Seaside Frolic (4)
After the simple race with its little wager ended, I, Do Sihee, and Eunbyeol each spent some time on our own.
First, Do Sihee, who insisted she'd lost unfairly to me, dove into the sea with her surfboard to blow off some steam. Watching the blonde heiress slice through the churning waves on just a single board was quite the sight. Her slingshot swimsuit—still barely covering the essentials—bounced up and down with the waves, offering a generous view of her heaving breasts and that ass that looked ready to burst free. But beyond the eye candy, I was genuinely impressed by her surfing skills. Her core muscles must be insanely toned; she held her balance effortlessly even on the roughest swells. Every moment felt like a magazine photoshoot, picture-perfect.
Meanwhile, Eunbyeol had been bustling around nonstop since serving as judge for our race. She meticulously cleaned up the mat we'd messed up with bodily fluids and oil, checked the cast net and fishing rods we'd tossed aside for dinner prep, or hauled more stuff from the mansion in an icebox. She didn't rest for a second, and all while still wearing that thick-looking maid outfit. Sure, it was breathable with built-in cooling, but it still looked sweltering to anyone watching.
I, for my part, was cleaving through the waves, diligently practicing my swimming. If I was going to keep hunting and delving dungeons, being able to swim would be a real asset. Some dungeons clustered around nearby islands, requiring swimming or flight abilities to explore. I'd even heard that high-end S-rank-plus dungeons sometimes forced you into underwater combat. Not that I planned to tackle those right away, but it was a skill worth picking up. Plus, Do Sihee was adamant about a rematch based purely on swimming prowess.
"Again, let's do it again! That was so unfair!"
"I only heard talk of a race, not a swimming contest."
"Th-then let's have a proper swimming showdown! This one's invalid!"
"Sorry, but I don't compete with people weaker than me."
"Argh! You really gonna play it like that?!"
Feeling a bit bad for teasing her too much, I reluctantly agreed to one last rematch. Since it had been ages since my last swim, I needed to get my feel back anyway—so we'd practice today and compete tomorrow under the same conditions. No shortcuts like jumping to halve the distance this time.
Oh, and I'd already claimed my prize from the first win: one wish coupon. Fair and square—it was mine now. Just imagining where to use it was thrilling already.
...Though honestly, Do Sihee would probably go along with most plays even without it.
About an hour and change of slicing through the sea, swimming hard, and stealing glances at Do Sihee riding her surfboard during breaks—Eunbyeol's voice rang out from the beach, calling to me and Do Sihee.
"Mistress, Mr. Kim Sungcheol, please come rest for a bit!"
I had no idea when she'd set it up, but she'd prepared fruits and drinks under the parasol. Perfect timing—my throat was parched. I called out to Do Sihee, who was still a ways out on her board.
"Sihee, let's take a break!"
"Just this wave! A real big one's coming!"
She was deep into surfing and planned to linger in the water, so I headed to the table alone.
"The mistress says she won't come out yet?"
"Yeah, something about a big wave coming."
"She says that every year on beach trips. She'll be out in about fifteen minutes."
"Every year? I heard she was active as a hunter before—how long have you been her maid?"
"Even before serving as her maid, we were colleagues in the foundation and often spent summer vacations like this. I've only been on staff for three years, but we've teamed up since five years ago. We've known each other even longer, of course."
Learning those two had been hunting together for years was intriguing.
"Five years ago? So Sihee's been active as a hunter for five years too?"
"Foundation hunters base eligibility on U.S. standards, not Korea's—so we can start at eighteen, a year or two earlier than civilians."
So Do Sihee was about my age, maybe a tad older. Eunbyeol seemed a bit more mature from her vibe and speech...
"Twenty-four."
"Pardon?"
"My age. You seemed curious."
"...Oh, right."
No mind-reading, but how'd she know? The more I talked to her, the more fascinating she got.
"By the way, Eunbyeol—what's your family name?"
"Pardon?"
"I've never heard it before."
"......"
Eunbyeol paused, her cheeks flushing slightly before she continued.
"...I know my body lacks feminine features, but jokes like that aren't amusing to me."
"Huh? Oh, no—I meant your surname! Not sex or gender!"
"......My apologies."
Her flushed face returned to normal. Her figure wasn't anything to complex about, but I could see how being mistaken for a guy might sting.
"My surname is Eun."
"Huh? So you're Eun Eunbyeol?"
"No, 'Byeol' is my given name. Surname Eun."
"Ah..."
No wonder she'd never introduced herself fully—I'd assumed Eunbyeol was all one name with a separate surname.
"Should I call you Ms. Byeol from now on?"
"Whatever's comfortable for you, Mr. Kim Sungcheol."
"Then I'll stick with Eunbyeol."
It felt awkward changing a name I'd gotten used to. Do Sihee called her that anyway.
To ease the awkwardness from the misunderstanding, I pointed at an eye-catching fruit among the ones she'd sliced.
"Never seen this one before—what is it?"
"Lowruk from Bali. Also called Balinese oranges. Unlike tangerines or regular oranges, the inner peel is tough—recommend peeling it off before eating."
"It's exotic, yeah."
I peeled the inner skin from a piece, revealing clustered pulp like a tangerine's. Popping it in my mouth, the grains burst with a fun texture. Taste was grapefruity but sweeter and less bitter. Decent enough.
Munching on the lowruk while waiting for Do Sihee, the blonde heiress soon strolled in from the surf toward the beach.
"Whew, surfing after so long is the best!"
"Satisfied, Mistress?"
"Nope! Short break, then back in!"
"As expected."
She didn't seem tired at all, beaming as her whole body glistened, soaked from the sea. Propping her surfboard against the parasol, she plopped down beside me and sipped an orange cocktail.
"Eunbyeol, one Golden Medallist, please."
"Isn't surfing after drinking dangerous?"
"It's fine—Golden Medallist's non-alcoholic. More like fresh fruit juice in cocktail form."
"Would you like one too, Mr. Kim Sungcheol?"
"Sure, why not."
No alcohol meant no worries about heading back in, so I accepted. Eunbyeol whipped up a fresh one and handed me the orange-filled glass. One sip, and a wave of fruits and sweet syrup danced on my tongue.
"Good, right?"
"Yeah, delicious."
"Eunbyeol's got bartender certification-level skills."
"Huh?"
I blurted out dumbly at Do Sihee's casual bombshell.
"Not official certs—just passed the head maid's informal test."
"Her vacation clashed with exam day, so she took the head maid's instead. Probably rivals a hotel bartender."
She was already mind-blowing as a helicopter-piloting active maid, but pro-level mixology too? That piqued my interest. She'd been a foundation hunter until three years ago, and knew Do Sihee even before. Probably a chaebol heiress herself or S-rank caliber back then. Why maid for Do Sihee now? Questions swirled.
"Mr. Kim Sungcheol."
"Yeah?"
"BBQ dinner around 6 PM okay?"
"Sure, sounds good."
"...Understood."
Her gaze lingered oddly, so I held back on prying into her story.