The plane ride to Hawaii was smooth and relaxing, no disturbances or incidents whatsoever. Even Chloe or Lila didn't try anything, for they were too busy entertaining themselves; the spoiled brat complaining to Sabrina on whatever nonsense she had to say, and the Italian liar reading a magazine regarding numerous fashions in Hawaii.
Marinette didn't enjoy the idea of sitting next to Alya and Alix, but she had to at least make a polite conversation with them as the two girls chatted onward about what plans they're going to do when they get there. When ordering snacks or beverages, the pigtailed girl secretly gave some cookies to Tikki and Kaalki when neither of her seatmates were looking.
What about Makoto and her friends? Ren just stared out the window, admiring the view but also feeling bored. Ryuji dozed off hours ago, wearing an eye mask and slumped on Mishima's shoulder, much to the boy's displeasure as he attempted to shove Ryuji into an upright position. Ann ordered herself some iced coffee and Makoto was reading a Travel Guidebook.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our initial descent to Hawaii. Please return to your seats. And ensure that your seatbelts are..." The flight attendant made the announcement, just as Ren noticed when the plane passed a few clouds, the island itself could be seen down below.
The rest of the announcement was drowned out by Ryuji waking up and, when he peeked over Ren's shoulder, reacted like how anybody would upon seeing their first view of Hawaii. "Whoaaaaa!" he exclaimed.
"We're here!" Alix cheered; her reaction almost similar to Ryuji's as she caught a glimpse of Hawaii through the window close to Marinette's side.
Not long after they landed, everyone exited the plane and had to check in at the area for customs - Passport Control for Foreigners. The security guard asked a simple question to Ryuji. "So how long will you be staying?"
"Yeah, I'm so excited!" Ryuji was too excited to give a proper answer. "I have no idea, though!"
An embarrassed Ann just shrugged, noticing the security guard's confused look.
The same thing occurred when the Parisian group got their turn. When Alix and Kim received the same question, the two athletes were so thrilled to be here that they said in union, "We don't know how long we'll be here, but this is soooo cool!"
Marinette gave an apologetic smile to the security guard, who looked tired at the usual response.
Both classes left the airport, staring in awe and amazement at the outside world of the beautiful tropical paradise before them. "Hawaiiii!" Ann breathed in and exhaled deeply, feeling the fresh air fill her lungs. "Mmm, I love it! The tropical air."
Marinette smiled, letting the warm rays of the sun touch her face. She too inhaled and exhaled softly; the fresh air felt so good.
A dark-skinned man wearing an orange, Hawaiian flower shirt approached the Japanese students and politely greeted them. "Aloha! You can find your buses that way." He gestured toward the green buses not too far away.
This came as another source of amazed shock for Ryuji. "Daaamn, you speak Japanese!?" Poor Ann was resisting the urge to avoid him so people wouldn't know she associated with him.
Marinette didn't understand what the man said in Japanese, but she correctly deduced what he implied when she noticed the buses. She noticed Makoto close by and waved to her. The brunette saw her and gave a friendly wave back.
After the Japanese class boarded the first bus, the man repeated what he just said to the Parisian class, this time speaking in the French language. Marinette's group boarded the second green bus behind the one where Makoto and the others are in.
It was about a fifteen-minute ride to the hotel from the airport, and everybody was certainly spellbound by the scenery.
"Whoa! I see it! The diamond-thing!" Ryuji's excitement did not die down. Everywhere he looked, he was pointing or looking at everything he saw. "Oh, man! The ocean is so blue! Ahaha!"
Turning his head, Ren could see how blue the ocean is, crystal clear water sparkled in the sun. People in swimsuits either strolled past, sunbathing or carrying surfboards to the white sandy beach. Truly, it was incredible. Ren was definitely looking forward to enjoying this trip.
In the bus behind Ren's class, Marinette's class shouted in various words of amazement of what they saw.
"Wow, the beach looks so beautiful!" Rose awed.
"Look at it sparkle, it's like a sea of jewels!" Mylene said.
"Hey, I see the Diamond Head!" Nino pointed to the large volcano in the distance.
