Archive of Our Own

His heart hammered inside his chest. Almost as if it wanted to break free from its cage, just as he managed to do thus far.

There's only so much he can do to protect himself from being caught by humans and yet, in his haste to flee, he failed to notice how his tail got caught by a discarded fishing net freely floating around. It felt only remotely short of an octopus sucking the life out of his turquoise tail.

Jaeyun found a space on the sand to sit on, positioning himself in the most comfortable way he could manage while trying to get the fishing net off his tail. He needed to make sure he was sitting in a space where no human can see.

He started to pull the offending strings away from his scales, but alas, the net only managed to get tighter as he kept on pulling the wrong ones. Some of them even prodded harder into the insides of his scales, causing him to groan in pain.

"O-Ow," he whimpered, holding back noises in fear of being found out.

As if the pain on his tail wasn't enough, he tried to break the net by gripping it and pulling his hands in opposite directions. Unsurprisingly, he failed to rip the strong material apart and as a result, only sustained some more cuts on his hands instead.

With the frustration getting over him, he felt tears pricking his eyes, desperately coming out to stain his high cheekbones. He had no time to waste in pondering on the fact that his family were no more, since for the whole time, he was preoccupied with swimming away to save his own life. At the thought, more fat tears came and before he could even realize it, he was already full-on sobbing. Despite this, he pushed through with the effort to stifle his sobs in fear of getting caught by someone even crueler than the damned fishing net.

He wiped his face with his wounded fingers, occasionally stinging his cuts with the salt from his own tears. All until his breath hitched when he heard the sound of footsteps on the sand, slowly making their way towards where he currently lay. The person halted every couple of steps or so, probably looking around and trying to decipher where exactly the sniffling noises were coming from.

Jaeyun held his breath, silently preparing himself to come face-to-face with anything far more ruthless than the piece of net. Was it another giant, burly man? Would they have a bigger, rougher net with them? Will they take him somewhere else to prolong his suffering, only to kill him as they did with them? 

He doesn't know. All he knows is that whoever it was is up to no good, and he is at their hands now that he cannot escape.

He closed his eyes tightly shut. At that moment, all he could ever think of doing was to ultimately succumb to his fate and nothing else. Maybe then, he would finally be reunited with his lost family in the Other Realm.

"Hello? Is someone there?" 

Jaeyun's head shot up at the strangely kind voice. He tried to look around to find the source, yet still, he kept his sobs down.

The person reveals himself just soon enough, but he doesn't see Jaeyun immediately as the merman tries his best to hide under the shadow of the giant boulder he was leaning on. He appears to be a young man—tall, pale, broad, and who had a jaw that looked like it could cut through skin. He looked like Jaeyun could put his trust in him right away, almost as if he were harmless even.

If only he weren’t human.

Finally, after scouring the area where he seemed to have heard crying, the young man's eyes met Jaeyun and his face instantly contorted to that of concern. He rushed over to Jaeyun, who on impulse cowered at the presence of the stranger now before him.

"Are you alright? I heard—," he was interrupted mid-sentence upon laying his eyes on the merman's tail. His astonishment grew even more upon taking notice of the cuts littering it, but more importantly, the tremors racking the merman's body. 

He crouched down to look at them, but Jaeyun timidly folded his tail towards himself out of intimidation by the other's presence. As though he just felt the discomfort fueling Jaeyun’s gesture, the man held out an open palm and started to introduce himself.

"My name is Sunghoon," he spoke. "I heard someone sobbing nearby, and I thought I had to look. Was that you?"

Jaeyun only stared at the offered hand, not at all knowing what to do with it. In the end, he settled with simply nodding his head at the question, still too uncertain about the other's nature to be able to communicate verbally. Sunghoon, as it turns out, retracted his hand, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

"Alright. Then, do you think you could allow me to help you?" he asked with a gentle smile on his face. Despite this, the merman, still untrusting, did not reply. Instead, he wept, once again thinking that he had no way to escape his end anymore.

He raised his face to look at the human cautiously. Upon careful consideration, Jaeyun decided that with the other’s smile, he did not look like those merciless sailors at all. Although in just a few moments, it eventually fell into a frown.

"I promise, I don't intend to bring any harm. I just happened to pass by and I thought I could help."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two—the merman scared of the human's whereabouts, and the human unsure of how to approach the frightened merman.

"I'm going to move you away from the water so I can see it clearly. Is that fine?"

Jaeyun contemplated a reply for a while. But as Sunghoon seemed to be not patient with the opportunity he could readily grasp to try and help, he just nodded to himself upon getting no immediate response and proceeded in doing so.

The human put his arms under Jaeyun's back and the juncture where his knees were supposed to be. He was maneuvered so that his tail was facing the taller man who, without wasting any more time, then made quick work of cutting the net from his tail.

After a while of cutting some strings, Sunghoon pocketed his utility knife. "That should do the job," he muttered mostly to himself as he removed the net wrapped around the merman’s tail with gentle but precise movements.

He let out an exhale and sat back against the boulder flush against Jaeyun, who now finally stopped crying after his tail was freed. The merman, meanwhile, upon witnessing how he’d just been let loose by whom he would now consider his savior, turned to look at him with an intent gaze. 

Still, that sense of security wasn’t enough to keep Jaeyun from flinching at the other’s next words.

"So, um, I guess you aren’t from here then. But you seem to understand me, though? How did you get here?" 

Once again, Jaeyun did not reply, but this time, Sunghoon seemed to have already taken a hint. Yet again, the human’s lips stretched into a friendly smile and his eyes into two narrow crescents.

“I guess we can talk about that some other time. But for now, won’t you tell me your name?”

Now this one, Jaeyun can answer for sure.

"Jaeyun."

If it were even possible, Sunghoon’s grin grew wider. "There we go. Hello, Jaeyun. You already know my name," Sunghoon chuckled. "Are you feeling better now?"

Jaeyun didn't dare speak. While he was indeed feeling better, he still isn't sure whether he could trust the other. He looked down and clutched his hands to his chest, playing with his fingers to try and calm his nerves.

Asif he read his mind, Sunghoon took the initiative to speak again.

"If you're worried that I'm here to capture you, I'm not. I seriously just wanted to help, although to be honest with you, I didn't expect to see a mermaid."

"Merman." Jaeyun corrected.

Sunghoon giggled. "Fine then, ‘merman’. Well you see, apart from my early years, never again did I think your kind were real. I only ever read about you in– oh!"

Both Jaeyun and Sunghoon gasped when out of nowhere, Jaeyun's turquoise tail turned into legs, his fins into feet—and not even Jaeyun expected it to happen at all. But while the scales fell off, the painful cuts became even more visible and exposed, and in his helplessness, he could only let out a pained yelp.

Seeing the (once) merman's state of undress, Sunghoon removed his jacket without hesitation and covered him with it. He held one of Jaeyun's legs and brought it up to observe the harsh cuts and tears on the smooth skin.

"These look serious," he said. "They might get infected with grease when you go back out to swim."

"I-Infected?"

"Yes, infected. It's when something obnoxious enters the skin—usually through a wound. Then it worsens and becomes unable to heal, and you get sick."

Jaeyun gasped. "Can you stop it?"

"From getting infected?"

"Yes?"

Sunghoon sighed, scratching his neck. He sent him an apologetic smile.

“I could try, but if you were to go back in the water, I'm afraid the ointment—medicine, I mean—will only get washed away. It only works if you stay dry. At least, that's what my human knowledge can do.”

Jaeyun frowned. He wanted to go back to the sea and away from this human. But at the same time, he also didn't want to go back there yet, or else, those fishermen could still be waiting to capture him. Not to mention how he was now very weak after swimming for days without any rest. 

After giving it much thought, he gave his reply.

"Can I stay with you?" he blurted.

"What? Stay... with me?"

