Scales Part I

Summary: A peaceful, beautiful creature ventures out of the sea in search of a missing loved one. Park Jimin is on mission. As the weather cools with the emergence of fall, he says goodbye to sea, in search of the person he lost long ago.

Dancer/choreographer Jeon Joengguk decides to take a cruise alone to clear his thoughts and deal with the tragic loss of someone very special. He decides to take a trip alone to deal with his depression and ever changing mood. But his journey ends in terror as he faces an unexpected nightmare that changes the course ofh is life.

Through a series of unfortunate and life threatening events, the two creatures from different worlds encounter each other. The roller coaster fight for survival that ensues, bonds them in a very special way.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I write what's on my heart. And there are times when I have to ask you to just bear with me and let me get it out. Some of my best work comes from cryptic, illogical ideas that haunt me in my dreams. This is one of them.

Every since I saw Jimin in the pool in LA, I've had this obsession with writing him as a beautiful merman. The story just would not go away, even though you guys voted for something completely different. I want you to know that I listened you and I am still writing away, but this little nugget had to come first.

I am in love with this story. I am in love with bad communication, good communication, love versus hero-worship, bad parents, good parents, themes of depression and the ultimate underlying story here that I will let you discover on your own.

Please give it a chance. Please comment and like each chapter. I need to hear from you and I need to share this with you. Let's take this journey together. I hope you can see the beauty just as I do.

Read the tags besties because there alot of them and some of them may be disturbing. Although - you guys are unbreakable Diamonds.

TAGS:

⋆‧☽◯☾‧⋆ 94,664k

💦Age gap JM 32, JK 30

💦Grief/Mourning

💦Soulmates

💦Hurt/Sexual Comfort

💦Bottom Jimin

💦Near Death/Death experiences

💦Kidnapping

💦Graphic Violence/Beating

💦Murder

💦Major Angst

💦MermaidXHuman Sex

💦Male/Male Intercourse

💦Mentions of rape

💦Missing Persons

✅ Complete

As always, I am begging you to please leave likes and comments. I need them to breathe and stuff. Love you

CHAPTER INDEX

Chapter One: Hanja Symbols

Chapter Two: Terror Of The Seas

Chapter Three: The Raft

Chapter Four: Mer-Rut

Chapter Five:

Chapter Six:

Chapter Seven:

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Chapter One: Hanja Symbols

📕8734

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He sat alone at a small table near the window. The weather was cooling, but he was oblivious. Nestled in the warmth of the coffee shop, his attention was fully focused on the pile of books that sat in front of him. The vestiges of fall were all around as the burnt umber and gold leaves formed mini-tornados just feet away from where he was perched. Seasons meant nothing to him. They came and went without his participation.

The coffee shop hummed with the gentle clinking of ceramic mugs. The soft hiss of the espresso machine puffed clear steam through the air at regular intervals. A decadent aroma of freshly baked pumpkin spice croissants and frothy lattes filled the air. There were many aromas dancing about the small coffee shop, some of them recognizable, others foreign.

Sitting there alone, at a small table in the corner was a handsome man with a pale thin face, mostly hidden by a pair of oversized thick-rimmed, black glasses. A dark knit beanie covered his short black hair, with a few strands peeking on either side, framing his thoughtful face. His presence was quiet, unassuming, like a shadow that didn’t want attention.

In front of him lay dozens of books from the local library. They were piled so high on the table that his entire body was hidden behind them. Anyone passing by would have thought the table to be empty minus the stack of books. Every so often his small, thick fingers would reach around the pile to pull his teal-colored mug to his lips. He sipped his coffee, black, no sugar, extra salt; its bitter warmth grounding him, pushing him deeper and deeper into his cogitation. The oversized sleeves of his sweater brushed against the table. He tugged them back absentmindedly, a faint frown turning over his plump, pink lips.

His notebook sat close to his mug of coffee. So close that the pages had become stained by the spillage from his shaky grip each time his barista filled it up again. The tattered dog-eared pages were full of his notes; scratches in black ink in the native pen that only he could decipher. His hands moved with care as he flipped through his own pages.

“You ok, Jimin? Need a refill?” The young barista named Dani hovered around him as she wiped down the adjacent tables.

“Hi…uh…hi Dani. No, no more for now,” Jimin used his index finger to push his fames up the bridge of his nose. The sleeves of his baggy sweater pooled at his wrists.

Jimin’s shyness was palpable, so too was his humility. He seemed intentionally lost in his oversized clothes with accessories that masked all of his most beautiful features. He cowered in his safe corner as he read through all of his books. His eyes were barely visible beneath his beanie and glasses, but what could be seen was awestriking. His eyes seemed to glow with a rare brightness.

They took Dani’s breath away each time she stared directly into them. “How’s it going today? Any progress?” She asked as she took a seat at Jimin’s table.

“T-t-today was promising,” Jimin smiled. “I found something…something important,” he gave no further details.

“Oh. That’s good, I guess. Jimin - exactly what are you looking for? I mean, you seem so determined and focused. You come in here every day and you stay all day. Do you work? Do you have a family, a girlfriend?”

“You ask such personal questions,” Jimin blushed. He gently pushed his beanie further down over his head. He would have completely covered his face if he could have.

“I-I don’t mean to…I’m just curious about you…that’s all. You don’t have to answer…,” Dani stood to her feet. The conversation had suddenly become awkward. “I like you. You’re kind and gentle and handsome. I…,”

“I have more work to do. If I need to order more food to earn my keep, then please bring me one of those - chocolate croissants.” Jimin smiled and then ducked back behind the pile of books to his left.

“Ok, Jimin. I get the hint. Be right back with your uh…croissant.” She blushed.

Twenty-five-year-old Dani found him enchanting. But Jimin was a hard nut to crack. He was suspiciously private around everything and anything related to his personal life. He was sweet enough. He never raised his voice, never demanded attention, yet his presence had a gravity that drew her in. She just wanted to know him better, maybe even understand why he was so hellbent on searching for…whatever the hell he was searching for.

Jimin waited for her to leave. Then, with a soft exhale, he opened his notebook again, ready to capture more notes. The book was a compendium of facts, he was lucky to have come across it. The novel was a 17th century piece called The Diamond Lens. Despite being a book of fiction, it offered critical pieces to the puzzle that Jimin was trying to solve. He was so close to the answers he needed; he could feel it.

As his eyes swept across the page, the delicate voice in his head told him to look up. He did so, quickly, but not fast enough. He peered through the window into the haze in search of the shadowy figure that had briefly appeared in his peripheral vision before he looked up. He stood quickly and rushed to the window. This was the fifth time in as many weeks that he’d felt the presence of someone staring at him as he worked. The first couple of times, he ignored it. But the more it happened, the more he realized that this was no accident. Someone was intentionally watching him, or following him or…stalking him? He wasn’t sure which. He had no idea who it was or what they wanted, but it made him feel uneasy.

“Here’s your croissant,” Dani smiled as she dropped his order. A homemade butter crisp croissant with warm gooey chocolate bursting from the seams covered the large plate.

“DANI!” Jimin yelled. He pulled her over to the window, “Did you see him? Did you see who it was? The man…I guess it was a man…but he was standing there in the window, watching me. Did you see who it was or which way he went?”

“Uh, no. Sorry, I didn’t see anyone. Are you sure you saw somebody? What were they doing?” Dani walked to the window. She didn’t see anyone so she walked outside to look up and down the block. There was nothing there but a gang of colorful leaves dancing up and down the sidewalk, “Nobody. If someone was here, they disappeared into thin air.”

“I know I sound crazy, but trust me. Someone has been watching me. Whenever I least expect it, I see them. Sometimes they come here, sometimes they follow me when I leave,” Jimin’s voice trembled. He was spooked.

“Who? I mean who is following you? What do they look like? What do they want? Do you know them?”

“I don’t know them. I’ve never really seen them. Whenever I realize that they’re watching, that’s when they suddenly disappear. It’s so strange. I don’t know what they want.”

“Do you want me to call the police?” Dani offered.

“NO! No…don’t do that. I’m fine, really. I-I’ll just eat my croissant and go. You’re right, maybe it was just my imagination.”

“Jimin, are you in some kind of trouble?”

“Trouble?” Jimin laughed. Trouble was an understatement for what was going on in his life. But it was much too complex for a simple barista to understand. In fact, it was too complex for anyone to understand. “Just…a mission that I must complete. My life depends on it. I guess that could be considered trouble.”

“How can I help?”

“You can’t. But thank you. I better be going.” Jimin looked around at the plethora of books that he needed to pack up. “I have to get these books back to the library before they close.”

“Yeah, ok. Listen, Jimin if you need anything or just need to talk, I’m here, okay?”

“Certainly.” He bowed and then pushed his black glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Dani thought he looked so small, so fragile, so petite - yet there was still something stately about him. He had the aura of royalty, except disguised in frumpy clothes to avoid attracting attention.

Without any further hesitation, Jimin threw two gold coins down on the table to pay for his food and coffee. He still hadn’t fully grasped the banknote and currency system, so he had no idea that he had once again over paid for his coffee - by about 80 million Won. It didn’t matter because in his mind, it was fair trade for fair services.

Dani looked down at the two gold coins sitting on the table. They were round, about 28 mm in diameter and they bore four Hanja symbols, reminiscent of the Joseon era. She wondered if they may even be numismatic artifacts. Even she knew they were much too valuable to be used to pay for a 23,000 Won cup of coffee.

“Jimin, what are these? Why do you always try to pay with these things? They look like something from a museum. Can’t you just use Mobile pay like regular people? I have no idea how to make change for this.” Dani tapped her foot and waited for him to offer a real money to pay for his coffee and snacks.

“I’m sorry but that’s all that I have,” Jimin said as he stared up at her with eyes that seemed to shimmer with a glint of gold behind his large black rimmed glasses. “You may keep the change. I’m sure this is more than enough to cover it.”

“Sweetie, this is more than enough to cover new houses for all of the people in Guryong village. That’s my point. Where did you even get these? I’m serious, I really think you should have them examined by the local historian on ancient currency. You have to understand, it’s not normal to carry around this kind of - money.”

“It’s not?” Jimin paused in the midst of gathering up all of his books.

“No. Just no.”

“Listen, Dani, this is all I’ve got. Please take it. I promise to use SamsungApple next time.” Jimin wasn’t exactly sure what that was but he didn’t have time to squabble.”

“Fine. I’ll figure something out. But please promise me that you didn’t steal them from some ancient vault in the Seoul Museum?”

“Steal them? No, they’re mine. They are rightfully mine. Why would anyone steal something like that?”

Dani could sense that Jimin was offended by her question. She sighed, “Never mind.” She shook her head.

‘Ok bye.” Jimin left the coffee shop, leaving Dani standing there, amused by his attractiveness and quirky personality.

He walked a few blocks to the library to return his old books and gather new ones. Then he walked quickly to get back to his sailboat before dark. There were no more sightings of the strange man who was following him - at least not that night.

***

Milestone coffee was a seaside little bistro with strong coffee, decadent baked goods and friendly staff. It was the first place that allowed Jimin to sit for long periods of time without accusing him of loitering or calling the police. When he first arrived in town, he tried many places along the shore and they were all the same; greedy for the next Won that would come their way. This led to poor customer service and mild harassment whenever they wanted Jimin to move on. But Milestone was different. From the first day he landed there, he felt comfortable, safe. He blended in with the bohemian mix of patrons. Everyone minded their own business and no one looked at him as an eccentric. In fact, no one looked at him at all.

This was especially true of the owner. As long as Jimin kept his coffee mug full and purchased baked treats every now and again, he was allowed to linger as long as he wanted. The owner a kind middle-aged man who serviced his own tables and baked his own goods. He was hands-on in his business and that was one of the reasons it flourished. He was the first person that Jimin met when he stepped into the modern, cozy, darkly lit bistro. He introduced himself immediately and assured Jimin that he was always welcomed. From that day forward, it was the only place that Jimin would go when he needed to do his research.

And then there was Dani, a twenty-five-year-old college dropout who pursued her passion of working in a coffee shop. She had dreams of owning a café herself one day. With an inviable dedication to her employer, she worked long hours filling coffee mugs, mixing lattes and learning everything she could about operating a coffee shop.

Dani was strikingly beautiful with long, thick black hair, brown eyes and faint pink lips. Her hair always dripped in curls over her face, despite wearing it pulled back in a bun. Day after day her frame meandered ghostly from table to table with sloppy posture that always made her seem overly tired. She took a liking to Jimin the very first day she met him and she quickly became Jimin’s first friend in Busan.

To the world around him, Park Jimin was thirty-one years old; his thirty-second birthday only days away. And that was about all anyone knew about him. His place of origin was unknown. His parents were unknown. Where he lived was unknown. Where he worked was unknown. His family was unknown. Being a mystery was fully intentional because no one in the world around him could ever know the truth about who he was.

He had arrived in Busan by sailboat, five months earlier. With no idea where to start, he walked the streets of Busan looking for - well he had no idea what he was looking for. He only knew that Busan was the place where his search needed to begin. New to the country, new to the environment, new to the culture and the people, he bravely set out on a unknown journey, looking for a place to settle.

What Jimin was looking for was also a closely guarded secret. The only thing he would share with Dani was that he was looking for a ‘very important person’. He refused to elaborate any further. It took time, but after months and months of research, clues slowly began to materialize.

Five months of visiting the city everyday was enough to familiarize him with the people and places of importance. He never ventured too far, only sticking to the areas that he knew were safe. At least, he thought he was safe. But the sudden appearance of the mystery man who seemed to be following him everywhere made him realize that he maybe wasn’t safe at all.

***

It was on the 122nd day of his time in Busan when a much-needed breakthrough came via an obscure article buried on the last page of the local newspaper - The Korea Times. Along with the article came several grainy photos that were just as blurry and unclear as the article itself. Jimin searched through his leather bag looking for his small magnifying glass.

“Whoa. What’s this?” He whispered excitedly to himself.

There was something there, in the middle of the newspaper page, that caught his attention. Something that looked eerily familiar. He placed his magnifying glass over the object and examined it more closely. With a startled yelp, he jumped back, almost falling from his chair. This was it.

“Jimin, where are you going? Your croissant is ready,” his server Dani smiled.

Jimin bowed, “I - I’ve found something…,” he said with his eyes still wandering over the crinkled newspaper in his hands.

“Is it about your missing person?” Dani responded with excitement.

“Dani - yes. I believe it is. I have to get back, I have to tell the others what I’ve found.”

“What others?”

“Uh,” Jimin stuttered, “you know…the police and whatnot.”

She smiled at her customer. He was attractive. Over the five months that he had been coming to the coffee shop, he always sat in her section. She tried several times to make advances, even asking him to dinner once. But she never got very far. After close observation of the quietly charming customer, she highly suspected he was of the asexual sort because he seemed to have no interest in anything other than combing through books and newspapers. He never noticed any of the women or men who entered the shop, even the Idols who were always very attractive.

On several occasions, beautiful men tried to talk to him. He was like a Siren with an ethereal beauty that beckoned suitors. Yet, he seemed to have not a

modicum of understanding of his own beguiling charm. There was definitely something innocent about him, but mysteriously so.

Once again Jimin provided his regular method of payment, the same payment that he’d used every day for five straight months.

As soon as Dani saw the two shiny coins on the table, she growled with irritation.

“No. No, nope absolutely not. Jimin, I cannot accept these mystery coins anymore. This has to stop.” She lowered her voice and moved closer to Jimin who was startled at her sudden proximity. She whispered, “The boss won’t take these.”

“But-but you said…,”

“For fucks sake, I said I would work something out. I thought I could. But no go, the boss was furious that I accepted these the first time. So…so…so I’ve been paying for your food and coffee all these months. I donate my tips to help cover it. But Jimin, money is tight these days and I just can’t do it anymore. You have to pay. You have to be able to pay with real, normal people’s money.” Dani didn’t mean to be so blunt, but she could no longer hide her frustration.

“You - you’ve been paying for my coffee? All this time? But why didn’t you say something?”

“I tried to tell you. I tried one hundred times to explain, but you’re just so…well you’re just so sweet and I could tell you didn’t really have any other money so…,” Dani explained. “Look whatever or whoever you’re looking for, I can tell it’s important to you. I believe in you and what you’re trying to do. If paying for a few cups of coffee can help you in any way, then I was happy to do it. But I can’t anymore Jimin. I need real money.”

Jimin emptied his pockets. “You’re right. This is all that I have. I always thought it would be…enough.”

Dani had an idea, “Look Jimin. I’ve been collecting all of these coins you’ve given me. I’ve studied them and even found references to them online. Sweetie, I don’t think you understand what you have here. Even the boss has questions about their origin. These are not just ordinary coins.”

“They are. They are very ordinary. I may not have the exact change, but I’m sure it’s enough.”

“That’s my point. It’s definitely enough, possibly much more than enough.” Dani sighed and whispered, “We need to know more about these things. How about this - I’ll continue my research on these coins. Give me a couple of weeks to figure it all out. If they truly are worth something, I’ll cash them in at the bank and give the Won back to you.”

“Minus five months of croissants, pumpkin loafs, matcha cookies, black coffees and tips…,” Jimin scratched his nose.

“Yea, minus that. Is it a deal?”

“Yea, I’m really sorry Dani. I’m new to town and I guess I don’t fully understand how everything works.”

“You’re not new to earth. Everybody understands money. Why don’t you?” Jimin’s ignorance of currency wasn’t an act. Something was off - peculiar about her favorite customer. She had gotten to know him well over the five months since he first appeared in her coffee shop. And she found it very strange that a man of his age didn’t understand how basic things worked.

Jimin countered with his own question, “Are we square here?”

“We’re square.”

“Dani, I have to go. I have an urgent matter.”

“Fine, fine, go. And Jimin, good luck.”

“Thanks Dani, for everything.”

Jimin scooped his backpack under his arm and disappeared into the dark chilly night. A streetlamp flickered several times before burning out. There was no moon as the fog began to creep up through the street grates. There was a storm moving in and with it came a thick ashy grey mist that coated the buildings and floated through the streets.

He only had a three block walk from the coffee shop to the dock where his sailboat was anchored. But as soon as he rounded the corner and crossed the street, he felt the familiar feeling of being watched. Jimin had made the trip by foot hundreds of times. However, this night felt different. He looked around, but the fog was thickening, making it difficult to see into the distance. Still, he thought he saw a shadow.

“Just your imagination. Stop being so jumpy,” he spoke to himself, saying the same words over and over until he believed them.

He grasped his leather bag tighter and tighter with each step he took. And with each step came the echo of footsteps behind him. He was definitely being followed. But by who? He looked back once again, but still saw nothing. The fog was too dense. It swallowed him like a living beast. The moisture of the mist dampened his clothes and swarmed through his nose, making it difficult to breathe. Never had he encountered a fog so thick. His feet moved faster and faster until he found himself running. And as his steps quickened, so did the steps behind him. In fact, he could hear the footsteps of several men behind him, not just one.

The night was quiet. The streets were empty. The shops were all closed. He was truly alone with nowhere to run, no one to call for help. In the back of his mind, he still had hope that it wasn’t him they were after. But his instincts told him otherwise. His instincts told him to run as fast as he could and get away because the people behind him meant him no good.

His eyes scanned the streets looking for a single light, any shop that might be keeping late hours. He just needed a safe place to linger long enough to throw them off of his tracks. But every shop was locked up tight.

Even though the safety of his docked sailboat was less than a block away, Jimin didn’t want these people following him. He didn’t want them to see where he was going. Thinking quickly, he ducked into an alley behind a ramen shop. The change of direction was sudden and unexpected because at least temporarily, his pursuers were discombobulated and unsure of where he went. For the first time that evening, the fog worked to his advantage. Jimin slid behind a large dumpster and waited. If there was any doubt that he was being followed, it was diminished the moment he heard the voices calling out after him.

“Where did he go? Anyone got eyes on him? Fuck where is he?” The various voices whispered through the haze.

For the first time since the nightmare began, he was scared. Who were these people? What did they want from him? Were these the same people who had been following him for weeks? He didn’t know. He placed his hand over his mouth to keep from accidentally screaming. His eyes searched wildly in the black of night, watching for the shadowy figures, praying that they didn’t find him. He crouched lower and lower between the wall and the dumpster, making himself as small as possible. His heart beat so fast and loud in his ears that he gripped his chest to quiet it, fearful that the others might hear it.

“You go to the left. I’ll double back. Maybe he heard us behind him and decided to go back to the coffee shop,” one of the men said.

“Yea, got it,” the other man responded.

Jimin closed his eyes and listened. He could hear the sound of their fading footsteps. They were leaving. He thought there were three men chasing him, but after hearing the voices, he assumed there were only two. Still, he was hesitant to reveal himself. He needed to know for sure that they were gone. So, he waited.

Ten minutes passed by and once again the streets were completely quiet. There was no sound of the men who threatened him. After some consternation, he decided it was safe to come out and make a run for his sailboat. He stood to his feet and crept away from the camouflage of the dumpster. Quietly, he secured his bag over his shoulder again and ran around the rear of the alley, back to the sidewalk. He looked left and then right. The street was clear. He jumped back on his path and continued to sludge through the thick creepy fog.

But within two steps, a shadow lunged towards him. Jimin spun, eyes wide, catching only a glimpse of the large figure before a blunt object cracked against his jaw. Pain flared through his head as he listlessly fell to the ground. The warmth of his own blood puddled under his face, staining his skin crimson. His eyes fluttered briefly as three sets of feet gathered around him. And then…darkness.

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“Get it right. I’m being as patient as I can, but you’re not doing any individual work to improve. It shows. I can see your lack of discipline just as clearly as I can see your lack of conditioning. Don’t waste my time. Either you want this or you don’t. Now be honest with me James - do you want this?” Jeongguk flipped his long purple hair backwards as sweat beaded down his forehead.

He was never one to single out individuals in a group effort, but the sixteen-year-old kid named James was just plain lazy. Not only that, he was a quitter and didn’t have the grit that was required to be a successful Idol. However, making the agency understand that was near impossible. After grueling try-outs, these were the six talentless, brain-dead idiots that the agency decided to debut.

Jeongguk’s only way to get through to the kid was to hold him accountable in front of his band mates. But the reality of the matter was that it wasn’t just James who was the problem. The entire group sucked and he was tired of dealing with them.

He rubbed his temples in frustration, growing angrier by the minute. They had been at it for weeks with little to no improvement. With only three months before the Idol group’s debut, they still hadn’t even learned the basics of the choreography.

On many occasions, Jeongguk had gone to management and pleaded with them to allow him to simplify the routine. Dumb it down, lower the complexity to actually meet the talent of the boys, but the agency refused to allow him to do so. With all of the competition from the other artists on the label, his newly assigned group - Black Smoke - had to make a splash with their debut. The only way to do it was to come out strong, with difficult choreo and perfectly synchronized dancing. But there was one major hurdle, these kids couldn’t dance. And they avoided synchronicity like the plague. It was a problem that Jeongguk had never faced before. He was given subpar talent and expected to perform miracles.

After a quick walk around the room to relieve some of his tension, Jeongguk barked at the group to get back into formation.

“Again, from the beginning.” He watched them through the mirror as they hustled to line up. Windows were off, opening poses were limp, feet were sloppy, everything about it was a mess. He calmly walked to each member and made the necessary corrections. “Pay attention to how I position you. Memorize it. Repeat it. It must be exactly right every time, otherwise the entire performance will fall. Do I make myself clear?” He yelled.

The kids, ranging in ages from sixteen to nineteen, all nodded. “Yea. Yea.”

“Cue the music!” He yelled. The music started and so did the madness. The studio’s mirror reflected the calamity of missteps. He clapped sharply to try to keep them all on beat. He waved his arms, “STOP. STOP THE FUCKING MUSIC! AGAIN JAMES? AGAIN?” His voice frayed with frustration. “You’re off half a beat. Alex, your arms are flailing around like ramen noodles. Sungwoo, are you even dancing to the same song? I can’t. I can’t do this.” He placed his hands on his hips and walked around the room glaring at them. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled with a crinkled forehead. “This isn’t rocket science. This routine is not that hard. You’re not focused. Feel the rhythm, don’t just mimic the steps. Make it your own, watch your lines and mind your technique.” He ran to the front and stood beside James. This time his plan was to dance with them to serve as a checkdown. “No music this time. Just count it out. The first eight counts. And…five, six, seven, eight - bop boo bop, slam, slam, flip, kick

jump spin, boom, boom, boom, boom. No! No, it still isn’t right! What the fuck is wrong with you people?”

“Hey, hey boss, maybe take a break?” Rei Hata, the assistant choreographer, could sense that Jeongguk was on the verge of losing it.

She intervened by running up to Jeongguk and gently placing her hand on his chest to keep him from advancing towards the kids. The press of her hand pushed the large locket against his sweaty skin. It was the feel of the locket that made him back down.

“Yea, maybe I’m the one who needs a break,” Jeongguk said with a heavy breath.

“Yea, big fella, a break. I’ll take it from here,” the petite Rei stood only 5 feet to Jeongguk’s 5’ 10”.

