...
As expected, the thugs were wiped out handedly by our little group. They shouted 'We'll get you for this!' as they ran. I don't even have the energy to be bothered about this anymore.
"Thank you for coming to my rescue, everyone! You really saved me!" Izumi smiles. "The restaurant is still standing thanks to you."
"Don't mention it- this is what the Justice Task Force does. I'm glad we could help." Mashiro smiles proudly.
"Yep! Thank goodness for that!" The Gehenna student smiles. "This doesn't really make it up to you, but here. Have a drink on me, everyone!" She says, happily bringing out a bunch of drinks. "It's totally on the house as my way of saying thanks."
"We weren't expecting anything in return, but if you insist." Azusa shrugs.
"I don't trust this." Koharu grimaces, eyeing the concoction. Did it just bubble a bit?
"What is this, anyway?" Mashiro inquires. "Juice? The color looks quite exotic."
"Trust me- it's good. Try to figure it out from the flavor." Izumi smiles, grabbing a drink of her own. "Hehe! To the restaurant's safety! Cheers!"
"Cheers!" Hifumi, Azusa, Mashiro, and Tsurugi all say, before taking a sip. The others, as well as myself, stay quiet, hoping we won't have to touch the thing. Hanako in particular looks worried for her friends.
Three seconds later, four of the five girls who consumed what was actually the Chocolate Sea Cucumber Juice immediately threw it up all over the sand, much to our disgust and Izumi's confusion as she continued to happily drink hers.
"Ew, gross!" Koharu cried as Hanako and Hasumi grimaced. Arona pushed her 'juice' away from her and I merely dumped mine onto the ground.
This is why I trust my instincts.
----------
After those four recovered from their VIOLENT nausea, Hifumi was all too happy to move on- after I gave them some toothbrushes and toothpaste from the Shittim Chest's storage.
"Now, we can move on to 'smashing watermelons'!" The blonde smiles. "Actually, I forgot to buy watermelons before we came."
"Way ahead of you." I smile, gesturing towards Arona, who's holding a rather large one.
"Izumi sold us one for cheap!" The small AI smiles, before blinking as Tsurugi comes over and eyes it curiously. Arona smiles again, offering the JTF president to hold it. Tsurugi blinks in surprise, before getting shy from Arona's smile. She gingerly takes the green melon from the smaller girl, looking at in with awe.
"Can we be sure this is a normal watermelon? Who's to say it isn't a bomb?" Azusa asks, eyes narrow.
"I doubt it, Azusa." Hasumi says, sweatdropping.
"Yeah, this is the one we're going to split." Hifumi says.
"That shouldn't be a problem, then. I'm quite skilled at bomb defusion." The silverette says.
"How does that carry over to splitting watermelons?" Koharu asks.
"Watermelon splitting is a beach tradition." Mashiro says. "Did anyone bring a stick?"
"Hmm?" Azusa blinks in confusion.
"We need something hard to split the watermelon with: a stick, a bat, a wooden sword... Something like that." The short blackette explains.
"Now that you mention it, I forgot to bring that too..." The blonde admits.
Azusa nods, smiling, as she quickly and without mercy shoots the poor watermelon in Tsurugi's hands. I think she misunderstood.
"KYAAAAAK?!" The shy girl cries, suddenly covered in red fruit meat.
"What the hell, Azusa?!" Koharu shouts.
"Th-The watermelon!" Hifumi shouts.
Arona blinks in surprise, before happily grabbing a piece stuck to the taller girl and popping it into her mouth. Tsurugi grumbles at her fate before eating a piece from her shoulder.
"Why are you surprised?" The watermelon murderer asks calmly. "Our goal was to split the watermelon. I did that."
"No, Azusa! Shooting it defeats the whole point!" Hifumi cries.
"Aren't you supposed to be blindfolded as well?" Hanako asks.
"From what I understand, yeah." I nod.
"So, we're to play by local rules, then? Have it your way." Azusa nods.
I sigh. "Fortunately, Izumi had a few." I say, pulling out another.
We quickly set up the watermelon, blindfolding Azusa in the process. To our surprise, she shot the thing again- despite having no sight.
"Again?!" The blonde shouts.
"That was actually kind of impressive." Hanako hums.
"You're quite an excellent shot, Azusa." Mashiro compliments. "But you're not the only marksman here." She then closed her eyes and obliterated the second one.
"So I'm not." Azusa hums, pulling up her blindfold. "I'm impressed at how accurate you are with a rifle of that caliber. What should we challenge ourselves with next?"
Mashiro grins challengingly. "Still not convinced I'm the best marksman here? Fine. I'll take you on, Azusa."
"Please tell me they aren't about to do what I think they are." Hifumi bemoans. "We can't just let them do what they want, right, Sensei?"
"There's nothin' wrong with a bit of friendly competition." I say.
"I'm kinda curious who's better." Arona adds.
"Mashiro is quite skilled, but so is Azusa." Hasumi muses.
"Hasumi is right, they're both great at shooting. What's wrong with a little competitiveness?" Hanako smiles. "Just imagine: two girls battling each other fiercely, both covered in sweat~"
"HANAKO! Lewdness is PROHIBITED!" Koharu finally snaps. I was wondering when Hanako would start pulling her usual shtick.
"Even at the beach?" The busty pinkette pouts.
"ESPECIALLY at the beach!" The small pinkette shouts.
I just laugh at it all. I'm glad I came with. Looking over at Arona, it seems she feels the same.
