“We do what always needed to be done.”

As Baekhyun uttered those words, Mi-young knew that there was nothing she could do or say to convince him otherwise; her time above the waves had come to a close. Her fingers curled into the soft, cushiony fabric of the comforter. Suddenly, she was hyper-aware of the way his mattress cushioned her body, seemingly embracing her from all sides as the cool sheets brushed over the bare skin of her legs. Would tonight be the last she slept in a human bed? How would the sensation of lying on a dense, bouncy sponge bed compare? It was strange how such thoughts suddenly came to mind when she realized that they were things she would never experience again. As she gazed down at the thick blanket, for the first time realizing how intricate the patterning was on its surface, Baekhyun turned his back to her, heading for the door. “I have… some preparations to make,” he murmured, and she looked up to see him hesitating in the threshold of the door, his hand clenching the white doorframe as his emotions roiled inside of him. Their roles had apparently reversed; for the entire ride home, Mi-young's mind had been in shambles while Baekhyun seemed numb. Now, Mi-young was the one who was an emotionless void. How could she feel nothing at the prospect of leaving? Maybe, she was in some kind of twisted denial.

Or maybe, it was some kind of catharsis, and she had been prepared for it after all.

After only a moment's reluctance, he slipped out of the bedroom, and she listened to his soft footsteps retreat down the hallway toward the living room. Mi-young was honestly not quite sure what to do. I knew this day was coming, but I never thought it would come like this. She lingered in the bed for a few minutes, her sea-blue eyes wandering over the pepper-corned white ceiling. How long would it be before her ceiling was rough stone, with stubborn corals clinging to every edge and crevice, battling for the light pouring in through the window open to the sea? Suddenly, laying in the bed was immensely uncomfortable, and she threw the covers off of herself with a huff to slip out. As her bare toes met the carpeted floor, she took a moment to wiggle them, memorizing the sensation of the fibers brushing against her skin. Soon, she would have no toes, no feet, no legs, only her glimmering finned tail. How long would it take for her to forget sensations like this? The feeling of soft, warm socks embracing her feet, or the slick touch of wood or soft kiss of green grass against the bare soles?

It was amazing how, in this moment, it was the small things that mattered to her.

Mi-young drifted out into the empty hallway, and stared down it at the many bedrooms lining it. Twelve boys lived there, twelve wonderful boys who welcomed her into their life though they did not have to. Her feet began to carry her across the house, her fingers brushing across the closed doors. Suho and Sehun… I remember when I sang for them, and they got entranced. We were locked in the broom closet, and they were so supportive of me.

D.O. He’s really like a dad to all of them… Always getting on to them for something, especially Kai. It seems so long ago that we went shopping and he picked me out new clothes. I was pretty lucky to have Lay to bail me out when I got lost… Oh… I'll never get to wear that sundress that Baekhyun likes so much again. Her feet continued to carry her down the hallway, down the river of memories flowing from her mind.

I wish I could have seen more of Xiumin's magic tricks. It isn't real magic, but they were neat to watch and try to figure out. Chen… I wish we could have gone to the movies again, too. Humans have invented such wondrous things… I wish I could have pulled more pranks with Kris and Tao, too. That probably would have gotten me in trouble with Baekhyun, though. I wish I could have played more of those games with Luhan. I was getting pretty good at them.

Chanyeol… He really is a kind friend. He tried so hard to mend things between Baekhyun and me. I’m glad that he's going to have someone like me when…

When I’m gone.

She turned around, having reached the end of the hallway, and her eyes drifted to the open door where she had entered. Baekhyun. The boy who had started it all, who had opened their home to her, who had captured Mi-young's heart and would hold it forevermore. The boy with the lovely smile, who cared so deeply for her that he simply couldn’t handle the idea of her coming to harm, whose emotions were so strong that they boiled on the surface at everything waking moment. The boy who had changed her life and the boy whose life she had changed; the boy that she loved with every fiber of her being.

The boy she now had to leave.

