Insecurities on the Beach - Hiroshi's Humanity Arc

Another month had passed, and the training was only getting harder for Hiroshi, Wisteria, Bibi and Tomokazu. They had grown to respect Kage, their mentor, and had almost gained respect for each other.

It was their second day off. They had all collectively decided to go to the beach for an afternoon. Tomokazu knew how to get there easily and flew them all to the location. The girls stepped into the changing rooms, and the boys waited out on the sand in their shorts. Tomokazu wore yellow shorts with suns, and Hiroshi wore plain black shorts. Both went to around knee height.

Tomokazu nudged his elbow into the side of Hiroshi, hurting him.

“Ouch! What the hell was that for, man?” Hiroshi yelled out.

“Aren’t you the least bit excited?” Tomokazu winked at him. Hiroshi didn’t follow the message, so Tomokazu sighed and explained himself. “Aren’t you giddy at the thought of seeing Wisteria in a swimsuit?”

“No? Why would I?” Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. He didn’t get the appeal of swimsuits at all. Not that Kuro-Yami minded.

“Thank God. If you had a dirty mind, I would have terrible trouble being in your brain all day. Also, thanks for imagining the daily newspaper for me again. It helps kill the boredom,” Kuro-Yami kicked back in his recliner chair, also imagined by Hiroshi. He had gotten used to living in Hiroshi’s inner conscience.

“Oh, well aren’t you boring?” Tomokazu sneered at Hiroshi.

“No, I’m just respectful.”

“I’m just respectful,” Tomokazu repeated in a nerdy voice, much to Hiroshi’s annoyance.

Tomokazu shook his head. Him and Hiroshi were so different. He had been trying to get to know Hiroshi better. However, he seemed uninterested in everything that wasn’t called Wisteria. It was almost as if he was in his own little world. Tomokazu and Hiroshi only had respect for each other, but nothing else.

Suddenly, a yelp came from one of the bushes in the distance.

“No way! I look rubbish! Let’s go back!”

“Girl, you look stunning! Would you trust me, dammit!?”

At that moment, Bibi and Wisteria stumbled out from behind the bushes. Bibi had been dragging Wisteria by her upper arms, but she had stumbled, and they both crashed into each other. Tomokazu laughed hard. He looked over to Hiroshi to see his reaction.

Hiroshi was blushing. But Tomokazu realized that Hiroshi was truthful. He wasn’t looking at her body at all.

He was looking at the intricate details of her face.

Bibi was wearing a blue, two-piece bikini with frills. She got up and brushed herself off.

“Ew! There’s sand all over me!” she yelped out in anger.

“It’s a beach! Of course, there’s sand on it!” Tomokazu yelled with an even louder laugh, and Bibi had to hold back from killing him.

Wisteria wore a one-piece swimsuit that was purple and had a pink stripe running around her hip line. She closed her eyes. She heard Bibi running towards the water and jumping into the ocean. Then, she heard the sounds of Hiroshi, Tomokazu and Bibi throwing water at each other. She knew it was a mistake. She hated her body. She always had. In trying to help Hiroshi get his humanity back, she had put her own mental health on the line.

Just as she was about to turn around and run away, a pair of hands held onto her hands gently. She gasped. The hands were warm and gentle, despite being big. She opened her eyes. Her ears had mistaken her.

Hiroshi had never gotten in the water.

“Are you alright, Wisteria? You seem really pale…and your heartrate is fast. Do you feel unwell?” Hiroshi asked out of genuine concern.

“I…um…yeah I’m fine. I just…Hiroshi am I fat?”

Hiroshi froze. He couldn’t believe it. How could she think about herself like that? She was perfect! Of course she wasn’t fat! She wasn’t even overweight! Then Hiroshi remembered. 

Her whole life, she had always been told to be somebody else. Don’t use magic. Go out and hunt instead. Don’t reveal your secrets to anyone, even if it costs lives. She would have kept all her emotions to herself, including her feelings about her weight.

Not only that, but it was one of the first times Wisteria had called him Hiroshi. She was dead serious.

“Why would you think that, Wisteria?” Hiroshi asked.

“Because we have been training for two months now! And look at me! I’m still not exactly toned!” she grabbed her stomach. “Look at it! I’m so hideous!”

“Wisteria…look at me.”

Wisteria looked into Hiroshi’s eyes. They were bigger and more bluer than they usually were. Almost instantly, she felt more secure and warm.

“You are not fat. That’s called a stomach. Everyone has one. Look at me. Aren’t exactly muscle center myself, am I?” he demeaned himself, letting out a small chuckle. “We have almost ten months of training on top of this. We are only going to get fitter and fitter! In fact, you should be proud of yourself for all your progress and coming out here today!”

“Huh? Why?” Wisteria asked in curiosity.

“Because despite being insecure, you came to the beach anyway! That takes some courage and strength, doesn’t it?” Hiroshi smiled at Wisteria. “Look, have me or Tomo or Bibi said anything about your weight?”

“No…”

“Have we looked at you funny?”

“No…”

“And are we going to get stronger and fitter together?"

“Yes…!”

“Good woman. I’m so proud of you,” Hiroshi pulled Wisteria into a hug. He could almost feel her heartbeat again. He loved that. It was so peaceful. Wisteria loved it too. Her insecurities washed away, like the tide washing back out on the beach. 

"Your so beautiful to me," Hiroshi thought to himself, too scared to say it out loud.

They both ran down to the water line, and had fun all day throwing water back and forth, making sandcastles, and they even got ice cream.

Wisteria and Hiroshi were feeling even more connected. Is this what Kage wanted from these days off? To build their friendship and morale? Comradery? Because it was working. They all laughed as they got dressed and headed home.

Little did they know that a few months later, they would be put on the map once more…