✔︎𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 || 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧

12. Breath

That used to be our secret spot. That hidden beach, the one forgotten by the world, where the soft waves crashed on the clear sand and the sun warmed our days. It was the place where only the five of us were allowed, and that made it the perfect place in the world.

I remember spending most of our time there, especially in the summer. Sometimes we swam, sometimes we played games, sometimes we just hung out together. It didn't really matter, as long as we were together. It was the most special place in Busan, and it was ours. But one day, that place lost all its beauty.

I remember it too well. It was a summer afternoon, and the sky was almost fully covered by grey clouds. The five of us were together, enjoying the warm weather like we had done nearly every day since the summer break started. I even remember Younghee asking if we wanted to swim with her, since the sea seemed more inviting than usual.

Everyone agreed, and big smiles appeared on their faces, even on Jeongin's. I looked at the brown-haired boy, noticing the excitement in his eyes. It had probably been a long, long time since he last swam, so I knew he must have been excited. But I couldn't help feeling my heart ache at the thought of him straining his body again.

"Are you sure, Jeongin?" I asked, worried.

He looked at me, that smile still on his face. "Don't worry, Y/n. I'm going to be fine. It's been a long time since I last swam, and I kind of miss it."

I looked at him, unable to hide my concern. Maybe I should have listened to that inner voice telling me to stop him right there. But all I could see on his face was his desire to live life like a normal boy again. My heart broke a little every time I had to stop him from having fun.

"Just be careful."

In no time, everyone was in their swimsuits, running toward the blue waves of the sea, joyful screams and laughter filling the secluded beach.

Everyone was happy. After all, that was a time when our hearts were always full of joy. We were living in the moment. All I could hear was laughter, and all I could see were my friends' happy faces. Except for one. We had swum far from the shore, my feet no longer touching the sand, and looking around, I realized that Jeongin wasn't there. He wasn't.

I turned around once, twice, ten times, searching for him between the blue waves. But nothing. He wasn't there. He wasn't there...? My head started spinning and my stomach churned, while in the background, the laughter of my friends still rang in my ears.

"...Jeongin," I whispered, too softly for anyone to hear.

In an instant, I dived into the water, swimming as fast as I could in a desperate attempt to find him. I swam and swam, and finally, between fish and seaweed, I spotted a distant figure. His eyes were closed, his body still, wrapped in the cold embrace of the sea, almost as if he were peacefully sleeping beneath the waves.

I wasted no time and pulled Jeongin's heavy body into my arms, gathering all my strength to bring him back to the surface. I had never struggled so much in my life. No matter how heavy my tears were at that moment, no matter how much my muscles screamed in pain, the only thing I wished was not to see Jeongin die in my arms. Not like that.

Finally, we broke through the surface, and as soon as I reached the air in the now cold afternoon, a loud scream escaped my mouth. I don't even remember what words I screamed. My memories of that day are still so confused. Maybe I didn't scream any words at all, maybe it was just a sound, meaningless but full of fear and agony. But I managed to catch everyone's attention, and I didn't need to look to know that their smiles had instantly disappeared.

My vision blurred, but I still saw two long arms wrap around Jeongin's shoulders, helping me carry him to the shore. When we finally left the water, I let go of Jeongin, and my body collapsed to the ground, tears welling in my eyes as I looked at his pale face.

Everyone gathered around us, their voices filled with fear and urgency. But I couldn't understand much of what they were saying. I was too focused on Jeongin's faint breathing, slightly relieved to see his chest rising and falling, even though the rhythm was slow and labored. The only words I could make out were, "Call the ambulance, I'm going to call his parents," and "Y/n? Y/n? Y/n, please answer me." But I couldn't respond. I was frozen.

Without even realizing it, my trembling hands were on Jeongin's face, hypnotized by the sight of his breath, terrified that it might stop at any moment. So I just kept watching it. Watching him breathe. Watching the way his lips parted slightly to let the air in, whispering the same words over and over.

"Breathe, breathe. Jeongin... breathe. Breathe."

"Please."

"Breathe."