Next on their schedule was a tram ride around the city. They all gathered at Leeteuk's table, which was littered with the fried rice Heechul and Hangeng and displaced during their scramble with each other earlier, and together leaned over a floppy, crinkled map of the city, some of them still with cheeks stuffed with last-minute food-gobbling. After awhile of bickering over one, where they were, two, where the tram stop was, and three, how they were going to get there, they finally set off down their chosen route.

Cameras drawn, they walked together sometimes as a mass blob, sometimes as separate groups, and sometimes in line(s). They clicked pictures of cars, buildings, scenery, and, of course, each other and themselves, and it was from the last which evoked Eunhyuk to call a selca-challenge. Some of them groaned at this suggestion, but others, namely Heechul, Yesung, and Ryeowook, agreed instantly. Eventually, they were all coerced into participating in the challenge, on the claim that "you're not an idol if you don't do selca." They agreed to each take a cute picture, a sentimental picture, a "sekshi" picture, and, last but mostly, a dorky picture. When they got home, they would all flood the internet with their pictures and, based on the fans' reactions and which photo made it onto "breaking news" headlines of the reporters, they would crown "SJ's Selca King" and name those of his court (aka the pitiful runner-ups).

Before they could commence the Super Selca Challenge, however, there was a shout from Kangin, who was at the head of the line, about how they were going to miss the tram. It took them two ticks of the clock to let Kangin's words sink it, then they were running--full-out sprinting the length of two city blocks to get to where a tram was already stopped--and almost leaving. Donghae and Siwon, having been trained as an athlete and secret agent, respectively, reached the tram first and lept on. The tram conductor stared as they were followed by ten other sweaty, panting boys and, last of all, Heechul, who, in addition to his lack of leg muscle (which were only ever used for girl group dances), had started running a few seconds after everyone else because he had been trying to snap in the first selca shot of the Super Selca Challenge. He arrived so late that had he not shouted "HELP--WAIT!" in an embarrassingly desperate and un-dictator-like manner, the tram would have pulled away and the others, still gasping for breath from their run, would not have even noticed his absence until it was too late.

Fortunately, however, all thirteen of them made it onto the tram. After remembering to take a quick headcount--they did not want to repeat the hotel incident that morning--they hustled down the length of the tram to find seats. The lower level was almost full--of people who were eyeing them skeptically as if they had never seen a group of thirteen very dorky fashionable boys leap hastily onto a tram before--so they all trooped to the upper level, where they, surprisingly, found just enough seats for themselves.

It was then that Yesung announced to finally commence the Super Selca Challenge and, after looking towards Leeteuk for authorization on the awkward kid's words, the other members did begin. Heechul decided that he needed not put much effort into the challenge because obviously he was going to win, and instead spent the time gazing out onto the streets yet seeing nothing but the pride he would have when crowned with "SJ's Selca King." Meanwhile, Kangin and Leeteuk had chosen to team up and take couple selcas, agreeing to split the glory if their pictures won--which they should, because while fangirls go crazy for selcas, they go crazy even more for couple selcas, right? Hangeng wanted to take selcas with the city scenery as his backdrop, to show that he was "like a boss" in his own domain of Macau, but after realizing that his skill level of selca-ing did not endow him with the ability to take good photos while on a moving vehicle, he deviously induced a disinterested Kibum to take the pictures for him. Kibum agreed but, since he had not much a mind to participate in the challenge, wanted to have some fun on his own and decided that, contrary to what Hangeng would probably want, he would take the most random and unflattering shots of his hyung and hopefully post them up before Hangeng realized--or save them for when he would need to use them as a blackmailing tool. Kyuhyun, on the other hand, had strategized in a different way, fabricating what he believed to be a fail-proof battleplan based off of complex calculations on fans' responses to various facial expressions, poses, camera angles, wind, and lighting. He spent so much time comtemplating the sweet victory, however, that before he had time to execute his strategy, the tram ride around the city had ended and half of his plan--which required taking selcas on the tram--had to be scrapped.

They stepped off the tram at the stop by the beach shore. The moment the smell of the sea and the cool wind breeze hit them, however, Eunhyuk declared that they should forgo the Super Selca Challenge for some more physically active beach games because, face it, it wasn't every day that they were allowed to frolic upon the border between sand and waves. Unfortunately, his proposal was met with quite the resistance, mainly from the 83-line, who had frozen at the mention of a "physically active" game, and Yesung, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun, who already either had a good start with the Super Selca Challenge--in Yesung and Ryeowook's cases-- or whose already-spoiled-but-recently-restrategized plan would never be able to be executed--in Kyuhyun's case. In the reconciliation that followed, they split into two games--Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun participating purely in the Super Selca Challenge, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Sungmin, Kangin (who had apparently abandoned his couple selcas with Teuk), Siwon, and Kibum playing whatever "beach games" there would be, and members like Shindong and Hangeng who chose to do both activities. The selca team was elated that practically half of the competition had been eliminated, but that meant that they were now facing off against each other--the ones who were most serious about winning the title.

So the members went off to their respective activities and both sides had a blast. However, just as how tributaries always flow back and join to become one mighty river (or maybe it was because the cameras of the selca team had run out of batteries and the physically active team had become just as worn out as the camera batters), the group soon reunited as one again. They found themselves lounging upon the beach, joking and laughing as they discussed stories of their days together. As was the course of such discussions, however, they found themselves gazing off to the far horizon, the sea breeze coolly ruffling their clothes and hair, the sound of waves both rolling in the distance and lapping up near their feet, the smell of the crisp, slightly salty ocean air, the soft sand beneath their fingers, and the sweet presence of togetherness. And they wondered, how far did that horizon go? If they kept pursuing it, would the sun ever set into it? And if the sun never set, does that mean the sky would be everlasting pearl blue?
 

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A/N: It gets a bit sentimental at the end. xP Because I wrote that part late at night and that's what happens when I write at that time. xP Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to their luggage, they had it be sent to the airport earlier. ^^