Characters: Siren!Baekhyun and OC (Boyoung)

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Fluff

AU: Soulmates, Merfolk

Secret Santa gift for Owlrose. ❤️

The moon was exceptionally bright tonight. Like a large glowing orb, it hung above the ocean, its shape mirrored in the dark waters. Soft waves rippled through the image, distorting it momentarily. The silver glimmer of the ocean captured her gaze with its beauty.

It was during nights like this that Boyoung felt particularly melancholic. Her heart ached to hear the sound of the crashing waves, the thundering of the water when it collided with the cliffs. She longed to listen to the cries of the seagulls and the wind as it rustled through the bushes. The sand beneath her bare feet should not have been silent while she walked, but it was.

Boyoung was trapped in a soundless world, unable to enjoy the lively melodies of nature. A deep sadness had grown in her chest, her heart feeling heavy. She missed listening to music, and she missed dancing to her favorite song.

A frown settled on her face as she lingered on the nightly beach. Nobody was here except for her. The cage of silence that surrounded her was easier to bear when she was alone. It was easier to imagine sounds when nobody was there to bother her. Her imagination was all she had left.

Boyoung had lost her hearing about a year ago in a horrible car accident that had changed her life fundamentally. The head trauma she had suffered had been the cause for her hearing loss, and she had been forced to come to terms with it since it would be permanent.

Her predicament had uprooted her life and caused her to lose her vitality. No longer could she listen to her favorite singers, attend her weekly dance lessons, or play the guitar. It was pointless when she couldn’t hear anything.

In her desperation, she had chosen to make a crucial change in her life. She had moved away from Incheon and bought a small secluded house on Jeju Island. Here, she wasn’t bothered by painful old memories. Since she worked from home, it didn’t matter where exactly she lived—another good reason for a change.

The sudden hearing loss made her life difficult in many ways. When speaking to people, she couldn’t hear her own voice, and neither could she hear theirs. She was dependent on reading people’s lips since most did not know sign language. During the past months, she had become quite good at lip-reading, but even so, she was reluctant to speak to others. The accident had changed Boyoung.

She couldn’t explain why she had been drawn to Jeju Island in particular, but its closeness to the sea had been attractive to her. For her whole life, she had adored the ocean. It was incredibly beautiful, during sunny and stormy days alike. The wild rolling waves were majestic, showing the raw power the water possessed.  

The ocean held many secrets mankind had yet to discover. It captured her curiosity, made her want to dive down and uncover them herself. After her passion for music had been smothered, her love for the sea had grown until it became the only thing that brought her joy.

She lingered at the edge of the water for a long while, watching the moon’s reflection on its surface. As she felt the wind in her hair and the water lapping over her toes, she imagined a plethora of sounds that were as mesmerizing as they were beautiful.

Boyoung didn’t have to work the next day and planned to use her free time to explore the path she had discovered yesterday. It had been easy to miss since it had led right into the undergrowth shielding one of the smaller beaches. The locals didn’t seem to frequent this path because it was overgrown with plants. Since she was new to the area, it roused her curiosity.

The sun beat down on her head while she walked, following the small path that led her through the foliage. Eager to find out what awaited her at its end, her steps quickened. In her haste, she kept tripping over loose stones and small roots in the ground.

Boyoung was relieved when the forest opened up, leading her into a lonely lagoon. Sheltered by large cliffs, the area was hard to access and she had found the only way to enter it on foot. She strolled over the secluded beach, her eyes drifting over the sparkling blue water. As she got closer to the waves, she set down her backpack, leaving it behind along with her shoes.

However, Boyoung stopped and froze when she heard something. At first, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. Maybe she had lost her mind, maybe her desperation to hear sounds got the best of her.

A soft humming reached her ears—she heard it clearly. Could this really just be her imagination? Intrigued and confused, she approached the rocks to her left to see what was hidden in the water beyond them. The humming grew louder as she got closer. A deep male voice began to sing a song so dark and alluring, it left her stunned.

