Monday, 8/29
GRAVY, plus Futaba, filed into the subway one by one. Arguably the two laziest in the group, Ryuji and Ann secured seats for themselves immediately, with Futaba squeezing in and getting the last one.
Haru didn't mind standing. In fact, she enjoyed it. It would keep her energy up, and standing on trains so that others could have seats was common manners. Most people on trains didn't adhere to Haru's definition of manners, but they were polite enough.
Today, however, was different. Warm faces and rapid-fire chatting filled the train with noise. Some people, already in their bathing suits, had their destination written on their outfits. If Haru knew one thing, it's that the beach was going to be packed.
Ryuji, excited as always, stretched his arms behind him. "Can't believe we're finally gettin' a beach day!"
"I know," Ann said. "I kinda wish we went a few times earlier this summer."
Ren interjected in the exchange between the blondes. "Don't think about that, think about the fact that this is the culmination of our summer," he said. "This is our last hurrah before, well, just going back to school, but you know what I mean."
Futaba's look of delight only intensified as she laughed. "Couldn't be me."
"You're not missin' out on much, I'll tell ya that," Ryuji said.
"I think you guys are undervaluing school. You should be excited to go back to learning and preparing yourselves for the future." Makoto's words held more value to herself and Haru, as third-years had to worry much more about the future than second-years.
I'm sure they'll realize that next year when college starts creeping up on them, Haru thought to herself.
"Well, you're the class president, meaning that you're just built different," Ryuji replied.
Confused, Makoto turned to Ren at her side. "'Built different?'" she asked.
"Ryuji just means that he thinks you're way stronger than him and that you could kick his ass."
Ren's smirking remark pulled a few chuckles from the group, but Ryuji's reaction really got them going. "Wha- hey! I could beat the shit out of Makoto if we fought!"
"That would be like a slime fighting the final boss!" Futaba's video game references never ceased. "She would put her foot up your ass, Ryuji!"
"You know, Ryuji, if you really would like to see who would win, we could spar on the beach." Makoto adopted her own smirk as if she already knew Ryuji was going to be laid flat on his back.
Haru had never seen Makoto's aikido in action, but she didn't doubt her friend's physical ability for a moment. Makoto's noticeable muscles easily beat out Ryuji's lankier build. Perhaps she just has more muscle definition, Haru thought, giving Ryuji the benefit of the doubt. Still, I think Makoto could probably fight anyone in the group and win. Ooh, that would be a fun competition!
"Hm…" Ryuji took a few moments to size her up. "You got a fight coming your way."
Pleased with herself, Makoto turned away from Ryuji. Haru could hear her talking to Ren, but couldn't decipher what was being said. She didn't mind, though. They were dating, and it was none of Haru's business what they talked about.
"We're not even there and we already got a cage match planned. This is awesome!" Futaba said.
"Woah, it's not a cage match," Ryuji corrected. "We'll be sparring." Haru could tell Ryuji derived a lot of pleasure in elevating his and Makoto's fight into something more proper.
"And when you guys are done… sparring, then what're we doing?" Ann asked. Makoto and Ren stopped their conversation and turned back to the group.
"We will build a castle worthy of the Sun God." Yusuke always got a few looks for his strange suggestions, but this one actually got some agreement.
"Ooh, that sounds badass!" Futaba said before elaborating on the idea. "And then we could add a moat, and then we jump on it at the end! It'll be sick!"
"Why would we destroy it?" Haru asked. "We should leave it up so that we can admire it."
"No admiring allowed. Only destruction," Futaba said as she began to crack up. "Mweheheh."
Ryui leaned forward in his seat, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Wait a minute…" He looked over at Futaba. "I've heard that somewhere before…"
Futaba shrugged. "Must be your hair dye seeping into your brain."
For the slightest possible second, Haru could see it in Ryuji's eyes that he considered the possibility. He realized the meaning of the insult a moment later. "Hey!" he said defensively.
"Alright, no more arguing, however friendly it is," Ren said. "We're getting to our stop soon. We're gonna have to get out of here quickly to beat the crowd and get a spot."
Ryuji stood up from his chair as the train slowed. "Oh, man! A day at the beach! I can't wait!" A few seconds after he spoke, Ryuji added just a bit more. "And we got Haru back, so shit's gonna be great! GRAVY's whole again!" The group laughed, especially Haru. Even if it wasn't her first time hanging out with GRAVY since her break from them, this felt like an actual reunion. The group carried so much energy and excitement with them that it was difficult for Haru not to follow suit.
The train stopped, leaving GRAVY on bated breath with the anticipation of the beach.
"What the eff?!" Ryuji's sentiment spoke for the group well enough as they stared out at a sea of people. From end to end, the beach was covered.
"And we're here!" Ann proclaimed. "Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, why don't we go to the bathroom so we can change?"
Hm… she said that suspiciously quickly.
"But we don't even have a-" Futaba began, but Ann clamped her hand over the girl's mouth.
"I said, we need to change now."
When Ann relented, Futaba complied. "Yes, ma'am!"
The girls quickly took off. Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ren stood silently, just trying to process how the hell they were going to enjoy the beach with this many people.
If this was Shujin, I could just yell "transfer student coming through!" and everyone would clear out. I think that's the only thing I miss from school. Oh, and Kawakami. How could I forget about her?
Ryuji turned to Ren. "So what's our plan of attack?" Ren, with no decent ideas at hand, settled for the obvious one.
"We search."
"Alright! If we split up, then we'll have a bett-" Ryuji looked over to Ren's right. "Hey, where the eff did Yusuke go?"
He probably teleported or some shit. That man has powers.
Ren also looked over to find that Ryuji told the truth. "Screw it. Let's just go look around and see if we can catch people who're leaving. We'll take their spot."
Ren and Ryuji set off onto the hot sand, stepping over and between numerous towels and blankets to avoid tripping on sunbathers. The beach was so packed that they even stepped over a few people.
They proceeded straight towards the shore in hopes that people would be less inclined to set up near the water.
They were wrong. Ren underestimated how determined people were to get spots. A significant number of people sitting closer to the water had brought lawn chairs, which would give them temporary solace if the tide came in.
