The beguiling scent of Byul enveloped me, just like her arms. Wheein had hugged me on countless occasions. But this was different. It screamed in comparison to the placid emotions I experienced when my best friend hugged me. This was mind-blasting, blood boiling exciting. A thrill went through me. I stepped out of her embrace.

“Can we go?” she asked, making no effort to hide her amusement at my obvious discomfort.

“Where to?”

“The beach.”

That was about two miles away. Was she kidding? I’d probably drop dead half-way. But I wasn’t a whiner, I hoped. I nodded, and we started off on a slow pace for which I was grateful. But why the beach though? I thought we were practicing dancing. Practicing dancing at the beach? Didn’t want to sound nosy either, I just followed her.

In the morning, the street was unnaturally silent. I couldn’t remember when I had last been out this time of the day. Five was way too early to go for a jog. Seriously. The normally bright facades of the houses lining our street all appeared in a monotone bluish-grey now.

“So your parents got angry because you didn’t get home Saturday night?” she said with perfectly even breathing after the first quarter mile.

Did she really expect me to jog and talk? My breathing was erratic, but I managed to say, “No. My parents thought I crashed at Wheein’s. Which is fine with them.”

“You two are so close, huh.”

“You sound like you are jealous.”

She only cut me a sharp sideways glance. Heck, what was that? Did she really just get jealous?

“So why the grounding then?” she asked as we passed a crossroads and neared the ocean. The sound of waves crushing on the beach drifted to us, breaking the silence of the morning.

“My mom saw my red eyes and figured I’d been drinking. Crap…” I panted. Sweat trailed down my neck, my back, and between my s. “I forgot your sunglasses.”

“No worries. You can give me them later.”

How did she do this? Run so far and still speak to me like she was lounging on the sofa.

Gasping for air, I only nodded. The beach came into sight, and relief filled me. A few more steps I told myself and pushed harder. Then my feet hit sand. And I collapsed. Dropping to the beach like a sack of flour, I rolled onto my back and gazed at the soft pink sky.

Byul stood over me. “What are you doing?”

“Dying.”

“No, you’re not. Get up, we’re not done.”

“I am.” My breaths sounded like those of a rasping woman on her deathbed. “But don’t mind me. You just go on. I’m sure in a few hours someone will come and scrape me off the pavement…dig me out of the sand…whatever.”

Amazing how the sound of her laughter made me wish for the strength to stand up and continue running just to be near her again. Luck was on my side today. A moment later, she lowered to the sand, too. Hunkered by my feet, she…untied my shoe?

“Hey, what the heck!” I pulled my leg away. “You don’t steal from a dying person.”

She lifted her palms in defences. “Fine, then take them off yourself.”

“What? Why?” Shocked and a little curious, I propped on my elbows and watched as she untied her laces. Hope filled me. “We’re going to take a swim now to cool off after the jog?”

“Nope. The little run was only warm-up. The practice begins here.”

“You can’t be serious.” What was it with her and warm-up all the time? I was heated enough when we left my street. And what’s with all the running? I thought I’m training to become a dancer, not an athlete. And my legs is killing me right now.

Her eyebrow arched up. “What are you willing to bet on it?”

. She was serious. Ready to slump back and bawl, I clamped my teeth instead and gathered what little dignity I had left then sat up. I slipped out of my sneakers and hid them with Byul’s close to the rocks and out of temptation from by-passers.

If I thought running to the beach was exhausting, then I sure didn’t know what it was like to jog barefoot in the sand. The muscles in my calves took on a burn that became unbearable after only a couple hundred feet. I shot her a look filled with loathing as I struggled to keep pace with her. She smiled, making me gnash my teeth.

“Do your parents know about this sadistic side of yours?”

She playfully tugged at my ponytail. “What can I say? You bring out my best side.”

“Ah, great. I feel so special now.” Each step became increasingly heavier as if my limbs were weighed down with stones. “How far are we going?”

“I never ran this route before, but I guess it’s about a half-mile. You know the houses at the end of the beach?”

I nodded. Everyone knew them. It was a place for the rich and wealthy. “Your parents own a house down there?”

“Yep.”

I wasn’t surprised. After seeing the palace she lived in last night, it was accepted that Byul’s would have another beach house here. All the rich one would at least have one here. But funny, after the last two days spending times with her, Byul didn’t seem like the arrogant girl I thought a rich girl like her would be, she is completely the opposite. From what I heard from the people around her, even from the news, she was quite likable. No scandal at all. Nice, even. Everyone loves her, adores her.

Just not right now. I scowled. She made me eat sand when I didn’t think I could drag myself another couple of steps. The fine sand sunk under my feet and it felt like running on pudding. Every exposed square inch of me glistened with sweat, my drenched top clung to my skin. When end of the beach came into view, her fingers curled around my upper arm, and she was already dragging me. I stumbled along next to her, crying for water. “I swear I’m going to drink up the ocean.”

“Chin up, Yongsun-shi. We’re almost there.” So said the Queen’s most trusted torturer.