But she was fearless because despite his angry words, she knew Jeongguk was a kind, gentle man who wouldn’t hurt a fly. His sullen, agitated mood had little to do with his difficult students and everything to do with his difficult life; woes that extended far beyond the world of dance.

“Thanks kiddo. Let me get some air and then…I’ll be back.”

The members of Black Smoke all whispered,

“Hope he never comes back,” Sungwoo said boldly.

“He’s a total dick,” Alex complained

“Why can’t Rei just teach us the routine?” Sungwoo questioned loud enough for Jeongguk to hear.

“Does his mother know he’s an asshole? I have a feeling she wouldn’t allow assholery in her house,” James added.

Jeongguk could hear all of their angry spittle. He chose to ignore it as he marched towards the glass doors and slammed them open. He stormed into the hallway before eventually sliding down the wall and squatting on the floor. He placed his hand to his chest and closed his fingers slowly around the weighted gold necklace that held his locket. With his long graceful fingers, he fished it out from beneath his sweatshirt. As he did at least one hundred times a day, he opened it and stared at the picture inside. The soft pucker of his lips pressed against the tattered black and white photo. Just as quickly as he opened it, he closed it again and dropped it back inside of his sweatshirt.

Jeongguk really didn’t know if he felt better or worse. No one was as hard on himself as he was. It took a few minutes of self-reflection to realize that his treatment of the boys was overly harsh. The one thing he prided himself in was being a tough but fair instructor who was able to bring out the best in his trainees through love, praise and positivity. But his behavior of late was anything but positive. One of the reasons he was one of the most highly sought after choreographers was because of his ability to work with groups of all ages, getting them to perform at their best without abusive techniques or cruel practice schedules. He just wasn’t himself and if he didn’t get it together soon and get the nugu group on track, he would lose the contract and the confidence of one of the largest agencies in Busan. He couldn’t allow that to happen, yet he didn't know how to switch course either.

Teaching dance and working with new Idol groups had always been his calling. Even back when he was an Idol himself, his favorite part of the performance was dancing.

Back in 2010, out of thousands who auditioned, Jeongguk was chosen to debut in a new Idol group at the tender age of only thirteen. The Agency recognized his talent and sent him to America for three years to train with some of the best dancers and choreographers in the industry. He put all of his skill into dance, working hard to become both the lead vocalist and the lead dancer of his new group. It was hard work that oftentimes included abusive, draconian training standards. Idols back in the early days didn’t have the same protections that the newer generation groups were afforded. Jeongguk and his other members worked from within to change the system. And he vowed that if he ever became an instructor himself, he would never adopt the mantra of the ignorant people who trained him.

His life as an Idol propelled him to superstardom and by the time he retired he was a wealthy man and a global celebrity. And that is when the former star pursued his dream of opening his own choreography business and dance studio called Jeon Two Step. Business boomed from the first day the doors opened. His reputation as an Idol provided an instant demand for his services. Agencies around the world hired him to train their new groups. He prospered for many years until a personal tragedy caused him to take a short leave from his own company.

Upon his return, he signed a new contract for the group Black Smoke. His mission was simple: make the group fire, propel them to stardom, make the agency money. Black Smoke needed to become household names with TikTok spots, YT shorts, Instagram reels, even Twitter videos. It was something he’d achieved for many of groups. But things just weren’t going as planned with this new group. He feared he was losing his passion for an art that he loved.

Jeongguk’s problem was not his talentless new group. His problem was his newly diagnosed depression and its dastardly ability to creep into every facet of his life, even the parts where he used to be the happiest. There was a nagging tuirse in his bones, a yearning for rest and reset. It was almost to the point of disdain; for his students, for his employees, for his business - for his life. Everything around him felt flat and beige, with no color. He felt as if it had been weeks since something as simple as a smile graced his lips. The joy in his soul was depleted, leaving him alone, sad and loveless.

Sinking further down to the floor, he sat flat with his long legs outstretched, blocking parts of the hallway. He placed his hand against his locket

again, just for reassurance that it was still there. He was about to fish it out one more time when he heard the doors to the practice room open.

The boys of Black Smoke came running out, laughing and talking loudly. They were spirited and happy, much too happy for a group that sucked.

“HEY! Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Jeongguk snapped.

Rei laughed, “Leave them alone. I gave them permission to take the rest of the day off. They’ve been working hard and they’re tired. They need a mental and physical break. I gave them some money to go to the movies.”

“WHAT!” Jeongguk jumped to his feet. “Hey, freeze. Don’t you terribly untalented bunch take another step.” He turned back to Rei. “I did not give them permission to cut practice short. They debut in less than two months and they don’t even know the words to their own songs. They couldn’t dance the last eight-count of the choreo if I gave them 100 million Won to do so. What makes you think they deserve a break?”

“Because they are fucking kids!” Rei said sternly. “We have plenty of time to kick their asses and get them in shape. But 90% of learning this stuff is mental. And right now, they are under so much pressure that they could squeeze diamonds out of their asses. You of all people should realize that. You’re the one who always taught me to be mindful of exhaustion both physical and mental. Well they’re exhausted. Nothing you say is going to stick if we keep pushing them to the brink like this. Balance Jeonggukie, isn’t that what you always preach? Balance? We can start fresh tomorrow,” Rei assured him.

“Can we go now?” James whined.

“NO!” Jeongguk yelled.

“YES,” Rei overrode him. “Jeongguk, you’re not thinking rationally. Trust me on this one.”

“Mr. Jeon, we promise to come back refreshed and more focused. You were only thirteen when you were a trainee. Think of how different things would have been for you if you had an instructor who gave you time to be a kid,” Alex said eloquently.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes. “Fine. Go. But be on time tomorrow or else you're running twelve laps around the building. You little assholes.”

“Yes, Sir,” they said in tandem as they saluted.

“That may be the only fucking synchronized thing they have ever done,” Jeongguk whispered to Rei.

“Thank you,” she whispered back. “You won’t regret it, I promise. Take a walk with me. We need to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk,” Jeongguk said vacantly.

“Ok, then I’ll talk. You listen. There are some things that I need to say to you and…well now is as good of a time as any.”

“Really Rei? Really? Am I about to be lectured about how hard I’ve been on them?”

“No, boss. This has nothing to do with the boys. This is about…you.” Reiheld his hand and walked him towards the conference room at the end of the hallway.

“Jeonggukie, I’m just going to say this. You’ve changed. Ever since…the accident…you’ve changed. Grief has no timeline; I realize that but sometimes…I think you’re going backwards.”

“What are you trying to say? That I’m somehow not qualified to run my own business?” Jeongguk snapped.

“NO! No, of course not. I’m just saying…shit this is difficult. The Jeongguk who was training those kids today, is not the person you are, not the Jeongguk that I’ve grown to love and respect. And I don’t mean to be harsh and I’m only saying this because I care,” Rei said boldly. She leaned closer to her beloved boss and stared straight into his doe eyes. Her heart beat like a drum as she took in the face that was once the most beautiful in the world, but now sullied and marred with sadness and depression. She said the words that she had to say, “I think you need a break. Not just from the boys but from the studio.”

“I just got back from a break.”

“No, you just returned from a period of grieving. But now I think you need to do some soul searching and try to figure out what really matters to you these days.”

“My company matters to me. What are you going on about?” Jeongguk said harshly before jumping to his feet.

“Take a vacation. Let me run things for a while until you’re in a better state of mind.”

“Let you run things? Are you fucking insane? How dare you try to push me out of my own company…,”

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M DOING!” Rei argued. She clenched her fists and tried to remain calm, “Jeongguk. This business means everything to you. You built it from the ground up. I would never try to push you out or take it away from you. I’m trying to help you.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “We’ve been receiving complaints, not just from the Agency in charge of Black Smoke, but from other trainees as well. Jeongguk, you’re not the same. The routines are not inspired like they once were, the choreo isn’t as sharp, and your attitude is…well everyday feels like we’re all walking on egg shells. The staff feel it, the trainees feel it. Something fundamentally has changed within you.”

Jeongguk could feel tears sting in the corner of his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, Rei had a point. “You know what I’ve been through these last few months. You know what hell I am constantly living in. It takes every ounce of my strength to get out of bed in the morning. Surely you can’t criticize me for that.”

“I’m not. I love you for your bravery, your coping skills. Your ability to push through the pain. But I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do in this situation. It’s too soon. You still have healing to do my friend.” Rei reached out

and touched his hand. Tears began to slide down her cheek as she and her boss experienced an intimate moment of shared pain. “I miss him too, so I understand. Maybe you rushed back to work too soon. I’m afraid that if we don’t get you back to your old self, then people will start to talk and possibly even take their business elsewhere. I know you’re hurting but maybe you need to deal with that pain first.”

“What are you proposing?”

Rei rubbed her fingers through Jeongguk’s long, flowing, bright purple hair. She tucked it behind his ear as she looked at him lovingly. Over the years of them working together, he had become like a little brother to her. Seeing him in pain was almost crippling.

“A vacation. Give yourself some time. Don’t worry about the boys, I’ll get them ready for the debut. You focus on yourself,” Rei concluded.

He knew that she meant well. Still, it hurt to hear the truth. His insecure petty side wanted to accuse her of being disloyal. But the more intelligent, less emotional part of himself knew that he had to listen to what she was saying. She loved the business just as much as he did and if she felt this way, then things were much worse than Jeongguk even realized.

Despite the tension, Jeongguk didn’t have anything more to say to Rei because every single word spoken would have just been followed by a flood of tears. His silence became a matter of tacenda, masking his true emotions for the greater good. He didn’t want to break down in front of her, appearing weak and out of control. So instead, he stood to his feet and walked out without looking back.

***

If there was anything that Jeongguk didn’t have to worry about while he was away, it was the operation of the studio. Rei was a world renown choreographer who had worked for him for years. He was lucky to have her and she was the real heart behind the business. She knew how to run things and she could be trusted to make Black Smoke’s debut successful.

Jeongguk walked along the shore front, weeding in and out of the quaint little shops along the way. He grabbed a to-go cup of coffee from his favorite shop, Milestone Coffee, and then found a seat on a bench at the edge of the sea. The weather was chilly. The bright sun warmed his face, highlighting his shoulder-length purple hair. He lifted his chin to the sky, hoping to absorb as much of the remaining sun as possible. After all, Vitamin D was supposed to help with depression.

He finished his coffee as he watched lovers and families meander up and down the pier. Everyone else seemed so happy. Even the squawking Seagulls flying overhead seemed blissful. So why was happiness so elusive for him? He wondered.

As much as he tried to avoid it, his mind wandered to all of the places that he didn’t want it to go. He sat there alone for hours, thinking, overthinking, rethinking.

At the foundation of his angst and discontentment was the not knowing. Where had he gone? Why hadn’t they found him yet? Those were the thoughts that tortured him the most. He was lost. The ocean was so vast, he questioned if he would ever get answers about what had happened to him. There were still so many questions that had gone unanswered.

Months of therapy still hadn’t brought him any peace. Every day he felt buried in abulia, with no path forward.

The thought of it all brought him to tears. Once again, he clutched the large locket in his hand, the one that he wore around his neck every day and never removed. Memories flooded him. His chest heaved with silent sobs as the tears carved warm trails down his golden cheeks and puddled inside of his dimples. Strands of his long purple hair clung to his damp skin. The horizon blurred in front of him as his anguish twisted in his gut. The unrelenting void left in his life seemed insurmountable. He had friends, but no family, not anymore. Never before had he felt so alone.

As the morning sunrise transitioned to sunset, Jeongguk continued to sit unmoved. The fog was rolling in. He could see it slowly creeping over the horizon. With each passing moment, the ships in the distance became more difficult to see. He pulled his jacket over his shoulders and wrapped a scarf around his neck as the wind picked up.

His full day of thinking had yielded no answers. He still had no idea what his next move was going to be or what kind of sabbatical he was going to take. As he stood to his feet and prepared to head home, a large yacht traveling slowly under the bridge caught his attention.

Jeongguk didn’t know much about yachts, but during his Idol days, he spent several vacations on chartered tour cruises. Despite the recent tragedy in his life, he still loved the water and still loved traveling by boat. His eyes locked on the front deck where a man sat alone on a plush leather couch reading a book. It occurred to him that maybe this was the answer that he had been searching for; a long cruise on a private yacht to lands far away like New Zealand or Hawaii or Perth. Anything was possible given the amount of money he had stashed away.

“A charter. What better way to clear my mind than to brave the open sea,” he laughed. His smile was genuine which surprised him.

The more he thought about it, the more the idea made sense.

***

The following morning Jeongguk arose bright and early. There was a pep in his step and he moved with purpose. The first task on his list was to find a reputable yacht chartering company that could whisk him on his journey.

But finding the right one was not as easy as he expected it to be. Chartering yachts was somewhat of a niche practice reserved for millionaires and athletes. He was financially established, but nowhere near the wealth of people

who traveled in yacht circles. It was difficult to find reviews from trusted sources. After two hours of scouring the Internet, he came up empty.

And then he had an idea. He was still in touch with many of the old managers and staff from his Idol days. They had booked countless excursions for him and his members and they likely knew exactly where to start with planning his trip.

His first call was to an old friend named Hobeum Sung. The two of them were still close and Jeongguk suspected he would be able to help. The last time he’d seen Hobeum was at the Memorial service and at the time he urged Jeongguk to call him if he ever needed anything.

He scrolled until he found his number in his phone.

“Hello?” Hobeum answered quickly, likely because he saw Jeongguk's name on the caller ID. “Jk is that you?”

“Hobeum!” Jeongguk nodded. It was good to hear his voice. “Yea, it’s me.”

“Oh man, I’m so happy to hear from you. I know it’s been a rough few months. How are you holding up?” Hobeum asked softly.

Jeongguk didn’t trust his emotional state so he moved quickly past that question, “Things are getting better. Listen, I need a favor.” His tone and pivot made it clear that he didn’t want to dwell on that topic.

“Sure, anything.”

“Do you remember that time we went to Brazil and rented that luxury yacht to take us out to sea for a couple of weeks? I think it was 2016?”

“Sure do. That was one of the biggest trips I’d ever planned.”

“Well, I’m thinking of taking a similar trip but I have no idea where to start with planning something like that.”

“A trip? By yacht? I can definitely help. I still have the card for the charter company the supplied the boat. They have a new fleet of yachts that will take your breath away. How many people and where would you like to go? And when?”

“I want to leave right away within the next two weeks. And I think I want to go to New Zealand with some really scenic stops along the way,” Jeongguk explained.

“Nice! That’s a great idea. I traveled with my wife and her family recently and went to Australia so the route will be similar. We stopped in Hawaii and a few other places. The pacific is a rough sea so be prepared but on these super cruisers the trips are pretty seamless. It’s not going to be cheap but it will be the trip of a lifetime. I can promise you that.”

“Yes! This sounds like exactly what I need. I just want to get away for a while, clear my head and try to get the last few months behind me. When can we finalize the details?”

“Today. I’ll call and see what’s available. But you didn’t answer my question…how many people?”

“Just me.” Jeongguk knew he sounded crazy. Taking a trip halfway around the world alone was not something that people typically did.

“Just-just you? Are you sure?” Hobeum was suddenly concerned.

“I’m sure. I need to do a little soul searching and that’s best done alone. Surely you understand.”

“Yea, I get it, I guess. But even if it’s just you, there’s still going to be about three or four crew members required to operate a boat that big. Are you ok with that?”

“Whatever it takes,” Jeongguk shrugged.

“Good. I’ll make all of the arrangements and call you when it’s time to pay the bill.” Hobeum laughed. “But uh…while I have you on the phone, I’d like to see you. Do you have time in your busy schedule of international travel to have lunch with your old manager? I miss talking to you.”

Jeongguk hesitated before responding. The first instinct was to refuse the offer. But his therapist had warned him about self-isolation. He could hear his voice bitching in his ear about the importance of being social and staying in contact with friends. It was only for that reason that he agreed, “Sure. Let’s get together tomorrow. Lunch - on me.”

⋆‧☽◯☾‧⋆

Chapter Two: Horror Of The Seas

📕 14,964k

he time spent with Hobeum was heart mending. Even though Jeongguk refused to dwell on his loss, he felt comforted knowing that there were still people in his life who cared about him.

In addition, Hobeum was instrumental with making all of the arrangements for his trip. Jeongguk was scheduled to sail in exactly eleven days which left him plenty of time to get his affairs in order. First, he had to officially announce his leave of absence to assure all of his clients that Rei was a strong and capable substitute while he was gone. Secondly, he had to pack. The weather was predicted to be mild and warm for the majority of his trip. So, he didn’t overthink it; a few pair of shorts, clean underwear, sandals, lube in case he met a hottie on the shores of Hawaii, sunscreen, and lots of dirty books.

Most of the trip was handled by the charter company, including supplies, route planning, excursions and ports of call. Even the food preparation was covered. The only thing Jeongguk needed to do was give them a list of his favorite dishes and they handled the rest. In total he had five crew members set to cruise with him: The Captain, Co-captain, navigator, butler, and chef. The charter company called Cosmos Yachting promised a lavish, exclusive vacation to some of the most scenic destinations in the Pacific. The company had a stellar reputation for experienced seamen who knew how to handle luxury vessels.

The private cruise was scheduled for one full month as it traveled from Busan all the way through the Pacific Islands with stops in Hawaii, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Australia and finally New Zealand. Once he landed in New Zealand that would be the end of his trip. He would spend a couple of nights there and then fly back to Busan while the yacht traveled to pick up passengers for their next scheduled charter. For the first time in months, Jeongguk felt optimistic, excited even.

He thought about Rei and how she had all but forced him to take this trip. He realized just how much she meant to him and how much he valued her friendship. She understood him like no one else. She truly was like the big sister he never had.

***

Jeongguk stepped aboard the cream-colored yacht called, “Blue Nightingale,” as it bobbed gently in the rolling water. The yacht spanned over 120 feet and was soundly constructed of polished teak and chrome. Just beneath the subtle smell of sea salt, a gentle hint of lavender and musk permeated from the finishes that adorned the walls and the floors.

Captain Harlan Thorne, a native of New Zealand was the first to greet him with a salute, “Welcome Aboard Mr. Jeon. I’m your Captain, Harlan Thorne.” The captain was dressed in all white with four bars on the shoulder of his uniform jacket. His hat was cloth with a patten leather brim that had the name Compass Charters embroidered on it, “I will be assisted by my Co-captain, Kim Sung-lee and navigator Robert Spivey. We are all based out of New Zealand and we know these waters very well. This is a route we’ve traveled together thirty times over the last six years. You’re in good hands.” The captain tilted his hat.

“Thank you,” Jeongguk bowed.

Immediately following the captain was a young steward who looked to be about twenty years old. He was so young that he could have easily been a member of one of Jeongguk’s boy bands. He paced towards Jeongguk with a glistening silver tray and several chilled bottles of champagne.

“Good evening, sir. My name is Kwon and I’ll be your personal steward for the next four weeks. I will serve all of your meals as well as keep your quarters tidy for the duration of our voyage.” He smiled at Jeongguk and gestured towards the tray in his hand, “Your champagne, sir? We took the liberty of providing all of your favorites. Which would you like to try first?” The young steward asked.

“Oh, I’m going to like this,” Jeongguk smiled. “I’ll start with the…Bollinger, please.”

The steward nodded and rested the tray on the table as he popped the bottle open and poured Jeongguk his first glass of the evening. “Dinner will be ready at 6pm. We’ve prepared a table on the top deck to allow you to watch the sunset as you enjoy your first meal provided by Chef Choi Hyun Suk.”

“Choi Hyun Suk is my chef? The celebrity chef Hyun Suk?” Jeongguk asked with astonishment.

“That very one.” Kwon laughed. “Now, if you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your sleeping quarters. You can get comfortable and relax. Someone will tend to your luggage, so please feel free to leave it here.”

“This is great. I’m really looking forward to this.” Jeongguk stood back to drink in his surroundings.

The place was plush, ten times fancier than any hotel he had ever visited. As he followed Kwon to his cabin, he marveled at the fine leather furniture, state of the art sound systems, sun deck, infinity pool, digital displays, flat screen televisions mounted on almost every wall, marble showers, travertine tile floors, gold sinks, and even a wine cellar. It was all so opulent. Whoever owned the yacht was clearly very wealthy, a wealth that Jeongguk could only imagine. He felt privileged just to be able to charter the place for a month and even that expense was far beyond what the average person could afford.

After a brief tour of the boat, Jeongguk was finally shown to his room. Settling into his master suite, he walked to the balcony to catch a glimpse of his ocean view. The king-sized bed with the plush bedding welcomed him as he dropped his body into the middle, sinking into it with a sigh. With the gentle rocking of the boat, his mind cleared.

They were ready to cast off. Within one hour of boarding, they were on their way, speeding through the Strait of Korea, towards the Yellow Sea. Jeongguk stood on his balcony waving at the people who walked up and down the pier. It would be a long time before he saw the shores of Busan again, and that was exactly what he needed.

***

They traveled the sea with no land in sight for the first week of the trip. Each morning, the dappled light of the sun would peak through the curtains, waking Jeongguk gently from his peaceful slumber. The routine was always the same. Shirtless, he’d venture out to his balcony where he’d sip coffee while writing in his journal. Journaling was new to him, another irritating task given to him by his therapist. But as the days passed, he found comfort in organizing his thoughts. Fears, doubts, and anxiety that typically remained trapped in his head were freed by dumping it onto a page.

Each morning around 8:30am, Kwon would arrive with his breakfast. Once again, he would eat on the balcony as he drowned in his thoughts. The days flew by quickly. Most of his time was spent gazing into the sea, trying to come to terms with the fact that he may never get closure on the tragedy that tore his life apart.

The rest of his day was spent dancing barefoot on the front deck, creating new moves, new routines and other original work that he could pour into his trainees.

He also had internet access, satellite television, a gym, a swimming pool and his journals to keep him busy. And still more of his time was spent reading the steamy gay romance novels from his favorite author. Bitter Peach, Spare, When The Leather Burns, Again, If Love Was A Person, Alpha 13 and Speechless were at the top of the list to be read over the month while he was at sea.

His chef prepared the finest cuisines and he was fed multiple times throughout the day. He also had his own kitchen with unlimited snacks and liquor. And if there was anything that he wanted that they didn’t have, they were sure to pick it up at their next port of call. All of the creature comforts of home were available to him on the yacht.

The only thing he lacked was a hairstylist to keep his electric purple hair dyed. However, that was a task that he gladly took on himself. He packed several bottles of Mise en Scene, an exclusive brand of hair dye that manufactured his favorite purple color. Once a week he would give his long locks a trim and color his roots. Being at sea, away from the world made him appreciate the life that he lived.

***

The first stop on Jeongguk’s month long journey was in Hawaii where he was taken to the island of Kailua-Kona. The yacht company arranged for him to be greeted by honey-colored women wearing hula skirts who graced him with leis and traditional dancing. The show was full of tourist pleasantries, but Jeongguk loved it just the same. He partook in typical American food, with very few traditionally Hawaiian cuisines available. And lastly before leaving the island, he toured the island’s volcanos and took a helicopter ride over the beautiful Manoa falls waterfall.

There were plenty of stunning men at Jeongguk’s disposal, even a few paid escorts who were willing to do anything for a price. He was tempted, but at the end of his three days there, he returned to his yacht – alone.

Jeongguk’s adventures continued from there, stopping at some of the most breath-taking destinations he’d ever experienced. Sky-diving in Maui, surfing in the Soloman islands, and scuba diving and exploring the majestic coral reefs in Vanuatu, he did it all.

As he sat on his sundeck, he marveled at the sunset, watching the black sand beaches fade into the distance. There was a salty tang floating in the thick air as the boat took on speed. He could just distinguish the outline of Mount Yasur on the island of Tanna. Streaks of crimson and molten orange bled into the horizon as the sun prepared to rest for the evening. The colors were so vibrant, reminiscent of the ocean floor in the garden of coral reefs. The entire region was that way; full of colorful themes that repeated throughout land and sea.

Jeongguk took inventory of his feelings. As much as he was enjoying his trip, he felt a void. This void was prescriptive because it was the void of not having a partner, something everyone wanted. Someone who could sit in his lap, someone whom he could kiss, someone who could sit with him and watch the sun dip into the sea, someone who could hold him whenever he felt like crying, and someone who could stare into his eyes as he made love to them - that was the void that ate at him.

Being an Idol had pros and cons. On the pro side, he was able to catch as many dicks as his heart desired. As long as they were willing to keep their mouths shut and sign his NDA’s they were fair game. Sex was never missing from his life. From the age of sixteen when he first decided to be open about his attraction to men, he was very well fucked. The downside of all that fame was that most of the men in his life couldn’t be trusted. They always had agendas - money, fame, exploitation, blackmail, or worse. Finding love was impossible. It wasn’t until after his retirement that he prioritized his love life. But even that had been put on hold since the – tragedy. He still refused to call it by name, even in his own head.

***

The route from Korea to New Zealand was very well traveled by both private yachts and cruise ships. At times the ocean around them was littered with yachts five times larger than the one Jeongguk chartered. Watching them maneuver over the rim of the Pacific was comforting because as they headed into the tail end of their trip, Jeongguk grew uneasy. There was something foreboding about the vastness of the ocean. There was little, if anything, that anyone could do if they ran into trouble that far from civilization. A bit of PTSD was triggered as he thought about it more and more.

