NATSU YASUMI HAS ARRIVED...

meaning it was time to hit the beaches, even though it was already early august.

     chiyo, being the responsible student that she is, had finished all her summer homework during the first week, despite it being a heavy workload.

🦊 (kugisaki): ladies, it's beach time...

we all know what that means!!

picking up seashells :🐰
from the beach??

👑🐝 (maki): I think Nobara
means swimsuit shopping.

💄🦋 (mai): HELL YES!!

we're in!!

🐦 (orimoto): I already have my
swimsuit picked out.
but I'll join!

should we invite :🐰
ozawa-san?? I think
she'd enjoy the beach as well...

🦊: look @ our queen chiyo,,
helping out her crushing-buddy!!

👑🐝: I don't really mind.

If she wants she can join.

💄🦋: ^^

🐦: ehhh?? crushing-buddy??

are you replacing me already,
chiyo-chan?? :((

of course not, rika-chan!! :🐰

I just thought that this
would be a good opportunity
for ozawa-san and yūji-kun
to bond!!

🐦: fine...

I guess she could
join us...

💄🦋: great! so what time
should we meet tmrw??

and where?

🦊: the arena shop &
@ 3pm,, that good for everyone??

     chiyo watched as all her friends replied, to which she had done so with a curt, "yes", herself.

     beach day made chiyo and ozawa anxious, as the two girls weren't as confident as their other friends in general.

     "have you ever read the book 'the false prince'?", chiyo asked, taking out said item from her bag, as her and ozawa sat under the large umbrella that was provided by the beach.

     "huh? I think I've only heard of it before. it's pretty popular in america isn't it?", the first-year knowledgeably replied.

     "yes! my mother managed to find the japanese version of the series while she was away, and it's a great story. if you'd like, you can borrow it anytime", chiyo offered.

     "t-that'd be amazing!! thank you, aoki-senpai! although I don't have books from america like you, I do have quite a bit of literature stocked up in my room. if you ever want a new recommendation, feel free to ask", ozawa smiled.

     "you're too kind, ozawa-san. and no need to be so formal with me. you can just call me chiyo".

     "t-then...you can just refer to me as yūko!"

     "sounds good, yūko-chan!", chiyo lightly giggled.

     ozawa nodded, "hai, chiyo-chan!"

     "look at those two. they be having more chemistry amongst themselves than with their crushes", kugisaki snorted.

     "isn't the whole purpose of inviting ozawa here to help her bond more with yūji?", maki questioned.

     "yeah, no bonding's getting done under that shade — just some gay shit that makes me wish it was me", the orange-haired girl snapped.

     mai laughed, as the three were suddenly interrupted by yoshino.

     orimoto was already out playing in the ocean with okkotsu, as the itadori twins and megumi went to go buy everyone drinks and snacks.

     "ah, yoshino, you're back early. where's the rest?", maki asked.

     "they're on their way back. anyways, have you guys entered the sea yet? I wonder if there's any jellyfishes..."

     "I think nobara and I are going to tan for a while", maki answered, as the two laid a blanket out, beside ozawa and chiyo.

     mai turned back to the first-year, shrugging.

     "I'll help you look for jellyfishes if you take good pictures of me so that I can post it on my instagram", she bargained.

"s-sure!!", yoshino responded, never expecting mai — who he viewed as slightly stuck-up and outspoken — to agree.

     as the two neared the brim of the sea, the itadori twins and megumi had swiftly returned.

"we got the drinks and snacks", sukuna lazily announced, causing kugisaki and maki to hastily sit up and grab a drink.

"thanks~", kugisaki hummed, as chiyo and ozawa both grabbed a bottle of water.

"say, yūko-chan, have you finished your summer assignments yet?", yūji not-so-casually asked.

     "yes, I did! why? do you need help on some of it??"

     sukuna snorted, "he needs help on all of it. this dumbass didn't even start yet".

     "yeah! because you and fushiguro refuse to help me!!"

     "it's not our job to", megumi coldheartedly responded.

     "meanie", yūji grumbled with a pout, as ozawa had offered to help him work through all of it.

     "REALLY?! YOU'D BE SO KIND TO??"

     "of course!", the first-year answered with a smile.

     "you're the best, yūko-chan! so, how about you come over everyday and help me with my homework?? it's been piling up on my desk since the first day of summer break", yūji laughed.

     "e-everyday?? your...house??", ozawa softly repeated.

     "everyday's a bit excessive, yūji. you should try to be more considerate and ask what she's comfortable with, since she's the one doing you a favor", sukuna reprimanded.

     "oh. well, what would you like, yūko-chan?"

     as the two first-years decided when to meet up, chiyo had promptly finished a packet of chips.

     "please excuse me. I'm going to go pick up some seashells", the girl smiled, taking her blue pail, as sukuna had made an excuse to leave not too long after.

     "ah, I forgot to buy the watermelon!! I'm going to go back to the convenience store real quick!", yūji exclaimed.

     "I-I'll come along!!", ozawa volunteered, to which megumi was about tag along, before kugisaki had stopped the boy.

     "fushiguro, do you really want to be a third-wheel?"

     "hah?"

     rolling her eyes, she sat up on her towel with little aggression.

     "isn't it obvious that yūko likes yūji? come on, even sukuna can tell. and that boy could give less of a shit about relationships".

     megumi shrugged, as he remained indifferent about it, though it was clear that something was bothering him.

     "megumi, something wrong?", maki asked, slightly turning her head towards her second nephew.

     "nothing really...", the dark-haired boy lied.

