Chapter Text
Seungcheol liked the ocean. It was a bit of a requirement for growing up in a fishing village, but he was very good at fulfilling this requirement. Most days he liked to climb the rocks along the coast, though he could never admit it to his mother growing up, and just watch the ocean sparkle undisturbed. No fishermen boats came around here. Very few boats did at all, oddly.
Seungcheol had hopped a little further than usual today. He had more time on his hands and some fresh seaweed to snack on, so he climbed as far as he was confident. Finally he had settled somewhere smooth and level enough. He sat down, thoughts slowing. The waves had that effect on him. They had the ripple of additional movement today, a couple bubbles. Some sort of fish near the surface or something. He didn’t think much of it until he caught a glimpse of spectacular azure scales.
What the fuck was that?
Seungcheol stood up, blinking at where the glimpse had been. It must’ve been a fish body of some kind. He thought of the old wives’ tales around here, the ones that said this deserted spot of sea made way for merfolk, perhaps their own Nessie, shipwrecked pirate ships. Seungcheol felt that last one was much more plausible. Pirates were confirmed real, for starters. Point was, no one really knew this part of the coast. Perhaps Seungcheol was about to find something worth talking about – big fucking fish.
There! Yes, that was something large and scaly alright. Seungcheol didn’t even work down at the docks and he was wondering how much this would sell for, as if he could catch it anyway. But curiosity often got the better of him. Still holding his tub of seaweed, Seungcheol hopped across some more rocks to keep up with the new, moving bubbles. There were probably some awesome crabs around here. No time for that.
Whatever this was, it was weird. His next glimpse was bigger: still the same amount of scales, but also now some webbed translucent blue fins just above the surface. Big, big fish. It was swimming weird too like it had some fluidity to its body…
Then those fins showed again, and it looked like someone’s back if not for a blend of scales. Seungcheol stood still, blinking. That wasn’t someone’s back, no matter how much it had looked like shoulder blades. He hadn’t slept well in a long time, that was all. So he resumed the chase and hoped for another look.
It had picked up the pace. Seungcheol wondered if it had noticed a looming figure or if it was just having some fun… Probably the latter, as it swam in a wave and took the odd circle. Then it was gone for a moment, but Seungcheol kept going anyway, stumbling now, hoping, then smiling as the fins reemerged. Nothing skinlike. Just the fins.
Then the creature stopped so abruptly that Seungcheol almost fell in himself, trying to stick to its pace. He held still. He had a clear view; it was only a few meters away. That head was certainly human, with slick black locks holding a slight wave around... more fins for ears. Seungcheol crouched as the creature turned, golden eyes wide. Golden, human eyes.
He should have been terrified. He knew he should have been terrified, and he should have felt plenty more shock. But, truthfully, he had grown so numb that all he could really think was that this might as well happen. Maybe he was hallucinating anyway.
So say this was real: this wasn't a siren, was it? Because it was strikingly beautiful. Rosy cheeks, a soft nose, sharp eyes… All human.
The creature hissed then, baring razor sharp teeth. Seungcheol startled. That satisfied it. It suggested it was real too because Seungcheol had never heard a hiss like that in his life, both cat- and human-like, and he had no confidence he could make anything like that up. So then he thought with the vast ocean stretching out behind it, Seungcheol wasn't sure why it didn't just flee. At least the fear ruled out siren. It hissed again but without the shock value, Seungcheol just found it cute. He hissed back then let out a soft laugh. The creature frowned. It was flat chested, he noticed. Male?
"I don't want to hurt you," Seungcheol said, unsure if he would speak a human language at all. "Just... I was bored and curious, really. I thought you’d just be a fish. Your fins are very beautiful. Very distinctive."
He dipped below the water so all Seungcheol could see were his striking eyes. They were glued to him though. Seungcheol crouched down. Every drop of merfolklore he had heard came dripping through his mind.
"There's rumours you guys like seaweed," he said, rattling the tub in his hand. "I do too. I was rock hopping so I lost some, but… Do you like seaweed?"
He held the tub out for him to see. He had gone for the chase so hurriedly that he had dropped the lid somewhere. But anyway, the creature slowly glided closer. His wet skin shone in the sunlight, reflecting like scales would. His eyes were fixed entirely on the seaweed now. He was so, so close. Seungcheol tried not to shake.
