〈Chapter 13〉

The Childhood Friend Pulls Out Her Secret Weapon

 

* * *

 

How could a person’s skin be this smooth?

Even though she was clearly an adult, Chae-yeon’s body had the silky softness of a baby’s cheeks.

“Try to apply it slowly… the cream absorbs better that way.”

As Chae-yeon made her request with flushed cheeks, Si-hyeon—who had been momentarily mesmerized by the texture of her skin—finally snapped back to his senses.

‘What the hell am I doing right now?’

He had chosen to break up for a reason. And yet here he was, getting swayed by such a cheap temptation…

Realizing his own pathetic behavior, Si-hyeon clenched his teeth. He wiped the sunblock remaining on his palms onto his own arms to get rid of it, then spoke in a flat, indifferent voice.

“I don’t think we’re in a relationship where I should be doing this for you. Why don’t you ask Sohee when she gets here?”

“Sohee’s going to be late because she’s preparing drinks at the pension.”

“Then ask another female classmate. Stop asking a random guy like me.”

A random guy. 

At Si-hyeon’s remark—which drew a clear line between them—Chae-yeon turned around, her eyes wide with shock. Noticing the sunblock was gone from his hands, she spoke in a voice thick with hurt.

“…You used to do it for me just fine back then.”

Si-hyeon didn’t catch Chae-yeon’s muttering, but he could sense her disappointment.

As he fastened the hook of her bikini for her, he admonished her in a low, heavy voice.

“Don’t expect the old me. Because I bitterly regret the time I spent dating you.”

“……..”

Hanging her head, Chae-yeon gripped the sand with both hands. Her eyes began to tremble. Opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, she finally managed to force out some words.

“I… I don’t regret—”

“Si-hyeon!”

Yerin’s bright, clear voice cut Chae-yeon off mid-sentence.

Wedging herself between the two, she pulled on Si-hyeon’s arm and spoke.

“Hurry up and get up! I want to go swimming already!”

“You just got here and you’re already…”

Si-hyeon started to complain, but his words trailed off as he stared blankly at Yerin’s body.

Was it the chest that made it seem like every meal she’d ever eaten went straight there?

Or her hips, which the tiny swimsuit was struggling to contain?

But neither of those things truly caught Si-hyeon’s attention. The thing that completely seized his gaze—the “item” in question—was…

‘That bikini… it’s the exact same one Chae-yeon is wearing.’

It was the same swimsuit model, only Chae-yeon’s black bikini had been swapped for white.

Why on earth was Yerin wearing this?

As his gaze lingered with that question in mind, the corners of Yerin’s mouth curled up mischievously.

“It’s a new swimsuit I bought. What do you think? Does it suit me?”

Unconsciously, Si-hyeon’s eyes flickered back and forth between Chae-yeon and Yerin.

Unlike Chae-yeon’s “nice” figure, Yerin was flaunting a body that was superior—no, absolutely overwhelming.

It was enough to make him wonder if it was actually a different swimsuit altogether.

“It… definitely suits you…”

Si-hyeon turned his head away, feeling his face flush hot.

He was fumbling, completely unsure of where to place his eyes.

Seeing this, Chae-yeon’s face contorted, while Yerin—wearing a triumphant smile—began to lead Si-hyeon toward the water.

“And here you were, saying you think of me as family~’

If it had been the old Si-hyeon, he would have offered a compliment with a deadpan face.

I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but the current Si-hyeon was definitely conscious of me.

‘Was referencing those mixed-bath photos worth it after all?’

Was this kind of revealing outfit really his type? It was a bit embarrassing, but Si-hyeon’s reaction more than made up for the risk.

Giggling to herself so he wouldn’t see, Yerin made a suggestion in a lively voice.

“Before we go swimming, let’s start with some stretching!”

“Sure…”

Si-hyeon tried his best to stretch while actively avoiding looking in Yerin’s direction.

Watching his reaction as if it were the cutest thing in the world, Yerin…

“You were with Chae-yeon earlier. What were you two doing?”

 

…narrowed her eyes, beginning her interrogation.

“We weren’t doing anything.”

“Liar. I saw you two talking with my own two eyes.”

Yerin stopped stretching. She approached Si-hyeon, forcing his gaze to lock onto her.

“Tell me the truth. What did you two talk about?”

“There really wasn’t much… if you can even call it a conversation. It was just Chae-yeon asking me to rub sunscreen on her back.”

