The afternoon sun paints the sand in golden hues, and the salty breeze tangles in her hair as Seulgi walks barefoot, enjoying the feel of the cool water brushing against her ankles.
It's summer, and the beach is filled with distant laughter and murmurs, with children running along the shore and adults relaxing under their colorful umbrellas.
But she's more interested in the small waves that come and go, in how the water wraps around her skin before retreating as if playing with her.
Maybe that's why she takes a moment to notice she's not alone.
“Oh, do we meet near the water again?”
The voice is immediately familiar.
Seulgi turns with wide eyes, the wind tousling her hair as she blinks, surprised.
There stands Jaeyi, wearing a light dress that sways with the breeze, her hands tucked into her pockets and an amused expression on her face.
The shock is real. Because yes, it has been a while since that day at the aquarium, and although Seulgi thought about her more times than she’d admit, she never imagined they would meet again like this, as if the universe were conspiring in her favor.
“Jaeyi?”
“That’s my name.” Jaeyi tilts her head, smiling.
Seulgi blinks a couple of times, as if she needs to make sure this isn’t a heat-induced hallucination.
“Wait, is this really happening, or did I inhale too much salty air?”
Jaeyi lets out a light laugh—the same one Seulgi remembers from that time at the aquarium.
“If you inhaled too much air, then we’re both having the same hallucination.”
Seulgi blinks again before breaking into a huge smile.
“It’s real!”
Jaeyi nods in amusement.
“Didn’t you ask me last time what kind of fish I’d like to be?”
“I did… why?”
Jaeyi looks out at the sea, watching the waves with a calm expression.
“I think I’d change my answer now.”
Seulgi raises an eyebrow, curious.
“Oh? And what fish would you be now?”
Jaeyi glances at her from the corner of her eye, a playful glint in them.
“One that doesn’t get lost as easily as clownfish.”
Seulgi’s mouth falls open with a loud hey! but then she bursts into laughter, perfectly remembering how she had gotten lost at the aquarium.
“Very funny.”
“I know.” Jaeyi smiles, clearly pleased with herself.
Seulgi crosses her arms, pretending to be offended, but the warmth in her cheeks gives her away.
“And what are you doing here?” she asks, changing the subject.
Jaeyi looks at the beach calmly before answering.
“Vacation. My family has a house nearby. What about you?”
“School trip. Supposedly, we’re here to learn about marine biodiversity, but most people are just building sandcastles.”
Jaeyi smiles, looking at her with amusement.
“And you? Aren’t you building sandcastles?”
Seulgi shrugs.
“I got distracted by the water.”
“Do you like the ocean?”
“Yes. But it’s a little scary. It’s so vast that you can’t see everything inside it.”
Jaeyi nods slowly, as if she understands the feeling.
“That’s what makes it interesting.”
Seulgi glances at her from the corner of her eye, noticing the way Jaeyi looks at the ocean—with something between respect and fascination.
The breeze picks up for a moment, and when Seulgi turns back to the sea, a larger wave than the previous ones crashes against the shore, completely soaking her feet.
“Ah! Cold!”
Jaeyi laughs softly as she watches Seulgi jump slightly in surprise.
“You have turtle-like reflexes.”
Seulgi shoots her an incredulous look.
“Since when do turtles have bad reflexes?”
“I don’t know. I just wanted to say it.”
Seulgi stares at her for a moment before shaking her head.
“Jaeyi, you just say things and hope they make sense, don’t you?”
Jaeyi smiles with fake innocence.
“Sometimes it works.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Yes, it does.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Seulgi sighs dramatically.
“Are you always like this?”
“Do you always get lost?”
“That was one time!”
“Are you sure? Because your face says it wasn’t the only time.”
Seulgi crosses her arms, puffing out her cheeks in indignation.
Jaeyi just laughs, and for some reason, instead of annoying her, Seulgi feels a slight warmth in her chest.
