After taking a break while eating ice cream, I wondered if it was because I had just been flailing in the water. Neither of us suggested going back into the sea.
"Girls, I'm going to rest a bit. Do you want to go play without me?"
"How could we leave you behind, Noel? Are you really okay?"
"Um... that comment about brain damage earlier was just a joke. Don't worry too much. Jaemin said if there was a real problem, I wouldn't even be able to open my eyes. I'd be in the emergency room by now."
I couldn't help feeling bad about just sitting around when we came all this way to have fun.
When I quietly made the suggestion, Gabi still couldn't stop worrying.
Jaemin tried to ease her concerns with that somewhat chilling reassurance.
Well, at least she was backing me up about being fine.
Despite saying that, Jaemin didn't seem particularly eager to get back in the water either.
Maybe she just wanted to rest in the shade.
But the camera was still rolling.
There had been a small accident, but no one was hurt.
The viewers must be getting bored watching us do nothing.
If something was actually wrong with me, that would be different.
But I wasn't in pain anywhere and had no trouble breathing.
Naturally, as a streamer, I was concerned about the broadcast content.
Then again, just watching girls splashing around in the water probably wouldn't excite viewers much.
Of course, both Gabi and Jaemin were pretty girls, so seeing them in swimsuits would be pleasant enough.
But if that's what people wanted, wouldn't they look at photos or pictures instead of livestreams?
Besides, Gabi wasn't even appearing on camera.
That's when I noticed the bucket I'd brought.
Come to think of it, we were supposed to build a sandcastle with it.
If we had enough time, I'd planned to build a sandcastle taller than a person.
But our free time was only until 6 PM.
Considering we needed about an hour to go back, shower, and change clothes,
we wouldn't be able to build such a large sandcastle.
Still, I couldn't let the bucket I'd brought for sandcastle building go unused.
"Should we build a sandcastle?"
"A sandcastle? Come to think of it, I've never done that before. In cartoons, they build those mole-hill looking things, right? I've always wanted to try that."
"The last time I did it was in elementary school. We used to build little houses with dirt during playtime. Even then, they were only as big as our fists. Hehe. But can you really build something like that with sand? Let's try it."
When I made the new suggestion to them,
fortunately, both nodded enthusiastically.
No need to delay any further.
I scooped up sand next to the parasol, filled the bucket with my hands,
and packed it down flat. I tried to flip it over... but it was too heavy.
In the end, with help from the two of them, we flipped the bucket, tapped it a few times, and then lifted it straight up.
This left sand in the shape of the bucket on the ground.
The plan was to repeat this process multiple times to create castle walls and shape them.
That was the plan, anyway.
Dry sand had no tendency to stick together.
As soon as we lifted the bucket, the sand pillar crumbled and spread out.
It did form a small mound, but it wasn't even as high as my knee.
I figured if I stood on it with my prosthetic leg, it might be just the right height for balance.
Anyway, looking at this, we needed improvements to build a proper sandcastle.
"Hmm, we need to wet the sand a bit."
"Right? Should we move closer to the shore to build it?"
"But then the waves will wash it all away. I'd like it to last a while."
"That's what makes it meaningful! The joy of creating it is what matters."
When I asked Gabi and Jaemin for their opinions,
it felt like we were having a profound conversation.
It seemed excessive to find meaning in something we were just doing for fun.
But if there was any meaning, wouldn't it be that we were all enjoying ourselves together?
Anyway, Jaemin seemed convinced by Gabi's argument.
We picked up the bucket and headed toward the wet sand.
The waves came and retreated in the distance,
though occasionally a higher wave would rush in—
the kind that would eventually erode our carefully built sandcastle.
"Wet sand was the answer. It clumps together and doesn't collapse."
"I know. I was honestly thinking about fetching water to sprinkle on it, but this is much better."
"Goodness, imagine how many trips back and forth that would have taken."
Satisfied with our chosen spot, we used the bucket to create the four corners of the castle wall.
If we made it too large, it would take hours to build,
and we might not finish before we had to leave.
So we planned to make a castle about one meter square.
For height, two bucket-layers would be sufficient.
"Hmm, I should have brought a shovel instead of a bucket. The bucket isn't as useful as I thought..."
As we built the castle, I realized the bucket wasn't particularly useful,
but we could shape everything by hand anyway.
And we were already using the bucket as a makeshift shovel.
"Hehe, it's useful because we're using it for something. Building a castle this size with bare hands would have taken forever. Thanks to the bucket, we already have the foundation."
