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You had missed the beach too much to allow your friends to ruin your plans. They may have had too much work to take days off but you didn’t, so there you were, alone on the beach.
You packed a total of three pieces of clothing, a sun hat, slippers and sunscreen, and it was enough for you to sit happily on a towel on the warm sand. The waves crashed calmly close to your toes, the cold tickling you. At 6 am when you set foot on the shore, it was just you, the sea and the rising Sun, but as the minutes passed and the temperature rose, more people put their towels in the area. It didn’t bother you, despite most of them bringing children or dogs, because you were finally satisfying your longing for the sea.
Usually you were aware of your aspect in the swimsuit but this time you ignored it. No one familiar was there anyway so why would you care about strangers’ opinions? However, at some point, you noticed someone stealing one too many glances. You became self-aware even though the person seemed not to mean any harassment. She happened to just like the view of you more than that of the waves.
She looked at the colour of your skin glowing in the sun, at the way little beads of sweat glided down your body, at the grains of sand caught in your hair and she marvelled until her heart started beating faster.
Determined to fight back the impertinence, you threw a glare to the side. Once meeting the adoring eyes of a girl, your anger faded into a smile. The girl instinctively smiled back then looked away.
The following dozens of waves seemed to come closer and closer to the towels, as if they wanted to better hear the thumps of two hearts and the unsaid compliments. You found the girl beautiful as well, with her short brown hair, tied up in an imperfect ponytail, with her black two piece swimsuit and those piercing but kind eyes.
On the other side, the young woman saw a goddess in you. She settled for admiring from afar, not wanting to bother you; actually not even knowing how to start the chat. What if you were deaf? She didn’t know sign language. What if you didn’t speak Japanese? Her English was still too defectuous not to embarrass herself. What if you had a boyfriend? What if you weren’t into women at all? Too many ifs gave the girl a hard time and she didn’t look at you anymore.
Although you wanted her to talk to you, you didn’t feel bold enough to introduce yourself. Maybe if you were more at reach, she would. Therefore, you went for a bath and then, instead of rushing to your towel, you walked along the shore, close enough to the woman to almost hear her voice. The first thing you heard was, unfortunately, one of the boys who were with her. His deep voice was followed by a chuckle and then by the name “Nobara”. That was her name, you assumed once you saw her slap the boy’s shoulder for being mocked. Maybe he was the boyfriend; or maybe the other boy, the calmer one, covered in sunscreen, who seemed to regret coming to the beach. No attempt was made at interaction and you felt awkward. What if her glances meant a different thing? You retreated to your towel and decided to spend the rest of your day as if the people next to you were non-existent.
All fun and games until the Sun started burning too hot. You applied a new layer of sunscreen on most of your body but the middle of your back remained inaccessible. A wild thought crossed your mind but you sent it away as quickly as it came. There might not be anything inappropriate in asking a girl to help you not get skin cancer, yet the idea of her pretty hands roaming your body stirred you. Consequently, you struggled further. Of course Nobara saw you. She pitied you and wished to offer assistance from the bottom of her heart but it seemed intrusive, so she refrained.
Even with cream on, the Sun was unbearable. Your hat wasn’t in the size to cover your shoulders as well so you kind of suffered for not having a sun umbrella too. You didn’t want to leave your new crush’s presence but you knew you would eventually be forced to do so.
“Hey, I don’t want to bother you but… would you like to come under our umbrella?”
Your heart jumped from its spot when you heard Nobara’s voice so close to you. What an offer has she made, you would’ve been a total fool not to accept it.
“That is very nice of you, thank you,” you answered. “Are you sure I’m not intruding?”
“Of course. Would I have offered it otherwise?”
Point taken and made you blush. You gathered the few objects you had and joined the trio under their impressive beach umbrella.
Up until 1 pm when it was no longer safe to be on the beach, you and Nobara managed to tell each other the story of your lives. A lot of laughs, aw’s and gasps were shared, and a nice bond seemed to have been tied. When the time to pack things and leave came, you fell sad. You didn’t want to ruin the fresh friendship so you faked a smile.
“Listen, would you,” Nobara started, pushed forward by both boys. “Would you like to meet later?”
“For dinner? Or a nightly walk on the beach?” You asked, stuttering from your butterflies.
“Whatever you like.”
“Should I see it as a date?” You caught yourself asking.
You noticed the boys side-eyeing each other but you focused on Nobara’s blush. She would’ve dismissed the suggestion instantly if she hadn’t enjoyed it, so a smile coated your lips in anticipation of the answer.
“I would love to, in that case,” you added, taking the girl’s silent bashful stare as a confirmation.