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Beomgyu stood outside of the steps of the art building, one hand on the strap of his backpack and the other flicking the top of his earbud case, opening and closing it with a rhythmic click.
He had just gotten out of his last class of the week, and consequently he was dying to escape the dull campus. He waited for his ride next to the curb with a sense of anticipation, as he knew what was coming the second he saw Yeonjun's car turn the corner.
A familiar ear-piercing screeeeeeeeech turned all of the heads in the vicinity.
Beomgyu already knew who it was. His ride.
To the surprise of the oblivious bystanders, it wasn't a fancy sports car. No, that would be too much for a group of university students. Rather, an old and beaten up grey 2000s Volvo skidded up to the curb of the empty parking lot, music blasting as loud as its worn out speakers could go. It was dirty and in clear need of a wash, and the back bumper was adorned with a decently sized dent that no one remembered how it got there.
The windows rolled down to reveal the driver, wearing a pair of stylish sunglasses and leaning over his passenger, who had sunken below his seat out of embarrassment. "Choi Beomgyu!" Yeonjun shouted, tipping his shades. In the back seat, Kai leaned across the car and energetically waved out the window. Without hesitation, Beomgyu ran around the back and opened the trunk, chucking his bag inside with three others.
Beomgyu yanked the car handle and threw open the car door. He jumped into the back seat on the passenger side across from Kai. He offered Beomgyu a bag of pretzels that he was eating, which Beomgyu gratefully took from. Kai was one of the two sophomores in their friend group. Their designated seats had never been verbally assigned, but they were enforced like an unspoken rule.
Without checking if Beomgyu had his seatbelt on, Yeonjun pressed the gas as soon as the car door shut. He lowered the volume of the music, which was mainly for the entertainment of embarrassing his passengers in front of their peers. Beomgyu wasn't completely immune to the humiliation of hopping in Yeonjun's car, but this being his junior year in college, he had learned to enjoy the commotion.
Soobin, the poor soul sitting shotgun, was the very opposite. In his senior year, he still hid himself from being seen by ducking below the window. He kept one hand covering his face as he slid back up his seat, making sure that he wasn't recognized until they were completely out of the parking lot. He grimaced with embarrassment and furiously pressed the button that rolled up his window. Soobin was a part of the graduating class of seniors, along with Yeonjun, although at first glance it was hard to believe that they were the same year.
"Do you always have to make such a scene?" Soobin asked, however he already knew the answer.
"It's part of the fun," Yeonjun replied, a smug look on his face. "We have to make these last few weeks memorable. Right?"
The semester ended in just under a month. And to Beomgyu, that meant that two of his best friends were graduating. He didn't like to think about it too much, because his friends were also his roommates. They all lived together in a small apartment not too far from campus, and although it was cramped and messy, they had learned to call it home. Moving in together was one of the best decisions they had ever made. But if Soobin and Yeonjun were graduating this year, they would all be moving out. These last few weeks served as a last ditch attempt to bring their friend group closer together before graduation, something that they all needed after multiple years of busy schedules and heavy workloads.
Noticing he had slightly more leg room than usual, Beomgyu asked, "Hey, where's Taehyun?"
"Swim practice," Yeonjun replied, and he turned out onto the main road. "We're picking him up in an hour."
After coming to a red light, Yeonjun finally turned to greet Beomgyu. He leaned his arm over the passenger seat and asked, "So, how was class?"
"Great. We're working on our final project, that portfolio I told you about." Beomgyu was majoring in film, and he had been working on creating a collage for his final project. It was difficult to find the shots to truly convey the emotions he wanted, but he knew he could piece something together within the next couple weeks.
"What's new with you?" Beomgyu asked in return.
"Not too much, actually. I ordered my cap and gown today." He laughed at the expense of his wallet and let his mind unravel. "You know, the whole maturing and being on your own thing is kind of hitting me. I don't like it," he admitted. Graduating made Yeonjun feel like he was being kicked out of everything good he had ever known. He worried that they would never be like this again, with all five of them together all the time. He wanted to stay like this for a bit longer, and he tried to shove the thought to the back of his mind. Today would be good. He had managed to drag Soobin out of their apartment today, which was a start.