As if this little reunion on the beach were more special than it should be.
“Well, since we’re here, do you want to walk for a bit?” Jaeyi suggests, still smiling.
Seulgi looks at her, surprised by the proposal, but nods without thinking too much.
“Yeah, sure.”
They start walking together along the shore, leaving footprints in the sand that the water slowly washes away.
Not knowing what will happen next should make her nervous.
Seulgi has never been the spontaneous type.
She likes to know where she's going, what she'll do, how things will end. But with Jaeyi, everything feels different. Walking beside her, listening to the sound of the waves gently breaking on the shore, feeling the breeze tangling in her hair... everything feels strangely natural.
So, for once, she decides not to worry too much about the future.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” Seulgi admits after a while, gently kicking the wet sand as they walk.
Jaeyi smiles to the side.
“Oh, really?”
“No. It’s not like running into each other twice in places with water is common.”
“Maybe it’s meant to be.”
Seulgi stops for a second, unexpectedly feeling a sudden warmth on her cheeks.
“What?”
Jaeyi shrugs, as if it’s no big deal.
“I’m just saying it’s suspicious.”
“You say it like we’re fish in the same fishbowl.”
Jaeyi glances at her sideways, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Would you like to be a fish?”
Seulgi purses her lips.
“I don’t know. It would depend on what kind of fish I’d be.”
“Well, clearly, you wouldn’t be a clownfish.”
Seulgi looks at her with narrowed eyes.
“Why do I feel like that’s a dig?”
“Because it is.”
“It was only one time!”
Jaeyi laughs wholeheartedly, and Seulgi can’t help but notice how pretty she looks when she does.
She shakes her head, trying not to think too much about it.
“Fine. If I can’t be a clownfish, what fish would I be?”
Jaeyi looks her up and down, as if she’s really analyzing her.
“Mmm…”
Seulgi raises an eyebrow, waiting.
“A pufferfish,” Jaeyi finally responds.
Seulgi looks at her, offended.
“Are you saying I’m round?”
“No, I’m saying that when you get upset, you puff up.”
“That’s not true!”
“Look, just like now.”
“Jaeyi!”
Jaeyi laughs, dodging her when Seulgi tries to give her a light shove on the arm.
Seulgi crosses her arms, pretending to be annoyed, but her smile gives her away.
“I can’t believe you compared me to a pufferfish.”
“It could be worse.”
“How?”
“You could be... an anglerfish.”
Seulgi makes a face.
“Those are ugly.”
“Exactly.”
“Does that mean I’m not ugly?”
Jaeyi looks at her for a moment, as if the question is silly.
“Obviously not.”
The comment takes her by surprise. It’s not that she expected Jaeyi to say yes, but the casual, almost obvious tone in which she says it makes the heat in Seulgi’s cheeks increase.
Seulgi looks away, nervously scratching the back of her neck.
“Hmpf.”
Jaeyi watches her in silence for a few seconds before saying,
“You blushed.”
“I did not blush.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Seulgi dramatically sighs.
“Are you always like this?”
“Do you always get lost?”
Seulgi turns to her with an incredulous expression.
“Can we just get over it?”
Jaeyi laughs, and Seulgi can’t help but smile too.
The sun starts to set slowly on the horizon, painting the sky with orange and pink hues. The beach is still full of people, but Seulgi feels like the world around her has shrunk to this small space where they’re walking together.
“Do you want to sit down?” Jaeyi suddenly asks, pointing to a drier patch of sand.
“Mmm… Fine, but if I end up with sand in my pockets, I’ll blame you.”
“I’ll accept the blame with dignity.”
Seulgi shakes her head but sits down anyway. Jaeyi does the same, stretching her legs out in front of her while the sound of the waves fills the space between them.
Seulgi plays with the sand between her fingers, making little mounds before destroying them.
“So… if I’m a pufferfish, what would you be?”
Jaeyi thinks about it for a moment.
“Maybe a flying fish.”
