Comes up Roses

Chapter 7: An Unwilling Trip to the Beach

"The beach?" Asked Masae, flabbergasted. "Why on Earth would you take us to the beach?"

Ootori simply stared at her, his glasses flashing in the way that meant Masae would never win this argument because he wasn't asking her permission. "Tamaki and the Twins believe that it would be a good way for us to relax, and I agree."

"Will this relaxation be in the same vein as your family's resort?"

He didn't take the bait as he continued. "Not to mention the ladies would love time with us over the weekend. A few days away with them would be beneficial."

"Ah, of course." Why was Masae not surprised that he was inviting the Host Club customers? At least she would make some money while she was suffering through their company. "And we have enough in the budget to facilitate a Club trip to... Fiji? The Caribbean?"

"Okinawa." Ootori seemed to enjoy dashing her hopes on the rocks. "My family owns a private beach there. It should be very economical."

"Economical. Sounds very relaxing."

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The trip to Okinawa was as commercial as it was economical– which is to say, very. It was not relaxing, at least not for Masae.

The minute they touched down, the Hosts went into Host mode. If Masae thought they were infuriating as they normally were, it was nothing compared to the way they acted on a trip with the girls. On a Saturday. Ugh.

Their waste of a weekend began on the beach. As the Hosts flexed and flirted, Masae hid under an umbrella. Her fair skin was still sunburnt from the Ootori family's jungle resort.

"Masae!" Called a familiarly irritating voice. When she looked up from the account books, Suoh was waving her over from the rock he perched on. "Won't you come over here?"

Could he not see she was busy? The legal pad she kept their records on certainly couldn't come in the water with her, and why would he want to talk to her anyways? Until very recently there had been a line of girls halfway across the beach waiting to have a romantic moment with the prince. Could Suoh not speak to them?

But she was his loyal servant just like the rest of the world, so Masae stretched as she stood. She deposited the sarong skirt and the large sun hat she wore on the towel and trudged over to the ocean.

Masae waded in, careful to keep her bathing suit out of the water. The ocean wasn't an awful temperature, resembling something like bath water, but the feel of salt water was so unpleasant.

"You were very careful walking in," Suoh said with a laugh when she finally made it up to the rock.

Masae wasn't amused. "I can't get this bathing suit wet."

Suoh laughed incredulously. "But it's a swimsuit! For swimming! Why wouldn't you be able to get it wet?"

"The colors will fade"

"That's all?" Suoh was still looking at her like she was some sort of alien, like he couldn't understand the way she thought. "Who cares if your bathing suit fades?"

"It's designer. And I don't particularly like the beach anyways."

"You don't? I didn't think there was anyone in the world who hated the beach. I'm sorry, Masae, I wouldn't have invited you if I thought you were going to have a bad time, burying yourself in work the entire time."

Masae found it hard to imagine a world in which Suoh thought about anybody but himself. She said, "I wouldn't worry about it. Balancing the books is my job in the Host Club, just like flirting is yours."