"Yes? Jaeyun clutched the other's jacket towards himself. “Please?” he added.

"I suppose? I mean, of course, it's fine with me. But are you sure about that?"

Jaeyun nodded with a determined expression. Taking note of how the human stood on his feet, he put his hands on the sand and tried to stand up as well. Not even a full second later, his legs flailed and he went out of balance. 

Fortunately, the other caught him by his waist before he could hit the ground.

“Easy!” Sunghoon said out loud in panic. “Are you hurt?”

When Jaeyun responded by shaking his head, the human sighed in relief.

"I'm not certain you can immediately walk after just getting new legs." Sunghoon chuckled while sitting him on a nearby rock. Then he froze, seeming to realize how the almost-accident only made his jacket drop to the ground and off from Jaeyun.

Flustered, he picked up the fallen jacket and buttoned it over Jaeyun's body, the garment covering just about half the merman’s thighs. Jaeyun continued to observe his actions intently, even when the other's arms swooped down under his knees to carry him upright.

"Is this fine? Just until you could walk, alright?"

Jaeyun could only nod, his arms coming up to wound around the taller's shoulders.

.

The short walk from the beachfront to the other's abode felt like an eternity but finally, they reached Sunghoon's home, which appeared nothing like what Jaeyun had in mind. It was a huge structure with the coverings seeming to extend to infinity above them. The trees overhead were welcoming enough for Jaeyun to feel more at home. 

"Whoa," he muttered subconsciously. Unbeknownst to him, the other found him adorable.

"It's not that impressive."

"It is," Jaeyun argued. A short glance (glare) was all it took before he turned to marvel at the sights again.

Sunghoon hummed. "Alright, if you say so."

They reached a huge door, right where some servants waited inside to greet the human in his return. The people wearing similar clothes were a bit taken aback upon seeing Jaeyun—some even gasped—so while Sunghoon greeted them back, Jaeyun shrunk back into the other’s chest in fear.

After walking for a while longer, Sunghoon made a final turn to the upper hall where his room was located. Upon entering, he gently set Jaeyun down on the material that felt very pleasant against Jaeyun’s bare skin. But when he moved a few steps away, Jaeyun felt something akin to panic build up in his chest.

“W-Where are you going?”

Sunghoon stopped in his tracks then quickly turned to face him again. Out of panic, Jaeyun clenched onto the white velvety jacket as he waited for the taller to respond. He later saw him shake his head and raise both his hands, as if they were as viable proofs as the words he said next,

“I won’t leave, I’ll just get you clothes for you.” Sunghoon sent him a kind smile. While he did not know that humans can walk backwards, he saw the other did so while he kept his gaze trained on him. For all it’s worth, Jaeyun found himself calming down, even until he saw him reach for another smaller door within the room.

Now sure enough that he won’t be left alone, Jaeyun found the courage to speak his thoughts again. 

"Why do humans wear clothes?" he asked, remembering what the human had said earlier. At that, Sunghoon turned around and walked back towards him, said clothes held in one hand. 

"Clothes serve as our body's protection," he answered. He sat beside him and gently took his arm to put it through the sleeve of a fluffy, oversized cardigan. As he did the same for the other one, he continued.

"Sometimes, it helps to give a good first impression. If I'm wearing something nice, they may think I'm also nice," he ended with a purse of the lips. 

“Then… Then the people there…” With the hand not playing with the fuzz on his shirt, Jaeyun pointed to the door. “Why do they wear the same?”

Sunghoon tilted his head slightly until he shot up, “Ah, the servants. That’s a good question. It’s so that when we need help, we’ll know who they are because of their clothes. Do you understand?”

Jaeyun nodded fervently, not realizing how he now had a smile of his own as well. Sunghoon chuckled, then spoke again, yet this time a bit more seriously.

"How about you? I will not pretend that seeing a mermaid and rescuing them is a completely normal occurrence. How come I only saw you now?" 

In his mind, Jaeyun grumbled upon hearing ‘mermaid’ again but decided not to correct the other anymore. While he was meaning to answer, he shifted when Sunghoon grabbed his foot to help him into his spare underwear. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"I, We– We were taught not to interact with humans. They say they're harmful and they can kill us and all. But..." Jaeyun scratched the back of his head. "I was curious, so I went to the surface."

"But I found you hurt. How did you get there? No, wait, scratch that—what if someone else found you? How will you escape then?" 

"I'm sorry..." Jaeyun’s smile turned into a frown at a loss of anything to retort with. He couldn't exactly say he didn't know when he knew it was his fault. "I'm just grateful that it was you."

For some reason Jaeyun didn’t know of, Sunghoon's shoulders dropped. Without any other word, he only continued to clothe the merman, then later went towards his dresser and retrieved his first aid kit. 

For the first time since they met today, Sunghoon didn’t speak. He wordlessly sat back on the bed and set the kit down, but this time, he was directly in front of Jaeyun now. Jaeyun, meanwhile, could only watch with the slightest discomfort as the other took out a bottle and two soft, white balls, all while he wished for the next response to come as soon as possible.

Finally, Sunghoon spoke again, "This will hurt, but we have to clean your wounds.” He looked up to meet the other’s concerned gaze. “Do you think you can bear with it for a while?"

"I will try."

The human opened the bottle that gave off a strange scent, then poured a little of the liquid onto the cotton. The merman watched intently the whole time as the other prepared to ‘patch him up’, fascinated at all the movements done.

“What is this thing for– AH!”

His question was cut off when the harsh liquid made contact with his knee. He winced hard and cried out, now feeling tears building up in his eyes.

“Sorry, I’m sorry!” Sunghoon wrapped an arm around his shoulders as Jaeyun buried his face on his knees. But out of instinct, the merman escaped from his hold and moved away as much as his wounded state could manage.

Looking back up, he was met with the sight of the human’s worried expression which was blurry from his own tears. He saw him let out a sigh before offering an open palm to him. This time, although still unsure, Jaeyun put his shaky hand over it.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve known you weren’t used to this.” Sunghoon worked his distress away from his hands with his own. “Do you want me to stop?”

Yet again, Jaeyun was faced with a dilemma. He certainly did not want to hurt himself again, but if there was one thing he was the most certain of right now, it was that this human could be trusted. Else, he wouldn’t even be capable of thinking about that right now.

He let out an exhale. He shook his head, which Sunghoon took as his cue to nod as well.

"Here, hold my arm. Just squeeze if it becomes too painful, alright?"

"A-Alright."

The two spent the hour cleaning the merman's cuts—Sunghoon trying to do it gently and Jaeyun clutching the human's arm to his chest, more in fear rather than pain. The whole time, Jaeyun had his face buried on Sunghoon’s shoulder as well so as to not see his cuts. At last, they were done with the cleaning, and so they went on to cover them with ointment and bandages.

When Jaeyun had laid down on the soft pillows as per Sunghoon’s instructions, the taller then took notice of the cuts on his hands.

"Your hands have them too." He tsked. "Let me see."

Jaeyun held out his hands, and after examining them for a while, Sunghoon did the same process on his palms and fingers. 

"All done. Do they still hurt?"

"Yes, but not like before."

Jaeyun's response earned him a frown from the human. His hands were held again in both of the other's and lifted to his lips. Sunghoon gave a light kiss to each of the bandaged cuts on his hands, and Jaeyun swore he might have felt his heart race with each one.

Upon noticing how the merman’s eyes widened at his actions, Sunghoon chuckled in amusement. "My mother did this whenever one of us got hurt. I just thought it could help you too." He sent him a warm smile, but still didn’t let go of his hands.

"Us?" 

Sunghoon hummed. "My sister and I often got hurt from playing when we were kids. But of course, now that I'm older, I rarely get hurt anymore."

"Oh." Jaeyun gave a noise of affirmation. "Sister? Where is she?"

