“Slowly, Niel. You don’t have to hurry. You’ll sprain your legs if you continue like that.” Minsoo said as he directs Niel on the proper way of paddling his feet. They are now in the swimming pool at the Ahn’s mansion. Funny if you think that even though they have always had a swimming pool in their yard, Niel didn’t brave to learn to swim. He’s scared of drowning. And he knows that his lungs couldn’t take the added exercise. But now that he knows that this is the best way to rehabilitate after his successful operation, he decided on doing this. And also, Minsoo would be tutoring him so he feels more confident with doing this now.

“This is tiring. How long am I gonna paddle like this?” He’s getting tired of the same exercises Minsoo has been telling him to do. It’s been a month after his operation. And they are into his swimming lessons for a week now. But even so, they are still in the first stage: learning how to flap your feet the right way. Niel feels sick of this, he wanna start swimming now.

“Aigoo.. Impatient, are we? Didn’t I tell you that I’m a strict teacher? And we are not moving forward until you learn how to properly do this. Now raise those legs again and get back to paddling. Now!” Minsoo said in an authoritative tone.

“But I’m tired. It’s going to be bad for my lungs, ya know.” Niel pouts.

“Nah-uh!” Minsoo shook his index finger in front of Niel. “The operation was a success, Niel. You can’t use your lungs to excuse your laziness. The doctor said that you can go through regular swimming lessons.” Minsoo smiled and continue to sip his lemonade.

Niel stopped and took the glass from Minsoo’s hand. Without much of a thought, he drank from the straw and emptied the glass. “Ahh!” he let out a refreshed sigh. “At least give me something to drink too!” Niel said before going back to his assigned task.

On the other hand, Minsoo was left awestruck at what just happened. Niel didn’t just drink from the same straw, right? “Ya! Who told you that you can steal your teacher’s drink like that?”

“But teacher is being too harsh. I can be thirsty too, you know. To think that I am paddling and paddling here while you’re just sitting there and drinking some lemonade. Where is fairness in that?”

From the side of the pool, Minsoo roused and took off his shirt to join Niel on the pool. “Okay, since my stubborn student is asking for fairness with the swimming lesson he asked from me which I agreed on from sheer goodwill, I will show him how it’s properly done.” Minsoo jumped to the pool and placed himself beside Niel. Minsoo held onto the side of the pool and started to show Niel how to paddle the right way.

“Okay, watch me. Just kick in the water like this. One after the other. Just like that. Easy, right?” Minsoo showed Niel how it’s properly done. He’s so engrossed in his teaching that he didn’t notice Niel’s silence.

Apparently, Niel has been blushing from the moment he saw Minsoo’s chiseled abs and toned arms and chest. I didn’t imagine he would have such nice body. Niel thought. And now that Minsoo is inches away from him, he couldn’t stop himself from ogling at his perfect body.

“Hey, you alright?” Niel was fished from his thoughts when he heard that.

“Eh?”

“Your face is red. Are you feeling dizzy? Is it too hot for you?” Worry is evident in Minsoo’s face as he inched closer to feel Niel’s forehead.

It sure is too hot for me. NIel gulped as he again looked down at Minsoo’s body. The clearness of the water surely isn’t helping. “I-I’m fine. I think I’m tired.” Niel looked away from him.

“Oh, sorry. I’ve been pushing you so hard. Maybe we should take a rest now. Come.” Minsoo guided him to the pool’s stairs while holding on to his elbow. He’s being too gentle as though Niel is made of glass that with one wrong handling, he would break into pieces. “Wow, you’re so pale. Your skin is so white that you appear to be shining when the sunlight hits your skin.” Minsoo unmindfully commented.

“Eh?” Niel spun around which he immediately regretted. He saw that Minsoo is indeed so close to him that he can almost feel those muscles against his body. He quickly looked down.

“We should sit down. Your face is turning red again. I wonder if it’s the effect of the heat.”

When they are seated on the pool benches, Niel covered his body with the towel whereas Minsoo just lay there with his body uncovered. This made Niel feel a little uneasy.

“Aren’t you going to cover your body? That’s indecent exposure, you know.” Niel retorted.

“Eh? Someone’s not comfortable with seeing my body?” Minsoo’s eyebrow perked up and his lips curved into a smirk. And to up the game, Minsoo stood up and started flexing his muscles the way body builders do. First, he showed off his arm muscles, pose after pose, Niel’s uncomfort was replaced with amusement. He’s just amused at their setting. It’s as though Minsoo showing off his body to his sole audience which is Niel is the most usual thing to do. Niel felt happy that they are this at ease with each other that they can just laugh this matter off. Yep, being this close and intimate with Minsoo feels so right.

When Minsoo turned to show off his back muscles, Niel noticed his tattoos. “Omo! You have tattoos!”

Minsoo spun around with a slight pout. “I have been showing you my body for minutes now and you didn’t even have a single comment, but you reacted that way with my tattoos?”

“Aigoo.. a monster trying to be cute just doesn’t appeal to me.” Niel laughed.

