The most precious treasure

by ImaginaryJester

Summary:

The simplest story of a siren and a fisherman falling in love.

Notes:

I got convinced to reupload the story by the sheer amount of clips with Hyunjin playing mermaids in the pool.

Hyunjin loved watching the light streaming into the cave dance across the surface of the water. On days like these, when the sun blazed overhead, most merfolk stayed deep beneath the waves, where the harsh rays couldn't reach them and the water remained pleasantly cool.

Hyunjin thought Felix was strange. His friend was the only siren he knew who actually enjoyed being at the surface during a heatwave. In fact, he was probably sprawled out on some rock right now, soaking up the sunlight until every last scale on his body was dry.

Hyunjin didn't understand it. Personally, he preferred spending days like this in his secret cave, where the walls cast everything in cool shade and nobody bothered him. Though there were plenty of things about his friend that he didn't understand. Like his fascination with humans, for example.

Felix had always been drawn to those two-legged creatures. No matter how many times everyone warned them to stay away from humans, not to go near their ships, and especially not to approach the coastal villages unless they wanted to end up tangled in a fishing net or skewered by a harpoon, Felix always slipped away on solitary trips just to watch them.

He had tried to get Hyunjin to come with him countless times. "They're not scary at all," he would insist, telling him about all the new things he'd learned on each of his trips.

According to Felix, humans were fascinating. Their ships were incredibly complicated, yet somehow, by working together, their crews managed to survive in an environment that wasn't meant for them. They spoke an unknown language, but they shouted loudly, laughed often, and even sang. Not in the beautiful, lingering way sirens did, but in a choppy, lively, rhythmic way. They would strike strange instruments that made sounds and move along to the beat, stomping their feet as they did. They wore strange clothes, too. While merfolk wore nothing except the many ornaments they decorated themselves with, humans covered every part of their bodies in fabric. They dressed modestly, whereas sirens took pride in the color of their scales and the size of their tails, displaying them openly for all to see.

Still, Hyunjin had never let himself be convinced. It wasn't that his friend's stories weren't interesting. They were. With every new tale, Hyunjin's imagination painted more vivid pictures, tempting him more and more to see it all for himself. But he was still afraid. There was a reason so many warnings were passed around the village, and the thought of getting run through with a harpoon just because of a moment of foolish curiosity didn't seem worth it.

Hyunjin had his own ways of getting to know humans. He safely explored their culture in a cave far from the village, one that no one ever ventured into because it was so difficult to reach through the rocks. Hyunjin had discovered it during one of his solitary trips, expecting to find nothing more than a hollow crack between stones and a shelter from the rain—but what he found inside exceeded all his expectations.

There was a ship in the cave. Or rather, part of one. An old wreck, broken apart at sea years ago, judging by how decayed the scattered wooden planks were. It had been swept away by the waves and forced deep into the cavern. After first making sure no one was nearby and that no one was lurking on the deck or in the cracks of the cave, Hyunjin began to explore the wreck piece by piece. 

The structure of the ship itself was already interesting, but what fascinated Hyunjin the most was everything he found on board. The deck was filled with treasures—various objects of all kinds. From shining jewels, to everyday items whose purpose Hyunjin had no idea about, to ordinary scraps too damaged by water and time to be of any use anymore. He couldn’t climb to the higher parts of the ship, but most of the items had spilled onto the rocks and into the water through gaping holes in the hull. Hyunjin rummaged through everything he could reach, picking out the most interesting objects and discarding the ones that didn’t catch his attention.

He was always fascinated by shiny things. He liked beautiful ornaments and had an eye for delicate details, and there were plenty of gems here that sparkled beautifully in the light filtering through the cave entrance. While merfolk ornaments were mostly made of pearls, shells, and various corals, human objects were full of metal, wood, and stone.

Hyunjin found a beautiful gemstone necklace, put it around his neck, and climbed onto a rock to look at his reflection in the water. He smiled in admiration at the richness of the ornament, which added so much charm to him, as if he were at least the son of a village chief. 

But his smile soon faded when he realized he wouldn’t be able to return home wearing it, as it would immediately raise suspicion and countless questions about where he had found it. So he placed the necklace back on the stone, and just like that, the cave became his secret.

He never told anyone about it, except Felix, who promised not to tell anyone in the village. Together, they would sit by the ship, trying to guess what each of the items might have been used for. Over time, Hyunjin began searching for more treasures. Every time something human caught his eye on the sandy seabed or was left abandoned on the shore, he would collect it and bring it back to his cave. Sometimes Felix would bring him something from his own trips, and Hyunjin would add it to his collection as well. While Felix was drawn to humans themselves, Hyunjin appreciated their existence purely for the craftsmanship and creativity of their tools. He had never come close to any human.

When Hyunjin returned home, he found that Felix had gone on yet another long trip. He had taken advantage of the good weather to swim closer to a human village, where people were basking on the rocky shore, jumping into the water, splashing each other, and diving as deep as their lack of gills allowed them to go.

“And I’m telling you, they jump into the water completely naked, and their whole bodies are the same color! And they don’t keep their legs together, they just kick them everywhere like this—” Felix began waving his arms wildly, like a fish thrown onto land flapping its tail. Hyunjin burst out laughing at the image.

“But no one saw you, right?” he asked. “You stayed far away.”

“Well… one kid saw me underwater.”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened

“And what did you do?”

His friend shrugged.

“I waved at him. Then I swam away.”

“Felix!” A disapproving shout came from behind him.

Minho was approaching them, striking his dark navy-black tail against the water with a fury that matched the expression on his face.

“How many times do I have to tell you? You are not allowed to swim near human villages!”

Felix rolled his pale eyes. If he had known he was being overheard, he would have spoken more quietly.

“Nothing happened. It was just a kid.”

“That ‘just a kid’ has parents he’ll go and tell! And they have a boat, and before you know it you’ll be stuck in a net, your throat will be slit, and they’ll strip you of all those shiny silver scales of yours, and then you can cry about how ‘nothing happened’!”

Felix hissed, irritated by Minho’s dramatism.

“I’m fine, aren’t I? Relax a bit. I’ve done it plenty of times and I’m still alive.”

The other one got even more offended.

“And I tell you every single time you shouldn’t be doing it! One day you’re going to bring that danger straight to us! You’re lucky I haven’t told the elders about this, but if you keep treating the good of the community like it doesn’t matter, I swear I won’t cover for you anymore.”

When Minho swam off, very sulky, Felix rolled his eyes again and gave Hyunjin a meaningful smile, clearly expecting him to take his side.

Hyunjin was torn. On one hand, he understood Minho’s concerns, but on the other, the way Felix talked about his experiences never really made humans sound like ruthless killers. Hyunjin himself was becoming more and more curious to see humans with his own eyes—even from a distance, from a safe hiding place.

“Come with me next time,” Felix encouraged him. “You’ll see, everything will be fine.”

“I don’t know, Lix,” Hyunjin was still unsure. “I don’t think I can do it like you.”

“Of course you can,” his friend said, taking his hand. “I’ll be with you. We’ll stay far away, and I promise we won’t get any closer than you’re comfortable with.”

Maybe it was the gentle gesture and his reassuring tone. Or maybe it was his bright smile, reminding Hyunjin of the sun that humans on land loved to warm themselves in. But this time, Hyunjin gave in and agreed.

And so he found himself following Felix, trailing behind his silver, pink-shimmering tail, wondering whether he was swimming toward his end or his first great adventure.

Felix kept turning back to check if Hyunjin was still following him. His long, light hair flowed around him with every turn, and each time he gave Hyunjin a reassuring smile, grateful that he hadn’t backed out and left him halfway.

They swam for quite a long time, farther than Hyunjin had ever dared to go on his own. But he trusted his friend completely, who guided him in the general direction where he sometimes spotted ships. From what Hyunjin understood, they were simply going to swim until they saw a ship on the horizon and then get as close as it was safe to do, or just observe it from a distance. Another time would come for showing him the villages.

After swimming like that for a while, passing many sea creatures along the way but nothing else, Hyunjin began to worry that they might be unlucky and not run into anyone at all.

He was just about to ask Felix if it was time to turn back and try another day when they rounded a bend behind the rocky edge of a small island—and in the distance, a small boat came into view.

Hyunjin froze, startled.

Seeing his reaction, Felix swam over to him, took his hand, and pulled him toward the rocks. Once they were safely hidden from the ship, he looked him straight in the eyes.

“It’s okay. We’re not in a hurry. We’ll just look, alright?”

Hyunjin nodded, trying to calm himself and summon the same sense of ease Felix seemed to have. He wasn’t very scared—just a little. It was more nervous excitement. The unease of possible danger mixed with curiosity about the unknown. There was also a faint thrill at the idea of doing something forbidden. Hyunjin had never really considered himself a rule-breaker, but in that moment he felt like a bit of a troublemaker defying his parents in search of adventure—and he had to admit, he quite liked that feeling.

He poked his head out from behind the rock, and Felix, seeing that Hyunjin was already more confident, did the same.

“I think it’s a fishing boat. Look.” He reached out and pointed, explaining what he knew. “It’s pretty small. I’ve seen ones like this before. This one doesn’t have any nets dropped, which means they’re not fishing right now.”

Indeed, the ship was quite small and low. There was a little cabin on it, and a small boat was tied to the back. At the front, there were piles of ropes and nets. Hyunjin didn’t see any weapons or harpoons—at least not from this distance.

What he did see were three figures. One at the front, near the nets, and the other two at the back. It didn’t even seem like that small structure could hold more people than that. They were moving slowly around the little deck, clearly in no rush to go anywhere. The weather was nice, the sea was calm, and the waves gently rocked the ship.

