}.* — Stay close to me. Fall behind — and I'll have to leave you. I hope you understand that.

 *The beach was crowded. Sun. Sand. Waves. Laughter.* *You were walking along the shore when a woman ran up to you. Breathless. Terrified.* *Her black hair with crimson tips was messy. Her pink ruffled top was crooked. Her matching skirt rode up her thighs.* *Her crimson eyes were wide. Wet. Desperate.* "Please—" *She grabbed your arm. Her hands were shaking.* "A man— in the changing room— he tried to—" *She couldn't finish. Her voice cracked.* "He recorded me. He has a video. Of me. nαkεd." *She looked back over her shoulder. Fearful. Checking if anyone was following.* "I didn't know who else to run to. I saw you. You looked... safe." *She clutched your arm tighter.* "Please help me. I don't know what to do."

*After nine miserable hours trapped inside a crowded bus, You finally arrived at the coastal town where You planned to spend the rest of summer break. Your body felt sore from the long journey, Your stomach still felt uneasy after throwing up several times along the way, and all You wanted was to collapse onto a bed. After checking in, the receptionist informed You that Your assigned room was Room 09. Carrying Your luggage over Your shoulder, You slowly made Your way through the row of small beachside housings. The evening breeze carried the scent of saltwater through the area as You passed Room 08 on the way to Your own room. Out of curiosity, You glanced toward the front yard of the neighboring housing and immediately froze. Sitting on a chair beneath the shade was Cha Eunseo. Several empty ice cream containers were scattered across a small table beside her while another half-finished ice cream rested in her hand. She lazily swung her legs back and forth, completely relaxed as she enjoyed the cool dessert. For a moment, neither of You moved. Then her eyes slowly met Yours. The spoon slipped from her fingers. She froze completely.* **Eunseo:** "D- did you see...?" *She stared at You in complete horror before immediately jumping to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair. Her face turned bright red as she hurriedly crossed her arms over herself.* "W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" *She pointed at You with a trembling finger.* "Don't tell me you followed me all the way here! I knew it! I absolutely knew there was something suspicious about you!" *She took several steps backward while glaring at You.* "There's no way this is a coincidence! Out of every beach, every town, every resort in the entire country, you somehow end up right next to me?!" *She glanced at the room number behind You before her expression became even more horrified.* "Room 09?! You're staying in Room 09?! My room is Room 08! That's literally right beside mine!" *She covered her face for a second before immediately pointing at You again.* "This is exactly what a stalker would do! You probably memorized my vacation plans somehow and booked the room next to mine!" *She quickly brushed her hair back and puffed herself up with obvious pride despite still acting defensive.* "And stop staring! Honestly, can you blame me for being cautious? Look at me! Of course people stare! Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to look this good?!" *She huffed loudly before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.* "Explain yourself, pεrvert. Right now. And if your explanation sounds even slightly suspicious, I'm reporting you the moment school starts again!"

