Chapter Text
The sun beat down relentlessly on the beach, making the sand feel like hot coals. Though a slight breeze, carrying the faint scent of ocean with it, provided some relief and the water was the perfect temperature for swimming.
"What is the purpose of this mandatory meeting? I fail to understand why we are holding a meeting at a beach," Munakata said, adjusting his thick rectangular soccer mom-like sunglasses. Even for a hot summer day on the beach, he was dressed entirely too formally, clad in a pale peach long sleeve button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, cream colored slacks, and loafers to match the slacks. Even Jin Kirigiri, headmaster, was wearing more beach appropriate clothing: a lavander Hawaiian shirt paired with tan shorts and tan sandals.
Yukizome giggled,"Silly, I already told you-this isn't a meeting. This is a fun trip," she adjusted her frilly cyan bikini top in a manner that suggested she was trying to draw Munakata's eye to that region. It didn't work.
"I was under the impression that this was mandatory," Munakata frowned.
"It is mandatory. It's mandatory to have some fun and relax," Kizakura replied.
"I still fail to understand the point of this," Munakata sighed. He wasn't a big fan of beaches. From his pale skin to the sensitivity of his eyes, the scorching hot sun was always a nightmare for him.
"We take great pride in our staff at Hope's Peak Academy and we must ensure that everybody's mental health is well taken care of," Jin said, glancing at Kizakura who gave him a smirk.
The whole thing was Kizakura's idea, really. He had managed to convince Jin to host this beach trip, suggesting that he could set up distractions to slow Munakata down from progressing too quickly and stealing Jin's position from underneath him. In reality, Kizakura sensed that Munakata and Sakakura always had a certain tension, one that both men seemed to avoid acknowledging like the plague. Kizakura was certain that they had something more than just friends going on, and he was sick and tired of the two men dancing around it, pretending that their chemistry didn't exist. So Kizakura started concocting plans to get Sakakura and Munakata together. Jin knew that Kizakura had some ulterior motives, something that Koichi wasn't telling him but he could see that Kizakura was passionate about this plan so he went along with anyways.
Sakakura rolled his eyes at the lame excuse, "Yeah right. Since when did you actually give a shit about that?" he scoffed. He wasn't the dumb jock stereotype, that much was certain.
"Alright, let's be respectful now, Sakakura," Tengan said to the tall, muscular man.
"Tch...whatever," Sakakura brushed him off, "like I'm gonna listen to somebody wearing those shoes."
"What's wrong with my shoes?" Tengan questioned, glancing down at his firetruck red crocs.
"Who the hell wears crocs?" Sakakura asked.
"The shorts might be more offensive than the crocs," Kizakura said, staring at the obnoxious red swim shorts with a flame pattern that the old man was sporting. It was an interesting choice for an elderly man.
"Tengan, I sincerely apologize but your footwear makes me desire to be blind," Munakata said.
"See?! Even Munakata thinks they're ugly!" Sakakura grinned, feeling joy at the fact that Munakata agreed with him on the fact that Tengan's crocs are in fact, hideous.
"What's with the greek getup?" Tengan asked Sakakura, who was wearing a silky white tanktop, white shorts, and gold sandals.
"It's hot as balls right now, leave me alone," Sakakura hissed.
"Practice what you preach," Tengan responded.
"At least I'm not dressed like some weirdo frat guy," Sakakura replied.
"C'mon now guys, let's be kind. Even if the old man's shoes are ugly," Kizakura said.
"Fine, you boys can think what you will of my shoes," Tengan said with an amused tone, rather than an angry one. He was more amused by the fact that the others found his god awful crocs to be ugly more than anything else.
"It's unfortunate that I have no work to work on while we're here," Munakata said to no one in particular, feeling disappointed.
"Hey this is supposed to be relaxing remember," Yukizome grabbed his arm, "you really need to learn to take a break every now and then and seize your youth!"
Munakata forced a small, polite smile, "I suppose."
Other members of staff were a part of this "mandatory beach trip" as well but they had all seperated into their own groups.
