Chapter 195: The Axolotl Learned That Seawater Is Salty!

Ṛėаⅾ ​ｏո ḰａţŔ​ｅаԁ​ｉṅģĊ​аƒｅ

Translator Note

A lot of AI art in this one… uuuuuuuuu…

I stepped onto the sandy beach dressed in my swimsuit, only to realize no one else was in sight.

Seems like I was the first one out.

As I glanced around to survey the beach, something piled up at the edge of my vision caught my eye.

Upon closer look, parasols, sunbeds, mats, and various other items were already set up on the sand.

Ah, the manager must’ve prepared them earlier.

So this is why Ra-hee unnie said we didn’t need to worry about bringing parasols or other gear.

How considerate of them.

Swooosh—

While silently thanking the hardworking manager, my gaze locked onto the waves lapping at my feet.

Well… maybe just a quick dip?

I’d planned to wait for the others, but… surely just dipping my toes in wouldn’t hurt.

Splash—

“Whoa…!”

Mesmerized by the breaking waves, I stepped closer and cautiously dipped my foot in—only to gasp in awe.

Not too cold, just perfectly cool.

Even under the blazing summer sun, this refreshing water made it easy to forget the season.

Now I almost understood why people flocked to the beach in summer.

“Ah—!”

As I wandered over the wet sand, savoring the sea, a sudden realization made me exclaim.

Right, seawater’s salty, isn’t it?

An obvious fact, but curiosity got the better of me. Before I knew it, I’d bent down, scooped a handful, and—

Slurp—

“Bleh…!”

My face twisted instantly as the briny taste flooded my mouth. Ptui, ptui! Ugh, what was I thinking? Of course it’d be salty. Why did I even try it?! Now my mouth’s ruined.

“…Da-jeong, what are you doing?”

“Eek?!”

I was just relieved no one saw me—when a familiar voice beside me made me jolt.

Mortification surged as I realized my idiocy had been witnessed.

“N-Nothing! I definitely didn’t taste the seawater to see if it was salty…!”

Without even daring to look at who I assumed was Jia unnie, I shook my head and flailed my hands in denial.

“Seawater? Ah, well. It’s natural to be curious on your first visit. I did the same as a kid.”

“B-But that’s when you were little… Huh?”

Her attempt to console me only backfired—it basically confirmed I’d acted like a child.

Pouting, I finally turned my head—

“…Huh? Da-jeong, what’s wrong?”

Perhaps because she was just as sensitive to heat as me, I noticed Jia unnie already had a faint sheen of sweat as she tilted her head, studying me.

She was wearing a pure white bikini that suited her perfectly—the kind that radiated elegance.

Honestly, I’d assumed something so revealing would look provocative, but my first thought was just… pretty.

The color and vibe matched her so well that I couldn’t help but blurt out admiration.

“Wow…! Unnie, you’re so pretty!”

“O-Oh? Thanks. I’ve been a little worried about gaining weight lately…”

“Weight?!”

Did I mishear her?

From where I stood, there wasn’t a single trace of excess on her.

Jia unnie’s figure was so enviable that even Ra-hee unnie sometimes grumbled about it—like, “How do you eat nothing but bread and never gain weight?!”

And that’s Ra-hee unnie we’re talking about.

So Jia unnie’s “concerns” felt almost like a scam.

(Though I’m sure she has her own insecurities. But if the other members heard this, they’d definitely have words for her. Yeah.)

“Anyway, your swimsuit’s cute too, Da-jeong. I thought so when I first saw it—it really suits you.”

“I-I still feel kinda awkward, though. Shy, I guess…”

“That’s normal at first. You’re showing more skin than usual, after all. You’ll get used to it.”

Patting my blushing head, Jia unnie smiled. All the unnies gave great advice, but hers carried a special weight—maybe because her tone alone screamed eldest unnie energy.

Thanks to her, I nodded with a lighter heart, ready to wait for the others.

—

“Woo-hoo! The sea!!”

“Umi da~!”

Just then, as I stared at the villa’s entrance, Chae-yoon unnie and Yuna burst out side by side, arms wide as they charged onto the sand.

Classic Yuna, I thought. She was absolutely mimicking some anime scene.

(I wanted to do it too, but, well… shyness won.)

