The date was June 14th, also known as the day of the annual summer festival, also known as the day when Yoongi would be dragged out of the comfort of his home to some beach to socialize with "friends." Well, some of them were his friends, so he couldn't really say that word with sarcasm. But he did anyway, because a part of him was still tentative about going. However, with the thought in mind that he would be doing this for Namjoon, Yoongi felt just a little motivated. Besides, with Namjoon and Jimin both there, he wouldn't feel as anxious. Probably. Hopefully.

Namjoon had texted in the group chat for everyone to meet at the beach at around 3 in the afternoon. There, they would hang out for a few hours, and then head to the festival afterwards and most likely spend the rest of the day there.

Well it was two-thirty now. Yoongi hadn't changed out of his sleepwear. His legs were draped over the side of his living room couch, eyes mindlessly fixed on the television screen when suddenly his phone vibrated. Someone had texted him. Probably Namjoon reminding him to get ready, knowing Yoongi's lazy behind hadn't moved since eleven in the morning.

He picked up his phone and glanced at the screen. Apparently he had missed quite a few texts.

You have 3 new messages from Jimin.

You have 6 new messages from Hoseok.

You have 2 new messages from Joonie.

You have 2 new messages from Jungkook.

Yoongi could remember the day when Namjoon was the only person who texted him. Sighing, he opened Jimin's messages first.

Jimin: [image sent]

Cute.

Jimin: Tae and i are already here!! well, i mean he's in a public restroom rn lol but afterwards we're going straight to the beach

Jimin: yoongi its so gorgeous out 2day, the weather couldnt be any better :D

Jimin: u gonna be here soon?

Yoongi: as soon as i get dressed

Jimin: lool yoongi ur not dressed yet??

Yoongi: don't rush me boy. i'll move at my own pace

Jimin: mhm :))

Next came Hoseok's messages.

Hoseok: [image sent]

Hoseok: Yoongles !! hiiiiiiii <33

Hoseok: bout 2 leav 4 the beach~

Hoseok: jin's meeting up w/ me tho so i gotta w8 for him

Hoseok: he takes 4ever to get ready looool

Hoseok: u leaving for the beach soon too??

Yoongi: no ive caught a terrible cold i think im dying

Hoseok: YOONGI OH NO

Hoseok: R U OK

Yoongi: cough cough

Yoongi: dont think im gonna make it hobi

Yoongi: *hoseok

Hoseok: awwwW u called me Hobi

Hoseok: anyway i'll see u there yoongles !! <33

Now Namjoon.

Joonie: heeyy yoongs

Joonie: i'll be stopping by ur house soon, u gonna be ready?

Yoongi: define 'ready'

Joonie: u haven't changed yet have u

Yoongi: nope

Joonie: how did i know

Yoongi: i will in just a minute ok

Lastly, Jungkook. Probably just a meme or something.

Jungkook: hey yoongi u wanna see a meme

Jungkook: this one's really funny i swear

Yoongi: thanks but i'll pass

Jungkook: lmaooooo ok then guess i'll see u at the beach

Yoongi: yeah yeah

At this point Yoongi felt as though everyone was subtly urging him to get his rear in gear. So that's what he did. It took a lot of commitment, but Yoongi was eventually able to change into some casual, beach-appropriate clothes and head out his door, only to find Namjoon waiting for him on the front step.

"It's about time, Yoongs."

-----------

By the time Namjoon and Yoongi arrived at the beach, Jimin and Taehyung and Jungkook were already there and in the process of setting up Jungkook's volleyball net. It appeared that by some miracle they had found an area that wasn't too crowded. Yoongi immediately felt a small portion of his nerves float away. He hated the sight of the sand littered with umbrellas and towels just as much as he hated the crowds themselves.

"Yoongi! Hi!! We're over here!"

"Jimin, don't let go of the pole yet, the net's gonna fall!!"

"Ah-...oops. Sorry, Jungkook."

Yoongi cracked a smile at the orange-haired boy, who, to Yoongi's relief, didn't notice, as he had turned his head away to apologize to his friend a moment before. He looked cute. It was such simple attire that he wore, and yet Jimin still managed to pull it off effortlessly and make Yoongi blush without even knowing it. Maybe it was the sun. Maybe he looked dazzling because of the sun glinting off his bright orange hair and radiant smile...

Just then Yoongi's vision was blocked by something held directly in front of his eyes.

"Guess whoooo?"

"It's either Hoseok or the cold, clammy hands of death."

"It's Hoseok!"

"Curses."

When those hands were put back at Hoseok's sides, Yoongi turned around and discovered that his best friend, too, was having his eyes shielded by someone standing from behind. And the hands that blocked his vision belonged to Seokjin, naturally, wearing the same sunglasses and pink hoodie he had worn the last two times Yoongi saw him.

"Guess whoooo?"

Are Jin and Hoseok twins?

"I'll give you a hint," Jin said, not realizing that Namjoon's lack of response was due to being startled by the situation. "My name starts with an 'S' and ends with 'eokjin'."

