Checking into the hotel didn't take long, mostly because Jeremiah had already handled everything in advance. Keys were handed out, bags were dragged across polished floors, and within minutes, they were making their way up to their rooms. Roommates were Chifuyu and Diego, Marlon and Nicholas, Yuji and Caesar, Kagura and Shinatsu, Ariel and Iris, Beatrice and Esmarie. Doors opened. Bags dropped. Windows thrown open.
Chifuyu stood near the window of his room, looking out at the ocean stretching endlessly into the horizon. The sound of waves carried faintly through, almost calming in a way he didn't expect.
Diego, on the other hand, had already thrown his bag onto the bed and was halfway through changing: "Bro."
Chifuyu didn't turn: "What's up."
Diego: "We're on an island. You know what that means."
Chifuyu already knew.
Within minutes, the hallway outside their rooms filled with energy again, doors opening one after another as everyone stepped out, ready to go.
Swimsuits.
Sandals.
Excitement.
Kagura practically bounced into the hallway, already in full beach mode: "LET'S GO!"
Esmarie spun once in place: "Time to hit the beach!"
Everyone look at Chifuyu as he stepped out in jeans. The hallway went quiet for a second.
Kagura: "…Why are you dressed like that?"
Chifuyu looked down at himself: "Like what?"
Kagura: "Like you're not about to hit the ocean with us?!"
Diego: "He can't swim."
Kagura and Esmarie: "WHAAAAT?!"
Yuji: "You have to be a moron if you don't know how to swim."
Chifuyu: "…Say that again."
Yuji: "You heard me."
Kagura: "I've been waiting for our beach episode since I started reading shoujo manga. Nobody's gonna be excluded."
Esmarie: "Yeah! That's not fair!"
Caesar: "We'll teach you!"
Chifuyu: "Huh?"
Nicholas: "How to swim. Before the day's over."
Marlon cracked his neck slightly: "Nah. Before lunch."
Shinatsu: "That might be impossible."
Ariel: "I've never swum before, but I have a feeling I can do it no problem."
Diego: "I believe it."
Chifuyu looked around at all of them.
One by one.
They were serious.
All of them.
Chifuyu: "…You guys."
Kagura grabbed his arm immediately: "LET'S GO!"
***
The beach unfolded before them in a stretch of endless blue and gold, the ocean shimmering under the late morning sun like it was alive, breathing slowly with each rolling wave. The air carried salt and warmth, the sound of laughter already echoing from crowds further down the shore. Odd Jobs didn't hesitate. The moment their things hit the sand, they were gone, running, shouting, kicking up trails behind them as they rushed toward the water like children who had been set free.
Chifuyu and Ariel followed behind.
Not slow. Just… not in a hurry.
Ariel's steps softened as they reached the edge of the shoreline, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The ocean stretched farther than anything she had ever seen before, a quiet, endless expanse that seemed to blur the line between sky and water. The waves rolled in gently, brushing against her feet before retreating again, like the sea itself was testing her presence.
Ariel: "It's… bigger than I thought."
Chifuyu glanced at her, then back at the ocean: "Yeah. Pictures don't really do it justice."
Ariel stepped forward, letting the water rise past her ankles, then her calves. Her expression didn't change much, but there was something different in her eyes. Softer. Curious. Almost… peaceful.
Ariel: "It's strange."
Chifuyu: "What is?"
Ariel tilted her head slightly, watching the way the sunlight danced across the surface: "It feels calm. But at the same time… it feels like it could swallow everything if it wanted to."
Chifuyu let out a quiet breath through his nose: "That sounds about right."
They walked a little deeper together, the water climbing higher, the temperature shifting from warm to cool. Around them, the others were already causing chaos, splashing, yelling, Diego's voice carrying louder than necessary, but it felt distant for a moment.
Just them. And the ocean.
Ariel: "You've been to the beach before?"
Chifuyu scratched the back of his head: "A couple times. Didn't really do much swimming though."
Ariel: "You don't like it?"
Chifuyu: "It's not that I don't like it. I just… never learned properly."
By now, the water had reached their waist, then their chest. Chifuyu adjusted the goggles over his eyes, taking a breath like he was preparing for something far more serious than just standing in the ocean.
