Archive of Our Own ^beta

Summer makes its presence known, coupled with conversations about vacations and beaches and hooking up with strangers you’d never see again. In the bustling campus grounds of a prestigious university, there’s talk about going on vacation in a faraway country.

Jung Sungchan—one arm around Park Wonbin’s shoulder, and the other around Anton Lee’s—brings up the “summer vacation” topic to his childhood friends. 

“I know we’re always dragged onto planes bound for who knows where,” Sungchan starts with a smile, “but this summer, what if we went to the beach? Just us?”

“Santorini?” Wonbin guesses, “Maldives? Somewhere literally everyone else visits?”

“Well, no.” Sungchan’s eyes light up with enthusiasm as he walks across the campus quad with his friends, “I overheard a guy in my class talking about local beaches.”

“Ah.” Anton prolongs the vowel as if he understood where Sungchan was going with his idea, “There’s a local town gaining popularity recently.”

The tallest of the trio replies, “Yeah. From what I heard, there’s this small beach town that has an annual summer festival—lots of things to do while supporting the people who live there.”

Wonbin’s round eyes sparkle at the idea of doing something new this summer, so he gives Sungchan a nod, “Sounds good to me. I think it’ll be fun to do something different.”

“Yeah.” Anton chimes in as the trio sit on the campus benches, “It’s been a while since I went to the beach too.”

Sungchan grins victoriously before pulling his phone out to search for accommodations. Anton leans over, pointing at various hotel listings on Sungchan’s phone screen. Wonbin takes his phone out as well and searches the name of the town Sungchan mentioned.

From the pictures alone, Wonbin could see that the small beach town had a more rustic and quiet vibe compared to popular tourist destinations. There were also pictures of the summer festival Sungchan mentioned, and it did seem like the three of them would enjoy a vacation there. 

Wonbin smiles to himself. 

He was from a rather affluent family whose broad social circle included Sungchan and Anton’s equally affluent families. Growing up together, they usually went along with the plans their parents made, often going abroad every summer. Wonbin was excited to try something outside that tradition. 

After all, those trips were readily made with tour itineraries and planned-out schedules. Being able to go on vacation with his two friends on their own accord would be a nice change. 

“Wait, so does that mean Sungchan’s driving us there?” Wonbin chuckles after locking his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

Anton glances nervously at the friend in question, gulping to tease him.

Sungchan playfully slaps his shoulder before giving Wonbin a thumbs-up. “I’ll show you both just how good of a driver I am.”

“And a safe one.” Wonbin jokes as well, “We gotta be safe.”

Sungchan does indeed drive safely on the day of their vacation. The car ride is also filled with a lot of off-key singing to Wonbin’s carefully-curated Spotify playlist, a childish game of who could stay quiet the longest with Anton losing because he laughed at who-knows-what, and Sungchan giving them a crash course on different kinds of burgers.

When they arrive at the town proper, the trio take in the sights and excitedly scan the place. There are quaint houses—some very colorful, some with muted colors—several alfresco bistros and coffee shops lining the cobblestone streets, and a beautiful beach stretching the horizon further down.

Sungchan is busy checking in at the hotel reception, so Wonbin and Anton head over to the small porch that offers a view of the beach nearby.

The crystalline waters kiss the shore with cream-like sand where colorful umbrellas and beach mats are peppered all over. There’s a boardwalk next to the beach, lined with small stalls for little souvenirs and trinkets. There are also a few beach-side restaurants and bars where people are seen laughing and engaging in merry conversation.

From the corner of his eye, Wonbin sees Anton busying himself with his film camera. The shorter male smiles and focuses his gaze on the beach where a small group of individuals are surfing. 

It definitely wasn’t grand and luxurious, but there was an old and vintage vibe to the beach town that gave it a nice, home-like charm. 

Wonbin recalls the trips planned by their families, often accompanied by the glitz and glam of luxury—the finest hotels, the most lavish meals, and elaborate tours joined by equally rich and powerful socialites.

The quiet lull of this little beach town gave Wonbin a sense of calmness and rest, one that he didn’t often feel when trotting across the globe with opulence following him.

He takes a deep breath just as the summery breeze blows by, and when he exhales, the sun pours over him like honey. Anton snaps a picture at that exact moment.

“You’re glowing.” he grins playfully, “Wonder if that’s a sign you’ll find summer love in here.”

“Summer fling?” Wonbin responds with a playful eye roll, “We’re here to relax, not film a rom-com.”

“Wonbin wouldn’t even realize ‘love’ was charging at him at full-speed until it gives him a nasty head-butt.” Sungchan jokes as he joins them on the porch, playfully patting Wonbin’s shoulder, “Come on, we can go to the room now.”

Sungchan and Anton begin to go back inside the hotel, and before Wonbin can turn on his heel to follow them, he glances back at the beach. He spots a couple playfully dancing, beach water kissing their ankles. One of them twirls their lover around before they both lose balance and fall on their butts, wet and laughing as the gentle waves greet them.

Just like a scene from a rom-com.

For the longest time he could remember, Wonbin only had three things in mind: writing and making music, playing the guitar, and working for a successful career after college.

A part of him wonders if Anton’s words would come true—would he find love this summer? Would this vacation not only be a new experience, but also give way to new emotions? 

Wonbin has never been in love and has never thought about it. What is love supposed to be like, anyway?

Perhaps Sungchan was right. Wonbin wouldn’t know what love was until it crashed into him like the towering waves the surfers were riding.

After the trio sets their things down in their hotel room, they decide to stroll along the boardwalk. The town folk are fun and friendly, striking up conversation and welcoming them with bright smiles and warm greetings. 

Sungchan sees a small bistro along the way, so they take a break and eat a late lunch there. It has an outdoor dining area, so the trio opt to sit there, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the gentle sounds of waves crashing onto the shore.

Sungchan puts his phone on the table so that the other two could see the screen. “I wanted to try surfing at the beach since the packages include a free beginner’s lesson, but it might be too late. We can do that tomorrow maybe?”

Wonbin nods, lips pouted as he speaks, “Tomorrow morning, we can do the fresh market. People say it’s nice to cook your own breakfast with the fresh ingredients you can buy at the market nearby. Then surfing in the early afternoon?”

“Yeah, I think that works best. Then we’ll just have a nice, relaxing dinner in the evening. Lots of spots open at night for the chill vibes.” Anton adds.

“Nice.” Sungchan grins, “Shall we get dessert after this though?”

Wonbin nods, “I saw online that they make really good ice cream here. The town’s known for it.”

“Ok.” Sungchan responds while also making an “ok” sign with his hand, “Let’s go when we’re done.”

When the trio finishes their meal, Anton takes his phone out to search for a nearby ice cream place.

“There’s a popular ice cream truck nearby. Tourists highly recommend it.” he says after a minute or so.

Wonbin has a curious look in his eyes as he responds, “I wonder if they have those crazy, unheard-of flavors.”

“Crazy as in ‘booger and grass clippings’?” Sungchan laughs as they begin to stand from their seats, “Or crazy as in ‘chili and chocolate’?”

“Who knows?” Wonbin chuckles, “Why not both?”

Anton grins amusedly, “Ok, it says it should be this way.”

It’s not long before they arrive at a space where said ice cream truck is parked. It’s decorated with hand-painted designs of pastel pinks, blues, and yellows. There’s a big ice cream standee beside the truck as well as a few tables and chairs where customers can sit. There’s quite a line, but it’s not too long at this hour, so the trio decides to queue anyway. 

When it’s their turn, the employee behind the window greets them with a rather monotonous “Hi, what can I get for you?”. Wonbin notes that the employee looks fairly young, probably around their age.

“What flavor would you recommend?” Sungchan brightly asks.

The employee takes a deep breath, eyebrows furrowed as he puts his hands on his hips and gestures at the counter in front of him. Unlike most ice cream trucks, this one had a lower window so customers could see the flavors on display.

“Honestly, they’re all good, so just…pick whatever sounds nice.” the employee shrugs.

“Can we get free tastes?” Anton asks as well, and the young employee looks at him with one eyebrow raised.

“Fine. One small spoon.” the employee sighs again before giving a small spoon to each of them.

While Wonbin tries the flavors that look interesting or unique, Sungchan and Anton taste almost all the flavors on display—much to the irritation of the employee, if the expression on his face was anything to go by.

There wasn’t anyone lined up after them, but the employee was getting antsy at how indecisive the trio was. He felt like he was entertaining a bunch of curious kids.

“Are you guys gonna order? ‘Cause if you don’t feel like getting anything, you can just say so. Saves all of us the time.” the employee says.

Sungchan chuckles while Anton offers a small smile before they both decide on the flavor they’re getting. The employee says “Ok, got it” as he grabs two waffle cones. While he’s scooping their respective ice cream flavors onto the cone, another person comes up to the ice cream truck.

And he’s dripping wet. Shirtless with a sky blue towel draped over his shoulders.

It should be expected, considering the beach was right next to the ice cream truck, but Wonbin found himself instantly mesmerized the minute the newcomer fell into step in front of the truck’s window. Right beside Wonbin.

He’s tall. And handsome. And glowing. And handsome.

“Yo, Sohee.” the newcomer says, voice deep and smooth.

“Huh? Oh. Hey, Eunseok.” the employee—Sohee—says while handing Sungchan and Anton their orders.

The two friends say “thank you”, but Wonbin barely registers their words as his attention absentmindedly remains on the dripping-wet newcomer. 

He doesn’t even register Sungchan and Anton asking if he wanted to try their flavors. All Wonbin’s brain is processing at the moment is “Oh, he’s handsome”.

It isn’t until Sohee clears his throat and asks “And you? What will you have?” that Wonbin finally realizes that his pretty, sparkly eyes are not-so-subtly glued to this Eunseok guy.

The sudden realization hits Wonbin like a gigantic wave, and a flash of panic fills his eyes. He thinks of just blurting out a random flavor, regardless if he’d regret the taste or not.

He tries to play it cool with the use of his flawlessly charismatic face, but the nervous shake in his pupils and subtle bite on his bottom lip gives him away.

At least, that’s what a certain someone notices.

Chuckling to himself in amusement, Eunseok rests his elbow on the counter and leans a bit—much to Sohee’s dismay who complains as if he were rapping—as a few droplets of water from his hair drips down, thankfully not on the ice cream display.

But Wonbin doesn’t hear Sohee’s grumble as the handsome stranger’s chuckle replays in his brain like his favorite song on repeat. Wonbin has never thought of a simple chuckle that way.

“If you still haven’t decided,” Eunseok says with a surprisingly deep and smooth voice, “I recommend the Caramel Cookie Crunch. It’s my favorite.”

“Oh, really?” Wonbin’s eyes dart from the flavors on display to Eunseok’s face, then back to the display.

Eunseok continues, “It’s like a leveled-up Cookies and Cream with some caramel and choco-chip cookie bits.”

Eunseok could describe the flavor in the most horrible way possible and Wonbin thinks he’d still believe him. He blames it on the guy’s convincing (handsome) face.

Clearing his throat and playing the earlier flusteredness off with a smile, Wonbin turns to Sohee and says, “I’ll have that one then.”

Sohee serves him the ice cream, and Wonbin says “thank you”. Sungchan then suggests they eat their ice cream while walking along the boardwalk to take photos, to which Anton and Wonbin agree to.

The trio say their thanks to Sohee once again before turning on their heels to start walking. Wonbin, however, makes the additional step of shyly but warmly smiling at Eunseok, giving him a subtle nod as he slightly lifts his ice cream cone.

“Thanks for the recommendation.” Wonbin chuckles, “Just know that if I end up hating this flavor, I’ll be judging your taste.”

Eunseok returns the smile, “If you end up not liking it, come back tomorrow to pester Sohee for another one of my favorite flavors.”

Sohee shoots a glare at Eunseok, complete with another whiny “Oh, come on!”, and Wonbin finds himself laughing with an amused smile.

The last thing he sees before quickly catching up to Sungchan and Anton is the teasing grin that plasters itself onto Eunseok’s lips while he talks to Sohee.

As they walk along the boardwalk, Sungchan and Anton give unserious reviews of the flavors they tasted; they both liked theirs, giving it a 10 out of 10 rating.

“What about that one?” Sungchan asks their doe-eyed friend, “The one that guy recommended.” 

Wonbin licks the ice cream scoop, giving himself a few seconds to gauge the flavor. He then nods in approval with sparkly eyes—a warm, fuzzy feeling brewing somewhere in his chest.

His answer comes right after his brain conjures an image of Eunseok smiling.

“It’s sweet.” Wonbin’s lips curl upward, “I like it.”

Back at the ice cream truck, Sohee is removing his apron and sighing in relief. Eunseok chuckles, still leaning against the counter. 

“Stressful shift?” he asks with a grin.

Sohee rubs at his temples before shaking his head as if it would shake the exhaustion away. 

“You have no idea.” he starts, “Bratty kids, indecisive teens who spent more time talking to their friends while at the counter instead of ordering, snobby tourists contesting everything I say…”

“At least those last three were the last before your shift ended. Not as bad, right?” Eunseok laughs.

Sohee grunts, unconsciously pouting his lip, “They were mildly…irritating. Tasting all the flavors? Like, who does that? Each and every single one on display?”

Eunseok shrugs as if to say he doesn’t think it’s a big deal.

“The two looked like they were enjoying…” he trails off before turning to Sohee with big, bright eyes and an amused smile, “and the one who ordered last was cute, so they get a free pass from your tantrum.”

“First of all, I’m not throwing a tantrum.” Sohee ends up laughing a bit, “And second…is this a summer crush I’m sensing?”

Eunseok shrugs again, a smirk on his lips. “Don’t act like you weren’t stealing glances at the guy holding a film camera.”

“I was sending telepathic signals to get him to hurry and pick a flavor.” Sohee puts his fingers on either side of his temples as if making a mind-control gesture, “Not stealing glances…”

Eunseok gives his friend a “yeah, sure” kind of grin before turning his attention towards the direction the trio of friends walked towards. They were a good distance away—far enough for them to not hear his conversation with Sohee, but still close enough for Eunseok to see glimpses of their faces. 

He’s a very direct person. Likes routine and familiarity. Always balanced. Gets excited over his hobbies and things he likes. Stays away from what he doesn’t like and what bores him. He doesn’t mind trying new things, but he isn’t the type to go out of his way for an adrenaline rush. 

A simple, linear life for a simple, contented man.

But as Eunseok sees Wonbin posing against the ledge, ice cream in hand as Anton clicks away on his film camera, the rare seedling of curiosity takes root in his soul. Even from where he stands by the ice cream truck, his gaze is magnetically pulled into the orbit of Wonbin’s aura.

One moment, he looks ethereal and captivating as he poses coolly, a hint of flirt in his eyes as the sun pours down a subtle gold on him.

And then in the next, he looks absolutely adorable, giggling and clapping his hands as Sungchan’s ice cream falls from the cone. 

Eunseok is intrigued; a small spike shooting upwards in his generally linear lifestyle. A spike in the form of Wonbin.

