AFTERGLOW.| CYJ

50

Yeonjun stepped down on the sand, leaving his boots behind in the car. He walked ahead as if responding to the wallowing sea in front of him, his smile and childlike innocence returning. The sand underneath brings back memories from his pre debut years. The sea had always been his calling. He found solace in the sea, peace and his problems diminished when the water touched his feet. The sunset the background shone like a proud mother caressing him through gentle rays of love, prosperity and affection.

Joohyun smiled as she remained by the car. She looked down at the sand beneath. And it was, however, her first time walking on a beach. The only pit of sand she had encountered was the pit of the sand in the playground, or Shia's day care where she had to step into a big tray full of sand to pick her up off. It was quite an experience. Shia, that little cutie was not willing to come home. She smiled ever-so cutely, showing her baby teeth and buried her auntie's boots in sand.

Joohyun contemplated as she stepped off her slippers and landed her feet on the sand. It felt different, it obviously felt different because it was damp. She didn't know what to feel about the wet sand. The rough grains underneath tickled her feet. She lifted one foot off and found that the sand underneath had sunk and left footprints. It indicated how firm the sand was, but she felt like sinking even further. It felt mushy underneath.

Yeonjun turns around and spots her holding up her skirt with pinching grips, as if the length were going to mingle with the sand on the floor. He smiled and headed toward her. He reached out for hands gently and pulled her toward the water, as though introducing his calling to her for the first time. She pointed her toe on some other spot close, feeling the sand before stepping over it as he guided her. His toddler grip remained fastened as he brought her to the lowly swept waves.

It was like a shower but from the nature. She gasped quietly when the cold water washed over her feet. It was magical. Her eyes followed the returning waves. His hands slowly drifted away, leaving her to explore the water on her own. He stood behind with his hands twisted in a knot, laughing as she stepped closer to the wave and ran back when it tagged her.

She turned to her side attempting to push the water with the side of her foot, and the generous wave played along. A smile lifted on her face. She was just delighted to be there, and having found a new friend. The waves. The winds blew past and slapped her short hair across her face. The beach smelt very marine, like laundry with a hint of the soapy fabric-y scent. It could be because of visitors of the beach who had already explored the beach before. The air was tight, though it breezed and made her squeeze out a cough or two of discomfort.

She coughed and felt the urge to throw up,and even gagged a little but it was masked by her coughs. She felt like her legs were starting to fail her, she stretched her hand out to the floor, her other covering her mouth but before she collapsed, a blow of water splashed from her side.

The cold water clogs her ear and drips down her cheek and sideburns. It was Yeonjun splashing water on her, unaware of her sickness. She clutched her stomach and gathered herself for a moment.  She pulled back, calling it nausea for travelling too much all of a sudden. She lifted her head calmly to meet Yeonjun's gaze, an innocent smirk dancing on his face, his puffy cheeks supporting it.

She bent down immediately scooping some water in her hand and splashed it over him for revenge. He managed to dodge her attack but still got some parts of his shirt wet. He liked her enthusiasm. He dived down to scoop a ton of water and splashed it on her, smoothly escaping off. She sustains his splashes, but it gets inside the important holes of her face. "Fuck", she wiped the water down her face, expelling some of the weird tasting water from her mouth.

There was no one stopping them now. Joohyun bent down, scooped a lot of water repeatedly splashing it on him. He only blocked his face letting her wet him. Once, all wet, he bent over splashing water on her now, exactly how she did to him. She moves her head right and left, not liking the salty water at all but, enduring the small little game they started.