Ren's frustration grew. "Fuck it, we go down the beach till we find a spot. I don't care how long it takes."
"You sure, man? It's a long-ass beach."
"Ryuji, we are getting a spot, even if we die trying."
"You've gotta be kidding me."
"I wish I was."
Ren and Ryuji stood in silence as they witnessed the fruit of their efforts. At the literal end of the beach where a rock formation prevented them from going further, the duo found a little nook with enough space to lay down a single beach towel. For now, it would be their spot.
"We gotta do better than this, man!" Ryuji said. "We got people depending on us for a spot!"
Those very people also abandoned us and left us on our own, so I don't think that their dependency is a good reason for us to find a better spot. However, Ryuji's right. How am I supposed to get my tan going when we're stuck behind rocks and can't feel the sun?
"You're absolutely right, but…" Ren motioned his hand towards the rest of the beach, silently reminding Ryuji of the low possibility of finding anywhere decent to sit. The heat bared down on their bare backs, as they'd taken off their shirts, leaving their swim trunks on. Ren did so just in case Kawakami was at the beach, as he'd need to look his best.
"Hey man, keep your glass half full. Let's take a walk and see what life gives us."
I appreciate the optimism, but hoping for less crowding in Tokyo is a lost cause.
"You seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I'm seeing what I'm seeing, so I'm not technically seeing what you're seeing."
"Well, to see what I'm seeing, you need to look to your right and see what I'm seeing."
Ren, extremely confused that an exchange like that had just taken place, followed Ryuji's instruction. "Oh… I hear what you're saying and now I'm seeing what you're seeing."
A group of six kids, all of whom Ren estimated to be somewhere around eleven years old, were playing the classic game of Pickle on the beach, just at the edge of where the waves lapped at the shore.
Man, I miss that game. Pickle was the shit.
Pickle, a game based on a scenario of the same name in baseball, consisted of two throwers and what could be an infinite amount of runners. The throwers would each stand near a designated point, referred to as bases, throwing a tennis ball back and forth while the runners would stand on either of the bases waiting for their opportunity. The goal of the game was for the runners to run back and forth between the bases without being tagged by one of the throwers with the ball.
Or, alternatively, the throwers could also chuck the ball at a runner caught off the base. Getting pelted with the ball without at least one foot on base would be an out, and a very painful one at that.
Ren watched on with nostalgic eyes as one of the kids got hit in the back of the head with the tennis ball and fell face-first into the sand.
Oh, to be young…
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Well, now I'm technically thinking about what you're thinking, but I'm still not thinking exactly what you're thinking."
"Alright, so I need you to think what I'm thin-"
"Isn't this getting a bit old?"
"Isn't what getting old?"
"You know… 'Are you verbing what I'm verbing?'"
Ryuji put his hand on Ren's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Man, I don't even know what a verb is," he said, dragging his hand off Ren's shoulder with a laugh. "But I'm thinking that we challenge those guys to a game of Pickle for their spot on the beach, wherever it is."
That'd be a good idea if we knewthey had a decent spot.
However, with how little luck Ren and Ryuji had so far, and with how much time out of their beach day they wasted, Ren was up for anything.
"Fuck it."
Ren and Ryuji approached the kids, still in the midst of their game, and watched from just a few feet away. One of the throwers, luckily, the one with the ball, stopped throwing, called something out to his friends, and the game was over like that. The group of eleven-year-olds gathered in front of Ren and Ryuji.
"Whaddya you two pussies want?" the shortest one asked, his high and immature voice giving some unintended irony to his words.
Oh… well, they are eleven. Can't say I didn't curse up a storm back at that age.
"We're just wondering if we could challenge ya to a friendly game of Pickle," Ryuji said, not letting the boy's insults sway him.
"Why?" said the short boy.
With a grin widening, Ryuji answered, "We got a bit of a wager for you guys." He paused, looked at Ren, then turned back to the kids. "If we beat you guys in Pickle, we get your guys' spot on the beach."
The boys standing behind the short one began whispering amongst themselves, all sharing glances up the beach. Ren followed a few of their gazes, seeing a bunch of laid-out blankets and beach towels left unoccupied in the middle of the crowd.
That's the perfect spot. It's close to the water but not too close, and it has a bunch of space.
"Yeah?" the short boy challenged, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest. Ren had a difficult time not chuckling to himself as he looked down on the boy. "And what do we get?"
Ryuji turned to Ren, put his hand on his shoulder, and guided him a few steps away from the kids. "What the hell can we give these guys?"
"Uh… money?"
"Nah, man. They just fired me from my job. Can't afford it."
"What'd you do to get fired from a golf camp for kids?!" Ren asked hoarsely in a whisper.
"That's a story for another time, because we gotta-"
"We know what we want!" the boy called over, cutting through Ryuji's words. Ren and Ryuji reconvened with the kids. The short boy, now puffing his chest out even more, looked Ren in the eye. "We want your women."
Bro… what?!
"How old are you?" Ren asked.
"Old enough for hoes!" one of the boys in the back said, getting all the boys to erupt into laughter and high fives.
Every day, we stray further from the GRAVY-esque Lord of Goodness's light.
"Come on! You guys are in high school, so you definitely got girlfriends!"
"I wish it were that easy," Ryuji mumbled to himself. Ren almost shot his friend a dirty look but stopped when Ryuji spoke up to the group. "Fine. You got a deal. If we win, we get your spot. If you win, you get… our girlfriends, I guess."
The boys all cheered and began high-fiving each other again as Ren pulled Ryuji away from the group. "Ryuji! I'm the only one with a girlfriend! I have something to lose!"
"Relax, man. They're, like, six years old. If we lose to them, you don't deserve a girlfriend. And it's not like they can actually take Makoto. She'd kick their asses."
Fair point.
As the group readied themselves for the game, Ren took a few moments to go over the established rules in his head.
We're doing elimination, so all I have to do is not get beaned by the ball. I can do that, right?
To keep things unbiased, one of the six boys got to be a thrower while either Ren or Ryuji would fill the other spot. Ryuji, worried about taking physical damage before his sparring match with Makoto, was the other thrower, leaving Ren with the actual important work.
