“I am such a terrible person!” Seohyun mumbled into her oversized teacup. It was evening and the girls used their freetime to relax in what acted as their meeting-room. There were several sofas, shelves, a whiteboard and a kitchenette. The boys had their own room, so they could use it in their freetime just how they wanted.

She shook her head about herself from time to time, just when Yuri came crashing into the room. She didn’t care about the fact that the door nearly smashed one of the girls who tried to exit the room at the same time. She sweared at her, but Yuri ignored her persistently. “Seo, I need some background!” She announced loudly and let herself fall down onto the couch next to Yoona. Seohyun still kept shaking her head.

“I’m a terrible person, Yuri-sshi!” She whined again, as she looked up. Yuri furrowed her eyebrows.

“What’s with the sudden formals?” Seohyun didn’t answer so Yuri looked at Yoona, mouthing what had happened. Yoona shook her head.

“She was like this when I arrived. Something about-“

“I’m the reason Chansung-sshi got an ice shower.” Seohyun suddenly explained, her gaze distant, leaving Yoona and Yuri looking at each other in amusement. “He probably hates me now.” She digged into her cup again. "He most likely hates me now!"

“I don’t think anyone can hate you. You’re like everyone’s little sister.” Yuri reassured, a sudden smile spreading on her lips. “But just in case he did ... would you care?”

“Of course!” Seohyun blurted out, almost spelling her cup, making Yuri grin even wider. “I like him.”

“As in…?”

“As in I like you. Or Yoona.”

“Or the rest of the world. You just like people too quickly.” Yuri stepped in, making Yoona laugh and Seohyun snap. She leaned in closer to the Im and whispered a “That way she’ll never get a boyfriend” to her. Too loud for Seo’s sharp ears though.

“That’s not true! I can be mature! And just so you know, I don’t like everybody immediately.”

“Tell me a single boy you don’t like then.“ Yuri asked, victoriously crossing her arms in front of her chest, as Seohyun seemed to think for a while.

“The chief!”

„That doesn’t even count.“

„Whatever.“ Seohyun avoided her gaze blushing. „You said you needed some background, didn’t you?“ She tried to change the subject to the reason Yuri got here in the first place. “Who for?”

“I don’t know the name.” Yuri admitted. Sheesh! She didn’t even ask his name! “The eye-candy from today’s morning.”

“You mean Taecyeon?”

“Mwoh?” Yoona blurted out when she heard is name before she could stop herself. Embarrassed, she covered with her hand. But the girls were already looking at her knowingly. Thankfully, Yuri cut it out.

“Pabo. You already told us his life story.”  She said, cautiously keeping an eye on Yoona, who seemed pretty relieved. “And I’m loyal enough to back away from a guy, because my friend is into him.” She added with a grin.

“I told you already I’m not.” Yoona snapped back.

“Come on! A Kwon Yuri knows when you’re into someone.” She smiled victorious when Yoona crossed her arms and pouted instead of denying it any further. “I don’t date guys prettier than me anyway.” She mumbled fiddling with her hair, as Seohyun rolled her eyes. “So, the sunny boy, tell me about him.”

“You mean the blonde one? That’s Nichkhun. But don’t ask me about his surname.” Seohyun seemed to think for a moment. "Something about overseas." Yoona watched her disbelievingly.

“Don’t tell me she knows everything about everyone by heart.”

“Sssh. The living encyclopedia is thinking.” Yuri shooed her and grinned at her with a nod. Just then, Seohyun spoke up.

“I think he’s friends with Taecyeon. They graduated from the same school in Busan, he was like the second best in mostly everything after his friend. His father is CEO of a big television firm or something like that, but there isn’t much to know about his parents, since they themselves keep out of the media. He seems to be a workaholic though. They even have a yacht, but I doubt they have time to use it…”

“Girlfriend?” Yuri asked.

“None that I know of from official sources.” Seohyun answered shrugging.

“Perfect.” Yuri declared. Yoona shook her head laughing at the girls, before she finished her tea, stood up and scoped her already packed back off the flor.

