On the television screen, the presenter was announcing the weather forecast for the upcoming days. Temperatures were rising steadily, and would continue to do so until midsummer, when they began to fall again. Sitting on the couch, in front of the screen, Wheein wasn’t paying the slightest attention. She was sitting with her legs crossed, sketchbook in hands. She was hyper-focused, trying to recall the details of Yongsun's face to draw her once again. She didn’t regret giving her drawing to Yongsun, but she was a little disappointed not to have one now.  

She didn't want to make a copy, because for Wheein, each artwork is unique. And she thought it would bother Yongsun to ask her to pose again. So, her only solution was to make a new sketch based on her memories.

She made a few final before carefully examining her drawing. It wasn’t as good as yesterday. Something was missing and that was frustrating for Wheein.

She heard some footsteps and saw her mum entering the living room.

‘Why are you frowning so much honey?’ her mum asked, sitting next to her.

Wheein sighed.

‘I’m just not satisfied with my drawing’, she said, ‘but I don’t know how to make it better.’

‘You should put it aside for a while then. Remember, never force yourself to draw.’

‘Yeah, you’re right’, said Wheein, placing her sketchbook on the coffee table. ‘I’m staying at the Ahn’s tonight, by the way.’

‘Are you having a pyjama party?’ her mum asked with a smirk.

‘Mum, we’re not kids anymore. It’s just a movie night.’

‘Hmm, it’s the same thing.’

‘Whatever you say,’ Wheein replied and stood up from the sofa. ‘I’m going to take a shower before leaving.’

Wheein reappeared in the living room thirty minutes later, with her backpack and a cap on her head.

‘Mum! I’m leaving!’

Her mother approached her, smiling a little too much in Wheein's opinion.

‘You seem very happy to go to the Ahns' lately,’ her mum said.

‘I’m always happy to go there.’

‘I know, but you seem even happier than usual. Is there a reason for that?’

‘Hmm… No,’ said Wheein hesitantly, not understanding where her mother was going with this.

‘It’s not because of the pretty girl you just drew?’

Wheein’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

‘What?’ she asked in disbelief.

‘Yongsun,’ replied her mum. ‘Don’t you think she’s pretty?’

‘I– Y- Yeah, she is but,’ Wheein stuttered before realising something. ‘Hey! You can’t look in my sketchbook without my permission!’

‘Honey,’ said her mum calmly, ‘You left it open on the coffee table, how do you expect me not to see it?’

Wheein cursed internally. She couldn’t deflect the conversation anymore.

‘So?’ asked her mum with a teasing smile.

‘It’s nothing like that, I just drew her yesterday, she kept the drawing so I tried to make another one.’

‘Since when do you draw people? I thought you didn’t like that.’

‘There are exceptions sometimes.’

‘Oh’, said her mum, raising her eyebrows, ‘so Yongsun is an exception.’

‘That’s not what I said!’

‘But that’s what you wanted to say.’

‘Ugh mum! You’re unbelievable!’ Wheein said with a sigh. ‘I’m leaving!’

She quickly left the house, no longer wanting to hear her mother's nonsense.

Wheein made a mental note to blame Hyejin.

It was her fault in the beginning if her mother was getting the wrong idea now.

The door of the Ahn’s house was open, and Wheein didn't even bother to knock before entering. There was no noise in the house, Wheein wondered if anyone was there. But when she arrived in the living room, she was welcomed by Hyejin, lying on the floor, arms and legs spread out in a starfish position."

‘What the are you doing?’ Wheein asked.

‘I’m trying to absorb the coolness. It’s way too hot.’

Hyejin raised her head a little to look at Wheein.

‘You should try it,’ she said, ‘the floor is cold, it’s really nice.’

Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea Wheein thought. She lay down on her stomach beside Hyejin.

‘Oh, yeah, it feels good,’ said Wheein.

‘Right?’ Hyejin replied. ‘I take my naps here now, it's too hot in my room.’

‘Fair enough.’

They both closed their eyes and began to rest there, on the floor. Wheein was about to fall asleep when she heard voices.

‘Do you think they’re dead?’

‘That would be nice, we would finally have some peace.’

‘ you Byul’, said Hyejin, eyes still closed.

Wheein raised her head et saw Byul and Yongsun, watching them from the door frame.

‘, they heard us,’ said Byul.

Hyejin raised herself on her elbows and pointed at Byul.

‘Don’t act surprised when I’m drowning you in the pool later.’

‘But seriously,’ said Yongsun, ‘why are you lying there?’

‘We’re hot and the floor is cold,’ Hyejin replied.

‘Come with us then, we're going for a swim.’

‘I’m a bit scared to let Hyejin come now,’ said Byul.

‘Oh, you should,’ said Hyejin, smirking.

In the end, Hyejin decided to sunbathe in her deckchair as usual, so Byul was floating peacefully in the water.

‘Hyejin’, said Yongsun suddenly, ‘Can you put some sunscreen on my back?’

‘Ask Wheein’, she replied, ‘I can’t move right now.’

Wheein was stunned by her friend, it was such a lame excuse.

She still approached Yongsun and grabbed the bottle of sunscreen.

‘Let me help you, I don't think you'll be able to make her do anything,’ she said nodding towards Hyejin.

‘Ah, thank you’, Yongsun said, before turning around so that her back was facing Wheein.

Wheein put some sunscreen on her hands and began to spread it on Yongsun's back, starting from her shoulders. Wheein remarked to herself that Yongsun's skin was very soft. She continued until she reached the lower back.

Wheein had seen Yongsun in a swimsuit every day lately, but she was still surprised by the slimness of her waist, now that she had her hands on it. In Wheein's eyes, Yongsun had always seemed tall and impressive (even though she was only a few centimetres taller than her) and yet, here, her body fit between her hands.

‘Ahem, Wheein?’ Yongsun said. ‘I think the cream has penetrated enough.’

‘Ah, Y-Yeah, sorry!’ Wheein turned red instantly.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize she had just been rubbing Yongsun's back for several minutes.

‘No worries,’ said Yongsun, before instantly leaving to join Bul.

‘Damn Whee,’ Hyejin said, ‘Give me your secret for scaring girls off like that.’

Wheein only response, was to throw the sunscreen bottle at her.

Wheein and Byul were in charge of finding a movie to watch while Yongsun and Hyejin were preparing snacks in the kitchen. But Wheein had been scrolling through films on the screen for ten minutes and Byul didn't like any of them.

‘Byul! Please just choose something!’, Wheein sighed.

‘Oh, I know!’ said Byul. ‘Why don't we watch a horror movie like we used to? It's been so long since we've done that.’

‘Okay,’ replied Wheein before handing the remote control to Byul. ‘But you pick the movie, I don't know much about horror movies.’

Wheein wasn’t a big fan of this kind of film. But it's true that when they were younger, the four of them used to watch a lot of them together. It would bring back memories.

Byul had just chosen the movie when Yongsun and Hyejin arrived. Hyejin immediately went to sit between Byul and Wheein, leaving only the seat next to Wheein free for Yongsun.

Byul turned to Hyejin, a smirk on her face.

‘I hope yo