As if on cue, a girl barged into the room and Jaeyun may have felt his heart jump from his chest at the suddenness. She ran straight into Sunghoon's arms and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I missed you, Hoonie! Where have you been?" 

"Hey there, Jieun, I went out to the beach today. But look what I got you."

The siblings broke off their embrace session, which Jaeyun secretly found adorable. From his pocket, Sunghoon produced a small, honey-colored clamshell and offered it to his sister. And as if it was the best present ever, Jieun received it with both hands and jumped with joy.

“So pretty!” she giggled, then stopped when she seemed to remember something. 

“Sunoo told me you brought a boy over? Where is– oh hello!" 

Jieun bundled over to the startled merman whose eyes were as wide as saucers. As the young girl went to lean towards him, Jaeyun couldn't help but look up at Sunghoon, who just smiled and shook his head as if to say that she was harmless. He took the hint and turned to the girl beside him.

"My name is Jieun!" she introduced. "How about you? What's your name?"

"Um, hello, I'm Jaeyun."

"Hello, Jaeyun! Are you feeling well today?"

Sunghoon scoffed at the pair's old-fashioned conversation. 

"You are so formal."

"Well, of course, Hoonie, we need to introduce ourselves first! Right, Jaeyun-ssi?"

"Yes, Sunghoon. She is right." Jaeyun replied to the younger with a deadpan stare, looking very offended at his offhanded comment at their interaction. Sunghoon just shook his head, giving up.

"But Jaeyun-ssi..." Jieun hesitated, but still continued. 

"Are you my brother's, uh, mistress?"

Sunghoon, who was currently still listening to their talk, choked on his spit and turned to them in an instant. His eyebrows seemed to reach almost well past his hairline as he clutched his chest in incredulity.

"Jieun! Why would you ask such a thing?" he asked, scandalized.

"Mistress?" Jaeyun asked.

Jieun's eyes twinkled as she answered, "Yeah! They’re like a secret lover! It’s when someone who loves you and takes care of you keeps you as a secret because… well… maybe they don’t want others to take you away!”

Sunghoon slumped back down to his bed, right beside Jaeyun's feet. "Where are you learning all of this? Aren't you too young for this, Jieun?" he asked in exasperation. But Jieun ignored him and kept on interrogating the clueless merman.

"My brother never brought anyone in his room before, not even his friends, so I thought you must be someone very special. Whenever I see them, they're just bickering and being all noisy. It’s the first time I saw you here, too!" 

Jaeyun looked up at Sunghoon, unsure of what to say. The other's pale face was turning into the red of a starfish, which he later rubbed with his hand with a grumble at his younger sister.

“He is not my mistress, Eun.”

"But Sunoo said you were carrying him like your bride earlier."

"Bride– No! He was injured when I saw him, so he– he couldn’t walk."

Without even waiting for his sister’s reply, Sunghoon shushed her.

"Enough of this conversation, Jieun. Shouldn't you be preparing for your classes right now? You should get going."

The young girl groaned but moved to get down from his brother's bed. Before she went away, she engulfed Jaeyun in the tightest embrace she could muster.

"Let's please talk later, Jaeyun-ssi! It was nice meeting you," she said with a warm smile identical to her brother's.

"Same with you, Jieun. Goodbye." Jaeyun waved at her as she ran towards the door.

When she finally left, an awkward silence filled the room—at least only for Sunghoon. After a few moments, Jaeyun broke it first.

"Thank you for not telling her that I am a merman," he said with sincerity. He was smiling as he looked up at the younger who sighed loudly.

"It's nothing, although she can be a handful at times. But Jaeyun, I've been meaning to ask a few things."

"It's fine, you may ask."

"Won't your family look for you if you're gone for days?"

Jaeyun’s shoulders dropped after hearing the other's question. He paused to think, then decided to just force a grin on his lips.

“No, they won't.”

"Alright. Got it, Jaeyun-ah.”

Hearing the nickname, Jaeyun turned to look at the other who was now smiling at him. He couldn't help but send a smile back, genuine this time.

"Thank you," he replied. "Anything else?”

"Oh, yes. Then I guess we won't have any problems with someone looking for you, right?" Jaeyun stilled, but he nodded.

"So... how long are you planning to stay?" When Jaeyun's eyebrows raised, he supplied quickly.

"I'm not kicking you out! I just wanted to know so I can help you get comfortable while you're here."

Jaeyun paused to think for a while before answering. 

"How long will it take for my wounds to heal?"

"Hm. A couple of weeks? You have too many cuts, and you might feel weak after swimming for so long."

"Then, can I stay for a week?"

Sunghoon’s brows furrowed. Hadn't he just told him that healing takes a couple of weeks? Before he could ask, Jaeyun continued.

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” he explained while scratching the back of his neck. Sunghoon sighed.

“You know, I was hoping you could stay here for about a month or so. If you’re worried about staying for too long, don’t be.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I can’t leave you by yourself when you’re not at your best.”

“Alright. Then, a week and a half?” Jaeyun’s eyes sparkled, but Sunghoon still wasn't convinced.

“I’m fine with however long.” Sunghoon sighed. “But are you sure that’s enough?” 

Jaeyun nodded with a shy smile. “I can manage from there.”

With that, Sunghoon returned the other’s smile with his own. 

“It’s settled then, I suppose. For now, let this be your home. I guarantee you will be under my best care.”

“As your mistress?”

“Oh god.” Sunghoon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please, never say that again.”

.

Jaeyun sat in silence on Sunghoon’s bed. The younger had just left to do some of his daily duties, so he was left with nothing else to do than to wallow in his raging thoughts.

Right now, he wonders if staying was the best decision.

Aside from Sunghoon being his safest option at the moment, Jaeyun didn’t know what would be waiting for him after he goes back into the sea. At least, while he is in the presence of other humans here, he could still just come to him for help.

But a smaller part of the reason was his genuine interest in how humans lived. He had been curious about them for so long, even with the constant reminders that ‘humans are dangerous’. It hurt him to think that it took a tragic experience for him to understand what his family had been telling him all along, an instance that involved him losing all of them. Although none of them expected it anyway, he still couldn’t help but blame himself for what happened.

He remembers the incident as clearly as day. How the burly fishermen threw explosives at them, causing their senses to blur. How they threw heavy nets at his family, who each struggled to escape. How all of them still thought of his well-being rather than their own as they shouted at him to swim away instead of trying to save them.

He wrapped his arms around his knees and curled into himself. He buried his face on them and started to silently cry. 

But when he heard the door swing open after a while, he hastily wiped his tears away with his bandaged palms. He turned to look at who entered the room, and as expected, it was Sunghoon. He was holding a tray of what looked like human food.

“Hello Jaeyun, I brought you something to eat,” he said, sitting down on the chair beside his bed. He put the tray on his bedside table, then took the small breakfast-in-bed table under it to put it in front of the merman.

“I didn’t know what you ate,” he began sheepishly, “but since you just got legs, maybe you can try all of these?”

Jaeyun looked at the food in front of him when Sunghoon laid them one by one. There was a yellow-orange mush on a bowl, a raw piece of tuna, and dried seaweed. He shakily reached for the tuna and took a bite, only to spit it out with his face contorted in disgust.

Sunghoon, who was carefully watching him eat, couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He poured a glass of water and gave it to the other, who gratefully took it and drank eagerly.

“Doesn’t taste the same,” Jaeyun noted.

“That’s fine. Here, taste the soup.” 

Jaeyun paused for a while, trying to grasp how to eat the soup without making a fool out of himself in front of the other. Sunghoon, meanwhile, seemed to notice his inner turmoil, so he held the spoon and scooped some before feeding it to the other.

“Open your mouth.” He motioned to the other, opening his own mouth as well to show him how. Jaeyun did the same and tasted the unfamiliar food, and once he finally did, he gave a satisfied hum.

