Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sakuma ran a hand through his hair and unlocked the door to the minivan sitting in his driveway, car keys dangling from his fingers and clinking together as he climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the car.

The sun was rising, the warm gleam over the horizon already making Sakuma sweat in the summer heat. The sky lit up from the sun, the transition from night to day hardly visible anymore. Sakuma had woken up early to make the best time on the road and beat the traffic on his way to the beach, but not too early to force the others to wake at an unreasonable hour.

His boss, Yuuki, had sent him and his other colleagues of D-Company to take a vacation from work and offered a free stay at his barely-used vacation home. According to Sakuma's GPS on his phone, it would take approximately three hours to arrive at their destination.

Turning on the air conditioner, Sakuma adjusted the rear-view mirror and strapped on his seatbelt. The drive itself would take three hours without stops; it didn't include bathroom breaks, lunch stops, or how long it would take for Sakuma to pick everyone up at their own homes before getting on the highway.

Miyoshi's house was his first stop. He lived in a more up-scale neighborhood, full of people from new and old money that could afford such luxurious living space and never break the bank. Miyoshi's job as a businessman helped keep him afloat in the world that required expensive tastes to fit in with the rest of the upper-class.

That wasn't to say that Miyoshi wasn't one of those very snobs. How Sakuma managed to find peace with the man was beyond him, but it was probably due to his other co-workers stepping in before any arguments broke out. Rather, before a one-sided shouting match began, because Miyoshi hardly ever raised his voice. If anything, Miyoshi only seemed to tease him just to get a reaction, which Sakuma loathed.

Miyoshi was waiting by the end of his driveway, a small suitcase at his feet and a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. He was dressed in an expensive-looking blue shirt and shorts, perfect for the heat that was no doubt going to bare down at them on the beach.

Beside Miyoshi was another man named Kaminaga, a popular businessman who was known for his charisma and positive attitude during work. He was usually the one to intervene when Sakuma grew too irritated by Miyoshi's taunting. Sakuma liked Kaminaga when they worked together, so the sight of Miyoshi being accompanied by him made his breathing come easier. It meant the awkward car ride he'd imagined wasn't going to happen if Miyoshi wasn't his only passenger.

 There was, however, a catch.

"Hey, Sakuma!" Kaminaga waved from his spot on the driveway, his own bag clutched in his hands as both men walked over to Sakuma's minivan when he parked. "What's with the soccer mom look?"

Kaminaga could be really annoying when he wanted to be.

Sakuma unlocked the doors and let them in, motioning for them to sit in the two passenger seats behind him before Kaminaga had any thoughts about riding shotgun. "I don't have another vehicle that will fit all of us inside at once." He looked back at them, watching Miyoshi and Kaminaga set their bags on the floor by their feet. "Why did you two come together?"

Miyoshi brushed his bangs from his eyes, his sunglasses preventing Sakuma from seeing if he was actually looking at him from his seat. "We thought ahead and figured it would be easier on you if we just arrived in pairs, rather than have you drive around town for all of us." He must have noticed Sakuma's hopeful expression because he smirked. "More time here means less time at the beach."

Sakuma's optimistic attitude was deflated after his idea was shot down. They didn't care about him enough to save him the trouble unless it benefited them somehow. "Is everyone else going along with your plan?" He hoped so.

Kaminaga pulled out his phone and began texting whoever was on the other end. "Yeah, just stop by Fukumoto's place. Everyone else should be waiting there." He continued typing before setting the phone in his lap and buckling up.

"Why are you two here?" Sakuma rolled down his window when he arrived at Fukumoto's home, surprised to find not four people waiting, but six. Amari, Tazaki, Odagiri, and Fukumoto were expected, as they were the ones assigned on the vacation like the rest of them were.

Jitsui and Hatano were not.

Jitsui waved at him with a smile, wearing a small backpack around his shoulders that made him look like a high schooler. Hatano's bag was nowhere in sight, but from the looks of it, it seemed like his belongings were packed along with Jitsui's.

"Yuuki assigned them vacation time with us." Fukumoto had spoken up as he approached the van, reaching for the door handle.

"But they're interns." Sakuma knew the two college students as he passed by them every day near his office. They were usually seen photocopying or filing paperwork, but Yuuki paid them well enough and they never slacked. That didn't explain why he decided to bring them along.

As Fukumoto was the first to get in, the others began to follow suit. Which meant Miyoshi and Kaminaga were forced to squeeze their legs to their chairs if they wanted any of the others to pass safely and sit further in the back.

Odagiri was the next one coming in and Sakuma was glad to see that most of the seats had been filled up. "Wait, Odagiri." His name caught his attention and Sakuma eyed him from the rear-view mirror. "The front seat is empty." He hoped it would be enough to sway him to his side before he sat in the back and one of the others was forced to accompany him for the long drive.

Odagiri was quiet and more understanding of him than the others were and he liked his company. He knew he and Fukumoto were close, but Amari had already claimed a seat next to him and Tazaki was the next inside the van. Sakuma's plan to stall left Odagiri without an option now.

The other man shrugged, ducking out from the minivan and walking towards the front seat. As he moved to sit, Odagiri mumbled something under his breath that Sakuma had managed to catch. "You owe me."

Sakuma grinned despite the empty threat. "I know, but you're the only one I trust to sit here while I drive." His next words were cut off when he heard Hatano talk behind him.

"Where are we supposed to sit?" Hatano looked back at the seats furthest away and Sakuma realized the van's seats were full.

