Chapter LXVIII – Day At The Beach

When was the last time I enjoyed the sound of waves crashing against the shore? The briny smell brings back memories. . .

Arthur looked to the horizon from the edge of the wooden deck, listening to the loud seagulls that flew overhead.

In the distance, the guys ran across the sandy beach right behind Tjay who was keen on being the first to enter the water. They were already in their swim trunks, unlike the girls who needed more time to get changed. Their trunks hardly differed apart from the colors which Arthur found strange considering that Irene showed him the vast collection girls got to pick from. Male clothing had a noticeably smaller variety.

“Aren’t you gonna join them?” Nabi asked, leaving the house with Hyun next to her.

“Asking me?” Arthur turned to them.

“Yeah. . .”

It was surprising seeing Nabi’s choice of swimwear. She decided on a colorful flowery patterned ruffle-sleeved one-piece with wider straps fluttering outwards. While it was skin tight, it didn’t show much at all, but it did sport an open back. Hyun on the other hand was already shirtless, having a slightly more defined physique than Arthur, something that couldn’t easily go unnoticed.

“Just enjoying the view while waiting on you girls to change.”

“I’m surprised they aren’t eagerly waiting,” Nabi looked toward Tjay and the rest.

“Come on. . . They’re not like that,” Hyun tried defending them.

“Nice try,” Arthur smirked while looking at Hyun. “Sadly I know that their imagination is already running wild.”

“And yours isn’t?” Nabi asked teasingly.

“Irene and I went shopping together, but I still have no idea which one she picked in the end. Surely you understand my curiosity, right?”

“Of course,” Nabi answered jokingly.

Hyun couldn’t help but doubtfully look at Arthur who just a few hours ago said that nothing was going on between Irene and him, especially after finding out that they were going to share a bed.

“Hey guys,” Sophie called out while exiting the house with Ari and Yeona following behind her.

Arthur found it funny how their swimsuits strongly hinted at their personalities. Sophie wore a white striped orange bikini with a beach towel wrapped around her waist like a skirt, hiding her high-waist thong bikini bottom. He couldn’t help but notice that Sophie’s intense workouts the last couple of weeks paid off as her body never looked better. As for Ari, she wore a navy blue tube top that tightly wrapped around her chest and a bottom piece that closely resembled a significantly shorter skirt. Yeona on the other hand wore high-waist swimsuit bottoms that barely reached her belly button. It flattered her body as it highlighted her smaller waist. For her top, she went with a traditional bikini that was strapped around her neck.

“Excited?” Arthur asked.

“You kidding? She hasn’t stopped talking about it since we entered the car,” Ari tapped Sophie on the shoulder before turning to Yeona. “Ain’t that right?”

“Oh, and you were saying how you can’t wait to go back home?”

Yeona giggled while remaining neutral.

“I see everyone’s lively,” Iseul walked out with Amelia, both looking stunning.

Sophie more so than anyone was left staring in awe. Iseul went with a bright orange bikini top that tied in the front and a thong that hardly covered her bubble butt. Amelia meanwhile wore a red asymmetrical top with one strap over the shoulder, leaving her left shoulder completely exposed, and a similar bottom to Iseul’s.

“Woah. . .” Sophie’s mouth gaped.

“Don’t you woah us while looking like that,” Iseul complimented Sophie which made her blush.

Regardless of how long they knew each other, Iseul was that one person in the group that Sophie always looked up to as an inspiration. Her breathtaking beauty, graceful mannerism, and stunning intellect were more than anyone could ask for. It was hardly surprising that she was so liked among her peers and respected as the student council president. While Amelia had similar achievements, she didn’t have Iseul’s charisma, something that was easily noticed after spending more time with her.

Amelia, unlike Irene and Iseul, was stunningly introverted. Had he not been told, Arthur doubted he’d realize it since she made sure to act differently when she met everyone. However, Amelia even admitted to him that it was extremely nerve-wracking and tiring since she wasn’t used to it, but she wished to make a good first impression. Hugging Sophie as soon as they met wasn’t something she’d typically do, but she did it anyway to quickly break the awkwardness of their first meeting. Knowing a lot about her from Irene’s stories certainly helped. Luckily, Sophie often displayed puppy-like traits where if she was shown affection, she’d wag her tail.

“I’m not the last one, am I?” Arthur heard a familiar voice hiding behind the now crowded deck.

Irene was the last to join them as a single glance was more than enough for Arthur to become enthralled. She wore a pretty straightforward black triangular bikini top that wrapped behind her neck and a side-tie string bikini that was no less daring than Iseul’s. While Arthur found her gorgeous physique already irresistible, just the way she looked at him enticingly with her minty-colored eyes that illuminated in the sunlight got him obliviously staring.

