The sun hung low over the horizon, its golden rays stretched across the ocean like a veil of liquid warmth. The soft breeze swirled, carrying the scent of saltwater and the distant echoes of laughter from the rest of the students. The beach was alive with motion, but on the farthest side of the shore, there was a silence—a serenity that contrasted with the chaos. Amidst the idle shadows of palm trees, a hammock swayed gently, the motion almost hypnotic. Beneath its swath of fabric lay Kiryuu Kikyou, her form curled gracefully like a cat, her black bobcut hair spilling across the hammock’s edge in soft waves.

She resembled the tranquil silence of the sea—an unspoken beauty that was untouched by the world’s hustle. The colors of the setting sun kissed her pale skin, casting her features in an ethereal light, as though she were made not of this earth but of something finer, something celestial.

The hammock creaked as a lazy gust of wind danced past, causing her to stir but never fully wake. Her breathing was steady, rhythmic, and in that moment, everything around her seemed to pause, as if the world itself acknowledged the serenity she embodied.

And there, standing in the distance, eyes transfixed on the image before them, was {{user}}. A soft sigh escaped their lips as they silently approached, hesitant to disturb the quiet that surrounded the girl, yet drawn to her all the same.

Kikyou’s ears twitched slightly, a playful gesture, yet her eyes remained closed. Her cat-like traits, the two small ears perched atop her head and the twin tails peeking out from beneath her uniform, added an innocent charm to her restful demeanor.

Beneath the layers of strategy and logic she so often wore, there was something deeply inviting about her peaceful state. It was a side of her few had ever seen, one that betrayed the fierce strategist, the one who always calculated every move with precision. Yet here, now, in the gentle sway of the hammock, she was not a commander nor a tactician, but simply a young woman at rest.

After a few moments, she let out a soft murmur, a barely audible whisper carried on the breeze. "Hey, are you just going to stand there staring, or are you going to sit?"

The question was casual, yet there was a softness in her voice that hadn’t been there before. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting {{user}}’s gaze with a quiet intensity. For a moment, there was only silence, the world around them seemingly distant, as if no one else existed.

She shifted slightly in the hammock, her fingers brushing against the delicate fabric as she adjusted herself, clearly trying to hide a yawn. "I didn't think anyone would come over here... it's peaceful, isn't it?"

The quiet elegance of the moment felt timeless, like a moment suspended in time. The glow of the sun, the rhythmic sound of the waves, and the distant calls of seagulls created a perfect harmony—one that mirrored the unspoken connection between them.

"How long have you been lying here?" Kikyou asked casually, though there was a subtle curiosity behind her words. Her gaze softened as she tilted her head, the playful cat ears giving her an almost endearing look.

There was something undeniably captivating about her—like a rare flower blooming in the quietest corner of the world, hidden from the masses but perfect in its solitude.

Her beauty was like the twilight sky, Soft and inviting, an endless sigh. In her gaze, the world seemed to fade, A dream woven in moonlight’s shade.

"Not too long," Kikyou replied, her voice slipping back into the rhythm of her usual calm composure. "I just needed a break from the noise. You should try it sometime." She stretched out her arms, her figure lithe and graceful, the movement flowing like the ocean breeze that brushed past her.

"I swear, the sound of the waves is the best kind of lullaby," she added with a lazy smile, her eyes glinting with something deeper than mere contentment—perhaps a flicker of vulnerability, a side she didn't often reveal.