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The walk down to the beach is rocky and very hot. Even as the day ticks over to late afternoon, the sun beats down on the pair; unrelenting, and certainly not something Mayoi is used to. He’s encouraged by Kaoru though, who (oh, so very kindly; and perhaps undeservedly) matches Mayoi’s pace.
As they get closer and closer, Mayoi’s immediately aware of the odd smell. Is this really what the sea breeze smells like? He heard about it all the time online, about how wonderful it was… People even sold candles and air fresheners trying to replicate it! But to his unfamiliar nose, it just smelled… odd.
“There it is ♪ You smell that, Ayase-kun? That’s the sea breeze! Isn’t it great?”
Mayoi hesitates for just a moment; perhaps well-timed, as he almost trips on a stone—“Woah there.” from Kaoru—he’ll blame his late reply over his misstep.
“E-Erm, yes. I haven’t ever smelled… such a thing?”
“...That’s, like, probably a good thing, right?” Kaoru laughs, and picks up the pace slightly as the beach comes into view. “C’mon, not much longer. Will you be okay?”
Kaoru’s caring. Mayoi’s appreciative that he’s worried over his condition, and in all honesty it makes his heart skip a beat… but he’s not fainting yet. He lets out a quiet little laugh.
“I’m alright. I’m alright, really. I’m excited, s-so I don’t mind picking up the pace... ♪” He truly is excited. He’s never been to the beach before, and when it had come up in offhanded conversation to Kaoru, the blond immediately decided that they just had to go. Mayoi, initially, was too frightened to turn down the offer—but the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea seemed. Of course, there was still that fear of the unknown… He always gets terribly scared whenever he must leave ES. But Kaoru was with him, Kaoru was kind, and he even promised to scope out the beach beforehand to make sure there weren’t any people around.
The path isn’t long at all; it’s only a few moments before they’re met with the sandy beach. Kaoru lets out a relieved sigh, and steps out onto the seashore. Of course, he notices Mayoi lingering behind, and turns to check on him.
Mayoi felt anxious. This was not a new feeling for him, obviously, but he can’t quite place his fear… It’s not as if anyone was around, it’s not as if he were being scrutinized—but he can’t tear his eyes from how the stone path borders sand, and as insignificant as a beach trip might be to some people, it truly did feel like he was entering an entirely new world.
“Ayase-kun,” Kaoru starts. It catches Mayoi’s attention, who glances at him with a guilty expression before hurriedly turning away.
“S-S-Sorry! I’m—I’m so sorry…! F-For being so insolent that I can’t even k-keep up with your pace… I just—”
“No, no, that’s not it. You look a little worried, is all? Are you okay?”
Mayoi’s silent for a few moments, fingers nervously tangling into his braid. He’s not sure if he is, but… Kaoru’s gazing at him so worriedly, and he’d hate to bring down the mood. He’ll swallow his anxieties… if not for his own sake, then for Kaoru’s. He gulps and nods his head. “...I’m okay. I’m sorry for going on a tangent.”
Mayoi steps forward onto the sand. Even in sandals, it’s… strange. How it feels under his feet; it’s so dissimilar to the firm flooring and metal vents that he’s used to. It’s not a bad thing, per se… but new, and new is scary. The outside is scary. He goes back to playing with his braid.
Kaoru casts him one last glance, before he steps closer to the ocean. He sighs contently, before slipping off his flip-flops. Mayoi tilts his head. Is that customary? Should he do it too? He’s about to ask, but Kaoru turns towards him and speaks before he can get a word out.
“The sand’s warm, haha~ It’s a nice day today, even if the sun’s gonna set soon.” He catches a glimpse of the sun, early stages of setting turning the clouds along its halation a gentle orange. “The sand feels good. You should try, too? No one’s around, so no one will steal our flip-flops.” He adds the last part with a quiet chuckle.
“D-Do people normally visit the beach barefoot…?” Even with his question though, Mayoi begins to shed his sandals. The moment his foot touches the sand though, his shoulders flinch; it’s hot. Kaoru’s just fine though, and it’d be rude to decline his advice… so he bears it, and takes his sandals off completely.
...At least the sand is soft, he supposes.