But a clawed hand darted out so suddenly that Seungcheol screamed and jumped back. The creature screeched in return, dipping below the water and leaving only traces of bubbles. He was scared of Seungcheol too. Seungcheol looked out hopefully, regretfully, and let out a breath when those golden eyes reemerged a few meters back.
“I’m sorry,” Seungcheol gasped, “I wasn’t expecting… You were quick, firstly, then your nails… Mine are short, see?”
He held his hand out, wondering if this was a death wish. The creature swam closer again though as if he was intrigued too. That clawed hand, wrists decorated by dotted blue scales and fins across his forearms, reached for Seungcheol’s. They were cold. His claws were blue, oddly, and they blended into his finger tips before matching his peachy skintone. A translucent web reached between each finger, stopping below the first knuckle. This was real alright. Stay calm, Seungcheol told himself, watching the clawed fingers’ delicacy in which they traced his own. The creature seemed fascinated by his hands too. Then he snatched the seaweed and leaped far, far back.
“That was for you anyway,” Seungcheol called over, “you didn’t need to snatch. We consider that impolite.”
Nibbling from the tub now, the thing just stared.
“Do you have a name?” He tried next, my “people call me Seungcheol.”
Those golden eyes seemed to be examining him. Seungcheol decided to sit down, one hand in the water as if to connect them somehow. Maybe it was working as the creature swam a little closer again. Seungcheol wished he could see the rest of him. He’d had glimpses of his tail and the fins across his back, but he could almost convince himself he had imagined it.
Then he chirped. It was more of a trill actually.
“Huh?” Seungcheol said.
The creature left the tub of seaweed floating on the surface as he dived beneath the waves. Seungcheol craned his neck like that would help see what he was doing. Hopefully he hadn’t received some sort of call or something… He let out a breath of relief as the creature reemerged. He had a squirming fish in his hand. He pierced it with those teeth and it fell still. A little unnerved, Seungcheol watched curiously. The next thing the alleged merman did was grab some seaweed and wrap it around the fish.
“Oh, it’s like your own sushi!” Seungcheol exclaimed. His eyes widened as the merman held it out like he wanted him to take it. “Oh, no, I– it looks delicious, but I’d get sick. It’s nothing personal, I just don’t think I can just eat a fish straight from the water like that.”
Clearly offended, the thing snarled. More for him, Seungcheol thought, watching the creature bite into it. He ate it like a burger more than sushi. Or a kebab. Head first. Ew. Gross eating habits or not, Seungcheol sat in awe. He had to be dreaming or seeing things but either way, he was mesmerising. Seungcheol swished his hand around the water and smiled when his eyes caught it, watching curiously.
When he was little, Wonwoo’s dad would tell stories of merfolk from work. He couldn’t remember what he did exactly, some extravagant fishing job, but it left him out at sea for long periods of time. It had always felt like he was just trying to entertain them. Now though Seungcheol wondered if there were two parts of society: those who knew these creatures and those who didn’t.
“Where’ve you been all this time?” Seungcheol asked softly. The thing chirped. He couldn’t tell if he understood him or not. The merfolk lore went that they had human forms and with those, came some language; they supposedly blended themselves into markets, for example, trading treasures. Supposedly.
There was something very, very cute about this one. It wasn’t only within his rosy cheeks but also how soft his eyes were when he wasn’t hissing. He floated back in the water and rested his eyes gently upon Seungcheol, nibbling away at his seaweed and letting his tail float beneath him. It offered glances of the extravagant fins, the flowing end of the tail too. Beautiful. His tail rippled just like the water did, only more like silk.
“I need a name for you,” Seungcheol said. “Or a nickname – I’m sure you have a name, you’re just not telling me… which is fine, I don’t know your peoples’ rules, but I need to call you something.”
He began to chirp and trill, which was pretty exciting all things considered; it implied he did, in fact, understand what Seungcheol was saying. Maybe he understood local human language but couldn’t speak it, whether that was a physical or knowledge problem. Seungcheol listened intently to his chirps and trills though because it was repetitive: Oo-Ee, Oo-Ee. Or was it Ee-Oo? There was something in between too.
“Oo.. Wooji?”
He trilled, though Seungcheol couldn’t tell how enthusiastic the trill was. He didn’t make any other sound though. Instead, he just floated whilst nibbling on more seaweed.
“I’ll call you Wooji,” Seungcheol smiled.
