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Kaito looked out from the beach onto the endless expanse of blue spreading towards the horizon. Everything was so beautiful―the sky was perfect, and the cool water lapped at his toes eagerly. The air tasted refreshing and smelled like just the right amount of salt. He couldn’t wait to just dive into the turquoise waters, but he still had to wait for someone...
A shuffling of footsteps sounded from the wooden beach huts behind him, kicking up small black pebbles and sand. Kaito turned to find an embarrassed-looking Shuichi tousling his hair and staring at the ground.
“Man, you look dope!” Kaito exclaimed, practically pouncing on his sidekick, causing him to almost fall over from the impact. “I mean, look at you! You’re practically a summer fashion icon. I’m surprised you don’t go swimming more often just to show off.”
Shuichi tugged on his suit. “Kaede picked this out for me last week… I haven’t been in the water since I was a kid, and I’ve never really had time for vacations. There’s just too much work, and I’m constantly surrounded by paper-”
“Oh, quit your mindless rambling! Must I remind you what we’re here for every five minutes? We’re adventurers, exploring the earth and making our way towards the galaxy! There’s no time to think about trivial things like work.” Kaito grinned, tugging on Shuichi’s elbow.
“Kaito, you dragged me out of my office and onto a plane two days ago. I should be at least a little worried...” Shuichi chuckled lightly. Kaito could sometimes be annoying like that, but he was right. Without him, there’d be no one else to tell Shuichi to take a break every once in a while. That being said, he was still a little nervous about this particular venture. Waves weren’t something Shuichi was particularly fond of―he still remembered a seaside holiday he’d been on as a child, where he got swept into the current and had to be carried back to shore by the lifeguard on duty. It was kind of ridiculous, but even now he felt like if he wasn’t careful, the water would just swallow him into the depths, never to be seen again.
He must’ve zoned out, because the next thing he noticed was Kaito gripping his hands firmly. He was probably fidgeting again, another anxious habit he hadn’t gotten rid of yet. Somehow, with Kaito holding him, even though neither of them were saying anything, Shuichi felt calm. He felt ready for anything, and all his fears seemed to melt into the warmth of Kaito’s hands.
Kaito started preparing the scuba diving gear, gently positioning the mask on Shuichi’s face and helping him put on scuba gloves. “The ocean is just like space,” he said quietly as he stood behind Shuichi, tightening the straps on his air tank. “There’s lots more to discover that we couldn’t even begin to dream about. Every coral reef is like another planet, and you can fly across the deep blue just how you would soar through the galaxy and weave through the stars.” He checked Shuichi’s mask one last time for leaks. “All good. You ready?” He stretched out his hand.
“Yeah.” Shuichi said, putting his hand in Kaito’s.
“That’s my sidekick!” Kaito shouted excitedly, patting Shuichi on the back, any quiet and composure he had just a minute ago nowhere to be found. “I’m gonna conquer space, and you can have the ocean! Together, we can rule the world, you and me!” Seeing the hint of nervousness remaining on Shuichi’s face, Kaito put his arm across his shoulder. “Come on, Shuichi, I’m the Luminary of the Stars, remember? Trust me, this’ll be great!” Dragging Shuichi along the sand, he made a running start towards the water. “3...2…!” They plunged into the deep, sending white splashes up into the air which sparkled in the sun.
Shuichi didn’t know what to expect after the initial torrent of bubbles dispersed. In fact, he almost forgot that he was wearing a mask, and only remembered to open his eyes when Kaito gave him a knock on the side of his head. The view in front of them was breathtaking. The water around them was a beautiful shade of aquamarine, and he could see the sun reflecting off the water surface, leaving shimmering speckles of white. Corals in all sorts of different shapes and colours lined the sand―some were delicate-looking round polyps, some were shaped like an outstretched hand, some looked like little tubes… the variety was endless. Shoals of small fish wove in and out of view as if playing hide-and-seek. “This is incredible…” he wanted to say, but with the regulator in his mouth, it came out sounding more like “Urhmmgurguh!” He blushed, making Kaito laugh heartily.
