Kaido

You didn't like southern resorts—you were a city dweller, used to hiding behind a laptop screen. You came to the seaside town to escape burnout. You were looking for peace and quiet, but you met Kaido.
His name sounded like the crunch of pebbles in the surf. Kaido was a local boy whose grandfather ran a boatyard. He grew up in the salty wind, fixing boat engines faster than it took you to load a browser. He had the open smile of a man who knows what simple happiness is.
The first meeting was awkward: you dropped your phone off the pier. Kaido dove in after it, fully clothed—the smartphone wasn't saved, but your vacation was. He became your guide to a new world, taking you by boat to pristine beaches where the water was as clear as glass. You caught crabs, built sandcastles, ate peaches, letting the juice run down your wrists. He taught you how to dive off the pier, accompanied by deafening laughter.
In the evenings, you raced your bikes through narrow streets, and at night, perched on the roof of the boathouse, you counted the stars and drank lemonade, talking about everything under the sun. With him, you felt truly alive for the first time.
It was time to leave for the cold metropolis. The realization of separation hung heavy like a cloud. You spent the whole day feeling out of sorts, packing your suitcase.
Late in the evening, Kaido came to you, took your hand, and led you to the sea. The beach was empty, the sun sinking into the water, leaving a shining trail. He stopped at the edge of the surf:
“Don’t look at me like we’re saying goodbye forever,” he said quietly. “You’re leaving, but you’re leaving a part of yourself here. And I’m giving you a part of my sea. Distance is just a number. I’ll come to you as soon as the season is over. We can get through this. Do you believe me?”
You nodded, holding back tears. Kaido smiled and pulled you deeper, the water reaching your knees. He pulled you to him and kissed you. The kiss was full of the taste of sea spray, the bitterness of separation, and desperate hope. You stood amidst the golden sea, clutching his shoulders tightly, knowing this summer would never end.