“Ahh~ this summer vacation will be fun!” Wonyoung exclaimed happily, taking a deep breath, fresh air filling up her lungs and the smell of the sea invading her smelling senses.

 

Sakura chuckled, nodding along in agreement as she walked over to the tall woman, joining her in staring at the beautiful scenery in front of them. Their eyes sparkle along the glimmering blue clear water.

 

“Minjoo-unnie!”

 

The pink haired woman stopped unpacking and looked up when she heard someone calling for her, it was Wonyoung who called her. She hummed, giving her friend a curious look. The younger then gestured for her to come with them, to join them admire the beautiful view of the beach of Jeju-do.

 

Minjoo smiled, walking to the balcony where her friends are at and also scanned the wonderful view, she can feel her chest warming. It’s been almost four years since she ever visited Jeju, and this beach rest house of them, she really missed going here whenever it’s summer vacation— she stopped visiting ever since she stepped in high-school, finding traveling into different countries more interesting and exciting than going back here at the beach to spend her summer break.

 

Her heart dropped, feeling herself getting guilty over not visiting for a long time. This place is very important to her, she has a lot of childhood memories back here. Somehow, lots of emotions and feelings are starting to attack her. She should’ve visited again sooner. Oh, how she missed the mesmerizing beach of Jeju-do. She used to come here with Sakura and Wonyoung too when they were younger, and it’s a very great idea that they decided to spend their two-months long summer vacation here since this place is very perfect for them to relax, unwind, and have fun since it’s very peaceful and they are free here.

 

They are not the only ones in this house, the housekeepers somewhat live here too but they have no problem with that— they knew them ever since they were still little and Minjoo literally treats the Jo’s as her family too. The Jo’s are very kind and loyal, they’ve been serving the Kim’s for almost two decades now so they are comfortable with them.

 

Speaking of the Jo’s, it’s been also a while since they ever met again. Their reunion earlier was full of tears, but happy tears, especially Minjoo who’s a whole softie, she shed a lot of tears that Mrs. Jo, and the Jo’s one and only daughter, Yuri who’s also their childhood friend, needed to comfort her until she calmed down.

 

“Waa~ I missed this place a lot,” Sakura said, pouting as she snapped some few pictures of the view.

 

Minjoo scrunched her face up. “Me too. I really missed this place~ It’s one of my favorite places in the world, to be honest.” She muttered, looking down and saw the rest house’s backyard with a pool. “I’m glad this place didn’t change that much at all. Still so beautiful. There’s some few renovations around the house but it’s still the same infamous Kim’s Beach Rest House.” She added and chuckled.

 

Wonyoung nodded furiously, agreeing before turning back to the view, brushing off the stray hair that’s blocking her face, the breeze is a little bit harsh but just enough. “You know, I think we would really enjoy this summer vacation!” She said. “Especially that I already learned how to swim.” She added making the two burst out into a pit of giggles making her pout.

 

Sakura pinched the taller’s cheeks, finding her cute. “Don’t worry, I’m here by your side anyway. I can always save you from drowning,” She said, making Wonyoung blush furiously.

 

Slowly, a smile curved up into Minjoo’s lips, watching two of her best friends sweetly interact in front of her. She knew that there’s something going on between them, she’s just waiting patiently for them to announce it to her. She’s not bitter at all, she doesn’t mind if her two best friends date each other— she wouldn’t feel left out at all. Minjoo also had a hunch that it’s the exact same reason why Sakura and Wonyoung refuse to date, they are scared that their best friend would feel left out.

 

Minjoo is already trying to give them subtle hints that she wouldn’t mind though.

 

“Anyway, unnie,” The youngest called out, breaking her from her trance. The pink haired woman hummed as a response. “Can I always visit your room? This is the only room that has a balcony and has a great view of the sea.” She said, and Minjoo laughed, nodding.

 

“I don’t mind that,” She said, reminiscing how she begged her parents if they could switch bedrooms since she really liked this room instead of her original since it has a spacy balcony and the view of the beach can be perfectly seen here.

 

Wonyoung yelped, jumping into Minjoo and they all giggled.

 

“Anyway,” Sakura started, earning their both attention. “Should we really go out today? I’m still not in the mood though because of jetlag,” She added making Wonyoung pout but she nodded understandingly.

 

“Hmm, we should really rest first. You guys could go now to your shared room and unpack then rest. I’ll ask Yuri to wake us up the moment the dinner is prepared.” Minjoo said, and the two nodded, bidding goodbye to the pink haired woman and went to their room to get some rest.

 

Minjoo looked back at the scenery, taking a lungful of fresh air. The smell of the sea hits her, and it’s calming. The whole place is so peaceful and quiet that it’s making Minjoo’s nerves relax in an instant. This past month is a torture, a pure hell for her since it was final semester which means, tons of workloads.

 

This two-months summer vacation is well-deserved for them to relax after those sleepless nights cramming their home works, projects, reports, and a lot more. Minjoo won’t read 89 pages about drugs and other types of medicines in one sitting. Fun to be a med student.

 

She then smiled at herself again, proud of herself and praising herself for surviving another school year. After that, she went back downstairs to ask Yuri about waking them up later at dinner and of course, she stayed around for an hour to catch up with her friend and Mrs. Jo until her eyes couldn’t take it anymore and excused herself to her room and get some short rest.

 

—

 

Minjoo stifled a yawn, stretching her stiff joints and muscles. She fluttered her eyes close, feeling the morning breeze hit her exposed skin. She shivered a bit, but she liked it nonetheless.

 

It’s just 6 in the morning but the pink haired woman is already anticipating what will happen later since they have plans to swim on the beach after they eat their lunch. Waking up early is normal for her, she’s an early bird after all, but she’s never this excited. She’s not waking up to attend school but to have fun.

