Chapter Text
Tsukasa groaned softly, his voice muffled as his face remained pressed against the table. Slowly, he lifted his head, only to find himself greeted by the blinding glare of sunlight streaming through the nearby window. “…Bright…” was all he could mutter.
Tsukasa felt a warm hand against his cheek,lifting his head. In Front of him was his mother with concern etched into her gaze.
“Hon, Have you been getting enough sleep?” She asked, worry in her tone. “Your eyebags look terrible.”
Tsukasa forced a smile as he pushed his mother’s hand from his face, trying to reassure her. “I’m fine, Mom,” he insisted. “ just stayed up too late last night.”
Of course, he was lying. The truth was that he’d spent the night tossing and turning, plagued by recurring nightmares. Each one featured a terrifying sea creature, dragging him or someone he cared about into the depths of the ocean. The nightmares were terrifying, leaving him trapped with no escape. But voiced aloud, it didn't sound like much.
Usually, Tsukasa talked to his little sister Saki about his nightmares. But this morning, things were different.
Earlier, Saki had left for her band practice, leaving Tsukasa alone with his thoughts. He decided he’d wait until later in the evening when they were both back home to talk to her about it.
Tsukasa’s mom spoke up again, her words filled with urgency. “You better hurry and get ready, or you'll be late for work,” she warned. "And I’ll be late too if I don't get a move on. I love you, sweetheart. I’ll see you tonight."
With that, she planted a kiss on his forehead before heading out the door, leaving Tsukasa alone.
After his mother had left, Tsukasa called, “I love you, too,” to the closed door. He then picked up the bowl of leftover rice he’d had for breakfast and carried it over to the sink to rinse it out. Finally,he headed out of the kitchen and made his way to his bedroom yawning.
Tsukasa quickly changed into an outfit for the day, it consisted of black swim trunks paired with a simple white shirt and a light blue button-up shirt. He wasn’t particularly fond of wearing swim trunks out as shorts, his mother had been encouraging him to wear them more often, just in case he got an unexpected urge to go swimming. He thought it was a bit silly but obliged all the same.
When passing his mirror he couldn't help but scowl as he saw what he looked like. His hair was a mess, sticking up in all sorts of directions.
“…I’m not going out like this…”he mumbled to himself, a hint of irritation in his voice. He glanced up at the clock, twenty minutes until work. With that , he raced to the bathroom where he plugged in his straightening iron,determined to fix his hair.
Tsukasa was in the middle of tackling his messy hair with a straightening iron when his phone rang, breaking the silence of his room. He saw Akito’s name on the caller ID and answered. “Good morning, Akito!” Tsukasa greeted enthusiastically, answering the phone. “What do you need?”
On the other end, Akito cringed at the loudness of Tsukasa’s greeting before letting out a sigh. “Me and An are going surfing after our shift.
Want to join?” he asked bluntly.
“Of course I will!” Tsukasa replied excitedly. “I'll meet you at Daybreak later!”
"Gotcha. See you then."
And with that, the phone call ended.
It had been a long while since anyone had invited Tsukasa to hang out. Lately, he had found himself feeling lonely, spending most of his time by himself as friends have gotten busy. As a result, the idea of spending some time with An and Akito filled him with excitement.
Feeling better about today, he continued to work on his hair until he was satisfied.
A few more minutes passed as Tsukasa put the finishing touches on his hair. He looked at himself in the mirror with a satisfied hum, the unruly strands of hair now neatly straight and styled. “Much better…” he mumbled softly as he admired his reflection. He glanced down at his phone, and he realized that the time had slipped away from him. “Crap!”
Tsukasa hurried as he quickly slipped his sneakers on, nearly tripping in the process. He dashed out the front door, locked it behind him, and immediately began sprinting towards his workplace - a small shop called Sunny Surfs.
After a short dash, Tsukasa finally reached the Sunny Surfs storefront. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and assess the surroundings. Upon looking around, he noted that today would likely be a slow day. After all, it was Tuesday, and most schools hadn't even started summer break yet.
Tsukasa felt lucky in this scenario , for he and his younger sister Saki were home-schooled. That meant they had longer breaks and earlier vacations.
Before middle school, he had attended public school, but being constantly bullied by his peers had taken its toll. The school failure to intervene had pushed his parents to remove him and enroll him in homeschooling with Saki.