“Summer crush, huh?” he amusedly smiles at Sohee who gives him the classic combination of a knowing look and the most ragebait-worthy grin.

“Ok,” Sungchan smiles as they stand just outside the hotel entrance, hands on his hips, “Who’s ready for a market shopping spree and fresh breakfast?”

The trio were up early to get a head-start at the town’s fresh food market; there, they’d be able to buy fresh ingredients such as fish, fruits, and the like before sitting down at the various stalls where staff would happily help prepare those ingredients for a meal.

Wonbin lets out a hearty yawn, satisfied with his sleep in the hotel the night prior. “Make sure to have a decent meal ‘cause we’re going surfing after.”

Anton nods, thinking about the days he used to swim in high school, “Just make sure you digest properly.”

Wonbin used to have things handed to him on a silver platter—literally and figuratively. Growing up, meals were often served ready-to-eat. Even in his teenage years, he usually ate in restaurants or ordered take-out. It was only fairly recently that he honed basic cooking skills, mainly because it made his dorm life more interesting. 

So, the idea of selecting your own ingredients and having it cooked on the spot was something that sparked excitement in Wonbin as he led the way to the market, an equally excited Sungchan and Anton following closely.

After exploring the stretch of the market, the trio finds an empty stall to have their meals prepared. The employee, probably around his late 50s, that welcomes them is very chatty and witty, giving the group a good laugh.

While they’re enjoying their breakfast, the employee cheerfully asks, “So, what do you kids have planned today? The weather’s at its best!”

Sungchan grins, eyes sparkling with excitement, “We actually plan on surfing. I saw online that you can avail surf packages down at the back, and most of them include beginner-level classes for the day.”

“Ah, wonderful.” the employee nods approvingly, gaze shifting to the beach not too far from here, “I know some of the kids there who help the senior instructors. The three of you will surely enjoy that activity.”

Wonbin playfully asks, “They won’t judge us for being total first-time losers at surfing, will they?”

The employee laughs, the sound elderly and warm, “Of course not, kiddo! I’ve heard nothing but praise and good reviews for the instructors there.”

Wonbin grins. He never really went out of his way to collect every single hobby. Sure, he was a track and field superstar in high school, but unlike music, it was just a “requirement” and not passion. He didn’t really see the need to seek other hobbies and activities if his main goal was to have a career in music.

But right now, the idea of surfing with his friends for the first time, on a vacation that was planned solely by them, was making Wonbin quite excited. 

He assumes that this is what they call “the thrill of new things”. It’s the same fluttery feeling he felt when his eyes first landed on Eunseok at the ice cream truck, though he doesn’t completely admit that to himself.

After a few more minutes of small talk with the kind, elderly employee, the trio thank him and proceed with their day. They briefly return to the hotel to get changed into their swimming trunks before excitedly heading to the main beach.

It was the first time they properly stepped into said beach, a chorus of “wow” coming out from all three of them. Seeing the beach from their hotel was already breathtaking, but to actually stand on the silky sand, crystal-clear water just a few feet away from them—it seemed much, much, much more magical.

While Sungchan jogs over to the small hut where tourists can sign up for surfing packages, Wonbin and Anton move close to the shore until they’re at least ankle-deep in the water.

“Never seen a beach this pretty.” Wonbin says with wide, wonder-filled eyes, “I don’t think any of the beaches we’ve been to can compare.”

Anton chuckles softly, watching a group of friends swim somewhere in the distance, “It feels like a well-kept paradise hidden from the world.”

Wonbin laughs, “That’s very fantasy-like.”

“It’s a bit quiet and more intimate, I guess?” Anton laughs again, “I mean, compared to our usual trips.”

Wonbin thinks back to the comfortable, home-like vibe that greeted him when they first arrived at the beach town—an interesting contrast from when he would go on lavish trips with his family.

“Yeah, it is.” he responds to Anton’s statement with a small smile.

Not long after, Sungchan calls them over so they could complete the registration for their surfing activity. Once that was accomplished, one of the instructors debriefs them over safety before telling them to wait as he just needed to call the other instructors.

Sungchan starts rough housing with Anton, enlisting the help of Wonbin in trying to get their friend to sit in the shallow part of the water. Anton is just about to lose the battle when the instructor from earlier excitedly calls out to the trio, two other guys following him.

One of which is the guy from the ice cream truck.

The guy named Eunseok.

It happens in slow-mo, or at least, to Wonbin it does—the way Eunseok casually walks towards them with hands shoved in his swim shorts’ pockets, golden skin catching the sunlight. The way he laughs when the guy next to him says something in his ear. The way his head turns right after, his eyes meeting Wonbin’s in an instant.

The way Eunseok amusedly smiles in very-obviously Wonbin’s direction.

Wonbin wonders if he should A. break eye contact (and seem even more awkward), B. run into the water (and be possibly judged by the handsome individual), or C. attempt to flirt(?) back (which he has never done in his life, but has been told that he has the face and aura for it).

He’s contemplating between A or C, but before he can fully commit, the instructor falls into step right in front of the trio and begins to speak. Wonbin pursing his lips in defeat doesn’t go unnoticed by Eunseok, judging by how he stifles a very quiet chuckle to himself.

“Alright, guys!” the instructor puts his hands together, grinning, “These two gentlemen will be your instructors for the session. I would love to join and see how much you come to love surfing, but I have a prior booking with the advanced class in a bit. Don’t worry, Eunseok and Shotaro are some of my best pupils. You’re in good hands.”

The instructor then wishes the trio a friendly “good luck!” before making his exit. Eunseok and Shotaro then step forward, greeting the friends with a smile.

“Ah!” Sungchan points at Eunseok with enlightened eyes, “You…you’re the guy at the ice cream truck!”

“Does he think you’re Sohee?” the other guy—Shotaro—laughs.

“No.” Eunseok smiles, “I was at the ice cream truck when they were ordering during Sohee’s shift.”

“Ah, so you’ve technically met Eunseok.” Shotaro says with a friendly tone, reaching his hand out for a shake, “I’m Shotaro.”

“I’m Sungchan.” the male starts the introduction with a friendly smile.

Anton follows suit with a wave, “Anton.”

Wonbin clears his throat, feeling the weight of Eunseok’s eyes on him, even if Shotaro was looking in his direction as well.

“I’m Wonbin.” he manages to say calmly.

“Great.” Shotaro puts his hands on his hips. “Since you’ve been briefed about the safety and all that, you can pick a board.” he explains while gesturing towards a few boards lined up near the surfing hut.

The trio each pick their own boards before carrying it over back to where the two instructors stood and setting it down on the sand.

It’s Eunseok’s turn to speak, “Let’s run through the basics such as positioning, paddling, and balancing.”

“And what to not do while surfing.” Shotaro adds with a smile, “Let’s go.”

Eunseok and Shotaro begin to explain the surfing basics, as well as demonstrating how to properly paddle, sit, and stand on the board. 

Sungchan jokes, “Do you think we’ll get to learn cool tricks?”

Shotaro laughs, patting his shoulder, “I mean, if we have time and if your skills are ready for it, why not?”

“You guys should see Shotaro. He’s a real pro.” Eunseok chimes with a grin.

Shotaro makes a “pfft” sound before pointing at Eunseok, “He’s the real hotshot, not me.”

Inevitably, Wonbin’s eyes shift to Eunseok, and as if he saw it coming, his gaze meets Wonbin’s. The latter’s eyes are rather round, but they also carry stars that have a magnetizing allure in them—gentle and soft but also captivating. Eunseok thinks he wants to jump in them.

Tilting his head coolly, Eunseok chuckles, “What do you say, Wonbin? Think you can learn a few tricks?”

His cheeks are a bit flushed as he maintains eye contact, but a small, determined smile makes its way to his plump lips. “Depends if the instructor can teach me well.”

Eunseok makes an impressed “oho” sound, leaning back a bit for added effect. Grinning, he responds, “Alright then. Guess we’ll find out when our session ends.”

Wonbin wants to slap himself for the way his mind wanders to not-surfing-related thoughts when Eunseok says “our session”—and he’s certain Eunseok thinks something is wrong with him because he’s smirking a bit wider now. 

After a few more minutes, Eunseok and Shotaro finish demonstrating the basics and allow the trio to finally try things out on the water. Sungchan excitedly jogs with his board while Anton and Wonbin are a bit more calm. 

Their first few attempts are definitely a bit clumsy, which was to be expected, but Eunseok and Shotaro remain supportive and helpful through it all. Rather than feeling tense or awkward, they enjoy the experience. Laughter fills the air, and even the instructors join in joking around.

A few attempts later, Anton decides to take a break and swim around the deeper area of the water while Shotaro gives Sungchan a one-on-one lesson. 

Wonbin is sitting on his board, legs on either side as it relaxedly floats on still water. He’s watching Sungchan and Shotaro, a smile on his face as the two don’t get anything done because they just keep laughing as Sungchan’s board constantly flips over. 

Little did he know, Eunseok was observing him from the side. 

When Wonbin smiles wider, letting a bright laugh escape him after Sungchan falls from his board because Shotaro playfully pushed him , he looks like a star bursting with gorgeous lights and vivid colors.

Eunseok thinks he looks like a siren—wet hair framing his perfect face in all the right ways, a few strands sticking to his cheek like intricate patterns. Lips plump and red, now appearing glossier thanks to the water droplets. Round eyes as deep and mesmerizing as the ocean depths. 

With the way Wonbin’s hands are planted on the surfboard as he leans a bit of his weight forward, his cheek lightly touches his shoulder when he turns his head to where Eunseok was lazily floating around. It’s his turn to get caught off-guard when their eyes meet.

Still, Eunseok unabashedly drinks in Wonbin’s appearance—and tries not to think about how it would feel if Wonbin straddled him the same way he was currently sitting on the surfboard.

Wonbin tilts his head, the allure in his eyes slowly turning into a more innocent curiosity. Smiling, Eunseok lazily swims over to where Wonbin was, one hand coming up to gently hold the edge of the surfboard.

“Everything ok?” he asks with a smile, apple of his cheeks round and plump.

Wonbin’s lips curl into a small grin. “I don’t think surfing is my strong point.” he laughs, “Might as well throw in the towel.”

“Are you giving up already?” Eunseok pokes the other’s knee.

Wonbin looks at Eunseok with that gaze—he really doesn’t do it on purpose, but his eyes just naturally carry a charm that makes his gaze look a bit flirtier than he intends.

“Is the master giving up on this hopeless pupil?” Wonbin sheepishly laughs.

This prompts a breathy laugh from Eunseok, the corners of his lips curling into an amused smile. “I wouldn’t say you’re hopeless.”

“Liar.” Wonbin raises an eyebrow, but there’s a pretty smile on his lips, “You’re paid to say that, aren’t you?”

“I’m a very blunt person, ask Shotaro.” Eunseok chuckles, “So no, I wouldn’t fake a compliment even if I was paid.”

“Ok…” Wonbin trails off, lips unconsciously pouted, “Then…do you think I’ll be able to stand and surf for at least five seconds before the session ends?”

Eunseok recalls how alluring and almost seductive Wonbin looked a few minutes ago, and now, he looks so soft—like a wet kitten seeking shelter—after asking his question. The duality truly does intrigue him. 

“You’re doing better than expected.” Eunseok assures him, “I think in a few more tries, you’ll get the hang of it.”

Wonbin smiles, genuine and thankful, before he carefully swings one leg to the other side and hops off the board with a splash. Out of instinct, Eunseok reaches for Wonbin’s elbow to support him, but the suddenness of the latter’s jump causes him to react a second later.

Once the splash subsides and the two are face to face with each other in the chest-deep water, Eunseok realizes that his hand missed Wonbin’s elbow.

Instead, he’s holding onto Wonbin’s waist, touch gentle and safe.

Eunseok is subtle about it, expression calm as he holds Wonbin’s board with his other hand to prevent it from floating away. Wonbin, in contrast, is more obvious with his surprise as his eyes slightly widen, cheeks just a tiny bit more pink. 

He looks unapologetically beautiful, Eunseok thinks, and it makes his heart produce a stronger-than-usual beat. 

He’s also not sure if Wonbin moves a centimeter closer to him on his own accord, or if it was the gentle sloshing of the water making it seem like so.

They both have their eyes glued to each other, magnets that refuse to be pulled apart. Wonbin gently bites his bottom lip, a habit he does when lost in thought. Eunseok, who never saw himself as a romantic, discovers that he does in fact also experience the urge to kiss someone.

The sound of Sungchan shouting and Shotaro bursting into another round of laughter finally breaks the two from their trance. Eunseok speaks first, removing his hand from Wonbin’s waist.

“Sorry, you kind of surprised me.” he smiles, the tips of his ears a little flushed as he raises the hand that held Wonbin, “Force of habit. Your safety. Just in case.”

Wonbin can’t help the smile that curls at his lips as he witnesses a clumsier, more flustered Eunseok and not the usual cool, nonchalant guy. Even if he’s just as flustered.

“Right.” Wonbin purses his lips before smiling again, “Well, I wouldn’t even attempt to surf if I didn’t know how to swim, right?”

The other male laughs, “Yeah, but you know. It’s my job to keep all clients safe.”

“Ah, so you just hold everyone’s waists then?” Wonbin teases, smile turning into a full grin.

Eunseok’s eyes widen for just a split second before his calm expression returns. Smiling back, he replies, “No, you’d be the first.”

“Does that make me special?” Wonbin muses.

Eunseok isn’t sure if Wonbin meant that to be a coy, flirty jest—or if he asked that with pure and innocent curiosity. But, he finds it in himself to humor the latter, especially when Wonbin looks at him through his lashes, eyes twinkling almost expectantly.

He shrugs to feign nonchalance, but there’s a warm, playful glint in his eyes. Instead of verbally answering, however, Eunseok smirks and slowly reaches for Wonbin’s waist—deliberately this time—and gives it a very quick pinch.

Wonbin reacts, a yelp slipping past his lips. For about three seconds, he stares at Eunseok in disbelief, mouth in an “o” shape. Then he gently scoffs, lips slowly forming a smile that allows a few giggles to escape. In retaliation, he gives Eunseok a few splashes using his hand.

Eunseok laughs and gently grabs Wonbin’s wrist to stop him. The latter looks at Eunseok with a playful, smug expression, jutting his chin slightly for added emphasis.

“You know, I think you should demonstrate the actual surfing yourself.” Wonbin suggests while patting the board he was using, “Show me how it’s done.”

And there’s the hypnotizing twinkle in his eyes again, smile no longer timid but instead the physical manifestation of his “dare”.

Eunseok thinks Wonbin’s confidence and aura when he’s like this is insanely attractive. 

“Alright then.” he accepts, his usually calm eyes now lit with adrenaline.

Wonbin moves away from the surfboard to give Eunseok space. The latter effortlessly gets on and begins to paddle towards the deeper area. As the waves begin to pick up speed and height, Eunseok stands and gets in position with ease; Wonbin can see for himself that the latter truly was experienced.

He isn’t sure why he finds that attractive.