"Check out the babes in bikinis-Ouch!" Kim's comment unfortunately earned him a light slap to the arm.
"You know you have a girlfriend, right?" The culprit, Max, scolded him, and the jock sheepishly apologized.
Marinette chuckled at that exchange, then she lifted her purse up discreetly so her kwamis can get a view of this lovely paradise island. "Whoaaa!" The kwamis gasped, mesmerized.
Finally, the Shujin and Dupont students arrived at the hotel.
While their teachers were getting checked in and discussing room assignments, Ryuji could hardly contain his excitement as he hollered at the top of his lungs, "Yes! We're here! Hawaiiiiiiii!"
His loud voice attracted the attention of Marinette, who couldn't help but giggle as his personality reminded him of certain feline partner of hers.
"I am SO embarrassed..." Ann groaned, shaking her head. If only Ryuji can mellow out for just a little bit longer.
Ryuji was taking in the sights and the scent of Hawaii as he sniffed the air. It smelled really good. "Is this the smell of Hawaii? Actually, I've been wondering since the airport, but what is this smell?"
"Supposedly the lingering scent of carpet cleaner. It's coconut-scented," Mishima explained with a little grin. "Plus, I'd say the scent of plumeria for the leis are amplifying the tropical atmosphere here."
"What are you, the king of random facts!?" Ryuji stared at him dumbfoundedly.
"I'm the type that likes to look up stuff beforehand."
"Then tell me a cheap but good place to eat."
"Do that after we've figured out room assignments. We can't go out until we get our keys!" Despite feeling hungry, Ann needed to be the voice of reason here.
"I wanna room with this guy!" Ryuji gestured to Ren, eager to share a room with his best bud.
Before Ren could agree to the suggestion, the tired sigh of Sadayo Kawakami, their homeroom teacher, was heard when she approached the small group, accompanied by Makoto. "You belong to a different class, Sakamoto-kun," she said.
This greatly disappointed Ryuji. "I can't?"
"It complicates roll call," Makoto explained.
Ann knew for a fact that nobody in class would like the idea of sharing a room with the loudmouth troublemaker. "Everyone butts you out, after all," she teased. "I bet there aren't many people who'd be okay rooming with you."
"Shut up, we both stick out like a sore thumb, you know." Annoyed, Ryuji reminding her how only he and Ann are the only students who don't blend in with their peers.
Although that wasn't entirely true. Two girls approached Ann specifically, one taller with short brown hair and the second one with glasses. The tall one asked with a friendly grin, "Takamaki-san, have you decided on which room to stay in?"
"No, not yet." Ann replied.
"In that case, how about rooming with me?"
"And if it's okay with you, do you want to walk around together once we're free to go about?" The bespectacled girl offered. "We've never gone overseas before, so we thought it'd be reassuring if we had someone who knows English."
Ann happily accepted the offer. "Oh, sure, of course!" She winked at the boys. "Well, see you guys later." Grabbing her luggage, she left with the girls to get her room key.
One issue solved, but there's still the issue with the boys. Kawakami needed to get this done, pronto. "C'mon, can you just hurry it up and make your decision?"
"Then, is it okay if I room with you?" Mishima asked hopefully.
Ren saw no problem with it. He's his friend, after all, so it shouldn't be so bad. "That's fine..."
Their teacher sighed in relief. "Thank you," but her face shifts to a stern one, to remind the boys that despite being on a trip, neither of them can't cause any disturbances for the sake of the class. "Anyway, don't do anything stupid, okay? This isn't Japan, you know."
Meanwhile, Marinette's group dispersed to find their rooms after receiving their room keys. She wasn't pleased at all to share a room with Alya after the reporter happily volunteered to be her roommate. Nonetheless, she had to grin and bear it.
When she heard Lila volunteered to room with Chloe and Sabrina, her peers dreaded the bully would do something horrible to her. But Lila insisted she can 'handle' Chloe's tricks and isn't afraid to stand up to her. Everyone praised the Italian for her bravery, a fact which Marinette suspected wasn't true as that sneaky vixen could be up to something wicked if she's willing to come between Sabrina and Chloe, or if she's up to her old schemes to try and frame Marinette for something again, possibly dragging the disgraced queen bee into it as a result of their shared hatred toward the baker girl.