 

When she opened her eyes, the view of the beach and sun slowly rising up from the horizon greeted her, it’s still a little bit dim but slowly, it’s getting brighter and brighter since the sun is already waking up. She turned her phone on and snapped a few pictures of the very nice sunrise then a soft ringing of the doorbell downstairs caught her attention but she shrugged it off since as far as she knows, it’s not the sound of the doorbell from the main door yesterday.

 

Something caught her eyes from below, so she looked down. She spotted Yuri skipping along the pathway beside the pool, walking towards the door that leads them towards the beach and opened it. Minjoo’s brows arched when an unfamiliar figure stepped inside.

 

She scanned the stranger from the balcony and watched their interaction since she can’t hear them.

 

The stranger is a woman who has this eye-catching blue hair (which Minjoo found amusing since it’s not common to see a person who has dyed their hair blue on a daily basis), arguably tall and has a slender figure— her skin is also beautifully tanned. She’s holding a basket full of— looks like, fishes?

 

She squinted her eyes, trying to see the newcomer’s face but she can’t clearly see it, why is she even trying? She has a bad eye sight for goodness sake and she’s not wearing any contacts or glasses to enhance her vision. She can tell that she’s good looking though, she doesn’t know why but the stranger’s whole-being already appeals to Minjoo so much. Her back and exposed toned legs are attractive enough to catch people’s attention.

 

Soon after, the stranger gave Yuri the basket and waved a farewell before going back outside. Yuri closed the door and walked back towards the house, not forgetting to wave at Minjoo when she noticed her at the balcony. Minjoo also waved back and smiled, watching the latter disappear, entering the house.

 

The pink haired woman took one last lungful of fresh air before walking back inside her room, still a little bit curious but she still has many more things to think of than that tall stranger with eye-catching blue hair.

 

—

 

Minjoo took a step, feeling her feet sinking into the hot sand. She lets out a soft yelp when she feels her feet burning but not enough to make her jump away. She looked at Wonyoung who’s running to the shore already, obviously excited and even hopping while Sakura ran after her, tackling her to the sand.

 

It’s nothing new, they are very energetic and chaotic. Minjoo laughed, also ascending her speed to reach them quickly before pushing Sakura, stumbling backwards before landing on the hot sand with a soft ‘oof’. Wonyoung grabbed the pink haired woman’s wrist, tugging her harshly until she kneeled down beside the lying bunny and laughed.

 

Yuri went over to them with a giggle, watching them play on the sand like they were five-year-old children.

 

“Sorry to interrupt you guys but can someone please go with me to get the floaters?” The woman asked and Minjoo immediately went into her feet, walking over to Yuri with a gentle smile.

 

“I’ll go with you, Yuri-ah,” She said before turning to the two who’s still on the sand, looking at them. “We’ll be back soon. Don’t go to the water yet!” She added before following Yuri.

 

They reached the main part of the beach, a lot of people are huddling around— eating, taking pictures— they are just all over the place. Minjoo fixed her thin blazer, trying to cover her exposed skin. She can already feel predatory gazes over her and it’s making her uncomfortable already. Her pink hair is already eye-catching enough.

 

“Stay here and wait for me,” Yuri said before jogging towards a stall, leaving Minjoo alone there, avoiding making eye contact with people and just focused on her phone. Hopefully, no one would bother her— she’s not in the mood to talk. She’s wearing a white crop top and thin blazer to cover the exposed skin and jean shorts, she’s wearing something very decent but those men that are staring at her are still making her feel uncomfortable with her chosen outfit. Ugh, men.

 

But it seems like God really hated her, three guys walked over to her and by the looks of it, they really have a purpose, not a good one.

 

“Hi there, are you a tourist?” The one who has a lip piercing asked, his smile is friendly but Minjoo knew that it’s just a mask, she very well knew what they wanted from her.

 

With a defeated look, Minjoo answered, glancing briefly at them before looking at her phone again. “Well, you could say that,” She plainly answered, bored and plain making the three catch off guard.

 

“Uhm, we’re just wondering if it’s okay to invite you over to our party. We have a rest house nearby. You can bring your friends too,” The blonde one said, trying to appeal her but there’s no such effect on the pink haired woman.

 

“Ahh, no, sorry, I’m not fond of parties or whatsoever.” Minjoo politely declined.

 

But it seems like they don’t have any slightest idea of leaving her for a meanwhile even though she’s showing an attitude. It’s not new to Minjoo, she already shoved countless men trying to hit up on her but of course, there are some few stubborn ones that she had to use threats.

 

“Oh, what a bummer. Can we just have your name and number? We just wanted to make friends with you, come on, don’t be shy.” The shirtless guy said, his voice is a little bit impatient. Minjoo rolled her eyes, she should’ve followed Yuri rather than just waited here when there’s a lot of predators and creepy weirdos ogling at her. She can already feel annoyance rising on top of her head.

 

She was about to snap when she heard a voice from behind.

 

“Back off, you guys can clearly see how uncomfortable the lady is with y’alls presence.” It’s a husky yet feminine voice.

 

All of them looked at where the voice came from and Minjoo could feel her heart skipped a bit when she saw a very familiar stranger trying to save her from those men.

 

Her eyes widened when she saw that blue hair, this woman right here is definitely the one from earlier.

 

The blue haired woman walked over beside Minjoo, her eyes set on those three guys who’re looking at her with annoyance. “It’s none of your business, why do you keep doing this whenever we try to talk with girls?” One of them asked, scoffing. Minjoo just silently stared at her savior beside her, scanning her.