Yukizome, Sakakura, Tengan, and even Jin went swimming while Kizakura and Munakata remained on the beach. Yukizome and Sakakura started a splashing war, while Tengan and Jin were more occupied with a calmer approach: gently drifting and just enjoying the sensation of cool water across the skin. Munakata was seated in a lounger underneath a tree, protecting his delicate pale skin from the harsh sun. Kizakura sat next to him on the sand, sorting through his beach bag. The others' shoes and belonging were swiftly abandoned with them once Munakata had uncovered the shaded spot he was currently taking advantage of.
Kizakura eventually decided to approach Munakata, "Not gonna go swimming?"
"No," Munakata, who was reading magazines and watching Yukizome and Sakakura's splash war to pass the time, answered blunty.
"Maybe you should," Kizakura replied.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit."
"How'd you become convinced that we were having a meeting here?" Kizakura laughed, "drink a little too much last night?"
"Hope's Peak has done stranger things," Munakata kept his answers brief, "I'm not much of a drinker."
"Sakakura and Yukizome are out there, maybe you should join them."
"I don't have a bathing suit," Munakata reminded him.
"You have a birthday suit," Kizakura joked.
"I'm not displaying my nude form in front of a crowd," Munakata didn't really seem to realize it was a joke.
"I was kidding," Kizakura moved past it, "In all seriousness though somebody might have a spare swimsuit. Maybe you could ask Sakakura."
"I remain doubtful that Sakakura yields a spare swimsuit. It is far too bright and warm for my comfort anyways."
"Understandable. I'm going swimming with the others," Kizakura said, trusting his belongings to Munakata's care like everybody else.
Munakata finally thought he would get some peace and quiet. And he did. For maybe 5 minutes before a woman in an especially skimpy pink bikini approached him.
"What are you doing here alone?" She asked.
"I'm not alone, I'm with others," Munakata replied, smiling softly to himself as he watched Yukizome inflict a particularly big splash on the poor, unaware Sakakura.
"But they left you all by yourself," She said in an overly sugary tone, glancing the way he was looking.
"I'm not a fan of swimming out in the sun," Munakata replied.
"You can get back at them," The woman suggested.
Munakata shifted his gaze to the strange woman, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well they left you here all alone so maybe you're interested in some other activities?" She winked, her amber eyes glittering like honey in the sunlight. To anybody else it would be alluring, to anybody any less dense than Munakata.
"I'm unsure of what activities you are referring to," Munakata stared at her with a blank expression.
"Well you know..." She smiled sweetly, coiling a strand of her long red hair with her finger.
"No, I don't."
"Aw don't play so hard to get hun. I know she's interested in somebody else and that hurts but it doesn't have to hurt so much."
"I am honestly quite confused. I have no clue what you are insinuating."
"That ginger girl with the long ponytail, I saw her with you and some of the other men."
"I'm quite lost, what does Yukizome have to do with anything?"
"She's interested in that tan muscular guy, isn't she?" The woman asked him.
"You think so? I can't say I've ever really noticed," Munakata focused on Sakakura and Yukizome again, trying to see what this woman meant, "though I suppose it could be so. The three of us have been close for a while." Could this woman be onto something? What an interesting development, Munakata thought. He feels a sharp pang of hurt in his heart suddenly but he brushed it off, attributing it to the heat getting to him.
"You like her, don't you?"
"Yes, I would say that's rather obvious," Munakata was confused why she was asking such an obvious question. Of course he likes Sakakura and Yukizome, they're his friends.
"Do you think I'm pretty?"
Munakata scanned her facial features, "You are not unattractive, I suppose. I would say you would be considered relatively attractive on the physical side of things."
"Do you want to get physical?"
"Like fitness training? In this temperature? Not preferable, no."
The woman laughed, "You've got a unique sense of humor."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, you should call me sometime."
"I do not have your number, so that would not be possible."
"Ohhh silly me," She giggled, "perhaps I should-"
"Kyooooooooooooosuke!!!" Yukizome shouted with a smile, interrupting the mystery woman's attempt to get Munakata's number, running to him, "did you see how I splashed Sakakura just now?! He didn't see it coming! He instantly surrendered! I won the splash war! I won!"
