{Under the blue

In the tall building just next to the school’s building, in its yard, the lights were off and the calm purring of the water purifying machine filled the air. The students had already left an hour ago but there was a certain duo that was still around. One of them, the elite swimmer of the school, also known as Yujin, had the keys to the building so she could come and practice any time. The other one was her friend Juyeon, a fun gluttonous girl who stayed by Yujin’s side just because “she felt like it”, but their group of friends knew better than that.

Yujin was already given the keys by the PE instructor and she had given one from the pair to Juyeon, so they would wait inside for each other, like their usual routine.

Since it was late spring, the sun wouldn’t set before six in the afternoon. The orange-ish rays of the sun pierced into the swimming compartment’s windows up high, resting on the immobile water of the indoor pool. It was a peaceful evening.

The silence was broken as the turning of keys came from the metal doors. A girl pushed it and peeked inside and silently went inside, seeing she was the first one to come. She went by the benches next to the pool and put down the bag in her hand. She sat and kicked the air as she started eating one of the many sweets in the bag.

A quarter of an hour passed and Juyeon had come upon her last sweet, and her favourite one, because it was her luck giver. Holding the small paper box with one hand under, she delicately removed the plastic wrapping over it and watched with sparkling eyes the delicious creation in front of her. A thick cookie cake mixture base under a mix of what seemed to be toffee, cream cheese and cream, and over that, slices of banana, covered completely with now hardened, melted chocolate, topped with whipping cream and chunks of caramelized salty nuts and random fizzles of chocolate sauce. It was a heavenly delicacy and a giant trap of calories, but she did not care because it was her lucky charm.

A month and a half ago
Juyeon had tugged for countless times Yujin’s sleeve to get her inside the bakery they had just gone past by. Knowing she wouldn’t leave her alone for days and would remind her every day, Yujin had only sighed and nodded, agreeing for Juyeon’s request. The latter squealed in delight, seeing the display of cakes she would finally get to see.

They both entered and went for a seat at the end of the shop. Yujin gave her a paper bill and told her it would be her treat today, and that she should get the most expensive one since she might treat her not before another 20 years. Juyeon was flustered by Yujin’s kind act and had given her a peck on the cheek before running to get her command, leaving an equally flustered Yujin at the table.

She finally came back with three plates of cake pieces and two cups of hot chocolate on a tray. She placed the strawberry one in front of Yujin, the vanilla one in front of herself, and the banana one in the middle. When Yujin asked what the third one for was, Juyeon had simply replied “Sharing,” with a smile on.

After a bit of chit chatting, a few gulps of hot cocoa and Juyeon finishing her plate and already attacking Yujin’s, they had finally come over the third one. In the middle of chewing the last one, Yujin couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing all the cake bites around Juyeon’s lips, and now the whipping cream that was on the banana one before ending up there.

“Could I taste some of that cream on your cheek?” asked Yujin out of the blue.

“If it’s going to make it taste better from there, why not,” replied Juyeon nonchalantly, not wanting to show that she was anticipating a kiss.

When she saw Yujin getting up a lil bit and getting closer to her face, she shut her eyes by reflex and felt a pair of lips just near the corner of her lips, which curved up into a satisfied smile. When she felt the touch go away, she opened her eyes back to see Yujin her lips and tasting them.

“Mmmm… the taste sure is more exquisite when it comes from you,” she winked.

Juyeon could only let out a laugh and hold her cheeks with her cold hands to not show how red she had just turned. It was decided, this banana dessert was her lucky charm to be much more intimate with her friend, also known as her crush.

She was about to take the fork to dig into it when she heard the door open and a joyous girl enter inside.

“I see you’ve already gotten here… and what is this that I spy? Are you sure you’re learning how to swim because you want to lose this cute belly?” Yujin giggled as she walked next to her and placed her mesh bag.

“Pffff yes I am. It’s just a treat because I accomplished many things in swimming till now,” said Juyeon as she removed Yujin’s poking finger away from her belly.

“Yeah right, then gimme a piece because I taught you till now.” She opened as Juyeon fed her the first piece of the cake.

For the past month, Yujin was teaching her how to swim as Juyeon had randomly requested it one day, using the excuse that she was gaining weight. Of course, she had received many teasing actions from their group of friends. It didn’t matter to her if she was going to succeed doing whatever she had on mind.

Finishing what she had in the white box, they both got up and went in the girl’s locker room to change from their uniforms to their swimsuits. Yujin changed to a navy two piece and put on a transparent white shirt while Juyeon wore a black one piece showing her and her bikini line. Both were trying to avoid looking at each other’s body while blushing. They both tied their hair into a high ponytail as they got out of the room.

While Yujin jumped into the pool and already started showing the mermaid skills she had to get used to the water, Juyeon sat by the edge and slowly slid in, making faces as the water felt cold. Finally getting used to it, she dived into the middle and closed her eyes before resurfacing and looking out for Yujin. Seeing she wasn’t in her field of vision, she knew she was going to receive a heart attack anytime soon. And just like predicted, as soon as she turned around, she got pulled down.

“Puhaha, you should have seen the face you made just now!” said Yujin as she swam away from Juyeon who was holding her chest because she tought she was going to drown.

“Ha! It’s funny when you’re not the victim,” Juyeon puffed her cheeks.

Yujin swam back closer with an apologetic look, “Aww, I’m sorry. Come on, I will let you do whatever you want if you show me some improvement today.”

Like said, Yujin watched from the side while Juyeon would try to perform different techniques she practiced and would help her when there was something wrong. After what seemed like an hour, they both took a break and floated on the water.

“Eeeh, is this what you call improvement? I thought you had something much better,” she teased.

“Aaah, I can’t help it, okay. I won’t become a prodigy like you in less than a month. There’s still something I haven’t shown you.”

“Oh really?” Yujin became interested.

“Let’s do another “hold your breath” contest.”

“You know who’s gonna end up winning.”

“I’m sure I will get it this time.”

“If you say so. Then get ready,” both put their face just above the water, “1…2…go!”

They plunged their face and watched each other for seconds under the clear water. Yujin was acting as if she was uninterested by now as she watched her nails while crossing her legs and putting an arm under her chest. Juyeon knew she was trying to get on her nerves but she had something better. She swiftly swam towards Yujin who wasn’t expecting her and hadn’t seen her coming.

Yujin was counting in her head and was shocked that there wasn’t any sound after forty seconds. Her hairband had loosened off her hair when she went under water, which gave her a goddess look with her hair flowing around. Juyeon knew she was doing the right decision by choosing her so she went closer, so close that Yujin’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out any time when her face was an inch away.

Juyeon with closed eyes, placed her soft lips on Yujin’s and stayed like that while the latter was madly blushing. When Juyeon finally opened her eyes, she saw Yujin frowning, crossing her arms and saying “I hate you” which sounded like “blurbbliburrbul” with an army of bubbles coming out. Juyeon could only clutch her stomach and laugh seeing Yujin resurfacing. She resurfaced along as she couldn’t keep it in anymore.

“That was cheating,” Yujin said, placing her forehead on Juyeon’s.

“You tickled me a numerous number of times before that, isn’t that cheating, hmm?” she cheekily smiled.

Yujin finally stopped frowning and chuckled, “True that.”

“… and you loved it, am I right?” she winked, holding Yujin’s waist close to hers.

Yujin replied to her with another kiss instead, while the sun’s rays fell on them and the birds chirping was distantly heard. It was a peaceful evening after all, and Juyeon had succeeded to confess to someone who felt the same towards her.

Fin.}