YOUMIN

I'm sinking.

Opening my eyes in the water, I look upwards— surprised why he hadn't come in yet. He should've been here by now.

Just do what he told you.

Closing, I relax and feel my body fall through the calm water. My lungs start to hurt, but by the time they really start bothering, my feet has touched the ground.

Push.

I propel off the pool floor as hard as I can. And then I look up— to find that Taehyung still hasn't come in the water.

My breath.

Struggling, I make my way up to break the surface. My form is completely messy— but I'd gotten out of the water alive.

"Taehyung!" I call, looking around. "I thought you were—"

What the hell?

He's there. He's collapsed on the floor next to the pool, face completely drained of blood. He almost looks dead with how pale it is.

And I can't even get out.

"Tae!" I yell, my frantic voice echoing off the walls as I pull at the binds on my wrists. But they're too tight, and I breathe harshly as I cling onto the ladder leading out of the pool.

Fuck.

What do I do?!

My arms and legs were useless, with the way they were right now. I couldn't even get to him to see what was wrong!

Then I remember.

His bag.

The benches were close— and I could only hope Taehyung had something sharp that I could cut this damn thing off with.

Fast. Move faster.

I'd managed to get out of the water, but covering the short distance between the pool and the benches is even more exhausting.

And I probably look ridiculous, but I still get the job done as I pull the bag down from the bench to the ground with my teeth.

There it is.

A small, sheathed knife.

Turning myself around, I struggle to pull off the sheath from the blade with my fingers. The open knife drops to the cold floor, and I quickly scramble to place the handle between my lips.

Biting down on the handle, I hold up my wrists and slash at the stupid, tight binds holding them together.

Thank God.

Once my hands are free, it's easy to free the rest of my ankles. Then I rush over to Taehyung, who doesn't even look like he's breathing.

"Hey!"

Shaking at his shoulders, I press my head to the center of his chest. And I can't even hear— hear his heartbeat over the crashing sound of mine.

Why is he like this.

"What's wrong with you...?" I say, voice fading off weakly as I catch my head in my hands. They're slightly trembling, from the wet and the cold.

Taehyung isn't supposed to be this way.

My eyes start stinging as I bend down again, tilting his head backwards. His lips are bluish, and I know the cold's getting to him too.

And for the second time, I touch my lips with his.

I remember the way he'd done it— during the fire and the smoke. He'd breathed into me, and now I was breathing into him.

And it's hard. It's so hard getting the air out of me that I pass to his lips, when I was so cold and tired from all that I'd just done.

Then pale fingers wraps around the back of my head.

Taehyung, kissing me back.

He's awake.

"Taehyung!" I instantly break away, too focused to blush just yet as I scan over his entire body. "What happened— seriously. I thought..."

"My aid. The water finally got to it, I'm guessing."

And my eyes go wide open when he takes something out from his ear. It's dark and small— something I'd never noticed before.

A hearing aid.

"Y-You're deaf?" I whisper, and he nods, tapping at just his right ear.

"Half-deaf."

How in the freaking heck had I never even realized? I'd had absolutely no clue that he carried something like that.

"D-Did it explode?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"I would be completely deaf then." Taehyung says, crushing the useless aid in his hand. "I told you— the water got to it. It electrocuted me when it gone out."

"Electrocute?"

"Just a little."

"Yeah, but that was enough for you to faint." I say, frowning as I shiver. His lips are still blue. "You should go visit Hoseok. As soon as possible, Taehyung."

My voice shakes a bit.

"Seriously. Go now."

"I'm sorry."

And I look up, kind of stunned. He meets my brown eyes with his black ones, shadowed with his soaked hair.

"I keep putting your life at risk."

I blink. He suddenly stands up, and I just stay still on the ground as I watch the back of his figure leave through the door.

I should go after him.

But that look— it was such a confusing expression, the one I'd glimpsed on his face. I didn't understand it.

But even if I didn't, I could tell he wanted to be alone.

__________________________

Next Day

He hasn't contacted me.

It's afternoon already, and I finally come out of the water— shivering when I meet the air. The pool water was always kept cold— to get us used to the temperature.

But I didn't think I'd ever get used to it.

Shaking, I grip my towel and decide to use the bathrooms open to everyone instead of tracking water all the way to my room.

It was almost five.

My fingertips look wrinkly from staying in the water for hours. I'd been here since early morning— practicing until I'd made sure my form was unbroken.

I wanted to pass this test as soon as possible.

I'm washing myself in one of the shower stalls when I suddenly hear someone come in.

Another trainee?

But I don't think much of it after the water turns on in another stall, turning mine off after finishing.

My clothes bag was out there in one of the benches, but it would take less than a second to grab it and come back in here to dress.

I push the door open.

Then a short, feminine gasp escapes my lips when I see that the person hadn't gone in the stall yet.

Our eyes meet for a millisecond, before I rush back in and slam the door shut.

He saw me.

I'd seen the flick of his eyes.

I want to yell at myself in humiliation and frustration as I press my back against the cold wall, hands wrapped over my mouth.

How could you not bring your towel in with you?

You've actually lost your mind.

My hand on the doorknob tightens desperately when he suddenly knocks.

"Hey!"

Of course, of course.

I'm done.

"Open the door." He barks, and I recognize the standard, still tone. He wasn't a trainee— he was one of the instructors at the base.

What do I do?

My mind spins— and all I can do is hold onto the door. I was completely bare, from head to feet.

I can't open this door.

"Who the hell are you? There's no registered woman in this base!"

Should I speak? But if I do, what would I even say? I couldn't—

Then the entrance door to the bathrooms crash open.

"Instructor."

"Instructor V!" The man shouts, and I look up at the sound of Taehyung's name. He was here— outside this door.

"There's a woman—"

"She's one of my trainees."

And everything falls silent. I'm frozen, anxious for what might happen next. He'd said it— said the truth.

"Your trainee? But there isn't a registered female trainee in this base!"

"That's not something you should worry about. If you have any problems, you can ask the Head Instructor."

I slowly breathe.

"But for now, I think you should leave."

There's so much tension. Even if I'm not out there— I can practically feel the air fill with the intensity of it.

"...fine. But I'm reporting this to the Head Instructor right away."

The sound of water switches off. Then the door swings close, and I finally feel my chest burst with relief.

My clothes bag.

"T-Thank you." I say shakily as I catch the bag in my hands. He'd passed it to me from the top of the stall.

"Did he see you?"

"See...me?" I say dazedly as I rush to pull the shirt and shorts over my head and legs.

"Your body."

I swallow.

"Y-Yeah."

And I hesitate to leave when I hear him curse softly under his breath. But I finally push the door open, guilt pulling down my voice.

"H-He doesn't know, though."

"Who doesn't know."

"Head Instructor Namjoon." I say, eyes flickering up to meet his. Now that I know about it, I can see it clearly.

The dark, small aid in his right ear.

"He doesn't know I'm a girl."

"He does." Taehyung says, and I flash my head up. "It was a while ago when I told him. He wasn't surprised."

I follow him out to the halls.

"He knew?"

"He suspected. Instructor Yoongi does as well— you look more female than male, to begin with."

I push at my growing bangs.

"Should I cut my hair shorter?"

When he doesn't answer, I wince. I'd guessed he was angry— and his cold aura just confirmed it.

"You're mad, aren't you."

And the corners of his lips twist. Taehyung turns around, and the second he does, I know I shouldn't have talked a word since he'd found me.

"Yes, I'm mad."

"You've been showing yourself around."