The water was a deep dark blue-gray.
At dawn, when the sun barely rose, the grass was dark. The ceiling was made of glass, so during the day dazzling sunlight came through, but without the sun it was useless, and the space looked up at from inside the water bore a deep blue-gray shade.
A few meters down and the view would be completely blocked by pitch darkness, but the indoor pool’s deepest part was only about three meters at most.
So Yoori enjoyed the dim silence under the water shimmering with deep blue-gray.
However, the ephemeral coziness did not last long. Suddenly, bright lights flooded the whole world.
The once subtly dark surface shimmered painfully white. Someone seemed to have entered.
When Yoori first came into the pool, there was no one. It was dimly dark but not so dark as to be invisible, and in fact, even if she couldn’t see well underwater, it didn’t bother her much.
So she stayed submerged without turning on the lights, enjoying the darkness. Listening closely, she heard dull footsteps approaching.
Someone had come inside and turned on the lights, apparently intending to enter the pool. Yoori thought briefly about what to do but without much hesitation decided to surface.
Something like this had happened once before, when she had ignored it and kept swimming underwater, almost getting into trouble.
That time, a man had turned on the lights in the dark pool, thinking no one was there, and while swimming, suddenly the submerged Yoori passed quietly beneath him, startling him so much he even had a seizure.
She had to pull him out of the pool, massage him, and bring him water, and once he came to his senses, he started swearing at her, which left Yoori feeling quite wronged.
However, since she couldn’t free herself from the responsibility of the original provision, she silently took all his curses upon herself.
She didn’t want to go through that situation again.
Getting insulted was one thing, but she knew well how dangerous it could be if someone was shocked unexpectedly underwater.
"...
Taking a deep breath, Yoori surfaced and looked toward the source of the footsteps. The distance was enough so that the person wouldn’t be shocked into a seizure, but still, it was startling to suddenly see someone emerge where she thought no one was, and she felt a bit sorry for the newcomer.
However, Yoori’s expectation was wrong. Standing at the poolside, as if waiting for her to come out, was Ringsinru.
Rather, Yoori was so surprised that she blinked repeatedly, and only when Ringsinru said, “Are you okay?” did she regain her senses and swim toward him.
“What brings you up so early?”
“Oh, I just got up to use the bathroom, but Gabe’s door was open and no one was inside. I thought maybe he went swimming, so I looked out onto the veranda and saw that no one was in the outdoor pool either. It woke me up wondering where everyone disappeared to at this hour.”
“I thought you’d be here,” Ringsinru murmured, and as he said, he looked like he had just woken up.
He had wrapped a knee blanket like a cloak around his shoulders, dragged his slippers as he walked, scratched his messy hair that stuck out wildly, and even removing the sleep crust from his eyes didn’t make him look unpleasant, which made Yoori think for a moment that nature really does matter.
“You were swimming outside until yesterday, and now you’ve moved indoors?”
Ringsinru picked up the water bottle Yoori had left by the pool along with a towel and took a long drink, looking around. It seemed like this was his first time coming to the gym on the mansion’s top floor, including the indoor pool.
“The outside air’s getting cold...
Yoori opened her mouth to say something more but stopped halfway.
Ringsinru, who usually slept late, was always still in bed until Yoori finished swimming and returned home, so how had he noticed all this?
Ringsinru was one of those who knew a lot about others without showing any sign.
“Well, the water’s pretty cold now to swim outside, huh?”
Ringsinru pulled a folding chair over and sat down nearby. It seemed he wasn’t going anywhere soon.
“No... the water’s still fine. Inside the water is warmer than outside. But when you get out, if the outside air is cold, that’s tough.”
So from today on, Yoori decided to use the indoor pool, until the cold season passed and the weather warmed again.
“Oh, I see,” Ringsinru murmured and smiled.
“I chose this mansion because it had great gym facilities, thanks to Gabe. It’s really worth it. It’d be a shame not to use what’s provided.”
But even as he said that, Ringsinru himself didn’t use the pool or the gym next to it. As far as Yoori knew, this was his first time here.
“I really should exercise more,” he muttered, wandering through the empty space alone, then looked at Yoori and smirked.
“Do you like the water that much?”
“Yes, I do.”
Yoori answered without hesitation, which made Ringsinru smile even more.
