[CONTENTID1]Choice: MX7 Ending[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]During the summer break after the last quarter of her sophomore year ended, Haera and her friends went to the beach along the coastline. It was a rather hot and humid day which made it the perfect weather for them to have fun in the cool ocean waters.

“Oh my goodness,” Suhyun fanned her face with one of her hands. Despite her aggressive fanning, only a little breeze managed to come out. “Why is it so hot today?”

The four women walked in the warm and coarse sand barefoot, carrying items that would amplify and improve their experience while they spent most of the day in the sandy outdoors. Two of them, Somin and Umji, already wore their bikinis. On the other hand, while Haera and Suhyun did the same, they both had extra coverings. Haera had on a white, flowy, and thin long sleeved loose beach cover up while Suhyun wore a bright yellow oversized t-shirt.

“There’s a nice, secluded spot near that huge rock,” Umji pointed to the enormous light gray formation a few meters from where they were. “Let’s set up our stuff there.”

“That’s a perfect spot!” Haera beamed as she gave a small grin.

“Nuh-uh,” her best friend shook her head in dismissal knowing what she meant by her delighted reply. “We are here to have fun, mingle with people, and relax. You are not going to spend the day buried in a book.”

“What book did you bring to read?” Somin turned her head back a bit to look at Haera who walked beside Umji.

“It’s a nonfiction novel about a mysterious castle and its tenants.”

“Sounds fun. Can I borrow it after you’re done?”

Haera raised an eyebrow towards the back of the pigtailed female in front of her. “I thought you weren’t a fan of horror.”

“Horror houses and jumpscares,” she corrected then shrugged. “I like to read fantasy and mystery though.”

“Okay then,” Haera grinned at the back, knowing that this book was unlike the other light mystery books she read before. What Haera failed to disclose was that this particular novel partly had thriller and actual horror scenes embedded in some chapters of the story as well. “I’ll probably be done by next week. I’ll visit you in your dorm to drop it off then.”

“Great!” Somin giggled. “Can’t wait to start reading it.”

Once they arrived at their chosen location, the four of them took a few minutes to arrange everything before they each went their separate ways.

Somin went directly to the vast blue ocean to dip her lower body in the water. She squeaked when the temperature was colder than what she initially thought. Umji went with Suhyun to buy some iced desserts to cool themselves down. On the other hand, Haera wanted to sit under the huge umbrella for a while to rest her feet.

Whipping the book she mentioned earlier out of her backpack, Haera disregarded Umji’s previous warning and cracked it open to where an adorable cartoon bear bookmark saved her progress. After placing the bookmark in between another set of pages near the end of the book, she then dived into the world of fiction once more.

“You’re really unbelievable, you know that?” Umji’s voice brought Haera back from her fictitious world. Umji sat in one of the folding chairs beside Haera while Suhyun sat on the other side. “You’re at a beach and you’re reading. You can do that when you get home, you know?”

Haera pouted when she suddenly got disrupted. She placed a finger in between the pages to mark the last part she read before turning to face the woman beside her. That’s when she noticed the mango and orange smoothie in her friend’s hands. 

“But the story has become interesting at this point,” she argued. 

“You’re only in your twenties for a short time,” Suhyun added, sipping on her pineapple drink. “Look at Somin,” she nodded her head towards the ever smiling female playing beach volleyball with a group of coeds. “She’s having the time of her life.”

“She’s got a point, you know?” Umji stated before she took one last sip from her drink. She slightly buried the cup beside her chair then rubbed her hands together. “We’re not forcing you or anything if you’re uncomfortable with the idea,” she stood up and smiled down as Haera looked up at her. “We just don’t want you to feel left out whenever we do activities outside campus.”

“I know,” Haera closed her eyes and released a long sigh. Once she opened them again, she looked at Suhyun then back to Umji. “I’ll take a little walk around the beach and join you afterwards.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Umji nodded as she and Suhyun grinned. “We’ll be with Somin over there.”

Haera stood up just as Suhyun did the same a few seconds before her. “Alright. See you in a bit then.”

Haera wanted to clear her mind and revel in the fresh air first instead of immediately joining her friends. She enjoyed being alone with her thoughts in some cases since doing so helps calm her down. Plus, if she went ahead and followed her friends straightaway, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to find the time to freely wander by the shore afterwards. Walking along the shore was one of her favorite things to do whenever she visited the beach. Hence she took this time to roam around for a bit, explore the area, and find escape in her own little world ahead of spending who knows how long with the rest of the girls.

Fortunately, the beach at that moment wasn’t too packed. Groups gathered meters apart from each other, giving each party some personal space from other beachgoers to enjoy their time together. Although there were excited cheers stemming from intoxicated people mixed with the screams of excitement from children running around the warm sand, the calming sounds of the crashing waves overpowered their voices in Haera’s perspective. 

The unpredictable nature of the coming and going of the tide along with the soothing crashes the waves emitted against the shore made her feel serene inside. This sense of tranquility was what she needed after finishing another year in college towards her dream. It made her feel rejuvenated and peaceful which she hasn’t felt in a long time. It was definitely a feeling that was more than welcome to stay.

After focusing her mind elsewhere, Haera failed to notice that she was now quite a distance away from where she first started. It wasn’t until the booming roar of the sudden powering of jet skis did she finally realize that she had been strolling far longer than what she had intended. Glancing at the water proof watch around her left wrist, her eyes widened a bit when she noticed where the hands of the clock were settled.

“Thirty minutes? Wow, I haven’t walked this long without caring for the time in forever.” She lightly chuckled before turning her heels around, making indentions in the sand as her weight shifted beneath her. Her loose beach cover up flowed freely as she twirled while the soft breeze played with the thin fabric. “I guess I better head back. They might get worried if they notice I was gone for an hour.”

Despite the possible worry she might cause, Haera continued to leisurely walk along the shoreline. It wasn’t that she wasn’t taking their concern into account, but more of the fact that there was really no point in arriving there breathless which would make her sit out on the next set of activities they had planned.

After a few more minutes, Haera got closer to the massive rock formation where they set up their belongings. She was unable to see her friends due to the rock blocking her line of sight, but nonetheless, she was glad that she was almost back to where she started. 

Meters before she could reach the ginormous solid mineral, something in the waters caught her attention. As she whipped her head towards the figure, she was just in time to see a man emerge from under the waves. Unlike the others, this person wore a white long sleeved shirt that now stuck to his slightly lean body. The way he came up to the surface was reminiscent of those photoshoots where models would bend their backs once they resurfaced from the waters, eyes closed, all the while they flipped their hair dramatically behind them. 

It wasn’t an exaggeration when Haera thought that the man performed the action in slow motion. He slowly trudged through the strong waves with a serious expression without much of a tinge of difficulty. Eventually, the man finally arrived back on the shore, his clothes — he wore long black pants underneath — heav