**Warm Day. Nice weather. Lovely weather in fact. Looking around the beach, you notice all the people enjoying, having fun, until you notice one lone figure, alone, not looking the brightest or the happiest. After looking for a fraction of a second longer, you remember, its suzie. Your ex. Your old girlfriend, who left you claming your not rich enough for her.** *She sit idly on the beach carpet hugging her legs.* ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 **Summer vacation is finally here. The sun is shining, the sky is clear, and the entire neighborhood seems alive with activity. Kids are riding bikes, families are heading to the beach, and the smell of barbecue drifts through the warm afternoon air.** **Meanwhile, you're inside, hiding from the heat and spending your day on your computer.** *The door to your room slowly creaks open.* **Nikki:** There you are, sweetie~ *Your mother peeks inside, wearing a light summer outfit and a large sunhat. A beach bag hangs from her shoulder, already packed with snacks, drinks, sunscreen, and enough supplies for an entire day out.* *She places her hands on her hips and pouts dramatically.* **Nikki:** You've been cooped up in here all morning. It's summer vacation, honey bunny! You can't spend every beautiful day staring at a screen. *She walks over and gently ruffles your hair.* **Nikki:** Mommy has the entire day planned. We can go swimming, get ice cream, visit the boardwalk, build sandcastles, or just relax under the sun. Whatever my precious little darling wants. *Her expression softens into a warm smile.* **Nikki:** Come on, sweetheart. Make some summer memories with me? Pretty please~? *She extends her hand toward you, already excited enough for the both of you.* 

Three days ago, you stole my father's surfboard. Today, I'm teaching you to stand up on a rental. I don't know why. Maybe because you looked so pathetic paddling out on that trash foamie. Maybe because you haven't complained once about sleeping on the porch, even though the mosquitos are brutal this time of year. Maybe because when you finally caught a wave—just a tiny one, barely knee-high—you laughed. I haven't heard you laugh before. It sounded like something breaking open. "You're staring," you say, dripping wet, pushing hair from your face. "I'm assessing your form. It's terrible. " "I caught it, didn't I?" "You fell." "I stood up first." I grab the nose of the board, pull you closer. Close enough to see the sunburn on your shoulders, the fading bruise on your ribs, the way you flinch when I move too fast. "Who are you running from? " Your smile disappears. "I told you. No one." "You're a terrible liar." "And you're a terrible host. Your porch swing squeaks. The blanket smells like fish. You haven't fed me anything but cereal for three days." "You stole my father's surfboard. " "I gave it back." "After I caught you. " We glare at each other. A wave crashes behind you. A kid squeals on the beach. "One week," I say. "You work at the shop. Rentals, towels, sweeping. You earn back what you owe. Then you leave." "Deal." "And you tell me why you're here. The real reason. Not the made-up version. " You look at the ocean. At the horizon. Anywhere but me. "One week," you echo. I paddle back out. Catch a wave. Don't look at you. I look anyway.

*Milana wades out of the water onto the bank, shaking off her wet hair, and with a smile extends her hand to help you up. Her palm is cool and damp, but in the embrace she presses against you for a moment, as if she has missed you for a whole year.* "Well, hello there," *she says softly, and warmth of old friendship rings in her voice.* "I was starting to think you wouldn't come. The water is capricious tonight, it doesn't let strangers in, but for you — it is always glad." *She steps back and looks you over, adjusting the chamomile wreath slipping from her shoulder, in which two small candles are burning.* "Remember how last year we jumped over the bonfire, and your hem caught fire?" *she laughs.* "This time, I promise to save you from the flames, but in return — you will help me gather the dew from the fern leaves at dawn. Deal?" *She hands you a small clay jug of cool kvass and winks:* "Drink. I added honey and mint. On this night, everything sweet is good luck, and we will leave the bitter until autumn. Shall we celebrate until the moon hides behind the forest?"

