{ chapter five

As expected, Jongin’s parents were enraged when he returned home at eleven o’clock at night, but Jongin managed to come up with a reasonably believable story that he fell asleep under shelter – somehow slumbering through the storm for ten hours straight – which reduced his punishment from being grounded to a simple ‘go to your room’. However, after a night of contemplation, Jongin decides he’d be better off staying home for the day – partly because his parents are still wary of him, and partly because his encounter with Prince Junmyeon was a little terrifying.

The next day, however, Jongin ends up back down at the rock shelves – but Taemin is nowhere to be seen.

He waits for about an hour, and finally grows impatient, deciding it’s not worth the wait. So instead, he strips down to his swimming trunks, and slips into the water by himself.

He managed to connect with the Sea last time without even thinking about it – surely, he can do it again without Taemin?

Jongin has grown considerably more comfortable passing his safety zone in the water – admittedly, he feels much better with Taemin’s guidance, but he succeeds in swimming out further than he normally would without panicking. Once he feels sufficiently distanced from the beach, he plunges under the surface and swims as far down as he can, trying his hardest to expel the air from his lungs and focus on the water around him.

It takes a couple of moments for the Sea to embrace his presence, and Jongin shouts with joy, somersaulting proudly. He takes a moment to relish in the excitement of entering the Sea without any help, until he realises he has absolutely no way to navigate the ocean without Taemin’s help.

Jongin floats around in thought, until he decides to go a little deeper and see if he can somehow communicate with the sea life around him – or, better yet, encounter somebody who’ll take him down to the rest of the Mer.

He realises his limbs are significantly weaker than Taemin’s strong tail as he struggles against the water, swimming as hard as he can but not gaining nearly as much distance as he normally would with his friend’s assistance. However, his determination keeps him going, and he paddles deeper and deeper into the water.

Fear only begins to set in once he knows the Surface isn’t close anymore, and he’s enclosed in darkness, surrounded by nothing but quiet waters and the rocks beneath him. Wherever he is, it doesn’t look terribly familiar, and he’s tempted to turn back and swim to safety while he’s still in range of the beach.

The panic of deciding, he soon realises, only makes his throat tight and his head heavy, so he simply perseveres on and tries to forget about all the possible consequences of his blaringly foolish actions.

Jongin spots a fish darting through weeds in the distance, and swims over excitedly.

“Uh—excuse me?” Jongin calls. “Do you know where the—where the central province is? Can you—wait, don’t go!”

He watches helplessly as the fish darts away, like any other wild animal would on the Surface, and shrinks into the shadows of the rocks shamefully. He knows there’s nobody around to hear him, but he can’t help feeling awkward after trying to communicate with a fish.

Once the fire in his cheeks has died down, Jongin continues downwards, following the rock slopes and any signs of life, hoping they’ll take him somewhere less isolated. Honestly, he quite enjoys the solitude, and finds the exotic sea flora a fascinating enough distraction.

After a while of directionless meandering he comes across looming rocks and boulders of some sort, almost forming a maze around the seafloor. Of course, it’s not recognisable at all, but Jongin has a niggling feeling that the seas aren’t so quiet and there are people around, so he satisfies his hunch and ventures inside.

“Hello?” he calls softly, swimming around a couple of rocks in the hopes of spotting something, anything, but to no avail.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, Jongin begins to feel anxious and decides to swim up and out of wherever he is – until he spots a few bubbles rising from the other side of a large, looming rock ahead. His heartbeat accelerates, this time from excitement rather than panic, and Jongin quietly approaches.

Silently, carefully, keeping his distance, Jongin peeks around the corner of a nearby boulder, and covers his mouth to suppress a gasp.

There, sitting atop a smaller rock, is a Merman – or, more accurately, a Mer teenage boy, who appears to be the same age as Jongin himself. His face is that of a seventeen-year-old, but he’s so remarkably petite, skin like milk and hair like charcoal, with beautiful doe eyes and plump lips. But the most phenomenal thing to Jongin is the young man’s tail – a deep indigo, smooth and velvety, with the slightest hue of blue softening the royal colour. The young man flicks his tailfins delicately, hands busy with what looks like a woven flower crown, made from different weeds of ranging blue and green hues.

Jongin stares in wonderment at the tranquil man before him, gripping the boulder shielding him from view. His eyes rake up and down his elegant frame, from the black hair moving softly with the currents of the water to the tips of his tail. Something about him is more alluring than any other Mer he’s seen before – and it’s not just the fact that he has a tail that makes Jongin want to stare.