“What?! She actually said that!?”

Yerin ground her teeth at Chae-yeon’s pathetic attempt at seduction.

Glaring at Si-hyeon with burning eyes, Yerin gripped his wrist tightly and asked.

“So, what did you do? Did you put it on her back?”

“No. I just told her to ask Sohee and turned her down…”

“Really!?”

She must have felt so humiliated, being rejected after asking so confidently.

Yerin let out a scoff toward the direction where Chae-yeon was standing. Then, as a sign of praise, she spent a good while stroking Si-hyeon’s hair.

 

* * *

 

After finishing their stretches, the two headed into the sea.

Brushing her wet hair back, Yerin grabbed both of Si-hyeon’s hands and asked.

“Come to think of it, you weren’t very good at swimming, were you, Si-hyeon? Want me to teach you this time?”

The last time Yerin had gone to a pool with Si-hyeon was back in high school.

At the time, Si-hyeon—who couldn’t swim—would paddle around like a turtle while wearing a life jacket. Watching him, Yerin used to play pranks on him by unbuckling and buckling his life jacket.

‘He was so cute back then.’

Every time she halfway pulled off his life jacket, Si-hyeon would cling to her body. Whenever the frightened boy relied on her like that, Yerin would bask in an indescribable joy.

‘I’m going to do the exact same thing this time~’

Yerin was harboring a wicked plan under the guise of teaching him how to swim, but…

“No, you don’t need to teach me. I’m good at swimming now.”

She tilted her head at the unexpected news.

“How come?”

“After I went to the pool with you, I actually went to a swimming academy.”

The memory Yerin cherished was essentially nothing but a Dark Past to Si-hyeon.

Having been teased mercilessly at the pool, he had immersed himself in swimming practice for quite some time to ensure he’d never show such an unsightly side of himself again.

‘This is an unexpected turn of events…’

While teaching him how to swim, she had planned to try all sorts of skinship here and there. But at this rate, anything she tried would just be a total waste of effort.

What should I do?

While Yerin was racking her brain…

“To be honest, I think I’m probably a better at swimming than you now.”

Si-hyeon issued a provocation that was impossible for her to ignore.

“Hah.”

Whenever she visited her grandmother on the West Sea, Yerin learned how to swim directly from the haenyeo divers.

Having been one with the sea since she was a child, she was already known as one of the most skilled swimmers in her neighborhood.

“Are you challenging me right now?”

“Obviously. I’m going to pay you back today for that humiliation at the pool.”

A sudden swimming match was set. Yerin narrowed her eyes and asked.

“Fine. Then where’s the finish line?”

Si-hyeon pointed to a rock formation about 200 meters away.

“The first one to touch that rock wins.”

“Okay.”

Yerin asked a classmate who happened to be nearby to give them a countdown.

Three.

Two.

One.

As the numbers wound down, the two of them began churning their arms and kicking their legs.

‘No matter what you learned at an academy, it’s all pretty much the same.’

Yerin decided that she would use this opportunity to crush Si-hyeon’s inflated pride. Of all things, he dared to provoke her with swimming? For her, this was now a matter of pride.

‘He’s probably lagging behind by now…’

Yerin opened her eyes under the water, expecting to see Si-hyeon floundering somewhere in her wake.

But…

With about 80 meters left to the finish line, what caught her eye was Si-hyeon, swimming right alongside her.

‘And I’ve even been picking up the pace…?’

Seeing Si-hyeon attempting to overtake her, Yerin felt a surge of alarm. Since his swimming skills far exceeded her expectations, she could no longer afford to be careless.

‘I’m not holding back anymore.’

She pushed herself harder with every stroke.

The sea was her home turf. The swimming skills she had honed since childhood were at a level that even the Haenyeo of the West Sea would wag their tongues at in disbelief.

Whoosh.

Like a mermaid, Yerin sliced through the water at a rapid speed. And as a result, she touched the rock first, roughly 10 meters ahead of him.

“Whew…”

The match had been so intense that catching her breath took priority over savoring the joy of victory.

Si-hyeon, arriving a moment later, grumbled while gasping for air.

“No, seriously, how do you move that fast? I felt like I was racing a damn seal or something.”

“Pfft… you’re still a decade away from beating me.”

She said that, but in truth, she felt like he’d catch up in three. That’s how remarkable Si-hyeon’s swimming skills actually were.

‘I should take Si-hyeon to the West Sea later and go harvesting seafood with him.’