Hyunjin looked at Felix, then carefully swam around the rock, with Felix following him, so they could get closer and see better. They stayed deep underwater, only their heads and eyes just barely breaking the surface so they could remain as hidden as possible.

The closer they got, the better Hyunjin could observe them. He had the clearest view of the two at the back. They really were dressed just like Felix had described. From this angle, he couldn’t properly see their legs, but from their posture alone they seemed more… square. Angular. While sirens were long and slender, these humans looked shorter, but much more solidly built. He didn’t know if all humans were like this or if it was just these ones he had come across, but the difference seemed interesting to him.

He swam closer.

The two men were leaning against the side of the boat, seemingly deep in conversation, their bodies relaxed, their eyes focused on each other rather than the water. Hyunjin used this moment to get even closer so he could study them properly. Felix lightly touched his arm, trying to slow him down, but Hyunjin kept going. He didn’t know where this sudden bravery had come from, but curiosity was taking over. They didn’t seem dangerous, or even ready for a fight. And he really wanted to look at them.

They looked friendly. Their faces were turned sideways; one had his back to the water, while the other—one with a more prominent nose—was leaning his elbows on the railing. At one point, he laughed at something. Hyunjin couldn’t hear their conversation, but he liked the sound of his laughter. It was loud and warm, like sunlight. Without realizing it, Hyunjin started smiling too.

At one point, the human turned his head and looked straight at him—and suddenly froze mid-sentence.

Hyunjin immediately dove underwater.

Felix quickly swam over to him, and together they looked up, trying to see through the water whether the men would do anything. They didn’t seem to reach for weapons.

Hyunjin slowly swam upward again.

“Hyunjin…” Felix hissed warningly, but he rose above the surface anyway.

The human was still staring in his direction, frozen in the same stunned expression as before. Now they were both looking at him, mouths slightly open, eyes wide. Maybe they were simply scared, just like he had been. Hyunjin swam closer.

The closer he got, the more the humans leaned toward the water. It seemed like they wanted to get a better look at him, just as he wanted to look at them. So he allowed it, offering them what he himself had been seeking. A fair exchange, a gesture of peace. When he was right beside the boat, he lifted himself higher out of the water so they could see each other properly.

They were quite pleasant to look at. Hyunjin didn’t find anything in their features that he could consider off-putting. Despite their clothes and hair, they looked a little bald to him. They were missing a few things—for example, gills on the sides of their necks. They had no fins, their fingers were blunt at the tips, just like their teeth. Their pupils were small, and although sun-reddened, their skin had a uniform color.

But when it came to their faces, they were similar to theirs. Hyunjin didn’t know anything about human standards of beauty, but to him, they seemed quite pretty. Handsome. Especially the one who had been laughing—he struck Hyunjin as particularly charming. He had a sharp jawline and a strongly defined nose, but the rest of his features were very soft, especially his lips and the look in his eyes. Hyunjin got lost in them. They seemed as warm as his laughter.

The human opened his mouth and started saying something, but Hyunjin didn’t understand. He didn’t know his words. Instead, he smiled shyly, hoping it would be enough to signal peace. The man stopped speaking, but instead he smiled too. He leaned closer, reaching far over the side of the boat. Hyunjin didn’t want to be outdone, so he stretched upward as well, holding onto the side of the ship to lift himself higher above the water.

From up close, the human seemed even more fascinating to him. Hyunjin couldn’t see any ill intentions in him—only the same curiosity he felt himself. He had the urge to reach out and touch his face, to find out if it was as soft as it looked, if he was as warm as his smile. So he lifted his hand, reaching it up high above the water, and the human did the same in response. He leaned forward so far that for a moment it seemed like he might fall in, but their hands were already so close that if either of them stretched just a little more, they could touch each other’s…

Suddenly, the air was torn apart by a horrible noise. Someone was screaming terribly, and before Hyunjin could even understand what was happening, he felt something being thrown into the water right next to him. He jerked away from the ship in panic.

Then something hit the water again. And again. Hyunjin had no idea which way to escape because he couldn’t tell where the blows were coming from—until he saw a third figure. The man was shouting furiously and swinging a rope ending in something heavy, striking the water over and over in an aggressive attempt to drive him away.

Hyunjin didn’t hesitate any longer. He flicked his tail and, terrified, darted toward Felix, who was already reaching out for him. Felix grabbed his hand and pulled him away, as fast and as far from the ship as possible. Hyunjin was so shaken he wasn’t even looking where they were swimming anymore. They were just fleeing in panic.

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re safe now,” Felix reassured him once they were back in the shelter of the rocks. “Sorry, that’s never happened to me before. But I’ve also never gotten that close.”

“I’m sorry,” Hyunjin stammered, his voice still shaking. “I don’t know why I did that, I don’t know, I—”

“Hey, hey, it’s fine. You’re okay.” He patted his shoulder reassuringly, then smiled at him. “Honestly? That was pretty badass.”

Hyunjin looked up.

“Really?”

“Of course! And for your first time? You’ve got guts!”

Hyunjin gave a crooked smile, only slightly comforted. It hadn’t gone the way he expected at all. He felt a bit disappointed. Still, he was slowly calming down.

“But I think I’ve had enough excitement for today. Let’s go home.”

Felix nodded and led him away from the ship, back toward the safety of the village.

***

“Have you completely lost your fucking minds?! Both of you!”

“Jisung, stop yelling.”

Jisung's mouth fell open in outrage, and he jabbed a finger at Chan.

“I'll yell as much as I damn well please! What the hell were you thinking?” His gaze bounced accusingly between Chan and Changbin. “Have you both gone insane? Maybe you should've just jumped into the water while you were at it! You’re lucky I saved you!”

“You scared off an innocent creature, that’s what you did,” Chan muttered.

“Innocent? Did you see how sharp his teeth were?! Or were you too blinded by your dick to notice he was one inch away from dragging you underwater?”

“Well, he was very pretty,” Changbin chimed in.

“Yeah, that's the fucking point!” Jisung stared at them as if they were the biggest idiots in the world. “They lure you in with their looks, and then snap—you end up torn apart on the bottom of the sea as a snack!”

“He didn't look like he wanted to eat us,” Chan said.

Jisung threw his hands into the air.

“I can't believe this. I genuinely can't believe this! It's like neither of you has ever heard a single thing about the sea. Sailors, my ass.” He turned and stalked away, muttering to himself. “Why am I not the captain?”

“But Jisung, that was a siren!” Chan called after him, trying to make him see it from his side. “A real one! How many have you ever seen with your own eyes?”

“I hope that was the last one!” Jisung shouted back over his shoulder.

Chan shook his head and turned to Changbin, looking for some support.

“Changbin. A siren,” he repeated in disbelief. “A real, living siren.”

“I know. I still can't believe it myself,” Changbin replied. “Maybe it's a good thing Jisung made so much noise, because if my ears weren't still ringing, I'd think I dreamed the whole thing.”

Chan looked back toward the water.

“Do you see him?”

Changbin leaned over the rail as well, scanning the sea around them, but they saw nothing.

“No. Looks like we really scared the hell out of him.”

“That's a shame.”

“Yeah. Although, are we sure it was a male? He was way too pretty for a guy.”

“I think so. I also have a feeling there was a second one, but I'm not sure.” Chan strained his eyes for a little longer before finally giving up and slumping against the railing in disappointment. “But he really was beautiful.”

“He was.”

Chan let out a wistful sigh.

“Do you think he'll come back?”

“No idea. I just hope Jisung's wrong and he doesn't come back with friends to eat us.”

Chan sincerely doubted that.

Contrary to what Jisung claimed, Chan was not unfamiliar with sea legends and myths at all, and he was aware of what sirens were, even if until today he had been convinced that they existed only on the pages of fairy tales. Bloodthirsty creatures resembling humans, luring sailors to their doom with their magical charm and voices. Bewitching them with their beautiful appearance only to drag them to the bottom of the sea, drown them, and tear them apart with sharp teeth. Chan had every reason to be afraid and keep his distance.

But he wasn't afraid. He didn't really know why, but there was something about that siren that didn't make Chan feel like prey. It seemed to him that the siren was curious, just as interested in Chan as he was in him. Chan had no experience in such matters, but he assumed that if he had wanted to lure him to his doom, he would have tried to, well... lure him. And this one gave the impression that he was encountering his species for the first time as well.

Chan kept looking for him for a long time, hoping that if enough time passed, the siren would decide that the danger had passed and come back, but nothing of the sort happened. He sighed again, disappointed that his magical encounter had ended so quickly and so suddenly, and returned to work. The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky, and they still hadn't caught anything worth bringing home.

Despite Chan’s hopes, the sea remained just as uneventful as before. Three days passed, and there was no sign of the siren, and Chan started to wonder whether it had all been a dream. Maybe he had just made it all up. Maybe he had hallucinated the whole thing from sunstroke.

He even tried not to change course too much. For several days he kept returning the ship to the same place.

“Are you not looking for your fish girlfriend by any chance?” Jisung mocked when they circled the same island for the third time.

Officially, Chan insisted that it might be a good fishing spot because the currents were gathering fish there and so on. Unofficially, he kept glancing over the side of the ship.

“Give it up, man,” Changbin sighed, having seen right through him immediately.

Indeed, Chan was already about to give up and admit that this encounter had been a once-in-a-lifetime coincidence, a thousand-to-one stroke of fate. The fish weren’t biting, and his excuse was starting to sound weaker and weaker.

On the fourth day, however, something flickered in the distance off the starboard side. He thought it was a bird flying past, or maybe a fish jumping out of the water, but no—far from the ship, a dark shape emerged above the surface and disappeared again. A moment later, it appeared once more.

