Haddock, herring, mackerel, mullet... fish, fish, fish. It all tasted the same.

“I’m sick of this…” – Hyosung spoke.
Se laid on a rock. Her tail under the water.
The sun had not yet appeared.

“Are you going to starve yourself, then?” – she heard another mermaid laugh.
“Maybe she’s trying to look thinner for her fisherman!”- a third one joked.

“Stop it, you two!” – “Hyosung replied, laughing at how silly they sounded.

“Why don’t you swim to the East again?” – a mermaid suggested, and Hyosung hit her lightly with her tail, laughing.
“I will!”

She swam to the East.
There was a beach around that area, Hyosung knew well, that had fishes with a better taste.
Well, even the worst food may not be that bad when you have a good view.

“Good morning, sea!!” – she heard. It was that one fisherman.... He was handsome, she thought, and always so sweet…

“Already up, boy?” – she heard an old lady greet him – “The sun just woke up!”
“God helps who help themselves, right?” – he smiled.

Hyonsung had been there many, and many times, so she knew what would come next.

Before the lady left, Sunggyu gave her two fishes. The only two fishes he had.
She left with a thankful smile, the fisherman smiling too.

Hyosung swam a little closer to the beach, hiding herself behind a rock. She watched as the fisherman prepared his net and threw it on the sea, expecting to take some fishes.
Fail.
He pulled the net back, walked a little further and threw the net again, trying to catch some fishes.
Fail.

The mermaid watched the fisherman repeat his action many times.
He had not yet caught anything.
His sweet smile had faded and his frown made his eyebrows almost cover his tiny eyes.

“Don’t be sad, sweet fisherman.” - Hyosung spoke to herself. Her fisherman’s expression was indeed heart-breaking.

The mermaid swam to very deep into the water. A straight line going down from the spot she had been just a second before.
She got to the darkest she could and she sang. Her eyes closed, a hand on her heart.
Hyosung’s voice was melodic…

On the surface, Sunggyu had fallen asleep on the shore, sat on a comfortable bamboo chair.
His big straw hat covering his face, his fishing net in the water, tied to a wooden stake close to him.
The sun would set soon.

“Not lucky yet?” – he heard a familiar voice right by his side.
The morning old lady stood there, smiling sympathetically.

“Yeah…” – Sunggyu answered. A disappointed expression on his face.

“Shall we go, then?” – the old lady invited – “I’ll make you a soup”

Sanggyu stood up, dragging his net from the water.
It was so heavy now…
His jaw had dropped when he saw those fishes. There were a lot!

“What…” – Sunggyun said, rubbing the back of his head – “I haven’t caught a single one the whole day…”

“The mermaids might be very fond of you…” – the old lady smiled.

“Mermaids…?” – he repeated – “Aren’t they evil… Satan’s daughters… something like this?”

The lady laughed out loud.
“Of course not! They are the ones that lead the fishes to the nets when the fisherman is worth it. Good heart, good fisherman... good fishes”
She left laughing at young man’s imagination.

Sunggyu looked at the sea… Was it really possible?
“If… if there is a mermaid listening, I…I-I just wanna say that… well… I mean…” – he stuttered – “Just… er…thank you for the fish… Mermaids.”

Hyosung smiled under the water.
“Sweet fisherman…” - she thought - "...Just don't get used!"