The Last Summer - Epilogue

**24 Years Later**

Splash!

With a resounding splash, Joan plunged into the waters of Polynesia. All around her, vibrant shoals of fish scattered in all directions, their silent movements creating a kaleidoscope of colour as they fled.

Ah, this feels absolutely incredible. Why is it that it is only when I dive into this deep, vivid blue that I feel truly alive?

She glided through the water like a true mermaid, her body equipped with large fins. But Joan wasn’t a mermaid – she was a freediving athlete.

Of Korean and British descent, she had shown remarkable talent, reaching depths of 100 metres within nine months of learning to dive as a child.

Maybe I was born for the sea.

Joan often felt this way every time she entered the water. She once told her father that it felt as if she had always lived in the sea. Her father just shook his head at her vivid imagination.

“I’m blessed by Poseidon!”

“Sure, sure.”

Her father would answer with a smile.

“Blessed by Poseidon? More like the sea witch Siren.”

Her brother would chime in from the sidelines, always ready to poke fun at her enthusiasm.

Joan never let his teasing get to her. Whether she was a Siren or Poseidon’s daughter, the sea always felt like a boundless source of comfort and solace to her.

Then she heard it—a deep, resonant sound.

Bwoooooong!

Looking up, Joan saw the massive shadow of a boat looming on the water’s surface.

‘That’s it.’

She frowned, even underwater. 

“You’ve been warned not to dive here.”

A man’s cold voice blared through a loudspeaker. 

Joan appeared and looked up at him. On the boat, her manager and staff were protesting loudly. Although they had full government permission to dive in the area, the local committee had strongly objected, citing environmental concerns. 

“Isn’t this going too far?”

The man on the boat lowered the loudspeaker. He was tall and solidly built, his commanding presence unmistakable. Although his sunglasses obscured much of his face, his strong nose and sharp jawline left a striking impression. 

But why was she focusing on his appearance? The real problem here was that he was the one opposing her dive—a complete villain in her eyes! 

“Why can’t I dive here?”

Floating in the water as she pulled off her goggles. Her voice carried over the waves, and the faint, scar-like birthmark on her forehead became visible in the sunlight. 

The man on the boat removed his sunglasses. 

An East Asian man? Beneath his tousled black hair, his strikingly handsome face came into full view. 

“It’s because of this sea route.”

His gaze fixed on her as he spoke in Korean. 

A Korean? And someone who seemed to know she was of Korean descent. 

“A whale is about to pass through. I’m warning you out of concern—get out of the water. You could get hurt.” 

Ah, so that was the reason. Joan’s brow furrowed slightly. His figure was only a silhouette against the backlight, but it quickly faded from view. 

An unexpected sense of familiarity and longing washed over her. Was it because he was Korean? 

“Joan Hardy.” 

He suddenly called her name. 

‘Does he know me?’

Joan looked up at him again. 

After winning a freediving championship, Joan had been featured in the media several times, so it wasn’t surprising that people recognized her. 

“How about going on a date with me tonight?”

The man asked with a confident smile. The spectators on both boats erupted in a mix of cheers and teasing remarks. 

‘What’s with this guy?’

Joan thought, completely ignoring him as she climbed back onto her boat. As she emerged from the water, her slim, toned figure in a bathing suit glistened in the sunlight, drawing another round of cheers from the coastguard boat. She even noticed the man raise his fist in the direction of the onlookers in a playful but warning gesture. 

“I’ll meet you at the resort at 7 p.m. tonight.” 

“How absurd.”

Joan scoffed with a mocking laugh, brushing off his bold proposal. 

Still, her mind wandered to the clothes she’d packed in her suitcase. 

“If you let me, I’ll treat you to the best seafood in the world,” the man called out again. “And an unforgettable night.” 

His added comment sparked another round of laughter from both boats. 

‘This guy must have a death wish.’

Joan thought, flashing him a sly, seductive smile. 

‘You’ll be the one having an unforgettable night—but are you sure you’re ready for that?’ 

The blazing sunlight scorched the sea, its heat shimmering across the water’s surface. 

**The End**