The humid breeze was getting strong, but neither the two of them felt the cold. Their closeness was enough to cover the reality. With Kris’s arm still placed at the back of her head and his lips on hers, Jieun couldn’t even move. She was too petrified to utter a word, to let out a breath, or to even push the man away, but deep inside her, Jieun knew to herself that the latter was the least thing she would do. For some reasons she wanted to be kissed by him and she couldn’t understand why, and with her thoughts now turning into reality, something sparked inside of her. Intense electricity scurried into every part of hers and she found herself leaning in closer, lingering more into the kiss.

Jieun’s eyes were closed and quickly the few days she had with him came rushing back. How he looked when they first met, when Kris saved him from the ert, when they were talking about Kai… Jieun quickly pushed him away, and she could see his confused expression. “IU?” Kris asked disconcertingly. Jieun pulled herself away, slowly putting space between the two of them, “I-I I can’t Kris,” she whispered, disgusted about what she did. Though she was single, it had only been a few days since he met him, and the woman’s feelings about Kai was still vague, and for Jieun, kissing him should be the only thing she shouldn’t be doing. She stood up and Kris was quick to follow.

Jieun pulled her sarong over her, as if covering herself would protect her from Kris, or rather mellow out that unfamiliar feeling she had. “We can’t do this Kris,” she said as firmly as she could, ironic because she was even too embarrassed to look him in the eyes, so instead, she was focusing all of her emotions towards the sand.

“But IU,” he whispered, hurt by how far away she was, how far away her presence was. “I like you.”

For someone who was confessed to by a tall, porcelain-skinned and very much Jiyeon-type handsome kind of guy, this would be the happiest moment. But if the lucky girl was someone who broke up with his would-be husband a day before their wedding then the situation becomes different entirely.  

“I’m sorry Kris,” she said and without another word she raced back into her room leaving the poor man behind.

The next day came, and Jieun woke up with both of Kai and Kris inside her mind. She was still boggled about the whole kiss thing with Kris, but in the back of her head, Kai still lingers. The man hasn’t still ceased with his apologies. Every day he’d still bombard her phone with voicemails and texts. Yes Jieun knows he’s sorry, but his sweet words and apologies doesn’t take the pain away, and certainly doesn’t quickly build her trust right to where it was before. Wanting to wash away her thoughts Jieun decided to give up on the men and stood up, to have a cold shower.

Dressed in her short shorts and a floral cropped shirt Jieun got into the tour bus ready for a Kris-free day. As the bus was gradually getting packed, the tour guide smiled pleasantly at the lot, waiting for all of her passengers to be settled. Jieun was again saved, when a middle-aged woman came and sat next to her.

The tour guide cleared , and started to speak. “Good morning, everybody!” She greeted the crowd, but Jieun was lackadaisically listening to the woman, and her eyes were only focus on the outside of the hotel. “Today we’re going to Padang Bai…” The tour guide went on and on about the place, while the bus made a move to their next destination.

Padang Bai is found in East Bali. It is a small port town, which is known for its rich culture and good diving and snorkeling spot. The guide went on and on, and in no time, Jieun plugged her ears and quickly G-Dragon was singing her into slumber.

For the whole day, Jieun felt her whole body exhausted by all the things they’ve done. They’ve swam, scuba dived, island hopped, and pretty much toured the whole area. Temporarily her boy problems were replaced with her fatigue and at some point she even realized how she simply enjoyed this day. With a small smile creeping up on her pink lips, Jieun became preoccupied that she became unaware of the problem that was eventually coming closer to her. In a matter of seconds she felt a movement on the seat next to hers, but not having to seem the time of the day, she ignore the presence of her seat mate and instead pulled her hoodie up to her head. Though it seemed rude, Jieun knew her body was too much battered that she won’t even sum up the energy to smile to her fellow tourist. In the end, sh