Amamiya Family Beach Trip
It's another sunny day in Tokyo. But not only was it sunny, it was unbearably hot! A heat wave had hit the city hard, and just about everyone was staying indoors to avoid the scorching temperatures. Standing in the middle of the street, sweating profusely, was 13 year old Minato Amamiya, his sister 9 year old Kimiko Amamiya, and their pet cat Morgana. All three of them thought they'd go outside and play for a little while, but it was too hot to do much of anything. They'd get winded just by doing the small task of walking a couple of feet.
"Mmm, It's so hot," Morgana whined to himself as the two children couldn't hear him, "Why do I have to be a black cat?"
"What's with this heat?!" Minato shouted.
"Minato, we need to find somewhere we can cool off," Kimiko said, wiping sweat from her brow.
The two siblings heart Morgana mew as his paw pointed towards a nearby tree. The two kids and cat rushed beneath the tree, and immediately felt relief. They let out a content sigh as they settled themselves down under the shade of the tree, and waited for temperature to cool down some.
Unfortunately, as time went on, the sun moved higher into the sky, which caused the shadows to move, which meant less shade for Morgana and the Amamiya children. More shade started to disappear as the sun went higher, and they knew they couldn't stay under the tree for much longer.
"We've got to find some more shade, and fast!" Minato exclaimed.
Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana ran all around the neighborhood in search of more shady spots. But it seemed like every shady spot they found was either too small to hold all three of them, or the shade would move along with the sun. Eventually, the trio found themselves beneath the same tree that they started from. And it was at this point when Kimiko had to say something.
"Minato, this isn't worth it," Kimiko panted, "It's just going to keep getting hotter and there's going to be no shade when high noon rolls around. Let's just cut our losses, go back home, and sit in front of the air conditioner for the rest of the day."
"I hope there's some cold, freshly cut fruit for us when we get back," Minato prayed.
"Or a bowl of ice cream," Kimiko chimed in.
"You need to start eating healthier sis," Minato said, "All those sweets aren't good for you."
"What's mom's excuse then?" Kimiko snapped.
"She's an adult and she can do whatever she wants," Minato bluntly answered.
"Point taken," Kimiko said as she, her brother, and their cat hurried off for home.
Meanwhile, back at the Amamiya Residence, Ren, with sweat dripping down his face, was fussing with the knobs on the family's AC unit.
"No, no, no!" Ren frantically shouted, "Come on, work! Work, damn you!"
Ren eventually gave up and sat in the middle of the floor, wallowing in defeat, as his wife Ann walked in, looking just as sweaty, and carrying two tall glasses of lemonade, one for him and one for her.
"Here you go, babe, you look like you could use some refreshment," Ann said as she handed her husband his glass.
"Thanks, love," Ren replied as started to drink down his lemonade. As he did, his attention shifted towards Ann's chest. Since she was sweating so much, he was able to see through her shirt and get a good look at the bra his wife was wearing, "Lavender, nice."
"I bought it yesterday," Ann said as she sipped her own lemonade, "It's not how I wanted to show it off to you, but as long as you like it."
"Hmm, how did you want to show it off to me?" Ren asked naughtily.
"Ren, you know it's too hot to start shaking the sheets," Ann said.
"Oh, you're right," Ren sighed, "It's so hot I don't even think I have the energy to get to first base with you, let alone score a home run. And I fussed with our air conditioner for over an hour already."
"That AC has been here since before we moved in," Ann said, "Maybe it's time we go buy a new one."
"I have a strong feeling that just about every store we go to is going to be sold out of air conditioners," Ren asked.
"Well we have to do something to keep cool," Ann said.
"You want to bust a fire hydrant?" Ren asked, "That's what I did all the time back in my old hometown when I was younger."
"I guarantee if you bust a hydrant here in the big city you're not only paying a hefty fine, but you're also going to be serving some time," Ann said.
"Well, forget that plan then," Ren said.
"Well, there's one other place we can go," Ann said, "A place that, while crowded, is sure to provide us with fun and refreshment."
"Oh, I think I know what you're talking about," Ren said with an excited smile.
"Talking about what?" Minato asked as he, Kimiko, and Morgana just entered the room.
"Get in your swimsuits and pack some extra sunscreen," Ann said, "The Amamiyas are hitting the beach!"
"Alright!" Kimiko and Minato shouted in unison.
And so, the family packed their bags, changed into their swimsuits, and loaded up the car with beach supplies before taking off for a day of fun in the summer sun.
(Author's Note: Ren and Ann wear their swimsuits from the games. Minato's swimsuit is a pair of red swim trunks with black star pattern. Kimiko's swimsuit is a light pink one piece swimsuit with blue and purple floral pattern)
Sometime later, the family and their cat arrived at Miura Beach, their beach supplies in tow. When they got there, however, they immediately noticed how crowded it was.