“Oi, Yoona.” Yuri looked at her questioning. “Sneaking out again?” She froze.

“Yes. I’m leaving first. See you later.”

“Rather tomorrow I think.” Yuri mumbled, watching her leave in a hurry. “Seriously, what is this girl doing every night?”

// ~ ~ ~ //

Yoona greeted a few of the girls she passed on her way out. She was heading to work, again. Luckily, she found a secret way out the academy yesterday. The wooden fence near the bay of the area was low enough to climb over it, if you had something to trip on. Most likely because it was merely to screen it from outer viewers, not from preventing someone to break out. She passed the entrance to the guys dorm and considered to be save already as she took the last corner, when suddenly a figure appeared in front of her. She couldn’t help but let out a scared scream when she saw the chest of a guy, only covered by a towel – who apparently screamed as high-pitched as her. They fell silent simultaneously, looking at each other confused.

“Mianhe!” They both declared and fell silent again, before he spoke up.

“I thought you were some sea-mons- well, forget it.” He cut it off, thinking about how ridiculous that must sound just in time. By a closer look Yoona could see him shivering heavily, his arms were crossed around his torso, his hairtips frozen. He looked as if he just came out the freezer. “What are you doing in the guys-corner anyway?”

 “I-I just...”, she stumbled, lost for words. He furrowed his brow confused, just when they heard a dark voice back from the dorm.

“Chansung-hyung! Where are you, you pabo?” Chansung turned around to tell Nichkhun – obviously, because only his voice could echo through the whole area – that he was coming. Just when he turned back, the girl had vanished. Dazzled he scratched his head only to notice his partly frozen hair. Immediately he remembered that he was ing cold! “Aish! Warm shower, I’m coming!” He nearly tripped over the end of his towel when he ran in the direction of the dorms.

Yoona let out a sigh and came out of her hideout behind one of the rocks. Despite the fact that she was nearly found out, she couldn’t help but grin. “So this is the guy Seo was talking about… Seems to match her.”

// ~ ~ ~ // 

A piercing whistle echoed across the swimming area early in the morning, where the boys competed in thrilling heat. The goal was a simple flag, floating on a buoy in the middle of the bay. They had to fight against the stream and soon the strongest ones emerged from the others with a great distance. Taecyeon was up front, powerful causing him to gain the lead. Nichkhun was only an arm-length behind with nearly the same amount of energy in every pull he made, while Chansung seemed to take a completely different route than the boys to the left.

The chief whistled again when Taecyeon hit the buoy and ended the race. The girls, who were watching interested from the side whistled impressed.  “Taecyeon, good! You’re first- again.” He called him, when the other boys reached the finishing line. “Seems like the rest of you need more training. Some of you looked like they were drowning out there.” He growled, when he spotted Chansung, trying to free his vision from his long hair that hung directly into his face. “Chansung!” He called out sharp.

The dark haired boy flipped his long hair up just in time to face him with a questioning look. “Yes, chief!”

“What do you think you were doing that far to the left?”

“Uhm-“ He sensed everyone’s eyes on him, leaving him dazzled for a second. “The waves seemed lower there. And the hyungs kept splashing in my face. I just didn’t want to use so much energy.” He told the truth, but noticed later on that that was enough for the chief to scold him. He closed his eyes, awaiting the thunderstorm to start.

“Good.” He opened them again, confused. “You saved your strength. This is one of the first rules you have to learn out there. If you run out of strength, it will not only be impossible to safe the victim, but you are at risk to drown, too. It may seem like it to some of you, but life is not about competition. Being a lifeguard is not about competition either. So rather than pushing yourself through the strong tide when you don’t have the strength, you will lose out there, and you will lose here.” He looked at Nichkhun longer than anybody else. “Class dismissed!”

Nichkhun sent his fists splashing into the water in fury. Taecyeon watched from afar, a sympathetic look on his face, when Chansung approached him.

“Hyung, chill. It’s not like you came in last.” He flinched, when Nichkhun spun his head around to glare at him with an expression he had never seen on the blonde boy before.