"Or, an even better hint," added Hoseok, "his name start with a 'K' and ends with 'im Seokjin'."

"Hobi, now you've made it too obvious."

"Sorry."

Jin pulled back his hands. Not a moment later, Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung happened to notice him standing there. And although they couldn't see Jin's face clearly from the distance they were at, all three knew that it could be no one else but him. So they all headed over to Jin, Jimin in the lead, excitement evident on his illuminated face. He would have never guessed he'd get the opportunity to meet his favorite music artist in person. As much as he wanted to attend a concert, Jimin had never been able to, but to him, having the chance to hang out with Seokjin was worth missing out on those concerts. Unfortunately, however, once he was actually standing in front of Jin, Jimin forgot every single word in the Korean language. Luckily, though, Jin's amiable nature helped him to regain his composure before long, and after a brief exchange between all the boys, excluding Yoongi and the uncharacteristically shy Namjoon, the decision to play volleyball first was made. The net was already put in place. They had a sturdy volleyball, courtesy of Jungkook. There was just one problem.

I've never played volleyball before.

Yoongi found himself standing on the 'court,' heart quivering due to the competitive fire burning in the eyes of Taehyung, who was staring back at Yoongi through the volleyball net. They were on opposite teams. On Yoongi's side, there were Namjoon and Jungkook--and thank goodness for that, he thought. Having Jungkook on the opposing side presented the risk of getting another concussion. Jimin, Hoseok, and Seokjin were on Taehyung's team. Four on three--uneven, but Jimin insisted that whichever team had Jungkook should get the lower number. Yoongi disagreed. Sure, the boy might be talented in terms of sports and athleticism, but Yoongi felt his own lack of skills would cancel that out entirely.

"You guys ready?! I'm 'bout to serve!"

"Bring it on, Jimin!" Namjoon exclaimed, natural spunk having returned now that Jin was no longer two inches from his face.

"I bet he won't even get it over the net."

"I heard that, Jungkook!"

Yoongi tore his gaze from Taehyung's face and watched carefully as Jimin raised the volleyball into the air, short sleeves of his loose shirt falling down to reveal the entirety of his arms. His toned arms. Just another one of his unfairly attractive features that makes me feel like a potato in every aspect. Does he go to the gym? He has to go to the gym. No one has arms that naturally fit. How did I not notice them before? Wait, that's an obvious question. I don't stare at him on a daily basis. Of course I wouldn't notice. Either way, it's not important. I don't know why I'm having this conversation with myself right now. You think too much, Yoongi. Focus on the game.

He tried. But it was kind of hard for someone who had never played the sport before to pretend to know what he was doing. It seemed simple. Don't let the ball hit your side of the court. It wasn't easy, though. At least not for Yoongi. Namjoon and Jungkook were impressively light on their feet--especially Jungkook--and they kept up with the constant, face pace of the game, whereas Yoongi's eyes couldn't move quick enough to follow the ball each time it was hit onto his side of the court. Or, in Taehyung's case, aggressively spiked, because apparently doing so whenever the ball came near him was absolutely necessary. It had frightened Yoongi in the start. Now it was just getting irritating, as a smirk would be fired his way every time solely for Tae's own amusement.

Nothing wrong with a little competitiveness in sports, Yoongi tried to remind himself. And so, just to spite his opponent, Yoongi would compliment Taehyung at certain points during the game, such as whenever he made a particularly impressive play.

It pissed Tae off. Exactly as Yoongi intended it to.

In the end, Yoongi's team lost, despite Jungkook's and Namjoon's noteworthy efforts to carry their team. He didn't really care, though. Tae, however, did, and as soon as the game was over he lifted the net and walked over to Yoongi to gloat. The mint-haired boy scarcely restrained himself from slapping him across the head.

Everyone pretty much went off to do their own thing after that. Jimin and Hoseok--being the children that they were--sat down in the sand to build a sand castle. Jungkook and Taehyung started throwing a Frisbee back and forth. Namjoon offered to go up to the pier to buy food for everyone, and Jin pleaded to go with him, leaving Yoongi to wander along the shoreline while waiting for Namjoon to come back. That was fine with him. He would rather do that than build a sand castle or throw a stupid disk around. He didn't expect Namjoon to take too long, anyway. The pier wasn't far away. So as long as Jin didn't distract him from his goal, this wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes, give or take. Besides, Yoongi quite liked the ocean. It was calming to simply stare into the waters as waves rose and fell, some gentle, others rough and heaving. The soft roar was pleasing to his ears.

All was calm. Calm and peaceful until the moment Yoongi spotted a Frisbee flying over his head and into the ocean.

"Hey, Yoongi, would you be a dear and go fetch that for me?"

Taehyung came up behind him, grinning snidely as he so often did. But this time it was especially aggravating.

"You better hurry or it'll sink or get carried away. Ah, don't tell me..."

Yoongi clenched his fists.

"...you're afraid of the water? Or can't you swim?"

