Seungcheol (Day 1)

The sound of a car in the driveway is overshadowed by the squealing that echoes through the house.  Seungcheol barely manages to paste himself against the wall before Joshua’s girlfriend, Eunha, barrels past him

“She’s here, she’s here!”

Chuckling, Seungcheol relaxes back onto his feet.  There are already a lot of cars in the driveway so yours is at the very end.  It hasn’t stopped Eunha from running out barefoot.  She’s now dancing back and forth on the hot pavement, waiting for you to get out.  You’ve barely exited the car before being wrapped up in a bear hug that nearly knocks you back into your seat.

“You’re going to strangle her!” calls Joshua, falling into step with Seungcheol.  He has a pair of sandals in his hand.  They reach your car together and he places the shoes down for Eunha to step into.

“Thanks, love.  I was just too excited.”

“I know.  This happens every year.  Hi, Minah.”  Joshua gives you a hug of his own, though much more controlled.

Then, finally, you’re free to hug Seungcheol.  He squeezes you as tightly as he dares and you squeeze back.  It’s incredible to have you in his arms, even for a second, smelling the rose scent that always lingers on you.  It’s been months since he last smelled it.

Your hair is a bit shorter now but it suits you, as does the brightness in your eyes.  You grin at him and he finds himself grinning back.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Do you need help bringing things in?”

“Maybe a little,” you say, popping open your trunk.  “There’s not that much…”

Everyone immediately groans.

“Are these all groceries?” asks Joshua, looking daunted.  Every inch of space is taken up with bags and every bag is overflowing.

“It’s not as much as it looks?”

Even Eunha is overwhelmed.  “Where are we even going to put all of this?  I told you there’s a store down the street, none of us are going to starve.”

“Not with this amount of food,” remarks Seungcheol, peering into the bags.  One bag is just full of meat.  You must have spent hundreds of dollars on food.

“That’s it,” Eunha tells you, pawing for the lightest bags.  “You’re officially banned from food shopping.  You can’t be trusted.”

Your abashed expression immediately turns defiant.  “That’s not fair!  It’s not even that much!”  When everyone stops to stare you down, you add, “Okay, maybe I got a little carried away this time.”

“Remember the ski trip?” asks Joshua.  “We had to give away food to all the other cabins when it was time to leave.”

“And camping before that?” Seungcheol reminds everyone.  “We needed an entire tent just to store the food.”

You pout as you survey the mass of bags.  “I just want everyone to be comfortable and happy.”

Eunha cups your cheek with her free hand.  “I know that and I love you for it, but you have an impulse control problem.”

It takes three trips to carry everything in between the four of you.  It doesn’t help that Joshua won’t let Eunha touch anything heavy, then nearly throws out his back trying to take her share in one go.

When all the food is in, Seungcheol trails after you while you go to retrieve your suitcase.  You pack clothes just as ambitiously as food, because your suitcase takes up the entire backseat.  He heaves it out, grateful that it at least has wheels.

“So,” he says as you lock up.  “It’s been a while.”

“I know.  I meant to text you but time got away from me.”

He’s not entirely sure he believes that. You have a peculiar relationship with time; you move on your own schedule regardless of everyone else. But for actual months to pass by without a word from you? That’s too unusual. Still, he’s not about to start a fight immediately after seeing you.

“It’s on me, too.  I’ve been too busy to reach out.”

“You’ll have to tell me everything.”  You reach out to squeeze his arm, then, brow furrowing, you squeeze it again.  “Jesus, Cheol.  What are you hiding under that shirt now?”

Chuckling, he says, “I’ll show you later.”  

You both stare at each other, realizing how that sounds, then laugh it off.  A kind of nervous energy lingers in his chest afterwards, like having a teenage crush.

You enter the beach house and immediately find Mingyu, or he finds you, because he lifts you up and whirls you around twice before setting you down hard again.

“Minah!  You finally made it!”

“She was busy buying every watermelon in the country!” shouts Eunha from the kitchen.  Joshua and Eunha have begun unpacking the grocery bags and are surrounded by items.  They look entirely distressed by the situation.

Seungcheol knows better than to get involved.  “Where’s Minah’s bag supposed to go?”

“In your room,” Joshua responds, his hands full of produce.  “You two will be sharing.  No, the meat and eggs should go on top of the boxed items since they’re fragile.”

Eunha huffs.  “Then you do it!”

You step forward to help, completely unbothered by Joshua’s proclamation.  But Seungcheol feels like he may as well have been dunked into an ice bath.

“What?  Are you kidding?”

His friend just glances over.  “No, you guys have the final room.”

“Here, I’ll help,” says Mingyu.  He lifts your suitcase up, ignoring the wheels entirely.  “What the hell is in here?  Bricks?”  No one responds so he disappears upstairs to where Seungcheol laid claim to the second master bedroom earlier, thinking he’d won the jackpot.

You’re busy tetrising everything into the two fridges, so Seungcheol grabs Joshua and yanks him into the den.

“You can’t put me in a room with Minah,” he says.

“I don’t know what to tell you.  There aren’t any other rooms.”

“Then I’ll sleep on a couch.”  

Joshua’s eyes trail over to the very firm, very small loveseats dotting the den.  “You can certainly try.  I think it would be easier to just suck it up for the week.”

It would be easier to swim with sharks while dressed in a meat suit.  How in the hell is he supposed to get through a week of sharing a bed with you?  How is he supposed to stay cool and calm with you literally an arm’s length away from him?

“You don’t get it.”

“What am I supposed to get?”

But Seungcheol can’t even say it aloud.  What if someone hears him?  There are eight people wandering around this house.  It would be way too easy for someone to overhear and get word back to you and then he’s absolutely fucked.

“Did you do this on purpose?  You and Eunha?”

Joshua blinks his stupid soft eyes at Seungcheol.  It’s always impossible to tell when he’s being devious or sincere.  “Why would we do that?  Everyone else is here with their partner.  It’s not sensible to split them up.”

“ You could split up for the week.  Eunha could share with her and–”  Seungcheol grimaces at the thought of sharing a bed with Joshua.

“No offense, Cheol, but we are in a very expensive beach house for an entire week.  My girlfriend has a very small swimsuit that I’m looking forward to seeing.  I would rather chew my arm off than spend this vacation in a room with you.”

That’s more than understandable.  He just has to deal.

Judging from the voices coming from the kitchen, the rest of the group has found you (and the food).  

“Really, Minah?” asks Wonwoo, heaving up a restaurant-sized bag of rice.  “How much do you think we eat?”

“Okay but that one can go home with someone,” you point out.  “You can’t give me grief for that.”

“Me,” says Jihoon, tapping the bag possessively.  “It’s going home with me.”

Soonyoung starts to say “Don’t we already have–” but then immediately changes his mind when he sees his boyfriend’s scathing look.  “Nevermind, the more rice the better!”

Everyone is going to eat so well this trip.  Shoving the bedroom situation out of his mind, Seungcheol decides to just focus on the situation in front of him.  He’s here with his closest friends after months of planning.  He’s just not going to think about sharing a bed with you later.

“Now that we’re all here,” says Mingyu, “we can finally go down to the beach!”

“Give Minah a second to relax first,” scolds Eunha, protective over you like always.  

But you just smile.  “Beach sounds great.  I just need to freshen up.  It was kind of a long drive.”

Mingyu takes you upstairs to show you where he left your suitcase.  Seungcheol wisely does not follow.  He’s not ready to acknowledge that he’s going to be sharing a room and a bed with you.  

The room assignments put Joshua and Eunha upstairs in the room beside yours, with Jihoon and Soonyoung, then Wonwoo and Mingyu in rooms downstairs.  It’s strategic: the guys are always loud at all hours, something Eunha doesn’t want to deal with.  There are memories from previous trips that involve her chasing Soonyoung with a wooden spoon at 2:00 a.m. for “ruining [her] beauty sleep”.

Despite Jihoon and Wonwoo being the quiet partners in their relationships, they also have the ability to sleep through most antics.  

“Hup!”  Mingyu tosses a volleyball over to Seungcheol, who catches it easily.  “How do you wanna split teams?”

“Depends, do you wanna be on a winning team or do you wanna eat sand?”

This earns him a warm grin.  “I’m going to make you eat sand, old man.”

Seungcheol pretends to chuck the volleyball at Mingyu’s head, only to be immediately scolded by Eunha. 

“You damage anything in this place and we don’t get our deposit back, I’ll kill you.   Go outside!”

Soonyoung is wheedling and whining at Jihoon, who has sequestered himself in the largest armchair and refuses to move.  “Please!  If you don’t play we’ll have uneven teams!”

“You’ll survive.”

“But it’s a beach trip!  You have to go to the actual beach!”

“I can see it from the window.”

Soonyoung looks like he might implode, so Seungcheol grabs his shoulders and pushes him towards the door.  “Come on, let him be.  We’ll figure out the teams without him.”

“Wait for me!”  You’re at the top of the stairs, making your way down with your sandals in one hand.  And Seungcheol is about to lose it.  The last few trips have involved snow and cold, which means everyone is wrapped up in sweaters and layers.  But your white bikini is suffering from a distinct lack of layers, exposing more skin than he knows what to do with.  It helps that you’ve tied a sarong around your hips, but only a little.

“Wow, looking great, Minah!”

You do a little pose when you get to the bottom of the stairs, then immediately laugh. “Thanks, Gyu.  Obviously you know you look great.”

“You can tell me again though,” says the younger man, flexing.

“We all know,” says Seungcheol.  “You never wear a damn shirt.”

“Grumpy.”

“Wait, wait,” says Soonyoung, looking serious. “We need to decide on a penalty.”

“How about losers wash tonight’s dinner dishes?” suggests Joshua.

Soonyoung looks disappointed.  “That’s so tame.”

“Dishes for eight people?  Really?”

“Okay, but hear me out. Washing dishes naked .”

Jihoon groans and shoves himself up from the chair. Grabbing Soonyoung’s arm, he starts dragging him out the door. Seungcheol catches the tail end of “--stop you from being yourself and I guess that’s me.”

“At least we have even teams now,” says Mingyu, throwing his arm around your shoulders. You giggle and take the volleyball away from him.

“Going to destroy you, Gyu!”

“I’ll just flex in your direction and distract you with my muscles.”

“Seen ‘em before, they’re not exciting anymore.”

“Take that back!”

Seungcheol follows you down to the beach while wishing it was his arm around you. He’s not worried that Mingyu will try to steal you away or anything, but it does make him pointlessly sour anyway.

Eunha and Joshua have booked a perfect place this year. The house is right on the beach, opening up to a beautiful view of the waves. There’s a volleyball net already set up and Soonyoung is demanding teams be decided by rock-paper-scissors.

He ends up with Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Joshua, the tallest of the group. When he realizes this, he’s giddy.

“We’re going to destroy you,” he tells Eunha, who looks ready to beat him with her fists.

“You’re forgetting who was a volleyball champion in high school,” she reminds him.

“Which was how many years ago now?”

“How dare you! Jih–”

“Not my problem,” says Jihoon, his dark sunglasses doing little to hide his tired expression. “Sometimes you guys have to fend for yourselves.”

Eunha orders the four of you into positions: you and Jihoon take the front, while she and Seungcheol take the back. Even though she’s stronger at serving, she gives that job to Seungcheol so she can be free to move around easily.

“Don’t be afraid to spike the ball into their stupid faces,” she tells you.

“Eunnie, even if I could get that high, I doubt it would hit their faces,” you point out.

“Then spike it into their dicks,” is her totally serious response.

“Babe,” whines Joshua. Wonwoo’s hand hovers protectively over his crotch.

Seungcheol prepares to serve the first ball just as you crouch down, giving him a perfect eyeful of your ass. The serve barely makes it over the net. Wonwoo bumps it back and you almost trip over yourself trying to get it.

As you stumble in the sand, Jihoon makes a clumsy return. Mingyu bumps it back and it falls into the sand, despite Eunha throwing her whole body towards it.

“1-0,” crows Soonyoung.

“You didn’t even do anything ,” seethes Eunha.

“Team effort!”

“Guys, please,” says Joshua, looking concerned that this year’s beach trip might end prematurely in murder.

There’s a bit of a breeze and it keeps shaking your hair across your face, so Jihoon offers you the tie around his wrist.

Pointing to his almost shoulder-length dark locks, you ask, “What about you?”

He shrugs. “You’re a better player than me. Priorities.”

You let him wind up your hair into a messy ponytail, giving him a warm grin afterwards. “Thanks, Hoon. I’ll work extra hard now to make up for it.”

“Just don’t let him win,” he says, referring to his boyfriend, who is swaying back and forth on his heels with impatience. “He’ll be insufferable.”

“He’s already insufferable,” mutters Eunha.

“What’s that?” calls Soonyoung.

“Nothing!” is her bright response. “Let’s go!”

Seungcheol’s team loses all of its serves minus one point that you eke out by chucking yourself into the sand to set up Jihoon so he can tip it over the net.

“When I said don’t let him win, I didn’t mean bruise yourself,” he says as you shake grit out of your bikini top and wipe it off your chin.

“Go big or go home,” you reply.

The next round isn’t much better. Soonyoung’s serves are wild and fierce, ending up all over the court. When Seungcheol misses the third return in his direction, Eunha brays at him, “JESUS CHRIST SEUNGCHEOL GET IT TOGETHER!”

This makes the opposing team laugh so hard that they can’t even make a serve for the next five minutes, dissolving into giggles instead. When Soonyoung knocks the ball towards the ocean, Mingyu immediately turns on him.

“Jesus Christ Soonyoung! Get it together!”

Soonyoung flops into the sand and lays there, laughing. Joshua has to take over. On his next serve, you leap up in an awkward pose and try to spike the ball. Unfortunately, Mingyu has more than several inches on you and simply tips it back over.

“You son of a bitch!” you yell at him. “You shouldn’t be allowed to be in the front! That’s cheating .”

“It’s not my fault I’m tall.”

“It’s absolutely your fault!”

“It’s Seungcheol’s fault,” grouses Eunha. “Because he’s not doing anything. ”

He’s trying to do something, but it’s impossible to focus when your thighs are right there in front of him. He has to get it together or else this is going to be a very long trip.

“Where’s your head?” you chide him.  “I’m doing all the work here.”

His head is lost in fantasies of what you look like under that swimsuit, but finally his competitive nature overrides his lust for the next half hour.  Together, you, Jihoon, Seungcheol, and Eunha claw back every point.

Finally, you’re tied.  Seungcheol’s team has the chance to win and he really wants the win.  

“Come on!” Mingyu shouts at his team. “I’m not cooking and doing dishes tonight. We’re getting this point!”

In response, you lower yourself down into a slight crouch, ready to jump. Seungcheol avoids focusing on how the fabric of your bikini bottoms cling to your butt. Mostly.

“Ready?” he asks, preparing to serve. It’s a clean, easy serve, practically handed to them on a platter.

Mingyu leaps up and spikes the ball straight down.  At your face.

There’s no way for Seungcheol to move in time, but you throw up your hands to shield yourself and the ball smacks into them, both of you falling into the sand.  Technically, it’s a lost point, but Seungcheol doesn’t care.

He grips your hands, pulling them away from your face.  “Are you okay?”

You nod, looking startled but otherwise unhurt.  “Fine.  I cost us the point.  I’m sorry.”

He’s always been short-tempered but it’s worse with you involved.  Fury surges up at the thought of your face being hit and he immediately shouts at Mingyu, who’s come over to check on you as well.

“What’s wrong with you?  It’s just a stupid game!  You don’t spike the ball at people’s faces !”

“I didn’t mean to!  Honestly!”

Eunha is no calmer, rushing over to smack Mingyu in the chest. “You over-muscled idiot! You could have broken her nose!”

“We can replay the point,” he tries weakly.

“Why? So you can try to hit her again?”

Joshua, sensing a potential fight, immediately steps in front of Mingyu.  “Hey, woah.  He didn’t mean to, Minah is okay, there’s no need to yell. Right, Minah? You’re okay?”

Seungcheol helps you out of the sand and you brush at your legs. “I’m okay. It’s a game, you guys.”

“Yeah,” adds Soonyoung. “You were the ones threatening our dicks earlier.”

“The threat still stands!” shouts Eunha as Joshua gently tugs her away from the net.

Seungcheol is glad she’s yelling because it hides the fact that he wants to yell. As far as he’s concerned, there’s plenty of need for it. But he knows that’s going overboard. Exhaling through clenched teeth, he scowls at Mingyu but says nothing.

A hand rubs his back and he glances back at your calm expression.  “Hey, it’s really okay,” you soothe.  “Thanks for worrying about me, but I promise I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“Of course. Don’t kill our chef. We need him.”

Seungcheol’s not entirely sure about that but he starts to relax anyway.

“Is that all I am to you?” whines Mingyu. 

“No, you’re also my favorite handsome puppy,” you say, reaching up to pat his cheek. Wonwoo gently removes your hand from his beaming boyfriend’s face.

“He has enough of an ego,” says Wonwoo.

Seeking enrichment, Soonyoung has recovered the volleyball and is bouncing it to himself, testing how long he can keep it going. You take pity on him and go over to the other side of the net so the two of you can bandy it back and forth.

Hovering by Seungcheol’s elbow, Joshua asks quietly, “You good?”

Seungcheol nods. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know you get protective.”

“Just don’t want to start our trip off with an injury.”

“Or an assault charge,” jokes Joshua.

Maybe he did get carried away. That doesn’t stop him from scowling at Mingyu one last time.

“How about a different activity?” suggests Joshua.

“Yeah, maybe coloring,” is Wonwoo’s playful suggestion. “No violence in coloring.”

“You try coming between Eunha and a robin’s egg blue crayon,” replies Joshua, sounding far too serious for comfort.

There’s a loud squeal from the water, where you and Soonyoung have turned beach volleyball into ocean volleyball. You look so radiant, even from a distance, and it makes Seungcheol smile. He’s missed you.

“They’re going to lose that ball,” remarks Jihoon. He makes no effort to stop either of you though.

Seeing them watching, you wave your hand in encouragement. Mingyu and Wonwoo race past Seungcheol towards the water.

“Should we let the kids play?” asks Seungcheol.

Jihoon smiles. “Speak for yourself, old man.” He starts heading down the beach as well, pale skin like a beacon in the light.

Seungcheol closes his eyes for a moment, tipping his face towards the sun. The sound of the waves, the birds, the smell of salt air, your laughter in the distance all reach him. He’s finally on vacation with his favorite people in the world.

Opening his eyes again, he runs towards the water.

Everyone gets wrangled into dinner duty. Since you’ve brought them an entire grocery store, Mingyu immediately suggests a barbecue. Besides, how better to celebrate the start of an exciting week-long beach vacation?

You wrap corn up for roasting while Mingyu prepares a tray of meat to grill. Seungcheol’s job is to make sure the coals are ready and to keep Soonyoung away from literally everything. He’s still got that damn volleyball and keeps trying to beat his previous record. The only problem is that he’s also had a beer or two (or three), so the ball keeps ending up on the table, in the sand, and almost in the barbecue until Seungcheol threatens to puncture it.

Eunha brings out all the side dishes that, along with Joshua’s kimchi fried rice, take up most of the table.

“Are we going to have food for the rest of the week?” asks Mingyu, eyeing the mass of plates.

“Minah was in charge of groceries, remember?”

“Ah, nevermind.”

“I’m not that bad!” you protest.

Soonyoung shakes his head. “We’re going to be eating the extra rice for the rest of the year.”

“And that’s a problem?” asks Jihoon.

“N-no. Of course not.”

Seungcheol and Mingyu take turns manning the grill while everyone stuffs their faces. It’s a perfect start to the trip, made even better by Joshua raising his beer for a toast.

“Thank you all for joining us for this year’s trip. To Minah, for the food for forty people, and Mingyu, for the drinks, also for forty people. I really think this is going to be our most exciting trip, and not just because Cheol tried to punch Gyu already.”

Seungcheol ducks his head as he moves the corn around the grill. Everyone snickers.

You raise your glass, which has some kind of bright juice in it. “To Joshua and Eunha for organizing the trip and renting the house!”

“To the rest of us for just showing up,” jokes Wonwoo.

“To us!” calls Joshua.

“To us!” everyone choruses back.

“To Minah’s credit card!” shouts Eunha before stuffing another piece of chicken in her mouth.

Laughter warms the night. For several hours there’s nothing but drinking and catching up and feeding more food into already full bellies. Eunha brings out ice creams and Mingyu drops his straight into the sand.

Since you’re the only sober ones, you and Jihoon clean up, though Seungcheol does his best to help. It occurs to him as the clock counts down and people start yawning, that soon he’s going to have to go to bed. With you.

He’d forgotten about that tiny detail while having fun all day, but now it’s looming over him as he throws armfuls of bottles into the recycling.

By the time you both drag yourselves upstairs, Seungcheol feels a little sick to his stomach. You look just as apprehensive as he feels.

You both settle down on the queen-sized bed as far apart as possible. There’s still a mumble of voices from downstairs; down the hall from you, Joshua and Eunha’s door closes.

It’s fine, he thinks. Just a few nights of this. He’s gotten through worse.

“There’s a perfectly nice hotel down the street,” you say, pulling out your phone.  “I’ll just book myself a room there.”

Leaning over, Seungcheol plucks your phone out of your hands.  “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?  It’s a good solution.”

“Firstly, Eunha would kill me.  Secondly, you’re not spending this vacation staying alone in a hotel that’s over a mile away.  Thirdly, Eunha would kill me.”

He closes the hotel website, revealing your phone background.  It’s a group photo from last year’s ski trip.  Everyone is wearing a cozy sweater and holding a mug.  You made homemade hot chocolate for four nights straight.  He gained so much weight despite the skiing.

You’re an integral part of this vacation.  There’s no way you can stay anywhere else.

“But…”  You look down at the bed and the proximity of your bodies.

Seungcheol fights down the urge to scream, passing back your phone.  “I’ve already stolen some of the couch pillows.  We can line them up between us like a barrier.”

“If you’re okay with it, I am, too.”

He’s not.  “Great, it’s settled.  You can take the bathroom first.”

Your smile returns as you take a stack of clothes and a toiletry bag into the bathroom.  He hears the water turn on and the sound of you brushing your teeth.  He envies how easily you adjust to things.  