“Delicious?” Sunghoon asked, to which he nodded. After a few more mouthfuls, he took his hand in his and guided him.

“This is how you use the spoon. Hold it here, then take some of the soup here. Then you bring it to your mouth. Be careful not to spill,” Sunghoon explained while holding the other’s hand to demonstrate. Jaeyun followed each instruction eagerly, and quickly enough, he was able to do it by himself.

They fell into a companionable silence that was much more comfortable than earlier. Jaeyun ate silently while Sunghoon kept quiet, still observing the other. He took some of the dried seaweed on the tray and leaned back onto the headboard. This time, he was the first to break the silence.

“I saw you crying, you know,” he spoke when Jaeyun was finished with his soup. He cleared the table and transferred the tray to his bedside. 

“You did?” 

“Yes. Look, your eyes are puffy too.”

Instinctively, Jaeyun went up to wipe his face again but was interrupted by a hand wrapping around his right wrist. With that, he looked at Sunghoon who was holding out a piece of cloth.

“Here, use this.” He put the handkerchief on the other’s palm. But as Jaeyun didn’t have the slightest idea on how to use it, Sunghoon proceeded to wipe his face himself.

“If you need someone to talk to, I’m here,” Sunghoon said as he wiped the dried tear tracks on the merman’s face. While he was doing so, Jaeyun looked at his face, trying to discern any hidden insincerity, but saw none. 

Both of them kept silent as the younger provided his ministrations. When he finished, he pocketed the napkin and stood up to take the tray of dirtied dishes. But before he could leave, Jaeyun called his attention again.

“Sunghoon, may I ask something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Why are you being nice to me? I haven’t done anything for you.”

“Well... I don’t need any reason to be nice, do I?”

“But,” Jaeyun mumbled. “You’re going out of your way for me. I don’t wanna be a burden.”

His statement earned him a light chuckle.

“You’re really sweet. No wonder Jieun likes you.”

At the mention of someone liking him, Jaeyun’s head shot up, eyes wide in excitement.

“Really?”

Sunghoon nodded in reply. “And as for your question, no, I don’t think you’re a burden. I could actually use the companionship for a while,” he said, which the merman pondered on for a while. As he did, Sunghoon said his short goodbye and went back to the kitchen.

.

The past few days went by like a blur and the human and the merman slowly fell into an easy routine. Sunghoon was fully supportive of Jaeyun’s adjustment to human life, even initiating most of the things he tried teaching him. 

The first thing he did the day after he found the merman was teaching him how to bathe. At first, Jaeyun was doubtful because in his eighteen years of existence, he never found the need to wash himself as he was always in the water. But Sunghoon told him that he needed to keep his cuts clean if he didn’t want them to worsen. 

Since he wasn’t used to walking at the time, they used the tub and as it filled with water, Jaeyun squealed in excitement at feeling the water against his body again. When his legs did not turn back to a tail, they brushed it off as maybe from the lack of salt in it.

Sunghoon, meanwhile, tried to keep a straight face while teaching the merman how to bathe, since of course, he had to be completely naked—although Jaeyun had no problem with that at all (needless to say, he never even wore clothes all his life). After bathing, Sunghoon dressed Jaeyun’s wounds every time, which eventually showed progress in healing.

Aside from these, there were no problems when it came to teaching Jaeyun since he learned amazingly fast. Within three days, he learned how to bathe, dress, and feed himself. While he still struggled with walking, he managed to do it himself by clinging to walls and nearby furniture for support. After all, Sunghoon can’t be by his side all the time.

It has been almost a week and Jaeyun feels significantly better than before. It was a good thing that Sunghoon has informed everyone about his stay, telling them to tend to Jaeyun’s needs as he was currently injured. 

The prince, he learned, had enough authority so that other people could supply his requests. This is exactly why Sunghoon tried his best to convince Jaeyun that the people in the castle are not as merciless as the ones he saw. Being a prince has its responsibilities which can keep him from being with Jaeyun all of the time, but when he isn’t around, those people can give him company.

While he is still scared to death thinking about the incident, he trusted Sunghoon enough to believe him. He saved him anyway.

Whenever Sunghoon and Jieun are busy attending to their duties, he either stays inside the library to marvel at various picture books, or in the garden, where he examines every flower there is to exist. At times, he also tries to help in the kitchen, telling the cooks that he ‘doesn’t know how to cook, but wants to help’. Luckily, they allow him, which at the very least helps them in return.

He was currently in the kitchen when he spotted Sunghoon walking towards them. He waved at him then called for him to enter.

“What are you cooking?” Sunghoon said as he looked at the pot where the merman was stirring an orange-colored puree.

“This is called... pumpkin soup?” Jaeyun replied unsurely, then sent an inquisitive glance at the cook beside him who nodded in affirmation. “Miss Choi said this is what you gave me when I came here.”

“Oh, yes, I remember. You seem to like it very much.”

“I did. It was the first thing I ate when I got here.” Jaeyun took a spoon from a nearby dispenser and scooped some of the soup. “Will you try it, please?” 

Sunghoon nodded and took the spoon from his hand and tasted. His eyes widened in surprise, probably half expecting it to not taste as good as it was. He looked at Jaeyun in disbelief, who was now biting his fingernails in his nervousness.

“Is it good?” 

“Jaeyun-ah. You made this by yourself?”

“Yes, but Jongseong-hyung taught me how.” Jaeyun's face flushed and he scratched his head nervously. “Do you like it?”

Sunghoon set the spoon down on a plate. “It tasted better than I thought. You’re getting better.” Ears flushing at the compliment, Jaeyun nodded hastily and continued to stir the pot, while Sunghoon just watched. 

“By the way, Jaeyun,” Sunghoon said. “There’s something I wanted to tell you.” 

Upon hearing this, Jaeyun immediately glanced at the prince.

“What is it?”

As if Jaeyun transferred his nervousness to him, Sunghoon scratched the back of his head, hesitating. Finally, he spoke. “My birthday is in a few days, and I just wanted you to know.”

“Really? That’s great!” The corners of Jaeyun’s lips lifted. “How old will you be?”

“Nineteen.”

“Oh. I thought you were older than me.”

“Then, how old are you?”

“I turned nineteen about three weeks ago.” Jaeyun smiled, but then, his shoulders dropped with a realization. This didn’t go unnoticed by Sunghoon, who immediately asked him about it.

“I don’t have anything for you.” Jaeyun’s face fell into a frown. Without another word, Sunghoon picked up a bowl from the rack beside him. He scooped some of the pumpkin soup into it and took back the spoon earlier. 

“How about this? Isn’t this for me?” He said, stuffing his mouth with food. He sat on the kitchen counter and continued to eat. 

“But I wish I could give you something more.”

Sunghoon bent forward to ruffle his hair. “I don’t want to ask anything from you, but whatever it is, I’ll accept it.”

“Alright.” Jaeyun smiled warmly then finished his cooking. Sunghoon spoke up again.

“There’s something else I wanted to tell you. There will be a ball on that day.”

“A ball? You mean the round thing you kick around?”

The question elicited soft laughter from the servers around them. Sunghoon himself snickered at the other’s endearing cluelessness before he answered.

“No, I meant a party.” Jaeyun oohed, eyes widening in realization. He is familiar with parties, at least. Back home, they celebrated festivals in the community, which consisted of dancing and lively music. 

“You mean dancing, eating, and all that?” Sunghoon nodded. “But I don’t know how to dance.”

“That’s what I wanted to tell you. Will you be interested to practice dancing with me?”

If it were even possible, Jaeyun felt his eyes widen even more. This was it—he could now do at least something to repay Sunghoon’s kindness.

“Of course.”

.

Sunghoon’s home, Jaeyun presumes, was very much like his own.

Aside from how it seemed to extend forever, it also left a sense of beauty that Jaeyun never thought he could find in such a place as the human world.

