Donghae resurfaces and climbs into the shore, water spluttering out of his nose and mouth. He gasps for air, his whole body heaving to get air into his lungs. Behind him, the creature giggles. Donghae shoots him a dirty look and cursed at him, but this only made the creature laugh, who sounded like a thousand chords, compressed into one breathtaking swift of an an instrument’s initial note.

“Not my fault you don’t have gills,” the creature prods.

Donghae rolls to his back and squints as the sun hits his eyes. “And your name is?”

“Do you want to guess?”

Donghae scowls, and he unwillingly sits up to face the creature. “No.”

“I do not have a human name,” the creature said.

Donghae scowls deeper. “What the ?”

“Would you like to name me?”

Donghae peers at the creature through his wet bangs. “Name you? Why?”

“My real name is not for humans to hear,” he replies calmly.

Donghae purses his lips, and really studies the creature. He wasn’t much for creativity, but it finally occurs to him. “Eunhyuk,” he utters.

The creature smiles, clearly pleased. “Eunhyuk,” he repeats. “Then that is my name.”

Donghae blinks, and Eunhyuk had disappeared from view. He spots his silver tail from a distance, the water splashing from where he was just in.

~

The evening sky explodes with red, gold, blue, silver and other colors after one another. Donghae beholds the sky, as a new year comes. He walks by the seaside again, watching the children run around freely without their straw slippers. The sea breeze ruffles his hair and his cotton clothes, and he looks far at the horizon. Something melancholy sits at the bottom of his heart, and it tugs at him.

He heads straight to rocky part of the shore, where the fireworks are loud and closest to land. He watches the colors change. Then, he hears the water splash nearby and his cotton pants gets wet.

“Yah!” Donghae exclaims.

Eunhyuk pops out of the water, and Donghae takes a step back.

“Hiya,” Eunhyuk greets. “I see that you are setting the sky on fire.”

Donghae can’t help but laugh. “It’s fireworks for the new year.”

“Oh, so this is how you celebrate it.”

“Yes,” Donghae said. He crouches down to meet Eunhyuk’s dark eyes. “Why can’t you give me your real name?”

Eunhyuk gives him a mischievous smile. “You wouldn’t hear it properly. You could die.”

Donghae looks around, then takes off his shirt and kicks off his slippers. Then he jumps into the water next to Eunhyuk.

“Fine,” Donghae states.

“Fine,” Eunhyuk repeats, and Donghae takes his hand before they dove into the dark waters.

~

Donghae is alone in the sea today. He had set up the net, and has several lines waiting for the catch. The sun rises high up in the sky, and Donghae puts his yellow straw hat on his head to prevent his face from further tanning. He checks the nets for nth time, but he has not caught any fishes yet. Usually, he would have caught many. He had spent all morning on this boat, and there is nothing in his nets and his lines.

He stands up and adjusts the lines, but a huge amount of sea water splashes at him, and it douses his whole body.

He coughs as he hears a heavenly giggle.

“You!” Donghae accuses.

Eunhyuk rises to the surface, his webbed ears glittering with silver and some red lines. “A word of advice, fisher boy.”

Donghae glowers at the sea creature, who raised a tiny fish by the tail.

“You keep catching the little ones,” Eunhyuk says. He lets go of the fish. “Let them go, so they can produce more.”

Donghae simmers down. “I have to be in the market before lunch, Eunhyuk. My family will not be able to earn anything.”

Eunhyuk watches him, and he swims closer. “Promise me you’ll let the little ones go.”

Donghae nods, and he sits in his boat. “I promise.”

Eunhyuk grins sweetly. “Okay, wait here.”

Donghae sits on his boat like a bait worm, feeling like a fool. For what seems like forever, Eunhyuk resurfaces and he pulls himself halfway on the ledge of Donghae’s boat. Water drips down his face and into the boat.

“Check your net,” Eunhyuk suggests.

Donghae moves around his boat carefully, and he raises his net. It was filled with fat fishes of all kinds, and even a few squids and octopuses. He takes a breath and he chuckles.

“Thank you,” Donghae tells Eunhyuk. His heart spreads with warmth. No one has been this kind to him.

Eunhyuk slaps the waters with his tail, and douses a half-dry Donghae.