“More than sleep?”
The comparative made her hesitate a bit.
“At least after I’ve had enough sleep.”
No matter what, she wouldn’t choose the pool over the bed without having slept at least a little.
Ringsinru laughed as if incredulous.
“At least some sleep? Gabe only sleeps two or three hours a day? We stayed up together until past three yesterday, and do you know what time it is now?”
Yoori looked at the clock on the wall pointing to just past six a.m., and closed her mouth. She was about to say she always woke at about this time even if she slept late, but Ringsinru, who never had a fixed waking time like a chameleon, wouldn’t have heard it anyway.
“Wow... Gabe’s stamina is incredible... Is he even human? Only sleeping two or three hours yet coming to work out looking fine.”
“It’s more like he comes to relax than exercise.”
“Oh, really?”
He still didn’t listen.
Although it might sound like a compliment that he had good stamina, the tone of questioning if he was human made Yoori feel a bit unfair, like she was being insulted.
For Yoori, entering the water was truly rest, not exercise, and in fact, Ringsinru was the one with better stamina.
Just yesterday, for example. The reason they stayed up late last night was because of Ringsinru—not just late, but all day hiking.
Even at over seventy, Jinhwaryeong often went hiking when chanting “Injayo-san,” and yesterday he had gone out with a few direct family members.
Though the mountain was just over a thousand meters and had well-maintained trails making the hike not difficult, it wasn’t easy for Jinhwaryeong’s age, and at the rougher parts Ringsinru supported him.
Taking care of others on a mountain hike must have been exhausting, but Ringsinru showed no sign of fatigue when they reached the summit and returned.
However, the problem came near the trailhead when his second older brother told him he had left his electronic organizer on the mountain.
His brother worried less about buying a new one and more about the schedule saved inside, so Ringsinru volunteered to go back up and get it.
Thanks to that, Yoori had to accompany him again. Worse, the organizer was left at the nearest temporary rest area to the summit.
After sending the rest of the family home, they climbed back up and returned late at night. Yoori showed no emotion but felt heavy in her limbs.
By rights, Ringsinru should have been more tired than Yoori since he helped her when she almost twisted her ankle going down.
But when they returned home, Ringsinru showed no sign of exhaustion; in fact, it was no different from usual except he said, “My eyes are tired. Please massage them,” without complaining of extra fatigue.
Usually, she forgot this since there wasn’t much to think about, but this cheerful and lovely young man was UNHRDO’s top secretary. So it made sense his stamina seemed inexhaustible.
And it wasn’t just stamina; he was also quietly strong. When they moved into the mansion, he casually moved the bed and wardrobe because he didn’t like the furniture arrangement. New chapters come out on novelping . com first.
The more Yoori thought about it, the more unfair it felt to be told “Are you really human?” by such a person.
“I guess living in the water all the time has made me superhumanly fit.”
She replied with a bit of sarcasm, but her indifferent tone and expression didn’t quite convey it. Ringsinru nodded innocently, “Maybe that’s true.”
“Hmm... My stamina hasn’t been great lately... Maybe I should try getting in.”
Ringsinru looked quietly at the pool where Yoori was submerged to her neck and hesitated. Yoori raised an eyebrow.
“I thought you said you couldn’t get in the pool?”
“Who said I can’t? I just don’t want to. I think I said I can swim?”
He replied as if surprised and dipped one bare foot into the water, splashing the surface with his foot, muttering “What to do?”
“But haven’t you not been in water for almost ten years?”
“Yeah... about that, you know me well.”
When Yoori asked who told him that, she stayed silent.
Watching Ringsinru stir the water with his foot, muttering about how he wished it hadn’t been that guy who watched a kid drowning without helping, Yoori had nothing to say. She just sealed her lips.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long; Ringsinru soon looked elsewhere and then glanced back at Yoori.
“Have you forgotten since it’s been so long?”
“No, I wouldn’t forget. Swimming is muscle memory. But my form is probably pretty bad.”
“Form,” Ringsinru echoed with a smirk.
“It’s not like you’re competing, and you’re just swimming for fun. Does form matter?”
“Competing?”
Yoori looked puzzled, then shook her head.
“Learning the basics isn’t to get good scores, but to enjoy water with less strain, using less energy. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Is that so?” Ringsinru murmured, staring at Yoori, then suddenly smiled.