He turned around and saw that the space on the floor had been taken up by either someone's feet or their bag, leaving no room for the younger men to sit. "Uh," Sakuma tapped his fingers on his armrest, thinking.

"They can sit in the trunk," Kaminaga suggested, "Hatano and Jitsui are small enough to fit."

Hatano would have retorted something sarcastic if Sakuma hadn't interrupted him. "Can they?" He looked at the back again and noted the space between the trunk and the back seats. "They can, actually. Yeah, you two can sit in the trunk space."

"Are you serious?"

"Isn't that illegal?" Miyoshi asked from behind him, his arms crossed.

Sakuma sighed. "I would have been more prepared if you informed me that we were having two extra guests coming with us." His argument didn't seem to lessen the look Miyoshi was giving to him from his seat, but he saw Hatano and Jitsui move around the back to pop open the trunk and climb in.

"Wow, there's actually a lot of room back here." Jitsui set his backpack down and sat against the wall of the van, Hatano facing opposite of him. "We're good back here."

Sakuma took that as the signal to leave, hearing Hatano close the trunk before they took off down the road and towards the beach.

They were on the road for twenty minutes when Kaminaga decided to speak up. The rest of the van wasn't exactly quiet, conversations being spoken over others to be heard. The videogame sounds coming from Jitsui and Hatano as they played who-knows-what on their gaming devices weren't helping either.

"Can we stop at McDonalds?"

The question was enough to gain the attention of the others, including Hatano from the trunk. "We should definitely get McDonalds. I think their lunch menu is up by now."

"You ate breakfast an hour ago," Fukumoto turned around to address Hatano.

"So? I'm hungry now. I'm in the mood for some fries."

Sakuma heard Miyoshi click his tongue in distaste, probably hating the idea of eating greasy, unhealthy food from a fast-food joint.

"You just want to yell that meme when we come to pick up our orders." Jitsui hadn't even glanced up from his game to call Hatano out, too focused on the screen and whatever it was playing.

"So, it's decided."

"No, it's not decided." Sakuma wasn't in the mood to pull into a McDonalds and wait in a ridiculously long line just to get a couple burgers. "I was planning to get us all lunches near the beach so it wouldn't detour our driving schedule. They have better places to eat over there than McDonalds, and it's two against seven."

"Actually," Amari spoke up from the back, "I wouldn't mind getting McDonalds. Tazaki and I didn't eat this morning and the food isn't that bad."

Tazaki nodded his head in agreement.

Odagiri, who had been texting the whole ride so far, looked up from his phone. "McDonalds sounds nice."

"That's five against four now." Kaminaga counted on his fingers, grinning at Sakuma. "Which means McDonalds wins. We'll go to the drive-thru so we don't have to get out and order from in here instead."

Sakuma hadn't bothered looking back at him as he drove, his brows furrowed as he focused on the road and thought about the pros and cons. He hated McDonalds simply because it was unhealthy for his diet, save for the salads there. However, the rest of the men for McDonalds had outnumbered the men against it.

Kaminaga was right: they would save time by going to the drive-thru. Odagiri could distribute their orders and pass them back rather than have all nine of them waiting in line and picking up their food. It was quicker and more convenient for Sakuma, who would have to wait for everyone else to finish eating if he didn't order anything himself.

He let it sit in his mind a minute longer before deciding. "Siri, where is the nearest McDonalds?" He turned his head towards his phone that was attached to the dashboard of his minivan, the device plugged in and charging to save the battery as it displayed the route they were supposed to take.

The screen flickered and the map altered before the voice in his phone answered, "The nearest McDonalds is in three miles."

The disembodied voice seemed to have startled the other men in the car, because most of the conversations had ceased the moment Siri had spoken.

"Your Siri is a guy?"

Sakuma looked back to find it was Kaminaga who asked, his face twisted in confusion and his thumbs paused over his phone screen.

"Yes. It was set that way when I got it, so I never changed it. Why, is it weird?" Sakuma knew a male Siri was uncommon for most people, but he never minded it. He hardly ever used Siri unless his hands were full and needed help operating his phone, which wasn't often.

"It's British, too." Miyoshi had taken off his sunglasses now, attaching the frames to the collar of his shirt to keep from losing them. "I didn't know you had a thing for accents."

"I don't-"

"He sounds like a Howard to me." Kaminaga leaned forward in his seat, as far as the seatbelt allowed, anyway. "You should rename Siri to Howard. Like, his voice sounds like he would have the personality of a British guy named Howard."

"Kaminaga, it's a phone. Siri doesn't have a personality."

"You don't have a personality, Sakuma."

The robotic voice came from his phone, Sakuma's voice dying in his throat.

A second later, it spoke again. "That's why your girlfriend left you."

The entire space became silent.

A loud snort came from Kaminaga before he doubled-over in his seat and started laughing, his face becoming red as he didn't even bother containing his laughter.

"Your girlfriend left you, Sakuma?"

"No!"

Sakuma's shout only made Kaminaga laugh harder. He would have been worried for him if Sakuma wasn't preoccupied with his embarrassment. "It's just an AI that gives pre-recorded answers to questions for the sake of humor. It's completely random."

"I don't know," Tazaki spoke up, "Siri seemed pretty accurate describing you, earlier. I wouldn't rule out the chance of him blabbing out your relationship problems."

"Does that mean you're single?"

"Miyoshi, I'm not discussing my private life with you."

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

Sakuma couldn't have been happier to see the McDonalds sign appearing in the distance. The quicker he could pull into the drive-thru, the quicker the conversation could end.