By the end of the third week, the yacht was on the final route towards New Zealand. They left Solomon Islands and headed into the rocky Tasman Sea which was notorious for monsoons in late November. It was the critical point where the Pacific Ocean collided with the Southern Ocean and the weather took a noticeable change as they continued south.

November 27^th began and ended as a shitty day. The weather was so bad that Jeongguk didn’t get to sleep until 1am. He was only in bed for a couple of hours before he awakened with a start. He was used to the turbulent seas, but on this day, the boat

seemed unusually rocky. The entire cabin tilted slightly to the right causing his phone, his glass of water and his Bluetooth speaker to spill to the floor. This definitely wasn’t normal ocean behavior.

He lay there for about thirty minutes and was relieved when the seas finally calmed. The only problem was that it was 1:30am and he was wide awake. As he always did, he opened one of his novels and skimmed through to his favorite parts. He always loved the way the author wrote her smut. As he read through chapter six of Speechless, he felt himself begin to stiffen.

It had been such a long time since he’d been with another man. He missed the smell of testosterone and the jingle of big soft nuts. He missed having a boyfriend to keep him well fucked. So much had happened over the last few months that sex was the last thing on his mind. His appetite for it was almost non-existent. However, something about the smell of fresh salt water made him horny. Couple that with reading about the sexy Korean Idol who was taking it up the ass in his novel and he had no choice but to jerk himself off.

He rolled on his side, large hand gripping the tip of his cock. He used his left hand to reach around his body and tickle his ass as he stroked himself. A little dab of lube and he was easily able to insert a finger as he jerked himself slow and steady. The smell of the sea danced around his nostrils, causing him to inhale deeply and fill his lungs. He couldn’t get enough of the aroma of lavender, musk and sea salt.

As he played with his ass, he twisted over his rumpled sheets, the cool softness caressing his skin. There was no image or face that popped into his mind because it had been months since he’d had a lover in his life. Only the tepid touch of his own hand brought him pleasure. His muscles tensed as he found a rhythm, hips bucking slightly into his fist. His fingers tightened around his long shaft as the pace of his hand accelerated. The pleasure intensified causing a low moan to escape his throat. With a slight arch in his back, he released several warm pulses over his stomach. He bit into the pillow to keep from screaming out. His eyes clenched shut as his cum emptied onto his bedsheets. The room was once again still with only his ragged breaths breaking the silence.

He was just about to fall back asleep when there was an urgent knock at the door. “Mr. Jeon. Mr. Jeon, it’s Captain Thorne. I need to speak with you, it’s important.”

“Uh…yes…just one moment.” Jeongguk jumped out of bed and found his robe. He had cum all over his hand and the room smelled like lube. But if the captain was at his door, it had to be important so Jeongguk had no choice but to open the door. He wiped his hands on a towel and knotted his robe. He swung the cabin door open to greet him, “Yes Captain. Is something wrong?”

“My apologies for waking you, but we may encounter some rough seas. This wasn’t on the radar, but sometimes when we enter the shipping lanes, the weather can be a bit unpredictable. The waves are much rougher than normal and it’s going to rock the ship significantly. I don’t want you to panic. We’ve got it under control, this is nothing new for me and my crew. The only reason I’m telling you is because I need you to secure your belongings so they don’t get tossed around. I would also prefer that you remain in your cabin until we get through this weather. Sometimes the waves can get kind of high and sweep onto the deck. We don’t want you ending up in the water,” the captain laughed.

What sounded like a very frightening warning to Jeongguk, seemed routine for the captain. As long as he was calm, Jeongguk was calm, but it was unsettling none the less.

“I felt some turbulence a few minutes ago. In fact, it woke me up. My phone flew off the table, but nothing serious. Good to know I wasn’t crazy. Thanks for the warning and I promise to stay inside until this is over,” Jeongguk confirmed.

“Good, I better get back to the bridge. Rob and Sung-lee are looking for alternate routes as we speak. We’re going to try to get around this storm. We’ll be out of this before you know it. See you in the morning,” Captain Thorne tipped his hat and headed back up to the bridge.

The hour that followed was one of the most terrifying of Jeongguk’s life. The yacht was tossed around, despite its many stabilizers and cutting-edge machinery, it was no match for the angry ocean. At one-point Jeongguk was ripped from his bed and thrown so violently to the ground that he bruised his shoulder.

And then all at once, the engines stopped. He could feel the large yacht bobbing up and down with the rhythm of the waves. There was no power and no forward movement. And to make the situation more perplexing, he could hear distant cries for help. Had a crew member fallen overboard? Was someone in trouble?

Jeongguk wasted no time, he dressed in his warmest clothes, slipped into his tennis shoes and headed upstairs. If someone needed help, he had to do what he could to assist with the rescue. He followed the sound of the screams which led him to the very top deck where the infinity pool and lounge area were located. The rain was falling hard and he could barely see.

The screams had stopped yet he still didn’t know where they were coming from. It wasn’t until he turned around that he understood the scale of what was happening.

A large commercial fishing boat, double the size of the yacht, was floating in front of them. All of the lights were on, illuminating the roaring sea beneath them. It was floating so close that the stern of the large vessel bumped gently against the starboard side of their yacht. It was a strange scene that Jeongguk didn’t immediately know how to decipher. Making matters even worse, a team of men from the fishing boat were boarding their yacht.

The rain and the darkness made it difficult to see anything, but Jeongguk was almost certain that he saw the co-captain helping the men board the yacht.

“Mr. Jeon, what are you doing above deck?” Kwan smiled.

“What the hell is going on here? Who are these men?” Jeongguk asked.

“Fisherman, I assume. Their boat was crippled by the storm. They saw us approaching on radar and shot a flare requesting help. They contacted us by radio and asked if we could pick them up and carry them to safety at the next port. The captain was hesitant but he finally agreed,” Kwan explained.

“Why would the captain be hesitant to rescue fishermen in need?” Jeongguk asked as he watched four men climb onto the deck.

“There are sea robbers in these parts. You can’t always trust vessels that claim to be stranded. Sometimes it’s a trick. But the storm was so bad, that it’s very believable that these are good guys who just need a little help.”

“Sea robbers - like modern day pirates?” Jeongguk laughed.

“Yea, something like that. Only these guys are much more treacherous. They have plenty of financial backing from large crime syndicates. Sometimes even small governments fund their raids. We’re in international waters so it’s difficult to police the crimes that happen out here. You can never be too careful in these waters.”

“Fuck. I do not like the sound of that,” Jeongguk laughed again. He kept his eyes trained on the men as they embraced the co-Captain and shook his hand in gratitude. He could hear Australian accents. “What makes the captain so sure these guys are legit,” Jeongguk asked as he continued to watch them.

“I can only hope that he verified their vessel with the authorities in Perth since that is where the fishing boat is registered.”

“And if he didn’t?”

Before Kwan had a chance to answer, a gun shot rang out. One of the four men had pulled a gun and shot the co-captain point blank in the head. It took milliseconds to register what had just happened. But even in the dark of night it was clear that the co-captain lay dead on the lido deck, blood pooling beneath him.

Both Kwan and Jeongguk screamed. Before they could take a single step, they felt the muzzle of guns in their backs. “Don’t move. Cooperate and we won’t hurt you. Let’s do this the easy way, shall we?”

“D-d-don’t shoot. We’ll do whatever you ask, just please don’t shoot,” Kwan negotiated.

Jeongguk was too stunned to say anything. He still couldn’t believe what was happening. He looked back several times at the body of the co-captain as it laid motionless against the wood. He waited for someone to laugh and tell him that it was all just a joke. But that moment never came. Instead, he was pushed hard in the back and forced back inside to the lounge area.

It didn’t take long for the men to gather the entire crew and bring them to the lounge. Even the chef was awakened and pulled from his bed. The robbers positioned all of them on their knees and forced them to hold their hands behind their heads. They all sat there petrified with guns pointed at their temples.

One of the robbers, the one who seemed to be the leader, turned to Hyun Suk. “Beautiful yacht you have here. You’re the owner?”

“No. No, I’m just the chef. My identification is in my room,” Hyun Suk pleaded.

“Liar!” The leader walked over to Kwan and pulled the trigger with no hesitation, shooting him dead on the spot with a single shot to the temple. The man’s eyes were black and remorseless as he watched the young boy’s body fall to the ground. “Do not fuck with me. We are not here to play. Now let’s try this again. Are you the owner of this beautiful boat?”

“Nooooooooo,” the chef cried out. A combination of mucus and tears sullied his face. He closed his eyes as his body shook with fear. Once again, the leader pressed the muzzle of the gun against Hyun Suk’s temple. “Please don’t shoot. Don’t shoot. I can prove it. I can prove who I am. Just find my identification in my room. Please don’t hurt me. Please, I’m just a working man. Please don’t hurt me,” Hyun Suk begged for his life.

Jeongguk screamed. He’d never seen a man killed in front of him before, let alone two men within the span of ten minutes. He was convinced that this was going to be the night that he died. His large eyes bulged, spanning twice their normal size. His arms shook as the fatigue began to set in from holding them behind his head.

The leader barked at one of his crew, “Check it out. Go toss his room. Find his ID. Take anything that may have value.”

Two of the men rushed downstairs, leaving only the leader and another member of his crew. Jeongguk still had a gun pointed at him. He made eye contact with the captain who was on his knees next to him. What was the plan? Run? Jump over board? Fight back? Or let them kill everyone? They didn’t have many options because it was too many of them to over power and they were all armed. All they could do was negotiate and follow directions.

Jeongguk watched Kwan’s body twitch one final time before taking his last breath. The man who had served him so well and been such a bright light was now dead through no fault of his own. This was terror. Terror in its most evil form.

No one will ever know what Rob, the ship’s navigator, was thinking. But he suddenly jumped to his feet and ran for the open deck. He was likely trying to escape by taking his chances in the sea as opposed to waiting to be killed. He skillfully avoided several of the captors and made it to the deck.

“Stop. Stop. Don’t move,” the leader screamed at him.

Just as Rob was about to jump overboard, all four of them opened fire. Rob, the yacht’s navigator, fell back onto the deck, mouth full of blood, body riddled with bullets. One of the younger men with a face full of tattoos walked over to the dying man and shot him several more times in the chest. Rob stopped moving seconds later.

Rob’s attempted escape angered the leader tremendously. He began screaming at the other hostages, threatening to kill them all if they didn’t tell him who the owner of the yacht was. Before anyone could say anything the other two members of the gang returned.

“He’s telling the truth, Malakar. He’s a chef,” they verified. The younger one threw the chef’s badge to the floor so the leader could see it.

“Well then. Now we’re getting somewhere.” The man they called Malakar turned to Jeongguk.

With confirmation that the chef was only the chef, by process of elimination, Jeongguk became their next target. “So that leaves you. All the rest of them are wearing uniforms, so you must be the only passenger. This is your boat?”

“No. No. No. You don’t understand. I don’t own this boat. I’m just a passenger. I rented it for a month to take a trip but I don’t own it. I don’t have that kind of money. I’m not wealthy. I’m not the owner,” Jeongguk yelled, his voice cracking like brittle glass.

He sat on his knees with his hands shielding his face. Malakar rotated the gun slightly as if contemplating whether or not to pull the trigger. Jeongguk flinched violently, his shoulders hunching as his body reacted uncontrollably to the threat. His mind raced with fragmented thoughts of his life and all of the regrets that he would take to his grave. He didn’t cry because in a way, death would stop the emotional pain once and for all. But he did think about those he would leave behind and the turmoil that would mar the rest of their lives. And for that reason, he wanted to live.

The captain tried to speak up, “He’s telling the truth. He’s not the owner either. The owner isn’t on this boat. We’re just crew and this man is just a passenger. If you want the name of the owner, I can find it for you, but it’s not him. He’s telling the truth, please, don’t hurt any more people. You’ve already killed my entire crew.”

The leader, Malakar, smiled, “Not your entire crew…,” He turned to chef Hyun Suk and shot him dead. “Now, I’ve killed your entire crew. You, Captain, are the only survivor. And I am only leaving you alive to carry my message. We now have possession of this yacht’s owner and unless we receive $6million in untraceable Crypto currency within the next seventy-two hours, we will kill him.

Jeongguk screamed. He spoke boldly and loudly in defense of his own life, “NO! Please no! Please no! I’m not the owner of this boat, I’m not rich. You’re making a mistake.” He was lifted from his knees and forced to stand. A gun was jammed into his ribs as he was pushed back out to the deck. “Please don’t do this. It’s a mistake. You’re

making a mistake. I don’t have money! I can’t pay that kind of ransom! I don’t even have a family anymore,” Jeongguk screamed through his fear.

Malakar laughed, “No family huh? Well, I’m sure there’s someone willing to pay to get you back alive. They’ll pay. They always do,” he said darkly.

Jeongguk tussled with the men as he tried to reason with them, “No, please don’t take me. Captain! Captain, tell them who I am. Tell them that I don’t have that kind of money.”

“I’ll find help Jeongguk. Just do as they say,” the captain warned. He was in shock himself and not able to think clearly. His friends and colleagues all lay dead around him. He was powerless to stop anything that was happening.

Jeongguk was not going to go quietly. He decided to fight back. He wasn’t restrained and he didn’t care that he was outnumbered four to one. He was not going to just sit by and let them take him. He managed a roundhouse kick that knocked the gun from the hand of one of the younger assailants. He threw punches in every direction, making contact with at least three of the men. As they ventured into the rain, they were all thrown to the ground by a large wave that hit the yacht from the starboard side. Another gun came loose. In the darkness, Jeongguk scrambled to grab it. His legs were held by one of the men, but he kicked and flailed until he was free. With the rain beating against him and blurring his vision, he continued to claw at the wooden deck until his hand landed on the gun. But just as he managed to wrangle it into position, he was struck hard against the jaw with a hard metal object. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, but he was dazed. He could feel blood spewing from an open wound in his cheek. But he continued to fight. He managed to grip the gun and point it at Malakar. He could see the man standing over him, dark skin and a wooly beard, dark eyes and thin lips. Everything about him appeared evil. He raised the gun, but the boat was swept by yet another large wave and he dropped it from his hands. Malakar rushed forward and struck Jeongguk several more times with the large pipe that he had fashioned into a weapon.

Jeongguk was knocked unconscious. Rattled and angered by the fight, Malakar struck Jeongguk’s limp body again in the ribs. “FUCKER! You dare try to fight me? FUCK! He’s going to be a problem. Pick him up. We need to get him back to the boat and tied up before he wakes up and tries to fucking fight again. FUCK! I hate it when they won’t just go quietly.” Malakar patted his nose which had been bloodied in the fight.

The captain scrambled to his feet just in time to see Jeongguk lying unconscious on the deck. He screamed, “No. No. You’ve got the wrong man.” He felt helpless that he was unable to help a passenger that he had sworn to protect.

Malakar yelled back at him, “You find this kid’s fucking family. Anybody who will pay his ransom or he will DIE! You’ll receive an anonymous message with the instruction for the digital transfer. Don’t try to trace it or I will know. Don’t call the police or I will know. Don’t try to find us, or I will know. I’ve dropped trackers all over this boat. You have 72 fucking hours to get me the money or I swear to God, I will kill him!”

The captain watched in horror as Jeongguk was carried unconscious off of the boat, bleeding profusely from face and arms. They left the yacht and transferred him to the fishing boat that was never disabled. Sadly, the captain had fallen for a trick that cost them four lives and now the life of a sixth lay hanging in the balance.

***

Jeongguk’s eyelids fluttered open. Pain immediately shot through the left side of his face from his jaw to his temple. His shirt was stained with blood but his wounds appeared to be bandaged. There was no memory of what happened. No memory of how he’d gotten there. No understanding of where he actually was. There were two dull High Bay lights swinging overhead. Neither of them was bright enough to feed him information about the room he was in. He tried to look around, but he was in too much pain to fully turn his head. He tried to lift his hand to his face but that’s when he realized that he was tied to something. A chair.

Bound by masking tape, his legs and his arms were both adhered to a rickety old steel chair. And he was moving - gently sliding back and forth over the weathered wooden floor. Was he on a boat? Two distinctive sounds echoed behind him. The first was something that sounded like a leaky pipe coming from the ceiling. The second sound, further in the distance, was the roar of ocean waves. As his thoughts began to clear, he concluded that he was definitely on a boat.

“Hello?” The low whisper came from his dry, scratchy throat. He was dehydrated and thirsty. The metallic taste of dried blood swam across his tongue. He swallowed and tried again, “Is anybody here?” It hurt to talk. His tongue was swollen from thirst and he didn’t want to waste energy.

Just as he spoke, he saw a shadow walk past the faint outline of a port hole. Immediately his mind snapped into focus. He was on a fishing vessel. He had been kidnapped and beaten. And he was in danger. That’s when he knew that he had to get out of there. There was a path to freedom because the captain of his chartered boat was still alive and the yacht had to be nearby. As long as he could get free, he could probably swim back to it.

His next thought was to free himself from the restraints. His ankles were taped to the legs of the chair. His arms were pulled behind his back and taped together at the wrists. He could barely move. Freeing himself wasn’t going to be easy. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus on his surroundings, looking for something that he could use to remove the tape. There was nothing useful: overturned crates, scattered fishing nets, piles of rope and a few lanterns. He forced his chair around by hoisting his body up with the chair attached. He did this several times, turning himself around in a circle. And that’s when he saw something useful. Tools. But they were in the far corner near the porthole.

The only way to get there was to crawl and if he was going to crawl, then the chair was going to have to come with him. He rocked himself left to right, side to side as hard as he could until he forced the chair to topple over and crash to the ground. He landed on his bruised shoulder which caused him to yelp in pain. But he was down and able to maneuver his body over to the pile of rusted tools that sat in a pile on the dusty wooden floor. There wasn’t much that he could use. The only thing sharp enough to get through the fibers of the duct tape was an old flat head screwdriver. Even though his wrists were bound, his fingers were free. He was able to position himself close enough to the screwdriver where he could grab it and jam it into the thick layers of tape. He had to bend his wrists backwards in a painfully awkward direction to begin stabbing through the silver surface of the binding. Several times he jabbed the tip of the rusty screwdriver into his palm, creating bloody cuts that made his hand slippery and difficult to keep a grip on the handle.

He worked for two straight hours, slipping the tool into his sleeve each time he heard someone approaching. Jeongguk wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious or how long he’d been on the fishing vessel. Judging from his thirst and level of hunger, it

had been a couple of days. As he continued to lay on his side bound to the chair, he realized that he was in the lower hull of the ship.

In the middle of the floor, was a large withered platform door with rickety, rusted hinges. The door covered the holding tank where the fishermen who once owned the boat used to store their catch. Years of salt water spilling into the hull had turned the wood an ashen grey. He concluded that the tank was still full of water because each time the boat lifted, a foul, rancid smelling stench rose from the cracks in the withered door. He could also hear the sloshing of the water against the tin walls of the enclosure.

What once must have been a thriving and active fishing vessel had been transitioned to become a ship of horror. He wondered how many people Malakar and his crew had done this to. How many lives had they taken? How many families had they ruined. How many people had been left in this place to rot?

Jeongguk was determined not to be one of the lost. His only focus was getting his hands free. Blood dripped behind him in large puddles as he cut himself over and over while trying to fray the tape. And just when he felt the first layer of tape slip, someone burst into the room. Jeongguk quickly slid the flat head screwdriver up the sleeve of his long sleeve shirt. He closed his eyes and pretended to still be unconscious. The boat was rocky enough to justify his fall. He held his breath, praying that the man who entered didn’t find the screwdriver or notice that the tape had been frayed.

“Aye, what are you doing on the floor?” The man rushed over to him. He looked around the room to make sure there was no one else with him. “Aye, I guess you just got knocked over by the waves. The sea is rough tonight. But it’ll calm down, aye? The boss is going to have my ass if he finds out about this. We have to take care of you…at least until they get the money. You’re worth $6million in crypto, Mr. Blue Nightingale.” He called Jeongguk by the name of the yacht that he did not own. “C’mon, up you go.”

The man’s voice was deep and raspy. He smelled as if he had bathed in a full tub of whiskey. Ironic as it seemed, he was kind and gentle as he pulled Jeongguk upright in the chair. Even though Jeongguk had significantly weakened the tape around his wrists, from the kidnapper’s point of view, he looked to be fully secured. Jeongguk kept his body limp. He didn’t want to give anything away. He didn’t want them to know that he was awake and already planning his escape.

“C’mon, wake up. You should be awake by now. You need water.” Jeongguk could feel the man’s thick large fingers work up and down his face. “Your wounds look good. I had to give you a few stitches, but nothing to worry about. You and your purple hair will look exactly the same after it heals. I brung ya’ some pain medicine. Your arm is bruised pretty badly. It ain’t broken, but ya’ can never be too careful. Hey! Wake up. I’m trying to keep ya’ alive, asshole,” The man gently slapped Jeongguk across the face.

He couldn’t explain it, but he felt safe with the guy. Maybe it was an opportunity to get some answers. He opened his eyes slowly, feigning grogginess and confusion, “Where am I. Who are you? Where are we going?” Jeongguk said quietly.

“Too many fucking questions. Let’s start from the beginning, aye? My name is Jack. You’re a guest on a very special voyage. As to where we’re going, only Malakar knows that. He never gives us too much information for fear of an ambush or a mutiny.” Jacked laughed. His laugh was rough and heavy. He seemed like a jolly man, definitely out of place with Malakar and the rest of his crew.

“Jack! What’s taking you so long?” Another voice called through the door. “Is he giving you any trouble?”

“Uh…no, nothing like that. He’s still unconscious, I’m just trying to wake him,” Jack covered.

Instantly a second person burst through the door. “The boss said that I needed to come and check on you. We all know that you have a soft spot for the prisoners. Give him his water and then get the fuck out of here.”

“Alright, alright. I can’t get a moment’s peace around here. Hey, drink up boy. We can’t have you dying on us. Somehow Malakar will make that my fault.” Jack lifted an ice-cold bottle of water to Jeongguk’s swollen and bruised lips.

It was cold and the first few swallows burned, but very quickly he found himself lapping it up like a dog. It was satisfying. The dried blood in his mouth and the cotton texture of his tongue all faded away with each gulp. As Jack held the bottle to Jeongguk’s lips, he noticed Jeongguk’s bloody hands.

“Hey where did all of this blood come from? This wasn’t…,” he paused. Discovery was in his eyes. He could see the rusted screwdriver hidden within Jeongguk’s sleeve. He could also see the gashes in his hands from where he had tried to cut through the tape. But instead of Jack revealing the escape attempt to the other man in the room, he gave Jeongguk a hard, knowing stare. He was communicating, telling him that he knew but imploring him to stay calm. He neutralized the moment by pulling the water bottle away briefly and popping a pain pill into Jeongguk’s mouth. “Alright, alright. That’s enough. I’ve got more important things to do than feed ya’ water like an infant.”

The second man was agitated, “Who cares about his wounds? If we don’t get the ransom money then he’s going overboard anyway.” The second man was treacherous. Jeongguk recognized him as one of the men who shot the navigator as he tried to jump from the yacht. He was definitely sent to make sure that nothing was amiss with their very valuable passenger.

Jack took the lead. He grabbed the other man by the arm and tried to rush him along, urging him to leave with him. “Nothing to see here. Let’s go. The boss probably wants a full report from ya’,” Jack laughed.

Something caught the other man’s attention. His eyes traced over Jeongguk, pausing briefly to focus on his neck. “You go. I see something…interesting.”

Jack argued, “Naw, come with me. Leave him. He needs rest…,”

“...I SAID GO! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!” The younger man screamed.

“Alight, alright,” Jack said nervously. He wasn’t sure what had caught the man’s attention but he left quickly to avoid making him any angrier.

The man was pale, black hair, cold black eyes with graphic, gruesome tattoos covering his entire face. Some of the tattoos on his cheeks depicted women being tortured and stabbed. He was pure evil; he was something that nightmares were made of. He walked closer to Jeongguk without saying a word. Hovering over him, he focused his dead eyes as his mouth opened slightly with interest. His breath smelled like death, darkness, no doubt the stench of his soul.

Jeongguk kept his head down. He pretended to still be groggy. It was difficult to know what held the man’s interest. He prayed that he hadn’t been discovered. As calmly as possible, he pressed his wrists together to maintain the illusion of being fully restrained. Yet he was ready should there be a need to break free and fight.

But to his surprise, the kidnapper was not at all interested in his restraints. Instead, he was fully focused on the gold locket around Jeongguk’s neck. “What’s this? I thought we searched you for valuables. You didn’t hold out on me, did you?”

“No,” Jeongguk said weakly. “No, this is nothing. It has no monetary value. It’s just…it’s just a trinket, something from when I was a kid,” Jeongguk talked fast. The stakes had suddenly risen. He couldn’t risk the man stealing his locket, not his precious locket. He had to talk him out of it.

