Chapter Text
Daeyoung swims around the photic zone, his green jade scales shine whenever the sun shines through from the surface of the sea meets his scales. He is now a lot closer to the surface, to the place he frequently visits these days in secret. Daeyoung smiles innocently and excitedly as if he has been waiting for this moment all his life, until...
“Kim Daeyoung!” Daeyoung spontaneously stops, his droopy eyes widened and turns his whole body around to the source of the voice calling him as if calling him out because he just did something wrong. And, well, he did.
Daeyoung sees Ryo, the same merman as him, he was told that Ryo is younger than him, his yellow golden scales shine so bright that Daeyoung thinks he is about to go blind. Ryo makes a quiet unpleasant face at Daeyoung. He swims closer to Daeyoung, his face gradually looks stiff as if the anger inside him is bubbling up to his throat.
“Boa noona has told us to not go to the surface! What would you do if the scary human catch you?!” Ryo says in a higher picth as if scolding Daeyoung. Daeyoung smiles warmly, it feels nice having someone worries over him. However he needs to soothe Ryo's anger. Ryo is quiet scary when he gets angry like this...
Daeyoung swims slowly to where Ryo stops as if he is afraid to swim a lot closer to Daeyoung, as if he is really afraid of the surface of the water.
“There is no human here, Ryo. The human's place is still a lot further than here.” Daeyoung says convincingly. Ryo just stares at his eyes with his big eyes in silent as if searching the tiniest hint that Daeyoung has lied to him. Daeyoung smiles and put his hands on top of Ryo's shoulder.
“It's okay, you don't need to be worried. I will be back later.”
Ryo is not fully convinced at all, but seeing how Daeyoung's eyes sparkle as if he was really looking forward to swim to the surface, Ryo thinks he just has to let this one time go. He sighs.
“Come home before the moon rises.”
Seeing how Ryo just lets him go almost easily like this, Daeyoung nods his head and makes a childishly pinky promise with him that he will definitely go back before the moonlight could ever shine tonight.
After Daeyoung makes sure Ryo has swum away from near the surface, only then he resumes his journey. At first, his head pops out from under the water. He looks around as if scanning his surroundings, then he goes back to the water and swims a lot closer to the shore.
Daeyoung hides behind the really big stone by the shore, again, his eyes keeps looking around. This time it feels as if he is searching for something. Since Daeyoung is quite a transparent merman, it's easy to see his change in expression every time he moves his eyes busily. He would look surprised then gloomy as if what he just saw was not 'something' he has been searching for.
Not long after that, as if he just found what he has been searching for, Daeyoung's eyes sparkle. He moves his fishtail here and there as if imitating the big golden retriever dog wagging its tail. And until it gets to him that someone else could see him so he hides his tail again and timidly hides his whole existence to the back of the big stone.
“There he is!” Daeyoung squealing excitedly.
In his line of view, there is a young man probably in his twenties something. His features looks sharp yet pretty like a combination of manly and beautiful features mixes up together. The bridge of his nose wrinkles beautifully whenever he laughs at the other person. Does he love to joke around? Then, Daeyoung thinks he needs to ask his Boa noona about some mermaid jokes later.
Daeyoung is so busy admiring him from afar. It is as if the world goes in slow motion since the first time his gaze lands on the young man today. No, if he thinks back on it, the moment his eyes met him back then Daeyoung wonders if that man could stop the time.
“Hey! Why are you still swimming around here?!” A low voice comes from somewhere, Daeyoung looks very startled but he still maintains to keep his mermaid tail hidden. He turns his whole body and sees a much younger man glares at him. His porcelain white cheeks are tinted in natural pink blushes.
Daeyoung awkwardly averts his gaze. In his mind, he tries to come up with various reasons. This young man must be thinking that Daeyoung is one of his people.
“The captain told us not too wander around especially since the moon will soon rise! Don't you know how scary it is? You will get kidnapped by the merrow!” The young man keeps shouting and spouting out words like a rapper.