Far from resenting Si-hyeon’s growth, Yerin was actually happy, thinking about how she could enjoy the “Haenyeo life” together with the guy she liked.

 

* * *

 

Leaving behind Yerin, who wanted to swim a bit longer, I made my way back to the sandy beach.

I retreated back under the parasol to escape the stinging sunlight.

Fortunately, Chae-yeon was nowhere to be seen.

“Phew… I really didn’t expect to lose.”

I sat in the shade, recovering my strength while dwelling on that hollow feeling of defeat. After a while, three of my classmates began gathering around me.

‘Are they all here to rest?’

Since many of the guys in our second year were away in the military, they were all women. We weren’t particularly close, so I assumed they would just sit nearby…

Strangely, however, all three of them were looking at me with intensely curious eyes.

“Si-hyeon, we saw you swimming with Yerin earlier. You two were amazing.”

I felt an inexplicable sense of unease at the sudden conversation. However, I didn’t let it show and kept the reply simple.

“Yerin is much better than I am.”

And sure enough, the moment Yerin’s name left my mouth, they crowded in closer.

“Right, Yerin!”

“What’s the deal between you and Yerin?”

“And what happened with Chae-yeon?”

I knew it. These girls were the type who were obsessed with other people’s love lives.

Sensing that this was about to get annoying, I irritably shook out my wet hair.

“Listen, guys… Just so you now: Yerin and I have just known each other for a long time. It’s not whatever you’re thinking.”

“Really…? That’s weird. You two look so good together, though.”

This time, another classmate leaned in close and asked:

“Then how did the breakup even happen? You were so head-over-heels for Chae-yeon.”

The fact that I used to follow Chae-yeon around like a lost puppy was famous within the university. I was even nicknamed the

Chae-yeon Fanboy.

“…We just got a little tired of each other, that’s all.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Chae-yeon’s personality isn’t easy to deal with.”

“Exactly. It’s a miracle Si-hyeon managed to last over a year.”

While two of them were agreeing with me, the remaining one asked.

“Then, do you have no intention of dating Yerin?”

“Why would I date her? And just in case… I’m telling you guys, don’t ask Yerin questions like that. She feels the same way I do.”

One of the classmates shook her head.

“I don’t think so. From what I’ve seen, Yerin definitely has feelings for you.”

“Right. Even when you were dating Chae-yeon, she was always looking at you both with such envy… you didn’t know?”

Yerin likes me?

Their baseless deduction started to scramble my brain. Because we had always been so casual and comfortable around each other, I had never once considered the possibility that she might like me.

“I’ve seen you two lately—you two are practically dripping with affection. Give it a shot.”

“Yeah, we’ll be rooting for you!”

Embarrassed by their blatant encouragement, I stood up, telling them to stop.

“Aw, look at Si-hyeon’s ears turning red~!”

“Since you’re up anyway, why don’t you go over to where Yerin is?”

I felt like an elementary schooler being teased for having a girlfriend.

Ignoring them, I was about to head back to the pension to grab some drinks, but at that moment…

“Look over there. Yerin is waving at you right now.”

Waving?

Piqued by curiosity, I immediately turned my head. Just as my classmate said, Yerin was waving both hands toward us.

‘Does she want me to come back in?’

Whether she was telling me to stop resting and play, or if she had something to say, I decided to go find out and headed toward the shore.

The distance closed bit by bit.

Yerin’s blurry figure gradually became clearer, and as I watched, I felt a sense of dreadful intuition.

Unlike before, when she was leisurely roaming the sea, her hand gestures were now frantic and wandering.

She would sink into the water, and then only her face, twisted in agony, would occasionally break the surface.

It was exactly like my own reaction back when I was drowning in the past.

“Hey! Han Yerin!”

With a sensation of my heart turning ice-cold, I dove into the sea.

As fast as possible. Wringing out every last bit of my strength, I swam toward where Yerin was.

And then…

By the time I had closed about half the distance.

Yerin no longer surfaced.

 

* * *

 

TNote:

Haenyeo

 The Haenyeo (which literally means Sea women) that Yerin trained under, are a group made up of traditional female divers of South Korea, primarily based on the Jeju Island. Their lifestyle is a blend of extreme physical endurance, ancient tradition, and a matriarchal social structure.

They can hold their breath for up to two minutes at a time, diving to depths of 10 to 20 meters.

These women can also dive without scuba gear to collect seafood like abalone, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.