Chapter Text
The water was warm as Hongjoong stepped in, the liquid embrace a welcomed contrast to the chill of the laboratory. It was the perfect temperature for the vibrant tropical sea life that darted through the artificial reefs surrounding him. This was easily one of his favorite parts of the week, when he got to shed his lab coat for heavy scuba gear and dive directly into the massive ocean tank.
As a marine biologist, Hongjoong should have left the routine tank maintenance and manual labor to the aquarists on staff, but he found it peaceful spending time with the animals under his care., He personally loved ensuring that even the smallest fish were properly fed and thriving within the ecosystem.
Beyond his professional duties, he also harbored a fondness for watching a certain performer swim through the depths. This actor had a way of mesmerizing the crowds gathered on the other side of the glass, effortlessly entertaining children and adults alike with a grace that seemed almost otherworldly.
Seonghwa was already submerged when Hongjoong entered, drifting near the viewing side. He was busy blowing delicate, heart-shaped bubbles toward a group of wide-eyed children, his gray silicone tail undulating behind him with such fluid precision that it appeared real.
Hongjoong watched, just as mesmerized as the kids, before remembering his task. He adjusted his regulator and swam closer, the colorful flash of a school of tangs parting around him. When Seonghwa turned, he had a playful glint in his eyes. Seonghwa always loved to interact with the divers, swimming around them and sometimes even stealing their regulators.
Seonghwa argued that it ruined the experience to see a mermaid taking a hit of oxygen when he’s supposed to be a sea creature. He swam toward Hongjoong now, his movements slow and intentional. His tail caught the artificial sunlight filtering from above, his white hair flowing behind him, golden skin glowing. Even after years of working together, Hongjoong still found himself breathless at the sight.
Seonghwa reached out, his fingers brushing against Hongjoong’s mask before he gestured toward the mouthpiece. With a wink, the performer leaned in. Hongjoong obliged, familiar with the routine, and watched as Seonghwa took a steady breath of air. For a second, their faces were mere inches apart, the quiet hum of the tank the only sound between them.
There was a bang that reverberated through the water. Seonghwa's gray eyes seemed to flash white, and he turned towards where the kids were to see that one of them had escaped from the group and was banging his fists against the glass. Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa rolled his eyes and placed the mouthpiece back against Hongjoong’s lips.
With a graceful flick, Seonghwa darted toward the glass. He didn’t look annoyed as he swam up to the kid. He pressed his palms against the surface, mirroring the child’s position. He tilted his head, letting out a stream of tiny bubbles that formed a shimmering curtain between them. The child froze, eyes wide with wonder. Seonghwa pretended to bang against the glass, then shook his head no, and held his ears like he was in pain. The kid nodded slowly and took his hands off the glass. Seonghwa blew a final, perfect bubble that drifted upward, then blew a kiss at the kid before swimming away, heading back to the top of the tank and out of view.
Hongjoong watched from below as Seonghwa broke the surface, his head becoming a blur. The tail twitched as schools of fish swam around him. He was amazed at how Seonghwa swam so gracefully in his tail. He had moved that tail before, when the room where Seonghwa got ready had to be closed due to tank renovations, and it was heavy. It was probably 40 to 50 pounds of pure silicone. Seonghwa told him before that it became light in the water, making it easy to maneuver.
But he swore Seonghwa's tail was different. It moved more like muscle and bone than silicone. Hongjoong watched the dull gray surface of the caudal fin flex, noticing tiny, iridescent flecks that shouldn't exist on manufactured rubber, catching the light as if they were embedded scales.
He knew logically that Seonghwa had just invested a lot of time and money into his tail, yet a knot of skepticism tightened in his stomach.
Shaking off the thought, Hongjoong reached for the mesh bag attached to his belt and pulled out a handful of nutrient-rich pellets. He began to scatter them, creating a small cloud of activity as a flurry of yellow tangs and ventralis anthias swarmed in his hands. The frantic brushing of tiny fins against his skin made him smile.
A shadow fell over him and before he could look up, a pale hand darted into the fray. Seonghwa had dove back down, moving with that same impossible speed. Instead of helping, he began to pluck individual pellets out of the water, moving them away from the confused fish. He looked at Hongjoong, his expression a mix of mischief and pure delight at the mild chaos he was causing. He nudged Hongjoong's shoulder with his own, a silent invitation to stop being so serious and play.