Daeyoung tilts his head, he wonders how this young human could now Sion—the merrow. But, it has been so long since the last time Sion goes out to the surface. He can't possibly meet him just recently, right?
“Come here!” The young man grows impatient, he holds Daeyoung's wrist with both of his hands as if pulling him from the water.
Daeyoung looks panic, he looks back to where the young man he just admired was and forth to the young man in front of him.
“Hey! Stop being so stubborn!”
Ugh, Daeyoung winches in pain after being forcefully pulled to the shore. He goes pale, what if this human notices that Daeyoung is a mermaid? Haa, he should have just followed Ryo's words back then.
“Sakuya, what are you doing here?” A soft cotton candy like voice interrupts them. Daeyoung spontaneously turns his attention to the familiar voice.
“Yushi!” Daeyoung mumbles Yushi's name quietly.
“Daeyoung? It's about time the moon rises, you should go back home.” Yushi utters, he looks worried but Daeyoung simply shakes his head.
“Right! But this guy is crazy stubborn!” The much younger man—Sakuya—says.
“The captain told me to be on the roll in case the kids are still playing around the shore and I catch him still swimming around here while hiding himself!” He continues.
Yushi—the owner of that cotton candy like voice—chuckles as if he finds this very funny. Ah, Daeyoung really likes the look on his face, if he could, he really wants to burn it to his memory.
“No, Sakuya~~. You are preventing him from going home. He belongs to the sea.” Yushi says the fact like a bombshell. Sakuya's big already eyes become a lot bigger, he looks bewildered and dumbfounded. He then turns his attention to Daeyoung, but what he can see is that Daeyoung is just a human like him. So, how could Daeyoung be possibly belong to the sea?
“Take a closer look, he has a mermaid tail.” Yushi points it out.
Sakuya who realises it a beat late releases his grip on Daeyoung's wrist and steps back. He could have fallen on his butt if Yushi doesn't support him.
“A mermaid? Merman? How?!”
“Saku, keep your voice down or else everyone could hear you.” Yushi tries to calm Sakuya. Sakuya then takes a really deep breath.
Sakuya pulls away from Yushi, feeling slightly embarrassed. Yushi just smiles and approaches Daeyoung. He kneels in front of Daeyoung without even having the second thought that the rocky sand on the shore would hurt his knee.
“Daeyoung-ah, go back. It's dangerous for you to be around here. Soon, the elders would be on patrol, too. You could get caught by them.” Yushi says, his voice sounds light with a hint of worrisome in his tone. His eyes that stares into Daeyoung's eyes, too, look so warm. Daeyoung thinks he could be drown to Yushi's gaze. He feels slightly dizzy and averts his eyes.
“Go back home now, I will talk to Sakuya to never told someone else about you.” At Yushi's words, Daeyoung nods his head. He waves timidly to Yushi and Sakuya then swims away to his own home.
During the walk to their homestay, Sakuya looks so absent minded. Well, Yushi could understand. He was also like that back then the very first time he saw Daeyoung.
“I was surprised, too, back then.” Yushi starts the conversation.
Sakuya turns his head and looks at Yushi quietly.
“I met him a month ago. You know.... The waves were crashing our ship badly that day, I was on the deck and lose my balance...”
Ah, that time, Sakuya who was on the shore was waiting for his friends return worriedly. The captain had warned them then, but the leader of Yushi's team insisted to go to the ocean.
Sakuya still vividly remember how he thought his world was crumbling down the moment he first heard that some of his friends were missing from those who safely made their way to comeback to the shore. Those who were missing was the team's leader and... Yushi.
Yushi who was always like Sakuya's older brother, the affectionate yet loved to tease him, was reported to be missing. Sakuya only had Yushi in this big world. Now after the ocean took away his family, it took his older brother, too?
