Chapter 77
The Ocean test
“There are two things impossible to fight in this world
Love, and the current.”
David Trewith
In his book of introduction to Britain, Kazuki didn’t expect that navigating the back roads of Cornwall by bike would be more brutal than Aksel’s toasts of marmite.
So far, his experience had been mild enough; old pipes groaning in the house, no pressure in the shower, the cat's friendly scratches at freaking dawn.
Everything here felt so solid, so grounded.
To toast his bread directly on a stove that belonged in a museum made the disorientation almost complete.
In such scenic setting, how could he not appreciate this quaint life? So when David had suggested going down to the pub for lunch, Kazuki only had to see Elyna’s delighted expression to agree. He’d biked his way in Tōkyō for years, could it really be worse than rush hour traffic in a megalopolis?
How wrong he was! Wrong, and utterly terrified. The Cornish backcountry gave narrow a new definition. Elyna and Aksel were racing each other like maniacs, their laughter dancing in the wind. The only comfort, a mild one, was riding on the left side of the road.
“They’re going to break their necks,” he blanched.
“Nah, they’ve done this since they were tots,” David shrugged, pedalling ahead to line them up properly as a car passed them.
The landscape was hauntingly beautiful, not unlike the woman who had stolen his heart.
All wild lands and hills cut open by sheer cliffs, the ocean glinting on the horizon.
The pub appeared before them, a sturdy stone cottage nestled into the valley.
Elyna was already waiting for him, cheeks flushed and hair askew.
“Come on, I’ll show you the best view in Cornwall.”
She led him around the building to a terrace that overlooked a dramatic rift in the cliffs. His breath caught as she took a seat on the low wall. Far below, very far below, he could spot a small harbour nestled in the rocks, boats resting on their sides like wounded animals.
His eyebrows rose. “Where’s the sea?”
Elyna’s eyes lit up. “Oh, we’ve got a high range today! The tide’s out. I expect some brilliant waves when it comes in. And the wind’s turned to the east … this is going to be awesome!”
Her obvious joy didn’t soften the baffling concept; had the ocean just … left? “How far does it go?” he asked, fascinated by the sight of those little boats waiting for the sea to return.
“Six metres today. Sometimes more.”
“Incredible,” he breathed.
Doubt crept in as he took in Elyna’s flushed cheeks, her golden head bathing in sunlight before the scenic drop, her twinkling eyes delighted by the prospect of waves the size of a mountain. A water fairy consenting to offer her presence to mortals. “Elyna, am I taking you away from something?”
She turned to him, eyes wide. “What do you mean, my Tsuki?”
The endearment made his heart skip; he settled on the wall beside her to grab her hand, his thumb brushing her sun-kissed skin. “You’re … glowing here. I can’t help but feel…” Fear, actually, but he couldn’t say that. “ … like you’d be happier in Cornwall.”
Elyna fell quiet, a slight furrow marring her brow. Her expression suddenly eased; she brought his knuckles to her lips with a tender smile. “But fitting somewhere doesn’t mean it’s home.”
Caught off-guard, Kazuki blinked. “No?”
“No.” It felt like a statement. A universal truth. “You know, I was sitting on this exact wall last year, pining for you.” She patted the weathered surface for emphasis.
His breath caught as her smile turned amused. “I came back to Cornwall thinking distance would help. Thinking that if I sat here long enough, I’d stop spiralling about my impossible crush.”
His lips twitched. “Did it work?”
She scoffed. “Obviously not. But it took time before I understood that home isn’t a place.”
Kazuki scooted closer, sliding his arm across her shoulders. “Home is where the heart is, Tsuki,” she murmured in his ear. “And my heart lives with you now.”
Something warm settled in his chest. Elated, he slanted his head to rest his temple over her golden hair. “I love—”
Loud voices interrupted his impromptu declaration.
They both turned around, finding Mr. Trewith with Aksel in tow, followed by an older woman in a floral cardigan.
Beside her walked a young man in his mid-twenties, skin tanned from many hours in the sun.
His expression darkened when he spotted Kazuki.
Elyna stood, tugging on his hand. “Mrs. Pemberton!” she called out with an excited smile. “And Oliver. Fancy seeing you there!”
Oliver. The childhood crush. After his confession about Miyuki, Elyna had shared her own past relationships—they were surprisingly few. Would it be selfish to wish she’d never loved before him? Absolutely, and completely hypocritical. But his heart yearned for it all the same.
This is Karma.
