Mina sat perched on the metal railing along the paved path overlooking the beach, the salty breeze tugging at her horns and hair as she kicked her legs back and forth. Below them, the shoreline stretched wide and bright, waves rolling in lazy, glittering bands beneath the midday sun. Seagulls cried overhead, circling lazily, and the air smelled like salt, sunscreen, and distant fried food from a stand further down the coast.

  Beside her stood Kirishima and Kaminari. Kirishima looked practically electric, chest puffed out, eyes bright like this was the best possible use of a free day. Kaminari, on the other hand, wore a nervous smile that sat a little too stiff on his face, his hands shoved into his pockets.

  "Who do you think's gonna get here last?" Mina asked, tilting her head as she leaned forward over the railing, peering down the path like she expected someone to magically appear.

  The two boys glanced at each other, thinking it over. Kirishima spoke first, scratching his cheek. "Well not everyone confirmed they were coming right?" He paused, trying to build on that thought, but Kaminari cut in before he could.

  "It's probably going to be the ones who don't like the sun, like Tokoyami."

  "Nah he said he was already on the way though," Kirishima shot back without missing a beat.

  Before they could throw out another name, movement down the path caught their attention. Sero came strutting toward them in a loose, baggy shirt and shorts, carrying several stuffed bags slung over his shoulders. Mineta walked beside him, sunglasses perched crookedly on his face, a few sizes too big and slipping down his nose.

  "Yo!" Sero called out with a grin, lifting a hand in greeting as he stopped in front of them and dropped the bags at his feet with a soft thump.

  Kirishima pushed off the railing and stepped forward, meeting him with a fist bump. "Hey man!" He glanced down at Mineta to greet him too, but Mineta crossed his arms and turned his head away, pretending not to notice. The oversized sunglasses probably helped sell the act.

  "Should we wait for everyone to get here or should we start setting up on the sand?" Sero asked, scanning the area. The path behind him was still mostly empty. After a second, he turned back to the group.

  Kaminari looked up uncertainly, his voice lacking its usual confidence. "We should wait right?" He glanced toward the street and the nearby bus stop, squinting against the sunlight.

  "Yeah we should," Mina said as she hopped down from the railing and stretched her arms over her head. "At least till half of us get here."

  Almost on cue, a sleek black car pulled up near the curb. Momo stepped out first, composed and elegant as always, followed by Hagakure and Jirou. They all looked fresh and ready for the beach, except Jirou, who lingered a moment longer with an embarrassed look tugging at her expression.

  Not long after that, the rest of the class trickled in, groups arriving from different directions until Mina seemed satisfied with their numbers. With a clap of her hands, she ordered everyone to move down onto the sand and find a spot big enough for the whole class.

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  They got to work quickly. Umbrellas were stabbed into the sand, towels snapped out and laid flat, coolers thumped down, folding chairs unfolded with metallic clicks. It settled into something unmistakably familiar. A classic beach day, loud, chaotic, and comfortable.

  Soon the group splintered apart, everyone drifting toward whatever caught their interest. The girls, minus Tsuyu who had already slipped into the water without ceremony, headed toward the bathrooms and changing rooms to swap into swimsuits. Since there was only one changing room available, the rest of them clustered outside, waiting in the shade.

  "I'm so excited to jump in the ocean, it's been foreeever," Mina said, bouncing on her heels.

  "Right?? I can't wait either," Hagakure replied eagerly. She turned toward the door. "Hey Jirou how long are you gonna take?"

  A muffled reply came from inside, but none of them could make it out. Momo turned to Hagakure, her expression tightening slightly. "Hey don't pressure her," she said, tone firm but gentle. Hagakure immediately shrank back a little. "Sorry..." she murmured.

  Their attention shifted when movement at the street caught their eye. Uraraka, Robinn, Midoriya, and Bakugo stepped off the same bus, clearly the last to arrive. The tension between the two boys was almost visible, their body language stiff and sharp. Robinn was coated in sunscreen, pale against her freckles, while Uraraka held a bright yellow sunhat tucked under her arm.

  After a brief exchange, the boys peeled away toward the setup area. Bakugo stormed ahead, shoulders tight, then threw a sharp glare back at Robinn. She didn’t react, either not noticing it at all or simply choosing not to acknowledge it.

  "Sorry we're late," Uraraka said as she approached the girls, bowing slightly with a sheepish smile. "Bakugo was refusing to get on the bus for a while." None of the girls looked particularly surprised.

  A moment later, Jirou emerged from the changing room, tugging down the hem of an oversized shirt that covered her swimsuit almost completely. The girls lingered there until everyone was changed.

  Meanwhile Mineta had positioned his chair facing directly toward the changing rooms, leaning on one elbow. His sunglasses glinted with intent that wasn’t subtle in the slightest. Kaminari wandered over, ducking under his umbrella for shade.

  "Hey man, whatchu doing?" he asked, already knowing the answer. When he followed Mineta’s eyeline, he let out a tired sigh.

  "I'm waiting till the girls come back so I can rate their swimsuits, care to join?" Mineta said casually.

  "Not this time buddy," Kaminari replied with an awkward smile. He then spotted the girls approaching and noticed immediately how Jirou’s oversized shirt actually suited her. He swallowed and turned back to Mineta, who still hadn’t noticed them.

  "Hey man I think they're gonna take a while, c'mon and help us build a sandcastle." He practically dragged Mineta away from his chair and toward the others.

  Mineta didn’t resist, but he did glance up at Kaminari with suspicion. "What's up with you? You've been acting really different lately."

  "I dunno man... I really don't know," Kaminari admitted, shoulders slumping as he felt strangely short of breath.

  "So what are we going to do?" Mina asked as the girls walked back toward their setup.

  "Well Kirishima and Sero were organizing a volleyball game right? That sounds like a blast," Hagakure said.

  Mina nodded, glancing at the others. Uraraka nodded enthusiastically too. The remaining three stayed quiet, so Mina prodded again.

  "And you three? What are you gonna be up to?"

  Robinn stopped walking. Her face remained blank, voice flat and simple. Under all the sunscreen, she could have been smiling, but it was impossible to tell. She pointed toward the ocean.

  "Swim."

  "... it's great exercise..."

  Momo glanced at Jirou, who still looked uneasy, then back at Mina. "I think we're gonna stay and relax under the umbrellas for a bit." Jirou nodded faintly, her posture loosening just a little.

  Mina seemed pleased and kept walking.

  The midday sun shone down on the bunch as they once again split up. The volleyball game was still in the team selection phase, punctuated by Bakugo's shouting and Kirishima's laughter. A few others had already gone to the water. Robinn and Tsuyu had bolted to the waves and could now be seen swimming steadily in the distance, two dark shapes against the glittering blue of the sea.