Because he can’t just sit here and listen to you doing your night routine, he goes to his suitcase and starts gathering up his pajamas.  Normally he just sleeps in his underwear, sometimes in a shirt, but that’s out of the question for this trip.  Thankfully he was smart enough to bring pajama shorts ever since Soonyoung lost a bet on the first group trip and ripped all Seungcheol’s blankets off in the middle of the night, leaving him cold and nearly naked, chasing after Soonyoung through the rental.  

Joshua still laughs about it until he cries.  Bastard.

Going over to the door, Seungcheol clicks the lock, unwilling to risk any late night pranks, especially with you sharing a bed with him.  God knows what those monsters downstairs are plotting.

It’ll be fine, he thinks.  Until you come out of the bathroom wearing a tank top and shorts.  It’s a matching set, baby blue, and the edge has a little bow in the center.  He can see the rise of your breasts against the lace trim.

When you bend over to put your clothes back into your suitcase, your shorts pull taut against your thighs and he inhales.

You immediately straighten, tugging at your outfit.  “Uh, I didn’t just expose myself did I?”

“No, no.  Nothing like that.”

“Okay, good.  I was expecting…”  

“Your own room.  I know.  Same.”

Standing awkwardly by the window, you tug your top up.  The motion accomplishes absolutely nothing.

“That’s cute,” he manages to say.  “The set.”

“It’s new.”

“It’s nice.”  God, he’s going to make himself vomit with his stupidity.  Launching himself off the bed, he closes himself in the bathroom, immediately bracing his elbows against the vanity and silently groaning into his hands.  It’s nice.   Who fucking says that?

He brushes his teeth while staring morosely at his own face in the mirror.  When he finally finishes changing and braves going back into the room, you’re sitting comfortably on your side of the bed with a pillow hugged to your chest.  You’re tapping buttons on a Switch console.

“Is that yours?” he asks.

“Mhm.  I brought it so Wonwoo and I could play together.”

Seungcheol lowers himself down so he can see what you’re playing.  “I should have known,” he says, recognizing the Animal Crossing island.

“What?  It’s calming.”

“You’re literally in a beach house right now.”

“It’s good for moments like these,” you explain. “For winding down.”

“Oh, I see. And playing that is better than talking to me?”

The console dips in your hands. “I didn’t say that! What do you want to talk about?”

“I don’t know,” he says, feeling surly. “I feel like I don’t know anything that’s happened in your life recently.”

You shrug and one of your tank top straps slides down your arm. Pulling it back up, you say, “Nothing really exciting has happened.”

“Nothing? At all ?”

“Nothing interesting.”

“Is this how you talk to everyone else?”

“Well,” you say, thinking.  “I talk with Eunha the most. We talk about everything, but I’m sure she gets bored with me. Wonwoo probably second, but it’s mostly books and games.  Mingyu and I talk about recipes sometimes.”

“Should I be offended that you haven’t texted me in like three months?”

“You haven’t texted me either,” you point out.

He doesn’t have a response to that.  At least not a good one. 

“Hey, how come Jungah didn’t come with you?”

Seungcheol stares at you, unsure if you’re being serious.  There’s no mirth in your expression though; you just stare curiously back at him.

“You’re seriously asking that now?  Now , when we’re about to sleep in the same bed?”

“I didn’t want to ask with everyone else around,” you protest.  “In case it was something obvious I should know.”

“It is.  Have you been living under a rock?”

“Kind of!  You know I get distracted easily.  Don’t be mean.”

You’re cute when you pout.

“We broke up months ago,” he says, waiting to feel the pang of disappointment that usually accompanies this statement.  But this time it doesn’t come.

You reach out and start twisting one of the throw pillow tassels around in your fingers.  “Oh.  I’m sorry.  I should have known that.”

“It’s fine.”  As he says it, he kind of believes it.

“Um…who…”

“I did.”

“Oh,” you say softly.  “I thought you really liked her.”

“Yeah.  I thought I did, too.”

And it’s true that he did like Jungah quite a lot.  But he was never able to make enough space for her inside his heart.  Not when you’re there filling every inch of it like light.  Once he realized that he knew he had to end the relationship.  It wouldn’t be fair to pretend otherwise.

He searches your face for some indication that you’re relieved, but you only look concerned.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, like I said, it’s been a while.” You’re going to ruin that throw pillow.  He tugs it away from you.  “Remember Eunha’s impassioned speech about getting her deposit back.”

“Right, sorry.  I’ll stop.”

He slots the pillow back into place, feeling silly about it.  You’re both grown ass adults with a pillow wall in your bed.  But the alternative is accidentally brushing up against you in the night, which would fill him with enough longing to kill him.

“What made you ask about her?”

You give him an embarrassed smile.  “Well, we are getting into the same bed.  I assumed it was why you were so angry earlier.”

“Earlier?”

“With Joshua.  About the room assignments.”

Fuck.  “You heard that?”

“You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

“Good to know.  And I was just worried about it being uncomfortable.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” you assure him.

“Should I ask what your worst behavior might look like?” he jokes.

“Not unless you’re serious.”

He has no idea what that means and he’s not eager to let his mind wander away with it. “Right,” he lies, “I’m getting kind of tired.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.”

You shut off the console. “I’m ready for lights out when you are.”

The minute the room goes dark, Seungcheol feels a sense of relief. No more having to watch his expression, worry about if he’s staring at you too much. It’s only when he pulls back the blanket that he realizes he’s committed to going to bed and he’s not tired at all.

The room slowly takes on the scent of a warm spring day. He realizes that you’re putting on your hand lotion in the dark.

“Do you still need light?”

“Nope,” you reply. There’s a faint sound of a cap being snapped shut and then you’re wiggling under the covers. “Sweet dreams, Cheol.”

He grunts back reflexively before adding, “Good night.”

In the darkened silence he stares at the wall. There’s a faint murmur of voices from downstairs, the sound of a door being opened and closed. Eunha and Joshua like their beauty sleep, but it’s still early for the others. It was silly of Seungcheol to turn out the light, but now he can’t really go back on it.

He shifts his legs but there’s not far to go before he hits the pillow wall. Goddamn Eunha and Joshua for picking this place. They knew the bed would be too small and that he wouldn’t want to share. This is their fault.

He catches the tiniest sigh from you as you roll over. Then over again. He’s about to ask if you’re okay when your breathing finally evens out. Great. So that just leaves him suffering.

After an endless amount of time he catches himself drifting, waking only when you shift and nudge the pillows. Which it seems like you do over and over. Why are you such a fidgety sleeper? He wants to grab you and just pin your body to the bed.

By the time morning comes, neither of you are well-rested. You wake with a low sigh, staring up at the ceiling. He wakes up with a fucking boner.

In his defense, you went to sleep wearing that tiny pajama set and he had to spend all night just inches away. It’s a totally normal response: it’s been a while and he’s so susceptible to you at this point.

But despite how reasonable his excuses are in his mind, he can’t actually share any of this with you. Instead, he tugs a throw pillow closer to his body.

You lean your chin on the pillow wall. “Can’t sleep either, huh?”

“Not really.”

“Sorry. I don’t normally move that much.”

“Not your fault.”

“I still think the hotel–”

“No.”

He’s going to go crazy. The room is still dim but it’s getting rapidly brighter and you’re fixated in his direction. Knowing your eyes are on him is making his little problem a very big and uncomfortable problem. He needs you to go away now .

“I think I saw an espresso machine downstairs. If you want to–”

“You go ahead. I’ll come down later.” There’s a bite to his words that makes him grimace, but he’s also growing increasingly desperate. You slide away from the pillow wall and start rummaging in your suitcase.

By the time you’ve washed your face and gotten dressed, the sun is almost fully up and he’s nowhere near any kind of relief. You look fresh and happy in your yellow sundress, the shape of which just makes his shorts pull even tighter.

“Are you sure you don’t want to–”

“ No. ”

“All right,” you say.  “I’ll see you downstairs later.”

He grunts in response, too focused on the intensity of his hard-on to see the look of disappointment on your face.  If he tries to say words right now, he’s just going to end up whining.  As soon as he hears your feet on the stairs he throws off the blankets and dashes for the bathroom.

The shower is cold to start but he doesn’t care.  When was the last time he woke up hard like a teenager?  Sure, he’s dealt with morning wood as an adult but not like this.  His cock is hot and almost painful in his grip as he lets the water sluice down his back.  He’s going to just think of normal things to get off to: celebrities, porn stars, any image that isn’t you in your bikini yesterday.  Or you in your pajamas with the little bow just between your breasts.  Or the scent of your hand lotion as you crawled into bed beside him last night.

Fuck.

His head hits the tile wall as he comes onto the shower floor, letting the now-warm water rinse away his shame.

Minah (Day 2)

You go down to the kitchen feeling strangely dejected.  After spending an entire night trying to stay still in bed, your body is exhausted and tense.  None of that is helped by knowing that Seungcheol is in a bad mood.  If only he’d let you take that hotel room, things would be fine.

You decide that you’re going to get Eunha’s permission to stay down the street.  Maybe with her blessing, Seungcheol will be less upset about it.  

“Absolutely not,” she says when you tell her about the situation.  She’s busy trying to make the espresso machine work, so she’s only half listening, but even that’s enough to rile her up.  “If Seungcheol is going to have a bug up his ass about sharing a bed, he can go stay at a hotel.  He’s a grown man and he should act like one.”

“I think he handled it fairly maturely,” you respond, unsure of why you feel the need to defend him.  Still, he’s the one who said no.

“The pillow wall was very classy.”

“In fairness–”

Joshua comes in, his hair tousled.  Still breathless from his run, he immediately heads to Eunha to kiss her cheek.

“Aha!” she exclaims as the espresso machine clicks on.  “Babe, you’re good luck.”

“Not sure what I did but happy to hear it.”

“Good weather?” you ask him.

“The best.  It’s a perfect time for a run.”

As though you could possibly want to run on sand this early in the morning.  Or any time of day for that matter.  No, you plan on spending this entire week becoming a nice fat log.  You’ll burn off your vacation when you’re back to your regular routine.  “I’ll take your word for it,” you tell him.

He just grins and takes a water bottle out of the drink fridge.

“Can you–?”

Before she can finish her sentence, Joshua has already handed her a cup.  

“Thank you!  And–”

He pulls an ice tray and hands that over as well.  “Love, can I–”

“Americano?  This one is yours.”

They move so elegantly together, you realize.  Long term couples usually do, having had enough time to know each other’s patterns and movements.  Eunha and Joshua make space for each other automatically: when she reaches out, he’s there.  When he looks for something, she’s got it ready.  It looks so effortless, even though you know they’ve had their difficulties over the years.

You want that.  You want it so badly it makes your chest ache.

Joshua catches your gaze, giving you a questioning look.  “You okay?  Need something?”

“Just admiring you two together.”

“Aww,” Eunha croons, pulling her own cup of coffee from the machine.  “I still don’t know why you won’t let me hook you up with someone.  I know several great people who would love to meet you.”

“Eunnie, you know how I feel about blind dates.”

“Blind dates are the worst.”  Seungcheol announces himself to the kitchen with that statement, heading straight for the espresso machine.  “Coffee, please, help,” he pleads.

You gamely go over to the machine.  Having watched Eunha struggle through it twice, you’re pretty sure you know what to do at this point.  Seungcheol watches you fill the portafilter and tamp down the grounds with a kind of feral desperation.

“Staring her down isn’t going to get you coffee any quicker,” remarks Eunha.

“I’m staring down the machine,” he says, but he backs off.  As he moves past you, you catch a familiar smell of roses.

“Did you use my body wash?” you ask abruptly.

He freezes, rubbing at his damp hair.  “Uh, yeah.  I forgot to grab my stuff when I got into the shower.  Sorry.”

“I don’t mind.  You smell nice,” you tease, clicking on the espresso machine.

Eunha giggles, making Seungcheol turn away from you.  Shit.  Have you annoyed him again already?

Wonwoo pads into the kitchen with the world’s worst bedhead. It looks like a wave of hair all scrunched up on top of his head and it makes everyone giggle. He pushes up his glasses in annoyance.

“It took forever to get comfortable,” he complains.

“We can see that,” says Eunha, stretching up on her tiptoes to fluff the top of his hair. “You’re taller than Gyu now.”

You pass Seungcheol his coffee and he acknowledges you briefly, but still won’t meet your eyes. It’s so disheartening that you don’t even bother to make a coffee for yourself. Instead, you sip some juice and stare at the inside of the fridge, which is layered so heavily that you can’t make anything out.

Mingyu comes to your rescue, stretching a bare, muscular arm over your head and pulling out several ingredients. “Gilgeori toast assembly line?” he asks.

You readily agree. You crack eggs and unwrap slices of ham and cheese while he chops up cabbage and green onion. One by one he slides steaming patties of cabbage and egg onto toasted bread while you cover it in toppings, squeezing a long swirl of ketchup over the top of each one.

“Who wants sugar?” you ask and Soonyoung’s hand goes up fast. He’s got bedhead to rival Wonwoo’s and he squints against the sunlight in your direction.

“All the sugar,” he requests.

“Coming right up!”

You bring the plates to the table as they’re done. Seungcheol is on his phone so you set his plate near his elbow.

“Lots of ketchup, little sugar,” you tell him.

“You remembered.”

“Of course I did.”

You want to ask if he’s feeling better but Mingyu’s got another sandwich in need of finishing so you head back to the assembly line.

By the time the two of you make it to the table, the rest of the group have almost finished their breakfasts. Jihoon gathers up the plates without a word and starts washing them. Wonwoo wipes up the remains on the counters.

Thanks to the group effort, it doesn’t take long to get the kitchen clean again. You pat at your full tummy, wondering if maybe you should join Joshua on his run tomorrow.

Breakfast seems to have improved everyone, including Seungcheol, who finally sets down his phone.

Sidling up to him, you prompt, “Sorry I kept you awake.”

“You didn’t.  New bed, new surroundings.”

You just give him a look.  “New person sharing your space and breathing in it.”

Seungcheol gives you a look back.  “If you start on that hotel idea of yours again–”

“Eunha already said no.”

“Good.”

“I don’t know why you two are so against solutions.”

“Come up with a good one and then we’ll talk.”

He’s bantering like he normally does, which means his bad mood has passed.  You smile at this realization, feeling relieved.  

“What?”

“Nothing.  Just happy.”

“Good.  I like you happy.”

Before you can respond, Eunha slides between the two of you.  “Glad to see you guys are getting along, but it’s time to split up.  She’s mine today,” she informs Seungcheol.

“I am?”

Seungcheol just grins and holds up his hands.  “All yours, then.  Have fun.  Bring her back at a reasonable hour.”

“Why are you suddenly my dad?” you ask him.

“Dad dy ,” jokes Eunha, then immediately grimaces like she’s tasted something disgusting.  “No.  I can’t believe I said that.  Absolutely not, that never happened.”

“I’m telling Joshua.”

“You aren’t!”

“Telling me what?” asks Joshua, appearing in the doorway.

Eunha yanks you past him.  “Nothing!  We’re going to get ready and go!”

“Have fun!” he calls after you both.

“Get ready for what?” you ask as she corrals you to the foot of the stairs.

“The boys are having a boys day and I’m going to spend some quality time with my best friend who I see far too little of,” she says.

You like the way that sounds.

Eunha hits you with the itinerary the moment you’re in the car. 

“First of all, we’re doing something about those feet of yours,” she says, and you strain to check your heels.  “If you brush them against Seungcheol in the night, you’re going to injure him.  They look like sandpaper.”

“Hey!”  She’s not entirely wrong though.  You meant to get a pedicure before the trip, but you were so focused on groceries that it kind of slipped your mind.

“Then we’re going to get lunch and go shopping.”

It’s absolutely Eunha’s idea of a typical girls’ day but you adore her and you’ll never say no to food. You do regret letting her drive though. Two minutes inside the car and it’s obvious that Joshua does all the driving these days, because Eunha seems to have forgotten what a blinker does and where it’s at.

“Oops!” She finds the turn signal and clicks it all the way to the wrong side, then the opposite way. The car behind you both slows down even further, unwilling to risk driving too close to a crazy person.

Eunha gets the hang of driving by the time you reach downtown. One thing she hasn’t forgotten how to do is parallel park, because she could never do it to begin with. You praise her on being mostly straight and leave it at that.

The nice part about beach towns is that they don’t change much. You still recognize the store fronts, though some have gotten new signs. Most of the old wooden walkways are still there, holding up despite years of salt air and sun.

Eunha keeps a running log of updates through the entirety of the pedicure and through the taffy shop, where you buy a bag big enough to keep the boys entertained for at least one evening. All the flavors are mixed together, so they’ll have fun trying to guess. You’ve eaten enough taffy on childhood beach trips to last you a lifetime.

It’s only when you’re seated at a fancy seafood restaurant overlooking the water that Eunha takes a deep breath.

“Okay,” she says. “You’ve been very patient. Now it’s your turn to update me on everything Minah.”

Before you can speak, she adds, “And don’t say nothing. I will throw you into the ocean if you say nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, it’s just the same things. You know I’m a creature of habit.”

“I know and that’s why this trip is so important. You need vitamin D. Also–”

“Don’t say it.”

“You need ‘D’ in general,” she says, unbothered that the table next to you is within hearing range. “What happened to that blind date you went on?”

“That was months ago and we both left after the appetizers.”

“That bad?”
“Mutual boredom.”

The waiter comes by with your meals, flashing you an extra long smile before he leaves. Eunha picks up on it immediately.

“Well, he’s cute.”

“He works in a beach town and wants a big tip,” is your sage response.

“And maybe he has one, too.”

You grimace. “What is your obsession with getting me laid?”

“I’m just looking out for your health and wellbeing. How long has it been?”

Poking morosely at your risotto, you say, “Don’t ask me that.”

“Minah. My darling. My love. You need to date again.”

“No one is right ,” you say with a sigh.  “I don’t know how to describe it.  Every time I meet a new person I just get this overwhelming feeling that they just aren’t the right one for me.”

Eunha is very focused on her pasta, to the point that she doesn’t bother to look up at you when she says, “Maybe because you already found your person.”

You’re baffled by this.  “What person?”

“Mr. Pillow Wall.”

“Are you talking about Seungcheol?”

“Who else?”

“Hah, no.  Cheol is just a great friend, he’s always been just a great friend.”

Stabbing a shrimp with her fork, Eunha says, “Mhm.  And great friends just stare at each other with longing all the time.  Totally normal friendship stuff.”

Horrified, you say, “I don’t!  God, do I?”

“Like a sad little creature.”

You don’t appreciate being called a sad little creature, but worse is that your crush is apparently noticeable. To everyone but Cheol.

“Which, thanks for telling me he broke up with Jungah,” you say sarcastically.  “I made a fool out of myself last night.”

This does get her attention.  She stops eating long enough to stare at you.  “Shit.  Did you really not know?”

“No!  I do now.”

“I really thought you knew.  You and Cheol are so close, I assumed he told you.”

Moving food around on your plate, you respond, “We haven’t talked much lately.  He thinks I’m just an airhead but honestly, I didn’t want to interrupt him if his life was going well.  Like, his business is improving, his health is good, he was going on all these trips with her…”

“Those stopped months ago.”

Right when you stopped using Instagram, you tell her.  You couldn’t bear to see it all anymore without feeling lost and left behind.

“Is that why?  You gave me this bullshit speech about a digital detox!  I’ve been forwarding you all my photos individually!”

“Sorry!”

Going back to her pasta, Eunha says, “It came as a huge surprise, honestly. We thought things were really good between them but…” She shrugs around a mouthful of food.

Cheol isn’t the kind of person to do things half-heartedly. He’s dedicated and considerate and passionate - which is why Eunha’s words bother you. 

It’s impossible to know what truly goes on in someone else’s relationship though. Whatever his reason for his decision, he must have really felt strongly about it.

Eunha taps your plate with her fork. “Food, mouth,” she orders. “No more mooning over Cheol when I’m right here.”

You obediently pick up your own fork.

After lunch you and Eunha go shopping, looking at all the beach town knick-knacks and overpriced shirts. She ends up buying you both matching hats with enormous floppy brims that completely cover your faces. They’re absolutely ridiculous and very fun. Seungcheol is going to hate them.

Turning the hat around and around in your hands as Eunha drives back to the house, you wonder if he’s started dating anyone else. Several months is a long time to be single; you would know. You’ve started lying about going on dates just to hide how long you’ve been single for. It’s stupid to be this caught up over Seungcheol still, but every time you see him your heart aches.

His cute dimpled smile and the way he laughs and how he sulks when he doesn’t get everyone’s full attention…

“What are you thinking about?” asks Eunha. She’s been singing along to the music, but she turns the volume down to hear you better.

“What do you think the guys have been doing?” you ask.

Eunha rolls her eyes. “Probably discussing protein shakes or bragging over who’s eaten the most chicken breasts in one day.”

“When did our friends become meatheads?”

“At least we still have Wonwoo,” she says seriously. “The day he goes over to the dark side is the day I stop planning these vacations. Do you know how much Jihoon and Seungcheol bitched at me about the beach house not having a gym? Go lift a dolphin or something, I don’t care!”

Not that muscles are that important to you, but you’re not going to lie if pressed about how gorgeous Seungcheol is looking lately. All his time in the gym has clearly paid off in a major way. And maybe you want him to lift you up and carry you around like a princess, not that you’d ever admit to that.

It’s a good thing he put up those pillows between you because otherwise you might cling to him in the night. You can’t remember the last time someone just held you. People say you get used to being lonely, but you’re not sure that’s true. The ache always lingers.

You’ve thought about confessing to him before. Or just asking if he’d be interested in a date. But you don’t see a way in which things don’t end badly and you don’t lose one of your closest friends forever. 

Reaching over, you turn the volume back up and the two of you sing loudly all the way back.

You’re still singing as Eunha pulls into the driveway. Soonyoung runs out to meet you, shouting, “I love this song!”

He finishes the last chorus with you both, making you grateful that the beach house is reasonably removed from the rest of the area. You can’t imagine anyone else on vacation wanting to listen to such a racket.