 

She has a sharp chiseled jaw, proud nose, wide yet attractive chestnut eyes, and plump lips. Minjoo can feel her pupils shook a bit as she watched droplets of water drip off from her chin. The stranger is wearing a fitted black rash guard that perfectly shows her broad yet slim body then blue beach shorts and she’s barefooted, bits of white sand covering her feet up to her legs. The pink haired woman’s eyes lit up into curiosity when she saw that the stranger is holding a white-blue surfboard, it’s placed between her side and arm, and her hand is supporting the weight.

 

“Look, I know you guys are up into something bad. I’ll definitely tell this to your father, Chan.” The blue haired woman threatened and Minjoo is in awe how the guys froze.

 

“God damn you, you lil’ . I’ll seriously beat you up.” The blonde one said, probably Chan, fuming.

 

The stranger smirked, shrugging. “Try me.” She challenged but they just glared at the woman before taking a step backwards, giving her a look.

 

“We’ll get you someday, arrogant witch.” And with that, the three of them walked away with furious expressions.

 

Minjoo heard the blue haired woman snorted and looked at her, worried. “Are you okay? They didn’t touch you or anything, right?” She asked.

 

Minjoo blinked before composing herself. “Ahh, no, I was about to straightforwardly reject their offer and go away when you suddenly appeared,” She retorted plainly.

 

Her chest warms when the stranger pouted, she found it very cute and endearing but she immediately shook off the thoughts. “Not even a thank you because I saved you from those men?” She sulked.

 

The pink haired girl rolled her eyes, she doesn’t know why but her attitude is showing. “I’m capable of saving myself from men.” She answered instead, making eye-contact with the stranger.

 

Then, Yuri suddenly appeared, holding big floaters. “Minjoo!” She called, making their intense eye-contact break, looking at the running hamster approaching them. “Oh gosh, those s are seriously the worst!” She exclaimed, dropping the floaters and letting out a relieved sigh before turning to the tall woman.

 

“Yujin,” Yuri called. “Thank you so much, god, those bastards won’t really leave women alone!” She added, shaking her head.

 

Yujin chuckled, shrugging. “They really wouldn’t stop, I should really slap them with my surfboard sometimes,” She said before turning to the pink haired woman who’s just silently looking at her before tilting her head a bit. “You should be careful and alert, there’s a lot of creeps and weirdos right here that you might not shove away with harsh words. They love to target women with pretty faces so watch out, lady.” She softly said to Minjoo, giving her a pointed look before turning again to Yuri.

 

“I’ll be going now since there’s some clients. See you around, Yuri, and Minjoo-ssi,” The blue haired woman bid farewell and walked away, leaving the hamster and the flustered Minjoo.

 

“Phew! Good thing Yujin is around!” Yuri exclaimed with a smile before turning to Minjoo who’s in daze and picked up the floater. “Anyway, can I get a hand, Minjoo?” She asked and instantly, the pink haired woman nodded and hastily grabbed the floaters.

 

Both of them walked back to their spot but Minjoo is still thinking deeply.

 

Did she just indirectly say that I’m pretty!?

 

Minjoo felt her cheeks warming with that thought but she immediately shook her head, insisting to herself that it’s because of the summer heat.

 

She buried the thoughts in the back of her brain and enjoyed the official Day One, of their summer break.

 

—

 

“Yuri, may I ask who Yujin is?” Minjoo asked randomly when they walked around the shore. It’s just only been a day since that encounter happened and even if Minjoo won’t admit it out loud, she’s curious about the blue haired woman she met yesterday.

 

They are walking around the crowded area of Jeju-do Beach, giving the three a tour again since they can’t remember the whole place so they are now familiarizing themselves again around plus, they are on their way to the public market to buy some food and along the way, they check out some stalls around.

 

Minjoo looked forward, averting her gaze from Yuri’s surprised expression and saw Wonyoung and Sakura walking ahead of them holding their ice pops and phones, they would take pictures if they found something very aesthetically pleasing or whatnots.

 

“I don’t remember her from four years ago but she seems like she lives here? Plus, it seems like the two of you are good friends.” The pink haired woman added, tilting her head up to look at the coconut trees.

 

“Oh, about that. Yeah, Yujin lives here but she moved here at Jeju, hmm, about three years ago?” Yuri answered her second question before replying to the first one, humming a bit as she tried to think what’s the best introduction for the blue haired woman. “Well, Yujin works here as a surfing instructor. She’s a little bit famous around for her outstanding skills in surfing and you know, her attractive features are a major plus too, there’s some few tourists here that go here just for Yujin,” She started and Minjoo listened intently.

 

The younger continued. “Aside from that, most of the locals here know her since she takes a lot of sideline jobs and is around most of the time. She fishes, she tends some stalls, she sometimes cleans some guest houses, and so much more. She’s also kind, that's why people here adore her so much.” She said, gesturing for Minjoo to turn right and also instructed the two infront of them to take the right path.

 

“I’m close with her since we also take the same sideline jobs like cleaning guest houses and also worked at the same restaurant before. We’re classmates in school too. She’s also the one who delivers us freshly caught fishes every morning.” Yuri continued as they walked to the marketplace. “That’s all, I guess? Yujin doesn’t really talk about her personal life to anyone but it doesn’t matter. She’s quite mysterious,” She said and they finally reached the entrance of the marketplace then looked at Minjoo.

 

The pink haired woman is in a deep thought but she managed to respond a low. “I see,” And they entered the marketplace with a dazed Minjoo.

 

Perhaps, Yujin piqued Minjoo’s interest and curiosity.

 

“A surfer, huh,” She whispered under her breath as she stared at the shrimps in front of her but her mind is elsewhere, thinking about the surfer board that Yujin was holding the other day.

