Arrivederci || Dan Heng [✓ ]

⋆ ✦ ˚｡ Part seven ˚｡⋆

"Wait isn't that...?"

"That totally is!"

"Hey, how are you doing, girl?" A hearty tap landed on my back, belonging to the infamous Serval. Next to her stood Pela, looking genuinely excited to see me. "So this is where you were stolen off to?" It took a moment to process everything, but when I did, I couldn't hold back a big grin.

"Oh! What a coincidence seeing you guys! What are you up to?" I asked, genuinely curious. Serval then put her arm around someone hiding behind her. When he stepped into the light, I saw that it was her little brother, Gepard. Catching a glance at his face, I noticed a hint of an embarrassed blush as he looked at me.

"Just shopping with this rascal."

"Um, hello. It's nice to see you again." Gepard greeted politely, slightly bowing his head. I smiled back, appreciating his respectful demeanor. "How is your knee doing?" After quickly checking my leg, I turned my attention back to him.

"It's doing great. It healed really fast. Thanks again for bringing me to the nurse that day!" Gepard responded that he was glad to hear it, but then fell silent for a moment. It seemed like he wanted to say something more to me. Serval noticed this too and harshly nudged him with her elbow—trying to encourage him discreetly. His flushed face grew even redder, but he eventually held out his hand calmly.

"Uh, I bought these... band-aids for you, in case you get hurt again..." I took the band-aids from him, surprised by his sudden gift. It was a little unexpected, but I knew he meant well nonetheless.

"Oh, well, thank you very much. I'll be sure to use them well." Serval seemed satisfied with her brother's display of courage, patting him on the back.

"Alright then, sorry to hold you guys up like this. We gotta get going anyways. Good seeing you!" Serval grinned, playfully kicking her brother, who winced at the impact. I said my goodbyes to them, watching their silhouettes fade into the distance.

By now, the sun was setting over the horizon, casting beautiful golden hour hues on the countless rows of shops. The once busy town was now settling down. Our journey eventually led us to a small sidewalk that overlooked the shore. My gaze was captivated by the crashing waves—a small thought came to my mind,

This atmosphere right now, it's perfect.

"Hey, guys, do you maybe want to visit the beach?"

__ __

The fading warmth of the sand felt amazing on my feet as all of us gazed out at the endless sea. March and I decided to take off our shoes and dip our feet into the cool, clean ocean.

The sensation of the water on my skin brought back memories from my childhood. Being by the sea filled me with a serenity that words couldn't fully describe.

"It's like the water cleans you," March whispered, her face looking completely relaxed.

"Yeah," was all I could say, struggling to find the right words to convey my feelings. Dan Heng rolled up his pants and stepped into the water beside us.

"Do you like the ocean?" he asked, his gaze meeting mine.

"Yes, it's actually the only reason I came here. Just to see how beautiful it was." At that moment, March flinched, and both of us turned to see if she was alright.