Chapter 127: Outside. Sea Song (4)
Part 9
The deserted beach looked like it was shouting, “We’ve been waiting for you!” Parasols, barbecue sets, and volleyball nets were neatly arranged on the flattened white sand—an oddly artificial scene.
But more captivating than the setup was the overwhelming blue beyond: blue, blue, blue. The vast horizon dominated the senses, making the summer heat fade, carrying a transcendent freedom that—
“Hoo…”
Yoonseo was reminded why she’d hesitated to come to the beach. The rubbery smell of the floatie filled her mouth as she blew into it, unsure if her breath was even inflating it. Everything annoyed her. Plugging the air hole, she sighed, the short, deflated “Hah” seeming to sap her energy further.
“Yoonseo-ssi, can’t swim?” Sihyun’s voice teased.
“Ugh…”
She’d chosen a secluded parasol to inflate her floatie discreetly, avoiding attention—especially from him, the one who drew the most eyes.
“…Not really,” she replied.
“Isn’t that a floatie in your hand?”
Sentiment aside, her situation was what it was. She didn’t want to admit she couldn’t swim, but denying it with the floatie in hand was futile, she realized too late.
“I can swim… With a floatie.” Her voice trailed off, embarrassed by her own excuse. Sihyun’s eyes gleamed like a cat spotting a toy, making her look down at the fine sand.
It’s still deflated—maybe I could pass it off as something else? No chance he’d buy it.
“I prefer admiring the view over swimming. The water’s sticky, messes up my hair, and it’s dangerous.”
“Weren’t you inflating that floatie to swim?”
“It’s for emergencies, like a tsunami.”
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
His familiar, sly smile appeared as he stepped closer, sitting a few feet away under the parasol’s shade. Casually, he reached out.
“Hand it over.”
“You need a floatie too?”
“I’m decent at most sports.”
“Then why?”
“I’ll inflate it. I’m a singer—lung capacity’s my thing.”
Why’s he being nice now? she wondered, though his usual goodwill often hid a teasing edge. Frowning suspiciously, she handed over the shriveled floatie.
“…Thanks, I guess.”
“No big deal. Don’t worry about it.”
His grin seemed sincere yet dubious, but rejecting help outright felt wrong. As she watched him prepare to blow into the floatie, another voice interrupted.
“What’re you two doing?”
Her attempt to stay low-key was officially ruined. Bonfire, who’d been laughing with Sanghyun’s group moments ago, poked his head under the parasol.
A questioning tone, but his chilling gaze—darting between her and Sihyun—didn’t feel like a question. She froze.
“Yoonseo-ssi says she can’t swim without a floatie,” Sihyun said.
“I didn’t say—”
“Oh, really?” Bonfire cut in.
“I can—”
“She was struggling with it, so I offered to help.”
“That’s not—”
“Perfect timing. Felt awkward just enjoying this fancy trip,” Bonfire said.
Her attempt to protest was ignored as their gazes shifted away, locked in some unspoken agreement. Her plea that the floatie was just a precaution was as worthless as the foam crumbling on the shoreline.
“Can’t let our generous host do such work. I’ll inflate it,” Bonfire declared.
“No, it’s fine. As I said, singer here—lung capacity’s no issue,” Sihyun countered.
“No, no, I’m a chatterbox artist myself. Let the guest handle this,” Bonfire insisted.
“You’re here because of Yoonseo’s kindness, not mine, so no need for thanks—”
“My conscience can’t allow it—”
What did they want? Their wrist-grabbing tug-of-war made the floatie irrelevant. Yoonseo quietly pulled the deflated, pitiful thing toward her, its air long gone.
“…Need this?” a new voice asked.
Unlike the baffling duo, this voice was unmistakable, carrying no confusion or embarrassment. Turning from the pointless strength contest, she faced the doctor, holding a floatie pump. His short-sleeved shirt and shorts didn’t suit him, and his reluctant expression suggested he’d been watching her and Sihyun, likely thinking, “Not my patients anymore, but still…”
“Something bad between those two?” the doctor asked.
“…Some things are better left unknown,” Yoonseo replied.
Years of shared history and owed favors loosened her guard, letting the quip slip. His gaze moved from her face to the floatie, then to the duo still bickering over lung capacity.
She considered whining about their antics but decided joining their pathetic display wasn’t worth it. As the doctor said, some things were enough as they were.
“There’s a quiet beach with no footprints if you circle the coast,” he said.
“I’m not embarrassed about the floatie.”
“Did I say you were? Just mentioning it.”
Glancing at his shrug, she stood from her crouched position. The floatie wasn’t the issue—she just wanted to see an untouched beach.
“Know how to use the pump?”
“You think I wouldn’t?”
“Well, it’s not like you’ve never been to the sea—”
His mocking expression earned a hard smack to his chest. His voice stopped, but he didn’t flinch, to her chagrin.
“I’ll call you for dinner,” he said.
Ignoring his voice, she stomped irritably on the sand, his stifled “Pfft” laugh grating enough to make her want to hit him twice more.