The sun had just crept it's way up into the horizon, lighting up the area with a golden hue and yet Baekho found himself sitting on a beach while waiting for his best friend who had dragged him out this early in the morning. He had just come back to visit his hometown after a few years of working in Seoul. Having taken a rare full week leave, he didn't really want to waste his time sitting down here and squinting his eyes at the sun that was only brightening the sky more. He texted his friend to make sure he hadn't been pranked by the other and it only took a couple more minutes before his friend appeared with a local fisherman and fishing equipments.

"Finally you're here!" Baekho grumbled as he got up, patting the sand off his pants. 

"I'm so sorry. We got into a bit of a tangle earlier but that's all settled now," his best friend, Seungkwan said apologetically as they boarded the motorboat. Baekho put on the life jacket that was handed to him and took a seat. 

"Geez. Don't keep me waiting like that. I would have gotten sunburned," Baekho complained as usual and Seungkwan tossed him sunscreen. The other was always so particular about his skin after all. Baekho chuckled at the thought that that his friend hadn't changed at all as he applied the sunscreen onto himself. The boat took off, leaving the pier and sand behind. 

"So, what are we trying for today?" Baekho asked his friend who finally sat down beside him, stretching his limbs out. 

"Oh, nothing much. It's just been awhile since we hung out and I thought what better activity to do here than fishing~~" Seungkwan replied with a singsong tone. Baekho chuckled and shook his head.

"Seriously. We could go and eat something instead of waking up to catch fishes," Baekho said while stretching his arms out onto the side of the boat.

"Don't be such a party pooper. "

"Says the one who used to be afraid of fishing," Baekho spat back and they continued joking as they were brought to a popular fishing spot. There weren't anyone else around since it was a weekday and most of the fishermen went further out compared to their leisure fishing. They were also warned by the fisherman of occasional shark sightings throughout the month so they had to be careful.

Baekho had experience in fishing before so it didn't take long before both males were sitting and waiting for a bite instead. They started playing random games and making stupid bets. 

"If I win, then you're singing," Seungkwan said with a grin and Baekho accepted. They started playing rock paper scissors, best two out of three. In the end, Seungkwan won and Baekho was back to grumbling again since it was still early and he didn't want to sing out in the middle of the sea. Nevertheless a bet was a bet and he started singing after a short throat warm up. 

"Ah... I've missed hearing you sing," Seungkwan said and ultimately joined the other. The two males sang songs that were pretty popular in their era. Sometimes, tapping the boat to follow a beat too. The younger male would stand up once in awhile to do some silly dance until Baekho convinced him to sit down again. The water was calm and so was the weather without a rain cloud in sight. Everything felt peaceful until the boat rocked slightly. 

"Woah- what was that?" Seungkwan asked as he easily panicked over small stuff.

"Probably just a huge fish bumping onto us," Baekho said jokingly and Seungkwan frowned at his friend, not particularly finding it funny. Baekho chuckled and nudged him. "It's cause you were being too noisy in the morning so the fishes got annoyed."

"Haha. Very funny, Baekho," Seungkwan hissed but the boat rocked again, a little harder this time. Even the fisherman had come to their side to check on the water. It looked relatively calm. 

"Maybe we should switch spots," the fisherman said and the two males nodded, reeling in their fishing rods. They stood up and Baekho helped Seungkwan to a safer spot first before he started moving. He stumbled when the boat rocked harder. 

"Baekho!" Seungkwan called out when the bigger male slipped and fell into the water with a huge splash. Baekho felt the water embracing him and trying to pull him downwards. Thankfully he started floating back up with the life jacket, surfacing quickly and breathing in.

"I'm okay!" He yelled out and started swimming to the boat but something grabbed his ankle and pulled him underwater again. Seungkwan screamed his friend's name. Baekho gasped and shut his eyes, feeling water rush all around him. He choked and peeked his eyes open, noticing something in the water. He tried to kick it away from his leg and whatever was grabbing him let go. He swam up and breathed in before noticing the rod that Seungkwan was holding in his direction.

"Grab on!" Baekho did as told, pulling himself up the boat quickly. Whatever that was, it felt weird. He breathed and coughed out water. Seungkwan quickly threw a towel around his chest and the fisherman drove the motorboat back to shore. "What happened? You suddenly went in again."

"I don't know," Baekho coughed his words out. He dried his hair and wiped his eyes. "Something grabbed me... it was weird. It felt... like a hand."

"Did you manage to see what it was?"

"No. It was too dark," he replied, feeling cold so he pulled the towel closer to his body. "So much for coming back here."