"I guess we weren't the only ones who had the same idea," Ann said.
"Stay close, everyone," Ren said as the family fought their way through the crowds to find an empty space on the beach where they can set up. There was pushing and nudging, and many utterances of phrases like 'excuse us' and 'watch where you're going'. Eventually, the Amamiyas fought through the crowd and made it to an unoccupied spot.
"Well, here we are," Ren smiled triumphantly.
"Going through that crowd was not fun," Minato shuddered as Kimiko nervously nodded in agreement.
"I think someone touched my butt," Ann exclaimed before Morgana looked up at her.
"Sorry, Lady Ann, that was me," Morgana admitted, causing the blonde woman and her husband to glare at him. Minato and Kimiko, who unlike their parents haven't been to the Metaverse and can't understand Morgana, looked at their parents glare at their cat before looking at each other and shrugging.
"Well, everyone," Ren began as he addressed his whole family, "We've got at least seven hours before the sun starts to set. Until then, let the good times roll!"
His wife, children, and Morgana cheer in agreement before Minato speaks up.
"To the ocean!" Minato shouted as he ran into the ocean to cool off. He's followed by Kimiko, Ann, and then Ren.
The four of them splashed and swam around, effectively cooling themselves off, while Morgana just chilled out beneath the family's beach umbrella and watched.
"Water and I don't mix," Morgana said to himself as he closed his eyes to take a nap while his owners had the time of their lives.
And this was only the beginning…
Hour #1: Hang Ten Ren
The Amamiyas, bar Morgana, are still seen either swimming around in the ocean or lazily floating along the surface of the water.
"Ah, this is the life," Kimiko sighed as she swam laps around her brother and parents.
"The water feels so good," Minato said, floating along the water on his back.
"This was a great idea, Ann," Ren complimented his wife as he waded in the water.
"I'm capable of making big brain moves every now and again," Ann boasted as she waded next to her husband.
As Kimiko swam about, she looked into the distance to see a small group of teenagers, two boys and one girl, on surfboards, surfing waves on the other side of the beach.
"What's going on over there?" Kimiko asked as she stopped swimming and pointed at the teenagers.
The family looked and watched as one of the male teenagers rode the top of a big wave, while the female teenager did a flip off of another one. Ren was watching the trio more intently than the rest of his family.
"They appear to be surfing," Minato said.
"You guys want to get a closer look?" Ren asked.
"Alright, I'm willing to check it out," Kimiko said.
The four Amamiyas got out of the water and made their way over to the trio of young surfers to get a closer look at their activities. Morgana, who had just woken up from his cat nap, saw them walking to the surfers, so he followed after them. The Amamiya family made it to the trio of surfers just as they paddled back to shore for a short break. The first thing the two male surfers noticed when they were approached by the family was, of course, the beauty of Ann. The first of the two male surfers, who had long black hair, did a cat call when they saw her. The second male surfer, who had short light brown hair, looked ready to say something.
"Well, you're a hot one, aren't you," The second male surfer said.
"Sorry boys, she's with me," Ren replied as he wrapped an arm around Ann's waist.
"Awww," The two male surfers whined.
"And I'm this one's girlfriend," Said the female surfer as she approached the short light brown haired male surfer. Her hair is wine colored and tied up in a ponytail, "Touma, you should know better than to gawk at another woman in my presence!"
The female surfer elbowed the light brown haired surfer in the ribs.
"Ow, sorry babe," Touma replied before turning to the family, "I'm sorry about that. Allow us to properly introduce ourselves. I'm Touma, this is my girlfriend Hina and our friend Midori."
"Howdy," Midori waved.
"Pleased to meet all of you," Hina said.
"My name is Ren," Ren introduced himself, "This is my family. My wife Ann, our son Minato, our daughter Kimiko, and our cat Morgana. We came by because we couldn't help but notice what you all were up to."
"Oh, you must've seen us pull off some wicked tricks," Touma said proudly.
"Not to be rude, Touma, but you call those wicked moves?" Ren boasted, "Allow me to show you three some real moves. May I borrow your board?"
"Whatever," Touma said as he handed the raven-haired man his surfboard, "But if you break it, you're buying me a new one."
Once Ren had his hands on Touma's board, he went out into the ocean and paddled out to an incoming wave.
"Is dad crazy?" Minato asked, "What is he doing?"
"I have no idea," Ann said.
"I can't look," Kimiko said, covering her eyes.
As Ren got closer to the wave, he stood up on the board and, to everyone's surprise, he started to surf along it perfectly. He glided along the wave masterfully before climbing to the top of the wave to pull off some amazing tricks, one that the likes of Touma, Midori, or Hina have never seen.
"I never thought a flip like that was even possible!" Midori exclaimed.
"This dude can really surf," Touma said in amazement.
"Who is this guy?" Hina said, her jaw dropped.