“Always,” Amelia chuckled.

“Shall we get going?” Hyun asked taking Nabi’s hand.

With a nod, everyone but Arthur and Irene started heading down the steps that dug into the powdered sand.

“You look stunning,” Arthur complimented her.

“I’m glad you like it,” she put her hands behind her back and showed off by doing a quick spin.

While Arthur scanned her from head to toe, Irene’s focus was stolen away by Yeona who kept glancing from time to time.

“You okay?” Arthur asked, unsure of what caught her attention.

“I’m glad we’re here,” she smiled.

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“Nowhere I’d rather be if you ask me.”

The two slowly made their way toward the rest as Arthur once again looked to the horizon. The beach itself was slightly curved inward with bellow the knee waves and no boulders in sight. The only thing that stood out was a wooden dock a few dozen meters northward. What kept surprising him the most was the lack of people, almost making it seem like a private beach. Few however were visible in the distance as other beach houses still existed in the area.

“What are they doing?” Arthur’s attention shifted to the girls who placed beach towels on the ground.

“Preparing to tan,” Irene chuckled as she looked at Arthur’s puzzled expression. “We could use your help setting up the parasol.”

“Sure, but you’ll need to tell me what to do.”

“We just need you to stick it into the ground.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

With a smile on his face, Arthur followed along.

Holding the metallic pole, Arthur kept repeatedly stabbing the ground. It took a lot more tries than he expected as the sand refused to cooperate. However, with enough effort, it was only a matter of time before he finally succeeded.

“Thanks Art,” Iseul said while adjusting the angle so that the shade covered all of the towels.

“Watch out!” Yeona yelled out as she saw a fast-moving ball fly toward Arthur before it hit him in the back of the head.

Luckily, the ball was soft and rubbery so it didn’t actually hurt, but it was enough for Arthur to be taken by surprise. Looking back, he saw Tjay and Max laughing their asses off.

“They’re impossible. . .” Nabi sighed while Sophie and Ari chuckled.

Irene and Iseul weren’t amused as Arthur was helping them out while they were lazing around. However, Arthur couldn’t help but grin as he picked up the spiky rubber ball.

“Who dared throw this?” Arthur asked intimidatingly, but both kept laughing.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Tjay provoked.

“This isn’t gonna end well. . .” Irene sighed.

“Why?” Amelia looked at her confused as she approached.

Before Irene could answer, Arthur already took a step back with a wide stance and threw the ball as hard as he could. The speed of it took everyone by surprise as Tjay barely dodged by falling on his back. However, dodging wasn’t enough the ball’s spin changed its trajectory just enough for the ball to hit Max in the stomach as he stood a few steps behind Tjay. Max took the hit well as he managed to catch the ball, but he still felt some of the impact.

“That all you got?” Max taunted before throwing the ball back at Arthur.

It didn’t take much effort for Arthur to catch it at such a distance, but more importantly, Arthur was ready to retaliate by throwing the ball straight toward Tjay’s face while he slowly got up. This time around the throw was unavoidable as the ball bounced up after ricocheting off his face. Tjay again hit the ground as Max caught the ball.

The girls watched as they kept throwing the ball back and forth, making it a makeshift dodgeball game. Both Max and Tjay managed to clip him a few times but nothing more than a glancing blow to the shoulder or leg. The game escalated when Max missed Arthur and hit Hyun who was disinterested in their competitive showdown. With sand on his face that previously stuck to the ball, Hyun rushed over and joined Arthur’s side making it a two versus two.

After a dozen more throws, endless laughter, and even a few chuckles out of the girls, Tjay caught the ball again and averted his attention to Don who had stayed out of it the entire time.

“Tjay, no. . .” Don looked at him wide-eyed.

“You think you could escape?” Tjay smirked.

Realizing that Tjay was serious, Don rushed toward the water in hopes of avoiding the throw. Max chuckled at his futile struggle as Tjay took aim. He had no intention of throwing the ball hard and his goal was just to land a headshot.

Don wasn’t the fastest runner and it looked funny when he reached the shallow water only to have the ball hit him from behind. He fell face first which was worrisome at first, but he soon got up with a brimming smile on his face. Picking up the ball, he threw it to Max before the two decided to join him in the water.

“Nabi, you coming?” Hyun turned to her but saw that she was still getting ready.

“I’ll join later, you go ahead. . .” she smiled while unpacking her backpack.

