Surfing (2)

[The water won't listen to me!]

Aqua, who had probably been swept away by water for the first time in her life, wore a thoroughly flustered expression.

"The waterproofing agent's doing its job perfectly."

[Waterproofing agent? Oh, that's what it is!]

Aqua looked down at her palm with a startled face.

[So this is what it feels like to be unable to use spirit power.]

"How about it? Think you could swim your way out if you fell in?"

[There you go with that again! I am the supreme water spirit!]

Aqua puffed out her cheeks. I chuckled and stroked them gently.

"Sorry. I was just worried. Us humans—even adults—sometimes drown and never come back."

[Even grown humans like you?]

"Yep. If I panic in the water, I'd sink like a stone too."

[Panic? Does panic come out of the water?]

"Haha. We call muscle cramps 'panic'."

[Humans really have the most inconvenient bodies.]

I laughed and placed Aqua on the surfboard, then slowly pushed it forward. Her face was tense as she gripped the board tightly. Without her spirit power or any protection, the water must have felt utterly alien to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her. Every time the board rocked with the current, she'd flinch.

I stopped where the water reached my waist—much shallower than before.

[Is water always this wild and unruly?]

Aqua stared at the rippling surface in amazement.

"Shall we practice surfing here?"

[Hmm...]

Aqua hesitated, glancing at me. I could guess why the prideful spirit was making that face. Smiling reassuringly, I eased her worries.

"Don't worry. Even if you fall or flail around, I promise I won't laugh."

Still hesitant, she mumbled before speaking up.

[You won't be disappointed in me?]

"Why would I be?"

[Isn't it pathetic for a water spirit to be powerless in water?]

"Not at all."

I lowered myself into the water to meet her eye level and spoke earnestly.

"If anything, training to improve while sealing your own strengths? That's incredibly cool."

[Is it?]

"Of course. You're facing Niagara, pushing through this grueling path just to stay by my side. I'm grateful for that."

Bit by bit, Aqua's shoulders lifted. I drove the point home.

"As expected of a supreme spirit, heir to the Spirit King—she gladly overcomes trials like this! Something like that, right?"

I channeled a dramatic protagonist from a movie or comic.

[Hahaha!]

My efforts paid off; Aqua crossed her arms and burst into laughter. Without the waterproofing, a fountain would have erupted from her shoulders.

[Of course! Who else but this body could handle such training?!]

Deeply resonating with my words, she nodded vigorously.

[Indeed! Absolutely!]

Grinning at me, she swiftly flattened herself on the board.

[Alright! Let's go!]

I patted the back of the fully re-energized Aqua, then timed the approaching wave and shoved the board hard. And Aqua plunged in spectacularly.

[Glub glub glub aaaah!]

With the waterproofing agent applied, Aqua's training efficiency shot up. Without spirit power assistance, she naturally recognized her weaknesses and shortcomings.

[Eek!]

[Aaaack!]

[Glub glub glub aaaack!]

Of course, she tumbled a lot more too. She'd lose balance before even standing, flipping the board; slip while trying to rise; or stand only to step too far back and topple rearward.

Whenever that happened, I'd swiftly deploy Water Shield to fish her out.

"Aqua, when standing up, don't hesitate—go one, two, three up, not one-two-three wait."

"Your foot was too far back this time. That's why the other couldn't follow."

"You leaned too far left. Plant your feet evenly."

I coached her nonstop, from reading waves to riding them, in one-on-one sessions.

My efforts bore fruit; Aqua gradually surfed better. After about an hour, she succeeded nine out of ten times.

"As expected ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of Aqua. You learn fast."

[Naturally!]

"One more time then!"

[Of course!]

Aqua flattened onto the board like a bobsledder. Perfect-sized wave incoming.

I timed it precisely and shoved.

"Aqua! Now!"

The board, trailing the wave like a tail, saw Aqua rise smoothly. Her posture was straight and proud, like a lighthouse. Perpendicular to the wave, she rode it flawlessly to the pool's end without falling.

Even with waterproofing, a water spirit's still a water spirit.

Grinning with hands on hips, I smiled at her beaming face. Not even two hours since entering the wave pool with the agent on.

Training over. After thanking the staff, I found Aqua sitting by the wave pool, gazing at the waves.

I sat beside her. "What's up? Want more waves?"

She shook her head calmly. Post-training exhaustion or enlightenment? Her face held a detached serenity.

[Just recalling those sensations from earlier.]

"Sensations?"

[Water without my power is so fierce and willful. It'll be like this fighting Niagara too. Thoughts like that.]

Hand on the board, she stared at her knuckles.

[Truly, that helplessness was a first. Water, which I'd always seen as part of me, felt so foreign.]

She stroked the board slowly, then turned to the waves with a smile.

[But it helped me understand water better. I saw its hidden side, unknown to me.]

Hee hee hee. Aqua beamed.

[We water spirits truly resemble water. Free, playful, unpredictable. That's water. That's me.]

Her insightful words left me nodding silently. Then, a notification appeared before us.

Back from the water park, we crashed at dawn and slept in late. Staring into space upon waking, I muttered one word.

"Trait evolution."

Aqua, playing with Mandu, turned quizzically.

I propped myself on an elbow. "Awakeners' traits or skills can evolve."

Working summers at Park Uncle's and traveling hot springs nationwide? All to evolve my Spirit Affinity.

"You got your status window from the first quest. So yesterday's Control ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Power might be an evolution."

[Ooh! Not just quest rewards—evolution too!]

Excited, Aqua petted Mandu faster.

Spirit trait evolution. A first. Spirits' status windows were unprecedented anyway.

Healing Power, Destructive Power, Control Power... Enough to beat Niagara?

But not the time for calculations. Today was our promised outing.

"Alright, breakfast then head out?"

[Where to?]

"We planned to play, remember?"

Smiling at blinking Aqua: "The water park."

[Ah! Totally forgot!]

Last night: perfect training end, water park fun. Rest is key amid busyness—especially motivational plans. My study mantra, keeping top ranks for over three years.

[Let's go!]

Aqua sprang up, flipping Mandu off the blanket. He flailed, then righted himself.

Over Jang Gilsan's secretary-prepared breakfast, we chatted water park. Aqua was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so thrilled, she barely touched her beloved cola.

"Shopping before the park?"

[Shopping?]

"Need essentials: swimsuits, tubes."

[Your swimsuit!]

"Your tube too."

[Tube? For water play?]

Aqua tilted her head.

[Why would I need one?]

"They sell unicorn tubes at the shop."

[Unicorn?! Really?!]

She'd bitten my hook—I'd mentioned unicorns before.

"Huge ones, winged ones too."

[Wings? Winged unicorn!]

Her eyes sparkled. Arms up:

[Tube! I want a unicorn tube!]

I grinned. Aqua shone brightest excited like this.

"Gilsan, coming along?"

He waved his phone: Phoenix Resort app.

"VIPs get one free companion. Spirits enter free anyway."

"Perfect."

He'd planned to join from the start.

"Work?"

"One day off's fine... Weekends cover it."

Salaryman woes.

Post-meal, straight to underground parking, then water park main entrance.

[Ooh! Joyful cheers!]

Aqua kicked excitedly on my neck.

[Sisit!]

Mandu, tongue flicking wildly, was pumped too.

First, the attached shop for swimsuits and Aqua's tube.

[Unicorn! Where's the unicorn?!]

Aqua dashed between racks. Kids everywhere, bouncing excitedly. Without her blue skin, I'd have lost her.

[Ooooh!]

She found it quick. Problem: three colors.

[Hiii...!]

Aqua alternated gazes, blissfully torn. Happy dilemma begins.