Jinju abruptly woke up after she felt vigorous shaking. She looked to the person responsible but she could barely make out the blurry image and she felt a bit light-headed, her head pounding. 

 

“Are you conscious,” someone asked her, but she failed to reply since she was still felling disoriented, as if her mind was not connected to her body.

 

After a while, she felt the person put a hand on her head, over her eyes, and a warm sensation helped to clear her mind. She blinked rapidly and was met face-to-face with a worried Lay. She continued to look blankly at him, causing him to wave a hand to get her attention. “Jinju, Jinju can you hear me?” 

 

Getting no response from her, she felt another hand reach out to touch the back of her neck. This one was wet and cold and she jolted right up. She shivered as she sat down and noticed a familiar face lying down on the grass not to far from where she was. “Baekhyun,” she gasped. Before she could think about her actions, her body acted on its own and reached out for him. 

 

“No, don—“ the warning abruptly stopped once the owner of the voice saw her calmly leaning over Baekhyun, brushing his hair aside.

 

Coming back to her senses, Jinju realized what she was doing and immediately got away. She berated herself internally for her actions. After all this time you’d think his presence would no longer affect her, but she was completely wrong and she hated herself a little for allowing it to happen. 

 

Her thoughts were immediately focused elsewhere as soon as she felt someone tightly gripping on to her arms. She noticed Lay flipping her hand this way and that, carefully examining her skin. Then when he was done doing so, he looked her in the eye and asked, “Are you okay? Do you feel anything?”

 

Jinju’s forehead knotted in confusion as she replied, “I’m alright, just a little groggy.” When he had yet to let go of her she asked, “What are you doing?”

 

“Are you sure you don’t feel anything? Any numbness?”

 

Jinju slid her arms out of his hands and said, “Yes, I’m fine.” She looked at him skeptically and added, “Should I be feeling otherwise?”

 

Lay shook his head, “No, it’s great that you’re feeling okay.”

 

“What the..what just happened?” Jinju turned to the voice and saw Chen along with the man she was sure she saw covered in ice earlier. “How is she fine after touching Baekhyun?” the man demanded. 

 

She turned her attention to Lay, who was looking at her as if he was studying her, looking for answers. “I don’t know. It is indeed very interesting,” he said while rubbing his thumb on his chin.

 

Before they could further delve into the topic, they all turned toward Baekhyun’s unconscious form when they heard him grunt in pain. 

 

“The sun is going down,” she heard the worry in Lay’s voice as he rushed in Baekhyun’s direction, but she noticed him stop quite a distance just like Chen and the other man.

 

“Where are they? What’s taking them so long?” This time, Chen was the one worried.

 

Jinju looked in their direction and decided against following them. She sat on the bench close to the hut a few feet away from where everyone was congregating around Baekhyun. She needed to keep her distance from Baekhyun in order to keep herself from doting on him. She was surprised when all three suddenly stood up, looking in the distance.

 

“They’re here.”

 

She looked to where they were staring and saw a tall man frantically waving his arms to get their attention, right beside him was someone almost a head shorter than him. Jinju couldn’t make out his face from the distance but he seemed familiar. Following behind them were three others carrying what looked to be a mermaid. 

 

“Jinju,” Lay got in between her view of the people. “You told me earlier that a mermaid told you how to use the crystal?”

 

Jinju absentmindedly looked at him and nodded her head. “She did. She told me to infuse wind into the crystal.”

 

“Then am I right in assuming that you understand the language of the sea?”

 

“Yes, I can understand some. The sea around my home always had mermaids swimming around when I was little. When no one was around, they would come out to play. Overtime, I learned to understand what they were talking about.”

 

“Then I must ask a favor from you. Those men coming this way have a mermaid with them. I need you to get her to agree to heal that man,” Lay pointed toward Baekhyun.

 

“What is wrong with him?”

 

“He is slowly dying from a poison. The only antidote is a mermaid’s tear. Are you able to do what I ask of you?”

 

Jinju glanced down at Baekhyun and nodded her head. “I’ll try, but mermaids can be very stubborn sometimes.”

 

“That’s fine.”

 

“May I ask why you’re not the one to speak to her? You said you were at one time in love with a mermaid. That must mean you also understand the language of the sea.”

 

“I...As you’ve said, mermaids can be stubborn. And they are well-known for hating men. If I asked her, she would definitely refuse.”

 

“What makes you think she won’t refuse to heal him? He’s also a man.”

 

“But you’re not. I have a feeling you’re special,” Lay looked a her with a glint in his eyes. “I just haven’t figured out why.”

 

As soon as the men reached them with the mermaid, Jinju got a good look at them and she was right in thinking one of them was familiar. She remembered that Baekhyun introduced the man as Suho. He looked exactly the way he did five years ago, except this time there was an air of authority surrounding him. She could tell he remembered her as well, as soon as they made eye contact his widened just a tiny bit. Jinju wouldn’t have noticed if she wasn’t already staring at him. 

 

She remembers that Suho never gave her good reception whenever they met so she disregarded his presence and focused on the other guys, in particular the shortest one who looked like he was single-handedly carrying the mermaid.   With a closer look, she noticed a crystal glowing on his left index finger. It reminded her that she briefly saw a glint from Chen’s right ring finger earlier. She examined all the others and noticed that they all had a crystal. 

 

The one holding onto the mermaid’s tail had it on a pin attached to the middle button of his shirt and the one holding the mermaid’s upper body had a knuckle ring, the crystal located near his middle knuckle. Checking Suho, she saw nothing but there was a chain around his neck, the pendant hidden beneath his clothes. The chain was identical to the one the very tall man was wearing who had a crystal hanging from his necklace. Looking to the one close to Baekhyun, Jinju noticed that the man previously covered in ice had a crystal on a pin attached to his shirt over his left chest. Lastly, she checked over Baekhyun and noticed the crystal on his hand bracelet. She gasped after seeing that instead of clear, it was pitch-black.