"That's my man," Ann said, swooning hard. She was swooning so hard that she nearly passed out and Kimiko and Minato had to keep their mother upright.
"Looking cool, Ren!" Morgana exclaimed.
After executing even more tricks, Ren finally makes it back to shore and hands his board back to Touma. When he returned, he was met with applause from the three surfers, his family, and even a few onlookers and passersby.
"I am impressed, mister," Touma exclaimed, "I've never seen someone handle a wave quite that good in all my years of surfing."
"Keep practicing and someday, you'll be as good as me," Ren said as he shook Touma's hand.
"Do you live close by?" Touma asked, "Maybe you can give me and my friends some pointers."
"Touma, all I can say is I didn't get that good overnight," Ren said, "To be that good takes time and practice. If you and your friends truly love surfing, keep learning about it. Practice day after day until you've mastered it. Then, maybe someday, you'll be as good as me and I'll be reading about you three in sports magazines."
"Oh we'll definitely keep practicing, dude. We won't let you down, man" Touma said before turning to his friends, "Alright, gang, let's get back to it!"
"I'm with you, babe," Hina exclaimed.
"Let's rock and roll!" Midori shouted.
As the three teens went back to surfing, the Amamiya Family went back to their spot on the beach, Ren's wife, children, and cat heavily amazed by the surfing skills he displayed.
"Babe, that was amazing!" Ann exclaimed, "I had no idea you could surf! Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't think there would come a time in our relationship when my surfing skills would come into play," Ren answered.
"But where did you learn how to surf like that?" Minato asked.
"I went through a bit of a surfing phase during my middle school years," Ren replied, "I picked up most of my skills then."
"A phase?" Minato asked.
"Yeah, we've all gone through them," Ren said.
"Ah, you're right," Minato said, "I remember I was a huge fan of Harvey Panner (Harry Potter)"
"I listened to the Back Alley Guys (Backstreet Boys) almost religiously last year," Kimiko admitted.
"And I dabbled in steampunk during my time in middle school," Ann admitted.
"Wow," Ren said, amazed, "I did not picture you as a steampunker."
"I'll have to show you the steampunk getup that I wore on Halloween when I was 12," Ann said, "I think I still have it somewhere in the attic."
The family continued talking about their respective quirks and phases as they made their way back to their spot on the beach for more fun in the summer sun.
Hour #2: Seashell Collecting and Talk of Romance
"Here's another one," Kimiko exclaimed as she pulled up a shiny white and beige shell from the sand and put it in a bucket. Minato was with her, as Ren and Ann didn't want her exploring the beach and collecting sea shells alone. Not that Minato didn't mind. He enjoyed spending time with his sister.
Nevertheless, both Ann and Ren made sure their kids took their cell phones with them so they could contact them if need be.
"I think I see another shell over there," Minato pointed at a light pink seashell that just washed up on shore. Kimiko wasted no time in picking it up.
"Good eye, brother," Kimiko said as she placed the shell in her bucket.
"Hey, I think I found another one," Minato exclaimed as he picked up another shell…only for a hermit crab to pop out of it and use one of its pincers to pinch Minato's finger, causing him to yelp in pain and drop the crab onto the sand, "I hate crabs!"
"You did try and take his home," Kimiko said.
"To be fair, I had no idea he was in there," Minato responded, "So, what do you plan on doing with all of these shells anyway?"
"I want to make a necklace out of them and give it to Kaito," Kimiko answered, "You know, something to show him how much I value him as a friend."
"You know, I think Kaito likes you," Minato smiled.
"Of course, he likes me," Kimiko said, "We wouldn't be friends if he didn't like me."
"No, Kim, I mean he like likes you," Minato said, "As in, he views you as more than just a friend."
"What kind of bond can two people share that's more than just a friend?" Kimiko asked as she picked up another seashell.
"Whatever bond mom and dad have," Minato replied, "That's the kind of bond Kaito sees with you."
"Oh…oh," Kimiko blushed, "You think Kaito loves me?"
"I don't have to think, it's written all over his face," Minato said, "Anytime he sees you he gets all bashful, his face becomes redder than a tomato, he begins to flub up his words. He loves you, Kimiko, plain and simple."
Kimiko wasn't sure what to think. For as long as she can remember, her and Kaito have always been the best of friends, and the idea that he viewed her as more than that was just baffling to the young girl. Perhaps even more shocking than that was the fact that maybe, somewhere deep inside the recesses of her heart, Kimiko felt the same way about Kaito.
"I don't know what to say," Kimiko said with a blush, "Kaito…loves me? Aren't we too young for that?"
"Love knows no age," Minato said.
"Well, I'll keep all of this in the back of my mind, Minato. Thanks for telling me," Kimiko said, regaining her composure as she went back to shell collecting. As she did, she realized something that pertains to what her brother told her, "You know, for telling me about one's feelings towards another, you sure seem to be oblivious to Mana and Mitsu."