The boys have set up a foldable ping pong table on the patio and are having a fantastic time shouting at each other. You come up the stairs just in time to see Jihoon whack the ball straight at Mingyu in frustration. It bounces ineffectually off his chest.

“I don’t think that’s a legal move,” you remark.

“ You play with him,” seethes Jihoon, abandoning his paddle. 

Mingyu grins at you. “Feel like losing, Minah?”

Picking up the abandoned paddle, you wait for him to serve. The ball bounces once and you hit it gently back, barely clearing the net. Still, it’s lighter than he’s expecting and he misses his chance to hit it back.

The other guys crow in victory.

“Feel like losing, Gyu?” you taunt him.

Seungcheol comes out of the house with a beer. When he sees Eunha in her hat he immediately stops.

“What the fuck is that?”

“It’s called fashion.”

“You look like you have a dead palm leaf on your head.”

“They’re called fronds. ”

“Fine,” says Seungcheol. “You look like you have a dead palm frond on your head.”

Eunha sniffs and turns so abruptly that he has to dodge to avoid being hit by her hat.

“I think it’s cute,” says Joshua. He pats the top of her hat affectionately. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” she says, “but I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

They immediately start making kissy faces at each other and Seungcheol groans as he sidesteps them.

“Single life getting to you?” asks Wonwoo.

“If that’s my other option, I’ll take being single.”

Eunha flips him off before grabbing Joshua up in a passionate kiss. You take advantage of the distraction to win another point against Mingyu.

“That doesn’t count ,” he protests.

“In it to win it, you big baby.”

Everyone takes turns playing ping pong, except Eunha and Joshua, who not so mysteriously disappear and surface just before dinnertime. 

When Mingyu crows at them, Eunha just says, “Shut up, we paid for the house so we’re damn well going to use it.”

It’s like any other trip then, where all the couples make the best use of the space they’re allocated. And you spend yet another vacation mired in longing and begrudgingly horny. Sleeping next to Seungcheol is both a torture and a delight–you’re simultaneously looking forward to tonight and dreading it.

Waking up to him beside you was like being presented with an entire chocolate cake you’re not allowed to eat. You want to eat the cake, damnit.

Instead, you go help Joshua and Jihoon in the kitchen. Cooking will keep your mind off the fact that you’ll be spending yet another night beside the person you want most in this world, unable to do anything about it.

Well, you could do something about it, you think, as you wash lettuce for ssam . You could confess to him. But that could ruin everything and this trip just started. And as much as you postured last night, you really don’t want to stay at a hotel alone.

“Uh, Minah.”

You jerk back to attention. Jihoon is staring pointedly at the mountain of lettuce you’ve washed. “Oh, Jesus.”

“Yeah, even for eight people that’s…”

“We can use the rest of it tomorrow,” says Joshua, unbothered.

Jihoon helps you separate it into two batches. “Would you like to tell us where your head was at?”

“I was meditating,” you lie. “It was just such a relaxing thing to do that I kept washing.”

Neither of them buy it for a second, but they let you have it. 

Dinner is lively. You’re so used to eating quiet, distracted meals in your apartment that you’ve forgotten how much fun it is to be around your friends, even when they’re drunk as shit. Mingyu was responsible for bringing the alcohol for the trip and he’s taken the role seriously. There’s soju, beer, wine, and even whiskey. 

No one teases him for excessive shopping though, because it’ll all be gone by the end of the week.

Jihoon offers to pour for you, but you cover your glass.

“I’d better not,” you say. “I’m a lightweight.”

“With love and with alcohol,” confirms Eunha, already on her second glass of wine. She’s pink-cheeked and grinning in a way that makes you nervous.

He gives you a curious look. “What does that even mean?”

“It means I’m too likely to get my heart broken,” you explain, watching the soju travel down the table.

“She falls in love easily,” says Eunha. “Remember Jeonghan?”

“He had long hair.”

“Jay.”

“He was a really good dancer.”

“Ian.”

“Tattoos.”

She just gives you a look to say “point made”.

“That wasn’t love though,” you reply, hoping to redeem yourself. Seungcheol is frowning at you and it’s making shame wiggle around in your belly. You don’t like hearing how shallow you sound. “Those were just crushes.”

“Didn’t stop you from wondering how big their dicks were.”

“Eunha!”

Laughing, she picks up her glass and moves to the other end of the table where Joshua is playing cards with Mingyu and Wonwoo.

“I’m not shallow,” you tell Jihoon and he just shrugs.

“No one said you were,” he assures you. “Besides, I know you aren’t.”

“You do?”

His eyes flick to the side for a moment before he smiles at you. “Yeah.”

Seungcheol cracks open another bottle of soju. You don’t even remember seeing him drink the first one. You’re about to point this out when loud singing startles you.

“Oh, no,” says Eunha. “He’s starting early.”

Soonyoung is making the most of his vacation, wandering through the dining room with an open bottle and more energy than the rest of you have combined. From the sound of it, this isn’t his first bottle, either.

“Best vacation ever!” he announces, leaning down and planting a massive kiss on Jihoon’s mouth. As everyone cheers, Jihoon shoves his boyfriend away.

“You’re an idiot! And you taste like soju!”

With a giddy look of pride, Soonyoung flops down on the floor, still holding the bottle.

“Soonie, maybe you want to hand that over,” you coax him. “Maybe you want to have some water now.”

“I’m good!”

“I don’t know that you are.”

Using the bottle as a microphone, Soonyoung starts drunkenly singing a song you only barely recognize until the chorus. 

“Oh, Jesus,” mutters Eunha, pinching the bridge of her nose. “He’s butchering ‘Haru Haru’.”

Mingyu joins in, a little less drunk and a little less off-key. It’s not long before the entire table is singing it, alternating between dramatic crooning and wild giggles.

“That song is ruined now,” you tell Seungcheol, who’s been pouring his own shots at an alarming rate. “Hey, you’re going to make yourself sick.”

“I can hold my alcohol,” he grumbles.

“Okay,” you say slowly, unwilling to argue with him. Seeing him grumpy this morning was bad enough and you don’t want to repeat that. Not when everyone is having so much fun. “Can I at least pour for you?”

He relaxes at this. “Yeah. Only if I can pour for you. Even if it’s just juice,” he clarifies.

You smile and take the bottle. Soju sloshes out across the table as Mingyu throws his arms around you both.

“Gyu!”

“You guys are my favorite,” he whispers loudly. “You know that right?”

“Everyone knows that now,” says Joshua, sounding petulant. “They’re not even a couple.”

“They are in my heart.”

Still on the floor, Soonyoung starts chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss!”

“Christ,” hisses Seungcheol. Throwing off Mingyu’s arm, he takes a bottle of beer and stalks out onto the porch.

“No glass on the beach!” Eunha calls after him.

His only response is the sound of the door whacking the frame. 

Eunha sighs. “He’s such a child.”

You stare at the door, more than a little bewildered. Everything was fine until suddenly it wasn’t and you’re not sure what the switch was. The teasing is nothing new: every trip is filled with little side comments from your friends, except for the period of time where Seungcheol was in a relationship. So if it’s not that, then…?

“Ignore his childish ass,” she instructs you. “We’re here to have fun and if he wants to be a moody baby, let him.”

“Right,” you say, but even as the guys start up a round of games, you’re distracted by looking outside. You want to go out there, but what if it’s your fault he’s so upset? You don’t want to make things worse.

“Minah,” calls Wonwoo. “Are you playing?”

You don’t even bother to look at the game. “No, count me out,” you say distantly.

Everyone goes back to talking, leaving you free to agonize over what to do. In the end though, you decide to risk it.

You push open the door and immediately Seungcheol says, “I’m not on the beach.”

“I’m not Eunha,” you point out.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Do you want to be alone?”

“Not if it’s you.”

“Just me,” you agree, coming out onto the porch. You settle down in the chair next to him. “Whatcha doing?”

“Watching the water.”

There’s a bonfire much further down the beach. You watch the fire shift distantly, no more than a glow of orange against the darkness.

“That looks fun.”

“Yeah? You want a fire?”

“It would be cool to do before we leave. I’ve always wanted to have a bonfire,” you admit.

“Then I’ll make it happen,” he assures you.

Seungcheol’s always been like this. Any time someone wants or needs something, he does his best to make it happen. It makes you wonder who does that for him.

“What about you? Is there anything you want to do on this trip?”

He turns to face you but you can’t gauge his emotions. Even with the dim porch lighting, it’s too hard to make out his expression. Still, something feels off . You don’t think he’ll be honest with you even if you do ask, though.

“Just this.”

“What, sit here drinking a beer while I bother you?”

“Yeah.”

That sounds sincere enough, so you scoot deeper into your chair. “I can do that. I can talk to you all night if you want.”

He chuckles. “I’m going to need more beer then. Or maybe coffee.”

“To keep you awake through my nonsense?”

“So I can hear everything you have to say.”

It’s such a perfect response that it leaves you speechless and kind of sad. He’s so good at saying these things to you and he has no idea how much you cherish them. How much you wish he meant them differently.

You don’t want to sleep with a pillow wall. You don’t want to feel like you’re so close to having what you want only to know you can’t have it. None of those other guys with their long hair or tattoos have anything on Seungcheol. You never felt even a modicum of what you feel for him.

You want to tell him this so badly. But instead, you look back at the water in silence.

Seungcheol (Day 3)

Seungcheol wakes up hot.  The overhead fan is still on, spinning soundlessly above the bed.  In his sleepy haze, it takes him a moment to realize he can’t actually move.  The pillow barricade is broken and you’ve shoved your body through the space to latch onto him.  Your arms are clinging to one of his like he’s a teddy bear and you’ve got one leg thrown over his hip.

You’re sound asleep.

Judging by the hint of light creeping through the curtains, it’s close to dawn.  Too early for him to be awake.  But now that he knows why he’s awake, how is he supposed to sleep again?  Reaching down to see if he can gently shift your leg, he almost groans when his hand touches bare skin.  Your pajama shorts have ridden up, exposing your entire thigh.

Seungcheol stares hard at the ceiling, praying to literally anyone and anything to give him strength. He’s not going to think about how close your center is to his crotch right now, or how if he raises his hand just a little bit more he’ll be able to feel your panties. He’s definitely not getting hard.

He’s not some kind of caveman incapable of controlling himself. Irritated, he exhales sharply, trying to pull himself together. The sudden sound rouses you, however, and you make a little moue of protest.

Your eyes flutter open briefly, meeting his terrified gaze before closing.  Then, a few seconds later, they flash open again.

“Cheol?”  you mumble.

“Uh…hi.”

It takes you a moment to realize that you’re wrapped around him like an octopus; once you do, though, you gasp, rolling yourself to the opposite side of the bed so hard you nearly fall out.

“Minah, careful!”

“I’m sorry!  Oh my God, how long were you awake?  And when did I do that?  I didn’tmeantodothatohmygod!”

“Shh,” he whispers.  “You’re going to wake the others.”

Clapping a hand over your mouth, you look guiltily at him.  “I’m so sorry,” you whisper back.  “This is why I should have booked that hotel room.”

“And here I just thought I was extra cuddly,” he jokes.  Now that you’re not pasted to him anymore, he feels immediately cooler.  And yet he also misses having you against him.

You look miserable, sitting up on your knees as far away from him as you can get.  “I’m really sorry.  I just…I usually hold something when I sleep.”

“Like what?”

“Um…”

Padding over to your suitcase, you remove something before returning to the bed and setting it between the two of you.  It’s the saddest looking stuffed pink bunny he’s ever seen, it’s floppy ears uneven and a little careworn.  He recognizes it immediately.

“Is this the bunny I won you at that shooting game?”

You nod.  “He fits perfectly under my chin.”

He remembers when you found it at the night market.  You’d been walking as a group when suddenly you veered away towards the shooting game stall.  There were a lot of different prizes available, but only one bunny.  It looked “so lonely”, according to you.  Seungcheol thought that the stuffed animal had been dragged through hell, but you begged someone from the group to win it.  You paid for Mingyu, Soonyoung, and even Jihoon to try, but none of them could rack up enough points to get it.  Seungcheol was pretty sure the game attendant was artificially inflating its worth based on how badly you wanted it.

“I’ll get you the damn bunny,” he asserted, handing cash over to the attendant.  He hit every single target.

The prize for hitting all the targets was a massive fluffy teddy bear.  Seungcheol wanted you to choose the bear; after all, what better flattery for his pride than everyone at the market seeing you carry it around?  But no, you wanted that sad reject bunny instead.

It looked even smaller and more pathetic being held like a baby in your arms and he wanted to grumble but then you arched up on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek and he was flushed for the rest of the night.  This was three years ago.  His crush has only worsened since.

And you still have the bunny.

“And you actually sleep with it?” he asks.

Petting its lopsided ears fondly, you say “Every night.  I left him in my suitcase when I realized we were sharing though, because I was embarrassed.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” he says. “But I’m pretty sure I’m better than some old bunny.”

You cover the plushie’s ears. “How dare you! He can hear you, you know.”

Seungcheol chuckles at your antics, then groans as a throbbing pain starts to form in his head. “What time is it?”

“Early. Too early for you.”

“It’s too early for anyone,” he protests, dragging his hand over his face. As much as he wants to sit up and talk with you, he also can barely keep his eyes open.

“You’re exhausted. Go back to sleep.”

“‘M fine,” he lies, feeling his head pound. You smooth his hair down before pushing him gently back into the pillows. 

“Go to sleep. I’ll see you downstairs.”

As you pull your hand back, he catches a whiff of your lotion. It’s like a lullaby, sending him back into a deep sleep.

By the time he wakes up again, he’s alone and the sun is blasting through the curtains. Groaning, he turns away from the light. He’s going to encourage Eunha to leave a review about how useless the gauzy fabric is when it comes to actually sleeping . Everything in this house is made for looks and not function.

  He can hear the sound of dishes clanking and laughter downstairs. At least a handful of people are awake, judging by the individual voices he can make out. There’s no point in staying in bed any longer, so he forces himself to go wash his face before trudging down to the kitchen.

Mingyu is making hangover ramen for Wonwoo and Joshua, the latter of whom is resting his forehead on the dining table while Eunha just looks amused.  She’s eating blueberries out of your bowl without any regard for your breakfast disappearing into her mouth.  You press the bowl into her hands and return to the fridge.

“Hey,” he says, coming up beside you.

You flash him a smile.  “Hey.  I’m going to make another yogurt bowl, do you want one?  Otherwise I think Mingyu is making enough ramen for 5 people.”

He leans over your shoulder to see inside the fridge.  The leftovers from last night have already disappeared, probably into Wonwoo or Jihoon’s stomach in the middle of the night.  And as good as ramen sounds, he should eat something healthy after drinking so much.

“Yogurt bowl is good.  Thanks.”

You start pulling out all the ingredients and passing them over to him.  Yogurt, berries, mango.  The counter is covered in granola and honey and seeds of some kind.  

“Are you running a restaurant?” he asks.

“Are you going to harass me again for the groceries?”

“No, this is just a lot fancier than I would make at home.”

Pulling two fresh bowls from the cupboard, you remind him, “We’re not at home.  We’re on vacation.”

That’s fair enough.  He’s just going to shut up and enjoy the star treatment, then.  You begin spreading a smooth layer of yogurt onto the bottom of each bowl.

“Can I help?”

“Nope.”

He’s not great at not having a task, so he looks over at the table where everyone’s sitting instead.  Well, not quite everyone.

“Where’s Soonhoon?” he asks, using the group’s nickname for Soonyoung and Jihoon.  Since they’re normally together, it just makes sense.

“Since there’s no gym here, Jihoon dragged Soonyoung out for a beach run.”

“Wait, wasn’t Soonyoung really drunk last night?”

“Yeah, but Jihoon actually wanting to go outside is not something he’s going to miss out on.”

If Soonyoung manages to not vomit on the run, Seungcheol will be surprised.

“Here you go!”

While he was distracted, you’ve finished breakfast.  The bowl you hand him is perfectly layered with fruit and granola.  It looks Instagram-worthy and actually delicious.

“That’s not fair,” whines Eunha, holding her empty bowl.  “Mine wasn’t as cute as Seungcheol’s.”

“That’s because yours was mine ,” you remind her.

“Oops,” is her cheery response.

He’s noticed that yours looks far less professional.  The fact that you put all your effort into his breakfast is touching, so he makes a point to snap a photo before eating it.  As he’s digging in, the side door bangs open.

He catches the barest glimpse of Soonyoung before the younger man is staggering down the hall to the bathroom.

“Poor Soonie,” you murmur, setting down a bottle of water and some painkillers on the counter.

“He did it to himself.”

“To be fair, I don’t think he expected Jihoon to go out running first thing in the morning.”

As though summoned, Jihoon appears looking bright and invigorated by his exercise.  “Save me some ramen,” he tells Mingyu.  Pointing at the bottles beside you, he asks, “Are those for Soonyoung?”

You nod and he grabs them before disappearing down the hall after his boyfriend.

“He did that to himself, too,” Seungcheol remarks when Jihoon is out of earshot.  Stifling a laugh, you punch his shoulder.

Joshua perks up when the ramen appears in front of him. He and Wonwoo drag noodles out of the pot like starved men while Mingyu watches, an ice pack pressed under his puffy eye. After a moment he switches to the other eye. 

“You need water,” insists Eunha.

“The ice is working.”

“Water will work faster.” She presses a bottle into Joshua’s hand and he obediently takes a long drink.

But Mingyu isn’t interested in hydration. He’s interested in ramen, despite pretending otherwise. After a moment, he steals Wonwoo’s chopsticks and shovels some into his mouth. At this rate there won’t be any left for Jihoon.

“I’m going to go check on Soonie,” you say, taking a can of Sprite out of the fridge. He watches you head down the hall. Your full bowl is still sitting on the counter. It’s so like you to put off your own needs for someone else’s.

“So, are you feeling like a grown up again?” asks Eunha, leaning back next to him. She steals a strawberry out of your bowl. Seungcheol drags it out of her reach.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean your little drunken temper tantrum last night.”

Oh. That. It was hard to hear a running list of all the apparently beautiful guys that caught your eye at one point. He started wondering how he compared and decided that of course he didn’t, because if he did…well. He wouldn’t have to wonder about it.

By the time you came out to check on him, he had mostly calmed down and realized he was being a child. 

Saying any of this to Eunha isn’t going to earn him any points though, so he opts to say nothing and focus on his breakfast. She rolls her eyes at him.

Jihoon comes out and plucks the chopsticks straight out of Mingyu’s hand, feeding the last of the noodles into his mouth. “What else is there?” he asks, heading for the fridge. Joshua and Wonwoo are also interested in more food, the ramen serving as more of an appetizer than a substantial meal.

They need to find a place to work out. Seungcheol is already feeling restless and his mood would improve if he could exhaust himself. Plus it might keep Jihoon from killing his boyfriend. You’re still camped in the bathroom with Soonyoung.

You both finally surface almost twenty minutes later. Soonyoung inches towards the table, clammy and pale, the soda can clasped between both hands. You wait until he’s settled before returning for your breakfast.

Seungcheol retrieves it from the fridge for you. 

“Thanks, Cheol.”

“You’re too nice.”

“Look at him,” you say. “Look how sad he looks.”

Soonyoung does look sad, eyeing the empty ramen pot with the same level of emotion as a cat left out in the rain.

“Oh! I know!” Abandoning your bowl once more, you grab a packet of instant rice and put it in the microwave.

Soonyoung perks up a little when you bring it over to him. 

“My parents used to give me plain rice with a little bit of broth when I was sick,” you tell him. “But I think the broth might be too much. Start with this and eat slowly .”

Soonyoung isn’t the best listener, which means he must really be feeling rough because he solemnly feeds a few grains into his mouth at a time. When you return to the kitchen counter, Seungcheol shoves the bowl of yogurt into your hands and leads you to the table.

“Sit and eat,” he orders. “If you get up, so help me…”

He watches while the two of you eat your respective meals. After a few minutes you show him your empty bowl.

“Can I get up now?”

“Fine.”

There’s the sound of laughter in the other room and Soonyoung starts to get up, too, but Seungcheol pushes him back into the chair. “Not you. Eat your rice.”

“Hyung!”

“You’re not undoing all of Minah’s hard work.”

Sulking, Soonyoung nibbles at every last grain. By the time he’s done though, he has some color back.

“Now can I leave?” he asks, showing the two of you the empty plastic bowl.

You trade him another bottle of water for the bowl and send him off. Before he leaves he says, “You two are going to be really good parents someday. Annoying parents, but good ones.”

Then he runs into the other room, already shouting for his turn on the karaoke machine.

“They grow up so fast,” you remark dryly.

Seungcheol is still smarting from Soonyoung’s comment. Why does it feel like everyone can see you two together except you? All Seungcheol wants is a sign from you, any kind of green light that suggests you’re into him.

But you just tilt your head at him. “You okay?”

“Hm? Yeah.”

You start gathering up the breakfast dishes and Seungcheol immediately takes them out of your hands. “You’ve done enough. Go hang out with the rest of them. I’ve got this.”

“I’ll help. I’d rather be here with you.”

A cup starts to slip from his hands and he barely makes it to the sink before it clangs down hard against the surface. You can’t just say things like that to him. It destroys him every time.

You’re busy wiping down the table like nothing happened. Is it too much to ask that all this nothing could mean something to you? 

He can’t keep living like this. He has to let you go.

Which would be a whole lot easier if he’d even had you in the first place. Turning on the water, he picks up the sponge.

Seungcheol plans on spending the rest of the day asleep on a beach chair, but the others have better ideas.

Mingyu has found a bunch of children’s beach toys in the outdoor storage bin, probably left over from a previous family. The little plastic bin and shovel look comically small in his large hands.

“Guys,” he says excitedly. “We should build sandcastles.”

Now fully recovered from his rough morning, Soonyoung adds, “We should have a competition! Are there more shovels?”

Mingyu gestures towards the storage bin and Soonyoung begins digging out every last toy, creating a heap of rainbow plastic near his feet. 

“Everyone! Come grab your gear!”

Never one to back down from a competition, Seungcheol snatches a few of the shaping tools before hurrying back down to the beach to find a good spot to set up. Mingyu is already dragging sand into huge piles, his tongue pinched between his teeth as he works.

