✓ | cool for the summer, sim jaeyun

𝟎𝟗. ( may the best park win. )

ONCE ISABEL HAD finished eating the plate of ribs, she moved herself from the bench and table and over to the sun beds, where her mother and Niah were busy sunbathing. She sat herself on the empty bed between them and let out a long sigh; exhaustion taking over her body from the meal she'd just eaten.

Picking up her art book from her lap and opening it, her eyes immediately widened slightly and a quiet huff passed her lips as she took in the many different sketches she'd started of Jake Sim but never finished.

She always found Jake hard to draw. She wasn't sure if it was because his features were so perfect that they couldn't be recreated, or if it was because she became obsessed with a new look from the boy and desperately wanted it down on paper; not bothering to finish her previous work.

Shaking her head, the girl snapped herself out of her thoughts and glanced over at Niah. She didn't want the girl seeing Jake in her sketch book and getting the wrong idea, and so, Issy quickly turned to a blank page, retrieving a pencil from her pencil case to start a new piece.

However, before she had the chance to do anything, a gush of water was sprayed in her direction, soaking her lap and the pages of her book.

A gasp left her mouth and she instantly sat up on the bed, the squeals from Niah and the laughter of her parents, Niki, her brother and his friends consuming her hearing.

"Jay!?" Issy yelled out, looking over to him, where he was stood in the pool with a (now empty) water gun pointing in her direction. "What the hell!"

"Stop being boring losers," He scoffed, putting the gun down and rolling his eyes dramatically. "Come on, get in."

"We're gonna play Chicken and I need a partner." Niki smirked mischievously at his best friend, and Isabel couldn't help but chuckle at him. She'd always liked that pool game — and she was a pro at it. However she who quickly remembered the times when she was younger and when she would play and be the one on Jake's shoulders...

"So get in and get on my shoulders." Niki ordered, and quickly, Issy sarcastically huffed and put her book down, making her way to the edge of the pool (Jake's look of annoyance going unnoticed by everyone.)

Once Isabel was in the warm pool and now on her best friends shoulders, she watched as Jake swam to the edge of the pool and called out for Niah.

"Why don't you play?" The Sim boy asked his girlfriend, a smile on his plump lips as he rested his head on his arms and tilted his head slightly to look at her. "You can be on my shoulders?"

"No thank you," Niah shook her head, her lips scrunching in disgust as she removed her sunglasses to look at Jake. "My hair will go green if I get in." She chuckled as she put her sunglasses back on and laying back to continue her tanning session.

Issy watched as the boy let out a sad sigh and his shoulders slumped before he turned back around to face everyone who was having their own conversation.

"Sunghoon, you're the Ref." Jay told the quiet boy, who smiled and nodded his head in agreement. "I'm gonna verse my sister, and then we'll finally get to see who the better Park is." The boy chuckled with a shrug as he beckoned Jake over so that he could get on his best friends shoulders.

Quickly, Issy rolled her eyes at her brother. "I don't need to win a stupid Chicken game to know that, Idiot." She scoffed.

"Be quiet, Nerd." Jay huffed, and eventually, once he was sat comfortably on Jake's shoulders, the four heard Sunghoon count down from three before yelling 'Go!'

Instantly, the siblings began to wrestle, pushing and shoving each other. Their laughter was heard throughout the back garden, and the screams of worry that left Issy's mouth would be heard every now and then when she would almost be pushed back into the water.

It was a tough competition. Neither Park was willing to give up and that was mainly due to the massive competitive gene they'd inherited from their father — howbeit, just as Isabel thought Jay was about to tumble back into the pool, her eyes landed on Jake, who reached his arm out to shove Niki back, harshly.

Catching the Nishimura boy off guard, Issy's best friend went stumbling backwards, a gasp of shock leaving both of their mouths as they were soon submerged within the water, evidently losing the game of Chicken.

Once Isabel came up from the water, she was straight away faced with the cheers of her brother, Jake and Sunghoon (the referee!) The girls brows furrowed in annoyance and she was quick to point her finger at Jake.

"This is so unfair!" Issy stated. "Jake pushed Niki."

"Quit being a sore loser, Sis!" Jay mocked, jokingly using the nickname as he stuck his tongue out Issy, who rolled her eyes with a scowl on her face, and she splashed the two boys with the pool water before turning to Sunghoon.

"Sunghoon, you saw Jake push me." Niki stated, and a smirk appeared on the pale boys lips as he glanced over at Jay and Jake, doing his best to contain his laughter.

"Sorry, guys," He slowly began. "But a games a game..." He shrugged and broke out laughing and was quickly brought in for a group up with Jay and Jake, the three boys cheering and Isabel and Niki left to roll their eyes.

✿

After a little while of messing around in the pool, Issy finally managed to convince the boys to play her favorite pool game — Volleyball. Though, looking around, they soon came to the realization that the teams would be uneven and ultimately unfair.

"Hey, Niah," Issy called out to the blonde girl. "Do you want to join?" She asked, but the only response the Park girl received was the soft snores coming from Niah's parted lips.

"I'm tired anyways," Niki shrugged, a smirk on his lips as he glanced at Issy before lifting himself out of the pool and sitting on the edge, water droplets dripping from him. "Issy and Jake can just team up."

Instantly, Isabel snapped her head over in her best friends direction, a glimpse of shock spread across her features as she sent him a glare. What was he playing at?

Jake, however, was quick to agree and make his way over to Issy, who sent him a forced smile. She really did not want to be partners with Jake Sim.

✿