Sakuya also remembered how he prayed so much day and night for Yushi's return. He would always go to the shore at dawn completely ignoring their captain's warning to search for Yushi. Until... Yushi was found lying on his back on the shore. Sakuya was so afraid to take another step forward to Yushi. Thousand thoughts were running wildly inside his mind until Yushi coughed out some water left in his throat, only then Sakuya could quickly go to Yushi's side and give him the first aid.
“I was saved by Daeyoung that day.” Yushi continues, snapping Sakuya back to the reality.
“He saved me from drowning and took me to the nearby sandy beach back then. I was way too afraid of the creature before my eyes that I couldn't really thank him properly. However, even when I treated him coldly, Daeyoung would always comeback to me. He gave me lots of his mermaid meals so I could survive.” Yushi smiles while reminiscing it.
“He once gave me a fish while crying, saying that one of his friend just died. He said I grew thinner because I kept refusing to eat what he brought me. Only then I could accept him, I could accept the fact that these creatures really exist just like us human.”
“You were found fainting at the shore, though.” Sakuya cuts him.
“Yeah, Daeyoung actually brought me there however the waves were still too strong and high. I told him that I was okay with delaying to come back there but he insisted. I guessed I got drown for a bit due to the crashing waves when we were almost on the shore. Luckily, Sakuya found me.” Yushi smiles warmly at Sakuya.
“I still can't believe mermaid does exist....” Sakuya mumbles. Yushi laughs after hearing it.
“You will soon get used to it, Sakuya. Daeyoung always comes to the shore to play every three days.”
Just like what Yushi had said, Daeyoung really does comeback every three days. No, it's like he comes back every day. And every time Daeyoung is seen around the shore, Yushi would spend his time playing around with Daeyoung and Sakuya would eventually join in, too.
Sakuya notices how Daeyoung's eyes would sparkle so much every time he learns a new information about human being from Yushi and him. He also notices how Daeyoung would stare at Yushi like honey is dripping from his eyes. He notices but somehow he doesn't really want to think much about it.
When Yushi gets a lot busier preparing this and that, Daeyoung would spend his time with Sakuya. Sakuya would tell him about the words in human language that Daeyoung probably didn't know. He would also introduce Daeyoung to some old dolls he had and introduce him to so many kinds of vegetables and flowers. Every time Daeyoung learns about new things from Sakuya, he would smile widely like an innocent child. The flower that had withered away in Sakuya's grip seems to be bloom somewhere inside his heart. Still, Sakuya doesn't want to think much about it. He doesn't even have any plan to water the blooming flower inside his heart.
Just as Daeyoung's heart that keeps blooming in love with Yushi, Sakuya's heart has already become flowery garden. At this rate, Sakuya is sure he will do well being a florist instead of a sailor.
When the tides is high, Daeyoung doesn't come to the shore so Sakuya would spend his time reading lots of book he could borrow from his friends. It is mostly some legendary books or romance novels that Sakuya is sure that his friends are all just a bunch of pathetic lovers just like him.
When the waves become calm again, Sakuya excitedly goes to the shore. He searches here and there for Daeyoung but still can't find him. Until he hears a crying sound, it sound familiar. Too familiar, but deep down Sakuya wishes the sound doesn't belong to Daeyoung.
Sakuya approached the big rock where he met Daeyoung for the first time. He sees Daeyoung there, tears that soon turn into pearls are running down, staining his cheeks. In his hands, there is a book. He holds it tightly as if it is really dear to him. Sakuya doesn't know what kind of proper approach he should do this time. But, he decides to try approaching Daeyoung using light jokes even though he could feel his heart shattering to pieces when Daeyoung cries so sadly like this.
“Whoa! So, it's true that a mermaid's tears turn into pearls!” Sakuya jokes, trying to not sound as awkward as he already is.
Daeyoung looks up to Sakuya, his tear filled eyes look pitiful. It looks red under his eyes too, maybe because he keeps rubbing his eyes when the tears that fall to his cheeks suddenly turn into tiny pearls. However, the only thought Sakuya has is the fact that Daeyoung looks pretty like this. He looks so pretty that Sakuya is sure Daeyoung just takes Sakuya's breath away for a second.