Still, the tears refused to come. As her introspection ended, she suddenly became aware of the sound of the boys' voices drifting out of the living room. Overcome by the desire to see them, she shuffled down the hallway, and when she reached the end, she peered around the edge of the wall into the living room. The twelve boys were sprawled about on the various articles of living room furniture, their noses buried in their cellphones. The videos of her had likely circulated and they were attempting some weak effort at damage control. Even now, when it's all over, they’re still fighting so hard for me. She remained there for a while, half-concealed by the shadows as she watched them struggle to refute the damning evidence against her, before she slipped back into the darkness. She could not bring herself to face them. She quickly retreated to Baekhyun's bedroom and shut the door behind her, gently so they could not hear. She leaned against the hard wood, uncharacteristically aware off her own heartbeat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. It drummed in her ears, and for a fleeting moment, sounded to her like the gently rolling waves of the sea.

When she felt something wet slowly trickling down her cheeks, she had the tears that had eluded her. All at once, the emotions she had been constricting burst forth, and she hurriedly slapped a hand over as a strangled sob slipped out of . Slowly, she slid down to the floor into a sitting position, the door quivering slightly as her body was wracked with forceful crying. Before, she had cried out of fright, the terrifying experience of being exposed to so many people; now, she was crying at the painful reality she had now come to realize upon seeing the twelve boys she held so dear to her heart. I’ll never see them again. She doubled over as she fought for breath, miserable hiccups and gasps sending spasms across her entire body. Her fingers curled into her shirt, stretching the fabric tightly, as if it would force air into her burning lungs. I’ll never see them again! With her eyes squeezed shut tight, she could see their happy faces flashing in the dark, all the memories Mi-young clung to so dearly, visions of her life above the waves that she so desperately wanted. Her mind's eye lingered on Baekhyun, lamenting the love she begged for but could not have.

“I'll never see Baekhyun again.” The words somehow came out fluidly, despite the vicious sobbing. That hurt more than anything, but her leaving was not the worst part.

She had never heard him say the words.

I want him to tell me he loves me too.

Mi-young had not been as quiet as she had thought, for as soon as she had quieted herself to pathetic sniffles there came a light knocking at the door. She scrubbed her face with her palms, trying to remove as much of the salty water as possible, before rising to her feet. The vicious crying spell had left her body weak, and she had to grab onto the doorknob to physically pull herself into a standing position, and leaned against the adjoining wall for support as she opened the door. She had expected only Baekhyun, but to her mild surprise and great comfort she found that all twelve of the boys had crammed themselves into the small hallway. She tried to speak, but a lump in prevented that; she didn't need to say the words, anyway. Wordlessly, Chanyeol pulled her into a hug, and she buried her face into him as the tears flowed fresh down her cheek. She felt their arms wrapping around her, embracing her tightly.

At the very least, Mi-young knew that she was leaving this world loved.

Still, she wanted to hear him say it.

After calming the depressed girl, they laid out their plan for her escape. Indeed, the video of her transformation had flooded social media sites, but had yet to reach the ears of news media; perhaps they did not care, or were taking extra care to try and debunk the video before airing it to the entire country and possibly the world. That provided them with ample time. The beach would close at 10 p.m., and most of the late-nighters who cruised the boardwalk would clear out by midnight. It was then that the boys would deliver her to the beach, where she would return at last to where she had come from. As Baekhyun had predicted, the more successful fishing boats had docked for the last time of the season with multi-million dollar hauls, and the few stragglers were spaced out enough for Mi-young to avoid their dangers.

Now, she had to wait.

Mi-young would have her chance to say her farewells to the boys, so she decided to spend the evening with the old woman whom she had grown attached to in her short stay on dry land. She left the boys to continue their damage control and stole out of the house, creeping out onto the porch and peering out into the street. No cars had gathered there yet, no excited mob to demand an explanation of the idol boys; perhaps, due to their fame, their home’s location was well-hidden. After ensuring that her risks were minimal, she walked across the yard into the neighbor's, hopping over the little garden stones before stepping onto the aging wooden stairs. As she approached the front door, the old woman's little dog, who was lounging in the porch swing, jumped down to run over to her, tail wagging furiously. He was used to her presence now, and therefore did not bark; she took a moment to affectionately pet him before turning to knock loudly on the door. “Grandma Lee! It's Mi-young!” she called. Her voice was slightly hoarse and she prayed the old lady did not notice, or if she did, refused to comment. The door latch clicked and the door slowly opened with a long creak to reveal the beaming, wrinkled face of the short little grandmother.