     "is it about chiyo and sukuna?", kugisaki questioned, hitting the nail on the head and causing megumi to slightly frown.

     "ah, so it is because of them. why? you're jealous?", maki interrogated with a somewhat teasing tone.

     "I don't know...it's just...confusing...", the boy muttered.

     "can I be honest with you?", the orange-haired girl requested.

     "sure, whatever".

     "I don't think you actually like chiyo".

     megumi's green eyes flickered towards the speaker, raising a brow with utter perplexity.

     "I'm not trying to be that bitch that invalidates your feelings, but I'm just not getting the vibes that you like her like that, you know?"

     "I agree. I think you're just interested in her because she's one of the few girls that don't swoon at your feet when seeing you", maki chimed in.

     "yeah, and I've yet to see you make an effort to be near her or hangout with her. see, sukuna on the other hand...", kugisaki snorted, "he's in deep".

     "hm, I guess I've never really thought about it that way...", megumi mumbled.

     "but once again, I'm not trying to invalidate your feelings. you feel what you feel. however, I'd hate for you to think you like someone and ruin not just your friend's potential relationship, but a girl who's trying really hard to gain the confidence to confess".

     megumi simply hummed in response, as his gaze diverted towards the second-year girl, who was plucking seashells from the sand like discovering pearls in an oyster.

     his pink-haired friend was displaying a neutral expression like always. however, he couldn't help but notice the subtle way he loomed over the girl, shading her as she squatted down to search for some more sea jewels.

holding her pail for her, sukuna had even offered to tie her hair for her.

"I'm surprised you know how to tie hair. usually people say boys with brothers aren't too skilled in that aspect", chiyo lightly chuckled.

"my older brother has long hair, so I learned a thing or two", sukuna explained.

"oh yeah? what else can you do?"

"mm, I can do a regular braid", he answered, as he finished tying chiyo's blonde hair into a low ponytail.

"thanks", chiyo smiled, "and perhaps next time, you could show me your braiding skills".

sukuna cracked a small smile, as the two neared the edge of the waters, washing away the sand that stuck to the seashells.

"so, what're you planning on doing with all these seashells?", the first-year asked.

     "I think I'm going to glue them to the edge of this picture frame that I have. so now I just need a photo to put into the frame", chiyo honestly replied.

     "that's not an issue".

     "hm?"

     taking out his phone, sukuna momentarily dropped the pail and in turn wrapped his arm around chiyo's waist. pulling her closer, he swiped to his camera and told chiyo to smile.

     the girl, who was shocked by the sudden closeness, had shyly flashed a petite smile, while sukuna just grinned.

     feeling the boy's hand leave her waist too soon, chiyo internally frowned a little, as sukuna immediately sent the second-year the picture.

     "are you getting sunburnt? why's your face so red?", sukuna teased, as he pressed the back of his fingers against the girl's blushing cheek.

"I-I..."

     "CHIYO-CHAN!! COME JOIN US IN THE OCEAN!!", orimoto yelled, to which the second-year had flinched and instinctually given her friend a thumbs up.

     "w-we should go!", the blonde second-year choked out, taking this opportunity to escape, as sukuna clicked his tongue with annoyance.

     "so close...", he muttered, as he picked up the blue pail and made his way back towards their umbrella.

     upon chiyo leaving to go change, sukuna had finished spraying sunscreen all over himself, for he was not stupid enough to actually get sunburnt.

     with kugisaki and maki changing as well, sukuna decided that it'd probably be fine for him and megumi to head towards the sea first.

     "chiyo, let's go already!! everyone's waiting!", kugisaki whined.

"I knew I should've brought another swimsuit. what if he thinks I look childish??", chiyo worried, not noticing the fact that maki was slowly tugging her towards the exit of the changing room.

"I assure you he doesn't. you look adorable!!", the first-year exclaimed, as the three eventually joined the rest of the group.

chiyo begrudgingly shuffled towards the waters in her strawberry bikini and matching beach skirt.

"ehhh? you know, pink's a good color on you", mai complimented, though chiyo knew the true intention of that statement.

"m-mai!"

nervously glancing towards sukuna, chiyo was not prepared to see her crush shirtless and standing there with his hair down — droplets of water cascading down his sharp face and defined abdomen.

     the girl swore that she was going to faint. but then again, sukuna wasn't expecting his crush to be standing before him with a deer-in-the-headlights expression — looking as cute as ever in her strawberry swimsuit. and the fact that she was fiddling with the hem of her skirt that barely covered her thighs, made sukuna instinctually want to shield her with his arms.

"AHEM! so anyways, as I was saying, we should play chicken fight!", yūji repeated, breaking the tension between sukuna and chiyo.

"I'm out. I did my hair and makeup for pictures and I refuse to get them wet", mai explained, as she sat where the waves shallowly splashed against her ankles.

"alright!! now we have an even amount, so let's get into pairs", yūji announced.

maki and kugisaki fist-bumped each other, as sukuna pushed back his hair, although it flopped back down.

"partners?", sukuna asked chiyo, to which the girl had excitedly nodded.

"I can't promise we'll win, but I'll definitely try my best", she smiled, causing sukuna to place his hand on top of the girl's head.

"regardless, I'm winning either way", the first-year said, hoping chiyo would get the underlying meaning of his sentence.

and bless her little heart, she most definitely did.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: lmao not everyone thinking I mean tengen from kny,, when I mean tengen from jjk—

anyways, sukuna w/ his hair down😮‍💨😮‍💨

credits: POISON_17 || pixiv