It’s not long before Eunseok finally rides the wave, stable and cool as he displays his surfing skills. There’s an interesting contrast—an air of nonchalance but also an oozing confidence—in the way he effortlessly moves, leaving a trail of white, foamy bubbles where his surfboard slices across. 

Through Wonbin’s eyes, it feels like everything moves in slow motion—droplets of water kissing Eunseok’s glistening, golden skin, the subtle smile on his perfectly-shaped lips, and the sun’s warmth painting him with unmatched radiance. 

Eunseok looks like everyone’s dream summer crush. The type you’d see in movies where they witness your clumsy ass doing something stupid and then the rest is history as you fall in love. Complete with dimpled smiles and a charming laugh, of course. 

Except, it’s reality and Eunseok is indeed real.

Eunseok is indeed real and has now returned to Wonbin’s side. 

There he was, smiling smugly as he looked at Wonbin with intrigue, droplets of water dripping from his hair and down to his face.

Wonbin doesn’t allow his gaze to linger on a particular droplet that trails towards the other’s lip. Dangerous territory.

Instead, he clears his throat and flashes Eunseok a smile, eyes revealing his awe. “You were really cool.” he backtracks a bit, “I mean, that was cool. Really.”

Eunseok chuckles, a faint shade of pink dusting his sun-kissed cheeks, “Thanks. So, think you can give it a go once more?”

Wonbin hesitates for a second, but with Eunseok looking at him with his large eyes that seem to overflow with encouragement, he doesn’t refuse; he nods with determination and hops onto the surfboard. Since he’s still sitting on it, Eunseok gives him last-minute instructions. 

“Your more dominant foot should be the one on the tail of the board.” Eunseok says, and Wonbin tries not to hyper-focus on the fact that the former’s fingers are gently coiled around his ankle.

“And don’t forget to bend your knees.” Eunseok grins, “But not too much! You’re surfing, not doing squats.”

Wonbin laughs, nodding as he gives the instructor a thumbs-up, “Yeah, got it.”

“Ok, go. You can do it.” Eunseok gives him the go-signal to start paddling.

With a newfound confidence, Wonbin starts to paddle and calmly waits for the wave. Despite the loud beating of his heart, with the image of Eunseok surfing along with the tips he gave, Wonbin feels more certain with this one—as Eunseok said, he can do it.

When the curl of water approaches, Wonbin slowly rides the wave. It’s more shaky than Eunseok’s run, and he did get wobbly with a quick off-balance moment, but Wonbin manages to stay standing until the wave recedes and the surfboard comes to a standstill. He then jumps off, splashing into the calmer waters.

When he emerges back above the surface, Eunseok is already beside him. Wonbin wipes the water from his face and is immediately met with the other male’s smile. 

“See? Told you.” Eunseok says proudly, ruffling Wonbin’s hair, “That was good.”

Wonbin can’t help the way his grin stretches from ear to ear, nor can he stop the satisfied blush that blooms across his cheeks. 

He isn’t a stranger to compliments and people seeing him in high regard. From childhood to college, Wonbin has been showered with praise left and right, and he is grateful for that. But, it also gets to the point that he isn’t able to differentiate those that are genuine, and those that aren’t.

With the exception of Anton and Sungchan, Wonbin can’t tell the difference between those who praise out of pure admiration, those who praise for “ass-licking”, or those who praise out of sarcastic jealousy. 

But hearing a simple “That was good” from Eunseok was enough to boost Wonbin’s confidence levels to the maximum, inexplicable happiness filling his veins. 

It made him feel like he was actually the best surfer there.

“Thanks.” Wonbin replies, still beaming brightly, “Gotta give credit to my instructor too, right?”

Eunseok chuckles, averting his gaze for a second before looking back at Wonbin’s doe eyes. “I guess I am a pretty good instructor.” he jokes.

Wonbin laughs. He laughs like the stars were handed over to him, the sound melodious and eyes twinkling brightly.

Eunseok wants to be the one to hand the stars to Wonbin. Forever.

———

“So that ends your surf session!” Shotaro announces proudly, “You three did really well, and I hope it was an experience you enjoyed overall.”

Sungchan laughs, running a hand through his damp hair. “I think we definitely had fun…despite falling and flailing more times than we actually stood on the board.”

Eunseok, who was standing next to Wonbin, gives the shorter male a gentle nudge and playfully notes, “This guy learned pretty quickly.”

Wonbin gives him a look—the type that screams “shut up, stop flattering me” but in a squealy, giddy way.

“Probably still not the best.” he comments, playing it cool with a shrug.

Eunseok responds by gently patting his shoulder; Wonbin may not see it right now, but Anton surely doesn’t miss the endearment that oozes out of Eunseok’s gaze.

Anton purses his lips like a kid trying to keep a secret. He allows his expression to remain neutral lest he breaks out into an “I know something you don’t” smile.

“It was fun.” he clears his throat and grins, “But I think I swam more than I actually stood on the board.”

Eunseok laughs, “Well, it seemed like you were a really good swimmer.”

Sungchan nods towards Wonbin, grinning at his friend as he says, “Wonbin looked like he really enjoyed.”

Despite the way he’s standing calmly, arms crossed and all, Wonbin’s eyes are filled with excitement and glee, “I did. It was a first, but it was really cool. I’d do it again in the future.”

Shotaro looks proud, smiling and nodding in approval. “Well, if you wanna give it a go again, you know who to find.” he chuckles.

Wonbin’s eyes dart to Eunseok, another subtle smile curling at his lips. Eunseok meets his gaze, smiling as if to ask “What is it?”. Wonbin tries not to smile wider, forcing himself to break eye contact and stare at the sand before bringing his attention back to Shotaro—to avoid being so obvious, of course.

“Yeah, I do.” he says in response to the older instructor’s statement.

“Cool.” Shotaro looks at the trio, “So, what do you guys have planned for the rest of the day?”

Sungchan answers, “Nothing, actually. We just did the market this morning, a little foodtrip, then surfing.”

“We’ll probably grab dinner then rest at the hotel after.” Wonbin explains, and Anton nods in agreement.

Shotaro and Eunseok share a look, a silent agreement forming within seconds.

“Well, since Eunseok and I are clocking out, do you guys wanna join us for early dinner?” Shotaro suggests.

“There’s a really good diner nearby.” Eunseok adds, “It’s a more hole-in-the-wall kind of thing, but those who know about it are frequent goers.”

“Are you sure?” Sungchan asks, “We’d hate to impose or burden you guys.”

“Nah.” Shotaro grins, waving his hand in dismissal, “You’ve got nothing else planned, might as well go for some really good food.”

“And we mean really good food.” Eunseok playfully wiggles his eyebrows, a gesture that has Wonbin chuckling to himself, “Right, Wonbin?”

“What?” Wonbin is caught by surprise as he looks at Eunseok with wide eyes—he’s still trying to not let his eyes wander to the latter’s lips.

Eunseok jokes, “Did you like the ice cream flavor I recommended last time?”

“Oh, yeah.” Wonbin’s eyes widen even more, this time out of excitement as if he remembered something worth sharing, “I did, actually.”

“Then you’ll like this particular place too.” Eunseok says with a confident smile.

“Ok.” Wonbin nods, smiling at Eunseok a second longer than intended before turning to Anton and Sungchan.

Anton chuckles at his friend before raising his hand, “I don’t mind. We’re here for the adventure, right?”

“Ok, it’s settled then.” Sungchan grins, throwing an arm around Anton’s shoulder, “We’ll join you guys.”

Shotaro nods approvingly, “Good choice.”

Wonbin, for some reason, decides to check Eunseok’s reaction. He expects to see the latter talking or at least looking at either Sungchan or Shotaro since they were the last two people to speak.

What Wonbin does catch is Eunseok looking away from him the minute their eyes meet.

Wonbin knows that response too well—it’s what he does when he gets caught staring.

Despite him looking away, the faintest hint of a smile lingers on Eunseok’s lips as evidenced by the way the apple of his cheek is slightly rounder than normal. 

Guess I’m not the only one stealing glances, Wonbin muses.

He smiles proudly as if he wouldn’t let himself be the only one getting caught staring—even if he’s been caught staring more often then Eunseok has.

Still, even as Shotaro gestures for the group to follow along and Eunseok says a quick “come on”, Wonbin feels the butterflies in his stomach celebrating with him.

Something about the idea of Eunseok stealing glances at him fills Wonbin with glee, coating him with a confident radiance that glows as they walk towards the diner.

“Oh.” Anton chuckles, “It’s the ice cream guy.”

“My name’s Sohee.” Sohee raises an eyebrow while smirking, “And why are you three here? I don’t drive the ice cream truck all over town, by the way.”

Anton laughs at the male’s feisty comments. Shotaro chuckles as well, putting a hand on Sohee’s shoulder. “So these three are the ‘annoying customers’ you were telling me about?”

“Annoying?” Anton looks mildly shocked while Wonbin and Sungchan share an amused glance.

Sohee’s smirk turns into a bright grin, hands on his hips as he replies, “Just kidding. Well, not really. I was tired that day and just crankier than usual. I don’t actually think you guys were annoying.”

“Oh, good.” Sungchan laughs.

“Besides, you guys can’t possibly be more annoying than Eunseok.” Sohee teases his taller friend.

Eunseok throws an arm around Sohee to roughhouse with him. “Anyway,” the taller male says, “they tried the surfing lessons down at the beach, so they’re joining us for dinner now.”

“Ok, cool.” Sohee laughs while Eunseok lightly jabs his side, “Come on. I’m hungry.”

The beachside diner is relatively small compared to the other tourist restaurants, but there’s enough space for the group at one of the booth tables. Gathered there, they scan the menus given to them. Unsure of what to get since all the choices look delicious, Wonbin quickly glances around the table.

Shotaro is seated next to Sungchan. He’s enthusiastically pointing at items on the menu and giving vivid descriptions of said items, complete with his personal “taste rating”. Sungchan listens intently as if this were the most important lecture of his life.

Anton has decided on his order already, but he’s also happily listening to Sohee give his comments on certain dishes. It seems like they’re in a more serious discussion, listing down the perfect combination of appetizers, main courses, and dessert.

When Wonbin looks at the person beside him—Eunseok, the male is focused on the main course page. Wonbin gently leans to the side, bumping his shoulder with Eunseok’s. When the taller male registers the touch, he quickly turns his attention to Wonbin with a gentle “hm?”

Wonbin grins, cute bunny-teeth and all, as he whispers, “I’m thinking of getting the seafood pasta. Would the food connoisseur recommend this?”

Eunseok smiles amusedly, eyes never leaving Wonbin’s as he leans a bit closer, heads almost bumping. “That’s actually my favorite here.” he whispers back.

Wonbin’s eyes widen with amazement, eyebrows lifted to silently ask “Really?”.

Eunseok laughs lightly, nodding his head in confirmation before backing up and giving Wonbin space. He reaches over to flip the page of the menu Wonbin was holding, his fingers lightly grazing the skin of Wonbin’s own hand. The butterflies party in his stomach once again, and he wonders how Eunseok is still so calm.

Maybe he’s oblivious?, Wonbin thinks, Or maybe I’m just the only one affected by it.

In reality, Eunseok’s own stomach flips around as well. He has always been good at controlling his emotions and expressions, seeming nonchalant to most. But he sees that Wonbin has a strange effect on him—one that drives him to the verge of malfunctioning with the slightest touch. The slightest eye contact. The slightest smile thrown at him.

“Get any of the fruit shakes as well.” Eunseok says after flipping the menu page, “It’s perfect with the seafood pasta.”

“Well, I’m not going to doubt the expert.” Wonbin quips with a playful smirk, looking at Eunseok through his lashes.

“You won’t regret it.” Eunseok smiles in satisfaction, “Promise.”

Wonbin smiles. He knows he won’t.

For the next hour or so, the group enjoys light conversation with their food. It feels more like a get-together between friends, and despite having just met, they all get along easily. To a stranger’s eye, it might even look like they’ve all been friends for a long time.

Sungchan, Wonbin, and Anton (the city trio, Sohee calls them) learn that Shotaro, Eunseok, and Sohee (the beach trio, as Sungchan calls them) are around the same age as each other. 

They also learn that the beach trio work part-time at the beach during the summer festival period, and when that’s over, they’re regular university kids. They learn that in this beachtown, there’s only one university—it’s on the other side of the town. 

The beach trio also learn that the city trio usually spend their summers abroad, and this was a “first” experience for them. Planning the whole trip, making the itinerary, shouldering the expenses—all that done by themselves as opposed to when their families would do it.

“I could tell a rich kid when I see one!” Sohee teases, pointing a playful finger at Anton.

“I’m not the only one!” the latter defensively puts his hands up while laughing.

“The most obvious one.” the richest one between us three.” Wonbin and Sungchan add to the teasing.

Anton sighs, leaning back on the booth chair. He breaks into a smile when Sohee amusedly claps at his supposed defeat. Shotaro laughs along, and Eunseok cracks an out-of-place dad joke that has Anton breaking out into a bigger grin as he tries not to laugh.

Wonbin has lost count of how many times he smiled today, but he adds another moment to the list anyway.

Out-of-country trips with his family were nice, and he was thankful for the little luxuries he was blessed with. He won’t deny that. But right now, the close-knit vibe that surrounded their table as they continued to converse was something he didn’t experience often (not including time spent with Anton and Sungchan, of course).

He felt like he was being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket—snug, comfortable, and fulfilling. The blanket was made of pleasant conversation, random jokes, unfiltered laughter, and effortless companionship.

The next morning, Wonbin casually wanders around at the beach. During these early hours, tourists are still in their hotels or having breakfast, so the atmosphere is generally quiet and calm. 

Earlier, Sungchan explained that Shotaro invited him to go for a swim in one of the town’s small lagoons. Wonbin recalls the two exchanging numbers last night after they all had dinner together. Sungchan also mentioned that Shotaro was inviting everyone else, but Wonbin wanted to spend time at the beach.

Anton on the other hand explained that he’d explore more of the town proper since he liked the vintage, rustic vibe and would take photos on his film camera. He initially asked if Wonbin wanted to join him, but again, the latter warmly declines and states he’d be walking around the beach today.

Wonbin loves being with his two best friends, but right now was one of the moments where he wanted his “me time”. Though they were on a school break, he wanted to get inspiration for a song he had on his mind for quite some time, but never had the chance to work on. 

He felt like the beach would be a good place to start. Change of scenery kind of thing.

Wonbin’s feet lead him to where several colorful surfboards are lined up on the sand, catching his attention. The designs are almost doodle-like, ranging from pink flowers to swirly-sun caricatures, splotched with red, blues, and greens. It resonates with Wonbin’s artistic side, so he can’t help but smile and take his phone out to snap some photos.

“If you stare too hard, you might burn holes into those poor surfboards.”

Wonbin nearly jumps at the sudden voice coming from behind him. He whips his head to look back, only to be met by Eunseok’s round eyes and easy-going smile.

“I wasn’t staring.” Wonbin says matter-of-factly, “I was admiring. Observing.”