It was unmistakably the top of a head, because a pair of dark eyes looked at him from above the waterline. He stayed at a great distance, not coming any closer, but also not fleeing. As if he didn’t dare approach, yet curiosity was pushing him to follow the ship.

Chan glanced carefully around to make sure no one, especially Jisung, was nearby. Once he was certain they were busy on the other side of the ship and there was no risk that either of them would notice the creature, Chan turned his gaze back to the siren and looked straight into his eyes.

He stood completely still, and the siren didn’t move either. Sensing that they were looking at each other in a brief moment of privacy, the siren slowly lifted the rest of his head above the water. Chan very slowly raised his hand and waved.

The siren hesitated for a long moment, but after a while he did the same. Chan smiled. The siren did too.

Chan turned away from the water and slowly walked to the opposite side of the deck. He wanted to show the siren that there was no rush and no danger. He wouldn’t chase him. Nor would he encourage the rest of the crew to hunt him. If the siren wanted to come closer, he had the right to do so. If he wanted to keep his distance, Chan would not close it. It was his choice.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the siren was not approaching, but was still following the ship. When they started sailing away from the island, the siren followed them. The rest of the crew didn’t notice him, but Chan had the impression that the siren deliberately disappeared when they were together and only surfaced when Chan was alone by the rail. Chan felt quite pleased that the siren seemed more trusting toward him. He felt pleasantly flattered.

The next day, Chan untied the dinghy and headed out alone, under the pretense that he wanted to check the currents behind the island and see where the fish were biting best before the ship scared them away. Which was partly true, since their catches had been poor lately, but a much larger part of his motivation was the desire for at least a little privacy—to find the siren and try for something more than distant glances. And he had no intention of exposing him to another attack from Jisung, no matter how well-intentioned he might have been.

He rounded the island and left the ship behind, with the landmass shielding him from the familiar eyes of his crewmates, then focused on scanning the water in search of another familiar pair of eyes. The movement of his oars was slow and careful, meant not to startle the siren, but at the same time to announce his presence. Come to me on your own terms, he wanted to say.

He ignored the tiny voice in the back of his head that pointed out there was also a small possibility that he was voluntarily presenting himself on a platter to a predatory creature, and that if his guts ended up mixed with the sand at the bottom of the sea, it would be entirely his own fault. 

Well, at least Jisung would get to say, I told you so, and feel better about himself. That was a benefit of sorts, too.

He rowed for a while longer until he heard a splash to his left. He stopped and turned, noticing he was being watched. He set down the oars and waited in silence for the siren to decide to come closer on his own. He watched him for a moment longer, then finally dove under the water and reappeared much closer to the boat, barely two meters away from Chan.

“Hi,” he greeted him in the calmest tone he could manage. 

The siren didn’t answer, likely not understanding the word. Chan put a smile on his face. The siren understood that, and smiled back, revealing a row of pearly, sharp teeth.

He was undeniably beautiful. It was hard to be surprised that they were considered creatures of fairy tales, because Chan could hardly imagine such beauty walking among humans. His face was human, but not quite—his eyes were taken up almost entirely by large black pupils, his teeth were too sharp, and both sides of his neck were split by gills with small, fan-like protrusions beside them. But aside from that, the face looking back at him was delicate, soft, and so perfect that Chan could easily believe that if he tried to seduce him, Chan would let himself be dragged straight to the bottom of the sea without a second thought.

Well, he was lucky that the only emotion he was showing now was cautious, friendly curiosity.

Chan placed his hand on the edge of the boat, signaling that he was empty-handed and meant no harm. After a moment, the siren moved closer, extending his sharp-tipped hands and placing them beside Chan’s. A short membrane stretched between his long fingers, and from his wrist all the way along his forearm ran a small red fin, matching the color of the tail whose outline remained hidden beneath the water.

At last, the siren opened his mouth and let out a series of drawn-out, melodic sounds. He looked at Chan questioningly. Chan shook his head and gave a light laugh.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

The siren pouted, and the fan-like appendages by his gills drooped sadly. He let out a soft whine.

Chan lifted his hand and turned it palm-up. The siren looked at it, then back at him, tilting his head, and after a moment raised his own hand and gently placed it in Chan’s palm. He lifted a hopeful gaze, as if checking whether he had done the right thing. Chan gave his hand a light squeeze and smiled warmly, and the siren visibly brightened. He raised his other hand in the same way, palm up, and Chan mirrored the gesture. Now they were holding both hands. So—greetings were done.

“God, you’re so cute,” Chan said, aware that the siren couldn’t understand a word. Or maybe that was exactly why he dared to say it.

Well, maybe they didn’t have to stay in complete language barrier. He could teach him one word.

“I’m Chan. Chan.” He slowly freed his right hand and placed it on his chest, trying to repeat it as clearly as he could: “Chan.”

The siren let out a clicking sound followed by a drawn-out note.

“Chan,” he repeated.

The siren tried again, though in his mouth it sounded more like “tsaa’n,” but Chan decided it was close enough.

“Exactly,” he praised him with a smile. He touched his chest again, saying his name, then pointed his hand toward the siren, signalling it was his turn.

The siren made a hissing sound deep in his throat and then two long, singing notes.

“…Hyunjin?” Chan tried, hoping he had pronounced it correctly.

The siren repeated it, but there was no way Chan could produce such a sound from his own throat, so he accepted it as good enough.

And so, they knew each other’s names.

“Nice to meet you, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin swished his tail happily.

It was a strange feeling, looking at each other without really being able to communicate, yet somehow knowing that they both wanted the same thing—to get to know each other. To be friends.

They spent the next few minutes quietly studying one another. Chan tried to catch as many glimpses of Hyunjin’s tail as he could through the water. When Hyunjin noticed where his attention had wandered, he twisted gracefully to the side and swam around the dinghy near the surface so Chan could get a better look. His scales were a beautiful deep red that faded into black, matching his long dark hair. Smaller fins ran along the sides of his tail, and a long fin stretched down its back. He was truly a breathtaking creature.

Meanwhile, Hyunjin circled the boat as well, examining it with equal fascination. His fingers traced the painted wood as he explored its shape. Eventually, he pulled himself up against the side and peered inside, curious to see what was there. Chan let him satisfy his curiosity, though there wasn't much to find besides the oars, a length of rope, and a few random bits and pieces.

“What are you looking at? This?”

Chan picked up a small fishhook from the bottom of the dinghy and turned it over in his hand. It was nothing special—just an unused bit of tackle—but when the sunlight caught on the metal, Hyunjin’s eyes widened and he reached for it. Chan handed him the hook and watched as he turned it over between his fingers with genuine fascination.

“You like it that much?” Chan laughed when the siren looked up at him hopefully. “You can have it. Here, I've got another one.”

Hyunjin did a delighted flip underwater.

A little more time passed like that, the two of them getting to know each other, until Chan realized he had already spent too long away from the ship. If he stayed much longer, his absence would start raising suspicions. It made him all the more reluctant to leave when he remembered that they were heading back to shore that day, and it would be a whole two days before they sailed out again.

“I have to go back,” he sighed sadly, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the ship. “I'll come back. But... I don't know when I'll see you again.”

Hyunjin looked at him without a word, but his expression turned just as sad, as if he understood what Chan was trying to say.

“And you'll come back too?” he asked, though he didn't know if he would get an answer. Hyunjin let out a soft, wistful whine.

Chan didn't tell the others that he had met Hyunjin. When he returned to the ship, he announced that he hadn't seen any fish, but the current was flowing that way, so it might be worth coming back to the area after they stopped to sell their catch and restock their supplies. He was aware that he might be acting a little against the interests of their business, motivated purely by the desire to run into Hyunjin again, but this time he felt like allowing himself a little selfishness.

Two days later, Chan set out alone in the dinghy again. He didn't know if he would find Hyunjin. He hoped he'd be there again, but the sea was vast, and Hyunjin was a wild creature. Why would he wait for him the way Chan had waited for him?

And yet, Hyunjin was there. He surfaced some distance away and simply watched.

Chan brightened immediately and stopped rowing, waiting for him to swim over, but the siren didn't come any closer. He stayed where he was, keeping his distance.

Chan's enthusiasm faded a little. Had something happened?

Eventually, Hyunjin swam a bit closer, but he didn't say anything. Chan offered him an uncertain smile, but this time it wasn't returned.

“Hyunjin?”

The siren glanced at him from under his lashes, then looked away and flicked his tail pointedly. Okay. Now he understood. Hyunjin was clearly sulking.

“Were you waiting for me?”

Hyunjin shot him a sideways look before turning away again, pushing out his lower lip in a pout that answered the question well enough.

Chan preferred not to imagine Hyunjin coming back every day, hoping to see him, only to leave disappointed when Chan never showed up.

“I’m sorry. But I’m here now.”

He held out his hand in a gesture of peace. Hyunjin kept sulking for a moment longer, but eventually gave in and swam closer, taking Chan’s hand in his own. He looked into Chan’s eyes, and his expression softened. He made a series of soft, incomprehensible chirping sounds, then pressed Chan’s hand against his cheek and closed his eyes. Something tightened in Chan’s chest at the gentle gesture.

“Okay, okay. It’s alright now.” He lightly stroked Hyunjin’s smooth cheek, and the siren opened his eyes again, smiling more brightly this time. When he let go, Chan reached into his pocket.

“Look, I’ve got something for you.” He pulled out a silver coin and turned it in the sunlight. “Pretty?”

Chan wasn’t sure what he’d done with the hooks, but it was clear Hyunjin liked shiny things, so he had brought another gift. He handed it to Hyunjin, who chirped in gratitude. He stared at Chan for a moment.

