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“Rafayel, look!” I point at the pouty red fish swimming around the tank. “He’s just like you!”
“That’s not me.” He folded his arms with a huff, somehow managing a pout even harder than the fish.
I roll my eyes, pulling out my phone to snap a picture. “See? The resemblance is uncanny!”
“Noooo.” Rafayel shook his head in exaggerated disbelief. “How could I—an ever-majestic Sea God—ever compare to a mere fish like him?”
“Speaking as if you’re not a fish yourself.” I muttered, wandering to the next tank.
“Woah!” I pressed my hands on the tank. “That octopus is huuuge!”
“Yeah…” Rafayel rubbed his chin, nodding thoughtfully. “I can make around…thirty servings of takoyaki out of it.”
“Rafayel!” I whipped around to stare at him. “That’s not nice!”
He simply shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
I turned back to the poor octopus and leaned in, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Don’t listen to him. I’ll protect you before he can even lay a hand on you.”
“What was that? You’re betraying me?” He frowned. “But you’re my bodyguard, shouldn’t you be standing on my side?”
As we moved on to the clownfish, Rafayel’s race scrunched up in disapproval. “This coral arrangement is terrible. First off, the colors don’t even match. Second, they should put in some sea anemones, the clownfish have nowhere to hide!”
“Oh?” I glanced up at him. “We’re critiquing an aquarium now?”
“Can you even call this place an aquarium?”
“You should leave them a review.” I suggested. “I’m sure a new aquarium like this one would be happy to recieve some recommendations.”
Rafayel scoffed. “I don’t even want to waste my time on this place, but for the sake of the poor fishies here—like me—I might just make an exception.”
I laughed, tugging lightly at his sleeve. “Come on. Let’s check out the tunnel. It’s always the best part of an aquarium.”
Sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. It’s like entering a whole underwater ecosystem—with stingrays seemingly flying above me as seaweed sway gently like a breeze in the sea.
A tiny fish curiously swam toward me, stopping just beyond the glass. It hovered there, tilting ever so slightly as if studying me.
“Well, aren’t you adorable?” I smiled, lifting a finger to the glass with a light tap. “Hi there, little fishie.”
As if understanding me, the fish swims in a circle to say hi back.
“Rafayel…” I tugged on his sleeve. “I think this one likes me.”
He turned to the tank, watching the tiny fish for a long moment before a smile tugged at his lips.
“Yeah…” he murmured. “Of course it does. Who wouldn’t?”
For a while, neither of us spoke.
We simply stood there, watching the fish weave through the coral. A sea turtle glided lazily across the tank, and I instinctively rested my hand against the cool glass as it passed by.
“Rafayel…” I said softly. “Is life in the sea always this beautiful.”
He didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the turtle, thoughtful, almost nostalgic. “…Yeah. You could say so.” His voice was quiet. “But when you’ve lived there long enough… you start to realize it’s more like an underwater dungeon.”
I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked at me then, the corners of his eyes softening. “I can show you.”
“Show me?”
The next thing I knew, we were sitting in a small boat in the middle of the open sea. I looked around at the endless stretch of blue surrounding us. “Rafayel, are you sure you know where you’re going?”
“Of course!” He answered confidently. “The ocean is my home, remember?”
After rowing for a while, he finally set the oars aside.
“This should be good.”
Before I could even ask what he meant, Rafayel had already slipped over the side of the boat. He resurfaced a second later, grinning up at me.
“Well?” He was already grabbing my wrist, ready to pull me down.
“Rafayel wait—“
Splash
I instinctively clenched my eyes shut and held my breath.
“Open your eyes and breathe—relax—just like how you normally would on land.” Rafayel’s voice echoed. “You look like a pufferfish who ate something bad.”
I slowly loosened my face and searched for my lungs before taking a slow breath. Sunlight filtered through the water above us, scattering ribbons of gold across the ocean. Tiny fish drifted past as though we were simply another part of the sea.
“Woah…” I whispered. “This is better than the aquarium.”
Rafayel chuckled. “Duh—the aquarium was simply a simulation of what it feels like to be in the ocean. This is the real deal.”
Rafayel held my hand as we swam around. A whale glided overhead, its shadow washing over us before disappearing into the blue. Curious little fish gathered around my hands, brushing against my fingertips before darting away again.
“Rafayel, about what you said earlier at the aquarium…”
“What, you’re hungry? Want takoyaki?” He pointed at an octopus in the distance. “Just say the word, and I’ll catch it for you.”
“Wha—no!” I held his wrist as if to stop whatever he was planning to do. “You said the ocean’s like an underwater dungeon.”
“Right.” The teasing smile faded from his face as he reached over and gently took my hand. “It might be a bit of a long story.”
Leading me toward a broad rock tucked beneath an arch of coral, he sat beside me. The fish continued swimming around us as if they hadn’t noticed us at all.
“My…friend, when he was little, he used to always sneak up to the surface.” He began. “He was captivated by…something beautiful and wanted to see it everyday. Then one day, the tides were low and he got washed by the sea. A girl who happens to be passing by—“
“Hold up a minute,” I interjected. “This story sounds awfully familiar.”
He smiled. “So you remember.”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”
"So how come—" He began, then stopped. "Nevermind."
For what felt like hours, we simply sat together, listening to the rhythm of the sea. Finally, I broke the silence. "Rafayel, is that girl...me?"
"Yeah." He turned to look at me, hesitating before asking, "why'd you break our promise?"
I stiffened. "Something...happened. I lost all my memories so—"
"So you forgot about me." His voice was tinged with sorrow, his gaze lowering. "Am I that forgettable?"
"No!" I sat upright. "Of course not! If I hadn't lost my memories, I wouldn't have made you wait, I have gone as far as dragging my limp body to see you!"
"I thought life just got in the way, so I came back the next day...and the next...and the next, but you never returned." He let out a light laugh. "I even thought maybe you met a different guy and didn't care about me anymore."
"Hey...” I reached over and gently took his hand. “I'm here now, and I'm here to stay." Pushing myself off the rock, I held my other hand out to him with a smile. "Come on, there still so much of the ocean left to see."
I woke to moonlight spilling through the skylight, bathing the room in a soft silver glow.
Half-asleep, I reached across the bed for Rafayel, only to find his side cold. I slipped out from beneath the covers, pulled on his cardigan, and padded quietly through the house in search of him.
Sure enough, I found him sitting before a canvas in his studio, painting delicate strokes that seem to represent the ocean.
"Rafayel," I rubbed my eyes. "What are you doing so late at night?"
"Painting before I lose my inspiration." He answered softly, his eyes never leaving the canvas.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder. "Come back to bed."
I think I heard him say something, but I was too tired to comprehend what he said, my consciousness slowly slipping away. All I could remember was the steady rhythm of his breathing and the comforting warmth of his body.