[SinRin Mermaid AU]




 

Perhaps you are familiar with mermaids. Maybe some of you love to see them or hear their stories but for me, I am so sick about them. Just hearing the word "mermaids" makes me cringe.

Since I was a kid, my bedtime are composed of silly stories about beautiful girls with fish tails until I became an adult but this time, the stories about mermaids are dangerous. The fishermen loves to tell us their tales about encountering these deadly creatures, said they will woo you with their angelic voice and make you fall in love with their beauty and when you least expect it, they will eat you. I guess that's what you get when you grow up beside the sea.

I scrunched up my nose as my fingers made a loop on the thread and pull it to finished up the net that my father will use later. The sun is starting to peek on the horizon, that's my sign to prepare myself. My mother called me to eat my breakfast, talk about perfect timing.

"Yerin, come here and eat. You need to fill up your stomach and praise the sea goddess." with her frail hand, she scooped the rice and put a handful of it on my plate.

"Mother, this is too much. What if I vomit it to the water later? Then the sea goddess will surely punish me."

Mother smack my head, "Then don't vomit."

I tried to eat the food even though my stomach cannot take them all, luckily my father already call me to help her with the boat.

Blue and white. The vehicle we will use to set on the sea looks like a dolphin, not exactly like that mammal but it's the first thing that comes on my mind whenever I see our boat. With a good crafting of my father, the boat looks pretty great despite of how small it is. I put on my hat and my long sleeve shirt, "Father, did you have your breakfast already?"

"No but your mother prepared a lunchbox for us. I'll just eat later."

I shrugged and push the boat towards the seashore. I am proud at my strength even though I am a girl and that's why Father allows me to come with him to help with heavy materials like this boat.

"I hope we can get tons of fish today for the festival later." Father said.

Ah, yes. The yearly festival of our town. Why did I forgot about it? Because I do not really care about it. It's the time where we praise and pay respect to the sea goddess and to ask her prosper our town. They will do it every full moon in the mid-November, they believe that the goddess for once a year will take a form of human and bring is prosperity and good health so we should make her feel appreciated and love jeez give me a break, I rather sleep on my bed than attend this loud activity in the middle of the night. I don't really take this bull at all, I have not seen any goddesses that set upon our humble sand, what's more to walk on the festival with a hundred of offering on her statue.

"I sure hope..." I mumble as I see how calm the blue water in front of me as the snout of the boat touches the vibrant waves.

•••••

I scratched my shoulder and slap my arm because of the mosquitos having a feast on my skin.

"So dark..." I muttered as the lips of the bottle meets my mouth and my tongue tasted the bitter liquid as it runs down my throat..

I can hear the distant noises from the festivals across the town where I am sure people are enjoying praising their imaginary goddess. I took the scent of the sea and watch the moon light reflecting on the water. I love taking in this peaceful scenery while drinking my gin.

I put down the bottle on the sand and grabbed the brown sands, releasing it again to watch it fly away with the wind.

Is it me or there's someone emerging from the seashore? I squinted my eyes and tried to look at it closely, "Maybe I am too drunk and imagining things."

I decided to stand up from my position, and go back to the house. But I look back again to the shore and now, I can finally see that someone is really standing there. Where did they came from? I never noticed someone going to the sea to swim earlier...

S/He started to walk towards me, it's too damn dark to see their face. But the moonlight struck on their body, glistening with the seawater, I noticed the curves and realized that it is a woman.

"Help..." her voice came out hoarsely but I can clearly hear it.

Wait! She's ing ?!

Holy crap, what is she doing in the middle of the night without any clothes? It feels like some good spirit kicks in because I quickly take off my blazer and ran towards her, "Are you damn high???! Swimming at night without clothes?"

I put the clothe around her shoulder and pull her closer to me. The woman stared at me and I don't know if her eyes are gray or what but it's beautiful shining under the light of moon.

"Let's get you to the house. Borrow my clothes for awhile."

The woman reluctantly followed me inside the small and rickety house. I run to my room and pull out an oversized jacket, shorts and my new underwear that I have not been able to use. Jeez, why am I helping a stranger? Worse, I let her inside the house? Mother will surely smack my head if she's here right now but luckily, she's busy at the festival with my father.

I return to the woman who are shivering from the cold, pulling the blazer to hide her chest from me. As if her s are big when mine is bigger. I give her the clothes and pointed out the comfort room on the corner, I guess she understand what I'm saying.

I started to bite my thumb's nail while thinking what should I do with the woman, should I report it to the police or-

"I...uh..."

Why the hell her voice sounds calming? I give her a look down to her face, her physique is actually good. Her hair is blue, weird. Ah, her eyes is light brown.

"Pretty." I mumble.

I noticed the re