The interior of the room was incredible, nothing fancy but still nice to stay in. It was decided that Alya should hold on to their room key, and she promised not to lose it, because she knew her friend has a bad habit of forgetting things. This for a fact, Marinette knew was true.
"It's a really nice room," Marinette awed. "Even the view from the balcony is amazing!"
Alya caught a glimpse of the scenery before them, smiling hugely. "Yeah... I never knew Hawaii would be so big..." She took a photo, later sending it to her family, all responding with positive feedback.
"So, what's the first thing you're going to do?"
"The girls and I are going to one of the cafes. After eating nothing but fruit, cheese, crackers or cookies on the plane, I'm in the mood for something different... something more Hawaii-like." However, there was something else lingering on the reporter's mind as she wanted to ask her roommate about it. "By the way, what was it like?"
"Hm? What was?"
"You, sharing a room with Sabrina." Concerned, Alya needed to know as she was fully aware of how Chloe's minion has pulled nasty tricks before. "How did it go? Did she do anything to you?"
Oh, so that's what she wanted to talk about. Marinette looked back on her short time with Sabrina at that hotel in Japan, smiling fondly. "No need to worry. Sabrina and I actually got along fine. But I do worry about her, even after what Chloe said to her... I do hope she'll be okay."
To her dismay, Alya scoffed bitterly. "You shouldn't bother. Sabrina will always be her lapdog. Even though you've been nice to her, she will always go crawling back to Chloe, no matter what."
Marinette grew upset. Not many in her class felt sympathy toward Sabrina, even though she has done bad things in the past, it was mainly because of Chloe's influence over her. "That's a bit harsh..." she said.
Brushing off what she said as unimportant, Alya changed the subject. "So, you're coming with us to the cafe, right? We really miss hanging out with you, girl." Before Marinette thought of accepting the offer, she changed her mind when Alya dropped the bomb. "Lila's coming, too. She mentioned earlier she has an uncle who owns a world-famous soup. Maybe you two can bond over that?"
Silence filled the room. At first, Marinette wanted to lash out and yell that Lila has no uncle who never made a famous soup because that is obviously another one of her lies. But if she did, Alya would refuse to believe her as usual. And that would just cause an argument between them. She has made it her mission to avoid Lila as much as possible. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm actually interested in visiting..." her mind flashed back to one of the fast-food restaurants she had seen on the way here, "Big Bang Burger! I hear they got these juicy burgers I'd love to try!"
Alya frowned. Yeah, she instantly suspected Lila is the reason why her bestie rejected the offer. But it's no excuse to avoid them. "Are you really gonna skip out again because we invited Lila? C'mon girl, we've been over this!"
Marinette sighed, irked. "I'm sorry, Alya. But you know how much I hate her, and I seriously doubt she'd have an uncle who made a soup named after her. I'm pretty sure she cooked up that story after hearing about my uncle."
How here it comes, Alya rolling her eyes and gripping her forehead. "Look Mari, I don't care what's going on between you and Lila, but it doesn't give you the right to avoid your friends. You need to get over this beef with Lila, she has done nothing to you. You're supposed to be better than this, remember? Geez, girl. You're starting to behave exactly like Chloe."
Those words felt like Marinette got punched in the gut. Being compared to Chloe by the one person she thought she could call her best friend hurt really bad. Then, her expression shifts to anger. "So, I'm like Chloe now, huh?"
Alya realized what she just said, regretting it. "Marinette, I didn't mean it like that..."
"I think you DID mean it!" With that, Marinette stormed out of the room and slams the door behind her. She just wanted to get out of there. Find someplace where she can be alone and undisturbed, wiping away the tears threatening to spill. Why does it always have to be like this? Every time Lila is brought up, things grow tense. And now, her own bestie comparing her to Chloe... Marinette shook her head, how dare Alya say such a horrendous thing.
"Are you okay?" A familiar compassionate voice reached the pigtailed girl's ears. To her relief, there stood Makoto, who had seen the unhappy girl come out of her room.
