This one's inspired by the song "Joukei, aru Hareta Hi ni Kare wo", and dedicated to Kouji Kasamatsu. Without his music, this oneshot wouldn't have been made possible.

On a bright afternoon, I sat by the shores of Marseilles. I saw the brilliance of the white sand reflecting the sun's light, and the dark, unfathomable depths of the sea, contrasting the light shades of blue on top of the water. I felt the heat of the day on my half-bare chest, the warm, fragrant sea breeze on my neck, and the rough, indefinite sand on my fingertips. The hours stretched on without my knowledge, and before I knew it, my eyes met with the crimson sun, hovering just above the horizon.

Automatically, I stood up and brushed the sand off my clothes, not bothering with the sand in my shoes. As I walked along the shoreline, my steps slowed and the seconds turned to hours as my eyes caught the rippling reflection of the sun on top of the waves. As quiet as it grew in the beach, and as lonely as I felt next to the sea, I suddenly grew reluctant to leave the shores before me. I felt as if something, if not someone, was calling for me, beckoning for me through those luminescent waves. Finally, I stopped in my tracks and waited for a response.

The answer I was anticipating did not rise from the sea. It fluttered gracefully in the corner of my eye, landing on the sand, not too far from me. It was a white, wide-rimmed summer hat.

Where it came from, I hardly knew. I grew puzzled, thinking I should probably be the beach's only occupant by this hour. Looking around, I confirmed my thoughts to be correct. But where did this hat come from, and who did it belong to? Nonetheless, I shrugged off my uneasiness and reached for the hat's rim.

A gentle hand, almost as pale as the hat, mirrored my gesture.

That day, I saw the face of an angel without wings. Her facial features, twisted lightly in confusion and uncertainty, astounded me. As she stepped back slowly, I was able to catch a glance at her full form: graceful and lithe, though the angel wasn't the least bit tall. Long, black-as-midnight hair, flowing with the calm breeze, covered her entire backside. And her onyx eyes were as brilliant as the sun that shone beside me.

I smiled unconsciously, still amazed by the young woman's beauty, and strangely, she mirrored my smile, her eyes still unsure. I took the hat and brushed off the remaining sand before returning it to her. The pale fingers reached for the rim, and to my relief, the girl returned my kindness with a friendly expression on her angelic face.

Her warm fingers curled around my icy hand. The angel's lips moved gracefully with her musical voice.

Thank you.

And she released her grip on my hand, turning the opposite direction to walk away.

I frowned. Something didn't feel right. As the girl walked away, I felt hollow, incomplete. A deep, unknown sense of familiarity suddenly struck me like lightning, square on the chest, and I finally understood.

I'd seen her before...

My legs moved forward on their own while my eyes remained glued to the retreating figure before me. She walked slowly, and I didn't feel the need to run. But why was my pace quickening by the second?

I reached for her with my arm stretched in front of me. Again and again, I called for her to wait, but she didn't seem to hear me...

"Count?"

Opening my eyes, I saw the angelic face again, contorted in the same anxious expression.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have woken you."

I realized I'd just fallen asleep on my armchair after watching her play the harp for me. The angel knelt in front of me, observing my every movement, before lowering her gaze to the carpeted floor.

"Excuse me."

She straightened up and headed for the door, trying to hide her chagrin.

"Haydee," I said, uttering the angel's name for the first time.

Rising from my seat, I closed the distance between us in a swift embrace. Her body tensed in response to mine, and the uncertainty on her face deepened. I gave her a comforting smile before tightening my arms around her.

"Stay."

She didn't flinch as I pressed my cold lips against her brow. All I felt were her arms circling around my waist, pulling me closer to her.

For the remainder of the night, we stayed in the same room, and I sat on the same armchair as she slept in my arms.

From afar, I heard the faint sound of waves crashing against an invisible shore.