Not Underwear, But Something Embarrassing
Not underwear, but something else entirely embarrassing. It had been three months since I started working as a safety attendant at the waterpark. As the same routine repeated day in and day out, boredom with the job began to creep in.
"Send down the next guest, please."
The young man spoke into his walkie-talkie in a flat, emotionless voice.
-Roger.
A confirmation came through from the other end. Exactly ten seconds later, a woman in a swimsuit came hurtling down the 15-meter slide, sending up a spray of water.
The young man, who had been waiting by the side of the slide, personally escorted the flailing woman out of the water.
"Have a great time."
His job was to guide slide users safely to the designated area and bid them a cheerful farewell. Then he'd return to his spot and silently wait for the next guest. He repeated this hundreds, even thousands of times a day.
"Send down the next guest, please."
After finishing on the walkie-talkie, the young man covered his mouth and let out a big yawn. The same lines, the same actions—repeating the monotony made the boredom grow by the day.
Of course, it hadn't always been like this. On his first day, he'd been thrilled. He was just twenty years old, after all. At first, even seeing women in swimsuits made his heart race wildly.
But that only lasted a time or two. No matter how stimulating the sight, seeing it thousands upon thousands of times dulled the senses. Now, even women in revealing swimsuits barely sparked any interest.
...Or so it should have been.
Splash.
Seeing the next woman slide down, his heart fluttered for the first time in ages. She slowly rose in the water. Her snow-white skin, soaked and glistening under the lights, sparkled transparently. Her wet hair clung softly to her neck and shoulders.
Inside the jet-black halterneck bikini contrasting her pale skin, a sculpted figure was on full display. A slender waist flowed smoothly into curvaceous hips. Her full, firm bust subtly asserted its presence. Perfect proportions, not an ounce of excess—a beautiful body.
Whoa, is she a model?
He'd seen plenty of women on the job, but this one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.
Should've helped her up myself...
Dazed, he missed the timing to assist her. Feeling a twinge of regret, he approached the woman.
"This way, please..."
He tried to escort her naturally, but she turned away, covering her face with her hands. Like someone flustered by an unexpected mishap.
Ah.
Quickly assessing the situation, the young man shielded her with his body. It happened occasionally—swimsuits slipping during the slide.
Assuming that's what it was, he blocked all prying eyes with his body so she could fix it. For the first time, his broad, gym-honed shoulders and back felt useful.
"No one's looking, so fix it quick while you can."
"It's not that..."
She asked something else in a shy voice.
"My goggles floated away in the water. Could you find them for me...?"
"Pardon?"
Thinking he'd misheard, he glanced back at her. She was covering her face, not her body. Her swimsuit was perfectly fine.
"You want me to find your goggles...?"
She nodded silently, still hiding her face in embarrassment. He'd seen plenty of women embarrassed by wardrobe malfunctions, but never one shy about lost goggles.
"Is that no good...?"
She pleaded again in a voice full of desperate need. Through the gaps in her fingers, her indigo eyes trembled faintly.
His heart skipped another beat.
"No problem at all! I'll find them right now!"
Reassuring her with confident gusto, he dove into the water. Showing off his swimming skills from lifeguard training, he scoured the pool bottom.
Soon enough, he spotted a pair of goggles sunk at the bottom. Surfacing, he handed them to her.
"Thank you!"
She thanked him profusely and scurried out of the water like she was fleeing. He watched her retreating figure wistfully.
"...Should've asked for her number."
But he couldn't. Hitting on guests meant instant dismissal. In that moment, the rule felt unbearably frustrating.
"Tch."
**
"Phew."
I let out a sigh of relief alone. Who would've thought my goggles would come off mid-slide? Luckily, the safety attendant reacted fast, and I escaped disaster.
"Unnie."
Chae-eun, waiting outside the water, handed me her sunglasses. Confirming no one was around, I slipped them on. I felt too self-conscious wearing goggles out of the water, so I used sunglasses instead when not swimming.
"What should we try next?"
"Anything."
Holding hands with Chae-eun, we wandered around. Even though it was an indoor waterpark, there were tons of attractions. What caught my eye was the lazy river with tubes. People floated peacefully on the water. That seemed perfect—no pressure, and no risk of losing goggles.
"Let's check that out."
We enjoyed various rides together, having a blast. How long had we been playing? My stomach growled; hunger was setting in. I'd eaten a hearty breakfast, but swimming burned it off fast.
To last until dinner, I needed to refuel. Nearby food stalls caught my eye—sizzling hot plates to hearty soups, all mouthwatering.
Chae-eun and I lined up to buy some. As we stood there, I started feeling eyes on me from everywhere.
"Hey, over there."
"Oh."
People in line, passersby—everyone stole glances my way. No one could've pegged me as Ruti. The reason was obvious.
I looked down at my body. My swimsuit hugged some pretty curves. Not to brag, but it was a damn good figure.
I turned sideways, face heating up. Chae-eun giggled and poked my side.
"Unnie, the guys are totally into you."
"...Just your imagination."
We finished ordering and moved to a table. Soon, our food—stir-fried noodles, sausages, and more—was served.
...Time to dig in.
I licked my lips, fork poised for a bite, when—
"Hey. How old are you?"
Stranger guys approached out of nowhere. I knew the drill. Classic pickup attempt.
I set down my fork and eyed the leader. The bleach-blond, tanned guy grinned openly at me.
"First time at this waterpark? Wanna hang with us if you're free?"
"I'm here with my little sister. Sorry."
"Bring her along. Where's your sister?"
"Over there."
I pointed to Chae-eun returning with drinks. She bounded over with her innocent, childlike face, wearing a cute school swimsuit.
"...Ah."
The guy backed off, looking flustered. Chae-eun looked too young for his taste.
A clinking sound reached us.
"Y-Yeah, with your sister, huh? Have fun then."
I waved lightly as he bolted. At least he drew the line at kids—not a total sleaze despite the looks.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing a kid needs to know."
We finished our meal. Starving as I was, we demolished everything in no time.
"Mmm."
Chae-eun rubbed her belly, still unsatisfied, then spotted an ice cream stand and lit up.
"I'll grab some. Want one for you, unnie?"
"No. Starting to get risky..."
Too much eating lately. Time for diet control, or else.
"Okay, be right back."
Chae-eun headed off. The long line meant it'd take a while. I decided to walk around and digest.
I ended up at a quieter pool. Peaceful vibe, kids splashing happily. Then—
Splash!
In a corner, a kid thrashed alone. Terror on his face—not playful splashing.
...Drowning?
No time for attendants. I jumped in. Not a great swimmer, but the bottom was shallow enough to wade.
I reached the kid.
"I've got you. Stay still."
Hugging him, I slowly brought him out. A woman—probably his mom—rushed over.
"Gun-woo! Are you okay!?"
He'd swallowed some water but seemed fine. She sighed in relief, thanking me profusely.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"No big deal. Really."
Late-to-the-scene attendants arrived. Suddenly, all eyes were on me. But their stares felt... off.
"Hey, that girl over there..."
"Isn't that Ruti?"
"Huh!?"
Panicking, I touched my face. In rescuing the kid, my sunglasses had slipped off.
Ah, crap.