Tides of Change

The car rolled down the quiet highway, tires humming against the pavement, and the crisp air outside hinted at winter, but not the harsh kind. The sky was overcast with streaks of soft grey, casting a silver glow on everything it touched.

Inside the car, Leonor was at the wheel, calm and focused. Kotae sat in the passenger seat beside him, quietly watching the landscape shift. In the back seat were the four girls—Kika, Nina, Nakima, and Linda. They chatted on and off, the kind of half-distracted conversations that emerged on long drives with friends.

“We’re either geniuses… or idiots,” Kotae said. 

“Or both,” Kika murmured, eyes half-lidded, resting. 

“I think we qualify for the rare breed of genius idiots,” Nakima chimed from the back. “Winter beach trip in a post-collapse world? Iconic.” 

The ocean stretched endlessly before them, waves crashing in a rhythm that felt ancient and familiar. The sky looked like it could rain at any moment, but the air held steady. The cold wind whipped at their jackets as they stepped out, but it wasn't a deterrent—it was a promise. This place was real. It hadn't vanished with the rest of the world. 

They parked just before the old, rusted barrier marking the edge of the beach lot. Kotae stepped out first, bracing against the cold. It bit hard, but he welcomed it. It made him feel awake.

Nina and Nakima ran ahead, tossing off their shoes and racing to test the water. They shrieked at the temperature. 

"Holy crap, it's freezing!" Nakima shouted, hopping back. 

They made a small camp of sorts—a blanket laid out, cans of soda, a few snacks, and a thermos of warm tea, which Linda had packed before leaving.

For a long while, they just sat. They talked, they laughed. They let the ocean be their background music. The crashing waves drowned out their worries, their doubts.

Eventually, the cold crept deeper into their bones. They built a small fire from driftwood and a little kindling they'd brought—just enough for a little bit of warmth.

They sat in a circle around it, legs crossed, cheeks pink, hands extended toward the flickering flame. 

“What would you be doing right now?” Nakima asked, poking at the fire with a stick. “If things hadn’t fallen apart?” 

Kika thought for a moment. “Probably studying. Watching dumb shows in my dorm. Wondering what life meant.”

“I’d be stuck in a part-time job I hated,” Nina admitted. “Wasting money on iced coffee. Pretending I wasn’t lonely.”

Nakima nodded. “Yeah. Me too.” 

They turned to Kotae. 

He paused. “Honestly? I don’t know. I never thought much about ‘normal’ life. I guess I thought the world would always be like that, and I’d always be an outsider looking in.”

“And now?” Kika asked gently. 

He looked at the fire, then up at her. “Now I don’t feel like an outsider. Just a survivor with good company.”

They smiled.

Then, Kotae suddenly stood up. 

"You know what? I'm going in." 

Everyone looked at him like he’d lost his mind.

"You're serious?" Kika asked, eyebrows raised. 

He was already pulling off his shirt. "It’s freezing, yeah. But not death-freezing. Come on. We came all the way here, didn’t we?" 

Kika grinned. "You're insane." 

He turned to her. "Wanna be insane with me?" 

Without hesitation, she stood. "Always." 

They stripped down to their underlayers, shivering just from the wind. 

They glanced at each other for a few seconds, eyes moving top to bottom. They quietly appreciated each other's beauty.

"Alright," Kotae said, feet already sinking into the cold sand. "No backing out now."

They sprinted toward the water, yelling as they crashed through the first wave. The cold hit like a slap. Immediate, total, and biting. 

"Holy hell!" Kotae gasped. "Teeth... fighting... for... dominance!" 

Kika laughed, squealed, and dipped under the surface briefly before popping back up, face red from the chill. "We’re totally out of our minds!" 

The others watched from the shore, shaking their heads.

"They're gonna get sick," Nakima muttered.

"They're gonna remember this forever," Nina corrected. 

They splashed each other, swam for just a few minutes, before staggering out, skin pink, breath stuttering. 

"That was a mistake," Kotae wheezed. 

"Best mistake ever," Kika said, grabbing a towel and pressing into his side for warmth. 

Later, they huddled near their makeshift camp, Kotae and Kika still wrapped in towels. Linda poured them warm tea, shaking her head at their antics but smiling all the same. 

As the afternoon began to fade, the group packed up slowly, relishing the calm. But before they left, Kotae pulled Kika aside. 

