After my little theatre at the beverage shop, it took me a full thirty minutes to correct Althea’s misunderstanding. It didn’t help that Len and Sienna giggled like fourth-graders who saw their friend getting called to the principal’s office.

I had to explain from the top that I had nothing to do with the girls and that even if they came onto me, I wouldn’t humour them for a second. I also had to swear that I would never think of touching another woman, even if they offered themselves up to me on a silver platter.

To be fair, I had no trouble swearing that since it was my honest opinion. But well, if those words could uplift Althea’s mood, I was all for it.

So after pacifying the angry lioness, our beach day continued in peace. We’d paused for lunch after our volleyball session before continuing to play in the sand. To burn off some calories, Len and I decided to go for a little swim as well.

But for the most part, all of our time was spent taking pictures. We would find the best locations, whether it be in an open cavern or burying ourselves in the sand. To make as many memories as we could, all four of us played to our heart’s content.

And well… Time flies when you are having fun.

The scorching white ball in the sky slowly fell down on the horizon, dripping the clear blue sky in a tinge of orange. As dusk slowly sets in, the number of people remaining on the beach has dropped significantly. Unlike the city, there weren’t as many lights present in this small, rural town and being on the beach after dark was a recipe for getting lost.

Thus, the four of us began our retreat as well, albeit reluctantly.

We took a quick shower at the beach restrooms before finally returning back to our hotel room. Though, we didn’t stay there for long.

It was dinner time!

“Hehe, it’s been a while since I’ve experienced Desir’s driving.”

“I’m still surprised you didn’t borrow your father’s car.”

“I can’t trouble him just because I want to go out and play! He has to work too, you know.”

“Still, couldn’t you have rented a car like I did?”

“Too expensive!” Len protested. “Also, when I have a top-tier chauffeur, why would I bother wasting cash?”

“...”

As boys of the countryside, Len and I got our driver’s license the moment we turned sixteen. It was just that much more convenient, given that we were living in a place with minimal public transport. So, Len could definitely have rented a car just like I did.

But from the looks of it… The man was dead set on making me his personal driver throughout our short summer vacation.

“While I appreciate a good Desir joke, could you tell us where we’re going now?” A disgruntled voice broke free from the rear seat, prompting Len to look over his shoulder and for me to glance into the rear-view mirror.

Sienna and Althea, who had already changed into their summer clothes, sat silently at the back with befuddled faces.

“Oh? Len didn’t tell you?”

“No, apparently he wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Hah… It’s nothing special, actually.” I sighed at my friend’s constant need to prank others. Even his longtime girlfriend wasn’t immune to his teasing. “We’re going to Aqua Reef, the best seafood restaurant in town.”

Our hometown was nothing much, but it did have damn good seafood. We had fresh fish, oysters, crabs… Anything that moved under the sea on our shores, we would serve it up on a plate. And Aqua Reef was undisputedly the best place to have it.

“Oh ho, I hope it lives up to the expectations… I’m famished!”

“After a long day of fun, it’s natural to be hungry.” Len chuckled at Sienna’s hungry outcry. “Look! We’re already here!”

Turning around the bend, a bright white light filled with an assortment of colours welcomed us warmly on this cold summer’s night. There weren’t many road lamps to brighten our way, so such a prominent beacon was a lovely welcome. Pulling into the carpark, I led the starving younglings into the most expensive restaurant in town.

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“Let’s get an assortment and share, shall we?” I suggested after glancing at the menu.

“Sounds good!” Sienna nodded enthusiastically at my proposal. “Let’s get a seafood bucket and some ala carte items.”

“Woah, can we finish them all?”

“Don’t worry!” Len laughed. “If we can’t finish it, we’ll just bring back some for my parents.”

“If you say so...”

The seafood bucket consisted of four crabs, half a kilogram of tiger prawns, half a kilogram of white clams, half a kilogram of blue mussels and their speciality grilled squid. But that wasn’t enough for the famished couple. Thinking that their stomachs were seemingly infinite, Len and Sienna ordered two whole fishes!

Yes, I understood that they wanted to try my hometown’s special fish, but wasn’t that a little too much for just the four of us?

Even Althea couldn’t believe her ears when she’d heard of such a feast.

But well… I was the one who was underestimating my friends.

