On the green of the hill 
We will drink our fill 
Of golden sunshine, 
Till our brains intertwine 

- John Keats 

The sand beneath her toes was the gentlest hue of gold, almost earthen and muted, the humble star of the scene. Tiffany sighed, breathing in the briny aroma, as the calm breeze danced across her face. She laid a thin blanket, her hand rested across her forehead, and a pair of pink sunglasses perched on her eyes.   

A shiver cascaded down her spine and her eyes burst open. The shore faded into liquid gold, vivid in the brilliant light. This is what perfect mornings looked like. She frowned. Well, it would be if only Jessica wasn’t running late.   

Tiffany had told her that she wasn’t going to wait up as Jessica took ages to get ready. They were supposed to be having a morning of sunbathing, but Tiffany had been waiting for around an hour now and it was quickly turning into the afternoon.  

A playful cacophony erupted in the near distance. Tiffany turned her head lazily. A tall, dark-haired girl stood in the middle of two lumps of jackets, which supposedly looked like goalposts. Two other girls were chasing after the blonde who dribbled a patched-up ball that looked as if it had seen better days.   

Tiffany never really understood the rules of soccer. Her brother, Leo, was obsessed and always tried to get her to share his obsession; to his disappointment, it never worked out, no matter how many games he dragged her to play. What was so interesting about a sport where you had to kick a ball anyway?  

The blonde came closer to the goal, and Tiffany saw her grow more determined in her movements. Her hand was outstretched to ward off her other two opponents. Her foot raised then slammed against the ball, which soared through the air. The dark-haired girl dived to the side but missed the ball by an inch.  

“Goal! Kim Taeyeon has done it again, ladies and gentlemen!”  

The blonde’s voice boomed across the beach as she cheered happily by throwing her hands above her head and flailing them around. Most of the surrounding people threw her dirty looks. A woman nearby was jolted awake from her nap on a beach chaise and squinted around in confusion. Tiffany’s mouth curved upwards. The other two players shoved the blonde in jest while the latter laughed blissfully. Tiffany raised an eyebrow. The girl's laugh sounded like an old lady's. It was unusual but cute.  

Tiffany bestowed her gaze to the far-off coastline; the hues of the sun melted into the sky and ocean like a divine painting. Beneath her hazy eyelids, she watched as each wave overlapped. The warm air emitted wave upon wave of heat, like a lover tenderly caressing her skin.  

Tiffany felt a pang of regret in her chest, wishing she had brought a book with her from her hotel room. Now it was too late to risk losing her comfortable position.   

Her thoughts darkened. She had to make the most of this holiday before she went back. Back to reality. Back to the same ritualistic monotony. Back to. . . Him. Even the thought of going back created an elastic band around her lungs, tightening with each breath she took, like someone press