Wooji chirped. He had finished his seaweed now. Tub in hand, he smoothly whisked to his front to swim back to Seungcheol. He swam with that fluid wave Seungcheol had noticed earlier. Wooji held out the tub with an unnerving, sharp smile. It had scratch marks from his claws. Seungcheol laughed though, just at the idea that Wooji knew to return the tub. He imagined him with his mer friends at the bottom of the sea, exchanging their own tupperware of treats and snacks. This whole situation was clicking one tiny piece at a time.
“What’s your home like?” Seungcheol asked, “is it pretty?”
Wooji began to chirp and chatter, his face animated as he bobbed in the water with the occasional spin. Seungcheol nodded along, smiling away, pretending to understand a word.
“Sounds amazing,” he said when he was done, and Wooji chirruped happily.
So he understood him, which meant Seungcheol wasn’t his first human. That was oddly disappointing when Wooji was his first merperson. Maybe Wooji collected them like a hungry stray cat… Or maybe he lured them in… He looked much too sweet for that. He was floating backwards now, circling his arms against the water. Seungcheol rubbed his eyes. Maybe the surrealness was kicking in now as he was starting to feel sick.
“Well, it’s cold,” Seungcheol tried to tear himself away from Wooji’s mesmerising nature. “This has been fun. Same time tomorrow?”
He’d meant it only half as a joke, and felt both nervous and relieved by Wooji checking the position of the sun. He didn’t say anything though. Just stared. He watched Seungcheol wobble across the rocks, dipping his head below the waves as Seungcheol got further and further away. With every look back, Wooji was in the same spot. Creepy. Once he was round a bend, out of sight, Seungcheol ran with the fear that Wooji somehow knew.
What the fuck had he been doing, being so friendly to something that was supposed to be mythical? He almost wanted to run straight to Wonwoo’s house and ask his father what he knew, now less sure he had just been trying to entertain them all these years.
Seungcheol almost appreciated tripping and falling. It grounded him, literally. His scratched tub flew from his hands as he landed with a thud, instantly winded. Seungcheol lay a moment, catching his breath. Then he closed his eyes and saw Wooji's pretty little face. How he had screamed when Seungcheol had…
Seungcheol pushed himself up and checked himself for injury. He was fine. There was no sign of Wooji either – no eyes, no bubbles. Seungcheol collected his tub and decided to walk/climb sensibly now.
Same time tomorrow. Was he stupid? Probably. Walking back through the village, he eyed Wonwoo’s street and wondered not for the first time if he believed in merfolk.
What else existed if merfolk did? Seungcheol felt like his world had been tipped upside down. He wanted to stop thinking about it and pretend it never happened but between every blink he still felt Wooji’s piercing gaze and the wind against his ears reminded him of Wooji’s webbed, finlike ears.
Seungcheol wanted to learn everything about him: his favourite food, if he had any hobbies, could he sing, what were merfolk families like? Seungcheol stopped to rub his face.
Same time tomorrow, he supposed.
°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡
Seungcheol found himself shopping and then he found another tub in his hands as he headed once more to the coast. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, but he needed more evidence that this thing existed and it hadn’t been some weird dream or even strong hallucinations.
Scrambling along the rocks, Seungcheol stayed as far as he could from the water. Just in case. He also struggled to recall just how far he had gone yesterday, so where Wooji might be waiting was a little unbeknownst to him. And what if he got there first? Or if Wooji was busy or disinterested? Maybe merfolk had careers. Maybe Wooji had a whole nine to five down there.
There were so many questions and Seungcheol didn’t expect answers to any of them. Had anyone else seen Wooji, and had they been equally entranced? Could merfolk and sirens be the same thing? Seungcheol realised that despite all the stories, he knew nothing about these people. Merpeople. He wanted to though, if Wooji continued to play nice and didn’t try to eat him or something. Some stories said merfolk ate anything that moved. Some said they were soulless. That would certainly help the part where they lured people in to drown. Those stories though were usually mermaids and men. Maybe Seungcheol would be the first man to be drowned by a merman. Or maybe all merpeople were bisexual? Now he wanted to know about the sociological aspects of everything.
He hopped around a familiar bend and looked out. A pale figure with fin ears and finned arms rested against where Seungcheol had sat yesterday, entirely in the water aside from his torso. Wooji. He perked up when he saw Seungcheol, chirping and trilling and bouncing.
“Hello,” Seungcheol called as normally as he could muster. “I brought you a present.”
Wooji chirped, pushing himself up just to see. His arms were surprisingly toned for such a thin figure, though all that swimming surely asked for some muscle. His shoulders were broad for one, waist tiny. Very pretty. Seungcheol sat down just out of his reach.
