[Neo Zone] Population: 23 Kids

The Pool

Sending ten kids on their own to a pool was probably not the smartest idea someone could've had, especially when they were twelve and under. None of which had any kind of flotation device, and they were in charge of a six year old. It was probably completely fine though, since the community pool always had life guards on deck and there were always enough people to notice if someone was drowning.

Apparently today was not the most popular day for the pool, and the boys had the entire thing to themselves. The pool itself didn't go deeper than one and a half meters, but only Johnny could touch if he stood on his toes.

"Are there any rules?" Haechan asked, his bright green swim trunks contrasting with his skin tone nicely.

"Do we look like your parents to you?" Jaehyun playfully sassed back.

"I spend more time with you than them, so you kinda do."

"The sad truth." YangYang said solemnly, and the other kids nodded.

"I'm not a parent to nine kids. Absolutely no way." Johnny denied, but then Chenle grabbed his hand which didn't help his argument.

"Are there rules, though? Besides the pool rules." Sicheng spoke up, already trying to remember what the pool rules were while finding the sign. He had been taught to read the rules before he went anywhere, and it was just a habit.

"Um... No pulling each other under. Say something if you can't swim... and don't drown."

"Well said." Yuta held open the gate for them, and towels were instantly thrown to the side of the pool deck as they jumped in.

Jaehyun sat down with Chenle in the shallow end, watching him sit on the steps and splash quietly in the water. He didn't seem to care that he was in shorts way too big for him, courtesy of Haechan's little brother, but the strings were pulled tight enough so they wouldn't come off.

"WinWin!" Jungwoo called out, motioning for him to join them.

"Dad said if I go in I can't come home for the night."

"Then stay with us!" The hesitation caused by Mark's words was the perfect opportunity for Jeno to come up from behind and push him into the water.

Watching Sicheng wipe the water and hair out of his eyes along with Jungwoo doggie paddling around him with Johnny and Yuta making dramatic Kung Fu poses was what finally got Chenle to laugh. The high pitched noise caught them all off guard, catching Chenle off guard. Making him stop.

"Oh that's funny, huh?"

A water war immediately started up between all of them even though it was only Sicheng who splashed water at Chenle. It escalated enough to get Jaehyun pretty wet on the side of the pool, leading to the lifeguard scolding them to tone it down.

So Jae fully jumped in and the boys started putting each other on their shoulders and fighting to get each other off. It probably wasn't the safest thing to do, but it got Chenle to laugh and that's all they cared about.

"I spend weeks trying to get you to have fun, and now you listen?!" Kun questioned, but he looked happier than he sounded. A lot happier.

"Kun!"

"You were faster than we thought you'd be."

He opened the gate, setting down a towel for Chenle and kicking off his shoes. "It's been two hours since I left."

"Two hours?! No way!" Haechan protested, and Kun just nodded.

"You coming in?" Jeno asked, noticing how he didn't look like it.

"No. I don't have a swim suit." Instead he sat at the edge and put his feet in the water, watching everyone else splash around.

They continued to have fun in the pool, even getting a beach ball someone had left and hitting that around, and they stayed for another hour before they had enough. Kun helped the younger kids dry off and then they all started walking back to the cafe.

Mark caught everyone's attention by gasping abruptly and waving his hands around. "Birthdays! We forgot your birthdays!"