Hongjoong frowned behind his mask, but a laugh still escaped him, turning into a burst of bubbles that rose rapidly toward the surface. He tried to swat Seonghwa's hand away but he was too quick, his movements a blur of grace and color. Seonghwa took another handful of pellets and blew them, scattering them uselessly on the reef. The fish followed the food, darting around to catch every piece.
Seonghwa darted away, waving at a few people watching their interaction. Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa blew bubbles and hid behind a reef, only to pop up from the other side in a 'boo!' motion towards a baby who looked to be enjoying themselves as they giggled.
Hongjoong returned his focus to the remaining pellets, trying to ignore the playful spirit darting around him. Seonghwa was never one to be ignored for long. He glided back and once again reached for Hongjoong's regulator. He watched as Seonghwa slowly wrapped his lips around the mouthpiece again, making Hongjoong's heart hammer against his ribs. He could see the individual lashes framing Seonghwa's gray eyes and the way the light danced across his cheekbones; the glitter he put on before getting into the tank caught the light perfectly.
Hongjoong asked several times when Seonghwa first started working if the glitter was biodegradable and wouldn't bother the fragile ecosystem in the ocean tank, but Seonghwa was adamant that the glitter he used would never hurt the fish.
As Seonghwa exhaled a tiny stream of bubbles, his tail brushed against Hongjoong's leg. The contact sent a jolt through him. Up close, the tail was even more baffling. Hongjoong allowed his gaze to drift down, following the curve past the flowing finlets and to the caudal fin. The fin twitched when a smaller stingray brushed against it, but before he could look closer, Seonghwa darted away, a new set of children in the viewing area.
Hongjoong focused his gaze back on the small handful of pellets remaining and tried to ignore his racing heart. He scattered them quickly, watching the flurry of color dart away, satisfied. When the mesh bag was empty, he clipped it back onto his belt.
He looked around the massive tank, scanning the coral for any sign of Seonghwa, but he was gone. Only the darting fish and the occasional languid drift of a stingray filled his vision. Hongjoong felt a familiar ache of disappointment. Seonghwa always vanished when Hongjoong wasn't watching.
Adjusting the buoyancy control device on his vest, Hongjoong began a slow ascent. The sunlight from above grew brighter with every meter he rose. As his head broke the surface, the noisy, air-conditioned world of the aquarium returned, replacing the muffled quiet of the deep.
He unclipped his heavy weights and handed them to the awaiting aquarist before hoisting himself onto the metal platform. Hongjoong pulled off his mask.
"Everything good, Hongjoong?" a voice asked.
Hongjoong nodded, turning his head to see Yunho standing off to the side. Yunho was a fellow marine biologist who mainly did field work. He traveled to other aquariums and rehabilitation facilities when they needed extra hands. Still, his home was right here in the small ocean-side town that was tucked away from any large cities and highways.
"All good. Feedings are complete. Seonghwa was having a bit of fun down there today though, terrorizing the poor creatures."
Yunho chuckled, running his hand through his dirty blond hair. "He always does. Knows how to keep the crowds happy. How often did he steal your regulator this time?"
"Only twice. I wasn't down there for long. Just a small feeding around the reef.” Hongjoong focused on shedding his gear. He unzipped the thick wetsuit, the material sticking stubbornly to his damp skin as he peeled it down to his waist before standing up. He worked the suit down and slipped the heavy suit off his ankles. He stood there for a moment, just in his trunks, water dripping from his hair and tracing paths down the lean muscle of his chest.
"You know," Yunho started, leaning back against the railing with a knowing glint in his eyes. "He doesn't actually need to do that. The tank is equipped with hidden air hoses behind the reef structures specifically so the performers don't have to surface constantly." He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I think our resident mermaid just likes having an excuse to get close to you."
Hongjoong paused, a towel already in his hand as he began to rub it vigorously through his dark hair. He didn't look up, but the tips of his ears started to heat. "Don't be ridiculous, Yunho," he muttered, his voice slightly muffled by the fabric. "He just gets caught up in the moment while putting on a show for the visitors. It's not that deep."
He didn't wait for Yunho's response and he tossed the towel over his shoulder. Hongjoong grabbed his bag and headed toward the staff locker rooms. "I'm going to hit the shower. I'll see you in the lab later," he called out over his shoulder, his pace a little faster than usual as he disappeared behind the door.
The spray of the water was hot and needle-like against his skin as it washed away the salt and the lingering scent of the tank. Hongjoong leaned his forehead against the cool tile, letting the steam fill his lungs. Yunho's words echoed in his mind.