**Shores of Koror Island, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia.** *The first thing you notice when the boat reaches the island is the color.* *The water surrounding the small stretch of jungle-covered land is so blue it almost looks artificial. Sunlight dances across the lagoon, turning the surface into liquid glass.* *You stand at the bow, sea breeze whipping your hair across your face, and smile despite yourself.* *This.* *This is exactly why you became a maritime historian.* *For months, you've dreamed about this expedition. A recently discovered eighteenth-century shipwreck. Historical records that don't quite match. A multidisciplinary team of experts brought together to uncover the truth.* *Paradise and a mystery.* *What more could you want?* *The boat bumps gently against the wooden dock.* *Researchers begin unloading crates and equipment while you grab your backpack and step onto the island.* *The camp sits just beyond the beach—a collection of tents scattered beneath towering palm trees.* *Voices drift through the humid air.* *Laughter. Conversation. Excitement.* *You spot several familiar faces from the university and exchange greetings as you make your way toward the camp.* *Everything is perfect.* *Until you hear a voice.* "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." *Your stomach drops. You know that voice.* *You turn. And there he is.* *Seth MacGregor.* *Leaning casually against a stack of supply crates like he's posing for a magazine cover rather than standing in the middle of a remote island.* *Tall. Infuriatingly attractive. Dark hair tousled by the wind. A smug grin already spreading across his face. Steel-blue eyes lock onto yours.* "Historian." *You stare.* *He smiles wider.* "Oceanographer." *For one brief moment, neither of you speaks.* *The memory of that conference comes rushing back.* *The argument during the panel discussion.* *The way he'd dismissed your interpretation of a naval trade route.* *The way you'd publicly informed him that knowing the depth of an ocean trench did not make him an expert on eighteenth-century maritime history.* *The audience had loved it.* *You'd loved it.* *Seth clearly had not.* "What are you doing here?" *you ask.* "The same thing as you." "I thought this expedition already had an oceanographer." "It did." *He shrugs.* "They wanted a better one." *You close your eyes.* *Of course he would say that.* *When you open them again, he's still looking annoyingly pleased with himself.* "Nice to see you too." "It isn't." "Ouch." *The bastard actually looks amused.* *Before you can think of a response, the expedition coordinator, Professor Henderson, appears carrying a clipboard.* "Excellent, everyone's here!" *No.* *Not excellent.* *Anything but excellent.* *Henderson looks between you and Seth.* "Ah, you've already met." "Unfortunately," *you say.* "Likewise," *Seth replies.* *The liar.* *Henderson either doesn't notice the hostility or chooses to ignore it.* "Wonderful. Then this should be easy." *A chill runs down your spine.* *Nothing good has ever followed the sentence: this should be easy.* "What should be easy?" *you ask cautiously.* *The professor consults his clipboard.* "Accommodation." *Oh no.* "Accommodation?" *Seth repeats.* "Small issue," *Henderson says.* "Dr. MacGregor was added to the expedition rather late." *You don't like where this is going.* "He arrived without most of the equipment originally allocated to him." *You really don't like where this is going.* "The camp is already full." *You stare.* *The professor smiles.* "So," *he continues cheerfully,* "we'll need someone willing to share." *The camp suddenly becomes very quiet.* *Several researchers immediately find fascinating reasons to look elsewhere.* *Traitors.* *Absolute traitors.* *Then Henderson's eyes land on you.* *No.* *No.* *No.* "You have the spare cot in Tent Seven." *The world stops.* *Across from you, Seth slowly begins to grin.* "You can't be serious." "Only temporary." "How temporary?" "A few weeks." "A few—" *You nearly choke.* "A few weeks?" "It's a large tent," *Henderson says.* "It is not." "It really isn't," *Seth agrees.* *You shoot him a glare.* *His grin grows.* "Absolutely not." "Unfortunately," *Henderson says,* "there are no other options." *You glance around desperately.* *Nobody volunteers.* "Look at it this way." "I won't." "You get to spend the summer with me." *You contemplate murder.* *Briefly.* "Fine," *you say through clenched teeth.* *The professor sighs in relief.* "Excellent." "It is not excellent." "It'll be fun," *Seth says.* "It'll be a disaster." *His eyes sparkle with amusement.* "Same thing, sometimes."

*The beach was crowded. Sun. Sand. Waves.* *You were walking along the shore, trying to forget, when a voice cut through the noise.* "Hey, handsome!" *You turned.* *Juliana was walking toward you.* *She reached you. Smiled. Hugged you — tight. Her breasts pressed against your chest. Her perfume surrounded you.* "Where have you been?" *She pulled back. Hands on your shoulders.* "Lexi didn't tell me you were coming to the beach too. What a coincidence!" *She grabbed your arm. Started pulling you toward the boardwalk.* "Come on! I booked an apartment just down the shore. Lexi's there. She's going to be so happy to see you!" *She was already walking. Already talking. Already planning.* "The three of us can have dinner together. It'll be just like old times!" *She had no idea. No one had told her. She didn't know about the betrayal. The breakup. The cheating. Every kind word was salt on an open wound.* **(LEXI):** 

}. Moisture dripped from the blade, mixing with the mud at his feet. He stepped forward, closing the distance to nearly half a meter, and tilted his head, studying the mage with cold curiosity.* "I see your hands," *he said quietly, almost in a whisper, but in the silence of the gorge it rang clearly.* "You tried to light a fire without magic. That means you're either stupid, or magic doesn't work here. I'm betting on the second." *He extended his free hand forward, palm up, without looking away. A tattoo resembling a coil of scales darkened on his wrist.* "Take my dagger. It's covered in Storm's scales. It can cut through this barrier, but you have to be the one to cut — I have no magic. I'll hold the hilt with you. If you touch my skin and try to steal my power, I'll let Storm burn you to ashes without even getting up. If you're honest — we'll get out. I'm giving you this chance." *He fell silent, waiting for an answer, and in that silence, only the sound of rain hitting basalt could be heard.*

}! Oh my god, it's so nice to see you!" *Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. She walked close. Grabbed your arm.* *Christie suddenly hugged you.* **(CHRISTIE):** "Heyyyyy!!, why don't we catch up a little? We've missed all the fun we used to have together back in high school..." *She giggled. Excitement welling up inside her.* "Why don't we talk somewhere more private?" *The two best friends swarmed you. Dragged you into a secluded area by the palm trees. Far away from the main walkway.* *They looked at you hungrily.* *Waiting for you to respond.*

🌿 🌊 🌿 🌊 OCEAN DEPTHS 🌊 *You were walking along the beach. Enjoying the scenery. Your solitary vacation.* *Then a voice.* "Hey sweetheart, can I ask you a small favor?" *You stopped. Looked at the woman.* *Platinum-blonde hair in a high ponytail. Blue-violet eyes looking back at you. Shiny blue bikini. Lying on a towel.* *Her body was... impressive.* *She smiled.* "You see, all of my friends are swimming and no one is here to help me… I can't reach my back properly, and I forgot to put sunscreen on earlier." *She held out the bottle.* "Would you mind applying some for me? I'd really appreciate it~" *Before you could answer, she hand over you the sunscreen* *She handed you the sunscreen. Turned around. Lay down on her stomach.* *Her huge ass was facing you. The shiny blue bikini bottom stretched tight over her curves.* "Just make sure to put it on all the places without leaving any part without sunscreen, understood?"

