Chapter Eight: Time

Seunghyun knew he was risking all odds with what he was about to do.

He knew the minute her hand touched his, implying the trust she had in him, he was going to hell – and he found that he couldn’t care less. All that mattered in that moment was how soft her touch was, how silky her skin seemed to be, and extremely soothing.

He couldn’t understand what had possessed him to be this daring, bringing her out of the lab. If a security guard patrolling the lab’s vicinity caught them, Seunghyun knew everything he had worked so hard for would come crashing down in full force.

But her expression, God help him, her expression when she spoke of her experiences underwater . . . it broke his heart, stifling his already choked windpipe. He had to help her, find a way for her to at least escape the confines of the tank for a few precious hours.

He was surprised at how much she weighed. With her extravagant tail, Seunghyun expected her to be heavy. He was proven wrong, for she felt surprisingly light. He tried not to notice how she fit exactly into the crook of his arms, how comfortable it was for him to hold her close.

He could see the tell-tale blush on her cheeks, and he knew then he wasn’t the only one harbouring a timid crush. “Will you be okay to breathe without water?”

She turned to face him, and Seunghyun’s breath caught in his throat; he had never been this close to her before. opened, but no sound came out of it, leading Seunghyun to believe he could only hear her within her tank, where Seungri’s many recorders laid rest.  

Seeing her beauty up close did wonders to his heart. He didn’t think it was possible for it to beat any faster than it currently was, but once again, he was proven humorously wrong as she fixed her obsidian gaze on him.

It took a while for him to recover, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a few seconds before looking ahead. “Then stay with me, and trust in whatever I’m about to do.”

Shifting her about, he held Bom tightly in one arm as the other reached for his cell-phone. Impatiently, he dialled Seungri, knowing that out of all people, he could trust him with his slight deterrence to their original plan.

“What’s up, hyung?” Seungri greeted cheerfully.

“I’m taking our mermaid out for a little getaway. Make sure no one knows.”

“Wait, wha–”

Leaving Seungri no extra room to interject his opinions, Seunghyun ended his call with him and dialled another number.

“Kwon Jiyong speaking.” Came the voice on the phone, all professional and brusque in his intonation.

“It’s me, Seunghyun.”

“Oh, hyung!” Jiyong chuckled. “What’s up?”

“I need to borrow your private villa in Itaewon, the one that has the big, indoor swimming pool.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Jiyong answered, puzzled but willing. “Why? You bringing over a lady love?”

“Yes, actually.” Seunghyun bit his lip, glancing over at Bom, who smiled wearily back. He gulped, then continued, “It’s the mermaid. I’m taking her out for a while. Make sure no one gets close to your villa.”

“What the –” Once again, Seunghyun cut the call by pressing red. He looked back at Bom and gave her an encouraging smile.

“Let’s go have some fun.”

OoOoOo

A few hours of close encounters and heart-stopping avoidances later, Seunghyun had the mermaid secured in his car, using a blanket to cover her tail and a beanie to cover her head. He made her wear one of his long-sleeved shirts, coupled with his favourite sunglasses.

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel nervously as he waited for Jiyong’s text, revealing his private villa’s security code. Once his phone pinged his reply, Seunghyun quickly pressed the code against the security pad and waited impatiently for the enormous gate to open.

Once it did, Seunghyun drove in as fast as he could, trying his best to avoid the paparazzi that lurked in front of Jiyong’s majestic gates, preventing them from entering his secluded and well-known luxurious property.

He drove straight into the garage and ensured that all the gates were close. He pulled over and worked like a mad man to get Bom out of the car as quickly as he could. She opened to speak, and when he still heard nothing, he merely shook his head and gave a small smile.

God, she looks so beautiful in my clothes.

He carried her into the villa, taking the elevator down to the basement where Jiyong’s infamous indoor pool awaited them.

The thing about Kwon Jiyong was that he would settle for nothing but the best.

The pool seemingly stretched on endlessly, its size was as big as three of those used in the Olympics for diving – maybe even more so – and Seunghyun was positive it cost Jiyong millions of won to build it. It was his first time seeing it in person, having been far too busy to visit Jiyong’s over-the-top mansion.

The lighting, the atmosphere . . . everything seemed so grand that Seunghyun shrank back. Even if his father was the president of South Korea, he could never be as filthy rich as his childhood friend.

“Holy ,” Seunghyun swore, still having trouble taking in the size of his friend’s indoor swimming pool. “Holy ing .”

Bom, on the other hand, had begun squirming in his hold. He looked down to see her excited, almost flustered expression as she stared longingly at the pool. He could see her pale, heart-achingly beautiful face grow alive with such animation, gazing at the pool with infinite amazement.

