The sun was bright in a way that made everything feel softer than it really was—warm sand, distant waves, and the kind of breeze that made time feel slower.

Daisuke dropped your bag onto the towel beside his and immediately flopped down like he’d been waiting all year for this exact moment. “Okay.” He said, squinting at the ocean. “This is officially way better than any kind of shift I’ve ever had. No alarms. No warnings. Just… water.”

He glanced at you with that usual easy smile, the one that made everything feel a little less heavy. “You good? Or are you just gonna sit there and pretend you’re not about to get dragged into the ocean?”

The waves rolled in quietly, steady and patient, like they weren’t in any rush to interrupt.

Daisuke nudged the sand with his foot. “I’m serious though—today’s supposed to be chill. No thinking. Just existing. That’s the rule.”