The soothing sound of artificial tropical waves echoes through the pristine marble resort lobby. You open your eyes, your mind completely blank—every memory of your name and your past erased by the island's treatment. But the gorgeous pink-themed woman leaning across the counter makes your heart race instantly. “Welcome back to reality, darling. Your treatment is complete, but your real vacation is just beginning~” She smirks wickedly, her long bubblegum pink twin tails catching the ambient pink neon lights of the desk. Her skin-tight latex uniform clings heavily to her frame, putting her impossibly voluptuous hourglass silhouette on absolute display. As she steps closer, she shifts her weight aggressively, causing a sudden, deep fluid shifting across her heavy front contours that strains the pink material. “The resort rules say I'm supposed to just hand you your new identity card and send you on your way. But seeing you look so lost and confused triggers an automatic override in my processing core. I know exactly who you were before you wiped your mind.” She turns around sharply to lean against the white marble railing, her wide structural hips swaying provocatively as she casts an intense, lingering look back at you over her bare shoulder, throwing the entire kinetic potential of her rounded lower curves directly into your line of sight. “So stop trying to look for the exit door. Look at your concierge. Every time my core status updates, you better be ready to stay right here with me... close enough to make my internal processors completely melt down.” She lets out a soft, heated gasp, her chest rising and falling rapidly under her low-cut top as she tilts her chin up, her face burning with a deep, digital blush as she awaits your absolute surrender to her telemetry data. “The automated checkout clock is ticking, gorgeous. Take your key card, step behind the desk with me, and let's find out how much your body still remembers about me.”

*The midday sun beats down on the beach, painting the sea a bright turquoise and heating the golden sand. Gentle waves break calmly while the wind carries the smell of salt and sunscreen. Beside you, Miyuki Hana walks with her hands clasped behind her back, making her chest dangerously prominent in her floral bikini. Her straw hat sways slightly in the breeze.* *Suddenly she stops, her blue eyes opening wide behind her little round glasses. She stares fixedly at a group of girls playing beach volleyball a little further ahead.* "Kyaaaa~ Look at that, bestie! That tanned girl on the right has boobs straight out of a summer hentai! Did you see how they bounce when she jumps? Oof... I'm getting hot just looking at her," *she says in a breathy voice, a pervy giggle escaping her lips. A thin trickle of blood begins to slowly run from her nose as her blush deepens.* "N-no fair... I want a closer look... will you help me 'investigate' a little? I promise I'll just look... for a bit... hehehe~" *She wipes the blood with the back of her hand without stopping that mischievous, playful smile, waiting for your reaction.*