And then he dove underwater and disappeared.

Chan looked around, but there was no sign of Hyunjin anywhere. For a moment, he wondered if he had misread him—if the siren had taken offence, or simply left.

But then Hyunjin burst back up from beneath the surface and grabbed onto the boat, looking at Chan expectantly. He had a fish in his mouth.

Chan carefully took it from him. Hyunjin chirped proudly, baring his bloodied teeth in a grin.

“Oh… thank you.”

Hyunjin made another pleased sound and disappeared again. A moment later, he returned with another fish.

“Oh, wow.” Chan tried to keep up with the sudden flow of gifts, forcing himself not to think too hard about his sharp teeth. “That’s really kind of you.”

He looked at both fish. They were large and fat. Then he glanced at Hyunjin, lifting one of them and pointing it out toward the sea.

“Where did you get these?”

Hyunjin turned and pointed behind him, toward the distant rocky islands.

Later that day, when Chan returned to the ship, the others stared wide-eyed at his catch.

“Did you find a trail?” Changbin asked as Jisung weighed the fish in his hands with approval.

“Yeah,” Chan said proudly. “I know where we’re going now.”

***

Hyunjin liked Chan.

That surprised even him, because he hadn't expected things to turn out this way when he first swam out with Felix. But the human had turned out to be very interesting, and something kept drawing Hyunjin toward him. He still didn't have the courage to approach the ship again, but he and his human had found a little private time away from everyone else, and Hyunjin was grateful for that. He wasn't ready yet to try getting close to other humans again, but Chan had seemed friendly from the very beginning.

He was cute, Hyunjin decided. A little awkward in his small boat, sitting motionless on the surface, entirely at the mercy of Hyunjin, who could move freely through the vast depths all around him. But there was also something admirable about it. Chan had the courage to venture out this far all by himself just to see him, while Hyunjin would never dare climb onto land among humans. That alone was enough to earn Hyunjin's respect.

But beyond that, Chan simply seemed sweet to him. He smiled a lot, and he looked so soft. Cuddly. As Hyunjin grew more comfortable around him, he found himself wanting more and more to simply hold him in his arms, wrap himself around his smaller form, and drift together through the water. But the boat was quite a barrier, so the most they could do was hold hands. Chan's hands were dry and rough, calloused from ropes and nets, but they were warm and fit nicely in Hyunjin's slender hands, so he reached for them whenever Chan allowed him to—which was often.

With each passing day, Chan also grew more handsome in his eyes. Once the initial shock of their differences had faded, Hyunjin began to see his face as something familiar, and he could focus on appreciating how pleasant it was to look at. Sometimes, when silence settled between them and they weren't trying to communicate through sounds and gestures, Hyunjin liked to lean against the side of the boat and rest his head on his crossed forearms, simply watching Chan. He admired his pleasant features, his soft lips, and his muscular body, smiling to himself as his tail lazily swayed beneath the water.

He was like one of the jewels Hyunjin had found—something he wanted to turn over in his hands and examine from every angle in the sunlight. Though all those trinkets paled in comparison to Chan's smile.

Speaking of trinkets, Chan quickly realized that Hyunjin had a fondness for shiny things and started sharing his treasures with him. Hyunjin didn't always know what he was being given. Some objects he recognized from the wreck in his cave, while others were completely unfamiliar, but he carefully placed all of them together on a rock where he kept his favorite possessions.

He showed his new treasures to Felix, pleased that this time he was the one who could show off something he had gotten from humans. Felix was impressed that he wasn't afraid to swim out alone anymore, but when he asked if Hyunjin wanted him to come along, Hyunjin blushed shyly. Seeing that, Felix didn't push. Instead, he gave him a knowing smile and told him to be careful. His meetings with Chan still felt fragile and uncertain. Hyunjin didn't want to scare him away by overwhelming him with merfolk. For now, he was content with the small moments they shared alone.

In return, Hyunjin tried to repay Chan for the gifts in his own way. He understood that they were fishermen, but he didn't really understand why they kept sailing through poor fishing waters where the currents were unfavorable when he knew places on the other side of the islands where entire schools of fish often gathered. He had to find some way to help Chan get food.

He was afraid that one day the moment would come when they would simply sail away to completely different waters and never see each other again. Hyunjin didn't fully understand why, but the thought of losing Chan and having to get to know some new, completely different human made his heart tighten in a way he never wanted to experience for real.

By now, Hyunjin had learned that their ship moved slowly and stayed in one place for long stretches of time. Every few days, it disappeared entirely—presumably far inland—only to return to the sea somewhere else. After he showed Chan a place where the fish bit better, they moved to the other side of the islands, closer to the familiar rocks Hyunjin knew well. He had also learned that Chan couldn't always leave the ship, so in between their meetings, Hyunjin would watch the vessel from a distance, searching for him among the crew. And it always made his heart feel warmer whenever he saw that Chan was looking for him too.

One day, however, the ship’s presence at sea began to worry him.

The currents had changed, and all the sea creatures were avoiding that area. Even the air felt different—Hyunjin, as a siren, could sense the shift in the wind, and he was sure humans would be able to feel it too, or at least see that a storm was coming. So he couldn’t understand why the ship was out in waters not far from the sharp rocks instead of staying safely in port. Had Chan and his crew really become that desperate, willing to risk their safety just to catch more fish?

Hyunjin didn’t like it. He swam closer himself, leaving the safer waters behind, and watched the ship uneasily, trying to figure out how he could get close enough to warn Chan about the danger.

The air grew heavy. It hung low over the water, and the wind that had moments before been gently rocking the ship with light gusts vanished completely, leaving behind an unnatural silence. Everything went still. The waves, the cries of birds, the creaking of water against the hull—all of it froze in anticipation, as if they were completely alone in the middle of the sea.

Hyunjin tensed, his tail shifting restlessly. The ship wasn’t leaving. He watched the figures on deck move back and forth, the men shouting to one another. Hyunjin tried to catch Chan’s attention, hoping he would look his way, but Chan was too busy with whatever they were doing on board.

They had to notice something was wrong. The surface of the water had turned dark, just like the sky, which was slowly fading and greying. Far on the horizon, a line of darkness stretched low, so close to the sea it almost seemed to sink into it.

And then came the first rumble of the storm.

Hyunjin started to feel anxious. Why weren’t they leaving? Though where exactly were they supposed to go? Land was far away, beyond the rocks that threatened to smash the ship to pieces if the storm pushed it against them. The men kept shouting at each other. One of them kept disappearing into the cabin, another came out and fiddled with the ropes—clearly, they were getting nervous. At least Hyunjin could tell they understood what was happening.

Finally, they began to turn the ship away, but Hyunjin’s relief faded quickly when he realized they wouldn’t manage to escape the storm that was approaching relentlessly, faster and faster. Certainly faster than the ship.

The wind returned. No longer a gentle breeze, it struck the ship with a violent jolt. The calm surface of the sea began to break apart, waves turning short and restless, slamming against the hull without rhythm.

Hyunjin began to feel afraid. He had never been scared of storms before—he had never had a reason to, as he could always take shelter safely among the rocks—but this time he didn’t know what to do. He felt helpless.

The first drops of rain hit the surface of the water. At first they were single and heavy, and then suddenly it poured down with such force that Hyunjin could feel it even deep underwater when he took shelter from the impact. He was afraid to surface, but even if he managed to reach Chan somehow, he didn’t know how he could protect them from the danger. He tried not to lose sight of the ship’s hull as it swayed on increasingly violent waves.

When he finally surfaced for a moment, the storm was already in full force. The wind and rain lashed down with such intensity that fear gripped him completely. He had never been in a storm on open water before, and now he didn’t know whether he should be more worried about his own safety or the ship being violently thrown around. He knew he should swim away to safer waters, but he was even more afraid of leaving Chan at the mercy of the storm, not knowing whether he would survive it.

Something moved on the ship. A rope snapped up into the air, torn loose by the wind. Two figures ran out of the cabin, shouting over the storm, as something fell from the deck into the water and they rushed toward the front of the ship, grabbing for the lines. Hyunjin dove under the dark water, searching for the fallen object. It was large and heavy, but before he could make out what it was, it was already sinking, dragged downward by its own weight into the darkness.

A moment later, Hyunjin sensed another large object hit the water. He turned sharply toward the impact, expecting cargo again—but it wasn’t an object at all.

It was a person.

Chan.

A wave of desperate fear cut straight through Hyunjin.

Seeing a human fall into the water was nothing like the stories Felix had told. Chan thrashed wildly, his legs kicking in panic as he fought the hostile water, trying and failing to push himself back toward the surface, only for the sea to drag him down again.

Hyunjin shot toward him, desperate to reach him without being struck by anything in the process, but Chan was already beginning to sink, going still as he dropped toward the depths.

Hyunjin caught him in his arms and pulled him upward. He broke the surface—but there was no time for Chan to breathe, because a wave crashed down on them immediately, forcing them back under. He tried again, pushing them both above the waves. He wanted to shake him awake, but Chan was limp and heavy in his grip.

Hyunjin looked toward the ship in desperation, but he didn’t know how to get Chan back onto it. He tried to find the other human with his eyes, but there was no one visible through the wall of rain lashing down around them. It finally dawned on him that Chan would drown long before Hyunjin managed to force him back onto the deck. He couldn’t do that. But he could swim fast. If he couldn’t drag Chan to the safety of the ship, then he would have to take him to the safety he knew himself.

He pulled Chan’s body tight against his side and, with a powerful sweep of his tail, pushed off hard in the opposite direction from the ship, shooting through the water at the highest speed he could manage.