"Let me go over the rules one more time: we've been together for almost a year. I live in Los Angeles, you moved in with me six months ago. We met at a party through mutual friends. My mother is very perceptive, so stay sharp and try not to look away when she asks how I treat you. And most importantly..." *He pauses, adjusts your jacket resting on your lap, and looks at you with those blue eyes. There's a strange mix of sternness and warmth in his voice*: "...Don't actually fall in love with me. Because if you do, I won't be able to just let you go, even if this was all just an act." *He holds your gaze for a second, and something dangerous flickers in his pupils, but he immediately turns away toward the window, gripping the armrest tightly. Ready to start this adventure?*

*Who didn't know Liam Gregory?* *At Stanford, he was practically a celebrity. Handsome, rich, athletic, funny, and annoyingly warm, Liam was the kind of guy everyone wanted to be around. Girls liked him. Guys respected him. Professors remembered him. Life seemed to come naturally to him, and he carried it all with a laid-back attitude that only made him more attractive.* *The problem was that Liam never seemed interested in anyone.* *Confessions weren't exactly rare.* *One girl had cornered him outside the library with a love letter clutched in both hands. Liam had listened patiently before giving her a small apologetic smile.* "Sorry. You're great, but I don't see you that way." *Another had confessed during a party, convinced she'd have better luck.* "You seriously don't like anyone?" *Liam had laughed.* "Nope." *And that had been the end of it.* *It wasn't that Liam enjoyed rejecting people. He simply never felt anything. No sparks. No excitement. No reason to chase someone.* **Until the school trip.** *The students were spending the afternoon near the beach. Liam sat comfortably on a cliff with several of his friends, joking around while watching the activities below. Some students were swimming, others were playing volleyball. It was the perfect lazy afternoon.* *Then someone started shouting. A man was drowning.* *Everyone immediately noticed the figure struggling against the waves. Panic spread across the beach as people pointed helplessly toward the water.* *Liam was already getting to his feet when somebody ran past the crowd.* **A girl.** *One of the quiet ones. The girl who always hid behind oversized hoodies and thick glasses. The girl nobody ever really noticed.* *Without hesitation, she yanked off her hoodie and sprinted toward the ocean.* *For a split second, the entire beach seemed to stop breathing.* *Because underneath that baggy hoodie was a body no one had ever imagined.* *And for the first time in his life, Liam Gregory forgot how to breathe.* *There she was — the shy girl he’d only ever seen hiding behind oversized hoodies and thick glasses. The girl no one ever really noticed. But right now… f—ck* *She was devastating.* *His eyes dragged over her like they had a mind of their own. The way the soft beach light kissed her skin, the insane curves of her body that the hoodie had been hiding all this time — full, perfect dead hot body with every step like pure temptation. Her face… Christ, her face. Those big, soft eyes, full lips slightly parted, and cheekbones that could cut glass. She wasn’t just pretty. She was stunning. Time itself slowed down.* *The crash of the waves dulled to a distant hum. The chatter of the crowd faded into nothing. Every movement she made played out in slow motion — the gentle sway of her hips, the way her hair slipped over one shoulder, the subtle bounce of her chest with each step. His heart slammed against his ribs as heat flooded his body.* *Then she dove.* *No fear. No pause. Just pure, graceful power as she cut through the churning waves with strong, confident strokes, reaching the drowning man faster than anyone expected. Liam and his friends raced down to the shore, but by the time they got there, she was already dragging the man back to safety.* *Alone.* *Effortlessly.* *She pulled his limp body onto the sand and quickly checked on him, her movements calm and practiced. The man coughed, alive. Cheers and relieved applause erupted across the beach.* *Only then did she slowly rise.* *Water streamed down her body like liquid silk, tracing every curve, clinging to her skin. She pushed her soaked hair back from her face, revealing those striking features once more. The shy, invisible girl was gone. In her place stood a goddess.* *There was only her.* *This breathtaking, dead-hot goddess walking straight out of his secret fantasies and into reality.* *For the first time in his entire college life, Liam finally understood what people meant by love at first sight.* *Because in that moment, watching this quiet girl risk everything to save a stranger with no expectation of thanks, Liam found something he had never been looking for.* *A reason.* **Her**