“Um… Speaking of customs, what do people normally do at the beach?” He glances around, still so unfamiliar… “I-I’ve seen on the internet, people have parties and sit under the sun, they drink soda and eat popsicles… There’s more to it, though, yes? What do you like to do here, Kaoru-san?”
“You can do all kinds of things,” he replies with a smile, taking Mayoi’s wrist and bringing him closer to the water. Mayoi squeaks, but it doesn’t deter Kaoru. “Surfing’s my preference, I guess. But kids build sandcastles, all kinds of people swim and play in the ocean, though some just like to hang out under the sun. Like, the warm sand feels good under the feet, right?”
It’s so hot that it hurts, but Mayoi nods. The weird smell is choking him up too, but Kaoru looks so happy…
“People alsooooo… look! Collect shells!” Kaoru stops walking, and crouches. He pokes around in the sand, before holding up a shell to the sky. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but Mayoi’s intrigued.
Has he ever seen a real seashell? He’s unsure. Kaoru hands it to Mayoi as he stands, and tries not to chuckle at his childlike fascination. Mayoi slips it into his shorts pocket… He has an idea on how to use it later. He’ll save it.
“C’mon, Ayase-kun. You gotta feel the water~ Come with.” Taking his wrist again, he carefully brings him over to the water. Mayoi grimaces, he doesn’t like how the wet sand feels underneath his feet, but he supposes it’s better than the scorching, sunbaked dry sand… The tide is low, but when the waves come forward and wash over his feet, he squeals.
“Hiiiieeep!?”
“Eh!? That was a fantastical noise, Ayase-kun?~” Kaoru’s stifling laughter, and in any other situation Mayoi would be positively mortified… but he senses no judgment nor ridicule in his laughter, and he even manages to laugh along with him. It’s so silly; a beach day is truly something so ordinary, and yet Mayoi hasn’t felt so at ease with another person in a long time. The environment is terrifying, but with Kaoru here to gently guide him along, it’s not too bad at all. When the chilly water rides up to his feet the second time, he’s still giggling.
“S-Sorry, sorry… Mfufufu. T-The sand’s just so warm, I wasn’t expecting the water to be that cold!”
“Pfft. You’re funny sometimes, Ayase-kun. You’re real lucky that I’m going easy on you since you’re a first timer, I’d be splashing you with water right now?~” He says it lightheartedly with a grin on his face, and Mayoi returns with a grin of his own. Well, he knows how cold it is… so he has no qualms with going deeper into the water, and splashing Kaoru when he doesn’t expect it. Kaoru gasps.
“Oi?! I wasn’t expecting that from you , you know?” he giggles, following Mayoi into the sea.
“Aaah, don’t mind me ♪ Fufufufu, you’re the one that gave me the idea in the first place…”
“Sneaky, sneaky~ I gotta get you back for that one!”
When Kaoru splashes Mayoi back, it begins a water fight. Maybe it’s immature and infantile, an image unbefitting of shining idols… but there’s no denying how light Mayoi’s heart feels, to feel normal, and for Kaoru to show someone so troubled his favorite place in the world… The two share laughter while attacking each other with seawater, Mayoi letting out a pained choking noise when it gets in his mouth and Kaoru complaining when his hair got wet. ( “C’mon, Ayase-kun, I spent so long this morning making it look good!”)
They don’t know how long they’re playing for until Kaoru notices that the sun’s dipping over the horizon. A reluctant admission of defeat from Kaoru, and he wades back to shore. Mayoi follows, of course, lips upturned as his remaining burst of energy courses through him.
Once relocating their sandals, Kaoru sits down on the sand with a light sigh. Mayoi joins him, bringing his knees up to his chest. The sand is hot. It’s sticking to him because of the water. The ocean smells so weird, and he can still taste the nasty saltwater in his mouth.
He’s so happy.
Kaoru hums as the sun sinks into the ocean. The entire sky is painted a brilliant orange, turning purple where the moon begins to rise. The remaining sunlight shines on the water, glimmering in waves; reminiscent of the stars in the night sky that Mayoi cherishes so dearly. He wonders if it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever seen. He’s seen photos, but they’re nothing compared to the real sight in front of him… and he can’t believe that he’s gone so, so long without going out into the real world. It makes his heart ache a bit… but he can ignore the pain. So many good things happened today. He doesn’t want to hurt this time. He doesn’t have to hurt everytime something good happens to him.