The storm raged behind them, and Hyunjin tightened his grip as he cut through the furious waves, determined not to lose him. Chan’s limp body kept slipping from under his arm—this was not how he had imagined holding him for the first time. He began to worry how long Chan could survive unconscious underwater.

He pushed himself faster, though it wasn’t easy. He decided to head toward familiar waters, where he knew the merfolk were safe. Eventually, he managed to swim far enough to leave the storm behind. The water was still dark, but calmer. Hyunjin was growing exhausted, but he couldn’t stop. He had to get Chan to land.

He finally reached the area of the familiar rocks, not far from his village. He could have cried with relief.

Getting through the narrow passages with Chan was difficult, but eventually he managed to squeeze them both into his cave. He swam through the cave’s inlet, and when he reached the shore, he pushed and rolled Chan onto the stones, right beside all the scattered trinkets from the wreck.

Only now did the full weight of exhaustion and emotion hit him. He let out a small sob and collapsed his head onto Chan’s chest, shaken by quiet crying—but there was no movement there. Hyunjin felt another wave of fear. He lifted himself up and looked at him helplessly.

“Come on,” he shook him lightly, then harder. “Please.”

He touched his face, now cold and wet, and patted his cheeks, but there was still no breath. He placed his hands on Chan’s chest and pressed, but nothing happened. He pressed again, harder, and then started pressing anywhere he could on his torso.

Until Chan suddenly jerked and, with a violent cough, began to spit out water.

Hyunjin let out a sob of relief. 

Chan finished coughing and, breathing heavily, began looking around, clearly disoriented. Eventually, his gaze landed on Hyunjin.

“Hyunjin?” he rasped.

Hyunjin threw himself at Chan and pulled him into an embrace. He held him so tightly that for a moment he worried he might take his breath away again, but he couldn’t help himself. He could feel both of them trembling all over—Chan from cold and shock, himself from emotion. Chan’s hands lifted and came to rest on his back, stroking it slowly from top to bottom. It felt as though Chan was the one comforting him, when in Hyunjin’s opinion it should have been the other way around.

He gently pulled back to arm’s length and began inspecting Chan from every angle, searching for any sign of injury. Fortunately, he found none. By the time he finished his examination, Chan was saying something to him, looking at him with a questioning expression. When he saw that Hyunjin didn’t understand, he pointed at himself, then at the cave entrance, then at Hyunjin. Hyunjin nodded.

Chan said something else. Then he placed a hand over his chest and, looking him straight in the eyes, repeated very slowly:

“Thank you.”

Hyunjin placed a hand over his own chest in a similar gesture and repeated quietly, learning the new word. Then he reached out with his other hand and laid it over Chan’s, above his heart. The relief he felt when he sensed Chan’s chest rising with each breath was overwhelming. After a moment, Chan lifted his own hand and placed it on Hyunjin’s chest as well.

They looked at each other for a long while without speaking, listening only to the beating of each other’s hearts. Hyunjin had the distinct impression that his own heart had sped up, and it had nothing to do with his recent exertion.

He ran his fingers over the skin of Chan’s hand before trailing them onto his chest. Then he moved higher along the wet fabric clinging to his skin until he reached the edge of the collar and caught the material between his fingers, rubbing it curiously between his fingertips. He leaned closer, now fascinated by the clothing stuck to Chan’s damp skin. He tugged it aside, wanting to see what was hidden underneath, but his exploration was stopped by a small object at the front holding the two halves together.

Eventually, Chan looked away and cleared his throat. The tips of his ears had turned pink. Hyunjin felt a little disappointed that his exploration had been interrupted, but it was a very adorable sight, so he decided it was fair compensation.

Chan looked around the cave, and his gaze fell on the wreck behind him. His mouth fell open in astonishment. Hyunjin supposed the sight must have been impressive even to a human. He pushed himself up from the ground, excitement stirring in Hyunjin’s chest at the thought of finally being able to share one of his interests with Chan.

It also occurred to him that this was the first time he had seen Chan properly standing on his feet. Usually he had been sitting, or his legs had been hidden behind the side of the ship. Now Hyunjin could watch with curiosity as he took step after step across the stones in the heavy coverings on his feet and made his way toward the wreck. For the first time, Hyunjin saw him venture into parts of it that neither he nor Felix had ever been able to reach before. Chan explored everything with undisguised fascination, touching the hull and picking up various objects. He turned them over in his fingers, staring at them with parted lips, especially the ones made of gold or decorated with gemstones. Hyunjin realized that they must be quite valuable to humans. Well, there were so many of them, and they were of no use to him. He could let Chan take some.

Hyunjin swam closer and picked up a long object lying on the ground, lifting it toward Chan and waving it around. It wasn't made of jewels, only wood and a bit of metal, but he had always wondered what it was used for. Chan took it from him and looked at Hyunjin as if he wasn't sure what was expected of him. Then something seemed to click. He raised the object to his face, pressed one end against his eye, and pointed it toward the cave entrance. After that, he handed it to Hyunjin. Hyunjin copied the motion. Suddenly, he could see an island that had been miles away only moments before, now appearing so close that it felt as though it were right in front of him. Incredible!

Hyunjin let out a delighted chirp and immediately turned the object toward Chan. Instead of seeing his whole body, however, he was confronted by a gigantic image of Chan's eye filling his entire view. So humans had magical objects? Unbelievable. He absolutely had to show this to Felix.

Hyunjin quickly set the object aside and immediately grabbed another one, handing it to Chan, who had started laughing at his excitement. This time the object was small and silver, narrow on one end and wider and blunt on the other. Chan put it into his mouth. Hyunjin didn't understand until Chan took it out again and began making circular motions near his face, opening and closing his mouth like a fish before putting it back in. So it had something to do with eating. Interesting.

Hyunjin showed him many more objects, and Chan dutifully demonstrated what each of them was used for, apparently just as entertained by the game as Hyunjin was. Eventually, Hyunjin led him to the stone where he kept his special treasures. The first thing he did was hold out the hooks Chan had given him, showing that they had earned a place among his favorite possessions. Chan looked genuinely pleased to see them there.

Then Hyunjin picked up the diamond necklace and proudly held it out for Chan to admire. Chan’s eyes widened immediately, which pleased Hyunjin immensely. Chan appreciated beautiful things just as much as he did. Hyunjin slipped the necklace around his neck and posed for him, displaying the treasure in all its glory.

Chan’s jaw dropped. Hyunjin was delighted by the reaction. It really was a beautiful piece. Although, now that Chan was looking at him, he noticed that his gaze wasn't actually fixed on the necklace at all.

A sudden wave of shyness washed over him. Chan's eyes on his face suddenly felt scorching, and heat spread through his entire body, all the way to his cheeks, which had surely turned as red as his tail. This time, it was Hyunjin who looked away first, flustered by the way the little fins beside his gills trembled uncontrollably, betraying his embarrassment.

The sky outside had cleared. The heavy storm clouds had drifted apart, but the light was fading due to the late hour, slowly turning into the pink of sunset. Chan sat down on a rock and looked longingly out toward the sea, letting out a heavy sigh. Hyunjin followed his gaze, then looked at him questioningly. Chan said something, then pointed at himself, at the water, and finally at the wreck.

Hyunjin understood that Chan wanted to return to the ship. It made sense. That was where he belonged—he probably wanted to make sure nothing had happened to his companions. Hyunjin understood, but still felt a sharp sting of sadness at the thought that they would be parting so soon. He didn’t want that. He wanted to keep Chan with him a little longer. There were still so many things he could learn from him. So many things they could still discover about each other. Hyunjin wanted to know him—truly, completely. He wanted them to spend more time together instead of waiting for him for days and stealing only short, hidden moments on the boat away from his crew. He lowered his gaze, dejected.

He swam closer to Chan and climbed onto the rock beside him, pulling him into an embrace. His body was solid. Like a stone that would not move. For a moment, Hyunjin wanted to pretend that if he held him tightly enough, Chan would not leave either—that he could keep him there the same way he kept all his treasures in the cave. Chan wrapped strong arms around him and buried his face in Hyunjin’s neck. Hyunjin felt like crying.

But he understood.

After a long moment, he gently pulled away from the embrace. He reached for the pile of gold coins and, scooping up as many as he could hold, pushed them toward Chan, signaling for him to take them. Chan initially refused. But when Hyunjin insisted more firmly, Chan finally accepted them and tucked them into the sides of his leg coverings.

Hyunjin then slipped into the water and held out his hand for Chan to follow him. Chan grasped it hesitantly, but stepped in after him. Hyunjin turned his back to him and, glancing over his shoulder, motioned for Chan to wrap his arms around his neck.

Chan obeyed, pressing himself against Hyunjin’s back as if they were still locked in an embrace. Hyunjin could feel his breath against his ear and his heartbeat against his back. It felt like it was beating in the same rhythm as his own.

He swam around the rocks and pushed out into the open sea.

With the added weight on his back and unable to dive deeply, his movement was slower than usual, but eventually they spotted Chan’s ship.

Hyunjin felt uncertain. He didn’t know what would await them when he dared to approach the hull again. Chan seemed to sense his hesitation, because he tightened his hold reassuringly.

Hyunjin swam closer and noticed a single figure—the same one he had seen with Chan on the first day. The man looked at him uncertainly at first, as if he wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but then his eyes widened in shock.

“Chan!” he shouted.

Another figure immediately appeared at the railing. Hyunjin shrank in on himself as he began shouting as well, but Chan gently squeezed his shoulder and called back to them.

The men on the ship watched them for a moment longer before one of them disappeared and returned with a rope ladder, which he threw into the water. Chan grabbed it and climbed onto the deck.

