Hapi Mari Novel: Update 10

Thank you to my readers for waiting so patiently. To be honest I'm really stressed these days about a lot of things...things like finding a full time job, and a bit depressed that no matter how hard I try, I'm still unable to score one. Failed interview one after the other for ones that I want, and having a terrible time to keep commuting 4 hours each day for this one...Heck, even my younger brother has an internship and is faster on the way to building a meaningful career than I am...it's just really shitty. Life isn't the way I thought it to be...and it's hard to have my hopes crushed again and again.  Needless to say, I've been feeling quite down...which is why I really didn't have the mood to translate Hapi Mari.  I really appreciate those who keep visiting, but at the same time, I ask for others to please be more polite.  Yes, the Dear Brother summaries are not entirely exciting, but you don't have to read if you don't want to.  I love translating for an audience, but at the same time the blog is an extension of myself and what I want to do. It's for you for the stories that don't get picked up by English scanlators right away, but it's also for me.  And I hope to keep it that way.  I'll promise to try though to make more often updates and eventually finish it.  So, picking up from where I left off last time...

Hokuto contrived to affect a grimace, but I urged him on our way to our private beach. Honestly there isn't any part of this island that isn't private, but according to the hotel, they cordon off a part of the beach especially for guests to designate it as private. When we arrived, there was no other person in sight, nothing but us walking among the sparkling white sands.  Everywhere you looked there were only the endless skies and ocean, the boundary so hazy between the two you can lose yourself.

"Isn't it a relief there's no one?" I laugh as I reach my hand out for his.

"Are we really doing this?  Holding hands while we walk along the beach?" Hokuto frowns.

"You said you would do it, didn't you?  Don't grumble about it now."

I reach out once again, and he reluctantly takes my hand.

"It's not like we're a love-struck couple in high school."

"No matter how old you get, it's a girl's dream."

"You're not a girl anymore," he jabs. I promptly kick him on the shin.

"Shut up!"

"That hurts!" he curses, and in that instant I take the chance to let go of his hand and run away.

"Damnnit, wait up! You brute!" he yells as he sets a fast pace after me. Chasing each other on the beach is what you would see in romantic movies, although if I said something so cheesy, Hokuto would probably get irritated.  Secretly enjoying the circumstance, I double-back to escape.  Lightly and nimbly, as if we were dancing about on the sand.

"I told you to wait up!"

"No way!"

I fling off my sand-covered mules and run barefoot towards the edge of the beach where the waves jump and lick at the edges of my capris.  Since I'm going to get wet anyways, I turn around and kicked up the waves at him.

"Why no you don't!"

"Why not? You look good even when dripping with water," I joke, although there's more than enough truth in that.  Hokuto's hair glistens as droplets of water reflect in the sunlight.  He leans down and scoops up water with his hands to splash me.  Shit.  Hokuto grins lopsidedly after he drenches me.

"You look pretty good yourself."

"Meanie!  Now all my new clothes are drenched!"

"I'm only returning the favor."

"You more than doubled the favor."

"If I'm taking revenge, I might as well do it in strides."

That's right...Hokuto's that kind of guy.

"Fine then I won't hold back either then."

"When have you ever held back?"

Our little tag game has become a water fight, and in no time at all, I was drenched from head to toe like an idiot. But it was refreshing to resort to such silliness.  Although we were splashing each other equally, I came out the wetter of the two.  He was able to scoop up more water with his bigger hands, and perhaps because he has better reflexes, he dodged most of my attacks as well.

"You are ten years too young if you think you can defeat me."

"Ah, but that's because you are older."

"Oh shut up."

As I try to dodge Hokuto's next attack, I slip on the receding sand that flowed away with the waves, preparing to break my stumble when Hokuto caught me.

"T-thanks."

Breathless, I look up at him.  Hokuto's drenched to the bone, his shirt clinging to his upper body.  Shit, I wonder if mine is too? I flusteredly peeled my cami tunic from my skin.

"Too late now," Hokuto laughs.  The water droplets drip down his glossy black hair and trace their way down his sculpted cheekbones and strong jaws, meandering down his sinuous neck before caressing his Adam's apple.  Sharp desire courses through me.  It's alright, there's no one here anyways.  I reach up to kiss his thinner lips, which open in surprise.

"...you taste like the beach," he says as his brows knit together.

"Sheez, you're never in the moo-" I start to complain when he interrupts me with a kiss, a deeper one than I had instigated.  His tongue entwines around mine as if wanting to taste my very essence.  He watches me catch my breath after he releases me.

"I didn't say I didn't like the taste of the beach," he smiles mirthlessly.

"I...like it too."

We exchange another kiss again, slightly tinged with the ocean's saltiness.  I wish I could kiss in different flavors from now on too.  With Hokuto.  Again and again.  As I daydream, I feel myself lifted into the air, my knees hooked on his arms....wait a minute, is he carrying me bridal style?

"Wait, hey!" I envelop my arms around his neck in surprise as he looks down at me, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"I wonder if I should just throw you into the ocean like this..."

"D-don't do something stupid!  What'll I do if a shark comes out?"

"Shark?  In these shallow waters?" he tries to hold in his laughter.  Oh how I wish I could wipe that expression off him.

"How do you know it won't? This isn't Japan after all."

"Ah, that's right, maybe it will.  Maybe Jaws will come out and swallow the chihuahua whole."

"Don't make fun of me."

"Shall we try it out? One, two, thre--"

He's joking, right?  As Hokuto starts to loosen his grip and waver, I thrash about.

"Hey, you dummy..."

"Kya!"

Having lost his balance because of me, we both topple into the ocean.

"....y-o-u"

Muddied with sand and water, Hokuto glares at me although I'm the first to complain.

"You're the one at fault, trying to throw your wife into the ocean."

"I was only pretending."

"Well I can never tell, since you hide your emotions beneath an iron mask."

I let go of him and wash away the sand in the clear waters. How did a lovely walk along the beach turn out like this?  I guess Hokuto just doesn't go into the same equation with romance.

"You should get swallowed up by Jaws!"

"I would rather die fighting a terrorist group."

"Playing James Bond again?"

"If anything, it's Jack Bauer!"

"I don't think Jack Bauer frolics on the beach," I said, although the unbidden image causes me to laugh.

"I don't either," Hokuto smiles too.  "You're right," he says as if the thought just hit him.

"About Jack Bauer?"

"No, about being together."

I took a moment to think and gave him a long look.  He can't be talking about what I said at dinner yesterday, could he?  About being together as the greatest luxury?  Does he feel the same way?  He, who has all the talent and financial power.  If so...ah, then there's nothing that could describe greater happiness than being together with the person you love, and also having him feel the same way.  If it's with Hokuto, I'll be happy doing anything.  Unable to express my feelings in words, I take his hand in mine and squeeze tightly, a gesture he returns. We sit together on the sand, talking about nothing and everything and sharing kisses.  In no time at all, our clothes dried under the strong rays of tropical sunlight and the crisp wind, and we were able to brush off the small pebbles of sand quite easily.

"Shall we return then?" Hokuto stands and nonchalantly reaches a hand out.

"Eh? Are you letting me hold your hands?"

"You wanted to, right?"

"Yes!  Like lovers!"  I quickly take his hand in mine, and interleave my fingers between his. Leaning against his shoulder, I told him, "Outside of James Bond or Jack Bauer, I think I prefer Hokuto the best."