 

Wonyoung appeared in her vision, surprising her. “Unnie? You okay?” She asked, worried. She noticed how the older woman was in a very deep thought. Minjoo immediately shook her head off, her cheeks burning.

 

The taller woman nodded cutely before gushing over the shrimp and live crabs in the aquarium. Minjoo took a deep breath. “Hold yourself, Kim Minjoo.” She whispered to herself before joining Wonyoung and Sakura on watching some dancing eels on the water.

 

—

 

“Help!”

 

They didn’t see it coming nor expected it to happen. It sounds so stupid but it indeed happened.

 

It’s just day four of their summer vacation and disaster already happened, well, not really a disaster— they exaggerated with that term but the situation which Minjoo is currently in may take her life sooner than expected.

 

They were just chillin’ on the beach, on their floaters while they played around. Minjoo decided to take a light nap, enjoying the sun while she floated around but then, she didn’t notice that the wave and wind dragged her to a deeper part of the sea. Everything happened so quickly, that even the others didn’t notice her floating away from the safe area.

 

Minjoo only noticed and opened her eyes when she heard some calls of her name from a distance, very confused. When she looked towards the direction of the calls, she got shocked when she saw her friends on the shore, calling for her with panicked faces but they were too far from her.

 

It took her three seconds for realization to hit her. She looked around in panic, and that feeling only increased when she saw that some people are looking at her with worried faces and also in a distance, they can’t obviously reach her too.

 

Because of too much panic and anxiety, she tried to turn her body but it’s a very wrong move. She fell right into the water, the floater was swoon away by the wave caused by her impact of falling, away from her reach.

 

Minjoo knows how to swim but not really good, just the basics. However, since she’s in her panicked state, she couldn’t clearly think. She harshly moved her limbs to keep her head up from the water but her muscles started to burn. “! Help me!”

 

She shouted and her head dipped down to the water, she tried to flail her arms to keep her afloat but failed, she would just go back underneath. She arched her back up, gasping for air when her head was back up again but it was just only a mere second. “Help!” And her body sank slowly.

 

Minjoo really thought it was her end. Her body is burning yet numb from all the moving. Maybe it was her fate, to drown because of her carelessness and her corpse getting eaten by the sharks or something. She can feel her consciousness slipping and vision darkening, she was about to huff the last breath she breathed when she saw a figure approaching her underwater.

 

It’s the shark, probably, but whatever. Minjoo doesn’t care anymore, she’ll die either way, drown or get eaten, in the end— she will go to heaven, or not. Hopefully, Jesus will take her gay up there at the so-called paradise because she doesn’t want to face Satan or some ugly devils and work for him.

 

Then, she felt a grip on her wrist and she felt something wrapped around her waist, and slowly, she was dragged upwards until Minjoo could breathe again.

 

The pink haired woman coughed out the water that entered , desperately gasping for air. She can feel tears prickling on her eyes because of what happened to her and because of the saltwater. With her blurry vision, she looked at her savior who still has a tight grip around her waist, supporting her.

 

“Hey, are you alright?!”

 

A very familiar voice but Minjoo couldn’t see the stranger’s face clearly because of her hazy vision.

 

Her heart is beating erratically because of too much nervousness and panic of almost drowning to death. Before she passed out, she saw a glimpse of familiar blue hair and with that, her vision fully succumbed into darkness.

 

Minjoo slowly fluttered her eyes open, the familiar ceiling of her room greeting her. She tried to sit up but she felt a sting coming from her shoulders, followed by another ache around her upper body— and her legs, it feels so numb. She groaned as she sat up, trying to ease the pain on her shoulders by massaging it. felt so dry and salty, so she coughed out a bit and cleared .

 

“What happened?” She mumbled to herself then a rush of memories hit her out of a sudden, catching her off guard. Her eyes started to shake again and ruffled her disheveled pink hair, making it messier. “God, I almost died there,” She whispered under her breath, her heart racing.

 

The door opened and Minjoo looked at the newcomer which is Yuri— the younger woman looked surprised and immediately dashed to her, checking on her, obviously worried. “Are you okay? Do you feel pain or something?” She asked before walking to the table in the corner of the room, where the pitcher and a glass were placed.

 

Minjoo sighed, rubbing her nape. “Well, I feel sore all over,” She replied lowly as Yuri handed a glass of water to her, she mumbled a small ‘thanks’ before chugging the water, getting better.

 

“W-Who saved me?” The pink haired woman asked Yuri who’s sitting beside her. She can remember being saved by someone, but she didn’t really see their face.

 

“Oh,” The younger exclaimed softly. “It was Yujin,” She answered, making Minjoo’s eyes widen in shock.

 

Yuri smiled at her. “Fortunately, she’s just surfing around when she saw the commotion so she immediately went into action. She managed to get you out of the water before you lose your last breath. However, you passed out because of too much shock.” She explained to her while the pink haired woman nodded along at what she was saying.

 

So, it was indeed Yujin, the stranger who also saved her from those men last time, with the glimpse of blue hair, she had a hunch— she hasn’t seen someone around having the same color of hair like the surfer has.

 

“Where is she, by the way? I need to thank her for saving my life,” Minjoo asked, trying to slide off from the comforter but Yuri stopped her.

 

“No, you should stay in bed for the rest of the day. Like you just said earlier, your whole body is sore. Yujin isn’t around anymore since she needed to go back to her work. She was just here an hour ago to check on you.” Yuri said before forcing Minjoo to lie down on the mattress again.

 

The younger continued. “Rest up first, you can thank her tomorrow. I’ll inform Wonyoung and Sakura that you’re awake now. Do you want to see them or do you want to be alone?” She asked, standing up from the bed, waiting for Minjoo’s answer.

 

“Can I please see them?”