Eunseok says a soft “mhmm” before taking a step closer. With his hands in his swim shorts’ pockets, he continues, “Those were designed by the kids.”

“The kids?”

“Yeah.” the taller male explains, “Was it a year ago? There was a special event where kids could sign up for surf lessons and design their own boards. The ones who couldn’t bring their boards home left them in our care so that they could be used in the future.”

“That’s a nice gesture.” Wonbin hums, smiling at Eunseok before looking towards the beachwaters, “Do you have lessons lined up for today?”

Eunseok flashes the smile that insinuates he has a joke to blurt out but ends up keeping to himself. He then replies, “I have one morning session with a few kids, then I’m done. Why?”

“Nothing really…” Wonbin isn’t exactly sure why he even asked in the first place.

“What? Had too much fun surfing yesterday so now you wanna have a one-on-one session with me?” the other male teases.

Wonbin gives him a playful eye-roll before laughing, “Sorry, not today. Not in the mood to see you flex your superior surfing skills.”

Eunseok laughs, cheeks plumping as he smiles with his teeth. “If you’re willing to wait ‘til I finish this session—which starts in a few, we can hang out.” he suggests, “There’s still a lot to this town you have yet to see.”

Wonbin ponders the idea; contrary to how people perceive him, he is generally more introverted and can come off as awkward when left alone with people he isn’t familiar with, but something about Eunseok was calming. Ironically, Eunseok’s presence gave a sense of familiarity despite just meeting recently.

Plus, maybe Eunseok can show him places in town that’ll plant some inspiration for his unfinished song.

“Ok, sure.” Wonbin shrugs, “Sounds good.”

For the next hour or so, Wonbin sits on one of the lounge chairs, watching as Eunseok leads the lesson. Since it was a children’s session, Eunseok and the kids stayed closer to shore. Because of that, Wonbin could see Eunseok better compared to if he were in the deeper parts of the beach for the adult sessions.

Tourists begin to flock to the beach, and soon, it’s more crowded than when Wonbin first arrived earlier this morning. Still, the only thing he focuses on is the way Eunseok looks while teaching the kids. He’s joined by a more senior instructor, but it doesn’t take away how hands-on and friendly he’s being.

The way his wide eyes are softer than usual. The teasing grin toned down to a more docile one. Deep voice warmed to something more patient and gentle. 

Wonbin’s heart melts when a kid loses balance and panic-jumps from the wobbly surfboard and into Eunseok’s ready arms. Eunseok laughs and cheers nonetheless, earning an elated grin from the child.

He thinks that perhaps this tall, seemingly nonchalant and handsome surfer guy is more interesting than he thought.

After a while, Eunseok wraps up the morning session and bids goodbye to the kids. He explains to Wonbin that he’ll just shower and change before they go around. So, Wonbin waits a few more minutes. As soon as Eunseok emerges from the public shower rooms, Wonbin gets on his feet and smiles at the other.

“Didn’t think you’d be good with kids.” Wonbin says with a playful smile.

“One of my hidden skills.” Eunseok pretends to brush at his shoulder, “And I have a younger brother, so I’m used to it.”

“That’s cute.”

Eunseok offers a pleased smile before shoving his hands in his pockets. “So, what do you feel like doing? Or is there anything you want to see?”

Wonbin chews on his lip—an action that doesn’t go unnoticed by Eunseok—before explaining, “Do you know any place that’s sort of like…good for gathering inspiration? I don’t know if that makes sense, but you get the gist. I need, or want, to write something…”

Eunseok tilts his head, eyes wide and curious like a cat. Silently giving the “tell me more” request.

Wonbin’s usually very vocal about his major and passion for music, but for some reason, he feels shy revealing that part—a very personal and important part—of his life to the handsome man standing in front of him. He feels like he’s revealing the core of his soul for Eunseok to see.

Still, he quietly clears his throat and musters the courage to clarify, “I’m a music major, but apart from that, I just really like music. Performing, singing, writing, everything. There’s a song I’ve always wanted to write but I got stuck on it for a while now…I want to work on it again.”

He looks up through his lashes, cheeks flushing redder when he sees Eunseok’s smile. “Sorry, I talked too much.” Wonbin sheepishly grins.

Eunseok chuckles, “You’re good. Yap all you want, music boy. That’s really cool, so don’t worry. And…I think I know just the place to take you.”

“Lead the way.” Wonbin’s smile goes from shy to excited, eyes sparkly and wide.

“Eunseok.”

“Wonbin.”

“Eunseok.” Wonbin repeats with a more firm voice through gritted teeth, “Are we on a cliff?”

The other male shrugs casually, a calm smile on his lips as he scans the horizon. “Astute observation skills, my friend.”

A barely-audible, disgruntled sound escapes Wonbin, and the next thing Eunseok knows, the shorter male has a death grip on his arm. “How high…?” Wonbin asks. 

Eunseok hums, still calm as ever, “High enough? The ocean waters are just below, look.”

The taller male takes a step further where there’s a sturdy railing lining the edge of the cliff. But before he can make it far, Wonbin grips his arm harder, keeping him in place. 

“Wait, wait, wait.” he blurts, “Are you sure this is perfectly safe? What if we fall to our deaths?”

Eunseok looks at Wonbin; if the latter’s eyes were already large, then they were even larger now. There’s a bit of unease in them, partnered with the way Wonbin’s lips are pressed into a tight line.

“Oh.” the realization hits Eunseok, “Are you…afraid of heights?”

Wonbin looks away, “Not extremely scared but…maybe just a bit?”

Eunseok chuckles, giving the other male’s hand a few gentle pats. “Ok, sorry, I should have asked. But…there’s nothing to worry about! I come here a lot, especially at night. This used to be a popular viewing deck until they opened another one further up. That railing is super sturdy and safe by the way.”

Wonbin looks at the taller male through his lashes as if seeking more reassurance.

Eunseok smiles, shrugging coolly. “And I’m right beside you, yeah? You’ll be fine, I promise. I won’t let you fall to your death, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Forget about falling to my death, I think I’m falling for you, Wonbin thinks to himself before shoving the thought away.

“Right.” he clears his throat and musters a smile, “Ok, fine.”

Eunseok nods and leads Wonbin closer to the railing. There are a few benches on the viewing deck, so Eunseok ushers for Wonbin to sit down. It doesn’t take away from the breathtaking view before them, so eventually, Wonbin does relax.

In front of their eyes is the expanse of clear blue skies, crystalline waters below, sunshine glimmering on the surface. It’s sunny, but the breeze is enough to keep their skin cool. There’s a mountain somewhere in the distance, vivid and green. Everything straight out of a painting.

The scenery completely calms Wonbin, and he’s filled with a sense of tranquility as his eyes observe the view. Places like these weren’t common when he went on family trips—they were usually in grand cities marked with high-end buildings and fancy architecture.

Seeing something new filled Wonbin with a sense of clarity. Being so out in an open space, unobstructed by concrete walls and lavish lights gave him a sense of freedom. He felt free and alive. Like a bird released from a jewel-studded cage.

“Sohee, Shotaro, and I would often come here when college stuff would stress us out.” Eunseok says out of the blue, “A nice, quiet place to unwind. Inspired yet?”

Wonbin smiles, “Too early to say, but I think I got the feeling. This view’s amazing. Got my brain working again somehow.”

“Are you sure the view inspired you?” Eunseok jokes, “Maybe it was my presence.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Wonbin laughs, lightly shoving Eunseok’s shoulder.

The taller male grins in response, chuckling lightly before he turns his attention to the view in front.

Wonbin risks a glance.

The sun kisses Eunseok’s face with unmatched beauty. The wind tousles his hair with delicate precision. A seagull flies past, and Eunseok’s lips curl into an amused smile. Wonbin blinks.

He thinks Eunseok is the view, not the horizon.

He may have finally found the direction for his song.

————-

The hike back down from the cliff is filled with more light-hearted conversation. Eunseok realizes that despite the strong aura and initial shyness from Wonbin, he’s actually quite talkative. He also has a sillier, slightly “catty” side as well, which Eunseok thinks adds to his alluring charm.

Wonbin actually does most of the talking, sharing about his college life with Anton and Sungchan, while Eunseok happily listens.

Eunseok later on suggests taking Wonbin to another one of his favorite dessert places near the beach, and the latter agrees.

And while on the way to said dessert place, the pair bump into Anton and Sohee who are going the opposite direction.

“I’m showing Anton a good spot for taking photos.” Sohee explains.

“The cliff?” Eunseok guesses.

“The cliff?” Anton sounds shocked.

Wonbin giggles at his friend, remembering that that was how he reacted earlier. 

Sohee smirks, patting Anton’s back, “Yeah, come on. See you guys!”

Not long after, Eunseok and Wonbin arrive at a cute, little dessert place by the beach boardwalk. It’s known for their jelly parfaits, so once the two get their orders, they sit next to each other at the pastel-colored tables. 

The two continue to joke around and get to know each other; they talk about their favorite classes, rant about ones they don’t really like, share studying tips, and even give random trivias about their hobbies.

“So you like surfing, play basketball, are an excellent cook and die-hard gamer, excel in both curricular and extracurricular activities…” Wonbin lists with a grin, “but you haven’t told me your major yet.”

“Computer science.” Eunseok chuckles, “I know, kinda nerdy.”

“No, it’s not like that!” Wonbin’s eyes widen for a split-second before chuckling, “I suppose it’s unexpected, given your…”

“My…?”

Wonbin unconsciously pouts his lip, debating whether he should just say what’s on his mind and risk sounding like a potential creep. In the end, he continues.

“Well, you’re very tall and sporty…and handsome…so I thought you’d be taking a more ‘popular’ major? Like business or film or…you know what? Nevermind, that sounds so judgy. I don’t want to stereotype. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, chill.” Eunseok offers a gentle smile, “No offense taken. Besides, Shotaro, Sohee, and I joked around a lot about how I should have majored in film.”

Wonbin still looks like a wet, lost kitten with sorrowful eyes as he pouts, deep in thought and full of remorse. Eunseok gently bumps his shoulder with Wonbin’s and smiles a bit wider.

“Hey, Wonbin.” he chuckles, “It’s ok, I promise. Everyone I meet never expects me to say computer science is my major, and it’s funny to see their reactions. It’s all good, hm?”

“Are you sure?” Wonbin asks, and Eunseok nods.

“Ok. Fine.” the shorter male finally smiles, “Anyway, computer science is still cool. Really cool. It’s harder than people expect, so yeah. You’re cool.”

“Thanks.” Eunseok laughs softly, “So, why music?”

“It’s comforting for me. Music became my outlet for expressing myself without anything holding me back.” Wonbin explains smoothly, “Contrary to how I look and how people assume I behave, I’m pretty shy. I found it really difficult to express myself when I was growing up. I got introduced to music at a festival my family attended when I was in grade school, and since then, it’s become my passion.”

“And your parents are supportive of that?” Eunseok asks carefully, “I mean, not to generalize but…it’s common with wealthier families…”

“To not approve of the arts as a living?” Wonbin chuckles, “That notion still exists, yeah, but I’m lucky enough to have parents who do support this dream. I mean, a few years ago, they were pretty skeptical about it, but when I got into college, they slowly learned to support it.”

Wonbin then looks out the window where he can see the beach shore in the distance. “I admit it can be a bit imposing, and there’s the silent pressure to excel since the family members are ‘successful’, but my parents were never ones to force me into something I didn’t like.”

Eunseok smiles, looking at Wonbin but admiration in his eyes. He tilts his head to the side and warmly speaks.

“It’s nice that you’re happy and doing what you love. I’ve spoken to some tourists who said that coming to this little beach town is like a ‘sanctuary’ where they can be free for a moment before going back to the expectations waiting for them in the big city.”

Wonbin looks at the empty parfait glass on the table, a small smile on his lips. “I guess that’s why Sungchan suggested we go on this beach trip for the summer. Just the three of us.”

“Hm? Why?” Eunseok muses.

“We usually have summer trips with our families. Meticulously planned vacations in luxurious cities—those kinds of trips. I mean, they are enjoyable, but it’s very routine-like and structured. Nothing unexpected, and if it’s something ‘new’, it’s pretty similar to everything else we’ve done.” 

Eunseok says a quick “mhmm”, so Wonbin continues. “This beach trip—with just us three friends making the plans and all—is like a breath of fresh air. A chance for different perspectives.”

Wonbin turns to Eunseok, smiling prettily and brightly. “I guess you could say it’s the type of situation where we’d spread our wings. See the world without the lens we grew up with.”

“You really have a way with words. No wonder you like to write music.” Eunseok smiles coolly as he leans an arm on the table, resting his chin on his palm, “Are you enjoying your trip so far?”

“Definitely.”

“How long are you staying?”

“About a week left.”

“I see.” Eunseok hums before grinning, “Tell you what. In the remaining time you have left, I’ll show you around. Take you to places you’d like all throughout this little town of mine so you can enjoy the summer festivities to the fullest. You can even bring Sungchan and Anton along.”

“I mean, that would be great,” Wonbin starts, lips slowly but surely curling into a giddy grin, “but why? I mean, why go out of your way?”

Eunseok takes a scoop of his jelly parfait and brings it towards Wonbin’s mouth. The latter happily complies and lets Eunseok feed him the spoonful. While he’s chewing the jelly bits, Eunseok is looking at him, honey oozing from his gaze and sugar dripping from his smile.

“Someone like you deserves to see and experience the best.” Eunseok replies.

“And why’s that?” Wonbin swallows the jelly and smiles, alluring and pretty.

“Your eyes get all sparkly when you’re happy. They look like they could hold the universe.” Eunseok uses his index finger to lightly tap the space between Wonbin’s eyebrows, “I want to put the stars in there. Shall we?”

“I think you already started doing that,” Wonbin’s grin is the widest it has ever been, “since the day we met.”

Throughout the days, Eunseok upholds his promise and shows Wonbin around, allowing him to enjoy the town’s summer festivities to the fullest. On some days, it would be just the two of them—which would often involve a lot of unspoken  “are you flirting with me?” moments. On other days, Shotaro, Sohee, Sungchan, and Anton would join their plans.

One evening in the hotel while Sungchan was watching TV and Anton was showering, Wonbin sat on the bed. With his back against the headboard, he went through his camera roll and smiled at the pictures they took these past days.

One picture was of the whole group sitting on the sand of one of the beaches they went to when island hopping. Each of them were striking funny poses with the gorgeous sunset as their background. 

Wonbin found himself smiling as he recalled the island hopping trip.

On the third island, Eunseok, Shotaro, Sungchan, and Anton went for a very competitive yet unserious swimming race (with unfair tactics on the side, of course) while Sohee and Wonbin tried building a sand castle because why not, right?

After the swimming race, Eunseok walked towards the sand castle, grinning mischievously. Wonbin felt the water dripping from the other male’s hair down to his exposed back, but he paid it no mind. He only reacted when Eunseok poked a hole on one of the structures Wonbin had built for the castle.

Wonbin exclaimed, whining at Eunseok who only laughed in response. This prompted Wonbin to spring up on his feet and chase Eunseok around the beach. Their laughter filled the air, bright smiles rivaling the sun’s rays.