Siri gave him the direction to make a left turn, Sakuma driving into the parking lot and towards the drive-thru. Just as he pulled up, the speaker came to life after a fit of static and a woman asked what Sakuma had wanted to order.

Sakuma wasn't even given the chance to speak before the rest were all deciding what to get from the menu.

Sakuma could hear some of them agreeing on a meal combo, splitting up the food between them so they could share while Hatano screamed from the back, "I want three Mcfrickin' fries!"

"Hatano, she can't hear you from here. Don't shout."

"Just get me a salad and a coffee," Miyoshi said from behind him, his head staring out of the window and at the menu provided.

"No, no coffee. I don't trust anyone with drinks in here unless it's water." Sakuma tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for everyone to decide on what they wanted. Which was getting difficult when all he could really focus on was Hatano yelling out the word "Mcfrickin'" with nearly every sentence so far.

He knew Miyoshi was looking at him now after he denied him his precious coffee because his tone was sharp. "Then get me a salad with a water, please."

"I will in a minute. Wait for everyone else to finish deciding."

The three men in the far back had ordered a meal for themselves to share while Kaminaga and Odagiri ordered burgers over everyone's shouting. Jitsui asked for a ten-piece chicken nugget meal. The only ones that were left were Hatano and Miyoshi's.

The noise must have reached to the speakers through Sakuma's open window because the woman taking their order had asked, "Sir, are those your children?"

Miyoshi, taking the chance to get revenge, leaned out of his seat and spoke loud enough for his voice to carry out of the van. "Yeah, Sakuma, are you our daddy?"

Sakuma sputtered, turning back to meet Miyoshi's smirk with a frown. "What is wrong with you?"

"Give me a coffee and I'll stop."

Sakuma gave him an incredulous look before hissing between his teeth. "Fine."

He turned back around and leaned out towards the speaker. "I'll also take a salad with a coffee-"

"Three Mcfrickin' fries!"

Sakuma retreated inside the van and yelled, "Hatano, if you say that one more time, you're not getting any fries!"

The threat seemed to settle Hatano down, giving Sakuma some relief before he moved to continue with his order. Before he got his words out, however, he heard Hatano from the back whisper, "He Mcfrickin' lost it."

Sakuma didn't even flinch. "And one Happy Meal without the fries, please. Apple slices will do." The sound of disbelief from Hatano was enough for Sakuma to turn back at him. "You didn't think I would do it, did you?"

Hatano only stared from behind Tazaki's seat. "You son of a bitch."

Driving while everyone was busy stuffing their mouths was a lot easier to deal with than their shouting. It was peaceful, and while Hatano was probably sulking about his food, even he was quiet from his spot. Food was good for many things, even if the cholesterol level was high enough to kill them.

They were on the highway now, Sakuma glancing over at the GPS every now and then to ensure that they were taking the correct and quickest route available in case Siri didn't speak up or rerouted without notifying him.

Odagiri oversaw passing the empty bag around for people to deposit their trash, most of them returning wrappers and boxes that were smeared in dipping sauce or ketchup. Sakuma hoped that none of it had spilled onto the floor and that they were smart enough to speak up in case they had made a mess.

"Hey, Sakuma?" Amari didn't have to raise his voice to be heard from the back.

Sakuma tightened his grip on the steering wheel, praying it wasn't what he thought it was. "Yes?"

"I know you paid for our food and all, but are you sure you have enough money for gas on this trip?" Leave it up to Amari to genuinely care about Sakuma and his finances.

"I saved up for this trip in advance when Yuuki told me the news. I have enough to last us the entire vacation." Sakuma had been called to his office two weeks prior to be alerted of Yuuki's order. He was against the idea of a vacation, much less one with his many co-workers, but his boss was his boss. Sakuma hadn't scheduled any vacation time within the last year and a half, so Yuuki felt he was required to take some time off for once. Even if he was the one paying for everything himself.

"He let you know before us?" Tazaki must have finished his food because when Sakuma looked back at him, his hands were empty. They were told only days before the scheduled event as a surprise.

"Probably because convincing someone like Sakuma to take a vacation is like taking Frate to the vet." Sakuma didn't have to look to know that Jitsui was smiling.

Amari let out a shaky laugh at that, explaining his troubles with Frate the first time he took him to the vet for a check-up. The conversation between the three men in the back quickly turned to Emma afterwards, Amari's adopted daughter, and how he felt leaving her with a sitter for the first time.

Sakuma tuned them out enough to concentrate on the road, picking up a few pieces of the conversation every now and then and when the boys in the back joined in. Someone commented on their ages and Hatano scoffed, Jitsui only laughing along with the joke and mentioning how old Amari was in retaliation.

"Kaminaga, what are you doing?"

Odagiri's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, Sakuma looking to the side and seeing Kaminaga out of the corner of his eye.

Kaminaga's face was pressed against the window of the minivan, his features smashed against the glass with his hands bracing either side of his head. His response was muffled, but Sakuma was sure he made out something like, "Making faces."

From Odagiri's side of the van, his side mirror revealed Kaminaga's face, his nose flattened, mouth open, and eyes crossed against the window. It was certainly a sight to see, except his face and hands were going to smear prints on the window if he didn't move away.

Sakuma was going to tell him to stop before Odagiri nudged his shoulder and pointed out towards the lane beside them that showed two kids in the back seat of a car, both staring at Kaminaga and returning his gesture with faces of their own.

From where they were, everyone could see one of the parents reaching back to chide them about their behavior, until the supposed mother met eyes with Kaminaga and started laughing. It gained the attention of her husband, who didn't find it very amusing himself.