In the end, Tsukasa had come to prefer home-schooling, as it let him spend more time with his sister and help out more.
Tsukasa panted lightly as he rushed into the shop, calling out an apology, “Sorry I'm late!”
A kind, elderly woman named Mrs.Ellis emerged from the back, her brown eyes glinting matching her dark brown hair, which was streaked with a few strands of gray. She was short and plump with tan skin, her face adorned with a sprinkle of freckles
“It’s alright, dear,” the woman reassured him. “There’s no need for you to come in so early.”
Mrs. Ellis chuckled warmly as Tsukasa firmly reiterated that he was there to help out. He approached her and gave her a hug, a familiar gesture between them.
“What’s the schedule for today?”
“Just need you to hold down the shop while I handle a few errands,” she replied, her smile as kind as ever. “Once I return, you can take off!”
“Sounds good to me,” Tsukasa agreed, returning her smile with a nod.
With Mrs.Ellis now gone to run her errands, Tsukasa took a seat behind the counter of the shop. He leaned his cheek against his hand, humming a soft tune as he waited for customers to come in. The quiet hum filled the air, and he began to idly doodle on a piece of scrap paper while he occupied his time.
As the hours passed, they were correct. It was awfully slow, only a handful of customers walking into the shop every now and then, leaving Tsukasa feeling bored out of his mind.
As the boredom continued to grow, Tsukasa turned his gaze towards the window, looking out onto the street.
“Maybe Nene will walk by today,” he thought, hoping that she had come back from her trip earlier than expected.
It was rare, but sometimes he was fortunate enough to catch her around the area, and they would chat for a bit. These moments were precious to him, as his friends were always so busy these days.
Nene has been busy lately,as she has been studying marine biology and working hard to earn her degree. Tsukasa often visits her just to keep her company, knowing firsthand how lonely it can be when people are swamped with work and studies.
Currently, she’s out on a boat in the middle of the ocean, studying and researching different sea animals. If Tsukasa remembers correctly, she should be back in a few days. He wants the day to approach faster.
Around 3 p.m., Mrs.Ellis returned from her errands, her voice ringing out as she shuffled through the shop. Tsukasa perked up at the sign of her.
“Do you need any help?” he asked, moving closer to her.
“Oh, no, dear. I’ve already got everything under control,” she replied with a warm smile. “You can go off now. I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest; those dark circles under your eyes are getting worse.”
Mrs. Ellis’ comment about his under-eye bags made Tsukasa grumble slightly, irritation flickering across his face. He quickly shook it off, however, and replied.
“Alright, Mrs. Ellis,” he responded.
“Have a good day. And say hi to Maria for me.”
Maria is Mrs. Ellis’ granddaughter, who she takes care of. She’s just five years old and looks almost exactly like her grandmother. Maria is supposed to inherit the shop one day when Mrs. Ellis passes on. Though she is still very young.
Tsukasa often babysits her, and they get along well.
Tsukasa quickly made his way to the daybreak cafe, he was lucky that Sunny Surfs, and the daybreak cafe where An and Akito worked were close together, a small five-minute walk.
All he had to do was dart across the street without getting hit by oncoming traffic, a thing he does often.
Tsukasa stepped into the bustling cafe, admiring the pretty sea-themed interior. He waved to An, who was engrossed in her work behind the counter, he moved towards the front counter, a bright smile on his face.
“Hi Aki!” he called out cheerily, using a nickname that a certain someone calls him. Akito immediately scowled in response to the nickname, clearly not amused by it.
“Only Toya can call me that.”Akito’s expression remained grumpy as he crossed his arms and grumbled.
Tsukasa continued smiling, undeterred by Akito's mood. He leaned forward and inquired, his head tilting slightly, "Do you know when Toya's gonna visit? I tried calling him earlier this week, but he said he had no idea.”
“Last night he told me he was coming back this week,” Akito responded, trying to hide any disappointment or irritation. “But his dad is being a pain about it, apparently.”
Tsukasa noticed easily, though he didn't comment on it. Instead, he smiled and exclaimed, "Haha! It'll be fine! I'm sure Toya will make it!"
Akito huffed in response, obviously annoyed by Tsukasa’s optimism. He glanced at the clock above the counter, then turned back to Tsukasa. “Me and An will be done in about five minutes.”