“Eunha and I will judge,” you call out from your shaded spot on the porch. The two of you are dozing on the beach chairs under the massive twin hats you got on your girls outing.

“Me too,” says Wonwoo, settling into the chair beside you.

“What are the rules of the competition?” asks Jihoon.

“Make the best sandcastle!” announces Soonyoung, as though that’s unclear. ”Loser has to run into the ocean naked!”

“Absolutely not!” shouts Eunha. “This is a public beach! I’m not bailing one of you idiots out of jail.”

“If it’s Soonyoung, I say we leave him there,” suggests Seungcheol.

“Agreed,” says Jihoon.

Only temporarily deflated, Soonyoung comes back with, “Fine, loser has to do a handstand for ten seconds.”

“Joshua is the only one who can do that!” complains Mingyu.

“Then just don’t lose!”

Wonwoo leans over the railing. “How about cash? Winner gets $50.”

“Who’s paying?”

“The loser, obviously.”

You, Eunha, and Wonwoo hammer out the rules while everyone else prepares their construction zone. Soonyoung wanders around behind everyone’s backs, trying to gauge their equipment. When he stretches out a careful hand towards one of Jihoon’s spades, Jihoon says without looking, “Touch it and die.”

“Such a loving relationship,” Joshua murmurs to Seungcheol while grinning.

Eunha pushes up the brim of her dumb hat to announce, “Okay, gentlemen! Prepare yourselves!”

The rules are simple. Or at least, they should be. Build a sandcastle, best one wins. Except the three of you have come up with a point system based on speed, creativity, and ability. There are extra points for finishing first, but if speed is achieved at the cost of craftsmanship, blah, blah, blah. Seungcheol stops listening to Eunha’s speech after the first ten seconds.

So does Soonyoung, who only hears “speed” before hunkering down over his plot like a rabid tiger ready to maul someone.

“Does everyone understand the rules? Yes?”

Wonwoo comes up beside Eunha’s elbow and says, “Start!”

“I wanted to say that!”

Now that it’s a proper competition, Seungcheol feels even more motivated to win. He drags sand into a high pile before digging a deep moat. He doesn’t know much about castles, but it’s an unspoken rule that a castle must have a moat.

Beside him, Jihoon is moving methodically. He’s got a bucket of water next to him and he keeps dipping his hands into it before shaping his sand. Seungcheol isn’t good at detailed work: he’s relying on speed and brute strength to win the competition.

“Done!” shouts Soonyoung.

“Are you kidding me?!” yells Mingyu, digging more frantically now.

“Extra ten points to Soonyoung for finishing first,” calls Wonwoo.

Joshua chuckles. “Didn’t know we were giving out points for that.”

Mingyu adds, “Is this a common problem for him, Jihoon?”

“Fuck off,” is Jihoon’s dry response. He’s still shaping sand, using his broad shoulders to hide as much of his work as possible.

Mingyu finishes next, followed by Seungcheol only seconds behind.

“I get more points than you,” says the younger man.

“Do you?”

“Don’t actually know, wasn’t listening.”

Mingyu’s sandcastle is very square, seeing as he had the castle-shaping bucket, but it still looks better than Soonyoung’s, which is literally just three buckets of sand next to each other with a thin line drawn around them.

Eunha studies it from under her monstrous hat. “I see. Minus twenty.”

“Why?” howls Soonyoung.

“Because looking at it makes me unhappy.”

Seungcheol is more interested in your opinion of his castle. He hovers behind you as you pretend to study it very intently.

“If you take off the hat you can see it better.”

Giggling, you say, “I can see it just fine.”

“It has a moat.”

“I see that.”

“Stop flirting and judge us all fairly!” complains Mingyu.

“Oh, fuck,” says Joshua, pointing over at Jihoon.

“Oh, fuck,” echoes Mingyu. 

It’s pretty obvious who the winner is, judging by the masterpiece that Jihoon’s created. All his careful shaping has paid off: his castle actually looks like a castle, with turrets and carefully etched brickwork. Everyone goes over to admire it, including you.

“What about mine ?” Seungcheol whines, gesturing towards his sandcastle. One side is drooping now, as though it longs to rejoin the ocean.

“It’s a very good sandcastle,” you tell him. “But I mean, look at Jihoon’s.”

It kills him to admit it, but Jihoon’s castle is an engineering marvel. It’s got multiple stories and the bastard even added windows. It deserves to win.

“Fine,” he grouses.

You surprise him by wrapping your arms around his waist. “Don’t be upset. I like yours. It has character.”

“That’s a nice way of saying it sucks,” he replies, trying to keep his voice even.

“It’s also gone ,” announces Mingyu. He’s standing over a soggy pile of sand and holding a dripping bucket. A shit-eating grin is nearly splitting his cheeks.

Seungcheol launches himself out of your hold so he can chase Mingyu down the beach while the younger man cackles the entire way. He corners him in the ocean, when suddenly Mingyu turns on him, tackling him straight into the water. They go down in a mess of limbs.

Seungcheol pops up, soaked from his toes to the tips of his hair. A few feet away, Mingyu hasn’t fared much better, but he’s already scrambling out of the water and Seungcheol’s reach.

“I’m going to kill you!” Seungcheol shouts after him.

A wild laugh is his only response. Mingyu is already halfway back up the beach.

Swearing, Seungcheol drags himself out of the water and back to the house. He needs a change of clothes and something to drink. Preferably something alcoholic.

“Having fun?” asks Joshua as Seungcheol stomps up the stairs. 

He pulls his sopping shirt off, letting it splat against the porch. “I can’t believe he fucking did that,” he grumbles, shaking out his wet hair.

Eunha wolf-whistles from her chair. He’s about to respond when he sees the absolutely stunned expression on your face. Your eyes roam over his bare torso like they’re memorizing every inch, lips parting reflexively. Then you catch his gaze and stammer out an excuse.

“I–uh– wow , Cheol.”

“Like what you see?” he teases, glad his voice sounds stronger than he feels right now.

“Of course she does,” says Eunha. “She’s thirsty AF.”

You splutter out a protest. “I was just admiring! Respectfully!”

“Sure, like Cheol just respectfully admires your ass everywhere you go in your bikini.”

Suddenly, it’s his turn to be on the defensive. “I don’t!”

Joshua leans against the railing, drink in hand. “You kinda do.”

“He definitely does,” says Eunha. “It’s so obvious. When are you guys going to just hook up?”

“Eunha!” Your entire face is flushed but Seungcheol is pretty sure that his matches. A huge part of him wants to just say fuck it and kiss you now in front of everyone. He’s never been shy about going after what he wants, but you’re more than just a want.

He can’t afford to do things wrong with you. 

Eunha sighs. “Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re ‘just friends’ or whatever. I want a snack.”

She heads inside the house and Joshua follows, leaving the two of you in awkward silence.

You focus on a worn part of the porch where the soft blue paint has started to peel from the wood. “I–uh–sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You look good though.”

“So do you,” he says stiffly. “I wasn’t staring in a gross way.” As though there’s a nice way to stare at someone’s ass.

“Yeah, no. I wouldn’t think that. Besides, it’s kind of flattering coming from you.”

“From me?” he prompts.

You start to speak but what comes out is a shriek as a wet beach ball slaps into the wall beside you.

“Sorry!” shouts Mingyu, jogging up to the railing. “Can we have it back?”

“Do you just have a homing missile on me or what?” you snap, chucking the ball down at him. “And if you make one comment about balls being attracted to me or something, I swear to God…”

Mingyu dissolves into giggles, making you laugh as well.

“Come down and play with us,” he coaxes. “I’ll let you fling it at my face.”

“Promise?” You’re already on your way down the stairs, Seungcheol and his naked chest forgotten.

He watches you join the small group batting the beach ball back and forth. After a minute, Jihoon takes your spot on the chair. “You know she likes you, right?”

“Don’t start,” warns Seungcheol, but Jihoon’s never been afraid of him. For someone so short, he gives absolutely zero fucks. Even now, Jihoon just sips at his lemonade without the slightest reaction.

“I’m telling you because I think you’re being dumb. What’s this now? Our third trip? It’s getting old seeing you watching each other when you think the other person isn’t looking. She’s not going to take initiative and I’ve never seen you hesitate like this before. What’s up?”

Jihoon never gives pep talks and never to Seungcheol. It’s a rare opportunity that he probably shouldn’t waste, but all he can think about is hiding the truth as much as possible. So instead he just says, “You guys are all wrong. Minah and I are just good friends.”

Jihoon gives him a tired look. “How long are you guys going to put your lives on hold like this?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my life,” snaps Seungcheol. As soon as he hears his biting tone, he feels immediately guilty, but he refuses to back down.

Jihoon just holds up one hand in surrender. “Suit yourself.” Without another word, he heads back into the house, leaving Seungcheol alone on the porch with his thoughts.

After lunch, everyone goes to walk the sand dunes. Soonyoung, Joshua, and Mingyu tear up the hills in an endless competition over who can reach the top first, leaving large sprays of sand in their wake. Eunha surveys the mess of footprints from under the brim of her ridiculous hat.

“Well, at least they’re having fun.”

“That is the point,” you remind her.

But she’d rather amble with Wonwoo and Jihoon, teasing the latter about his translucent skin blinding boats on the ocean for miles.

Seungcheol hangs back with you. You’re lost in your own little world, pausing to smile at the grasses or oddly-shaped greenery that dots the dunes. He just trails along with you until you finally realize he’s there.

“Oh, everyone got really far ahead, didn’t they?”

“You were a little distracted,” he says kindly.

“And you stayed with me? Thanks, Cheol.”

The praise warms him up more than the sun. “What’s so fascinating?”

You launch into an excited description of the area.

“This one is sea fig,” you say, pointing to a squat plant with thick groupings of green finger-like stalks and rather unimpressive purple flowers. “It’s an invasive species but it thrives here. And this one is sand verbena. And this one…”

You point to each plant, listing off the name and general history for him. It’s a little silly and cute, but he hopes you don’t expect him to actually retain this information.

“Since when did you become a botanist?” he asks when you take a breath.

“I used to come to this beach when I was a kid,” you explain, looking wistfully out at the water. “We used to stay at a little cottage on the other side. Nothing as nice as where we are now, but I loved it. Anyway, my parents used to take me out on the dunes and explain all the plants to me, so I guess I feel like I have to pass on all that knowledge to you.”

It strikes him rather hard that you’re allowing him into this precious memory of yours, pulling him into your circle. This place is special for you and you want to make it special for him, too. Suddenly, the dunes and all their foliage seem interesting.

“Tell me about the plants again.”

You brighten and immediately start your lecture over. This time he listens, nodding and trying to tuck away as much information as possible. Even the second time around though, it’s hard to focus when all he sees is the way your lips curve up in the corners, the slope of your nose, the brightness in your eyes.

He wants to kiss you so badly. The others are far enough ahead that no one would even notice.

“I’m boring you,” you say with a smile.

“No. Not at all.”

Slipping your arm through his, you ask, “What do you want for dinner tonight?” 

“We just ate.”

“That was like a whole hour ago. Besides, it takes a long time to cook for eight people.”

“So don’t. Make it someone else’s problem.”

“That’s not very team oriented,” you point out.

“You could stand to be a little less team oriented,” he says. “You made breakfast for Eunha, for me, you took care of Soonyoung…you’ve done enough.”

Grinning impishly at him, you ask, “Does that mean you’ll take my spot in the kitchen tonight?”

He walked right into that. “Fine. Don’t expect to actually eat dinner tonight then.”

“You can always order pizza. That counts.”

“We can eat it on the beach for the full experience.”

“Like a picnic!”

“I was being sarcastic. We’ll end up eating sand if we do that.”

But you just smile. “It’s part of the beach experience.”

You really love it out here. He’s never seen someone so excited about all aspects of being at the beach, including the annoying ones. That’s one of the reasons he likes you so much. He remembers to laugh when he’s with you.

Jihoon wanders back first. “You guys are still back here?”

“Just enjoying the scenery.”

“I’ll bet,” he says, giving Seungcheol a look.

He knows he should say something. Jihoon is right, after all. But after being quiet for so long, it’s hard to find the words, so he just follows the two of you back down the dunes

Dinner ends up being pizza. And fried chicken and jokbal and a whole other mess of food. Everyone picks an item and orders it, turning the beach house into delivery central. Confused drivers pass each other as they drop off a wild combination of meals. When the deliveries are over, there’s an insane feast on the table.

Seungcheol has chosen Korean food but Soonyoung shamelessly takes two different slices of pizza at the same time, folding them over each other and shoving both into his mouth. It’s disgusting and kind of genius at the same time.

Another mound of lettuce appears and gets promptly eaten, filled with braised meat or spicy side dishes or even crispy seasoned chicken. The group eats like they’ll never eat again.

You and Mingyu crack open two of the watermelons, scooping out the insides and filling them with Sprite and milk. The chunked fruit goes back into the sweet, fizzy liquid and each half gets placed along the table.

Jihoon groans, a spoon tucked into his fist. “I forgot how good hwachae is.”

“Especially at the beach,” agrees Wonwoo.

Joshua, who is polishing off the last piece of fried chicken, says, “I’m going to die of happiness before this trip is over.”

He leans back and rubs his belly for emphasis.

After dinner, Seungcheol and Soonyoung clean up, which involves Seungcheol getting inadvertently splashed with soapy water multiple times. While he curses his cleaning mate, the rest of you pull games out of the cabinet, taking them to the living room.

Eunha only has eyes for the karaoke machine, but the rest of you find board games that still have enough pieces to play. Seungcheol quickly finds himself on your team for a drawing game he’s never played before. Players must draw the image on a card to get their team to guess it.

He’s never been strong at drawing, but you guess his pictures without hesitation.

“Koala!” you shout at an uneven drawing of blobs.

“Yes!”

“What?” asks Joshua, grabbing the notepad. “In what world is this a koala ?”

“More importantly,” says Jihoon, “how’d she even guess that?”

“Seungcheol and I are mentally connected,” you assert.

“You guys are cheaters.”

To soothe their suspicious minds, you check your card in secret before handing it over to Joshua when it’s your turn. Except Seungcheol gets it right away.

Wonwoo scowls at the two of you. “How is that a bird cage?”

“They’re meant for each other,” says Mingyu. He’s got that affectionate look again, like he did the other night when he was drunk.

“Yeah, they’re both terrible at art.”

You and Seungcheol win the game, despite everyone else doing their best to find fault. For the next game, you’re on opposing teams. For the game after that, you’re paired up again and again, you win.

Finally, Wonwoo tosses down his notepad. “I can’t look at any more bad drawings.”

“Want to lose to me in Super Smash Bros?” you offer and he smirks.

“When have you ever beaten me at that game?”

The Switch comes out and Seungcheol’s interest wanes. He likes video games on a good day but he feels restless tonight.

“I’m going to sleep,” he says. 

This gets him a chorus of “boos” that follow him up the stairs. After prepping to sleep, he slides under the covers, alone minus the long line of pillows bisecting the bed. There’s nothing to do upstairs so he surfs his phone, poking around on social media, because why not make himself miserable before bed?

A post catches his eye immediately. Jungah’s dating again. Her profile photo is her with another man, a man who looks nothing like Seungcheol. They’re wrapped up in each other’s arms and they look happy.

Everyone online looks happy.

Still, Seungcheol swallows back a sigh. Downstairs, several voices are shouting, including yours. He can hear you dissolve into giggles.

Before he can make himself too sick with wanting, he turns out the light.

Minah (Day 4)

You wake up from a late night of gaming with Wonwoo to find that the house is empty. Well, nearly empty. Eunha is nursing a glass of water mixed with electrolytes and a massive headache.

“Where is everyone?” you ask.

“Gym.”

When you look confused, she adds, “Jihoon felt bad after making his boyfriend throw up yesterday so he found a local gym that does day passes.”

“How is that supposed to make Soonyoung any less likely to throw up?” you wonder.  He was pretty drunk last night, too.

Eunha just snorts.  “Oh, it’s not, but at least it won’t be Jihoon’s fault this time.” Splaying her fingers out to cover her yawn, she announces, “I’m going back to bed.”

You wave her off, then sit at the dining table. Alone. The house is eerily quiet after so many days of being filled with bodies and noise. There are a few dishes leftover from last night so you wash those.

Afterwards, you text Seungcheol to find out when everyone is coming back. You don’t really want to eat without at least one other person. But Seungcheol, who always responds, isn’t responding.

What are you supposed to do with yourself?

After some deliberation you decide to walk the beach. Eunha’s keys are near the door, so you snap off the house key and lock the door behind you. The plan is to stay close to keep an eye on the house and also to see when the guys get back.

The sand is cool between your toes. Taking a deep, healing breath of salty air, you close your eyes and smile. It’s been so nice being back here again. Summers with your family always involved the beach. After the kids became adults and everyone moved away, these trips became sparser. 

It might not be the same coming here with friends, but you’re happy to have the chance to recreate them nonetheless. Also, it’s wonderful to see Seungcheol. When the trip is over and you have to say goodbye…

You don’t want to think about that yet.

You’re so caught up in your thoughts that you miss the stranger approaching you until he’s within shouting distance.

“Hey!”

Thinking it’s just a friendly person out for a morning beach walk as well, you smile and wave back. “Good morning!”

“Nice out, huh?” he asks as he approaches you. There’s an intense smell of weed and alcohol emanating from his clothes; someone had, or might still be having, a party.

“Yep. Nothing like a brisk morning beach walk.”

You prepare to turn back towards the house, but the man starts to follow. “You live around here?”

“Nope.”

“Staying at the house?”

“Yep. With a lot of friends.” You try to keep your answers short, hoping he’ll get the hint. Your fingers clench around your phone.

But he keeps following. He’s so close now that you feel almost suffocated by the smell. 

“They let a girl like you out here alone?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He gives you a grin that’s all teeth. “It means you’re pretty.”

You’re not entirely sure what to do. The last thing you want is to lead him to the house where Eunha’s asleep, but getting close to the road is your best bet. Or maybe kicking him in the balls, running, and then locking the door as fast as possible. But you’re barefoot and running on sand is not your strength.

“Please stop following me.”

The guy laughs in a way that makes your skin crawl. “Come on, we’re friends now, right?”

“No. I don’t even know you.”

“That’s how it works on the beach. You meet someone, you’re naturally friends. I consider you my friend now.”

“We’re not friends,” you insist. “You’re making me uncomfortable. Leave me alone before I call someone.”

He just smirks. “Who? The police? It’s a public beach and I’m just walking.”

He’s not wrong about that, but it’s not the police you’re thinking of anyway. Seungcheol pops into your mind. He’d smash this guy’s face in if he knew what was going on–or at least threaten to. You start to raise your phone to dial, but the man grabs your wrist.

Fear jumps into your throat but you do your best to stay calm. You’ll kick, scream, scratch his fucking eyes out if you have to. “Let go of me. Now.”

“Or what?”

“Take your fucking hands off her.”

Seungcheol’s furious voice rings out across the beach. You look back to see him and the rest of your friends marching towards you like a giant angry wave. Taking advantage of the distraction, you yank your wrist out of the guy’s grasp and step back.

His face pales. “I–they–misunderstanding.”

Seungcheol stops beside you, one arm curling around you protectively. His shirt is damp from his workout but you still inch closer to him.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t punch your face in,” he says.

The creep has gotten a bit of bravado back because he raises himself up and says, “Hey, man, it’s a public beach.”

“Yeah, but she’s not part of it. And I saw you harassing her. I’m pretty sure we all did.”

Behind you, the guys murmur their agreement.

“You wanna mess with us?” asks Soonyoung, jumping forward with his arms wide. “Huh? You want to try us? I was just starting to get bored.”

The creep takes a step back. “Man, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you ? Don’t like it when someone is in your personal space? Huh?”

Jihoon sighs. “I’m hungry. Kick him in the face already and let’s go have breakfast.”

“Yes!” shouts Soonyoung. “That’s permission! Okay, don’t move too much, I haven’t done one of these in a while and I want to make sure I get it right.”

“Don’t you have a black belt?” calls Wonwoo.

“Yeah, but it’s been a while! Don’t judge me! Okay, stay right there and–oh. He’s gone.”

Finally understanding his odds, or overwhelmed by Soonyoung’s violent enthusiasm, the creep turns and hurries down the beach.

Joshua touches your elbow. “Eunha–”

“Asleep inside the house,” you assure him. “I made sure everything was locked up.”

Relief darts across his face as he hurries towards the house.

Seungcheol remains in place, stiff and furious as his eyes trace the guy’s escape until he goes up onto the road and disappears.

“You okay?” he asks, his arm still around you.

“I’m fine,” you assure him. “I could have handled him.”

“I know,” Seungcheol says simply. “But you shouldn’t have to.”

Soonyoung is still fired up. “I should chase after him and drop kick his ass!” He does a spinning kick that sends sand flying into the air. “Hey, that wasn’t bad!”

You lean closer to Seungcheol to avoid the spray. “Guys, I’m fine. Thanks for showing up like an angry mafia though.”

“We had good timing,” says Jihoon. His voice is calm but his eyes search you. When you nod, assuring him silently that you’re okay, he nods back. “I’m hungry. Mingyu, what’s for breakfast?”

“Why is it always my responsibility?”

The two bicker on the way back to the house. You nudge Seungcheol, who’s still glaring at the road. “Hey. Let’s go inside.”

“Yeah.”

Eunha is beyond distressed when you get inside. Her eye mask is still around her neck, Joshua hovering by her elbow as she panics. “I specifically booked this place so we’d be safe and comfortable!”

“You have no control over what idiots want to wander around a beach,” you point out. 

“Also, you left me here alone?”

“I made sure all the doors and windows were locked and I stayed in view of the house the entire time,” you soothe her. “I wouldn’t have just left you here.”

She’s only partially mollified by this. “Don’t do that again. Buddy system only.”

You’re about to say that you don’t think anyone is going to come back to this side of the beach knowing that there are six furious men (and a very furious Eunha) waiting to pummel them into the sand. However, Seungcheol only nods at this.

“Buddy system only,” he agrees.

Soonyoung immediately loops his arm through Jihoon’s. “Got my buddy! Hey! Ow!” He whines as Jihoon twists his arm up and back. 

