The island had been a sanctuary for Kei long before he met Mia. Its crystalline sands and unspoiled beauty had been the perfect refuge, a place far removed from the world of Cherry Tree Inc. and the expectations that came with being the heir to one of the most powerful corporations on Earth. He had left it all behind, hoping to find peace.
He didn’t expect to find her.
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THEIR FIRST MEETING
Kei had been lounging on the beach, headphones over his ears, the waves lulling him into a rare sense of calm. He had spent the past few days scrounging for food and building a rudimentary shelter out of driftwood and palm leaves. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked.
Then, he saw her.
A figure in the distance, lying in a hammock strung between two trees. Her fiery red hair caught the sunlight, and even from afar, there was an air of quiet determination about her. Kei sat up, pulling his headphones off as curiosity overtook him.
“Hey!” he called out, jogging over.
The girl turned her head, her sharp eyes narrowing as she took him in. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice calm but guarded.
Kei scratched the back of his head. “I could ask you the same thing. This is kind of... my island.”
Her lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Your island? I didn’t see your name on it.”
Kei grinned despite himself. “Fair enough. I’m Kei.”
“Mia,” she replied simply, her gaze already drifting back to the book in her lap.
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BUILDING A HOME
Over the following days, the two fell into an uneasy coexistence. Mia didn’t seem interested in explaining how she had arrived on the island, and Kei didn’t press. What mattered was that they were both here, and they needed to survive.
Kei took the lead in building their shelter. Though his first attempt had been laughable—a haphazard lean-to that collapsed under its own weight—Mia’s sarcastic commentary pushed him to improve. “You’re a rich kid,” she had pointed out. “Figure it out.”
With her guidance—and a bit of trial and error—they constructed a sturdy hut. Mia insisted on staying outside, however, claiming the breeze under the trees was better for her condition. Kei eventually relented, crafting her a hammock using materials scavenged from the island.
“This better be comfortable,” Mia had teased as she tested it.
“Only the best for you, princess,” Kei had shot back.
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HUNTING AND COOKING
Living on the island forced Kei to confront his lack of survival skills. Hunting, in particular, proved to be a challenge. Mia, confined by her condition, could only watch from the sidelines as he stumbled through his attempts.
“You’re terrible at this,” she had observed one day as Kei failed to catch a fish with his makeshift spear.
“Thanks for the support,” he had muttered, glaring at her.
Still, he improved over time, learning to set traps and fashion more effective tools. Mia, meanwhile, took charge of cooking, using her analytical mind to experiment with the island’s resources. While her first few attempts were disastrous, she eventually managed to create meals that were not only edible but surprisingly good.
“It’s science,” she had explained when Kei complimented her. “Cooking is just applied chemistry.”
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KEI’S PAST CATCHES UP
Their routine was disrupted one day when a sleek yacht appeared on the horizon. Kei recognized it immediately as one of Cherry Tree Inc.’s private vessels.
“They found me,” he muttered, his heart sinking.
When his parents stepped onto the beach, they were met with the sight of their son lounging in the sand, his silver-grey hair tousled by the breeze. The boy they had raised to be a corporate prodigy looked more at home here than he ever had in the boardroom.
“We’ve been looking for you,” his mother said softly, her expression a mixture of relief and exasperation.
Kei stood, brushing sand from his clothes. “Well, you found me. What now?”
His father’s sharp gaze shifted to Mia, who stood nearby, her fiery hair catching the sunlight. “And who’s this?”
“Mia,” Kei said simply.
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MIA’S NEW ROLE
It didn’t take long for Kei’s parents to recognize Mia. Her reputation as a prodigy in the scientific community preceded her. “Dr. Tuvalu,” his father had said, extending a hand. “Your work is remarkable.”
Mia raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. “Thanks, I guess.”
Over the course of the conversation, Kei’s parents made a proposition: to pay Mia to tutor their son, to help him achieve the potential they believed he had.
Mia had considered it for a moment before grinning. “You want me to whip him into shape? This could be fun.”
From then on, Mia took on the role of Kei’s tutor, using her intellect and creativity to push him in ways no one else ever had. She used music to teach him complex concepts, disguising lessons as games to keep his attention.
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AN OFFER DECLINED
Before leaving, Kei’s parents offered to pay for treatment for Mia’s condition. “We can get you the best doctors,” his mother had said. “You don’t have to live like this.”
Mia’s expression softened, but she shook her head. “I’ve lived with this my whole life. I’ve learned to work around it. Besides,” she added with a faint smile, “I’m just trying to live my life, however long that might be.”
Her words lingered with Kei, who found himself admiring her strength even more.
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A NEW BEGINNING
With their lives intertwined, Kei and Mia settled into a rhythm. They worked together to survive, their banter lightening the weight of their circumstances. The island became more than a refuge—it became a place where they could both rediscover themselves.
As the sun set over the ocean, casting the world in hues of gold and crimson, Mia swung gently in her hammock, her voice cutting through the quiet. “You know, Kei, you’re not bad at this whole survival thing.”
Kei grinned, lying back on the sand with his hands behind his head. “And you’re not bad at being scary smart.”
Mia chuckled softly, the sound blending with the waves. Their journey was just beginning, but on this island, they had found something rare: a connection that made the challenges ahead seem just a little less daunting.