----------
"All set up." I report, coming back to them. I set up another watermelon as a large distance from the two competing girls. "Can you girls even see this damn thing? It's five hundred meters down the beach from y'all!"
"I've hit countless targets from this distance, actually." Azusa boasts.
"Like how you were able to swim." I deadpan. "Besides, how does that matter? You're still gonna be blindfolded."
"What kind of sniper would I be if I couldn't handle such a simple handicap?" Mashiro scoffs.
"I would think being completely blindfolded would be a big deal to a sniper!" Hifumi cries.
"Nonsense. Striving for new heights is a given." Mashiro says. "How else could I call myself a sniper of justice?"
"This is getting a little out of hand." The blonde bemoans. "I don't think there's any hope of talking them out of it. So should we just get started, Sensei?"
"Might as well." I sigh.
"Hang on." Hasumi says, looking through strong binoculars. "Where did the watermelon go?"
"H-Huh?!" Hifumi shouts. "Are you sure about that, Hasumi?"
"Completely. It's gone." The tallest blackette confirms.
"How could that be? Did someone steal it?" Koharu asks.
"I can hit a moving target just as easily as a stationary one." Azusa boasts.
"That's not the point! Let me see." Hifumi says, taking the specs from Hasumi. I look off that way and... what is that? "Yes, it's definitely... Hang on... Is that Izumi?"
"Looks like it." I say.
Mashiro looks through her scope. "How did you see her, Sensei?"
"I can see pretty far." I explain succinctly.
"Why does she have the watermelon?" Hifumi asks.
Quickly, the gourmet reaches us, watermelon in hand, and looking disgruntled. "What are all of you doing?! You can't play with your food like this! It's disrespectful to it! Only the lowest scum of the earth disrespects delicious food!"
I... am at a loss of words.
"What?!" Hifumi shouts, shocked.
"You're the last person who should be saying that!" Koharu accosts, pointing at the Gehenna student.
"Are you interfering?" Azusa asks Izumi, her eyes narrow. "Very well. If you stand in our way, then we'll show you no mercy."
"Why does everything we do end in a firefight?" The blonde bemoans.
"Welcome to Kivotos." Arona says with a chuckle.
"Now you're gettin' it." I grin.
What proceeds is basically bullying. Izumi vs the rest, a one on seven. There was no chance.
"Nooo... You may have beaten me, but I have no regrets! Playing with food is the worst thing someone can do. You'll be sorry someday..." And with that, the horned student passes out, her halo disappearing.
"Goodness, all the people here are quite excitable, aren't they?" Hanako smiles.
Hifumi sighs. "Something doesn't feel quite right."
"We won, but I don't feel very proud of myself right now." Mashiro adds. "I don't doubt that she was much more passionate than we were."
"No, that's not what I meant." The blonde says.
"Well, if we ain't gonna destroy it, we might as well eat it then." I suggest, before walking over and slinging the unconscious Izumi over my shoulder. "I'll take this one back to the Beach Shack."
----------
Only two activities remained on the list.
"It's time for beach volleyball!" Hifumi declared as I returned to the group. "See? We even have a ball to play with."
"To be precise, Sensei brought it for us." Mashiro clarifies, prompting Arona to hold up said ball.
I shrug. "I figured it'd be a good idea."
"Oh, yeah." Hifumi nods, a touch embarrassed. "Thanks, Sensei."
I smile, "If anything, Arona wanted to bring it more than I."
"Volleyball is a staple of beach trips." Hanako nods.
"The beach isn't as crowded and I don't see any sign of those beach thugs this time." Hifumi says, optimistic. "Maybe we can finally complete a mission in peace."
"Knowing them, I doubt it. They're like cockroaches." Koharu frowns.
"Indeed. They seem to have more numbers than one would expect." Hasumi adds.
Looking at Hifumi, I notice an odd look on her face. "Something on your mind, Hifumi?"
The blonde jolts from the attention. "Ah, no, it's just... I was wondering if we've been going about this the right way."
"What do you mean?" The small pinkette asks.
"Well, it hasn't exactly been the summer vacation we all expected. I just wanted to show Azusa the ocean and have a good time with everyone." Hifumi explains.
"Am I not having fun?" Azusa blinks in confusion, slightly tilting her head.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, but a summer vacation is supposed to be..." Hifumi pauses, trying to find the words. "Well, it's not supposed to be about doing missions, drinking weird juice, and being attacked by beach bums over and over again. And when you think about it, it's probably only a matter of time before they attack us again."
"C'mon. What happened to the optimistic Hifumi?" I ask, chuckling.
"She IS right. I'm sure they'll show back up eventually." Hasumi nods.
"Ha! There you are!"
"Do you realize how much time we wasted looking for you?!"
I audibly and loudly groan as beach thugs show up, as if on cue.
"Now beginning beach thug interception!" Mashiro declares.
"Y'know what? Y'all go ahead and fight. Tsurugi and I can practice before we begin our volleyball match." I say.
"Kyaak?!" Tsurugi shouts at the attention. Everyone merely shrugs and begins to fight, moving down the beach and away from the two of us. Arona follows them as well, leaving Tsurugi and I alone.
"U-Um, Sensei...?"
"Yeah, Tsurugi?"
"Why did you want to...?"
I smile. " 'Cause Azusa and the others have clearly been having fun, but I wanna make sure you've been having fun too."
"I, well..." The JTF president blushes shyly. "All right. I'm not sure if I'm any good at having fun, but I'll try. I'll try to have as much fun as possible!"
