Ch.166Because It’s Summer (9)

“That’s right. Slowly, with your body relaxed.”

“Yes.”

After Ban Doyoung learned the sensation of floating in water, Doha-min’s swimming lessons began to make significant progress. Now she could splash around while holding only Doha-min’s hand, without needing a tube.

For brief moments, she could even move in her intended direction without holding his hand, showing little agitation.

It wasn’t that she lacked the aptitude for floating or had a fear of water; with her naturally long arms and legs, her body was actually blessed for swimming.

“Once you understand how to float, there’s no need to be afraid in the water. Just reach your arms in the direction you want to go and kick your legs strongly.”

“I understand, swimming teacher.”

She felt like her body was finally catching up to the techniques and theories she had understood intellectually.

Overcoming fear of water and learning to float—the two biggest first steps in swimming. After mastering these, the next stages flowed naturally, like water itself.

She was surprised by her own transformation. Just a few hours ago, her body would stiffen with fear whenever she entered the sea, as if she had been designed to be incapable of swimming.

“That’s right, move your arms while turning your head at the same time. As expected of Doyoung. You learn quickly.”

Now she was progressing beyond what Doha-min had taught her. It was a remarkable improvement for someone whose mother, father, and Sol-young had all given up on teaching.

It was as if she had been made incapable of swimming until Doha-min taught her. Actually, that might not be entirely wrong.

If coming to this beach in Namhae, Teacher Miso’s hometown, was one of the episodes in “Half of a Half,” then Ban Doyoung, who couldn’t swim, was destined to learn swimming from Doha-min here.

Through the grown-up Doha-min and his help, she could finally learn to swim—something she couldn’t master through anyone else’s teaching. What an excellent pure love youth story.

Perhaps that was why Ban Doyoung’s body had been particularly craving Doha-min’s touch since arriving at the beach. In other words, Ban Doyoung wanted to progress further with Doha-min in this ocean.

“Um… you keep pouting even though you’re making good progress. Is it because you don’t like seawater getting in your mouth? You’re not upset or anything, right?”

“Well… who knows. You’re being too cautious.”

“I can’t understand what you’re saying when your mouth is like that. Speak normally.”

“You dummy…”

“P-please understand! I-I can’t do that kind of thing with Scarlet and others watching!”

The only problem was that at this beach at sunset—the perfect setting for pure love—Ban Doyoung’s body wasn’t making any progress with Doha-min beyond holding hands and splashing water, despite desperately wanting more.

Ban Doyoung’s body seemed to be yearning for Doha-min. Whether he knew it or not, even as the sun was nearly setting, Doha-min was still focused solely on teaching swimming, excited about the progress made.

With those golden eyes that had been strangely beautiful even during his awkward phase now sparkling with joy, showing how much he enjoyed teaching—no matter how annoyed she felt, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything mean to him.

After all, it was none other than I who had asked him to teach me swimming when summer came.

I couldn’t now complain that he was only teaching swimming, so my lips just naturally pouted forward. It definitely wasn’t because I was disappointed about not being able to kiss him.

“Good, now let’s try freestyle swimming for a longer distance. Watch me carefully.”

Doha-min took a deep breath and skillfully moved forward, splashing water. Having known how to swim since his awkward days, his movements were quite impressive now that his hardware had developed, showing considerable speed and power.

“Puha!”

Doha-min touched a large rock about 10 meters away on the rocky beach and then returned to me.

“Now, try to reach that rock I just touched and come back. The water isn’t deep, so if freestyle gets difficult, you can just walk. Let’s test how far you can go with freestyle.”

“Sigh… fine. I’ll follow along for now.”

I was the one who initiated this trip in the first place. I was also the one who turned Doha-min into a passionate swimming instructor.

You reap what you sow. I obediently prepared for freestyle swimming as Doha-min requested.

“If there’s an emergency, let me know right away. I’ll come immediately.”

