I practically jumped out of my car when I got to the beach.

 

"To the cove, the cove, the cove, the cove.." I whistled to myself while running down the stairs down to the cove.

Yoosol's bright, clear voice greeted me the second I got there.

 

"Hey, Sehun! Get over here! You have to finish the story!"

I blinked.

"Story? What story?"

She made a face.

"You're such a forgetful person, you know. I'm talking about the story about how your friend accidentally set your wallet on fire."

"Ohh.... that one." I said with distaste, remembering that depressing day.

 

I sat down on the sand next to her.

"I won't name any names... but....." I made a face. "Byun Baekhyun was such a CLUTZ that day!"

 

I went on rambling on about how Baekhyun hyung had mistaked my brown, leather wallet for a clump of bacon and accidentally put it over the frying pan.

"He panicked, and pulled the frying pan away from the stove." I made a motion that matched my words accordingly.

Yoosol gasped.

"And the wallet fell out?!"

"Yeah! It just slipped right out from the slippery cooking oil and BOOM."

She gasped again.

"IT EXPLODED?!"

"Huh? Oh. No, it got on fire."

"FIRE?! The money TOO?!"

I pouted.

"I had everything in there! My ID card, a bunch of cash, coins, credit cards, coupons, and a picture of--"

I froze midsentence.

"A picture of who?" Yoosol asked curiously.

My girlfriend. "My dog." I lied.

Yoosol, nevertheless, made a sad face.

"That's so sad! Poor doggie.... Having such a bad owner who got his picture on fire.."

"Hey, I'm innocent. It was all that clumsy Baekhyun hyung's fault.." I grumbled.

 

Yoosol laughed at my annoyed face expression, making me do that weird flippy-floppy thing in my stomach. Her laugh always seemed to be so... different from others.

Maybe it was because she was a mermaid.

 

For the rest of the day, the conversations all leaned towards my dorm mates. Mostly their failures or embarrassing moments.

Yoosol laughed for what seemed like the hundredth time today.

"So he's called happy virus?!"

"Yeah, I'm telling you, Chanyeol hyung has that contagious laugh.."

"Does he ever become serious?"

I tapped my chin.

"Rarely. And if he does get serious, he's REALLY serious. Because he's never serious."

Yoonhee giggled.

 

"Oh, and did I tell you about how Baekhyun hyung got into a fight with an ahjummah at the supermarket over getting the last rice bag on sale?"

"What?! No, you didn't! Tell me tell me tell me tell me~"

I laughed and told her yet another story, watching her reactions with amusement and listening to her laughs all over again.

 

She giggled.

"I like this Baekhyun person you're talking about... He seems like a funny person."

I stopped and widened my eyes. What did she just say?!

 

"Don't. He yelps like a dog forty times before he goes to sleep, and he used to dance this weird light-switch dance when he was younger, and he turns all red from top to bottom when he drinks." I blurted out.

Yoosol blinked a few times, surprised from my sudden little outburst.

I cleared my throat, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrasment.

"And... so... You shouldn't like him... Because it's a bad idea, really." I muttered.

Yoosol softly laughed.

"I didn't mean I like him in that way. I didn't even meet him once! I was just saying that he sounded like a funny guy from your stories... That's all..." She giggled.

I sighed in relief.

 

"... And besides, he's human. I can't like any humans."

 

I froze. A shot of pain went through me.

"... R-Really? Why?" I asked quietly.

"Because... You know why, Sehun. I'm a mermaid. Mermaids and humans can't fall in love." She suddenly rolled her eyes. "That Little Mermaid tale is just a fantasy story. Things like that don't happen. They're impossible."

I frowned.

"But I thought you said nothing was impossible. Mermaids exist. They actually transform their tails to legs depending on the water. Why can't anything else happen? Why can't there be a relationship between a man and a mermaid?"

She blinked a few times, thinking.

"Well.... It's just weird, I guess. It's like the same thing as...." She tapped her chin. "A man falling in love with a fish."

 

What?

 

I felt hurt. Rejected. And nothing had even happened.

I pressed my lips together, frowning.

 

I had not fallen in love with a fish. I had not. Simple as that.

..... Wait..

Then does that mean I fell in love with her? That I fell in love with Yoosol? Yoosol, the mermaid?

I liked her?

But... But I had just met her. It had been just a little over a month. All we did was talk. And...

I had a girlfriend.

 

I stood up suddenly, a queesy feeling in my stomach.

"Uh... I gotta go now..." I muttered.

Yoosol raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, already?"

"Yeah....  Um.... I have this... this meeting. And I better be there on time for it..."

