A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 322: Seaside, Beach, Swimsuits, and Sunscreen

Naturally, the other girls also bought quite a few things. Wendy-kun and the younger girls, with the help of Ultear and the older girls, also picked up some necessities.Noah paid for everything. Since he had said he would cover all the expenses this time, he wasn't going to go back on his word.

When everyone returned to the Holiday Inn, Noah and the guys dropped off all the shopping bags in the girls' suite before heading back to their own room.

"Phew, I'm so exhausted." Gray couldn't help but collapse onto the sofa in the living room.

"That's because you're weak," Natsu, who was lying on the adjacent sofa, said to Gray.

"Damn you..." Gray wanted to get up and retort, but he was too enamored with the softness of the sofa, so he merely twitched and stayed put.

Happy was also lying on Natsu's sofa, wearing a thoroughly relaxed expression.

Noah found another sofa and lay down, relaxing his body and mind to let himself recover.

Shopping with Ultear and the girls wasn't particularly taxing physically; the real exhaustion was mental.

After resting for a while, Noah checked the time and sat up. He said to Natsu and the others still lounging around, "It's about time. Let's get ready, change into our swimsuits, and prepare to meet up with Ultear and the others."

Hearing this, Natsu and the others sat up. After a period of rest, they had recovered quite a bit of energy.

They took turns going to the suite's bathroom to change into their swim trunks. Once ready, they walked out of the room.

At the same time, Ultear and the girls emerged from their respective suites.

They were all wearing coats of different colors, completely wrapping their bodies inside. Even Wendy-kun and the younger girls were doing the same, their bodies enveloped in coats with hemlines reaching down to their calves.

"What's with the outfits?" Noah couldn't help but ask upon seeing their attire.

"We've already changed into our swimsuits, but we are waiting until we reach the beach to show them off. Why, do you want to see them right now?" Mirajane said to Noah with a teasing smile.

"I do, but let's wait until we get to the beach," Noah replied, first nodding, then shaking his head.

"Good boy," Ultear said with a smile.

The group made their way down to the beach, which was bustling with crowds of people in all sorts of swimwear.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to take off the coats," Ultear announced, taking the lead and slipping off her own.

Seeing this, Erza and the others also took off their coats, storing them away in their spatial storage.

They were all wearing two-piece swimsuits, and each had chosen a different color. Ultear wore purple, Erza was in black, Mirajane in orange, Sorano in light blue, and Lucy in pure white. Their respective swimsuits perfectly accentuated their graceful, curvaceous figures, instantly catching everyone's eyes.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" Sorano smiled at Noah.

"Mhm, you all look absolutely stunning!" Noah looked at them earnestly and didn't hold back his genuine praise.

Hearing Noah's words, Ultear and the others couldn't help but smile happily.

"Are we... are we really taking them off here? It feels so embarrassing..." Wendy-kun said, pulling her coat tighter around herself.

"Wendy-kun, you already put on a swimsuit. Naturally, you have to take off your coat when you come to the beach," Carla said, looking at the fidgeting Wendy-kun.

"Yukino-kun, hurry up and let me see how you look in a swimsuit!" Having received Noah's praise, Sorano turned around and pounced on Yukino-kun, who was still wearing her coat.

"Ah! Sister, didn't you already see it in the room?"

"That wasn't enough! The lighting in the room wasn't as good as it is out here. Seeing your swimsuit here will definitely hit differently. Stop talking and let me see!"

"Sister, no!" Sorano lunged at Yukino-kun like a starving wolf and started pulling off her coat. Yukino-kun tried to resist, but her struggles were futile. Sorano swiftly stripped her of her coat in a matter of seconds.

Yukino-kun was wearing a light blue swimsuit just like her sister's, but hers was a very conservative one-piece that completely covered her upper body.

"Mhm, as expected of the swimsuit I picked out. It looks really good on you," Sorano circled Yukino-kun, inspecting her from every angle and nodding in approval.

"Sister..." Yukino-kun could only cover her flushed face with her hands, letting her sister examine her.

"Alright, you two should take yours off too. You're wearing swimsuits, so there's no need to be so shy," Mirajane said to Wendy-kun and Meredy-kun, who still hadn't removed their coats.

Seeing that Yukino-kun had already been stripped of her coat by Sorano, Wendy-kun and Meredy-kun exchanged glances and slowly took off their own coats.

Once their coats were off, Noah and the guys saw that Wendy-kun and Meredy-kun's swimsuits were also conservative one-pieces, just like Yukino-kun's. Wendy-kun's was sky blue, and Meredy-kun's was light yellow.