"What are you talking about?" Minato asked.
"The last time we hung out with them," Kimiko continued, "I noticed they both got flustered when you talked to them."
"Oh, well, maybe they got flustered because they weren't paying attention," Minato responded.
"I don't think so," Kimiko said before taking out her phone, "I managed to get Mana and Mitsu alone and record our conversation on my phone. Here's what they said when I asked them what they thought about you."
Kimiko pressed the play button on her phone and the conversation started up.
"So, what do you guys think about my brother?" Kimiko was heard asking.
"Minato?" Mana asked.
"I only have one brother, so I must be talking about him," Kimiko responded in an annoyed tone.
"I think he's totally handsome," Mitsu answered.
"And he's such a sweetheart too," Mana concurred, "When there was only one pudding cup left in the cafeteria, he let me have it. And he even gave me some spare change for the bus one time when it was raining outside one day after school."
"He also beat Kurai Ikeda real good when he stole my violin," Mitsu chimed in, "He also notices whenever Mana or me get our hair done, and he's the first one to compliment us."
"He's just such a sweetheart," Mana said as the recording ended.
"Sounds like they think pretty highly of you," Kimiko said as Minato became lost in thought.
"Yeah, but…", Minato trailed off, still processing what he had heard, "It can't happen. Two girls going out with one guy just can't work. And besides, don't they know I'm crushing on Himari?"
"Does Himari even know you're crushing on her?" Kimiko asked, "Because she's been getting awfully chummy with Hotaru lately, and I think she sees you as just a regular friend. Did you notice how last Valentine's Day all she did was say 'Thanks' when you gave her flowers?"
"She's probably just being humble," Minato said.
"And you're probably in denial," Kimiko responded.
"Look, I don't want to read too deep into things," Minato said shaking his head, "Bottom line, Kaito loves you, I love Himari, and Mana and Mitsu allegedly love me. Now that we're up to speed, let's go back to shell collecting."
"Whatever you say, brother," Kimiko said smugly.
The Amamiya children continued collecting sea shells, the recent developments in regards to certain relationships in their inner circle slowly but surely getting stuck on their minds.
Hour #3: Sunbathing, Sandcastles, and Reminiscing
Sometime after Kimiko and Minato returned from seashell collecting, the two of them decided to build a sandcastle together with Morgana. Ren and Ann watched as the two children and one cat played around in the sand. Ren was sitting next to his wife, who was laying on her stomach on a beach towel.
"Ren, sweetie, can you get my back?" Ann asked as she handed her husband the bottle of sunscreen.
As Ren took the bottle from his wife, Ann undid the strings of her bikini top, exposing her whole back. She sighed contently as Ren's hand gently glided along her back, and Ren himself enjoyed the smoothness of his wife's skin.
"Like always, your hands feel so amazing," Ann purred.
"Glad you like them," Ren smiled.
As Ren continued to apply sunscreen to his gorgeous wife, he got to thinking about all of the past times they and their friends went to the beach.
"We've gone to the beach a lot with our friends in the past haven't we?" Ren asked.
"It was one of our favorite hang out spots during the summer," Ann said, "Remember one time when Makoto dared Ryuji to run naked across the beach and back? He got so many looks as he ran by everyone. I think a few beach goers even gave him a cat call…one of which being from another man!"
"Oh, yeah, that was funny," Ren chuckled, "If I didn't know any better I'd say Makoto wanted to see Ryuji naked. But speaking of exposure, do you remember the time when the lot of us decided to play 'shoulder wars'?"
"You mean where us girls got on top of you guys' shoulders and we tried to push each other into the water?" Ann asked as Ren nodded, "Yeah, I remember that. I also remember that we won."
"Damn right we did," Ren said proudly as he high fived his wife, "But do you remember what happened to Makoto?"
"How could I forget?" Ann asked herself, "I pushed her so hard into the water that her bikini top came off."
"Oh I forgot about that," Ren laughed, "Ryuji's face turned fifty shades of red when he saw her bare chest."
"I caught some of you other guys looking at Makoto's goods, you know?" Ann said, "What did you think?"
"They were alright," Ren admitted, "But her girls have nothing on yours. You'll always be the hottest woman in the world to me, my love goddess."
Ren gave his wife a peck on the cheek causing Ann to giggle and blush.
"Well, as long as we're talking about these moments of exposure," Ann began, "Do you remember when we all decided to go to a nude beach?"
"I don't think I'll ever forget that day," Ren admitted.
"You boys just couldn't keep your eyes off us girls the whole day," Ann said, "Not that we minded. It felt kind of nice getting that kind of attention from you. And it's not like we didn't return your hungry gazes with leering of our own."
"What a crazy day that was," Ren said, "I remember Ryuji ended up getting a sunburn all over his whole body and he had to practically bathe in aloe vera for two weeks."
