✓ cold boy next door | p.sh

15

“a youthful reminder”

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the days leading up to sunghoon's competition were filled with a mix of anticipation and excitement. to ease the tension, yeoji decided to take a break with sunghoon and their friends, so she invited her best friend nara, while sunghoon also invited his friends in student council, jake and jungwon, in spending a day at the beach.

this was yeoji's idea because she hoped the fresh sea breeze and the warm sand would provide a perfect escape from the rigorous competition of sunghoon. she just want him to feel at ease and not be pressured by the upcoming contest.

as they arrived at the beach, the sound of crashing waves and the salty scent of the ocean greeted them. the five of them laid out their towels, setting up a small base camp under the shade of a large umbrella. the sun was shining brightly, casting a golden glow over everything.

"this is exactly what we needed," nara said, stretching her arms and inhaling deeply. "a perfect day to just relax and have fun."

jake grinned, already in his swim trunks and ready to dive into the water. "who's up for some surfing?"

jungwon's eyes lit up. "i’m in. how about you, guys?"

"how about you yeoji?", sunghoon asked again, looking to her directly. it's giving ‘he will only come when yeoji comes.’

yeoji hesitated, her eyes drifting to the surfboards. "i've never surfed before."

jungwon laughed, clapping her on the shoulder. "don't worry, it's all about balance— just like skating. and sunghoon will be there to teach you."

as they paddled out into the ocean, the group reveled in the challenge and the thrill of the waves. sunghoon stayed close to yeoji, giving her tips and encouragement. despite a few initial wipeouts, yeoji soon found her rhythm, standing up on her board and riding a small wave back to shore.

"i did it!" yeoji exclaimed, her face beaming with triumph.

sunghoon paddled over, his eyes shining with pride. "you were amazing, yeoji. you're a natural."

she smirked. "oh, stop it. you’ll make me blush. besides, i think my surfing career is peaking at 'not drowning.'"

they spent the afternoon surfing, swimming, and playing beach volleyball, their laughter and cheers filling the air. after that, sunghoon insist that he will take pictures of yeoji with the sea in the background using his film camera so yeoji did some funny poses, making sunghoon laugh while taking her photos.

as the sun began to set, casting a beautiful orange and pink hue across the sky, the group gathered around a small bonfire they had built on the beach.

nara, jake and jungwon were in a conversation, their playful banter occasionally punctuated by bouts of laughter. sunghoon and yeoji sat a little apart, the warmth of the fire providing a cozy cocoon around them.

"today was perfect," yeoji said, gazing out at the horizon where the sun was dipping into the sea.

sunghoon nodded, his eyes fixed on her. "it really was. i'm glad we did this."

yeoji turned to look at him, her expression thoughtful. "you know, i never thought i'd find myself surfing and skating within the same week. you've shown me so many new things, sunghoon."

sunghoon smiled. "you've brought a lot into my life too, yeoji. more than i ever expected."

she grinned mischievously. "like making sure you don’t slack off during practice?"

he chuckled. "yeah, like that. and you’ve managed to make it fun. who knew nagging could be so charming?"

they sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of the waves and the crackling fire creating a soothing backdrop. sunghoon’s heart raced as he felt an overwhelming urge to share his feelings with her but decided against it— timing was everything.

"yeoji," he began, his voice soft but steady, "thanks for being there for me. i really appreciate it."

yeoji's eyes widened slightly, her breath catching. "sunghoon..."

he look at her with his gaze unwavering. "seriously, i couldn’t have done all this without you. you make everything better— even my terrible jokes."

yeoji's cheeks flushed, a mixture of surprise and happiness in her expression. "i think your jokes are... well, they’re something."

sunghoon’s heart soared at her words. "let's just say i have a special audience in mind", he said then playfully smirked, making yeoji softly giggles.

in the fading light of the sunset, amidst the gentle roar of the ocean, the five of them sat around a crackling fire, laughing in conversation, jamming to their favorite songs, and simply just enjoying their youth.

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