“Eunseok, come back here!”

“Only if you can catch me!”

Sohee continued to build the sandcastle, shaking his head amusedly, “Lovebirds.”

“Who are lovebirds?” Anton suddenly asked, now standing next to the sandcastle.

Sohee looked up, grinning playfully, “I think you’ll see for yourself in a few days.”

Wonbin swipes to the next photo in his camera roll—a flatlay of beads, necklaces, and bracelets. It was during the day, Eunseok, Shotaro, and Sohee led the group to Sunlove, a craft market where customers could make custom jewelry using beads handmade by the locals. 

He swipes again, this time looking at a selfie of him and Eunseok holding up their painted shells. There was another small art store that allowed customers to paint their own shells and turn them into decor of their choice. That day, it was just him and Eunseok since the other four had their own plans. Eunseok teased them about going on dates, to which Sohee responded with a “So are you two!”; both Eunseok and Wonbin blushed furiously back then.

Wonbin swipes, and he sees the next photo—a post-scuba diving group shot with the rest. He recalls how it was initially daunting, but thanks to the instructor’s guidance, they all enjoyed the experience. He also tries not to think too much about how he and Eunseok were holding hands during certain moments of the activity. Wonbin had reasoned to himself back then, I only did that because I was scared, and holding on to someone would keep me anchored.

The next photo he swipes to is a scenic shot of the “secret waterfall” Eunseok took him to. It was rather private, secluded by lush trees and rock formations. The waterfall itself wasn’t very big and loud, so it was still a peaceful place to relax. While Wonbin stares at the photo, his lips curl into a gentle smile as he recalls how that particular day went.

Eunseok was floating on his back, eyes closed. Wonbin swam towards him, smiling amusedly as the other male remained unmoving. “You look so relaxed.” Wonbin said, “You’re practically one with the water.”

“I’m connecting with nature.” Eunseok joked, earning another chuckle from Wonbin.

The taller male continued, “Nothing beats a quiet swim in beautiful, secret places like this, right? It’s so…”

“Healing?” Wonbin smiled, nodding in agreement, “It really is. It’s a nice break from all the hustle in life.”

“Exactly.”

“But…” Wonbin’s lips curled into a cat-like grin laced with mischief, “…would it still be relaxing if I do this?”

Without warning, he gently splashed Eunseok. The latter’s eyes widened as he shot a playful glare at Wonbin who was already giggling in amusement. He splashed Eunseok again, and this time, the taller male finally moved from his floating position.

Eunseok began to swim towards Wonbin, grinning with equal mischief as he said, “Alright, come here, Park Wonbin.”

Wonbin’s screaming gradually turned into giddy laughter as he tried swimming away from the other male. For a few seconds, he managed to avoid getting caught, but as the seconds passed, Eunseok ultimately reached him. With one big leap forward, Eunseok successfully grabbed Wonbin’s arm and gave it a gentle tug.

It was enough to drag the shorter male towards him. Wonbin felt his back collide with Eunseok’s chest, the taller male holding him in place with his other hand on his hip. Wonbin attempted to escape Eunseok’s hold, but the latter was persistent in not letting him off the hook. The sound of splashing water and laughter broke the silence, surrounding the area with a bright melody. 

Eventually Wonbin surrendered, allowing himself to remain in Eunseok’s hold—or rather, in Eunseok’s arms. With all the rough-housing and flailing around, Wonbin just realized that he was now face-to-face with Eunseok, with the latter's hands on his hips. Wonbin’s own hands rested on Eunseok’s shoulders as they idly floated in the azure waters.

He knew Eunseok was looking at him with his big eyes, but Wonbin didn’t think he could stare back without feeling the butterflies erupting in his stomach. So instead, he tried to focus on the drops of water on Eunseok’s nose. That, however, proved to be just as challenging.

Wonbin’s eyes locked onto one droplet. A droplet that slowly trailed down to Eunseok’s plump lips. A droplet that was wiped away by Eunseok licking said lips.

Wonbin unconsciously licked his own lips as well, hoping Eunseok doesn’t notice the way he swallowed the lump in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but he ended up mumbling things not even he knew the meaning to. The tips of Eunseok’s ears were red, and the sheepish smile on his lips made him look just as flustered as Wonbin was.

The water around them gently sloshed about, and the droplets on their skin trailed here and there, yet the two remained unmoving in each other’s arms. Wonbin wasn’t sure what propelled him to do the following, but his body moved before he could even think.

He gently brought a hand up, cupping Eunseok’s jaw, touch tentative and soft. The taller male observed him, watching Wonbin’s every move with gentle eyes.

“Is there something on your mind?” Eunseok asked, voice barely a whisper.

Wonbin hummed, eyes softening as he smiled at the other male. His hand was still on Eunseok’s jaw, but the touch was more definitive and sure. It took him a few seconds to gather his thoughts, gaze lowering for a bit. When he looked back at Eunseok through his lashes, his eyes were starry and clear.

“I used to think I had already seen most of the world, considering my family would travel a lot.” Wonbin began, “I thought I had already experienced a lot of things…knew a lot of things…but now, I think I’m realizing that there’s still so much out there for me to discover—to experience and feel.”

Eunseok offered a warm smile, absentmindedly melting against Wonbin’s palm. He asked, “Do I have the honor of being the one who gets to show you these things? The things you have yet to discover and feel?”

Wonbin grinned wider. Eyes sparkled a bit brighter. “I don’t know how a lot of things work, truth be told. And I’m not the best at social interaction.” he answered, “But if there’s anyone I’d give the honor to, it would be you.”

Eunseok never wanted to kiss anyone as much as he wanted to kiss Wonbin right there and then, but of course, he also didn’t want to scare him off or make him uncomfortable. Instead, he settled with pinching Wonbin’s waist, playful yet affectionate.

“You won’t regret it.” Eunseok promised.

Wonbin laughed softly, nodding his head, “I know I won’t.”

A voice breaks Wonbin from his reverie.

“Earth to Wonbin.” Sungchan sing-songs.

Wonbin’s eyes widen like a deer caught in headlights, attention snapping to his friend in an instant. “Sorry, what?”

Sungchan chuckles and grins, “Shotaro and the rest are waiting outside. You ready?”

“Yeah.” Wonbin replies, remembering the group had plans tonight—a mini-concert by the townspeople to indicate that the summer festival was coming to an end soon, “Let’s go.”

The trio take the elevator down to the lobby and exit the hotel. At the driveway, they see Shotaro standing in front, waving them over. He then leads them to where a Hilux is parked with Eunseok at the driver’s seat.

“Stop ogling, it’s second-hand.” Eunseok teases with a playful salute, and Wonbin finds himself grinning with endearment.

The backseat window rolls down, revealing Sohee. “Get in losers, we’re going partying.” he laughs, “Wonbin can shotgun, by the way.”

Without any qualms, Wonbin walks over to the other side and opens the door to the passenger seat. “Hey.” he greets Eunseok.

Eunseok offers him a calm smile, “Hey. Ready?”

“Always.” Wonbin chuckles, buckling up and relaxing against the seat. 

Anton is also settled at the backseat with Sohee. Sungchan and Shotaro decide to be a bit more playful and “free”, opting to hang back at the pickup’s truck bed. Once everyone is comfortable, Eunseok drives off.

Wonbin spares a glance, just to engrave the image of Eunseok driving in his mind. With Eunseok’s hands on the steering wheel, Wonbin can catch glimpses of the former’s arm and wrist. 

His eyes then spot the bracelet he made a few days ago for Eunseok still encircling the latter’s wrist. A smile instantly appears on Wonbin’s lips.

It seems like butterflies in his stomach weren’t the only things causing a ruckus.

Because somewhere in his heart, Wonbin feels something stirring.

There’s a large open area next to the beach where a small stage is set up. There, the townspeople perform various songs—covers, original compositions, and whatnot. A host comes up on stage every now and then to check and re-hype the audience.

The people in the audience dance, sing along, enjoy their mocktails, and take photos and videos. With the sun disappearing into the night, everything is illuminated with an orange-magenta hue thanks to the stage lights. Stars twinkling above, the performances never cease.

A band formed by the local college students performs an upbeat song, and Sohee drags Wonbin, Shotaro and Sungchan to jump and dance with him. Anton laughs as he watches, opting to capture the moment with his film camera and phone. Eunseok, on the other hand, stands next to Anton, eyes glued to Wonbin.

How his eyes are glowing, plump lips stuck in a huge grin. The way his collarbones peek through his tank top and are accentuated by the stage lights shining down on the crowd. How he laughs so beautifully as Sohee nearly trips on Shotaro’s foot.

Though he may seem nonchalant or stone-like to others, Eunseok is not a stranger to love. He’s had a crush or two when he was younger, and he knows how relationships work. He just doesn’t actively seek a partner or go out of his way to date. Eunseok likes his life linear—nothing that disrupts the status quo he’s had for years.

But just like how he feels thrilled when playing basketball or going surfing, or how he’s gifted a whole box of dumplings, Eunseok feels that rush of excitement and joy when seeing Wonbin. He knows he has a crush on the other, but he also feels that there’s something deeper—something more—than just fluttery attraction.

Because how else would he explain his desire to be with Wonbin all the time? To treat him how he deserves and to show him his world? To be by his side and hang the stars in the other’s eyes just so he’s always happy? To be the stars not just in Wonbin’s eyes, but also in his heart and entire life?

To be Wonbin’s favorite song?

Eunseok thinks it may be dramatic on his end (he’s not the dramatic type—he thinks Sohee is), but maybe this summer was trying to tell him something. To welcome that new experience. To welcome something that shakes up the waters in his life. In his heart.

Eunseok doesn’t notice how the performing band transitions to a slower setlist, now playing mellow songs. Shotaro, Sungchan, Anton, and Sohee sit on the ground and admire the music. Wonbin sits behind them—beside Eunseok—and sighs in satisfaction.

“I’ll always love discovering and hearing new music.” Wonbin says with gleaming eyes, “It really broadens your perspective and makes you appreciate the craft even more.”

The taller male chuckles, “So, can I assume you’re enjoying the performances so far?”

“Definitely.”

“That’s good.” Eunseok smiles appreciatively, “You talked about how music means a lot to you, so I thought you’d like this particular activity.”

“Yeah.” Wonbin laughs, whispering gently but loud enough for Eunseok to hear, “Like I said, I’ve seen many things around the world, and that includes music from different places. This particular memory, however…I feel is more significant.”

“Why so?”

Wonbin’s smiling at Eunseok, eyes never leaving the latter’s as if magnets were in their gazes. When Eunseok playfully raises an eyebrow, Wonbin lets out a giggle and gives a toothier grin. Shaking his head in amusement, he leans his head on Eunseok’s shoulder.

“This is music from your town—your place.” Wonbin says, pausing to listen to the lyrics of the song currently being performed.

The band’s vocalist is singing what seems to be a love song, or at least something more romantic. The melody is soft and warm like golden light pouring over the beach during sunset. There are lyrics about how the song’s protagonist had a more “grayscale” life, but then a lover filled it with color and showed him new perspectives.

Wonbin then continues after a few heartbeats, “It’s like I get to hear something that’s personal to you. Something like…‘Ah, this is Eunseok’s vibe. This is what Eunseok sounds like’. It’s weird, I guess, but that’s kind of how I associate people to songs and music, or vice versa.”

“It’s not weird.” Eunseok assures him, “It’s cool and interesting. It shows how significant music is to you and how much it influences your life. It’s admirable…you’re admirable. I like it when you share these things.”

The vocalist then sings about how the protagonist felt like waves were crashing into his heart and filling it with feelings he never had before.

“It’s ‘cause it’s fun to share it with you, Eunseok.”

“Then keep sharing things with me.” Eunseok carefully rests his head on top of Wonbin’s, “All of it.”

Wonbin smiles. His heartbeat is ringing in his ears and overpowers the music.

Just like the song narrates, Eunseok was also making waves in Wonbin’s heart—majestic, fast-paced, and roaring torrents like the waves Eunseok so expertly rides as he surfs across waters.

Wonbin thinks it’s exciting. 

But he also hopes he can keep up with the surge.

It was another day of Eunseok and Wonbin spending time together. This time, Wonbin wanted to learn or practice more surfing—outside the paid lessons Eunseok does for the tourists.

Wonbin lies on his stomach on the surfboard, watching a group of experienced surfers somewhere in the distance. He says a little “whoa” when they do a bunch of tricks, eyes wide and sparkly as usual. Distracted, he doesn’t notice how Eunseok grabs the edge of the surfboard and carefully flips it over.

Wonbin yelps as he falls into the water, eliciting a devilish grin from Eunseok. When he emerges to the surface, he pouts his plump lips and attempts to glare at the taller male.

“You look like a wet kitten.” Eunseok teases, “Very cute.”

“Haha, very funny.” Wonbin deadpans before getting back onto the surfboard, “You’re lucky you have the ‘face card free pass’. Otherwise, I’d attempt to drown you.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Eunseok grins wider.

Wonbin can only chuckle, rolling his eyes as he shakes his head in amusement. He then swings his legs, causing the water to gently ripple and slosh around. “We’ve been at this for more than an hour. Let’s take a break.” he suggests.

The taller male playfully chides, “Tired already, Wonbinnie? I thought you wanted to get on my level of surfing.”

Wonbin raises his shoulders and rests his cheek against it to feign innocence—with a little allure, of course. “I’d say I’ve become better than you, Eunseokie.” he jokes back, imitating the nickname.

“In which universe?” the other male fights back, smirking as he pinches Wonbin’s thigh.

The shorter male responds with a whiny “yah!” and kicks more water in Eunseok’s direction. The latter laughs amusedly, bringing a hand up to shield his face from Wonbin’s attack. Then, out of the blue, he reaches for Wonbin’s wrist and gives him a gentle tug.

Eunseok successfully gets Wonbin to fall off the surfboard again. This time, he catches the latter to make sure he doesn’t fall in an unceremonious manner. Eunseok steadies him with his other hand on Wonbin’s waist, holding him so his head doesn’t get submerged. It all happens rather quickly, and before they know it, they burst into laughter.

“Mean.” Wonbin jokes while lightly punching the other’s shoulder, smile radiant under the sunset.

Eunseok chuckles in response, grinning just as widely, “Yet you’re laughing.”

Later, the two swim back to shore and spend a few more minutes chatting as they sit on the sand. While talking about everything they’ve done the past few days, Eunseok brings up another activity.

“By the way,” he begins, “since it’s the weekend and the summer festival is ending soon, Shotaro, Sohee, and I usually go to this beach-side bar. It’s how we usually wind down after working the duration of the festival.”

Wonbin hums, “Tonight?”

“Yeah. I can text Shotaro and Sohee since they’re hanging out with Sungchan and Anton, respectively.” Eunseok suggests, “We can all just meet at the bar.”

“Ok, sounds good.” Wonbin nods and then laughs, “But can you wait for me at the hotel? I’ll get changed into something more decent.”