“So... what happened?” Sakuya asks with his voice trembling as he goes closer to Daeyoung and sits on top of the rocky sand of the shore. He looks around to make sure no one sees him here with Daeyoung.
Daeyoung is still sobbing, he is crying his eyes out as if what had happened was really saddening to him. He slowly stretches his arms to Sakuya. There is a soaked old novel being tightly gripped in his hands. Sakuya looks as him confusedly as if demanding an explanation.
“It is... a book from Yushi... He told me that I should read it. I... was so happy that I brought it home.... but then the book got soaked and I just realised I can't even read human's language....”
“So now I become sad.... over it.... It was a book from Yushi, too. What should I do? I really want to know what kind of story it has.... I want to talk to him about it later....”
Daeyoung tries hard to explain it to Sakuya and even repeats the same fact that he got the book from Yushi.
Sakuya sighs. He then snatches the book away from Daeyoung.
“I will read it to you, so listen to me.” Sakuya says, it feels as if he demands Daeyoung to pay attention only to him. But, obviously he will never be honest about it. The human this mermaid loves so much is not him after all, it's Yushi.
When Sakuya gets some time off from the ocean, Sakuya goes down to the town to buy a copy of the novel Yushi gave to Daeyoung. He doesn't really know why Yushi gave Daeyoung his novel despite knowing that Daeyoung couldn't read human's language.
And.... The novel that Yushi gave Daeyoung is ‘The little mermaid’. It's the first time Sakuya ever read that kind of story since his friends only has human and human romance novels.
Sakuya thought it would end happily and that was why Yushi gave it to Daeyoung. He was so sure Daeyoung has a special place in Yushi's heart somewhere. However, nearing the end, Sakuya notices that the ending he and surely Daeyoung was hoping was far from it. So Sakuya had to add his adlibs and when Daeyoung looked away for some seconds to swim around because he was being so giddy imagining the main characters of the story as Yushi and him, Sakuya tore the last page. He crumbled it and put it deep inside his pocket as if he wants to bury the last piece of that story.
After Sakuya comes back from the town, he goes to Yushi's room to give the novel 'back' to Yushi. Today, Yushi looks different, as if something was weighing him so bad. He barely moves and only stares at the new novel Sakuya just bought to him. Well, obviously he knows that Sakuya just bought it to him, if it was from Daeyoung just like what Sakuya said, the book would completely be soaked.
Yushi smiles bitterly.
Before Sakuya could ask Yushi the reason he suddenly acts so strangely like this. Yushi cuts Sakuya off and tells Sakuya that he is just feeling under the weather and even asks Sakuya if Daeyoung comes over to the shore, he needs to tell Daeyoung to not come to the shore when it is a full moon.
Sakuya doesn't really understand why. But, he still compiles to Yushi's request.
Soon, after leaving Yushi's room, Sakuya heads to the shore to read another novel for Daeyoung since Daeyoung keeps demanding him for more. Haaa, Sakuya sighs. It hasn't been even a week after that but Sakuya can feel his mouth getting numb for reading the novel out loud to Daeyoung these days. But, seeing how excited Daeyoung is from the start of the chapter to the very end, Sakuya thinks he doesn't really mind having sore facial muscles.
“Hey, Sakuya.” Daeyoung calls when Sakuya just finished reading him the new romance novel he just bought.
“Hm?”
“Don't you have a human and non human romance story? The books you read to me are all human and human romance story.... aside from the book that Yushi lended to me.”
“You want me to read you a human and non human story...?” Sakuya asks timidly, but Daeyoung nods confidently.