Len and Sienna were God’s favourite children and had been bestowed bodies that could never turn fat. They stuffed themselves full of seafood as if it were air and breathed in all of the sides with ease.

“Did the crab’s ancestors offend you or something?”

“Yes, they did!” Len bellowed in laughter. “They were too delicious!”

“Ah, I see...”

Althea and I had long eaten our share of the food. One could even say that we were stuffed. But the couple that accompanied us were far from over. It even looked like they could go on to the second round!

In the end, I left the couple to clear out the cast of the little mermaid while my attention moved to the girl seated by my side.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“No, this place is really remote, huh?”

“Haha, why bring that up?”

Althea dainty little chin gestured up to the sky, where a blanket of stars illuminated the night.

“I’ve never seen that many stars before.”

“Oh? Not even when you went camping?”

The girl shook her head silently: “All my life, I’ve been living in the city. It’s rare that I would even enter the countryside. So, yes… I’ve never seen this many stars.”

“Hehe, if you like the view from here, you would love the place that Desir and I used to frequent!” Overhearing our conversation, Len stopped swallowing his crab and made an excellent suggestion. “That place is the best if you want to see the stars at night. Isn’t that right, Desir?”

“Ah… I guess you’re right...”

I thought back to the hill that Len and I used to camp on. It was unquestionably the best place in my hometown if you wanted to see the full starry night sky.

“Alright, once we’re done here, would you like to pay a visit?”

“Eh, can we?”

“Of course! It’s just a short drive away.”

Smiling, I gently moved my hand to caress the young girl who wished to view the stars. At the same time, I gave the gluttonous couple a stern glare, demanding them to quickly finish their meal.

❖❖❖

“Woah...”

Just like the sparkly sentinels in the heavens above, Althea’s eyes sparkled in pure delight. After dinner, I drove the four of us up the familiar hills and onto the best stargazing spot in the entire town. Given how remote it was, there wasn’t anyone near us, allowing us to be freed from our mask restraints.

Once we’d reached the highest point, there wasn’t a need to leave the car, given how far away we were from any man-made light. But, none of us were satisfied with looking through a glass window.

The moment we stepped out of the car, we were greeted by the glorious starlight that the heavens bestowed. Watching the dark velvety sky sprinkled with sparkling goodness, I was again reminded of the immense galactical scale.

“Desir, I’ll bring Sienna over there. You guys watch the car.”

Len winked playfully before bringing his girlfriend away with a knowing smile. Watching the pair disappear into the darkness, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my inexperience with relationships.

“Where are they going?” Slow on the uptake, Althea tilted her head and asked.

“You foolish lass… Would you be able to enjoy this romantic moment if another couple was breathing down our necks?”

“A-Ah, I-I see...”

Althea’s face turned red once again. Now that we were all alone, I could feel my overwhelming emotions for her rise up once again. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Len and Sienna’s company. They brought a boisterous and fun atmosphere to the otherwise gloomy hometown of mine.

However, I did enjoy the private moments that Althea and I shared. Unable to hold myself back any longer, I grabbed onto my girlfriend’s wrist and pulled her into my burly chest.

Althea’s eyes widened for a brief moment, but after a few seconds, she clearly emptied out her embarrassment and swapped it for a more contented emotion.

And well… I was much the same.

Beauty in my arms, a perfect day spent, a full belly and a carpet of stars as my symphony…

I really had a perfect life.

“This is nice...”

“Yeah,” Althea cuddled in my arms, enjoying the warmth that we shared. “Thank you, Desir.”

“Hmmm? What for?”

“You’ve given me so many new experiences... You’ve shown me a life that I could have never imagined… And so many new emotions...”

“Haha, I’m very much the same.”

Althea was right. Who would have thought that just eight months ago, I was content with being alone in my apartment, with no one to share my joy with? Who would have thought that I would have fallen so hard for a single girl?

“Truth to be told, you’ve given me many more new experiences.”

“Is that so?”

Althea smiled brilliantly. Turning her head towards my eyes, the gorgeous doll gently stroked my cheeks, seemingly seeking warmth in the most unlikely of places. And then…

“If that’s the case… Let’s continue to make even more new memories.”

Our eyes melted as one. Our consciousness began to fade. And there was nothing in between our connection of souls.

With nothing but the light of the full moon and the starlight of the heavens as our backdrop…

Our lips converged as one.