“You’re cute already,” Eunseok jokes, gesturing at Wonbin’s swimming trunks, “But yeah, sure—wait, why are you red? Did you get sunburned?”

“Oh shut up, Eunseok.”

The beach bar was different from the “popular city” ones Wonbin would be dragged to by his university peers. There were still drinks, loud music, and fancy lights, but there was also a more relaxed and easy-going atmosphere. Perhaps it was because the majority of the beach bar was al-fresco, open area vibes. 

Their friend group warms up with a simple drink each and have fun on the dance floor, started by Shotaro of course. Their impromptu dance battle leads to spilled drinks and uncontrollable laughter (and Sungchan and Shotaro performing a rather comical attempt at ballroom dancing).

After, they take a breather and sit by the tables, enjoying a basket of squid fritters, fries, and nachos. Once cleared, they order another round of drinks and begin to play the usual drinking games. Anton loses multiple times, much to the amusement of Sohee who documents everything on his phone camera.

When the DJ gets the hype back up, the group resumes their dancing along with the rest of the bar goers. Sungchan and Shotaro already seem lost in their own little bubble while Sohee tries to get shy Anton to “go crazy” even more.

Eunseok and Wonbin are also busy in their own world, eyes never leaving each other’s as they dance—both legitimate dancing and goofy dancing.

“So, you’re a good dancer too?” Eunseok muses with a smile.

“One of the many things I learned to express myself better.” Wonbin laughs, “Dancing is pretty much a part of music, and vice versa.”

“You just keep surprising me.” 

“You’re not bad yourself.” Wonbin jokes with a fond smile, “For someone so seemingly nonchalant.”

Eunseok chuckles, “What can I say? I’m a natural.”

Wonbin scoffs playfully, prompting Eunseok to grin wider in jest; Wonbin shakes his head with a smile. 

The DJ continues to build the hype, and even more people gather at the dance floor. Somewhere in the crowd, Shotaro displays his skill as a dance major with Sungchan hyping him up and cheering loudly along with other bystanders. 

Wonbin knows how to party. People tend to assume he’s all “prim and proper” because of his family background, but being a music major exposed him to various forms of entertainment—partying was one of them. Though he didn’t usually get wild or drunk, he knew how to have fun.

When the DJ exclaims something, Wonbin raises his drink and shouts “whoo!” before chugging it and continuing to dance. Eunseok watches him, endeared and rather enamored.

He’s seen multiple sides of Wonbin these past days—shy, confident, quiet, talkative, silly, alluring. And right now, he’s seeing a Wonbin that’s charismatic and cool. He never judges people based on their appearance, but right now, Eunseok thinks Wonbin’s aura “matches” the cool guy look he has going on.

Long, perfectly-styled black hair framing his otherworldly face. Big eyes that are both pure and seductive. Plump lips waiting to be kissed. Fitted tank top that exposes collarbones begging to be touched.

A natural aura that commands attention. An aura that screams “look at me” and won’t allow you to tear your eyes away even for a second.

A lot of people are dancing around, but they all blur into the background as Eunseok’s attention zeroes in on Wonbin as if he were the only glowing star at the center of the night sky.

Wonbin keeps Eunseok on his toes. Unpredictable and thrilling like the waves—the opposite of his linear, simple life.

Eunseok is so zoned out that he doesn’t notice how one individual dances with a bit too much enthusiasm and accidentally bumps into Wonbin. This causes the latter to lose his balance and stumble back; due to the crowdedness of the dance floor, this also means Wonbin stumbles right into Eunseok.

Fortunately, the taller male reacts fast enough to steady him with a hand on his waist. Wonbin also presses his hand to Eunseok’s chest to balance himself.

Wonbin looks up through his lashes. “Sorry.” he shyly chuckles and bites his lower lip—Eunseok doesn’t think there’s anything “shy” about that lip bite.

In fact, the mere gesture stupefies him. His heart and mind are going crazy despite the calm expression on his face.

It’s a lip bite, everyone bites their lips, Eunseok chastises himself.

But why does it look so enticing when Wonbin does it?

Eunseok really wants to rip his brain out right now.

“It’s fine.” Eunseok manages to mumble out, “Everyone’s absorbed in dancing anyway.”

Wonbin raises his voice a bit so that Eunseok can hear him over the music, “It’s getting a bit too loud.”

Eunseok chuckles. Wonbin was a walking temptation just a few seconds ago, and now he’s back to looking like an innocent cat.

“Do you want to walk around first?” Eunseok gestures to the empty beach next to the outdoor bar.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

The pair slip away from the crowd and make their way to the beach where it’s much more quiet and calm. They remove their shoes and socks and roll up their pants so that they can stroll along the shore. 

The sand is wet and soft under their feet, giving way as they make their steps. The tides gently kiss their ankles, cooling them down since it was a bit hotter at the beach bar.

They come to a stop when the music coming from the bar is barely audible. The sound is more muffled now, and the only thing the two can hear is the gentle crashing of waves.

Wonbin stares up at the sky, smiling as he lets the stars reflect in his eyes. “Now that’s a view you can’t get in cities filled with skyscrapers.”

Eunseok would jump into the galaxies of Wonbin’s eyes if he could.

“Savor it while you can.” he chuckles softly, “You guys will be going back soon.”

Eunseok meant it as a playful jest. A joke. Wonbin knows that.

But for some reason, those words strike a cord in his chest. The wrong cord. Wonbin feels his heart clench as if it was being thrown away to leave him with an empty void.

He’s been having so much fun the past few days that he forgot about the reality of having to go back to the city. To leave this cute, little beach town and the handsome, funny guy who lives in it.

“Right.” Wonbin says in a hushed voice, “Cherish the moment, right?”

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, the breeze picks up and bites a bit harder, prompting Wonbin to shiver since he was wearing a tank top. Eunseok notices and chuckles.

“I didn’t bring a jacket.” he says, gesturing at his t-shirt, “But do you want a hug to keep you warm?”

Wonbin isn’t sure if Eunseok was joking again, or if he was legitimately offering a hug. 

Wonbin is never impulsive. He prides himself in being observant and analytical, always considering everything before springing into action.

But right now, he indulges in what his heart is pushing him to do.

“Will you?”

Eunseok was not expecting Wonbin to actually take him up on the offer. Their newfound friendship, while flirtatious at times, was often built on fun banter and teasing. Push and pull. If he said something sweet, Wonbin would playfully roll his eyes and deflect with a witty remark.

But then again, Eunseok remembers that Wonbin can act in unexpected ways.

“Sure.”

Eunseok takes a step towards Wonbin, opening his arms to signal the latter. Wonbin complies, meeting Eunseok halfway and allowing the taller male to embrace him. Wonbin rests his head against Eunseok’s chest at the same time Eunseok arms circle around his waist.

A sigh leaves both of them.

Wonbin definitely feels warmer, but he isn’t sure if it’s because his face is flushed and red like a tomato. 

It’s the drinks, he tries to convince himself.

Wonbin lifts his head to look at Eunseok, eyes wide with curiosity. “Are you the hugging type?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You give good hugs.” Wonbin mumbles as if it pained him to admit it, but a small smile forms on his lips as he continues, “Didn’t expect that.”

Eunseok chuckles, absentmindedly rubbing the shorter male’s back with one hand. “Well, I only really hug Shotaro and Sohee, so I never really thought about it.”

“Hmm.” Wonbin muses with a sing-song tone.

Before either of them can say anything, the breeze picks up again, weaving through Wonbin’s hair and causing it to dance across his face. Eunseok laughs softly, carefully rearranging the strands and brushing them away to tuck behind his ear. The tips of his fingers touch the shell of Wonbin’s ear, and he shivers even more.

Eunseok’s hand doesn’t return to his side or Wonbin’s waist. Instead, it lingers near Wonbin’s ear, hovering so close to the slope of his neck. The touch is barely there, but Wonbin is so hyper-aware, he feels like Eunseok’s palm is already burning against his skin.

Wonbin’s doe-like eyes, filled with all the stars and wonders of the world, are glued to Eunseok. The latter also has eyes stuck on Wonbin’s, gaze strong and captivating. There’s a tension so thick and palpable, it smothers them both.

Their hearts are beating faster, chests rising and falling with each thump. Wonbin licks his lips while Eunseok swallows the lump in his throat. His palms are sweaty against Wonbin’s body, and the latter clenches Eunseok’s shirt tightly.

“Eunseok…did you know that you have really pretty eyes?” Wonbin says with half-lidded eyes, breath tickling Eunseok’s lips, “And really pretty lips?”

Despite his ears turning pink, Eunseok smiles, calm and warm. Wonbin feels his insides cheering and jumping around. 

“You’re really pretty too, Wonbin.” he replies, eyes inevitably falling to Wonbin’s lips.

Wonbin responds with a quiet hum. He isn’t sure if he’s imagining things or not, but he thinks Eunseok moves closer. How can he not assume that when the tip of Eunseok’s nose is practically touching his own nose bridge?

“Eunseok.”

“Wonbin.”

They say at the same time, their voices a hushed whisper meant as a secret to be shared only between themselves, carried away by the summer night breeze.

Wonbin releases his grip on Eunseok’s shirt, only to lay his hands flat on the taller male’s shoulders. Standing on his tip-toes, he leans forward.

He dares to do something he has never done and has never imagined doing.

Half-lidded eyes fluttering shut with a gentle grace. Heartbeat ringing in his ears and drowning out all other senses. A deep inhale until his lungs and every fiber of his being is filled with nothing but the thought of Eunseok.

Plump lips parting ever so slightly.

Wonbin kisses Eunseok.

On the lips. Bashful and soft. A bit awkward, but definitely warm.

And then Eunseok kisses him back.

Also a bit tentative and shy, but slowly gaining confidence.

They pull back for a second, eyes still half-lidded and clouded with a desire neither of them knew existed.

Wonbin feels the waves crashing onto him. He lets it take over, throwing him into uncharted waters.

He leans back in, brushing his plump lips against Eunseok’s—once, twice. That’s all it takes for the taller male to spring back into action and connects their lips for another kiss.

It deepens as the seconds tick by, but there’s still a hint of shyness and hesitation in their movements. It’s obvious they both want to completely give in and take each other’s breaths, but there’s also a very thin line that barricades those feelings from rushing out.

Eunseok lifts a hand to support Wonbin’s nape, angling his head to deepen the kiss, slowly and gently. Wonbin complies and opens his mouth a bit more, wrapping his arms around Eunseok’s neck. His knees become jelly, so he presses himself against Eunseok for support. The taller male brings his other hand to the small of Wonbin’s back, pulling him closer. 

Exploring uncharted waters is scary; you never know what awaits you. But the deeper Wonbin dives, the more he’s drawn to the unknown. It unnerves him, but he doesn’t want to stop just yet. Kissing and having feelings and falling in love are all unfamiliar to him, but he finds himself seeking Eunseok like long-lost treasure.

And Eunseok doesn’t like disturbing the peace and routine he’s built for his life. How would he know if harboring feelings and falling in love crashes into his life like a tidal wave and leaves him in ruin? But despite that possibility, he wants Wonbin. He wants Wonbin to disrupt his life.

Eunseok decides to ride the wave and surges forward. He seizes the chance to push his tongue into Wonbin’s mouth. It surprises the latter at first, but he quickly welcomes the intrusion with a dreamy sigh. 

Wonbin surrenders to the deep seas of his heart, allowing Eunseok to guide him in a surprisingly slow and intimate dance, mouths melting into one in the process. They’re both submerged in roaring waves that consume all their thoughts and senses.

Until Wonbin is drowned by all that is Eunseok, and Eunseok is pulled into all that is Wonbin.

But the tides come and go. Rise and fall.

The two eventually pull away, chests heaving with labored breaths. Lips wet and swollen. Eyes meeting each other’s, gazes charged with tension that’s slowly dissipating. Nothing is said, but at the same time, a lot is being conveyed. Wonbin’s fingers bashfully play with the hairs at the base of Eunseok’s nape, and Eunseok watches Wonbin’s face for any reactions.

Then fireworks explode in the sky—it was often part of summer festival activities during the weekends. Distant cheers from the bar are carried into the night, drowned out by the booming above. Each time a firework explodes, it matches the intense beating of both Eunseok and Wonbin’s hearts. 

The pattern repeats—a loud boom resounding, bright hues painting the sky, then the light fizzles out.

And then Wonbin is once again reminded of the nearing end of their vacation. Of leaving this little beach town and Eunseok. Of returning to his prestigious little university to chase his dreams and focus on his studies. 

Because what does he know about love, right? He’s a goal-getter. He’s driven. But he doesn’t know how to keep up with the silent but powerful wave called love.

What if he tries to ride that wave, only to mess up and drag Eunseok down with him? 

The fireworks continue to scatter across the sky, their hues spilling down and illuminating Wonbin with various colors.

Eunseok peers into his eyes. They’re as big as ever, but the dazzling starryness is overcome with a frenzy of fireworks. Too many fireworks. Too many like the plethora of thoughts plaguing Wonbin’s mind. 

Through Wonbin’s glassy eyes, Eunseok can sense that something was bothering him. He furrows his eyebrows in concern, but before he can even ask, Wonbin speaks ahead.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?”

Wonbin lightly grimaces–not out of disgust or contempt, but out of guilt and an unexplainable ache in his chest. “I…shouldn’t have done that. I think we should head back.” he says, whisper barely audible if it weren’t for Eunseok listening intently.

“Oh…ok. Sure.”

Wonbin sees the disappointment in Eunseok’s eyes. 

Yet Eunseok smiles softly, steady and calm as ever. Wonbin isn’t sure if that makes things even more painful.

“Come on.”

And when they walk back to their friends, Wonbin doesn’t feel Eunseok’s hand around his. The ache in his chest grows—he feels like he’s drowning. 

“I mean, if Eunseok said it was ‘ok’, what’s there to overthink?” Sungchan clarifies.

Wonbin and his two friends have returned to their hotel room and are now seated on one bed after Sungchan noticed a shift in the former’s behavior earlier on. The tallest male sits on the edge of the bed while Anton sits on the left side, back leaning against the wall and headboard. Wonbin is next to him, cross-legged.

“He said ‘it’s ok’, but you know that…thing?” Wonbin sighs, “When someone says it’s fine but it’s very obviously not fine? They just say it’s fine so you don’t feel bad…which makes you feel even more bad…”

Anton hums, giving his friend’s shoulder a quick rub, “Hey, don’t overthink, ok? If Eunseok was…”

“Disappointed? Hurt?” Wonbin grimaces again.

“Well…” Anton and Sungchan share a look before the former speaks, choosing his words carefully, “if Eunseok was affected by what happened, he’d speak his mind. He’d tell you straight-up. At least, that’s what Sohee says about him.”

“Sohee?” Wonbin temporarily forgets about his plight to teasingly smile at Anton.

“We were just talking a while ago about us—the three of us and the three of them—Sungchan was busy dancing with Shotaro.” the taller male shyly smiles, shaking his head as if it would shake off the tint of pink on his cheeks, “But that’s not the point. My point is…Eunseok may have been surprised or confused, but I don’t think it’s something he’d hold against you like some century-long grudge.”

