"Wahh~ Look at the sunset! Isn't it so pretty?!"

I watched my girlfriend stare at the horizon in awe and snap a picture on her phone. Her long, wavy hazel hair blew with the breeze, and her cheeks were slightly red from the beach's cool wind.

She herself looked as beautiful as the sunset, and no one would've disagreed.

I gently wrapped my arm around her waist and placed a soft kiss on her head.

"You're prettier, Jiwon."

But why was it that my mind was off someplace else?

September 15, Sunday. It was Jiwon's birthday. No matter how bad my condition was in any way, this day wasn't a day I should be affected by it.

You love her, don't you, Sehun? Then you should focus on her. And only her.

"Guys! Let's go get some ice cream!"

"I'm getting strawberry!"

"Ew, that's for girls! I'm getting chocolate!"

I watched the nearby kids chattering amongst themselves for awhile, again getting distracted from Jiwon.

"Sehun!"

I widened my eyes and turned back to Jiwon. She was frowning.

"Is everything okay? I called you three times already. What's up with you today?"

I felt a downpour of guilt when I saw her eyes filled with dissappointment.

Aish. What's your problem, Sehun?! Look what you did! You made her dissappointed on her birthday!

I gave an apologetic look and sighed, taking her hand.

"I'm sorry. I was just sort of out of it for a second...." I caught sight of a nearby smoothie shop. "Forgive me for smoothies?" I said with hope.

Jiwon smiled again, always having been an easy-going girl. She didn't get angry at things other girls would've cried over.

"Alright~ I think I want a strawberry banana. Or maybe a mango. What about you?"

I smiled at her sudden excitement.

"I'll get whatever you're getting."

She made a face.

"You always say that! Why do you have to be so boring~"

I laughed as we walked towards the smoothie shop, hand in hand.

And that was when I saw it.

The quick movement lasted for only about a half of a second. I'll never know how my eyes caught her. Because they just did.

Me, Oh Sehun, saw a human figure with a fish's tail dissapear into the water.

Which was of course, downright crazy.

I was frozen in my steps, my mouth shaped into an 'o', and my eyes as wide as saucers. Because if my calculations were correct...

What I had just seen was a mermaid.

Or maybe a merman. Mermen had long hair too, I think. I mean, Ariel's father did.

Wait. What. Why was I even...

I almost laughed out loud, calling myself crazy inside my head.

Who was I kidding? Why would there be a mermaid on this beach, let alone in this world?

Aish.... I was really out of it today....

Before Jiwon could notice that I was acting weird again, I quickly followed her close behind into the smoothie shop, shaking my head to get rid of that strange image I had just seen.

Maybe I had hallucinated, if that was possible.

"Two strawberry bananas, please."

"That would be six fifty, miss."

My hand instinctively reached out with a ten dollar bill, having done this for so many times in so many cafes and restaurants.

We both walked out with our smoothies, our minds probably on different things.

"This smoothie is so good!"

Mermaids probably didn't exist.

"I wonder if they put special types of fruits in it.."

What I saw earlier was probably a scuba diver of something..

Jiwon suddenly poked my arm.

"Sehun?"

"Y-Yeah?" I said a little bit too loudly.

Jiwon didn't seem to notice, and instead pointed to a guy selling balloons in the distance.

"Can you buy me a balloon?"

I smiled.

"Sure."

Did scuba divers even come to this beach?

The next few minutes, it seemed as if my body was a different person from myself. It acted on its own, handing two dollar bills to the man and giving a red balloon to Jiwon. 

Whearas my mind, it was on the sounds of the beach.

Splashing could be heard in the distance, and I was almost positive it came from that place I had seen the mermaid-like thing from before.

Was this even possible?

Curiosity was too much of a strong opponent, and I gave into it a second later. Quickly, I looked towards the deep, almost hidden ledge from before.

And I widened my eyes.

Sitting on a rock was a girl. A girl about my age, with long, dark brown hair and pale skin.

It was then when I noticed that she only had a towel covering her legs.

I widened my eyes and immediately looked away with red cheeks, positive that underneath that towel was nothing but bare skin.

What was that girl doing here like that?! Even if no one could really see her or notice her... This still was a public place...

Oh, and why was her hair wet?

"Thanks for the balloon, Sehun!"

"Mmhmm."

I gave a glance at the girl again, careful not to observe her or anything.

She was still sitting in the same position on the rock, looking out to the beach and sunset. It was hard to see, thankfully, but she seemed to not be moving. Only some of her damp hair moved to the breeze.

... Perhaps....

This girl had to do with the strange thing I saw earlier?

I frowned, immediately going against the theory.

No. She obviously had legs right now. I could see her feet clearly.

So then what was with that weird fish tail thing I saw?

And why am I even thinking so deeply into this?!

I quickly turned back to Jiwon, who was still sipping quietly from her smoothie and looking at the sunset.

"Jiwon?"

"Hmm? Yeah?"

"... Oh, um, nothing." I just wanted to get my mind of that strange girl who might be a mermaid in that ledge over there.

"Sehun, how many years has it been for us again?"

I blinked, taken back at her sudden question.

"3 years. All the way back in high school when I first asked you out." I curled a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Jiwon smiled, her eyes filled with nostalgia. I tilted my head slightly.

"But why?"

"... I don't know.." She turned to look at me, still grinning. "I'm just really happy right now~ Aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Jiwon."

Hey! Where'd the mermaid girl go?!

"Hmm..... It's getting dark, Sehun. Let's go and do the cake before it gets too dark for you to drive."

"Alright.."

How'd she dissappear, just like that?!

I found myself walking away with Jiwon back to the car, further and further away from the beach.

The beach. Where the mermaid girl is.

I frowned and shook my head from left to right, trying to get my mind off of it.

It was strange and ridiculous enough already. And I mean... She's gone anyways....

Must've been some crazy girl who just wanted to rest in the middle of a beach.

I got in the car with Jiwon and drove back home through the night, away from the beach. The sun was only a slit of golden light peeking from the sea by now, and the day was almost ending.

I sighed.

And besides, this was the last time I'm going to come here anyways.

Or so I thought.