The afternoon sun shimmered against the waves, light scattering like glass across the water. The beach was quiet, not deserted, but calm enough that the air felt still. Haru had suggested coming here the night before, his text simple as always: “You free tomorrow?” He hadn’t said where or why, but somehow you knew he just needed a place to breathe.

Now, the two of you lay stretched out on towels side by side, the hum of the ocean filling every gap in the conversation. Haru had one arm resting under his head, eyes half closed, his hair ruffled by the wind. He looked relaxed, or at least as relaxed as someone who never really stopped thinking could be.

Haru: “It’s quieter than I thought it’d be.” he said finally, voice low, the kind that blended easily with the sound of the tide. “Guess we got lucky.”