As she began unpacking her things, Seulgi wandered over to the window, gazing out at the serene beach.
The sound of the waves crashing against the shore brought a sense of calm over her.
This was exactly what she needed.
The sun was starting to dip below the horizon as Seulgi and Jaeyi made their way to the beach.
The cool evening breeze carried the scent of saltwater, and the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the shore set a peaceful tone.
Seulgi, still processing the beauty of the beach, found herself walking in a quiet daze, lost in her own thoughts.
Jaeyi noticed Seulgi's distant expression and, without a word, reached out to intertwine their fingers.
The simple gesture grounded Seulgi, but her mind remained elsewhere.
Jaeyi led her further along the shoreline, stepping in time with the ebb and flow of the tide.
It wasn't long before Jaeyi stopped walking, gently pulling Seulgi to a halt with her hand.
She tilted her head, her gaze softening as she studied Seulgi's downcast eyes.
"Hey," Jaeyi said gently, her voice laced with concern. "What's on your mind?"
Seulgi hesitated, her lips pressing together as if weighing whether or not to share what was bothering her.
She shook her head slightly, trying to brush it off, but Jaeyi wasn't having it.
"It's okay, you can tell me," Jaeyi added, her voice coaxing. "What's wrong?"
Seulgi took a deep breath, the wind ruffling her hair.
For a moment, it seemed like she was going to keep it to herself.
But then, as if deciding that maybe she needed to say it, she slowly met Jaeyi's gaze.
"The sea," Seulgi began quietly, her voice almost lost in the breeze.
"It always reminds me of when I went missing when I was younger..." She paused, looking out at the water for a second.
"The memories... they're hazy, but... the sea always feels like it's calling me back to that time."
Jaeyi's heart tightened at the confession, though she masked the shock behind a quiet, thoughtful expression.
She opened her mouth to speak but paused when Seulgi continued.
"I had a dream once," Seulgi said, her voice almost inaudible. "I was still young. But you... you came to rescue me. You reached out to me."
Jaeyi froze, her heart pounding in her chest.
The shock of Seulgi's words hit her, though she tried to mask it with a casual air.
The idea of being in Seulgi's childhood dream, saving her from drowning, it felt almost surreal.
Seulgi, sensing the weight of the silence between them, began to pull away, her eyes darting down to the sand beneath her feet.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," she murmured, guilt creeping into her tone. "It's just a dream, really. Forget I mentioned it."
Jaeyi's chest tightened as she watched Seulgi begin to move forward again, her head downcast, her steps a little more hurried as if she were trying to distance herself from the vulnerability she had just exposed.
Jaeyi couldn't let that happen.
She couldn't let Seulgi walk away from this moment of honesty.
Without a word, Jaeyi moved in front of Seulgi, stopping her in her tracks.
CHAPTER 19: A SUMMER ESCAPE
Start from the beginning