His blood boiled, fingernails on the verge of drawing blood because of how hard they were pressing into his skin. Taehyung was being nothing short of vindictive. He was testing Yoongi. Perhaps to see how far he could push the boy in the wrong direction before he snapped. And Yoongi had just enough pride so that he couldn't and wouldn't stand for this any longer.

"Why, I'd love to do that for you, Taehyung," he said. Taehyung hummed.

"You're such a sweetheart."

That pride of Yoongi's was his only impetus. The pride that surfaced so easily around Tae. Slipping out of his sandals, the mint-haired boy walked out into the ocean, wincing as the cold water greeted his bare feet and legs. He stepped on a couple sharp shells but pressed on. The Frisbee was scarcely within sight, and he couldn't allow himself to become distracted and lose track of where it was. He was frustrated. And he thought that maybe, maybe getting that Frisbee back for Taehyung would help fix that. The small waves were causing it to be tossed back and forth, slightly, but enough to make it difficult for Yoongi to retrieve it. It moved a little further out. Yoongi was nearly up to his chest in water. It was cold. So very, very cold.

He almost had it. Chest-deep in water now, Yoongi was finally close enough to reach out and grab hold of the Frisbee. Almost. He didn't want to go any further. But he was close. So close.

"Yoongi, get back here!!"

Taehyung?

Taken aback by the sound of Tae shouting his name, Yoongi spun around as soon as his hand had taken hold of the colorful disk. The beach looked so far away. And yet still, Yoongi could clearly see the boy's expression of sheer alarm and terror. He cried out again.

"Yoongi, behind you!!"

Just as it had that one day in the gymnasium, the warning came too late. Yoongi hardly even had the time to turn around before a large wave came crashing down over him, knocking him off his feet and causing him to be pulled under the water. The impact and environment of that wave had him at their mercy, and unfortunately, neither had any desire to take it easy on him. The water entered his system.

From the shoreline Taehyung watched this happen in absolute horror. He couldn't move. His feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and his whole body shook.

But Jimin was the exact opposite. Having turned his head the moment the wave hit, Jimin's heart was punctured, injected with blood-chilling fear that launched him from his sitting position on the sand and out into the ocean waters. That fear drove him. It drove him, he who knew not why Yoongi had been so far from the shoreline in the first place, to swim out to where he remembered the wave claiming the mint-haired boy. And he found him. He found him and threw Yoongi's arm over his shoulder, but he found it to be limp. Yoongi was unconscious.

"Jimin, don't worry, I'm coming!"

Jungkook caught on quickly. Seeing that Jimin needed assistance, he rushed out into the water and swam over to Jimin, then draped Yoongi's other arm around his shoulders and helped carry him back to the shore. From there, the two boys carefully laid Yoongi on the sand. Jimin was trembling. The sun was beating down on his neck but things felt cold. He picked up Yoongi's hand and gave it a squeeze, soon after beginning to shake the boy's shoulder whilst calling out his name in a fainthearted voice.

"Yoongi? Yoongi, can you hear me...? Yoongi..."

He didn't know anything about what to do in this kind of situation. No class he had attended taught CPR. There were no life guards in sight, though Hoseok did run off to see if he could find one. Nevertheless Jimin constantly lifted his head and looked frantically around, as if a part of him expected help to show up on its own. But no one even seemed to notice the trouble that was right in front of them. And Jimin didn't want to call for help, either. He wanted to believe he could help Yoongi. So he tried to think logically, and he checked the boy's breathing by placing a hand in front of his mouth and nose. He couldn't feel anything. Next, he checked for a pulse. Barely perceptible. Jimin's eyes began to well with tears.

"Yoongi, please...please wake up."

The whole time, Jimin's arm had been supporting Yoongi's head, wrapped around the back of it while his hand tentatively touched the boy's ear. And with his other hand he touched Yoongi's face, hoping that all this physical contact would cause Yoongi to awake suddenly in a state of confusion.

And that's exactly what happened. Out of nowhere Yoongi began to cough violently, some water spilling out of his open mouth, but not too much, and the coughing stopped before long. It was a good thing, too. Jimin didn't want to wait any longer. He lifted Yoongi up and threw his arms around him, hugging him tighter than he had ever hugged anyone before, those tears at last spilling over his eyelids. He didn't want to let go. The past couple of minutes had felt like hours to him, hours of harrowing heartache at the thought of losing Yoongi so soon, so quickly, when he still felt there was so much he wanted to know about him. So he held on firmly and allowed the perplexed Yoongi to listen to his soft yet relieved crying.

"Jimin?"

Yoongi's voice was so faint. He felt lightheaded, and that made this situation all the more puzzling to him. All he knew for sure at the moment was that something had happened to him. That, and the fact that Jimin's arms were really warm. And safe. Yoongi felt oddly safe right now. He didn't like hearing Jimin cry, and he couldn't imagine for what reason he might be crying, but Yoongi decided he would figure that out later.

Right now he would simply allow himself to be held.