Chapter 128: Outside. Sea Song (5)

Part 10

The emotions settling after the commotion weren’t exactly pleasant.

“…Wow.”

A pristine white beach. A clear shoreline, unmarred by any trace, stretched endlessly. Beyond it, the vast blue was so overwhelming it erased any thought that marveling at the sea now might be redundant.

The first time she saw this beach, everyone was together—lively, joyful, warm. But now, the noise had faded. The people were gone, leaving only white and blue, steadfast in their place.

“…Is it okay to step here…?”

The absence of human traces transformed the merely beautiful beach into something almost sacred. Vast blue, stark white sand, and shimmering light as noon approached, with mist-like spray scattering faintly. Any footsteps here felt like those of an outsider—daring, almost blasphemous. Taking that captivating step was a bold challenge into the unknown, a fated mark on the human soul—

“Excuse me…”

Her wandering thoughts halted, and her toes, wiggling in her slippers, froze. A heavy guilt, as if committing a crime, mixed with a sweet thrill of defiance. The sensation of stepping onto the unblemished sand…

“…Hoo.”

Crunch. The fine grains tickled her toes through thin beach slippers. The monumental first step on this untouched canvas. Savoring the moment, she rubbed her foot against the sand.

“…This might be nice.”

She’d never particularly liked the sea, but this experience was enough to rethink her stance. Feeling nature’s grandeur with her whole body was surprisingly delightful.

“Hmm…”

The first step, taken with much deliberation, was followed by lighter, carefree ones. Footprints began trailing across the blank canvas, following the gentle rhythm of the waves.

“Hup…”

At the blue-white boundary, where damp sand met sea spray, she paused and slipped off her sandals. On a private island, no one would steal them. Not feeling this scene barefoot would be a loss, wouldn’t it?

“…Hehe.”

The sand, warm but not scorching, caressed her soles. The soft texture, the warmth, the sea’s scent at her nose. Her relaxed expression was probably goofy, but no one was watching.

Savoring the rustling steps, she twirled in place. The blazing sun hadn’t relented, yet the sweat on her cheeks didn’t feel unpleasant.

“Maybe I don’t have to swim…”

Setting the useless floatie beside her sandals, she crossed the footprint-strewn sand toward the shoreline. Swoosh, swoosh. The waves’ sound grew closer with each step.

“Oh, cold!”

Water droplets splashed her thighs. The sea lapped past her toes to her ankles, a cool sweetness complementing summer’s heat. The rustling steps turned to splashing.

Feet, ankles, just above. As waves reached her knees, she stopped, crouching at the water’s edge. This is perfect. With that thought, she sat, letting the water half-submerge her.

“…Hehe.”

Feeling the shallow depth, she wiggled her legs in the water. The strange resistance, gentle waves tapping her waist, cooling droplets, and the cling of wet clothes—all felt right.

“This is the sea…”

She suppressed the urge to flop backward. Getting seawater in her mouth was a no-go, even if the depth posed no drowning risk.

Part 11

“For that reason, surprise stream, everyone! Somewhere on a remote Korean island, with none other than Bonfire-nim!”

“Yup! Wholesome artist Bonfire here. By chance, I’m joining StormCloud-nim for some R&R.”

• Crazy, our StormCloud’s basically a corporate giant now.
• Didn’t she say she was taking a break?
• Bonfire, you’re always chilling—don’t act like this is recovery.

“You guys know how exhausting art streams are? All those weird fetishists—”

Bonfire had started the stream, but he didn’t need to be the star. Instead of hyping things up, he passed the baton to his seasoned co-host, scanning the chat with a relaxed vibe.

• Where’s our StormCloud at the beach?
• We’re not here for you clowns lol.
• Is Noona in a swimsuit???

Their focus was clearly on something unrelated to the setting or guest, as expected.

“Speaking of, I haven’t seen her in a bit. Bonfire-nim, any idea where she went?” Sanghyun asked.

“I was busy splashing around earlier…”

What a sinful woman, my Noona. How could someone once a man charm every guy around? Singer-songwriter, famous streamer, countless viewers, game developers, cosplay teams. Maybe from the moment she drew his stream’s attention—or when she transformed—this was her fate. Pondering this, Sanghyun’s steps slowed.

The smartphone’s awkward sway caught the glint of sunlight, filming two men walking along the shore.

“Sorry, folks, but we could only stream because Noona’s not here,” Sanghyun said.

• ????
• What’s that mean?

“Did you fight with StormCloud-nim?” Bonfire asked.

“No, nothing like that.”

Normally, he’d milk the suspense, but today, words stuck in his throat. The flood of question marks and conspiracy theories in the chat didn’t help. This rare vlog opportunity on a private island was meant to be fun, but admitting the truth—especially for a seasoned streamer like him—was tough.

“Noona’s in a swimsuit.”

• ?????????????
• Why’s that a reason???
• You saw it, now show us!
• Message deleted by moderator.

With a sigh, the camera swung from the men to the empty beach. From selfie to regular mode, the raw, quiet scenery reflected Sanghyun’s choice to stray from the group. Hoping the natural beauty would calm the crazed viewers, he was wrong—chat wasn’t buying it.

“She says if her swimsuit gets filmed, she’ll take a month off streaming.”

• WTF
• Why’s she embarrassed?
• What’s there to be shy about with her visuals???
• Maybe a mole or tattoo?
• Ooh, possible.
• Lol, for real.

He’d expected this. The “explanation” was just a formality. Wielding the double-edged sword of StormCloud meant facing this hurdle himself. That’s why he brought a reliable co-host.

“No over-the-line talk, folks. Anyway, that’s that. I don’t know why she’s shy, so don’t ask me.”

He had a hunch but wasn’t about to share.

“Today’s just chatting with Bonfire-nim. You don’t want Noona off for a month over a swimsuit shot, right?”

“Absolutely not,” Bonfire agreed.

• Bonfire, get lost.
• Why’s it so annoying when someone who’s seen it says that lol.

“I’m a StormCloud fan like you all—why the divide? Don’t trust me?”

• Gasp.
• GASP GASP GASP.
• pant pant pant pant
• Lunatics…

She’ll forgive me, right? Yoonseo would hate this, but Sanghyun ignored it, sticking to their pre-planned script.

“By the way, Bonfire-nim, you’re prepping a new series, right?”

“Huh? I haven’t officially announced that.”

Shift the topic, steer away from StormCloud. A talk segment, maybe a short with beach views or fancy meals. As Sanghyun planned, a splash splash grew closer. A misheard sound? His steps didn’t stop, climbing a sandy dune, the camera instinctively chasing the odd water noise.

“…Ah.”

Was the gasp his, shocked, or Bonfire’s, awed? Sanghyun couldn’t tell.

Under the blazing sun, golden hair shimmered like melted sunlight. Honey-colored eyes, wider than usual, betrayed surprise. A translucent beach cardigan glistened with seawater, revealing a white two-piece and even whiter skin.

“…H-Hi…?” Yoonseo’s voice, laced with awkwardness and embarrassment, came two beats late with the waves.

Big trouble. Too late to turn the camera, Sanghyun’s instincts screamed a crisis, but—

• Thank you.
• Ooooh.
• OOOOH…

All he could do was brace for his Noona’s inevitable wrath.