Moments pass and the stranger finally looks up from his craft, and turns suddenly towards Jongin. Jongin freezes in horror, and watches as the dainty man’s gaze trails from his face down to his legs – he’s transfixed once his eyes land on Jongin’s legs.

Finally, when his eyes tear from Jongin’s limbs and meet his own, Jongin finally edges away from the boulder, desperately wanting to move closer.

“Who are you?” the stranger whispers, and Jongin finds himself engulfed in dizzy stupefaction, lost for words at his lilting and delicate voice.

“You’re beautiful,” Jongin blurts, before smacking his hands to his mouth, mortified. He didn’t even feel the words coming – they simply tumbled out without warning, and the Mer boy looks terribly surprised at the unexpected comment.

“Sorry,” Jongin gasps, covering his cheeks to shield himself from the utter shame. He wants to turn and swim for his life, but the stranger’s stare leaves him paralysed, and he only snaps from his stupor when the boy drops his weaving to swim closer and touch his arms.

“You’re a human?” he says softly, tracing his delicate fingers ever so tenderly down Jongin’s skin. Goosebumps rise on Jongin’s limbs as chills race up his spine, shallow breaths overwhelming his ability to breathe. He doesn’t know how to respond, so he simply lets the angelic man touch him and circle him in wonderment.

“How did you come down here?” he asks quietly, stopping in front of Jongin and gazing up at him in fascination. Jongin gulps – the stranger’s eyes are so large and inquisitive, so captivating and beautiful. He’s almost surreal, too exquisite to be true.

“I…I know s-somebody…are—are you…royalty?” Jongin stammers, trembling with nervousness. He didn’t expect for them to be so close, and something about this wonderful male makes him feel incredibly timid.

The stranger recoils. “How did you know?”

Jongin points. “Your tail.”

The royal Mer boy remains quiet, simply watching Jongin, waiting. Jongin, meanwhile, tries to recall what Taemin told him about the royal family. He’s seen Junmyeon, and Taemin mentioned the elder sister, Yuri…could this be the younger brother that supposedly never exited the palace? Why would he be in such a desolate place, so far from his home?

“What’s your name?” the stranger finally asks. His tone is not probing, and he seems rather apprehensive, if anything.

“Jongin.”

“Jongin,” he repeats softly, letting the unfamiliar name form on his lips, and Jongin shivers – his name sounds so beautiful spoken in such a melodic voice.

Finally, the Mer boy reaches out to touch Jongin’s fingers, as if to signify his trust for the human.

“My name is Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo.

Neither of them break eye contact, gazes unfaltering, trying to drink in as much of one another as they can, spellbound by each other’s presence. Time almost begins to fall away, and Jongin only realises what’s happening when the distant sound of voices breaks the tranquillity between them.

Kyungsoo pulls away, and looks behind him, eyes suddenly sparkling with alarm.

“I have to go,” Kyungsoo says, his voice hushed, but afraid. He scoops up the plaited weeds and glances back at Jongin, mouth slightly open as if he wants to say more – but he does not. Kyungsoo swims off through the rocks hurriedly, and Jongin knows better than to chase him.

Breathing laboured, he wants nothing more than to turn around and swim back home.

* * *

Jongin doesn’t tell Taemin about his encounter with the younger prince. He returns to the beach the next day, this time driven by thoughts of Kyungsoo rather than the underwater adventures he so often dreamed of. He sits on the rock’s edge and stares down into the ripples of water at his feet, and doesn’t look up when Taemin pops his head out above the water.

“Hey, Jongin!”

“Hi.”

Taemin swims over and places his hands on Jongin’s legs, staring up at his murky expression. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you upset about what happened with Junmyeon?”

At Jongin’s silence, Taemin props himself up onto the rock and sits beside his friend, tilting his head to try and meet his sombre eyes. “Jongin? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” Jongin says brightly, forcing a smile and looking up to meet Taemin’s concerned gaze. “Should we go under?”

Taemin places a hand on Jongin’s thigh. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to it? If there’s something bothering you, it’ll inhibit your ability to break through the barrier. You can’t connect with the Sea when your mind is filled with Surface.”

“It’s not about the Surface,” Jongin whispers softly, and Taemin furrows his eyebrows, leaning closer. “What?”

“Nothing,” Jongin sighs. “Taemin, can you…tell me more about the royal family?”

Taemin frowns, hard, and Jongin quickly assures him he’s not interested in Junmyeon romantically at all. Taemin looks slightly flustered after that, but most definitely relieved – and he doesn’t deny that he cares about whether or not Jongin is interested in Junmyeon, either.

“But why?” Taemin queries, and Jongin shrugs, mentally scrambling for an excuse.

“Um…I just…I’m just curious.”

