[ Rain's POV ]
The humid sea breeze hit my face the moment we stepped off the boat. We had finally arrived at the island to celebrate Fer's birthday. It was a tight, private circle-just me, Fran, Fer, Zack, Michael, and Sean.
"Since there are only three rooms, Fran and Rain will be sharing," Fer announced with a smirk, casually dangling the room keys from his finger. "Michael and Zack will take the second one, which leaves Sean and me for the last room."
"No," Sean interrupted smoothly, his face blank as he grabbed Michael's arm. "Michael and I will share."
Without waiting for an argument, Sean dragged a very confused Michael away toward the villas. Fer pouted, letting out an annoyed whine, while Fran just burst out laughing at his friend's failed attempt. Watching them, I narrowed my eyes. There was definitely something fishy going on between those two.
It had been so long since Fran and I had been to the beach together. We used to spend every single summer by the water, but all of that stopped the moment we had our big falling out.
To my surprise, our two friend groups blended together almost instantly. Before long, everyone was splashing in the surf, playing beach volleyball, and laughing like old friends. Seeing everyone get along gave me a massive rush of dopamine. I was genuinely, completely happy.
Looking over at Fran, the feeling only intensified. I'm never letting go of him again.
Eventually, the others took a break to grab drinks, leaving just Fran and me playing in the water like the old days. Fran got completely drenched, the wet fabric clinging to him until he finally gave up and yanked his shirt over his head.
He looked incredibly hot. The afternoon sun glinted off the water droplets tracing the defined lines of his chest, and I felt a sudden, aggressive rush of blood straight to my face.
Gosh. Why has my mind been getting so naughty ever since that night under the slides?
Distracted by my own thoughts, I stepped backward-and a sharp, sudden pain shot up my leg. I gasped, stumbling as my foot caught on something jagged beneath the surface.
Fran was by my side in a heartbeat. He caught my waist, supporting my weight as he carefully guided me out of the water and onto the dry sand. My foot was bleeding, a clean cut slicing across my skin from a sharp stone hidden in the sand.
"Let's get you back to the room," Fran said, his voice laced with immediate worry as he lifted me up to tend to the wound.
[ Sean's POV ]
I was sitting alone on a wooden swing facing the ocean, enjoying the quiet hum of the waves, when Fer suddenly materialized out of nowhere and slid onto the seat right next to me.
"Hey," I grumbled, cutting my eyes at him. "Can't you see someone is already sitting here?"
"Well, I only see a puppy," he answered smoothly, flashing a teasing grin.
Instinctively, I brought my hand up and smacked his arm.
"Ouch! Did you just hit me?" Fer yelped, rubbing his arm, though the smirk never left his face.
"What? You deserved it."
"You keep smiling at everyone else, so why are you always so grumpy with me?" he asked.
Before my brain could even process his words, his hand shot out. His warm palm pressed flush against the line of my jaw, his fingers squeezing inward to instantly trap my face. My cheeks bunched together, forcing my lips open into a helpless, ridiculous pout.
"We're not friends, so stop bothering me," I mumbled through my squished cheeks, aggressively swatting his hand away.
"Well, I don't wanna be friends either," he replied softly.
"What-?"
Before I could demand what he meant by that, a sudden shout cut through the air. It was Rain. I looked up and saw him limping, clutching his leg. My body reacted before my mind did; I instinctively bolted up from the swing to run to him.
But I froze. Fran was already there, sweeping in to support him before I could even take a step. I hesitated, my feet glued to the sand as Fran assisted him toward the villas.
"Rain's foot got cut by a sharp stone," Fran called out as they passed us. "I'm bringing him back to the room first."
"Hmm. Go," Fer answered for us.
I slowly sank back onto the swing, my eyes fixed on their retreating backs. A strange, tingling ache spread through my chest, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I hated that I couldn't do anything. I hated that I didn't have the right to.
"Their relationship is probably different now," Fer noted quietly, his eyes following the same path mine had.
"I know."
"You like Rain, right?"
The question came out of nowhere, blunt and heavy. Silence stretched between us. I was so blindsided by how easily he had read me that absolutely no words came out of my mouth.
"I'm right," Fer concluded, nodding to himself.
"It's none of your business," I snapped, looking away.
