“Clumsy fisherman! Can’t you swim?!”

When Sunggyu opened his eyes, all he saw was water.
Water, and something else.
A sympathetic waterfall, a beautiful river, a woman bathing…

A woman bathing.
“I’m sorry!” – he rushed to cover his eyes. – “I… I don't know what happened! Suddenly I was here, and…and you were there…I’m sorry.”

“You should at least look at your savior’s face, don’t you think?” – he heard. That voice…

“Savior?” – he looked at her, looking away right after. She was bathing, and she was undressed! He could say that because it was possible to see her bare shoulders, and her bare chest… her long hair covering her s.
“Then it was you…I-I-I…thank you!” – he stuttered, blushing as the lady swam closer – “I can’t swim well…”

“It’s okay… I can swim for both of us, sweetheart…”

Sunggyu’s breath got stuck. There was a woman, swimming on his direction, calling him “sweetheart”!

“I-I am…feeling better now.” – he started – “If you could just tell me to which side the beach is…”

“I can’t let you leave so soon…” – he heard the lady say. Something on the way she said it… it gave Sunggyu creeps.
He didn’t want to look at her… Not because it’d be… well, disrespectful to watch a lady bathing, but because… because he was afraid of what he’d see.

Still, he loked. Sunggyu couldn’t resist… and he saw it. He saw her tail waving under the water… a beautiful tail, with shinny and colorful scales… such a beauty. A mortal beauty.

Grabbing whatever he had reached on the floor, he threatened the mermaid.
“Stay away from me, monster!” – he shouted. His voice trembled, as well as his legs.

Hiding himself behind the tiny branch, he shouted again.
“Leave me, monster!”

The mermaid laughed.
“What is it?” – she questioned. Her eyebrows together, giving her a disbelieved expression.

“It’s a…. a poisonous herb” – he answered, shaking the plant. An attempt at scaring the mermaid away.

“You do realize it is basil, don’t you?” – she spoke, swimming closer. Her movements were smooth. It seemed like the water moved around her…

“Please, don’t eat me!” – Sunggyu felt to his knees. His hands together as if praying; his eyes closed, as if expecting the mermaid to devour him. – “Please, mermaid, don’t eat me!”

She laughed. A sonorous and intense laughter.
“I am indeed hungry, but I am not that desperate, fisherman!”

Sunggyu opened his eyes.
“So… you will not eat me... will you?”

The mermaid shook her head.
“The other day… I saw you fishing.” – she spoke, and Sunggyu didn’t fail to recognize the embarrassment in her voice – “Then I saw it when you put the fish on fire… it looked delicious…”

“You… you want me to cook for you?” – Sunggyu guessed. – “I’ve always heard mermaids eat humans…”
“We eat fish” – he heard the mermaid say, noticing slight shocked disbelief in her voice.

“So, why do you…” – Sunggyu started, but it had not been necessary to finish it.

“The taste…after I saw the way you put your fish on the fire, and the smell of it…” – she stopped for a moment, trying to find the right words – “I haven’t eaten since then.”

“You…” – Sunggyu started. He seemed to remember something – “So, it had not been you to attack the fishermen’s boat?”

She shook her head.
“All the water is somehow connected, but we have limits.” – she explained – “There are places a mermaid must stay away from. Especially if she’s alone”
Her tone was serious.

“Mermaid…” – Sunggyu started, and was interrupted before even pronouncing the full word.
“Hyosung!” – the mermaid said. Her tail waving under the water; her arms gently waving, keeping her body still – “My name is Hyosung.”

Sunggyu smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Hyosung” – he said, stretching his arm, careful not to fall on the water, to shake her hand. – “I’m Sanggyu, the fisherman”

The mermaid had not shaken his hand, she bowed from the water intead.

"Sweet fisherman..." - she smiled.