A/N: Hello. I wrote this chapter before Rindou’s official birthdate was released. I have no idea what Rindou's birthdate could be so I just made up a date.
Scorching Love
"Miss Earth to the Y/N... Hello? Earth to Miss Y/N?"
Hot. Flaming. Parching heat. That's how the heat that Y/N feels can be dissipated.
The November Sun is unusually scorching, contradicting the supposedly cooling season of Autumn. The heat of summer has eased, and that should've made her napping by the sea less uncomfortable, but it did not.
It felt like she was being grilled on a fresh-outta-stove sizzling plate. She gave the wristwatch on her left arm a glance. 11 am. She slept for almost six hours, a reason for the others to be worried as the beach umbrella was blown by the strong breath of the sea-and they only noticed it was gone after she spent half an hour of her unconsciousness bathing under the rays of the big ball of fire.
"Her face is burning so much. Didn't anyone really see the umbrella fly?"
"I didn't."
"Not me."
It burns. That thought floats in her brain as her left forearm touches her tomato-red face when she brings it up to the level of her face to cover her eyes-which is all warm too. The watch glass was warm, in addition, and worsened the boiling feeling she has. It fucking burns!
Y/N's eyes were brimming with tears threatening to fall. She prevents it with absolute concentration as it would hurt more to have warm things in her face.
"Fuck..." she moaned, standing up with wiggly legs as if the sunburn is sucking her energy up. "W-water... I need very cold water, please..."
Kakucho panicked as he hurried to the cooler a few steps away from the rest of them. The Haitani brothers, on the other hand, stood beside the h/c-haired to calm her down. Ran grips a newly purchased umbrella around his fingers and Rindou swings a fan up and down to summon air in an alarming way.
"Here," Kakucho throws the water bottle towards Ran for him to open it since Y/N can't do it. She can barely open her eyes without it stinging. As soon as Ran had it opened, he gave it to her and she emptied the bottle in a matter of seconds.
Y/N jumps on the sand as she bathes her face in cold water. Since it was almost frozen, it released the tension from her face and relieved the inflammation caused by the sunburn in an instant. But the aftermath isn't that nice. Her clothes-the hoodie, jeans, and shoes were all wet. It's not that big of a deal since it is hot enough to dry them but still.
"God... Can anyone tell me who the fuck took the umbrella away while I was sleeping? Y'all are so polite."
"We did not take it, it was blown by the wind."
"We were building sandcastles and didn't notice that the umbrella was gone."
"Sorry."
She sighed. What else can she do?
Y/N went back to lying down. This time, she's lying on her back. The Haitanis sat on either side of her, a ghost of worry sitting still on them.
"Happy birthday, Rin," she said, wrapping her arms around Rindou's waist. She took a small gap to put in between his back and her face to prevent them from touching.
"T-thank you..."
"Hey, you have to change or else you'd end up sick. Give me your wet clothes, I'll dry them." Kakucho's shadow towered and covered her vision. In his hand was a small bottle she thought was a sunblock. The scarred handed it to her and held out his hand for the clothes. "Put that on your face and your body as well."
"You'll stay here?"
"Yes. Now, change so you can join Izana wherever he is. Keep an eye on him. This is his first beach trip and he might beat someone randomly so watch over him for me."
Y/N got on her twos and rummaged through the bag she brought that was containing her personal belongings. After choosing the outfit to wear, she went straight to the changing room with the sunblock in her hand.
"Let's go?" Ran's first greeting to her when she returned to their spot. The brothers were already wearing tops, unlike before. Meanwhile, Kakucho sat to one side with his legs crossed and shades on, leaning on the bags they brought.
Rindou handed over a hat enough to cover her face. "Don't get your face burnt again."
"Wait."
"What is it?"
She pushed Kakucho away from his position and opened one of the pockets of her bag. She took a camera and closed the zippers again.
It was a 1996 Nikon Coolpix E100. It has a few scratches in it since it's been almost a decade since someone gifted her that.
"A camera? Wow, nice. Take a picture of me, please," Rindou placed both of his hands on his hips and leaned forward, looking at his side with his jaw all raised.
"No thanks. I don't want to have my precious camera with unpleasant people in it."
"Where did that come from?"