"Way to go, Kaminaga." Miyoshi dumped his empty salad bowl in the trash bag by his feet. "You've successfully stolen the heart of a married woman and her children while simultaneously enraging the father in the process. Are there no limits to your seduction?"

Kaminaga pulled his face away from the window, the sound of his skin peeling from the surface giving an indication of just how long he's had it pressed against the glass. "Fuck off, Miyoshi. You're just mad because I'm having fun on this trip."

"I'm having plenty of fun." Miyoshi held back a grin when he noticed the red marks on Kaminaga's face. "Isn't that right, Sakuma?"

It baited Sakuma into looking back into his rear-view mirror and seeing Kaminaga's face for himself, the man nearly snorting before looking back on the road. "I don't know how fun this road trip has been so far, honestly."

"Still upset that your girlfriend left you?"

"She didn't leave me, Tazaki."

"So, you left her?"

"There's no girlfriend involved, guys."

That seemed to settle them down, at least. Sakuma relaxed back into his chair and sighed.

"... Boyfriend?"

“Amari, you can't just ask him that."

"I was curious! Sakuma never brings his partner to the holiday parties at work."

"None of us do!"

"You're an intern, you're not even supposed to be invited to those."

"The food is good."

"I agree, the food is wonderful."

"That's because Fukumoto makes half of it and it all hogs the snack table."

"I will not apologize for art."

Sakuma breathed in and loosened the grip on his steering wheel, the man already feeling a headache coming on. He hoped the actual time at the beach would be better than what he was going through now.

He felt a soft pat on his shoulder and realized it was Odagiri's hand, the man offering a soft, understanding look before going back to his phone. Sakuma just figured out that Odagiri was probably texting Fukumoto the whole time. He feels guilt for separating them, but he had to do it so the others wouldn't pester him while he drove. Look what good that did him, in the end.

"You're a good friend, Odagiri." He knew Odagiri interpreted what he meant by the small smile on his face.

"I know." Odagiri looked ahead at the road and back to his phone, having just received another text. "You still owe me."

"How do I pay your kindness back, exactly?"

Odagiri seemed to think on it for a few seconds before making it final. "You can start by switching rooms with me in the beach house tonight."

Was that all he wanted? Sakuma wouldn't mind at all.

The beach house had three bedrooms, each with a single, king sized bed that could easily hold two of them but get cramped after three. The plan was to have three men to a room so everyone could sleep, and everyone was assigned a room with two other roommates, of course.

Sakuma was assigned to sleep in a room with Fukumoto and Hatano, mostly because Fukumoto seemed to be the only one who could look after Hatano if he decided to leave the room for some unknown reason in the middle of the night.

However, if Sakuma were to switch places with Odagiri, that meant he was rooming with Jitsui and Miyoshi.

Miyoshi seemed to have caught on. "I think that's a great idea. What better way to fulfill Odagiri's wishes and bond with your co-workers simultaneously?"

Sakuma knew where this was going. He lost what respect he had for Odagiri the moment they met eyes and Sakuma could almost see the smirk playing on his lips.

Odagiri's ghost smirk developed into a real one.

"I hate you."

"I know."

Chapter Text

It was obvious that they were approaching the beach from the change of scenery: the thick trees lining the edges of the road were turning thin and there was more open space to observe the natural beauty. The dirt and grass were morphing into sand and soon the road they were taking became unpaved and bumpy, making Sakuma clutch the steering wheel harder to keep it under control.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" The question came from an uncertain Amari, the businessman glancing out of the window and seeing the thin trail they were on and only spotting the clustered palm trees that supposedly separated them from the beach. "Shouldn't we have seen a parking lot by now?"

"The map says this trail leads almost directly to Yuuki's beach house. According to Siri, it has its own garage we can park in."

"... Never trust a Howard, Sakuma. These kinds of roads are where people go to get murdered."

"It's a public beach. No one is going to get murdered." Sakuma didn't bother correcting Kaminaga about his phone not being named Howard, but doing so would have amounted to nothing.

“Well, if we’re going to die out here, I’d rather not meet my end with a sunburn.” Miyoshi leaned down in his seat and dug through his bag before pulling out a small bottle. “Kaminaga, I’ll need your help.”

“I’m not putting that on your face. My hands will be oily.”

“You won’t have to.” Miyoshi pulled out a small hand mirror. “You’ll just be holding this while I apply it.” He handed it to him and popped the cap open, squeezing the lotion onto his fingers. “I’m more offended that you accused my sunscreen of being some cheap rip-off brand, honestly. Do you really think I’d want to put something that gross on my skin?”

Kaminaga shrugged. “I’m sorry my choice of skin products isn’t on par with yours. I’ll be sure to remember that next time I peruse the isles looking for sunscreen.”

“I will squirt this in your eye.”

“It wouldn’t be the worst thing you’ve done to me.”

“It’s probably not the worst thing he’s squirted in your eye, either.”

The collective groans that echoed in the van were enough to know that Sakuma was not the only one disturbed by the comment as he continued to navigate through the sand and brush, finally making it onto a paved road again.

“Hatano, was that really necessary?”

“Absolutely not.”

Sakuma could see the clearing now and soon they were out, the road expanding and revealing near-white sand that stretched until it met cobalt blue. Crowds of friends and family were gathered around picnic tables and a large gazebo, all enjoying lunch together after a morning swim at the beach.

Up ahead was Yuuki’s vacant beach house, just half a mile down the road from the entrance of the beach. It popped out from the rest of the scenery, its white frame standing out from the seafood restaurants and hotel buildings that were scattered throughout the town. It looked more like a house one would find in the suburbs, not the beachside.