She led me to the prettiest house at this strip of the beach. Painted in white, it had a wraparound wooden porch with nice rattan furniture and even a porch swing. From the potted plant on the broad railing, she fetched a set of keys and let us inside. Average size, the bungalow had a kitchen and maybe two or three bedrooms in the back. We entered into a cosy sitting room, with comfy couches, flat screen TV, and an amazingly wide bookshelf. Someone really liked to read out here. The modern door without a handle fell shut and locked behind us. Byul left me leaning against the wall and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. She tossed one at me.

Ah, liquid heaven. Water had never tasted this good.

My pulse stayed in higher spheres for a little longer, but I found I could talk without gasping for air like a dying fish. “So, great tormentor, why did we run on the beach? Was it just for your personal pleasure to see me suffer?”

She rolled her eyes with a half-smile that not even Wheein could beat. “Why do you think so badly of me?” She removed her cap and her face mask and shoves it in a backpack she grabbed on the table and toss it on the couch.

“I don’t know. Maybe because I lost my lungs somewhere on the way? Or maybe because my legs are on fire?” I walked over to the couch and leaned my against the backrest, arms folded over my chest.

“Oh, come on now. We jogged over two miles and you’re still standing. That’s great. And running in the sand will strengthen your legs a lot better than the pavement. Since you are lack of stamina, this will really help, you need to get used to the additional…”

“Torture?” I helped her out when she paused to search for the right word.

“Exactly.” She pushed aside my damp bangs with a finger and pokes my cheek, took my empty bottle, and dumped both with a high toss in the trash can just outside the kitchen door. I fixed my ponytail then swept my forearm across my brows. Sweaty as my arm was, it didn’t help much.

The sound of footsteps clinking on the porch caught our attention. For a reason that escaped me, we both stiffened.

The shock on Byul’s face as she glanced first at the door then at me prickled my skin into goose bumps. Without warning, she rushed toward me, grabbed her backpack, knocking me over the backrest of the couch. Together we rolled to the floor. Keys rattled in the lock as I landed on her, and a rush of air exploded out of her lungs.

“Who is it?” I hissed, glaring down at her face. In this awkward position, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful colour her eyes were. Like the tiger’s eye my mother kept in her collection of gemstones.

“Can only be my mom.” Using a little pressure to my hip, she steered me closer to the couch as she rolled me off her, then she clapped her hand over my mouth. Duh, as if I was going to scream.

My heart pounded like that of a criminal during a bank robbery as we listened to Mrs. Moon walk into the room and put something heavy on the floor.

Sounded like boxes. She carried one after the other into the kitchen.

“She’s stocking the fridge,” Byul murmured with to my ear.

Great. Who would pack a fridge at six in the morning? But then she probably wanted it done before she went to work. When she went for the third round, I pulled Byul’s hand off my mouth and said in a fierce whisper, “Why are we hiding here?”

“My parents don’t like me bringing some random to this place. Unless you want to be introduced as my girlfriend, I suggest you stay down.”

Agreed. But I scowled at her from the half-inch space between us, wondering how, in only twenty-four hours, I could land in such an intimate position with Byul, twice.

A breath of relief whizzed out of me when her mother finally left the house and the door locked. A minute passed before Byul pushed to her feet. She held her hand out for me, but I didn’t move a limb.

“You sure your dad isn’t on his way, too?” Heavy cynicism laced my voice.

“Yes, I’m sure. He never comes here during the week.” She grabbed my hand and tugged.

“Get up.”

I let her help me stand. “Next time you feel the need to knock me over, I’d appreciate a little warning first.”

“Gotcha!” She went to the rear of the house and came back with a towel that she wiped over her face then tossed it at me.

“Ew.” She didn’t really expect me to use the same towel she already marked with her sweat? “I don’t know how a little running together got us to that level of intimacy.” But since she ignored my annoyed look and walked outside, I figured I just had to overcome that part of me and wiped my sweating body with it. Rubbing my neck, I followed Byul onto the porch and found her lounging on the swing.

Drenched in my sweat, I tossed the towel deadly aim at her face. But she caught it. Damn it. “Let’s go back,” I muttered.

“Are we in a hurry, Yongsun-shi?”

I refused to take a seat anywhere on this porch but leaned my shoulder against the post next to the wooden steps that led down to the beach. “Not really. But I won’t stay in a place where I have to sign a marriage license to be welcome.”

“She won’t come back.”

“I don’t care.” Wow, that was a growl. I didn’t know I could actually sound this pissed.

“Fair enough.” She sighed and rose from the swing. “Let me just get my backpack, then we can go.”

She was already gone and came out little later with a backpack and of course with a cap and a face mask back then strapped it over her shoulders. The keys she dumped back into the potted plant.

Fortunately, she didn’t make me run again. We strolled along the beach, and I welcomed the cool rush of water around my ankles. “Why did you refuse the job for red velvet new project?” I asked.

It’s all over the news, MOON BYUL YI REFUSED THE OFFER. It’s a great offer, I means its Red Velvet. People are dying to works for them. So to have the opportunity but to let it go just like that. She must have a loose wire.

She looked over me, “Busy” she said.

“Of what?”

She chuckled, “Who knows”.

I raise one eyebrow and shrug my shoulders. We reached the place where we’d hidden our shoes and walks back home, at least we walk because I had enough of running.