Chapter 10 – Yuri the flirt?
 
Sica looks at me with questions in her eyes but before I can even try to help her out, my senior is already jumping into the pool and putting her arm around Sica.
 
Uh oh.
 
My flirt of a senior and sensitive Sica. May the heavens help us all.
 
.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
 
The owner of the voice is an older woman who has a toned body, quite like Yuri’s. Her long hair is tied up in a simple pony tail and she is in the standard orange-white lifeguard bikini which reveals a generous amount of skin. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if lifeguards choose to reveal that much skin to gain more attention.
 
The woman walks right into the shallow end of the pool where we are standing and comes right up to me, putting her arm around my shoulders casually. I don’t like the way she grips my shoulder. It seems a tad possessive but I try not to slap her hand off my shoulder, nonetheless. It’s a challenge to look impassive but I think I manage to pull it off.
 
“How many times have I told you that this facility is not a place to bring girls? You’re such a bad example, Yuri.”
 
This woman is leaning way too close to my ear and shivers are zipping down my spine. The bad shivers.
 
“So who is this lucky girl? Why aren’t you introducing us?”
 
This woman’s eyes are truly disturbing. They’re piercing and there’s something in them that I can’t put my finger on. I can’t help but shift uncomfortably to put an inch of distance between us but her arm is resolute and I can hardly move away from her.
 
“Hi, girlfriend. I’m your girlfriend’s senior and mentor. You can call me Seulji unnie.”
 
I look closely at Yuri as she introduces herself, trying to decipher their relationship but it’s hard to read her right now. And as they smile at each other, I tense. This senior of hers is subtly rubbing her thumb on my shoulder! Lady, keep your hands to yourself!
 
“Seulji unnie, I’m teaching her how to swim. That’s all,” I explain as I boldly pick her hand up from my shoulder and move it away. I then wade through the water to Yuri in a bid to get away from Seulji.
 
“That’s what you tell me all the time, Yuri. How many girls have you brought in here before this new girlfriend of yours? You’re such a flirt!”
 
And for a moment there, I’m confused. Does Yuri do this often? Is she really a flirt? A jolt of unexplainable displeasure courses through my veins at that thought. Yuri is going to have a lot to explain once we manage to get rid of her!
 
“I’m not flirting. Jessica is really interested in learning how to swim so I’m teaching her. Now would you please excuse us? She’s rather shy.”
 
I grit my teeth as I speak. This is as civil as I can be and I hope Seulji can take a hint although I’m not sure if she can.
 
Seulji looks wounded by my words and pouts. “Okay, I know when I’m being chased out. I’ll leave you two alone. But we’ll go for supper together later on, okay?”
 
I almost balk at her. Supper? With her? Later? No way. No freaking way.
 
“I can’t do supper.” My rejection is straight to the point and Seulji looks taken aback by my blunt reply. Has Yuri never rejected her before? I’ll need to ask her about this later as well.
 
“Oh. Okay. Well. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
 
“Bye, Seulji.”
 
Seulji smiles sweetly when I say her name and my curiosity is piqued. What exactly is going on between Yuri and this senior of hers?
 
.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
 
Seulji has finally left and we’re alone again.
 
“So. Explain. Who is she exactly? And what’s going on between the two of you?” I ask immediately.
 
“She’s the senior lifeguard here. You could say she’s my boss. I have to report to her.”
 
“Your boss?!” I can hardly believe it. Seulji did not behave like a boss at all. In fact, I’d say she acted like a creep. “Does she always touch you like that?”
 
Yuri’s eyes widen. “Touch…me?”
 
“Her arm was around my shoulder if you didn’t notice. And her thumb…she was rubbing her thumb on my shoulder. I really wanted to slap her hand away just now.”
 
Yuri blinks some more. “Oh. er…sometimes…”
 
“And you let her do it?!” I’m appalled by a sudden thought. “Please don’t tell me you enjoy it.”
 
Yuri shakes her head violently. “No! I don’t like it at all.”
 
“So why don’t you stop her?”
 
Yuri frowns. “It’s difficult.”
 
I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean. Why is it difficult?”
 
“She’s my senior. I can’t be too rude to her.”
 
“So you’re okay with her touching you like that?”
 
“No. I’m not okay. But she doesn’t really cross any lines. She can easily say that she’s just being friendly to me.”
 
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe it,” I say in disbelief and another question pops into my mind. “Is it because you want to get into her good books?”
 
Disbelief, shock, then indignation flash across Yuri’s face in a split second.
 
“Don’t insult my professionalism, Sica.” Her voice isn’t her usual gentle tone and I know that I have crossed the line there.
 
“Sorry,” I apologize immediately. “I’m sorry for thinking that but it’s only because you’re so casual with your boss.”
 
“I’m not casual with my boss! I just don’t want to be rude to my senior!”
 
“Well, I’m not going to let her lay a finger on me while I’m you. And I have no qualms in giving her a piece of my mind, should she go too far.”
 
Yuri looks worried after listening to what I said. “No, please don’t. She isn’t that bad, really. Just a little touchy, that’s all.”
 
“A little touchy?! That’s not just touchy. It’s creepy! You may not mind it but I do!” 
 
Yuri’s eyes spark with a little something just then. “Ah, is that why you shivered when I touched my abs? Sensitive to touch, aren’t you?”
 
I blink. Woah. Is this a distraction technique she’s pulling? Well, it sure is working because now I’m embarrassed. She noticed? I swallow the lump in my throat and flush, embarrassed. Yuri’s eyes gleam with something evil and before I know what’s happening, her hands are all over my sides, tickling me mercilessly. I squeal and try to get away but her hands are nimble and easily evade my wildly grappling hands.
 