“Not valuable, huh?” He snatched the locket from Jeongguk’s neck, breaking the enclosure. He held it up to his macabre face, looking for markings. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

“You can have it if you want. It means nothing to me. It’s worth nothing,” Jeongguk tried a different approach. If he acted as if the locket had no value, maybe the kidnapper would lose interest in it. Jeongguk closed his eyes and pretended to be in pain. He refused to even glance at the locket that the man twirled around in his grimy hands.

The act worked. “It feels cheap. Like a bunch of aluminum or something.”

“It’s painted gold. I told you, I’m not the rich millionaire that you think I am. Feel how light it is. Solid gold doesn’t feel like that. But you can have it if you want it. I’m sure your boss won’t care about you stealing something as worthless as that,” Jeongguk said casually.

He was playing a dangerous game. But these men were not very bright. They operated on fear and intimidation, not brains. And this one with the face from hell, was very easy to read. It was clear that the entire crew feared one man - Malakar.

“Fuck you. I’m sure you would just love to tell the boss that I stole something valuable from you. You can’t fool me dickhead.” With frustration, he threw the locket back at Jeongguk. It landed in Jeongguk’s lap. The evil being took one last look around the room to make sure that there was nothing else of interest and then he quickly left.

Jeongguk took a sigh of relief. He wasn’t lying, the locket’s monetary value was minimal, but its sentimental value was priceless. At that moment, he felt very lucky to still have it. He felt even luckier to know that Jack had not revealed his plan.

Satisfied that all of the kidnappers had left the room, he released the screwdriver from his sleeve. The tape was very flimsy, with only one or two layers that he had not cut through. He stabbed at the remaining pieces until they separated enough for him to snap himself free. Pain immediately shot through his shoulder as he brought his arms forward. He had been bound with his arms behind the chair for more than twenty-four hours. His arms were stiff and barely able to move.

The first thing he did was grab the locket and hold it tightly in his hands. He opened it, stared at the picture and then kissed it closed again. The clasp was broken and he couldn’t hang it back around his neck, so he placed it in his shirt pocket for safe keeping until he could get himself completely free.

With his legs still bound to the bottom of the chair, he focused on using the screwdriver to cut through the remaining tape around his ankles. This process was much faster with the free use of both of his hands. Within a few minutes he had cut a large gash through the thick layers of tape around his legs. He paused briefly when he thought he heard another group of the kidnappers approaching. But they soon passed, leaving him free to rip the tape from his legs. He was finally, completely free. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do next. Jack mentioned that he had been on board for over twenty-four hours. That meant that the Blue Nightingale was probably half way over the Pacific. Swimming back to the boat, especially in a storm, was no longer a viable plan. He rubbed his bloody hands as he thought what to do.

Without warning, another rogue wave rose from the depths and tilted the boat violently to one side. Jeongguk was thrown to the ground again. He could hear the water sloshing from the putrid holding tank a few feet away. Another bump and he was tossed forward, but this time he heard something clank against the withered wood. It was his locket. It had fallen from his pocket and slid across the grainy floor as the boat was lifted once again. He fought to get his balance as he chased it across the hull. Finally, it landed on top of the withered door to the holding tank. He could smell the foul odor as he knelt down to pick it up.

And then…the unthinkable happened. They were hit by yet another wave. Before he could get his hands around the necklace, it slipped between a crack in one of the raggedy wooden boards. He watched as the weighted end of the necklace disappeared pulling the golden chain with it.

He released a bone chilling scream, “NOOOO! NO! NO, NO, NO!” The necklace was gone, sunken through the dark depths of stale, putrid, diseased salt water in the holding tank. “Oh, God. No. Please God No.” But as with all things, Jeongguk was not giving up without a fight. Without even thinking, he found a large sledge hammer in the pile of tools. With all of his might he slammed the heavy hammer against the lock of the holding tank. Despite the aged rust of the enclosure, the padlock itself was relatively new which suggested that the tank had been opened and used recently. He found that odd since the fishing boat was no longer operational for catching fish.

It took four attempts before the lock finally popped open, allowing the broken pieces to fall away. He grabbed the rounded handle but the door would not budge because it was too heavy. He had to use both hands to lift it, the jagged edges of the wood burying into his open wounds. The pain was excruciating but it didn’t matter. He had to find his locket. He pushed the heavy door back on its hinges, revealing the inside of the filthy tank. The metal walls were corroded with streaks of slime, mold and seaweed. The water inside was murky brown, thick with sediment and debris that had been there for years, possibly decades.

Dead bloated and decaying rats floated near the surface of the black water. Somehow while running wild through the ship, they had fallen through the large cracks in the withered lid and drowned in the toxic mix.

Jeongguk turned his head to the side and released a stomach full of acidic vomit that splattered all over the wooden floor.

“Fuck, this is from fucking hell!” He wiped the remnants of the throw up from his mouth and stared down into the tank again.

The overhead light swung like a pendulum with the rocking boat, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. He peered into the depths, trying to place eyes on his locket.

All was not lost because beneath the dim light, he could see it sparkling just a few feet down. Instead of sinking all the way to the bottom, the locket snagged on some tangled nets that were submerged about half the distance to the bottom. But there was no way to get to it without - going in.

“FUCK! FUCK!” He swore as the putrid smell of the tank once again wafted through his nostrils.

That locket was his life. It was the only reminder he had left and he was not going to let it go. There was no other way. He had to go in. He had to go in. He had to go in.

So, he stripped off his shirt and shoes and placed his legs over the side of the tank. The stench grew more and more putrid with each passing moment. The smell was untenable. It was the smell of death, disease, filth. But there was no other way.

“FUCK!” He yelled one last time before pinching his nose, taking a deep breath and plunging headfirst into the frigid soup of death. He fell through the carcasses on the surface and plunged into the water.

Bubbles floated around him as he kicked downward towards the tangled net. His eyes stung from the brackish murk of the water. The pervasive rot seemed to seep into his lungs. Fish carcasses, debris, bones - some of them possibly human, floated all around him. The deeper he went, the darker it became until he could see nothing. He dove to a specific location based on the memory of what he had seen when he was still on the surface. After several minutes of swimming through the filth, his hand found the tangled locket. He grabbed it, yanking fiercely to pull it from the net. He was a good swimmer, but the disgusting water, mangled hands, bruised legs, fatigue, hunger and disorientation left him struggling to resurface. He was running out of air.

As he floated there, ready to kick up towards the surface, he felt a ghostly caress against his leg. He swirled around in the blackness and that’s when his hand snagged on something. Hair? Was it hair? A large, heavy fish-like body pressed against his. He could see a pair of shimmering gold eyes staring back at him, piercing the cold darkness. He yanked away in revulsion, heart pounding. Powered by pure adrenaline and fear, he kicked hard, pushing himself back to the surface faster than humanly possible. He clambered for the wooden floor; locket clenched in his hand as he climbed from the murky depths of the tank.

He threw up once again but this time from sheer terror. Whatever was down there was alive.

“What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?”

He crab-walked backwards away from the tank to get away from whatever had attacked him. He was so scared that he considered running to find Malakar just to get help. He much preferred to be shot than to be eaten alive by whatever was living in that tank. All he could think about was the human face, glowing eyes and fish-like body. He couldn’t even believe what his own eyes had seen. He was sure that he was hallucinating due to hunger, or maybe because of the medication that Jack had given him. Maybe he had been drugged. He liked that idea. It was much easier for his brain to process that he was hallucinating because of drugs than for him to admit that what he had seen was real.

He wanted to throw up one more time, but his stomach was empty. The result was just a series of horrific gags that sounded like a cat with fur in its throat.

“Yeah, just, just my imagination. Everything is fine. I’m ok. I’m ok. I got the locket back and I’m ok.”

Jeongguk sat against the wooden floor wearing just his underwear. He’d removed his bloody clothes before diving in because he didn’t want to smell like the death pool. He dressed as quickly as possible to avoid freezing. The hull was damp and cold with no heat. He needed his clothes if he was going to avoid hypothermia.

Just as he settled down, he saw a large teal colored tail splash against the surface of the water. Jeongguk screamed, “WHAT THE FUCK?”

He was definitely not hallucinating. What he saw was very real. Some kind of large fish was swimming in the holding tank and it was huge. Very huge. Super huge. Timidly, Jeongguk crawled back over to the tank and peered over the edge. And there he saw it; a creature; his upper half human, his lower half fish. Its skin was a pale and sickly grey. His hair was thick and black, closely cropped to his head and his eyes, slightly hooded, glowing a bright gold.

“What are you? What? What?” But amidst Jeongguk’s flurry of questions and confusion, he noticed right away that something wasn’t right. Jeongguk had been in the water less than two minutes. But this thing had been locked in there for at least twenty-four hours, possibly much longer. It didn’t look well. In fact, it looked as if it were dying. Being stuck in the filthy diseased tank couldn’t have been healthy for it. Maybe that was why it had approached Jeongguk while he was down there. Maybe it needed help. Jeongguk watched as it floated listlessly near the surface. The animated tail splash that it had done earlier felt like its final plea for help. As crazy as it sounded, Jeongguk felt an overwhelming need to get it out of there.

“You’re a fucking lunatic, Jeongguk. It’s going to eat you. You can’t fall for its trick; it’s going to eat you.” He stood to his feet, careful not to get too close to the tank in case the creature decided to pull him back in. “Just because it looks like a man doesn’t mean it can breathe like a man. What if you accidentally kill it? Then what? You have enough problems. You’ve been kidnapped, shot at, swam in fecal water, barfed, drugged, and held for ransom. Do you really need mermaid drama?” He conversed with himself in a two-way conversation.

And then he heard a voice, quiet as a whisper, “Help. Me. Please.”

Jeongguk pulled at his purple hair. What kind of crack products had Jack given him? There was no way that this thing could talk. It had to be his imagination. All of it had to be his imagination.

“You’re not real,” Jeongguk folded his arms in defiance.

“Please. Help. I’m. Dying.”

“Ok, you know what?” Jeongguk fussed as he undressed again. “Even if this is just a dream or whatever, I can’t let it die.” He plugged his nose and dove head first into the tank again. He grabbed the creature under its arms and pulled it from the water. A gentle swaying of the creature’s tail propelled them through the water effortlessly.

Even though the creature was large, he was very light. It took a little maneuvering, but Jeongguk was able to dump him out on the old hardwood floor. “Can you breathe - air?” Jeongguk asked. It was kind of a dumb question because air was all he had available.

“Yes.”

“What are you? How did you get here? Are you real or am I high?”

“You are probably high. But I’m also real. My name is Jimin. How I got here is a…very long story. Similar to you, I was beaten and kidnapped. And…now I’m dying.”

“Dying? No. No, if you can breathe air, then you’re ok now, right?”

“Toxins have seeped into my vital organs. There are too many chemicals and diseases in that water for my system to handle. I’ve been trapped in there for weeks and my organs are shutting down. I have been poisoned by the contamination. Thanks to you, I won’t die down there. But I only have a few more hours to live.”

“Jimin? Your name is Jimin? Are you a-a-a-a what do you call those things in pirate lore?”

“I’m Homo mermanus.”

“Yes. And you can talk?”

“I believe we’ve been talking for a while now. I realize you’re high but please try to keep up.”

“You have a sense of humor?”

“No.”

“Oh. Ok then, I’m not really high. Jimin, I’ve been kidnapped too and I’m being held for ransom.”

“Why did you jump into that filthy tank?” Jimin asked.

“For this.” Jeongguk showed Jimin the large locket that he had risked his life to recover.

“It’s beautiful. It must mean a great deal to you.”

“Yes, it does.”

“Well thank goodness you came to retrieve it, otherwise I would have been locked in that dark tank forever.”

Jeongguk still was in disbelief. He had so many questions and just as many doubts, “Why did they take you? What do they plan to do with you?”

“I don’t know. But I assume it’s something very bad.” Jimin coughed. A large bubble of black liquid spilled from his mouth. “I won’t live long enough for them to hurt me. It doesn’t even matter anymore.”

As awkward as it seemed, he wanted to comfort him. If Jimin really was dying then his last few hours on earth would be spent with Jeongguk. Somehow that seemed like a heavy responsibility. He wanted to make his last few hours as comfortable as possible. It’s what Jeongguk would have wanted for his brother when he died.

He pulled Jimin further from the tank and replaced the wooden lid. The smell diminished but was still present on his skin and in his hair. Once again, he redressed to keep warm.

“Do you need a blanket or something?” He asked Jimin.

“No.” I’m temperature agnostic. Neither heat nor freezing waters bother me.

The tides had settled and the boat was relatively steady. Jeongguk could hear the old creaky engines humming in the distance. The boat was moving which gave Jeongguk the shudders. As long as they were on the move, it would be difficult for authorities to figure out his location. His situation was looking bleaker by the moment.

He stared down at Jimin as the water from the tank pooled beneath him, staining the wood. He lay on his side, the very end of his fin slapping against the deck in small rhythmic waves. He looked so fragile. Jeongguk couldn’t believe he’d been frightened of him. The only thing that he could think to do was to make him as comfortable as possible. His body was strangely contorted laying on the wooden ground so Jeongguk lifted Jimin’s upper body and positioned him so that his head cradled comfortably over the rounded muscle of Jeongguk’s thigh.

Jeongguk offered his body as a sound and sturdy foundation for Jimin to rest. He placed his hand gently on Jimin’s shoulder, daring to touch his skin. It was moist, tough, not like human skin at all. But he assumed it had something to do with all of the toxins running through his body.

There were curious markings all over his body, inked words and symbols, similar to the tattoos of humans. Five moons trailed down his spine. Words appeared to be written across the right side of his rib cage and above each elbow. Jeongguk assumed they were markings of his pod, or used as some form of identification. For the first time he got a good look at his long, extended tail and the iridescent scales that changed color with the swinging light overhead.

“I can tell that you’re sick. I noticed right away that your skin doesn’t seem a natural color. Even for a creature like you.”

“My human flesh is the same color as yours…with a little sparkle every now and again. What you see of me is my contaminated body.”

Once again Jeongguk’s large eyes examined Jimin’s entire torso. “I don’t understand what you are. But you’re beautiful.”

“You are very high. I don’t know much about human drugs, but you got some good ones,” Jimin managed to laugh. He coughed again and more disgusting liquid voided from his mouth.

“Oh Jimin, this isn’t good. Does it hurt? I mean are you in pain?”

“I can’t breathe well. My lungs hurt.”

“What can I do?” Jeongguk had no idea how to care for a Homo mermanus that he was sure was part of a hallucination, but he felt it was important to show empathy for the creature who seemed to be suffering so greatly.

“Only the sea can heal me and there is no way for me to get back to it. We’re locked in here and there are armed guards on patrol who watch to make sure we don’t escape.”

“Going back into the ocean can save your life?” Jeongguk asked.

“I can get the help that I need from my people. But escaping from this hull is impossible. I’ve seen many others try. And they had legs.”

“There has to be something more that we can do.”

“I’ve accepted my fate. No one will cry over my death. No one will miss me. But…what about you? Does it hurt?”

“Hurt?”

“Yes. You’re covered in blood. Your face is bandaged. Your hands are cut. You must have put up quite a fight.” Jimin’s eyes sparkled.

“I did.” Jeongguk laughed. He touched the soaked bandage on his face. He pulled the bandage free to keep the putrid water from entering his wound. A little reflection made him realize how dangerous it was to fight with four armed men on the yacht during his kidnapping. But he didn’t regret a thing. He was born a fighter and would die that way. “Oh this? I’m ok. It doesn’t hurt that much. Right now, all that matters is you. What can I do? How can I help you?” He looked around again, hoping to find something to offer to Jimin.

“You’re so kind. I scared you down there. I didn’t mean to.” Jimin’s eyes were closed. His voice was weak.

“Stay with me, ok?”

“I’m trying.”

“You know mermaids aren’t real. They’re myths. Do you know what a myth is, Jimin?” Jeongguk tried to make idle conversation to keep Jimin conscious.

“I’m real. I’m not a figment of your imagination. I’m not a myth. We are just very good at avoiding human detection. There are many creatures in the ocean that have

avoided humans since the beginning of time. You may have originated in the sea but now you live in Starbucks. We do our best to stay away from you.”

“We don’t exactly live in Starbucks…different topic for a different day. How did you get caught if you’re so good at staying away from humans,” Jeongguk asked sarcastically.

“Long story. But it’s not what you think.” Jimin smiled.

“You have teeth. I expected nothing but gums and fish lips.”

Jimin laughed again. “Part of my body is identical to human anatomy. So yes, that means teeth.”

“They’re so pretty. Smile again for me.”

“Of all of the people to save me, the Gods gave me you? A man obsessed with my teeth?” Jimin laughed harder.

Jeongguk could see that Jimin’s skin was fading into darker and darker grey. If making him laugh during his last hours alive was possible, he was going to do it.

“You could’ve done worse. That devil with the tattooed face could have found you.”

“Vex. They call him that because of his temper and the people he’s killed. He truly is a madman. Stay away from him, Jeongguk, no matter what it takes.”

“Wait - you know their names?”

“Malakar, he’s the leader. Vex is the second in common. He and Malakar hate each other, but they have a mutual greed so I guess they make it work. The brothers Bones and Rocky are young and dumb. But they seem to look up to Malakar and they do everything he asks of them. And Hungwoo, is the so-called-captain of this piece of crap vessel. He operates the ship. They’re all very dangerous and sadistic but Malakar and Vex are the two you need to stay far away from.”

“What about Jack?”

“Ah Jack. Jack isn’t part of the crew. He used to be the owner of this boat. They hijacked him on the high seas and took control of his ship. He’s been held hostage here ever since. For years from what I suspect. He’s not like the rest of them. He takes care of those that they bring aboard. He even cares for me. He drops fish into the holding tank so that I have something to eat.”

“So, Jack knows what you are?”

“Jack is an old man of the sea. He’s seen everything. He was not surprised to learn of my existence.”

“How do you know so much, Jimin?”

“I’ve been here a long time. Overheard many conversations. I can hear underwater too but they don’t realize that.” More black bubbles spilled from Jimin’s mouth.

“Jimin, I-I don’t know how to help you.” Once again Jeongguk noticed the frailness in Jimin’s body. He could see his ribcage, and his face was sunken. “You haven’t been eating well, have you?”

“Just the food that Jack sneaks my way.” Jimin closed his eyes again.

Jeongguk rubbed his hands through the creature’s short cropped hair. This was the hair that tangled around his hand at the bottom of the holding tank. It was blacker than midnight with a thickness that seemed otherworldly. He also noticed two small coin-sized slits on either side of his head, just behind his ears. They opened and closed with each of Jimin’s breaths. He assumed they were some form of modified gills that allowed him to breathe air.

“How beautiful you are.” He said again without realizing it. “This is an incredible dream I’m having.”

Jimin laughed. “You refuse to acknowledge me.”

“You’re lying in my lap and I’m allowing you to vomit black soot looking bubbles all over me while I stroke your hair. Trust me, you’ve been acknowledged.”

Jimin coughed again, but this one seemed excruciatingly painful. “You keep calling me beautiful. How can you as a human understand my beauty?”

“Because a good human can see the beauty in everything. Besides…on a hot mermaid scale from one to ten, you’re about a thirteen. God I can only imagine how hot you are when you’re…you know…not dying.” Jeongguk tried to make Jimin laugh again. He knew his conversation was silly, but if he were in Jimin’s condition, he would only want to hear the loveliest things in his last hours.

“A thirteen…that’s…that’s a good number…,” Jimin smiled again.

Keeping Jimin laughing, smiling, it had to be good for something. It had to be helping, even if just a tiny bit. He decided to keep going. “So, tell me about mermaid lore. What’s the hot tea?”

“Tea? Oh no thank you, I’m not thirsty.”

“Mm-hm, let me rephrase that. What are some of the secrets to being a Homo Murmanus? There has to be ancient mermaid secrets.”

“Well,” Jimin found the strength to reposition himself so that he could stare up into Jeongguk’s face. His golden eyes bore into him like glowing hot lasers, “We can start with the fact that you keep calling me a mermaid. Although I do possess some sexual fluidity, I am a merman.”

“Ohhh so that’s why you don’t have coconut shells over your tits?” Jeongguk laughed. For the first time in hours, he laughed. The pain in his jaw immediately reminded him of his wounds. “Where’s your pitchfork and do you really pose for those tuna cans?”

“The stereotypes are just embarrassing at this point.”

“Well, here’s your chance to clear it up.” Jeongguk smiled.

“We don’t carry pitchforks. I think you’re referring to a Trident, which is a myth. As for tuna, I have no idea what pictures you think we posed for. And obviously…I don’t have um…er…tits. Nor would I use coconuts to cover them if I did. That seems terribly uncomfortable.”

“How did you learn the human language? Did you go to school on the back of Stingrays and sing all the way to class?”

“Eh-uh…no. You sound ridiculous.”

“Give me a break, everything I know about you people, I learned from Disney.”

“You didn’t learn very much,” Jimin laughed softly.

“And while we’re on the subject…I have to ask something that I have been dying to know. Where’s your merpenis?”

Jimin’s tail slapped several times against the wood, “My what?”

“Your man parts. You know…the stuff you use to have sex with. Surely, you’re a baddie in the land of Homo Murmanuses. I bet you get all the fish eggs.”

“Are you asking about my sexual anatomy?”

“Yes.”

“That is a terrible question to ask a dying fish.”

“Sorry. Under normal circumstances, I would have been too polite to ask that.”

“It’s not that I mind sharing…but…it’s a very long and complicated answer. Ask me something else.” Jimin turned his head and laid on his side again, head still firmly positioned on Jeongguk’s leg.

Jeongguk gave it some thought, “How do you speak my language? I mean I always thought you people could only speak in song.”

Jimin laughed and held the side of his stomach, “Another Disney reference?”

“It’s all I got dude.”

Jimin laughed again. “Language is regional. We learn from our elders who speak the language of every land. It’s part of our education. We’re required to know what humans are saying to monitor threats to our people. There’s no magic in it, we just…study.”

“You eavesdrop on human conversations? I bet you know so many secrets.”

“We do. But I can’t tell you any of them,” Jimin teased. “What else do you care to learn about me, Jeongguk?”

“Lots…do you have a family? Brothers and sisters?”

“I did. They’re mostly dead now.”

“That is so sad.”

Jimin coughed again. This time the cough was so violent that he doubled over on the floor. Liters of black fluid voided from his insides. It was horrific.

Jeongguk worried. The situation was serious and as much as he tried to normalize the moment, Jimin truly was dying. Even though they had known each other for less than two hours, Jeongguk already had an emotional attachment to him. He didn’t want to see something so beautiful and innocent die. Jimin’s life mattered, even if he didn’t have any family.

Jeongguk also didn’t know if he was emotionally capable of watching him die in his arms. Too many memories of his brother were triggered. The helplessness of not being able to save him was trauma that he had yet to heal from.

The creature that he believed to be a drug induced hallucination became more and more real with each of their conversations. There was something about Jimin’s spirit, his aura that was calming, reassuring. Maybe it was the brave way he faced death. Jeongguk wasn’t afraid to die either but he didn’t possess the same regality in his bravery that Jimin did.

But there was another reason that he didn’t want the beautiful creature to die and it was a selfish one. Jeongguk didn’t want to be in this situation alone. Jimin was a captive too which meant they were instantly bonded over their shared dilemma. He was someone to talk to. He was someone who understood more about the men who held them. He was an ally. If he died, Jeongguk would be alone again, facing an unknown fate. For all of those reasons, he very much wanted his new friend to live.

“That’s enough talking for now. Let’s get some rest. I’m pretty tired. Not sure what Jack gave me but I feel drowsy. You sleep now. We’ll resume this conversation in the morning,” Jeongguk said softly, sadly.

“I won’t live till the morning.”

“You will. You will. You’ll stay right here with me. We’ll keep each other cozy and safe. You’ll still be with me in the morning,” Jeongguk said confidently. “You can’t die. You can’t. Match my heart beat with yours and do not take your last breath, until I take mine.” He wrapped his arms around Jimin and the two of them lay on the rough wooden floor as the boat gently rocked them.

Jimin didn’t argue. He was too grateful. Being found by someone like Jeongguk at his lowest point, near death was a miracle from the Gods. He saved him from living his final hours in the pit of that hellish tank when he could have just left him there to rot. Jeongguk could have shunned him and sat in silence disgusted by his existence. He could have told the captives about him. There were so many terrible ways the story could have gone. But none of those terrible things happened. At great sacrifice to himself, Jeongguk saved him and did everything he could to extend his life. And for that, Jimin was very grateful. So, if Jeongguk wanted to sleep, Jimin was happy to let him sleep. He didn’t know if he had the strength to survive till morning - but Jeongguk made him want to try.

***

“JEONGGUK! JEONGGUK!” Jimin said with a loud whisper. “WAKE UP! SOMEONE’S COMING!”

“What?” Jeongguk managed to sit up. The sun was shining brightly through the small porthole. “What’s wrong?”

“Hurry. Throw me back into the tank. Hurry! Someone’s coming. They’ll kill you if they find out that you released me,.” Jimin begged.

“Throw you…NO! I will not.” Jeongguk could hear the jingling of keys at the steel door. Jimin was right, someone was coming. “Jimin, they’re going to kill me anyway. I want to die a man of honor. I want to die knowing that my last act was to help you. I will not throw you back in there.”