“You know, ever since you read me ‘the little mermaid’ I have been thinking about how Yushi would think of me if I suddenly appear before him in my human appearance. Will I be taller than him? What should I do if I grow feet instead of fish tail? You know... I want to try dancing with him. Some old mermaid ladies told me that human loves dancing so much. I wonder if Yushi likes dancing, too....” Daeyoung says, his eyes shines so bright that it feels blinding.
Sakuya doesn't say anything back, no, he can't. He asked one of his friends about it, about the human and non human romance story that he might know, but.... They didn't end in a happy ending. So, Sakuya thinks he doesn't need to read Daeyoung those sad ending stories. He hates making Daeyoung feels sad. He hates crumbling Daeyoung's innocent imagination, his innocent love for Yushi. So, he stays silent. That's the least he can do, in loving the creature that won't even look at his way. Ah, now that Sakuya thinks, his story will end up in a sad and bad ending too. But, God, can I ask for the happy ending for Daeyoung's sincere and innocent love to Yushi?
Daeyoung's laughter snaps Sakuya back to the reality. He laughs seeing the falling leaves that are being blown away by the wind. Sakuya looks so mermerised, it is as if time stops only for him to admire the beauty of Daeyoung's innocent laugh.
“What is it? I suddenly feel cold, look! Goosebumps! You told me the other day.”
Daeyoung asks, his curious eyes shine brighter than the sun. Sakuya looks a bit taken aback. Daeyoung really is so curious about the human's world. Is it because of his love to Yushi?
Sakuya smiles bitterly and answers Daeyoung's question, trying to deliver the same excitement that Daeyoung shows to him.
“It's the breeze, the wind... that is touching your skin. That's why goosebumps appear because you feel cold.” Sakuya traces Daeyoung's arm with his index finger.
“Oh! It's the wind!” He says excitedly.
Daeyoung looks closely to his arm and slowly loses his smile.
“The leaves look so beautiful being blown by the wind, but.... I don't like feeling cold.”
“Is the sea a lot warmer than here?” To answer Sakuya's question, Daeyoung nods confidently.
If the sea was really warmer compared to the shore, Sakuya really wants Daeyoung to just stay in that warm place forever.
After hearing that Yushi is sick these days, Daeyoung grows worried. He asks here and there about the kind of medicine that would help human to become fit again, but obviously none of the mermaids know about it and he can't ask his Boa noona in fear that he will get banned to get to the shore. The only option is to asks the legendary merrow—Oh Sion. He is the only one who have lots of knowledge about medicine and potions, after all.
So, Daeyoung dives deeper to where the merrow lives. It has been a while since the last time Daeyoung sees Sion. Sion, the merrow, usually would come up to the surface. Singing the serenade, luring whoever catches his melody. But, Daeyoung wonders what makes him stop doing it.
When Daeyoung arrives in front of the merrow's palace, Daeyoung swims around to see if Sion is there.
“Come in~” Sion's soft voice seems to lure Daeyoung in.
Daeyoung timidly stands in front of Sion. Sion who was busy doing something looks up to Daeyoung.
“What is it? Didn't Boa noona tell you to not hang around with me?”
“I want to ask you about something...” Daeyoung glances over to the side. What's sitting in front of Sion is a full body skeleton wearing the old sailor uniform. He remembers Yushi said that one of his elders disappeared completely from the sea. Not even his skeleton was found. Daeyoung wonders if this skeleton being in front of Sion was one of Yushi's elders.
Sion who follows Daeyoung's gaze seems unbothered.
“That's my Riku.” Sion says suddenly. The he goes back to what he was doing, cleaning the skeletons' fingertips softly that Daeyoung doubts it's him cleaning it or him just holding 'Riku's hand'.
“Huh?” Daeyoung's reaction comes a beat late.
“I fell in love with him. I lured him to the sea, I took his breath away and now I spent the eternity with him.” Sion's words despite it sounds terrifying, his face looks so calm and happy.
Daeyoung really wants to say something back saying that how can he spend eternity with just his skeleton? In Daeyoung's view, this looks.... Lonely. Not being able to hear your loved ones' voice, laughter. Not being able to see how cute they would look whenever they smile....