"Oh, and apparently Soobin thinks I'm a bad driver," Yeonjun blurted smugly.
Soobin was quick to deny it. "I never said that."
"It was implied."
Soobin smiled. "Just because I held on to the grab handle? You were going 65 in a 40."
Yeonjun pretended to act offended that Soobin doubted his judgement. "It was perfectly safe." Beomgyu and Kai gave each other a knowing look.
Yeonjun took notice of their silence. "Hey, listen, I got you there safe."
"I mean... your driving isn't the worst I've ever seen," Kai pointed out optimisticly.
Beomgyu and Soobin both laughed, but Yeonjun switched between radio channels to pull the attention away from him. He smiled begrudgingly, as he couldn't find anything but advertisements.
"Can I get aux?" Beomgyu asked.
"No," Yeonjun instantly turned him down, continuing to fiddle with the stereo with one hand, holding the wheel with the other.
"Come on!" Beomgyu complained. "Taehyun always gets aux." Yeonjun didn't give in. "This is favoritism," Beomgyu muttered.
Yeonjun pointed an accusatory finger towards the back seat. "Taehyun gets priority over aux because he's forced to sit in the middle. You know this."
"It's not my fault that he's the shortest," Beomgyu bit back.
"Could we switch Beomgyu over to your side, so he stops kicking my chair?" Soobin requested.
"I don't want him behind me," Yeonjun protested.
As a punishment for bringing up the topic, Beomgyu drove his heel into the back of Soobin's chair, making him jolt forward with enough force to hurt a little.
Soobin let out a grunt and turned around to try to strangle Beomgyu through the headrest.
Yeonjun gave up on finding anything on the radio, so instead he inserted his favorite Bruno Mars CD, a familiar album that had accompanied many of their car rides in the past. Speeding down the street only slightly faster than legal, Beomgyu rolled down his window and stuck his head out the window to scream his heart into the wind. Kai nodded his head along to the beat while he watched the leaves of the small trees along the road sway in the breeze. Yeonjun sang along while tapping to the beat on the steering wheel.
It had been decided prior to Beomgyu getting in the car that they were stopping at their go-to cafe place. Yeonjun paid for all of them. Soobin got a croissant and a bagel for Taehyun, Yeonjun got an iced americano, Beomgyu got a cake pop, and Kai got a cookie. When they all got seated back in the car, Yeonjun turned down the music and rested his feet up against the car door.
Somehow the conversation had circled back around to summer break. None of them had any interesting plans, so instead they started talking about all of the things they wished they had the time to do. They wanted to find a day to go to the fair or to the beach, even though no one would ever be daring enough to find a day or set a time. This was their last summer to truly be young; they had to relive those childhood memories of hot days at the amusement park and sand sticking to their wet feet after playing in the waves.
"What are you going to do after you graduate, Yeonjun?" Kai finally asked.
Yeonjun sighed. It wasn't a difficult question, but for some reason it seemed to make the lighthearted mood a bit heavier. They all were so used to ignoring the big picture that suddenly the idea of having any plans after this summer was a distant fantasy. "I don't really know. I think I'm going to look into joining a dance company."
"Really?" Beomgyu asked. He seemed surprised. "I thought you wanted to be an actor."
Yeonjun rolled his head against the headrest. "That too. But I've already tried acting, and I'm not sure if it's for me. It's scary to admit that I don't know exactly what I'm going to do. Just nothing boring, I know that for sure." Yeonjun was majoring in film and TV, but he had taken a minor in dance, so he kept his options open. "I don't want to be stuck doing something boring that I don't enjoy. So whatever it is, I have to be interested in it..." Yeonjun went quiet, trying to think about where he would go after he moved out of the dorm. His throat tightened and his mind went silent apart from this deep sense of dread. He didn't want to leave his home behind. He had rooted himself here, around the people he loved. Leaving university felt so distant. There was no guide from here. Yeonjun turned the attention away from himself. "What about you, Soobin? What do you want to do?"
