“Hey, I’m glad I ran into you.”

I glanced around the kitchen, tilting my head at Hyunwoo.

“It’s your dorm. Kinda weird if you didn’t run into me.”

Hyunwoo paused, then nodded and shrugged.

“True. But I had a question.”

I turned back to the pot of rice I had been washing.

“Go for it my dude.”

“Do you want to go swimming some time?”

I nearly dropped the rice.

Ever since the day that Wonho had gotten emotional at dance practice, Changkyun had made more and more obvious references and jokes. Obvious to me anyway.

“Don’t you miss swimming?”

“Maybe you’d be less cranky if you just went for a swim.”

“You really gotta find a swimming partner.”

“Uh,” I readjusted my grip on the pot, swirling the rice and water. “I don’t really know how to swim.”

“Really? Changkyun keeps acting like you used to be a pro or something.”

I grit my teeth, trying to hold back from giving away what Changkyun was actually talking about.

“No, I just… I used to swim, but it was more like I just… I would hang out in the water. It wasn’t really swimming, you know?”

Hyunwoo nodded, leaning against the counter.

“Well, I could teach you if you want.”

I barely stopped myself from cringing.

But as I watched the water trickle down the drain, a thought occurred to me.

I had always wanted to learn to swim — actually swim that is. With the water and everything.

“Um,” I felt much more relaxed now that I was thinking of the sport rather than the innuendo, “sure. That would be great.”

Jooheon sat at the edge of the pool, his legs dangling into the cool water. He had come to watch, saying that he didn’t need to learn to swim since he could depend on me to save him now.

“Do you know how to float on your back?”

I made a face at Hyunwoo.

“Well, sure, if I have a noodle or something.”

Hyunwoo laughed, brushing his hair back.

“Okay,” he turned to Jooheon, “you might not want to count on her to save you from drowning.”

“You can save me then,” Jooheon kicked his feet, splashing his leader and I slightly.

Hyunwoo turned back to me.

“Okay, I want you to lean back. I’m going to keep one hand under your shoulders, so just relax back.”

His voice was reassuring, and the security of his hands anchoring me made me feel secure in the water.

We started with his hands gently supporting my knees and shoulders. After a few seconds he would reposition his hands, trying to slowly show me that I was actually being supported by the water.

I felt water lap near my eye, causing my muscles to spasm at the unfamiliar feeling.

“Oh god!”

I flailed in the water.

Hyunwoo quickly dipped his hands under my shoulders and pulled me upright.

“You’re good Jin-ok, you can do this. It just takes some getting used to.”

By the end of the day, I was able to slowly kick my way down the length of the pool on my back.

“I heard you went swimming with Shownu,” Changkyun didn’t even look up from his notebook, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

I resisted the urge to pull his chair out from under him.

“You’re the only one who uses swimming as a codeword, jerk.”

“Too bad,” he shrugged, “I bet he’d be great at swimming.”

“I’m going to ing kill you one day, I just hope you know that.”

Changkyun threw his pen down and leaned back. I looked up from my own homework.

“I wish you ing would! I never want to look at another textbook.”

I snickered, taking a bit of pleasure at his annoyance.

“Shut up.”

“Mind your manners kid.”

“Why are you even here right now? Jooheon’s not going to be here for another couple hours.”

“I study better here.”

“You just like watching me suffer,” Changkyun pouted.

“It’s a bonus. Now can you shut up? Chemistry is hard my dude.”

Changkyun slumped over his books, face planting into the table, but kept quiet for a while.

“None of this makes sense. When the am I going to need to know about interest rates? I’ll hire an accountant.”

I rolled my eyes and held out a hand.

Grinning, Changkyun handed over his text book.

“I’m not doing your homework for you. I’m just going to show you how dumb you are.”

Changkyun nodded, dragging his chair next to mine.

I scanned over the text. At first glance it seemed pretty daunting, but if my science classes had taught me anything, it was how to break something that seemed impossible down into very possible steps. I flipped back and forth a few pages, just making sure I was interpreting the formulas correctly before I spoke up.

“Okay, so you just shove the variables into the formula. Doesn’t seem that hard.”

Changkyun shook his head and groaned.

“Okay but look at question six.”

I flipped to the problem and read over the proposed situation.

“Still looks easy. You just at ignoring stuff that doesn’t matter. All that bull about Soyeon’s job and apartment doesn’t matter. It’s only the car loan that they need the information about.”

“But if she’s working a job like that there’s no way she can afford that car,” Changkyun argued, “regardless of what the loan’s rate is.”

“You know it’s fake, right?”

Changkyun lolled his head back and groaned.

“It doesn’t make seeeennnnnse.”

“Is this really what you’re having trouble with? You just gotta ignore that .”

He stayed splayed out in his chair, groaning in protest again.

