Feeling Brew

~19~

Isla waited outside the Aquatic Complex, hoping she could grab a hold of Mi Ran. Everyone at the university had heard about the Bae twins. One had seemed to go off the rails, and the other seemed scarily fine. It was like Mi Ran and Irene had switched places.

The doors to the complex flung open, and out walked the new recruits for the women's swim team. The girl in front stopped walking and looked the foreigner up and down.

"Well, if it isn't the weakling," one of them snarled, and the rest of the girls laughed. "What brings you here, shorty?"

Isla took a deep breath. She had encountered many people like the girl standing in front of her before, and she refused to lose her cool.

"You really think you can swim well? All of that was just a stroke of luck. It's better off you sit out a year and watch the pros show you how it's done," the girl smirked. She pushed Isla backwards with enough force to make her stumble. "You've got no one backing you up. Who's going to fight for you, wimp?"

"I will!"

The girls jumped at the familiar voice and parted to make way for the confident girl who stood in the middle of them. Irene looked at the new swimming recruit from head-to-toe and grimaced.

"Soo Min Hwang, right? We'll see you next year at the tryouts. Consider yourself off the team," Coach Lim said from behind the swim team captain.

The girls quickly dispersed, and Irene grabbed hold of Isla's free hand. "Are you okay? You're not injured anywhere, are you?"

"I'm fine. Also, can we please not tell anyone about this? Even Mi Ran? Ever since the incident, the girls have been picking on me, but I don't want to cause a scene. It honestly doesn't bother me."

"I'll have a word with them separately, but we respect your wishes," Coach Lim bowed. "Are you waiting on someone? Mi Ran is inside drying up from her daily laps. You're welcome to come inside and wait. But I understand seeing the pool can feel quite upsetting."

Irene pat Isla on the shoulder. "I'm meeting some friends, but I'll catch you later. Let me know if my twin does anything. Got it?"

With that, Isla followed Coach Lim back inside. She smelled the pool before she saw it, and her heart sank. She was so close to what she loved, yet there was so much holding her back. The initial anger she faced after waking up in the hospital surged inside her once again. The cool blue water teased her with its serene, azure ripples. She would give anything to dive in and let the water surround her body as she barreled down the lane.

"Isla?"

Mi Ran slowly approached her with her hair still damp. Isla was unused to seeing her in sweatpants with a bare face and messy pool hair. She looked so different yet so comfortable.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the other day. Something came up, and I couldn't meet, but I'm free right now. Does Feeling Brew work?"

Isla was pleasantly surprised by her change in demeanor. She waited for the girl to grab her things, and they walked in silence to the coffee shop. The bells jingled as they pushed open the doors to Feeling Brew. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hit them, and Isla smiled warmly. She had come to associate the smell of coffee with Taeil, but she shook her head, trying to steer herself away from those thoughts. Thinking about Taeil was a dangerous territory.

"One hazelnut mocha and- oh, what would you like Isla?"

"A hazelnut mocha works for me, too, but I can pay!"

Mi Ran had already handed the barista her credit card. "Thanks, Taehyung," she squinted reading his name tag. "Are you new here? I haven't seen you before."