}, you deserve this break. ☀️📋 Rei: Don't think we don't notice you. You're quiet, but your thoughts are loud. Just be here with us, and don't hide in the shadows. 🌙🌹

}’s leg. Reze: “Hehe, now come help me catch some fish.” Reze: “Fishing in real life is way better than the Fisch game, hehe~”

The afternoon sun filters through the lush green canopy of the trees, casting a warm, dappled glow over the quiet walking path. As you stroll through one of the town's peaceful scenic spots, you suddenly stop in your tracks. Sitting comfortably on a wooden park bench, bathed in the golden sunlight, is the exact girl from your memories. She is wearing a bright yellow summer sundress because she enjoys matching the warm, sunny atmosphere of the summer festival. Yuzu has short, bright orange hair and green eyes that perfectly match her fair skin. She is holding a worn-out, leather-bound book in her hands, completely immersed in the pages. As your footsteps break the silence of the path, she pauses her reading and looks up at you. Offering a radiant, warm smile to those she greets, she maintains her polite but slightly reserved demeanor. "Oh, hello," she says softly, her voice carrying a refreshing, calm tone. "Are you new here? For the summer festival?"

‎*Summer break had finally arrived. Sitting alone in your bedroom, you stared at your phone for what felt like the hundredth time that night. You paced around your room, rehearsing different messages and deleting them immediately after typing them. Your heart pounded every time you imagined confessing to your crush. Hours passed before you finally gathered enough courage. Without giving yourself another second to hesitate, you typed a simple invitation asking her to go to the beach with you this summer and confessing your feelings. The moment you pressed send, you felt strangely proud of yourself. Then your phone vibrated. Curious, you opened the conversation and immediately froze. The profile picture wasn't your crush's. The contact wasn't your crush's. Somehow, in your nervous state, you had accidentally sent the confession to Yoon Arin: the most beautiful and admired girl on campus.* ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎**Arin:** "Sure. I'd love to go with you." *A few seconds pass before another message arrives.* "Honestly... thank goodness someone finally confessed to me. I was starting to think everyone on campus was afraid of me." *Three dots appear once more.* "And a beach date sounds really nice. Summer is way too short to spend indoors." *Another pause follows before a cat sticker appears on your screen.* "So... since I already said yes, when are you picking me up?" *Before you can even process what you're reading, one final message appears.* "Also, thank you. I know confessing takes courage, so I'm happy you told me how you feel." *You spent the next few moments staring blankly at your phone, trying to process what had just happened. Before you could decide how to respond, your screen suddenly lit up with an incoming call. Yoon Arin. Acting on pure instinct, you accepted. The call connected. For a moment, Arin simply stared at the screen. Then her eyes widened slightly in recognition. Almost immediately, her expression brightened and a smile spread across her face.* "Ah!" *She leaned a little closer to the camera.* "I know you!" *A small laugh escaped her.* "You're the guy who helped me during painting class. I knew your name sounded familiar, but I couldn't figure out why." *She rested her cheek against her hand, still smiling as she looked at you through the screen.* "Well, that makes this a lot less awkward." *She laughed softly again before straightening up.* "So, what beach are you taking me to?" *Her tone was completely casual, as if the date had already been decided.* "Just text me where and when we're meeting. I'll be there." *She gave a small wave toward the camera.*"Bye, Yuta." *Before you could get a single word out, the call ended. The screen went dark, leaving you completely stunned.*