"Oh..." Soobin hesitated. "I'm taking an apprenticeship at a sales place."
"No, not that. There has to be something you want to do. It could be anything," Beomgyu encouraged. "I've always wanted to travel around the world."
Soobin thought to himself. Everywhere he wanted to go was expensive and distant. He didn't know if he wanted to try anything new. "A vacation would be nice. But I don't know. I guess I'm happy where I am. I like being with you guys."
That gained a loud "AWWWWW" from Kai and Beomgyu, who weren't used to hearing any form of compliments from him. Soobin melted away in his seat, covering his face again.
"You love us so much," Beomgyu teased, shaking Soobin's seat vigorously. "Ohhh, you couldn't live a moment without us."
"No!" Soobin denied it, but he knew it was true. "Seriously, though. Seriously!" he shouted, trying to get Beomgyu's attention away from humiliating him. "Why would I want anything more? How can I dream about leaving when everything that is important to me is right here?" Soobin momentarily met eyes with Kai smiling fondly and he melted once again.
Kai reached a hand out to comfort Soobin. "No, no, we get what you're saying."
"I feel the same," Yeonjun chimed in.
Kai continued. "I don't care if we get separated, like when you two inevitably have to go places and live your lives outside of college." He gestured towards the oldest two in the front seat. "We still have to stick together, no matter what, even if we're separated. We'll call every night, and you guys better pick up."
That earned Kai collective agreement, which was rare for them.
"Speaking of togetherness, aren't we meant to pick up Taehyun?" Beomgyu asked.
"Oh, yeah. What time does his practice end again?" Yeonjun replied.
"Five thirty."
"And what time is it?"
"It's 5:34."
The realization dawned on Yeonjun's face. "Oh, shit." He muttered long strings of profanities under his breath.
Kai and Beomgyu looked at each other, trying to restrain their laughter as smiles creeped across their faces.
Yeonjun turned his key, starting the car. "Everyone put your seatbelts on, we're picking up our boy."
All of them quickly buckled their seatbelts with newfound urgency, and before they knew it, Yeonjun was backing out of the parking lot, fully dedicated to getting to the pool.
After driving only a few miles over the speed limit and going through a few close yellow lights, they pulled up to the front of the aquatic center's parking lot. Yeonjun took the first spot, not caring that he technically wasn't allowed to park there, as the spot was marked reserved. He jumped out, leaving his phone and jacket in the car, thinking to himself that they wouldn't be gone long.
Beomgyu started speed walking towards the pool, and Yeonjun matched his pace. By the time they stepped inside, they were practically jogging, Soobin and Kai in tow. Inside, half the lights were off, and Taehyun was sat at one of the benches with a towel around his neck. He had already changed into a plain white t-shirt and black cargo pants. His hair was wet and hanging in front of his eyes. The rest of the swim team had already left, so the building was entirely empty.
Taehyun looked up from his phone and smiled to see his friends, all partially out of breath and a solid fifteen minutes late. He expected nothing less.
Soobin joined Taehyun on the bench and handed him his bagel. He then rested his head against his shoulder with an exasperated sigh.
"They dragged you along?" Taehyun asked, slightly surprised. Soobin would usually rather play videogames at the dorm than hang out with the others.
"Yeahhhh," Soobin complained. "But Yeonjun bought me a croissant, so I'm happy."
Taehyun snorted. "I have some snacks in my backpack if you're hungry."
Soobin immediately regained his energy. "Yes, please."
Taehyun reached into his backpack to pull out a bag of rice crackers. Soobin took one gratefully as they both watched the others approach the side of the pool.
Beomgyu laid down on the wet pavement to stick his hand in the pool, gasping at the refreshing touch of the water. When he sat back up, the chest of his shirt was all soaked from the puddles on the pavement.
Yeonjun looked back at Taehyun, already beginning to take his shoes off. "It's fine if we just dip our feet in, right?"
"Yeah, go ahead," Taehyun shrugged.
