Morning arrived with sun-washed softness, warm and unhurried.
Steven stood outside his Crimson Hill Villa, suitcase at his side, sunglasses hooked casually on his shirt. The summer breeze brushed through the driveway, carrying the scent of fresh grass, the sort of morning that felt like the world had paused just long enough to smile.
A black SUV rolled smoothly into view and stopped in front of him.
The doors opened.
Veronica stepped out first, her white sundress swaying lightly around her knees. Sunlight seemed to cling to her, brightening her eyes the moment she saw him.
Mira hopped out next, already buzzing with excitement. "Bali! Bali!" she sang under her breath, doing a little spin.
Leon followed last, dragging a backpack and finishing a croissant he definitely stole from Mira earlier. He raised two fingers in a lazy salute. "Morning."
Steven walked forward to greet them. "Everyone ready?"
"Absolutely," Veronica said, and the rest nodded in chorus.
The four friends climbed into the SUV, a current of excitement buzzing between them as the vehicle pulled away from the estate and headed toward the airport.
The commercial flight wasn't glamorous, but it was filled with warmth.
Mira insisted on the window seat and spent half the time pointing out cloud shapes.Leon claimed the aisle and complained every time someone bumped his knee.Veronica rested her head gently on Steven's shoulder, scrolling through Bali photos and whispering plans she wanted to try.
Steven? He simply watched them all.
For once, he wasn't planning a project, dealing with a corporation, or checking system notifications.
He was just seventeen. On a trip. With people he cared about.
And it felt… good.
When they stepped off the plane, Bali greeted them with a breeze that smelled like ocean salt and sun-heated flowers.
Blue skies. Swaying palm trees. Waves crashing gently in the distance.
Mira's jaw dropped. "I'm never leaving."
Leon shrugged. "We'll see after the food."
Steven led them to the small villa he rented for the trip—nothing extravagant, just a warm, cosy beachfront place with a wooden deck and a hammock that Mira immediately claimed as her throne.
Veronica walked to the shore, letting the waves wash over her feet. Steven joined her, hands tucked into his pockets.
"It's beautiful," she murmured.
"Worth the trip?"
She looked back at him, smiling softly. "More than worth it."
After unpacking, the four headed to the beach with a basketball Steven had brought along.
The sand was warm under their feet, the sun bright but forgiving.
"Teams?" Leon asked.
"Easy," Mira said. "Girls versus boys."
Veronica smirked. "Prepare to lose."
Leon scoffed. "You underestimate our genius."
Steven stretched lazily. "I'm not sure Leon counts as a genius."
"HEY!"
The game began.
The girls played with surprising ferocity—Mira darting around like a squirrel, Veronica stealing the ball with smug grace. Leon tried (and failed twice) to block Steven, earning himself a face full of sand when he tripped.
Mira laughed so hard she fell to her knees. "Leon! The sand didn't attack you!"
"It moved," Leon grumbled. "I swear it moved."
Steven sank a three-pointer effortlessly.
"Show-off!" Veronica yelled, though she was grinning.
By the end of the game, nobody remembered the score. They remembered Mira throwing sand, Steven dodging Leon's tackles, Veronica outrunning all three of them once, and Leon sitting dramatically on the ground declaring, "I am one with the beach now."
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Bali turned golden.
They ate dinner at a small beachfront restaurant—grilled seafood, fresh fruits, and drinks. the sound of waves replacing music.
Mira raised her glass of mango juice. "To us!"
Leon clinked his coconut against hers.
Veronica sipped her drink and leaned slightly closer to Steven. "To good days," she said softly.
Steven lifted his glass. "To more of them."
Their glasses clinked, a soft sound under the glow of lanterns.
The food was delicious; the laughter was real. They talked about school memories, the SAT relief, the weird quirks of their teachers, movies, games—everything except stress.
Later, they walked along the beach barefoot under a sky scattered with stars.
Leon carried Mira after she stepped on a tiny shell and declared she was dying. Mira protested loudly but didn't actually ask to be put down.
Steven and Veronica walked side by side, the waves kissing their feet.
"Thank you for this," she said gently.
"It was long overdue."
"Do you think… once AIISA starts, we'll still get moments like this?"
Steven looked at her, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes.
"Yes," he said simply. "Because we'll make them."
Veronica smiled—the tender kind that wasn't just affection but trust.
They walked on, close and warm and comfortable. Ahead of them, Mira was shouting about haunted coconuts while Leon tried to convince her it was just a crab.
Steven laughed quietly. It was messy. It was loud. It was imperfect.
It was perfect.
For one night, he wasn't a prodigy, a CEO, or a rising tycoon.
He was just Steven Blake. With his friends. In Bali.
And that was enough.