Cough!

“Keck, keck!”

As soon as I regained consciousness, I spat out a mouthful of seawater.

“Ugh.”

The salty, fishy taste lingered in my mouth, revolting enough to bring tears to my eyes. Or was that just more seawater?

As I sat up, I realized I was surrounded.

“Um... I’m alive. Really.”

People were crowded around me, their faces tense with worry.

“Eun-ah!”

Mom pulled me into a tight hug, tears streaming down her face as expected.

As I patted her back to calm her down, Dad approached.

“...Son.”

He looked like he had a million things to say.

“Let’s talk later. Rest for now,” he said, wrapping his arms around me.

Ha-Yoon lay nearby, fast asleep. She must’ve cried herself into exhaustion.

Ha-Soo-Yul and her mom approached next.

The aunt fussed over my condition, asking if I was okay, to which I nodded.

Ha-Soo-Yul, however, crossed her arms and glared at me.

“That was bad.”

“Sorry.”

She was thoroughly upset, and it looked like she’d been crying too.

Even Lee Do-Yoon asked if I was okay, and the adults began inspecting me again for any injuries.

Outwardly, I seemed fine, but—

“Ah!”

The cramp in my leg reminded me it was still there. Clutching my leg, I let out a groan.

“Looks like walking is out of the question for now,” Dad said grimly.

The other adults began cleaning up the area, leaving only my family, Ha-Soo-Yul, and her mom nearby.

That’s when I remembered something.

“What about Baek Yoo-Seol?”

Dad pointed to where she was sitting, her face buried in her hands, crying loudly while her father scolded her.

Lee Do-Yoon was beside her, trying to console her, but honestly…

Why on earth did she go out that far?

And why weren’t any adults nearby to keep an eye on her?

This wasn’t just her fault—it was negligence on the adults’ part too.

Seriously, at least one adult should’ve been close by. Even her mom should’ve stayed nearby.

I sighed deeply.

Mom hugged me tightly from behind, her voice trembling.

“I thought I was going to lose you again...”

“Lose me? I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got so much to do.”

“I know... but it’s hard to calm my heart down,” she said with a weak laugh.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed her for scolding me right then and there.

I could’ve let the adults handle everything instead of rushing in myself.

But the thought of my little sister, my family, being in danger... My rationality crumbled, and I acted on pure instinct.

Mom had already lost a child before. If we’d lost Ha-Yoon too, if we’d been swept too far out before help arrived...

Mom wouldn’t have been able to bear it.

Dad, standing nearby, wore a rare expression of anger. It wasn’t directed at me, though I knew I wasn’t completely off the hook.

But judging by his face, he was likely furious with himself.

“Is Ha-Yoon okay? She didn’t get hurt, right?” I asked.

“Is that really what you should be worrying about right now?” the aunt interjected sharply, glaring at me.

“You little fool. If you knew it was dangerous, you should’ve run for help instead! Don’t you trust the adults?”

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you. It’s just... I lost my head in the moment.”

She was my sister—only three years old. Even if she was smart enough to stay in the float until help came, she was still just a baby.

I reached out and stroked her sleeping head.

The aunt looked at me with a mix of frustration and understanding before sighing heavily.

“You’re just a kid too. What could you possibly do in a situation like that?”

“I could stop her from drifting further out, at least,” I replied calmly.

If I hadn’t been there, Ha-Yoon might’ve drifted even farther away.

“You’re so stubborn. You know you almost died, right?”

“I know. I’m sorry for that.”

“You’d better be.”

She let out another exasperated sigh before chugging a cold drink from the icebox.

Mom and Dad just looked at me in silence, their faces unreadable.

Ha-Soo-Yul, meanwhile, muttered quietly.

“Don’t do it again.”

“I hope something like this never happens again in the first place.”

Her concern was clear, but her gaze felt... odd.

“Ssshh... Son, you scared the life out of me,” Dad said, breaking the silence.

“I’m sorry,” I replied, bowing my head.

“I’m the one who should apologize. I should’ve been watching you kids more closely. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep.”

“It’s okay.”

