Chapter One

[First met I]

I

It is a sunny evening and the summer season making the weather feels even warmer. Jong-in lying down on the floor and the air-conditioner trying to discard the heat from the room.

His mom went off to work in the morning and won’t be back by late night and his mom has told him to settle the dinner by himself, either taking out the kimchi and vegetables in the fridge to make him-self a bibimbbap or eat outside. Lays down W50,000 on the table by his mom as his pocket money for tonight’s dinner.

As the time ticking that also can be heard in his silent room, he stands up and packs up his stuff into a sling-bag. Wearing his waterproof watch, and holding the goggle in his hand, he gets out from the house and walks to the swimming pool nearby.

Once he reached to the swimming-pool and putting his stuff down on a chair, Jong-in throws himself into the pool after taking off his tank-top and shorts, relaxing and enjoying his time on a warm and sunny evening. The pool is empty with living beings and he swims freely in a wide pool filled with crystal-clear baby blue water that people would mistaken him as the charming prince of the sea.

As the sun setting down for a bit, a young man comes, taking off all of his clothes left with a  dark blue in colour square leg- swimsuit wearing on his body, he walks into the shower to rinse his body before going in to the pool. Jong-in did not notice anyone appears and he swims like he is in his own world.

The man starts warming up his body in the pool while Jong-in is closing by, and his elbow accidentally knocked on Jong-in’s shoulder when he tries to turn 180degree to the right, which let Jong-in stops from swimming.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!”, said the man.

Jong-in got up from below the water, “Ahh, No. You don’t have to. It’s my bad for not knowing that there’s someone in the pool”, Jong-in replied.  “It was empty before”, He continues.

The young man keeps on apologising and saying it was his fault for not paying attention on people in the pool and Jong-in felt so uncomfortable by receiving apologies from him. He stopped him from feeling guilty saying,

“Hey hey hey, It’s okay. No worries. I’m not hurt, all right?”, Jong-in smiles and pats on the young-man’s shoulder, twice. He was calmed after Jong-in pats on his shoulder.

 Out of curiosity, Jong-in then asked him,

“What’s your name?”

The young man looked up to his face with watery-looking eye, but not crying, and replies him;

“Taemin, Lee Taemin.”

“I’m Kim Jong-in”, replies Jongin, smiled.

The brightness of the sun shooting from high above, stood them both in the middle of the pool.

II

 “Do you live here?”, asked Jong-in whether if he’s living in the same housing area.

“Yeah, in Row C.” Taemin replied.

Their housing area was separated into rows, and Jong-in is living in Row B, which is back to back with Taemin’s housing.

“Really? No wonder I’ve never see you around. I’m staying behind your housing-row. Did you just move in here?”, the curious Jong-in continues asking Taemin with questions.

“Yeah, I moved here last few months. By the way, I never see  you coming to the pool before.” expressed him.

“Ahh, I just got back from London yesterday night” Jong-in replied.

Taemin was surprised, “jin-ja? Woahh. That is so cool!”

Sitting at the side of the pool, they both continue chatters until the sun is fully set down and the stand-light starting to light up one by one.

 “Ahh… It’s getting late. I should get home now”, said Taemin and looking up to the sky, stopped their conversation topic.

Taemin smiled and stood-up, getting out from the side pool and walks to the chair where he puts his clothes on. Jong-in’s heart suddenly beating in quite a pace, and he spurt out;

 “I’ll walk you home, Taemin”.

He turned to Jong-in, “ah, all right.”

Jong-in wears back his tank-top and shorts, taking his bag up and walk along with him.

Both of them were silent during the way back. Both then turned their head to look at each other at the same time, and only the small laughter breaks the cold.  The way is getting shorter as they get nearer to Taemin's house.

Footsteps stopped when the both of them were in-front of Kyung-soo’s house. The house seems dark and light was not , looking like there’s no one at home.

“No one’s home?”, Jong-in asked Taemin after looking at house being so dark with no lights.

“My parents are working till late night.”, Taemin replied, looking down at the keys he is holding. Jong-in then asked Taemin if he wants to join him for dinner tonight. Without hesitation, Taemin accepts the invite, and a smile is craft on his face.

III

They walk to Jong-in house to take the money that was left on the table by his mom. Jong-in opens the door and went inside while Taemin waited him out in front of the door. He took the money and closes the door, walk them both to the shop-lots nearby their housing area.

“what do you feel like eating today?”, Jong-in asked Taemin whom’s walking quietly the whole way from Jong-in house.

“simple would be fine.”, He replied and Jong-in thinks of having gimbap