Red Strings ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Forty-Seventh String

A/N: Another scene requested by @betuliiik! The gang at a beach!

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As the second day of the trip rolled around, and most of them were ready for the day, several activities were proposed and each individual could choose whatever they would like to participate in. Some went sightseeing, some decided to enjoy a spa day, and a particular group of ten headed down to the beach together.

After a vote, the group had decided to play beach volleyball and split into two teams by drawing straws. Those with the same number were on the same team:

AGUNI - AN - KUINA - KURENAI - USAGI

ARISU - CHISHIYA - DOUDOU - HEIYA - NIRAGI

Breaking off into their own teams, they had about ten minutes to discuss strategies. Some of them were into the game, while some of them seemed like they would rather be somewhere else. Namely Niragi.

"Aren't you joining in on the discussion, Niragi-san?" Doudou asked.

"No. It's obvious that the other group is going to win," he said, looking over to the other side. "They've got that buff dude, and we've got..." His voice trailed off as he looked at Heiya, specifically her prosthetic leg. "Well, we've got her and me. And that nerd there is not exactly the most athletic person I know." He was pointing at Chishiya.

It was true that physically, they were at a disadvantage. Covered in burn scars, it would be hard for Niragi to move as it would for Heiya, especially on sand. Although not athletic, Chishiya believed that a game of volleyball should not be too difficult for him. When compared to the other team, however, it was rather daunting just knowing that Aguni was their opponent.

"You'd never know until you try," Doudou said.

"They've basically got three muscles and two brains. Any idiot would know who would win," Niragi pointed out.

"Doudou is right," Arisu interrupted. "We'll never know until we try."

Rolling his eyes, Niragi was still not participating in the group discussion though he was not complaining either. He was simply there.

Once both teams were done with their discussion, they got on the court and commenced the first game. As predicted by Niragi, they were completely crushed by the other team.

Aguni was their main defence, and it was incredibly hard to get anything past the big man. Any ball near the net and he would just smash it right back. Kuina and Usagi played offence; Usagi was quick and could run from one side to the other before they could react while Kuina was exceptionally good at spiking. Both An and Kurenai were the strategists, telling the other three where to go next and where to hit the ball to.

They were in perfect coordination despite playing as a team for the first time.

The first game ended in a blind of an eye, and they had barely just started.

"What did I say?" Niragi kicked the sand, walked over to the beach umbrella and grabbed a cold drink from the cooler. It had only been about twenty minutes but he was feeling the heat creeping up on him.

Arisu joined him under the umbrella and beckoned for the rest of his team. "I know it's a little hard for us to win but I think I've found their weaknesses," he said, lowering his voice so the other team could not hear him. "Should we give it a try? I think we can win the next game."

"Are you talking about Kurenai?" Chishiya asked.

Although intelligent, it was easy for anyone to see that Kurenai was lacking in terms of athleticism compared to the others. So was An. They stayed near the baseline where they could see the entire court and shouted out commands, jumping out of the way if the ball were to come anywhere near them.

"Can't bring yourself to beat your girl?" Niragi asked.

"It should be fun to beat Kurenai in the next game," Chishiya smiled. "It's fun to see her struggle sometimes."

"Is this how a normal couple should be?" Doudou asked, looking at Heiya. She only shrugged in response.

Despite what he said earlier, Niragi was now actively participating in the game. As they were taking a small break, he was contributing to Arisu's plan, pointing out the weaknesses in the other team that he noticed during the previous game. It was then decided that they would go with Arisu's game but have Niragi staying at the baseline so it was less of a toll on his body while commanding the rest of the team.

Break over, and they went back onto the court full of confidence.

"How does it feel to have your ass kicked, Chishiya Shuntarou?" Kurenai asked. The couple was standing by the net, just opposite each other in their starting positions. She had a smug look on her face, and the only thing Chishiya could think about was how satisfying it would be to wipe it off.

"You tell me after this game," Chishiya grinned.

When the game started, with Arisu's plan, they quickly disrupted the other team and were taking point after point. After their fourth point, Kurenai looked over to Chishiya with a frown but he simply gave her a wink and a smile. Now he was the one with a smug look, and Kurenai was irritated.

Both An and Kurenai became their targets, and they were able to predict where the two women would step to, in hopes of getting out of the way, hitting the ball toward them.

"We won!" With a shout, Doudou ran over to Heiya and threw his arms around her out of excitement, nearly knocking both of them over.

"What happened to your great wall of defence?" Niragi shouted. Throughout the entire game, he was trash talking them whenever the opportunity arose. All it took was him opening his mouth and everyone on the other side was instantly annoyed.

"How does it feel to have your ass kicked, Chuya Kurenai?" Chishiya asked, tapping her nose with his finger. She responded by trying to bite his finger but he was quick to retreat.

"Shut up."

Chishiya grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her close and lifted the net to plant a kiss on her forehead. Almost instantly, her irritation melted and Kurenai was smiling at him. She could never stay mad at him, and she was not sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Don't be seduced by him, Kurenai!" Kuina shouted. "Get your head in the game! Whip him but don't get whipped!"

Kurenai could not help but laugh a little at Kuina's statement. She gave Chishiya one last look before stepping away, going back to her position. As much as she loved Chishiya, she was still able to separate her feelings from the game. There was no way she would let them take the last round.

"Hey guys, I've got an idea," Usagi said, gathering the team. "Since their only strategy is to target An and Kurenai, then we just need to stick with them. Literally shadow them. Kuina, you stay with An, and I'll stay with Kurenai. Aguni-san, step back a little to widen the defence area."

"Drag the game out," An said. "For as long as you guys can. Their staminas are not as good as ours."

"We can do this."

They put their hands in the middle, and all four women looked up at Aguni who reluctantly placed his hand on top of theirs. They let out a cheer before going back to their positions with a new fire lit under them.

Usagi's shadow plan worked perfectly. No matter where they hit the ball, trying to target An and Kurenai, both Kuina and Usagi were there with them. And although they were all gathered around the baseline, Aguni's defence was almost impenetrable up front.

Just like that, despite losing the second game and their morale, they were quick to pick themselves up and win the last round.

As soon as the ball hit the ground and they took the match point, the four women ran up to each other and jumped around in a circle while hugging together. They even pulled Aguni to the centre, hugging him while the man stood awkwardly with a small smile on his face.