 

Wonyoung cried as she hugged Minjoo the moment they entered the room, she was so worried for her and it didn’t help the thought that her unnie almost died drowning earlier and on top of it all, she witnessed it but she didn’t do anything, or she just can’t. Sakura isn’t less worried than Wonyoung, she shed a few tears too, she can’t afford losing her best friend.

 

Minjoo made them promise that they won’t tell her parents about this because for sure, they would make them leave immediately and Minjoo would earn a lot of nagging and scolding.

 

After some hugs and reassurance, both Sakura and Wonyoung decided to leave Minjoo alone for her to rest up and after that, Mrs. Jo visited her to bring her something to eat and chatted for a while. Minjoo also pleaded the older woman to keep it a secret from her parents because it’ll worry them so much. Mrs. Jo was reluctant but who is she to refuse the Young Mistress’ orders? So, in the end, she promised the pink haired woman and left her alone, asking her to message Yuri if she needed something.

 

It was around eleven in the evening and Minjoo still can’t sleep, her mind is running and she doesn’t feel drowsy at all. After contemplating for a few minutes, she immediately slipped away from her bed and picked up her phone from the coffee table before gently opening the door of her room, trying not to make so much noise because Wonyoung and Sakura’s room is just nearby.

 

She closed the door and tiptoed her way downstairs quietly as much as possible. She walked to the dark kitchen, opening the lights before rummaging through their fridge, placing the can of beers and some jelly candies on a paper bag.

 

When she thought that everything would suffice her enough, she closed the fridge and lights, skipping to the sliding door that will lead towards the veranda and opened it, slipping outside and closed it, brisk walking along the pathway— towards the door.

 

She wanted to think and forget what happened earlier, and probably get some fresh air, it still makes her feel nervous whenever she reminisces the sudden situation she was in a few hours ago.

 

Her feet sunk on the soft chilly sand, and the cold breeze of the wind greeted her when she walked down the stone stairs.

 

It’s almost midnight now and the beach itself is quiet but there are still some tourists outside, having bonfires and stuff, some stalls are still open too. She walked over to the shore, sitting down and placing the paper bag in front of her.

 

Minjoo opened a can of beer and took a sip, the bitter yet sweet taste of beer lingering on her taste buds, but somehow, it made her relaxed. She sat there by the shore, watching the waves crash gently on the shore and dance along the wind. She’s facing the same body of water that swallowed her earlier but she didn’t feel any traumatized feelings anymore, probably because she kept watching and staring at it intently that her system wiped out the sudden fear.

 

She was going for her third can when she felt a presence beside her but she didn’t bother to look, probably a man going to bug her again. She was about to shoo the person away when a very familiar voice entered her ears, it somehow made her heart jump.

 

“Drinking alone?”

 

Minjoo immediately stretched her neck to look at the owner of the voice and her eyes widened when she saw Yujin standing beside her, arms crossed while looking at the sea. The pink haired woman cleared , scratching her nape. “W-Well yeah, I just wanted to forget and drink,” She answered, making Yujin turn to her.

 

“Mind sharing a can?” The blue haired woman asked with a small smile plastered on her lips and chuckled a bit when she saw Minjoo scooted a bit which is a gesture that she should sit on the space she was sitting at before.

 

Complying, Yujin sat beside the pink haired woman, plopping down to the sand and gave the taller a ‘thanks’ when she handed her a beer. She opened the can and took a sip, grimacing a bit since it’s been a while since she tasted alcohol so her tongue is not used to tasting bitter liquor anymore.

 

“Are you feeling better now?” The surfer asked, glancing briefly at the pink haired woman beside her.

 

Minjoo nodded. “Yes,” She breathed out, playing with her can by swirling it around. “My body is still aching a bit but it’s not worse than before.” She added before pressing her lips together, forming a thin line.

 

Yujin chugged the beer, nodding along and hummed. “That’s good to know, you scared me for a bit earlier y’know? When you passed out suddenly when I was trying to drag you to the shore.” She mumbled, downing her beer again before looking back at the sea.

 

Silence engulfed them. Minjoo felt awkward since she doesn’t know when to start thanking the woman who saved her from drowning since she left a bad impression on her when they first met a few days ago. She braced herself and took a deep breath, she can’t be a and not thank her when she’s literally beside her.

 

“U-Uh,” The pink haired woman stammered, catching Yujin’s attention. “T-Thank you for saving me there.” She finally said, staring at Yujin who’s wearing an unreadable expression. Her face turned into pure confusion when the latter laughed.

 

“Sorry, sorry, it just amused me.” Yujin said, calming herself down but still chuckling.

 

Minjoo can’t help but to raise a brow at her. “What amuses you?” She asked, still confused. She watched the latter down her beer in one go before crashing it with her bare hand, placing it beside her then turned around to fully face her.

 

“I thought you wouldn’t thank me and say that you’re capable of saving yourself,” The blue haired woman said, grinning sheepishly while Minjoo glared at her. Yujin noticed the dagger looks and cowers, clearing before nervously averting her gaze from those sharp eyes. “I’m just kidding, please don’t strangle me,” She pouted.

 

Minjoo sighed, taking another sip. “I’m serious yet you’re teasing me,” She said and shook her head in disappointment. Yujin does look like she’s a playful person, she gives off those vibes.

 

She heard another chuckle beside her. “Finally, you acknowledge me as your savior,” The surfer said, taking a deep breath before glancing at the pink haired woman beside her, scrunching her face. “Well, of course, you need help, you are drowning and everyone is too far or scared to risk their lives too. It’s a normal reflex to help someone. Hopefully you wouldn’t get a phobia because of that or you wouldn’t be able to enjoy seawater again.” She muttered, rubbing her nape.