“Why, hello, dear. It’s been a while! How are you?” she inquired politely. Before Mi-young could answer, her eyes glittered and she smiled knowingly, shuffling forward to brush a gnarled hand across her soft cheeks. “My, my, you've been crying again. Did that Baekhyun hurt your feelings again? Do I need to beat some sense into that boy?” Mi-young could not help but laugh. Even in the most dismal of her moods, the old woman had the uncanny ability to make her smile.

“No, not this time. I was a little upset because… Well, it's time for me to go home.” Grandma Lee's eyes widened, stretching her laugh lines, before she nodded sagely.

“I see. So the time has come. It warms my heart that you would come to visit me. Come in, come in, let me get you some warm tea, my dear.” Mi-young did as bid, settling herself in the plush armchair in the living room while the old woman fiddled about in the kitchen, banging pots and pans around as she searched for a kettle. After about ten minutes, Mi-young had a steaming mug of tea with milk in her hands, and was blowing on it gently while Grandma Lee eased herself down into her rocking chair and picked up her knitting. “So. Your memory has finally returned?” Mi-young almost spit out the tea in ; so much had happened that she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be masquerading that she had amnesia.

“Oh! Not completely, but enough for me to remember where I come from,” she lied with a small smile.

“Mi-young, you're a liar.” Mi-young's jaw practically hit the floor, both from her blatant accusation and the coarse language. As she gawked at the old woman, her eyes as wide as dinner plates, the old woman chortled with glee and rocked herself back and forth in her chair. “You don't have to tell me the truth, but don’t lie, either. You’re too pretty for that.” Mi-young’s shoulders sagged as she smiled, shaking her head at the old woman’s craftiness. I’m going to miss her a lot. For a moment, she wondered if she should tell the old woman the truth, but decided better of it. I’m fine leaving things as they are.

She spent a few hours with the woman, as she always did, listening to her tales of old while the dog sat curled in her lap enjoying the affection rained down upon him. By the time she decided it was best for her to leave, night had descended upon the city. After bidding the old woman tearful farewells, the mermaid stepped out into the night, glancing up at the night sky; perhaps paralleling the melancholy day, there was not a star in sight, as they were all eclipsed by thick, gray clouds. Her blue eyes searched the sky for a moment, but no light shone in the darkness; then, she turned and returned to the house. Though it was still early evening, the house was dark, and the boys had seemingly retreated to their bedrooms- save for Baekhyun, who was still awake and sitting on the couch, strangely rigid. They were alone. I want to hear him say it, that little voice chimed in her head once more. She hovered in the doorway, gazing at his form in the dark.

“They decided to go to sleep, since we have to be up late tonight.” He must have felt her staring, but yet he remained staring rigidly at the wall instead of turning to face her.

“And you?’

“I won’t sleep,” he laughed bitterly; this time, he looked at her, and even in the gloom she could see that his eyes were deep pools of misery.

“Oh, Baekhyun,” she murmured. She had been so involved in her own melancholy that she had neglected to consider his own. She crossed the living room, walking over to the couch to stand in front of him, and he just looked up at her with the saddest look she had ever seen him wear. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling her into him; he buried his face into her stomach, loosely wrapping his arms around her waist. She held him tenderly, her fingers slowly caressing his hair. He did not cry, nor speak; he just lay in her arms while she silently comforted him. It felt like all the words they had left unspoken passed between them, but still, she wanted to hear those three words from his mouth, just once.

He heard that plea.

“Mi-young,” he murmured after that period of silence, tilting his head upward to look up at her. The expression on his face was not sad, but resolute, almost defiant. “I love you.” Her lips curled into a small smile, and the fingers that had been tangled into his soft hair slipped down to his face, running gently over his jawline. His hand reached up to catch hers, bringing it to his mouth to gently kiss her knuckles, one by one. As his lips brushed over her skin, she felt a tingling sensation that lingered even when he had moved onto the next. “I can't even put it into words how much.”