“You sound just like an instructor... So you really like the water. Then maybe I should get in.”
Ringsinru took off the knee blanket from his shoulders and hung it on a chair. He was wearing only shorts that came down to his knees and had just that and the blanket on top.
“Is it okay to get in wearing shorts?”
Before Yoori could answer, Ringsinru jumped into the pool. Splash! The water splashed wildly and the surface rippled violently.
His form submerged briefly but soon surfaced near the surface, moving gracefully.
At first his strokes were rough but gradually his form improved. As he said, it might be hard to compete but it was enough for enjoyment.
He stopped at the far end, then swam back, exhaling heavily as he stood. Pushing back wet hair stuck to his face, he looked refreshed despite claiming not to like swimming or pools.
Yoori, silently watching him, wiped the water off her face and met his gaze, asking, “Did you have a good swim?”
Ringsinru, rubbing his face with his forearm while staring at her, smiled at the corners of his eyes.
“Why are you smiling like that? Was my form really that bad?”
Only then did Yoori realize she was smiling and quickly understood why.
She liked seeing Ringsinru in the water.
It made her very happy and glad that he was enjoying the water she loved so much. Though she felt a bit unfair thinking it was because of her, she was truly glad that he—who might have disliked water—was now in it.
“No, you did well. It’s hard to believe it’s been more than ten years since you last swam.”
“I’m good at most things once I get the hang of them. I was pretty good at swimming when I was young, even if I haven’t done it in a long time.”
Yoori laughed at how casually he bragged.
“But my body isn’t moving as well as I thought. My arms feel a bit off.”
“Maybe your arms are too far outside the water. Try pulling them in a bit.”
Though it really felt like she was a swimming instructor, she didn’t mind at all.
Yoori swam slowly a few meters ahead. Watching her strokes one by one, Ringsinru imitated her and swam back. He seemed to know intuitively what to focus on without needing to be told.
“Just your arms a little more... No, don’t use your shoulders so much, just relax... Wait a moment.”
Yoori floated on her stomach and approached Ringsinru, who swam a few meters away. Since it was hard to get the feel just by watching, she showed him directly.
When Ringsinru lifted his head or moved slightly, she supported his stomach with one arm so he wouldn’t sink, leaning over his back.
Almost lying on top of each other, she stretched out her arms, grabbed his wrist, and slowly rotated it in a steady angle so he could feel it physically.
Like this, she whispered, repeating a few times. Then she suddenly went quiet.
Only then did she realize she was aware of his body so close to hers.
The warmth transmitted through their touching skin felt unusually hot in the cool water.
Her heart pounded loudly, so big she worried he might feel it through the skin. Thump, thump.
She marveled at his body.
Calling it “pretty” felt insufficient — it was a beautiful, gracefully flowing male body.
Suddenly, a night came to mind — the night she might have deeply experienced this body, kissed him, tasted his tongue, and felt his warmth directly on her skin. Though it ended prematurely.
No regrets or sadness, but sometimes she thought about that soft, sweet scent.
Stop it. She thought that he would be displeased if he knew.
After helping Ringsinru adjust his form enough for him to feel it, Yoori released her arms. The water clung coldly to the arms that left his body.
She felt a little regretful, as if the warm memory was quickly being taken away.
“Like this. Do you get the feeling?”
“I think so.”
Ringsinru nodded. He swam a few laps nearby on his own, murmuring as if he caught on.
Then, as if saying, “Okay, that’s done,” he nodded and looked at Yoori with a gaze that lingered for a while, as if lost in thought.
Yoori, meeting his calm gaze, tilted her head in puzzlement. Ringsinru looked at her for a while longer, then smiled gently.
When Yoori frowned slightly at the ambiguous compliment, he quickly added, “I mean a good way,” but his smile still had a hint of something else.
“I just thought of something a moment ago. Not anything else, just curious.”
“Hm?”
Ringsinru looked at Yoori for a moment, as if debating whether to say something, then gave a pretty smile and spoke.
“Even in this situation, don’t you get any desire?
Even though you’re almost naked and tangled up?”
Hearing this teasing from Ringsinru, Yoori realized what he meant.
Perhaps he also recalled a past similar to hers. Or maybe, being perceptive, he noticed how he had thought her body was beautiful just moments ago.