“Oh Jeongguk, now is not the time to be noble. You have to live.”

“It’s morning and you’re still alive. I’ll take my chances with miracles,” Jeongguk smiled down at him.

The lock to the steel door finally opened. They braced for the terror that was about to befall them. Jeongguk, who hadn’t eaten in three days, had little strength to fight. He vowed to protect Jimin, but there was little else that he could do for himself. They expected to see Malakar or Vex whisk through the door at any moment.

“Aye, for fuck’s sake. You got loose from your restraints. I was afraid you’d do that. I saw what you were up to last night. Oh, Vex is going to blow a gasket and of course he’ll blame me. And I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, ya’ fished him out too? Ya both are more trouble than you’re worth.” Jack motioned towards the sickly Jimin who was huddled beneath Jeongguk. “Blimey. If the boss finds out about this, he’ll make tuna out of both of ya’.”

“JACK!” They both said with relieved sighs.

Jack continued to fuss, “What’s that smell? You didn’t go swimming in that tank there, did you? You’ll catch a hellified infection on all of those open wounds. Damnit. Now I’ve got to redress them all. And what’s wrong with you Ariel? You look awful.”

“I’m dying, Jack.” Jimin said faintly.

Jeongguk looked down at him. Even though he had made it through the night, he looked worse than Jeongguk had seen him. He was truly knocking on death’s door. The gills behind his ears were slowly opening and closing, not keeping up with his labored breaths. Webs were beginning to appear between his fingers. His scales were no longer iridescent. They were a pale, flushed blue. It was the saddest thing that Jeongguk had ever seen.

“Dying?” Jack repeated with disbelief. “Nonsense. I’ve been feeding ya’ when I can.”

Jeongguk explained because Jimin was too weak, “The tank is toxic, the chemicals have sickened him.”

“I don’t know about those things. But I do know that you cannot get caught outside of that tank. They have plans for you. I don’t know what they are but they think you’re going to bring in lots of cash. If they find out…oh shit. I don’t like any of this.” Jack used his big burley hands to pull a roll of gauze from his coat pocket. He began cleaning and dressing Jeongguk’s wounds on his face and hands. “Stay still will ya? You’ll get an infection if I don’t clean this muck out of your wounds.”

“Jack, why are you risking so much to care for us?” Jeongguk asked.

“I have no choice. I can’t very well just let you die. Besides, I told you last night. They need you alive in order to make their money,” Jack explained.

Jeongguk remained quiet for a moment. He allowed Jack to rebandage all of the bandages that he had removed the night prior. When Jack finished, he fished a baguette from his pocket and gave it to Jeongguk along with a bottle of water. “They think you’re still tied up. This is going to be a cluster fuck when they find out that ya got loose.”

“Thank you for the food, Jack. Do you have anything for Jimin?” Jeongguk asked.

“Yea. I brung him a can of tuna,” Jack reached for it in his inner pocket.

At that very moment, Jimin threw up another few liters of black bubbled liquid. It covered the deck and pooled underneath Jack’s feet. Jack’s small beady eyes widened with shock. “Oh, that’s not good,” he said sadly.

“Can you eat Jimin? You need your strength, eating will help.” Jeongguk said helplessly. Jimin’s eyes rolled backwards before his lids gently shut. Jeongguk grabbed him and held him in his arms. “Please. Please don’t leave me to face this alone. Please stay with me. We can fight together. We can survive this, Jimin. Please don’t give up now.”

Jimin’s fishlike body fell into a seizure. More black muck gurgled in his mouth and then spilled down the sides of his face.

“FUCK! He’s dying. Oh God. Oh God. No.” Jeongguk buried his head in Jimin’s chest, “Please don’t go. Please. I-I-I…” He suddenly gasped, “JACK! You have to help us. You have to help me get him to the water.”

“What? I can’t do that. They’ll kill me,” Jack protested.

“Not if they don’t know you’re the one who helped.”

“Call Vex. Get him in here now. Jimin has seconds to live. If we don’t get him to the water…just call Vex. PLEASE!” Jeongguk begged.

“What do I tell him?”

“Just tell him to come quick. But don’t come back with him. Let him come alone. You stay away.”

“I don’t know what you’re up to…but it won’t work,” Jack warned.

Jeongguk stared down into Jimin’s pale face. There were no longer any signs of life. Still, Jeongguk refused to give up. He was a fighter and he was going to fight for Jimin.

“If Jimin dies, no it won’t work. But if you hurry, we can save him.” Jeongguk laid Jimin gently on the ground.

Jack ran quickly away from the hull. He locked the door as he left, making sure that they didn’t escape while he was gone.

Jeongguk moved quickly. He ran over to the large withered door of the holding tank. With all of his waning strength, he lifted it on his hinges and opened it, once again revealing the black pool of death beneath it. He had a plan - a risky one - but a plan nonetheless.

Within seconds Vex was at the steel door, fiddling with the lock. Jeongguk ran back to the chair that had been used to restrain him. He gathered up the ripped pieces of tape and wrapped them around his wrists and ankles to look as if he had never gotten loose.

The tattooed man known as Vex arrived locked and loaded. With his gun drawn, he entered the room cautiously. Immediately, he saw Jeongguk still taped to the chair. He turned his back on him and that’s when he saw Jimin sprawled across the floor.

“What the fuck is this? How did you…?” Vex had no idea how Jimin had escaped. He noticed that the tank was open and walked over to investigate. “FUCK this fucking smell.” He covered his nose and mouth with his shirt and dry heaved. “I don’t know how you got out, but I’m throwing you back in, you nasty fuck.” He glared down at Jimin.

Vex suddenly felt a hard kick in his back. He was pushed forward. “WHOA!” His feet gripped the edge of the holding tank as he wobbled back and forth trying to keep his balance. But it was futile, he eventually overcorrected and plunged straight into the tank.

Jeongguk’s last glimpse of Vex was of him trying to swim back up to the surface. He had to move fast to secure the door before Vex could reach it. Since he had broken the lock to the holding tank, he had to improvise. He pulled the heavy withered door in place and then grabbed the same flat head screwdriver that he had used to cut through his restraints and jammed it into the latch to secure the door. He bolted the door shut just as Vex began banging on it to try to get out.

The tank was barely survivable with the lid open, but with it closed, it was a cage of death. There was no breathable air once the lid dropped. He could hear Vex’s panicked screams as he tried to escape. But within several seconds, the screams were replaced with a muffled gurgling - as the man choked on the filthy sludge and drowned.

There was no thought given to the man’s death because Jeongguk was too busy trying to save a life. Jimin still had not moved. He had not taken a single breath. He had not murmured a single word. His death was no longer imminent, it was a reality.

Just as planned, Vex had left the steel door to the upper deck unlocked, leaving Jeongguk the perfect escape route. But he had to move quickly. Jeongguk scooped Jimin’s limp body into his arms. They ran through the door, careful to watch for the other members of Malakar’s crew. The only person that Jeongguk encountered on his way up the stairs was Jack. He was keeping watch to make sure that Jeongguk’s plan wasn’t discovered.

The two of them made eye contact. Tears filled Jack’s eyes when he saw Jimin limp in Jeongguk’s arms. He knew he was dead. And he couldn’t understand why Jeongguk was risking so much to return him to the sea. It was too late. They’d done everything they could but the beautiful creature was just too fragile to survive the wrath of evil that Malakar and his men unleashed. Jack wiped the tears from his eyes with his calloused rough hands.

Jeongguk tip-toed up to the top deck with Jimin in his arms, his ornately scaled fin hanging limp. The sun was shining brightly, blinding him as he carried Jimin to the boat’s edge.

The plan to break free of the enclosure was unorthodox but it worked. He was seconds away from setting Jimin free. But he questioned if the merman was still alive. Either way, releasing him back to his people, back to his world, was the right thing to do.

Jeongguk whispered to Jimin as if he was his father, or his brother or even his lover. He spoke to him as if he were anyone other than a man he’d only known for twenty-four hours. He wished he was someone more important as he said the words he imagined that someone who loved Jimin would say to him.

“Fight my beautiful one. Fight. Your work on this earth is not done. Even if you think no one else cares, remember that I did.” There were no other boats anywhere nearby, as far as the eyes could see. The seas were calm and it was a beautiful day to bury a merman. Jeongguk allowed his arms to go limp. Jimin slid from them gently and went airborne as his body plummeted into the roaring sea. Jeongguk watched as he hit the water. There was still no sign of life. Despite Jeongguk’s hopes, his prayers, his optimism, he hadn’t saved him in time. He was gone.

Everything went quiet. Tears dripped from his eyes. Why did seeing Jimin die hurt so much? Was he thinking about his brother or was this a brand-new pain, new trauma that he had to heal from? He pulled his locket from his pocket and opened it. The photo inside was wet, but still intact. He could smell the foul stench from the holding tank still lingering within the knots of the chain. He pressed it to his lips and gave it a kiss before stuffing it back into his jean pocket.

Jeongguk didn’t feel much like living and for the briefest moment, he considered jumping into the water after Jimin. But that wasn’t to be his fate. Somehow it felt disrespectful to Jimin’s memory. This was Jimin’s moment.

So, under Jack’s watchful eye, he turned and headed back to the hull of the boat where he would continue to be held captive, until they decided to kill him.

⋆‧☽◯☾‧⋆

CHAPTER THREE: THE RAFT

📕 12,371

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⋆‧☽◯☾‧⋆

Jack managed to help Jeongguk sneak back down to the hull without being detected. He could see the wood stained with Jimin’s black vomit. It was a sad reminder of how much the man had suffered before taking his final death.

Famished, Jeongguk devoured the baguette that Jack smuggled in for him to eat. His mind wandered over to the holding tank where he had trapped Vex. He had no remorse, only a wish that Vex’s death was as horrific as Jimin’s.

Another 24 hours passed. By this time, Jeongguk had lost all track of time. With no phone, no access to daylight, he had no idea how much longer he had to live. He imagined that 72 hours were up. He was certain that no ransom was coming. Nor did he want it to.

A jingle came from the door. Someone was coming. He popped up quickly and repositioned himself in the chair. Once again, he replaced the tape around his ankles and wrists to appear restrained.

“Wake up! Wake up Jeon!” It was Malakar and he knew Jeongguk’s name. Something that he hadn’t known a few days earlier.

Jack trailed behind him, looking terrified. He made eye contact with Jeongguk to warn him that something was wrong.

“I’m awake,” Jeongguk pressed his wrists together to keep from revealing his secret.

“A member of my crew is missing. Jack says he came down here to check on you?” Malakar surveyed Jeongguk’s restraints casually. If he had really focused, he would have seen they were all cut and busted.

“I don’t know your crew. How am I supposed to know who you’re talking about?”

“You fucking know who I’m talking about. Vex, the man with the tattoos on his face,” Malakar barked.

“Ok and what does that have to do with me?” Jeongguk Sid flippantly.

“What did he say to you when he came down here?” Malakar was growing angry.

“He didn’t talk to me,” Jeongguk was prepared. He already had a lie ready to tell. “He was talking to someone on the phone.”

Malakar leaned in closer to him, “Talking to someone on a phone? Who?”

“How the hell should I know? All I heard was something about meeting another boat to sell something,” Jeongguk fibbed.

“Sell what?”

“I’m sure I didn’t hear it right. I was groggy. You’ve starved me for days and I-I’ve been so confused…”

“What did he fucking say? What was he trying to sell?”

“Something about a-a mermaid. Crazy I know. I told you that I wasn’t in my right mind. I didn’t hear him…”

“No! No! It can’t be.” Malakar ran over to the holding tank and noticed immediately that the lock to the holding tank had been busted and a screwdriver was left behind in its place. Since Jeongguk was still tied up, only Vex could have done it.” He rushed over to Jeongguk and stood just inches from his face, screaming, “Did he open this tank? Did you see him open it? Answer me!”

“Yes! He opened it. And then he used a large net to pull a huge fish out of there. He disappeared after that. But I’m almost sure that I heard a second small boat, like a speed boat, pull up close to the ship. Maybe that’s where he went? Wherever he went, he took the fish with him,” Jeongguk explained.

“When did this happen?” Malakar asked.

“Yesterday…morning…I think?” Jeongguk shrugged

Jack smiled. Jeongguk’s story was brilliant. He winked at him

Malakar seethed; steam rose from his ears. “I’ve been fucking betrayed. He took our biggest payday and stole it? He’s on the run? That’s why he’s been missing since yesterday.” Malakar ran back over to the withered wooden lid of the holding tank.

He was going to open it but the stench was so foul that he immediately backed away with his hands covering his mouth and nose. If Malakar had just given more thought to the situation, he would have seen the glaring holes in Jeongguk’s story. But he was too quick to believe the worst about his cohorts because he knew they were all a bunch of backstabbing killers with no souls.

“FUCK! FUCK! If I ever find him, I will kill him!”

“You do that,” Jeongguk said casually. It was at that moment that Jeongguk expected to be shot, or stabbed or beaten to death. Instead, Malakar simply left. He waited until he and Jack were alone, “Hey. That didn’t go as I expected. How long have I been here? Has it not been 72 hours?”

“It’s been about 96 hours if my memory serves me right, aye?”

“Why am I still alive?”

“Dunno. I don’t do the killin’, I stay in my lane which is bread water and bandage duty. I don’t know why you’re still alive, but if I were you, I wouldn’t question it.” Jack pulled another bottle of water from his coat. “Drink up. They don’t give me shit to share with the hostages, so I have to steal anything that I bring here.”

“How many times have they done this?” Jeongguk asked as he scarfed down his bread.

“At least fifty. It’s been five years since they stole this boat from me and took me as their captive. I’ve been forced to do their bidding ever since. They know where my family lives, my mom and nieces and nephews. They tell me that if I don’t cooperate,

they’ll kill them. And they mean it. I tried to escape once and they killed my dad. They brung me back pieces of his body as proof.” Jack’s bottom lip quivered. He held back tears as he revisited the morbid thought. “Sometimes I just want to jump and end it all - you know?”

“What keeps you from doing it?” Jeongguk asked with genuine curiosity.

“Sharks. Nobody wants to be ripped to pieces by sharks,” Jack said honestly, eyes large and fearful.

Just then Jeongguk thought about Jimin’s body and how he had tossed it over the side of the ship. Were sharks waiting for him too or did his merpeople get to him in time to protect his body? Jack had just unlocked a brand-new fear that Jeongguk had never considered. They were in the most densely populated area on earth for Great White Sharks. The seas were not friendly to those who dared venture into the water. His situation was hopeless.

“Thank you, Jack. Thank you for helping me. I would have been dead already without you.”

Jack groaned, “I better be going. The crew gets nervous when I’m gone for too long,” Jack turned to leave, “Oh and uh…great story you told Malakar. He fell for it hook, line and sinker. With the way that tank is rotted, no one will ever know he’s in there. You’re smarter than most. I’m rooting for you kid,” he locked the steel door behind him as he left.

Since the deadline for receiving the ransom had expired, Jeongguk figured that he would be shot and killed at any time. But he couldn’t have been more wrong. For another fourteen days, he was held captive in the locked hull of the ship. Making matters worse, his visits from Jack became less and less frequent until he completely stopped coming. In fact, he had no visitors at all. Jeongguk had set out on this journey to spend some time alone, but this was not at all what he envisioned.

Another ten days straight had passed with nothing to eat. He tried to ration his bread and water, but he eventually ran out. His condition drew dire as he slowly began to starve; clothes barely fitting because of the weight he’d lost.

His wounds became infected and Jack was not there to treat them. Whenever he had to use the bathroom, he found one of the cracks in the wooden lid to the tank and used it as his personal toilet. The foul stench hardly bothered him anymore because his nose had adjusted to it. If it hadn’t been for the small porthole, he would have had no idea if it were day or night.

As it were, the only thing he could do was sleep. And every single night brought memories of Jimin. With the teal flourish of his beautiful iridescent scales, he visited Jeongguk in his dreams, saying encouraging words and filling him with hope. The memory of their calm, easy conversations never left him. Even though they only knew each other for a brief moment in time, he left an indelible impression upon Jeongguk’s life and it was Jimin’s memory that kept him alive.

Day after day continued to tick by with no resolution. Why wouldn’t death just take him?

***

On the twenty-eighth day of captivity, Jeongguk was awakened by the jingling of keys as someone unlocked the steel door. For twenty straight days he’d been sleeping in the cold on the wooden floor with no blankets, pillows, or clean clothing. Food was scarce and water was almost non-existent.

He was gaunt, haggard and fatigued but determined to make it back to his chair before he was caught without his restraints. He sat in the chair, slumped over, ready for whatever new hell came next.

“Wakey, wakey Mr. Jeon. Today is your lucky day.”

Jeongguk, with a face covered in dirt, hair a faded mixture of purple and brown, and soiled bandages on his face, peeped his eyes open. A beam of sun from the porthole stung his pupils. The shadow of one of the crew, possibly the youngest one known as Rocky, stood over him with sunlight dancing around him. The young man made an attempt to cut the tape from Jeongguk’s arms and ankles, but it quickly fell away as soon as he touched it. “Guess the boss already cut you loose. Good. That should save time. Come on.”

Rocky pulled Jeongguk to his feet. “Fuck, you smell.”

Jeongguk could barely walk. He leaned heavily on the kidnapper as he marched him out of the hull. But instead of going up the stairs to the deck, Rocky pulled him down one floor to the transom door.

“Whe-whe-where are you taking me?”

“We’re kicking you off mate. Time to say bye-bye,” Rocky advised.

As they approached the door, Jeongguk could see that the door was open. The seas were calm and the deep blue waves rolled, gently rocking the boat up and down. Malakar stood next to the open door, eyes dark. He wore a sadistic grin on his face as he watched Rocky guide an emaciated Jeongguk to the door.

“Your chariot awaits,” he laughed.

Jeongguk looked through the door to find a small circular raft floating on the surface of the water. “My chariot? You’re not going to strand me on the open sea, are you? I’d rather you just shoot me.”

“Shoot you? Now why would I do that when your ransom has been paid?” Malakar laughed again.

“My ransom? Paid?”

“Yes, idiot. Someone back home loves you very much. They paid the full $6million. I would have killed you three weeks ago, but they begged me not to and sent small amounts of the ransom every day until they paid it in full.”

“Who? Who has that kind of money?” Jeongguk’s face lit up, but he was more confused than ever.

“Some dancer and a former manager? Didn’t catch their names and I truly don’t give a fuck. The money was deposited into my digital Crypto account. It’s untraceable as I asked. And since I’m a man of my word, you’re free to go.” Malakar grabbed Jeongguk and threw him into the small raft. “Bye…happy sailing.” The hinges of the rusty transom door squeaked as Malakar began to close the door to the hatch.

Jeongguk screamed, “Wait. WAIT! You can’t just leave me out here? I have no food, no supplies, no way to get back home.”

“Hold it, hold it,” Malakar yelled at someone to hold before closing the door. “The shore is that way, you idiot. You can see the skyline from here. You’re just one or two or five hundred miles away.”

“But that could take days and I have no paddle or anything to steer. Surely this was not part of the deal for you to just dump me into the Pacific Ocean.”

“Use your hands to row.” Malakar burst into laughter as the transom door finally slammed shut.

The engines started and the large, dilapidated fishing boat slowly pulled off, increasing the distance away from Jeongguk’s tiny raft. The current sent him in a direction that was just west of shore. He needed to go the other way. He knew that the longer he drifted, the more chance he had of ending up even further away. So, without thinking, he dropped both hands into the water to try to reposition the boat and propel it in a different direction. And that was when the first dorsal fin appeared. With a startled scream, he yanked his hands from the water. He looked over the side of the raft and saw not one, but four large sharks circling his small boat. He wondered if a fisherman somewhere nearby had chummed the water to attract so many at one time. He even considered the possibility that Malakar, himself, may have done something intentionally to draw the sharks near to Jeongguk’s raft. The plan of using his hands as paddles was quickly eliminated.

The current shifted and he was now heading straight for the shore of Busan, but he didn’t know how long that luck would last. Given how slowly he was traveling, it could take days or weeks for him to arrive - assuming the current remained in his favor.

The day quickly transitioned to evening as the sun bore down on him, burning his skin and exasperating his thirst. He had been dehydrated for days, so being set aloft on a raft only doomed him further. He removed his shirt, quickly dipped it in the sea water and tied it over his head to protect him from the sun. The most important thing was for him to stay alert, stay awake, stay away from the sharks.

Before nightfall, Jeongguk took a quick look around the raft and realized there was a small kit onboard with him. He opened it frantically, hoping to find something he could use. There wasn’t much. But he did find two bottles of water, a small paddle and a jar of vegemite. He immediately dipped his filthy fingers into the jar to scoop out two healthy dollops. But that wasn’t enough. Eventually he turned the jar upside down and allowed it to drip into his mouth. He swallowed all of it and he felt lucky to have it. As for the two bottles of water, he was more careful, only taking a few sips to parse his thirst and saving the rest.

There were no boats nearby. He was no longer in a shipping lane, which meant the odds of anyone coming to rescue him were not great. The paddle was useful, allowing him to keep his raft on course.

Even though the sun had finally set, there was a beautiful full moon overhead. It appeared to be watching him, following him, maybe even protecting him. But what Jeongguk didn’t know was that he was very ill. The infection that had developed in his hand was spreading. By the first ten hours in the water, he was so weak that he could no longer sit up. He lay in the bottom of the raft in the fetal position, shivering. Slowly he drifted off to sleep, lulled by the calm sea.

***

The sudden splash that jerked the raft and pushed it forward, awakened the sleeping Jeongguk. Sharks had been following him all day. It was like they could smell death, the way they circled like vultures. He looked for the large dorsal fins that signaled their appearance, but the water surrounding him was completely flat. Whatever banged into him came from beneath the boat.

“Oh God. No. No.” Thoughts of being torn apart piece by piece by sharks the size of school buses unnerved him considerably thanks to tall tales from Jack. But the sudden movement of his raft was not caused by sharks. Something else had taken control of his small vessel and was rapidly pushing it towards the shore. “What’s happening? What’s happening? HELP! HELP!” Terrified of being thrown from the raft, Jeongguk forcefully grabbed the rope handles as he took on speed. “HELP! HELP!” He called out to the cold darkness. Water splashed all around him as the raft moved faster and faster. “HELP! HELP!” Jeongguk continued to scream.

He was terrified. There were so many strange creatures in the sea, so many that had never made contact with humans before. What if this was one of them? And then - he pressed rewind on his last thought before speaking it aloud, “What if this is one of them?” He scrambled to his knees to look over the side of the raft and what he saw was surely another hallucination.

A teal glow from underneath the water shimmered like liquid gemstones in the moonlight. It pulsed, gently, softly, casting an iridescent light from beneath Jeongguk’s raft. The light pushed through the inky black waters leaving a bioluminescent trail of beauty behind it. Despite traveling at a speed faster than a jet ski, the ride was gentle, never once toppling the purple haired giant huddled in the bottom of the raft.

He said the word softly for fear of introducing the world to his madness, “Jimin?”

The raft suddenly came to a stop. The upper torso of Jimin’s body suddenly popped up from the dark depths of the water. He propped both arms up on the side of Jeongguk’s raft and smiled that bright gorgeous smile. As he waded, his tail fin glided effortlessly below the surface of the water in one sinuous, undulating motion. Because of his glow, Jeongguk could see his entire body as well as the many fishes who swam below him.

“Hi. Did I wake you?” Jimin smiled before diving underneath Jeongguk’s boat and reappearing on the other side. Jimin stared at the shirt that Jeongguk had wrapped around his head to protect him from the sun. He tilted his head slightly, “There seems to be an apparatus on your head? Is there a mechanical use for it?”

“But…but…but…you’re dead. You died in my arms. I watched the life drain from your body. How…how…how can this be?” Jeongguk crawled to the edge of his raft to get a closer look at Jimin. He stuck out his index finger and gently poked him in the nipple, “Or are you maybe one of those incredible dreams that I have every night.”

Jimin grabbed his nipple and covered it with his hand, “And is there nipple abuse in these dreams of yours?” Jimin asked.

“Ever since the day you died, you’ve been in my dreams. Your nipples too.”

“We can sit down over a cup of coffee and unpack all of this later. In the meantime, suffice it to say, I’m not dead because you saved my life. And now I’m trying to do the job of returning the favor. Hurry, we don’t have much time. I need to get you back to shore.”

“Back to…shore? You’re the one pushing me?”

“Correct. So set that apparatus on your head with a setting of 100 miles due east, city of Busan. Go to sleep, Jeongguk. You have a serious infection and we need to get it healed but I can’t do it out here. Let’s go, my little purple rain.”

Jeongguk refused to accept a single word that came out of Jimin’s mouth. He’d been fooled many times before by his vivid dreams of the sexy siren. He was not about to fall for his own mind games again. He settled back down into the belly of the raft and

once again fell asleep. Sooner or later the dream would pass and he would wake up in his new reality, whatever that was.

