Life Afterlife: The Sequel

Beneath the Corsican Stars

THEY DECIDE TO SPEND the day at the beach.

Hinata clasps their luggages and vanishes into thin air before either of them can dispute.

Akaashi and Kuroo stand and blink at each other.

Tsukishima yawns.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you," he says.

"You're not actually sleepy, are you?" Kuroo asks.

"I yawn when I'm bored."

Akaashi expects Kuroo to retort, but instead he laughs it off.

"I think I offended you last night," he says, surprisingly sincere. "I apologise."

He goes to bow, but Tsukishima has already turned away.

"You didn't offend me," he says, walking with brisk steps. "It takes more than a few words of a stranger to offend me."

He glances at the boys still standing near the bus.

"Keep up. There's a cave in the eastern cliffs where we can spend the day. You'll get to meet your friend at night."

They follow the golden-haired boy as the bus drives off. It rides the stretch of the coast before rising to the sky and disappearing in sunlight.

The waves lap against their shoes. Akaashi tries to move away, but Kuroo keeps him in place.

"It's just water," he says.

Akaashi sighs. He takes the gloved hand in his and sways them to and fro.

They walk down the beach as the sun climbs up the sky. Tsukishima walks with his hands in pockets a few feet ahead. A fishing boat is floating in the distance. Seagulls fight for fish at the boulders.

"Oy, Tsukki!" Kuroo calls. "If I ever want to go abroad again, can you give me a free ride?"

"No," comes the reply.

"Please? Kenma loves quiet beaches. Less than his bedroom, yeah, but I'm sure he'd love this."

"I'm not your chauffeur. Or butler."

"Why do you walk so fast?" Kuroo runs up to the boy, dragging Akaashi along with him. "See? Now we look like three friends on a trip."

Tsukishima narrows his eyes, shifting away from the two. "We're not friends. You don't even know my full name."

"And you don't know mine. What's that got to do with anything?"

Tsukishima comes to a stop. "If you're being serious," he says, "then there's something I'd like to ask you. May I?"

Akaashi studies the boy. The silver glasses have slipped down his nose a little. Hair like honey. He's pale. His skin glows under sunlight.

Like the moon.

Beautiful and distant.

Maybe the ones who want to be alone should be left alone.

Kuroo tilts his head like a curious dog. "Sure," he says.

Tsukishima keeps his gaze on the foam sparkling near his feet.

"I cannot understand how everyone can love so easily even though they're aware someone will end up hurting the other. Either through words, actions, or death." He shakes his head. "It's just another emotion fuelled by chemicals in your brain."

Akaashi doesn't reply. He doesn't think he has an answer for Tsukishima. How do you convince someone that love is a fundamental force not unlike gravity? That it's as mysterious as quantum entanglement? Even Bokuto's six pillars of life can only ever hint at its vastness. There's no substitute for reality. It's like trying to describe colours.