For the next few days, Jihoon learns the basics of swimming from Seungcheol. The surfer even gets him a kickboard the day after that initial lesson, after Jihoon had told him about the little blue kickboard he’d used when he was ten on the way back home. This new kickboard is black and sleek and suits Jihoon’s size – but Jihoon can’t help but feel nostalgia for his blue one that can only fit a child.

Jihoon doesn’t see Soonyoung at all those days, even though they’re staying in the same house. The blond can only assume that his best friend is working on his vlog, but apart from that, he doesn’t know much, because he’s focusing on his swimming lessons with Seungcheol.

Jihoon barely gets used to seeing a shirtless Seungcheol every day - not that it plagues his mind every night when he’s about to go to sleep - but he trains his mind to concentrate on the lesson instead of his instructor. Eventually he gets comfortable with taking his own shirt off during swimming lessons, partly because he finds it troublesome to hang up his damp wetsuit to dry every night. The first time he did that, Seungcheol choked on some orange juice that Teddy had prepared; probably because he’d thought that he’d seen a ghost out in broad daylight.

Yes, Jihoon is pale, thanks to his day job of sitting at a desk all day (though his milky white skin is the envy of the ladies at work – and he doesn’t use makeup!). He’s not as toned as Seungcheol is, so he’s glad for the refraction of the water to somewhat hide his little tummy that juts a teeny bit out of the waistline of his swimming trunks.

Jihoon’s learnt more in three days of lessons with Seungcheol compared to that summer of swimming when he was younger. At least Seungcheol has given up on stuffing him into those colourful floaties of his – it’s even more work trying to inflate and deflate them, even with Teddy’s help – and Jihoon is now transitioning to swimming freely without his kickboard. He learns to trust himself more, knowing that he’d float in water if he doesn’t focus on drowning. Seungcheol had drilled it into him numerous times that humans have natural buoyancy in water, and by the end of the third day, Jihoon can freely tread water in the shallow end of the pool without his toes touching the swimming pool floor. Seungcheol also shows him the basic swimming , which he practices at the shallow end, tiptoeing on the swimming pool floor for security.

Seungcheol’s turning out to be a really patient teacher, as he did when he taught Jihoon surfing. He’d gotten Jihoon to be comfortable in the water, making the blond practice holding his breath, while he makes funny faces at him underwater. Jihoon shows steady progress each day, and Seungcheol’s quite proud of that – the blond can now swim around the deeper end (on his kickboard) without much hesitation, given that he’s around to supervise. He’d never let Jihoon out of his sight, not after the whole drowning debacle out on the ocean a few days ago.

Seungcheol thinks that Jihoon looks really cute splashing around in the water with his kickboard, and tries to imagine a baby Jihoon doing the same. He’s been having tons of fun these few days, and he hopes Jihoon feels the same too. It’s becoming a routine – they’d swim in the mornings, followed by lunch served by Teddy the butler, followed by some downtime in the airy sitting room, listening to music or playing video games on the game console (they’re both incredibly competitive, and sometimes invite Teddy to play along). Finally, Seungcheol sends Jihoon home after an early dinner in town.

Routine is good, and routine is safe. Routine is comfortable, and it becomes predictable; though Seungcheol learns little bits of new things about Jihoon that surprise him every day.

“You’re a really fast learner, Jihoonie.” Seungcheol says one evening as he sends Jihoon back after having Chinese food for dinner.

Jihoon shrugs, smirking proudly. “Nah, my instructor’s really good.”

“Do you want to get back to surfing after you’re done with Swimming 101?”

Jihoon thinks for a while. He remembers the determined look on Seungcheol’s face when he’d been out there in the ocean, waiting to catch a wave. Seungcheol’s still a surfer at heart, and he misses the rolling blue Pacific waves; and Jihoon was here to surf in the first place (despite lack of experience in the swimming department, not to mention, it was a sudden suggestion brought upon him by Soonyoung). 

“Maybe a little more time.” Jihoon says with a low voice, casting his glance outside. The streetlights are already blinking on, as the sky gradually turns into a royal blue, a silhouette of the moon appearing. Through the stereo, British singer Adele hits a powerful high note.

“No worries, I guess.” Seungcheol turns his attention to the road.

“I’ve really got to thank Joshua for letting us use his pool.” Jihoon says after an empty beat. He’s curious to know more about Joshua – Seungcheol’s described him a couple of times, with polite interjections from Teddy – and he seems like a genuinely nice person.

“He doesn’t mind, really, ‘cause he’s too busy playing doctor. And Teddy, he’s just doing his job.” The surfer say