She led him down the beach, almost ensuring that everyone that they knew saw them as they walked. This was clearly a part of her plan, but why should she care if people were to think if they were together? The two were known for not having the most positive of relationships.
"So your plan is to show me off?" He asked as they found a nice area with some people but wasn't crowded.
"That's not true." She replied. "Now, let's get into the water."
"Fine, but I don't need to hold your hand." He said, getting her to release her grip on him. The pair waded about waist deep into the lukewarm waves of the ocean. It had been a while since Ishi had gone on a proper swim, but it seemed that he never forgot how to do it.
Ryugi was also well versed with swimming. Meeting up with her friends to hang out at the local swimming pool was a common hobby of hers. Plus, it let her show off her body to all the boys that were there. He caught a glimpse of her bubble butt as it became submerged under the water. Her bikini certainly left little to the imagination.
"You know, you complain all the time, but you're still with me." She chuckled as they got deeper into the water. "Maybe you actually got a soft spot for me?"
"Maybe I do." His answer shocked her a bit. She was only teasing him, maybe even trying in a futile effort to make him blush. However, his boldness was the one that turned the tables on her. "There aren't a lot of people I want to spend my time with and you certainly aren't at the top of that list either." But she was on it, if only just at the bottom.
"Oh?" She had a creeping smile on her face upon hearing his admittance. "And why's that? Maybe you're just allured by my beauty?"
"It's probably because I can insult you without you leaving." That was… Not what she was expecting. "I can't do that with Youna, because I don't want to be mean with her. But I guess I argue with Rinse all the time, so I'd much rather be with her than you."
"Gosh, you really know how to bring the mood down." He ended up wiping that grin from her face. Whether that was his intention, it was unclear to her. "I invite you over, and you still can't stop being so mean to me."
"Yet you still don't tell me to leave." He replied. It was odd, his behavior should've led to that by now. So Ishi was now aware that she was keeping him around for something. All he needed to do was find it out. "Maybe you're secretly into it."
"Eh?" The boy moved in closer to her. His statement caused her to feel a bit conscious about his motivations as well as their distance. "I'm not a masochist, of course I don't like it."
"Then, do you like this?" Ishi closed the distance between them, gracing his hand over her back. She shivered from the contact which surprised her.
"Wh-what are you doing!?" She asked, losing all composure. "This is harassment."
"You never seem the type to care when that happens." He didn't seem at all worried about his uncharacteristic move. "And no one can see what's going on right now, so only you can stop this." Ishi ran his hand down her back, inching all the more closer to her special spot. "Why don't you tell me why you wanted me to come along this time?"
"…" Her hands were shaking as her body was tickled by his touch. Finally, it got to be too much for the girl as she forcible pushed him in the chest with both hands. "Fine, you win." He ended up falling into the water, quickly having to get back up to get the breath he never took.
"Good." He responded, coughing a bit while wiping the water from his eyes and hair. "Ever since Rinse came along, you've been kind of insufferable." Not anymore than what he normally thought before that girl came into their lives. "Now, spill the beans."
"What does she see in you?" She asked him about his relationship with Rinse. Out of everyone at school, he was the one closest to her despite their opposite personalities. "You're a jerk who doesn't respect any girl's feelings, so why should an idol pay so much attention to you?"
"So you were jealous." Her earlier statement was more truthful than she let on. Though it was simply a reversed problem she had being jealous of him. "What's there to say? She's her own person, why don't you go ask her?"
"Well, what are you doing?" She countered. "You say all the time that you don't care about idols, so how can spend so much time willingly with one?"
"I swear, people just take words too seriously." He heard that one before from Rinse. Chances were, Youna and Chinae thought the same thing as well. "Pay more attention to what I say and then do before questioning me so hard." Ishi scolded her, playfully splashing a bit of water into her face. If she wasn't so dumb, then perhaps there would be a possibility the girl would've figured it out with her own example.
"If we're talking about me?" She pondered about how she acted with her. "Well, you're always so rude and calling me stupid." That was one part of him, but there had to be something else. Well people might take his words to mean he hated, or at least disliked, them. "If that was the case, then why was he continuing to hang out with her instead of just ditching the girl.
There was also what he said earlier about not minding spending time with her. That wasn't a lie at all, he really meant that she was a part of something to him. "That means you… Actually like me?"
"I don't care about your popular girl shtick, but from everything else I've seen with you. You're all right." Ishi held up his hand to take hers. She was prideful, but did listen to him when it mattered the most. The race, her lack of singing talent, even cheering the boys on during the sports festival. That moved even him.
"I never knew that." She responded by accepting his hand. "Guess that makes you a tsundere." Her next words ruined the moment.
"Please don't boil me down to one word." Ishi wasn't a fan of being defined with just one term. Hopefully he wasn't that simple of a person. "So Rogi, let's go get Youna."
"R-Rog… Hey, don't call me that." Rogi was her real first name that no one ever called her by. Not even the teachers went that far with her.
"Hmm? But you're the one who called me Ishi first?"
"That's not my problem." She hushed him and spoke in a near whisper. "You know I hate that name. It's too embarrassing." The name was generally reserved for boys, so of course a masculine name was a bit of a mismatch for such a girly girl in high school. Though Ryugi could also be taken as masculine, since it meant dragon. She went with it as it sounded cool. Plus, it was a nickname, so it had less attachment.
"Fine, that's the last time I'll call you that." He wasn't one to be so unaccommodating to someone that he considered somewhat close. So she was still going to be Ryugi to him… For now. "Now come, let's go get Youna."
"Why are we going back to her?" Not only was she jealous of how close he was to Rinse, but now she was feeling a little envious that their class representative was always on his mind. "Like what, I'm not good enough for you?"
"I was thinking of getting some ice cream, so why wouldn't I invite her?" Not to mention that he kind of abandoned her after Ryugi showed up. So it would be unfair if they just forgot about her and left the girl all alone on the beach. "Plus she has my money." He had also trusted her with his finances as they both knew she wasn't planning on swimming any time soon.
"Ooh, they've got some nice shaved ice around here." Ryugi's ears perked up when she heard that frozen treats were a part of his plan. "Bet you probably got a lame spot in mind, so let me pick out the place."
"Sure, but you pay for your own stuff, right?" Judging from her skimpy outfit, it seemed unlikely that she had any yen stored up within her bikini. Aside from the fact that any money would've been ruined after their time in the water. Her bra was very small and tight, barely able to contain her large breasts, let alone any paper cash.
"Actually, I was hoping you could cover for me." She gingerly admitted to him.
"Maybe you're not invited after all." He replied, turning away from her.
"Ah! Wait." She clasped her hand and begged him not to leave her behind. "Please, just pay this one time. I'll totally pay you back."
"All right, fine." He allowed it this time. If only because she was causing a scene and a lot of the other students were staring at them. These girls always seemed to be making him the center of attention among his peers. It was a good thing that he wasn't a shy boy, but Ishi did dislike having everyone looking at him all the time. "You better give me something good in return."