"Since we're down here, what should we play first?" Noah asked the group.

"No, playing isn't the first thing on the agenda. There is something else we need to do immediately," Ultear said, wagging her index finger at Noah.

"Hm? What is it that needs to be done right away?" Noah was a bit confused about what could be so urgent.

"Applying sunscreen, of course! We have to protect our skin properly!" Mirajane explained.

Noah suddenly realized she was right. The sun on the beach was fierce; applying sunscreen was indeed a top priority for women.

"You can help us apply it," Sorano pulled a bottle of sunscreen from her spatial storage and waved it at Noah suggestively.

"Sure!" Hearing this, Noah naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Wow!" Wendy-kun and the younger girls couldn't help but gasp softly, their faces turning bright red.

"Lucy, do you want me to help you apply it?" Natsu walked over to Lucy and asked.

"No!" Lucy blushed furiously, crossing her arms to make a huge 'X' sign at Natsu. She then turned to Wendy-kun and the girls. "Wendy-kun, how about you girls help me apply mine, and then I'll help you with yours?"

"Okay! Thank you, Lucy-nee!" Wendy-kun and the others immediately agreed to the proposal. Under the circumstances, this combination seemed the safest.

"Carla, let me help you apply your sunscreen!" Happy walked over to Carla and offered.

"No thanks. Wendy-kun will help me," Carla rejected him without a second thought. Happy was dealt a heavy blow and returned to Natsu's side with his head hanging low.

"You guys need to apply some too. I bought extra for you," Mirajane pulled out three bottles of sunscreen and tossed them to Natsu, Gray, and Happy.

Natsu and Gray looked at the sunscreen in their hands, then looked at everyone else. Suddenly realizing the implications, they turned to stare at each other and shouted simultaneously, "I have to help you apply sunscreen, you bastard?!"

They then said in unison, "No way! Hmph!"

"But it's just you guys left, so the two of you and Happy will just have to help each other," Sorano laughed at them.

Natsu and Gray glared at each other, their eyes filled with absolute revulsion.

"Alright, take your time figuring it out. We'll be heading over there," Ultear said, leading her group toward a quieter corner of the beach.

Noah gave Natsu and Gray a helpless shrug before following Ultear and the older girls.

"Wendy-kun, Yukino-kun, Meredy-kun, and Carla, let's go over there," Lucy pointed in a different direction.

"Mhm." Wendy-kun and the girls nodded. Lucy led them away to find a spot to apply their sunscreen.

This left only Natsu, Gray, and Happy standing in their original spot.

"Hmph. If we have to do it, fine. But I'm warning you, don't try any funny business," Gray warned Natsu.

"That's my line! You better not try anything either," Natsu retorted, looking highly displeased.

The two stared each other down for a moment. Then, Gray pointed in a direction, and Natsu nodded. The two boys and one cat headed off toward the indicated spot.

Suddenly, Gray shivered. He stopped and looked around continuously but didn't spot anything unusual.

"Weird... I feel like someone is watching me. Is it just my imagination?"

"Are you coming or what?" Natsu called out from ahead.

"Coming." Gray shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it, and hurried to catch up with Natsu.

Noah followed Ultear and the others to a secluded corner of the beach where there weren't many people.

Ultear pulled a parasol out of her spatial storage—one they had just bought. Erza and Sorano each pulled one out as well and planted them firmly in the sand.

Mirajane took out a few beach mats, and Noah helped her spread them out under the shade.

Once everything was set up, Ultear and the girls placed their sunscreen bottles to the side and lay down flat on their stomachs on the mats.

"Noah, we are leaving the rest to you," Ultear said, turning her head to look at him.

Erza and the others also turned to look at him. Their faces held a faint blush, their eyes a mix of anticipation and shyness.

Looking at the four beautiful women lying on the beach before him, exposing their smooth, flawless backs, Noah's heartbeat involuntarily quickened. He felt a bit short of breath and lightheaded.

He composed himself and shook his head vigorously to clear his mind, finally feeling a bit better.

He looked at the four of them, entirely unsure of who to start with first. This was clearly another highly probable death-trap question.

"What's wrong? Why haven't you started? Do you not know who to pick first?" Sorano asked with a teasing smile, noticing his hesitation.

"Oh my. In that case, why don't you start with whoever is the most important in your heart?" Mirajane added playfully.

Hearing Mirajane's words, Noah knew he was in deep trouble.

Sure enough, Ultear and the others' eyes instantly lit up. They all stared fixedly at Noah, completely unable to hide the intense anticipation in their gazes.