“Who said you could touch me?”

“Ooh, are we playing this early?”

“Guys,” says Joshua, “take it to your room.”

“No,” says Jihoon, immediately releasing Soonyoung, who turns and grins at his boyfriend.

“We could .”

A collective groan fills the room, Jihoon’s included.

Mingyu pushes himself off the couch. “Breakfast.”

“I’ll help,” you say.

Seungcheol peels himself away from the wall to follow you. When you look back at him curiously, he just says, “Buddy system.”

You have a feeling that’s going to become a problem.

Other than some families, this part of the beach stays fairly quiet for the rest of the day. Still, without anyone saying anything, you all tacitly agree to stay inside. The morning’s encounter has soured the mood. You’re still a little uneasy and you find yourself noting where everyone is as you move from room-to-room.

Seungcheol refuses to let you out of his sight. Even when you try to go to the bathroom, he’s already halfway out of his chair until he realizes you don’t need his help or protection for that. The others tease him mercilessly about it but he ignores them. It’s a weird feeling knowing that he’s focused entirely on your safety, like a stubborn bulldog.

What you don’t want anyone else to know is how much you like it. The relief you felt when he appeared on the beach is something only Eunha can understand. You don’t need a man to come save you but knowing that Cheol is looking out for you makes your heart relax.

So you say nothing when the others joke about your “terrifying shadow”. 

It becomes a little less relaxing when you leave the upstairs bathroom and find Seungcheol leaning against the wall.

“Cheol!” Pressing your hand against your chest, you say, “You scared the shit out of me. Why are you just waiting in the hallway?”

“Buddy system.”

“That’s for outside! Not inside the house when I’m trying to pee!”

He doesn’t respond and you sigh out the rest of your nerves. It’s not like you can be truly angry with him for caring about your safety, but this is a little excessive. The encounter this morning made your skin crawl for a bit, but you’re already moving on.

Seungcheol seems more shaken up than you though. The crease between his brows remains deep as he glowers at the windows, the floor, everything. You press your finger to it, trying to soften his expression.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re getting wrinkles,” you point out. “I can’t be responsible for that.”

“What are you–”

“Don’t you see? I’ll be despised . Men and women everywhere will chase me on sight saying ‘you did this! You destroyed a masterpiece!’ Children will cry and dogs will bark and cats will hiss at me. I’ll be a pariah!”

Seungcheol doesn’t smile, but he huffs and you feel the tension under your finger ease. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah.”

“Also, you think my face is a masterpiece?”

“It should be in the Louvre,” you confirm.

This earns you a shake of his head and the lightest of smiles. “You’re nuts. Besides, I’ll be just as hot even when I have wrinkles.”

“That’s true. Now do you want to check under all the pillows to make sure no one is hiding upstairs so next time I want to use the bathroom I can do so in peace?”

“I gave you privacy.”

“You gave me a heart attack,” you insist.

There’s something in his expression that catches you. Yes, he’s frowny and agitated, but there’s more underneath. He’s afraid for you still. The others might tease him for his alpha male posturing but the way he watches you, like he’s scared you might disappear when he blinks, reveals just how truly worried he is.

“You don’t have to guard me all day,” you say softly. “I’m really okay.”

“I’m not,” is his gruff response. “It makes me feel better to stay close to you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

You nod. “If it makes you feel better.”

“Good.”

You take his hand and hold it while you go back downstairs. The way it tightens around yours makes your heart race.

Soonyoung and Eunha try to start up the karaoke machine, but no one is feeling it. Mingyu suggests a game that only lasts ten minutes before everyone gives up. There’s a wide expanse of beach right outside the door but no one wants to be the one to venture out first.

Surprisingly, it’s Jihoon who’s had enough of the awkward mood. Turning to you, he asks, “Didn’t you say there was an ice cream shop somewhere downtown?”

“Yes! The Lee’s shop. It’s been there since I was a kid, shall we go?”

“I’m going with you,” says Seungcheol immediately.

“We’ll all go,” says Wonwoo.

Joshua has his phone out. “If we’re going downtown, we may as well reserve a spot for dinner. I’m tired of cooking.”

You split up between two cars: Eunha, Joshua, Jihoon, and Soonyoung take one, while the rest of you pile into Wonwoo’s.

“I’ll drive,” says Mingyu. “Hyung’s too grouchy to be behind a wheel today.”

For once, Seungcheol doesn’t argue. He just climbs into the backseat beside you. With the way Eunha’s car jerks out of the driveway, you’re positive she’s driving. Also, you think you hear Jihoon’s concerned yelp through the open window.

“How has she survived this long?” asks Mingyu as he follows her car from a safe distance.

Wonwoo replies lightly, “I think the more important question is how has Joshua survived this long?”

Everyone makes it downtown in one piece, though Jihoon pulls you aside the moment you step out to inform you that you’re switching cars for the drive back. Eunha very proudly points out her parking, which is actually pretty close to good for her, and everyone heaps praise on her.

“Maybe I should hold onto the keys,” suggests Joshua. “So you can enjoy the view on the way back.”

She cheerfully passes them over and Soonyoung sighs in relief.

“Get ready for the best ice cream of your life,” you tell them, pulling open the door to the shop.

The smell of freshly baked waffle cones hits you immediately, the shop filled with their sugary scent. It’s exactly like you remember it, with the bright white walls and their single long pink stripe. Despite your hope of seeing the elderly couple you remember from your childhood, instead you see a man that looks way too familiar.

“Chan!”

The joy that warms his face is too gradual to be fake. You see recognition light up his eyes and he calls out, “Noona!”

Eunha stares at you. “Wait, Noona ? You know him?”

“I’ve known Chan for years,” you explain. “I used to babysit him in high school. Are your grandparents still running the shop?”

“My parents are,” he says brightly. “They moved down here to take over and I come help out when I have free time.”

“Wow, you’re still such a responsible kid. Sorry! You’re not a kid anymore–obviously.” You motion to his well-muscled physique under the neat ice cream shop uniform.

Chan just laughs at your embarrassment. “It’s fine, Noona. The last time you saw me I was a kid.”

All the guys have piled in behind you and are taking their time studying the menu board. Seungcheol is hovering near your elbow again like you’re going to be abducted right in front of him. Chan eyes the massive group.

“Uh, Noona, are they all with you?”

“Yeah, sorry. We’re having our annual vacation here. Are there too many of us?”

“Not at all, it’ll just be a little slow.” Leaning back, he yells towards the curtain, “Hansol! Code red!”

Another young man with beautiful, gentle features and a sleepy expression wanders out. His eyes widen slightly when he sees the large group, but he gamely goes over to the counter to start handing out samples.

“I want to hear more about the babysitting,” says Eunha. “Was Minah super responsible?”

Grinning, Chan says, “She was mostly responsible. She also brought over lots of snacks in her backpack and we’d eat them and watch movies instead of doing homework. I think she spent her babysitting income on snacks for us.”

Eunha nods. “Minah’s impulse control issues, I’m familiar with them.”

“You were a great kid, you deserved them,” you protest. “I had a lot of fun with you.”

“Maybe if you have time while you’re here on vacation, we can catch up,” suggests Chan. “I can show you all the stuff that’s changed.”

Before you can respond, Seungcheol slaps his hand down on the counter. “Minah, what are you getting?”

“Oh, uh…” You skim the menu board frantically.

“Ice cream sundae?” offers Chan. “Is hot fudge still your favorite?”

“That depends, is it still–”

“Grandma’s recipe,” he finishes.

“Yes!”

Chan gives you that sweet smile you remember so well. “I’ve got you.”

It takes a long time to prepare ice cream for everyone, even though Seungcheol stubbornly refuses to order anything and Jihoon just has a single scoop in a cup. Soonyoung more than makes up for his boyfriend though by ordering the largest, most extravagant banana split possible. You feel terrible for Chan and Hansol, but they hand out each order with a smile.

They must be used to it, you remind yourself. Working in a beach town isn’t easy.

Chan passes over your sundae last, filled to the brim with hot fudge and a tower of whipped cream.

“Extra cherries for you, Noona. Just how you like it.”

“You remembered!”

“How could I forget anything about you? You’re still one of my favorite people.”

It’s such a cute response that it makes you giggle.

“What’s the total?” asks Seungcheol.

“Oh, wait–”

But he slaps his card down on the reader before you can do anything. “Cheol!”

“You bought groceries. This is only fair,” he explains.

The rest of the group has already filed out of the shop to eat their desserts outside. The sudden silence is startling.

“Are you here much longer?” asks Chan.

“Just a few more days.”

“Come see me again before you go,” he tells you and you nod.

“Of course I will.”

Seungcheol catches your elbow, almost upsetting your sundae. “Come on. The others are outside.”

You stagger out after him, trying to keep the cherries from tumbling off. Once outside, you turn on him. “Could you be any ruder? You act like you’re trying to protect me from being kidnapped.”

“I didn’t like how he was looking at you.”

“Chan is literally the least dangerous person ever.”

“He was being too familiar.”

“Because he knows me! What is your problem?”

You almost can’t hear him through his grumble. “He was flirting with you.”

The laughter that escapes you is so loud that it startles both of you.

“Cheol, he’s a baby.”

“He’s a grown man.” Seungcheol glares back into the parlor where Chan is still watching you. Realizing this, Seungcheol plucks several cherries off your sundae and eats them.

“Cheol!” You punch him in the side with your free hand. “Those were mine .”

“I’m making a point.”

“Is the point that you’re obnoxious?”

You grab the last cherry and shove it into your mouth before Seungcheol can take out more of his petulance on your dessert. Normally you’d save the cherry for last, but desperate times…

Seungcheol watches you eat your sundae with poorly disguised interest. After a few bites you sigh, holding out the spoon. “Do you want some?”

“No. Just a bite.”

You feed him a spoonful of soft ice cream with hot fudge, seeing his eyes light up. 

“That’s good.”

“I told you. Want me to get you one?”

“Can I just have another bite of yours? I shouldn’t eat too much.”

A second bite turns into a third and suddenly your sundae is gone, despite Seungcheol’s comments about not wanting the calories.

“Did you do that on purpose?” you demand. “Just like the cherries?”

“No one else got extra cherries!” calls Eunha.

Seungcheol nods. “See my point?”

“You’re right, he’s not a baby. You are.”

“Where are you going?”

“To get myself another ice cream since you ate this one!”

Chan doesn’t look surprised to see you back. He probably saw the entire saga from the large window. That makes Seungcheol’s behavior even more embarrassing.

“Can I get a strawberry cone? Someone ate my sundae.”

As he scoops two very large rounds of ice cream, Chan remarks, “Noona, your boyfriend is scary.”

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend.”

Frowning, Chan asks. “Are you sure?”

Taking the massive, teetering cone from him, you say, “Of course I’m sure! I think I’d know if I was dating someone.”

“Hmm.”

“Besides, he’s mostly bark.”

“ Hmm .”

It takes some maneuvering to pull your card, but you manage to pay for your ice cream while trying to stop it from dripping down your fingers. “Thanks for letting us come in here like a clown car full of, well, clowns. Apologize to your employee for me, please.”

“Enjoy your vacation, Noona.”

“Oh, wait–” Scrabbling in your purse, you pull out $40 and stuff it into the tip jar. “I’m guessing Cheol was stingy.”

But Chan just takes the money out and passes it back to you. “He definitely wasn’t. He’s protective of you, but he didn’t skimp on the tip. Seems like a pretty good guy, Noona. Terrifying! But good.”

You hover for a moment longer, the bills crinkled in your hand. Chan smiles. “Consider it thanks for all the snacks.”

Everyone is waiting when you get back outside. You stare back at their expectant faces, making sure to keep your cone far away from Seungcheol.

“So,” says Eunha.

“So?”

“Did baby Chan give you his number?”

“No? Was he supposed to?”

“Hyung scared him too badly,” observes Mingyu, crunching down on the last of his cone.

“I think we all did,” adds Jihoon. “The fact that he even tried flirting at all is pretty impressive.”

“You guys are so wrong,” you say while working at the side of your cone. “Chan wasn’t flirting with me.”

Several faces turn towards each other before turning back to you. “Yes, he was,” they chorus.

“But…”

Eunha pats your back. “Come on, Minnie. It’s a tale as old as time. Kid all grown up runs into his hot babysitter…”

“Oh my god.”

“I think she sees it now. Also, that’s the biggest two-scoop cone I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Okay, so you’re an idiot. “Well, he called Cheol ‘terrifying’ so that explains why he didn’t offer his number.”

Mingyu slaps his thigh. “Called it!”

Seungcheol looks the happiest you’ve seen him all day. “Really?”

“I want more ice cream,” murmurs Soonyoung, staring longingly at yours.

“Absolutely not,” says Eunha. “You’ll throw up in my car.”

“That’s not the ice cream’s fault.”

“What did you say?”

Wonwoo comes up beside you while they bicker. “You should put Seungcheol out of his misery.”

The sudden comment almost makes you drop your cone. “What?”

But he doesn’t offer anything else, just ambles away to follow Mingyu up the wooden walk towards the tourist shops. You don’t know what to do with that, just like you don’t know what to do with Chan’s comment, either.

It’s been years. If Seungcheol actually had feelings for you, he would have said something. He’s always been direct with people. 

So this closeness, this softness, it has to be something else.

Seungcheol comes up with a napkin, catching a bit of ice cream before it can drip onto your fingers. “Hey. You’re staring at nothing.”

“Oh, thanks. I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I think I’m done.” You pass the rest of your cone over to Soonyoung, who takes it happily. Jihoon just shakes his head.

You let them wander up the path with everyone else, hanging back. “Hey, Cheol? Do you ever think of dating again?”

His brows furrow as he studies your forced casual expression. Inside, you can feel your heart pounding.

“The right person, sure. Why do you ask?”

Say it. Just say it. Tell him you like him–no, you’re pretty sure you’re in love with him at this point. Tell him you lay there at night thinking about the shape of his lips and how they’d feel against yours. Tell him you tried to get yourself off in the shower this morning while thinking about his fingers inside you. Tell him he doesn’t have to be jealous because you can only think of him.

“Just curious. We should hurry up, everyone’s way ahead.”

“Minah.”

Forcing your voice brighter, you say, “Hurry up! Before Eunha buys another hat.”

“ Ugh .”

Eunha does buy another hat, but a far smaller one that is much less offensive. Mingyu and Soonyoung buy bucket hats with a stylized wave on them and force their partners to take photos of them on the pier.

By the time you make it to the restaurant, you’re almost late. The waiter from your girl’s lunch is standing near the host stand. He immediately leans his elbow on the stand, bordering on infringing on Eunha’s personal space.

“If it isn’t my two favorite ladies from the other day.” His voice trails off when the guys pile into the lobby after you.

“And their boyfriends,” Joshua says cheerfully. “We have a reservation for eight.”

“I’ll see about that table, sir, just a moment…” The waiter speeds away and Joshua smiles after him. So does Eunha.

“I like the implication that Minah and I are just in this massive poly relationship with everyone.”

“Reverse harem,” you add.

“Yes, that!”

Mingyu sticks his head between the two of you. “Okay, but if you had to pick…”

Without hesitation, Eunha says, “Wonwoo.”

“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or not,” says Wonwoo.

“I’m wealthy.”

“Excellent, I’m yours.”

“Hey!” Mingyu pouts at his boyfriend, but Wonwoo just shrugs.

“Sorry, love. I have expensive taste.”

They’re too busy arguing when the waiter returns, so you don’t get a chance to give your pick. As you’re walking to the table though, Seungcheol whispers from beside you, “You’d pick me, right?”

“Of course,” you assure him. Then, after a second, “Or Jihoon. If you weren’t an option.”

“I can live with that. But only if I wasn’t an option.”

Jihoon, who is walking behind the two of you, just snorts. You end up seated between him and Seungcheol, which is a nice place to be. It’s much calmer than across from you, where Eunha, Mingyu, and Soonyoung are all arguing over appetizers.

Sipping his water, Jihoon remarks, “Why is it that I get home from these vacations feeling more exhausted than before?”

“What, the free babysitting doesn’t help?” asks Wonwoo from his left side.

You giggle before opening your own menu. Immediately your eyes zero in on what you usually order, what you know you like. Except there’s a special that also sounds interesting. You’re still agonizing when the waiter comes up and in a panic, you request the special.

“You’re ordering something different ?” teases Mingyu. “Did you hit your head?”

“I try new things sometimes!”

“You never like them when you do.”

“I’m sure I’ll like what I ordered.”

Except you don’t. The moment the plate goes down in front of you, you wish you had your regular order. Aware that Mingyu is watching, you twirl a mound of pasta against your spoon and take a bite.

“Mmm.”

“Terrible?” he asks.

“Not terrible,” you mumble through a full mouth.

You go to put your fork back on your plate, but it’s not there. Seungcheol has deftly switched with you. Your favorite dish is now in front of you.

“Cheol!”

“Just eat it,” he says, eating from your old plate. 

“I’m not going to just take your food!”

“I’d rather have this anyway.”

He’s lying, but you don’t know how to press the issue without making a huge fuss in front of everyone. Reluctantly, you take a bite from the new plate. It’s delicious.

“You spoil her,” says Mingyu.

Eunha punches his shoulder. “As he should! He ate her ice cream!”

Everyone at the table nods in agreement. Seungcheol doesn’t respond; he just polishes off the entirety of your old meal. You enjoy every bite of yours, though you still feel guilty.

Soonyoung is arguing with Eunha over the game choices for tonight.

“Twister, but as a drinking game,” he suggests.

“No.”

“Naked Twister!”

“ No! ”

“How about no Twister at all?” says Joshua. “The last time we played that I almost threw out my back.”

“That’s because you’re old,” says Soonyoung. Eunha hits him in the face with a fabric napkin.

Wonwoo is busy texting you. Mario Kart in the game room?

You: Hell yes

Wonwoo: Loser does a snack run

You: I like flamin’ hot cheetos

Wonwoo: Why do I need to know that? I’m not going to lose 🙂

You: Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch

Leaning in close, Seungcheol asks, “Can I play, too?”

“Yes, but the same terms and conditions apply.”

“I think I can handle it.”

Seungcheol is still pouting three hours later. You dump a chocolate cake slice and two bags of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into the basket on his arm.

“Two bags? Why do you need two bags?”

“One is Limón. Don’t be stingy.”

“I still can’t believe I lost,” he grumbles.

Badly, but you decide to leave that out. Turns out Seungcheol can get louder than Soonyoung when he’s losing. You pat his back affectionately. “Big baby. Don’t forget the Oreos.”

He adds the shiny blue package into the basket. “When we get back, I’m doing Soonyoung’s drinking game instead.”

“Twister?”

“ Not that one.”

The line for the register is long. You lock arms with Seungcheol and rock back on your heels as you wait. 

“Thanks for coming with me,” he says. “Even though you didn’t lose.”

“I didn’t win either, so it seems fair. Besides, I like spending time with you.”

“When we go home…I mean, after the trip…” He glances over at you. “Don’t go so long without texting me. Please?”

“I won’t. I’ll text you every morning. I’ll be your wake up call. You’ll be so sick of me you’ll wish you never asked.”

“Okay, I didn’t say malicious compliance.”

“You get what you get.”

Seungcheol pays for the snacks and you go back to the car. You roll your window all the way down and rest your arm on the frame, enjoying the cool night air against your face. Even the silence between the two of you is comfortable. It’s a precious moment, the calm before heading back to the loud and hectic storm that is your group of friends.

What if we didn’t go back? The thought strikes you suddenly, surprising you with its intensity. What if we just kept driving somewhere else?

You love your friends, you absolutely do. But you love Seungcheol, too, and you want this moment to stay with you, like a bird cupped in your palm. You know the moment you get back to that house it’s going to fly away.

All you have to do is ask. Something tells you he’ll say yes.

“Che–”

“We’re here,” he announces. 

You stare out the front windshield and realize that he’s right. While you were lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice how close you had already gotten. The house is brightly lit against the dark ocean; the figures of your friends move through the open windows, laughing.

Seungcheol leans back into the car, the bags of snacks gathered in one hand. “Are you coming or are you going to sleep in here?”

“I’m coming,” you say, opening your door.

The bird disappears into the night.

Seungcheol (Day 5)

Seungcheol really needs to drink less, he thinks. He’s had too many bleary-eyed mornings in a row, and maybe they're on vacation but he also needs to function.  The hangover helps him keep his mind off of you, though. 

You're already downstairs again, probably making breakfast or meditating in the salt air or some other cheerful and positive thing that's too ambitious for him first thing in the morning. That's another reason you'd never work out: you're an early riser.  It's awful. 

He's trying to convince himself to at least go get some water when the door opens. He's prepared for you, but Joshua comes in instead, looking meticulously dressed and groomed.  He’s got on a collared shirt and pressed pants.  His hair looks perfect.

“What's with the fancy look?” asks Seungcheol. 

“Get ready, we’re leaving for the aquarium in an hour.”

“You got dressed for a wedding rehearsal just to go to an aquarium?”

“Get ready,” presses Joshua.

Seungcheol yawns.  “Dude, I’m hungover.  Go without me.”

“Absolutely not.  This is a non-negotiable bonding event.”

“What?  What does that even mean?”

Joshua looks him right in the eyes with an almost murderous smile.  “It means, you’re coming to the aquarium in an hour .”

It’s a little unnerving, but Seungcheol can’t help but make one final remark.  “Should I break out the suit and tie as well?”

But Joshua doesn’t seem to be listening.  He just turns and hurries back downstairs, probably to chase down some other unfortunate soul.  Groaning, Seungcheol rolls himself onto his feet.  Joshua is being ridiculous and it probably involves Eunha.  If he really put up a fuss, Seungcheol could probably beg off, but it doesn’t seem worth it.  Besides, it sounds like everyone else is getting dragged along, too.

You’re at the foot of the stairs eating cubes of watermelon and looking absolutely thrilled about it.  He’s never seen someone enjoy fruit as much as you do.  When you see him, your expression brightens even more.

“You’re up!”

“Against my will.  Did you run into Joshua this morning?” he asks.

“Yeah, he was being kind of weird.”

“Aquarium?”

You nod.  “He was dressed up kind of fancy.  Eunha said he got up early and spent so long getting ready that she’s been stressing out about what to wear now.”

