Iseul walks to the locker room and gets ready for the swimming club trial, there’s almost thirty students trying out the club. She puts her bag on one of the lockers and gets changed before getting out of the locker room to get ready and familiarize herself with the pools. Most of them are boys and from the look of it, Iseul has seen some of the boys during several competitions. Meanwhile, the girls aren’t really the swimmer types, some of them might have been real swimmers while the others are just there to see the other boys. But she can’t deny that the boys are undeniably good-looking and have a good body for their age.

“Oh god, that’s Oh Sehun.”

Some girls squeals as they see Sehun walking out of the boys’ locker room next door to the pools, he’s tall and his build is just how Iseul pictures. His uniform isn’t fitted but his build is definitely can be seen through the shirt, he looks around and rolled his eyes as if he’s waiting for someone.

“Why are you so slow, Baek?” Sehun groans while walking back to the boys’ locker room, he puts his arms on his waist and saying some things that she can’t hear.

“Oh, stop whining!”

Baekhyun replies as he walks out of the locker room and Iseul doesn’t notice that she widens her eyes for a moment. Baekhyun might be shorter than Sehun but his body build is definitely on par with the latter, something that she doesn’t expect but then again, the boy is the fastest freestyler and probably the best during his junior high years as what Coach Im mentioned. The two boys talk for a while, mostly Sehun shaking his head at what Baekhyun said. Then, he catches Iseul from the other side of the pool and nudges Baekhyun. Iseul is still looking at the other students when they’re walking towards her.

“Hey you,”

Baekhyun says and Iseul jumps a little, both boys chuckle at her reaction. “Why are you watching as if you’re prying on the others?” Sehun asks while sitting down and let his legs soaked by the waters, “No, I don’t. You watch too many dramas, Sehun.” Iseul shakes her head.

“Some of them don’t even swim properly and they won’t even try to,” Baekhyun says while looking at a couple of female students grouping on the other side of the pool. Iseul looks at them too and then sees someone familiar in the group, “Wow, Soyeon’s right.” Iseul mutters but both Baekhyun and Sehun can hear her.

“Baek’s problem, not mine.” Sehun shrugs to annoy Baekhyun but the guy just chuckles at the tease, “Are you okay with this?” Iseul furrows her brows at him. “I don’t know, it does feel like having a stalker at school.” Baekhyun thinks back about what Jiyoung has done to get close to him. “Why didn’t she just talk to you like a normal person? I mean, you’re a human, all of you are human. She never talks to you guys?” Iseul wonders why Jiyoung never tries to get close to Baekhyun.

“Easy, she’s scared of Eunji.” Sehun answers her question, “Eunji’s not that bad,” Iseul adds but Sehun just laughs. “Well, to us. Eunji knows Jiyoung only try to be nice to get close to Baekhyun so she always gives that girl her get-lost-before-I-kick-you look whenever Jiyoung tries to get close. Jiyoung tried her best during elementary school. But when it’s clear that her royal highness hates you, you’re done.” Sehun explains.

“The only person in our group of friends who actually tolerate Jiyoung is Soyeon and this guy,” Sehun points at Baekhyun who’s doing a little stretching, “I’m just being polite, nothing else.” Baekhyun shakes his head at Sehun’s earlier statement. Sehun scoffs at him so Baekhyun kicks him into the pool, earning laughter from Iseul.

Coach Im blows his whistle to let everyone know that it’s time to gather. Just like how it’s called, the trial let the ten graders to see the demonstration from the seniors and the rules of the club. They also get to demonstrate their swimming skill and just like what Baekhyun said earlier, some of them doesn’t even know how to do freestyle properly.

When the clock strikes at four, the coach calls it a day and everyone get to go home. “Hey, wanna go to the den? Sehun’s cooking something,” Baekhyun asks Iseul as they walk to the locker room, “Sure, what are you cooking?” Iseul asks Sehun who walks beside Baekhyun. “Shrimp cakes, you’re coming?” Sehun asks back and Iseul then nods.

Iseul walks to her locker and senses several girls looking at her while whispering to one another, it’s no other than Jiyoung and her minions (that’s how Soyeon describes them). But she doesn’t really bother by them, it's not like she’s befriending the group to get close to one person or trying to compete with her in a way. Soyeon says that ‘sometimes it’s fun to spread weird rumors and they blatantly eat it. It’s like feeding troll to internet trolls,’ about Jiyoung and her friends. Besides, the other students are nicer than them and casually converse with her normally.

Iseul takes a shower and cleaning up before putting her uniform back. Most of the girls in the locker room still laughing and talking with the others while packing up or just waiting for their friend to finish their shower. Iseul bids goodbye to a couple of girls and then leave the locker room to find Soyeon talking with some boys by the pool. The girl notices that Iseul already finishes so she quickly bids goodbye to the boys and then walk towards Iseul.