It really wasn’t his fault. If anything, it was the negligence of others that led to this.

“But you still shouldn’t have gone in alone. That’s worth a scolding.”

“...Fair enough.”

And so began a solid thirty minutes of lecturing from both parents.

But at the end of it, Dad placed a hand on my head.

“Still, I need to praise you for one thing: you saved your sister.”

Unconsciously, I smiled. That was the dad I knew—stern when needed but always ready with encouragement.

“Thanks, son. Because of you, we didn’t lose Ha-Yoon. You’re our hero.”

“Hero, huh? That’s a bit much,” I muttered, scratching the back of my head awkwardly.

“And I’ve got my own regrets to work on,” Dad added, slumping his shoulders.

I gave him a thumbs-up.

“You came to save us, so let’s call it even.”

Mom and Dad both chuckled at my words.

“Weren’t you scared, Eun-ah?” Mom asked suddenly, her tone soft but serious.

I froze.

Everyone’s expressions grew somber as they waited for my answer.

“Honestly? I was terrified.”

I thought I was going to die.

“When my grip started slipping, I thought I’d lose Ha-Yoon.”

And when my leg cramped up, I thought there was no way I’d make it.

Tears welled up and spilled over as I recalled the fear.

If Dad hadn’t grabbed the back of my rash guard in time, I might’ve drowned.

“It was... so scary.”

The thought of never seeing my family again had consumed me with dread.

Mom hugged me tightly while Dad patted my head.

Ha-Soo-Yul leaned against my shoulder, and the aunt looked at me with a dark expression, trying to comfort me in her own way.

I couldn’t stop crying. I wanted to wail, but no sound came out—just silent tears.

It took some time, but eventually, I calmed down.

“Sniff.”

“Don’t sniffle; it’s bad for you,” Mom chided gently, handing me a tissue.

“I can do it myself.”

“Sure, sure. My little weakling,” she teased with a soft laugh, hugging me even tighter.

“Mom, I’m going to burst...”

Only after I tapped her arm repeatedly did she loosen her grip slightly, though she didn’t let go entirely.

Looking at her, Ha-Soo-Yul seemed oddly envious for some reason.

“Ugh...”

Just then, Ha-Yoon woke up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“Oppa!”

She threw herself into my arms, burying her head against me.

“Are you feeling okay now?” I asked.

“Yeah!” she replied cheerfully.

Thank goodness.

“Looks like they’re wrapping up over there,” Dad said, glancing toward the others.

The mood was understandably grim. Baek Yoo-Seol’s eyes were swollen from crying so much.

She’s lucky she’s a kid. If she were an adult, this would’ve been so embarrassing.

Still, it wasn’t entirely her fault. The adults bore responsibility too.

It seemed the day’s fun at the beach was officially over.

“Sorry...”

Baek Yoo-Seol approached us, bowing her head in apology.

Though I’d been angry earlier, I chose to let it go.

“It’s fine. These things happen.”

She apologized again to my parents, and her father followed suit.

My parents hesitated before nodding.

“Well, we weren’t close enough to watch over them either,” Mom admitted.

Baek Yoo-Seol’s dad lowered his head further.

“I should’ve been more attentive to both children. Please, let me make amends.”

“There’s no need...” Mom and Dad replied awkwardly but didn’t outright refuse.

After everything had calmed down, we decided to rest for a bit before heading to our lodging.

Even now, Mom refused to let go of me.

I glanced at the sky.

“Hmm...”

“What is it, son?” Mom asked.

“It’s the perfect time to draw,” I replied with a smile.

Dad handed me a plastic water bottle, and I began sketching in the sand, directing him where to walk.

Using the bottle’s small nozzle, I carefully sprayed water to create lines and shapes.

“Wow!”

“As expected of our son!”

“That’s so pretty!”

Their words of admiration filled me with pride.

In the end, I drew an image of myself pushing Ha-Yoon in her float, both of us smiling peacefully.

It was a serene and happy version of the earlier scene, washing away the lingering fear.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, we returned to our lodging, ready to end the long, exhausting day.