“I highly doubt it’s something that would affect how he sees you either.” Sungchan adds with a smile, “There’s nothing wrong with…panicking over a kiss.”

The word “kiss” makes Wonbin’s cheeks flush at the same time his stomach does the most insane flips. Still, he sighs dejectedly and throws himself to lie on the pillows next to Anton. “I don’t even know anymore.”

Anton gently smiles, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Wonbin.”

Sungchan nods in agreement before shifting a bit closer to give his friend’s knee a comforting pat. “But…” he begins, “there is one thing I want to address. Or at least ask.”

“Fire away.”

Sungchan’s smile fades into a slightly more serious (but still gentle) expression as he asks, “You panicked, but…did you regret it? Do you regret kissing Eunseok?”

“Yes and no.” Wonbin closes his eyes in defeat, “It’s hard to explain. I don’t even know why it feels this way. Shouldn’t most people be happy when they kiss someone they, you know…like?”

“I think the fact that you admit you like Eunseok is a big thing.” Anton states, “Regardless if it’s just a cute, summer crush or something more, at least we’ve kind of got your feelings sorted. Now we just need to figure out why you ‘regret’ the whole thing.”

Sungchan rests his chin on his hand. “Are you scared, Wonbin?”

“Scared?” Wonbin sits back up, looking back and forth between Sungchan and Anton.

“You’ve never really been in love, you know?” Anton says matter-of-factly, “Or you’ve never even had a crush. Eunseok’s a first.”

“Nothing wrong with it, of course.” Sungchan appeases his friend in case it comes off the wrong way, “But sometimes, new things kind of scare people. Maybe that holds true for you and your first-ever crush.”

Silence fills the room for a minute or so as Wonbin pieces everything together, stringing his thoughts and emotions like the beaded crafts at the town’s market. He thinks about the days he spent with Eunseok—how the taller male made him laugh. How he made him experience things he never did before. How he let Wonbin satisfy his curiosity and willingly danced along with his whims. How he made Wonbin feel like there was still so much more in life for him to enjoy.

How Eunseok made Wonbin want to spend more and more and more time with him. Be with him beyond their summer trip. Be with him during his mundane days at university. Be with him during major milestones. 

Be with him as if Wonbin were the songwriter of his life’s song and Eunseok supplied him with the ideas, inspiration, and fuel to keep writing until the song comes to an end. And Wonbin wishes the song never ends.

And oh, Sungchan’s words click and sink into his chest like an anchor that was just tossed to sea. 

“I guess I am.” Wonbin admits with a sad smile, eyes cast down on the bedsheet his hand was smoothing over, “It’s scary ‘cause I might do something I’ll regret while trying to work this whole ‘crush’ thing out. It’s scary ‘cause I don’t know what happens after our trip ends and we head back to the city. What if Eunseok and I aren’t on the same wavelength ‘cause I know nothing about crushes and love and stupid rom-coms?”

He takes a deep breath, finally lifting his gaze to look at Anton then Sungchan, “What if it just all comes crashing down because I don’t know how to do relationships? I don’t know how to love like that? It’s a lot of what-if’s, I know. But that’s exactly it. What if, what if, what if? And if those what-if’s happen…it just leaves me hurt. Or maybe even leave Eunseok hurt.”

I already hurt him tonight, Wonbin reminds himself.

“Those are all valid worries.” Sungchan reassures him, “And it’s not bad to be apprehensive of all those what-if’s. You found something beautiful with Eunseok, and you don’t want to ruin it. It’s good to tread carefully, but my two cents? Things are more likely to get complicated if you overthink it too much.”

Anton agrees, “Your feelings are like music, you know? Sure, there are rules and theories you need to keep in mind to make sure things fall together smoothly—to make sense and work properly. But you aren’t meant to be confined to just the rules and theories. You have the freedom to express your creativity and personal sound in the songs you make.”

Wonbin’s dejected expression slowly softens into something more hopeful; a glimmer returns to his round eyes just as his lips curl into a small smile. He remembers that song he was working on—the one he was having trouble finishing. He joked to himself that it should be inspired by his silly little crush on Eunseok.

But maybe it didn’t have to be a joke. 

“So…do you think I can write this song without it being terrible?” Wonbin laughs.

Anton chuckles. “I mean, only you can answer that, but…I’m looking forward to it.” he adds, “You’re a musical genius. You’ll figure things out.”

Wonbin knows Anton meant that both ways—in reference to the song he was working on, and to his predicament with feelings for Eunseok.

“Park Wonbin’s first self-composed love song?” Sungchan nods in approval, face making the “not bad” expression, “Sounds like a hit.”

Wonbin’s eyes light up once again, a laugh escaping him as he allows his lips to form a full grin.

He may not know a lot about love and feelings, but he is definitely one of the best when it comes to music.

And if his source of inspiration is mysteriously funny, rock-steady, and surprisingly caring Song Eunseok, then he’d write this song all day. He’d write multiple versions of the song everyday. He’d listen to it on repeat—dissect every melody and beat, engrave each lyric in his mind and heart. 

Wonbin’s new favorite song, Eunseok.

—————

The clear sky is vividly blue. Summer breeze refreshing and crisp. Water below the cliffs as crystalline as they can be. 

Wonbin sits alone—at the cliffside Eunseok first took him. 

Wonbin still hated heights. He’s even surprised he was able to make it to that spot without Eunseok by his side. But perhaps it was the thought of Eunseok keeping him safe and comfortable that Wonbin was able to go there. He just had to remember the feeling—imagine that Eunseok was right next to him, laughing and teasing him while still holding his hand.

He sits cross-legged on the grassier part of the cliff’s viewing area, guitar resting on his lap as he plays a few chords.

It starts off as a bit strong, like an intro to a movie or rock song. The type that seems intimidating at first listen, yet makes a lasting impression. Commanding in an ironically “dgaf” way.

It reminds Wonbin of Eunseok’s stronger disposition when they first met at the ice cream truck—quiet but charismatic, attention-grabbing without having to be loud. A bit nonchalant, but still magnetic.

The melody then becomes one with the wind, harmonizing and slowly drifting away like mystical streams. It descends into something gentler and calmer.

The image of Eunseok assuring Wonbin that he was safe when they first visited the cliff flashes in his mind—the way Eunseok looked so calm and warm, similar to quiet afternoon naps painted with golden sunsets and soft snores.

The melody begins to pick up again, but not as strong and intense as before. The pace quickens but somehow maintains calmness, similar to chill nights filled with the laughter of close friends—calm yet enjoyable.

Wonbin thinks back to every memory he’s had of Eunseok throughout his vacation—all the experiences they shared, all the activities they tried, all the jokes and flirty banter that was exchanged. Eunseok was sturdy like a rock, but he was also endearingly funny, always finding ways to make Wonbin smile or laugh. He was fun but never crossed boundaries.

Finally, Wonbin nears the outro of the song. It alternates between more intense beats and quick pauses for calmer notes in between. There’s a rise-and-fall rhythm to it, perfectly capturing a balance between strong and soft. 

When he finishes strumming on the guitar, another epiphany visits Wonbin’s mind. 

Eunseok also had a rise-and-fall rhythm to him, just like the waves that rolled over the beach every single day. He was strong and dependable, but also calm and comforting. He knew how to take charge, but also allowed himself to be pulled into Wonbin’s whimsical biddings. Eunseok was both the calm pull-away of the waves into the ocean and also its strong and sure crashing onto shore. 

Wonbin was so scared and worried about whether he could keep up with the surges of these new feelings—if he would triumphantly ride atop the surface or succumb and drown in failure. He was apprehensive about the idea that him being in love would mean having to fight against the push-and-pull just to match Eunseok’s pace.

When in truth, that wasn’t the case. He didn’t need to win over the waves or even fight it. 

He is now realizing that “love” is meant to come with the surges. These feelings are meant to be like waves, allowing him to enjoy the push-and-pull. There’s blissful happiness to being above the surface, but there is also a beautiful chaos to being pulled under. After all, there is a whole different world under the water’s surface.

And Wonbin now understands that all these things are as wonderful as they are because it’s not smooth-sailing-perfect. It’s letting yourself be pulled and pushed—submerged and brought up to the surface—so that you can savor every aspect of the experience.

So that he could savor each and every second of being in love and having these newfound feelings.

So that he could savor each and every second of being with Eunseok.

Wonbin looks down at the guitar resting on his lap and proudly smiles to himself. 

And now he thinks Sungchan was actually right—he only figured out (or partially figured out) what love was because it crashed into him like towering waves.

And that wave was named Eunseok.

Since it was the night before they were going to go back to the city, Wonbin had dinner with Sungchan and Anton in a slightly fancier restaurant somewhere down the boulevard. Afterwards, the two went back to the hotel to start packing.

“Ok, go ahead. I’m just going to walk around a bit.” Wonbin had told them, and his two friends gave him a knowing smile.

And so Wonbin finds himself strolling the shoreline, sneakers carried in one hand as his bare feet crusade the soaked sand. Gentle waves lightly kiss his ankles at perfectly-timed intervals as if to tell him they would keep him company this fine night. 

A few minutes into his walk, he notices a bonfire burning nearby. He sees the orange brightness first, then hears the melodious laughter right after. He knows the sound of one particular laugh quite well.

Eunseok’s laugh.

As soon as that registers in his mind, his vision comes to focus and he sees Eunseok, Shotaro, and Sohee sitting by the bonfire, eating toasted marshmallows and joking around. Eunseok and Sohee watch with wide smiles as Shotaro appears to be sharing a story with animated hand gestures.

Wonbin’s chest tightens a bit, but not in a bad way. It feels more like butterflies flooding into the space where his heart lay. Like waves crashing in.

He looks away from the group before they can notice him staring, takes a few steps further away, and focuses on lightly kicking the water around his ankles—as if that were his main purpose for going on a night stroll.

Five seconds later (Wonbin was mentally counting, he’s not sure why), he hears Shotaro’s bright voice piercing the silence.

“Hey! Wonbin!”

Acting like he didn’t see them there prior, he turns around with a surprised expression and widens his eyes to seal the deal. “Oh, hey!”

The bonfire had been put out, quiet embers slowly settling down. Shotaro and Sohee are standing up now, but Eunseok remains seated. The tallest of the trio briefly smiles at Wonbin before turning his attention to the now-extinguished bonfire. Sohee then calls Wonbin over, gesturing for him to come closer. 

Wonbin lets his feet lead him to the trio, a small smile on his lips as he stops in front of the bonfire pit.

“We just finished our bonfire session.” Shotaro chuckles, “Watcha up to?”

“Just needed some alone time.” Wonbin jokes, “A break from Anton and Sungchan.”

“I too would need a break if I spent the whole day with Anton.” Sohee chimes in with a jestful grin. 

“Yeah right.” Shotaro lightly punches his friend’s shoulder.

“Ok then, Mister ‘I Do Love To Spend Time With Sung—’ hey!” Sohee stops mid-sentence when Shotaro playfully jabs his rib.

Wonbin laughs at the exchange because he thinks he’s not the only one going home with a summer crush. He thinks Anton is crushing on Sohee, and Sungchan on Shotaro as well.

“Anyway…” Shotaro clears his throat, “Sohee and I are going back ahead. Eunseok’s gonna stay, so…yeah. See you tomorrow, Wonbin!”

Sohee playfully salutes, “See ya.”

Wonbin waves goodbye to the two. Once they’re out of sight, Wonbin feels the silence settle in once again. He’s not sure if he should stay behind with Eunseok or risk creating another blooper by walking away. 

Before he can make a decision, Eunseok pats the spot next to him on the sand and calmly asks, “Wanna sit around for a few minutes?”

“Yeah.” Wonbin thinks he’s a bit dramatic for wanting to burst into tears, “Sure.”

Another stretch of heavy silence sits between them. Eunseok is typing a message to someone, so Wonbin’s eyes can’t help but flit between the sand and Eunseok’s phone screen. He decides to just focus on the sand, but with each second that ticks by, Wonbin feels his heart beating faster and faster with unrest. There are words stuck in his chest that are desperately trying to climb up his throat and spill out of his mouth.

He barely gets to open his mouth to speak when Eunseok’s voice breaks the silence first.

“Marshmallow?” he offers three pieces of marshmallows on a stick, “Though they aren’t toasted…”

Wonbin looks at the stick before bringing his eyes to look at Eunseok’s face. It feels like forever since he’s gotten a good look at the latter, and it gives him whiplash in the form of familiar waves crashing against his chest.

“Thanks.” he smiles before taking the stick of mallows from Eunseok.

The taller male smiles back, “No problem.”

Wonbin is about to take a bite of the marshmallow, but then he feels Eunseok’s eyes on him. As if that was the key needed for the words in his chest to finally be freed, Wonbin takes a deep breath and puts the stick down on the plastic of marshmallows. He steels himself and brings his gaze back to Eunseok.

“Actually…I wanted to talk to you.” Wonbin starts, “There are things I need to say, Eunseok.”

The other male blinks his eyes twice, in curiosity, before nodding, “Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

“I wanted to apologize, first and foremost, for what I did after we…you know, kissed.” Wonbin finds himself chuckling softly at the memory, “That was a bit of an asshole move, don’t you think?”

At this, Eunseok mirrors his chuckle and grins a bit wider. “I wouldn’t say ‘asshole’, but it was definitely something.”

Wonbin smiles, teeth and all, before explaining, “I’m really sorry. It’s not that I didn’t like it, or that it was bad, or anything like that. It’s not even anything you did. I know this probably sounds stupid, but…when we started kissing, I was happy—extremely happy. The happiest I’ve ever felt, actually. Then my brain started going into overdrive and I ended up letting myself overthink over so many scenarios and I panicked, I guess.”

Wonbin timidly pokes at Eunseok’s knee before continuing.

“Truth is, I was scared. I got scared because I’ve never felt this way before. I told you, right? It always has just been music, music, music for me. With Anton and Sungchan, it really is just friendship—my feelings or love for them are platonic, familial. I never had to deal with crushes and romantic feelings for them.” 

He then reaches a hand out, shyly but surely putting it on top of Eunseok’s own.

“But with you, Eunseok, it’s different. So different. I like being with you. I get butterflies in my stomach when you smile at me. I get flustered when you touch me, even if you’re just poking my cheek or patting my shoulder. I miss you when you aren’t around. I get excited when I know I’ll be spending the day with you. I could listen to your voice all day. I want to write songs about you.”

Eunseok’s fond smile distracts Wonbin for a second because the latter feels his cheeks flush, and he has to purse his lips to bite back a giddy grin.

“And all of those feelings…they were all so new to me. They just came rushing and crashing down on me like waves and I panicked. I thought I’d have to fight the waves so I could stay afloat and make sure this whole ‘feelings’ thing worked out. I got scared of the idea that I’d just drown and ruin things for you. For me. For us.”

Wonbin now laces their fingers together, heart soaring when Eunseok gives his hand a gentle squeeze.

