Chapter 9: A Trip to the Beach

A TRIP TO THE BEACH

CHAPTER 9 OF THE MANGA

( Anime Cross-reference---Loosely follows the events of Episode 7 of the anime, " Together to the Sea " )

Previously
The shipping between the girls in the 'love triangle' continue to ebb and flow. The Hazumu x Yasuna side continues to grow in friendliness and intimacy. Why, Yasuna even gave Hazumu her first girl-with-girl kiss ! However, the Hazumu x Tomari side is in a state of flux, as Tomari does not really know how to address or process the kiss that she witnessed in the empty classroom between Hazumu and Yasuna. Yasuna and Tomari are still civil to one another, but one can at times feel the uneasy vibes that happen between the two. Nevertheless, the friends, including Asuta and Ayuki, along with Sora, Jan Puu, and the Namiko, all decide to spend the day at the beach, maybe to repair some of the strained relations that have buffeted the 'love triangle'.

Chapter Overview
A down and dejected Asuta thinks back to the day that the group of friends went to the beach. . . . . . . . Still conflicted about his relationship with female Hazumu, Azuta decides to keep to himself, both on the train, and then later on the beach. But with Hazumu and the other girls wearing alluring bikini swimsuits, he is having a meltdown or two every hour or so. Hazumu 'ups the antie' when she latches onto Asuta to keep from being annoyed by two male beach bums. And what is to happen, besides dagger looks at one another, when Tomari and Yasuna are left alone to themselves ?

Sora came along to do his research on the 'love factor' in humans, whereas Jan Puu came along just for the fun of it. Bikini clad Namiko is there, too, but soon falls off of a cliff. Eventually, Asuta and Hazumu do have a sorta baring of the souls with one another. However, Asuta can't get over the fact that his 'best buds' male friend is now a cute, sexy teenage girl who most guys drool and slobber over. On the train ride home in the evening, everyone is strangely quite, for being so active earlier on the beach.

This Chapter's Story
Asuta sits by himself, looking and feeling dejected. He recalls the recent day that he and the female friends went to the beach, to cool off on such a hot summer's day ! He thinks to himself, " It was just an innocent conversation with them . . . . . . . ". More thoughts flood Asuta's mind. " Now my best friend is no longer a guy, but a girl . . . the same person, but . . . going to the beach with guys and . . . going with girls are . . . entirely different things . . . Hazumu is still my best friend ?!?!? "

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On the train that is taking the friends to the beach, the girls are sitting together and Asuta is sitting by himself. Hazumu comes over to check on Asuta, but leans down and inadvertently shows her nicely rounded bust and ample cleavage, barely covered by her low cut t-shirt ! Asuta silently goes nuts !

But now they are actually on the beach ! The girls, Ayuki, Tomari, Yasuna, and Hazumu are all wearing alluring French cut bikini swimsuits ! Wow ! Asuta goes nuts---again ! Looking on, too, is Sora, Namiko, and Jan Puu. Sora comments on the fact that the oceans were the origin of life ( at least on his planet! ). However, Hazumu comments on the fact that Sora's swimsuit is the style that men wore in the 1890's (*). Sora remedies the situation by ripping the long garment off, reveling a tiny thong swimsuit ! But everybody is ready to hit the water ! Both Yasuna and Tomari offer their hand to Hazumu to lead her into the water, but she can't decide just who. Each takes a hand and leads Hazumu. Soon, everyone is having fun playing in the water, even Ayuki, who decides to lay on a floating cushion and read a book !

Later on the beach, Asuta, himself wearing an Olympic style men's bikini swimsuit, sees Hazumu adjusting the bikini top tie strap that loops around her neck. He gags, berates himself, and goes to buy cold drinks at the refreshment stand. Yasuna drops a intimate thought towards Hazumu, as she whispers to her that it's her first time at the beach with someone who she loves ! A little later, Hazumu, Tomari, and Yasuna are relaxing on the huge beach towel laid out for them. Hazumu leaves to check on Asuta. On the way, Hazumu draws the attention of two male 'beach bums' who try and 'hit on' her. Hazumu is dumbfounded. But coincidentally, Asuta walks by, and Hazumu grabs onto his arm like a vise. When the beach bums ask if he is her lover, Hazumu belts out an emphatic " YES !!! " ! Soon afterward, the two bullies leave, and as the two walk together, Asuta overhears the comments from others on the beach as to how incredibly cute Hazumu is and how she 'fills out' her bikini. He feels very lucky, then berates himself for implying that Hazumu is his girlfriend. Hazumu asks what's wrong, but Asuta says nothing. Asuta fantasizes to himself that Hazumu has always been his sexy girlfriend, not his 'best bud' male friend. This only leads him to tell himself to vanquish his evil thoughts.

Lost as he was in deep thought, and fostering mental dragonslaying, Asuta is stopped by Hazumu, asking why he walked past their beach blanket a while ago ? They are now on a remote part of the beach, with nobody around. But actually, Sora, Jan Puu, and Namiko are directly above them, on top of a nearby cliff. Namiko, also wearing a revealing bikini, asks about Sora's research. He tells her he is researching "Love". Namiko goes nuts, and stumbles off of the edge of the cliff, and falls to the water below ! Meanwhile, Yasuna and Tomari are still on the beach blanket, alone together. Yasuna tries to bare her soul to Tomari, but the words will just not come. But Tomari drops a profound statement of her own onto Yasuna ! Asuta also now bares his soul to Hazumu, placing one hand on her shoulder, and taking her other hand in his. As he tries to spit out the right words to explain his shipping with Hazumu, Namiko hits the water next to where they are standing, thereby breaking the romantic mood that Asuta was trying so hard to set up ! Jan Puu, wearing a little girl's style one piece ruffled tank swim suit, looks over the cliff's edge as Sora turns to walk down the cliff.

At sunset, on the train going back towards home, everyone is strangely quite. Asuta is 'bound and gagged'. Namiko is covered in bandages. Sora and Jan Puu look mournfully exhausted. Hazumu is so, so sleepy. She ever so gently leans on Yasuna's shoulder, and falls asleep. So romantic ! Yasuna closes her eyes in sweet, divine bliss ! However, at that moment, Yasuna recalls what Tomari told her when they were alone together on the beach blanket---

" I love Hazumu, too ! I really love her ! "

Chapter Lookback and Commentary
(*) A fun, unique private speculation about the fact that Sora wore an old fashioned men's fully covered striped swim suit might be this---When Sora was preparing for his journey to Earth, and 'packing his bags', including his swimsuit, he could have looked toward planet Earth to see what the current fashion was for men's swimwear. But Sora's planet was about 130 light years from Earth, so if he took a look in the current time, it would show that the people on Earth would be living currently in the 1890's, due to the fact that it took light from Earth that long to reach his planet. And looking that far into outer space would be the same as looking back in time.

Embuggyotaku • 3 years ago

s[tuff is] about to go down !