The trip to your third date with Kaina passes faster than you expected.

That's mostly because you can't help but stare at Kaina as Lupe drives the two of you to the beach~!

Ah~!

Kaina's such an angel. The way her face looks, lit by the sunlight. The way her delicate blonde hair shines. The slight quirk of her lips, the deepness of her green eyes as she stares into your own…

Uwah~!

Being this close to your love, being in a close environment with your love, having your love stare back at you~!

This is the best!

"The beach, the beach!" You cheer out. "We're going to the beach~!"

"Indeed," Kaina nods, still staring at you. Occasionally, she reaches out a hand but then sets it down. It's like she wants to touch you but isn't quite sure if it's appropriate yet.

"I can't believe you found a beach near Terminus City!"

"One of my coworkers recommended this location to me. I confess that I am eager to see what it'll be like for myself."

"This is a pretty swanky beach too. This island's basically off-limits for everyone except the big corpo hotshots. I can't believe your coworker also got us passes for the day!" You gush. Suncrest Isle is supposed to be one of, if not the most romantic locations to have a date near Terminus City. Clear skies, pristine water, a natural ecosystem that's been carefully tended to…

The rich folks in Terminus City really do like their vacation spots. It figures that they'd spend more maintaining this pleasure island in a month than they do in a year paying to maintain the city's infrastructure.

Not that you really care.

Because you're going to the beach~! Kaina wanted to go to the beach~! Ah, she's doing so well, she's learning so quickly, and she managed to pick out the perfect spot for some fun and relaxation! Gosh, you're not sure who gave Kaina the genius idea to head to the beach, but you'll have to do something nice for them at some point~!

Maybe a gift basket? Wine?

No, how about gift baskets with wine? Unless they don't like alcohol. Spring water instead…?

"Mistress, Lady Shikinami. We've arrived," Lupe's voice calls out as your limo pulls up to a stop. You shield your eyes as you rush out the door to take in the natural splendor that awaits you…

Gosh, this place really is like a little paradise island. It's even better in person than it was in the photos. The sand's so pristine and pale, and the ocean's so blue and inviting. The sound of the soft crash of the waves, the howling of the wind in your ears… Even the smell is nice and clean. Nothing but a hint of salt tinges the air.

It's hard to imagine a place like this can even exist near Terminus City.

But you're glad that it does~!

"Hey, hey Kaina!" You say as you do a little half-turn. "Isn't this place great?!"

"Mmh," Kaina nods.

"Here, lemme get the picnic basket and the other things. Kaina, come help me out, come on!"

"Okay."

Lupe rolls down the driver's window, and pokes her fluffy-eared head out to meet your eyes. "Mistress, I'll drive the car to a nearby rest stop once you've finished unpacking so the two of you can be left alone."

"Got it Lupe~! Thanks! But you don't have to do it right now; you can wait for an hour or two. We'll be here for the rest of the day after all~!"

"Understood. Then I shall remain here and observe. I wish you a pleasant date, mistress, lady Shikinami."

Fun times at the beach. The beach, the beach~!

Just an entire day all to yourself and your love. Ah~! Wait. There's one more thing!

"Lupe, don't forget the surprise. The surprise!"

Kaina perks up as she continues unloading bags and boxes from the trunk of your limo. "Surprise?"

"Nothing you need to worry about Kaina; it's something special I prepared just for you!" You wave frantically.

"A squad of maids will have your surprised prepared by the coastline when nightfall arrives, mistress."

Alright~! This is going to be the best day ever. Gosh, you hope Kaina'll feel as happy as you do right now. Hee~!

--

"Here, help me lay out these towels!" You say as you start setting up your impromptu stand. The wonders of living in the 22[sup]nd/sup] century mean that it's a lot easier to set up a private, shaded area on this gorgeous expanse of sand.

You've already set up two foldable beach chairs, a wide solar umbrella that's firmly planted in the ground, sturdy enough so that the wind won't blow it away. There's the cooler, of course. You've got Nucola, Vsrite, some traditional root beer and other fizzy drinks. And who can forget the picnic basket you've got!

You spent the entire evening last night cooking up a feast for your love~! Just all kinds of sweet and savory treats to feed her, treats cooked with love. Gosh, the idea of giving your love the bento box you specifically made for her…

Kyah~!

It's like you really are a blushing maiden all over again~!

"I do not understand why we need to lay down towels when we already have foldable seats," Kaina asks, tilting her head quizzically as she grabs the other corner of the beach towels you've unpacked.

"Well, we could just want to lie down and soak in the rays. Haven't you ever been to a beach before?" You ask. "You were the one who picked this spot, weren't you?"

"It has been a while since I… I haven't been to the beach in a while," Kaina says haltingly. "The last time… I was five, I think. I made sand castles. With my mother. It was… Nice."

"Hey, hey," you say gently, catching on to how your love's face falls. "Hey. It's okay. Are you alright?"

"I will be," Kaina nods. "I'm sorry. I've ruined the mood..."