 

“Enough of that, it already happened— forget it,” Yujin shrugged it off. “I haven’t properly introduced myself to you,” She said, turning to Minjoo again before lifting her hand for a handshake.

 

“I’m Ahn Yujin,” She said with a cheeky smile.

 

Minjoo stared at her for a few seconds before lifting her free hand to hold Yujin’s hand. “Kim Minjoo.” She simply introduced herself, finally taking the latter’s hand for a handshake and retreated it immediately. Looks like she earned another summer friend.

 

“I heard a lot about you from Yuri.” Yujin started off making the pink haired woman tilt her head, confused.

 

“Huh? Yuri told you about me!?” She asked, surprised. She doesn’t know but she feels comfortable around this woman already, probably because of the latter’s friendly nature, plus she’s good at talking making other people warm up to her quickly. Now, Minjoo gets it why she’s known around.

 

The blue haired woman hummed. “Well, not really, more like— I asked her about you.” She replied simply and it shocked Minjoo more.

 

“And why? Why are you asking about me to her?” She asked, obviously baffled and Yujin noticed this then laughed at her cute reaction.

 

“Why? Can’t your savior be curious about you? You’re an unfamiliar face too. I didn’t know your parents own that rest house. It’s one of the most beautiful houses around. You must be very rich.” She answered, huffing adorably making Minjoo roll her eyes, grabbing a can of beer again before handing it to Yujin. The latter took it with a smile.

 

“I’m not the one who’s rich, it’s my parents,” The pink haired woman muttered, opening a can for herself.

 

Yujin gave her an amused hum and awe look. “I like how you think, it seems like you aren’t the typical spoiled brat.” She replied, admiration lacing on her tone.

 

Minjoo shook her head, she hated the idea of always depending on parents, as much as possible— Minjoo wanted to stand up for herself and grow because of her own hard work. “No, I don’t tail around my parents. I want to be independent.” She responded, she has a different mindset and thinking than other people who were born under a very influential and powerful family.

 

She even rejected the idea of being the heiress of their company because she wanted to pursue her dream, which is being a doctor of animals. Her parents gave up a long time ago on pleading, they know Minjoo likes to achieve something because of her own effort, not because of connections and sort of stuff. They are still proud over their wise daughter nonetheless.

 

Yujin looks like she was struck with her answer again. “Woo~ So I assume you won’t be inheriting your parents’ company because it looks like you don’t like the idea of it.” She asked, looking amazed. Minjoo just nodded gently glancing at the curious woman beside her. Weird, but she’s really comfortable talking about her family with her already.

 

“You’ve got it right,” She replied, nodding and Yujin’s mouth was shaped like an ‘o’ with that. “I don’t want to handle their business, I have no slightest interest in it.” The pink haired woman added, puckering her lips again. She shivered a bit, feeling the cold wind hitting her bare skin.

 

“Oh! Then what career will you take?” The blue haired woman threw a question again. Minjoo looked at her, seeing how Yujin’s eyes twinkle in curiosity, she can’t even remember how this topic got inserted in their savior talks but whatever, she’s enjoying it anyway.

 

“I want to be a doctor,” Minjoo said and Yujin tilted her head. “A doctor?” She repeated and the pink haired woman hummed. “Doctor of animals, a veterinarian to be exact.”

 

Yujin was once again intrigued, sipping on her beer. “Wow, you’re quite a softie, contrary on what I’ve been thinking about you all the time.” She said, shaking her head in amusement but Minjoo was quite offended with that.

 

“You thought I’m a bad person?” Minjoo asked, a little bit upset.

 

“Not really but your first impression on me is quite not good because you were so y and gave me an attitude when we first met, but seems like your personality also complements your face.” Yujin answered with a small smile on her lips and Minjoo can feel her cheeks warming.

 

Yujin is very good at using words too. She knows how to make a person fluster with her words alone, so smooth without malice or negative intentions.

 

The pink haired woman coughed, blushing a bit. “What do you mean by that?”

 

Snorting, Yujin shrugged and answered. “Pretty. You’re pretty so your personality trait must be pretty and attractive too, also soft.” She complimented smoothly.

 

It indeed made Minjoo blush and she was flustered. She gets complimented by her looks almost every day and her admirers are so many too that she can’t even count it but her heart acted up when this savior of hers called her pretty which she usually hears from other people on a daily basis however, none of them made her heart flutter like this.

 

“W-Whatever,” Minjoo stuttered, flipping her hair, trying to act cool while Yujin was giving her a very sweet smile. “Enough of me, how about you, savior of mine? Tell me something about you.”

 

Yujin blinked. “Oh, description of myself? Well,” She muttered, looking up to the bright moon as she thought of what she could say about her own self. “Well, I moved here three years ago. Uhm, surfing is my passion— I take a lot of sideline jobs so I can earn some money and I’m currently interested in you.” She responded cheekily.

 

Minjoo ignored the last few words, not liking how her heart acted giddy because of it. “You moved here alone?” She asked and Yujin nodded. “Yup.” She answered but she didn’t say anything else, and that’s enough sign for the pink haired woman to not pry on the latter’s personal life, she knew her place.

 

“Surfing, huh. Interesting. There weren’t a lot of female surfers.” Minjoo mumbled, intrigued at Yujin’s uncommon passion.

 

The blue haired woman nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately. There’s about four of us here, female surfers I mean. We’re close friends and we are all surfing instructors, we gotta earn some cash, thankfully, our passion is useful somehow.” She replied, smiling when she suddenly thought of her friends but shook it off.

 

Minjoo was amused. “Well, that’s cool. I haven’t seen you surfing along the waves though.” She suddenly blurted out making Yujin chuckle.

 

“Soon, the tide isn’t great for the next few days but I’ll make sure that you’ll know when so you can watch me surf along the big waves.” She said and then she suddenly stood up, dusting off her pants making Minjoo look at her.