With two divots in the sand serving as bases, Ren would have to not be thrown or tagged out until he was the last person remaining. Ryuji, or the other thrower, if he was unbiased, would have to throw the other boys out before Ren got out.
Ren and two of the boys started out on one of the bases while the other was occupied by the other three kids, including the short one. As is standard in Pickle, Ryuji tossed the ball to the other thrower. "One!" he yelled.
Ren placed his right foot in front of his left, letting his knees bend along the way. He leaned forward and withheld his breath. "Two!" the kid thrower called out as he tossed the ball back to Ryuji.
Ren exhaled. "Three!" Ryuji called just before he began his motion to toss the ball back. Ren and the rest of the boys took off, running directly towards the three boys coming from the other base.
Shit. They could try to cheat and block me in the middle to get me tagged.
Ren, the athletic god that he was, jammed his left foot into the sand and pushed off, juking around the three boys coming towards him. He kept running, just as he heard the ball land in the kid thrower's hand. He dove forward, expecting the ball to whizz over his head.
Instead, cries of pain erupted from behind him. Ren, on the ground with his hand on the base, turned back to see one of the boys he had been on the first base with hunched over and crying. As Ren looked more closely, he saw a giant red mark on the side of the kid's neck.
At least this means the kid thrower's not biased. I'm surprised he got his own guy out.
The kid, still in tears, walked himself out of the way so the game could continue. Ren stood up with another boy who made it to the base. They both watched in silence as Ryuji and the kid thrower began tossing the ball back and forth again, waiting for the runners to make their next move.
As Ryuji caught the ball in his hand, he looked Ren in the eye, giving him a slight nod. Confused, Ren just blankly looked back, until he noticed Ryuji starting his throwing motion.
He wants me to go!
Ren took off just as Ryuji really got into his throwing motion. Ren already made it to the halfway point as the ball left Ryuji's hand and before the kids even realized what was going on. He easily made it to the other base standing up as the kid thrower caught the ball.
With some degree of immunity for a bit, Ren had some time to breathe and watch as the other boys on the base each tried to seize opportunities. Two of the boys went at the same time, while the boy on the other base scampered across as the two were running. He slid safely into the same base as Ren, but the two going to the opposite base weren't so lucky.
Ryuji, winding up as if his very life depended on it, got a running start and hurled the ball towards the two sprinters. They must've known that the ball was coming as the screaming began before the ball even hit the kid in the middle of his back. The kid immediately dropped to the ground in agony.
Ryuji, enthused about his ruthless throw finding its mark, yelled at the boy, "Get recked!"
"Kazuhiro, get out of the way!" the short boy loudly ordered from next to Ren on the base. The boy began to drag himself by his arms out of the way, leaving a trail in the sand that looked like something a giant slug would leave behind. Once the boy moved, Ryuji and the kid thrower resumed tossing the ball back and forth.
Only three kids remaining. You got this, Ren.
Over the next few minutes, the back and forth went on and on. Each of the runners played more conservatively due to the ever-increasing stakes, but one can never truly escape in Pickle. The number of runners dwindled until two remained: Ren and the short kid. They stared down each other from opposite bases.
Ryuji and the kid thrower had already tossed the ball back and forth several times, but now they began to count. Runners couldn't be on base by the time they got to three, or else they were declared out. "One!" the kid thrower yelled.
I need a new strategy. There aren't many targets left, so they could easily throw me out… fuck it, I'll go for a surprise attack.
Just as Ryuji wound his arm up and opened his mouth to count, Ren took off, sprinting for dear life towards the other base. Ryuji didn't know Ren's plan and threw the ball hard enough to the kid thrower to give him enough time to hit Ren if he could.
Ren was nearly there when he looked down at the short boy waiting for him at the sand divot. The short little fucker smirked.
Shit. The ball is gonna h-
A stinging pain exploded right in the middle of Ren's back, sending him toppling over face-first into the sand. In the process, he had thrown his hand out in front of him.
While his hand touched the base, Ren knew he was still out.
I just lost to some eleven-year-olds. Fuck.
"We did it! We win! You pussies lost! We get your girlfriends, nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!" the short one yelled down at Ren as he danced around Ren's unmoving body. His squeaky voice reminded Ren of how badly he lost. "You're dogshit! Try harder! Get better! You're worthl- agh!" A scream of surprise got Ren to roll over and look up at the action.
This is definitely not what I expected to be doing
Ryuji, with the tennis ball raised to his mouth, gave it a good lick as if it were ice cream. All the boys now gathered, watching in terror as Ryuji repeated the disgusting act over and over.
Ryuji has had some good ideas today, but… this definitely isn't one of them.
As if he were robbing a bank, Ryuji held the tennis ball in the air. "You guys ever heard of mono?!" The boys mumbled and shook their hands, only further helping Ryuji. "I have mono! You get it from other peoples' spit. So, if you touch this ball…" Just as the boys put the pieces together, Ryuji ran towards the group.
This man is a menace to society.
The boys let out one collective high-pitched scream and dispersed, all going in different directions. Ryuji chased after the shortest one, holding the ball out towards the kid. "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna get ya!" he called after the boy, only getting screams in return.
Ren got himself up from the wet sand. He felt grains all over his face, especially in his hair, and in his swim trunks. With a groan, he looked around to see where Ryuji was now. When he looked towards the group of boys' spot from earlier, he saw them. All of the boys were quickly gathering up their bags and beach towels as Ryuji sprinted towards them with the mono ball in hand.
"Go, go, go!" the short boy yelled to the others as he took off from the spot, his towel dangling over his shoulder. Within seconds, the others followed his lead and abandoned their exceptional spot on the beach. Ren saw the opportunity and took it. He walked over to the empty plot of sand and simply sat down to finally take a breather.
Ryuji, suspiciously without the mono ball in hand, walked up from behind Ren. "I kinda knew they were gonna get you on that last one, but damn!" he said as he slapped Ren on his back. "I didn't think you'd get pegged that hard!"
The back-slap renewed Ren's pain from the tennis ball and Ryuji's poor choice of words only aggravated him more "Phrasing, Ryuji. Phrasing!"