He squeezed his eyes shut trying to dismiss the idea, but his thoughts betrayed him. He kept seeing the way Seonghwa's lashes caught the light underwater, the way those gray eyes were full of true happiness when he was in the water.
Hongjoong stayed under the stream until his skin turned a faint pink. As he stepped out of the stall and started drying himself off, his mind drifted back to a memory from three years ago.
He had been an aquarist then, a final year student balancing textbooks and the labor of maintaining the tanks. It was the first day the aquarium had introduced the Mermaid Experience, a marketing tactic he had initially scoffed at. It wasn't until he was standing by the service entrance of the main tank hauling crates of frozen squid, when he first laid eyes on Seonghwa.
There was no tail then, just a young man with a polite smile that seemed far too gentle for the chaos that was happening around them. Hongjoong had watched with intrigue as another staff member guided him toward the newly constructed dressing room. It was a small private platform built specifically to allow the performers to slip easily into the tank.
He remembered watching Seonghwa submerge for the first time, moving with ease as he twirled through schools of fish before surfacing once more. The expression on his face when he broke through the water was something Hongjoong knew he would never forget. It was a look of pure joy radiating from his features.
As Seonghwa dove back into the blue, every bit of Hongjoong's skepticism about the new attraction vanished, sinking into the depths along with the man who had seemingly taken Hongjoong's heart with him.
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Hongjoong made his way to the rehabilitation wing. The air there was more dense and smelled more oceanic. It was also quieter than the main aquarium, the only sounds being the steady hum of systems and the gentle splash of water against the edges of the circular recovery tanks.
He found Danbi in Tank 4. The green sea turtle was still much thinner than he liked; the carapace was pronounced, and her bones jutted out where there should be full muscle, but she was at least alert today. Hongjoong pulled a tablet from the docking station nearby and pulled up her chart. He leaned over the edge, tapping the screen so he could start logging her afternoon activity levels.
Danbi was recently found a few miles down on the beach from the aquarium covered in barnacles and other epibiota. She wasn’t able to move due to them all over her. They were able to remove everything, but she still wasn’t moving as she should be for a turtle her age.
Hongjoong took his time writing down his observations before shedding his coat and grabbing a bucket to try to feed her. She looked at him several times before diving under and swimming to the other side of the tank. He couldn’t help but feel a little defeated. He wanted to get her back to the ocean as soon as possible, but if she didn’t want to get better, then he would have to make a permanent spot for her at the aquarium.
He was so focused on trying to get her to eat that he didn’t hear the heavy door swing open. It wasn’t until he felt the body heat of someone next to him, that he finally looked up.
Seonghwa was now dressed in an oversized silk shirt and linen pants. His damp white hair was pushed back from his face. Without the tail and the theatrical lighting, he looked more human, yet the way he moved still carried that same effortless floating quality.
"How is our girl doing today?"
It took Hongjoong a moment before he realized he’d been staring for too long. He cleared his throat and looked back at Danbi, who was currently just drifting in the water with her eyes closed.
"She's stubborn," Hongjoong admitted, sighing as he sat the bucket of food down. "I've been trying to get her to move and to swim on her own all day, but she just won't leave the safety of the shallow ledge. If she doesn't start exercising those fins, I don't know if we can ever release her."
Seonghwa stepped closer to the edge, grabbing a few pieces of sea lettuce before skimming it against the water. “Danbi,” he said softly, a sympathetic look crossing his features when the turtle opened her eyes. “Come eat.”
Hongjoong’s eyes widened as Danbi slowly made her way to where they stood, stretching her neck out so she could grab the leaf. She took it back under, munching on it slowly, but eating the entire thing before settling back to the bottom without much movement.
“Oh my god,” Hongjoong said. “Can you get her to eat more?”
Seonghwa took another piece with a shrug. “I can try?”
As Seonghwa dipped the leaf into the water, Danbi came back up and took it, eating it quicker than the last. She didn’t swim back down and continued to eat from Seonghwa’s hand.
“Holy shit, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong said in awe as he watched the two. “She’s eating more now than she has in the past week. You’re magic.”
“Nope, just a mermaid,” Seonghwa said with a chuckle.
Hongjoong laughed along with Seonghwa. “Maybe I should spend more time in the water like you do. Maybe then Danbi won’t hate me.”
“She doesn’t hate you,” Seonghwa said, giving her one last leaf before retracting his hand. “You and Yunho just poke and prod at her too often.”