Sakuma merged in with the traffic and eventually pulled into the driveway provided by the property. Yuuki had given him the garage remote and the spare key to the place before Sakuma had even agreed to the vacation, so he was already equipped with everything they needed to settle in.

“Yuuki said there was a stairway in the back that led directly to the beach, so we don’t have to worry about parking or walking all the way to the entrance.” Sakuma had activated the garage remote and waited for the door to lift before he pulled the van inside. The beach house itself wasn’t ridiculously large, but with three bedrooms and a direct route to the beach, Sakuma knew it had to have been expensive. He wondered why Yuuki hardly ever used it.

Sakuma had barely closed the garage door behind them before Hatano and Jitsui let themselves out. It gave the rest incentive to leave the van too, before Sakuma had even put the vehicle in park. He was the last to leave, letting the cramped space clear out as they entered the beach house through the door connecting the garage to the living room.

“I call dibs on the second-floor bedroom!” Kaminaga bolted towards the stairs, his large beach bag and Jitsui’s backpack slung over his shoulders as he raced Hatano through the house.

Behind him, Hatano shouted, “You can’t call dibs on a bedroom if you’re sharing it!”

Their voices became muffled after they rushed to the second floor, their thundering footsteps louder than their shouts now that they were probably fighting over the bedroom that overlooked the beach. It was the room with the largest window and the best view, but Sakuma had a feeling Kaminaga only wanted it because Hatano wanted it first.

The rest of them were dropping their bags onto the couches and looking around. Amari sunk into a nearby chair and sighed, stretching his legs out. “I always forget how cramped long car rides can be.”

Tazaki hummed in agreement, sitting on the arm of the couch. “I can’t nap when there’s hardly any room to rest my head.”

“You could have just slept on me.” Fukumoto was searching through his bag for something, absentmindedly contributing to the conversation. “It would have been better than against the window, with Sakuma’s driving.”

It was an obvious jab directed at Sakuma, who was just a few feet away and staring through the French doors that led to the stairs connected to the beach. Sakuma was going to ignore them in favor of the scenery until shouting was heard from the second floor again.

“Onward! Towards the sunset!”

Everyone looked back in time to see Kaminaga running down the set of stairs, Hatano’s arms on his shoulders and legs wrapped around his sides. They had changed into their swimming trunks and Hatano had swimming goggles hanging from his neck as Kaminaga ran towards the French doors that Sakuma was admiring.

Odagiri was walking to the kitchen, crossing by the doors and opening them before moving out of Kaminaga’s way.

They hadn’t even hesitated bolting out and down the second set of stairs, Kaminaga’s charge losing momentum as his feet were catching in the piles of sand and slowing him down. Hatano’s insults of encouragement could be heard from inside the house, the intern urging Kaminaga to hurry or else they were never going to make it to the water.

“You think we should send someone out there to watch them? You know, in case they drown?” Sakuma was concerned for them, at least.

Tazaki was the first to respond. “Not it.”

“Not it.”

“Nope.”

“They can drown for all I care.”

Sakuma gave an exasperated look to Miyoshi that was supposed to be aimed at everyone, but his comment was the most inappropriate, so he felt it was justified.

“We’ll be heading out soon, anyway. I’d say we let them run around for a while so no one associates them with us.” Jitsui’s tone was playful, but his face was passive. Then he turned around and headed for the second floor, most likely to retrieve his stolen backpack that was left up there.

“He does have a point. We can all relax and settle in before we go out.” Amari grinned and put his arms behind his head, sinking further into his chair. “I don’t have boundless amounts of energy to spare like they do.”

“Now you just sound like an old man.” Odagiri replied from the kitchen. Fukumoto joined him and they stocked the refrigerator with drinks and various snacks for whenever any of them got hungry. “I’d hate to imagine how Emma feels playing with someone as boring as you.”

“You leave Emma out of this. She loves when I play with her!”

Fukumoto grinned. “I’m sure you host wonderful tea parties.”

“I do.”

Kaminaga had made it to the water with no help from Hatano, who was still attached to his back. The water was cool against his legs, but the extra weight was making his feet sink into the sand and walking was becoming difficult. “You can get off me any time, you know.”

“Why?” Hatano leaned down to stare at the water below him, his feet barely grazing the blue surface. “You’re not afraid I’ll drown you, are you?”

Kaminaga huffed. “No, but you’re heavy and I don’t want to seem like I’m carrying around a child on my back.” Hatano was too big to be considered a child, but too small to be seen as an adult. No one Hatano’s size should have been hanging from his back like a kid.

“I thought chicks loved the older brother types?”

“I would hate to be related to you.”

“Why is that?”

Kaminaga trudged along the sand and a little further into the water until he was nearly waist deep. “Because you’re an asshole.”

He could practically feel the grin on Hatano’s face after he said that, Kaminaga bracing himself for whatever came out of his mouth next.

“Am I, now?”

Before Kaminaga could even roll his eyes, he felt himself tip back, his feet lifting from the sand as the rest of him began falling towards the water. His only hint that Hatano was responsible were the hands clasped under his jaw that yanked him back before he was submerged under the waves.

He splashed and floated back up to the surface, Kaminaga sputtering and wiping his eyes of sea water before he began searching for Hatano. The little shit was swimming by his legs, making his way further from land and away from his reach. His head emerged from the water when he was far enough out, a grin plastered on his face.

