“ATTACK!”  Hoya screamed as he and Dongwoo started spraying everyone with water by the pool.  Dok Mi sat on the steps of the pool because she couldn’t swim.  She also didn’t have a bathing suit, so she wore gym shorts and a black tank top.  Woohyun was battling with Sungyeol in a splash contest.  Sunggyu was chilling in the hot tub with Minah and Myungsoo.  Dok Mi watched everyone and was incredibly happy; the atmosphere made her want to sell ice cream or something.  

   Dongwoo and Hoya jumped in the pool near the steps and she screeched from being hit by cold water.  They laughed and pulled her in.

   “Guys, guys, guys I can’t swim,” she nervously stated.  

   “Relax.  You can stand here,” they said.  She nodded and stood.  

   “Want us to teach you how to swim?”  Dongwoo asked. 

   “I think that’s a great idea,” Hoya said.  “Woohyun, what do you think?”

   “About what?”  Woohyun called as he refrained from his battle.  

   “About teaching Dok Mi how to swim,” Dongwoo said.  “I think she’d learn best from you.”

   Dok Mi frowned and started speculating at what they were plotting.  She tried to climb out but they pulled her back in.

   “Look, she’s too scared to even stand in the pool,” they told him.  He laughed and swam over. 

   “Sure, I’ll teach her,” he said.  Dok Mi understood that he didn’t  know what was going on and she agreed to it.  Dongwoo and Hoya high fived as they went to join Sungyeol in watching the almost-couple.  “Let’s have you float on your back first,” he suggested.  

   “What?  No, I’m good,” Dok Mi refused.  Woohyun grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down so she was semi-squatting in the water.  

   “Trust me,” he said.  She nodded and began leaning back.  He put one hand on the small of her back and cradled her head in the other.  “Extend your legs.”  She did.  “Okay, now stick your belly button out to the sky and just think light thoughts.”

   “Like that’ll help,” she sarcastically commented.

   “It will,” he snapped.  She scrunched up her nose and listened to him.  “Don’t get surprised when I let go.  You should be floating on your own, okay?”  

   “Okay,” she said.  He let go and she pinched her eyebrows together.  Although she was afraid, she managed to float.  “I’m doing it!”  She cheered.  She accidentally began to clap and began sinking.  Woohyun put his arms under her and picked her up before her head could go under.  

   He looked at her dazed expression.  She looked at his unreadable one.  They both remained that way for a minute, then, awkwardly started coughing.  

   “That’s enough lesson for me today,” she concluded and removed herself from his arms.  He nodded silently and watched as she climbed out of the pool.  

   “Woohyun’s the first to fall,” Hoya whispered.  

   “And how entertaining it is,” Sungyeol replied.  He, Hoya, and Dongwoo had a group high five before Woohyun came over to them.  

   “Lesson one is done,” Woohyun sighed.  He looked at them with a confused expression.  “Has she always been so… Adorable?”  He hesitated in asking.  The guys chuckled and hit Woohyun on the head.

   “Yah, are you water logged?  Of course she has been,” Dongwoo said.  Woohyun’s eyes followed her inside and he shook his head.  

   “I might be,” he answered.  

   Meanwhile, Dok Mi was searching for some food to stuff her face with.  It was a habit of hers to do that when she was nervous.  She found an apple and with every bite she took, she scolded herself.  “You don’t like Woohyun, Woohyun doesn’t like you,” she repeated to herself in a low tone.  

   “Oh really?”  She heard a voice.  Sungjong had been sitting in the parlor listening to her the entire time.  Dok Mi spun around and grabbed her chest. 

   “You scared me!”  She scolded.  Sungjong got up and walked over to her.

   “I think what’s scarier is denying your feelings for someone,” Sungjong told her.  She looked up at him and tried to put on a poker face.

   “I’m not denying my feelings.  I’m stating them,” she fibbed.  He squinted.  

   “Say it to Woohyun’s face and I’ll believe you,” he challenged.  She lost the color in her cheeks.

   “Maybe I am denying them,” she admitted.  “But for a good reason.”

   “And what reason is that?”  Sungjong asked. 

   “I…  I don’t…  I don’t want to get hurt.  And don’t ask me to explain,” she shyly mumbled.  Sungjong poked her forehead and sighed.  

   “Woohyun wouldn’t hurt you.  He might let you down, and he might be a jerk, but he wouldn’t break your heart.”  With that, Sungjong left the room.  Dok Mi began to eat the apple even more nervously and shivered.  Was it possible for her and Woohyun to be in a relationship?  Minah walked in and tore the apple away from Dok Mi.

   “Sungjong told me,” Minah commented.  Dok Mi frowned and tried to grab her apple.  Minah threw it in the trash.  “You have to get over your past.  Not all guys are like your dad.  Woohyun won’t just pick up and leave you without any notice, Dok Mi.  For someone as gentle as you, you sure have cast a dark shadow over the male population.”  