"It was also the day when we measured you guys 'below the waist' to see who was packing the most heat," Ann said before smiling, "Glad to know I married the guy with the biggest and the best package in the group."
"Off topic, real quick, do you remember how 'spiritual' Sumire was about being nude in public?" Ren asked, "Going on about how she's 'enjoying nature in her natural state'? Of all the people in our group to go 'full hippie mode' I didn't think Sumire would be that ready, willing, and able to shed her clothes at the drop of a hat."
"Can't fault someone for being comfortable in her own skin," Ann said.
"Sae sure felt comfortable in her own skin when she tagged along with us, Morgana, Minato, Kimiko, Ryuji, Makoto, and Himari when we went to the beach last summer." Ren said.
"I know," Ann replied, "I've never seen her wear anything that left so little to the imagination before."
"Ryuji sure was impressed," Ren said, "Remember he did a spit take all over Morgana…and then I had to wash his fur when we got home. That last part wasn't all that fun to be honest with you."
"You know what beach trip was really fun for me, babe?" Ann asked in a sultry tone, "The time when we lost our virginities together."
"I could never forget that moment," Ren said, "We waited until night time when everyone went home and it was just the two of us. I took you to this nice secluded spot, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the moonlight just enhanced your beauty, my love."
"I just felt so loved by you at that moment in time," Ann chimed in, "I was yours and you were mine. All those feelings, the pleasure and joy that you brought me that night, are things that I have always held onto to this day. Our first time together is without a doubt one of my favorite moments in our relationship, up there with our marriage and the birth of our children."
"It's one of my favorite moments too, babe," Ren smiled.
Ren and Ann looked like they were about to kiss, but were soon interrupted by Minato clearing his throat.
"Am I interrupting anything," Minato asked.
"N-No, son," Ren stuttered as Ann tied her bikini top back up, "Your mother and I were just having a moment. Uh, what's up?"
"We want to show you our finished product," Minato announced as he stepped aside to show Ren and Ann a sand sculpture that looked very familiar to them. The husband and wife stared intently at the sculpture with a look of amazement on their face.
"They just keep staring at it." Said a confused Kimiko.
"Does that mean you guys like it?" Minato asked.
"We're just impressed son," Ren said, gobsmacked, "You've made a scaled down, but exact replica of Cafe Leblanc! Like, exact replica! It looks exactly like it!"
"How did you kids manage to pull that off?" Ann asked.
"Well we go there a lot so a few of the cafe's features stay fresh in our heads," Kimiko said.
"And we didn't feel like making a generic sand castle, so we decided to make something a little different," Minato chimed in, "Do you like it?"
"We love it!" Ren and Ann said.
"We're so proud of you two," Ren said.
"Aww, thanks you guys," Kimiko said with a smile.
Hour #4: Lost and Found
At this point in time, the Amamiya Family decided to settle down and have a relaxing picnic lunch. Ren had made some ham and cheese sandwiches for him, his wife, and his kids, and also packed some apple slices, bottles of water, and a bag of sour cream and onion chips for the family to share. Meanwhile, Morgana was feasting on cans of fatty tuna that Ren had packed.
The five of them are happily eating their lunch, sitting under the shade of their big beach umbrella, when suddenly they hear something.
"ASAMI!" They heard someone shout in a distressed manner, "ASAMI WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"What's going on?" Ren asked, looking around.
The family looked around until Kimiko spotted a woman with short brown hair approaching them. She looked very upset with tears streaming down her face. Ren and Ann stood up to meet this woman when she came closer.
"Miss, what's the matter?" Ren asked.
"Please, please help me," The woman cried, "My daughter, she's gone missing. One minute she was walking right next to me and the next she was gone. I've looked everywhere and I don't know what to do."
The woman was hysterical as she stressed about where her daughter had gone. Ren and Ann knew this feeling all too well. They remembered when Minato was only three years old, this was before Kimiko was born, and they went to the park.
That day started out normal. They had a nice stroll around the park, taking in the beautiful weather, and Ren and Ann watched as Minato had the time of his life on the playground. Eventually, it was time for the family to have lunch. In the middle of getting their lunch together, however, Minato ended up sneaking away when Ren and Ann weren't paying attention. A blue butterfly fluttered by and the three year old boy wanted to chase after it. When Ren and Ann turned back around, Minato was gone!
Ren and Ann, in the middle of probably the scariest moment of their life, scarier than anything they came across in the Metaverse, searched just about the entire park for their little boy. They searched anywhere that a small child could fit. They asked just about everyone present if they've seen Minato, but they still couldn't find him.
Eventually, after 15 minutes of searching, they found Minato under a tree, scared and crying. Ren and Ann ran up to the little Minato, and instead of getting mad, they hugged him. At that moment, they were just relieved that their son was safe and sound and nothing awful happened to him. Minato tearfully apologized for wandering off and Ann, the loving mother that she was and still is, kissed her young son's tears away.