Everyone else had took their time getting changed before going out on the beach. The sun was brighter than expected, Sakuma shielding his eyes from the rays and searching for a place to relax. To his right were a group of unoccupied lounge chairs. They were most likely out for public use, considering that almost every other lounge chair scattered around the beach looked exactly the same.

Miyoshi seemed to have the same idea because he was already dropping his bag in the sand and taking a seat in one of them. His sunglasses were back on like before, except now Miyoshi was dressed in maroon swimming trunks instead of his earlier attire.

The rest of the men were moving closer to the water, save for Tazaki and Amari. Sakuma was pretty sure Fukumoto was headed towards the tiki bar instead of the ocean, but he doubted Fukumoto would spend most of his time drinking.

“You’re not going to swim?”

Sakuma turned around to see Miyoshi looking at him, a careful curve to his lips that made him look contemplative rather than amused like Sakuma believed he was. “Are you?”

Miyoshi made a noise before he leaned back in his chair. “The salt damages my hair.”

Sakuma gestured out towards the water. “You don’t have to get your hair wet.”

“Salt damages my skin, too.”

“So does sunbathing.” Sakuma walked around Miyoshi’s chair and took a seat next to him, watching the group of people that passed by. He noticed Miyoshi looking at him from the corner of his eye, Miyoshi’s sunglasses slipping down the bridge of his nose slightly.

“These are Ferragamo swim trunks, Sakuma. I’m not going to ruin them by getting them wet. You wouldn’t understand.”

Clearly. Sakuma wasn’t in the mood to fight over a pointless argument any longer, deciding to just bask in the sunlight and the sound of the ocean while tolerating Miyoshi’s presence. He didn’t take vacations very often, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the beach every once and a while.

It felt nice to get out of the office and actually unwind. He was free of those restricting suits that he had grown accustomed to and was able to rest his mind as he took in the salty air. The sand sticking to his toes was annoying, but it was nothing a little shower wouldn’t fix later.

He heard Miyoshi shuffle some things around in his bag as he searched for something, but Sakuma couldn’t bother himself to wonder what it was. A breeze went by and rustled his hair, Sakuma’s eyes fluttering as he began to relax. The spell was broken when something was shoved in his face.

Sakuma looked down and immediately noticed the tin box that was decorated in green. Miyoshi seemed to be offering it to him.

“Well?” Miyoshi kept his arm extended despite the strain from his angle on the chair. “Do you want one or not?”

Sakuma sat up and grabbed it from him, inspecting the tin box. It was in a language he couldn’t read, that was all he could get from it. “What is it?”

Miyoshi nearly huffed, brushing his bangs from his face as a bit of wind picked up. “They’re mints.”

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

“I’m trying to be nice.”

Sakuma knew Miyoshi finally noticed his tease when his features relaxed and Miyoshi gave a small grin of his own. “Then I’ll take your offer.” He popped the lid off and took a mint from the pile, snapping it closed and handing it back to Miyoshi. The flavor was strong, like mouthwash, but Sakuma didn’t mind. “It’s not drugged, is it?”

Miyoshi settled back into his chair and placed the box back into his bag. “I would have no reason to drug you right now. It wouldn’t benefit me, anyway.”

“How so?” Sakuma finally spotted Kaminaga and Hatano in the water, watching as Hatano tackled the other into the waves and proceeded to hold his head underwater. He felt a small part of him want to get up and help break them up, but then he saw Jitsui sitting in a beach chair and realized he was much closer, though less obligated to help Kaminaga. The book in his hands was enough to know that he wouldn’t be moving any time soon.

“I need you to help me.”

“I’m not putting sunscreen on your back.” Sakuma hadn’t thought about his answer before it left his mouth and he internally cringed when he remembered Hatano’s comment in the minivan from earlier.

“Why does everyone– look,” Miyoshi cut himself off, probably deciding it was best to keep his comment to himself, “I need you to watch the time so I know when to turn over. I don’t want an uneven tan on my skin.” He saw Sakuma’s blank stare. “Unless you want to put sunscreen on my back.”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

Miyoshi placed both of his arms on the wooden arm rests and flattened himself out, leaning his head back against the curve of the beach chair. It looked a bit strained, but Sakuma assumed it was because he wanted himself evenly tanned.

“You know, you’re probably going to get tan lines from your sunglasses.” The thought of Miyoshi returning to work with darker skin but pale circles around his eyes was enough to make him fight back a smile.

“My face is the only place that really burns, but the sunscreen from earlier will take care of it.” Miyoshi didn’t move from his spot to even look at him. “The degree of my tan won’t be obvious enough for something like that.”

The conversation never carried on after that, Sakuma deciding to leave Miyoshi alone until it was time for him to roll over on his stomach. Until then, all Sakuma wanted to do was relax in his chair and watch the beach-goers enjoy their time off with their kids and hope that Kaminaga wasn’t going to drown.

“Are you even allowed to have her on the beach?” Amari had settled on using his beach towel to lounge in the sand, looking over at Tazaki who accompanied him. They agreed on a less crowded spot on the beach, closer to the vacation home, so they could have more peace and quiet.

Tazaki was beside him, sitting on his own towel, with a pigeon nestled inside the pocket of his swim trunks. Its head was poking out from the open slit and settled against his leg, perfectly comfortable with its hiding spot.

Tazaki reached down to rub its neck under its feathers as if to make amends for Amari’s question. “She’s my service bird, of course I’m allowed to bring her. It’s not like she’s going to disrupt anything.”

Amari had worried that her presence would have drawn predatory birds over, but he had never seen her fly very far from her owner, if at all. She was always nearby, either hiding in his clothes or resting on his shoulder.