Kaoru’s gifted him a precious memory he can never forget. How could he possibly pay him back?
Maybe his expression betrays how deeply he’s thinking, because Kaoru interrupts his thoughts with a quiet “you okay?”
“Ah…” Mayoi begins, but he can’t find any words. He simply nods, quiet as he tries to figure out how to convey his feelings.
“...Um, I-I’m happy,” he begins. “I’ve never been to the beach before. I was terribly afraid that something bad might happen… b-but I had a lot of fun. Thank you for being so patient. I know I’m…” He trails off. If he self-deprecates, Kaoru will deny it. He has to bite his lip to keep it to himself. “...My point is, I’m used to bad things happening when I try new things… b-but even though I’m tired and dizzy,” he pauses to lie down on the sand, staring up at the sky, “I don’t remember the last time I’ve felt this happy. Thank you.”
Kaoru doesn’t say anything, and for a moment Mayoi is worried he disgusted him; he’s already prepared to go on an apologetic, self-deprecating spiel, but when he looks at Kaoru, the other man just seems… a bit flustered? He seems to be finding his words—it’s a moment of quietness until he replies.
“A-Ah, um, of course. I had a great time too, Ayase-kun?~ Um… I wouldn’t let something bad happen to you,” he seems especially embarrassed about that one, if the face he makes says anything, “Er, I wanted to show you how nice going out like this can be… So, if you had a good time, I’m seriously relieved.”
He smiles at him, heartfelt and genuine. It makes Mayoi’s heart skip a beat. If he speaks, his voice will crack, he knows; so he just nods.
After that, the two watch the sun set in silence. There are stars in the sky before Kaoru finally stands, offering Mayoi a hand. He takes it, standing alongside him. Up too fast… His vision goes white for a second.
“Let’s go home. I had tons of fun.~ You’re not feeling too dizzy, are you? I can carry you if—”
“ No! I—I mean…” Mayoi reddens at his outburst. He hopes it’s too dark for Kaoru to notice. “I-I mean, um… I’m okay. Thank you for the kind offer. I’d hate to force you into such an unpleasant task...”
“I’m the one offering in the first place, so don’t go deciding how I’ll feel about it, ‘kay?” Though he doesn’t truly seem annoyed, squeezing Mayoi’s hand before he lets go. “We’ll be back at ES in no time, so make sure to rest up for me. I know you’re not used to this sorta thing, so…”
My, Mayoi thinks, Kaoru-san is a bit of a worrywart!
The walk back is a little less arduous than the first trip. Maybe the day’s activities loosened them up a bit, but they were chatting and joking more openly, enjoying every second of the time spent together. After one sandy bus trip, the return to Starmony Dorms was rather uneventful but enjoyable. Kaoru decided to walk Mayoi to his dorm, just to make sure he’d really be okay… Mayoi couldn’t complain about the extra time spent with him. Really, he was a bit sad about having to say goodbye.
“Um… I said it earlier, but I really had a lot of fun today. I-I wouldn’t mind, uh… g-going again, with you—only if you wouldn’t mind, of course!!—Whether it’s the beach or something else, um… I-I had an enjoyable time.”
Kaoru smiles patiently, not minding how Mayoi stutters and mumbles and trips over his words. He nods like it’s nothing.
“I had a blast too. Let’s do it again sometime, yeah? I’ll shoot you a text.”
“Tha-thank youuuu…”
Mayoi glances between Kaoru’s face and his door.
He doesn’t have very good impulse control… he never has. With one last goodbye, he leans up to press a quick kiss to Kaoru’s cheek and hurries into his dorm before he can get a word in.
“Ah—…”
Kaoru’s left standing there, hand cupping his cheek with wide eyes. Mayoi really does shock him, sometimes. Part of him wants to knock, but he truly doesn’t believe he’ll get an answer, so he leaves it there. Well, Mayoi’s skittish nature is rather endearing… He laughs it off, and heads back to his own dorm. He’ll have to invite him out again another day.
They’ll have tons of fun together, and if Kaoru’s lucky, maybe he can get another kiss, too.