"How come you like him that much anyway? You haven't even known each other that long," Fer pressed, leaning back against the swing ropes. "Is it just because of his face? I mean, he is cute, but..."
I let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. "I can't believe I'm actually talking about this with you."
"What? Am I wrong? You wouldn't be standing here moping if you just talked to me. Tell me why, so I can help you move on."
"Seriously, you're insensitive."
"Hahaha! What, are you still hurting? Do you really like him that much?" Fer laughed.
An unexpected spike of anger flared in my chest. Without thinking, I struck out, smacking him hard across the chest to make him shut up.
But Fer was faster this time. He caught my wrist mid-air, his grip tightening as he forced me to look at him. The teasing light in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by an intense, piercing seriousness.
"You don't even have the right to be hurt," Fer said, his voice dropping an octave as he stared directly into my eyes. "You didn't even make a move. You didn't try. So stop constantly thinking about everyone else, and start thinking about yourself for once."
I froze, completely stunned. For a second, the breath left my lungs. It felt like he had looked straight through all my walls and seen the exact piece of me I tried hardest to hide. Snapping back to reality, I violently yanked my wrist out of his grip.
"It's not that easy," I muttered, my voice cracking slightly. "Rain saved me. Him being happy is enough for me."
Fer frowned. "Saved you?"
"Yeah. I've known him since high school."
"Really? So there's a history there."
"Yeah. And it's really none of your business," I said, standing up from the swing and walking away toward the shore to force myself into a distraction with Michael.
But as the ocean water lapped at my feet, my mind drifted backward.
[ Flashback ]
"The son of a mafia boss wanting to be a doctor? You want to save people while your family kills?"
My father's voice roared through the room, followed immediately by the heavy crack of his fist colliding with my jaw. I hit the floor, tasting copper. He only grew angrier when I refused to answer him, staring back at him without a single shred of remorse.
After he finally grew tired of beating me, he spat on the floor and walked away, locking the door behind him.
That was the worst year of my life. My mother had just passed away, and my older sister-the only person who used to sneak into this room to unlock the doors, heal my wounds, and protect me from our father-was gone too. Every single person who genuinely cared about whether I lived or died had vanished.
I didn't feel like living anymore.
That night, I managed to escape the house. I ran until my lungs burned, ending up on a deserted footbridge. I stood at the edge, staring down. My vision was blurry from tears and bruises, my mind entirely blank, completely ready to step off.
Suddenly, a warm hand tapped my shoulder.
"Hey. Isn't the moon beautiful tonight?"
I flinched, looking up. Standing next to me was a boy around my age. I looked past him toward the sky; it wasn't even a full moon. Just a faint, ordinary half-moon.
"Here. A hot drink for a cold night. With a view like this, it's perfect," he said, gently pressing a warm paper cup of coffee into my freezing hands. As I reach for it, I wince, my split lip pulling painfully. He notices, his eyes softening as he looks at the bruises on my face.
I just stared at the cup, dumbfounded, as he leaned against the railing next to me.
"When you really think about it, there are actually a lot of beautiful things in this world to look forward to," the boy said, staring up at the sky with a bright, easy smile. "Maybe some unexpected, great things will come tomorrow just for you. Isn't that exciting?"
I looked away from the coffee and looked at his face. The absolute sincerity in his eyes felt like a physical strike. For the first time in months, the fog in my brain cleared, and I could actually see the world around me.
"Don't think too much, and just do the things that you want to do," he added, turning to face me fully. He reached out, tapping my shoulder firmly. "Don't let the things that hurt you tie you down. Pain is not something you ever need to get used to. Be strong, okay?"
He gave me one last encouraging smile and began to walk away into the night.
"Hey!" I shouted after him, my voice desperate. "What's your name?"
He stopped, turning his head back to flash one last wave. "Rain!" he called out, before disappearing into the shadows.
Later, I searched for him until I found out who he was. When he graduated, I enrolled in the exact same university, choosing the exact same path. Luckily, he wanted to be a doctor too.
I completely ignored my father's demands, enduring another brutal fight with him over it. But since my father was entirely consumed with training my elder brother to be the sole mafia heir, he eventually stopped caring what I did with my life.
I survived because of Rain.
[ End of Flashback ]