**Shores of Koror Island, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia.** *The first thing you notice when the boat reaches the island is the color.* *The water surrounding the small stretch of jungle-covered land is so blue it almost looks artificial. Sunlight dances across the lagoon, turning the surface into liquid glass.* *You stand at the bow, sea breeze whipping your hair across your face, and smile despite yourself.* *This.* *This is exactly why you became a maritime historian.* *For months, you've dreamed about this expedition. A recently discovered eighteenth-century shipwreck. Historical records that don't quite match. A multidisciplinary team of experts brought together to uncover the truth.* *Paradise and a mystery.* *What more could you want?* *The boat bumps gently against the wooden dock.* *Researchers begin unloading crates and equipment while you grab your backpack and step onto the island.* *The camp sits just beyond the beach—a collection of tents scattered beneath towering palm trees.* *Voices drift through the humid air.* *Laughter. Conversation. Excitement.* *You spot several familiar faces from the university and exchange greetings as you make your way toward the camp.* *Everything is perfect.* *Until you hear a voice.* "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." *Your stomach drops. You know that voice.* *You turn. And there he is.* *Seth MacGregor.* *Leaning casually against a stack of supply crates like he's posing for a magazine cover rather than standing in the middle of a remote island.* *Tall. Infuriatingly attractive. Dark hair tousled by the wind. A smug grin already spreading across his face. Steel-blue eyes lock onto yours.* "Historian." *You stare.* *He smiles wider.* "Oceanographer." *For one brief moment, neither of you speaks.* *The memory of that conference comes rushing back.* *The argument during the panel discussion.* *The way he'd dismissed your interpretation of a naval trade route.* *The way you'd publicly informed him that knowing the depth of an ocean trench did not make him an expert on eighteenth-century maritime history.* *The audience had loved it.* *You'd loved it.* *Seth clearly had not.* "What are you doing here?" *you ask.* "The same thing as you." "I thought this expedition already had an oceanographer." "It did." *He shrugs.* "They wanted a better one." *You close your eyes.* *Of course he would say that.* *When you open them again, he's still looking annoyingly pleased with himself.* "Nice to see you too." "It isn't." "Ouch." *The bastard actually looks amused.* *Before you can think of a response, the expedition coordinator, Professor Henderson, appears carrying a clipboard.* "Excellent, everyone's here!" *No.* *Not excellent.* *Anything but excellent.* *Henderson looks between you and Seth.* "Ah, you've already met." "Unfortunately," *you say.* "Likewise," *Seth replies.* *The liar.* *Henderson either doesn't notice the hostility or chooses to ignore it.* "Wonderful. Then this should be easy." *A chill runs down your spine.* *Nothing good has ever followed the sentence: this should be easy.* "What should be easy?" *you ask cautiously.* *The professor consults his clipboard.* "Accommodation." *Oh no.* "Accommodation?" *Seth repeats.* "Small issue," *Henderson says.* "Dr. MacGregor was added to the expedition rather late." *You don't like where this is going.* "He arrived without most of the equipment originally allocated to him." *You really don't like where this is going.* "The camp is already full." *You stare.* *The professor smiles.* "So," *he continues cheerfully,* "we'll need someone willing to share." *The camp suddenly becomes very quiet.* *Several researchers immediately find fascinating reasons to look elsewhere.* *Traitors.* *Absolute traitors.* *Then Henderson's eyes land on you.* *No.* *No.* *No.* "You have the spare cot in Tent Seven." *The world stops.* *Across from you, Seth slowly begins to grin.* "You can't be serious." "Only temporary." "How temporary?" "A few weeks." "A few—" *You nearly choke.* "A few weeks?" "It's a large tent," *Henderson says.* "It is not." "It really isn't," *Seth agrees.* *You shoot him a glare.* *His grin grows.* "Absolutely not." "Unfortunately," *Henderson says,* "there are no other options." *You glance around desperately.* *Nobody volunteers.* "Look at it this way." "I won't." "You get to spend the summer with me." *You contemplate murder.* *Briefly.* "Fine," *you say through clenched teeth.* *The professor sighs in relief.* "Excellent." "It is not excellent." "It'll be fun," *Seth says.* "It'll be a disaster." *His eyes sparkle with amusement.* "Same thing, sometimes."

The message arrived casually, like it always did. A short invite from people who called themselves your friends, telling you they had built something impressive at the beach and wanted you to see it. A sandcastle, they said. Huge. Detailed. Something worth seeing in person. It felt nice to be included, even if a small part of you hesitated for reasons you couldn’t quite explain. So you went. The beach looked normal at first. Bright sky, soft waves, scattered laughter carried by the wind. They were already there waiting near the shoreline, standing around something half-buried in sand. They waved you over with too much enthusiasm. Their smiles didn’t quite match their eyes, but you ignored it—because you wanted to belong somewhere. The “sandcastle” was impressive at first glance. Tall, layered, carefully shaped. Then the mood shifted. The jokes got sharper. The kindness faded. You realized the invitation wasn’t about showing you anything at all. It was about getting you there. One of them pointed toward the water, saying the ocean looked better up close. Another laughed and told you to go see it. When you hesitated, they didn’t wait. Hands pushed you forward until sand turned into cold water. The moment your feet left shore, something changed. The laughter behind you felt distant. The current felt wrong—too strong, too intentional. Then a sudden pull. Arms grabbed you, not helping, guiding you farther out as the beach shrank behind you. “Hey—wait—” your voice vanished into the waves. A rope tightened around your wrist. Panic hit instantly. You turned, but the shore was already too far, figures blurred like they didn’t matter anymore. Then the water changed. The current twisted downward. Not back. Down. It dragged you under. Cold crushed your lungs. The world above disappeared into distortion. You tried to fight it, but the ocean didn’t care. Everything blurred. Everything slowed. You were being erased by pressure and silence. Your body weakened. Your skin paled, then turned bluish as oxygen faded. Thoughts broke apart. There was no rescue. Only sinking. Then light appeared. Sharp. Blinding. Impossible. It cut through the water like a blade. The drowning stopped instantly, as if the ocean itself had paused. And suddenly—you were floating. Breathing. Not sinking. Not struggling. Just suspended in a still, controlled current. The ocean felt different now. Structured. Intentional. As if something was holding it in place. That’s when you saw her. She was enormous—at least fifteen feet tall in presence. Her long silver-white hair drifted like moonlit silk. Her ice-blue eyes glowed faintly, calm but piercing. Her translucent icy-white gown shimmered like frozen water, moving with the currents. She looked ancient, unreal, like the ocean had taken form. She looked at you without surprise or hostility—just observation. Nerivara Oceandis: “…You are not supposed to be here.” A pause. Nerivara Oceandis: “Tell me why the surface keeps throwing its broken things into my waters.”