Right now, he was in what they called the ballroom, which was supposed to be where the apparent balls were held. As he waited for Sunghoon to show up after fulfilling his tasks for today, Jaeyun looked back on his conversation with one of the kingdom’s chefs named Jongseong, whom he’d befriended in the short span of time.

“It is a happy occasion,” Jaeyun remembers him saying when asked what balls were like. For one, he’d never been to one like that of humans before, only relying on whatever knowledge he had prior to try and understand what was said.

Granted, the cook—Jaeyun never realized why humans cooked their food until he himself needed to eat such—was pleasantly chatty, not seeming to want to leave out any information he could provide despite the merman not understanding more than half of it. But amongst the barrage of words he received, the most prominent of them all would probably be that:

“It’s also when future queens are usually chosen. When a prince is coming of age, he must find the best person to rule alongside him.”

And while he didn’t yet know what a ‘queen’ meant and only brushed it off as yet another human-ruling official, for some unknown reason, Jaeyun couldn’t quite shake off the nagging feeling in his chest at the mention of his ‘prince’. 

Fortunately, right at that moment, said prince waltzed into the room and announced his presence with a question directed at his guest.

“Did I make you wait?” Sunghoon approached him towards his seat in the corner of the hall. As he did, his boots clacked against the marbled floor, catching Jaeyun’s attention completely.

He shook his head. “No,” he replied simply, his attention more on the sounds the shoes produced until he realized it was the object of his thoughts who had asked him.

No sooner than he answered the question yet again did he feel the soft weight of a head laying on his shoulder. Beside him, Sunghoon let out a long-drawn sigh.

“I’m glad to hear that, but I sure do hope you could wait a couple more minutes.” The human almost didn’t finish his sentence at the yawn that just escaped his lips. From there, Jaeyun learned that apparently, that meant Sunghoon was a bit tired somehow.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. Dance instructor is not here yet anyway,” he continued even without Jaeyun responding with anything yet. But then, he raised his head to meet Jaeyun’s eyes. “But how about you? Is this fine?” he asked while patting the merman’s shoulder gently as if to indicate a silent request. 

Jaeyun’s automatic nod earned him a rather happy holler from his company and there, he was met with the sensation of the weight again. What he didn’t expect though was to have an arm wrapped around his waist to pull him closer to the other’s body. He heard Sunghoon sigh again.

“Jaeyun-ah,” he felt the air of a whisper through the thin material of his— Sunghoon’s —shirt. And the longer that the human took his time with what he was about to say, the faster that his thumb caressed the skin on Jaeyun’s waist underneath all his clothing. 

“How do you like living under the sea?” Sunghoon blurted out when he seemed to have finally made sense of his thoughts. His thumb ceased with its movements but he didn’t bother removing it from its current place.

For a moment, Jaeyun stared towards the ceiling deep in thought. There were perils, yes, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love it as much as he did just because of that.

“I love it,” he replied. 

“Oh.” The human paused for a while before asking him again. “How about here, on land? Is it alright?”

“Hmm, it is strange, but I find it interesting. Lovely, and, um… very delightful.

“...More than the sea?”

Jaeyun couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle. “Silly! Of course not, the sea is my home. I delight in it.”

He stood up in an abrupt manner, causing the prince to sit up properly on the loveseat. In spite of the discomfort of having his feet confined in a pair of leather footwear, Jaeyun pranced all over the dance floor with his arms spread out, not giving a care on whether he looked awkward or not.

“In the sea, I am the freest I could be.” He glided around without at all noticing the meaningful looks thrown his way, all until the person they were both waiting for finally showed up.

The doors opened and in came a tall woman whose shoes clacked louder and faster against the hard floor. Immediately, she bowed before Sunghoon and muttered an apology.

“Please excuse my tardiness, your highness. I was just caught up with— wait, who are you?”

Upon receiving the attention from the newcomer, Jaeyun flinched in his place and stood in the corner. Shakily, his finger came up to point at himself to confirm whether he was the one being spoken to. 

“Yes. I believe this is a private session, no commoners allowed, so if you would please leave—”

“Miss Lee.” He turned his stare back towards Sunghoon, who was now standing up and addressing the unfamiliar person. Without hesitation, Jaeyun ran behind the prince—obviously the one with the most authority in the situation—then listened in on the conversation.

“He is my guest. Since Jieun won’t be here today, I hope we can have Jaeyun as my partner for now?”

Two heads shot up to look directly at him, one from confusion and one from interest. The former came to be followed with another question in response.

“I’m sorry for the mix-up, but still! Sir, you’ll be dancing with princesses; it may not be as graceful with the both of you being men.”

“Miss Lee,” Jaeyun noted the way Sunghoon rested a hand over the woman’s shoulder. He guessed it was an attempt to calm her down, which seemed to work. 

“I’ve always known how to dance thanks to you. Also, today would just be a refresher, wouldn’t it? I think practicing with Jaeyun would not be a problem.”

After careful consideration, the woman nodded, although with her brows still furrowed. 

“Then would that be alright for you too, erm, Jaeyun was it?”

Though not fully knowing what he was agreeing to, the merman found himself nodding as well out of the instructor’s strict tone. 

With a hand laid gently on the small of his back, Jaeyun was swept into the very midst of the dance floor. From there, he could now see how expansive the space was and for the first time since his arrival, he felt a bit too exposed in human territory.

While he was certain that only Sunghoon knew about his secret, he couldn’t help but gaze warily towards the other’s dance instructor who was watching their every move. In his desperate vigilance, he failed to notice how his dance partner was looking at him as well, which was why when he spoke all of a sudden, Jaeyun jumped in surprise.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

Sunghoon chuckled. “I said, may I hold your hand?”

“O-Oh. Yes, here.” 

He held out his hand which the prince readily received with his own. But as he did, he was taken aback when Sunghoon once again left a kiss at the back of it before he was met with yet another question.

“May I have this dance?”

Clueless as he is of said activity that called for the use of his newly-acquired appendages, he let himself be led and settled into the music playing in the hall. With every note that floated in the air came the movement of both their bodies, connected both through their hands and eyes. Not even Jaeyun’s accidental stepping over Sunghoon’s feet can perturb the taller’s rhythm and expertise; he only laughed it off along the way. 

Soon enough, Jaeyun had already gotten used to it and even found himself enjoying their endeavor. So much that he didn’t even notice time passing until the instructor stopped with whatever she was doing in a corner that made the music stop.

It may be an understatement to say he missed Sunghoon’s hold on him when they pulled away. As the prince spoke with the woman by the end of their rehearsal, Jaeyun fumbled with his fingers in silent yearning of being held again as gently as Sunghoon did. For whatever reason, he didn’t exactly know.

All he was sure of was that when the other came to face him again, this time with no one else in the room, he felt as though his heart swam around in circles in his chest.

.

When Sunghoon had told him yesterday that he’d be assigning him under the care of someone else, Jaeyun didn’t really know what to expect. 

In the short period that he’d stayed in the human world, he’d grown accustomed enough to see a few of them quite often. Still, that didn’t mean he was completely capable of being left with only one of them all by himself. Just a few days ago, he came across a huge, muscly man in one of the hallways who towered over him by about a head or two, and even when he discovered that he was one of Jieun’s bodyguards (Soobin was his name), he didn’t dare step out of Sunghoon’s room for the rest of the day.

In the royal kitchen and library as well, he had the cooks and servants and the young scholars to give him company. Today, well… this will be the first time that he would be grounded with one all alone. 

This someone turned out to be someone special to the prince, at least, that’s what Jaeyun made it out to be. Kim Sunoo was his name, one of the prince’s best friends who took up residence in the castle as his sister’s private tutor. And while the name sounded strangely familiar, Jaeyun can’t say he was anything like he thought, nor was he not.

