When Takumi said he was going to "take me somewhere," I didn't expect it to be fucking Itoigawa.
Of all places.
The sea stretched endlessly in front of us, grey and quiet, like the world had been muted on purpose. The beach was empty, stripped of tourists and noise, as if we had broken into a place that didn't belong to anyone anymore.
The wind hit us immediately.
It sliced under my jacket, brushed against my ears, my neck, my hands, like it was trying to remind me that spring was a lie. I clicked my tongue and shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, pretending I wasn't freezing.
Next to me, Takumi was shivering in an oversized Bape hoodie, his shoulders slightly hunched, like he was trying to disappear into the fabric. He looked ridiculous. And kind of… fragile.
I wasn't supposed to notice that.
The ocean roared quietly in front of us, waves crashing against the shore with slow, lazy violence. It felt nothing like the glossy beach scenes you see in dramas or idol commercials.
Just cold air and silence.
And him.
For a moment, I wondered if this was intentional.
Like he'd brought me here not because it was beautiful, but because it felt messy.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
He didn't say anything.
Didn't smile.
Didn't try to impress me.
He just stood there, staring at the sea like it had answers he refused to ask for.
…Idiot.
But somehow, I didn't tell him that.
Not yet.
And still, whenever Takumi was this close, my heart always betrayed me.
It skipped a beat, then another, then my head began flooding with stupid, contradictory thoughts.
I wanted to kiss him.
Tease him.
Strangle him.
Slap him.
Maybe all of it at once.
…Yeah. I like Takumi.
And honestly?
I'm starting to think that makes me the bigger idiot.
"You know," I said flatly, my gaze drifting somewhere past the sea, past him. "This is both the best and the worst date of my life. If you ever date another girl, don't bring her here."
He blinked, then laughed awkwardly.
"Yeah… fair. Sorry. I just—" he rubbed the back of his neck, "I've never really been outside Matsumoto before shooting that video. So I had no idea it'd be this cold."
My chest ached.
How was that... even possible?
Every kid goes on a school trip at least once. Kyoto, Tokyo, somewhere. That was normal.
So why him? Could it be…?
I wanted to ask. I really did. But the words got stuck somewhere between curiosity and fear.
Because the more I learned about Takumi, the more I felt like I was stepping into something I wouldn't be able to walk out of...
Yeah. Like I was one to talk. Like I wasn't just as guilty.
Like I didn't just hand him cocaine and let him fuck me senseless.
Who was I to judge him, when I was the one who dragged him deeper into my mess?
Why was I even thinking about all this stupid crap anyway?
I like Takumi because he is Takumi.
He likes me because I'm me.
That's it.
For some reason, that thought made my chest warm. I leaned my head against his shoulder before I could overthink it.
Takumi is mine, my instincts screamed, louder than reason or doubt. And for that moment—just that moment alone—I knew it was true.
"…What happened?" I asked.
My voice came out softer than I meant it to.
He hesitated for a second, then scratched the back of his neck like it was nothing.
"Well… let's just say I got into so many fights in middle school that the teachers basically gave up on me. And in high school, my attendance was trash."
He said it casually. Like it was just another boring fact about himself.
"How about I take you to a place really special to me next time?~" I asked, trying to sprinkle some light over his little cloud of gloom.
It was a tiny, stupid thing, but I could tell it landed. He looked up at me, eyes widening, and… oh, that little blush creeping over his cheeks?
Cute. So ridiculously cute.
"S-sure," he stammered.
He had no idea what he'd just agreed to.
And that got my gears turning. A crazy idea sparked in my brain, and instantly I felt like some sort of wicked witch plotting in the shadows.
I smirked, tilting my head so the wind whipped my hair across my face. "Hmm… maybe I should make it… unforgettable. Just a little dangerous," I whispered, letting the tiniest trace of chaos slide into my voice.
Takumi shivered—and I knew it had nothing to do with the Itoigawa wind.
I smirked and slipped out of my clothes in one quick motion, letting the wind bite my skin. I gave a slow spin, letting his eyes drag over every inch.
A wicked laugh slipped out.
Because yeah… I wasn't wearing underwear. Instead...
"You brought a swimsuit," he said flatly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Hehe.