“Everyone, don’t forget sunscreen before swimming!”

“We already applied it for each other!”

“Yeah!”

Meanwhile, So-eun unnie, watching from the entrance like a teacher on a field trip, reminded us of the rules—prompting the two to proudly announce their preparedness as they approached.

“What are you two standing around for? Looking for seashells?”

Chae-yoon unnie was wearing what I think she called a “sports bra”-style swim top, paired with shorts. It fit her active personality perfectly—the moment I saw her, I thought, Yep, that’s so Chae-yoon unnie.

“Nah, we were just dipping our feet in. Speaking of, where’s the CEO and Ra-hee?”

“Ra-hee unnie’s swimsuit turned out a little too small, apparently. CEO Kang’s helping her adjust it.”

“…Didn’t Ra-hee just buy that swimsuit recently?”

“Guess she ‘grew’ since then, huh?”

A slightly questionable conversation unfolded, but—

I heard nothing. Right now, I was just enjoying the ocean’s cool embrace.

Tap tap—

Just as I tried to distract myself, I felt something lightly poke my shoulder. I turned to see Yuna’s face sparkling under the sunlight.

“Da-jeong, Da-jeong! Did you put on sunscreen?”

“Huh? S-Sunscreen? No, I didn’t…”

Sunscreen—doesn’t that make you turn all white? As someone who barely wears makeup, it always felt like an alien concept to me. I hadn’t even thought to bring any, so of course I hadn’t applied it.

When I shook my head honestly, Yuna’s lips, which had been curved in a smile, instantly flipped into a frown.

“Ugh, I knew it. C’mon, I’ll put some on you. Over there. If you skip sunscreen in weather like this, you’ll turn into a roasted axolotl.”

“Eek…!”

W-Wait, seriously?! I barely ever leave the house, so I had no idea. Sunlight was that dangerous?

“Unnies, I’m gonna go put sunscreen on Da-jeong real quick!”

“Okay, hurry back.”

After informing Jia unnie and Chae-yoon unnie, Yuna grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the parasol and mat setup. Staring at her profile, I suddenly blurted out:

“Yuna, that swimsuit looks amazing on you. So pretty.”

“Hehe, right? The second I tried it on, I was like, ‘This is mine.’ The matching hair ribbon sold me too.”

“Oh, it came as a set?”

I’d assumed Yuna bought the ribbon separately to match. Guess swimsuits for girls come with way more details than I thought. Designers are seriously impressive, paying attention to stuff like that.

Squish—

“Da-jeong, I’ll do your back—can you handle the front yourself?”

“Yeah.”

As I applied the sunscreen Yuna handed me, I couldn’t help but grimace. Ugh, it feels so weird—kinda sticky? Totally different from the lotion Ra-hee unnie once gave me as a gift.

“Ugh, this is so tragic…”

“T-Tragic? Why?!”

Mid-application, Yuna suddenly slumped over, muttering about despair. Did something bad happen?!

“Being next to you is giving me a complex about my skin.”

“A complex…?”

“Yeah! How is your skin this flawless?! The sunscreen doesn’t even show on you!”

“I-I really don’t think it’s that big a deal…”

It didn’t take long to realize her worry was pointless. But Yuna, still faux-mournful, kept rubbing sunscreen into my back—until—

“Ugh, I can’t take this! Revenge time!”

“Y-Yuna?! Why are your hands—KYAHAHAHAHA?!”

Without warning, her fingers darted from my back to my armpits, tickling mercilessly. I was helpless against the surprise attack.

S-Someone save me! I’m insanely ticklish! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!

“Confess your crimes!”

“I-I’m innocent—KYAHAHA! I didn’t do anyth—”

“Oh? ‘Not a big deal,’ huh?!”

“I’m sorry! I was wrong—KYAHAHAHAHA!”

I’m gonna die! I’ll literally die laughing! My cause of death won’t be suffocation or starvation—it’ll be death by laughter!

I flailed wildly, but there was no escaping Yuna’s strength. Soon, we were a tangled mess, rolling across the mat like a pair of wrestling otters.

“…What are you two doing?”

Suddenly, a shadow fell over us—the CEO stood there, her trademark deadpan expression fixed on us as she posed the question.

Ugh, CEO Kang… Please.

Save me.