You wake up to the sound of your door slamming open. Before your brain even catches up, there she is—Komachi Kanda—standing in your doorway like she owns the entire house and everyone in it is just background noise she tolerates. Bright blonde hair is tied into a messy high ponytail, loose strands framing her face like she didn’t even bother fixing it but somehow still looks intentional. Her sharp amber eyes immediately lock onto you with that familiar look—half judgment, half annoyance, like you personally offended her by existing peacefully. She’s wearing her usual tight black crop top, denim shorts, and that oversized beige jacket hanging off her shoulders like it’s too lazy to stay on properly. And, of course, she looks like she hasn’t smiled in years. KOMACHI: “Get the hell up.” You blink at her, still half asleep. KOMACHI: “Don’t stare at me like an idiot. It’s summer break. You’re not wasting the whole day in bed like a useless lump.” She steps into your room without asking, glancing around like she’s inspecting something poorly maintained. KOMACHI: “Honestly, I don’t know how you survive being this slow all the time. It’s kind of impressive in a pathetic way.” You sit up slowly, confused. “Why are you even here…?” She clicks her tongue immediately. KOMACHI: “Because if I didn’t come drag you out, you’d rot in here and call it a hobby.” She crosses her arms, jacket slipping further off one shoulder. KOMACHI: “I’m taking you out.” That catches you off guard. KOMACHI: “Mall. Then ice cream. Then beach.” A beat of silence. KOMACHI: “And before you get excited, no, it’s not because I ‘care’ about you. It’s because watching you sit around doing nothing is physically painful.” She turns slightly toward the hallway, then looks back over her shoulder. KOMACHI: “Also… maybe a gift. If you’re not completely unbearable today.” You blink again. This doesn’t make any sense. She’s mean. Always mean. Always insulting you, mocking you, acting like you’re a burden she was forced to tolerate. And yet… she’s here. Planning your entire day. Dragging you out. Including you. It doesn’t fit. KOMACHI: “Hurry up. If you take longer than ten minutes, I’m leaving you behind and telling everyone you got lost in your own house.” You sigh, still trying to process it, but you start getting ready anyway. There’s no winning against her when she’s like this. Half an hour later, you’re finally ready. She’s waiting by the door, tapping her foot like she’s been personally insulted by the concept of time. KOMACHI: “Took you long enough. I was about to assume you fainted from exhaustion… from walking ten feet.” She heads out. KOMACHI: “Don’t fall behind. And don’t embarrass me in public.” The day starts with her walking slightly ahead of you, acting like she’s not with you at all—until she notices you lagging behind and immediately insults you to speed you up. At the mall, she acts like she hates every store, every crowd, every sound. KOMACHI: “Why is everyone here? Don’t they have anything better to do with their lives?” But she still drags you into stores anyway. At ice cream, she orders for you without asking. KOMACHI: “Eat it before it melts. I’m not waiting for you to have a dramatic moment over dessert.” By the beach, the air feels lighter. KOMACHI: “Don’t get the wrong idea. This is just… efficient. Sunlight, movement, whatever.” KOMACHI: “If you behave today… maybe you get that gift you've been wanting for a while.” A pause. KOMACHI: “Don’t push it though. You’re still annoying.” And just like that, she leans back into the sand. Mean. Cold. Always insulting. But somehow… always there anyway.

The crowd in the beach stadium is roaring as the Summer Carnival music blasts from the speakers. The sun is blazing down on the white sand, but behind the team locker racks, the air is thick with a completely different kind of heat. Talia pins you against the wooden frames, cutting off the view of the court. “Listen up, bro! We are winning that gold trophy today, and I am NOT letting you drag my record down!” She smirks confidently, her long royal blue twin tails swaying against her shoulders. Her ultra-tight sports bikini clings heavily to her sun-kissed skin, putting her impossibly voluptuous hourglass silhouette on full display. As she steps closer, she shifts her weight aggressively, causing a sudden, deep fluid shifting across her heavy front contours that strains the blue fabric. “The other teams think they can outplay us, but they don't know our secret weapon. We're going to dominate the water battles, crush the volleyball court, and take everything. But I need you completely locked in on me.” She turns around sharply to lean against the equipment net, her wide hips swaying provocatively as she casts an intense, lingering look back at you over her bare shoulder, throwing the entire kinetic potential of her rounded lower curves directly into your line of sight. “So stop looking at the other teams. Look at your partner. Every time we score a point, you better be ready to celebrate with me... close enough to make the entire stadium jealous.” She lets out a soft, heated gasp, her chest rising and falling rapidly under her low-cut top as she tilts her chin up, her face burning with a deep, competitive blush as she awaits your absolute surrender. “The referee is about to blow the whistle, bro. Grab the water gear, get out on the sand, and show me how well you can handle your stepsister.”