“No, no, no. Kihyun, you can’t be serious. Another human?” Minhyuk bewilders. They’ve been swimming around for the past few hours, the same conversation running like a loop. “I let Changkyun slide because of circumstances, but now his friend? See what I told you, humans can’t be trusted to keep their mouths shut.”

Kihyun giggles at his friend’s overprotective rambling. “He told me last night that on the night of the sirens, his friend saw them talking to Changkyun. He kept it all a secret. It’s not his fault, Min,” Kihyun promises.

Minhyuk shakes his head. “How do you know we can trust him?”

“Changkyun?”

“No, the other,” Minhyuk corrects.

Kihyun nods, feigning thought. “I don’t know. Just a feeling,” he shrugs, earning a pointed look from the older merman.

They swim closer to the shore, seeking comfort in the shallows in the daylight. Kihyun trails slightly behind Minhyuk, admiring the glistening beauty of his golden tail that reflects bits of sunlight with every movement. He understands his friend’s concerns—he shares them, as well—but something tells him he can trust both Changkyun and his friend.

He thinks about his conversation the previous night with the human boy.

Changkyun sat nervously on the sand a bit further back than usual, but Kihyun figured that was in caution of the recent siren threat. He smiled to himself. Part of him was proud of Changkyun for being strong enough to avoid the sirens’ calls and to still come back to the sea despite all he’s been through. But part of him also didn’t want him to put himself in danger.

He wondered why the boy was so intent on coming each and every night without fail. He wondered why the boy didn’t just come in the day time when there is no threat of being cursed. He wondered why the boy didn’t tell anyone about him or the sirens.

His thoughts were cut short by Changkyun waving shyly with a weak smile on his face.

Kihyun swam to shore, staying alert un