**Chapter 16: The Great Flipper Fiasco**
The backyard was silent, the only sound being the gentle lapping of the pool water against the turquoise tiles. Kim Jo, Lee Dae, and Seo Joon stood like statues, their hearts still thumping from the shock of Lucy's "swimwear" announcement.
Then, the sliding glass door creaked.
*Slap. Thwack. Slap. Thwack.*
Lucy emerged, but it wasn't the "Model Lucy" they were expecting. She was wearing a pair of her father's old, **baggy boy boxers**—covered in a faded pattern of tiny anchors—and a **crisp white singlet** that looked two sizes too big. Fastened tightly around her waist was a **bright orange rescue floater**, making her look like a human donut.
But it was her feet that stole the show. She had strapped on a pair of **extra-long black diving flippers**. With every step, the rubber "fish tails" hit the ground with a loud, wet sound.
She stopped at the edge of the pool, her face a mask of pure, survivalist determination. "Okay, Jimmy. I'm ready. Save me if I sink."
For a full five seconds, nobody moved.
Then, Seo Joon (Sunny) clutched his stomach and let out a wheeze that sounded like a dying tea kettle. "LUCY! You look like a baby penguin joined the Coast Guard!"
Lee Dae (June) covered his mouth with both hands, his shoulders shaking violently as he tried to maintain his "gentleman" image, but a loud snort escaped anyway. "The flippers... Lucy... why are they so long?"
Kim Jo (Jimmy), who had been prepared to be the "cool, protective teacher," felt his entire face heat up. He looked at her serious expression, then down at the anchors on her boxers, and finally at the giant orange ring around her waist.
The "discipline" he had spent years building as an idol trainee crumbled. A low rumble started in his chest until he finally burst out into a loud, genuine laugh—the kind that made his eyes crinkle and his teeth show.
"Lucy," Kim Jo managed to say between gasps, "The pool is only four feet deep. You aren't crossing the Atlantic Ocean!"
Lucy pouted, crossing her arms over her singlet. "You said be prepared! Water is dangerous! These fins are for maximum speed!"
"You're going to trip before you even hit the water!" Seo Joon yelled, pointing at her feet.
"I will not!" Lucy defended, taking one confident step forward.
*THWACK.*
The tip of her left flipper caught the edge of a tile. Her arms went flying, the orange rescue floater bounced against her ribs, and for a second, she looked like a bird trying to take flight.
"LUCY!" all three boys screamed at once.
Before she could face-plant onto the hard concrete, Kim Jo lunged forward. He caught her by the waist—right on top of the squishy orange floater—and pulled her back against his chest.
The laughter died down instantly, replaced by a sudden, sharp heat. Lucy's back was pressed against him, and she could feel the vibration of his lingering chuckles through his shirt.
"See?" Kim Jo whispered near her ear, his voice dropping an octave. "I told you I'd have to save you. But maybe let's take off the 'fish tails' before we actually get in?"
Lucy turned her head, her nose almost brushing his. "But... I wanted to look professional."
"Trust me," Kim Jo grinned, "You've already made an impression nobody is ever going to forget."
This is the perfect way to wrap up the "Swimming Pool Saga." It moves from the high comedy of the flippers to a very sweet, "heart-fluttering" moment between Lucy and the boys.
After much convincing—and a few more "slap-thwacks" across the patio—Kim Jo finally managed to help Lucy peel off the long black flippers. She refused to let go of the orange rescue floater, though, so they kept it strapped to her waist.
"Okay, okay," Seo Joon laughed, dangling his legs into the cool, blue water. "June and I will be the 'lookouts.' Jimmy, you're the lead instructor."
Kim Jo slid into the pool first. The water reached his mid-chest, his hair instantly slicking back as he waded toward the steps. He reached out a hand, his palm open and waiting.
"Trust me?" he asked, his eyes locking onto hers.
Lucy took a deep breath, her grip tightening on the orange ring. She stepped down slowly, the cold water creeping up her legs. As soon as her feet left the last step, she gasped and lunged forward, grabbing Kim Jo's shoulders with a death grip.
"I'm sinking! Jimmy, I'm sinking!"
"You're not sinking, Lucy," Kim Jo chuckled, his hands naturally finding her waist to steady her. "The floater is doing all the work. Just relax your legs."
From the side of the pool, Lee Dae started splashing them playfully. "Kick your legs, Lucy! Like a mermaid, not a brick!"
"I'm trying!" she yelled back, finally letting go of Kim Jo's shoulders and attempting to paddle.
For the next hour, the backyard was filled with the sounds of splashing and shouting. Under Kim Jo's patient guidance, Lucy finally learned how to blow bubbles under the surface and move her arms in a proper stroke. Even Seo Joon jumped in to show her how to "float like a starfish," though he mostly just ended up splashing everyone.
As the sun began to dip lower, casting a golden glow over the Yeonhui-dong house, Lucy found herself floating on her back, Kim Jo's hand resting gently under her spine to keep her level.
"You're doing it," Kim Jo whispered, looking down at her. "You're swimming."
Lucy looked up at the sky, feeling the weightlessness of the water and the safety of his hand. "I guess I don't need the flippers after all."
"Definitely not," Lee Dae shouted from the edge, leaning over with a grin. "But keep them. We need a souvenir of the funniest day of our lives."
Lucy laughed, splashing water in his direction. For the first time in a long time, the "weight" she had been carrying—the stress of her past and the fear of the future—seemed to wash away in the pool. She wasn't just Lucy the "bride" or Lucy the "savior." She was just Lucy, surrounded by friends who made her feel like she finally belonge.
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