Should We Get On That?

Mika lay back on his deck chair and looked out at the ocean. The waves gently touched the shore, creating a soothing symphony.

"Mika," Saya said.

Mika turned his head.

Saya looked at him with her blue eyes, her legs pulled up to her chest as she sat on the sunbed.

"Yes?"

"I apologize for the way I've been acting. I have no ill intentions, I'm just trying to protect myself."

"Protect yourself?"

"Y-yes, I can't take it anymore. I have to do this or else... do you understand?"

"I understand... Then I can go somewhere else if you want-"

"NO, STAY HERE," Saya said, grabbing Mika's arm with her hand. Then she blushed and quickly pulled her hand back.

"Saya..."

"Whatever, just stay here!" Saya said, closing her eyes and speaking with a lot of embarrassment. She hastily put on her sunglasses and lay back on the sunbed.

"Shall we go to a café for lunch in a few hours?" Mika asked in a calm tone.

"W-what?" Saya said in surprise. All the seriousness she had gained seemed to have vanished.

"We'll get hungry, and it's better not to sunbathe in the afternoon, right?" Mika explained.

"Uh... okay, that's fine," Saya said, still looking surprised.

They sunbathed for a while and then went into the sea. They tried to build a sandcastle together, but the waves thwarted their efforts. 

They spent a few hours enjoying each other's company. Saya was having a great time, and seeing her happy made Mika feel good, too.

When they got hungry, they went to a nearby cafe. They both ordered noodles.

"I wonder what your parents are doing right now," Saya said, taking a sip of her drink.

"I don't know, probably listening to live music and getting drunk."

"Do they usually drink this much?"

"Well, no, but maybe because of a vacation."

Saya raised her eyebrows and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Mika asked.

"Nothing. If I had a kid like you, I'd probably lose myself in alcohol too," Saya said.

Their food arrived, and they began to eat. It was getting darker outside. They sat by the window, watching the shore as they chatted and enjoyed their food.

After they finished their meal, they left the restaurant.

"Saya, are we going back to the beach?"

"Before that, how about we explore the area a bit?"

"Explore?"

"Yeah, we might find some nice places."

"Sure, okay."

They started walking in from the beach. The sun was starting to set, but the warm part of the day was still ahead of them. After a while, the heat became overwhelming:

 "Saya, it's really hot. And we don't even have hats. If we can find a place nearby, maybe we can buy some?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Saya said, sounding as if she regretted her suggestion.

Just then, they noticed a bus stop ahead of them. A bus was already there, waiting. The sign on it read 

"Sado Washizaki."

"Hey, Mika, should we get on that?" Saya asked. 

"A bus? We don't even know where it's going. Let's just stay here."

"Come on, it would be exciting! Otherwise we'll have to walk a lot in this heat."

"I don't have any sleeping pills or anything."

"Nothing bad will happen. You made it last time!"

Mika looked at Saya and then at the bus. He really didn't want to get on, but walking in this heat didn't sound like fun either. He took a deep breath, feeling tense all over.

"Okay, fine. But if I start to feel sick-"

"You won't feel sick. Just hold my hand," Saya said, reaching back as she walked quickly ahead.

"W-what?"

"It worked in the car. Come on. Otherwise I'll get embarrassed and pull my hand back," Saya said, blushing.

Mika looked at Saya's hand. The bus could leave at any moment. He took a deep breath and held Saya's hand.

Together they walked hand in hand and managed to catch the bus. There were hardly any passengers on board. As soon as Mika got on the bus, his whole body began to shake with the movement of the bus. 

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to distract you from your fear," Saya said while holding Mika's hand tight.

Mika looked at Saya. She was genuinely worried, her eyes filled with concern.

"Thank you," he said. It really worked. He closed his eyes and began to take deep breaths.

 A few days ago, I could barely get on one. Now I'm getting on buses, and compared to before, it's just my body reacting. I really don't understand what's happening to me.

"Mika?" Saya said, nudging him with her other hand.

"Yes?"

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake. I thought you might have passed out."

"I might as well pass out. That would be better," Mika said, looking out the window. The trembling in his body bothered him.

"Don't say that, idiot. You'll panic me," Saya said, raising her eyebrows.

They arrived at Washizaki. They had done the necessary research on the bus.

"We're finally here," Mika said. His stomach was churning and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"Yeah, it looks like there's a lot to do here," Saya said, looking at her phone.

"What should we do?" Mika asked, his stomach churning as he walked alongside Saya.

"I have two places in mind. First, we go to... let's see: Futatsugame Beach."

"Okay, can you give me a few minutes alone? I need to compose myself."

"Sure."