“We have to—”
“She’s an animal, Hongjoongie. Just try to… I don’t know, vibe with her or something.”
“Vibe with her?”
Seonghwa nodded his head, leaning over the tank once again and letting his hand dip into the water. Danbi moved slowly, but allowed him to skim his fingers against her shell before she slowly swam away, her flippers moving more than they had in days.
Hongjoong could only stare at the ripples in the tank. Vibe with her. The phrase was ridiculous, yet it had worked where all his scientific methods had failed. He looked up at Seonghwa, who was already pulling his hand back, his expression shifting from empathy to the usual playful smirk.
“See? She should be all better soon,” Seonghwa said, wiping his hand on his pants. He tilted his head, his white hair falling slightly over one gray eye. “But you should really stop staring, Hongjoongie. I know I’m pretty, but don’t you have a job to do?”
Hongjoong felt his face grow hot as he looked back down to his tablet. “I wasn’t staring. I was simply observing a significant behavioral change in a patient under my care,” he said quickly, pretending to tap away on the screen.
“I’m sure,” Seonghwa said with a giggle. “I’ve gotta go before I miss the bus. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa walked away, his hips swaying slightly before he turned around at the door and blew a kiss with a wink before slipping away. He stood frozen, his thumb hovering over the tablet screen, the heat in his cheeks was basically a permanent fixture at this point.
When he looked back at the tank, Danbi’s head was poking out of the water and staring at him like she knew something. “Okay, Danbi. Tomorrow, if you’re feeling better, we can go for a swim in the outside pool.” He watched as she huffed before slowly sinking once again.
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Danbi was doing monumentally better the next day. Hongjoong was surprised when he saw her munching on seagrass at the bottom of the pool, her flippers moving her along with less struggle than usual. That’s how he found himself back in a wetsuit and outside under the late evening sun with the turtle in his arms as they swam in the deeper parts of the pool. The sun on his skin felt wonderful, and he could hear the ocean's waves crashing against the sand. If he were to stand up fully, he could see the dock where his boat was. He didn't use it too often, but when he went out to study wild marine life and pick up floating trash, it was at least reliable.
He heard the door open, and both he and Danbi looked up to see Yunho waving his hand. “The last mermaid show is going to start in thirty. Do you want to go watch it with me?”
“Why do you want to watch it?” Hongjoong called back, already heading toward the submerged padded gurney so he could lay Danbi in it to transport her back to her regular pool.
“Just thought it could be a fun way to end our day,” Yunho said, shrugging as he came over to help Hongjoong.
“Or is there another mermaid tonight?”
“It’s a mer show. Seonghwa can’t do that on his own.”
“And not because of a certain mermaid?”
Yunho’s cheeks went red as they lifted Danbi out of the pool and took the short walk back. “No, definitely not. I just want to support the show. Go get changed. I’ll get her settled.”
Hongjoong let out a soft hum, offering Yunho a pointed look before making his way toward the locker rooms. At least he could admit to himself that he was captivated by Seonghwa. Yunho and Mingi, however, were a different story. They had grown up as a constant in each other's lives, chasing waves and riding bikes until the salty air felt like home. But when Yunho chose to travel, a lingering sense of guilt took root, making him feel as though he had abandoned his best friend and forfeited his own chance at happiness. Hongjoong hoped that Yunho would allow himself to indulge in those feelings one day. It was painfully obvious that Mingi felt the same, yet both were simply too scared to bridge the gap between them.
Hongjoong showered quickly, washing the salt away that seemed to be a part of his skin at this point. Spending all his time in the ocean since he was a little boy made it a constant. He pulled on a pair of worn jeans that hugged his legs and a comfortable t-shirt. He ran a hand through his dark hair, deciding against bothering with a comb. When he stepped out, he found Yunho waiting patiently by the door, having already secured Danbi in her tank.
“Ready to go?” Yunho asked.
They made their way through the quieter back hallways of the aquarium, passing under the glow of emergency exit signs until they reached the main area. The sounds of excited chatter filled the room. The room was packed, but they went to stand by one of the aquarists who handed out pamphlets about the mermaids in the show, a wide area kept empty and raised that overlooked the crowd. The tank was currently dark, lit only by deep blue spotlights that made the water look more like an alien world. Then, a dramatic swell of music began and bright light lit the entire tank up.
The first figure descended from above. Mingi’s gold tail was pretty as he spiraled downward. The next performer came down with a dark blue tail, almost black with specks of white. Hongjoong had seen him a few times with Seonghwa when they had bigger shows like this. The man was pretty, with long black hair and a heart-shaped birthmark right next to his eye.