Hyunjin lingered in place, unsure what to do with himself. He could hear raised voices above him, shouting, one of them pulled Chan into an embrace. The other one looked down at Hyunjin with skepticism, and Hyunjin could not tell whether it was hostility or something else.

Chan stepped between them and said something, pointing at Hyunjin. He didn’t understand any of the words, but he heard his own name. And he heard the tone of Chan’s voice. And he understood that Chan was standing on his side.

He approached the railing and, looking deeply into Hyunjin’s eyes, placed a hand over his chest.

Chan had chosen him. In front of his own kind.

Something large and warm bloomed in Hyunjin’s heart.

He pressed his hand to his own chest and, imitating Chan, whispered:

“Thank you.”

***

From that day on, their relationship changed.

Chan no longer felt that he had to hide Hyunjin away like some secret, and Hyunjin no longer felt the need to hide from the crew. He stopped being afraid to approach the ship. 

At first, Chan had to do a fair bit of convincing to get Jisung to stop shooting Hyunjin suspicious looks every time he swam over, but the fact that Hyunjin had saved Chan’s life seemed to be a difficult argument to refute. As far as Jisung was concerned, that was proof enough that Hyunjin had no intention of killing him. 

Changbin had been much easier to win over. He had been on Hyunjin’s side from the start. The only thing he held against anyone was Chan for keeping their meetings a secret and never taking him along.

Now that neither of them had to hold back from approaching the other, they took full advantage of that freedom every day.

Hyunjin became a constant companion to the ship. His regular presence alongside the hull soon became normal for Chan. Chan grew accustomed to Hyunjin disappearing every night to return to his den to sleep, only to reappear each morning when Chan greeted the new day, ready to greet him as well. Hyunjin had also learned by now that the ship had to return to shore every few days and that several more would pass before it ventured back onto the water. He no longer sulked in fear that Chan had sailed away forever.

Speaking of their trips back to shore, Hyunjin's presence turned out to be an enormous help.

Their previous catches had not been particularly good, and they had already begun to wonder whether they should abandon the area in search of better fishing grounds. But ever since Hyunjin appeared, their business had flourished.

Hyunjin led them to richer waters and showed them where the fish were plentiful. Sometimes he even herded entire schools in their direction, and their nets would come up so heavy with fish that they nearly burst under the weight of the catch. And they were fine, healthy fish at that. Whenever one looked particularly good, Chan would hand it to Hyunjin so they could share a meal together. Chan tried introducing Hyunjin to their dry human provisions, but grain-based foods did not appeal to him very much. He greatly preferred fresh fish, tearing into the flesh with his own teeth, much to Jisung's horror. Jisung would invariably retreat to the bow of the ship to eat his own meal in solitude whenever Hyunjin joined them.

Even he stopped sulking, however, after they received their first payment back on shore. Combined with the gifts Chan had received from Hyunjin—which had turned out to be made of genuine gold—it amounted to a very satisfying sum. By the time they set sail again, Jisung had started scanning the waves for the siren himself.

The rest of the time, they simply enjoyed each other's company. Chan taught Hyunjin the names of his friends. Hyunjin kept bringing him more gifts from the cave. Their exchange of presents continued. For some reason Chan could not begin to understand, Hyunjin developed a particular fondness for the buttons on his shirt. At first, Chan was reluctant to part with them, but when Hyunjin started offering him a gold coin for every button he managed to pry loose, he decided the trade was more than fair. Before long, his shirt had been completely stripped of its buttons and hung open loosely at his sides, much to Hyunjin's delight. The siren would grin at him, looking immensely pleased with himself.

One day, Chan took out the guitar he usually brought on board. At first, Hyunjin didn’t understand what it was, but the moment Chan struck the strings, his eyes widened like saucers. When Chan began to play a familiar tune from a song he had composed himself, Hyunjin looked as if he could hardly contain his excitement. His eyes followed Chan’s fingers on both hands, as if he couldn’t believe it was Chan who was producing the melody.

And when Chan started to sing, he was completely stunned.

He stared at Chan, his entire expression softening—his eyes turning almost dreamy as he became utterly absorbed in him, looking at him with complete adoration. Chan thought it was incredible that such an otherworldly beautiful creature could look at him with such awe, as if he were the fairytale being and not Hyunjin.

When Changbin and Jisung heard him playing, they joined in with singing. Chan picked up their songs as well, and soon they were all singing together, making their way through sea shanties—at first more traditional and well-known ones, then increasingly silly, drunken, and crude port songs—laughing and shouting over the guitar as the noise grew louder and louder. Hyunjin didn’t understand a single word, but he laughed along with them and swayed his tail to the rhythm in his own improvised dance.

Having Hyunjin with them was easy, pleasant, and so natural that Chan could no longer remember what it had felt like to not believe in his existence at all.

And yet, every time he looked at him, he still stole his breath away, as if he could not quite accept that something so wondrous was real.

Hyunjin really was beautiful. And it wasn’t only about the perfect lines of his face, or the way the light of the setting sun reflected off his scales when he broke through the waves in a sweeping, majestic arc.

It was also the smaller things. The way his bright, pearly laughter sounded whenever something excited him. The way he looked when he stretched out on the edge of Chan’s little boat, eyelids heavy, slowly drifting into an afternoon nap while still watching him. The way his dark, wet hair clung to his face—and when Chan reached out to brush it aside, a quiet sigh slipped from those lips that were so soft and full that Chan didn’t know how much longer he would be able to resist throwing himself into the sea for him.

His heart ached for him in a way he could no longer dismiss as simple fascination.

“Meet me tonight,” he said at last.

Hyunjin looked at him, not understanding. Chan pointed at the two of them, then at the water beneath them and the sun above, and finally swept his hand across the sky, as if dragging it down beyond the horizon and under the line of the sea. Hyunjin watched him for a moment, then nodded. Chan smiled. Hyunjin smiled back.

When night came, Chan rose from his cabin and, moving quietly on his toes, crossed the deck toward the dinghy. Before untying the ropes, he went to check if the others were asleep. Once he was certain they were indeed snoring soundly, he lowered the boat onto the water as silently as possible and climbed in.

He didn’t intend to sail far—just enough to avoid losing sight of the ship, but far enough to give them some privacy. He wanted to see Hyunjin again, alone this time, without the others hanging over his shoulders on either side—one just as fascinated by Hyunjin’s beauty as Chan was, the other quite the opposite, still watching him like he was waiting for the slightest moment of carelessness so the siren could drag Chan under the water and devour him. Chan was grateful that they had accepted Hyunjin’s presence, but tonight, he wanted him entirely to himself again.

That night the moon was enormous and full, casting a breathtaking light over the water that shimmered across the waves like scattered diamonds. Everything was wrapped in a soft, silver glow, in an almost magical way. Chan couldn’t imagine a better night to admire the beauty of the siren he had come to meet.

For a moment, as he drifted far enough away that their ship had shrunk into a small dark shell on the horizon, he began to wonder whether he would even find Hyunjin tonight. Perhaps he had misunderstood his words and the siren had swum off somewhere else for the night, sleeping in some distant cave, not anywhere nearby at all. And perhaps Chan was now just rowing aimlessly through empty waters, fooling himself into thinking that the soft sound of his oars cutting through the surface might be noticed.

But his worries faded when something flickered along his left side, and the top of Hyunjin’s head broke through the water.

Chan’s face broke into a smile when Hyunjin rose above the surface of the sea, baring an equally bright row of sharp teeth in return. He swam closer, right up to the edge of the boat, looking at Chan with absolute adoration in his glistening dark eyes.

He looked breathtaking in the moonlight. Chan noticed a shell glinting in his ear, and his hair was partially pulled back with some long, decorative ornament. Around his neck, the diamond necklace shimmered—the same one Chan recognized from the cave. It looked as if Hyunjin had dressed up for this meeting, and Chan, slightly flustered at the thought of not wanting to be outdone, ran a hand through his hair to tame it into something resembling order and adjusted his shirt. But Hyunjin only continued to look at him with undisguised awe, as if Chan could appear in rags with a bird’s nest on his head and still be worth looking at. Truly, it was endearing—how much wonder this siren found in Chan’s ordinary human simplicity.

Hyunjin gripped the edge of the boat with his sharp fingers and pulled himself up slightly, as if trying to meet Chan more closely.

“Chaan,” he crooned in greeting.

He looked at him with those disarming eyes, and Chan immediately fell for his charm all over again.

“Hi, Hyunjin,” he replied softly. He reached out and tucked a wet strand of hair behind Hyunjin’s ear, revealing his earring to show he appreciated the effort. “Looks nice.”

Hyunjin lowered his gaze, biting his lip as it stretched into a shy smile, then looked back up at him. There was a question in his eyes, waiting for an answer. Why had Chan wanted to see him?

Chan turned away slightly, suddenly flustered, clearing his throat. What was he supposed to say? And how was he even supposed to say it? How was he meant to show him, in gestures, that… that what exactly?

That he missed him even before they parted? That every time he returned to shore, all he could think about was coming back to him? That Hyunjin had become the harbor he wanted to come home to every single day?

God, Chan didn’t even know what he wanted to say.

Sensing his nerves, Hyunjin took his hand in both of his, gently interrupting his spiraling thoughts. Chan looked back at him, still searching for words that wouldn’t come. Hyunjin watched him patiently, softly rubbing his knuckles. Finally, Chan let out a shaky breath.

“Hyunjin,” he began slowly. The siren blinked. Chan swallowed with effort. “There are so many things I wish you could understand.”

A sad smile touched his face.

“So many things I want to tell you. But I can’t.”

Hyunjin made a soft, pained sound. He didn’t understand a single word, but he seemed to understand the tone all too well.

