Chapter 17: A Beach Day with an idiot...

I couldn't believe I was actually doing this.

Standing in front of my wardrobe, I pulled out a few old summer clothes, flipping through them with a sense of growing dread. Y/N had been talking about this beach trip nonstop since I agreed to it. And now here I was, about to pack for a day at the beach with him. It wasn't like I hated the idea—it was the first time in forever that I'd even considered taking a break—but something about going along with Y/N's plan felt... dangerous.

And then there was the swimsuit question.

"Seriously, why did he even ask about that?" I muttered under my breath. My hand hovered over a folded swimsuit—nothing fancy, just a plain black bikini. But Y/N had been so interested in what I was going to wear. He said it would help him decide which beach to take us to, but I had this nagging feeling he was just messing with me.

It was probably all part of some stupid game he'd made up in his head. Knowing him, it didn't matter what I wore—he'd drag me to the same beach anyway. But I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, no matter what I chose, Y/N was going to make things difficult. It's just who he was.

I grabbed the black bikini, shaking my head. "This'll do. It's simple enough."

As I was folding it into my bag, I heard Y/N's voice booming from the hallway, as if he was already getting impatient. "Hiyori! You ready yet?"

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Why do I put up with him?"

After some last-minute packing and making sure the shrine wouldn't burn down in our absence, I found Y/N waiting outside, grinning like a fool. He was already dressed for the beach, wearing a loose, white shirt that was half unbuttoned, showing off his lean, toned chest, and a pair of dark swim trunks. His mismatched eyes sparkled with excitement, and the breeze toyed with his messy white hair.

He was standing with his hands on his hips, looking like some kind of overconfident pirate about to set sail.

"Finally!" he said as I stepped out. "I thought you were gonna back out."

I slung my bag over my shoulder and shot him a glare. "You wish. Now, where exactly are we going?"

"That depends!" Y/N said, wagging a finger at me. "First, you've gotta tell me what swimsuit you're wearing."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why does it matter?"

He gave me a sly grin. "It just does. It'll help me figure out the perfect beach for the day. Trust me."

I crossed my arms, eyeing him suspiciously. "And by that, you mean you're going to take me to the same place no matter what I say, right?"

Y/N's grin widened. "Maybe. But humor me. What's the swimsuit?"

I sighed, shaking my head. There was no winning with him. "It's just a black bikini. Nothing fancy."

His eyes lit up like I'd just told him the secret to eternal happiness. "Perfect! The black bikini means we're going somewhere exclusive!"

"Exclusive?" I repeated, not bothering to hide my skepticism.

Y/N nodded, clearly thrilled with himself. "Yup! Only the best for my one and only worshiper. I've got just the place in mind."

"Right," I said flatly, feeling the inevitable migraine already creeping in. "So, where is this magical place?"

"Nowhere you've ever been before!" Y/N said with a wink. He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the world around us changed.

We were suddenly standing on soft, white sand that stretched as far as the eye could see. The sky above was a brilliant blue, dotted with fluffy clouds that looked like something out of a painting. The ocean sparkled in the sunlight, its waves gently lapping against the shore in a soothing rhythm. Tall palm trees swayed in the breeze, their leaves rustling like a quiet whisper.

It was... perfect.

Too perfect.

I blinked, looking around. There wasn't a soul in sight. No other beachgoers, no boats on the water, no buildings in the distance. Just us.

"Y/N... where are we?"

He spread his arms wide, clearly proud of himself. "Welcome to Y/N Island!"

I stared at him. "Y/N Island?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I created it just for today. A private beach, no interruptions, no annoying tourists. Just you, me, and paradise."

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to wrap my head around the absurdity of it all. Of course, he would create an entire island just for a beach trip. Why wouldn't he?

"I swear, you are the most ridiculous God I've ever met."

He flashed me a grin. "Ridiculous? Or awesome?"

"That's debatable."

Y/N didn't seem to care about my lack of enthusiasm. He was already kicking off his sandals, tossing them aside before running full speed toward the water. "Come on, Hiyori! The water's perfect!"

I watched him dive headfirst into the ocean, his white hair disappearing beneath the waves. For a moment, I just stood there, watching the horizon. The ocean was endless, stretching into the distance like a glittering jewel. And despite how over-the-top Y/N's antics were, I had to admit… the place was beautiful. Serene, even.

I took a deep breath and slipped off my sandals, feeling the warm sand beneath my feet. It had been so long since I'd done something like this. Something that didn't involve Gods, shrines, or responsibilities. Maybe Y/N was right. Maybe this was exactly what I needed.

I walked down to the water's edge, the waves gently lapping at my ankles. The water was cool and refreshing, and the sun was warm on my skin. I could see Y/N further out, floating on his back, staring up at the sky.

"You gonna just stand there, or are you actually gonna enjoy yourself?" he called out, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Give me a minute. I'm still processing the fact that you created an island for this."

He laughed, flipping onto his stomach and swimming back toward me. "I told you—only the best. This is your day too, you know. I want you to have fun."

His words caught me off guard. Y/N could be an idiot, sure, but every now and then, he'd say something that reminded me he actually cared. In his own strange way, he was always looking out for me.

I kicked some water in his direction. "I'm trying, alright? You don't have to pressure me."

He grinned, dodging the splash. "I'm not pressuring you. I just don't want you to hold back. Relax. You've earned it."

