Trigger Warning: This story depicts themes of self-harm, blood, and suicidal thoughts. 

Asphyxia

A condition arising when the body is deprived of oxygen, causing unconsciousness or death;suffocation.

It's summertime. The schools are out, the children are out. On the streets are performers; some out for money, others out for fun. Coffee shops bring out the cold drink machines. Ice cream trucks roam the streets, playing their sweet tunes. 

The beaches are crowded, and it's Kim Joonmyun's third summer lifeguarding. As he watches over silently all the couples walking hand in hand, he decides it's the perfect weather for a summer love. 

Enter Zhang Yixing. 

Yixing's family moved from Changsha, China to Seoul, South Korea two years ago and he's been depressed ever since. As much as he smiles and laughs, Yixing hates everything underneath his façade. If there's one exception to his contempt, though, it's swimming. But not just swimming. The feeling of reaching the surface after pushing your breath's limits.