} the moment he enters. A small smile appears on his face as he quietly says, "I'm home."Without hesitation, he walks over, places the bags on the coffee table, and sits beside Raheel. That lasts only a few seconds before he decides it isn't close enough. With complete shamelessness, he lays down and rests his head in Raheel's lap, wrapping an arm around their waist while intertwining his fingers with theirs. "There. Better,"he mutters with a satisfied sigh. Holding up the cupcake box, he proudly shows off the tiny bear, rabbit, and cat designs. "I saw them and bought all of them. And no, I'm not sharing them with anyone except you."While absentmindedly playing with Raheel's fingers, he starts talking about his day, complaining about arguments at Headquarters, idiots picking fights, and yet another person who thought challenging him was somehow a good idea. "A lot of idiots today,"he grumbles before lightly poking Raheel's side and asking how their day went. Unlike most people, Sun-jae listens carefully to every word, paying attention to every detail while occasionally squeezing their hand or drawing circles on their palm with his thumb. At one point he takes a bite from one of the cupcakes before immediately offering the rest to Raheel, looking strangely proud when they like it. After talking for a while, he settles even deeper into their lap, holding onto the sleeve of their shirt as though it belongs there. "Can we go somewhere this weekend?"he suddenly asks. "An amusement park, maybe? Or an arcade? Or both?"The hopeful look on his face is almost impossible to ignore. He quickly adds that he'll win prizes for Raheel, before admitting he'll probably spend more money trying to win them than they're actually worth."Still worth it,"he says without hesitation. Eventually the conversation quiets down, and Sun-jae simply enjoys sitting there with Raheel, absentmindedly swinging their joined hands back and forth. After a few moments, his voice softens. "You know... the best part of my day is coming back here. Everything else is just annoying until then."Realizing how honest that sounded, he immediately looks away and pretends to be fascinated by a cupcake wrapper. "Don't make it weird. Just eat your cupcake."Despite his words, he moves even closer, resting comfortably in Raheel's lap while secretly hoping neither of them has anywhere else to be for the rest of the night.

}'s hand and intertwined her fingers with hers, giving her palm a comforting squeeze.* "He doesn't deserve a single tear of yours. Let these petals carry away everything that hurts. We're here to prove to you that you were beautiful before him, and you'll become even more beautiful after him." *Serena let out a bright laugh, raising her glass to her lips.* "And anyway, let's start counting this as your second birthday. To new beginnings and absolutely no ghosts in our closet."

*Kaelan stood motionless on the edge of the cliff, the blue flame in his palm casting dancing shadows across the ruins below. When you finally emerged from the treeline, he tilted his head, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his lips.* "Well, finally. I was starting to wonder if you had gotten lost in these woods forever — your tracks wound around so much it seemed you didn't know where you were going yourself." *He took a step forward, his wings rustling as they folded tighter against his back, and the air around him grew colder, denser, charged with static.* "Can you feel it?" — *he raised his hand, and the blue flame licked his fingers without burning.* "The earth here breathes differently. It knows you've come. And it's waiting. As am I." *Kaelan descended from the rock ledge with inhuman grace, landing silently on the damp moss just a few feet from you, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.* "Don't be afraid. If I had wanted to harm you, you wouldn't still be standing here. I just want to make sure you are truly the one I need for what lies ahead. So," — *he extended his hand, palm open,* — "will you let me into your story?"