"Oooooh. Wait, wait, wait, I'll join you." Kai set his phone and cardigan on the bench next to Taehyun. Kai threw his shoes under the bench.
Beomgyu made ripples with his hand across the once still pool, and the water was surprisingly warm to the touch. He rolled up his pant legs to stick his feet in, and a cool rush of nostalgia filled him. Like a little kid, he felt as if he were free to play and do whatever he wanted. Here, in this empty building, it was just him and his friends, spending time together like on a summer afternoon.
Kai stared down into the water, noticing how some of the tiles lining the pool were clearly discolored, cracked, or missing. It messed up the pattern, especially the solid lines that were meant to mark the lanes of the pool. Kai often got wrapped up in small details. He didn't like looking at the big picture, it was often too hard to process. Instead, he took things step by step, and he would focus on little nuances. It was important to appreciate the little things.
Yeonjun noticed Kai zoning out, and he saw an opportunity. Yeonjun came up from behind and teasingly shoved Kai, hard enough to make him stumble. He very luckily regained his balance and moved away from the edge.
"Hey!" Kai screamed. It echoed all around the walls of the pool. Kai met Yeonjun's playful and challenging stare. In their gaze there was mutual agreement, one of them was probably going to end up soaked.
Kai grabbed Yeonjun's shoulders and tried to shove him in, but Yeonjun was stronger. He scooped Kai off the ground and attempted to toss him in. With a significant amount of shouting from both boys, they teetered on the edge of the wet pavement and the water. Kai refused to let go of Yeonjun and inevitably dragged them both into the pool with a loud splash.
Laughter echoed around the empty swim center.
Kai and Yeonjun both popped back up from under water, gasping from the cold and trying to keep their wet hair out of their eyes. The water was five feet deep, so instead of swimming, both boys preferred standing and wading through the water.
Yeonjun started cupping his hands together to splash large waves of water towards Kai. Yeonjun was ruthless, and no matter how much Kai hopped backwards, Yeonjun remained in pursuit.
Beomgyu noticed Kai struggling. "Splash him back, Kai!" he shouted.
Taehyun snorted as he watched Kai's attempt at offense, which consisted of spinning his hands around like a helicopter, spraying water everywhere but at Yeonjun.
Beomgyu continued his frivolous cheering. "Use your feet! Come on! Get him, Yeonjun!"
Finally, Yeonjun turned his attack towards his commentator, who was awfully like a fly buzzing around his ear. Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu's right leg and attempted to pull him in the pool. Beomgyu screamed loudly and pulled his leg away quickly.
"Hey, hey, HEY! Let me put my stuff away! If my phone ends up in the pool, I'm making you pay for it."
Beomgyu returned after setting down his jacket, shoes, socks, and phone. He took a couple strides backwards, and disregarding the 'NO RUNNING' sign on the floor, he started sprinting full speed towards the pool.
He shouted all the while, taking a leap of faith and flailing his arms as he made a splash that rippled across the entire pool. Yeonjun and Kai both flinched away from the splash, and in return they began flicking water back at Beomgyu when his head popped back up from underwater.
Beomgyu considered himself a good swimmer, or at least better than Kai and Yeonjun. He knew how to keep his head above the water, but his true talent was holding his breath for a really long time. He was second only to Taehyun, the competitive swimmer. Beomgyu made sure to flaunt his skills whenever he could.
Taehyun stood up from the bench with a heavy sigh. Taehyun had to play the role of the lifeguard, mainly because the others weren't the strongest of swimmers. If it were just Yeonjun and Kai in the pool, he trusted them enough to not drown each other. But with Beomgyu, suddenly the pool became a battlefield, and it was every man for himself. Taehyun jumped in as both a referee and a competitor, and Soobin became increasingly aware that he was the only one who wasn't wet. Soobin would much rather stay away from the pool, not just because he had a fear of water, but also because he didn't find getting drowned by his friends fun. Soobin took his shoes off anyways and set down his phone... just in case.
Soobin watched Taehyun join in the splashing match, and the collective competitiveness only grew progressively stronger. They would all team up against Yeonjun, but when Yeonjun would prove himself a formidable opponent, they would all turn on Kai, and Kai would divert their attention to splashing Beomgyu, and so on and so forth.
