! long chapter ahead !
( cs i wasnt able to mass update
last weekend:D haha )

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT;
day one: sandcastles and s'mores

You didn't think Rin would actually agree to going for a walk with you. Yet, here you were, taking a slow, aimless stroll near the beach alongside him.

The scent of saltwater filled the air, blending with the faint aroma of grilled food from a nearby stall.

The gentle waves lapped against the shore, your feet sank slightly into the sand with every step, leaving behind a trail of footprints.

You took a sip of the same lemonade he had, because he claimed it was "really fucking good."

"You weren't lying. This is really good," you admitted, taking another sip.

Rin didn't reply, too preoccupied with his own drink. He walked beside you with his usual disinterested expression.

Being all comfortable in silence with him left a warm feeling in your stomach.

It was then that a thought hit you-when did you even start having such a casual friendship with Rin?

For as long as you could remember, the two of you had always butted heads, throwing snarky remarks and glares at each other.

But now, you were walking side by side, sharing a drink recommendation.

Maybe it was because you never backed down from him, because you knew how to take his sharp words without flinching.

Maybe he considered you a friend because you saw past his gruff attitude, past the glares and the sharp tongue, past the intimidating presence that kept most people at arm's length.

Because you understood, even if he didn't say it out loud, that he was more than just a boy full of irritation and rage.

And maybe the fact that he'd already rejected you once made it easier not to overthink how he saw you now.

Your thoughts were interrupted when you caught sight of a kid building an impressively detailed sandcastle a few feet ahead. You nudged Rin's arm lightly, pointing towards it with interest.

"Woah, look at the sandcastle that kid's building-"

Your words were left hanging in the air as another kid ran up and, with one swift kick, sent the sandcastle crumbling into a pile of ruins.

The boy who had built it froze for a moment before his face twisted in distress, tears welling up in his eyes.

You stopped walking, brows furrowing. "Hey, what the hell? That was uncalled for!" you complained to him.

Rin came to a halt beside you, his gaze flickering towards the scene. "Where are their parents? Is there seriously no adult supervising these kids?" you muttered, scanning the area.

"They're fine, Y/N," Rin replied, sipping his lemonade, "Besides, it's just a sandcastle."

You scoffed and turned to him with a look of disbelief, "Are you serious? That kid spent time building it, and some brat just destroyed it for fun. How would you feel if someone kicked your sandcastle?"

"Nothing," he said flatly, "Because I used to be the one kicking them down."

You scoffed dramatically, "Of course you were, you really like kicking things huh?"

Deciding you had enough of standing by, you marched toward the two bickering kids. Rin didn't stop you, he just watched, mildly entertained.

"Hey, you," you pointed at the kid who kicked the sandcastle, "It's not okay to ruin someone else's efforts!"

The kid pulled his tongue out, "Why do care, old woman?"

Your eye twitched, "Old woman? Excuse me? I'm not- whatever!!! That's not the point! What you did wasn't nice. You should apologize,"

"I don't need some stranger telling me what to do!"

"First of all, you should respect people older than you-"

"I thought you weren't an old woman, huh?"

Your fingers curled into a fist. This kid was seriously testing your patience.

Only when Rin casually stepped forward, his tall figure looming behind you, did the kid hesitate. His defiance wavered slightly under Rin's impassive stare, but he still crossed his arms stubbornly.

"The sandcastle was ugly anyway!" the kid huffed.

You turned to the boy who had built it, noticing how he was biting his lip, trying not to cry. That did it.

"Huh?! Like you could build an even better one!" you challenged, placing your hands on your hips.

The kid's eyes narrowed, "What? You wanna have a sandcastle battle, lady?"

Your exhaled sharply, "Yeah. You, me, right here. Let's see who can build the better sandcastle."

The boy scoffed, "Fine! But I'm calling my friends to help!" He ran off, returning moments later with two other kids who looked equally competitive.

You crouched beside the sniffling boy, offering him a reassuring smile, "Looks like it's us against them. Think you're up for it?"

The boy hesitated, then nodded.

"Great! That means Rin, you're in, too," you said, turning your head toward him.

Rin, who had been watching with an amused expression, scoffed, "No way."

