head up against her own, letting out a high pitched squeal in the process.
"Gaaah~! You're so cute, Suzumi~! Thank you!" She gave her one last squeeze before releasing her gorilla grip on her body, leaving the poor girl gasping for air. "I appreciate you coming after me…. I feel like the guys are so sick of me that they've all stopped chasing after me when I run away… but… If I keep running then I'm being just like Shota… aren't I?"
Suzumi nodded softly. "Right…"
Nemuri huffed, putting her fists on her hips and puffing out her chest. "Well then I see now that even I have some things to work on for myself! Come on! Let's get back!" She hooked her arm around Suzumi's and led the way back to the beach.
note.
Hey it's me! I'm alive! Summer has been really busy for me, but I've been doing my darndest to write. In true fanfiction writer fashion, i nearly died of heat stroke the other day. I'm about to go on vacation on a camping trip so hopefully the weather is more kind. Today the air pollution is super bad because of the Canadian wildfires. It's so crazy how far away they are but it's still affecting the air where I live. Work has been super busy and is killing me as well.
I can't feel too bad though because I've actually been working on a lot of my original stories and have actually decided to split the beach chapter into 2 parts. I've already begun on the second so hopefully it won't take too much longer for me to post the next part!
Also shout out to someone on tumblr who found out exactly what kind of car Hizashi drives in the manga. I appreciate little trivia like that! Franklin is my favorite comic relief. I love imagining him hitting the water and immediately disappearing under the waves. Some major Animal Crossing vibes with him diving for shells in the ocean. I could see him working well with the hero Selkie too. I don't picture Hizashi as a great swimmer either.
I'm going to try to push past this little bump of writers block and finish out this fic! See you next time!