"No, you didn't. I actually liked that! You opened up to me, told me a little about yourself!" You wink, affecting a cheery tone as you continue to talk. "My mom took me to the beach too, when I was seven. I basically spent the whole day splashing about in the water. Of course, I had to take a long bath afterward; the pollution there was kind of terrible…"

"My mother didn't let me go into the water for that reason," Kaina's lips quirk into a small smile. "Why did your mother let you swim in polluted water…?"

"Because she didn't care about me. She was too busy," you shrug nonchalantly. "As far as she was concerned, I was just her retirement plan. As a good daughter, I'd be there to take care of her when she got old. That was it."

Such was the life of Alice Takanashi; corporate drone turned corporate Magical Girl. Every single day spent prostituting your body, your time, and your public image in the name of others. Life as Alice Takanashi, Void Heart, is a lot more fun in this regard. At least now you don't have to live by anyone else's rules unless you want to.

"… I'm sorry," Kaina says, stumbling through her next words. "I..."

"Nah, don't be sorry. It's not your fault, you're not accountable for my messed up childhood," you reply easily.

"It isn't. But I regret… I wish that you didn't have to go through something like that," Kaina says, clearly groping for words. "I…"

Aw. Kaina's so sweet~! But now she's worrying even more about you, and you really don't want her to have to do that?

The whole point of today is for Kaina to have fun! For you to have fun!

So it's time to pivot back to fun things!

"I appreciate the thought, Kaina. But I'm fine. It happened in the past; you don't need to worry about it," you wave off. "Besides, if it weren't for that experience I wouldn't be here with you, right? If you want to make this up to me, then let's make a lot of new memories today! Because this day is ours!"

"…" Kaina's lips ghost back into that gorgeous, ethereal smile. You watch, fascinated by the sight of your love tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear as the wind picks up to let the rest of her hair billow behind her back... Uwah~!

So pretty~!

"Yes, that sounds like a grand idea. Let's do that," Kaina agrees.

Yay~!

"Alright, so, what are we starting with? You said you wanted to build sand castles, right?"

"My research revealed that other beach activities include swimming, long walks along the shoreside, sunbathing…" Kaina lists as she actually takes out her phone and starts reading off of… Did she take notes on what activities the two of you could do for this date? Is that an actual bulleted list she's reading off of?

Wait, what was that last?

"Sunbathing, eh?" You wink, tucking your arms behind your back and affecting a cutesy, shy pose. "My, my~! You know what that entails, right?"

"Yes. The application of sunscreen to our bodies so we could then lie down and soak in the sun's rays," Kaina nods. "My research has revealed that there are therapeutic benefits to sunlight. Sunlight stimulates the production of Vitamin D, triggers the brain to release serotonin, helps regulate the body's circadian rhythm..."

Hmm~! You want to try teasing your love about this; it's pretty obvious she hasn't thought about the more intimate aspects of sunbathing…

"You'd have to oil me up, you know. I'd have to take off my clothes and the nice swimsuit I bought so you could rub all of my parts down with sunscreen," you purr out. "Do you just want to see me naked again?"

"Yes," Kaina's reply is blunt. Brutal even. Enough to shock even you.

"… Eh?" You blink.

"I… I find the aesthetics of your body pleasing to look at for some reason. I've spent most of my time off work scrolling through the photos you send me. Every time I look at you, I find it difficult to take my eyes off you," Kaina admits without a hint of shame. "If I was allowed to do so, I believe… I think I could spend the whole day doing nothing but looking at you…"

…

Gosh, your face is turning warm. You bring your hands up to try and cool your burning cheeks, try to wipe the embarrassed grin off of your mouth as you hunch over. You just… You just can't even make eye contact right now!

Shame and embarrassment aren't things you're supposed to be able to feel anymore! You're a lewd, sinful girl who tempts others into debauchery!

Why the heck has Kaina's frank admission actually managed to stun you into silence then?! How the heck can this girl be so forward, but so… So…

Kyah~!

You're super happy right now! But also kind of weirdly embarrassed by how much Kaina apparently likes looking at you?! This feeling, you really are in love, ah, you could just die right now, the girl you love admitted that she likes looking at you, she likes you back, is she in love with you too…?

"… Did I say something wrong?" Kaina fidgets, looking a bit nervous now. "I'm sorry. I didn't… I did not mean to offend you, Alice. I will stop - "

No.

No, no. No. None of that.

"Kaina," you begin, reaching in to lay your hands on Kaina's slim shoulders, ruffling the fabric of her blouse. "Kaina, you did not offend me. What you said made me super happy, that's all."

"You're… Happy?"

"Of course I am~! The girl I like just told me she likes looking at me~! Ah, I'm going to start sending you even more photos of myself… Ooh! Or maybe paintings!" You gush.

Ah~!

You just want to tell this absolute earnest cutie how much you love her. You want to kiss her, and hug her, and take her first time, and have her babies, and… And…! Gosh, how is it even possible for a girl to be this cute?!

You love her, you love her, she's so cute, you love her...

"The girl you like…?" Kaina looks a bit flabbergasted. "I don't…"

"Anyways!" You cough, try to change tangents. "I think we were talking about beach activities?"

"… We were." Kaina replies, still looking a bit confused by what just happened. "I believe I was talking about the merits of sunbathing?"

Hmm.

What exactly are the two of you going to do today~!

--

(60/160 Essence, 50 Regen)