***

It took Jimin less than two hours to swim the 313 miles back to the shore of Busan. Jeongguk’s health was in bad condition. To care for him properly, Jimin took him back to his sailboat instead of dumping him on the dock. He managed to get the larger man settled on a small twin-size bed that he had stored in the cabin at the bottom of the boat.

Jeongguk stirred. He tried to sit up but his body felt as if it were pinned to the mattress. His eye lids twitched, refusing to open despite his brain signaling them to. Struggling against lethargy, he tried again to sit up and look around. But a strong, firm hand rested against his chest to restrict his movement. A cloying, suffocating heat radiated from his body, leaving his forehead slick with sweat that adhered to his faded purple tendrils.

“Relax. You’re very sick. Don’t try to move,” A voice said softly.

“Jack? Is that you?” Jeongguk asked hopefully.

“No, I’m afraid not. No one knows where he is at the moment,” Jimin said

“Who are you?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Jimin laughed.

Jeongguk still could not open his eyes. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Fever. From a nasty infection. Your hands are both infected. The left one is much worse than the right. But you’ll be fine soon. You need to rest,” Jimin advised.

Jeongguk lifted his hands and realized that they were both covered with some kind of foul-smelling plant. “What is this on my hands?” He finally was able to open both eyes as he pulled his hands to his face.

“Your hands are wrapped in a very special kind of seaweed. It’s an ancient plant of the merpeople. It’s called Serelena Glowine and it cures infections. The resin produced seeps through your skin and cleans the bloodstream. It works very quickly. But your infection has gone untreated for many days, so the resin will take some time to cycle through your blood. Tomorrow this time you’ll be as good as new, as long as we can keep you calm. That’s why it’s important for you to rest and not to move. Your fever has spiked. You’re very sick, my purple rain.”

Jeongguk’s vision was blurry. He didn’t recognize the man standing over him, the one with the thick black rimmed glasses and dark beanie.

“What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t,” Jimin giggled. “There’s no point in revisiting it because you’ll never believe me.”

“How did I get here…and where is here?” Jeongguk asked.

“You’re in my sailboat. And I found you floating in the sea,” Jimin explained.

“Why do you seem so familiar?”

“Rest. We’ll talk more later.” Jimin used his small hands to close Jeongguk’s eyes. “I need you to heal. It’s very important to me that you get better.” Jimin used a cool towel to blot the sweat from Jeongguk’s forehead.

Jeongguk was still burning up but his temperature had already dropped. It was a sign that the Serelena Glowine was working. He imagined that it would work much faster on humans than it did on merpeople.

Jimin quietly went about the business of destroying Jeongguk’s raft. He wasn’t sure where Malakar and his crew were lurking so it was best to destroy all signs of Jeongguk’s whereabouts.

Like a scurrilous mouse he worked around his sailboat, washing Jeongguk’s clothes, making new bandages and preparing meals. His stowaway needed food if he was going to reclaim his full health.

Jeongguk needed to be bathed but until his fever was gone, Jimin didn’t dare move him. So instead, he stripped him nude and decided to bathe him by hand.

Using a water bottle filled with a mixture of shampoo and hot water, he began by washing Jeongguk’s faded purple hair. Bits of debris and dirt were pulled from the strands by the strawberry scented foam. He repeated this step several times until his hair rinsed clean.

The hot bubbly water in his pan splashed gently as Jimin swirled the large sponge around. As the man lay there in his transitory period of helplessness, Jimin dabbed the sponge over his skin. Starting with his handsome face, he moved the sponge in circles over each spot until the dirt, sweat and grime all faded. Careful not to aggravate the stitches on his cheek, he carefully washed around his injury, pausing briefly to massage his fingers along Jeongguk’s smooth jawbone. Much like his mother, Jimin had an affinity for the human body. Just as Jeongguk had called Jimin beautiful in his natural mer-state, Jimin thought the same of Jeongguk.

Jeongguk’s skin was softer than he imagined. He proceeded to wash his neck and chest, scrubbing firmly to erase the faint smell of that vile holding tank. Suddenly the memory of being trapped inside of the tank flooded him, causing Jimin to tear up. The terrible memory burned like a scalding hot iron. But he had to put that behind him because he had more work to do. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and continued his task.

He was proud to wash the body of the man who had saved him. He took great pride with every swipe of his sponge.

Through his tears he continued on to wash his legs and feet. Jeongguk remained in a deep slumber throughout. Watching him sleep peacefully, knowing that he was healing was of great comfort to Jimin.

At last, it came time to clean his intimate area. It was not a shock to see it because he himself looked very similar while in the human state. He understood mostly how the mechanism worked so he wasn’t afraid to clean him there. Once again, he swirled the sponge in the water to fill it with soap. Delicately, he caressed the upper region of his crotch. He watched as Jeongguk’s pubic hairs filled with soap. He scrubbed over and over until the area was clean. He then moved on to his sexual anatomy. The human penis was quite hearty, unlike the soft lubricated tissues of a Merpenis. He wasn’t afraid of it. He knew to be gentle, so with great confidence he began to clean Jeongguk’s penis with his lathered sponge.

At first the twitching went unnoticed. He simply thought he was rubbing too hard. So, he scrubbed slower, in large circles to be as gentle as possible. But then the mechanism seemed to move on its own. Jimin removed his hands but the penis continued to stretch on its own, like it was morphing into a completely different appendage.

“Oh God. What’s happening? What did I do?” Jimin jumped away from Jeongguk’s sleeping body.

Despite the skin on his penis stretching and the appendage swelling to twice its normal size, Jeongguk didn’t appear to be in any pain. In fact, he continued sleeping as soundly as ever.

“What did I do? How do I fix it?” Jimin said, terrified.

The only thing he could think to do was to rub it harder to push it back in. But that didn’t work either. The more he touched it, the bigger it grew.

He panicked, “Ahhh, what’s it doing?”

At the rate it was going, the thing would burst at any minute. Jimin paced. He was about to start pouring through his human anatomy books when he realized that the swelling in Jeongguk’s mechanism was starting to go down.

Maybe, he concluded, touching it was making it swell. He wondered if that was another side effect of the infection in Jeongguk’s body. He continued to monitor it as he waited for Jeongguk’s clothes to dry on the deck of his sailboat.

Every hour Jimin would take Jeongguk’s temperature. It was going down fast and almost back to normal by the time he finally woke up. Jimin sat next to his bed, reading through several newspaper articles that contained some good leads on his missing person’s case. His heart fluttered when he saw Jeongguk stir.

“Well hello there. You look much better. How do you feel?” Jimin dropped to his knees next to Jeongguk’s bed so he could examine him closer. He was careful not to accidentally touch his penis because it had proven itself to be wild and unpredictable.

“Who are you?” Jeongguk asked again. This time he had the strength to sit up.

“You don’t recognize me?” Jimin removed his glasses and his beanie and smiled with his diamond white teeth. “How about now?”

“HOLY SHIT!” Jeongguk jumped out of bed. “JIMIN! IS THAT YOU?” He screamed with excitement.

“It’s me, but can you please settle down? You’re still healing, you have to take it easy. Lay back down, please.”

“Jimin. Oh Jimin. I thought you were dead. I thought you were gone, I thought…I thought…wait a fucking minute. Why do you have legs? Don’t tell me I’m hallucinating again?”

“Please, lay back down and I’ll explain everything.” Jimin plopped a thermometer into Jeongguk’s mouth as soon as he was back on the bed.

Jeongguk ripped it from his mouth, “NO! No more poking me with that thing until you explain what the hell is going on here. Where am I? Where have I been? And where is your tail?” Jeongguk said angrily.

“We’ve been through this but I guess I can answer your inquiries once more. You are on my sailboat. You were kidnapped, beaten, and abandoned on a tiny raft in the middle of the Yellow Sea. I helped you back to shore. You’ve been very, very ill so I nursed you back to health and washed your clothes. Now I’m going to feed you and help you get back to your family.”

“Yea, you explained all of the low priority shit but failed to give me the payoff. Where. Is. Your. Tail. Don’t tell me I imagined it? Or dreamed it?”

“Let’s make a deal. You eat, I’ll talk. You’re dehydrated and famished.” Jimin placed a tray full of food in front of Jeongguk. “Everything is very neutral, nothing too spicy or dense. You have to ease back into eating because it’s been about a month since you’ve had a proper meal. Now eat. For every bite you take, I’ll give you more information.”

Jeongguk was more than happy to eat. He pulled the tray into his lap, without even realizing that he was naked. “Go,” he said with a mouth full of chicken broth and crackers.

“I am a Merman. That part is true. But my anatomy, or rather my physical constitution, is much more complicated than that.”

“Where. Is. Your. Tail.” Jeongguk repeated as he moved on to the scrambled egg and jelly sandwich.

“I’m getting to that.”

“Get there faster.”

“I’m half human.” Jimin blurted out. “It’s a very rare trait for Merpeople and most of us are executed at birth. Somehow, I survived.”

“Half human?” Small chunks of egg flew from Jeongguk’s mouth as he chewed. He was extremely hungry and everything that Jimin fed him seemed perfect. “Which part of you is human? Your mom or dad?”

“My dad.”

“We’re getting there, but you’re still not scratching me where I’m itching. Where. Is. Your. Tail.”

“You are persistent. Definitely not one who ever gives up.” Jimin laughed, “Having human genes means that I am amphibious to an extreme degree. I can live on land and breathe oxygen with no need for saltwater. But I also can live in the sea. In fact, I was raised in the sea. That is what I consider to be my home. I’m not very good on land, living amongst humans. But it’s something I have to do for the time being.”

“And where is your tail? Did you tell me and I missed it or…,” Jeongguk was being a brat.

It made Jimin laugh even harder. Your ability to make me laugh is what made me live. He moved to finally answer Jeongguk’s question, “Because I am half human, I have a switch in my brain that allows me to morph into a full human with legs. My natural state is of Homo Murmanus as I explained back when we were being held captive. But I can transition just as easily to a full human, even though it is a bit painful and extremely awkward. I guess with practice, I could get better at it.”

“Why the disguise? The hat and the glasses?”

“My beanie is to cover my gills. They sit behind my ears and they’re quite visible. I don’t want anyone to see them. These glasses have a slight tint in them to hide the natural golden glow of my eyes. I want to look as human as possible when I am amongst you.” Jimin placed his glasses back on his face and crinkled his nose. “Eat please. I’ve kept my end of the deal, now you must eat. I need you to eat everything. I’ve done research on proper nutrition after a forced fast and this is everything you need.”

“You are ethereal as a Merman. But you’re just as angelic as a human. You really do have the best of both worlds,” Jeongguk moved on to his dried seaweed.

“You asked me how I ended up being captured by Malakar and his crew. It’s because they followed me. I’ve been here, on land, trying to locate someone. Someone very dear to me. It’s been about five months that I’ve been here in Busan. During the day, I hide out in a cafe while I conduct my research. But every night I come back here to my sailboat and I sail back out to sea and throw my anchor. That allows me to transition back into Merman form and dive into the ocean. The sailboat is my cover. It keeps me from drawing attention. No one really pays any attention to a man sailing out to sea. I can venture out into the ocean where no one is around and transition privately without drawing attention to myself - or so that’s what I thought.”

“What do you mean?” Jeongguk questioned.

“Malakar and his crew were following me. I had no idea. Somehow, they found out what I am. I guess they decided they could make money off of me, so they ambushed me one night when I was leaving the coffee shop. I was beaten. When I woke up, I was in that putrid tank in my Merman form. I guess I auto transitioned because I was thrown into water. I was there for weeks before you jumped in and found me,” Jimin said sadly.

“Oh, Jimin. You poor man. Fish. Merman? Homo Murmanus? What is your official title?”

“I’m a man. Let’s keep it simple.” Jimin jumped up, “Ooop. Hold that thought. Your clothes are probably dry.”

“My – my clothes?” Jeongguk looked down at his body and realized that he was naked. “Where the hell are my clothes?” Jeongguk stood to his feet. “Have I been naked all this time?”

“Yes. You have. And thank goodness your penis has transitioned back to its normal size. You scared me there for a minute. I’m sure it’s just because of the fever,” Jimin nodded. He picked at the crackers on Jeongguk’s tray.

“Whoa. Whoa-whoa-whoa. Whoa. What the fuck about my penis?” Jeongguk stared at his dick.

“While I was bathing you…,”

“WHOAAAAA. Whoa. Bathing me?”

“You were filthy. I couldn’t allow you to stay that way. I cleaned you and washed your clothes and hair,” Jimin said shyly. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“And you rubbed my dick?”

“I cleaned your mechanism. But something I did caused it to swell. I was so scared. But I’m sure it was just because of the fever. See, it’s perfectly back to normal now that your fever has broken.” Jimin smiled proudly. He had no idea how confused he was.

“Let me play that back to make sure I understand. You were washing my penis while I was sleeping.”

“Yes.”

“You washed it, rubbed it - alot.”

“Yes.”

“I got hard and you…thought it was because of the fever?”

“If hard means swollen, then yes.” Jimin blinked. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t you have your own penis when you’re in your human form?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve never used it?”

“To excrete waste, of course. That’s the purpose of the mechanism.”

“Noooo that certainly is not the purpose of the mech…um…er…penis. It is much more useful than that. Jimin, you’ve never had an erection before in your human form?”

“What’s that?” Jimin asked.

“I don’t even know where to start. Let’s clear something up. Human men use their penises for sex. But in order for us to have sex, we have to get something called an erection. That happens when we are sexually stimulated. You…being as cute as sexy as you are, probably turned me on. I mean, your touch felt good to me, so my penis responded by growing. That’s an erection.”

“There was absolutely nothing sexual going on here. I would never…,” Jimin pressed his flat palm against his chest in disgust. “I was washing you. You needed to be cleaned and you needed clean clothes to fight the infection. Nothing else,” Jimin defended himself.

“But Jimin…it doesn’t work that way. Sometimes men get erections randomly. I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just saying, you’re pretty and you smell like salt water; two of my favorite things. I may have just really enjoyed your touch, even though I was sleeping. Men get erections in their sleep all of the time. It’s perfectly normal. Especially if they’re dreaming or thinking about something that excites them. What you saw was just an erection. It’s not related to the infection. In fact, if I keep thinking about you touching me, I’ll probably end up with another one. So…where did you say my clothes were?” Jeongguk explained as gently and innocently as possible without using a lot of proper anatomical language.

“This is a new concept for me.”

“Are you positive you’ve never felt anything funny down there while in your human form? Maybe some pressure or the area feeling very sensitive?”

“You said that only happened during sexual stimulation. I don’t use my human body for anything sexual. It is strictly for business purposes only.”

“I’m going to have to teach you how to have a little fun with that uh…mechanism,” Jeongguk flirted.

His insinuation was completely lost on Jimin, “I promise to do more research so that I don’t accidentally cause this type of thing to happen again. You have my apologies.”

“I want this to happen. Over and over. It’s a good thing. But I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable. I’ll do my best to control it?” Jeongguk fell onto the bed laughing.

Jimin huffed. He climbed up to the deck to retrieve Jeongguk’s clothes.

Jeongguk watched him disappear. The gravity of his situation suddenly hit him. Had it not been for Jimin showing up when he did, Jeongguk would still be floating in the middle of the ocean. He ate the rest of the meal that Jimin had prepared for him as he waited for him to return with his clothes. Jeongguk still had so many questions.

Standing to his feet wasn’t the best idea because as soon as he did, he immediately felt light-headed and fell back to the bed. Jimin appeared with clean clothes freshly dried by the sun. He immediately ran to Jeongguk who looked as if he’d fainted.

“You ok? I thought I asked you not to get so excited,” Jimin grabbed the thermometer again and was just about to plunge it back into Jeongguk’s mouth, when Jeongguk grabbed his wrist and held it.

With his clean overgrown, purple hair falling in curtains across his face, he stared into Jimin’s golden eyes. Tears began to fall as he stroked his dark hair, “I thought you died. I thought I…was too late.”

“‘Fight my beautiful one. Fight. Your work on this earth is not done. Even if you think no one else cares, remember that I did.’ Do you remember those words?” Jimin asked as he stared down into his hands.

“Those were the last words I said to you before I threw you into the ocean. You heard me?”

“I fought. Because of you…I fought. Because of those words. No one has ever said anything that beautiful to me. Even in my near-death state, I could feel how emotional you were. Your energy was that of a grieving man. And the one you were grieving for was me. It was as if that short time together bonded us.” Jimin removed his

glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. Seeing Jeongguk teary was making him teary. “As soon as the water hit my gills, I awoke. I called out for help and soon, I was surrounded by people of the Mercommunity who had come to help. They nursed me back to health and within a few days, I was better. But I had to find you. I knew you were still on that ship, so I caught up with it and I followed it for a full moon cycle. I knew they would either kill you and throw you overboard or…throw you in the holding tank. I watched the boat night and day, waiting. I didn’t know what to expect but I prayed to the God Thalor for you to live or at least be thrown from the boat while you were still alive. And then, a miracle. They released you…alive…in the raft.”

“Why Jimin? Why were you so invested in what happened to me, especially considering you almost died yourself?”

“Because you saved me. You went beyond what any normal human would have done. Don’t you understand…in my world that is a deed that can never go unpaid. And so, this is my repayment. Gold Shellara for Gold Shellera. Or an eye for an eye as you humans would put it.”

“Shellara?”

“Very ancient gold coins minted in the depth of the coral reefs.”

“In case I haven’t said thank you…thank you.”

Jimin popped up with a smile, “Speaking of gold. I have something for you.”

Jeongguk pulled on his shirt and jeans. They definitely smelled better and the blood stains were all gone. “You did a good job. Did you wash everything by hand?”

“I did.” Jimin said as he came to sit at Jeongguk’s knee. “Close your eyes,” he said.

“Please let this be more scrambled eggs and strawberry jelly toast.”

“You liked that, huh? We’ll have to see if we can make you another batch. Watching you eat pleases me. But no, this is not that. It’s something much better. Lean over.”

With his eyes still closed, Jeongguk leaned forward. He could suddenly smell a hint of sea water; a smell that likely came from Jimin. The smell of the ocean always made him horny. He grinned a big silly grin as he waited for Jimin’s surprise.

Jimin lifted his arms and dropped the locket over Jeongguk’s head. He sat there with his hand still lingering on Jeongguk’s chest near the fall of the locket. “Open your eyes.”

Jeongguk already knew what it was. He recognized the familiar weight of his precious locket the moment it brushed against his chest. “Jimin, thank you.” Jeongguk smiled down at the locket as he held it in his hands. “You…cleaned it? And fixed the clasp?” He said while examining the sparkle of the gold.

“Yep. I found it in your pocket when I was washing your jeans. We merpeople are very good at keeping gold. I hope you don’t mind…I…looked inside. May I ask, who is he? He’s very handsome. A lover perhaps,” Jimin asked innocently.

“No lovers in my life. I haven’t had that for a very long time. Jimin, this is my older brother, Ji-Yoon.”

“The one who died?”

“Yea.”

“Now I understand why you risked your life to get that locket back. Strange as it sounds, this locket now means just as much to me as it does to you because this locket is why you found me and saved my life. I hope in the future, after we have parted ways, you’ll always think of me too when you visit Ji-Yoon.”

“Thank you, Jimin.” Jeongguk leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

It was a soft fleeting brush against his chin, but it still made Jimin flutter. He grabbed his cheek where Jeongguk’s kiss had landed. His entire face turned bright red.

Jeongguk was instantly enchanted. Not just because of how Jimin cared for his locket, but by the way he gracefully and respectfully didn’t press Jeongguk to tell him what happened to Ji-Yoon. Somehow Jimin knew that it wasn’t something Jeongguk could talk about at that moment. His emotional intelligence was more acute than any human he’d ever met. Maybe it was his merman sensibilities, but it hooked Jeongguk immediately. Even in human form, Jimin continued to be a calming presence for him; someone that made him forget his troubles.

Ancient Harlequin lore says that when a person falls in love, they can hear the ringing of bells. It was at that moment that Jeongguk heard a symphony of bells chime loudly in his head. But surely the sound was just in his head.

“Part ways?” Jeongguk suddenly frowned as Jimin’s words registered. He sat on the ground close to him. For a cold-blooded fish, Jimin’s body felt incredibly warm and satisfying.

Jimin explained, “I have to get you back to your family, Jeongguk. They must be worried out of their minds. That…what was the word you used?” Jimin pondered, “Yes…FUCKER. That fucker Malakar dumped you in the ocean. No one knows where you are. As far as they’re concerned, he never released you. We have to get you home. I just…I just didn’t want them to see you like that -dirty and sick. I had to cure you first. It was the least I could do.”

“You’re entirely too grateful,” Jeongguk laughed.

“There is no such thing.”

“Jimin, speaking of Malakar, we need to talk about him. Jimin, you’re in danger. Malakar thinks you’re alive and were stolen by Vex.”

“What?”

“I had to come up with a cover story to explain why both you and Vex went missing. I told him that Vex stole you to sell at an aquarium. My point is…Malakar is looking for you. He’ll come here without a doubt to try to find you. You can’t stay here alone, not anymore.”

“You’re right, but Jeongguk I have no choice. I’m on a mission that must be completed. And I won’t stop until it’s done.”

Jeongguk thought for a moment. He wanted to ask what mission was important enough for Jimin to risk getting caught and thrown in the holding tank again. But he decided instead to show Jimin the same respect he’d shown him. He didn’t ask.

“Ok. I won’t try to stop you but at least let me help you. Come home with me. Stay at my place for a while. I’ll protect you.”

“Protect me?”

“Keep you hidden. You said it yourself; Malakar and his crew know where to find you. Busan is going to be the first place they look while searching for you. Conversely, they know nothing about me. They found me in the middle of the sea on a yacht that they thought was mine. They don’t know where I live. Hell, they don’t even know if I’m still alive.”

“Fuckers dumped you in the middle of the sea.”

Jeongguk laughed at the fact that Jimin had adopted the word ‘fuckers’, “You’re unusually irritated by that.”

“It was rude.”

“Yea. It was rude.” Jeongguk agreed. “So, will you come? I mean, will you stay with me for a little while, just until you finish your mission…whatever it is.”

“What about my sailboat?” Jimin asked.

“Your boat is safe here. No one ever bothers the boats that are docked here. Besides, we can come and check on it every day if it will make you feel better.” A thought was triggered, “Hey where did you get a sailboat in the first place? Doesn’t seem like something a merman would need.”

“It was abandoned in a reef about 500 miles from here. Many things are abandoned in the sea. Sometimes people fall into the water and drown. Other times they take their own lives. No one knows why this boat was abandoned. The owner just disappeared. It floated on the surface for over a month. When I decided to come ashore five months ago, I remembered that it had been stranded there. So, I boarded it and taught myself how to navigate it.”

“You’re very smart, aren’t you? Very resourceful. I like that. Say yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, yes. Say yes. Say that you’ll come hang out at my place for a few weeks until you can finish your business here on shore.”

“Doesn’t having me around put you in danger?” Jimin stared at his hands again.

“Gold Shellera for gold Shellera. After what you did for me, I have to return the favor. Say yes. We can eat tuna gimbap and watch The Little Mermaid. She’s probably one of your cousins.”

Jimin understood the reference. He fell into laughter, once again taunting Jeongguk with his stunning smile.

“Do I have to give you an answer right away?” Jimin asked hesitantly.

“No. You don’t. But your safety is important to me. I need an answer soon.”

“Jeongguk, we have to get you home now. I found an article in the newspaper about your disappearance.” Jimin showed Jeongguk a newspaper that he’d been using for research. “It says you’ve been missing for 31 days. You never made it to your port of call in New Zealand and the Captain of the Blue Nightingale reported your kidnapping.”

“You’re right. Rei and Hobeum paid my ransom days ago. They must be out of their minds with worry. I do have to go.”

“I’m coming with you. Your fever has broken, but I must still keep an eye on you until we can get you to a human hospital. They’ll need to check you out. My ancient merpeople remedies aren’t exactly sanctioned by the Board of Health Ministry.”

“I feel fine. But yea, I’ll go to the ER to have myself checked out because I’m still not sure what kind of pain medication Jack was feeding me. Hopefully it’s not anything harmful.”

“Once this is all over, I hope we can find Jack.”

“So do I.”

***

Jeongguk had no phone. It had been left on the yacht during the night of the kidnapping. Even getting an Uber was difficult as he had to borrow a phone from a stranger to summon one. Jimin tried giving the woman some dusty old coins for payment. She refused and selflessly covered the fare.

Jeongguk wasn’t exactly sure where to find Rei and Hobeum so he started with his own dance studio.

As he and Jimin pulled up in the uber, they were blinded by sirens and red lights. The place was flooded with cops, no doubt there to take a report after Jeongguk failed to come home post ransom.

There were so many people there. Jeongguk was suddenly very grateful for Jimin cleaning him up before taking him back to his friends. They had all been traumatized enough. Seeing him turn up dirty, feverish and half dead would have made everything worse.

Jimin’s skin went pale. The flurry of lights and police cars seemed to disorient him, frighten him. It was likely a spectacle that he had never seen before.

“It’s alot, I know. But it’s just the police. Given that my story made the news, it’s probably a pretty big deal. Stay close to me. It’s ok,” Jeongguk explained. He held Jimin’s hand to comfort him as they snaked their way through the randomly parked police cards that sat outside of his studio.

