It was a sunny day at the seaside, and Kyungsoo is sitting on the shore while scribbling on his diary. Every year he would buy a new diary. It is September now so the pages are wearing away on the edges, grooves that are marred with pens. Sometimes he would ghost over all these memories as he tidied up his emotions that day. The papers are no longer stiff but soften with the creases of his fingertips. With the colour has turning light smoky yellow, even though Kyungsoo likes to keep his work as clean as possible, some smears of ink still decorate his diary now and then.  

‘Dear Diary,

Today is a normal day, as you have probably expected. I am not a exciting person, I admit, I promised myself to be more adventurous in the future. Today we have an essay to write about  same old board, seemingly philosophical, seemingly stupid stuff, and it turns out to be ‘the world’,  a lot of things to write, at the same time so empty because there is just too much to write, I am not sure of what I want to write, I never was. Let’s just say, I could write about nature, humanity, environmental awareness, poverty or natural disaster, just so much. And as you know I let my mind wander into all the smallest creaks of life, I explore a lot because the world is full of curiosity and attraction and colours. How can I be specific about the world when the world itself is non-specific? I really do not want to receive an F, like last time with the comment, “not talking about the main subject, but the branches of it, try relate the writing to the topic as frequently as possible.” And yes I am talking about that instance awfully lot, but. Anyway, you probably is bored by it now. I guess you would like to hear that I made a new friend or get a good score like my mom wants me to ( she is still nagging about this ). That ain’t happening anytime sooner.’

‘What is not happening? A new friend?’ A voice chirps right next into Kyungsoo’s right ear, sounding like crystal and as cheerful as always.

Kyungsoo slams the diary shut, red hot embarrassment rushes to his face and he glares at Jongdae, who grimace at Kyungsoo’s look.

‘You know I have probably read all of your diary, don’t act oh-so-secretive,’ Jongdae slides onto the ragged rock next to him. 

‘You have seaweed in your hair,’ 

‘And I smell like the ocean ‘cause I just swam in it! The water is so warm! Like... Like...’ Jongdae has never been good with words, can’t blame him, he has never attended school.

‘Did it remind you of someone?’ Kyungsoo is always there to guide him to speak his mind. Or at least he thought so. 

‘Ah! I know,’ Jongdae jumps up and claps his hands, with sand flying into Kyungsoo’s hair, he sent Kyungsoo these words, ‘like liquid snakes.’

Kyungsoo shudders at the mental picture he creates and jumps in to correct Jongdae, ‘You mean like mother’s embrace? That’s what most people refer the ocean to.’

Jongdae side-eyed him and said, ‘Boring.’ With some thought he added, ‘unless you mother is as vast as the ocean, and there are fishes in her. She has to be wet too!’

‘But the sea has nothing to do with snakes either! If anything, they are are even weirder! The ocean doesn’t have fangs or venom!’

‘Sharks would be the fangs and jellyfish the venom! I mean! The sea is as smooth as snakes and the wrinkles on the surface are like the way snakes wriggle.’

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and protests, attempt to voice out a better smilie. Jongdae hastily shuts him up with, ‘So you want to be more adventurous?’ Jongdae leans in to look straight into Kyungsoo’s eyes. Jongdae’s eyes always sparkle with mischief and innocence, and he sure smells like the ocean, salty and fresh. With seaweed dangling in front of his forehead, Kyungsoo turns his gaze to the ocean, searching for gulls, just to avoid Jongdae. Somehow he could still feel the warm that radiates from Jongdae in infra-red rays, and the warm breath that moves his hair, just slightly. Kyungsoo signs in defeat and whispers to himself than to Jongdae, ‘I told you not to read my diary...’

‘You know I would read it sooner or -,’ Jongdae starts but gets cut off.

‘I know but I do not necessarily want it to happen!’

‘I am your best friend! But these few days, you would not even go into details about your day. When did the diary becomes a better friend than me! Is it because of them? They tell you that I am not real? So as to estrange me? Is it!’

Jongdae flings a stone into the ocean and the ocean breaks then ripples out and mends itself. ‘I am real, as real as the sea and as you!’

‘I am sorry,’ Kyungsoo mutters. Jongdae’s mood jumps from one to another and he does nothing to conceal it. Though his blurry peripheral vision he saw Jongdae’s eyes reflecting in the sunlight, like a glass’ surface. ‘Can we not talk about it now? This topic is draining me out.’

‘Then you need to promise that you will acknowledge the fact that I am real and treat me like your friend, your realest friend!’

Kyungsoo hums, they sat quiet for a while, just feeling the wind change and watching the sea rise and fall. 

‘I actually wanted to show you my new friend today but I guess next time?’ 

Kyungsoo hums again. Something’s on his mind apparently, Jongdae is keen on detecting on the mood.

‘Care to tell me?’

‘Next time,’ 

‘Do you want to do anything else?’ 

‘I-‘ the telephone rings and puts a halt to the serenity with the alarm.

‘Hey mum?’

‘Are you at the shore? Huh? Again?’

‘No, mum, no. I am at the ice cream shop, it was hot. And-’

‘Come home quickly! I made you some really cooling dishes! Dad would be home earlier today too!’

‘Okay, sure.’

‘Why do you sound so down? Aren’t you happy that dad is here together with us today? Don’t worry, it would be over soon. It is fine, it will all be fine. We are all here for you.’ 

‘Um. Okay. Bye.’

Jongdae sees the gloom blooming on Kyungsoo’s face, ‘Do you want me to meet your family?’

Kyungsoo squints at him, ‘You said you were scared of them?’

‘Well,’ he shrugs, ‘If it could save you some trouble, then I, maybe, could?’ 

‘No, it is not worth it, I can deal with it,’ Kyungsoo gives Jongdae a weak smile, in the sun light, he could see the salt in his hair, on his skin, shiny white fragments. Deep down, Kyungsoo is wearied that Jongdae will disappear after the world sees him. Kyungsoo walks towards the sea and gestures Jongdae to come along. ‘Let me accompany you back to your home, I do not think I will be seeing you for a period of time.’

‘But I still want to introduce you to my new friends!’

‘Are they fishes? Or prawns?’

Upon hearing this, Jongdae frowns and whines, ‘Why do you always...’ Kyungsoo chuckles, ‘Go ahead, tell me.’

‘While he is a siren, not a girl, a boy, but not a human. Also, not as scary as you think.’

‘Does he lure sailors to be devoured by the sea? I have read Odyssey and the description isn’t the prettiest.’

‘How did Homer describe sirens then?’

‘If anyone draws in too close and hears the singing of the sirens, His wife and children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song. There is a great heap of dead men’s bones lying all around, with the flesh still rotting off them.’ 

Jongdae’s face scrunches up like a crumbled handkerchief, ‘Well, his voice is definitely delightful and luring, but it is not a spell. I have never seen anyone enchanted by his voice.’ Jongdae trails off, his mind swarming in the times he has been with the siren, found nothing harmful, then he continued, ‘but he does have a weird ability. So strange that I hid in the ocean for an hour before meeting him again. He then laughed in my face for being such a coward!’ Kyungsoo sees a smile gracing Jongdae’s cat-like lips, his eyebrows dipping downward, and adoration is swimming in his eyes, somehow, Kyungsoo starts to smile back, like