Ariel stepped forward again.
Her body slipped through the water like it had always known how, her movements clean and effortless as she glided forward before turning back toward him. The surface barely broke around her.
Chifuyu: "…Why are you so good at this."
Ariel: "I must be a natural."
Kagura came up to Chifuyu: "Okay, let's practice holding your breath underwater first."
Chifuyu: "Alright, let's do this!"
He plunged himself underwater for his first ordeal. About 15 seconds had passed and it didn't feel bad. He opened his eyes through his goggles and immediately saw something he never wanted to. He came back up with an expression that couldn't quite be described.
Chifuyu: "Diego… why are your swimming trunks off?"
Diego stood there, completely unbothered with his hands on his hips: "Oh, I just always wanted to try being in the ocean naked."
Chifuyu turned around instantly: "I think I'll head out now."
Kagura slapped the water. "Hey! You've traumatized Chifuyu!"
Shinatsu covered her face with one hand, visibly irritated: "Put your shorts back on you idiot!! The water's so clear we can all basically see it!!"
Diego: "Oh crap!"
Yuji: "This guy's gonna get us kicked off the island. Better hope no one saw."
Caesar: "I admire how free you are, Diego! Let's find an isolated place later and experience being naked in the ocean!"
Diego: "I like the way you think."
Shinatsu: "You guys are both weirdos."
Beatrice crossed her arms: "Stop acting a fool, Diego."
Diego winced slightly: "Sorry, Nova…"
What followed was an hour of pure chaos disguised as "teaching." Everyone had their own method. Nicholas stayed patient, guiding Chifuyu step by step, encouraging him to relax and trust the water. Kagura decided the best way to simply feel the waves and become one with the water. Diego tried to turn it into a full training regimen. Yuji removed any sense of comfort entirely, forcing Chifuyu to actually try instead of staying in the safe area. Ariel demonstrated movements effortlessly, which somehow only made things worse for him.
By the time Jeremiah arrived with his family, Chifuyu was clinging to a float with a look that suggested he had fought for survival.
Jeremiah laughed as he approached: "I knew you guys would come straight to the beach."
Kagura grinned: "Who wouldn't?"
The rest of the day unfolded like something out of a memory that refused to fade.
There was no structure to it, no plan that anyone actually followed, just a constant shift between chaos and calm. Chifuyu slowly improved, managing to float for a few seconds at a time before panicking, then eventually pushing himself forward through the water in short, awkward bursts that somehow counted as progress. Every small success was met with exaggerated celebration, every failure with even louder reactions. Out of everyone, it was Iris's advice that finally clicked. While the others threw noise, chaos, and conflicting instructions at him, she kept it simple, steady breathing, small movements, and trusting the water instead of fighting it. She stayed close, correcting him without overwhelming him, letting him fail just enough to understand what not to do. It wasn't flashy, and it wasn't loud, but it worked. Little by little, Chifuyu stopped panicking, his body loosening as he found a rhythm that felt natural, and for the first time, the water didn't feel like something trying to drag him under.
They played Marco Polo until it devolved into complete nonsense, half the group cheating and the other half arguing about it. Chicken fights broke out in the shallows, laughter echoing as people toppled into the water. A sandcastle contest turned competitive far too quickly, with Diego attempting something unnecessarily elaborate while Kagura tried to discreetly sabotage others. At some point, Iris and Ariel were buried in the sand, sculpted into mermaids with far more detail than necessary, forced to sit there while the others admired their work.
Beach volleyball followed, fast-paced and chaotic. Everybody got pulled into a competitive energy. When hunger finally set in, they gathered at a nearby snack house, ordering far more than necessary. Plates piled high, conversations overlapping, the kind of loud, messy meal that only happened when everyone was too comfortable with each other.
And then, as the day began to settle, the noise faded. The sky shifted. Orange melted into pink, then into a soft, endless gradient that stretched across the horizon. The ocean reflected it perfectly, turning into liquid light that moved gently with each wave. They sat together, quieter now.
Just… at ease.
Listening to the sound of the waves and feeling the final warmth of the fading sun.