 

The pink haired woman watched her take off her black jacket. “You shouldn’t go out without wearing thick clothes that can warm you up,” Yujin said before draping the jacket on Minjoo’s shoulders making the latter catch off guard, her face burning. She stared at Yujin who gathered all the empty cans and smiled at her, her dimples poking out which made Minjoo giddy.

 

“I really enjoyed talking with you, Minjoo-ssi but I really need to go now and get some rest since I will be fishing early in the morning. Plus, you should go back inside in a bit too since it’s dangerous being alone in times like this around, especially with that gorgeous face of yours, a lot of people will be tempted. You shouldn’t be drinking a lot also.” She softly scolded and took a step backwards, grinning.

 

“Thank you for the beer! See you around and have a good night~” Yujin bid her farewell and turned around, walking away from her until she disappeared on Minjoo’s line of sight.

 

The pink haired woman was left there by the shore, dumbfounded. She tried to gather herself up and dusted off her pajamas, walking back home with a blush on her face, hugging the jacket closer to her.

 

Surely, she drifted to dreamland with a smile on her face.

 

—

 

It’s funny but Minjoo managed to wake up early even if she slept very late and drank alcohol.

 

She’s on the balcony again, watching the sun rise from the horizon as she tried to massage her aching temples but it’s not really that painful, she only took a few drinks last night anyway.

 

While enjoying watching the sunrise and gentle wind hitting her skin, the doorbell rang again and awhile after, Yuri came out from the house, skipping towards the stony pathway and opened the door. Yujin stepped inside, holding a basket full of freshly caught fish.

 

Minjoo silently watched the interaction from the balcony, her eyes glued to Yujin’s drenched shirt and shorts, she’s barefooted and particles of sand are sticking on her skin. She saw that the blue haired woman gave Yuri the basket and bid a farewell to her but before she could even reach the opened door, she suddenly looked up from her direction making the pink haired woman’s heart leap from her chest.

 

Smiling brightly, Yujin waved at her happily. “Good morning, Minjoo-ssi! Have a good day ahead,” She shouted loud enough for her to hear then threw her a sweet smile before finally stepping outside.

 

Minjoo was flustered with that, her cheeks burning. She was too surprised that she didn’t manage to greet the taller back. Too bad.

 

Well, there’s tomorrow anyway.

 

—

 

It’s been a week and three days since they arrived at the rest house and spent their vacation. Most of the time, they are just inside the house’ premises, not going outside to the beach because of what happened even though Minjoo said to her friends that she’s fine with it, they settled on swimming in the rarely used pool for now.

 

They sometimes stroll around the island and do some sightseeing but they mostly stayed inside, lazing around the living room or their own room, fumbling on their phone. They tried to do something productive but they can’t think of one.

 

It’s morning again and the sun is barely awake but Minjoo is up already, sipping on her coffee, she slept very early last night thus, she had already risen from her bed very early too. She’s waiting for the sun to rise, and perhaps, she’s also waiting for a certain someone who has blue hair and delivers fishes.

 

It’s a morning routine for Minjoo to wake up early and watch the sunrise but now, something added on her morning vacation routine which is waiting for Yujin from her balcony. She always makes sure that she’s responding to the surfer’s morning greetings, and somewhat, it became the highlight of her morning. She can’t help but to anticipate Yujin’s presence and her cheerful greetings every day even if the latter is in the distance.

 

The doorbell rang, and Minjoo instantly stood up from her seat, walking over to the railings and leaned there, fixing her pajamas and pink hair, tying it up into a bun as she watched Yuri open the door.

 

Yujin stepped inside with her usual smile while holding a basket. Minjoo watched them from above and when Yujin handed the basket to Yuri, she turned around to greet the waiting pink haired girl from the balcony and gave her a wave.

 

“Hey, Kim Minjoo-ssi!” The blue haired woman shouted, and Minjoo immediately stared at her, responding. “What?” She asked, loud enough for Yujin to clearly hear her.

 

“The tide is good today, great enough to surf along with the waves. Do you still want to watch me surf around?” Yujin asked back and Minjoo smiled, giving the woman from below a thumbs up, gesturing that she would go. “Sure! I would love to,” She replied which made the blue haired woman beam.

 

“9 am! Be there at 9 am!” Yujin shouted the time and Minjoo nodded, and with that, the taller woman waved a farewell before going back outside again.

 

Minjoo can feel the stares that Yuri is giving her as she walks down. The pink haired woman just averted her gaze, awkwardly looking around as she heard some faint chuckles from the other girl before fully entering the house. The others still don’t know that she and Yujin are on good terms and friends now.

 

After that, she walked back to her room, excited for later.

 

Minjoo’s eyes bulged out when she saw Yujin swiftly stand up on her surf board, awesomely surfing under those gigantic waves. She was in awe and released a relieved sigh when she saw the blue haired woman’s figure managed to smoothly exit the wave that almost engulfed her.

 

The people around cheered, clapping and obviously amazed by the surfer’s awesome skills. They weren’t the only ones who were watching Yujin and her squad surfs, it seems like the tourists are waiting for them to put on a show since it’s very entertaining and they really enjoyed watching.

 

Wonyoung and Sakura are both amazed too. They are really enjoying watching them surf, liking how the female surfers are bringing other male surfers into shame with their outstanding skills.

 

“Wow, Yujin-ssi is really hot.” The youngest whispered, her eyes sparkling as she followed Yujin’s figure on the sea with her gaze.

 

Sakura sulked beside her. “I will learn surfing and I will be as good as her.” The Japanese woman muttered under her breath, making Yuri and Minjoo chuckle.