"Come on! We've got some bratty asses to kick!" you urged, already gathering sand into a bucket, "Thought you liked kicking stuff?"

"Y/N, you do know you're childish, right?"

"I don't care! What's your decision?" you turned to him with an expectant look.

Rin sighed, looking like he regretted ever agreeing to this walk. But after a moment, he crouched down beside you, grabbing a handful of sand.

"...This is stupid," he muttered.

But he still started helping.

You and the kid, who had finally stopped sniffling, got to work immediately, scooping up sand and packing it into buckets. Rin, much less enthusiastic, sat beside you with an air of reluctance, lazily patting down the base of the castle while you and the boy excitedly brainstormed designs.

"Okay, so we should build a big one," you said, tracing a rough outline in the sand, "Like, with towers and everything."

"Towers?" the kid's eyes lit up, "And wizard's tower too?"

"Oh, hell yeah. A big one. We'll even add a bridge," you grinned.

The kid nodded eagerly, clearly forgetting all about the earlier incident.

Even Rin, despite his grumbling, got more involved than he probably meant to.

At first, he just shaped the sand absentmindedly, but at some point, his movements became more deliberate, smoothing out the walls, reinforcing the towers, and making sure everything actually held its structure.

At one point, you noticed Rin working quietly and smirked, "Look at you, actually helping."

He raised a judging brow at you, "I'm just making sure your disaster of a sandcastle doesn't collapse before we finish."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," you laughed.

The more the three of you worked together, the more it felt like an unspoken rhythm settled between you. Rin would silently fix the parts that looked unstable, while you and the kid hyped up every little detail that got added.

"Whoa! This is the best sandcastle I've ever built!" the kid beamed.

"Well, what can I say? you've got professionals on your team," you said, dusting off your hands, "I mean, look at this craftsmanship."

Rin snorted, "That's a stretch.", though he'd like to think he was being humble. After all, he was one of the 'professionals'.

Between the laughter, the bickering about whose tower was taller, and the absurdity of two teenagers building a sandcastle with a kid against other kids, you found yourself smiling at Rin.

He was confused at first, you looked like you had something to say, so he raised his eyebrows with an expectanct look.

"It's nothing," you shake your head, but he was still staring, you laughed at him, "Really! It's nothing!" your face softened into a warm smile.

Something stirred in Rin's chest. A strange, unfamiliar sensation that he couldn't quite place. It wasn't irritation, wasn't amusement, wasn't even annoyance at how childish this whole situation was.

It was something else, something uneasy, yet almost thrilling, like a quiet jolt to his system.

His fingers curled into the sand.

He wasn't sure if he liked it.

Before he could dwell on it any longer, you stood up, brushing the sand off your hands, "Okay, okay, we need to document this masterpiece before anything happens to it." you pulled out your phone and snapped a few pictures of the finished sandcastle, making sure to get all its details.

Then, you turned to Rin, "Hey, take a picture of us."

Rin blinked, a crease formed between his brows, "What?"

"Me and him." you gestured to the boy, who was now standing proudly beside the sandcastle, "Come on, just take a couple."

Rin sighed but took your phone anyway. He held it up, barely putting effort into framing the shot.

"At least act like you care," you complained.

He grumbled something under his breath but adjusted the angle.

You knelt beside the sandcastle, throwing up a peace sign, while the boy mimics your pose, grinning.

Rin snapped the picture.

"Okay, now another one," you said, switching poses. The kid followed suit, puffing out his chest dramatically.

Rin clicked.

"Ooooh, let's do a super serious one, like we're knights protecting the castle." you crossed your arms and put on your best 'warrior' expression, while the kid furrowed his brows in a dramatic scowl.

Click.

"And now a silly one!"

Click.

You and the boy kept coming up with new poses, and Rin, despite himself, kept taking the pictures. It was dumb. It was ridiculous. He didn't know why he was still standing here, indulging this nonsense.

He stared at your smile through the screen again, it was irritating- how you looked when the corners of your lips rose.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the other kids rushed in.

Before any of you could react, they kicked the sandcastle down, again.

You gasped, "HEY!!!!"

The kid beside you let out a dramatic wail of despair, "My castle!"

Rin just closed his eyes and sighed. "Called it."

The sky had deepened into an orange to indigo hue, the last traces of the sun melting into the horizon.