"Yeah, well," I muttered, looking down at the water. "I'm not used to this whole 'relaxing' thing."

Y/N swam closer, his mismatched eyes locking onto mine. "I know. But you don't have to do everything alone, Hiyori. I've got your back, remember?"

I sighed, feeling the weight of those words again. He said it so casually, like it was the simplest thing in the world. But the truth was, having someone like Y/N in my life—someone who refused to let me carry everything on my own—was... comforting. Even if I'd never admit it to him.

"Yeah, I know," I said softly. "Thanks."

He floated beside me for a moment, his grin softening into something more genuine. "Anytime."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of sunshine, swimming, and surprisingly, a lot of laughter. Y/N was like a kid in a candy store—running through the sand, diving into the ocean, and generally acting like a complete goof. But it was infectious. After a while, I found myself laughing along with him, letting go of the stress and tension that had been weighing me down for so long.

At one point, we took a break under the shade of a palm tree, lounging in the sand as the waves gently rolled in. Y/N had summoned a cooler from thin air, packed with snacks and drinks, of course.

"Not bad, huh?" he said, cracking open a can of soda and handing it to me.

I took it, feeling the cold condensation against my palm. "I'll admit, you know how to pick a good spot."

He gave me a knowing grin. "Told you I'd take care of everything."

I sipped the soda, feeling the cool liquid slide down my throat. It was nice—sitting here with Y/N, away from the world, away from the shrine and all our responsibilities. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't thinking about what needed to be done or what problem I had to solve next.

For once, I was just... here.

"You know," I said after a long silence, "you're not as much of an idiot as you let on."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. "Excuse me? I'm a genius, thank you very much."

I smirked. "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He chuckled, leaning back on his hands and gazing out at the horizon. "Seriously though, I'm glad you came out here with me." His voice had softened, the usual cocky edge replaced by something a little more sincere. "You work too hard. I figured you needed this more than you realized."

I glanced at him, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. Y/N was rarely this serious—he was always joking around, acting like nothing in the world could bother him. But in moments like this, when he let the mask slip just a little, I was reminded that there was more to him than just the chaos and the mischief.

"Yeah," I admitted, leaning back against the tree and closing my eyes. "Maybe you're right."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the rhythm of the waves. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the ocean, and for a moment, everything felt... peaceful. I could feel the tension melting away from my shoulders, replaced by a sense of calm that I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Hey, Hiyori," Y/N said after a while, breaking the quiet.

"Hm?"

He turned to look at me, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips again. "So, since you're finally relaxing... how about we make this a regular thing?"

I opened one eye, giving him a sideways glance. "A regular thing? You mean beach trips?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I mean, it doesn't have to be the beach every time, but, you know... taking breaks. Doing something fun. Getting away from everything."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you think we could just... leave the shrine behind whenever we want? What about everything else? The responsibilities? The prayers?"

Y/N waved a hand dismissively. "Please. I'm a God, Hiyori. The world can survive without me for a few days. And besides, I'll handle anything that comes up."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I muttered, though I couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips.

"Hey, I've been doing a pretty good job so far, haven't I?"

I chuckled softly. "Debatable."

Y/N grinned, lying back in the sand and placing his hands behind his head. "Well, think about it. We've got a whole island to ourselves now. No one can bother us here. It could be like our secret getaway."

"Our secret getaway?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup!" he said with a proud nod. "Y/N Island. A place where we can just... be us. No gods, no shrines, no rules."

I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "You're unbelievable."

"And you love it," he shot back, giving me a wink.

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't argue with him. As ridiculous as Y/N was, there was something comforting about the idea of having a place like this—somewhere we could escape to when the weight of everything got to be too much.

"Maybe," I said after a moment, "this could work."

Y/N's grin widened, and he sat up, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "You mean it? You're actually considering it?"

I shrugged, pretending to be indifferent. "I mean, I wouldn't mind getting away every once in a while. But we'd have to be careful. You know, make sure everything's still running smoothly back at the shrine."

"Deal!" Y/N said, jumping to his feet. "I'll handle all the boring stuff, and you can focus on relaxing. It's the perfect plan!"

I laughed softly, watching him as he stood there, the wind ruffling his messy white hair. For a moment, I could almost forget about everything else—the responsibilities, the stress, the constant balancing act of being a goddess. It was just me and Y/N, standing on a beach at sunset, and for the first time in a long while, I felt... free.

"Alright, alright," I said, standing up and brushing the sand off my legs. "But don't get too comfortable. If you mess anything up while we're gone, it's on you."

"Hey, I've got this," Y/N said confidently, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Now come on, let's go for one last swim before it gets dark."

I glanced at the horizon, where the sun was dipping lower, casting a brilliant orange glow across the sky. The ocean shimmered like liquid gold, and the air was warm and salty. It was the perfect ending to an unexpectedly perfect day.

"Fine," I said, allowing myself one last indulgence. "But just this once."

Y/N grinned, and without another word, he dashed toward the water, kicking up sand in his wake. I watched him for a moment, shaking my head before following him into the waves.

Later, after the sun had set and the stars had begun to twinkle overhead, we lay on the beach, side by side, staring up at the night sky. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore filled the silence, and for the first time, there was no need for words.

It was peaceful, and I realized that Y/N, in his own strange way, had been right. I needed this. We both did.

I decided to break the silence.

"The moon is beautiful tonight isn't it?"