"That's the spirit." I smile.
A moment later, Tsurugi and I got into position to practice playing volleyball. Personally, I don't think I've ever played it. Regardless, I knew the rules and the like, so I didn't doubt myself.
"Um, I'm ready, Sensei! You can go ahead and serve the ball." Tsurugi says.
"Gotcha." I say, before tossing the ball up and smacking it over the net.
Tsurugi reacts instantly and, to my surprise, shouts, "KYAAAAAAAAAAHK!" as she slams the ball down as hard as she can.
Not moving a muscle, the ball hurdles towards me like a fucking rocket, but-
BANG
-is easily caught with one hand outstreched. The ball spins a bit more in my palm despite its momentum negated... It's kinda hot too.
Tsurugi inhales and exhales with a manic grin. "Gah..." Her facial features then relax. "How was that, Sensei? Am I doing it right?"
"Kinda." I smile. "You just need to aim towards the ground, not the other players. And also try not to throw it so hard, I doubt the others could handle a spike like that."
"A-Ah! P-P-Please forgive me. I'm so sorry..." She quickly apologizes.
"It's fine. Just give it another go." I smile reassuringly. I then throw up the ball-
"KRAGGGGHHHHHH!"
BAM
...Well, she certainly didn't aim for me... And the ball wasn't thrown as hard, but... It was still fast enough that the ball got REALLY hot. How do I know?
The sand turned to glass.
Tsurugi freezes and runs over. "I-I'm so sorry! Nothing ever goes like how I plan it in my head." She admits, sadly. "I can't help but feel like I'm wasting your time, Sensei. I feel terrible about all of this..."
"Well, we still have other stuff we can do." I smile, before pulling something from the Shittim Chest- a frisbee.
"Is that a... frisbee?" The blackette blinks. "Wh-What am I supposed to do with it?"
"I toss it and you bring it back." I explain, not wanting her to toss the thing back like those fucking shurikens from Predator.
"O-Okay. That shouldn't be too hard." She smiles. "I think I'll be able to handle this, Sensei. I-It's a little embarrassing, but I'm ready whenever you are!"
I nod, tossing the plastic disc down the beach.
Tsurugi doesn't move. Then-
"KRAGGGGHHHHHH!"
-she shouts as she dashes down the beach, running on all fours for some reason, a crazed look on her face. Before it can land, she leaps into the air and catches the fucking frisbee with her mouth- much like a dog. She then runs back and hands the disc back to me. "I did it, Sensei! I brought it back!"
I can only blink in shock at what just transpired as I gently take the disc from her hands.
"Are you sure this is how this game is supposed to be played?" She asks.
"Yeah." I nod. "Though, I'll admit I didn't expect to you leap into the air and catch it. That was kinda impressive."
"I-I guess that makes me feel a little better..." Tsurugi says, shyly, blushing a bit. "Uh, I think it's working! I can keep playing this game no problem! So if you're okay with it, let's keep going..."
I tossed it again-
"KRAGGGGHHHHHH!"
-and she caught it like a dog again. After the fourth toss, she was panting. I can still hear gunshots off that'a way. How many thugs showed up?
"You wanna take a break?" I ask.
Tsurugi merely smiles. "Keke... Kekekeke..."
By the time the others came back, Tsurugi was laid on the ground- out of breath, but incredibly happy.
----------
Afterwards, the rest of us played volleyball. Hasumi was worried about Tsurugi wanting to play, but then I showed her the glass. That finished up most of the list, but the last objective- the fireworks- can't be done until night, so we all had time to kill.
I decided to explore the area around the beach, trying to see what there was to see. Eventually, I did come back by.
"Today really flew by didn't it?" Mashiro asks as the sun begins to set, the sky turning orange. "We should have some time until dark, but I wonder where the others are."
"The Make Up Work Club went to guy buy fireworks." Hasumi explains. "I believe Arona went with them as well."
"Yes, but I'm wondering what's taking so long. Originally, I had volunteered to go with Tsurugi." The shorter sniper explains.
"Kekeke! Hehehe!" Tsurugi chirps.
"Seems she was lookin' forward to it." I smile.
"Well, I hope they're alright, but this does give us some time to do whatever we want." Mashiro says. "Still, thanks for all the help with our mission today, Sensei."
I blink, "You're still treating this like a mission, huh? Weren't you havin' fun?"
"I only was allowed to come on this trip by happenstance." Mashrio points out.
"So? I got Hasumi to come." I point out.
"Indeed." The taller sniper nods, blushing at the attention. "Today has been hectic, but... strangely enjoyable."
"Sounds like you just needed a break." I say.
"I'll admit, I did get caught up in the mood and enjoyed myself." Mashiro smiles. "I'm supposed to be ready to protect justict at a moment's notice, but I think I let my guard down a few times today. So I guess I came away knowing I still have room for improvement."
Hasumi smiles at her underclassman.
"Anyway, I'm going to look for the others to make sure they're okay." Mashiro says.
"I'll come along." Hasumi suggests. A moment later, she and Mashiro walk off toward the shops, leaving Tsurugi and I alone on the beach. I see the berserker sitting down and calmly watching the water, it's usual blue colored gold from the sunset.
"Tsurugi."
"KYAH?!" She jolts. "I-I mean..."
I smile at her. "Did you have fun today too?"