Either way, she felt her face grow hot. Slowly.
She stared silently at Ringsinru’s expressionless face, blushing, and he seemed to notice.
“Oh, I was joking. Really.”
He tilted his head, smiling helplessly.
Looking at him, Yoori muttered stiffly, “I do.”
For a moment, his smile faded as he looked at her intently. Slowly she continued.
“Ringsinru, your body is beautiful, so I want to keep looking at it.”
She had even felt his warmth close before; with such a beautiful bare skin in front of her, it would be stranger not to feel desire.
Ringsinru, who had been watching her with a slightly lost expression, frowned with a smile. He muttered to himself, “Shouldn’t have asked,” and laughed quietly.
“But that’s the only desire I have.”
Yoori nodded. After a brief silence, an unexpectedly fresh answer came.
“Good, that much is fine.”
Yoori looked at him with only her eyes, not understanding what he meant. But smiling as if done with the subject, Ringsinru did not seem displeased.
“That much desire is allowed, so take care of me from now on.”
“...? Yes, please take care of me too.”
Though the greeting felt a little sudden, Yoori nodded and answered the same.
Right after, Ringsinru explained what he meant by “from now on.”
“Wake me up at dawn, too. To build stamina, teach me to swim well, teacher.”
“Your body’s prettier.”
Anette burst out laughing loudly over the phone, then said flatly.
...Is that so?
Yoori muttered vaguely, confused why this response came when she was talking about someone else’s beautiful body. But Anette often said strange things out of context.
The topic of swimming with her employer every dawn came up by chance.
It’s getting cold, so they’ll need to use the indoor pool, which was a pity, Yoori liked the outdoor pool better, and if possible, she preferred the sea even more, but Anette said this like a casual greeting.
“It’s okay. The mansion’s pool is a bit small, but there’s no problem for two people.”
“Two people? Really?”
“Ringsinru started swimming recently, so we often go together at dawn.”
When Yoori said that, there was silence on the other end for a while, and she called Anette again, wondering if the call had dropped.
“Anette?”
“Why? Don’t you usually dislike swimming with others? You must have gotten close to your employer?”
Anette teased playfully, and Yoori apologized late, saying she didn’t enjoy swimming with others much.
It wasn’t that she refused to enter a pool with someone else, but she preferred spacious, quiet places where she could feel the water without disturbance.
...But this wasn’t bad either.
The feeling that someone familiar and dear was somewhere in the same water.
“How is it? Are you good at swimming?”
Curious, Anette asked, and Yoori, deep in thought, answered without thinking.
“His body is beautiful.”
Then silence on the phone line lasted longer than before. Just when Yoori was about to ask if the call had dropped, laughter erupted from the other end, drawn out and wild, like it wasn’t human laughter.
She heard sounds of someone falling and exclaiming in pain.
Still laughing uncontrollably, Anette muttered, “I haven’t laughed like this in a long time. I didn’t expect you to say that. But the beautiful body is yours.”
When Yoori skeptically asked, “Is that so?” the firm reply came instantly.
“That’s right!”
“Why did I date you for several months even though our personalities didn’t match? Because I liked your figure. How beautiful it was.”
“...Thank you, Changcheon.”
So next time, go swimming with me, she added playfully, then laughed so hard she couldn’t talk, and Yoori patiently waited for her to return to the phone.
Once Anette calmed down a little, she said with a slightly serious voice despite still smiling.
“It’s such a luxury to have you as a swimming instructor, young master. I feel your talent is wasted.”
“I don’t think so. I’m doing well. By the way, Anette, wasn’t there something you wanted to talk about?”
“Oh, right, right. But it’s something you can ask someone else, so just think of this as an excuse to call again.”
With that preface, she brought up an easy matter related to her work. A man she was investigating recently went to China for a short stay, and she wanted to know what he had been doing there.
They acted as contacts for each other, and their networks were similar, so helping each other was natural.
Yoori had to be careful not to interfere with her main job, but usually they helped each other willingly.
“Okay. But I can’t check personally, so I’ll need some time. If it’s not urgent, it’s better to look into other leads too.”
Yoori wrote down the target’s personal information and said she’d check it out, estimating it would take about two weeks. They exchanged routine conversation, reassuring each other since she had told others as well.