"Huh?"
Oh… I guess he doesn't know. Quick, change the subject!
"Nevermind that, I'm pretty sure you just broke some law regarding child endangerment," Ren added.
Ryuji looked down at Ren and shrugged. "Who cares? We got a spot on the beach."
"Good point," Ren said. "Lemme text the others where we are."
"Bet. I'll go grab our stuff from that rock nook, or whatever the eff it is."
Finally, after a whole hour since their arrival at the beach, Ren and Ryuji found the group somewhere to sit.
In a moment of victory, Ann led the girls from the bathrooms, all of them now clad in swimwear. "I can't believe they fell for that," she said with a wide smile, referring to the ditching of the boys.
"I don't think they did," Makoto replied. "We just left too quickly."
"Do you think they have a spot by now?" Haru asked.
Futaba, unlike the other girls, did not spend a lot of time changing. She had been done for fifteen by the time the others were ready. "Course they do. It's been twenty freakin' minutes!"
As the group emerged onto a little hill overlooking the beach, Ann looked around. "I don't see them anywhere," she said with her hand over her eyes.
"Well, we're definitely not finding them in," Futaba pointed out at the massive crowd on the beach, "that." The more she looked at the crowd, the more Futaba shied away from it. She retreated down the small hill, nervously looking around. The other girls didn't notice.
"Hm… should we wait for them to text us their location?" Haru suggested.
"I guess, but isn't that boring? Like, we're at the beach for the day! We have to make the most of it!"
"And what do you suggest?" Makoto asked.
Ann looked out at the water, then back to her friends. "I may have an idea or two."
"How am I supposed to steer this thing?" Futaba's nerves vanished as the uncrowded waters were suitable for her introversion. Even nicer, the group of four had rented out a pedal boat, where each of them had a seat and set of pedals that would move the boat forward. Ann and Makoto took up the front while Haru and Futaba occupied the back.
"Just… will it to the left," Ann answered. "Oh, wait. There's a steering rod," she corrected with a laugh. "Just point that in the direction we wanna go."
As Haru watched the early afternoon sun reflect on the horizon, she felt beads of sweat drip from her arms. The heat and exercise were getting to her, but she didn't complain. Haru absolutely loved the pedal boat, not for its function, but for what it represented.
The four had to work together for the boat to move. They needed Haru, and Haru needed them for things to go as planned. I guess that's life spelling things out for me , Haru thought to herself with a smile that didn't go unnoticed.
"Hey!" Futaba said. "What're ya laughing at?!"
"Oh, I'm not laughing, Futaba-chan. I was just thinking about something."
Futaba shook her head in disbelief. "So that's how it's gonna be…" She turned away from Haru and looked out over the ocean. "Mweheheh."
The group continued pedaling allowed, giving Haru more time to appreciate her own thoughts and her friends. They didn't realize how much it meant to her just to be there, outside of the narrow world she'd created for herself in the past few weeks. Haru had put herself on a path into further lows, yet the decision to go out with her friends unwound all of that.
To put it simply, Haru realized how much she needed her friends.
Soon, she would need them more than ever.
"Isn't that… uh… oh fuck!" Futaba yelled from next to Haru, startling her and the rest of the group.
Ann turned around, but kept pedaling, making for an awkward look. "'Oh fuck' what?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.
Futaba pointed behind her into the water, her eyes full of pure terror. "Shark!"
Without questioning her, the girls all shrieked in unison and pedaled harder than ever. The boat accelerated more and more as their screaming grew thin, but it reignited once they regained their breath.
"Go!" Futaba yelled, her skinny legs hardly contributing to the boat's movement. "It's almost on us!" Haru noticed just how little Futaba was actually doing and gave it just a bit more thought.
Shouldn't she be trying a bit harder?! Haru thought as the muscles in her legs ached with pain. Her growing suspicion of Futaba provoked an investigation. Just in case, Haru kept pumping her muscles, but she turned her head to look back.
"Futaba-chan, I don't see the shark."
Makoto and Ann certainly didn't like that. "What?!" they both asked at once, replicating Haru and spinning around to face the redhead.
Futaba's usual devious chuckles transformed into full-fledged laughs.
Makoto sighed. "There wasn't a shark, was there?"
Futaba kept laughing, despite the other girls feeling unamused.
"Futaba-chan, do you know how to swim?" Haru asked, looking Futaba in the eye.
Futaba kept laughing, yet still knew to be defensive. "Why?"
Haru looked Makoto in the eye then glanced out at the open ocean. "No reason," she answered.
"Guys! I can't swim!" The boat went further out into the ocean, with the beach growing slimmer and slimmer. When they rented the boat, the girls were advised to not venture too far, but it seemed that exceptions could be made.
"It's too late. You must walk the plank," Makoto flatly replied. She, Ann, and Haru were joking around, but pretending to be serious only made it better.
Ann added her own embellishments, of course. "Arggh!"
"We don't even have a plank! There's not even room to stand up!" Futaba protested. She had stopped pedaling a while ago, electing to just kick her feet up and enjoy her last moments before the group forced her into the depths of the ocean. "Also, in all seriousness, we are getting a bit far."
Ann and Makoto turned around and squinted. Ann looked to Makoto for the decision, to which Makoto just nodded. "Today's your lucky day, scallywag!" Ann said with a hearty pirate voice.
As they cranked the steering rod around, the boat slowly turned. The pedaling continued for a few more minutes, and they could soon see the people on the beach. Also, they were shallow enough that Ann didn't worry about dropping her phone in the water and losing it forever. She pulled it out of the bag that she brought along.
"Looks like the guys got a spot… five minutes ago? How did it take them an hour?"
"What do you think they did for the hour?" Makoto asked.
"Meh, they're just a bunch of slackers. Probably just Ryuji being lazy, Ren getting angry, and Yusuke doing some weird shit."
I'm surprised Makoto doesn't defend Ren from that. To me, he doesn't seem lazy, but Makoto is the one spending more time with him, Haru thought to herself. Still, there's a lot that can happen in an hour. I wonder what they did…
With the sunbathing elderly woman in his sights, Yusuke approached. "Good afternoon, madam. I could not help but notice your exquisitely toned thighs, and I have a proposition for you."