Yoosol nodded, looking a bit confused at my sudden change of mood.

"Alright, then. See you!"

I quickly turned around to go.

"Oh, wait! Sehun!"

I turned back around.

"Yeah?"

She suddenly broke into a smile. It made my heart dangerously flutter.

"I forgot to thank you for taking me up to the smoothie shop last time. It was really fun! We'll do it again sometime.... Right?"

I blinked a few times, confused. Then I smiled warmly.

"Sure. Of course, Yoosol."

 

Just let me go home for today.

And let me sort out my feelings.

-------------------------------------------------------

This was worse than that time Jiwon went on a date with Kai hyung before we started dating.

And that time had been hard. It was just that... this was harder.

 

Yoosol didn't want to date humans. She said she couldn't. Practically equivalent to wouldn't.

And I was a human.

And... I didn't want her to not date humans.

Because I was a human.

 

I groaned and stuffed my face into a pillow, rolling all over my bed.

"Aish... what am I even saying...." I muttered to myself.

After hours and hours of thinking, the truth had been slowly coming out. In fact, it had been there all along. I had known it, but just had refused to acknowledge it.

And I still did.

 

Because Yoosol was beautiful to my eyes. Her being a mermaid had nothing to do with anything, now. She had become someone special to me during the past month and a half, and I liked having her by my side.

Her laugh, her smile, her voice, every inch of her, it made me feel different. Different from what I felt around other girls. Different from what I felt around Jiwon.

I liked Yoosol, and yes, I had been too much of a coward to admit it.

 

But was I willing to accept this now? When I had a girlfriend? When my life was already perfect?

Chasing after Yoosol would mean ruining everything I had built up until now. My relationship, my stress-free lifestyle, and common sense itself.

Why? Because I loved a mermaid, and it wasn't an easy thing to make a mermaid yours. In fact, it was the hardest thing ever.

 

Especially when that mermaid didn't think of humans in the same way.

 

I frowned. Then did that mean Yoosol liked a mermaid guy? Or... a merman? She would choose a merman over me??

Aish. This whole complicated system of merpeople.

 

"YAH OH SEHUN! JIWON'S HERE!" Kyungsoo hyung's voice called from downstairs.

I sighed and sat straight up, eyes drooping.

 

But for now....

I got up and dragged myself downstairs.

I was going to have to face what I didn't want to face.

-----------------------------------------------------

Jiwon was perfect.

 

I concluded with that thought for the hundredth time of my life.

 

What more did a guy want in a girl? Looks? She had more than what I wanted. Intelligence? Her common sense and mind were healthier than anyone else's. Personality? She was nicer than nice and friendlier than friendly.

Jiwon was perfect. I couldn't possibly hurt her.

I gave her yet another sudden, random hug; probably the sixth one today.

Jiwon laughed at my randomness.

"Why're you feeling so huggy today, Sehun?"

"I don't know... Just because...." I muttered.

 

"I love you." I suddenly blurted.

Only I knew that I was trying to convince myself.

"I love you too." Jiwon replied with a laugh.

 

We could be so happy. Jiwon and I. Me and Jiwon.

 

I shook my thoughts out of my head and only hugged Jiwon tighter.

We still were young. We still didn't know anything. So for now.... Let's stick with common sense, Sehun.

And let's live how you're supposed to live.

 

Feeling emotional and random, I was desperate to get rid of my overcrowded and stressed thoughts.

So I bent down and landed my lips on Jiwon's, as if this would get me into the right mind. For a second, I believed that everything about Yoosol would die down into only a strange dream with this one kiss. For a second, I believed that I would suddenly open my eyes to a new, strong love for Jiwon and nothing else for anyone else with this one kiss.

It didn't.

I kissed her harder, more passionately, as if all of my life depended on this. I was desperate to stick to this choice, and stick to it well.

Sehun, you loved Jiwon.

When I finally realized that we both were out of breath, I quickly pulled away. Jiwon's cheeks were flushed, and her lips were slightly redder and fuller.

 

I widened my eyes.

"Oh... S-Sorry..."

She smiled at my face expression, still blushing.

"It's fine... Nice, even. I missed your kisses."

What if she saw through me? What would happen if she saw that I hadn't kissed her with love?

That I had kissed her to distract myself from another girl I loved.

 

"Jiwon, I love you." I gasped out. I was probably beginning to sound a bit crazy by now.

Jiwon gave me a questioning look.

"Is something bothering you, Sehun? Because really, I love you too."

She gave a comforting smile.

 

"I always will."

 

Will I?