Without warning, Marinette rushed toward her. Sadness forgotten, happiness in its place. "Oh, Makoto! I'm so glad I found you! Do you wanna go somewhere to eat? I'm really hungry." She clung to her arm, swiftly guiding her to the elevator.
Already, Makoto could tell something is definitely wrong. She had seen the frown, accompanied by tears, on Marinette's face when she left her room. As much as she wanted to pry and ask what happened, Makoto knew the girl would most likely deny it in attempt to put on a cheerful facade. Perhaps she should leave it alone for now. "Uh, sure. I was just about to go meet up with my friends at the hotel's buffet. Let's go together."
Makoto brought Marinette down to the lobby after getting off the elevator. The brunette's friends were standing at the entrance. Ren and Ann were there, waving after they noticed her.
Ryuji, who was too busy 'examining' the gorgeous ladies with his wandering eyes, earned a smack on the back of his head by an irritated Ann. She pointed Makoto out to him and when he looked, he was surprised to see she didn't come alone. "Huh? Who is that girl?"
"This is Marinette, the one I told you about," Ann explained, then she gave a warm, friendly smile toward the blue-haired teen. "Hello again, Marinette."
"Hey guys..." Marinette greeted. Then, she finally noticed the second boy in the group. Short, spiky blond hair with a noticeable widow's peak and dark brown eyes, and his school uniform appeared to be modified; a red t-shirt with the words 'NO MO RULES', plaid trousers rolled up to reveal his ankles and white sneakers with the rising sun flag motif. He seemingly gave off the appearance of a delinquent, but he certainly displayed the aura of a good person with a happy-go-lucky charisma. She introduced herself, "Hi there, I've been acquainted with your friends back at the airport in Japan. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Oh, glad to meet you babe. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto," said blond boy introduced himself. He stuck out a hand and she took it in a firm handshake. "Your class is here on a trip to Hawaii too, eh?"
Marinette nodded. "That's right! I've been really looking forward to it. It's my first time here and..." A very loud grumble made her pause, leaving the small gang stunned by where exactly it came from - her stomach. She grinned sheepishly. "Uh, hehehe... sorry about that..."
Ren chuckled. "No need to worry. Let's all go get some breakfast before we hit the beach. Care to join us?"
"Oh yes, absolutely!"
After a deliciously fantastic breakfast, Marinette and her Japanese friends briefly returned to their rooms to put on swimsuits and throw their towels, sunscreen, sunhats, sunglasses, phones, wallets and a change of clothes into carry-on bags. They met up at the entrance and headed for the ever-popular Waikiki beach, locating a shady spot to place their stuff down.
Everyone looked great in their swimsuits, especially Ren and Ryuji, damn they looked so hot. Marinette shook her head. No, now is not the time to get distracted by cute boys. She stares down at herself and frowned sadly. Her body isn't fully developed yet, not as good as Ann or Makoto are. Simple, plain-looking Marinette already fifteen years old and wearing an ordinary blossom pink tankini. She couldn't help but feel a little insecure regarding her figure.
"So, this is Waikiki!" Ann beamed, gazing at their surroundings. Her words snapped Marinette back to reality.
"There sure are a ton of people here," Ryuji commented. "And... a lot of tall buildings, like hotels."
"It's a little too clean here. It feels like an artificial resort."
"Still, look how clean the ocean is," Makoto gasped in amazement, looking around with a pleasant grin. "The palm trees definitely give off a tropical vibe too."
Ryuji turned his head slowly, looking back at the foreign women in very hot bikinis, then shifts his gaze back at his two female friends. "I thought Ann was pretty impressive, but compared to the foreign ladies... eh."
"Then stop looking!" Ann growled at him, stomping her foot.
Ignoring her, Ryuji grins hopefully toward his best friend. "You think so too, don't you? Like, these ladies are massive, unlike the girls in Japan!"
Ren didn't say a word, sensing a fiery aura radiating off Ann's form as she aims a silent death glare in his direction. Almost warning him if he said one wrong word and there will be hell to pay. "Uhhh... I'm not interested."