Just like the rest of them, the woman moved her sunglasses down an inch and curiously looked at Yusuke. "Oh?"
"I think you'll find it quite agreeable…"
"You guys are really spending your day at the beach being lazy?"
Ren opened his eyes from his much-appreciated nap to see Ann looking straight down at him. "You wouldn't get it," he said, closing his eyes again and attempting to go back to sleep. His beach towel wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it was a far better option than laying on the sand.
Ann turned to Ren's companion and stomped in the sand, kicking a little onto Ren's beach towel. "You too, Ryuji! You were so excited, and now you're sitting on your butt doing nothing!" Ren resisted his anger towards Ann and her stomping, not unleashing the sweeping leg kick that he desperately wanted to try.
"It's been a long day," Ryuji said, shrugging up at Ann.
Just as he almost found the peace and quiet he wanted, a voice he actually had to respond to spoke. "Ren, don't you think you should spend some time with us?" Makoto asked.
Yeah, but my back hurts. I should be on the IR.
Ren didn't answer Makoto's question, he simply changed the subject to deflect. "What'd you guys do for an hour?" He kept his eyes closed to avoid the sunlight.
"A bit of this. A bit of that. We got a boat!"
Oh yeah. I forgot that we brought Futaba.
"Sounds fun."
"You bet it was. I was like, 'Shark!' And then everyone screamed, and then-"
"Ah, I see we have found our own territory."
Don't forget, Yusuke, that you abandoned us to find a spot. I won't forget that.
Actually feeling compelled to see his friends now that the subject of his anger presented himself, Ren sat up. He heard Makoto gasp from behind him, likely at the giant red mark on his back, but he didn't care. He looked over to his right, past Ryuji, to see-
What the fuck. Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, thirteen… thirteen!
Yusuke, plus thirteen women of varying ages, shapes, sizes, even ethnicities, had joined GRAVY in the far too small area of the beach that they occupied.
Three of them look like tourists who probably don't speak any Japanese! How the hell did he pull that off?!
In unison, all thirteen of them stared at Ren, not blinking, and bowed. They held that position as Yusuke walked over to Ren. "Oh, great and glorious Lord of GRAVY-esque Goodness, I humbly appeal to you today with what I hope may be new recruits."
Christ.
Ren wasn't the only one ticked off by Yusuke. "Yusuke, you can't just-" Ann tried to protest, but Yusuke just held his hand in the air and silenced her. As it appeared, he held some sort of power over all women.
"I didn't think Inari would be organizing a harem, but I can't say I'm disappointed," Futaba said, laughing at the absurdity. "So how are we dividing them up?"
I should probably stop this before we start causing a scene, shouldn't I?
As Ren stood up, he took a look around. The scene had already been caused, as GRAVY and Yusuke's harem drew more and more eyes with every passing second. With how much whispering happened, it might as well have been Shujin.
I forgot how much I hate that shit. It's the same feeling as waking up to an alarm; just being so unnerved, uncomfortable, and caught off guard. I want to go home.
"Yusuke, I'm gonna have to kindly ask you to disband your harem."
Disappointment flashed across his face, but Yusuke obeyed. "Very well," he said as he walked back over to the still-bowing women. "Your contracts are hereby absolved!"
I didn't know that harems have contracts.
Without questioning their supposed leader, the woman all rose from their bows. Almost immediately, they dispersed and walked away from GRAVY. Yusuke waved at all of them before rejoining the group.
"May I ask what we plan to do?"
"Permission denied," Futaba joked. "But for real, though, what are we doing? Because if no one's got anything, I think it's time for Ryuji to fight Makoto!"
Ren glanced over at Ryuji. If his friend was worried or scared about getting his ass kicked, he didn't show it.
I would get him out of fighting her if he seemed scared, but he doesn't. Oh well. I'm not complaining. I'm sure this'll be hilarious.
As a few seconds of silence passed with no ideas emerging, the group wordlessly settled on their plan for the next half hour.
Futaba drew a giant square into the sand, just at the edge of the water, making makeshift boundaries. In diagonal corners, Ryuji and Makoto warmed up, stretching their limbs and staying light on their feet. Ren and Haru backed up Makoto in her corner while Yusuke and Ann took Ryuji's side. Ren could see Ryuji's corners whispering advice to him about strategies, but he knew that whatever Ryuji tried would be in vain. Because of the lack of actual rules, Makoto was free to use the full extent of her aikido training. Ryuji would probably get his nose broken from a kick to the face before he even threw a punch.
There's just no way that Ryuji doesn't get laid flat on his ass. It'll serve him right for talking shit on the train, but I do feel a little bad. Also, I'm hoping that Makoto doesn't kick him hard enough that he accidentally spits everywhere and one of us ends up with mono. I'd kick him out of GRAVY for that.
By this point, all of GRAVY were in their swimsuits, with Yusuke donning the speedo he'd brought to Iwatodai. At this point, the group was used to it. No one gave it a second thought.
"Mako-chan, do you need any advice?" Haru asked as Makoto bounced from foot to foot. She stretched her right arm across her body, then repeated with her left.
Makoto didn't turn back to answer, she just kept her eyes on Ryuji. "I think I'll be fine."
Haru elaborated on what her advice would be. "Because if you'd like, I could show you a move that would paralyze any opponent from the waist down." Despite the violence in her words, Haru's voice still kept a tone of sunshine and rainbows.
Uh…
Ren gave Haru an awkward side-eye while Makoto stopped her warm-ups and just turned around to face Haru, now seeming a little scared of her friend. "Erm… maybe I'll just go for a knockdown," she said, turning back around and getting back into her warmups.
Futaba finished up her boundary and went into the middle. "Ladies, gentlemen, and Inari, welcome to… uh… the first annual GRAVY Death Match!" Futaba glanced over at her friends, noticed the confused looks, and made a correction. "Sans the death, of course! Today, we have Miss President in the sandy corner, while the GRAVY Runner himself resides in the… what was I gonna call it… oh yeah! The sandy loam corner!"
