This Friend | Yeonbin

29

Soobin P.O.V

Yeonjun and I ended up spending about an hour and a half at the fair.

We went on a few rides, played a few games, and won some candy, and then we had corn dogs and two giant cups of Coke.

It’s been so much fun.

And now I have a fairly epic sugar high.

At least I think that’s what it is.

We weren’t done with the night yet, so now we’re going for a walk. After escaping the crowds of the fair, we headed for the palm-tree-lined tourist strip, right by the beach where we first went swimming all those weeks ago.

In the distance, there’s a neon-drenched strip of bars, and past that, towering skyscrapers.

“Do you like Florida?” he asks.

“What makes you ask?”

He shrugs. “Just curious.”

I look around. I mean, it is pretty picturesque at the moment. This spot is, at least.

“I mean, yeah? I hate the humidity, but it’s still home, you know?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

“Do you?” I ask.

“I’m the same. It’s home.”

He stops walking in front of a pathway to the beach.

“Want to go for a swim?” he asks.

“I’m guessing you do?”

He nods.

“You know it’s weird that you do this, right?” I say.

“What’s weird?”

“That you like swimming at night.”

“Oh. Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Then why do you do it?”

He looks out at the water, and shrugs. He sort of shrinks into himself a little. I’m surprised. I didn’t think he was self-conscious about anything.

“I don’t know. I know why I want to go swimming with you, though.”

“Why?”

“I want to see you take your shirt off.”

I suppress a laugh.

“I’m serious!” he says. “What’s funny about that?”

“Nothing, I guess. I just…”

“What?”

“This is just so new for me. You’re a guy, and I’m scared of saying the wrong thing, I guess. I know I’m not good at flirting. You’re so good at it, and I’m…”

“Just be yourself, man. You have no idea of how much of a killer you could be if you were confident. You’ve got everything you need.”

Huh. I do like the thought of that.

“Okay, let me give this a shot,” I say.

“Flirt away,” he says.

“Um. I really like your ears.”

I wanted to say something other than his chest or his biceps. I felt like that’d be too obvious.

He laughs. “What?”

“Yeah. I like your ears. They’re cute. Is that weird?”

“No, it’s not. You’re so cute, you don’t even know.”

We reach the sand and take off our shoes. We leave them to the side, and then start walking toward the water.

“For real, though, it’s weird, right?” he says. “That I do this? I’ve actually never told anyone that I do this before. I was too worried about what they’d think, I guess.”

“No,” I say. “I like it.”

We reach a spot on the edge. He stretches.

“You coming in?” he asks as he takes off his shirt.

“For sure.”

“Sweet.”

We both undress to our underwear, and then walk up to the water. I step in, and it’s pretty freaking cold.
Yeonjun goes behind me, and puts his hands on my arms, holding me in place.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

He whispers in my ear: “I heard something on the news the other day.”

“Oh really? What?”

He rubs my arms, and he’s standing so close that I can feel his body warmth on my back.

“That shark attacks are on the rise.”

He leans in close, and lightly presses his teeth on the back of my neck. Laughing, I push him away.

“Seriously, though, are you actually scared of sharks?” he asks. “I just like messing with you. You get so flustered; it’s so fun.”

I look out at the water. “It’s fine.”

“Okay, then. In that case, I dare you to go in by yourself.”

“What?”

“Come on, be brave. Go in without me. You can do it.”

I guess he has a point.

Going in alone is way scarier.

“Fine,” I say, and I trudge forward.

I want to impress him. And myself, I guess.

I go even deeper than we did last time, and start treading water. Okay, this is way freakier by myself.

“How long are you going to make me wait?” I call.

He smiles and wades in. He dives into the water and swims up to me.

He reaches me and slicks his hair back. His chest is heaving, and his mouth is hanging open. He’s breathless. I stand up.

“You’re so brave,” he says.

“It takes more than this to scare me.”

“I bet,” he says, stepping closer. “Now, dare me to do something. Anything you want, I’ll do it.”

I look into his eyes.

And I have the guts to say it.

“I want you to kiss me so much I can’t breathe anymore.”

He pulls me to him.