“What took you so long? I almost want to stride into the locker room,”

Iseul laughs at Soyeon’s complaint, “I thought you have a company… No, scratch that, companies I mean.” she teases the brown-haired girl who scoffs at her teasing.

“And where are those lazy asses?” Soyeon looks back to where the men’s locker room is, a couple of boys get out from the locker room but still no Baekhyun and Sehun insight.

“How’re cheers?” Iseul asks her because she does the cheerleaders trial, “Fun and the girls are way more talented than me in tumbling. But they’re quite helpful, it doesn’t feel like that ‘Bring It On Again’ movie at all….. I think.” Soyeon doesn’t want to jinx it.

She’s tapping her fingers on her arm while looking around, “So, you’ve seen Jiyoung and her minions in the same club as Baekhyun too?” Soyeon sees Jiyoung and her group of friends come out of the locker room and head to the exit.

Iseul turns to where Soyeon is looking at and then laughs, “Yeah, kind of creepy don’t you think?” Soyeon laughs in turn. “Creepy? That’s an understatement, but then everyone grows up, right? There’s no way she’ll throw a fit like what she did back in elementary or junior high. Especially to you,” Soyeon shakes her head, Iseul furrows her brows at her last sentence. “Especially to me? What’s wrong with me?” she is confused but Soyeon looks at her as if she doesn’t know that Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

“You’re cute, honey.” Soyeon chuckles at Iseul who tilts her head at the response. Finally, Baekhyun and Sehun come out of the locker room.

“What took you both so long?” Soyeon complains at the boys, “Limited shower stalls, two dozen of boys. Get that?” Sehun retorts at her.

“Straight to the den?” Baekhyun asks as they’re walking out of the building, “Nope, we need to get some mint and limes. Eunji texted me, said they’re out of it and there’s no way to make a mojito without them. That’s why I complained why it took you so long to clean up,” Soyeon groans.

“Chill, okay, you two can just go first. This lady might do another filling-up-the-pantry shopping too,” Sehun says to Baekhyun and Iseul who nod at the arrangement.

They ride the same bus but Soyeon and Sehun get off in front of a supermarket while Baekhyun and Iseul continue until the next stop near the den.

“How was today?” Baekhyun asks while getting off from the bus to walk to the den’s building, “Pretty fun and yeah, you’re right. Some of them can’t even do freestyle properly,” Iseul quips and he laughs at what she says.

“How long have you been swimming? Like, when did you decide ‘okay, I’ll get into competitions’ for real?” Baekhyun asks her as he switches place so he walks in the outer side, Iseul thinks for a while.

“Probably when I was in 3^rd grade? Just right before my mom was pregnant with Yiseo, I was the only child then and my parents love to take me swimming every weekend. I think my fondness for swimming starts from there. Then my mom encourages me to kind of compete with several kids who’d swim in the same pool as me and I’m always the fastest. I thought it felt good and I would like some more of those feelings, you know? Winning and all,” she replies as she remembers her weekly swimming routines with her parents.

“So, addicted to winning, huh?” Baekhyun sums up and she laughs, “Can’t deny it, how about you?” Iseul asks him back. Baekhyun looks up to think about it, he never really thinks about what pushes him to take up swimming more seriously. He just thought it was fun.

“I just thought it was fun…. Wait, actually, my brother is really good at basketball. He crushes every game he had and I thought, I would like some of those moments too, you know? Being really good at something because studying is not one of it for me.” he simply shrugs, Iseul looks at him in amusement. “So, brother’s rivalry?” Baekhyun chuckles at the guess but can’t help to nod. “Baekbeom is nice and we don’t actually have that kind of siblings rivalry but I just thought it might feel good to be really good at something,” he explains to her.

They keep walking while talking about random things, mostly Baekhyun asking her, for ten minutes before reaching the den’s building.

“Oh good, you’re here,” Eunji says while looking up from her magazines, Kai is laying down with his head right on his girlfriend’s lap. “Sehun and Soyeon still shopping?” Kai asks while keep playing with his phone. “Yeah, Chanyeol’s coming but he’s running late. Band things,” Baekhyun puts his bag on the carpet and then lays down on another long sofa. Iseul sits on the armchair and then notices several magazines on the coffee table, most of them are fashion magazines.

“While we’re here, we might have to talk about the English project.” Eunji suggests after a while, “What project?” Baekhyun asks her and she rolls her eyes at him. “That introduction project that we have to do as a team of four,” Kai answers, still focusing on his game. “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that.” Iseul points her finger to the air as she just remembers about the project, “Ah, yeah. Where do you want us to do it? It’s the video thingy, right?” Baekhyun scratches his head and the other three nod to the question.