The beach, once bustling with the chaotic energy of the day, now had a calmer atmosphere.

The teachers had arranged a large gathering near the shoreline, setting up makeshift seating with logs and blankets. Bowls of snacks were scattered around, bags of marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers, and skewers for roasting.

You sat cross-legged near the fire, carefully holding a long metal skewer over the flame, watching as the marshmallow puffed up and turned a toasty golden brown.

Not too burnt, not too raw, just perfect.

You swiftly grabbed your graham crackers and a chocolate square, smooshing the gooey marshmallow between them to create the perfect s'more.

Satisfied, you took a bite, letting the sweetness melt in your mouth. But as you chewed, your gaze drifted past the flickering flames, spotting a familiar figure sitting alone on one of the logs a little further away from the main crowd.

Unlike the others, who were engaged in lively conversations, Rin sat in silence, arms resting on his knees, his face impassive as he stared into the fire. There was something oddly isolated about him, despite being surrounded by people.

Without much thought, you stood up and made your way toward him. The sand was cool beneath your feet now that the sun had set, and the warmth of the fire cast dancing shadows across his face.

As you approached, he barely acknowledged you, only flicking his eyes toward you for a brief second before looking back at the flames.

You plopped down beside him, holding out half of your s'more.

"Take it," you said, nudging it toward him.

Rin glanced at the treat, his lips pressing into a thin line, "I don't want it."

"You haven't even tried it yet," you countered, "Come on, it's good."

He hesitated but, after a moment, begrudgingly took it from your hand. You watched as he inspected it for a second before finally taking a small bite.

While he chewed, you pulled out your phone, unlocking it with a swipe. "I had a lot of fun earlier," you said casually, "Good thing we got some pictures before those little brats wrecked everything."

You leaned in slightly, angling your phone so he could see the screen as you scrolled through the photos. The fire's glow reflected in his eyes as he glanced at them.

The first few pictures showed the sandcastle in all its glory. Then there was one of you and the kid posing like warriors, then another where you were making exaggerated silly faces.

Rin had taken these pictures without much enthusiasm, but looking at them now, you realized they actually turned out pretty good.

Then you got to the last one, the sequence of events where the other kids rushed in, wrecking the sandcastle while you stood in the background, frozen in pure shock.

You let out a laugh, "What the hell! Look at my face in this one."

Rin remained quiet for a second before, to your surprise, he said, "Send those to me."

You blinked at him, tilting your head, "Huh?"

"The pictures," he clarified, eyes still on your phone, "Send them."

You chuckled but nodded, tapping on your screen, "Alrighty thennn," you teased, sending the photos to him before pocketing your phone.

For a moment, the two of you just sat there, the sound of the waves rolling in the background, the warmth of the fire making the night feel less chilly. It was quiet, but it was nice.

And though Rin didn't say anything, he didn't get up to leave either.

Ma

7:58 PM

Message me whenever you
can, Rin

Your dad is planning a trip
to Spain this summer

8:21 PM

hi mom

sorry i was at a campfire

It's okay

Are you having fun?

guess so

spain?

Yeah. He's missing your
brother

he can go alone

Rin, don't you want to
see Sae?

It's been long

no mom

i have a lot to do

if you want to go see
him, it's ok

I'm not sure

I have plans this summer
as well

Your brother coming home

ok

good for him

How's the trip going
so far?

it's ok

the hotel's nice

as well as the food

and stalls

Which beach are you
in again?

shirahama

Do you have pictures?

yes

i built a sandcastle
earlier

Hahahahaha

🥰🥰

[sandcastle pic.jpg]

[ little kid beside sandcastle.jpg]

[+7 photos of you and the kid
posing beside the sandcastle.jpg]

Ah you're with Y/n

🥰 She's very lovely, look
at her smiling

Are you having fun with her?

uh

we're not really together

just happened to take
a walk and saw a few
kids building castles

she had fun

T

hat's nice to know

Don't you have pictures?

With her as well?

no

i was the one who took
those pictures

You should take some with
her next time

It'll be nice to look through
your trip photos with
(mother's name)

let's see

i have to go mom

i'll message you tomorrow

Alright

Goodnight, dear

Love you lots

good night mom

love u too