“Who are you calling a monster?” Minsoo’s chinky eyes grew wide which made Niel laugh even more. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I’m just saying that a man with that nicely muscled body with a face of a baby just doesn’t suit with each other!” And Niel laughed heartily once more.

“Eh? So you have been noticing my body and my face, eh? I see.” Minsoo said in a playful tone.

Niel’s eyes widen in shock. “No. What I mean is, I also wanna have that same body.”

“Oh, so you really are checking my body out, eh? Figures why your face turned red when I took off my shirt.” Minsoo looked so convinced at his notion that he would occasionally nod his head as if agreeing in a proposition laid in front of him—the way businessmen in the middle of a business deal do.

Niel rolled his eyes and huffs. “Whatever! I will go back to paddling. Swimming is a great exercise, right? I’ll show you how I use my muscles.” And he marched to the pool stairs and start with his paddling exercises yet again.

Minsoo is still laughing when he followed Niel. But before plunging into the pool, he took a flat board floater and handed it to Niel.

“Here. I think you’ve done an excellent job with that already. Be happy because you will start swimming now. Yay!” When Minsoo gave him the flat board, happiness quickly spread throughout Niel’s face.

“Yay! So what do I do? What do I do?” Niel excitedly chants.  Minsoo laughed.

“First, you put your chest on this. It will make you float. Then you can start using both your arms and legs to paddle. Let’s see if you can advance.”

“Hah! So easy!” Niel boasts. The childish pride is back on his manner of speaking.

“Then sow me.” Minsoo dares.

“Aye aye, C.A.Ptain!” Niel gave him a small salute before launching himself on the floater. He exerted too much force that he almost drowns when the board was pushed so deep down the water. Niel flapped his arms up and about and Minsoo was quick to pull him up.

“You okay?”

When Niel calmed himself down, he said. “Can you show me how it’s properly done first?”

Minsoo laughed a little and did what he was asked to. He mounted the flat board swiftly and paddled with ease. “Take it easy. Take it nice and slow. See?” Niel gulped as he watched Minsoo’s muscles flex with every paddle he make. “Now, try it. And take it slow, I’ll be here. You don’t have to fear anything, okay?”Minsoo now stood in front of him, looking sincerely into his eyes. Niel nodded.

“Easy and slow, right?” Minsoo nodded.

When Niel tried again, he made sure to copy exactly how Minsoo did it. And soon, he was paddling. “Hey, hey, look!” He happily said.

“You’re doing great, Niel. But please coordinate your legs with your arms. You’re not advancing at all.” Minsoo laughed.

“How do I do that?”

Minsoo scooted closer and guided Niel’s arms to flop in time with his legs. “Left-right-left-right. Yes, like that.” When Niel finally got the hang of it, Minsoo let go of him and Niel advanced on his own.

“Ya! Ya! I’m swimming!” Niel shouts in great excitement.

Minsoo swim after him. Niel smiled at Minsoo, looking so proud of his achievement.

For half an hour more, Niel kept flapping back and forth while Minsoo watch him from the side of the pool. “Hey, aren’t you tired yet?”

Niel spun around to face Minsoo. He still has that joyful smile on his face. “Eh? But I’m just starting to get the hang of it. When do you think I can start swimming without this floater?” And he padded towards Minsoo’s direction.

“Can you try doing that now?” Minsoo tested.

“Do you think I can?”

“Try it. Try launching yourself on the water and paddle all the way here.” Niel pouted as he sees that Minsoo is still halfway from where he’s at right now.

“Won’t I drown?”

“Are you still thinking that? Do you think I’d let you?” Minsoo shouted back.

Niel then stood on his feet and let go of the floater. “Okay. Here I go.” Niel took a deep breath before swimming.

“Relax. Imagine that the floater is still there and paddle here as you would with that floater. Now, come.”

Niel did just that. And though slowly, he managed to reach Minsoo on the other side of the pool. Laughing, Minsoo caught him and pulled him to stand. “I thought you’re a fish. How come you swim like a dog?” Minsoo is still laughing as  Niel even his breathing.

“Ya! At least I made it.” Niel said with pride.

“You sure did, Niel.” Minsoo ruffled Niel’s hair. “I’m hungry. Let’s rinse off and have some snack.”

“Ah, I didn’t think I would feel this tired. I feel all light while inside the pool. How come my whole body aches now?” Niel whines as they step out of the pool.

Minsoo just laughed, took Niel’s towel and hand it to him. “Good job for today, my stubborn student.”

“How many stars are you giving me for today’s lessons, teacher?”

Minsoo put his arm around Niel’s shoulder and tapped his chin as if in deep thought. “Err.. three stars because you learned to use the floater nicely, additional star because you learned it after drowning just once, and another star for swimming like a dog.” Minsoo smiled at him after elaborating his student’s performance.

Niel smiled after hearing that. “So I got five stars? Jjang! That’s the most stars I’ve gotten from you! Yay! Kamsamnida, seongsaenim!”

“Now, you better feed your teacher some good meal. I’m hungry. You sure can stay on the pool for the whole afternoon, eh? Be sure to hit the bed early. We have university tomorrow. Arasso?”

“Got that, sir!”

They went inside the mansion laughing.

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P.S. The title of this chapter ! lmao!