In the depth of the sea, there is a peacefulness so unmatched. And underneath the surface that rocks to the waves' steady rhythm, is a rich land. Hues of blue and green and glimmering sun rays. Current as strong as the force of a mighty ship. Every now and then one sails by. Kibum only watches the hulls from below, unseen by those on board who are a threat to his kind. It’s only once in a while they happen to break the surface and meet the unfortunate fate of becoming a shipwreck. Abandoned, and soon forgotten, on a patch of sand at the bottom of the ocean. 

On this night, when a storm has closed in, Kibum watches an equivalent scene at a distance. It’s a small ship so it sinks quickly under the weight of the water that steadily fills it. But the shiny white and gray exterior stands out in the darkness. It looks to be built recently. One can only imagine what pretty things can be found inside. Kibum’s already excited at the idea of scavenging through the remains. 

“Help!”

It’s odd. Kibum has never heard the sound of a human voice as clear as day this far below the surface before. It further bewilders him that the helpless cry comes from within the ship, accompanied by consistent banging on solid metal. 

“Please, help! Please…”

At a close distance, Kibum easily traces the sound to one of the chambers inside the back. It is left to be filled with water but the sailor inside will surely face the same unlucky fate as every other individual lost at sea. Nature’s course, Kibum believes and diligently sticks by. No matter how many times he’s seen this unfold, he never intervenes. Countless bodies. So many lives cut short. Humans catch, torture, and kill creatures of the sea. Why should he mourn their inevitable deaths or feel guilty for withholding a helping hand?

“I can’t die like this, please…”

Just as quickly as the ship sinks cries become eager, desperate, and soon gut-wrenching. Strangely, something is tightened in Kibum’s chest and it becomes impossible for him to ignore the plea for rescue. So he dives against his own principle and suppresses a curse because he knows how greatly it could cost him. 

Inside the ship the chamber which holds the sailor has filled to the brim and helpless cries have been silenced. Now a slim but muscular frame is descending slowly in the water, and raven hair is being extended like a mohawk. A young man, Kibum notes, with a face so captivating it stops him in his track. How could a creature known for its vileness be this beautiful? His skin is mildly tanned and seemingly smooth from what can be seen underneath the white t-shirt that has risen to his chest in the water. Face small, handsome, and lips so full, and parted from having inhaled water. 

But it hasn’t been long. 

Hastily, Kibum grabs the floating frame and a yellow tube with an inflatable lifeboat. 

It’s not too late to save him. 

 

 

 

Up to the point that he opened his eyes, Taemin could’ve sworn he was tucked into his berth safe and sound. Though it’s not the off-white interior of the sailing boat he sees. It’s a bright blue sky. What he lies on, is a chrome-yellow, rubber boat. It rocks to the rhythm of slow waves and the sound of whistling wind and tweeting birds. 

In an instant he’s consumed by the same panic felt when the storm hit and their ship sank. His hands claw at the damp t-shirt and plain black cargo pants he’s clad in. There are no visible injuries underneath. He’s still breathing. He’s still alive. 

When he sits all he sees around him is the sea. Neverending, pearl aqua sea. The ship is probably on the ocean floor, he thinks, but wonders if anyone else made it out. Surely, it can’t just be him…

“Is anybody out there? Hello? Can you hear me!?”

His first hour at sea is spent shouting for help. Shouting the names of his lost crewmates. Shouting for comfort because the echo that follows his own voice offers the illusion that he’s not alone. There is no answer. For all he knows, it’s just him out here. 

Since the sun feels warm on his skin he guesses it’s still morning or mid-day. But even if the night and its darkness are far ahead, hope to be found or rescued before then is eerily slim. With how suddenly the ship went under, he’s not even sure if anyone knows of their fate and is coming to search for him at all. 

Realization silences him. Hopelessness urges him to lie down in a fetal position and close his eyes again. If only he could return to blissful unconsciousness. 

 

In the water below the rubber boat, Kibum can hear the young man’s muffled sobs. He should’ve swum off as soon as the sailor was safe. He should never have saved him in the first place. Now here he is, stuck, for something inside prevents him to leave. Something that aches in response to the other’s cries. 

During the night Kibum kept the sailor at a distance from the aftermath of the storm and chased away the sharks attracted by the corpses in the ship on the ocean floor. Now the sun is up and the water is peaceful. Still, here he is. At a distance, but close enough to follow the other’s movements. 

All the while he refrains from making his presence known, Kibum wants to be there to look after the man he saved. To watch his eventual rescue and find consolation in the fact that his intervention had not been in vain. 

The hours pass, yet the stranded sailor doesn’t move. Why isn’t he eager to look for aid or supplies? Those things will be harder to do once the night falls. Precious time is being spilled so carelessly but the young man doesn’t appear to care the slightest. Cries have died down but light sniffles are evidence that he is still very much conscious. So lack of effort is deliberate. Kibum’s frustrated but contains himself to stay in the deep. Fate has been pushed far enough. He’s not adding to it by making his presence known. 