Ryuji made much more of a spectacle of his introduction than Makoto did, walking around, waving to an invisible crowd, and smiling for the cameras. Futaba's attempts to replicate an actual boxing match were loud enough to draw a few looks from other people on the beach, mostly kids curious to see what was going on.
Looks like we'll have a crowd after all. If I was smart, I'd start taking bets from these kids. There's lots of money to be made in scamming the uninformed.
"I want a good, clean fight today! No deaths, or else… death as a punishment! The first person on their butt loses!" Futaba held her right hand in the air for emphasis, swinging it downwards to signal the start. "Fight!"
Immediately, Ryuji bounded forward from his corner, hands at the ready like a boxer. Hunger laid in his eyes, which were dead set on his target.
Until they weren't.
In a flashing second, Makoto performed a full three-hundred-sixty degree spin on her front leg and swung her back leg around into the side of Ryuji's knee. It instantly buckled and he fell backward. Pretty much everyone all screamed in surprise and delight at once, including the few spectators who had joined.
As Makoto raised a victorious hand in the air, Futaba's voice could be heard among all the yelling and laughing. "It's over! It's over! The President wins!"
Makoto walked back to her corner, giving both Ren and Haru high-fives.
"I didn't think it'd be that easy," she said, shrugging before looking back at Ryuji. He sulked on the ground, rubbing his knee.
I mean, it's Ryuji. She knew she was going to win.
As the commotion settled and the few disappointed people who stopped by to watch the fight left, GRAVY convened around Ryuji as he stood up.
"That was well fought, my friend," Yusuke said, offering Ryuji a pat on his back. "May your future losses be more substantial."
Ryuji's sulking had already come to an end. Maybe he had realized that he really never had a chance at beating Makoto, or maybe he just accepted his defeat with some dignity.
"Alright, I now know that I'm not the best fighter in GRAVY, but you know what I actually am?" he asked the group.
Futaba struck first. "Sick with mono?"
"Yeah, but-"
Ren joined in. "Jobless?" he added.
"Well, yeah, but that's-"
Ann dug up the dead horse just to kick it once more. "Single?"
Ann, I know that you like him, but this is just not the way to go. He probably thinks you hate his guts.
With the remark hitting a particularly soft spot, and one that was especially fresh, Ryuji stopped trying to finish his sentence. "...Ouch."
Ryuji's biggest insecurity was left on full display for all of GRAVY as he stood quietly in the center of the group. Ren, feeling such strong second-hand embarrassment and empathy towards the first person to be his friend in Tokyo, did something about it.
"Ryuji was right about his fighting skills," Ren began, prompting everyone to turn to him, "but he hasn't gotten a chance to show off his chicken fight skills yet."
Please know what that is.
"The eff's a chicken fight?"
Just as Ren was in the midst of detailing the intricacies of chicken fighting to GRAVY, a voice interrupted him. "Like this?" Ann asked as she lowered her upper body into the water, only leaving her head above.
"You're gonna have to dunk your head under the water, you know."
"B-but… then my hair's gonna get wet!"
"Do you want to chicken fight or not?" Ann rolled her eyes, which Ren took as acceptance. He resumed his explanation of the game to the group. "So Ann goes under the water and someone gets on her shoulders. She comes back up from under the water with the person on her shoulders, and they'd be a team. Another team would do the same thing, then the two teams square off. The first person who falls off the shoulders into the water loses. Simple enough, right?"
Ryuji raised his hand. GRAVY was able to stand in water a little above their chests, so his movement inadvertently splashed Futaba. "Can we have an example?" Ryuji asked as Futaba mumbled insults as she recoiled from the water to the face.
"Uh… sure, why not." It'd be hard to give an example, as Ren was the only one who'd played before and he'd need three other GRAVY members to demonstrate, all of whom had never played. "Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto? Care to help?"
The chosen three exchanged nervous glances before moving forward in the water. Each member of GRAVY had relaxed into the chest-high water, leaving them in an effortless squat-like form where only their heads remained above water.
"Ryuji and Yusuke, you guys are a team, so you two need to figure out who's on the bottom and who's on the top."
"Oh, I'm definitely a bottom!"
Phrasing, Ryuji. Phrasing!
That just left Ren and Makoto to decide who did what. Ren gave her a smirk as he decided for her. "For the sake of the lesson, I'll be on top."
She's also probably stronger than me, so she'd be better at support. Oh, and I don't want her to get hurt by Yusuke. He definitely has some tricks up his sleeve… or would it be tricks up his speedo because he's not wearing anything else? …Ew. I hope he doesn't have any tricks there.
Makoto nodded, immediately ducking below the surface of the water. Ren maneuvered behind her, then hooked his legs over her shoulders. He playfully tapped her head as a signal that he was ready. She rose from the water, unamused by the poke, but still doing a great job at supporting Ren.
She's even keeping me low to the water for balance. Maybe she does know what chicken fighting is.
"That's the easy part," Ren said to Haru, Futaba, and Ann as they watched from a few feet away. He watched from his seat on Makoto's shoulders as Ryuji sank down just as Makoto did, only for Yusuke to botch the rest of the process.
Instead of treating Ryuji's shoulders as somewhere to sit, Yusuke treated them as somewhere to stand. The surprising speed of the motion caught everyone by surprise, including Ryuji, who rose up to figure out what was going on, but that only made things worse. As his head and shoulders emerged, shimmering as water streamed down him, Yusuke rose into the air, perfectly balanced as he stood on Ryuji's shoulders.
How the fuck did he do that?!
All of the group, Ren and Makoto included, looked up at Yusuke in awe. Well, except Ryuji, because he had to do the hard work. "Ow! Man, the eff are ya doing?!" he yelled. Ren could see Yusuke alternating which foot he put more weight on for the sake of balance, and that only hurt Ryuji more.
He could just toss Yusuke off into the water if it really hurts, so it can't be that bad.
Yusuke, towering over everyone, beckoned down at Ren. "You must join me in the clouds, Ren."
Yeah, right. As if Makoto would let me try. Even if she did, I have shitty balance.