Compared to Sunghoon’s room which was significantly larger, Sunoo’s was much smaller but it didn’t fare too far by how everything looked. Well, to be fair, it had just as many objects strewn around it, of which Jaeyun knew neither the names nor the purposes of. 

As he waited for the tutor to finish pacing around the room—'I can’t have my room this untidy when I have a guest like you!’, like he told Jaeyun prior—the merman played with the metal object on his finger which he received from Sunghoon earlier that day.

The red stone set beneath the overlapping swirls of metal seemed to sparkle in the afternoon glow of sunlight passing through the curtains. This thing, he learned, was called a ‘ring’, but other than that, he knew next to nothing about what it was for. 

“That’s pretty.” Sunoo must have noticed the way he fumbled with the ring. And Jaeyun agrees—while he may not very much understand what it is, he still thought it was beautiful.

“Sunghoon gave it to me,” he replied without much thought as he took his time marveling at it more. In his distraction, he failed to see how Sunoo froze in his tracks and stopped what he was doing, mind struck with a realization.

“Sunghoon-hyung?” he asked, although rather loudly that Jaeyun flinched in surprise. The young tutor apologized when he noticed.

“I-It’s alright. But what—”

“Let me see that.”

In a swift but gentle motion, Sunoo grabbed Jaeyun’s hand that had the ring on it and looked at it carefully. Upon taking a better look at it, something seemed to click in Sunoo’s mind that Jaeyun didn’t quite understand.

“W-What’s the matter?” Jaeyun mumbled out an insecure inquiry out of cluelessness at this human’s behavior just now. The sudden motion caught him off guard and he almost believed he was about to get hurt again from the way Sunoo’s brows furrowed in seriousness. 

“Huh,” Sunoo mumbled to himself as he released his hold on Jaeyun’s hand and pulled away. “I knew it looked familiar,” he continued with an apprehensive stare at the ring, which he then directed at Jaeyun.

The merman hadn't even begun to form the question he’d been meaning to ask when Sunoo stood back up properly and exclaimed, “But don’t worry! We have plenty of time to figure that out later. Right now, we just have to make sure that you look the prettiest out there tonight!”

And so, he started to work on preparing the older for tonight’s ball as instructed to him, while Jaeyun went back to trying to make sense of what just happened.

.

He felt dignified. Grand, although unusually fancy.

Despite Sunoo’s insistence that it wasn’t much, his being clad in clothes from the younger’s wardrobe, Jaeyun felt the most different that he was from his original form. For the first time, he felt comfortable in a body that was once only foreign to him. A bit too comfortable even, almost as if he were also human himself. Almost like… 

Like he belonged here.

Granted, his fright at being surrounded by countless people he didn’t know never really disappeared. But the recurring fear of being caught and seen as different has diminished to the least it could possibly be at the moment and was replaced by hopeful excitement for whatever was to come that night.

As he fumbled with the sparkly ornament clasped just a little below his collar, he found himself recalling what Sunghoon had told him on the day they met. He watched the men in their suits walking with their noses high up and the women prancing around in their skirts about as colorful as blue-ringed octopuses, and so believed that they probably wouldn’t be any prouder if they were in the same set of clothes as when Jaeyun first arrived—that is, the single white jacket that barely covered anything. 

Pleased as he was at his new realization about human life, right now, he’s not getting any lonelier upon noticing how everyone had someone with them. Even the children had their dancing partners—Jieun being one of them—while Jaeyun had none. Worse, he knew it wouldn’t be the same if he were to dance with anyone other than…

Sunghoon.

There he goes. Everyone halted from what they were doing as the prince entered the hall with careful, practiced steps, rigid posture, and a stony expression that were all unlike the Sunghoon he knew.

If Jaeyun didn’t know better, he’d think this was a whole other person altogether because Sunghoon was never like this before. At least, not whenever he’s with him. Perhaps it had something to do with his clothes, and if so, this was probably both the worst and the best they could do.

Worst, because Sunghoon never looked as weary as he did now, as if it took everything in him to not break into a run from the ball any minute now. And best, because Sunghoon shone brighter than anyone else tonight, even brighter than the moon gleaming through the tall glass windows.

He was beautiful. Almost as much as Jaeyun felt terrified to admit it.

Along with the rest, he observed how the prince sauntered across the room, eyes shifting in search of something the merman couldn’t quite put a finger on. As he did, he passed by a few acquaintances whom Jaeyun didn’t know and exchanged formalities with them, then proceeded to do the same throughout. 

Having been obligated to do this every time, forcing laughter and faking smiles his whole life, it is no wonder how the younger seemed so sick of the same old tired, lonely place. Jaeyun was sure he would’ve felt the same, no matter how distantly foreign the notion of being human still was for him.

For someone who never had as dull a conversation with Sunghoon as what he’s now having with the people around them, Jaeyun almost found the exchanges painful to watch. He never would’ve imagined talking to Sunghoon like this: like he wanted to leave him the first moment he gets. Not to mention how frustrating all of this was when he knew it was the younger’s birthday and he should be having fun instead. Not whatever this is.

Just as he was about to look away, he caught in his periphery a gaze being directed at him. Once he returned it, he saw how Sunghoon’s once-vacant expression vanished and turned into something more akin to excitement.

Jaeyun sucked in a breath. They were looking at each other now, and even if he tried, he couldn't seem to glance away. 

He was enchanted, and he knew he had every right to be.

Across the room, the prince’s silhouette started to make its way to the older who stood still frozen. For the first time that night, Jaeyun saw him smile the widest, and so, he held the ring on his finger in the tightest grip he could to quell his growing anticipation.

Time slowed down and his world seemed to move in slow motion. In his perceived stillness, the only thing he could register was the overwhelming presence of the younger, already standing just a few feet away.

“Jaeyun!” Sunghoon exclaimed in what the merman hoped was delight. He held an outstretched hand towards him while taking pleasure in regarding him carefully, in the same manner as when Jaeyun marvels at the oil paintings in the castle hallways.

Just as he was about to reach back out for him, without warning, the prince disappeared upon being dragged by someone unknown into the dance floor. Right in the middle of it where almost everyone except Jaeyun can see.

Where could he be?

He strained his neck to try to see through the statures of men towering over him. He tried to not be tripped nor dizzied by the clashing of humongous proportions of fabrics occupying the floor. He exhausted his eyes and feet when he kept on looking around for somewhere to see, not at all stopping even when the curtains were drawn and the music mellowed out into a familiar waltz.

Then he came to an epiphany.

Like a beacon of hope, his mind supplied him with the memory of how he’d arrived here in the first place. He looked back and there was the staircase in the far end of the hall, sparkling under the moonlight filtering through the curtain-covered glass panes.

Until today, he didn’t see why humans needed to ‘elevate’ themselves to somewhere higher. But as much as he did with his food, clothes, and a lot more about the human world, Jaeyun came to understand the fact when he needed to and experienced it himself.

It was so they could reach many more places where they would see many more sights and sceneries. Just like this one.

Sunghoon was dancing, and just like Jaeyun, everyone else was watching him.

It was almost exactly how Jaeyun remembered everything that happened that day. Sunghoon moved along to the music in fluid gracefulness and precision as he led and held his partner with the same patience and gentleness. He even had the same minute furrow on his left brow out of his careful concentration. All of these, except for the fact that he had his lips pressed together on a thin line instead of his usual toothy grin. Even more so that it wasn’t Jaeyun who was dancing with him.

As if it was the first time, Jaeyun didn’t know what to make do with his legs. His knees felt weak and his feet seemed to not want to move despite him wanting to leave as soon as he could. And the longer he continued to watch the scene playing out, the more painful his chest grew. Enough so he would even have to clutch at it in response to the pain. 

The moment he found the last bit of strength in his legs, the merman immediately fled from the hall to just about anywhere else his feet could take him. As he escaped out of the castle and into the dark of the night, he failed to see how someone took notice of his sudden absence, following him to the cliff overlooking the angry, turbulent sea below.

