Chapter 44

“Ugh…”

I dragged my slumped body out of the beach. Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a still seemed full of energy. The kids were laughing and splashing water at each other. The water sparkled, reflecting the sunlight, and through the gaps, the bright faces of the two kids were revealed. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but smile.

The stamina of little kids truly seemed endless. It was as if Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a had invisible nuclear fusion reactors installed inside them. Their miraculous stamina never seemed to run out. In comparison, I felt completely exhausted even though it felt like I hadn’t even played for an hour. Trying to match the kids’ stamina with an adult’s was just unreasonable.

The beach was bustling with families. Laughter and cheerful music could be heard everywhere. On one side, there were screams from kids trying to balance on a big inflatable tube, and on the other, cheers from people enjoying water sports. Everyone seemed to be fully embracing summer. Summer was indeed a great season for lively people.

I moved back to the spot under the parasol I had rented earlier. I only just realized that parasols weren’t free. Sitting under the parasol, I watched Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a.

After spending half a year together, they seemed really close now. When Ha-yeon playfully splashed water at Yoo-in-a, Yoo-in-a would cutely yell, “Hey!” pretending to be mad, and then scoop water back to attack Ha-yeon.

They were probably the protagonist and the second lead in a novel, so it was only natural they got along. Even though they seemed to bicker on the surface, it was a universal rule that they’d always team up to defeat any enemy in times of crisis.

“Ugh, it’s hot…”

Coming out of the cold seawater made me realize just how hot it was outside. There were no electric fans or air conditioners here, so beating this heat was impossible. Of course, being under the parasol’s shade helped, but without it, the sunlight would’ve hit me directly. I had slathered on sunscreen to protect my skin, though.

It was the kind of sunscreen that didn’t wash off in water. I had also applied it to Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a, so I wasn’t too worried about them getting sunburned. Once you put on sunscreen, you gain some immunity to the sun’s rays.

My throat felt parched. It was surprisingly common to get thirsty at the beach. No matter how much fun you were having, you’d inevitably swallow a bit of seawater. If it were a river or a stream, drinking the water wouldn’t be a big deal since it was freshwater.

But seawater was different. It was salty, so even a little bit would leave your mouth dry. I’d heard somewhere that drinking saltwater actually makes you thirstier.

I pulled a bottle of water from my bag, but I immediately frowned. I was paying the price for not bringing an icebox. Even in the shade, the temperature was so high that the water had already turned lukewarm. No, it was more like it was hot. It felt like the perfect temperature for a bath.

I got up and started walking. My destination was the store. Since it was a day trip and we didn’t have a car, I had planned to buy things locally. The plan was simple: minimize luggage and buy whatever we needed at the store.

Luckily, the store was close enough to the sandy beach that shopping in a bikini wasn’t a problem. It was so close that I could clearly see Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a playing from here. Of course, Yoo-in-a was too busy playing to notice, but Ha-yeon and I had made eye contact several times. I waved and smiled at her. Ha-yeon also smiled brightly and waved back, though she was soon knocked over by Yoo-in-a’s attack.

Inside the store, it was crowded with kids buying ice cream and people looking for drinks.

But I couldn’t help but wonder. Women would scream and feel embarrassed if their underwear was exposed to others. That was a given. Showing your underwear to a stranger carried a lot of meaning.

But swimwear was a different story. Women confidently strutted around the beach in bikinis. To me, swimwear and underwear looked almost the same. Of course, swimwear was designed to get wet, unlike underwear, but that was just a functional difference.

It was strange how women could feel embarrassed about underwear but confidently wear swimwear that exposed even more. It was one of the things I still couldn’t understand even after becoming a woman.

Men, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care much if their underwear was exposed, so I won’t say more about that.

I picked up a cold drink from the display. The coolness of the bottle spread through my fingertips and across my body.

I also needed to get drinks for the kids. I grabbed several bottles from the display—soda, fruit juice, and other drinks I liked.

We only needed drinks for now. I planned to get food from another store later. The kids were probably still playing happily. It was about time they’d start getting thirsty.

After paying, I picked up the plastic bag with the drinks and headed back.

Just then, a strange man’s voice called out from behind. Instantly, I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“Excuse me?”

I slowly turned my head. There were three or four adult men in swimwear standing there. I instinctively felt uneasy. Come to think of it, this was my first time at the beach since becoming a woman. Did that mean this was a pickup attempt?

“Yes…?”

I answered cautiously, on guard. I glanced around. Thankfully, this was a busy area, so the chances of something bad happening seemed low. But you never know. What once felt like someone else’s problem was now happening to me, and the unease didn’t go away easily.

I stared at the men with extreme tension. One of them stepped forward. He looked a bit hesitant, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

“You’re really cute. Can I get your number?”

“Huh…”

A pickup line. This would’ve never happened to the old me. Men hitting on women was common, but women hitting on men was extremely rare. The ratio was probably 99:1. Unless a man had literally saved the planet, it was usually the man who made the first move.

My face turned red from the first pickup attempt I’d ever received. My mind went blank. Should I reject him? But how? And…

As these questions swirled in my head, I just stood there dumbfounded.

“What are you doing to my mom?!”

At that moment, a familiar voice cut in. It was Ha-yeon. She stood in front of me, arms on her hips, glaring at the men. Despite her small stature, her attitude was fierce.

“Huh?”

The men looked at each other, confused. Ha-yeon took another step forward.

“You’re making my mom uncomfortable! Go away, now!”

Her gestures and tone were firm. Ha-yeon showed no hesitation in protecting me. Her small hands shooing the men away was both cute and reassuring.

“Oh… she’s married?”

“I told you! She’s been playing with the kids this whole time.”

“I thought they were relatives… Oh, sorry!”

Under Ha-yeon’s firm words, the men quickly bowed their heads and left. I finally relaxed and let out a deep breath. It was a relief they weren’t the kind of bad guys you’d see in novels. If things had gone wrong… just the thought was terrifying.

“Ha-yeon…”

I tightly held Ha-yeon’s hand. She was still glaring in the direction the men had gone. She looked so confident and strong. In a way, it felt like the roles of protector and protected had been reversed.

“Mom, are you okay?”

Ha-yeon looked up at me. Her eyes showed concern, but there was also a hint of pride.

“Yeah, thank you. Really… you saved me, Ha-yeon.”

“Protecting mom is my job!”

Ha-yeon smiled brightly and then ran back to the water. Watching her small figure, my tangled feelings slowly settled.

Kids may seem small, but sometimes, they can be the most reliable protectors in the world.