This was easily the scariest day in Ren, Ann, and Minato's lives so far. The couple learned to always keep an eye on their children, while young Minato learned to never wander too far from his family and pay attention to what's going on around him.
Back in the present day, Ren and Ann were doing their best to console the crying woman as Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana approached them.
"It's okay, we're going to help you," Ren said reassuringly, "Your daughter's name is Asami?"
"Yes," the woman nodded, "And mine is Sayuri."
"What does your daughter look like?" Ann asked.
"My daughter has brown hair like mine, but longer," Sayuri began, "Blue eyes, wearing a blue one piece swimsuit with red polka dots."
"Alright," Ren said as he turned to his family, "Let's split up. I'll search one part of the beach. Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana, you three search another part. Ann, you go with Sayuri and search another part. Asami's got to be around here some place. Let's get searching!"
And so, the group split up in search of Asami.
The six of them searched all over the beach calling Asami's name and asking other beach goers if they've seen her. Fifteen minutes have gone by and they had no luck. And as more minutes ticked by, the more worried Sayuri became.
Eventually, Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana are seen searching a rocky area on the beach.
"Any sign of her, Kim?" Minato asked.
"No, Minato, I don't see her," Kimiko replied.
Suddenly, Kimiko heard the sounds of a small child sobbing. She followed the cries to their source, and hiding behind a large rock was a scared little girl with long brown hair wearing a blue one piece swimsuit with red polka dots. Kimiko carefully approached the crying little girl before talking in a gentle voice. Minato and Morgana noticed this and followed behind her to see what was going on.
"Hey," Kimiko said softly, "Is your name Asami?"
"Y-Yes," Asami sniffed, "I'm lost. I don't know where my mommy is."
"It's okay, don't cry," Kimiko softly said, "We know where your mom is. She's very worried about you."
Kimiko held out her hand for Asami to take, but the little girl only looked at her with a scared look on her face.
"It's okay, you can trust me," Kimiko said with a nod.
Cautiously, Asami grabbed Kimiko's hand and the Amamiya girl, with her brother and cat following behind, guided the lost little girl back to the beach where they saw that Ren, Ann, and Sayami regrouped after searching tirelessly.
"There she is!" Minato called out, causing Sayami to look in their direction. When Sayami saw her daughter, she broke into a full sprint as did Asami.
"My baby!" Sayami cried.
"Mommy!" Asami cried.
The mother and daughter meet each other in a hug before they both cried in each other's arms. The Amamiyas looked on with happy smiles on their faces, knowing that they did a good deed just now. Ann and Ren looked a little emotional as Sayami's feelings of relief knowing her daughter was okay mirrored their own feelings when they found Minato when he was lost all those years ago. Ren and Ann wrapped an arm around each other's waists as they watched this tear jerking reunion.
"We did good, guys," Ren said with a satisfied nod, "We did good."
Hour #5: Of Shihos and Volleyball
After having found and reunited Sayami and Asami, Ren, Ann, Minato, and Kimiko went back into the ocean to swim some more while Morgana watched them from afar. Morgana was just about to fall asleep when suddenly a volleyball came rolling up to him.
"What's this?" Morgana thought as he just stared at the volleyball.
He couldn't think about where the volleyball came from for too long, because someone came along to pick it up. And that someone was Ann's best friend, Shiho, who was currently wearing a white one piece swimsuit with a diagonal red stripe running across it. The moment she picked the ball up, she saw Morgana looking up at her.
"Morgana, is that you?" Shiho asked.
"Shiho!" Ann called, causing the volleyball ace to turn in her direction.
"Ann, Ren, Kimiko, Minato!" Shiho exclaimed as she hugged the members of the family, "How great to see you guys!"
"Back at you," Ren said, "What are you doing here? Is Daisuke, Kaito, and Nariko here?"
"No," Shiho answered, "Daisuke took the kids to go see the new Delaware Smith movie (Indiana Jones). I figured me and some members of my volleyball team would come out here and practice before next week's game. You want to watch us practice?"
"Sounds like fun," Ann replied as her family nodded in agreement.
"Come right this way, everyone," Shiho said.
Shiho guided the Amamiya family to the volleyball court where the rest of her team were practicing. The team was seen doing stretches while they waited for their ace to return.
"Okay, guys, meet the Japan Women's National Volleyball Team," Shiho introduced.
"Nice to meet all of you," Kimiko said as the team waved at the family.
"Ladies, I'd like you all to meet the Amamiya Family," Shiho said, "That's Ren, his wife Ann, their children Minato and Kimiko, and their pet cat Morgana."
"So these are the folks you've been telling us about, Shiho?" Said a volleyball player with long blue hair.
"That Ren guy looks even hotter in person, Shiho," Another player with short black hair said as most of the other players agreed with her.