The only thing that gave it away was when he heard a scream of his name when he fell and crashed into the surface of what he once called his home. 

.

When Jaeyun woke up, the first thing he noticed was that the bed didn’t feel as soft as it usually did. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up to see around him properly. Sure enough, the room he was in didn’t look anything like Sunghoon’s.

That’s right. Sunghoon.

How lovely. He wakes up in a place he knew nothing about and yet, the first thing he thinks of was still the prince who danced the night away with his found muse. One who would probably be bound to him for life that Jaeyun will have no choice but to just leave them alone.

Alone. What a word to describe him when his family was no more and now, even Sunghoon was, too. Yet again, he just wanted to cry, if not to wish that he be taken away and left to vanish into sea foam. He couldn’t even come back home to live in peace but instead, he was stuck in the domain of people he never really knew, with his mind buried deep in overwhelming disillusionment. 

The sound of the door creaking broke Jaeyun from his miserable thought. He directed his full attention to it with wariness about the same as he had when he first crossed human territory, until his eyes met ones that belonged to a familiar face.

“Oh, you’re awake,” the newcomer announced his arrival. He had with him a wooden pail balanced on his hip and a small cloth slung over his shoulder.

Even as the other made his way to sit right before him on the bed (Jaeyun presumes this was his), the merman felt no discomfort at seeing him despite his obvious likeness to any other human. For lack of anything to say, he settled on calling his name.

“Jongseong-hyung?”

“Hm?” the older prompted. He started to dampen the cloth he brought then held his hand out to reach for Jaeyun’s arm. Cluelessly, Jaeyun relented while still at a loss about everything.

He had so many questions at once. Why was he here? Why didn’t he get his tail back? Was it him, Jongseong, who followed him out that night? In the end, he settled with the single best one.

“What happened?” he asked.

At the question, Jongseong slightly chuckled. He pulled him by the arm so he could better reach his face and wipe it. As a result, Jaeyun had to look him straight in the eyes despite trying not to do so earlier.

“You’re right. I was the one who followed you to the cliff that night. The moment I saw you run, I knew I had to. Good thing I did because I couldn’t have saved you from drowning otherwise.”

Jaeyun let out a hum in apprehension. Mindlessly, he trained his sight on the furrow between the older’s brows until he realized he never really mentioned anything about the cliff. Just as he was about to ask, Jongseong, who was already looking at him, sighed.

“I couldn’t just say that I guessed your thoughts when I didn’t exactly, so I might as well just be honest to you.” Jongseong paused to wipe gently over his eyes, then continued. “To be exact, I heard you thinking.”

For a moment, Jaeyun kept a blank expression at not immediately understanding the other’s words. But when he did, he gasped in shock.

“You’re…” he didn’t even bother to complete his sentence anymore because just now, he heard Jongseong’s thoughts reply to him.

“Yes. I was a merman then, just like you.” 

Still in shock, Jaeyun could only watch as the other bent down to rinse the towel, then go back to continue with his task.

“I set out to explore the human world and learn everything I could about it. Along the way, I fell in love, but I grew so scared of it that I wished to go back home. I’m sure you’d understand.” He cast a glance over the younger, then took his eager nod as his cue to carry on. 

“I thought I could just return like nothing happened. But just like you, I almost only drowned. If someone hadn’t saved me, I would have died.”

“But why?” Jaeyun’s eyes welled up. There was no need to say what they’ve both been thinking of anymore, but alas, he still hoped for what was seemingly impossible.

“I was bound. Tied to someone and sworn to never leave.”

That alone was enough to finally send him into a weeping mess after keeping everything in the entire time. Without him even knowing why, he was cursed to never again see his home, which is worsened by the fact that he barely had anyone in his life anymore. Every tear that fell down his face only served as a reminder of the fact, leading him to cry on Jongseong’s shoulder until he no longer could.

A little after he found himself exhausted with all the sobs that wracked his body, he hardly registered how he was brought to lay back down on the bed. In his drowsy state, he couldn’t help but wonder who could have tied Jongseong down to this place, just like himself.

As his eyelids closed, he heard the significantly lackluster tone of another familiar voice that came to his vicinity. But with almost nothing left to let him have his hopes up, he paid it no mind and fell into a slumber he wished to never wake up from.

Yet again, Jaeyun did wake up.

It was to the sound of someone speaking in a tone he wouldn’t have imagined to ever hear. It was uncharacteristically serious, and he almost wouldn’t believe it was the same person if not for them mentioning Jaeyun all of a sudden.

“...to do with Jaeyun-hyung,” he heard them say, which was answered by another whom he recognized as Jongseong.

“How so?”

A sigh. “He’s only been this way since Jaeyun-hyung went missing. He eats, sure, but he barely sleeps and sees his bride-to-be. Whatever free time he has, he spends on the shore alone.”

The two stopped talking the moment Jaeyun sat up from his place on the bed. In an instant, he felt their careful gazes trained on his weak, hunched figure that brought both of them to move by his side.

“Jaeyun.” He felt himself being lifted so he could lean properly on the pillows propped up by the headboard. Once he’d settled and looked up to meet his company, he was greeted with a set of long and narrow eyes.

Sunoo.

For a while, neither of them spoke out of shared insecurity. But then, Sunoo was the first to break the silence.

“Hyung.” The younger moved closer so he could reach for Jaeyun’s hand. He vaguely took notice of the missing piece of jewelry on his finger but didn’t mention it. Instead, he caressed the back of his hand with his thumb, hoping to provide the least bit of comfort.

“Why did you leave?” Jaeyun heard disappointment lace his tone and couldn’t help the guilt that struck his heart. Though, what else could he have done? Between guilt and heartbreak, neither really seemed like the better option. 

Sunoo continued. “We thought something happened to you because you suddenly went missing. The misses, the servants, the gardeners—we were all worried. Jieun even cried.”

Well, that can’t possibly be true. Here he was, in deep sorrow at the belief that no one was left by his side when in reality, there they were, shedding tears at his sudden disappearance.

Perhaps he’d just been blinded by the presence of a certain someone, enough so he would lament the mere thought of his eventual absence. And he knew very well he was damned when he’s still thinking of him without anyone bringing it up. Only this time, unlike before, he knew he wasn’t the only one who knew about it.

“Say,” Jongseong had to butt in. “Would you ever want to go back?” To him?

As if the notion of Sunghoon never seeing him in any light other than friendship wasn’t terrible enough, Jaeyun even had to find himself nodding in response, like it was his second nature. But was it his fault? Somehow, someone bound him here right when Sunghoon was just about to be as well. It wasn’t like he wanted to, and it’s not like he could help it either.

“D-Did he…” he trailed off, unsure. Though he didn’t want to hear whatever answer there may be, there wasn’t so much to do than to ask for it, anyway. With eyes shut and hands fisted, he deemed he was prepared.

“Sunghoon… Did he look for me?”

No sooner had he verbalized his misery than his eyes welled up yet again. He was scared, frustrated, and heartbroken, all at the same time. He almost felt sorry for himself, if not for the fact that Sunoo’s and Jongseong’s presence gave him more than enough reason to keep the least bit of dignity he felt he had.

When he raised his head to glance at them once more, they both wore worried expressions that sent Jaeyun’s heart into a frenzy. All it took was a single sigh to let him know of what was to come.

“Yes. Yes, he did.”

.

"Where could he be?"

From their journey to the castle this morning up until now, still no one has found any signs of the prince.

"He left early," was what Jieun's guard had said. Apparently even earlier than when the trio set out for their return.

Jaeyun would've almost had no qualms about such an undertaking. Almost, if not for how he'd been using his limbs for a while now and it still wasn't enough to keep them from getting tired quickly. At this rate, he might grow his tail back and he wouldn't be surprised.

