𓍯22𓂃

Dove's

The day drags on, but by the time we hit P.E. and the dreaded swimming session, Hyejin’s mood has shifted. She’s still a little on edge, but the fact that Kitty’s absent today gives her some much-needed relief.

"See?" I tell her as we walk toward the locker room, “It’s not so bad today.”

Hyejin nods, but she’s still twitchy. "I don’t know… What if she suddenly shows up? What if she shows up today?"

I roll my eyes, nudging her shoulder. "Hyejin, stop. Kitty’s sick. She’s not going to be here."

"I don’t trust this!" she whispers, half to herself. "What if she decides to come in and make things awkward?"

Megan, who’s already a few steps ahead of us, laughs. "You are so overthinking this. It’s just swimming."

"But what if she decides to make a big scene?!" Hyejin whispers louder now, clutching her swim bag like it’s her lifeline.

I just shake my head, clearly not understanding how this could be such a massive deal.

We change quickly and head to the pool area. Hyejin continues to stay glued to my side like her life depends on it, eyes scanning every corner of the gym. She’s still paranoid, but at least a little more relaxed knowing Kitty isn’t here.

When we finally reach the edge of the pool, Hyejin takes a deep breath and finally seems to relax a little. "Okay, okay... she’s not here, I’m fine."

Megan, already in the water and looking entirely too comfortable, calls out, “See? Wasn’t that hard, right?”

Hyejin gives a tight smile, but I can tell she’s still keeping an eye out. "Yeah. But I’m not getting too comfortable yet. Not until I know for sure Kitty’s still sick."

I just roll my eyes. "It’s just swimming, Hyejin. You’re overthinking this way too much."

She turns to me, still a little paranoid but a little more at ease. "It’s the principle of the thing. I kissed her! And now I have to deal with... this."

I shrug. "You’ll be fine."

But Hyejin, despite her best efforts, can’t fully shake the worry. As she finally dips her toes into the water, she mutters under her breath, "What if she really did like it too?"

I groan. "This again?"

Just as I’m about to reassure Hyejin again, our P.E. teacher calls out, breaking the moment.

"Dove, can you go grab the floaters from the storage room just in case we need them?"

I nod, relieved for the break. "Sure, I’ll be right back."

Hyejin looks like she might say something else, but instead just gives me a wide-eyed look. "Don’t leave me alone with Megan!"

I grin at her and tease, "Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll survive."

Hyejin huffs, muttering, "Shut up, Dove," but I can see a little smile tugging at her lips.

Megan, who’s already in the pool and floating like she’s in her own personal spa, waves lazily at me. "Go, Dove! Grab those floaters!"

I roll my eyes and head down the hallway toward the storage room. As I’m walking, I can hear the sounds of the pool behind me—splashing and some laughs—but my mind is mostly on the floaters I’m supposed to retrieve.

When I open the door to the storage room, I spot the box of floaters right away. Just as I bend down to grab it, though, I hear footsteps approaching.

"Dove?"

I freeze, not expecting anyone else to be around. Turning around, I find Dae standing in the doorway, looking casually cool in his swimming gear.

"Oh, hey, Dae!" I say, flashing him a smile. "I didn’t know you were in this class today."

Dae grins, stepping into the room and glancing at the box of floaters in my hands. "Yeah, I’m here. Didn’t think it’d be this much of an ordeal, though." He chuckles, his usual laid-back vibe evident. "You getting those for everyone?"

I laugh, picking up the box and holding it up as if it’s some big responsibility. "Yeah, apparently, I’m the designated floater-getter today."

Dae nods and then grins a little mischievously. "Well, if you need any extra help in the pool, you know where to find me."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, I’m sure you’re such a pro swimmer, Dae."

He raises an eyebrow. "You’ll see when we get in the water. I’m a natural."

"I’m sure," I tease, walking past him with the floaters. "Just don’t drown out there, alright?"

Dae laughs and follows me toward the pool. "I’ll try not to. You, on the other hand, might need one of these floaters with your swimming skills."

I laugh, tossing him a playful look as we head back to the pool area. "We’ll see, won’t we?"

When we return to the pool, Hyejin looks a little more relaxed, though still a bit paranoid. Megan, on the other hand, looks way too comfortable in the water.

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The poolside is filled with chatter, but all I can think about is how awkward I feel in this swimming class. I mean, I’m definitely not the best swimmer, and everyone seems so much more confident than me.

I walk along the pool’s edge, trying to avoid making a complete fool of myself, when suddenly—I trip.

“Ah!”

I stumble, my foot catching on the wet tile. My arms flail out in a desperate attempt to steady myself, but it’s too late.

And then, out of nowhere, I feel a hand wrap around my waist.

Minho.

“Dovey!” His voice is right next to me as he pulls me toward him, trying to stop my fall.

But in the chaos of the moment, we both lose our balance.

Before I know it, Minho and I are tumbling straight into the water, landing with a massive splash.

I’m disoriented for a second, submerged in the cold water. I kick my legs, trying to find the surface, when I feel his hand on my waist, steadying me as we both push back up.

The moment we break through the surface, I gasp for air, but I’m still caught in his grip. Minho’s hand is on my waist, his fingers brushing lightly against the wet fabric of my swimsuit. Our faces are closer than they should be—too close.

For a brief moment, we both just stare at each other, suspended in the water, the world around us blurring out.

His hand on my waist feels different now. It’s not just to keep me from sinking—it’s... intentional, like he’s holding me there. His eyes are wide, but his smile is teasing, as if this was some kind of joke that he’s enjoying more than I am.

“Are you okay?” Minho asks, his voice a little softer now, a little more serious.

I blink, still stunned, and nod. “Yeah... just a little soaked.”

But as I look into his eyes, there’s an undeniable tension between us. His hand is still on my waist, and even though we’re both floating in the pool, I feel like we’re stuck in this moment.

“Good,” he murmurs, still not letting go. “Because I wasn’t planning on letting you drown.”

I feel a flush creep up my neck at the way he’s looking at me—like he’s not going to pull away anytime soon.

Finally, I force myself to break the silence, my voice shaky but trying to stay casual. “Well, I wasn’t planning on falling in either...”

He laughs, his grip loosening a bit, but not completely. “Guess we both didn’t plan that.”

Minho pulls us both back toward the poolside, and we start to swim toward the edge, still not quite making eye contact. But the whole time, I can feel the heat of his hand on my waist, and the electricity between us makes it harder to focus on anything else.

By the time we pull ourselves out of the pool, I’m still trying to catch my breath, but now it’s not just from the water.

It’s from him.

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Is it just me, or is it hot in here? 😳

Dang, the way he held her - 🛐