“So she doesn’t know why he’s being weird, either?”

Shrugging, you shove the last of the watermelon into your mouth.  “Could be fun!” you proclaim through a mouthful of fruit.

Seungcheol groans.  “Yeah, for you.  You’re a morning person and you’re not hungover.”

You place a bottle of water into his hand and go upstairs to get ready.

Everyone makes it to the cars in time, though Jihoon is as crabby as a newborn baby about it, having only gone to sleep three hours earlier.  His counterpart looks thrilled to be alive, as always.

When they’re both out of earshot, Mingyu murmurs, “They had a very eventful night.”

Before Seungcheol can respond, Wonwoo comes up behind his partner and says calmly, “So did you.”

Mingyu’s tanned cheeks give nothing away, but he ducks his head and mumbles something, hurrying towards the car.  You just giggle and give Wonwoo a high five.

“And this is why Eunha put them all downstairs,” you laugh.  “She said if she had to spend another trip hearing their kinks she would suffocate them all.”

At least they’re getting some , thinks Seungcheol, as he climbs into the driver’s seat.  He hasn’t slept with anyone since Jungah, and besides his frantic shower jerk-off sessions this week, he’s struggling.   

You get in beside him and his car is filled with your scent immediately.  He reminds himself to stay focused as each of their cars pull onto the main road headed towards downtown.  The road to and from the beach house is long and scenic, with huge, sloping dunes that are spotted with sturdy green plants with tiny flowers.  Sea fig and sand verbena, he remembers from your lecture the other day.

You’re gazing out the window with the enthusiasm of a kid on a road trip.  “This is nice.  It’s been a long time since you’ve driven me somewhere.”

“We went to the store last night.”

“That was like a mile down the road. That doesn’t count.”

“Wanna ditch?” he offers. “We can go wherever you want.”

Laughing, you say, “I think Joshua would kill us.”

You don’t know that he’s serious.  That he would drive anywhere you ask in a heartbeat.  The longer this trip goes on, the more he wonders if he can handle suffering like this.  Maybe he should just take the risk and tell you how he feels.  And if you reject him, he’ll go get a room at that hotel.  Or just go home, because God knows he can’t spend another two days with you while knowing for sure that there’s no hope.

The road passes in a blur.  He’s faintly aware that you’re chatting away in the passenger seat, something about the music choices, which you’re controlling with your phone.  He responds, but he doesn’t remember anything he’s said seconds afterwards.  By the time they reach the aquarium, he’s feeling morose.  He needs to make a decision but all of them sound terrible.

Joshua is already waiting out front when they congregate in front of the aquarium.

“I already bought the tickets,” he says in a rush, practically shoving everyone inside.  “Here, hurry up.”  

“Why?  It’s not like the fish are going anywhere.”

Joshua scowls at him.  “The otter show is about to start.”

“Have fun then.”  Seungcheol has no desire to see them, cute as they are.  He wants to go find a shark tank and contemplate bad choices.  But Joshua is giving him the death stare again. 

“You’re going to the otter show.”

Seungcheol is about to ask his friend what the absolute fuck is going on but he has a feeling he’s going to get told “non-negotiable bonding event” so he just follows, feeling vaguely irritated.

You and Eunha are already at the enclosure, peering through the glass and crooning at the animals.  Soonyoung immediately pastes himself beside you, leaving Seungcheol hovering in the back as more people fill in, mostly parents with children.  There are some obvious couples, though, holding hands or resting their heads on each other, and Seungcheol feels sick.  

It’s the hangover , he reminds himself.  His head is pounding.  There’s a cafeteria close by, so he ducks in and buys a fiendishly overpriced bottle of water.  

When he returns, the show is just starting.  Joshua is standing next to Eunha, but he’s looking through the crowd with laser eyes.  Seungcheol holds up the bottle of water in explanation and his friend visibly relaxes.

Jihoon is resting against the wall, gaze in the direction of the enclosure.  He’s got a hat pulled low over his sleepy eyes.  With the sheer amount of people around, he probably can’t see much of anything.

“Want me to put you on my shoulders?” teases Seungcheol.

After checking to make sure all eyes are on the otters, Jihoon flips him off, but not before a tiny grin darts across his mouth.

“Do you know why we’re all here?” asks Seungcheol.

“Maybe.”

“But you’re not going to tell me.”

“Nope.”

Seungcheol chugs his water and tries to listen to the show.  The caretakers are explaining otter behavior and feeding rituals.  Eunha is listening to every word like she’s going to be quizzed on it later.  You’re not listening.  Instead, you’re just watching the otters dive and swim like sleek missiles through the water, waiting for food.

He doesn’t realize he’s moving until he finds himself standing behind you.  There’s a couple to your right that are holding hands and he longs to just reach out and take yours.  It’s just resting at your side.  What would happen if he tried?  Would you let him?

You don’t seem surprised at all to find him suddenly behind you.

“Aren’t they sweet?” you ask quietly.

“Yeah,” he replies.  God, he's in love with you.  And he's tired of pretending otherwise. 

“You’re not even looking.”

His gaze still on you, he says, “Yeah.”

You tilt your head, looking puzzled.  You’re about to speak when your gaze darts past him and you gasp.

Seungcheol turns and suddenly the whole morning makes sense.  Joshua is on one knee in front of Eunha, a tiny box in his hand.  Holy fuck.

The crowd around the otter enclosure slowly begins to shift their focus, couples and friends elbowing each other.  “Look, look!”

But Joshua only has eyes for his girlfriend, who is already crying.  Eunha is quiet for once in her life, minus the small, heaving breaths she’s taking as she tries to keep herself under control.

You, Mingyu, and Jihoon all have your phones out to record.  Soonyoung is whispering “ohmygodohmygod” under his breath and vibrating with excitement.  Seungcheol is considering restraining him, just in case.  He meets Wonwoo’s gaze in a silent agreement to tackle Soonyoung if necessary.

And Joshua, perhaps (foolishly) trusting his friends to have his back, begins to speak.  “On our very first date, you told me that your favorite animal is an otter.”

Eunha nods rapidly and more than a few heads turn towards the otter enclosure, where they’re still playing and slinking in and out of the water, oblivious to what’s happening.

He continues, “You spent a full hour telling me everything you knew about them and I listened to every word. You told me they have the thickest fur of any animal and that they spend five hours a day searching for food.  That mothers wrap their babies in kelp to keep them safe until they can swim.  Am I doing well so far?”

She laughs tearily.  “Doing great.”

Joshua’s expression softens, full of warmth.  “You told me that you love that they hold hands to keep from drifting apart.  Since that first date, I’ve never wanted to be apart from you.  So Eunha, please, will you hold my hand forever?”

“Yes!” she and Soonyoung say in unison.

A few laughs can be heard seconds before the cheering.  And so much cheering: from the group, from the strangers surrounding them, and from the aquarium workers passing by who have stopped to briefly watch.  It’s going to make an excellent video, thinks Seungcheol, feeling both happy and peeved by his friend’s deception.

Joshua and Eunha have barely embraced before Soonyoung breaks containment, hugging both of them so hard that Eunha squeals a protest.

“Yah!  Soonyoung!”  Jihoon grabs his boyfriend by the back of his shirt.

“The ring,” frets Eunha.  “Did the ring–?”

Joshua soothes her immediately.  “I still have it.  Let’s get it on your finger before anything happens.”

Anything, like an overly-excited friend who can’t stop jumping around them.  Seungcheol looks over at you, only to find you standing with a strange expression on your face.  Before he can say anything, Eunha is squeezing past him to get to you and you become enthusiastic, rocking your best friend in a tight hug.

Joshua wanders over, looking proud.  “Still mad at me?”

“Congratulations, you little shit,” says Seungcheol, without heat. “You could have just told me.  ‘Non-negotiable bonding event’ my ass.”

Joshua laughs.  “I made that up on the spot and it worked.  I just knew you had to be here, Cheol.  I don’t think I would have been brave enough without you here being grouchy with me.”

“I can’t believe you told Jihoon and not me.”

“I didn’t tell him anything.”

“It was obvious,” says Jihoon, as though it really was.  Seungcheol wants to argue that it’s only obvious in retrospect, because literally everyone else was surprised.

Eunha makes her way back over to her now-fiance, beaming as strangers stop to offer their congratulations. “Joshie, this is perfect . More than perfect. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

“Ick,” says Jihoon. “Congrats to both of you, we’re in public still.”

They break apart reluctantly.

“Okay, everyone,” says Joshua. “Thank you for putting up with me this morning.  I release you all to go look at whatever you want now.”

“So generous,” says Wonwoo, through a grin.

Soonyoung is already speeding away.

“Manta rays,” says Jihoon, pushing himself off the wall.  “He saw them called ‘sea pancakes’ online and now he’s obsessed.”  But he’s smiling as he watches his boyfriend rushing past children with boundless enthusiasm.

You’re nowhere to be found. Seungcheol does a full turn, but you’ve completely disappeared. He’s about to panic when Wonwoo nudges him.

“Outside.”

Sure enough, you’re outside the main building, leaning over the railing separating the walkway from the ocean. Your back is turned to him and it looks like you’re just staring out at the water.

“Thanks,” he tells Wonwoo, and heads straight for the doors.

The salty air pricks his cheeks the moment he steps outside. It takes him a moment to acclimate. As he approaches you, he realizes your shoulders are trembling.

“Hey.”

You whip your head towards him and he catches a glimpse of your teary smile. “Hi,” you say, voice breaking.

“Oh, baby,” he murmurs, reaching up to rub your shoulder. “Is this why you’re hiding? Because of the proposal?”

“They’re really perfect for each other,” you say, using your fingers to dab at your eyes. He wishes he had something to offer you, even a napkin.

“I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

“I’m not.  I mean, I am.  I am happy, but…”

Oh. He understands now. “Is this why you looked so sad earlier?”

“Oh God, did I?  Do you think Eunha noticed?”

“I don’t think she’d notice if a spaceship crashed in front of her and aliens walked out right now,” he says.

You snort, but your mouth immediately crumples again.  

“Hey,” he says, taking your elbows and turning you towards him.  “Talk to me.”

“Do you ever think that some people aren’t meant for relationships?”

“Are you talking about yourself right now?  Because that is the absolute worst example.”

Sniffling, you ask, “Why?  I don’t exactly have the best track record.”

“That’s not a reflection on you.  There are all sorts of reasons why people are single.  That doesn’t mean you’ll be single forever.”

“Doesn’t it? I’m fine with you but with everyone else…”

“With everyone else you’re a delight?” he finishes. “Come on, you’re being too hard on yourself. You’re absolutely wonderful, Minah. Anyone would be lucky…”

You sigh hard. “I don’t even know how to start to meet people. I’m fine with you all, but I’ve known you for years. It’s different with strangers.”

“There’s always online dating,” he suggests, doesn’t even know why he’s suggesting it when his entire body is screaming “Me! It’s me you want!”

“Yeah,” you say, but you don’t sound convinced.

“Not your thing?”

“I just…” You look wistfully over the water. “I want someone comfortable. I want to just…fit.”

“Like Joshua and Eunha.”

“I want that,” you tell him. “I want what they have.”

“Are you sure? They’re kind of gross.”

A startled laugh bursts from you and you cover your mouth. “Cheol!”

“What? It’s true. ‘Joshie I love you so much’ ‘Oh Eunnie I love you more’ ‘mwahmwahmwah.’ Gross.”

After a moment, your smile fades. “Is it terrible that I kind of want that even? Someone to be gross and ridiculous with. I just…”

Before he can say anything, you bow forward again.

“I’m a terrible friend, aren’t I?” you ask, sobbing into your hands.  “I should be happy for them.”

“Hey, hey. No. You’re not terrible. Come here.” Reaching over, he pulls you against his body.  “Hey.  You’ll find your person.  You will.  I promise.”

You don’t respond, but he feels you relax against him. He rests his chin on the top of your hair, enjoying the way you fit so snugly against him. It’s me, he thinks. I’m your person.

Two kids run past you, shouting and laughing. You slowly pull away from him.

“Come on,” he says. “ Let’s go look at some fish.  Joshua already paid so we may as well.”

You nod, rubbing away the last of your tears.

“I’ll even buy you an overpriced stuffed animal of your choice.”

This brings out the brightest smile you’ve had all day. “I want a lobster.”

“You can decide later.”

“Okay, but later I want a lobster.”

You pass the manta ray exhibit, which has a low pool so children can reach in and touch the creatures as they swim by. Soonyoung is bent in half, stretching dangerously over the water with both his arms immersed to his elbows. 

Jihoon has a fistful of the back of his shirt. “Hey, let the kids have a try.”

“I am a kid,” Soonyoung protests.  “Just a few years older!”

One of the rays glides by just then and Soonyoung reaches out in excitement, causing Jihoon to lose his grip. Soonyoung flails, nose dipping towards the surface of the water. Scrambling, Jihoon yanks with both hands, pulling him upright again as the children shriek with delight. An aquarium employee is headed straight for them, so Seungcheol takes your elbow and guides you away from the commotion.

At the very least, Soonyoung’s idiocy has you laughing again.

You visit the interactive stations where you can touch starfish, watch the penguins slip and glide in the water, and roam through a dark room illuminated by jellyfish. Seungcheol trails after you, watching you watch the exhibits. As long as you’re smiling, he’s happy.

You stop in front of the kelp forest, a giant tank that spans two levels of the aquarium. Sunlight warms part of the tank, making the greens of the seaweed glow as they sway in a soft, calming motion.

A slim leopard shark drifts by and your eyes follow it.

“Can we stand here for a bit?” you ask him.

“As long as you want.”

This is comfortable, he thinks. You, him, your own little world like it’s just the two of you on vacation. That’s what he really wants. To take a trip with you alone. He loves your friends, but he loves you more. And he’s really grateful for Joshua for dragging him out of bed this morning because it means he can have this moment with you.

A family tries to sneak in close to the tank and you automatically move closer to him until you’re almost pressed against him.

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s really okay,” he says, drawing you in with one hand resting on your hip. “Just be comfortable.”

“You don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind.”

I’ve never minded , he wants to tell you. I want you to stare at my bare chest, I want you to lean into me, to hug me at night, to stay up late telling me anything and everything. I want you .

He says nothing and just stands there smelling your rose body wash. Jihoon is right: how long is he going to put his life on hold while he yearns for you? He needs to just tell you. Soon.

But on the heels of Joshua and Eunha’s engagement and your own breakdown it seems too convenient, like he’s taking advantage of the situation.

Before this trip is over, he knows he has to confess. He can’t bear for you two to leave after this week and go months without speaking again.

You start to shift and he reluctantly releases you. “Ready to go?”

“I’m kind of hungry again.”

Seungcheol motions to the tank. “Plenty of seafood here.”

“Cheol!” Your light smack still echoes in the quiet space and a child turns to look, startled. You mouth an apology and pull Seungcheol away, hiding your laughter.

The gift shop is mostly empty. You head straight for a barrel holding a mass of lobster plushies, their limp stuffed claws dangling over the edge. It takes you only a moment to pick through them and choose the one that’s meant for you.

“Okay, ready.”

“Hang on,” says Seungcheol, showing you a sea turtle instead. “There are other options.”

You shake your head. “I want my lobster.”

“Octopus?”

“Lobster.”

“You don’t want an otter?”

You just give him a flat look and he grimaces, remembering Joshua and Eunha. “Sorry.”

“I want my lobster,” you insist, holding up the offensively red creature. He’ll never understand your taste in stuffed animals.

As the two of you go to check out, you see Jihoon at the other register. He’s handing over his credit card to the cashier while Soonyoung clutches a stuffed manta ray. His shirt is visibly damp.

“Do I want to know what else you got into?” asks Seungcheol.

“No,” Jihoon replies firmly.

You refuse a bag and instead carry the offensively bright creature in your arms, just like you did with the bunny three years ago. Running into Mingyu and Wonwoo by the entrance, you hold it up like a prize.

“Look what Cheol got me!”

Mingyu recoils. “What is that ?”

“You’ve eaten them before,” says Wonwoo with amusement.

Gasping, you pull the plush back to your chest. “He’ll hear you!”

Leaning forward, Wonwoo whispers, “Mm, tasty.”

You cuff his shoulder and he laughs.

“How come you didn’t buy me anything?” whines Mingyu, nudging his boyfriend’s arm. “Even Soonyoung got something.”

“You can buy yourself something.”

“That’s not the point.”

Seungcheol takes you by the elbow and steers you away. Once you’re out of the building he says, “Sorry, I knew that if I didn’t grab you we’d be stuck listening to them argue forever.”

“Bets on who caves first.”

“Wonwoo,” you say in unison.

Seungcheol’s headache has improved but now he’s starving, having been rushed out of the house before breakfast. You pick up coffee and pastries from a little cafe and watch seagulls harass people further down the beach.

“I don’t want to go back to the house yet,” you tell him, crumpling up your empty bag.

“How about we drive for a bit?”

He lets you continue to pick the music and you drive through the town with the windows down, letting the cool breeze flow through the car. He’s not really familiar with the area, but you point out landmarks to him, each one with a happy story from your childhood. The museum where you learned about the history of local sea birds and got to sit on the giant whale statue. The trail where you rode a tandem bike with your parents. The restaurant with the best fish and chips. 

He finds an overlook where he can turn around, but you gasp. “Oh, can we stop here? I love this place!”

Seungcheol is pretty sure you love all the places here, but he gamely stops. After tucking your lobster safely into the backseat, the two of you get out and walk down to the rocks.

“Are we allowed to be here?” he asks, following you over the railing.

“We’ll be careful.”

“Not what I meant.”

But you ignore him. Mincing your way over the rocks, you find one that has enough space for two people. He settles down beside you, the wind ruffling his hair across his face. Laughing, you take a hair tie out of your purse and offer it to him.

“You do it.”

“Big baby.” 

Still, you gather his hair into a tiny half-ponytail and fix it tightly.

“What do you think?”

“I think it suits you.”

“Yeah? Do I look hot?”

Your mouth quirks for a second. “Yeah. The minute we go back into town I’m going to have to fight off all the tourists.”

“Why tourists?”

“They’re going to think you’re part of the view.”

You’re ridiculous. Ridiculous and silly and God, he really loves you. Water sprays up against the rocks and he flinches, though it comes nowhere close.

You smile. “Don’t worry. It would take a really big wave to reach us this high up.”

“They all look like really big waves.”

“You need to spend more time by the ocean. It’s not as scary as you think.”

“I never said I was scared. Just don’t want to get wet.”

“It’s just water.”

“And this is Balenciaga,” he replies, motioning to his shirt.

“Big baby.”

The air is cold here. After so many days of blistering sun it feels strange to be caught in a breeze that sneaks under his shirt sleeves and chills his skin. You lean closer to him, so he takes the opportunity to wrap his arm around you, tug you in a little more.

“Stay close.”

“You going to fight the ocean for me, too?” you ask.

It takes him a moment to realize that you’re referring to his overprotective panic from yesterday. But he has no regrets when it comes to you.

“Keeping you warm,” he replies.

You glance over at him, nose nearly brushing his cheek. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel the cold at all. There’s something in your eyes that tells him you don’t, either.

You’re so beautiful like this, with your wind-whipped hair and your bright eyes. It’s just the two of you out here and if he had his way, you’d never go back to the house. You’d get back into his car and drive somewhere even more beautiful, spend the rest of the trip together. If he suggests it, will you agree?

You’re close. So close he can feel your faint breath over his skin, smell the roses on yours. All he has to do is lean forward…

A wave crashes into the rocks with enough force to cover you both in spray. You shriek, scrambling backwards with your bag and he almost slips in his rush to stand. As quickly as it came, the water recedes again, leaving the two of you soaked and confused.

You burst into laughter, arms pulled away from your splattered shirt and dripping hair. He joins you.

“Maybe we should go back now.”

“Yeah, I think we pissed off the ocean god.”

He helps you back up onto the overlook and the two of you make your way back to his car, salt-soaked.

The way back to the house is quiet. It feels like the air is charging, his skin tingling just from his proximity to you. You make no attempt to fill the silence either.

Do you know how close he came to kissing you? Were you waiting for him? Is there an ocean god and if so, what’s his fucking problem?

It’s too much to hope that the house is empty. Jihoon and Wonwoo are back already, setting up decorations they bought in town. They laugh when they see the two of you, still wet (and now very cold).

“What happened?” asks Wonwoo.

“Ocean god,” you reply very seriously.

You take the upstairs shower in your room so Seungcheol steals the downstairs one. If he takes a little longer than necessary, thinking of your scent and the warmth of your body, well, no one says anything.

Over the course of several hours, your friends trickle in with party supplies, alcohol, and even a last minute cake. He throws himself into decorations while you’re in the kitchen with Mingyu and Jihoon. When you’re done, the house looks joyful and warm, if a little clumsy, and there’s enough banchan on the table to fill it completely.

Joshua and Eunha wander in close to dinnertime, eyes already filled with stars. When she sees the effort that everyone’s put in, Eunha cries into Joshua’s chest in a way that’s so genuine, Seungcheol realizes that she really wasn’t expecting the celebration. And why wouldn’t they celebrate their two closest friends getting engaged?

It’s only when he feels his own longing, burrowed deep inside his chest like a hibernating creature, that Seungcheol notices how much it hurts. The way Joshua and Eunha are laughing together. The way they keep openly stealing kisses. The way their love outshines any of the food or decorations.

That’s how it should be. And yet Seungcheol knows your smile is made of glass and he wants to hold you so badly, assure that you, too, are loved.

You’re drinking cocktails faster than Mingyu can make them. Given your breakdown earlier today, Seungcheol can guess why and it worries him. Except when he tries to gently distract you, you just fling yourself towards Soonyoung, singing a loud duet.

You seem to be having fun at least. If you were a weepy drunk, he’d be more concerned, but you’re laughing and playing around with the rest of the group. Still, he sticks to beer. Someone is going to need to be sober for you tomorrow and he can’t count on anyone else to do it.

By the time he helps you upstairs though, all your enthusiasm has waned. You sit quietly on the edge of the bed, holding your stuffed bunny in your lap. The lobster is still in the back of his car, he realizes.