 

With all her observing, she didn’t notice that someone was also studying her. As soon as the mermaid laid eyes on her, she stopped squirming in the men’s hold and carefully studied her. When Jinju finally noticed someone staring at her she looked around and saw Suho looking intently at her. She glared at him, but immediately turned away when she heard a thud. She looked to the source and found the mermaid on the ground lying right next to Baekhyun with her eyes shut tight and a look off pain on her face.

 

“Why did you do that!” she heard Lay exclaim.

 

“She was heavy,” she saw the one with the knuckle ring complain.

 

“Shut up Kai, I was the one mostly carrying her,” the short one silenced him.

 

“Enough D.O.,” Suho prevented an argument that would have surfaced between them. “Now Lay, it’s your turn. We’ve brought you a mermaid.” 

 

“You and your crew have basically doomed your friend by maltreating the mermaid. It will be hard to convince her at this point,” Lay looked at him adamantly. 

 

“You said that as long as we bring you one, you’ll take care of everything,” Jinju heard the tallest one complain.

 

“I said I would provide a translator, not that I can guarantee the mermaid’s cooperation. If the mermaid refuses, you only have yourselves to blame,” Lay pointedly looked at them.

 

“Well then, where is this translator of yours?” Suho demanded.

 

“Jinju will gladly help out.”

 

“Her?” Suho said incredulously. 

 

“Yes her, do you have a problem with that? If you do, then you may provide yourself with another translator if you can find one,” Lay narrowed his eyes at him.

 

“No, Ju-Ju will do just fine,” Chen chimed in before Suho could say anything else. 

 

Lay gave Jinju the go-ahead so she warily kneeled to the ground beside the mermaid. The second she got close, the mermaid’s eyes opened wide to look at her. Jinju backed up from surprise. The two of them continued to stare at each other causing the tall man to whisper, “What’s happening?” 

 

“Shut up Chanyeol,” D.O. glared at him. 

 

“Eb ton adiarf ym dlihc ^{Be not afraid my child},” the mermaid was the first to break the silence. 

 

“Od-d uoy leef-f truh ^{D-Do you f-feel hurt}?” Jinju stumbled through her first words.  

 

“Yhpislac sdnuow nac lasyaw laeh ^{Physical wounds can always heal}.”

 

“I..I...” Jinju swallowed.

 

“Og no dlihc, tahw si ti taht uoy ksa rof ^{Go on child, what is it that you ask for}.”

 

“Siht nam ^{This man},” the guys saw Jinju gesturing toward Baekhyun.

 

“Sey, I ees taht eh si daehde ot sih thaeddeb ^{Yes, I see that he is headed to his deathbed}.”

 

“I saw dlot taht uoy dluow eb aelb ot laeh mih ^{I was told that you would be able to heal him}.”

 

“Uoy erew dlot gnorw ^{You were told wrong}.”

 

“Tub-b ruoy sraet ^{B-But your tears}...”

 

“Ym sraet ^{My tears}?”

 

“A aehrel dlot em taht ruoy sraet era eht naitetod ot eht iopnos ^{A healer told me that your tears are the antidote to the poison}.”

 

“Sey, taht si tahw nam ebseveil, tub ereht si on hturt ot ti ^{Yes, that is what man believes, but there is no truth to it}.”

 

“Si ereht yna yaw eh nac eb delaeh ^{Is there any way he can be healed}?”

 

“Eht niatdet syrclat, uoy deen ot ekat ti morf mih ^{The tainted crystal, you need to take it from him},” the mermaid’s eyes darkened.

 

Jinju listened to her and was about to rip the bracelet from Baekhyun’s hand when Lay stopped her, “No Jinju, don’t listen to her. If you take away the crystal he will die.”

 

“Teiuq yob ^{Quiet boy},” her eyes flashed in warning at him before she turned her attention to Jinju, “Od ton ilnets ot mih dlihc ^{Do not listen to him child}.”

 

“Lay sah neeb ecin ot em, I ebeveil mih ^{Lay has been nice to me, I believe him}.”

 

“I ma ton yasgni taht eh si ylgni, tsuj simnidemrof. Kniht atuob ti, did uoy eid nehw taht pacniat koot ruoy syrclat ayaw ^{I am not saying that he is lying, just misinformed. Think about it, did you die when that captain took your crystal away}?”

 

Jinju gasped and stood away from her, “Woh od uoy wonk taht ^{How do you know that}?”

 

“Uoy era a epslaic eno, ym dlihc. Tub ti si ton tey emit rof uoy ot wonk. Won, od uoy urtyl hsiw ot evas siht s’nam efil ^{You are a special one, my child. But it is not yet time for you to know. Now, do you truly wish to save this man's life}?”

 

Jinju looked down at Baekhyun and could see how much he was suffering. The black matter was creeping under his skin right where his heart would be and she could see his body convulsing. She closed her eyes and turned away, unable to watch further.

 

“Lla uoy deen ot od si esapetar eht niatdet syrclat morf mih dna sih fusrefgni lliw dne. Si taht ton tahw uoy tnaw ^{All you need to do is separate the tainted crystal from him and his suffering will end}?”

 

Jinju looked intently at the mermaid and then at Baekhyun. She felt her heart breaking at seeing his plight. No matter what happened between the two of them, she would never be able to stomach his suffering so before anyone could stop her, she yanked the bracelet from his hand.

 

“No Jinju!”