Regardless of how odd this was, she needed to find out to whom this voice belonged. In order to prove she wasn’t going insane, she had to see the person with her own eyes. So she climbed up the rock and peered down.

Directly below her, someone floated in the water. He had messy black hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Droplets of water ran down his bare chest, disappearing into the sea. The water in the lagoon was crystal clear, allowing Boyoung to see something that should not have existed. Her wide eyes fell on a large fishtail that replaced his legs. It was slender and moved with powerful elegance to keep him above water. Its entirety was covered in glimmering scales, reflecting the color of the sea and the sky. The fin was large and incredibly pretty. She had never laid eyes on someone so fascinating and couldn’t keep her gaze off of him. Was he a siren? She had to be hallucinating, there was no way he was real!

He had long since noticed her and studied her with his deep blue eyes while he continued to sing. Boyoung hardly realized he wasn’t human—his melodious voice was all she could think of. To hear someone sing for the first time in a whole year was overwhelming! It roused many emotions and brought back unforgettable memories. She hadn’t heard anything in so long—just how was this possible?

As she kneeled on the rock, her eyes filled with tears. They quickly welled over and ran down her cheeks. The cage of silence she had been living in suddenly wasn’t there anymore. She wasn’t shut out any longer, and it felt amazing. In her joy, her tears wouldn’t stop.

The beautiful stranger in the water watched Boyoung attentively. He was astonished by her unusual reaction to his song. Confusion shone in his eyes. When she didn’t move closer anymore and lingered in the same place for too long, he raised his voice and his song became louder. It was inviting, beckoned her to join him in the water, but she resisted. She wanted him to keep singing and she had a feeling he would stop once she would approach him.

Again, he seemed puzzled, changing the colors of his song. It went from dark and enthralling to upbeat and captivating. His blue eyes traced her expression, eager to see her reaction. Intrigue flashed over his face once he realized his magic was not working on Boyoung. He swam up to the rock, resting his arms on its surface while he sang.

She was incredibly grateful to hear his voice, and when she finally calmed herself and stopped her tears, she decided to tell him. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

Now she had captured his interest when it should have been the other way around. He ended his song and stared at her in stunned silence, wondering why she had thanked him.

She smiled sadly, her shoulders slumping when she realized he wouldn’t sing any longer. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything…

“What’s your name?” he asked, startling her. She wasn’t used to hearing people speak.

“I’m Boyoung,” she answered, and after a few moments, she added, “Can you please sing for me again?”

He inclined his head. An emotion crossed his expression, but it was gone in a second. Had it been hope? Suddenly, he raised his arm and extended it towards her, holding out his hand for her to take. She glanced at his face, her eyes flitting to his smirking lips and his hand. Her heart skipped a beat.

“If you join me,” he answered, once more surprising Boyoung when she heard his voice loud and clear. Before she had thought her decision through, she placed her hand in his.

The smirk on his lips widened and his fingers tightened around hers. He pulled her towards him abruptly, making her lose her balance. With a startled scream, she landed in the water.

The coldness of the sea engulfed her, swallowed her whole. His grip on her hand was relentless, pulling her into the ocean. She felt the movements of his fishtail against her legs. He swam very fast and they left the lagoon behind within seconds. Fear emerged from deep within her, its icy tendrils taking hold of her. Did he intend to drown her? What was he doing? She suddenly remembered something—weren’t sirens known for luring humans to their deaths? They used their voices to trick them, and then they dragged their unsuspecting victims deep into the sea.

Instantly, Boyoung fought the siren’s grip, her eyes moving up to the bright surface. Reaching it was the only way to get air into her lungs. The siren noticed something was off and stopped swimming, hovering in the water in front of her. His hold on her hand became gentler, almost comforting. She stopped struggling, overcome by confusion—just what did he intend to do?

He met her gaze and looked deep into her eyes as if he was searching for something. What it was, she didn’t know, and she was too worried to care. She knew she wouldn’t make it to the surface before her air would run out—it was too far away. When the burning in her lungs became too much, she gasped. All remaining air left her body. Countless tiny bubbles rose