he winked at the girl, who was still shaking in his arms. sua stared up at him, she could've died right then and there and he had the audacity to wink at her?
"you're a psycho! let go of me."
she yelled, trying to rid him from her body. but instead he just embraced her tighter, placing his chin onto the top of her head and smiled, as the last beams of sunlight hit the high points of his face.
"but you like me regardless."
sua would've liked to smack that stupid smile from his face, but in his embrace she found what she could never find in any book she studied.
warmth and genuine interest in her, not her grades or her performance in school.
"you're also a liar. and now let me go or i'll throw you down this cliff for good."
his grip around her torso loosened and sua broke from him, staring up at the boy.
he smiled back, before taking his camera and snapping a picture of her.
"why'd you take that? delete it, now."
sua was confused by her whirlwind of emotions, she was sure she hated the boy just five minutes prior, but being so close to him and without him playing any stupid pranks on her, she found herself drawn to him.
"but you look so cute when you're that pouty."
he giggled and took a few steps back, kneeling on the arid ground, putting the polaroid camera in front of his face, ordering sua to pose.
"do something cute for me, please."
she stood still for a second, debating if listening to seungmin was the smartest idea, but then she lifted her arms, hands forming peace signs. the corners of her lips curled up, forming a toothy grin.
"you're really beautiful..."
seungmin aspirated, his heart in his mouth and fingers shakily pressing the release.
"on the count of three, okay? one, two, three. say cheese!"
seongmi held her smartphone up high, front camera capturing felix, ryung and her. felix held the kitten tight in his arms, looking down at it, a pout on his lips and adoration in his eyes, while seongmi was smiling brightly in the picture's foreground.
"let's take another one."
the girl announced and took another photo, this time felix smiled into the camera as well, ignoring the feline in his arms, who recognized this as her chance to flee. the next picture was taken, the camera shutter was the only thing heard, before both parties erupted into squeals of laughter.
the cat had jumped off of the boy's arms, leaving felix visibly baffled. the two teenagers scanned the pictures, shaking from laughter and holding onto each other for support.
"you're so cute!"
felix announced, gasping for air from laughing too much.
he only stopped when seongmi stared at him, shocked at his random remark.
"w-what?"
he felt that it was too late to brush him stumbling over his words off now and decided to just own his statement.
"you're cute..."
he mumbled, his deep voice sending seongmi into a meltdown. she started grinning like an idiot, linking her arm with the males' and staring at him, lovestruck.
"you're cute too."
his head shot up as he stared at the girl, their noses touching.
his freckled skin and almond shaped eyes sent electric shocks down seongmi's spine and she couldn't help but swoon.
"danbi and i will organize tonight's get together, so get ready to have the night of your lives."
hyunjin announced to the remainders of the group, that were just getting ready to leave the beach as the sun made way for the moon to decorate the firmament.
"more like get ready to fall asleep to them playing the guitar and singing."
changbin corrected, making naeun snicker as she looked up from her phone.
"i'll buy some booze, just in case things get too somber. changbin, you're coming too, right?"
the boy who was still just wearing his trunks visibly tensed up, his chest muscles protruding from his abs.
"uh... i am?"
naeun didn't say a word, just took his hand into hers and pulled him away from the group.
"don't even try to flip the script now, naeun."
he raised his right brow at the girls strange behavior.
"i'm really not, though? takes one to know one, changbin."
she grinned and bit her lower lip, staring him up and down.
yes it was fun to toy the male, but she couldn't deny his tanned skin and defined abs didn't take their toll on her.
"i knew you'd give in sooner or later."
changbin's expression changed from confused to cocky in seconds and he pulled the girl closer to his exposed chest.
"why don't we skip buying booze and just get drunk off of each other?"
naeun leaned in, straddling his shoulders.
"i'm not that easy."
the girl turned around and started walking towards the convenience store, leaving changbin in shambles.
"jinnie, can you help me with something, please?"
danbi exclaimed, skipping towards the tall boy, who was cocking his head expectingly. she tiptoed and whispered something into his ear that made him snort and giggle.
"get an empty bottle and i'll make sure that they all sit next to each other. you can count on me."
danbi's plan to couple everyone up and get them too wasted to remember afterwards seemed like just the laugh he needed.
"are you okay?"
his voice only slowly made its way into her consciousness as she was trying her hardest to hold back her tears. looking at even sua coupling up and her just sitting there, sipping her vodka orange, was feeding into her depression, the demons roaming around her head screaming and eating away at her.
she looked up, her bruised, swollen nose and red, teary eyes made his heart sink for a second, before he sat down next to her.
"wanna talk about it?"
she tried to smell the alcohol from his breath, but found nothing but a minty hue. why would he talk to her, when he wasn't even tipsy?
"i don't think you'd get it. i don't want to annoy you."
she spat and turned away, a cold breeze making her shiver.
"i wouldn't have asked, if i didn't want to listen."
he sounded sincere, so liv took one deep breath before turning around. a single tear rolled down her cheek, her sleeve frantically reached to wipe it away, but his thumb was faster.
"i'm just lonely. always have been, always will be. it feels like shit, you know? to not be popular."
he just sat and nodded, listening closely to her low voice.
"you can't ever escape. i thought i'd be happier here, turns out, i'm worse. first the cutest boy here knocks me straight out and then all my friends spend their time with boys they just met instead of me. i mean, i get it, i would too, but it just feels like shit."
she looked up from her cup, just to find minho staring her down, his ears red and teeth biting down onto his lip.
"did you just call me cute?"
he blurted out, his fingers fidgeting with his phone and eyes hovering.
"i-i would never!"
liv's heart leaped out of her chest upon hearing minho's reply.
"i'm pretty sure the cutest girl here called me cute."
she didn't know where to look, pupils looking for something more interesting than grass and gravel on the ground.
"we're even now, mhm?"
so he just said that to be even? and not because he meant it? of course, what were you thinking liv?
"yes."
she stood up and left minho sitting there with their phones and liv's drink.