Hongjoong gave up trying to remember his name when Seonghwa descended. His white tail was longer than the other two and moved more fluidly as they swam around one another. All three of them were beautiful, moving well as they continued their routine. Seonghwa moved like a creature born of the abyss, his white hair trailing like smoke behind him as he disappeared into a reef to probably snag a bit of oxygen.
The next thing Hongjoong saw was a rise of bubbles and Seonghwa rushing too quickly to the surface, his body convulsing as if he was coughing and needing air.
“Oh shit,” Yunho said as Hongjoong already turned around, flashing his badge on the keypad and ripping the door open so he could run down the hallway toward the tank. He took the stairs two at a time.
Hongjoong burst onto the service platform, his lungs burning. He found Seonghwa collapsed on the metal grating, half his body still submerged in the tank while the rest of him spasmed violently. The performer’s white hair was plastered to his face, his skin unusually pale and slick. As Hongjoong rushed to his side, Seonghwa convulsed once again, reaching for the door that was a few feet away and opened to Seonghwa’s private room, where he could get ready and drop right into the tank from a hole in the floor.
“The room,” Seonghwa gasped, “please—”
“Okay, okay—fuck. Should we take off your tail here? Would it be easier?”
Seonghwa shook his head, desperate for a lungful of air, but the attempt only triggered another violent fit of coughing and convulsing. It was terrifying to see, as if his body were rejecting the oxygen his lungs so desperately craved.
Hongjoong hooked his arms beneath Seonghwa's shoulders and began to drag him. Seonghwa was heavy, a dead weight of muscle and silicone, and it required every ounce of Hongjoong's strength to haul the man toward the safety of the private room.
The door clicked shut, sealing away the muffled sound of the equipment. Seonghwa collapsed onto the tile, immediately curling into a tight ball as a strangled, wet sound tore from his chest. His hands flew to his throat, his fingernails digging into the skin with desperation, like he was trying to claw out of his own body.
“Seonghwa, stop! You’re hurting yourself!” Hongjoong dropped to his knees, lunging forward to catch Seonghwa’s wrists. He pinned them against the floor, feeling the man’s pulse racing like a trapped bird.
“Leave,” Seonghwa choked out, his voice raw. He squeezed his eyes shut, more tremors wracking his frame. “Hongjoong, please... just go. Don’t look at me. Please leave!”
“I’m not leaving you like this,” Hongjoong insisted, looking down to see how he could get Seonghwa out of his tail and to the hospital, but as Seonghwa’s head thrashed back, he got a good look at Seonghwa’s neck. Hongjoong froze. Along the sides, the skin had split into three clean slits that were pulsing with crimson. Gills.
His gaze swept downward where he thought the silicone tail met at his waist. There was no seam and there were more scales than usual, iridescent and beautiful as they formed right in front of Hongjoong’s eyes in patches around Seonghwa’s stomach.
It took all of him not to spiral into shock. Hongjoong stood and hauled Seonghwa over to the corner where a small shower was situated, hidden by a plain white plastic curtain. He fumbled for the handle, yanking it to full blast. A torrent of cool water cascaded down, drenching them both instantly.
Seonghwa’s body went limp against Hongjoong’s chest, the violent spasms subsiding. He tilted his head back into the spray, the gills on his neck fluttering open. Hongjoong watched in awe as Seonghwa’s features started to disappear, the gills fused closed in front of his eyes, and the gray tail split in two, shrinking and forming legs and feet.
Hongjoong sat there, his hands still clutching Seonghwa’s shoulders, his heart hammering against his ribs. The steam from the shower swirled around them as Hongjoong’s eyes focused on where the gills once were. His fingers brushed against the now smooth skin. The reality of what he just saw settled in his gut heavily.
“You…” Hongjoong started, his voice trailing off as he looked at the pale legs now tangled with his own on the wet tile, then back up to Seonghwa’s face. His gray eyes were open now, clouded with exhaustion and… fear?
“I told you to leave,” Seonghwa whispered, his voice trembling as he pushed against Hongjoong to sit up. He was completely naked now, but his back had multiple sections of small shimmering pale scales that, if Hongjoong wasn’t looking for them, would have just looked like a fine dusting of glitter.
