Confusion filled Hannah’s gut. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to talk to him. Like he had something to tell her. She was brought out of her thoughts by Aaron and Tori asking if she was coming as they walked towards the boat. As she went to step onto the boat, she saw a flash of red in her peripheral vision and looked over to see another boy around her age wading in the water, this one with bright red hair. He also was glaring at Hannah. She had never seen him before yet his stare held so much hatred.

“Whoa, wonder what his problem is,” Hannah said to Aaron and Tori.

Kun slapped himself as soon as he went back underwater, he could’ve gotten caught by her. Sure, that mother and her daughter didn’t think anything of his tail, but who knows if Hannah would be the same. He knew the way he went under, exposed his tail, but all he could think of was getting out of there as fast as he could. He sighed to himself and swam to the bottom of the ocean and laid there, staring at the boat he assumed Hannah was getting on.

To his surprise, the flash of green and red swam above him. Taeyong swam to the surface and looked straight at the boat. Kun furrowed his brows and swam up to him, staying a little further away. He could see Taeyong was staring directly at Hannah as she climbed onto the boat before going back under the surface and making eye contact with Kun. The look of immense anger was quickly replaced with surprise and the same childish glee he had yesterday.

“Oh, Kun! I didn’t see you there! What are you doing here? Just human gazing?”

“Uh, yeah. What about you?” Kun asked him, glancing at the boat Hannah was on as it’s motor started and began to take off.

“Same. I like to see what they’re doing when they’re at places like this. It’s really interesting to see them get around swimming in the ocean.” He smiled widely.

Kun couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something about this man. Like this cheery attitude he had was a facade.

“Alright, well I better get back to looking for my sister! Have fun watching the humans!” Taeyong chirped, swimming away from him and heading towards the open ocean as Hannah’s boat took off.

Kun’s instincts told him to follow Taeyong and see what he was up to, that he wasn’t actually looking for the missing mermaid, like he said he was. Although, he did misjudge just how fast the redhead was. It worked out for the stealth portion of following, but no so much for keeping up with him. It was clear that Taeyong was very adept at speed.

Eventually, Taeyong turned towards an island and swam towards that. Kun noticed Hannah’s boat was still in the open ocean and people began to jump off the side of it and went diving. Nervousness started to bubble in his stomach. He really didn’t want to get caught. Knowing full well he should just give up on chasing Taeyong, he continued to follow him until he turned into an underwater cove. Kun slowed down and instead focused on listening to what Taeyong was doing. He wracked his brain for an excuse if he got caught by him.

“You wench! You said you had taken care of her! Why didn’t you tell me you left her alive?!” Kun was brought out of his thoughts by Taeyong screaming, “My clan is looking everywhere for her because one of the youngest had a vision she was still alive and with a merman of a different clan!”

“Lower your voice boy. I may not have killed the rat, but I made sure to keep her away of your kind. Your youngling is making it up.”

“See, that’s how I know you’re lying because there is a male from another clan hanging around here.”

“I can assure you I know what I’m doing. I’m assuming by the anger you’re displaying that you’ve seen her. As a human.”

“She may look human, but I don’t know if I trust your damned spells. That one you had me give my dreaded mother didn’t kill her either.”

“Listen here, fish. I have never cared about your familial problems. I got an experiment out of this deal. Now leave before I turn yo