"Sorry, ladies, but he's with me," Ann said as she grabbed onto her husband's arm.
"Awww," the volleyball players, with the obvious exception to Shiho, whined in disappointment
"I told the Amamiyas that they can watch us practice for a bit," Shiho told her team.
"Let's do them one better," Said another player with her light brown hair tied in a ponytail, "Let's let them play a round with us."
"Oh, heck yeah, I'm game!" Minato exclaimed.
"Sorry, little buddy," The light brown haired player said, "I was referring to your parents. Nothing personal, just trying to keep things fair."
"Dadgummit," Minato pouted.
"Dadgummit?" Kimiko asked, stifling a giggle.
"I fell asleep watching western movies on the classic movie channel last night, give me a break," Minato retorted.
"Okay, Ann, you're on my team," Shiho said, "Ren, you're on the opposing team."
"Let's do this!" Ren said, cracking his knuckles.
"I'll try and go easy on you, babe," Ann said to her husband.
"Go, dad!" Minato shouted as he, Kimiko, and Morgana walked over to the sidelines to watch.
"Kick his butt, mommy!" Kimiko shouted as Morgana mewed in agreement.
When Ann, Ren, Shiho, and the rest of the players got in position, Shiho prepared to serve the ball.
"Ready when you are," Shiho said with a cocky smirk.
"Bring it on," Ren smirked back.
What followed was an intense game of volleyball. Neither side was giving an inch. Everyone was playing to the best of their abilities despite the scorching hot weather. The ball flew back and forth over the net at high speeds. Every player on either side kept bouncing the ball up into the air until they found the perfect moment to spike it and score a point for their team. Shiho lived up to her title as an ace by performing the most spikes and scoring most of the points for her team. But, Ren was no slouch either as he did the same thing on his team.
Eventually, it all came down to a tie, the next point would win it. Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana were watching intently to see who would win the game. The ball was in Ren's half of the court. He spiked it, and so began a war of attrition between the two teams. At one point, however, the ball goes flying towards Shiho's team, to Ann specifically. Ann bounces it towards her friend who spikes it over the net and wins the game.
Shiho, Ann, and the rest of their team cheered and leapt for joy as Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana came over to join their mom in celebrating.
"Good game, girls, very good game," Ren said as he approached his wife and gave her a kiss.
"You played great too, sweetie," Ann complimented.
"You have a mighty fine team, Shiho," Ren said to the volleyball ace, "Your opponents in next week's game are in for a surprise."
"Thanks, Ren," Shiho said, "And thank you both for playing with us and helping us get whipped into shape."
"Anytime," Ann smiled.
"Hey, we're probably going to take a break and have some lemonade at the concession stand if you all want to come with us," Shiho offered.
"We'd love to," Ann replied.
"It'll give us all a chance to chat," Ren chimed in.
And so, Shiho led the rest of her team and the Amamiya Family to the concession stand for some refreshment, happy that she and her team got some much needed practice before the upcoming game. And with that practice session done, Shiho felt like her team was ready for anything, and she was ready to bring home the gold.
Hour #6: Beachcombing
After hanging out with Shiho and her team, Ann, Kimiko, Minato, and Morgana returned to their spot on the beach, but Ren went back to the car to get something. He returned later with a metal detector, which immediately caught his family's attention.
"What's that you got there, daddy?" Kimiko asked.
"It's the metal detector that my dad used when we would go on beach trips when I was your age," Ren answered, "I figured I'd bring it along and see if it still works."
Ren turned the metal detector on and started to do some beachcombing with it.
"So, what exactly is the point of this, dad?" Minato asked.
"Sometimes people drop loose change on the beach," Ren answered, "This metal detector will help us in finding it."
"We're not poor, dad, we don't need to be looking for loose change," Minato said confused.
"I know we're well off, but it's still a lot of fun," Ren replied as the detector started beeping, "Hey, I found something!"
Ren got on his knees and dug his fingers into the sand to find a 500 yen coin which he put in his pocket, "Nice," he smiled.
"Hey, dad, can I have a try?" Minato asked.
"Go for it," Ren said, handing his son the metal detector.
Minato started to comb the beach until the detector started beeping again. He got on his knees and started to dig, only when he dug up his find, it turned out to be a metal bottle.
"I dug up trash," Minato said disheartened, "I hope this doesn't end in me getting tetanus."
Minato shook the bottle in his hands to feel something moving inside. He looked and saw a piece of rolled up, but aged, paper. Curious, he opened it up and saw that it was a letter.
"What's that?" Kimiko asked.
"It's some kind of letter," Minato said, "It mentions something about Iwo Jima and the date February 19, 1945."
"Wait, really?" Ren asked as he looked at the letter with his son. It turns out Minato was right, the letter really was from the 1940s and the World War II Era, "Son, you found a letter from a soldier that participated in the battle of Iwo Jima! This is a relic!"