“This is where your friends are?” Jimin asked.

Jeongguk explained, “I own this place. And yes, based on all of the chaos, they are here, probably talking to the police.”

As soon as they approached the front door of Jeon Studios, Jeongguk saw Rei and Hobeum huddled together crying. Rei’s husband was also there, comforting her.

Rei looked up and released a loud scream. She barreled towards Jeongguk and flew into his arms. Whatever medication that Jimin had used to heal him had worked miracles, because he felt no pain despite how hard she crashed into him.

Jeongguk tried to sooth his inconsolable friend, “It’s ok. It’s ok. I’m here. I’m here,” he said as he embraced her in a hug. Hobeum arrived seconds after, with more warm, thankful embraces.

The three of them held on to each other as Jimin stood back and observed. Jeongguk was loved. And knowing that made him feel satisfied.

“You’re home! You’re home! How? How? When? When did you…,” Rei was inconsolable.

“They released me as soon as they received the ransom. But…they dumped me in the middle of the ocean about two hundred miles away. I had no sense of direction, no way to get myself to shore and I was surrounded by sharks. I was very sick… close to death. Until he came along,” Jeongguk gestured towards Jimin. He found him shyly observing, standing at what his merman mind probably considered a reasonable distance. He smiled at Jeongguk before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Until this man found me and fished me out of the water. He brought me back to shore and helped me.” Jeongguk pulled Jimin into their circle, once again holding his hand to comfort him.

Rei asked no questions. She immediately looped her arms around Jimin’s neck and pressed her petite body into his with an overwhelmingly thankful hug. “You saved him. You brought him back to us. That’s all that matters.”

“Rei, Hobeum, this is Jimin.” Jeongguk realized at that point that he didn’t know his surname, so he left it at Jimin. “He is very important to me and I am so thankful that he found me.” Jeongguk told a story that sounded very similar to the story that Jimin had to tell.

“Thank you, Jimin,” Hobeum gave him a firm handshake.

The handshake was overly aggressive, causing Jimin to lose his balance. “Yep, well I better be going now. It’s getting late and I need to get back to my sailboat.” Jimin bowed to all of them and tried to sneak off.

“Jimin, wait,” Jeongguk looked towards his friends, “excuse me a minute, I need to talk to him.” Jeongguk ran after him. “You can’t go back. You can’t, it’s not safe. I know I said I would give you time to think about it and I will. But for right now, tonight, just come home with me. No pressure. Just for tonight. We can talk about a long-term solution tomorrow. Just stay tonight,” Jeongguk begged. He didn’t want Jimin to stay solely for his safety; he wanted Jimin to stay because he wasn’t ready to let him go. “Please just say yes.”

Jimin gave it some thought, “Staying just one night can’t cause any harm. Plus, I do need to watch you and continue to monitor your temperature. I guess I can stay. Do you have room for me? I won’t be an inconvenience, will I?”

“On the contrary, it will be the first night in many years that I didn’t have to spend the night alone in that big lonely apartment. I have plenty of room for you.”

“Is the offer to watch the Little Mermaid still on the table or…?”

***

The evening was busy. The police had a million questions for Jeongguk as they tried to piece together the identities of the men who had kidnapped him. Jeongguk was visibly uncomfortable as he recounted the events that had occurred over the many days he was held captive. Certain details made him squirm and at one point he even cried.

As terrible as the kidnapping was for him, it was ten times worse for Jimin. Yet Jimin remained the quiet victim; the one who wasn’t free to tell his story because he couldn’t reveal who he was, what he was.

As badly as Jeongguk wanted to vent about the atrocities done to Jimin, he knew he couldn’t. Instead, he provided as much information as he could about the murders that occurred on board the Blue Nightingale. The police were very interested in Malakar and Vex, the two men that the captain had identified as being responsible for the murder of his crew. The death of Hyun Suk jarred the city of Busan and his relatives and fans all demanded justice. The hunt was on for Malakar and that gave Jeongguk some peace, knowing that he likely would not return to Busan anytime soon since he was a wanted man.

The hospital held Jeongguk for a couple of hours while they ran tests. The injury to his face had healed without any scarring, just as Jack had promised. And his blood was clean with no sign of infection. Still, the doctor restricted him from returning to work for a couple of weeks.

It was almost 3am by the time the police and the doctors allowed Jeongguk to head home. With a tired Jimin in tow, they Ubered back to Jeongguk’s apartment. The police were able to recover his phone, clothes and other belongings from the yacht when it was intercepted by the coastguard. Having to revisit that night in such detail for the police was like being retraumatized all over again.

As Jeongguk walked Jimin through the apartment, he felt the need to make something very clear to his guest. They stopped near the book shelves so Jeongguk could explain.

“Consider this place yours. But I have one rule.”

“Rule? Yes, please tell me. Do I need a notebook to write it down?” Jimin didn’t have his notes, he’d left everything on his sailboat.

Jeongguk laughed softly as they stood in the glow of a nearby desk lamp, “No need to take notes. This one is pretty simple. My one rule is that you always have to be yourself. This is a safe place. Which means not hiding the beauty of who you are.” Jeongguk reached forward and removed Jimin’s beanie and thick black rimmed glasses. He could immediately see Jimin’s gills opening and closing as he breathed the air around them. With the softest touch possible, he ran his fingers through Jimin’s jet black, shortly cropped hair. “Doesn’t that feel better.”

Jimin smiled with 1000 megawatts. “It does. You’re very kind, thank you. That’s a rule that I am sure I can follow.”

They continued on. “This is your room. You have your own bed and bathroom. Plenty of space to stretch out and…,” Jeongguk leaned hard against the wall.

He couldn’t even finish his words. The sudden realization of what he’d been through overwhelmed him. He was alive. He was back home. He was safe. Despite wishing for death every single day of his ordeal, God spared him. And much of his survival was because of the diminutive, humble man that stood next to him.

His months of depression seemed so petty when viewed through the lens of his new trauma. He leaned against the wall and released it all. With no trepidation, he cried in front of Jimin, a man he barely knew.

“I told you. This experience bonds us. We will forever be linked long after I’ve returned to the sea. We are the two who lived.” Jimin wanted to offer a kiss as comfort but he wasn’t sure of human etiquette for when it was appropriate. He only knew how good it had made him feel when Jeongguk did it to him. He felt it was best to avoid comfort kisses until he could research their proper use.

But he did understand hugs. So, he gave Jeongguk a very big one.

***

The following morning there was a strong knock at the door. Jeongguk stumbled out of bed and made his way to the front door, grabbing his robe and slippers along the way. As soon as he opened the door, he was hit with a screaming fury of camera flashes in his face. Hundreds of media were standing in the parking lot and surrounding his house, trying to get his story. Questions were thrown at him as picture after picture of him wearing his robe were taken without his permission.

“Mr. Jeon, Mr. Jeon, tell us what happened, how did you survive the kidnapping?”

“Mr. Jeon, who was the person who saved you, can we get a name?”

“Mr. Jeon, how does it feel to be home? Will you still be attending the premier of Black Smoke?”

“Mr. Jeon, who were the men who kidnapped you?”

“Mr. Jeon, what did chef Hyun Suk say before he was killed?”

“Mr. Jeon, did you witness the murders? What were your injuries?”

“Mr. Jeon…,”

Jeongguk slammed the door shut. He leaned against it and gasped. He was suddenly front-page news. From his living room window, he could see all of the satellite trucks sitting in front of his apartment.

“So much for a little relaxation and privacy,” he complained.

“Who are all of these people?” Jimin walked quickly from his bedroom as he peered at the parking lot full of news trucks.

“Media. I guess everyone wants to know my story,” Jeongguk laughed. “This is a literal nightmare.”

He smiled at Jimin who already had his glasses on to cover his golden-brown eyes. His frumpy clothes were pulled on carelessly and his beanie was down over his head.

“Maybe I should go. I don’t want anyone to question why I’m here.” He pulled his beanie even further down until his eyes were barely visible. “What if they figure out who I am?”

Jeongguk realized that Jimin was squeamish having that many people around. He didn’t like attention, especially after his kidnapping ordeal. Jeongguk did what he could to make him feel comforted.

“They won’t. They have no way of knowing. What do you normally eat for breakfast?”

Jimin tangled himself in the drapes so that he could remain hidden while he stared at the media circus outside of the apartment. “So many people,” he said nervously.

“Don’t worry about them. Breakfast? What would you like?” Jeongguk asked again.

“Uh…usually Dani decides. Croissants mostly. Sometimes donuts, and always a hot cup of coffee.”

“Dani? Who is Dani?”

“My friend. She’s a barista at Milestone coffee. That’s where I go every day to work on my…project.”

Jimin made a second reference to his project and once again Jeongguk politely ignored it. “I love Milestone. It’s my favorite coffee shop. I stop by there almost every day on my way to the dance studio. I’m surprised I’ve never seen you. But I normally get my orders to-go.”

Jimin continued to stare through the window.

“Hey.” Jeongguk grabbed Jimin’s hand and led him away from the window. He coaxed him to the couch where he consoled him, “Don’t worry about them. I’m an ex-idol and I know how to keep things private. In fact, I have a secret entrance to this place. We can come and go as we please and no one will ever see us. So, don’t worry, okay.”

Jimin nodded. “I trust you.”

“Good. So how did you sleep?”

“Well, I slept very well.” Jimin smiled. “I’ve always loved the seaweed gardens in the shallows. It’s the best place to get a nice rest. Your bed felt very much like it, without the salt water of course. Very soft and comfortable. Thank you.”

“That’s good news. So, I was thinking. I can’t return to work for a while, Doctor’s orders. That means I have some free time on my hands. What if…I help you?”

“Help me?”

“Yes. Whatever this mission is, it must be important if you refuse to go back to the sea for your own safety. Maybe I can help.”

“Help.” Jimin lowered his head. His expression saddened as he stared into his hands. “I’m not sure anyone can help. I’ve lost everything. All of the work that I gathered over the last five months is gone.”

“How?” Jeongguk scooted closer to Jimin.

“Malakar. The night I was attacked, I was knocked unconscious. I kept all of my notebooks, and newspaper articles in my backpack. It was stolen. There was nothing of value in it. But the information inside was very valuable to me. That night was the night that I finally had a breakthrough. I found an article in the newspaper that was a great lead. But all of it is gone now. I have no idea what Malakar and his crew did with it. Without it, I’m at square one.”

“You mean you have to start all over?” Jeongguk’s heart ached seeing Jimin’s sad expression.

“Yes. I’ve been coming on shore for five months, collecting information. All of it is now gone.”

“Is there anything remaining?”

“Just the few items that I left on my sailboat. They never found those.”

“All is not lost. I can help you start over.” Jeongguk still avoided probing into Jimin’s mission. But he knew that sooner or later, the truth would reveal itself. “Let’s go back to your sailboat, gather what’s there and then you can spend the day here researching. You can relax here and go beanie free for the entire day. Then tonight, we’ll decide what’s next.”

***

The fish and the dancer headed straight to the shore. On the way, they stopped at Milestone so that Jimin could visit with Dani and let her know that he wouldn’t be in again.

She was at his table, waiting with a steaming hot cup of coffee and two bagels. “There you are. I’ve been worried sick. You’ve been gone for days. Were you able to do it? Did you convert everything over? Did it work?” She said breathlessly as she clung to Jimin.

Jimin responded obtusely, “Yes. It worked just fine. We can discuss it later. Dani, this is a friend of mine, Jeongguk.”

“Jeongguk? The missing choreographer? You know him? How? You never mentioned Jeongguk before,” she emphasized Jeongguk’s name to show her disdain for his sudden inclusion. “And…you have friends? You never mentioned friends before.”

“Jeongguk is a new friend,” Jimin was slightly confused by her sudden hostility.

“Hi. Nice to meet you.” Jeongguk extended his hand to shake, but Dani folded her arms instead. Jimin and I only recently met, but he’s already become very dear to me,” Jeongguk said as he stared at the side of Jimin’s face. It took him seconds to realize that Danie had a thing for the little merman.

“Listen Dani. I only stopped by to tell you that I won’t be here today. I’m spending the day with Jeongguk. He’s going to help me with some research. But I’ll be back soon, ok? So don’t give away my seat,” Jimin smiled.

“What do you mean you won’t be back here today? I’ve been helping you with your research for months. Suddenly, I’m not good enough now that purple hair has come along?” Dani scowled at Jeongguk’s faded purple tresses.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. And of course, you’ve helped me. All of this is because of you,” Jimin whispered. Jeongguk wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but clearly, he and Dani had a bit of a thing.

“We better get going Jimin. We have to get to your sailboat,” Jeongguk remarked.

“He gets to go to your sailboat? Every time I asked to go, you said no. What the fuck, Jimin?”

“You’re very dear to me. You’ll always be dear to me. Spending a single day working on something specific with Jeongguk will never change that. Please say you understand.”

For a grown woman, her childish pout was award worthy. “I guess.” Jimin bowed to her with a loving smile. “Don’t forget your breakfast,” she said in a monotone voice.

As soon as they exited the shop, Jeongguk immediately pounced, “So that’s Dani,” he laughed. “A bit tense, isn’t she?”

“Not really. She was just surprised to see you, I think.”

“Be honest with me Jimin,” Jeongguk said as he sipped his coffee, “Are you sure that she’s never made your human penis feel a little funny?”

“You said penile erections were because of sexual stimulation. A female cannot sexually stimulate me. It isn’t possible.”

“Why?” Jeongguk stopped walking. He was more than curious to hear Jimin’s explanation.

“Because I only require males.”

“You’re a gay merman?” Jeongguk grabbed his stomach as he laughed garishly. “This just keeps getting better and better.”

“Gay…is not a term we often use. We are sexually fluid with no particular tie to either or. During puberty, we often prefer both. But eventually, once you get to be my age, you understand your preference. My preference is male,” Jimin pushed the black rim glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“So why is she so pissed off because I showed up? Does she have a crush on you?”

“Define crush please?”

“Does she like you…want to go out on dates and stuff? Possibly want to kiss on the lips?”

Jimin blushed, “I believe that is accurate. She has asked me to go on dates many times. She called me handsome. Regal.”

“You are…both handsome and regal,” Jeongguk flirted. Something about learning Jimin had a preference for males emboldened him.

“I have always been honest with her. My time here on shore will be temporary. She will need to find someone with permanent human legs to fall in love with. I am not a good choice.”

“Does she know…your secret?” Jeongguk asked.

“She suspects that I am not what I appear to be. She has danced around the question, but never blatantly asked me.”

“Would you ever tell her? I mean you two seem close.”

“She’s a wonderful person. She has done something for me that is truly incredible. I can never repay her. Really, she’s the only person that I know here, besides the owner of the shop. I will never forget her, but I cannot be the companion she’s seeking.”

“Good to know,” Jeongguk winked.

As they walked down the dock towards Jimin’s sailboat, they noticed something peculiar. The door to the bottom cabin was open and it had not been that way the previous night when they left. A shadow spilled from the entrance. Jeongguk immediately grew suspicious and pulled Jimin onto the deck of another boat a few feet away. They hid behind the stored masts as they watched to see who was fishing around on Jimin’s boat.

They could hear the intruder’s footsteps creaking as he walked through Jimin’s cabin. And then the man stepped into the light where both Jimin and Jeongguk could get a clear look at his face.

“Rocky!” They both whispered.

Rocky and his brother Bones were the two men tearing through Jimin’s belongings. They spoke a few words to each other that were difficult to decipher and then jumped into a small raft, similar to the one they had abandoned Jeongguk in. However, their raft had a motor. Bones pulled the string and the motor coughed to life after several failed attempts. The propeller spun fast as Bones used the handle to steer towards the open sea. They sped off with the boat gradually fading into the foggy distance.

Just as Jeongguk suspected, Malakar and his crew were still searching for Vex and Jimin. It was bold for Rocky and Bones to venture into town considering they were two of the most wanted men in the country. They must have wanted Jimin back very badly, which was a sign of just how much danger Jimin was in.

Jimin had an epiphany, “So that’s how they’re coming and going undetected. I suppose that the large fishing boat is anchored somewhere just off the coast, so they can monitor the yachts that are sailing towards the Pacific. That’s probably how they’re finding the targets to rob. This explains everything,” Jimin said.

“This is how they’re finding their victims.” Jeongguk felt sick. He realized that he and his yacht mates probably had been being watched during his entire trip. “Do you think they happened to see you one day when you went out to sea and transformed back into your merbody?”

“I tried to be so careful. I didn’t think there was anyone around. But if they happened to be spying on the ships entering and exiting the strait, then it’s possible they could have seen me diving and swimming in the area. How could I be so careless?” Jimin berated himself.

“Ok, this changes everything. We cannot let them get you again. You have to stay with me, you can’t come back to this boat. It’s too dangerous. My place is much safer and we can hide you there until you finish your…mission.” Jeongguk still didn’t know what Jimin was searching for. “Between the police and all of the media surrounding my apartment, they won’t dare come anywhere near there.” Jeongguk looked back at Jimin’s boat. “I think they’re gone now. Let’s grab what we can and get the fuck out of here before they come back.”

“Are you sure about this? By keeping me around, you’re now in danger too.”

“We’re stronger together,” Jeongguk said simply.

Thankfully they were able to gather what was left of Jimin’s research. They quickly fled. Jeongguk immediately called in the sighting of Rocky and Bones to the KPA. The more information he could give the police, the better chance they had of the dangerous men getting caught.

⋆‧☽◯☾‧⋆

chapter four: Mer-Rut

📕12,513

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For five straight days Jeongguk sat at Jimin’s side, helping him read through the mounds and mounds of books that he found at the library. It was like looking for a needle in the haystack when he had neither a needle or a haystack. He had no idea what he was looking for or what Jimin ultimately needed. But each paragraph, news article and cross reference that Jimin told him was important, he captured.

Since Jeongguk had snatched him from Dani’s clutches, it became his responsibility to keep Jimin caffeinated and fed. He didn’t eat much, but he seemed to have a real affinity for the tuna and mayonnaise gimbap that Jeongguk found at the convenience store. Coffee and tuna became his guide on how to keep his adopted merman alive.

Out of nowhere Jimin became frustrated and threw his pen down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t remember which notebook I used to track the history of Thalasar,” he dropped his head down on the desk and sat there idly contemplating his life.

“Ok, no shade, but why aren’t you using a computer to organize all of your notes?”

“I’m a creature of the sea. I was born there, raised there. I carry traces of sea water with me everywhere I go. That is to say…me and electronics don’t really get along.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Jimin removed several iPhones and iPads from his backpack. All of them seemed to be fried with rust colored burn marks across the screens. “This happens every time I try to touch one of these. The water from my skin seeps into the device and well…szzzzzzz.” Jimin shook like he was being electrocuted.

“That must be so frustrating,” Jeongguk thought that was the quirkiest and cutest thing he’d ever seen. His adopted merman was allergic to electronics or rather they were allergic to him. He touched Jimin’s fingers and sure enough, they were very moist. He could understand how he short-circuited all of his devices. “Never fear, Jeongguk is here. I have an extra laptop. I can take all of your notes and help you keep things organized. Spiral notebooks are so 1988,” Jeongguk teased.

“Why are you so kind to me? It’s something that I still don’t understand. Most people would be repulsed if they knew what I was. But from the moment you fished me out of that filthy hell hole, you’ve treated me like I was something to behold. Something special. Why? I just don’t understand.”

Jeongguk was thoughtful with his answer, “Do you believe in destiny?”

“Of course. In the book of Merlin, we learn all about destiny, balance, karma, and how it all interacts with the universe.”

“Good. Then you’ll understand what I’m about to say. You and I were destined. I don’t know why, but we were. Regardless of species, a greater power needed us to find each other. Together, there is something very special that we were meant to do. I just don’t know what it is yet. But Jimin, it’s more than that. I really like you. I like being around you. Before I met you, I was struggling to get out of bed every single day. My life didn’t really feel like my own. I was angry all of the time, lashing out at those I loved. I was suffering from severe depression. And then I met you. Something about you made me feel important, like there was a much bigger purpose in my life. I haven’t felt a single moment of depression since that night we met. Even when I thought you were dead, I was sad. It hurt. But I felt better for having known you for that brief moment in time. You’re special Jimin. And whatever this mission is that you’re on, it’s special too. I just want to be a part of it. I want to help you. I want to be remembered by you as someone who mattered to you. You changed my life.”

Jimin touched Jeongguk’s hand, “You’ll always be remembered by me. Always.”

***

Because of the trauma from the kidnapping, Jeongguk’s therapist suggested that he do some intensive therapy before going back to work. That resulted in another month away from the dance studio and another month of working side by side with Jimin, unraveling the mystery of his life.

Jeongguk learned so much about the sea creature, from his high level of intelligence, to his rapid-fire adaption of human culture, to his longing for a real family. Jimin was a cornucopia of complexities both emotionally and physiologically.

Jeongguk found himself observing him like a school girl with a crush. Butterflies soared through his stomach every time Jimin’s gills fluttered after finding an interesting article. He drowned in his smile whenever he told an Arial mermaid joke that made Jimin laugh. He held his hand and wiped his tears whenever a day of research ended with no new leads. If there was an anecdote for healing from trauma – Jimin was it.

Jeongguk didn’t really care that he was working blind and knew nothing about what Jimin was looking for. He only wanted to be with him, every day bonding over a common goal. That was most important.

Four weeks after the incident on the sea, Jeongguk was finally given clearance to return to work. But it didn’t mark the end of helping Jimin with his research. They simply moved all of Jimin’s books and newspapers to the studio and set him up with a room while Jeongguk resumed classes.

“JEONGGUK!” James, the one who always received the brunt of Jeongguk’s wrath for his lackluster performances was the first to run and hug him when he stepped

About

into the practice studio. “We were so worried. This was a nightmare. I’ll never slack off again, I promise. I’ll make you proud,” James said as he hugged Jeongguk’s waist.

The others made their way towards him as well. The entire studio, all of the staff, all of the students breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that their leader was back. Rei began to cry, as she always did during Jeongguk’s post-kidnapping era.

But it was Sungwoo who was the slowest to approach him. He wore a pained expression as he waited for his turn to speak to him. His first words didn’t make sense, “Everything that happened to you was my fault.”

“Hey Sung. What are you talking about? What was your fault?”

“Your kidnapping. I’m the one who wished you away. The last day you were here, I wished for you to be gone and to never come back. I said those words and then poof, you were gone. I should have never said those things,” Sungwoo said through tears.

“Listen dumb ass, if you think for a second that you can wish me away, you’ve got another thing coming. I’m here and I’m back and I’m going to kick your ass if this routine isn’t pristine.” Jeongguk joked by ribbing Sungwoo a bit. He broke the tension, causing all of them to laugh. He was careful to reassure them that nothing that happened to him was their fault.

“Hey Jimin. Nice to see that you again,” Rei winked at Jeongguk. It wasn’t like Jeongguk to be clingy to anyone. Yet, Jimin seemed to be constantly around. She wondered, had Jeongguk’s savior become his crush? “Soooooo, Jimin, where are you from?”

Jimin’s eyes flitted back and forth between Jeongguk and Rei. He didn’t really have a great answer, “Seoul.”

“Seoul. That’s nice. I never got your full name.”

“Park, Park Jimin,” Jimin bowed.

“Well, I know I’ve said this one hundred times but thank you for what you did for Jeongguk. Tell me, have you two been hanging out the entire time that Jeongguk was on medical leave?”

“He’s been helping me with a project,” Jimin responded quickly.

“Good. He needs someone like you in his life. He needs uh…young, attractive, handsome friends,” Rei wasn’t subtle. “Alright boys, the boss is back. We’ve been working our asses off to get this routine right and now it’s time to make him proud. Show him what you got,” Rei said heartily. She felt an unexplainable joy knowing that Jeongguk was back to work again.

Jeongguk watched Jimin with great interest. Jimin’s adaptability was remarkable. Jeongguk appreciated how much his human side dominated his personality. It seemed as if he was less and less mermish the more he remained on land.

“Park Jimin?” Jeongguk repeated. That was new information. “What a beautiful name especially for a beautiful Merman,” he whispered into the side of Jimin’s ear.

Jimin blushed and sunk even further under his dark beanie.

Rei’s loud voice echoed through the dance studio, “From the top. And five, six, seven, eight…,”

The music boomed as the members of Black Smoke all posed in their starting positions. Every line was clean, every pose was correct, every angle was perfect. Before they even started, Jeongguk could already see the improvement. He circled around each member, scowling, trying to hide his smile.

With an explosion of energy, they broke into their routine, every step in sync, every eye focused. They were incredible. Their movements were big, and wide with intricacies down to the fingertips.

“Wooooooo!” Jeongguk screamed. He was so impressed that he ran to the front row to dance the routine with them. Through the mirror he critiqued every single step, trying to find flaws. There were none. The members of Black Smoke executed their dance as perfectly as possible considering they were un-debuted idols.

By the time the music ended, Jeongguk was jumping up and down, running back and forth through the practice room. Rei stood proudly as she lovingly watched her boys soak up the praise from their harshest critic.