“I got my own homework to do,” I rolled my eyes and returned to my own books. “Just get your together.”

Changkyun flung his arms over my shoulders.

“Noonaaaa~!”

“Don’t do that,” I cringed.

“But noona I need your help!” Changkyun pouted, wiggling back and forth while still leaning against me. “You’re so much better than me at this stuff.”

“Just try it. I already explained your problem.”

He groaned, but relented and refocused on his books.

It was fine, except he hadn’t moved his chair back to his original position. Thus, every time he moved his books or fidgeted, my stuff would be moved.

After a particular movement caused me to draw a line through my notes, I snapped my book shut.

“Do you have to be right here?”

Changkyun looked up, pen in his mouth. He obviously had no clue how awful he was.

“Wha’ya mehng?”

I shook my head and started packing up my books.

“You’re right,” I stood up, “I should just study at home.”

I hefted my bag over my shoulder.

“When you see Hoseok, tell him I’m borrowing his copy of Soulcalibur.”

I went to Hoseok’s room to retrieve said game before heading home.

Changkyun tagged along behind me.

“I thought you studied better here?”

“Yeah,” I started rummaging through Hoseok’s stuff. He hated when I did this, since I rarely cleaned up afterwards.

“So why are you leaving?”

“You’re distracting me today,” I tossed an empty game box onto Hoseok’s bed. No point in changing now, he’s stuck with me as I am.

“I mean, I know I’m hot but you shouldn’t let yourself get off topic so easily.”

“Right,” I grunted as I flattened myself on the floor to check under Hoseok’s bed. “Whatever you need to tell yourself. There it is!”

I stretched out my fingers and managed to drag the game out from under the bed, narrowly avoiding retrieving some questionable reading material in the process.

Sitting back on my heels, I made sure the disc was inside the box.

“Actually,” I paused to blow dust off the box, “I shouldn’t lie to you. You’re only okay looking.” I looked up at Changkyun. “I was distracted because you were getting all up in my space like a little kid.”

Changkyun huffed, rolling his eyes.

“I’m not a ing kid…” he quietly groused.

I laughed and picked myself up, tucking the game into my bag.

“You’re kind of a kid.”

“I’m more of a man than your boyfriend.”

I grit my teeth and looped the bag over my shoulder. Shoving past Changkyun I headed for the exit.

“ like that is why you’re still a child Changkyun.”

From: Hoseokie
Why do you always leave a mess?! How hard is it to just put stuff back?

To: Hoseokie
Don’t start. I had to climb under your bed ya nasty.

From: Hoseokie
I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I said that those aren’t mine, would you?

To: Hoseokie
Curious how you knew exactly what I was talking about.

From: Hoseokie
Well it’s not like I’m getting laid any time soon. Don’t judge me.

To: Hoseokie
Oh no.

To: Hoseokie
You’re in a dry spell.

To: Hoseokie
How awful it must be.

From: Hoseokie
Alright alright.

To: Hoseokie
Can’t relate.

To: Hoseokie
At all.

From: Hoseokie
Okay you can’t NOT take the option for outside help and then complain about not getting laid.

I frowned at my phone. He had a point. Not that I was about to admit it.

To: Hoseokie
you.

From: Hoseokie
Oooh monbebe… don’t threaten me with a good time.

I didn’t know what I had expected.

To: Hoseokie
Double you >:(

From: Hoseokie
Not a bad idea ;)

I clicked the button to darken my screen, giving up on the conversation.

A few seconds later, the screen lit up. Apparently Hoseok wasn’t done.

From: Hoseokie
You seem close with Shownu these days… might take some convincing, but I think it could be arranged.

From: Hoseokie
He did say he felt embarrassed during your swim lessons.

Well that was worth addressing.

To: Hoseokie
Embarrassed??

From: Hoseokie
>;) >;) >;)

To: Hoseokie
you

From: Hoseokie
Monbebe, if you keep saying that I’m going to start thinking you’re serious.

“You just need to get a little stronger,” Shownu smiled at me encouragingly. “You should come to the gym with me sometime. You’ll be on the national team in no time if you do.”

“You’re sweet. Full of ,” I set down a bowl of soup in front of him, “but sweet.”

Shownu laughed, eyes squeezing shut. I resisted the urge to reach across the table and squeeze his cheeks.

“Okay, maybe not national. You could be on a college team though.”

“That sounds more realistic,” Changkyun interrupted the nice conversation.

I shot him a dirty look, letting his plate land a little harder on the table than necessary.

“Can I refill your drinks?”

I took down their drink requests and walked back towards the bar.

“Just a warning,” the host, Sungmin, grabbed me on my way between tables, “but that guy is here, and he’s in your section.”

I groaned, skimming my eyes over the tables. Usually Sungmin did a good job of seating this particular customer in a sectio