Chapter Text
Iori isn't much of a traveling person.
He's about as much of an outdoors person as a lazy housecat.
So he was not thrilled when his class decided to take a two-day trip down to the beach.
He watches as his boisterous blue-haired classmate leads all the boys and girls to the beach so they can start swimming immediately.
"Sometimes, it's things like this that make me wish I could pass on some of my duties as class representative.", he thinks to himself, sighing.
Iori isn't a fan of the outdoors, but his least favorite places are the beach and the pool.
The sickening scent of sweat and sunscreen, the blazing sun, and the crowded shore and water alike make it a place Iori despises.
"I suppose since I'm out here in Okinawa, I might as well make it something I can enjoy for myself.", he mutters, and he slips away from the group before they notice his absence.
He takes a walk down the boardwalk, looking at all the displays placed strategically behind the glass panels. Iori cringes as he starts to feel cold sweat run down his forehead and the back of his neck.
He pulls out a navy paper fan and begins to fan himself as he walks. To his frustration, however, it doesn't do much about the heat.
He reaches into his bag to grab his water bottle
only to find that it isn't in its usual snug compartment.
"Now I remember. Yotsuba borrowed...my water bottle on the bus...", he whispers before he falls to his knees on the splintered wood.
When Iori wakes up, he instantly hears yelling in a language he can't make sense of.
"What am I hearing? It sounds like Japanese...but it isn't.", he thinks as he sits up. He's quick to put his head back down on a table when he's hit with a wave of dizziness.
Iori slowly opens his eyes and looks around to see a...really hot guy walking towards him with a bowl and a water bottle.
He says something really fast to Iori in that foreign language, to which Iori just furrows his eyebrows. The man shakes his head quickly and starts again.
"Are you ok? I've never seen someone so red-faced in my life!", he says, pulling a towel from the bowl. He wrings it and places it on the back of Iori's neck.
"What exactly happened to me? I was walking on the boardwalk and I tripped...did I hit my head or something?", he asks the man.
"Oh, no! The other shop owners said you looked really sweaty, and then sure enough, you passed out right in front of our shop! Heatstroke can be really tough this time of year."
"I see...well, I really do appreciate the help and the towel, but I have to get going. I'm on a school trip, and if I don't go bac-", Iori begins, but when he attempts to stand up, his legs quickly give out.
The man grabs Iori into his arms, leaving him shocked at how muscular he looks but how soft he truly is.
"Stay a while. Do you have your teacher's number, or maybe a classmate's? I'll make some calls, but I can't let you leave like this!", he argues, gently placing Iori back into the chair.
He heaves a deep sigh and gives his phone to the man.
"Hello! My name is Tsunashi, and we have one of your students...he's a little black-haired guy...um, what's your name?", he whispers to Iori while covering the phone.
"Izumi. Izumi Iori."
"Gotcha. He says that his name is Izumi Iori...yeah, that's the one...well, he was walking on the boardwalk and he passed out in front of our shop, so I wanted to let you know in case you want us to do anything specific...ok...ok...thank you very much!", he says, and Tsunashi hangs up.
"What did he say?", Iori asks.
"He said he's sending a classmate over to get you. He said his name is Yotsuba."
Iori lets out a deep groan as he places his head flat on the table. "That's the guy who took my water earlier. He's basically the reason this whole predicament started.", Iori mumbles.
The classmate must've run, because he arrives at the shop right at that moment. "Iorin, you ok?", he asks, walking over.
"Oh, you must be Yotsuba! Please take care of him.", Tsunashi says, handing two cold water bottles to both of the boys.
"Thanks. Let's go. The teacher's worried about you. Says that "our class rep can't die at the beach"."
Yotsuba slings Iori's arm around his shoulders and half drags him back to the door before Iori shrugs him off.
"Thank you, Tsunashi.", Iori says, smiling at him. He smiles back.
"Of course. Have a great rest of your trip!", Tsunashi calls out, and Yotsuba and Iori leave the shop.
Later that night, the class takes a vote on what to get for dinner. A barbeque wins, but they don't know where to go.
Iori raises his hand. "There's a shop called Tsunashi Tsunami on the boardwalk, and they sell fresh fish. That seems like a reasonable choice."
He uses his authority as the class representative to outvote everyone, and they all walk over to the boardwalk and pick out their choices.
Iori hears someone happily cheer in the store "Big brother Ryuu! Look how many customers we have!"
Tsunashi steps out, and for a moment, he and Iori lock eyes.
Then, Iori is rushed away by his classmates, leaving Ryuunosuke with the profits from the fish and a warm smile.