Lee Sungyeol was ecstatic when he found his name listed next to the role of Ariel.  He yelled eagerly during recess, “This is going to be my big break!”

Nam Woohyun, Sungyeol’s best friend, groaned at the mention of ‘big break.’  “Don’t even talk about the play right now.  You get to look all pretty as a mermaid, while I get to be a dumb seagull.   Thank God I have Hoya here as an ugly eel.”

Lee Howon, or Hoya, shouted in frustration as he defended his character—that it was the cool Flotsam and not some ‘ugly eel.’

Woohyun dismissed Hoya’s rebuttal and asked, “Do you know who’s going to play as your Prince Eric?”

“Nah, I was too excited when I saw my name.  I guess I’ll find out at tomorrow’s rehearsal.”

---

Director Kim Sunggyu squinted at the cast that crowded around him.  He then shrieked, “Who’s missing?”

The next instant, Woohyun sauntered in, munching on his salted potato chips happily.  All eyes were directed towards the boy at the door, and Sungyeol, sensing the invisible fumes the director’s small eyes seemed to emit, flailed his arms and mouthed the words, “Hurry up” to his best friend.  Woohyun, not wanting to anger the director, decided to bust out his flirtatious side at an attempt to salvage the situation.

“Sorry, I forgot the time because I was too absorbed into my workout,” Woohyun said as he flexed his biceps.  “But now that I see who’s directing this play, I’ll definitely be punctual next time,” he promised, sending a wink towards the direction of Sunggyu, who rolled his eyes in response.

“If you’re late one more time, Mr. Nam, I will replace you, got that?  Who’s still not here?”

Kim Myungsoo hurried through the door at that moment, panting, and apologized to Sunggyu.  Sunggyu, instead of biting his head off like he did with Woohyun, kindly excused his tardiness.

Woohyun gaped at what happened and muttered jealously to his best friend about Sunggyu’s special treatment towards Myungsoo.

Sungyeol shrugged, “Well, the good looking ones always get the perks.”

Rehearsal began with the “Kiss the Girl” boat scene.  Sungyeol got on stage, quite nervously, as he still did not know who his partner would be.  His mouth dropped open as he saw Myungsoo stepping on the stage next to him.

He’s Prince Eric?!

---

It had been half an hour already, and Sungyeol still could not seem to follow Sunggyu’s instructions about his movements in the boat.

It’s so simple; just smile and sway lovingly.  For heaven’s sake, Ariel doesn’t even have her voice in this scene!

Just the thought of him having to lean extremely close, almost lip-touching, to the handsome Myungsoo at the end of the scene was making him sweat profusely.

Myungsoo, on the other hand, appeared to have noticed and was rather enjoying his partner’s discomfort. He found the faint blush on Sungyeol’s cheeks to be quite endearing.  He could sense that Sungyeol might have a little interest in him, and frankly, he felt just the same.  He smirked.

These two months will be most interesting.

---

“Okay, I quit! I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

Sungyeol slammed his food down on the lunch table the next day, collapsing onto the bench.

“Why the hell are you quitting? Are you crazy?”  Woohyun tried to knock some sense into his stupid friend as he sat next to him.

“I don’t think I can last another day having to rehearse with him…”  Sungyeol slowly trailed off as he looked up to see Hoya and Woohyun staring at him.  He then regretted his words as they started to about Myungsoo.

---

Myungsoo decided to pitch in a suggestion to Sunggyu about the scene that they rehearsed yesterday.  He waited for his other friend, Jang Dongwoo, who was in the kitchen making iced tea, a concoction that Myungsoo and Sunggyu loved to drink whenever they were over at Dongwoo’s house.  After all, Dongwoo might be interested to hear his idea as Dongwoo was also in the play, portraying the second eel character Jetsam.

“So I was thinking that in the boat scene, Prince Eric should kiss Ariel on the collarbone, up onto the neck, and then resume the original part of Flotsam and Jetsam ing as he is about to kiss Ariel on the lips.”

Sunggyu looked at his friend.  “Why do you want to add in all this unnecessary kissing?  You’re being suspicious, pal.”

Dongwoo laughed heartily as he had noticed Myungsoo’s interest towards Sungyeol during rehearsal.  “He’s trying to get at Ariel, duh!”  He further cackled.

Sunggyu sneered, “My play isn’t for you to around with just so you can get some guy’s .”

Dongwoo chimed in again, “Oh, come on, you should help Myungsoo out.  It would totally make the play more lustful and intense. And besides, after he gets Sungyeol, he can help you hook it up with Sungyeol’s buddy.  Don’t think I didn’t see you check him out when that guy flexed his biceps.”

Myungsoo displayed a look of curiosity while Sunggyu flushed a deep shade of red.

“Fine, you can molest Ariel’s neck.”

Myungsoo grinned in triumph.