She blinks, blushing a bit. "M-Me? I, um... Uh... I honestly don't know. Was that what fun feels like? I guess it WAS different than I expected... but part of me feels like it was just right."
"Meh, it ain't about right or wrong, just what you experienced." I say, sitting down next to her.
"I guess you're right." She nods. "The beach was different than what I've read about in books, but everyone did seem to be having fun."
"I'm glad." I smile.
"I keep wanting to stare at the water... I'm not sure why." She muses, turning back to the sea. "Maybe it's just because it's not like how I pictured it. I kinda scared off everyone earlier, and then the beach thugs..."
"Yeah..." I trail off, feeling bad for her.
"There aren't any beachgoers around, and there isn't any sign of fun or activity anywhere. It's just me all by myself. Maybe what I'm feeling is... wistful regret?" She ponders.
"Not the feeling I was expecting." I comment.
"Well, I guess I can't tell how I come across to other people, so... Kekeke, kekekeke..."
I smile, "Maybe it doesn't matter if your experience is the same as other people's."
"Really?" Tsurugi asks.
I merely shrug.
"What I guess I mean to say is... I know I've felt different than when I'm at Trinity since I've been here." She says. "But there's still so much that didn't live up to my expectations. It made me wonder. Is what I experienced really okay? Could it be there was something I was doing wrong?" I didn't realize this was bothering her so much.
"Not everything can be how ya imagine it." I say, softly. "Still, you seemed pretty satisfied."
Tsurugi hums. "Maybe you're right. Everything did feel so unfamiliar at first... but I guess it was also fun now that I think about it... Kekeke. So it is." She smiles. "Yes, I think what you said was right. You always seem to know everything, Sensei. I never would have been able to realize this on my own."
I let out a chuckle, "I don't know EVERYTHING." I smirk. "I have no idea what the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow is."
"Ke-Hahahaha!" Tsurugi laughs hard at my little reference, regardless of whether or not she understood it. "Hehe, I feel like I was worrying for nothing. I guess I was doing okay. I mean, I did a lot of things that I couldn't do elsewhere, like playing with you..."
I smile. "Yeah, it was pretty fun."
"Keke... Right." She smiles. "But what I think I like the most was... Um..." She trails off, her blush growing. "Spending time with you."
I blink.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Sensei." Tsurugi smiles a gorgeous smile, her face red as a tomato. It's hard to believe this is the same girl who kept failing at taking a selfie. "Thank you for bringing me here. To the beach."
I smile, "Anytime, Tsurugi."
"Sensei... could I... I want to..." She trails off, stammering hard, her face practically red hot. "I... GAH, SCREW IT!"
Before I can parse her words, Tsurugi grabs my shirt collar and pulls me into a deep kiss. We part soon after, breathing a bit hard. I stare into Tsurugi's crimson eyes and she says what I expected.
"I love you, Sensei. I've felt like this since we went on that practice date..."
Right, that practice date we had. That was fun. Despite her quirks, I've honestly enjoyed spending time with Tsurugi. Which is why I...
"I won't lie, I feel the same." I say with a smile. She does mean a lot to me, this beach trip only solidifying that.
Tsurugi's smile grows three times from my words.
"But lemme explain a few things first."
----------
Quickly, I explained the harem thing, which she didn't mind too much. However, when I explained the past five years...
"Sen- Josh..." Tsurugi corrects herself before hugging me tightly. "I'm so sorry..."
"Huh? Why?" I blink.
"You shouldn't have had to go through that. You should've gotten to stay with your love and not had everything ruined."
I pause, feeling conflicted. It's always like this when these girls tell me such things. I guess a part of me still feels undeserving of their love. I smile. I guess Tsurugi is a bit more emotionally mature than one would expect, given she's showing compassion rather than getting pissed off.
"Tsurugi." I begin. "A lot of bad shit happened to me, yes... But there's no telling if I would've been as happy with Jane as I am with you girls."
She jolts around me.
I reach up and hug the sweet, sweet girl back. "But thank you for caring for me, Tsurugi. It means more than you could possibly know."
"Y-Y-You're welcome... my love..." Tsurugi says. I guess those romance novels have given her a few ideas of things to say, huh?
As the two of us part from our hug, we both jolt-
"We're baaack!"
-from Hifumi announcing her and the others' return.
"Sorry for taking so long. It took a while to find a firework stand nearby." The blonde explains. No one seems to have noticed our little heart to heart, huh?
"They don't have much range or firepower, but they are technically fireworks." Azusa adds. "Personally, I don't understand why they charge so much money for something that would never be effective in battle."
"Because they know people will buy them. Plus, they jack up the prices around times when people buy a lot of 'em." I explain.
"Fireworks aren't for hurting people, Azusa." Hanako chides.
"Which is why I prepared some homemade explosives as a precaution." The silverette explains. "Know that we have alternatives if we need them."
"And I'm telling you we don't need real explosives!" Koharu snaps.
Mashiro sighs as Hasumi and Arona chuckle at the quartet's antics.
To my side, Tsurugi snakes her fingers in between mine, blushing and smiling all the while.
----------
The sun got closer to disappearing as the others began to set up the fireworks. Eventually, the sky and ocean turned from a brilliant orange to a calm purple-blue with a hint of orange towards the slightly visible sun. As I walked the beach, I noticed Azusa staring towards the ocean, the wind causing her hair, wings, and the frills on her swimsuit to rustle a bit. She looks really...
Shaking that thought away, I walk up to her. Azusa turns her head slightly, smiling as she sees me. "Hello, Sensei."