“Thanks.”

Amari looked up and met Tazaki’s eyes that were creased from the smile he was giving. “For what?”

The other didn’t seemed bothered by his obliviousness as he gently pulled the pigeon from the pocket and cradled her in his hands. “For picking this spot. I know you did it for me.”

Amari watched the scene for a moment before turning back to face the ocean, trying to act nonchalant. “It’s just nice to get away from everything once and a while.” It was true, though he did have Tazaki in mind when they made the decision. Being with everyone from work was great and Amari was never bored around them, but he appreciated peace just as much as Tazaki did.

He wasn’t the one who suffered from anxiety attacks, but he’d be damned if he let his friend get one while they were supposed to be having fun. “Would you be up for a swim later?” Amari watched as his Tazaki’s pigeon climbed up his friend’s arm and rested on his shoulder. “Unless she doesn’t want to get wet.”

“No,” Tazaki tilted his head as she rubbed her cheek against his in an affectionate manner. “Lily likes getting baths.” His eyes widened a bit after he paused. “Though, I’m not sure if she would like salt water.”

Odagiri swirled his drink around in his glass, leaning against the waxed counter with an unreadable expression. He watched the colorful liquid swirl, the ice shifting and clinking against the glass and disturbing the fruit that was mixed with the alcohol.

Fukumoto gave him a side glance as he tipped his head back and finished off the rest of his cocktail. “You’re not getting drunk on me already, are you?” He saw Odagiri shake his head. He wasn’t lying, but Fukumoto could see that his eyes were beginning to glaze over. It had only been three drinks, but he supposed Odagiri could get buzzed after a few specialties.

“You know, I convinced Sakuma to switch rooms with me tonight.” Odagiri brought it up so casually, but the look on his face indicated that there was more to the story than he was revealing.

Fukumoto raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the mention of Sakuma, and then at the switch. “I’m not sure if I can prevent Hatano from doing anything to you while I sleep.” He wasn’t truly planning on keeping Hatano under control like Sakuma had wanted him to, so whatever Sakuma’s fate was the morning after was entirely up to Hatano’s imagination.

Though now, Odagiri was going to be taking his place. Which meant Sakuma was now going to room with Jitsui and Miyoshi. Which would still lead to problems, no doubt, but Hatano didn’t really have anything against Odagiri. Maybe his night would be free from hassle after all.

Odagiri shrugged, taking another sip of his drink and humming. They didn’t need a conversation to enjoy each other’s presence, but the shorter man seemed more lost in thought than usual.

Fukumoto watched him as he scanned the beach like he was looking for something until his eyes settled on two figures in the distance. Fukumoto recognized them as Hatano and Kaminaga, who were just now leaving the water and playfully shoving each other.

Just then, Sakuma appeared at Fukumoto’s side. It didn’t startle him, but his arrival was rather sudden and Fukumoto hadn’t been expecting him to come over. “Did you come for the specials? The bar has a two-for-one deal on rum and coke.” Fukumoto recalled Sakuma drinking a similar mixture at one of the business parties some time back, though he didn’t seem like the heavy drinker type.

Sakuma took a seat next to him and rubbed the back of his neck. It was less of a gesture and more of a way to rub the sore muscle there. It was probably induced by stress. He ignored the look the bartender gave him when he spoke. “Miyoshi fell asleep in the middle of tanning. I didn’t want to wake him up, so I figured I’d just leave and let him rest.”

“Won’t he burn?” Odagiri wasn’t fiddling with his glass anymore, drinking the rest and setting it back down on the bar counter. He stopped the bartender from refilling his drink, both out of courtesy for Fukumoto and for a sense of control. He didn’t want to get drunk so early in the day when Fukumoto was treating him.

The question caused Sakuma to dig out his phone from his shorts, squinting at the screen in the sunlight before tucking it back in. “He still has another fifteen minutes before he has to flip over.”

Both men nodded simultaneously, now aware that Sakuma was probably forced to keep track of the time. Jitsui was usually the one Miyoshi went to, since he stayed put on the beach, but Sakuma may have been the only one conveniently nearby that was fit for the job. This vacation wasn’t much of a vacation for him, now that they thought about it.

Fukumoto was going to say something about Miyoshi’s own lack of responsibility when he noticed that Kaminaga and Hatano were hunched over Miyoshi’s sleeping form, as if trying to decipher if he was truly asleep. They were some distance away from the bar they were sitting at, but it was clear to him what they were planning to do the moment they both hunched down and grabbed the underside of Miyoshi’s beach chair.

His staring must have caught Sakuma’s attention because he was preparing to turn around and discover just what had caught his eye when Fukumoto decided that he had enough to worry about for one day. Miyoshi’s well-being could be crossed off the list just this once, if only to prevent him from getting caught up in whatever was going to happen.

He placed a hand on Sakuma’s shoulder, the action enough to abort his turn and look back at the taller man. “Why don’t I get you something? You look like you need to relax a bit more.”

“No, thank you. It’s not necessary —”

“I insist.” Fukumoto called the bartender over before Sakuma could argue, choosing a drink on the cheaper side so the other wouldn’t complain about the price even when he wasn’t the one paying. It was a simple drink, nothing overwhelmingly sweet or heavy. Something Sakuma would like.

Something that could keep him distracted so he wouldn’t have to watch his co-workers get murdered.

Kaminaga was wiping his wet bangs from his forehead as he emerged from the water, shoving Hatano who was by his side. They had finally had enough of swimming in the ocean the moment they began to drift and the seaweed brushing past their legs was too much.