“Elyna, darling!” The older woman beamed. “You are glowing!” Then she turned to him, and gave him a warm smile. “And this must be your young man! A fine fellow,” she commented, eyes roaming over him so blatantly that he almost blushed. “It’s lovely to meet you!”
Young, ah! People kept mistaking him for a lad here. Ignored by both women, Oliver stepped forward for a handshake. His grip was firm, just shy of aggressive. “Oliver Pemberton,” he announced, “Ellie’s childhood friend.”
Ellie. She likes Lyna better. To meet someone who’d known for so long was a little destabilising. “Sano Kazuki,” he announced with poise. “A pleasure to meet you.”
The conversation that followed was too fast paced for him to keep up. Between Mrs. Pemberton’s thick accent and rounded vowels, Oliver’s interjections that seemed friendly, but were actually jabs in disguise, he was soon nursing a headache.
Nothing to do to with jet lag and whiskey.
Mrs Pemberton peppered him with questions about Japan and his relationship with Elyna, each new inquiry increasing Oliver’s sour mood.
The rest blurred, his only saving grace the presence of Aksel who translated key points in simpler English.
The word tides and swell came often. As well as surfing, which Oliver apparently did competitively.
“By the way, Oliver,” Mr. Trewith casually asked, “can I trouble you for a wetsuit? Seems you’re of similar build to Kazuki here.”
The young man looked like he’d sucked a lemon, but his mother clapped her hands with enthusiasm. “Of course! He’s got several at home anyway. No trouble at all! Just pop by on the way down the beach!”
Eventually, the hour was deemed late enough for lunch. The group shifted towards the pub’s entrance. He followed eagerly; his stomach was begging for food, and he longed to do something other than standing there, feeling foreign.
The pub’s interior was dim after the brightness outside, the ceiling was low enough that he could probably touch the beams if he stretched.
The atmosphere called a smile to his lips; this was exactly the kind of place he would have sought out as a traveller.
Elyna dragged him to the bar while the others claimed a table near the window.
“Tom!” she called. The weathered barman smiled at her, eyes crinkling at the corner. “There you are, lass. Had a good flight?”
“Well, you know how it is, but I had good company.”
The barman offered his enormous, battered hands for him to shake. “Welcome to Cornwall, sir. We’ve got some lovely pasties just out. Want to try some?”
His accent was even thicker than Mrs. Pemberton. Unsure, he turned to Elyna.
“Let’s have a pair of traditional, but no cheese for Kazu.”
Tom’s bushy eyebrows raised so high they seemed to disappear into his hairline. “No cheese?” Elyna shrugged, her cheekbones dusting pink. “You know, most Asian people are lactose intolerant. So yeah…”
Kazuki bit back a smile at the memory of an awkward conversation revolving around millionaire shortbread and dairy products.
Tom’s face crumpled in genuine concern as if he suffered from a terminal illness. “Oh, poor lad! That must be terrible for you. I can’t imagine life without a good bit of cheddar, myself. Absolute tragedy, that is.”
The thick brogue was confusing as hell, but he caught the meaning well enough; Tom was devastated on his behalf. He fought to keep his expression neutral; Kazuki was the stranger here, the one whose body worked wrong.
Elyna squeezed his hand, sending him an amused smile. “He manages,” she responded warmly to soothe Tom’s distress. Then, she eyed the window table where Olivier had settled, leaving an empty seat beside him. “Wanna eat at the bar?” she offered. “With me?”
Kazuki lifted an eyebrow. “Didn’t you want to join them?”
The reverse situation, at home, would border on scandalous, but Elyna only shrugged. “I did, before Oliver popped up. Let’s have a little romantic time, ne?” The Japanese interjection felt like home.
Still uneasy, Kazuki caught Aksel’s gaze; the boy raised his own glass at him with a wink. Understanding dawned; the lad was keeping his rival busy. Devious siblings. He raised his glass in a mock salute, and plunged his lips in the cider.
I feel as mature as Shūji.
Thus, they claimed a little corner of the bar where Tom brought them two Cornish pasties — one without cheese.
Starving, Kazuki dug in eagerly. The pasty was a delight of crusty dough and melting filling, a masterpiece of textures and taste that had him moaning.
It was a hearty meal, completely unlike anything he’d eat at home.
His liver would feel it tomorrow, though.
“Good?” Elyna asked, cheeks pink as she watched his tongue dart out to lick the butter of his lips. Her shoulder was pressed against his, a welcome contact that created a bubble for them both. “Excellent,” he responded, earning him a proud look from the barman.