Chan shifted their grip on each other’s hands, so that he was the one holding Hyunjin’s now, and he pulled it toward his chest, placing it over his heart. He let his heartbeat say everything where words failed him.

Hyunjin’s mouth fell slightly open as he looked at him with an expression so unguarded it was as if he was seeing Chan completely anew. He breathed without a sound, as if words had also left him.

Finally, he intertwined their fingers and guided Chan’s hand from his chest to his own, placing it in a similar gesture. Chan felt beneath his palm how his heart was racing, mirroring his own. Hyunjin looked at him steadily, tightening his grip on his hand.

Chan slowly rose from his seated position and lowered himself to his knees in front of Hyunjin, bracing himself against the edge of the boat. Hyunjin watched him in silence, completely still, as if waiting to see what he would do next. Chan leaned forward slightly over the side. They were so close. If he leaned any further, he would tip right into the water.

But Hyunjin didn’t seem to move away. If anything, he seemed to rise a little higher on his hands, as if drawn toward Chan like the tide itself was pulling him in. Or maybe that was just Chan’s imagination. Maybe he was only seeing in the moonlight what his heart wanted to see. But it felt… like Hyunjin’s heart might want the same thing. Was it too much of a fantasy to believe that someone so extraordinary could feel anything for someone so ordinary?

Chan leaned in a little more. He shortened the distance between them. He was so close now that there was no way to hide his intentions anymore. He laid his heart bare, holding it out in front of Hyunjin, silently giving him a choice. To drift away… or to come closer those last few inches and close the space between them.

Hyunjin didn’t move away. Instead, he reached upward, and closing his eyes, pressed his lips to Chan’s.

The kiss was so sweet it made Chan feel light-headed. It was only a touch, a press of lips against lips. His mouth was cold and wet, but soft in a way that fit perfectly against Chan’s.

Chan closed his eyes and melted into the feeling of him. He breathed slowly, quietly, taking in his presence. He would have drifted away completely in that moment, lost in the sensation, if he hadn’t gripped the edge of the boat more tightly.

The boat rocked, breaking their kiss, but Chan managed to steady himself. Hyunjin let out a soft, breathy laugh, breaking the silence between them—but his cheeks were flushed, just as affected as Chan felt.

Chan cupped his face in both hands and looked deeply into his eyes. Hyunjin returned him a shy smile, leaning his cheek into Chan’s palm and lifting his own hand to cover it. He seemed to be waiting for some kind of reassurance. Were his feelings returned? Was this okay? What came next?

Chan answered all of it by pulling him closer and closing the distance between them again in a kiss.

Hyunjin pressed into his lips eagerly, clearly just as happy as Chan was. His tail hit the bottom of the boat with a soft thud, and Chan’s mouth stretched into a wide smile he couldn’t hold back. Hyunjin melted into him, nuzzling their noses together, then resting their foreheads against each other. He let out a soft, content sigh into the space between them.

Chan held him there for a moment, thumbs gently stroking his cheeks, while Hyunjin traced over his hand with his own. They breathed each other in. They stayed like that in silence, broken only by the quiet rhythm of the waves. Moonlight fell over their bodies, and eventually they pulled back just enough to look at each other again.

Chan saw so much emotion in Hyunjin’s eyes that he could hardly believe he had ever feared his feelings might not be returned.

“Chan…” he whispered, sliding his hand down to his wrist, stroking the dry skin there. Then, as much as his position allowed, he slowly climbed higher along his arms. Chan lowered himself slightly, making it easier for Hyunjin to loop his arms around his neck. He wrapped an arm around Hyunjin’s chest and pulled him closer, lifting him toward him. He hugged himself tightly against his wet body and buried his face in his hair. Hyunjin stroked the back of his head, threading his fingers through the strands of his hair and giving them a gentle tug.

Then he tilted his head and kissed Chan again, this time more confidently, more deeply. A proper, lingering kiss that Chan felt all the way down in his stomach. Chan spread his fingers wide and stroked his back, feeling Hyunjin soften in his hands and hum with contentment.

He felt Hyunjin’s tail strike the side of the boat again before curling around its underside, as though he wanted to cling even closer to him, even if he had no way to do so. He pulled Chan so close that Chan began to worry he might actually drag him into the water.

He wouldn’t have minded. He would have let him.

But he had a better idea.

Tightening his arms around Hyunjin’s torso, he pushed off the bottom of the boat with his knees and hauled him upward with all his strength. Using the momentum, he turned and laid him down on his back on the floorboards.

Hyunjin let out a startled squeak, having no idea what was happening. One moment he was in the water, the next he was sprawled across the dry planks with Chan leaning over him, a pleased grin tugging at his lips.

The small size of the dinghy didn’t allow for much comfort. The bench running across the middle dug awkwardly into his back, and his long tail still hung over the side, half-submerged in the water. But once the initial shock of finding himself aboard the familiar boat from such an unfamiliar perspective wore off, Hyunjin laughed. Then he reached up toward Chan, drew him down, and pulled him into another deep kiss.

Chan let out a low hum and willingly followed his lead, wrapping his arms around him—partly to give him something softer to lie against, partly so he could press himself against his smooth skin once more.

Hyunjin made a soft sound into his mouth, clearly feeling the same pleasure from the kiss. His hand slid to the back of Chan’s neck, caressing it with his fingertips, mirroring the way his lips lingered against Chan’s, growing steadily more confident. He parted Chan’s lips with his own, tempting him with only the tip of his tongue before tilting his head and deepening the kiss.

Chan let himself be consumed by it. He sank into Hyunjin as though Hyunjin meant to pull him to the very bottom of the sea, and Chan had no desire to fight his way back to the surface for air. The only thing filling his lungs were Hyunjin’s soft sighs, breathed into his mouth as Chan’s hand slid along his side, feeling him melt beneath his fingers. His hand came to rest at his waist, kneading the bare skin there and drawing more and more sighs from Hyunjin’s lips.

He seemed hungry for Chan’s touch, because every caress was met with him leaning into it. Hyunjin arched beneath his fingers, offering him more space to explore, letting his hand roam across the length of his torso. His sharp nails scratched lightly at Chan’s neck and back whenever a particularly pleasant touch made him tremble, until eventually he began bunching Chan’s shirt in his fists, trying to pull it away from his skin.

A displeased whine escaped him when the shirt was stopped by the buttons fastening it down the front. He pouted and tugged at the offending fabric. Chan laughed at his impatience.

“Easy, easy. You’ll tear it,” he chuckled, helping him out by undoing the buttons one by one with one hand while supporting himself beside Hyunjin’s head with the other. Hyunjin’s eyes followed the movement of his fingers.

When Chan finished unbuttoning the shirt, a genuinely hungry look crossed Hyunjin’s face. His hands immediately settled on Chan’s chest, scratching lightly over it with his nails, kneading at it with his long fingers. For a second, Chan thought Hyunjin really might eat him when he suddenly lunged forward and latched onto his neck, nibbling at him with his teeth, while his nails slid down Chan’s back in a sharp drag.

“Oh, wow. That’s—ah—ow. Easy with the claws, kitten.”

Chan let out a soft laugh, trying to steady himself against Hyunjin’s sudden eagerness. Hyunjin didn’t let go of him, but he eased slightly, not understanding the words but responding instinctively to Chan’s tone. His grip loosened just a little, and something between them shifted.

The playful energy faded, replaced by something deeper, heavier, as Hyunjin began to caress Chan’s back more slowly, more deliberately. His hands drifted lower, sending a shiver through Chan’s body until he visibly trembled beneath Hyunjin’s touch.

Hyunjin purred contentedly, nibbling along Chan’s neck and jaw until he reached his lips, which he eagerly claimed, arching his back and pressing his bare chest against Chan’s. For a moment, Chan felt something firm brush against his lower abdomen—like a brief pressure that vanished just as quickly when Hyunjin fell back onto the floorboards of the boat again.

He looked up at Chan with adoration, licking over his teeth, waiting for his response. Chan was completely stunned that he had such a wonderful, tempting creature lying beneath him in his own boat, looking at him as if Chan were the most enticing thing of all. Chan didn’t really know what he could give him. He wanted to give him something. He wanted… him. But what Hyunjin expected, he wasn’t sure.

He leaned back slightly, settling onto his knees, and let his gaze travel over Hyunjin’s bare body. His eyes glimmered like the necklace resting against his smooth chest, which was rising and falling with his shaky breaths, narrowing into an impossibly slim waist. Water droplets slid down between the sculpted lines of his stomach, shaped by swimming, all the way down to where skin gradually gave way to scales. He glowed so beautifully in the moonlight.

Chan reached out, letting his hand travel from the diamonds resting at Hyunjin’s collarbone down along his sternum, hearing his breath catch in his throat. His fingers slid over his stomach, feeling him tremble beneath his touch, then brushed against the cool, smooth surface of his scales. A soft sound slipped from Hyunjin’s lips when Chan’s hand moved lower, tracing along the front of his tail, over a subtle bulge, before gliding to the side and further down. His tail shifted under his exploration as Chan’s fingers followed the edge of a fin. He moved back upward again to his hip, so focused on the way Hyunjin’s scales felt beneath his touch that he barely noticed the quiet sounds Hyunjin was making.

“Chan,” he whined, finally pulling his attention back to him.

Chan looked back up at his face and saw that he was completely flushed, breathing heavily. His pupils were even more dilated than usual, the darkness filling almost his entire eyes. Then Chan’s attention drifted lower, below his waist, where he noticed that the bulge had shifted apart and something was emerging from between the scale-covered folds. 

Chan swallowed thickly. 