"What's the matter?" I ask, noticing her slightly troubled expression.
"There's nothing going on." Azusa says. "Well, okay. I guess the problem is that nothing's going on."
"Huh?" I blink.
"It's just as I said. I'm in such a grand place, and yet I'm just standing here, doing nothing." The silverette explains. "There's just nothing going on. I was just taking it in."
"...Does it feel like a luxury?" I ask, tentatively.
"I... suppose." Azusa smiles, turning slightly to face me.. "You're spot on, Sensei. I wasn't sure how to put it into words. Maybe that's why I needed the help. You always explain things clearly." She turns back to the ocean. "It is like a luxury, in a way." She turns back to me, smiling once again. "I'm glad I came. It was only for a short time, but I learned a lot. Good things always seem to happen when I'm with you, Sensei. It's like..."
"Hm?" I question at her pause.
"No... It's nothing." She quickly says, blushing faintly.
I smile. "Well, I'm happy you've been enjoyin' yourself."
"Oh." Azusa blinks, before nodding. "Very much. I've enjoyed it very much..." She pauses, looking very forlorn suddenly.
"What's wrong?"
"Well..." She turns back to the ocean. "I've enjoyed spending time with you and my new friends, but..."
Ah, I get it. "You miss your pals from Arius."
"Yes... I miss them very much." Azusa says, sadness clear in her voice. "I wish I could... That I..."
I walk over to her and wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling the sad girl into a sort of side hug. She jolts upon the contact, looking up at me with surprise and a blush on her face. I smile down at her gently, "We'll save 'em, and the rest of the girls over there. I promise."
I don't know how I'll do it, but I'm gonna help them- especially from what I've heard of their so-called 'Student Council President'. Then again, I doubt it'll be easy, seeing as how long they've been under her thumb. I'd wager most are content with that way of life.
Azusa blushes, looking at me with a bright, genuine smile. "Sensei... Thank you."
I nod, letting her go.
"Perhaps I shouldn't let today end this quickly. There is still time to learn more." She says. "All I need to do is be efficient."
I smile. Usual Azusa.
"What do you think? What is the best way?" Azusa asks.
I chuckle. "You're always thinkin' about being efficient."
"Ah. I've wasted too much time." She says, earning another chuckle from me. "I mean, I don't actually think of it as a waste of time..."
"It's fine." I wave her off. Then, something comes to mind. Something I found while exploring a little while ago. "Still, I have an idea."
"You do? Alright." The silverette nods. "Let's hear your opinion, Sensei."
"Alrighty then." I say. "Follow me."
"Okay. I'll trust your choice." Azusa smiles. "I'm right behind you. Lead the way."
----------
"Sensei?"
"Yes?"
"Um... How long is this going to take? How far are we going? We've been walking for almost twenty minutes. I-It's not that I don't trust you. I just want to confirm our strategy. I don't think we're near the beach anymore."
And she would be correct, as we've arrived in a small forest near the beach. The elevation also has risen, this forest sitting upon the border of a small mountain range.
"Why did we leave the beach and go up the mountains?" Azusa inquires.
"I told ya, it's a surprise." I say, vaguely. I don't wanna give the surprise away.
"I don't know about this. I said I wanted to learn more about the ocean, and you brought me to the mountains." She says. "I'm sure there is a reason for this, but..."
I sigh, "If you're so worried, then know that we're almost there."
"We are?" She blinks, before pouting. "I don't think you've answered my question."
"I told you: surprise." I repeat, grinning.
She pouts once again, but relents. "Okay. I'll trust you again."
And so, we continue walking again.
"It's just past here." I say.
We pass through some foliage and then Azusa stills, her purple eyes wide in awe. "H-Huh? I can feel the wind around my legs. What is...? This place is...!"
Azusa is in shock from the view before us. This hidden spot is high up in the mountains, yet overlooks the beach, giving a perfect view of nearly half of the entire thing. Her eyes are wide and shining, looking at everything- from the beach, to the girls setting up the fireworks, to the ocean and sky painted a purple-blue. Her wings flap up and down as the breeze causes her hair, clothes, and feathers to rustle again.
"I found this place by accident while I was lookin' around earlier." I smile. I'm glad I did, it's goddamn beautiful. Though, not as much as...
"Wow...!" Azusa manages to speak after around a full minute of shocked silence, breaking me from my thoughts. "I've just... never seen so many shining and beautiful things at once before... It's amazing!" She looks left and right a few times. "I can see everything in just a glance here. Nothing's in my way."
"Yup." I smile. I'm happy she's enjoying this.
"Interesting..." She hums. "I've never felt this way before. In fact, I-I never liked open locations like this." She stutters, clearly overwhelmed. "There's nowhere to take cover and securing the perimeter is difficult. Yet, interestingly, I'm not very concerned. So maybe, this is... right. I can see everything at a glance..." She faces me with an almost blinding smile. "...and you as well, Sensei."
I can't say anything to that, so I merely smile.
"You've exceeded my expectations." She says, happily. "I think I can now say that I understand the beach. Thank you, Sensei."
"Anytime, Azusa."
"Still..." She frowns. "There is one thing I still don't understand."
"What's that?" I ask.
"Ever since you took me to various places to have fun, I... I've gotten a strange feeling everytime I'm around you." She admits, holding a hand to her heart as her face reddens. "I believe I may be afflicted with something... My heart beats fast and my face heats up... I get... anxious, but not in a bad way." She turns to face me. "Sensei? Do you know what this feeling is?"