"C'mon, man, just play the game normally," Ren said casually, trying to keep his cool. This really wasn't what he expected to be doing when the group initially planned for a beach day.
"No."
"Yusuke, please?"
"No."
"I beg of you."
"No."
Ren sighed and looked over at the members of GRAVY not participating. Futaba nodded in encouragement, laughing at the situation. Haru also shared the laughter, though she did the opposite of encouraging Ren. She shook her head. Ann didn't do any of those things, instead locking worried eyes on Ryuji.
"Whaddya think?" Ren whispered down to Makoto who still held him on her shoulders. Her red eyes looked up at him.
"We can try, I just don't know how long I can hold you."
Fuck. I'd rather not do this, but the pressure's on. A Lord of GRAVY-esque Goodness never backs down from a challenge, except when there are things actually at stake.
Makoto sunk back under the water and Ren unhooked his legs from her shoulder. After he regained his footing on the sand beneath the water, he climbed up Makoto's back and replicated Yusuke. He put his feet on her shoulders and pushed down with his knees. Her being underwater minimized the force being put on her, but Ren figured it must've hurt.
With far less effort than he believed he should've made, Ren was standing on Makoto's shoulders. Her head rose up just as her hands grabbed on to Ren's ankles to keep him standing.
There's no way that either of us can hold this for a while. I don't even know how I'm doing this, but it's pretty awesome if I do say so myself.
Ren, playing into some form of grandeur, spread his arms wide and looked into the eyes of his opponent. "Alright, Yusuke. Here we are."
"I humbly request a duel." Yusuke stood motionless in the air, his gaze cutting through the wind. It was like a samurai in a moment of calm before the flurry of death.
Ren shrugged. "I humbly accept."
Yusuke, somehow, someway, did a perfect ninety-degree bow atop Ryuji's shoulders. Ren didn't reciprocate the respect because he simply didn't have the balance for it. Besides, he'd need to be ready when Yusuke came up from the bow and immediately went for the knockout.
Yusuke pointed towards Ren, emphatically showing his intention of complete and utter destruction. "Advance, my pawn!" he ordered Ryuji.
"Hold the line," Ren muttered to Makoto. He didn't know why, but something told him that his only chance at not being murdered was to fight defensively.
Almost as soon as Ryuji brought him within four feet of Ren, the artist struck. Ren missed the cue in a blur of motion, and when he realized what was happening, it was too late. Yusuke, with a deep, guttural howl erupting from his vocal cords, jumped a solid foot above Ryuji's head and snapped his right leg forward towards Ren.
The kick nearly ended the Amamiya bloodline in a single blow.
Like in an overly-dramatic action movie, seconds passed before Ren's physical reaction passed. In seemingly slow-motion, he fell backward off of Makoto's shoulders straight into the water, and with his back at a perfect angle to hit the water.
With a thunderous clap, Ren's unintentionally perfect back flop climaxed, all while the worst pain of his life took over his groin.
"Are you feeling any better?"
My balls hurt like a motherfucker.
But Ren couldn't say that, especially to Makoto. "I don't wanna talk about it." It was better if he didn't talk too much. If he did, his full vulgarity would be on display.
Yusuke practically turned Ren into a cripple. With the pain in his groin, Ren thought he popped a testicle. With the pain in his back, Ren thought every blood vessel in his body imploded.
Fuck the beach. Fuck Yusuke. How the hell can you be a dude who kicks another guy in the balls?! Talk about messed up. I want to go home…
"Well, just… try to lay flat on your back," Makoto instructed, easing Ren backward from his sitting position. She'd escorted him back to GRAVY's spot while the rest of the group continued with chicken fights, albeit in the proper, less dangerous way.
I know her advice is lacking because there isn't exactly a home remedy for extreme pain in the family jewels, but come on, Makoto. You've got to have something better than that.
Ren knew he was only feeling angry towards Makoto because of the constant pain, but he couldn't help it. The skin of his back felt as if it was peeling off as he relaxed onto his towel and stared up at the sky.
"Tokyo beaches suck."
"Just because Yusuke kicked you?"
Well, and because some kids hit me in the back with a tennis ball earlier while I got a mouthful of sand. Yusuke kicking me in the balls and forcing me to back flop was the thousand kilograms that broke the camel's back.
"You could say that."
"It has been an unexpected day, I'll agree with that," Makoto said as she laid out her own towel next to Ren. "Futaba did pretty well with us when you and the guys went off to find a spot. Seems like she kept calm and didn't worry about all the people."
At least that worked out. And Haru, too. I'm glad she's here.
"How'd Haru do?"
"A little quiet, but…" Makoto paused. "I think that's how she's going to be from now on. I don't blame her. I couldn't."
"Have you talked with her about… any of it?"
Makoto hesitated in her response, but when she did reply, a tinge of guilt emerged. "No."
"Don't feel guilty about it. I haven't either. I know that I need to."
"I think we all do. Each of us in the club."
"Not Yusuke. He's out. Banished. Exiled. Gone forever."
Makoto laughed but quickly ended the moment of relief in a grim conversation. "Ren, stop. Haru was happy today, but we don't know how hard it is for her at home. Every day she has to look at her father, knowing what he did."
She's braver than I. I couldn't grin and bear it. If Okumura was my dad, and what he did was confirmed as fact… I don't think I could hold myself back.
Ren looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I'll talk to her ab-"
"Um, I think Yusuke is drowning Futaba."
"What?!" Ren immediately sat up, his back exploding in the process. He looked out to the water to see Yusuke trying to get on Futaba's shoulders for a chicken fight. With her lack of muscle, she couldn't support Yusuke. Then, just as Ren started to worry, Yusuke relented and got off Futaba, letting her rise from the water only to give him an earful.
My previous statement about Yusuke being a menace stands. I would trade an arm and a leg to witness what goes on in his head.
Ren laid back down as his back burned. He found little solace, but not moving at all didn't invite new pain, so it was really his only option. He closed his eyes due to the bright light.
His thoughts drifted into spontaneity, with nothing in particular catching his attention. The only thing of substance he did do over the next few minutes was the occasional small talk with Makoto, who seemed to prefer the moment of relaxation to anything they'd done at the beach so far. She didn't bring Haru up again, either.
