It was Tuesday. 

Jongin still hadn’t gotten anything back from the jobs he’d applied for, to his eternal dismay. Kyungsoo had decided before the end of the school year that he wouldn’t be bothering with one. His parents already told him they were going to be paying for his University, and he’d saved up enough from all his previous summer jobs that he had no need for one this summer.

That was why they were currently out at the beach.

It wasn’t particularly crowded, but it wasn’t empty either. Quite a substantial amount of people were splashing about in the sea and tanning in the sun for a Tuesday afternoon. Kyungsoo reflected on that and wondered if it was a holiday he’d forgotten about. They always seemed to be cropping up.

I’m sure it’d be a lot more crowded than this if today were a holiday, though.

Jongin had ditched him nearly half an hour before. Kyungsoo wasn’t exactly surprised; he preferred to relax on the beach and just read, but Jongin wanted to go swim and flirt with anyone who got close enough.

Kyungsoo didn’t like that last part so much.

At the moment, Jongin had waded out so the water was waist-deep, and he was talking to some pretty girl in a bikini that showed off her curves. Kyungsoo felt jealousy clench deep in his stomach. Mad at himself, he turned his attention back to his book and tried his best not to let Jongin’s flirtatious nature get to him.

He had no right to be jealous. 

Jongin wasn’t his. He was his own person and he and Kyungsoo were just friends. Kyungsoo repeated that a few times in his head to make sure it sank in: just friends, just friends, just friends. It didn’t matter that he’d known Jongin all his life. It didn’t matter that he could still remember sleepovers at Jongin’s house and summers spent at the beach with their families. Jongin would only ever be his friend, and Kyungsoo understood that.

He was stupid to think it could ever be more.

Jongin was still talking to the bikini girl. She looked nice, but that didn’t make Kyungsoo feel any better. Jongin had on his trademark smirk and hooded eyes, and the girl was smiling, her cheeks lightly flushed. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if it was from the sun or Jongin or both.

When Jongin got like that—all smirks and flirtatious winks—Kyungsoo didn’t see Kim Jongin anymore. Jongin’s flirty side had always reminded him of the games they used to play when they were younger, running around pretending to be secret agents and making up codenames for each other: Kyungsoo was D.O, because of his last name, and Jongin had come up with the name Kai.

To this day, when Kyungsoo watched him switch from the soft, gentle, shy Kim Jongin he knew, he always imagined Kai taking his place instead.

“Kyungsoo?”

Jerked out of his thoughts, Kyungsoo looked up, blinking a little as he realized Jongin was standing in front of him. The younger male was silhouetted by the sun, gloriously pale and shirtless and dripping wet, and Kyungsoo felt his chest tighten.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Jongin smiled. “I was wondering if you were hungry? I brought some food.”

“Oh, yeah. I am.”

“Awesome.” Jongin sat down on the blanket next to Kyungsoo, forcing him to scoot over, and began rummaging around in the cooler he’d brought. Kyungsoo frowned and wondered where the bikini girl had gone. She was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s that girl you were talking to?”

Jongin looked up. “What?”

“That girl. You were talking to her over in the water just moments ago. What happened? Did you scare her away?”

“Nah. She just wasn’t my type.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. “It sure seemed like it.”

“How so?”

“You were being all flirty and , you know, the way you do when you spot y women.”

Jongin shook his head. “Not my type. She has a girlfriend.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo shrugged. “Don’t most guys get off on that sort of thing? You know, girl on girl stuff?”

“Well, seeing as I’m not really attracted to—” Jongin abruptly cut himself off, looking horrified.

“What?”

“I’m not really attracted ... to lesbians ... Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo gave him a weird look. “Are you okay?”

“Me? I’m fine.” Jongin coughed a few times. “I think I just, uh, need a drink. I’ll be right back.”

He left quickly, his back stiff and his shoulders tense, and Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. Okaaaay, that was weird. Honestly, though, Jongin was weird in general. Kyungsoo shrugged and decided not to think on it anymore as he went back to his book. 

It was really nice out. The sun was high above them, obscured occasionally by the few cumulus clouds floating lazily past it, and the sky mirrored the color of the sea below which was quite calm that day. Even the tide seemed to be taking its time washing in and out. Kyungsoo absently dug his toes in the sand as he continued to read, the sound of the sea’s gentle waves and the shouts and laughter of fellow beach-goers nothing more than relaxing background noise.

Jongin came back a little while later with two bottled sodas, one of which he offered to Kyungsoo. They munched on the chips and sandwiches Jongin brought in relative silence. Kyungsoo was too busy reading to try and make conversation, and Jongin seemed perfectly happy to just eat.

When they were done, Jongin cleaned up their trash and then stood, a wide, mischievous grin on his face. “Come swim with me,” he said.

Kyungsoo looked up from his book. “What?”

“You. Swim. With me. All you’ve done since we got here is read. Why not have some fun?”

“No thanks.”

“Oh, come on. You’re telling that me you put on sunscreen and swimming trunks but you’re not going to swim? That’s such a waste.”

Kyungsoo frowned. “You’re supposed to wait an hour after eating before getting back in the water.”

“That’s just an old wives’ tale. Come on, Kyungsoo. Please. Pleaaase. I want to swim with you!”

Jongin looked so cute in that moment, standing there pouting at him, and Kyungsoo felt an odd tightness in his chest as he realized that he couldn’t see Kai anywhere in Jongin’s eyes. This was just Jongin, pure and simple. The Kim Jongin who nudged Kyungsoo in class and asked for the snacks he knew Kyungsoo had in his backpack. The Kim Jongin who smiled at Kyungsoo in the mornings and fell asleep with his headphones on. The Kim Jongin who was so easily startled that he often hid behind Kyungsoo when anyone made a loud noise.

The Kim Jongin he had fallen hopelessly in love with.

“Okay,” he said finally, sighing as he putting his book aside, “Let’s go swimming.”

And Jongin’s resulting smile could’ve outshone the sun.

They swam for what felt like an eternity. By the time they got out of the water, the beach was mostly empty and the clock on Jongin’s phone said it was six o’clock. Waterlogged and covered in sand, they dried off as best they could and packed up their things, deciding to stop at a fast food restaraunt on the way home to get something to eat. 

“I’m never going to get a job,” Jongin said sadly as they walked. Neither of them had a car, but Kyungsoo had found that he didn’t mind walking. Mostly because it meant he could spend more time with Jongin.

“Don’t say that,” he berated, “I’m sure you’ll find one soon.”

“But I haven’t gotten any responses from any of the jobs I applied for. Not one!”

“Maybe you should try calling back?”

Jongin paused. “Do you think that’ll work?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

“... Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ve got nothing to lose.” He smiled, looking a little less worried than he had before. “Thanks, Soo.”

Kyungsoo smiled at the endearment. “You’re welcome.”

Since Kyungsoo’s house was closer, Jongin dropped him off first, saying they should all get together again that weekend and do something fun. Kyungsoo agreed and waved goodbye, his heart sinking a little as he watched Jongin’s silhouetted form recede into the distance.

His parents were sitting on the couch when he walked in, watching some TV show, and they both looked up as Kyungsoo entered.

“Did you have fun?” his mom asked.

“Yeah.” Kyungsoo thought back to his day, of sand and the sea and Jongin, and smiled. “Yeah, I did.”

He went to sleep not long later, exhausted from all the swimming he’d done. The bed felt unstable beneath him when he laid down, like a ship on a stormy sea, and Kyungsoo wished Jongin was there steady him.

a/n: short update, I know. But an update nonetheless!