Work Text:
Embracing her shivering shoulders, Nayeon curses herself for dismissing the idea of bringing a sweater. She curses, in general, her impulse to come to this beach so early in the morning — but this is her only chance to have a heart-to-heart talk with herself.
For the first time in the past year, she’s escaped the city’s chaos and her own dark thoughts. A long-awaited vacation — finally, she can relax, take in the beautiful scenery, drink some good alcohol, and stop thinking about all the terrible people in her life. Like her ex. That disgusting, narcissistic guy who promised her so much, and Nayeon — the fool— actually believed him. She wants to stop thinking about him, but her broken heart screams louder than her reason, forcing her to replay everything over and over.
And here she is—the rising sun, the still-cold sand, a half-finished bottle of martini in her hand, and the sea stretching before her. Salty tears are already streaming down her cheeks, dripping onto her expensive dress. The neck of the bottle meets her lips more and more often, draining its contents. The waves move restlessly back and forth, creeping closer to her feet. Nayeon picks up a small pebble and angrily hurls it into the water, as if that could soothe her spirit. She’s always wanted to learn how to skip stones, sending ripples across the surface.
The bottle lands with a dull thud in the sand when Nayoung tosses it over her shoulder — the martini is gone. She folds her arms on her knees, rests her head on them, and stares at the water’s surface, shimmering with the orange reflection of the sun, trying to calm down and convince herself that everything is fine.
— “Miss, did you know littering on the beach is prohibited?”
She ignores the distant female voice, focusing instead on her own feet. Why should she care? She’ll sit here for an hour or two, then take the bottle back to her room. She was raised not to litter, after all. Her dad always said people who litter are just...
— "Are you okay?"
...Horribly rude. Or just horrible people? Yeah, horrible people. Like her ex.
She slowly turns her head toward the voice and meets a pair of worried brown eyes. Just like her ex’s.
And maybe — just maybe — she’s not okay.
— "You... Oh, did I say something wrong? Why are you crying?"
Crying? Is she crying? Nayeon touches her cheeks and feels wetness on her fingers. Oh.
The tears flow mercilessly now, her ears feel stuffed, and hysteria knocks ominously at the door. Her lips tremble, her nose itches unpleasantly, and she’s pretty sure she’s about to sob harder than a baby. The stranger sits beside her, looking her over anxiously, muttering something before reaching out a hand. Nayeon grabs it eagerly, burying her face in the other woman’s chest and crying loudly. The girl stays still, letting the emotions pour out, occasionally stroking Nayeon’s back.
After a while, Nayeon rests her head on the stranger’s shoulder, trying to breathe evenly and calm down. Then comes the story about her ex — how much she loved him, the stupid text message, and all the other things that come with breaking up with an asshole — punctuated by shaky breaths and efforts not to cry again. The stranger listens, nodding occasionally, and in a comforting gesture, strokes Nayoung’s hair.
— "So here I am, drowning my pain in martini, and then you show up," — Nayeon glances up at her through wet lashes, then pulls away from the half-embrace, curiosity replacing sorrow. —"Wait, who even are you?"
(Drunk Nayeon, by the way, has zero sense of tact.)
— "I’m Yoo Jeongyeon. A lifeguard on this part of the beach," — Jeongyeon smiles awkwardly, rubbing her stiff shoulder. — "I came for my shift, and there you were."
Nayeon’s lips form a surprised "O." So this is the person who saved her morning of sorrow and misery.
— "A real lifeguard?"
Jeongyeon barely nods before Nayeon grabs her arm and starts poking at her shoulder muscles. They’re firm — until Jeongyeon tenses, making them rock-solid. Nayeon lets out a drawn-out "wow," prodding at the skin like a child fascinated by a new toy.
— "I had to hit the gym a bit before applying for the job," — Jeongyeon grins, leaning back on her hands and gazing at the sea. — "I always wanted to be a lifeguard. In school, I was one of the tallest kids in class, had good stamina, and wanted to help people. The last piece was my love for the ocean — so I didn’t have to think too hard about my future."
Watching the way her brown eyes glow and her sharp profile catches the light, Nayeon thinks, This lifeguard is kinda pretty.
— "I wanna swim," — Nayeon declares suddenly, standing up and kicking off her shoes before heading toward the water.
— "Nope. No swimming while intoxicated," — Jeongyeon lazily checks her watch. 5:24 AM. — "I was supposed to be on duty half an hour ago."
— "Just pretend you are on duty — watching over a drunk person."
— "Still not allowed."
Nayeon exhales irritably, turning around to glare at Jeongyeon, who’s basking in the sunrise. (The martini, by the way, was less than half a bottle. She’s still capable of rational thought.) But if Jeongyeon won’t let her go alone, she’ll just follow her.
— "If you’re thinking of going in with me to bypass the rules, that’s not how this works."
— “But you’re a lifeguard!"
Jeongyeon just shrugs, as if to say not my problem. Nayeon sighs dramatically, clutching her head. What was she thinking a minute ago? That Jeongyeon was pretty? Add master of annoyance in parentheses next to that.
— "Give me your hand."
Nayeon opens her eyes to see Jeongyeon standing in front of her. She has to tilt her head back slightly — Jeongyeon wasn’t lying about her height.
— "Huh?"
— “I’ll make an exception. You can go in up to your knees — but only with me."
Nayeon pouts exaggeratedly and looks away. Like she needs favors. But she still holds out her hand. Jeongyeon’s palm is warm and smaller than Nayeon’s cold one.
The cool water wraps pleasantly around her legs, sending shivers up her spine. Small waves lap at the hem of her dress, but it’s nothing major. The water’s surface mirrors the pink dawn, blending into blue. Jeongyeon takes a deep breath of the salty sea air, squeezes Nayeon’s hand, then interlocks their fingers.
— “Happy now?"
— "If you kiss me right now, I will be."
(Also, please note in bold that Jeongyeon takes things very literally.)
It’s not quite a kiss — just lips pressing against hers for a second before pulling away. But Nayeon doesn’t want to pull away. She tugs Jeongyeon back and kisses her properly, arms looping around her neck, pulling her closer. The kiss tastes slightly sweeter than martini.
— "And now?" — Jeongyeon murmurs, blushing when Nayeon bumps their foreheads together, smiling smugly.
— "Now I’m happy."
(And scribble somewhere in the corner, circled in red: Jeongyeon is a good kisser and turns adorably red.)