Hell, even Marinette drew back in fear of the blonde's quiet rage. Quickly, she interjected to change the subject. "Eh, moving on. Take a look over there. Isn't that Diamond Head? I saw it on the bus on my way to the hotel."
Looking at where the Parisian was pointing, the group spotted the volcanic shaped mountain in the distance. It gave them a clear view from where they stood on the beach. Marinette snapped a quick photo of the volcano as a memento.
"Oh, I saw it from the bus too!" Ryuji exclaimed, and his face fell in confusion. "But why's it called that? Are diamonds a local product?"
"I think it would say otherwise online." Marinette pressed the search bar after typing in Diamond Head to find info. "It says here that in 1825, British sailors who discovered the sparkling volcanic calcite crystals in the sand mistook them for diamonds, which explains why the English call it the Diamond Head."
On cue, everyone pulled out their phones and were quite surprised by what they found. Marinette's research proved to be truthful. "For real?" Ryuji voiced everyone's thoughts, scratching his head.
"Oh well..." Ann whipped out her phone to search for daily activities the Hawaiians do for fun. "Might as well look up recommended places in Waikiki too. Oh right, I wanted to eat pancakes." The pancakes in Hawaii are a must on the brain.
"I wonder if there are any online recommendations of scenic spots," Makoto said aloud.
"We should check for cheap and popular restaurants," Ryuji added.
"We should find a nice shop that sells great souvenirs as well," Marinette suggested.
The little moment of silence made Makoto realize something, trying not to smile. "Hey, we're on our phones and chatting. This is no different from when we're in Japan."
"And it's no different from when I was in Paris either," Marinette added with a chuckle.
"Even if we're overseas, we can see all the news in Japan if we got our phones..." Ryuji sighed disappointedly. "It's like... this ain't what I was expecting..."
Ann put away her phone. No good can come from wasting time on their phones. "We should do something that's more Hawaii-like." She hummed aloud while she put a hand to her chin, thinking on what they could do. "Hula dancing?"
Shaking his head, Ryuji immediately rejected the idea. "Nuh-uh! I ain't down for that..."
Nobody cared for his opinion anyway because the girls were eager to do it. They were very graceful and elegant when they moved their hips to the rhythm. Although everyone else found it enjoyable, Ryuji was pretty bad at it due to his hip rhythm not as good as the girls, until Marinette kindly taught him how to do it better. Suddenly she tripped over her own feet and almost fell when Ryuji caught her in time.
Next, the group did a few more exciting activities. They went parasailing and Ryuji totally looked like he was having the time of his life. When Marinette got her turn, she felt as if she was actually soaring gracefully over the water. Pigtails came loose due to the strong wind, but she didn't care. She was having the thrill of a lifetime.
Surfing with Ren had been incredible, and he seemed quite like the expert on this sort of thing. Marinette, on the other hand, could hardly keep her balance and fell into the water. When Ren had pulled her up onto his board, he offered her to ride with him on the next wave he caught, but just like before, the girl's lack of balance caused them to fall off. At first, Marinette felt bad and feared he might blame her. To her relief, Ren soothed her that it wasn't her fault as these things happen.
Spending some time snorkeling under the sea was a blast. They explored the reefs together, fascinated by the aquatic flora and fauna all around them. A sea turtle actually swam close to Marinette, curiously staring at her before it swam away. She giggled, amused by the encounter. Ann took a photo with the Parisian's phone, thank goodness it's waterproof. Just wait until Wayzz sees this.
After that, they stopped by a local fast-food restaurant for lunch. Marinette was just glad it turned out to be Big Bang Burger, even though she had mentioned it to Alya as an excuse to avoid her, so she was pleased that the juicy pineapple burger she was eating tastes so good. Her Japanese friends were pleasantly surprised to find one in Hawaii, explaining it was apparently a fairly popular place back in their home country. All of her friends picked their own choices of burgers, each one savoring the flavor with delight.
"I never imagined a pineapple burger could be this good!" Ann awed.
"You said it!" Marinette agreed wholeheartedly.