"Oh, someone gave me this when I was seven. She's around my age and was with a guy I think is her brother. She passed by my orphanage and suddenly gave me this saying it was her birthday gift to me. It was September."
"Cool. Now, let's go. Wear your hat, Y/N."
The Haitani brothers' arms were anchored to Y/N's as they walked. Thanks to the hat Ran gave, the sunlight doesn't hit her face anymore.
They walked by the seaside with the camera in her hand, finding Izana. After they passed by multiple beach umbrellas and a watermelon stand, they found him all by himself, sitting down on the sand not so far from the shore with his legs all spread and a yellow popsicle ice cream in his hand.
"Y'all are so close-what happened to your face?" Izana, as overreacting as he can be, dropped the ice cream on the sand. His facial expression is not so nice-eyebrows furrowing, nose scrunching up, and lips in a thin line.
"We're not that close. Not at all," Rindou tightened his grip on Y/N's arms, purring like a cat as he rubs his head on her shoulder. Ran did the same, but he only raised his eyebrows up and down.
"It's Rindou's fault. He took away the umbrella when I was napping."
"I didn't! It was blown by the wind and I only noticed it a few minutes after it was gone."
"You're the closest to her, Izana. You told us you'd watch over her sleeping."
"I didn't say that."
"You did."
"Whatever. Come here, Y/N. Let me take a look."
Y/N did as she's told. She pulled herself away from the two and sat beside Izana. Izana took off her hat, putting it aside and touching her jaw to raise it to examine her face clearly.
A loud laugh he gave in after confirming that she got a sunburned face. "Good thing it's only the face," he mocked her, giving back the sun hat.
"You're not helping."
"Okay, sorry. But are you okay? Put on some anti-inflammatory or whatever they're called."
"Yep. Kakucho gave me a bottle of sunblock." She gave him the bottle. "Put some. You might damage your skin and get skin cancer and you might die. Here."
"You think so far ahead. What have you been on?"
"Just do it."
Izana twisted the cap, squeezed the white liquid out, and applied a layer on his face, arms, and legs that are exposed to the sun. After that, he stood up and looked down on the popsicle's melted solution that got absorbed in the sand and shook his head disappointingly.
"I'll buy you a new one."
"No need to, but thanks."
At exactly noon, they decided to go on a walk to cure their boredom. Along the way, they saw their spot where Kakucho was still sitting. Y/N thinks the scarred fell asleep that way. On the other hand, the siblings were not so far from Kakucho making sandcastles that were almost as tall as they are.
"You go inside and fix it. Hurry up. Stop mumbling, I can hear you. I'm gonna punch you."
"Fucking bastard. Shut the fuck up!"
"What did you say?"
"N-nothing."
Minutes passed, unknowingly to them, and they only stood there watching the siblings quarrel. Izana grins as he approaches the sandcastle that the Haitanis were making. It was even taller than him. It was about to be finished, but much to their misfortune, all the time and effort the Haitanis gave to it vanished when Izana kicked the sandcastle, crushing it back to the sand it was before. It was the reason why Rindou got mobbed and buried under the sand, Ran eating some unwillingly, and Kakucho getting awakened by the siblings' scream and some of Izana's snorts.
"What is it? What is it?"
"Who the fuck-eurgh."
"Aahh!"
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
Izana took Y/N's hand, held them as he dashed towards her, and dragged her when he ran away.
It's so warm. Both the sun and him. He's warm.
Y/N looked up to meet his face, watching his lips twisting into a grin and his hair swaying against the wind. His skin, it's being gently caressed by the sun. The bronze color of it gets complimented by his white shirt and it shines as rays of warm light attempt to hug him.
It made her smile unknowingly.
He's so beautiful. So gorgeous. He's extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. He's ethereal.
Y/N took the camera that was dangling from the lace tied on her wrist, turned the power on and checked the number of exposures remaining, and ready the camera. She pressed the shutter release button down halfway to make the view as steady as she can before she pushed the button down fully.
"What was that?" Izana asked, looking in her direction. He noticed the camera in front of her face, that's why he smiled.
"Take more pictures of me, Ganda."
November fifteen of two thousand and five, the camera shutters, freezing the moment in time. Izana in his white shirt, holding her hand tightly as they ran away from the chaos he made—smiling and the happiest he can be.