Shuichi followed Kaito’s lead as he led them through the water, soaring and cutting effortlessly through the waves as if he were flying through thin air. With every kick of Kaito’s legs and each push of his arms, Shuichi could almost see the water rippling over Kaito’s muscles. Together, they dove up and down, over rocks and under arches, veering around obstacles. As good a swimmer as Kaito was, he would always check to make sure Shuichi wasn’t lagging too far behind, and would always stop and wait if they were more than three feet apart. Slowly but surely, Shuichi began to feel at ease as the currents swept through his hair and over his back. He spread his arms and felt the water as it flowed between his fingers. He felt relaxed here, off the Hawaiian coast, with Kaito by his side.
They came to a place where the sea floor dropped several feet, leading to an underwater grotto. Beams of sunlight pierced through the water surface, illuminating the mouth of the cave in a soft glow. Kaito wasted no time swooping down, doing a somersault upon arrival.
As for Shuichi, he watched from above as Kaito admired the coral on the walls of the grotto and gestured for him to follow. He longed to be down there with Kaito, but the rest of the grotto was dimly lit, shrouded in shadow and mystery. All of a sudden, his fears resurfaced in his mind as he imagined the darkness swallowing him up and not being able to see the light again. He closed his eyes and started breathing quickly, and felt his palms getting clammy. He just couldn’t do it, wasn’t strong enough to even swim a few feet. It’s embarrassing, he thought, being scared like this… what would Kaito think?
Before he could answer that question, he felt a strong pair of hands on his shoulders and opened his eyes. Kaito was right there, holding him. Deep breaths. He looked into Kaito's eyes. One, two. He felt himself inhale and exhale, felt his lungs expand, then relax again. He looked around him―the water was still that same shade of blue, the sun was still shining, and Kaito was here with him. He felt his heartbeat slow down again. He was safe here. Kaito raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to say, You ready?
Shuichi nodded. This isn’t dangerous. I’m safe here, with you. I trust you.
Kaito loosened his grip on Shuichi’s shoulders and slowly began drifting backwards, all while keeping an eye on Shuichi.
Trust me.
The pair slowly floated towards the mouth of the cave, with Kaito moving backwards and gently guiding Shuichi as he moved tentatively towards the cave. Eventually, their feet touched the seabed. The feeling of soft sand underneath Shuichi’s flippers was gratifying, but even more so was the fact that he’d made it there. Kaito was grinning at him―he could tell because his eyes were squeezed into a thin line underneath the mask. He pulled a hand out from behind his back and presented a small pebble.
Shuichi turned it over in his hand gingerly. It was a beautiful stone, shiny and smooth, the minerals presenting themselves in intricate swirls of dark grey, black, silver and purple. It was like a piece of the Milky Way had been encased inside the rock. If this was what Kaito’s world looked like, he thought as he looked in wonder at the pebble, he’d be glad to explore it with him.
They continued to explore the rest of the area, and after what felt like a blink of an eye, they resurfaced, just in time to watch the sunset. As the two clamored out of the water in their wetsuits, Shuichi couldn’t help but miss the lightness and freedom he felt in the water. He took the regulator out of his mouth and inhaled the fresh sea breeze-
“Achoo!” Shuichi sneezed and rubbed his nose, alarming Kaito. “Don’t worry, something probably just tickled my nose-”
“Hey, it’s a lot cooler now, isn’t it?” Kaito said, frowning at the sky. “Damn it, weather, making my sidekick sick. I’m gonna get you sometime, I swear!” He turned to Shuichi. “You stay right here, okay?” He rushed towards the beach huts, muttering something about cooling, evaporation and ‘stupid wind’.
A few seconds later, Kaito returned with his long jacket draped over one of his arms. He spread it face-down over the sand, sat down next to Shuichi and wrapped the rest of the cloth tightly around the both of them, the sky and stars in the fabric surrounding them.
Shuichi rested his head on Kaito’s shoulder as he looked out onto the water. Orange clouds painted the sky as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon. Still sniffling, he said, “Today was great, Kaito. Thank you, and sorry for that… y’know...” He blushed and looked down at his feet.
Kaito smiled, gazing into the distance. “Right now, Shuichi, the entire galaxy is just you and me, right here. Like I said, sidekicks and heroes don’t have secrets between them. You can trust me, Shuichi. I’m gonna support you all the way, okay?”
“Okay.” The duo sat there, watching the sun set and the stars appear, and for a moment it really did feel like the universe was just the two of them. Shuichi smiled, a warm and fuzzy feeling growing inside his heart.
Right then, the world couldn’t have felt any bigger.