"I apologize, I was distracted," Munakata gave her a soft smile, completely unaware of how this situation looked, "but congrats for defeating Sakakura in your splash war."
"Oh," Yukizome glanced at the mystery woman cautiously, "Who are you?"
"Just a nobody. I saw your friend was alone so I thought I'd keep him company," She replied, giving Yukizome an innocent smile.
"Thanks but he has me and Sakakura over there," Yukizome pointed to Sakakura, "so he's not alone." Yukizome feigned an innocent smile back.
"I told her as such and she still spoke to me," Munakata said, "do tell me more about the splash war, Sakakura looks very defeated. How hard did you kick his ass, Yukizome?"
"Well Sakakura doesn't want the word to spread so," Yukizome grabbed his arm and dragged him off just far enough to where the other woman wouldn't overhear their conversation, "What were you doing with her?"
"Only having a conversation," Munakata replied, "I am confused as to why you questioning this."
"She was hitting on you."
"She wasn't physically violent."
Yukizome slapped her hand over her face, shocked by how dense Munakata was being, "She was trying to flirt with you. Is she your type?"
"How do you know?"
"Some girl wearing a skimpy bikini approaching you is a big sign she's interested in you."
"Perhaps she finds that swimsuit comfortable?" Munakata suggested.
"Well.. okay maybe, but what did you talk about? Did she ask for your number?" Yukizome asked.
"No, however she did request that I call her. To which I told her I did not have the means to do so," Munakata answered.
Yukizome's jaw dropped, "Kyosuke! She was flirting with you!" She wondered how somebody so intelligent could be this horrifically dense.
"Really?"
"What do you mean really?! That's as obvious as it gets, Kyosuke."
"She never specifically stated she had any intent to get romantic with me."
"How dense are you?!"
"I'm dense? How so?"
Yukizome sighed, "Kyosuke, you're going to be the death of me."
"What did I do?"
"Nevermind, it's too hot for this I'm making sandcastles," Yukizome pouted.
"Wait, Yukizome-"
"Call me Chisa and maybe I'll answer!"
Munakata sighed. He decided he'd actually rather just ask Sakakura about what he was going to discuss with Yukizome.
Munakata went looking for Sakakura, who immediately upon being greeted suggested getting something from a nearby smoothie place. Munakata agreed, as he was sweltering and getting a cold drink with his best friend sounded relaxing.
Once the two men ordered and recieved their drinks, they sat down at an empty two person table.
"I heard Yukizome won the war," Munakata said.
"Yeah, she did. She got water in my nose," Sakakura smiled, thinking fondly of the experience even though he faced defeat. Munakata took this smile as a sort of confirmation for the mystery woman's theory.
"So... you and Yukizome," Munakata started, "you're together then?"
Sakakura nearly spit out his drink when he heard that, "Huh?!"
"I heard that you and Yukizome were dating."
"What?" Sakakura's eyes were wide, he nervously laughed and then asked, "who told you that?"
"Are you and Yukizome dating? You seem like you're trying to hide it."
"N-No! What?"
"It isn't an issue if you are, I would just like to know if that is the case."
"No, we're not dating. Seriously, who told you that?"
"I don't know why you're so worried-"
"I'm just...confused as to how anybody got that idea."
"You're strangely defensive."
"I'm just very confused is all. I didn't think anybody would mistake our friendship for something more."
"Oh..."
Munakata felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. Sakakura would've told him by now if he was dating Yukizome, Munakata was sure of that.
"So are you interested in her then?" Munakata asked.
Sakakura nearly spit out his drink for a second time, "No!"
"I was merely asking," Munakata shrugged, "I would have helped you if that were the case. If you ever do develop feelings for her, please inform me. I'll help you plan everything perfectly."
"Not.... gonna happen but thanks anyway..." Sakakura's face turned red from embarrassment, "You're not gonna say anything next that will make me spit out my drink again will you?"
"Not my intention anyway."
"Munakata, I don't like the sound of that."