Seulgi looks at her incredulously.
“Why?”
“Because they seem like normal fish, but one day they decide they can fly, and they just do it.”
Seulgi blinks.
“That sounds… more impressive than I expected.”
Jaeyi smiles.
“Right?”
Seulgi falls silent for a moment before saying:
“So, if I get lost in the sea, would you find me?”
The question comes out before she can think about what she’s saying, and for a moment, she fears it sounds too strange.
But Jaeyi doesn’t mock her.
She looks at her for a few seconds before answering with a light smile:
“Of course. That’s what flying fish are for, right?”
Seulgi feels a little tingling in her chest, something she doesn’t exactly know how to describe.
Maybe it’s the sea breeze.
Maybe it’s the way Jaeyi looks at her, as if she really believes her words.
Or maybe…
Seulgi doesn’t know for sure. It’s not like she has experience identifying these kinds of feelings, let alone understanding what they mean. But when Jaeyi looks at her like that, with that little carefree smile and her eyes shining with the reflection of the setting sun, there’s something in her chest that feels different.
Something that makes her want to stay here a little longer, not worrying about the time or the fact that she probably should go back to her friends before they think the sea swallowed her.
But Jaeyi is still here, with sand between her fingers and the breeze tangling her hair, and suddenly, Seulgi doesn’t think it’s such a bad idea to get lost a little more.
“Did you know that fish can recognize each other?”
Jaeyi tilts her head at the sudden comment.
“Really?”
“Yeah, at least some of them.” Seulgi responds, feeling a sudden need to explain. “Clownfish, for example, can remember other fish they’ve interacted with before.”
Jaeyi looks at her, thoughtful.
“So… if we were fish,do you think we would have recognized each other?”
Seulgi feels a lump in her throat. Not because the question is complicated, but because for a moment, she imagines it.
Two little fish in a vast ocean, recognizing each other among hundreds, finding each other again and again in different currents, in different seas.
The idea seems a little ridiculous, but also strangely comforting.
“Maybe,” she says in the end, scratching the back of her neck with a bit of shyness. “But I think we’d have to be the same kind of fish for that to happen.”
“And if we were different?”
Seulgi smiles to the side.
“Then, maybe, we’d have to make an extra effort to find each other.”
Jaeyi looks at her for a moment before replying, with a light tone, but something else hidden between her words.
“That sounds fair.”
And for some reason, Seulgi feels like they just made a deal.
Time passes faster than she would like.
At some point, Jaeyi decides that her mission is to build a small sand wall around their feet, arguing that it will “protect them from any enemy attack,” though she can’t specify who or what might attack them.
“Maybe crabs.”
“Crabs?”
“Yes.”
Seulgi looks at her with a furrowed brow.
“What do crabs have against us?”
“I don’t know, but never trust anything that walks sideways.”
Seulgi bursts out laughing, falling backward onto the sand.
“You’re incredibly weird.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
Jaeyi shrugs with a mischievous smile.
The sun keeps setting, painting the sky with even more vibrant colors. The breeze has become a bit cooler, but not enough to make it uncomfortable. Seulgi watches the water ebb and flow at the shore, and suddenly, she feels like dipping her feet in.
She stands up abruptly.
“Shall we go in the water?”
Jaeyi looks at her with an arched eyebrow.
“Now?”
“Yeah, just up to our ankles.”
Jaeyi dramatically sighs.
“If you soak my clothes, I’ll get revenge.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”
Seulgi laughs, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along. Jaeyi doesn’t resist too much, and together they walk to the shore, where the waves barely reach their feet.
The water is cold, but in a good way. Seulgi stands still, feeling the foam bubble around her ankles.
“You know what’s the worst part about getting in the water at the beach?” Jaeyi suddenly says.
“What?”
“When you get out, and your feet are filled with wet sand.”
“You have a point.”
“Of course, I do.”
Seulgi gives her a small nudge with her shoulder.