Even so, if it wouldn't be his tail that will lead him to Sunghoon, then nor should it be what will stop him.

His legs and lungs are giving out, and now, even Sunoo and Jongseong are going at a slower pace.

"This is hopeless," Jaeyun heard Jongseong think, but he'd like to believe it wasn't. He hoped it wasn't.

It probably was.

His knees gave out in the end, causing his body to crash against the sand. It didn't take long for the two to see him fall and were both about to help him, but he promptly rose to his feet again.

"I'm alright. I promise." Jaeyun took a moment to compose himself and catch his breath. "Let's find him."

Walking down closer to the shore, he didn't notice the way Sunoo shared a worried look with Jongseong. The prince could've gone home but none of them would know.

They took the liberty of enunciating this, yet Jaeyun would not budge.

"He might be here waiting. Please, let's just find him."

Unknowingly, minutes turned to hours and there still was no sign of the prince. Both the cook and the tutor had returned to the castle multiple times, only to be met with no news about Sunghoon.

The sky was also already cast with an orange glow, the sun prepared to sink beyond the horizon. The air was getting chilly and the light was going scarce.

"Jaeyun, please." Jongseong held him by the shoulders. "Let's go back. He will find us if he wants to."

At this point, tears were already streaming down Jaeyun's face. His heart was beating so fast and his hands and legs were already trembling so hard.

"N-No, please. I need to see him." The very moment he said this, like many times today, he collapsed again on the ground.

In his tear-filled sight, everything seemed like a blur, even Jongseong's and Sunoo's attempts to convince him. Nothing else made sense—only until he caught sight of a strangely familiar boulder.

From the lack of strength, Jaeyun was left to drag himself across the sand. He only needed to take a look but it still proved rather taxing in his state.

"Jaeyun-hyung..." he heard his name being called, but he paid it no mind. He needed to see for himself where Sunghoon was before he could even think of resting.

There.

On the seemingly empty space behind the huge, black boulder, there Sunghoon was with his back completely flush against it.

While Jaeyun knew he might just be imagining things right now out of exhaustion, he used the last bit of his energy to call for the prince’s name.

“Sunghoon…”

At the very least, he had gotten this far and he does not regret a single thing.

A hand laid itself over his to help him sit up properly. Yet all the effort did was to raise him up just so he could fall over the torso of the person now in front of him. Maybe it was indeed hopeless, and so, he let himself weep against the other’s shoulder.

He felt the large hand bring him closer to the other’s body and hold him tighter. But tight as it was, it wasn’t suffocating. For the first time since Sunghoon came to save him, once again, he knew he wasn’t alone.

“I thought I lost you,” a voice that sounded too much like Sunghoon whispered into his ear. Oh, for goodness’ sake. Just why is it that even until now, he was still stuck in Jaeyun’s mind?

“Jaeyun,” they continued, “Look at me. Please. Just let me see you.”

The hand that was once draped over his shoulder went towards his jaw to guide his head up. Coaxing, yet never forcing. After a while of hesitation, Jaeyun finally did. 

What a pleasant surprise it was.

If not for the concerned stares from Jongseong and Sunoo directed at the both of them from afar, Jaeyun wouldn’t have believed what he was seeing. Sitting right before him was Sunghoon, whose eyes were dark, hair unkempt, and skin a bit too pale. Had he known better, Jaeyun would think he was just as miserable too. But even so, right now, he was just as beautiful as the day Jaeyun met him.

“You are actually here, right? I’m not merely seeing things?” Sunghoon asked. Though he had the exact same question running in his mind, Jaeyun decided to affirm this once and for all.

“Yes, Sunghoon, it’s me. It’s Jaeyun. I’m right here.”

They sat in silence accompanied by the gentle crashing of waves onto the shore. In their careful grasps of each other amid tender gazes shared, any sort of verbal declaration of their current emotions did not suffice.

Until Jaeyun was struck with realization.

He pulled away from the younger’s hold and released him from his own too. Despite the confused looks directed at him, he moved to finally stand up on his feet but almost only fell down again. Just like on the first day, once again, Sunghoon held an arm around his middle to keep him from falling.

But Jaeyun pushed him by the chest once he was sure he could stand on his own. He took a few steps back to leave space between the both of them. While he wanted to be selfish, he knew he had no right to be.

“The fine maiden. She must be waiting for you.”

Jaeyun attempted to drag Sunghoon by the hand so they could set off back to the castle. To his surprise, he was the one pulled back to face the younger instead.

“Jaeyun—”

“Come on,” he beat him to it. “Let’s go back. We can’t have her losing you, can we?”

The second time he tried to lead him back, Sunghoon only brought him towards himself and into another tight embrace. Even as he struggled to move, Sunghoon didn’t release him.

“Sunghoon, please. She needs you. Let me go.”

“No.” 

Taken aback, Jaeyun vaguely felt the wet sensation on his shoulder where Sunghoon had his face buried into. But when he asked him to meet his eyes, he didn’t have to ask for long.

“Sunghoon,” he whispered. “Let’s just go back. Everyone is waiting—”

“I can’t!” 

If earlier, he was only weeping, right now his sobs were enough to make his voice wobble.

Like his outburst was the only thing that kept him from doing so, Sunghoon let himself fall on his knees right before Jaeyun. At that point, even Jaeyun felt tears escaping his eyes.

“Sunghoon, please. D-don’t do this to me.”

“Don’t you understand, Jaeyun? I can’t. Not if… if you aren’t there…”

“But…” Jaeyun suppressed a sob. “Someone’s waiting on you.”

For a moment, neither said anything. But as soon as he moved to get the prince to stand up, the other grabbed him by the hand then held it between both his own.

“All my life…” Sunghoon began, “I’ve had somebody waiting on me. Until today, never have I been as desperate for anyone except for my mother.”

From his coat’s pocket, he retrieved what Jaeyun recognized as the same piece of jewelry he had given him before.

“She told me to give this to someone I never wanted to lose. Isn’t it amusing how I almost actually did lose it?” He chuckled as he fixed his stare on the ring.

"It is by sheer luck that I even found this again, but that's only because you came back with it."

Sunghoon glanced back up again to meet his eyes. He had a smile stretched on his lips and although he appeared happy, a far-off look was in his gaze.

“If you leave now, it’ll be forever.”

Jaeyun noted the tears littering the prince’s face. What hurts even more than the words themselves was the opportunity they gave to let him step away. Up until now, here Sunghoon was and his will to never hold him back.

Yet even if he tried to leave, it wasn’t like he could anyway. So what he did, he caved into the warmth of Sunghoon’s arms, still open for him like they have always been.

Only this time, he was the one who initiated.

.

“Jongseong-hyung. You never told me how you knew it was being bound that kept you from turning back.”

From his seat at the table in the middle of the kitchen, Jaeyun watched as the older paused his stirring and put his ladle down. Meanwhile, he remained seated and kept on with his simple task of mixing condiments together to be used for a dish later. Now, more than ever, he understood why humans cooked their food before eating. Steadily, he found himself forgetting how raw fish tasted back then; nevertheless, it was a welcome change.

Jongseong turned towards him. He had a dreamy look in his eyes, one that Jaeyun learned to associate with only one person.

“It was easy. To be exact” —he took a spoonful of the simmering stew— “That would be the person who’s the most distraught to hear of your departure.”

Right at that moment, a familiar figure announced their arrival when they made their way inside the kitchen. He was only short of the crown on his head to warrant being dignified and grand, but then again, this was Sunghoon. Anywhere else, he would just about sparkle in Jaeyun’s eyes, and only if it were him.

“How are you doing, my love?” he asked with his handsome dimpled smile. Truly, he was beautiful, and all over again, Jaeyun was enchanted.

With a genuine smile of his own, he replied.

“Never been better.”