The sun was bright, the sky a perfect blue, and the sea stretched out like a shimmering sheet of crystal. For once, there were no Honkai alarms, no training schedules, no world-ending missions—just the St. Freya girls enjoying a rare, peaceful day on the beach.
Kouga stood alone on the sand, wearing a dark windbreaker over his swim shorts, hands shoved into his pockets as he watched the six girls scatter across the shore.
Kiana and Theresa were already knee-deep in the waves, kicking water at each other like excited kids.Mei followed them with a warm smile, her violet hair tied up, swimsuit modest yet elegant, fitting her quiet beauty perfectly.
Farther up the beach, Sakura, Fu Hua, and Himeko lounged under a large umbrella—Sakura sipping tea, Fu Hua reading, and Himeko reclining with sunglasses like she owned the shoreline.
And Bronya?She had picked a spot near Kouga, already absorbed in her handheld console, thumbs tapping rapidly as she muttered something about completing a limited-time event.
A peaceful scene.
Too peaceful for Kouga, apparently.
"…So this is it, huh?" he muttered, staring blankly at the sea. "Everyone's doing something, and I'm just standing here like a random NPC."
Kiana's voice pierced the air.
"HEEEEY! Kougaaaa! Take that dumb jacket off already!"
Before he could react, Kiana sprinted up the shore, skidding to a stop in front of him. She planted both hands on his jacket and yanked.
"HEY—! Kiana, stop! I can take it off myself!"
"Nope! If I leave you alone, you'll sit here brooding with your jacket on all day," she declared triumphantly as she stripped it off him like a prize she'd won.
The jacket fell to the sand.
Kouga stood there, shirtless now, ocean breeze brushing over his toned torso and well-defined abs.
Mei, turning at the commotion, froze mid-step.
"…K-Kouga-kun?" she murmured, her cheeks turning a gentle pink. She looked away quickly, pretending to adjust her hair, but her eyes kept drifting back.
Kiana, on the other hand, gave a grin so mischievous it belonged in a restricted section of the library.
"Oh ho hooo~ Look at you, Mr. Muscles."
Kouga groaned. "I should've stayed home."
Left without a jacket and even less dignity, Kouga glanced around for something—anything—to do. His eyes landed on Bronya, still focused on her game.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
Bronya paused her game, looked at him, then scooted back a bit.
"For optimal gameplay posture, Bronya requires stable support. Sit."
"Wait—"
Bronya plopped herself directly onto his lap, leaned back against his chest, and resumed playing as if nothing were unusual.
Kouga blinked."…Okay."
It was comfortable. Surprisingly comfortable.
And that was exactly when Kiana turned around.
Her eye twitched.
"KOUGA! Why are you letting the gremlin use you as a chair!?"
Bronya didn't even look up."Bronya is not a gremlin. Bronya is utilizing Kouga as an ergonomic back support. Something Kiana cannot comprehend."
"Oh yeah!?" Kiana dropped her beach ball and marched over like a general. "Kouga! Mei and I need you! NOW!"
"Eh—?"
Kiana grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the waves. Bronya, lifted clean off his lap, gave a long suffering sigh before picking up her console again.
And so Kouga found himself ankle-deep in the cold surf with Kiana on one side and Mei on the other.
"Okay! Rule one!" Kiana announced, pointing dramatically. "You have to help me beat Mei in a splash war!"
"Kiana…" Mei sighed, smiling gently. "This isn't a contest."
"It is now!"
With Kiana firing high-pressure water splashes like artillery shells, Mei retaliated gracefully, her movements elegant even while soaking him entirely by accident.
Kouga grumbled, drenched.
Hours passed with laughter, sandcastles (Theresa's idea), a short jog Sakura suggested, and even Fu Hua smiling old-fashionedly when Kiana buried herself in the sand and declared herself a "sand Valkyrie."
After a while, Kouga thought he might finally sit down and rest—
"Kouga!" Himeko called with a lazy stretch from her beach chair. "Be a dear and help me put sunscreen on my back. My hands can't reach."
He blinked."That… sounds like a setup."
"It's not," she said—lying, obviously.
Still, he sighed and took the bottle.
Himeko brushed her hair aside and leaned forward, exposing her back. Kouga carefully spread the lotion across her skin, fighting the urge to comment on how unbelievably awkward this felt.
Kiana nearly choked on her soda when she saw."HI—HI—HIMEKO!? YOU CAN'T JUST—!!"
Mei gently held her back. "Kiana, calm down…"
Bronya didn't look up from her console."Bronya predicted this event with 94% accuracy."
Fu Hua closed her book."Humans certainly have peculiar bonding rituals."
Sakura simply hid a small smile behind her sleeve.