In a desperate bid to get away from her, I push her hard and she wobbles as she loses her balance. Her arms flail around me and wrap tight, clinging to me as she falls into the knee deep water. I am pulled down with her and we end up spluttering as water enters our mouths and noses. But what is even more unsettling is how I find myself lying over her. Chest to chest. Hip to hip. And our lips a mere inch apart.
 
I can hardly breathe. Blistering icicles. This is way too close for comfort. I scramble to get off her body and manage to slide to her side, putting some distance between us. A moment later, we’re sitting in the water, and blushing furiously. And I’m not sure why but I feel as shy as a mouse. It’s odd.
 
Suddenly, Yuri flashes me an evil grin and I have a bad feeling about this.
 
“Don’t be rude to my senior and I won’t tickle you again. Deal?” she asks.
 
And that’s when I conclude that Yuri is evil. Really evil. But I have no choice. Being tickled is probably worse than tolerating her flirty, touchy senior.
 
“Fine,” I agree to the deal reluctantly and Yuri’s triumphant grin irks the heck out of me.
 
.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
 
I’m very relieved that I found a way to stop Sica from giving my senior a piece of her mind. There’s really no telling what Sica might say to her and the consequences might be dire. I certainly don’t want to lose my job because of her!
 
We’re in the deep end of the pool and Sica is learning well. Fortunately, she knows how to swim and is adequate in this area so we can move on to other elements. I’ve listed all the do’s and don’ts of saving drowning victims and demonstrated the two different types of victims—active and passive victims. I’ve also told her how she can approach them. Now, it’s time for her to put words into action.
 
Her task is to practice saving both types of victims. I decide to be the passive victim first. It is easier for her. All she has to do is to being me back to shore (which is the side of the pool) and lay me flat on the ground. Lastly, she’ll have to do the necessary health checks and conduct CPR if required.
 
I jump into the pool and swim to the middle of it. Then, I commence the exercise by pretending to be a passive drowning victim. I float, face down, and keep still. No thrashing about. No struggling. This kind of victim is usually in critical danger and needs to be rescued in record time so that some kind of resuscitation can be done on him or her.
 
A splash can be heard as Sica dives into the water. I can hear the movement of water as she swims to me as quickly as she can. With my body, she can move more powerfully and she doesn’t take too long to get to me. Then, she uses the float to bring me back to ‘shore’ and hauls me out of the pool with some effort.
 
My eyes are still closed and I can feel her hands on my body, doing the checks. Her touch is gentle and in a crazy moment, I crave for more. Oh mouse. What am I thinking? Focus, Yuri. Focus!
 
Her breath hits my face softly as she checks my breathing. I stop breathing and she is required to do a CPR to revive me. The thing is this: I stopped breathing only because I tensed when she was too close to me. But she doesn’t know this so she goes about performing the CPR. My chin is tugged down and my breath is bated again as I feel her lips engulfing mine.
 
OH MY MOUSE! OH MY MOUSE!!!
 
I’ve had junior lifeguards practice CPR on me before but those didn’t feel like this one! I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Help me. My heart is pounding and my blood is rushing somewhere. I don’t even know where. But just as suddenly, is gone and I can breathe again. My heart rate doesn’t relax, however. It is still intense and I can only take deep breaths as I attempt to calm myself down.
 
“Did I do alright?” Sica asks me, her eyes sincere and I can tell that she really is trying her best.
 
“You did very well, Sica. You may be my best student yet,” I flash her a wide grin, the one that I flash when I’m proud of a student and she smiles daintily in return.
 
“Let’s practice some more,” she says and I nod.
 
“Okay. Round two.”
 
.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
 
Sica is more hardworking than she appears to be. This is my conclusion after two hours of arduous drill and practice in the pool. I had been the one to suggest wrapping it up for the day after an hour but she had insisted on continuing till she mastered the things I taught her. Wow. She might be my best student yet!
 
But my warm feelings towards her cool a little when she turns to me with piercing eyes and pressed lips.
 
“I need to ask you a question and you need to answer me honestly.”
 
I swallow hard and nod. Sica means business.
 
“Are you a flirt? And did you mean what you said after our dinner or did you intend to have a fling with me?”
 
I blink non-stop. It’s like my eyelids are trying to cope with the massive confusion that my mind is thrown into.
 
“F-Flirt?” I stutter. “F-Fling?”
 
“You senior said that you are a flirt. Are you?”
 
No! I protest mentally as I shake my head vehemently.
 
“Are you sure? Because come to think of it, you were flirting with me too.”
 
“What?!” I splutter, stunned.
 
“You were flirting with me after you saved me, weren’t you? To you, I’m just another awestruck victim you saved, right?”
 
“No, no, no. No! You’re not just another awestruck victim to me! I really wanted to be your friend. I wanted to know you better,” I start rambling, trying to defend my honour. “I’m not a flirt.”
 
Sica looks at me shrewdly for a moment, her eyes roving over me from head to toe and back up again. Then, she nods slightly.
 
“Okay, I believe you.”
 
.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
 
Sica is in the cubicle, changing out of the lifeguard bikini when I spot my phone sticking out of her bag. It’s technically her phone now, but I pick it up and check the message anyway. There are a few missed calls and one new message. I tap on the message icon and the message pops up on the screen.
 
Unnie! Kkk…did you get lucky with Jessica unnie? Teach me your ways, unnie. I’ll be eternally grateful. And I hope Seulji unnie didn’t find you. Did she? I saw her heading towards our training center as I left.
 
Nothing can stop my eyes from bulging as I read it. Get lucky? What exactly did Sica whisper to Yoona? Now who’s the flirty one here?!
 
.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>