They walked a little further down the beach, until they found a spot where the sand rose into a small bluff, just high enough to overlook the waves. They sat there together, the wind gentler now, the sky tinged with pale amber. 

She looked at him, then bumped his shoulder. “Hey. You did good, bringing us here.” 

He looked back at her. Her cheeks were red from the wind, her eyes bright, her expression open and sincere. “You think so?” 

“I know so.” 

He let the silence settle for a moment before saying, “I keep thinking—if something happens because we wasted gas on this, because we went here instead of somewhere safe…”

“Then it happens,” Kika said softly. “But if nothing happens, we’ll remember this. That we were still people. That we weren’t just... surviving.”

He stared out at the sea, eyes narrowed. “I’ve always calculated. Measured everything by value and risk. But this...”

“This isn’t risk. This is life.” 

He nodded. “I think I needed to be reminded.” 

Kotae pulled his towel tighter around his shoulders. "You know, if someone told me last year I'd be freezing on a beach in January, I would think they're on something." 

Kika leaned her head on his shoulder. "If someone told me I'd feel this happy again, I wouldn't have believed them." 

He looked at her, quietly. "It's weird," he said, "how something like this can make everything else fade out. Just... waves, cold air, you next to me." 

Kika smiled. "You’re getting soft." 

"I’m getting smart. I’m realizing what matters." 

She lifted her head and turned to face him, eyes meeting his. "So, what matters?"

He touched her cheek, his hand cold but gentle. "This. You. Us. Moments like this." 

They kissed—slowly, without urgency. Just a moment shared, sealed under a winter sky.

For a while, they said nothing, listening to the rhythmic lull of the ocean. 

Then Kotae spoke again. "Thank you for jumping in with me." 

Kika chuckled. "Always. Even if you drag me into stupid freezing water." 

They sat a little longer, hands entwined, until they heard the distant call of Linda’s voice. It was time to go. 

As they walked back to the group, Kika glanced at Kotae.

“Do you think we’ll ever have another beach trip like this?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied, eyes on the fading waves. “But I know we'll never forget this one.”

They rejoined the others, still flushed from the cold and from each other.

Nina raised her phone camera, capturing one last image of their footprints in the frost-lined sand.

"Proof that we were here," she said. "Proof that we lived."

No one said it, but they all felt it: 

They were alive. They were still human. They still had reasons to smile. 

After another long drive, they dropped the Tanaka sisters off at their home and headed back. The short minutes of freezing water in the ocean still clung to Kotae and Kika. 

When they got home, both of them jumped into the shower, cranking the hot water up as high as it would go. The heat was exactly what they needed after the cold, and they stood under the steaming water for what felt like hours, trying to thaw out. After about half an hour, Kika knocked on Kotae’s door.

Kotae opened it as he pulled on fresh clothes. “How was the shower?” 

“I needed it,” Kika answered, a small grin on her face. 

“Me too.” Kotae smiled and stepped aside so she could come in. They both sat on the couch.

 “We… really did that,” Kika said, disbelief in her voice. 

“We did,” Kotae agreed, his tone softening. “We’re crazy, huh?” 

 Kika chuckled. “Maybe. But I think it was the best idea we’ve had in a while.” 

Kotae smiled. “It feels like this whole week’s been a rollercoaster, doesn’t it?” 

“Definitely a rollercoaster,” Kika replied, leaning against his shoulder. “It’s been wild.” 

Kotae’s fingers curled around hers. “I guess it’s up to us whether we scream, or just… enjoy the ride.” 

Kika glanced up at him, her expression soft. “I think I’d rather enjoy it with you.” 

Kotae leaned down and kissed her forehead, a gesture that felt strangely tender but natural.

A few hours passed, everyone talking and laughing, but as the night wore on, the conversations quieted. Eventually, Kika stood up and stretched. 

“You ready for bed?” she asked, glancing back at Kotae. 

He nodded, standing up. “Yeah.” 

Kika walked toward the bedroom, but before leaving, she turned to him with a small smile.

There was something in her eyes, something unspoken that seemed to hang in the air. 

Kotae stepped into the room after her, his heart racing a little faster than it should. Kika was already sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him with that familiar soft expression, but tonight there was something different. 

He closed the door behind him, and they both stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the day’s events lingering between them. 

Kika met his gaze, her eyes steady but filled with something he couldn’t name. 

Kotae took a slow step toward her. His pulse quickened, and the air around them seemed to hold its breath. 

And then, everything stilled.