"Look." Kyungsoo points comically slow, and what he's indicating approaches faster than Jongin can turn.

A mermaid swims around him, sizing him up. Another approaches Kyungsoo and looks right into his helmet before smiling, bubbles exploding from .

They look different from the mermaids Jongin's seen; they don't resemble humans as closely but are still notably humanoid. Their eyes are larger, webbing between their fingers more pronounced, and they each have two dorsal fins and smaller finlets that appear to be primarily made of soft rays.

The mermaids drift close just to dart away and return, spooked or shy or maybe just playful.

Kyungsoo seems to be familiar to them and laughs as two sit on his arms, seemingly weightless, and the third plays peekaboo with his helmet. "These are Jessica and Chrystal. Sisters, I think. The one circling around us is Sunyoung. She's the most friendly."

Sunyoung smiles, showing off two rows of small, sharp teeth.

"I can see that." Jongin flinches when her face fills his vision. She ducks to look around his helmet but darts away when he turns towards the light.

"Should think about coming back, guys. That's enough for a first walk." Chanyeol's voice seems to boom in Jongin's helmet.

As the decompression chamber empties, Jongin feels antsy. He's excited. Finally, he can explore the ocean and look for answers to the questions he's asked since he was a kid.