I fake thinking it over to hide my surprise. Azusa seriously...? Is this gonna be two in one day?!
"I know that feeling, all too well." I eventually admit.
"You do? Is there a cure for it?" Azusa asks.
I chuckle softly, "Not exactly."
"What is afflicting me then?" She asks, tilting her head.
"Azusa, what you just described was how to feels to be around someone you love."
Azusa stills from me explanation. "Love...?" She mutters, eyes widening slightly. "As in... romantic love?"
"I believe so." I nod. "I mean, we practically went on a date when I took ya around to have fun, now that I think about it."
"...Perhaps we did." Azusa hums. "I suppose you've been on many dates with your... harem?" She asks, trying to remember the word. I nod in confirmation. "Yes, harem. Then it would make sense for you to know what a proper date is like."
"Well, I said it was kinda like a date." I correct.
"How was it not an actual one?" She asks.
"Because neither of us were treatin' it like one." I explain.
Azusa remains silent for a while again. "I... would like to go on one with you, Sensei."
"Oh yeah?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yes." She nods. "That's what this feeling- and my heart- are telling me... Hmm. Perhaps I do love you."
"You do?" I ask.
"Yes." She nods, before looking at me with that pretty smile of hers. "I love you, Sensei." She then giggles- GIGGLES. "It feels... right to say that."
Honestly, ever since I've met Azusa, I've wanted to make her happy. Clearly what happened at Arius has had adverse effects on her, so seeing her smile is like looking at the sun. Huh... Maybe I got feelings for her sometime back as well. It never even occurred to me. With that in mind, I smile and look down at the gorgeous silverette.
"I love you too, Azusa." I say.
Her eyes widen at the admission, her smile brightening alongside that. I gently cup her cheek with one hand, causing her smile to fade in place of a confused look- her purple eyes staring into mine. I then lean down-
chu
-and kiss her. Just a chaste kiss, but as we part she looks absolutely awestruck- even more so than when she saw the beach from up here.
"That was... a kiss...?" She smiles, holding a hand to her mouth. "That felt... nice. I take it you've done this many times before?"
"Yes, I have." I say, reminiscing. I guess I oughta continue the trend. "Even before I came to Kivotos."
"Hm?" Azusa blinks in curiosity.
And so, I explain my story once more today, as well as mentioning telling it to Tsurugi not long ago.
----------
"...My hunch was right, then."
"Whaddya mean?" I ask.
"That you too have endured hardship." Azusa explains. "Honestly, seeing those scars all but confirmed it for me."
I look at my arm with a twinge of sadness, and strangely nostalgia. "Yeah, that adds up."
"But you persevered, despite everything. Despite the world itself going against you. You never gave up." She smiles, but it becomes a bit strained. "Much like me, I suppose... From what the others told me, Saori had given up hope after helping me when we met, breaking under Madame's grasp... but I never did. Perhaps we were drawn to each other."
I chuckle. "Maybe. The world works in mysterious ways and all that."
Azusa hums. "Still..." She says, snaking her way under my arm, pulling me into a side hug this time. "I'm glad the world decided for us to meet, and for us to become a... a couple. It makes me very happy, J-Josh."
I smile, holding her close. "Then I'll make sure that happiness never goes away."
Azusa and I then walked back to the beach, never once letting each other go.
----------
Time passed quickly once the sun disappeared. Shops began to close and people went back home.
"It's so quiet now. Did everyone else go home?" Hifumi asks.
"All the civilians did." I comment, eyeing the group of beach thugs off in the distance, all watching us like hawks.
"Indeed. The beach thugs are still in the distance." Azusa explains. "I couldn't tell you what they're up to now though."
"They're probably gonna attack us again." Koharu grumbles.
"I can't see why they don't just give up." Hasumi sighs.
"I agree. They've lost handedly every single time now." Hanako nods.
"Hmm." Mashiro hums, "They're pretty far away, but should we conduct a preemptive strike before they ambush us again?"
"P-Please don't pick another fight." The blonde pleads. "Let's just hope they learned their lesson."
"If you say so, but I think we're risking it." Mashiro relents. "They've interrupted every mission we've completed today. What's going to stop them from doing it again?"
I chuckle. "Who's to say?"
"Maybe they just wanna watch the fireworks too." Arona says, optimistic as ever.
Hanako giggles. "Perhaps little Arona is right."
"We can't deny the possibility, I suppose." Azusa adds. "We bumped into them earlier as we were buying fireworks. However, if I were to guess, they must have bought fireworks of their own. Then again, they may have been stocking up on explosives to use against us. I will not object to preemptively attacking them."
"I still don't think we have to go that far." Hifumi says, exasperated.
"I thought you might say that." The silverette nods. "In that case, we'll simply keep our guards up."
"Got it. I'm okay with that plan if you are." Mashiro agrees.
"Honestly, you two get along far too well." Hasumi sighs, despite doing nothing to hide her smile.
"Shouldn't the fireworks start up soon?" Koharu asks.
BANG
Everyone jolts as the sound of fireworks launching rings out over by the beach thugs. Moments later, they explode in the sky, lighting the dark night up with brilliant colors.
"Fireworks..." Hifumi says, looking up.
"There's no mistaking that." Mashiro smiles.
"They're coming from the direction of the beach thugs." Azusa muses, eyes wide as she watches the colors. "So they really were planning to shoot off their own..."