“Have you had chicken before?” He asked, “it’s land meat. Here.”
Wooji’s sharp hand lunged and Seungcheol pulled back.
“Ah, ah, ah. Politely,” he said. Wooji’s finned ears flattened against his head. “I respect your way of doing things but with nails like those, that’s not just rude to humans but also terrifying. Take it nicely.”
Seungcheol learned not only that merfolk also did the puppy eyes thing, but it was also adorable. He held back a smile as he offered the tub again. Wooji reached hesitantly now, snatching just less violently this time. Weird instinct.
“We’ll work on it,” Seungcheol said. “Is that a merfolk thing?”
Wooji said nothing as he wrestled with the tub’s lid.
“Did you not have easy access to food growing up?” Seungcheol asked, then wondered how merfolk psychology worked. Wooji still didn’t respond. He was busy with the lid. He got in eventually though and let the lid float across the surface whilst he sniffed the chicken chunks, then finally took a piece to nibble on. His eyes widened and he chirped happily, then threw a new piece into the air and caught it in his mouth before chirping some more. Seungcheol smiled.
Wooji ate another couple of pieces before sitting the tub back on the rocks. Seungcheol was about to say it was all his but Wooji held his hands out with an indescribable expression. It looked like he was trying to display the number ten with his fingers or something, but then he dived beneath the water. He must’ve been telling him to wait. Seungcheol curiously shuffled forwards.
Wooji reemerged a moment later with hands full of rocks, some plain, others quartz. He piled them on the rocky edge and pushed them towards Seungcheol before holding his hands up again. Seungcheol blinked. As he admired some pretty purple quartz, Wooji came back with his hands closed over something. He dumped half a dozen pearls into the rock collection.
“Oh my god,” Seungcheol said. Wooji chirped. “For me?” More trilling. Satisfied, Wooji lay back with his chicken. If the trading tales were true, then Wooji knew these were valuable. Or maybe he just thought they were pretty and wanted to give him something pretty, something almost as pretty as Wooji himself.
Wooji ate through the whole tub quickly enough. It seemed to give him a burst of energy as he began to swim in circles, chirping and trilling to himself maybe. Then he swam up to Seungcheol and looked up expectantly, placing a wet, cold hand on his arm. Oh god. What was he doing? Wooji gently tugged. Gently.
“Do you want to play?” Seungcheol asked, and Wooji chirped with a grin. He looked wounded as Seungcheol startled. “Sorry, I’m not used to seeing sharp teeth. It’s not you.”
Wooji used one arm to lift himself up and the other to pinch between Seungcheol’s lips. He understood him alright, and he wanted to compare teeth. Seungcheol flinched and leaned back. His fingers tasted so salty. Wooji used various noises to protest.
“Personal space, Wooji, personal space. I would’ve just shown you my teeth if you’d found a way to ask normally. Here, see?”
He forced a grin back and Wooji let out a high pitched, quivering “oooh”. He was frustratingly cute. So despite how awful a surprise his salty fingers admittedly were, Seungcheol found himself smiling. Until he tasted blood at the exact second Wooji let out a sad little mewl. His claw must’ve caught his lip. He regretted it though, retreating into the water so only his eyes showed again.
“It’s okay,” Seungcheol dabbed at the blood. “It’ll heal.”
Admittedly, it was a relief to see Wooji upset at having hurt him. He mimed his ‘wait’ sign again and disappeared.
Wooji was gone for a while this time, making Seungcheol anxious. Did they have different perceptions of time? He rolled the pearls in his palms and inspected the quartz a little more, wondering if these were spares from Wooji’s personal collection or if he had picked them especially and then which of these possibilities Seungcheol would prefer. Finally he spotted some bubbles and some scales and breathed a sigh of relief.
He had come back with a bunch of oysters this time. Piling them by Seungcheol’s feet, he chattered as he pried them open with his claws. Seungcheol laughed as he realised what this was about.
“Are we after more pearls? You brought me plenty.”
Wooji chattered a little more then chirped when he hit the jackpot. He rolled a new pearl into Seungcheol’s collection then tossed the empty shell over his shoulder. Seungcheol kept the one he opened himself, even though it was empty, just to keep the others in.
“Pearls are pretty rare, right?” Seungcheol said. “You’re hopeful with these.”
