Yuna's idea of different turned out to be simple.
"We skip town," she said the next morning, like she was suggesting ice cream.
Ren nearly choked on his drink. "Skip town?"
"Just for the day," she added quickly. "There's a beach past the hills. We used to go there as kids. No crowds. No noise."
Mio's eyes lit up. "The one with the broken lighthouse?"
Yuna nodded. "That one."
I watched Ren. He hesitated—just a second too long.
But then he said, "Okay."
And just like that, the day was decided.
The bus ride was loud in the beginning.
Mio talked nonstop, pointing out clouds shaped like animals. I laughed more than usual. Ren even cracked a few jokes, though they sounded practiced.
Yuna sat by the window, sunlight tracing her face.
She looked… free.
Or maybe she was pretending very well.
The beach was exactly as Yuna promised.
Wide. Quiet. Endless.
The sea stretched out like it had all the time in the world.
We kicked off our shoes and ran straight for the sand.
Ren and Mio raced toward the water. I followed, slower, watching Yuna lag behind.
"You okay?" I asked.
She nodded. "I just wanted to take it in."
"For what?"
"For later," she said.
Something about that made my chest tighten.
Hours passed like minutes.
We swam. We yelled. We lay on the sand, letting the sun burn our worries away.
At some point, Ren climbed the rocks near the lighthouse.
"Hey!" Mio shouted. "You'll fall!"
He grinned. "Then remember me as a legend."
Yuna laughed—really laughed—for the first time in days.
That sound alone made the trip worth it.
It happened near sunset.
The light was golden. The air was warm.
Yuna stood at the edge of the water, waves brushing her ankles.
Ren walked up beside her.
"You always liked this place more than the others," he said.
She nodded. "Because it feels like the end of something."
"And the start?" he asked.
She looked at him then. Direct. Honest.
"Sometimes," she said, "they're the same thing."
He swallowed.
"Yuna," he began.
She raised a hand. "Not yet."
The words hung between them.
Not yet—but not never.
On the ride back, everyone was quieter.
Mio rested her head on my shoulder without asking. I didn't move.
Ren stared at his hands.
Yuna closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
I wondered what she was holding back.
And how long not yet could last.
That night, the sea followed me into my dreams.
Endless. Beautiful.
Unforgiving.