Junmyeon had never seen such a beautiful sight.

He glided beside a sea turtle, marveling its smooth, patterned shell whilst keeping up with its relaxed speed. The turtle paid him no mind, pointed, black eyes staring at something afar and swimming in one straight direction.

           Junmyeon smiled behind all the snorkeling gear, honored to be able to witness such a gorgeous creation of the seas.

He always loved the sea, loved the weightless distances he could travel, he could swim in The Dumps for hours and hours without getting tired. He had been the captain of his high school’s swimming team, and although he swam significantly less after his graduation and knee injury, he could still handle the moderate deeps of the Maui water.

He wasn’t the fastest in the team, but fast enough and the most responsible; therefore he was given the honor of leading the team. Along with his duties as the Student Council President, Class Captain, Head Prefect, Chairman of Sports Department and Sectional Leader of the Violins of Orchestra, it was a miracle he was able to become Valedictorian when he was barely able to manage his studies.

The acceptance letter from Harvard wasn’t much of a surprise, but his parents bought him this vacation anyways, which he will always be extremely grateful for.

What he meant is, it’s good to swim without the beeping of a timer and being the receiver end of the intimidating stares of their coach.

After the vacation, he would be taking a gap year, volunteering at Big Cats Rescue and interning at his father’s investment company before beginning a new chapter of his life.

It was tedious, maintaining a “perfect” façade, pretending to care about the thousands of school rules, concealing the fact that he is raging homoual and hiding his obsession with tiger sharks among his peers.

Snorkeling wasn’t the best time for an existential crisis and he dosn’t want to drown to death so he shook his head to clear his thoughts and continues following the sea turtle.

“You know, the girls have stopped betting whether you are gay.” Baekhyun, his Vice President had said.

“You sound like it’s bad news.” Junmyeon looked up from the personal statement he was editing.

“Yes, because they are now betting whether you are aual.” Baekhyun giggled annoyingly.

“I don’t care, gossiping is bad. And can you help me proofread this paragraph?”

Baekhyun had snorted and the irritating sound is still loud in his head, conversations with Baekhyun always made him question whether his decision to remain single was right. But again, all of the numerous confessions he has received from blushing juniors were from girls, and really is not attracted to them.

“Only attractive to girls, only attracted to boys.” Was how Baekhyun summed up his entire eighteen years of existence.

The sea turtle is picking up speed and Junmyeon catches up with more difficulty as exhaustion starts to kick in, how long had he been swimming?

He looked back to the shore and almost screamed.

He could no longer see the shore, it has become a thin, yellow line and he wanted to cry. It looked at least a twenty-minute swim with his usual speed but he is already worn out, it would take a good thirty minutes or so if he headed back now.

He wanted to curse at the sea turtle but it was gone in the depths of the ocean, he looked down to the seabed and almost slapped himself for being a complete idiot.

How could he not realize that the colorful reefs were becoming more and more distanced from the sea surface as he gradually swam into the open?

Idiot, Kim Junmyeon, that’s what you are.

He sighed dejectedly and began heading back, already dreading the soreness in his limbs when he reaches the shore.

Then something smooth and hard touched his leg, he stopped to see if the sea turtle is back and nudging him.

He was greeted with the sight of gray skin, distinct fins and small, sharp teeth.

Kim Junmyeon was only half a meter away from a tiger shark.

Tiger shark! His favorite animal! He even kept a tiger shark plushie he had bought from Japan in his bed! He had only seen them in aquariums and he was so thrilled to see them up-close, almost reaching out to touch its nose.

Then he remembered that tiger sharks are responsible for many fatal sea incidents and he should really, really be scared of the looming creature in front of him.

Oh yes, sharks kill people.

Sharks kill idiots like Kim Junmyeon (for god’s sake, he even had a paper-cut from a travel brochure this morning and he’s pretty sure it’s still oozing blood).

This is not how he wanted to be remembered, and a wave of panic hit him hard, His left knee, previously injured, chose this moment to betray his idiotic owner and Junmyeon shrieked when his entire left foot went numb and unable to support his body movement.

It was terrifying, and Junmyeon thought of all the hard work he had done and the expectations from his parents, and this just really isn’t the way he wanted to be remembered.

He tried not to look back but the shape of a shark’s fin flashed in the corner of his eyes.

His entire vision was taken over by darkness before he could conjure up the title of the news reports for his tragic death.

 

There was a sound.

The voice of a teenage boy around his age that stirred Junmyeon.

“Really, Billy, I’m sure he’s fine.”

“I mean, yes, he’s pretty pale but I’m also sure this is his natural skin tone.”

“Billy, you need to stop pacing, he will be okay.”

“No don’t call Yixing, you know he will alert father and father doesn’t like it when I interact with humans in this form.”

Junmyeon forced his eyes open and faced the owner of the melodious voice who has disturbed his rest.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Jongdae grinned. “See, Billy? He’s all fine.”

“Who are you, what’s going on-“ Junmyeon gasped as he takes in the sight of a boy with pink hair and upturned lips.

“Now, now, mister president, do you really not know who I am.” Jongdae rolled his eyes and sniffed in mock hurt.

“What-” The glaring sunshine made it hard to open his eyes and contoured the cheekbones of the boy in front of him very flatteringly.

Jongdae cocked his eyebrows expectedly, “Well, do you remember who I am, Junmyeonnie?”

It took Junmyeon at least half a minute.