Wooji seemed to launch into a story there and Seungcheol wished he understood. He was very passionate, looking up with eager eyes and nodding to himself and splashing the water with his tail for emphasis. It was a beautiful tail from what Seungcheol could see, its tip translucent and flowy like silk. When Seungcheol complimented it, Wooji beamed.
He was happier still to find three more pearls. Maybe merpeople had a knack for differing non-empty shells when they came across them. Maybe that was the story he was telling.
Honestly, Seungcheol struggled to believe there could be a bad bone in Wooji’s body. He was so sweet with his rosy cheeks and soft eyes, as glaring as the golden tone was. His smile, without teeth at least, looked a lot like a stingray. And the way his skin reflected the light was beautiful too, like the sun revealed secret scales. So being brave, Seungcheol took off his shoes and socks. Fascinated, Wooji leaned against the rocks to watch him roll his trousers up. He chirped when Seungcheol dipped his legs in. Perhaps he felt less separated for it too. Seungcheol bet he could climb onto the rocks, to be fair, but maybe this had been an unspoken boundary to keep to their own usual territory.
“I’m trusting you,” Seungcheol said as Wooji took to swimming in circles, “don’t pull me in or anything. You’re splashing me!”
Wooji chittered, of course, just as playful as his species’ reputation. Seungcheol could’ve sworn he was getting more agile with his tail on purpose. Its fins directed water straight to where Seungcheol was sitting. When he swooped his arm to splash him back, Wooji gleefully laughed. His laugh was as dolphin-like as it was human.
“You’re very pretty,” Seungcheol admitted, then smiled when Wooji looked a little aghast. Weren’t all merfolk, like, famously beautiful? Did they know that? “I like the scales on your shoulders, and by your ears. I’d think they’re your equivalent of freckles but is that one by your eye?”
Wooji blinked back, so Seungcheol guessed he didn’t understand at least half of that. So he pointed to where he knew his own freckles and moles were and labelled them. He oohed at first, then decided to climb up for a closer look. A much closer look. These guys didn’t have personal space, did they? Wooji leaned right in just to see the four, five freckles Seungcheol had about his cheek. He smelled like salt water, shockingly, but not like fish, which was good. Seungcheol despised the smell of fish, unfortunate for growing up in a fishing village. He stayed still as Wooji looked him over, face a hand length’s from his own.
“This is really offputting,” Seungcheol said, and whether he understood him or not Wooji grinned. Seungcheol winced and pulled back, which only made him laugh. He tapped his hands repeatedly against the rocks and everything. With that, he began to haul himself up.
“Oh,” Seungcheol edged to the side as he climbed a little lopsided, tail flipping and flopping, “okay. You’re coming up. Hello.”
Wooji drenched Seungcheol in the process but at last he sat on the edge of the rocks beside him, tail fins patting the water. His long tail glistened in the sun, more than his skin did, in a glittery electric blue. And he had so many silky, translucent fins. Wooji caught him staring and grinned his sharp grip, laughing again when Seungcheol flinched. At least he wasn’t offended.
They sat still and silently for a while, aside from Wooji’s tail against the water. They both stared at the endless stretch of ocean, Seungcheol now defeated in love for it. Seagulls flew overhead, the sun shone, and there were no boats in sight. Seungcheol could hear him taking small breaths from his nose. It was also growing harder to hold back his curiosity. He looked him over. Scales blended his tail to his torso, a torso with faint abs and a built chest. Merfolk must all be incredibly healthy, he thought to himself. What was it like where he grew up? How accustomed was he to land? But none of these were really worth asking when he couldn’t understand the reply.
“How do you breathe?” He asked instead, forgetting there were two ways to ask that as Wooji blew on his nose. Thank god he didn’t have fishy breath. Then he asked, “And underwater?”
Wooji helped himself to Seungcheol’s hand and placed it just behind his ears. Gills. Fleshy slits in his skin. Seungcheol instinctively returned his hand with a grimace. Now Wooji looked hurt.
“Sorry,” Seungcheol said quickly, “I’ve just never felt gills before. Can I try again?”
He didn’t really respond, but then the lack of personal space felt clear enough for Seungcheol to try. He did, in fact, let him try again. Seungcheol brushed his finger up and down and learnt that prompted him to relax. Very sweetly, Wooji dropped his shoulders and closed his eyes. He really was very beautiful. Entranced once again, Seungcheol moved his hand to his hair, controlled by curiosity. It was so much softer than he had expected. It also made Wooji purr. It took a moment for Seungcheol to realise they had matching, fond smiles.