She caught him staring at her, and words were not needed for him to understand what she wanted.

Carefully, he stripped her of the clothes he had put on her, gulping and adorably blushing as he did so. He felt like such an idiot for feeling this way about a being that couldn’t understand his lustful emotions.

But her happiness came first, and Seunghyun carefully set her down inside the pool.

The minute he did, Bom took off with such speed, Seunghyun swore she vanished for a second. 

Running to the staircase by the side of the pool, Seunghyun quickly made his way down, gasping once more at the enormous size of the pool that seemed more like an aquarium made for a baby whale. The depth of it seemed boundless, stretching far below Seunghyun’s feet as a thick glass separated the room he was in and the baffling pool.

He could watch her swim all day.

He never once broke his gaze away from Bom as she swam happily in the water, spinning and dancing about. She sped past him, ignoring his presence, only smiling and laughing, eyes wide with happiness and joy. Occasionally, she would jump out of the water before diving back inside it, very much resembling a dolphin’s jump out of the water.

He had never seen anything as breath-taking as she.

So this is what it’s like . . . how she’s like when she swims. Her true strength, her true self . . . this is what it’s like, Seunghyun marvelled, completely enraptured.

Seunghyun couldn’t keep track of the amount of time that had passed, too preoccupied with the sight before him. Bom didn’t seemed to tire, swimming to her heart’s content. Her tail moved gracefully against the water, her body slicing through it as one would against the air. He couldn’t, for the life of him, look away from her.

She was magnificent, glorious.

And Seunghyun knew he had to find some way to free her as soon as he could, no matter how much it hurt him to think so.

OoOoOo

“I will murder Seunghyun-hyung, I swear I will!” Seungri cursed beside Jiyong, his arms folded in agitation as he pouted. “How could he be so irresponsible? I mean, I get that he likes her and stuff, but shouldn’t he have to think about me, too? Thank God I’m a genius and managed to make a hologram of the mermaid otherwise the guards would’ve raised hell with the government!”

“Calm down, maknae-ah.” Jiyong chuckled, revving up the engine of his Lamborghini with ease. “He just wants to have fun, that’s all.”

“He could’ve at least warned me first, right? But noooo, he had to do a last minute split decision and bring her where it’s extremely dangerous.”

“Hey!” Jiyong cried, half mockingly and half in warning. “My villa is the most secured property in the whole of Korea. Remember, you’re the one who designed the security system.”

“Oh, alright. But it still doesn’t warrant his actions though.” Seungri sighed, leaning back against the leather seat. “He must really love her.”

“We do stupid things for the ones we love, maknae-ah.” Jiyong reached over to pinch Seungri’s cheek. “You’ll find out soon enough; when you have someone you love more than yourself.”

Seungri shook his head, chuckling slightly. Trust me, hyung, I already do.

OoOoOo

When she grew fatigued from all her dancing and swimming about, Bom pulled herself up the side of the remarkable pool. It had been a long while since she was able to stretch her limbs this much, and feeling her muscles grow sore with exercise only delighted her further.

The water felt different against her skin somehow but she still liked it. After all, it was better than staying cooped up in a tank.

She began humming cheerfully, a melody that she had forced herself to memorize every syllable and pitch changes, for it was the song her mother loved dearest. She ran her fingers through her hair, combing through its many tangled curls and massaging her scalp where it was tender.

For a brief moment, she wondered where T.O.P was; she had yet to see him since he last left her, and she was beginning to worry that he had left her here by herself.

She wouldn’t have minded, given that she was in the company of such a lovely water body, yet she still wished to see his face. She wanted to relay her gratitude, her happiness, though she knew he would not be able to hear her.

Another couple of minutes passed and Bom was ready to go back into the water when she heard the scuffling of feet. Whirling around, she prepared herself for the worse but only came face to face with T.O.P’s warm, smiling face.

He grinned widely at her, holding a drink in his right hand as he grasped an odd device with his left.

“May I?” He gestured to the empty spot beside her, and she nodded in earnest.

“Did you have fun?” Once more, she nodded, smiling as she caught his eye and looking bashfully away when he refused to back down from her stare. “I’m glad you liked it, then. I’m sorry I can’t free you now . . . watching you swim is the most . . . fascinating thing I’ve ever had to see, and I mean that in the best way possible.”

She found it adorable, the way he ranted, blowing his cheeks out self-consciously. She wished he could hear her, but knowing the only way he would be able to listen to her speak was through Seungri’s almost magical devices, Bom settled for a mere nod of the head.

She gave him a grateful smile, squealing internally when he returned it ruefully.  