They passed by Jitsui, who was absorbed in the pages of his book, a piña colada beside him on a beach towel. He looked so content that Hatano really didn’t want to disturb him from his book. The empty seat beside him was rather tempting, though.

However, first they needed to dry off if they were going to keep sand from clinging to their wet skin. “Jitsui, did you bring our bag with you or did you leave it in the house?” Their bag originally had both of their beach towels inside, but he didn’t see it anywhere by Jitsui’s feet.

“I moved the bag to the guest room I’m staying in. Just look on the bed when you get to the room closest to the bathroom.” Jitsui flipped another page in his book, scanning the first line before looking up at Hatano. “You’re free to join me if you want.” He had said it as if reading Hatano’s mind, a knowing smirk on his face.

“I’ll take you up on that offer later. Do you want anything from the kitchen since we’ll be going inside?”

“No, thanks.”

Hatano shrugged and continued on, catching up with Kaminaga as he walked towards the beach house.

“Do you think Miyoshi will let me borrow his towel?”

Hatano almost laughed. “No way. It’s probably some brand-name fabric from some over-seas country we haven’t even heard of.”

“Well, it’s not like he’s going to use it.”

They were getting closer now and Hatano could see the stairs that led up to Yuuki’s vacation home, which also included the view of Miyoshi lounging in a beach chair not far off from their goal. “No harm in asking him. The worst thing he can do is say no.”

The two of them went together to ask Miyoshi, if only to spare Kaminaga from searching for his own towel to dry off with. The man hadn’t moved in the chair as they approached, but the sunglasses he was wearing didn’t help them, either. “Hey, can I borrow your towel if you’re not going to use it?”

Kaminaga waited for a scoff or a sarcastic remark about having to go get his own towel, but Miyoshi didn’t reply. He knew he had heard him, since they weren’t far apart. “Hey, Miyoshi?” He waved a hand in front of his face in case he wasn’t paying attention, but there was no response. “You’re not dead, are you?”

Hatano observed Miyoshi laying in his chair, staring at his features before realizing that his jaw was slack and the rest of his body was rather relaxed. He was slumped against the chair, something that Miyoshi would never allow himself to do consciously. “Kaminaga, I think he’s asleep.”

“Nope. Definitely dead.” Kaminaga grinned and leaned down so he could touch the rim of Miyoshi’s sunglasses, carefully pulling them away from his eyes to confirm their suspicions. Once the discovery was proven that, yes, Miyoshi had fallen asleep in the chair, Kaminaga set his sunglasses down in the sand and placed a hand on Hatano’s shoulder.

“Our dearly departed Miyoshi didn’t deserve to meet his end like this. Only a proper funeral may justify his death so that his beautiful soul may find peace as it departs.”

Hatano seemed to have questioned Kaminaga’s point during the speech.

“We must bury him at sea, my dear Hatano.”

It took Hatano a few seconds to process what he meant, the look of bewilderment on his face becoming the familiar grin Kaminaga was used to seeing when he was up to something mischievous.

“Help me lift him up.”

It had taken three tries to successfully boost Miyoshi’s chair over their heads but they had been careful to not wake him up. Hatano was walking in front, the majority of Miyoshi’s weight on Kaminaga’s end as they both carried the lounge chair and its occupant towards the lapping waves.

Strangers on the beach were staring at them as they passed, some deciding to mind their own business while others continued to watch and see how it played out. All Kaminaga wanted to do was get Miyoshi back for carelessly falling asleep. Not even Miyoshi was safe from letting his guard down on vacation.

The sand under their feet became softer and they were walking until their ankles were submerged in water, both men glancing at each other before they flipped the chair over and Miyoshi’s limp body was dumped into the ocean. It was obvious when Miyoshi had woken up the moment he was forced from his chair because his eyes snapped open just before he was pulled under the waves.

Kaminaga lost it, dropping the chair and clutching his sides as he replayed the frightened look on Miyoshi’s face in his head. He slapped his hand on Hatano’s shoulder as he laughed, watching Hatano’s reaction mimic his own through misty eyes. Hatano struggled to walk and make his way out of the water as he fought to control his laughter.

Kaminaga watched as two arms flailed around in the ocean a few seconds later before the rest of the body came up, Miyoshi sputtering and looking around to get a glimpse of his surroundings. He was facing away from the beach as if the horizon was to blame for this, which made Kaminaga laugh even harder.

The sound of his voice attracted Miyoshi enough to turn, his body soaked and brown hair drooping over his face as he glared at Kaminaga. “Why am I in the ocean, Kaminaga?”

Kaminaga snorted, his face red as he took in a breath and tried to appease his amusement. He brought a hand out to tap Hatano on the shoulder again, but his hand met air as he tried to find purchase. Hatano wasn’t next to him anymore.

His laughter was quick to leave him once he realized that Miyoshi hadn’t taken their prank lightly. He was standing there, letting the water soak his designer swim trunks and never making a move to fix his hair. “It was Hatano’s idea, honest!”

Miyoshi didn’t look very amused. “Hatano’s idea?” The rhetorical question was spoken with a skeptical tone. More water dripped from his bangs and down his face.

“Yeah —” Kaminaga turned around to prove his obvious lie, searching for Hatano. He hadn’t expected him to wander very far during his laughing fit, but Kaminaga had spotted him sitting beside Jitsui, leaning over his shoulder and laughing with his friend like he had been there the whole time.

A cold hand was placed on his shoulder and Kaminaga flinched, looking back to find that the hand belonged to none other than Miyoshi.