BANG
Right then, our fireworks begin to shoot off as well.
"So glittery..." Tsurugi quietly says in awe.
"Indeed. They're quite beautiful." Hasumi smiles.
"Wow..." Koharu mutters, prompting Hanako to giggle.
"This won't do." Mashiro says, face determined. "Azusa, we need to put on an even better show than theirs!"
"I'm on it. We won't lose. I refuse to lose in a firepower competition." Azusa says, equally determined as she and the shortest blackette begin to fiddle with the setup.
"Noo! What are you two doing?" Hifumi cries as our fireworks begin to shoot out faster. "Why are you turning this into a competition?!" To the side, I notice the others' shooting off faster as well. "Are they ramping up on their side too?! Sensei! Do something!"
"The hell do you want me to do, stop the fireworks? No. Might as well just let this play out. After all, this many fireworks popping off all at once looks awesome." I smile, looking upwards. To the side, I see the other girls staring up in quiet awe, especially Arona and Tsurugi.
"So, they want to compare artillery, do they? I'll show them what real all-out war looks like." Azusa declares, a competitive glint in her eye.
"We're going to run out of fireworks at this rate!" Hifumi cries.
"Maybe, but-"
BOOOM
Azusa's rebuttal is cut off by a loud explosion.
"Was that...?" Mashiro asks. "That sounded like napalm." NAPALM?!
"It carries much more explosive firepower than a regular firework. Well done." Azusa nods.
I take a few steps back, pulling Arona along with me. Koharu, Hanako, and Hasumi all step back as well. Tsurugi is too engrossed in the show, whereas the other three are all arguing.
"Because it's not supposed to BE a firework!" The blonde shouts.
"What about us? Do we have any napalm available?" Azusa asks.
"We do not." Mashiro sighs. "Hold on, that shot should have exploded a while ago."
"Eh?" Hifumi blinks.
"Incoming." Azusa says. Did they seriously not notice?
BOOOOOOOOOOM
An explosion slams right onto those four, engulfing them in smoke.
A moment later, an irate sounding Azusa says, "They realize this means war."
----------
What proceeded was indeed a war. My girls fought the remaining fifty or so beach thugs, beating the gangsters handedly. By the time it was done, the beach was as black as the night sky- covered in soot, ash, and gunpowder.
"There's smoke everywhere!" Hifumi manages out in between coughs.
"The victory is ours." Mashiro declares.
"The salt of the sea and napalm... So this is what the beach smells like at night. I quite like it." Azusa hums.
"That's only because you started competing with them!" Koharu snaps.
"You're getting it all wrong again, Azusa!" Hifumi also snaps. "We didn't come here to win battles... And I didn't even get any good pictures of the fireworks. What are we going to do now?"
"You might've had the camera, but I had my phone." I smirk, holding the cellular look-at device up.
"When did you manage to do that, Sensei?!" Hifumi says, shocked.
"Y'all stared at the fireworks for a while." I smile, handing her my phone. All of the girls then crowd around and behind the blonde, eager to see the image as well.
Hifumi blinks at my phone. "This is amazing! If I didn't know any better, this would look like a picture of a regular fireworks show! And then it became anything but that..."
"This is...!" Koharu says, eyes wide.
"Indeed." Hasumi nods.
"It looks rather nice." Hanako smiles.
"Yes, he captured the moment quite well." Mashiro smiles, Azusa nodding in agreement.
Tsurugi and Arona smile at the image.
I'm glad they like it.
----------
The rest of the night was spent cleaning up the mess we made on the beach. And I mean that- the sun began to rise as we packed up everything into the tank. It's no surprise that everyone was exhausted after everything. Everyone save for Hifumi and I stayed awake- the former making sure to stay up to drive us back to Trinity. They all slept the whole way home.
Despite all the fighting, everyone looked relaxed and at peace- especially Azusa and Tsurugi, who fell asleep on either side of me, using not only their bodies, but their wings to hold me tight.
Hifumi shot me a weird look, before I smiled and shrugged. She blushed and quickly turned around. I think she understood what I meant. Though, Arona popped out of the tablet to take a picture of the three of us, before going back in her little home.
I chuckled before kissing my two newest girlfriends on the forehead, relaxing in between them after.
----------
Later that day, on Sensei's Harem Chat Group.
Yuuka: And you said you met the two of them?
Hoshino: Yup. I met them when I went over to Trinity for a bit when Josh was helping them out.
Shiroko: I remember you mentioning that.
Chinatsu: Josh told you who they are, right?
Hoshino: Yeah, but I'll wait for them to show up. Don't wanna spoil it. Don't worry, they're good people. One of them's friends with Hifumi after all.
Shiroko: No arguments here.
Mutsuki: None from me either. I just hope they're as easy to tease as the twins.
Momoi: We are not easy to tease!
Midori: I'm not, but you definitely are, Sis.
Momoi: Et tu, Midori?!
Haruka: S-So what can you tell us about them?
Hoshino: One seems scary, but is just as shy as you, at least around Josh.
Mutsuki: And the other one?
Hoshino: She's really serious, but doesn't seem like she really knows what fun is. Considering she joined, I bet Josh already helped her there.
Wakamo: Knowing Anata-sama, he's definitely assisted her a great deal.
Mutsuki: Aww.
Hoshino: One of her friends is easy to tease, but the other might out-tease you.
Mutsuki: We'll see eventually.
Yuuka: What makes you say that?
Shiroko: She took my bet.
