The night was young, party still in full swing when it happened. VIXX had just finished recording and filming for Hades, and with Elysium just around the corner, Jellyfish decided to celebrate and give the boys a day to rest. A boat was rented and a crew set in place for the fancy soirée. As fancy as six young rough housing men could act despite the company’s efforts on their image, but they couldn’t complain with how well they’d been selling regardless.

   Sometime around midnight, with the moon overhead, Hongbin left the cabin for some air. It wasn’t his intention to end up in the water, he’d only wanted to try to dip his feet a little. Miscalculating his step in the dark had him tumbling past the rails into the water. He wasn’t worried about his jeans or his phone at this point, rather, his very life was at stake. How he cursed and wished he could swim at this very moment. But wishing only gets one so far.

   No one had noticed his disappearance yet, he hadn’t been gone for long, yet it felt like hours to the poor boy. Losing strength in the vastness of the ocean, he slowly sank below the surface, trying his best but failing at holding his breath for very long. At that moment, dear Melody happened to be out, enjoying a swim under the full moon beside her scaled friends.

   The school of fish nearby seemed hectic, dispersing and she pursed her lips in wonder before her brows shot up. It was a young man! But why was he so far down without any proper gear? Flipping her fins as fast as she could, she built enough momentum to grab him and surface. No good, she thought, he’s unconscious. Well, at least this way she could protect her identity and not end up a government experiment.

   Despite the effort, Melody carried the boy until she reached shore, checking for signs of pulse. Weak but confirmed, she realized he got lucky she’s certified in this area. Pumping his chest rhythmically, he spat out water, eyes still shut. She pulled her hair back and leaned in for it, now or never if she wanted to save this stranger. His lips were undeniably soft, but she refused to ponder that thought any further, she’d already gotten far too involved for her own safety.

   Hongbin finally opened his eyes, welcoming his breath gratefully after all that sea water. But wait, last thing he recalled was struggling in deep water, how did he wash up on shore? He groggily checked his pocket for his phone, only to realize it was killed by the water. Stranded and weak, he opted to lay there and wait for help, lest he get lost any further on his own.

   At some point, his tired form gave in to sleep, the soft push and pull of the tide lulling him to rest. Unlike his peaceful sleep, he’d awoken to chaos. Boat anchored by the shore, the crew had managed to locate the idol group’s missing member. He sure got an earful, and this time it wasn’t of water. Hakyeon and their manager pestered him with questions left, right, upside and downward. After that was over with, the rest of the morning was spent heading back to Seoul and rushing Hongbin to a hospital.

   Minus a souvenir of swallowed seawater, his vitals proved just fine and all he needed was some rest, he’d be fine to perform. Hongbin couldn’t remember anything from that day however, not even reaching the docks and boarding the boat. The doctor wrote it off as short-term memory loss due to the near-death trauma. Something Hongbin refused to admit was that ever since the incident, there’s a song he’s never heard before stuck in his head. A soft voice, as melodic as the waves, singing with such emotion, it drove him mad he couldn’t make out any lyrics.

   Later that day, after his release and return to the dorm, he received another earful to match the other, so both eardrums would suffer evenly. For this lecture, he was conscious enough to remember. The group had collectively decided enough was enough, he had to learn to swim before they became a five member group. He was to begin his course in secret, an added bonus during promotions for the Hades album. Work, swim class, practice, repeat. The future didn’t feel pleasant for poor resident Bean.. however, life works in mysterious ways.