Dying while awaiting rescue will be no different from going under with the ship. No one will ever know of Kibum’s interference. Strangely, the thought doesn’t comfort him. No. It rather worries him. That’s not how he wishes for this to end. 

 

In the mildly bobbing rubber boat, Taemin shuts his eyes but regardless of how diligently he forces sleep, it doesn’t find him. Time passes slowly but eventually, the reality of the situation sinks in. How scary it might seem, it’s one he has to face. While the sun is up, its rays keep him warm. When night’s breeze arrives he’s wrapped in his own lean arms and shuddering. In this state, he won’t survive long.

In line with his employment as a worker on the sailing boat emergency instructions were given. Not nearly thorough enough because he only vaguely remembers. Then he wonders if anything could have prepared him for a situation quite like this. Alone, stranded, and stripped of every and any necessity that could be his saving. 

The key to survival is water. Drinkable water. Not that of the surrounding sea which salt levels are going to dehydrate his body much quicker. Ironic, Taemin thinks, that what will save him, can also extinguish him. Perhaps it isn’t such a bad ending… A couple of steady inhales below the surface. Quick and much less painless than withering away like a crumbling piece of paper dissolving in water. 

 

Unlike the day’s calmness, Taemin learns the sea is rougher at night. Standing up is therefore an uneasy task. The rubber boat is slippery and unsteady, leaving him repeatedly falling back to its core. 

Strange. 

Isn’t surviving supposed to be the difficult path and giving up the easy way out?

Finally, on his feet, it’s a slow rise and once he’s upright he leaps carelessly into the water that appears pitch black without a trace of sunlight. Slowly, it swallows him. And as he’s pulled into the depth his chest suddenly feels confined under the immense pressure. Breathing is impossible. Taemin tries to open his mouth, yet instinct keeps it shut and instead, he’s clamoring for another sliver of oxygen. Keeping still is just as difficult and he’s soon flapping his arms like a bird, searching for the surface. At least so he hopes, because he can’t spot it in the darkness. 

Every second becomes agonizing. It feels like he’s back in that sinking ship, heading toward a definite death. Fear surrounds him just like it did then. And regardless of how badly he thinks it’s a fate he’s choosing, doubt is over-powering. 

Panic keeps him trapped. It’s not until he breaks the surface, and until he desperately gasps for air, that he realizes. It’s not the hands of the sea that’s holding him. Those around his waist, keeping him afloat, are far too distinct. There is a shadowy and human-like face before him, and distressed eyes, staring into his. It’s not possible, Taemin thinks at one second and panics the next. After he kicks and flaps his arms, he’s released and frantically swims towards the yellow rubber boat. Luckily it’s just next to him but then drifts away rapidly in the turbulent water once he’s inside. 

Lucky… just how he was lucky enough to escape a sinking ship and miraculously find a lifeboat. 

Disoriented, Taemin curls back into a fetal position and allows sleep to overtake him.

Isn’t it all too sensational to be tied down to just being… lucky?

 

 

 

Bad idea.

Like a mantra, his own thoughts remind him. Kibum ignores it as he searches through what remains of the ship he watched go down just a day prior. Just as he expects, there are sealed water bottles and cans of food in the galley. Taking as much as he can carry, he then ascends quickly, heading towards the yellow rubber boat which has drifted far away during the aftermath of the storm. 

Terrible idea. 

Then why should he stop now when the sailor already saw him with his own eyes?

No. Kibum’s in too deep to make a quick and safe exit. So he might as well abandon caution completely. 

The water is at peace this early morning. Although it’s sunrise, the sailor is still out cold and tucked into the corner of the boat. Kibum hangs onto the opposite end and places his vital findings inside. Then he stays and waits. Patiently. Until eventually the young man shows signs of life and sits. He seems calm. At least until their eyes meet. Then his face is frozen in horror. It’s a reaction Kibum expects so he’s not taken off guard. 

“G…ghost.”

Okay, that’s not exactly the reaction Kibum pictured, and he contemplates if he should be relieved or offended. “I’m not a ghost,” he explains, civilly. 

Now the sailor looks more perplexed than horrified or scared. 

“F... fish?”

Oh, now Kibum is definitely offended. 

“Do I look like a fish to you?” 

“Then…”

“I’m a merman.”

“I thought mermen weren’t real. I’ve never seen one.”

“Not everything that you have yet to come across is a fantasy. There are more creatures on this earth than humans, more than you people’s shallow minds can imagine.”

There is no fear left in the sailor’s eyes. Instead, there seems to be a curiosity and almost fascination. When he leans over the edge of the boat to examine Kibum’s shimmering aqua-blue and lilac tail just below the surface of the water, that same look of fascination only expands across his face. 

Taemin also examines the dark blue highlights in the merman’s hair and how distinct his facial features are. Especially his thin eyes underneath thick eyebrows, one which has a visible scar, and full lips, curved to perfectly resemble the hills of a heart shape. 

