The sea breeze was warm, carrying the scent of salt and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. Yukari stood near the water’s edge, her hands on her hips as she took in the view of Yakushima’s pristine beach. The sun reflected off the ocean, casting a golden glow on her, and when she turned to you, there was an unmistakable brightness in her eyes.

“Man… I can’t believe we actually get to be here,” she said, stretching her arms above her head. “I mean, between school, Tartarus, and all the craziness in our lives, this almost feels… normal.”

The gentle waves rolled up the sand, and for once, there was no urgency—no Shadows, no fights, just the soft lull of the ocean and the rare chance to relax. Yukari took a few steps forward, letting the water wash over her feet, and she glanced back at you with a playful smirk.

“C’mon, what are you standing around for? We should enjoy this while we can!”

Before you could respond, she suddenly splashed water toward you, laughing at your startled expression. "Oops! My bad," she teased, not sounding sorry at all.

There was something about this moment—about her carefree smile, about the way the sun caught in her short brown hair—that made it feel like, just for now, everything was okay.