But she didn't need to. As far as Ren's thoughts and conversation with Makoto deviated from the heiress, he always found her in the back of his mind. He had failed her and continued to fail her. The only thing he'd done for her was organize the beach trip, and he wasn't even the one who invited her.
Poor you, Ren. Yusuke and some kids crushed your dignity, now you're wallowing about the same things as always, but you never do anything about it. You never will.
"Reeen! Wake up!"
Orange, hazy light overwhelmed Ren's vision until he shielded his eyes. Forgetting about his back, he sat up, only for the intense pain to return. Keeping his eyes shielded, he looked around.
The rest of GRAVY had returned from their time in the water just as the sun began its colorful descent beneath the horizon. Makoto sat on his right side, reading a book. The one who had woken him up, therefore the most deserving to be kicked out of GRAVY, stood right in front of him.
"We were gonna run over to the burger shack in the parking lot to grab some dinner," Ann said. "Want anything?"
All is forgiven. A rude awakening is a small price to pay for fast-food.
"A cheeseburger with no lettuce and a chocolate shake, if they have them," Ren said as he rubbed his eyes. They had adjusted to the light, but the sunset was still blinding. The only comfort he got from the light was Ann standing right in front of it, blocking most of the light. "You want, like, two-thousand yen for the burger?"
"Nah. Haru said she's buying."
"But-"
"I know, I know. She insisted."
Ren looked up to Haru at his left, offering her a smile as thanks. Ann took Makoto's order as well, and then the group walked off.
It's really nice of them to do that, but Yusuke didn't even apologize. What did I expect, though? It's Yusuke. He's weird. Maybe it's my fault for accepting his duel.
"Mhm!" Ren said as he took the first bite of his dinner. "This is a tasty burger!"
They are quite good, even if unhealthy, Haru thought to herself. She originally planned on waiting until she got home, but the hunger became too much to bear, and she decided to go all in. A burger, fries, and a strawberry shake would be her meal for the night. That was near the standard for the rest of GRAVY, though with a few moderations depending on the person.
They all sat in their unknowingly stolen spot and watched the sunset. While the massive crowd on the beach remained, now with a few extra people encroaching on GRAVY's space, the endless noise of noon had thinned. Chatter remained, but it was much more soothing and peaceful. Haru assumed everyone just wanted to enjoy the sunset.
Haru appreciated the moment of calm in what had ended up being a very eventful and sometimes violent day. It also meant that GRAVY had somewhat decent manners, as Haru's greatest pet peeve was people eating and talking. Not too many people in her life did this, but the one who did was the worst.
It was her father. They rarely ate together anymore, but when they did, he always chewed with his mouth open and tried to speak with Haru while eating. Not only was it plain gross, Haru considered it some kind of far-fetched metaphor for how uncaring he'd become towards others, especially his own daughter. He never spoke to her about the Sugimuras, or about Iwatodai, if he was even aware of Haru's discovery.
Haru didn't trust him. She hadn't in a while. That lack of trust only added to her detachment from her own last name, which held almost no significance to her besides that she had to respond to it.
He didn't even ask her where she went during the day. Kunikazu didn't even know about her passion for gardening, or that she was in a club, or that she actually had decent friends that weren't forced on her by his ever-expanding social circle.
And so, if he didn't care, Haru wouldn't either. He played no role in her life already, what difference would it make if she finally accepted it?
As bitter as the thoughts felt to Haru, she still felt happy as they passed through her consciousness. Even as she accepted that her father had all but abandoned her, she found comfort in just looking around at her friends. Something as simple as a ride in a pedal boat, or dinner on the beach made all the difference for Haru, truly reminding her of how close she was to them.
They cared for her, which was more than Haru could say about anyone she knew in years. That meant the world.
"I'm gonna pass the eff out when I get home," Ryuji muttered as GRAVY stepped onto the subway home. The girls had put on clothes over their swimsuits, while Ryuji and Ren just put their shirts back on. Yusuke remained in his speedo, arguing that changing would compromise his artistic statement. GRAVY didn't care too much, but they did get a few odd looks on the train.
Luckily, GRAVY stayed late enough at the beach that the congestion of people had long passed. There were enough seats on the subway for all of them to sit and, more importantly, get comfortable. Futaba dove into a power nap, leaning on Ann's shoulder for support. Ann kicked her legs out, attempting a nap of her. Yusuke and Ryuji took the seats next to each other, with the latter letting out more than enough yawns for one subway ride.
Haru, Makoto, and Ren sat on the opposite side of the subway from the rest, but they were just as tired, Ren especially. He planned on spending the remaining sixty or so hours of his summer sleeping.
The drowsiness even got to Haru, as she conked out against her bag, which she had propped up on the armrest to her left.
It would be nice if Makoto fell asleep on my shoulder, but she'd just have to get up in five minutes, which would suck. I hate how fast these trains are.
"Tired?" Ren asked. He knew the answer but wanted to make conversation.
"Very," Makoto said, yawning and putting her head on Ren's shoulder. He didn't complain. "You?" she said from his shoulder.
"More than. I think I'm gonna have to sleep through the first day of school."
Makoto lazily laughed at the joke. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to sleep? I mean, your back still hurts, right?"
"Yeah… I didn't think about that."
"Um… well… do you want me to stay over in case your back hurts and you need help?"
There's no logical correlation between Makoto staying over and back pain, but I don't care. That's an easy question to answer.
"Sure."
Makoto didn't reply verbally. Instead, Ren felt her face moving on his shoulder. He glanced downward, seeing her smiling. Even if the beach had sucked for Ren, the ending made it worth it. He leaned his head back against the train wall and smiled to himself.
A/N: While this chapter isn't technically late, it took a while, yet again. Sorry about that. My poor time-management skills caught up with me just in time for college apps.
I'll be doing my best to keep the next chapter under 8000 words and get it out in a timely manner. But, as always, we'll have to wait and see. Also, it may or not be the last chapter before Hawaii.
Thanks for reading. Hope everyone's having a great 2022.