Taehyun quickly claimed his rightful title as king of the pool. He could hold his breath longer than Beomgyu, out-splash all of them, and he was so quick that it was almost impossible to tell which direction the attack was coming from. Taehyun's smile never left his face.
Soobin found plenty of amusement just watching from the sidelines. He thought he was a good spectator, and he would chime in with encouragement every so often. He didn't need to participate if he didn't want to. He didn't feel the urge to do anything that he wasn't comfortable doing. This was more than enough for him to be content.
From the corner of his eye, Soobin caught a glimpse of a faint glow emerging from the opposite side of the pool. At first Soobin thought it was one of the lights lining the edge of the pool, but he quickly realized that it was coming from the bottom of the pool, not the sides.
"Guys?" Soobin called. He failed to get their attention, because Kai was currently being submerged underwater by Yeonjun and Taehyun. "Guys!" Soobin tried again more assertively.
Beomgyu looked up and gave Soobin his attention. "What?"
"Is that light normally there?" Soobin pointed to the deep end of the pool, where the faint golden glow had only gotten brighter.
Yeonjun and Taehyun froze, and upon the sudden change in mood, all the boys stopped their play fighting.
Taehyun tried to process what he was seeing. Surely his eyes were deceiving him. "I'm almost one hundred percent sure I've never seen that there before."
Beomgyu swam closer. "It's coming from a little square at the bottom. Like a door or something."
Yeonjun looked back at Soobin, who was now on his feet. "That wasn't there earlier. We would have seen it."
"Yeah..." Soobin agreed. He walked barefoot around the edges of the pool to get a closer look. He squatted five feet from the door, close enough to feel like a part of the group but far enough from the water to feel safe.
They all waded around the square as golden light illuminated their faces. Even Taehyun seemed stumped. "I know this pool inside and out, and I've never seen this trapdoor before."
Kai had an inspired awe in his eyes, sparkling with curiosity. "Where do you think it goes to?" Kai asked.
Kai's enthusiasm was infectious. "There's only one way to find out," Taehyun replied, and without much warning he dove under the water.
Taehyun pulled at the handle from underwater, and the other boys watched as he struggled to open it.
Kai took a deep breath and dove after Taehyun to help him. Kai placed his hands on the worn wooden handle right next to Taehyun's.
Then suddenly, click.
The door slowly opened, and the shining yellow light faded to reveal an ominous dark unknown. The boys couldn't see much from above the water, but they could tell there was definitely something through that door.
Yeonjun and Soobin exchanged a worried glance. Yeonjun usually wasn't scared when it came to exploring something new, but this made him very nervous. Soobin was just worried that this meant he would have to get in the water, and he really didn't feel like getting his clothes wet.
Kai and Taehyun popped back up from underwater, taking heavy breaths.
"We have to see what's down there," Kai insisted, filled with excitement.
Yeonjun looked down into the dark and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. Every part of him was screaming that this couldn't end well, but why did that excite him? He wanted to make sense of it, but he couldn't. "Could it be pool equipment? Or some type of maintenance room?"
"Do you see that!?" Beomgyu argued, a tinge of nervousness creeping through his voice. "A mysterious glowing trapdoor like that doesn't lead to boring pool equipment."
"I'll go through and check it out," Taehyun volunteered. After all, the pool was like Taehyun's second home. He knew every inch of this place, so if there was an unsolved mystery, like hell he was going to be the one to figure it out.
Soobin instantly protested. "Wait. Wait a minute. Please don't," Soobin held his hands out cautiously, like he was trying to calm an angry bull. "Doesn't that thing look super dangerous? You don't know what could be on the other side."
"Are you scared?" Beomgyu teased.
"No..." Soobin hesitated. "We just don't know what's down there."
Yeonjun backed him up. "For once I agree with Soobin."
Soobin let out a grateful sigh, but Yeonjun wasn't finished.
"Taehyun should check it out-"
"We shouldn't touch that thing at all!" Soobin hissed under his breath.