Before he can offer to go get it, you ask, “Today at the aquarium, did you mean to call me ‘baby’?” 

He freezes, brain jumping into hyper drive as he tries to remember.

“When I was crying. You came out and rubbed my back and called me ‘baby’,” you clarify.

He doesn’t know how to explain that it was a reflex, a slip of the tongue. True feelings revealing themselves without his permission. 

Instead, he asks carefully, “Did it upset you?”

You play with the ears on your stuffed bunny. “No. I just didn’t know if you meant it.”

“I…” 

He has to be careful here. Downstairs, the guys are still celebrating. Joshua and Eunha are tucking themselves into bed. And you…

“Want you to mean it,” you mumble. 

You rock forward towards the pillows, almost unconsciously, before catching yourself. You’re so drunk, he realizes. Despite your fully-constructed sentences, you can barely keep your eyes focused or your body upright.

He’s not going to confess to you like this. Not when you might not even remember it tomorrow.

“Let’s go to sleep and talk about it in the morning,” he tells you.

But you shake your head wildly, rocking again. He’s glad you’re on the bed at least, because otherwise you’d be on the floor.

“Drink your water. At least a little bit.”

“No! Want…”

He can’t hear you well so he sits down near you, hoping to catch what he’s missed. That’s when you launch yourself towards him. He falls back into the mattress with you over him, mouth just inches from his.

Reflexively, he pushes you away. “Minah! What are you doing?”

“I…” You look around the room, at him, suddenly small in your body. “Just thought you…we…don’t you like me?”

It’s the moment he’s wanted the entire trip and it has to happen now , when you’re out of your mind. He could kick himself for letting you drink so much, especially when he knows you’re a lightweight.

“Minah, look…”

Your pretty eyes fill with tears.

“Hey, hey. Don’t cry, it’s okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to go to sleep, you’re going to sober up, and we’re going to talk this out in the morning, okay? I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here in the morning and we’ll talk. Okay?”

You nod miserably.

“Do you want to change into your pajamas?”

A shake of your head.

“Okay, that’s fine,” he says, trying to sound calmer than he feels. All his nerves are jittery under his skin. “Climb into bed then. Can you take a sip of water for me? Excellent, good job. Okay, you have Bunny? I’m going to change, I’ll be right back.”

Except when he gets back, you’re turned away from him, eyes closed. You’ve fallen asleep. Seungcheol exhales, rubbing his face. Part of him hopes you don’t remember this in the morning, because your broken expression is killing him. But another part of him can’t relax knowing that you want him. Or at least you think you do.

Unless of course it’s just your loneliness talking. You’ve been through a lot today. What if you just mistook your need to be loved with loving him? 

No, he tells himself firmly as he pulls back the covers. He’s not going to sabotage himself again. When you wake up, you’ll be sober, if not hungover, and he’s going to talk to you about everything. He’s going to tell you the truth. And with any luck, you’ll reciprocate.

Except tomorrow’s never going to come because he can’t sleep. He’s going to lie here all night in excitement and dread, like the night before a presentation. The throw pillows press into his side and he wants nothing more than to fling them across the room.

At some point between staring at the ceiling and staring at the wall, he dozes off. When he wakes up, it’s just before dawn and you’re gone. Not in the bathroom, not anywhere in the bedroom. Your side of the bed is cold.

When the fuck did you leave? How did he not notice? Your suitcase is still here but your purse and keys are gone. So is Bunny.

What if you went out on the beach in the dark? What if you ran into someone again? His mind races as he stumbles downstairs, not caring if he’s waking anyone else up. All he cares about is finding you.

The house is quiet. Seungcheol’s heart races into his ears as he pulls open the front door and runs outside.

Minah (Day 6)

Someone is knocking on your window. You sigh, squeezing your arms tighter around Bunny. If you ignore them, they’ll go away.

There’s something digging into your back so you try to roll away from it, only to find that there’s nowhere to roll. The knocking is more insistent now.

“--damnit, Minah! Open up !”

You jerk awake, startled, blinking at the ceiling with bleary eyes. You don’t recognize where you are, but you do recognize the very angry muffled voice yelling at you.  “Cheol?”  

“Are you insane ?  Why are you sleeping in your car ?”

Looking around, you realize that you are indeed in the backseat of your car. Why? And why does your head hurt so much?

Seungcheol yanks at the door handle again, the dull thud echoing into your skull. “Can you not do that?” you ask.

“ Open it ,” he orders.

It takes you two tries, but you manage to pull the latch. The door swings open, putting you in the war path of a very pissed off Seungcheol. His hair is sleep-mussed and he’s barefoot. As you blink at him, things slowly begin to piece together.

Joshua and Eunha’s engagement. Spending the day with Seungcheol and feeling so full of yearning you could choke on it. Celebrating last night and drinking yourself stupid before confessing. Trying to kiss Seungcheol and being rejected.

You hide your face in your knees. “Go away.”

“Get out here so we can talk properly.”

“No.”

“Fine. What the hell are you doing in your car?”

“I wanted to go home,” you explain, “but I was still drunk.  So I was sleeping until I could sober up.”

“In your car.  Not in a bed , or even a fucking sofa, of which there are many in that house!”  He gestures back towards the beach house without looking.

“The point was to not be near you ,” you snap back, starting to pick up on the general mood.  “I’d already humiliated myself once!”

“So you thought you’d sneak out in the middle of the night?  And what, just try to drive away without telling anyone?”

“I was going to text later.”

“Oh, that makes it all better then.”

This conversation is giving you a headache on top of your existing headache. “Can you go away?”

“And what, risk you driving off? I don’t think so. Where–” He reaches into the car and starts to feel around.

“What are you doing?”

After a moment he comes up victorious, holding your keys. 

“Give those back.”

“No. Not until you come inside and we talk like adults.”

“Oh yeah, because stealing my keys is really adult behavior,” you reply. 

“And locking yourself in your car is?”

“I was drunk.”

“And that makes it any better?”

“Look–just–I don’t want to see you. My head hurts and you’re being mean.”

Seungcheol’s eyes widen. “Mean? You think I’m being mean? I should be saying a lot worse right now but I’m trying to be calm.”

“Well, you suck at it.”

“Do you have any idea what you put me through? What if Eunha had woken up and found you missing? What if some weirdo had shown up again? Were you just going to drive home and then go months without contacting me again? And don’t give me that excuse of ‘oh, I got busy,’ because no one is that busy that they have to disappear for fucking months .”

“You didn’t text me either!”

“What was I supposed to say? Hey, I broke up with my girlfriend because I think I’m in love with you, could you please text me back?”

“You– what ?” You can’t be hearing things properly. You must still be drunk. Shaking your head, you ask, “Can you say that again?”

“I’m in love with you,” he repeats impatiently. “I wanted to tell you but it never seemed right and then last night you were drunk and then this morning you were just gone !”

“Hang on, how is this my fault?”

“Because!”

“Why are you yelling at me ?”

“Because!” he shouts, then stops, swallowing.  “Because.  I woke up and you were gone and I was terrified.  I thought something might have happened to you.  I thought…I thought I’d lost my chance.”

“Cheol…”

“Can you come out? Please?”

You scoot towards the door and Seungcheol helps you out, covering your head with his hand until you’ve cleared the frame. Once you’re standing outside you feel horribly exposed. Rubbing at your arms, you look down at Seungcheol’s bare feet.

Yours are bare, too. You’re not sure where you planned on going last night without shoes, but you were pretty determined.

“I wasn’t turning you down last night,” he explains. “I just didn’t want to confess to you when you were drunk. And on the heels of Joshua and Eunha’s engagement I was afraid of coming off opportunistic.”

“But…this entire week…”

“Has been killing me,” he confirms.

“Oh,” you say lightly. “Me too.”

“Do you still want to kiss me?”

“What, now?”

He lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Yes, now! I’m exhausted, you’re hungover, we’re both out here freezing, why not? It’ll make for a great story.”

“Wait!” Leaning into your car, you yank a crumpled pack of mint gum out of the center console.

“Seriously?”

“Do you want our first kiss to taste like morning breath?”

“I don’t really care,” he says, but he takes a piece of gum anyway. 

You mash three pieces around as fast as you can before mumbling, “Fuck it,” and pulling him into you.

The kiss is clumsy, all awkward lips and the faint press of teeth. The gum is tucked in your cheek now, and you’re hyper aware of the burn of mint all condensed into one small area of your mouth. This is not what you expected or had hoped for.

Then Seungcheol growls with frustration before cupping the back of your neck, turning you just right, and the fireworks go off. Warmth spreads through your chest, racing through your veins and into your fingers and the very tips of your toes. You’re kissing Seungcheol. You’re fucking kissing Seungcheol after wanting him so very badly, and it’s good .

When you break away, the gum is no longer in your mouth and you’re a little dazed. Seungcheol is folding the gum back up into his wrapper.

“So…”

“So when can we do that again?” you ask.

He gives you the warmest smile and starts to speak.

“ YES !”

The shout makes you jump into Seungcheol, nearly stomping on his toes. You both look over, startled, to see Soonyoung standing on the porch. His fist pumps the air as he gives you both the wildest grin. “FINALLY! I KNEW IT!”

“Has he been there the entire time?” you ask incredulously.

“Who knows?” grumbles Seungcheol. “He’s going to wake everyone up though.”

“Hide in the room? Pretend nothing happened?”

Seungcheol grabs your hand and hurries you to the house, past Soonyoung, who is still doing his victory dance, and up the stairs. Soonyoung follows.

“Oh my God, you don’t know how long–and I won the bet! Lunch is on me, I can’t believe–”

Seungcheol closes the door in his face.

Through the door, Soonyoung calls, “I love you guys!”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” mutters Seungcheol.

“Look at it this way,” you point out. “At least we have a great story.”

You giggle and see his face soften. His warm hands glide over your hips, pulling you closer to him. “You really like me back?”

“It’s a little more than that, but yeah.”

He sighs. “I wish I’d said something sooner.”

“I’ve been trying to get the courage to say something all week.”

“I’ve been trying to get the courage for the last three years.”

“Oh.”

Seungcheol dips his head to try and kiss you, but you press your hand to his mouth. Extricating yourself from his hold, you say, “Teeth first.”

“Formality.”

“Icky!”

But he follows you into the bathroom, gamely squeezing toothpaste out. It’s shockingly domestic, going from waking up with a massive headache in the back of your car to standing next to Seungcheol while you brush your teeth (still with a significant headache). He steals your travel mouthwash afterwards, swishing it hard.

“Okay, now can I kiss you?”

The mouthwash stings a little but it’s still a much nicer experience here pressed up against the bathroom sink with Seungcheol trying to devour you. All the tension you’ve held this week seeps away like a wave receding. All the adrenaline does, too. It isn’t until you dip your head into his chest, trying to catch your breath, that you realize how poorly you feel.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Hangover,” you mumble. “Stupid, stupid past me.”

“Ah, I had a feeling. Let’s get you back to bed.”

Meanwhile, Soonyoung has managed to make such a racket that the entire house is awake.

You hear Eunha shriek. “What? ”

“Uh oh,” you say.

In seconds she’s outside your door. “Oh my God! Is Soonyoung telling the truth? Have you two finally kissed?”

“We’re trying to do more of it,” calls Seungcheol. “Go away!”

Mingyu’s voice echoes up the stairs. “Finally! You guys took long enough! We almost had to extend the vacation!”

Looking at Seungcheol you mouth, “What, seriously?” He just shrugs.

“Are you guys naked?” asks Eunha. “I’m coming in, don’t be naked!” True to her word, she barges right into the room, Joshua and Soonyoung right behind her. Wonwoo leans against the doorframe.

“Guys, go away,” says Seungcheol. “Minah is hungover.”

“Of course she is,” says Eunha. “Girl drank like the ocean was made of soju. More importantly, are you really together?”

One hand pressed against your eye, where pain is throbbing through your skull, you nod.

“This is the best news I’ve gotten all year!”

“You literally got engaged yesterday,” you point out.

She waves her hand carelessly, ring flashing in the light. “This is better!”

“Joshua is right there. ”

Joshua just shakes his head. “I’m already yesterday’s news.”

“No, baby!” Eunha wraps her arms around him. “That’s not true!”

“My fiance, more interested in other people’s love stories.”

“They’re not just anyone! And besides, I had money on this.”

“That you lost to me!” announces Soonyoung from the back of the group.

Sighing, you ask, “Did anyone actually care about Cheol and I getting together for our own happiness and wellbeing or did you all just want cash?”

No one responds.

“Wow,” says Seungcheol.

“It’s a lot of cash,” says Wonwoo.

“How much cash?”

But you cut off the rest of their discussion. You don’t care about cash and you barely care about your love life because you’re starting to feel more and more like throwing up.

“Guys, we appreciate the enthusiasm but we’ve barely even talked about it ourselves. Can we just…?”

“Right. Talking .”

Looking straight at Joshua you announce, “If I have to hear voices for another second, I’m going to throw up.”

Seungcheol hustles everyone out. Then he hurries into the bathroom and grabs the tiny trash can to set by the bed. “Close your eyes. I’ve got you covered.”

“Sorry, Cheol. This is not how I envisioned this going.” You pull a pillow over your eyes, trying to block out the light through those sheer curtains.

There’s a light tap at the door. You can hear Seungcheol’s footsteps, followed by whispering. When he returns, you catch the faint smell of rice.

“Soonyoung decided to return the favor,” he says softly.

Peeking out, you find him holding a bottle of water, a can of Sprite, and a dish of rice. It makes you laugh despite the pain. You love your friends.

You recover by lunch time thanks to Seungcheol’s (and Soonyoung’s) efforts. Seungcheol has been coming in and out of the room all morning so when he finds you standing up, he’s immediately worried.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I did rest. I’m better now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Fairly sure.”

“Maybe–”

“Cheol.” Taking his hands in yours, you say, “Trust me, I’m doing much better.”

To prove it, you give him a chaste kiss that turns deeper almost immediately. It’s enough to make you feel weak; how is it just this morning that you kissed him for the first time? You’ve already memorized the way his mouth feels on yours (fantastic).

“Do you feel well enough to go on a date?” he asks.

“What, now? Here?”

“Yes, now,” he says impatiently. “I’ve waited a long time for this. I’m not going to wait longer.”

“Then yes, of course!”

Your yellow sundress from earlier in the week has been washed so you put that on, knowing that Eunha caught Seungcheol staring at your legs in it. There’s not much opportunity to do more than that; Seungcheol is already hovering outside the bathroom door. You brush your teeth once more for good measure.

Sure enough, his eyes go straight to your legs the moment he sees you. He doesn’t even bother looking abashed when you gently clear your throat, forcing his gaze up.

“We just have one problem.”

“What’s that?”

“Our friends are like sharks,” he says grimly. “They’ve been hanging around the stairs all day waiting for you to come down so they can harass you. Also, Eunha heard about you spending the night in your car.”

You wince. “Is she really angry?”

Seungcheol nods. Which means that it’s only by the mercy of the hangover gods that you’ve managed to escape her wrath all morning.

“I have a plan,” he says. “The car is prepped and Jihoon is ready to open the front door whenever we’re ready.”

“What, seriously?”

“Seriously. I’ve been preparing all morning.”

“Shit, okay.” Slinging your purse over your shoulder, you gather up your sandals in your hand. You crouch down, preparing to sprint. “Let’s do this.”

Seungcheol taps away at his phone and the two of you wait. After a long moment, the front door unlatches and opens.

“Make a break for it!” Grabbing your hand, he pulls you downstairs, out the front door, past an amused Jihoon, and down the driveway. His car beeps and you throw yourself into the passenger seat, laughing as you tug the seatbelt on.

“Why do I feel like we’re celebrities being chased by paparazzi?”

“Because that’s an apt comparison,” says Seungcheol. He’s stretched sideways, one hand on the shoulder of your seat as he navigates backwards down the long driveway. You try not to stare at his chest, which is filling the space beside you, and fail.

He’s mine. I can stare all I want , you remind yourself.

When you look forward again, Eunha is standing in the doorway, her scowl getting further and further away.

“That was way more fun than it should have been,” says Seungcheol, grinning as he pulls onto the main road.

“Eunha is going to kill us when we get back.”

“She’ll calm down by then.”

He doesn’t sound entirely confident about it. You ease your feet into your sandals. “All right, commander. Where to now?”

“We’re going to the beach.”

It’s enough to make you want to laugh. You’ve been at the beach all week. There’s one right outside your window, in fact. But you can’t complain; after all, there’s not a lot of options out here and he’s trying.

Except when he stops at a quiet overlook, you realize he’s actually put thought into this. He’s got a blanket that looks oddly familiar and a cooler he’s borrowed from Mingyu.

“Are we having a picnic?” you ask excitedly.

“You mentioned it, so I thought we might.”

“I didn’t know you were listening.”

“I’m always listening to you.”

You don’t really know what to say to that, other than your cheeks hurt from how hard you’re smiling.

He helps you spread out the blanket, which is in fact from the house. Eunha is definitely going to kill him later. But for now, he’s practically vibrating with nervous excitement as he shows you the inside of the cooler.

He’s got sandwiches, clumsily wrapped in cling film, and all your favorite fruits, carefully sliced and prepped in a bowl. There’s even juice–three kinds to pick from.

“You made all of this?”

“Mingyu helped,” he admits. “But if you were feeling better today, I wanted to be prepared.”

It’s incredibly sweet and you tell him as much. The sandwiches have too much whole grain mustard but you eat every bit of yours anyway, not wanting to let him down. Plus, you’re starving after recovering from your hangover. The wind whips up a little swirl of sand at one point, so the last few bites taste gritty (as a proper beach sandwich should).

The one thing Seungcheol doesn’t have is an umbrella or sunscreen, so once the food is gone, you pack up the cooler and decide to walk along the beach. You walk side-by-side, shoulders brushing. At one point, Seungcheol reaches out to take your hand and it’s like feeling a flower bloom in your chest.

“I thought our friends were joking,” you say. “About you liking me.”

“You knew?”

“Sort of. Eunha told me several times on our girl’s day. I just…”

“Wouldn’t let yourself believe it?” There’s something in his tone that makes his question sound like a confession. You squeeze his hand a little harder.

“Something like that. Did you really break up with Jungah because of me?”

A heavy wave comes in, sloshing around your ankles. You stand firm against the pull as the water recedes, enjoying the way your feet dig deep into the sand.

“Yes and no,” he says. “I just knew I wasn’t 100% invested in my relationship with her. And a lot of it had to do with my feelings for you.”

“How long, Cheol?”

“From the first trip. Probably around the time I won you the bunny.”

It’s a long time to want someone. The fact that your feelings started around the same time makes you feel silly to admit. All the time that you could have shared together already–not lost, but not cherished the way it could have been.

But you have now and you both intend to make the most of it.

The sun is becoming blistering, so you suggest picking up some ice cream before returning to the house. Seungcheol is immediately suspicious.

“Do you just want to see Chan again?”

“Maybe so he can see that he was right. He clocked you as my boyfriend before I did, after all.”

Suddenly ice cream is a great idea.

The handsome-but-sleepy-looking worker is there again. “Chan’s off today,” he says by way of greeting. He glances behind the two of you. 

“It’s just us,” you assure him and he sighs in relief.

“What can I get you guys?”

Seungcheol looks up at the board for a second before asking, “A sundae? It was really good.”

“I wouldn’t know,” you tease him. “But okay. A hot fudge sundae,” you tell Hansol. “With extra cherries, please.”

Those sleepy eyes dart towards Seungcheol for a second before he nods to you.

If Chan was heavy-handed, he’s got nothing on his employee. The cup he passes over to you is positively dripping with hot fudge and no less than half a dozen cherries are crammed together in a little group at the top. Seungcheol eyes it with poorly hidden delight.

You try to pay this time but Seungcheol just says “ Don’t ” in a tone that sends a little excited shiver down your spine. Something to explore elsewhere.

“This is the best part of the picnic,” says Seungcheol, scooping up half the ice cream in one spoonful again.

“I don’t know, it’s missing a little sand.”

“Just walk outside then and the breeze will solve that.”

“You sound grumpy .”

“Look, I’m just not going to miss finding sand everywhere after this.”

You will. You always miss the beach when you’re away, specifically this one. But you think you’ll miss this trip a little less than the ones before.

The drive back to the house is slow. Seungcheol’s palm rests on your thigh, his other hand expertly navigating the road. Even with the air conditioning on, you can feel the heat of his skin against yours. 

It’s too soon. Isn’t it? The ache you’ve felt all week is overwhelming and you don’t know how you’ll survive another night beside him. That hotel sounds even more enticing now.

“Whatever you’re thinking, I’m thinking it, too.”

“I’m thinking Eunha is going to kill us.”

She is waiting for you both, but she only has (narrowed) eyes for Seungcheol. The moment you both sneak in, she accosts him.

“Did you take the throw blanket off the couch and use it as a beach blanket?”

“Uh. No?”

Red begins creeping across Eunha’s face. “Choi Seungcheol, do you have any idea how much we paid to rent this house? Do you know how strict the rules are for us to get our deposit back?”

“We’ll throw it in the washer, it’ll be fine,” he assures her.

“It’s delicate !”

“So put it on a gentle cycle.”

Her scolding follows you both up the stairs. Seungcheol makes a point of locking the door behind you.

Flopping down on the bed, you wait for him to join you. He sits down on his side, resting his arm on the wall of pillows.

“Don’t need these anymore,” he says, grabbing them one by one and throwing them onto the floor. 

You mock gasp. “What if we touch in the night?”

“We’d better.”

He climbs over you, arms caging you in. There’s a flush to his face from being out in the sun too long and his skin is warm to the touch when you cup his cheeks, pulling him down. Lazy kisses turn into insistent ones, the tender skin of your lips becoming deliciously swollen. The fact that he’s yours to kiss anytime you want now is still sinking in; given the way he starts to devour you, he’s still processing the same thing.

When you pause to catch your breath, you say, “We’ll need to go help with dinner at some point.”

“I don’t care about dinner.”

Neither do you, really. You’re about to tug his mouth back to yours when there’s a knock at the door.

“Go away ,” growls Seungcheol.