“After talking to Anton and Sungchan, I spent time with my guitar to work on that song I’ve been stuck on, then I realized something. I was so worried about the surge of new feelings when I really shouldn’t have been. This whole ‘love’ thing…it’s meant to have those waves. The push-and-pull, the beautiful chaos of it all. Each and every facet of being with you is beautiful when I let myself be both above the waves and under.”

One heartbeat. Two heartbeats. Three heartbeats.

Eunseok’s silence kills Wonbin with anticipation; he can’t help but look down, flustered all of a sudden. His face is burning, and his heart won’t stop hammering against his chest.

“I don’t know if that all made sense. Maybe it would make artistic sense in a song, but I’m not sure about an everyday conversation.” Wonbin rambles.

He feels a huge relief when he hears Eunseok’s chuckle. He immediately looks at the latter with his doe-eyes, smiling wider than ever when he sees that Eunseok’s grin is big enough to show his teeth.

“You can really tell you’re good with music.” Eunseok starts, voice warm and stable, “First of all, apology accepted. If it’s any consolation though, I was just surprised and confused as to where it was coming from. Not angry, not upset. Don’t worry, ok? Now that you’ve explained everything, I get it.”

He wiggles their interlocked hands and gives Wonbin’s another squeeze.

“Now, as for the rest…you’re not alone, Wonbin. The whole ‘love’ thing is also new to me. I’ve had a crush or two, but nothing serious enough to make me want to take action. I’ve never been in love in that sense. I’ve been very content with my simple life—it has routine and it’s pretty linear too. I know what I like and have everything I need, and at the same time, I simply stay away from things I’m not interested in. It’s probably such a plain kind of life for others, but I liked the peace and I’ve been content with it.”

A soft burst of breeze swooshes through, ruffling Wonbin’s longer hair. Eunseok reaches his free hand up to gently move the strands away from the other’s face.

“But then you came along. Pretty, charming, cute, and very unpredictable Wonbin came waltzing in. If my life was like calm water, your addition to it made ripples—waves that just came crashing down. It’s like you’re the type of song I don’t usually listen to, but surprisingly came to love and now you’re on repeat. I want to make you smile and laugh. I want to be the one you rope into silly, random antics. You keep me on my toes ‘cause I can never guess your next move, but I like it that way.” 

Eunseok’s free hand then moves to the back of Wonbin’s head, gently cradling as he brings their foreheads to rest against each other.

“I may not always be the best at expressing feelings or emotions—especially unfamiliar ones like love and affection—but I hope you know that if there’s anyone I want to experience those emotions with, it’s you. If there’s anyone I want to ride these waves of love with, it’s you and only you, Wonbin. And if the waves knock you back and submerge you? I won’t let you drown. I’ll pull you right back up.”

Wonbin bites his plump bottom lip, resisting the urge to grin like a high-schooler who just got noticed by his crush. Eunseok laughs in amusement, the slight movement causing the tips of their noses to touch.

Eunseok then asks, “I’m a pretty decent surfing instructor, right? Think we can learn about this whole relationship thing together?”

“Well,” Wonbin fondly stares at Eunseok through his lashes, “You are a great instructor, and I am a fast learner so…we’ll manage.”

“Even when you’re back in the city?”

“Not like I’m in a different country.” Wonbin laughs, “It’s not that far from here.”

Eunseok mirrors Wonbin’s laugh, “Ok, yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

The two keep their foreheads pressed as they giggle in their own little bubble, eyes never leaving each other’s. When they’ve both calmed down from the giddiness, Eunseok drops his voice down to a whisper, enough for just Wonbin to hear.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks.

Wonbin doesn’t think he’s ever smiled this much.

“As much as you want.”

Eunseok tenderly cups his cheek, lips hovering just above Wonbin’s. He gently glides them against each other which in turn causes Wonbin to shiver in anticipation. He doesn’t waste another second and finally kisses Wonbin, slow and deliberate. There’s no hesitation and worries standing in between this time. Their lips connect, instantly melting together like smooth syrup. 

Eunseok kisses with certainty and confidence, allowing Wonbin to carefully follow and match his pace. He melts, arms flying up to wrap around Eunseok’s neck. Their kiss is passionate and bold like smashing waves, but also maintaining a sense of gentleness and patience like its gentle rolling onto shore. It leaves them wanting more and more of each other, like kissing was the only way they could breathe.

Eunseok’s other arm coils around Wonbin’s waist, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. They both hum and sigh, hearts beating faster. They pull away for air, as if surfacing the water to catch their breaths after diving into an ocean of bliss.

“You’re leaving tomorrow, yes?” Eunseok asks, whispering with raspiness.

“Mhmm.” Wonbin nods gently. “But even so…it’s not like this has to end. We don’t have to…”

“No.” Eunseok smiles, “We don’t have to. We’re in this together, right?”

“Catching waves together?” Wonbin jokes, smiling giddily.

“Yeah. Catching waves and catching feelings together.” Eunseok smiles back, “We’ll keep in touch. We’ll see or visit each other when we can. You can text or call me all you want—whether for nonsense things, serious, or everything in between, and I’ll do the same.”

“Ok.” Wonbin sighs in satisfaction, “Promise you won’t forget me when I leave?”

“How could I ever forget someone like you, Wonbin?”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Wonbin whispers sweetly, “I’m lucky I met you this summer, Eunseok.”

It isn’t long before Wonbin chases Eunseok’s lips and starts kissing again. The latter doesn’t resist, easily falling into another intimate dance of lips sliding and tongues tangling and breaths mingling. The cycle repeats—kiss, pull away, kiss, pull away. Each one is filled with a frantic sense of freedom as if all the tension and yearning had finally been released. Hands explore bodies, sighs and breathy hums fade into the night, lips turn red and swollen.

They let the waves take over, spilling silent confessions and unsung words into each other’s heart through the kiss.

And if at some point, Anton arrives but stops midway from calling Wonbin to remind him to pack—only to find his friend somehow ending up on Eunseok’s lap as they make out—he simply chuckles and turns around back to the hotel. 

EPILOGUE – One Year Later

Eunseok thinks the afternoon couldn’t get any better. Lying down on a cozy bed with summer weather that’s not too hot. Afternoon sunlight filtering through the curtains, providing ample glow to the dim room. Soft acoustics playing in the background.

Then suddenly, he feels a weight on top of him.

“Ay, Park Wonbin.” Eunseok playfully (and barely) tries to push Wonbin away—he’s clearly not even trying.

“We’ve been chilling for the past two hours.” Wonbin grins as he repositions himself, now fully lying on top of Eunseok, “Let’s go out. Anton and the rest are meeting with us soon.”

“Anton is probably still busy getting freaky with Sohee, and Sungchan is still probably taking Shotaro sightseeing.” the taller male rests a hand on Wonbin’s back, lazily trailing it up and down the slope. “Besides, it’s the perfect time to nap.”

“You didn’t come all this way to visit the city just for naps.” he lightly pokes Eunseok’s cheek, “Come on. My bed, my rules.”

Eunseok laughs at this before tugging at the hem of the shirt Wonbin was wearing, “My shirt, my rules.”

The other male rolls his eyes, all sassy and cute. He sits up to leave a kiss on Eunseok’s naturally-pouted lips—long enough to teasingly swipe his tongue across the bottom lip, but quick enough to pull back just as Eunseok is about to reciprocate.

“You’re gonna regret doing that.” Eunseok threatens with a nonchalant face, but his endeared grin betrays him soon after, “You’ll get what you deserve.”

Wonbin raises an eyebrow, smiling amusedly as he replies, “Mhmm, and I deserve more kisses.”

“It shall be done.”

“And you know what else I deserve?”

“Hm?”

“You.” Wonbin grins, proud of his antics.

“Ay, look at you.” Eunseok tries to act all cool about it, but the pinkness of the apples of his cheeks as he smiles says otherwise.

Wonbin chuckles in satisfaction and rests his head on Eunseok’s chest. He listens to the man’s steady heartbeat, counting each beat and memorizing the rhythm, turning it into yet another one of his favorite songs. He smiles when he feels Eunseok’s other hand coming up to caress the back of his head, fingers carefully weaving through his longer locks.

“Wonbin.”

“Hm?”

“We can go get ready soon, but I need to say something first. It’s vital you hear this before anything else.”

“What’s that?” Wonbin lifts his head from Eunseok’s chest to look him directly in the eye, teasingly smirking, “If this is another dad joke…”

Eunseok laughs and pinches Wonbin’s waist before craning his head up to kiss the latter’s forehead. 

“I love you.”

Wonbin immediately makes an “oh, stop it you!” expression, lips curling up into an uncontrollably giddy grin. His eyes sparkle with stars, face flushing fifty shades of pink and red—then he feels a familiar banging in his chest.

The waves rushing in.

“I love you too.”

He kisses Eunseok, soft and sweet like warm honey dripping into their mouths. The other male kisses back, slowly taking the lead from Wonbin but still making sure the latter gets to have his share of being in control. They’re both giggling in between kisses, hushed laughter and giddy smiles exchanged in the space where their mouths meet.

It’s not long before Eunseok gently secures an arm around Wonbin’s waist, carefully turning so that he could lay the latter on the bed while he hovers above him. He finds his rightful place between Wonbin’s legs, lips never leaving his boyfriend’s as they both get comfortable. Wonbin hums into the other’s mouth, satisfied with the slow, deep kissing pace Eunseok had set. His hands—initially holding onto Eunseok’s shoulders—lazily crawl up to either side of his jaw before crossing over each other behind his neck and pulling Eunseok slightly closer.

The taller male briefly pulls away, loving eyes taking in the sight of Wonbin’s star-lit eyes, glossy plump lips, and flushed cheeks. He smiles, allowing an airy chuckle to tickle the other’s face.

“What happened to wanting to go out already?” he teases.

Wonbin playfully scoffs, choosing to gently bite and tug on Eunseok’s lower lip before responding.

“Not fair.” he smiles at the man on top of him, “You distracted—are distracting me.”

“Good.” Eunseok declares proudly, “We still have some time anyway.”

“Time for what, exactly?” Wonbin bites his lip and uses his eyes to convey that coy, faux-innocent (but very much alluring) expression Eunseok is extremely weak to.

Instead of answering, Eunseok surges forward and steals Wonbin’s breath with a delectable, open-mouthed kiss. Wonbin doesn’t even bother stopping the whimper that leaves him, arching his back in just the slightest as he tightens his hold on Eunseok. It motivates Eunseok, prompting him to kiss deeper and dart his tongue into Wonbin’s mouth; the former happily welcomes the intrusion, greeting Eunseok’s tongue with his own by tangling them immediately.

Each second that passes, their kisses continue to grow hotter and more intense. At some point, they both discard the shirts they were wearing, bare chest to bare chest as they hold and cling to each other. Lips are numb and tingly with how long they’ve been devouring each other, their smacking sounds turning into a track on repeat in the quiet room.

Wonbin’s hands can’t sit still; they traverse Eunseok’s back, caressing and gripping whatever inch of skin they can touch. They move to Eunseok’s head, fingers threading and tugging through his hair, nails occasionally scratching the latter’s scalp, prompting the other to groan into Wonbin’s mouth. He’s also not sure how long their tongues have been tangled, dancing and twirling like whirlpools, but Wonbin thinks that maybe he doesn’t actually have a tongue anymore and Eunseok probably sucked it all.

Eunseok isn’t any better, greedy to swallow all of Wonbin’s whimpers and sighs as he continues to lead the kiss. His hand slides up and down Wonbin’s waist, caressing the curve with feathery touches and sensually squeezing his hips with a grip that makes the shorter male’s head spin. Eunseok’s palms eventually travel higher, smoothing over the expanse of Wonbin’s chest before tracing the ridges of his abdomen.

Anticipation and excitement bubbles in Wonbin’s chest, stacking and building up like crescendoing notes—even more so when he feels Eunseok slowly reaching down to unbutton Wonbin’s cargo pants. He won’t lose to him and returns the favor, moving his own hand to undo the drawstrings of Eunseok’s sweatpants. 

They pair manage to undo each other’s pants at the same time, but before either can even pull the articles of clothing down, they’re interrupted by the sudden ringing of Wonbin’s phone.

Pulling away abruptly, they stare at each other with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, exchanging a few giggles. “Hold on, sorry." Wonbin has one last giggle before pecking Eunseok’s lips.

He then reaches over to his bedside table and grabs his phone. The caller ID reads Anton, so Wonbin answers the call and puts it on loudspeaker. “Hello?”

“Hello?” Anton speaks, “Are you guys at the cafe already? Sungchan and Shotaro are on the way.”

“Not yet. Just about to leave my place.” Wonbin replies while glancing at Eunseok with a kittenish smile, “Are you and Sohee there?”

“Nope. We’re also just about to leave.” Anton answers.

“Busy getting freaky, huh?” Eunseok jokes, and Wonbin stifles a laugh.

Anton whines something incoherent before speaking more clearly, “As if you both aren’t. I can hear it in Wonbin’s voice.”

“Hey!” Wonbin protests.

In the background from Anton’s end, they can vaguely hear Sohee complaining about not being able to find “where he put his cap”. Anton laughs and excuses himself to help the other. They say their goodbyes, “see you in a bit”, and then end the call. Wonbin sets his phone back on the bedside table and returns his attention to Eunseok.

“I think we really have to get going now.” he gently squishes Eunseok’s cheeks, smiling brightly as he gives him another peck, “I’ll make it up to you later, ok?”

Eunseok chuckles, moving his head to kiss the insides of Wonbin’s palms. “Or we can be five, ten minutes late…”

“Eunseok.” Wonbin says, elongating the “seo” sound; his eyes are filled with love and amusement. “I thought you’re the type who prefers not to rush?”

He then gently lifts himself enough to playfully bite Eunseok’s flushed ear. “You know…take your time with it? Nice and slow? Not a quickie?”

Eunseok licks his lips. “You know you’re not helping, right?” he chuckles, pulling away just a bit to look into Wonbin’s pretty eyes. “It’s doing the opposite of making me want to go and get ready.”

Wonbin innocently shrugs, coy smile on his lips and eyes captivating as ever. Eunseok curses in his head because wow, Wonbin was insanely and effortlessly irresistible. 

“Later.” Wonbin giggles, poking Eunseok's cheek when the latter makes an expression to make his dimple more prominent, “Let’s just meet the guys first, hm?”  

“Alright.” Eunseok kisses the tip of Wonbin’s nose before standing and pulling him up with him, “Come on, pretty boy.”

Without warning, Wonbin races Eunseok to the bathroom. The taller male is quick to react and chases after Wonbin, successfully entering the threshold before Wonbin can close the door. Inside, the sound of laughter bounces off the tiled walls.

They’ve both gotten used to the waves in their hearts, and they think it’s one of the best feelings. It rises and falls, making rhythmic melodies that are both intense and calm. Altogether, it makes a wonderful, wavy, unpredictable, addicting song.

It’s their favorite song, and they’ll ride each melodic wave together—up and down, high and low, push and pull, calm and intense, planned and unpredictable.

They’ve caught feelings for each other anyway. Might as well catch some waves too.