“Stop being so confident.”
“Never.”
Seulgi rolls her eyes but can’t help but smile.
The breeze feels stronger here, at the shore. Seulgi crosses her arms, enjoying the moment.
Jaeyi watches her in silence for a while before speaking, almost casually.
“Do you think we’ll run into each other again after this?”
Seulgi blinks, turning to look at her.
“Why do you say that?”
"I don't know. I'm just curious."
Seulgi thinks about it for a moment.
"If fish can do it, why can't we?"
Jaeyi smiles.
"You're right."
And although neither of them says it out loud, there's a shared feeling between them, something silent but present.
A small invisible bond, a certainty that doesn’t need words.
The water continues to rise and fall around their ankles, bringing with it fragments of shells and white foam. The breeze tousles their hair, but neither of them cares about fixing it. They are too comfortable in this moment, in this small corner of the beach where the world feels a little quieter.
Jaeyi breaks the silence first, with a casual tone but with something curious hidden in her words.
"So, if fish can recognize each other... how do you think they greet each other?"
Seulgi looks at her out of the corner of her eye, as if trying to figure out whether she's joking or if she's really asking seriously.
"Uh... maybe they brush their fins?"
"Hmm. And what if they don’t have long fins?"
"Maybe they just... swim in circles."
Jaeyi puts a hand to her chin, as if she's contemplating something very important.
"So, if we met again in the future, should we swim in circles to recognize each other?"
Seulgi frowns.
"That would be weird."
Jaeyi lets out a laugh.
“You said it first!”
“But not to apply it to us!”
“Too late.”
Jaeyi crosses her arms, smiling with satisfaction. Seulgi watches her, a mix of amusement and resignation, because she knows there's no way to win this conversation.
“You're incredibly weird.”
“You've already said that.”
“Because it's still true.”
Jaeyi just shrugs, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.
Seulgi looks back at the sea, her thoughts floating in her mind like little fish in a current. It's strange how she can feel so comfortable with someone she barely knows. There's something about Jaeyi that makes everything easy, turning any moment into something pleasant without effort.
And maybe that's why she doesn't want this to end just yet.
“Hey.” She says, not looking directly at her. “Want to walk along the shore for a while?”
Jaeyi doesn’t answer right away, but Seulgi feels her turn toward her.
“Are you making sure we don’t get lost this time?”
Seulgi shoots her a warning glance.
“I wasn’t that lost.”
“You weren’t even close to the exit.”
“I would have found it!”
“Sure, after a couple of hours.”
“Jaeyi…”
Jaeyi laughs, raising her hands in surrender.
“Alright, alright. Let’s walk.”
Seulgi exhales, pretending to be exasperated, but her smile gives her away.
They begin walking along the shore, with the waves occasionally wetting their feet. They don’t have a particular destination, but that doesn’t seem to matter.
At some point, Jaeyi finds a shiny shell buried in the sand and shows it to Seulgi as if she’s discovered treasure.
“Look at this.”
“Oh, it’s pretty.”
“Right? Do you think fish collect pretty things too?”
Seulgi considers the idea.
“Maybe. But I don’t think they have pockets.”
Jaeyi lets out a laugh.
“Well, I guess that’s a problem.”
Without thinking too much, she extends the shell to Seulgi.
“Take it.”
Seulgi looks at her, blinking.
“Huh?”
“So you can remember this day when you see it.”
Seulgi takes it carefully, feeling the rough but smooth texture between her fingers. It’s small, but it shines faintly in the light.
“Thank you.”
Jaeyi smiles, but doesn’t say anything else.
They continue walking, and Seulgi slips the shell into the pocket of her shorts, feeling its light weight like a small reminder of this moment.
It’s just a fragment of the beach, but it feels like something more. Something that, maybe, in a few days, weeks, or even months, when she touches it by accident among her things, will bring back the feeling of the cold sand beneath her feet, the salty scent of the sea, and Jaeyi’s laughter blending with the sound of the waves.