“This is enough for me.” Sion utters as if he just reads Daeyoung's mind.
“It might be different for other people.” He continues.
Yes, it really is different.
Unlike Sion who made his loved ones sacrifice everything he had, Daeyoung doesn't want Yushi to sacrifice even a strand of his hair.
Daeyoung makes such a serious, he has made a decision.
“Please give me a potion to turn me into a human.”
Sakuya thinks he forgets about something. He keeps turning here and there that one of his roommate scolds him about it.
“Hey, do you know that Yushi will be engaged to our captain's daughter?” His roommate, Jungmin, suddenly asks.
“What?!” Sakuya shouts. This is the first time he hears about this!
“Ouch! Can you not shout?!” Jungmin sighs.
“I guess you haven't heard it, the reason Yushi didn't join his team to sail to the ocean these days was because he was busy preparing for it.” Jungmin continues. He takes a deep breath.
“You do know that Yushi is such an excellent sailor, that's why the captain arranged the engagement for both of them.”
“When will the engagement happen?” Sakuya asks cautiously.
“Huh? Hmm, I think it will happen when the moon is on its full moon phase.”
Full moon? Now, Sakuya knows what has been bothering him since a while now, it's that he forgets to tell Daeyoung to not come to the shore when it's full moon. Yushi had already told him to deliver it, but since he was mumbling about how the waves would be higher then, it completely slipped his mind. Since Daeyoung is a mermaid, he doesn't really think much about the crashing waves unlike Yushi as a sailor.
Sakuya quickly leaves the room and runs as fast as he could to the shore.
Once he has arrived, he looks up to the sky but the moon is hiding its shy self behind the dark cloud.
The sound of the waves crashing to the shore can be heard loudly. Sakuya looks around and at the end of his gaze, Yushi is standing there all alone. He faces the ocean. Sakuya who stands a lot further at the back can't really guess what kind of expression Yushi has right now.
Sakuya just stands there observing Yushi.
Yushi slowly crouching down. He brings both of his hands to touch the waves that comes crashing to his feet. He cups the sea water and brings it closer to his mouth. Sakuya might have thought Yushi is drinking the sea salt water, but no, he knows as much, Yushi is not drinking it. Instead, it looks like he kissed the water that slowly slips away from the gaps of his hands and fingertips.
Sakuya clicks his tongue, the emotion that keeps bubbling up inside his heart now has reached to the point where he couldn't completely contain it at all. He clutches his throbbing heart. When he thinks Yushi doesn't love Daeyoung back, when he thinks Yushi deliberately gave Daeyoung his sad ending novel about a mermaid and a human, when he thinks Yushi accepts the proposal of being engaged to the captain's daughter because he loves her. Sakuya thinks he has been wrong all along. Yushi does love Daeyoung so much that he can't help it, Yushi who doesn't have any family since he was so young can only rely on the captain that took him in just like his own son.
“Argh!” Sakuya groans in pain. It hurts so much seeing the two creatures that have fallen in love but can't become one.
Then the memory of Daeyoung who would always go to the shore in the middle of the night, clutching both of his hands together as if praying while looking at the moon whenever Yushi sailed and the memory of Yushi who would go out in the middle of the night to just stare blankly at the sea comes to Sakuya's mind.
Sakuya couldn't stand it anymore, he runs as fast as he could cursing everything that comes into his mind. He curses so much that his voice becomes hoarse and that he almost lost his breath.
“God?! Are you up there?! Why?!”
Why is this happening to those that Sakuya loves so much?
That night, Sakuya can't really push away the uncomfortable feelings that keep bubbling up inside of him. He still remembers the first time he saw Daeyoung. No, he didn't it was Daeyoung back then.
