He laughed loudly as you jumped up and down in excitement. It wasn’t often he had the time to take you to the beach, and you could barely contain your enthusiasm. As soon as your feet hit the warm sand, you ran towards the sparkling ocean, practically throwing your bag at your boyfriend. Catching it deftly, he ran behind you and picked you up quickly, threatening to throw you in the water. You laughed, squirming from his grasp and running back to the sand, sticking out your tongue.

After a few minutes, other people began to arrive at the beach, setting up towels and umbrellas near you. The sun was climbing high in the bright sky, and you decided it was time to swim. Standing up from the towel and removing your t-shirt, you blushed when you saw the expression on your boyfriend’s face. It wasn’t often that he saw you in a swimsuit, but he made no effort to hide his obvious scanning of your body with his dark eyes.

“Yah. Don’t be so obvious,” you said, laughing uncomfortably. He laughed too, but ceased abruptly when he turned his head towards the people to the left of you two. You shrugged in confusion, and started towards the water. Meanwhile, your boyfriend glared in annoyance at the men nearby, obviously checking you out as you scampered to the ocean.

The cold water was a shock to your sensitive feet, and you squealed in surprise before running back to your boyfriend, laughing and smiling. When you sat down beside him, he offered you your shirt and gestured for you to put it on. You stared at him with a confused expression.

“Why? It’s too hot! I don’t want to.” You were slightly annoyed with him for suggesting, and couldn’t pinpoint the source of his tension. He gave up the effort quickly, not wanting to start a fight over something trivial.  The two of you enjoyed your day together, splashing in the chilly water and relaxing on your towel.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said as you lay next to him, standing up and walking to the bathrooms. You nodded, closing your eyes and leaning back. Not long after, you heard footsteps approaching you in the sand.

“Hey, I’m Jangsu.” Sitting up, you looked into the eyes of one of the boys who were sitting a few feet away. You smiled politely and scanned the beach for your boyfriend, not noticing the complete look-over Jangsu was giving you in the process.

You saw your boyfriend walking back, and waved to him enthusiastically. Jangsu looked annoyed, but you didn’t notice. Once again, you grabbed your boyfriend’s hand and dragged him towards the water.

“One second. Let me grab something,” he said, smiling kindly. You focused your attention on the sand as you waited, unaware of the situation behind you.

Your boyfriend leaned closely to Jangsu as he stared at you from behind.

“I think you should leave, if you know what’s good for you.” His wide grin was impossible to mistake as friendliness when paired with the anger simmering in his stare. Startled, the unwanted guest left and gathered his things awkwardly, walking away with his friends.

Feeling more at ease, your boyfriend ran quickly behind you and chased you towards the ocean. You gasped as the cold water splashed at your waist, tackling your boyfriend in an effort to escape the waves. He laughed, pulling you down with him and splashing you ruthlessly.

The day passed quickly, and soon the light became hazy and golden with the onset of evening. He wrapped his arms around your bare waist, kissing your cheek lazily as the two of you stood upright, gentle waves washing over the tops of your feet.