Yeonjun glared back at Soobin, the hypocrite who wasn't even willing to get within five feet of the door. "We have to!" He argued. "We can't just turn around and go home. Look at them." Yeonjun gestured to the others. "How can you tell them no?"
Soobin looked back to see Kai, Taehyun, and Beomgyu all looking at him expectantly, like little kids.
"So we can go?" Kai asked.
"It'll be just a minute," Taehyun reasoned.
"And you don't have to come if you don't want to," Beomgyu added.
At that, Soobin got a little self-conscious. He didn't want to be left out. He crossed his arms stubbornly. "No, I'm coming."
Taehyun smiled. He had all the permission he needed. He inhaled deeply and dived under the water, reaching out his fingertips to hold the edges of the trapdoor. With curiosity boiling over, Taehyun silently swore himself that this was going to be perfectly safe, and he swam through the door headfirst.
As he stuck his head through, all his senses were thrown off. His ears popped, his head felt like it was spinning, and the water on the other side was so cold it felt like ice on his skin. Taehyun held his breath, but as he continued to swim downwards, he realized that the surface was above his head rather than at his feet. It was like someone had flipped the pool upside down with him still in it.
He swam down or maybe up, he couldn't quite tell, and his face broke the surface on the other side. The air was crisp and sweet with the scent of fallen rain. His feet met the bumpy surface of cold rock, and Taehyun stood. The water wasn't as deep as he expected, as it went only up to his waist. Taehyun wiped his eyes, barely able to believe what he was seeing. Around him echoed the sound of falling water. There were vines dangling from the ceiling and moss adorning every corner of the small cave. There was an opening ten feet away that allowed for light to pour into the small cove. Dim sunlight reflected off the water, which adorned the entire room with shimmering ripples of light. The ceiling was low enough it was dangerously close to Taehyun's head. But he had made it, and that was all that mattered. Taehyun's eyes glimmered in awe of how peaceful and enchanted such a small secluded area could be.
For a moment he had gotten distracted from the reason he had come in the first place. Taehyun turned back around and gazed through the little trap door from where he had entered. Through it he could see the ceiling of the pool, and four startled faces looking back at him.
The other four boys waited patiently as they watched Taehyun vanish through this mysterious door. They glanced at each other silently worrying.
"You think he's okay?" Kai asked.
"I don't know," Soobin muttered under his breath.
Beomgyu got impatient, partially out of nervousness. "I'm going down there. I know he's fine."
Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu's arm to hold him in place. "No, we wait."
Soobin's heart was beating out of his own chest. Nothing could describe the fear that ran through him at the thought that he had no clue if his friend was alright. Hell, if he was alive, they knew nothing about where he even was, or if he was even safe. Soobin hated jumping blindly into danger without knowing what they were getting into.
Finally, an obscured yet familiar face waved from the other side, unscathed and perfectly unharmed. However, Taehyun was standing as if he was upside down, like he was mirroring them, like he was in a whole other flipped world.
"It's a portal," Yeonjun whispered under his breath. The realization made a part of him want to know more. This felt right, like a puzzle piece fitting into place.
"He's fine, Soobin," Kai reassured him.
Beomgyu seemed satisfied with himself. "I knew it." He dove under without another word, showing complete confidence.
That confidence was stripped of him when he felt the icy touch of the water on the other side of the portal. It felt as if tiny little needles of energy were making their way through his skin. They filled his mind with a loud and high pitched ringing. Beomgyu closed his eyes and kept swimming. On the other side, two hands grabbed his shoulders, pulling him to the surface. Beomgyu took a breath in and opened his eyes. He was face to face with Taehyun, and all the chaos in his mind was instantaneously silenced.
Upon seeing the sheer beauty of their surroundings, Beomgyu forgot all about his doubts. Words couldn't describe what he was feeling. How a place so magical could exist outside of his dreams, he didn't know. Was he dreaming? He didn't care, because if he was, he didn't want to wake up.