Seulgi keeps walking, feeling its light weight in her pocket, like a secret shared between them.
Jaeyi walks beside her, her arms crossed behind her head and a relaxed expression on her face. She looks like someone who belongs here, someone who fits perfectly with the clear sky and the sea breeze.
And Seulgi thinks she could get used to this.
“You know what?” Jaeyi suddenly says, breaking the silence.
“What?”
“I think when I’m older, I want to live by the sea.”
Seulgi looks at her with curiosity.
“Why?”
Jaeyi shrugs.
“I don’t know. I’ve always liked the idea of waking up and seeing the ocean every day. Like in those movies where the main character lives in a house with huge windows and can see the sunrise reflected in the water.”
“Mmm… sounds nice.”
“I know. And besides, who wouldn’t want to be close to the fish all the time?”
Seulgi laughs.
“You’re starting to sound a bit obsessed with fish.”
“It’s not obsession, it’s appreciation.”
“Sure, sure.”
Jaeyi gives her a light nudge in the ribs, soft enough for Seulgi to just laugh again.
“And you?” Jaeyi asks after a while. “Where would you live if you could choose anywhere?”
Seulgi thinks for a moment.
“I don’t know. I’ve never really considered it.”
“Not even a little?”
Seulgi shakes her head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to imagine it.”
Jaeyi watches her, as if evaluating her answer.
“So, what do you think about here?”
“Here?”
“Yeah, on the beach.”
Seulgi blinks.
“Are you inviting me to live with you in the future?”
Jaeyi smiles, shrugging.
“Maybe. You never know.”
Seulgi rolls her eyes, but there’s a slight blush on her face that she tries to ignore.
“Well, if that happens, I hope you don’t expect me to take care of the fish.”
“Why not?”
“Because the only thing I know about fish is what I learned at the aquarium.”
“Enough to keep an interesting conversation going.”
“That’s not the same as taking care of them.”
Jaeyi puts a hand to her chin, thoughtful.
“So, what could you do?”
“I don’t know, cook?”
Jaeyi looks at her with narrowed eyes.
“Can you cook?”
“No, but I could learn.”
“Mmm…”
Jaeyi watches her with a suspicious expression.
“I’m still not convinced.”
“Hey!”
“Well, if we ever end up living together by the sea, I promise I’ll take care of the fish if you learn to cook something decent.”
Seulgi crosses her arms, pretending to think about it.
“Deal.”
Jaeyi extends her hand, and Seulgi shakes it firmly, as if they really just made a serious agreement for the future.
And maybe it’s something that will never happen. Maybe in a few years, they won’t even remember this conversation. But right now, on this beach, under this orange sky fading into pink hues, it feels real.
They continue walking, and the cold sand under their feet feels comfortable.
Suddenly, Jaeyi stops.
“Oh, wait.”
Seulgi stops too, turning to look at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Jaeyi furrows her brow, leaning in slightly.
“I think you have something in your hair.”
“Huh?”
Before Seulgi can react, Jaeyi lifts her hand and removes a small grain of sand from her head. It’s a simple, insignificant gesture, but for some reason, Seulgi’s heart beats a little faster.
Jaeyi smiles, as if she doesn’t notice anything strange about it.
“All set.”
Seulgi blinks.
“Uh… thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jaeyi continues walking as if nothing happened, while Seulgi stands still for a moment, blinking with a warm sensation in her chest that she can’t quite describe.
Maybe it’s just the moment. Or maybe it’s Jaeyi.
She shakes her head and follows her, making sure not to fall behind.
The sun continues to set, and the beach is painted in darker shades. But Seulgi doesn’t feel cold.
Jaeyi is still there, by her side.
And that’s enough.
The waves continue crashing against the shore with a steady rhythm, as if the sea were breathing. In the distance, the lights of some small shops begin to turn on, creating bright reflections in the water.