"I'm a little surprised they have a Big Bang Burger here in Hawaii," Makoto added, taking a sip of her water.
Ryuji practically devoured his burger like a ravenous beast, grinning hugely. He looked over at Ren. "So, how's yours?"
"It's good," Ren's response was half understood, given his mouth is slightly full.
"Damn right it is!"
While they were eating, Ann thought it best to get to know their new friend and how Makoto made a connection with her. From what she and the others know, despite not knowing much of her, Marinette is an extremely friendly, caring and funny person. "So, Marinette, tell us about yourself. We barely know each other but you're really fun to hang out with."
Marinette shrugged happily. "Oh well, my parents own a bakery. It's called Tom & Sabine's Boulangerie & Patisserie, one of the best bakeries in the city. I don't like to brag, but we do make the most amazing cookies, croissants, cakes, bread and macaroons ever."
Drooling, Ann's mouth fell open at the mere mention of French pastries. Oh, if only she could travel to Paris and get a taste of those delicious macaroons. Ryuji noticed her watery mouth and gave her a light slap in the arm to snap her out of it. She stole a brief glare at him for doing that.
"You must be a good baker," Makoto praised. In the back of her mind though, she suspected Marinette's parents could also be neglecting their daughter's problem regarding Chloe due to their jobs managing a bakery, but she didn't have proof yet.
"Thank you." Marinette blushed at the compliment. "But I guess cooking or baking runs in our blood. Not only does my father come from a long line of bakers, but my mother's uncle is a world-famous chef. He even named his soup after me!"
"He did?" Ryuji asked, then he paused when a realization struck him. "Wait a sec! Isn't he the famous Wang Cheng? I heard about him online." As the girl nodded, the blond boy's eyes widened. "Wha... For real!?"
"That's right! Although, while I do help my parents manage the bakery sometimes, I'd really like to become a fashion designer someday. I make most of my own clothes actually, and I have a website where I take commissions too."
"Whoa, seriously?" Ann gasped; admiration beamed in her eyes. Just how gifted is this girl? That's impressive. "You're very talented. Hey, I happen to work part-time as a model, so if you ever come to Japan, I'd really like to wear some of your designs!"
Marinette was surprised. Well, not too surprised. Ann is a very beautiful girl; her divine features, hourglass figure and long blonde hair definitely give off the vibe of an attractive Roman goddess. To hear she's a model, one willing to offer modeling in the clothes she creates by hand, isn't something to be too surprised over. "Whoa, really? Thank you."
"So how did you become friends with Makoto?" Ren was curiously eager to know. "We first saw the two of you talking at the airport. How did it happen?"
An awkward silence fell over Marinette as she cringed slightly, feeling a small pang of pain in her heart. Bringing up her problem regarding Chloe would spoil the moment and she didn't want to mention anything weird or bad ruin everything. That is, if the others are just as kind as Makoto is and want to listen to her at all.
On instant, Makoto hastily intervenes. "Let's just say I consoled her while she was having a bad day!" She knew Marinette didn't want to speak of it, recalling how devastated she was when she found the girl crying twice; first time in the airport restroom and bursting out of her room earlier. And bringing it up now could sour the mood. "Anyway, why don't we go shopping for souvenirs after lunch?"
"Oh yeah!" Ann instantly agreed. "We should buy souvenirs for Yusuke, Futaba and Morgana! I should find something for Shiho too!"
Whilst Ryuji debated on what to buy for his mother and Ann pondered on what is the perfect Hawaiian souvenir, Ren noticed how relieved Marinette felt after Makoto quickly changed the subject for her sake. Whatever it is that Marinette didn't wish to speak of, it became obvious that Makoto knew what it was and wanted to keep quiet for now, just so not to upset the girl.
Feeling his eyes on her, Makoto turns to meet his gaze and mouthed the words silently, 'I'll explain later.' Baffled, Ren would've liked to say more, but Ryuji's request of challenging Marinette if she's up to the idea attempting to tackle a giant Cosmic Tower Burger cut him off. Thank goodness Marinette had the sense to turn him down, for she had seen the customers trying or failing to devour such an enormous burger with hilarious results.