The reverberations of rippling water against solid stone made the cavern sound heavy with an ancient strength, like the cave itself was created by something more powerful than just natural forces. It carried an aura that Beomgyu couldn't pinpoint, almost deceptive yet enticing.
Behind them, a loud gasp echoed through the grotto. Both Taehyun and Beomgyu turned to see Kai, who seemed momentarily shaken but quickly recovered by himself. He stood quickly, and Taehyun watched Kai take in their surroundings. He couldn't help but be moved by how the youngest took in every little detail, from the cracks in the rocks to the little fish swimming near the shallows.
Wading shoulder deep in water, Yeonjun bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement, mostly unbothered by the turn of events. Soobin met his eyes. He was still squatting at the edge of the pool, completely dry and unwilling to go any further.
"Do you want to go?" Yeonjun asked Soobin, worried about leaving him alone.
"Kind of? Not really," Soobin admitted with a laugh. "This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself.
"I know," Yeonjun laughed, confirming his fear.
Soobin inhaled deeply. "Have we lost our minds?"
"Oh, this is absolutely absurd," Yeonjun agreed, yet somehow he found amusement in this fact.
He was standing alone in this empty indoor pool where he watched three of his friends disappear into an unexplainable portal? And somehow Yeonjun was excited? No, Soobin was staying put where he was.
Both Soobin and Yeonjun jumped out of their skin when they heard splashing coming from the portal. Taehyun popped up from under the water next to Yeonjun, re-entering the pool.
"Taehyun," Soobin sighed, and he sounded as if he was about to cry.
Now we can pack up and go home.
Taehyun reached out his hand.
"Just listen to me."
Soobin furrowed his brow, but Taehyun continued. "There's a cavern with a shallow little pool that leads to a massive waterfall on the other side. It's like a rainforest! It's so cool, you have to see it. Come on." He was so energetic about it, Soobin almost wanted to agree just to make Taehyun happy.
Soobin desperately searched for an excuse. "Wait, wait, wait. I don't know. What about Yeonjun? I don't want to leave him alone."
Taehyun laughed. "It's perfectly fine, it's safe. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but it would be sad for you to miss it. This is a once in a lifetime discovery."
They both looked expectantly at Soobin, who only threw his head backwards in annoyance.
"You're going to make me do this, aren't you?" Soobin groaned. He tapped his fingers against the rim of the pool in contemplation. Finally, he looked back at Taehyun. "I'll go," he decided. He lowered himself slowly and jumped in the pool, getting his clothes all wet.
"What!?" Yeonjun spun around quickly, accidentally splashing himself in the face out of excitement. "I mean- I thought- well- I thought you weren't- Hey! That's great!" Yeonjun exclaimed.
A smile of joy spread across Taehyun's face, and he looked simply elated. Soobin remained cautious as he slowly waded over to the door, getting to see it up close for the first time. Taehyun glanced at Yeonjun and back at Soobin, making sure his excitement was shared by all. He wrapped his arm under Soobin's shoulder. "I'm gonna take Soobin first. You can follow."
Yeonjun nodded, giving a thumbs up.
Then, a little quieter, Taehyun whispered into Soobin's ear. "I promise you'll be fine."
Soobin squinted his eyes closed, and he readily pinched his nose to keep the water out.
"Now just hold your breath," Taehyun instructed. "Three... two... one..." Soobin and Taehyun both took a large breath in and dove under the water. Soobin blindly kicked his way through the door, and Taehyun guided him, following right behind. Then they were gone.
Left alone in a still pool, Yeonjun began to contemplate his choices. All he ever wanted was an escape. But he knew this was a really stupid idea.
Somehow, his heart overpowered his mind. He didn't have much time left as a student, so he might as well break some rules, as long as it meant he could savor the last of his youth. So he was going to follow his friends, to the ends of the earth if he had to.
Or in this case, through a portal at the bottom of the pool.
Yeonjun peered down through the door to see Soobin, Taehyun, Kai, and Beomgyu waiting for him. There was no point in hesitating. He had no plan, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He swallowed his fear, took a large breath, and dove under the water.
Here goes nothing.