“You! I know you!  You always messed up the sixteenth bar of Canon in D Major!” Junmyeon exclaimed in recognition, feeling slightly accomplished that he was able to recall the identity of the boy before him (After all, he only met him in orchestra practices, but the pink hair was a really big giveaway)

“Kim Jongdae at your service.” Jongdae stretched out his hand to shake Junmyeon’s. “In case you are not aware, I saved your life-”

“Your hand is wet.” Junmyeon blurted out and immediately used both hands to cover his mouth in shock of what his foolish brain has said.

Jongdae blinked slowly, slightly judging.

“Well, you see, I’m a-“

“Mermaid!” Junmyeon is one hundred percent awake now, as he took in the tail of Kim Jongdae, gaping at the pink, glittering scales and yelped “Holy- You’re a mermaid.”

“No.” Jongdae snapped in annoyance. “It’s merMAN. For god’s sake, Junmyeon I am a male!”

“Just like Ariel!” Flashbacks of The Little Mermaid flooded Junmyeon’s system “Wait… Does that mean I’m Prince Eric?”

“Do I have ing red hair? Seashells as bras? Green tail? Blue tails?”

“No you don’t…”

“Yes, ing hell, Junmyeon, you are much dumber than you appear to be.” Jongdae scoffed and Junmyeon felt borderline offended.

“How is all of this even possible, I must be dead and in Heaven.”

“Well, if being with me is heaven to you, I’m flattered.” Jongdae flicked his tail back and forth “We need to find a place for you to rest.”

“Rest?”

“Yes, we are headed towards the Hidden Bay, around a twenty minute swim for a merman, might be an hour for a human.”

“How long for a swimming team captain?”

“An hour.” Jongdae glared at him, “Didn’t I already say that, and let’s get going, Prince Eric.”

“What-“ Junmyeon blushed from the nickname and peered down from the large rock he is currently sitting on, “Shark! Oh gosh, Kim Jongdae get your up the rock! There’s a shark!” Junmyeon screamed and tugged at the slippery arms of Jongdae.

“It’s Billy, my best friend.” Jongdae slipped out the grasp of a very horrified Junmyeon and swirled around the familiar tiger shark “Billy here found you just now, you shouldn’t speak of him like that.”

“He is the reason I panicked the first place.” Junmyeon deadpanned and Jongdae seemed not to hear him.

“I would have let you ride Billy, but I don’t have any rope with me right now and I doubt you would be able to stay on his back without a rope.” Jongdae muttered thoughtfully.

Billy, the ing tiger shark, nodded and Junmyeon wanted to cry, of course it understood what Jongdae was saying, Jongdae probably understood whatever language Billy spoke too.

“It's okay I like swimming.”

“Follow me tightly, okay? Don’t get loss in the middle of nowhere.”

“Wait, Jongdae.”

“What?”

“Do… erm… mermaids really use seashells as bras?”

“What do you think, Junmyeon?” Jongdae sighed.

“Yes…?”

“No, stupid, we go around .”

“That makes sense, you’re now.” And Junmyeon unconciously gave Jongdae an obvious once-over.

Jongdae was slightly more tanned than he had last seen him at orchestra practice, and he had strong, defined abs that must have come from all the swimming. Junmyeon really didn’t mean to look but Jongdae had s so pink and cute it made Junmyeon want to worship the magnificent body of the younger boy.

    None of those illustrations of merman in story books were exactly accurate, Jongdae had a and a (perky) which were visible in his merman form, the scales of his tail started from his thighs, not his waist.

    Junmyeon noted that Jongdae’s was a tad smaller than his and really pink (just like his hair and tail). He wondered if other merpeople had different colours for their tail, if a merman had a green tail, would their be slightly green?

“Like what you see?” Jongdae smirked.

Jummyeon opened his mouth to retort but Jongdae hushed him with a splash of water.

“Don’t worry, I like what I see too.” Jongdae laughed and Junmyeon suddenty recalled his decision to not swim in anything but a pair of speedos and he’s never been more grateful for all the training in the gym and the school’s swimming pool which have gifted him a set of muscles.

“Let’s go, my prince.” Jongdae pulled him into the water and Junmyeon groaned as his body is submerged into the cold sea again.

 

“I only used thirty minutes.” Junmyeon said between heavy pants of oxygen as he lied on the beach in fatigue.

“I should not have underestimated the Swimming Team Captain.” Jongdae’s scales were slowly fading now that they have reached dry land.

Junmyeon tried not to glance at the body of Jongdae “Why didn’t you join?”

“Join what?”

“Swimming Team, I’m sure you would still be a great swimmer in human form.”

Jongdae gave him a look that clearly said are-you-a-ing-idiot.

“Mister president, I can’t swim in water with my human form.”

“What?”

“I turn into a merman when I get wet, I turn back into a human when I get dry.”

“Oh, okay.” Junmyeon nodded slowly.

“You are freaking out a lot less than I thought you would.”

“I did freak out.”

“Yes, but I expected you to be more scared.”

It was an awkard atmosphere.

“Why is this place called the Hidden Bay?”

“Only those who seek for it can find it.”

“Kind of like the Room of Requirement from Harry Potter?”

Jongdae muttered something under his breath that sounded like dumb-human-literature and stood up from the sand.

“I have a hut built in the forest, let’s go there.”

“How about.. Um… Billy?”

“Billy is going back home.”

Junmyeon decided not to ask whether sharks have homes.

 

 

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that's the end of the first chapter and things will get HOT in the next ;) I decided not to rate this M even if this had some swear words, but next chapter would definitely be a M kkkkkkkk