Hoshino: I tried to tell her it was a fool's bet...
-Tsurugi has joined.-
Tsurugi: He-He-He-Hello...!
Yuuka: You were right, she's as shy as Haruka is.
Tsurugi: Di-Did I join the right one?
Mutsuki: That you did!
Haruka: H-Hello there...
Hoshino: Hiya!
Shiroko: Hello.
Tsurugi: GYAAAAAAAK
Tsurugi: Ah, I-I'm sorry. I get a bit too excited at times.
Chinatsu: Don't worry, you're certainly not the strongest person here.
Yuuka: Agreed.
Wakamo: Hm. I feel as though I've heard your name before.
Chinatsu: You're right. You're a part of the... Justice Task Force, if I recall.
Mutsuki: Impressive you can remember someone's name like that.
Tsurugi: Y-Yes. I'm the Task Force's president.
Momoi: Hang on, you're THAT Tsurugi?!
Mutsuki: Huh? You recognize her?
Momoi: She's supposedly as tough and scary as Neru!
Midori: Y-You mean she's that berserker girl they have over there?!
Hoshino: Like I said, she can be kinda scary, but she's a nice girl.
Tsurugi: Th-Thank you, Hoshino. I can definitely be a bit... extreme at times. It's hard for me to get along with people, honestly.
Mutsuki: But not Josh?
Tsurugi: Kehehe... Not at all.
-Azusa has joined.-
Azusa: Surely this is the right group.
Hoshino: It is! Nice to see ya again, kiddo.
Azusa: You as well, Hoshino. It's been a while.
Tsurugi: He-Hello again, Azusa...
Yuuka: You two know each other?
Azusa: Nn. Josh saved us from a predicament by bartering with our captor.
Wakamo: That sounds like him, for sure!
Mutsuki: Uh... What?
Haruka: How di-did he do that?
Azusa: He struck a deal. We had to take Tsurugi to the beach in exchange for our freedom.
Mutsuki: Oh? He went to the beach with you as well?
Chinatsu: He took their group and ours to the beach in Gehenna not too long ago.
Shiroko: We need to go to the beach, Hoshino.
Hoshino: I'm sure we'll get our chance.
Momoi: Us too!
Midori: Yeah. I'm sure Aris would love to see the beach.
Azusa: That's partially why we went in the first place: I had never seen the beach.
Chinatsu: And now that you have?
Azusa: I want to go again. Especially if it's with Josh.
Mutsuki: I can get behind that!
Tsurugi: I as well.
Haruka: M-Me too!
Wakamo: Perhaps I need to buy a swimsuit...
Hoshino: Maybe we can figure out a way to go after that treaty gets signed.
Yuuka: Right, that's coming up in just a few days, right?
Chinatsu: Indeed. And I wouldn't be surprised if the signees asked Josh to come to the signing.
Azusa: That will definitely happen. Schale has become an important part of Kivotos, after all.
Shiroko: Nn. Josh has become important to lots of people.
Hoshino: He's helped out lots of people around the city, and that number's just gonna keep growing.
Yuuka: No one doubts that.
Momoi: Yeah, Josh is awesome!
Midori: He's kinda like the hero in a game, helping out people all the time.
Haruka: Y-Yeah, Josh is the best...!
Tsurugi: He-He's a very kind person.
Chinatsu: Indeed.
Mutsuki: Yup!
Wakamo: Anata-sama is just that kind of person.
Azusa: I would imagine a great deal of people are eager to see what he does next.
Hoshino: Eh, knowing this city, something crazy is gonna happen at the signing, and Josh is gonna fix everything.
Azusa: I agree. I can only hope...
Shiroko: Don't worry. We'll help if you need it.
Azusa: ?
Hoshino: Of course. You're Hifumi's friend plus a part of our little group, so naturally we'll help.
Chinatsu: From what Josh explained to us, we'll make sure to stop your friends from your old school without hurting them.
Tsurugi: Keke?
Yuuka: We'll explain later, Tsurugi. Just know if things go wrong, we'll help.
Wakamo: I'm unfortunately on house arrest until the treaty is signed...
Mutsuki: That's okay. We all can handle ourselves, foxy.
Haruka: Th-That's right. Hehe. I'll annihilate anyone who dares hurt our boyfriend... Hehehe.
Wakamo: I see. Perhaps I was wrong about you, Haruka. We'll certainly get along nicely.
Haruka: Eh?! Tha-Thanks...
Momoi: Yeah! We'll help him in any way we can! We'll kick your friends' butts!
Midori: Leave it to us.
Azusa: ...
Azusa: Thank you. All of you. That means a lot coming from people I've just met.
Hoshino: You're a part of the harem now, we look out for our own, just like how we do for Josh and he does for us.
Shiroko: We'll back you up anytime.
Azusa: Thank you.
Yuuka: Right. We should probably explain what Josh told us to Tsurugi.
Tsurugi: Heh?
Chinatsu: Good idea. It's best she knows what to look out for on the treaty's signing.
Azusa: How much has Josh explained already.
Hoshino: A fair bit. Lemme tell ya what he said.
----------
SUMMER SKY'S WISHLIST: END
----------
AN
A double whammy of new harem members! I originally planned to have the two confessions as separate chapters, but things didn't end up that way.
We'll have a bit more Down Time before getting to the signing of the Eden Treaty. Maybe three or four chapters worth. After all, I won't be able to write any more of them for quite a while.
Also, next is chapter 100! Woo-hoo!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!