Hyun gave her a nod before proceeding to join the rest. While the guys were keen on swimming, the girls were hesitant because of the strong sun.

Arthur found himself standing all on his own before taking a step toward the sea, a bit away from the rest as he wished to enjoy the scenery. After a deep breath he walked in up to where it barely reached his knees, the cold water cooling him down. Everything reminded him of the past which while grim certainly had its moments.

Yeah. . . Now I remember. It was right after our ship got attacked while sailing across Nuia’s waters. I got stranded on an uninhabited island for a little over a week while I was recovering my powers so I could teleport back to the mainland. There was a beach just like this that I used to camp on. Honestly, part of me wished I stayed there as I was finally able to be alone and without worry. If it weren’t for my sense of responsibility toward those that raised me- No, more like manipulated me since birth. . .

Arthur’s expression reflected his feelings about the past as he kept looking ahead, appearing troubled but too far away to be noticed.

I guess it doesn’t matter. Had I not done what I did then I would’ve never been here.

Amelia noticed Irene standing still as her eyes were glued to Arthur. She approached smilingly and wrapped her arms around her from behind.

“You shouldn’t keep him waiting,” she whispered sweetly into Irene’s ear.

Irene smiled leaning her head on her sister’s arm before breaking away and walking off.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked as Arthur glanced toward her.

“No need to ask,” he chuckled.

“It’s so beautiful. . .” she gazed in awe regardless of how familiar the view was.

“Peaceful too. . .”

“Hey Art. . . Weird question, but do you even know how to swim?”

“Huh?” Arthur snap turned to her, surprised by her question.

“Well, it’s just that you’ve lost your memories. . .”

“Ah right. . . I believe I do, so no need to worry.”

He couldn’t tell her that he knew how to swim before reincarnating.

“Okay, but if it’s not a bother I’d still like to be next to you when you go for a swim.”

Arthur smiled placing a hand on her head. “Then how about we swim to those floating things over there. . .”

“You mean the red buoy?” she giggled.

“Yeah, that. . .”

She nodded smilingly before they both jumped into the water. It felt refreshing diving head first as the sun seared from above. At first, Arthur took the lead which showed Irene that he indeed knew how to swim, but then he slowed down to be behind her.

Diving under the water, he couldn’t resist not looking as he opened his eyes. The salt stung a little at first, but Arthur quickly got used to it as the irritation subsided. He could see Irene’s feet moving up and down which gave him a mischievous idea. Speeding up, he managed to get close enough to pinch her toes which made her jolt.

“Art!” she yelled out after he resurfaced, appearing mad at first but then smilingly shaking her head. “Don’t do that. . .”

“Did I scare you?” he chuckled before swimming closer. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she sighed pushing her hair back. “I just wasn’t expecting it so I thought something caught me.”

“I’d never let that happen,” Arthur smiled.

“Right. . .” she blushed, averting her gaze. “Let’s keep going, we’re almost there.”

Irene took the lead again as they swam toward the buoy while fighting against the rising waves. Once there, Irene again readjusted her hair by throwing it behind her shoulders.

“I used to love swimming out here. It was the only time I could truly be alone.”

“And now you’re stuck with us,” Arthur said jokingly.

“Dreadful really. . .” she chuckled. “But that’s why I brought you out here.”

He looked at her confused for a second before she jumped on top of him trying to playfully drown him. Arthur could’ve easily repelled her but decided to play along, allowing her to push him under. After being fully submerged, Arthur entangled her legs with his body. Irene fought with all her might trying to resist his attempt to pull her down. As if to reward her tenacious struggle, Arthur let go and resurfaced.

“You’ll have to try harder than that,” he burst into laughter.

“Challenge accepted,” she said laughing along before taking a deep breath while trying to reach for the buoy. Noticing that she was getting tired he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck. His other hand reached for a small hoop to grab onto, keeping the two afloat. “Thanks. . .” she said, slowly trying to reach the hoop.

“You don’t have to let go,” Arthur lowered his voice, almost whispering in her ear. “You can keep holding onto me.”

Irene looked him in the eyes before fully turning toward him. “Don’t mind if I do.”

She wrapped her legs around him while snuggling into his shoulder, her breath caressing his skin. He moved his arm around her waist to keep her in place while allowing her to rest on his leg.

“Comfortable?” he asked looking at her peaceful face as she closed her eyes.

“I could fall asleep if you’d let me.”

“If you want. . .” he chuckled.

“Don’t regret it later,” she snuggled closer to his neck.

Before long, both lost track of time while enjoying each other’s embrace.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.