“Do you do this often out there? Swimming freely?”

She nodded once more, never taking her eyes off of his. Afterwards she gave him a winning smile, attempting to convey her gratefulness through it. He smiled back, lapsing into a comfortable silence that Bom revelled in.

The silence was later broken by the loud opening of doors, alarming her as T.O.P abruptly pushed her back into the water, whirling around defensively as he balled his fists, ready to fight.

She peeked above the edge of the pool, startled when she caught the sight of Seungri and another human male she did not recognize.

The three of them argued back and forth, with Seungri yelling and cursing at T.O.P while the other male simply grinned knowingly, even laughing at times. Occasionally, he’d glance at her, eyes filled with silent recognition.

He scared her, for he stared at her being with so much force and attention that it bothered her deeply. She hadn’t encountered anyone quite daring as he was.

“Are we done here?” T.O.P finally exulted, throwing his hands into the air.

Seungri was breathing deeply, hands in fists by his side as he continuously glared at the latter. “Are we?”

“Look, I know it was a stupid decision, but I couldn’t stand watching her all coped up in that tank for another minute. She was miserable; you should’ve been here earlier – you would’ve seen how happy she was, how serene she is to be in such a large body of water. By the way, Jiyong-ah, thanks.”

The unknown male merely shrugged, proudly showing off a gummy smile. “It’s the least I can do.”

Seungri rolled his eyes, making his way over to where Bom curiously watched them, perching her arms on the side of the pool. “Are you having fun?”

She nodded.

“Well, good, at least Seunghyun-hyung did something right.” Seungri chuckled, pausing a little before looking around the place. “Man, this place is massive!”

Everyone laughed at his befuddled remark, effectively decimating the tension from their earlier argument. Relieved, Bom pushed herself away from the pool’s edge, choosing to float above the water as she stared up into the vast ceiling, pondering T.O.P’s earlier words.

She was grateful that he acknowledged her misery, catering to it with his compassionate actions. She was thankful that he intended on releasing her sooner than she expected, but she couldn’t help but inherently dread their forthcoming separation.

She had fallen for him already, though she knew it was a taboo and a lost cause. In some way, perhaps she fell for him the first time he took her in his arms. Though it was slightly clouded with a haze of pain and confusion, she could still remember the security of his arms, and how warm it felt to be held by him.

He was a good man, and she couldn’t help but feel her heart break a little knowing her time left with him was so limited. Though she loved her family and longed to be back in the ocean, a small part of her – one that grew increasingly louder as the days went by – incessantly questioned herself whether she would be able to find another love like him.

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine herself with another merman. She and her sister constantly giggled over the mermen who courted them behind their father’s back, comparing their attributes. Bom had never been interested, however, for they all seemed to want only one thing – the coveted spot of being the sea god’s son through a marriage with either daughter.

She couldn’t imagine herself falling in love with anyone but T.O.P, and she wished dearly that they had met under much different circumstances. She wished they’d met by chance, a simple twist of fate that somehow brought the two of them together, instead of her being captured by his foul acquaintances.

And as much as she wished, as much as she desired to have been found by him through other means, she knew it was futile.

She would be freed, and T.O.P would’ve remained a fond memory etched carefully into her mind.

OoOoOo

“Are the troops ready?” King Hyunsuk asked Mino, gripping his staff tightly in his right hand.

The head guard nodded, eyes holding no sense of empathy as he replied, “Yes, my King. We await your next orders.”

King Hyunsuk stared at him for a second longer before moving his gaze over to the plethora of armed mermen, all heavily equipped with their combat armour and staffs, standing in formation as they awaited further instructions.

It was unbelievable, just how much the kingdom thirsted for revenge. Every able-bodied mermen had volunteered to enlist in the army after the king had publicly announced the state of war they had entered. With a raging bloodlust to kill those who had taken their beloved princess away from them, the mermen had begun planning their siege on the human world.

The king rose to his full height and bellowed, “My fellow mermen! Today is the day where we swim forward to the barriers between us and the vile murderers we call humans! Today, we create history by taking the first step on waging war with them! Tomorrow, we shall show them who the true gods are in this realm!

“They have taken away our queen, killing her slowly with torment as we were forced to listen to her song of death! Now they have murdered my daughter, your princess, and we shall have our revenge! Swim with me, my fellow mermen, to exact our revenge on those pungent beings!”

With a deafening roar, one that caused an immediate typhoon to occur above the surface of the ocean from where their kingdom was located, the king raised his staff.

“FOR THE PRINCESS!” The mermen chorused in unison, a cheer so loud that it caused the water around them to violently shake with its intensity.  

And they marched forward.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Hope you liked it! :)