Kouchisei walked towards the figure from across the beach, leaving footprints in the sand and scrunching his nose slightly as he got closer sand and saw it wasn't one person but three. He was not scared of company - it was just being amongst people was less relaxing than feeling the rest of the world was empty.
It was not a problem, he reminded himself. After all, they knew each other. It didn't matter much what the rest of the world did so long as they had their own private part of it. The matter was settled by a memory of a beach vacation with his parents; they would relax and talk and laugh, and he would run from the waves and at them as they retreated.
And Kozue was never really one for family life. Just because she did not want it did not mean she was right, though. He was doing his best to make her see sense, even if things did not last she would at least learn from the experience. Sacrifices had to be made.
Even talking to his father and getting his agreement to study medicine had not been an ample reward. He rubbed his head and sighed.
With a book in his other hand, he waited by the lounge chair.