It was already dark when she heard his loud, clumsy steps.

“Daehyun…” – she greeted, opening the door slowly, before he had even gotten close to it.

“You always know…” – the young man laughed – “Tell me your secret, Zinger”

“I’d rather tell you a different story” – she said, giving him room to enter.

“What story? I love your stories… the way you tell them, it makes everything seem so real…"- Daehyun smiled, sitting at a chair by the round kitchen table, where a small blank portrait awaited for him.

“I’ll tell you... about the Leviathan...” – Zinger spoke, handing him a cup. Her eyes sparkling in a shade of purple that Daehyun thought to have been only in his imagination.

“The leviathan… the monster that lives in the deepest of the sea…” – he spoke. His eyes sparkling in excitement, a paintbrush loose on his hand.

Zinger nodded.
“The leviathan is said to have seven heads held by seven long necks. Each head has seven sharp horns…” – she started. Her eyes deep into Daehyun’s – “…his body is covered by equally sharp scales, that can easily be mistaken by rocks…”  - She spoke with such certainty, that Daehyun couldn’t help but be amused - “… each scale is so sharp, that they can easily damage thick ships. The leviathan is more than a serpent. It is a monster of immeasurable size… some say it surrounds the whole world in a way that its forth mouth, in the middle of the seven, meets its tail.” – Zinger’s voice was low and slow. It gave Daehyun a feeling that she may had even seen the leviathan with her own eyes – “…there are also those who say the leviathan is a mermaid that was once cursed by Cephissus, duo to her constant beauty self praising, doomed to be forever a monstrous serpent. The leviathan can smell and taste blood all over the water… that’s the reason injured sailors never leave the ship. It can attract the monster, that smells every single drop of blood that touches the water… and if your blood is tasty enough, it will go after you.” – Daehyun gasped – “All sea creatures are afraid of him…”

Daehyun could barely keep his mouth closed. His portrait was still blank.
The way Zinger told that story…
He stared at her with his mouth open is amusement.

“All sea creatures are afraid of the leviathan…” – Zinger continued – “…do you…do you smell something burning?”

Just then Daehyun blinked.
There was indeed something burning.

“The soup!” – Zinger stood, running to her old oven. There was no longer fire, only a dark smoke.

Daehyun opened the window, so that the smoke would leave through it, while Zinger waved a tissue, as if it would scare the smoke away.
And it went away indeed, but it had taken a while.

“Have you seen the moon?” – Zinger heard the young man say when the smoke had almost completely left, and looked at the sky through the window.
“It’s new…”  - she reminded herself.

“I’ve noticed the moon affects the sea…” – Daehyun spoke, more to himself. His eyes still on the new moon, up in the sky.

“It also affects the monster…” – Zinger spoke, more to herself. Her eyes still on the moon, up in the sky. A serious, concerned expression on her face.

Daehyun left not longer later, promising to return soon with a painted portrait.
“I will do my best… and thank you for the story” – he said, while Zinger lighted him a torch.

“Thank you for coming. You’re always a pleasant companion, Daehyun…Will you be okay?” – Zinger smiled – “You’re very imaginative at times”

“Don’t worry…” – Daehyun ginned – “It’s just a story!”

“Yes…” – Zinger smiled, before giving him a light peck on the cheek - "...just a story"