“What about your house?” Eunji suggests while flipping her magazines, Baekhyun stops pouring an orange juice for himself and then looks at her. “Why my house?” Baekhyun puts back the juice carton to the fridge, “Take a turn, Baek.” Kai says and the guy standing near the fridge raises his brows at the statement. “The only house we visited these days is Eunji’s house, moron. What turn? What about your house?” Baekhyun nods at Kai who’s sitting straight now.

“Renovation, my mom has been watching HGTV. I don’t know what show but certainly managed to change her mind about the guest lodges and the garden. I’m currently living in a construction site,” Kai shrugs, Baekhyun turns to Eunji who nods to confirm her boyfriend’s story.

“Oh, why don’t we use Iseul’s house? If you don’t mind of course,” Kai suggests and Iseul looks up from her phone,” You sure you want to go to my house?” Iseul raises her brows at them and they all looks at her as if she just told them she’s an alien.

“What? You have a cute swing upfront,” Baekhyun says as he takes a seat on the hand rest of Iseul’s armchair, Iseul chuckles at his remark and then shakes her head. “Well, my house, then?” Baekhyun asks the other three who then nod in unison. “We can work on it tomorrow, it’s due on Wednesday and I don’t want to do a speedy editing over a night.” Kai suggests the time, “Fine, let’s do it tomorrow.” Eunji agrees to the offered time.

‘Door is opened’

Sehun and Soyeon enter the room, “What in the world is happening?” Iseul says after she sees Soyeon holding two bags of snacks while Sehun is holding a smaller bag in his right hand. Chanyeol following right behind them and looks at what Soyeon’s holding.

“Are we going on a war or something?”

The giant male comments while looking at Soyeon, the female throws him a glare but continue to walk to the pantry area.

“I’m out of Doritos…. and Cheetos….AND there’s this buy 2 get 3 going on with the choco pie,” Soyeon shrugs and starts to put everything to the pantry shelves.

“Here you go,” Sehun drops his bag to Kai and Eunji and then goes to where he cooks, “Alright, drinks on the way.” Kai stands up from the sofa to make the drinks for them all.

“How’s the band?” Baekhyun asks Chanyeol as the taller male takes a seat on the sofa. “Same old, better equipment and studio though. Also, the girls actually join the band because they’re actually good at it.” Baekhyun chuckles at the jab.

“Oh yeah, how were the minions?” Eunji asks from the bar and Iseul laughs, “Oh God, don’t even start.” Sehun replies from the kitchen as he cuts the shrimps. Chanyeol lets out a burst of huge laughter and everyone starts to throw some fun facts about Jiyoung and her friends’ obsession with Byun Baekhyun. Especially Soyeon, who unexpectedly way more mischievous than Iseul thought, she has more stories about trapping Jiyoung to get into something when Baekhyun’s not even in it but she has to do it because there’s no backing up. Everyone is laughing so hard that Iseul feels like she’s crying from all the silly stories and encounters they had.

“Right, I’m off to the bathroom.” Iseul puts down her drink and makes her way to the bathroom on the corner of the room.

“I heard Jiyoung and her minions talking about Iseul during lunch.” Eunji starts while keeping an eye on the bathroom, lowering her voice.

Baekhyun puts his phone down and looks at her, “What?” he asks her back to reconfirm what she said. “I heard about that too,” Sehun unexpectedly says.

“Don’t let Jiyoung do something to her or I’ll do something to you,” Soyeon looks at Baekhyun, Chanyeol furrows at her. Soyeon isn’t the type of person who said those things, “I’m serious,” she adds.

“Don’t worry, besides, she’s strong. She won't back down that easily,”

Eunji says just right before Iseul gets out of the bathroom. “And that’s why I think you’re dumb,” Soyeon says to Chanyeol out of nowhere to change the subject as if they never talk about something else.

“Oh, shut up!” Chanyeol throws some Cheetos to the girl, “Don’t throw foods,” Sehun groans at the two. Kai automatically protects his drink from the Cheetos right while Baekhyun laughing at the two. Iseul laughs as she rejoins at the sofa and asks what are they fighting about.

“Gosh, why are we even friends…..” Eunji rolls her eyes at Soyeon and Chanyeol who are currently wrestling it out, the usual chaotic scene always makes her wonder how come she befriends them all.

A/N:

Short update:( sorry but I just think that I need to separate this from the next one, I hope you enjoy it!! Please do leave some comments down below, your comments always made my day^^ anyway, I hope every one stays safe! See you on the next chapter~