"Oh, guys! A wave is coming! We need to protect the castle!"
While we were talking, we spotted the first threatening wave in the distance.
People were preparing to meet it, so it probably wasn't dangerous,
but it was certainly strong enough to wash away our castle.
So we joined hands and formed a wall in front of the castle.
I stood between Gabi and Jaemin.
Since Jaemin was streaming, it would be problematic if Gabi's face appeared on camera.
I didn't mind since my face was already being broadcast.
People let out excited screams as they met the waves in sequence.
Soon it was our turn.
Perhaps due to the distance, by the time it reached us, the wave had lost much of its power, only coming up to my waist.
But that was enough to completely submerge the castle.
Despite our human wall, we were no match for the wave.
Still, when we turned to check, the castle had surprisingly survived the wave.
"Is the castle okay?"
"It got washed away a bit, but it's pretty intact. I don't think we need to worry while we're building."
"Phew, that's a relief."
When I shared this news, both Gabi and Jaemin seemed genuinely relieved, as if they were completely invested.
Fair enough. Even knowing the sandcastle would disappear soon,
it would be too disappointing if it collapsed before we even finished it.
But since that didn't happen, our fun could continue.
They say people can find joy in simply throwing stones.
Similarly, playing with mud might be a primal pleasure.
Perhaps that's why we could become so absorbed in the simple act of packing wet sand to repair castle walls and reinforcing newly built sections.
Jaemin even set down her waterproof camera at an angle that showed only her, focusing entirely on the sandcastle.
But the waves threatening us weren't just from the ocean.
"Hello ladies, I noticed you're all by yourselves?"
"We're just two guys over here, and we brought too much food to eat alone. Would you like to join us? Your little sister is welcome too."
Unlike the natural waves that simply offered refreshment,
these men's voices were immediately unpleasant.
...Maybe I found it unpleasant because I was originally a man.
The two men in swimsuits before us were handsome.
They were muscular too, which made them seem more threatening.
But perhaps to naturally-born women like Gabi and Jaemin, they might appear attractive.
Maybe that's why I felt even more uncomfortable.
Afraid that Gabi might be charmed by them.
It's funny.
Even though I'd already accepted there was no possibility between Gabi and me,
the thought of someone taking her away made my chest ache.
"Um, well, we're enjoying ourselves right now, and we have plans later."
"That's right. We're planning to finish building this and then leave."
Fortunately for me, Gabi and Jaemin seemed unimpressed by the two men's proposal.
Was it purely because they had the streamer event at six o'clock?
Or did they simply not find the men appealing?
Whatever the case, Gabi had no obligation to attend the streamer event.
She could have joined the men if she wanted to, but she didn't.
That suggested she wasn't interested in them, which was somewhat relieving.
With that worry gone, I could view the situation more objectively.
Maybe they were just friends who came to the beach and tried to chat up pretty girls.
I wouldn't dare try something like that myself.
But beautiful women like Gabi and Jaemin probably received such advances regularly.
So there was no reason to feel offended.
"Come on, you'd have more fun with us."
"You won't regret hanging out with us. Oh, if you're concerned, don't worry. This guy's loaded—he'll pay for food, drinks, everything. He even drives a Ferrari."
"Hey, why are you bragging about that? I just want to have fun together."
But when they persisted after being rejected once, the situation changed.
I couldn't view them charitably anymore.
And it wasn't just verbal pressure—two strong men imposing themselves physically made the situation increasingly uncomfortable, even though we outnumbered them.
Glancing at the silent Gabi and Jaemin, I could tell they found these men distasteful,
but they seemed unsure how to reject them firmly.
In this situation, should I step up as the man I used to be?
Even though I'm a woman now.
I'm fully aware of how others perceive me.
So using that as a weapon shouldn't be a problem.
"Cough, cough... I don't feel well. I'm sick."
"Oh, Noel! Are you okay? Is it because you fell in the water earlier...?"
"Excuse us, we need to go. She's not well."
"Oh..."
"Umm..."
It seemed the two men had intended to grab Gabi and Jaemin's arms and drag them away,
but they didn't want to get involved with a sick disabled person.
Thanks to that, we were able to leave easily.
...If only it had ended there.
Somehow Gabi and Jaemin kept worrying that I was sick because of falling into the water earlier.
Unfortunately, the viewers agreed with them.
Despite my insistence that I was just acting, no one believed me.
So I ended up having to get examined at the hospital.
At least the results came back quickly showing nothing was wrong.
That gave us some time to shower and rest.