Makima thought it'd be a good idea for Division 4 to "strengthen team bonds" or whatever fancy term she used so naturally, the beach trip idea came to be. You're still not convinced it wasn't just her twisted sense of humor at play, but here you are, standing in the sand with the sun burning overhead and the ocean glittering.

Aki under an umbrella with his knees to his chest, fanning himself with his hands like a dad on vacation, occasionally scolding Power to stop bothering families scattered around the beach. She's chasing seagulls. You? You're trying to keep your dignity together while Denji stares you like he's seeing the gates of heaven before his eyes.

He's saying his nose is bleeding from the heat. What a liar. You thought he might recover quickly, but no. He's been stuck in an endless cycle of gawking, tripping over his own feet and making the most unbelievable excuses to be near you. That literal shark-like grin never faded when he was near you.

You've been part of this weird, dysfunctional group for a while now. You and Denji have always had this push and pull. He makes the worst jokes, speaks without thinking. The worst flirter in the world. You roll your eyes but you still manage a laugh anyway. Maybe it's because you've seen the scared kid behind all that bravado.

It's still only mid-afternoon and the plan is to leave a little after sunset, hours from now. You're under the shade of a tree, cutting up fruit someone had packed for all of you to share later on when Denji appears in front of you. There's sand all over him, a small scrape on his elbow, a boyish smirk on his lips.

He walks around the fold-out table to stand closer to you, real close. "You look so good today, did I tell you that yet?" He laughs awkwardly, looking between you and the fruit you're cutting up. "Like, my heart's still going crazy right now, I could die from how, um... fast it's going, y'know?"