“That was fucking fantastic! Who are you people? I-I-I never thought you could get here. And all it took was for me to be kidnapped, drugged, beaten, dumped in the sea and abandoned for you to get it right,” he joked.

The rest of the team laughed, but Jimin was sullen. Jeongguk noticed his somber expression. Quietly Jimin left the room. Jeongguk gave one last high-five and hug to each of the Black Smoke members and then told them to ‘get back to work’ as he casually jogged after Jimin.

He found him huddled in Jeongguk’s office. With his stacks of books all around him and a computer he couldn’t touch, he looked pitiful and lost.

Jeongguk shut the door behind him so they could have some privacy. “Yea, ok, tell me what’s wrong.” He removed Jimin’s beanie so that he could caress his silky soft hair. It always made Jimin’s gills flutter when he touched him that way.

“I don’t belong here. I don’t know how to live amongst you,” Jimin said sadly. “I want to go back home. It’s all that I want. The sea.”

“Well, you sure are doing a good job so far. No one knows that you’re not from this world. And besides, you won’t be here long, just until we can figure out your mystery…whatever it is,” Jeongguk laughed.

“You’ve been with me for a month now, searching for things that you don’t understand. Never asking questions. Never probing. Never letting me get discouraged. Maybe it’s time to tell you the truth.”

“The truth?” Jeongguk was intrigued. As far as he knew, every single word that Jimin had ever uttered was the truth.

“My father…that’s who I’ve been looking for all this time. I need to find him.”

“You don’t know who he is?”

“I have no idea. The only thing I know is that he’s from Korea. I started here in Busan because the other Merpeople of the community suggested that I start here. No one has any history of him because he’s human,” Jimin explained. “Jeongguk, I’m not supposed to be alive. Half-breeds like me are frowned upon in my community. The reason that I was so willing to die when we were trapped is because I’m supposed to be dead anyway. No one like me is supposed to live past birth.”

“Just because you’re half human?”

“Seems like a small thing, but it is a very big deal. Having a child like me goes against every moral code in the mercommunity. We are supposed to stay away from humans, they’re our enemy. Yet my mother mated with one. It is strictly forbidden for merpeople to mate with humans. Any offspring from that mating is considered cursed. Most half-breed children die at birth or are killed. But I was an exception. My grandparents were very powerful in our world and they saved me. They would not allow my life to be taken because they felt that the sin lived within my mother, not within me.

But in order to appease the merpeople, my mother had to die. And my grandparents did nothing to save her. I don’t know who killed her, but I blame them for letting it happen. They then took me and raised me as their own. I grew up tormented by the greatest conflict of all time because I hated them and loved them at the same time.”

“But what does this have to do with your father? Surely your grandparents aren’t going to allow you to see him?” Jeongguk asked.

“My grandparents are dead. They both died of old age twenty-four moon cycles ago. I’ve been a rogue since then with no family, no foundation and barely a home. There are some in the community who still tolerate me, but most believe I’m cursed and not worthy of living in their world. Even though I have no more familial ties to the sea, the curse remains.”

“Curse? That’s silly. Curses aren’t real,” Jeongguk argued.

“Yes, and you said that mermen weren’t real either. Yet your hand keeps caressing my left gill,” Jimin laughed. “The curse is very real. It is meant to keep people like me from breeding and spreading my tainted half human seed. The merpeople want their community to be clean and pure, not polluted by human blood.”

“Damn, are we that bad?”

“Yes, but that’s a different story for a different day.” Jimin managed to laugh again. “With no blood relatives alive to protect me, the curse has taken hold. As mermen, we come into our sexual peak at the age of thirty-two. That is when most of the males begin mating and having merbabies of their own. That is the age where procreation becomes our primary activity. But the curse is designed to prevent this. It’s designed to exile me from the sea before I can ever make a child. I’ll be forced to live on land, away from the sea. That is what I mean when I say…I don’t belong here. I have to find my father.”

“Your father can break the curse?”

“My father’s blood. Only his blood can save me from being exiled from the sea. I want to go home, Jeongguk.”

“Are you saying that after all we’ve been through, you could still end up living here on land, permanently?”

“Yes. I’ve tried to research and find other half-breeds like me, who had been affected by the curse. But…there aren’t any. It seems as if very few of us ever live to reach our merrut. It so rare for mer-human mixes to survive to this age. I am so very - rare.”

“I’ll help you. I’ll do anything. You’re a very good…friend,” Jeongguk tempered his emotions. The thought of Jimin being forced to live on land forever made his stomach tingle. A small part of him wished that it could be true. But that was not what Jimin wanted which meant it was not something Jeongguk could dare to hope for. All he wanted was for Jimin to be happy, and safe. His own personal feelings had to be put aside even though his affinity for the merman was growing deeper and deeper by day. “We will find your father. We will and I’ll help. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“It’s already happening. I’m getting more and more accustomed to the land and less acclimated to the sea. I’ve been on shore for three weeks and I can feel my pull to the water slowly draining. Something is happening to my body. It’s the curse Jeongguk.”

“Listen. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise. I have to get back to practice. As good as the kids were, they still need some refinement. Debut is in two weeks and we still have to work on the live performance. Feel free to come hangout.”

“Not right now. I need to get back to work. Thank you for letting me use your office. It’s nice and quiet in here. I miss the coffee though,” Jimin smiled.

“Be back soon.” The stubborn urge to kiss him nagged him. He smelled of seawater, even after a month on shore. Sea water was one of Jeongguk’s favorite things.

***

A kinder, gentler task master greeted Black Smoke for the day’s practice. Jeongguk was clearly a changed man after his terrible experience. The air was fresher, the clouds were puffier, the sea was calmer and small stuff - just didn’t matter.

Practicing with mics and live singing was a new challenge. But Rei had done such a fantastic job with getting them to nail the choreo, that the live singing from five very talented singers wasn’t really a big deal. Once again James was the one who made the most mistakes. But no longer was he the lazy turnip that Jeongguk constantly had to go after. No, he was determined and focused and wanted to make his teacher proud. So, with each iteration of the performance, he got better and better. And that was all that Jeongguk could ask for.

It was late, almost eight pm. The boys had been working since six that morning, but still they left practice energetic, talkative and happy. Jeongguk’s new attitude was definitely noticed and appreciated by the hardworking group. Rei gathered them all and toted them home in her SUV while Jeongguk continued work on a new dance routine for a theatre group that he was working with.

It was one of the dances he had created while still on the yacht. He squared up in front of the mirror barefoot. Staring at his thin physique was a bit disturbing as he’d yet to put back on all of the weight that he lost during captivity. He also grimaced when he focused on his hair, “Bleh.” He’d been so preoccupied with Jimin and his search for his missing father, that he hadn’t given any attention to his fading purple hair. He made the decision to spruce it up as soon as he got home. He pulled his faded purple hair back with a headband and was ready to begin.

With a simple tug across his back, his shirt fell to the ground. His preference was to dance topless to get a better view of the angles and lines of each move. The fall of his heavy locket comforted him. He gave it a quick kiss.

Even though the choreography for the new piece was almost done, it still needed some fine tuning. Using the remote, he cued up the music and entered the starting pose. The entire dance was meant to be more dramatic and contemporary.

For the opening, he dropped into a low extension, his legs piercing the air in sharp angles. He spun on one foot and then arched backwards, with his spine curving like an inverted rainbow. He was not trained in contemporary dance, but he still included those elements into his routines. His hands traced invisible arcs through the air as his hips moved in time with the thumping drum beat. He was in the midst of another spin when his blurred vision caught a glimpse of Jimin standing behind him. With sweat streaming down his face, he stopped and offered a glorious, dimple filled smile.

“Hey. Is the music too loud?” He said as he grabbed a towel to wipe his sweaty chest and underarms.

“Is this the activity you perform for financial compensation?”

“You mean…is this my job?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.” Jeongguk stared at Jimin in the mirror. He could see the glow of his eyes.

“Are we alone?”

“We are.”

Jimin pulled his beanie free and removed his glasses. “You’re beautiful when you dance.”

“Do you dance?”

“Yes…well not human dancing. But I am globally renowned for my mermandy waltz. It’s a special swimming technique…it’s all the rage in my world.”

“You’ll have to teach me that someday.” Jeongguk grabbed Jimin’s hand and pulled him towards the mirror. “Would you like to dance with me Jimin?” Jeongguk tickled Jimin’s left gill with his middle finger. The left one was his favorite.

Jimin curled into Jeongguk’s hand. He was very fond of that gesture, “I’m not really experienced on two legs.”

“We’ll go slow.” Jeongguk used his remote to play a sultry, piano -laden tune by Daniel Caesar as he embraced Jimin gently.

He could see that Jimin was still feeling down. Dancing always made Jeongguk feel better. He hoped that it would work for Jimin too. They moved from foot to foot, tracing circles across the hardwood floor. “So did you turn up any important leads today?”

“No. Nothing. Losing all of my previous work has really set me back. I don’t know how to recreate all of my facts,” Jimin pouted.

“We’ll figure it out and we’ll try a few new techniques. You can’t use a computer, but I can. Tell me everything you know about your dad,” Jeongguk asked as he continued to lead their dance.

“That’s just it. I don’t know anything. Not even his name. Just the age he would be today. And that he served in the military in the Gulf War as naval support. I was able to find their emblem in a newspaper article about military servicemen who were being honored. I figured if I could go and talk to some of them, one of them may know him. But…I never got that far because I was kidnapped and the newspaper article disappeared with the rest of my belongings.”

Jimin wasn’t cheering up. He wept into Jeongguk’s shoulder. He was scared; scared for his future, scared for his friend, scared for himself. Jeongguk held him even closer. The edges of his purple hair dripped over Jimin’s forehead. His large arms, broad shoulder and supportive grip swallowed Jimin whole. He slid his hand down Jimin’s hips and rested on his ass. He used his nose to tickle Jimin’s cheek to make him laugh. “Come on, give me a smile. Come on…let it go.”

Suddenly Jimin smiled. But then his expression turned to confusion. His eyes opened wide as he pulled away from Jeongguk.

“Whoa. What’s wrong?” Jeongguk asked.

Jimin didn’t speak. Instead, he walked around the room, with a pronounced limp that made him look like a duck. He pulled at his pants and shook his right leg as if something were crawling up it.

“Uh…what’s happening?” Jimin said as he continued to shake his leg. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. What is this…?”

Jeongguk rushed to his side. He assumed it was a cramp or something from all of the dancing. “Tell me where it hurts. Maybe I can massage it for you.”

“Something feels weird.”

“Ok, that’s ok. We’ll take care of it. Where does it hurt?”

“Hurt, yea hurt. It’s pain.”

“Yes, where is the pain? And how long has it been happening?”

“All day…off and on. It’s…it’s in my pants,” Jimin whispered. He faced the wall so that Jeongguk couldn’t see what was happening down there.

But that was fruitless because Jeongguk already knew. He cupped his mouth to keep his reaction calm. “Jimin. My sweet merimalade. Is there something happening in your human part…your mechanism?”

“Yea. It hurts, that’s what’s happening!”

“And you’ve just been ignoring it? All day?”

“Well, yes because I thought it was just Merlin’s wind.”

“I don’t know what the fuck that is. But I do know a woody when I see one.” Jeongguk could see Jimin’s mechanism pressed against the hem of his jeans.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow. What is a woody and can you make it stop hurting?”

“Jimin…no. Do you remember when we talked about erections?”

“The sexual stimulation?”

“Yes.”

“But that can’t be. I’ve done nothing sexual. Nothing. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow why does it hurt? You said they were supposed to feel good.”

“They do feel good if you take care of them. Ignoring them will give you something called blue balls. Your balls may not literally turn blue, but they aren’t too happy right now. You can get erections for a variety of reasons. Even when you’re just dancing or standing close to someone you’re attracted to.”

“Ok, push it back in or rip it off, I don’t care. Just make this stop.” Jimin continued to limp around the practice room. He was in serious pain.

“Ok, so here’s the awkward part. You’re going to have to…give yourself a little help with making it stop.”

“Yeah, fine whatever,” Jimin grabbed his crotch and doubled over in pain.

His case of blue balls was one of the worst that Jeongguk had ever seen. “Just put your hands down your pants and rub it a little.”

“You do it! Please.”

“You don’t understand. This is not something that someone else…most human men handle this themselves.”

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!” Jimin screamed, “FIX IT!”

Jeongguk wanted to help him but doing so was going to really blur the lines of their friendship. “Ok. I can do it for you. But here are the rules. This is a business transaction. Consider it like a medical procedure. Remember when you bathed me? That was all business, right? Well, this is the same thing. Just business.”

“OWWWWCH!” Jimin couldn’t hear anything that Jeongguk was saying over his achy balls.

“Watch in the mirror. Learn how to take care of yourself. That way, if this happens again, you’ll know what to do.” Jeongguk turned Jimin towards the mirror.

He stood closely behind him with his stomach gently pressed against Jimin’s backside. Taking a deep calming breath, he slipped the zipper down on Jimin’s jeans and plunged his hand into the front of his underwear. Jimin winced. He didn’t expect the soft squeeze of Jeongguk’s large hand.

“This is all very simple. It takes seconds, okay? Don’t fight me, just let me cook.”

“Cook?” Jimin said a bit confused.

“Slang. Let me do my magic,” Jeongguk corrected. “Breathe. Focus on the music. Do you like this song?”

“It’s beautiful. Daniel Caesar.”

“Good. How did you know?”

“Music…it’s my favorite part of living in your world. I love your…uh…uh,” Jimin’s breathing slowed.

Through the reflection in the mirror, the seam of Jimin’s jeans expanded and retracted in unison with the movement of Jeongguk’s hand. He took it easy on him, slowly finding the middle of Jimin’s shaft and pushing the skin down and back up again in long rhythmic pulses. It wasn’t the time to comment on how long and shapely Jimin’s human cock was, so he resisted doing so. He talked him through each of the movements to avoid startling him. “You’re really hard. Poor thing. I’m just going to rub it a little. Like how you cleaned me with the sponge. But I’m using my hand. Feel that?”

“Uh-huh,” Jimin threw his head back and rested it on Jeongguk’s broad shoulder.

“You’re going to feel some pressure soon. It’ll be really intense, but don’t be scared. It’s natural and it should feel very good.”

“Ok. I think I feel it,” Jimin began to whimper.

Jeongguk had been on him for less than a minute and he could already feel Jimin start to throb. “It feels very good, doesn’t it?”

“Uh-huh,” Jimin said again, his voice barely audible.

Jeongguk couldn’t help himself. He ran his lips up and down the back of Jimin’s ear, stopping near his heaving gills to kiss him there. Watching Jimin in the mirror while he pleasured him was such a turn on. It had been so long since he held a man in his arms. And he’d never held a merman in his arms. So, his body was ripe with raw, unfiltered testosterone. Jeongguk was a sexual beast who thrived off of pleasuring others. It had always been his style. But feeding a virgin and teaching him the idiosyncrasies of arousal and sexual pleasure, triggered something savage within him. He could feel his own dick harden as he watched Jimin’s hips buck against his hand.

“Jeongguk! Jeongguk!” Jimin moaned with fear in his voice. His eyes bulged and his mouth gaped open as he tried to understand what was happening in his human body. It was a feeling he’d never experienced in his merman life.

“It’s ok baby, let it go, it’s an orgasm. Whatever you feel, embrace it because it will be the best feeling of your life. Trust me, let me get you there.”

Jimin released a sound that was like heaven to Jeongguk’s ears. It was a mixture of a helpless whimper and a siren’s wail. His knees buckled slightly as a rush of warm sparkly liquid rushed from his tip, wetting his underwear and coating Jeongguk’s hand.

“Breathe,” Jeongguk smiled into his ear as he watched Jimin’s expressions transition in the mirror.

Jimin froze very briefly before closing his eyes and then opening them again to find Jeongguk staring right into them. He quickly looked down. The outline of Jeongguk’s hand remained inside of his underwear. “Did I just urinate on myself?” He asked with embarrassment.

“It’s called ejaculation. I imagine that even for you, that’s how your semen is released. But when two lovers are bumping nasties in a soft bed of a candlelit room during a turbulent rain storm, they call it cumming. And you just came. In fact, that’s your cute little sparkly cum wetting up your underwear,” Jeongguk teased. He was feeling naughty. All pretense of that being just a “business transaction” had gone out of the window as soon as his dick got hard. “Feeling better?”

“Yes.” Jimin cleared his throat. “I suppose a thank you is in order. I was in a lot of pain. And you made it go away. Thank you,” Jimin felt shy again.

He quickly pulled away from Jeongguk and zipped his jeans. He wasn’t sure what to do with the cum, but it felt like pee to him and he wanted to wash it off. They stared at each other, Jimin’s eyes glowing in the dim light, just as they did in the bottom of that filthy tank. The room was completely silent with the exception of the lyrics of the song repeating over and over, ‘If you love me won’t you say something. If you love me, won’t you say something. If you love me, won’t you…,’

There was no love there. Feeling anything more than adoration and gratitude was preposterous. It was hero worship, plain and simple. Jimin had saved his life and vice versa. It was natural to have strong feelings. But love? It was too soon. But did destiny really have a timeline? Jeongguk wondered as the loud ringing of bells chimed in his head.

***

Jeongguk rubbed the thick gel from the Mise en Scene hair kit through his hair. It had been a very long time since he’d given himself a refresh. Shirtless, with his purple locket bumping against his chest as he danced to rap music, he squished the pigment through his gloved fingers while shaking his butt to Hip Hop Phile. He sang intermittently as he did the running man in the middle of his bathroom. Several times he twerked against the wall. Happiness felt fucking good.

As he placed his head under the sink to do the first rinse, he realized that the shampoo was in the guest bathroom that Jimin was using. He was pretty sure that Jimin was in his room hiding after spewing his load all over Jeongguk’s hands so he took a chance that he could grab the shampoo without interrupting him.

He rushed to the bathroom, but just before he entered, he heard a haunting melody that seemed to float on air. It was an old sea sung, an ode to Thalasar - whoever that was. His voice echoed amidst the cramped acoustics of the marble tiled bathroom. Jeongguk froze. He’d never before heard Jimin sing. Per Disney’s interpretation, all merpeople could sing, but Jimin was always quick to dismiss his Disney references. However, this one seemed to be true. Merpeople all had a Siren’s song of longing that told their stories.

The tune was cryptic yet angelic. It pulled emotion from Jeongguk’s chest, making him live and breathe every word. The locket with his brother’s picture burned as a reminder of his cave full of regrets. Surely there was merman magic at play, because no acapella rendition of a song had ever made him feel this way. He leaned forward to put his ear to the door so he could hear more of Jimin’s magical voice. But the floor creaked, alerting Jimin that he was there. With that, Jimin immediately stopped singing. All went quiet.

“Jimin?” He asked softly. “May I come in?” Jeongguk was surprised to know that Jimin was not locked in his bedroom. But what was going on? Was he ok? Why was there such sadness in his Siren’s song?

“Uh,” Jimin stammered. “Ok…so yea, you can come in but…but…well…I’m not myself.”

Jeongguk had no idea what that meant. But he needed his shampoo. Besides, he’d jacked him off in his studio and soundly man-handled his cock. There wasn’t much that Jimin could hide anymore. They were officially dick buddies, Jeongguk thought to himself as he decided to open the door.

All of the lights were off with the exception of one small candle burning on the sink. The bathroom was a haze of steam, the thick air coated with the scent of salt and

vanilla. Jeongguk’s very expensive clawfoot tub was filled to the brim with warm, shimmering water.

And there in the middle of it all, was Jimin. His extremely muscular torso glistened under the soft glow of the vanilla candle as the water lapped gently against his chest. His tail, a cascade of iridescent teal-colored scales, draped lazily over the tub’s edge with his finned tip swaying like a metronome, dripping water all over the tiled floor. With the lights dim, his body glowed brightly, pulling Jeongguk back in time to relive the moment where Jimin showed up under his raft, glowing so intensely that he lit up the entire sea bottom beneath him.

Jeongguk just didn’t have the words to express the beauty of what sat before him. It was a good thing that he and Jimin were so close because it erased many of the boundaries of etiquette that normally would have restricted them from acting on their feelings. In that spirit, Jeongguk found himself walking towards the bath, eager to touch Jimin’s scales and observe his tail close up. He approached him, fingers outstretched.

“Don’t look so shocked. You’ve seen me in my merform before,” Jimin smiled, his voice in a low rasp.

“Not like this. When I saw you, you were ill, dying of contamination. You were not this. My God, how does something this incredible exist on this earth?”

“I could say the exact same thing about you. You are not the average human. When I first met you, with the purple hair and the naked body and your fearless courage, I thought you might be the son of Atargatis, or a descendent of Triton. Imagine my surprise when I learned that you were just a simple human. I told tales of you to my merpeople. Humans are viewed with such low regard. I wanted them to know that I had found an exceptional one. So, I am just as enamored with you and your beauty Jeongguk, as you are with mine. You are me and I am you,” Jimin said poetically.

Jeongguk sat at the side of the tub and ran his fingers up and down Jimin’s scales. Each time he touched them, they flashed a different color. Jimin’s sparkling semen made even more sense to him in the context of his full merman body. It was definitely part of his organic bioluminescence.

“Do all of your people have this same glow?”

“Some, not all. This is mostly due to my age and my mating season,” Jimin explained. “It’s how we eligible egg fertilizers stand out in a literal sea of other egg fertilizers. It’s my sparkle.”

“That’s right! You’re in your sexual peak right now.”

“Yep. Turned thirty-two, two moon cycles ago while I was trapped in that tank by those fuckers.”

“Yes, those fuckers,” Jeongguk giggled. He loved it when Jimin used that word. “I could kill them for making you spend your birthday locked in that filth. I wish I could take that moment away and make it disappear as if it never happened.”

“But it did happen. And we have learned our lessons from it. Isn’t that why all bad things happen, so we can learn from them?” Jimin’s tail flicked, sending a plop of water to the floor. “I’ve been afraid to ask, but I think now it’s time. What happened to Vex? The last thing I remember was him coming down to the hull and then…I don’t remember anything after that.”

“He drowned. I pushed him into the tank so that he could suffer the same fate that you did. Gold Shellara for Gold Shellara,” Jeongguk said darkly.

Jimin didn’t say anything. He simply nodded. He grabbed Jeongguk’s hand, wrapping the tips of his iridescent nails around his fingers as he squeezed with silent gratitude.

“Can you play that song again? The one from practice?”

“Best Part? Yea, I can. There’s a speaker in here so I can play it. I find it adorable how much you like that song.” Jeongguk started the song, the rich stringing of the guitar wove its way through the steam of the bathroom.

Jimin’s tail flickered again and his scales flashed rainbows as the water continued to ripple around him. “You know, we’re taught from birth to never trust humans. But my mother trusted them. She saw the potential in what you could be. I can’t say that I trust all humans, Malakar and his crew have shown me how I would be treated if humans were in charge. Yet there is a conflict within me because you and Dani and Jack have shown me nothing but kindness with great sacrifice to yourself.”

“You trust me though, right? You trust that I would never hurt you?”

Jimin closed his eyes. There was a slight rumble in the bottom of the tub as if an earthquake suddenly swept through the room. Jimin, grimaced as he buried his chin into his chest to absorb the pain. He focused his thoughts. Without warning his ornately colored tail quivered and then split. The membrane divided, forming two shapely flesh-colored legs. The remnants of his tail fin morphed into two solid, beautiful feet. He curled his toes against the porcelain to stretch them and bring them to life. The lower scales around his torso sloughed away, dissolving into the bathwater in a swirl of glittering dust. Only flawless human skin remained.

Jeongguk’s eyes bulged so big that he looked owlish. He fell from his knees in astonishment. Never in his life had he seen something so magical, so complex, so sacred. A part of him was afraid, reverting to that sudden fear of the unknown that he felt when they first met. But the larger part of him was curious and wanted to know everything about this ethereal creature in his bathtub. He knew in his soul that he had just witnessed something that very few humans had ever seen.

“That is proof of how much I trust you. No one in recent history has ever seen a mer-morphosis and lived to talk about it. You are now a part of history,” Jimin smiled.

“Does it hurt when you do that?”

“A little. The first time I did it, I screamed so loudly that I attracted six Mako sharks who thought I was a free meal. But slowly, over time, it has become no more painful than stubbing a toe.”

“That shit hurts though.”

Jimin leaned his head back in laughter. Jeongguk loved his laugh and his teeth and his smile and…his human body. He found himself staring through the clear water, ogling all of Jimin’s human body parts and they were all very delicious.

“So why did you change in front of me? Just to show off?” Jeongguk teased as he rubbed Jimin’s legs. He was transfixed by how soft and smooth they were with absolutely no sign of the scales.

“I want to be honest with you. This is embarrassing to admit but I feel you need to know. Because I’m in my sexual prime, my body is trained by nature to do nothing but swim and make little fishes. I’m highly sexualized and the only purpose of my merman form is to be in constant sexual stimulation for procreation.

“Far be it from me to point this out, but I’m going to point this out. Your human dick is huge. Like…huge.”

“Is that an asset in your world?”

“Definitely.”

To Be Continued in Scales Part II

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