"No way!" Minato said, amazed, "I dug up a piece of history."
"We've got to give that to a museum when we get home," Ann said.
"Can I have a turn next?" Kimiko asked.
"Here you go," Minato said as he handed his sister the metal detector.
When Kimiko had her turn combing the beach and the detector started beeping, she dug her fingers into the sand and pulled up a silver necklace with a sapphire heart.
"Oh, so pretty!" Kimiko said in awe.
"It looks like a necklace I saw in a movie once," Ann noted.
"I wonder who it belongs to?" Kimiko asked as she turned the necklace around to find 'H + Y' engraved in the back, "H +Y? What does that mean?"
"Hold the phone," Minato said, "Didn't Auntie Haru, Uncle Yusuke, Mana, and Mitsu come out here the other day? And on that trip Auntie Haru said she lost a necklace that Uncle Yusuke gave her? A necklace that, when she described it to us, looked just like that one?"
"I think you're right, brother!" Kimiko exclaimed, "We found Auntie Haru's necklace!"
"She'll be glad to have it back," Ren said with a smile.
"Mom, do you want a turn?" Kimiko asked Ann as she offered her the metal detector.
"I don't know what I can find, but I'll give it a try," Ann said with a shrug of her shoulders.
She took the metal detector from her daughter and started her own little beachcombing adventure. After a while, the detector started beeping and she dug into the sand and pulled out a shiny gold coin.
"Whoa, it's so shiny!" Kimiko exclaimed.
"I think you found a gold piece, mom," Minato said amazed.
"I wonder how much it's worth?" Ann asked herself as she stared at the coin's luster.
"Man, we're finding all kinds of things on this beach," Ren said happily, "I knew bringing my old metal detector along would be a great idea. So, family, shall we keep beachcombing?"
"Heck yeah, dad," Minato exclaimed, "This is fun!"
With some interesting finds in tow, the Amamiyas continued combing the beach together in search for more hidden goodies.
Hour #7: Ice Cream and Sunsets
At this point in time, the sun was starting to go down and most of the beach goers started to head for home. The Amamiyas were seen still relaxing on their spot on the beach, admiring the beautiful sunset. The sun set in such a way so that the sky had an orange-red look to it. In the distance, they could see a flock of seagulls flying towards the dwindling sunlight.
As they enjoyed the beautiful sunset before them, each of them had a frozen treat to nibble on. Ren licked on a chocolate ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles. Ann was licking on a vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles. Minato was licking a cherry dipped vanilla ice cream cone. Kimiko was licking on a chocolate dipped strawberry ice cream cone. Since Morgana is a cat, he can't have ice cream, but he was more than happy to cuddle up next to Kimiko as she pet him.
"What a perfect day today was," Ann said as she watched the sunset with her family.
"It really was a good idea to come out here today, Ann," Ren said, "And you're right, today was about as perfect as it gets."
"We did so many cool things," Minato said, "We got to watch dad surf, play some volleyball, help a lost child, build a sand-cafe, collect seashells, go beachcombing."
"Oh, that reminds me," Kimiko said as she reached into her bucket and pulled out a red and white seashell which she gave to her mother, "I found it for you, mom."
"Oh, Kimiko, it's so beautiful," Ann smiled, "Thank you."
"I know how much you like red and white together," Kimiko replied, "Speaking of shells, I think Kaito's really going to like the necklace I'm going to make him when I get home."
The family continued relaxing with their ice cream, enjoying the day's end when Ren had one more thing to say.
"I'm so lucky," Ren said, causing his family to turn in his direction, "I'm so lucky to have a beautiful wife, two great kids, and a pretty awesome cat who loves me enough to share such a perfect moment with me. I wouldn't want to spend this day with anyone but you guys. I mean it. You four are my favorite people in the world."
"Aww, dad," went Kimiko, feeling complimented.
"You're our favorite person too, dad," Minato smiled, "I'm glad we got to spend a day like this together."
"We love you, Ren," Ann said as she gave her husband a peck on the cheek.
"I love you too, guys." Ren said as he returned the kiss to his wife.
"How sappy can these guys get," Morgana asked himself as he went back to watching the sunset, "It must have something to do with that sunset. Though to be fair…that is a beautiful sunset."
The Amamiyas continued to admire the sunset as they finished up their frozen treats. Once they finished their ice cream, they started to pack everything up before making their leave. Just before they left however, they changed back into their street clothes in a nearby changing booth.
With the family car loaded with everything they came with, the family drove off for home. As they drove off, Minato, Kimiko, and Morgana took a snooze in the backseat, all tuckered out after a day of fun like that.
"They look so cute when they sleep, don't they?" Ann asked Ren as she eyed her two kids and cat in the rear view mirror.
"They really do," Ren concurred as he continued to drive off for home, their fun filled day at the beach having drawn to a close.
THE END