   Dok Mi wanted to argue, but she couldn’t.  She knew that it was wrong of her to hold grudges against guys because her dad had abandoned her mom and herself.  But it didn’t help that he and Woohyun were both singers. 

   “So now what?”  Dok Mi asked her.  “I might not even like him.  This could be some random feeling that means almost nothing.”

   “Ah, but it means something,” Minah told her.  “This is where it all starts.  That’s why we’re all at the beach; don’t you know this was a giant plot to get you guys together?”

   “What?!”

   “I know; I was hoping it was so Myungsoo and I could hang out more.  Oh well, I like it.  I like the idea of my dear friend Dok Mi getting a boyfriend that’s perfect for her.”

   “But I don’t have the confidence,” Dok Mi whined.

   “Oh hush.  You’ve got Woohyun in a trance back there.  He’s wondering when you’re going to come out, what he should do with you, and it’s so obvious.  He’s just sitting there, looking at the door.”  

   Dok Mi blushed and looked away.  “Really?”

   “Really.  So don’t be afraid and just…  Flirt with him.  Let him flirt with you, I guess I should say.  You’re about as good as a rock at flirting,” Minah chided.  They both laughed and Minah grabbed her hand to drag her outside.  Just as she said, Woohyun had been watching the door and Dok Mi blushed.  He came up to her and handed her her sandals.  

   “Let’s go get some ice-cream,” Woohyun awkwardly suggested.  Dok Mi nodded and put on her shoes.  Woohyun put on a shirt and the two walked to the local café.  Neither of them said anything until they were ordering their ice cream.  “I’d like a scoop of strawberry ice cream,” Woohyun said.  “What would you like, Dok Mi?” 

   “I’d like the same,” she blurted.  He smiled and turned back to the person behind the counter.  He got out two cones and put a scoop of ice cream in each.  Woohyun dashed to the cash register and paid for both of the cones.  “Woohyun, let me pay—“

   “Nope.  I brought you here.  I’m buying,” he teased.  Dok Mi pouted and took her ice cream.  She walked outside and sat at a table overlooking a dock.  “Pretty, isn’t it?”  He asked her.  She nodded and started to eat her ice cream.  He sat across from her and enjoyed his cone as well, wondering if she remembered the first day they both had strawberry ice cream. 

   “Remember when my aunt gave us this ice cream?”  Dok Mi asked.  Woohyun’s eyes lit up and he smiled while nodding.  “It’s hard to believe that I was so frustrated with you back then.” 

   “What about now?”  Woohyun asked.  Dok Mi swallowed a giant glob of ice cream and got brain freeze.  She made the most unpleasant face and Woohyun laughed at her.  “Okay, okay, never mind.  I didn’t know you’d try to freeze your brain off to get out of answering.”  She hit him and tried to get over the pain.  

   “Ah, finally.  It’s gone,” she cheered.  She hesitated before starting to eat her ice cream again.    

   Meanwhile, at the cottage, plans were being made for the evening.  

   “Amazing work, Minah,” Sungjong complimented.  “You and I make a pretty good team.”

   “Not as good as our team,” L coughed.  Sungjong sneered and turned away from them.  He grabbed a seat beside Dongwoo and they all circled around a patio table.  

   “For tonight, I was thinking:  campfire.  Myungsoo could pull out the guitar and we could all sing some songs and get cheery,” Hoya suggested.  Dongwoo patted his friend on the back while Sunggyu rolled his eyes. 

   “That’s nice and all, but with four single guys hanging around, it won’t be romantic,” the eldest complained. 

   “Then we’ll get up and leave,” Dongwoo suggested. 

   “Oh, yeah, that wouldn’t look suspicious at all,” Sungjong scoffed.  A bitter babble broke out between the boys and Sungyeol cleared his throat to silence them.  

   “The campfire can set the mood.  We could go on a beach walk after that.  We’d split up into pairs and see who could find the prettiest shells.”

   “Oooh, that sounds romantic,” Minah cooed while looking at Myungsoo.  He blushed and looked away.

   “Hey Sungyeol, you can be in our group and we’ll be the group of three,” Myungsoo suggested in an attempt to calm the attraction between him and Minah.  He liked her a lot, but not as much as she liked him.  Sungyeol was about to refuse when Myungsoo looked at him with pleading eyes.  Sungyeol nodded and sighed.  

   “We should have a good dinner, too,” Sungjong added.  “That’ll help get everyone relaxed for the campfire.”  

   “Sounds good,” Sunggyu said.  “Maknae, are you making our dinner?”

   “Actually, I was thinking…  Wouldn’t it be much better if we let the couples do it?”

   “But-“ L began to protest.

   “No buts.  That’s a brilliant idea,” Sungyeol blurted.  He gave a sarcastic wink to Myungsoo and laughed.  “It’s what you get.”