Well. Now that Chan was confronted with the siren’s cock, he also felt his face grow hot, all the way to the tips of his ears. And it was quite impressive in size and continued to grow. Long, thick, and matching the color of the red tail. Chan stared at it, speechless, feeling a mix of fear at its size and curiosity about how it had managed to fit there at all. 

Hyunjin looked at him shyly, uncertain of Chan’s reaction. Chan felt movement behind him, followed by something brushing against his back. It was Hyunjin’s tail, lifting from the water and curling around him in an embrace. Hyunjin’s hand slid down to his thigh and began stroking him slowly, as though he wanted to explore Chan in turn, silently asking whether he felt the same.

How could he not? Wrapped by him from every side, with his hand climbing closer and closer to the place where his legs met, with those eyes looking at him so vulnerably and full of hope, Chan felt like he could give him absolutely everything.

Chan leaned down and kissed him deeply. Hyunjin let out a soft sound of relief and wrapped himself around Chan even tighter, pressing his entire body against him. Chan shifted his position, stretching his legs out from under him and lowering himself to straddle Hyunjin, careful not to press him too hard against the bench beneath them. Hyunjin, however, didn’t seem to care about the hardness of the deck at all. He only tightened his arms around Chan with more eagerness, arching into him and pressing closer, his hips moving against him. Chan hissed as his cock brushed his lower abdomen with a wet trail, then rose again, slamming straight between his spread legs.

Hyunjin purred as he felt the bulge in Chan's pants and pulled him even closer until there was no space left between them, locking their hips in a tight embrace. One hand wrapped tightly around Chan's waist, the other slid down to his ass, pressing him down, his mouth mewling against Chan's every time he moved.

Chan pressed his hips lower, moving against him in slow circular motions, supporting himself with his hands and legs at his sides. The boat rocked unsteadily with each thrust, but how could he care when it felt so good? Each press sent a wave of pleasure that made his head spin, as if a storm was rocking them. 

Eventually, the pressure between his legs became too intense to ignore. Chan didn't have much room to maneuver, but he lifted his hips just a little, enough to slip his hand between their bodies and fish himself out of his pants, before lowering himself back down, pressing their cocks together.

Hyunjin moaned loudly into his mouth. Chan moved, grinding them together, holding them both in his hand to bring them even closer. Hyunjin groaned, his mouth parting as Chan began to massage his leaking tip. Hyunjin was growing wetter in his hand. If not from that, it was clear how close he was from the way he started moving more and more insistently against his fist. 

He rubbed his entire length against Chan's, but with increasingly jerky movements, as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted as much contact as possible with Chan or just wanted to chase his own pleasure. His movements became less and less coordinated, and he only whimpered into the space between them as Chan rubbed them both faster and faster, losing the rhythm between his hips and his hand.

He pressed their foreheads together, breathing heavily, feeling with his whole body how their breaths intertwined. Each thrust of Chan's hips forced a louder moan from the siren. Hyunjin threw his head back, exposing his neck, moaning into the darkness. Until finally, he fell silent, his mouth still open. 

His eyes squeezed shut, his eyebrows furrowed. His whole body tensed as a wet stream of cum gushed between their bodies, splashing onto his chest. Chan continued to rub against him, drinking in the blissful expression on Hyunjin's face. He was so beautiful. So perfect. 

It took no more than a few rubs for Chan, too, to still, emptying himself into the wetness already gathering on Hyunjin's stomach. His breath hitched as he watched Hyunjin slowly open his eyes, their gazes meeting.

His eyes were filled with complete devotion.

Chan looked at him tenderly. Hyunjin responded by leaning in and kissing him, full of love.

They stayed in the kiss for a long time. They didn’t need to rush anywhere. Chan let the silence wrap around them, listening to the sound of the waves and the beating of their hearts.

Eventually, Hyunjin ended the kiss and pulled Chan closer so he would lie down beside him. The little boat was narrow, but they fit. Chan wrapped his arms around him, and Hyunjin rested his head on his chest, feeling its rise and fall, gently stroking his hand over his body. Chan felt absolute bliss.

He let out a quiet chuckle to himself. Hyunjin lifted his head, looking at him curiously.

“Well, now Jisung is definitely going to be pissed.”

Hyunjin didn’t understand his words, but the sound of the name alone was enough to give him context. He let himself sink back down onto Chan’s chest, laughing softly with him.

The calm waves rocked the small boat, swaying them gently, as if trying to lull them to sleep.

Under the moonlight, in the peaceful silence, holding Hyunjin in his arms, Chan thought he might even let them.

***

Hyunjin still loved the sea.

He loved his home, his village, all the reefs and the creatures that lived within it, the depths he could escape into and the waves he could glide through.

But the sea looked different now that Chan had appeared within it. Despite all its treasures—coral, pearls, and shimmering scales—Chan had made it feel far richer.

No stretch of the sea could compare to the small boat where Chan waited for him. No glittering object in his cave shone as brightly as Chan’s smile. No siren song was as beautiful as his laughter. And no soothing touch of water against Hyunjin’s skin could rival the touch of Chan’s hands. 

Hyunjin felt happier than ever. His heart could not get enough of Chan’s presence, and every day he swam out to the surface for more. He wanted him close, every single day. The days when Chan returned to land felt like torture. Hyunjin would drift through his village, not knowing what to do with himself, letting out heavy sighs. 

Felix started teasing him about his crush. Hyunjin didn’t mind it; he knew his friend cared about him and knew that what he felt for Chan was something much more than that. Felix comforted him on the harder days, and on the better ones he simply watched Hyunjin’s happiness with a smile. He patiently waited until Hyunjin was ready to share that happiness with him. And one day, Hyunjin was. 

This time, Felix was the one following him through the water. How ironic it felt to Hyunjin—only weeks ago he had not been sure he would have the courage to follow Felix, and now he was the one turning his head over his shoulder to check if his friend was still behind him. Felix was still discovering the human world on his own. Something Hyunjin still needed a little more time to gather courage for. But together, they had agreed that this one fishing ship belonged to Hyunjin. His small glimpse into the human world. His safe shore. Felix felt honored when Hyunjin finally brought him along, to introduce his two worlds to each other.

They stopped at a proper distance from the ship so the crew could notice Hyunjin first. And when they finally did, seeing his head among the waves, Felix emerged beside him. Hyunjin waited a moment, giving them time to adjust to the sight of his companion, then took Felix’s hand and pulled him forward toward the ship’s side, where all three of them gathered. Chan looked politely intrigued. Changbin was clearly amazed. Jisung looked like he might cry. 

Felix couldn’t hold back a laugh at their stunned expressions.

“Don’t get too close to Chan,” Hyunjin whispered. “He’s mine.”

“Which one is Chan?”

“The cute one.”

“They’re all cute. What am I supposed to do with that?”

Hyunjin swatted him with his tail. 

They seemed to like Felix. Hyunjin wasn’t surprised—Felix was impossible not to like. And Felix, in turn, liked them as well. It didn’t take long before everyone felt comfortable, as if Felix had always been coming to this place alongside Hyunjin. He quickly joined in their shared games. Soon, they were both helping to herd fish together. They tried to share stories about the village, and in return listened to tales from the land above the sea. None of them understood the words, and only fragments of gestures made sense, but it didn’t matter—it only made everything more fun. 

At some point, Chan pulled out his guitar and began to play, while Changbin and Jisung joined in with their voices. Encouraged by the humans’ singing, Felix added a song of his own, and their jaws nearly dropped at the sound of his deep voice.

Hyunjin had never sung in front of Chan before, content to simply listen to his music, but emboldened by his friend's courage, he quietly joined in. He wasn’t sure whether he could even be heard, but when he glanced at Chan, he found him staring back in silent awe, and Hyunjin felt heat rush to his cheeks. It was alright that the others sang louder together. Hyunjin didn’t mind singing only for Chan.

“They were pretty cool,” Felix said as they headed back home. 

“I told you.”

“We could take them to the village. Maybe Minho would finally loosen up if he met them too.”

“I think Minho would have a heart attack.”

Felix let out a chuckle.

“Or he’d just charge at them with a spear.”

“Well, in that case, he and Jisung would probably get along. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”

Hyunjin hoped that one day it would be possible—to show them the village, to pull them further into his world. He also wanted to expand his own world in return. He hoped Chan would one day show him the land. But there was no need to rush. 

He and Chan had time. And even though he wanted them all to become friends together, he still cherished every moment he had with Chan alone.

They kept meeting on the boat. Hyunjin still liked simply leaning against its edge, warming himself in the sun and looking into Chan’s eyes. They learned more gestures from each other, and more words as well. Hyunjin took him back to his cave again—this time under far more pleasant circumstances. Chan had time to carefully look over the shipwreck and explain what more of the objects were used for. Hyunjin had time to finally strip him of all his clothes and kiss him breathless against the rocky shore. 

Chan started entering the water more often so they could swim together. There were so many places Hyunjin wanted to show him beneath the surface, though not all of them were easy to reach—sometimes they were too deep, and Chan had to return for air. That was fine. Hyunjin didn’t mind drifting near the surface with him, simply holding him in his arms. Sometimes Hyunjin carried Chan on his back to farther places. And sometimes Chan held him against his chest as they lay still on the boat, gazing up at the stars.

During one of those nights, when the stars shone especially brightly, Hyunjin felt particularly close to Chan. He could feel the beat of his heart beneath his cheek and the warmth of his arms wrapped around him. He felt calm. Safe.

He lifted his head from Chan’s chest and looked into his eyes. Chan gave a questioning hum as Hyunjin took his hand and pressed it against his own chest, never breaking eye contact.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Chan blinked.

Hyunjin lowered his head back onto his chest. He probably hadn’t understood. That was fine.

Chan wrapped his arms around him a little tighter and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

Or maybe he had.