Capri, one word, carrying two ancient echoes. In Greek, it can mean wild boar; in Latin, it may speak of a goat. But for many people, Capri is neither beast nor word. It is a dream made tangible, a destination whispered about in longing, a place where sorrow seems to dissolve into sunlight, where tears feel out of place among the beauty that endlessly delights the eyes. Capri stands apart, an island gently separated from the mainland of Italy, as if the world itself wished to cradle it somewhere special.
For countless travelers, Capri holds a place on the list of places one must see at least once in a lifetime. Leo was no exception. To him, Capri had long become a place of fascination, a place where he could wander freely, watch the rhythm of strangers passing by, observe the quiet dance of everyday life unfolding beneath the Mediterranean sun. And of course, the sea was another irresistible reason for him to set foot on this little island.
Even before arriving, Capri had already stolen his heart. Photographs on the internet and glossy brochures had been enough to ignite his imagination. And now, at last, the wish he had nurtured for so long had come true. He would see it with his own eyes, the deep sapphire of the sea, the soft whisper of salt-laced winds brushing against his skin, and the charming buildings perched along the cliffs like pieces of a living painting.
Excitement surged through him the moment his shoes touched the ground of Capri. His chest felt as if it might burst with it. His eyes shone brightly as he took in everything around him, unable to contain his eagerness to try every little thing this island had to offer; tasting the food, riding the cable cars, basking under the sun, or even just running freely along the streets.
“Uwaaah!” The sound of pure amazement slipped from his lips before he could stop it.
“Leo-kun, you’re blocking the way for other people,” a girl gently scolded as she tugged lightly at his arm.
Leo turned toward her with a completely unapologetic grin, the kind that made it impossible to stay annoyed at him for long. Without protest, he shifted aside and stepped closer to her, allowing the path he had unknowingly occupied to open again.
Still smiling widely, Leo looked at Maru. The excitement in his eyes had not faded in the slightest. Being able to stand here in Capri already thrilled him beyond words, but what made the moment even brighter was the simple fact that he was here with her—his little sea, Maru. After everything they had gone through together—the quiet tears, the storms of emotion, the silent cries that never found voice—they had finally carved out a moment like this. A moment to breathe. A moment to simply exist beside each other and enjoy the gentle warmth of their bond.
“So, where’re we going first?” Leo asked, glancing at Maru, who was currently studying a map of Capri on her phone.
They had arrived without a tour guide, relying only on the internet and a few bits of advice from acquaintances who had once visited the island.
Maru stood there in a light white summer dress, its thin straps resting delicately on her shoulders. A straw hat crowned her dark hair, both adorning her and shielding her from the golden sunlight above. Her eyes were fixed on her phone screen with remarkable focus. Leo could even see the faint crease forming on her forehead from how seriously she examined the map application. Soft, indistinct murmurs slipped from her lips as she considered their route, carefully weighing where they should go first.
“How about we head to the Blue Grotto first?” Maru asked.
“Let’s go!” Leo didn’t hesitate even for a second. He grabbed Maru’s hand immediately.
“Leo-kun, wait! I still need to check which way we’re supposed to go,” Maru protested.
But Leo simply kept walking.
“It’s gotta be this way. Yeah, definitely this way!” Maru could only sigh softly before following him. His steps were quick, but not overwhelmingly so.
Without either of them truly noticing when it had started—perhaps a few months after they first met, perhaps even earlier—Leo’s naturally quick, long strides had gradually slowed whenever he walked beside Maru. His steps had begun to match her rhythm, adjusting instinctively to her pace. And now, it had quietly become his habit.
“So… this is the Blue Grotto?!”
Maru stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips as she stared at Leo, her eyes narrowing. Her eyes, twin blue orbs as clear and luminous as a shallow tropical sea, narrowed into a playful squint, their azure depths sharpening as they locked onto Leo's irises, which held the quiet, earthy green of a forest lake. There was a silent accusation in that look.
Leo, the owner of those sharp green eyes, could only answer with the familiar sheepish grin that seemed permanently etched onto his face. There was not the slightest trace of panic in him, nor even guilt. Instead, he looked almost absurdly relaxed about the fact that he had clearly guided them to the wrong place. After all, situations like this had happened far too many times to count.
Maru drew in a long breath, the kind one takes when accepting a fate that feels both frustrating and oddly inevitable. Once again, she had become Leo’s victim—the victim of wandering astray simply because the man stubbornly refused to use a map or ask the locals for directions. Leo possessed an almost unbelievable confidence in navigating the world using nothing but instinct alone.
It wasn’t that Maru doubted his instincts entirely. In certain matters, Leo’s intuition was remarkably sharp—almost frighteningly so, as though he could sense things others could not. But when it came to directions… well, Maru often felt that particular instinct of his deserved at least a little suspicion.
“Mmm… maybe we should’ve turned right back there when we were heading down,” Leo muttered while folding his arms across his chest, tilting his head as though he were a philosopher contemplating the mysteries of the universe rather than someone who had simply gotten lost. His thoughtful pose might have looked convincing—if not for the fact that the cause of the problem was standing right there.
“Or maybe,” Maru replied calmly, lifting a brow, “we were already going the wrong way from the beginning.”
“Ah… yeah, okay, fair point,” Leo admitted with a light chuckle. Then, as if the solution were the most obvious thing in the world, he suddenly brightened. “Alright! Let’s just go back to the start.”
Before she could say another word, Leo had already reached out and grabbed Maru’s hand again, tugging her along with an easy, unbothered enthusiasm that seemed completely immune to frustration. And just like that, whether she liked it or not, Maru found herself following him once more.