Jaeyi walks with her hands in her pockets, gently kicking the sand with each step. Seulgi follows beside her, still feeling the slight tingling in her head where Jaeyi had touched her hair. It shouldn’t be something that makes her think so much, but…
She clears her throat, trying to distract herself.
“So… what else do you want to do before it gets completely dark?”
Jaeyi stops for a moment, looking around as if she’s considering her options. Then, her expression lights up.
“Have you ever run on the sand?”
Seulgi looks at her with confusion.
“Uh… yeah, I guess.”
“But have you really run?”
“I don’t know, Jaeyi, what do you define as really running?”
Jaeyi smiles in a way that Seulgi doesn’t fully understand until she takes a step back and suddenly shouts.
“Race to the big rock!”
And before Seulgi can process it, Jaeyi is already running across the beach.
Seulgi watches her for a split second, feeling completely betrayed.
“Hey, that’s not fair!”
Jaeyi just laughs, not slowing down.
Seulgi sighs, and, resigning herself, starts running after her.
The loose sand makes movement difficult, and on more than one occasion, she feels her feet sinking too much, but she keeps going. Jaeyi, on the other hand, seems to move with the ease of someone who’s done this a thousand times before.
“You’re too slow, Seulgi!”
“You’re too sneaky, Jaeyi!”
Jaeyi just bursts out laughing, not reducing her speed.
Seulgi grits her teeth and tries to move faster, ignoring the feeling of sand sticking to her ankles. She’s sure she has sand in her shoes, but now’s not the time to think about that.
The big rock Jaeyi mentioned is just a few meters away, and Seulgi tries to reach it before her, but Jaeyi throws herself at it in the last moment, touching it with the palm of her hand just before Seulgi can.
“I won!” she declares with a huge smile, breathing heavily.
Seulgi stops beside her, bending slightly as she tries to catch her breath.
“That… wasn’t… fair…”
“Races are never fair.”
Seulgi glares at her.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Jaeyi just shrugs with an innocent expression.
They stand there for a moment, both catching their breath, the sound of the sea filling the space between them.
“Well, at least it was fun, right?” Jaeyi says, still smiling.
Seulgi sighs but can’t help but smile too.
“I guess.”
Jaeyi drops down onto the sand without worrying about getting dirty, and Seulgi watches her for a moment before doing the same.
The sky is already turning darker, with the first stars beginning to appear. The sea breeze is a little cooler now, but not enough to make them uncomfortable.
“You know what?” Jaeyi murmurs after a while.
“What?”
“I’m glad I found you here.”
Seulgi turns her head to look at her.
“Yeah?”
Jaeyi nods, a small smile on her face.
“Yeah. I don’t know, it’s just… been nice.”
Seulgi watches her for a moment, feeling something warm in her chest.
“I’m glad too.”
Jaeyi looks at her, and for a moment, they just stay like that, in silence, with the breeze tousling their hair and the cold sand under their hands.
The sea continues its gentle ebb and flow, its eternal breath marking the rhythm of the night. The sand under their hands is cold, but the presence of each other beside them keeps the warmth in the air, in the chest, in every little smile they try to hide.
Jaeyi draws meaningless lines in the sand with the tip of her finger, dragging it lazily while her eyes focus on the horizon. Seulgi watches her out of the corner of her eye, noticing how the dim light from the streetlamps gives her skin a soft glow.
“What are you drawing?” she asks quietly.
Jaeyi tilts her head, as if she’s just now realizing what she’s doing.
“I don’t know,” she says with a slight shrug. “I guess I just like the feeling.”
Seulgi nods, understanding without needing more words. She watches her a little longer, the distracted movement of her fingers, the way her hair moves with the wind. Then, without thinking much, she extends her own hand and starts doing the same.
“Maybe we should draw something for real,” Jaeyi suggests suddenly.
“A drawing?”
“Yeah, something that makes sense.”