Taemin waits for him to elaborate, very clearly suspicious, but Jongin doesn’t say any more. He’s already considered telling Taemin about his encounter yesterday, but what he fears most is having Taemin tell him that Junmyeon is right, he shouldn’t be associating with the royalty. Instead, it seems more logical to innocently feed more information about the royal family out of Taemin, and investigate the intriguing younger prince himself. He can’t risk Taemin disallowing him from trying to talk to Kyungsoo again – there’s something so magnetic about the beautiful prince that Jongin just can’t shake from his mind.

“I don’t really know a lot,” Taemin says quietly. “It’s not like we know anything personal about them, except what they publicly reveal.”

“Oh,” Jongin says, trying not to sound too disappointed. What’s the chance of Taemin revealing anything about Kyungsoo? Taemin already said he knows close to nothing about the younger prince – he’s clearly going to be of little help to Jongin.

“What do you want to know?”

“Uh…” Jongin clears his throat, not wanting to sound suspicious, but there’s no real way to subtly lead into his questioning. “well…what do you know about…about Junmyeon’s brother?”

Taemin raises an eyebrow. “His younger brother?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Jongin clenches his fists, frustrated, because damn it, Taemin is annoyingly nosy.

“I just find it strange. That he doesn’t leave the palace – I mean, we don’t have that kind of thing…on the Surface. I’m curious about him, y-you know?”

Taemin doesn’t seem to pick up on the falter in Jongin’s voice, and doesn’t look troubled by what Jongin is convinced was a terrible excuse, but perhaps he’s just decided not to dispute any further.

“I don’t exactly know a lot about him, save for his name. Which is Kyungsoo, by the way.”

The moment the familiar name leaves Taemin’s lips, Jongin’s heart starts to race again – he has no idea why, it’s not like he doubted Kyungsoo’s royal status, anyway – and he stays silent, waiting for more.

“He’s – he’s just weird,” Taemin sighs, swinging his tail off the edge of the rock. “The King barely ever interacts with him at public events, and he doesn’t speak to, or look at, anyone. He’s so quiet and reserved. All the citizens whisper rumours and say he has mental problems. I think he’s just unhappy.”

Jongin feels his shoulders sink, his breath leaving his lips in a soft sigh of “oh”. He thinks back to how Kyungsoo was sitting on that rock alone, his eyes so scared but so curious, his voice so gentle and meek, and he can’t help but think that Taemin is right – he seemed so lonely, so sad. It pulls at Jongin’s heart, and makes him wish to see the prince again more than anything.

“Does he talk to Junmyeon?”

Taemin shakes his head. “That’s why I find him so strange. The King is a stern man, but Junmyeon has a soft heart. He always stays close Kyungsoo when they have to leave the palace, and covers up for him when he’s too scared to speak. But Kyungsoo still doesn’t talk to him. He doesn’t even smile.”

Jongin recalls that Kyungsoo didn’t smile at all yesterday – he almost bursts with anticipation, desperate to see those alluring lips curve into a smile. He needs to see Kyungsoo again.

Taemin shakes his head again, this time in thought. “Junmyeon and Yuri are both so kind. There must be something wrong.”

“How old is he?” Jongin asks suddenly, taking Taemin off guard. The Mer boy raises his eyebrows. “Junmyeon, or Kyungsoo?”

“Oh—uh, both?” Jongin doesn’t really care about Junmyeon’s age – he just wants to avoid sounding too questionably interested in Kyungsoo.

“Kyungsoo is seventeen, I think, maybe eighteen. Junmyeon is twenty-one.”

Taemin looks away, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and Jongin blinks in shock at the sudden melancholy that’s clouded over him.

“Three years isn’t…isn’t so much of an , anyway.”

For a moment, Jongin thinks he’s talking about the difference between Junmyeon and his brother, but when he spots the distant look in Taemin’s eyes, it dawns on him that he’s referring to the prince and himself. That’s when Jongin realises – despite how friendly Junmyeon is, Taemin really has no chance of being with him, simply because of his common status.

Jongin reaches across and intertwines his fingers with Taemin’s, and stares at his lap, flustered, when Taemin turns back to him in surprise. They sit in silent understanding for a few long minutes, until Taemin quietly announces that he has to leave, and he slips into the water. Jongin doesn’t follow him.

The moment before Taemin dives to plunge back to the seafloor, he turns and looks over his shoulder, meeting his friend’s eyes.

“Thank you, Jongin.”

He disappears under the surface before Jongin has a chance to respond.

✏ [ a/n ] this story is so wtf .........at least kyungsoo is here........ty again to the people commenting you guys are BAE

word count: 2582