I was wearing a black one-piece with red bat prints.
"Let's swim, Takumi~" I said, grabbing his hand and yanking him up.
"You're insane," he muttered, shaking his head, but he didn't pull away.
Takumi paused.
"Hold up, I don't want my clothes soaked," he said, then stripped down to a pair of beach trunks.
He smirked.
"You're not the only one who's crazy prepared."
That did it.
I grabbed his arm and yanked him forward. Cold water slapped against our legs, then higher, soaking us both.
"We'll catch a cold like this," he laughed, then quieter, almost to himself,
"I wouldn't mind skipping school, though."
I splashed him hard, water exploding across his chest. For a second he just stared at me, stunned—then he struck back, sending a wave straight into my face.
"Hey—!"
I laughed, salt burning my eyes as I charged at him again. We stumbled deeper into the sea, every wave feeling like it was trying to drag us under.
But we kept splashing, kept laughing, kept pushing each other like two idiots who'd forgotten how to be careful.
Eventually the cold won. My teeth started chattering; his lips were turning faintly blue.
"Enough," he said, voice shaking with laughter and shivers. "Let's get out before we die here."
We dragged ourselves back to shore, water dripping from our clothes, sand sticking to our feet like wet glue. The wind hit worse now—sharp, too chill.
I hugged myself, half-laughing, half-cursing.
Takumi pulled me against him without a word, arms wrapping tight around my waist.
His skin was cold, but his chest was warm under the soaked trunks, heart hammering against my back. I pressed closer, greedy for the heat, pushing my face deeper into his neck.
He tilted my chin up.
Our mouths met—slow at first, then hungry. Lips numb from the cold, tongues warm, tasting salt and seawater and something desperate neither of us would name.
His hands slid down my back, pressing me tighter, like he was afraid I'd slip away with the next wave.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, I smirked against his mouth.
"Still think I'm insane?"
He didn't answer—just kissed me again, harder, like the question was stupid and the answer was obvious.
With a stupid amount of time left after our… "beach trip," we found ourselves wandering through the Itoigawa Geopark, almost like regular tourists. Almost.
The land here was strange and beautiful — mountains rising like jagged teeth behind us, forests dipping down into pebble‑strewn shores, and the water stretching so far it felt like the earth was breathing beneath it.
Sea pebbles of every shape and color crunched under our shoes as we walked side by side, occasionally stopping to look for oddly shaped stones — the kind people said you could find here, thanks to how the sea carved and carried jade down from the mountains.
I bent down, letting my fingers sift through the smooth stones, searching for something unusual.
"You're acting like a kid," Takumi muttered, but there was that soft smile on his lips.
"Shut up," I shot back. "These aren't just stones. These are ancient, mystical, cursed motherfucking stones."
He raised an eyebrow, crouching beside me reluctantly. "Cursed, huh? You sure you're not the cursed one?"
I laughed and tossed a dark green pebble at his shoulder. He caught it reflexively, frowning as he turned it over in his hand. "Okay… maybe this one's cool."
I spotted a white stone flecked with jade and snatched it up triumphantly. "Ha! Beat that, Takumi. This is practically a treasure."
He groaned, pretending to be annoyed, but his grin betrayed him. "Fine. I'll find a better one… just you wait."
So we crouched there, digging through the stones like idiots, cold wind biting our ears, laughing whenever one of us threw a pebble too hard, accidentally kicking up sand.
Eventually, hunger won.
We ducked into a tiny seafood restaurant along the coast, the kind with chalkboard specials and windows fogged up from hot miso and sea steam. The air smelled like salt and grilled fish.
Takumi ordered a kaisen‑don — a bowl piled high with fresh seafood — and I went with sushi, picking the pieces that looked like they'd been caught that morning.
The place was quiet, just us and a couple of old fishermen sipping tea and watching the waves.
I couldn't help myself.
"Say aaah~," I teased, lifting a piece of sushi with my chopsticks and nudging it toward his mouth.
He froze.
The chopsticks hovered there.
His face turned the exact shade of "why are you like this," and I lost it.
He was so, so embarrassed.
I grinned, more satisfied than I'd like to admit.
This trip... Wasn't so bad for a day with two idiots, cold waves and cursed stones.