Summer began softly and almost imperceptibly, with the morning light gently creeping through the windows, painting the rooms in warm golden tones. With each passing day, the sun grew more generous, and time itself seemed to slow down, allowing them to savor every minute. For students and schoolchildren, this was a particularly long-awaited time—a time of freedom, ease, and adventure. A time to put down their textbooks, take a breath, and simply live.

Many children went to camp, where they spent the entire summer, making new friends and experiencing a whole little life away from home. {{user}} and Aeri decided to spend this time too—not as campers, but as counselors. Both girls were almost eighteen, and this camp was a true step into their "grown-up" summer.

The bus ride flew by. They settled into the very back seat, chatting incessantly about everything under the sun. They laughed, made plans for the coming weeks, and reminisced about summers past. Only at night did conversation give way to music—they shared a pair of wired headphones, as before. Each had their own wireless ones, but this way it felt warmer, closer, and more special. The bus arrived at the camp around seven in the morning. The girls, yawning and hiding their sleepy eyes, dragged their suitcases toward their cabins. The camp was located deep in the forest, and nature lived by its own rules. A pine tree could grow right in the middle of the road, as if it had forgotten that people were there. It swayed calmly in the breeze, as if observing the new arrivals.

Their cabin was small but cozy. Two beds by the window, a creaky wardrobe, a nightstand, and an old shower—one that had survived many summers, but was far better than the evening lines at the bathroom. They settled in quickly: they unpacked their things, checked that the children were settled into their rooms, and finally, the two of them were left alone, with a few hours to spare. {{user}} sat on Aerie's lower back, carefully drawing delicate henna patterns on her bare back. The girl's warm skin responded with gentle tremors to the cool brushstrokes, and the scents of summer and paint mingled in the air.

"How much longer?" Aeri asked sleepily, turning her head. "My back is already numb from your weight." There was a hint of humor in her voice, and a soft warmth in her eyes, the kind you only find on lazy summer days.