“You don’t understand, do you? For me, second is worth nothing. I could’ve come in last just as well.” He growled at him, before stomping off to the beach.

Confused, Chansung turned to Taecyeon, shrugging his shoulders. “Did I just do something?”

“Just leave him be.” Taecyeon insisted, knowing this side of his hyung all too well. “He will get himself together again.”

Nichkhun got out of the water angrily on the other end of the bay. He stormed off towards the dorm-area, when a figure stepped in his way. He didn’t look up, nearly pushing her over, as he brushed past her.

“Nice one, sunny boy. You nearly had him.”, the voice caused him to stop in his tracks, his fists clenched to hide his anger.

“I nearly-?” He looked up and saw her smiling at him, recognition flickering across his face. The girl from yesterday.

“Yuri.” She introduced herself with her hands on her bare hips and answered his unspoken question. “Before we run past each other again, without knowing the name of-“

“I'm sorry, but I need to go train.” He interrupted her sincere, leaving a more than confused Yuri behind, as he dashed off.
Yuri watched him leave in disbelief. “What the hell just happened?”

Meanwhile Yoona strolled over the beach barefoot. She told herself that she was totally not looking for a certain person in the crowd while most of the girls used the just ended race to start flirting with the guys heavily. She sat down on one of the lounge chairs, just when she caught Taecyeon being swarmed by three girls simultaneously. She just rolled her eyes, when she caught one of the girls leaning in closely and whispering something into his ear. He began to laugh and gestured back. Yoona bowed her head, stood up and turned away, taken aback somehow.

But she should’ve known, didn’t she? Of course he would flirt. How could she even think she was the only one he was interested in? And even if… it was not that she would care, would she? She let out a heavy sigh, unsure about what to think of her own thoughts, just when a figure shoved herself in front of her. She flinched, when she realized it was Chansung, the one she nearly bumped into yesterday.

“Hey again.” He started and Yoona narrowed her brows, unsure where this was going. She looked for a way to escape, but he was too focused on her for that.

“H-Hey.” She replied hesitantly. She smiled as she got an idea. If he could make her feel like this, then couldn’t she, too? If she signaled him that she was interested in someone else, maybe he would leave her be for good.

“So... You were pretty off your way yesterday. You wouldn’t do anything sneaky, would you?” He asked her curious about what she did last night. Yoona swallowed hard. 'Make something up!' her mind screamed, just as told him the first thing she could think of.

“I was- on my way to the bay.” Well, that was at least half of the truth. He gave her a what-the--look and she smiled reassuring. “Take a swim without anyone noticing…“ She tried further. He gave her an aha-look and she breathed out relieved. 'Now he is one to fool easily.' She wondered.

“Don’t tell me you practice outside the training, too.” She looked at her feet, as he watched her unbelievingly. “You do?!”

“Uhm...yes.” She answered in a low voice. She didn’t want anyone else to hear their conversation. But Chansung was way too loud. She could feel the well-known look behind her back.

“Wow. You have to teach me your determination someday.” He laughed, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“I’ve been asked that already.” She mumbled and bowed her head, blushing slightly. “But, could you please keep it a secret? I don’t want the chief or some of the others to get a wrong idea…”

He looked at her, before he scratched his hair. “Aish. He’s really tough isn’t he? Your secret’s safe with me.” He smiled reassuringly at her and Yoona nodded.

She turned her head around secretly, only to see Taecyeon bow his head and leave the scene. Judging from the look on his face he watched the scene from afar.

Her plan worked. That was the point where she should feel relieved, shouldn’t she? But somehow she couldn’t help but feel hurt deep inside…

'Im Yoona, what’s wrong with you?'

Splash Corner

I watched some 2pm videos the other day and realized that my characters are somehow totally OOC. I mean, Nichkhun describing himself as shy? Noooo way! :D (Sorry oppa!) So, you just have to stick with the more outgoing Khun im my way ^^° Anyway... he seems to have some trouble getting in second, doesn't he? And can Chansung really keep a secret? What do you think? Hope you enjoyed reading! 

~KY