“Got it,” he replied, then headed to find a table where he could wait for their shift to end. He sat down, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop as he idly watched the surroundings of the busy cafe.
After a short while, Tsukasa, Akito, and An had made their way down to the beach together, their surfboards in tow. As usual, Tsukasa kept his surfboard in the back of An’s dad’s truck with the other two’s, since he preferred to surf with them over doing it alone.
As for Akito and An, they always wore their swimsuits under their clothing, a habit they maintained around the clock. For once, Tsukasa’s mom convincing to wear his swim trunks proved useful.
Tsukasa walked out into the ocean, his face scrunching up as he felt the cold water enveloping him. He continued walking out until the water reached his waist, deep enough for him to climb onto his board. He quickly laid down on the board, then began paddling out towards the waves.
The sea around him was a deep shade of blue, the sunlight reflecting off of it. The salty air made him smile in nostalgia along with the sound of the waves crashing against one another. It was nice.
Tsukasa vividly recalled the day when his father first introduced him to surfing. Armed with a longboard, the father and son duo went into the ocean, the large board giving Tsukasa an easier time with balancing.
Back on the shore, his mother watched them with a baby Saki in her arms. Tsukasa was terrified of surfing by himself. It took several attempts, with him forcing his father to surf in his place, before he could even consider trying it for himself.
Looking back, Tsukasa realized that he had always preferred fishing to surfing at least when he was little for sure.
Barely five years old, he cried in terror as he sat up on the longboard.
“I don't want to ride by myself!” he wailed, tears streaming down his face.
“C’mon, Kasa, you got this,” his father reassured him, his tone gentle and calm as he tousled his son’s hair. “You’ve ridden with me multiple times before. I'm right here. You won't drown. You’ll be just fine.”
After some more coaxing (and a little bit of bribery), Tsukasa finally acquiesced and agreed to give surfing alone a try. At first, he did quite well, riding the waves with relative ease.
However, as he became overconfident, he took a tumble, plunging into the water. His father quickly came to his side, scooping him out of the ocean as he cried, tears streaming down his face.
“There, there,” his father comforted him, patting his back gently. “You did so good! It's okay. C’mon, let’s get you back to Mama.”
“Mama!” Tsukasa cried out, his small arms reaching out towards his mother.
“Awww, my baby,” she cooed, passing baby Saki to Mr. Tenma, who took her to the shallow end so she could splash around. Mrs.Tenma then took Tsukasa into her arms, cradling him against her chest.
“You did so well, honey,” she beamed, her eyes filled with pride.“I’m so proud of you!” She gently bounced him up and down, attempting to soothe his tears.
“No, no!” Tsukasa sniffled, his tears continuing to fall. “I crashed in the water!l
“That’s okay, baby,” she reassured him. “You’re not going to be good at it on your first try. You need to practice.”
Tsukasa pouted, huffing. “…I’m only 6," he muttered.
Mrs. Tenma chuckled softly, her voice filled with pride and encouragement. “Your dad wasn't good at it until he was 10,” she affirmed. “Don’t ever give up, just try and try again till you’re perfect.”
“Yeah! Stupid surfing, I’m gonna be the best!” Tsukasa exclaimed, determined to be the best
As Tsukasa grew up, he found that his interests had shifted. While he still enjoyed surfing as a hobby, he discovered preferred music and singing. As well, competing in surfing competitions didn't appeal to him like it did when he was younger.
As Tsukasa lost himself in the memories of his past, he failed to notice that he had positioned himself too far back on his board. With a shift in weight, the boards balance was thrown off, causing the nose to suddenly lift up and slip away from underneath him.
Realizing what was happening, a wave of panic washed over Tsukasa. The once calming waves suddenly felt menacing, and his heart pounded loudly in his chest. Crashing into wave he got thrashed around under water.
When Tsukasa finally resurfaced, coughing and spluttering water, he was met with the sight of Akito's amused face, the ginger clearly enjoying his misery. With one look around, Tsukasa's heart sank as he noticed his board drifting further out to sea, carried by the current.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath as he made his way through the water towards his board. As he reached the board, he noticed that it was being held onto by something - or someone.