“Then don't put it into words.” He glanced back up at her, his eyebrows knitted in confusion, to find that she was always leaning down over him; with her free hand, she pulled her thick black hair over her shoulder so that she could freely press her lips to his, softly, gently, with all the love she had to give. They didn't need words. Gradually, she began moving her lips against his, slowly driving the kiss deeper. Baekhyun's hand twitched, loosening its grip, and Mi-young's hand slipped further down to his chest, while his gravitated toward her hips. He jerked back after a moment, and she could tell that he was going to insist that they go no further, but she captured him in her shining eyes like the sea. “Please. Let me be human, just this once,” she murmured. He gazed at her for a minute, his eyes searching the iridescent pools, before he grabbed her face with a sudden ferocity and forcefully pulled back onto his own. Their lips collided like tidal waves, washing over each other with an intensity like a storm; Baekhyun soon became the dominating force, the desire he had sealed behind a dam bursting free. His hands traveled down the length of her body, down her neck and over her shoulders, slithering down her sides to settle on her hips. With one quick motion, he jerked her forward, and she fell onto his lap with her legs on either side of his middle. She was at his mercy now, and could only cling to his shirt lest she be washed away in the tsunami that was his love and desire for her.

His tongue slid along the length of her bottom lip, pleading for entry, and Mi-young accepted; no sooner had she parted her lips his tongue slipped into , twisting with hers in a feverish tango. He tasted like pure honey, so sugary-sweet that it stole her breath away, and she savored it. Their bodies were pressed so close that she could feel the muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he kissed her passionately; then, there was no shirt at all, and her fingers were running over his bare skin, hot to the touch. He pulled back from her again, this time to wrench her shirt over her head, but instead of targeting again, he gently twisted her hand into his hair and tilted her head back so his lips could find her neck. Slowly, he planted deep kisses down the length of her body, trailing down her neck, across her collarbone and shoulder, and over the tops of her s. Everywhere he touched her, she felt like she was being struck by lightning, igniting her nerves in a way she had never experienced; they were sensations so powerful that her back arched slightly, and her eyes were squeezed shut as she sat at their mercy. Her hands were on his shoulders now, her fingernails digging into his skin as she reeled from the pleasure, but he didn't complain.

His hand eventually found the clasp of her bra, and when it fell loose around her shoulders she shrugged it off and tossed it to the side, all notions of propriety abandoned. A small moan slipped out of her as his hands found her way back to her chest, caressing the swells there while his lips found every inch of bare skin they could. Her head fell back as she felt the heat rising inside of her. It felt so good that it was almost painful, bordering on something she could not bear.

“You're so. ing. Beautiful,” Baekhyun muttered between kisses, and leaned back up to smother again, their tongues resuming the swirling dance that had been halted. Her body jumped as he abruptly stood up, her legs securely wrapped around his middle and their lips locked together; with surprising ease, he carried her around the couch and down the hallway to his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him and switching the lock before he dropped her lightly down onto the bed, only milliseconds passing before he crawled on top of her and was fervently kissing her again. The rest of their clothing didn't last long, and soon there was nothing between them, only the sheets loosely thrown over their bodies. Baekhyun broke off from kissing her for a moment, halting the moment of heated passion, and gazed down into her eyes. Contrary to the last several minutes of desperate, rough touches, he cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb slowly running in concentric circles. “I love you so much that I can't stand it,” he murmured, gently pressing his lips to hers, softly, like before. “I want this moment to last forever.” She reached up with a slightly trembling hand, sweeping his sweat-slicked locks from his forehead, running them through the strands all the way to the back of his neck, where her hand stayed.

“It will. I’ll never forget this moment,” she breathed. “I'll never forget any of it. I’ll treasure every memory, forever, for the rest of time. I love you so, so, so much.” Her voice broke, and perhaps from her heightened emotional state, she began to cry. Baekhyun gently shushed her, kissing her tears away, as she hugged him tightly. She never wanted to let go, not ever, but she knew she had to.

That was the most painful thing.

After a minute or so, she managed to regain control of herself, and for a brief, sweet time, Mi-young was as close to human as she was ever going to be.

After, Baekhyun cradled her in his arms, his fingers slowly running through the length of her shining black hair, from the roots all the way down to the curled ends about her waist, while his eyes remained trained on hers. For the first time, Mi-young realized how dark his eyes were, pure black, but it wasn't empty darkness; no, it was the most brilliant night sky, glittering with thousands of stars, the stars she could not find earlier that night. Eyes like the sea and eyes like the heavens, a perfect poetry of their eternal separation: two eternities that could never touch, but mirrored each other in their radiance.

“I lied,” he murmured suddenly, and she looked up at him quizzically. “This is the moment that I want to last forever.” She smiled at that, snuggling a little closer to him.

“Then this moment will, too.”

At least, it would in their hearts. The mermaid and the man she could never have held each other closely, waiting for the inevitable point where their number of moments would reach its last…