The three male on board were silent after that, only bading the fisherman farewell so Baekho could go home and take a quick shower before he catch an actual cold. He sneezed and rubbed his nose. Seungkwan entered his house as well, greeting Baekho's family politely while he went to take a quick shower. While the warm water ran down his skin, he tried to recall what he had seen in the water. It had to be a hand. There were five fingers that held onto him, weren't there? But a human swimming in the middle of the sea without any snorkeling gear didn't make sense to him and an octopus probably wouldn't grab him. 

Baekho came out from his shower and dressed up before finding Seungkwan playing with his nieces and nephews. He took a seat and greeted them as they ran up to him to play too. Clinging around his neck and trying to get him to carry them. 

"How are you feeling?" Seungkwan asked worriedly.

"Apart from almost drowning, I'm cool," Baekho replied with a shrug. "It wasn't that horrible whatever that was." It did let go only after a few kicks so Baekho didn't think it was too life threatening. 

"Do you think it's a sea creature?" Seungkwan asked, eyes twinkling at the thought of it. Baekho chuckled and shrugged.

"Really? A sea creature? Who are you trying to amuse here?" He was never one to believe myths and things like that.

"But you said it was a hand that grabbed you!"

"Mermaid!" One of his nieces cheered loudly. Baekho laughed and carried her onto his lap.

"Mermaids aren't real," he said and tapped her nose. She puffed her cheeks cutely and turned away.

"They're real! Mama has heard them before she said. Especially at the beach after sunset. There's also one singing there," the little girl said in an angry tone. Baekho laughed and patted her head.

"Your mother probably heard some stranger singing." 

Baekho and Seungkwan spent the rest of the day hanging out with his family instead, playing games and running around the porch. They had a huge dinner to welcome Baekho home as well even though he was just going to be there for a week. He was all tired out by the time night rolled in. Seungkwan had left for home too after receiving a call from his own family. Baekho found his way to his own room that was rather empty after he had shifted most of his belongings to Seoul. Only his bed, a cupboard with barely any clothes, an empty drawer and his old fish aquarium were left in the room. Most of his things were in the luggage too. 

He laid on his bed, closing his eyes and trying to find sleep but something kept nagging in his mind. The thing that his niece had said. There was always one mermaid singing out there... Yeah, right. Baekho sat up and was going to tell himself this was a stupid idea but found himself putting on a jacket instead. He had brought a flashlight along and headed to the beach he was at earlier in the morning. He walked along the sandy land by himself, stuffing his hands inside his pocket. There was nothing but the sounds of the wave, running in and then out. It was a pretty cold night out too. He sat down at the same spot he sat at earlier, staring out at the horizon where the dark blue sea met the black starry sky. 

"What am I doing here?" He grumbled to himself, shifting his slippers uncomfortably in the sand. 

He didn't know how long he had sat there until he heard a distant noise. It sounded like a tune slowly coming to life. He turned to the direction of the noise and pushed himself up. It can't be real, right? His niece was just messing with him, right? Yet he found himself moving towards the noise, determined to prove her wrong. Maybe there was a party happening there but that side of the beach was empty. At least the last time he was there, it was empty. The sound grew louder and Baekho could make out the tune. It was one of the songs he and Seungkwan had sung on the boat earlier today but it's words were all mixed up. Baekho quickly picked up his pace, unsure what was pushing him this hard to find the source of the alluring voice.

Then the sound of angry yelling started. The song stopped and was replaced by shrieks and hisses that made Baekho's skin run cold. What was happening? He crossed to the other side of the beach and noticed a bunch of fishermen crowding around something near the water. Baekho couldn't make out what was happening in the night light but his feet brought him closer.  

"Hold it down!"

"I'm trying. It's so strong!"

Baekho was confused but once he got close enough to make out what was happening, he was startled. On the sandy beach laid a struggling half man, half fish creature. It shrieked and was attempting to lash out at whatever that came near it. Most of it being sharp metal poles and netting. Baekho gasped. They were trying to catch it?! 

"HEY! STOP THAT!" He snapped without a second thought. The creature sounded in pain and filled with fear, making Baekho feel sorry for it. He pushed the fishermen aside, trying to protect it but they shoved him away. The huge tail on the other end of the half human slapped at the fishermen before it managed to get itself loose and squirmed back into the water. The fishermen yelled angrily, running into the sea to try to grab ahold of it again but it was gone. Baekho hastily ran away before they could turn their anger towards him. 

Once their angry screams were out of his hearing, he slowed down and panted heavily. No way. Mermaids were real? And there was one right where his hometown is? All this while? Baekho felt like he might have been hallucinating but the sounds the creature made was still fresh in his mind. So was it's silhouette in the dark. Half man. Half fish. Just like a fairytale book. Feeling totally and utterly confused, he could only go home and fall onto his bed to sleep it away.