It was so late into night. He was just wandering around the beach after his senior scolded him badly because he was told not to go to the shore back then when the waves were rising. He went around, kicking the small stones in his way. His eyes were drawn to the sea, something that he has loved ever since he first learnt the word 'Sea' itself. Something that brought him to Yushi who is like his bloodline older brother that he loves so much.
The tides was high as if licking at the wooden pillars of the shore. He went closer to the sea and he could feel the waves crashing coldly to his pale white skin.
There he met eyes and eyes with something that kept staring at him with wonder. Something that Sakuya felt he had seen but had never seen before. Sakuya had never seen someone who looked so fragile, so innocent that it left him breathless for some seconds before he snapped back to the reality.
Sakuya hided himself quickly behind the wooden pilars as if playing hide and seek with someone he had just seen. He carefully sneaked a peek, thinking what could a human do swimming in this high tides this late at night? Then he saw it, the green jade scales shining brightly under the moonlight that moved around occasionally when that 'person' kept going back and forth from the sea to the surface.
And then, Sakuya got to know that 'person' was not human like him.
It was a being, a figure, that belong only to the sea that was barely visible beneath the moonlight. Sakuya took a closer look, that creature had hair darkened by the sea and its eyes reflecting the silver glow of the night sky.
A mermaid, no, should he say a merman?
When the moon is now at its fullest form, Sakuya can only bite his finger nail anxiously going back and forth around the shore. The engagement party ends sooner than he thought. He doesn't know why Daeyoung still hasn't come up when he usually was seen around the shore at this time. Should he be glad that Daeyoung really didn't come? But, what if Daeyoung did come? What should he say to Daeyoung? Yushi is still there, his complexion didn't look any better since the last time Sakuya saw him but he is still busy greeting the guests.
Then Sakuya finds Daeyoung at the shore, standing at the edge where the waves kiss the sand. He does look taller. Sakuya doesn't know how Daeyoung suddenly could stand at the shore instead of swimming around and hiding at the back of the big stone at the shore.
Sakuya wants to run to him, but then his big eyes catch the dagger that glints in his hands, light as a whisper. Shining brightly under the moonlight.
Sakuya's breath hitches and he slowly tries to keep his stances steady as he gets closer to Daeyoung. His whole body trembles as if fear just comes sneaking under his skin.
“Daeyoung.” He calls. His trembling voice is heard loud and clear.
Daeyoung turns, slow, as if he just woke up from a dream.
Then, Sakuya sees him smiling. His smile looks gentle but it feels like it hides lots of his emotion he is desperately hiding underneath.
Sakuya knows the story. He was the one who gave the story telling to Daeyoung back then after all.
He knows the choice that had to be made and he knows what Daeyoung would choose. He also remembers the line from his favourite song; even if I cruelly fall down, even that will be for you, so I will handle it.
That makes Sakuya resents God the most for his twisted play in having to create such ending for his beloved ones. Sakuya wants to stop Daeyoung. But Daeyoung has already waved his hand and stepped forward.
Daeyoung opens his mouth but his voice doesn't come out. Instead of asking why Daeyoung's voice doesn't come out, Sakuya focuses more to read his thin lips.
‘From the stories you usually read me, I should have known the ending would be like this. But... I want to wish it won't. But, I saw him... I saw Yushi with someone I didn't know... Did he get married?’
“No, no! Please listen! He still hasn't gotten married. It's just an engagement!”
Sakuya desperately tries to catch him.
‘Still... I'm not the one he loves.’
“Wait! Daeyoung! Listen to me!”
Sakuya runs closer to where Daeyoung is standing, but he eventually falls down because of the rocky sand.
The water rises around Daeyoung as if welcoming him home.
‘Thank you.’ Sakuya has never heard a word of gratitude would be this cruel. He wants to do his best to stop Daeyoung
But, Sakuya does nothing. No, he can't do anything, to stop Daeyoung.
Because it wasn't his love that Daeyoung wanted to stay for.
And so, Sakuya had to let him go, becoming the foam, becoming one with something he loves the most aside from Yushi—the sea.
FIN.