Seulgi tilts her head.
“Like what?”
Jaeyi thinks for a moment, then smiles in a way that makes Seulgi’s stomach feel a little strange.
“A fish.”
Seulgi lets out a soft laugh.
“Of course it would be a fish.”
Jaeyi doesn’t respond, just starts drawing with more intent this time. Seulgi watches her, noticing how she slightly furrows her brow in concentration.
“That looks more like a shoe than a fish,” she comments with a playful smile.
Jaeyi shoots her an offended look.
“It’s a fish!”
“No, it’s a shoe.”
“It’s a fish!”
Seulgi laughs, and Jaeyi pretends to be indignant before wiping the drawing away with her hand and starting again.
“Fine, if you think you can do better, draw one yourself,” she says, gently pushing her with her shoulder.
Seulgi considers the challenge for a moment before leaning down and starting to draw with her finger. She puts more effort into it than she’d like to admit, carefully tracing the curves.
Jaeyi watches silently, and when Seulgi finishes, the other looks at her with a serious expression.
“…That also looks like a shoe.”
Seulgi opens her mouth, scandalized.
“Jaeyi!”
Jaeyi laughs, covering her mouth with one hand.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s a very nice fish.”
“No, you ruined the moment.”
Jaeyi continues laughing while Seulgi crosses her arms and pretends to be upset. But her smile gives her away.
The sound of the sea fills the space between them, and after a while, the silence that settles is comfortable.
Seulgi lets herself fall completely onto the sand, looking up at the starry sky. Jaeyi follows suit shortly after, lying so close that their arms almost touch.
"It's been a while since I looked at the stars like this," Jaeyi says quietly.
Seulgi tilts her head to look at her.
"Like what?"
"Like this... peaceful."
Seulgi watches her for a moment before turning her gaze back to the sky.
"Yeah... it's nice."
"Mm."
The sound of the waves is the only thing accompanying them for a while. Seulgi can feel Jaeyi's warmth beside her, the way her breathing remains steady. There's something comforting in all of this, something that makes her want to stay here forever.
Jaeyi turns her head to look at her, and Seulgi feels her gaze even before she sees her.
"What?" she asks, with a small smile.
Jaeyi doesn't respond immediately. Her eyes stay fixed on hers, and Seulgi feels a kind of electricity running through her.
"Nothing," she finally says, with a soft smile. "Just... I'm glad I found you again."
Seulgi swallows, feeling her heart beat a little harder than usual.
"Me too," she repeats again.
Jaeyi stays silent for a moment before laughing softly.
"Do you know what's the worst?"
"What?"
"I don't know why, but I feel like..."
Seulgi watches her, waiting for her to finish the sentence.
"That..." Jaeyi slightly furrows her brow, as if searching for the right words. "That this is important."
Seulgi blinks.
"Important?"
"Yeah. Like... I don't know. Like this moment is going to stay with me."
Seulgi feels her heart stumble at the meaning behind those words.
She doesn't know it yet, but in a few years, she will remember this moment. She will remember the cold sand, the sound of the waves, the sky full of stars. She will remember the fish-shoe drawing and Jaeyi’s laugh lighting up the night.
And, above all, they will remember what happens next.
Because Jaeyi, without really thinking, leans in a little more.
And Seulgi doesn’t pull away.
It’s a light touch, barely a brush, but it’s enough for the world to seem to stop for a second.
The taste of salt on their lips, the sensation of the sand beneath their hands, the cool breeze on their skin. Everything becomes a single point in time.
And when they pull away, Jaeyi blinks, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Seulgi’s are too.
They look at each other.
And then, they both start to laugh.
A soft, nervous laugh, but full of something warm. Something they can’t name yet.
"I guess... this will definitely be an important memory," Jaeyi murmurs.
Seulgi nods, still feeling the laughter in her chest.
"Yeah."
And even though neither of them says it aloud, they both know that this...
This is the beginning of something