On the other side of the beach, a completely different scene unfolds.
Columbina has just come out of the water.
She was wearing a light blue swimsuit, her long hair wet and clinging to her shoulders, the sea breeze gently ruffling the ends of her hair.
She walked straight to Sandrone.
Sandrone sat on a mat, staring coldly at the sea, giving off a "stay away from me" vibe.
Columbina knelt down beside her.
They squatted very close.
Sandrone's shoulders tensed up instantly.
"What are you doing?" Sandrone didn't look at her.
"I can't get it on my back," Columbina said softly, holding up a bottle of sunscreen. "Could you help me apply it?"
"Don't you have hands?"
"It's too long, I can't reach it."
As she spoke, she shoved the bottle into Sandrone's hand, then casually turned her back and swept her long hair to one side.
Back of the neck, spine.
Everything was exposed right under Sandrone's nose.
Sandrone gripped the bottle so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Columbina.
"Hmm?"
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"What?" Columbina turned around, her eyes curving into two crescent moons. " Sandrone is the best."
"Come on."
That's what they say.
She applied sunscreen, rubbed her palms together to warm them, but her hand still fell down.
The movements were very light, as if afraid of breaking something, yet very tense.
The moment his fingertips touched the back of Columbina's neck, the person in front of him let out a soft "hmm".
Sandrone's hand trembled.
"... You, you mustn't make a sound!"
"Is it cold?" Columbina's voice was full of laughter.
Sandrone's ears turned red at a visible speed.
She quickly applied the product, withdrew her hand, placed the bottle aside, crossed her arms, and stared straight ahead, pretending nothing had happened.
My heart was pounding like a drum.
Fortunately, the sound of the waves was loud.
Columbina, however, had no intention of letting her go.
"I'll help you apply it too."
"No need!"
"You rejected me so quickly?"
"I'm not afraid of the sun."
"It'll hurt if I get sunburned." Columbina had already squeezed some sunscreen onto her fingertips and leaned closer.
"Be good, don't move."
I said I don't need it.
Columbina's hand landed on her back.
Sandrone's voice abruptly stopped.
She froze completely, like a wooden board.
Columbina's fingers, cool to the touch, gently caressed her shoulder.
The movements are very slow.
It's so slow it seems intentional.
"Hurry up..." Sandrone squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
"I'm applying it."
"Don't put your hand there--"
"This part hasn't been coated yet."
Sandrone turned her face away, her ears turning bright red.
She wanted to hide.
Columbina looked at her bright red ears, her eyes almost overflowing with laughter, yet her hands became even gentler.
After applying the makeup, she also helped Sandrone tuck the stray hairs from her face behind her ears.
"Okay."
Sandrone immediately took half a step back, creating distance, and glared at her fiercely.
"... If you do this again, I'll push you into the sea."
"Okay," Columbina said with a smile, "But you'll have to be able to lift me first."
Sandrone: '...'
She turned her face away in anger and stopped talking.
Columbina wasn't annoyed. She grabbed a beach bucket and a small shovel from the side, sat down next to her, and started building a sandcastle.
They piled it up very carefully.
First, build a base, then build a pointed tower, and stick a seashell on the tower as a flag.
Sandrone.
"What are you doing?"
"Could you help me dig a moat?"
"Naive, dig it yourself."
My hands are sore.
Sandrone remained motionless, his face cold.
Three seconds passed.
She snatched the shovel from her.
"Just this once."
"Okay."
She dug with a stern face, but she dug more earnestly than anyone else.
The moat was dug wide and deep, and two small piers were built along its banks.
Columbina looked at her, resting her chin on her hand.
Sandrone.
"What now?"
"You say no, but your hands tell a different story."
"Shut up."
"Hehe."
Just as a sandcastle was completed, a wave surged in.
The castle was about to be breached.
Sandrone reacted quickly, lunging forward to shield the wave with his back.
Water splashed all over her.
As the wave receded, the sandcastle tilted halfway, but it didn't collapse after all.
Sandrone turned around, covered in sand, with a "I told you so" look on her face, only to see Columbina looking at her and smiling.
That smile was different from usual.
"What are you laughing at?" Sandrone awkwardly wiped her face.
"It's nothing." Columbina reached out and wiped the sand from her cheek, her fingertips lingering a little longer.
"I just think Sandrone is so cute."
"Who, who's cute!"
"Our Sandrone is the cutest."
"No 'we' allowed!"
"Good—" Columbina drawled, "My Sandrone."
"That won't do either!"
Columbina looked at her with a smile.
Sandrone turned away in anger, but his shoulders were trembling slightly.
After a while, she secretly took out a strawberry-flavored candy from the snack bag and handed it behind her back.
... to give...
"Huh, is this for me?"
"I bought too much; I don't like to eat it."
"But this is strawberry flavored." Columbina took the candy, her eyes crinkling with delight.
"Who was it that said strawberry flavor was the best?"
"I forgot."
Sandrone buried his face in his knees and pretended to be dead.
Columbina unwrapped the candy, but instead of eating it herself, she leaned over and offered it to her lips.
Ah--
"I can get it myself!"
"My hands are dirty."
"..."
Sandrone hesitated for two seconds, then blushed and took the candy from her hand.
Sweet.
Columbina looked at her puffed-out cheeks and squinted her eyes contentedly.
Odette saw all of this.
She closed the book and made a comment without any expression.
"Boring."
She took several bottles of ice water from the insulated box beside her and tossed them out one by one.
"Drink water. Don't get heatstroke in front of me."
Bai You caught the water, tilted her head back, and drank it, the water flowing down her chin and neck.
Varesa looked at the water stain, her eyes darkening, and reached out to wipe it away for her.
"... I'll do it myself." Bai You shrank back.
It's too late.
Odette clicked her tongue and raised the book higher again, blocking her view.
"Out of sight, out of mind."
The sun began to sink.
The sea turned from gold to orange, and then from orange to a fiery red.
The five people were exhausted from playing and sprawled out on the beach.
Bai You lay on Varesa's lap, its tail long since dried, now back to two legs, swaying its feet listlessly.
Sandrone was squeezed under a parasol by Columbina, complaining but ultimately not pushing her away.
The sky gradually darkened.
Odette stood up.
She walked behind the rocks and dragged out two huge insulated bags and a folding metal frame.
"What's this?" Bai You leaned closer.
"Food."
Odette opened the bag.
The bag is full of things I bought at the mall this afternoon.
Marinated chicken wings, pork belly, and steak; skewers of shrimp and squid; corn, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, and small steamed buns; a large box of strawberries; and a bag of marshmallows.
The other bag contained tools.
The oven, charcoal, lighter, tongs, brush, aluminum foil, disposable plates, and even the cumin, chili powder, and honey sauce were all bottled separately.
Bai You was stunned.
"When did you buy so much?"
"When you were feeding each other in the street..."
Odette remained expressionless. "You can't really expect the fish to come ashore and be your dinner."
When she said "fish," her gaze lingered on Varesa and Bai You for a moment.
Bai You shrank her neck.
Sandrone frowned. "You carried all that by yourself?"
"Hmm."
"Why didn't you call us?"
"Did I call you?" Odette glanced around; one was busy kissing, one was busy being shy, and one was busy being a rascal.
She paused.
"It's faster if I carry it myself."
Four people:...