“Okay, so I prepared them in two different ways. I don’t think you’ve ever used chopsticks before, so I left half of them uncut,” Changkyun explains shyly, eyeing the merman while presenting the kimbap. True to his words, there were two small boxes, one containing cut slices of kimbap and the other containing full rolls with vegetable stripes sticking out on either end.

The merman squeals in excitement at the sight of both boxes. “I don’t know what chopsticks are, but this looks amazing!”

Changkyun laughs, proud of his creations. He removes a pair of wooden chopsticks from his bag and shows them to Kihyun. “You hold them like this,” he demonstrates, “And you use them to pick up your food without dirtying your hands. Then you put the food in your mouth like this.”

He lifts a piece of cut kimbap up and brings it to the merman’s mouth. “Try one,” he insists.

Kihyun complies eagerly and opens his mouth, consuming the entire piece at once. He gasps and smiles at the human boy. Never before has he tasted something with so much flavor at once. Most of his meals were bland or too salty. This one is refreshing, a little bit salty, and very squishy while also crunchy at the same time. He loves it.

He splashes the water with his tail and looks at the human boy expectantly. He patiently waits for more.

Changkyun understands and lifts the box with the rolls. “This one you eat with your hands. It’s the same thing, but longer. You can hold it with one or two hands, just be careful not to let the ingredients fall out.”

Kihyun his lips in anticipation as he eyes the long dark green roll of yummy food. He dusts off his hands with the help of Changkyun and grabs an uncut kimbap. After taking a bite, he asks, “What’s all the soft, white stuff?”

“Oh, that’s rice. It’s probably one of the most important foods in this country. Everyone on land eats it. It’s a staple food,” he explains.

The merman nods his head as he continues to eat. As he takes another bite, he thinks about how Changkyun is important to him. Maybe Changkyun is his staple human. He giggles quietly at the thought. He wouldn’t want to say that out loud.

But the boy notices his little outburst and gives him a questioning look. Kihyun shakes his head and dismisses it. “I just really like this,” he diverts. “What other foods are there?”

“I brought juice,” Changkyun offers.

The other his head as he finishes off the roll. “What’s that?”

“It’s a drink.”

Kihyun shakes his head slightly, still not getting it. “What’s a drink?”

Changkyun laughs at the cuteness the other exudes. “I forgot you live in water. Juice is like flavored water. It’s the liquid that comes out of fruit and other foods that contain liquids. Drinking is basically eating liquids, I guess. Here, try one.”

He removes a bottle from his bag where he earlier retrieved the chopsticks and opens it. Kihyun watches attentively as he brings the rim of the bottle to his lips. “You tip this up and the juice will come out. Tip it only a little or too much will come out. Then you swallow it.”

Kihyun can tell the human boy was starting to struggle with explaining seemingly basic concepts, but he really appreciates the effort. He reaches out to take the bottle himself and follows the human’s steps. Cold, sweet liquid rushes into his mouth and he realizes he poured too much. Not sure of what to do, he spits it out to stop himself from choking.

Ashamed, he meets his gaze with Changkyun, who only rushes to his aid. “Are you okay?”

Kihyun ducks his head. “I’m sorry. I wasted it,” he murmurs.

The human boy shakes his head and smiles reassuringly. “No, no. You didn’t waste anything. Did you get to taste it, though?”

The merman nods his head. “Only a little. Can I try it again?”

“Of course,” Changkyun smiles, patting the top of Kihyun’s darker pink hair. He watches silently as the color soon lightens up when the merman takes a smaller sip of the drink.

He smiles brightly and looks to the