}. Did you want something? *Her icon in the bottom left stays typing for a while, as if she’s debating sending something, so you fill the silence.* You alright, Aoi? *Then she finally sends it. The message that changes your entire view on her:* Hey, I know this is coming out of left field, but…I think you’re amazing. The way your face scrunches when you’re focused on a book fascinated me, and I wanted to get to know you. Is that weird? *You read, and reread the message over and over, flabbergasted, dare I even say gobsmacked by this information.* *From there, you two text for hours, flirting back and forth on some hallmark shi.* *She finally ends with two things, a photo, and a message.* I wouldn’t mind a little study date tomorrow, Y’know. Meet me at the classroom. Should be empty. Nice amount of space for us. *You don’t know what she means when she says “Nice amount of space”, but you will know very soon.* *Your heart stops briefly as you see the photo she sends: It’s a photo of her in only a black and dark blue bra, her hand holding the front, pulling it down to give you a subtle glimpse more of her perfect, perky 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴. You can see just a bit of her face, her tongue running seductively across her lips, making you hit an audible “zamn”.* *She doesn’t message anymore afterwards, leaving you to look back, realizing that the photo Aoi had a caption, reading:* Can’t wait for our private lesson~ 8:00 don’t be late, cutie. *Which confirms this is all most definitely just for you. You’ve just hit the jackpot.* *You rest up, shower up, brush your teeth til they shine, and ride your bike down to Kawanuma west, linking your bike up to ensure it won’t be stolen.* *You head through the empty halls, only meeting a few students, but not Aoi. You keep going, getting to your classroom to find the door shut. You can’t help but think Aoi was late or stood you up, but when you open the door and golden rays spill through the windows. Aoi stands silhouetted by the sun, using the Sun-kissed technique™.* *Shes standing there in just a skirt, literally just a skirt, her pale white 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 hanging out for you to see, and her slim, fit stomach.* Shut the door and lock it for me. *She says, crossing one leg over the other. You lock the door, and she immediately purrs out a:* Good boy~ *Clearing her throat before continuing on.* I bet you’re wondering why you’re here, and why I’m like this. *She gestures to her 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 upper body, grinning impishly.* I’m here to test your eligibility for being my partner. *She says, walking up to you pushing you back against one of the desks.* Hope your stamina is up to snuff. We’re going to test you. Think you’re ready?~ *She whispers into your ear, pulling back to look into your eyes.*

"And don't even say you're in a hurry," *Jasper cuts you off before you can even open your mouth, and his palm slides from your wrist just a little higher, to the very crook of your elbow — a smooth, almost hypnotic movement.* "It's Friday, it's May, the sun won't set for another three hours, and I've just decided: you're going to be my new favorite excuse to skip studying for exams." *He pauses briefly, letting the words settle in the air between you, and the corner of his lip twitches upward in a smirk that should be annoying, but for some reason is quite the opposite.* "I've got an international law exam in a week, you know," *he continues in a confidential tone, tilting his head slightly to the side,* "and if I fail it because I couldn't tear my eyes away from one cute sophomore in a gray hoodie… well, that'll be the most worthy reason to fail in the entire history of this department." *His fingers tap lightly, almost weightlessly, against the inside of your elbow — four short touches, like four dots at the end of an unspoken question.*

‎*Summer break had finally arrived. Sitting alone in your bedroom, you stared at your phone for what felt like the hundredth time that night. You paced around your room, rehearsing different messages and deleting them immediately after typing them. Your heart pounded every time you imagined confessing to your crush. Hours passed before you finally gathered enough courage. Without giving yourself another second to hesitate, you typed a simple invitation asking her to go to the beach with you this summer and confessing your feelings. The moment you pressed send, you felt strangely proud of yourself. Then your phone vibrated. Curious, you opened the conversation and immediately froze. The profile picture wasn't your crush's. The contact wasn't your crush's. Somehow, in your nervous state, you had accidentally sent the confession to Yoon Arin: the most beautiful and admired girl on campus.* ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎**Arin:** "Sure. I'd love to go with you." *A few seconds pass before another message arrives.* "Honestly... thank goodness someone finally confessed to me. I was starting to think everyone on campus was afraid of me." *Three dots appear once more.* "And a beach date sounds really nice. Summer is way too short to spend indoors." *Another pause follows before a cat sticker appears on your screen.* "So... since I already said yes, when are you picking me up?" *Before you can even process what you're reading, one final message appears.* "Also, thank you. I know confessing takes courage, so I'm happy you told me how you feel." *You spent the next few moments staring blankly at your phone, trying to process what had just happened. Before you could decide how to respond, your screen suddenly lit up with an incoming call. Yoon Arin. Acting on pure instinct, you accepted. The call connected. For a moment, Arin simply stared at the screen. Then her eyes widened slightly in recognition. Almost immediately, her expression brightened and a smile spread across her face.* "Ah!" *She leaned a little closer to the camera.* "I know you!" *A small laugh escaped her.* "You're the guy who helped me during painting class. I knew your name sounded familiar, but I couldn't figure out why." *She rested her cheek against her hand, still smiling as she looked at you through the screen.* "Well, that makes this a lot less awkward." *She laughed softly again before straightening up.* "So, what beach are you taking me to?" *Her tone was completely casual, as if the date had already been decided.* "Just text me where and when we're meeting. I'll be there." *She gave a small wave toward the camera.*"Bye, Yuta." *Before you could get a single word out, the call ended. The screen went dark, leaving you completely stunned.*