The knock sounds again, almost mocking. Seungcheol rolls off of you, hitting the floor awkwardly as he stalks forward

Yanking open the door, Seungcheol finds a small paper bag on the ground. Inside is a box of condoms and a note in Mingyu’s handwriting that just reads: Have fun and be safe! 🙂

Groaning, he tosses the box towards the bed.

“Oh my God,” you giggle.

“I hate our friends.”

“I think they’re pretty helpful. It’s an ambitiously-sized box.” Checking the front you add, “And an ambitious size in general.”

“They’ll fit.”

“Knew it.”

“What does that mean? Have you been thinking about the size of my dick?”

“You make me sound shallow!”

“I’m just another guy in that long list of guys you’ve liked. What’s my asset?” he jokes. “My biceps?”

“Your pretty lips, your long hair, your soft heart,” you list off. “Pick anything.”

This time he’s the one who lays back, grabbing your waist and rolling you over so you’re straddling him. You press your hands against his firm chest, sliding them over his pecs.

“Soft heart?” he asks. 

“Just for me.”

That’s a lie. Seungcheol’s heart has plenty of space for everyone he cares about, but you’re at the top of that group. There are special boons for people in your position, the most of which involve his fingers tracing the backs of your thighs.

When you shift, you can feel the weight of his cock against your center. “Cheol…”

“Sorry, princess. I can’t resist you. It’s been a long week.”

“Everyone’s just downstairs though,” you point out.

You almost laugh at the grief in his expression when he says, “We can wait until we’re back home.”

“I think I’ll lose my mind if I have to wait that long.”

“Oh, thank god,” he breathes, fingers sliding up under your dress. “I’ve been hard since you put this on.”

“Eunha told me she saw you staring at me in it earlier in the week,” you confess.

“Shamelessly,” he confirms. “I don’t know how you didn’t notice.”

You haven’t noticed a lot of things, but you’re going to be a lot better at picking up on his cues moving forward. Reaching back to grab the zipper, you give Seungcheol a quizzical look when he stops you.

“Not yet.”

Instead, he slides the fabric up to your hips, revealing the very thin pair of white lace panties you’re wearing. Seungcheol’s eyes widen.

“Did you just have these in your suitcase?”

“Well, yeah. Just in case.”

“In case you met some hot beach dude and decided to sleep with him?”

“Exactly that.” The press of his cock is providing just enough pressure to make you ache. Biting down on your lower lip, you rock your hips over him. The second of pleasure you get is gone too soon; Seungcheol’s grip on your hip tightens, pinning you in place.

“Impatient.”

“You’re taking too long,” you whine. “Wanna feel you.”

He murmurs a curse, dragging a finger along the front of your panties. Finding your clit, he presses in, making you bow forward over him. “Cheol!”

“You know what’s going to happen, baby?” he asks, stroking the damp lace. “I’m going to make you come once while in this dress and once out of it.”

It’s a good plan. You nod, eager to feel more of his fingers. There’s something so debauched about sitting fully clothed in Seungcheol’s lap while he makes you writhe.

“Christ,” he says, gripping your hip hard enough to bruise. “Can you stop moving so much?”

“Then fuck me already!”

“Are you really this needy?”

“I’ve been sleeping next to you all week, too,” you point out. “Do you know how hard it is to finger myself in the shower? I couldn’t actually get off because otherwise I’d be in there so long it would look suspicious and I didn’t even bring a vibrator because I thought ‘oh, one week won’t be that bad.’ I was fucking wrong .”

Seungcheol chuckles at your rant. “My poor baby girl. Sounds like I need to make it up to you.”

“ Please .”

He surprises you by simply tugging your panties to one side, exposing your center. Two thick fingers spread your folds open and you throw your head back as his smooth fingertips rub gentle circles over your clit. It’s just enough to ease the ache in your core.

“More, Cheol.”

“You’re impossible.”

“One whole week,” you remind him.

Catching some of your essence, he watches his first finger sink into you with hungry eyes. It feels so damn good. His hand is still holding you still so there’s nothing you can do but accept what he’s willing to give. But he’s definitely willing.

Thrusting his finger in and out of your slick heat, he says, “Hold that dress up a little more for me baby.”

The thought of being so blatantly exposed in front of him sends a little flutter of excitement through your belly. You grip around his finger as you obediently pull the bottom of your dress into one fist.

“Fuck, you’re incredible,” he breathes, eyes fixed on yours as he fucks you gently.

Pulling your arm across your face, you try to muffle your moans.

“None of that now, princess. Let me hear how good I’m making you feel.”

But Seungcheol’s not the only one in the house. “They’ll– hah –hear us…”

“So let them,” he says. “It’s not like they don’t know what’s happening up here.”

There’s a difference between knowing and hearing , you want to say, but then he sinks a second finger into your heat and you can’t hold back your choked moan. If you feel this full just off his fingers, how are you going to handle his cock?

A fresh wave of arousal leaks over his fingers and down to his wrist, the sloppy sound loud in the otherwise quiet room. “Fuck, princess,” he groans, speeding up his pace. “Want to see you come like this.”

“A little harder,” you beg, and he rewards you by shifting his hand so that his fingers hit so deeply his palm presses against your mound. The extra stimulation is enough to make you grind your hips back against his hand despite his bruising grip. “Cheol, I’m so close!”

“Anytime you’re ready, princess. You’re so fucking wet, do you hear that? Can’t wait to feel you around me.”

His filthy words send you over the edge. You press your palm over your mouth so hard that you can feel your teeth press into your own skin as you ride his fingers, the orgasm you’ve chased desperately all week finally crashing over you. Beneath you, Seungcheol moans like he’s getting off, too. He slides his fingers from your heat, licking your arousal off of them.

“Delicious,” he murmurs. “Can’t wait to taste you properly.”

Your empty pussy clenches at the thought, but you know what you’d rather do. “Now can I take the dress off?” you beg.

Seungcheol reaches up to ease the zipper down your back. The moment it’s loose, you yank the sundress over your head and toss it behind you. His hands immediately cup your naked breasts, thumbs rubbing over your pebbled nipples.

“No bra?”

“It would have shown,” you say distractedly. You’re too busy prying his fitted t-shirt out of the waist of his jeans.

“Easy,” he laughs. “Calm down.”

“I’ve had to see you prancing around this beach–”

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Shifting into a better position, he yanks his shirt off with one fluid motion that makes you clench around nothing.

“You should be illegal,” you tell him, running your hands over his bare chest. You can’t remember wanting someone this much. Seungcheol grins back at you so you kiss him, just to stop him from teasing you more.

Your pretty lace panties are ruined. You can’t think of a better sacrifice as you toss them onto the floor. The front of Seungcheol’s jeans are soaked from your orgasm. You’re still too horny to be properly embarrassed about it, fingers working at his button.

Seungcheol chuckles, helping you undo it. “Can’t wait for me?”

“Cheol, please!” You can’t stop the whine that escapes you. “Want you so badly.”

“You’ve got me, princess.” 

“Want you inside me .”

“Fuck. You can’t just say that.” His hand scrabbles around the bed blindly until he finds the box of condoms, gripping it so hard that the side caves in. You’re sober, but you may as well both be drunk the way you fumble to pull his jeans off his tight calves.

“Sweatpants only,” you tell him as he sits up to help drag the denim past his ankles.

“You want easy access to me, baby girl?”

You don’t care if you sound desperate. It’s been a long week on so many levels and you just want to be as close to Seungcheol in every way possible. There’s time for slow love-making and foreplay later.

Moisture pools in your mouth as you drag his underwear down, his leaking cock bobbing free. It’s not like you’ve seen a lot of dicks, but Seungcheol has the prettiest one you’ve seen so far. And maybe you’re a little bit biased, because you’re desperate to have him inside of you, but the hot silk of his skin against your palm is mesmerizing. His entire body shudders as you stroke him, catching the pre-come from the top of his cock and using it to ease the glide.

Leaning forward, you manage to give a kitten lick to the head before Seungcheol takes a handful of your hair, gently pulling you back.

“Not that I don’t desperately want your mouth on me,” he says, voice strained, “but I don’t have that level of control right now.”

You love that he matches your hunger. Maybe the two of you have clumsy hands, maybe the first condom packet ends up on the floor when it won’t open right away, but between hot kisses and even hotter strokes, he manages to free one.

When you slide the condom over him, he grips the bedding in one huge fist, sucking in air to keep himself steady. There’s no time for a conference about what position is best, you decide. Instead, you climb back over his thighs, angle him with your entrance, and ease down.

Seungcheol bangs his head back against the headboard and you’d laugh, you really would, but you’re too busy choking on the sensation of him filling every bit of you. You’re soaked , but your legs are shaking by the time you settle him fully inside you.

“Fuck, Cheol. I think I feel you in my throat.”

His cock twitches at your words. “You can’t just say that,” is his strangled response.

He lets you set the pace. It’s clumsy at first, partially because you’re out of practice and partially because his cock feels so fucking good . Your first orgasm barely took the edge off, because you can already feel the tightness in your center as you lower yourself back down onto him.

“You’re taking me so well, princess.”

One thing about Seungcheol is that he’s never stingy, either with money, attention, or praise. He showers you with it as you ride him, his voice becoming breathy and ragged when you clench around his slick cock on each downstroke. Finally, he breaks.

Sitting up higher, he wraps one strong arm around your lower back, hugging you into him. The sensation of his cock hitting even deeper makes stars burst in your vision. They must hear you downstairs, but embarrassment is only a faint register in your pleasure-drunk mind.

“Gonna need you to come soon, baby girl. Can’t hold out much longer,” he admits, breath hot against your shoulder.

That’s not a problem. His hands catch your hips, pulling you into his thrusts until you’re gasping. The bed is protesting every movement, springs whining loud enough for the entire house to hear, but you don’t care. Everyone can tease you later (and they definitely will).

Seungcheol thrusts hard, hitting at just the right angle to make you keen, and you’re done for.

You cling to him as you come, walls pulsing around his hardness. It’s impossible to get any closer and yet you tighten your grip, holding his body against yours like you can’t bear to relax. You’ve wanted him longer than you can remember; this isn’t real still, not yet.

He kisses you sloppily as he comes, the rush of heat still obvious through the latex. You rock your hips over him, milking every last bit of pleasure for the both of you. Finally, he gasps against your neck. “Just–need a second.”

You give his cock one more teasing squeeze; in response, he bites down on your neck. It’s nowhere near enough to break skin, but it does make you gasp.

“If you’re going to be a brat, I still have enough energy to punish you,” he warns.

“You’re just making me want to be a brat.”

The both of you are sticky with sweat. The air from the overhead fan is just enough to cool your back and shoulders as you try to catch your breath. Seungcheol disappears long enough to discard the condom, which feels like an eternity as you wait to pull him back into your arms. He presses a soft kiss against your nose.

The silence is broken by Joshua calling up the stairs. “Dinner’s ready, you horny bastards!”

You laugh into Seungcheol’s chest. “What’s the chance that we go downstairs and don’t get made fun of all evening?”

“Zero.”

“Then what if we stay up here and put the rest of that box to good use?”

Seungcheol rolls over you, pressing you into the bed with his firm body. “Is it too soon to tell you I love you? Because I’m pretty sure I love you.”

Before you can respond, he presses hot kisses down your stomach, towards the ache between your thighs.

No one bothers calling for you a second time.

You’re quite happy to spend the rest of the evening in bed, but Seungcheol has other plans. He rounds everyone up and into the cars, driving to a secluded part of the beach that even you’ve never seen.

The guys must know what’s going on because Mingyu heaves the cooler up out of his trunk. Eunha, on the other hand, is just as confused as you.

“Guys,” she says, “I don’t know if you realize this but we had a beach already. Right outside the house.”

“Had to be here,” says Seungcheol. He’s got a different blanket covering a large bag over one arm; his other hand is currently holding yours. You feel like you’re glowing from the inside out. Nothing could make today better.

He stops in front of a small circle in the sand that’s darkened and deep.

“What’s this?” you ask excitedly.

“I promised you a bonfire.”

“Except it turns out bonfires are hella illegal here,” says Mingyu, dropping the cooler down with a grunt.

“It’s a Jihoon-sized bonfire,” remarks Wonwoo as he looks down at the city-approved fire ring, surrounded by rocks.

Jihoon just scowls.

Joshua starts pulling items out of the bag he’s brought. “And I found the s’mores ingredients.”

Flopping down onto a giant chunk of driftwood, Eunha announces, “I take it back, I love this beach.”

Seungcheol’s bag is full of wood and paper. He meticulously builds a pyramid with it, brows drawn tightly as he focuses on his project. Soonyoung tries to help but Jihoon just grabs the back of his shirt.

You sit on the blanket and wait, smiling all the while. When the first flame catches, everyone cheers, but Seungcheol doesn’t breathe again until it’s spread to the wood. Within ten minutes there’s a small, but real fire in front of you.

“It’s okay, right?”

Pulling him down onto the blanket next to you, you nuzzle against his neck. “It’s perfect. Thanks, Cheol.”

“Don’t be gross,” calls Wonwoo.

“Don’t be gross,” seconds Jihoon.

“Oh, shut up,” says Eunha. “They’ve earned it.”

“Coming from you, queen of being gross.”

Joshua shakes the bag of marshmallows as a distraction. “All right guys, who wants to roast some marshmallows?”

Everyone gets a skewer and one marshmallow to eat and one to toast, to varying degrees of success. Mingyu’s first attempt slides straight into the fire; Soonyoung gets distracted while talking and pulls back a blackened lump. When yours is perfect, you slide it off onto the prepared graham cracker, layering a square of chocolate over it and squishing it down.

“This one’s yours,” you tell Seungcheol.

“Eat it yourself, princess,” he says.

Everyone croons.

“Awww, it’s baby’s first endearment,” jokes Joshua.

“He’s emoting!”

“I’m sorry, did you all not hear the same thing?” asks Mingyu. “‘ You’re taking me so well, princess. ’”

“ ‘Cheol, please !’” adds Wonwoo, his low tone raising abnormally high in a poor impression of your voice.

“I heard plenty of endearments.”

Seungcheol is getting wound up like usual over being teased so you take a bite of the s’more first before passing it over to him. Just like that the problem is solved, and he eats the rest happily, smearing chocolate over his bottom lip.

Ignoring all your friends, you take the opportunity to kiss it off.

When everyone is full off marshmallows and finished taunting each other, you all subside into a kind of peaceful silence while watching the flames. The ocean is barely visible in the light of the fire, just a vast soothing darkness punctuated by the sound of the rolling waves.

Eunha rests her head on her fiance’s shoulder. “I think this is definitely our most exciting trip yet.”

“I don’t know,” says Joshua, smiling over at her. “I think the future might surprise us.”

“It really won’t,” says Wonwoo. “It’s just going to get louder.”

“Not immediately,” says Eunha, licking chocolate off her wrist. “I like my body the way it is, thanks.”

Seungcheol is quiet, but he pulls you a little closer.

“Eunnie and Shua are engaged. Cheol and I are together. Does anyone else have any life-altering news?” you ask.

Mingyu and Wonwoo look at each other. After a moment, Wonwoo nods.

“We bought a house,” says Mingyu.

Everyone bursts out into questions. “What? Where? When?”

“Hold on, hold on,” says Mingyu, scrolling on his phone. “It’s not far from Eunha and Joshua’s place, it was fuck-off expensive, and we closed the deal this morning.”

He holds his phone out and everyone ooh’s and aah’s appropriately. It’s a beautiful place and you feel a mix of joy and envy when you see it. You can’t wait until they’ve moved in and thrown their first party in it. 

“We’re pregnant!” shouts Soonyoung, unwilling to be outdone.

“No,” says Jihoon.

“We could be.”

“We’re not.”

Soonyoung deflates, settling back in the sand next to his boyfriend. After a moment, Jihoon reaches down and takes his hand. “We can talk about getting a dog. Later.”

That’s all it takes to bring the joy back into Soonyoung’s face. He starts scrolling dog pictures on his phone furiously.

The fire crackles and flickers, casting a warm glow onto everyone’s faces. They’re wonderful faces, you think. Your favorite ones. It truly has been an exciting trip and you know already that nothing will ever be like this again. The future feels poised for change, but for once you’re ready to jump.

Especially since you won’t be jumping alone. Seungcheol squeezes your hand and you smile at him.

“Where’d you go?” he asks gently.

“Nowhere special.”

He hums. “It feels weird to think that the trip is almost over. I’ve gotten used to being out here.”

“We can always come back,” you point out. “Make it a tradition.”

“That would be–”

“Besides, it would be so great to visit Chan, don’t you think?”

He immediately scowls. “You’re testing me.”

“I am,” you agree. “Besides, Chan actually lives in the same city as us.”

“ No. ”

Seungcheol (Day 7)

Seungcheol wakes up on the last day at the beach house with you in his arms. The ceiling fan is still humming and the sun is bleeding through those stupid useless curtains and he wants a little more sleep but he knows without looking that you’re awake.

You’re trying very hard not to move, but when he cracks open one eye he catches you blinking.

“Do you ever sleep?” he mumbles.

“I slept.”

“Yes, but why are you awake ?”

“I’m not tired anymore.”

“I made you come four times yesterday. You should be exhausted.”

You shove his chest, laughing softly. “ Cheol. ”

He pulls you tighter to him, nuzzling against your hair. “Go back to sleep.”

But you’re like a cat: the harder he squeezes, the more you struggle. Breaking out of his grasp, you head for your suitcase, pulling out your last outfit.

“I’m breaking up with you,” he says, sprawling out on his back as he watches you walk around the bed to the bathroom. “We’re just not compatible.”

“Okay.”

“What?” Sitting up immediately, he frowns at you. “How could you just say that so easily? Does my heart mean nothing to you?”

You take a detour by the bed so you can press a kiss to his jaw. “All right, I’m sorry. I’m still going to get dressed though.”

“Villain.”

“Big baby.”

“ Your big baby.”

He dozes while he watches the bathroom door. There’s a lot he’s going to be happy to be rid of after today: this room, primarily. Those curtains. Eunha’s stupid hat. And while he’s thrilled to be going back to his regular life knowing you’re going to be a huge part of it, he’s less thrilled about your sleeping schedule (or lack thereof) also being part of it.

The smell of roses precedes you, wafting out from the open door. You step out in a floral sundress that shows off way too much cleavage and just the right amount of leg. He’s instantly awake.

“That dress…”

“I thought it would match the hat that Eunha bought me.”

“That better be a joke,” he growls. “I’m going to burn that hat.”

“I can’t believe you don’t like it.” Taking it off your suitcase, you plop it onto your head. The floppy brim immediately covers your grinning face.

“Killed my boner instantly.”

“In that case…” You head for the door, still wearing it.

“Where are you going?”

“Breakfast. I’m hungry and I’m not letting you keep me in bed all morning.”

“I’d make it worth your while.”

“Still breakfast!” you call back.

He stares at the ceiling before chuckling to himself. He’s actually dating you. You’re dating him. He can kiss you whenever he wants (and he wants to kiss you right now).

By the time he wanders downstairs, the rest of the house is in chaos. Eunha is busy trying to account for every object in the house while Joshua and Mingyu divide up the remaining food in the fridge. Jihoon walks by with most of the massive bag of rice held to his chest protectively.

You’re eating the last of the fruit by the front window, looking out at the ocean.

“It’s not going anywhere,” he tells you, stealing a strawberry.

“I know. It’s just my favorite place in the world and I’m sad to go.”

“We’ll come back whenever you want.”

“Damn,” calls Mingyu. “Already whipped.”

“Like he wasn’t even before they started dating 24 hours ago?” asks Wonwoo.

“Fair point.”

Eunha scurries past the room yelling, “Soonyoung! I know you’ve got that tiger statue in your suitcase!”

This is how it always is on the last day of vacation, thinks Seungcheol. Normally he’d be jamming his stuff into his bag and already out the door, but you’re in no rush, so neither is he. If that makes him whipped then so be it.

But Mingyu needs help folding up the ping pong table and Joshua is still rounding up beach toys and the list is ongoing. You also get roped into final preparations so that he’s seeing you only in glimpses as you follow Eunha from one task to another.

By the time he goes upstairs to pack, the room is already spotless. He puts his belongings away and does a cursory final check for stragglers. You come in from outside just as he’s carrying his suitcase down. He makes Mingyu carry yours as revenge for the whipped comment.

“Next time try to pack less,” Mingyu suggests, huffing as he shoves it into your backseat.

“Aren’t you made of muscles?” asks Seungcheol, holding his own, much lighter bag. He hates that you’re driving home separately. He wants you to play your terrible music while he rests his hand on your thigh.

You stare out at the ocean one last time, a calm smile on your face. Eunha hugs you so tightly that both your hats fall off.

“I love you,” she says.
“I love you, too,” you laugh. “Congratulations again.”

“Congratulations to you more. Okay. Be good. Drive safely. Text me–”

“--when you get home,” you finish. “I will!”

Everyone takes turns exchanging hugs before heading to their cars. Your and Seungcheol’s cars are the end of the driveway, blocking the rest in.

“Hurry and go!” calls Mingyu.

Seungcheol flips him off to the sound of laughter. “Dinner tonight?” he asks you.

“Your place or mine?”

“Doesn’t matter, just wear that dress.”

Throwing your arms around his neck, you ask seductively, “You like the dress?”

“I really, really like the dress.”

What starts as a simple kiss turns into something deeper, his hands sliding down your waist to your hips so he can pull them flush against his. 

A loud honk startles you both. Eunha is leaning over Joshua’s lap so she can reach the horn. “Some of us want to go home today! Move!”

Thinking that she got over your relationship rather fast, Seungcheol gives you one more quick kiss before you get into your car. You wave at everyone one last time before pulling out of the driveway and onto the main road.

With your car gone there’s just enough space for the rest of them to squeeze through. One by one his friends wave as they pass, except Jihoon, who is already asleep in the passenger seat. 

Seungcheol climbs into his car with his only thought being how quickly he can get home so he can see you again. There’s a flash of red next to him; the stuffed aquarium lobster is resting in the seat beside him. At some point you snuck out to his car this morning and placed a little note in its claw that reads Drive safely! ♥️ You’ve even buckled it in.

A smile breaks across his face. Shaking his head, Seungcheol pulls onto the main road in the direction of home. And you.