Chapter 9

The sea... It’s been such a long time.

Even in this life, and in my previous one, I hardly ever visited the beach.

The last time I went was right after I became an adult.

I still remember that one-day trip with friends vividly.

“Ugh...”

I stretched my sore shoulders as I stepped out of the changing room.

The early summer sun bore down, heating the sand and making me squint in discomfort. It wasn’t unbearably hot, but the warmth clung to me, making it irritating.

Dad followed behind, saying he’d find a spot with the other adults.

When I walked toward the shoreline, the kids greeted me excitedly.

Ha-Soo-Yul was the first to wave, followed by Ha-Yoon, who ran over. Lee Do-Yoon and Baek Yoo-Seol gave small waves from a distance.

Everyone looked great in their swimsuits.

As for mine? It felt... plain.

I was wearing black swim trunks paired with a white rash guard with simple stripes.

It was the kind of swimsuit you’d see anywhere—nothing special.

Mom had wanted me to wear something more “cute,” but I refused.

No way was I wearing something like a chick-patterned swimsuit.

Looking at everyone else, I raised a thumbs-up to compliment them, especially Ha-Yoon, whose adorable dog-print swimsuit was just perfect.

We headed into the water, staying where it reached our ankles at first.

Eventually, the water came up to our waists.

“Ha-Yoon, let’s stay here and play with your big brother.”

I held her back from going further.

Any deeper, and it could get dangerous. Even though she had a float ring and a life jacket, I wasn’t about to take any chances.

The other kids, being slightly older, had more freedom.

“You guys shouldn’t go too far either,” I called to the others. “It’s dangerous if you go too deep.”

Lee Do-Yoon waved back confidently, and Ha-Soo-Yul gave me a smug look, as if saying, Don’t worry about me.

Ah, kids and their overconfidence.

I had a bad feeling, but for now, they only ventured up to chest height and didn’t go further.

Still, I couldn’t shake the unease, so I started thinking of a way to keep an eye on them.

Suddenly, a large hand gently tapped my head.

“Don’t worry too much, son. I’ll keep an eye on them.”

It was Dad, followed by Lee Do-Yoon’s father, who also volunteered to watch the kids.

Relieved, I nodded as Dad tousled my hair before heading off to join the children. He even took over playing with Ha-Yoon.

Dad was a good swimmer, so I wasn’t too worried.

Still, I couldn’t help but follow them, staying within a safe distance.

Every so often, Dad would glance back at me, as if silently reassuring me.

I looked around. The mothers were seated under a parasol, chatting happily. Among them was Baek Yoo-Seol’s father, his silver hair a mirror of hers.

At first, I thought he was a foreigner, but he spoke flawless Korean. Apparently, he was a quarter mixed-race.

For reference, Ha-Soo-Yul’s father was currently in the United States. I’d only met him three times so far.

I decided to stay where the water reached my waist. No need to get overconfident and risk an incident.

Sitting down in the water, I sank in up to my shoulders.

Yeah, this is enough for me.

I watched the six kids playing in front of me. Dad was focused on Ha-Yoon but glanced back at me occasionally.

When our eyes met, he gave me a reassuring wave, and I relaxed.

I knew he felt bad that I wasn’t joining in, but hey, I chose this life as a voluntary outsider.

I scanned the others. There was Lee Do-Yoon, Baek Yoo-Seol, and their dad playing together.

But... where was Ha-Soo-Yul?

Alarmed, I jumped to my feet, scanning the area.

“Ha-Eun, what’s wrong?”

I spun around at the voice behind me.

There she was, her wet hair slicked back.

She must’ve gone to the restroom.

“Did you tell the adults?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, good…”

I let out a relieved sigh. Kids are so unpredictable sometimes.

Instead of rejoining the others, she sat next to me. With just our heads floating above the water, we looked like a pair of bobbing dolls.

“Why aren’t you playing with them?”

“No sharks. Disappointing.”

Of course, there aren’t any sharks. What does that have to do with playing, though?

“Being with you is better than playing with them.”

“Oh, um. If that makes you happy.”

If she’s happy, that’s all that matters.

I glanced at Dad. He looked exhausted, panting as he tried to keep up with Ha-Yoon’s boundless energy.

Even though only 30 minutes had passed, he already looked drained.

When our eyes met, he gave me a tired smile. I twirled my index fingers in the air, mouthing: Want to switch?

After a moment of hesitation, Dad nodded and brought Ha-Yoon over.@@novelbin@@

“I’ll take five minutes to rest, son. Thanks.”

His voice trailed off as he trudged away.

Now it was my turn to play with her.

But instead of being excited, Ha-Yoon pouted as we moved closer to shore.

“Ha-Yoon, let’s play with your big brother.”

Normally, she’d agree enthusiastically, but today she turned her head away.

Sigh. My poor life.

“You like the deeper water, don’t you?”

She nodded and pointed toward it decisively.

Not wanting to disappoint her, I grabbed the ends of her float ring.

Ha-Soo-Yul, standing nearby, kept an eye on the depth, telling us when to stop.

Just as we reached her designated stopping point, Ha-Yoon whined.

“No! I want to go further!”

“Ha-Yoon, if we go any further, we’ll drown.”

I tried reasoning with her. “It’s dangerous past this point. Even your big brother can’t go that far.”

She pouted in silence, her lips jutting out comically.

Ah, raising siblings…

I glanced back at the shore to see if Dad was coming.

Nope. He was fast asleep under the parasol.

…Seriously?

At least someone came to help—Baek Yoo-Seol’s father approached us with a kind smile.

“Ha-ha! Your dad looks exhausted, so I’ll take over.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Relieved, I handed Ha-Yoon over to him and stepped back with Ha-Soo-Yul.

“You saved the day back there. Thanks for keeping an eye on the depth.”

“It’s nothing. Not a big deal.”

She downplayed her role, but kids this age don’t understand the danger they’re in.

We sat back down in the water, splashing idly.

For fun, I scooped up a handful of water and flicked it at her face.

“!”

The startled look on her face was priceless.

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’ll get you for that!”

She tried to retaliate but couldn’t figure out the technique.

“…Teach me.”

After taking three hits, she gave up and asked for help.

“Alright, first, clasp your hands together.”

“Like this?”

“Yeah. Then scoop up the water.”

“Got it.”

“Now, just fling it.”

Splash.

“……”

She glared at me, clearly unimpressed.

Uh-oh. Time to run.

But before I could escape—

“Help! Somebody help!”

A cry for help from the deeper waters made me freeze and turn around.

Baek Yoo-Seol was far out, where even adults hesitated to go.

The first thought that crossed my mind was: Why?

Why was she out there? That depth wasn’t for kids—it wasn’t even safe for most adults.

“Yoo-Seol!”

Her father, who had been playing with Ha-Yoon, immediately ran toward the water.

“Stay here,” I told Ha-Soo-Yul.

But her grip on my wrist tightened. “No! It’s dangerous!”

“There’s no time!”

With that, I plunged into the water.