Sometimes Maru truly didn’t understand herself. She didn’t understand why she continued to trust Leo like this, even after he had led them astray more than once today alone. She could have stopped him. She could have insisted that he wait while she checked the map again, traced the correct route, and guided them properly toward their destination.
Yet instead of doing any of those things, she simply walked beside him again.
Step for step, their footsteps fell together along the winding paths of Capri, allowing the warm summer breeze drifting in from the sea to guide them toward places neither of them had planned to find. Perhaps they would get lost again. Perhaps they would wander in circles and never reach the Blue Grotto at all, even after an entire day of walking beneath the golden Mediterranean sun.
But strangely… Maru didn’t mind.
As long as her steps were carried forward by the gentle wind of summer that seemed to follow Leo wherever he went, and as long as her hand remained wrapped in the warmth of his like this, Maru found that she didn’t mind wandering a little longer before reaching their destination. After all, sometimes the most beautiful journeys were the ones that took the longest way around.
They had been walking for quite some time—long enough for the sun to climb higher and the shadows to grow shorter—yet there was still no sign that they were anywhere near the Blue Grotto. If anything, it felt as though each step they took carried them farther away from that famed jewel of Capri, the place they had set out to find with such bright anticipation. And yet, the path they wandered was anything but disappointing.
Along the way, they stumbled upon places no less enchanting, as if the island itself was gently offering them hidden treasures in exchange for losing their way. They passed through a garden overflowing with blossoms, petals swaying softly in the breeze like a quiet chorus of colors. They paused atop high cliffs where the sea stretched endlessly below, its surface shimmering beneath the sun like scattered fragments of glass. And of course, they couldn’t resist stopping for small local treats, the taste of them lingering sweetly as part of the memory they were unknowingly weaving together.
But even the most beautiful journey begins to weigh on the body after enough time. Maru’s steps gradually slowed, the rhythm of her walking losing its earlier lightness. The heat of the sun pressed down more insistently now, wrapping around her shoulders and settling into her skin. Her feet, having endured far more than they were prepared for, began to ache with each step she forced herself to take. Still, true to her stubborn nature, she said nothing. She simply kept walking.
The wind shifted suddenly, brushing past them a little stronger than before, almost as if it had noticed something Maru was trying to hide. And then, without warning, Leo stopped and crouched down right in front of her.
The suddenness of it caught Maru completely off guard, her breath hitching as she stared at him. There was something almost striking about the way he moved just now. It reminded her of a knight from some distant tale, one who had sworn himself to the quiet duty of protecting someone precious.
“Eh—Leo-kun, what are you doing?” she asked, her voice faltering slightly as the warmth already lingering on her cheeks deepened into a vivid red.
“… I think your feet and your shoes got into a fight in there,” Leo said thoughtfully, his gaze lowering toward her feet, “and yeah… your little feet totally lost.”
“Huh…?” Even after all this time, after everything they had shared, there were still moments when Maru found Leo’s way of thinking utterly impossible to predict.
“C’mon, take your shoes off for a sec.” Before she could protest, Leo had already reached out, gently helping her slip off her shoes. And just as he suspected, the evidence was clear. The skin of her feet had turned red, especially around her heels, the irritation obvious enough that if she had continued any longer, it might have broken into painful blisters.
“Whoa… your feet are seriously red. Like, tomato-level red,” Leo commented lightly.
Maru was just about to complain when suddenly, a soft breath brushed against her skin. Leo had leaned closer, gently blowing over the irritated area of her foot. The sting eased ever so slightly under the cool touch of air, but in exchange, something far more dangerous took its place.
Her heart.
It was no longer safe.
The sight of him—his expression unexpectedly serious, his movements careful and focused—sent her pulse spiraling out of control. Once he was done, he repeated the same gentle gesture with her other foot, his touch so delicate it almost didn’t seem real.
It was the kind of gentleness one might expect from someone playing the keys of a piano, each movement measured, precise, and filled with quiet care. Tsukinaga Leo, who was so often reckless and unpredictable, now looked…soft.
“Maru, your feet are kinda in bad shape,” Leo said after a moment, straightening slightly. “You probably can't walk anymore.” And just like that, the fragile image of tenderness shattered.
“Don’t say something that scary so casually!”
“Wahaha~☆” Leo laughed freely, clearly amused. Teasing Maru, it seemed, was a source of endless entertainment for him.
“Alright, let’s find somewhere to take a break,” he added, turning his back to her while remaining in a crouched position.
“Hop on.”
“…Hop on?” Maru repeated, hesitation flickering in her voice.
“Oh? What, you want me to carry you princess-style instead?” Leo shot back immediately.
That was all it took. In an instant, Maru climbed onto his back, arms wrapping around him without another word. The mere thought of being carried that way, in public no less, was enough to make her abandon any resistance. There was no way she could endure the strange looks from others, or, more truthfully, the storm it would stir within her own heart.
Leo rose to his feet and began walking again, his steps steady and unbothered. Carrying her didn’t seem to weigh on him at all. If anything, it felt natural. Their journey continued, now in a different rhythm.
They talked as they went, their voices weaving into the warm air between them. Sometimes they laughed, the sound light and carefree. Sometimes Maru protested at something Leo said, her tone sharp but never truly serious. And sometimes, her voice softened in a way that lingered quietly in his ears.
Walking like this… it was strangely enjoyable. Especially with Maru so close. From where she rested against his back, Leo could faintly hear it—the rapid, unsteady rhythm of her heartbeat. It drummed softly against him. And though he said nothing of it, his own heart had begun to echo that same rhythm. Of course… that was something he absolutely had no intention of letting Maru notice.