“I got it, just give me the signal already.”

Just as I was about to head toward the rock following Doha-min’s signal, as I lowered my gaze to position myself, my eyes landed directly on Doha-min’s swimming trunks.

“…Hehehe.”

I had a good idea.

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“Ready… go!”

*Splash!*

With Doha-min’s signal, I immediately headed toward the rock in freestyle.

“Good… you’re following well… Whoa! Ban Doyoung, what did you take?!”

“The drawstring.”

I was holding the drawstring of Doha-min’s swimming trunks.

“Waaah! B-Ban Doyoung! Bring that back! They’ll really fall down without it!”

“Come get it yourself! You’re a better swimmer than me!”

Doha-min shouted while holding his slipping swimming trunks with one hand.

Learning to swim definitely had its benefits. Normally, playing such a prank in water would leave me with no escape route. Now I could flee as much as I wanted.

“How is stealing someone’s swimsuit drawstring the first thing you do after learning to swim?!”

“If you’re jealous, you should have let my bikini float away in the sea!”

Unable to perform his impressive freestyle with loose trunks, Doha-min had no choice but to walk through the water, following closely behind me.

With Ban Doyoung’s still somewhat clumsy swimming skills and Doha-min’s grown strides, the distance between us closed quickly.

“Eek!”

Just as I reached the rocky beach and was about to go around it, I couldn’t continue freestyle and, as if pulled by something, screamed and plunged my face into the water.

“H-help—”

It happened in an instant. Ban Doyoung’s voice scattered into bubbles before she could finish her words.

Of course, it was all an act. To lure Doha-min toward me.

“…Doyoung!”

As expected. Realizing something had happened to me, Doha-min let go of his trunks and swam freestyle toward the rocky beach where I was.

He moved at an unrelenting speed, as if not caring if his swimsuit came off in the process.

“Doyoung, are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Doha-min quickly reached the rock I was leaning against. It took him less than half the time it had taken me to get there.

“Doha-min… your swimsuit.”

“Haa… haa… That’s not important right now…!”

Though as a consequence, his swimming trunks were now precariously wedged between his thighs. If the middle barrier had been any smaller, they might have slid down to his calves.

I should be thankful for [Summer-min High School]. And to his mother who gave it to him.

“Did you get a cramp in your leg again? Or did something scratch or bite you underwater?”

“…I did get bitten.”

“Really…? By what? What bit you?”

“…Doha-min.”

“…Huh?”

“By you, Doha-min.”

I raised my legs underwater and firmly wrapped them around Doha-min’s waist.

“Whoa!”

“What are you going to do about this? I’m firmly caught by you now, so even if you wanted to cut me loose, you couldn’t.”

Just as Doha-min’s upper body was about to collapse onto Ban Doyoung, he grabbed the rock behind him with both arms to support his weight.

“S-stop… what if other people see us.”

“That’s why I came here. To this place surrounded by large rocks.”

There was no sign of people passing around this rocky beach. Nor any eyes watching from afar.

From the food stalls, our location would be obscured by the surrounding rocks, making it difficult to pinpoint our exact position. Having 20/20 vision didn’t mean having X-ray vision.

“This is all your fault, Doha-min. You should have done this long ago… but you’ve only been teasing Ban Doyoung’s body without doing anything more… so I had no choice but to make the first move.”

It seemed that gaining courage from summer memories wasn’t exclusive to men.

Or perhaps I was being influenced because I was also a man. Either way, it didn’t matter much.

Just now.

To the extent this body desired,

To the limit this world allowed.

Everything in between.

I wanted to give it all to the person in front of me.

“I’m firmly caught by you now and can’t escape… so I’ll just bite you back.”

I grabbed the back of Doha-min’s head and pulled him closer to me.

“…Wait.”

“Huh?”

“If we’re doing this, let me take the lead.”

“…!”

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Doha-min’s face moved toward Ban Doyoung faster and closer than she had been pulling him.