red sun || lee felix

ch. 4 /// angelfish

The snow had stopped but the wind was strong, blowing at our backs. It was beginning to storm and thunder, and once we made it to the coast, the ocean was churning with white-crusted waves.

I skidded to a stop on the beach, squinting yonder. I could see the other side, distant and green against the horizon. My insides were all atwitter.

Changbin came up beside me. "That's where we're going?"

"It's destiny, hyung." I winked. "C'mon, haul ass." I bounded down the beach and into the water. My shoes immediately flooded and I couldn't have cared less. I dove below the surface, twirled, flapping my arms, and came up to shake my hair out of my face. I looked around but Changbin wasnt there.

He was still on the beach, water only up to his ankles.

"Hurry up!" I shouted.

He harrumphed and trudged toward me. I swam out farther, clawing the water out of the way.

"This is happening, hyung!" I whooped. "I will show you I'm not full of shit, you just wait!"

I didn't hear anything except a muffled gargling. I turned around — two disembodied arms were flailing in the air, frantically paddling back toward land. Changbin's face breached the water — he gasped a breath and descended into a coughing fit.

"What the hell are you doing?" I called.

He stood where the water only reached his neck. He looked... embarrassed? He finished coughing before he spoke.

"I... can't swim."

"You're telling me this now?!"

"I'm sorry! I thought I could force myself to learn on the spot."

I pressed my hands into my eyes. What were we supposed to do now? Steal a fishing boat? Stow away on a cargo ship? Build a raft? The English coastline was so close I could taste it, I could feel the sand between my fingers.

I sighed a massive breath and waded toward him. "I'll teach you."

He gulped. "That's not necessary — er, yet — lemme try a few more times."

I backed up to give him space. He stepped in deeper, took his feet off the ground. And immediately went under, arms and legs thrashing, bubbles full of screams popping at the surface. I grabbed his hands, and he flung his arms around me, panting obscenities.

"Fine," he practically shouted, "you can coach me."

"You're gonna have to let go a bit." Or he could hold me tighter, and we could float in circles for a while. Even mid-cling-for-dear-life, his arms were bearish and comfortable.

But he gripped my shoulders and pushed himself away. I held him up with my hands on either side of his waist.

"You know how I'm kicking my legs?" I said.

"I think."

"Do that."

He tried paddling under the water.

"Do the same with your arms — what I was doing before. Pretend you're flying or something. If you go under, you just have to use the water to propel yourself up. Or I'll save you if that doesn't work. Wanna try?"

"Oh god — fine."

I took my hands off his waist. He kicked his legs and flapped his arms in a frenzy. It was a bit pathetic. At least he wasn't going under.

"Good." I coughed to hide a laugh. "You know what, maybe doggy paddling would be a better fit. Hyung, look at me, do this." I waggled my hands in the water. He tried to copy me — it worked a bit better, he even started to move.