Those who say that beauty is not in the face must’ve never seen it up close. At least, Taemin has never experienced attraction like this before. 

Then realization dawns on him as if buried in his memory, he’s seen those features and the creature that wears them before. 

“It was you, wasn’t it? You brought me out of the depth of the water. You pulled me out of the ship and stranded me in this boat.” 

“If you are referring to me saving your life, then yes, that was me.” Kibum clarifies. 

“Why?” 

“You called out for help, so I helped you.” 

“Just like that?”

“Shouldn’t you be thanking me instead of questioning my motive?” 

“Even if I’ve never seen one of your kind before I know the legend says you’re not exactly friendly with my kind.”

“I guess you’re lucky then, ungrateful human.”

Lucky… Taemin thinks again and wonders why it generates such bitterness inside. Once he gazes at the merman it steadily dissolves, however, and he soon revels in a sense of calm and security. 

“Do you have a name, or should I just call you ‘mister merman’?”

“You can call me Kibum, what about you human?”

“I’m Taemin.”

 

 

 

Things are awkward but not uncomfortable between the two who come to spend time together as Taemin remains safely in the yellow rubber boat and Kibum calmly circles around it in the water. Having noticed the supplies Taemin picks up a water bottle and recognizes the label from those consumed onboard the sailing boat before it sank. 

“Did you retrieve these?” 

Kibum quickly pops up from the water to nod. “Without supplies, you won’t survive out here.” 

Taemin knows as much yet what steadily fills him is guilt. It shadows any light of hope and still, he looks at Kibum sincerely because he can’t refrain from asking. 

“When the ship sank… did someone else…” 

While Taemin chokes up, Kibum shakes his head. 

“Those on deck likely got taken by the storm. Those below were probably asleep and taken off guard. Your screams for help were the only ones heard.” 

It’s only confirmation of what he already knows from intuition, and yet it nearly breaks him. Because it’s not fair, Taemin thinks. It’s not fair that he will return as the sole survivor when his role on the ship was the lowest of the ranks. A mere commoner like him should’ve gone down with the ship. Indeed that’s what his surroundings will think before they shun him. 

Taemin swallows his guilt. 

“I can’t go back,” 

“I’m sure someone’s looking for you. If not a boat is going to pass by sooner or later and you’ll be rescued.“

“No, I can’t… returning as a sole survivor won’t be accepted. I might be excluded from the community.” 

Kibum doesn’t grasp the gravity of Taemin’s statement until his rapidly growing panic becomes apparent. His eyes are suddenly tearful, limbs trembling and his breath unsteady. And the more he repeats his previous sentence like a suddenly broken record, the more intense it becomes… until Kibum reaches inside the boat to put his hands on top of his. 

It’s the third time he’s physically touching the human but it doesn’t feel any less exhilarating. Kibum can’t quite explain the feeling but certainly, he’s fond of it. By the looks of it, Taemin is too because he settles down quickly.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” Kibum says in his best attempt to console Taemin, even if he worries it’s insufficient. Because although he’s always known that humans are vicious in their treatment of other species, he didn’t realize that they were also vicious toward their own kind.

“Do you have a family?” 

Taemin nods his head. 

“Then I am sure they want you to come back home safe and sound, so don’t give up, okay? This isn’t an easy situation but I will help you.” 

“Because I’m lucky?” 

“Because I can tell that you’re a pure soul with goodness in your heart. And your kind certainly needs more people like you to conquer the vile ones.” 

“I didn’t know that mermen were spiritual.” 

“Call it intuition.” 

In the end, they both crack a smile. Taemin’s smile is shy but beaming and radiant like the sun. Kibum’s enchanted by it. So enchanted he forgets that he should’ve probably released Taemin’s hands by now. 

 

 

 

The sun rises and then sets. It’s the only way that Taemin counts the days but he’s already lost track of them. In the yellow rubber boat, he still has a few bottles of water and some food left. If he runs out, Kibum reassures him that he’ll go scavenging for more. Taemin still doesn’t understand why the merman is so keen to keep him alive but he doesn’t question it. After all, he’s become fond of his company and thinks it's what keeps him sane in a growing doubt that he’ll ever be rescued or found. 

“Can I ask you a question?”

Kibum learned quickly that Taemin wasn’t just a pure and kind soul but a naturally curious one. He’s already asked everything about Kibum’s kind, about the functions of his tail, and how he’s able to breathe both above and below the ocean surface. So Kibum thinks he’s prepared for anything. 

“Do humans and merpeople usually interact?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“So have you never encountered a human like me before?”

“I’ve seen many of your kind from afar but no, never up close like this.”

“Why?”

Suddenly Kibum contemplates if Taemin is naturally curious or just clueless. 

“Humans don’t exactly have a reputation for being civil. At least not towards merpeople. Historically, humans are known to capture, injure, and kill our kind. It’s why we make sure to stay out of sight. If we are believed to be extinct or a mere myth, it keeps us saf