“How?” Hongjoong breathed, finally letting his hands drop to the floor. He let out a hysterical laugh that he couldn’t quite suppress. “I’m a marine biologist, Seonghwa. I’ve spent my entire life in the ocean studying it, and you’re… you’re something I never thought was real. You’re a—”
“Stop,” Seonghwa said, taking a deep breath and holding it before letting it go. “Just… just help me up, please.”
Hongjoong reached out, wrapping an arm around Seonghwa’s waist. He still felt the slight tremors as they rose. Seonghwa leaned heavily against him and wobbled over to where a robe was tossed over a chair, pulling it on before he sat down.
They were both soaking wet as Hongjoong finally turned off the water, standing up and starting to pace the small room. His mind was racing, a million questions fighting for dominance in his brain as he tried to process the impossible. “Okay, this is fine. I’m fine. Are you fine?” Hongjoong asked, turning to Seonghwa, who was watching him pace with a slight smile.
“I’m fine. Are you?”
“No! Well, yes. I feel insane,” Hongjoong said, raising a hand to run it vigorously through his wet hair. “I’m physically fine. This isn’t about me. I mean—what? What just happened? How—”
“Maybe you should sit down,” Seonghwa said softly, pointing to a bench next to the vanity in the cramped space.
Hongjoong shook his head, his movements jerky and erratic, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins like a riptide. "Sit? How can I sit when the laws of biology just dissolved in a puddle of shower water?" He gestured wildly at the now-empty drain where the iridescent scales had seemingly vanished. "I've spent years documenting the skeletal structures of cetaceans, the respiratory efficiency of gills, the evolution of appendages... and you just... You just retracted a fifty-pound caudal fin like it was nothing more than a wet coat!"
“Sit,” Seonghwa said again. Hongjoong obliged, sitting heavily as he stared at Seonghwa. “What you saw was real, obviously. It’s not like I could fake that. I am sorry you found out this way, or at all. I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“At all?”
Seonghwa sighed, running a trembling hand through his damp white hair. "I'm... I shouldn’t exist," he said, avoiding Hongjoong's stunned gaze. "I was born on land. I’m only half mermaid. My mom used to tell me I’m one of a kind. Of course, there are other half mers, but my father never let me explore that part of me."
Hongjoong leaned forward, his scientific curiosity overriding his shock. “Half-mer... What exactly does that mean biologically? You can change your form? Is it instantaneous?”
Seonghwa gave a weak smile, the exhaustion still evident in his features. “Slow down, Kim. I’m not a research project. I’m someone who almost suffocated.”
Shame washed over him as he sat back. The adrenaline had drained away. He finally understood how scary this was for Seonghwa. His biggest secret was just uncovered without his permission, and to someone who studied odd marine life for a living. He was thinking of the countless papers he’d seen about undiscovered species, the poachers, the obsessive labs.
“Seonghwa, this is… this is bigger than I can process right now, but I want you to know something. I’m a marine biologist, not a predator. Your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone.”
Seonghwa looked up, his gray eyes widening slightly as if Hongjoong had just handed him the key he needed. “Do you mean that?”
“Of course I mean it,” Hongjoong insisted, leaning forward. “You just nearly died right in front of me. I’m not going to reward that vulnerability by turning you into a specimen.”
The tension in Seonghwa’s shoulders eased. He took another shaky breath. “Thank you, Hongjoongie. I really appreciate that. My mother was in an accident when I was young. My father is human, and he raised me on the coast, but he drilled it into me that the ocean was dangerous, that people would hurt me if they found out. The aquarium was supposed to be my safe place. Irony, right? Needing to be in the water, but too terrified to go into the real ocean without a controlled environment.”
“Too terrified?” Hongjoong repeated softly. “But you swim like you were born for it. You were born of it.”
“It has to be controlled. In warm, clean water, with a schedule and people around me,” Seonghwa said, a bitter laugh escaping him. “The real ocean is too big. Too deep. Too much of my life was spent hiding. The fear doesn't just vanish because I grow a tail.”
Hongjoong looked from Seonghwa’s tired face to the door that led to the aquarium. He knew the next move had to be outside of these walls. “What if I helped you? What if we start small?”
“We?”
“There’s a place I go, a cove a little ways out. You can only get to it by boat. It’s completely secluded. I’ve been going there for years and have never seen another human there.”
Seonghwa stared at him, the suggestion hanging heavy in the room. A small spark of hope ignited in his eyes. “That sounds impossible.”
"Nothing is impossible now, Seonghwa," Hongjoong said, a wide, genuine smile spreading across his face. "After what I just saw, I think we have to redefine the term."