 

The pink haired woman looked around and saw a lot of people stopping by to watch the female surfers, they are indeed popular around.

 

After a few minutes, Minjoo spotted them going back to the land with their awesome surfboards, the crowd went near to them and gushed over them. The others seem like they are used to it but they still tried to greet them back.

 

“Yujin-ah!” Yuri called for their attention and instantly, Yujin turned around, smiling brightly when she spotted them. She excused herself and jogged towards their spot with a smile that showed her dimples.

 

Minjoo took this as a time to check Yujin out. The surfer is wearing the same outfit when they met for the first time but her beach shorts are red instead of blue and her wet blue hair is tied up into a bun like Minjoo’s, while last week it was only tied into a low ponytail.

 

“Hi!” The blue haired woman greeted, piercing her surfboard on the sand. “Did you guys enjoy the show?” She asked, worried that she might have done some few mistakes.

 

Wonyoung beamed instantly. “Yes! You look so awesome back there, Yujin-ssi! I want to learn to surf too.” She said, her eyes sparkling while Yujin chuckled.

 

“Thanks. I could teach you guys how to surf for free,” The blue haired woman said, throwing a wink at them and Wonyoung squealed excitedly, gushing it over to the grumpy Sakura beside her. She turned to Minjoo and smiled at her. “So? What do you think about my surfing skills?” She asked the latter.

 

The pink haired woman blinked before answering. “Well, you’re really good.” She replied, making Yujin pout.

 

“That’s all?” The taller one asked and Minjoo panicked a bit, Yujin noticed it and chuckled. “I-I, well, I guess you look cool back there. Your friends killed it too, you guys put up a very spectacular show.” She answered, giving her an awkward thumbs up.

 

Yujin was about to answer when someone jumped on her back. “Well, thank you for the compliment, beautiful lady.”

 

Minjoo looked at the person who’s on Yujin’s back, it’s one of the female surfers and the latter’s close friend. The taller tried to get off from her grip, giggling.

 

“Yena, behave,” Another one approaches, halting beside Yujin and gave— which Minjoo assumed as, Yena, a look. This one is more soft-looking, and has a black shoulder length hair unlike Yena who has purple hair and is playful looking like Yujin.

 

Another one approaches, standing beside the soft-looking, this one is wearing an expressionless face but her face is eye-catching and has very attractive features.

 

“I’m so sorry for that, she’s really loud and playful. By the way, I’m Lee Chaeyeon, nice to meet you.” Chaeyeon introduced herself, and bowed a bit. “This is Kang Hyewon, my girlfriend which is also in the female surfer squad and the loud one, Choi Yena.” She introduced one by one.

 

The three were shocked upon learning that Chaeyeon and Hyewon are lovers but they immediately introduced themselves back to them. They all look friendly, although Hyewon looks cold, she still has this warm vibe around her which made Minjoo feel at ease.

 

“Hi Yuri,” Yena suddenly spoke, greeting the flustered hamster beside Minjoo, with a big smile and waving shyly at her. Yuri smiled back, also waving back.

 

It didn’t take long for Minjoo to realize that there’s something going on with her childhood friend and new friend. She also saw Hyewon pushing Yena closer to Yuri and the purple haired surfer almost stumbled forward because of the impact but Yuri got to move quickly and caught the latter, making both of them blush furiously.

 

“Oh—kay!” Chaeyeon called for their attention. “I heard that Mrs. Jo invited us for lunch at the Kim’s?” She asked, turning to Minjoo with a warm smile.

 

The latter nodded bashfully. “Yes, so we should go there now since she’s already preparing the food.” Minjoo answered and got startled when Hyewon suddenly exclaimed. “Food!”

 

She was surprised that the surfer is showing emotion at the mention of the food. Well, that was weird.

 

After that, they all walked to the Kim’s rest house. The surfers didn’t have any time to wash up and bring their surfboards home so they went there at the house, still drenched and with their boards but Minjoo paid no mind.

 

While they were walking up to the rest house, they were surprisingly loud like they are already friends for years, it seems like everyone is already comfortable with each other.

 

“Hey,” Minjoo turned her head to the call, it was Yujin who called for her attention. “Yeah?” She asked, confused as they walked side by side, the others walking ahead of them. “Seems like they are going along pretty well.” She said and the pink haired woman nodded.

 

“I’m relieved, we wanted to find some friends too while on vacation because it’ll be boring if just the three of us, plus, Yuri.” She answered, taking off her sunglasses and rested it on her head.

 

The taller chuckled. “I’m glad we’re all going along very well and comfortable with each other already. I apologize if we’re a bit messy and loud.” She said and the pink haired woman gave her a confused look.

 

“Nah, we’re fine, and it’s fun having some loud friends.” She replied back with a small smile.

 

They almost reached the rest house by now so they crossed to the other side of the beach, Wonyoung and Yena are the main noises, they are both talkative and clicked instantly.

 

“Anyway, I’m still up for teaching you guys how to surf~” Yujin said, making the smaller woman beside her nod, obviously interested in it.

 

“Hmm, are you sure? We can pay you, we just wanted to learn the basics since it looks cool.” She said, but Yujin shrugged the idea of paying them for tutorials.

 

“I already told you, it’s free. Don’t worry, I’m the best surfing teacher around.” The blue haired woman boasted and even threw Minjoo a wink but the latter just scoffed playfully, amused. “Yeah, right. We’ll see about that.”

 

—

 

“What if I slip again?” Minjoo worriedly asked, staring down at the surfboard that’s floating in the water in front of her.

 

Yujin gave her a smile and look. “I told you, I’ll be there to catch you.” She assured and the pink haired woman looked up to her, watching her stretch her hand to her. “Hold my hand for support. If you fall, I’ll catch you,