He had work tomorrow, and he had to act entirely normal. He was seeing Wonwoo later, and he had to act entirely normal. He also couldn’t tell Wooji same time, same place tomorrow. Perhaps he could bring new gifts in the evening? There were so many foods he could try and so much music he could hear. He was a merman. He would probably love human music. Seungcheol was about to ask him about music when Wooji readjusted himself. To his surprise, he was curling up beside him. Napping. He was right where the sun could catch him.
This was trust, wasn’t it? To sleep beside him, he was telling him he trusted him not to hurt him, to alert him of any danger. So Seungcheol fixed his eyes to the view, ready to shake him if the rare boat passed by. Maybe all the sailors knew to be wary of this area. How many of them were there?
And he realised then how scared Wooji could be of him. Well, clearly not now that he was sleeping beside him, but… Surely he had been taught to fear humans if not learnt it himself. Then Seungcheol was back to whether he was being lured in, like Wooji was creating a false sense of security by napping so close to him. But no mermaid tale had ever started with them dragging out their attack for any longer than a song.
And Wooji looked so sweet again, one hand curled up to his chest and the other arm straight out, tail bent in the middle like knees. So Seungcheol just let himself stare because he knew that like last night, he would later lay in bed wondering if he had been hallucinating.
If he had a book or something, Seungcheol reckoned he could stay here forever. He let his feet kick the water back and forth whilst he kept an eye on the horizon. And here came the merfolk questions again: how far out did they all live? Were there underwater cities? But he did learn that Wooji chirped even in his sleep, and that he found this rock so comfortable that he could sleep long enough for his hair to dry, and his dark hair held a pretty wave. It fell in soft layers around his ears and chin and Seungcheol really wanted to run his hands through it. Wooji probably wouldn’t mind but… Seungcheol resisted.
It was an hour or so until Wooji stirred. He woke slowly, stretching his limbs and tail straight out then curling back up then stretching again. Seungcheol smiled as he watched him sit up.
“Good sleep?” He asked.
Wooji blinked happily at him. The sunlight caught his eyes just right, though with his shining scales it kind of hurt to look at him. Worth it, even if Seungcheol did feel a little uneasy being so close.
“Tomorrow,” Seungcheol said, taking off his watch, “I can’t come here at the same time, but I can come later. See these hands? When they’re here and here, okay, big hand twelve, little one six, is when I can be here. Got it? I think this’ll break if you take it down with you so it might be best to leave it here. It’s not precious, but you know. If you want it to work.”
Wooji chirped, bouncing as he took hold of it. His tail splashed Seungcheol some more. This thing had made his day.
“I have plans with a friend tonight,” Seungcheol said next, “I was just waiting to say goodbye. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Clock hands here and here.”
Disappointed, Wooji drooped. Seungcheol pouted at him. But anyhow, Wooji lay the watch carefully upon the rock, stared at it for a moment, then slid seamlessly into the water. He turned to stare back at Seungcheol, like he was contemplating. Was this the part where he pulled him in, just as Seungcheol was putting his shoes back on?
But instead, Wooji croaked out, “Jihoon.”
“What?” Seungcheol’s eyes widened. “You can speak?”
“Yes.” It didn’t sound like it came easy. “Don’t like. Name Jihoon. Heard wrong. But like.”
Through the shock, Seungcheol’s ears and cheeks still found a moment to flame red. “Which do you want me to call you?”
“Wooji. Jihoon.” He smiled, then pointed a long claw at the twelve and the seven on the watch. “Seungcheol time.”
“That’s it. I’ll bring some more food.”
Wooji/Jihoon smiled again, then dipped below the water to show only his eyes.
“Just one question,” Seungcheol said. “If you could say your name in a way I’d understand, why did you chirp it?”
He reemerged with a mischievous grin. “Funny.”
Seungcheol shook his head. Cheeky bastard. He stood up, gathering his new rocks into the tub where they fit, pockets where they didn’t, and decided the clam was safest just in his hand.
“Seungcheol?” Jihoon gestured to his lip. “Sorry.”
Seungcheol waved him off. “Nah, you’re alright. It was an accident. It’s like a souvenir or something, especially if it scars. I’ll see you tomorrow, Wooji.”
Jihoon chirped his goodbye then watched him leave just as he had yesterday. Only this time, Seungcheol didn’t run as he turned around the corner.