A chill ran down his spine as he hesitantly leaned over to examine the strange sight., his eyes widening as he took in the sight of webbed hands gripping the side, clinging tightly to his board.
As Tsukasa leaned further over, he could see a boy with striking features. The boy’s purple-colored hair was streaked with blue streaks, contrasting beautifully against his vibrant yellow eyes.
However, there was something distinctly Different about him, the most immediately apparent characteristic being the webbed fingers and fin-like ears, both a shade of tint purple.
Tsukasa's heart quickened, torn between fear and awe at the unexpected sight before him. The silence between them was deafening, making Tsukasa’s breath hitch in his throat.
Tsukasa’s eyes widened in horror as realization dawned upon him. The type creature he had seen in his nightmares all those years was now right in front of him, Panic threatened to overwhelm him, and he instinctively opened his mouth to let out a scream. However, the creature swiftly lunged forward, its hand clamping over Tsukasa’s mouth, effectively silencing him.
The creature's expression darkened, and it let out a frustrated huff.”You’re just trying to get me killed,” it hissed. “Shut up and be still.”
Tsukasa, still stunned and terrified, managed to nod. The creature then reached under the board and fumbled around before pulling something off. To Tsukasa’s surprise, it was a jellyfish - a highly venomous one known as a man of war. The creature tossed it away gently, its poisonous tentacles trailing behind.
Tsukasa stood there, mouth agape, watching as the creature spared him a single side-glance and hummed softly before disappearing back beneath the water. The feeling of the creature’s cold hand against his lips lingered his skin, leaving him with a sense of bewilderment.
Once Tsukasa began to regain his bearings, he went back to the shore, still reeling from the encounter. Once he reached solid ground, the terrified londe let out a loud scream of pure confusion and anxiety. The sudden outcry drew the attention of everyone nearby, including those inside of the cafe who peeked outside the window to see what on earth was going on.
“Hey! Tsukasa, what's wrong?” An exclaimed, Concern evident in her voice as she sprinted over to his side.
Akito followed closely behind, his expression equally worried. “What happened?” he asked, his eyes scanning Tsukasa for any signs of injury.
Tsukasa began to frantically ramble aboug what just happened, his voice laced with desperation and disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what he had just saw. However, as he continued his insane monologue, he suddenly stopped himself, recognizing how completely crazy he must sound.
"Uhm... sorry... I don't.." he fumbled, his voice trembling, before letting out a frustrated groan.
An chuckled nervously, her eyes filled with worry. “Maybe the sun is getting to you,” she suggested, a hint of relief in her voice. “Let's head inside and grab something to eat, okay?”
Tsukasa nodded, still visibly shaken, his hand massaging his forehead.Despite his obvious distress, he followed An's lead.
As they entered the house, Tsukasa scanned the living space - it was a bit smaller than his own home, but charming in its own way. He had only been here a few times before, but the familiar surroundings brought some sense comfort to his mind.
An retreated to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, while Akito and Tsukasa settled at the counter, the silence between them only interrupted by the faint sounds of An rummaging around in the kitchen.
Akito, his eyes fixed firmly on Tsukasa, let out a sigh. “It’s probably just the sun and lack of sleep,” he muttered, his annoyance evident as he thought about Toya’s overworking habits.
"Your eyebags are worse than Nene's or Toya's, and those two put themselves through the wringer,” he continued, concern mixing with irritation in his voice. “My sister was the same way in freshman year as well.”
Tsukasa rubbed his eyes, clearly frustrated at the mention of his dark circles all day, before reluctantly admitting,
“Yeah, I’ve been having some nightmares lately.”
He sighed, the weight of fatigue and stress showing on his face. “I haven't been sleeping well.”
An empathized with Tsukasa, “My friend Haruka used to have trouble with nightmares too,” she shared, placing a plateful of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a side of fresh strawberries and a cup of water in front of him.
“She said tea helped,” An continued, her voice filled with a soothing tone. “I can ask her what type if you’d like.”
Tsukasa’s expression became skeptical, but he let out a sigh. “Mm guess it wouldn't hurt to try,” he mumbled, taking a bite of his sandwich.
As he ate, his gaze was focused on the wall, his mind still preoccupied with the strange encounter he had experienced just moments ago. He was trying to convince himself that it was merely a figment of his imagination, a manifestation of stress and exhaustion.