They went after midnight.
No lanterns. No music. Just the moon and the hush of the sea.
The beach looked different at night—bigger somehow, like it had room for all the things they couldn't say.
Mio kicked off her sandals first. "Last one in is emotionally repressed."
Ren sighed and ran past her.
Yuna laughed and followed.
I stayed back for a moment, watching their silhouettes blur into the dark.
The water was cold.
Sharp enough to steal breath.
Mio shrieked, then laughed harder than she had all week.
Ren dove under completely, resurfacing a second later with his hair plastered to his forehead.
Yuna waded in slower, letting the waves climb her legs like they were asking permission.
Out there, waist-deep, the world went quiet.
The shore felt far away.
"Do you ever wish we could live here?" Mio asked. "Just… disappear into the ocean."
"No Wi-Fi," I said.
She splashed me. "Worth it."
Yuna floated on her back, eyes closed.
Ren hovered nearby, close enough to reach her if the waves turned rough.
"You look peaceful," he said.
"I am," she replied. "The sea doesn't expect anything from me."
He nodded. "Lucky sea."
A wave rolled in stronger than the rest.
Yuna slipped.
Ren grabbed her arm without thinking.
For a moment, they were tangled together—breathless, soaked, too close.
Time slowed.
Yuna looked up at him.
He didn't let go.
"I'm scared," she said suddenly.
The words were quiet, almost lost to the water.
Ren leaned closer. "Of leaving?"
She shook her head. "Of being forgotten."
His grip tightened.
"I won't forget you," he said. "Even if I forget everything else."
Her eyes burned.
Mio splashed water toward them. "Hey. You two okay?"
They stepped apart.
"Yeah," Yuna said. "Just… waves."
Later, they lay on the sand, towels wrapped tight.
The stars were everywhere.
Mio spoke into the dark. "Promise me something."
"What?" Yuna asked.
"When this summer ends," Mio said, "don't let it disappear. Write. Call. Remember."
Yuna turned her head. "I promise."
Ren said nothing.
But he reached out, pinky brushing Yuna's.
She didn't pull away.
As we left, the tide erased our footprints behind us.
But the sea kept everything else.